Some forward from my email that's blogworthy.  This is from Sheila Coronel of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and she wrote it with an objective slant, hitherto hitting the root cause -- poverty, not ABS-CBN, must be blamed for all these.


Wowowee: A Filipino tragedy


Taken from INSIDE PCIJ: Stories behind our stories
By Sheila Coronel


WE are a nation accustomed to disaster. Whether the calamity is natural or manmade, it hardly seems to matter. We are as used to earthquakes and typhoons as we are to overloaded ferries sinking and badly constructed buildings collapsing. For sure, many of our disasters are world class. The sinking of the Doña Paz ferry in 1987, when some 4,000 died, is described as the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster. As many as 5,000 to 8,000 were believed to have perished in a flood that hit Ormoc, Leyte in 1991. Just over a year ago, some 1,500 people were buried in mudslides in Aurora and Quezon. The list is long and the numbers are just one indicator of how horrible these disasters were.

Tragedy struck again at the Ultra stadium in Pasig City today, when 73 people, many of them women and elderly, met their death in an early-morning stampede while lining up to be admitted to the first-anniversary celebration of the wildly popular TV game show, "Wowowee." Although the casualty count is far smaller, this disaster is as horrific and as senseless as any of those on the list above. What makes it particularly poignant is that the casualties were poor people lured to the stadium by the prospect of winning P1 million. The news reports (see here and here) have noted this, citing the desperation of poor Filipinos, some of whom have been lining outside the stadium for three days.

The responses so far have been predictable. President Arroyo ordered a probe and was seen visiting the victims in the hospital a few hours after the story broke. Government agencies were quick to respond and ABS-CBN, the network that produces the game show, mobilized all its resources, including some of its most high-profile talents like Kris Aquino, to respond to the tragedy.

The news cycle as far as disasters go is predictable: First the story breaks, followed by heartbreaking scenes from the disaster zone, an estimate of the casualty count and then reports on the government’s and citizens’ response. The next phase of the news cycle will likely be the blame-throwing, the attack and the defense. After about a week or 10 days, the story will likely slide out of top of the newscast and the front pages. The media will move on to the next headline-grabber and the tragedy will be recalled maybe a year after, on its first anniversary, or will merit a one-liner the next time a similar event occurs. Such is life. Such is news.

We have been here before. For sure, there are few things sadder than this: poor, old women being stomped to death while lining up for a chance to escape poverty. The pundits will probably make commentaries on how television, the profit-hungry peddler of dreams, can also be the purveyor of disaster.

But the greater tragedy is really the poverty and despair that haunt so many Filipinos every day, whether or not disaster strikes. Wowowee is only the latest in a series of poverty-induced disasters. Most of those who died in Ormoc, for example, lived on Isla Verde, a sliver of land by the Anilao river, in an area where the trees had been cut to make way for sugar plantations. These people shouldn’t be living on Isla Verde at all, but they were too poor to go anywhere else.

Many of those who perished in Aurora and Quezon were poor as well and lived on fragile, logged over slopes. In both these cases, a combination of unusually heavy rainfall in environmentally fragile areas made poor people victims of disasters of unusual scale.

But the underlying cause is that the poor are so bereft of options that they build their homes where there is land available, even if these places are unsafe. They risk their lives by squatting on shaky riverbanks and eroded slopes, under bridges and alongside railroad tracks because they have no choice. The poor board unsafe ferries, eat and sleep in fire hazards and take rickety trains that fall off the tracks because this is all they could afford. Is it any wonder that they will also line up for days in the rain and hot sun for a one-in-a-million chance to get out of the poverty trap?

The biggest tragedy of all is that it is only when something like Wowowee happens that we realize the depth of their despair.

Whatta thing.

For the outside world, it's the start of party time, meet-ups with friends, and personal stuff...whereas I'm slaving off time.

Even if I'm already USED -- take note USED with this work set-up -- I still can't avoid to feel envious with those people who have "normal" lives, since they get to enjoy the weekend with their families or even just by themselves.  Another, I don't get to really enjoy the weekend restdays -- it's apparently because I'm used with a regular Wednesday and Thursday for me.

Or maybe it's just me...ranting senselessly anew...

This thought alone makes me think of heading back to this place, as a nomad...

I hope I could be a citizen of The Beach.

ASTRO
Radioactive Sago Project

Para sa tunay na lalake
Para sa tunay na lalakeng hindi natatakot
Para sa tunay na lalakeng hindi natatakot tumalon sa bangin
Para sa tunay na lalakeng lumalangoy sa salamin

Suwabe at mabango
'Wag nang mag-atubili, bumili na kayo
Heto na ang totoo
Heto na ang totoo

Para sa tunay na lalakeng lumilipad at lumulutang
Para sa tunay na lalakeng nagsi-swimming sa kalawakan
Para sa tunay na lalakeng kumakanta at niroromansa ang buwan
Para sa tunay na lalakeng kumakain ng buwan

Suwabe at mabango
'Wag nang mag-atubili, bumili na kayo
Heto na ang totoo
Heto na ang totoo dahil...
Heto na, heto na ang...
Astro, Astro cigarettes
Astro, Astro cigarettes

Pagkatapos mong kumain, mag-yosi ka
Pagkatapos mong mag-yosi, matulog ka
Mahimbing ka, managinip ka
Mangarap ka...

All the more reasons why the right-minded people should CONTINUE pressing for the ouster of Arrovo Dorobo!

PRES. ARROYO'S PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION:  A RECIPE FOR DICTATORSHIP

Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares
Spokesperson, Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (CODAL)

Pres. Gloria Arroyo's proposed revision of the 1987 Constitution goes beyond the "seven points" mentioned by Speaker Jose de Venecia, as it substantially impacts on the political, economic, and human rights of the Filipino people. The "seven points" failed to mention that:

1. Pres. Gloria Arroyo will remain President, with more executive powers, until 2010 with or without the 2007 elections;
2. It takes away the safety mechanism that will check the Executive's powers to declare martial law or suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus; and
3. Its economic provisions go beyond the mere "easing of restrictions on foreign investments " as it grants aliens the right to own lands in the Philippines and exploit natural resources, both rights previously reserved to Filipinos under the 1987 Constitution. Worse, it opens to foreign ownership the operation of public utilities.

These "revisions" virtually overhaul substantial provisions that protect the peoples' economic and political rights under the current Constitution.

Firstly, it grants Pres. Gloria Arroyo greater powers until 2010 under Section 8, Article XVIII, to wit:

"Section 8. From the ratification of the foregoing Amendments to June 30, 2010, the incumbent President shall continue to exercise the same power a she has now , except those that she will delegate to the Prime Minister who shall serve as chief operating officer of the government, conformably with the Parliamentary system (emphasis supplied)."

Worse, she is granted the power to dissolve parliament under Section 6, Article VII of the proposed Constitution. With the power to dissolve Parliament, Pres. Arroyo has virtual control of the legislature, as even the opposition will be forced to tow her line or face the consequence of running for another expensive reelection if she dissolves Parliament. Pres. Arroyo practically controls the most important body in a parliamentary system: the Parliament. This proposed system would become the only parliamentary system in the world where the President is more powerful than the Prime Minister.

Secondly, the safety mechanisms under the 1987 Constitution were surreptitiously deleted in Section 12, Article VII-A of the Arroyo proposed Constitution, notably the following very important provisions:

[DELETED: Within forty-eight hours from the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the (President-Prime Minister) shall submit a report in person or in writing to (Congress-Parliament). (Congress-Parliament), by a vote of at least a majority of all its Members in regular or special session, may revoke such proclamation or suspension, which revocation shall not be set aside by the President and the Prime Minister. Upon the initiative of the (President-Prime Minister), (Congress-Parliament) may, in the same manner, extend such proclamation or suspension for a period to be determined by Parliament, if the invasion, rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it. (Congress-Parliament), if not in session, shall, within twenty-four hours following such proclamation or suspension, convene in accordance with its rules without need of call.]

[DELETED: The Supreme Court may review in an appropriate proceedings filed by any citizen, the FACTUAL BASIS OF THE PROCLAMATION OF MARTIAL LAW…. and must promulgate its decision within 30 days from its filing.]

[DELETED: The state of Martial Law DOES NOT SUSPEND THE OPERATION OF THE CONSTITUTION nor supplant the functioning of civil courts and legislative assemblies nor AUTHORIZE THE CONFERMENT OF JURISDICTION ON MILITARY COURTS…nor automatically suspend the privilege of the writ…]

[DELETED: The suspension of the …writ shall apply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion or offenses inherent in or directly connected to the invasion.]

[DELETED: During the suspension of the privilege of the writ, any person thus arrested or detained SHALL BE JUDICIALLY CHARGED WITHIN THREE DAYS, OTHERWISE HE SHALL BE RELEASED (emphasis supplied).]

This deletion makes Pres. Arroyo a very powerful President, considering that the Parliament and Supreme Court no longer have the authority to check her martial law powers. Due to our experience during martial law, when the Supreme Court used the political question doctrine to shirk from its duty to look into the arbitrariness of the martial law declaration, the 1987 Constitution expressly enshrined the power of the Court to look into the factual basis of martial law. The Arroyo Constitution eliminates this role and duty of the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the Arroyo Constitution added a new ground for the declaration of martial law and suspension of the writ— insurrection or the imminent danger thereof. Under this rule, EDSA 1 and 2 can be the basis for the declaration of martial law—as part of an insurrection. Considering Pres. Arroyo's penchant to call any criticism against her as " destabilization" and a threat to national security, she may in fact declare martial law the moment people power takes place. Worse, the "imminent danger" standard, which is much lower than the current jurisprudence on "clear and present danger", will make it easier for Pres. Arroyo to suspend the writ. With this rule in place, there will be no need for an anti-terrorism law, as the warrantless arrest of those considered the "enemies of the state" would be constitutionally enshrined.

With additional powers for the President under the Arroyo Constitution, Pres. Arroyo may declare martial and dissolve the parliament, a throw back to the martial law era when Pres. Marcos closed congress upon declaration of martial law—the only difference is, this act will now be constitutionally protected.

Thirdly, the Arroyo Constitution grants aliens the right to own lands in the Philippines, exploit our natural resources, and operate public utilities (as below)—rights previously reserved to Filipinos or Filipino-owned corporations under the 1987 Constitution.

1. Section 1, Article XII of the Arroyo Constitution expressly declared that "Parliament may provide by law ownership of RESIDENTIAL and INDUSTRIAL lands by foreigners in connection with their investment in the country under such conditions it may deem necessary for the protection of the Filipino people (emphasis supplied)."

   This insertion is totally new as it now opens ownership of prime lands to foreigners.

2. Section 2 of Article XII of the Arroyo Constitution provides:

   "The exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. The State may directly undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens [DELETED: OR CORPORATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS AT LEAST SIXTY PER CENTUM OF WHOSE CAPITAL IS OWNED BY SUCH CITIZENS] or with corporation or association domestic or foreign (new provision underlined)."

   This practically opens the utilization of natural resources such as mining, logging, and fishing to corporations fully owned by foreigners by deleting the provision limiting such to corporations at least 60% of which capital is Filipino-owned.

3. Section 11, Article XII of the Arroyo Constitution provides:

   "Section 11. No franchise, certificate or any other form of authorization for the operating of a public utility shall be granted except to citizens of the Philippines or corporations or associations organized under Philippine laws [DELETED: AT LEAST SIXTY PER CENTUM OF WHOSE CAPITAL IS OWNED BY SUCH CITIZENS] nor shall such franchise, certificate, authorization be exclusive in character or for a longer period than fifty years…(deleted provision capitalized)."

   Again, the 60-40 requirement is deleted paving the way for ownership by a corporation fully owned by aliens of public utilities such as those in electricity, water, and communication. It must be noted that Article XVII of the Arroyo Constitution restricting ownership of the mass media and advertising industries to Filipinos was also deleted.

It is therefore misleading for Pres. Arroyo and Speaker de Venecia to trivialize the impact of their proposed economic revisions as mere "easing up of restrictions" on foreign ownership. The opening of lands to foreigners will not only hit local businesses but also further open up the people to the vagaries of globalization.

Pres. Arroyo is deluding the Filipino people by withholding the fact that under her proposed Constitution, she remains in power until 2010, with more powers than she currently has through the grant of power to dissolve the Parliament and deletion of provisions that will check her martial law authority.

CODAL expresses concern over the move of the Constitutional Amendments Committee to put into agenda the Arroyo Constitution despite the fact that the Committee has already passed Committee Report 26 on Amendments to the 1987 Constitution and transmitted it to the Senate. This act, of considering an amendment to a bill or resolution already passed by the House on third reading, is unprecedented under the Rules of the House of Representatives. It also violates Section 26 (2) of Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, which declares that "upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed".

CODAL condemns this brazen attempt to attack the economic, civil, and political rights of the Filipino people through the complete revision of the 1987 Constitution, as nothing more than a recipe for dictatorship by a president whose mandate to stay in power is under question.

A friend and I decided to have lunch at this steakhouse named Steak Express and due to some sorta culinary curiosity, I decided to try their "new" product called Chocoflan (chocolate-flavored leche flan) for dessert.

Yeah, OK kung OK.  But the rest is history.

Nevah liked the taste.  Almost puked (as in -- sumuka) after   That product has no value of money at all, except that it's easy on the pocket (one serving is worth 18 bucks), and its only redeeming value is the syrup -- I must have though that it tasted as terrible as a chocolate bar na inaamag na sa tagal nang hindi nakain, or simply said, fermented chocolate.  End result?  A forgettable trip to the john.  But good thing afterward, I got back to my senses (sigh).

Amidst the LSS of Astro by the Radioactive Sago Project in my mind which was partly induced by that pathetic deseert, my friend and I vowed nevah to go back there again and instead go to the relished Sizzling Plate (mahal man but it's a good gastronomic delight when in this place).

That nasty culinary experience made me wanna run to the nearest music store in town and buy the album of the band Junior Kilat, Party Pipol Ur on Dub TV 12 (got fixated with the band and became more curious since staying tuned to PBB Celebrity Edition, in which its frontman Budoy Marabiles is one of its housemates).

Wowowee!

Horacio Paredes

Sa ibang bansa, lalo na sa Asya, kapag pumapalpak ang mga tao - sa gobyerno man o sa pribado, bumibitiw ang mga ito sa kanilang puwesto. Hindi na nila tatanungin kung mayroon ba silang naging pagkukulang. Hindi na nila hihintayin kung ano ang magiging resulta ng imbestigasyon. Sila'y kusang magbibitiw sa puwesto.

Bakit nila ginagawa ito? Tiyak naman kasi na nagkaroon sila ng pagkukulang, hindi ba? Halimbawa, sa nangyari sa anibersaryo ng programang "Wowowee" ng ABS-CBN kung saan napakarami ang namatay, bakit parang walang umaamin na nagkulang sila. Kung magaling ba ang kanilang ginawang plano at implementasyon ng plano nila, bakit magkakaroon ng kapalpakan? Bakit mayroong kailangang mamatay? Ganoon ba ang kanilang plano, na mayroong halos isang daan ang mamamatay at 600 ang mga sugatan? Kung hindi ganito ang kanilang plinano, tapos iba ang naging resulta, hindi ba't tiyak na mali ang kanilang plinano at mali rin ang kanilang implementasyon. Wala nang iba pang maaaring rason.

Nagkamali sila. Period. Bakit marami pang nirarason ang mga taong binigyan ng tungkuling ayusin ang lugar at ang mga manonood?

Kulang ang kanilang preparasyon. Nagrarason pa ang ilan na taga-ABS-CBN na ang kanilang mga guwardiya ay nasa 200. Kaya, 'ika nila, kahit na 25,000 ang audience, sapat na ang ganoon karaming guwardiya. Tama naman. Ngunit ito ay "in theory" lamang at, hindi ba maliwanag naman na, sa nangyari, kulang ang mga hinanda nilang mga alituntunin. Kulang at mali ang kanilang mga paghahanda. Hindi na dapat pang pag-awayan iyan. May plano ka nga ngunit, dahil sa hindi ito umubra at pumalpak kayo e, di ba maliwanag na mali ang inyong plinano?

Kung sa ibang bansa sa Asya ay mayroong nagbibitiw kung sila'y nagkakamali, dito sa atin, ang laro ay ang kakapalan ng mukha. Walang aamin na sila'y nagkamali!

* * *

Mayroong nagtanong noong press conference ng ABS-CBN. Ang tanong ay ganito: Why do you present programs which encourage and promote mendicancy? Bakit daw mayroong mga programa na ang tinutulak ay ang pagiging pulubi na aasa lamang sa ABS-CBN para sa mga biyaya ng mundo na baka sakaling ipabiyaya sa kanila ng ABS-CBN?

Hindi ba dapat sana na ang labanan ng mga estasyon ng TV at radyo ay ang pagalingan ng mga talent o kaya'y pagalingan sa laman ng mga programa? Sa ngayon, sa mga programang kagaya ng "Wowowee," para na nilang sinusuhulan ang mga audience upang sumuporta sa kanilang mga programa.

Sa katotohanan lamang, halos wala na tayong mahanap sa ating mga pihitan na mga programang may katuturan o kaya'y nagpapasaya ng ating mga buhay.

Parang ang lahat na lamang ay pera na ang nagiging batayan kung alin sa mga programa ang dudumugin ng audience.

Kung naghahanap tayo ng rason kung bakit parang wala na ang mga tinatawag na mga Filipino values, marahil mga programang ganito na kuwarta at premyo ang rason kung bakit dumadalo sa programa ang audience, ang mga programang kagaya ng "Wowowee" ang dapat nating sisihin.

Dahil sa mga programang ganito, natututo ang mga Pilipino na maging mukhang kuwarta at makipag-agawan ng mga gamit sa kapwa Pilipino.

Pinapapangit ng mga ganitong programa ang mundo nating mga Pinoy.

This moron in showbusiness by the name of Joey "Badinger Z" De Leon is really of no use.  He is more useless than the most "useful idiot" that I know of.  Except that his only use is when he appears in the parody show Wow, Maling-Mali where he shows no bias.

But apart from that...he's no longer amusing.

According to my friends -- as well as most eyewitness accounts posted in blog posts and forums -- this soulless being, known mostly for fanning the so-called "Network Wars" for his very vile and vicious statements against his former employer ABS-CBN and its management and personalities, further dug his hole in hell last Saturday on Eat Bulaga.  Just to further destroy Wowowee and add salt to the wounds inflicted by the Ultra accident, he said something like "Dito na lang kayo sa amin!  Dito mga buhay!  Sa kabila..." and he made the shit-throat gesture in front of the audience.  Imagine saying and doing that in front of a nation which was just jolted by this tragedy...

What else is new with this moron?  I've known countless incidents concerning how this shithead would not exercise restraint whenever he attacks his ex-employer and its people, and it's as if he's doing it to make himself and his current employer, GMA-7 (which has been very, very shrewd in the ratings game) look good, and his new caper is just the latest.

Because of this, he has just worsened the flame which is brought about by the "Network Wars" which became uber-worse due to the Wowowee accident.  Nanggatong pa nga.  Ni hindi man lang iginalang ang pagdadalamhati para sa mga namatay.

I know some fans of Joey De Leon should be reading this, and I'd really appreciate if this reaches to him directly.

Joey "Badinger Z" De Leon, Fuck You.  Gago ka.  May you burn in hell.  I'm praying for your speedy death you you can meet face-to-face with your master down under.

The Official Celebrity Pinoy Big Brother Website
Bahay ni Big Brother Blog
ABS-CBN Forums PBB Celebrity Edition Sub-Forum
PinoyExchange.com PBB Celebrity Edition Thread

Got quite pissed after watching Si Kuya, Kabarkada Mo! on Studio 23...more of intros the second time around for the HMs, while I was already anticipating more about the first day action for the HMs as well as the video feed and stories on their first activity which has something to do with refurbishing the Big Brother House's swimming pool.  I should just anticipate the action in these threads (courtesy of the live 24/7 feed, but I don't think it's available in our area, and if ever it's available, I won't even part my PhP1,500 just for that since it'll last for only 57 days and I ain't home most of the time), or just by listening to the ABS-CBN audio feed through my pocket radio (thank God I can listen to it while at work, to cover up a very boring shift).

But I don't find the new theme song by Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga cool.  Even if I still think that Pinoy Ako by Orange and Lemons is but a poor copy and a ripoff of a Fleetwood Mac song (which title I don't even remember), it's still better compared to the current theme.  Masyado kasing pilipit si Sam, walang karapatng kumanta.

Ain't I that evil?  Peace out, Sam fans peeping my blog!

Tonight, the new season of Pinoy Big Brother has unfolded on the boob tube.  It's titled Pinoy Big Brother (Celebrity Edition) because this will feature people not just with different backgrounds, but

And here is the Magic 14, the new batch of celebrity housemates...

Rudy Fernandez (Iron Man of Asia), amputee triathlete
Bianca Gonzales (Y Speaker of the House), TV talk show host
Angela Calina (Wildflower ng Cebu), news and current affairs personality
John Prats (Dance Floor Dynamite), Ang TV alum and entertainer
Rico Robles (Heartthrob DJ), RX 93.1 disc jock
Roxanne Barcelo (Ang Divang Kolehiyala), singer and TV personality [formerly identified with GMA-7]
Christian Vasquez (Hunk Daddy), TV personality last seen in the series Sugo
Budoy Marabiles (M-16 ng Samar), frontman of the reggae band Junior Kilat
Mich Dulce (La Fashionista), avant-garde fashion designer
Zanjoe Marudo (Coverboy ng Batangas), fashion model
Gretchen Malalad (Karate Chick), athlete and Sea Games karate gold medalist
Aleck Bovick (Bombshell in Distress), sexy actress
Rustom Padilla (Prodigal Son of Showbiz), actor rumored to be gay
Keana Reeves (Kilabot ng Senado), sexy actress

This is one helluva season that I'm going to really watch out (unlike Season 1), as this is uber-exciting -- patayan ng mga sikat! :D

Abangan!!!