As the Christian world celebrates the birthday of the lord Jesus Christ, let me share with you one of my favorite Christmas songs by John Lennon. Happy Christmas everyone! And may peace be with us all.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Fearless forecast: 10 May 2010 News headline
news headline on May 10, 2010
MANILA – In their first ever automated elections on Monday, voters in the Philippines have chosen as President the son of a widowed former president whose martyred senator-husband was assassinated during the remaining years of an ousted dictator in the 1980s.
Ironically, on the same day that the son and namesake of the late former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Sr. got elected for a fixed six-year term as the new President, the son and namesake of the late dictator Pres. Ferdinand Marcos was also elected to the Philippine Senate.
More than 40 percent of Filipino voters elected neophyte Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr., son of the late former Pres. Corazon “Cory” Aquino, to succeed the country’s second female president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who herself has made an unprecedented run for a congressional seat in the 250-member House of Representatives in the hope of becoming the nation’s first female Speaker in the Lower House of Congress.
Almost the same percentage of Filipinos also elected last-term Rep. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of the 12 newly elected or reelected senators to fill up the vacant half of the 24-member Senate and serve the next six years until their term in the Upper House expires in 2016.
As early as the time he filed his candidacy in November 2009, Marcos Jr. already announced his intention to tread in his father’s footsteps in the 2016 presidential elections, possibly pitting him against the grandsons and namesakes of deceased former presidents Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas.
Manuel “Mar” Roxas III, outgoing senator and Aquino Jr.’s running mate, was also elected Monday to a full six-year term as Vice President.
Outgoing Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo, newly elected to her first three-year term as congressional representative of her home district, is the daughter of Marcos Sr.’s predecessor, the late former Pres. Diosdado Macapagal.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Ampatuan Massacres: From backhoe to chainsaw and now, using child assassins?
Seems like a lot of skeletons are coming out of somebody's closet since the Ampatuan Massacre horrified the whole world three weeks ago and it all stinks horribly bad. First, the Commission on Human Rights received reports about chainsaw massacres allegedly perpetrated by the same suspects in Maguindanao way before the November 23 massacre happened where 57 people including women and journalists were butchered and peppered with bullets then buried by a backhoe.
New witnesses have apparently surfaced to give hints on another "mass grave" where the hapless victims were either chainsawed to death or buried alive. "These “hints" and “whispers" alleged that 200 more were murdered, some of whom were reportedly even chainsawed to death," the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on this report.
As if that's not enough, here's another skeleton fresh from the closet screaming in headlines that read
You can read the entire story here.
The news report further said:
"Abdul (not his real name) said he and 30 other young boys had been brought to a training camp in the mountains of South Upi municipality in Maguindanao, around 32 miles southeast of Sultan Kudarat. He claimed they were trained by Palestinians and Indonesians in combat tactics.
"Para ring sundalo 'yong training kasi iba 'yong pagturo sa amin. Lahat nandoon na, parang paghawak ng baril, pagputok at pagtutok ng baril sa tao. (We were trained like soldiers. Everything was there, like how to hold a gun, how to aim a gun and how to shoot a person)," Abdul said.
From then on, Abdul said, murder became a normal routine. He alleged that he carried out kill orders without question and without knowing whether the victims had done anything wrong."
He further said that whoever questions the bosses will be killed in an instant. Reading the news, I almost forgot that I wasn't reading a storyline for an old Paquito Diaz movie or any story, be it in comics or film, that only a Carlo J. Caparas could concoct. What I thought could only happen in movies could actually be happening in real life. What kind of savages would teach innocent children to kill? What kind of monsters would claim the lives of many all in the name of power and money?
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
May all these cases get speedy resolutions and these "whispers" and "hints" hold water for a solid case. In the end, may all the hapless victims of these murders be given justice and the perpetrators be punished without any political protection and prejudice.
New witnesses have apparently surfaced to give hints on another "mass grave" where the hapless victims were either chainsawed to death or buried alive. "These “hints" and “whispers" alleged that 200 more were murdered, some of whom were reportedly even chainsawed to death," the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said on this report.
As if that's not enough, here's another skeleton fresh from the closet screaming in headlines that read
Ex-child assassin: 'I killed hundreds for the Ampatuans.'
I cringed when I read this over Yahoo News: "A man who admits to have worked as a child assassin for the powerful Ampatuan clan based in Maguindanao province came forward with "shocking" testimony of mass murders carried out by young boys in the service of the Ampatuan family."You can read the entire story here.
The news report further said:
"Abdul (not his real name) said he and 30 other young boys had been brought to a training camp in the mountains of South Upi municipality in Maguindanao, around 32 miles southeast of Sultan Kudarat. He claimed they were trained by Palestinians and Indonesians in combat tactics.
"Para ring sundalo 'yong training kasi iba 'yong pagturo sa amin. Lahat nandoon na, parang paghawak ng baril, pagputok at pagtutok ng baril sa tao. (We were trained like soldiers. Everything was there, like how to hold a gun, how to aim a gun and how to shoot a person)," Abdul said.
From then on, Abdul said, murder became a normal routine. He alleged that he carried out kill orders without question and without knowing whether the victims had done anything wrong."
He further said that whoever questions the bosses will be killed in an instant. Reading the news, I almost forgot that I wasn't reading a storyline for an old Paquito Diaz movie or any story, be it in comics or film, that only a Carlo J. Caparas could concoct. What I thought could only happen in movies could actually be happening in real life. What kind of savages would teach innocent children to kill? What kind of monsters would claim the lives of many all in the name of power and money?
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
May all these cases get speedy resolutions and these "whispers" and "hints" hold water for a solid case. In the end, may all the hapless victims of these murders be given justice and the perpetrators be punished without any political protection and prejudice.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Who are you voting for?
Five months to go before the May 2010 elections. Who are you voting for President? What qualifications are you looking for in a political candidate? Do you now have a lineup of candidates in mind? Common questions but quite tough to answer and defend if you don't know the political backgrounds of the candidates. Unless we search high and low to know about these candidates' achievements (or non-achievements), our basis for voting would merely be limited to personal assumption and judgment via popularity and the candidates' perceived reputation in the media. It's hard to judge and vote without concrete facts.
I spend time watching mostly political news on TV and reading political stories online and in broadsheets but I myself am not yet decided who to vote for. I don't feel like I know enough who among the candidates are deserving of the Filipinos' votes. How can I make a smart decision if I only know the candidates' faces and names but not their political achievements and moral background?
I wouldn't want to waste my right to suffrage with wrong choices of candidates. I don't want to send goons and crooks garbed in barongs to the House of Congress and the Senate. I don't want to be an accessory in sending leaders to Malacanang whose real intention is to abuse their power. I don't want to be used by trapos and contribute to the growing political dynasties in the country. I need to be informed so I could make the right choices (that's in the hope that there won't be any election rigging).
If you know of any website where we could see profiles of the May Elections' candidates or even write-ups (current or otherwise) by the media regarding them, kindly leave the links in your comment. I intend to display here links of informative and credible websites that could help the Filipino voters choose their candidates well. So far, I've found one - politicalarena.com which says they're in partnership with the Comelec. You can see there the list of candidates and their profile. You may also throw questions for them to answer. I noticed though that their candidacy status is not updated. Anyway, go over to the site and see what's brewing. You can post your personal views there about the candidates and the electoral process in general.
Check it out and be a well-informed voter.
I wouldn't want to waste my right to suffrage with wrong choices of candidates. I don't want to send goons and crooks garbed in barongs to the House of Congress and the Senate. I don't want to be an accessory in sending leaders to Malacanang whose real intention is to abuse their power. I don't want to be used by trapos and contribute to the growing political dynasties in the country. I need to be informed so I could make the right choices (that's in the hope that there won't be any election rigging).
If you know of any website where we could see profiles of the May Elections' candidates or even write-ups (current or otherwise) by the media regarding them, kindly leave the links in your comment. I intend to display here links of informative and credible websites that could help the Filipino voters choose their candidates well. So far, I've found one - politicalarena.com which says they're in partnership with the Comelec. You can see there the list of candidates and their profile. You may also throw questions for them to answer. I noticed though that their candidacy status is not updated. Anyway, go over to the site and see what's brewing. You can post your personal views there about the candidates and the electoral process in general.
Check it out and be a well-informed voter.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Wanna win up to $100 worth of prizes? Join this blog contest!
No, I ain't gonna talk about the bloody headlines today concerning the recent developments about the Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao. Today, I choose not to let my heart grieve again and again and trust the mighty rule of law to ferret out the truth and give justice to where it's due. So let me give you a topic to warm our hearts instead - Are you up to the challenge of winning up to $100 worth of prizes? Then join Liz' birthday contest at Bloguardian Hellsite: Overcashed. I just did! Who knows, I or YOU could be the lucky winner.
How to join? Piece of cake. Click on the banner to know more.
How to join? Piece of cake. Click on the banner to know more.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
New Template at last
I got a new template at last, after several failed attempts. Thanks a lot to those who left comments and links to sites with FREE blogger templates. I'm grateful for your attention and effort to help. You deserve a thank-you space on this humble PR2 blog of mine. May the tribes of helpful bloggers like you increase. Yay!
1. Melissa
2. Robert Miller
3. Kat
4. LeoMar
5. SixFeetUnder
6. Daisy
7. Rachele
8. Kanishk
1. Melissa
2. Robert Miller
3. Kat
4. LeoMar
5. SixFeetUnder
6. Daisy
7. Rachele
8. Kanishk
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)