Exam Time!!!

Today marks the beginning of a very, very brain damaging week as the prelude to the midterm week begins with a series of last minute exams from many of my classes. I need to not sleep!

The Irony that is CBCP: Bishop Villegas and Hypocrisy

If there is one thing that the Catholic Church has consistently done in history is that it has always been inconsistent - morally and otherwise. So it was not a surprise to me that Bishop Villegas has recently been reported chastising Filipinos about their penchant for requesting monetary help, really demands, from politicians, which in Bishop Villegas' mind, has contributed to the misuse of the so called "Priority Development Assistance Fund" or commonly known as "Pork Barrel." For the record, I actually agre on Bishop Villegas on that one.

For context though, let us be reminded that the Church itself has been no less immune from such beggary he so adamantly preaches about. During the tenure of President Gloria Arroyo, the Catholic Church in fact asked for "vehicles" from the government in the guise of using them for outreach activities. And yeah, the vehicles were not just vehicles, they were expensive "sport utility vehicles."

Bishop Villegas adds: “But before we rush to pass judgment on our legislators who avail of the pork barrel, it would be opportune for us citizens to search our souls and ask “What have I done to contribute to this?” 

Really? This history of the Catholic Church in the Philippines is a history of Church collusion with secular authorities - UP TO NOW. To the uninitiated, Spain ruled the Philippines for over 350 years, what everyone does not know is that Spain actually outsourced the management of most of the Philippine Islands to Catholic religious orders like the Jesuits, Augustinians and Franciscans among others. Everywhere in Christianized Philippines, the Catholic Church always occupied a prominent role in any town. Take for example the veritable fact that in every Filipino town or barrio, a church was always at the center. In Spanish times, the Church was actually the head mistress of the Islands. Nothing really could be done if the local Catholic priest was not amenable to the same.

If anything, the dispossession of lands of Filipinos was in fact due to the Catholic Church. Everytime the Catholic Church expanded itself, it would require the residents of a locality to relocate their houses around the church, leaving their ricefields to nature. Once the land has been vacated, the Church would expropriate them for itself. WHY DO YOU THINK THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES OWNS VAST TRACTS OF LANDS? It is said that two-thirds of the land in and around Manila is actually owned by the Catholic Church through its religious orders.

Again, Bishop Villegas continues: “We in Church can contribute to the corruption by grabbing a piece of the pie through our solicitation from government officials—from candles to basketball uniforms to bags of cement to government bulldozers. We tempt the public officials to get money from jueteng or the pork barrel in order to accommodate us. Walang hihingi.”

Bishop Villegas is again forgetting that the Church represents the very essence of corruption. And it's history will explain itself. I do not need to dwell on that. The point here is, the church is much a symbol of corruption as it is trying to paint itself as the "champion of the poor." Geez, if only it were slightly true.

Walang hihingi? But the church has always preyed on the Filipino mind and wallet. It was always colluded with despicably corrupt politician's while its churches were filled with shimmering flasks of gold cups, candelabras and fancy ornaments cloaked under the banner of religion!

One thing that really got my ears burning is when Bishop Villegas retorted that: “When we are less than transparent in our accounting, we hurt the truth. Ang sinungaling ay kapatid ng magnanakaw.”

Transparent? Has the church ever been transparent for example about its finances? Does it make it's expenditures known? Indeed, it has always at most kept silent about it's wealth. In fact, it has kept it's investments in various corporations secret to the point of suspiciousness. Check for example the Vatican Bank's dubious history in international finance and one will get the point.

Finally, the article ends with Bishop Villegas' words “Man does not live on bread alone, the good Lord taught us; but man does not need pork to go with bread.” Funny, because Catholic churches are not content with less than sparkling, sometimes gold plated, stone encrusted chalices to go along with their ornate priestly vestments. Yeah Bishop Villegas, "Man does indeed not live on bread alone," but tell that to the millions of Filipinos who wallow in abject poverty and grinding starvation!

What is so preposterous about Bishop Villegas' words is that they are so reflective of the church's moral ambiguity, preachy about morals and ethics but replete among its ranks with corruption - married priests, pedophile priests, refusal to admit women to the priesthood etc. etc. etc. Not to mention obscenely wealthy religious orders, pedophile protecting Bishops and the list continues.

Bishop Villegas, please, reform your church first and maybe, just maybe, you will gain a modicum of authority when speaking about the ills of the world.

Desmunt Tutu: Crusader for LGBT Rights

Desmund Tutu is for me one of the enlightened religious leaders of our time. Recently, he has brought to light the plight of homosexuals in Africa when he said that he would rather go to hell than to a homophobic heaven. In response, a Catholic blogger retorted that first and foremost, homosexuality is against natural law. Let me get to the definition of natural law, according to dictionary.com, natural law is "a principle or body of laws considered as derived from nature, right reason, or religion and as ethically binding in human society." It further adds, natural law is also "an ethical belief or system of beliefs supposed to be inherent in human nature and discoverable by reason rather than revelation" and finally, it can also mean "the philosophical doctrine that the authority of the legal system or of certain laws derives from their justifiability by reason, and indeed that a legal system which cannot be so justified has no authority."

It can be gleaned therefore that there are many definitions of natural law, it seems that natural law is not only a belief system, it is also a philosophy, hence, it cannot be said that it is a scientific fact in the conventional sense of the word. Besides, the definition of Lisa Graas of natural law is not just the definition of natural law as shared by all religions, but more specifically, it is a definition as taught by the Catholic Church. Hence, it can be given no more credence than one subscribed to by a Muslim or a Hindu or a Jew or even an animist. To insinuate that natural law as defined by the Catholic Church, which decries homosexuality as a sin, is like saying that all other religious traditions are wrong if they define natural law otherwise. 

Lisa Graas pretends to lend a credible tinge of truth to her post by saying that to reject homosexuality is right and proper as it blends well with the natural order of things. Really? Science has proven that homosexuality is prevalent in the animal kingdom, in the same way that masturbation is prevalent even among insects. So yes, homosexuality is not against nature, if it were, it wouldn't have occurred in the first place. What is unnatural is the Catholic teaching on forced celibacy for priests, that is unnatural. What is unnatural and certainly against reason is when dogma is given credit to determine and condemn people for simply being the way they are. Remember, the Catholic Church is no credible institution to dictate on matters of morals, indeed, it is complicit in many immoral, inhuman and plainly brutal murder episodes in its violent history - think the Inquisition!

And Lisa Graas, even the so-called Catholic teaching on monogamy is arcane and is not shared by all animals. Science has taught us that in an overwhelming majority of animals, monogamy is NOT the norm. Of course we see animals that mate for life like the Jack ass penguins of South Africa, but they are actually the natural minority.

What Ms. Graas refers to as natural is a misnomer, it simply means what is natural law as defined and codified by the Catholic Church. And please, even if the homosexual debate tilts in favor of the LGBT community, your right to free speech will not be impaired as most LGBT's are actually humanists in the broad sense of the world. They are humanists because of the experience of brutality and shame heaped upon them by the likes of religious people like yourself. I have seen young people disowned, humiliated and ostracized no less by their own families because they do not fit, as you say, the "natural law" order of things. 

Your claims of the death of free speech if your one-sided, Catholic medieval beliefs on homosexuality are not sustained by modern, rational thinking man will cause the curtailment of your freedom to speak your discriminatory inclinations is just too conspiratorial, even to conspiracy prone netizens like myself. Please, we are in the twenty-first century, a time in our human history were knowledge is more open, more dynamic, more comprehensive than it ever was in the history of humanity. Open yourself up, if you believe that homosexuals will go to your own eternal version of the holocaust, that is your right, but to say that homosexuals are unnatural aberrations is like saying that Down's SYNDROME children will go to hell simply because they do not have the mental faculties to tackle the Bible. Please, please, read more, and read intently. Do not just dwell on your Catholic beliefs, beliefs that over the centuries were proven to be brutal, inhuman and plainly immoral. 

If anything, Desmund Tutu is a great humanist. Although brought in the tradition of the Abrahamic faiths, he has the common sense to say that if indeed there is a just God, they why the hell did he make homosexuals in the first place if by doing so they will just end up, in your words, in hell for their immoral acts? Is that the actions of a rational, reasonable, not to mention fair and loving God you are so adamantly committed to? 

And oh, just because Tutu was not ordained under the Holy Orders of the Catholic Church does not make his statements regarding a so-called god any less credible, by what reasonable assumption has any church or religion exclusive and unilateral authority to claim it speaks for and in behalf of an entity that for all intents and purposes, has never even been proven to conclusively exist?

Religious fanatics and dogmatists, they never fail to amuse me.  

The Medieval Thinking of the Anti-RH Advocates

If there is one article that captures the absurdity, rapacity and plain anachronism of the Anti-RH camps' position as evidenced by the arguments presented by its primary counsels Francisco Tatad, Maria Concepcion Noche and Luisito Liban, this one practically captures it all. From Tatad's likening the RH law to genocide (for all his years as a noted lawyer and senator, he seems to have forgotten the definition of what genocide is) to Noche's blatant disregard for women's health to Liban's misplaced application, understanding and use of the phrase "equal protection clause." It seems that the anti-RH camp is really on it's last vestiges of presenting remotely reasonable, scientifically sound and logically tenable arguments against R.A. 10354.

The arguments presented by Tatad, Noche and Liban were all devoid of even an iota of educated credibility, full of non-sensical non sequiturs and is basically rooted and fundamentally based upon nothing, yes nothing else but the continued upholding of the Catholic Church's delusions of reality, it's historically proven insistence on its own way and it's perpetual fetish to control the lives, the thinking and the genitalia of its adherents. Philippines is slowly but steadily moving out of its shadow of repressed thoughts and feelings and its own self-created world of ideals that it itself cannot even relate to.

The anti-RH camps' arguments represent the spasms of a dying cause, the detritus of the steady decline of the Catholic Church's influence and dominion over the Filipino mind and the last attempt by a landed, obscenely wealthy, morally dubious, and intellectually petrified state of the Philippine Catholic Church.

It is frustratingly slow but cathartic that many Filipino's no longer subscribe, hook, line and sinker to the tantrums of the Catholic Church, a church who has grown wealthy in the Philippines at the expense of the Filipino people, and continues to pauperize the latter in its utopian, theocratic principles that in many causes hinder the economic ad social upliftment of the Filipino nation.

The Eternal Conundrum that is Palestine

Natan Sachs recently wrote an article on Foreign Policy about the potential failure of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how the West should prepare for it. Palestine is like humanity's collective affliction, a cancer I dare say that has shadowed man as far back as Palestine was first inhabited.

I share the sentiments of Sachs that indeed, the Israeli-Palestinian problem will never truly be solved in any conventional way. The problem will be there, like an incurable ailment that festers but can be controlled. For one, the Palestinians are fractious, fragmented and disorganized. It is also divided between the secular leaning Palestinian Authority controlled by member's of Yasser Arafat's Fatah Party that controls the West Bank and the right-wing Islamist Hamas organization that controls the Gaza Strip. The single best stumbling block in negotiating with the Palestinians is that you can't really negotiate without the participation and approval of either of the two power structures that control the political and social life of Palestinians, Hamas and Fatah. Either one can derail the functionality of any negotiated settlement conducted with either power group but disapproved by the other.

In addition, the Palestinian populace itself is susceptible to manipulation by religious leaders who most often stir the commission of violence under various pretexts and excuses. Unless the Palestinians establish a credible, representative and secular body that really represents the broad swath of the Palestinian population, then there can be body in which Israel can effectively negotiate with in the first place - negating any plans for peace.

The Palestinian population must therefore opt for a secular society managed and run by secularists and pragmatists, not religious bigots and fanatics who believe only in the righteousness of their cause. Such fanatical organizations are really impossible to talk to as they have already set their minds on certain matters. Because they are guided by religious fervor, there is really no chance for an open, mature and responsible negotiations with them.

Israel will never be secure without the West Bank under it's control. The West Bank is a strategic survival piece of land that Israel can never truly give up, yes, not really. Without the West Bank, Israel is physically vulnerable to being cut off from it's northern and southern regions. The West Bank is critical if Israel is to survive in any future surprise attack from the Arab world - and there will always be that possibility, always!

Israel therefore must live with a permanent readiness. It cannot do otherwise if it is to maintain its existence as a nation, a state and a country. The real threat to Israel therefore is the creeping power and influence of the Hasidic Jews, who benefit from Israel's existence yet shy away from contributing meaningfully to its upkeep, such as their refusal to render military service, engage in meaningful employment and of course, pay taxes.

As long as Israel remains a secular Jewish state, then it can and it will survive in an Arab sea. The West Bank must forever be controllable by Israel, and to ensure it can be done, the settlements must stay. It really  has no choice. There will always be segments of the Palestinian populace who will never accept Israel, and for that, Israel must guard itself against complacency and somnolence.

Train Crash in Spain

The Tragic loss of life in a Spanish train crash is shocking to say the least. At least 80 people are said to have died in the July 25 crash and my condolences to the families and friends of those who perished and to the survivors my best wishes for a fast and full recovery.

Why the Anti-RH Camp is loosing its Battle for a Coherent Argument

Yesterday showed again why the Anti-RH camp is really, seriously loosing it's case against the Pro-RH advocates as it becomes clearly apparent without doubt that it's opposition is essentially rooted in its quest to uphold Catholic precepts on family planning, nothing else. For one, Atty. Luisito Liban, the lone Anti-RH lawyer who spoke in yesterday's argument against the lifting of the TRO on R.A. 10354's implementation, argued that the law is 80% about contraception and asserted that by making  sex education mandatory in public schools, the government is discriminating against (I assume) Catholics.

First things first, by what measure is R.A. 10354 about contraception? And even if it were about contraception, how could it be contravening the constitution? I do not know why Atty. Liban is saying that the RH law is more about contraception, indeed, reproductive health is about contraception, as it is the crux of the matter, you cannot discuss family planning without contraception, for indeed it includes both artificial and natural just as one cannot discuss about war without talking about the army or weapons for that matter. It is as if by saying that R.A. 10354 is about contraception that contraception in and of itself is already bad, for if that were the case, then even natural contraception is bad. But of course, the Catholic Church sanctions natural methods of family planning as the only acceptable method of family planning. So I am lost as to Atty. Liban's implied repugnance of contraception itself.

Second, R.A. 10354 can never be against the 1987 constitution as it does not force the Filipino family, impliedly or otherwise, to follow only, and only one approved family planning method, nor indeed does it require in any conceivable way the Filipino family or couples to use artificial family planning. I think Atty. Liban does not even truly understand what R.A. 10354 says on this matter, Section 2, paragraph a of R.A. 10354 says to wit: "The State shall defend: The right of spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood." As if this is not enough, the same law adds in Sec. 3, paragraph h, "The state shall respect individual's preferences and choice of family planning methods that are in accordance with their religious convictions and cultural beliefs, taking into consideration the State's obligations under various human rights instruments."

And speaking of "various human rights instruments" to which the Philippines is a signatory, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the United Nations, under Art. 6 mandates the protection of life by decreasing infant mortality, maternal mortality and access to adequate health care services for pregnant women. R.A. 10354 is anything but for the promotion of a dignified and respectable life for the Filipino family by ensuring that women and couples are given adequate access to credible reproductive health services. The insistence of the Anti-RH camp on an almost apocalyptic, conspiratorial modus for the RH law's enactment speaks only of one thing - these people are really fighting for no one and nothing but the entrenchment of Catholic medieval teachings and ideologies regardless of evidence to support the need for the RH law.

It is obscene and hypocritical, to say the least, that the Philippines is held hostage to the retrograde ideologies of a historically morally dubious church, who not only killed thousands during the Inquisition for merely speaking an alternative opinion about reality, but has consistently shown to disregard the findings of science that does not fit well with its self-created interpretation of reality.

Article Review: The Pagan Origins of Christianity

Although this article is not a scholarly one, what with the missing author's name as well as the blank source under the heading "source," there is actually a reasonable truth in the ideas propounded by said article. For one, a cursory historical reading of the history of Christianity will reveal the influence of various cultures that preceded it. For one, the first five books of the Bible, known as the "Pentateuch" was practically lifted, hook, line and sinker from the Jewish Torah! So there, anyone claiming otherwise is just deluding himself.

Christianity was never an original religion. It has always been and continues to be influenced by various cultures, religious or otherwise, in the development of its ideologies, dogmas and external manifestations. The Catholic "chasuble," worn as the external garment of priests when celebrating religious activities, especially the mass, was lifted from the Roman toga, once a culture that exerted negative pressures on early Christians, but, as explained by the book "The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented the Story of Martyrdom" by Candida Moss, was with, in many cases, with due cause and many such reactions were in fact provoked by the fanatical and deathly propensity of early Christians to be martyred anyway (think suicide bombers of today) but which eventually adopted Christianity as a state religion. The rest is history.

Christopher Hitchen's best described the chronic theft of other religious traditions by Christianity, and not giving due credit for them, when he wrote in his famous book "God is not Great" that "monotheistic religion" and I might add, the Abrahamic faiths,  are "a plagiarism of a plagiarism of a hearsay of a hearsay, of an illusion of an illusion, extending all the way back to a fabrication of a few nonevents." Such words captures in so unholy yet true fashion the radical contradictions of Christianity in its claims of originality.

Nevertheless, the article captures the essential tidbits of the origins of Christianity, denied by Christians but clearly and reasonably confirmed by the evidences of history that its claims of originality are mere loose canons, mere loud but empty assertions from the days when Christianity claimed for itself the sole repository of truth, truth it built to legitimize itself amidst a tumultuous first century milieu.

SONA 2013: The Linguistic Perspective

Watching yesterday's SONA was a treat to the ears, at least from a linguistic perspective. I have always liked to listen to President PNOY's SONA speeches, strange as it may seem since very few politicians' speaking skills are even remotely delivered interestingly - at least for me.

For the first time in Philippine Presidential history, a Filipino president delivers his annual speeches almost entirely in flawless, fluent, simple, understandable and very accessible Filipino. Truly a first, and truly very Filipino. I have never in my wildest imagination considered even by any degree of interest that President PNOY can capture his audience in such ear soothing manner a speech delivered in conversational Filipino. Not only is President PNOY adept at using the Filipino language, he has made it also modern, simple yet comprehensive, devoid of superflousity common among presidential speeches delivered in English (and all previous presidents delivered their SONA almost entirely in English or a combination thereof with Filipino), as if by using English the speech itself attains a certain degree of integrity and professionalism.

Kudos to President PNOY for promoting the Filipino language, for empowering a language derided by some Filipinos and for communicating directly with the Filipino people in a language truly by the Filipino!

Norwegian Woman Raped in Dubai: Victim Gets the Boot!!!

If there is one region in the world that is externally Western looking but essentially Medieval in mindset is the Middle East. If only they did not have that dastardly oil, they would in fact be nothing in this world.

And so it goes that quintessentially familiar and horrifying story about a woman who is raped, goes to the police to report the incident and someone is swiftly charged and imprisoned, only that in this region, it's the VICTIM that has the misfortune, twice I should say, of being physically raped by someone and humiliatingly punished for being a victim by authorities.

Just read about this hapless Norwegian woman who is raped in a hotel room, reports the incident, advised by the police to say it was voluntary, complies with such advice and gets an additional charge of making false testimony! WHAT THE HELL!!!

Frankly, my fellow Filipino's working in the Middle East is no stranger to this scenario, luckily, the woman is a Norwegian and will probably get better results than Filipinos who suffer the same fate, needless to say, European or Filipino, there is something awfully brutal about Middle Eastern ideology, and that is, it's institutionalized misogyny, no less aggravated by Islam, a religion that is for all intents and purposes, biased against women, homosexuals and non-Muslims.

For all it's material progress, Dubai is no different than say, Afghanistan or Pakistan. It's much hyped openness is nothing but a false veneer displayed to attract Western capital and ingenuity. Fundamentally, Dubai bereft of its towering skyscrapers, like most of the Middle East and most Muslim majority countries,  is just Medieval Europe transplanted in the 21st century.

It's really a shame, a shocking scandal to modern conscience, that such inhumanity, misogyny and gross human rights violations are perpetrated in a so-called modern, capitalist, and "open" city as Dubai bills itself. And if this happens in Dubai, I can only imagine what victims of rape, both male and female, will further suffer in other parts of the Middle East less wealthy, less "open", less cosmopolitan than Dubai. Tragic....

Mars: A History of Harshness

A very exciting finding with regards to Mars inhospitable conditions was recently reported by CNN and concludes that Mars has been basically unchanged in the last 4 billion years. In other words, the planet we now know as Mars was basically in that condition for that much long.

The rover Curiosity is still very much in its early life in Mars and who knows what secrets it will reveal in the coming months and years. One thing is for sure, humanity will be in to a lot of surprises as Curiosity explores the Red Planet. One reason why science is such an exciting endeavor, and is without a doubt one of man's greatest innovations.

The North Korean Ship Imbroglio

By now every foreign policy aficionado has heard of the Chong Chon Gang, a DPRK emblazoned cargo ship that was seized in Panama for transporting missiles and helicopters. Pundits argue that this was the most hairbrained exercise in illegal transport of contraband, being that the ships smokestack was painted with DPRK's national flag. It's like a serial killer wearing a shirt saying "I love to Kill!"

FP contributor Elias Groll asserts that this is probably a rushed job, something that was planned in a very short period of time, hence the gross lapses in sublimity. But hold on, maybe this is just a diversionary tactic, something the DPRK did to distract attention while something more important is getting shipped right now to North Korea. By obviously letting this ship get caught, the North Koreans are betting that the world's attention will be momentarily shifted long enough for the really crucial cargo to slip away the world's prying eyes, maybe one now did actually slip away and is making way to the waters of Southeast Asia, eventually sailing to port in North Korea.

With the paranoid, almost delusional regime of the North constantly trying to evade restrictions imposed by the U.S., this is something that is more than just simple stupidity, as it undoubtedly is, but then again, nothing is plain and simple with the North, so the world should neither look at this incident with a "got you" bravado but instead ponder as to whether there could be more than this - as most likely it is.

Elections, What is it?

Tomorrow a new set of officers for our school student body will be conducting their miting de avance. Such is the occasion where candidates sell themselves to the voting populace, square off with candidates from other parties, and display their oratorical skills, or lack thereof.

Frankly, elections in the Philippines, be it in the school level or at the national-local scene, is replete with the same themes: the importance of money, the importance of more money, and the power of money. And so it is that elections become a platform where wealth is displayed, powerlessness is magnified and personal connections are glaringly shown its importance. Issues and platforms are mere anecdotes, important only in so far as it adds media mileage. The talk is the purse, the rest comes to line behind it.

On the other hand, the electorate is essentially indifferent, practically a witness to a spectacle of gladiatorial displays of sophistry, sarcasm, hilarity, reminiscent of a noon time daily show, except this time its a prolonged orgy of entertainment, money and sweet nothings. The electorate is there to be wooed, swooned, caressed and later on, practically abandoned, a mere relic of the rise to power.

There is a bittersweet irony to Philippine elections, the pretense of both the prospective candidates and the voting populace, to see only the superficialities of electoral exercise - the appearance of choice in voting and the cloak of make-believe dedication for public service.

There is no surprise in democracy, the fate of the people is decided by the state of its electorate. As they say, in a democracy, the people deserve the government they get and with that, the future they will face.

Reflections on Human Rights

The concept of human rights is not something new to me. As a young child, I was exposed to the intricacies and complexities of its definition, scope, breadth and challenges in modern society, especially as applied to the Philippine setting. This was in no small part to my mother, who worked for fifteen years in the Commission on Human Rights as an administrative officer.

So what is human rights? The United Nations through its promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins with Article I by saying: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

As a secular humanist and as a freethinker, I in fact share the definition articulated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and would therefore define human rights as the fundamental and essential right of all human beings to define themselves according to their hopes, dreams and potentialities with the end in view of attaining a full, happy, fulfilled, dynamic and reflective life. Human Rights therefore is the ungrund upon which man is able to achieve his human potentialities to the fullest without restraint, control, repression or violence. It is to define man as man himself sees fit him to be. It is to be free to think, act, and live as one sees proper and dignified with consideration of the collective harmony, order and peace that defines successful human societies, for in fact and in truth, man cannot attain the concepts of human rights – of freedom, of development, of enlightenment and of reason without the supportive and comforting structure of human societies.

Human Rights is the product of human evolution in thinking and in social relations. It is the realization that man in society can be subjugated to a mere cog in the great machinery of civilizations that have, undeniably, been a potent force in human history. It is in this light that the concept of Human Rights was gestated and eventually born. It is the realization that man is more than just a piece in the puzzle, he is the puzzle that makes human existence exciting and liberating, and that hence, man’s capacity to further himself within the constructs of mutual respect and recognition in open and secure societies is the best way to cultivate man’s potentialities.

Furthermore, Human Rights is itself the product of the philosophical and political ideas of the last five hundred years in the ideas of Locke, Hobbes and even of the ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle as well as the historical events that shaped Europe in the English and French Revolutions. Although the concept of Human Rights is European in origin and character, its message is universal and timeless.

Human Rights then is the externalization of man’s quest to define himself in this world as a responsible, creative, positive, dynamic, integrated, and most of all, reflective force. Human Rights is not just giving people the avenue to be free from repression and unmitigated violence, it is the recognition that man is a work in progress, a clay molding himself, seeking himself, learning from himself to learn about the world, to learn about existence itself and to marvel at the immense mysteries and complexities that is life itself.

iPhone electrocution

Is it possible for one to die of phone related electrocution. A flight attendant in China has reportedly died of electrocution after picking up her iPhone 5 to answer a call while it was charging. Although a full and thorough investigation has yet to be conducted as to what really happened, it raises serious questions about the safety of phones being used while they are charging.

Although the same report indicated that the volts released in an iPhone while charging is only 3-5 volts, not strong enough to kill a person they say, still, better to err on the side of safety for the rest of us until a comprehensive investigation by Apple will reveal what really happened. In the meantime, it is best to not answer calls while your iPhone, or any phone for that matter, is charging.

Creeping War: Israel's Worst Nightmare

The Syrian Civil War is closely, closely creeping ever so near to Israel. Recently it was reported that the Israel Defense Force's has just completed a two week training mission to prepare for a possible attack on the Syrian side of the border, either from a rebel or a government fire.

Rightly so, the IDF's prudence in preparing for such a scenario can never be overstated. It is just a matter of time before the mess in Syria will eventually spill to Israel's side of the border.

Writing's Cathartic Effects

So it's true! We need to express our emotions in order to maintain our sanity, and our physical health. A recent study revealed the beneficial effects of writing. Researchers led by Elizabeth Broadbent of the University of Auckland, New Zealand studied healthy seniors aged 64 to 97 and discovered that those who had written about the trauma's they had experienced had faster wound healing times than those who did not.

This goes to show that writing fulfills our pscho-social need to interact, or at least express our emotional states in all kinds of modes, writing being one. The point here is that those who are able to express their feelings, emotions and experiences, either through talking with close friends and family or through various forms of media such as writing are able to physically maintain a better over-all health and sense of well-being.

Personally, writing for me is a catharsis of unimaginable bliss. Through words and in words, one can express the complexities of human thoughts, relations and life.  It is a delving deeper into ourselves as thinking beings. Writing can be a healing process in and of itself as it is a means we can actually communicate with what Freud would call, our subconscious self.

Writing is bliss. It is man's way of communicating with the world, with others and with the reality of existence itself. The invention of the written language I believe is one of man's greatest, if not the greatest inventions, aside of course from language itself, as it enabled us to collectively share humanity's experience through time, ensuring that the future brings with it the story of man's past.

Another Hollywood Death

The recent announcement of Cory Monteith's death in a hotel in Vancouver, Canada seems to follow a long line of tragedies in Hollywood. Tragedies of young men and women passing away at the prime of their lives and their careers for that matter.

I hate to say this but the shock of such incidents is starting to have a less of an impact on many people. It seems that Hollywood actors and actresses seem to live a fast life, glamorous and pompous, but almost always tragic. Is there a price to fame?

Admittedly Monteith's acting and singing skills were something to be admired. His role in "Glee" have given viewers a refreshing perspective on modern television's penchant for reality shows and unscripted skits. When "Glee" broke into the television market a few years back, I saw something unique yet classic, entertaining as much as it was fused with socio-civic values and insights. It was a show about the show we all know too well, the drama of modern life.

Monteith will leave a scar on "Glee," its actors and support staff as well as the viewing public. He will be missed, but he surely made a mark on all of us. vaya con la paz.

Why Religion can be the Worst Basis for Morality

Theists would often argue that without faith in a god, morality would practically not exist.

History however, has a different, very, very interesting story to tell. At least with the Abrahamic faiths, it is clear that what we now would term cruel and inhuman, or patently grossly immoral, were in fact enshrined in the religious dogma's and writings of the three religious traditions of the Abrahamic faiths. For one, the Bible alone is replete with what we today would call human rights violations. The pentateuch or the first five books of the Torah is a repository of immorality and brutality. Exodus chapter 21 alone espouses for example the selling of one's daughter to slavery, sanctions the acquisition of slaves and even advocates death for those who physically hit their parents. I do not need to name more, just read the bible and one will discover that if it were the guide for man's morality during the last five hundred years, it's no wonder wars were a common occurrence.

If anything, religiosity has only made man more insensitive, brutal, even callous to others. This is exemplified by the reaction of certain Christian denominations in predominantly Christian Dominican Republic as rumors are circulating that the new U.S. ambassador that may be sent by Obama to the said country is gay. Talk about Christian love!

Tatad's Delusional Arguments against R.A. 10354

I was sublimely aghast at Tatad's arguments regarding the RH law. Indeed, many netizens have reacted to his characterization, or rather, mischaracterization of the RH Law. I need not repeat his non sequiturs but after reading, and if you were in Manila, witnessing his arguments at the Supreme Court, you will come to the veritable conclusion that Tatad opposes the RH law not because it has constitutional and statutory infirmities, not to mention its moral, economic, sociopolitical and practical implications for Filipino society, but rather because it does not sit well with his Catholic beliefs. That's it. It boils down to his religious convictions being pushed to all Filipino's face.

This is the problem with the anti-RH mob, all there arguments are testament to their failure to understand the basics of the law, I seriously doubt if they have even actually conducted a cursory reading of the bill. Again, the RH law, contrary to what the anti-RH camp would have us believe, does not (1) encourage abortion, clearly outlined in Sec. 3, par. d to wit: "The provision of ethical and medically safe, legal, accessible, affordable, non-abortifacient, effective and quality reproductive health care services and supplies is essential in the promotion of people's right to health...." This is again repeated in Sec. 19, par. 2 to wit: "Ensure people's access to medically safe, non-abortifacient, legal, quality and affordable reproductive health goods and services...."; (2) force families to adopt a certain reproductive technique or plan, as clearly stated in Sec. 2, par. a to wit: "The right of the spouses to found a family in accordance with their religious convictions and the demands of responsible parenthood."; indeed, the rights of the Filipino family with regards to making the right reproductive health decisions are enshrined and protected by the provisions of R.A. 10354 as stated in Sec. 3, par. a to wit: "The right to make free and informed decisions, which is central to the exercise of any right, shall not be subjected to any form of coercion and must be fully guaranteed by the State, like the right itself;".

The vehemence of the anti-RH camp is only matched by their ignorance of what the law is really even all about. If they only study the law, study Philippine social conditions and dynamics, study economics and health, then maybe they will come up with rational, educated and psychologically sound arguments that might make their cause a cause for progress and prudence and not merely a hysterical, religiously fueled manic convulsion that it is as of the moment.

Filipinos Win Fight Against an Oligarch

The Supreme Court ruled with finality that the shares of businessman Eduardo Conjuangco in UCPB belong to the Republic of the Philippines and should be used to benefit coconut farmers.

This ruling is long overdue, when in 1975 Cojuangco received public assets in the form of UCPB shares worth at the time PHP 10.88 million paid by coconut levy funds, a grave and brutal injustice was committed. hat such thing even happened speaks of the unjust environment that have always permeated Philippine society. Always have the rich laid their asses bare for all to lick while the majority of Filipino's, overworked, underpaid and hungry, wallowed in a sea of desperation and poverty. This has been going on since the Spaniards set foot on this land!

It is good that once and for all, an oligarch has been disemboweled with a wealth he should never even have received in the first place, but such is life in the Philippines. That such a thing never happens again is a constant struggle the Filipino people has to fight constantly, vigorously, relentlessly and eternally.

It is my hope that the Filipino coconut farmer will finally benefit from such stolen wealth, even more than it benefited Danding Cojuangco. The shares, wealth and other things acquired with the use of the coco levy fund should belong to the Republic of the Philippines and should be used to aggressively help coco farmers become world class coco farmers.

The Power of Communication

Communication, they say, is a key factor in sustaining relationships of all kinds, be it personal or professional. It is the difference between an open and caring family and one where chaos and shouting matches are a common phenomenon. In all aspects of life, communication is key as to whether one works well with others and whether the team get to do the job well, and effectively if not efficiently.

It is said that the crash of Asiana Flight 214 en route from Seoul to San Francisco on June 6, 2013 echoes the crucial need for communication. It can in fact mean the difference between life and death, especially in such team work related professions as nursing and indeed, piloting. Recent findings suggest that poor communication patterns between the pilots led to the disaster. And history is replete with air accidents caused by and due to communication problems among and between pilots. Of course, many things have yet come to light, who knows, as the investigation moves on, the crash might have been more than just mere communication problems, as is usually the case with airline accidents. Let's wait and see.

The RH Debate Moves On

Today the Supreme Court will be hearing arguments for and against the implementation of the very controversial RH Law, officially known as Republic Act 10354. The RH Law is as of date on hold as the SC issued a an order effectively freezing its implementation.

Personally, I have bleak hopes that the law, awfully needed in a country rife with poverty, want and at the same time, excess for the super elite, will ever be implemented. In the meantime, the suffering masses will be held hostage to the dogmatic hallucinations of an anachronistic religious institution, the feisty tentacles of the Catholic Church. A cancer that was crept upon the Filipino psyche for centuries now, only this time, cloaked in the deception of its self-proclaimed egotistical role of a moral guardian, although itself replete with immoralities and obscenities - look no further than the pedophilia cases for example, you will get the gist.

Of Being Filipino and Catholic

I was talking with a friend about Catholicism in the Philippines and being a Filipino nationalist and patriot and came to the conclusion, after a really exhaustive analysis of Philippine history from 1521 up to the present, that for all Catholicisms ingrained nature in Filipino culture, being a true Filipino patriot and nationalist would require one to never be a Catholic or for that matter, to be free from the constraints of organized religion. Only then can one fight for the needs, interests and future of the Philippines.

An exhaustive run-through of the history of Catholicism in the Philippines is basically a history of disenfranchisement, abuse, exploitation and most of all, deprivation committed by the Catholic Church as an institution and as a political force at least from 1521 to 1899.

A persistent theme of the role of Catholicism across the spectrum of Philippine history would reveal that the Church has always fought, first and foremost, for its own power, interests and indeed, wealth. The feudalization of Philippine society began and was enforced by the Catholic Church. Communities across the Christianized Philippines were organized when the Church, who also acted as proxy for the Spanish crown, would require the local inhabitants to build their houses around the church. When native Filipinos relocated, they also left the land they tilled, the land their ancestors worked on, the land they lived on and upon whom they made their living. As soon as this happened, the expropriation of such lands began. It is no surprise then that the Church acquired vast tracts of land, effectively enriching its coffers and putting it in a position to impose its will. Indeed, the encomienda system of land management began with such phenomenon. As the administration of the Philippine colony became more complicated, the church outsourced some of its temporal functions thru patronage awarded to lay landlords who were given lands to manage in exchange for their loyalty to Spain - this is now the birth of the hacienda system. A system that ruled the Philippines up to 1898 - and even in fact up to now. The hacienda system has never been really extinguished.

The beneficiaries of Spanish colonialism, really the colonialism of the Catholic Church, are the mestizo Spanish elite who owned obscenely large tracts of land while the Filipino toiled their life to suffering, marginalization and eventual death. The cycle was facilitated by the Catholic Church's complicity in the matter, it ordained the rule of the hacienderos because it was serving its own interests, interests of money and land. The Church itself was in fact a landed aristocracy of celibate men who nevertheless corrupted the Filipino, in mind and body. Many Catholic priests sired children, and this still occurs until the present time. But this time, it is being committed by Filipino priests, heirs of a brutal system that pauperized the Filipino through the ages.

Reflecting on the role of the Catholic Church in Philippine history is going back in time - a time when the Filipino was ruled, in the mind, heart and land, by an institution that promised the wealth of heaven for enduring the sufferings of this world yet lived in luxury, pomp, pageantry and excess at the expense of the very people it was supposed to "serve."

So tell me? Can you be a Filipino patriot and nationalist and still be a Catholic? Read Philippine history and you might just find the answer.

Brownout in Tacloban City Yesterday!!!

It was a horrendously inconvenient day today, for one, as seems to be a regular occurrence, the local electric cooperative again announced a six-hour power interruption (6am to 6pm). Ironically, Leyte stands in the most geothermally blessed parts of the Philippines, the Tongonan Geothermal Plant near Ormoc City is the largest of its kind in the Philippines, indeed, electricity should be cheap in this part of the country. Alas, third world government corruption, a chronic malaise of the Philippines, has kept electricity rates per kilowatt hour in Leyte actually one of the most expensive in the Philippines, not to mention Asia!

The glaring mismanagement of the power system extends beyond the astronomically high power charges in Leyte, particularly in Tacloban City, and this is evident in the unreliable power supply. Almost every month, LEYECO II, the local electric provider for Tacloban City and its surrounding municipalities, announces a six-hour blackout, usually on a Saturday (like yesterday) or a Sunday, and almost always scheduled between six in the morning to six in the evening.

I cannot understand why the same has been happening for the past three years actually. The main reason for interruption of power, which as I said before, happens almost every month, is for maintenance purposes - the only question however is, with the high rates of electricity charges here, why can't LEYECO design a procedure that will make such maintenance work seamless and efficient, in other words, a system of maintaining the reliability of the electrical grid in Tacloban without pulling the plug on the power supply. t

With advances in technology, it is high time that LEYECO do some serious overhaul of the way they manage, run and maintain Tacloban City's electrical system.

The Humiliation of Evo Morales

En route to Bolivia after attending a meeting of heads of states in Moscow, President Evo Morales' plan was forced to land in Vienna, Austria after rumors circulated that it was harboring fugitive Edward Snowden, who leaked sensitive NSA documents.

Many accounts of the matter are available, but one thing is clear, Morales' plane was definitely forced to land by the U.S. - without a doubt! And that all because of unsubstantiated reports that Snowden was in the plane. The act was plainly disrespectful and insulting to a head of state, and rightly so, the Organization of American States will be meeting soon to discuss the matter.

Let's see how this story unfolds over the coming weeks.

The Fall of Democracy in Egypt

Mohammad Morsy, Egypt's first democratically elected President, was outed in a military coup on Wednesday after being given 48-hours by the Egyptian Army to share power with his opponents. Morsy is a Western educated Islamist, his organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, was a long repressed organization under Hosni Mubarak.

Barely one year after being elected to head Egypt, Morsy became increasingly unpopular. His slow introduction of conservative policies inspired by the ideologies of the Muslim Brotherhood also angered most Egyptians, who thought he was sidelining opposition figures as he tried to consolidate more power and insert Muslim Brotherhood influence deeper into Egyptian political life. His increasing autocratic policies have also galvanized many secular Egyptians into action. On one occasion, a satical tv comedy figure was even jailed for "insulting the president."

Although I am no fan of Morsy, I see his illegal ouster as a sign of bad things to come. His removal will further embroil Egypt deeper into the morass of political infighting, economic uncertainty and social upheaval. This is something that will add to the deepening chaos that the Middle East has always been in, and at these times, is into even more deeper quagmire. Repercussions could be profound, as Islamists will see this as a fight between the forces of Islam and the secular-Western inspired policies of liberal democracy.

The fall of Morsy also clearly shows that democracy is not as easy to transplant as most Westerners would like to believe. Democracy is an idea, an idea born of the long struggle of Western civilization from the clutches of despotism, religious fanaticism and even social iniquities to the political awakening engendered by the French Revolution. It takes an educated populace, a committed elite and a resilient society to make democracy work. Democracy is not the mere holding of elections, it is a worldview, a worldview which consists in the belief that over and above all else, the rule of law reigns supreme, that the will of the people is paramount and that social and state institutions must be strong and must be strengthened for the seed of democracy to grow. In addition, it has to be watered by an educational system that is pragmatic, pro-active and one that cultivates critical thinking, rationality and openness.

Indeed, the Philippines, more than any Asian country, despite holding elections since the 1940's, has yet to truly understand, appreciate and make democracy truly work. How then can we expect Egypt to fare better?

God's Greatest Sovereign Wealth Manager

As a secular humanist, I have always been amazed, even mesmerized by the wealth of the Catholic Church, especially the Catholic Church in the Philippines. My professor in Land Titles and Deeds just dropped the information on us that one-third of Manila's land is actually owned by the Catholic Church. If it were true, as it most likely would, I would not be surprised to say the least. What is surprising is that it's stand on various issues, from its rabid opposition to R.A. 10175 (The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012) to divorce, from homosexuality to gay rights, is not only far from being pro-poor, it's actually anti-poor.

The Catholic Church has never understood the plight of the Filipino, and history has shown that, at least it's intimate history with the Filipino people, clearly shows that it has always first and above all, fought for its own interests, it's own power and it's own influence. This can be shown from 1521 until 1898, during those years, Spain ruled the Philippines with a mixture of the cross and the sword, but most often, it ruled by proxy through the friars, who ruled with a hubris matched only by the wealth they accumulated, and this wealth was the land this so-called "Workers of God" ruthlessly seized from the native population.

Indeed, Spain laid its wrath on the Philippines thanks in large part and in no small measure to the zealous and callous machinations of the Catholic Church. The total subjugation of the people's of the Philippines, except perhaps the Muslim tribes of Mindanao, was accomplished by no less than the religious orders and secular priests spread over all Christianized islands. Without the Catholic Church, Spain would never have lasted as long as they did.

That is why a true Filipino nationalist and patriot will never be a Catholic at the same time. The history of the Philippines is the history of the Catholic Church's immoral, debasing, inhuman and racist rule over the centuries. No true nationalist and patriot will ever, ever be a Catholic, if only because it has caused the Philippines innumerable sufferings and humiliations, in as much as it continues to brainwash the Filipino about its dubious, archaic and anachronistic moral fetishisms that given the long history of the Catholic Church, is herself not immune to corruption, immorality and murder. And frankly, like all human institutions, it has always been corrupt and is still is. A recent report indicating that Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the U.S. secretly transferred more than USD 40 million to a "cemetery fund" to protect them from being liquidated as compensation to the victims of the U.S. Catholic Clergy's child abuse years can only be an anecdote of the church's moral inclinations and tendencies.

The Formalization of the Status of Househelps in the Philippines

After centuries of being marginalized, househelps will finally have a law that will protect and promote their interests. Since February 2013, the Kasambahay Law, otherwise known as the "Domestic Workers Act" will become effective. These will professionalize the work of househelps, who across centuries have played a crucial role in the lives of Filipino families, rich or poor alike. Indeed, househelps have been integral and important in the Filipino family for centuries. Their work goes beyond mere physical maintenance and upkeep of the house, they have served as companions, friends, playmates and tutors of Filipino children in the households in which they are employed. It is just fitting and proper that this law, R.A. 10361, has finally come to fruition.

To check the rudiments of the law, follow this link.

Divine Right of Kings

The concept "divine right of kings" has been the primary dogma that allowed the crowned heads of Europe to rule absolutely for thousands of years. Dictionary.com defines it as "the right of rule derives directly from God, not from the consent of the people." Such doctrine allowed the monarchs of Europe to rule without restraint until the emergence of French Revolution in 1789. 

The concept became the justifying force, doctrine and principle that the kings and queens of Europe used to legitimize their rule, none more eloquently, and should I say, more pompously incarnated by the Sun King, Louis XIV, who is famous for reputedly declaring Le etat, c'est moi ("I am the State").

The doctrine started to loose its appeal after the French Revolution and the rise of the modern state.

The Day After the Fiesta

I had a wonderful night, I actually enjoyed the day visiting friends and relatives. And for the first time in a very, very long time, I was afflicted with the "fiesta fever" that is so engrained in each Filipino.