I Missed Blogging and Learned Many Things

For one week I was not able to write anything in this website and I'm sorry about that. But there is always a valid reason why I have to leave my responsibility (yes, this is my responsibility) a bit. Luckily, I also learned a couple of things why I missed my posts.

You see, a week ago (almost 1am Thursday) I took my wife to the hospital. She was suffering from fever for more than 2 days and after some medication and visit from the popular "manog-hilot" nothing happened. At the emergency room, she was given some tests on her blood.

Alas, she has to stay in the hospital...for 4 days. So I was stuck in the hospital from Thursday morning until Sunday afternoon. It was very humbling experience because I was left with nothing to do. Screw the money - I can sell everything just to buy the medicine or yank someone to take a look at my wife. Have you ever felt helpless while your love one just laid there suffering? It's really bad - I've seen this stuff in the movies and it actually freaked me out.

Well enough for my feelings. My better half is better than ever. My proof? She made me Jellp before she went to sleep. Ah..good times.

Looking back, I learned a lot of things and I'll share them in this blog. It's semi-political so it should still be relevant.

Here are some hints: Philhealth and Insurance, Hospitals, Student Nurses and Public Hospitals in Iloilo City.

Stay tuned. It's going to be a better week.

Who the Hell Made that Post?

There’s a new leak on “Noynoy’s Psychiatric Report” and as a political blogger, I became curious and tried to look for the actual data so that I can learn more. But the more I search, the more I realize that the post is a hoax – that means it’s not true and it has angered some bloggers. Count me in for the angry mob.

This is the reason why we bloggers are being hounded by the law – we could easily end up in jail for something that we post here. We can be angry at their actions, we can be angry at their decisions, hell, we can even be angry on what they’re thinking. But proactively saying something that’s not true is not a way of a blogger. Yes, I am a pseudo-journalist (feeling journalist ba’) but that doesn’t mean I can post nasty things about people.

Mind you, I am not for Noynoy nor for any presidential candidate. I am still thinking about the right candidate but these blogs are only bothering me because it tries to muddle my decision making.

I want to blame also other people who only flamed this news. C’mon guys, you are actually paid to investigate on the veracity of the report. I am never paid for these things I post here and I don’t think I’ll earn from it even if I write vigorously about politics. Again, YOU ARE BEING PAID TO KNOW IF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE SO YOU BETTER DO YOUR JOB.

So what do we do about this? I suggest two drastic actions:

• Read other news – I suggest focusing on other news. The President of Poland is dead along with his wife which is more tragic that this false report on Noynoy. You could also check out some things you can do to avoid too much heat in summer.

• Watch movies, lots of movies – if you don’t like other news, then don’t listen to the news for at least two days. I will even accept it if you don’t go back here for two days. That’s how I love my country – screw my blog as long as we get out a better person.

See you in two days. But tomorrow I’ll still post something.

We Will Never Learn – Just Look at the Surveys

The latest senatorial survey was released and I am shocked! There are only 12 senatorial positions up for grabs and who do I find in the top spot? Actors! Artista! Are we getting bored in choosing the right candidate that we just choose the name that’s most familiar to us? I hope our common answer is not yes but my gut feeling is saying another thing.

Of the 12 available positions – 4 of those positions according to survey are on television and movie personalities. Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Tito Sotto and Lito Lapid. That means a third of our senators are run by people whose claim to fame is being seen on films and television. Yes, they did have some experience but where did they start? How did they got the position in the first place? They were actors. Bong, Jinggoy and Lito were known for their ability to punch a guy on film and Tito Sotto was one of the goofiest guys I’ve seen on TV. Now, they are leading the country. The logic is simply not there.

Yes, you can argue that these guys are probably great in person – kind, approachable and probably helpful. But if that’s the only way a person can become a senator, I can think of a lot of people who has the same quality. And don’t get me started on education. Of these guys, only Jinggoy Estrada had a degree (AB Economics – Like GMA). The rest have little to no college education.

I do not endorse any candidate but I don’t think we should place actors in the senate, congress or in any political position. But the way I see it, the fastest way to grab voters’ attention is to be seen in movies. To hell with college degree, I’d better call my agent so that I could be in congress someday.

For the next 6 years, we’re going to use the same garbage hoping it will become gold so that we’ll prosper one day.

It is Going to be a LOUD Summer

The jingles are coming friends and we have to be prepared for it. This is the first day candidates can practically do anything in order to solicit votes. That includes visiting your home, which is ok. They might also place some stickers or posters in your home if you approve it, which is relatively ok. Or they could have some caucuses so that they could offer their ideas for your town, which is actually fun.

But look out for jingles – the songs will be ripped off from popular tunes and will run continuously until Election Day. Here in Iloilo City, you’ll hear “Nobody, Nobody but (You)” blare with a twist. Take note that it’s not election season yet for the locals. But everyone is guilt of electioneering if the COMELEC is serious about it. Everyone will be disqualified.

Now that we’re starting the campaign period for local officials, we anticipate louder music. Take note that it’s very, very easy to create a minus-one or remove the vocals of a popular tune. Many computer geeks and audio-philes can remove the voice in a minute or two. What you just need is very corny lyrics in a local language.

I admit it, I don’t like it…but we have to acknowledge their effort. After all, this is part of the election. Although no one will learn anything from these jingles, this will increase awareness and people might find more information.

But still it’s going to be a very hot and LOUD summer.

10 Tips for Manny Pacquiao for the Upcoming Election

I always wanted to write about Manny Pacquiao. But since I focus on politics, I never had that chance…until now. Now Manny is also in politics, he could be part of my blog.

Manny Pacquiao is THE best boxer that came out of Philippines. With that said, I’ll never tell him what to do with his career in boxing. I wish I could provide him a tip or two on his singing and acting career (don’t do it), but that’s for other bloggers.

Sir, welcome to the world of politics. I know you’ve been beaten once but you’re back again for another round. This time you’re in Sarangani and you still want the same position. By this time, you already learned a lot about politics and ready to take on the position if you win.

Before you do, here are some tips that you might use. Take note other candidates because you might need these as well.

1. Stay in Sarangani for your campaign – while you’ve been persuaded by Senator Villar, you don’t have to go out and go on a campaign trail with him. Shake hands in your district which will really matter.
2. Don’t spend too much – yes, I know you’re a billionaire but that doesn’t mean you have to spend them all in an election. If you spend more than 20 million (that’s already generous), you have just been fooled by your constituents.
3. Spend your money on sports not posters – people already know who you are so posters are not that good. What people might need there are boxing gloves, uniforms for sports and even dart boards. This might be electioneering but hey, who doesn’t?
4. NEVER use vans that will blare your songs – your songs are pretty ok but that doesn’t mean everyone in your district should hear it everyday until the end of election period.
5. There are only 7 Towns so go on a tour – Sarangani Province only has 7 towns which very, very, very (I could not stress this enough) small.
6. Forget about the Party List PBA (Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta) – they should have started a non-profit organization instead of seeking a seat in congress.
7. In case you lose, do it like before – you bowed out in the election without any complaints which is a sign of a great warrior.
8. In case you win, seek help from your opponent – the Chiongbians are probably the most powerful and wealthy family in Saranggani. No need to fight someone who already knows the game.
9. Seek help from your “friends” – yes, “friends” celebrities that appreciates the way you handle your boxing career. If they are really your friends, they will spend money on plane tickets and go there to endorse you.
10. Don’t buy votes – this will only ruin your reputation permanently. It’s like buying a boxer to drop on a certain round. You don’t do that right?

Fear and Trembling for Iloilo City (and the Philippines)

First of all, this is not an article regarding Kierkegaard's book.

I am writing this article with fear and trembling. I was thinking of covering the latest video of Gordon with Moymoy Palaboy and the hacked website of Villar. But I’ll just forget about them and do something that’s more important to us: our security.

Why? Because no one is protected anymore. You should no longer feel safe at your home. Take this as a word of warning because bad things might happen out of nowhere. Even though you’re not part of the things happening today, it might happen – so watch out. It’s a lot better to be a bit paranoid than being careless and ends up with a body split in half.

Why am I saying this? Read tomorrow’s newspaper from Iloilo. This morning (around 3AM), someone threw a grenade on the ancestral home of Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas. The house is currently owned by his brother. You can read about it online right now.

This incident can be easily pointed to his brother’s possible beef with anyone. But a few weeks ago someone did the exact same thing to the Mayor’s house near the airport. As of this writing, no one was invited for questioning or became the suspect of the grenade bombing.

Does this mean anything to us? A big YES!!! Here are the implications:

• Anyone can become a target and the culprit can get away from it – the City’s most powerful man is susceptible to these attacks. He has an impressive security and we’re just sitting ducks here.
• The police are not ready to do anything – I’m sure they are working double time to find the culprit. But nothing has come out yet. If you become a victim, you’ll most likely end-up looking for a mythical needle in the haystack.

Can we be protected? I don’t know. What we should do for now is to be a bit paranoid about these events. Each candidate could be a target and those who want to inflict harm will do anything to get the job done.

Three OBVIOUS Reasons Why Party List Should be Abolished (Part 3)

Read Part 1 Here

Read Part 2 Here

Final Reason: THEY DON’T WORK

I’m sure marginalized sector from various industries have been represented in the senate. But have I seen their work? NO. Maybe I have seen BAYAN and GABRIELA do their chants on the street but other than that I have not seen one bit of help. The party list group should help a group of people that can’t be easily represented in the senate.

Why I argue they don’t work? Simple: because I’m a regular Filipino. I have encountered fishermen, sugarcane planters, CARTAPS (Carga Tapas or Sacada), really poor individuals, teachers (my parents), urban poor (my in-laws), carpenters, street vendors and I have seen no help that came from party list groups. They don’t do anything except to listen and create speech in the congress. If they do help, they will only help people from their region or their town or to the people they know. It’s NEVER nationwide.

This are the reasons why I want it abolished. No new laws to control party list or no new regulations how the party list will help. I just want this abolished. If you’re part of the party list group, feel free to leave a comment. You may have plans to help the country but when you get up there, you forget about us regular folks. Go on and gobble up to your pork barrel. We’ll just stay here, pay our taxes and hope to God something would happen in the congress that will say get those pseudo-congressmen/women out here! YOU GUYS HAVE NO BALLS!

Three OBVIOUS Reasons Why Party List Should be Abolished (Part 2)

Click HERE for Part 1

The second reason why I don’t like the current party list system is the sheer lack of knowledge of us regular folks. I think the only people who know about the party list procedures are those who are running or involved in a party list. Here’s the common knowledge about the party list – during elections a bunch of groups representing certain people are running for congress. With enough votes they will win. That’s what we know.

So what’s lacking from our basic knowledge?

• We are not sure who represents whom.
• We’re not sure what “enough votes” mean.
• We’re not sure how they will win and what they do in congress.

You can say that there are a lot of people involved in the party list system. But the fact still remains: 7-10 Filipinos are not aware of the party list system. Every party list is polluting the street asking the people for their vote. HOW CAN WE VOTE IF WE DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU? Instead of spending money on streamers, spend it on educating the people what is a party list and who are you.

We can blame the COMELEC. Or you can point your finger on the PPCRV (I won’t) but since you’re there willing to spend money to win, at least have it in your conscience to tell us what a party list is.

5 Types of Facebook Comments on National Candidates

For those who stay in front of their computers for more than 12 hours a day, Facebook is not just a way to kill time and chat with friends. The social networking site has become the source of news and comments on different political candidates. This is the reason why I became a "Fan" of every popular candidate - so that I know where they are and what their webmaster would like to share with us.

But one thing I noticed about each post is the different types of comments. I think I'm having more fun reading the comments rather than reading the link or anything they want to share. So without further ado, here are the 5 types of comments on Facebook. I limited the screen shots to protect the user and myself :). These were taken from random posts by the national candidates.

The Regular Type



Boring but at least they have shown their support to the candidate. Maybe they haven't read the link so they just opted to give a generic comment.

The Passionate Comment

These guys should be part of the candidate's entourage in every sortie. To those who belong to this group: please note that the font in comments are so small that it's hard to read. If you're writing an essay in your comment, post it in your blog…and email me about it.

Broken Caps Lock Follower

This group can be broken down into two more: the PURE CAPS or the SomeTIMes CApS. The comments are pretty generic but at least they had the creativity to get everyone's attention…or their fingers are stuck in the SHIFT key...or their caps lock is busted.

First Person Message

This is my favorite form of comment. Conveying your message to the candidate through comments in Facebook is like sending out a paper boat in a river here in the Philippines thinking Kim Jong Il would receive it and end his dictatorship in North Korea. Harsh? Because it's true.

The Comment Stirrer

Sometimes, someone became a "Fan" not necessarily to give support but to create controversy. Instead of a fan based comments, the comments became a heated debate you only see in PEP articles.

That's it? Any more comments?

Physical Violence During Elections - This Line Should NOT Be Crossed

I always love politicians debate. Listening to their tirade to destroy each other's reputation is always entertaining. This simply shows that each candidate has a skeleton in their closet. I even listen to paid political programs just to say bad things about the opponent. You have to give them credit for doing their best and braving the storm and dangers of insulting another candidate on the radio.

But when something physical is done to a political candidate, that's just plain wrong. Last year, the whole world was shocked about the Ampatuan Massacre. The thought of people dying because of political power is just wrong and those who do this is pure evil.

Why am I saying this? Because a few days ago our current Mayor's (Jerry Treñas) restaurant which is located beside the Mayor's residence became the recipient of a live grenade. No one died but someone got hurt.

This just muddled the situation of the already sticky state of our election. Why should you care even if you're not in Iloilo City? Because this can happen to anywhere and this scenario will most likely happen.

And what did just happened?

The victim (Mayor Jerry Treñas) cried foul - he has the right to do so because it has endangered his other source of living and his family. No one should die during the election and anyone who did this should be dealt with immediately. He is now pointing to politics and to those who understood (read: everyone else), he is suspecting his opponent: none other than Raul Gonzales Sr.

The opponent (Raul Gonzales Sr.) of course denies the accusation. I mean, who in the right mind will come to the radio and say "Yes, I did it and I'm angry right now because the guys who threw the grenade missed". I'm not saying he did it because it's quite stupid he really commissioned the act. He knows it will just ruin his reputation. But he launched his tirade saying that it's just another stunt.

This has left everyone confused. The voters will be clouded by these incidents instead of making a smart decision on the right candidate.

I wish I could blame the law enforcement officers but the real culprit are the leaders or those who planned this sabotage. Please, our country is already having problem select the right leader do not add to the problem if you can't provide any solution.

Election Dreams

By Nick

Politicians make people dream during elections and give them nightmares once they are in office. This has always been the case but why do we hold on to the dream? Are Filipinos still asleep? Yes!

Let us wake up. No matter who gets elected, our lives would still be the same. Graft and corruption will still be there. Poverty will still be there. Pollution will still be there. Population explosion will still happen. Power shortage will still be there. Prices will still go up. Justice will still be for the rich. Heinous crimes will still be there. Why? Simple. Political dynasties and warlords will still be there. They will still be in control of the lives of the people especially the poor. What will the poor get? Empty promises and dole-outs at the most. Keep their hopes alive until the next election.

Why are the barangays roads better during elections? Why are there so many government projects during elections? Why are improvements undertaken during elections? Why are those not in the administration promising a better future? It is because getting elected is what matters. Once the incumbents get reelected, life will still be the same. Once the challengers get elected, expect their ROI moves.

Shall we go on dreaming? Or, shall we go ahead with striving to make our lives better in spite of whoever gets elected. If we don’t give importance to politicians, things will be very different for us. Citizens in progressive countries don’t mind political ads. They only mind the character and personalities of government officials and candidates for different positions in government.