REVILLAME, ET AL.

Yes, Revillame is a hateful, insensitive, and crass man who simply does not belong in polite company let alone public television. I do not believe in censorship in any form, manner or circumstance but if I were to indulge a hypothetical, he (and one other) would be the best excuse for censorship.

He is not however the first and only one to "abuse" children or women on television for the sake of "entertainment" and of course for profit. Other shows on other networks also have done so through the years, though perhaps not to the same degree of crassness.

The formula of showing scantily-clad women gyrating their hips in unison for no discernible purpose didn't start with Revillame. That started a long time ago with another show.

The discovering of talented kids who would dress up like adults and would sing and dance like adults didn't start with Revillame. That started a long time ago also with that other show.

The only difference perhaps is that Revillame simply elevates crassness and insensitivity to a totally different level. If there were dementors for politeness and decency, Revillame would be the chief dementor; the five-star dementor as he simply sucks out all the decency in everything he touches.

Yes, Revillame is accountable for the utter insensitivity he showed to the 6-year old kid but also to his viewing public whom he continually insults with every word out of his mouth. But he is not the only one accountable. The parents of these children, the producers, the advertisers and the networks are also. Most importantly, so also the viewing public which does not switch channels or shut off the television.

File a case? Cancel the franchise? Boycott the show? Boycott the advertisers? All these are legitimate responses to Revillame's latest display. They, however, will not ensure that Revillame or others who wish to become like him will not do it again to yet another 6-year old or other scantily clad contestant on their inane segments.

You want to make sure something like this does not happen again? Change the way you view the people who view your shows. Do not pander to the least common denominator, instead raise that denominator. Put on shows that will raise awareness, educate, inform, provoke discussion (not revulsion) which are well-written, well-made, well-produced and are hip and fun enough to make sure that people do not switch channels. They may not earn as much money but they will earn you the gratitude and respect of your viewing publics. They may not rate as well as a show with scantily-clad gyrating women or kids forced to endure insults and taunts but they will certainly be remembered with great fondness and with much gratitude many years from now.

You do these? Then, Revillame et al. will have no choice but to find work in another solar system far, far away.

Foot in Mouth Disease, Part 2

"First of all, our President is ahead of Obama and probably, I would think that if there's anything to be learned, it should be President Obama learning from President Arroyo."

These words came from Eduardo Ermita, the Executive Secretary to Gloria Arroyo (to push the analogy a little further, the country's Rahm Emmanuel).

I had to replay it quickly in my mind when I heard it because I couldn't believe it. Did Ermita really say that? And did he really say it that way?

Much later on, going through the online reports and hearing Mike Enriquez looping the sound bite almost every ten minutes over his radio show over DZBB, I confirmed that Ermita actually said it.

What is it about Gloria's subalterns that they all have this uncanny knack of putting their foot in their mouth, so to speak--especially when they're trying to curry favor from the Empress (the Filipino word for "curry favor" is so much more concise, direct to the point and pejorative--sip sip).

Recall Raul Gonzales, who apparently wakes up each morning and rehearses one-sentence insults to specific persons he plans to pan for the day, who called Philip Alston, only the UN Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial Killings, a mere "muchacho."

Recall Reli Fajardo, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, whose main job apparently is to obscure and not clarify, who claimed Executive Privilege would be invoked over an investigation yet to be called and which merited a "stupid" from the administration's own Joker Arroyo.

Recall Jesus Dureza, now Gloria's Chief Legal Counsel, who prayed aloud, when he was Press Secretary, for an unconstitutional term extension for his boss (now in the book of James, it is said that the prayers of the righteous reach heaven--hopefully one part of that verse doesn't apply to Dureza, otherwise we are in deep trouble). For his efforts, he has now been kept out of the limelight and shunted into obscurity--bad for a politico like Dureza.

Now you have Ermita, as high up as you can get, with this ungrammatical but nonetheless hilarious gem.

Can't wait for the next FMD episode.

The worst film showing during the MMFF2008 . . .

. . . was without a doubt that poorly disguised campaign video of Bayani Fernando "not campaigning" to be President. I caught some bad movies during the MMFF 2008 but Bayani's--short as it was--was without a doubt the worst. And I'm talking about going up against Iskul Bukol as well as Tanging Ina.

Someone should tell him that he does not have a face for tv nor a voice for radio. So he should stop inflicting himself on us. If he cares so much for this country, he should remove all of his tarps, ads and radio spots and simply work.

It sounds greek to me, again

It's all the rage now, at least in law school. Everyone's talking about it--the photos in an anonymously-sent link of a crime being perpetrated in the name of brotherhood. Of course, I'm speaking of the hazing photos.

One anonymous commentor on my blog asked if I could do something about it. I am flattered and honored that s/he would think I could do anything about it.

My position on frats and frat violence is clear and unchanged. I do not intend to write about that here, now. Let me simply assure those who read this blog and know my position on fraternities and fraternity violence that, yes, something is being done about it by the officials with both mandate and power. While it may seem that nothing official is being done about it, I know, personally, that, yes, something is being done about it--it is just a matter of the proper time and place and forum.

In the meantime, for those identified and identifiable in the photographs, it is not too late to repent.

Deleting history

Seen on a shirt: "Itanong mo sa akin ano ang maganda sa Pilipinas?" (front) "Gloria, resign!" (back)
---------------
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo says now that there is no reason to celebrate EDSA Dos and orders that no celebrations be held because she wants to heal the hurts. Just like that. EDSA Dos officially enters the dustbin of history.

Never mind that it was actually the first successful coup d'etat in Philippine history.

Never mind that when it was happening, Gloria and her minions asked the people to flex their power to support her.

Never mind that it was because of EDSA Dos that she was catapulted to power.

Never mind all that, mind only that she now says it shouldn't be celebrated or remembered.

It is as if by saying that, she can delete history and make us forget.

But, no, we will not forget how Gloria came to power, on the wings of a coup; and, no, we will not forget how Gloria maintained power, on the wings of fraud.

Though you delete history, we will not forget and we will not let you forget.

shake rattle and laugh your head off

Every year, I try to catch one (or more) of the films in the annual (and mandatory) Metro Manila Film Festival. My pick is usually the quirkiest, the fun-nest (not necessarily the funniest) or arguably the best of the lot. If an Enteng Kabisote is around, I usually go for that--not because I'm a big fan of Vic Sotto but because he makes one movie a year and he usually prepares for it well.

This year, Enteng Kabisote was around but I chose to watch Shake Rattle and Roll IX instead.

It is so bad that it makes the phrase "guilty pleasure" seem so inadequate. It is the typical Regal movie where a smorgasbord of people in the film industry (Lovi Poe, for instance) and a smattering of actors (Gina Alajar, for instance) are put together. There is very little characterization and what little there is is silly. Writing is bad, effects are worse. There is very little regard for audience intelligence and it shows in the lack of intelligence in the plot and script.

It is a waste considering that the trilogy this year put together three up and coming indie filmmakers. Oh well, it just goes to show you that you cannot squeeze quality out of a lemon and when Lily Monteverde goes into filmfest mode, you will get lemons.

Don't get me wrong though, I totally enjoyed myself, laughing over almost every scene; it was only afterwards that I remembered that the movie was supposed to be a horror flick and not a comedy. I hope those seated around and in front of me didn't mind me laughing too much.

Half and Half doesn't mean a whole lot of anything

Rufus Rodriguez, the spokesperson of Erap, shoots his mouth off about Erap seeking the Presidency and says that he (Erap) is contemplating a term-sharing scheme with whoever it is who will be his Vice President. The premise is that Erap lost three (3) years of his original term and therefore he is only trying to get back his lost three (3) years--if you believe that, I have a bridge (two actually) that I want to sell you.

What do you think Erap is? Stupid? Ok, ok, don't answer all at the same time.

Once he gets back to the Presidency (assuming he can run again legally and is not restrained by the Court), he's not going to share the term with anyone else. And assuming he does agree to the harebrained scheme of sharing his term, he is going to choose someone so unambitious and so scared of the office that s/he would not even contemplate going after the half-term.

What Rufus Rodriguez has brought out is not a novel issue, it is downright cheap. It is to cheapen the Office of the President even more than Gloria has cheapened it--with EDSA 2 and with Hello Garci. It is the ultimate trapo solution to anything--since you can't agree on anything, halve whatever it is you're trying to get.

The Office of the President is not bibingka which you can half. Besides half and half doesn't mean a whole lot of anything. It is precisely what the people will get--half of one and half of another, which put together is totally less than the sum of the whole.

Rufus has gotten his fifteen minutes of fame and his above the fold headline now; he should just shut up now.

Frat Free

Someone asked me why I hate frats and fratmen so much? He speculated quite baldly that I may have been a quitter. Over my loud guffaws, I told him that I was never a neophyte and never intended to join a fraternity as I did not need it (that was way back in law school and events after law school have borne out that I am doing fine without frats, thank you very much).

I once asked a fratman who treated me out to lunch and was quite obviously recruiting me to just answer me one question to MY satisfaction and, if he did, I would join his frat--"my father never laid a hand on me my whole life, why should I allow you, perfect strangers, to hit me?" He had no answer and I enjoyed a sumptuous free lunch, frat free.

I don't hate fraternities nor frat men. I do hate the culture of omerta that they perpetuate, the violence and the hypocritical preening that they indulge in to recruit their next neophytes.

I have many friends from the frats; I look up to many people who are frat men; several of my very good friends for life are frat men.

I have always believed in "love the sinner, hate the sin." And that applies here squarely.

When I condemn frat violence and the culture of impunity that it brings about, I do it not because I want to abolish fraternities (I don't believe in this and I don't agree with Miriam; abolishing frats will only drive them underground and then they would really be out of reach and out of control) but because I want the frat men who killed men like Cris Mendez to be acountable for their actions. That's all.

I have always believed in accountability and responsibility. And, in the end, for fraternities who preach integrity, honor and brotherhood, shouldn't these be essential?

Do I wish that we were frat free? Yes. But that particular Genie is now out of the bottle and you can't put him back in. We don't have to tolerate the unlawful things they do though.

To those who are afraid of the fraternities, especially my students in law school, I say to you-- take courage, stand your ground and speak your mind. There is a freedom wall in the law school about this--write, express yourself, speak your mind. Do not be afraid.

The blood of brothers

I have written on this before and it gives no pleasure to write again on this. But another son, brother, person, human being has been killed by a fraternity: Chris Mendez by Sigma Rho. Never mind that there is no official acknowledgement by Sigma Rho; its silence on this matter speaks more eloquently than any official confession.

I have been reading many of my students' blogs on this latest episode of fraternity violence, this time inflicted on one it would call their own, and almost all have asked the question, "why?" There is no answer there that can be found other than to say that it is perhaps a mindless adherence to an outdated tradition of compelling loyalty by means of blood-letting and blood sharing.

Yet, we live in times that we would consider civilized, how then explain the almost morbid fascination of fraternities (and I generalize here to include ALL Fraternities; it is their burden to prove me wrong) with exacting loyalty and commitment by means of physical violence?

I am not a frat man and I am not a barbarian, they are the barbarians, for how else explain the ritualistic blood-letting that must accompany every entry into these greek-lettered societies?

I have never considered physical violence to be a measure of anything other than the shallowness of a person's capacity to reason and the absence of a person's capacity to inspire. Commitment and true brotherhood may be exacted by reason and inspiration, blind loyalty by beatings. That is the difference between humans and horses; you can inspire a person to follow you into the gates of hell but you will have to beat that into a horse.

Yet, these fraternities pride themselves to be the best that there is to offer; Sigma Rho, in its posters extolling alumni (some of whom have publicly distanced themselves from the violence but without resigning), call themselves "gentlemen warriors." If you truly are the best, gentlemen, you do not need to beat commitment into your neophytes; if the gospel you preach is truly the good news, then the ultimate act of hate has no place in it.

I am not a frat man but I am part of a brotherhood--a brotherhood that preaches the good news that, yes, everyone is entitled to respect. My brothers are committed to me and I, to them, not because we were beaten up but because we share the same principles, the same way of living, the same faith and the same experience of love and being loved. So, even if I am not a frat man, I do know of whence I speak when I speak of being a brother to another.

In Genesis 4:9, ". . .the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel, your brother?' He said, 'I do not know, am I my brother's keeper?'"

Cris Mendez was hazed so that he could be a brother; ultimately, his blood was spilled by those who would call him, yet not keep him, as brother. The greater tragedy is not that he was killed in the name of brotherhood, but that the brotherhood to which he aspired would even wash his blood off their hands by simply asking, "am I (Cris's) keeper?"

To those who killed Cris Mendez, let me say this:

Yes, you are your brother's keeper and his blood is on your hands--not only by you who lifted your hand against him to beat him, to maul him, to spill his blood, but also by you who would stand mute and lift no voice of condemnation for those among your brothers who killed Cris.

Yes, you are your brother's keeper and, if you would cherish his memory, you would not stand mute in the face of the grief and bereavement of his family and his friends but rather break your silence to let the truth out.

Yes, you are your brother's keeper for, ultimately, as Donne puts it "any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee."