My thoughts about some social issues.
ON USA DIPLOMATIC RELATIONSHIP
On the issue of our foreign policy, I am
pro-American. Admit it or not, whether we like it or not, we need
USA. I’m not against in our effort to be independent but who said we
cannot be independent unless cutting the ties with the West? Do not
accept their monetary aides, for the sake of being dependence that is
fine. But cutting the alliance? I don’t think so.
If we want to stop the issues of being “subservient”,
“mendicant”, “lapdogs” then no more donations, but stopping the relationship
will not make good because our relationship now is interdependent.
Philippines and USA are gaining in one way or another, some people are just
hypocrites.
ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE
It’s a matter of religious versus legal
issue. The church will not, go to civil if you want. It
will always quote Sodom and Gomorrah which for conservative believers won’t
want to happen. It is a dogmatic belief in any religion that a man
is to a woman and it gives the notion of marriage is to sanction the sexual act
which makes procreation the very purpose of marriage. This oppresses
the freedom and equality for gays and lesbians who are just the same with
straight people when it comes to love. Given the assumption that
procreation is to marriage, how about those impotent?
I’m not against LGTB but right now, I don’t like to
support same sex marriage. It’s redundancy. Being gay or
lesbian as a person is acceptable but gay and lesbian as lifestyle is something
that up to this date is insufficiently good enough. Lifestyle such
as gestures and characters are fine but grave things such as show of affection
and gay marriage are still awkward. There are just some things in
gayness world that no need to brag. Everybody has the right to be
happy but not all that make you happy can be done. Some beyond the
prescribed are just need to restraint. I don’t think any spiritual
human being will go into homosexual relationship and the pinnacle is to get
marry. If you are not religious why you need church
marriage? There is no homosexual affair if you are religious anyway.
ON SSS
2,000 PENSION HIKE
Let us do simple mathematics. There are over two millions
pensioners of SSS. The monthly hike of 2,000 for 13 month will give
52,000,000,000 every year. (This doesn't include the actual present monthly
pension). In five to ten years from now, SSS will go into bankruptcy. To
salvage the institution, the monthly contribution of the members will be
increased.
I hope people will consider the future of the
institution. It is not just to please the pensioners of today but equally
important is to protect the future of the other members. But it is not just the
pensioners but also the officers of SSS should put some control among
themselves. In our economic situation today, they should be at least sensitive
to give themselves the huge sum of bonuses. If SSS has made profit, they should
wisely invest instead the profit in strengthening the fund of SSS which will
benefit both present and future pensioners of SSS.
ON BBL
I like the intention of Bangsamoro Basic Lay (BBL) which
is to come up with a lasting solution in search for peace in Mindanao. So
much have been transpired, many have been laid down their lives and shed blood
in this warzone. Something must be done to stop these and BBL is here to
end these nonsense killings. Watching the news and reading the primer of
the draft, BBL promises the exhilarating welfare of Mindanao’s particular group
in exchange of ensuring to attain the long elusive peace. Fine, I believe
nothing can match any amount of money for the sake of peace. But there
are scuttlebutt behind this rushing and railroading proposed bill. Most
of the people are actually clueless about BBL and there is a need for
clarification for unconfirmed reports of hidden agenda behind the railroading
of this law. And giving my reaction to that, I want to say compromising
the sovereignty and interest of the whole country and profiting of some few
should not ever allow. The whole Mindanao is part of Philippines. Part
of it can be autonomous but should always part of the republic of the
Philippines. Everybody wants peace but our heartfelt desire to attain
peace must still be bounded with constitutionality. I want the turmoil in
Mindanao to put end and finally restore the peace in the land but if by means
of the current form of BBL, I would say no primarily because of three
things: it empowers selective group only, it favours over the state on
the distribution of revenue, and it neglects the interest of the other minority
ethnic groups.
ON MANNY PACQUIAO SS STATEMENT
I see nothing wrong with
Manny’s belief about Same Sex Marriage (SSM). But I found his word usage
is off. It is not fair to any human being to be compared to animal, be it
gay or straight. It is disrespectful, offensive and downgrading to
dignity, though human is the highest form of animals. Religion is very
difficult to oppose but it is not right to use religion to hurt other people
because you don’t have to harm your brothers and sisters.
I want to focus on the main issue which is about
SSM. Correct me if I’m wrong, I think there is no scripture in any
religion that concur with SSM. I understand where Manny is coming from
and again I have to say it’s just the choice of words that makes him hated and
bombarded. The very purpose of marriage is not only to unite the Love
from two souls but aimed too for procreation. If the intention is only to
unite or to multiply, then marriage should not have existed at all and instead
anybody who falls in love twice, thrice or more can live together.
Since this is a spiritual issue, on other points of view
are those agnostics who – most likely will oppose the claim of religions when
it comes to SSM (and other teachings of religion). I understand
that. But for me, if we chose to live righteously and when we died we
learned that there is no God, then it will be fine because we lived our life
good. On the other hand, if we died and there is really God, then the
price is waiting for us. One of the moral lessons here is never preach if
you are not guilty. If you say do not commit adultery while in fact you
keep an illicit affair, then you are one of the false prophets.
ON BALIKBAYAN BOX OPENING
So much harsh words had been said about Bureau of Custom
(BOC) mandatory inspection of Balikbayan Boxes (BB). My sentiments
definitely go with the same sentiments of the general public. BBs are
usually for family consumption and private property that opening is invasion of
privacy. But if this is what has stipulated in the law, so be it I have
no other course but to obey. BOC is backed up by a law. It has long
been enacted, the law has been passed, ratified, and enforced from past early
administration. If the president said let the BOC do their job, that is
absolutely right. And if he directed to stop the mandatory random
inspection of BB, that is still right and there is no conflict with that.
As the most powerful man in the land (Phils), he has all the prerogatives to
mandate his cabinet as prescribed by the law.
The law is good, it prevents the entry of contraband,
smuggling and helps taxation in generating additional revenues. But for
an OFW like me, it is not about sending illegal items but it’s the standard
procedure. Let’s admit, MOST of us are not declaring the true content of
the boxes. This alone overrides the proper and lawful tariff collection
from imports and export. The last time I had cargo last year, I was
not asked about the content. In my past cargo, I was advised to declare
it personal effect without even asking me what’s inside. I’m not
against the random mandatory open, what I’m upset about here is the way it
opens like exposing your very privacy, it is disrespecting the solemnity of how
an OFW carefully packed his box, it brings to temps the unscrupulous and it is
discriminatory against those big-time smugglers. There is no need
for random if BOC will use its resource. The BOC has the capability to
implement strict yet reasonable mandatory labelling of package by declaring the
true content of the boxes, and BOC has the full resource to acquire the state
of arts high-tech x-ray machine that detects and works thorough scanning of
illegal and taxable. For the meantime, the legislative should amend the
tax exemption of balikbayan boxes worth P10,000 and below since this has been
long rendered obsolete.
ON BALIKBAYAN BAGGAGE
AT THE AIRPORT
For me, whatever is
written in the existing law so be it. Afterall, it was not just imposed –
the bills were proposed, deliberated, debated, and ratified before they
implemented as laws. If it is outdated and there is need to amend, then
this is what should’ve been doing now.
Many are upset about the
baggage issue in the airport. If someone is doing his duties, let’s not
put our anger on the person because if he did not do what he supposed to do, he
is then neglecting his job. If that person is unscrupulous, corrupt,
pompous, thief and whatsoever, then it is another story and should set aside
from the issue of baggage checking in the airport.
Let’s admit, there are
many Returnees’ (Balikbayan) who are coming home with valuables in their
baggage that were sliping despite the existing law about taxable
valuables. And we’re unable to notice it because the airport immigration
has been relaxed, and we are noticing it now because the immigration is a bit
strict now in the law.
We have no excuse, no one
is above the law. What it needs now to address the concerns of the
migrant workers is to amend this existing old law. This is about
valuables, or let say this is taxation, and there is a significant change from
the time this existing law was passed until today where the inflation rate has
been already increased this much.
ON TANIM-BALA
It’s alarming to figure out the still uncertain suspect
in this disgrace “laglag-bala” scam in the NAIA. It is disturbing because it’s
been long time since it was sensationalized in the news, and quite many have
been preyed in this scam, (apart from it is now becoming an international
embarrassment for our country) yet the “tanim-bala” responsible culprits are
still free at large. The bylaw is so powerful which has been seeing by the
crook to use and take advantage the pressing travellers to extort. Another
dirty tactic in the name of money, the sad thing here is that the law has used
to cheat. And it is even saddening to think the chronic graft and corruption in
the bureaucracy.
I am suspecting two possible scenarios. There is this
shameful inside-job syndicate operating the scam until it was headlined in the
news and sensationalized in social media, or there is a political ploy here to
sabotage the government in this election season from the time this went viral
in social media to present time. But either way, it must bring the responsible
now and it needs to have heads rolling. It should not take long any further
because it already affected the innocent travellers and those tourists who have
high expectation. Our country becomes centre of mockery and our fellowmen
abroad have discriminated because of the anomaly of these unscrupulous people
behind “tanim-bala”. It’s a shame.
ON PHILIPPINES TELEVISION
In the 90’s, there are only four regular programs that I
really religiously followed. The political satire comedy show “Abangan
Ang Susunod na Kabanata” on ABS CBN-2 every Tuesday, RPN-9’s primetime soap
opera “Cebu” every Thursday and the Saturday noontime game show “Battle of the
Brain” and the Sunday night musical variety “The Sharon Cuneta Show” on
IBC-13. I can catch every night the late news while eating my dinner just
after coming home late from work. These makes a balance teevee
programming for me.
But I really love Cebu. It is about protecting the
legacy of a rich family. This drama series was one of the best drama
mini-series that ever graced the Philippine television. The story is
believable, fast-pacing, and has sense, good acting of the casts, good
production design and cinematography. It lasted two seasons which were
equally superb unlike other soap that suffer the sequels.
ON BEING A PRESIDENT
If I were the president, the first thing that I will do
is to uplift the lives of the Filipino people by generating more well paid
jobs. Addressing this priority, I think the rest of the economic
and political issues will gradually follow. The staggering rate of
unemployment and underemployment cause a domino effect in the prices of our
basic need, peace and order, graft and corruption, population explosion,
education, medical and more.
Having a more than enough pay is giving the citizens the
power to purchase their basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. We
are giving the citizens the will to seek medical attention, or to send their
children in school, and we are controlling them not to be tempted in graft and
corruption. And subsequently, peace and order will be attained.
Having more money that circulates in the market means
reducing inflation until controlled. And with the large volume of money,
it will create more jobs, more products, more services, more consumers, more
tax, and it will give a productive economy. And in return, the government
can create more services to its people, making them to enjoy the right to live
peacefully, secured, free and abundantly.
ON K-12
From the start, I am not really affirmative in K-12
program. There are still so many things in the education system that need
to iron out first instead of this another load and weight from student, parents
and teachers. What should put in plan and application is the
enhancement of quality of education system rather than the quantity of years
that a student must spend in the school.
The government should address the needs of additional
classrooms, enough teachers, modern facilities, useful textbooks and
materials. As long as the schools are equipped, there is no
need to add more years of curriculum. There are other better things to do
than adopting K to 12 curriculum.
ON NATIONAL ID
I don’t know if my favor in national ID is
shallowness. Maybe I am sincere in nature that is why it is no big deal
for me to entrust myself to the government that there is no security breaches
of information.
If the government officials, low enforcers, and the
persons in authority are trusty, honourable and dependable, and if the abiding
citizens are trustful, submissive and unsuspecting, then using the nationaL ID
is a mutual acceptable and understandable issue that is far from debate,
disagreement, and controversy.
ON CYBERCRIME
We
need the Cybercrime Act to protect us from online harassment, identity theft,
hacking, cybersex and from those abusers who used freedom of expression and
democracy as their excuse. We must keep in mind included in democracy and
freedom of speech is the corresponding responsibility.
I think RA 10175 just needs to amend few provisions enclosed with it. But overall, the very purpose of the act is good, just and right.
ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
On the national issue of capital punishment in
Philippines, I am not in favor of using death penalty mainly due to
humanitarian reason. Aside from the potential wrongly convicted, the
significance of human life is the sacred creation from God that is so precious
and only He can take away the life and breath. For outlaws found guilty
in heinous crimes, lifetime sentence is the most appropriate yet effective
penal. In light of strict implementation of lifetime imprisonment without
providing special treatment, politics, negligence against jailbreak, and even
the provision of clemency or pardon – lifetime sentence is tantamount to
death. Let them serve the reality of living behind the bars for the rest
of their lives for there is no worse payoff and more painful punishment than
withholding to live freely forever.
ON REPUBLIC HEALTH BILL
It’s high time to have the bill to
put some control on the soaring high rate of growing population and to address
the health of the people. In reproductive health bill, it is not only
about the various methods of family planning. The bill will teach people the
proper way in taking care their family and themselves.
I think I’ll not a bad Christian if I will support RH
Bill. I feel I am still good Christian because at the end of the day, it
is me who will be subjected to public eye if I cannot raise my own children, it
is me who will be judged if I am a good parent, it is me who will be not good
in the eyes of God if I will not be a good father, if I cannot raise my
children properly.
ON SPRATLEYS ISLAND
In a battle like David and
Goliath, for you to defend is to find the ways that will not need to use your
weaknesses. We don’t need to spend to wage war since we may not able to afford
it but we can stand united to at least stop importing and using infamous China
made products.
Apparently we cannot stage
war. In a battle like David and Goliath, for you to defend yourself is to find
the ways that will not need to use your physical strength. We cannot
afford war but we can stand united at least to harm their economy by stopping
importing and using infamous China made products. If I were the leader of
a powerful religious sect, instead of calling to boycott a television network
or some political figures, I will instead order to boycott all China products.
In this way we are not
just designing our game plan but also show our nationalism in patronizing our
own. And it can open door for us to look alternatives by focusing on our
local resources to rediscover and enhance them, and find out what they can
offer.
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