Revillame - At It Again

Once more, the antics of popular TV host Willie Revillame makes the news.

This time, Revillame is taken to task for having made fun of a 6-year old boy who had to dance a macho dancer-style dance. The video of the event, whose proliferation on YouTube has probably reached viral levels by now, shows Revillame making fun of the boy, nicknamed “Jan-Jan”, who was crying as he danced for a sum of P10,000.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman was not amused by the spectacle, stating, “Persuading a little child to dance sexy adult dances in exchange for a measly sum, while he is being laughed at and ridiculed will definitely traumatize the child.” She also stated that what Revillame did to Jan-Jan was child abuse, and would investigate the incident.

In his defense, Revillame, along with the producers of “Willing Willie”, his show on TV5, apologized for the incident, saying that the boy “appeared to be sad or even in tears, not because he was forced to dance, but because he felt the dance was ‘serious’ and he was playing a role. He did not want to smile because of his missing upper front teeth and because of the presence on the set of former basketball player Bonel Balingit whom Jan-Jan thought was a scary ‘giant’”.

It’s easy to apologize once something has been done. One can only wonder how much longer people will tolerate the antics of Revillame, who seems to be made of Teflon, as he has been able to shrug off controversy after controversy with little impact to his popularity.

The Drug Mules' Execution - Some Quick Thoughts

The three executions this morning of three Filipinos for drug trafficking is a dark day for our country, but it’s unfair to blame the government for failing to save their lives. The three, Ramon Credo, Elizabeth Batain, and Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, were arrested upon arrival in China because they were found to be carrying several grams of heroin each. I am presuming that they went through the legal process in China, and were found guilty of the crime they committed.

I was watching ANC in the afternoon, and saw the sister of Ordinario castigating the government for not doing enough to save her sister’s life. In case she’s forgotten, the President basically threw our credibility out the window when he boycotted the Nobel Peace Prize awarding to a Chinese journalist, on the basis that he was trying to save the lives of the three. He sent Vice-President Binay to China to plead for their lives; while Binay was able to secure a delay in the execution, it wasn’t enough. The government didn’t do enough? The government has done what it could under the circumstances.

At the same time, with the disappearance of Ordinario’s alleged recruiter, Mapet Cortez, alias Tita Cacayan, the Ordinario family’s assertion that their relative was an unwitting pawn is given some credence. Cortez, who claimed innocence in the matter, was facing charges filed by the Ordinario family when she disappeared.

The story doesn’t end there, as it has been reported that about 72 others are on death row for similar charges. I’m not sure what the Philippine government can do in order to help them, but maybe the government can focus its efforts more on making sure that others don’t suffer the same fate.

It’s clear that poverty played a big part in today’s tragic happening, as it pushed people to commit illegal acts in order to make a living. The deaths of Credo, Batain and Ordinario-Villanueva should spur the government into cracking down on the illegal drug trade, and find ways and means to create jobs here in the Philippines, so that our countrymen can avoid the fate of the three.

Correction: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has reported that only 1 more Filipino, not 73, remains on death row, the others having been reprieved.

Senator Panfilo Lacson - A Fugitive No More

I would like to place links on the next three posts, but my limited time on the Internet precludes that. When I'm more free, I'll just update them.

It appears that former fugitive Senator Panfilo Lacson has decided that the best defense is a best offense, as he painted himself as “a victim of injustice” when he emerged from hiding for more than a year.

It must be remembered that Senator Lacson went into hiding after an arrest warrant regarding his involvement in the double murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito was issued. Claiming to be unjustly accused, Senator Lacson promptly fled the country, and stayed that way for the next 13 months.

The Court of Appeals recently threw out the case against Senator Lacson, saying that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him. This then prompted Senator Lacson to come home and present himself to the media last Monday.

It’s almost laughable how Senator Lacson tried to describe the hardships he underwent as he remained a fugitive from justice. So he had to do things himself, such as doing his own laundry and cooking; it’s nothing different from what a regular person has to do.

Instead of submitting himself to the authority of the courts, he decided to flee. Is that the proper act of one who was duly elected by the people to craft the laws of the country? What he did shows, as Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) head Dante Jimenez put it, “his blatant disrespect for the rule of law.”

It doesn’t help that no less than Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile defended Senator Lacson’s actions, by essentially saying that, if one believes that he is innocent of a crime, it is that person’s right to evade arrest. In short, what Senators Enrile and Lacson are saying is that it’s perfectly all right to flout the law.

Senator Lacson even had the gall to imply that, if not for a sense of forgiveness, he would have gone after those who had, in his mind, harassed him. I doubt it was a sense of forgiveness, and it was more likely a knowledge that such cases wouldn’t prosper, and would probably draw more attention to his involvement in the Dacer-Corbito murder cases.

The senator’s reemergence should also cause us to ask more questions, namely: how was he able to travel all the way to Portugal, if his passport was canceled? Who are the senator’s coddlers in the foreign service and even the police, who may have aided and abetted his flight?

By painting himself as a supposed victim of injustice, Senator Lacson attempt to draw sympathy to himself. However, his flight actually should make us question his innocence, for, if he was truly innocent, then he should’ve proved it in court. It is more logical to believe that his flight punctuates his guilt in the double murder case. Senator Lacson is no victim; he is simply one who had the power and the money to evade a legitimately issued warrant of arrest. One can only wonder what will happen if the Supreme Court overturns the Court of Appeals’ decision; will the senator once more flout the rule of law, and disappear once more?

Impeaching the Ombudsman: Whither The Senate?

With the House of Representatives voting overwhelmingly (212-46) to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, attention to shifts to the articles of impeachment and the impending trial of the Ombudsman by the Senate.

For all of the pious and upright words emanating from the Senators, it will still boil down to a game of numbers, and, for all of the evidence that the House legal team will present, it will still boil down to where the Senators' loyalties lie.

Am I being cynical? Maybe, but, after seeing our Senators in action during the impeachment trial of former President and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada, it was clear then, as it probably will be now, what will be working for most of the Senators will be their personal loyalties. As it is, seven current Senators were judges at Estrada's trial, and their biases were clear for people to see, since the whole impeachment trial was televised.

Two other Senators, Senators Joker Arroyo and Edgardo Angara, were involved, as well, albeit in different roles: Arroyo was part of the House legal team, and Angara was Estrada's Executive Secretary. How they may judge the Ombudsman is still up in the air, although Arroyo has gone on record for criticizing the House panel for what he perceives as "weakness" its case against Gutierrez. At the same time, Senator Arroyo has been seen to be very supportive of former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who had appointed Gutierrez to begin with.

As for other Senators, they may well bring in their personal biases into the picture. Senator Bongbong Marcos has been very vocal about wanting his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani; so far, the Aquino administration has resisted the call, but it might give in in order to secure the younger Marcos' support.

Ombudsman Gutierrez has been very calm and confident of her chances in the Senate trial, and with good reason: to convict the Ombudsman, two-thirds of the Senate must vote in favor, and, with 23 Senators sitting in trial (assuming Senator Panfilo Lacson comes out of his hiding place in time for it), only eight votes will acquit the Ombudsman. If one looks at the Senate composition, at how many are not particularly fond of President Noynoy Aquino, who has made it his goal to remove the Ombudsman, an acquittal is not far-fetched; in fact, it is highly probable.

Senators Manny Villar and Loren Legarda were bitter opponents of Aquino in last year's presidential elections, and that's sure to be a factor. The two Cayetano siblings, Pia and Allan, are party-mates of Villar and Legarda, and it's likely that they'll toe the party line. Senators Zubiri, Revilla, and Lapid are members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Rep. Gloria Arroyo's party, and are likely to vote along party lines, as well. Add Joker Arroyo, and there are eight hypothetical votes against conviction.

Of course, it's possible that our Senators will be impartial and judge the case on the merits of the charges and evidence presented by the House legal team; the trial is likely to begin in May, and a lot of things can happen in a month. However, given what I know of our current Senate, I can't help but feel that the Ombudsman is going to walk free from her impeachment trial.

On Related Matters: As I scan through the various pundits in the newspapers, it's interesting to note how those perceived to be Arroyo supporters, such as Rigoberto Tiglao in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Alex Magno in the Philippine Star, are very vocal in their condemnation of the House vote, decrying the "railroading" of the vote via the use of the pork barrel. Their noise now is in direct proportion to their silence during the numerous impeachment attempts against former President Arroyo, which, of course, to them, were all either baseless or without merit. Amando Doronilla cautions those crying for Gutierrez's head to follow the rule of law and due process, else the whole trial becomes a "witch-hunt".

For a quick summary of the charges against Gutierrez, one can check out this site for a graphic representation.

The State of Affairs on Commonwealth

A few weeks ago, when the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced that public transportation lanes, as well as a 60 kph speed limit, would be imposed on Commonwealth Ave., I was skeptical. Two years ago, then Quezon City Mayor Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte announced that Commonwealth Ave. would be designated as a "traffic discipline" zone, nothing really became of it.

At the start of the imposition of the new requirements, MMDA traffic enforcers were, well, out in force, and buses and jeepneys kept to their designated lanes. I assume that, after suspensions and franchise cancellations in the wake of the November wildcat bus strike, bus companies were more than willing to toe the line to ensure that their businesses would not be sanctioned. For a while, it worked.

As for the 60kph-limit, it was fairly clear that there would only be certain times that it would be strictly enforced, as seen from the presence of MMDA enforcers with radar guns stationed at the pedestrian flyovers. Unless the MMDA has automated radar guns operating at all times of the day, I think it's safe to say that MMDA enforcers wouldn't be able to maintain a round-the-clock cycle of catching speedsters.

One failing of the system is the inability to impose a more organized system of loading and unloading passengers. This is clearly seen at the loading/unloading zone at both sides of the Tandang Sora Ave./Commonwealth Ave. intersection. The lack of loading/unloading bays in this area make it a chaotic scene.

Worse, the buses and jeepneys block the entrance to the New Era General Hospital, and I can only wonder how long it takes ambulances and emergency vehicles to enter. Ironically, near the Shell station, there are roughly 5-6 traffic enforcers standing near this chaos, particularly during rush hour, but they simply do nothing to organize the loading and unloading of passengers. The same goes for the stretch in front of Robinson's Berkeley, for at the mouth of Tandang Sora Ave., there are several MMDA traffic enforcers stationed there, mostly doing nothing but waving on traffic heading for Katipunan Ave.

With a few weeks into the new system, it appears that things are back to normal, since I've seen a number of buses careening down Commonwealth Ave. as if they were NASCAR racers. I see few or no enforcers around, even during rush hour. Even private car owners hurtle down the road now, heedless of the danger they pose to others.

It seems that the new traffic management system has fallen victim to the Filipinos' ningas kugon attitude, as well as our lack of discipline. If we were disciplined, there wouldn't be a strong need for traffic enforcers to be on hand to make sure the rules are followed. It is this lack of discipline that makes it difficult for our country to progress.

Quick Bites: The International Scene

A good amount of the local news has been overshadowed by the events abroad. Even now, we wait in dread expectation of a meltdown in the Fukushima nuclear plant damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and watch with bated breath the events unfolding in Libya, Bahrain, and other countries in that region.

The events at Fukushima have not yet reached the critical point, and people around the world are hoping and praying that the Japanese are able to contain the damage to the plant, and prevent what could be a global disaster. There are indications that the Japanese will be able to contain the situation, although it's still too early to tell. Most likely, the question whether the Fukushima plant will be under control will be answered in the coming weeks.

In Libya, Colonel Moammar Gadhafi continues to rant and rage at the United Nations (UN)- sanctioned no-fly zone, calling the international force imposing it all sorts of names, from "Nazis" to "terrorists". Sadly, he's getting some support from similarly repressive governments such as China, which has criticized the no-fly zone, and Venezuela, whose leader, President Hugo Chavez, has accused the US and its allies of wanting to take control of Libyan oil resources.

It's clear, though, that it's about time that Gadhafi should be put in his place, for too long has he been a thorn in international relations, having funded terrorists and ruling his people with a cruel and iron fist. The sooner he's gone, the better.

As for other countries that have been experiencing political upheaval due to the desire of their people for more freedom and democracy, it's also clear that, unless dramatic reforms are made to those countries' ways of governance, it's likely that the unrest will continue until it engulfs them.

For us, the main concern is for our countrymen who are snared in the unrest. Having left their homeland for what they believed were greener pastures, they are now faced with the decision of whether to pack up and go home, and most likely get work which pays much less. Hopefully, our fellow Filipinos will be able to weather the storms racking the Middle East and North Africa, and manage to continue with their work there.

Force of Nature: the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

For the past few days, the world's attention has been riveted to the horrific damage wrought on Japan by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami. One could only watch as video footage showed 13-foot waves sweep away almost everything in its path. In Yahoo!, pictures of the destruction can only leave heads shaking at the terrible force of nature.

Fears were further heightened by the damage wrought on some of Japan's nuclear plants, which caused explosions at a reactor in the Fukushima prefecture. While the reactor itself was not damaged by the blast, it's still not reassuring to a world that has seen the damage a radioactive explosion can cause. The world can only watch,wait, pray and see whether Japanese efforts to control the situation are successful.

In the Philippines, questions are once more raised about the government's capability to deal with such disasters. During the flash floods brought by typhoon Ondoy in 2009, the government was caught with its pants down, and its lack of rescue equipment and training was exposed. The Rizal Park hostage tragedy showed that our law enforcement officials badly lack training in dealing with difficult situations. If the earthquake and tsunami had hit the Philippines, what would have happened?

The disaster in Japan is a reminder to us and our government officials that preparedness is the key to dealing with events such as these. Let's learn the lessons that need to be learned from this situation, so, if it comes to us, we'll be ready.

Impeaching the Ombudsman: Numbers Game

With the House most likely to vote for the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, attention now shifts to the Senate, which will act as the judges in the Gutierrez's trial. From the looks of it, at this point, a conviction isn't very likely.

According to a news item in the Inquirer, the House justice committee appears to be focusing on six points to prove the Ombudsman's betrayal of public trust:

"1.) Inaction of the Ombudsman in the matter of the fertilizer fund scam;

2.) Inaction of the Ombudsman in the matter of the MegaPacific deal;

3.) Inaction of the Ombudsman in the matter of the Euro Generals;

4.) Unreasonable failure to take prompt and immediate action on complaints filed against various public officials, including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Jose Miguel Arroyo with regard to the NBN-ZTE broadband project;

5.) Inexcusable delay of the Ombudsman in conducting and concluding its investigation into the wrongful death of Ensign Philip Andrew Pestaño aboard a Philippine navy vessel; and

6.) The Office of the Ombudsman has performed dismally as shown by the low conviction rate achieved by the office."

In the House, it appears that the requisite 94 votes to raise the articles of impeachment to the Senate are there. However, once it is in the Senate, the big question is whether the House legal team can convince 16 senators out of 23 to convict the Ombudsman.

Of the current Senate, seven were Senator-judges during the Estrada impeachment trial: Senators Gregorio Honasan, Juan Ponce Enrile, Sergio Osmena III, Tito Sotto III, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Loren Legarda, and Franklin Drilon. Of these, Senators Honasan, Enrile, Sotto, and Defensor-Santiago were firmly in Estrada's camp, and did everything they could to protect their ally. Their attempts went to naught, though, as their tactics enraged the public and sparked the EDSA Dos revolution that ousted their patron.

The big question is whether the political landscape has changed enough for these senators to see things more objectively and vote according to the evidence that will be presented, and rise above political interests to serve the common good. In my next post, I'll take a look at the individual Senators and try to get a feel of how they will vote.

Technically, the House legal team, which will lead the prosecution of the Ombudsman has to present evidence to prove that the Ombudsman is guilty, but, as we have seen before in the Estrada impeachment trial, politics will win over whatever evidence is presented. The bottom line is that impeachment is a numbers game, and, unless the President and his allies have the numbers, it is unlikely that the Ombudsman will be convicted.

Inner Turmoil

Is my life getting busier? Or has my passion for blogging waned? Upon some reflection, I'm probably getting a little of both.

Thanks to distractions such as Facebook and Farmville, as well as work and family, writing in this blog has become more sporadic, an irony considering its title. There's just too little time to do the things that I want to do, and I do have to get my priorities straight.

At the same time, writing about current events has become a bit of a drag, considering that all I seem to do is criticize and rant (hopefully, though, more of the former and less of the latter). With the current state of politics and current events in the Philippines, there is simply too much negativity, and, by writing about it, I'm just adding to the clouds of despair.

In addition, as I have noted in the past, the challenge about focusing on current events is that I have to be able to gather my thoughts quickly and get them written down; otherwise, the moment will have passed, and, if I still write about a passed issue, my own writing will appear ill-timed. The other challenge is being able to set aside the time to gather my thoughts, and write them down, and, there seems to be less and less time nowadays.

I'm going to have to do a little introspection in the days to come, and make some decisions about where I want to take this blog. Definitely, "Daily Musings" is a contradiction to what I've been able to do so far, and changes need to be made.