ANL November-December 2012 Issue

          [Belatedly published for reasons seen at bottom of this issue] 

                                                                                  

E D I T O R I A L

Rundown of 2012’s last two months

Our commitment to “write to serve” compels us to leave no space in covering the whole year and dish out to our valued readers relevant and timely articles for their consumption and perusal. Hence this issue to fill up the two-month period November-December 2012.

The last two-month period of 2012 was rather “catastrophic”. Here at the home front, “political catastrophe” spilled all over the land soon after the October 5 filing of certificates of candidacies of politicians running for positions in the country’s May 2012 mid-term elections. It sickens to see traditional politicians wagging their tongues and tails realigning forces, switching parties ala political butterflies [“balimbing”], expanding and strengthening family-based political dynasties in the tradition of the 3-G’s [gold-guns-goons].

 

In the United States, Barack Obama was put to an acid test November 6, 2012, barely winning his second term against challenger Mitt Romney. Tragically though, Obama’s reelection euphoria failed to buoy up the economic downslide of his country even as the US is still reeling on its knees from hurricane Sandy’s battering late September.

In the middle east, Syria is tottering into the brink of collapse as rebels are gaining grounds in their battle to oust a corrupt and dictator-president. Still in the “traditionally hot” region, US-backed Israeli military artillery units and combat planes bombarded for days mid-November the Palestinian and Hamas populated Gaza strip in an overkill retaliation to sporadic light artillery attacks by dissidents from the other side of the “ethno-religious fence”. This recent flare up of a prolonged and lopsided war of attrition rendered some 32, 750 injured or wounded civilians, 161 dead including 71 women and children. Wide areas were leveled off to the ground of their homes, offices and other important buildings.

In other hot spots--in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia--US unmanned planes called “drones” continue bombing so-called Al Queda targets incurring more and more civilian victim-fatalities at a time. No thanks to hi-tech and inhumane warfare. Lest we forget, the US abhors both North Korea’s and Iran’s  quests at developing nuclear armaments. But the atomic bomber of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continues to stockpile and tests nuclear arms until now at its Nevada site      as recently as the first week of December 2012.

In and around Southeast Asia, China continue escalating its bullying tactics against its smaller neighbors including the Philippines and five other claimants by audaciously claiming the entire South China Sea and all the islands thereat solely as its own  which  the bully have not  pronounced so at any point in the past. New printed passports issued to its citizens were designed with a map that includes the totality of the contested area indicating ownership of the same. A separate but similar island ownership dispute with Japan is heating up towards yearend with China displaying equally undeterred arrogance.

Back home in the Philippines—aside from the seething cauldron of dirty and costly politicking—yearend 2012 saw a “double whammy” for the country. The country’s pride and legendary boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao lost via a rare crashing knockout December 9 to a much older [and supposedly weaker] Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in what was seen as a monumental upset as the former holds a Guinness record of eight title-belts all at one time. Pacman was 33 and Marquez 39 during the fight.

But even more tragic to end the year was a “repeat performance” for southern Philippines in suffering a killer cyclone named “Sendong”  in December 2011 that harrowed down northern Mindanao; and then a more terror one named storm “Pablo”  struck December 2012 on the eastern board.  Devastatingly record-high, “Pablo”  victimized over 2,000 dead or missing;  over 10,00 injured;  and tens of thousands rendered homeless and hungry. Damages to crops and properties were estimated to reach a whooping five billion US dollars.

Priceless damages can be seen around like floating and rolling logs from illegally cut trees; damaged mountainsides scraped by surface runoff, erosion and landslides; and the resultant siltation of water bodies and croplands downstream; the dislocation, illnesses, and the eventual slide to deeper poverty that come with every calamity that roars by. Quite a downside, too, is the glaring fact that not quite a few learns quite fast in the midst of repeated disasters.  editorial board . anl . nov-dec’12  

[ REJOINDER:  Why this belated ANL November-December 2012 Issue?  1. Third week October when the Editor-In-Chief of ANL got sick while visiting his small farm in Pangasinan.   2.Incidentally,  the Photo/Lay-out Artist got stuck with both field and office tasks during the last quarter of the year as Administrative and Finance Officer of a health service NGO [non-government organization] that she is serving.  3. Indeed, there we felt an apparent difficulty coming out for a monthly issue due to reasons of manpower and personal job pressures. Manpower as when the EIC is out, no one takes over the task.  4. As such, ANL shall be coming out bimonthly [once in every two months] beginning year 2013.  5. Committed to “write-to-serve”, we are dishing out this editorialized rundown for the last two months of 2012 as the year’s last issue].

E  d  i  t  o  r  i  a  l     B  o  a  r  d

MEMBERS:  Rudy D. Antonio [Canada Correspondent];  Engr. Silver Casilla  &  RN Merly Grospe-Mayo [U.S. Correspondents];  Ronilo R. Corpuz [Vienna Correspondent];  Fely Dumaguing-Malgapo [Milan Correspondent];  Engr. Joe  L. Sevilla [Asingan Correspondent];  Col. Lalin Layos-Pascual;  Ross C. Diaz;  Engr. Lorie  dG.  Estrada;  CPA Rod A. Layco;  Wena Agaton-Balino [Photo & Lay-out Artist];  Ruben “Bencio” Balino [ Editor-In-Chief].

ANL October 2012 Issue [Belatedly published for reasons seen @ bottom of this issue]

E  D  I  T  O  R  I  A  L

P-Noy imposes “cyber martial law”  in Phl!

The past month September commemorated in pain the 40^th year of martial law’s declaration in the country. October 3, 2012 goes down in history as when a certain Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III invaded our  rights and privacy by imposing “cyber martial law” in the Philippines. Aquino III shall likewise go down the gutter of world history to be the first ever to invade and blacken cyberspace by way of a treacherous, vague and unconstitutional law, R.A.10175.

The chain-smoking landlord-comprador and aging bachelor-President of this martial law-prone, impeachment-laden and graft and corruption-ridden country might not even have carefully studied the Cybercrime Prevention Bill before signing it into law since it was done hastily and treacherously without the benefit of public hearing as required.

The Aquino government’s ulterior motive is puzzling as it  is moronic. Aquino’s father Ninoy is foremost in the list of 200 personalities wanted by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ war machine upon the imposition of martial law. Four decades since Ninoy’s arrest and incarceration, and 29 years since he was murdered by Marcos’ agents, here’s the son President Noynoy reliving the martial law tactics of his family’s tormentor.

The Cybercrime Prevention Act, or Republic Act 10175, was signed into law by P-Noy September 12 and implemented unceremoniously early this month purportedly to combat online pornography and punish “irresponsible users” of the internet as pointed out by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda who seems to imply that most Filipinos were evil and him and his ilk in the palace were the only benign creatures on this planet. The same tongue-lashing Lacierda faulted “tweeter-innocent”  poor urban dwellers for not monitoring on tweeter the flooding spawned by the August 5-9  monsoon rains, or “habagat”. “People’s rights are not absolute,” he grimly retorts as if he was Marcos growling with his martial rule.

While the 47-member United Nations’ Human Rights Council in full consensus declared  July this year that internet freedom is a basic human right—even passing a resolution penalizing governments erring in this regard—the Philippine government doggedly pushed through with an antiquated concept of a law that is both regressive and suppressive.

Regressive in that government desperately resurrects libel as a tool to suppress dissent. “Libel has been decriminalized in other civilized jurisdictions. Our legislature, instead, throws us back to the dark ages by imposing a higher penalty for libel. In effect, the advance in communication technology is being treated not as a boon but as a bane,” wrote Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas in his column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer in apparent disdain of R.A.10175. Father Bernas is an internationally renowned constitutionalist, former Dean of the Ateneo College of Law,  and one of the framers of the 1987 Philippine constitution.

Suppressive in that “e-martial law”  is a throwback to martial rule. “As can easily be seen, R.A.10175 deals not only with the most delicate rights of freedom of expression, freedom of communication, and the privacy of communication but also with the sacred right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against government intrusion. These rights suffered during the period of martial rule,”  stressed Father Bernas.

In order to educate ourselves on the Cybercrime Prevention Law, we advise the public to carefully read and understand the following repressive provisions of R.A.10175, to wit: Sections 4 [c]; 6; 7; and19 which are all vague, broad and frightening. An educated and enlightened public is less vulnerable to fear and submission.  editorial board  

N  E  W  S  L  I  N  E

a.  Lady-bigwigs in Asingan politics in faceoff May 2013

       By:  Engr. Joe L. Sevilla . ANL Asingan Correspondent

In Philippine politics, goes a saying: “There’s no permanent friends, only permanent  interests…” In the case of Asingan town in eastern Pangasinan, things are going to be more curious and interesting, to say the least. Two top lady politicians of the town will square it off in the May 2013 midterm elections for the mayoralty position.

Friends and allies—at least during their maiden year in office—Mayor Heidee Ganigan-Chua will have a faceoff with her Vice-Mayor Eleanor Villanueva-Viray in the coming May 2013 elections for the municipality’s top executive position. Reportedly, a rift between them  somehow developed along the way and soured a rather cordial relations the two gentle ladies used to have.

It was now a public knowledge that midway on their term of office, Mayor Chua allegedly ordered the installation of a CCTV camera at the Vice-Mayor’s office to the consternation of the latter. For whatever reason(s), the voters wouldn’t exactly know. Still, some see this incident as contempt on the part of the chief executive against her deputy. This unfortunate incident apparently snapped it all.

At the rate political developments are going around town, speculations show that it will be a tight contest between the two camps as Mayor Chua’s perceived biggest “padrino”  had recently passed away. Others say though that it will be “deeper bench” [people and machinery] versus “deeper pocket” [cash and the likes] this time around. Lucky for the one who have both.  At any rate, let’s give them a chance to present a “deeper platform” appreciable enough in the hearts and minds of the local electorate, the Asinganians. Otherwise, a third party-slate led by Benny Robeniol may steal the scene.

For the moment, Asingan NewsLine was able to secure only the list of Team Viray with a corresponding picture of the aspiring candidates for local positions, as follows:  

 

L > R::: For Councilors:> Artemio Romero “Totoy” Gonzales; Peter Macaraeg; Atty. Roseller Agunias “Bong” Viray.  For Vice-Mayor:> Carlos Franada “Luis” Lopez Jr..  For Mayor:> Eleanor “Ely” Villanueva-Viray.  Also for Councilors:> Mary Espedido; Dolores “Dolly” Tabin;  Dr. Jesus Guzon “Jessie” Cardinez;  David Matudio “Jhunior” Santilla Jr.

b.  R.A.10175 TRO’ed!

Apparently shaken by public backlash on its constitutionality and tinge of martial rule, the Philippine Supreme Court sitting en banc ruled Tuesday, October 9, in favor of a Temporary Restraining Order holding for 120 days the implementation of the Cybercrime Prevention Law, or Republic Act 10175.  Thus the oral arguments on the  case will be held January 15 next year.

A total of 15 petitioner individuals and groups slammed the law with its ambiguities and repressive provisions. Himself a senator but who vehemently objected signing R.A. 10175,  Sen. Teofisto  Guingona III fired the first salvo by filing Thursday, September 27, a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to declare said law null and void citing constitutional grounds with its repressive nature virtually declaring  “cyber martial law”.

Section 4 [c] criminalizes libel which is already passé in the more advanced nation-states. “While ther e must be some accountability on the use of the Internet, liability should be civil, not criminal,”  asserts another solon, Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano.  While the Revised Penal Code provides a 4-year maximum imprisonment as penalty for crimes committed through the use of information and communications, Section 6 of R.A. 10175 raises it to a harsh 12 years, or eight [8] years longer to languish in jail.

Section 7 provides that apart from prosecution under R.A.10175, same person charged may still be sued for other violations of the Revised Penal Code and other special laws. This provision is too vague and tantamount to double jeopardy which is unconstitutional, insist the petitioners. Section 19 makes the Department of Justice a “virtual court”  by giving it “unbridled authority” to restrict or block a computer user to access data on the internet based merely on “prima facie”  evidence. “This a blatant violation of a person’s right against unreasonable searches and seizures,”  rues Senator Guingona.

“This repressive law should not only be TRO’ed, it must be torpedoed!” cracks an NGO worker-protester.  ruben “bencio” balino . anloct2012   

P  U  N  C  H  L  I  N  E

Commentary:  “Sad notes.., only in the Philippines!”

Just when year 2012 is wearing out, so did  some “disturbing notes” trickling in.  Ponder on this one:

Philippines one of the saddest countries in the world, study shows; also has the highest incidence of depression in Southeast Asia, according to DOH.

It's more fun in the Philippines? A recent study suggests otherwise, at least for people who have to live there.

The country used to be known as one of the happiest in the world, but the 2012 World Happiness Report put the country among the least happy, or 103rd out of 155 surveyed countries worldwide. The report was published by Columbia University's Earth Institute.

The rankings were based on a "life evaluation score," which takes into account a range of factors, including health, education, political freedom, and quality of relationships.

Depression

What is even more depressing is that the country also has the highest incidence of depression in Southeast Asia, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

DOH Assistant Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said in a press briefing in Iloilo that, according to a Philippine study, only one-third of depressed people would try to seek professional help.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines depression as a "common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration." It could be recurrent, and lead to "substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities." At worst, depression could lead to suicide.

Ubial also said that the government needs to develop campaigns to increase awareness of suicidal behaviors in the community.

"The families and friends of people suffering from depression are equally important and they need to know and understand the illness to enable them to respond and provide constructive support to their love ones during the difficult times," she said.

National Center for Mental Health psychiatrist Dr. Venus Serra Arain said a study on suicides in the Philippines showed that suicides were only “held in risk areas like the National Capital Region, Cavite and Rizal."

WHO said in a statement that depression can be worsen by "circumstances such as economic pressures, unemployment, disasters, and conflict can also increase the risk of the disorder."  anl . oct2012

F  E  A  T  U  R  E 

Where have all the classmates gone?

Exactly 15 months to run before RA Class ’68 will be holding its next grand reunion-homecoming comes 16^th December 2013. God-willing, it shall be the second  of such occasion in 45 long years.  Interestingly, it will be its Sapphire Anniversary celebrations.

The first one ever in 43 years was held April 2011 at beloved hometown Asingan, a landmark gathering of schoolmates from renown educational institution—the Rizal Academy—our most beloved Alma Mater that molded us into good citizens; then into good family men and women that we are now. It was a joyful gathering of batchmates from various class sections who nonetheless are bosom friends that shared golden moments of their youth in the same classrooms and in one school ground for years.

Around 60 class members including 12 from abroad and some guests attended and participated in the four-day affair punctuated by a day-long parade and program; the official formation of the Rizal Academy Class ’68 Alumni Association and the election of its officers; a provincial tour; and the holding of two medical-dental missions at the town proper and in Carosucan Norte.

It was a monumental gathering of classmates who where estranged by time and circumstances in life. Most of whom were successful, yet some fell behind and never left their modest backyards. Saddening most of all, not a few left  but for the afterlife never to join us anymore in one momentous reunion.

Welcome home, dear classmates! Can’t wait hugging one and all!  ross “ticong” diaz . anloct2012

L  I  T  E  R  A  R  Y

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the cyberspace, titled: “Cranky Old Man”.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man , . . . . . . not very wise,
Uncertain of habit . . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food . . . . . . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . ‘I do wish you'd  try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse. . . you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . . . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . . . with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . . . . . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . . my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . . . With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons . . . have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. . . Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . . . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . . . and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. . . . grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . . . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . . . gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . . . . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . . . see . . . . . . . . . ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

  

[ REJOINDER:  Why this belated ANL October 2012 Issue?  1. Third week of the month when the Editor-In-Chief of ANL got sick while visiting his small farm in Pangasinan.   2. Incidentally,  the Photo/Lay-out Artist got stuck with both field and office tasks during the last quarter of the year as Administrative and Finance Officer of a health service NGO [non-government organization] that she is serving.  3. Indeed, there we felt an apparent difficulty coming out for a monthly issue due to reasons of manpower and personal job pressures. Manpower as when the EIC is out, no one takes over the task.  4. As such, ANL shall be coming out bimonthly [once in every two months] beginning year 2013.  5. Committed to “write-to-serve”, we shall be dishing out an editorialized rundown for the last two months (Nov-Dec) of 2012 as the year’s last issue.].

E  d  i  t  o  r  i  a  l     B  o  a  r  d MEMBERS:  Rudy D. Antonio [Canada Correspondent];  Engr. Silver Casilla  &  RN Merly Grospe-Mayo [U.S. Correspondents];  Ronilo R. Corpuz [Vienna Correspondent];  Fely Dumaguing-Malgapo [Milan Correspondent];  Engr. Joe  L. Sevilla [Asingan Correspondent];  Col. Lalin Layos-Pascual;  Ross C. Diaz;  Engr. Lorie  dG.  Estrada;  CPA Rod A. Layco;  Wena Agaton-Balino [Photo & Lay-out Artist];  Ruben “Bencio” Balino [ Editor-In-Chief].