Disasters & Humanitrian Aid: PHILIPPINES

I urge all of my friends and encourage you to request your friends to make donations, even small ones, to OFFICIAL RELIEF agencies and NGOs located in your own country with the Philippine tropical storm(s) victims specified as recipients. I have done so to the Red Cross in Japan. You can donate clothing and other items.

It seems the after-effects will take a massive toll on survivors, thus the crisis has only begun for humanitarian assistance on an immediate, larger scale.

Do NOT make donations for aid directly to INDIVIDUAL Filipino persons that are close to you. Unfortunately, the requests for more money don't stop regardless of verifiable needs and, subsequent requests for more, verge on harassment.

I made that mistake once! The policy advocated by all social networks in never to send assistance to INDIVIDUALS.

Also, please consider other aid areas in critical need at present that may be closer to your interests & concerns are: Samoa and Indonesia.

Respectfully submitted to raise our level of consciousness and response to urgent humanitarian aid,

Michael

EVIL EMPOWERED

By Jose Ma. Montelibano
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:59:00 11/27/2009


I cheered when former Miss International, Aurora Pijuan, joyfully and tearfully called me to share the good news of Efren Peñaflorida winning the CNN Hero of the Year. Aurora's son, TJ Manotoc, had introduced Efren to her after TJ himself became an inspired volunteer of Efren's advocacy. With Aurora's constant campaigning, and persistent reminders about voting online for Efren, I had spent many hours in the last few months entering Efren's name to vote for him. Truly, Efren is a model of an ordinary Filipino becoming extraordinary and heroic by loving and helping the poor.

Efren's feat becomes even more awesome when we consider that he achieved so much by his own effort, and by inspiring others to join his work. He did not share in the 1.4 trillion budget of the national government. To help the less fortunate among our young, Efren struggled to find resources. And when he could not, he pushed a cart. In contrast, the World Bank reports that at least 30% of our national budget is lost to corruption. The beneficiaries of hundreds of billions that comprise the hidden wealth of the powerful drive in expensive cars but cannot help our needy young.

How many noble good works get loose change from government, if at all? How many millionaires and billionaires among thieves get the hundreds of billions of the people's money? The answer to this question is the meat of the story of our governance. It is not the lack of sophisticated concepts and programs that technical staff can write up for politicians that shame us before the rest of the progressive world; it is the lack of character and courage that afflicts our officials and societal leaders in the face of temptation brought by power and its access to great wealth.

The corrupt among Filipinos who wield authority perpetuate and aggravate the poverty of tens of millions of their countrymen. These corrupt leaders and officials are traitors. They deserve the worst of punishment. For their crimes, even the return of the death sentence is too mild a compensation for the pain and misery they cause to so many. And the cowards among our religious leaders who are the only institutional force that can mitigate evil by the power of faith or religion will be cursed by the God who is taught to us as One who loves the poor above all. By their cowardice, they have sold the victims of corruption and poverty for thirty pieces of silver.

Evil is spawned by those who tolerate it, not only by those who abet it. Evil is empowered by those who have power. Who have power in our society? They, by commission, by cooperation, by tolerance or by cowardice, choose to empower evil. Some are worse than others as they empower evil with gusto. Others are guilty by their fear of confronting evil even when sworn to do so by the public office they occupy. They are no less accountable though they are less abominable.

Corruption breeds poverty but does not stop there. Corruption is not a passive illness; it is an aggressive cancer. Poverty is not enough a tragedy that satisfies the hunger of corruption, it needs violence as well. The cowardly who feared a confrontation with corruption only encouraged it to be more greedy, to be more demanding. At a certain point, the aggressors and the cowards combine to to build the structure of violence. Power is what makes corruption possible and viable, and power at all costs is the only option that is left to the corrupt.

The massacre in Mindanao is the fruit of evil spawned and empowered. Authority spawned that evil, and that evil has just killed so many innocent and defenseless Filipinos. They were defenseless because power would not defend them. Power instead chose to favor the evil with protection and more arms. The women and media practitioners who were killed by agents of evil were sacrificed by those with authority who believed that evil is necessary to stay in power, that evil is permissible when power and wealth is the pearl of great price.

It is hard to accept the death of so many, to gloss over the brutality and arrogance of those who have been spawned by authority gone crazy with lust for its own perpetuation. I must admit that everything in my soul is red with hate and thirsty for vengeance. I cry for the dead who had to be murdered just for some sense of anger to bring us beyond our fear and cowardice. Is my cry a lonely one? Do our officers and soldiers who bear arms understand that they, too, pulled the trigger, that they, too, raped the women, that they, too, beheaded fellow Filipinos if they had encouraged the evil of those who ordered and executed the heinous crimes, or even just tolerated them? How many more will have to die, how many more Filipinos must be murdered, raped and beheaded before those who are sworn to protect them will stop protecting their killers?

When evil goes on a rampage and instills more fear instead of rage at the injustice of it all, then humanity takes a dive. That makes us all the next target of corruption, poverty and violence. Our families, including the families of our armed forces and police, will be fair game to rape, death and beheading. We are not just a people shamed by the greed of our officialdom, by the cowardice of our moral leaders, by the abdication of our armed protectors, we have joined the journey to hell by not rising in outrage and taking collective action until evil spawned and empowered is crushed like a dirty cockroach.

Those who ask for sobriety better truly understand the meaning of sobriety and are motivated by it. Calls for sobriety can encourage, and have encouraged, evil to be more belligerent and rapacious. It is not sobriety that can stop those who are not inspired by virtue, it is a people rising to protect itself, our collective outrage, and the courage to fight, even die so, our families and our nation may live in decency and honor.

Will JUSTICE be served this time?

Andal Ampatuan Jr. has been arrested and charged with the mass murder of 57 innocent people during the Maguindanao massacre – the most brutal killing in recent history due to political rivalry. He is now facing life imprisonment without parole if ever found guilty. Everyone is praying that justice will be served to the victims.

Yet what is justice really? What side does justice serve? A friend told me that the dirtiest word he had ever encountered was justice. Everyone seems to be shouting it – even the perpetrators. No one seems to want to admit that they are on the wrong side of the law. Everyone cries for justice. Even Ampatuan Jr. denies vehemently his involvement with the massacre. There are even times when people will claim they are wrongly accused and that they deserve justice. In either case, be it the defendant or the prosecutor, both will demand justice. It’s just that in some cases, one party shouts for it louder than the other.

Justice is defined as the quality of being just or fair (Free Online Dictionary). Yet how do we know what is fair or what is just? We look at the law. What does it mandate? What does it say? That is the standard by which we administer justice. Yet law is something that is made by man and is interpreted by man. So in the end the administration of justice is still left to someone’s subjectivity in interpreting something that is supposedly objective.

No wonder we have cases of justice going awry – bribed judges and juries. Or even out-of-court settlements. What happens when a millionaire is charged with a crime against a poor defendant? He makes amends by settling the dispute out of courts. People who can afford to pay their way out of a dispute – be it big or small – would always do so irregardless of what the law says. Is justice administered then considering that what is fair and just by the eyes of the law was not met?

Consider this hypothetical scenario. If a poor man was caught stealing from a rich man, he is bound to be imprisoned or sentenced to the punishment mandated by law. If a rich man was found to be violating the rights of a poor man, he most likely will pay the amount of damages to the poor man to escape the punishment mandated by law. I know there are loopholes to the argument but I hope you get my drift.

Point is, justice becomes subjective in relation to a person’s social stature. What is just to the eyes of man and to the eyes of law is different. The poor family of a rape victim would most probably accept millions of payment for damages if they would just stop pursuing the case against the rich rapist. After all, they need to be practical. Putting the darned man behind bars would probably serve justice in the sense that he is punished, but would that bring food to their table? What would they feel if the condemned man manages to bail out or worse was confined in pristine quarters? We cannot deny that rich convicts get certain privileges. Look at Jalosjos.

Many have died and sacrificed all in the pursuit of justice. Many have attempted to define it beyond what the dictionary tells us. It took almost 10 years for justice to be served for the Vizconde massaccre. What about the Maguindanao massacre? Would justice be served this time? Or would it be shelved for a long, long time?

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Source: http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1625658718409263251

Maguindanao Massacre: Where has our country gone to?

Once again, the Philippines have made her mark in the international scene. Not only has the country witnessed the most brutal massacre connected to political rivalry but she has also been able to oust Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists.

It is really appalling how such a heinous crime can happen in our country. It makes one doubt whether there is really hope for the nation or not. I know I love my country but how come my countrymen can do such brutal things to their fellowmen? How can men commit such atrocities to his fellows? I can understand other races declaring war against other races but not the same nationality versus the same nationality? Have they got no conscience?

As I read the reports, both official and personal, I cannot help but feel a rage slowly burning inside of me. Is this what our country has ended up to become? A place where journalists can put to test their love and commitment for their profession in the face of grave danger? A place where women rights are violated as mercilessly and heartlessly as possible? A place where change and good reform is no longer possible and is even gravely challenged?

Mangudadatu realized that if it was he who filed his COC by himself, he would certainly meet a certain death given the fact that he had already been threatened and his requests for security both from the ARMM police and the Philippine Army were denied. A convoy of journalists and women were suppose to be a safe delegation. Apparently, he thought wrong. Journalists and women are no longer immune to the evil plots of the enemy. They are as much targets as men and security personnel are. I wonder if there would have been any difference had the convoy been a busload of school children travelling the dangerous road to file the COCs.

And even innocent motorists were included in the onslaught. How can they be so cruel? Are they this blood thirsty for power?

To think that there have even been speculations that this may suspend the 2010 presidential elections. The upcoming elections already promises to be a brutal one – with the introduction of a whole new scheme of voting and the number of candidates running seemingly endless. Now, even before candidates can file the COCs, bloody events are already happening.

Sometimes I cannot help but make speculations over the entire events. Can it be that this is part of a much larger scheme than just mere political clan rivalries? I know I am not the first one to make such speculations. I don’t know if I am the first to publicly admit them. I sure hope that I do not get abducted just because of this. After all, I am no longer in UP and I am just a mere writer writing inside the confines of her home with only the Internet as her portal to the outside world. I think that hardly qualifies me as an activist worthy of abduction and execution. But with the current administration we have, we cannot really be all too sure.

GMA’s administration has been tainted with blood and gore. There are reports that during her term, there had been mass killings of journalists, abductions of reported activists and many other political killings. Her term hasn’t even ended and already the most brutal killing in recent history has taken place. The Ampatuan clan has been political allies of the current administration. Even if GMA has declared the region a state of emergency and even if their actions have been condemned and they have been expelled from the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, the fact that they were allies still remain. Could all this then be just a ploy for an extension in power of the person with the highest position in the country?

Even a state of emergency, which would deploy armed men in the region to prevent retaliation can have grave consequences. It may increase the tension in the area and even encourage further bloody combats.

I can’t imagine what would happen next. I certainly pray for a much better future for our country; a peaceful election and elected leaders that would be able to bring a more sustainable future to our country. I agree with my friend when she said that she wouldn’t want a candidate who would promise the stars – a candidate who would promise to give employment to all unemployed and eradicate corruption from the system. What we do need is someone who can give us hope for a better tomorrow through sustainable plans – plans that would indeed be plausible.

More than that, what we need to do is go out there and vote. Well, not just vote but guard our votes as well. If each and everyone of us would show just an ounce of care for the country that we are in now by going out and exercising our political rights, then perhaps there would be some change in this country. It is easy to be apathetic especially if you live in a region far from the tumultuous regions of the country, but we must start having a nationwide vision – a vision that is not merely limited to the confines of our region or worst the small world we move in. We may not know these people who were killed; we may not even give a damn that such monstrosity is happening down south. So long as we are safe in our little niches, we can afford not to care.

But how long will our little niches remain safe? The Maguindanao massacre has far flung consequences that if not addressed properly might lead to the whole country being severely threatened. How long will it be before other political rivals started killing each other? How long will it be before a civil war borne from all this possible political rivalry killings ensue? We must not allow such mindless killings to perpetuate our society. We may not be journalists, nor law enforcers, nor security persons – we may just be simple and ordinary citizens living simple and ordinary lives. Yet there is a lot that we can do to ensure that this country of ours does not fall into the likes of people who value power above common good; who resort to evil for the sake of personal ambitions.

And one of the small but high impact things we can do is go out there and vote in 2010 – and be vigilant about it. If you are not sure who you will vote for, then research about the candidates. Find out for yourself. Create your own opinion and do not merely ride with the popular majority. What is popular may not always be what is right.

I know who I will vote for and I am confident of his skills and capabilities. What about you?

Background

The Maguindanao massacre, or Ampatuan massacre happened in the morning of November 23, 2009 when the members of the political party of Esmael Mangudadatu comprised of his wife, two sisters, lawyers, aides and several journalists who were out to file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) as governor of the Maguindanao province were ambushed as they pass the town of Ampatuan. The convoy, together with several innocent motorists who were mistaken to be part of the convoy were abducted, killed and buried. Andal Ampatuan Jr., Datu Unsay mayor, has been formally charged with multiple murder and will be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole if proven guilty.

Sources

Maguindanao Massacre (Wikipedia)

Understanding the unbelievable (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Inquirer man recounts harrowing tales of survival (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Ampatuan charged with multiple murders (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Source: http://cerebralinsights.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/maguindanao-massacre-where-has-our-country-gone-to/

Bishop says RP needs more than elections to shed culture of impunity

By Charlie Señase
Inquirer Mindanao
First Posted 15:52:00 11/26/2009

COTABATO CITY, Philippines. A leader of the Catholic church in Mindanao on Thursday lamented the "culture of impunity" as a deep-seated obstacle to peaceful co-existence of the island's inhabitants that changing of leaders through the ballots would not possibly change the landscape of fear and violence.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo cited the Maguindanao massacre in reminding authorities and the public that the culture of impunity "has indeed grown through the years."

"Political administrations of officials in all parties from the 1960s to the present have cultivated and exploited to their own advantage (the culture of impunity)," Quevedo said in a statement.

He said this was the reason why he believed that "elections have not and will not change the situation."

Describing the carnage as a "conscienceless crime that cries out to heaven," the Cotabato prelate has urged the Arroyo government to enforce the law against the people responsible "without fear or favor."

He called on Malacañang "to use all its powers and decisively act to identify and arrest the perpetrators and apply the full-force of the law."

Praying for the souls of the victims and asking for divine consolation, comfort and strength to their families, he turned to confront politicians and non-politicians for their quick finger-pointing over Monday's tragedy.

"This is only partly right and has conveniently absolved us from any culpability. But, my sense of history leads me to believe that somehow we all share the blame to a certain extent," he explained.

Quevedo noted that "a social structure of traditional leadership that was meant to be for the good of the people was not so with powerful political families failing to change this culture of political convenience, allowing the culture of impunity to endure through successive administrations."

To resolve the perennial problem, he strongly proposed for a radical inner change.

"We need to change from the bottom up, from individuals to families, from families to communities. We need change of values that tolerate evil or choose the lesser evil. We need to learn new values that will transform our cultures from within," the former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said.

Quevedo also called on Catholics and Muslims "to faithfully and correctly follow" their respective holy books—the Bible and the Koran as a guide to acquire true value transformation.

"Indeed, we must condemn, we must demand decisive action for justice, and we must pray that we also must believe to change with the grace of God, we can," he said.

MAGUINDANAO, NOBYEMBRE 23, 2009

ni Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.
13 pantig bawat taludtod

mga limang sasakyan noon ang tumahak
at nilalandas nila ang Shariff Aguak
nang sa Comelec kandidatura'y ilagak
ngunit sila'y tinambangan at napahamak

walang habag na tinadtad sila ng bala
hanggang walang isa mang buhay ang matira
ito'y karahasan ngang gumimbal talaga
sa mundo pagkat damay pati dyornalista

bakit kailangang patayin ang kalaban
sa pulitika gayong may eleksyon naman
upang makuha nila ang kapangyarihan
at tiyaking sila'y manalo sa halalan

sino mang maghari doon sa lalawigan
posisyong pinakamataas ang hawakan
siyang ituturing na makapangyarihan
at siyang karapat-dapat lamang igalang

ngunit kayraming dyornalista ang tinadtad
ng bala kasama abogado't may edad
mga babae'y di rin nila pinatawad
sabi pa sa ulat, meron pang nakahubad

ang araw na iyon ay araw nga ng lagim
panahon iyong dapat nating ipanimdim
ang pagkamatay nila'y nakaririmarim
at hindi madalumat ng aking sagimsim

mahigit limampung katao ang pinaslang
di na yata tao kundi halimaw lamang
ang nagpakana ng ganoon at lumalang
mga kaluluwa nila'y sadya ngang halang

ilang araw lang bansa''y muling kinilala
dahil kina Pacquiao, Efren Peñaflorida
ngayon ang bansa'y tapunan muli ng puna
dahil sa mga pinaslang sa pulitika

dapat hulihin na at sa hustisya'y dalhin
ang gumawa't utak nitong kaytinding krimen
ang ginawa nila'y di dapat palagpasin
at kung kinakailangan sila'y bitayin

sa nangyaring ito'y maraming natulala
dahil sa kapangyarihan, nagwalanghiya
dapat hulihin lahat ng mga may sala
dalhin sa hustisya ang mga may pakana

THEIR DOG, THEIR FAULT

CTALK By Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star)
Updated November 25, 2009 12:00 AM


This government is guilty.

The Arroyo administration must be held responsible for the Maguindanao massacre just as much as the actual killers of an estimated 40 men and women, many of whom were working members of different media organizations.

The Arroyo administration as represented by cabinet members, party members, political allies, officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and local officials are collectively guilty by omission and collusion.

They collectively allowed conditions wherein their political allies became an overwhelming political force that sought to control the lives and liberty of people in Maguindanao through violence and terrorism. The administration turned a blind eye to the political monopoly of one family. No strategic balance was ever sought; no equitable distribution of governance was attempted.

My friend could not have said it any simpler: "Aso nila, kasalanan nila" ("Their dog, their fault").

No one in the government really cared. As long as the trade or exchange of local political power for national political power continued, they were happy.

In many parts of Mindanao, what happened in Maguindanao is part of tradition. To stop your political opponent, you simply use an overwhelming force with arms and blockade all roads to the local Comelec office. Instead of the candidates filing their COC personally and risk getting killed in the process, they send lawyers.

When lawyers started getting killed or terrorized, they sent women, their wives or mothers. It seems that even women are now fair game for the killing. In the Maguindanao slaughter, the killers were not just interested in stopping their political competition. They decided to annihilate them.

* * *

Law enforcement and military officials failed by omission or by consent to enforce the laws of the Philippines and allowed warlords to walk the land with weapons and killers, unchallenged. The only requirement was that these armed killers were "on their side" or did not shoot at government forces.

Unfortunately the law enforcers did not stipulate that the war lords and their private armies were not allowed to massacre their political rivals. They simply avoided taking sides.

In the very words of widows and colleagues of the slaughtered members of media, their requests for escorts or protection were denied by military and law enforcement officials.

The AFP and PNP want to call it "staying neutral". Well, neutrality has now caused the death of so many innocent civilians. Neutrality in this case now qualifies as dereliction of duty. By not providing protection to civilians, the officers concerned sent the innocent civilians to death. What do we now label those officers: accessory to murder or plain and simple cowards who did not want to get in between a fight?

Can we at least charge them with reckless imprudence resulting in mass murder and international shame?

Who will the AFP and the PNP add to the 40 or so martyrs as their sacrificial lamb?

Will it be an official of the PNP who is now suspected to have been involved after witnesses reported his presence in the area during the massacre? But what about those who failed to implement the full force of the law?

What about senior officials who publicize their "amnesty program on illegal or unregistered firearms" yet did nothing about decades long complaint about war lords and private armies in Mindanao?

I guess that would be too much to ask of naïve officials who think they can now enforce a total gun ban in Maguindanao when they can't even make their policemen wear safety helmets or place official license plates when driving scooters or make members of a SWAT team follow orders and not wear their black uniforms.

I suppose the only way we will ever get any justice for those slaughtered is if we beg the US government to dole out thousands of dollars for the capture of these savages. While I support the men and women of the AFP who fight and die in combat zones, I must also deplore the fact that only terrorists with prize money on their head seem to be caught.

Shall we now match the private armies with an army of bounty hunters?

While kidnappings, rapes, and slaughter of human beings take place in Mindanao, cabinet members assigned to Mindanao or in-charge of local politicians sit comfortably inside Malacañang Palace sipping coffee. Monday, they were making plans for their "farewell" pow-wow at the island paradise of Boracay.

For the longest time, we have allowed the same old faces to play the same old roles as peacemakers or Presidential assistants. Yet each year we have the annual rebel attack on defenseless villages, we add names to the list of kidnapped foreigners, abducted teachers, beheaded public servants and ordinary farmers.

How can these Malacañang appointees ever make any sensible or useful contributions or advise when they spend more time kissing ass in Malacañang than sowing peace in Mindanao. Once again, cabinet members were caught unawares of the simmering feud and once again they had to rush back to Mindanao...but only to count the bodies!

If you think about it, when President Joseph Estrada reclaimed camp Abubakar he did what the government and the AFP were suppose to do. He established the authority and the territory of the Republic of the Philippines.

Under the Arroyo administration, territory and authority has been decided on political expediency, deceit and firepower. Under this administration you can die or be killed for being suspected as an enemy of the state or as a member of media performing your duty, a citizen exercising your right to run for an elective position or as a professional performing a service to your client.

In Maguindanao they were killed like animals and dumped like garbage. And while their families were in mourning, this administration was in Paradise.

FILIPINA PILOT EXTRORDINAIRE, BUT NOT HER FLYING ABILITY

Jessica has an American father and a Filipina mother.
Oxford and Cambridge should now remove the words CAN'T and IMPOSSIBLE from their dictionary


Jessica Cox, 25, a girl born without arms, stands inside an aircraft. The girl from Tucson, Arizona got the Sport Pilot certificate lately and became the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.


Jessica Cox of Tucson was born without arms, but that has only stopped her from doing one thing: using the word "can't."



Her latest flight into the seemingly impossible is becoming the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.



With one foot manning the controls and the other delicately guiding the steering column, Cox, 25, soared to achieve a Sport Pilot certificate. Her certificate qualifies her to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet.


"She's a good pilot. She's rock solid," said Parrish Traweek, 42, the flying instructor at San Manuel's Ray Blair Airport.



Parrish Traweek runs PC Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Services and has trained many pilots, some of whom didn't come close to Cox's abilities.



"When she came up here driving a car," Traweek recalled, "I knew she'd have no problem flying a plane."





Doctors never learned why she was born without arms, but she figured out early on that she didn't want to use prosthetic devices.



Jessica Cox, 25, earned a license to fly airplanes on October 10, 2008. Jessica also has two black belts in Tae Kwan-Do, a college
degree in Psychology, and a thriving career as a motivational speaker. What doesn't Jessica Cox have? Arms.A bilateral congenital limb deficiency doesn't stop Ms. Cox from achieving and surpassing her goals. From birth on, her feet became her hands. She can drive a car, type 25 words per minute, and fly an airplane using her feet, without any special adaptations. She is the first woman without arms to earn a license to fly.
"I highly encourage people with disabilities to consider flying," Cox said. "It helps reverse the stereotype that people with disabilities are powerless into the belief that they are powerful and capable of setting high goals and achieving them."
Jessica earned her Sport Pilot certificate after training with Able Flight, a North Carolina flight training company that specializes in helping people with disabilities learn to fly. Ms. Cox won an Able Flight scholarship and was able to train with instructor Parrish Traweek free of charge.

SINU-SINO ANG TUNAY NA NAGPAPATAKBO?

Ginoong Victoria,

Ang iyong husay at katapangan sa panulat ay subok na at tunay na nagpapakita ng pag-ibig mo sa samahan at sa ating bayan. Matagal na kaming nagmamatyag dito sa ating sentro at tunay na kalunos-lunos ang mga nagaganap. Isa sa aming kasama ang nagbigay ng mahahalagang impormasyon na dapat malaman ng lahat. Tama ka at ang marami nating mga kapatid sa Europa sa mga tunay na nagaganap sa samahan. Ang mga sumusunod ay ilan lamang sa dapat nyong malaman:

1. Si Esguerra ay TUTA lamang. Ang tunay na nagpapatakbo ng OKOR ay sina QUIAMBAO at VIC RAMOS.

2. Si Ramos ay isang kilalang BAKLA at siyang nagrereyna reynahan ngayon. Siya ang tunay na nagdedesisyon lalo na sa pananalapi ng samahan. Matalik niyang kaibigan at kababayan ang Supreme Exchequer na si Chavez na isa ring sunod sunoran. Si Chavez ay nag iwan ng mga blankong tseke kay Ramos na hindi naman Deputy Exchequer bago ito tumungo sa Amerika. Ito ay labag sa batas ng ating samahan! Ang impormante namin mismo ang kumukuha sa mga nasabing tseke sa opisina ni Ramos.

3. Nang matuklasan ito ng Deputy Exchequer, ito'y lantarang nilang tinuligsa. Galit na galit sina Ginoong Rosito, Cadiente, Templo at Gempesaw. Sa kasamaang palad ang bagong AO ang pinagdiskitahan at mukang malapit nang sibakin dahil ito ang nakatuklas ng mga kabulastugan nila.

4. Si Manny Cabusao na isa ding BINABAE, (tanungin si Ginoong Nanquil na umatras bilang abogado nito sa annulment dahil umaming siya ay pwede sa lalake at babae), ay ipinuwesto pa din ni Esguerra kahit na maraming kabataan ang nagreklamo sa panghahalay at mga anomalya nito. Dalawang taon na lugi ang Rizal Youth Leadership Institute na ginawang gatasan ni Cabusao. Bakit di niyo subukang paaminin ang mga staff.

5. Usap usapan din ng mga staff ang ginagawang pagpapasaring ligaw ni Quiambao at Esguerra sa maganda at batang AO, na inyo na daw nakilala? At nang hindi siya umubra, ayun at mukhang patatalsikin pa. Madalas daw umiyak ang AO sa sama ng loob at malamang ay magresign na.

6. Balita ding kasintahan ni Cabusao ang isa sa mga nanalo sa Jose Rizal Model Student!

7. Si Paras ay tunay na nagpalakas kay Quiambao, ang asawa niya ay dating sekretarya ni Quiambao! Tunay na nilinlang nila ang Supremo Davide upang maiupo si Paras!

Ilan lamang iyan Ginoong Victoria, kayo ang napili naming magsiwalat ng lahat ng ito. Hiling lamang namin na sa paraang di mawawalan ng trabaho ang ating impormante na may katagalan na ding nagtatrabaho duon at di nya na lamang masikmura ang lahat ng nangyayari. Dumulog siya sa amin kahit na matagal na kaming di aktibo gawa na rin ng grupong nabanggit.

Mabuhay ka Ginoong Victoria! Nasa puso mo si Rizal at tulad namin na patuloy na magmamatyag at makikibaka. Lahat ng susunod na kaganapan ay ipararating namin sa iyo.

Hanggang sa muli,

Ginoong Villadelrey (MsF)

Why Gloria and Mike Arroyo, Et Al, Perhaps Are Not Even Christians But There’s Hope for Redemption

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband, family members and their clique members, et al, apparently do not know the Bible in spite of their education in Catholic schools in the Philippines. Hence, they live without following the teachings in the Book of Wisdom. Perhaps they are the epitome of the Filipino Catholics who are not Christians, as described in this essay, Why Not All Filipino Catholics Are Christians

Editor’s Note:
Perhaps readers may like also to browse its succeeding article,

Post Script to the Editorial, Why Not All Filipino Catholics Are Christians

The first proof that the Arroyos, et al, do no know the Bible is their efforts to prolong the rule and influence of President Arroyo. They do not realize what the Bible says:

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘the one who is and who was and is to come, the Almighty.’ – The Book of Revelation 1:8

T he Alpha-and-the-Omega axiom has given rise to a Tagalog adage: “Pag may umpisa, may katapusan” (If there is a beginning, there is an end). The Arroyos, et al, do not (and refuse to) admit that she is a lame duck and sooner or later, she will not wield the powers and perks of the presidency.

When Gloria Arroyo leaves the presidency, she will be like the fabled “emperor without clothes.” Without the presidential immunity, she will be like naked and brought to justice, as described in this article:

The Arroyos Have Criminal Liabilities Not Only with the Americans But Also with the Chinese

But Gloria and Miguel Arroyo must remember what the nuns at the Assumption College and the priests at the Ateneo de Manila must have taught them: God is forgiveness and that is why “the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

And Zacchae'us stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.’ (9) And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. (10) For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’ Luke 19:8-10

To read the complete story of Zacchae'us, please read Bobot Apit’s Nov 17, 2009 - Tuesday Meditation (Change of Heart - Change of Life!)

It is not too late for the First Couple, et al, to ask forgiveness from the Lord, repent and make restitution like Zacchae'us. After all both Saints Mark and Matthew wrote, “What good is it for a man (mortal) to gain the whole world (of materialism, pomp and power) if he loses his/her soul?”

Perhaps Gloria and Miguel Arroyo, their children, Rasputins, et al, should click on the following links to read again what their school mentors used to teach them in Religion classes:

Mark 8:36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet ...

www.bible.cc/mark/8-36.htm

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole ...

www.bible.cc/matthew/16-26.htm

Since Nov. 29, 2009, is the start of the Liturgical New Year, and coupled with the beginning of 2010 on January First, perhaps the Filipino First Couple, et al, should remember what G. K. Chesterton wrote that “The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.”

Besides, Advent Is the Time for Redemption and it is never too late to change for the better. The said article also tells the complete New-Year’s message of G. K. Chesterton.

And finally, perhaps Gloria and Miguel Arroyo may like to revisit again this article that tells also of Federico Pascual’s suggestion on how they can find eternal peace:

Our Idea of the First Couple Entering the Monastery Is Like Federico Pascual’s Proposal

T he editor, writers, columnists and staff of the MabuhayRadio.com now ask all our readers, especially the Overseas Filipinos, to include Gloria and Miguel Arroyo in their prayers starting this Thanksgiving weekend all the way to the New Year. Let us all pray that the Filipino First Couple will turn again to the Good News like when they were this tall and studying at the Assumption and the Ateneo. God works in mysterious ways. Perhaps the First Couple and their followers will indeed find redemption and peace of mind this Christmas season, God willing.

Amen. ###


Source: http://www.mabuhayradio.com/

8M Dollar Rizal-Blumentritt Documents Found

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
8M Dollar Rizal-Blumentritt Documents Found

Prague, Czech Republic – June 28, 2009 - Documents of Rizal and Blumentritt including five paintings of Juan Luna could fetch an estimated value of US$8 million, according to Stephan Klococka. They were found hidden in Cesky Budejovice Museum, 98 kilometers north of Prague, Czech Republic.

Four boxes were discovered believed to shed historical facts that are extremely important in Philippine history during the colonial Spanish era that span for over 320 years. These documents were never published. They were protected in vaults and had survived two world wars, 41-year Communist regime and 21years under the Soviet Union.

The existence of the discovery was mentioned to the Czech Ambassador to the Philippines in the summer of 2008 and was immediately suggested to Noubikko to visit the museum.

The discovery was first mentioned at the Knights of Rizal Council meeting in Bonn, Germany in November of 2008. Lucien Spittael, a retired NATO officer and Rizal-research specialist who was in Ceske Budejovice in 2007, confirmed their existence. He said that he knew then that there were more to found.

In June 17 of 2009, two American experts, Dr. Samuel Bernal, PhD. MD and Richard Branders, Security Adviser for Czech Republic and Poland were joined by Noubikko to reevaluate the findings. This time, they were showed pages upon pages of personal letters of Rizal, archives of unpublished manuscripts, portraits and paintings all of which are extremely important documents about the Rizal-Blumentritt relationship and the Philippines.

Helena Steyskalova, curator of the museum said the collection is enough to build another museum. Dr. Bernal said the collection is amazing. And, Branders said this could, definitely, puzzle the attention of international Rizal experts.

In June 23, 2009, an emergency meeting was called by Stephan Klococka, Deputy Commander for the Knights in Prague and planned the presentation of the discovery to the media and to all scholars to insure truthfulness of historical facts.

It is not yet known as to what is the extent of the findings. Personal letters and manuscripts are one-of-a-kind which were kept for over a century, most likely, they have never been read by any historian, Noubikko said. He also said that he is certain this is one of the most important historical discoveries in modern times.

Only about 5% were showed from the four boxes believed to contain extremely important historical facts in Philippine history were found. The boxes were protected and had survived two world wars including 41 years of communist regime and 21 years under Soviet Union.

RELATED NEWS RELEASES

1) Prague Examiner : http://yokemedia.com/examiner/assembly.htm 2) Philippine Courier: http://00094284274264200000.powweb.com/philippine-news/historical.html

WHY WAIT FOR IT?

We are now some years into the 21st century and have, in that same time frame made quantum leaps into the age of the Internet. Many technical facilities have been made available, which our order hasn’t made use of at all or if indeed - only inchoate. I have learned a Tagalog phrase, “ningas kugon,” which roughly means “brush-fire.” That is exactly how our Order has treated new technology – a short-lived enthusiasm. Therefore there is now an urgent need for reforms in our Order, which could already be resolved now without too much strife and struggle!

An electronically election system of some kind is to be prepared by Sir Hans Schoof and when applied in the near future should simplify and accelerate decision-making and at the same time directly involve members from all over the world – a truly democratic exercise. This is beyond doubt a positive step towards addressing the Order’s expanded national and international stature.

We live - and who will argue that point - in a worldwide information society, which is more and more dependent on acquiring information fast and/or in time. The leadership of our Order seems unaware for some years now of the need to keep in step with this phenomenon and if it does, not in the amount of enthusiasm expected of it. It cannot, for one, disseminate information immediately to members around the world. When it does it comes in trickles and drops. This piecemeal and old fashion of distribution can be very disadvantageous and depriving. The Order needs to have a domain for itself, possibly one with an .ORG ending that is well maintained and updated. It should not rely on Chapter domains to carry this task.

Professionalism must come immediately, so that the members of our Order and others in this world, who are interested in our hero, could find all that we could offer as information about our order and our idol – centrally – through the Internet. Although different websites exist out there maintained by some chapters and by individual Knights, it is of paramount importance for the Supreme Council in Manila to maintain its own domain.

It is to be noted that the domain name is not anymore a wide choice. Take for example http://www.knightsofrizal.com (Australia); www.knights-of-rizal.com (UK and Ireland); www.knightsofrizal.org (Malaya Chapter in Chicago); It might be a good idea for Manila to secure the domain name: www.knights-of-rizal.org as soon as possible!

An example of ineffectiveness and non-professionalism is the transmission of electronic mail through the headquarters. This was last experienced in the mailing of the new By-Laws. The problem is not with individuals who are responsible for transmission. It lies more in the flawed structural and organizational methods applied. This is further exacerbated by the prevailing attitude of some members of the upper echelon.

There should be a database available whereupon the dissemination of information to members can be regulated to the utmost efficiency. The distribution of newsletters, which at one push of the button - can send messages to all or to particular members, is neither technically difficult nor entails high costs.

Through the fulfilment of these few requests to the betterment of the Order, it will be taken positively as step towards the impression that leadership and membership are moving towards unity and harmony. It will measure the willingness of leadership to lend an ear and for the membership to have the feeling of belonging. I have been reminded, nay warned, that too much dissemination of information has its negative effects; that it can bring more confusion and some members can be alienated. I do not buy this argument nor will I argue about it. It is simply imperative that information gets around. Only through openness can we make things work.

Sir Peter Eisele, KCR

SINU-SINO ANG TUNAY NA NAGPAPATAKBO?

Ginoong Victoria,

Ang iyong husay at katapangan sa panulat ay subok na at tunay na nagpapakita ng pag-ibig mo sa samahan at sa ating bayan. Matagal na kaming nagmamatyag dito sa ating sentro at tunay na kalunos-lunos ang mga nagaganap. Isa sa aming kasama ang nagbigay ng mahahalagang impormasyon na dapat malaman ng lahat. Tama ka at ang marami nating mga kapatid sa Europa sa mga tunay na nagaganap sa samahan. Ang mga sumusunod ay ilan lamang sa dapat nyong malaman:

1. Si Esguerra ay TUTA lamang. Ang tunay na nagpapatakbo ng OKOR ay sina QUIAMBAO at VIC RAMOS.

2. Si Ramos ay isang kilalang BAKLA at siyang nagrereyna reynahan ngayon. Siya ang tunay na nagdedesisyon lalo na sa pananalapi ng samahan. Matalik niyang kaibigan at kababayan ang Supreme Exchequer na si Chavez na isa ring sunod sunoran. Si Chavez ay nag iwan ng mga blankong tseke kay Ramos na hindi naman Deputy Exchequer bago ito tumungo sa Amerika. Ito ay labag sa batas ng ating samahan! Ang impormante namin mismo ang kumukuha sa mga nasabing tseke sa opisina ni Ramos.

3. Nang matuklasan ito ng Deputy Exchequer, ito'y lantarang nilang tinuligsa. Galit na galit sina Ginoong Rosito, Cadiente, Templo at Gempesaw. Sa kasamaang palad ang bagong AO ang pinagdiskitahan at mukang malapit nang sibakin dahil ito ang nakatuklas ng mga kabulastugan nila.

4. Si Manny Cabusao na isa ding BINABAE, (tanungin si Ginoong Nanquil na umatras bilang abogado nito sa annulment dahil umaming siya ay pwede sa lalake at babae), ay ipinuwesto pa din ni Esguerra kahit na maraming kabataan ang nagreklamo sa panghahalay at mga anomalya nito. Dalawang taon na lugi ang Rizal Youth Leadership Institute na ginawang gatasan ni Cabusao. Bakit di niyo subukang paaminin ang mga staff.

5. Usap usapan din ng mga staff ang ginagawang pagpapasaring ligaw ni Quiambao at Esguerra sa maganda at batang AO, na inyo na daw nakilala? At nang hindi siya umubra, ayun at mukhang patatalsikin pa. Madalas daw umiyak ang AO sa sama ng loob at malamang ay magresign na.

6. Balita ding kasintahan ni Cabusao ang isa sa mga nanalo sa Jose Rizal Model Student!

7. Si Paras ay tunay na nagpalakas kay Quiambao, ang asawa niya ay dating sekretarya ni Quiambao! Tunay na nilinlang nila ang Supremo Davide upang maiupo si Paras!

Ilan lamang iyan Ginoong Victoria, kayo ang napili naming magsiwalat ng lahat ng ito. Hiling lamang namin na sa paraang di mawawalan ng trabaho ang ating impormante na may katagalan na ding nagtatrabaho duon at di nya na lamang masikmura ang lahat ng nangyayari. Dumulog siya sa amin kahit na matagal na kaming di aktibo gawa na rin ng grupong nabanggit.

Mabuhay ka Ginoong Victoria! Nasa puso mo si Rizal at tulad namin na patuloy na magmamatyag at makikibaka. Lahat ng susunod na kaganapan ay ipararating namin sa iyo.

Hanggang sa muli,

Ginoong Villadelrey (MsF)

CHILDREN

6 Reasons Not To Mess With Children

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.

The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.

The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.

Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.

The little girl said, 'When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah'.

The teacher asked, 'What if Jonah went to hell?'

The little girl replied, 'Then you ask him'.

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.

As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, 'I'm drawing God.'

The teacher paused and said, 'But no one knows what God looks like.'

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, 'They will in a minute.'

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.

After explaining the commandment to 'honour' thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.

She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, 'Why are some of your hairs white, Mum?'

Her mother replied, 'Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white'

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, 'Mummy, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?'

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.

'Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'

A small voice at the back of the room rang out, 'And there's the teacher, she's dead.'

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, 'Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.'

'Yes,' the class said.

'Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?'

A little fellow shouted,
'Cause your feet ain't empty.'

I LIKE THE NEXT ONE IN PARTICULAR

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:

'Take only ONE . God is watching.'

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples.'

It doesn't matter how many people you send this to, just remember if it made you laugh, your friends will laugh too..