Why I Cannot Support Another EDSA Uprising

We are at a critical stage in our nation's development.

I support freedom of assembly and expression as enshrined in our Constitution.

But, I cannot support another 'OUST' movement. Permit me to be the Jose Rizal during the Spanish Revolution and not the Katipuneros' Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio. On the so-called 'Pro Democracy' 'Anti Duterte' side, we have constant grumblings on EJKs, lack of due process, investment chill (is the shift to China really good?), unjust climate leading up to fascism, dictatorship and the much dreaded martial law - which still hasn't happened by the way.

On the Pro-Duterte side, we have the various ragtag army of trolls, social media misfits that I wouldn't even care to name, the 'unholy alliance' of 'alleged criminal politicians' and the legions shouting 'death to drug addicts' and strangely enough, a lot of Christians and pseudo Christian sects.

I'm sick of both, to be frank.

The former for its hug the establishment, status quo coddling, protect the interests of the rich, blow up the trumpet of self-righteousness, while basically perpetuating what has been the 'kalakaran' of governance. Most of those involved in this side are the so called 'progressives', so called pro-Democracy, definitely pro-Business and a host of other things.

The latter for its gung ho anarchic we're macho men out to kick some badass attitude never mind due process and the law while still coddling the other 'elites' that the former side has put in jail on corruption charges. Not to mention, the chaotic exercise of power. I've met some of the staunchest supporters of this side, and I can tell that some may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - not from war, but from some definitely mind shocking crime that's been committed against them or their loved ones.

Both have doubtful moral ascendancy.

Reason 1. Anyone up for EDSA #99?

Just how many times do we have to do an 'EDSA'? This would be the 3rd or 4th, if ever.

That isn't far from the possibility as we have been racking up the number of revolts ever since the Spanish Colonial period. It's always been like that historically. People don't want the leadership, they go march with their trumpets or bolos while detailing the excesses of the leadership and installing new leaders - but with ties to just another set of the 'elites'. The truth is: the ordinary INDIO'S government, no matter who is in charge is held on the necks by multinational interests, large conglomerates with onerous contractual obligations, the traditional elites with their own interests and the constant influences of the international political climate. 

There are just many things that we indios cannot even begin to comprehend nor control.

I believe that we should not take to the streets every time something happens that we don't like. We have fragile institutions that need nurturing and defending.

Reason 2. Removing PDuts from power will further embolden those who did wrong before

Granted we also cannot allow the trampling of our Constitutional rights and do away with the rule of law. Those are important and must be upheld. But fear is the only language that those who do wrong understand. They may not be afraid of the law, they may not be afraid of God, they may not be afraid of so many things - but they should be afraid of what they stand to lose if they do not follow the spirit of the law. 

It's a complicated quandary, full of hypocrisies, full of contradictions - but one that 16 million people voted to answer. We are at the cusps of a pivotal time in our history, where we either change ourselves or we continue to let the structures of old continue. 

The administration of PDuts is awash with its hands dipped in blood, that is true, but it is an organic reaction to the catastrophic failure of the judicial system to address flaws and concerns about how corruptible we are as a whole nation - as a people. Yes, we, in general as a people are corrupt due to tradition, due to practice, due to so many things that hold us back.  Due to our own failures to own up and be accountable for our mistakes.

Moral ascendancy is a difficult theme and not as simplistic as some are trying to portray.

"There is none righteous, not even one." Romans 3:10

Reason 3. I'll just stop here, knowing that what I write will probably not be read anyway. 

The gist of it all is that, yes, as far as I can read on the news, things are going to the shitter on so many fronts. That's endemic of the Filipino getting wounded, bruised, scratched from an iron grip that has existed long before PDuts or even Marcos. 

We are our own very worst enemy. 
Our own weaknesses lend us to mistakenly think, that one day or one week of rallying can change things. 
Our own weaknesses lend us to delude ourselves into thinking that all it takes to bring righteousness back to the fore, is by removing one man, and installing another.  
Our own weaknesses make us who we are, insecure brown Indios who don't take the blame for our own mistakes. 
Our own weaknesses drive us to think we can take shortcuts to progress and do away with institutions and abstract concepts. 

Yes, we are all hypocrites. Yes, we are all fallen. But politics has never been about moral ascendancy. It's about the authoritative allocation of scarce resources. That's the real gist of the matter.

We need a third force that can change our very culture, our very selves if we really want to transform. But as it is, all I can see is a perpetuation of a vicious cycle that has been going on for ages.

These are difficult times when it is hard if not impossible to fathom which side is telling the truth. But suffice to say, I'd rather content myself with the fact that I won't allow any side to use me for whatever their purposes. 

There has to be something else.

Christ as the Victim of Death Penalty - My Response to CBCP's criticism of Manny Pacquiao

Politics and religion always seems to mix even if in an ideal modern democracy it (ideally) shouldn't.

The issue of death penalty is a contentious one.  But as it is, the general perception I have of my mostly barbaric countrymen is encapsulated in a single statement: "The fear of death deters most criminals." This is echoed in countless neighborhood conversations and street talk.

A few days ago, the CBCP (Anti Death Penalty) issued a statement noting to Born Again Christian Senator Boxer Manny Pacquiao (Pro Death Penalty), that "Christ is one of the victims of Death Penalty". The simple and concise statement strikes at the heart of this traditional nation - if it still has one. Judging by the silence of majority of the population concerning extra judicial killings, it appears that many either don't know or don't care. Ignorance and escapism is indeed bliss in this country more enthralled by the Miss Universe pageant than of the plight of thousands murdered with no day in court to prove their innocence.

I have personal experiences regarding criminals. Yes, they are mostly poor. And yes, in most times, I have applied grace and mercy. To be honest most of the time, looking back at the end results or a few years after the fact, grace and mercy made me feel weak in the eyes of others. Up to now, I have qualms wrapping my mind around the overall concept of justice and retribution as I see how communities degenerate when those who should be liable are not punished - almost as if there was no law to correct them.

Of course I also know of redemption and of the mercies of the Lord that have changed lives.
Of course I also know of the weak criminal justice system that's prone to corruption and manipulation.

But in a country that's fast growing in so many aspects, people should be made liable for the acts that they commit. A functioning and thriving democracy can only survive in such. That is the essence of freedom - it comes with responsibility and accountability. Sometimes, ordinary life reflects things that are more akin to anarchy if not a dysfunctional democracy. Government, in my personal experience, mostly touches my life come taxation time.

What do I think Manny Pacquiao's Response Should Be?

That Jesus Christ did so with foreknowledge. How can you be a victim if you willingly accept it? He knew and accepted that going to the cross is how it should be. He could have just ran or said that he's innocent. He cried in the garden of Gethsemane. He pleaded to his Father if there was another way, but of course, He already knew the answers. Jesus Christ willingly and sacrificially went to the cross. By definition, hardly a victim.

CHRISTIANITY WOULD NOT EXIST IF CHRIST DIDN'T GO TO THE CROSS. He KNEW it from the beginning! (And I'm saying this, na para bang nanduduro). 

Of course, my civil, legal and political discourse would be totally different. Citing the fact that most first world nations with progressive ideals do not implement the death penalty. But hey, this is the Philippines, where discourse is often emotional and less logical.

Political Blogging

I've veered away from political blog posts as well as writing in general because I've been noticing a disturbing trend: the rise of partisan and hurtful online discussions.

Spiteful, vengeful, angry and extremely disturbing: social media has metamorphosed into this beast of a hydra. Gone are the glory days when blogging was for fun and later on, for profit. Gone are the days, when we, the digital pioneers of a certain tech era marveled at innovation after innovation after disruption. We are in a new stage now. A stage where everybody has already gotten on board the ship that sailed.

But with everyone on board the ship of technology, "viral" has taken on a totally different meaning.

Sick thoughts, sick words from sick people deprived of logic, sound and simple sanity have permeated the technosphere to the extent that rational debate has virtually become impossible. Somebody will always say something that toe the line of their preferred viewpoint.

Today, the "Dox"

There is a war going on right now. And it is a war for the minds and hearts of whoever will believe. Philippine society is practically polarized - or maybe, the perception of society as polarized exists. You are either on "this side" or "that side". The middle ground has seemingly disappeared and that's dangerous. 

Today, a man will be doxxed (personal details revealed to the general public) and it may be premature to cite the justifications, and I believe it is unrighteous to do so, regardless of the things he said which offended people. 

To be sure, these are difficult times. As a writer, you can be as cold to the point of irrelevance, or as hot as to invite more flames.

Rusi MP-Y-110: My First Motorcycle

I was looking for something low end, affordable, decent and just enough to help us save on our transportation costs. Riding a tricycle here in Lipa City is slightly weird and definitely expensive, but that's another story ("Magkano binabayad niyo hanggang sa inyo?" "Teka, di ba dapat kayo nagsasabi kung magkano binabayad namin?")

I checked on olx.ph and there she was. My first motorcycle. She was a Rusi MP-Y-110. I didn't know a single thing about motorcycles. But my options were limited so, I said, why not give it a try? Fast forward to five months later and the experience is exhilarating. From discovery, experimentation, road testing to daily usage, I can say that owning a motorcycle is indeed is going to be my next hobby.

I got it from a guy who lives somewhere in Tambo at a bargain price of Php12,000. Of course, later on I discovered that it had no battery, no Vendix gear, the front wheel is already kalbo, and the horn button had to be replaced.

I bought a new wheel, interior and exterior, had the horn button replaced with a new fuse, performed my own change oil, had it tested from our place to Balete, to Kinalaglagan to Mataas na Kahoy and back, no hitches.

First Time

As a first time bike rider it's pretty awesome to ride here in the provinces. The air is fresh, there's practically no traffic (once I learned how to manage to squeeze between vehicles) and the only drawback is you get wet. It's like riding a bicycle, only you don't get tired.

After a few months with my first bike, I'm thinking of upgrading a bit as there are limitations to the Rusi bike.

Psalm 61:6-7 Increase the days of the King's

Psalm 61:6-7 

Increase the days of the king’s life,
    his years for many generations.
⁷ May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

 Hebrews 13:5 New International Version (NIV)

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you."

Image credit Arto Marttinen

God, Evil, Free Will and When Bad Things Happen

Excerpts from the Book "Hell" by Bill Wiese, 2008

Psalm 53: The Fool

1
The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.

2
God looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3
Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4
Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on God.
5
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
#Psalm53 #god

Fear as the Mind Killer

You are walking on a dark road, then suddenly the bright headlights of a runaway rampaging truck startles you.

You do not know if you should go forward or backward and you only have a split second to decide. Fear grips you and having reached no consensus from within - you freeze.

That is paralysis.

That is fear.

Both are happening on various scales and various levels. I cannot expound enough the prevalence of the usage of the greatest weapon of mass destruction: FEAR.

I will never claim to know everything. Only that I know some things.

There's a great disturbance in the force and evil is rampaging all over the world.

They key word is uncertainty. The weapon of choice FEAR.






There are greater things in motion, most of them we can only guess.

Whatever the powers that be are plotting, there is one thing that is certain: death.

Let us give credit where credit is due: somebody said, "If you want to be President, you must be ready to kill or be killed."

I would like to supplant that with this, "If you want the liberation of truth, you must be willing to die."

Fear as a weapon
1. Those who wield fear as a weapon do so with precise accuracy.

It is so much so, that I would go as far as likening it to a clean chop of the head. So clean, that the decapitated head isn't even aware of its state after it has fallen on the floor. That is how effective fear is.

2. Fear uses examples.

To instill fear, you must share it. It must be grandiose. They should capture the imagination of the people. They are already putting people in a trance through prolonged repetition, so much so that they have no choice but to stare at the light that's coming towards them. Picture the hapless animal watching the light. Picture it to be you.

3. Fear likes to disguise itself. 

Fear never really manifests as fear. It comes out as anger, indignation, self-pity and its most potent form - one of the forms of silence. Not all silence is fear. The only way to unmask it - is to admit it consciously and if need be, verbally. "I have fear, and that's okay. I am afraid because ______."

Liberation comes with the sweet surrender to death and our Creator.

4. Fear rushes you into making abrupt emotional choices and decisions - knee jerk reactions, that lead to mistakes.

What is your knee-jerk reaction? What is your instantaneous response to fear? Learning to self-analyze is the key to its mastery. Don't get me wrong, fear cannot be extinguished. It will remain. It broods to the breaking point of the human will. The attack never really comes while the enemy is using fear. The attack comes after you react because of the fear.

5. Fear uses logical dissonance to confuse. 

It sways the huge majority, the "demos" which will never be able to self-analyze precisely because self analysis is impossible with huge groups of people. Self analysis can only come individually. The mob will always be a mob, regardless of medium. These days, it has "weaponized social media" to a great extent.

When a person is confused, fear is present.
When fear is present, a person can be confused.

6. Fear makes itself bigger.

Like a bully in a school yard, fear uses two kinds of intimidation: physical and psychological. But always, always remember that fear attaches itself to your main weakness: your desires.

Let go of your desires.
Let go of your passion for life.
Let go of everything you hold dear.
Let go of everyone who loves you.

Fear diminishes.

The Litany Against Fear
In Frank Herbert's Dune, 


I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.


But I must supplant this with my own. 

Let fear come and I will be afraid. 
And it's okay to be afraid
I will embrace it.
Then I will be it. 
Fear becomes me. 
Because in my fear, I will die. 
And in my death I lose everything. 
And when I lose everything, 
There will be nothing left to be afraid of.
Then when there's nothing left to be afraid of.
I can proceed with the glorious truth 
and fulfill the task at hand.
Yes, in my fear, it obliterated me.
Thereby enabling me to obliterate fear as well.

Demonic Infestation

"Do you believe in demonic infestations?" I asked my wife earlier out of the blue.

From the tired look in her eyes, I can tell that she was anticipating another long discussion during lunch time. I can also tell that she believes that I may have crossed over from the land of the sane, and quite possibly tiptoeing on the very wide border of insanity.

"Do hear me out and give me a chance," I tried to plead my case.

I followed it up with this, "If such a thing as a demonic infestation is real, they don't go out and about with red skins, tails and horns you know.

I think, they come in the form of the 'prevailing spirit'.

These manifest through people's actions, words and the thoughts that people keep that no one can hear.

When a message is played over and over. When a message or a news item is repeated ad infinitum, regurgitated and spin cycled many times over and echoed across a medium, the thoughts that are spread become so pervasive to the point that they're the last thing you think about before going to sleep - and quite possibly the first thing you read in the morning.

Then subconsciously, they manifest. This is the dangerous part. Because these latent ideas, or hibernating thoughts, are 'just there'. They exist in our minds, and in our long and short term memory, the danger is that they can easily cross over to the realm of the physical.

I tried explaining. "Spiritual matters on its surface, rarely have logical and rational basis, that's why most of us ignore stuff like these."

But if you look at what's going on right now, not just in the Philippines, but all over the world there's a lot of insane things that even a political scientist cannot explain. We humans are curious thinkers and the way we organize our thoughts and structure our beliefs are also curious. We need to categorize and assign a folder for every thought. Just imagine if we had to file 100% of our ideas inside numerous sub folders.

The seemingly 'irrational, unexplainable, unprovable things' are all lump over to the category of 'miscellaneous' or even the 'that's crazy' folders.

But I don't think 100% of that stuff is insane.

Human behavior is not 100% rational and logical. That's what makes the social sciences peculiar in the eyes of the other disciplines. But what I'm doing now, is in some respects 'metaphysical'.

It goes beyond logic, reason and the observable.

There is a God Mr. President

Dear Mr. President Duterte,


There is a God. 

Looking back, when I was in college back in the early 2000's, studying Political Science and Philosophy in UP Baguio. I had the strangest notion that you should be President. Call it prophecy, call it destiny, call it the macabre fantasies of a young man sick of what's happening in this country. Sabi niyo nga po, "It is God's Will". Yes, I saw disorder in the lovely City of Pines, where my father met my mother, where I was then studying, and I pitied the victims of pick pocketing and other crimes along what used to be the homey Session Road. I loathed what Baguio City has become back then.



I yearned for order, discipline and beauty in art in how we all collectively conduct our social inhalations and exhalations. Life is art after all. What I was seeing, what I saw, was the opposite. The lack of art.

15 years thereafter, I continuously asked the same questions just like you but came up with different conclusions. But know this for a fact, at that time, I wanted you to be President.

Now fast forward to today, our difference is that you are the President of the Republic and everything you say has the bearing of a 1000 kiloton wrecking ball. It doesn't have to be that way, but you know, who am I to tell you what to do?

God.

Yes, He exists.

Evil, yes, it also exists.

Free will, and yes, it is one source of the evil.

When Lucifer came to be, he was called the Son of the Morning Star. He was the best and the brightest. At that time, Lucifer was the pinnacle of God's creation before he created humanity. But something was lacking for Lucifer. He wanted to become God himself. Thus, he started a rebellion and convinced legions of angels to rebel. They were defeated and cast to the Earthly realm.

I'm sorry, Mr. President, your question really was "WHY?"

"Why are there 18 month old babies getting raped, murdered under jeepneys, etcetera?"

I may have an answer, but it is contingent on your acceptance of it.

The answer is free will. That man, Scully, had free will and he also has sin.

Ako Pilosopo Tasyo kung minsan nagtatanong, "Kung may Diyos, bakit Niya pa pinahintulutan ang masama o ang mismong free will?"

Pinahintulutan po kasi Niya ang malayang pagpapasya.

O, bakit Niya pinahintulutan ang free will?

Kasi, Mr. President, hindi rin po magiging posible ang pagmamahal, kung walang malayang pagpapasya. Love would also not be possible without free will.

Kaya, lahat po ng masasama, bunga ng free will.

Dagdag po natin ang bagong konsepto - kasalanan o "SIN".

Kung babalikan po natin ang Genesis, si Adan at Eba, hindi po ba't pinagbawalan sila na pitasin ang prutas ng karunungan? Pero, dahil kay Satanas, pinitas po nila. Bakit? Kasi may free will po si Eba at Adan.

O, sasabihin niyo, pwede naman makialam ang Diyos at pigilan si Eba na pitasin ang prutas. Tutal Diyos siya di ba? Isang pitik lang ng kamay Niya, lipad yang puno ng karunungan na yan. Isang tiris lang Niya, mapisa na ang ahas na Satanas na yan. O pero hindi, di po ba? Nilagay ng Diyos yung puno! Nilagay ng Diyos yung bunga! Hinayaan ng Diyos ang ahas!

Nakakalito po ba?

Kasi, hindi po natin makikita ang kagandahan ng kapatawaran, forgiveness.
Kasi, hindi po natin makikita ang payak na pagmamahal sa pagsakripisyo ng sariling, bugtong na Anak na si Hesus para saan? Para po sa kasalanan natin! Para po dun sa nang rape?

Kung kayo o tayo po ay hindi natin mapatawad ang gumawa sa inyo o sa mahal niyo ng karumal dumal - Diyos po mismo, pinatawad tayo. Lahat ng kasalanan. Ang sakripisyo ang kabayaran, sariling bugtong na anak.

Para saan lahat ng iyon, kundi para mahalin din natin ang Diyos.

Mr. President, malapit na po kayo sa Valley. Mangyari'y siguro sa mga nagawa niyo noon at siguro dahil sa mga ipinagawa niyo sa iba, na kayo lamang ang nakakaalam, ngayon niyo pa po naisipan itanong yang mga tanong na tinatanong ninyo.

Meron bang Diyos?

Opo.

At hindi po kayo iyon. At hindi rin ako.

Mangyari'y ang konteksto niyo po ay sa mata ng Lex Talionis o ang batas ng paghihiganti. Mata sa mata. Mayroon pong mas malakas na batas diyan - at ito ang batas ng Diyos.

Ayaw niyo lang pong makita.