Friday, June 30, 2006

You Know You Are Filipino If…

Pinoy  @  Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.1. You're related to everyone.
2. Your parents call each other "Mommy" and "Daddy."
3. You have uncles and aunts named Boy, Girlie, or Baby.
4. You have relatives whose nicknames consist of repeated syllables, such as Jun-Jun, Ling-Ling, Mon-Mon.
5. You call the parents of your friends and your own parents' friends "Tito" and "Tita."
6. All of your children have four or five names.
7. You greet your elders by touching their hands to your forehead.
8. You always kiss your relatives on the cheek whenever you enter or leave a room.
9. Your grandmother greets you by giving you "smelling kisses."
10. You live with your parents until-and at times even after you're married.
11. You can't build or buy a house unless you first consult a feng shui expert.
12. Your house has a distinctive smell.
13. You decorate your living room wall with your family's framed diplomas and certificates.
14. You decorate your dining room wall with a giant wooden spoon and fork and a picture of the Last Supper.
15. You keep your furniture wrapped in plastic.
16. Most of your home decor is made out of wicker.
17. Your house has a "dirty" kitchen and a "clean" kitchen.
18. Your kitchen table has a vinyl tablecloth.
19. You recycle plastic shopping bags as garbage bags.
20. You own a "Footsteps in the Sand" poster.
21. You have a piano that no one plays.
22. You keep a tabo in your bathroom.
23. You own a "barrel man."
24. You use a stone to scrub yourself in the shower.
25. You use Vicks Vapor Rub as an insect repellant.
26. Your meal isn't complete without white rice.
27. You use your fingers to measure the water you need to cook rice.
28. You can't eat a meal without a spoon and fork.
29. You feel insulted if your visitors don't eat what you offer them.
30. When there is a party, you always cook three times more than what your visitors can consume.
31. Your pantry is never without Spam, vienna sausage, corned beef, and sardines.
32. You can't enjoy a meal without patis or bagoong.
33. You eat fried Spam and hotdogs with rice.
34. You eat mangoes with rice-with great gusto.
35. You enjoy chocolate rice pudding and dried salted fish for breakfast.
36. You have a rosary or "fake bannanas" hanging from your rear view mirror.
37. You tail an ambulance or a cop just to beat the traffic.
38. Your car horn can either, laugh, bark, or moo.
39. Your car plays a song when it backs up.
40. You can squeeze 15 passengers into your Honda Civic without a second thought.
41. You think traffic regulations are recommendations, not rules.
42. You think that traffic signs apply to everybody except yourself.
43. You point with your lips.
44. You eat using your hands and have it down to technique.
45. Your other piece of luggage is a balikbayan box.
46. You collect items from hotels or restaurants "for souvenir's sake."
47. You go to a department store and try to bargain the prices.
48. You use an umbrella for shade on hot summer days.
49. You scratch your head when you don't know the answer.
50. You play pusoy and mahjong.
51. You put your hand in front of you as if to make a path and say "Excuse, excuse" when you pass in between people or in front of them.
52. You buy tons of bath towels when they go on sale.
53. You still wear outdated clothes you have when you first came to the USA.
54. You say "comfort room" instead of "bathroom."
55. You say "for take out" instead of "to go."
56. You "open" or "close" the light.
57. You ask for "Colgate" instead of "toothpaste."
58. You say kodakan instead of "take a picture."
59. You turn around when someone says "Psst."
60. You say "Cutex" instead of "nail polish."
61. You say "he" when you mean "she" and vice-versa.
62. You say "air-con" instead of "a/c" or air conditioner.
63. You pronounce "F" for "P" or "P" for "F".
64. You own a karaoke system.
65. You have 5 pairs of tsinelas on your doorstep.
66. You refer to your VCR as the "Beytamax."
67. You have a rice dispenser with matching rice cooker.
68. You own a Mercedes Benz and call it "chedeng."
69. You have a "My Shaldan" air freshener in your car.
70. You were raised to believe that every Filipino has an aunt, uncle, and cousins.
71. Your mom or sister is a nurse.
72. You consider dilis the Filipino equivalent of french fries.
73. You dip bread in your morning coffee.
74. "Goldilocks" means more to you than just a character in a fairy tale.
75. Your baon is usually something over rice.
76. You eat rice for breakfast.
77. You wash and re-use plastic utensils and Styrofoam cups.
78. You have a supply of frozen lumpia in the freezer.
79. You have an ice-shaver for making halo-halo.
80. You have to have a bottle of Jufran handy.
81. You know that chocolate meat isn't really made out of chocolate.
82. You spend Holy Week either performing acts of penitence or vacationing.
83. You get together with family at a cemetery on All Saints' Day to eat, drink, and tell stories by your loved ones' graves.
84. You think the Christmas season begins in September and ends in January.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Only In The Philippines

Filipino    Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.Along a highway in Pampanga: "WE MAKE MODERN ANTIQUE FURNITURE"
On a self-service restaurant in Cebu: "PLEASE HELP OUR COMFORT ROOM CLEAN"
In a Baguio grocery: "FRESH FROZEN CHICKEN SOLD HERE"
In Cubao: "NONE ID NOTHING ENTRY"
Along Luneta Boulevard: "BAWAL TUMAE SA BULEVARD"
On Jeepney and Bus signs: "BEFORE PAY, TELL WHERE GET THE ON BEFORE GET THE OFF"
On a flower shop in Rizal Avenue: "WE SELL ARTIFICIAL FRESH FLOWERS"
On a delivery truck: "NOT FOR HERE"
On window of a restaurant in Baguio: "WANTED: BOY WAITRESS"
On a street in San Juan: "BAWAL MAGTAPON NG BINALOT NA TAE RITO"
A grafitti inside the cubicle of a ladies' C.R. in a university: "PLEASE DON'T SIT LIKE A FROG, SIT LIKE A QUEEN."
At a men's comfort room, above a urinal: (maybe from UP Diliman dorm): "HAWAK MO ANG KINABUKASAN NG BAYAN!"
At a construction site in Mandaluyong: "BAWAL OMEHI DITO. ANG MAHOLI BOG-BOG"
Somewhere along San Andres: "NO URINATING, ON THE OVER WALLS!"
Vacant lot near Makati Avenue: "DON'T PARKING!!!"
At an eatery in Cebu: "WE HAB SOPDRINK IN CAN AND IN BATOL!"
Sa pader ng Intramuros: "MARUNONG K BANG TUMAHOL? ASO LANG ANG UMI-IHI DITO!"
On a building somewhere in the Philippines: "NOTARY PUBLIC, TUMATANGGAP DIN NG LABADA KUNG LINGGO."

*****

Pinoy Na Pintor
Matagal nang naghahanap ng trabaho yung bagong saltang Pinoy. Nakakita siya ng posibilidad sa "Help Wanted" section ng Classified Ads.

"Wanted - Painter of Porch". Aba!, sabi nung Pinoy sa sarili... OK ito! Sa Pilipinas, e marami na akong pininta; yung libingan ng lolo ko, yung pader ng lumang bahay namin, yung kulungan ng mga baboy ng tiyo ko - pwede palagay ko ako rito!

In-explain nung Kano na nangangailangan ng pintor: "I need to have my porch painted, all in one day. The work involves scraping all the paint up to the bare surface, applying a coat of primer and two final coats of orange paint. Can you do this?" Sagot nung Pinoy nung ininterbyu siya ng Kano... "Sir, yes sir. I can kaskas... I mean, remoob paint en apply paint beri well." "Okay!", sabi nung Kano. "You've got the job! Everything you'll need has been unloaded from the trunk of the car."

Tatlong oras pa lang, narining na nung Kano na kumakatok yung Pinoy sa pinto niya. "Sir... Pinis oreydi". "Wow!" sabi nung Kano. "You finished the job in three hours.

Are you sure you scraped the old paint to the bare surface?" "Sir, yes sir.

I tanggalated all the old paint." sagot nung Pinoy. "Then, you deserve a bonus! Here's another 20 bucks." sabi nung Kano. "Sir, tenkyu sir." wika nung Pinoy. "Pero sir, you don't heb a porch... your car is a BMW..."

*****

Stool Specimen Check-up
Doc to old patient: I need sample of your urine, stool semen.
Old man to wife: Ano daw ang kailangan niya?
Wife: Ibigay mo na lang ang brief mo!

*****

Brain Surgery
Sa isang ospital, pagkatapos ng operasyon
Pasyente: Dok, bakit ganito ang operasyon sa ulo? Halos kita na ang utak ko.
Dok: Okey iyan. At least, open-minded ka na ngayon.

*****

Faith Healer
Old man: Can you give me an e-rection?
Faith Healer: I can make the blind see, make the lame walk and I can even cure cancer. But, I'm sorry I cannot raise the "dead".

*****

Airport Canteen

Sa airport canteen, umorder ang isang Amerikano
Kano: Miss, will you please give me one few two?
Tindera: What, sir?
Kano: I said one few two.?
Tindera: Oh, puto!
Kano: Yeah, that's right!
(Sa loob-loob ng tindera, tangna! Puto lang, pino-few two few two pa!
Gagantihan ko siya!?
Tindera: Okey, sir? what color do you want? few la? or few ti?

*****

Fried Eggs
Waitress: How do you want your EGGS done, Sir?
American: I want my eggs fried.
Japanese: I want it boiled.
Pinoy: Ala eh! Sa kin, hawakan mo na lang, masarap na yaan!

*****

Learn Japanese

1) Is this your underwear? Jakimoto?
2) Are you regular customer? Sukikaba?

*****

Farting Etiquette

Q: What does an American say when he farts?
A: Excuse me

Q: British?
A: Pardon me

Q: Canadian?
A: Pardon moi, eh

Q: Pinoy?
A: Not me!

*****

Question: Ano ang similarity ng UTOT at TULA?
Answer : Pareho silang nagmula sa POET!

*****

Birthday Present

Man: I want a birthday present for my wife.
Saleslady: How long have you been married sir?
Man: 22 years!
Saleslady: Bargain basement is on the left.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

No ‘Idols’ Here

Davao   xxx   Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.By Marinel Cruz (Inquirer)
Updated 11:51pm (Mla time) 06/28/2006

DAVAO CITY—“Davao is not the place to look for an ‘Idol.’ All the good ones are in Cebu,” declared Pilita Corrales, a Cebuana and one of the three judges of the reality talent search “Philippine Idol” on ABC 5.

Corrales shares the task with master composer Ryan Cayabyab and rapper-TV host Francis Magalona.

Only 17 out of 75 contestants who auditioned on Monday at the Waterfront Hotels and Casinos got the coveted Golden Ticket. They will be flown to Manila to compete in the theater auditions at the CCP Main Theater in August.

The 75 contenders were selected from fast-track screenings conducted in Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Davao cities, as well as from pre-casting and casting auditions held here on June 23.

“It’s easier to judge now. Maraming hindi magaling dito,” said Cayabyab, Mr. C to industry colleagues. “I really did not expect much from Davao. We suppose we will have a more difficult time in Cebu.”

“People here are shy. I know because I used to handle a singing contest here,” Corrales added. “But there are a lot of interesting people.”

She said a contestant approached her while she was taking a break. “He asked me to help him get to Manila. I said, ‘Just do your best.’ Then I noticed that some of his teeth were missing. He said he had left his dentures at home. I really wanted to say, ’Go back and get them,’ but I kept my mouth shut. He should have come more prepared.”

Mr. C spotted Ritchie Asibal, 28, from Cagayan de Oro, and decided that the aspirant could very well slug it out with the others in Manila. Ritchie had failed in the CDO fast-track screening and decided to try again here. He was the fourth to get a Golden Ticket.

Corrales advised JR Oclarit, 19, to lose weight before flying to Manila. JR, the sixth pick, weighs 160 lbs.

“I’ve learned to accept the fact that there are people who join the search for monetary reasons,” said Mr. C. “I felt bad saying no to them at first. I’m used to it now.”

Julieto Alquizar, 19, who said he wanted to make it so he could send young siblings to school, was one of those who got the thumbs-down. He wept and pleaded so hard, he had to be escorted out by security personnel.

One factor he strictly required of contestants, said Magalona, was proper diction. “There are many Visayan Pinoys who lose their accent when they sing. That’s a plus,” he said. “It’s also important for contestants to know by heart the lyrics of the songs they sing.”

Major auditions in Cebu will be held at the nearly two-hectare International Academy of Film and Television in Lapu-Lapu City on July 24. A total of 25 contestants will be picked from the Visayan region.

“They might cancel each other out when all the contestants get to Manila,” said Magalona.

“Yes,” Cayabyab agreed, “especially when they stand side by side with their competitors and get to compare notes.”

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Subic Bartender: Lessons On Cocktails

Liquor   xxx   Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.By Volt Contreras & Tarra Quismundo (Inquirer)
Updated 02:52am (Mla time) 06/28/2006

FOR TWO hours yesterday, the Subic rape trial sounded like a crash course in cocktail mixing.

Lawyers for complainant “Nicole” made a bartender state the “alcohol content” of the various drinks she had taken at the Neptune Club, to bolster their contention that she was too drunk to have agreed to sex with one of the four accused US Marines.

But after prosecutors pointed out how strong Nicole’s drinks were, defense lawyers -- who contend she was sober enough to have consented to sex -- took note of “how much ice” usually went into each glass.

Roger Sanidad, 25, brought with him to the stand sample glasses, jiggers, a pitcher and a Neptune menu to demonstrate how concoctions like Vodka Sprite, B52, Singapore Sling, Long Island Iced Tea and Bullfrog were prepared and served at his bar.

These were the drinks that Nicole’s stepsister, Anna Liza Franco, had told the court they had ordered on the night of Nov. 1 last year, when the alleged rape took place in a van at the Subic Bay Freeport.

An earlier witness, US Navy Petty Officer Christopher Mills, said Nicole took four to five glasses of those drinks. Mills had described himself as a family friend who had invited the Zamboanga City-based sisters to join him on a vacation in Subic.

On direct examination by private prosecutor Honorato Aquino, Sanidad said he was one of the three bartenders on duty on the night in question.

On cross-examination, Sanidad said he never got to meet Nicole at the crowded bar and could not tell if he was the one who actually prepared her drinks.

Sanidad’s testimony, which visibly amused the gallery, turned out to be a virtual lesson on how the five drinks are mixed and served. After each mention of the ingredients and their “ratio,” Aquino asked him to give the alcohol content.

Vodka Sprite is “one shot vodka (40-percent alcohol) and three shots Sprite.” One shot corresponds to a 25-ml jigger, Sanidad said.

Long Island Iced Tea, meanwhile, is 1/3 shot each of vodka, gin, tequila, white rhum and an orange-flavored liqueur called Triple Sec, three shots of Coke and 1/2 shot of lemon juice.

Several Bullfrogs
A Bullfrog is one shot each of vodka, gin and lime juice and two shots each of pineapple juice and Sprite, according to the 16th witness for the prosecution.

Multiple orders of Bullfrog, if requested, can be served in a pitcher which can contain up to six glasses, he said.

In her testimony on Friday, Franco said Nicole had drunk “half a pitcher” of Bullfrog “straight up” shortly before meeting one of the accused, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, on the dance floor.

On cross-examination, defense counsel Jose Justiniano and Enrico Uyehara made Sanidad state how many ice cubes usually went into each glass.

Relevance of the ice
The witness said that in the case of Vodka Sprite and Bullfrog, the concoctions usually filled up two-thirds of an 8- or 10-oz glass before ice was added.

Justiniano even produced a tape measure so that the witness could give his answers in inches.

Prosecutors questioned the relevance of bringing up the amount of ice, but Makati City Judge Benjamin Pozon upheld the defense panel’s tack.

“The bigger the ice, the lesser the effect,” he said, smiling.

But yesterday’s session was not all about mixing drinks.

Recalled to the witness stand, Nicole’s stepsister again came under intense grilling by defense lawyers, who tried to show that Nicole was coherent before the alleged rape occurred.

Franco appeared to keep her composure, rebuffing the defense lawyers and sticking to her earlier testimony that she saw “Nicole” heavily drunk and staggering at the Neptune Club moments before she lost sight of her.

The prosecution is banking on testimony that Nicole was dead drunk to prove that she could not have agreed to have sex with Smith, contrary to his claim.

How many drinks?
Nicole had alleged that Smith raped her in the back of a cruising Kia Starex van as his comrades -- Lance Corporals Keith Silkwood and Dominic Duplantis and Staff Sgt. Chad Carpentier -- cheered him on.

Francisco Rodrigo, Carpentier’s counsel, again asked Franco about the drinks she and her stepsister consumed at Neptune Club.

He asked Franco whether at any point she had told her stepsister that they should return to their hotel as they had already consumed several drinks and were beginning to feel dizzy.

“Did you not tell [Nicole] that you were dizzy? Did it not occur to you to ask [Nicole] to go back to the hotel?” Rodrigo asked.

Debate heats up
Franco said no, pointing out that she felt at ease with Mills around, referring to the family friend.

It was Mills and another serviceman, Carlos Ocasio, who had invited Franco, Nicole and their 12-year-old sister to travel to Olongapo City from Zamboanga for a vacation.

The courtroom heated up when Rodrigo asked Franco to describe how Nicole consumed the last drink she had that night -- a half-pitcher of Bullfrog. Franco had said the pitcher was ordered by Mills’ friend, an American serviceman identified only as Garcia.

A debate ensued over where the pitcher -- which was on another table -- was, with Rodrigo trying to show that Nicole “was not that drunk” to be able to walk to where it was.

Nicole’s lawyer Evalyn Ursua countered by saying that Nicole was drunk that night.

Franco is expected to return to the stand at the next hearing on Thursday.

Docs Trained To Spot, Report Torture Cases

Doctor   xxx   Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.by Blanche Rivera (Inquirer)
Updated 05:03am (Mla time) 06/28/2006

NEXT TIME a doctor pries into the cause of your bruises or wounds, don’t be surprised.

The country’s medical practitioners are being trained by human rights advocates to dig deeper into the condition of their patients, some of whom could be victims of torture who are unwilling to report what they had been through.

The Medical Action Group (MAG), composed of health professionals advocating human rights, has conducted workshops among municipal and city health officers, as well as doctors serving in detention centers all over the country, as part of its campaign to encourage the reporting of torture.

“Our objective is to involve them … We want to deepen their consciousness so they can document and report torture cases to the Commission on Human Rights or to NGOs (nongovernment organizations),” MAG program coordinator Amy Abcede said in a forum.

The role of doctors and health professionals was highlighted by the United Nations as the world celebrated International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26.

The forum, called “Biktima ng Torture, Baka Ikaw na Ang Susunod (A Victim of Torture, You Might be the Next),” gathered representatives from Amnesty International, the United Against Torture Coalition-Philippines, CHR and Congress, and a torture victim.

No questions asked
Abcede said that while it was common knowledge among human rights activists that torture happened inside the country’s jails, most doctors were not familiar with the signs of torture and did not know how to help victims.

“They treat, but they don’t ask. We want them to ask because this will also help the victims to open up,” she said.

In a statement, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak reiterated that documentation and reporting played a crucial role in preventing torture.

Ethical obligations
“I take this opportunity to call upon medical doctors and other health professionals to fulfill their legal and ethical obligations toward torture survivors, including the obligation to document and report instances of torture and political violence,” Nowak said.

He cited an incident in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where doctors had force-fed prisoners in a painful way, “reminding us of the appalling fact that medical doctors have in several instances participated in torture and ill treatment.”

Nowak said that despite the ratification by 141 states of the Convention on Torture, more than 100 countries, including signatories to the convention, continued to torture men, women and children.

Human rights abuses
With the Philippines’ record on human rights violations, Filipino doctors have a lot of reasons to learn.

From 1988 to 1998, a total of 15,556 complaints of human rights violations, most of them cases of torture, were lodged with the Presidential Committee on Human Rights, CHR Director Karen Dumpit said during the forum.

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines recorded 102 cases of torture under the administration of former President Corazon Aquino, 179 cases under Fidel Ramos, 53 cases during the shortened term of Joseph Estrada, and 105 cases under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Painful reality
The MAG released a manual for medical professionals early this year explaining the Philippines’ commitment to international conventions against torture and other human rights violations.

Abcede said the group was also coordinating with the Philippine Medical Association in its education campaign.

The PMA itself has admitted that few doctors are aware that torture is a painful reality among the country’s prisoners and suspected political dissidents.

Doctors’ mandate
Training doctors could be a big boost to the advocates’ efforts to document torture inside jails and detention centers where doctors have access.

NGOs are not allowed to carry cameras when they visit prisoners to check on their condition, so the best they can do is to write down the details of the torture and describe the torture marks on the victims.

Doctors, on the other hand, are even mandated to do routine checks in jails. The law also requires a medical examination of those who have been arrested before they are put behind bars or released.

“There are doctors who have been trained. We encourage the victims to come out,” Abcede said.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Pacquiao Looking Good For Fight Night

Manny Pacquiao   xxx   Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.By Marc Anthony Reyes (Inquirer)
Posted 05:35am (Mla time) 06/27/2006

THEY DIDN’T show up together atop the neon-bathed ring.

Nevertheless, the two combatants provided a glimpse of what fight fans can expect in Sunday’s boxing extravaganza at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Of course, Manny Pacquiao worked the crowd far better, even treating them with a ditty from his own CD after flexing his toned muscles and pummeling Freddie Roach’s mitts with his usual flair.

The speed was there. The form evident. His swagger in full display.

The country’s pride first squared off with Russian punching bag Rustam Nugaev, firming up his straights, tuning up his hooks and perfecting his uppercuts -- weapons at his disposal come fight night.

“We are ready for 12 rounds, but I still think the fight is not going past six rounds,” said Roach, reiterating his earlier prediction that Mexican Oscar Larios won’t last the first half of the megabuck fight.

Early today, Pacquiao is expected to jog along the Manila Baywalk to avoid the monsoon rains that come in the afternoon. By that time, he will be training some more at the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines gym inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

Larios was the curtain-raiser in the noontime preview, which reportedly cost at least P500 for a ringside view.

But the Mexican wasn’t generous showing his talent. He shadow-boxed under the watchful eyes of agent Rafael Mendoza. He hit the mitts held by trainers Jose and Edison Reynoso. But he left in a huff even before the three-hour aperitif was over.

Larios, who arrived last Sunday, was reportedly in a hurry to train in private as he is booked at the Elorde Gym on Julia Vargas Avenue in Ortigas Center, Pasig City. He was billeted at the nearby Discovery Suites.

Undercard boxers, ex-world super-flyweight king Gerry PeƱalosa, super-featherweight Jimrex Jaca and lightweight Dennis Laurente -- who will fight Nugaev -- were also there to display their wares.

Cebu-based Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista has been hospitalized and was declared unfit to fight Mexican Alejandro Montiel in another bout.

Bautista will be replaced by stablemate Michael Domingo, according to his promoter Sammy Gello-ani.

Meanwhile, Big Dome officials yesterday said that Filipino reporters will have to cover the fight from the Upper-Box A, which is several meters away from the usual press box.

Organizers said they have allotted only 10 seats for photographers from wire services and leading dailies.

Ringside seats, reserved for accredited media even in the MGM Grand and Thomas and Mack Arena, are to be sold for P50,000.

Local and foreign newsmen who covered the Thrilla in Manila featuring Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975 were given ringside seats at the same venue.

Lone Cop Keeps Spratly Village Safe

Spratlys   xxx   Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy in this blog.By Joel Francis Guinto (Inquirer)

PAG-ASA ISLAND -- Police Officer 2 Allan Remojo had single-handedly achieved what no ranking police official could do -- keep his area of jurisdiction free of crime.

For five months in this island village in the disputed Spratly islands, the only report on the police blotter was for alarm and scandal, which was not even counted on the Philippine National Police (PNP) crime index.

Remojo is the only policeman in this 34-hectare island with a civilian
population of 23. His police station is a nipa hut. At night, he patrols the island with two barangay tanods [village guards].

"The only report is for alarm and scandal, one villager got drunk and made a scene," Remojo told reporters.

When asked if petty crimes such as snatching had been reported since his assignment here in February, Remojo said: "No."

Senior Superintendent Elpidio de Asis Jr., Palawan provincial police
commander, said four policemen would take turns manning the Pag-asa village police station.

"Eventually, we will bring in some more policemen here," De Asis said in a separate interview.

Military officials refused to reveal how many soldiers were stationed in the island for security reasons.

Of the 53 islands in the Kalayaan chain, Pag-asa is the only one with an airstrip, which is not even concretized.

Landing on the island is rough. Some soldiers and reporters aboard the cargo section of a C-130 plane almost fell from their seats when the aircraft touched down before noon Saturday.

Military Chief General Generoso Senga and his family were on the same plane, seated on the VIP section of the aircraft. He was in Pag-asa Island to check on the morale of the troops and to bid them farewell. He will retire on July 21.

From Puerto Princesa City in Palawan province, it takes about an hour and 15 minutes to reach Pag-asa Island. By boat, it takes two days.

There is only one mobile phone service provider in the island, but when Senga and his party were there Saturday, there was no signal.

Residents said however that the cell site was not damaged.

The Chief of Staff visits the island at least once a year. Every two months, a Navy ship docks to bring supplies such as fuel.

In the morning, residents get their electricity from generators from the Kalayaan municipal government and the Navy. A solar power plant lights up the village at night with energy collected during the day.

Beaches with powdery white sand surround the island. To get to the area where fishermen set sail, one coming from the village proper has to maneuver through a trail filled with trees and shrubs.

On the opposite end of the island, Senga said plans were underway to build a “beaching area” or docking site for Navy ships.

A Navy ship, damaged when it attempted to dock sometime in 2004, had remained there.

Senga said the ship would be sold as scrap metal after Navy mechanics had salvaged all its possible spare parts.

ROTC Comeback Courts Student Revolt, Youth Group Warns

ROTC Troops   xxx  Proud To Be Pinoy – Everything Pinoy here.The Kabataan Party today countered the proposals to reinstate the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) as a mandatory requirement in tertiary schools, saying the plan will be met by campus protests and possibly a student revolt.

Raymond Palatino, president of the Kabataan Party and convenor of the Abolish ROTC Network in 2001 said the proponents' basis for reinstituting the ROTC as a mandatory college course is both downright ridiculous and devious.

Palatino said two bills seeking to restore compulsory ROTC in schools were filed in Congress this year – Senate Bill 2224 authored by Senator Alfredo Lim and its counterpart House Bill 5460 or the "Mandatory ROTC Act of 2006" which was filed in May by Cebu Representative Eduardo Gullas.

Both lawmakers, he said, claim that the ROTC remains the most effective tool to instill the values of service, discipline and patriotism among the youth.

"It's funny how the military and their allies in Congress keep on insisting that ROTC develops service, discipline and patriotism yet it operates in an environment where cadets are indoctrinated with the do-or-die mindset and are reduced to blind followers."

"Besides, the real essence of service is voluntarism and not conformity or submission to a higher authority. And how can ROTC teach service and patriotism if cadets are instructed with the 'obey-first-before-you-complain' mentality?"

Palatino said the ROTC has long lost its relevance and had been reduced to a fraudulent money-making scheme, convincing thousands of students in various campuses to boycott ROTC trainings starting in July 2001until it was made optional the same year under the new National Service Training Program (NSTP).

"And who will forget Mark Chua? His murder, allegedly by elements of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) ROTC, sparked the anti-ROTC protests in campuses nationwide that year. He was found dead after he exposed the corruption in the UST ROTC."

For his part, Kabataan Party vice president Carl Marc Ramota warned that the reinstatement of a mandatory ROTC would mean stronger military presence in campuses and the resurrection of the notorious Student Intelligence Network (SIN).

Ramota said the recruitment and operation of SINs in schools were exposed in 2001 at the height of the campaign to abolish ROTC.

"The SIN serves as the extension of military intelligence operatives in campuses to spy on student councils, publications and organizations that are known critics of the government."

He said the continued operation of the SIN in campuses vulnerably opens student leaders to possible attacks, with members and leaders of progressive organization being murdered left and right allegedly by the military.

"The proposal to reinstate ROTC and the allotment of P1 billion for counter-insurgency are part of the government's desperate effort to woo the military's support for the Arroyo administration and extend its punitive action and quell anti-Arroyo activities in known hotbeds of student activism."

Meanwhile, the Kabataan Party said other student groups, councils and publications have already expressed strong opposition to the proposal.

"Any plans to make ROTC compulsory again will be met with protests. The abolish ROTC demonstrations in 2001 should serve as a warning to its proponents and the Arroyo administration of the potential unrest that it might cause in the student sector."

Text Of The Impeachment Submitted To Congress

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo  Proud To Be Pinoy – A blog about everything Pinoy.FYI

In Re Impeachment
of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President,
Republic of the Philippines,
Respondent.
X_____________________X
“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”


C O M P L A I N T

Complainants, through counsel, respectfully allege that:

The Parties

1. The Complainants are Filipino citizens, of legal age, residents of the Philippines, and are named below. The lead complainants are the following individuals:

1.1 Zeneida “Nini” Quezon-AvanceƱa, daughter of the late President Manuel L. Quezon, concerned citizen;
1.2 Prof. Randolf S. David, Professor of sociology at the University of the Philippines;
1.3 Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, national artist for literature;
1.4 Atty. Josefina T. Lichauco, lawyer and concerned citizen;
1.5 Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay, PhD., President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC);
1.6 Bro. Eddie Villanueva, evangelist, concerned citizen;
1.7 Dr. Ma. Dominga B. Padilla, M.D., concerned citizen;
1.8 Armando Arbarillo, victim of human rights abuse;
1.9 Dr. Jonathan V. Exiomo, ThD., President of the Alliance Graduate School (AGS), an evangelical seminary;
1.10 Prof. Averell U. Aragon, Professor of Theology and Church History, Alliance Graduate School;
1.11 Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, founder, Kilusang Makabansang Ekomista (KME);
1.12 Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca, psychiatrist and concerned citizen;
1.13 Prof. Victoria A. Avena, Professor, University of the Philippines College of Law;
1.14 Mifflin Ann A. Garcia, member, ISACC, for her own behalf and on behalf of her minor children, Leesha, 13; and Ethan Luke, 6;
1.15 Raquel Arpojia, member, ISACC, for her own behalf and on behalf of her minor child Luke, 16;
1.16 Maria Feria, concerned citizen;
1.17 Marietta Goco, concerned citizen;
1.18 Col. (ret) Guillermo Cunanan, concerned citizen;
1.19 Ofelia Beltran Balleta, daughter of ANAKPAWIS Rep. Crispin B. Beltran;
1.20 Atty. Nasser A. Marohomsalic, former human rights commissioner and advocate of the Moro people’s rights;

2. Joining as complainants are the following organizations:

2.1. Akbayan Citizens Action Party (AKBAYAN) represented by its president, Ronald Llamas;
2.2. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) represented by its chair, Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo and secretary general, Renato Reyes Jr.;
2.3. Bayan Muna, represented by its Secretary General, Nathanael Santiago and Deputy Secretary General, Robert de Castro;
2.4. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, represented by Danilo Ramos;
2.5. Migrante International, represented by Concepcion Bragas Regalado;
2.6. Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (CODAL), represented by lawyer Remedios Balbin;
2.7. Anakbayan, represented by Eleanor De Guzman;
2.8. Gabriela, represented by Emerenciana De Jesus;
2.9. Gabriela Women’s Party, represented by Cristina Palabay;
2.10. The National Peace Conference, represented by its Secretary General, Elizabeth Yang.;
2.11. Pandayan ng Sosyalistang Paggawa (PANDAYAN), represented by its secretary general, Roy A. Calfoforo;
2.12. ALLIANCE OF PROGRESSIVE LABOR (APL), represented by its chairman, Daniel Edralin, and its secretary general, Josua Mata;
2.13. SAVE THE PEOPLE MOVEMENT, represented by Abraham Tingson; and
2.14. PAKISAMA, represented by Vicente Fabe;
2.15. Manila Public School Teachers Association, Inc. (MPTSA), represented by Luzviminda V. Galang;
2.16. Women March!, represented by Evelyn MualliL;
2.17. Ilaw at Pag-asa ng Bayan, represented by Adel Raymundo;
2.18. BLACK AND WHITE MOVEMENT – Katipunan, represented by Evangeline L. Serrano;
2.19. Likewise joining as complainants are the following individuals:
2.20. Ruth G. Cervantes, wife of BAYAN MUNA Rep. Teodoro CasiƱo;
2.21. Prof. Maria Serena Diokno, Professor of History, University of the Philippines;
-and-
2.22. Marie Guingona, member, Congress for Truth and Accountability (CCCTA);
-and-
2.23. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, concerned citizen;
-and-
2.24. Carlos Siguion-Reyna and Elizabeth O. Siguion-Reyna, filmmakers;
-and-
2.25. AKBAYAN members Jose Apollo Ado, Imee Ampoan, Reggie Aquino, Roquito Arpafo, Gregorio Baterna, Teresita BorgeƱos, Edwin Bustillos, Fatima Cabanag, Marichris Cabreros, Mikaela Concepcion, Elvira De Luna, Ivy Theresa Diaz, Orlando Dimaano, Jessie Dimaisip, Marlene De la Cruz, Ireneo Cerilla, Marlene Dichoso, Ramy Adonis Elubre, Delfin Encabo, Jean Enriquez, Paula Bianca Lapuz Rudy Gaco, Millie Joy Gines, Christopher Louie Ocampo, Gladdie Mallari, Vic Manato, Gerald Marcelo, Rosal Palma Pecilar, Ederlita Lorenzana, Wilson Requez, Edwin Reyes, Adrian Sanosa, Arwin Villamil,Jecar Yamomo;
-and-
2.26. BAYAN-affiliated individuals Paolo Alfonso, Wilfredo A. Marbella, Rene Galang, Carmen Buena, Fernando Hicap, Fr. Jose P. Dizon, Raymond Palatino, Amado Gat Inciong, Vencer Mari E. Crisostomo, Marco delos Reyes, Maria Isabel Artajo, Dennis Maga, Antonio L. Tinio, Henrie Enaje, Aprilyn R. Perido, Virgilio R. Perido, Beatriz T. Perido, Dr. Geneve E. Rivera, Joel Maglungsod, Ely Mandar, Rey Claro Casambre, Frances Q. Quimpo, Fr. Rudy Abao, Ferdinand R. Gaite, Santiago Y. DasmariƱas, Sarah Jane S. Raymundo, Fr. Dionito Cabillas, Teresita C. Busadre, and Judy M. Taguiwalo ;
-and-
2.27. KUBOL PAG-ASA members Francisco Alcuaz, Ma. Gloria Alcuaz, Pantaleon Apostol, Benjamin McMurray, III and MA. Celina Jayme;
-and-
2.28. Corazon Juliano Soliman, concerned citizen;
2.29. Imelda Nicolas, concerned citizen;
2.30. Leah Navarro, concerned citizen;
2.31. Teresita Deles, concerned citizen;
2.32. Bro. Armin Luistro FSC, and Vicennte Romano III, concerned citizens;
-and-
2.33. Lou Antonino of the UNITED OPPOSITION;
- and -
2.34. FORCES OF THE MIDDLE CLASS members Dulce Cepeda, Norma EscaƱo and Virginia Fabie,
-and-
2.35. Atty. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, of the UNITY FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE;
-and-
2.36. CONCERNED CITIZENS David Arcenas, Eduardo Ayson, Precie Canlas, Lily Chan, Ramon Farolan, Celia Matea Flor, Augusto Lagman, Teresita Lagman, Delia Ediltrudez Locsin, Martha Martinez, Sister Arnold Maria Noel, Gina OrdoƱez, Victor OrdoƱez, Bettina OsmeƱa, Regina Paterno, Ramon Pedrosa, Romeo Ramos, Patricia Sison, Antonio Soriano, Rowie Suela, Severo M. Tingzon, Amy Reyes-Obusan, Angie Roy, Ronald Roy, Mila Santos, Celine Sarte, Tita Sicat; Romualdo S. Angago, Enrique R. Arquiza, Karen F. Baral, Elsie J. Barcenas, Allan B. Bitinio, Marife B. Ces,, Jose A. Cosido, Cecilio G. Cruz, Avelino Dacanay, Maricel R. Delen, Amaryllis “Marie” Hilao-Enriquez, Zenaida E. Flores, Benjamin M. Hernandez, Jr., Evangeline P. Hernandez, Jocelyn A. Javier, Elisa Tita P. Lubi, Rowell D. Madula, Erlinda C. Manano, Orly E. Marcellana, Mariano Manpuri, Jr., Andrea D. Menguria, Jose Morales, Max L. Quijano, Hanito dela Roa, Leoncio M. Saberon, Jr., Pelagia Elvie G. Sanchez, Rebecca N. Tanada, Giovanni A. Tapang, Teresita C. dela Vega, Dr. Edilberto M. Villegas, Wenceslao F. Zaguirre; Reynaldo F. Robin, Sammy T. Malunes, Emma Chiyuto, Norma C. Liongoren, Francisco Llaguno, Jennifer R. Llaguno, Fe B. Mangahas, Ricardo S. Miranda, Rose Anne dela Cruz, Vince Avever, Girlie Padilla, Maria Isabel Artajo, Prisinia C. Arcinue, Juan Paolo Alfonso, Carmen T. Buena, Clemente Bautista, Jr., Res Cortez, Edy G. Clerigo, Sandra M. Cam, Henrie Famorcan Enaje, Edgar Gervacio, Dan Cruz, Donato Guarina;
-and-
2.37. PAKISAMA members Noli de la Cruz, and
Luisita Esmao;
-and-
2.38. KODAO Productions members Sonia Capio and Jola Diones Mamangun;
-and-
2.39. Members of various organizations, namely, Raul Socrates Banzuela, C4CC,
2.40. Gerry Bulatao, member, LGC-Net,
2.41. Rowel Candelaria, PhilCOS,
2.42. Cherry Cobarrubias, KAAKBAY,
2.43. Ryan Apitan, ALYANSA,
2.44. Vivian IbaƱez, MAKALAYA,
2.45. Sixto Donato Macasaet, Code -NGO
2.46. Noel Matematico, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, (KMP) ;
-and-
2.47. Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomista (KME) members Jose A. Albert, Jamie R. Regalario, Sr. Zeny Pineda, Randy Tibig, Nida Pineda, Mina Moson;

3. The Complainants may be served with summons and other legal processes of the instant proceeding through their counsel,
3.1 H. Harry L. Roque, Jr., Joel Ruiz Butuyan, Roger R. Rayel and Romel Regalado Bagares, Roque and Butuyan Law Offices, Unit 1904, Antel 2000 Corporate Center, No. 121, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Metro Manila, 1200;
3.2 Dean Raul C. Pangalangan, c/0 Malcolm Hall, UP College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City
3.3 Neri Javier Colmenares, Erythrina Bldg., No. 1, Matatag cor. Maaralin Streets, Central District, Quezon City;
3.4 Prof. Ibarra M. Gutierrez III, c/o UP Law Center College of Law, University of the Philippines;
3.5 Prof. Victoria A. Avena, c/o Malcolm Hall, UP College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City;

4. The Respondent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the President of the Republic of the Philippines and she may be served with legal processes at MalacaƱan Palace, Manila;

5. The Respondent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally took her oath of office and assumed and discharged her functions as President of the Philippines for the first time on January 20, 2001, following the ouster of then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. She took the same oath of office and started discharging the functions of the office of the President for the second time on June 30, 2004. In both instances, she made the following oath of office:

…I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President of the Philippines, preserve and defend its constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the nation…

CAUSES OF ACTION

I. RESPONDENT COMMITTED CULPABLE VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, AND BETRAYED THE PUBLIC TRUST WHEN SHE EXERCISED DICTATORIAL POWERS TO SUPPRESS THE LAWFUL EXERCISE OF THE PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, _EXPRESSION, ASSEMBLY, FREE PRESS AND INFORMATION IN CONNECTION WITH, AND THE LEGISLATIVE POWER TO INQUIRE ON, MATTERS RELATING TO OR AFFECTING THE LEGITIMACY OF HER PRESIDENCY.

6. Way before the 2004 presidential elections, the Respondent hatched and implemented a conspiracy to steal the elections. And from the canvassing to within a year of Respondent’s assumption of the Office of the President in 2004, questions about the legitimacy of, and the constitutionality and legality of her official acts in relation to, connected with and in pursuance of her victory in the 2004 elections were exposed to the public, such as her manifest and gross disregard of the popular will:

6.1. Respondent destroyed the integrity of the democratic electoral process:

a. The Respondent undermined the independence of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) by appointing as members thereof persons of questionable integrity and independence and conniving with said persons and the entire COMELEC itself to rig in her favor the 2004 presidential elections. In particular, Respondent appointed Virgilio Garcillano as COMELEC Commissioner and interfered with and manipulated the official election duties of the latter to orchestrate and implement electoral fraud.

b. During the 2004 election period, Respondent engaged in unlawful correspondence with Commissioner Garcillano – caught in what is now known as the “Hello, Garci” recordings –wherein she directed/countenanced/abetted the commission of the following: (a) cause the delay in the canvassing of election returns in Mindanao; (b) manipulation of the election returns, certificates of canvas, and the statement of votes in Sulu, Basilan, and South Upi; (c) use of the military and police in partisan political activity favoring the Respondent in Mindanao; (d) manipulation of the election results to fraudulently ensure that she will lead by not less than one million votes nationwide; (e) fraudulently pad the votes cast in her favor and shave the votes of her opponents, (f) the kidnapping of Rashma Hali to prevent the latter from exposing the Respondent’s electoral fraud in Mindanao; and (g) the delaying of the senatorial canvassing, to synchronize the cheating elsewhere with the ballot count there;

c. During the 2004 election period, the Respondent committed electoral frauds through (a) vote-buying, (b) fabrication and/or tampering of ballots, election returns, and certificates of canvass, and (c) padding and shaving of votes during the counting and canvassing, and other means of election fraud, including the use of public funds of different government agencies, in the provinces of Cebu, Pampanga, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Iloilo and Bohol provinces, among other provinces; The fraud committed in the ARMM alone cost the late presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. some 400,000 votes.

d. Respondent, through her agents, orchestrated the switching, sometime between January and February 2005 at the House of Representatives, of ballot boxes containing town-level tallies of votes in the 2004 elections. Through this clandestine operation, some 6,000 “corrected” ERs were smuggled into the Lower House, replacing genuine ERs in the ballot boxes in the legislature’s custody. The “corrected” ERs were needed so that the votes would correspond to the figures in the province-wide certificates of canvass – the documents used in the congressional canvassing – which a group headed by former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano tampered with.

6.2. The Respondent used government offices, personnel, and funds immediately before and during the 2004 election period to buy votes, unlawfully promote her candidacy and ensure her victory;

a. Shortly before and during the 2004 election period, Respondent unlawfully transformed Philhealth cards into prohibited campaign materials by making said cards bear her name and picture to ensure her electoral victory; moreover, she illegally used public funds when she issued said Philhealth cards to voters;

b. On or about October 2003, the Respondent illegally used 4 to 6 billion pesos of public funds to promote her 2004 presidential candidacy. Under the guise of purported but incongruently massive road construction and maintenance projects from Aparri to Jolo, Respondent, through her agents, set up throughout the Philippines hundreds of thousands of placards and billboards bearing Respondent’s name or face and paid hundreds of thousands of voters who were made to wear t-shirts and raincoats also bearing the Respondent’s face or name;

c. The Respondent illegally used and disbursed the 2003 and 2004 budget allocations of the deactivated Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) and of the streamlined National Electrification Administration (NEA) for her presidential campaign fund and to unlawfully promote her 2004 presidential candidacy;

d. The Respondent illegally used and disbursed the road users’ tax and the fertilizer funds under the so-called Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program for her presidential campaign fund and to unlawfully promote her 2004 presidential candidacy;

6.3. The Respondent authorized, abetted and countenanced the malversation of the Billions of Pesos of recovered Marcos wealth and accepted jueteng payola which she used to bankroll her presidential campaign and to bribe government officials to rig in her favor the results of the 2004 presidential elections;

7. When the electoral fraud and corruption committed by the Respondent were discovered and exposed, Respondent committed unlawful acts to conceal her criminal acts, violating the powers of congress, repressing the freedom of speech, of the press and of assembly, denying the people their right to access for information on matters of public concern and countenancing massive human rights violations – all to prevent the exposure and investigation into her unconstitutional acts.

8. The Respondent, through her agents, presented false or tampered audio recordings of her unlawful conversations with Commissioner Garcillano to the media, the public, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and falsely accused the political opposition of splicing the audio recordings of her phone conversations with Commissioner Garcillano;

8.1. The Respondent obstructed justice by attempting to delay, impede, and cover up or otherwise impair the verity, authenticity, admissibility or legibility, of evidence in the congressional investigations, and all other present and future criminal investigations, in the charges of various offenses against her and other persons; and by making, presenting, or using a false or tampered audio recording, with knowledge of its falsity and with intent to affect the course or outcome of the investigation of, or official proceedings in, criminal cases; and by giving false or fabricated information to mislead or prevent Congress and law enforcement agencies from apprehending perpetrators of certain crimes; or fabricating and disseminating information to mislead or impede the process of such investigations;

9. The Respondent also issued the following patently illegal and blatantly unconstitutional issuances to prevent investigations into her criminal acts, to suppress freedom of the press, freedom of _expression and freedom of assembly, and to prevent the people’s exercise of the right to petition the government for redress of their grievances;

9.1. The Respondent issued Executive Order No. 464 which violates the separation of powers and undermined the exclusive powers of Congress to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, as well as the right of the people to information on matters of public concern in that she prevented her subordinates in the executive branch from appearing as witnesses in congressional hearings and from providing any documents requested in such legislative investigations;

9.2. The Respondent issued Presidential Proclamation No. 1017 and ordered the police and the military to effect warrantless searches and seizures, without complying with constitutional and legal standards, and in effect she violated the bill of rights;

9.3. The Respondent ordered the police and the military to implement a policy of calibrated pre-emptive response against political rallies and demonstrations which constitutes prior restraint, she repressed the people’s rights of free _expression, free speech, and their right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances;

9.4. The Respondent ordered or knowingly allowed her military subordinates to white-wash overwhelming evidence of military complicity in massive electoral frauds during the 2004 Presidential elections which the Mayuga Commission of the Armed Forces of the Philippines obtained in the course of an investigation for that purpose and, to suppress the people’s right to know the results of the said investigation, she willfully barred public disclosure of the report of the said commission;

II. RESPONDENT COMMITTED CULPABLE VIOLATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION, COMMITTED OTHER HIGH CRIMES AND BETRAYED THE PUBLIC TRUST WHEN SHE ALLOWED, ABETTED AND COUNTENANCED, GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS – ACTS CONSTITUTIVE OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW.

10. As the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and chief executive with the power of control and supervision over her subordinates, the Respondent violated her constitutional duty and oath to protect human rights when she allowed, abetted, and countenanced the killings of civilians - especially political dissenters -and media practitioners, the illegal arrest and prosecution of members of Congress and political dissenters, and infringed the people’s freedoms of _expression and assembly and their right to petition the government for redress of grievances. In fact, these killings of civilians, including political dissenters and media practitioners and the illegal arrest and prosecution of members of Congress and political dissenters constitute a systematic and widespread attack against the civilian populace and as such, is reprehensible as a crime against humanity proscribed not only under Philippine law but also in both international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

10.1. Since the Respondent assumed the presidency in January 21, 2001, she has allowed, abetted and countenanced the assassination and summary executions of 690 political dissenters and 42 media practitioners, the involuntary disappearance of some 176 persons, the torture of 320 persons in the hands of government authorities, and the illegal arrest of hundreds of persons. The list of political dissenters who were killed from the time the Respondent assumed the presidency in January 21, 2001, among other information, is attached as Annex A. Copies of pictures of victims of the killings are attached as Annexes B to B-5.

10.2. Since the Respondent assumed the presidency in January 2001 and joined and declared the so-called “war on terror,” Respondent authorized, allowed, abetted and countenanced the baseless and arbitrary arrests and detention of Muslim Filipinos as the usual suspects and fall guys in such “war on terror” and the hamletting of urban Muslim centers and communities;

10.3. She authorized, allowed, abetted, encouraged and countenanced the illegal arrest, detention, and/or prosecution of Representatives Crispin Beltran, Liza Maza, Satur Ocampo, Joel Virador, Teodoro Casino and Rafael Mariano;

10.4. On February 24, 2006 or thereabouts, the Respondent allowed, abetted, and countenanced the illegal arrest of Randy David and Ronald Llamas, among many others, and the illegal raid, search and forcible entry of the premises of, and violation of the freedom of the Daily Tribune to perform its functions as a member of the press;

10.5. The Respondent encouraged, approved and ratified the perpetration of massive human rights violations by refusing to cause the investigation of and instead promoting General Jovito Palparan who has consistently been the subject of human rights violation complaints, whose provincial/regional assignments have been characterized by exponential increases in summary killings and human rights abuses, whose “human rights clearance” was withdrawn by the Commission on Human Rights, and who made unlawful public pronouncements that he will rid his area of responsibility “of anti-government rallies;”

III. RESPONDENT ENGAGED IN GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, ENTERED INTO ILLEGAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS AND CRIMINALLY CONCEALED HER CONJUGAL ASSETS.

11. Notwithstanding the Respondent’s fraudulent election victory and questionable mandate, the Respondent persists in staying in office and in holding on to power at all costs, in the process enriching herself, her family, friends and allies at the expense of the government and the public. Respondent also approved, allowed, and countenanced contracts that were manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the government, violative of bidding and government contracts laws, thereby causing the government undue injury or grave unwarranted benefits to herself and/or favored parties through manifest partiality and/or evident bad faith.

11.1. Respondent appointed Mr. Jocelyn Bolante as Undersecretary of Agriculture to orchestrate and implement, as he did in fact orchestrate and implement, on Respondent’s behest and for Respondent’s benefit, the use of 2.806 Billion Pesos released shortly before the 2004 elections, of which 728 Million Pesos were allocated for the fertilizer fund, by, among others, overpricing the supply and acquisition of fertilizers, granting Millions of Pesos of the funds as allocations to highly-urbanized, non-agricultural congressional districts and, in some instances, releasing the funds to non-existent entities, foundations or non-government organizations;

11.2. On February 26, 2004, the Respondent, acting through her agents, caused the Republic of the Philippines to enter
into an agreement for the construction of the North Luzon Railway Project (Northrail), in the process obliging the government to contract a loan of Four Hundred Million US Dollars (US$400,000,000.00) from the Export-Import Bank of China whereby Respondent, together with and through her agents, obtained a twenty five percent (25%) kickback out of the whole contract price and obligated the Republic of the Philippines to agree to terms and conditions which are grossly disadvantageous to the government and in blatant violation of the Constitution, the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019), bidding statutes, government contract laws, and other applicable statutes. Following are examples of the violations and disadvantageous terms and conditions:

i. it is based on a grossly inflated estimate of the project cost in the amount of US$503,000,000;

ii. it provides for an interest rate of three percent (3%) per annum on the amount of the loan, which is much higher than the rate on other loan packages that the Republic of the Philippines could have availed of;

iii. it provides that the Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the People’s Republic of China, and that any suit, legal action or proceeding arising from the Agreement may be brought before the courts of that country;

iv. it provides that control over the proceeds of the loan is not placed with the Republic of the Philippines but is retained by the Export-Import Bank of China. This prevents the funds from becoming part of the National Treasury in contravention of the Constitution and applicable laws;

v. it was not approved with the prior concurrence of the Monetary Board as required by the Constitution for any foreign loan, and;

vi. it violates Philippine laws on public bidding of government projects and Constitutional provisions on preference to Filipino labor and investment because the construction project was awarded to a Chinese Corporation, China National Machinery and Equipment Corporation (Group) (CNMEG), without providing qualified Filipino contractors and corporations the opportunity to bid for the Project;

12. When the Respondent filed her Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) in February 2001, she concealed ownership of various properties and business interests pertaining to her and her spouse, and willfully failed to pay the taxes due on these properties and the income derived from them, in violation of the disclosure requirements under the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees, applicable tax laws, and the constitutional provisions on the accountability of public officials. Said concealed conjugal properties and business interests include as follows:

12.1. various real properties and the money realized from the re-sale of several of the same located in California, USA, acquired and managed though LTA Realty Corporation, which include: a five-storey apartment building on 737 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA; a condominium unit on 1176 Sacramento Street corner Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA; a residence on 2425 Tipperary Avenue, San Francisco, CA; a building on 727 Gellert Boulevard, Daly City, CA; and a 24-room building on 151 Austin Street, San Francisco, CA;

12.2. a 60,758 square meter parcel of land located in Caloocan City covered by TCT No. 153151 and titled to Jose Miguel T. Arroyo married to Gloria M. Arroyo;

12.3. cash in BPI Family Bank Makati-Perea Branch Account No. 661-5-00497-7 in the name of Jose Pidal but actually owned and controlled by her husband, Jose Miguel T. Arroyo;

12.4. business interests in the following companies: DM Press Inc., Raco Trading Phil. Inc., Trans Realty Co. Inc., Aviatica Travel and Management Corp., Eva Development Corp., and Pacific Mint International Corp., JMA Agricultural Development Corp. and Alaja Agro-Industrial Corp.;

13. After the Jose Pidal account of Jose Miguel T. Arroyo was exposed, which account was claimed by Respondent’s brother-in-law, Mr. Ignacio T. Arroyo, the Respondent failed and refused, as she continues to fail and refuse, to cause the prosecution of Jose Pidal for tax fraud for failure to report his income subject of the Jose Pidal account; Her mis-declaration of assets and liabilities continues.

14. Upon the Respondent’s assumption to the Presidency in 2001, she restored and allowed the proliferation of jueteng nationwide, and appointed law enforcement officials who acted as conduits in the payment to her of jueteng payola. Respondent received monthly jueteng payola amounting to at least ONE MILLION PESOS (PhP 1,000,000.00) per region through her spouse/Congressman-son/brother-in-law. The Respondent used jueteng proceeds to bankroll her 2004 presidential campaign, to finance massive electoral fraud, and to bribe government officials;

Relief Prayed For

16. The foregoing unconstitutional acts of the Respondent constitute culpable violations of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust;

17. By her conduct, Respondent warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the Republic of the Philippines;

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, premises considered, Complainants respectfully pray for the Respondent’s impeachment and trial, removal from the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the Republic of the Philippines.

Makati City, for Quezon City Philippines, June 2006

By the Counsel for the Complainants:

ROQUE & BUTUYAN LAW OFFICES
Unit 1904, Antel 2000 Corporate Center
121 Valero Street, Salcedo Village
1200 Makati City

H. HARRY L. ROQUE, JR.
PTR No. 4189667, 1.11.06, Makati City
IBP No. 499912, 1.25. 00, Lifetime
Roll no. 36976

JOEL RUIZ BUTUYAN
PTR No. 4189664 , 1.11.06, Makati City
IBP No. 500459, 1.25. 00, Lifetime
Roll no. 36911

ROGER R. RAYEL
PTR No. 7258042, 1.17.06, Quezon City
IBP No. 638438, 02159, Lifetime, Quezon City
Roll No. 44106

ROMEL REGALADO BAGARES
PTR No. 4189663, 1.11.06, Makati City`
IBP No 670994, 1.11.06, SocSarGen Chapter
Roll No. 49518

-and-

DEAN RAUL C. PANGALANGAN
PTR No. 7150394, 1.02.06, Quezon City
IBP No. 578, Lifetime
Roll no. 33033
c/o 3rd Floor, Malcolm Hall
College of Law
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

- and -

NERI JAVIER COLMENARES
PTR No. 7154810, 2.20.06, Pasig City
IBP No. 673655m 2.20.06, Pasig City
Roll No. 43060
s 3rd Floor, Erythrina Building
# 1 Matatag cor. Maaralin St
Central District, Quezon City

-and-

PROF. VICTORIA A. AVENA
PTR No.645164, 12.06.05, Quezon City`
IBP No. 7348524, 1.31.06, Quezon City
Roll No. 32395
c/o UP Law Center
College of Law
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

-and-

PROF. IBARRA M. GUTIERREZ III
PTR No.6191372, 1.28.06, Quezon City`
IBP No. 618267, 1.05.05, Quezon City
Roll No. 44224
c/o UP Law Center
College of Law
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

UP Students Condemn Military Presence On Campus

UP Campus  Proud To Be Pinoy – A blog about everything Pinoy.Around 200 students, faculty, and members of the UP community held a demonstration to condemn the presence of around 20 marines of the Armed forces of the Philippines in the campus.

"Outright political repression is practically knocking on our doors," said Isa Artajo, chairperson of the Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND-UP), as she and major student formations inside the university question the house in of the said troops in the Department of Military Science and Tactics (DMST) compound.

Artajo maintained that "Such visitors are and will never be welcome inside UP, a bastion of anti-Arroyo sentiments and movements." Citing the recent appointment of the DMST commandant, an enlisted military personnel, as head of the Special Security Brigade (SSB), Artajo furthered that the threat of surveillance and intimidation will be realized as soon as marines start their "supposed clandestine" operations inside the campus.

"This is an obvious ploy of the Arroyo administration to forcefully stifle the brewing dissent exhibited by UP students in countless mass mobilizations calling for her ouster," Artajo said. She also cited an agreement between UP and the national government made after martial law banning any military presence and operation inside the campus. "The marines posing as SSB are rabid wolves in sheep's skin." Artajo maintained.

Likewise, Artajo condemned the spate of politically motivated killings under the Arroyo administration. "Without any popular support for her administration, Arroyo now resorts to outright violence to quell opposition, unleashing rabid dogs to perpetrate such crime against the people." Citing the operative framework under Oplan Bantay Laya, Artajo said prime targets of the Arroyo administration are legal mass formations where students, workers, peasants and other sectors are the usual suspects.

As of June 19, 690 activists have been killed since Arroyo held office in 2001.

Artajo said "UP students will continue to expose and oppose Arroyo's tyranny." She furthered that any attempt to repress the student's rights to assemble and call for Arroyo's ouster will be "aptly dealt with using the strength of collective mass actions."

"Any Arroyo lackey is not welcome in UP," she said.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Oscar Larios Can’t Be Flat, Easy Corned Beef

By Recah Trinidad (Inquirer)
Updated 04:10am (Mla time) 06/21/2006

THE COUNTDOWN for Manny Pacquiao’s noontime steak luncheon at the Araneta Coliseum on July 2 was tolled yesterday, upon the boxing hero’s return from the United States.

Pacquiao appeared ready for the scheduled feast, an inspirational rite before his loving countrymen.

After having honed up at the Wild Card Boxing Club off Vine Street in Hollywood, Pacquiao could be expected to climb the ring against Mexican Oscar Larios armed to the teeth.

While steaks are normally cut to thin slices with a sharp knife, Pacquiao is not leaving anything to chance.

He’s showing up for the luncheon date wielding a mighty axe.

“Hindi ko ipagpapalit kahit man sa lahat ng kayamanan itong karangalang bigay ng Mahal na Diyos na maging inspirasyon ng buong bayan,” Pacquiao told GMA-7 before winding up his shortened training in California.

Plainly translated, Pacquiao was assuring his countrymen he would give everything to repay their adoring support with a resounding win.

* * *
However, the scheduled steak luncheon could also turn messy.

Larios could prove to be real tough meat.

Not to displease Pacquiao, who had to protest when we first described Larios in this column as a form of recycled Mexican meat.

We had also been wrongly suspected of trying to wreck the promotion by baring the true merit of Larios, a rangy former two-time world champion.

Well, by that label -- recycled steak -- we meant that the visiting Mexican promises to be less juicy, if not totally dry or drained.

But, come to think of it, Larios could also come in truly tough, malitid, like dreaded carabeef.

* * *
Which momentarily pushed your reporter back to that dugout scene after Pacquiao lost his first fight against Erik Morales in March 2005.

It’s like this. After being dealt a boxing lesson-cum-bloody beating, by Morales, Pacquiao ended up comparing the masterly Mexican ring legend to a big, brutish carabao.

Pacquiao’s former close-in aide in California, Greg Asuncion of the LA Sheriff’s Office, last time bared that his beaten former big boss, usually tough and fearless, manifested awe and desperation after that loss.

Pacquiao next trained doubly hard, had his fighting mechanism overhauled, then went on to baffle and stop Morales for the first time in a classy career.

* * *
Now, if Pacquiao sounds as though he has been training for Larios as hard as he had done against Morales, it’s also to help market the $4 million card bankrolled by ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

Pacquiao needed to appear properly worried about Larios.

So far, the national boxing hero has appeared quite successful in this selling venture.

In fact, the venerable sportsman Nene Araneta, in whose Big Dome the July 2 will be staged, was caught wondering about Pacquiao’s chances against the tall Mexican.

SeƱor Araneta was a main guest at the dinner for Miguel Torres Jr., son of the fabulous European wine king Don Miguel Torres of Vilafranca de Pinedes near Barcelona, at the Terry Selection in Makati Monday evening.

While Araneta was entertaining unfounded doubts, Morales, who is scheduled for a third encounter with Pacquiao in Las Vegas in November, picked the Pacman over Larios.

Veteran boxing journalist Ricardo Jimenez, now working as Top Rank spokesperson, also described Larios as beat up, or damaged goods.

Yes, the odds could go double-your-money for Pacquiao come fight time.

* * *
Still, Pacquiao has reason to worry. Strong as he could be, Pacquiao cannot be expected to show up with a full oxygen tank against Larios.

Not to say that Pacquiao’s stamina would be good only for chasing a plate of corned beef across the table.

But if there promises to be a chink in Pacquiao’s armor, this should be his stamina.

As he had to cram after checking in late at Wild Card in Hollywood, there’s still the danger of Pacquiao running short of breath, as did happen in his fight against a Thai messenger in Taguig City in December 2004.

Of course, Pacquiao honestly knows where Larios stands.

But, on a good day, the recycled Mexican could also prove gamy and truly tough.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Filipinas Lag Behind Asian Women In Skincare

By Thelma Sioson San Juan (Inquirer)
Posted 11:20pm (Mla time) June 15, 2006

OVER LUNCH the other day, we got a bit of information that may not necessarily be new, but is so interesting nonetheless.

Did you know that many Filipino women still use bar soap, if not detergent, on their face, and that compared to other Asian women, we are the least meticulous about skin care? This, despite the onslaught of skin-care products, the marketing blitzes of various brands, and the giant strides in skin care technology in recent years.

Apparently, a significant percentage of women, especially in the provinces, have yet to outgrow the habit, if not the age-old “tradition,” of using one soap for face, body and hair. Their skincare regimen begins with soap and ends with a sprinkle of loose baby powder.

In contrast, other Asian women -- particularly the Japanese, the Thai and the Indonesians -- have as many as seven steps in their beauty regimen, from cleansing to toning, moisturizing and so on.

“The Japanese, for instance, have a long heritage of skincare regimen, not only for the face but also for the entire body,” said Mutya Crisostomo, the new brand manager of Pond’s.

Surveys also showed that one out of three Filipino women who are facial care users use astringent. It seems their skincare regimen goes only as far as using astringent, which they dab on like a cleansing liquid, usually as often as thrice a day. And this is another oddity unique to the Pinay -- she loves the stinging sensation of a strong astringent, which is bad for the skin, of course. It’s like pouring alcohol on your face.

What makes the Philippines unique in Asia is that it is hooked on astringent. To the Filipina, it seems, astringent spells skincare. What many don’t know is that the wrong astringent, a deep-cleansing agent, leaves you practically red-faced so that you can’t go out.

“It also leaves long-term damage and makes you photosensitive,” says Mutya.

Our relatively backward ways where skincare regimen is concerned can be due mainly, of course, not only to lack of skin-care education, but also to low purchasing power. Most women in this country still don’t have the means to afford skincare products. Or, as Pond’s assistant brand manager Orange Aberin noted, “It could be a choice between that and food, or that and cell-phone load.”

All this makes the Philippines a good challenge for skincare brands like Pond’s. Its cold cream is already a household brand to generations of Filipinas. Now, it is working to redirect the Filipina’s habit to the correct steps in skincare -- from cleansing and toning to moisturizing and using leave-on cream.

It should be interesting to see how its whitening toner, which has the vitamin B3 needed to whiten the skin from within (not peeling it off incessantly), would make inroads in the market.

Missing Tinio
The National Artists Awards presentation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last Friday night was quite stirring. It didn’t drag even if video and live shows were done to honor the achievements of the National Artists: Bencab, Ildefonso Santos, Ramon Valera, Ramon Obusan, Imao, Fernando Poe Jr. and Bienvenido Lumbera.

What we found touching was the Valera portion, where terno-clad models paraded to the music of “La Vie en Rose,” translated to Filipino by Rolando Tinio. That moment, we missed Rolando the National Artist and Rolando the friend.

The performance of a “Rama Hari” excerpt with music by Ryan Cayabyab and lyrics by Dr. Lumbera reminded us of this innovative ballet musical that may not be known to the future generations. We told CCP president Nes Jardin it wouldn’t be a bad idea to release a CD of the haunting “Rama Hari” music. Interestingly, Nes managed Ballet Philippines when this eminent dance company staged “Rama Hari.”

That night, we also learned that NCCA head Ambeth Ocampo was nearly summoned to the Senate to answer questions about the National Artists Awards. A not-so-subtle invite to grilling, no doubt. How odd.

Pitoy not hurt
Meanwhile, the other fashion design nominee for National Artist, Pitoy Moreno, will be in Washington at this time to stage a fashion show marking the centennial anniversary of Filipino migration to the US.

“Honestly, I don’t feel bad,” Pitoy told us about not having been chosen as National Artist for fashion design.

“Valera was a good designer,” he added.

Not only that. There’s ample time for Pitoy, who’s ageless and tireless. His Washington DC show at Ritz Carlton will have 120 pieces to be modeled by beauty queens such as Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman and Bb. Pilipinas World 2004 Karla Bautista, among others.

For more than three decades now, Pitoy has been bringing his collections around the world, to as far as Iran. When Pitoy’s name crops up again in the next selection of National Artists, the parameters will go beyond design and craft to identity-building abroad.

Meanwhile, Tim Yap was just in Paris to launch his limited-edition watch (Oh my, Tim, you’ve come a long way). He said, no less than Stefano Gabbana of the Dolce & Gabbana brand wore his watch during the launch. What can you say to that?

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Half Of Boracay Declared ‘Alienable And Disposable’

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. (Inquirer)
Posted 03:28am (Mla time) June 21, 2006

ILOILO CITY—President Macapagal-Arroyo has declared more than half of Boracay Island “alienable and disposable,” paving the way for the titling of prized lots on the island-resort.

The President signed Proclamation 1064 last month. It was released only last week, said Julian Amador, regional executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Western Visayas.

Under the proclamation, an area reaching 628 hectares or 60.85 percent of the 1,032-ha island was categorized as alienable and disposable, said Orlando Sacay, a member of the Boracay Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which is mandated to map out policies for the sustainable development of the island’s tourism industry.

The remaining areas on the island are categorized as forest reserves, protected areas and swamps.

Before the issuance of the proclamation, private ownership of lots on the island was technically illegal under Proclamation 1801 issued by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos on Nov. 10, 1978.

The proclamation declared Boracay and other islands and coves as tourist and marine zones and categorized these as public lands.

Landowners, operators of resorts, restaurants or hotels have no titles to lots they occupy and have only tax declarations, some as old as 30 years.

The categorization of areas on the island is aimed at resolving the intensifying ownership disputes on prized lots on Boracay as the real estate prices continue to significantly increase because of the increase in tourist arrivals.

A piece of property in the famous 5-km white beach costs from P25,000 to P30,000 per square meter.

But Sacay, also chair of the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI), a group of owners of resorts, hotels and restaurants on the island, said they were opposing the proclamation.

“We have to bid for our land that we have developed and invested for years,” Sacay told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

“Why only now after we have spent millions of pesos in investment and development on these properties?” asked Sacay.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Nestle Fitnesse: Stay Slim With Breakfast Cereals

Cereals And Good Health
Breakfast cereals taste great and are convenient. Because cereals are made from wholesome grains like wheat, corn, and oats, they are also a nutritious source of a number of important vitamins and minerals that play a positive role in maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.

Research has shown that people who eat cereal frequently are better off nutritionally than those who eat cereal less often. Frequent cereal eaters get more of their daily nutritional needs from cereal and have healthier body weights.

Improved Nutrition
Another recent study demonstrated that adults who eat cereals at least every other day skip fewer breakfasts than those who eat cereals less often. And, when they regularly eat cereal, studies show that adults have better nutrient intakes compared to those who eat cereal less often. Frequent cereal eaters have higher intakes of calcium, iron, vitamin C and B vitamins.

Similarly, adults who eat cereal, like Nestle Fitnesse, at least once every other day have higher intake of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and lower intakes of fat, percent of calories from fat, and cholesterol.

Healthier Body Weight
Breakfast Consumption is a healthy habit that has been associated with healthier body weights. Research has identified the following results:
* Adults who eat breakfast tends to weigh less than those who skip breakfast. This study among men and women alike compared the breakfast habits of more than 16,000 people.
* Eating breakfast almost everyday is the common habit shared by 90% of people participating in the National Weight Registry (these are people who have maintained weight loss of at least 30 pounds for one year). The study analyzed the eating habnits of more than 3,000 people.
* Eating breakfast may affect body weight in several ways. For instance, eating breakfast tends to cut back impulsive snacking. Research has shown that calorie intakes tend to be higher on days when people skip breakfast. And, cereal eaters eat less fat at breakfast as well as for the whole day. Finally, cereal is major source of whole grain and whole grain intake has been associated with a healthier body weight.

The Cost Of Beauty

Are you interested in undergoing special procedures? Here are some of the most in demand procedures and their estimated prices.

Botox (P400/unit)
* Forehead P12,000

Liposuction
* Abdomen P150,000
* Saddle bags P180,000 to P200,000

Eyes
* Eyelid/Eyebag Surgery P80,000 to P90,000
* Upper eyelids P50,000

Nose
* Noselift P40,000 to P50,000

Threading
* Cheeks P80,000 to P100,000
* Contouring P100,000 to P150,000

Books Not Bullets, Classrooms Not Hueys.

Students lamented the Arroyo government’s misguided actions to appropriate more funds for military spending. “It has just been over a week after school opening, and we have seen sheer shortages of classrooms, blackboards, textbooks, and teaching materials but here we have a president that instead added budget for the military and war,” NUSP National President Marco Delos Reyes said.

He furthers “what’s more abominable is to have a ‘Justice’ Secretary saying that deaths of civilians are just part of the collateral damage of a war. For us, it’s his admission of the human rights violations they have committed and will be committing.”

President Arroyo on Friday announced that she is adding one billion pesos for additional equipments and machinery for the military to end in two years the insurgency in the country. The 1 Billion pesos is exclusive of the yearly P5 billion AFP Modernization fund.

It was also reported that Mrs. Arroyo has instructed her loyal DBM Secretary Rolando Andaya to purchase surplus helicopters and aircrafts from the United States through a soft loan. Secretary Andaya, meanwhile, said that the funds will “come from savings in the reenacted 2005 budget.”

“This is blatant corruption,” Delos Reyes quipped. “Mrs. Arroyo really pressured the legislature so as to have the 2005 budget reenacted, and now she’s corrupting people’s money for her rusted government’s self-preservation and war against critics, patriots, and nationalists she lumped together as the left and opposition.”

“Whatever happened to the reported additional four billion pesos for the DepEd? Whatever happened to the promised 200 million pesos for the state universities? Whatever happened for the additional 100 million for scholarships promised last May? Gone with the wind, I believe,” remarked Delos Reyes.

The NUSP has instructed its over 600 student council members nationwide to launch aggressive campaigns against the militarization and war, and to push for much needed reforms in education. “Students must organize discussion groups in campus lobbies, canteens, and elsewhere to discuss these national concerns and readily draft our urgent tasks. We will organize mass actions to show our vigilance and courage to defend democracy,” Delos Reyes declared.

Finally, he said, “students must rise up to these challenges of our time. We must write the correct passages in history and act against this tyranny.”

Friday, June 16, 2006

Don’t Be Deceived

By Ayn Veronica de Jesus

THE proliferation of fake drugs is a serious issue. We can’t reiterate that enough.

According to the Department of Health, about 10 percent of drugs sold locally are fake. Even if that seems like a small number, you could be the next victim.

Counterfeit drugs are defined by Republic Act 8203 or the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs as 1) the drug itself, its container or any part of such drug, container or labeling without authorization of the trademark, trade name or other identification mark, or any likeness to that which is owned or registered in the Bureau of Patent, Trade and Technology Transfer in the name of another natural or juridical person; 2) a drug product refilled in containers by unauthorized persons if the legitimate labels or marks are used; 3) an unregistered imported drug product, except drugs brought in the country for personal use as confirmed and justified by accompanying medical records; 4) a drug which contains no amount of, or a different active ingredient, or less than 80 percent of the active ingredient it purports to possess, as distinguished from an adulterated drug including reduction or loss of efficacy due to expiration.

While the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) is able to monitor or capture certain segments of the counterfeiting system, it can’t do everything. The BFAD is a small agency compared to the millions of drugstores to be monitored, and the hundreds of sneaky counterfeiters who want to become richer through sleazy ways.

BFAD needs help. That’s why it’s partnered with seven government agencies and private institutions to form the Coalition Against Counterfeit Medicines. The coalition aims to help consumers become more vigilant about counterfeits through a mass media-based public awareness campaign; encourage drugstores to sell legitimate medicines; urge government agencies to enforce laws against the problem and help mobilize legislators to tighten laws against counterfeit medicines.

The coalition consists of the Departments of Health, Trade and Industry, and Justice; the Philippine Medical Association; Drugstores Association of the Philippines; Mercury Drug Corp.; Watson’s; Zuellig Pharma Corp.; Philippine Pharmaceutical Corp.; the Philippine Daily Inquirer; GMA-7; and Pfizer Inc.

It can be hard to tell the fake from the original. Sometimes the usual authenticity indicators such as holograms or tamper-evident seals are not always reliable, as they can be duplicated.

There are other telltale signs that can help you distinguish a fake drug from the real one:

The price is too cheap to be true. The suspicious drug is not sold in a reputable drugstore. Maybe your neighbor is peddling the suspicious medicine independently. Or worse, it is being sold on the sidewalks or a peddler just passing through.

The drug’s packaging or name is different from the registered product. The wordings, images and designs on the packaging are poorly printed, blurry, or different color from the original.

The logo is not quite right or different from the original logo. Nothing on the packaging shows the expiration date; and has the brand name printed larger than the generic name.

If you suspect anyone of selling fake drugs, don’t hesitate to report it to the BFAD hotline at 1-800-10-FAKEMED (325-3633), toll free from anywhere in the Philippines. Other hotlines numbers you can call are 807-0725, 807-0725, (0919) 522-0283, (0919) 522-0283. You can also e-mail reg1@bfad.gov.ph or reg2@bfad. gov.ph or visit the BFAD web site www.bfad.gov.ph.

[Source]

Thursday, June 15, 2006

GMA Heckled Anew; UP Students Charged

(From Tribune)

Student-activists yesterday pulled a fast one on President Arroyo, welcoming her by heckling her while calling strongly for her ouster during her visit to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila to inaugurate the Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal.

Reports said the incident took place around 2 p.m. at the PGH compound when a group of activists from the Student Council of the University of the Philippines joined the crowd in greeting Mrs. Arroyo, who was about to leave the hospital, and then began shouting: “Patalsikin si Gloria (Oust Gloria).”

They also slammed the President for cutting the budget of UP and PGH.

Apparently caught by surprise, Mrs. Arroyo hurriedly walked to her presidential car, while members of the Presidential Security Group, also stunned, immediately covered the Chief Executive on her way out of the hospital premises.

Commotion broke out as members of the Manila Police District carrying truncheons and shields proceeded to the crowd and violently dispersed the students, hitting them with truncheons and shields.

Five of the hecklers were arrested and taken to the nearby police headquarters after the incident.

They were charged with inciting to sedition charges.

One of the arrested student-activists, UP medicine student council chairman Perry Ridon, charged that the violent dispersal and arrests made were illegal as it was a clear violation of a UP memorandum that Philippine National Police is not allowed to arrest any protesters while inside the UP premises.

He noted that the illegal arrest and inciting to sedition filed against them smacked of the “illegitimate administration” of obvious human rights violations.

“We cannot take anymore Mrs. Arroyo’s assault on the education sector. Now that we tried to air our grievances peacefully they take us away,” Ridon said.

He added the “illegitimate President” has been patently blind to the sad plight of the education of the youth and the sufferings of the people and that she has no right being the guest of honor in the turnover ceremony.

“Mrs. Arroyo has time and again denied the youth and the people a chance at fighting poverty through heavily subsidized education and sound health services. She does not deserve any welcome at all in our university. It is she who should be the patient in the National Eye Center, for being stricken with social cataract, blinding her from the social reality that her administration is not providing enough for its people,” he stressed.

Last April, while speaking at graduation rites of the Cavite State University, Mrs. Arroyo was also heckled with ouster calls by activists, including mass communication student Ma. Teresa Pangilinan, a member of the graduating class.

Too Early To Court Her

GERALD Anderson, PBB Teen Edition 3rd placer, was born in Olongapo.

“My mom owned a parlor then and my dad, a US Navy man, had a haircut there and they met,” he says. “I was three years old when we went to live in San Antonio, Texas. At 6, we moved to Missouri, where my grandma and aunt live. That’s where we stayed until I was 14, then my parents decided to return to my mom’s home in General Santos City. I had a hard time adjusting here because of the weather, as we came from a very cold place. Also, I had difficulty with the language.”

He has a younger brother and two half-sisters from his mom’s first marriage.

Is he familiar with local showbiz?

“Yes, I watch TV and even the movies, like Close To You with Sam Milby.”

After three years, he speaks both Tagalog and Bisaya like a native. He has had three girlfriends in GenSan.

“But the relationships didn’t last long. ‘Yung dalawa, one month each lang. The other one, two months. I’m not ready yet for a serious commitment.”

He is being paired with grand winner Kim Chiu. At the PBB Reunion in the Aliw Theater, the fans applauded heartily when they sang together. It’s now in their hands if they’re willing to play along and become a love-team.

“I don’t really mind. Look at Kim, she’s very beautiful. It’s great to be paired with her and I’m glad the public likes us. But it’s too early to court her seriously. Let’s get to know each other better first.”

How did he feel when people started calling his name in adulation?

“It’s a new feeling for me. Kinda weird as I’m not used to fame and hearing people shouting my name.”

What’s his most memorable experience in PBB?

“First was when we dressed up as clowns to entertain children with cancer. It’s very touching. Then my experience in Hundred Islands, where I made a violation because of a stone and was sent back to Manila. I really regretted having done it.”