Pnoy's Wish

Pnoy Had A Wish...

Recently, Pnoy announced that his wish is to have an early prosecution of the graft and other high profile cases by 2012. It is a laudable thought but expressed rather weakly as a wish and like wishes one would need a magical wand to make them come true. With the snail’s pace our justice moves, it would be more appropriate to use a horsewhip or perhaps an electric prod rather than the tooth fairy’s wand to help things along.

Our justice system rests on the bedrock belief that the accused is innocent until proven guilty and the guilt has to be proven beyond reasonable doubt even though this may be an impossibility. Due process ensures that the rights and liberties of the individual are protected from errors that he or the defense panel might make and from the less judicious judgments by the courts. Better to err in favour of the accused than having to see an innocent man hanged. That sounds unassailable and difficult to argue against but what about the right of the collective public which seems to be disadvantaged by this judicial school of thought? The overprotection of the individual liberties has been overly favoured at the expense of the interest of the larger body of people,  resulting into a situation that is inimical to their safety and well being.The blatancy and the frequency of the cases involving the wealthy and the powerful making use of their money and connections to delay or even subvert the observance of justice is prevalent in Philippine courts that it seems almost impossible to achieve quick justice or just plain justice itself. 

The problem with due process is that it tends to drag especially in cases where the accused has the wherewithal to engage the services of high calibre lawyers who know all the dirty tricks of their dastardly trade. 

By design, due process is supposed to ensure that the common “Juan” is not victimised by his circumstance and simple perspective, however, most of the cases which have made full use of these advantages are those of the privileged warlord, the bandit elite, the influential politician, the mighty military and others of a similar ilk who invariably engage a “dream team” of lawyers which only they, with their ill gotten resources can afford. The Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) has been a favourite recourse to stay the government’s order and/or provides the accused an extension of freedom indefinitely. Of late, even the medical practitioners have been conscripted as pawns to delay the judicial process.

The ordinary “Juan” more often than not, when accused, ends up staying in jail due to being convicted without proper counsel, not able to secure a bond or for delays caused by an overburdened judiciary.

In theory due process should work for us but in actual fact it doesn’t all the time. Often times it favours an unsavoury few.

Pnoy to make true his wish should start entertaining Draconian measures.

Because of the prevailing situation shouldn’t we consider suspending some the apparent privileges of the accused in due process to level the playing field and give the prosecutors a sporting chance to do good for the state? It could be thought of as an emergency power which the legislature can give to the President as an extraordinary privilege. The good of the many should take precedence against the liberty of a few individuals.

Perhaps we can make an exception on a few select cases where it is imperative to have cases settled in the most expeditious manner unfettered by the constitutional guarantees of an accused person. What is hateful is for some biggie going scot free because of a technicality, a stretched jurisprudence, overwhelming numbers of witnesses, evidences (mostly manufactured) and where there is overuse or abuse of these advantages through the sleekness of arguments of high calibre lawyers, the use of money, influence and all advantages which can be had by the extensiveness of the defendants’ resource. Wouldn’t it be nice if technicalities should not even be considered as it does not make innocent the accused? Errors in procedure on the side of the government should be given an opportunity to be corrected and not used as a reason for the outright dismissal of cases no matter how strong the proof of guilt. It would be nice if there is no provision in the law which inhibit the accused of making statements prejudicial to his case or in some cases a suspension of the Miranda doctrine... or just plain appraisals of evidences and testimonies regardless of how they were acquired. Cases involving graft, plunder, heinous crimes should be the primary qualification for being in the list earmarked for expeditious processing. Wouldn’t it be nice if a temporary amendment is given to eliminate the constitutional prohibition on suspending some of the due process rights in these select cases? Under the constitution, these rights include, among others: the right to the presumption of innocence and to a fair trial; the right to an attorney; the right against self-incrimination; the right of a defendant to know the charges and evidence against him; and the right against double jeopardy.

In the Philippines corruption and governance are hopelessly intertwined but are in opposing ends of a spectrum.  Governance seeks to serve the interest of the people...corruption by its use of authority, influence and money serves selfish interests of a small group. We are bound by a justice system that dreams to protect and uphold the rights of the common “Juan” while corruption discreetly or sometimes brazenly arrogates unto itself these rights and finds opportunity to use the very safeguards to protect the common “Juans” to defraud them of their rights and privileges.

C'mon Pnoy, even at the risk of being looked at as a fascist, put on your shining armour and shield, take on the challenge of your wish and be the white knight of our dreams. What do we care if you are likened to an Inquisitor, an Ayatollah, a Hitler or a Stalin (at least for a while) if you are able to realize the dream of prosecuting all the lords of corruption, the robber barons, and the wang-wang gangs in our midst. Everything starts from here; this is the linchpin which holds together the wheels of your marvellous and heroic drive to eradicate corruption in our beloved Pilipinas.

Curious Marketing Definitions

Marketing Definitions

My friend, Vic Floresca, sent me a list of marketing definitions which made an analogy of the marketing process to that of the adventures of a libidinous cocktail party goer looking to score with the pretty lady guests. I was in marketing and I thought that I could contribute a few definitions of my own. I’m pretty sure that the younger marketing guys could add on a few more culled from the present state of marketing, media, sales, promotions and market research. Vic suggested that it should be introduced into the curriculum as  Marketing 101.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say, "I am very rich. Marry me!" That's Direct Marketing. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says, "He's very rich. Marry him." That's Advertising. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day you call and say, "Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me." That's Telemarketing. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink. You open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say, "By the way, I'm very rich .Will you marry me?" That's Public Relations. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says, "You are very rich.." That's Brand Recognition. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say, "I'm rich. Marry me" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. That's Customer Feedback. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say, "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband That's Demand and supply gap. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say, "I am very rich. Marry me!" she turns her face towards you ------------ she is your wife ! That's competition eating into your market share You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... I’ll give you this mink coat if you marry me. That’s premium Promotion. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... I’m very rich, marry me. She turns her back on you. That’s a failed product launch. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... My name is Victor Rockefeller marry me. That’s called brand extension. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... I have a brother named Eduardo Rockefeller you will like him. That’s called variant marketing. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... You rebuffed me once, well, I’m now rich and handsome, marry me. That’s a brand restage. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... May I visit you tomorrow at your house? That’s called Avon marketing. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... Would you like to go on a one month cruise with me at the Med? That’s called a test market. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say... My brother and I would like to have a date with you. Who would you prefer? That’s product preference testing. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and whisper in her ear...she slaps you. That’s called proposition testing

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You invite her to your

big birthday bash. That’s called events marketing.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You beat a hasty retreat

after recognizing that she is an old flame you ditched.

That’s called a brand pullout.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You sidle up to her and

say I’m tall, dark, handsome and richly endowed.

That’s a transgression of the truth in advertising law.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say

Marry me and you get a grand house and a good provider.

That’s called a banded pack promotion.

Statistical Doublespeak

It is a wonder why so many distinguished personalities in history have sceptical views of statistics. Benjamin Disraeli once remarked “...there are three kinds of lies; lies, damned lies and statistics”, the ebullient Winston Churchill chided an assistant that when he asked for statistics they should be favourable to his watch in Parliament, from Mark Twain “Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.” -  “Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.)” And from Evan Esar “Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions”.

It is an unfair view of statistics. The science of statistics is on solid ground as its theories and practices are based on logical frameworks and borrows from numerical arguments. Statistics is the touchstone of progress as it seeks the betterment of things through trials, comparisons, observations. Statistics, whether applied to marketing or scientific endeavours that better the human condition is a vital and noble occupation. Advancements in most of the things that people now enjoy have been, in one way or the other, helped out by the use of statistics. It is a very powerful tool in the pursuit of new knowledge and the improvement of existing wisdom. What gives statistics a bad name is in how it is abused by those who use it to bolster weak arguments, by those who interpret the numbers to suit their purposes, the selective exposition of results, by those who try to make meaningful insignificant figures, the manufacture of numbers to prove a point and in so many other ruses statistics are made pliable and contorted to support untruths.

When you are invited to sit in on a presentation of the results of a research project you should be on the alert to the phraseology being used by the presenter in order to make out what is really being said and to separate what is factual from the speculated, what is deduction from conjecture, a significant find from a tendential outcome. You know that the presenter has trapped himself in a corner when he starts spouting a lot intelligible technical of terms making it appear that these are accepted facts by all in marketing. Anyone who would seem clueless to what is being explained would be made to look like a marketing troglodyte. These verbal cues are more effective when it comes with articulate body language such as squirms, twists, head scratches, looking out of the window and random twitches.

Here are some samples picked up from internet sources and some from my own exaggerations of true incidents during my years in market research.

"In an earlier study done twenty years ago..."
I didn't look up the original reference.


"A definite trend is evident in the sub group..."
The data is practically useless.


"While it has not been possible to provide definite answers to the questions..."
An unsuccessful experiment, but still the design is considered an elegant one by...


"Three of the samples were chosen for detailed study..."
The other results didn't make any sense.


"Typical results are shown..."
This is the prettiest graph.


"These results will be in a subsequent report..."
I might get around to this sometime, if pushed/funded.


"The most reliable results are obtained by xxxxx..."
Xxxxx was my graduate student; his grade depended on this.


"In my experience..."
Once.


"In case after case..."
Twice.


"In a series of cases..."
Thrice.


"It is believed that..."
I think.


"It is generally believed that..."
A couple of other guys think so too.


"Correct within an order of magnitude..."
Wrong.


"According to the statistical analysis..."
Rumor has it.


"A statistically oriented projection of the significance of these findings..."
A wild guess.


"A careful analysis of obtainable data..."
Three pages of notes were obliterated when I knocked over a glass of beer.


"It is clear that much additional work will be required before a complete understanding of this phenomena occurs..."
I don't understand it.


"After additional study by my colleagues..."
They don't understand it either.


"Thanks are due to Mr. Smith for assistance with the experiment and Miss Jones for valuable discussions..."
Harry Smith did the experiment and Mary Jones explained to me what it meant.


"A highly significant area for exploratory study..."
A totally useless topic selected by my committee.


"It is hoped that this study will stimulate further investigation in this field..."
I quit.

“It is slightly below the action standard, about 9 percent, only a single digit differential on target...”

Hey stop moving the goal post!!!

“Wilcoxon test may not be appropriate, now let’s try Kruskal-Wallis, then the Friedman test...”

If you torture the data enough it will begin to confess and yield favourable results.

 “I need 20 more additional readings before I can arrive at any conclusive findings.”

By the time we complete the research they would have completely lost interest or I will be 10,000 miles away from here.

“Let’s do more Varimax rotations on the factors”

I’m dead meat if I don’t get a new factor pattern that would help explain my interpretation.

“Research shows that our competitor has more buyers than us but we have a subgroup whose willingness to buy scores are above threshold.”

A sample taken in the Calamian Group expressed willingness to buy if our product is made available to them.

“The respondents showed a dislike for the test products.”

We should have known better than to test our pork loaf product in Maguindanao.

“Secondary data from industry sources have shown a negligible market potential for our new brand”

Who was the moron who insisted on this expensive market study?

“The Simulated Test market predicted a 25% market share on the first year.”

Yeah, but it assumed that competitors will just stand by and watch.

“Casting research has shown that Rossana Roces has got a big following and would be an effective endorser.”

But we are selling tickets for the World Youth Day.

“A survey conducted in September of 2010 have shown dismal performance ratings for P’noy.”

The sample was taken from 4 towns in Lubao, Pampanga.

Nadouble Jeopardy Na Ba Tayo Ni General Garcia...and Some Such Questions

It has been joked about that cases against erring government officials are like the lyrics of the song “Mona Lisa” because cases have been brought to justice’s doorstep but “they just lie there and they die there”. Our lawyers are very adept at prolonging the judicial processes of cases that seem patently indefensible and desperately irredeemable. The situation works out well for both client and lawyer as the freedom of the client is temporarily enjoyed prior to judgment of the case (which goes on for long indefinite periods) and the lawyer’s fees continue for as long as the case is still unresolved. If we were to take seriously the aphorism “justice delayed is justice denied” then the situation in our judicial system could be deemed chronic if not criminal. A new addition to the rogues’ gallery is the medical practitioners who certify illnesses of their clients to avoid having to appear in investigations and litigations. These doctors also help their clients enjoy hospital arrest and detention privileges. A lot of money is needed for such recourses but the costs are measly compared to the available and mostly ill gotten resources. These delays of justice are not only seen in graft and corruption cases, it is so much in play even in criminal cases and corporate cases. It seems that justice favours only those who have the wherewithal to put together a battery of super lawyers to forestall progress of cases or even quash them by legal legerdemain. The instances where swift justice is achieved, though unjust, are through the quick disposal of cases that have been assigned to free legal assistance coming from assigned lawyers whose practice have not gone much beyond stamping dry seals on documents for notarization. To the courts it is not so much the dutiful meting out of justice but more a relief to be rid of a “tiresomeness” from the burgeoning stacks of cases awaiting their attention. How many prisoners have wasted their lives in incarceration because of the ineptness of the legal assistance provided for them? In contrast how many fat cats have evaded prison sentences due to delays in the judicial process, or worse, going scot free because of a technicality arising from the bungling of the prosecution panel or through a collusion between them and the defence lawyers? Our justice system has a chequered track record and is cursed by anyone who would have the unfortunate experience of dealing with it.

There is so much distrust on the Justice System from the public. We have a Supreme Court that has been held suspect by virtue of political appointments made worst by the midnight appointments made by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which include no other than the Chief Justice. It may well be that this assortment is made up capable and  honourable men and women but have had their reputations tarnished by the mere fact that they were appointees of a president whose motives seemed obvious and that is to evade graft charges upon her stepping down from power. Some may feel that they owe Madam Gloria a debt of gratitude for their appointment but being beholden for a favour done has its limits and should not be at the expense of dignity and integrity expected of the posts they now occupy. They should realize that the material gain they derived from their appointment is just a pittance compared to what has been stashed away by the Madam Gloria and her family; crumbs for dogs who grovel underneath the banquet tables of the Arroyos. They should not feel obligated to defend the corruption of their benefactress. A pact with the devil is void ab initio since it is based on bad faith. If only our justices would have an iota of feel and empathy for what Pnoy is trying to achieve during his term of office then it should pique them to do what is right and honourable and help for the sake of people and country to stop our slide to utter degradation and ignominy as the good Reverend James Reuter cautioned. 

Pnoy’s efforts towards the eradication of corruption are being stymied by these delays in the justice system. Our people have been aching to see successful prosecutions of the big and small perpetrators of the looting of the country’s coffers. What we are seeing are the piling up of unresolved cases pending resolutions at various stages of the prosecutorial process. For how long would the awareness of these high profile pillage stay as top of mind with us? Filipinos are notoriously known to have short attention spans and soon, through passage of time and other distractions, their indignation and interest on these cases dissipates. Is General Carlos Garcia off the hook following the double jeopardy principle, and what about the collusion at the Ombudsman office that precipitated it? What about the case of General and Mrs. Ligot? Is the money supposedly illegally amassed by Angelo Reyes stays with the family? Are the going away presents of outgoing Chiefs of Staff true? What happens to the Bubby Dacer case now that the principal accused is in a catbird seat? The ZTE scandal, the Amari deal, the case of the vanished Bentain, the Raven helicopters, the Maguindanao Incident, the anomalies in the Ombudsman’s office, the possible collusion of the Sandiganbayan judges, the coffee stains in PAGCOR and easily a hundred more unresolved cases that the public would want to know the status of.

For as long as these cases stay in limbo we will never get the support of the people no matter how inspiring the objectives are of Pnoy’s administration. The eradication of corruption mission of the present administration will just be farcical and la la land fantasy. Our children will continue to admire the wiliness of the wrongdoers in their midst as the corrupt continue to enjoy the fruits of their evil enterprise and flaunting their being above the law. The morass that we are in grows deeper and slimier; an insidious legacy that we pass on to the next generation. The evil that caused it continue to flourish in a slow and faithless justice system.

It is true that the problem is not easily unravelled in a democratic society such as ours. There are due processes observed and political exigencies involved. Other factors such as cultural conventions and socio-religious views that sometimes are counter- productive but, nevertheless, have to be respected and given deference. We find ourselves, as in numerous times in the past, confronted by seemingly insurmountable difficulties and are paralyzed into inaction. How easy it is to just ignore a perennial problem with a fatalistic shrug and wish for divine succour as we sit defeated at the galley of a sinking ship. Our present problems do not kill us but neither do they make us stronger. Having lived through them all these years have made us inured and indifferent. We give little thought that all these will lead our society to a devastated state, an inheritance of desolation for our children and our children’s children.

There are no silver bullets for the awesome problems confronting us. A solution has to be eked out earning little gains at a time as in building blocks towards the putting up of a stable edifice that would represent positive change. Our people may not have the patience for the slow grind of change because they easily forget and with it the loss of indignation and interest. We need something to remind them of the score of all these high profile cases and be appraised of their status on an almost daily basis. As an example they may want to know what is happening to the case of General and Mrs Ligot; is it still being heard?, is it for final judgment?, is it being appealed for elevation? And the most important is to place dates at each event the case is at; status as of what date (indictment, conviction, sentencing, mistrial, exoneration etc), next steps by DOJ. Giving timelines to the public ensures that these cases are always top of mind and that they would have expectations as to the progress of cases. It also tells the justice department that people are avidly following the proceedings and expect things to happen per a time table committed to. The downside is that it opens itself to heckling media magpies should things fall short of the schedule. But then again media will always heckle with or without cause.

Somebody or some group should design a format for the scoreboard that is easily conveyed in print, television, radio, internet and other media. This may just be one small step but it is doable and it helps ensure that people are in the know at all times about the status of the high profile cases. People will now stop saying “ningas cogon lang yan” and that they will know that the government is pursuing doggedly all the cases and not a single one of them will be lost by the wayside because of the slow grind of our justice system.

Nunez, Pnoy's Torquemada?

The Pnoy administration may be giving the wrong signals by zealously pursuing a probe that may not even be worth anyone's time. It is okay to go after wrongdoers in the previous administration but the effort should be more judicious lest it begins to smell of being a witch hunt. Nunez and the new DBP board are too eager in pursuing any semblance of anomalous deals by the previous DBP board. The DBP was handed over to them in the best of shape, earning P1.3 billion from the Bobby Ongpin deal which contributed to P6 billion in total profits. What GOCC can boast of that kind of earnings? Other GOCCs turn out losses year after year and have been a drain to the country's coffers. 

Past DBP management, Rey David in particular, had displayed a keen financial management savvy and skirted the DBP charter limits in pursuit of profitable deals that they took on with a masterful scouting of an opportunity for the bank’s benefit. It could have been a case of shrewd dealing, deftly traipsing at the edges of what is allowed by the rules to gain profits for the bank. Far cry from the typical GOCC heads who either stole or just sat out their tenures on their plump asses eating off the fat of the land. That Rey David benefited personally from the deal is mere speculation. What is fact is he did well as fiduciary leading to pecuniary gains for the government.

The new management of DBP should ease off. Perhaps they are trying too hard to ingratiate themselves to Pnoy by ordering show causes against the employees of the past board to have a show case to present to the boss. This has shades of quota completion of arrests that is typical at lower levels of law enforcement. It is causing much discomfort among DBP employees and may lead to more anxieties due to the oppressive probe tactics applied these modern day Torquemadas. The family of Atty. Benjamin Pinpin suggests that harsh pressure on the lawyer have been applied by the inquisitors enough to drive him to commit suicide. A statement from the dying is difficult to ignore and holds much weight in legal considerations.

No matter how hard Nunez tries to discredit the former management of DBP their accomplishments will always be the bench mark by which the new management’s efforts will be judged and it's a tough act to follow. Perhaps the new DBP board anticipates that they won't be able to match such an excellent performance by the past board. They felt a need to demolish the standard that has been set by ascribing misdeeds no matter how ludicrous.

Senior Workers In the Vineyard

Fr. Mike Sandalo of the Barnabite Fathers in Tagaytay asked for a small write up regarding our feelings of our being awarded as couple affiliate to the Barnabites which he intends to publish in their newsletter. We both wrote separate notes regarding this unexpected appreciation of our contribution to the service of our community in Barangay San Jose in Tagaytay City.

I wrote:

First of all let me just say that my wife Alma and I are truly grateful for your having bestowed upon us the honour of being the first couple affiliate of the Barnabites in the Philippines. It was granted on a day when we had a maddening schedule and almost missed the Barnabites Presbyteral Ordination.  God really worked his magic and saw to it that the things we had to do for that day fell into an orderly sequence and allowed us to attend this special occasion which granted deaconates and ordinations to priesthood to some of our friends in the seminary.

As we sat through the rites we didn’t have the least notion that we will be the recipients of a great blessing. When the grant of the affiliation was announced I was not quick to realize the grandness of the event. I had the feeling that my wife was as bemused as I was. The feeling was more of being astounded and bewildered for we knew not that an award was to be given and, also, wondered what made us deserving of such an accolade. We rose from the pews a bit slowly as we were ushered towards the altar to be awarded the certificate of affiliation, the portrait of Our Mother of Divine Providence and a commemorative medallion of San Antonio Maria Zaccaria jointly presented by Father Joselito Ortega, Head of Barnabites Scholasticate, Philippines and Fr. Francisco Silva, Assistant Superior General Clerics Regular of Saint Paul; Barnabite Fathers.  

My wife and I are pushing seventy, so to speak, and have experienced a wide gamut of human experiences...good times, bad times; times of joy and grief; risen up from occasional failures; went through deprivation and times of plenty. By His grace we survived them all and are now happily into retirement or should I say in the pre departure area wishing flight cancellations, as it were, from day to day. It may well have been this way but the Lord in His infinite kindness presented us with a gift, the opportunity to be of service to others.

It was our great fortune to have chosen Tagaytay as our retirement place.

Barangay San Jose provided us with the rare privilege of being in the community of the religious and with the local folks whose families have been here for generations. Having neighbours such as these make for a wonderful sense of community where a generous exchange of talents and privilege flow naturally with the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul had referred to this aggrupation as the Body of Christ, the Christian community. The Holy Spirit has given the members of the community special gifts which are used in the service of the Lord.  Truly we are in “God’s little acre” to borrow a title from a renowned American author.

 We found ourselves in an environment that is conducive to be of service to others. The feeding programs of the Merciful Sisters, the Tahanang Mapagaruga preschool for their supply needs, the help extended to a few scholars were done with the help of friends and relatives whom we have enjoined from time to time to assist in the service of our community.  The invitation to do the refresher course in oral and written English for some of the seminarians were really God sent as it helped scrape the accumulated rust in our brains which could lead to Alzheimer’s disease. These, together with a few more little good deeds came effortlessly and given with cheerful hearts.

All of these came at the Lord’s bidding. It has been our great fortune that we were chosen to serve in His vineyard. Faith alone does not assure salvation. Without good works it is dead. Our lives and the little that is left of them have been made brighter and more meaningful, otherwise, they would have just been spent in sombre and morbid anticipation of the fading of the light. Praise God!

Alma wrote:

The most felt emotion was one of surprise when we realized that we were being given recognition for the assistance in the good works initiated by the nuns and the priests in our neighbourhood. I didn’t think that what we had done was that exceptional to merit praise. There was also a bit of embarrassment because we felt that we should have done more to deserve the recognition and that the degree of difficulty of the effort we exerted should have been higher.

What now comes to my mind is how much more help is needed, what other things can we do. Perhaps you can tell us about what you expect of your affiliates so that we can better serve.  Are there conventions that we must follow as Barnabite affiliates? A code of conduct? A set of things that we must achieve?

At the end of the day what we now feel is one of humble gratitude for being given the gift of service to our Lord.  We have shared this opportunity with our friends and relatives who have been more than generous with their contributions. The Lord made it so easy. We are truly blessed.

The Power of Prayer

Fr. Reuter, in his wisdom, borne by long experience in servitude to the Lord, is so right when he said that the Philippines is on a fixed course towards destruction (his article  *Let no one make us afraid... for in the end, only God remains is reprinted here).

There had been no lack of effort among well meaning men and women, from the sectarian and religious groups, to reverse the tide towards what the good Father projected as utter degradation of society, morality and the economy. There have been notable events such as the People Power revolutions which were joint achievements of the Church and civil society. They were relegated to be just historical “flashes in the pan” which, true to the form of the Filipino, fizzled out after the euphoria settled down, and we even became worst off, thanks to PGMA. Our downward spiral is validated by the Failed State Index (FSI) which categorized us among the fifty lowest countries and steadily slipping from the rankings since the (FSI) Index’s inception.

According to Fr Reuter, “It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm. It’s time to claim God’s promise of healing of the land for His people. It’s time to gather God’s people on its knees to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation.” He added the question “Is prayer really the answer?” In answer, he cited the Reformation, the early American struggle, the Korean recovery and revival through the largest Christian church were all fuelled by the getting together of the people of these nations intently praying and seeking Divine assistance. The power of a nation united in prayer is unarguably a potent force leading towards a new reformation which could steer us towards the “matuwid na daan” that Pnoy has pointed to, as the road not taken by previous society and past political and moral leaders. I think our prayer should be towards the unification of both civilian leaders and those of the clergy, a prayer which will make the factions realize that they are both from the forces of good and are seeking the same goals for God and country. Could they not, for the moment, suspend the rigidness of their stances and choose to lay aside the strong convictions on issues causing the divisiveness. Satan is the master of intrigue and would probably be the author of the divide and conquer strategy which has been employed by tyrants and evil men throughout the history of mankind. Just as during the Reformation, the church had to react through the Counter Reformation to stem the loss of legions of the faithful to the numerous rampant Protestant groups. They reacted with a few reforms within and perhaps the Council of Trent, though a bit late in coming, was the more serious response in the Counter Reformation.

We will never eradicate corruption if Pnoy and the CBCP will continue to be at loggerheads with irresolvable issues. If these issues continue to inhibit their coming together then we would have missed the rare opportunity of defeating corruption and making the Filipino level up to its birth right...a decent, moral, prosperous and progressive race.

The Council of Trent upheld salvation appropriated by grace through faith and works of that faith (not just by faith, as the Protestants insisted) because "faith without works is dead",

  

Let us then pray that Pnoy and Catholic Church set aside their differences and  work together as a team belonging to the forces good in a concerted fight against the forces of the evil lords of corruption, at the same time beseech our father to strengthen our faith that He will not forsake his people in these times of need.

*Let no one make us afraid... for in the end, only God remains  My Beloved Philippines   By Father James Reuter, S.J. BY HER own admission, GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) rightfully assessed that over the last decades, our republic has become one of the weakest, steadily left behind by its more progressive neighbors. Forty years ago, we were second only to Japan in economic stature, and way ahead of Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand.. Today, at our present growth rate, it will take us 30 years to get to where Thailand is. 1. A population of 160 million; 2. Of those, 70 to 90 million (equivalent to our current population) will live below the poverty line; 3. Our national debt is estimated to be at US$200B (compared to US$28B when Marcos fled, and US$53B today); 4. We will be competing, not against Thailand or even Vietnam, but against Bangladesh; 5. We will be the most corrupt nation in Asia, if not in the world (we’re already ranked 11th most corrupt nation by Transparency International)... THE SIGNS are clear. Our nation is headed towards an irreversible path of economic decline and moral decadence. It is not for lack of effort. We’ve seen many men and women of integrity in and out of government, NGOs, church groups and people’s organization devote themselves to the task of nation-building, often times against insurmountable odds. But not even two people’s revolutions, bloodless as they may be, have made a dent in reversing this trend. At best, we have moved one step forward, but three steps backward. We need a force far greater than our collective efforts, as a people, can ever hope to muster. It is time to move the battle to the spiritual realm. It’s time to claim God’s promise of healing of the land for His people. It’s time to gather God’s people on its knees to pray for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. Is prayer really the answer? Before you dismiss this as just another rambling of a religious fanatic, I’d like you to consider some lessons we can glean from history. England’s ascendancy to world power was preceded by the Reformation, a spiritual revival fueled by intense prayers. The early American settlers built the foundation that would make it the most powerful nation today -- a strong faith in God and a disciplined prayerful life. Throughout its history, and especially at its major turning points, waves of revival and prayer movements swept across the land. In recent times, we see Korea as a nation experiencing revival and in the process producing the largest Christian church in the world today, led by Rev. Paul Yongi Cho. No wonder it has emerged as a strong nation when other economies around it are faltering. Even from a purely secular viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense. For here there is genuine humbling and seeking of God through prayer, moral reformation necessarily follows. And this, in turn, will lead to general prosperity. Yes, we believe prayer can make a difference. It’s our only hope. TODAY, we launch this email brigade, to inform Filipinos from all over the world to pray, as a people, for the economic recovery and moral reformation of our nation. We do not ask for much. We only ask for five minutes of your time in a day, to forward this email to your close friends and relatives. This is the kind of unity that can make a big difference. Of course, if you feel strongly, as I do, about the power of prayer, you can be more involved by starting your own prayer group or prayer center. We have tried people power twice; in both cases, it fell short. Maybe it’s time to try prayer power. God never fails. Is there hope? Yes! We can rely on God’s promise, but we have to do our part. If we humble ourselves and pray as a people, God will heal our land.. By God’s grace, we may yet see a better future for our children. “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). If you care for your children and grandchildren, PLEASE pass this on.... Let’s not just abandon the Philippines.

SWS Public Satisfaction Survey - June 2011

The most recent SWS polling on public satisfaction reveals that Pnoy’s administration is the best liked of all administrations from the time of the poll’s inception in 1989. This is an unexpected positive result as it refers to the administration team and not to the individual that is Pnoy. His team has been the favourite whipping boys of opinion leaders, the opposition, and the media and have been criticized as being inept and intellectual lightweights, at times unjustly and in some instances deserving of the criticism.

One wonders whether the general population really had a full grasp of everything that is happening around them politically and are really satisfied with the way Team Pnoy has been performing in the period immediately prior to the survey. I can’t think of anything spectacular that was done by the administration in the period covered by the survey which would help explain the high ratings garnered by the administration. What could help explain these good marks is the consistent significant positive results on the question of fighting corruption of which PGMA had dismal showings in the last three years that the question had been asked. It seems that the fight against corruption is the one single variable that has a strong pulling power to bring up all the other variables in the equation in favour of the overall positive impression. As in advertising, Pnoy’s anti corruption positioning has hit the right chord; a promise or a proposition that is meaningful and resonant in the minds of the people. Team Pnoy will continue to win hearts and minds after the SONA which highlighted more of the same theme and the current hype on the running after PGMA on the alleged electoral fraud, the PCSO scandal, the Chinese sub rosa deals and other corruption issues. All these current events feed the conviction of the people that Pnoy is in earnest in his efforts to eradicate corruption. These will go on for a while with the ensuing House investigations, the pressing of charges, the court proceedings and with the help of a rambunctious media it will be kept alive; a definite gain for Pnoy. Hopefully, all these positives will make government projects and efforts so much easier to initiate and implement successfully. The prosecution of the wrongdoers would have achieved more than just the meting out of punishments but should help lessen in a big way the endemic corruption in the bureaucratic agencies of government.

The positive aura around Pnoy’s government will hold on for some time and optimistically up until such time his governance would reap concrete results in instituting change towards a less corrupt government and in ameliorating Filipino lives. Fly high Pnoy!

Pnoy's SONA

 

Soon Pnoy will deliver his SONA after a year in office. Don’t mistake this for GMA 7's Sojo’s SONA, a rude, disrespectful but clever way of attracting attention to her program, a ruse which media practitioners are often guilty of. Sojo may have unwittingly vandalized a traditional, important and anticipated report coming from no less than the highest post of the land. Although Sojo’s naming of her program came much earlier on, it does contribute to the more recent effort of some detractors to put down the president’s SONA as a trivial piece of prose.

Pnoy with all his weaknesses is still our best bet to start this country on the road to real change. He has no political savvy, no pretensions to intellectual brilliance, no outstanding physical traits and no awesome presence, but by god, he is honest and very resolute to see through his mission to stamp out corruption. He is up against the lords of corruption who have the shrewdest lawyers, the best image makers and most expert spin doctors that make up a formidable “dirty tricks department” all paid for by our money stolen from the government coffers. They have support coming from among the richest and most influential members of society and from the majority of elected government officials, who in one way or the other, benefits/ed from the munificence of the former dispensation and from the inherent but abused provenance derived from their power and position as elected officials. We least expect these people to help in instituting change in the existing system as change could be inimical to the prestige and privileges they are used to.  Pnoy needs help from the ranks of ordinary honest citizens who are sick and tired of the insidious situation the country is in but are clueless on how they can help and are inured by now by the futility of ever seeing change, thus, they have chosen to remain uninvolved.

The “dirty tricks” machinery of the dark side are feverishly at work designing subterfuges and disinformation media blitzes to undermine the SONA of P’noy.  The theme that they are focussed on is the non achievement of the first year of the presidency and P’noy’s lack of vision. Contrary to what Pnoy’s detractors say there have been numerous achievements but not of the media event variety. There have been modest but real achievements that perhaps are dull and boring, not enough for media to get enthusiastic about. The oppositors harp on P’noy’s undue emphasis on pinning down the miscreants of the former administration and bringing them to justice and giving less priority to the pressing needs such as poverty, hunger and other restaged perennial issues. He is being branded as vindictive and lacking in purpose, so unlike his mother, former president Cory, an elegant and forgiving lady. P’noy’s detractors have been taken aback by the uniqueness of his approach. In the past, a new president would be busy in the first year impressing his constituents by bursts of high profile activity to reinforce the rightness of their choice. Cosmetic jobs. These activities usually end up as unfinished businesses and much of the intended fruits of the labour remain unrealized because the oppositors have anticipated the predictable course of a president’s first year and have perfected a formula to trivialize whatever achievements that were done.

The eradication of corruption is the centerpiece of P’noy’s mission and from history we know that even the most well meaning president have been unsuccessful in the effort to stamp out these evil which has been with us ever since politics reared its obscene head in our midst. His approach is to ready the patch by weeding out the unwanted elements and cultivating the environment before he starts seeding and building. In his program it is important that trust of the people is regained. The running after those who have been guilty of graft is important to demonstrate to the people that there is justice in the land and that those criminals, whether high or low, are meted out their just deserts. The erring generals should not go scotfree from their crimes, corrupt bureau satraps who pilfer the till should be pursued to prosecution. No past sins are old enough to be let alone and condoned. False heroes need to be shamed and not given honours, ill gotten wealth must be recovered and ploughed back to the people as a redress to the damage inflicted by the coercive pillage of the robber barons. Corruption will pay the price of public condemnation and meted the harshest penalty possible while integrity and honesty in service will deserve accolade and fitting rewards. This approach cows the guilty and inspires the ordinary citizen. In the midterm it also gives confidence to investors and would be investors to bring in their money without fear of harassment from corrupt bureaucrats and of the uncertainty brought about by ambiguous and inconsistent business rules of conduct. Truthfulness and transparency in all three branches of government reigning supreme is the ultimate goal of Pnoy’s government. When this is achieved the social, the cultural and the spiritual regeneration of the Filipino will be off to a robust and optimistic start. It’s a long and narrow road, this “matuwid na daan”, snipers and ambushers of the forces of evil abound every step of the way. It will take a lot of heroic perseverance and unflagging stamina to stay the course. Pnoy should have all these strengths to put a stop to this tenacious continuum of evil that has bedevilled the Filipino for so long a time.

If Pnoy seems too engrossed in running after Gloria he is justified in doing so. Gloria is responsible for most of the mess we are in. The election fraud which stole the presidency from a rightful winner, the fertilizer scam which involved and tarnished some of her more sincere cabinet members are just some examples of treacherous and treasonous acts that deserve to be revisited. The recent incident of China’s bullying the rightful claimants of the islands in the South China Sea have reopened a forgotten bit of treachery by the past administration. There were earlier negotiations between the Philippines and China wherein PGMA gave a lot of concessions to China over the disputed territory which may have paved the way to subsequent sub rosa deals (ZTE deal and others). We can’t let Gloria off the hook if she was culpable to giving all sorts of unbridled concessions to the Chinese in the earlier agreements regarding the Spratlys. Presumably this was made possible with the collusion and abetting by the president’s subalterns. You just have to leave it to our politicians to have the wantonness to sell the patrimony of our nation for their own personal gain. This evil is perpetuated by the tolerant attitude we have on the wrong doings of our government officials. It is true that we react with the indignation of the spurned at the news of any new expose but it no sooner than dissipates into thin smoke. Will we ever get a satisfactory resolution of all the graft cases now in the courts? Not until a revamp of the judiciary and the justice system is successfully implemented. There are just too many rogues in robes and too many unscrupulous “experts” of the law that it becomes virtually impossible to prosecute criminals who have the money to delay the implementation of the law against them or in some cases, get exonerated despite their apparent guilt. Lawyers are aware that they only need time for the heat on their cases to simmer down then they can do their legal “sleight of hand” because the public’s attention has been diverted to new and more exciting scandals fanned by a partisan media who may be a witting or unwitting player in the conspiracy. Add to this the highly suspicious midnight appointments in the judiciary (among other positions) brazenly initiated by the exiting president. Time only will tell if the appointees will remain beholden to PGMA because of the appointment or possibly that they are partners in past crimes that a change of heart for the good will be next to impossible to expect from them.

I am not privy to what Pnoy will deliver during his SONA but if it lacks the lustre of finely crafted speech with long litanies of achievements just bear in mind that Pnoy has his own unique strategy to get to his goals. The idea is not to wow you with embellished achievements and grand promises. The initial stage of his presidency is to clean up the mess, weed out the undesirable elements and make ready, at later stages, the country for seeding and building.

Bishops’ Gambit Might Undo the Stalemate

All of the bishops in the PCSO scandal, with the exception of one, have proven that they have been true to their selfless service to their flock and did not, in anyway, took donations from PGMA for their own comfort and capricious enjoyment. Bishop Pueblos has apologized for his moment of weakness. That self effacing act from someone high up in the church hierarchy is truly noble and commendable although, it seems that even to this day his beholdenment to a particular benefactor still remains.  Only he, in his conscience, can make a judgment on its propriety or perhaps the views of his peers can help him resolve this personal matter.

Now the moving finger points and it has made stops at the tactlessness of Margie Juico of PCSO, the mischievous semantics of media to evolve a read-worthy story and even the incumbent president himself, P’noy who is now portrayed as a vindictive and villainous anti-church, pro RH Bill president. And having pointed, the finger left indelible stains on all that it has touched.

Margie Juico has denied vehemently her having uttered the word “Pajero” in reference to the vehicles that were donated to the bishops. She said that it might have been one of her staff who might have referred to the SUVs as Pajero, as a generic term for these sports vehicles and that this might have been picked up by media and came up with a clever turn of phrase “Pajero bishops” to embellish the story. If they were referred to as the “4X4” bishops or even a slightly naughty “pickup bishops” it would not have the same impact. “Pajero bishops” as a phrase insinuates a scandalous misconduct that will surely make ears perk up. When asked why they have decided to return the vehicles to the PCSO and adamantly refused the offer for them to keep them their reply was that it was “prophetic”. In a biblical sense, it could have meant a discernment that the present dispensation or the king is a false one and would be anathema to their beliefs.

The most palpable blow was on the President who is now being accused as having masterminded the accusations in retaliation against the bishops who have been waging a relentless war against the RH Bill that P’noy is championing. The bishops have played their hand well in the PCSO furor. Admitting to a fault of nondiscernment and being contrite and meek about it created an underdog stance which gained a lot of brownie points from the public at the expense of the President.

It is easy to agree with what the verbose lady senator proposed as to the allocation of the PCSO funds. PGMA have used PCSO fund as some sort of pork barrel but with indiscriminate distribution (but so is the pork barrel) favouring those that have been useful, those that might be useful, those that she hopes to win over to use for her own causes. While those lawfully vested with power are entitled to certain prerogatives, the exercise of these should be within specified bounds. The amounts disbursed by PGMA have been in scandalous proportions and obviously with reciprocal political agendas. The absence of guidelines on how the funds are to be dispensed makes it appear that these are favours coming from a personal largesse. PGMA may have had occasions when the sincerity of her charities where unassailable but they seemed to be more exception rather than the rule. This is why she now seems to have a reverse Midas effect on her beneficiaries.

I find it unfortunate to have P’noy knee deep into a mess that probably does not merit that much in the overall scheme of things. Command responsibility dictates that the onus is on his shoulders despite the fact that this may have, again, been an error in judgment by a subordinate from a poorly rated collection of clumsy, inept and lightweight staff. Time and again we said that one cannot organize a crew of the best and the brightest with little motivation. Honesty pays, but not  materially. Perhaps a little tolerance and understanding is needed to encourage a ragtag, motley group of good leaders with a fair amount of not so good ones. One now appreciates the plaint of P’noy that there are members of his staff that are pulling him down.

At this time, I’m probably one of the holdouts of a diminishing number of people who have placed their trust on the leadership of P’noy and on his platform anchored on the eradication of corruption. Thus far we have not heard of any new major corruption happening in this administration. Pot shots of petty thieveries, accusations that besmirch some members of his cabinet, lifestyle quirks, ineptness have been hurled at P’noy et al but all of them pale by comparison with the atrocious and brazen acts of plunder perpetrated by the former dispensation. An ongoing track of non-corruption does not sell newspapers, neither does it increase viewership of news programs and talk shows. This kind of news eventually gets relegated to the to a small mention as an aside from a bigger story or into the records of a police blotter if there are such things in media logs.

I don’t believe P’noy is anti church he is just pro RH Bill and he stands steadfast on this conviction. There is just a lot heritage in the Aquino family to belie the fact P’noy has gone on the left field with his religious convictions. If it were not for this unfortunate disagreement, P’noy and the Catholic Church would have gotten along famously because they are both stalwarts in the fight against the evil of corruption. I am impressed by the fact that he had the courage to stand foursquare in his convictions in the face of opposition coming from such a formidable and stolid monolith like the Catholic Church. P’noy is not your garden variety of politician who would have abandoned a cause he truly believes in. It may be political suicide but a man has to do what he’s got to do.

The kind of change that P’noy is working on is a heroic one or in management terms a BHAG (Big, Hairy and Audacious Goal). Ridding the system of a festering wound inflicted through the ages of corrupt colonizers, exploitative leaders and false exemplars would take time. At the moment much time has been devoted to the running after of the grafters of the previous administration. The successful prosecution of these evildoers is necessary to inculcate on our people, especially the young ones, that there is justice in our land, that crime does not pay, that the corrupt in society will have their comeuppance and that it is heroic to be honest, there is premium to doing what is right and that there is still hope that our culture, flawed as it is, is not beyond redemption.

To those who have placed their trust on P’noy at the outset, I urge you to please persevere a bit more and do not abandon the hope of the change, that P’noy rallied us at the start, is still possible. If we are not successful in ushering change then the future will be just a repetition of history or possibly worse.