Uniffors calls for a boycott of Petron.
RG Cruz recounts how the Committee on Justice did a hatchet job. Administration feasts on the carcass of last impeachment complaint today.
Bishop refuses to be part of Presidential commission. No word on Justice Melo.The IHT reports on continuing killings.
Prospero Nograles: What are we in power for?
Pending investigation? Send ’em overseas!
Read the latest Palace contribution to checks and balances: Memorandum Circular No. 108. Part of a continuing policy of hostility.
Money changers told: exchange Lebanese currency.
Newsbreak on the biodiversity of Sulu-Sulawesi seascape.
In the punditocracy, my Arab News column for this week is Arroyo Administration Ready to Try Everything to Get Charter Change.
Manuel Buencamino compares the majority in the House to ta character from Alice in Wonderland: “verdict first, evidence later!”
Inquirer editorial skeptical when it comes to Presidential commission; Amando Doronila says its a farce.
Fascinating set of columns from Patricio Diaz: part one and part two on the question of how Muslim traditional leaders have used, or squandered, political opportunities.
Praiseworthy Manila Times editorial on language diversity.
Bong Austero speaks up against hate speech.
Minguita Padilla on the good that may come out of the nursing exam controversy.
In the parallel democratic universe known as Thailand, this strong editorial: Democracy cannot be strong-armed.
In the blogosphere, more observations on the ideas of Justice Cruz: see Newsstand (with fraternal corrections for a kind of argumentation that Mamutong reconsiders because of the correction), Morofilm, and Philippine Atheists.
Jove Franciscio’s Mayon Volcano diary.
An OFW in Hong Kong unimpressed by XXX rating given to Estrada documentary.
Coffee with Amee on migration.
Kwentong Barbero on what it’s like to read someone else’s work.
The Philippine Political Science Association issued the following statement:
SECURE THE CONSTITUTIONAL RULE OF LAW AND DUE PROCESS
We, officers and members of the Philippine Political Science Association, fully condemn the continuing nationwide extra-judicial killings of leaders/activists of legal mass organizations, social development workers, and journalists. We call on the highest authorities of the land to investigate and put an end to these killings that make a mockery of whatever claims the government has as regards the ascendancy of a constitutional rule of law and due process.
Selective killings can not effectively address political and ideological differences between government and dissenting individuals and legal mass organizations. We must respect laws and legal processes designed to deal with such issues. Even in the arena of armed conflict, the government and armed combatants are now bound to respect international humanitarian laws that aim to humanize such conflict.
Left unchecked and absent serious efforts to stop and/or arrest their perpetrators and those behind them soonest, these killings can only lead to a more divided society, heightened distrust of public authority, and the further erosion of our already weak institutions. Lest we all become victims of this vicious cycle, we call on our highest public officials to show their determination in addressing both the immediate and long-term causes of this national crisis. We also call on the Arroyo administration to reconsider the “all-out war campaign” against insurgent groups that has proven so ineffectual in previous administrations; the same cold warrior strategy has been as feckless in the resolution of armed conflicts in practically all countries. To demonstrate its determination in addressing the problem, the government should make all regional military commanders and provincial police superintendents primarily and directly accountable for any political killing in their respective areas.
Belinda A. Aquino
Associate Professor
University of Hawaii-ManoaPatricio N. Abinales
Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Kyoto University, JapanRosalie Arcala Hall
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-VisayasMaria Ela Atienza
Associate Professor, Division of Social Sciences
University of the Philippines-DilimanEric Vincent C. Batalla
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
De La Salle University-ManilaRizal G. Buendia
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
De La Salle University-ManilaEdna. E.A. Co
Professor, Department of Political Science
Dean, College of Liberal Arts
Ateneo de Manila UniversityAntonio P. Contreras
Full Professor, Department of Political Science
De La Salle University-ManilaTeresa Encarnacion Tadem
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-DilimanPepito Fernandez
Associate Professor
University of the Philippines-VisayasRonald D. Holmes
Associate Professor
De La Salle University-ManilaJosefa S. Francisco
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
International Studies Department
Miriam CollegeMelissa Jayme Lao
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
Ateneo de Manila UniversityRuth Lusterio Rico
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-DilimanFrancisco A. Magno
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
De La Salle University-ManilaAmado M. Mendoza Jr.
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-DilimanFelipe B. Miranda
Full Professor, Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-DilimanTemario C. Rivera
Professor of Comparative Politics
International Christian University, Tokyo, JapanMalaya C. Ronas
Full Professor, Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-DilimanEduardo C. Tadem
Associate Professor of Asian Studies
Asian Center, University of the Philippines-DilimanJulio C. Teehankee
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
De La Salle University-ManilaJorge V. Tigno
Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
University of the Philippines-DilimanMa. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza
Associate Professor, International Studies Department
Miriam College
Technorati Tags: Blogging, CBCP, documentary, gay, impeachment, journalism, lebanon, media, military, philippines, politics, president
Whew… andaming balita sa pinas ! I’m certain NZ will give you comatose-like-boringness. Dito we need to read other countries problem/s kungdi puro weather na lang ang paguusapan.
Yes. I think Petron needs a good kick in the butt. It needs to be taught the meaning of accountability.
They hired a single-hull vessel to transport their oil because it’s cheaper .. The normal mode for transporting oil these days is double hulled vessels precisely to minimize if not avoid oil spills.
Second, the accident happened over a week ago and Petron has done nothing except call their insurance brokers and issue press releases.
While economic and health costs for those directly affected by the spill are mounting, Petron is figuring out a way to get out of the mess they created with as little injury to their bottom line as possible. Screw Petron.
I agree with Senorito that there’s just too many things going on in the Philippines. People are so stretched, they cannot focus attention, energy and effort on important and long-term issues.
As for Petron, it’s acting like Enron, a company that doesn’t care about anything else but its bottomline. It’s a trap though because if you curse it and wish for its demise, you’re actually going to hurt many innocent stockholders (including the government which includes us too, the citizens. So we shoot our own foot!).
I really can’t figure out this Bong Austro. After expressing his good fortune so far of not having the compulsion to pick fights with fellow columnists for, as he said, “I know that as a matter of professional courtesy, one should try not to pick fights with the people who share the same newsprint commune”, he proceeded to join the fray between MLQ3 and former Justice Isagani Cruz. Where’s the “professional courtesy”?
Doesn’t Austero think that MLQ3 can ably fight his own battle? Why does he has to, in collegiala-speak, “make sawsaw”? Why not just let MLQ3 and Cruz fight it out, and simply enjoy the show? They are just doing fine.
Jon,
“you’re actually going to hurt many innocent stockholders (including the government which includes us too, the citizens. So we shoot our own foot!)”
Following your logic we shouldn’t do anything to hurt the government because that includes us too. So let’s all support the government?
A boycott will not kill Petron. It is not meant to. It is supposed to be a serious spanking. And a lesson for other companies to behave lest they suffer the same pain if they do not practice corporate responsibility.
40 percent of petron belongs to the government . The remaing 60 is majority owned by Aramco with a measly percentage belonging to common shareholders. Maybe the small shareholders should participate in the boycott by selling off their shares.
Bottom line is – an investment is a personal responsibility. It’s not my job to protect your investment so choose your investments wisely. In more advanced societies, they have investment houses that offer only “green investments” portfolios, that is, they don’t offer investments in companies that do not practice sound ecology.We don’t do that service here so you have to do it yourself.
I respect your opinion but, starting today, I’m gassing up elsewhere. And I will buy my lpg elsewhere too.
shaman, perhaps because, as austero explains, it is not a show but a question of contending views on group rights.
Don’t get me wrong, Manolo, but what struck me was why did Austero have to preface his column with things about “professional courtesy” and his not having the intention to pick fights with fellow columnists and then diving straight into the fray. I just found it incongruous. You’re holding up very well, anyway.
Who is to blame for the huge number of deaths and injuries that occur on our roads?
There seems to be little being done to ensure road rules are being followed and vehicles are in a safe road going condition.
Perhaps this major problem has been going on for so long that we have become complacent and just ‘put up’ with it.
The problem can be fixed with efficient and strong policing and ENFORCED regulations on the safety of vehicles – but until the Government takes public safety seriously, I’m afraid nothing will change.
We need to speak out and let them know that we won’t put up with it for any longer!
Personaly, I think MLQ3 said his piece. Unless MLQ3 wants to do so many things all at the same time & be nothing at the end. Unless he wants to be known only as a gay righs figher w/c is a full time super up hill fight & forget about his being a political opinion writer.
Just like MLQ3 position of not bbeing able to separate issues from personalities. Ironicaly, he is now a victim of the same things.
Just like in politics there is nothing that anyone can say to convince the other to defend their point, now he is victim of this decadent way.
Although I can never agree w/ his eleoquent ways of writting so many words that really say nothing at the end.
I also am sorry that he has to be in a “fighting” mode always.It’s no way to leave life.
But it’s an unfair life. Just like those being attacked by him would say the same.
I think what Cruz said is “just his opinion”. he is also of a certain generation that can’t change or adjust. So we should put things in context.
MB, as a parent I also spank my kid. It’s not to hurt him but to teach him.
I agree that Petron needs to be given a good spanking, I just expressed my view that when we do that, we are actually hurting ourselves a little bit.
It’s a free country, and anybody is allowed to do what he thinks is best within the law. Boycotting Petron as a gesture of disgust because of their incredible insensitivity to our ecology is perfectly justifiable.
While a boycott will definitely not hurt Petron financially (because oil is a finite resource, there will always be a market for it), it could hopefully stir remorse or shame. Or it could appeal to Petron’s sense of social responsibility (although, to be realistic, we shouldn’t bank too much on it).
In any case, this tragic incident is another wake-up call regarding the archaic, disorganized and generally Byzantine way we enforce laws and conduct our businesses. From the enforcement of traffic and emission laws, to freight tonnage limits on our highways, to passenger limits on inter-island vessels, to enforcing the ban on logging, and so on and so forth, ad nauseum.
Because of our cavalier attitude to Mother Nature and our fellow men, we can only be destined to suffer worse disasters in the future. More jarring reality checks are in store for us because we only reap what we sow.
Shaman, come to think of it, that’s an interesting point.
i’m with you on this manuel. all the hemming and hawing of petron serves only to obscure the fact that they have moved far too slow to contain the ecological damage caused by the oilspill
For whatever it’s worth, I’m not gassing up with Petron anymore until they own up to this disaster.
I agree that we should boycott Petron products. But for a long term deterence to ecological disaster, we must use nature-friendly technologies to run our lives.
Engr. Daniel Dingel’s Water-Power Fuel Cell is patented under US2004/0202905 A1 as early as Oct. 14, 2004.This after more than 30 years of lobbying for local support that never came. The US Patent Office is now keeping same from public view – can download only 2 pages of it.
If the government won’t support this homegrown technology as IMF-WorldBank dictates…
http://www.mysticfamilycircus.com/Pages/Community/Projects/h2oh29MB.mov
….then by all means, let’s demand for it!!!
——-
For those who rather “drink water than oilâ€Â, join this group…
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/watercar/
Only members are allowed access to lots of very useful, easy-to-follow instructions, diagrams, and photos of successful ICE conversions. This technology is too much for one man to keep. Stan Meyer is murdered by you know who because of this. Don’t forget to download his extensive memos/diagrams which is very good for starter.
Anyone, including non-technical, could do the experiment. This is a proven technology. Don’t stop until you get it right.
You owe it to yourselves, this country, and the world to stop this senseless destructions to Nature.
Join the Movement. Spread the word!!!
Petron issued it’s stand that it is not legally responsible for the Guimaras oil disaster. It said that it is the carrier together with its(the carrier’s) insurance company. They’re actually copping out of their responsiblity! Greed is at work here.
It might be true that they’re not legally responsible, but they morally responsible!
what the bishops really want are to be critics but never part of the solutions. there is less responsibility being on the attacking side. In a way they prefer to be self proclamed judges. they obviosly can’t take critissisim for whatever results the melo commission will do. it’s not unexpected that they would turn down an oppurtunity to be able to participate in a processes.takes the fun away from their irresponsible position.it’s just to convienet to be dressed in the cloth & say anything one wants even when it does not make heads or tails.
I think bishops & some in particular just give a bad name to the church.
they only put the church in a position of not being here nor there.
not to mention that by the quality or non quality of the bishops one will see the maturity of the church in general.
On not picking fights with fellow columnists as a matter of courtesy, I think columnists should pick ‘fights’ with fellow columnists all the time. Enough of this courtesy crap. Call it as you see it. If not, what on earth are you there for?
Maganda rin kung sagutin ni Bong yung sinulat ni fellow MST columnist Sassy re this issue.
I always have terrible trouble with comment-related plugins that require me to put some line in the comment loop; I can never seem to find the right spot. Can anyone tell me where I should put the php line in my comments loop? I haven not modified anything much, and I would be very grateful. Thanks!
Daniel Dingel now has an official website: http://DanielDingel.com