And a child shall lead them . . .

Because in this world of Manny Pacquiao (who should not speak at all but does) and Joker Arroyo (who should speak more often but doesn't), who cause us to despair and be despondent about being Filipinos, there is a need for "bright spots" and daily doses of inspiration, I unreservedly post this speech from, literally, the mouth of a "child."

All of 16 years old but now armed with a summa cum laude (GWA of 1.099) from the University of the Philippines, she says many things that should stir up the quiet revolution in each of our hearts; may her words disturb each and every one of us enough that we might, as she invites, trample new paths. I know they disturbed me again, out of the stupor and complacency I have been content to rot.

Mikaela Irene "Mikki" Fudolig, a refreshing and courageous voice in the concrete wilderness. Indeed, a child shall lead them . . .


Mikaela Irene Fudolig
BS Physics Summa Cum Laude
Speech at the Commencement Exercises, UPD
April 22, 2007

One of the things that strike me as being very "UP Diliman" is the way UPD students can't seem to stay on the pavement. From every street corner that bounds an unpaved piece of land, one will espy a narrow trail that cuts the corner, or leads from it. Every lawn around the buildings sports at least one of these paths, starting from a point nearest to the IKOT stop and ending at the nearest entry to the building. The trails are beaten on the grass by many pairs of feet wanting to save a fraction of a meter of traveling, no matter that doing so will exact some cost to the shoes, or, to the ubiquitous slippers, especially when the trails are new.

What do these paths say about us, UP students?

One could say that the UP student is enamored with Mathematics and Pythagoras, hence these triangles formed by the pavement and the path. Many among you would disagree.

Others could say that the UP student is naturally countercultural. And the refusal to use the avement is just one of the myriads of ways to show his defiance of the order of things. This time, many would agree.

Still, others will say that the UP student is the model of today's youth: they want everything easier, faster, now. The walkable paths appeal to them because they get to their destination faster, and presumably, with less effort. Now that is only partly true, and totally unfair.

These trails weren't always walkable. No doubt they started as patches of grass, perhaps overgrown. Those who first walked them must have soiled their shoes, stubbed their toes, or had insects biting their legs, all in the immovable belief that the nearest distance between two points is a straight line. They might even have seen snakes cross their paths. But the soiled footwear, sore toes, and itchy legs started to conquer the grass. Other people, seeing the yet faint trail, followed. And as more and more walked the path, the grass gave in and stopped growing altogether, making the path more and more visible, more and more walkable.

The persistence of the paths pays tribute to those UP students who walked them first – the pioneers of the unbeaten tracks: the defiant and curious few who refuse the familiar and comfortable; the out-of-the-box thinkers who solve problems instead of fretting about them; the brave who dare do things differently, and open new opportunities to those who follow.

They say how one behaved in the past would determine how he behaves in the future. And as we leave the University, temporarily or for good, let us call on the pioneering, defiant, and brave spirit that built the paths to guide us in this next phase of our life.

We have been warned time and again. Our new world that they call "adulthood" is one that's full of compromises, where success is determined more by the ability to belong than by the ability to think, where it is much easier to do as everyone else does. Daily we are bombarded with so much news of despair about the state of our nation, and the apparent, perverse sense of satisfaction our politicians get from vilifying our state of affairs. It is fashionable to migrate to other countries to work in deceptively high-paying jobs like nursing and teaching, forgetting that even at their favored work destinations, nurses and teachers are some of the lowest paid professionals. The lure of high and immediate monetary benefits in some low-end outsourcing jobs has drawn even some of the brightest UP students away from both industry and university teaching to which they would have been better suited.

Like the sidewalks and pavement, these paths are the easiest to take.

But, like the sidewalks and pavement, these paths take longer to traverse, just as individual successes do not always make for national progress. The unceasing critic could get elected, but not get the job done. The immigrant could get his visa, but disappear from our brainpower pool. The highly paid employee would be underutilized for his skills, and pine to get the job he truly wants, but is now out of his reach. And the country, and we, are poorer because of these.

Today, the nation needs brave, defiant pioneers to reverse our nation's slide to despair. Today, we must call upon the spirit that beat the tracks. Today, we must present an alternative way of doing things.

Do NOT just take courage, for courage is not enough. Instead, be BRAVE! It will take bravery to go against popular wisdom, against the clichéd expectations of family and friends. It will take bravery to gamble your future by staying in the country and try to make a prosperous life here. It might help if, for a start, we try to see why our Korean friends are flocking to our country. Why, as many of us line up for immigrant visas in various embassies, they get themselves naturalized and settle here. Do they know something we don't?

Do NOT just be strong in your convictions, for strength is not enough. Instead, DEFY the pressure to lead a comfortable, but middling life. Let us lead this country from the despair of mediocrity. Let us not seek to do well, but strive to EXCEL in everything that we do. This, so others will see us as a nation of brains of the highest quality, not just of brawn that could be had for cheap.

Take NOT the road less traveled. Rather, MAKE new roads, BLAZE new trails, FIND new routes to your dreams. Unlike the track-beaters in campus who see where they're going, we may not know how far we can go. But if we are brave, defiant searchers of excellence, we will go far. Explore possibilities, that others may get a similar chance. I have tried it myself. And I'm speaking to you now.

But talk is cheap, they say. And so I put my money where my mouth is. Today, I place myself in the service of the University, if it will have me. I would like to teach, to share knowledge, and perhaps to be an example to new UP students in thinking and striving beyond the limits of the possible. This may only be a small disturbance in the grass. But I hope you'll come with me, and trample a new path.

Good evening, everyone.

Easter and Desolation

. . ."as in a dry weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1, ESV)

In the midst of Easter, that is how I find myself--dry, weary, desolate, unproductive, not bearing fruit. Far from being a "tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit," (Jeremiah 17:7-8, ESV) I find myself a "shrub in the desert . . . in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited land." (jeremiah 17:6, ESV)

A wise person once said, "when the water in the hole runs dry, keep digging." And so I do. . . keep digging, that is. Because the hope that Easter brings endures in me, for I know that my Redeemer lives again and that is--or should be--enough for me.

I pray for the grace to realize that, in very personal and real terms: that Christ's resurrection, and the hope of life anew, life eternal, should be enough for me.

D.O.M., M.C.P.

What do you do with someone like Raul Gonzales?

Even as filipinos reeled from the realization that an American, who had come to love the country more than its own citizens, had been killed brutally and senselessly, this Raul Gonzales, desperate for a sound bite, blames Julia Campbell for allowing herself to get into a tight situation. He comes out in media saying that it was her fault for going to Batad alone; that's like saying that a woman who is raped asked for it--that's how bad his statement is, and coming from the Justice Secretary, it becomes much much worse.

Much as I believe in a God who is the perfect creator, the Raul Gonzaleses of this world make you want to ask God, "did you somehow miss a step here?"

But, there really is a rhyme to God's reason. The Raul Gonzaleses of this world are placed here to make us realize that we can--and should--be better persons than he; he is placed here to remind us that there are many other good people, in contrast to him; the likes of him are placed on this earth to remind us of that most difficult of commands, "love one another as I have loved you."

Indeed, if one can love a Raul Gonzales, then you would have taken on the Face of God already.

In the meantime, answering my question at the start of this post--first, make him apologize to Julia Campbells' family, all those poor people she worked with and for, all the women whom Raul Gonzales insulted by his callously chauvinistic remark, all the senior citizens of which he is one of the worst poster boys, all the filipinos, of which he is certainly among the worst examples; and then, after all these, FIRE HIM, now na!

MFN

After a brutal 40 days of lent, Easter, for me, is best summed up by Psalm 147:20 -- "He has not dealt thus with any other nation. . ." (ESV)

It speaks of undeserved but nonetheless abundantly given grace to a nation, a People, that deserves far, far less.

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet. . ." (Psalm 8:3-6; ESV)

The Lord who is risen is He who "determines the number of the stars (and) gives to all of them their names" (147:4; ESV)--truly, the King, Creator, Owner of the Universe.

We are God's MFN (Most Favored Nation) and Easter serves to remind us--me--of that. "He has not dealt thus with any other nation." Indeed.

----------------------------------------------

Thank You Lord for not giving us what we deserve--for dealing with us, unlike any other nation, any other People; thank you for blessing us with everything within YOUR imagination with everything beyond OUR imagination. This Easter, may we live lives that reflect the healing, the restoration, the hope that Your resurrection brings.

Easter (according to John Y.)

Jopeng (a lay missionary brother from The Servants of the Word) and I groaned (simultaneously, albeit separately) when John said that now that it's Easter, it doesn't mean that lent is over--the discipline of lent is still there but it's coupled with the joy of Easter.

Lent. isn't. over. ?! Huh?

Trust someone like John Yocum, an Elder from The Servants of the Word with a Ph.D in Theology and with faculty stints in Oxford and currently at Loyola School of Theology, to put Easter in its proper perspective with his usual really softly spoken erudition. (He did say it with a smile on his face, so we weren't really sure if he was kidding, at first; later, of course, we knew he wasn't kidding.)

But no matter my reaction to John's earlier statement, it was something that was thought-provoking, insightful and life-giving--and it was something that was, ultimately, so simple you start to ask yourself why you never thought of it in the first place.

Just because it is Easter already doesn't mean that we go back to our old wordly ways; that would negate everything about Easter! That, in a very poorly-worded sentence, is what John meant (I think) by lent continuing despite Easter. It wouldn't be Easter if we all went back to our old lives--pre-lent; it wouldn't be Easter if we all started doing everything we were doing before lent came in. Easter is the season of new-ness yet that new-ness would be absolutely meaningless if we went back to our old ways. And that, in John 's exhortation, is precisely why we celebrate Easter because the old man has died and the new man has been born.

So, after collecting my jaw off the floor, I rejoiced!

Happy 2nd day* of Easter!



* John quipped that if we found lent brutal because of its length (bad pun mine, not his)--40 days--then Easter should be much more interesting because it is 10 days longer--there are 50 days of the Easter season before Pentecost; so that means there are 50 days of rejoicing without letting go of the discipline of lent.

China

Nothing makes you feel old-er than looking at old pictures.

I filched this from my ihada's (God-daughter) blog (this was taken during her confirmation rites at Miriam college), which I chanced upon while browsing.

China, the daughter of a very good friend Susan, doesn't look like this anymore--she looks much more beautiful now (of course, I'm biased being the Godfather and all, but it's also true) and she's all of 19 years old. I cannot believe it!

Of course, I also don't look like this anymore--I look older (he he he).

One thing I know, she is going to break a lot of men's hearts.

Waiting for Easter

Have you ever listened to different people talking about their lives and suddenly realize that they could very well be talking about yours as well?

I got that feeling while listening to a Good Friday recollection earlier.

Every word hit home--from Tito Eddie's opening statements; to Rosanne Romero's gut-wrenching and inspiring sharing (I do not think there was a dry eye in the room after she was done; yes not even the men) about living 21 years with MS and still having so much faith in God; to Maya Jacoba's sharing; to Fr. Dave Concepcion's homily about Peter's fall and redemption. In the vernacular, there is a word for it: sapul. And yes, sapul it was earlier. Each. word. hit. home.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking very clearly; thank you, Lord, for allowing me to realize how much I desire to be healed; thank you, Lord, for allowing me to realize the hope that I have in You.

I cannot wait for Easter.

My Day in Court

Something I will be doing more regularly for Newsbreak (here).

Early Returns 2

Two of my readers, seiji and incarnadine29, want to know what I think about Mike Defensor (look at that smile), particularly his new 'Tol personality (c/o Boy Abunda). My short (a little irony here) answer is: I try not to think about Mike Defensor at all, I find that my days are better that way.

But life's like that, we can't always get what we want. So, I am constantly bombarded by Mike Defensor's really fake smile and his really pink shirt (what's with that? Is that a way of letting female voters know he's in touch with his feminine side or something? Whatever, it looks bad and TH on him; makes me want to stop wearing my pink shirts for a while)--all courtesy of Boy Abunda. And what's with the 'Tol? It's from the vernacular for "brother", utol and it's also a play on his not being that tall. As far as platforms go, apparently, Mike is projecting himself as a short brother. Oh well, at least he's honest.

Seriously, Mike Defensor is someone I would not want to inflict on this country that I love for one minute more than I can help. So, pardon me if this is the last entry on him. He is known famously for being devoid of any real sense of principle, other than what is good for him (he's been known to be that way since college); he once stood up to denounce a famous tollway project by an equally famous family and when pressed for evidence, folded (at least Alan Cayetano didn't fold) in public. That's the type of person he is--the quick fix, the compromise. He is a JDV in the making and that's not a compliment in any way.

So, the sooner we erase Mike Defensor from our collective consciousness, the better. I'm not voting for him for any position ever.

No Joke.

Ang daming bad sa administration ngayon pero ba't di sila lagot kay Joker? Ang tahimik nga niya e. Baka naman joke lang yung kay Joker, na "pag bad ka, lagot ka."

Pero, ito hindi joke: pag di pa nagsalita si Joker tungkol sa militarisasyon at paggamit ng pondo ng gobyerno sa kampanya at di siya tumiwalag sa TU (make up your own meaning for this acronym), wala na siyang mukhang pwedeng iharap sa taong bayan.

Ako, di ko siya iboboto at hinihingi ko na huwag na rin ninyo siyang iboto. No joke.

Pichay and Posters

I never thought I'd find anything nice to say about Ben Abalos, the COMELEC Chair. As the last week ended, however, he had a sound bite that was funny; commenting on all the posters of Team Unity Senatorial wanna-be Butch Pichay that were sprouting everywhere, he said something about "pechay" being planted all over, even in cement. That merited a chuckle.

Predictably, Pichay denied any involvement either personally or by his staff; never mind that the posters looked identical to those he presumably knew about and authorized. Predictably, he cried "sabotage" and said that his opponents were trying to make it look like his staff did it so that he would be disqualified (Oh, happy day, should this happen!).

One suggestion perhaps: require all candidates to have ALL posters carry the COMELEC seal before any are posted. Similar to the cigarette packs that must contain the safety warning, all posters should have a COMELEC certification that is prominent and distinct; any poster that does not have those would clearly be unauthorized. So, posters bearing this certification that appear in a place where there should be none will then be directly attributed to the candidate whose mug appears on it.

Waiting for the 3rd . . .

What are the odds that in my less than ten years of teaching law, I'd be able to say I taught law to two Bb. Pilipinas Universe winners?*

After my Research Assistant won that major beauty title over the weekend, I now find myself unable to attract applications for a second RA apparently because interested parties think all my RAs should be beauty queen material; this would have been so funny except that those applications I’ve already gotten are from male law students. Come to think of it, that makes it even funnier.

In the meantime, there's hope for beauty contests if a 22-year old who lists among her talents "case digest making" (and this I can attest to, as she practically wrote half a case book that's attributed to me) can win the top prize.

Congratulations Tere; for someone to whom the decision to join didn't come easily, this one looked easy for you because you worked extremely hard for it.


*And both were in my criminal procedure class.

I don't get it #s 1-3

I don't get it #1:

When a married man tells his wife he's going for a facial and scrubs once every week or oftener, shouldn't that have given her warning signals, at the very least?

I don't get it #2:

Why do Kris Aquino's sordid affairs have to unravel on national television?

I don't get it #3:

Why am I even blogging about this? Perhaps for the same reason you can't take your eyes off a car crash or an execution.

Early returns

The circus is officially in town (some would say the zoo, but I love animals and I think it's a disservice to animals to compare politicians to them; at least animals can be loyal). Some thoughts on early political ads and taglines:

Itanim natin sa Senado - Pichay. The best reason not to be vegetarian. Bad pun, even worse pic.

My guy, Magsaysay. - Vic Magsaysay. Couldn't he be more original?

Pag bad ka, lagot ka. - Joker Arroyo. The worst part of this campaign tagline is that Joker doesn't have a sense of humor. Well, I'm bad and so too is his primary benefactor--the Arroyo woman and the Arroyo men. With apologies to all my Assumptionista friends and readers, will Joker make them and not only me lagot? I don't think so. (And what's with the absolutely lame analogy of being the dragon of the Senate? Where'd that come from? Sir, there are no dragons; at least not anymore. Is that the subliminal picture you're pushing? That you'll go the way of dragons?)

Ko-Recto sa Senado. - Ralph Recto. In the post-EDSA era, when Ralph's father used to lawyer for the Marcoses and was so successful at getting the goat of the powers that used to be (Joker was one of them, I remember), his detractors came up with a stinging tagline when Raffy Recto ran for the Senate--ang Recto na hindi Claro (a play on the name and reputation of the late Clayo Mayo Recto). I wouldn't go as far as saying Ralph is the Recto who's not Claro--in fact, he's very clear on where he stands on a lot of issues, particularly the VAT and that might spell doom for much of his chances of making it to the Senate. Of course, his being Mr. Vilma Santos will help.

The jury's still out on the other candidates.

Healing and Hope in Him

Hosea 6: "[1] Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down , and he will bind us up.
. . . [3] Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth."

Healing and Hope from Him who is the source of both: my prayer this lent, not only for myself but for all those for whom I care.

YES!!!!!!

Opening the Grammy's yesterday and confirming a reunion tour this year, Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, better known as The Police, finally played together after 4 years.

I am pretty sure that the tour won't reach my neck of the woods and should it, by a miracle, reach these shores, it will certainly cost both arms and legs. Well, there's always the CD.

You know we're really in trouble when. . .

1. You find yourself agreeing with Prospero Pichay about the need for principled politics.
2. You find yourself agreeing with Kit Tatad on the need for moral recovery.
3. The spectacle of Gloria Arroyo tonelessly and tastelessly "singing" (sic) Boom Tarat tarat is not enough to move people to revolt.

How quickly we forget . . .

On December 7, 2000, a distinguished member of the House of Representatives stood up in the Halls of the Philippine Senate and declared that "we cannot have a country run by a thief." That member of the House was Joker Arroyo, who later rode his participation as a prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Joseph Ejercito Estrada to a Senate seat in the elections of 2001.

Yesterday, Joker P. Arroyo filed his certificate of candidacy as senator under the administration ticket of Gloria Arroyo, who is widely suspected of stealing, if not money directly, then at least the elections of 2004.

Sir, seven years ago, you said this: "We cannot have a country run by a thief."

How quickly we forget.

Poetic justice

This may be a bit old but just have to say this.

I am on record as not being a big fan of Alan Cayetano--I think he's too glib for his own good and he's a bit shallow on the issues--but after the House Ethics (sic) Committee decided to recommend a 45-day suspension on him for failing to prove the expose he made against the Arroyo men (Mike, Mikee, Iggy and Dato) and the Arroyo woman (who else?), I am pretty sure that he's going to place highly in the Senate race.

And he has the Arroyos to thank for that; how's that for poetic justice?

Why is MVP not smiling?

For possibly the same reason I'm ranting.

We waited for this?

After what seemed like an eternity in this basketball-crazed country, the “leaders” of the governing bodies of basketball in the Philippines tell us that they finally have unity and they call themselves by the very original name --"BAP-SBP." And all the usual suspects are still onboard---Lim, Alentajan, Tan—the very same ones who threw a spanner in the works by their selfish, boorish, arrogant, and totally un-Filipino (what am I talking about, Graham Lim isn’t Filipino) machinations; plus a few more—Villafuerte (remember Con-Ass?), Cagas (remember Con-Ass?)—now if they had gotten Lagman and Jaraula on board, they could have sung “hail, hail, the gang’s all here!” But I digress, this is basketball, not politics--although sometimes you can't tell the difference anymore.

What is going on?

After the so-called Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP), through its self-proclaimed “leaders” Lim, Alentajan and Tan, manage to pull off one of the most cruel stunts anyone could ever think of in this basketball-crazy country—getting us suspended from international competition—the SBP led by Manny V. Pangilinan agree on “unity” with this group. And they’re happy about it?

I don’t know about you—but it’s no longer only in Denmark that something figuratively stinks. Right here, right now, this stinks—it stinks big time.

What, the BAP is not even going to be held accountable for costing the country its best shot at an Olympic berth? What, the BAP is not even going to be taken to task for throwing back the calendar for ASEAN supremacy (alright, second place supremacy after China, which is light years away from where we are)? What, Alentajan and Lim are not going to be even "slapped on the wrist" for causing us all this trouble and this expense just so that we can play basketball internationally? What, we’re just going to allow this sell-out and even allow the BAP first billing in this “new” federation?

Can the saner voices in Philippine basketball do something please? Chino Trinidad? Joe Lipa? Please don’t allow this sell-out to take place.

Sure, let's unite but let's unite all those who have a legitimate stake in basketball--Alentajan and Lim have none, they're only looking to advance their own personal interests. Unity, yes definitely, but not at all costs. Not at this cost.

I am this close to switching to another sport—perhaps cricket might make more sense (despite all its weird rules)—than basketball under this "new" BAP-SPB alliance.

No contest

I should be in Paris now for this (I attended the 2nd one in Montreal in 2004) but two very dear friends are getting married next week and had to choose between the two events - Paris in February (!) or Manila.

It's a no brainer and obviously no contest!

Requiem and Resurrection

Newsbreak, a news magazine I've read consistently since its very first issue six years ago, recently stopped publishing a hard-copy edition and decided to continue existing only in its online format. I've had the privilege of contributing a few pieces before to its hard-copy edition and am happy to say that I've been asked to contribute as well to its online edition in a more regular capacity.

I'm sad to see the hard-copy edition go because it represented a good way to encourage reading something where you needed to turn pages; Newsbreak became known very quickly for its excellent writing and comprehensive research as well as its integrity; the women and men behind Newsbreak were award-winners in their own right and putting them together, they formed a formidable team.

However, the realities of publishing a hard-copy edition in a very competitive market has taken its toll. Add to that Newsbreak's terminal propensity for telling the truth, as it is, and for offending the wrong persons--like Mike Arroyo and Gloria Arroyo--and you have a surefire combination for not attracting enough advertisers or business.

I'm happy for small blessings, however; and the continuation of Newsbreak as an online magazine is a blessing. In this world where truth is scarce and fearless reportage of the truth is even more scarce, the women and men of Newsbreak is a gust of wind that is welcome indeed.

The reasons

Someone asked me recently why I bother writing and getting angry about Gloria, when it appears that there is very little that can be done as she is well-entrenched in power and will do anything in her power and beyond to stay there forever. That same person also asked me why I bother to get angry about Gloria.

I told her that I bother to write because I am but:

a
drop
falling into
a stream
flowing
into
a
river
raging,
becoming
torrents, and
turning into a
flood.

I told her also that I bother getting angry because:

the
flood reduces
the rock
into
rubble
in
time

And finally, I told her I bother caring because many years ago, one man cared enough to stretch out His arms wide in an unrequited gesture of absolute love and those outstretched arms have given us the right to dare to hope, to care, to dream, to perserverse, to share and to love back.

Lethal Weapon

Manny Pacquiao needs 20 guns to protect himself and his family. That is what the COMELEC says by granting him an exemption to carry firearms during the election period—not just one or two but 20 firearms. (What do you expect from the very same agency that spawned Garci?)

He’s being threatened? And needs to protect himself by carrying 20 firearms?

Never mind that he is a professional boxer—defined as someone who gets paid handsomely to maul another human being. Never mind that, ranged against the ordinary person, Pacquiao is legitimately classified as a dangerous man simply by the way he has been trained to use his fists. Mind only that Pacquiao is now, more than at any other time, a lethal weapon.

If Pacquiao feels that he is being threatened, here’s what he should do: keep a low profile. Buy himself a retreat in some not so well-known place, like maybe Siberia or Anchorage, Alaska. Or perhaps, just get rid off his many hangers-on—the two floral-shirt wearing sycophants in Manila, being the most prominent.

He fears that his family might be kidnapped? Then he should stop buying luxury cars like they were going out of style. Inviting scrutiny by his lifestyle is the best way to invite kidnappers. The worst threat to his family's well-being is not potential kidnappers, it is Pacquiao's brazen --almost bacchanalian--lifestyle.

Everyone wants peace of mind and Pacquiao should be no exception. Then, perhaps he should contemplate a change in careers, maybe become a professional sudoku player.

Clowns

Driving home last night close to midnight, I was listening to the late night newscast over the radio; the news bit I caught was about the expulsion case before the House Ethics Committee (an oxymoron, if I ever heard one; apologies to my ethical friends in Congress, you know who you are) filed by Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, otherwise known as the First Gentleman, against Alan Peter Cayetano, Representative from Taguig-Pateros.

Two exchanges caught my attention.

The first involved both Mike Arroyo and Cayetano exchanging barbs about how their alma mater, the Ateneo de Manila (Arroyo and Cayetano both finished law at the Ateneo, something that I can be proud of--that they did not finish law in U.P.; unfortunately, Tinex Jaraula did, but that's another blog altogether), was ashamed of them. Arroyo brought it up first by belittling what Cayetano was asking and how he was asking them by saying that Ateneo was ashamed to be associated with him (Cayetano); never one to let a barb go by without a riposte, the Congressman retorted with a similar comment.

I’m from the Ateneo (not de Manila, Cagayan de Oro more popularly known as Xavier University, not the Xavier in Greenhills but the one in Mindanao) and may I add my Jesuit-trained two bits to this one: as an Atenean, may I confirm that I am absolutely ashamed to be associated with either of you. So, there.

The second exchange involved another Arroyo with Cayetano: Iggy, the hapless younger brother of Mike, who appears perpetually drunk, dazed, bewildered or something much more intoxicating or all four at the same time. Yes, Iggy—Jose Pidal himself.

When quizzed by Cayetano about relatives using aliases, Mike Arroyo promptly denied any such thing, never mind that right beside him was Iggy, who had publicly and several times under oath admitted that he had used the pseudonym (or alias, if you will), Jose Pidal, in connection with election-related spendings. So when asked by Cayetano, Iggy gave an answer out of the Imelda Marcos (vide “the black hole” in the cosmic plan of thing etc. etc.) and Melanie Marquez (remember "Don't judge my brother, he's not a book"?) school of witticisms —something to the effect that he is not yet the First Gentleman, maybe next year.

In the car, I had to figuratively and almost literally pull over as my jaw had dropped and was in danger of hitting the steering wheel and I was laughing so hard I could barely see; you could hear the “thunk” of collective jaws dropping in the hearing room, the muffled snickers even from Arroyo’s most rabid and asinine (and there are a lot of them; soundtrack to this: Patty Page’s “How much is that doggy in the window?”) sycophants. Such was the inanity of the answer.

Of course, Cayetano, being who he is, would not let Iggy off the hook that easily; quickly he inserted the question, “why, is Gloria Arroyo not going to be the President anymore next year?” Mercifully, I reached home before my jaw could drop any lower from any answer that Iggy would give. (NB. I’m not a fan of Cayetano—never have been, never will be. But with the way that Gloria, Mike, Iggy and Mikey, all surnamed Arroyo, have been going at him, hammer and tongs, and with Cayetano’s typical glibness and occasionally inspired witticisms against a totally inept and inarticulate trio of Arroyos, the possibility is that Cayetano might just end up in the Senate--inspite of Cayetano's efforts.)

I felt like I was listening and watching to a totally surreal and twisted episode of The Three Stooges (take your pick who Curly, Larry, Moe and Shemp are from the Congressman from Taguig, the First Gentleman, Jose Pidal and the 4th-rate "actor" who makes Manny Pacquiao look like Oscar-material), except that I wasn't and didn't feel like laughing.

Moral of this not-so-fictional fable: You put enough clowns in the room, you’ll definitely get one heck of a farce.

A.I.M.

Learned a new acronym last night, courtesy of Luis: A.I.M. No, it’s not Asian Institute of Management but rather “Ayaw Iwanan ang Mic”. For my non-Filipino readers out there (yes, all three of you), the reference is to a microphone hog at the karaoke/videoke joint.

(Context: last night, the brothers from Lingkod QC, my singles group, got together to send-off Vlad, who is getting married soon; it was at a videoke joint in Farmers’ Plaza, Cubao called “syncwell”—I have no idea what it means nor what it has to do with videoke, but that’s the name. A grand time was had by all—especially with DJ singing all them love songs; what’s up, Doc?)

MyScore

You know the Bible 100%!

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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When God's will meets our plans

For those discerning; some words from a wise young priest (here).

Definitely not a lemon

Here's a good sharing. Read.

Ely-heads

For E-heads and Ely Buendia fans like me, a good read by a Sports writer who should be writing more often.

When fan mail finds a home

I posted about a Dennis Lambert song "Bags and Things" at the start of the year; to my surprise, someone commented on the post--a Jody Lambert--identifying herself (not too sure of the gender but based on the name, might be a "her") as Dennis Lambert's daughter. Wow, that threw me for a loop. My meditation/fan mail found a home.

Hey, Bono! You there?

I enjoy this.

Something I enjoy doing. Curious? Here.

"What do you seek?" (John 1:38)

Imagine the Lord asking that of us—of me—at the start of the year, even as He has already blessed us with so much the past year.

Yes, that is the God who reigns in my life—He who would bless me with so much, turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to my faithlessness, and even now, in His compassion, mercy and love, ask me still—“what do you seek?”

Not, “what do you need?” because He already provides for all that I need but, “what do you want?” “what do you desire?”

At the start of the year, the Lord reminded—commanded—me to “take nothing for (your) journey” (Mark 6:8, RSV) even as He asks me now, “what do you desire?”

Lord, I like your sense of humor and I like your style. Even as you assure me of all that I shall ever need at the start of my year, you already ask me for what I truly desire--the cherry on top of the sundae, as it were.

Simple pleasures

One of the few times I regret becoming a lawyer is when I realize that the legal profession has destroyed the way I write.

I’ve always loved a good read—anything from poetry, the essay, the short story; even non-fiction and news reportage; I devour columns that are well-written (local and foreign) and, now, blogs too. I’ve always enjoyed writing as well; I’ve dabbled in poetry (though nowhere as good as Marlon, who writes so well in Filipino it drives me absolutely crazy), the essay, even the occasional short (ok, actually one quite long) story; a few years back (way before this blog), I went online as part of a pool of online columnists of inq7.net reporting on the Estrada plunder trial.

Next to being a professional basketball player (which is not possible considering my height and my skills), I’ve always dreamed of being a writer—meaning writing what I want the way I want to (and getting paid for it would be a big bonus; Jessica Z lives a great life, she writes the way she wants to and gets paid for it).

But law has destroyed the way I write—with its demands as to form and as to argumentation--because it has also destroyed the way I think. There is very little room for imagination in legal writing because you are required to be precise and because oftentimes the reader—the judge or justice—has none. Imagination, creativity, whimsy are often alien to legal writing and you have to make room for it.

And so, I've pushed the envelop quite a few times. I once started a pleading submitted to the Supreme Court with a Calvin and Hobbes exchange; I’m not sure if they got it (I'm not even sure they knew who Calvin and Hobbes are). I’ve started pleadings with poetry; I’m not sure they got it either. I’ve even started pleadings with passages directly quoted from scripture; I’m not sure they got that.

Since law does not allow me the luxury of writing creatively the way I would want to all the time, I now derive vicarious satisfaction from the the printed word from other writers—and there are so many (Salman Rushdie, Raymond Carver, Isabel Allende, Garcia Marquez, Neruda, Ian McEwan, Butch Dalisay, Teddy Boy Locsin, Conrad De Quiros, Patricia Highsmith, MLQ3 among many others).

These are my simple pleasures—getting excited over words on a page.

Here are some words that I wish I had written from an author whose books I follow:

“They entered the wood, where the light was a watery green and giant beeches dripped calmly onto the unfurled leaves of the abundant ferns. She was furious. She squeezed her brakes in her fury and had to push all the harder. She wanted it ended now, by the roadside, on the ground, in the dirt, under this tree, now and quickly. The pain would mean nothing, it would purify her, justify her. Then she would be on her bike, pedaling swiftly. The wind and rain would cool her face, freshen and heal her. She would not dismount for the uphill stretches. She would push on, leave far behind this weak man whose silence smelled and made her nauseous.

Yes, she had made her decision, it was already a fact. It was almost in the past. But just as at Christmas their intimacy had had to catch up with their letters, so now they still had to break into speech, raise the difficult subject, tortuously reason it through with lies and false emotion and pretensions to logic before they could attain the conclusion she had already accepted. They would have to go through all that before she could be free. Her impatience was so great she wanted to shout, she wanted to pick up her stupid bicycle and dash it against the road. Instead, she raised her hand to her face and bit her knuckle hard.” (Ian McEwan, The Child in Time.)

Mr. Smith goes back to the U.S.

With the finesse of a sledgehammer blow, Gloria Arroyo showed just how much she holds in contempt the rule of law; and just how stupid she thinks Filipinos are.

Spiriting away Mr. Smith in the dead of night on the last working day of the past year smacks of utter malice and deception; it also betrays the cowardice that is inherent in a government and a pretender who, never having been elected to the highest office in the land, continues to wield the prerogatives of the executive office under the shadow of constant fear of being thrown back to where she belongs—in the dustheap of disgraced dictators.

The rape victim in the Subic case said it best, Bastusan na. Indeed. It appears that is the only language Gloria understands.

Bags and Things

The title comes from an old song by Dennis Lambert (if his name doesn't ring a bell; think Of All the Things; if it still doesn't, then you are very young.) and it came unbidden--as with most things that are inspired.

I was listening to music in the car while doing errands before 2006 ended and while listening to this song for the umpteenth time, I was struck by just how appropriate the lyrics were to the coming of a new year. The song speaks of moving on, leaving familiar and comfortable things behind, leaving hurts and habits behind and allowing hope in, that it may bring us to Heaven--at least, that is what it says to me. And while it may have been written by Lambert for a specific person in his life, it may very well have been written for God.

Dennis Lambert is a very powerful lyricist (vide Of All the Things, which to me is the perfectly written love song--complete, compelling with no wasted words; but that's another post altogether) and it shows in this particular song, viz:

BAGS AND THINGS
(Dennis Lambert)

I gave away my old guitar
but I still hear the music playin'
I kept my rhymes upon the wall
and kept the only words worth sayin'
I don't need faces now
to hide behind,
to say I'm diggin' when they're
really messing up my mind
The puppet dances by himself
He went and cut the strings
He don't have no time for
bags and things

I threw away my favorite smile,
the one I had to keep from cryin'
for in the sunshine of your eyes
the make believe in me was dyin'
You gave me all I need:
Reality,
You opened up the door
and let some heaven in on me
And if I want to touch the sky
You've given me the wings
Ain't no going back to
bags and things

I post this at the start of the year for my friends and brothers and sisters in my singles community who are grappling with change right now--trying to move on, leaving hurts and habits behind, trying to find hope in uncomfortable and new environments, looking for that heaven they've been familiar with all their life in strange worlds. May you find comfort and solace and affirmation in, ironically, a love song written in the 70's by a man whom most of you have not heard of--may you not be weighed down by the "bags and things" of 2006.

I post this also for myself as I come to terms with yet another year where He asks me, in His infinite and unfathomable wisdom, to "take nothing for (the) journey." I thank Him for the wings He has given me to be able to journey with Him and pray for the grace to not desire any longer the "bags and things" that I have left behind.

Moleskine

One thing I got for myself for Christmas: a Moleskine planner.

Something I’d really been looking for here but which only became available recently.

Really cool, functional and handy (now, I have to get used to writing entries again with a pen instead of using graffiti with a stylus); it fits comfortably in a suit jacket pocket or even in the back pocket of your favorite jeans.

Strategic Shopping

More than ever, this year’s Christmas season really affirmed the need for strategic shopping.  I’ve always been a strategic shopper:  plan what to get for whom and where to get it and then plan  on when to get it;  all preferably within a non-extendible window of two hours (to include looking for parking and paying at the counter plus gift-wrapping).

Because I had virtually no free weekends left for December, had to do extreme strategic shopping for family members, friends and assorted inaanak.   I’m thankful for places like Fully Booked and Powerbooks (nerd ba?  I do my Christmas shopping at bookstores) where you can actually get a lot of stuff with half the hassle of going to the regular stores at the mall.  Managed to get half of my Christmas shopping done at these two places (one hour at Fully Booked Greenhills;  one hour at Powerbooks Mega) on December 24.  

Now, for the more difficult part:  the kids.  Of course, that has to be Toy Kingdom.

After a relatively painless  hour and a half of filling up a Christmas list of Power Rangers, Lisa Frank and other assorted whatnots, managed to get it done after my one hour at Powerbooks.  Had enough time to drop off some of the stuff with the intended recipients within the day.

And all had a great time with their gifts (or so I’d like to think, he he he).

Merry Christmas everyone!

Pounding on the table

I am an activist—not “was, “am.”  Even though many of my activist friends might think and say (often not to my face) that I have mellowed in my old age, I still consider myself an activist and a nationalist.  I am fiercely loyal to comrades and deeply committed to many issues.  I love this country and its people and I love the University of the Philippines, which developed in me my love for country and people.

One of the first issues I found myself identifying with as a student  was the increase in tuition at U.P.—this was way back in 82;  I would probably say that this issue got me started on the road to activism and advocacy.  I had good role models; for instance,  the Tolkien-spouting and totally charismatic Lean Alejandro [+] was still stalking the halls of Palma Hall then.  He was someone who was totally credible because he knew the issues and respected  even his opponents;  as far as I knew, he did not stoop to ad hominem argumentation but stuck to issues and on issues, there was very little his opponents could do; Lean was that good.

This is why I found myself greatly dismayed at the news that a group of anti-tuition fee increase protesters had barged into Malcolm Hall and started acting like hooligans, in the process, disrupting the traditional year-end closer of Malcolm Hall—Malcolm Madness.  

That U.P. students would resort to hooliganism is a sad indictment of activism;  that they would resort to ad hominem and character attacks is a deplorable state of affairs.  Throwing eggs at the AFP Chief of Staff and damaging the Chancellor’s car simply because they find themselves unable to “win” an argument is simply scraping the bottom of the barrel.

A few years back, a former U.P. President (supposedly Dodong Nemenzo, though I’m not sure) was supposedly asked what he thought of  the problem of student activism in U.P. and he supposedly replied, “so what’s the problem?”  I’m not too sure this would ring true now.

A few years back, the USC Chairperson would be a national figure;  Lean Alejandro was speaking on national issues even when he was in the USC and people listened—they may have disagreed with his views but very few people found him disagreeable.  Now, I am not too sure this would ring true.  

To the “activists” of today, I am one with you in many advocacies but there is no excuse for boorishness or ill-breeding.  You must realize that the medium is very often also the message.  A hooligan with a legitimate gripe will be looked at first as a hooligan and never as one with a legitimate concern.

There are many compelling arguments against the TFI even as there are many compelling arguments for it;  as advocates, we should not be afraid to have our ideas and arguments tested in the crucible of debate.  But intimidation of people with dissenting views, such as what you did at Malcolm Hall, reflects a weakness of argument and an almost-dictatorial insistence on “getting what you want.”  


I would be the first to defend your right to speak freely on pressing issues such as the tuition free increase but I would also be the first to speak out against destructive, ill-bred, uncouth and boorish behavior such as that you displayed at Malcolm Hall on December 15, 2006.  As I do now.

We have a saying among trial lawyers: if you are weak on the facts, pound on the law;  if you are weak on the law, pound on the facts;  if you are weak on the law and the facts, pound on the table.  

So far, you’ve been pounding only on the table.

Cha Cha Pop Quiz #3

JDV says con ass is dead;  Gloria says cha cha is too.  How come people are still planning  to conduct and join massive prayer rallies?

[a]  Because they can;
[b]  Because they don’t believe Gloria and JDV;
[c]  Because Gloria said “I am sorry” but really wasn’t;
[d]  Because they love El Shaddai;
[e]  Because they were told to join;
[f]  Because of the artistas;
[g]  [a], [b], [c] and [f];
[h]  [a], [b], [c] only but not [f];
[i]   None of the above;
[j]  All of the above;
[k]  Others:  (feel free to post comments).

Cha Cha Pop Quiz #2

Why are Gloria and JDV moving heaven and earth to change the charter before May 2007?

[a]  Because Chris DV is too young to run for speaker;
[b]  Because JDV is too old to go into acting;
[c]  Because Luli isn’t interested in any elective office;
[d]  Because Gina DV already runs the House of JDV;
[e]  Because none of the children of those in the majority are old enough to run for con con or congress;
[f]  Because they can;
[g]  [a], [b] and [f];
[h]  All of the above;
[i]  Others:  (feel free to post a comment)

Cha Cha Pop Quiz #1

Answering myself (see below), Gloria and JDV don’t get it because:

[a]  They refuse to;
[b]  They cannot afford to;
[c]  They are conditioned to not get it;
[d]  They cannot hear the voice of the people;
[e]  They refuse to hear the voice of the people;
[f]  Personal interests are more deafening than the voice of the people;
[g]  It is the last chance for both to remain relevant and in power;
[h]  They will be sued once they step down from power’
[i] All of the above;
[j]  Some of the above, depending on the consideration;
[k]  Others: (feel free to post comments)

They get it, why don't Gloria and JDV?

My students get it; Gloria and JDV don't.

The statement of the Law Student Government (LSG) of the College of Law (lifted from Lorybeth's friendster blog) --


A STATEMENT ON THE PRESENT MANEUVERS OF CONGRESS TO AMEND THE 1987 CONSTITUTION

It is an obvious and grave abuse of power and discretion.

The Majority in the House of Representatives have amended our system of government by using a technicality. They have effectively destroyed the safeguard afforded by the Constitution to all Filipino people.

After several attempts to amend the Constitution have failed (i.e. Concon and Pirma) last Tuesday and Wednesday evening, December 5 and 6, the Lower House amended House Rule 105 Rule XV (Proposals to Amend or Revise the Constitution), removing the sentence “The adoption of resolutions proposing amendments to or revision of the constitution shall follow the procedure for the enactment of bills.” The Lower House then passed House Resolution 1450: Calling for the Convening of Congress to Propose Amendments to, or Revision of, the Constitution Upon a Vote of Three-Fourths of All its Members, Pursuant to Section 1, Article XVII of the Constitution. The House Majority, through Cong. Villafuerte, admits that they will be proposing to postpone the May elections to November 2007. They want term limits to be removed too. Recently, in response to pressure from various sectors , they are now singing a different tune. They have set a 72-hour deadline for Senate to respond to an invitation for Constitutional Convention.

The Law Student Government of the University of the Philippines College of Law, is not against the idea of charter change per se. However, we are strongly against the timing, and motivations behind the present attempts to change our Constitution. We believe that now is not the time to amend the constitution. The fundamental law of our country should be amended in a deliberate manner, in an atmosphere of sobriety.

When the House Majority resorted to the brash and brazen manner of the amendment of Rule 105 of the House Rules and the passing of House Resolution 1450, it left the minority lost and confused. They construed Article XVII Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution to say that House of Representatives by itself can amend the Constitution – a forced interpretation which bastardizes the intent of the very Constitution they swore to uphold. The intent of the Constitutional framers have been made clear in both jurisprudence and practice – that ours is a bicameral system of government. The records show that the framers intended for both Houses “to vote separately”. Ratio legis et anima.

With the shift from Con-Ass to Con-con, however, the pressure exerted by the House Majority to amend the Constitution remains. Now, they are even calling on the CBCP to urge the Senate to join them in supporting Con-con. From a first Concon to Pirma to Con-Ass then to another Con-con, they are pursuing all means and methods available to amend the fundamental law of our land. Their desperation to amend the Constitution before the May 2007 elections has become even more apparent.

The timing of these maneuvers seriously casts doubt as to the intent of the proponents. With the May 2007 elections in sight, and with a great number of Congressmen nearing their term limits, this is obviously a ploy to perpetuate themselves in power. The process of amending the Constitution should be done with the interest of the Filipino people in mind – not with the interests of a few self-serving Congressmen. Furthermore, if the Charter Change were to push through, there would be an inevitable need for government funds. At this point in time, the government’s budget has already been allocated for the May 2007 elections. Re-allocation of such budget for the plebiscite as proposed by some Congressmen would amount to malversation of government funds. We condemn this clear intent to violate the law.

The LSG believes that the “Majority” in the House of Representatives is not the Majority of the Philippine Nation. We believe that there is a majority of critical-minded people able to recognize such despicable political maneuvers but who have just remained silent, and still another mass which has resorted to apathy.

We call on this majority to speak out. Together let us raise our voices in indignation & protest against the Chacha tactics of the House Majority. Let us not fall prey to the manipulations of the Administration congressmen.

We call on the minority Congressmen and the Senate to stand on their ground. We want to let them know that we are rallying behind them in their efforts to thwart the actions of other legislative leaders to perpetuate themselves into power.

We call on the Supreme Court to properly rule on the petitions asking for the proper interpretation of the Constitution. We beseech them to have in mind the intent of the framers to have a bicameral system of government in accordance with the system of checks and balances espoused by the Constitution. We implore the Supreme Court not to hide behind the political question doctrine or the doctrine of acquiescence as captured in Javellana v. Executive Secretary. We are against all this and we making our voices heard and let no one say otherwise.

We call on the students of the College of Law to study and inform ourselves about the present issue vis-à-vis the law as we have been taught, and the possible consequences of having ill-motivated Charter Change. Let us use our privileged position to discuss and share our knowledge with others. We can also help in the initiatives of our professors, who, as of the moment, are in the process of preparing petitions to the Supreme Court. And for those who wish to do so, we can let our voices be heard and participate in protest actions against the present move to amend our Constitution. Let us be at the forefront of these events which could shape the course of our Nation’s history.

Let us not get caught in the tragedy of being a law student who studies the law in a vacuum and remains in the dark in the midst of surrounding political turmoil. Let us grab this chance to learn the law not just inside Malcolm Hall but to learn it inspite of Malcolm Hall. This IS learning the law in the “Grand Manner”.

Christina Faye M. Condez
President

Lorybeth R. Baldrias
Vice-President

Faustina Victoria E. Ochoa
Secretary

Hardy B. Aquende
Treasurer

Elgene Lawrence C. Feliciano
Public Relations Officer

Leandro Angelo Y. Aguirre
College Representative

Best Bond in a long, long time

I’ve always liked James Bond movies; they are a particular guilty pleasure. Sure, they’re politically incorrect (women are celebrated more as playthings and with the insolent and cheeky humor that has characterized the Bond films, they are also given very unfortunate names). Sure, they’re violent (007 means a “license to kill” after all) and they’re racy (each Bond film generally involves him getting involved with more than one woman in an extramarital situation); and they usually involve pretty impossible situations (Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist named Christmas Jones; Denise Richards and physics can not exist in the same sentence.).

But whatever they are, the Bond films are always great fun.

Casino Royale is not, however, only great fun; it is the best of the Bonds I’ve seen in a very, very long time. The last great Bond film I watched was Thunderball with a great Sean Connery (forget Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby and please do not get me started on Roger Moore).

Daniel Craig is a great Bond; he has screen presence comparable to Sean Connery in his first few Bonds. He is the most physical and the most violent Bond but, as the 007 implies, he is after all a “blunt weapon” (a phrase that is commonly employed in the Bond books). His face is an impenetrable mask that fits perfectly the pre-Sean Connery Bond (this, after all, is a prequel).

The action scenes are not Bond-ish in that there are no gadgets at all (Major Boothroyd, or Q, does not appear at all and fans of Q must wait until a later film perhaps for the character to be resurrected). Craig’s Bond relies on his skills—something that is a throwback to the early Connery Bonds and which the later slightly effeminate Bonds like Moore and Brosnan have rejected (particularly Moore). The first real action scene on top a building crane is absolutely superb because Craig’s Bond has absolutely nothing to support him but his wits, his skills, his physique and his determination.

His is also the first Bond to really get himself dirty and bloody. None of the other Bonds, Connery included, have managed to get a scratch on him but Craig’s Bond revels in it; more than once, you see his already slightly disarranged face bloodied and even more disarranged.

Craig is a great actor as well. He is able to capture quite well the point of the movie—that Bond started as an aspiring 00; his first “kill” shows his raw skill without the finesse that the later 007 would display; he gets better at killing later on. He also manages to display an initial raw and unrefined wit and skill at repartee that would hint at a later sardonic and oftentimes cruel turn of phrase—and he does this with his “unsmiling” smirk, which makes his wit even more unexpected but truly funny. Craig also manages to show just how Bond becomes human as his heart is later captured by the Treasury agent Vesper Lynd and he, finally, displays his human side, only to lose it later.

The final scene where he now uses the now-famous “Bond; James Bond” introduction brings him full circle as Bond—no longer an aspiring, inept, unwise 00 but a more suave , confident and quite effective 007.

Judi Dench’s M is a great revelation; she is a fantastic actor but this time, she lets it rip with tongue in cheek humor—unlike the dour and humorless M that she introduced in the Brosnan Bonds. In character, Dench’s M is the closest to Ian Fleming’s M who was written as a “father figure” to Bond; while M chews out Craig’s Bond so often in this film that you have to wonder how he managed to get the promotion, we also see in Dench’s characterization of M how close the two really are; in M’s carefully subtle oversight of Bond (from installing a transponder to discreetly asking about him in person), the hint of Admiral Miles Messervy (the M in Fleming’s books) is quite clearly conveyed and the film is all the better for it.

The plot isn’t much nor is the villain but the star of Casino Royale, after all, is deservedly Daniel Craig and HIS Bond. The producers of this film may have taken a risk in replacing a charismatic and popular Brosnan as Bond by taking on a grittier, less known and “blonde” Bond but, from the looks of it, Casino Royale and Craig appear to have broken the bank.

FLAG's Charter Change Statement

Government has run amuck in its desire to change the Constitution. Recent events clearly demonstrate that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her allies in Congress will employ any means, mostly foul, to achieve their objective. They must be stopped, and stopped now, or they will destroy the law itself and tear our country apart.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s announcement yesterday shelving the constituent assembly does not mean she has abandoned her plans of changing the Constitution. Words are easy and cheap. Until the mechanisms for charter change have actually been dismantled—such as House Resolution No. 197—moves to change the Constitution by constituent assembly can be pursued at any time.

The FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE GROUP (FLAG) calls upon the Filipino people to unite in forceful opposition against charter change, and demand that all current mechanisms put in place for changing the Constitution be immediately dismantled.

Quezon City, Philippines, 10 December 2006.

JOSE MANUEL I. DIOKNO
Chair

Bravo!

You’ve got to hand it to the man.

He’s one of the most effective marketers of the products that he hawks—from travel to newspapers to himself to the Supreme Court.  Artemio Panganiban is a very good salesman.  This much, you get from just a few minutes with the man;  don’t get him started on a speech because he’s going to give it all he’s got—with a powerpoint presentation to boot.

Yet, he has completely befuddled those who marketed him to be the Chief Justice to succeed Hilario Davide Jr.  Instead of being this supposedly political appointee, he displayed a degree of independence not expected from someone who, if rumors are to be believed, owed his appointment to political patronage.  In the one year he has been in office as Chief Justice, Panganiban struck down almost every major component of the Gloria dictatorship thrown at the Court—EO 464, Proclamation 1017, CPR and People’s Initiative.  

I wasn’t a big fan of his when he was appointed Chief Justice;  I’m still not a big fan of his  ponencias which are an acquired taste that I haven’t warmed up to yet.  But I have to give him all the credit for asserting the independence that stamped the Panganiban Court with an identity all its own.  If not for that independence, the Gloria dictatorship would be in full bloom.  For that alone:  Bravo, Mr. Chief Justice!

The Chief, Finally

They got it right, this time.

Reynato Puno Jr. became the 22d Chief Justice of the Philippines a few hours before his predecessor, Artemio Panganiban, ended his birthday.

It is one year late for the most Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, after having been bypassed for what many considered, at that time, to be a political appointment in Panganiban (who, to the surprise of many, including Gloria Arroyo, turned out to be not as malleable as Gloria’s courtiers may have marketed him to be).   Even now, he is already being painted as Gloria’s new puppet.

Chief Justice Puno must show, with his very first act, that he is no one’s puppet and that, as he promised, he is beholden only to a “constituency of one”, Lady Justice.;  Perhaps, he may do that by simply stopping De Venecia and his kennel dead in their tracks by issuing a restraining order;  better yet, perhaps he might put De Venecia and his kennel where they rightly belong—outside the house where all the poop lie.

No other act will suffice, Mr. Chief Justice.  Otherwise, people will truly start to believe that the blindfolded lady does peek—once in awhile.

Bastusan Na!

The Filipino language has a beautiful and appropriate word for what happened at the House of De Venecia (I refuse to call it the House of Representatives anymore as they no longer represent me in any way) the past two days BASTUSAN.

Resolution No. 1450 passed by De Venecia’s kennel can be best described in that one single word: BASTUSAN.

The nearest approximation that would do justice to the flavor and meaning of this one word is an abject lack of respect.

Turn about is fair play, (none of you are worthy of the appellation “Mr”, which I proudly claim, so henceforth you are simply) De Venecia, Nograles, Defensor, Lagman, Salapudin, Del Mar and everyone else, male or female, in the House of De Venecia who refused to stand on principle and give the sovereign Filipino people the respect they deserve. Bastusan na ba? E di, bastusan na nga!

The latest issuance from the House of De Venecia in full (without annotation, as words fail to capture the venality of this piece of [fill in your own expletive])

Republic of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Thirteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

RESOLUTION NO. 1450

RESOLUTION CALLING ALL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO, OR REVISION OF, THE CONSTITUTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 1, ARTICLE 17 OF THE CONSTITUTION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, there is a growing clamor from various sectors of oursociety to amend or revise the Constitution;

WHEREAS, it is imperative that any proposal to amend or revise anyprovision of the Constitution shall adhere to the express provision ofthe Constitution as provided by Section 1, Article 17 of the Constitution;

WHEREAS, Section 1, Sub-paragraph 1 of Article 17 of theConstitution provides that: "Any amendment to, or revision of, thisConstitution may be proposed by: the Congress upon a vote ofthree-fourths of all its members.”

WHEREAS, while there are alternate modes of effecting charterchange, adopting the afore-cited Constitutional provision quoted inthe immediately preceding paragraph hereof is the mode recommended byan overwhelming majority of the Members of Congress;

WHEREAS, in order to ensure that proposals to amend or revise theConstitution could be considered by Congress in an orderly andpractical manner, a call for ALL THE MEMBERS of Congress to propose amendments to, or revision of, the Constitution shall be made, as thisresolution proposes.

WHEREFORE, IT IS RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED TO CALL ALL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS PURSUANT TO SECTION 1, SUBPARAGRAPH 1 OF ARTICLE 17 OF THE CONSTITUTiON TO PROPOSE AMENDMENTS TO OR REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION AT THE PLENARY HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, BATASAN COMPLEX, QUEZON CITY BEGINNING AT 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 11, 2006 UNTIL THE APPROVAL OF THE PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS OR REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION FOR SUBMISSION FOR THE PEOPLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PARTICIPATION IN ACCORDANCE OF SECTION IV, ARTICLE 17 OF THE CONSTITUTION.

Not in control and loving it

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (Phil 2:14-16, RSV)

When I am suffering, this exhortation never fails to uplift me.

Paul speaks of being in prison so many times that we tend to become desensitized to just how difficult it must have been for him to preach the Gospel in his day. Yet, he did so, unfailingly, consistently and proudly.

Many times, I grumble and question—okay, almost every time—especially when things are not to my liking even if I know it is part of what God has in store for me. Loss of control is never easy and this has always been my cross.

I am, by nature, a control freak and loss of control—the uncertainty, the “not knowing” and the inability to shape what comes next—has always been cause for me to grumble and question and, often, protest. Many times, it has involved only me and God but there have been times as well when my being a control freak has affected—and hurt—others.

Recently, I was given a wake-up call to this. It was not a subtle hint nor a gentle nudge, it was practically a bludgeon—I was confronted with the many times my insistence on control affected and hurt others I love. And I was, literally, brought to my knees—not knowing what to do, what to say—and not in control. But, ironically, that was when I felt the most free.

So though I suffer many times, I try now not to grumble or question—too much. Try is the most important word in that sentence. Often though, the words of complaint and protest slip through my lips but I am quick to repent and to pray that God be in control once again.

Lord, I pray for the grace to shine as a light in the world that is in darkness; to be a voice that speaks Your truth in a world that is filled with noise and confusion; to be your face in a world that knows You not or no longer. Grant me additionally the grace to be all these without grumbling or questioning but to be simply filled with the hope that I labor not in vain but in the victory that you have already won. Amen.

Very Afraid

Since the word came out that Miriam might be Chief Justice, people have been asking if that is at all possible.  In a word: Yes.

There is no rule or law that limits the choice of Chief Justice to those who are already on the Court.  The appointment of the Chief Justice from among the incumbents is tradition but not law.  So too is the appointment of the most Senior Associate Justice to succeed the Chief Justice; this was notably not followed by Marcos when he bypassed former Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee twice.  

In the United States, Chief Justice Earl Warren was appointed directly as Chief Justice without sitting on the Bench;  so too the current Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Roberts.

Perhaps the question about Miriam in relation to the prospect of being Chief Justice is not whether it is possible but how probable it is.  Again, in a word:  Quite.  Probable, that is.

The last question that should be asked about Miriam being Chief Justice is, “should we be afraid? “ In a word:  No.  We should be VERY AFRAID.

nano disturbance

I was asked a question I dreaded yesterday by a fellow lawyer: “do you agree that Sadam Hussein should be executed?” I found myself hesitating for perhaps one nano second before I answered, “No. I do not agree that he should be executed.”

For one who has been literally rendered a one-trick pony when it comes to the death penalty, I found that nano second of hesitation surprising and disturbing because I did not know why I hesitated and because there should have been no reason for me to hesitate.

I still don’t know why I hesitated and that disturbs me—still.

Calmed, Quieted and Comforted

“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
     my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
But  I have calmed and quieted my soul,
     like a child quieted at its mother’s
                breast;
     like a child that is quieted is my soul.

O Israel, hope in the Lord
     From this time forth and forevermore.”

• Psalm 131, RSV

A beautiful reminder to start a week that is foreseen to be stressful.

Lord, I beg for the grace to be calm, quiet and comforted.  Allow me to occupy myself with all that is truly important.  May I desire nothing more than to hope in you today.  Amen.

Big deal?

So, Nonong Cruz resigned irrevocably as Defense Secretary after Tony Carpio, his partner, wrote an excoriating majority (actually plurality) decision in the People’s Initiative case and after Raul Gonzales made public that the Firm (of which Carpio and Cruz were founding partners) was now on the other side of the Gloria fence.

Big deal!

Leaving is easy.  Public repentance is more difficult.  

Instead of a 2 sentence, 22-word letter of resignation, Cruz should have made a mea culpa mea maxima culpa letter to the Filipino people explaining just why Gloria should never have been installed in power and why she is unfit to stay a day longer in power.  Otherwise, Cruz’s resignation and Carpio’s seemingly disloyal ponencia will simply be a case of  “I scratched your back, you failed to scratch mine. . . so there.”

Stand on principle, gentlemen, and declare what you stand for.  It was wrong to have installed Gloria Arroyo (but profitable for you perhaps);  a resignation letter simply does not do the trick—a public apology perhaps would help but a public repudiation would do more.  

But that’s expecting too much.  What is it that they say about there being no permanent friends but only permanent interests?  Expect The Firm to be back soon.

Thinking of Sisyphus

Right now, I feel like Sisyphus, the King who had to keep rolling a boulder up a hill only to have it keep rolling back down on him.

The past three weeks I've been walking on eggshells--broken glass, might be more exact--around a person I've known for some time for reasons I don't really know--or at least that have not been made known to me. I don't really know what I said, did, did not say, did not do to bring about this treatment and it is difficult, to say the least. I have no equilibrium and every day I feel like I'm on free fall.

It would be so easy to just be angry; it would be so easy to just say, "forget it. nothing's worth this."

But, it is worth it. I have very few friends but I have very good friends. And the few friends I do have, I tend to keep for a long time.

So I won't be angry and I won't say, "forget it. nothing's worth this." Because this friendship is worth this and I do intend to keep it.

Now, if I could only figure out how to keep the boulder from rolling back down on me--over and over again.

Still paying off debts

Clearly, Gloria is still paying off her political debts.

The latest beneficiary--Miriam Santiago. Raul Gonzales, the oxymoronic Justice Secretary, all but confirms that she will be the next Chief Justice. The JBC, with the outgoing Chief Justice, himself the beneficiary of Gloria's graces last year all quiet on her ascension and with both Kiko Pangilinan (Raul Gonzales's partner in the infamous "noted" farce in the 2004 Congressional canvassing of votes) and Simeon Datumanong nodding approvingly from the sidelines, has practically outlived its usefulness and should simply be described for what it is--a political clearing house where all the horsetrading is done, outside the prying eyes of the taxpaying public.

Forget her media hype that she was a professor of Constitutional Law--she taught one subject in the evening section and it happened to be constitutional law; she was not a professor, that is an academic rank in the UP that should not be bandied about like cheap candy. Urban legend has it that one night, she goes to her class and reads a speech that she intended to give--that probably started all the rumors about her mental fitness.

What we should remember is this: Miriam is the worst form of political animal. And she is the worst poster girl for the administration of justice in this country.

Miriam is young enough to totally wreck an already irretrievably broken judicial system; by tht time she retires, we won't know which end is up.

God help us, truly.