Lovely ladies in skirts riding sidesaddle. Many times not wearing helmets and barely hanging on. Would be a shame if they fell off and their heads got squished or if their dangling feet got caught in the spinning back wheel and torn clean off.
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Monday, December 24, 2018
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Filipino By Choice?
Not only has the crowning of Miss Philippines Catriona Gray sparked a debate about medical marijuana but it has also lit up the internet with a melange of differing opinions on what it means to be Filipino and whether or not Miss Gray is a bona fide Filipina. Some say she is, some say she is not a Filipina. But why should anyone decide such a personal matter for her. Let us hear the woman speak for herself.
With the magic word "choice" citizenship and nationality become a matter of flux and one can be whatever they choose to be. Perhaps she has always felt like a Pinay at heart? But if being a Filipino is a matter of heart and choice then Canadian Kyle Jennermann of Becoming Filipino is a Filipino.
Her argument is very Western and not Filipino at all as we shall see below. In the West today anyone can be anything they want. Gender and sexuality are fluid. Men are playing women's sports at every level. There are trans-species who are people claiming to be animals. And how about this guy:
This person claims that being Filipino is an experience and one can not claim to be Filipino if one has not experienced the "struggle of being Filipino." Sadly this Twitter account is no more but it seems to be the former account of a Filipina who is, ironically, living in Melbourne.
Catriona's own words tell just how un-Filipino she really is:
So much for Catriona Gray's words. What do Filipinos have to say about what makes one a Filipino? Let's check out the results of this survey.
Though the term has been abused, that is the essence of Pinoy Pride is it not?
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/12/20/18/throwback-catriona-on-being-aussie-by-birth-moving-to-ph-by-choice |
Fresh from her crowning as Miss Universe Philippines early this year, Gray was made to address her roots in a televised interview on “Tonight with Boy Abunda.” Her answer at the time, it would appear now, is also the precise words that would settle the argument surrounding her upbringing and choice of country to represent.
Asked how she would identify herself between being Australian-Filipino or Filipino-Australian, Gray chose the latter, and went to explain: “Even though I was born in Australia, that’s not my choice. It was more of my parents’ choice.”
“My decision to come to the Philippines at age 18 just after I graduated high school was like a self-discovery journey for me,” she went on. “[It was] my first step into figuring out who am I — what do I want to do with my life? — and just putting myself out of my comfort zone.”
“I chose to come here,” she pointed out, “and I came over on my own money. I wanted to prove to myself na kaya ko ‘to. I can do this.”While that is her opinion about herself it's not one that can be totally respected. Despite being a music and math nerd she does not make a lick of sense when she says:
“Even though I was born in Australia, that’s not my choice. It was more of my parents’ choice.”Yeah well I never chose to be born! It was my parents choice! To hell with them. My life will only end in the darkness and the blackness and the nothingness of death and all my accomplishments will amount to nothing as I descend into the grave!! Screw you accidents of life! Perhaps I will choose to be dead!
With the magic word "choice" citizenship and nationality become a matter of flux and one can be whatever they choose to be. Perhaps she has always felt like a Pinay at heart? But if being a Filipino is a matter of heart and choice then Canadian Kyle Jennermann of Becoming Filipino is a Filipino.
Her argument is very Western and not Filipino at all as we shall see below. In the West today anyone can be anything they want. Gender and sexuality are fluid. Men are playing women's sports at every level. There are trans-species who are people claiming to be animals. And how about this guy:
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/945181/transracial-man-spurs-debate-on-being-filipino |
On his Facebook support page, Ja Du, formerly known as Adam, says race is a “social construct.”
The Florida native likens the transracialism movement to that of transgenders; he also identifies as transsexual.
He told 10News WTSP that he feels Filipino because he is “intrigued” with what he has watched in the History Channel. Cultural aspects like Filipino food and music make him feel “like I’m in my own skin.”Remember him? He wants to be Filipino so why can't he be so? It's not his choice that he was born as a white man in the USA. Just like it was not Catriona's choice to be born in Australia. One Filipino had this reaction to Ja Du:
This person claims that being Filipino is an experience and one can not claim to be Filipino if one has not experienced the "struggle of being Filipino." Sadly this Twitter account is no more but it seems to be the former account of a Filipina who is, ironically, living in Melbourne.
Catriona's own words tell just how un-Filipino she really is:
“I chose to come here,” she pointed out, “and I came over on my own money. I wanted to prove to myself na kaya ko ‘to. I can do this.”
She "chose to come here" in order to prove to herself she can do this. Do what? Face and overcome the challenge of moving to and living in a foreign land of course! While she had visited the Philippines before she had not lived here. She lived in Australia. Surely there was a great culture shock once she actually moved here and all the romantic notions she had were brushed aside by the reality of actually living in Manila which is the worst place in Southeast Asia.
Well she did it. She came to the Philippines, she left for America to study at the Berklee College of Music, and then she returned to eventually win the Miss Universe crown while representing her adopted nation. Good for her. It's a typical Aussie to Pinay story. By the way do you think she has a soft spot for Fairy Bread and Vegemite sandwiches?
So much for Catriona Gray's words. What do Filipinos have to say about what makes one a Filipino? Let's check out the results of this survey.
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| https://opinion.inquirer.net/118333/who-is-truly-filipino |
The survey interview tested eight attributes of national identity by means of a battery of questions, thus: “Some people say that the following things are important for being truly Filipino. Others say they are not important. How important do you think each of the following is?” Respondents could answer Very Important, Fairly Important, Not Very Important, Not Important At All, or Can’t Choose.
1. Born in the Philippines, 83 percent.
2. Speaks Filipino, 81 percent.
3. Feels Filipino, 79 percent.
4. Is a Filipino citizen, 78 percent.
5. Has Filipino ancestry, 77 percent.
6. Lived in the Philippines for most of one’s life, 74 percent.
7. Belongs to the main (i.e. Catholic) religion, 73 percent.
8. Respects Philippine political institutions and laws, 65 percent.
Place of birth, speech, personal feeling, citizenship, ancestry, residence, religion and respect for laws: We Filipinos are rather purist in defining what is true nationality.Out of all those only 2, 3, 4, and 5 apply to Miss Catriona Gray which makes her only 50% Filipino. It's an interesting survey and contradicts the columnist who opined that being Filipino has little to do with culture or race but is only a political construct which column I analysed previously. It also contradicts the opinion of Miss Gray who claims being Flipino is her very own choice. Filipinos are, unsurprisingly, nationalistic and purist when it comes to who can claim to be Filipino.
Though the term has been abused, that is the essence of Pinoy Pride is it not?
Friday, December 21, 2018
Retards in the Government 81
It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063167/faeldon-vows-to-resign-obliterate-arrested-son-if-proven-involved-in-drugs |
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Faeldon confirmed that his son, who introduced himself as Nicanor Faeldon Jr., was arrested as police served a search warrant against another drug suspect in a house in Naga City.
“What I can assure everybody is that if my son is involved in any way, kahit na user, I will resign immediately and hunt him down. Ako na ang magpaparusa diyan. I will kill that idiot kung involved siya. That’s my assurance to the public. I don’t tolerate such [act],” he said.
In a statement issued by Faeldon’s camp also on Friday, the BuCor chief and once former head of the Bureau of Customs likewise said: “In any event, if the police investigation will show that my son, Nicanor Jr. is indeed, a drug pusher and therefore a menace to society, then there will be no need to prosecute or to jail him. I will personally obliterate him from the face of the earth.”
Funny and slightly ironic seeing as Faeldon, as head of the BOC, was implicated in allowing 6.5 billion pesos of shabu to be smuggled into the country. Of course he was cleared of all suspicion and charges but he was also detained by the Senate for not cooperating in their probe. If his son is involved in drugs it will only fuel more suspicions about Faeldon's role in the shabu debacle.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/12/14/1876818/rizal-police-chief-19-others-relieved-over-cainta-shootout |
The chiefs of the Rizal and Cainta police have been relieved from their posts along with 18 others in connection with an alleged shootout that left two persons dead including a lawyer’s security aide.
“It’s an administrative relief pending investigation of the incident in Cainta,” Carranza told The STAR in a text message.
The order stemmed from the killing of Richard Santillan and Gessmayn Casing in Barangay San Andres on Monday night.
Santillan, a security aide of lawyer Glenn Chong, reportedly ignored a police checkpoint, triggering a running gunbattle.
Crazy story and there are some who will think the real target was Atty. Chong who has "exposed" election anomalies. Chong has also said he will be filing charges against the PNP which goes to show how stupid and ineffective the Philippines justice system is. No private person should ever be allowed to file charges. That should be left up to the DOJ.
A policewoman was arrested in an entrapment operation on Friday for allegedly attempting to extort from a woman a Louis Vuitton bag worth P34,000, a wristwatch worth P2,999, and P50,000 cash from a woman in exchange for evading another police operation.
SPO1 May Ann Malcontento was arrested by elements of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) in coordination with CIDG chief Amador Corpus in a convenience store in front of Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Clearly Miss Malcontento was not content with the pay raise that was supposed to stop these kinds of criminal activities from happening.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063462/bacolod-councilor-wife-survive-ambush |
Bacolod City Councilor Ricardo “Cano” Tan and his wife, Nita, survived an ambush at Purok Tagaytay, Barangay Alangilan, Bacolod City about 5 p.m. Friday.
The Tans, who own the Campuestohan Highland Resort in Talisay City, were on board their Nissan Patrol SUV and were on their way home to Bacolod City when three unidentified suspects aboard a small white wagon-type vehicle fired on their SUV.
Senior Inspector John Christopher Masangkay, Police Station 5 chief, said the couple did not suffer bullet wounds but the councilor had slight injuries caused by broken glass, he said.
Maybe it was NPA rebels who were after taxes so they don't destroy his theme park. Maybe it was a political rival. Maybe they will strike again. Maybe the Inquirer can do a better job at editing. That last paragraph is awful and the period should be after "glass" with the extra "he said" deleted.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063466/duterte-attends-70s-themed-christmas-party-of-cabinet-execs |
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063388/more-cops-troopers-headed-to-c-visayas |
More policemen and soldiers would be deployed to 29 towns and cities in Central Visayas, which have been declared election hotspots because they had a history of election violence
Local politicians keep getting ambushed. More troops and cops doesn't seem to be working.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063710/pangasinan-vice-mayoral-candidate-shot-dead |
Councilor Benjamin “Junjun” Oculto had just come out of the Jesus Christ Church and was crossing the road when gunmen jumped out of a parked vehicle and shot him.
The assailants then engaged responding policemen in a gunfight. One suspect identified as Junjun Vidal was arrested.
Another assassinated local politician!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063797/former-lanao-del-sur-judge-banned-for-life |
The Sandiganbayan has meted out a lifetime ban from public office on a resigned Lanao del Sur judge for ordering the release of a detainee without a lawful order.
The judge was accused of “exerting undue influence” on the Marawi City jail warden to turn over to him Menor Saud on the sole basis of a handwritten acknowledgment receipt on Sept. 19, 2007.
Saud was detained for illegal possession of a .357 revolver and had a pending arrest warrant for car theft. His release from jail enabled him to escape.
The Sandiganbayan rejected Pacalna’s reasoning that he merely heeded Saud’s call for assistance because the arresting officers did not bring him to the hospital for fear of being indicted for police brutality.While the judge did not follow proper procedure it seems he was only rescuing the guy from the cops who apparently beat him up. This also happened 11 years ago.
A police officer who has been absent without leave for three years was shot dead Sunday afternoon at Barangay Paang Bundok in Quezon City.AWOL for three years!? What is the reason they did not go after him in all that time? Likely this assassination is drug related.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063801/ex-governor-foreign-investor-get-6-years-over-marine-park-deal |
Ocampos was accused of entering into a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement with Akhavan for the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP), despite the businessman not being licensed or qualified to do business in the country.
Aside from Akhavan’s failure to meet the BOT law’s requirements, Ocampos was deemed to have given him unwarranted benefits because no public bidding was held.
“The project was immediately awarded to the Mr. Akhavan [sic] without delay and without any rival proponents, when it was not qualified to participate in the first place,” read the court’s decision.These graft cases happen all the time and are always blatantly illegal. What are these guys even thinking? What was the point of this scam anyway?
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/678479/suspected-firearms-supplier-of-maute-group-arrested-along-nlex/story/ |
Authorities have arrested a couple suspected of supplying firearms to the Maute terrorist group and seized P1.2 million worth of guns in their possession, according to a report of GMA's "Balitanghali."
In the report, PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said Edgardo and Rosemarie Medel of Landville Subdivision of Barangay Pambuan, Gapan, Nueva Ecija will be facing gunrunning charges after they were caught Sunday night in possession of two assault rifles, a handgun and 12,893 rounds of live ammunition for M-60 light machine gun and M-16 assault rifle.
Prior to the arrest of the Medel couple, they received P1.2 million worth of marked money from two undercover female operatives who posed as buyers of weapons and ammunition purportedly for the forthcoming elections next year.
According to a Balitanghali report on Monday, the suspects were found to have several clients from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The boxes storing the weapons were also emblazoned with the logo of the Armed Forces and the Philippine Army.
“I just cannot imagine the death and destruction that will result should these war materials fall into the hands of the New People’s Army, Abu Sayyaf Group, and terror groups. Part of the continuing investigation will be to determine the source of these weapons and ammunition, and to possibly identify other persons involved in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Albayalde said.
This is a very interesting story and confirms previous reports that much of the ammo and weapon being used by terrorists originates with the AFP. The facts of this story deserve the closest scrutiny and it should end with a Senate investigation of the AFP. Too bad it will probably get buried in all the noise. Miss Philippines (who is actually an Australian!) was just crowned Miss Universe after all.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/17/1877778/resolution-commending-catriona-miss-universe-victory-filed-senate |
Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri file Senate Resolution 976 within hours of 24-year-old Gray winning the competition in Bangkok, Thailand.
"Whereas, for winning the Miss Universe title, Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray has brought great pride, honor and glory to the country and the Filipino people, worthy of praise and commendation of this august Chamber," the resolution read.The Senate moves fast when it comes to matters that are trivial. Still no Marawi siege investigation. How was Zubiri able to file this when Congress has adjourned for the holidays? Once the Senate resumes session next year they will have a lot on their plate. Especially the budget which is still being disputed.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/16/1877496/andaya-alleges-ex-cabinet-member-parked-p300m-infra-projects |
The House and the Senate will have to take a fine-tooth comb over this budget if they want to pull the pork. Will they really do it?
State-owned China International Telecommunications and Construction Corp. won the contract for the installation of a vast network of security cameras under the first phase of the project titled Safe Philippines.
It is a joint project between the government and the People’s Republic of China that Año said aims to improve public safety, evidence collection and incident prevention during disasters, as well as improve emergency response.Aside from the security concerns and the fact that this is a deal with a company owned by the Chinese government shouldn't the Philippines look to domestic firms first? Wasn't Duterte's promise to bring more jobs? Giving contracts to China doesn't bring jobs to Filipinos.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/12/18/2-subic-councilors-hurt-in-ambush/ |
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1064464/duterte-roxas-ordered-ambush-of-police-aide |
Former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II ordered the ambush of former police general and now Daanbantayan, Cebu, Mayor Vicente Loot, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday in a speech in Davao City.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the statement was “obviously” a joke.
“Si Loot kaduha daw ma-ambush di mamatay-patay. Dili ako’y nagpa-ambush adto ha, si Roxas. Katong ordera to kang Roxas ba to, di to ako,” Duterte said in Visayan during the Barangay Summit on Good Governance in Region 11.
(Loot was ambushed twice but could not be killed. I did not order the ambush. It was Roxas. Roxas ordered his ambush, not me.)
After talking about the ambush of Loot, Duterte abruptly mentioned former Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr., a former police aide of Roxas.
“Because he (Roxas) was told… ‘Your Garbo, your senior police aide is involved in drugs’. That’s was why Roxas was irked. He said, ‘Patayin na lang ninyo para hindi tayo mapahiya’,” he added.
Yeah so obviously a joke. Accusing Mar Roxas of ordering someone assassination is a real gut buster. I bet Roxas was laughing so hard when he heard it. President Joker.
Of course they would approve a man who is out on bail for a non-bailable offence to travel abroad.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1064250/sandiganbayan-approves-jinggoys-travel-to-hong-kong |
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/18/1877913/palace-orders-benjamin-diokno-stop-facing-house |
Malacañang has ordered Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno not to attend the investigation by the House of Representatives on alleged “pork” insertions in the 2019 national budget and anomalies involving a government-favored contractor.
This is the most transparent administration in recent memory. So transparent you can see the corruption shining through!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1064504/cop-shot-dead-by-riding-in-tandem-gunmen-in-negros-oriental |
Gabuya was Deputy Chief of Police for Operations of the Guihulngan City Police Office.Another riding-in-tandem murder which will likely go unsolved.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/18/18/coa-orders-return-of-excess-benefits-christmas-gifts-given-to-sss-employees |
The Commission on Audit has ordered the return of P71.612 million in excess allowances and benefits given by the officials of the Social Security System to its officers and employees in the National Capital Region for calendar year 2010.
This happened eight years ago. How does the COA expect all this money to be returned?
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1064899/sandiganbayan-convicts-ex-zambales-mayor-for-malversation |
The Sandiganbayan convicted former Mayor Teofilo Pantaleon Jr. of Castillejos town in Zambales for misusing public funds intended for the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) office’s construction and renovation on October 1997.Convicted of misusing funds. Charged in 1997! Only took 21 years to get a conviction.
“I will purge the judiciary of misfits and scalawags and enforce the rules of discipline,” he declared.
He pointed out that in the provinces, “there is a very strong perception that justice is only for the strong, the influential and the wealthy.”
“Those judges and employees in the provinces who have contributed to this wrong perception about the Judiciary will have to go,” stressed.We have heard this rhetoric time and again. "Purge the organisation of scallywags." And every time the scallywags remain. Good of hm to admit the Philippine justice system is not all it's cracked up to be.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/678918/dozens-of-house-members-asked-for-road-board-funds-document-shows/story/ |
The Road Board is tasked by law to identify and propose allocations for road projects to be funded by proceeds from the Motor Vehicle Users' Charge—the tax paid whenever their cars are registered with the Land Transportation Office.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1064852/road-board-one-of-the-most-corrupt-agencies-gatchalian |
“Naging personal kitty na yan ng mga officials. Walang accountability,” Gatchalian added.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1064452/duterte-to-abolish-road-board-palace |
President Rodrigo Duterte will sign the bill abolishing the corruption-ridden Road Board that the Senate and the House of Representatives approved even if the lower chamber later moved to rescind it, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
“Yes, that has been the position … [It will be signed by the President] as soon as it is given to him,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters on Tuesday.
The Road Board controls proceeds of the road user’s tax, known as the motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC), which motorists pay yearly for the registration of their vehicles.
Defying the House, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he would transmit to Malacañang a copy of the bill abolishing the Road Board even without the signature of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“As far as we are concerned, [the Road Board] is abolished,” Sotto said on Tuesday, referring to the controversial bill.
In September, the Senate, hoping to dispense with bicameral discussions, passed and adopted the House version of a bill that was approved under former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
The bill dissolves the Road Board on grounds of huge irregularities in the use of MVUC and reverts proceeds of the P45-billion fund to the treasury.An agency with billions of pesos and no oversight which many Congressman are attempting to dip their hands into? Sounds like a recipe for corruption. Sounds like Pinoy Politics 101. Will Duterte actually abolish the Road Board? If the bill was approved in the House in September then why hasn't the Senate voted on it and passed it to Duterte? This bill will place all the money from the Road Board in the treasury but that is very non-specific and knowing how Pinoy Politics works corruption will still remain firmly entrenched when it comes to the budget.
Thursday, December 20, 2018
A Christmas Gift From Garbage Collection
Twice a week the garbage is collected in my neighbourhood. These men ride up and down each street in a large truck overflowing with refuse and take away the bags of trash everyone leaves them. Week in, week out it's always the same, the garbage men take the garbage.
Imagine my surprise when this week instead of taking from us as usual the garbage collectors decided to give to us.
For some reason this envelope was empty. Why? I don't know. Who gives an empty envelope as a gift? Usually an envelope is filled with a card or some cash but this envelope had nothing. Maybe they forgot the gift which was supposed to be in the envelope?
I will have to bury this sad empty envelope at the bottom of a trash bag so they don't see it when they come to collect the garbage next time. After all I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings since I had to reject their gift.
Merry Christmas indeed!
Merry Christmas indeed!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Australian Miss Philippines Wins American Miss Universe Pageant
Christmas keeps coming early for the Philippines. First it was the acquittal of Bong Revilla, then it was the return of the Balangiga Bells, and now it's the crowning of Miss Philippines Catriona Gray as the new Miss Universe.
What a string of good fortune for the Philippines. Enough good cheer to make one forget about the slumping economy, the corrupt politicians, the extorting cops, clogged Manila Bay, the communist and Islamic insurgencies, and the on-going drug war.
Two out of three of those events, the return of the bells and the crowning of Catriona Gray, would not have been possible without the USA. It is the USA who took the bells as spoils of war, set them up as monuments to the war dead, and then wilfully desecrated those monuments and the memory of the dead by returning the bells as a show of friendship and goodwill to the Philippines. Likewise the Miss Universe pageant is owned by the Miss Universe Organisation which is an American company once owned by current US president Donald Trump.
Catriona Gray is a rare bird in that she is perhaps the very first Miss Universe who is also a nerd.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/18/1877910/shades-gray-nerd-musician-black-belter |
“I can sing in my head and rearrange the tune of a song, note per note. I am a nerd,” she told The STAR in an interview.
The 24-year-old beauty queen finished a diploma course in Music Theory at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, reportedly the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world.
“My course is about really working on a sheet of music. You work out the chords, which note complements the other and how they will make the feeling of tension, the feeling of resolution,” she said. “It’s all about harmonization. That’s more of the theory of notation and everything rather than practical. I don’t play any instrument.”
Her being a nerd was developed at home, in Queensland, Australia. Her Filipino mother Normita Ragas Magnayon, originally from Oas, Albay, taught her to read long before she entered school.
“I loved school as a kid. I was a bit of a nerd. I took two Science and two Math subjects (per grade level). I loved numbers from a very young age. I feel like my mom led me there because instead of giving me Game Boy and PlayStations and a TV set, she gave me educational software on our family computer for Math and stuff,” Catriona said.
“By the time I went to school, I already knew the fundamentals and as a child, when you have that confidence, you can only get better. I felt very confident on all subjects. I already knew how to read before I went to school,” she added.
Her Australian father Ian Gray, a retired civil engineer, “also taught me about life.”
“My dad is 20 years older than my mom. Growing up, I felt like he knew everything. I felt like for every question I had, he had an answer. ‘The longest journey starts with a single step.’ He used to tell me that,” she said.
An only child, Catriona grew up very close to her parents. “Growing up in Australia, I didn’t have any relatives nearby. My relatives would either be in the States or in the Philippines, also in Germany. So, I was just really close to my parents and actually I moved around a lot when I was very young. I think it played a big part in making me the shy teenager that I was. We would move places. I was born in Cairns, Queensland. We moved to Sydney. We moved to New South Wales. We moved around Australia.”
Catriona started living on her own in Manila since she was 18. She bought her own plane ticket using the money she earned from modeling since she was 16 years old. “I don’t have the habit of asking money from my parents,” she said.
A nerd that does not play video games? Who ever heard of such a thing? This term nerd has been thrown around so much it's ridiculous. From her Wikipedia entry we read:
Furthermore, Gray was the lead singer of her school's jazz band, and she also starred in local productions of Miss Saigon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catriona_Gray
Nerds are not the lead singer of their school's jazz band and do not land starring roles in musicals. They isolate themselves or congregate with like minded fellows and play video games, Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, watch Star Trek, quote Monty Python, or any number of other things but definitely not the things she has done. She is not a dork, a dweeb, a geek, a square, and most certainly not a nerd. I bet she would not be able to tell me what the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is. Does she even know what a dilithum crystal is used for? Has she ever been to a Wizard People Party? Can she tell me how to get to Equestria? What is Blue Harvest? Doubtful she knows! If she was a true nerd she would have done a silly walk instead of a lava walk during the pageant.
Plenty of famous musicians have graduated from Berklee and they are hardly nerds. Catriona admits she does not even play an instrument! A proper music nerd would be obsessive over his instrument so no way this lady is even a music nerd. I am baffled as to how she was able to attend one the most prestigious music universities in the world and not play an instrument. How did she make it in? Is it because she sings jazz? If she can rearrange music in her head that would not make her a nerd. That would make her some kind of savant. Perhaps the idiot kind?
I really take except to Catriona calling herself a nerd. It takes a lot of vanity to enter a beauty contest. It's unavoidable. You have to worry about your body and your clothes and your make-up and you have to display yourself in front of millions of people. You cannot be shy. If she was a nerd she would be an introvert and not inclined to do any of the things it takes to be in a beauty pageant. Incidentally she has been involved in Philippines beauty pageants since at least 1999.
Nerd has a specific meaning and it is awful that women these days have taken to calling themselves nerds simply because they have invaded male spaces and now play video games and read comic books as if doing those activities automatically makes one a nerd.
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| https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgpi2jOlt1c/ |
Catriona is also not a Filipina. Sure she has a Filipina mother. But so what? She was born and raised in Australia and all her life looked up to who? To the white man who is her father. This lady does not have any Filipino consciousness. If her white father gave her all the answers to her questions then all the answers she has are not Filipino answers!
I don't know how this Australian was able to sneak into the Miss Universe pageant as Miss Philippines (one-drop rule?) but she did and now the whole country is celebrating. In fact the town HER MOTHER IS FROM wants to build a life-size statue to Catriona.
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| https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/318040/albay-town-plans-to-erect-life-sized-statue-for-catriona-gray/ |
On Monday, Albay residents’ eyes were glued to their television sets in all-out support for Gray as she made her way through the catwalk with her iconic “lava walk” and slow-mo twirl.
Local government units, particularly in Oas, has set up viewing centers with big screens in their respective multi-purpose halls and basketball covered courts to allow hundreds of residents to view the international beauty tilt.
At around 11 a.m., when Miss Universe host Steve Harvey announced Miss Philippines as this year’s Miss Universe, shouts of joy and applause suddenly reverberated in every home, restaurant, school and public places in Albay.
Mayor Domingo Escoto Jr. told Inquirer that they want the statue to let the future generations know that “here, we had a Miss Universe,” who represented Oas and the country.
“Truly an Albayana, she was the most prepared candidate ever – if you prepare to fight calamities, the more you are prepared for victory,” Albay Representative Joey Salceda who hails from the neighboring town of Polangui, said in a statement after Gray was crowned.
“I worked with Catriona in her previous quests and she was excited about her role as tourism champion for Albay,” he added.
How can Catriona be "truly an Albayana" if she is actually and in fact an Australian and not at all from Albaya? She is not and these people are deluded beyond belief to think she is from their town. Perhaps it all comes to the last sentence...Tourism. This country will do anything to get people to visit this sad archipelago. It's disguising and a tad whorish.
Interestingly the last Pinay to win Miss Universe is also a foreigner. Pia Wurtzbach was born in Germany to a German father and Filipina mother. However her family returned to the Philippines and she grew up here which makes her case totally different. She almost certainly has a Pinoy consciousness and not a German outlook on life especially since her father abandoned the family.
So, to recap: The Philippines is rejoicing at an early Christmas and it is all thanks to foreigners.
Now I really wanted to end with that last sentence but I came across this opinion column that I think is very important in shedding light on just what a Filipino is and who can be one.
Let's stop right here. The first argument Mr. Saludo wants to examine is the ethnic argument. He writes that the Japanese and Chinese both have distinct homogenous cultures and races. Ergo foreigners can dilute the purity of the Japanese and Chinese races by mating with a member of those groups.
But the Philippines does not have a homogenous racial or ethnic culture. Ergo there is no such thing as a Filipino racially or culturally speaking. There is only a mishmash of many other races and cultures thrown together and banded under a name, the Philippines, that was forced upon them by foreigners and does not technically belong to this archipelago.
Here is the basis of citizenship as laid out in the 1987 Constitution as it pertains to this discussion.
Saludo's argument in this section is off because he is using a few terms wrong. First "expatriates whether first, or later generations." This is wrong. If a person moves to another country he is an expatriate. Any children he has are not expatriates. They are natives to that soil on which they are born. He also brings up "balikbayans" but no foreign born "Filipino" is a balikbayan because they never left the Philippines. It is impossible for them to be a balikbayan.
In a nutshell Saludo's argument is Filipinos only exist as a political entity. Which is kind of weird to think about because that means Filipinos are a social construct based on a social contract, the Constitution.
This article has run on a bit so it's time to end it. Hopefully there is some meat for you to chew on and ruminate over. I thank Mr. Saludo for raising these issues and advancing our understanding of what makes one a Filipino.
Now I really wanted to end with that last sentence but I came across this opinion column that I think is very important in shedding light on just what a Filipino is and who can be one.
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| https://www.manilatimes.net/is-miss-universe-catriona-gray-really-filipino/484402/ |
The question about Gray’s Filipino creds came up over her Western name, Caucasian looks, Scottish-Australian father, American accent, and birth and upbringing in Cairns, Queensland (she moved to Manila only at the age of 18). And she was educated entirely overseas, including certificate studies at Boston’s renowned Berklee School of Music.
Doesn’t all that make the new Miss Universe more foreign than Pinoy?
If Gray were representing China or Japan, there may be reason for her hypothetical compatriots to question how Chinese or Japanese she is.
The “Middle Kingdom” and the “Land of the Rising Sun” are racially homogenous nations, who see their national identities bound closely with race and culture. Hence, a heavy dose of foreign blood, upbringing and education could be seen as reducing a person’s Chineseness or Japaneseness.
The more politically correct may see such a perspective as racist, but for a nation with millennia of single-race history and culture, one can understand why race cannot be so easily extricated from national identity.
The Philippines, of course, is not a nation distinguished by a single race or religion maintained over centuries, if not millennia.
In this ethnically charged repartee, it’s crucial for truth and unity to accept and indeed celebrate our nation’s rich amalgam of multiple ethnicities and influences accumulated and assimilated through the centuries. Even our name is not indigenous.
But the Philippines does not have a homogenous racial or ethnic culture. Ergo there is no such thing as a Filipino racially or culturally speaking. There is only a mishmash of many other races and cultures thrown together and banded under a name, the Philippines, that was forced upon them by foreigners and does not technically belong to this archipelago.
If not race and culture, what about location, location, location?
Some nationalists may argue that being Filipino should be based on coming from our islands. This, despite the jus sanguinis basis of our citizenship, following parentage rather than birthplace, under the 1935, 1973 and 1987 Constitutions.
People were born and raised abroad, especially those with just one parent of Philippine nationality, may be seen as not Filipino enough. With that criterion, one would then have to exclude not just foreign-born beauty queens who brought international titles to the country, but also basketball, football, and other athletes who have made the nation globally competitive.
Filipinos would also have to stop cheering such Filipino-American sports figures as Cleveland Cavaliers star Jordan Clarkson (who played for the Philippines this year), Miami Heat champion coach Erik Spoelstra, martial arts heavyweight champion Brandon Vera, six-time world champion wrestler David Bautista, one-time top-ranked golfer Jason Day, and four-time US national table tennis champ Angelita Rosal, among many other Fil-Am sporting greats.
This phenomenon of foreign-fathered or — mothered, overseas-raised and instructed Filipinos excelling internationally cannot but explode with the 10-million-and-counting diaspora of Pinoys working and living abroad.
And not a few expatriates, whether first or later generations, find cultural identity and pride in their Philippine roots. Some also see competing for the Philippines as their ticket to global renown. Especially if they face tougher competition in their home countries, due to far greater wealth, health, breeding and training there.
Filipinos naturally cheer balikbayans who devote their talents, time, toil and treasure to win honor for our motherland, and to help the less fortunate among our people. Surely, such love and labor for the Philippines are as valid a criterion for Filipino nationality, if not much more so, than blood, birthplace, and upbringing.
For Catriona Gray, who invested years not only to compete in Miss World in 2016 and Miss Universe this year, but also to use her renown, looks, dance and voice in promoting Philippine tourism and culture, plus bringing knowledge to street children, that criterion of service to the nation must be the ultimate mark of being Pinoy. May more of her kind bless our Mutyang Inang Bayan.
SECTION 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines:
(2) Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/What are the implications of this provision? Let's take the case of famous American movie star Rob Schneider. His grandma was a Filipino citizen. That means her child, Rob Schneider's mother, is a Filipino citizen. Because his mom is a Filipino citizen he too is a Filipino citizen. Any of Rob Schneider's children are therefore also Filipino citizens and so are their children and their children's children ad infinitum. There could potentially be a situation where someone down the line is, according to this provision, a Filipino citizen but have absolutely no real connection to the Philippines by not even having an "ethnic" Filipino father or mother! Saludo echoes this point when he writes:
And not a few expatriates, whether first or later generations, find cultural identity and pride in their Philippine roots.You could potentially have generations of Filipino citizens who have never been to the Philippines! What good would it do to call yourself Filipino but have no connection to these islands? Well according to our writer here you could come back to the Philippines, even though you never left, and use your superior talents to play sports or participate in a beauty pageant. But you would only do this because:
they face tougher competition in their home countries, due to far greater wealth, health, breeding and training there.Here he unintentionally denigrates the level of training and excellence in sport in the Philippines and he knocks down his own argument by mentioning their "home countries." If you were born in another country than the Philippines and that country is your home then you are by no means a Filipino.
Saludo's argument in this section is off because he is using a few terms wrong. First "expatriates whether first, or later generations." This is wrong. If a person moves to another country he is an expatriate. Any children he has are not expatriates. They are natives to that soil on which they are born. He also brings up "balikbayans" but no foreign born "Filipino" is a balikbayan because they never left the Philippines. It is impossible for them to be a balikbayan.
In a nutshell Saludo's argument is Filipinos only exist as a political entity. Which is kind of weird to think about because that means Filipinos are a social construct based on a social contract, the Constitution.
This article has run on a bit so it's time to end it. Hopefully there is some meat for you to chew on and ruminate over. I thank Mr. Saludo for raising these issues and advancing our understanding of what makes one a Filipino.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Martial Law: Third Time's the Charm
A second year-long extension approved by Congress will ensure Mindanao remains in the thraldom of martial law until the end of 2019.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1062275/congress-okays-3rd-martial-law-extension-in-mindanao |
A total of 12 senators voted to extend martial rule in Mindanao until Dec. 31, 2019. Five were against and one abstained.
On the part of the House, 223 voted to extend, 23 were against, with no abstentions.
With a final total vote of 235 for an extension, 28 against and one abstention, Congress voted to extend martial rule in the South.
Big surprise, right? Hardly but during the testimony given by the DND there was a shocking surprise.
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During his interpellation, Lagman, an opposition lawmaker, asked newly-appointed Armed Forces chief Lieutenant General Benjamin Madrigal about the growth rate in Mindanao, both in the first and fourth quarter of 2018.
Madrigal said they have no information on it, as the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has yet to give them the data for 2018.
Lagman also asked Madrigal for the inflation rate and poverty incidence in Mindanao for the first and fourth quarter of 2018 during the implementation of martial law, to which the new military leader said they have no data.
"I am asking these questions because there has been a repeated claim that martial law contributed to the development and growth," Lagman said. "But how can these be validated when there is no empirical data on which this claim can be anchored?"
Lagman has consistently opposed the extension of martial law in Mindanao, pointing out that strong public clamor and the presence of terrorists — the other reasons cited by the military for its recommendation — are not basis for it.
See this is what a hearing will do. It will give lawmakers a chance to grill the AFP's top brass and find out just what is happening. That is why an inquiry into the Marawi siege is so imperative. Now the whole nation knows the AFP is talking out of their collective butts when they make economic claims for martial law. What else are they bluffing about? Here's another surprise from the brief hearing.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1062367/with-martial-law-lgus-in-mindanao-are-more-cooperative-ano |
“The implementation of martial law has really provided a good tool for both the military and Philippine National Police (PNP) to do its mandate with the support of the local government units particularly the local chief executives,” Año said during the joint session on martial law extension.
“With the implementation of martial, local government executives are more cooperative, more supportive in our campaign against rebel groups,” he added.
What a revelation. Without martial law local governments are uncooperative in fighting against rebels groups? Is that right? Are these local governments in cahoots with the rebel groups? Why would they not be cooperative unless martial law was in place? What was the response of the AFP and PNP to these LGUs before martial law? It is another topic for another hearing, the Marawi siege hearing if it ever happens. One more surprise to unwrap.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1062339/medialdea-terror-groups-still-eyeing-to-establish-caliphate-in-mindanao |
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said this on Wednesday during the joint session of the Senate and Congress on the possible extension of martial law in Mindanao.
“The remnants of the local terrorists groups composed of the Abu Sayyaf Group and Dawlah Islamiyah have continued with their political thrust in establishing a wilayat,” Medialdea said.
“The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, on the other hand, have remained adamant in their pursuit of establishing an independent Islamic state,” he added.
The Palace official noted that “these complications are further worsened by the presence of other foreign terrorist elements” who share the same purpose of overthrowing the government.
“We cannot turn a blind eye that Mindanao is still in the midst of rebellion,” Medialdea said.
Medialdea, as Executive Secretary, certainly has access to classified information and to men who are in the know. Here he is admitting there are foreign terrorists in the Philippines, a fact the AFP continues to say they are verifying. He also claims that Abu Sayyaf and the BIFF are seeking to establish an "independent Islamic State." How odd that is because establishing an independent Islamic State is the goal of the MILF and if the plebiscite passes the BOL, the BARMM will be a de facto Islamic State. The only problem is the MILF will be in control and not the BIFF so naturally BIFF wants nothing to do with it. They want their own Islamic State. This admission is definite proof that the BARMM will not bring peace to Mindanao and that, once again, the AFP is not telling the whole truth about the nature of the threat ISIS poses to the country. It's either that or Medialdea is lying about "the presence of foreign terrorist elements."
All those who voted against martial law gave their reasons which are basically the same (no actual rebellion, unconstitutional.) They will also be appealing to the Supreme Court once again.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/678083/opposition-solons-to-challenge-mindanao-martial-law-extension-before-sc-anew/story/ |
Lagman, however, said that the current state of affairs in Mindanao is already very different from when martial law was originally declared in the region on May 23 last year, when the ISIS-inspired Maute group began its attack on Marawi City.
"We feel very strongly that there is no constitutional and factual basis for that extension," he said.
Lagman admitted that while it may be branded as an "exercise in futility," seeking court relief would enable them to formally register their opposition to Congress's decision.
"What we are doing right now is when we file the petition, we can materialize our opposition to martial law and also to record in history what is the reaction and decision of the Supreme Court," he said.
As he goes on to say, the appeal would not be ultimately futile because any ruling would once again set precedent. Like earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could indefinitely extend martial law. Maybe this year they will rule on what constitutes rebellion? Proponents of martital law think an appeal is stupid and the ruling is a foregone conclusion.
Such short sightedness becomes them.
Those who favour the extension have very little arguments to back them up. Listen to what Senator Sotto has to say to critics of martial law.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1063929/guevarra-petition-to-question-martial-law-extension-bound-to-fail |
Those who favour the extension have very little arguments to back them up. Listen to what Senator Sotto has to say to critics of martial law.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1062746/sotto-to-martial-law-critics-go-to-mindanao-and-oppose-it-there |
“I wish those against ML in Mindanao to go there and say there what they are saying here,” Sotto said in a text message after Congress overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to approve the martial law extension until December 31, 2019.
“Kahit hindi tumira. Pumunta lang at duon magsalita ng contra nila,” (They don’t need t live there. Just go there and say that they are against it) he added.
That is not an argument based on facts or the law. It's a fallacy. It's an appeal to emotion. It's also a sad admission that Mindanao cannot be governed and controlled without martial law. It's an admission that Mindanao is a failed province and the Philippines is a failed state.
One of the reasons given to keep martial law is that it will help facilitate the rebuilding of Marawi. How? Specifics are never given. But how will martial law correct such blatant incompetence from the companies tasked to rebuild the city?
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1061572/debris-clearing-in-marawi-stopped-due-to-firms-lack-of-permits |
The contractor clearing debris from a portion of a 250-hectare area in Marawi City destroyed by the war on terror last year was ordered to stop its work in the absence of two key permits—environmental and demolition.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) gave the order on Friday to Finmat International Resources Inc. (Firi), which won the contract to clear Sector 1 of what had become the main battleground between Islamic State and government forces in Marawi.
Firi is a member of PowerChina Consortium, which had been awarded the contract to clear debris in Sector 1 that included the villages of Tolali and Daguduban.
Only eight structures had been demolished as of now because of paper work, Tejares said.
Castro said contracts for clearing the other portions of the 250-ha main battleground were still being negotiated.
Demolishing structures, which had already been covered by waivers from owners had to be suspended in cases where these structures were surrounded by other buildings whose owners didn’t want their property to be destroyed, Castro said.
“It makes our work slow,” he said.
In another case, Castro said some sites had not been cleared yet of unexploded ordnance.
Paperwork is holding back the demolishing of structures in Marawi!? Areas have not been cleared of unexploded ordnance!? If the area is not 100% clear and if ALL the paperwork is not in place then why did the groundbreaking ceremony happen? You'd think they would get all their ducks in a row before they shoot but after so many delays they are too eager to jump right in and get started.
So there's martial law until the end of next year (and probably beyond) and how have the rebels responded? The Muslims haven't issued an official statement but the commies have.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/677978/cpp-orders-npa-to-mount-offensives-across-phl-in-response-to-martial-law-extension/story/ |
What kind of response is this? It puts the following in perspective.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1061433/arrest-of-peace-worker-dooms-talks-with-reds |
I may not be a smart man but I would imagine that ramping up attacks because martial law has been extended is a good way to doom peace talks and to ensure further extensions.
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