Contraception is corruption – Church

By Evelyn Macairan 
The Philippine Star 

Thousands attend an anti-Reproductive Health Bill rally in the rain at the EDSA Shrine in Ortigas yesterday. BOY SANTOS

MANILA, Philippines – In what could be its final push to block the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill in Congress, the Catholic Church led a rally yesterday where it reminded the faithful of the measure’s link to birth control and warned them that “contraception is corruption.”

The Catholic clergy delivered their message in a “prayer rally” at the EDSA shrine where more than 10,000 faithful, including some politicians, braved bad weather to show their solidarity with the Church’s stand.

“Corruption is the cancer of the Philippines that prevents us from growing. My dear youth, contraception is corruption. The use of government money, taxpayers’ money, to give out contraceptive pills is corruption,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said in a message read by former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa.

The rally was organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (CBCP-ECFL).

Villegas said the reason why the Catholic Church is standing up against contraception and abortion is that it cares for the future of the youth of the country.

“This quarrel is not for us, it is for you. I am standing to defend you. We are fighting error because you might be misled. We are battling against corruption because we know it can harm your soul. Believe me, contraception harms your soul,” Villegas said.

He recalled that when President Aquino ran for president, he used the slogan “kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap (there are no poor where there are no corrupt).”

He added that the promotion of contraceptive pills imparts to the mind of the people that indiscriminate sex is all right and that babies are to blame for the country’s poverty.

He also hit back at Aquino, who mentioned in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that to address the problem on the backlog of classrooms, there should be responsible parenthood.

“If more babies are the cause of poverty, are we now saying kung walang anak walang mahirap? It does not rhyme because it is not correct. We can have more classrooms, more food, more jobs if we would be less corrupt. Send out the corrupt official and not the baby,” Villegas said.

“My dear youth, your birth was not a mistake. Your birth was God’s gift to us and to our leaders. You are not the problem, you are our blessing. The problem is the corruption of elders,” he added.

“When contraception fails a birth control generation will give birth to an abortion generation,” he added.

He also said that if the contraceptive pill is considered an essential medicine, it may appear that it is intended to cure the “disease” of pregnancy.

“There is a wisdom that only age and experience can give. We are old but God made us old so we can be reminders for us not to forget our Filipino values, the commandments of God and the rules of good character,” Villegas said.

He also pointed out that the reason why there is no Tagalog word for “contraception” is that it is not only “ungodly” but “un-Filipino” as well. “Fight contraception or we perish as a Godly nation,” he said.

Among the politicians present were Senate President Juan Juan Ponce Enrile, Majority leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

Honasan said that the anti-RH rally “is part of freedom of expression and freedom of speech. We should not politicize the RH bill, the effects of this would be felt for generations from now so we should be prudent and cautious.”

Among the bishops present were Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, Pampanga Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David, Military Ordinariate Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, San Jose Nueva Ecija Bishop Roberto Mallari, and Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes.

More than 7,000 rallyists also converged at the Peneranda Park in Legazpi City.

Conscience

CBCP-ECFL chairman Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes said lawmakers should base their decision on the measure on their conscience and not on the rally turnout. Rally organizers had earlier predicted a “massive” turnout.

He said he does not believe that the rally should be treated as a “make or break” by congressmen in making their decision on Aug. 7.

“It is not the size of the crowd. Our congressmen are also thinking about their vote, on what would be good for the people. They should vote on what is right. During the time of Jesus Christ, there were people who shouted that Christ should be crucified. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the ‘voice of the people’. During the time of Jesus Chirst, the ‘voice of the people’ was for Christ to be crucified, but that was wrong. It is not always the case that the more people who agree on a position are always right,” Reyes said.

He also said that the Catholic Church will not punish lawmakers who will vote for the measure. However, “we would remember who they are.”

“The RH bill, primarily, is against the laws of God. Whatever is against the laws of God, that is not good for the people because it is God who made Man and he knows what is good and bad for us,” he added.

El Shaddai spiritual leader Bro. Mike Velarde, for his part, said the late father of President Aquino, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., had said, “The Filipinos are worth dying for. He did not say ‘The Filipinos are worth killing for.”’

“That is the truth. He offered his life for the Filipinos. Life is precious, now they want to kill life,” said Velarde

The El Shaddai leader also asked the people to pray so that legislators would not make a mistake of voting for the RH bill. “Those for life will live and their political life will succeed.”

“Those who would vote for the RH bill…R.I.P. (Rest In Peace),” he added.

“The proponents of the RH bill said that it is not abortion, that is not true, that is deception. This is preemptive abortion because these medications would stop the formation of life in the womb. That is pre-emptive abortion, premeditative killing,” Velarde added. “If you will kill the people, who would you lead over?”

“We are not mandated to kill life from beginning to end. We are mandated to honor and preserve life from beginning to end,” Velarde added. With Cet Dematera, Eva Visperas

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=834824&publicationSubCategoryId=63

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Aquino makes final push for RH bill

By Joyce Pangco Panares
Manila Standard Today

Solons troop to Palace for marching order

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has invited lawmakers to the Palace today for a final push to win support for the reproductive health bill ahead of a crucial vote on Tuesday.

“The President wants to convey his thoughts on responsible parenthood. The President has been very clear and consistent on where he stands on the matter,” said Transport Secretary Manuel Roxas II, president of Mr. Aquino’s Liberal Party.

“The multi-party meeting has been scheduled to ensure that the President is not misinterpreted and his words are not misappropriated. We expect a very good turnout of about 200 lawmakers.”

Congress is set to decide on Tuesday if it will end the debates on the bill that have lasted for more than a year to move it closer to a final vote. The lawmakers who oppose the bill have sought to delay its passage by dragging out the debates, a tactic that succeeded in the previous Congresses.

The United Nations on Sunday called on Congress to pass the bill, noting that the time spent debating the proposal was measured by the lives of 15 women lost to maternal death daily.

Presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas accused Catholic bishops of bullying lawmakers into voting against the RH bill and saying contraception was a form of corruption.

“It’s unfair but not unexpected. From the start the anti-RH campaign has been characterized by false claims and misinformation,” Llamas said.

In its statement Sunday, the UN dismissed the concerns raised by the Catholic Church.

“The United Nations believes that apprehensions such as exposure of people to risks of contraceptive use, encouragement of sexual promiscuity and legalization of abortion have no basis,” the UN said.

“Instituting a reproductive health policy is consistent with the government’s duty under the Constitution to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.

“Reproductive health is not about population numbers. It is about ensuring a life of health and dignity…Time spent discussing these issues repeatedly is measured by the lives of the 15 women we lose to maternal deaths every day.”

The UN said lawmakers must not squander the opportunity given to them to finally pass the bill. The consolidated measure, repackaged as the responsible parenthood bill, was submitted to Congress in August, incorporating the views of the Catholics Bishop Conference in a series of talks with the Palace. The Church later pulled out of the talks but the original bill was watered down as a result of those sessions.

The final bill no longer identifies the ideal number of children per family and increases the age at which children will take sex education in schools.

The Palace also moved to amend a provision requiring all hospitals to carry a full-range of modern artificial family planning methods.

On Thursday, Mr. Aquino expressed hope that Congress would finally end the period of debates on Aug. 7.

“Perhaps the debates should end and Congress can decide, once and for all, on the responsible parenthood bill,” the President said.

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said Sunday some 150 lawmakers had already confirmed attendance at today’s 11:30 a.m. Luncheon meeting with the President at the Palace.

“All members of the House, majority and minority, were invited by the President to the Palace at 11:30 a.m. The President just wants to share his thoughts on the RH bill,” Gonzales said over dzBB radio.

Lawmakers were under pressure from the groups supporting and opposing the bill, with the Catholic Church mounting a prayer rally Saturday that drew 10,000 anti-RH advocates to the Edsa Shrine.

At 6 p.m. on Monday, women’s groups said they would hold candle lighting rallies simultaneously nationwide to dramatize their intention to enlighten the conscience of the lawmakers to vote for the long-delayed RH bill.

Gonzales brushed aside insinuations that the President wanted to counter the efforts made by the Catholic Church.

“The President only wants to share his thoughts with us. It is up to the members to accept it or not,” Gonzales said.

“I don’t expect the President will tell us how to vote.”

Gonzales ruled out any further compromise on the RH bill.

“That is a religious dogma. The Church cannot surrender that,” he said.

He said the House leadership would ask the members to make their votes known through nominal voting or by raising of the hands to record their vote on Tuesday.

“There will be nominal voting. I will push for it so it would be clear who voted and we would know where the Church’s pressure and intimidation were directed. We will respect each member’s decision but as far as we, or those who support the RH bill, are concerned, our position was very clear.”

On Sunday, National Anti-Poverty Commission Undersecretary Florencia Cassanova-Dorotan said the lack of a reproductive health law were victimizing mostly the poor women and their families.

She said maternal deaths and teenage pregnancies were happening because women, young and old, had no access to the right information about family planning and responsible parenthood. They also did not have the freedom to choose the most appropriate method of family planning.

Some lay leaders urged the Catholic Church to listen to the voice of the majority who had long waited for the bill to be enacted into law.

“Be a listening Church,” said Mary Racelis, a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, a Catholic school.

Racelis, who spent years working with non-government organizations and community groups, appealed to the bishops to “listen to the laity who understand what the families and the women from the grassroots are going through.”

She cited the Family Health Survey that showed that the maternal deaths rose from 162 per 100,000 live births in 2006 to 221 per 100,000 live births in 2011.

Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, director of the University of the Philippines’ Center for Women’s Studies, said the candlelight vigil aimed to “counteract the deplorable campaign of misinformation around the RH bill.”

Senator Pia Cayetano, the author of the RH bill in the Senate, said she remained hopeful that her colleagues who were opposed to the bill would have a change of heart.

She said she was saddened, however, that the Senate did not have the same political will to support the RH bill because its two top leaders, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, both opposed it.

She also questioned the propriety of Enrile’s plan to extend the debates on the bill in the Senate.

“This seems wrong… I’ve endured the questions which have been repeatedly asked,” she said.

Even her brother, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, has not maintained a strong position on the bill, citing the need to see it in its final form.

But Senator Panfilo Lacson said he would not backtrack in his support for the bill and that he hoped his colleagues would enact it into law over the objections of Enrile and Sotto.

He described the two senators as obstacles and expressed sympathy for Cayetano.

“I really pity her. It’s been such a long time. I think she has answered enough questions and issues pertaining to this bill, “ Lacson said.

In the Senate, only Cayetano, Lacson and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago have openly supported the RH bill. Christine F. Herrera and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A Filipino patriot appeals to all fellow Filipinos

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR 

By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star

I strongly endorse this appeal to all Filipinos from Rafael M. Alunan III, former Interior and Local Government Secretary of then president Fidel V. Ramos. Raffy shared this on Facebook but it merits a bigger audience. Please pass it on to your friends and kin if you agree with us.

My dear kababayans,

The time to rally to the flag has come. No less than the President has called for unity in action to deal with this fast brewing crisis that holds dire implications to our future in the years and decades to come.

China is wresting control of the West Philippine Sea despite the objections of claimant countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, and has clearly rejected a rules-based regime to settle the claims in dispute. It has instead caused alarm bells to ring as far as Washington DC which has been warning China to act responsibly, not provocatively.

The trouble is China does not want to be denied its place in the sun as a superpower, and it needs to push its boundaries outward to ward off its perceived containment by the US and to control the rich oil and gas reserves in the West Philippine Sea to sustain its economic growth end development. Its internal power struggle is also driving its aggressive actions in the WPS.

So, it has been sending “fishing fleets” escorted by “surveillance vessels” to our EEZ at will, and is setting up or planning to set up multi-purpose structures for military-civilian joint use on our reefs. This threatens the US as it is seen as part of an elaborate construct to deny its ships freedom of passage, and obstruct the free flow of commerce in this crucial trade route.

A conflict with China will result in unrestricted warfare based on its playbook. That means warfare by any means — militarily (conventional, unconventional, wmd); economically; cyberwarfare; sabotage of strategic infrastructure (information, financial, energy, telecommunications, etc); exploitation of socio-cultural-economic stresses to divide societies further; etc. We have been given a preview of what it will do to us when it halted the flow of tourists and stopped banana imports for a while a few months ago over the Scarborough issue.

Our preparedness has to be total as well: we need to “harden” our economic defenses by, for example, actively expanding our markets and trade partners; ensure our food and energy security; and industrialize to generate jobs that may be lost abroad. We need to forge unity by settling the civil wars that divide us; that means removing the root causes of our discontents to prevent its exploitation and our division. And we need to build a credible defense shield over the next 10 years, particularly our navy and air force, something we’ve neglected for decades.
In this case, I will be specific — the P75 B to be spent over the next 5 years for defense is grossly inadequate. A proper needs assessment must be made to determine what is really needed to attain the desired “minimum credible defense posture.” Then cost it out. Whatever it costs (I personally calculate that $2 B annually for 10 yrs. is the bare minimum) will require pro-action from our national security experts, economic managers, and captains of industry, diplomats, congress and local governments to weigh in on the issue to find the funds needed. Too little, too late is what we must avoid. Time is not on our side.

Diplomacy should forge strong bonds with the UN, ASEAN and friendly nations like Japan, South Korea and Australia, in partnership with the United States to provide the back-up muscle, to get China to back off and sincerely live up to its declared “peaceful rise.” Diplomacy must forge close security ties and supply agreements at concessional terms during our build-up phase.

We also need to prepare our children, our grandchildren, our communities, and ourselves physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually for the worst, and hope for the best. There is a whole range of ideas out there on how to prepare for such crises. The action required from us is long-term, and realizing that is the first psychological barrier to hurdle.

To be fair, the government is quite aware of all these and is doing what it can under the circumstances. Let us support our government. However, it needs to be more methodical and cohesive; it must have clear-cut goals and strategies; and it needs to galvanize society more to get the nation marching to the beat of the same drum.

Do spread the word, if you agree.

Many thanks, best regards, Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Raffy Alunan

Because of our irresponsible media, mainly the broadcast media, radio and television, many of our countrymen aren’t even aware that the Pentagon of the US had already warned about a possible conflict in the South China Sea because of Chinese aggression. We will find ourselves in the frontline of this conflict but our irresponsible media do not see the urgency of getting all Filipinos focused on the same page. They persist in dishing to us their inane sensationalism and destructive negativism.

It seems that we may have more reasons to fear the enemy from within, than the aggressive bully that is China.

* * *

Shakespeare: “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”

* * *

Chair Wrecker e-mail and website: macesposo@yahoo.com and www.chairwrecker.com

U.S. dilemma in South China Sea response

By Matthew Pennington
Associated Press
Deseret News

The city of Sansha is on an island in the disputed Paracel chain, which China now considers part of Hainan province. 

The city of Sansha is on an island in the disputed Paracel chain, which China now considers part of Hainan province. (Str,Afp/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — China has heightened tensions in the South China Sea with its new, remote island city and planned military garrison in a contested area viewed as a potential flashpoint for conflict in the Asia-Pacific.

How might the United States respond?

Criticize Beijing too strongly and the Obama administration will strain its relationship with the emerging superpower. Let it pass and undermine two years of intense diplomacy that has promoted the U.S. standing among Southeast Asian nations that are intimidated by China’s rise.

A key plank of the administration’s engagement in the Asia-Pacific since 2010 has been its declaration of a U.S. national interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the South China Sea, where China and five of its neighbors — most notably the Philippines and Vietnam — have competing territorial claims.

But tensions have only escalated. China’s raising of the flag this week at Sansha municipality, on tiny Yongxing island, 220 miles from its southernmost province of Hainan, come as claimants jockey for influence in the resource-rich region.

China will not be able to project much military power from such a small outpost, with a population of just 1,000 people and scarcely room for an airstrip, but it has symbolic importance. Beijing says the municipality will administer hundreds of thousands of square miles of water where it wants to strengthen its control over disputed, and potentially oil-rich, islands.

In Washington, lawmakers interested in Asia policy have been quick to respond.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the move provocative and said it reinforced worries that China would attempt to impose its territorial claims through intimidation and coercion. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said China’s attempt to assert control of disputed territories may be a violation of international law.

While the State Department was careful in its reaction, it also criticized China’s “unilateral moves.”

“I think there is a concern here, that they are beginning to take actions when we want to see all of these issues resolved at the table,” spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday.

President Barack Obama will not want to appear soft on China as he fights for re-election against Republican contender Mitt Romney. Romney has accused the incumbent of being weak on Beijing and has pledged to get tough, in particular, on China’s trading practices.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765593034/US-dilemma-in-South-China-Sea-response.html

‘Bako-Bako’

BY REY O. ARCILLA
MALAYA

‘Noynoy’s “daang matuwid” now has several potholes, “bako-bako” in Pilipino.’

I WONDER if President Noynoy Aquino realizes that his failure to send back our ships, for whatever reason, to Scarborough Shoal is tantamount to giving up our territory by default. Possession is nine-tenths ownership, remember?

The Chinese are still there. According to reports, they have even put in place nets with floaters covering the whole entrance to the Shoal. They obviously are intended to prevent “foreigners” from entering the Shoal.

All the talk about defending our sovereignty and territorial integrity at any cost has become just that – talk. Noynoy is not being consistent with what he said in his SONA: “…if someone entered your yard and told you he owned it, would you agree? Would it be right to give away that which is rightfully ours?”

***

In the meantime, what is our “special” friend the US doing? She’s also talking, that’s what – in Washington – expressing concern about China’s new garrison, new city of Sansha, etc., in the West Philippine Sea!

Why doesn’t she instead send warships to escort our decrepit navy and coast guard to patrol and guard the areas we own? Words are cheap, that’s why. Also, she would not want to tangle with China – particularly at this time when her economy is so closely tied up with hers, the economy of Western Europe in shambles, her debilitating experience in Iraq and Afghanistan still haunting her and the fact that she is in the midst of a presidential election campaign.

***

I’m sure Noynoy and his “bunch of amateurs” (not my words but those of a real expert) are wracking their brains on what to do now – aside from keeping on mouthing the unrelenting pursuit of “peaceful, diplomatic and legal” solutions. In the meantime, China is doing what we should have been doing a long time ago – establishing her presence in the disputed areas. It’s a little late for us to be doing that now, given our military and financial inadequacies and the risk of being fired upon by the Chinese, now that they have already occupied some areas also owned by us according to international law.

***

What to do now? Here are my billion-yuan suggestions which have already been made public several times through this column and in other fora:

1. Maintain our presence (in whatever form) in the Panatag or Scarborough Shoal and other areas which are rightfully ours. I believe we can do this because my assessment is China will not risk universal condemnation by attacking us. In case she does, we take her to the UN Security Council for breaching international peace and security pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UN Charter.

2. Go ahead and unilaterally file a complaint before the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea, as Foreign Secretary Albert “Amboy” del Rosario has been “threatening” to do from day one of the dispute.

3. Consider elevating the dispute to the United Nations General Assembly, pursuant to the relevant provisions of the UN Charter – to make the world community aware of China’s aggressive and provocative actions in the West Philippine Sea that threaten international peace and security.

(The proposal of Congressman Rodolfo Biazon for a UN peacekeeping force is not feasible at this time because there is no armed conflict in the area – yet. Besides, only the Security Council has the authority to create a peacekeeping force. With China there with her veto, Biazon’s proposal will never fly.)

4. Explore other avenues to resolve the dispute without giving up our sovereignty. (The initiative taken by Filipino businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan—obviously approved by President Aquino–on oil exploration and development is one alternative we can explore/consider and weigh carefully, bearing in mind our national interest and strategic moves in the short term and in the long-run).

5. When planning our strategic initiatives, we must discard the notion that anybody will help us. We must depend solely on ourselves. Do this on our own and rely on the ingenuity of our leaders, including those in the private sector whose inputs could be immensely invaluable in reaching a mutually acceptable and beneficial solution–or option.

6. In the meantime, let us continue to modernize our armed forces. We can do this. We have the money. President Aquino, for instance, has said we have money to buy two squadrons of jet fighters from sources other than the US.

We should also make the US pay for helping her “pivot” to our region. US$30 million additional military aid next year is truly insulting. US$3 billion dollars would be more like it. Look, she is helping Afghanistan get US$4 billion a year for armaments alone! The bulk of that could only come from the US.

7. Above all, keep dialoguing with China in the search for a peaceful solution to the dispute.

In this connection, Noynoy may wish to consider replacing Del Rosario. The Chinese allegedly do not like dealing with him because he is an Amboy. I think the Chinese also stopped trusting him after the clumsy way he handled the verbal agreement to withdraw from Scarborough Shoal.

***

Noynoy said in his SONA: “And so I ask for solidarity from our people regarding this issue. Let us speak with one voice. Help me relay to the other side the logic of our stand.”

Before your bosses can heed your appeal, Mr. President, you have to inform and educate them first what the issue is all about. Unlike in China, the young and the man-in-the-street here do not have any idea at all what we are quarreling about with our northern neighbor.

For starters, you may wish to instruct your education secretary and the Commission on Higher Education to issue a directive to all schools to make the students become familiar with the issue and its implications to them and to the country.

Your press and communications secretaries (what’s the difference?) should also do their part in disseminating the relevant information as widely as possible.

We, at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, are already doing it.

***

I don’t know what it is with Noynoy that he keeps insisting the crime situation in the country has improved considerably. He obviously does not read the newspapers or listen to the radio and TV news everyday. I do not blame him. He must be too busy.

I blame his crime czar, executive secretary and bosom buddy, Paquito Ochoa for feeding him erroneous information and data. Maybe he too is very busy. Besides, I don’t think the job is his cup of tea. He may be good with guns like his buddy, but that does not necessarily qualify him as a crime fighter. He should relinquish the job and ask his buddy to give it to somebody else more qualified.

Mr. President, please look again at the problem. You are annoying your bosses for dishing out information they know isn’t true. You are making yourself vulnerable to accusations of lying.

***

The government was quick to condemn the killing of 12 people and the wounding of 58 others in a cinema house in Aurora, Colorado, USA.

And yet, I do not remember the government having condemned the senseless killings of hundreds of people that regularly take place in Syria. The rampant killings of people in Iraq that normally number by the dozens have also not been condemned by our government.

Lest I am misunderstood, I am talking about condemning the killings, not the governments of the countries where they take place.

***

Reminders (for Noynoy’s action):

1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Administration (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency.

Noynoy again referred in an indirect manner to the anomaly in his third SONA. Yet he has done nothing about it. This is one of several “bako” (potholes) in his “daang matuwid”. Bako-bako na!

2) investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia;

3) Facilitating the investigation of rampant corruption in the military and police establishments; and

4) Expeditious action by the AFP on the case of Jonas Burgos.

***

Today is the 87th day of the sixth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

***

From an internet friend:

The guys were all at a deer camp. No one wanted to room with Bob, because he snored so badly. They decided it wasn’t fair to make one of them stay with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns. The first guy slept with Bob and comes to breakfast the next morning with his hair a mess and his eyes all bloodshot. They said, “Man, what happened to you?” He said, “Bob snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night.” The next night it was a different guy’s turn. In the morning, same thing, hair all standing up, eyes all bloodshot. They said, “Man, what happened to you? You look awful!” He said, ‘Man, that Bob shakes the roof with his snoring. I watched him all night.”

The third night was Fred’s turn. Fred was a tanned, older cowboy, a man’s man. The next morning he came to breakfast bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “Good morning!” he said. They couldn’t believe it. They said, “Man, what happened?” He said, “Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Bob into bed, patted him on the butt, and kissed him good night. Bob sat up and watched me all night.”

With age comes wisdom.

***

Email: roacrosshairs@yahoo.com

The brave non-violence of the Subaanen people

By Fr. Shay Cullen 

The Subanen are native to the Zamboanga Peninsula in the western part of the large southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

Some thousands of indigenous people all over the Philippines, especially in Mindanao, especially the Subaanen people, on the Zamboanga Peninsula have struggle for years to stop mining corporations from moving in to explore and mine the mountains and hills. They are victims of corrupt government officials and even judges who are captivated by the vested interest of the mining industry.

Some Indigenous people are sadly being forced to turn to armed resistance as the mining corporations move into their lands. The Subaanen people have remained steadfastly non-violent and turned to the rule of law and trust in the constitution to protect them and their rights.But is it enough?

Hundreds of thousands of hectares of ancestral land has been threatened by the illegal and corrupt acts of some officials of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Allegedly some of these officials are not on the side of the people in Mindanao but are for the rich and powerful mining interests and the banks that fund them.

They allegedly enrich themselves by giving mining permits to companies over ancestral lands which is forbidden by law. It is at this level in the provinces where the anti-corruption campaign of President Aquino is weakest. He has deposed a former president and a chief Justice but not yet the corrupt officials in Mindanao. While the president is dedicated and honestly trying to clean up the stinking garbage of corruption he cannot seemingly oust these entrenched officials, the henchmen and women of powerful political families.

They do not have allegiance to their department cabinet secretary or the president. In fact they are ones who defy the president and are the hardest to get rid off. The presidents political allies could be behind the corrupt practices that is opening the way for the illegal logging and issuance of mining permits. They are pushing the president to override the provincial governments bans on open pit mining. He must resist this pressure.

Mining companies that get a permit to explore and mine also get a logging permit for the cutting the trees in the area alloted to them for mining. This is totally destructive and is a way around the presidential ban on logging which goes on unabated. Just drive through Mindanao and you will pass twenty or thirty huge trucks hauling cut logs. I have seen them myself.

For many years the Subaanen people and their supporters have stood peacefully for their rights courageously and bravely to stop the local dynastic families and their cronies in the International mining industry from mining their ancestral lands. The Subaanen have been non-violent and trusted the democratic rule of law to save them.

Their breakthrough cam in August 2011 when the Supreme Court of the Philippines granted a Writ of Kalikasan (A protection of nature) to the people to protect the environment of the whole of the Zamboanga Peninsula. A Writ of Kalikasan is a powerful legal remedy under Philippine law which provides for the protection one’s right to “a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature,” as provided for in Section 16, Article II of the Philippine Constitution. It protects one’s right for a healthy environment against damage of such magnitude that it threatens life, health, or property of inhabitants in two or more cities or provinces. But the government officials are ignoring the Supreme Court order .

Bishop Jiminez and three other bishops and an archbishop signed a letter to the London based shareholders of the mining company RTZ-CRA trying to get the officials to stop the mining and logging wrote to the shareholders.
In part he letter said; ” Š…..Since the company has the right to expatriate all the profits, you, the shareholders, will probably earn some money. However, many of our people who own the lands where all the minerals are ,will become paupers. Our rivers and seas will become polluted, our mountains will become deserts and our ricelands poisoned. Our forest birds and animals will become extinct. The very existence of the Subaanen, a gentle and beautiful people will be put at very high risk.”

This must not happen ,we must do all we can to see the rule of law prevails and justice is done and corrupt officials are ousted and permits cancelled. shaycullen@preda.org

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Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines.
e-mail: preda@info.com.ph Website: www.preda.org

Constitutional or man-made crisis?

PerryScope
By Perry Diaz

The Judicial and Bar Council’s interview of the 20 nominees to the Chief Justice position was going so well into the fourth and last day when suddenly it hit a snag that could trigger a constitutional crisis in the Judiciary.  Indeed, in a matter of days, the orderly selection process went into a tailspin when the two leaders of Congress – Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. – announced that they’re pulling their representatives out of the Judicial Bar Council (JBC) due to a Supreme Court decision, which ruled that the bicameral legislative body can only have one representative in JBC.  As a result, the JBC postponed voting for the final three nominees to August 2.

The postponement gave Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who is running against time to have three disbarment cases against her dismissed before the JBC votes on the shortlist.  But she suffered a major blow last July 28 when the Board of Directors of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) rejected her bid to have the cases against her dismissed.  Instead the IBP board ordered a full-blown investigation into two of the three cases that were filed against her for defiance of the Supreme Court’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued on the travel ban ordered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on ex-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last November.  Given the time needed to complete the investigations, it is doubtful if it could be done by August 2.

De Lima’s problem

As soon as IBP rejected De Lima’s appeal, Malacañang Palace gave her some encouraging support.  During a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that De Lima has “right to appeal to the Judicial and Bar Council should it exclude her from the chief justice candidate shortlist.”  “She is just laying out the basis why this disbarment case should not be considered by the JBC considering that they were filed in the light of her opposition to the removed Chief Justice Corona,” Lacierda said.

According to Lacierda, De Lima also submitted a seven-page letter to the JBC in which she argued that she should not be excluded from the shortlist on account of her pending disbarment cases, which she claimed were politically motivated.  However, in an attempt to show neutrality, Lacierda said, “We will leave it with the JBC to determine in its discretion the validity and weight of the letter of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.”  And to further distance Malacañangfrom the controversy, he said that the Palace was “very happy” and “very comfortable” with De Lima being the DOJ secretary.

But De Lima, 52, is driven by ambition.  If appointed, she will be the top magistrate of the land for18 years until she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.  She claims that as an “outsider,” she has the edge over the other nominees because of “her strong personality to institute reforms in a judiciary tarnished by the impeachment trial of Corona.”  But what makes her believe that she has the “edge” when she doesn’t have any experience as a judge or justice?

And this brings to mind what kind of reforms would she institute?  Unlike the six “insiders” who each gave a detailed description of the reforms they would pursue, De Lima did not mention a single item that needed to be reformed.  Besides, does it take 18 years to institute reforms?  If she can’t do it in five to seven years, then she’s not the right person to institute reforms.

Enrile’s dilemma

In another front, the Philippine Senate, things are different over there.  Senate President Enrile called for a caucus last July 30 to discuss their position on the JBC composition and other issues relative to the selection process.

In a resolution adopted, the Senate asked the JBC to defer deliberations on the selection and also for the Supreme Court to hold oral arguments on the issue of JBC composition.   The Court agreed and scheduled the oral arguments on August 2.

Another Senate resolution reiterated the position taken by both chambers of Congress that “representation to the JBC by Congress must be one for the House with one vote, and one for the Senate with one vote,” which is in direct contrast to the Supreme Court’s 7-2 ruling two weeks ago that Congress should only have one representative in the JBC.

But Enrile raised another issue, which could throw a monkey wrench on the whole Chief Justice selection process.  In a media interview, Enrile was quoted as saying that whoever is appointed Chief Justice by the President based on the list submitted by the JBC may still be questioned because of the status of the council’s membership.  He also pointed out that the Constitution provides that only the Chief Justice can preside as ex officio chair of the JBC; thus, an acting Chief Justice or an associate justice cannot preside over the deliberations of the council.

If Enrile’s line of thinking is pursued, it could trigger a constitutional crisis.  In essence, what Enrile was saying is that since an acting Chief Justice or an associate justice could not preside over the JBC and since the position of Chief Justice is vacant; therefore, nobody can preside over the JBC.  In that event, the JBC would be functionally incapacitated and unable to produce the mandated shortlist of the final three nominees for the position of Chief Justice.

But notwithstanding this which-comes-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg problem, the President is required by the Constitution to appoint a new Chief Justice within 90 days of a vacancy. But whom would he appoint if no shortlist were produced?

Someone suggested that perhaps P-Noy should appoint anyone of his choice in the absence of a shortlist.  But that would be dangerous and P-Noy should – nay, must! – exercise utmost restraint from doing that.  If he did that, it could trigger a constitutional crisis.  And if the person he appointed is De Lima, then the people would think that the crisis was man-made, induced to pave the way for De Lima’s ascension to the High Court.

Ghosts from the past

In the 25 years that the present Constitution has been in place, there were two major constitutional crises.  The first was in 2001 when then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in as President by then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. while Joseph Estrada was still the sitting President.  To fix the looming constitutional crisis, the Supreme Court issued its controversial “constructive resignation” ruling that deemed Estrada resigned from office.  The second was in 2010 when Gloria appointed Renato Corona as Chief Justice in defiance of the constitutional ban on “midnight” appointments during a short period of time before and after a presidential election.  The Supreme Court legitimized Corona’s illegal appointment by ruling that appointing the Chief Justice was not covered by the constitutional ban.  Both crises took a heavy toll on the government and caused political instability for more than a decade, which culminated with the impeachment of Corona last May.

Now that the government is recovering from those contentious years, it’s time for our political leaders to do what is right for the country and let the Supreme Court perform its constitutional mandate to produce the shortlist in a fashion that is fair, transparent, and objective.  The people deserve no less.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Judicial transparency

BABE’S EYE VIEW 
By Babe Romualdez 
The Philippine Star

In a country where chismis, rumor and innuendo can breed suspicion and muddle issues until they get blown out of proportion, there is nothing like transparency for government to dispel doubts and negative perceptions. The live coverage of the interviews for those aspiring to be the next Chief Justice was the best decision ever made by the Judicial and Bar Council, making the nomination process absolutely transparent.

Anything cloaked in secrecy automatically makes it suspect, and rumors make it even worse. The Supreme Court has been shrouded with an aura of secrecy and hounded by allegations of backroom deals and corruption – with the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona reinforcing these suspicions.

Appointing the next Chief Justice is definitely going to be one of the most important decisions the current president is going to make because so much is at stake in reforming our society and the future of this nation. If Cabinet Secretaries with limited terms are subjected to open examination to assess their suitability, why not the Chief Justice who can sit “for life” (or until the mandatory retirement age of 70) and can only be removed via impeachment?

As I have said in previous columns, the next Chief Justice should be reform minded with a clear vision of what must be done to undertake such reforms and bring justice to everyone regardless of stature. The chief magistrate must have intellectual pre-eminence and independence in the sense that he or she can decide on the merits of a case without being constrained by alliances or biases.

Most importantly, the next CJ must possess impeccable integrity and credibility to restore the people’s faith in the judicial system and undertake the Herculean task of “cleaning up” the Judiciary. People especially those who have had first-hand experience with judicial corruption certainly appreciate the candor of Associate Justice Roberto Abad in admitting that corruption and bribery have indeed been happening in the courts.

Watching the nominees hurdle the questions and present their priorities and intentions, it is becoming quite clear that a lot needs to be done to assure the public that everyone whether rich or poor would have equal access to the law. Although the interviews had been a long process, people are beginning to appreciate the merits of each nominee, their interest holding until such time as President Aquino announces his choice for the position.

Interest in the appointment was sparked by the Corona impeachment, plus the live TV and online coverage that allowed viewers to participate by tweeting, posting and texting their questions and comments. That’s one of the great things about technology – it enables the public to keep track of important issues, like the cases filed against former president Gloria Arroyo. No question this has to be monitored to make sure that both accused and accuser are given a chance to present their positions before the court.

I was at the grand 25th anniversary celebration of TV Patrol at the Manila Hotel last Friday and I congratulated Gabby Lopez for the ANC network’s excellent live coverage of the JBC proceedings. The focus has been unprecedented, and people were absolutely gratified to see that what was once regarded as a “secret” process has become open to everyone through the TV coverage mainly of ANC and the summaries provided by other networks and social media sites.

To many, one of those most qualified is senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who squarely faced the question about his ties with the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo Angangco Law office (better known as “The Firm”) which he co-founded, denying rumors of influence-peddling and deal making. In fact, a business associate who did not want to be identified told us of his firsthand experience. He wanted to hire “The Firm” to handle a case thinking he would be assured of a win since Carpio was the ponente, but a senior partner of “The Firm” flatly told the businessman he would be better off going to another law office, guaranteeing his case will not prosper with Carpio around. Carpio has been known to inhibit himself in all cases handled by his former law firm.

Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is another leading nominee who has the advantage of one who has been an outsider and now is an insider. Her credentials particularly as consultant for judicial reform and her experience as litigation lawyer both in the Philippines and international courts certainly makes her very qualified, her supporters pointed out.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is perceived to be a frontrunner but mainly because of her current association with the Aquino administration. On the other hand, the other two lady nominees who made quite an impression are Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro (who said her priority would be to pursue reforms and decongest the courts by speeding up the adjudication process), and SEC chair Tess Herbosa – a grandniece of our national hero Jose Rizal – who is known for being a level-headed person. Businessmen were especially impressed by her emphasis on good corporate governance as well as her aplomb in answering what were perceived to be “personal” questions. PCGG chair Andy Bautista also stood out for handling tough questions and proposing a seven-year term limit for the Chief Justice.

In any case, we commend the JBC especially acting chairman Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta for the way he has handled the public interviews. People should realize that we are making history and taking a significant step in transforming the judicial system in our country. When all is said and done to paraphrase what George Washington said – the firmest pillar of any government is ensuring the administration of justice.

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E-mail: babeseyeview@yahoo.com

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=64&articleId=832238