Sa Kabila Nito, Sana Ay Matoto Ka Pa Rin...

Pacquiao joins Villar bandwagon
By Hannah L. Torregoza

Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has finally made up his mind and formally took his oath as the newest member of presidential candidate Senator Manuel Villar Jr.’s Nacionalista Party (NP).

Villar raised the hands of Manny Pacquiao in simple ceremonies at the boxer’s mansion in General Santos City early Friday morning.

The oath-taking coincided with Pacquiao’s celebration of his 31st birthday. Pacquiao is seeking a congressional seat in Saranggani, his wife Jinky Pacquiao’s home province.

Present during the ceremony was Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is running for senator under the NP in the May 2010 polls.

Villar swore in Pacquiao, along with his People’s Champ Movement local party slate, in the boxing icon’s mansion in General Santos following his 31st birthday celebration at the KCC Events and Convention Center attended by over 2,000 guests including Villar.

“Manny Pacquiao, who has thrown his best punches to hoist our country’s pride and honor, is a deeply valued partner in our campaign to help keep our people from being knocked out by extreme hardships,” Villar said. [...]

Click here to read full text.

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In his field of specialization, Manny have learned good strategies and developed great skills with the help of his mentors.

But it is highly doubtful that his learned strategies could work well in another arena under "clever" political game planners.

While he is treated like a son under his good coach in the field of boxing, contrastingly in the arena of politics, he seems being treated like a sacrificial chess piece by his supposed mentors who are trying hard to maximize their own gains from his heroism.

Manny is known to be a good administration ally, yet why is it now that he seems to have "suddenly" switched allegiance? Of course we understand that it is because of politics and we "know" that Manny has political ambitions, but can he not run as an independent and win? How much will he gain in his decision of changing allegiance and being allied with another group? Is it not the other way around? This group he is joining will gain some popularity because of his reputation while his political credibility decreases because of being possibly perceived as "balimbing" practicing TraPo.

I believe in Manny's intention to serve the poor. To the Filipinos he is an inspiration, but it is sad to see his sincere attempts at altruism only being manipulated by the big hairy hands of operators of traditional politics.

Manny, sometimes you must learn to say no to temptations. But you have made a choice, you must live with it for the duration of the season. Stand by what you have decided.

Panahon Na Na Ibalik Ang Parusang Kamatayan Sa Ating Bansa

Maguindanao massacre death toll rises to 46—police
Inquirer.net

Bullet-ridden bodies were pulled out from shallow graves on Tuesday as troops hunted down the gunmen who massacred, according to the Philippine National Police, at least 46 people in one of the Philippines' most brutal explosions of political violence.

Police on Mindanao island pulled bullet-ridden bodies from shallow graves in this remote farming area after gunmen allegedly employed by a local political chief abducted then shot dead a group of rival politicians and journalists.

“Some bodies were strewn on the ground. Most were recovered from under lumps of earth which were stained with blood,” said Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluna, the regional police commander.

"They were piled on top of each other. It looked as if they were buried hurriedly," said Cataluna.

Twenty-two bodies had previously been found beside a dirt road nearby following Monday's killings by gunmen allegedly linked to the area's political kingpin.

The group abducted associates of a rival politician and at least 20 journalists from General Santos City and nearby provinces who were covering them.

“But we have yet to finalize our tally as we are still talking with the relatives of the victims,” Cataluna said.

Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, said the bodies would be taken to Buluan town, Maguindanao province, after the police have conducted an autopsy on the bodies and conferred with the victims’ relatives.

Most of the victims bore gunshot wounds, Espina said.

National police chief Jesus Verzosa, who flew to the south to supervise the investigation, said he feared the death toll could rise with several other members of the kidnapped party of more than 40 people still missing.

"We still have to check one other suspected mass grave," he added.

"We expect more bodies from other areas," Cataluna said.

Journalists on the scene said a mechanical digger was emblazoned with the name of the Maguindanao provincial governor, Andal Ampatuan, whose bodyguards had been blamed by the military as being behind the massacre.

The victims were among a group of more than 40 people abducted by gunmen Monday linked to Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, head of a Muslim clan who is part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's ruling coalition.

The abducted group was made up of relatives and associates of Esmael Mangudadatu, the head of a rival Muslim clan in Maguindanao, plus a group of journalists, the military and police said.

The group was traveling in a convoy to accompany or report on Mangudadatu's wife as she went to an electoral office to register her husband to run for governor against Ampatuan's son in next year's national polls.

Authorities warned the death toll would climb higher as they sought to deal with the incident.

"It's a big area where these bodies were found. They are finding a couple of bodies every a couple of hours or so," Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said as he described a farming area covered in hastily dug graves.

Puno said the extra bodies being recovered were on top of the the official death toll, but he would not speculate on how many people in total had been murdered.

"They are still looking for some missing persons. A number of other bodies were found. I can't really reveal the details now. It's a large number," Puno said in a television interview.

Espina said Verzosa and other senior police officials flew to Maguindanao early Tuesday to personally check on the area and supervise the manhunt against the perpetrators of the killings.

He said Verzosa ordered the relief of Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay, the deputy provincial police chief of Maguindanao, after he was supposedly seen with the armed men who abducted and killed the victims.

Additional police troops were also deployed in the area to prevent a possible rise of hostilities in the area.

Political violence is common in the Philippines – where more than one million unlicensed guns proliferate – and dozens of people are murdered each election season.

But the scale of Monday's massacre, as well as the targeting of apparently unrelated people, has shocked the country.

Fourteen of the victims were women and some of them were journalists with no apparent links to the clan war, the police and military said.

Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Romeo Brawner said the Ampatuans and their associates were believed to have been responsible for the massacre.

"The suspects are bodyguards of Ampatuan, local police aides and certain lawless elements," Brawner said.

As thousands of soldiers fanned out across the Ampatuans' stronghold in search of the gunmen on Tuesday, sickening details of the massacre emerged.

The military said about 100 armed men stopped the convoy of vehicles on a remote section of highway near the town of Ampatuan, which bears the same name as the political kingpin.

Police said the bodies of the victims were found a few kilometers (miles) away, with a bulldozer apparently used to dig the graves still on the scene.

Police said 15 of the victims appeared to have been shot inside their vehicles while one was believed to have been cut down by gunfire while fleeing.

"All were shot at close range," said one of the investigators on the scene, Chief Superintendent Felicisimo Khu.

Asked about the allegations by some of the victims' relatives that the murdered women were also raped, Khu said: "We cannot confirm that although all the women had their pants unzipped."

The Ampatuan clan is the longtime political kingpin of Maguindanao, a mainly Muslim section of Mindanao Island which has been wracked by a Muslim separatist rebellion for decades.

The Ampatuan patriarch, Andal Ampatuan Sr., has been governor for the past nine years and wants his son and namesake to succeed him.

The Ampatuan clan has been important in delivering votes to Arroyo's ruling Lakas Kampi-CMD coalition in recent elections. The Ampatuan father is the provincial chair of the coalition in Maguindanao.

Puno vowed the government would be impartial as it pursued justice.

"I just want to assure everybody that we are doing everything necessary here, that there will be no sacred cows," Puno said.

"This is going to be a direct investigation of the crimes that have been committed and we are going to hold the persons responsible for this."

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Panahon na na ibalik ang parusang kamatayan sa ating bansa para sa ganitong klaseng krimen. Hindi matatahimik ang Mindanao kung ang pamahalaang Pilipinas ay walang kakayahang magpapatupad ng ating batas doon. Umaaboso na ng husto ang mga taong may hawak na baril doon na hindi naman otorisado ng pamahalaan. Panahon na at kinakailangan na talaga na ipakita ng pamahalaan ang kanyang kamay na bakal sa lugar na iyon.

At any cost, dapat disarmahan na ang lahat na may "illegal weapons" doon. Babantayan ng militar ng maigi ang lahat ng mga "backdoors" na dinadaanan ng mga "illegal weapons" doon.

Totoo Ba Ang Lahat Na Ito?

Why Chiz Left The Nationalist People’s Coalition: The Inside Story
by Fernando Gagelonia

[...] The "unprincipled deal-making left Seneator Escudero troubled and seriously disgusted", a 5th NPC source told this writer further.

Chiz believed Senator Legarda would abide by the earlier decision of the party that whoever was leading in the survey would be the standard bearer while the other one would slide down to VP. [...]

Click here to read the full article.

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Sana maipaliwanag ng maayos ng mga kinaukolan ang lahat ng ito. Maraming mga tao ang naniniwala sa integridad ng mga kinaukolang mga lider na ito ng ating bansa, dahilang sila'y nangunguna sa pagka-senador noong nakaraang eleksyon.

Haaay... ang politika talaga. Ang daming magandang relasyon ang nasusubokan at winawasak. Ang daming integridad ang nayoyogyog at bumibigay.

Bout against Cotto was a hard fight - Pacquiao

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Cotto hails Pacquiao as one of the best

Manny Pacquiao admitted that he was pushed to the limit when he went against Miguel Cotto in their “Firepower” bout Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (Sunday in Manila).

“It was a hard fight,” Pacquiao said in a televised ringside interview as quoted by Reuters. “This is the last weight division for me. This is history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it.”

Pacquiao became the first boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions after referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight in the 12th round.

The pound-for-pound king prevailed over Cotto via technical knockout to become the new WBO welterweight champion. In addition, he claimed the WBC diamond belt.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, with 38 knockouts) went the distance against Cotto (34-2 with 27 KOs), This is in contrast to his second round knockout win over Briton Ricky Hatton on May 2.

Wanted KO

The Filipino boxing sensation revealed that he was looking to score a KO punch, to no avail. He was able to show his edge early on as he knocked down Cotto in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

Pacquiao also disclosed that his team’s strategy was not to hurry because they knew that Cotto would counter.

“We were very careful in the early rounds because we don't know what will happen. I tried to test his power in the early rounds. That's why I wanted to get hit in the body and the head,” he explained as quoted by FightHype.com.

He said he wanted to try Cotto’s power because according to him, everybody was saying that the natural welterweight was bigger and stronger and stronger than him.

“When I control the fight, I got aggressive in the fight and make him pressure. In the early rounds, I was looking for a knockout shot that's why I didn't throw too many punches,” he added.

‘Manny too much for Miguel’

“I thought we were going to break him down, which we did. Early in the fight, he was kind of testing Miguel's power and laying on the ropes too much,” said Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach.

“Manny had to make the adjustments and once Manny used his feints and his movements, it was too much for him,” he stated.

Pacquiao said he was taken aback when the fight reached Round 12: “In the 11th round, I thought they were going to stop the fight. I was surprised he continued.”

“Manny dictated the fight and they should have stopped it three rounds sooner than they did after he (Cotto) began to run,” added Roach.

The American trainer also mentioned in an Associated Press (AP) report that he knew the bout was over “when Cotto started backing up.” [...]

One of the best

Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago, acknowledged that Pacquiao was the better fighter. “He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected,” AP quoted Santiago.

Cotto, for his part, stated that he was not able to guard himself from Pacquiao’s flurry of punches.

“He jabs and throws. I didn't know from where the punches were coming and I didn't protect myself from the punches,” Cotto said in an Agence France-Presse article.

Cotto, who took a beating from the pound-for-pound king, declared: “I fought everybody and Manny is one of the best all time.”

Meantime, he assured his fans that he will continue fighting. “My health comes first. I just want to make sure I'm fine, but I feel great. I'm swollen but that's all.”

Click here to read full text.

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Tribute to Manny Pacquiao and to his whole team. In some way, Manny's humble beginnings may be likened to Michael Oher's story. Manny's coaches, trainers, guardians, family, and friends helped "The Pacman" become who he is today. Manny's whole team are not only grooming a hero, they are in a way taking care of our nation's honor too.

With Manny's remarkable determination and discipline teaming up with the dedication and discipline of his whole team to coach, train, guide and support him in his endeavors, victory is almost always inevitable. The teamwork, dedication, and discipline they showed bring great inspiration and hope to the entire nation. It carries a message that our country can resume and continue to change for the better any time if there is real change in our hearts and minds that brings teamwork, dedication, and discipline into our common goal of nation building.

Kanus-a Pa Man Masumpo Ning Mga Buhat Nga Niloog?

Kidnapped school principal beheaded in Sulu
PhilStar.com

A school principal abducted recently by suspected Abu Sayyaf members in Sulu province was killed and beheaded by his captors, a military spokesman disclosed today.

The severed head of Gabriel Canizares, 36, was discovered near a gas station in downtown Jolo, Sulu, around 5:30 a.m. today (Nov. 9), according to Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr.

Brawner said Canizares' beheading might be a retaliation of a recent capture of an Abu Sayyaff leader involved in the beheading of Marines in 2006.

"There has been a demand for ransom but there had been several threats on his (Canizares) life he was kidnapped," Brawner added.

Around 12 heavily armed men abducted Canizares, a principal of the elementary school in Brgy. Kanague, Patikul town, around 4:20 p.m. last Oct. 19 at Kilometer 7 in Barangay Tanum.

The victim was on his way to Jolo on board a passenger jeep together with other teachers when he was forcibly taken by the bandits.

"He was really pinpointed by the kidnappers because he was the only one taken," Brawner noted.

Meanwhile, the militants, notorious for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings, were reportedly demanding a ransom of P2 million ($42,000) for his release.

The Abu Sayyaf, which is suspected of receiving funds from al-Qaida, is believed to have about 400 fighters on Jolo and nearby Basilan Island. The group has been sheltering militants from the larger Southeast Asian terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, the military says.

President Arroyo today ordered the military and police to put an end to the Abu Sayyaf's "heinous and inhumane atrocities," her spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said.

"We shall make them pay for the enormity of this savagery," Fajardo said.

Despite years of U.S. military training and assistance, Filipino troops have struggled to contain the militants, who have recently intensified attacks on Jolo, blowing up bridges, firing mortar shells and setting off roadside bombs.

A Sept. 29 land mine explosion under a military convoy carrying American troops killed two U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers — the first U.S. military deaths in the southern Philippines in seven years.

About 600 U.S. troops are currently stationed in the south for training and humanitarian missions, but are barred by Philippine law from engaging in direct combat.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus expressed shock at the teacher's killing, saying six other teachers who had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf earlier this year had all been released despite threats to behead them.

He said his department was at a loss how to ensure security for public schoolteachers in high-risk areas and feared that the kidnappings would discourage others from teaching underprivileged youths in Muslim areas.

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Kamong mga Muslim nga nagpuyo diha sa Mindanao wala ba mo pul-e nga permi nalang dunay pagpa-ngidnap ug pagpang-lunggo ug ulo nga mahitabo diha sa inyong lugar? O tingale naanad nalang mo nianang klaseha sa krimen? Mura man gud ug ming kaging na nang inyong mga kasing-kasing sa inyong walay pagpakitag paningkamot nga mapahamtangan ug hustisya ug mahatagan ug kasulbaran ang mga kaso sa mga pagpamunggot ug ulo diha sa inyong lugar.

Kamong mga kadagkuan diha sa Mindanao, wala na ba lang gyud mo'y mahimo batok nianang mga walay puangod nga mga Abu Sayyaf? Kamong mga tarong nga mga pangulo sa mga nagkalain-laing hugpong sa mga Muslim diha sa Mindanao, unsa may inyong ikatabang alang sa kasulbaran niining suliran mahitungod sa mga kriminal nga grupong Abu Sayyaf? Kung gusto mo ug kalinaw sa inyong lugar, pwes, ipakita ninyo nga aduna mo'y mabuhat sa pagsumpo sa mga dautang binuhatan sa mga Abu Sayyaf ug sa uban pang mga grupo diha sa inyong lugar nga nagmugna niining mga pagpa-ngidnap ug pagpa-mutol ug ulo sa mga inosenteng mga biktima.

Ngadto sa mga MILF ug sa uban pang grupong mga Muslim: kung sa karon pa lang gani wa mo'y igong katakos nga tinuuray mosumpo niining mga buhat nga krimen sa grupong Abu Sayyaf, unsa'y rason nga makatoo ang tibook nasod nga Pilipinhon nga kaya ninyong mohawid ug gahom alang sa pagdumala sa inyong kaugalingong teritoryo?

Tama Ang Gawa, Mali Naman Ang Nasa

Election Disaster
By Mon Casiple

Don’t bring politics into the disaster relief effort. This is basically the message Speaker Nograles wants politicians to get. Right message, wrong messenger. Just like Congressman Mikey Arroyo when he answered a Facebook entry which purportedly showed him shopping for wine in Katipunan C-5 road at the height of Ondoy’s flooding. The gentleman vehemently denied the act happened and threatened to censor Facebook and the Internet. He may be right in his indignation but his proposal is completely wrong–you don’t shoot the messenger.

In both cases, the spotlight is on behavior of traditional politicians during disasters. When Speaker Nograles speaks about politicians in this context, he was admonishing them not to put their names and other labels that may be misconstrued as election campaigning. When Congressman Arroyo was indignant, he was worried that his alleged act may be misconstrued as indifference and callousness to the plight of the flood victims who were drowning and dying during that time.

What all traditional politicians–in this runup to the 2010 elections–are expected to do is to make sure that they are always in the public mind. Their game is called name recall. Why do you think we have all these TV and radio infomercials and political ads this early? Why do you think local politicians and even national ones double-time to attend weddings, burials, baptisms, fiestas, ball games, rallies, game shows, and what have you?

Disasters are not spared. Their unpredictability is only matched by the predictability of the traditional politicians. Name-labeled relief goods, photo ops, and media releases are a politician’s dream during disaster.

Inevitably, they are present only when the disaster already had exacted its toll. They would not want to be there before the disaster strikes because the people will remember who forgot to ensure evacuation, give adequate and timely warnings, prepare the necessary rescue equipment, and organize the people for disaster handling. Worse, they may be remembered for pocketing or spending disaster funds on other things.

Disasters are difficult for traditional politicians to handle. In an election year, these may lead to an election disaster.

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Ang Pagtulong sa Nangangailangan
Mateo 6:1-4

Mag-ingat kayo na huwag gawing pakitang-tao lamang ang inyong pamamahagi sa mga kahabag-habag. Kung magkagayon ay hindi kayo tatanggap ng gantimpala sa inyong Ama sa langit.

Kaya nga, kapag ikaw ay namamahagi sa mga kahabag-habag, huwag mong hipan ang trumpeta na nasa harap mo, gaya ng ginagawa ng mga mapagpaimbabaw sa mga sinagoga at sa mga daan. Ginagawa nila ito upang sila ay luwalhatiin ng mga tao. Katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo: Tinanggap na nila ang kanilang gantimpala. Kung mamahagi ka sa mga kahabag-habag, huwag mo nang ipaalam sa iyong kaliwang kamay kung ano ang ginagawa ng iyong kanang kamay. Sa gayon, maililihim ang iyong pamamahagi sa mga kahabag-habag. Ang iyong Ama na nakakakita sa lihim ay magbibigay ng gantimpala sa iyo nang hayagan.

Hindi Ba Poseble na Liliko Pa Rin Si "Pepeng"?

Pagasa belies reports Pepeng will hit Metro Manila Friday night

By Katherine Evangelista
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 20:02:00 10/02/2009

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has denied reports typhoon Pepeng (international codename: Parma) will hit Metro Manila Friday night.

“Definitely that will not happen,” said Pagasa director Prisco Nilo, referring to text messages saying that Pepeng will bear down on disaster-struck Metro Manila at 9 p.m.

But he advised residents to prepare as the typhoon was forecast to dump more rains.

As of 4 p.m., Pepeng was seen over 150 kilometers north northeast of Virac, Catanduanes packing maximum sustained winds of up to 195 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph.

It was forecast to move west northwest at 13 kph headed for northern Luzon.

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Bayan, talagang tunay ba ang iyong paniniwala at pananalig? Kailan at papaano ito masusubukan at mapatunayan? Ginagamit mo lang ba ito sa panahon ng paghihirap, ngunit binaliwala lamang sa ibang mga panahon?

Hindi emposeble na liliko si "Pepeng", pero saang direksyon?

Ano ba ang makapagbibigay ng lakas at makapagpatibay ng tao, ang pagsuong sa pagsubok o ang pag-iwas nito?

Ano ba ang makapagpatatag ng kanyang pananalig, ang matugonan ang kanyang pinapanalanging makaiwas sa paghihirap ng isang pagsubok, o ang mapaglampasan niya ang isang pagsubok kahit gaano man ang paghihirap na bigay nito?

Ang Nooy Munting Babala, Ngayo'y Malaki Nang Abala

Garbage preventing floods from receding - Atienza
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Tons of non-biodegradable garbage and water lilies are keeping floodwaters contained in various areas in Metro Manila, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said Thursday, as he stressed the need to strictly implement the waste management law.

"This [effects of tropical storm Ondoy] should be a wake up call. We must change our ways. Dispose of your garbage properly," Atienza said in an interview with ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda.

He said drainage systems in Manila are clogged with non-biodegradable garbage. He added that water lilies from Laguna de Bay and Pasig River are also preventing floodwaters from receding.

"There are obstructions in the natural drainage. Water from Laguna de Bay is not flowing because of water lilies and fish pens. Technically, it should flow to Pasig River and then to Manila Bay and to the South China Sea," Atienza explained, adding that if garbage were only properly disposed, floodwaters could have receded as soon as rains stopped pouring last Saturday.

He said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is urging all local governments to strictly enforce Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

He added that he has ordered the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to prevent the reconstruction of fish cages in the Laguna de Bay that were destroyed during the storm's onslaught.

Officials said 90 percent of Pateros and 53 percent of Taguig remain in chest-deep floodwaters. Several areas near Pasig River, including Rizal and Pasig City, and areas in Laguna province were still flooded, as of posting.

The government's relief operations have also been hampered by stagnant floodwaters, particularly in Pasig City and Rizal towns.

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Basurang Itinapon Mo, Babalik Din Sa 'Yo - posted on 8/08/2009

Biggest Flood In 40 Years: A State Of Calamity

How to help:

http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/09/27/09/tropical-storm-ondoy-how-you-can-help

Ways to donate to the Philippine National Red Cross via the PNRC web site

DSWD donations drop-off points

1. National Resource Operations Center , Chapel Road , Pasay City
Contact: Mrs. Francon Favian

2. Quezon City Area Disaster Resource Operations Monitoring and Info Center (DROMIC) DSWD Central Office
Contact Rey Martija or Imee Rose Castillo, Tel Nos. 951-7119, 951-2435 or Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera Tel No. 0918-934-5625

3. Manila Area (DSWD-NCR)
San Rafael corner Legarda Streets, Quiapo, Manila
Contact: Dir. Thelsa P. Biolna, Dir. Delia Bauan Tel Nos. 734-8622, 734-8642

Manuel L. Quezon's blog: How to help (original on Quezon.ph | Tumblr.com mirror link)

Google Docs: Rescue InfoHub Central | List of Places where to donate (check out one nearest your area, or add a donation center that is not on the list)

Another list of where to donate goods via Bury Me In This Dress blog

Google Maps: Ondoy situation map for Metro Manila, by KaninLamig

ABS-CBN HOTLINE
416-36-41

SAGIP KAPAMILYA
413-2667 / 416-0387
No 13 Examiner Street , Quezon City , Look for Ms Girlie Aragon

Bank: Banco de Oro, Mother Ignacia branch
Acct name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Acct no.: 5630020111

Routing code for international cash donations
BNORPHMM ABS-CBN Branch

ABS-CBN Foundation US Office Toll-Free 1-800-527-2820

Negros Navigation

from Mr. Edmund Gawchua, Manager

Negros Navigation is now accepting the transfer of relief goods from Mindanao to Manila for free for aid to victims of Ondoy.

Donations can be sent to Negros Navigation stations and offices nationwide.

http://www.kapusofoundation.com/donatecashcheque

METROPOLITAN BANK & TRUST COMPANY (METROBANK)

Peso Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 3-098-51034-7

Dollar Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 2-098-00244-2
Code : MBTC PH MM

UNITED COCONUT PLANTERS BANK (UCPB)

Peso Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 115-184777-2
: 160-111277-7

Dollar Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 01-115-301177-9
: 01-160-300427-6
Code : UCPB PH MM

BANCO DE ORO (BDO)

Peso Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 469-0022189

Dollar Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 469-0072135
Code : BNORPHM

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK (PNB)

Peso Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 121-0032000-17

Dollar Savings
Account Name : GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc.
Account Number : 121-0032000-25
Code : PNB MPH MM

Pictures (Click on Pictures to enlarge)

Deluded By Their Own Device

The New Narcissism
By Randy David
Philippine Daily Inquirer

“How can well-to-do members of society be so stupid as to spend large amounts of money on advertising in order to confirm their belief in the stupidity of others?” - Niklas Luhman

[...] the term “narcissism” is used to designate a condition characterized by self-obsession and an extreme thirst for attention and admiration... Narcissism is normal among children, but after puberty, it may be considered pathological. We might say it is also normal to find it among politicians during an electoral campaign. But, when self-promotion becomes a standard feature of a society’s public life, one must ask if it has not become a social disorder.

Let us leave aside for the moment the logic of the law that is supposed to regulate electoral campaigns. We have seen how easy it is to go around it. The law has been interpreted to apply only to individuals and entities that have filed their official candidacy. It does not cover those who have only signified an intention to run. So long as they are not yet candidates, the latter can do everything that candidates are prohibited from doing, short of actual vote solicitation. The result of this has been the proliferation of all forms of political advertising long before the official campaign period has begun. To all intents and purposes, the offense of premature campaigning has been effectively erased from the election code.

Yet our election laws have not changed much. What seems to have changed is our general attitude toward self-promotion. It is no longer frowned upon. The new principle appears to be: “if you have it, flaunt it; if you don’t have it, imagine you have it.” A new narcissism seems to have replaced the ethic of quiet modesty and self-deprecation that citizens in the past looked for in their leaders.

[...] if politicians had a better appreciation of how advertising today works, and how countless forms of self-promotion only evoke negative reactions from the public, they would think twice before they inflict their narcissism on the public consciousness.

Let me offer a few examples to illustrate this point. Every time I see promotional material stapled on trees or dangerously clipped onto electric and telephone wires, I cringe. I take a good look at the faces of these irresponsible politicians and swear never to vote for them. Whenever I pass a road or a bridge being repaired, and I see the beaming faces of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her public works secretary, and the local politicians on the billboards—instead of the budget for this project and the starting and completion dates—my blood boils. These politicians are using public money to promote themselves instead of empowering the public with useful information. [...]

Click here to read the complete text.

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Sana ang bolok na pamamaraang ito ng tradisyonal na mga politiko na inaasahan nila ng malaki na makapagpanalo sa kanila ay sa halip ang magiging pinakamismong kasangkapang matahimik na maglalaglag sa kanila ng unti-unti hanggang sa kalaunan ay tuloyang magpapatalo sa kanila.

See It Rather From A Different Perspective

Senators hit Reyes on 2010 power forecast
Inquirer.net

Two senators assailed Energy secretary Angelo Reyes for raising the possibility of nationwide power interruptions next year and the need to grant emergency powers to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to address this problem.

Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Edgardo Angara said Reyes’ statement was “suspicious” and "dangerous.”

“It was an ill-advised comment coming from the secretary. It's still too far off so how can he predict a brownout? His pronouncement is suspect and ill-advised to say the least," Lacson told reporters in Filipino Thursday.

“I hope he was only misquoted or he said that in jest. But if he was serious about it, he could be conditioning us to expect power outages next year and that's dangerous," he added.

Senator Angara echoed Lacson’s apprehensions, saying Reyes’ warning of a possible power outage was ”mind conditioning towards emergency power”.

“Any suggestion that we do not need to empower anyone nor any group of people with emergency power during a political crisis is always suspicious and then dangerous because it can be used to solve many other things other than solving the real problem,” Angara said.

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What may be meant for something sinister can be turned for good.

Publicly raising the said possibility is no joke. Yet while the people behind it may have intended it for something sinister, let us try to see it from a different perspective and we would be thankful they did it because aside from the fact that we are made aware of the possibility, the measure that needs to be done to counter the said possibility from coming to pass gets hinted at the same time. And of course the people and those in authority must act accordingly. But beware; for there could be two possible traps.

Don't use surveys as a drunk would use a lamppost

Aquino says 8 polls show him winning big
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which shows that one of every two voters in Luzon would support him, may have limited coverage but it is indicative of the nation’s pulse, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said Monday.

Aquino, standard-bearer of the Liberal Party (LP), said seven to eight separate surveys showed practically the same results.

“This proves that people want change,” said the only son of the late President Corazon Aquino and opposition Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., who was assassinated upon his return to the country in 1983.

In the SWS survey conducted on Sept. 5 and 6, Aquino obtained 50 percent, dislodging the previous front-runner, Sen. Manny Villar, who was a far second with 14 percent.

The survey covered 1,200 respondents in Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Central Luzon and Calabarzon—an area that is home to 40 percent of the country’s registered voters—and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

Similar margins

Aquino said results of the various surveys showed that he had similar margins over the other presidential hopefuls.

“We have been getting surveys … for specific places and it’s not just Luzon. I can’t say that they show the same numbers, but they’re (almost) the same,” he said.

Aquino, however, did not name the groups that conducted the opinion polls.

In the SWS survey, former President Joseph Estrada got 13 percent, Sen. Francis Escudero 12 percent, and Vice President Noli de Castro 7 percent. [...]

Click here to read full text.

Read also:

* 50% prefer Noynoy in vote-rich Luzon areas: SWS survey
* The Front Runner by Ricky Carandang

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Don't put your trust on opinion surveys. They can be very deceiving and could tend to lead people into complacency.

According to one thinker, survey statistics are like bikinis: they show a lot but not everything. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. And according to G.K. Chesterton, there are people who use statistics like a drunken person uses a lamppost -- for support, not for illumination.

Build your house on rocks and not on sands.

Right Platform Protests Much Stronger Than Sleazy Criticisms

Aquino to Palace: "I can’t pretend to see, hear, speak no evil’"
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Responding to Malacañang’s broadside that he has yet to prove himself, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III Friday said he could not pretend to “hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil” in the face of unpunished crimes in the government.

Aquino, who has declared he would seek the presidency next year, said he could not turn a blind eye on the unresolved scandals under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, including the P723-million fertilizer scam, the $503-million North Rail project, and the $329-million NBN-ZTE deal.

“They want me to hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil, but I’m obligated to champion the interests of the people. At the end of the day, the people are my masters,” Aquino said in a phone interview.

“My record speaks for itself. I have called attention to acts and policies detrimental to the people’s interest. None were personal attacks,” he said, adding:

“Since they have suggested that I can’t call on my parents’ legacy to criticize the workings of this administration, I assume their suggestion is for me to be quiet and do nothing. If that is the case, I am sorry, I can’t accommodate them.”

Aquino, the only son of the late former President Corazon Aquino and former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., has promised to make more efficient use of government resources if he wins the presidency in 2010.

Arroyo spokesperson Gary Olivar said on Thursday that Aquino and other aspirants for the presidency should desist from portraying the 2010 elections as a battle between good and evil.

He said they should not run “at the expense” of Ms Arroyo who, he claimed, had “done her best for this country in the last eight years.”

Strongest threat

Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, spokesperson of the Liberal Party (LP) of which Aquino is a member, said Malacañang considered the latter its strongest threat because “Noynoy is the complete opposite of what the administration is doing or stands for.”

Sen. Francis Escudero, himself an aspirant, said reviewing Ms Arroyo’s record was “unavoidable” in the campaign.

“Her government is a benchmark from which we want to make improvements, and the best way to show that is to compare what it is and what it should be, bearing in mind that it should never be personal but issue-based and issue-driven,” Escudero said.

Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), said an anti-Arroyo stance was “the minimum requirement for a credible presidential run.”

“All those who are serious in contending for the highest position in government must now make it crystal-clear that they are anti-GMA (anti-Arroyo),” Reyes said in a statement.

“An anti-GMA platform will surely connect with the people,” especially because the 2010 elections will be “the judgement” on Ms Arroyo’s nine-year presidency, he said. [...]

Click here to read full text.

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Huwag sana si Noynoy dumulog sa mapanirang paraan ng kritisismo na pinag-uudyok ng ibang mga taong bihasang-bihasa sa maling gawaing ito. Sa halip, sa pamamagitan ng kanyang malakas at tumpak na plataporma, ipakita niya ang kanyang malakas na pagtutol sa anumang mga kamaliang maaring nagawa ng kasalukoyang pamumuno. Hindi na niya kailangang magbigkas pa ng kritisismo dahil kung tutuong may mga kamalian at katiwaliang nagawa ang kasalukuyang pamumuno, ito ay alam na alam na ng taombayan at anumang pagalit at diritsong mapanirang kritisismo na galing mismo sa kanya ay maituring na parang isang hiram na lakas.

Kung ang pinupuntirya natin ay ang kasalukoyang pamumuno lamang, ang baba naman ng puntirya natin. Hindi lang dahil sa mga taong kasalukoyang namumuno ang siyang sanhi ng mga problema ng ating bansa, kundi, maliban din sa bolok na mga sistema na dapat ng baguhin, ang isa pa ring pangunahing dahilan ay ang kultura ng kawalang takot lumabag sa batas na siyang bunga ng kawalang tunay na takot sa Panginoon.

Simpleng halimbawa lamang ay ang pamamaraang pag-iwas (na siyang nakasanayang gawain ng mga politiko) sa batas kaugnay sa pagbawal sa maagang pangangampanya. Iniikutan nila ang batas para makalamang. At sa panahon naman ng kampanya hanggang sa araw ng eleksyon, ang mga tao ay lantarang nagbibinta ng kanilang mga boto at ang mga politiko naman ay walang takot na namimili ng boto na para bang walang batas na nagbabawal sa gawaing ito.

Kung ang ating bansa ay maihantulad sa isang katawan, ang mga mamayan nito ay ang iisa't-isang mga selda na bumubuo sa ibat-ibang mga bahagi ng katawang ito at ang iisang dugo na nananalaytay sa mga ugat nito ay may bahid ng sakit ng katiwalian. Kaya bang magawang murahin ng mga kamay na tiwali ang mga paa na hindi man lang sila tatamaan sa kanilang puna? Ang sinumang kumakandidatong lider na kuno ay pagalit at mapanirang namumuna sa mga kamaliang nagawa ng kapwa lider ay parang isang hipokrito. Sino kayang lider na mortal ang mamumuno na wala man lang kamalian o pagkukulang na magawa kahit man lang katiting?

Kung may bahid ng sakit ng katiwalian ang dugo ng ating bansa, ang mabisa at tamang panlunas nito ay katuwiran (o pagkamatuwid) -- katuwiran na bunga ng tunay na pagkakilala at pagmamahal sa Panginoon. Kung may pagkukulang man ang estado, sa bahaging ito ay masasabing may malaking pagkukulang din ang simbahan, at ang pagkukulang na ito ay hindi kayang mapupunuan sa pamamagitan lamang ng pagsali ng mga alagad ng simbahan sa pamumuno sa estado. Ang estado at ang simbahan ay ang dalawang pakpak ng isang bansa na kinakailangan para ito ay matagumpay na makalipad ng maayos tungo sa kasaganaan.

Halos lahat tayo ay magaling sa mapanirang kritisismo, subalit iilan ba sa atin ang talagang marunong humanap ng tamang paraan na makatutugon at makalulutas sa mga problemang ating pinagpupuna? Peru kung talagang nakahiligan na ng iba ang mapanirang kritisismo, e bago man lang sila mamumuna sa kanilang kapwa ay sana kahit papano may kapani-paniwalang solusyon man lang muna silang maipresenta.

Isa sa mga katangian ng isang magaling na lider ay ang pagkamaparaan sa halip na mapagpuna. Walang maidulot na makabubuti ang mapanirang kritisismo kundi ang lalo pang pagkabaha-bahagi ng mga mamayan at ng buong sambayanan. Ang sinumang nag-nanais na mamumuno at nahiligan niya itong masamang gawain na ito ng tradisyonal na mga politiko ay di siya kukulangin nito mula sa mga tao kung saka-sakaling siya ay mananalo at mamumuno na. Sa totoo lang, may darating na punto sa buhay ng sinumang mamumuno na parang pagsisisihan niyang bakit pa siya nagiging pinuno. At sa puntong iyon, hindi niya kayang magkunwari pa na kaya niyang lutasin ang lahat na suliranin sa bansang kanyang maaring pinagkunwariang pagsilbihan. Kakailanganin niya ang tulong ng lahat at hindi ang mapanirang kritisismo na galing sa kanila.

Napakadali ang mag-criticize sa mga maling bagay; napakahirap ang paghanap ng kalutasan nito. May nagsabi na ang mapanirang kritisismo daw ay ang siyang takbuhan ng mga mahihina at kulang sa gawa.

The power of a true democracy lies in the hands of the people

Noynoy Aquino will [not] win in 2010
By Harvey S. Keh

[...] Yet, as I read a major newspaper (not the Philippine Daily Inquirer) last Sunday, I was disappointed by an article written by a regular columnist who said that it was good for Panlilio to back out from the race since he didn’t have the money to run a national campaign which he mentions as having at least 1 billion pesos. This kind of thinking is what has led the country to where it is now. Moral, upright and good leaders opt not to run during our elections because many people tell them that if you don’t have money you will not win. This is also the reason why more often then not Filipinos are left with no other choice but to always choose between the lesser evil since those who have the genuine desire to be of service do not anymore run for office since they do not have enough financial resources. Moreover, this kind of thinking has led to patronage politics and politics as a business wherein the politicians would “invest” millions or even billions to win an election then they would “reap” the fruits of their investments by siphoning off public funds that should be used to provide basic services to the Filipino people. Worse, they will also have no choice but to grant political favors to benefit the people who donated millions in their campaign. If we will all accept this columnist’s way of thinking then I will be the first one to tell all of you that Senator Noynoy Aquino will not win in the 2010 elections. His current net worth is less than 15 million pesos as compared to Senator Manny Villar’s billions of pesos.

However, like many of you, I refuse to buy this columnist’s argument of having billions of pesos in order to win in the 2010 Presidential elections, Gov. Eddie “Among Ed” Panlilio won in Pampanga against his well-funded and politically-entrenched opponents despite only having an initial fund of P 1,000. Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca also won not only once but twice despite her opponents spending millions of pesos against her. Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija won despite not having any posters or tarpaulins during her campaign. If we want to elect a reform President like Senator Noynoy Aquino that will not be beholden to the self-interests of the ruling oligarchs, business groups and traditional politicians, this President must be elected through the support of ordinary Filipinos like you and me. Like the Aquino family who has given already so much of themselves for our nation, every Filipino will also need to make our own small sacrifices such as chipping in our own small share of funds to help in his campaign, volunteering our time and talents and going out of our way to convince our friends to support Senator Aquino. This is our chance to prove once again to the whole world that the Philippines can lead the way in showing that the power of a true democracy lies in the hands of the people and not in the hands of a few.

Click here to read full text.

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Those who are equipped are not always the ones who are called, but the Lord never fails to always equip those He called.

The Reason To Unite Has Now Been Reinforced

Noynoy Aquino to run for president in 2010
INQUIRER.net

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III officially announced that he will run for president in 2010 on Wednesday, exactly 40 days after the death of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

Aquino made the announcement of his candidacy for the presidency at about 8 a.m. at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, the same venue where his late mother took her oath as president in 1986.

Personalities present at the jam-packed room were Liberal Party members Senators Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Francis Pangilinan, former Sen. Franklin Drilon, Quezon Representative Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, former congressmen Florencio “Butch” Abad and Nereus Acosta, singer-composer Jim Paredes, former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz and Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement.

Noynoy’s sisters, Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris, were also there.

Aquino, who has gone on a spiritual retreat in Zamboanga City, has said he would announce his decision before the end of the month even as his supporters continued to gather the signatures that they hope would convince him to run.

Roxas, who was one of the earliest to announce his plans to seek the presidency, last week gave up his ambition and yielded to Aquino, saying the fight for 2010 was a fight for the country and went beyond personal interest.

Read also: Aquino camp swamped with support offers

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Ngayong tinanggap na ni Noynoy ng buong puso ang hamon ng sambayanang Pilipino, sana ay mananatili siyang mapagkumbaba. Alalahanin niyang siya'y tao rin na maaari ring magkulang o kaya magkamali katulad ng ibang mga namumuno.

Sa halip na puro kritisismo sa kasalakoyang pamumuno na siyang paboritong gawain ng tradisyonal na mga polotiko, sana maipresenta niya sa bayan ay isang payak at totoong plataporma (at hindi kathang-isip lang ng isang magaling na tagapagsulat ng plataporma) na tumpak na makatutugon sa mga suliranin sa ating bansa at na makapagbibigay ng kayang-abotin na pag-asa para sa kinabukasan. Isang plataporma na kumikilala sa sari-sariling lakas na taglay ng bawat mamayan na kailangang pag-iisahin. Tunay at detalyadong plataporma na kahit pa yaong ibang nag-nanais mamumuno ay kaya itong tuparin.

Huwag niyang pag-ukolan ng sobra sa makatarungang nararapat na bigat sa kanayng balikat ang pinansyal na aspeto ng kanyang kandidatura dahil hindi siya ang mismong nagpepresenta sa kanyang sarili na mamumuno kundi ang taombayan ay ang silang nanawagan sa kanya. Walang sundalong nakikipaglaban para sa kanyang bayan na siyang gagasta para sa kanyang pangangailangan sa pakikipagdigma. Kadalasan, hindi ang tinatawag ng Panginoon ay yaong mga sangkap na, ngunit hindi Niya binibigong sangkapan yaong kanyang mga tinatawag.

Nasa Tunay Na Pagkakaisa Ang Ating Lakas

Ang ating tunay na lakas ay nandyaan sa ating tunay na pagkakaisa.

Ipagdasal nating lahat ang tunay na pagkakaisa ng lahat na mga grupo at mga hanay na nagnanais ng tunay na pagbabago sa ating bayan. Sa tunay na pagkakaisa nakasalalay ang buong tagumpay ng lahat.

Noong nakaraang mga araw matapos ang libing ni Cory, sa isa sa aking mga blog entry tinanong ko, "Ano na ngayon, anong kasunod?" At sa entry na iyon sinabi ko rin na, "Sa kahit anumang bagay na pagsisikapang tuparin, di mawawala na may kailangang unang hakbang na dapat gawin, at karaniwan, ang unang hakbang ay ang siyang pinakamahirap na gawin sa lahat ng mga hakbangin. Nngunit kung mapagtagumpayan natin ang pinakaunang hakbangin na iyon, hindi na masyadong mahirap tuparin ang mga susunod pang mga hakbangin."

Upang na ang ating pareho at iisang mithiin ay magkakaroon ng katuparan sa 2010, ang pinakasusi nito ay ang pinaka-unang hakbang na kailangang dapat nating gawin at ito ay walang iba kundi ang tunay na pagkakaisa ng lahat ng sinumang nagnanais ng tunay na pagbabago sa ating bayan.

Peru dahil sa kasalokoyang kalagayan ng sistema sa ating politika, sobra-sobrang dami at ibat-ibang uri ng mga partidong pampolitika ang nagsusulpotan ngayon at halos lahat ay gustong maipanalo ang kani-kanilang mga kandidato. Ang marangal na hangaring magsilbi sa bayan ay nagigi na ngayong parang isang sugal, at dahil dito nalapastangan ang pagka-sagrado ng tawag ng pagsilbi sa bayan. At tulad ng sugal, naging kasabay sa maruruming laro ng pera ay ang pandaraya at pandarambong sa halalan. Dahil sa uhaw ng kapangyarihan ng makasariling mga gustong mamumuno at dahil sa pagkasilaw ng lahat sa salapi, nagkawatak-watak ang mga mamayan at tuloy na nawalan ng tunay na pagkakaisa ang ating bayan.

Tuany na pagkakaisa ang siyang dahilan na nagtagumpay ang taombayan laban sa maling pamumuno noong panahon ng unang tunay na people power. Pagkakawatak-watak naman ng mga mamayan ang siyang nagiging dahilan sa di-pagtagumpay ng taombayan noong halalan sa 2004.

Tunay Na Pagkakaisa. Talagang ito ang pinaka-una na bagay na kailangan nating mapagtagumpayan kung nais man nating mga mamayan na tatahak sa daan ng pagbabago.

Siguro maaring sasabihin ng iba, "Katulad ninyo, malakas ang pananalig namin sa Panginoon na sa pagkatapos ng 2010 na eleksyon ay mangingibabaw muli ang isang matuwid na pamumuno sa ating bayan." Amen sa pananalig na ito. Ngunit subukan nating pag-ninilayan ang bagay na ito.

Kalooban ng Panginoon na ang isang bansa ay mapasa-ilalim ng isang matuwid na pamumuno. Hindi labag sa kalooban ng Panginoon kung ang isang bayan ay mananalangin na bigyan ito ng matuwid na mamumuno. Ngunit ang pamamaraan ng Panginoon sa pagtugon sa isang panalangin ay hindi sa lahat ng panahon katulad ng isang magulang na kapag umiyak ang isang sanggol dahil nagugutom ay bigyan kaagad ito ng didi. Hindi porke't nanalangin tayo na magkaroon ng matuwid na pumumuno ang ating bayan ay bigla na lang sa darating na eleksyon ay may mananalo na isang matuwid na lider. Totoong sumasagot ang Panginoon sa tunay na panalangin, ngunit kalimitan tinutugon niya ito sa pamamagitan ng isang pagsubok na kung mapagtagumpayan natin ay ang siyang maging susi sa kasagutan ng ating pinapanalangin.

Pagmasdan natin ang kasalokoyang pampolitikang kapaligiran sa ating bansa ngayon at suriing mabuti. Di ba natin nakita na binibigyan na ng katogunan ng Panginoon ang ating panalangin? Di ba natin nakita na bawat iisang grupo sa atin na pampolitikal na naghahangad ng tunay na pagbabago sa bayan ay binigyan ng Panginoon ng sari-sariling lakas, subalit kapag ginamit sa sarili lamang ay hindi sapat? Hindi ba natin nahalata na ang nais ng Panginoon na mangyari sa atin ay ang pagkakaroon ng pagkakaisa, at sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaisang ito ay matitipon at mabubuo ang sari-sariling lakas natin na siyang pinakasusi sa kasagutan ng ating panalangin para sa 2010 elekesyon?

Subalit napakatalino ng Panginoon dahil ibinuho niya na talagang ang tunay lang na uri ng pagkakaisa ang dapat mananaig dahil kapag hindi tunay, hindi natin talagang makamtan ang kasagutan sa ating pinapanalanging tunay na pagbabago dahil pagkatapos ng eleksyon ay posibleng iiral na naman uli ang sari-sariling interest ng bawat grupong pampolitika at magkakabaha-bahagi na naman ang bayan natin, at ang kasagutan sa tunay na pagbabago na ating minimithi at pinapanalangin ay mananatili pa ring naghihintay na ating maangkin at matatamasa bagama't inilatad na ito ng Panginoon sa ating harapan.

Peru papaano ba natin makamtan ang tunay na pagkakaisa? Ang sagot ay napaka-simple lamang ngunit napakahirap gawin dahil nangangailangan ito ng tunay na lakas ng loob. Ang tunay na pagkakaisa ay nangangailangan ng pagbibitiw sa sarili para sa lahat, at ito ay tinatawag na sakripisyo, kagaya ng ginawa ng ating mga bayani.

Dahil sa ginawa ni Senador Mar Roxas at Ed Panlilio (at ng iba pang susunod sa kanilang ginawa) bagama't 'di man sila magiging pangulo ng ating bansa sa 2010, subalit sa kanilang sakripisyong ginawa sila ay nagiging pangulo sa paraang hindi lahat ng tao ay maaring makakaintindi, ngunit sa mga mata ng mga nakakaintindi nito, ito ay napakarangal at kahanga-hangang bagay.

Mga kababayan, sana sa panahong itinatakda ng Panginoon ay tunay na magkakaisa na tayong muli para sa tunay na pagbabago ng ating bayan.

As Unity Continues To Form, Strength Continues To Build Up

Panlilio, Padaca offer full support for Noynoy in 2010
GMANews.TV

Throwing their support behind Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca on Friday announced that they will no longer join the 2010 presidential race.

"Pagkatapos ng aming pagdarasal, pakikilahok sa mga kaganapan sa ating lipunan at pag-iisip at pagkonsulta sa aming mga taga-suporta, nagpasya kaming lahat na tugunan ang tawag ng pagmamahaal sa bayan, sakripisyo at pagkakaisa na pinangunahan na ni Senator Mar Roxas noong martes," Panlilio read from their joint statement at a press conference in Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Padaca was reportedly sick and was not present in the press conference.

Panlilio said they were pulling out of the race so they could support a singular candidate who they believe can win against the administration bet.

He urged other presidential aspirants to follow their footsteps and give up the race for Noynoy. The two officials said they hope their decision could ensure that the legacy of Noynoy's parents, former President Corazon Aquino and Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., would be continued.

Noynoy has yet to categorically announce his presidential bid despite Liberal Party president Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas' announcement on Tuesday that he would be abandoning his own intention to seek the presidency to support his "friend."

Noynoy is currently in Zamboanga City to undergo a spiritual retreat to decide whether he would take up the cudgels for the LP and run for president.

But former President Joseph Estrada said Panlilio's decision to back out of his presidential bid hardly has any effect on the race.

"E mabuti naman, mabuti hindi siya maghihirap. Sa Pampanga pa lang mahirap siyang manalo, pano pa sa buong Pilipinas (That's good, at least he won't have a hard time. In Pampanga alone he's having a hard time winning, how much more if we're talking about the whole Philippines)," Estrada said in a radio dzBB interview.

Estrada said Panlilio's presidential aspiration was hardly counted. "Sa survey hindi naman lumalabas yung pangalan nya sa presidential e. Wag natin lokohin ang ating mga sarili (His name doesn't appear in presidential surveys. Let's not fool ourselves)."

Estrada had earlier announced he is 99.9 percent certain that he will again seek the presidency in 2010.

Estrada's hesitation to back down from the 2010 polls is fueled by the recent Pulse Asia survey showing the deposed leader placing second to Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. should the presidential elections be held now.

Vice President Manuel "Noli" de Castro was in third place at 16 percent, while Senators Francis Escudero and Manuel Roxas II also score double-digit presidential voter preferences (12 percent and 11 percent, respectively).

Others included in the presidential survey, including Panlilio, obtained voter preferences of 6 percent or less.

Click here to see video.

Related links:

* Tuloy pNoy (The Noynoy Aquino for President Movement)
* Cebu group launches Aquino campaign