Looney, The Martian

Maganda
rin naman ang naidudulot ng pagiging prangka ni Senador Miriam
Defensor-Santiago. Ayon kay Santiago, marami ang tumatakbong Senador dahil sa
laki ng budget na ibinibigay sa kanila kada buwan.

Lumalabas na P35,000
suweldo nila kada buwan ay pakitang-tao lang sa milyun-milyong budget ng bawat
senador. Kada buwan ay may Fixed Monthly Budget ang bawat Senador ng
humigit-kumulang P2 Milyon.

Sa opisina pa lang nila ay humigit-kumulang
P500,000 and budget nila sa Maintenance and Operating Expenses (Rental,
Utilities, Supplies at Domestic Travels) at P500,000 para sa Staff at Personal
expenses. Kaya para makatipid ang ibang Senador, kaunti lang ang staff na
kinukuha nila. Nagtataka ka pa kung bakit mayroong mga Ghost Employee?

Bukod diyan, may P760,000 allowance pa sila kada buwan para naman sa
Foreign Travel. At ang masakit pa nito, hindi na kailngan i-liquidate ang mga
resibo ng mga gastusin ‘yan kundi Certification lang ang Requirement.  Heto
pa, lahat sila ay Chairman ng mg Komite sa Senado. Ang Committee Chairman ay
tumatanggap din ng budget na sinlaki ng tinatanggap ng mga Senador na
humigit-kumulang P1 Milyon din! Hindi sila mawawalan ng Komite dahil 24 lang ang
ating mga Senador at 37 naman ang Committee sa Senado.

There’s food for
everybody ‘ika nga! Lumalabas na doble ang kanilang benepesiyo at kita kapag
sila ay nabiyayaan ng Committee Chairmanship.  Sa P200 milyon na Budget
para sa Pork Barrel ng mga Senador bawat taon, awtomatikong may 10% na S.O.P. o
kita ng Senador na P20 milyon. Ito ang porsiyento na ibinibigay ng mga
kontratista sa mga Senador na nagbibigay sa kanila ng mga Infrastructure at
Livelihood Project.

Bago matapos ang termino ng isang Senador, kumita na
siya ng P100 milyon sa Pork Barrel pa lang. Yung ibang Senador mas gahaman,
hindi lang 10% kundi 20 - 30% ang komisyon hinihingi sa mga
kontratista.

Pansinin niyo na lang ang pagbabago ng buhay ng ilan sa ating mga
Senador simula nang manungkulan sa puwesto. Kung dati ay simple lang ang
kanilang pamumuhay ngayon ay nakatira na sila sa mga eksklusibong subdivision,
maraming bahay sa Pilipinas at abroad at mahigit lima ang sasakyan.

Ngayon nagtataka ka pa ba kung bakit gumagastos ng daan-daang milyong
piso ang mga Senador sa kampanya para sa isang posisyon na P35,000 lang ang
suweldo kada buwan? Bawing-bawi pala ang gastos kapag naupo na!

ANG SARAP
MAGING SENADOR ! ! !

PLEASE FORWARD TO AS MANY OF YOUR FRIENDS AND LET
THE WHOLE COUNTRY KNOW THAT ELECTION IS MORE OF PUTTING AMBITIOUS PEOPLE IN
POSITION WHO ARE GREEDY IN POWER, WEALTH & PRESTIGE THAN OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
ANG MASAKIT PA PERA NG BAYAN PARIN GAGAMITIN SA ELEKSYON MALUKLOK LANG ANG MGA
BUWAYA SA PWESTO

Source: nueva@verizon.net

    Today is our last day in OJT here in Apollo Technologies, Inc.  And I know that I will cherish whatever I’ve experienced here.  Its really a great experience to be a with great guys working together.
     I’ll probably miss the elevator, the doorstep and my PC.  I’ll miss almost everything here. And also, the friendship and the bond we had with the employees here.
     It’s a good thing for us students to undergo the OJT to be able to familiarize ourselves with the nature of work we will be dealing with when we enter the corporate world.
       In here, I learned to make Use Case for website, so as Site Map and Manual for the users to have an easy time using the system.  I also learned how to use the MS Visio which is a very big help for technically inclined people in making drawings, diagrams and technical reports.  I also got the time to explore and discover different techniques in blogging.  I was able to publish my own blog wherein I could say whatever I want prerogatively.  I also learned different techniques in image editing using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 which I liked the most.
        Well, that’s all folks!  Good luck for me and may God bless me to graduate this March. Oh, how I wish!

    It’s been 5 long years since I enter the simplest and the most basic structure of the government which is the Sangguniang Kabataan Council where I have been a Councilman or a Kagawad.  I had entered this with such a very ideal plans in mind by youth empowering the youth, believing in what our youth could do and giving them the chance to show the society what they have to uplift the whole community.  The experiences I had encountered here really tested my patience, understanding and even stamina.  Though, I am happy surpassing all those and not quitting.  We’ve been through ups and downs but we still hold on tight to what we promise to the people, giving them the best service they fully deserve. 
    I admit that I have also been amidst of breaking down, taking in all the scrutiny which was allegedly involving the whole council.  I know that some people and even our constituents knows what were really happening inside the Council.  But this I say, I am waiving that all the Councilman we0re really doing their very best to pursue what they ought to be doing.  We were in our position right now by the mandate of the people, nothing more and nothing less. 
    And I also admit, that I still have the passion of continuing the things that I have already done.  People around me are talking about me taking on a higher venture in my "political carer".  They assured me of their support if ever I’ll be running for Barangay Kagawad.  But for me, I am taking my time thinking on what I really wanna do, and I’m not yet closing my doors about that.  And there’s also something within me telling me to pursue it.
    I’m now an incoming 5th year Computer Engineering student in PUP,  my last year to spend in school.   And this October will be the Local election, where the Barangay subordinates will choose their leaders.
    Well, I’m just taking my time praying and letting the God’s will to prevail.   

COMELEC
COUNT

Partial and Unofficial as of 11:45 a.m., May 21, 2007

NAMFREL
QUICK COUNT

Partial
and Unofficial as  of 8:40 a.m., May 21, 2007

                                             Source:

        Getting
myself teary eye in this early morn!  No kidding!  Tears just fell
from my eye, not knowing the reason, until I realize what is goin’ on me!
Its weird but I can’t help myself crying in this very obvious yet tolerated way
of canvassing the electoral votes.

        I just heard last
night that Team Unity is leading and getting the top 12 senatorial slots in Mindanao.  Getting 12-0?  I just could not
imagine not a single candidate from the Genuine Opposition or other parties or
even independents did not traverse this line-up.  How come they got
that?  Not even in the history of the country, as far as my knowledge is
concern, a complete line-up of a particular party won in the election.  It
even sounds funnier if this counting will be the COMELEC’s basis.

        It also came to my
knowledge that all independent groups and media that conduct canvassing have
nearly the same results, coinciding each.  But the Team Unity is having
their own canvassing and turns out that they are leading.  And they attest
that their counting is the most reliable and credible.  Oh common!
They also admitted that they first canvassed the ballots from certain
provinces.  I just hope that they did not prioritize those provinces where
they utilized their so called machinery.  How I hope.

        Don’t we get
it?  Look! We’ve been in the same
season many times and it looks like we did not learn any lesson then.

        The TU admitted
themselves that it is hard for them to win here in the Metro. Hindi
raw nila balwarte ang Metro Manila. Or should they say “the people in Metro Manila are intelligent
enough not to be bribed or paid for”.  The people in Metro Manila
already learned their lessons and it’s quite obvious. What these people are fighting for is for the
whole country and the fellow countrymen.

      I am appealing to
those to our fellow Filipinos, especially those who lived in the
provinces. We, the people here in the Metro, are doing
our best and vote for the right ones. But what the people in the
provinces are doing? They rampantly sell their votes for a day’s
meal, not realizing the long term effect of these not only for
themselves but
the whole Filipino nation.  When are we
going to be mature? Huh! Now, let’s
see. And may you face the consequences
afterwards!

        What a Society we
have!

    Katatapos lamang kahapon ng araw ng halalan .  Ang araw na pinakahihintay nating mga Pilipino upang mapakinggan muli ang tunay nating tinig.  Ngunit tunay nga bang napakikinggan tayo at tunay bang nagwawagi ang syang tunay at lehitimong binoto ng mga tao?

    Kahapon, nanood ako sa telebisyon na nasa ABS-CBN Channel 2.  Pinanood ko ang Live na pagtutok ng ABS-CBN News and Public Affairs sa mg pinakasariwang balita ukol sa eleksyon.  Sa aking panonood, isang salita ang tumatak sa aking isipan.  "Bakit ang mga pulitiko ay willing pumatay at mandaya, makapaglingkod lamang sa bayan? ", ani Ted Failon.  Mga salitang nakakatawa ngunit, totoo at nakakapanlulumo kung iisipin.

    Kahapon na rin sinimulan ang pagbibilang ng mga balota sa bawat presinto.  Gumanap ako bilang poll watcher isang lokal na kandidato sa aming distrito.  Mayroong 214 na rehistradong botante sa dalawang presinto sa silid-aralan kung saan ako naatasang magmatyag (cluster daw ang tawag dito, pinagsama sa iisang silid-aralan ang dalawang presinto).  Ngunit 126 lamang ang bumoto o 58.87 porsyento ng kabuuang bilang. May kani-kaniya silang mga dahilan, marahil na sumasalamin kung gaano hindi nagugustuhan ng mga tao ang pulitika ng bansa.

    Sa presinto pa lang namin, nangunguna na ng malaking agwat ang mga pambato ng Oposisyon na pinangungunahan ni Chiz Escudero na sinundan ni Loren Legarda at iba pa.  Sa kabuuan, 8 ang pumasok sa Oposisyon, 2 sa Administrasyon, at 2 Independent.  Ganoon din ang kinalabasan sa ibang mga presinto, bagaman hindi na ako nagtataka sa bagay na ito. Natutuwa rin ako dahil isa lamang sa mga binoto kong kandidato sa pagka-senador ang hindi nakapasok sa unang 12.

    Pag-uwi ko ng mga alas-11 ng gabi, nakita ko na nagsisimula na rin ang bilangan na ginagawa ng ABS-CBN at ng GMA at kapwa parehas ang lumalabas na resulta, 8-2-2.  Nasabi ko sa sarili ko "Ewan ko na lang kung di pa manalo ang Oposisyon o mas marami ang pumasok sa Administrasyon."

    Naalala ko tuloy ang mga salitang palaging sinasabi ng kampo ng Administrasyon na mas may tyansa silang magwagi gamit ang kanilang makinarya. Di ko alam ang ibig sabihin nito sa simula, ngunit para sa mga ordinaryong tao, mukhang magkakadayaan na naman.  Ang makinarya kasi na tinutukoy ay napaka salimuot kung iisipin at kinakailangan pang ipaliwanag.

   Natatakot ako na baka masayang lang ang botong pinag-isipan ko, ang paghihirap ng mga taong nagbibilang ng boto, sa dilim man o sa lupa, maitala lamang ang saktong boto at ang tiwala ng mga tao sa mga kandidatong kanilang binoto.  Di biro ang ginagawa ng bawat taong nagsasakripisyo ukol sa bagay na ito at saksi ako rito.

    Natatakot ako na mabalewala ang mga adhikain ng mga taong nararapat sa pwestong ninakaw ng iba.  Natatakot ako!

    Sana lamang ay maging makatotohanan ang resulta ng ginagawang bilangan.  Dahil di ko gugustuhing sumunod sa pinunong hindi tunay na hinalal ng mas nakararaming Pilipino.

     I just want to stress my points and personal standards in choosing the right persons to have a seat on different positions in our government. I want to inform everyone that whatever I wrote in this was based mostly on my personal thoughts and the things that I’ve learned from my early schooling.

     The Philippine State is divided into three branches: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch and the Judiciary Branch.

    
The main responsibility of the executive branch, from the word itself, is to execute or implement different infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects to be utilized by their respective subordinates and the development of the whole society.  This branch serves as the front liner of the government in implementation of visible projects and endeavors. That’s why we should go for someone who we know could be should’ve been implementing the pursuits serving the interests of the people.

     The executive branch is composed of the president of the republic, which is the head of the branch, the governor, vice-governor, provincial board members, mayors, vice-mayors, councilors, up to he barangay level officials.

    On the other hand, the legislative branch’s main function is to make and amend laws which they think could help in the republic’s development and to investigate for special concerns. They are not tasked to implement projects but they are given the so-called “pork barrel” to at least manage to satisfy their constituents through projects.

    This branch is further divided into two divisions. The lower house or the Congress is headed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives ad composed of the district representatives. While the upper house or the senate is lead by the Senate President and composed of the Senators. The lower house is into creating laws and policies to be approved by the upper house.

     The Judiciary branch is tasked to exercise and practice the laws and policies as approved by the legislative branch. They are the watchdog which sees to it that all are equal and no one is above the rule of law.

     The branch is headed by the Supreme Court Justice hand in hand with the Justice Secretary and consists of the Justices.

     With this in mind, I did come up with a roster of standards to consider in electing a government official:

• He/she should have earned integrity and credibility. Meaning, he/she have gained the trust and respect of the people and a believable and undoubtful image and personality. The candidate’s name shouldn’t also be involved in any controversies and anomalies. Moreover, he/she should’ve established a stand on every issue concerning the society to prove his/her determination.
• He/she should have attained the right educational level. How can a public servant talk about finishing school if he hasn’t finished his? This may sound degrading but we still have to keep in mind that they are to deal with people from different walks of life and they should be able to handle such circumstances. And it may influence the youth further to that dreams could be fulfilled even without college diploma.
• He/she should also have a rightful lifestyle with a stable family structure and background. Public officials are the role models of the society. Enough said.
• He/she should also have gathered upright and enough experiences which will serve as his/her stepping stone in entering politics. This means that they should have background on what they are entering for them not to be overwhelmed by the nature of work they might be dealing with.

     Much has been said, again, this is my personal thoughts only. I just want to speak out on how a public figure should be chosen because our pubic officials serve as our representatives in the government.

     Good luck for us Filipinos for weaving another chapter in the country’s history. May the people who are truthfully chosen by our fellowmen prevail and may God bless all of us to vote for the right person and may his will would prevail.

    Malaking bahagi ng kasalukuyang  populasyon sa Kalakhang Maynila ay nasa "below poverty line" o yung tinatawag na nasa "underground economy" at karaniwang nakatira ang mga ito sa mga lupaing hindi nila pag-aari o yung tinatawag na "depressed areas".  Dito  masasalamin kung gaano na kalala ang kahirapan sa bansa na siyang tinuturong pinag-ugatan ng iba pang mga suliraning kinakaharap ng ating lipunan.

    Sariwa pa sa aking isipan ang unang halalan na aking natunghayan nang ako ay bata pa.  Sa mura kong isipan, nasilayan ko ang isang kampanyang aakalain mong piyesta sa kapal ng mga taong nakikisalamuha sa mga kumakandidato sa iba’t ibang posisyon sa pamahalaan.  Animo’y walang mga problemang kinakaharap ang bawat taong naroroon at puro kaginhawaan ang tinatamasa sa buhay.  Noongg araw ng halalan, bilang isang paslit noong panahon na iyon, namimigay ako ng polyeto sa bawat botanteng dumaraan sa aking harapan sa kadahilanang di ko alam.  Marahil ay nakikisabay lamang ako sa aking mga kaibigan na tila nakikisama lang din sa panahon ng eleksyon.  Nabasa ko sa mga polyetong iyon ang mga magiging  sagot raw sa lumalalang suliranin ng lipunang ito sa kahirapan.  Wala pa iyon para sa akin noong mga panahon na iyon.  Hindi ko inakala na ang mga salitang iyon mismo ang mamumutawi sa aking mga labi sa hinaharap.

    Sa kasalukuyan ay isa akong  Kagawad ng Sangguniang Kabataan sa aming barangay.  Sa murang edad, pinasok ko ang isang mundong ibang iba sa mundong ginagalawan ng mga pangkaraniwang kabataang tulad ko.  Dito ko naranasan at natunghayan ang tunay na pulitikang umiiral sa ating lipunan.  Isang pulitikang nangangailangan ng agarang solusyon bilang paghahanda sa mga susunod pang mga henerasyon na susumpong dito.  Sa kabilang banda, humaharap din ito sa mga suliraning tila bahagi na ng ating lipunan.  Ngunit, sino nga ba ang puno’t dulo nito?  Ang ating mga ninuno o ang mga pulitiko sa kasalukuyan?                                    
    

    Matutunghayan sa kasaysayan ng bansa ang mga pagsisikap at pagpupunyagi ng ating mga kapwa Pilipinong nagsipagtanggol sa lipunan ng bansa.  Marahil ay hindi rin gaano katatag ang pulitikang binalangkas ng ating mga ninuno noong panahon na iyon.  Maaaring ito lamang ang nakikita nilang pinakamainam na gawin sa uri ng pulitikang kanilang hinarap.  Sa huli, hindi natin sila maaaring husgahan dahil wala tayo sa kanilang kalagayan at panahon upang magdesisyon sa mga bagay bagay.   

    Mataas ang tingin nating mga Pilipino sa mga pulitikong nangangasiwa sa ating pamahalaan.  Tinuturing natin silang salamin at sandigan ng lipunang kanilang pinaglilingkuran.  Ang mga pulitikong atin mismong hinalal ang siyang madalas nating sisihin sa mga bagay na bumabagabag sa atin.  Marahil, totoo ito para sa iba, ngunit sa pangkalahatan, ginagawa lamang nila ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya upang tugunan ang pangangailangan ng kanilang mga sinasakupan sa pinakamabuting paraan na kanilang naiisip.

    Ngayon, sino nga ba ang dapat sisihin?

    Madalas nating sinisisi ang ibang tao sa mga problemang ating dinaranas.  Ngunit, hindi natin magawang ibunton ang sisi sa atin mismong sarili.  Kung sa bagay, tayo ang gumagawa ng buhay natin.  Tayo mismo ang may gawa kung bakit tayo nasasadlak sa kahirapan.  Marahil ay kulang pa ang ating pagsisikap sa buhay, kulang pa ang ating pagtitipid sa ating mga pangangailangan, kulang pa ang positibong pananaw sa mga bagay bagay, at kulang pa ang ating pananalig sa Diyos.

    Huwag natin isisi sa iba ang kasawian natin sa buhay.  Maaaring ang iba nga ang dahilan, ngunit nasa atin din kung hahayaan nating mangyari iyon dahil tayo ang may kontrol sa sarili nating buhay.  Lagi rin natin isipin na hindi sapat na wala tayong ginagawang mali bagkus, kailangang may kaakibat rin itong gawaing tama.

    Pasasaan ba’t darating din ang panahon na ang lipunang nadungisan ay babalik sa dati nitong pagiging busilak.  Lamang, kung tayo’y magsisikap at magpupunyagi na mabago ang nakasanayan na nating uri ng lipunan.

    Sana lang ay malapit na ito. Sana lang!

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, 1961

Funny how
simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to
hell.

Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what
God thinks of me. (Are you thinking?)

        What
good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can
such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily
food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well
fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the
same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

                
                
                
                
-James 2:14-17

    We are now on the latter part of this electoral period.  We are to choose the leaders which we think will serve our interests most.  For once every three years, we are given the chance to speak up on what we think we should do for the common good. 
    We should not blame those people who run for office.  Who knows? Those called "nuisance" may be the only hope of this kind of politics we have in the country.  This is only the manifestation of how dissatisfied the people are in the ruling policies in this country.  We should not judge and blame them in this regard.
    As a concerned citizen and youth of the country, I am stressing on everyone to vote for the right persons doing the right things right. No more, no less. Let’s vote for people having the genuine agenda of helping the country.   And for the generation ahead, please prepare the Philippines to be the Philippines as it used to be.
    In this, we should be vigilant in observing the electoral process since different circumstances may rise.  We should defend the mandate of the people so that the true leader will prevail.  Anyway, this is the only thing where we, Filipinos, are equal in all respects.  And lets educate each one of us to do whatever it takes to defend the democracy that our heroes fought for, for the past century. 
    And, we should also remember, that the vote of an educated one is as good as the vote of an uneducated one.

Article V; Section 1 of the 
THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 

Suffrage may be exercised
by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law,
who
are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the
Philippines
for at least one year, and in the place wherein they propose to vote,
for
at least six months immediately preceding the election. No literacy,
property,
or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of
suffrage.