Jaraula wants 2009 audit-free funds increased by P7 Million

November 23, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Cagayan de Oro City mayor Constantino Jaraula is moving for a P7 million increase in his audit-free funds in the 2009 Proposed Annual Budget Ordinance. Read more

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Number of patients still increases to 628 despite drive to contain outbreak

November 23, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

The number of patients affected by the diarrheal outbreak from Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental continues to soar to around 628 patients even as local officials and medical experts among other groups are rushing to contain the bacterial spread. Read more

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Diarrheal outbreak kills 1, downs over 200 Tagoloan residents

November 18, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

A diarrheal outbreak at Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental has now killed one person and sent over 250 other residents to the nearest hospitals and clinics over the weekend. Read more

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Gingoog City radio broadcaster gunned down, COPC says local media must unite

November 18, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

A radio broadcaster was shot dead early yesterday morning by an unidentified suspect in front of the gate of the Bukidnon State University in Gingoog City , Misamis Oriental. Read more

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Gandarosa denies initiating any signature drive to keep post

November 17, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Bureau of Internal Revenue District 16 director Mustapha Gandarosa debunked reports that he has launched a signature campaign to boost his chances of keeping his post. Read more

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Oro Chamber wary on moves to place MEDCo under NEDA

November 17, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) president Rodolfo Meñes is wary about moves to put the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) under the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) pursuant to Malacañang’s orders. Read more

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If Men Get Pregnant

November 16, 2008

IF MEN GET PREGNANT…

By Fiscal/ Sai Eldred Col Read more

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Hog cholera scares out pork buyers – market vendors

November 16, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

PORK vendors at two local public markets here in the city are experiencing a massive drop on their sales because of the hog cholera virus scare. Read more

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Bishops versus Queen

November 13, 2008

By Antonio C. Abaya

Those were harsh words that five Roman Catholic bishops spoke against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as quoted in the Oct. 29 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“Twenty million hungry Filipinos will disagree with the proclaimed ‘ramdam ang kaunlaran‘ (progress is felt’) – which is the administration’s favorite mantra – with their own experience. ‘Ramdam ang kahirapan, ramdam ang gutom.’ (Poverty is felt, hunger is felt’),” Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said yesterday.

“The benefits of the much proclaimed economic growth are not felt by the masses,” the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president said in a statement which he issued jointly with three other bishops and the vocal administration critic, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

Asked by reporters later if he thought President Macapagal-Arroyo was corrupt, Lagdameo unhesitatingly said “yes.”

Asked if the President deserved to be removed from power, he said “the answer should come from the people who see what’s happening in our country.”

Lagdameo said in a press conference that the statement, which called for “immediate reforms,” was the product of communal discernment” with Cruz, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon, Banga-Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas and Legazpi Bishop Emeritus Jose Sorra.

“In the past few years up to today, we have watched how corruption has become endemic, massive, systemic and rampant in our politics. Corruption is a social and moral cancer,” said Lagdameo, who clarified that he was making the statement as the archbishop of Jaro and not as the CBCP president.

“In response to the global economic crisis and the pitiful state of our country, the time to rebuild our country economically, socially, politically is now,” Lagdameo said.

“The time to start radical reforms is now. The time for moral regeneration is now. The time to conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy and to prove that we have matured from our political disappointments, is now. The time to prepare for a new government is now,” he said.

Villegas stressed that they were not calling for another mass revolt.

“We are making this statement because we believe that if we had been less corrupt we would be better prepared to face the impending global crisis. The problem of the Philippines is not population, the problem is corruption, Villegas said.

End of quotes from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Many concerned Filipinos would agree and sympathize with the bishops’ sentiments. But, realistically speaking, how do the bishops propose to convert those sentiments into political action and reality?

How do we start radical reforms now? How do we encourage moral regeneration now? How do we conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy now? How do we prepare for a new government now?

To achieve these goals, there must be a political movement, and there must be a fearless and charismatic individual to personify that movement and articulate its goals, someone to publicly carry the torch for that movement. Most people, especially Filipinos, will not rally around an abstract idea, no matter how noble and compelling it may be.

And – pray, tell – what are these “immediate and radical reforms” that the bishops want to push? Judging by Bishop Villegas’ last line, it could include equating the use of condoms with abortion.

Barack Obama‘s ‘Change We Need’ and ‘Yes We Can’ would not have won the commitment of tens of millions of Americans if there was no Barack Obama to personify and eloquently articulate it.

Do the bishops have someone in mind, our own Barack Obama? If they do, I doubt if they will publicly name him or her. And they shouldn’t, as they should not involve themselves in partisan politics.

About three years ago, Archbishop Lagdameo expressed the need for a “new breed of leaders,” which I supported in one of my columns. But my Thursday group met with him and seven other bishops to find out how this “new breed of leaders’ could come to prominence, seeing that Philippine media tend to publicize only trapos, coup plotters and communists. Our impression was that the bishops had no practical method on how to bring about this transformation. Or, if they had one, they did not want to tell us.

Ten months ago, at the height of the ZTE broadband scandal, a previously unknown individual, Jun Lozada – who was/is neither a trapo nor a coup plotter nor a communist – shot up to prominence because of the weight of his testimony before the Senate committees investigating the scam, and his apparent readiness to risk his life in doing so.

Lozada became the man of the hour as no Filipino has ever become since the beloved Ninoy was assassinated in 1983. Because he spoke mostly in Filipino – eloquently and with deadpan humor, at that – Lozada connected with all levels of society. Even our maids and drivers followed the senate hearings and the TV interviews every day.

In his many forays into schools and universities, he was welcomed and embraced by the young people like a rock star. No public figure has excited the young people of this country as Lozada did, since Miriam Defensor-Santiago ran for president in 1992 (and topped all public opinion surveys and straw votes in and out of schools at that time.)

But Lozada was eventually gagged by no less than the bishops, who banned Catholic schools from further inviting him to their campuses, even as Malacanang’s paid hacks in media stumbled over each other bad-mouthing him, both for the benefit of the embattled Black Queen.

I am not sure if Archbishop Lagdameo and the other White Bishops-critics of President Arroyo participated in the gagging of Lozada, but they certainly did nothing to protest or prevent it.

In chess, as in our cannibalistic politics, it is almost impossible for just two (or even more) White Bishops to checkmate the Black King, without the help of White Knights and White Rooks. Lozada could have been one of the White Knights and the Catholic schools and the NGO community could have been the White Rooks. Even without a White Queen, the White Bishops can checkmate the Black King, but not if the White Knights are gagged and the White Rooks are purged of sentiments inimical to the Black Queen…

On the other hand, the Black Queen is very powerful. She has her own Black Bishops who are rewarded generously for their loyalty. Her Black Knights – the AFP and the PNP – are coiled to strike at a moment’s notice. Her Black Rooks – the Lower House and (soon) the Supreme Court – are impregnable, while upfront, her eight willing pawns – Ronnie Puno, Eduardo Ermita, Hermenigildo Esperon, Raul Gonzalez, Bert Gonzales, Prospero Nograles, Joey Salceda and Nene Pimentel – are eager to change the rules of the game so that the Black Queen can reign forever.

Check?!!!? More like bundles of cash in paper bags. *****

SWAP WITH THAILAND. During a round table discussion of current events yesterday with some faculty members and students at the Lyceum of the Philippines, a student asked how to resolve the impasse regarding the request of former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for political asylum in the Philippines.

I suggested a swap: We will grant political asylum to Thaksin, as long as, and at the same time that, Thailand agrees to grant political asylum to President Arroyo. Fair? *****

Reactions to tonyabaya@gmail.com. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. .

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Gandarosa accuses Palala of corruption, to file charges in various tribunals

November 11, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

EMBATTLED Bureau of Internal Revenue District 16 head Mustapha Gandarosa is fighting back and taking those whom he believes are orchestrating his ouster to the courts. Read more

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