Opposition Plays the Blame Game on Ducat Hostage Drama

The opposition is setting a bad example by putting all the blame on the Ducat hostage taking on the government. The ooposition maliciously insinuated that the administration of PGMA has done nothing to alleviate poverty, thereby encouraging people like Ducat to go on the edge. But in reality, is this really the government's fault? Should a single administration be solely blamed on the sins of past adminsitrations? The problem of education has been prevalent since the time of Marcos. From Marcos, the plight of education continued to slide. But i find it funny that former education secretary and turncoat Florencio Abad should blame the government of PGMA. It says quite clearly that during his term as DECS Secretary, he has done nothing to help improve quality of education in the country, so he should also be blamed. Erap should also be blamed for not addressing this problem, and so does Ramos and Cory. If the past administrations and former DECS officials did their jobs during their terms of office, then the PGMA administration shouldn't even be having this type of problem. How ignorant can we be to point the finger on only one person or administration and not look back on the sins of the past officials? What kind of people have we become, to actually believe that this is solely Gloria's fault and no one elses? Abad should also answer for this crisis. What has he done during his term as DECS Secretary to exempt him from blame? Can he really be holier-than-thou? Or in this case, should other past officials be equally exonorated from blame? And yet we see Balot (JV Estrada) and his cohorts happily calling a press conference and putting the blame on the administration and even PRAISING Ducat for his guts! Now I know the shit has really hit the fan! Ducat's a hero for holding kids hostage? No wonder foreign investors are pulling out of this God-forsdaken nation! With this kind of mentality, who wouldn't? And yet, the accumulated faults of these past officials bear heavy on the present administration -- and yet the opposition expects it to be addressed at the flick of a wrist? Are we really that stupid, or have we swallowed the media cock-and-bull story for so long that we actually believe all the crap they spew out of their foul mouths? Look at ABS-CBN! ANC's reportage is not only unbalanced but downright biased! Stories regarding the administration get only about 5 to 10 seconds of clips, while opposition remarks against the government were played in its entirety! Were is the supposed Balanced programming and other such fantiasies that this oligarch-run outfit so arrogantly projects? They balme the police for being lax in handling the hostage taking, yet the media themselves showed laxity by milling just three steps away from the bus! It's a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. And here comes Ted Failon strutting around like he's the hero of the hostage taking! The king of gab and hot air himself! Come on people ! We're being made to eat shit and we're eating it like its a f----ng fillet mignon! Wake up and smell the coffee.

Do Not Glamorize Jun Ducat's Actions

Watching the various news programs covering the Ducat hostage taking involving students of his very own daycare center, and listening to the comments of candidates from the opposition and Ducat's neighbors, you'd think that Ducat was a hero for "bringing the plight of education in the open". My God, what a load of bull droppings! When did a person holding 32 children hostage become a hero in anyone's eyes? And as usual, the opposition is having a field day and using this scenario to their advantage. What kind of heart do these people have, using a tragic event such as this to suit their own agenda? In my point of view, children should never be used for anyone's agenda, whether it is for the children's benefit or not. In the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Children, it clearly states in Principle 9 that "The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation". Ducat, in pushing for educational reforms, exploited the children when he pretended to take them on a field trip to Tagaytay when in fact he already planned to hold them hostage. The UN Declaration also states in Princilple 7 that "The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance". In this case, Ducat, being the owner of the daycare center, violated Principle 7 by not acting on the childrens' best interests. Some will argue that he only did it so the children can have a better future. Granted. But can you really correct a mistake by committing another mistake? Can the children he held hostage really understand his "noble intentions"? Is it noble to carry an uzi sub-machine gun, 2 hand guns and live hand grenades within sight of this children, where a minute mistake an cause them their precious little lives? How noble can one be if he knowingly planned to use these children to push for his own agenda, no matter how noble it may seem? Feeble-minded people will think only in terms of his intention, but what about the psychological effect that this has on the kids? In this case, no one should be thinking of his intention -- everyone should be thinking about the children. Principle 10 of the Delcaration also states that the child "shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men. " Has Jun Ducat shown understanding, tolerance and friendship when he betrayed the trust and friendship of the children and their parents, trusting him with the lives of their children, and then suddenly and without warning holding them hostage? Many will argue that he did not harm them. Are we really sure? Only time will tell if the children suffered any real psychological damage. I say Ducat and his actions should not be glamorized EVER. To glamourize such actions only encourage worms to come out of the woodwork. DFucat is not a man, or a gentlemen as his children so ignorantly point out. He is a monster who has exploited the children who trusted him, endangering their lives and putting them in a situation which could have turned sour. Jun Ducat should rot in jail if only to prove that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Children is being followed in this country. DUCAT A HERO? WHAT IF IT WAS YOUR CHILD HE HELD HOSTAGE? WOULD YOU STILL THINK SO?

First Summer Outing

We officially began summer with the first outing of the season. Packed with lots of San Mig Light, fried chicken, pansit and softdrinks, we left Provident shortly before lunchtime and headed to Boso-Boso, Rizal. It was my first time to drive to this place, and it turned out to be quite a pleasant drive, what with the well-maintained road from Gate 2 of Cogeo all the way to Boso-Boso Highlands which made travel time a short 30 minutes. When we arrived, we noticed that there were very few people, being a weekday. when we arrived, we were met greeted by cousin Ricky who went earlier with the kids. Macai, who is visiting from Dubai, had invited some of her friends over, so we had to get two huts to accomodate us all, but we did have fun! We began with lunch, then we allowed ourselves a few bottle of beers before heading to the adult pool which was about 6 to 7 feet deep. The water was fairly cold, which was a good thing since the sun was at its searing best that noon. The view was breathtaking! In the distance, one could catch a glimpse of a white steepled church atop a cliff. Too bad i noticed it just as the sun was about to go down, so the pictures are a bit dark. Before leaving, we decided to try out their videoke machine. As we were driving home, we got a message from Ricky that Macai wanted to have pizza, so we drove to Blue Wave to buy pizzas at Yellow Cab, then went to our house in Provident where we had the pizzas for dinner. All in all, it was a very enjoyable outing. Hope to visit that place again soon!

Note: This blog was written on Multiply and cross-posted with my Mapanguriat Blog on Blogger. For the benefit of my Blogger viewers (thank you, loyal readers!), you may access the pictures of our outing at Boso-Boso by clicking here.

Also visit my global village blog at www.myglobalvillage.bravelog.com.

Remembering Anastasia and the Romanovs

Nothing captures the imagination more than a tragic story of death at the hands of the enemy. Yet, one must contend that the escape of one from the hands of her captors is also quite exciting to many. This is how many would describe the tragic story of the Imperial Russian Family, the Romanovs. I searched various websites dedicated to the Romanovs, and i found an interesting one which carried not only the biographies of each of the the Romanovs but also an album full of pictures of the Royal Family. (click here to go the site). Incidentally, i also learned that Prince Charles' father, Prince Philip of Edinburgh, is related to the Romanovs on both sides of his family. His relation to the Romanovs finally closed a chapter on the history of the Romanovs, as the Prince gave DNA samples which proved that the skeletal remains found in a Russian mine were indeed that of the executed Romanov family.

There was a movie years ago called Anastasia, based on the story of Princess Anastasia's supposed escape from his family's executioners. as a backgrounder, here is what Jane Kuo, owner of the site "The Romanovs: A Royal Family" wrote on Princess Anastasia:

Anastasia, born on June 5, 1901, was the youngest daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra. She had brown hair and blue eyes and was the jokester of the family who liked to play pranks on people and was the enfant terrible of the family.

Anastasia and her older sister, Maria, were known in the household as the "Little Pair", being the younger sisters. As well as their older sisters, they shared a bedroom and Anastasia dominated her older sister with her energy and enthusiam.

She was very short and thin but during the family's captivity, she became plumper and her mental development had slowed down. Even though she was living through a horrible time, she still managed to entertain her family during a performance. Anastasia took the male lead and she was supposed to turn her back and open her dressing gown. The tail of the gown went up to her back, showing her wearing her father's underwear.

Most people believe that Anastasia died with her family on July 16/17, 1918 but there have been claims that she had survived. The most famous was Anna Anderson, who claimed to be Anastasia. It was later proved that Anna wasn't the Grand Duchess. Anastasia would have been 17 years old when she died.

The bloodline of the Romanovs still survive. As i mentioned earlier, Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II is a relative of the Romanovs. It is sad to note that the massacre might have been prevented had Tsar Nicolas' cousin, King George V of England, given the family safe haven in Britain.

As a postscript, in 1998, the remians of the "massacred" Romanov Family were finally laid to rest at the St. Peter and Paul church in St. Petersberg. Though the Russian Orthodox church refused to accept the scientific findings, then russian president Boris Yeltsin did attend the funeral rites and said that the burial should finally put an end to russia's bloody past.

The Plight of the True OPM

Let's face it. The art of kundiman is a dying art. Kundiman (If it not be so) is a unique form of expression renderred in music. I myself have written several poems which i planned to render into music, but it never progressed, mainly, I guess, because most of the people i know who can put the melody to the words i made don't have an inkling of what kundiman music is. Sadly, kundiman music in the past decade has been relegated as "funeral" accompaniment. Classics which used to make women swoon like Mutya ng Pasig, Sa Lumang Simbahan, Saan Ka Man Naroroon, Marupok na Sumpa, Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal and other classics have found themselves gathering dust, with only a handful of stations giving them much-needed airtime. In the FM Band, the only station that does play kundiman music is 104.3 Business Radio, a government-run station. Nakakalungkot. Kundiman music is part of our rich and colourful culture as a people. singers like Ric Manrique, Cenon Lagman, Diomedes Maturan and others are no longer emmulated. If only there was a way to preserve these masterpieces to show future generations that the origins of true original filipino music are monuments to the triumph of the filipino musician.

Here is a sample of a popular kundiman song, "Sa Sulyap Man Lang:

Ang mga sulyap ko giliw
kung iyong madarama
ay mababatid mong tunay

na minamahal kita.

Nguint di batid man lamang
ang wagas na pagsinta

kung kaya't sa pagsuyo
ang puso ko ay nagdurusa.

Ang awit kong ito
kung iyong maririnig
sa iyo'y maghahatid ng pagi-ibig.
Pagka't sa labi ko ko
ay hindi masambit
sa sulyap na lang sinta

ay aking ipadama.

---
also visit www.filipinokundiman.blogspot.com

"I do the things I Hate"

Romans 7:13-25

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

New additions to Mapangurirat

I've recently made new additions to the mapangurirat blog. I've added an NBA scoreboard at the bottom sidebar, as well as readings from the Holy Scripture, Health Tips, as well as a countdown timer for my birthday this July. hehehehehe. Also, for those with multiply accounts, please add me. My url is rodelbanares.multiply.com. Thanks!

Do Not give way to Sin

Romans 6:12-23

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But then what return did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Magbalik Ka Na Mahal

Although i'm not really that familiar with the hit 80's musical "Rama Hari", i am familiar with its "remake", Rama+Sita, which played for weeks at the UP Theater. How can i forget that musical? I love the songs that Mr. Ryan Caybyab did! Yesterday, as i was surfing the net, i came across a site that actually carried one of the songs from both "Rama Hari" and "Rama+Sita". It's a song sung originally by Kuh Ledesma and then by Lani Misalucha. It's called "Magbalik ka na, Mahal". I took the liberty of posting the lyrics for those familiar with the song.

MAGBALIK KA NA MAHAL

Bawat patak man ng ulang masinsin
Ay lagyan ng talimAko ay sasayi'
Di ko iindahin Ang ulos at hiwa
Ng mumunting patalim
Ang iyong kalinga ay kanlungang matibay
Lilim nito ay langit na aking tanggulan
'Pag ito'y natiklop, lalantahin ng araw
Lulunurin ng unos Ang marupok kong buhay
Aking hihintayin ang iyong pasabing
Magbalik ka na mahal.

(Bridge)

Ang iyong kalinga ay kanlungang matibay
Lilim nito ay langit na aking tanggulan
'Pag ito'y natiklop, lalantahin ng araw
Lulunurin ng unos Ang marupok kong buhay
Aking hihintayin ang iyong pasabing Magbalik ka na mahal.

A Prayer by Max Ehrmann

Let me do my work each day; and if the darkened hours of despair
overcome me, may I not forget the strength that comforted me
in the desolation of other times. May I still remember the bright hours that found me
walking over the silent hills of my childhood, or dreaming on the margin of a quietriver,
when a light glowed within me, and I promised my early God
to have courage amid the tempests of the changing years. Spare me from bitterness
and from the sharp passions of unguarded moments.
May I not forget that poverty and riches are of the spirit.
Though the world knows me not, may my thoughts and actions be
such as shall keep me friendly with myself. Lift up my eyes from the earth,
and let me not forget the uses of thestars. Forbid that I should judge others lest I condemn myself.
Let me not follow the clamor of the world, but walk calmly in mypath.
Give me a few friends who will love me for what I am; and keep ever
burning before my vagrant steps the kindly light of hope.
And though age and infirmity overtake me, and I come not within
sight of the castle of my dreams, teach me still to be thankful for
life, and for time's olden memories that are good and sweet; and
may the evening's twilight find me gentle still.

Max Ehrmann is the author of "Desiderata"

Considering a priestly vocation

I don't know how it happened but i suddenly found myself in the website of the Jesuit Brothers and i ended up inquiring about the brotherly vocation. I have given this a long, hard thought and i have come to the conclusion that there may be something to this vocation that calls to me. although i'm pretty sure my friends would not take me seriously, i have considered the possibility (mind you, it's the possibility, not the vocation, that i am considering) of joining the vocation. I have looked into the prenoviciate, noviciate and apostolate programs of the Camillans, the Jesuits and the Brothers of Charity and I have found all of them to have good charisms. This, i am sure, will extract quite a reaction from my friends in the Dominican Province. Oh well, i need time to discern things before making a decision. I'm not going to rush into any decisions for now.

Manila Travels: HIMLAYANG PILIPINO

My friend and I went looking for a car he wanted to buy. After visiting the various car lots in Marikina and Quezon City, we decided to head to Himlayang Pilipino so he can continue with his driving lessons. I also decided to visit my grandmother Rosing's mausoleum in the said memorial park. Himlayang Pilipino lies at the end of Himlayan Road. It is surrounded by walls meant to mimic the famous walls of Intramuros. far from just being a memorial park, Himlayang Pilipino offers the visitor a tranquil place of solace where one can meditate and be at peace with nature.

The monument dedicated to Tandang Sora (Melchora Aquino),
Grand Old Lady of the Katipunan

The Himlayang Pilipino chapel

The final resting place of Tandang Sora

Monument dedicated to Gregorio Del Pilar and the Battle
of Tirad Pass, where he was slain

Full view of the Tandang Sora Monument. Behind this sculpture
is her tomb where an eternal flame is lit.

A wishing well below the hill where the monument
of Gregorio Del Pilar is situated.

The arrest of Tandang Sora. This sculpture is on the
other side of her tomb.

The Himlayang Pilipino Gazeo. This gazebo overlooks
a man-made lagoon with a stuatue of Malakas and Maganda.

A close-up of the statue of Malakas and Maganda
with the Sarimanok that opened their bamboo.

A tomb overlooking the lagoon. I believe this is the tomb of
the owner of Himlayang Pilipino, but i'm not sure.

IDENTITY THEFT (parts 3 and 4)

for part 3 and 4 of my series on identity theft, please visit my other blog at:
www.myglobalvillage.bravelog.com. Thanks! -- Rodel

IDENTITY THEFT (2nd of a series)

After discussing the story of Miss Leslie Carlos, we go deeper into identity theft. So waht is dentity theft?

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years and thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of a good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for education, housing, or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit. Humiliation, anger, and frustration are among the feelings victims experience as they navigate the process of rescuing their identity. (FTC For the Consumer).

So how does one's identity get stolen? According to the United States Federal Trade Commission:

How identity thieves get your personal information:

They get information from businesses or other institutions by:

-stealing records or information while they're on the job
-bribing an employee who has access to these records
-hacking these records
-conning information out of employees
-They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new -checks, and tax information.
-They may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving."
-They may get your credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to them, or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to access your report.
-They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming." They may swipe your card for an actual purchase, or attach the device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.
-They may steal your wallet or purse.
-They may complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.
-They may steal personal information they find in your home.
-They may steal personal information from you through email or phone by posing as legitimate companies and claiming that you have a problem with your account. This practice is known as "phishing" online, or pretexting by phone.
-How identity thieves use your personal information:
-They may call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your credit card account. -The imposter then runs up charges on your account. Because your bills are being sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there's a problem.
-They may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the credit cards and don't pay the bills, the delinquent accounts are reported on your credit report.
-They may establish phone or wireless service in your name.
-They may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.
-They may counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers in your name, and drain your bank account.
-They may file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they've incurred under your name, or to avoid eviction.
-They may buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name.
-They may get identification such as a driver's license issued with their picture, in your name.
-They may get a job or file fraudulent tax returns in your name.
-They may give your name to the police during an arrest. If they don't show up for their court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.

Though the thought of someone using your SSS number or license number to steal your identity sounds farfetched for Filipinos now, there are other ways filipinos can be victimized by these thieves. In the Philippines, it has recently been discovered that there are unscrupulous individuals who have learned the art of stealing credit card info using a gadget with a magnetic strip reader. Although i'm not sure how many people have been victimized here in the Philippines, there have been reports on TV about one pinoy being victimized on E-Bay, no less. So if ever you're paying your bill using your credit card, make sure that your credit card is visible to you at all times!

We've seen movies where identities are stolen and all hell breaks loose for the protagonists. Though i havent heard of anyone doing a Harrison Ford just yet, but hey, who knows what tomorrow might bring, right?

So now, we've discussed credit card info theft as part of the bigger identity theft and the case of leslie carlos who is also a victim of "identity theft". In part 3, we'll get to know what experts have to say about identity theft.

Media: Oppressed or oppresor?

The media has been crying harassment over several libel cases filed by the First Gentleman regarding several articles written by the said media people. Why are the media people crying harassment? Isn't a libel suit the proper venue for the first gentleman to air his grievance as a citizen? Isn't it unfair that the media can callously destroy the credibility of a person then claim immunity in the name of press freedom? Who is the oppressor and who is the oppressed? The media has callously used press freedom as an avenue to destroy their enemies and yet they claim to protect the masang pilipino? who the shall protect us from our "protectors"? If they can do it to someone as Mike Arroyo, then we should be fearful for the media can do this to anyone. Media has gone from being a responsible vehicle of truth to a demolition-derby vehicle of blackmail and corruption. Media has loosely used its power in the name of profit and ratings! Look how media has reared its ugly head! Just look at the way Karen Davila asks questions, as if she is a holier-than-thou angel of enlightenment! The media is not being oppressed as it likes to portray. If this is true, then how come there are many anti-government reporters on TV, Radio and print? How come hindi pa sila pinapasara ng gobyerno? Media should take a long hard look in the mirror and try to see who is the real oppressor. They might be surprised to see their face on the mirror!

Much ado about nothing

There has been much "excitement" in the media yesterday about a blog supposedly written by a "scorned ex-lover" of the First Gentleman who is pushing for his disbarment over "immorality" and "deceit". Don't you think it's funny when a msitress (she knows FG is married) usddenly files a case of immorality against an ex-lover? After all, it takes two to tango and this woman apparently knows her "place" in their relationship. Deceit? Why? Was she promised marriage? Come on! This is the oldest trick of lovers to mistresses. Now the media is having a field day. Probably because yesterday was a slow news day for them and this'll definitely get ratings. Hello! News Flash, media people! Napakaraming may mistresses sa media and even in public office, and yet we chose to feature the mistress of a non-official (the post of first-gentleman or first lady is technically a civilian psot, not a public one). We choose to criticize this shortcoming of the first gentleman and yet we trivialize the womanizing of Senator Revilla Senior! What a crazy world we live in! Does our rating as a thrid-world country change with this expose? Do the lives of the people below the poverty line change with this "expose"? No! So why make such a fuzz over something that's a non-issue? No one's making a blog about being Erap's mistress (mistresses, plural pala), or Bong Revilla's alleged extra-marital liasons. SOh well, sabi nga nila, hell hath no fury as a woman scorned.

P.S. I will appeal to blogger.com to ban the blog. Blogger and blogs should not be used for unsubstantiated mudslinging. This belong in the proper forum, such as the courts or the IBP.

IDENTITY THEFT (First of a series)

Identity theft can take many forms, especially in the world wide wide web. If you're popular, or beautiful, or cool, or even just plain interesting to the eyes of someone else, chances are that someone will grab a photo of you from one of your websites, and then claim to be you. This is prevalent especially in sites such as friendster, myspace, and other similar websites. In a blog I wrote a couple of days ago, I discussed about a certain Amelia Pauline Ng (hereinafter referred to as Amelia). Amelia was the topic in one of the forums I chanced upon a few days back. Many forum members were talking about her and she was referred to as an impostor more than once in the said forum. It turns out that Amelia has a friendster account wherein she uses pictures that don't belong to her. Since the pictures are in her friendster account, many would assume that the girl in the pictures on her friendster account is Amelia. This however is farthest from the truth. In reality, the girl whose picture Amelia is using is actually the picture of Miss Leslie Carlos. I checked Amelia's friendster account and true enough, a picture belonging to Leslie Carlos was her main photo in the said account. According to what i gathered from the forums, Amelia uses the pictures as a sort of come-on for would-be victims. According one of the forum members, she would ask for cellphone load in exchange for SOP (sex on the phone) or the promise of a sex eyeball.

So, phase 2, i decided to look for ms. Carlos and found her. In her site, I found out that she has already found out about Amelia, and the girl is not happy about it at all. and who would be? So I sent Ms.Carlos an email and asked permission to write about it in my various blogs.

There is another rather controversial issue in one of the forums i entered. This time it involves a young woman by the name of Ria Sacasas (I am not sure if this is eher real name). There have been much debate about whether miss Sacasas is a real person or not. Sure, there are lots of photos of her, but the big question in the forums is: Is the girl in the picture the same person as Ria Sacasas? In friendster, there are at least 2 accounts bearing the picture of Ria Sacasas, but with different names. One claims to be a Josiebel Lim of UA&P and another claims to be the real Ria. I say "claim" because since the practice of "identity theft" is becoming rampant, we can never really be sure who is who. Mind you, this is a more familiar occurence for celebrities. Type in the name of Bea Alonzo in the friendster search engine and I'm pretty sure you'll get many hits, not all of them authentic. Sadly, there is no clear indication that this practice will let up soon. (I'll be discussing the Ria Sacasas mystery in a separate blog soon, i promise).
Be warned! No one is safe from impostors (I refer to them as identity thieves). As for Leslie Carlos, I am thankful she has agreed for me to write about her experience as warning to others who might fall prey to this kind of identity theft. Thank You.

Many would take a cynical viewpoint about this issue and take it in stride -- but can we really afford to just take it in stride? In the case of Leslie Carlos, don't you think that it is extremely unfair for Leslie to suffer the embarrasment and humiliation just because someone thought it would be "cool" to post Leslie's pic in a friendster account and use it to their advantage? If this happened to you, would you take it sitting down? hmmppph. I didn't think so.

Victimized by impostors posing to be you on the web? Send me an email with details and we'll include them in my series about identity theft and impostors on the web. send them to rodel.banares@gmail.com.

More on this issue soon! This article has been posted in "Random Thoughts of a Mapangurirat", Mapangurirat (Blogger), and My Global Village.

The Marikina Adventure (Episode 1)

It was such a beautiful afternoon that i thought i'd take my sister, neice and friend for a drive to the much-talked about riverside park of Marikina city. We've been living in Marikina for almost a year and we still have not been able to really visit the river park. So we hopped into old rusty junior (the name of my car, the junior of my old 1978 Mitsubishi Lancer) and headed for the park. We arrived just before 4:00 pm. There were a few people in the park, and we didn't have a hard time finding a nice parking spot near the Roman Gardens.

While we were strolling along the riverside park path, we noticed that one of the trees
had some monkeys playing in its branches (they were cement monkeys, of course!)

also along the path, there was a cute penguin statie that looks suspiciously a
lot like Happy feet's "bida"

This is a weird, confused statue. Is it supposed to be a christmas snowman
or a valentine's day tribute? You decide. for me though, it's a decapitated
snowman with golden cherubs playing with the body. (yuck!)


A statue of a lion with a very stiff neck

This is my favorite photo of our trip: Si adan, si eba at ang sawa!
Kulang na lang ang mansanas!

Drugs are dangerous! Look at these wide-eyed ... ewan...
mga moose ba `yan or reindeer? hmmmmm??

The path is lined with wild bamboo ....
My sister Rose and niece Karla posing before the Roman Garden Gazebo.
The gazebo was built by the Zoroasts society of Marikina and marks the spot where
a miraculous image of the child jesus was allegedly found.



This is yours truly, being attacked by a huge, ugly python which
found its way up a light post. (wink, wink!)

That ends part 1 of our adventures in Marikina. I'll be bringing you more fun places in Marikina to visit... until next time!

Onesimo S. Banares 1929-2004

Today marks the 3rd death anniversary of my father, Onesimo Salazar Lim Banares. He was born in 1929 in a small coastal town called Bacacay nestled at the foot of Mount Mayon in Albay. He was 6th in a brood of 15 children. He ran away to Manila with his brother to study. He studied High School at Cosmopolitan College in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Because he couldn't pay for his tuition fee, he worked as janitor for the school. After graduating, he took up political science at Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU). Again, he worked as janitor part-time to cover for his tuition. He graduated in 1956 with a degree in Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in 1956. He passed the bar the next year and worked for the legal department of the Bureau of public works. In between studying and working, he managed to buy a house and get married. He then worked for Mantrade, then went on to First United Bank (FUB) as a legal officer. this is where he met Don Pepe Cojuangco, owner of the bank.

After FUB became UCPB, he was made manager of the legal dept. and was instrumental in the creation of the bank's Blue Book, which carried his signature for quite some time. He has won every case he handled, and to my eyes he was the nation's, if not the world's greatest lawyer, which is why it was painful for me to see him deteriorate physically. He was always a vigorous man, choosing to walk when others would ride, and he was a great orator and debater. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, we were devastated. He took it bravely, even asking the doctor if he would make it to his 75th birthday in 2004. The doctor of course said yes. True enough, he was able to live long enough to see his 75th birthday. That was feb. 16, 2004. He was also able to celebrate their wedding 47th wedding anniversary at the hospital on Feb. 29, and my neice's birthday on March 1. He passed away the next day.He was such a great influence to me.

He was the reason i wanted to become a lawyer, and the reason i took up political science. In my heart, he will always be the world's greatest lawyer, and the world's greatest father. He will be missed not just by me, but my siblings, relatives, friends and the many lives he managed to touch in the 75 years of his existence on this earth.

Papa, I miss you.

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”
-Pope Paul VI 1897-1978

JOIN THE KINDNESS REVOLUTION

I've promoted many orgs in my various blogs before, but this one really takes the cake. The Kindness Revolution is a fund raising project meant to benefit the volunteers of the Global Xchange Programme. They are a group of multi-cultural youth volunteers that really want to make a difference and make contributions to developing communities, etc. (Find out more about them by clicking here).

what's fun about this project is that you get to buy coupons (in denominations of P100, P300, P500 and P1000), and they will match it with a good deed. My niece Miel, a volunteer for the group, once di groceries for a week for a donor (or coupon buyer or whaever they call 'em).
By purchasing these coupons, you not only get to help finance the volunteers but also get to help our less fortunate brethren. How many groups do you know offer these incentives for donating? So dig deep into your pockets, guys, and start buying those coupons and do your share!

This blog will be posted in all my sites and my weekly column in the clan website. Visit them at:
www.maqpangurirat.blogspot.com
www.rodelbanares.bravelog.com
www.banares.bravehost.com/opinion.html

And, if its not too much trouble, fellow bloggers, do your share as well and provide links for this group. Their URL is http://www.thekindnessrevolution.blogspot.com/
What are you waiting for? Join the kindness revolution and let kindness be your religion!
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AN OPEN LETTER TO MR. HARVEY KEH

Dear Mr. Keh,

We are thanklful for your genuine service to your fellow filipinos through your various civic works. However, your letter of appeal to filipinos citing 7 reasons that would make you leave the Philippines is short of shallow, if I am allowed my opinion.
Yes, for the record, you sited the following 7 scenarios that would make you think of leaving our beloved motherland, to wit:

1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of HelloGarci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman ofBukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbentCong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock ofthe whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garcito be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".

2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at theSenate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dancethat she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after theyvoted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide...let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senateagain.

3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know aboutmaking laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and LitoLapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would bereason enough not to elect another actor who has no priorexperience in government to the distinguished halls of theSenate.

4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned ourlesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismaticthen we will just elect him to become one of our senators despitethe fact that he has time and again caused so much instability inour country... if we want a military junta similar to that ofThailand ... then lets all vote for this guy....

5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General SantosCity... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny theLawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but Ithink it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire toserve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help upliftthe lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.

6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't likeJojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country'sfinance and business center?!?! And do you really think he isfrom Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos askingsomeone like him to run just goes to show you how much love andconcern this government has for our country.

7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.

Wouldn't it be more patriotic for you to remain in this country should these seven scenarios happen? You mean to say that you are willing to abandon the Philippines just because of 7 people? Is that patriotism? Sure, your achievements count for something, but if you threaten to leave because of these 7 people, what does that make you? Our heroes Rizal and Ninoy, exiled though they were, chose to return home to face danger while you threaten to do the opposite! Your intention is commendable, inspiring and calling on the voting public not to vote for these people (I certainly won't vote for these 7 people, trust me).

We are still a free country. People can vote for whomever they please. We cannot blame the masang pilipino for voting for these 7 people, much less teach them to vote wisely by threatening to abandon them. I said this before, it takes time to educate voters. It will take generations before we can come up with true intelligent electorates. This, i think, is all the more reason for you to stay if the 7 people are elected. It is up to people like you and me to set the stage for a thinking electorate. Trust me, we won't even live to see that day come, but at least we know we have done the right thing and stayed when others chose to leave.

Do not abandon the country because of these 7 people. They are only 7 reasons for you to leave, as opposed to millions of reasons to stay.

If by May, heaven forbid, these 7 people do get elected and you decide to abandon ship, so to say, then good luck. There will be many more willing to pick up where you left off. Those who chose to stay against apparent insurmountable odds. These are the true patriots of the motherland.

RODEL BANARES

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Here is the complete text of Mr. Keh's letter:
Dear Fellow Filipino,Good day to all of you! Before I begin my letter... just adisclaimer, for people who know me they know that I love thePhilippines very much and I am not really one who rants andcomplaints to high heavens about what is happening to our countryand does nothing about it, in fact, I feel that at my relativelyyoung age of 27, I have done much service to the Philippines bysetting up Pathways to Higher Education which has sent more than500 poor but deserving students to college and AHON Foundationwhich has already built two public elementary school librariesthat have benefitted more than 3,500 students. Yet, after seeinghow events in our nation have transpired the past few weeks andtalking with some friends, I feel the urge to share with you myown thoughts and feelings.Over the weekend, we saw the completion of two major politicalalliances for this coming Senate Elections that has just beganhere in the Philippines . Now we have two political forces withfamiliar faces nonetheless on opposite sides of the fences. Onone end, you have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta who were twomajor stalwarts of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign in 2004hobnobbing with the woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to havecheated FPJ in the last Presidential Elections.On the other sideof the fence, you see Manny Villar, the former house speaker whowas actually responsible for impeaching Erap now part of theUnited Opposition who is led by no less than... Erap himself. Nowif you don't see anything wrong with this picture then you mustbe one of the many Filipinos who have accepted this very sadreality that there is indeed no permanent ideals that our government leaders stand up for but rather they just go wherethere self-interests can best be served. It is this kind ofpolitics why I no longer wonder why good people like RamonMagsaysay Awardee Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City or outstandingBulacan Governor Josie Dela Cruz will find it hard or worse,never be elected to national positions.It is with these in mind that I'd like to share with you what areevents this coming May elections that will make me considerleaving the Philippines :

1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano of HelloGarci fame wins in his bid to become Congressman ofBukidnon...seeking to replace a good man no less in incumbentCong. Neric Acosta... We would really be the laughing stock ofthe whole world if we allow a man with the reputation of Garcito be one of our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".

2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino Oreta reclaims her seat at theSenate... I hope that all of us would still remember that dancethat she did during the 2001 impeachment hearings after theyvoted to overrule the decision of then Chief Justice Davide...let us make sure that people like her never make it to the Senateagain.

3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a senator... what does he know aboutmaking laws? We already have the likes of Bong Revilla and LitoLapid in the Senate and their performance or lack of it would bereason enough not to elect another actor who has no priorexperience in government to the distinguished halls of theSenate.

4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again.... have we not learned ourlesson? I cannot believe that just because someone is charismaticthen we will just elect him to become one of our senators despitethe fact that he has time and again caused so much instability inour country... if we want a military junta similar to that ofThailand ... then lets all vote for this guy....

5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes Congressman of General SantosCity... everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ but Manny theLawmaker? Lets be realistic here, Manny is our Hero alright but Ithink it takes more than just great boxing skills and a desire toserve to be able to make appropriate laws that would help upliftthe lives of the many Filipinos who live in Poverty.

6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of Makati City... I don't likeJojo Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city mayor of the country'sfinance and business center?!?! And do you really think he isfrom Makati and has good plans for the city? The Arroyos askingsomeone like him to run just goes to show you how much love andconcern this government has for our country.

7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a Senator, Illegal Gambling =Chavit... enough said.

Now if all of these 7 things happen during this coming electionsthen don't be surprised if I decide to leave this country that Ilove dearly. Like I said during the first part of my letter, Ifeel that I have done much for this country but I think its timethat Filipinos become more vigilant and critical in selectingour leaders for the sake of our future and the generations thatwill go beyond us. So I appeal to every Filipino who asks whatcan I actually do for my country... Choose and vote for the rightpeople this coming elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa mgakandidatong maganda lang ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster.Let us choose leaders who have a good track record for serviceand who are genuinely committed towards serving our country.Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa ating Kinabukasan at parasa Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!Thank you very much for your time in reading this letter.Sincerely,Harvey S. Keh

My Global Village

I've recently opened my new blog site, www.myglobalvillage.bravelog.com (or alternately, you can use the URL www.rodelbanares.bravejournal.com). You can view my other musings there, as well as other features as well. There'll soon be a forum for those visiting my web log. Of course, this service is hosted by Bravenet.

Milestones

Today marks the 50th Wedding Anniversary of my dearly departed parents Onesimo and Edita Banares. They were married on Feb. 29, a leap year, so we celebrate their anniversary on the 28th during non-leap years. My parents were so looking forward to this milestone in their lives, but unfortunately they were called early to that big ballroom in the sky. Two dys from now, our family will also be marking the 3rd death anniversary of my father Onesimo, and tomorrow we will be marking my neice Karla's 17th birthday.