SEX!!!!

Now that I got your attention....

One of those American late-night talk show hosts put it succinctly regarding Britney Spears: You have to be a particularly bad mother to lose a child custody case to a lazy, no-talent, freeloading scum like Kevin Federline. In the case of the Philippines, you have to be a really awful president to make Erap Estrada look [in no way good but certainly] better.

There was definitely corruption in the Erap Administration and it went all the way to the top. Gloria Arroyo did him one better (actually, several times over worse) by destroying institutions which will not be able to recover long after she leaves office (hopefully) in 2010. To wit:

Gloria Arroyo destroyed the integrity of the election system by, among others, appointing Benjamin Abalos as its chairman. Where do we begin? His transgressions are numerous yet he has not been called to account for even one. He make a mockery of the judiciary by continually insisting that the bidding for the polling machines was on the up-and-up when the Supreme Court has already ruled that it was attended with irregularities. He then thumbed his nose at the Supreme Court by refusing to return the machines to the bidder and to get the money that had already been paid to them. Why the Supreme Court never disbarred, suspended or even reprimanded him in the face his contemptuous actuations is just baffling. He must have been busy trying to “generate foreign investments for the country” so he neglected all his important duties in the COMELEC. Ben Abalos must have a direct line to the devil. Even Cory Aquino, who initially appointed him to his launching pad to different government positions would only go as far as expressing support for Jun Lozada, the person who exposed his alleged nefarious activities in brokering the ZTE-NBN deal. With him being held accountable for these huge scandals, it's no wonder that people also overlook lesser offenses such as his alleged support of his son-in-law's candidacy while a COMELEC commissioner.

Gloria Arroyo has also cheapened the presidency by acting as a witness to the contract between NiHao and GeoGrace, and their Chinese counterpart companies. This is akin to Erap's claim that he only acted as guarantor to pal Jaime Dichaves when he signed the PCI-Equitable Bank papers.

At least Erap fired then Customs Commissioner Pedro Mendoza when the later pointed a pistol in a threatening manner (Can you do that in a manner different than threatening?) at another person in a hotel. PASG chief Antonio Villar, despite the fact that he may have caught smuggled goods but no big-time smuggler to date, will likely go without even the proverbial slap on the wrist for the mauling incident involving his bodyguards and a businessman in a hotel. Groundwork to exonerate him is already being laid by the palace. They have made it very clear that the bodyguards involved in the incident were not personal bodyguards but assigned by the Philippine National Police, all 56 of them. It really does not make any difference whether they were personal or assigned bodyguards. In whose behest do you think those bodyguards beat up that businessman?

Incidentally, the official reason given as to the big number of bodyguards assigned to him is that he receives a lot of death threats. Of course, he receives death threats. He confiscates smuggled goods so those smugglers would not be pleased. If he also arrested those who smuggled the goods that he confiscated, maybe there would be less people making threats against him.

Gloria Arroyo lessened the integrity of the Office of the Special Prosecutor when men who were doing their jobs like Simeon Marcelo were forced out when they were prevented from going after wrongdoers who may be close to her. Current efforts to oust Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio may appear comical if not for the fact the he remains the last ray of hope for the office.

Gloria Arroyo's appointment of Raul Gonzalez as Secretary of Justice is just another example of appointing people who would do her bidding, even to the detriment of the nation. The man has already stared down the dark abyss, galloped down the valley of death when he had to undergo kidney transplant operations, and returned to work with nary a change of heart (maybe he should have also undergone heart transplant operation as his is three sizes too small). He kept right on going after those who opposed Gloria Arroyo while doing nothing against transgressors who are close to her. Noli Sugay, the Manila City Administrator under then mayor Lito Atienza who was accused of shooting a jeepney driver in the face after an altercation would most likely go unpunished now that the case has passed from people's memory. The fiscal who found probable cause in the libel case against Jake Macasaet nine years after the complaint had been filed would unlikely face any sanctions. Jake Macasaet is not exactly a Gloria Arroyo supporter, you see.

We should keep a vigilant eye on the PCGG as it would still be business as usual for the commissioners despite the fact that the Supreme Court has recommended disbarment proceedings against PCGG chairman Camilo Sabio. Again, the groundwork to justify Camilo Sabio's retention as PCGG chairman is already underway. The palace has already stated that the PCGG chairman does not have to be a lawyer. Therefore, even if Camilo Sabio is stripped of his privilege to practice law, he can stay as PCGG chairman.

PCGG commissioners serve at the pleasure of the president who may dismiss or ask for a commission's resignation when she has lost trust and confidence in them. When a commissioner has been stripped of his privilege to practice law, that should be enough for the president to lose trust or confidence in him. In fact, even a hint of impropriety by a commissioner should be enough for any decent president to lose trust and confidence in him.

In Camilo Sabio's case, what we have is more than a hint of impropriety. He admitted to committing acts which the Supreme Court itself has adjudged to be improper. Of course, the operative term here is ANY DECENT PRESIDENT.

Who's Afraid of the Philippine Catholic Church?

The Reproductive Health Bill is inching along in Congress and the Philippine Catholic Church has mobilized to oppose the passage of the bill. Does the church really need the government to enforce its dogma?

I don't understand the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial contraceptives. First of all, there's no biblical basis for what kind of contraception is acceptable or not. Even if there is, we don't have to follow everything in the bible. In the bible, women are treated as chattel. You don't hear the Catholic Church advocating a return to such outdated and barbaric practice. Even the church's practice of allowing only men into the priesthood is not based on the teachings of the bible.

Someone once told me that the rational for the prohibition on artificial contraception is that sexual intercourse, in the view of the church, is solely for procreation, not for other things such as pleasure. Thus, if married couples want to plan their family, they can only do so by abstinence or by the rhythm method. I used to joke that Catholics believe only two things: the rhythm method and bingo. When rhythm method does not work, BINGO!

But I digress.

Anyway, this view of rhythm method as an acceptable form of family planning flies into the face of the tenet that sexual intercourse should solely be for the purpose of procreation because couples who practice the rhythm method have sexual intercourse for some purpose other than procreation, most likely for pleasure. And when you really think about it, there's nothing natural about the rhythm method, more so with abstinence.

I have not read the Reproductive Health Bill but I am sure that nothing in it condones abortion which is still a crime.

Some congressmen have already backed away from supporting the bill probably because of fear of the backlash from going against the Catholic Church. This fear is misplaced. Think about it. The Catholic Church can not even convince its flock, UNDER PAIN OF ETERNAL DAMNATION, not to use artificial contraceptives. Do you really think that the church can convince its flock to vote for one candidate instead of the other? It's like the rooster thinking that the sun only rises because he ordered it to do so with his crowing.

Random Thoughts

The headline on one of business papers today (September 8) read “Exporters Not Yet Rejoicing.” I did not read the article but it is apparently about the weakening of the peso against the U.S. dollar. It is probably just a literary device employed by the editor but it seems hint that exporters are entitled to be jubilant about their business prospects. All the while, I thought that the main function of business is to employ limited resources to meet consumer demands while making a decent return on their investment. Once in a while, businessmen may be “laughing all the way to the bank” but it is not imperative for government policy to guarantee that they do.

I came across an internet ad touting the advantages of converting one's vehicle to run on water. The ad stated “Reduce your fuel costs by as much as 70%.” I guess the water-powered vehicles have to run on special water that costs at least 30% of gasoline. Maybe it's one of those designer water. Maybe it's water that can only be found in Saudi Arabia.

Last week, Malaya Editor Jake Macasaet was arrested based on a warrant issued in relation to a complaint for libel filed against him some nine years ago. A search warrant is issued after a finding of probable cause by the fiscal. Probably cause simply means that the fiscal has determined that a crime has probably been committed and that the accused probably committed it. In libel, all that a fiscal needs to determine is if it is probable that someone published or caused the publication of what is probably libelous material. Jesus Christ! It took some pinhead fiscal nine years to determine that a material published was probably libelous and that editor of Malaya was one one who caused it! What did he do, read each and every copy of the newspaper? Don't hold your breath for Secretary Raul Gonzalez to sanction such seeming incompetence on the part of his subordinate.

I Grieve

Mang Pandoy passed away last week. He was plucked from obscurity in 1992 when then president Fidel Ramos made him the face of poverty. He was given some money, a piece of land, several jobs and scholarships for his children. Sixteen years later he died, by most accounts a destitute, from tuberculosis—a disease which at one time was considered terminal but these days considered to be largely treatable.

I grieve for Mang Pandoy because people took advantage of him. I also grieve for him because he squandered numerous opportunities to better his life and that of his family. By some account, he was given P200,000 at one time. In all likelihood, he did not invest that money wisely. He also received money from the various jobs given to him. Of course, those were token jobs but they generated substantial salaries that a more savvy individual could have put to better use. His children were unable to take full advantage of the scholarships given them because they did not have money for transportation and other related expenses, It was said that Mang Pandoy sold the land he received to augment his children's education-related expenses. During his last days, he was diagnosed to have tuberculosis but his family did not bring him to a hospital because they did not have any money for his hospitalization. I know of people of lesser stature who were accommodated in the Lung Center. Why his family did not think about bringing him there is now moot. At the age of 63, Mang Panday passed away.

I grieve for Mang Pandoy because he is us. Other nations have taken advantage of us, that's for sure. More tragic is that we've also squandered numerous opportunities for greatness.

In 1986, we proved that we could drive away a dictator through peaceful means. We gave a new meaning to “People Power” which would become a model for ousting tyrants and dictators the world over. But we dropped the ball after that. Much has been said about our failure to make the Marcoses accountable. Less discussed and at least equally disheartening is how we squandered the perfect opportunity to start clean. It now appears that we replaced one set of crooks with another. Ben Abalos got his start in government disservice when he was appointed officer-in-charge of Mandaluyong. People make mistakes. What is imperative is that we correct those mistakes. Cory Aquino expressed her full support for Ben Abalos when he resigned his post as COMELEC chairman amid the NBN-ZTE scandal. Her subsequent expression of support for Jun Lozada is not sufficient atonement for Ben Abalos. Denunciation is not enough but it would be a good start.

When the “Hello Garci” scandal broke out after the 2004 presidential elections, we also squandered an opportunity to rid ourselves Gloria Arroyo because we allowed others with their own self-serving interests and agenda hijack our cause.

When Erap Estrada was finally convicted of plunder, we enjoyed a very brief moment of greatness as a nation who finally found the will to hold an erring president accountable, until Gloria Arroyo hurriedly granted him pardon out of political accommodation.

I grieve for Mang Pandoy because like him we have glimpsed greatness. But like him we also seem to be destined for a sad but largely preventable demise.

Et Tu, Jose Sabio?

Ayon sa isang dating guro at malapit na kaibigan, isang araw ang magkasabay na inaasam at pinapangambahan ng isang ama, ang araw kung kailan ka malampasan ng iyong anak. Inaasam ng ama ang araw na ito dahil pangarap ng lahat ng mabuting ama na mas malayo ang marating at mas malaki ang maging tagumpay ng kanyang anak. Nakakapangamba rin ang araw na ito dahil baka mawala na ng paghanga at ang paggalang ng anak sa kanyang ama. Isang pag-asa lang ng isang ama ay ang pagpapalaki niya sa ang kanyang anak na may tamang asal. Isa sa mga ito ay ang pagturing sa katauhan ng isang tao ang pinanggalingan ng paghanga at paggalang, hindi ang yaman o antas sa buhay.

Ang kaibigan ko ay nakatapos ng kolehiyo at doktoria sa pagtuturo, at naging isang mataas na opisyal sa isang pamantasan sa estado ng California habang ang ama niya ay hindi nakatapos ng pag-aaral at binuhay at pinalaki ang kanilang pamilya sa pamimitas ng prutas at gulay sa mga taniman. Hanggang ngayon, hindi maitatago ang paghanga at pagpaparangal ng aking kaibigan sa alaala ng kanyang ama tuwing gumagawi dito ang usapan. Wala akong duda na ganoon din ang paghanga at pagpaparangal na nararandaman ng kanyang mga anak para sa kanya.

Maari ring ituring ang relasyon ng isang guro at mag-aaral ay parang relasyon ng ama sa kanyang anak. Kung maayos ang pagtuturo ng isang guro sa kanyang mag-aaral, malaman na mas malayo ang mararating at mas malaki ang magiging tagumpay ng kanyang mga mag-aaral. At kahit na mas malayo ang marating at mas malaki ang maging tagumpay ng isang mag-aaral, mananatili ang paghanga at paggalang niya sa kanyang guro. Mawawala lamang ang paghanga at paggalang na ito kung may malaking kakulangan sa pagkatao ang guro na matutuntunan ang mag-aaral.

Naalala ko ang aking dating guro at malapit na kaibigan dahil isang dating isang guro na naman ang nasa balita ngayon at ang dating paghanga at paggalang na narandaman ko ay napalitan ng pagkadismaya. Ang dating guro na ito ay si Justice Jose Sabio ng Court of Appeals na naging guro ko nuong nag-aaral ako ng abogasya sa Ateneo.

Hinahangaan at ginagalang ko pa rin si Jose Sabio nuong isiniwalat niya ang 'di umano'y katiwalian sa Court of Appeals. Hindi ito natinag kahit matagal na panahon ang nagdaan bago niya isiwalat ito. Hindi nawala ang aking paghanga at paggalang kahit inakusahan siya na siya raw ang mismong humingi ng lagay. Madali ang magparatang, mahirap ang magpatunay.

Nawala ang aking paghanga at paggalang nuong aminin mismo ni Jose Sabio na nilapitan siya ng kanyang nakakatandang kapatid (PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio) tungkol sa isang kaso nguni't wala siyang nakitang mali dito. Wala naman daw inalok na kapalit ang kanyang kapatid at hindi naman daw siya nagpatinag sa kanyang desisyon. Nakakadismaya. Walang pagkakaiba ang ginawa ng kapatid niya sa paratang niyang ginawa ni Francis de Borja.

Mayroon tawag ang mga abogabo sa ginawa ni Camilo Sabio: ginapang niya ang kaso. Mabigat ang ibig sabihin ng “paggapang.” Kapareho ito kung gagamitin sa ganitong halimbawa: “Ginagapang ng amo ang kanyang katulong gabi-gabi.” Ipinanahiwatig na ang ganitong gawain ay tago, mapanlinlang at mali. Anong mga hayon ba ang gumagapang? Hindi ba mga ahas at buwaya? Mga hayop na binigyan natin ng masamang katangian. Merong pagkakaiba ang taong nanggagapang at ang mga ahas at buwaya. Ang mga ahas ang buwaya ay gumagapang dahil naayon ito sa hugis ng kanilang katawan; likas ito sa kanila. Ang mga ahas at buwaya ay gumagapang ng walang malisya, kundi dahil sa pangangailangan. Ang taong nanggagapang ay may itinatagong kamalian na ayaw niyang makita ng iba.

Kung nakakasuka ang halimbawa, dapat ay ganoon din kung hindi higit pa, ang paningin natin sa ginawa ng magkapatid na Sabio. Hindi lang mga partido sa kaso ang nilapastangan nito kundi ang buong bayan na umaasa sa maayos na pagpapalakad ng hustisiya.

Walang kinalaman ang pag-alok ng kapalit o ang pagsunod sa “mungkahi” sa pagkakaroon ng gapangan. Dalawa lamang ang elemento ng gapangan: 1) May kasong dapat husgahan; 2) May partidong lumapit ng patago para impluwensiyahan ang magiging husga, Kung may kinalaman ang alok ng kapalit o ang pagtatagumpay sa paggapang, ito ay ang pagpapalala. Kagaya rin ng ating halimbawa ng among nanggagapang, hindi nakasalalay ang pagganap ng panggagapang kung nagtagumpay sa panghahalay ang amo. Lumalala lamang ito.

Baka naman may magsasabi riyan na walang naganap na gapangan dahil hindi naman patago ang naging paglapit. Heto nga at buong loob na inilahad ni Jose Sabio ang nangyari. Ano ang masasabi mo sa taong nagsasabing puti ang itim, malabo ang malinaw o tama ang mali para magbago siya ng isip?

Dismayado rin ako sa mga kagaya kong naging dating mag-aaral na tinuruan ni Jose Sabio na kumakaripas na pumirma sa isang petisyon ng pagsuporta sa aming dating guro na ngayon naman ay tikom ang bibig sa mga kabaluktutang inamin mismo ng aming dating guro. Kung may nakita tayong tama, dapat lang na suportahan natin. Kung mayroon tayong nakitang mali, dapat ay ituwid natin.

Kalimutan na natin ang dapat o hindi dapat gawin. Maging makasarili na tayo. Sa susunod na may mangangailangan ng ating suporta, sino pa ang maniniwala sa atin kung lantaran nating kinusinte ang isang kabaluktutan?

Enough of the Movie Quotes Already!

There are times we are confronted by a situation which evokes very strong emotions—grief, jubilation, horror, awe—that we become at a loss for words. And so we use the words of those who are probably wiser and definitely more eloquent, to describe our feelings.

It was George Bernard Shaw who first said “Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others see things that never were and ask why not?” But most people attribute the quote to Bobby F. Kennedy in his eulogy for his brother John F Kennedy. Okay, Bobby Kennedy changed the second sentence to “I see things that never were….” and did not attribute the quote to its proper author. In this instance, it is not important whether the words were Bobby Kennedy’s or not because it captured the pathos of the moment in a way that other words could not.

Those were the good old days when people read books and actively sought knowledge. These days, we are more interested in drama, however artificial. And we have also become lazy. We just latch on to the catchy phrases, mostly from movies, to capture the moment in words. Even “the moment” could be any moment not necessarily dramatic. The catch phrase is probably supposed to provide the drama.

Consider the situation in the Supreme Court inquiry into the alleged bribery in the Court of Appeals. CA Justice Roxas quoted the Penguin, a character in a Batman movie, to explain why he shredded documents and brought them home for burning. What was it about that that Justice Roxas himself, a judge in the second highest court in the land, could not explain in his own words? And what was it about the Penguin that made him such an authority in the destruction of governments?

Of course, the SC inquiry is just the latest misuse and abuse of quotations. There was Rep. Edmund Reyes, emulating Achilles in the movie “Troy,” shouting “Is there no one else?” in trying to get more signatures for the impeachment petition. Apparently, as in the movie, there was no one else.

Also, in the chambers of the House of Representatives, the late Rep. Wahab Akbar in a privileged speech claimed that “I am Basilan.” This seemed reminiscent of a scene in the movie “Kingdom of Heaven” where King Baldwin IV said “I am…Jerusalem.” Wahab Akbar is also dead. He died from that bomb blast in front of the Batasan Hall lobby last year. One would hope that his last thoughts were enlightened and eloquent at the moment of his death as I would like mine to be. But fate being what it is, my last words would probably be “Doh!”, a Homer Simpson favorite.

There is however, one movie quote I wouldn’t mind hearing and it is from the movie “Jerry Maguire.” In the event that Gloria Arroyo is somehow ousted from the presidency, I wouldn’t mind at all if she says, “You had me at ‘Hello’…Garci.”

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Let me introduce you to one of the most powerful phrases in the English language. It is “with all due respect.” This phrase allows you to hurl the vilest of insults without the one being insulted necessarily taking as much offense as the insult warrants.

You can tell someone “I'd like to call you an idiot but idiots would take offense” and at the very least you would cause offense. More likely, the idiot would have his bodyguards beat you up and shoot you. On the other hand, if you preface the insult with the phrase “with all due respect” you could even come across as being frank. Of course, if your name is Frank, you could also come across as someone with candor.

These four simple words let you appear deferential without being a hypocrite. You show respect but only that which is due the person you are insulting. That may also be an insult in itself as you are implying that little if any respect at all is due.

By averting or reducing the prospect of bodily harm or even death, one could then be more creative one's insults. For example, you could say, “With all due respect, you are nothing but eleven pounds of lying, thieving, cheating, contemptible, shit in a ten-pound sack.”

Or maybe not.