Additional Years of Education, Answer to Poverty?

As we draw closer to the May 2010 National and Local Elections, more and more candidates are going to the extremes for the sake of getting noticed. However, it should be underscored that the nearing elections do not give political candidates currently seated in a government position the consent to go berserk and submit the masses to half-baked ideas and proposals for the sake of having a “say” in the political arena or for plain campaign purposes.

LP’s standard bearer, Senator Noynoy Aquino pointed out how the Philippines’ 10-year education curriculum is proven incompetent as compared to the 12-year education curriculum of other countries. Noynoy says: “The Philippines has the shortest education cycle preparatory to university. Ours is 10 years; the rest of the world is 12. In short, we have a curriculum that, on paper, covers the same subject matter as the rest of the world but which we cram into 10, instead of 12, years. This means that our teachers take all kinds of short cuts to try to cover the material or just simply do not attempt to cover the entire syllabus in a given year for lack of material time. This shortchanges our children’s education.”

This, according to the presidentiable, is one of the reasons why many Filipino graduates are ineffectual and could not compete with graduates of international universities/colleges. Noynoy envisions that his proposal will help alleviate poverty in our country. But will the additional two years of intermediate schooling be enough to address these problems? To start off, the Senator’s idea will only increase the number of out-of-school youth because additional years, of course, means additional expenses for the struggling masses; thus making this proposal anti-poor. Our country is filled with public schools that are lacking teachers, proper facilities and even the basic needs such as books and classroom materials.

How can the government fund the teachers, schoolrooms, and textbooks for the added years, when it does not even have enough money for the grade levels existing today?

Our country is in the midst of grave poverty but are we too desperate to consider taking a very simplistic approach in solving a highly convoluted problem existing in our country for so long? If the times call for an immediate action on this matter, why not improve and further develop the standard of Philippine education without having to risk losing the number of enrollees for the next school year? The proposal is sound but did he even confer the possible disadvantages? If Noynoy really cares to improve our country’s education system, then he should be presenting something beyond sound ideas. More importantly, his decisions should be of great consideration to the masses which comprise the majority of our population.

Let us face the truth that in a country where there is a visible sign of struggle almost everywhere we look, there is no place for a law that will only melt the littlest hope the poor masses are hoping for—a brighter and better future for their children. Noynoy should know better.

I DON’T STEAL, ASK MOMMY?

As the 2010 election nears, voters scram in search for good candidates. This is where the “early politicking” actually makes sense. This is the time where claimed “infomercials” sounds more like “vote for me”. Frankly speaking, these premature campaigning serves its purpose in giving the public just the right idea to whom they should cast their votes, which unfortunately is to the less sounding “few”.

Arguably, the public should change its standard of who is “saint” or “sinner”, because it is not as simple as looking at the candidates’ last name that either rings good or riddled with controversy. For one, parentage does not guarantee anything. Sons or daughters do not live the lives of their parents nor do they inherit morality; genes have nothing to do with it. Leadership is never a privilege in a state where democracy reigns. Luck cannot be used as an excuse to force leadership in Malacañang.

If we are concerned with presenting facts and having someone as transparent as water to manage this country, why not start with the open secret that all these presidentiables cheated the law against premature campaigning by way of making “infomercials”; the son of our beloved EDSA-I heroine included. The smiles, the reform chitchats are proof of how dishonest they could be when it comes to pursuing political goals; preserving familial integrity did not stop either of them. Change should have been started with “abiding by the law” and not exploiting it for political advantage. Where is morality or honesty when one is already cheating the law at this point in time? What else would they bend when they are given much more power?

I pity hopefuls who use their comfortable family blankets. But then I was wrong. Presidentiables who like to live on a dream of being a saint amidst his wicked gimmicks does not deserve public sympathy. It is the people he unfortunately enticed to sanctify him that deserve empathy. If they are foolish enough to believe that honesty is inherited or bought by those multi-million PR financiers, then they will soon see how it will backfire to a serious state threat. The moment we swallow their infomercials/electioneering ads we are giving away our chances to actually vote for an honest state executive. The damage has already been done and the stench of politicking is already out but we choose not to see.

What is worse is when these presidentiables try to laundry out their names and act as if they are to the point of sainthood. They are hypocrites hoping to gag us up with nothing but propaganda. This writer would like to think we, Filipinos, are better than that.

VOTERS QUESTION COMELEC PARTIALITY IN APPOINTING CITIZEN ARM

The clamor for public awareness is now paying off as voters are now not only perusing the qualification of national and local candidates they plan to vote but are now also scrutinizing even church-based electoral watchdogs being blindly tapped by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Some quarters have recently questioned the urgency behind the poll body’s accreditation of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting or PPCRV given that only a mere twenty days have passed from the time of the organization’s filing of its petition to the COMELEC’s promulgation of a resolution granting approval to said request.

The PPCRV headed by Ambassador Henrietta De Villa suspiciously bagged the accreditation to be COMELEC’s lone citizen’s arm that would unitarily launch voter’s education on poll automation and provide assistance to voters during the actual elections. Aside from this, the PPCRV is the lone private organization that is allowed to conduct poll watching during the canvassing of votes in every precinct in the country not to mention suspiciously being furnished a soft copy of the computerized voters' list and access to the precinct count optical scan machines prior to May 10, 2010.

In a nutshell, COMELEC’s rushed accreditation of the so-called watchdog has only given the PPCRV a right to monopolize voters’ education on poll automation which some unscrupulous individuals within the organization - who almost always exist in any innocent-looking group - could possibly influence to serve the benefit of a certain presidential wannabe or even a political party. Access to voters’ list and the voting machines prior the actual election could also lead corrupt quarters within the PPCRV to possibly tamper the data in exchange for monetary remuneration from the highest bidder, a scenario that we are all aware is fairly probable to transpire in our country.

An unimpeachable source pointed out that the PPCRV suspiciously timed the filing of its petition on October 5 in the midst of a public turmoil aptly tagged as the aftermath of super typhoon Ondoy which naturally left all of us focused on relief and rescue operation for thousands of our needing Kababayans. A few days later on October 14, the COMELEC heard the petition noting the lack of oppositor – an expected result of PPRCV’s non-compliance to a COMELEC order to cause publication on three separate newspapers within a period of three successive weeks – on the organization’s petition. On October 26, or twelve days after the first and only hearing, the poll body blindly approved the request.

Curiously, the process was indeed rushed. However, the important question should be this: was it done to serve the COMELEC or the PPCRV?

HATI NA BA ANG BOTO MO? “Hala I-Patrol Mo”

Hindi mo minsan masikmura ang lantarang panloloko hindi lang ng mga kung sinu-sinong TRAPO, kundi na rin ng dapat sana’y malaya at mapanuring pamamahayag. Simula kasi nang mag-igting ang iringan sa mga sensitibong posisyon tulad ng pang-panguluhan sa darating ng 2010 election, halos nagpapang-abot narin ang kalokohan ng mga estasyon at gimik ng mga di magkahumayaw na pulitiko. Isa na nga riyan ang matunog na kampanyang “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” na aniya tumutulong na mabigyan ng sapat na kaalaman ang mga botante sa susunod na taon. Litanya nga ng mga ”patrollers” nito ang samut-saring kawalanghiyaan ng mga taong nailuklok sa gobyerno ngunit sa isang banda naman ay patuloy na pinagkakaperahan ng estasyon ang mga dapat sana’y banned ads ng mga “presidentiables”.

Premature campaigning o ang mahigpit na ipinagbabawal na “electioneering” ang bumubungad sa manunood ng estasyon tuwing pinalalabas nito ang mga papogi ads ng kung sinu-sinong pontso pilato. Nahahalintulad ito sa mga naglalakihang poster o banderitas ng mga opisyal sa nakakalat ngayon sa mga eskinita at makikipot na pader ng lungsod. Nakapagtataka lang, nagagawang pansinin ng estasyon ang mga nakahilerang mga “posters” na ito habang pinahihintulutan naman nilang mag ere ng mahigit sa 3 hanggang 5 minutong campaign ad ang mga “presidentiables”. Kung susumahin daan-daang milyung piso ang kinikita ng estasyon sa mga pagpapalabas ng mga political ads na ito. Kaya naman hindi mahirap sabihin na nagkukunwang maka-tao ang estasyon lalo na’t isinusulong nito ang dapat ay clean and fair elections”.

Pera-pera nga lang naman ang tahasang dahilan ng mga tila pangguguyong ito ng mga kilalang estasyon sa bansa. At ang masakit nito, may malaking bilang na din ng mga botante ang nauuto nila. Kasi naman, habang nagkukunwaring “watchdog” ang estasyon sali’t-salitan naman nilang pinagkakaperahan ang mga pulitikong pilit na nambabaluktot ng batas kontra sa maagang pamumulitika o electioneering. Mantakin mong may isang taon pa man bago ipahintulot ang pangangapanya, nagsisimula nang ibandera ng mga pulitiko ang kani-kanilang mga mukha sa tv gamit na din ng “bayarang” media.

Kung susumahin, panakip butas lang ng estasyon ang kampanya nitong “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” para naman hindi gaanong mapuna ang walang humpay nilang pangnenegosyo tuwing eleksiyon.

Ngunit maliban pa sa bulok na pangangatwiran ng estasyon sa kanilang malugod na pangangampanya ng kung sinu-sinong “presidentiable”, dahan-dahan ding hinihikayat ng estasyon na i-boycott ang eleksyion. Patunay diyan ang maya-mayang pagpapalabas ng estasyon ng anila “butas” ng darating na automated election. Minamakina ng estasyon ang publiko na maging negatibo sa eleksiyon na nag-uudyok naman upang paigtingin pa ng mga kandidato ang kanilang mga jingle ads na pinagkakwartahan naman ng estasyon.

Kaya naman, madaling sabihin na ginigisa ng kapitalistang estasyon ang mga botante at mga pulitiko sa kani-kanilang mantika.

MEDIA ON POPULAR VOTE FOR NO-EL

“Oversight of Election Watchdogs”

Vote watching is nothing less than a crude excuse to actually heighten the possibility of a publicly preferred “no election”. The “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” for one that was intended to arouse voters to be vigilantly looking over the course of the nearing election was unfortunately swaying the public to amass skepticism. The truckload of “appalling” reports that these “patrollers” address on nationwide television should be a matter of concern since it generates more of pessimism other than an interest to participate on the coming election. Thus, this has been a regrettable oversight.

Unfortunately as “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” continues to “flag” in one of the country’s leading stations, “electioneering” such as premature campaign ads of various presidentiables undercuts it. The very station claiming clean and fear ballot casting is in fact condoning “electioneering” in exchange of multi-million worth of tv ads that they continually air in between their shows. Obviously, the tv station is simply making “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” a fitting façade to hide its money-making agenda. As such, the saying “pera-pera lang yan” proves true even among 2010 “reformist”.

If defined, the movement pushed by the station is nothing less than a refigured mind conditioning ingredient that generate public unease on the sought-after presidential race. It focuses more on actually making a wet blanket view on the outcome of the first ever automated elections in the country. That is, despite the stations nonstop show of support to various candidates by lending its airwaves to “premature” campaign propaganda materials.

Permitting electioneering in exchange of millions of peso is what capitalists do to make a huge profit out of the election. Undesirably, capitalist partisanship is going to haunt the viable selection of presidency by next year and a huge crowd of misled “patrollers” are going to make it possible. Worst case scenario in this media fiasco is having a handful of voters turn down the election out of riddling lack of trust. This runs appositively to what the movement “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” is trying to impart in its partakers. Instead of giving people hope and making them believe on the equal lengths of the law through exercising their rights of suffrage, the contrasting “pressure group” of the station and its outlined business ventures with supposedly “unlawful” political ads are both perplexing able voters.

Other than gathering unison perspectives on the elections, the campaign propelled by the tv station is more of “divisive” in nature. It ideally alienates the voters from the government which would be handling the smooth course of the 2010 presidential selection. Hence, majority of voters are actually prejudging the course of the elections. On one end this come close to provoking the crowd on boycotting 2010 and support a potential vote for No-Election. Moreover, what else does “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” promoters expect from their demoralized crowd?

PANGANGAMPANYA SA KALAGITNAAN NG DELUBYO

Sa mga nagdaang araw, malaki ang nawala sa Pilipinas lalong-lalo na sa mga taong nabiktima ng matinding paghagupit ng bagyong Ondoy sa kalakhang Maynila pati na rin sa mga katabing lalawigan. Ito ay sinundan ng pagpasok ng isa pang bagyo na si Pepeng na hinagupit at tumama mismo sa lalawigan sa hilagang bahagi ng bansa. Sa ngayon, ang buong bansa ay nasa state of calamity dahil sa pananalasang idinulot ng dalawang bagyo.

Ang mga pangyayaring ito ay nagdulot ng pagkakaisa, pakikipagtulungan at pagkakapantay-pantay ng bawat Pilipino sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga kapwa Pilipino. Ang trahedya ng bagyo ay nagbigay rin daan sa ilan upang magkaroon ng mapag-kakakitaan sa gitna ng dinaranas na kahirapan ng bansa gaya na lamang ng mga maliliit na talyer at gawaan ng mga kasangkapan sa bahay. Sa kabilang banda, may mga tao rin na nagging mapagsamantala dahil ninanakawan nila ang mga bahay na nilisan ng mga may-ari. At ang masama, may mga ilang opisyal na ginamit ang kanilang kapangyarihan upang makapagbigay ng tulong para na rin sa kanilang pansariling kapakanan dahil sa nalalapit na eleksyon.

May mga ilang tatakbong opisyal ang mga nakita sa lansangan ng iba’t-ibang lugar upang maghatid ng tulong. May iilan din na puspusan ang pagtulong upang bumango ang kanilang pangalan at imahe. Marahil, palapit na ng palapit ang araw ng eleksyon kung kaya’t lahat ng maaari nilang gawin upang makatulong ay puspusan at sisikapin nilang magawa.

Subalit, nakakabahala na may ilan na inuna pa ang kanilang sarili bago ang mga taong humihingi ng saklolo. May mga litrato na nagkalat sa ngayon sa internet patungkol sa pagkakabit ng mga campaign paraphernalia ni Senador Noynoy Aquino sa ilang probinsiya pagkatapos humagupit ang bagyong Ondoy. Nagawa pa umanong makipagkita ni Aquino kay dating Pangulo Joseph Estarada upang magkaroon ng pagpupulong sa pagitan nilang dalawa sa kasagsagan ng malakas na ulan.

Ang ganitong gawain ay mariing ikinokondena dahil ang lahat ng tao ay abala sa pagtulong sa mga kakababayang nasalanta ngunit si Aquino at ang kanyang mga taga-suporta ay nagging okupado sa pagkakabit ng mga banners at posters bilang pagkampanya sa parating na eleksyon. Ito ba ang lider na gugustuhin ng lahat? Mas uunahin pa niya ang kanyang sarili bago ang mga taong bayan. Wala na ba talaga siyang respeto sa mga kahirapan na dinaranas ng kanyang mga kababayan? Kung tutuusin, ang lahat ng ito ay patunay lamang na walang pakialam ang mga Aquino sa mahihirap gaya na lamang ng nangyari sa Hacienda Luisita.

Ang mga pagtulong na ginagawa ni Aquino sa mga nasalanta ay hindi sapat dahil ang mga pera na kanyang ibinahagi ay hindi nanggaling sa sariling bulsa kundi pera na nilikom ng kanyang mga taga-suporta na nagmula rin sa taong bayan. Hindi man lang niya masuklian ang binigay na hirap at pagod na naranasan ng sambayanang Pilipino sa pakikiramay at pagdadalamhati sa kanilang pamilya ng namatay ang kanyang ina.
Ganoon na ba talaga katindi ang kanyang pagnanasa na maka-upo sa palasyo ng Malacanang? Wala na ba siyang oras na pinipili kung kaya’t ultimo oras ng kalamidad ay kanyang susugurin para lamang mangampanya at makipag-usap sa iba’t-ibang pulitiko.

Marapat munang isantabi ang pangangampanya dahil hindi pa lubusang nakakabangon ang bansa sa dalawang magkasunod na bagyo na nag-iwan ng matinding sugat sa bansa.

MGA PASABOG NI PING HUDYAT NG MAS MALALIM NA PLANO

Sa unang tingin ay aakalain mo na ang mga rebelasyon ni Senador Ping Lacson noong nakaraang dalawang linggo ay pawang patungkol lamang sa kaniyang malalim na hidwaan kay dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada dahil sa kanilang pagkakasangkot sa mas umiinit na kaso ng pagpatay kay Salvador “Bubby” Dacer at ang kaniyang driver na si Emmanuel Corbito. Ngunit, ang mga unti-unting nahuhukay na impormasyon na mismong si Ping ang nag-siwalat ay may makikitang isang nakakatakot na katotohanan pala.

Matatandaan na minsan nang napabalita ang planong pagpapatayo ng tinatawag na isang caretaker government o Transitional Revolutionary Government (TRG) na diumano’y pagbibidahan ng walang iba kung hindi ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na balak umupo sa ilalim nito bilang Prime Minister. Ayon sa balita, ang dokumento patungkol sa TRG ay ipinakalat pa mismo sa mga liderato ng AFP upang makuha ang kanilang suporta at upang ang mga inisyal na hakbang ay unti-unti nang masimulan.

Ang nasabing “proposal” ay tugon daw upang mabago ang sitwasyong political maging ang sanga-sangang problema sa korupsiyon ng bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagtataguyod ng isang semi-dictatorial at martial law rule sa ilalim ng isang council. Ayon sa plano, si dating Pangulong Corazon Aquino ang kukuning sanang Head of State ng military junta upang ito ay mabigyan ng mukha ng demokrasya, ngunit dahil na rin sa pagkamatay nito bunsod ng cancer ay bumalik ulit sa proseso ng paghahanap para sa isang personalidad na hahalina sa pwesto ni Cory ang mga tao sa likod ng TRG.

Dahil na rin sa mga kapansin-pansing galaw at sinambit ni Ping sa kaniyang privilege speeches ay masasabi nating hindi lang talaga paglilinis ng kaniyang pangalan patungkol sa Dacer case ang kaniyang pakay kung hindi ang pag-priprisinta ng kaniyang sarili bilang isang abang api at natatanging taga-pagtanggol ng bayan laban sa korapsyon. Dahil sa kaniyang artistahing mga patutsada ay maaari niyang maloko ang taong bayan na tanggapin ang kaniyang plano na maging Prime Minister ng bansa.

Bukod sa pagpapapogi sa media ay aktibo din si Ping Lacson sa pagbulong at pagpapakalat ng isang no-election scenario upang takutin ang mga tao at palabasin ang plano bilang isang pakana ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Arroyo. Ayon sa isang source ay tuwang-tuwa si Ping sa mga awayan sa ibat-ibang piling personalidad ng gobyerno dahil ito ay tumutugma para sa kaniyang mga plano.

Dahil dito ay pinapatunayan lamang ni Ping ang kasabihan na pwede talagang mag-anyong tupa ang isang lobo.

Noynoy Aquino giving relief goods with Streamers for 2010 Election

(Photo by Sun Star Pampanga)


While people were trying to help typhoon ondoy victims Noynoy Aquino was busy campaigning. Futhermore, a specific example is that in the province of Pampanga, while everybody was consolidating relief goods for flood victims, Noynoy's supporters were busier putting up Noynoy 2010 streamers along Olongapo-Gapan road. Premature politicing, or just pure aristocratic insensitivity towards those who are suffering? One incumbent was so disgusted that he ordered his people to teardown these campaign paraphernalia in broad day light.

News in Sun Star Pampanga.

Read the full story here:

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/support-noynoy-snowballing-pampanga

ERAP PRESIDENT

The Erap-Jeepneys are back. The old “for the interest of the poor” tunes are at it again. The Kuratong Baleleng rub-out case celebrated well before is now getting its fourteenth year anniversary for nothing. A gang got killed in May 18, 1995 with handcuffs and implanted guns in the crime scene. Witnesses in the likes of Armando Capili, a reporter of Remate as well as SPO2 Eduardo delos Reyes who both gambled their safeties may not be the next presidentiables or senatorial bets but they Erap and Ping could never be half the man these witnesses have been.

Justice failed when the Kuratong victims’ relatives desisted from their testimonies. It failed again when Lacson and Erap both have their tickets into mainstream politics despite the fact that they were both “at question” with Kuratong Baleleng and Dacer Corbito cases. Unfortunately, it will fail over and again for the fourteenth year as the politicking sets in for the forthcoming 2010 elections. This is one concrete example of justice that was not only delayed but altogether denied.

Have we forgotten the fact that Erap plundered millions of tax payers’ money where he was convicted but was later let loose? If the PACC or the PAOC-TF were both criminals shrugged under the rug is the Malacañang or the presidency worth a trash by 2010? By now, Erap is practically rejoicing over the fact that Juan dela Cruz is stubborn enough to take him back. People who might be opposed to the idea are long dead; like the Kuratong, Dacer or Corbito for a case.

The presidency for Erap is made possible by the fact that he had got out of a murder case in flying colors. He was not alone; in fact, he is carrying his best “army” and confidant with him-Lacson. Politicking and gimmickries were both their tickets to a future bearing another stab at graft and corruption. They all have their tempting facades to wave at unwitting voters. Lacson proved he was amazing at nipping the bud out of every malpractice he sniffs under his nose; but for one. He made the PACC and PAOC-TF get away with murders with subordinates paying for his own ill-doing. Erap on the other hand, brush his plunder case aside and is now working at another hocus pocus for the presidency. Eventually by the time we begin holding these people accountable of the crimes they committed it will apparently be too late. They are either untouchable or rallying behind their immunity status.

Erap and Lacson vying for the presidency is nevertheless disgusting after fourteen years of their well-taken cared off high crimes. If fourteen years are still not enough to wake our consciousness then there will be more. Not another gang used and then dismissed for the obvious “turf” covering but maybe 90 million Filipinos exploited to get into absolute power.