4
Nov

First TRO on a Blog

PCIJ has been ordered by a Quezon City court to take down a blog entry.

This is the first time that a court restrains a blog.

More here.

This is a precedent-setting jurisprudence that might have a significant, long term effect on blogging. This will definitely reach the Supreme Court. Since discussing the case is sub judice, let’s wait and see. Lawyer-bloggers will definitely tackle this. Simply stated, it all boils down to one significant Constitutional guarantee: freedom of speech.

29
Sep

Apathy = Damnation

People still don’t get it. People still has wrong priorities. People still look after their own interests.

Apathy shall bring us all down.

Churchill once said to Chamberlain: “You are given the choice of dishonor or war. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”

Paraphrase: You are given the choice of looking after your interests or damnation. You have chosen to look after your interests and you will be damned.

Tsk tsk.

24
Sep

Killing the Bill of Rights

After effectively banning street protests, what’s next? Censoring news reports inimical to GMA?

There are 19 rights listed in Article III of the 1987 Constitution. Right number 5, freedom of suffrage, well, just say “Hello, Garci”. The current news, that of calibrated whatever, kills number 13, the right to take part in peaceable assembly. They even violated number 9, the right to be secure in one’s person, house, papers, and effects. Need I mention a case?

Read this. This lists down the 19 rights plus annotations.

22
Sep

Memo to Norberto

That’s what you get from lying – a high blood pressure and a drop in your blood sugar level. If a lie detector test is strapped to you, it would have sounded like a fire alarm.

It’s a sin to tell a lie.

13
Sep

Haydee Yorac, 64

Requiescat in Pace

Haydee Yorac
September 12, 2005, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Professor, UP College of Law
Commissioner, Commission on Elections
Chair, National Unification Commission
Chair, Presidential Commission on Good Government
Awardee, Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, 2004

In memoriam

11
Sep

History repeats itself

To sum it up, the Revolution failed because it was badly led; because its leader won his post by reprehensible rather than meritorious acts; because instead of supporting the men most useful to the people, he made them useless out of jealousy. Identifying the aggrandizement of the people with his own, he judged the worth of men not by their ability, character and patriotism but rather by their degree of friendship and kinship with him; and anxious to secure the readiness of his favorites to sacrifice themselves for him, he was tolerant even of their transgressions. Because he thus neglected the people forsook him; and forsaken by the people, he was bound to fall like a waxen idol melting in the heat of adversity. God grant we do not forget such a terrible lesson, learnt at the cost of untold suffering.

– Apolinario Mabini, The Philippine Revolution, Chapter X (translated by Leon Ma. Guerrero)

This was also quoted in La Vida Lawyer’s blog

7
Sep

Why the middle forces will fail

I don’t know if we should credit GMA for this, but she will never be ousted by people power as the middle forces will never muster enough people. By continuing its disdain over the masses, the middle class is going nowhere.

Now is the best time for prejudices to be overcome, else GMA will laugh and finish her term thriumphantly but with a nation divided by prejudice.

Prejudice, you say? Just read all those blogs and see the comments.

Another reason why the middle forces will fail: apathy. The majority of the middle class are apathetic to what’s going on. Just read the comments on the blogs.

References:

5
Sep

Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan

Statement of Unity
Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan

We come from all walks of life, from different political, cultural, and economic persuasions, different points of view. But in diversity, we find a cause for unity. That cause for unity is our common objective to secure the truth.

We all seek the truth. We want the truth to come out. And yet every means for seeking the truth has been frustrated; every avenue for arriving at the truth has been blocked; and every opportunity to find the truth is being closed.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s response to our call for the truth has been to suppress evidence, hide her accomplices, engage in a grand cover-up, sow fear, foment distrust and use every instrument at her disposal to encourage division among our people.

We will not be divided in these critical times.

We say with one voice, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go. For the good of the country, she must go. For the sake of our nation’s future, she must go. For the preservation of hope as a motive force in our national life, she must go.

We are united by the belief that this crisis must be resolved in a manner that is peaceful and democratic. Without the truth, there cannot be peace; without the truth, there is no genuine democracy. The truth must set our nation free.

Unite for the truth. Demand the truth. Defend the truth.

Kami ay ang Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan.

Action for Economic Reforms
AKBAYAN Citizen’s Action Party
Ateneo Concerned Faculty and Youth
Bangon, Pilipinas
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)
Be Not Afraid
Black & White Movement
Citizens for TRUTH (Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Trust, Hope)
Citizens for Truth, Resignation, Impeachment, or Ouster (C4T)
Coalition for National Solidarity
Counsels for the Defense of Civil Liberties (CODAL)
De La Salle
FPJP Movement
Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)
Interfaith Movement for Truth, Justice and Genuine Change (IFM)
Kilusan ng Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME)
Laban ng Masa
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
Peoples Assembly for Genuine Alternatives to Social Apathy (PAG-ASA)
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)
Reporma
Union of Muslims for Morality and Truth (UMMAT)
United Opposition (UNO)
Unity for Truth and Justice
UP AWARE
UP Diliman Student Council (UPD USC)
White Ribbon Movement
Women March
Youth DARE

bandw

gma

If you agree with this message, kindly copy it and post it in your blog, or link to it. Please send a message at this crucial time.

30
Aug

RIP – Impeachment and Decency and Morality


Requiescat in pace!
Obiit: August 30(?), 2005

I light this candle for the impending death of the impeachment complaint and the loss of decency and morality in this shamefully Christian nation.

Deo Optimo Maximo