HACIEN - DUH!

In 1990, the UP Law Center strongly criticized the stock dispersal program of the Hacienda Luisita as "patently unconstitutional." The report accused the Luisita formula as violative of the social justice and comprehensive agrarian reform programs of the Constitution.

It was forwarded to the Senate Committee on Agrarian Reform headed by then Senator Heherson 'Sonny' Alvarez. But few people believed the Alvarez committee would take the report seriously. Alvarez was known to be the most pro-Aquino member of the legislature, even more pro-Aquino than President Cory's own relatives in power.

The Comprehensive Agrararian Reform Program (CARP), supposedly the center of the Aquino regime, suffered a loss of credibility since the Hacienda Luisita was declared "outside the scope of CARP" because of its controversial stock dispersal scheme.

(Image from http://www.bulatlat.com/)

A JETTISONED IDEA?

With the threat of yet another power crisis hitting the country, one cannot help but remember that in the days of the Aquino regime, the nation was figuratively and literally in the dark.

Perhaps, one may also recall that an interesting proposal had emerged from a group of middle-level business executives who sat down and discussed the power crisis then. The "bright" idea was to ask the United States to lend one of her nuclear-powered warships, preferably one of those behemoth aircraft carriers like the decommissioned USS Enterprise - to drop anchor in Manila Bay and provide the electricity needed to bring the Metro area back to normal levels.

Fantastic. So how come those highly-paid officials then at the National Power Corporation (Napocor) never thought up this gem of an idea? Was it because there was no money for them in that proposal?

Of course, some wise guys in the Aquino administration then could have waved the Stars and Stripes while howling to high heavens that once again, we will be begging on our knees for US help and surrender our pride to the Yanks. Then, they could have added that this was not a bad idea after all simply because the bases talks were only a few days away.

Shoot. When Mrs. Aquino begged Washington to send in those US Phantom jets to save the day for her government during one of them coups, we lost all our claim to sovereignty and national pride. We might as well go whole hog and ask Uncle Sam this time to send in one of their nuclear-powered aircraft carriers to rescue us from an impending power crisis.

Each floating naval city can carry as much as 5,000 men and can generate enough power to light up a small city like Mandaluyong, and more than enough for the Napocor's 550-megawatt deficit.

And even if Malacanang had been given this clue, the Napocor then insisted on acquiring those gas turbines and generators sold by its former chief's family corporation. This former boss was even bold enough to propose that the country erect new nuclear plants - and never mind if the huge Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) was just sitting idle like a has-been harlot, waiting to be reactivated to supply 600 megawatts to an electricity-starving citizenry.

(Image from http://www.stratfor.com/)

TWO DOZEN YEARS AGO

Today February 22 begins the observance of the 4-day EDSA revolt. So it has been 24 years already. As February is the month for love, it is also the month for broken promises. The promise which catapulted the Aquino administration and her Kamaganak Inc. to power is now reduced to yellow Cory er, curry powder.

Play a little game as you watch those on center stage while they try to whip up the spirit of EDSA. Who among them were actually at EDSA from day one of the anti-Marcos revolt started by Juan Ponce Enrile, Fidel Ramos and Gregorio Honasan. Who are the Johnnies-come-lately? Who were the so-called steak commandos selling pots and pans in the US and in Canada, living in ghettoes and who now live in posh villages with obese bank accounts?

Who were in fact not even at EDSA but now claim credit for that upheaval and have pushed the real heroes out of the picture. We are sure you will come up with startling answers. These pseudo-heroes are still around, bloviating and all with their sickening presence.

(Image from http://www.wikimedia.org/)

DEPUTIES IN DISGUISE?

The Comelec should not deputize the National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), which many people have accused of meddling in past elections to favor those candidates preferred by its leaders. The NAMFREL was a brainchild of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 50s, when it helped ensure the election of then Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay as President.

The CIA played dirty tricks on the late Senator Claro M. Recto, a third party candidate in the 1953 elections, whom it suspected of being sympathetic to the leftists. Colonel Edward Lansdale, who worked with Filipinos in and out of government who were identified with the right, was instrumental in the creation of the NAMFREL. Lansdale later worked in Vietnam, using many of the tactics that worked in the Philippines.

I do agree with the observations of many that the Comelec should go slow in deputizing certain private groups, especially those identified with the church. You know who these groups are. Yes, NAMFREL and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). Groups like these have been notorious for meddling in past elections and for promoting their candidates, most of whom are also said to be favored by the church. Most officials of such organizations are known meddlesome church lay persons who had come out in favor of certain church-backed candidates. How can these groups now be deputized by the Comelec when they have known favorites which will preclude them from being neutral in the elections? And how can we ever forget the time when NAMFREL suddenly stopped counting election results right after the returns from the Ilocos regions started coming in.

One banking official, a member of one of these groups, was a rabid partisan of then presidential bet Corazon Aquino who was later appointed to a top position in the Comelec. He did not even hesitate to wield his powers while in the poll body, highly influenced as he was by his political biases and strong opinions. In addition, certain private poll organizations are the recipients of financial support from certain foreign governments. These groups should likewise be barred from being deputized as Comelec arms.

Do you still remember the time when NAMFREL came under attack from the University of the Philippines (UP), which came out with a research report by a team of UP professors? The UP College of Public Administration revealed massive fraud in the 1987 elections which they called "The Anatomy of Stealing in the Elections." Its four authors - Professors Luzviminda Tancangco, Romeo Ocampo, Bella Lucas and Lourdes Abanding are way above reproach and the institution they represent is equally unassailable as a seat of academic freedom and truth.

Aquino officials were livid with rage over the report, but could not destroy the reputation of these individuals. These professors were grilled by the Senate, but their very tormentors included senators who, should not even be in that revered chamber.

Tancangco was one of the most respected professors at the UP. She had rock solid knowledge of the operations of the NAMFREL with which she was connected since 1984.

Well, the report merely confirms the public perception that there was massive cheating in the 1987 polls and that many senators and congressmen held office then only because the NAMFREL manipulated the election returns. Time was when there were at least eight persons in the senate whose very presence insults the memory of the honorable men who once graced its sacred halls. The jest in political circles is that some of these senators could not even be elected barangay captains in honest elections in their respective communities.

That report should have finally led to the permanent interment of the NAMFREL, which should be remembered only as a tragic aberration in the country's political history.

(Image from http://www.bulatlat.com/)

WHO ARE THE REAL EDSA HEROES?

In a few days from now, the nation will once again mark the anniversary of the first EDSA Revolution. I foresee this as a perfect time where opportunists behind Noynoy Aquino and his pack of has-been Corystas will surely take advantage and rally again the people to "remember the spirit of EDSA" and "remember Cory, vote for Noynoy." The only spirit I can think of right now is one that has fooled the population over the years. In addition, many of the loyal Corystas have now turned into Sorry-stas. Many who used to address her as Auntie Cory had already shifted to Anti-Cory, and are now openly campaigning against an Aquino II presidency.

Of course, the EDSA anniversary will be marked in different ways as always. The rabid yellow crowd of former President Corazon Aquino who have now mutated and evolved into the Noynoyistas will recall events which they said drove away a dictator and restored democracy in the country. The Marcos loyalists will say it was a historical fluke which led to a regime worse than the one ousted by the EDSA marchers.

Well, two of the principal players who sparked that revolution scoff at the heady claims made by die-hard Corystas over the upheaval. They are of course Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, head of the daring RAM which provided the military the most effective component of that movement.

The RAMboys and Enrile could well remind the nation too that Corazon Aquino was not even at EDSA and is therefore not entitled to exaltation rendered her by those who subsequently joined the Enrile-Honasan breakaway group, which was later joined by then General Fidel Valdez Ramos.

In past EDSA celebrations, Enrile would often say that there was really nothing to celebrate about because EDSA only brought another administration which can be remembered for its incompetence and corruption as well. Yes, the Aquino administration was corrupt too. So, let him who is without sin cast the first stone. I'm so glad that Sin is no longer around.

Rabid Aquino supporters retort that Enrile is sour-graping because he failed to succeed Marcos after the EDSA upheaval. And I remember that in gatherings where EDSA is discussed, Enrile invariably becomes the butt of jokes. He is often referred to as a basketball player dribbling the ball with only two minutes left in the game, and his team is leading by some 50 points, when he suddenly passes the ball to Mrs. Aquino who promptly runs home with it.

In those gatherings, debates range as to who are the real heroes of EDSA. Many say it is JPE, FVR and the RAM. Others say it is the yellow crowd of Mrs. Aquino who rushed to EDSA to protect Enrile and Co. Some say it is Cardinal Sin who called out the faithful to save JPE and his group from the Marcos military, while others say it is most of the Marcos generals who refused to fire on the people.

Not quite. Not any of these people, say FM die-hards. They say the real hero is actually Ferdinand Marcos himself who stoutly refused to give the order to fire on the hundreds of thousands at EDSA because he did not want "to spill any Filipino blood" at that time of crisis. As seen on TV footages being re-run every EDSA anniversary, Marcos stopped then AFP Chief of Staff Fabian Ver from insisting that he give the orders to the military to start firing on the people.

Ver's officers had said a few cannon bursts and a few hundred deaths would quickly disperse that crowd. But Marcos stood his ground against the carnage of the people.

(Image from http://www.humpakz.com/)

In this photo as I recall, being part of this group once, (L-R): Manny Oineza, Joe Bajesta, (unidentified), JPE, (unidentified but familiar looking and can't remember his name), Greg Honasan.

PINOY PELOTARI

Don't look now, but I just heard about the possible re-opening of jai-alai games in the country. In addition, some influential persons are silently pushing for opening a track for dog races right here.

By way of pointing out how decent and honest the jai-alai was before Pinoys took over management of the fronton, among the amateur pelotaris training to play with Basque players were Enriquito Zobel, Neling and Rene Nieto, Danny Vasquez, Ossy Abad Santos, Baby Ysmael, Juancho Lao, Tony Vallejo, Poteng Tillman, Philip Monserrat, Pat Ilano, Tony Beltran and my very own father Ariel Bocobo.

But they soon lost interest and gave up the games when they sensed that certain crooked manipulators were slowly taking over the fronton and the decent and honest Basque players were quietly being eased out. They were proven right and soon enough the fronton became a hotbed of vice and corruption, and Pinoy pelotaris became notorious for throwing games and the good elements of society began to boycott the fronton.

One needed clarification. Jai-alai is not a Spanish game. It is a game of the proud Basques who continue to be the hated enemies of the Spaniards. Those occasional bombings in Spain are by the Euskadi, the Basque rebel group feared by the Spanish guardia civil.

In Madrid hotels not too long ago, there were still signs which read, "No dogs or Basques allowed." That's how bitter these two races hate each other.

(Image from http://estancabigas.com/)

GUN THE BAN? (PART 2)

SLEEPLESS IN MY SHUTTLE. Lawmakers are the lawbreakers. I'm absolutely certain that among the first persons who will be nabbed for violating the Comelec gun ban will be bodyguards of senators, congressmen and cabinet members. Is this because they are the most despised creatures in the country, hence, making instant enemies and thus needing the services of bodyguards to protect them from irate citizens?

Surely, among those who will be howling to high heavens accompanied by their illegal car sirens about the impending arrests by the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be legislators from both houses and the executive department.

Do these lawbreakers in diguise as lawmakers think that just because they passed the firearms ban, they should be exempt from it? Set the example sirs.

The full weight of the law should fall on these abusive bodyguards and their masters. If the law cannot be enforced against them, the Electoral Reform Law might just as well be tossed into the trash can.

What are they afraid of? If they are afraid of their own constituents, then they have no business being called the people's representatives. Just a thought.

(Image from http://www.timawa.net/)

BEATING THE ODDS

I asked a math wizard what are the odds on winning the grand prize in the Lotto or the Sweepstakes. He said a million to one. I think it's more than that.

I remember in 1990 how General Alfredo 'Fred' Lim, when tasked to probe alleged rigging of draws at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), beat these odds. He won PhP5-million.

The winning horse, Just Joking, was owned by one of the biggest critics of the Aquino administration, Danding Cojuangco. Lim bought the winning ticket right at the PCSO as a token gesture on his part to assure the people that the integrity of the PCSO remains intact. So bizarre that he won the top prize, causing more image problems for the PCSO. Many persons then were skeptical about Lim's win. Some people even said that top PCSO officials rigged the draw in Lim's favor so he would be reluctant to go after top PCSO brass in his probe of PCSO rackets. No way, says Lim's friends and admirers, who swear that the general's integrity could never be bought, even if the prize were multiplied a hundredfold. To this I agree, having known him to be the cleanest "Dirty Harry" there is.

Now that he's running again for mayor of Manila, it's good to be reminded of a candidate's integrity and honesty who painstakingly loves the premier city. On the other hand, some bets would rather destroy historical and cultural treasures like the Mehan Garden and the art-deco Jai-Alai building on Taft Avenue. And to this day, this individual, a presidential lapdog a.k.a. "Manny Pacquiao's valet," is still at it while his credibility and honesty remain in question.

(Image from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OjZs9-N5904/)

POLITICAL AMBASSADORS

SLEEPLESS IN MY SHUTTLE. Just a thought while in transit. The appointment of "political ambassadors" has been a practice by most if not all presidents. This power has been abused by our heads of state to accomodate rich friends and discredited officials to the disgrace of the country and the demoralization of career officers of the diplomatic service. Of course, there are a few exceptions, like the late great diplomat Ambassador JV Cruz and a handful of others.

But in most cases, when political leaders want to boot out unfit or disgraced partymates, the inevitable solution is to send them into "exile" as ambassadors.

Once abroad, these misfits, lacking proper training and preparation, make jackasses of themselves and make the country a laughing stock in diplomatic circles.

As it is, an ambassador could be a person who, having failed to get an appointment from the head of state, is still given one on condition that he leaves the country immediately.

(Image from http://cdn.wn.com/)

DICK AND DICKS

I was bombarded with a few "love letters" in my e-mail from supposedly supporters of president-then-vice-president-very-much-wannabe Bayani Fernando immediately after I had posted this on my Facebook profile, "SI GORDON, 'YAN ANG TUNAY NA BAYANI. SI FERNANDO, 'YAN ANG TUNAY NA DICK," the same day they trumpeted to the whole archipelago their political intentions.

And yes, I have been a constant critic of BF and especially how he displayed his huge photos, sacrificing the true message, all over the metropolis. And how his "urbanidad" program a.k.a. Metro Guwapo simply meant the uglification of Metro Manila. A pinkified metropolis just doesn't appeal to me at all. Perhaps in hospitals and girls' bathrooms, but we're talking here about a major city jungle that is Metro Manila. Green would be more appropos. But that's all in the past now, and Bayani has proven his Mike Velarde and Liberace-like taste for colors.

And now comes the ever-active Richard 'Dick' Gordon. Amazing how he has "nursed" Olongapo City back in good health, right after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, not to mention the good things he has done inside Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). How I miss him at the SBMA.

Do you remember that Cabanatuan earthquake rescue operations in 1990? When then Olongapo Mayor Dick Gordon, accompanied by his wife and mother, rushed to the stricken city ahead of a rescue team from Olongapo and in coordination with the Subic team called in by his wife. Their presence was resented by some known Corystas in Nueva Ecija. These stupid small-town politicians wanted to know why a Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) official like Gordon was getting high visibility in the rescue operations.

Little did their so-called minds know that Gordon had gone there as a director of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). And so what if he was a KBL out there giving unselfishly trying to help the victims? Is there a place for petty politics and picayune minds in tragic emergencies?

In times of extreme emergencies, the best and the worst in man emerge. The best was when Gordon rushed to help out in Cabanatuan. The worst was when those asinine Novo Ecijano Corystas resented Gordon's presence.

They were behaving like desperate dicks.

(Image from www.salta.tv/)

NUCLEAR DAYS AND NEW CLEAR DAYS

Summer season for me is usually a trip to historical monuments like Mt. Samat in Bataan, or my hometown of Gerona in Tarlac - or just a short walk to an inflatable pool in my backyard.

A few years ago, while spending a weekend in the town of Pilar, Bataan, I met a man who used to work for the mothballed plant in that province. He said that if it was indeed operated to generate electricity, the now white elephant could have somehow solved the power crisis then.

Well, that was then. The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) is one more sorry legacy of the Aquino regime, which relentlessly pursued the case against Westinghouse which, it claimed, bribed the late President Marcos into giving it the contract.

The Aquino people, retained by the Ramos administration pressed for the pursuit of the case. That government should have considered the compromise settlement offered by Westinghouse. The Ramos regime did not listen either to proposals to use the nuclear plant to alleviate the power shortage then.

In short, the Ramos administration adopted the Aquino administration's policy of revenge against the Marcoses in the Westinghouse case. The faces of all these people were red after a US court had ruled against the Philippines which spent millions of dollars to press the case. Only the US lawyers hired by the RP government were happy since they had raked in quite a hefty sum in legal fees.

Two former associates of Herminio Disini, who brokered the nuclear plant deal for Westinghouse denied that Disini acted as "front man" for Marcos, or that Disini gave Marcos part of the legal commissions which the government then described as bribe money.

However, the most absurd comment then from the government people on the defeat in the Westinghouse bribery case is the claim that some American jurors may have been bribed by Westinghouse. Preposterous.

The government then simply had a weak case. It could not prove that President Marcos had been bribed by Westinghouse. That's that. There was no need to put up a smokescreen to hide the failure on their part. Imagine, some officials then were even thinking of filing treason charges against Filipinos who testified that Marcos never received any bribes.

And by the way, who was that mystery party who convinced the Philippine government to hire certain American lawyers who were paid over a billion pesos in legal fees? The mystery party presumably received a vast fortune in referral fees.

In summing up, the government got burned in that case. Only the American lawyers, the mystery party who made the referral and an assortment of government lawyers who enjoyed going to the US to litigate the case were happy as a clam.

Blame the Aquino regime for this mess. It never wanted the amicable out-of-court settlement proposed by Westinghouse. Instead, it chose to press the case out of a vengeful hatred against the Marcoses.

(Image from http://memocircular.wordpress.com/)

MIDNIGHT SALES

At least those officials in Malacanang and the executive department, faced with the prospect of having to vacate their offices in a couple of months, are trendy.

They have plunged into a selling binge of valuable government properties running into billions of pesos so they can enjoy their retirement in comfort and in style. Some malls call these bargain sales midnight madness.

But here is the damper. Opposition leaders have promised they would send to jail soon-to-depart officials who participate in these anomalous transactions, and in cases involving more than 50 million pesos, the charge would be plunder which is punishable by death. However, has anybody here really been put to death for plunder?

To really discourage such deals, opposition officials warned the buyers that the transactions would not be honored when they come to power.

KJs all, these oppositionists.

(Image from http://kaboodle.com/)

AQUIHITO AND AKINO

Are you still wondering why there seems to be no end to the "colorful" life Kris Aquino is living? Well, she started her erroneous conduct at a young age, perhaps even tolerated by her elders.

Take this example: In 1990, diplomatic sources claimed that the late President Corazon Aquino gave some problems to Japanese protocol officers when she brought her daughter Kris to Tokyo to attend the enthronement of Emperor Akihito.

Kris reportedly did not receive an official invitation. Many adjustments had to be made in the official arrangements by the bewildered Japanese in charge of protocol. Diplomatic observers said that a serious breach of protocol was committed when President Aquino, with Kris by her side, officially greeted the Japanese emperor during the solemn rites. It should have been Foreign Affairs Secretary Raul Manglapus, not Kris, who was originally set to be by the President's side.

Wasn't it also this same Kris, now years after, who is now attacking trapos running for public office, pointing out that her brother Noynoy is not at all trapo?

Well, their father, the late Senator Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. was one of the outstanding trapos during his lifetime. He rose from town mayor to governor and to senator and was secretary-general of the Liberal Party. Ninoy's own father was one of the trapos in President Manuel Quezon's Cabinet.

(Image from http://www.news.nfo.ph/)

THE "MISSING" JEWELS

Allow me to revive the subject matter regarding the valises of jewelry the Marcoses left in 1986 when they fled Malacanang Palace. I remember former Palace official Chito Roque when he testified at Imelda Marcos' trial in New York saying he had gathered some diamonds in Malacanang and had turned them over to President Cory Aquino. I also remember how her spokesmen quickly issued a public statement that Mrs. Aquino had then turned over the gems to the Central Bank of the Philippines for safekeeping and that all of the Marcos gems left in Malacanang are intact at the Bangko Sentral.

However, allow me to share further what I have gathered recently while sleuthing on the matter, true or untrue:

- Only five (5) of the fourteen (14) valises of gems, foreign currency, bank books, stocks and bonds, land titles and other important documents have been accounted for. Missing is the so-called "purple valise" containing diamonds and other gems.

- Most of the gems were secretly shipped to Hong Kong where exact copies were crafted by a master jeweller. It is these fakes that are now deposited at the Bangko Sentral. The real gems are stashed in banks in Hong Kong, London, Zurich and various cities in the U.S.

- Mrs. Marcos' lawyer Gerry Spence claims that some of the Marcos jewelry were worn by certain powerful people during the Aquino presidency, where such information were furnished by disgruntled elements in the Aquino government.

True or not, this merits for a thorough re-investigation.

However again, here are solid facts on the matter as shared to me by my unimpeachable source:

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos had a vast collection of jewelry as follows:

1. The jewelry collection which the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) confiscated during the height of EDSA 1. We refer to this as the "MALACANANG COLLECTION."

2. The jewelry collection seized by the U.S. Customs from the Marcos family upon arrival in Hawaii. These were surrendered by the U.S. District Court of Hawaii to the Philippine government through the PCGG. We refer to this as the "HAWAII COLLECTION."

3. The jewelry collection seized by the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BoC) from a foreign national named Demetrious Roumeliotes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in 1986 for violation of the Tariff and Customs Code. We refer to this as the "ROUMELIOTES COLLECTION."

To this day, the true location of the jewels remain a mystery. The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) alleges that the ownership of the "HAWAII COLLECTION" and the "ROUMELIOTES COLLECTION" had been duly settled by the Sandiganbayan in a Resolution dated October 25, 1996 in Sandiganbayan Civil Case No. 0141 (SB Civil Case No. 0141).

And among the three collections, only the "MALACANANG COLLECTION" was mentioned, without an inventory or description of the same, in the Statement of Facts of the Petition for Forfeiture dated December 18,1991 in SB Civil Case No. 0141. However, it did not specifically pray for the forfeiture of the jewelry pieces.

Again, to date, the current government has failed and has never initiated any forfeiture proceedings and/or issued the mandatory sequestration or freeze order with respect thereto. It has not taken any action by which it attempted to formalize a determination of the ownership of the jewelries seized in Malacanang Palace in 1986.

In view thereof, on May 25, 2009, the lawyers of Mrs. Imelda Marcos demanded for the immediate return (to Mrs. Marcos) of all of the jewelry pieces taken by the PCGG from Malacanang Palace, including those turned over by the U.S. District Court of Hawaii.

Thereafter, the PCGG and the OSG had countered the demand by filing a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment over the "MALACANANG COLLECTION" dated June 24, 2009 in SB Civil Case No. 0141. The Motion has been submitted for resolution of the Sandiganbayan Special Division.

I won't be surprised at all if I see several of these "missing jewelry" this year being worn again by powerful ladies then and now.

(Image from http://jewelry-weblog.com/)

SABAH, PHILIPPINES ANYONE?

I was in attendance the other day for our regular Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil / Cafe Havana Group for lunch. While sitting right next to Chitang Nakpil, I found myself face to face with former Senator Santanina Rasul. And then the conversation varied from the Ampatuans to the MOA-AD and to Gimo de Vega's son being appointed as our consul to Barcelona, Spain. I asked the good senator where our country is now regarding its claim to Sabah.

Nina Rasul claims our claim must be pursued. For indeed, Sabah belongs to the Philippines and not to Malaysia. Sad to say, at the utterance of the name "Sabah," the next thing that comes to one's mind is the country of Malaysia - as in Sabah, Malaysia.

In my research, I found out that there was once a foreign-based multi-million dollar lobby working for the dropping of the country's territorial claim to oil-rich Sabah. This lobby group was said to be concentrating its efforts on the Philippine Senate after it had reportedly secured support from the Executive Department and the Lower House. Most of our senators stood pat on their stand that the Philippines should not drop its claim on Sabah. The Sabah issue has long been a source of friction between the Philippines and Malaysia. The Aquino government decided to give in to Malaysia not only to preserve good relations between the two countries but also to promote regional cooperation among ASEAN members. The Sabah lobby report is another sorry legacy of the Aquino regime.

According to some members of the Constitutional Convention which drafted the 1971 Constitution, Sabah and even Guam were included in the definition of Philippine territory. That early, they said, there already was a Sabah lobby operating. The Sabah claim would have been dropped had not former Ambassador Eduardo Quintero, then chairman of the committee on territory, botched the activities of the lobby group and included Sabah in the definition of Philippine territory.

Interest over Sabah has become more intense because of confirmed reports that its oil deposits are even larger than those of neighboring Brunei. There are close to half a million Filipinos, mostly Muslims, who have setlled in Sabah.

Malaysia entertains the justifiable fear that if hostilities break out between the two countries over territory, it will be a walk-away for the Philippines because of the presence of the large Filipino community there. This is said to be one of the reasons for Malaysia's modernization of its armed forces, notably its navy.

Brunei is said to be closely watching developments in Sabah and has instructed its envoys to Malaysia and the Philippines to keep its foreign ministries fully informed on developments.

(Image from http://atmidfield.com/ courtesy of Ding Gagelonia)

FULL OF IT

Once upon a time and not so long ago, Manny Villar, Gibo Teodoro and Noynoy Aquino wanted to show off to each other ...

... so they each bought a new toilet. Manny bought a wooden toilet, Gibo bought a marble toilet, and Noynoy bought a musical toilet.

The day after that, Villar came back to complain and said, "I want a refund. Every time I sit on the toilet, I get splinters in my bottom."

The next day, Teodoro came back to complain and said, "I want a refund. Every time I sit on the toilet, I slip off of it."

Still the next day, Aquino came back to complain and said, "I want a refund. Every time I sit down, I hear our national anthem and I have to stand up!"


(Image from http://www.faqs.org/)

ARIEL BOCOBO WRITES 30

My father died peacefully early morning of Sunday, January 3, 2010. He was 86. It was a good day to finally come home to The Great Potter. We cremated my father's remains yesterday January 7, even as his spirit now lives in eternity in the presence of Almighty God.

Allow me to share with you the eulogy I delivered at his wake. I was planning to read a letter I had written to him two months ago, but for some comforting reason, I delivered this instead the same day I had written it.

"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you want it, but you can spend it only once."

"My father was a man who wore many hats - literally and figuratively speaking. He was a lawyer who never set foot in a court of law. A journalist and a newspaperman who was never charged with libel, and who never accepted money for his writings. A public official suspected of the crime of "unexplained poverty," rare among the country's leaders of today. He was an opinion writer who was never opinionated with his commentaries. An "original newspaperman from the old school," and one of the very few if not the only surviving founding member of the National Press Club of the Philippines - until recently. He was a Protestant and Mason who studied other worldly religions and went to Catholic churches and chapels. He was a devourer of books. In fact, one of his goals in life was to read all the books at Power Books Alabang Town Center, a favorite place of his to spend the day. Unknown to most of you here tonight, he was the very first Filipino amateur pelotari. He played amateur jai-alai with noted individuals like the late Don Enrique Zobel. He too was a whiz at the game of poker, and a number of the poker terms used today by Filipino poker players were coined by him. Hence, a natural bluffer but a real honest man. He was a vegetarian who loved to eat steak. A tennis player who loved to serve. He was a devoted father whose best gift to us three boys was to love our mother. He was a brilliant political strategist who always believed in winning. He never believed in second best as in winning the silver. For him, he thought that a second placer never really wins the silver but loses the gold. He was a very independent man who drove his own car for the longest time until age 86, and only until he could no longer sit behind the wheel. He had many friends but was with his lonesome self most of the time. He was a "leftist" who worked for the establishment.

During the Marcos years, my father was appointed as Legislative Secretary, a position he had and then lose it and then have it again. He served the Philippine government for more than 20 years. The Ilocano mafia in Malacanang did not like him, though ironically an Ilocano himself - because he was a cousin of Mrs. Imelda Marcos. My father's mother was a Zialcita whose family claims kinship with the Romualdezes. The intrigues in the Palace soon put a temporary end to his aspirations and took on an overseas assignment exclusively created just for him. He was appointed as "inspector of embassies" with rank of ambassador, then soon after he was being considered an appointment to the UNESCO, again, the Ilocano mafia blocked the appointment. One day, he found himself writing to the "praesidium of friendship societies" in Moscow telling of his interest in founding a friendship society. During that time, anti-communist sentiments were at its height, but that did not stop him. Shortly after, the first RP-USSR Friendship Society was born, and its first president was none other than the late Senator Blas Ople. He would return to the Palace this time for good. Recognizing his knack for the unusual, the late President Marcos sent him on a secret mission to South America for Mrs. Marcos. My father was to spend several weeks in Argentina to study the life and times of Mrs. Evita Peron. And so, in Buenos Aires and its neighboring cities and towns, he met a number of Mrs. Peron's close family members and friends concerning Evita's projects for Argentina. His report back in Manila became the basis for Mrs. Marcos' numerous projects for the country and specifically for Metro Manila.

Only the first EDSA revolution subjected him to co-terminus status in government. He immediately returned to his number one love - column writing.

This is only a morsel of my father's life story. Indeed, he has made numerous decisions in his career, but none whatsoever as important as the one he made on October 31, 2009 when he gave his heart and his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked for His forgiveness. He even gave me his blessings. Since then, I had noticed a transformation within him. Thereafter, we began to spend many nights just reading Scriptures and praying together. My father particularly loved Psalm 23, and only recently learned to loved Psalm 91 as well soon after I had read it to him every night. It had become our "secret weapon," and how he loved listening to it each time I would recite it to him. Reading the Bible and praying with him for the last time was just a day before the good Lord called him home. So tonight friends, If you are wondering why there seems to be no speck of mourning in me, I must tell you that I am sad because I will miss dad, but on the other hand rejoice because I know exactly where he is right now - in the presence of the Lord where there is fullness of joy. And that has made all the difference. In closing, allow me to quote my father when he told me this once: "When you make that final journey home, the less gold you carry, the easier the travel will be."

Dad never enriched himself here on Earth. But in heaven, he is now a wealthy heir to infinite riches untold."

"When tomorrow starts without me, and I'm not there to see,
if the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you wouldn't cry the way you did today,
while thinking of the many things we didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me, as much as I love you,
and each time that you think of me, I know you'll miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand,
that an angel came and called my name, and took me by the hand,
and said my place was ready in heaven far above,
and that I'd have to leave behind all those I really love.

So when tomorrow starts without me,
don't think we're far apart.
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here in your heart."

EXPLOITING THE EXPLOITABLE

On the anniversary of man's landing on the moon, US President Barack Obama proudly declared America would soon be sending her astronauts to other uncharted planets in outer space.

Meanwhile, back in Manila, we have gone back to motorless pedicabs. And speaking of pedicabs, who allowed those rickety contraptions pedalled by mostly uncouth drivers in the streets of the metropolis, completely disregarding all traffic rules and regulations, causing nightmarish traffic snarls? No wonder the lines in the different foreign embassies are getting longer by the day.

And how come they haven't enforced already existing city and municipal ordinances banning pedicabs from main city thoroughfares? We still see those pesky sidecars defying traffic laws on main roads while the police simply look the other way. Is it because policemen own several of these rolling irritants?

And then comes a vice-presidential bet who lauds and promotes these road hazards. Believe me, he's going to create more enemies than friends by the day, which translates to precious votes come 2010 if he continues playing godfather to an illegal trade.

Is this the kind of vision he has for the country? Ask Loren Legarda now, who's steadily eating into his socio-political pie. I'm fine with Loren, as long as she doesn't "cry her way to the bank."

Well, anything just to get those votes. The appropos word I believe is: exploitation. First the palengkeras in the palengkes, and then now the padyakeros in the kalyes. Who could be next to be exploited in 2016 when he runs for president? Perhaps the snatchers or the contratista taxi drivers right under his nose in Cubao's Araneta Center?

(Image from http://www.news.com.au/)

SAILING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (SUI)

A ship tragedy. And then another one. The culprits? Inebriated ship captains and their crew, and the usual overloaded vessels.

Practically every ship owner is guilty of greed for overloading their vessels and making more profit while totally disregarding the safety and comfort of their paying passengers.

The government shares equal blame. This is one area in its operations where proper discharge of duties to protect the public is practically nil. Include in this accusation the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the maritime industry.

To picture vividly how ships are normally (over) loaded, passengers always say that they are packed four (4) to a bed while hundreds more sleep on the decks. This is the usual story about our inter-island ships. It is a wonder why they are still allowed to operate after ignoring the law for so long.

I recall passengers leaving for the Visayas telling me how they have to be on board at least a day before departure so they can assure themselves of space and how they have to shell out money to crew members who sell rights to beds and preferred areas like those near comfort rooms and the kitchen.

One wonders how such collisions still take place. It seems that the vast oceans aren't big enough at all for them. Blame it on grog perhaps, or plain and good old fashioned stupidity? And aren't these vessels supposed to be equipped with electronic safety equipment, especially radar to avoid accidents in the open seas, unless of course there are still vessels whose owners are so greedy they don't even care to spend for safety equipment and electronic devices.

And so, another investigation leading to another blank wall where no one really goes to jail for such crimes. For a change, the Marina authority and the Philippine Coast Guard must implement maritime laws in its strictest sense. It's time the government turn its attention to the deplorable state of sea travel in this country.

All ocean-going vessels which treat their passengers like cattle to the slaughter must be scrapped and forever banned from plying the high seas.

(Image from http://www.javno.com/)

SYNDICATED SYCOPHANTS

Perhaps it will be a feather in the President's cap if she does revamp the Cabinet for the last time but more importantly, break the cordon sanitaire which had isolated her from the public and promoted only the interests of persons close to this group.

This powerful clique controls the movement of papers in Malacanang, determines who gets to see President Arroyo, interferes in decisions of government multi-million peso transactions, orders government officials in the name of the President and shapes the political fortunes of many.

Manipulating this cordon sanitaire are business tycoons, society matrons and certain powerful relatives. Also include well-known professional boot-lickers in the guise of advisers and consultants.

The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) would do well to inquire into the background and activities of so-called career service officers in the Palace, many of whom are corrupt and have managed to cling on to every administration through boot-licking and intrigues.

These are the experts in "missing" important documents which show up only when the proper fees are paid them, in pulling the wool over the eyes of new officials unaccustomed to the labyrinthine Malacanang procedures and in giving important advance information to outside contacts being decided by the Cabinet. One would get the surprise of his life if he decides to examine the assets of these junior officers, especially their accounts in foreign banks. One will also be shocked to find out that several of them are in the payroll of big business establishments and even foreign governments. The rampant boozing and floozing inside the premises of the Palace is a common occurence. Time to exorcise the Palace again.

(Image from http://www.pbase.com/)

THE MEETING

The approval by the Philippine Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) headed by the late former President Corazon Aquino of the stock distribution plan of the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita was generally received with sarcasm. The general comment was, "Well, what did you expect?"

Its approval was given the thumbs up after President Aquino left the PARC meeting on the matter, and former DAR Secretary Miriam Defensor-Santiago and PARC vice-chair (now Senator), proudly hailed it as a good model for the government's agrarian reform program. Santiago also praised President Aquino for inhibiting herself from the deliberations on the controversy in the Hacienda Luisita owned by her family. But what transpired in the discussions before Aquino left that meeting remains a mystery to this day.

Columnist Ninez Cacho-Olivares called the approval of the Luisita plan disgraceful. She also wondered how the much-vaunted courage and independence of Lady Miriam did not surface during the Luisita deliberations.

Olivares' punch-line was, "EDSA did nothing for the Filipino people. Apparently, it did a lot for the Cojuangcos."

(Image from http://cdn.wn.com/)

LUISITA'S SIDE

The Tarlac Provincial Agrarian Reform Office writes to clarify certain points in my mounting attacks against the Hacienda Luisita, and why it was never subjected to land reform.

The letter says that in 1989, the hacienda was subjected to land reform through a Stock Distribution Option pursuant to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL).

Before its coverage under the system, management of the hacienda required all its seasonal workers to choose from physical distribution of the property or stock distribution option. This, I was told was done through a referendum conducted and supervised by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and witnessed by radio and print media representatives.

The 7,000 workers chose stock distribution and signed an agreement with management on this choice. The agreement was forwarded and approved by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) headed by none other than President Aquino as chairperson.

Furthermore, I was told that the tenants turned down physical distribution of the hacienda which would mean less than one (1) hectare each for them which is not enough to support a family and they would be deprived of benefits given them by management like free residential lots, educational assistance for their children and mobility assistance.

Well, critics had charged that Luisita management had supposedly coerced the tenants into accepting the stock option and reject land distribution.

In bringing up anew the Hacienda Luisita issue against Noynoy Aquino, he should not forget that among President Aquino's campaign promises when she ran in 1986 was to give the hacienda to tenants in line with an agreement her family signed with the government when they borrowed funds to buy the hacienda.

Other critics say that the biggest joke during the Aquino regime was its land reform program which applied only to lands of her political enemies which were forcibly taken over and given to tenants.

None of the former president and her choice relatives' estates were touched.

(Image from http://www.chrispforr.net/)

THE RETURN

A new church-backed "people's movement" is urging morality and scruples in government. Incidentally though, many leaders of this new group are identified with the regime of the late former President Corazon Aquino, and are now hovering around heir-apparent Noynoy Aquino and runningmate Mar Roxas.

Several of them are said not to be qualified to talk about morality because they themselves are open to attacks for hidden skeletons in their closets. Political motives have also been ascribed to the group. It was said the leaders are working for a return to power by appointive positions once Noynoy makes president. As it is, these people salivate and drool over their imaginations each time their man tops any given survey there is.

I had coffee recently with a relative of subject presidentiable and inevitably, our small talk drifted to the thorny issue of these relatives' supposed involvement in numerous cases of graft and corruption in government. And for the other side of the question, I got a brutal explanation.

He said they had suffered for 20 years under the Marcos regime. They had been persecuted and hounded and had their businesses and properties grabbed away from them by Marcos' henchmen. When President Cory took over, it was time for them to recover what had been stolen from them and rehabilitated themselves. And what was wrong with our trying to make a living under Cory? Are we going to be denied this just because we are her relatives?

And then it was time for some straight-shooting and honesty. He told me in a whisper that they knew Cory wouldn't be around long enough and that they had to feather their nests and prepare for the inevitable post-Cory era when they might again be subjected to persecution, and that is where money, lots of it, will come in handy to protect themselves. Look at some of the moneyed Marcos cronies, he said, many of them have escaped prosecution and even managed to worm their way into the inner circles of succeeding administrations because they knew how to buy off the right people in government and among close relatives.

I walked away from that coffee session in a daze, but properly given the low-down on the case of presidential relatives and their headaches.

And so, it does fall into place. They could be staging a comeback once Noynoy Aquino makes it to Malacanang. I guess some things never change. And among those that will always remain in the Filipino way of life is the "utang na loob" system and the meddling of relatives and cronies with the one who succeeds his way most to a high position. In this case the presidency. Brace yourselves, for the "holier than thou" para-clergy are back with a vengeance. This time more vicious and with a bigger appetite for power, backed by a younger generation of the Kamaganak II Inc.

(Image from http://www.reuters.com/)

DOCTORS IN THE PALACE

There are reports that a confidential list of illegal loggers is being "doctored" in Malacanang to remove the names of some government officials and other persons close to the Arroyo government. This could be the reason the list has not been released to the public.

DENR Secretary Lito Atienza could, for some time now, be between the devil and the deep blue sea, and perhaps was experiencing "heavy pressure" to sanitize the list. Doing so could affect his mayoralty candidacy when charges of coddling illegal loggers intensify.

National outrage for illegal logging is mounting, but still on a slow pace. Stop illegal logging? Puro pangako lang.

(Image from http://www.greenpeace.org/)

HAUNTED BY THE HACIENDA

The media bureau of presidential bet Noynoy Aquino should blue-pencil a pertinent portion in an article in the Los Angeles Times written during President Corazon Aquino's term. I believe there are certain quarters out there who will be coming out with this article next year. The article by John Cavanagh and Robin Broad should also be of great interest to both supporters and critics of Noynoy. The Hacienda Luisita issue will always be around to haunt him.

The particular item in the article bluntly states:

"Corazon Aquino's promise of land to the tiller has degenerated into a program of almost comical scandals in which wealthy landlords sell their worst parcels of land to the government at ridiculously inflated prices which peasants-turned-landowners must repay in full. This may be the first land reform in history in which the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer."

As it is, a Noynoy Aquino administration may only continue this practice and attitude which he will inherit from his mother Cory. And what about the issue on his father Ninoy and the case of another "killing" inside the hacienda? I think it's time we unearth (pun unintended) this matter so the public may know what also happened there once upon a time way before the Hacienda Luisita massacre took place 5 years ago.

(Image from http://luisitamagsasaka.wordpress.com/)

A FORGOTTEN PARTY LEADER?

The Liberal Party will soon be holding a shindig to honor outstanding past and present LP leaders as part of a national effort to revitalize the party in preparation for the coming polls, not to mention that both of their candidates Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas maintain the lead in current surveys.

In listing the LP greats to be honored, the organizers should not omit the late President Ferdinand Marcos who was president of the Liberal Party (LP) for many years until he bolted to the Nacionalista Party (NP) to become their presidential candidate. He probably flashed the 'L' before flashing the 'V.' Well, I suppose even the late Marcos was bitten by the balimbing bug at some point in his political career. Twice, I believe.

But even after he had joined the NP and then became Philippine president, Marcos maintained good relations with the LP. He helped many Liberals during his presidency even to the consternation of the Nacionalistas.

With Noynoy at the forefront of the Liberal Party, he may prevent the inclusion of Marcos from the roster of LP leaders, and this will surely be received with anger in the Ilocos regions where Marcos is still regarded as their true leader and benefactor.

Surely, LP leaders are aware that former First lady Imelda Marcos and her children - and especially now Bongbong Marcos, who is running for senator, are regularly consulted by many Ilocano leaders seeking political advice, especially with the coming May 2010 polls.

Many houses in the Ilocos provinces still display old and dilapidated "Marcos pa rin" posters. Many people still follow orders from Marcos leaders in the region.

A few Ilocano politicians like Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former President Fidel Ramos and former Senator Ernesto Maceda have failed to get the Marcos mantle in the north. Senator Aquilino 'Nene' Q. Pimentel who hails from Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, claims to be an Ilocano since his mother Petra Quilingquing comes from Marcos' hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte. Pimentel is a cousin of General Fabian Ver. In fact, Pimentel had a local bill passed changing the name of a Batac barangay to Quilingquing.

(Image from http://wikimedia.org/)

STATURES AND STATUES

The Japanese really know how to deal with Filipinos. They know that most of our leaders and officials are scammers, free-loaders and, in the words of the late Chino Roces, "highwaymen."

I remember when a Japanese cigaret manufacturer contributed some 250,000 packs of cigarets - or 5 million sticks for distribution to a rally on EDSA (Quezon City side) many years ago. And to think that the same city was supposed to be under a smoking ban then. So how come those EDSA organizers accepted the donation?

Recently, another "donation" to Quezon City was consumated, perhaps coinciding with its honorable mayor's "balimbing act." This pertains to Mayor Sonny Belmonte's pledge of allegiance to the Liberal Party, announcing to the whole city his undying support for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. Of course, Vice-Mayor Herbert Bautista wasn't far behind. He was on a yellow leash as well. And what better way to reinforce this partisan commitment than to erect yet another statue of Ninoy Aquino right in the heart of Quezon City. The structure now stands on the corner of sleazy Quezon Avenue and Timog. That corner happens to be a bottleneck too because unruly jeepney drivers load and unload their passengers right there causing traffic.

And perhaps, many still remember a donation to the province of Tarlac of a statue of Ninoy Aquino during President Cory's regime. This donation was made by one of the bidders of the Philippines Roppongi property in Japan - whose sale was (and still is) the object of question and controversy, not to mention the all-expenses paid junkets national and local officials then have made several times to Tokyo. Many of these Aquino officials even had the shamelessness to ask their hosts for "pocket money" to finance their spending sprees.

Do you still wonder why our former enemies still regard us as trash, abuse our women, and dump their toxic garbage on our piers, even to the extent of having our senators kiss the wooden sandals of the Yakuza in the country?

(Image from http://politicalarena.com/ and http://farm1.staticflickr.com/85/233597063_0a35788487.jpg)

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Once upon a time and not so long ago, there was a conversation between three political leaders of the land, and it went like this:

ZALDY: "Boy, can I borrow a backhoe?"

BOY: "Sure, governor! I'll have one delivered to your house in Davao City."

RAUL: "Noted."


(Above photo, L-R: Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Speaker Prospero 'Boy' Nograles and ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan)

(Image from http://anythingwhatevs.wordpress.com/)

MARTIAL LAW AND MAR SHALLOW

Nothing in particular. Just playing with words as I always love to, and these suddenly appeared like marquee lights in my mind: "Martial Law," and "Mar Shallow." Both subject matter are currently a daily read these days in practically every publication there is, which brought me to ask myself how long will Martial Law be implemented in Maguindanao and will it spill over to other areas like Metro Manila and then to the entire archipelago to, in the words of Rep. Teddy Casino, "end all other rebellions?" and then coming to mind too is the question how shallow really is Mar Roxas? As one reader puts it, "he's deeply shallow." But methinks Mar is shallowy deep, what ever that means. You be the judge.

Being a little "shallow" can be tolerable, especially from one whose organization tries hard to identify him with the masses or the hoi polloi with pseudonyms first like "Mister Palengke" and then a few years later "Padyak," when in fact he comes from the creme de la creme of such buena familias. In short, an upper crust, top-of-the-foodchain bourgeois. A capitalist who exploits the proletariat. The same thing can be said about his runningmate Noynoy Aquino and most of the presidentiables.

And since it looks like he's a sure winner for the second highest office in the land, I just hope he doesn't become another Sultan of Shallow like VP Noli de Castro.

As for Martial Law, that really is either tolerable or intolerable, depending on whose side you're on.

(Image from http://alegriasurigao.wordpress.com/)