Okay, I know. I'm quite sure there's definitely a better title out there, but right now, I am at a loss for words, so cut me some slack and give me time to think through this and probably, just probably, after a few hours or so (or days), I might actually come up with a better, more catchy phrase to put up there. For now, bear with me, if it's not too much of an inconvenience to you dear "chance" reader.

For the visually-challenged, the banner reads: BINAY: OBAMA OF THE PHILIPPINES.

So anyway, let me begin by saying that the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this photo is the same two-word-and-seemingly-meaningless title of this post, which is -- to over-emphasize for the purpose of my personal amusement -- what the %$#@??!! :) For a while there, I thought Obama has suddenly become Binay's running-mate for 2010 -- or that this entire banner was just a joke -- turns out it's not or is it? :) Now, I know us Filipinos have a way with words, phrases, jokes and what-not's. But this -- this is -- I don't even know exactly where to put it, really -- so let me just use this rather exaggerated and probably not-so-accurate description but this is the closest I can come up with -- it's like a "cliche". I don't think there is a need to expound or build on this idea. It is very elementary my dears. Continue reading →

Popularity: 1% [?]

"There is nothing easier than lopping off heads and nothing harder than developing ideas." -- Fyodor Dostoevsky

"I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of their way and let them have it."

"Wars are seldom caused by spontaneous hatreds between people, for peoples in general are too ignorant of one another to have grievances and too indifferent to what goes on beyond their borders to plan conquests. They must be urged to the slaughter by politicians who know how to alarm them." Henry Mencken

"There is no such thing as a good war and there is no such thing as a bad peace." Benjamin Franklin

"Short-circuiting the long-established principles of patient negotiation leads to war, not peace." Jimmy Carter

I miss the good old days -- when things weren't as complicated as they are now. It seemed rather peaceful then (or so I thought). Fact is, the world in general has not been truly peaceful at any time. Wars are as constant as change. And this world has seen one too many wars. There will always be small wars fought in certain parts of the world for all sorts of reason. I think humankind has a penchant for wars -- probably part of what makes us human -- to be hostile at times when certain boundaries are crossed. Continue reading →

Popularity: 1% [?]

With all that's been written about the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity MOA on Ancestral Domain (BJE MOA on AD), it is as if the issue gets more and more tiring to discuss and write about everyday. It's September 2. Two days more and the SC TRO celebrates(?) its one month anniversary. To this day, although the BJE MOA on AD seems to be good as dead -- or "comatose" as others have called it -- the issue just wouldn't die a natural death. And why not? Freedom(?) or self-determination and the struggle for it is something far more important than the struggle for survival. If you don't believe it, ask yourself why we have heroes now. Ask yourself why Jose Rizal, the Ilustrado that he is or Andres Bonifacio, the poor guy that he is -- the two of them doing their own style of revolt had no second thoughts about putting their lives at risk for something they believed was above them or of their preoccupations -- the vision of a free Philippines. They know first-hand how a lot more difficult it is to survive and yet be enslaved or put more objectively, be under the rule of a colonizer. It is every man's instinct to fight for freedom -- for self-rule. Continue reading →

Popularity: 1% [?]

I find it inexplicable why the BJE MOA on AD is being considered at odds with our constitution, hence this TRO and oral arguments, when a member of the MILF peace panel, MOHD. MUSIB M. BUAT in his article "A new formula in resolving the Mindanao conflict—Mohd. Musib M. Buat" at the abs-cbnNEWS.com website, said:

"But subsequently in February 2008, information was received by the MILF Peace Panel through the Malaysian facilitator that the GRP had decided to have the draft MOA-AD first reviewed by a panel of legal experts to ascertain whether or not the draft agreement would meet a constitutional test if challenged before the High Court. It took the government more that 100 days to conduct the "due diligence review" of the draft MOA-AD."  Continue reading →

Popularity: 1% [?]

Today's article at abs-cbnNEWS.com "From Brink of Peace to Brink of War" by Atty. Soliman M. Santos, Jr. brings to mind my long-held stand on the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (BJE MOA on AD). Continue reading →

Popularity: 1% [?]

I need not elaborate. I'm sure any of you reading this have heard the news -- endless and hopeless as it may seem. Fighting continues in Mindanao. Ambush here. Strafing there. Evacuations here and there. Oral arguments re: unconstitutionality of BJE MOA (which, by the way, has been extended Firday once more, August 29) happened today. Sol. Gen. Devanadera submitted a petition for the SC citing GRP's decision not to sign the MOA, thereby rendering the petition filed against it "moot and academic". Torion, the petitioner's counsel, on the other hand insists on a court decision saying regardless of the BJE MOA being signed or not, SC's ruling is important so as to create a "guideline" for the GRP on it's expected "renegotiation" or "furthering of negotiations" and subsequently assure compliance to the constitution.

There are certain points in the oral arguments I'd like to comment on, as follows:

Continue reading →

Popularity: 1% [?]