Philippines at the threshold of going to the garbage bins (NOW GET OFFENDED, PLEASE)

PHILIPPINE GARBAGE. Photo from nsicdoria's Instagram account 

Today marks the 114th Independence Day celebration of the Philippines, my country.

But the same question has been nagging the Filipinos- ARE WE REALLY FREE AND INDEPENDENT?

The sad reality is this- Filipinos are migrating abroad because of abject poverty, to put it in flowery words, to seek greener pastures, and to be bound by foreign cultures and governments. The OFW is one tragic example. Some returning only after being adopted and has renounced their Filipino citizenship. To be in a foreign land is much better than Philippine "independence"? 

And now the yellow ribbon is slowly tying a gripping notch in every Filipino's neck in the guise of going towards a straight path.

Are we celebrating?

The week in Philippine history was a circus

Photo courtesy of csmonitor.com

The recent weeks in the Philippine history was suddenly in commotion- all because of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA). Even Joseph Estrada's incarceration, also a former president, was overshadowed by the events of GMA's. She had it big time.

But a lawyer named Ariel Salvador Magno summarized the week in just ten points. I could not agree more.

1. Supreme Court can be ignored.
2. It’s not true that we have three co-equal branches of government. The Executive is the most powerful branch. It can do no one.
3. Congress... is Congress. Res Ipsa Loquitor (The thing speaks for itself, for us who do not know this lawyer's talk haha).
4. The Bill of Rights applies only to the good ones not the evil ones.
5. Karma is so powerful.
6. If you did not do your job, blame others, especially the Supreme Court.
7. No matter how powerful you were or still are, you will be held accountable!
8. Institutions in the Philippines... wait what institutions?
9. The end justifies the means.
10. Some are more righteous than others. We are doing the same wrong things that you did but this time it’s us who are doing them, so tama lang.

(The above ten points were quoted from Ellen Tordesillas at ellentordesillas.com.)

Martial Law in the Philippines

Today marks the anniversary of the Martial Law declared not just by President Ferdinand Marcos but also by President Jose Laurel! Anyways, those declarations were in the distant past. And Filipinos always forget. Here's a brief historical background of martial law in the Philippines:

• President Jose P. Laurel declared martial law in September 21, 1944 through Proclamation No. 29 during the Second Philippine Republic under Japan.

• President Ferdinand E. Marcos also signed Proclamation 1081 on September 21, 1972 declaring the country under martial law to eradicate communist takeover. Some assassination attempts were staged by the government to justify the proclamation.

• President Gloria M. Arroyo signed Proclamation 1959 declaring Maguindanao under the state of martial law. Arroyo also imposed the State of National Emergency (considered by critics as a prelude to martial rule) in February 2006 to crush a coup d'etat led by Senator Trillanes and a possible staging of another people power in Manila.

Sources:
Wikipedia: Martial Law, Philippines
The Daily PCIJ
Picture

DO NOT DELAY the already delayed Philippine government relief goods

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“Judicious use of resources at the outset is imperative lest we face the situation of even greater want after a period of relative plenty. We at the DSWD wish to assure you that your trust in us is not misplace."

-DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral as quoted by Inquirer.net

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Arroyo irritated by food caravan delay

Inquirer.net 10/27/2009

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This is indeed disturbing to the maximum level. So many people have already been affected by the recent typhoons that visited the country and hundreds have died YET the Philippine government still thinks this is not yet the time to distribute the relief goods donated by entities from abroad.

PROOF? This blog ni ella- a concerned citizen who volunteered at the Department of Social Welfare and Development and wrote about the situation inside the DSWD's storage room (click this link).

I suggest that concerned persons, Filipinos in general and those that donated for the typhoon victims should read that blog. This is a first-hand information on what happened to your donations and what that government agency tasked to do social welfare have been doing, if any, at all. You're donations might be one of those "stored" for special victims. Who are they? Why are the food and other items not given to the victims? Why they claim no one volunteers to repack them?

Ella's title aptly asked: Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? Sagot ko: Baka ipakain sa rabbit?

(Pics grabbed from Ella's blog)

Another lesson yet to be learned by Filipinos

Disaster councils kick in only after, the fact and evaluation and physical infrastructural correctives after disasters seem not to be a priority for them or anyone else for that matter. The DPWH seems nowhere to be found nowadays nor does anyone seem to want to get them accountable for anything at all. Our collective memories for disasters, scandals, and political plunder are notoriously short, forgotten, as some point out, when the next one strikes or holiday season comes around. -Paulo Alcazaren, Lessons from the deluge

(Pic from anton.blogs.com)

Birds of the same feather are birds of the same feather

The Arroyo administration, according to Thelma Chiong, is criminal friendly. (See Influential Criminals, Inquirer.net Editorial, 8 September 2009) A clear indication that even in the criminal world, there are a priviliged few. They have money and political clout way above and beyond the top echelons. And they have the reasons to rejoice. Among them, as enumerated by Inquirer.net-

Lance Cpl Daniel Smith- released "in the dead of the night" to gain the necessary "support" from the US government because Arroyo's integrity and credibility is waning, according to Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Claudio Teehankee Jr was also released "in the dead of the night" despite serving only 14 years of the double life sentence slapped on him.

Romeo Jalosjos, the rapist of an 11 year-old girl was released after serving a few years of his double life imprisonment sentence.

And now, Paco Larrañaga of the Osmeña clan in Cebu, who is also considered a citizen of Spain, will be transferred to a penal colony in that place, raising a question why a prisoner-exchange treaty between Philippines and Spain was suddenly signed.

If you ask why these people differed from the rest, their family names and influence would give you an idea why.

The editorial summarizes everything in question- These cases support the claim of Chiong that the Arroyo administration is “criminal-friendly.” But it mollycoddles criminals and convicts only if they are rich or politically or socially powerful. Hundreds of other convicts who may have more reason to enjoy a commutation of sentence but who do not have any financial, political or social clout could rot in prison, for all Ms Arroyo cares.