Sincerity is not a Substitute for Correctness

Picture sourced from Yahoo Image search


The good news is that Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez has resigned.

Ms. Gutierrez is one big boulder removed from the rocky road to a clean and honest government. While we can rejoice a little we should not forget that we still have a long way to go and our path is still littered with obstacles including a crown of thorns.

In her wake, there is a need to determine the extent of the rot that has infected the entire Office of the Ombudsman. Her replacement must be ready to make deep surgical excisions to remove all those who have contributed and made her blighted term possible. This include those who profess support and loyalty to her - they have either benefited from her or have shown an incapacity to determine right from wrong. What for are they in the Office of the Ombudsman?

We can not relent in our WAR FOR JUSTICE in which among the main goal is the apprehension, prosecution and punishment of those who have conspired to do us wrong.

Ms. Gutierrez did not resign quietly and in contrition. In her press conference announcing her resignation she protested her non- culpability and claimed that what she did was in the service of the Filipino people.

She can say what she wants and we can even grant that she is indeed sincere in what she was saying.

What we must all understand however - and the resigned Ombudsman most specially- is the principle that Sincerity is not a substitute for Correctness. She was impeached for not doing the right thing(s).

Heart Talk - not enough to be normal

Yesterday I had a blood test as part of my (ir) regular cholesterol monitoring. Except for Cholesterol which was a frustrating 30 points higher than normal, all the other indicators such as triglycerides, LDLC, VLDL fell within the normal range, albeit on the high borderline side. The good news is that I also have a high HDL count.

Considering that I usually exceeded the normal limits in my previous tests, I thought I had reason to celebrate. But I was told that in my case, since I am also prone to hypertension, I have to bring down my results further.

I thought I can maintain my cholesterol levels by sheer lifestyle modification thru diet and exercise. To some degree, I believe it helped. But for the new target set for me, I guess I have no option but to go back to a maintenance drug again. Hello Simvastatin!

In taking care of our heart, I still believe that diet and exercise are the best options. Drugs should only be a last resort.


Image credit: Image sourced from the internet.

Danny D.

I came to know Danny D. when we were accepted in the Presidential Management Staff, Office of the President (PMS-OP) during the time of President Cory Aquino.

Since we got in at almost the same time, we trained together along with a handful of other recruits.

It was just a couple of years into the Presidency of Mrs. Corazon Aquino and People Power fever was still strong. In fact it was the honor of working under President Cory's administration that lured most of us to work in the PMS, an office mainly tasked to attend and service the official needs of the President beyond what was provided by the line departments and special offices. Admittedly, the mandate and functions of our office at that time were on the vague side, but it was in this vagueness wherein lay its vast potential influence and power.

What I remembered of Danny D. was that he was then a fresh graduate of La Salle University but was already married with two kids. He had a healthy sense of humor but spoke softly. He had a La Sallean idealism with him and he believed in People Power, or his idea of it.

But Danny D. never made it through training.

Maybe because he believed that the government under President Aquino would be different that he thought it should be doing right. Thus, when he saw something that did not seem to be right, he asked a question out loud in one of the offices he was sent to for training.

He noticed that during meetings, the office he was training in tend to over order food much more than what meeting participants could consume. After the meeting, the staff would then partake of the excess food. Since this was what he saw, he asked if it was right to do so.

For this simple question, he became a pariah among the office staff and all directors deemed him to be a potential troublemaker. Some of the directors were holdovers from the past administration and some were new. Not one of the directors though would take Danny in and so effectively, he had nowhere to go after the training and had to leave.

This was a silent injustice that Danny D. faced alone in the administration of a President he admired and wished to serve - but because of a simple innocent question, he lost his chance.

I could not do anything for Danny D. then. All I could do was not to forget and by writing about it now, I stand as witness. I believe it is my duty to do so - not to get justice for him but to give him comfort in the knowledge that there was a person who saw the wrong done to him and who believed that this wrong should not be visited on others.

Some people may think what happened to Danny D. was trivial, but his story partly explains to me why despite the saintly personality of President Aquino, our country never got out from the grip of anomalies, corruption and poverty.

We changed a President, but we did not change as a people.

Kung makakapagsalita lang ang mga tarsiers...

Larawang mula sa internet, Yahoo Philippines News. Hiram lang.

Sa pagkaka-alam ko ang mga tarsier ay panggabing nilalang at isang napakamahiyaing hayop. Kaya nga may kalakihan yata ang mata nila ay dahil kailangan nila ito gamitin upang makahanap ng pagkain sa dilim o sa gabi.

Kaya lang dahil sa turismo, may mga tarsiers na kinukuha mula sa kanilang likas na tirahan upang maipakita at maipang-aliw sa mga tao. Siguro ang pakiramdam ng mga tarsiers na ito ay wala silang ipinagkaiba sa isang anim na taong gulang na bata na pinagmacho dancing sa harap ng maraming tao para makapag-uwi ng sampung libong piso sa kanyang mga magulang.

Maituturing kaya itong tarsier abuse? Bakit walang mga celebrity o tarsier psychologist na nag tu-tweet man lang para sa karapatan ng mga inaaping tarsier?

Kung makakapagsalita lang ang mga tarsiers, ano kaya ang sasabihin nila habang sila ay pinagkakaguluhan ng madla at ng mga paparazzi? Piliin ang letra ng inyong kasagutan:

a) Wow! ganito pala ang maging sikat! Sige na, kami na ang cute.
b) Mga P--ang I-a ninyo! mga usyusero kayo! Layuan na lang ninyo kami, pwede ba?
k) Wala lang. Tanggap naman namin ang ganitong buhay eh.
d) Kung ang tao kaya ang pagkaguluhan naming mga tarsier, ano kaya ang mararamdaman nila?
e) none of the above

View of Malacanang III - Disaster Strikes

View of Malacanang III- Disaster Strikes Malacanang, collage by vfg

This picture reminds viewers of Malacanang's task in protecting the people from disasters when they happen. However while our country is prone to various natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, earthquakes etc. nothing is as terrible and as punishing to the people as the disaster of a greedy and rapacious administration or a very inept one.

Pangarap ng Gising

Sana magbalik na ang ferry service sa Pasig River para may madaling paraan ng pagpunta sa Binondo na iwas traffic at pollution. Hindi ko alam kung bakit nagpalit lang ang administrasyon ay natigil na ito.



Sana magawa ko yong pangarap kong makapag-urban gardening. Masarap kainin yong sariling tanim at tiyak mo pa na wala itong mga pestisidyo at kung anu ano pang lason na ginamit dito.



Sana maibalik muli ang dating likas na ganda ng Baguio at dumami ulit ang mga pine trees dito. Gusto ko nga sana makahanap ng mai nenegosyo dito para may dahilan ako magtigil dito ng matagal tagal sa halip na panandaliang dalaw lang.




Sana makahanap ako ng bagong ipapausong pagkain na magiging super patok sa publiko gaya halimbawa ng Hongkong style noodles o Mang Inasal.


Sana mas marami ang makasubok ng mga pagkaing niluto sa drum grill oven na ginawa namin ayon sa instructions sa internet. Ang sarap ng mga pagkaing inihaw dito, lalu na ang manok. Lasang inihaw pero ang crispy ng balat.



Sana mangyari ang mga sinasana ko. Birthday ko naman e.

Losing (and Finding?) My Religion

It was in UP as a student where I sort of lost my religion -- or at least the stranglehold of the Catholic faith in my life. But then it was also in UP where I had this strange religion related experience.

I had already graduated then and was already working for several years when for nostalgic reasons, I found myself with two other friends drinking one night in an area near the UP Sunken Garden. We talked of a lot of things and covered a lot of topics under the starlit night. As the night wore on and our alcohol was almost entirely consumed our topic drifted to religion.

I don't exactly remember the gist of our conversation but at some point, my friend said that if there was a God, He could very well make it rain in spite of the clear weather we had on that night if He willed it. When he said this, we did not give his statement much import as we believed that rain was not possible that night.

But within maybe a quarter of an hour after my friend spoke, we felt a breeze blew. Then it blew harder and the night sky suddenly filled up with clouds. The air suddenly carried the scent of wet earth and from afar, we heard a roaring noise that was steadily getting louder as it came closer to us. We realized that it was rain and we hurried to pick up our things to run for cover.

But too late for us.

As dry as we were moments ago, the rain overtook us and we became dripping wet. We finally found shelter at a nearby waiting shed and that was where we waited out the rain. We stayed there till almost dawn when we were able to hail a taxi to take us home.

I don't know how this experience had affected the thinking of my friends. As for me, all I can say is that I can not forget this happening. It did not however lead me back to accept unquestioningly some practices and beliefs of my religion although I take part in some of its observations more out of habit.

And for good measure, I try to be honest, good and nice to others.

Now all I know is that I believe in truth and if God be Truth, then I believe in God.

Happy Easter.

Maangas na Talumpati ni PNoy Para sa mga Aktibistang Pasaway sa UP - kathang isip lang

Larawang hiram sa internet.

Sa mga mag-aaral na kinakarir ang pagngingitngit sa pamahalaan, nais ko lang ipaunawa sa inyo na walang ganitong disiplina o kurso sa inyong pamantasan. Gayon din naman, walang may prankisa ng pagmamahal at paglilingkod sa bayan.

Naniniwala ako na lahat tayo – aktibista man o hindi- ay nagmamahal sa ating bayan at sa munti nating sari-sariling paraan ay nagsisikap tayo na makapaglingkod sa kanya.

Kung iniisip ninyo na ang pagbatikos sa pamahalaan at pambubulahaw sa inyong mga imbitadong tagapagsalita ay pagtupad sa panawagan na paglingkuran ang sambayan, maari lang sana na mag-isip ulit kayo.

Ang graduation ceremony halimbawa ay hindi tungkol sa mga taong nabiktima – este – naimbitahan pala, ninyo na magsalita sa inyo. Ito ay moment ng mga kamag-aral ninyo bilang pagkilala at pagpaparangal sa kanilang nagawa. Ito ay selebrasyon ng kanilang tagumpay. Ano ang karapatan ninyo na i-hijack ito para lamang ibulalas ang inyong hinaing na maaari naman ninyong ipahayag ng mas maayos at mahinahon sa tamang paraan, lugar at okasyon?

Totoo, may halaga ang mga kilos protesta na naghahayag ng daing ng mga mamayan. Ngunit hindi dahil sa malakas kayong sumigaw ay kayo na at kayo lang ang tama at dapat pakinggan. Kung ganito ang inyong paraan, paano kayong makikinig sa mga boses na di tugma sa gusto ninyong marinig? Kailangan pa bang ipa memorize sa inyo na sa demokrasya, ang paglutas ng problema ay hindi dinadaan sa palakasan ng boses kundi sa mahinahong pag-uusap ng mga taong may iba’t ibang pupuntahan ngunit may isa lamang na sasakyan?

Sa totoo lang, napakadaling manggulo, napakadaling mag-ingay at napakadaling ipagsigawan ang pagmamahal sa bayan. Ngunit ang mas mahirap na gawin ay isabuhay ito.

Tanungin ninyo kaya kung nasaan na ang mga nagpupuyos na mga aktibista noon.

Karamihan sa kanila ay lumagay na sa tahimik at nabubuhay bilang ordinaryo at produktibong mamamayan. Sa isang banda, ang kanilang pagiging produktibo ay paraan ng kanilang pagtulong sa bayan dahil pinayayaman nila ang Inang Bayan.

Ang iba naman ay naging masugid na tagapagtanggol ng mga rehimen at politikong sinsiskap nating papanagutin ngayon dahil sa kasalanang ginawa nila sa bayan. Paanong nagkaganoon? Ano ang nakain nila?

Ngunit meron din namang ilan- hindi marami- na pinili na lamang sumama sa mga nagpapatumba ng cell phone towers at nananambang ng ating masang kasundaluhan. Ang tangi nilang nililikha ay mga biyuda at ulila. Meron bang pagsisilbi dito? Kung ito ang ambisyon ninyo, ang masasabi ko lang, mag-ingat kayo sa ma-ahos –hindi lang ma-ahas- na landas na tatahakin ninyo.

Bilang mga estudyante, kayo ay nasa kapaligirang may ganap na kalayaang pang-akademiko. Ang dahilan rito ay upang mabigyan kayo ng buong laya na mangalap ng kaalaman, masanay sa pagsusuri, mahasa ang pag-iisip at mapalutang ang pinakamagaling sa inyong sarili.

Huwag ninyong sayangin ang pagkakataong ito sa pagpalit ng inyong aktibismo sa inyong tungkuling dapat gampanan bilang mag-aaral. Huwag ninyong lustayin ang inyong akademikong kalayaan sa pagpupumilit na sa kaalamang meron kayo ay kaya na ninyong ipiloto ang barko ng bansa. Totoo, mas madaling mag-ingay sa halip na mag-aral. Mas masayang makibaka kasama ng mga barkada sa halip na magpakadalubhasa. Ngunit mas kailangan ng bayan ng mga taong marunong at may tunay na nagagawa, sa halip na mga taong mapusok at baka nagdudunong dunungan lamang.

Hindi natin maikakaila na sa ating bansa, hindi madali ang buhay ng mag-aaral. Marami talagang suliranin ang bansa na nakaka-apekto sa inyo. Ngunit hindi naman lahat ay pagsubok. Kung may hirap, may gantimpala. Pagdating ng araw na mabuno ninyo ang lahat ng mga hamon sa mag-aaral at mapatunayan ninyo ang inyong sarili, hindi na kayo kailangan magsisigaw pagkat ang mga tao pa mismo ang hihiling na mapakinggan kayo. Tingnan nyo na lamang ang kamag-aral ninyo na tagapagsalita ninyo ngayon. Hindi lang sya nagsalita sa madla ng once, but twice!

Ang araw ng inyong pagtatapos ay ang araw ng inyong pagpapasya. Bayan nga ba o sarili? Kayo na ang bahala. Baka naman kasi maaari ninyong pagsabayin.

Dahil tayo ang bumubuo ng sambayanan, mababago lamang natin ang ating bayan sa pagbabago ng ating sarili. Ito ang pakatandaan ninyo.

Kabataan, tunay nga na kayo ang pag-asa ng bayan. Ngunit paano kayong mapapakinabangan kung laging nakatiklop ang inyong kamao?

Kung hindi kayo mag-aaral, sino ang mag-aaral?

Kung hindi ngayon, paano kung may test kayo bukas? Larawang hiram sa internet.

Pornography of Grief

I deplore the tendency of media to gravitate around the dramatic and sensational in their coverage of the news. Their frenzied hunt for tears and wailing amounts to what we can only call a pornography of grief.

This egregious practice became annoyingly evident again during the coverage of the execution of the three Filipino drug mules in China last March 30,2011. Reporters went all over town covering and catching on camera the emotional reaction of members of the convicted drug mules' families. They made sure that they recorded every tear, every shriek and every utterance of their subjects while networks competed on who could present the rawest most dramatic coverage of the execution drama. But what was the news value of this?

Sensationalist reporting is not merely a neutral or harmless exercise in bad journalism. It destroys something in our national psyche and degrades us. For the subjects of the reportage, not only is their privacy violated but their dignity is taken as well when they are shown in their most abject and vulnerable grieving state. For the news viewers, the quality of information that they get has a bearing on the opinions they form and decisions they make. For example, when people see an emotional person deny to high heavens something against evidence and circumstance, other people too feel entitled to shamelessly bend truth in their favor when they or their families are concerned. Thus, truth becomes a casualty when it is subordinated to drama.

Another bane in this kind of reporting is that it promotes mendicancy when people become comfortable crying before the camera to get cash and sympathy.

The major rival networks are always in a shouting war with each other in proclaiming that they are the station that delivers genuine public service. But who are they kidding? What they do is a great public disservice.

Willy R and the Kiddie Macho Dancer

Once again, big shot game show host Willie Revillame has provided his non-fans and dedicated critics ammunition to be attacked with, this time through a Willing Willie episode featuring a six year old macho dancing kid.

And as expected the firestorm of criticisms did come but why should he care?

Mr. Revillame has proven to everyone, especially to his business mogul principal(s) that he is a Pied Piper of advertisers. He is completely convinced that his hold on the masses is such that advertisers would follow him unquestioningly where ever he goes. All he has to do is to weather this storm of disapproval out.

I never really liked Mr. Revillame's style of entertainment. Although he may believe that what he does gives joy and hope to the hoi polloi, I rue that his kind of show promotes mediocrity and turns us into a mendicant nation. This episode of the crying dancing boy just supports my case. Although the boy danced and cried in Mr. Revillame's show, it was not Mr. Revillame who taught the boy how to dance that way but his proud and beaming elders.

Clearly the problem is bigger than just a crying dancing kid and a callous, insensitive host. I hope that Willy bashers will go beyond their dislike of Mr. Revillame and face the challenge of answering how and why our people have been so totally taken by a man like him.

Those who were offended or outraged by the particular show in question but who continue to patronize the companies and products advertising in his shows should just shut up.

In a market driven media industry, media direction is influenced not with words but wallets.

Bad Trip, Good Trip ngayong araw

Bad Trip - Sumama ako kaninang umaga para magbike sa Timberland sa San Mateo. Pero wala ako sa kondisyon, kaya hindi ko nakaya. Kasisimula pa lang namin sa trail pero umatras na ako.

Good Trip - Maganda na rin naman ang view sa pinag antayan ko sa mga kasama ko. At masarap ang simoy ng hangin.

Bad Trip - Nagbike ako ng nakatsinelas kahit na sinabi ng kasama ko na dapat ay magsapatos ako para maprotektahan ang paa. Pero dahil pasaway, sige pa rin ako nag tsinelas at ng nagkamali nga ako sa pagliko habang nagba bike, sumabit ang hinlalaki ng aking kanang paa sa semento. Ang lalim ng naging sugat ko at hanggang ngayon ay may iniinda akong kirot.

Good Trip - Habang nagpapahinga ako, may nag text sa akin tungkol sa bagong print project. Oks.

Bad Trip - Kinailangan ko gumamit ng ATM card para kumuha ng pera sa banko pero nang hinanap ko ito ay hindi ko makita. Maloko loko ako sa kahahanap nito.

Good Trip - kung ano ang kunsumisyon ko sa paghanap nito ay ganoon din naman ang tuwa ko ng makita ko ito. Buti na lang hindi ko agad ito pinakansela.

Radioactive Sex

Just the idea of putting something up the ass is unpleasant enough but radium suppositories? WTF?

This clipped ad was an insert to an article on a radium scandal I read on-line. But since I saw it through the internet, I could not really tell if the ad and the product it pushed really existed once upon a time or if the ad was just a crafty fabrication for the gullible.

Considering how wary we are of radiation contamination nowadays, it is incredibly hard to imagine that there were once items such as radium suppositories which were supposed to be inserted up the ass- err rectum- to enhance sexual performance. Did people really use them before? I wonder how soon people got sick after using this 'wonder product'. Did anyone sue the manufacturer when they got sick or were they too embarrassed to let others know about their radioactive sex practice?

I have no answers to these questions because all I saw was this clipping of the advertisement. I was reading another article regarding a radium related scandal sometime in the 1930's that caused the deaths of untold number of factory workers who were mostly women- for which reason the victims became known as the Radium Girls. During their time, not much was known about radium yet, especially its lethal radioactive aspect and so the workers did not take precaution in handling it. Some women even used the radium containing chemical they handled to brighten their teeth or to make their hair glow.

I was actually thinking of an April Fools entry today. But I thought, if this clipped ad is real, then this truth is horribly weirder than the fiction I can concoct.