Art Bell's Hate Letter Against the Filipinos

From a forwarded email. Read with caution. Art Bell had disowned he didn't write this stuff.

This is a hate letter coming from a radio talk show host Mr. Art Bell from Nevada. I don't consider myself as patriotic but
please read my reply below in BOLD LETTERS and send this to as many of your friends as possible

until it reaches him.

This is a very disturbing open E-mail letter to all Filipinos around the world; specially here in North America!, from a man who has the power to reach millions of people. (he's a radio talk host)

Please read on..............

This is an open letter email by Art Bell, a radio talk show host in Nevada (more info in the email itself). Here is yet another person who has taken; advantage of his power and privilege to use hateful words
and racial stereotypes that breed further ignorance and intolerance in our society.

Art Bell is a talk radio host who has two shows that he broadcasts from his home in Nevada, that is rebroadcast by 400 stations across the country.

He's written 2 books. He lived in Okinawa, Japan for some years and had a radio program on the English station here. And, though it's hard to believe after reading the following letter from him, he actually has been to the
Philippines (he's traveled fairly extensively around the world).

Check out his website listed at the end to get a glimpse at this fool who's spreading this hateful ignorance. And check his wife as well. This letter is so degrading, I think it's really important that everybody read this and not attack him, but respond to him in a civilized manner because otherwise his thoughts will be reaffirmed. Understand that not everyone has a viewpoint like we do, and that this is an opinion of someone who hopefully can be changed only by civil actions.

Filipinos.....*make me puke* (Art Bell)

As we've all come to notice, in the past few decades, Filipinos have begun to infest the United States like some sort of disease. Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis. You can see this clearly by studying the attitudes and cultural Icons of most Filipino
Americans.

Origins of Pinoys and Pinays:

Are they really asian? Well we've come to accept the fact the filipinos come from a part of the world known as South East Asia. But the term "Asia" is used in the wrong way. You may notice that contemporary Filipino Americans try very hard to associate themselves with groups that we know as Asian. I cannot count the number of times I have seen a 'Third World' Filipino try to connect themselves to the chinese or Japanese people. There is no connection and here's why. The Philippines is a Third World country. Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. Young filipino men in America have become obsessed with
"import racing". They have an enormously perverted affection for Japanese cars. It's a common phenomenon. In their minds, these Filipinos somehow believe that they are asian and that it somehow connects them to Japanese people and japanese cars. They often take credit for the ingenuity of Japanese people and say how it's an " Asian thing". This term..."Asian thing" derived directly from African American slang "black thang". "It's a black thang." "It's an asian thang."

You can see the connection. It's even funnier that, in Japan, Filipinos are heavily discriminated against. The only filipinos that can live successfully in Japan
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: rgb(0,64,127); FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> are the filipino prostitutes. But that's the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world. Now we've come down to this fact...and it is a fact.

Nothing in Filipino Culture can be seen as Asian.

They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, asian. Thinking of the great countries in Asia such as Japan, Korea, and China there is no way you can possibly connect the Philippine Islands. This assault by filipino americans to connect themselves with the great peoples of North East Asia is foul and disgusting. Try visiting a young filipino's web site too.

You'll see something called the "Asian IRC Ring". It has to do with the chatrooms. The most horrible thing about this is that these TRASHY people are trying to associate themselves with
Asia again!! People in Asia don't act like this at all. What we are seeing here is the natural Filipino in its element with full access to technology and this is how they act! You will consistently see this behavior over and over again.

Another interesting thing is that these "thirdworld" people also frequent RC chatrooms such as #chinese #japan and #asian. They must believe that they are somehow related racially or culturally to North Asians. But it's completely WRONG! There might have been some distant contact With China and even less with
Japan during World War II, but these people are actually more closely related to african americans and Mexican americans.

Do the parents of these young filipinos know what's going on? Would they accept this? I believe that they would and do. This is the natural "Trash" element in filipinos manifesting itself. Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don't believe anything good ever will.

Recognizing your Roots (A Message to Filipinos). To all filipino people:

Please recognize your ROOTS! You come from the Third World! You country is a disgusting and filthy place. Most people there live in poverty! Your culture has MUCH MORE SPANISH influence than chinese, and absolutely no JAPANESE influence whatsoever. People in Japan and
rel=nofollow>China, do not act like you. They do not constantly talk about sex and they have a MUCH HIGHER level of RESPECT for each other. There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location.

Your culture and technological advancement does no! t even come CLOSE to What Chinese, people have done in the past and what Japanese and Korean people are doing now! Everything you do is distinctly filipino. You cannot take credit for Japanese cars, video games, or Hentai! It's not an "asian thing" it's an "American thing". You have no concept of culture...no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy! Can you demonstrate how you use
Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? You can't. And you will NEVER be able to.

I understand that you are trying to create an identity for yourselves as young people... but it is NOT related to Asia. Your Identity is Filipino.

That's all you are. Just Filipino. Think about what that means....

Reaction

I find this funny, he is right in some ways where we, as Filipinos don't actually have an "Identity". I think this is due to the confusion of our mixed races from Hispanic, Chinese, American and Malay origins. I see it in malls, imagine young generations wearing ski caps and ski goggles in a tropical country, baggy low rise pants like that of African Americans living in the Bronx of New York, not to mention endless whitening products being sold at department stores and drug stores.

But his ignorance also blinds him from the
other truth. That while we may glorify Anime shows and Japanese Internet gaming, he is not aware that a nameless Filipino may be responsible for some technical aspects of some Japanese software. He is not aware of our contribution to the the society in general .Technological advancements that may have aided post war navigations and landing on the moon. That the antibiotic Erythromycin was discovered by Dr. Abelardo Aguilar from Iloilo creating the brand "Ilosone".

Thomas Edison may have discovered the electric light bulb and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebuano named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island, according to the Philippine Daily inquirer), a Filipino
scientist. Americans helped then-Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develop it for worldwide commerce. That the personal physician of former U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton is Eleanor "Connie" Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy. A Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, includind Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese.

Or that a Filipino genius was responsible for the near hiatus in the PENTAGON and White House nearly infiltrationg their closely guarded secrets with the "ILOVEYOU" bug. Nuisance maybe, but still one heck of a 'beautiful mind'...not to be underestimated.

The list goes on and on, but who cares right? Certainly not Mr. Art Bell...Boy, I'm not surprised.

Perhaps Art Bell does not know that although we consider ourselves ASIAN because we are strategically located in the Southeast asian region of which our nearest
neighbors are Malays, ASIA does not mean only Chinese and Japanese race of people. Then maybe it is his connotation that "Asia" meant only our economically successful, paler brothers and he considers Malays such as Thais, Malaysians, Indonesians, and ourselves as a "Third World" race. Then it is "his" ignonimity that would make a civilized person of whatever race puke. Imagine literally connecting Chinese,
Koreans and Japanese to the Philippine Islands which is archipelagos away from the countries he has mentioned. I also wonder where he got the impression that we aspire to be Japanese( ???) Hispanics maybe but not the Japanese. But even Hispanics today do not mind sharing their "surnames" to their Asian brothers who they have colonized for 3 centuries.

Another sad reality that although most Filipinos working overseas are domestic helpers and prostitutes, who does he think educates the toddlers of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Tokyo? Parents of these countries rarely have time spent with their children, leaving them to their Filipino nannies. And with regard to prostitution. Filipinos are not the only ones working as one. I HARDLY SEE FILIPINOS STARRING IN PORN MOVIES. THERE MIGHT BE A FEW FILIPINOS WE HAVEN'T SEEN , BUT MOST ARE FROM MR. ART BELL'S RACE.

He also mentioned that we have no concept of culture..no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy. How can we demonstrate Confucianism or Taoism in a Christian nation? IS HE INFORMED THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS THE ONLY PREDOMINANTLY CHRISTIAN/CATHOLIC NATION IN ASIA?! YOU HAVE TO USE COMMON SENSE IN A LOT OF THINGS SOMETIMES...

We do not need to create an identity for ourselves. We are who we are. Our identity stems from the anonymity we live in this world. How we contribute silently towards the progress of the world and not just one country. Although the Filipino blood may be tainted with malice, corruption, poverty and prostitution, it is not a perfect race... But so are the others. Maybe Mr. Art Bell needs to think about this.

WE MAY NOT BE PERFECT MR. BELL BUT AT LEAST WE STILL HAVE VALUES. FOR ONE THING WE DON'T PUT OUR AGING PARENTS IN NURSING HOMES BECAUSE "THEY'RE SIMPLY OLD AND WORTHLESS". WE DONT HAVE AS MUCH NUMBERS OF SINGLE MOTHERS WHO GET PREGNANT IN THEIR VERY EARLY TEENS AND EVENTUALLY BECOME PARASITES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

YES...WE CAME TO YOUR COUNTRY TO WORK, TO EARN DECENT MONEY (HALF OF WHICH BY THE WAY GOES TO TAXES BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY SOCIAL PARASITES FROM YOUR RACE).AND BY THE WAY, MOST EDUCATED PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH DON'T COME FROM YOUR RACE... THEY'RE ACTUALLY IMMIGRANTS TOO. AND THOSE EDUCATED ONES DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU DO, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'VE REALLY BEEN WELL EDUCATED..AFTER ALL THAT'S SAID... WHO IS THE IGNORANT ONCE AGAIN?!

Manila Bay Clean up Case in Philippine Supreme Court

MANILA BAY CLEAN UP CASE Heard in the SUPREME COURT

Oral Argument Scheduled on

12 August 2008, Tuesday, 1:30 pm

      In 1999, concerned residents of Manila Bay, led by former UP Law students, filed a quixotic legal action to compel the Philippine Government to clean up Manila Bay. The Petition was filed in the Regional Trial of Cavite against some 12 government agencies, including the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Health (DOH), Budget (DBM), Education (DepEd), Philippine National Police (PNP), Coast Guard, and others. The action sought was to legally oblige them prepare a plan of action – complete with budget, tasking and timetable – to clean up Manila Bay. This 180,000-hectare body of water bounded by the Provinces of Cavite, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga and Metropolitan Manila, was in a state of heavy pollution.  

      On September 2002, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Cavite presided by then Judge (now COMELEC Commissioner) Lucenito Tagle rendered a Decision. The RTC ordered respondent government agencies to prepare a plan of action on how it will clean up Manila Bay.

      The Government appealed the case to the Court of Appeals on the ground that the case is a political and policy question and is therefore not the proper subject of judicial intervention. In September 2005, the Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Regional Trial Court and reiterated the Order the Philippine Government to clean up Manila Bay. In the intervening period, the Government prepared a detailed 25-year Manila Bay (Clean-Up) Operational Plan, complete with tasking, timetable, and indicative budget.     

      The case was again brought on appeal by the Philippine Government through the Office of the Solicitor General to the Supreme Court on a pure question of law – whether the issue is a 'political question' and is therefore not a proper issue to be addressed by a Court of Law. The petitioners have submitted a motion to declare the case moot because the Government had in fact already complied with the Decision by preparing an Action Plan. The petitioners are, however, asking the Court for something novel and unprecedented in the annals of Philippine legal history: They are asking the Court to monitor the implementation of the Action Plan under pain of contempt of Court.  This will ensure that the Action Plan is actually implemented by any Administration that comes into power.  

      Durwood Zaelke, world-renowned Environmental Law Professor and Director of the Washington DC-based International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE) called this another evolving landmark case of the Philippine Supreme Court. "This is one of the most important environmental law cases in the world because it will show the Court can play a role in the compliance and enforcement of Environmental Law. It will be recalled that the Philippine Supreme Court has made history in the global legal arena for being the first and only Supreme Court in the world to implement the principle of inter-generational responsibility. This principle states the basic truth that the present generation has the duty and responsibility to ensure that the life-support systems of the Earth (also known as the Environment) will provide for its services for future generations. 

      After almost 10 years of legal struggle, the case in now in the Supreme Court and the oral argument is scheduled on August 12, 2008, Tuesday, at 1:30 pm before the Supreme Court en banc.  Representing the original petitioners Concerned Residents of Manila Bay are environmental lawyer Tony Oposa Jr. and trial lawyer Sigfrid Fortun. They will be joined by the original petitioners, former Environmental Law students of the UP College of Law who are now lawyers and the Philippine Bar Association. Representing the Government are the lawyers of the Solicitor General and the respective lawyers of the government agencies.

For other details, please contact:

Mr. Bonar Laureto

The Law of Nature Foundation

(632) 809-6122
<bonlaureto@thelawofnature.org>

Sandugo Bohol Winners

An island cooperative which is making waves in converting a lost livelihood hunting endangered species into a lucrative tourism enterprise wowed thousands of spectators when it took to the streets Sunday to show its wares marking the 2008 Sandugo street dancing spectacle.

Not to be  outsmarted, Tribu Maribojoc also showed excellent performance to gain the nod of judges to bag the Best in Field Performance.

Jagna's Sinuog Estokada was also the darling of the crowd when it went home with the Best in Street Dancing plum rounding up the three winners in the street dancing exhibition. Although it was made it clear before the revelry started that it was no contest, people in the crowd already trained their sights as to the possible winners. Sixteen Sandugo street dancing groups made up this year's entries in the yearly activity.

The Baclayon contingent represented by the Pamilacan Island Tourism Livelihood Multi-Purpose Cooperative was a stand out in production design. No wonder it went home wrestling the Best Production Design award. No detail was spared in Baclayon's entry—from props, costumes to choreography.

Built around the theme of Pamilacan's thriving whale watching industry, the presentation has to use a prime mover to depict the picture of whales and dolphins cavorting in the seas of the island.

On the surface, it looked like the Baclayon contingent spent millions of pesos to come up with a very impressive and expensive presentation.

But according to Joel Uichico who paired with Bea Zobel de Ayala of the rich and famous Makati clan, the expenses incurred by the contingent was the result of the generous donations of many Baclayanons. The biggest donors are said to be the Ayala Foundation and Globe, a telecom provider owned by the wealthy family.

Uichico said the only tangible expenses shouldered by the pair was the  costumes of the participants numbering more than 100`which ran to something more than P100,000. All the rest are bankrolled by donations from different Baclayanons. The custome design was handled by EJ Relampagos.

Uichico and Zobel de Ayala are in the forefront of Pamilacan's livelihood project.

The two took pity to the island folks after they were dislocated when a ban was imposed on the  hunting manta ray, an age old livelihood of the islanders.

When whale watching became a tourism vogue, the two lost no time in luring the islanders to become spotters of the endangered sea mammals.

Now, more 20 boats designed for manta ray hunting were converted into tourist boats giving way to a new cottage industry becoming the island's source of income. The livelihood also resulted in the preservation of the endangered sea creatures whose population is threatened by extinction. 

Uichico and Ayala offered no interest loans to the islanders to make their operations going. According to Uichico, as much as P4,000 is earned each boat when tourists flock to the island to marvel the beauty and allure of whale watching. - Bohol Sunday Post

Philippine Government Scandal

JUST WHEN THE SCANDALOUS NBN-ZTE broadband deal with China and the equally controversial North Rail project were about to be forgotten, here comes another government deal that really stinks.

How about these for starters?

Two leading national dailies, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star, have just came out with the news that House Speaker Prospero Nograles' brother, identified as Jose Nograles, a senior vice president of Land Bank, is reportedly linked to a P5- billion loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (QUEDANCOR), some P1- billion of which was allegedly diverted to the controversial Swine Fund Program of the present administration.

It appears that as of this time even though the money was released during the last elections yet, people from the Commission on Audit (COA) are still asking and looking where the swine or pigs can be located, if ever.

The Commission on Audit (COA) is not only trying to find where the pigs are, considering that P114.6 -million has allegedly been paid for arranger's fees, legal and notarial fees just for the transaction, but also where the rest of the money went. The P114.6- million allegedly went to Nograles, the speaker's brother. COA is questioning why such a huge amount can be expended when Land Bank and Quedancor are government agencies, and they don't have to spend for such kind of expenses involving several millions of public money in commissions and legal services rendered. And yes, they are still trying to account for the pigs.

Meanwhile, the Land Bank had already paid the huge amount mentioned earlier even as Speaker Nograles maintains that the P114.6 million was not received by his brother. The paper trail on the anomalous transaction however points to Jose Nograles, a top executive of Land Bank, as one of those who made millions in the deal.

Senator Jamby Madrigal who exposed the swine fund mess, however, stood by her story against the Speaker's brother. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Not even the courts are spared the shameless goings-on in government. The ongoing feud between GSIS and MERALCO appears to have endangered at least three (3) court of appeals (CA) justices.

For the first time in its history, all the divisions of the appellate court met en banc and behind closed doors to take up the most recent controversy involving its members. The most endangered appears to be CA Justice Jose Sabio, whose alleged friend businessman Francis de Borja, executed an affidavit implicating the justice in a deal that would involve P50-milion, plus a promotion to the Supreme Court, reportedly in exchange for a favorable decision for the GSIS group.

Lawyers are no angels, but this kind of scandal or is it a shakedown involving no less than the justices of the appellate courts if true, is certainly unacceptable to both lawyers and laymen.


And because of the swine fund scam, who can forget former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn 'Jocjoc' Bolante, allegedly the brains behind the P728- million fertilizer fund scam.

The money after being reportedly released from Malacanang was in turn received by the Agriculture Department in care of 'Jocjoc' Bolante, by way of a Special Allotment Release Order or SARO. To justify the release of the money, 'Jocjoc' reportedly submitted a list of 110 congressmen, 53 governors and several mayors as proponents- recipients of the largesse.

The problem was that several of the congressmen and mayors involved were from Metro Manila, where there are no ricefields nor cornfields to be fertilized. Still another problem for 'Jocjoc', is that COA confirmed the finding of graft in the fertilizer deal. COA declared that the fertilizers were overpriced by some 800 to 1,200 percent. If COA is indeed correct, then we can say that this kind of deal can only be hatched in heaven or hell, depending on which side you stand. He, he, he.

By the way, even if the SWS surveys say some 10.6 million Filipino families consider themselves poor or roughly 59%, still we are hopeful that with the 2010 national elections less than two (2) years away, the chance for redemption is not really that far. The presidential candidates to a man look quite  good and  most of them are self- made men and women of wealth and substance.

There is Senate Pres. Manny Villar of the Nationalista Party, Vice Pres. Noli de Castro of LAKAS-KAMPI, Senator Mar Roxas of the Liberals and Senator Loren Legarda of the NPC. Of course, we also know of the presidential aspirations of Senators Ping Lacson and Richard Gordon, and MMDA chair Bayani Fernando, among others.

Our source on the reported entry into the presidential derby of Senator Legarda as the NPC wildcard, is our brother, Romy Sales, who just planed in from Manila and who is a bonafide member of a political watchdog group known as Advocates for Good Governance. - Bohol Sunday Post Newspaper

Shameless Filipino Officials Corruption and Scandal

JUST WHEN THE SCANDALOUS NBN-ZTE broadband deal with China and the equally controversial North Rail project were about to be forgotten, here comes another government deal that really stinks.

How about these for starters?

Two leading national dailies, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star, have just came out with the news that House Speaker Prospero Nograles' brother, identified as Jose Nograles, a senior vice president of Land Bank, is reportedly linked to a P5- billion loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (QUEDANCOR), some P1- billion of which was allegedly diverted to the controversial Swine Fund Program of the present administration.

It appears that as of this time even though the money was released during the last elections yet, people from the Commission on Audit (COA) are still asking and looking where the swine or pigs can be located, if ever.

The Commission on Audit (COA) is not only trying to find where the pigs are, considering that P114.6 -million has allegedly been paid for arranger's fees, legal and notarial fees just for the transaction, but also where the rest of the money went. The P114.6- million allegedly went to Nograles, the speaker's brother. COA is questioning why such a huge amount can be expended when Land Bank and Quedancor are government agencies, and they don't have to spend for such kind of expenses involving several millions of public money in commissions and legal services rendered. And yes, they are still trying to account for the pigs.

Meanwhile, the Land Bank had already paid the huge amount mentioned earlier even as Speaker Nograles maintains that the P114.6 million was not received by his brother. The paper trail on the anomalous transaction however points to Jose Nograles, a top executive of Land Bank, as one of those who made millions in the deal.

Senator Jamby Madrigal who exposed the swine fund mess, however, stood by her story against the Speaker's brother. Tsk, tsk, tsk. - Bohol Sunday Post Newspaper

President's SONA Nothing But Futile Rhetoric

Sadly enough, the state of the nation address of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did not really reflect the true state of the nation.

 It was merely a speech to justify the continued imposition of the value added tax irregardless of anything. In fact, she made it appear that if we abolish VAT, the poor will suffer and it will be a great setback to the nation.

 Why is GMA interested to maintain the VAT despite everything, and at all cost.. So she will have money to spend on unallocated budget to be given out in terms of subsidies. Congress has expressed doubts about the legality of these subsidies because these items are not in the budget.

 The government enjoyed cash overflow from VAT emanating from the high prices of gasoline and food the higher these expenses, the more money going to VAT. So eventually rich and poor are being imposed VAT, not only the rich as she has stated.

 She cited instances of success stories, of people receiving higher income. Madame President have you not felt the hunger of the people, unable to bring food on the table because of the economic difficulties, many are still without jobs and many don't have enough money to buy food. Temporary subsidies of P500 are nothing compared to the present economic difficulties. - Bohol Sunday Post Column

Why the Roman Catholic Church Gets Into Government Affairs?

 With the Roman Catholic Church twisting arms to the breaking point, it is likely that the population bills will not pass at all. It seems that the Church had classified artificial birth control under abortion. "Pro life" is their battle cry, allowing reproductive cells to die due to human intervention is also abortion. Cells are also living beings and if they will have to die, they must do so in a natural way. So the logic goes. Not all thinkers subscribe to the idea.

 There is a great difference between living and life. Living is existing, functioning until a certain limit is reached. However, life is a state or a condition of existence. An entity must possess certain characteristics and capabilities in order to have life. They must have the following: material existence - to be born or reproduced; the capability to derive sustenance from extra somatic sources for growth and development: and the potential for reproduction. Without those characteristics, a being does not have life.

 There are religious sects who consider living beings life regardless of its form of existence. That is why Christian Scientists, Jehovah Witnesses among others and even our Iglesia ni Kristo refuse blood transfusion or organ transplant even if their lives depend on them. Extraction to analyze blood chemistry is also taboo.

 A male and female gamete may live or function until their immediate environment can no longer support their existence or until they grow old and die. Which is in a short period of time. By themselves, they may live nut they are just agents of sexual reproduction. They may be living – existing and functioning but do not possess life. Only when the male and female reproductive cells unite to form a resulting zygote produce a being with life.

 In the hierarchy of beings, except for the lowest genera, all living beings must depend upon other living beings to survive. Only plant life, the first link in the food chain can derive sustenance direct from the elements; therefore do not depend on other life forms. The grazers or herbivores must eat plants to live. Plants must die so herbivores could survive. The carnivores depend on the herbivores or other carnivores, while the omnivores like man depend upon all types of living beings.

 Other beings with life must die so other beings could live, lower forms of life must serve the higher forms. However if a predator takes kills for whatever reason can the predator be held accountable for the deed? What about man the omnivore? Some religions like the Buddhists choose to be vegetarians for theological reasons. Whatever they may be. We quote the Bible to justify our taking sustenance form lower life forms. Genesis !:29,30.

 Taking life is different from prevention of the formation of life. In contraception, living things may die but no lives are lost because male and female reproductive cells do not possess life. They may have the capability to exist, to survive but unless they unite, they cannot produce life. As of now maybe. However, modern science has proven that living beings could be cloned. A reproductive tissue of a mammal, the highest animal form can produce a duplicate of the original animal.

 Dr. Ian Wilmut of the Rosslin Institute in Edinburgh Scotland had successfully cloned a perfectly functional sheep named Dolly. In Europe, using the same technology, a secretive religious sect called the Raelians claimed that they have successfully cloned a human being. The sect's main rival Dr. Severino Antenori announced that a cloned baby would be born in Serbia.

 That was long time ago. Except for Dolly, there were no recent news of the existence of the cloned babies, perhaps they have died because of serious defects or was eliminated. In any case, should this be proven true our concept of life and living will have to be drastically revised and some chapters on Ontology will have to be rewritten. - Bohol Sunday Post

Is Bohol Against Reproductive Health Bill of Edcel Lagman?

By Romy Teruel

As we have predicted the Reproductive Bill now in the House of Representatives continues to heat up even after Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated her preference for the natural method of family planning during her State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Tuesday.

 That there is debate on the issue is a good indicator that whatever decision will be made on it will at least have passed all levels of scrutiny. What is important is that whatever decision is arrived at carries with it the best and popular sentiments of the people guided by the intelligent discussions.

 The Catholic Church has stood pat on her stand to oppose the Bill based on her teachings as enunciated in Pope Paul VI's encyclical, "Humanae Vitae." The prayer rally last Tuesday to voice opposition to the Bill attracted a huge number of Boholanos mostly the young.

 Both positions have been defended staunchly.  The Catholic Church's aggressive campaign against the Bill is understandable.  As guardian of morality the church has the obligation and responsibility to act like one.  If it fails in this one, it would have failed in its task and it could be a dangerous precedence for future campaigns where it must involve itself.  

 The question asked by those pushing the Bill is "Must the Church always win even in issues that are clearly secular?"  The supporters of the Bill see it as the right response to the problem of a runaway population that is always being tied to the problem of unrestrained poverty and economic deprivation.  

 Under "Humanae Vitae," the Church spells out why artificial contraception is intrinsically wrong.  Artificial contraception, as against the natural method of self-denial during the ovulation period of the woman, closes off the openness to life which a true Catholic marriage always holds true.  The convenient option that artificial contraception offers negates self-discipline and reduces human beings to mere animals driven by the instinct for immediate self-gratification.

 The sexual act is one of  the great divides between human beings and the ordinary animals and insects.  Ordinary animals and insects do the sexual act to procreate and maintain the species.  That is why they do it only when the female is on heat. Human beings are different.  They do it regardless of the fertility of the female specie.

 Now is the use of artificial contraception to prevent conception or fertilization of the female egg a violation against natural law?  Does one using it diminish his or her nature as human being?  Abortion cannot even be inferred in this because there is no conceived human being to be aborted to speak about.

 It will be different when the artificial contraceptive being used is one that induces abortion of a fertilized egg because then there is already a human being to speak of.  The RH Bill is specific about abortion being illegal.

 The church position says that teaching the children sex education starting from grade five as proposed by the Bill will make them promiscuous.  We need more statistics on this based on scientific studies.

 El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde who is very vocal against the Bill says that the provision ensuring medical care for one who just had an abortion is the fine print or the meaning between the lines that legalizes abortion.  It is difficult to concede that this is true because in one provision it is expressly said that the Bill continues to uphold the illegality of abortion as provided in the Penal Code.

 To avoid further conflict the proponents and authors of the Bill should delete that provision if only to show that it is not hiding anything and as a form of accommodation to the sentiments of those who oppose it.

 No mater the argument that poverty is an economic problem that has nothing to do with population, I maintain that government should have a clear policy on population development that can be harmonized with the culture of the Filipinos.  The RH Bill is not just about artificial contraceptives because the couple is given a menu of choice in accordance to their belief and culture. It is also about the health of the person especially of the woman and her baby; about availability of comprehensive essential obstetric and medical care to pregnant women; about infectious disease and many others.

 Catholics can always adhere to the teachings of the Church.  In giving the couple the freedom to choose from among the methods that are made available for family planning, Catholics can choose the natural method and they will be assisted and encouraged on their choice. I advocate that Catholics follow the natural method. 

 But I don't recommend killing the Bill.  We need not throw the baby with the bathtub, if I were again to use an old cliché.
 

Bohol TBTK in Las Vegas, Nevada

Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan ( TBTK ) 2009 got off to an auspicious start in Las Vegas two weeks ago, as two visiting Philippine officials signified support to the triennial event which last episode was in July 2006 in Tagbilaran City.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Jose "Lito" Atienza and Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado told TBTK Chair Elizabeth Veloso-Garcia in a meeting that their respective offices are ready to extend support to ensure the success of the unique event that has gained the interest of Boholano expatriates around the world.

TBTK is a grand homecoming of immigrant Boholanos from all over the world held every three years in the month of July which coincides the Sandugo province's Sandugo Festival.

Atienza and Aumentado were the guests of honor of the family night, one of the two-day celebration of the 300 alumni of the defunct Bohol Provincial Hospital School of Nursing who gathered at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Hotel and Resort to celebrate their 31st alumni homecoming.

In separate meetings, Garcia briefed the two officials on the progress of preparations for TBTK '09 wherein the theme in next year's Tigum is nature conservancy and its impact on the environment.

Unsurprisingly, Atienza readily accepted the honorary chairmanship of TBTK '09, saying that its theme is highly appropriate in the face of the looming threat of global warming to our planet.

"I laud the TBTK for doing its part in dealing with environmental issues facing our world today. I find it apt that an organization of worldwide reach like the TBTK would initiate awareness about the many perils to our environment today. It is an undertaking all organizations should emulate," Atienza said.

Atienza's many thrusts in his tenure as DENR secretary include the cleanup of the country's polluted rivers and the restoration of depleted forests.

Some of the few eco-oriented activities lined up in the green TBTK '09 are massive tree-planting in various municipalities of Bohol and creating mangrove forests along its selected shorelines.

For his part, Aumentado stressed the economic and cultural impact such events as TBTK '09 could bring to the province as he urged all the Boholano associations in North America and Canada to lend their support to the triennial event.

Writer for Bohol Governor Kicked Out From Gov's Office

By Kit Bagaipo, Bohol Chronicle - A trusted aide of Gov. Erico Aumentado was moved out from his office and transferred to the office of the Provincial Government Media Affairs (PGMA) effective last Friday.

June Blanco who acted as private secretary of the governor was given instructions that she should no longer be stationed at the governor's office following the complaint of a job seeker who was allegedly insulted by her.

Isabel Tagab, a casual employee of the Loay-LGU, in tears, narrated to the top rated DYRD program "Pulso" on how she got slighted by Blanco.

She said that instead of politely asking what position she was applying for, Blanco asked her "do you want to apply for governor?"

"That was one of the most humiliating moments in my life," Tagab commented while narrating the sad tale over the airwaves.          

In order to air her side, "Pulso" co-anchor Fred Ticong called Blanco on the phone. But, as many listeners reacted on-air, the governor's aide sounded arrogant on the air.

Instead of apologizing, Blanco asked the anchorman, "Gipa inom naba na ninyo ug tubig?" (Did you let her drink water there at the station already?), since she heard the complainant shed tears while narrating her experience at the Capitol.

Blanco admitted having asked the complainant "do you want to apply for governor?" which admission generated even more reactions from radio listeners.

Reactions and comments on the actuation of Blanco received strong criticisms of dyRD listeners to as far as the United States who phoned in their disapproval on such conduct shown by her.

Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr., during the weekly "The Governor Reports" last Friday said the re-assignment of Blanco to the PGMA office is already an indication that the Capitol is not ignoring the complaint of the Loay resident who has been working as casual employee for 14 years already.

Abapo likewise announced that as a result of the incident, Aumentado has issued a memorandum to all provincial government heads of offices stating the guidelines on how to handle clients who transact business at their offices.