Poe in 2016? Premature

As a result of her topping the 2013 senatorial race, Senator-elect Grace Poe is very much in the news. In fact, even before she even takes her oath as Senator of the Philippines, there are some who are touting her as a presidential possible in 2016. That gets me to thinking that such speculation is premature.

Admittedly, it's a foreign think-tank, Global Source, which makes the assertion, and, also admittedly, it simply only lists Poe as a possible surprise option, aside from Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, and Senators-elect Francis Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano.

It's interesting to note that this is all speculation, which may make one wonder why the Philippine Daily Inquirer chose to report on this. It may be setting the stage for the next elections, by providing a possible alternative to the main contender, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, whose daughter Nancy's win is seen as a show of Binay's influence over the voting populace. By reporting on the possibility early enough, the Inquirer can create the storyline for a possible Poe run, and help influence the minds of readers that there can be someone aside from Binay.

However, the news report is premature; as it is, Poe hasn't even done anything in the Senate. Reporting on the possibility may put too much undue pressure on her. It's even possible that the early mention will have the adverse effect, meaning Poe may not even run in 2016.

In the end, the news report simply emphasizes what is wrong with the short cycle of our electoral system. Even before this year's election results are finalized, some politicians are already on campaign mode, since, except for the six-year terms of the President and the Senators, there are only three years in the other terms. When I say campaign mode, I mean the usual flow of empty promises and no progress to show for them.

It again stresses the need for us to evaluate our political system, which means Charter change, a dirty word to Filipinos suspicious that such moves are solely for the politicians to change the rules to better suit themselves. Sadly, cynically, that appears to be the case, based on what we've seen of our leaders. However, maybe we should put matters to the test, and let them propose the changes to the Charter. Only then will we see whether our politicians are working for the good of the country or merely for themselves.

2013 Elections: Undue Haste

I do not envy Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes. Not only does he have to ensure that the elections run smoothly and peacefully, he also has to make sure that the counting of the votes is done in a fair and orderly manner. At the same time, he has to deal with the numerous brickbats being thrown his way by election critics, although, to be fair, there is some basis for the criticism.

In particular, the manner by which the Senator-elects were proclaimed begs all sorts of question, the primary one being the fact that the tallying of the certificates of canvass (COCs) has not yet been finished. There appears to be undue haste for the Comelec to proclaim all of the winners in the Senate, even if the counting is incomplete.

Already, a number of columnists have weighed in on the matter. The ones with the most weight are those of former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) head Solita Monsod and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban.

Monsod accuses the Comelec officials of displaying enormous ego, and states that the main reason for the hasty proclamation is for the current set of officials to be able to boast that this year's election results were finished more quickly than in 2010, the first time that automated elections were held.

Panganiban goes a step further, and opines that the Comelec's hasty action may actually be illegal. First of all, while there is an exception in the rule on proclaiming electoral winners, that the winners may be proclaimed if their lead is seen to be insurmountable, 72 out of 304 COCs, or less than half of the total number of COCs, have been officially recorded. Panganiban then says,

These 72 COCs represented just a little more than 13 million of the country’s 52 million registered voters. Definitely, then, the unreported votes are several times more than the canvassed votes. Even if only 70 percent of the registered voters actually voted, still the uncanvassed ballots will easily swamp the canvassed ones. Hence, the exception cannot apply.

Panganiban also scores the materials used to tally the votes. He says,

 Belatedly, the Comelec alleges that its two earlier proclamations are justified by so-called “group canvass reports.” In my long years as a lawyer, this is my first time to hear of these electoral instruments. In any event, law and settled jurisprudence require official COCs, not any other documents, as bases of senatorial proclamations.

Thus, thanks perhaps to ego, the Comelec has put itself, and the country, at enormous risk. While it is very possible that the remaining certificates will validate the Comelec proclamations, Chairman Brillantes and the other commissioners should not have done so, until the result were more certain.

Brillantes remains unperturbed at all the problems the Comelec is facing, and even acts antagonistic and arrogant, as he threatened to file charges at his critics. If he pushes through with such an action, he will only attract more negative attention, and raise the question about his fitness to serve in that position.

As Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc noted, it appears that Brillantes is blaming everything else for the slow count, and ignoring the problems in the system that the Comelec, under his watch, purchased. Hopefully, for the sake of the country, the problems being faced in the canvassing will not hamper the actual results. However, the Comelec has to be more open about the criticisms being hurled in its direction, since there is basis for the criticisms. By not being open and even threatening charges, Brillantes will only cast more doubt on the manner by which last Monday's elections were held.

Food Tripping, Summer 2013

Over the summer, I was able to sample a number of new restaurants. I should remember to take pictures, though, of the food, since that is what makes a food post more appetizing. Maybe my wife was able to take pictures; I'll just add them at a later time.


Wee Nam Kee (4/F, TriNoma, QC)

 I love Hainanese chicken rice. My very first experience with it, if I remember correctly, was at Chocolate Kiss Cafe in U.P. I love how the chicken, cooked to melting tenderness, is made even more flavorful and delicious by the combination of soy sauce, ginger, and chili.

I've tried a number of chicken rice dishes at various restaurants, but one of the best was the one I had at Wee Nam Kee, located on the top floor of TriNoma. The chicken is already full of flavor, even without the three accompanying condiments; the three serve to enhance what is already very delicious.

Along with the chicken rice, we also tried the cereal prawn, which is basically fried prawns covered in breakfast cereal; doing some quick checking online, I find out that the specific cereal is apparently Nestum.

At Wee Nam Kee, the prawns are cooked in the shell, and the shells are crunchy enough to be eaten whole. The prawn itself is fairly tender, with the cereal providing the complementary crunch.

I am likely to come back to Wee Nam Kee for more of the Singaporean dishes that I have come to enjoy.


Burger Project (Maginhawa Road, Teachers' Village, QC)

The trip down Maginhawa Road in Teachers' Village is a foodie's delight, as restaurants of all genres can be found. On this particular trip, my wife and I decided to try out the Burger Project, of which some of my friends had positive reviews.

We were not disappointed. At the Burger Project, one is given a form wherein one can design the burger of his choice. The toppings are numerous, and the sauces plentiful. There are also pre-designed burgers if one is in a hurry or too lazy to experiment. I was feeling a little of both, so I settled for their Bleu Buffalo burger, which comes with blue cheese dressing, buffalo wings sauce, and a breaded onion ring.

While I felt the various condiments and toppings overwhelmed the beefy burger taste, I was not disappointed, as it was a very filling and delicious meal.


Army/Navy (Tomas Morato Ave., beside Fleur de Lys, QC)

I'd long been intrigued by Army/Navy, so, when I had a bit of free time, I decided to try it out.

Army/Navy apparently has a mix of American and Mexican, although I'm not sure if that is the Tex-Mex sort of cuisine. Aside from the burger and fries, tacos and quesadillas are also on the menu.

I ordered the regular burger with a side of Freedom Fries. While I liked the burger, I felt that there was too much sauce, since the burger almost slipped out of the bun, when I picked it up. It made for some sloppy eating, to my embarassment.

The Freedom Fries were disappointing, since, for P75, one gets a cardboard container with shoestring-like fries covered in twister fries batter. It was, in a word, unsatisfying. I'd rather have twister fries.

Choi's Palace (3/F Eastwood Mall, QC)

I actually first ate at the Annapolis branch last January where my youngest sister had her post-wedding practice dinner. This time, for Mother's Day, my family and I went to the Eastwood Mall branch.

The Peking duck was the star dish for this dinner, as the skin wrapped in a translucent pancake with cucumber and hoisin sauce was absolutely delicious. What I also liked was that the rest of the duck, cooked salt-and-pepper style, was tender and meaty, unlike in other Chinese restaurants where the duck meat tends to be tough.

There were other goodies as well, Century egg with seaweed, lemon chicken for the kids, steamed shrimp, broccoli sauteed in garlic, all made for a very sumptuous meal.

2013 Elections: Initial Post-Mortem

With the elections over, and 6 of the 12 senators already proclaimed, the dust is beginning to settle on the 2013 midterm elections. It's time to take a look at some of the key points of the election results.

Nancy Binay's Win

I was taken aback at the viciousness of the attacks on newly-proclaimed Senator Nancy Binay. The racial slurs were going fast and furious, at a level that I've not encountered. It's a bad mark on those of us who are supposed to be responsible on the use of social media. I guess it shows the anger of netizens at her elections, but, it's also important to keep perspective on the whole situation. Let us not stoop so low in order to attack her.

If there is one point we should focus on, it should be the character and not the looks. Nancy Binay has claimed that, as a personal assistant, she's had 20 years of on-the-job training, that she's had to meet with the people who've met with her father. The thing is, her father's suspected of being corrupt, so, does that mean that she's complicit in that? That's the sort of question we should force her to answer, and not stoop to racial slurs.

Team PNoy's Win

It appears that, while the President's cousin, Bam Aquino will also be one of the 12 Senators, albeit with less votes than Senator Nancy Binay. While that may be the case, in the larger picture, the administration slate of President Aquino will soundly trounce the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) slate of Vice-President Binay, by a 9-3 margin. The 13th placer, former Senator Richard Gordon, is a member of UNA, as is current 12th placer Senator Gringo Honasan, meaning that, should Gordon dislodge Honasan, the Team PNoy-UNA balance will remain the same.

The impending Team PNoy win is a resounding statement on the President's current popularity. Hopefully, the President can capitalize on this victory in order to move his programs forward.

At the same time, of the Liberal Party (LP) candidates in the administration coalition, which is composed of the LP, the Nacionalista Party (NP), and the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), only Bam Aquino is in position to win; former Senators Jamby Madrigal, and, sadly, Jun Magsaysay, are well out of position to win. As columnist Alex Magno pointed out, the key winner in the coalition is the NP, whose 3 members of the coalition (Senators Cayetano and Trillanes, and Rep. Cynthia Villar) managed to make it; Cayetano has been proclaimed, and Trillanes and Villar are well-within the winning circle.

This means that the President will need to deal with non-party mates in order to push his agenda, but, it's very possible that he's taken in a Trojan horse. Keep in mind that Cayetano was one of those who questioned the psychological health of Aquino in the 2010 elections, and Villar is the wife of one of the President's opponents in 2010. It's very possible that the NP Senators, as well as those of the NPC, will have diverging agendas from that of the President's, especially since their eyes will be set on 2016.

Celebrities and Dynasties

At a glance, it's a mixed bag for the strength of dynasties and celebrities in Monday's elections. While a good number of dynasties managed to retain their power throughout the country, some, such as that of the Jalosjos clan, suffered resounding defeats.

It's more unclear for celebrity power, for, while the likes of Batangas Governor Vilma Santos and Sarangani Bay Rep. Manny Pacquiao won, the likes of Aga Mulach, Christopher De Leon and Shalani Soledad lost. I'm sure there's a worthy thesis behind the whys and wherefores of celebrity power in the elections, but I'm not going to be the one to write it.

All in all, it's unclear whether the 2013 elections will be a bellwether for 2016. While Binay is still the man to beat for the presidential elections, his influence for his partymates possible wins has not been seen. It's also not clear whether the President's popularity will continue to hold sway until 2016; as it is, key allies such as former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and former Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio lost in their respective bids, despite the President's strong endorsement.

It should be noted that three years in Philippine politics is a very long time, and a lot can happen between now and 2016. As I've mentioned before, it's very important for those of us who are concerned with electoral reform must buckle down and get back to work, to educate voters on the democratic process.

While it is likely that our efforts will continue to be in vain in the face of Philippine traditional politics, we must not lose hope. Change such as what we hope for takes a long time to become reality. We have to continue nudging our people in that direction, so that somewhere in the future, our people will elect leaders according to ability, and not according to money or name recall.

My Election 2013 Experience

Before writing this, I decided to take a look at what I wrote about the 2010 elections. It's amazing what thirty minutes of difference can do to the electoral experience.

Back in 2010, my family and I went to the polls at around 7:30 a.m. This time, we arrived at the New Era Elementary School at around 8 a.m., and our experience was decidedly different from three years ago.

There were still some things that were the same, though.The precincts were still clustered, meaning, in our case, five precincts had to line up in order to vote via the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. That's one PCOS machine for around 1,000 voters.

We still managed to catch the arrival of the head of the Iglesia ni Kristo, and was jostled about as his security detail made a hasty cordon as he made his way up the stairs, and, of course, the faithful crowded around him in attempt to receive blessings from him. 

One of the big differences was the weather, since, this time, it rained for about an hour. Luckily we were already inside the building when the hardest part of the rain fell. However, it did little to alleviate the heat, which became rather unbearable when we were lined up in the stairs. 

Back then, in 2010, it took me and my siblings three hours to vote. For some reason, it took us almost five hours this time around. A plethora of possible reasons came to mind: the clustering of the precincts, the continued unfamiliarity of the voters with PCOS, the lack of clear instructions on how to vote, the usual occurrence of voters not finding their names on the list, and so on. Of these, it appears that the major culprits for the longer time were the clustering of the precincts, and the lack of clear instructions.

My siblings and I had to deal with the sheer number of people the last time. What made this time around different was that the instructions for voting, so necessary for order in the process, were apparently not disseminated. For one, aside from knowing one's precinct number, which voters had to write on color-coded strips of paper, one had to write the sequence number, which, I learned, was the long number-letter code found just underneath the voter's name.

Since a number of voters failed to write down the sequence number, they had to go down from the third floor, where the voting was taking place, walk across to the covered courts, locate their sequence number, and presumably either go back to the polling area, or get back at the end of the line. This, of course, slowed things down a bit.

What I find strange about the experience is that Barangay New Era is at the heart of the Iglesia ni Kristo, which requires its members to vote as a block. In fact, sample ballots containing the Iglesia's choices were conveniently found everywhere. If this was the case, why would it take so long for each voter to fill up his or her ballot?

One possible answer could be continued unfamiliarity with the process. A voter would have to fill up both sides of the ballot: one side for the national elections, and the other for the local elections. If one neglected to study his or her sample ballot or list, it would take some time to locate each of the candidates for whom he or she was voting. This is true especially for the party-list, whose listing was randomized, and not arranged in alphabetical order. If one did not memorize the number of the party-list, finding it among the hundred or so groups would be a bit of a hunt.

Still, once we got to the voting room, the process was annoyingly quick; it took me only five minutes from the getting the ballot from the poll registrar, filling up the ballot, and then feeding it into the PCOS machine.

There are still a lot of improvements that can be done for the elections, particularly in the information dissemination and in the proper organizing of people into orderly lines and processes.

With the second automated elections done, we await the results with some tension, since there is still a real possibility that political operators will be able to hijack the election results; administration and Comelec critics have been vociferous in lambasting the PCOS machines. Vigilance is still required, to make sure that the election results are valid.

Approaching Milestones: A Signpost

By the time this month ends, I'm hoping that I'll have reached two milestones. I'm certain of reaching one of them, since the milestone is a product of time. Come the end of May, my blog will be nine years old, which is no small achievement for me. Despite the challenges of time and interest, I've managed to continue writing in my blog for the past nine years. True, I've not been able to live up to the name of "Daily Musings", and I'll probably spend some time thinking about what renaming I'll do so that the daily part is dropped. Still, it's a big milestone for the blog.

The other milestone is dependent on my writing, since, if I work at it, by the time the blog will have reached the ninth year marker, I'll also have written 1,300 posts by then. True, not all of the posts have been memorable; during the first two or so years of the blog, I was still fooling around quite a bit, and participating in all sorts of "fun" posts, such as determining what sort of hero am I and other such quiz results. Also, if I'd lived up to the "daily" aspect of the blog, I'd now have more than 1,300 posts by now. However, quantity doesn't always trump quality, and I've been more determined to come up with quality posts rather than a whole lot of them.

When I first started writing this blog, I wasn't sure of what I was doing. I kind of envisioned myself like Doogie Howser, M.D., writing pithy reflections in his computer at the end of each episode. I thought that I would record my thoughts on a daily basis. Of course, that's not how things worked out, and, now, the blog has been more of a continuous reaction paper to the world around me, as I put down my thoughts and reflections on various aspects of life. Admittedly, I've been skewed more towards the sociopolitical aspects of life, but I've also tried to pay attention to other things, such as culture, in the form of books, food, games and movies. Still, I'm happy with what I write about.

While I've never aggressively promoted my blog, it's nice to know that there are people out there (namely, one or two) who are interested enough to comment on what I write; their comments are also insightful, and sometimes open aspects of an issue of which I was not aware. I don't write, though, to please other people. I write mainly to put my thoughts into concrete form, and if people are interested enough to read them, that's good enough for me.

I'm pretty certain, with or without readers, I'll continue to write about what I feel about what's going on around me; nine years and 1,300 posts could very well become 18 years and 2,600 posts. We'll just have to see.

I'll probably think about making changes to the look and even the title of the blog in the days to come; maybe it'll help me focus my message more. If you, the reader, are interested in helping out, please feel free to do so.

Nine years and 1,300 posts coming up. The journey continues.

2013 Elections: Looking Ahead to 2016

If we are to think of Monday's elections as a staging ground for the 2016 presidential elections, then the results will give us some idea of how 2016 will shape up.

Since it is likely that, come hell or high water, Nancy Binay will be a Senator, it will be more a testament to the brand name of her father the Vice-President. Throughout the campaign, the Vice-President's daughter has avoided the hard questions, dodging all of the media-sponsored debates, the possible venue where her platform could be scrutinized. She has said, time and time again, that the decision to run for the Senate is not hers, but her party, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). When asked about her qualifications, her father simply said, "She's my daughter," instead of extolling the possible positive qualities that would qualify her for the Senate.

All of this shows that, at this point in time, the drawing power of Vice-President Jejomar Binay is undeniably strong. This could translate his potential entry into Malacanang as the President in 2016.

However, at the same time, when I look at the people with whom the Vice-President has surrounded himself, I cannot suppress a shudder, since UNA appears to be populated primarily by discredited politicians and supporters of the Arroyo regime. Binay himself has not escaped suspicions of corruption. Should Binay become President in 2016, it could very well be a repeat of the Estrada presidency, although it's likely that Binay will be more careful not to repeat the mistakes of his ally.

On the other hand, while Nancy Binay will probably make it to the Senate, majority of her companions in the UNA slate will not, if the surveys are to be believed. Should that be the result of Monday's elections, the administration coalition's impending majority win would be mostly because of the people's trust in the current President. However, unlike Binay, it's unclear how President Aquino's popularity will be a factor in 2016, considering the President still has 3 more years left in his term. The strength of the President's support in 2016 will be determined largely by how his administration will fare in the next three years.

Should they topnotch the senatorial elections, Senators Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano will be well-placed for a run at either the Presidency or the Vice-Presidency in 2016, although, given the current strength of the Binay brand, it's very possible that any of these three will be running for Vice-President in 2016.


Of course, all of this is speculation, especially since the Filipino people have yet to cast their votes. However, once Monday is come and gone, and the winners have been announced, the picture for 2016 will be a lot clearer, and, since our election cycle is very short, we will see the contenders begin laying down the groundwork for the next presidential elections.

2013 Elections: Of Political Dynasties

It's the Friday before elections, and the main issue for this midterm election appears to be the proliferation of political dynasties, as various candidates have weighed in on the matter.

Somewhat predictably, those who are identified with political dynasties tended to defend themselves. Their argument is valid to a point, since, in a way. the prohibition against dynasties, which is ensconced in the 1987 Constitution, may be seen as a violation of the rights of the individual to run; after all, we are a democracy, and that government structure allows the people the right to choose their leaders.

The problem with this is that a number of political dynasties have utilized the traditional politics of guns, goons, and gold to secure their position, rather than simply allowing the natural course of voters choosing their own leaders. The infamous Maguindanao Massacre is an example of how far a political dynasty, the Ampatuans, is willing to go to hold on to power. Fortunately, for the nation, the Ampatuans' plans backfired, as their perfidy was discovered and broadcast to the world.

Using the strategy of guns, goons, and gold have allowed political dynasties to flourish and cement their hold on their bailiwicks. Once settled in, it's a fairly simple matter of ensuring voters' loyalty to the dynasty. Once in a while, there will come a charismatic leader, such as former Isabela governor Grace Padaca, or former Pampanga governor, Ed Panlilio, who will manage to successfully challenge the dynasties, but, unless that leader is able to wean the voters away from traditional politics, the political dynasties will eventually find a way to regain their power.


Another advantage the political dynasties have is the power of name recall. Look at the current list of senatorial candidates, as both the administration and the opposition tickets are full of familiar names, some of them being the scions of political dynasties. The newcomers, particularly Nancy Binay, Bam Aquino, and Grace Poe, are banking mainly on their family names to get them to the Senate, despite their lack of political experience. Of the three, Binay has been the most touted example of dynasty, due to her perceived lack of qualifications for the position.

The social media is rife with memes and posts regarding Binay, who has become the symbol of what is wrong with Philippine politics. She has not helped her cause by avoiding political debates; a meme going through Facebook shows that, of all the 33 senatorial candidates, Binay has failed to attend a single one. Her father the Vice-President helped enforce the image of vacuous political name recall when he stated at the start of the campaign season that the main qualification his daughter has is that she's his daughter.

Nancy Binay is not the only member of  a political dynasty who is running despite a lack of qualifications, but, since she is running for a national position, she is a constant reminder to the voting populace why we should eschew voting for political dynasties. I note that, based on what I see online, it appears that majority of those who bother to educate themselves with the political process are against Binay's running, mainly due to the lack of qualifications. However, I also note that, sadly, the number of those who educate themselves about Philippine politics appear to be in the minority, because it looks like Binay is a shoo-in to win.

This sorry situation should not discourage us from participating in the electoral process. Rather, it should spur us on to be more active in educating the public at large, and to be vigilant during the elections, to make sure that, if the politicians are going to win, they should win fairly. By doing so, we will be one step closer as a country (although we're still a long way off) to political maturity.

Musings on APECO: A Story of Two Sides

Last Friday, representatives of the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) conducted a voter's education session with the faculty. At some point, however, the speaker presented a video showcasing the issue surrounding the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport, or APECO, for short. While I felt that the video was biased against a particular candidate (Angara), and was out of place in what was supposed to be a voter's education session, the video piqued my interest, compelling me to do my own look into the issue.

In a nutshell, the law creating the APECO was originally passed in 2007, and amended in 2010. According to the GMA Network news story, however, "in October 2011, controversy struck when 200 farmers and fisher folk, collectively called the Casiguran Marchers and led by partylist Anakpawis and Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), asked the high court to “strike down and declare as unconstitutional” laws that created APECO."

The crux of the matter for the farmers appears to be that the indigenous people living in the APECO area were not properly consulted, and, as a result of the application of the APECO law, these people would be displaced, which would constitute a violation of the laws governing indigenous people.  


However, the SC has not ruled on the issue, which prompted the farmers to march in December 2012, from Casiguran in Aurora province, all the way to Metro Manila, in order to dialogue with the President in the hope that the President would see things their way. However, in their meeting with the President, the President said that he would ask the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to review the situation. He also noted that there was a law establishing APECO, and he claimed that he couldn't go against the law.

In a May 1 Guidon report, a number of concerned individuals, including economist Solita Monsod and her husband, former Comelec char Christian Monsod, accompanied the farmers in a meeting with NEDA officials to press for updates to the review. While some points were raised, particularly the possible rethinking of the freeport, the group came out of the meeting dissatisfied, and noted that a number of requirements that should have been completed were not met before the APECO was established.


The NEDA review, which came out last Monday, called for a rethinking of the freeport model for the APECO; instead, the NEDA review suggested that APECO be made into an agro-aqua and ecotourism zone, apparently to try to justify the public money already spent in developing the zone. Economist and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Cielito Habito questioned the NEDA review, pointing out the numerous problems surrounding the development of the economic zone. Fellow economist and Inquirer Solita Collas-Monsod was more direct, calling the NEDA recommendation a "huge mistake".

The issue may have an adverse effect on one of the President's senatorial bets, Rep. Sonny Angara, since it was he and his father, Sen. Edgardo Angara, who helped shepherd the bill through the legislative mill. Sen. Angara has had a number of decidedly nasty debates with fellow Senator Sergio Osmena III over the issue.

In the video presented by SLB, Sen. Osmena III questions the feasibility of the APECO, and asks what the return of investment would be. Sen. Angara then gave an analogy of former China leader Deng Xiaopeng's establishment of a freeport without the need for a feasibility study. That analogy rang false to me, since there are many differences between Xiaopeng and Angara, not to mention China's system of government and the Philippines.

Another clip within the video shows Rep. Angara conceding that not all sectors were consulted regarding APECO.


At the same time, APECO is not without its supporters. Malaya columnist Ducky Paredes casts his doubts on the legitimacy of the farmers' claims. Journal Online's Willie Baun questions the farmers for their march, and claims that APECO will bring economic prosperity to the region. Of course, these columns were written before the NEDA came out with its assessment on the zone, so I'm not sure if the two will continue to sing praises of APECO.

Even the native Dumagats are split on APECO, causing rifts even among family members, as some support APECO, while others oppose it.

The title of the video shown by SLB was "Progress for Whom", which is apt, considering that the two sides of the issue represent two sides of progress: one for the common people, and one for the leaders. While the Angaras promise all sorts of prosperity for their province, unfortunately, I've seen too many politicians promise prosperity for their province, with little or nothing to show. It should be noted that the Angaras have been a power in Aurora for some time, why is development only being implemented now? The same question can be asked of any national leader whose province continues to be poor, despite the high profile of the leader.

The APECO issue also looks to cast doubt on the daang matuwid of President Aquino. If indeed there are anomalies in the establishment of the APECO, how shall the President proceed, considering that one of the people he has tapped to help "build" the daang matuwid happens to be one of the architects of APECO. 


Related posts:

•  The Ateneo Economics Association (AEA) posted a qualified Q and A on APECO. 
•  Focus on Poverty released a situationer on APECO.
•  The APECO Authority released an official statement, in an attempt to debunk accusations against it.

2013 Elections: Some Musings

With less than a week to go in the campaign period, I find myself being less and less interested in listening to the campaign jingles and the countless promises that our politicians foist on us. Perhaps it's because I've already made my choices (more or less), and I don't need to hear or see anything about the elections anymore.

I've never been a fan of the way our politicians conduct their campaigns anyway. Since democracy was restored with Marcos' ouster in 1986, our politicians have resorted to glitz and glamor to bedazzle the common voters, instead of focusing on the issues. Instead of presenting clear, specific platforms, our politicians prefer to rely on name recall and motherhood statements or key words; why be specific if this will pin down the politician if he or she doesn't deliver on the platform?

I've probably stated this before, but there are so many things that are wrong with the way we conduct our elections. Sadly, this situation is not likely to change in the near future.

As it is, critics of the elections keep on hammering on the issue of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. They claim that there will be no valid election, as the failure of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to release the source code will make any electoral result questionable. I'll not go into the specifics of the issue, as it will be too long to tackle here, and, at any rate, the issue has been debated at length. As I mentioned during the elections of 2010, unless there is concrete evidence of possible fraud committed at the Comelec level, I'll continue to have faith in the automation process. I liked lawyer Romulo Makalintal's challenge to the critics: hack into the PCOS system to prove its vulnerability. So far, the administration critics have not come up with anything concrete to back up their accusations.

At the same time, while I will cast my ballot on Monday, I do so with the cynical knowledge that those who will be elected will be unlikely to do anything to truly move the country in the right direction. However, I cast my ballot in the hope that, someday, it will lead to real change in our country.

Komikon 2013 Musings

It's been two weeks since Summer Komikon 2013, but, better late than never.

The previous year, I was not able to attend any Komikons due to various priorities. This year, I told myself, I would attend at least one Komikon.

2013 Elections: The Quezon City Races

With the elections less than a month away, the campaigning becomes more frenzied, as candidates try to win as many brownie points from the voting populace to improve their standing. In the national elections, it appears that the triumvirate power of UNA's Binay, Estrada and Ponce Enrile, is only really strong enough to pull in their children to the Senate; the current popularity of the President seems to be an effective foil.

In the local elections, I'm more interested in the races in Quezon City, since I am a long-time resident. There will be no fight for the leaders of the city, as no credible opponent was foolhardy enough to challenge the partnership of Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte, and with good reason. The pair seems to have made the most of their three years in office, and have proven to be effective leaders; thus, it would be a waste of time and money for a candidate to challenge them at this point.

The congressional races provide slightly more interest, as the once-large second district has been carved up into more manageable districts; instead of four, QC will now have six districts. The realignment of forces will be interesting to watch this May.

Of these six, the new fifth district, which covers Novaliches and parts of Fairview, will be the most interesting to watch, since it will be a three-way battle between two former representatives and an actor-turned-councilor. Former representatives Dante Liban (now with UNA) and Annie Susano (KKK) will face off against 2nd district councilor Alfred Vargas (LP). It's likely that Vargas will have the inside track, as Liban looks to be a spent political force, and Susano has always struck me as a bit whacked, although she will have the financial resources to put up a fight. It may go down the wire between Vargas and Susano.

The new second district, which remains the largest populated district despite being made up of only five barangays, will be another battlefield to watch, as the incumbent, Rep. Winston Castelo (LP), will face former 2nd district representative, Ismael "Chuck" Mathay III (Ind.), whose main source of recognition appears to be the father of actress Ara Mina. Mathay was ineffective when he was representative, so Castelo will probably have no problem winning the second district. 

The third district will also provide an entertaining battle, as former representative Mat Defensor (UNA) will face incumbent Jorge Banal (LP). Defensor's family has close ties with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as children Mike and Maita were also 3rd district representatives; Mike Defensor was even part of Arroyo's Cabinet. It appears he has decided to flit over to Binay's UNA, which makes me wonder what reason UNA will give for including another former Arroyo ally in its fold. I'm not too familiar with Banal, except for the fact that he used to be a councilor, that he is presenting himself as a strong reading advocate, and he was involved in producing evidence against impeached Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

 The first district is basically a battle of dynasties, as the Rita Crisologo (UNA), the wife of outgoing representative Bingbong Crisologo, will be running against former representative and current councilor Francisco Calalay, Jr (LP). Calalay, however, will have to answer charges of having 'ghost' employees as a councilor, for which he was ordered suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman. While he and fellow councilor Roderick Paulate have managed to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the suspension, the issue will likely haunt the congressional candidate (pun intended).

The fourth district looks to be a cakewalk for incumbent House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, Jr. (LP), who will face token opposition from a Hans Palacios (PMP), whose name doesn't seem to produce any useful material on Google. Belmonte, at this point, is just too powerful in his bailiwick.

The new sixth district has only one contender, Christopher "Kit" Belmonte, a nephew of current House Speaker and QC 4th district representative Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, Jr. Belmonte came in second in the 2nd district election in 2010, so only a disqualification will stop him from becoming a congressman. I'm currently voting in the sixth district, so it makes my vote simpler, although I'll need to do a bit of research before I cast my vote for Belmonte.

All in all, the Quezon City electoral races will be a mix of old battles and new, with the creation of the two new districts. Admittedly, it will mean that the bureaucracy will grow larger with the addition of 2 more congressmen and 12 councilors, but the former second district is just too large to manage. Hopefully, the division will mean better services rendered to each district, but that will also depend on who will be elected. If it's just more of the same trapo, no real change can occur.

Food Tripping in Singapore, Part Two

Continuing the previous post on food in Singapore

Wednesday

Breakfast was pretty much the same fare, and I continued to gorge on the curry samosas.

After our school visit to Raffles Institution, a group of us decided to visit Ikea in Alexandra. While the primary reason for going to Ikea was to shop and window-shop, we were aware that the food at the Ikea restaurant was excellent.

We each ordered the poached salmon, which was served blanketed with cheese sauce, with boiled potatoes and veggies on the side. The salmon was tender, the potatoes soft, and the veggies crisp. After going through the store, I thought of getting the very cheap but delicious hotdog, but, since I was still running on the salmon, I decided not to.

For dinner, a co-teacher and I decided to try the bak kut teh, soup containing beef or pork, which our resource speaker at the National Institute of Education (NIE) had recommended, since our hotel's location was apparently close to a number of excellent bak kut teh eateries. Unfortunately, we discovered that the soup's main ingredient was pork, which my friend didn't eat.

So, we walked around until we discovered a Hainanese chicken rice restaurant that wasn't too expensive. It served a very tender steamed chicken, along with the normal accompaniment of sauces, rice, and soup; it even had a side dish of sauteed bok choy with crunchy fried garlic. (Note to self: if I'm going to write about food, I should take more notice of the specifics, such as the name of the restaurant.) At any rate, it made for a filling and delicious meal.

Thursday

I really must look for a good recipe for curry samosas; I couldn't get enough of it at breakfast.

At Hwa Chong Institution, our host prepared a simple merienda for us, consisting of curry samosas (whoohoo!), and a dish made up of soft custard-like squares in a spicy sauce; I wasn't able to ask our host what the dish was called. Accompanied by fruits, tea and coffee, it made for a delightful snack.

When we got back to the hotel, after some rest, I went out with my co-teacher to go shopping at Bugis. We made our way to the Novena Velocity, a mall where the train station was. We decided to catch a quick lunch before we went. I decided to try the duck rice, which was a dish I enjoyed the last time I was in Singapore. Unfortunately, the version I had this time around was disappointing, as the duck had little flavor aside from the rather insipid sauce with which it was served.

When we were done going around, before going back to the hotel, we had a snack of kaya toast at the mall. It was comparable to that of Kopi Roti, but I had had better when I was there two years ago.

After shopping, I just barely had time to change  at the hotel, and go back to Bugis to meet up with my brother-in-law, who was celebrating his birthday. I joined him, his wife and her cousin at Seoul Garden, which has a branch at SM North Annex. Seoul Garden is basically a grill buffet, wherein the customer chooses from a selection of meats and fish and vegetables, adds whatever sauces or condiments he/she sees fit to add, and then brings them back to the table to either grill them, or add them to the soup pot.

I lost track of what I ate at Seoul Garden, but, needless to say, it was all excellent.

Friday

My last day with the curry samosa. (sob)

I decided to join a group of my co-teachers on a visit to the Singapore Zoo, so, after breakfast, we took two bus rides to get there. In a nutshell, the zoo is simply amazing, teeming with animals of many shapes and sizes. We managed to catch the sea lion show, which was comparable to the one presented in Subic's Ocean Adventure.

We had lunch at the zoo's main eatery, and I decided to order the curry set, which consisted of: biryani rice, two pieces of chicken, papadum, curry sauce, and a generous helping of yogurt, presumably to put out the fire. The curry wasn't that spicy, but it was still pretty good.

I finished off lunch with ice cream, courtesy of Ben 'n Jerry.

On the last leg of our trip, at the airport, was the only time I gave in to any fast food cravings, and that was only because we were pressed for time. My last meal in Singapore was (gasp) a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. It was pretty anticlimactic, considering all of the interesting cuisine I was able to sample during this trip.

Two trips to Singapore, and I still haven't been able to go to a number of places, particularly Little India, where two of my co-teachers managed to partake of an especially fiery lunch. That would be worth another trip in the future. Targets for the next visit: Little India, hawker stands and bak kut teh.

Food Tripping in Singapore, Part One

In my previous post, I wrote about my general overview reactions to my trips to Singapore. Now, I'd like to focus on a more specific aspect of Singapore culture, and that is Singaporean cuisine.

One of the main attractions of Singapore is its very diverse cuisine, thanks to the numerous ethnic groups that make up the island nation. While Singapore is predominantly Chinese, Malay and Indian, it also hosts other ethnic groups that make Singaporean cuisine a truly special treat.

If I have one regret about my trip two weeks ago, I wasn't able to sample anything from the hawker stands, as my travels around Singapore this time around did not bring me close to such places. My other regret is that I didn't take many pictures of the food I was eating. Still, I was able to sample a fair variety of foods, and I'll try to describe them as best as I can.

Monday

When we arrived at our hotel in Singapore, it was close to 11, and, since we had taken an early flight, all of us were craving for nourishment. So, from our hotel, we took a walk to look for a place to eat. Our walk took us to one of the malls, which had a Kopi Tiam, which is like a fast food restaurant, with more varied and healthier choices.

Ironically, a number of my colleagues opted for comfort food, and made a beeline for the Filipino cuisine stall. I decided to have some Korean food in the form of bibimbap, my favorite Korean rice bowl meal, served in a heated stone bowl. While I was prepared for the spicy nature of the bibimbap, I had forgotten that it's normally big enough for two people. It was probably a good thing I was hungry, because I managed to finish the whole thing; I must have wound up burning some of it away on the walk back to the hotel.

I met up with my best friend and his wife for dinner, and they took me to a steamboat restaurant. A steamboat is basically like shabu-shabu, except that the heat is built into the metal steamboat in the form of glowing hot charcoal placed in funnel in the center of the steamboat. The steamboat my friends ordered was a fish soup with vegetables, which was filling and very flavorful. They also ordered fried rice and cereal squid, which is like Singapore's famous cereal prawn, except that breaded squid rings are substituted for the prawn. All in all, it was a very filling, not to mention delicious, meal.

Tuesday

Breakfast was provided via hotel buffet while we were in Singapore, so we didn't have to go out. Aside from the fruits, the hash browns, and the coffee, I always took in a few curry samosas, the triangular, lumpia-like tidbits, which contained a curry puree with discernible peas. I loved them, and I'll probably try to find a recipe for them in the very near future.

After our trip to Jurong Science Center, we went to J-Cube, another mall, with a Kopi Tiam. There I found they had Pepper Lunch, so I got a beef curry pepper rice, sizzling and absolutely savory.

For dinner, I met up with one of my former judo players, who took me to this Japanese restaurant, which served a variety of sushi and sashimi. I let my student order for both of us, but I also had the chicken curry with rice. It wasn't very spicy, but the curry flavor really came through. The variety of sushi ordered was also delicious.

I shall have to state for the record that, if it isn't obvious, I love curry, in all its various forms, and, I didn't realize that I managed to have curry in my meals on my second day in Singapore.

I'll cover the rest of the food tripping in the next post.

Singapore Musings

Two years ago, my family and I traveled to Singapore, and I was impressed by what I saw. I told myself that I would write about it, but issue after issue came up, and writing about the Singapore experience fell by the wayside.

This year, along with a number of my co-teachers, I traveled to Singapore for the second time; our objective was to visit some of the schools in Singapore, and see what we could bring back from the experience.This time, I told myself, I'd write about the experience. For this post, I'd like to focus on the Singapore experience in general; I'll try to write about the school visits and reflect on Singapore's approach to education vis a vis our own approach in a separate post.

The first thing I experienced upon stepping out of the airport is that Singapore is hotter than the Philippines. This is understandable, since Singapore is closer to the equator compared to the Philippines. When I was there with my family, I remember going out in the middle of the night to buy something from the convenience store, and the heat outside reminded me of high noon over here. Fortunately, when I was there two weeks ago, the weather tended to be overcast, except for the last day, when a group of the faculty went to the Singapore Zoo. It's a good thing I brought my water bottle wherever I went; otherwise, I'd probably have been dehydrated by the weather.

The second thing that I noticed is the cleanliness and lack of pollution. Walking around isn't too much of a problem, as the dust and exhaust smoke prevalent here is generally absent in Singapore.

The third thing that I noticed was the very efficient transportation system. The MRT system operates on schedule, and the buses only stop at designated stops, and operate on a similar schedule as the trains. Taxis are also available, and aren't too expensive, especially when traveling in groups. It's rather difficult to get lost in Singapore, as long as one is conscious of the transport system. I remember suggesting to one of my co-teachers that, if one had the money and time, it would be interesting to use the train system, get off at each stop, and write about the experience at each area.

One detail that makes using the public transport system very easy is that all fares, whether bus or train, are paid for using just one card. There appear to be several types, but the one I used was the EZ-Link card. All one needs to do is load the card with a cash value, and tap it on the scanners as one enters the bus or train station.

During my time in Singapore, several questions arose based on my experiences there, but they all boiled down to: why can't the Philippines be like Singapore? While the answer seems obvious, using that answer as a solution is the difficult proposition.

For one thing, the context of both countries are very different. Singapore is made up of a group of about 60 or so islands, but, essentially, the main bulk of the country appears to be centered on just two or three islands; the Philippines is an archipelago made up of 7, 100 islands. The leaders of Singapore have managed to meld its various ethnic groups into a people with a goal; our country is subdivided into various sub-cultures, all with their own distinct cultures and goals.

While both countries experienced an era of totalitarianism, Lee Kwan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, managed to use his absolute power to forge his country into an economic world power, whereas Ferdinand Marcos, our late dictator, managed to make corruption an accepted part of Philippine government. Sen. Bongbong Marcos, the late dictator's son, tries to foist upon us the myth that his father's plans could have made us into another Singapore; with the way the senator's father helped polarize the nation, those plans become very doubtful.

After some discussion with my friends and co-teachers, I think that what sets Singapore apart from our country is twofold. One, it is the fact that Singapore's leaders exercised political will in implementing their vision, and, two, the Singaporean system has appeared to infuse its people with a love of country, that majority of them seem to be committed to working for the good of their country. While we profess love of country, the fact that we allow corruption to flourish, and that we tend to put our own personal needs above that of the country, ensures that it will be a long time before we will be at Singapore's level.

Admittedly, for Singapore to succeed, it has made the conscious decision to sacrifice a number of freedoms in order for its system to work. Freedom of speech and assembly, particularly, are freedoms that are curtailed in Singapore. Also, Singapore benefited from the fact that Lee Kwan Yew exercised draconian control for the good of the country. I would be mistrustful of any of our current leaders if they tried to attempt the same controls, since few of our leaders have shown that they really put the good of the nation above their petty desires.


At the same time, I'm not sure if I would want to attempt to transplant myself and my family to Singapore. While it's nice to visit because of a number of pluses, it's not the sort of place I'd like to stay in long-term, unless the job and the pay was really good. It's just too hot, and there are only so many things one can do in Singapore, whereas I have yet to visit many places in the Philippines. I think I'd like to explore what our country has to offer first.

Boston Marathon Bombing: Manhunt

The images on CNN, of fully armed soldiers atop armored vehicles moving through the streets, seem more appropriate for the war-torn countries of Iraq or Syria. However, the images are not from either of these two countries, but from Boston, in the U.S., as security forces conducted a door-to-door manhunt for one of the two remaining suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing last Tuesday. The other suspect was apparently shot and killed in a gunfight with the police.

According to the CNN timeline, the events leading to the manhunt began with the shooting/killing of a campus police officer, Sean Collier, on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Two suspects, later identified to be brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev, hijack an SUV at gunpoint; the driver of the SUV is able to escape at a gas station about 30 minutes later.

Police take up the chase via the GPS system in the vehicle, which probably forced the two brothers to switch vehicles. As  they attempted this, it appears that the police caught up with them at that point. They then engaged the police in a gunfight, which resulted in Tamerlan, the older brother being shot. The younger brother, Dzhokar, drives off, running over his brother's body in the process. Tamerlan would later die at the hospital from his injuries. According to "a source briefed on the investigation", the older brother was apparently wearing explosive devices, and carried a trigger.
 
The profile, at least on Dzhokar Tsarnaev, the younger of the two brothers, presents a conundrum, as he has been described as quiet and likeable, and showed no signs of any possible malicious behavior. Tamerlan, the older brother, appeared to be more reclusive, although he was apparently arrested in 2009 for domestic assault and battery. Aside from that, he seems to have kept a very low profile.

Small wonder that relatives, especially the father, believe that the two brothers were framed, with an aunt going so far as to state that the CCTV feed, which showed the two brothers as being present at the marathon and carrying backpacks similar to those recovered at the blast site, was staged.


With the door-to-door manhunt over, I expect that police have begun casting their net wider, to cover not just Boston, but the state of Massachusetts. I'm hoping that they can apprehend Dzhokar Tsarnaev, so that he can face justice in the courts, not by being shot dead. It's the only way to get any answers over why the bombing happened.

A Different Perspective on the Boston Bombings

While a lot of attention has been put on the Boston Marathon bombing incident, much less attention appears to have been given to the following incidents today:

• A series of bomb blasts in Iraq has killed 42 people and has injured more than 257 others;
• A mass shooting in the Serbian town of Velika Ivanca has left 13 dead and two, possibly including the shooter himself, wounded; 
• A bomb, allegedly dropped from a U.S. bomber, killed 30 members of a wedding party in a village in Afghanistan; U.S. officials confirmed that an errant bomb fell, but would not confirm if that bomb hit the wedding party.

Three separate incidents across the globe, with far more casualties than that of Boston, but, more attention has been given to the Boston Marathon bombing. Why?

Admittedly, I also wrote about the marathon bombing, then came across a post on Facebook about the wedding party bombing, and, because of that, started scanning through CNN.com for other tragic events that had occurred this day. As a result, I found two other events: the bombings in Iraq and the shooting in Serbia. However, each story was just a hyperlinked line on the CNN web page. Why is that we get by-the-minute updates on Boston and less about the other incidents?

A possible answer may be because of the location of the bombing. I am willing to bet that few people expected such an incident to occur during the race. Even in the post-9/11 era, wherein the U.S. has taken major efforts to keep its country safe from attack, it comes as a shock that something like the marathon bombing could ever happen.

A cynical answer is that the bombing occurred in the U.S., and, perhaps because of CNN, we tend to center on the U.S. whenever something like this happens.

Whatever the case may be, it should not make the other tragedies any less horrific. Any death through violent means is a tragedy, and we should remember to keep that foremost in our minds.

I would like, then, to extend my prayers and condolences to the victims of any tragic event across the globe, that they may be accorded dignity in death, and to their families and friends, that they may have the strength to deal with these losses in their lives.

Musings on the Boston Marathon Bombings

When one thinks about a marathon, one thinks of racing, of human achievement, of diversity. A bomb explosion is the very last thing one would expect at such an event, but that is what happened yesterday during the Boston Marathon. Two explosions occurred near the finish line, almost three hours after the first of the 27,000 runners had crossed; a third explosion went off at the JFK Library 5 miles away. As of this writing, three people, including an eight-year old boy have been confirmed to have been killed, with more than a hundred injured. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts.

On one hand, the tragic event demonstrates how terrorists can strike anywhere and anytime. While the scope of the tragedy is much less than that of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it is no less horrific, as it happened during a time when people were cheering on the runners. Ironically, it is a time where people give no thought to race or creed, as runners from various nations came together to compete in the 116-year old marathon.

At the same time, like 9/11, the Marathon bombings brought out the best in people, as rescue personnel, spectators and even runners sought to help the victims of the blast. Despite the possible danger, people took it upon themselves to pitch in and help. Some runners even ran over to nearby hospitals to donate blood, although one of my friends on Facebook noted that doctors decided against it, since the runners' blood would be full of lactic acid, for one. Still, it is the thought that counts, and one can see that the runners had their hearts in the right place.

Patton Oswalt, a stand-up comedian, seems to sum it up best,

But here's what I DO know. If it's one person or a HUNDRED people, that number is not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percent of the population on this planet. You watch the videos of the carnage and there are people running TOWARDS the destruction to help out. (Thanks FAKE Gallery founder and owner Paul Kozlowski for pointing this out to me). This is a giant planet and we're lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they're pointed towards darkness.

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We'd have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

 My prayers go out to the victims and their families, that they may be able to rise up from this tragic event in their lives.

I hope the authorities are able to catch whoever was responsible for this tragedy, and demonstrate that such actions will not go unpunished.

Several Requiems

Over the past few days, several notable people passed away, and, instead of writing multiple posts, I have decided, for the sake of time, to write about them all here.


Roger Ebert

Truth to tell, I only knew of Roger Ebert because of his movie critic partnership with the late Gene Siskel; the movie critic I followed was Leonard Maltin. Looking back, I realize that it was a loss for me not to have followed Ebert. I remember reading his article about how he was not a fan of 3D, to put it lightly, and finding myself agreeing with his points. I'll probably wind up reading his posts in the future, to get his take on some of the movies I've watched.

After cancer had robbed Ebert of his ability to speak, eat and drink, he was able to find a voice in the Internet, using his blog and Twitter. Instead of letting his condition depress him, he continued his movie reviews through the use of the Internet. There was an article I read on CNN.com about Ebert's digital legacy, although I can't find it right now.

Ebert passed away last week at the age of 70.

Carmine Infantino

Last week, on April 4, we lost two greats: a great movie critic in Roger Ebert, and a great comic artist in Carmine Infantino, who died at the age of 87.

Infantino was responsible for the creation of a number of heroes and characters, most notably, the Silver Age Flash, whose distinctive, iconic red and yellow costume survives to this day. His drawing style was very distinctive, with block-shaped faces and dynamic poses.

Margaret Thatcher

When I was growing up, it seemed as if Margaret Thatcher, like her predecessor Winston Churchill, would always be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Of course, that wasn't the case, but Thatcher certainly held on to the position for a long time (1975-1990), and, over the course of that period, she guided her country through the turbulent era of the Cold War. Known as the "Iron Lady" for her unwavering conservative political beliefs, Thatcher showed that, as the first female British Prime Minister, she could be every bit as tough as anyone.

Thatcher, who passed away from a stroke at the age of 87, leaves behind a highly polarized legacy, as she was both lionized and condemned for her policies. For some, she was one of the figures who helped protect freedom; for others, she was known for mass unemployment in her home country. Whatever stand one takes, she will certainly be remembered.

Happy Birthday, Rosie!

My youngest daughter turned one today.

Having been born in the year of the Dragon, Rose is as feisty and fierce as her Chinese astrological sign. She is also as tough as my aunt, my dad's older sister, after whom Rose is named. When she is fond of something, she will growl at any attempt to take it away from her.

At the same time, she is a very happy child. It takes very little antic-making from her older sisters to get Rose to squeal and giggle.

She is also very friendly, since it's fairly easy to coax her into one's arms, even if she had just met the person. There are very few people to whom Rose will not go.

One thing that I enjoy and currently miss is waking up with her in the early morning; Rose is an early morning person. Since I normally wake up in the early mornings, she is ready and waiting, expecting me to scoop her up into my arms and play with her.

Happy birthday, my dear daughter. I shall be home on Friday to hug you tight.

Requiem, Chair Wrecker

If there's something that amazed me about Philippine Star columnist William Esposo, it's the candid manner by which he approached his failing health situation. As he admitted in his last column, dated March 31, 2013,

 1. My problem with the enlargement of the heart, the ailment that claimed my younger brother Richard’s life in 2008, took a turn for the worse. I had a weak left side muscle. A weakened anterior front heart muscle now worsens the weakened heart.

2. This is on top of my chronic kidney problem, diabetes, hypertension, bone cancer and constricting arteries that worsen heart and kidney functions. These are excellent reasons for going and we thought we saw that happening last March 15 — The Ides of March, no less — when I felt a massive loss of energy and stamina from my body.

Despite this, he remained relatively calm and poised, a la the late Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture. He continued, 

However, my manner of narrating this sharing shouldn’t be misconstrued as less than a serious view of it. When I felt that much life exiting, there is only one rational conclusion to be made — you’re time is up laddie.

Esposo, who passed away yesterday at the age of 64, lived a full life in the world of media and of the Aquinos. He was active during the EDSA I revolution, and helped organize the media campaign of President Cory Aquino. While, according to his website, he helped in forming the Ministry of Information, and then was active in the media campaigns for the ratification of the 1987 constitution, and the election campaign of the President's senatorial line-up. He was then active in the Department of Local Government, and, for a time, headed the Philippine Information Agency, until health reasons forced him out.

Later on, during the term of the current President, Esposo wrote many columns in the Philippine Star which I felt were extremely biased towards the Aquino administration, but, then again, given his history, he probably can't be blamed for his loyalty to the Aquinos.

While I didn't always agree with his insights, which, as I've mentioned, appeared to be skewed in favor of the current administration, Esposo always managed to inject a logical and reasonable tone into his writing, which always made me think twice instead of automatically rejecting it as administration propaganda.

I'm not sure about the origin of wrecking chairs, though, I've looked online, and have yet to find a reason for his monicker. I can only surmise that it had something to do with his health problems, which left him wheelchair-ridden. It could also be a self-deprecating jab at himself, since, based on his images, he appeared to be a man of some girth, especially when he was younger.

It's ironic that his first and only book is entitled "Surviving Chronic Kidney Disease", since it was complications arising from said disease that caused his death.

Requiem in pace, Chair Wrecker. I'll miss your regular columns in the Star, and the thoughts they provoked.

2013 Elections: Handicapping the Senate Race, Part Three

And, after Team PNoy and UNA, there are the Don Quixotes and the idealists and the dreamers who believe they can play with the big boys. I refer, of course, to the members of Ang Kapatiran, the Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP), the Social Justice Society (SJS), Bangon Pilipinas and Makabayan. These are the smaller political parties, who are running with more idealism than sense.

Then, of course, there are the independents, who have the fortitude to campaign alongside the political parties.

By and large, these candidates are minor leaguers, since they lack either the national image, or the funds, to compete with the major players. Still, I'm thankful to these courageous few, since they give me an alternative to the political dynasties and the snake oil salesmen. If there were more of us who thought this way, perhaps we would see an end to the political dynasties. Sadly, that day is still long in coming.

I won't comment much on the candidates, but I'll try to provide as much information as I can find about them.

Much of the information posted below, especially for the less well-known candidates, is from the Halalan 2013 website.

1. Simon Alcantara (SJS, 25-32) - "is a renowned professor of labor law. He finished law at the Manuel L. Quezon University School of Law in 1957 and placed 3rd in the Bar Examinations of the same year.

"He is engaged in active law practice since 1958 and currently a retained counsel of several teacher’s and allied workers unions. He is the National President of Social Justice Society, and the Founding Chairman and President of ABAKADA GURO Party-list, a teachers’ party-list.

"Atty. Alcantara has received numerous accolades because of his achievements. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Abrenian Award in 2005 and the Achiever’s Award given by the Manuel L. Quezon University in 2007. In 2009, he was named as an Outstanding Alumnus of the Manuel L. Quezon University School of Law.

"Prof. Alcantara started teaching in 1967 handling Political Law and Labor Law subjects. Presently, he is a faculty member of the UST Faculty of Civil Law, MLQ School of Law, PLM College of Law, and a bar reviewer in several law schools. He is the author of Philippine Law and Social Legislation, Reviewer in Labor and Social Legislation, and Statutes." - UST Faculty of Civil Law

2. Greco Belgica (DPP, 25-32) - "is a former Councilor of the Sixth District of the City of Manila from 2004-2007 and Chairman of the Committee on Police, Fire and Public Safety and the Committee on Economic Development. He is currently the President of the Yeshua Change Agents, a Non-Governmental Organization involved in Anti-Drug Campaigns and advocating reconstruction of society to its Biblical calling.

"He finished his post graduate studies on International Trade and Commerce from the University of California, Berkeley, USA and his Bachelor’s Degree on Marketing and Management from San Beda College in Manila.

"He is an advocate of the implementation of a flat tax system in the Philippines. In particular, he plans to initiate a simple, one time, and one kind tax of not more than 10%, only on net income both for the individual and businesses profit if elected Senator of the country. He is an advocate of a truly limited, decentralized government, and free market principles."

 
3. Teddy Casino (Makabayan, 24)  - is a three-term party-list representative for Bayan Muna, and represents the activist Left. Unlike his colleagues Liza Maza and Satur Ocampo, Casino has declined to run with any major coalition, and is going at it on his own. While he has generally authored bills beneficial to the poor, it is unlikely that he will be elected, despite Bayan Muna's strong showing in the party-list elections. The mechanics for party-listers is very different from the national elections, and Casino is unlikely to be the first member of the activist Left to be elected to the Senate.

4. Lito David (Kapatiran, 25-33) - "was an instructor and a research assistant at UPLB and UPLB-NEDA from 1984 to 1987. He also taught part-time at Environmental Science Enderun Colleges, Inc., in Pasig City from 2007 to 2008.

"David served as Development Management Officer of DENR in 1989; and as Chief of Strategic Planning for the same department in 1990. He was also Chief of the Research and Monitoring Staff for the Liberal Party – PDP-Laban in 1992. From 1993 to 1995, he was Executive Assistant and Committee Secretary under the office of Senator Francisco Tatad, he became Tatad’s Director for Political Affairs from 1995 to 1996. In 1997 to 1998, he functioned as the consultant on Political Affairs and Head of Political Operations for Mindanao under the office of Deputy Speaker Hernando Perez. From 1996 to 1998, he was Senior Executive Assistant for Kaunlaran Group of Companies from 1998 to 2004, he was Head Executive Assistant and Director for Political Affairs under the office of Senator Robert Jaworski."

5. JC de los Reyes (Kapatiran, 25-29) - For his young age, de los Reyes is an old hand at politics, having served as a councilor in Olongapo City, and making a run at the Presidency in 2010. As president of Ang Kapatiran, de los Reyes has attempted to provide an alternative to traditional politics by using a religious foundation for his platform. However, like the activist Left, Ang Kapatiran has yet to make its presence felt at the national level.

6. Bal Falcone (DPP, 26-33) - "is the president of Milenium Industrial Commercial Corporation, involved in reclaiming land in Cebu and vice-president of Global Interphase Security Services Provider Inc., a firm that provides foreign assignments to retired officers. He claimed that securitization is his special skill and that this can help increase revenues and decrease unemployment in the country.

"He is the only senatorial candidate hailing from Visayas a “political abnormality” attributed to the existence of political dynasties pointed out that most of the candidates running for senator are only representing other family members in the senate.

"Falcone has been highly vocal in his criticism of “oligarchs” and highly political families. He undoubtedly supports this bill, pushing for his vision of a truer democracy than one that is manipulated by the old and rich."

7. Edward Hagedorn (Ind., 19-23) - Hagedorn was the mayor of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and has managed to make it one of the most environmentally friendly places in the Philippines. While his past has been checkered, he apparently has made a turnaround, as evidenced by the fact that Puerto Princesa has been both environmentally friendly and largely crime-free.
 
If he were part of a major coalition, it would give his candidacy a major push. As it stands, however, he remains out of the magic 12, but, he is the closest non-major candidate in terms of the surveys.

8. Marwil Llasos (Kapatiran, 29-33) - "is one of the youngest candidates for senator in the May 13, 2013 elections.

"At a very young age of 18, Atty. Marwil Llasos served as youth ambassador of goodwill to the ASEAN countries and Japan when he was chosen as one of the country’s delegates to the 21st Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) in 1994 representing the Bicol Region.

"He passed the 2004 Bar Examinations with 82.30% rating."

9. Ramon Montano (Ind., 25-31) - "is a retired Filipino major general who served as Chief of the Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police during the administration of President Corazon Aquino.

"He served also as presidential adviser on political affairs during the Ramos administration."

10. Ricardo Penson (Ind., 26-33) - "is a Filipino business executive and social activist. He is currently running as an independent candidate for the 2013 Philippine Senate elections.

"He is a native of Bulacan, a social activist and a successful businessman. He is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ausphil Tollways Corporation, a proponent of the North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) Tollway Project.

"He advocates for an end to political dynasties in the Philippines and believes that family members should be prohibited from running for public office regardless of the place or position. In November 2012, he launched the Krusada Kontra Dynasty movement in order to further campaign for this advocacy. If elected as senator, he vows to pass a bill prohibiting political dynasties and that he would resign if it fails to become a law."

11. Christian Seneres (DPP, 27-33) - "is a non-governmental organization worker who served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, representing the BUHAY Partylist from 2003 to 2007.

"For two terms, Christian Señeres was the youngest Congressman and he prioritized development projects that would primarily benefit the youth, such as the construction of a Community Recreation Center in Sta. Ana, Manila, the public library building in the Municipality of José Panganiban, Camarines Norte, the Provincial Drug Rehabilitation Center in Laurel, Batangas and additional classrooms for the National High School of Jalajala, Rizal."

12. Bro. Eddie Villanueva (Bangon, 20-23) - Another former presidential candidate, Bro. Eddie is setting his sights lower now, by making a push for the Senate. However, based on the surveys, he is unlikely to make it in. Besides, he made two failed attempts at the presidency, and has apparently lost favor with supporters.

2013 Elections: Handicapping the Senate Race, Part Two

Like the administration Team PNoy, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of former President, convicted plunderer, and Manila mayoral candidate Joseph Estrada, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is another mish-mash of perceived winnable candidates, and is long on name recall and short on principles. It combines the former anti-Marcos crusader (Binay) with former fervent Marcos supporters (Estrada and Enrile).


The UNA is seen to be the vehicle by which Binay will propel himself to the presidency in 2016. As it stands, the UNA has six of its nine candidates who have a fighting chance to make it to the Senate. With some assets already in place in the Senate, such as Estrada's son Jinggoy, Binay hopes that he will be able to generate enough support come 2016. Admittedly, however, since there happens to be no viable contender to face Binay in 2016 at present, it's basically a wait-and-see situation for everyone. For all we know, the number of Senate seats UNA gains this year will be meaningless if there is no one to challenge Binay in 2016.

The UNA Candidates:


1. Ma. Lourdes Nancy Binay (PDP-Laban, 4-9) - One of my friends on Facebook pointed out that all of the negative reactions to Binay's daughter running may actually have a reverse effect, given the Filipinos' love of the underdog. All of the hate going on in social networks may even boost Nancy Binay's current standing, since many of her votes will be coming from the masa, who have bought into Estrada's and Binay's class warfare propaganda. That being said, Binay's daughter's only qualification to the Senate is her being Binay's daughter, and should be the rallying point of any anti-dynasty advocacy.

2. Margarita "Ting-Ting" Cojuangco (PDP-Laban, 19-23) - The President's aunt has thrown her lot in with her nephew's opponents, although she denies that there is any rift between her and her relatives. She does have a political pedigree, having been Tarlac governor in the 90s. I don't feel strongly against her, but I also question her decision to run with UNA. Rift or not, that decision got to be something that is running in the minds of the President and his advisers. Still, she's not polling particularly highly in the surveys, so I suppose the President isn't too concerned.


3. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito Estrada (PMP, 4-9) - If anything, it's going to be interesting seeing the two half brothers in the Senate, and how their dynamics will play out. As it is, there is always tension bubbling beneath the surface; Senator Jinggoy, in fact, accused JV Ejercito of snubbing Jinggoy's daughter at a rally, an action Ejercito denies. For me, JV Ejercito will always be associated with the excesses of his father's presidency, and, along with the other Estradas, is someone for whom I will never vote.

4. Juan Ponce "Jack" Enrile Jr. (NPC, 9-15) - Political dynasty question aside, there are a lot of questions surrounding the character of the Senate President's son. There are questions about his character, and his involvement in the death of actor Alfie Anido. There are questions about his ethics, and his involvement in car smuggling up in Cagayan. While he tries to project a friendly and crusading facade in his campaign ads, there are enough questions that should make a voter ask whether Jack Enrile is the sort of person who should be in the Senate.

5. Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan, 11-16) - Former Senator and presidential candidate Dick Gordon is seen as someone who is capable of making the tough decisions; that, in fact, was part of his platform in his failed 2010 candidacy. He is also someone who has been shown to be a hard worker, evidence of which is his largely unheralded efforts during typhoons as part of the Philippine Red Cross. He is someone who should be in the Senate, although, from the looks of his ratings, he's going to have to work hard in order to make it.

6. Gregorio Honasan (Ind., 8-13) - Like Trillanes, Honasan is a former coup/mutiny plotter, although his attempts were probably far more serious than those of Trillanes. While a Senate regular and a fairly productive legislator, there's always been something I have not been comfortable about Honasan, and I will probably leave him off my ballot.

7. Ernesto Maceda (PMP, 19-22) - The old warhorse  has dusted himself off, and is attempting one more run at the Senate; perhaps he was buoyed by fellow ancient Ponce Enrile's ability to hold the Senate Presidency. However, Maceda's been out of politics too long, and his name recall isn't enough to get him back to the Senate. It's likely that his twilight run will be for naught.


8. Milagros "Mitos" Magsaysay (PDP-Laban, 16-18) - While she tries to paint herself as a "critic of policies", it cannot be denied that she was one of the closest allies of former President Gloria Arroyo. What I do know is that her two sons, with their bannered truck moving around during the height of habagat rains, inadvertently helped kick off the anti-epal drive. Where did these two sons learn their politics, if not from the mother?

9. Juan Miguel Zubiri (PMP, 11-16) - The resigned Senator is trying to prove that he can win on his own terms, instead of through poll fraud. However, his running with Estrada raises questions about propriety, considering that Senator Koko Pimentel was forced out of the UNA line-up because of him. I'm not sure why UNA leaders decided to go with a former Arroyo supporter over one of their own stalwarts. Zubiri has made a misstep , as he tried to wade into the martial situation between the Senator and his wife, who is a cousin of Zubiri, by insinuating that Pimentel's wife was a battered wife. He was rebuffed by none other than Pimentel's wife, Jewel May Lobaton, who denied Zubiri's claims. Zubiri was then forced to issue an apology, but his actions say a lot about his character.

2013 Elections: Handicapping the Senate Race, Part One

I was going over my archives last night, and I realized that, during the 2010 elections, I didn't write about the individual candidates running for the Senate. The one time I managed to do so was for the 2007 elections.

At any rate, it seems that not much has changed about the group jostling and maneuvering to gain one of the 12 slots for the Senate. It's still all about name-recall and winnability rather than principles and clear platforms; those who do try to run a principled campaign have generally found themselves at the bottom of the heap.

Since the major focus of those power brokers forming each of the major lineups is about name recall and winnability, the two major factions vying for Senate supremacy, Team PNoy and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), are each composed of a mish-mash of very diverse individuals. 

I'll divide my take on this year's Senatorial candidates into three parts: in this part, I'll take a look at Team PNoy, the next will be the UNA slate, and the third will focus on the remaining 12 candidates, who may provide some needed alternatives to the two major factions. So, without much further ado, let's take a look at the candidates of Team PNoy.

Team PNoy is primarily composed of two major political groups: the Liberal Party (LP), and the Nacionalista Party (NP).. The former monolithic Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), and the Akbayan Citizens Action Party are the minor members of the administration lineup.

It's a strange composition, since the NP, with its leader, Sen. Manny Villar, was at the forefront of the mudslinging against President Aquino during the 2010 elections. But, as the saying goes, politics makes for strange bedfellows. Should majority of the coalition win, it will be interesting to see how the spoils will be divided among the victors; it will even be more interesting if majority of the LP candidates don't make it, since that would mean that the bulk of the winners could come from the NP. Such a situation will have a telling effect on the President's policies in the second half of his presidency.


The candidates (with party affiliation and Pulse Asia survey ranking in parentheses):

1. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara (LDP, 10-15) - The son of outgoing Senator Edgardo Angara, Rep. Angara is a three-term congressman for the lone district of Aurora, and was one of the visible faces of the prosecution team in the impeachment trial of former Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona. While apparently an accomplished individual in his own right, Angara still comes from a political dynasty, although, based on his performance as a congressman, he certainly has done his homework to prepare him for the Senate.

2. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV (LP, 4-9) - I've written about Bam Aquino at length in two posts (here and here), so there's no real need to go into the nitty-gritty details. The viciousness of the attacks on Aquino are expected, since he's a cousin of the President, but, contrary to what the likes of columnist Neal Cruz and the UNA's Toby Tiangco have insinuated, these attacks are baseless and misleading. Having seen Bam up close during his days as a student, I am confident that he will do well in the Senate.

3. Alan Peter Cayetano (NP, 1-3) - While he's a virtual shoo-in to be re-elected to the Senate, I've never really warmed up to Cayetano. He has a tendency to make accusations for which he has no concrete evidence, as shown by his attacks on Mike Arroyo in the past. His public image of being a very vocal critic of administrations is part of what will get him back to the Senate, but I, for one, would like to see more concrete action from him.

4. Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Ind., 1-3) - Another shoo-in for re-election, the tiff with his girlfriend's parents notwithstanding, Sen. Escudero comes off as a well-spoken individual, able to charm his listeners and appear knowledgeable and intelligent. However, it should be noted that his home province of Sorsogon remains one of the poorest in the Philippines, and one should question what the good Senator has done to help his constituents.

5. Risa Hontiveros (Akbayan. 17-18) - It's possible that her strong stance on the reproductive health (RH) bill has made the former party-list congresswoman the focal point of the anti-RH bill. Despite that, she has come across as a well-informed, intelligent individual, and could be someone the Senate needs to bring it back to a level of respect. However, because she is not that well-known, and because of her pro-RH bill stance, it's likely that she will once more fall short of election.

6. Loren Legarda (NPC, 1-3) - Aside from the fact that she has been a political butterfly, Senator Legarda has always seemed to put her best foot forward. Her environmental advocacy is well-known, and she has authored and co-authored several beneficial bills. That being said, I can't remove the butterfly tag from my mind. She'll win, without a doubt, but not by my vote.

7. Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal-Valade (LP, 14-17) - This is one of the candidates whose inclusion I question, since Madrigal has proven herself to be a loose cannon. She's not likely to toe the party line, and has shown that her grasp of political tactics is tenuous, at best. I'm just glad her chances of winning are slim; the Senate can do without the likes of her and her firebrand ways.

8. Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. (LP,  16-18) - The former Senator is finding out how short people's memories are, and it will take some serious campaigning to push him back into the Senate. The son of the former President, Sen. Magsaysay has shown that he inherited the integrity of his father, and deserves a comeback to the Senate. Whether the voters will say yea is anybody's bet at the moment.

9. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III (PDP-Laban, 4-12) - It's strange to see Senator Pimentel in the administration lineup, since he is a party-mate of Vice-President Jejomar Binay, one of the titular heads of UNA. However, since former President and Manila mayoral candidate Joseph Estrada endorsed the inclusion of Pimentel's longtime foe, Miguel Zubiri, Pimentel apparently felt he had no choice, since he was affected by the poll fraud which denied him a Senate seat, which Zubiri occupied and from which he subsequently resigned. Should both Pimentel and Zubiri win, it will be interesting to see the dynamics between the two when Congress resumes.

10. Grace Poe-Llamanzares (Ind., 4-10) - This is another strange inclusion, since Poe-Llamanzares' father, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., was a close friend of Estrada. I'm not exactly sure why she decided to cast her fate with the ruling administration, except perhaps because she felt she had a better chance of winning with the administration. At the same time, aside from her stint as MTCRB head, I know very little about her, so I'm not likely to vote for her.

11. Antonio Trillanes IV (NP, 9-15) - Another loose cannon, Trillanes was elected in 2007 on the strength of sympathy for his incarceration by Arroyo. Of course, everybody has forgotten his two rather stupid attempts to make his grievances known, the Oakwood mutiny and his taking over of the Peninsula Manila hotel. When he was finally allowed to attend the Senate sessions, Trillanes has figured in some spectacular fights with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, all of which have ended with Trillanes looking stupid. And he's someone people apparently think should continue as a Senator? I think not.

12. Cynthia Villar (NP, 4-9) - The wife of outgoing Senator Manny Villar, Cynthia Villar served in Congress as Las Pinas representative, and apparently will inherit her husband's seat in the Senate. However, two months ago, when she was interviewed by GMA-7's Solita Monsod, Villar gave a very degrading statement regarding Filipino nurses that went viral on social networks. While she has since apologized for her remarks, it left a bad taste and raised the question on her ability to reason, which will be necessary in the Senate.