Noise: Fiestas

Filipinos love to party.  They love to party all day and all night.  Every city has an annual fiesta.  Every barangay within the city has an annual fiesta.  Every purok within the barangay has an annual fiesta.  Every neighbourhood and subdivision within the barangay and purok has an annual fiesta.  Besides these annual fiestas there are also other fiestas which happen on holidays or other special occasions like if someone wants to rent the barangay hall for a wedding or birthday party.

Around 3pm - 5pm you might hear, in the distance, the sound of very loud bass. 

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!

This will jar you right out of whatever you were doing. Of course its just someone inconsiderate person playing loud music. Right? WRONG!  It's a fiesta.  And this fiesta will not stop until six in the morning.  

All night                   and                     All day

This monster right here is blaring bass and techno so loud that it can be heard 3 miles away.  And it's going all day and all night long.  Some Filipinos are so rude they will party all day and all night all the while making sure anyone miles away trying to get a good nights sleep will not be able to do so.

But it's all over at 6 am so you can get a good nights sleep during the day and then the next night everything will be back to norm....

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!

Not again!!!???

Yes.  Again.  For three days usually. Starting Thursday night, going on Friday night, and finishing up early on Sunday morning.

Of course if it's a barangay fiesta you can count on it lasting a whole seven days.  Seven days of BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM day and night.  And if you talk to the barangay captain and ask him to turn it down because it can be heard miles away at your house and you can't sleep, he will just laugh at you and say, "No one here is complaining about loud noise. How can you even be hearing it at your house if these people can't even hear any loud noise?"

Keep up the good work guys!  No one wants to sleep anyway. 

Time Refuses to Celebrate Duterte

Thanks to the help of netizens across the globe Duterte won the vaunted Time's 100 Most Influential People online poll for 2017.

What a cause for celebration! 

Only Time doesn't think so.  Instead of celebrating Duterte they have decided to rebuke him for his war against drugs.

Hilariously Time has dumped cold ice all over the heads and shoulders of Duterte's supporters by enlisting former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria to pen a missive reprimanding Duterte for his war on drugs.

Since Duterte's inauguration last year, some 7,000 people have been killed. His ironfisted strategy alarms governments, human-rights organizations and faith-based groups while winning high approval ratings at home.

http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736340/rodrigo-duterte/

This is the same man who penned an op-ed in the NY Times which provoked the ire of Duterte just two months ago.

http://www.businessinsider.com/rodrigo-duterte-calls-colombia-president-idiot-over-drug-war-op-ed-2017-2

Leila De Lima also secured a spot in the top 100 but instead of celebrating her Time used the opportunity to offer a second rebuke to Duterte.

Leila de Lima knew with whom she was dealing. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (dubbed "Duterte Harry") has insulted Pope Francis, told U.S. President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and expressed regret he did not go "first" in a gang rape. Since last June, when Duterte took office, some 7,000 people have been killed in his merciless anti­drug campaign. Most opposition politicians have kept their heads down, knowing Duterte is both terrifyingly brutal and massively popular.

In February she was jailed. 

It is a disturbing testament to the current solidarity among strongmen and the global surge in impunity that de Lima's cause has not been more embraced. 

http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736274/leila-de-lima/

All in all its a triple threat.  Duterte is twice condemned and alleged to have been the cause of the death of 7,000 people and De Lima is posed as his righteous opposition who has been jailed not for running drugs out of Bilibid Prison but for being "Duterte's most vocal critic—a role her friends call suicidal."

Even 4chan founder "moot" got a positive write-up when he won the 2009 poll and the users of his site hacked the results to shoot him all the way to the top.  Time took it all in good stride and had Rick Astley pen the article on "moot."  If you don't remember Rickrolling was popular at that time and all thanks to 4chan which made having Rick Astley write his article both appropriate and humorous.

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1893837_1894180,00.html

Not so for Duterte. The author, Cesar Gaviria, is appropriate but the subject matter is grim.

There are two things Filipinos can learn from all this.

1. The Time 100 Most Influential People online poll is meaningless.  Anyone can win if enough votes are cast.  In the case of "moot" anyone can win if they know how to hack the system.

Besides do you really think the most influential people in the world are on this list?  Is Samantha Bee more influential than financier and banker Nathaniel Rothschild? Never forget the words of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli:

“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.”

2. The world does not want to celebrate Duterte. They want to rebuke him.

If the whole world keeps telling you everything is wrong perhaps you had better start considering the possibility that they may be on to something. Don't let pride blind you to reality.

On Honorary Degrees

The students at the University of the Philippines are outraged that the University has offered to confer an honorary doctorate of law on President Duterte.  Even though the UP has a tradition of conferring every president with this degree the students think tradition should be ignored and the degree withheld because of Duterte's war on drugs.  Luckily for all involved the president has declined the honorary degree.

He explained that he does not accept awards “as a matter of personal and official policy.”  

“With due respect to the University of the Philippines, I do not accept (awards). Even when I was mayor, I do not accept (awards),” the President said in an interview in Bohol yesterday. “Wala sa pagkatao ko (It goes against my personality).”

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/20/1692071/duterte-declines-honorary-doctorate

Duterte is neither the first to be offered this honorary degree nor is he the first to decline it.

Other former Philippine presidents conferred with the degree were Manuel Quezon (March 16, 1929), Sergio Osmeña (March 25, 1930), Manuel A. Roxas (April 13, 1948), Elpidio Quirino (Feb. 12, 1949), Emilio Aguinaldo (June 12, 1953), Ramon Magsaysay (April 5, 1955), Carlos García (April 7, 1959), Diosdado Macapagal (May 30, 1965), Ferdinand Marcos (May 22, 1966), José Laurel Sr. (April 20, 1969), Corazón Aquino (April 20, 1986), and Fidel Ramos (April 24, 1993). 

Estrada and Arroyo were also offered the honorary degree but they turned it down. 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/890125/up-offers-honorary-doctorate-degree-to-duterte

It is not true that Duterte does not accept awards.  While he may have rejected the world mayor award in 2014  he did accept the highest honour bestowed by the Knights of Rizal in 2017.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/25/duterte-receives-highest-knights-of-rizal-award/

Duterte already has a law degree.  What use has he for an honorary version of something he already worked hard for.  But knighthood?  Now who would turn that down?  Even if it doesn't come with a trusty sword and steed and shiny metal armour?

Is it hypocritical that Duterte declined an honorary degree from the University of the Philippines yet he himself created an even more empty and meaningless award to honour those who honour him?

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/17/1691158/duterte-creates-order-lapu-lapu-honor-service-his-campaigns

Leni Robredo had no problem accepting an honorary degree nor did anyone raise a fuss.

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/167390-robredo-honorary-degree-university-saint-anthony-camarines-sur

But really though, how much honour is there in an honorary degree? Here is a list of honorary degrees bestowed upon several celebrities.

1. Meryl Streep has three Ivy League honorary doctorates.
2. Ben Affleck was honored with a Doctorate of Fine Arts at Brown University's 2013 commencement.
3. P. Diddy received an honorary doctorate from the college he dropped out of.
4. Oprah Winfrey has four honorary doctorates.
5. J.K. Rowling has earned seven honorary doctorates on two continents.
6. Alec Baldwin earned an honorary doctorate from his alma mater.
7. Robert De Niro was was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Bates College 
8. John Legend has two honorary doctorates for his musical talents.
9. Aretha Franklin reportedly holds some 12 or more honorary degrees, including Doctorates of Music and Arts from Princeton and University of Pennsylvania.
10. Kanye West was honored with a doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
11. Dolly Parton was honored with a Doctorate of Humane and Musical Letters from University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
12. Jon Bon Jovi received an honorary doctorate from Rutgers University this year.
13. Magic Johnson is the proud recipient of an honorary doctorate in business. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-who-have-honorary-degrees-2015-8/#yoko-ono-has-three-honorary-doctorates-for-her-activism-17

And that list is not even complete! Lawmakers, actors, singers, musicians, architects, anyone and everyone can and has received an honorary degree.  All you need to do to get one is to be nominated and approved.

Leni Robredo accepted her one honorary degree but what is that to Aretha Franklin's twelve! Somebody needs to show Robredo a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

While Robredo will never be able to compete with the Queen of Soul, having one honorary doctorate puts her in the same category with Kermit the Frog who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Amphibious Letters in 1996.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/recognition-for-great-and-green-6vr6wj6cbrp

It's not easy being Yellow.

Deceiving, Disgraceful, De Lima

Disgraced Senator Leila De Lima keeps disgracing herself and her office.

DETAINED Senator Leila De Lima admitted Monday that she did not sign the petition she had filed with the Supreme Court (SC) before notary public Maria Cecile Tresvalles-Cabalo last February 24, contrary to her earlier claim.  

"Due to the fact of the conditions of incarceration that petitioner was suffering on that day, the act of signing was not done face to face with notary," the senator's lawyers said in a memorandum submitted to the SC.  

"But the signature was presented to her immediately after the act of signing, with the notary having knowledge that petitioner was signing the petition. Despite these uncertainties, the notary public still took the additional step to verify the signature of the petitioner by asking for her proof of identification from her staffers," it added. 

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2017/04/18/de-lima-admits-faking-portion-sc-petition-537049

De Lima did not sign her petition to the Supreme Court in front of a notary as the law requires.  But the notary knew she was signing it and took steps to verify that she did sign it without actually witnessing the signing.  So everything is ok right?  I mean it's just a technicality right?

Wrong.  It's the law.  And now De Lima has admitted to violating it.  This after insisting everything was above board.

"Senator De Lima said today that the Office of the Solicitor General's statement on the alleged defect on the notarization of her petition to the Supreme Court is a false allegation. It has no factual basis. The notary public met with her in Camp Crame; the notary public was in Camp Crame when she was brought there," Hilbay told the high court, reading portions of a statement De Lima made.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/21/17/did-de-lima-falsify-notarization-of-supreme-court-petition

This is the second time she has been caught lying.  When confronted with allegations she was having an affair with her driver she denied it.  Until the video came out and then she chalked it up to her "frailties as a woman."

Despite the fraud she is still insisting that her petition is genuine and valid and that she is not seeking any special treatment.

De Lima in her memorandum stressed that no one questioned the authenticity of the signature in the petition.  

Her petition, she insists, was "genuine" and "valid."

In her memorandum, the senator said that she was not seeking special treatment from the SC when she decided to seek relief directly with the high court. 

"She seeks only the fundamental right of every citizen to invoke the Constitution as shield and sword against government abuse," the memorandum read.  

The senator, however, claimed that her petition is special, not because she is a senator but because of the "government's willingness to use its power to pin her down, as fulfillment to the promise made by President Rodrigo Duterte. 

What a feat of double speak.  In a single breath she admits she is lying yet insists her petition is genuine and then she denies seeking special treatment but declares her case is special. And who cares is no one questioned the authenticity?  She knew it was inauthentic and submitted it anyway.

Is Leila De Lima so corrupt that she must have an external conscience to guide her?  Does she need Jiminy Cricket to lead her down the right path??

Her case is not special. She is charged with running drugs out of Bilibid Prison.  She is charged with corruption which is about as ordinary a charge as a politician can get in the Philippines.

Her whole reason to have her case dismissed in the first place was because of a technicality.

De Lima went to the SC after Guerrero ordered her arrest, despite a pending motion to dismiss her case on the basis that the Muntinlupa court lacked jurisdiction. 

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/17/17/de-lima-im-not-asking-for-special-treatment

At no time has De Lima ever confronted the actual charges against her. Instead she has baselessly alleged that every witness who testified against her in the Senate last year was lying under duress. When confronted with an arrest warrant she attacked the court for not having the proper jurisdiction. Her mode of defence has been to ignore the charges and focus on technicalities.

 That makes her charge against Solicitor General Jose Calida all the much more ironic.

"Desperate." This is how Senator Leila de Lima described the move of the Solicitor General seeking the dismissal of the senator's petition to nullify her arrest. 

Solicitor General Jose Calida told the Supreme Court in a manifestation that De Lima supposedly falsified the notarization of her pleading. 

"The senator said that the OSG attack is obviously borne out of desperation," it added. 

In the same press release, De Lima maintained that Calida's allegation "has no factual basis." 

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/21/17/de-lima-solgen-resorting-to-basest-of-technicalities-not-arguments

And not just ironic but an outright lie.  Turns out De Lima was the desperate one seeking to keep her lie from being discovered. 

Well now the tables have turned, her lie has been admitted, and if she wants to play the technicality card then the Supreme Court should toss her petition because she did not sign it in front of a notary as the law requires.

What will the international community she appeals to have to say about this revelation?  Will the Inter-Parlimentary Union take this into account when they visit the Philippines for their investigation in the the matter?

De Lima lied about her affair and she lied about her petition even going so far as to impugn the Solicitor General. What else has she lied about?

How soon until she confesses her guilt in running drugs out of Bilibid Prison? If she does admit her guilt it will be a non-confession chalked up to her "frailties as a woman" or some other such nonsense.

"The Beheading Was More of A Necessity"

Abu Sayyaf has executed another hostage.  This time a Filipino sailor they captured last December.

http://www.philstar.com:8080/headlines/2017/04/17/1691057/abu-sayyaf-beheads-filipino-hostage

Malacañang Palace has issued the standard condemnation of this horrendous act and life continues on as cheap as ever in the Philippines.

"We strongly condemn this senseless and cold-blooded murder committed during the Holy Week," Abella said in a statement on Monday.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/17/1691154/palace-condemns-killing-abu-sayyaf-hostage

At least they called it a senseless and cold-blooded murder and did not apologise for Abu Sayyaf which is exactly what the AFP did.

The military said the beheading was more of a necessity on the part of the bandit group, as the victim was reportedly getting sickly.

The beheading was a necessity because he was getting sickly?  What?  A necessity on their part??? Why would the AFP even issue such a callous statement?  Who cares about the sick and perverted motives of these evil men?  

Sobejana said dragging a sick captive hampers the movement of the bandits, who have constantly been on the run to evade pursuing soldiers.

Oh those poor terrorists. Gotta put yourself in their shoes. Being hampered with a sick guy and unable to evade the AFP easily. When you think about it it's really more of a euthanasia than it is a murder. It's understandable they would want to get rid of a sick guy who was so much dead weight. It looks like they have being doing a bang-up job of avoiding the AFP because they are still in operation.  Or perhaps the AFP is not even looking for them.

Initially, the AFP did not believe the information, thinking it was just propaganda.

Despite the fact that Abu Sayyaf has executed others and has shown no willingness to quit.  Despite the fact that just a few days prior Abu Sayyaf was in Bohol looking for more victims to kidnap.   Despite the fact the Abu Sayyaf has been doing the same thing for 25 years. Despite all this the AFP thought it was just propaganda!? When will the AFP start taking the threat posed by Abu Sayyaf seriously? 

Never forget that the Chief of the AFP, Eduardo Año, despite knowing the movements of Abu Sayyaf declared he saw no terrorist threat prior to the Bohol incident.

Never forget that Abu Sayyaf has aligned themselves with ISIS.  Never forget that ISIS is funded by  Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the very nations Duterte visited this week and to whom he pledged military support.

Never forget that Duterte absolved Abyu Sayyaf from being criminals.

And never forget Noel Besconde, a poor fisherman who was beheaded by Abu Sayyaf because the Philippines refuses to destroy the terrorist group and secure the safety of the country.

There will be more victims. More heads will roll. More condemnations will be issued and more hands will wring.  And nothing will continue to be done to protect the country.  Instead the politicians will continue to do vain and ridiculous things like create awards to honour those who honour them.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/17/1691158/duterte-creates-order-lapu-lapu-honor-service-his-campaigns

What do President Duterte and 4chan founder moot Have in Common?

They both won Time Magazine's Most Influential Person online poll due to massive voting and trolling campaigns.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/04/4chan-time-moot.html

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/04/17/1691152/duterte-wins-times-2017-most-influential-poll

However Duterte only won 5% of the total vote. With his skills the 400 pound hacker known as 4chan gave moot a 300% total.  Better luck next time Duterte.

Death Penalty Debate in the Philippines

One of Duterte's most controversial and popular campaign promises was the reinstatement of the death penalty.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36297583

This promise reflects his "get tough on crime" policy and now it is one step closer to becoming a reality.

http://time.com/4694718/philippines-death-penalty-congress/

Death penalty for drug-related and other crimes?  Which crimes?

1. Treason
2. Qualified piracy (including firing upon the vessel, abandoning victims, and murder)
3. Qualified bribery (demanding a bribe from anyone facing the death penalty or life imprisonment)
4. Parricide
5. Murder
6. Infanticide
7. Rape (various circumstances)
8. Kidnapping and serious illegal detention 
9. Robbery with violence
10. Arson
11. Plunder (at least 50 million pesos)
12. Importation of drugs
13. Selling, trading, dispensing, delivering drugs
14. Maintenance of a den, dive, or resort (a drug house)
15. Manufacturing drugs
16. Possession of drugs
17. Cultivating plants classified as drugs or that are sources of drugs
18. Unlawful prescription of drugs
19. Misappropriation of confiscated drugs, paraphernalia, and proceeds by a public officer
20. Planting evidence
21. Carnapping (when rape or murder occurs)

http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_17/HB00001.pdf

That seems like a lot of crimes but mostly the death penalty is being reinstated for the crime of murder.  For example carnapping.  Unless its accompanied by murder or rape then it does not qualify the criminal for the death penalty.

This bill still has to be approved by the Seante before Duterte can sign it into law.  In the meantime there are many voices being raised to oppose it. No voice is as loud as that of the Conference of Bishops.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/20/1682920/church-rallies-faithful-vs-death-penalty

“Dear sisters and brothers in Christ – let us not allow our wells to be poisoned by bitter water; let us uphold the sanctity of life and make a stand against death penalty,” the pastoral letter, signed by CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, read in masses nationwide on the third Sunday of Lent stated. 

The prelates stressed that while victims of heinous crimes deserve justice and reparations, criminals remain “children of God” who should be given a chance to repent and reform.

Its quite funny that there is an Archbishop named Socrates and he is against the death penalty. 

I don't want to take the time and space to analyse his full statement but this:

Jesus was never an advocate of any form of “legal killing”. He defended the adulterous woman against those who demanded her blood and challenged those who were without sin among them to be the first to cast a stone on her (John 8:7).

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/19/1682659/full-text-cbcps-pastoral-statement-vs-death-penalty 

is just plain wrong.  If this woman had been stoned it would not have been legal at all. Where was the man?  It takes two to tango and God commands the death of both.

Leviticus 20:10: ¶And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Also this statement:

Even with the best of intentions, capital punishment has never been proven effective as a deterrent to crime.

The death penalty is first and foremost a penalty, a punishment.  It is not a deterrent. It can act as a deterrent but the heart of man is persuaded by nothing when he is intent on doing evil. Plainly Archbishop Socrates does not know what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

There are many solid reasons to be anti-death penalty. The fact that corrupt prosecutors looking for a conviction have caused many innocent men to be put on death row is the most compelling argument.

However you cannot be a Christian or a Catholic and oppose the death penalty on the basis of the Scriptures. God proscribes the death penalty.

Genesis 9:6: Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Exodus 21:16: ¶And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:17: ¶And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Leviticus 20:9: ¶For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Leviticus 20:11: And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:12: And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:13: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Those are just a few verses where the Lord commands that men be put to death for certain crimes. There is no chance to repent or reform.  There is only a swift putting away of the sin from their midst.

"But that's the Old Testament.  We are under grace and not under the law anymore." A good objection and a large subject that will not be covered in the blogpost.  

However here are some verses from the New Testament where the death penalty is also proscribed.

Acts 25:11: For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar.

Paul acknowledges there are crimes worthy of death and he does not refuse the death penalty if he were guilty of such crimes.

I Peter 4:15: But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

I Peter 4:16: Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

The suffering Peter speaks of is imprisonment and death. He recognises that murderers and thieves suffer death.  He also recognises that Christians suffer death too.  Peter tells us we should shun being put to death as wicked men but rejoice in martyrdom for Christ.

Romans 13:4: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Paul recognises that the state has the power to execute criminals.  He does not refute this.

We see that the Bible does not refuse to assign death as the lot of certain criminals.  Don't be fooled by the Catholic Bishops Conference.  Signs like this one are lies that twist scripture.

Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill.

When you quote this verse in order to prove that war and the death penalty are evils that God forbids you are making a fool of yourself and making God out to be evil since he commands men but put to death for certain crimes and he commanded the Israelites to kill all the heathen in the land of Canaan.

Deuteronomy 2:33: And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people.

Deuteronomy 2:34: And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:

I Samuel 15:3: Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

You can be a Christian and be anti-death penalty.  Just don't bring the Scriptures in to the argument because they oppose that view.  It's better if a Christian believes what the Bible teaches rather than oppose it.

II Timothy 2:15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.