Magpapatayo ba ng relihiyon si Pacquiao?

Using God for political plans?

Sabi ng boxing champ na si Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, nag-uusap daw sila ng Panginoon.

Sabi niya sinabi daw ng Panginoon sa kanya na huminto na siya sa boxing. Natutulog daw siya ng sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon itong mensahe.

Ang pinagtataka ko, bakit ngayon lang ba niya narinig yun? Matagal na yan sinasabi ng Nanay Dionisia niya at ng kanyang trainer na si Freddie Roach. Sinasabi rin sa kanya yan ng boxing writer at analyst na si Ronnie Nathanielz. Lumabas yan sa mga media.

Saan nga ba patungo ang direksyun ng buhay ni Pacquiao? Tumatanda na siya. Kahit ano pang galing niya, ang boksing na sports ay para sa mga bata. At ano pa ba naman ang gusto niya, lumalangoy na siya sa pera.

Matalino si Pacquiao. Kaya nga siya nakarating sa kinaroro-onan niya ngayon. Kaya itong kanyang dramang pag-uusap sa Panginoon ay mukhang pinag-isipan. Hindi ko lng alam kung tamang pag-iisip.

Expert na ngayon ni Paquiao sa Biblia. Sobrang galing niya. Ilang linggo pa lang siya nagbabasa ng Biblia, nagsi-sermon na siya. Kumpleto power point presentation.

May kutob akong magpapatayo ng relihiyon itong si Pacquiao katulad ng El Shaddai ni Mike Velarde na maari niyang gamitin sa kanyang ambisyon sa pulitika.

Ayaw ko sanang maghusga ng tao, ngunit halatang peke ang kanyang biglang pagiging relihiyoso. Halatang produkto ng mga marketing expert sa kanyang paligid.

Sa kanyang presentation sa ABS-CBN, para siyang nagpa-praktis. Halatang fake.

Kung totoo ang kanyang pagkamaka-Diyos, bakit ganun ang kanyang reaksyun sa sinabi ng Bureau of Internal Revenue na magsumite ng papeles tungkol sa kanyang mga kinita. Nagwala na kaagad. Parang batang spoiled brat. Hina-harass daw siya.

Nagtaka ang BIR kung bakit bumaba ang binayad ni Pacquiao para sa taong 2010. Mas mababa daw sa n P7 million ang ibinayad niya sa taong 2010 samantalang noong 2008, P125 million ang kanyang ibinayad na buwis. “Hindi naman siya nalalaos, lalo nga siya sumisikat pero bakit bumabagsak ang income niya,“ sabi ng nagtatakang taga-BIR.

Sabi ni Henares,ang hinihingi lang nila ay papeles. Mas madali niyang isumite, mas mabilis matapos ang assessment. Kung tama naman ang computation, di okay. Anong harassment ang sinasabi niya?

Sinabi ni Pacquiao na lilipat na lang daw siya ng tax registration. Sa halip na sa Central Mindanao , sa Laguna o sa Manila na lang siya magbabayad at inis daw siya doon sa BIR regional director na si Rozil Lozares.

Di lumipat siya. Wala namang problema yan basta tamang buwis lang ang ibabayad niya. Ang problema niya ay paano niya ipaliwanag sa kanyang mga taga-Saranggani na dapat kanyang sinisilbihan. Yan ba gawain ng matinong opisyal ng pamahalaan.

Sinabi rin ba sa kanya yan ng Panginoon?

A Double Standard of Justice: The Gerry Ortega case

By Inday Espina-Varona

http://indayvarona.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/a-double-standard-of-justice/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/03/30/12/double-standard-justice-gerry-ortega-case

A call for Justice

Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa issued a call today, on the eve of Earth Day, to care more for Mother Nature. Meanwhile, Malacanang spits on the soul of a fallen environmental warrior. Here’s why:

A couple of months back, the nation was glued to the spectacle of government operatives barring former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country. The incident happened in the absence of any hold order on the much-maligned former Chief Executive. There was no hold order because no court had yet issued an arrest warrant for her. In fact, no case against Mrs. Arroyo had even reached the courts yet. What the government had was a watchlist order (WLO) on President Benigno Aquino’s predecessor. This watchlist order was the subject of a Supreme Court temporary restraining order (TRO) — a TRO that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima refused to implement.

I will not discuss the merits of the TRO or the WLO — the latter the same weapon Mrs. Arroyo had wielded against her political opposition. The TRO later became part of the Aquino administration’s impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona. Mrs. Arroyo has since been arraigned and remains in hospital arrest due to an ailment affecting the spine. The Chief Justice is still battling it out in his impeachment trial.

The administration is confident the Senate impeachment court will find Corona guilty. Majority of Filipinos think he could be guilty, but prefer to leave the decision to the sentor-judges. The latter — which has been borne out survey after survey — is not making Mr. Aquino or his allies happy. There has been plenty of talk about we, the people, waging war against the CJ in the name of Justice. But this isn’t about Mrs. Arroyo or the Chief Justice. It is about this administration’s warped view on justice. It is about amazing leaps of logic and disturbing signs that more than hint that, indeed, some in this benighted nation are more equal than others.

In January 2010, a gunman killed Palawan environmentalist Gerry Ortega. It was daylight. It was in a crowded second-hand clothes shop; Gerry was buying clothes for his offspring.

Alert townfolk managed to corner the suspect. He squealed. Shortly after, three others were arrested: two lookouts and the recruiter, Rodolfo Edrad, a former bodyguard of former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes. Edrad confessed that the gun used in Ortega’s slay belonged to Romeo Seratubias, former provincial administrator. Seratubias did not deny this during the preliminary investigation.

The Justice Department initially dismissed the charges against Seratubias, Reyes and his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes Jr., and two aides. The Secretary of the Justice inhibited from the case. De Lima was once election lawyer for the former governor.

Ortega’s kin, environmentalists and media groups refused to back down. The discovery of 84 text messages between the former governor and Edrad at around the time of the murder finally forced a re-investigation. State prosecutors eventually filed murder raps against the brothers and their cohorts.

On Tuesday, the regional trial court in Palawan issued arrest warrants for Reyes and company. By that time, he had disappeared. His brother had bid farewell to fellow local politicians in Coron.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) launched a manhunt. But a day after, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo did the unthinkable. He said the government would give Reyes until the end of the week to surrender.

It was an irresponsible statement to make. There was a legitimate arrest warrant. The case was murder, under circumstances showing great willingness by suspects to ruthlessly punish their enemies. Murder is a non-bailable crime. The cops were on a manhunt, for god’s sake.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines was “aghast” at Robredo’s move.

“What Robredo is in effect doing is ordering law enforcement agencies not to obey the lawful order of the Palawan regional trial court to place the Reyes brothers under arrest and stand trial for the Ortega murder.

“What right does he have, what authority, to openly issue such an order in defiance of our laws?

“Surely Robredo knows that our law enforcers are in possession of the warrants, having already served one on former Palawan provincial administrator Romeo Seratubias.

“Neither can we imagine that Robredo is unaware that every day the warrants are not served increases the chances of the Reyes brothers escaping justice, either by actual flight or by allowing their lawyers to delay their arrest and trial.”

The following day, Thursday, Reyes came out defiant, saying he would take his sweet time.

“Haharapin ko sa takdang oras ang mga paratang at akusasyon na ito. Nandito lang ako sa inyong piling, nagtatago sa inyong puso. Hindi ko tatakbuhan ang hustisya ngunit para maiwasan ang patuloy na pang-aapi at pag-aalipusta at pagbibintang ng walang basehan,” he said.

As if that wasn’t enough of an insult against Lady Justice and Ortega’s heirs, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda — a lawyer — gave the Palace stamp of approval on Robredo’s order. If you think the DILG Secretary’s move is outrageous, Lacierda’s justification will make you puke. This morning Lacierda explained the deferment as a sign OF DEFERENCE TO HIS (Reyes’) POSITION AS A FORMER GOVERNOR.

It is breath-taking in its ignorance of the law. It is breath-taking in its display of entitlement.

As I’m ending the blog, I get word that Malacanang has turned around. The manhunt is on. Again.

That’s small consolation. But it doesn’t erase the fact that an alter-ego of the President, his spokesman no less, has given us a glimpse into their heart of darkness.

Updates:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/169713/robredo-informs-ortega-daughter-of-manhunt-for-reyes-brothers

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/28221/palace-waffles-on-reyes-says-manhunt-for-ex-palawan-gov-on

MIAS 2012: Hyundai Elantra named Car of the Year

Hyundai Elantra

On the second day of the 2012 Manila International Auto Show, Hyundai’s Elantra ran away with the top plum in the much-coveted 2011-2011 Car of the Year title handed out by the Car Awards Group Inc.

The other Category Winners:

Basic Subcompact Car Kia Picanto 1.0 M/T
Subcompact Car Suzuki Swift 1.4 A/T
Compact Car Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS A/T
Crossover Kia Sportage 2.0
Luxury Mid sized Car Volvo S60 T4
Luxury Compact Crossover MINI Countryman S
Midsize SUV 4×2 Mitsubishi Montero Sport 4×2 MT
Midsize SUV 4×4 Mitsubishi Montero Sport GTV 4×4 A/T
Luxury SUV Ford Explorer V6 AWD
Pickup 4×2 Mitsubishi Strada 4×2 A/T
Pickup 4×4 Mitsubishi Strada 4×4 A/T

This is the first time that a Korean automaker has won Car of the Year in Philippines, and is the Elantra’s fourth Car of the Year worldwide, winning the same title previously in Canada, North America, and South Africa.

The Hyundai Elantra stood out not only amongst the vehicles in its class, but also above the rest of the entries for this year’s COTY-P. It ranked high in the Qualitative tests, where it was scored based on criteria such as aesthetics, comfort, and drivability, and was one of the top performers in the Technical test that evaluated the acceleration, braking, and handling characteristics of each vehicle, while offering great value for money. Presenting the award to the Hyundai Elantra once again proves that the title of Car of the Year Philippines is not for the fastest, cheapest, or most popular car in the market. Rather, it is an award for the car that offers best value to the consumers.

For eight years running, CAGI has recognized the best vehicles in the market, awarding the coveted title of Car of the Year Philippines (COTY-P) to the car with the best value for money for consumers. The COTY-P awards is an annual consumer-oriented event organized by CAGI, a non-stock, non-profit organization composed of more than 50 motoring journalists from various print, broadcast, and online media outlets.

Indulgence by Irene quezo de bola cheesecake

While selling at the annual bazaar Best Food Forward, a nice little red box took my breath away. Just a look at the little logo and I knew that this was the quezo de bola cheesecake other bloggers had been talking about: Indulgence by Irene.

Indulgence by Irene

The name is sweet, but the taste is even sweeter. This is a really good cheesecake: dense and with the rich texture of indulgent quezo de bola (probably where it got its name from). The last quezo de bola I tasted was really cakey, like mamon, sponge cake or (gasp!) bibingka. It’s pretty obvious that Irene knows how to make this cheesecake shine, otherwise she won’t be appending her precious name to it (okay, am waxing pilosopo :)

Quezo de Bola cheesecake

I got the 4 1/2 inch cheesecake for only P200 and I can tell you how the dessert fiends in my family were fighting over this … down to the last crumb.I liked the fact that it wasn’t too sweet and I can taste the luxurious quezo de bola (our holiday cheese) without being overpowered by it. For once, I forget about this quezo being partnered with hot pan de sal on a Christmas morning. My fondest memory of quezo de bola is now reincarnated in this cheesecake with a delicious brown crust.

I guess Irene chooses to be home-based so she can be hands on in preparing her product. So yes, she’s just a mobile phone call or text away -

Indulgence by Irene

P.S. The bigger, 9-inch cheesecake costs P900. We tell you: it’s worth it! ;)

Running the Mosaic Browser on a Modern Linux

Yesterday I got inspired by the 18th Anniversary of Philippine Internet and Netscape running on an old computer. I decided to try Mosaic on my Linux box. Mosaic, the predecessor of Netscape and so many other browsers.

Here is how I built it on Ubuntu Precise Pangolin (12.10) beta 64-bit:

  • Downloaded the modernized Mosaic source code. The PNG patch is no longer available.
  • Installed dependencies: sudo apt-get install libmotif-dev libxmu-dev libjpeg-dev libgd2-xpm-dev
  • Manually downloaded and compiled lpng1058.tar.bz2from http://libpng.sourceforge.net . Good thing the old PNG libraries compatible with old source are still being maintained.
  • Renamed the definitions ofgetline in ./libnut/url-utils.h ./libnut/url-utils.c ./libwww2/HTInit.c . It is already present in the standard C library.
  • Compiled with make linux.
  • The compile will have warnings about assigning pointers (64-bit) to int. While this is dangerous, it doesn’t stop this Mosaic from running – but it does segfault for some pages. It might be better on a 32-bit machine.
  • The link will fail because the current libpng does not have the deprecated function png_read_init. Instead, copy paste the gcc -o Mosaic line and replace the -lpng with the compiled libpng.a. Also include the system’s libm.a (in my case, /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.a) since libpng.a is statically compiled. Otherwise, the link will fail with undefined reference to `pow’.

Then, run ./Mosaic. It will have errors like Warning: Cannot convert string “-adobe-courier-medium-r-normal-*-14-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1″ to type FontStruct which don’t seem to prevent it from running.

On some sites, I get a core dump. I think it’s because the code was linked against the current libpng.h, but I don’t have time to investigate it. Take a look!

libpng warning: Application was compiled with png.h from libpng-1.0.6 or earlier
libpng warning: Application  is  running with png.c from libpng-1.0.58
libpng error: The png struct allocated by the application for reading is too small.