Issue#17

Maja Salvador: New girl on the block VOL. I

OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

NO. 19

Privileged Spits:

Pacquiao vs Cotto

Officials in weird P3-billion pig loan promoted

Unionism is dying

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Dream vs Respect Page 8

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P’sinan mayor played 2 days in Casino losing P10 M as ‘Pepeng’ battered town

HELL MAYOR! By ROMIE A. EVANGELISTA

A MAYOR who abandoned his town in Pangasinan in favor of playing—and losing P10 million—for two days at the casino in front of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport must go to hell. Where in the hell did he get that big amount of money—P10 million—while his salary as mayor is only about P30,000 a month? The closest answer may be: it came from the protection money given by allowing daily jueteng operations in his town. While the people may have no right to kick his ass for it might be his personal money, this mayor should be there in his town when typhoon “Pepeng” was battering his town in Pangasinan for two days. Instead of giving away P10 million to the casino where nobody can win, he could have used the money to buy votes legally, although prematurely: to buy boats and food to be distributed to his own constituents.

The town of this mayor is one of those that were submerged by the raging flood that rose beyond neck-level due to the waters spilled out by San Roque Dam, and converted two of three parts of the province into a sea of brown water. This mayor is too close to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose mother Eva hails from Pangasinan. This author exposed this story in his column at Remate Tonight, a national daily. This author knew this story from a player who requested that his name be kept to avoid retaliation. His constituents looked for this mayor when the typhoon was battering Northern and Central Luzon since Friday. The mayor, for his part, started playing baccarat at the said casino since Thursday, when it was already announced that a super typhoon was to hit Northern Luzon. The mayor made an alibi to his constituents that he failed to arrive in his town because all roads in going home were flooded. But why did he not make it sure he was there in his

town before the typhoon was to strike? A day before, everybody already knew that the typhoon that was to make a landfall was a super one. So that it behooves upon him to be there and do some preparations for his people. But gambling was foremost in his mind. Never mind the constituents. One of his town mates who also reside in Parañaque City and who saw him inside the casino VIP criticized the town

executive’s alibi as “a very poor excuse.” This town mate said that the mayor was already inside the casino on Thursday night, just before the San Roque Dam released huge amount of water. Another source that the author has talked to said that at 12:30 a.m of Friday, the mayor already lost P9 million. Instead of standing up to return to his town, this mayor asked for additional money from his aides in an

apparent bid to recoup his losses. But he never recovered. He lost another million pesos before he decided to leave the casino. This mayor was said to be a close friend of Bobby Reyes, the chief of the Pagcor casino in Parañaque City. Reyes accommodated him and gave him a VIP room to play baccarat. It was not impossible that calls and cries for help coming to his cellular phones

$2-M scam at Philpost in focus! By Omay E. Renta WHAT is this $2-million Philippine-USA anomaly in the Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost) all about? This is expected to be the dominant question once the House of Representatives calls in Philpost officials led by Postmaster General Hector R. Villanueva, which probe is expected after two partylist congressmen filed a resolution calling for an investigation in aid of legislation. Aside from the alleged $2-million scandal, the

House is expected to grill Philpost officials about the clamored failure to pay the legally-mandated benefits to its employees and about the mismanagement and other anomalies being claimed by its workers to have been committed by the incumbent postmaster general and his cohorts. Anak-Pawis partylist representatives Joel B. Maglunsod and Rafael V. Mariano filed House Resolution No. 1423 last September 22, directing the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regula-

tion to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the unreleased and unpaid benefits of Philpost employees and other alleged mismanagement and anomalies in the state postal agency. In the said resolution, it is stated that the employees of Philpost, numbering 12,000 regulars nationwide and 1,000 casuals, were not paid of 25% of the half of their 13th month pay for 2009 as it was supposed to be given last May. It also stated that the employees remained not

Amazing Grace, polio-victim governor:

Change lies in your finger By TOTO CAUSING EVEN when the situation presents no solution in sight, you can still lift your finger and you must lift it up and believe it will spark change to conquer the insurmountable. This is a wisdom from a woman you can call “Amazing Grace.” This is also the gist of the message delivered to the men trained to be tough by a polio-victim woman who succeeded in sparking change to conquer the “Kingdom of Isabela.” The woman is a broad-

caster-turned-governor Grace Padaca. The men referred to are the alumni, in active and retired service, of the Philippine Military Academy. The speech was delivered last January 24. Her story of life and of her governance are perhaps one of the best examples how can the power of hope can move mountains, do the impossible and conquer a kingdom. Hers is a story perhaps little less comparable to the improbable journey of America’s first black president, Barack Hussein Obama.

from his constituents must have been incessant and these were all rejected by the mayor. It was also impossible that the mayor did not know that his town was already under neck-deep water by that time but he choose to deliberately leave them survive on their own. With this act, the mayor can be held liable for violating Republic Act 6713, the Code of Ethics of government officials. To page 2

This backdrop inspired Dyaryo Magdalo to feature this polio victim who has now proven how it is to become a very effective governor without getting from jueteng, without getting protection money from big-time illegal loggers, without minding drug lords, and overcoming the common weakness of politicians: the continuous giving of dole outs to the voters. When she delivered this speech, “Bombo Grace” as she was called then was already in her second term. She unleashed a

kind of governance that do not count on commissions from corruptions, showing example that a governor can still be good even if the temptations to succumb is high. Her unquestionable reelection, for the second term, is a testament that she succeeded in her first-term governance. One of the most striking messages she uttered in that speech before the toughest group of me is this: “But we should not stop feeling disgusted with what’s happening. We

should unite and decide what to do with our anger, with our frustration. As I said, we will not have peace of mind if we just allow wrong to prevail in our dear country without lifting a ginger to help change things.” Padaca graduated with honors and passed the licensure exams for certified public accountants, but she ended up a broadcaster of Bombo Radio in Cauayan, Isabela. A polio-victim, she never dreamt before the she would one day beTo page 2

paid of P4,500 of their P10,000 bonus for December 2008, of overtime for 2008, of productivity incentive bonus, of P4,000 clothing allowance, of letter carriers’ gasoline allowances, of letter carriers’ walking allowance, and of the latest salary increase approved by the national government in July 2009. Other irregularities cited by House Resolution No. 1423 are those contained in a letter issued by the office of the assistant postmaster general for finance to its regional directors last June stating that Philpost may not be able to remit on time or up to two months of delay the remittances for GSIS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG due to financial problems. The partylist representatives cited in their resolution that Philpost has been continuing to deduct from the workers’ salaries their all monthly contributions for the GSIS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG. The resolution also said that the office of the postmaster general also claimed that Philpost is collecting only P215 million per month and disbursing P235 million per month for salaries, remittances and operational expenses. The resolution also highlighted that majority of local post employees are receiving salary grade 1 or minimum pay of Php6,149 a month excluding deductions. To page 2

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OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

HELL MAYOR!

From page 1 He can also be liable for malversation if it turned out that the money he used in losing P10 million came from the funds of his town, considering that he is too close to the Malacañang. He could also be subjected to forfeiture proceedings because he surely cannot explain where he got his wealth considering he only receives a salary of about P30, 000 a month. While the said mayor was yet playing, this author already knew about it. At the same time, this author was watching foot-

ages shown by GMA-7 and ANC showing the extraordinary damage wreaked by “Pepeng.” At that time, this author received again a text message saying: “Lubog na Pangasinan. Search, rescue and relief operations on-going. Pero si Mayor, nasa casino pa up to now. Nagpapakuha pa ng pera.” Then he sent another text message saying: “Oh, my God. I am thinking how a mayor of a notso-rich town and a developing province can splurge so much money in gambling.

“Sana yung perang natalo sa kanya ay itinulong na lang niya sa mga binaha at namatayan na kababayan.” Based on newspaper reports, among the towns adversely affected by flood were Rosales, Bautista, Alcala, Bayambang, Sto. Tomas, Urbiztondo, San Manuel, Calasiao, Tayug, Asingan, Natividad, Sta. Maria, Villasis, Mapandan, Binalonan, Tayug, Laoac, Pozurrobio, Sison, San Fabian, Basista, San Jacinto, Aguilar, San Quintin, Umingan, Sta. Bar-

bara, Balungao, Manaoag and the provincial capital of Lingayen. The people of Pangasinan can easily identify who is the mayor because he was probably the only mayor who was “missing” among the local executives who forewarned their constituents to go higher grounds and leave their houses first. The constituents of this mayor must throw this mayor to hell in 2010. After all, his number one protector will no longer be there in Malacañang.

Change lies in your finger From page 1 come a governor of the province ruled by one family, the family of Dy, for 40 years. In that speech, she recalled: “I never had any inkling either. My visions or dreams did not reach that far. As someone who grew up with polio since the age of three, I consciously limited my dreams to what I thought I could at least achieve and there were not many of them, and certainly not being governor of one of the largest provinces in the country. If I had a dream it was simply to be a radio announcer because it was a job where I could be heard but not seen. I was very shy, you see, as a result of my physical handicap.” She admitted that when she accepted the clamor for her to run for governor in the year 2004, she shocked the people of Isabela. At that time, her only asset was popularity to the masses being a popular radio broadcaster. She was to fight the family that continuously ruled the province for more than 40 years. Through her ability to sustain the voters’ belief in her, she wound up winning in what could be the only and the first victory of an ordinary person against a dynasty. Her improbable success perhaps inspired Father Among Ed Panlilio to run for governor of Pampanga in 2007 against two formidable opponents in the persons of the incumbent and the wife of rumored biggest jueteng operator. Like the amazing Grace, Father Ed won in the nick of the closest-ever contest.

Simple beginning Amazing Grace disclosed that she came from an ordinary family of two public school teachers. She recalled that she and her

five siblings could barely eat as their mother and father struggled to make both ends meet. “I finished school and became a certified public accountant but the Lord has a way of granting our deepest wishes. My first major job was yes, as a broadcaster in the local radio station in our province, Bombo Radio Cauayan, so I became a certified public announcer instead.” She worked for 14 years as a broadcast journalist, anchoring a radio program called “Sa Totoo Lang,” which was aired three hours a day featuring news and issues. She disclosed that it was her close-up view of these news reports that she learned the resources of the government were being squandered while the people kept getting poorer each day. In all those days as a journalist, she observed how the “Kingdom of Dy family” ran the province. Of this, she recalled: “The political Dy-nasty in Isabela began its rule in our province as early as the year 1963, from the father, to the sons and…he had many sons because well, he had many wives. That was public knowledge. They did not make any effort to hide it from the public. “I feared the example they were giving to our young people and even the government officials under them. Aside from the father and the sons were the generation of the even more numerous grandsons automatically waiting next in line.” She added that the Dy children did not care anymore about what the people of Isabela would think or feel for they forgot that the power was not theirs as a birthright, but the people’s. She said she has seen that power was being used in Isabela not to serve the

people but to enrich and empower the family of Dy and their cronies.

The challenge beckoned A point came to her life that he said to herself: “I told myself, I cannot just sit here looking at these things happening. This is not what I have been taught democracy should be. Hence, in the elections in the year 2001, I filed my candidacy against Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, despite all efforts being made to ensure he ran with nobody opposing him. She recalled that at that time, she saw her chances as “zero.” But she proceeded in running for the position. She reasoned out that even if she lost she would have peace of mind that she would not be one of those complaining why evil things were being done to the people feeling mad and frustrated but not lifting a finger anyway to stop them.

As a candidate She recalled that when she was yet a candidate, she was tainted and tagged as “crazy.” She recalled that the powerful men of the dynasty laughed her off. They did not take her seriously until all the votes were counted. And when it was announced she won, the opponents and the rest of the Philippines were shocked to hear the news. This author was in South Cotabato that time and he recalled that the news about the “Amazing Grace” reverberated in that part of Mindanao, stealing the news from the local election issues there. The message then of the shocking news ran like this: “THIS WOMAN

WHO COULD NOT WALK, RAN FOR THE ELECTIONS AND TROUNCED THE MACHOS IN ISABELA.”

Winning is one thing, serving is another The Amazing Grace admitted to the PMAers that winning the formidable election did not bring her the state of “living happily ever after.” “It turned out winning the elections was the easiest part. Governing is a totally different story. Humanda si Obama.” In her first three years as governor, she admitted it was difficult. “If they cannot kill your body, everyday they will try to kill your spirit…I had to live with all the blows from everywhere that came my way; the entire dynasty’s people in the Capitol I was surrounded with.” She disclosed that she inherited One Billion Pesos of debts when she took over as governor, mostly from projects contracted just before the elections of 2004.

$2-M scam at Philpost... From page 1 The resolution also said that despite the claims for lack of funds its officials increased their salaries by P30,000 in March of 2008, resorted to excessive travels abroad, hired consultants at P40,000 each, and implemented projects that are anomalous. The two congressmen also called on an investigation into the information provided to COURAGE by the Save the Post Office Movement, saying that the Philpost management led by Villanueva was involved in the Philpost-USA deal involving $2 million. The resolution also said that the mismanagement practices have already bled the PhilPost about P500 million for the past two years. The resolution also cited the Philpost management’s insensitivity toward its employees who are complaining about the plan to use the funds of the employees’ Provident Fund to pay some Philpost’s financial obligations. The resolution also stated that the union leaders exposing these anomalies are continuously experiencing harassment and intimidation from Philpost officials. Citing the need to uplift the plight of the workers for efficient mail service deliveries, the resolution called for an investigation in aid of a legislation that would professionalize the local postal institution. Meanwhile, two union officials sought inhibition of the prosecutor in the preliminary investigation of the criminal cases they filed against Acting Deputy Postmaster General for Human Resources and Training, Oscar V. Lazo. In their motion, union leaders Tirso N. Paglicawan, Jr. and Manuel G. Rama stated: “We have good ba-

sis to entertain the view that the respondent has the hydra-head or the head of hydra that could exercise or exert influences, in one form or another, one way or the other, upon anyone investigating fiscal or prosecutor in the City of Manila.” They further said in their motion: “The actuation of respondent Lazo bespeaks of such capacity so to do, as evidenced for instance, in the incidents or circumstances that gave rise to causes for inhibition, and for which appropriate motion for inhibition had been lodged before the investigating prosecutor (in the City Prosecution Service of Manila) of this case, a copy of the Inhibition Question lodged before her is hereto attached.” The duo also said: “we complainants are afraid at what respondent is capable to do…(as he) openly display(s) or emphasize(s) he can do with a retinue of men and underlings, every hearing time, who are…apparently more bullies than witnesses; appearances and looks alone, but furthermore beefed up further by numbers, are intimidating enough, and the mere shadow of the appearances and looks are already enough success at sowing fears upon the hearts and minds of herein complainants, such that complainants would not be totally free as to be able to speak up their minds come sessions for hearing in this case.” The two union leaders also filed separate administrative cases against Lazo before the Office of the Ombudsman. Lazo is also facing charges of attempted murder filed by the employee of Philpost who complained that he was shot by the official.

Skills in financial management Her being a certified public accountant must have helped her manage well the financial resources and obligations of the Capitol. She was able to pay the One Billion Pesos of debts little by little. By the time she was preparing to deliver her State of the Province Address last January, she reported that for every three pesos of the province’s obligations to the contractors and suppliers, they paid already the two pesos. She disclosed that these debts from contracts and supplies could have been paid up much earlier were it To page 3

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OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

Change lies in your finger From page 2 not for the many irregularities in other transactions that has kept her paying them. She also revealed that her administration is paying the P700-million loans form the banks contracted by her predecessors. So far, she paid already P400 million in principal and P200 million in interests. In her administration, she disclosed she never got any loan from any bank. This, nevertheless, pictures out how well she is in fiscal management.

Amazing agricultural economic programs that help poor farmers Despite those limited money, the Amazing Grace still managed to alleviate poverty in the province. She was able to enroll 100,000 indigent persons to the Philhealth program without these people paying any single centavo. And this helped these underprivileged alleviate their health and medical concerns. But this is not the story. The wonder is how she come up with a Solomonic idea to make life a little better for the farmers. She also used provincial funds to help the farmers of Isabela, the biggest corn producer and the second rice producer next to Nueva Ecija. On the premise that the traders are just cheating the farmers on prices, she partnered with the National Food Authority (NFA). The province of Isabela gave P3 for every kilo sold by the farmers to the NFA as a subsidy to augment their income. The subsidy allowed the farmers to have more bargaining power in a manner that they can tell the traders: “take it or leave it at this price, for I can sell it at this price to the NFA.”

Looking at it immediately, it may be said that the province would just be giving money away for nothing. To this, the Amazing Grace explained that the money they give enabled NFA to purchase palay produce at higher prices so that the farmers would have security that they can earn anyway by selling their produce to the NFA. And if the NFA buying price is higher, the Amazing Grace explained that she will be able to influence the upward trends of the prices in the free market because of the solid option of the farmers that they can say “no” to the traders. Asked why this subsidy price scheme was not employed in the past, she explained that the Dy governance was indebted to the rice traders due to contributions to their election campaigns. To this, she said: “Unlike my opponents, when I campaigned I did not demand from the rice traders and other businessmen money for the elections, that’s why when I won, I had not the burden of being indebted to them. That’s why I can freely do what is needed for our poor farmers. “I always hasten to emphasize though that I am not against businessmen. During the campaign, I told them as long as you do things fair and square, I will let you be. Makakatipid kayo sa akin dahil hindi ko kayo huhuthutan. Wala kayong kailangang bawiin sa mga magsasaka dahil wala akong hihingin sa inyo na para bang mayroon akong ipinatago.”

Values formational leader She also recognized the necessity for the people to change their values if only

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to make life worth living and make governance better. On this she disclosed what she did: “I have always told our people that after freeing ourselves from the 40-year dynasty that lorded over us that the battle is not yet over. We have defeated the dynasty but there are other things that we have to continue to fight. We also have to free ourselves from our own wrong attitudes.” On this values formation, she explained further: I “From our misplaced values, our bad habits, that we should not just rely on others to do the thinking for us. I repeat to them over and over again, mas masarap tulungan mga taong marunong tumulong sa kanilang mga sarili. That they should not only expect to receive help, 100%, they should also do their share in making their lives better for the future.” She continued: “I tell them, use me as your visual aid. It is easy to see that with my physical condition, I also need a lot of help but I have not used this as an excuse to be just a burden to others.”

Refocusing the resources of the province Knowing how much were the resources of the province, Governor Grace refocused them to the mostneedy barangays, not minding whether their vote population was small or their mayors were against her. “We have instituted an Ugnayang Bayan or our People’s Day ever Wednesday when people from the barangays can directly talk with me. After only one year of implementation, about 90% of the province’s 1018 barangays received financial assistance for projects directly from my office, without the barangay captains needing to go through the mayors,” she said. She continued: “I always remind barangay officials that if they do not do well in their joint projects with me or do any hanky panky, I will ignore them and turn to NGOs or People’s Organizations

in their barangays who will be my partners in giving services to their constituents. That becomes deterrent enough.”

Overcoming persecutions This Amazing Grace also revealed how she overcame persecutions from the remnants of the dynasty who still were incumbent officials as mayors. “I…wanted to be recalled by most of the mayors of Isabela but eventually when the saw that I was effectively cooperating with more and more barangay officials, they started to cooperate, too! Even some of the most rabid supporters of the old administration started testing the waters,” she said. She recalled that when she took over as the governor, only one or two of the 36 mayors of the province were supportive of her. After four years, she got 33 of the 36 mayors to her side. She invited these 33 to the presentation ceremonies of the Ramon Magsaysay Award in August of 2008 and they all came with others getting an autograph from her.

Proved herself not an NPA Governor Grace also recalled to the PMAers that she was then tagged as a member of the New People’s Army while working as a journalist. But for the past four years as effective governor, she has disproved this to the military and her political opponents, who used this accusation as a justification that she won by terrorizing voters through the use of NPAs. She disclosed that it was even military officials who came forward to testify for her, among them General Orlando Soriano, General Homer Capulong of the 502nd Brigade and the late Captain Jose Rene Jarque. She said that in her ways of giving priority attention to the barangay people who came to her will dissuade them from revolting against the government. “We attend to their con-

cerns promptly so that they don’t find the need to take to the streets or the mountains anymore. The people in government are listening to them and attending to them. Lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila…sana makabawas man lamang ako sa mga dahilan ng inyong paghihimagsik,” she said.

Another program for poor To maximize what she can do with the powers in her hand, Amazing Grace met with the so-called “poor men’s lawyers”, the members of the Public Attorney’s Office. She learned from these advocates that their salaries are too law compared to the demands of their standard of living and in comparison to their counterparts working as private lawyers. She also learned from these poor men’s lawyers about the predicaments of the poor people accused in court. Learning from PAO lawyers about the enactment of Rep. Act 9406 that authorizes the local government units to give financial and other support to these lawyers, she worked for the inclusion into the province’s budget the allowances to augment their income. She also worked for allowances for the judges, prosecutors and clerks of court, emphasizing that it was only an augmentation to their salaries. She also stressed to the judges, prosecutors and clerks of court that she was not soliciting assurances from them to spare her people any trouble. “As a matter of fact, as in the case of PDEA’s Major Marcelino, I have some issues too with the prosecutors…who let people go scot-free even if they were already caught red-handed.”

Forest protection Seldom can it be seen that a governor is fighting for the protection of the environment. But this Amazing Grace did so—successfully. On this she told the

PMAers: “Right now, in Isabela, I am in the middle of a very difficult mission that I decided to take head on—the fight against big syndicates in Isabela who have been rampantly destroying the Sierra Madre Mountains which is located in nine of our 36 municipalities. It is in Isabela where 30% to 40% of the country’s last remaining forest cover remains. “So many times a day, for too long now, trucks full of illegally-cut logs pass through our highways undeterred by the DENR, while we lose billions of pesos in crop and infrastructure damages when typhoons and floods hit us due to denuded forests. “Natural disasters hit us so many times a year. If its not the waters, it is lack of them that cause untold suffering to our farmers and poor families, like when the drought in 2007 damaged the equivalent of our whole provincial budget for the year. “I worked with our Sangguniang Panlalawigan and they approved my request of appropriating P8 million of our money in order to help put a stop to the unabated cutting of trees in our part of the Sierra Madres. “Of the one million board feet waiting to be brought down from the Sierra Madres that have already been cut by people called ‘Bogadors,’ we have confiscated about 60% or 600,000 board feet. We are set to auction this off and DENR Secretary Lito Atienza agreed to our request that we will use the proceeds to continue supporting the Isabela Forest Protection Task Force. “It’s no joke providing for the meals of our Task Force members morning, noon and night as well as those of platoons of soldiers who are helping us a lot in this anti-illegal logging fight.” She said that in September of 2008, in cooperation with the 45th IB of the Army, they flew over the Sierra Madres to see what it was in the middle of the mountain. To her shock, she said she saw for herself the one To page 6

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OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

TRAILBLAZER By RONALDO E. RENTA ONE of the most important considerations in annulment process is counseling. By counseling, we just don’t mean going to marriage counselor or going through a marriage encounter seminars. This is done to give a last chance at keeping the union. It is always desirable for a couple to try to salvage their marriage through some other means before they jump into process of seeking the declaration of nullity of their marital vows. The counseling I am referring to is the one that involves you, your family and your faith. Since ours is predominantly Catholic country, it is better for a prospective petitioner to involve your family (immediate family as well as the extended family) and your church in seeking the dec-

laration of nullity of marriage. Consult your parents; tell them you desire to end your relationship with your spouse. I am not asking you to get their permission or seek their approval. While declaration of nullity of marriage is an individual act, it is still true that “mother knows best” and no matter what. You need to enlist all the help and support you can muster, from your friends and, specially, from your parents, in order to survive the transition from being a couple to single again. If your parents are still united in marriage, the natural and usual advice you can get is you have to make it work; marriage is a lifetime commitment. They would even jog your memory of the vows you made at the altar that “in sickness and in

Want marriage ended? Consult first your parents, church health, till death do us part.” Of course, your parents do not live with you (Do they live with you?) and they are not the ones who have to endure the idiosyncrasies and incapacity of your spouse to comply with the essential marital obligations. I call it “EMOlutions.” A shot of ammunition kills, but the lack of “EMOlutions” also kills, but what it does is on marriage. So, what is the point of telling your parents that your marriage is over? Well, you need them especially as your Emotional Support Group (ESG). If you have kids, your kids need their grandparents as substitute parents. For in all likelihood, you have to spend more and more time for work as a would-be single parent and breadwinner of the family. At this, you need your parents all the

more to care for the children while you are away. Consult your priest, pastor or minister. Declaration of nullity of marriage is not a mere legal process; it has also spiritual significance and consequence. You have to bear in mind that in some faith, annulment or a declaration of nullity of marriage as a civil process to end your marriage is not accepted. For example, if you are a Catholic and you had your marriage under civil or church sanctioned marriage, the Catholic Church would not recognize annulment you have obtained in a civil court. Thus, you cannot remarry under this existing dogma. But of course, you can legally remarry. The only worry is the Roman Catholic Church will not honor the remarriage. If you an ardent and

faithful Catholic, you have to seek declaration of void marriage under the Canon Law of the church. For the Roman Catholic Church, divorce is not allowed. But dissolution of marriage is recognized as a canonical procedure. In church’s Canon Law, an ecclesial tribunal judges declare whether the bond of matrimony in a particular case was entered into validly. Annulment or declaration of nullity of marriage is not the ecclesial equivalent of a divorce. A “declaration of nullity” is not dissolution of existing marriage but a determination that a marriage never existed. In Protestant Faith, most denominations and sects accept the civil decree of nullity of marriage. Thus, they allow members who obtained civil annulment to tie the knot again in their church. This time, make it

sure you tie the knot tightly. Annulment or declaration of nullity of marriage under the Family Code allows a person to validly enter into marriage again. You pull somebody’s leg if you tell me you are not entertaining remarriage after a failed one. It is only a legal fiction that a marriage never existed. The fact remains that your had had failed marriage and you want another try. There is nothing wrong with it. Like love, marriage is sweeter the second time around. Like freedom, marriage is to be free again and to be a servant of love anew. Another benefit of annulment or declaration of nullity of marriage is your children stay legitimate. Though the marriage never existed anymore, but the fruits are recognized.

Jerry’s Blogs PR group of Gibo: BARAT-BAWI? By JERRY S. YAP LAST week, a group that introduced itself as the PR of Defense Secretary GILBERT ‘GIBO’ TEODORO negotiated with several media men and editors. Their desire: to ink an agreement for Operation “NEWS FOR SALE.” Yak yak yak … BEWARE MORALLY UPRIGHT JOURNALISTS. You might be given a slip by the “charged” stories. “Aray naku, aray ko po, BUKOL kayoooo!” He he he… The truth about that “negotiation” was that it took long and the issue revolved around the “price.” What the Gibo PR group wanted was a BANNER treatment for the news about Gibo’s being No. 1 in the mock poll involving members of the House of Representatives as the voters. But the Gibo PR group wanted to pay less for the big size of the demand. The news-for-sale negotiation bogged down. The media men they talked to rejected their demand and left. What it looked like was that the operators of Gibo wanted a cut from the PR budget. So it ended with their client getting the “deserved” sacrifice. With this, I can say that the Gibo PR group is cheap minded, not-imaginative and had little between their ears. They do not need to give money if the news they bring is naturally big. Now, look at their story that Gibo won the mock election of congressmen, is it a story? It is but natural for Gibo to be No. 1 among congressmen because almost all of them are frogs, “KOKAK,” members of the administration party. Hik hik hik … ‘Oy, who are you trying to fool? It is too obvious that you just wanted Gibo to take a ride. Is it not? For the media men who would allow their selves to be bought, you can do that if you bring the high price. The lesser substance the story you bring, the higher the price for it to be accepted and promoted as a story. What we saw on this group is they wanted to still profit big from the budget given by Gibo. Gusto n’yo naman yata ’e TUBONG GAW-LU kayo ... ’wag naman, pare-parehas lang. Have pity on Gibo and all your other clients, as well as others in the media whom you fooled. Mr. Secretary Gibo, watch out for your PR budget. It seems you have gotten a barber instead of a writer. Hay naku naman!

SEN. CHIZ’S MEDIA BLITZ OPERATOR: A FLUNKER, TOO! Also during the last week, one MEDIA blitz operator approached several Senate reporters for a news-for-sale

negotiation. This operator wanted that a story of Chiz be given prominent treatment and, if possible, as a top story. When a group of Senate reporters made a call and put a price tag, this Chiz operator quickly turned around. He cannot afford the budget. Because of this, several senate reporters do not mind the press releases of Chiz for they do not want to be suspected of being paid hacks of the Bicolano senator. The result: No newspaper used the”praise” releases of Chiz Escudero regarding his work on the investigation into the San Roque Dam mess. Instead of getting a good treatment because the story was timely and relevant to flooding issues, Chiz got a BIG ZERO from the first act of his MEDIA BLITZ OPS. Tsk tsk tsk… Let us wait for the confirmation of Sen. Chiz about this media blitzkrieg attempt. We see nothing wrong in Sen. Chiz. But we advice him: don’t be in a hurry, make full use of his term in the Senate. He has only been three years into his six-year term. Stay in the Senate in the mean time. If you would go up, we would lose a critic and a fiscalizer in that very important Upper House of the Congress; we would lose a good spokesperson and fiery poet. Is it okay, Sen. Chiz?

ANOTHER BAD LUCK STRIKES PAL? BAD LUCK seems riding on El Kapitan LUCIO TAN nowadays. PAL has not yet gone through its problem regarding the talked-about SPIN-OFF/OUTSOURCING that will substantially affect its employees, here is a new problem bedevilling the flagship airliner. Just recently, the Supreme Court affirmed with finality its decision last year declaring the termination of 1,400 employees as illegal. In a 31-page resolution, the High Court denied PAL’s motion for reconsideration for lack of merit. The High Tribunal also rejected PAL’s justification for the termination. It argued that the airline suffered FINANCIAL LOSSES due to the strike staged by the pilots on June 5, 1998, forcing it to RETRENCH its flight attendants and ground staff. On this issue, the SC ruled: “The strike was a temporary occurrence that did not necessitate the immediate and sweeping retrenchment of 1,400 cabin or flight attendants.” The Court then remanded the case to the labor arbiter with an instruction that it shall be for the purpose of computing the exact amount of the award based on the

decision. Oh God, the headache for El Kapitan is painful. The backwages for the illegally terminated cabin crew employees must have been so big and enough to spin his head around. The rough estimate of Jerry’s Blogs shows that the award for backwages alone runs to hundreds of millions of pesos. For sure, EL KAPITAN will need all kinds of paracetamol and analgesic. The headache is not ordinary. I think some officials now of PAL, particularly those “SIPSIP-BUTONG” managers, have jinx that has given bad luck to his airline company. These managers do not do anything to help PAL but cause problems to the employees they do not like. These managers should be the ones who should be retrenched. They have become not only non-performing assets but liabilities to PAL! Am I correct, Mr. Fred Tan?

‘DINDO’ IS THE PAYOR OF BOLOK’S JUETENG Jerry’s Blogs learned that a certain DINDO is the official payor of the JUETENG OPERATIONS of Tony “Bolok” Santos when it comes to the giving of protection money to the PNP, DILG, NBI and several MEDIA persons. As long as the “AREGLUHAN” (“Tongpats”) is affordable, DINDO will make it sure the money that the gambling operations shall continue unhampered in MARIKINA, CAMANAVA and QUEZON CITY. We do not wonder why the jueteng operations of Bolok were still going on even during the days typhoon “ONDOY” slammed Metro Manila. QCPD Director Sr. Supt. ELMO SAN DIEGO, NPD director Dir. Gen. Sammy Pagdilao and EPD director Sr. Supt. Ireneo Dordas, have you been visited by DINDO? Please be informed officers that your names are being bannered by this DINDO. I will not wonder that the next day DINDO will drop the name of GEN. JESS VERSOZA. Tsk tsk tsk ... I pity Marikina people. They have not yet risen from the tragedy brought to them by ONDOY yet they are being raped by the JUETENG OPERATIONS of TONY “BOLOK” SANTOS. And in QC and CAMANAVA, happy days are still there. TENG-WE is ALL THE WAY! *** For your comments, reactions & suggestions please email [email protected] or call/text 09178318537.

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OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

Officials in weird P3-billion pig loan promoted THE top officials of Land Bank of the Philippines who took part in the execution of the P3-billion swine loan given without any collateral were all promoted to juicy posts. And the most noted among their promotions is now Finance Secreary Margarito “Gary” Teves. Teves was the president and chief executive officer of Landbank when it approved the weird P3-billion swine loan to Quedancor. Thereafter, he was appointed as the next secretary of finance, a position which he holds until now. The said loan was approval two months before the 2004 elections where Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was struggling for reelection against the now-deceased Fernando Poe Jr. One reason why the said loan was labeled as weird is because it was granted without collateral, payable in seven years, yet the principal loan is enormously big: P3 billion. This is contrary to ordinary banking diligence where even a loan of P100,000 cannot be approved without collateral, usually a land given in mortgage. In this case, what was actually given were pieces of papers called “zero coupons” totaling, presumably, to P3 billion. The Landbank will present these coupons to Quedancor at the end of seven years to collect the value written in the

said coupons. Another that makes it weird is the fact that there was no interest given for the principal amount of the loan. But what made the loan very weird is the fact that a private consulting firm was paid P100 million “arranger’s fee” when the bank and Quedancor have in-house arrangers composed of accountants and lawyers. The said arranger’s fee was paid to ONL Consultancy Ltd., believed by Senator Jamby Madrigal as owned by Jose C. Nograles, brother of House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles Jr. It is recalled that Elmer Labog, chairperson of labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno, questioned the fee. “Why is there a need to hire a private consulting company and spend an exorbitant P114 million for arranger’s and attorney’s fee just to consummate a loan between two government-controlled corporations? This is highly irregular and scandalous. The subject P100 million arranger’s fee is clearly a commission or tongpats,” Labog said. The Speaker has been an ally of Macapagal-Arroyo, the reason that it was widely believed that it was through this “arranger’s fee” that huge campaign funds were channeled. It can be recalled that the controversial Hello Garci tape that came out after the elections showed Macapagal-Arroyo directly talking to then Commission on Elections Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

Police Posts By JOEY GALICIA VENANCIO SABOTAGE operations have been started by shameless politicians and prospective candidates for mayor of Manila in 2010. Their target is to destroy Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim before the voters of Manila. An information reached me that one member of the cabinet of Gloria is running for mayor of Manila and is now moving to destroy Lim before the voters. The trick of this candidate is that he caused that a meeting among senior citizens to be called in and they would be given groceries and cash. And because Mayor Lim did not know about it, nothing will happen to that meet-

ing. In fact, Mayor Lim was not there. This tactic played because many among the senior citizens got mad at Lim. This kind of fraud is expected to be followed suit. But one thing is sure. The said candidate who framed up the senior citizens will never ever be an upright leader. This cabinet man did this trick because he knows he will not win against Lim. In the last elections, Lim walloped Ali Atienza, son of former mayor Lito Atienza. This, despite the fact that the son used the funds of several barangay chairmen. I still recall that opponents tried to cheat during the can-

The Last Mohican By TOTO FETALINO THE local governments and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) play a crucial role in the ongoing relocation of victims of the recent typhoons. Before victims are relocated, they should be endorsed by the concerned LGU and the DSWD. The LGU endorsement is needed because it is the local government, particularly the barangay, that is in the best position to know and certify

that the victim is indeed a resident of the area and that he is indeed affected by the calamities. Many want to avail of the relocation program because it offers decent house and lots. They are not free but very affordable at P200 plus per month. And these are ready for occupancy. If you are a calamity victim, there is no sense in staying in evacuation centers in government schools or sports facilities if there is a better al-

Privileged Spits By TOTO CAUSING In the audio tape recording, it showed that she had been talking to Garcillano on how to manipulate votes to show that she led by one million votes against Poe, who at that time was so popular being considered as “The King of Philippine Movies.” At the time of the execution of the weird P3-billion pig loan, Jose Nograles was then a senior executive vice president of Landbank. After the said loan was perfected and after MacapagalArroyo was sworn in amidst strong protests, Jose Nograles was appointed as the president of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Co. As checked by Dyaryo Magdalo in the PDIC website, it says there that the president is still Jose Nograles. Another who benefited from the pig loan is Gilda E. Pico. She was promoted to become the president and chief executive officer, which she has held until now. During the signing of the P3billion pig loan, she was just a senior executive vice president. Also a top gainer from the infamous loan is a nephew of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Alex Macapagal rose from vice president to become the first vice president of Land

Bank; while Liduvino Geron became a vice president; and Hermeo Bautista became an assistant manager. But the weirdest of them all is it showed that the loans actually extended where “unholy ghosts.” It was learned that only about 10% of the swine funds went to the purpose. The purpose of the loan was to massively produce swine and at the same time giving income to the borrowers and cause a multiplier effect as to the employment that may be generated and all others that would serve the needs of these employees. The scheme was not to give money to the borrowers but piglets and feeds. The borrowers shall then take care of growing the animals. When the pigs are ripe for sale, another entity that supplied the piglets and feeds shall be the one that will buy them. Thus, it shows that if only followed to the letter this project could have given hope to a million Filipinos. However, what appeared was that the deliveries of piglets and feeds were only in paper and did not happen. The suppliers contracted by Quedancor to deliver piglets and feeds did not deliver even

after the borrowers had already signed their contracts. These suppliers are called “input suppliers.” Worst, most suppliers were already paid. A genuine loaner identified as Aura Drew Escanlar was about to take a nursing board exam in December of 2004 when she learned of this swine loan program. She changed her mind and applied for the so-called “the poor man’s financing institution.” She signed up for 50 piglets and feeds, confident that the buy-back scheme would ensure her a good income sufficient to compensate for what she could have lost in foregoing the nursing career in the United States. Only to turn out later that the feeds were never delivered by the “input supplier” assigned to her. Without food, all her 50 pigs died! Angry, she stormed the Quedancor regional office in Iloilo and berated them: “You have turned my farm into a graveyard!” But it also showed that Escanlar is an example of the larger picture that they were just used as dummy borrowers who may have actually been delivered with stuff but not completed because the rest of the funds were funneled, some of them reportedly went to the hands of election cheaters. What is worse, the input suppliers who were tapped cannot now pay back for the money they claimed as payments for deliveries that did not happen.

While the pig-loan benefited these officials, the opposite occurred for the bank’s employees. The Landbank law commands that it is exempt from the Salary Standardization Law and that the employees’ salary shall be reviewed every two years and gauged against the private banks. Since the law was passed in 1995, only two salary increases have been made for 14 years now. The last was the P500 hike per in 2002. At present, its employees’ compensation is way below compared to other government financial institutions such as the Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System and Development Bank of the Philippines.

Teves’ dismal record in tax collections As the Secretary of Finance, Teves oversees the operations of the most important bureau under his department. The Bureau of Internal Revenue failed miserably to hit targeted tax collections by hundreds of billions of pesos. Despite this, he was praised by a foreign magazine as “Finance Czar,” citing that the Philippines did not crumble to global crisis last year. All agencies under the DOF, including Landbank, used government funds to pay for his streamers worth hundreds of thousands “congratulating him.”

Dirty Tricks vs Dirty Harry vassing at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The saving grace was the early discovery of the plan to switch the election returns. The switching was about to happen under the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Anyway, the voters of Manila are intelligent enough. They know who are fair and who are shameless. Long live, Manilenyo!

Kawawa ang Pinas kay Noynoy I will present a text message of Mr. Jess Principe of Cainta, Rizal. Here is his story: “Ka Joey, hindi sa tinatawaran ko ang pagkatao ni Noynoy Aquino. Pero kahit saang anggulo ko sisilipin ay wala talaga siyang kapasidad maging Pangulo ng bansa natin.

Kasi tingnan mo ha, parang sunud-sunuran siya sa mga sinasabi ni Kris. Napakabagal pa niyang kumilos, parang bading. At tila parang walang paninindigan. Hindi ba isa siyang Senador? Ni hindi ko yata narinig na nagsalita siya sa Senado sa kabila ng napakaraming kontrobersiya at anomalyang nangyayari sa Gloria administration. Pareho lang sila ni Sen. Lito Lapid na nagbubutas lang ng bangko sa Senado at pork barrel ang hinihintay. Mabuti pa si Jinggoy kahit walang kwenta ang pinagsasabi ay naririnig nating nagsasalita. Ha ha ha... Dapat maisip ng mga botante na si Noynoy ay hindi si Ninoy o si Cory na may leadership. Yan lang naman ang puna ko kay Noynoy.” - Mr. Jess Principe ng Cainta, Rizal

Provincial buses wag papasukin sa Maynila This text message is for Mayor Lim: “Joey, pakiparating kay Mayor Lim... na yung mga provincial buses e wag na po papasukin sa Manila. Grabe po inaabot na trapik specially pag hapon... from Lawton to Pedro Gil almost 2 hours po inaabot. Pakiaksiyon po, Mayor Lim. No 1 kayo sa amin.” 09081940...

Anti-drug task force, hiling kay Mayor Lim This is another message for Mayor Lim: “Mayor Lim, tama yung nabasa ko kahapon sa kolum ni Mr. Venancio na text ng isang senior citizen na bumuo kayo

ng anti-drug task force na tututok sa problema sa droga dito sa Maynila. Totoo pong talamak na droga ngayon sa bawat barangay dito sa ating lungsod. Dito lang po sa amin sa Baseco, Tondo ay parang kendi lang kung bilhin ang shabu. Alam naman po ng mga pulis dito kung sino ang pushers e. Kinukuwartahan lang nila. Sana, Mayor, tutukan nyo uli ang kampanya sa droga. Yun lang po, thanks. Pls don’t publish my number.” For reactions and complaints, write POLICE Files, JGV Publishing House, Inc., Leyland Bldg., Delgado St. corner 20th St., Port Area Manila, Phil. Telefax 5217015, Cell: 0919-3297810 / E-mail add: [email protected]

THE ROOF MATTERS ternative. The alternative is so good that even individuals not affected by calamities are tempted to avail of the relocation program. This is what the LGU and the DSWD should watch out for. THE UNGRATEFUL I’m still at a loss on why some beneficiaries of the relocation program have so many bad things to say about their new homes. They still hit the government at its back because their houses have no power, no water, blah blah blah.

Before the relocation, they have no houses so they get wet when it rained. The government did not promise mansions, just four walls and a roof. If I were the victim, I would be thankful to the giver because I can already sleep at night and wake up in the morning dry and safe from flood. Aside from the houses, they get basic goods such as rice, water, noodles, towels, clothes, medicines, and other things they won’t have if they were still in the evacuation centers. My goodness, Ondoy and Peping should have taken these idiots instead of the innocent

children who perished! Of course there are still no power and water in their new homes because they had just transferred. It takes weeks before these things are put in place. These spoiled ones really just can not wait as if they are paying taxes! THE GRATEFUL But many are grateful. A woman thanked the government for her family’s new home in Biñan, Laguna because they are now settled and safe there. She admitted the house she was renting in Marikina was small and the amount she was

paying to her landlord was not worth it. She thinks the calamity brought her housing opportunity. Her children are even proud now that they are living in a house they can call their own. Just like the other families, the woman and her children were separated from work and school. But they are optimistic that she can have another work and her kids can transfer to another school near their new home. Of course, such optimism is partly generated by a sound sleep under a roof.

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OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

Maja Salvador

By OMAY E. RENTA

NEW GIRL ON THE BLOCK

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HE launch of Maja Salvador’s biggest break should eclipse the rival Iza Calzado-Wendell Ramos sineserye “Kaya Kong Abutin Ang Langit” as to the ratings. Based on TNS National TV Ratings, Maja’s “Nagsimula Sa Puso” has been at No. 2 in the Top 10 National Daytime Program Rankings for October 12, 2009. The said ratings said ABS-CBN’ afternoon drama “Nagsimula Sa Puso” garnered 17.8% while the Iza Calzado-Wendell Ramos siniserye “Kaya Kong Abutin Ang Langit” posted No. 9 garnered only a 10.9%. It means the ABS-CBN management decided right in having

Maja Salvador as its artist and now as the lead star in the remake of the 1990 film of a Famas and Gaward Urian Award winning Filipina actress Hilda Koronel. Obviously, the remake has been awaited since Maja’s first appearance in a sexy alluring red dress during the live interview with The Buzz Host Ruffa Gutierrez. Maja also shocked the Philippine’s Kapamilya viewer when they saw her different from her previous character in “May Bukas Pa.” From the ABS-CBN elite circle of homegrown talents collectively known as “star magic” due to her daring role in “Nagsimula Sa Puso,” Maja is now considered as the latest addition to the big Salvador names in the Philippine showbiz. Her real name is Maja Ross Andres Salvador, of SpanishGerman descent.

She is the daughter of the late Philippine actor and production manager Ross Rival and the grand-daughter of Luis “Lou” Salvador a.k.a Chipipoy, a Filipino basketball player, stage actor and talent manager. Her grandfather is best remembered as the Filipino who scored 116 points in a single game during the 1923 Far Eastern Games. Maja’s grandfather became the first showbiz personality to run for the vicepresidency of the Philippines in the 1948. She is the niece of the late movie director Leroy Salvador, former actresses Mina Aragon, Alona Alegre and action star Philip Salvador. She is a cousin of Jobelle Salvador, who starred in Bagets, and of Joshua, son of Kris Aquino. Born on October 5, 1988 in Aparri, Cagayan, Maja is one

Change lies in your finger From page 3 million board feet of illegally-cut logs that they blocked in the town of Ilagan was nothing compared to the 10 million board feet that they saw in the town of San Marcelino, still a part of the Sierra Madre natural park. To this, she reacted: “Ten million board feet…only for this year 2008? How about all these past years? How can I not take an active role in this fight to protect our forests?”

Fighting corruption, politics of patronage, jueteng, illegal logging She has her unique way of fighting these age-old menaces in every locality. “There are so many things in Philippine Society that we have to fight…corruption, politics of patronage, jueteng, illegal logging… “Many times I have talked with mayors in Isabela about these issues and they’d always tell me, ‘Governor, we have no choice, because so many poor people come to us for their urgent needs. They

use people’s poverty as a convenient excuse to receive bribe or protection money. Manu often refuse to do the courageous thing because they are afraid they will lose their sources of funds and the votes for the next elections. “I have seen many government officials top short at doing the right thing. They just look the other way, no matter how strong their feelings are too about what should be. They do not act. They are immobilized by their fear of losing votes. Sabi ko tuloy such obsession with re-election is even more paralyzing than polio. “Sabi ko sa kanila, kayo naman pala ang pilay eh. Hindi ako. Dahil ganito lang ako, kumikilos ako laban sa illegal logging, sa jueteng, sa mga gumagawa ng hindi tama. “I refuse to waste the power that my position gives me not to do what only governors or government executives like me have the opportunity or the power to do.

Biggest realization as governor

She said that she discovered that only right values can make one official effective. She said that after having been governor for four years, she confirmed to herself that people in government positions have enormous powers. “One signature of mine can cause the release of millions of pesos. One ‘yes’ or ‘no’ that I say affects the lives of so many people. If used well, power can be a good thing, IT can make you do so many things to uplift the conditions of many poor people. It can make you give strength to the weak. It can make you empower the common man. “But if you are not grounded, if you have not the right values, you can get easily get tempted. Lalong nagging malinaw sa akin na nakakatakot mapunta ang kapang– yarihan ng pamahalaan sa kamay ng mga hindi karapat-dapat. “I am well aware of disappointments among many PMAers who very well know what should be but do not see it in the society, more so in the gov-

ernment. “Mukhang pagod na rin ang mga tao sa People Power as we know it and of course coup d’etat is not acceptable to many. “But we should not stop feeling disgusted with what’s happening. We should unite and decide what to do with our anger, with our frustration. As I have said, we will not have peace of mind if we just allow wrong to prevail in our dear country without lifting a finger to help change things. “For one, let us not put all our hopes and expectations on one person alone. Our country’s issues cannot be solved by asking just one person to resign or reform. We will only be frustrated. Let us instead work for the election into office of good governors, good mayors and even good barangay captains and kagawads so that if we are not satisfied with the people at the top, there are still the local governments to rely on. “That is what our group ‘Kaya Natin’ is advocating. Kami po nina Among Gov. Eddie Panlilio of Pampanga, To page 7

of the most in-demand product endorsers and cover girl in several magazines. She is considered as the young princess of horror after making a great appearance in the horror movie “Sukob,” where she was awarded as the New Movie Actress of the Year in 2007 PMPC Star Awards for Movies. She was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category of PASADO Awards, getting the same feat for FAMAS Awards in 2007, and in Philippine Movie Press Club’s Star Awards for Movies in 2008. Maja is part of the Ultimate Dance 4, along with Shaina Magdayao, John Pratts and Rayver Cruz. She is considered as the princess of billboard who started as a commercial model with her friend Fahra Ramos, a daughter of a movie-columnist and talent manager. Maja’s discovery is unusual. According to Wikipedia, her first appearance on national TV was in the reunion with her long-lost father Ross Rival aired over the ABS-CBN entertainment show, “The Buzz.” Prior to the said reunion, Maja confided to Chit Ramos that she desired to see her father, who, according to her, was in bad health condition. Chit Ramos, a showbiz-col-

umnist and talent manager, used her contact and resources to locate her father until she brought Maja to her uncle’s residence where she finally reunited with her father. The reunion was seen by ABS-CBN top management. Charo Santos of ABS CBN Network saw the angelic face of Maja during the reunion until she asked her staff to locate her. Thereafter, Maja finally signed a contract under the Kapamilya Network where she was then introduced in her first soap opera, “It Might Be You.” When her father died, Maja became a great provider to her family. She is considered as a Jack of all trade because she can dance, sing, act, living up to the long tradition of her family. To date, Maja has already appeared in 33 shows of the ABS-CBN, including her newest “Nagsimula Sa Puso.” She also has had seven movies, including the upcoming “Shake Rattle N Roll” set for December. She also earned countless awards. She has partnered with ABS-CBN actors John Wayne, John Pratts, Jason Abalos, Jarr, Rayver and, now, Coco Martin. According to her personal profiles on the net, she is called “Tin-Tin” by her close friends. She stands 5-feet tall among eight siblings.

7

OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

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HE unionism spirit in the Philippines is dying. It is dying in terms of number of membership, number of contract bargaining agreements sealed, and the fact that strike has become nowhere to be heard. The biggest culprit to this continuous decline in union membership and number of workers covered by the CBA is the entry of globalization trends, which brought in business process outsourcing (BPO), technologies that provide equipment and computer-driven machines that have lessened the dependence of manual labor. Another cause is the The use of technology essarily desirable to the and the BPO is legalized as usual trade or business of growing interest of the emlabor-saving devices. With the employer. For example, ployers to fight the unions this Supreme Court-sanc- plumbers and masons in the head on because of these tioned reasoning founded business of building con- factors in their favor. Thus, on the Labor Code, the struction are no doubt nec- the employers would not unions have been placed in essary to the business. But hesitate adopting “union a hapless situation even if agencies are hired to pro- avoidance policy.” Upon the wishes of the they saw the massive lay off vide masons and other kinds employers, they may deof workers. of its members. Thus, we see the dilution mand no salary increase and This also weakened their bargaining position, com- of the fundamental premise moratorium on CBAs bepelling the unions to give in in regular worker’s criterion cause they have plenty of to the demands of the em- and it is due to the “inde- weapons to use against the highly aggressive unions. ployers, such as “morato- pendent contractor” idea. Another factor that conActually, BPO is the rium” in salary and benefit increases as in the Philip- same as independent con- tributes to the rapid decline of unionism is the poor enpine Air Lines’ case or sim- tracting. Another culprit is the forcement of labor laws, parply a moratorium in having new contract bargaining fact of high number of un- ticularly labor standards. Seldom DOLE officials employed persons that agreements. Another that contributed many have been willing to are seen exercising the to the weakening of the work at salaries and wages power to visit work places union is the massive con- even below the minimum to inspect or detect violatracting out of several jobs without complaint. With tions on salaries, wages and that there is no more regard this fact coupled with the benefits. Thus, we can see to whether the job involved fear that the employer would actually plenty of work is usually necessary or de- resort to independent con- places where the workers tracting anytime weakened are poorly paid. Thus, the sirable to the industries. Before, we saw only se- the union to demand re- laws on labor are like cob curity guards and janitors spect to the minimum wage webs waiting only for the being recognized as allowed laws; for if it demands so insects to stray on its trap. Moreover, if ever the Lafor contracting out to man- then the employer would power agencies. Now, we resort to mass layoff and bor Code works, it only covsee even those jobs that are hire agencies to provide the ers the so-called formal-sector workers, those who are the very backbone of the needed workers. Another factor threaten- employed by private corpoindustries, like factory workers in factories, are now con- ing the extinction of unions rations. The workers who tracted out to agencies if not is increasing competition have no fix employers are at given out on fixed contracts and capital mobility. The a disadvantage. The unions and federacost of continuing the busiof five (5) months. This can be blamed to the ness has grown because of tions are not keen on orgaDepartment of Labor and the demand to meet compe- nizing and representing inEmployment that issued tition if only to survive. The formal-sector workers like regulations allowing the local producers have to women, professional, techsame in the guise of a con- compete now against prod- nical, consultants, agents dition that the contractors ucts from other countries and white collar employees. Then there are these are “independent.” The Su- that flood our markets as a preme Court, for its part, had result of smuggling and treacherous unions willing been swayed into making freer trade demanded by the to sell their members to the distinction between a con- World Trade Organization willing employers. They, tracting agency that is “not (WTO). As example, how too, contribute to the demise independent” and another can our locally-produced of the unionism spirit. Hongoods fight against China estly or deliberately, the efthat is “independent.” The fundamental wis- products priced incredibly forts on the part of the dom why an employee is low? So that when the busi- unions and workers’ federacalled a “regular” employee ness is closed, the unions tions to make strong repreis founded on the fact that and their members go to ex- sentations are weak or manifestations of indolence. his work is usually and nec- tinction.

Change lies in your finger From page 6 Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City, Governor Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao, Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija and Harvey Keh of the Ateneo School of Government. Kaya Natin is a movement for good governance and ethical leadership. “We have been going around, specially in schools trying to engage the young and explaining to them the need of registering to vote, being wellinformed of issues, and more importantly, making themselves available and ready when volunteers are needed to ensure better elections in the country.

Obsessed with

electoral reforms The governor is also fighting for reforming the present electoral system, as to the matter of elections. “Ever since my reelection…and seeing once again how the electoral process has gotten even dirtier, how vote buying has become worse, I would tell anyone who’d care to listen that we should not wait until just three months before the elections to cram and do our voter’s education, to encourage volunteers and not just leave the poll watching to a handful of sacrificing CWL or Legion of Mary members or Mother Butlers and let elections be dominated by the well-paid machinery

of the traditional politicians. “Sadly sometimes, it is also during election seasons when police and military officials are relieved and reassigned in a way that government neophytes like us can only look in hopelessness and shock. “Fortunately, there are now groups like the MGG or the Movement for Good Government composed of different organizations which as early as now are working for better elections in 2010. It is good that they are non-partisan, that they are involving themselves not for the benefit of any candidate but the overall orderly and credible conduct of the coming elections.”

Unionism is dying! Also noted to have contributed to the decline of unionism is the fact that the laws on labor relations are too rigid and very strict on technicalities that they encourage inter-union wars over representation right as contract bargaining agents. The State should amend laws on further lowering the minimum requirements to form a union; like removal of the requirement to disclose the names of the employees who signed up for the formation of a union. According to the 2007 data of the Bureau of Labor Relations, the Philippines has ten national trade union centers and 128 federations. In 2008 statistics, there were 17,305 unions covering 1.9 million workers. Out of the huge number of unions, only 1,456 CBAs were concluded, covering only 227,000 workers. In the unorganized industry, there are 15,758 workers associations with a total membership of 576,000 workers and have also 129 Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) covering around 29,000 workers. Perusal and analysis of the data would show that only one in ten unions was able to represent the interests of the workers, CBAs cover only 227,000 workers out of the 37 million Filipinos comprising the whole labor force. With this number of unions, it immediately suggests a thriving labor movement. But the truth is otherwise. According to a 2002 paper of Dr. Rudolf TraubMerz, he explained that the numbers actually indicate weakness because they show that the labor movement is highly fragmented. According to Prof. Virginia Teodosio’s assessment, as written by Alicor L. Panao: “Unions used to fight for the basic rights of workers but over the time they ended up becoming dynasties of leaders who never step down. Families have assumed a significant role in union politics and oftentimes, as in traditional local politics, family members inherit positions within trade unions. This practice is in itself antithetical to the very concept of union democracy. It not only leads to infighting among leaders but also triggers FRAGMENTATION, especially when members begin pressing for change.

By ERIC U. PASIGIAN While the bulk of economic activities are occupied mostly by those in the informal sectors, contracting out of work and outsourcing, trade union organizing and bargaining works continue to become more threatened. Prof. Jorge Sibal said: “Recent changes in market and economic forces have made work individualized which defeats the purpose of collective bargaining. It is as if work were returning to the system observed in the craft guilds of old where workers were paid based on actual work they could put out.” Now, let’s talk more about union avoidance, which is discussed above as one of the most common reasons of declining union membership whereby employers use it as a disguise. This policy seems to be clandestine tactics comprising of the following: (a) the use of outside consultants, (b) sending anti-union letters, (c) discharging of workers for union activity, (d) enlistment of supervisors, (e) increase of wages during organizing campaigns, (f) change in benefits unilaterally (could be over and above the standard and what the CBA can conclude), (g) lay off workers during campaign, (h) promote key union leaders, (i) bribery, (j) assist organize rank-and-file anti-union committee, (k) hold social events with antiunion message, (l) media campaign, (m) intervention in certification election and (n) management restructuring after petition. Another glaring clandestine tactics is the creation of law-sanctioned economic zones, industrial parks and regional industrial centers. Many companies prefer to put up business inside the zones to avoid unionization. Export processing zones in Mactan, Baguio City and Subic continue to be union-free because of the official no-union and nostrike policy. The exception is the Cavite Economic Zone where unions were successfully established. It is to be noted that the Labor Code’s promotion is for free trade unionism. But it also allows “union avoidance,” which has been abused to contribute to the continuous decline of both in the number of union membership and CBA coverage.

If weakness is becoming apparent to workers, they tend to be disinterested or discouraged to join unions. With the weight of the ball clearly now in favor of the management, bargaining negotiations have become an exercise in futility and formality of the will of the employers. For over ten years, the Congress has not passed any law reforming the Labor Code to strengthen unions in the face of modernizations and globalizations. The law on contracting, for instance, should be reformed to totally prohibit the same in the case of employers assigned to perform works that are usually necessary and desirable to the business or trade of the employers. We have already seen the perilous effect of “independent contracting.” Building a positive union image is a very important to maintain the spirit of unionism. If union influence in the workplace is reduced, union image and appeal would be adversely affected which would definitely lead to the demise. Decline in union membership means decline in union influence in the workforce. As union membership declines, internally-generated resources through union dues and fees likewise diminish, limiting union’s organizing strength and labor actions. Union is important because it is considered as a catalyst in promoting social justice and as effective partner of the government and other non-government organization. Interestingly, the emergence of cooperative endeavors has contributed to the decline of unionism. This is an autonomous association of persons voluntarily uniting to meet their common economic goals and aspirations through a more democratically-controlled enterprise. Thus, as part of structural change cooperative seems to serve now as the alternative workers organization. Cooperative spirit, on the other hand, discourages rivalry because most of the members are co-owners. As discussed, we can say there is indeed a clear and present danger for unionism to become a thing of the past.

8

OCTOBER 19-25, 2009

Cotto trains vs speed; Pacman vs size

DREAM VS RESPECT By RONALD B. HERICO

AS the world waits for the Nov. 14 fight between Filipino ring icon and the best pound for pound boxer Manny Pacquiao fight Puerto Rican idol Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight belt, the two will showcase a unique fight. Pacquiao is on a journey to his dream: To become the first-ever boxer to reign in seven divisions. Cotto is out to chase respect: He wants to erase the stigma of unimpressive wins in the last two fights. Pacquiao will go flat out to win his seventh crown in seven different divisions. If he wins, he will rewrite boxing history books as the boxer who has one the most division titles. No other fighter in the world has done this since time immemorial. Less than a month separates now from the H-Day (history day). Yet speculations run high and wild, seeing news releases where both Pacquiao and Cotto try to outwit each other’s camp as to performance in training and body conditioning. Freddie Roach, Pacman’s chief trainer, said that his ward is 75 percent conditioned and by the time they begin working out within the familiar confines of the Wild Card in Hollywood, the 30year-old southpaw would be in near peak form. Team Pacquiao uprooted their training camp in Baguio City in haste and motored to Manila to avoid getting stranded as Typhoon Ramil was intensifying and threatening to sow terror at the time of this writing. He resumed his workout at the Gerry Peñalosa gym at the Market Mall in Mandaluyong before mov-

ing to the Wild Card gym where Pacman and Roach will map out their final strategies before each fight. Cotto, on the other hand, said from his Tampa, Florida training camp: “I am now in my best shape ever.” He said his fight preparations have been proceeding without hitches, currently training in a 24-feetby-24-feet ring, bigger than the normal ring, in anticipation of Pacquiao using a lot of movements to maximize his speed advantage. “We are getting to ready to fight in a ring 22 by 22 or 24 by 24,” Cotto’s chief trainer Joe Santiago told El Nuevo Dia. “Miguel has no problem fighting in any ring, but since Pacquiao sticks and boxes are getting ready for [Pacquiao moving around a lot].” Santiago said Team Cotto will move to Las Vegas starting November to acclimate to the Las Vegas weather, which can get really cold at night in autumn. In contrast, Cotto has been feasting on inferior sparring partners. He kicked out Francisco (El Gato) Figueroa after a week of sparring and has kept 37year-old Fred Tukes and 25year-old Kenny Abril. Figueroa, 31, came off a knockout loss to Randall Bailey last April. Tukes has a 7-1-1 record, with five KOs, and is unbeaten in his last seven assignments, but his age seems to be a liability. Abril has a 9-3-1 mark, with five KOs. He has won his last five. Figueroa, Tukes and Abril are, of course, all southpaws like Pacquiao. Cotto is expected to complete 12 weeks of training when he climbs the ring to face Pacquiao. A legitimate welter-

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weight, Cotto will trim down to 145 pounds to make the catch weight and may be burned out if he over-trains or is unable to naturally bring his weight down. Size is the advantage that Cotto hopes to exploit in trying to repulse Pacquiao who has fought only two fighters weighing in at least 140 pounds – Hatton at 140 and De la Hoya at 145. Pacquiao has never weighed in more than 142 pounds for a bout and in his last outing against Hatton, tipped the scales at 138. Cotto and Pacquiao agreed to fight at a catchweight of 145 pounds, two under the welterweight maximum of 147. The Puerto Rican has weighed in at least 146 for his last eight fights dating back to 2006, making him a legitimate or natural welterweight, bigger and potentially stronger than Pacquiao. During the eight-fight stretch, Cotto lost only once to Antonio Margarito in a knockout whose integrity is now being questioned as the Mexican was found to have used illegal hardening substances in his handwraps in his next bout against Mosley. The setback to Margarito is the only stain in Cotto’s record of 341, with 27 KOs. Size makes a difference. Theoretically, the bigger fighter should be able to withstand the power of a smaller opponent, not the other way around. Since power is one of Pacquiao’s assets, Cotto’s size may not make it a factor. At the same time, it’s a question if Pacquiao, being the smaller fighter, will be able to take Cotto’s power. “Strength has always

FILIPINO boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao is now in Manila to resume his training for the Nov. 14 WBO welterweight title fight with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. Team Pacquiao left Baguio city early Monday amid threats of a storm. Pacquiao is set to leave for the United States Saturday where he will continue his last phase of training. been integral to a fighter who, while the possessor of excellent boxing skills, relies on aggressive power, both in general and as a leveler when fights have been going against him,” wrote Glyn Leach, referring to Cotto, in Boxing Monthly Magazine. Cotto’s power was evident in his jab when he outpointed Mosley in 2007 and his body punching when he halted Carlos Quintana for the vacant WBA welterweight title in 2006. The Puerto Rican’s power left jab and brutal body attack are the hallmarks of his offense. Cotto, who turns 29 on Oct. 29, is a natural lefthander who sometimes, switch-hits to confuse his

opponent. He moved from orthodox to southpaw and back in stopping Demetrio Ceballos in 2003. But Cotto has shown a vulnerability to the counter right hook by a southpaw. In 2005, he was wobbled and staggered by experienced lefthander DeMarcus Corley who used a counter right hook as his main weapon. Pacquiao, of course, is a southpaw who is much more experienced than Cotto with 19 more fights under his belt. Pacquiao’s record is 49-3-2, with 37 KOs. One of Cotto’s trademarks is his resiliency. In 2004, he made key defensive adjustments in stopping Kelson Pinto. Against Torres in 2005, Cotto sur-

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vived a second-round knockdown to win in the seventh. What may deter Cotto is the wear-and-tear factor. He has been involved in a lot more body-draining, bloody and gut-wrenching brawls than Pacquiao. Cotto went down twice in the Margarito fight and some experts insist he has never been the same since the horrifying defeat. He barely beat Joshua Clottey in his last assignment, winning by a split decision. He finished the fight with a deep cut in his left eyebrow which was also torn apart by Margarito. A downside to Cotto’s size advantage is he is clearly slower than Pacquiao, who, to the contrary, always relied on his speed and mobility to strike his target from all angles. Now, Cotto is easy to hit because he’s basically a plodder whose style of attack is marked by moving forward. The match is expected to be a humdinger with Cotto fighting for respect and Pacquiao battling to make boxing history as the first fighter ever to capture seven world titles in different divisions with his 50th career victory.