Yesterday was another unfortunate day for my country. A small group of heterodox individuals again seized control of a posh luxury hotel in Makati, Metro Manila in an attempt to gather support for their own personal cause of overturning the current government administration. Senator Trillanes once again was the caput of this movement against President Arroyo as he once did on the year 2003. A similar result turned out as Senator Trillanes and his cohorts were arrested after less than twenty four (24) hours of rebellion. Though this time I think that this was worse than the first revolt because of the following:

1. Mr. Trillanes is now an elected Senator. If he truly believes in his cause, he should have done a more conscientious, honorable and legal steps in reaching out to Filipinos whatever he wants to say.

2. Walking out of a court room during a hearing is unbecoming of a Senator.

3. The military police who escorted Senator Trillanes the whole time he was in the courtroom until he walked out and stormed into the Manila Peninsula were made to look like co-conspirator because of their actions (or should I say their lack of actions) during this inauspicious event.

4. During the first insurrection in Oakwood Hotel, it was obvious that only military men were involved. This time even the former vice president of the republic, the members of the Catholic church and some other attention-hungry individuals were there to show their support to Senator Trillanes' another failed attempt to overthrow President Arroyo.

5. The country's economy is doing better this time than during the first uprising and this kind of action by malcontents is not only hurting the efforts of the current government administration but also adding obstacles along the way for both private and public enterprises to hurdle for them to directly help to the economic push.

6. IMHO, members of the Catholic Church or any other sect should not be associating themselves with any political, military and social controversies. This running priest (what the hell is a running priest anyway?!!!) and the two bishops who were supporting the call to ouster the President should be removed from the Catholic Church list of priests and bishops. Crap! Misa De Gallo is almost here and this so called servant of God were busy engaging in politics/revolt instead of preparing for the upcoming holiday events. They should concentrate more on their job than affiancing themselves with politics.

7. Filipinos are once again the topic of conversations, centerpiece of criticism and subject of jokes around the world because of this very untoward incident.

Through all of these, the Filipinos were the true losers just because of selfish acts of a few individuals. Why do we keep kicking and punching ourselves down? We are at the bottom now, there's no other way but to go up. Let's just help each other. Stop whining and start working for our families. Yes, our families. If you are disgusted by the ways of our government then just concentrate your efforts towards the improvement of your family's life. Remove all the bad buffs in your head. Magtrabaho ka. Magsikap ka. Ang kahirapan ay malalampasan mag-sipag ka lamang.

Valid hopes have been raised by our national leadership. But despair continues to fester among our people.

Yes, there is payback for some, but the multitude remains left out, disconnected from the nominal accomplishments enumerated by the President.

Noong Lunes, napakinggan natin ang SONA. Ngayon naman aking hinahandog po sa inyo ang "SANA"… sana mangyari na sa ating bansa. O kung ayaw niyo ang SANA, siguro ang SOPA – State of the Palengke Address.

Ang agenda ng Pangulo at ng pamunuhan ay dapat hindi lumayo sa agenda ng palengke.

Ang huntahan sa kanto, sa sari-sari store, sa karinderya, sa bawat tahanan ay dapat dalhin sa pambansang entablado kung saan malayang makakalahok at mapapakinggan ang hinagpis, ang pangarap at panukala ng bawat Pilipino.

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Again eto na naman ang isang halimbawa ng pagrurunung-runungan ng isang politico... Palagi na lang pagtuligsa sa gobyerno at sa mga programa nito... Hindi kaya mas mabuti (lalo na sa isang Elected official) na imbes na patuloy tayo mag ubos ng oras kakahanap ng butas at pagkakamali eh ibaling natin ang ating atensyon sa pakikiramay sa pagsulong ng ating bansa. Hayaan na natin sa mga mahilig mag-rally sa kalye ang pag-"tira" or pag-"banat" sa pamunuan. Masyadong marami na ang kumokontra. Magsimula tayong kumilos. Ika nga ng mga kabataan sa ngayon we should walk the talk. 

Para sa akin ang SONA ay isang daan para hindi lamang ipaalam sa bansa ang kalagayan ng bansa. Ito ay isang mabisang paraan rin upang pataasin ang morale ng sambayanan. Oo maaaring may mga nakalimutang puntos na dapat nasabi sa SONA, lalo na sa negatibong isyu. Bakit hindi natin hayaan na mas maraming positibong usapin ang mangibabaw. Besides, sa hirap ng buhay ngayon hindi na natin kailangan i-remind pa ang sarili natin na mataas ang rate ng extra-judicial killings, na marami pa rin pamilya ang hindi nakakakain ng tatlong bese isang araw at marami pa rin namamalimos na bata sa kalye. Ang kailangan natin ay morale boost. Something positive. Makapagbigay man lang ng kahit katiting na pag-asa sa ating mga kababayan.

Tama na ang pagmamarunong. Oo nga meron tayong laya sa pananalita at opinyon. Pero sana isipin natin ang maaaring maging outcome ng ating mga pinagsasabi. Our words might cause further divisions among the Filipinos in an already dissevered country. Ngayon pa na unti-unti ng naaaninag ang pag-asa ng bukas, bakit pa tayo mag-aaklas. Magkaisa na lang. Sumuporta. Magtrabaho. Iwasan ang sisihan. Punan ang kahinaan kung saan mayroon. Itama ang mali sa pamamagitan ng aksyon at hindi ng bayolenteng reaksyon. Iwasan ang sobrang diskusyon at debate. Minsan mas mabuti ang hatid ng sipag at tyaga kaysa sa pagiging "super-pilosopo". Mayroong mapupulot na aral ang ating mga senior officials sa mga kabataan... We must walk our talk. Not just talk and talk. Aim high. Expand your horizon. Don't just limit ourselves to what we think we see. See through the walls of limitations. Listen, don't just hear. Think outside the box. Act as one. Succeed as one.

Isa pa. Iwasan sana ang pagkukumpara ng bansa natin sa isang palengke! We should be proud of our country and compare it not to any enterprise not worth comparing to. We should be PROUD (CITIZENS) not LOUD.

The 1973 Constitution as amended

In Philippine Law Gazette, Vol. 9, No.5, November 1986. Special Issue. Manila: V.B. Foz. Appendix A, Pp. 76-108.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The 1973 Constitution as amended, consists of a preamble and 17 articles, contains three essential parts: Part I) constitution on liberty in Articles II, III, IV, and VI; Part 2) constitution on government, which contains provisions on the organization and powers of the government (Arts. VII to XII); and Part 3) the constitution on sovereignty, which enumerates the manner by which changes in the constitution may be instituted (Art. XVI). The Constitution provides for a [seemingly] parliamentary form of government, where the President is the symbolic head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government. The Prime Minister, who is nominated by the President, acts as head of the Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the Batasang Pambansa. It also provides for the establishment of the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Elections, and the Commission on Audit.

   Written by Jack Victor M. Nera; Edited by Grace Estela C. Mateo, Ph. D.

NOTES: On 22 September 1976, President Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1033 which proposed certain amendments to the 1973 Constitution. These proposals were later ratified and included in the 1973 Constitution. The amendments provide for the replacement of the National Assembly with the Batasang Pambansa; it also states that the incumbent President of the Philippines shall be the Prime Minister, and shall continue to exercise both executive and legislative powers until Martial Law is lifted.

With the adoption of the 1981 Constitutional amendments on 7 April 1981, the President was restored from a symbolic head of state to its original status as the head of state and chief executive of the country. The amended Constitution also grants the President several powers and functions which were originally vested in the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The 1984 constitutional amendments were the last to be adopted in the Constitution before the February 22-25 EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986, and the subsequent adoption of the 1986 “Freedom Constitution.”

Preamble

Ipagpatuloy ang pagbabasa...

State of the Nation Address 2007

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Pi Omicron Fraternity Supports Sen. Manny Villar!

"Sipag at Tiyaga! D'yan tayo aasenso!"

Push Onward!