Tidbits of Life

Despite the majority of Roman Catholic Christians in the Philippines, Christianity alone has proven incapable of unifying in certain issues the minds of the Filipinos. Our recent elections alone stood as a stark testimony on the incompatibility of what most of the citizenry prefer their next president to be and what the Roman Catholic clergy, as far as their official positions were concerned, chose the "preferred" candidate. While the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) favored the candidacy of Olongapo City Councilor JC De Los Reyes, the Filipinos gave Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno S. Aquino III an overwhelming mandate, better than any presidential candidate of the country in history. One issue that created such opposing convictions was divorce in the Philippines. Well, the official position of the leadership in the Christian community is against putting into law any semblance of divorce in the country. But if you will ask Filipinos, you can hear a

Article III (Bill of Rights), Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution encourages and guarantees the public its freedom and right to express opinion. And the controversy surrounding the appointment of our new Supreme Court Chief Justice is a public matter that any Filipino has the right to discuss and talk about. The controversial appointment of Chief Justice Renato Corona on 17 May 2010 geared upon the resolution of the apparent conflict between two provisions in the Philippine Constitution--Article VII (Executive Department), Section 15 and Article VIII (Judicial Department), Section 4(1). Art. VII, Sec. 15 states: "Two months immediately before the next presidential elections up to the end of his term, a President or Acting President shall not make appointmets, except temporary appointments to executive positions when continued vacancies therein will prejudice public service or endanger public safety." Art. VIII, Sec. 4 (1) goes: "Any vacancy shall be filled w

The last thing I expected yesterday was to attend a consecration ceremony for two single women to the religious life in the Living the Gospel Community (LGC), founded by Monsignor Frederick Kriekenbeek and located in the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Minglanilla, Cebu. The sisters who made their perpetual profession of vows--the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience--were Ma. Hazel Lastimosa, LGC and Ma. Dolores La Rosa, LGC. I dropped by the parish church compound simply to visit the Blessed Sacrament and to check on the sales status of MorningSun booklets sold at the parish book center. But then before I even did any one of the above, my attention got caught by an ongoing Holy Mass concelebrated by a bishop (it turned out later that there were two bishops in that celebration) and around 20 priests. A soft and delightful invitation to attend the Mass came into my mind and my response was an outright "Yes!" as I walked into the church pews, joining the ce

Since before the campaign period for the 2010 general elections, the many unsuccessful attempts at tickering with the Philippine Constitution to enable a parliamentary system of government to keep the current president in power made it logical for the oppositions to suspect that outgoing president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo plotted to reclaim the highest office of the land through the House of Representative. As a Speaker of the House, she would be in the position to ensure that Cha-Cha (charter change) happens and have herself elected as the new prime minister under the new system of government. Well, this scenario may be existent or not. But to freedom-loving Filipinos who are fed up by politicians hungry for power for their own personal and political end, being watchful on the developments in high politics cannot be overemphasized. What we can do is watch the moves of recently elected representative for the second district of Pampanga, and follow them where they may lead. So far thes

Many critics of the Noynoy candidacy, earlier in the campaign period, called the energy emanating from the people as a fleeting euphoria born from sympathy and sorrow for the death of democracy icon and former Philippine president Corazon "Cory" Aquino. For outsiders, looking from the recesses of the events, it was euphoria. But for those people who brushed with injustice and hungered for the change that became urgent in the present administration, it was a passion for justice, equality, and change. It was a compelling emotion that consumed their being when they saw that it becomes possible to hope again. And the chance to do something about it arose before them. Euphoria is by definition an exaggerated sense of great elation. Elation itself is a weak emotion resembling contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. You cannot say euphoria for change, or elation for justice... without disrespecting the history of the words themselves. Euphoria does not have the strength and

A very close poll battle makes the problems of the historic first automated elections in the Philippines take a backdrop for the exciting race for the office of the Vice President. The underdog seems to retain a valid hope that the tide of elections can turn the other way. Ten hours ago or so ago, vice presidential aspirant Jejomar Binay of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) made a surprising surge in votes that created a strong 800,000 vote gap, which Liberal Party vice-presidential candidate Manuel Roxas III found difficult to shake off in the election returns (ERs) already at 82.91% of those counted. Two hours later, the hurdle hardens to 850,000 at an ERs count rate of 84.90 percent. Apparently, at more than three-quarters of returns involved, Roxas will find his chances dim should this vote gap hardens into a one-million vote difference. Liberaly Party stalwarts however remained optimistic as Roxas vote-rich regions (VI and VII) were still to send their prec

In the world of probability, perfection is a reality that science does not consider possible. Factors that thwart perfection simply abounded in this world, or so scientific investigaton is concerned. But in the Philippine local elections, particularly in Sto. Tomas town in the first district of Pangasinan. If you will ask local party, Biskeg na Pangasinan, leader Mayor Vivien Villar about this phenomenon, she will explain that "there was unity among the residents during elections." In the 1986 snap election, Liberal Party presidential candidate Corazon "Cory" Aquino received a "zero verdict" from Sto. Tomas. Eighteen years later, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino presidentiable Fernando Poe Jr. got the same verdict against reelectionist Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Arroyo instead got an overwhelming majority vote of 5,470 of the 5,668 cast in town. In 2001, fifth district Congressman Mark Cojuanco got the "electoral nod" of Sto. Tomas town, and left his op

Tomorrow's national elections will be a test of the Filipino collective values. A vote is always an act emanating from the voter's value system. If a person votes for change, his values recognize the ills of Filipino society and government and see the need for change to happen. If the voter values the highest bidder for his vote, his values mean nothing more than the few pesos that can extend some food into his or his family's mouth; and to hell with the rest of the Philippine community. If the Filipino sovereign prefers the ideals of intelligence and performance over honesty and clean governance, his value system decides that graft and corruption are fine so long as the people doing it may be intelligent and well-performing in what can they recognize. In the end, the fate of the Philippines rests on the value choices of the majority of its citizens, may it prove beneficial or destructive to the future of the many of them. That's democracy at work. The fate of every Fi

In a gathering of supporter groups at his Laurel House in Mandaluyong City on 7 May 2010, Nationalista Party standard-bearer Manuel "Manny" Villar Jr. said: "How can there be mud on you (referring to Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III) when you do not even wade through mud."  (Maila Ager, " Villar to bow to 'Lord's will' but continues attack on rival ," Inquirer.net , 7 May 200) Precisely. We don't get dirty unless we go into a dirty situation and do dirty. But that does not mean we're not doing anything. Life has many temptations on its own; we're amidst the mud of this world, of this life. We don't have to join the criminals to make the wrong decisions, do the wrong things. If Noynoy keep himself away from wrongdoing in public service, I believe that's because he chose not to do the wrong things many do. So we have a choice--to do dirty or avoid it. We don't have to choo