Losing Relationships

I empathize with anyone who is in pain and I truly understand what you are going through as of the moment. The best of us have undergone this situation one time or another in our lives. Just recently, I have been subjected to such an event. Not by my choice, mind you. Moreover, like all the others before it, it was not a pleasurable episode.

It is painful to put a strain on or even lose any kind of relationship especially when you have already invested considerable time, energy, and emotion into it. However, reality bites that sometimes, things just do not work the way we envisioned them to be. Nevertheless, should we wallow in sorrow and retreat ourselves into the darker recesses of our inner being when everything crumbles? My answer is an unequivocal, yes. In that particular time frame, one has all the right to be. For in our lonesome and in our darkness, we learn to look at ourselves from within and from another angle amidst the emptiness surrounding us.

At this stage, each of us has our own threshold of how long we stay on this level. The sooner we realize that we deserve something better than what we have in our temporary predicament, the sooner we emerge from the darkness like the mythical phoenix, reborn from the ashes of the past, and with the flames burning bright towards a better future.

"Move on", two words we commonly say, and hear people say when one chapter ends and another is on the wings. However, allow me to augment that, personally, "moving on" in itself is an inaccurate description of what we should do. For when we say move on, it simply illustrates the physical and mental state from one point to another. I say inaccurate, since saying "moving on" is an incomplete phrase. It simply says we move, but it does not say "where to." For we can say move on up, move on down, move on sideways, move on forward, or, even move on backwards.

I say my friend, make your move a more positive one, and state with conviction, "There is no other way for me to go but to move on forward. I am done being down, so along with that I will also move on up. Hello world, I am back!"

So keep on believing that there is someone out there we truly deserve to be with, and someone who deserves us. Also learn to say a silent prayer of thanks, that we live another day as the Creator intended for us. Thanking Him for the opportunity that we exist not because we need it, but we exist for the simple reason that someone out there needs us. We exist not just as an object of their affection, but also as their guiding light, and their angel on our short stay here on earth.

Note: Picture taken from the web.

LUZVIMINDA: Issues & Tissues

With so many issues plaguing our beloved LUZVIMINDA, it would take a major overhaul of all three branches of government to effect a positive change.

The way I see it, most of these incumbent government officials are like termites. The only possible way to control their colony and hamper their growth is to neuter the queen. But somehow, they have this ability to mutate into something else, reproduce asexually and provide buffers that protect them and their ravenous appetites. And to think we pay our taxes dutifully to finance this circus.

Just try to imagine, they keep on proposing new taxes to break our backs further and then sick their watchdogs on us to harass, silence and even worse kill when we voice out our outrage. Our national budget now stands at P1.415 Trillion. But have you heard of a single senator or congressman proposing that they slash their pork barrel to save our ailing finances? NADA! Not a one! Even the deliberations and the contents of the proposed budget were done behind closed doors. Where is the transparency in that? When was this approved? Saturday, October 11, 2008, 3:34 AM. Yes you read right, 3:34 AM. Just when everybody was still focused and busy shouting at each other on that high profile clemency. They had slipped another one by us once again. And now, that issue about the budget will die down faster while media vultures will focus their sights on another filed impeachment complaint and that issue of ancestral domain. Jeez.

In essence, our young democracy to me is somewhat like farce. It seems what we actually have, is an established and deeply rooted but unconfirmed oligarchic dynasty. Isn’t it obvious? How many of them have family members in every strata of government? Start counting from the top and you'll see what I mean.

The cast for a tragic play is complete. We have a ruler with an alleged knave for a consort now for the nth time being subjected to another unseating. We have a supposedly fallen former star sashaying in our midst with her wannabe minions. Two very expensive chambers of filibustering legislators accomplishing almost nothing except for a few insignificant band-aid solutions rather than truly representing the people. A justice system which leaves so much to be desired. A military and police force with almost no teeth to fight off the state's enemies no thanks to alleged corrupt officers who control their purses, hence, cultivating a cesspool of law enforcers that do unlawful deeds only because they too need to survive. A media culture that is bias and thrives on the glamour of sensationalism rather than objectivity. And of course, we have the people who are ravenous for even the most basic of necessities for daily survival. Add to that, the presence of outsiders peering over our shoulders acting like big brother, observing and meddling in our state of affairs. I hope our historians are keeping record of the goings on so that the coming generations will be able to learn of the fallacies we are faced with today, day in day out. That is, if the country is still whole and our race is not scattered all over the world in the coming centuries.

Sometimes, I can't help feel like a piece of meat roasting slowly in my own juices in a pit of spit, almost ready to be devoured by hungry cannibals and my bones cracked and sucked of its blood-making marrow. Nevertheless, this is my country. And I love it here. I am not ashamed even with its artificial poverty and the covert systematic rape being done by some unscrupulous members of its citizenry. I love my country the Philippines. LUZVIMINDA: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. That’s how she is known, that’s how I hope she will stay. Let us all do our part to resuscitate her and revive her starting with our own families.

May God keep her whole.

.

Greed and Avarice, Military Style

First posted in Amiel Aguilar Cabanlig's Victorina site as Andro: (This entry with corrections and additions.)

This is another classic example of the dangers of playing with other people’s money. Greed along with its twin, avarice.

Long before the news of Major General Carlos F. Garcia's plunder of the military funds came into focus, soldiers were already complaining, albeit silently, about failures of their military arsenal in the midst of battle along with the lack of or inferior military gear. This was proven when a report from a leading network, covering the war effort, made a broadcast on the conditions of soldiers in Mindanao as well as to cover the reported kidnapping of Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi. They were ambushed on the way back and they saw misfiring mortars, locking guns and outdated communication devices and almost no air support. The soldiers like "normal” Filipinos were laughing but alert at their sorry plight. We Filipinos do have that inherent trait amidst all adversity to laugh at ourselves. But the fear and shame that were in their eyes betray that flimsy facade they are trying to project. Fear that their equipment will fail them in their hour of need, shame in knowing their high ranking officers and dependents are living luxurious lifestyles somewhere else, far from the war zones. The scam of a scum pilfering tax payers’ money and treating it like it was his personal piggy bank was more than just shameful. He was dealing double jeopardy. One, pilfering military funding and two, he was putting the lives of deployed soldiers at risk. Fourteen marine soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in that ambush, most were even beheaded.

I may not be a destitute or that fully padded, but what little I have, I worked my ass off honestly for. My former job had me exposed in handling millions of pesos, in cash, which I could make disappear in a flash and still appear accounted for, but I was never tempted to do so. Not even during the hardest of times. And I'm proud of that fact. There was even a running joke in the office when I bungled up making a check, they said: "Ayan kasi, ayaw sa intsik, gusto lagi encash." So, it is hard for me to be impressed or even jealous of sons or daughters of other military officers most especially if said sons or daughters are known bums and just living off their family's questionable assets. I may be startled a bit at first, but that's just about it. There are still lots of them here in Fort Boni acting like demigods and dropping of their father’s or even their mother's rank as if to inspire awe and intimidate anyone to submission. Some military spouses and paramours are likewise guilty of this fact. Ang sarap pagbabatukan! Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to that much publicized life-style check.

June of this year, another Major General and a Staff Sergeant faced a court marshal. Major General Jose T. Barbieto and his co-accused Staff Sergeant Roseller Echipare was charged and investigated for possible violations of Article of War 55 (Officer Making Unlawful Enlistment), Article of War 96 (Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman), and Article of War 97 (Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order and Military Discipline). MGen Barbieto was relieved as commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division on March 6, 2008 following an order from the Ombudsman. To simplify, they are scamming money off recruits in the thousands of pesos per person just to be enlisted or re-enlisted in the military without the need of passing all the stringent tests required for enlistment and/or re-enlistment. Great! First, we had failure of equipment now we have failure of personnel. As of this writing, the case is still on going and both of the accused are confined to quarters.

A soldier is a formidable living, breathing and thinking machine. His ingrained skills are tools he can call upon in life or death situations, while his weaponry increases his chances of surviving or successfully completing his given mission. How can he be confident knowing his equipment or lack thereof, may fail him at any time? How can his morale be bolstered knowing that his supposed adversaries are carrying far modern equipment than what he has? And the fact that his family is living in near slum conditions while his generals, officers and their dependents are living la vida loca? All these and still, be expected to perform brilliantly and to ultimately make the greatest sacrifice, if he has to, for God, for country and freedom.

A soldier friend of mine, the son of a late Colonel, is on his second tour of duty in Mindanao. Both he and I come from a military lineage, although, mine extends longer and broader. Ironically, he is assigned again in my dad's province of Basilan. We have lost several buddies over the years to the war in Mindanao. And it is with respect, when we do get together, to dedicate our first bottle of beer to our fallen. I do hope and pray for his safe return.

"Kaya walang kukurap, baka malusutan ng corrupt."

-Pictures are from the web-

Cha-Cha 2008

Two years ago, the incumbent set of government people put out it’s “grand deception” as the Supreme Court called it, the Cha-Cha or Charter Change. They needed to convene a Con-Con (Constitutional Convention) or a Con-Ass (Constituent Assembly). For various reasons and interests, the prime would be to alleviate the country of its sorry plight it is in now. Now for Cha-Cha 2008, another reason being given out is to ensure a long lasting peace in Mindanao.

I, for one am for change. Positive change that is. In my personal opinion, any form of Cha-Cha, Tango, Tinikling, Singkil or Pandanggo will not help since the intention is truly shady. It doesn’t matter to me how many Con-Con’s or Con-Asses they convene unless they say or truly divulge HOW a change in the bible of the land will help millions of starving Filipinos when the same characters will remain at play. It was really not a shocker for me that most of today’s (8/13/2008) Philippine broadsheets came out with screaming headlines “Systems go for Cha-Cha.” Come on, we’ve been through that already with the freedom constitution and what change has it provided us with?

Well we did have more freedom to express our views not present before. That’s positive. But aside from that, came also a new set of problems we haven’t had experience in dealing with before, not even during the time of the Spaniards. The people in general have been under some form of Pontio Pilatos glorifying themselves as a blessing to the people. Some of them truly are but most are just that, media hogs. Sad to say that even some of our Barangay Captain’s set themselves as demi-gods in their area of responsibility. As I’ve said in the past entries, we had a chance during EDSA 1 and we squandered it. It may have been the opportunity we were waiting for but the reality is, we didn’t know how to use it properly. We were all bent on revenge and getting all that was lost, real or concocted. We lost the real gist of what must be done to rehabilitate not only the coffers of the land but also instilling positive changes in the minds of our youth for this new found freedom we have. Again I stress that these are my personal views. And if you, dear readers, are not happy with the way I think, please feel free to go somewhere else because there are more coming.

Unless we learn from our mistakes in the past from the history of our country, we most likely will fail in this pending smoke and mirrors game plan behind this new attempt. They are saying it will effect change citing this and that but how? Can they not do it if they truly mean it in the present set-up? What’s stopping them? We always hear these words during election period and that’s a given. Have any of those lofty ideals surfaced? You be the judge. Are you securely employed? Are your streets and community safe? Can you look at your Honorable straight in the face and say “you are doing a miserable job” and not be sued or worse just vanish on the face of this earth? If you are legally in any form of trade, are you content with the way things are run when you get to renew your business licenses and permits? If you buy any form of item from a store, can you return it for a refund if you are not satisfied with the product? Can indigent people really rely on the government for lasting assistance instead of dole outs to help them get back on their feet? Are you silently wishing to have your relatives and work here instead of abroad away from the clan? If you are an honest taxpayer, are your taxes being handled correctly and used accordingly? Cha-Cha “daw” can help. HOW? And why now?

Whoever the major players are in this latest Zarzuela must come forth and let the real truth and intentions be divulged. For once I wish that they do so. Let’s play with the cards on the table. Let the people truly decide without any form of diabolical scheme behind it or coercion and threats or bribery. We’ve also been through that and it never worked for us, only them.

I am not looking for someone to blame even though my statements may say it. If there is someone to blamed, it is also us. Us because we blindly allow it to happen right in front of our faces and do nothing other than sulk in a corner or just talk without action. We may now openly curse everyone in government even your Barangay Kagawad, but other than that, we remain indifferent. Maybe we became numbed because of the countless promises and half-truths we are served with on a daily basis. Even more during election season and yet we half-wittingly swallowed it and then we silently spit or regurgitate it all later when it bites us back.

Cha-Cha is not an answer. If we bite into this latest form of deception, we might as well, as a people, be labeled Tan-Tan (Tanga-Tanga). All things considered, change is inevitable and we truly need it. But how we go about it will be an entry for the history books. After all, history is written by the victors. Let the victors be the entire Filipino nation.