De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao Pay-per-view Telecast

Tickets to "The Dream Match" – the 12-round welterweight super fight between six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya and boxing's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao – will go on sale this Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT. 

Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao will take place Saturday, Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Tickets are priced at $1,500; P$1,000; $750; $500; $250; $150, not including applicable taxes and service charges. Ticket sales are limited to two per person at each price level with a total ticket limit of four per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase atwww.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will be sold via Ticketmaster phones and website only. There will be no sales at MGM Grand or any Ticketmaster outlets.

The De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. TP, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

Proclaiming the Gospel by Roy Cimagala

By Roy Cimagala

If we have to get down to it, proclaiming the gospel is one central duty of every follower of Christ. After all, our Lord told his disciples just before ascending into heaven: "Go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mk 16,15)

Though addressed directly to his disciples, we have to understand that these words are meant also, in varying degrees and ways, to all of us, members of Christ's mystical body, his Church. 

We just have to feel the unfading urgency of this command, and overcome whatever prejudice or obstacle still keeping us from undertaking this important work.

We should echo St. Paul's sentiments: "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." (1 Cor 9,16) Like St. Paul, we need to relish the full weight with which Christ commissioned him to fulfill this task.

As in, nothing less than the plenitude of Christ's redemptive work should be made to bear on our sense of duty and mission. We are not just doing some simple job. It's the whole work of human salvation that is involved.

Thus, ever since Christ's command, the apostles started to preach the gospel. And from then on, the task has never ceased even up to now. Of course, the process is not just a human effort. The Holy Spirit, in a mysterious way, always oversees it.

Still, this indication needs to be understood better. Several reasons come to mind. For one, our human condition tends to easily fall to routine, to oversimplify and reduce, and to miss many essential parts of this mission.

Like, we have to understand that this business of proclaiming the gospel is not just some mechanical work of spreading God's word, in itself already a very important task, given our increasingly secularized culture. It goes much more than that.

The gospel is not just a body of conceptual truths that need to be given out in lectures or classes. It is presenting the mystery of the living Christ as he grapples with every human situation that we can find ourselves in. 

Proclaiming it is not just an intellectual affair. It involves our whole being, and it requires nothing less than our conversion, and not just our attaining knowledge and familiarization of Christ's words.

In other words, proclaiming the gospel requires our living it, that is, living the very life of Christ who said: "For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting." (Jn 3,16)

Proclaiming the gospel requires assimilating it, identifying ourselves with it, making it the flesh of our flesh. It should not just be a possession, a property that we can have and then dispose. It has to be our very own life.

We have to understand that it is Christ's gospel that brings us to eternal life, not our human knowledge alone, or our sciences, no matter how developed and useful they are to us. Christ's gospel has the full resources to bring us to our supernatural goal of communion with God and with everybody else.

The challenge we have in this regard is, indeed, enormous! Proclaiming the gospel demands everything from us. Unless we understand this well, I don't think we can go far in carrying out Christ's command for us to preach the gospel to every creature.

The consoling part is that Christ himself is eternally patient with us. He can wait until we slowly and hopefully effectively realize what is involved in this business.

At the moment, the big task to do is to relate the gospel to our growing body of human knowledge that seems to develop independently of the gospel, that is, of any relation to God.

Ideally, the gospel should inspire our pursuit of knowledge. Our sciences, for example, should also affirm the gospel. The big problem now is that while the gospel and our knowledge go in different levels, any relationship between them appears to be vanishing.

To effectively proclaim the gospel, there's need to show how it is relevant and crucial in every human situation and knowledge we may have, including the very mundane realities of our life.

It may transcend our human condition, but it has to immerse itself in our life and grapple with every aspect of that life. Otherwise, it's as if Christ himself failed in his redemptive work.

Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano

The CVSCAFT Bilar Main Campus tendered a welcome program for Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on education, culture and arts, and his party at the Farmer's Training Center last Sept. 13.

School administrators together with the faculty and employees gathered and warmly welcome visitors and guests.

In her welcome address, Professor Virgilia D. Tejada, CVSCAFT-MC, college director, pointed out that the senator is "a person whose heart is close to the education sector." She expressed high hopes that the senator's visit will pave way for further developments – the ultimate aim of which is for the approval in the senate of CVSCAFT's application for a university status.

Dr. Elpidio T. Magante, SUC President II introduced the honored guest and stated the purpose of the Senator's visit which was to conduct an ocular inspection of the college in line with the school application for elevation to university status.

Sen. Cayetano in his message shared the good news that CVSCAFT's application has passed scrutiny and approval by the House of Representatives and it is now forwarded for final action to the senate.

He vowed to work for the favorable endorsement of the application to Senate President Manny Villar and Cynthia A. Villar, chairman of House committee on higher and technical education.

CVSCAFT has pinned its hopes on the good senator's efforts for the birth of "Bohol Island State University " soon. 

Tropical storm "Nina" Iinternational codename: Hagupit

Tropical storm "Nina" (international codename: Hagupit) intensified as it moved toward the eastern coast of central Philippines last night, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed nine provinces under public storm signal number 1 as Nina's center was located about 490 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes at 10 p.m.

About 200 people were reported stranded in the ports of Virac and Tabaco City in Albay as of noon Saturday after the Philippine Coast Guard halted sea voyage there.

In its 11 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said Nina was moving west-northwest at about 15 kilometers per hour, with maximum sustained winds of about 105 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 135 kilometers per hour.

Nina was expected to be 195 kilometers northeast of Virac by Sunday evening and 80 kilometers northeast of Casiguran, Aurora by Monday evening. It was forecast to be 90 kilometers north-northwest of Laoag City by Tuesday evening.

Public storm signal number 1 has been hoisted over the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Legaspi, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Western Samar and Eastern Samar.

The storm was expected to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Are Philippine Banks Safe?

Wall Street and the global financial system reeled to the ropes last week in one of the worst financial crisis to hit in decades.

Aristocratic giants like the Lehman Brothers, one of the world's largest investment banks, filed for bankruptcy.  AIG, the insurance behemoth had to be aided by billions of state funds to stay afloat.  The venerable Merrill Lynch had to be bought by Bank of America for a third of its value to keep it alive.

Since financial papers are sold at premiums and discount globally, some of the Lehman papers were in the asset portfolio of some Philippine banks , namely, the BDO-PCIBank (Henry Sy), Metrobank, Development Bank of the Philippines, RCBC, Bank of Commerce and the UCPB.

But the P13 billion to P17 billion  estimated loss for these Filipino banks is not even 1% of the entire banking system and is an insignificant percentage of the assets of the individual banks - many of who had "provided" for the losses. Each of the banks mentioned is solid and the Philippine banking system is sound. Don't believe rumor-mongers, don't panic - keep your deposits where they are.

Mayor Dan Lim vs Congressman Edgar Chatto

City Mayor Dan Lim yesterday called for an  "open line" with Rep. Edgar Chatto whose political paths always comes opposing at each other because of the former's allegations that the last-termer solon has positioned his brother-in-law, City Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso to run against him in the 2010 elections.

However, the vocal mayor sounded "friendly" yesterday when he appreciated the call of Rep. Chatto in his top-rated "Mayor's Report" over dyRD where the solon explained his side regarding the raging issue on the drainage problem in the city.

For his part, Chatto said the communication line to the city mayor remains open as far as he is concerned especially that the city belongs to the 1st congressional district.

Lim and Chatto who call each other as "chief" sounded so calm and friendly over the airlane yesterday.

The mayor told the solon "it's better if we always communicate personally and not send messages through Bohol Board Member Ae Damalerio or Vice Mayor Veloso."

For Lim, he considers both Damalerio and Veloso as political allies of the solon.

It maybe recalled that Lim reacted sharply when Damalerio who is the chair of the committee on environment of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan commented on the drainage issue. 

The city mayor is always quoted as saying that both the provincial board member and the vice mayor are speaking like "spokesmen" of Rep. Chatto.

For their part, Damalerio and Veloso always defend themselves saying that if they tackle public issues, they are acting on their individual capacities as duly elected officials and not as speakers of the solon. - The Bohol Chronicle

Indian National Complains Against Filipino Mayor

By Bohol Sunday Post

This old American saying that says "good fences make good neighbors"  made an Indian national wondered aloud why in heaven's name is he  not  a beneficiary to this time-tested dictum. 

The predicament of Satish Nair, an Indian national who is still euphoric of the opening of the family-owned Grand Luis Lodge in Dauis, Bohol broke into the open after he can't take it anymore the

threats and harassment of his neighbor, Dr. Doloreich Dumaluan.

Seeking the help of Mayor Benedicto Alcala he asked the town executive "what is the way forward" to solve his problem.

Nair said his problem with Dr. Dumaluan started when he fenced his property located beside the Dumaluan Beach Resort .

On two occasions Friday , a Post reporter was sent to the area to get the side of the former mayor only to be told that he was in Manila.

Just as he thought that by fencing the property he will end up to be a good neighbor, Nair woke up one morning seeing the fenced beach-front lot tied with three man-biting dogs.

According to his recollection, it was Dumaluan's men  who allegedly constructed a shed inside  his property to shelter the dogs which the  Indian national described as ferocious. 

The property which his wife Jacinta has inherited from his father, the late Luis Lorejo, was claimed by Dumaluan as his explaining his behavior towards the lot. The former mayor has expressed interest to buy the property or swap to another lot he owns but the lady Lorejo was adamant. 

The Nairs who are out of the country this time was planning to develop the beach front area into a budget hotel but the plan went kaput when Dumaluan put a shed in it along with the three dogs as if guarding against "intruders." 

In his SOS  to Mayor Alcala, Nair said his ordeal with his neighbor started when the former mayor started the construction of his beach resort. 

Even if he hanged a "No Trespassing" sign on the property, still his neighbor used the property as dumping ground of construction materials. The sign was tore to pieces. 

Philippine Banks Has Investments in Lehman Brothers

The history of Lehman Brothers parallels the growth of the United States and its energetic drive toward prosperity and international prominence. What would evolve into a global financial entity began as a general store in the American South. Henry Lehman, an immigrant from Germany, opened his small shop in the city of Montgomery, Alabama in 1844. Six years later, he was joined by brothers Emanuel and Mayer, and they named the business Lehman Brothers.

 Just a few days ago, Lehman Brothers filed Chapter 11 bankruptchy proceedings to protect itself  against debtors. It means as simply stated that if  one has any vestments or receivables from Lehman Brothers Inc., its clients cannot collect money from the company. At the latest, :Lehman Brothers Inc., is in negotiations with Barclays Bank from UK to sell its assest for about $3 billion.

 Never has it happened before that a major investment bank as Lehman Brothers Inc has collapsed. This let USA legislators  to examine closely the fiscal policies and regulations of the US governments. Some say the collapse of the bank was due to the greendiness of some Wall Street investors.

 The local financial firms face potential risks if they invested in these troubled Wall Street firms, whether directly by buying Lehman's or AIG's shares, or their other permutations, which in industry parlance is referred to as financial derivatives.

 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor Amando Tetangco, Jr. said that a survey among the Philippine banks showed that derivative investments in Lehman Brothers aggregate to about P15 billion, roughly 0.3 percent of the banking sectors' total assets. 

 Three of the top universal banks—Metrobank, Banco de Oro, and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation—have come forward to disclose that they have exposures in Lehman but downplayed the amounts as not material enough to cause a major dent on their finances. 

 Metrobank, the country's largest lender, earlier reported that it has $20.4 million bond investments in Lehman Brothers Holdings, and has set aside $14 million to cover it. 

 Banco de Oro also earlier announced that it has provided P3.8 billion, the peso equivalent of its $80.7 million exposure in Lehman, as buffer funds. They were joined later on by RCBC, which said it had prepared P980 million to cover potential losses in Lehman. 

 Tetangco said these disclosures should be considered positively. "It shows these banks have the resources to absorb a drop in the price of their investments in Lehman Brothers." 

 Tetangco stressed that Philippine banks could survive this kind of disruption because they are adequately capitalized. Banks were required to set aside funds appropriate for risks being taken in line with the implementation of the Basel 2 framework, an international benchmarking system. Basel 2 sets certain thresholds for available capital which determines how much the banks could lend. 

Remembering Martial Law of 1972

            How time flies. How fickle is our memory.

            Save for a few who have resolved not to forget, most Filipinos have relegated Proclamation 1081 to oblivion. Exactly 36 years ago today, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos placed the entire country under Martial Law.

            In one fell swoop, he would forever change the course of history.

            Few people who were there would deny that. The thousands who were killed, tortured, arrested and subjected to inhumanity by the Marcos regime will swear that their lives would never be the same again.

            Time however has a way of allowing people to recover. For every life that clings to the bitterness that was bred by the hurt inflicted on them during those tumultuous years, there are several who have preferred to make it a closed book.

            Those who remember continue to harbor the horrors of Martial Law . To thousands of youths whose idealism led them to actively oppose the dictator, not only their innocence but their very future were taken away from them.

            For all its faults, Martial Law taught most people the value of freedom. While many took it for granted prior to 1972, those who were there when history was written in those dark years knew how it was to be without them.

            In most cases, experience is the best teacher. In this case, it came with a heavy price. It was a very costly lesson.

            The problem about learning from experience is that we never learn.

            One of the tools that Marcos used to stifle dissent was to muzzle the media. In those days, only the media organizations that sang paeans to the dictator were allowed to operate.

            The rational for this is obvious: for as long as people are kept in the dark about the real score, they will be obedient and cooperative. Or so they thought.

            People eventually caught up with the trick. While the controlled media painted only rosy pictures of the regime, there were those who managed to leak unsavory details through every conceivable medium.

            The lesson here is that no matter how hard the media tries to distort the news, people will eventually know the real score. No matter how you sweep the dirt under the rug, it will show up when you least expected it.

            Today, the temptation to take the route that Marcos took in 1972 seems more and more appealing. Suddenly, 1081 looks like an attractive proposition again.

             It is timely to issue a reminder – if not a warning: nobody can fool all of the people all of the time. If Martial Law worked then, it won't this time. - Editorial, Bohol Sunday Post Newspaper

Request for Police Wehicles and Diagnostic Equipment

  The Bohol Provincial Development Council (PDC), Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), League of Municipalities of the Philippines Bohol chapter (LMP-Bohol), Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), Provincial Tourism Council and representatives of the church and private sector, in a recent joint meeting passed four resolutions endorsing the request for police vehicles and diagnostic equipment.

  Gov. Erico Aumentado presided over the meeting at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran City that had Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), as guest of honor and speaker.

  Razon right there and then indorsed the LMP-Bohol resolution to PDir. Charlemagne Alejandrino, director for logistics.

  Anticipating that he will be handed resolutions requesting for vehicles, firearms and equipment, Razon said he brought Alejandrino along on his two-day Bohol visit, as well as PDir. German Doria, director for human resource and doctrines development. Doria had declared open the 45-day training for the prospective members of the Bohol Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team the following day.

  Aumentado earlier prepared to indorse a similar request, but for 13 towns only based on an inventory prepared by P/Sr. Supt. Edgardo Ingking, provincial director. He waived his request in favor of the LMP's that asked for 22 vehicles, and even added a request for one more vehicle for the use of Ubay town.

  Ubay is next to Tagbilaran City in terms in terms of population and voting population, and the biggest town where land area is concerned. One barangay, he justified, is even 42 kilometers from the town proper.

  The governor noted that the local government units, rather than the PNP, are tasked to maintain the police vehicles in running condition. As such, the mayors would know the condition of these vehicles, especially if these are already beyond economic repair.

  The councils also passed separate resolutions for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) through its chair Ephraim Genuino and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) through its chair Sergio Valencia requesting that the government income-generating entities provide an MRI machine and a hyperbaric equipment, respectively, for the Bohol Diagnostic Center.

  Now undergoing construction, the center aims to provide diagnostic services to indigent patients in Bohol. As such, they will no longer need to go to Cebu and therefore cut down on expenses for fare, among others.

SWAT Police Force in Bohol

Director General Avelino Razon Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Friday activated the Bohol Tourist Police Unit (BTPU) and opened the training of the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team in rites held at the Community Police Action Center (Compac) in Brgy. Bolod of the tourist town of Panglao.

  Gov. Erico Aumentado invited Razon to the twin ceremony, especially after the latter committed P580,000 in the form of training and equippage to the Bohol Swat Team. Razon's Bohol visit is among his last official acts as he is set to relinquish the command in rites to be officiated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo slated on Oct. 3.

  In his message, Razon said establishing the tourist police in Bohol is a good decision because the province has lots to offer. He said he has gone as far as Bali (Indonesia), Casablanca and Maraquez in Morocco but these pale in comparison to the diverse attractions of Bohol.

  As such, tourists troop to Bohol, and it is but fitting and proper to train the police to secure the lives and property of local and foreign tourists alike – on top of their regular duties, he emphasized.

  However, he sees Bohol as still "too shy" in the promotion of its attractions, among them the dive sites, beaches, rivers and the tarsier – rattling off the other tourism towns where tourist police action centers will also be set up.

  With aggressive promotion, even more tourists will come, hence, Bohol's police must be world class – not do mere backwoods policing – and come up to the tourists' standards and expectations, he said.

  On the other hand, on top of their regular training, the additional training on special police operations make the Swat team members perform better. Their enhanced tactical capabilities can transform them into a formidable unit in answering "police situations."

  The special training gives the Swat team the tactical edge in the performance of their duties, he said.

  He also encouraged Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos, Region 7 director, to include foreign languages in their future trainings. Even simple greetings said in a tourist's native tongue can already generate lots of goodwill, he said.

  Tourist police and Swat teams are also trained in basic life support, search and rescue operations, among others.

  For his part, Aumentado expressed elation over the training, saying that better performance of the police go a long way in building confidence among visitors and investors alike.

  He said the police have also been a strong force and one of the key factors in the jump of Bohol from Club 20 – the country's 20 poorest provinces – to its 52nd position among 80 provinces today, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

Science Fair in Jagna

By Gregorio Tavera

     The 19 towns of the Third Congressional District of Bohol composing  the Educational Service Area (ESA) III of the Department of Education (DepEd) Division of Bohol held its yearly science fair here last September 12.

      Some officials of the division office led by Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Maria Linda Namocatcat graced the occasion.

      Among the provincial DepEd officials who came to attend the districtwide event were Engr. Hermenilda Gracio, ES-1 Science secondary; and Tarcisia Quilatan, ESA III director.

      The activities in the contest proper that highlighted the whole-day Science fair were Science quiz, Science dama that included the teachers and parents in the contest, investigatory project contest and the strategic intervention materials (SIM).

      The elementary division activities were held at the Jagna Central Elementary School multi-purpose building, while the secondary contests at the Jagna gymnasium.

      According to DepEd officials, the salient features of the competition was the promotion of the working knowledge and skills of the students, mentors and also the parents in the field of science and technology.

      In the opening program Vice-Mayor Teopisto Pagar gave the welcome message instead of the mayor who was out of town for an official business.

      "We are both blessed and proud to have hosted this kind of activity as it would enhance the know-how of our people in science to cope up with the increasing global necessity of science outputs for mankind's use," Pagar said.

      In the SIM competition-high school level, Sierra-Bullones National High School topped in the first year to fourth year categories.

      In the science quiz that followed, Guinacot and Mayuga schools- -both of Guindulman- -were at the peak in the first year and third year tests, while Candijay High School and Loboc High School were at the peak in the second year and fourth year levels, respectively.

      For the Science investigatory project individual category, La Hacienda high school was first placer. For the team category, Valencia High School romped away with the first place, while Lonoy Heroes Memorial High school (LHMHS) of Jagna won the teachers category.

      In the Science dama for students, Dusita High School led in the first, and third year selection for the best performance. Dimiao High School and Policronio Dano High School of Carmen bested won in the first and fourth year levels, respectively.

      In the parents category, the first prize went to Pilar High School; and the all-year level category was won by Dusita High School for the second year with Candabong High School of Anda on top in the third year level, and Pilar High School for the fourth year.

      In the fifth-row teacher category, LHMHS topped the first year and S-Bullones High School, won in the same competition.

      The following emerged first prize winners in the elementary level of the science quiz: Jagna Central for Grade III, Mayuga Elementary School of Guindulman for Grade IV, B-Suerte Elementary School of Pilar for Grade V, and Matin-ao Elementary School of Carmen for Grade VI level.

How Corrupt the Philippine Judiciary System

By Bingo P Dejaresco

The recent decision of the Supreme Court on the Court of Appeals (court) involvement in the takeover bid of the GSIS over the Meralco was a face-saving event meant for damage control.

For the seeming "obscene haste" that the CA had ruled that the SEC had no jurisdiction over Meralco - and allowing the Lopezes, de jure and de facto, to maintain control the power firm's management - and staving off the corporate pirates led by GSIS Head Winston Garcia, the SC ruled strongly.

CA Justice Vicente Roxas was sacked brutally while the apparent whistle-blower got a slap in the wrist (CA Justice Jose Sabio) and reprimands went to Justice Bienvenido Reyes and Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez Jr.

The Roxas sacking was a mere illusionary show of strength but the suspension of Sabio, despite the propaganda blitz to canonize him a semi-saint was neither here nor there.

Justice Sabio's attempt to meet alleged pro-Meralco bribe-giver Francis de Borja in the Ateneo Law School grounds (where the former teaches) was clearly unethical - regardless if the true bribe money was P10 million or P50 million. His immediate silence over the try of his brother PCGG Chairman Camilo for Jose to load the dice in the Meralco-GSIS Case is, at best, an act of ineptitude and lack of balls.

Saying "I will vote according to my conscience, anyway" cannot justify his silence.

The act of Camilo Sabio, on the other hand, to unduly influence his brother's judicial decision undermines his post as top Stolen Goods Pursuer as PCGG Chairman, a post that demands the utmost transparency and unsullied integrity. He was last seen on the front pages, dancing the reggae with Imeldific Marcos during her birthday bash, the Shoe Queen being one of the principals the PCGG is training its guns on.

Is not Dancing with the Enemy totally without taste and at worst - dangerous liaison hatched at the ballroom?

Is that lack of decorum any better than the Executive Department's release of its bulldogs from the pit – a.k.a. the GSIS to terrorize the Lopez and power-drive the latter to the mat and thus submit to a "reverse privatization?" - ceding the private Lopez ownership to government hands? Can that be better?

A question can be asked if Francis de Borja, the cock-breeder and industrialist of Quezon, been a regular wheeler dealer whose expertise may have ended with the Meralco-GSIS imbroglio? Will he not be brought to court for bribery of persons in authority, magistrates at that?

If Meralco used money and influence to combat the predatory State, wasn't that a mere act of defense to survive the corporate assault on the ownership of the utility firm it had for decades possessed?

Were the spectacles we witnessed in this case really represent of how the wheels of justice in this country are really turned - for better, mostly for worse?

What ails the Justice system in this country? For one, as co-equal of three branches of  Government (alongside the Executive and the Legislative) the Judiciary has a pittance of a budget - a mere P9.6 billion, a fiddling 6% of the entire Philippine Budget of P1.6 trillion in 2008.

Do we want Lady Justice to walk in crutches due to a tiny budget?

The Department of Justice already has a P5.6 billion Budget added to the Ombudsman's own Budget of close to a billion and another P250 million for the Commission on Human Rights. Are we treating the Judiciary - the arbiter of law and justice - with respect and fairness?

Does that small budget be the cause why words like fixcal and cashunduan ni Judge had become a permanent phraseology when referring to our Justice System?

Aside from budget hikes, shouldn't judicial reforms include lifestyle checks and evaluation of the quantity and quality of cases where a decision has been rendered by such judges - be started now rather than later?

Be that as it may, the Philippine Justice system seems to be (at least) just in the middle of rankings made (no. 6 among 12) by an independent survey team among over a thousand executives as to its efficacy - even though the Philippine Judiciary has been known not to enforce contracts, is susceptible to Executive interference and known to manufacture "obscene and inappropriate" court decisions.

With a ranking of 6.10 (0 Best and 10 worst), RP was behind (in order) Hongkong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan but ahead (in order) of Malaysia, India, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Notice that those ahead of the Philippines are nations with relatively good, progressive economies. Is there a correlation existing between economic prosperity and efficacy of the Justice System?

Let's aim higher then, if that is the case.

Pampanga Governor Agrees Recall Election

By Perseus Echeminada
Philippine Star

Beleaguered Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio declared today that he is prepared to face the recall proceedings initiated by his political rivals with high hopes that the people will support him.

"Yes I will run in the recall election," Panlilio said when he was asked during the Weekly Kapihan sa Sulo hotel news forum if he will run as candidate in case the recall petition will be approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The governor however said that this early his supporters have been conducting a counter signature campaign against the recall initiatives.

Panlilio said he is expecting that the civil society groups, which played a major role in his victory in the last election, will again rally behind him. "I have offered the best services for Pampanga," he said.