FACULTY ARTICLES
Bulahanong Bag-ong Tuig sa Tanan!
Sa katapusang adlaw sa tuig 2011 unsa may atong mga hunahuna ug gimbuluhaton?
First. We have not heard from the Secretary of Tourism regarding our new slogan for attracting tourists to the Philippines, to replace “WOW Philippines!” that Richard Gordon coined years ago. I am impressed by the commercial at CNN: “Malaysia, Truly Asia.” My suggestion is:
“The Philippines: 7100 Islands in Asia Pacific”(more or less, depending on the tide)
Second. I just finished the full draft of a paper I am presenting at the Seminar on Consolidating Peace for Mindanao to be held at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang on 16-20 January 2012. My paper is entitled “Bangsamoro’s Aspirations for Autonomy in a Peaceful and Democratic Philippines.”It brings together my own thoughts, and those of others, on resolving the 40-year Moro rebellion from the time of Marcos to the present under President Aquino III. I am doubly pleased that my wife, Coring, will be with me in this journey.
Third. 15 March 2012 is the appointed date for launching the second edition of my book that was originally launched in 1971, and entitled: Ramon Magsaysay: A Political Biography. Solidaridad Publishing, 497 pages. I’ve been working on and off for months toward a new foreword, photo album, dateline, afterword, list of interviewees, and a summary record of RM’s legacy in Asia.Our co-publishers are the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation and the Center for Leadership, Citizenship and Democracy of the National College of Public Administration and Governance in U.P. Diliman. It’s arduous but fulfilling work for me to help keep alive Ramon Magsaysay’s unique contribution in our unending struggle to build the nation and democracy we envision in our Constitution.
Fourth. As I have reported in this column, Governor Edgar M. Chatto is leading the project to plan and build the Bohol Museum of Art and Peace in Tagbilaran. Sa atong Binol-anon: Museo sa Arte ug Kalinaw sa Bohol. In Spanish, Museo del Arte y Paz en Bohol. Building plans have been prepared by architects led by Joven Ignacio and funded by a generous donation of Mr. and Mrs. David M. Consunji and family. For this Governor Chatto is giving the Consunjis a Special Award from the province.The Bohol Fine Arts Foundation is designated as the depository of all donations toward the building and operation of the Bohol Museum of Art and Peace. I am hoping that the present Tagbilaran airport can be the site of the proposed Museum, when the new airport in Panglao will be completed. “A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first steps.” Ino Sotto is mentioned as a good curator for the Museum.
Fifth. In 2001 a group of us, retired U.P. faculty, started classes at Kalayaan College then located at Riverbanks, Marikina. Our aim is still to offer U.P.-quality education by U.P. faculty to those who cannot enter U.P. mainly because of its limited college quotas. KC offers 12 courses approved by the Commission on Higher Education. We have graduated over 250 students who are all employed.In 2009 KC was saved from closing down when we moved to a rented new building in New Manila in Quezon City. That was four months before typhoon Ondoy submerged our old rented site in nine feet of muddy water from the Marikina River. Now we hope to forge a partnership with an established school that wants to set up a college, so KC can have our own building and campus provided by our partner. For this we hope and pray to God!
Sixth. In 2011, as we also shared in this column, we published the research and training report The Movement for a Nonkilling Philippines. Tungo sa Kalinaw at Walang Pagpatay! The research was supported by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the printing of the Report and related books and publications was funded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).We have enlisted several members of The Movement for a Nonkilling Philippines but the political leaders we have invited to help lead the Movement have not yet responded to our call. We must step up our campaign to make the Movement a sustainable national movement.Here is our Vision and Mission Statement for Building a Nonkilling, or Killing-Free, Philippines.
Vision
Building a nonkilling or killing-free Philippines marked by the absence of killing, threats to kill, and conditions conducive to killing.We are to pursue this in relation to our constitutional vision of building “a just and humane society” and a “democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace,” where our people’s human rights are guaranteed and protected.A Nonkilling Philippines is possible because, in fact, most Filipinos, like other peoples, never kill in their whole life time. We all want to live in dignity, peace and progress.We must realize that human violence, like a disease, is preventable and it can be minimized and checked under certain conditions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).By building a Nonkilling Philippines we are helping to build a Killing-Free World.
Mission
So let us all help build a Nonkilling Philippines in relation to our vision of building a life-sustaining, just and humane society, and a democratic and republican State.Let us observe the right of every Filipino to live, and the responsibility never to kill anyone.Let us create and sustain the conditions that will reduce violence and killing to the utmost. And remove as fully the conditions that lead to violence and killing.Let us recognize our nonkilling communities to be worthy of emulation and help other communities remove their life-threatening conditions.And let us cooperate with all nations in building a Killing-Free World for the good of all humankind.We might also recall: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.” The Beatitudes.Kalooy sa Diyos, sa Mayo 25, 2012, puhon, ma 84 ka tuig na ako.
A Boholano's View:Ex-President GMA, P-Noy, Politics and the Rule of Law
Last Updated (Sunday, 27 November 2011 13:21) Written by Jose V. Abueva Monday, 21 November 2011 21:57
The Bohol Chronicle (18 Nov 2011)
By: Jose V. Abueva
Charges vs Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In his presidential campaign in 2010 Senator Benigno S. Aquino III focused on the alleged corruption and abuse of power of President GMA and promised to fight corruption as the centerpiece of his presidency: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap!”
He made it clear that he would make GMA pay for her glaring misdeeds as president to symbolize and concretize his determination to enforce the rule of law on everyone, without exception. P-Noy was capitalizing on the GMA’s questioned legitimacy and tarnished reputation in her nine-year presidency.
It took the P-Noy administration more than a year to organize its charges against GMA for corruption, plunder, and then lately electoral sabotage during the 2007 elections. In fact the charges had not been filed in court when Justice Secretary Leila de Lima issued a memorandum order to prevent the departure of Representative GMA, so she could seek medical treatment abroad for her ailment.
On the Arroyos’ appeal against the memorandum order, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order with immediate effect to allow Mrs. Arroyo to go abroad. But the Justice Secretary ordered the Bureau of Immigration and the airport authorities to prevent her departure, against the high court’s TRO. She said that she had not seen a copy of the TRO which was the subject of extensive media coverage.
The issues. Before this action of the administration, in the face of the TRO, the issue of Rep. Arroyo’s departure to seek medical treatment abroad was argued along these lines. She had her constitutional right to life which is also a high human value in our society. She was entitled to get the medical treatment she wanted. She was constitutionally presumed to be innocent unless proved guilty under due legal process. Her constitutional freedom to travel could be prevented only in the interest of national security, public safety, and public health, and these did not apply to her. There were no charges made in court against her that were non-bailable and therefore warranted forcing her to remain in the country. Nonetheless, the Arroyos posted a two-million-peso bail.
The Justice Secretary and other administration officials, with P-Noy’s evident support, were prepared to defy the Supreme Court’s TRO as a tactical move so that they could rush the filing of the non-bailable charges of plunder and electoral sabotage that would justify the prevention of the departure of Representative GMA. Meanwhile, having prevented GMA’s departure the Justice Secretary appealed to the high court to reconsider its TRO.
Then she and COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes were able to have the charges filed at the Pasig
Regional Trial Court. The Aquino administration is afraid that the Arroyos would not return to the country to answer the charges against them. In fact, the media published reports that the Arroyos were seeking asylum in the Dominican Republic, which were denied by its government.
The Arroyos and P-Noy and his administration were invoking justice and the rule of law as their main concern in the disputed foreign travel of Representative GMA.
Constitutional crisis? The Supreme Court met en banc to deal with its TRO that had been deliberately defied, as well as other pressing issues before it. The defiance of its TRO by the Executive Branch raises a grave constitutional issue of the supremacy of the Supreme Court in regard to legal and constitutional issues in our system of separation of powers among the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. Without the rule of law, our citizens are insecure in their constitutional rights, and we do not have a democratic State.
Opinion and the stakes. In his column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Fr. Joaquin Bernas, S.J., constitutionalist, and a framer of the 1987 Constitution, asked “Where is the President in all these?” He meant P-Noy had ordered and approved all the moves of his administration to ensure that Representative GMA remains in the country to face the charges against her. Fr. Bernas believes that the government is not so helpless in getting hold of the Arroyos should they try to evade the charges against them by staying abroad.
For P-Noy GMA’s conviction in court would be his signal political victory as an avowed champion of honest governance and nemeses against corruption. And her absolution from the charges of corruption, plunder, and electoral sabotage would be GMA’s political vindication as the leader most criticized for allegedly “lying, cheating and stealing” in office. So their political stakes are very high indeed.
Fellow Inquirer columnist Amando Doronila wrote about “P-Noy’s creeping authoritarianism.” GMA’s partisans and some clergy support GMA, while other politicians, columnists and commentators side with the Aquino administration.
GMA arrested. Friday evening, November 19, Mrs. Arroyo was served a warrant of arrest by the Pasig RTC in her room at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bonifacio Global City. The next day she was to be finger-printed and photographed as a prisoner. However, she would be allowed to remain in the hospital or be under “home arrest.”
Former COMELEC Inspector Lintang Bedol and former ARRM Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. were also served warrants of arrest for allegedly being implicated in electoral sabotage during the 2007 senatorial elections with Mrs. Arroyo.
The Supreme Court reiterated that its TRO against Mrs. Arroyo’s travel holdover remained in force. However, this was rendered moot because the non-bailable charges against her had been filed in court and she had been placed under arrest.
De Lima in contempt of the Supreme Court? What will the Supreme Court do to the Secretary of Justice who knowingly disobeyed the TRO against her memorandum order to prevent the departure of Mrs. Arroyo? The tribunal summoned Secretary de Lima to explain why she should not be held in contempt for her refusal to implement the TRO which “the justices deemed as disrespect of the court.”
If found guilty of indirect contempt, De Lima may be ordered to pay a fine of not more than P30,000.00 or face imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.”
Justice served? Secretary de Lima declared that justice had prevailed by preventing Mrs. Arroyo’s departure and by her arrest for the charges of corruption, plunder and electoral sabotage in 2007. The high profile and popular Secretary is reputedly a potential candidate for the Senate in 2013.
Mrs. Arroyo is contesting her arrest and detention. Her lawyers assert that the Sandigambayan, not the Pasay RTC, is the court that should handle her cases as a senior government official. And from Bali, Indonesia, where P-Noy was attending the ASEAN meeting, he ordered that she be treated with respect.
Rule of law still in question. “There are no signs that the Supreme Court or the Executive branch is backing off. But the constitutional system of checks and balance is based on the sound principle that judicial orders have to be obeyed to maintain the rule of law. They must be obeyed—even by the President. If court orders are disobeyed, no one will be safe from a presidential dictatorship.” This is the opinion of Amando Doronila.
Fr. Joaquin Bernas has expressed his opinion that the Supreme Court must be obeyed if the rule of law is to prevail.
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Filipino Diaspora: The Filipino is Alive in Canada
Last Updated (Tuesday, 13 September 2011 09:05) Written by JP de Vera Tuesday, 13 September 2011 09:05
Many academics and community leaders in the major centers of overseas migration have long been mystified and concerned with the global Filipino diaspora. Some like University of Hawaii’s Jonathan Okamura assert that Filipinos all over the world actively imagine themselves to be part of a "community" whose members are aware of one another’s presence and share a common culture, national identity, custom and tradition.
Overseas Filipinos, adds this school of thought, experience a powerful longing for a “homeland” and continue thinking of returning to the Philippines despite the reality of outbound mobility due to the lack of opportunities back home. Global Filipinos are said to exhibit this longing by sending their family and relatives the regular remittances and the famous balikbayan box as tokens of their desire to continue participating in the lives of people they left behind.
In the recently concluded International Conference on Rizal at the University of the Philippines, UP Professor Vim Nadera talked about his project to empower OFWs in Hongkong while another paper writer contended that overseas Filipinos have not developed a sense of nationhood and community and pointed to Rizal’s novels as a starting point in their development of consciousness.
What really is the Filipino diaspora?
FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE CLICK HERE.
Pinoy Solutions to Corruption (Part 1)
Last Updated (Thursday, 16 June 2011 17:58) Written by Leonor Magtolis Briones Thursday, 16 June 2011 17:56
Whenever governance in the Philippines is talked about, the issue of corruption immediately crops up. It is practically considered as “endemic” to the country.
During the Spanish Era, Jose Rizal described the corruption pervading Philippine society as a “social cancer.” Media calls it “garap and korarap.” In the language of bureaucrats, it is referred to as “S.O.P.” (meaning standard operating procedures), implying that corruption is a built-in feature of government operations. It was also described as “for the boys” but in these days of gender equality I refer to it as “for the boys and girls.” Academics and students of corruption clinically refer to it as “negative or deviant bureaucratic behavior.” However, cynics counter that it is corruption which is normal and honesty which is deviant.
Corruption persists in spite of efforts to minimize and control this social cancer. In spite of the promises of all administrations to eradicate it, high levels of corrupt activity continue to proliferate. Each time a new president assumes office, he or she makes a big show of fighting corruption, only to lose effectiveness while public interest and support eventually peter out.
For decades, multilateral institutions and bilateral donors have expended hundreds of millions of dollars in anti corruption projects. Ironically, corruption has not abated even as they pour more resources to help clean up the country. This sharp rise was noted especially since 2005.
Can there be a Pinoy solution to corruption?
You can access the rest of Prof. Briones’ column in Interaksyon TV 5 here.
Who determines who is hungry?
Liling Magtolis Briones
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Boiled Green Bananas
Governments, research groups, academics and think tanks have made it their business to determine the status of people in society. They count, sample, classify, group, estimate, develop formulas, run their computers, and voila!—one is rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, developed or underdeveloped, according to their samples, indicators and other tests. One can even be classified as sexy or frigid, peace-loving or violent, and happy or unhappy!
A Boholano’s View
Written by Administrator Thursday, 28 April 2011 10:27
A Boholano’s View : By Jose “Pepe” Abueva
The Bohol Chronicle
May 1, 2011
Today at the Vatican, the late Pope John Paul II, who died in April 2005, will be beatified in a glorious ceremony led by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. Henceforth we shall call him Blessed John Paul.
To be beatified, he had to be credited with a miracle attributed to him and verified by the Roman Catholic Church. This was the healing of French nun, Sr. Marie Simon-Pierre Normand, of her Parkinson’s disease after she prayed in writing to Pope John Paul II.
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