Trillanes Evicted From the Peninsula: What He Achieved With His Makati Standoff

Well its more or less over. Trillanes decides to “face it,” and walk out of the hotel with his compatriots General Danilo Lim and others, in order to ensure the safety of the civilians with them and to protect the media people in the hotel covering the event.

Yeah right.

Just admit it sir. You didn’t expect that the government was this serious about taking you down. Just admit that you weren’t prepared to fight it out tooth and nail. Just admit you couldn’t handle the thought of hundreds of soldiers gunning after you, nor the smell of tear gas.

You took a big political gamble and tried to rally the people again. Well you should have figured it out the first time. If the masses didn’t come out for you during the Oakwood mutiny, they aren’t coming out for you during your Peninsula mutiny. If people didn’t support the first movie, they aren’t coming for the sequel.

Trillanes Takes Over The Peninsula

Trillanes Takes Over the Peninsula

Here we go again.

The right honorable Senator Trillanes is showing us how much he respects the rule of law in our country by walking out of the courtroom where his case was being heard by Judge Oscar Pimentel. He is now holed up in the Peninsula Hotel over in Makati.

Pundits are calling this another coup attempt, like the Oakwood Mutiny fiasco a few years ago. Which, by the way, was led and masterminded by the SAME guy. Good old Trillanes. Except back then, he didn’t have the Senator tag on him yet.

I respect our leaders. The people voted for him and made him Senator. I disagreed greatly with him being voted into power because I believed that he had no qualifications to be Senator, aside from being a would-be coup leader. But he won, and that was that.

So far his performance as Senator has been less than exemplary though. Since being voted into power, he has used his position to call for countless hearings against the government, virtually blamed the administration for the explosion at Glorietta as part of some sort of conspiracy (where he cited confidential sources which, to date, he has refused to name), and now he has tried another coup attempt of sorts.

What Do You Want for Christmas?

What Do You Want For Christmas?

(Babble On, for the Sunstar Davao, Nov. 30, 2007)

It’s that time of the year when you have to start shopping for Christmas gifts for your friends and loved ones. And it’s also that time when you receive gifts from all over.

I used to love getting gifts during the holidays. I remember staying up during Christmas eve, all excited about the gift-wrapped presents lying under the Christmas tree, just begging for me to open them.

As kids, I guess we somehow learned to value material things greatly by events like Christmas. I’m sure your family is no exception. We wind up looking at Christmas as a time to get gifts.

But the best memory I had of Christmas wasn’t of the gifts I received as a kid, but of the experience of giving gifts to my loved ones.

I still remember how I scrimped and saved to be able to buy my mother a necklace from a jewelry store in Insular Hotel (now the Waterfront). I remember handing it to her, her opening the present, and then wearing it proudly in front of me. Of course, I never figured out until much later that Mom wasn’t fond of jewelry, and rarely, if ever, wears any.

A Burma Beginning

A Burma Beginning

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, Nov. 23, 2007)

There’s a quaint little country over there near China. It’s bordered by Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, and India on the northwest. It’s nice and picturesque, with one-third of its perimeter forming an uninterrupted coastline. The view must be fantastic.

Too bad the country itself isn’t quite so fantastic. Burma, or Myanmar, as it is now called, has been in the headlines lately due to its harsh crackdown on its Buddhist Monks and its treatment of the now legendary Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burma finds itself in the news again because it managed to block a planned briefing by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari to 16 leaders from the ASEAN states plus other key Asia players such as Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Burma even managed to force the watering down of key provisions in the landmark ASEAN Charter. The Charter, which would have paved the way for an EU-style bloc, originally included provisions to set up a regional human rights body. However negotiators were forced to drop sanctions for states that violate human rights. Burma was the obvious driving force behind the move to eliminate such sanctions.

It would seem that Burma has managed to do whatever it wants diplomatically. Philippine history will look back at this week however, not for what Burma has done, but for what our President has said about Burma instead.

Meaningful Gifts for Christmas

I received an email from Youth Leader Harvey Keh which gave some Christmas gift suggestions for the holidays. I’m posting the email below just in case some of you may be interested in seeing some unconventional, yet great and meaningful christmas gift ideas.

Advanced happy holidays folks!

FROM HARVEY KEH:

Dear Friends,

Good day to you and an Advanced Merry Christmas!!!

Its less than 40 days to Christmas and most of us are now thinking of what we can give to our family and friends. For those who are having a hard time thinking of what meaningful gifts they can give this Christmas Season, here are some suggestions:

a.) The Gift of HOPE – In the midst of the numerous problems that face our country today, there is still much that we can Hope for and thus, the Ateneo de Manila-School of Government is selling a desktop Calendar of Hope for 2008 which features 12 inspiring Filipino leaders that give Hope to all of us. These Filipino leaders go beyond themselves to serve the most marginalized sectors of our society and to show all of us that indeed the Filipino  Spirit can still rise up in these seemingly hopeless situation. Some of the people featured in this Calendar of Hope include Dr. Nina Yuson of Museo Pambata, Rina Lopez-Bautista of Knowledge Channel and James Auste of the Cancer Warriors Foundation. Each Calendar of Hope is being sold for only P 120.00. To see the designs of the Calendar, you can visit http://ylse.multiply.com/photos/album/1 . For your inquiries and orders, please email Reese Fernandez at reesefernandez@yahoo.com or you can call her at (02) 426-5657.

Personal Updates

A few personal updates.

1.) Am back in Manila and preparing for the last semester of classes before graduation. Finally! It seems like I’ve been in law school so loooonnngggg.

2.) School is starting again. Arrgh.

3.) Am preparing to take the next step in life already.

4.) A very good friend of mine just had a son. A healthy baby boy! Congratulations Jedmeister. Everyone thought it would be a girl, but we knew better eh?

5.) On an even more personal note: All the stress of the last few years have made me realize that the important things in life isn’t always about power, prestige and money. More than anything, what is important is family, friends and loved ones, and the time you spend with them. Law school may have deprived me of precious time with my loved ones, as a whole, but at least it has made me learn how to cherish them and what little time I do get to spend with them. I can only hope that after law school I am able to spend MORE time with them, rather than less.

Explosion in Congress

Explosion in Congress

(Babble On for the Sunstar Davao, November 16, 2007)

It is said that April is the cruelest month. For the victims of the latest explosion in our country, November may be the cruelest month instead. Cruelty rained down in Congress on Tuesday night, just as the session ended and congressmen and their staffers were leaving. A bomb exploded at the South Lobby of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

The devastation was swift and unexpected. It killed Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar and the driver of Gabriella Representative Luzviminda Calolot-Ilagan, who was herself injured (Rep. Ilagan is an Ateneo de Davao University graduate and former faculty member of its Humanities Division). Several others were also wounded, left dazed, bloodied and walking around in shock. They never knew what hit them.

Explosion at Congress

Explosion at Congress

(Initial Blog Post)

Details are sketchy but our country has now had another explosion. That’s 2 explosions in little less than a month. Anymore explosions and the Philippines may invite comparisons with Pakistan or even Iraq, where explosions happen almost everyday.

This explosion, which seems to have been caused by a bomb, happened in the Batasang Pambansa Complex. It killed Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar and the driver of Gabriella Representative Luz Ilagan and wounded several others.

In this particular case, all indications seem to point to it being a bomb, unlike the Glorietta Explosion, which to date, remains controversial. No less than House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. claims that the explosion was a bomb. The Speaker reportedly told a radio station that “There is a bomb that exploded in the South Wing of the Batasan Complex.”

Let’s pray that no more explosions occur. I, for one, have had enough of those to last me a lifetime. Sadly however, I believe this may not be the last explosion I will see in my own lifetime, nor will it be the last you will see in our country.

Keep Praying.

E-Support for Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio

Here’s a letter I received from Harvey Keh, former director of Pathways to Higher Education and now a faculty member of the Ateneo School of Government. I’m publishing it in full in the hopes that you may support Among Ed as well.

Dear Fellow Filipinos,

Good day to you!

Last October 13 , Governor Ed Panlilio of Pampanga came out to declare that he was given P 500,000.00 in cash which came from a Palace Staff Member in Malacañang. The money was allegedly given for baranggay projects and to support candidates for the upcoming baranggay elections. Since Gov. Panlilio’s admission, there have been other local officials and congressmen who have admitted to receiving money from Malacañang as well. Up until today we still don’t know where this money really came from.

A Marriage in Cebu

I was in Cebu over the weekend for the wedding of Anthony Luy and Kristy King. Kristy is my cousin, and for the longest time, I looked at her as another little sister whom I should look out for and watch over. It’s hard to believe that she is now married.

I guess its another bit of proof that we are all getting a bit older, and that life is moving on.

I’ll admit that I would love it if things always stayed the way they were, with my friends and family always around me, and my loved ones near and never getting older or moving on to the next stages in life. But if there is one thing that Kristy’s wedding has taught me, is that life must always move on, and that things always change, and you really can’t do anything about it.

It’s funny of course that it took a wedding all the way in Cebu to drive that point home, but lessons are often learned in the most unexpected ways.

Best wishes Kristy. I know you will be happy with Anthony. But that doesn’t mean I won’t miss you, or miss the way things were in the past.

Saguisag in Hospital

One of the best lawyers in the country is once again in the news, and this time it’s not because of his client Joseph Estrada. Estrada counsel and former Senator Rene Saguisag is in the hospital because of a traffic accident  on Osmena Highway (South Super Highway) when a dump truck crashed into his van, killing his wife Dulce and putting him into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Having driven along that same highway myself, I know for a fact how dangerous Osmena Highway can be, with often reckless trucks and buses careening wildly as though they owned the road. The road itself is not well-lit, and pedestrians in that area run around and cross the highway seemingly at will. Then there are the  numerous crimes that occur on that highway, thefts, robberies and even carnappings. There are countless horror stories about Osmena Highway. We now have one more.

I can only imagine how much pain Atty. Saguisag is in right now, both physically and emotionally. Though the doctors have already said he was in stable condition, he still remains under observation as of this writing. I do not think he really knows his wife is dead though, since according to the reports he is still in ICU, but the physical pain must be immeasurable and the emotional pain may even be worse once he realizes what he has lost.

With one accident, he has lost the love of his life and constant companion. He almost lost his own life. This is a fate I do not wish on anyone, not even my worst enemies.

Let us all pray for Atty. Saguisag’s recovery.

In the meantime, we have to do something about Osmena Highway. It’s an accident prone area which is just begging for rehabilitation. More lights would help. More rules and better enforcement would help. ANYTHING, at this point, would help. God knows, it’s  already too late to help Dulce. But it may not be too late for others travelling on Osmena Highway.

Overrated Statements about Employment in China

Overrated Statements About Employment in China

China is, to coin a cliché, the fastest growing economy in the world. It has surpassed even Germany’s economy in the global rankings. But to keep that economy going, to keep the businesses and multinational investments coming, China needs talented people. Unfortunately, for all of China’s size, there is still a large gap in terms of corporate leadership and management. Experienced talent is still, in a sense, a precious commodity.

This is where expatriate employees come in. Many major multinationals for example, bring in expatriate employees, or expats, to handle their China operations. Foreign consultants make a killing as they are in great demand, especially those with strong credentials such as MBAs or other advanced degrees.

But before you suddenly get the urge to go to China to bring your career to the next level, there are a few statements about foreign employment which must be debunked lest you get burned in the process.

10th Achievers and Leaders Seminar

I attended the 9th Achievers and Leaders Seminar earlier this year and was very impressed by the roster of speakers back then. Although generally expensive (at 7 thousand plus pesos per person) , the student discount made it a very worthwhile use of my day off from class. It only cost me a little over 1 thousand pesos for a whole day’s session of inspiring speeches and discussions. I loved Rico Hizon and Bo Sanchez’s talk from my last session, for example.

Anyway, I received an invitation via email for the next Achievers and Leaders Seminar organized by Salt and Light Ventures. I included details from the email in case you are interested.