| Moral Force
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on April 13, 2009 For the Standard Today, April 14 issue It is gratifying to note that in the past two weeks, developments in the political arena have been focused on the need for moral renewal, on the need to search for and find leaders whose primary selling point would be their perceived capability to bring about a moral revival in our public life. For a country seemingly hopelessly mired in immorality, from the top down, this is a Herculean task. Can our new moral leaders succeed in cleaning up the Augean stables? Or will they be swept along by the culture of immorality that pervades our political culture and be co-opted by the Forces of Darkness without making a dent on their armor? We shall see what we shall see. The most promising of these neo-moralist initiatives is the Moral Force Movement that was first proposed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno in several public pronouncements in the past six months or so. The Movement seems to have finally gelled last Tuesday, April 7 with the identification of the members of its core group. A hard launch is being planned for May 8. I say �promising� because the members of its core group were well chosen. Among them are former Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Henrietta de Villa who is also chair of the Catholic Church�s Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting; Marixi Prieto, chair of the Philippine Daily Inquirer; Retired General Jaime Echeverria, president of the Association of Generals and Flag Officers; former Finance Undersecretary Milwida Guevara; Andres Bautista, dean of the Law School of the Far Eastern University. Also members of its core group are student leader Noorain Sabdulla, one of the Ten Outstanding Students awardees in 2008; Msgr Gerardo Santos, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines; and Methodist Bishop Emerito Nacpil. PLDT chair Manny V. Panganiban is said to have been invited to the core group but has not yet given his consent. The prominent individuals in its core group give due representation to key sectors in Philippine middle-class society: the Catholic laity, the Catholic and Protestant Churches, civil society, the military, media, the uncorrupted bureaucracy, the students and the Muslim minority, and, if Pangilinan joins, the business community. The presence of Mrs. Prieto ensures adequate exposure in print and cyber media. In Lawyer Bautista, a telegenic fixture in TV talk shows, the Movement would have an effective spokesman and public face on TV. Notice, too, that there are no trapos and no Communists in its core group. I have lamented many times in the past that the failure of earlier protest movements against the Arroyo regime have been due to the presence of trapos (especially the convicted plunderer Erap, who has been trying to make a political comeback since Oakwood 2003) and the Communists and their red flags in the (largely poorly attended) street protests.. I have written several times that for the protest movement to gain the participation of the crucial middle class, trapos (like Erap) and Communists should be excluded from its leadership. I am glad that some people are finally realizing the validity of that limitation. And to keep the Movement from acquiring a narrowly Roman Catholic complexion, the inclusion of Methodist Bishop Nacpil was wise and was no doubt pushed by none other than CJ Puno, who is a Methodist lay preacher himself. Unlike Nandy Pacheco�s Ang Kapatiran Party (recognized by the Comelec in May 2004), which bases its much ballyhooed political platform on the social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, a turn-off for many middle-class Filipino Roman Catholics who favor and use artificial methods of birth control. And unlike TV Evangelist Eddie Villanueva, who launched his Bagong Pilipinas political party (not yet recognized by the Comelec) last March 28, whose gatherings have a distinctly Born Again Protestant revival meeting atmosphere. (In the 2004 presidential elections, many Roman Catholics flocked to Villanueva�s side because of the perceived absence of a moral alternative among the candidates then, which gave him six percent of the total votes cast.. I suspect many of those Roman Catholics will now flock instead to the non-sectarian, religion-neutral Moral Force Movement.) And unlike Harvey Keh�s Kaya Natin movement which has coyly pushed for the candidacies of Pampanga Gov. Fr. Ed Among Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca for offices not yet clearly spelled out but generally inferred to be those of president and vice-president. Like Shakespeare�s Hamlet, Gov. Fr. Among Ed Panililio has been debating with himself � discerning, as he likes to call it � whether to resign from the priesthood and run for president OR to retire from politics and return to the priesthood. To be or not to be, and all that. Actually, he has been �discerning� for a very long time, if Bro. Eddie Villanueva is to be believed. According to Villanueva, his supporters have been talking to Gov. Panlilio since November 2007 or some 17 months ago, on the possibility of a Villanueva-Panlilio team-up for 2010. On March 25, 2009,.according to Villanueva, Panlilio�s supporters, led by Keh, tried to convince him (Villanueva) to join a �selection process� for a common standard bearer. But Villanueva said he turned down the offer because Panlilio�s supporters had already made up their minds on a Panlilio-Padaca team-up. (Inquirer, March 29).Previous to, or simultaneous with, this, Panlilio�s supporters also tried to team him up with Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas, with Gov. Padaca apparently demoted to a senatorial slot in the LP ticket. It must come as a shock to Panlilio supporters who thought they had nothing less than God�s chosen Avenging Angel, to learn that he or his backers have been trying to engage in some serious horse-trading with other presidential wannabes. Besides, what does it say about the character of the man that he has been �discerning� (or indecisive) for the past 17 months? And if he could not find it in him to file criminal charges against his predecessors, Mark Lapid and his father now Sen. Lito Lapid, for unexplained shortages (about P325 million a year) in the collection of quarrying fees, why should we believe him when he says that he will run after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if and when he becomes president? The imperative of a Moral Force is that one must confront Evil and wrestle it to the ground until one defeats it, or one dies or is killed trying to defeat it.. Anything less than that is only Moral Farce. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Moral Force� More Reactions to �Obama�s Vietnam� Moral Force or Moral Farce? Unhealthy Moral and Spiritual Values of Priests New AFP Chief-of-Staff Center for Futuristics Studies and Management Newspapers and Columnists Are you being blocked again? Re: Advice from a 97-yr old doctor Socialists and Communists Hi, Tony I read with amusement your article about Bro. Ed Villanueva and Fr. Panlilio. This discernment process is as fruitless as trying to separate the wheat from the chaff during harvest time. How about the creation of a moral infrastructure? How about the revival of the time of our fathers when officials resigned at the slightest hint of scandal? I would like to hear the candidates platform on reducing unemployment. Best regards, Emil Medina, (by email), April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww We can go ahead installing the Revolutionary Government through People's Initiative and Referendum which shall install as one its main features a Run Off Election and a CORRECTED 1987 Constitution. Item No. 5 in our ACC4CC or PROJECT: AGAK list would take care of the "justiciable controversy" the Lower House wants the SC(w/ majority GMA Appointees) would be asked to rule. That is risky and dangerous to our Democracy. It's safer for the People to directly re-affirm and recharge our Peope-Power-Installed Democracy per RA 6735 or the People's Initiative and Referendum Act. Calling all patriotic and Freedom loving Filipinos. Roman R. Guerrero, (by email), April 15, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww TONY, We Filipinos are fond of entertaining many ideas in our midst, not because we are damn but because we claim to know everything.. However, there were times when we forgot to use our common sense, especially in voting our leaders in this country. That's why every time we had a corrupt government, we come out of so many alternative solutions. One of them is to create a" movement".The so called Moral movement of chief justice Puno is nothing new to us. I don't want to put malice to their intentions, but if the reason of putting up a moral movement is to lead us to our "salvation", then I doubt if they are the right people to lead the movement. I ask, did they pay correct taxes in the pasts? Ako ay nagtatanung lang. My common sense dictates, that in order to have a moral Philippines, our so called leaders in the executive, legislative and the judiciary should provide us first, jobs, healthcare, land to the landless, justice, education, shelter, clean environment, a safe society, good governance and others services that have been long overdue for us. Then MORALITY would takes its course even without asking for it. [email protected], April 15, 2009 (You make it sound so easy. How many countries have you run lately? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Moral Farce !? Hahaha. That really made my day. Advocatus Diaboli, [email protected], April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww TOKS - YOU SHOULD BE IN THE CORE GROUP! I will join - if you are there! Tony Oposa, MD, (by email), April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony: While I agree with you on the imperatives for Chief Justice Reynato Puno's Moral Force movement, I am not optimistic --realistically speaking-- our people will reap its benefits, unless something triggers it so our masses (pushed by society's pressure groups) appreciate its role in our national daily lives. As CJ Puno explained it to me in the two meetings we had in the past 30 days, our political-social-economic reformations must come peacefully and via evolutionary processes. For the country to realize the full benefits of reformation, there must be a catalyst--or an event--to bring this about. Cory Aquino could not have succeeded if Ninoy was not murdered on the tarmac; Erap Estrada could not been ousted if the revelations by whistle-blower Chavit Singson had not triggered it. And in both instances, the military and religious establishments led the final move. One thing that must be immediately done: the presidential aspirants must be convinced to present their concrete programs of governments--exactly what will they do about public issues (on the economy, social equity, domestic politics, foreign relations and the environment). On the other hand, the constituents, regardless of their educational attainments--must differentiate between the doables and empty political promises/patronages/vote buying. As futurists, we must not overlook another possibility: in case of a failed election what will likely ensue? And what will be the role of our judicial institution? Cheers. Gil H. A. Santos, (by email), April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If there is a prima-facie evidence against the Lapids, I believe anyone in the Philippines can apply to the courts if Fr. Panlilio is hesitant. As we all know, this requires money, time and guts to proceed. Best wishes to the Moral Force Movement, there must be someone or some-ones in the country who would cut the profile to lead the country. Worse comes to worse, maybe from outside. As a former Roman Catholic, former 'born-again' (JIL of Eddie Villanueva 25 years ago), and now a 'reformed' Protestant (mixture of Methodist and Presbyterian) I hope to witness a 'transformed' Philippine nation and society before I be assigned to the great beyond. Many thanks, Tony. Rev. Bert Dellosa, (by email) Melbourne, Australia, April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Let us pray for this moral force movement. It gives fresh hope to our very sick land. Col. (Ret.) Hector Tarzan Tarrazona, (by email), April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony. I reacted with "here we go again attitude" when I started reading your article that a group of moralists is organizing to evangelize some changes in the political and overall arena of life in the Philippines. It is a jaded response on my part and I apologize. We love to brag that the Philippines is the only Catholic country in the Far East, as if to say we are all going to heaven being Catholics. In blog lingo I would remark lol. If you look closer at this clean image our people imparts, the religious picture does not match the life our Catholic brothers and sisters live, In every turn of their life they violate and contradict the fundamental teachings of the Church. They practice birth control, abortion, cohabit neighbors' wive (s), steal, murder lives and ignore other God's commandments. The irony of course, is the public's full acceptance and justification all these violations as a matter of convenience and privilege. Nobody bats an eye. How many Filipinos have accumulated wealth from ill and evil ways and look everyone in the eye as being privileged and righteous? And with an attitude to treat poor people with disdain and despicable completely ignoring we should clothe our brothers. We certainly have a serious moral dilemma in the country. A group such as this is needed to galvanize the good and the decent. No trapos and communist activists please! They are scums. Good, honest and decency in a country is often tempered by graft, corruption and dire economy that allows people of power to abuse and manipulate. This is not an easy fix. It should be a long-term endeavor to fix bad accepted ways practiced for a long time and to develop a generation of morality mind set. It will take discipline and respect to make the change. Thank you Tony and have a Happy Easter! Oscar Apostol, (by email), Rocklin, CA.. April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I can sense the excitement in your latest column, the MORAL FORCE. Your words seem to be jumping in jubilation and again I can see a ray of hope for our long suffering country, almost identical to the one when Governor Among Ed Panlilio made the right moves after only a few months in office. Although much remains to be seen, there are so many valid reasons as you pointed out for us to believe that finally the Philippines is on the road to recovery. We cannot afford to be skeptical at this point in time, but only be hopeful, inspired and as one of the thousands of OFW's away from home, unite and find ways and means to support this new MORAL FORCE directly or indirectly which could mean participating in the absentee voting, come election time and many more one can ever think of. The task ahead is indeed Herculean by all proportions, however, remember what happened to Goliath? Noe Castanos, (by email), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 17, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I have a problem with this moral force, for what it is, just moral. The voters in the hinterlands do not even understand what is moral. I had one time attended a peace rally sponsored by the archdiocese of our province and spearheaded by our bishop himself, with the same message that this moral force is advocating, yet voters still went on with their merry ways - selling votes. And the bad thing with the system of campaigning now in the rural areas, candidates no longer talk or speak on platforms to present their platform of government, but stage a town hall meeting with leaders in barangays and the goods are directly delivered to them. This is apart from the goodies given during the day of the election. How are they going to drive the message of morality on this kind of voters. Anyway, let's hope that they will succeed. We'll wait and see.Thanks and more power! Bert Celera, (by email), April 17, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, The article on the "Moral Force" movement is well written as usual. It is indeed encouraging to see that there are "qualified" individuals out there who are more than willing to take up the cudgels to try and improve this country. However, IMHO, Marixi Prieto of the PDI is not one of them. I remember the PDI endorsing JDV in 1998 and Gloria in 2004. The PDI also endorsed several Marcosian people to the Senate, which includes their columnist who died before the 1998 elections. I hope this movement will not be torpedoed by the Gloria people masquerading as members of a "moral force". Robbie Tan, (by email), April 17, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, All those people (of the core group) may be honest or not, but they need a big crowd of followers who also should be the same morally honest. Where they are and how one can control their honesty? The most honest people are the poor and poorest but they will never join such movement just out of fear and inability to participate. You want to push GMA out of the Palace? You need more than a million protesters rallying to Malacanang. From where they come if at every critical time heavily armed soldiers and police block the roads to Manila? How the poor can afford to travel and their foods and needs? If the organizers pay for, immediately it is blamed to be a paid rally. About Erap, like him or not, he could remain the only one able to unite an opposition, just look how the people flock to every Erap visit. Blaming him to be a plunderer is not really fair since the money he has been accused and sentenced for, if ever it was his money, was not a public fund and therefore not covered by the term of plunder. Just like GMA and FG, no plunder raps possible because if FG has his hands in public funds, he is a private person and GMA anyway untouchable. Additional, public money like the Tabac taxes in Erap's case have been diverted by Singson. That really he delivered it to Erap has never been witnessed or proven. The date is wrong at his testimony, the circumstances are wrong, the boxes could not hold the amount and it would be much too heavy as Singson could have carried it from his car to Erap's house. But even it has been established that Singson could not have delivered the money as he said in his testimony, Estrada has been sentenced for plunder. Contrary to his case, did ever anyone investigate how Ignacio Arroyo could own the Pidal account after declaring a marginal income for the preceding years? Or how he has been able, as reported, to spend dozens or more millions for his campaign? And how he can own now a wealth in the hundreds of millions without ever to declare a corresponding income? Or, as reported, how FG can afford to stay in Las Vegas during Paquiao fights at thousands of dollars per night accomodation? Together with flight and other expenses, easy it could reach 20000 Dollar or about a million Pesos for just three days. FG has a very good wealth, but no declared income that would allow to spend millions that easy. A president Erap, if ever elected, would at least have the biggest number of voters behind him, without poll cheating, since his victory anyway would be hindered in any possible way by the administration. And if elected, there would be countless outvoted and jealous people, watching anything he does. If ever he really was wrongdoing as President, he would hardly be able to do it again. Not to mention that he himself would be very interested to show his innocence and honesty. Another problem with a group like that of Puno is that people, voters, want one leader, not a group. That is ok for a transition government or even a revolutionary government. Which then cannot have high ranking clericals as members since the church is apolitical (is it?) and too, esp. the Catholic Church is by far not that clean and innocent as they describe themselves. The Church has killed and tortured countless people around the world, even eliminated societies like in South America. Of course all in the name of the Lord, but never forgetting to take all the wealth and properties of the victims. How about all the cases where the Vatican Bank was accused as a laundering facility for bloody Mafia money? How about the case of a Cardinal Marcincus, Vatican finance boss, who has been accused of crimes, wanted by the Italian police, barred near two years from leaving the tiny Vatican, until there was an agreement settled which let him go out and back to the US? The Church has not less black spots at her cloth than any other organization. Of course it does not mean that priests are generally black sheep, but it also does not mean that being a priest is automatically proof of being honest and sincere. Priests are still just humans, even the Pope. Just remember Popes like the Borgias and some other who had mistresses, children, engaged in crime, corruption and war but still have been accepted as rulers of the Holy See. In general, as it looks now, there is not much chance that the opposition would unite behind one candidate and this candidate would be what opposition voters want. At the moment, like it or not, it would only be Erap who could motivate enough voters for to beat the administration with its bottomless funding. For to imagine this, one does not need to be an Erap follower. That the administration also thinks in this way shows its efforts to demonize Estrada. There is not much time anymore to find and push someone else. Konrad Schentes, (by email), Germany, April 17, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: The leadership roster of the Moral Force has no force. The closest thing to "force" is a retired general suspected to be pro-GMA, given his closeness to Sec. Ermita. While there may be no question that all those named are good people, untainted by scandal or corruption, their past passivity raises the question as to whether they can act or whether this will just be more preaching and moralizing favored by the elite to prop up the status quo so they can remain the "elite" force. At this stage of the game, the reality is that only a real, honest-to-goodness revolution can make a difference. Moral Force and all other non-violent, goody-goody advocacies may be well-intentioned - but they will prove to be ineffectual, maybe full of sound and fury sometimes, but in the end, given the temper of the times. just all farce. Tito Osias, (by email), April 18, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, It seems to me everyone is overlooking a very strong possibility, actually I believe it, in fact, to be a probability, looming in the 2010 presidential race. Have you looked at the creeping specter of Willie Revillame running for president? Some people may laugh at the idea but it is no laughing matter. He is incontestably the most popular personality in showbiz at present, specially as he is the all-generous benefactor doling out thousands, even tens of thousands, of pesos from ABS-CBN's charity/promo war chest (yes, it is a war chest being used to swamp the rival noontime show) to poor and underprivileged contestants. If he runs, and he has been making hints of making a big, dramatic move in 2010, which to this observer can only mean one thing, he will be an odds-on favorite to win. He will snatch away the squealing masa from Noli de Castro and Joseph Estrada, and probably even get a portion of the intelligent voters who find the other candidates unappealing and uninspiring. Not that I jubilate at the prospect but I am just being realistic. He will not have the political baggage of the rest of the field and he will be even more popular than the late Fernando Poe Jr. was when the latter ran in 2004 - for Poe's star was already on the wane then as evidenced by the poor showing at the box-office of his last several movies, while Revillame's show has consistently topped surveys and so has his own personal ratings. If you do not relish the thought of President Revillame, then you probably have no choice but to go back to the Gov. Ed Panlilio/Gov. Grace Padaca trump card. Indeed, we all have to rethink that very, very earnestly. For despite the drawbacks those two have, they are the only ones who can be cloaked with an aura of idealism and honesty in our political firmament. We cannot dawdle about and say there surely must be better potential leaders. Who? We cannot just pluck out a nobody from nowhere, regardless of his or her sterling qualities, and present him/her as a presidential candidate. It has to be somebody already in the consciousness of the voting public, or at least well-known, and popular, to the voters. At this point in time and for next year's polls, only either Among Ed or Gov. Grace can give us hope and inspire us. Sure, they may turn out to be failures themselves, but let us give them, and our country, that chance. Otherwise, let us all jump into the Pacific Ocean. Enrique de Jesus, (by email), April 20, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Harvey Keh was almost believable - until he sounded like "endorsing" Panlilio and Padaca. Other politicians would then court his (and his group's) endorsement. And when the group makes this mistake then it would lose its' credibility. I have always been wary about so-called "Movements". Even the "Moral force" could also be doubted in motive. We should be open minded, trusting, but also wary and careful (Desiderata) at the same time. Trapos infiltrate new movements. They do. Infiltrate they will. Remember that evil is wily and foxy. Funding is essential, and so is connections to a wide network. You can't do away with the present structure unless you fuel an uprising like an EDSA. I think that businessmen and politicians will finally dominate the selection of the next leaders and the best we can achieve is an entry of alternative candidates (non-trapos) but they will be the minority. The traditional ones will compose the majority and higher rung. And it will only be a matter of time after their induction that most of the so-called "clean" politicians will get sucked in by the old system. But there is hope where there is faith. Good politicians that are being built up for positions are aplenty but their numbers diminish as quickly as those newly hatched turtles who go out to sea where predators dominate. Nevertheless, there are survivors. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), April 20, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It has been always a normal or natural tendency for most Filipinos to be excited and get enthralled once there is a new group that came out, may it be civic, political groups, etc.. Mahilig kasi tayo sa bago at kung ano ang uso. But believe me, after the euphoria and the elation was gone, we still find ourselves stuck in the same situation as we have before. Tapos na ang fiesta, tapos na ang sarswela pero wala ring nangyari. Nasayang lang ang oras at naubos lang ang pera! But kidding aside, what�s not clear to me up to now is what kind of group this Moral Force is? Is this just an ordinary movement or a political party? What�s the group�s main agenda or objective? How can they be able to clean the Augean stables if they will just be a plain movement and not be part of the government? Well, I hope that they will not be mere political agents and endorsers in the 2010 elections. Now, with the onset of this �Moral Force� (I also hope it�s not going to be a �Moral Farce� as said by the author), and to mention the different big personalities at the forefront, it�s my hunch that many politicians will join their sides and finally their bandwagon. We have to expect for more magnificent media blitz in the coming days so as to garner wider public attention. But what is important is that we should not lose sight of what we want � that is to find a true LEADER that will lead a country, that is, if there is still one among us! This reminds of one quote which I forgot the author �I want to vote for the best candidate, but he was never a candidate�. Ano ba talga kuya? Sino ba?! Jose Burgos, (ny email), April 20, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Looking for a presidential candidate for the 2010 elections, Ang Kapatiran Party quoted: "must possess the qualifications required by the Constitution; must accept the founding principles and platform of the AKP in whole without any mental reservation; must be morally upright, courageous, and competent individual; responsible citizen and parent; and a trusted leader; must have no previous conviction or pending criminal case in court, in the Ombudsman, or prosecutor�s office; must have a college degree; must accept and abide by the AKP Code of Conduct; and must not spend more than the law allows." The "college degree" requirement is elitist and anti-egalitarian. Erap's election, as dismal, immoral and horrible president should not prevent and disqualify 95% (my estimate) of Filipinos to become president. College degree does not make an honest, good and effective leader. GMA is a good example. Following the same requirement in USA, the following persons would be disqualified, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, Bill Gates, John D. Rockeffer, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs and many more who excelled in their areas of expertise. Regards, Mark Enriquez, (by email), Pomona, CA, April 21, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Moral Force or Moral Farce? �It is a MORAL FARCE, intended to project Chief Justice Puno as a contender for the presidency in the 2010 elections�, Louie �Barok� Biraogo declared as he denounced CJ Puno�s manoeuvrings as unbecoming of a magistrate of the Supreme Court who should remain indifferent to political m�l�es as these are inherently biased that compromise his neutrality. �I am calling on the Chief Justice and all those behind the Moral Farce Movement to publish their STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES and to waive their rights under the Bank Secrecy Laws and allow the examination of all their bank accounts, local and foreign,� Barok added. �He should do it ASAP, before the coming labor day, to show all working Filipinos that he is really sincere,� Barok Biraogo said. �Now, what if all those contending for the Presidency in the 2010 would publish their statements of assets and liabilities and allow examination of all their bank accounts, and Chief Justice Puno would not?� Biraogo asked. �Does it mean that these presidential candidates are moral and the Chief Justice is not?� Biraogo further asked Barok Biraogo, (by email) April 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Willie B. Villarama) 'Unhealthy Moral and Spiritual Values Of Priests' On 2007-9-3 PATTAYA, Thailand (UCAN) -- At ordination, every priest begins a grace-filled process of "configuration" by which he becomes like Christ, says Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao, Philippines. "This is the essential and primary aspect of the definition of the priesthood," 72-year-old Archbishop Capalla asserted on Aug. 30 in a paper he presented to nearly 70 bishops during the seminar on "Caring for Priests - Especially For Those with Difficulties." In his paper, he cites media reports about priests whose configuration is thwarted by activities that reflect unhealthy moral and spiritual values. He then presents "six central elements of priestly ministry and life that are contained in official Church documents but which are viewed as being counter-witnessed by these reports from media and by my own observations." The seminar, organized by the Office of Clergy of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, took place Aug. 27-Sept. 1 at the Redemptorist Center in Pattaya, 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww New AFP Chief-of-Staff The announcement made by the Department of National Defense that the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lt Gen Victor Ibrado will be the replacement of retiring AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano is a welcome development. considering that there had been talks Surprisingly, it did not come from the Palace but be that as it may, the Filipino people has a reason to celebrate because Gen Ibrado, like Gen. Yano, is also an epitome of a professional soldier. A true officer and a gentleman. Having known him when he was still a young lieutenant, Gen. Bong (as he is fondly called by friends and senior officers) Ibrado has strictly followed and observed the military code of honor. Although he is a scout ranger, a paratrooper, special forces and intelligence trained he has kept himself soft spoken and mild mannered but a straight shooter. As far as I know he is not the kind that licks asses to be promoted and never lobbied for a position. He is also a member of an international organization which teaches its members to be just and upright and has truth as one of its principal tenets. Narciso Limsiaco Ner, (by email), Irvine, CA, April 15, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Center for Futuristics Studies and Management Dear Tony, You mentioned that you are a trustee of the Center for Philippine Futuristics Studies and Management. What are the address and contact data for said group? I enjoy your columns. Keep it up. Thanks. Cesar Gomez, (by email), April 16, 2009 (Its website is at www.futuristics2.bravehost.com. Its email address is [email protected]. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Newspapers and Columnists I don�t read all the news items fed by its editor on each of the site at the internet. I browse only those news that I deem tailored for my interest and on my work schedules. Except to the published political and business news of local broadsheets Daily Inquirer and Star, I am choosy on what the columnists convey. Inquirer for me has the edge on commentaries -- what with its political analyst Amado Doronila, the incisive Neil Cruz (whose simplicity in language and humor makes him much better than Doronila) , the flair of Conrado de Queros, and the unrivalled constitutional expertise of Joaquin Bernas, After the death of Teodoro Benigno and Maximo Soliven � two icons of colum-writing the �Friendsters� Generation� would surely miss � Philippine Star has nothing if not a dearth of respected columnists. Professor Alex Magno�s scholarly but intricate presentation of his thesis has still has to sell to the readers who used to read the layman�s style of Cruz and the understandable rhythmic style of de Queros. But Star has its new kid on the block, a circa 2000 version of his immensity Louie Beltran literally in weight in Chair Wrecker�s Bill Esposo who can be a saving grace of this third most read broadsheet in the country. Although we don�t have a Soliven and a Benigno to feed our brain with nutritious analogies that are spiced-up by strong adjectives and distinctive humors, internet subscribers can go to Tapatt.com and browse the readers-friendly commentary of Antonio Abaya (of Manila Standard-Today) whose depth, wit, and humor could be competitive, if not superior to, the two deceased columnists that hard-core newspaper reader like me (ahem!) miss so much! Abaya�s detailed and organized political and economic analysis won him a multitude of �chaotic army� of fans who elbowed their way in just to give their five cents worth opinion after reading his column cum blog. I�m selective only with the liberal-oriented New York Times � probably the best newspaper in the World, where its day issue is much better than the weekly issue of Newsweek and Time Magazines � by reading only news on the U.S politics and economy and major world news, especially if I failed to see them on CNN, Fox News, BBC, and Al Jazerra, as I partake my meals or dressing up for news work. For its array of columnists, I read only those of Paul Krugman, Nicholas Kristoff, and Thomas Friedman. But Friedman is my favorite. If Abaya has wit, and humor, Thomas has wit, humor, hip, and that encompassing intellectual prowess on political-economy. I read also Dick Morris�s � a former Clinton adviser who looked and speaks like a gnome � conservative stuffs on the nitty-gritty of the politics of the most powerful country in the world. Mortz C. Ortigoza, (by email) Dagupan City, April 16, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Are you being blocked again? I sent an e-mail in reaction to a recent piece a couple of weeks ago. Today I tried to send a reaction to your latest piece, but both e-mail addresses at the bottom of your column were blocked. Alex Menez, (by email), April 15, 2009 (As far as I know, I am not being blocked right now. It could be your server. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Re: Advice from a 97-yr old Doctor I liked reading your "advise from a 97-yr old doctor". Very true and concise for people our age (60 and nearing 61 !). But I did retire (i retired twice already) at age 59. I'm glad that most of the things advised by Dr. 70-yr old is exactly what I try to do.Ii don't do no 7-day-a-week work though. No more of that stuff. Just doing what I like to do (like delivering talks for Christian businessmen ) and something different from my 39 yr career in Sales. In those years I was on the other end of the equation, selling and distributing. This time I'm on the OTHER side, retailing - at my pace, time and schedules, and any day is good sales and profit whether volumes are up or down. That profit is nothing else but "feel good" ! And I'd share these feel good pointers to yuppies who seem to veer from happiness and contentment to uptight nerves. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), April 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Socialists and Communists Dear Tony - Am curious to know what you think of Roland Simbulan's piece in yesterday's PDI on William Pomeroy, "American socialist in the Philippines". Is it correct to conflate the "socialist" in the title with the Communist described in detail in the text? You know much more about these matters than I do. Best regards from a faithful reader, Benito Legarda Jr. (by email), April 21, 2009 (Beniting, From the Marxist-Leninist point of view, Simbulan is correct. There are no real Communists, only socialists trying to build Communism in the unknown future. When Communism finally wins, allegedly inevitably, socialists can correctly call themselves Communists. Until then, there are only socialists. (But this distinction has already become irrelevant. Both Soviet socialism and Maoist socialism have failed and will not morph into Communism ever. On the other hand, Western European socialism - especially Scandinavian socialism - which is dismissed with contempt by Marxist-Leninists like Simbulan as utopian, has succeeded in creating humane and democratic societies without sacrificing bourgeois democratic rights, and without surrendering monopoly of power to the Communist Party. Tony) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Obama�s Vietnam� (April 03, 2009) I have news for Ken. The US is already bankrupt, not only in dollars but also in morals and ideas. What else can you say of a government that has to dig deeper and deeper into the pockets of distant generations for its survival? So is the Philippines. Our only advantage is that the unemployed in us manages, survives or suffers on their own. We breed like flies under bridges while tent cities in the US are abominations, albeit inevitable ones. We can always go home and plant camote or thrive in a kangkongan where we may find ourselves dumped in, literally. Beats being a city rat anywhere, anytime! Eustaquio Jove, (by email) April 21, 2009 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to [email protected]. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |
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