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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Human Insecurity
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Aug. 01, 2007 For the Standard Today, August 02 issue In my article Extra-Judicial Blah (July 25, 2007), I had written: �I do not understand why the comrades are making such a fuss over (the Human Security Act). It actually favors them more than it does the law enforcement agencies. If there is anyone who should complain against the HSA, it should be the police and the military. They are being tasked by the law to perform death-defying acts against suspected terrorists, but the law ties one of their hands behind their back, manacles both their feet, and attaches an explosive belt around their waists, ready to be detonated in case they manage to avoid stepping on any of the land mines planted (by the law) in their paths�..� Let me explain. The HSA or Republic Act 9372 declares, as a matter of policy, �to make terrorism a crime against the Filipino people, against humanity, and against the law of nations.� RA 9372 authorizes law enforcement personnel to intercept or eavesdrop on the private communication of suspected terrorists, upon a written order from the Court of Appeals, but excludes the communication of lawyers, doctors and journalists from this authorization. This means the police are not authorized to intercept or eavesdrop on the communication of someone like Ayman al-Zwahiri, the No. 2 man in Al-Qaeda, should he decide to visit the Philippines , since he is a medical doctor. Or, for that matter, of the late Dr. Jesus Lava, co-founder of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas, when it was waging revolution against the government. Or of any number of lawyers in the present Communist movement who are still trying to overthrow the government. RA 9732 also requires that the person being monitored by the police must be informed that he/she is under surveillance and has the right to challenge the police before the Court of Appeals. A police officer who fails to inform the target suspect that he/she is under surveillance can be prosecuted and imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec. 10). RA9732 also requires that if the police file no case against the target suspect, the police must inform the target suspect so, within 30 days of the original letter of authorization from the Court of Appeals. Failure to do so will be cause for the negligent police officer to be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec. 11). RA 9732 also requires that all tapes, discs and recordings done on a subject under surveillance must be submitted in a sealed envelope to the Court of Appeals within a prescribed period, together with all pertinent data, including the number of tapes, discs and recordings, the dates and times of recording, the number of copies made, the date of the original authorization. Any police officer who fails to follow these procedural minutiae can be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec. 12) RA 9732 also states that the sealed envelope in Sec. 12 is declared classified information and cannot be opened, its contents divulged or made public without the written order of the Court of Appeals and without the written notice of the Anti-Terrorism Council that the target suspect has been informed and has authorized the release of this classified information. Any police officer who divulges this information without securing these authorizations can be imprisoned for six to eight years. (Sec. 13). RA 9732 also requires that the written application of the police to open the sealed envelope in Sec. 12 must state the reason for opening the sealed envelope, for revealing its contents, for replaying the recorded conversations or any excerpts thereof, for using any of the said information as evidence in court. Any police officer who fails to state said reasons can be imprisoned for six to eight years. (Sec. 14) RA 9732 also warns that any law enforcement officer who, not being authorized by the Court of Appeals, nevertheless proceeds to monitor a target suspected of terrorism, can be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec. 16) RA 9732 also requires that a target suspect who has been arrested by the police must be turned over to judicial authorities within three days or be released immediately, even in the event of an actual or imminent terrorist attack. Any police officer who fails to do so can be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec. 20). RA 9732 also requires that a target suspect arrested or detained by the police must be informed of the nature or cause of his/her arrest; has the right to remain silent and to have counsel of his/her choice; these rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of his/her counsel, etc etc. Any police officer who violates any of the said rights can be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec. 22). RA 9732 also requires that the police keep a �securely and orderly maintained logbook� for every target suspect arrested or detained for terrorism. Said logbook is declared a public document available for the inspection and scrutiny of his/her counsel, his/her relatives within the fourth civil degree, or by his/her physician at any time of day or night without any form of restriction. Said logbook shall contain �a clear and concise record� of a) name, address and description of detained suspect; b) date and exact time of his initial admission for custodial arrest and detention; c) the name and address of the physician or physicians who examined him/her physically and medically; d) the state of his health and physical condition at the time of his initial admission; e) the date and time of each removal of the detained person from his/her cell for interrogation or for any other purpose; f) the date and time of his/her return to his/her cell; g) the name and address of the physician or physicians who physically and medically examined him/her after each interrogation; h) a summary of the physical and medical findings on the detained suspect after each interrogation; i) the names and addresses of his family members and nearest relatives; j) the names and addresses of persons who visit the detained suspect; k) the date and time of each such visit; l) the date and time of each request of the detained person to communicate and confer with his legal counsel or counsels; m) the date and time of each visit, and the date and time of each departure of his legal counsel or counsels ; n) all other important events bearing on and all relevant details regarding the treatment of the detained person while under custodial arrest and detention. (Not even the methodical German SS lager wardens recorded such minute details about their guests in Auschwitz or Belsen or Dachau . But the super-lawyers who drafted this law forgot to include a mandatory daily inspection of the prisoners� bowel movements. Who knows, such details may prove allegations of police torture and brutality, which Amnesty International would just love to get its cotton-picking hands on. ACA) Any police officer or police unit who fail to keep this official logbook can be imprisoned for 10 to 12 years. (Sec 23). And speaking of torture, RA 9732 also warns that �no threat, intimidation, or coercion, and no act which will inflict any form of physical pain or torment, or mental, moral or psychological pressure, on the detained persons, which shall vitiate his free will, shall be employed in his/her investigation and interrogation for the crime of terrorism, etc. � Any police officer who employs such methods can be imprisoned for 12 to 20 years. (Sec 25). RA 9732 allows the police to look into the bank records of suspected terrorists or suspected terrorist organizations, upon written authorization of the Court of Appeals, but under stringent conditions and for up to 30 days only, If no case is filed within 30 days against the target suspect, the police are required to notify said target suspect that his/her bank records had been examined. A police officer who fails to give said notification to the suspect can be imprisoned for six to eight years. (Sec. 30). RA 9732 also forbids the copying or duplication of the bank records being examined; or, if copies have been made, they have to be placed in a sealed envelope and deposited with the Court of Appeals. Any police officer who fails to do so can be imprisoned for six to 12 years. (Sec. 32). Lack of space does not allow me to enumerate here other provisos in RA 9732. But special mention must be made of the proviso that states that if a target suspect is acquitted or the case against him/her is dropped, the amount of P500,000 a day shall be paid to him/her for the period in which his/her bank assets were seized or frozen The amount will be taken from the appropriations of the police or law enforcement agency that caused the filing of charges against him/her (Sec 41). RA 9732 also requires that if a target suspect is acquitted, he/she shall be entitled to the payment of damages in the amount of P500,000 a day for the period that he/she was deprived of liberty or arrested without warrant as a result of such an accusation. The amount is also charged against the appropriations of the police agency that brought the charges against him/her. (Sec. 50). (This proviso could possibly start a cottage industry in fake terrorists leaving fake evidence to be picked up by unsuspecting (or complicit) police officers, who are thus conned into making false arrests, making the police agency liable for damages to the fake terrorists. P500,000 a day are too tempting to be ignored. For that amount, many would be willing to play Communist or jihadist terrorist for a few days or weeks. ACA) The fact that RA 9732 allows the police only 3 days to hold a suspect before they have to charge him/her in court or release him/her, assumes that the Philippine police are much more efficient than the Australian police (who have 12 days), the British police (who have 28 days, soon to be 56 days), or the Singaporean police (who have two years, extendable for another two years). An assumption which the super-lawyers who crafted this hilarious document should explain to the incredulous or uninformed public. Given the narrow time frame during which they have to build a case against a suspect, amid all the bureaucratic and legal land mines that they have to scrupulously avoid stepping on, and the real possibility of bankrupting their own organization or spending three to 20 years of their lives in jail, from a single misstep, I would not blame the police if they were to be afflicted with Human Insecurity and decide, �To hell with this horse manure. Let the terrorists blow up what they want to blow up, starting with the Batasan and the Senate.� ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Human Insecurity� More Reactions to �Extra-Judicial Blah� More Reactions to �Concerts on DVD� More Reactions to �Strong Peso Hurts� � Ireland as a Model for the Philippines � �Capital Offense� �Hell Explained� Dear Tony, How can the citizens be law abiding? With so many laws, even lawyers and maybe many judges do not even know many of them. Some laws are unjust and unfair, favoring certain sectors at the expense of other sectors. These laws are mostly twisted political influences. Land Reform, CARP are some. Why parcelize productive land and distribute to people who could not maintain its productivity like the Menzi Plantation in Mati, Davao Oriental. The Minimum Wage Law is the cause of our nation�s poverty. Workers and employees do minimum work because their pay is minimum. It is about time to change it into Maximum Wage Law, where workers and employees are paid maximum compensation according to their productivity. There should be incentive increase of compensation for increasing productivity, which in the present minimum wage law, all extra gain in productivity all goes to the employer. Very unjust. Rex Rivera (by email),Gen. Santos City, Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Wow! Gloria Arroyo is really that stupid to have signed the Human Security Bill into law. Just like another latest stupid move, that of asking for Emergency Powers to facilitate the building of power plants to solve the water crisis. Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City , Aug. 03, 2007 (As far as I know, President Arroyo has not asked for emergency powers �to facilitate the building of power plants to solve the water crisis.� Power plants do not solve the water crisis. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Is a defective law better than no law at all???? Ernie Aragon, (by email), Aug. 03, 2007 (No. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, The implementation of R.A. 93721 can be a profit-making business. All it takes is a corrupt citizen in connivance with a corrupt military or civilian officer to concoct a scheme that has the appearance of a terrorist plan. And because of insufficient evidence, the "fake terrorist" is released with all the rights to file and recover compensation for the wrongful act he received from the enforcement agencies of the government. Splitting the compensation money is another lucrative source of income at the expense of our government. Jose Sison Luzadas, (by email), Delray Beach , Florida , Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I believe that Republic Act 9732 is not what these people are complaining about. The problem here is the mistrust of the GMA administration. Just read the Pimentel decision on the Trillanes IV case and you know what I mean. Thanks. Bert Celera, (by email), Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi ACA, For all intents and purposes, the HSA is a weak and spineless anti-terrorist law. It is nothing compared to the very rigid US and UK versions and these are countries that adhere more to human rights. The HSA has all the trappings of how not to arrest a terrorist. Rather than protect the victims of terrorism, the HSA gives emphasis on how to protect terrorists. The conditions set by the HSA are too extreme as they weaken the police that making arrest becomes almost futile. It will only encourage extremists to use other alternatives like "salvaging" or wasting suspected terrorists to make their jobs easier than suffer the aggravation and consequences imposed by the HSA. Cesar M. de los Reyes, (by email), Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Which terrorist organization drafted that law? I would like to make P500,000 per day. Where do I sign up to be labeled a terrorist? Peter Capotosto, (by email), Aug. 03, 2007 (Try the Batasan or the Senate. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I am appalled at learning the details of the HSA, as pointed out in your column. What on earth were our legislators thinking of? Why pass any such law at all? Has the president signed this act of Congress? (Yes. ACA) If so, she is equally guilty of incredible stupidity. A better name for it would be the Terrorism Development Act (TDA). Robert Paradies, (by email), San Francisco , CA , Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, This is the friendliest surveillance initiative ever undertaken by any country or government in the world. With this type of surveillance, any suspect could make big bucks. The surveillance makes it like a super reality show "Big Brother is Watching" and he is letting you know. My greatest fear about the system is that certain segments of the tapes may find their way on YouTube or to the waiting arms of porno executives if the suspect happens to be sexually active. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email) New York City , Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If these are the ground zero implications of the Human Security Act, the lawmakers who crafted it most probably be condoning deep in their hearts extra judicial killings. Why bother with legal procedures, they are such a tedious bore, dead men tell no tales. Since Pinoys are fond of getting around the law, short circuiting, bastardizing, short cutting, etc., this particular law most probably be a conspiracy of sorts coming from both extreme left and right factions to inflict further legal and physical mayhem on the 'helpless' silent majority. This particular law is such a juicy plate for shaping the current debate, aspiring pseudo oppositionists with ambitions of becoming congressmen, senators, etc, in the future would have a wider window of opportunity for free media exposure. Felix Zamar, (by email), Aug. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Agree with your observations. However, let's hope 1. victims are not killed to avoid witnesses 2. the administration will prosecute the violators. Fritz Maramba , (by email), Aug. 04, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You are very right on all counts. I won�t be surprised if a policeman should decide to be a terrorist himself to be on the safer side and have a lesser risk of being imprisoned. Ha! Ha! But thank you again for exposing the terrorist-protective "small letters" in the Human Security Act. Pura Flor Isleta, (by email), Aug. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Unedited) Don't be afraid on HSA This is a concrete justification of government�s effort to end threats to our country and the Filipino people as well. What I believed that human security is a term that can mean all and nothing; it is as elusive as it is appealing. As a most general observation, human security can be considered as freedom from death, poverty, pain, fear or whatever else makes people feel insecure. In this sense, almost any matter concerning people's lives can fall within the scope of human security, rendering it conceptually vague and of little practical use. Yet the concept of human security reflects a genuine and widespread concern especially to the progressive and militant individuals. A number of forces who don�t want social change form the background to these concerns. For me it introduces how to solve threats faced by our people in today's world. It outlines the initiatives and their limitations wherein our government considers the context in which human security has gained importance. Sayre Espulgar, (by email), Aug. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I think you have previously expounded on the differences between the right and the left before, especially in the context of why we have not really progressed in relation to other Asian countries, who have taken the fast track and left us eating their dust. I used to compare the right and the left with respect to authoritarianism. The monarchic history of the term � e.g., the Tories in England and in US colonial history � presupposes that authoritarians are rightists and the liberals are leftists. Yet the most authoritarian regimes in current times really are the communists. Recall that when Chinese students wanted to emulate EDSA I, they were immediately cut to size by the PLA. President Clinton, a Democrat, is a liberal, following the party ideology. The Republicans are really exasperated with how things are turning out in the US , thanks to the Democrats (e.g., see �Liberalism is a Mental Disorder�, by Michael Savage). Thus in many new policies of the US government that have caused disillusionment to Christian fundamentalists, Clinton �s 8-year presidency must share the blame together with the US Courts and Congress. Raul Manglapus introduced me to the need to have a leftist and a rightist party during his courtship with Ka Luis Taruc, who joined him in the Presidential campaign for the Christian Social Movement against Marcos in the mid-60s. All indications, at least to me then, was that Philippine voters could not care less and it was the popularity of Marcos that enabled him to win, and it indeed was by a landslide (the COMELEC was then more professional). It was the solid north, nothing ideological, simply a personality issue. How else could it be when presidentiables almost always were turncoats? Thus we must have two major parties � one on the right and another on the left � and perhaps one or two independent. Other party lists, if we chose to retain that system, will have to be minor in comparison. To me the clearest evidence of Manglapus� example of compliance with the electorate�s wishes for a shift from liberalism to authoritarianism was the defeat of the Tories in the mid-�70s and the assumption of power by Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Party in the UK . From being the �sick man of Europe� (when I was there in 1975, London was just about the cheapest city to live in while transport workers and garbage collectors were often on strike) the UK moved to being one of the most progressive. Where in the world can you squat on someone else�s property and be protected, giving the burden of relocating you to the prejudiced owner? Where in the world can government not execute a well-planned and well-studied program of infrastructure development because of squatters and those who claim environmental issues whereas the people your wish to relocate do nothing except do harm to the environment by their garbage, sewage and cutting down all the trees? In the Philippines , liberalism is not only a mental disorder; it is a national calamity. Chuck (Agustin), (by email, Aug. 07, 2007 President, National Defense College of the Philippines wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Extra-Judicial Blah� (July 27, 2007) Estra-judicial killings happen when: 1. There is a strong perception that justice cannot be attained with the present judicial system of the country. 2. Those in authority do not believe in the present judicial system themselves. They do not want to get involved in long endless litigations. 3. There is so much corruption in the judiciary; hoodlums in robes.. 4. The present judicial system called "due process" is used conveniently to do injustice and more business for lawyers and law practitioners. 5. Those that believe justice is an eye for an eye. 6. People who are not followers and believers of the teachings of Jesus Christ on forgiveness and mercy. Why forgive those who do not admit their sins. Just send them to hell. 7. People who believe that they are unsafe, unless the criminals are eliminated to kingdom come. 8. Those who believe justice is punishment and not reform. 9. Those who do not believe there is divine justice that no one can escape. 10. Those who prefer to take the law in their own hands as promoted by violent movies. Rex Rivera (by email), Gen. Santos City, Aug. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, When I think of our condition, I am reminded of Plato's Parable of the Cave. The reason why we behave this way is because we are still caved in the la-la land of a democratic subculture that is hopelessly dysfunctional. Only people outside the cave can see objectively about their conditions. I may sound elitist, but I think Plato is on the right track when he talks about the Philosopher King. In fact, your solution reminds me of just that---the country must be ushered out of the cave by intellectual and technocratic statesmen into a world governed by law and order. We have to do this in order to punish the corrupt, redress the aggrieved, and to pursue without hesitation and distraction the dramatic infrastructural and economic changes needed to lift the living standard of our people. Then and only then, can we say that our people will truly be free. Efren N.Padilla, Ph.D, (by email), San Francisco Bay Area, Aug. 06, 2007. Professor of, Sociology, California State University at East Bay (How do we get the Philosopher-Kings known when Philippine media are focused almost exclusively on trapos, communists and coup plotters? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony-- Congratulations on your coverage of that atrocious bill that puts the chains on the police forces and practically gives free time and space to terrorists. What a farce. Security Act for whom? Rose (Sobrepena), (by email), Aug. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Concerts on DVD� (July 24, 2007) Dear Tony, The advent of You Tube has enabled us to enjoy the works of the masters, from Bach and Beethoven to Grieg and Liszt, at no cost at all. Happy listening. Tony Evangelista, (by email), Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Aug 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Upon reading the reactions to the above subject, I cannot help myself but jump on the bandwagon. For the short period of time I have been following your columns, this is the first time I have seen all your readers to be totally in agreement with what you've written. And who can dispute this? Music is the food of the soul so they say. In my case, I've always enjoyed listening to classical music ever since I was a kid growing up in the Philippines . I am fascinated by the marches and "Colonel Bogey March or �Bridge on the River Kwai " is one of my favorites. To this day, this kind of music inspires and motivates me in my dreams and aspirations in life. I was able to get a few DVDs at bargain prices when I was in the Philippines in January of this year. I was just thinking. With the much positive atmosphere that the above column has generated, why don't we try to adopt this as a medium for a "backdoor approach" in offering solutions to solving our country's problems? Who knows, it might just work. Regards, Noe Castanos, (by email), Toronto , Ont. , Canada , Aug. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I, too, love music and, thanks to the Internet, I no longer buy CDs or DVDs. All I have to do is to download it via Limewire. I even downloaded Mahler's Symphony No. 2 there. And if you have DSL or broadband connection, it entails only few minutes to download, compared to dial-up that takes hours. FYI. Jun Valenzuela, (by email), Aug. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I don't exactly know if Filipinos who say they love classical music or have acquired a taste for classical music really go for the music, its colorful instrumentation, its composition, or the reputation of the composer or old masters or something else. I really have my doubts if by listening to classical music on DVDs alone really elevates the mind of the average "listener" of aficionado to discern the higher forms of classical music, than a front row seat experience in an opera theater with a live symphony orchestra playing both contemporary composers pieces with that of the old masters. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City , Aug. 08, 2007 (Why not? I fell in love with classical music when I was about 14 years old, when one of my hobbies was shortwave radio. I have been listening to classical music almost everyday since then. I did not enter a concert hall until I was 23 or 24 years old. (When we were operating Erehwon Bookshop, we sold hundreds, even one or two thousands, of cassettes of classical music, and easily 95% of our buyers were men. That told me that women in general do not really enjoy classical music as much as men do. Women enjoy going to concerts because it gives them an excuse to dress up and be seen by other women. But men who like classical music do so because it stirs their souls, whether they go to concerts often, seldom or never. Have I just stirred up another hornet�s nest? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: So glad to know you have Rodrigo's Arranquez and the beautiful essence the music this piece conveys. I'm wondering on a scale of 10 where you mark it. I will be looking for the Concierto Madrigal and Fantasia that you mentioned. (Maybe 6 to 8, depending on who is playing it. There are so few guitar concertos in the repertoire, although there are hundreds, even thousands, of short guitar pieces. The best, for me, is Recuerdos de la Alhambra, by Francisco Tarrego. ACA) Reading the readers� comments, I am absolutely amazed and literally proud how many of our people are into classical music. It is surprising to see our people appreciate the finer taste in music. Just simply amazing. I was just thinking and perhaps somehow suggesting if anyone has come up with a list of the best 100 Filipino Films ever made. If none has been compiled, it may be something to consider as a future project. It will help us expatriates stay in touch with this segment of Filipino Arts. Then perhaps paintings, plays, etc. Just curious as to when you plan to visit California ? Is the Sacramento area one of the points of interest you wish to visit? It is a 20-minute drive from the capital to our hometown. Oscar Apostol, (by email)), Roseville, CA, Aug. 10, 2007 (I made a vow in 2003, together with my then card-carrying Republican American brother-in-law � he has since died � that we would never go back to the US as long George W is president. So, maybe after January 2009. ACA) Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Strong Peso Hurts� (July 31, 2007) Dear Sir, I am avid reader of your articles via the net. I found your thinking very informative and logical on how to deal with diversified issues you are tackling. To mention a few are the following topics �Moro-moro in Maguindanao� �In One Generation II� Human Security Suggestions �Chitang, Somewhere� �In One Generation� �We Cannot Let This Happen� What�s She Smoking? �Their Perfect Society� �Fidel Castro Trillanes� �A Funny Thing Happened�..� I am writing to you because of the current situation now in the exchange rates changes for the past year�it is not really helping us OFW nor the masses in the Philippines . I joined the sentiments of the below OFWs who forwarded the e-mail from Mr. Caranta to all of their friends hoping that there will be some solution on the matter. I am thinking sometimes that if we OFW are becoming selfish? But since it is obvious that the masses where most of us belong are not benefiting on the supposed to be �improvement� in the economy, I can say now that we are the VICTIMS.. I hope you can do something about our concern. Though I am sure that this is known already to our genius economists out there, but their ears are closed since we OFWs are known to be patient and helpless. We cannot even boycott not to send out remittances in the Philippines because our families will die starving�. God Bless you sir and may He give you perfect health for you to continue voicing out your ideas for the betterment of the many���Regards Nap Apolto, (by email), July 25, 2007 OFW wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Lets face it. We are a consumer economy. Everything we consume we do not produce locally. A strong peso means that we can buy more and enjoy more simply because everything is almost imported or at least the raw materials used are imported. Of course if we were a production economy when we export things to other countries we get hurt. O ur strong peso means we can buy cheaper fertilizers, oil, or rice , and sugar. But then we import more than we export and what we import we consume. So how does the ordinary Pilipino get hurt by a strong peso? A strong peso means they should roll back gasoline, electricity, lpg, etc Chasan, (by email), Aug. 13, 2007 (But �they� don�t. Our Meralco bill is now higher even though our consumption is less. And the LPG we buy costs more now than it did last year. As for the ordinary Filipino, 50 million low- and middle-income Filipinos are now getting 18% less pesos for every dollar remitted to them by their relatives abroad. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Great treatise, Tony. BUT the peso, strong or weak, doesn't hurt me anymore as it used to. What the hell! GMA is here and here to stay! Only an act of God will save the day for this God-forsaken country! GMA forever? Let the military, especially the marines answer that. I am and have always been a lover of history. and all i can see right now is that history, for all its complexities, shall repeat itself- remember Marcos? �and when it does, may the good Lord have mercy on all of us Filipinos! And our country, too! Have a nice day, Tony. And please! Don't you DARE abandon your (ours, too, you know) CRUSADE! GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ALWAYS! Jeremias Decena, (by email), Aug. 13, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, It is not impossible for the Philippines to attain some traits or characteristics inherent in first world countries because the country is in the developing industrialized country category. It is not in the fourth estate category where there is a quantum leap from fourth to first. Eventually the number of countries in the third world country classification will shrink particularly in Asia and Pacific. China, who normally exports goods for developed or advanced economies, will eventually find itself importing from neighboring countries finished products to meet the needs of its population.(because their own labor is no longer cheap and its resources are being used up fast and needed to be preserved). India who has been a beneficiary of the internet business, will eventually find a portion of its business going to the Philippines ( a think you have seen the emergence of call centers now in the Philippines ). Cheap labor and natural resources will assist third world countries rise from their current levels of economic dependence from developed countries. As long as the economic growth exceeds the population growth, the income levels of its people will rise (and the country is "safe"). As for the advance or developed countries that are experiencing population stagnation or slow population growth and aging population, they will continue to encourage immigration or obtain cheaper labor into their countries.The third world countries or estates as you may want to call them will provide these developed countries their manpower needs. As I see it. Asia grows ahead and Africa lags, for now. Don't ridicule Arroyo yet for she may have the last laugh after all ! Hehehehehehe Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City , Aug. 13, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, Thank you for enlightening me with various situations vis-a-vis a strong peso or weak peso and a strong dollar or weak dollar. There was also this article together with your email which says that China with its hoard of one trillion dollars in treasury certificates would use it as a weapon to blackmail the US government (that is, to sell them and convert them to euros or some other currency ) With regards to the situation mentioned in the paragraph above, I believe that this is a bogeyman raised which in the end will not prosper because then the European countries will side with the US government to protect the status quo. You can just imagine the Chinese government selling the dollar for the euro and all other countries following them, the European community will be happy at first, but in the next stages will be worried when their currency suddenly becomes very strong, and would then cause internal adjustments within the European Union which we know is not that stable yet. Lets say the Chinese government converts its currency to a basket of currencies without the US dollar, this would only make the other countries wary because in the future the same thing will happen to them, they can always dump them again for another currency. It would throw the whole world currency system in disorder and chaos, and the Chinese whatever they say will not want this to happen in the endgame. The Chinese are very intelligent people who always plan ahead, I say, look beyond the box, Do we really think that the world will accept the Cchinese yuan as a replacement for the US dollar as the stable currency, I dare say no, not yet, not in the foreseeable future anyway. I would love to receive your views with regards to this scenario.. (All the Chinese want is for the US to stop their campaign a) to force the revaluation of the yuan; and b) to malign Chinese export products. ACA) And p.s. yes I agree that the Arroyo government should fix the exchange rate for the time being, but we all know that she does not have the guts to do it. Sunder Gidwani, (by email), Aug. 13, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Capital Offense (What have you got against capital letters? I had to spend about 30 minutes capitalizing what should have been capitalized by you. I am not a merciful and forgiving God. ACA) Dear Tony (my unforgiving god): Ho ho ho ho. Touche. I have nothing against capital letters. I am just too lazy to punch the shift key for those capital letters. You are not the first one to call my attention to this. Now that I am following writing in accordance with writing conventions, will you now forgive me? I cannot, however, promise not to lapse back to my clerical (grammatical, typographical, punctuational and spelling) errors. More often than not, I now write from the top of my head (stream of consciousness?) without a competent staff to proof-read, edit or correct what I write. If you are an exacting, and unforgiving god as you say you are, I must say you are a patient god - spending 30 minutes of your time doing what has to be done with my piece. Ric de Leon, (by email), Aug. 06, 2007 (You are forgiven. You may now enter Paradise . God) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Ireland as a Model for the Philippines Tony, We decry the lack of economic progress in the Philippines . We should not despair because Ireland with a history like our country is able to achieve an economic miracle in just 15 years. We should study how Ireland was able to achieve this progress. The Filipinos have been described by Hamilton Sides (author of Ghost Soldiers) as the Irish of Asia. We, too, can do what the Irish have done. I attach here the article written by Andres Oppenheimer in the Miami Herald for your comments. Thanks. Virgilio Gonzales, (by email), Aug. 03, 2007 ( Ireland �s success is/was due to its entry into the European Union, which allowed foreign manufacturers to take advantage of Ireland �s low wages, relative to the rest of the EU at that time, by locating factories in Ireland to sell their products in the larger EU market. Ireland would not be able to replicate that success now since there are new entrants into EU with even lower wage scales [( Poland , Hungary , Romania , Czech Republic , etc.] ACA). wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hell Explained The following is an actual question given in a University of Washington chemistry mid term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well : Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... .leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting: "Oh my God." THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+. (And Teresa experienced God! ACA) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |