Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

While it was a joy to see Johnny Depp reprise his role as the scoundrel Cap’n Jack Sparrow in the new “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” as a whole, the movie wasn’t as good as the first. It was better than the second, which, like the “Matrix” trilogy and the “Star Wars” prequel, isn’t saying much. At the very least, it ties up a number of the loose ends left hanging at the end of the second movie, but leaves room for a possible fourth movie, should there be a desire for one. Overall, however, the movie suffers from a distinct weakness in storytelling; there are parts where the movie drags, and there are parts where the story no longer makes any sense.

I won't do any spoilers for this movie; there are just too many details to take care of.

Still, there was a good amount of movie to enjoy. The action scenes were wonderfully choreographed, and the ship battles devastatingly portrayed. There was, as in a number of movies where the series comes to an end, a feeling at times that the cast was just having a bit of fun, as in the part where Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner get married (talk about marriage in the heat of battle).

On the aside, unlike “Shrek 3”, where the trailers were definitely not suitable for general patronage, the trailers for “Pirates were decidedly mostly kiddie material. “Ratatouille,” “Meet the Robinsons,” “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” were some of the showcased upcoming movies, with “Transformers” and “Ocean’s Thirteen” being the most adult in topic. While this was refreshing, it was disconcerting to see one of the ushers moving around asking if any of the patrons were MTCRB members. A bit of a façade, to show that SM is dutifully following showing properly rated trailers? Does this mean that SM will only comply when it knows that there are authorities around? I really can’t tell, but it was still suspicious, nonetheless.

Whatever the critics say, the third installment of “Pirates” is still worth watching, although you may want to park your brain at the entrance, and just enjoy the visual spectacle.

Post-Election Musings

If there’s one thing that’s clear about the recently concluded elections, there is no clear winner, in terms of the various agenda being pursued by the different factions.

The opposition cannot claim that the elections is a repudiation of the President, considering that, while the opposition will most likely rule the Senate, pushing for impeachment, the opposition’s prime goal, is not going to happen, simply because they do not have the numbers in the House, no matter what Rep.-elect Darlene Antonino-Custodio may want to believe. Without the numbers in the House to impeach, the best the opposition can do is impede the programs of the administration, which is a risky business because it will seem that the opposition will be acting at the expense of the country’s welfare. Hopefully, the opposition in the Senate will see the wisdom of helping the administration in moving forward programs which will benefit the country, and impede those that will not.

The administration cannot claim victory in the elections because of two things: one, the opposition will control the Senate, and will dog the administration all the way to 2010, by slowing down any initiative that the administration may make; and two, the administration, despite having adopted the name Team Unity, looks like it may be on the verge of breaking up.

The main factions are the two major parties that make up the administration, Kampi, and the Lakas-NUCD. It looks like Kampi is figuring to be a major force running up to 2010, as it has made moves to reduce the Lakas juggernaut, by raiding the ranks. Moreover, Kampi, through its head, Rep.-elect Luis Villafuerte, has indicated that it will contest the Speakership of the House, by putting up Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia against the current Speaker, Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia. Villafuerte has drawn the lines by stating that Kampi is not satisfied with de Venecia’s leadership of the House, so it will be interesting to see who will emerge from this melee.

Advocates of Charter Change cannot point to the so-called overwhelming majority in the House and local elections, and claim that it is an indication that people want Charter Change. For one thing, I doubt Charter Change was foremost in the minds of Filipinos when they trooped out to vote on May 14, 2007. Charter Change will still be a hard sell, because the opposition Senate will definitely stand against it, especially if the House decides that the House alone can move forward as a constituent assembly. As long as it is perceived that Charter Change will be used as a tool by vested interests to further their own selfish ends, Filipinos will not stand for it.

Of course, people will see what they want to see, and some people will never accede to another point of view. But that’s just my own point of view.

Shrek 3

Last Saturday, I got to watch “Shrek 3” with Hazel and Gabby. While it was still hilarious, it didn’t have the same impact the first movie had. Still, I doubt that, with the portrayals of the various fairy tale princesses, people will look at fairy tales the same way again.

(SPOILER ALERT)

The frog King of the Kingdom of Far Far Away (voiced once again by John Cleese) has passed on, and has decided that Shrek (Mike Myers) is the heir to the throne. Of course, all Shrek wants is to go back to his beloved swamp to live with his wife Fiona (Cameron Diaz). There is a loophole, though. If Shrek can get Arthur (played by Diaz’s old flame, Justin Timberlake), who is also eligible for the kingship, Shrek can get his wish and go home. So off he goes, along with his faithful sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), and the knowledge that, when he comes back, he’ll be a father, the thought of which terrifies him.

In the meantime, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) gathers the various fairy tale villains to take over Far Far Away, and get his “Happily Ever After.”

As I said, there were a number of hilarious scenes. What I liked were Pinocchio's attempt to avoid telling a lie to Prince Charming, and the scene where princess power won the day for Shrek. Like I said, kids will never look at fairy tales the same way again.

I know some critics weren’t too happy with the story, but, hey, it’s primarily a children’s movie (kinda), so who cares about the critics? What’s important is that it was an entertaining movie, and I enjoyed most of it. It’s not a bad story, but neither is it a true classic. Still, it’s the end to a memorable trilogy, and it provides adequate closure.

One aside, though. It irritated me that SM management saw fit to show trailers that were obviously not for children, to precede a movie that was meant for children. Trailers of “Bordertown,” “Zodiac” and “Blackout” flashed across the screen; what’s up with that? I’m not sure what was more disturbing: the fact that I had to shield my daughter’s eyes from the adult trailers, or the fact that other parents who had brought their kids were not? And I thought SM prided itself as a family mall, by not showing “R” rated movies. So much for pride.

Kopi Roti Revisited

The first time I tried out Kopi Roti, it was at the NAIA, while I was waiting for my dad to arrive from the US. I loved the crunchy taste of the kaya toast, and the buttery goodness that was released with each bite.

I was happy to learn that there was a Kopi Roti near the Ateneo, along the Katipunan extension coming from White Plains. But when I tried it out, I was disappointed by the dryness of the toast, and I wasn't prepared for the bitterness of the coffee.

Yesterday, I went there upon the urging of two of my co-teachers, who wanted to try it out. This time, I ordered the coffee bun combo, complete with soft-boiled eggs and kopi. My friends tried out the French toast and the kaya toast.

It was a lot better. While I think that Roti Mum's coffee bun is better, Kopi Roti's wasn't bad, nice and soft with the crunchy coffee cream exterior. The kaya toast was a little more moist this time around, and the kaya spread blended nicely with the butter, a real treat. I forgot that there was condensed milk at the bottom of my kopi cup, and took the brew black, which wasn't too bad for me, being used to black, sugarless brewed coffee.

Maybe it was the fact that the last time I ate, I was alone, while this time, I was in the company of friends and enjoying some interesting conversation. I'm not sure if that helped me savor the food more. Still, I'm sure to come back now, but I'll remember to take a friend along for the company.

For a more comprehensive review, go here.


Side Note: I finally found out why so many cars are parked along the Katipunan extension every time I pass by there at night. To think I got the info from a friend who'd just been in the US for the past 3 years. It turns out that just across from Kopi Roti is a good place for cheap and delicious barbeque, Countryside Restaurant. I've got to remember to pass by here and try it out; I'm a sucker both for cheap and delicious, as well as barbeque.

A Quick Look at Election Results

With the elections a week gone, a number of the local races have been determined, and, while a number of the political clans have scored victories, there have been a number of surprises that are coming out.

In Sulu, former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari appears to have been repudiated by his province mates, and is trailing a far third behind former Sulu governor Abdusakur Tan. All Misuari can hope for now is that the rebellion charges against him will be dropped; otherwise, it’s prison for him.

Batangas Vice-Governor Ricky Recto, the older brother of Team Unity Senatorial candidate Ralph Recto, was also defeated in his bid to claim the 4^th congressional district seat of Batangas. Recto also came in a distant third behind proclaimed winner Congressman-elect Mark Leandro Mendoza, the son of Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza. If Recto couldn’t even win in one district, how could he hope to wrest the governor’s seat from his sister-in-law, and leading gubernatorial candidate Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos? So much for all his brash talk about winning the governorship.

Boxing fans in South Cotabato sent a clear message to their idol Manny Pacquiao that they’d rather he continue on his boxing career, and shelve the political career for now. Pacquiao has lost, in his bid for the congressional seat to incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio. While he is reported to be depressed by the results, at least he still has a flourishing boxing career to look forward to. Hopefully, the loss will not affect his performance in the ring.

In violence-torn Abra, the hold of the Valeras on the top position has been broken. Eustaquio Bersamin, the brother of the late Abra Representative Luis Bersamin Jr., has been proclaimed as governor, winning handily over the wife of outgoing Governor Vicente Valera with a margin of about 22,000 votes. The death of Bersamin, who was gunned down in Quezon City late last year was blamed on Gov. Valera, who, of course, denies any involvement in Bersamin’s death. While the loss is not an admission of guilt, one could say that enough voters believed that Valera was responsible, and gave the gubernatorial seat to Bersamin’s brother. Valera is currently running neck-and-neck with Lagayan Mayor Cecilia Luna for the lone congressional seat.

The big surprise, of course, is the proclamation of Fr. Ed Panlilio as governor of Pampanga. Who’d’ve thunk that a priest would be able to win against some pretty strong political machinery? Apparently, the people of Pampanga have had enough of corruption in their province, and have given the leadership to a person they feel they can trust.

In the local races here in Metro Manila, a number of incumbents have managed to get themselves reelected. In Makati, Mayor Jejomar Binay’s team managed to sweep all 20 electoral positions in the city, from the mayoralty to the congressional districts all the way down to the councilors. Now, whether that will save him from being suspended due to graft charges remain to be seen.

In San Juan, Mayor JV Ejercito managed to stave off a challenge from candidates supported by his half-brother Senator (ugh) Jinggoy Estrada, as Ejercito and most of his candidates won. I wonder what this means in terms of the two brothers’ relationship with their father, former President Joseph Estrada.

In Quezon City, Mayor Sonny Belmonte will enjoy a third and last term as Mayor. All of the incumbent congressmen probably benefited from Belmonte’s support, and all were proclaimed winners early this morning. That includes 2^nd district Rep. Annie Susano, and 3^rd district Rep. Mat Defensor, whom I have mentioned before, and was hoping that they wouldn’t get reelected. But, Susano enjoyed a comfortable lead over closest opponent former Rep. Chuck Mathay, and Defensor had no strong challenge from either former Councilor Franz Pumaren or Ateneo professor Danton Remoto. My only consolation is that Defensor's son Mike may not make it into the Senate, although it remains to be seen if the administration will move heaven and earth to make that happen.

In Manila, it appears that former mayor and current Senator Alfredo Lim will reclaim his old seat, handily beating the son of the outgoing Mayor Lito Atienza. So, it’s back to the days of spray-painting houses of suspected drug lords and pushers. Of course, the operational term is “suspected,” but Lim doesn’t really care about their rights; he’s more concerned, as he says, about the rights of the victims.

In the Senate count, based on the Namfrel tally, the Genuine Opposition continues to maintain a solid grip on the Magic 12, controlling around 8 slots, with only 2 Team Unity members, reelectionists Ed Angara and Joker Arroyo, managing to land in the winning circle so far. The other two slots are currently held by independents Kiko Pangilinan and Gringo Honasan.

In the Comelec count, which has begun to overtake the Namfrel count, shows that the GO members are down to 6, with Pimentel and Trillanes dropping out. 2 TU members, Ralph Recto and Juan Miguel Zubiri, have taken their places. Will there be cheating to ensure the entry of more TU members? We’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the dust clears.

Two popular movie stars, Team Unity’s Cesar Montano, and independent candidate Richard Gomez, have discovered that their star power won’t be enough to make it to the Senate; in fact, Gomez has already conceded defeat.

The voting populace seems to be maturing, even if a little, as it has rejected celebrities who have nothing else to offer save their star power, and, in some cases, it has disowned the political clans which have dominated local politics for decades; the Josons of Nueva Ecija and the Acostas of Bukidnon, for example, have lost their grip on their respective provinces. It shows that, to some extent, Filipinos are interested in change, and are willing to embrace non-clan candidates to be able to effect such change. Now, if we can continue this trend, and up the voters’ political education, we may see more informed and more discerning voters when we line up at the precincts in 2010 to elect our next President.

Victory in Pampanga

Maybe Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo should’ve read the headlines before he submitted his piece for last Saturday’s edition. In his column, he castigated gubernatorial candidate Fr. Ed Panlilio for crying foul over alleged cheating by his opponent Lilia Pineda, the wife of suspected jueteng lord Bong Pineda. Tulfo described the widening lead of Pineda over Panlilio and incumbent Gov. Mark Lapid, and said that Panlilio should just admit that he lost what Tulfo called “a fair fight.”

Of course, the headline for the same edition where Tulfo’s column appeared blazed, in capital letters, no less, “MIRACLE IN PAMPANGA.” Apparently, Panlilio was officially proclaimed Pampanga’s governor by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) by a very small margin of 1,107 votes.

It reminds me of the premature headline of the Chicago Tribune back in the 1948 when it bannered the headline that New York Gov. Dewey defeated the incumbent President Harry Truman; the picture of Truman grinning and holding aloft the newspaper with the wrong headline is an oft-repeated image in media. I wonder how Tulfo is going to write up his next column; is he going to admit that he made a mistake, or is he going to go after Panlilio, and claim that Panlilio cheated. That would be a difficult proposition, as it is, for the other major candidates. For who would take the word of the wife of a gambling lord or the word of a governor accused of corruption over that of a priest who won without the benefit of a strong political machine?

Of course, this is only the beginning for Governor-elect Panlilio. Like Isabela Governor Grace Padaca, who managed to break the decades-long hold of the Dy clan in that province by winning in the 2004 elections, Panlilio must now try to live up to the promises that he made to clean up his province. Hopefully, the people of Pampanga will rise up to the occasion and support their new governor. Otherwise, what began as a refreshing change to the traditional clan-based politics may turn sour, and compel the voting public to turn once again to their traditional politicians.

Pistons Advance

Well, at least one of my favorite teams will progress further into the NBA Playoffs.

With Richard Hamilton leading the way with 23 points, the Detroit Pistons won their way to their fifth straight Eastern Conference finals, by finally putting away a persistent Chicago Bulls team, 95-85, to win their best-of-seven series, 4-2.

It was a tight match up to the second half, when the Bulls led by 5. Then, the Pistons' offense and defense, coupled with some poor field goal shooting from the Bulls, took over, and the Pistons managed to end a tough series.

At the start, it didn't seem that the Pistons would have much trouble, winning the first three games, rather handily. But then the Bulls came roaring back to win two straight, and suddenly, the Pistons were facing a nightmarish situation of possibly losing the series. Fortunately, for them, it didn't happen, and Pistons will get another shot at returning to the NBA Finals.

First, they have to await the outcome of the New Jersey-Cleveland battle, where Cleveland leads the series 3-2. But I'm pretty certain the Pistons can handle either of the two teams; Detroit is simply too strong for either team.

Over in the West, I'm still hoping that the Phoenix Suns can pull it off against a surprisingly rough and dirty San Antonio Spurs team. With Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw coming off their one-game suspension, the Suns look to avenge a close loss in Phoenix, and return the favor by winning Game 6 in San Antonio tomorrow.

Political Hodgepodge, May 16, 2007

Scanning the newspapers, the news channels and the Internet brings forth some interesting tidbits from this just recently concluded election.

Apparently, it’s not the opposition that fears cheating in the polls. Team Unity deputy spokesperson Tonypet Albano was hotly protesting what he called “trending” in the various quick counts being conducted, and warned that it will not sit well with Team Unity, considering that, according to Albano’s sources, Team Unity actually has managed 12-0 victories in various locations of the country. He goes on to insinuate that the media, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and Namfrel are all responsible for the supposed bias against the administration.

It’s ironic, considering that the administration is the one with all the necessary tools to facilitate cheating. It’s ironic, considering that various machinations that have taken place before the polls were conducted.

Take, for example, Taguig congressman Alan Peter Cayetano. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dragged its heels on the case, and only ruled at the last minute that Joselito Cayetano of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) was a nuisance candidate and should be stricken off the lists. But, wait, that’s not the end of it. The bogus Cayetano’s name, according to the Comelec, should not be taken off the official list of candidates, pending an appeal. Therefore, all ballots with just “Cayetano” written on them will be considered stray votes, and not counted to the Taguig congressman.

This wonderful ruling of the Comelec created much confusion. In opposition bailiwicks, the lone “Cayetano” was counted in favor of Alan Peter, while in other areas, the “Cayetano” votes were not counted.

While I am no fan of Alan Peter Cayetano, he was done dirty by the Comelec ruling. Even if he seeks whatever possible remedy from the Supreme Court, as he has threatened to do, nothing can be done about the Cayetano votes that weren’t counted in his favor. This, of course, will have a great effect in making it difficult for Cayetano to gain entry into the Senate. He may still, of course, make it, but he will be thinking about all those votes that could’ve gone to him.

The case of Naga City mayor Robredo is even more puzzling. Despite winning five previous terms, and having his citizenship upheld by the Supreme Court, the Comelec ruled that he is not a Filipino citizen, and is therefore barred from running. It took a last minute stay for Robredo to continue his mayoral run. Reading a little more, it turns out that his opponent is a relative of Kampi stalwart Luis Villafuerte, who is a strong ally of the President. And so the plot thickens.

In yesterday’s newspaper, former Senator Tessie Oreta admitted that the reason why she joined the administration ticket, was because of the machinery. Not the ideals or values or platform, but the machinery. So much for her change of heart, as the good senator has changed little in terms of political thought.

And so the stories continue. And, reading them, we wonder whether there is still any hope for our country. Consider this: as a democracy, we are not even a century old. If you read historical accounts of the United States’ political record, the stories will probably rival ours. Our country is still very young, and it’ll take all of our efforts to be able to steer it so that the generations that will follow us will reap the benefits. Unfortunately for us, not in our time.

Post-Election Musings

The May 2007 elections are history.

And now, the slow process of counting the votes begins. This is where it’s crucial for us to be observant of the electoral process, to prevent the possibility of fraud and cheating.

Now is also the time not to be crowing about the partial results being presented by the various quick count agencies. Sure, it’s nice for the Genuine Opposition to see that their senatorial candidates are mostly in the so-called Magic Twelve circle, but keep in mind that, to win, a senatorial candidate must garner around 14-20 million votes to secure a seat in the Senate. So, it’s premature to be celebrating or even commenting over the results until we’ve reached about half of the votes, because that’s when we’ll see what trends are shaping up.

It’s also too early to comment on the local elections, although, here in Quezon City, it appears that the incumbents are on their way to victory. We’ll probably have a good idea of what’s going on by tonight or tomorrow at the earliest.

My own voting experience yesterday was peaceful enough. I vote in Barangay New Era, which is the bastion of the Iglesia ni Kristo (INK). The INK wields political power in the form of captive votes, as the elders of the INK order their followers to vote as one block. This, of course, is most crucial in close elections; the INK will provide the swing vote, which is why we see a lot of politicians kowtowing to the leaders of the INK, to curry their favor, translatable, of course, into votes. The INK, then, can set terms in the form of political favors as payback.

But I digress. It was no big deal voting in New Era, as the process is pretty straightforward. Just get the ballot from the election official, go to a desk and fill out the ballot. Afterwards, fold the ballot, hand it to the official, stamp your thumbprint on the necessary documents, get your finger doused with indelible ink, and you’re done. No big.

Finalizing my vote was a tough call, though. I was pretty sure of voting for about eight senatorial candidates, the mayor and vice-mayor, and the congressman. Whether I should fill up the remaining four slots, as well as the councilor slots was a tough decision. In the end, I wound up voting for nine senators and five councilors, leaving the rest of the spaces blank. I only learned later, that, according to the Election Code, I was allowed to cross out the blank spaces to prevent cheating. Oh, well. C’est la vie.

And so, we sit back and wait for the electoral board of canvassers to finish their snail’s pace of a vote count, and hope that, if there will be cheating, it will be minimal. And we will learn who our political leaders are within a month.

Spider-Man 3

I finally got to watch “Spider-Man 3” last night.

My feelings about the movie are mixed, as there were a lot of things that I liked, but there were also things that could’ve been done better.

It appears that the cast and crew were probably working under the assumption that this would be the last Spider-Man movie, so they tried to do everything that they could possibly fit into the movie. The result is some breathtaking and enjoyable scenes, but a little lacking in story development.

SPOILERS FOLLOW

The development of the villains, for one, seemed less complete than that of Doctor Octopus in the second movie. Take the Sandman, for one. It’s clear that petty crook Flint Marko (ably played by Thomas Haden Church)’s motivation in life is to get medical help for his sick daughter, but, with the tight script, we are unable to see a clear development or even a final resolution to this particular storyline. However, the interesting twist is that Marko is involved in Uncle Ben’s death, if a little contrived. But it helps Peter come to grips with the loss of Uncle Ben, and brings that part of his life to a fitting conclusion.

The problem I had with the introduction of Venom (Topher Grace) is that it took too long; more than half the movie was over before he came into the scene. But when he did, it made for some really interesting fight scenes. Still, he came off more as a one-dimensional character, with no room to actually explore who he was.

The inclusion of the New Goblin, played by James Franco, was a good touch, and some of the best scenes were with Franco, who played Peter Parker’s best friend Harry Osborne. Franco is a wonderful actor, able to display a roguish air and still project some vulnerability, as Harry struggled to deal with the death of his father, the original Green Goblin (played by Wilem Dafoe, who makes a cameo here), and the supposed betrayal of Peter Parker, whose alter ego Harry blamed for his father’s death. Despite this, he is still able to come to

The main actors are, as usual, great at portraying Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are tailor-made for the roles, which they continue to play with believable success. Their relationship deepens, only to be rent asunder by Spider-Man’s growing popularity going to Peter’s head, and Mary Jane’s difficulty to establish herself as a credible actress.

The supporting cast was also very good. J.K. Simmons returns as the cantankerous Daily Bugle chief editor J. Jonah Jameson, along with Bill Nunn as associate editor Robbie Robertson, and Elizabeth Banks as secretary Miss Brant. Dylan Baker returns as Doc Connors, but not as the Lizard (a possible villain for a fourth movie, if ever?) Rosemary Harris plays a stronger-willed Aunt May than in the comics, but for the movies, she has played a wonderful moral compass for Maguire’s Parker. There’s also the required cameo by Spider-Man co-creator and Marvel icon Stan Lee, and director Sam Raimi favorite Bruce Campbell (try to see where they appear, as if it wasn’t obvious.).

There’s a sense that everybody’s working as if this is the last Spider-Man movie, so it does appear that there are moments where the cast can simply have fun. There are several hilariously campy scenes that help break the tension. Peter’s attempt to look ‘cool’ as the symbiote took control of him, for one, was utterly hilarious.

All stops were pulled out, it seems, in the production of the special effects. The appearance of the Sandman evoked memories of “The Mummy,” although this version was understandably more fluid. Spider-Man and the New Goblin against Venom and the Sandman has to be one of the great movie fights in recent history.

Sam Raimi, who also co-wrote the script with Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent, despite the difficulties, manages to put a fitting end to the trilogy with this film, given the amount of material he had to cram. However, there's talk about a fourth movie, and I hope they can continue to do justice to one of comics' truly great heroes.

Political Hodgepodge, May 10, 2007

With elections just a few days away, the campaigning has reached a fever pitch, at least for those running for the Senate. Candidates are doing everything humanly possible to squeeze out whatever support they can get from their constituents. In some cases, such as in Abra and in Nueva Ecija, this also means trying to permanently take out the opponent, this, of course, despite the peace covenant signed by Abra candidates earlier in this election season.

The opposition, of course, is using the 2004 “Hello, Garci” tapes scandal as evidence that there will be massive cheating in this year’s elections. However, it’s not as if the opposition is trying hard to win in the first place, having only 144 candidates vying for the House (with 220 district seats up for grabs), with a similar absent presence in a number of the local races. Furthermore, within the opposition ranks, there are charges of junking opposition candidates who aren’t doing too well in the surveys, in favor of administration candidates who are.

Columnists (and bloggers) are having a field day in commenting excessively about the chances each side has, sometimes focusing on specific races to make their point. Some, have argued that voting for any of the administration candidates means agreeing with all the bad things the Arroyo government has done. My problem with this argument is that the opposition isn’t pristine when it comes to values and morals. So, by voting for members of the opposition, we’re supporting whatever former President Joseph Estrada had done during his term? All of the corruption and plunder, by voting for the opposition, we’re saying we’re okay with that?

For me, in voting for senatorial candidates, which side they’re on doesn’t really matter, because, once they enter the Senate, the game changes, and sometimes, the winning Senator will go against the party he or she ran under. It’s a basic reality of Philippine politics that most of our politicians will side with where the power is. I’d rather choose candidates based on their individual qualifications and beliefs, which is why I’ll be hard pressed to complete the 12-man Senate list. Or maybe I won’t complete it; I mean, why compromise my own beliefs just to fill up the slate?

In the House race here in my district (2nd Quezon City), I’ve yet to hear about any assembly regarding the congressional candidates in our district. I have no idea what platform each of the major candidates are presenting, and, considering that none of them really catch my attention, I may wind up not voting for any congressional candidate.

For the party-list, I will firmly be supporting A TEACHER, for reasons that I’d given earlier in this blog. Teachers need strong representation in Congress, and education will need a big boost. Hopefully, if the A TEACHER representatives make it, they’ll be able to advance the educational cause further, and maybe we might see some real changes in our educational system.

In the future, what is important is to strengthen the party system. Right now, there are no real parties, just alliances of convenience, where the members join together, not because of a common cause, but for pragmatic necessity, e.g., funding. With a strong party system, composed of parties with clear, definitive platforms and programs, we can move away from the personality politics that has pervaded our political landscape. But, for now, we will just have to make do with what we have.

Never Again

After our bad experience at the Don Antonio branch of Coffee Beanery more than a month ago, Hazel and I decided to stay away from that place.

But, last night, Hazel wanted to relax, so we thought that maybe things had changed.

It wasn't meant to be.

When I took a look at the blueberry danish, a favorite pastry of mine, I once more noticed the fuzzy growth of mold on top of the blueberry. Without another word, Hazel and I left. We went to Cucina Latte, which was also located along Don Antonio.

I'm not sure what's going on with that particular branch of Coffee Beanery. Don't the baristas there know that they're giving the franchise a bad name?

I'm thinking of reporting them, but I'm not sure where to go. And it would probably mean that I'd have to go back and take pictures of the offending foods. Oh well.

Definitely now, it's a "never again" for this Coffee Beanery branch.

Party-List Polarization

It's interesting to note how various groups and individuals are reacting to the Supreme Court decision ordering the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to release the names of the party-list group nominees, to which the Comelec readily complied. The reactions I'm reading show a polarization based on bias.

The leftist groups such as Sanlakas and Akbayan continue to clamor against so-called government fronts and nepotistic groups, but avoid railing against obvious communist front groups such as Bayan Muna, and groups such as Cibac, which is fronted by the son of Jesus is Lord leader and former presidential candidate Eddie Villanueva.

On the other hand, I was reading Alex Magno's column in the Philippine Star last Saturday, and he was castigating the leftist groups for their selfish reasons in going to the Supreme Court, and, while he was correct on that point, he carefully avoided the issue of government fronts, simply saying that it's a good thing that more groups are participating in the process.

It's funny how people will spin information so that they will only see what they want to see. It's sad too, though, because it blinds them to the actual realities.

Party-List Updates

The Supreme Court ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to release the names of the party-list nominees, or else face contempt. It's a welcome development in what has become a muddled issue.

The root of the matter stems from charges by party-list group Akbayan that several other party-list groups were fronts for the government. When asked to release the names of the nominees, the Comelec tried to hide behind R.A. 7941, the law governing the party-list system, saying that they (the commissioners) were not allowed to divulge the names of the party-list nominees.

The Supreme Court struck down that argument, saying that the Comelec had misread the law, and that the Filipino people had a right to be informed and a right to transparency in the government.

It's going to be interesting to see how the Comelec will react to the Court's decision; will it comply, or will it stonewall?

At any rate, it's clear that the party-list system needs revision. A grand total of 90 groups are vying for representation in Congress, and, maybe, a crack at the pork barrel funds. Of the 90, it's clear that some of these are government fronts, designed to strengthen the administration's hold on the House. But it's also clear that some are communist fronts, who, if elected, will channel their pork barrel funds to the rebel movement, and to their leaders exiled in Europe. Some which represent regional interests, such as Agbiag and An Waray, make me scratch my head in wonder, considering that regions are already given representation through the congressional districts. The proliferation of such groups in the system make it all the more difficult for legitimate, marginalized groups to win representation in Congress.

Perhaps the next Congress can look into revising the system, to prevent such abuses. But I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Injustice Secretary, Part 2

I wound up talking with a friend of mine about our dear Injustice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, and his take on the matter runs along the lines of as long as the anger against Gonzalez doesn’t get transferred to the President, and as long as those close to the President don’t see him as a problem, he will continue to serve as Justice Secretary.

There is truth to what my friend said. Thus far, most of the invectives raised at Gonzalez’s arrogance have not really added to whatever discontent there is against the President; he has managed to draw all of the fire to himself. By continuing to spew crap every time he opens his mouth, Gonzalez has acted like a lightning rod for GMA.

Perhaps because of his uncanny ability to be lightning rod, Gonzalez inexplicably continues to enjoy the President’s good graces. In fact, a number of Cabinet members and administration allies have spoken up in defense of the embattled Gonzalez. I'm hoping, though, that there will be a buildup of dissent that will eventually kick the idiot out of office.

And while corruption cases and disbarment charges have been filed against the Injustice Secretary, the filers themselves have questionable characters. Senator Lacson filed the corruption case in relation to Gonzalez’s offer of an “incentive” to barangay officials in Iloilo. However, Lacson himself remains under a cloud of suspicion, thanks mainly to the Kuratong Baleleng massacre and the murder of public relations officer Bubby Dacer, both of which Lacson is said to have a hand.

Of course, Gonzalez retaliated when he threatened Lacson with extradition in relation to the arrest of one of Lacson’s former aides in the U.S. on charges of espionage. And, most likely with a straight face, Gonzalez denies that his threat has anything to do with the charges Lacson filed against him. Yeah, right. In addition to espionage, the Secretary has also threatened to file coup d'etat charges against the Senator, so one can see just how impartial Gonzalez can be when someone gets his dander up.

As for the disbarment case, it was filed by perennial presidential nuisance candidate Elly Pamatong, whose most recent stab at infamy was to have his followers strew metal spikes along a major thoroughfare in some insane protest against the government around a year or two ago. In one of the rare times I will concede the point to Gonzalez, Pamatong is a nut, and thus, will probably not be taken seriously.

And while of all this goes on, Raul Gonzalez continues on his merry way, shooting off his mouth, and continuing to chip away at whatever credibility this government has. Because, if this is who the government has in charge of justice in the country, it is very clear that one cannot expect any sort of fairness in Gonzalez’s dispensation of justice.