Anyway, moving on…

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports about Ed Panlilio’s candidacy and the support he is getting from the people of Pampanga is heart warming. This is the kind of politics that we need – a candidate that the people can believe in and trust. A people that is willing to go the extra mile to get the necessary changes done

However, the experience of Isabela Governor Grace Padaca should be a cautionary tale for Kapampangans. Inside PCIJ has reported on Isabela’s current political condition. Here’s the money quote:

As far as Isabela’s mayors are concerned, it seems, the province is still Dy country. Or at least it is certainly not Padaca’s, because she has been unable to get most of them to cooperate with her. This has hindered Isabela’s growth — as well as bedeviled Padaca’s administration.
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She has also insisted on a more sustainable health program by cutting subsidies on medicines, among other things, even though this has not exactly endeared her to some of her constituents.

Read more at PCIJ.

It is not enough that Kapampangans campaign for Panlilio. The election is just the beginning. The most crucial parts are after that. Of course, they must ensure that the real winner emerges. And if Panlilio wins, the people of Pampanga must be willing to continue the sacrifices that they are doing right now, or see their balloon of hopes burst by the pin called apathy – the malady that seems to afflict us from time to time, specially after elections.

Panlilio’s candidacy has opened a can of ethical questions. He is a priest, and the conflict between canon and constitution arises. He is suspended from his priestly duties; his candidacy is considered a violation of the separation of church and state (to some quarters, at least).

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POLITICAL NOTES:

* Last night, I saw a “miting de abanse” of an independent congressional candidate for the second district of Caloocan. It’s like watching a noontime TV show. There’s the required entertainment portion, some audience participation, games, jokes (some of them not suitable for children, who were present in the audience). After the entertainment, the candidate spoke.

* Is the entire wall of the Chinese Cemetery along Rizal Avenue Extension in Manila a common poster area? I passed by that area last Saturday night, and it was a wall of campaign posters. The dead must be turning in their graves.

* No wonder they wanted the incumbents suspended by this time. Incumbents (or their relatives who will replace them) really have an edge. Just look at the posters. Manila and Caloocan are good examples.

* The Philippine Experience has posted the Unfair Elections Act of 2007. Read it and laugh (or weep).

* Patricia Evangelista has whipped Raul Gonzalez.

I cry because the concept of values is either dead or dying.

Back then, everything is black and white, now there is gray, with all its shades and hues.

Back then, everything is either good or evil, now it’s just because others are wily and you are just lame.

Back then, honor is everything, now it’s just a word that will not feed you and your family.

Back then, we trust our neighbors to keep watch of us. Now, we do not even trust our relatives.

Back then, we honor those who did good. Now we honor those who got ahead at the expense of the others.

Back then, brilliance means excellence in your own right. Now, you are brilliant if you achieve your goal, whatever the means you have done.

Back then, it is false to tell a lie. Now, it is a sin to tell a lie, as long as you are not caught. Heck, it is not a sin anymore even if you are caught lying.

Back then, we know the concept of what is truth. Now, we don’t even care what the truth is. We are content with all the lies that we hear and all the lies that we give. Anyone lies anyway.

Back then, we agree to disagree. Now, we agree to disagree with character assassination and ad hominem attacks as added bonuses. We shout with glee when we call our enemies jologs or stupid or bumbling fools.

Back then, we fight for others when their rights are trampled. Now, we don’t care, since it’s not our rights being trampled. Besides, they are a nuisance.

Back then, we respect the decision of the majority, even if that decision disagrees with yours. Now, screw them.

Back then, we hold our values as if they are gold. They were our guiding lights. Now, we see them as relative, of no value if we want to get ahead in the rat race.

If we lose the concept of true values, only then we will learn the folly that the values we hold dear now will not save us.

For if they can trample the rights of others, how long will you wait till they trample on your own rights?

I cry not because my rights are trampled. I cry because other’s rights are being trampled upon, and here we are, we don’t even care.

I cry because someone is being killed, and yet here we are, we don’t even care.

I cry because when someone cares, we call them communists or leftists.

I cry because those who call themselves freedom fighters harm the freedom of those they swore to protect.

I cry for all of these because we don’t care.

I cry because in the future, no one will care at all.

I cry because if these things happen to me, no one will care.

I cry because if these things happen to you, no one will care.

Speaking of lawyers, I think Romulo Makalintal is overrated.

Sure, he has a radio DJ voice, but on some things, his arguments are at best, always a stretch of the truth.

Before the Hello Garci controversy, Makalintal was already busy defending his client, filing motions upon motions to have FPJ’s electoral protest dismissed. Of course, FPJ died and the protest was dismissed.

Now, tell him that his client had cheated in 2004, and he would always say that the Presidential Electoral Tribunal has already spoken. Here‘s that handwashing decision, read it, and tell me where in that decision it is said that Gloria Arroyo won fair and square.

Overrated, indeed.

Now, he is up to his news grabbing comments.

In COMELEC Resolution No. 07-0724 (which is not available at this site at the moment), the Comelec has prohibited the release of party list nominees; the said list of nominees will only be released immediately after the voting is over. Claiming that some party list groups are just administration fronts, several quarters have petitioned the Supreme Court to compel the Comelec to release the list.

Now here is Makalintal, again showing how overrated he is (from ABS-CBN News):

“Walang karapatan ang sinuman na pilitin ang anumang ahensya ng pamahalaan na mag-publish ng kung anumang bagay na nasa kanilang control and supervision, subalit kapag hiningi mo sa kanila ang listahan at hindi ibinigay, doon magkakaroon ng kaso (Nobody has the right to force any government agency to publish [documents] under their control and supervision, but if you ask [COMELEC] the list [of party-list nominees] and it did not accede, a case can be filed],” Macalintal said.

He added: “Asking COMELEC to publish [the names] is different from requesting COMELEC for a list.”

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“Ikaw ay may karapatang kunin ang pangalan na ‘yan at kung makuha mo ay maaari mong gamitin ‘yan sa anumang paraang legal na magagawa mo, i-publish mo ngayon sa mga diyaryo (You have the right to get those names and after getting the names you can use them in any legal way, publish the names in newspapers),” he said.

How can you request the Comelec to have such list published when it has passed a resolution banning such release/publication?

I am quoting in full this sloppy news report from ABS-CBN News:

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Caloocan bets’ pals figure in rumble

Fighting broke out between the supporters of Caloocan congressional candidates Nilo Divina and Mitch Cajayon Monday morning.

ABS-CBN News reported that the brawl took place in Barangay 129’s San Jose community while Divina’s group was posting campaign materials. The area is a known bailiwick of Cajayon.

Dong Reyers, Cajayon’s campaign coordinator, said the supporters of Divina threatened them by brandishing firearms and a Japanese katana.

Cajayon declined to comment on the incident, saying it was small issue. He, however, advised Divina’s supporters to stop from posting campaign materials in his area to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Divina’s supporters denied that they started the fight. Arnold Divina, the candidate’s brother, said they would never act like the neighborhood toughie especially in the territory of their rival.

The rumble resulted in injuries for Divina supporter Jun Lumanog, who was beaten up with a wooden plank and had to undergo a medical treatment.

Divina, meanwhile, requested Caloocan Archbishop Deogracias Yñiguez to initiate the signing of an covenant to ensure peace and order in the city elections.

Aside from Divina and Cajayon, Councilor Tinong Bagos and Bebong Muñoz, the boyfriend of singer Jolina Magdangal, are also in the second district’s congressional race.

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Corrections:

1. Mitch Cajayon, incumbent councilor in district II, is a she (paragraph 4 refers to Cajayon as a he).
2. Caloocan has a bishop, not an archbishop.
3. It should be Tino Bagus, not Tinong Bagos.
4. Dong Reyers is probably misspelled.

One of the sins of Gloria Arroyo is appointing Raul Gonzalezs as Secretary of Justice in an acting capacity for seven years running. He should have been appointed as Presidential Assistant for Bad Propaganda.

Known for saying stupid things, the latest idiocy from him stems from the apparent murder of US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell.

From the Inquirer:

She was careless and irresponsible. She took a lonely walk by herself in [that] deserted area.

We can learn a few things from this idiocy:

1. The Philippines is not safe for foreigners and for Filipinos, too. Imagine, you cannot take a lonely walk in a deserted area. Strong Republic huh?

The US should issue a travel advisory on the Philippines. After all, the Acting Secretary of Justice himself has told the entire world that our country is not safe for foreigners.

2. If you are walking with someone, is it a lonely walk?

3. You should not comment on something when you don’t have sufficient information. Apparently, Julia Campbell was not alone, she was with the probable killer when she took that walk.

4. As I had said in a comment in the previous post, evil is necessary for us to know what is good. Atty. Theodore Te says it more forcefully than I could.

How much more must we endure from him?

If you have learned anything from Gonzales’ words of wisdom, please share them in the comments.