PNP Task Force Usig`s May 25, 2008 report on extrajudicial killings

A new report has been released by the PNP Task Force Usig before the Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) last Sunday (May 25), elucidating that only 121 of the militant group Karapatan`s claimed 836 are verified cases of extrajudicial killings as of May 2007, according to the Philippine Embassy Press Office.

The task force said that 46 incidents are still undergoing verification processes while it excluded 669 cases from the list, being enumerated as follows:

47 false reports

34 non-existent persons as certified by barangay and local civil registrars

6 victims who turned to be alive

97 cases of legitimate armed encounters

23 Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the foiled Bicutan jailbreak

15 involved in agrarian disputes

20 involved personal motives

4 suicides

9 victims of labor disputes

1 victim of an insane relative

309 incidents of victims with no known affiliations

23 civilians killed by CPP-NPA

9 killed by the MILF Lost Command

2 killed by vigilante groups

70 cases involved private motives connected with illegal drugs, gambling, squatting, illegal logging, mistaken identity, robbery and homicide, rape with homicide, tribal war and business rivalry.

PNP transferred the excluded incidents to separate relevant working groups. It also confirmed that 86 of the identified cases of extrajudicial killings have been filed, 63 of which are cases of assasinated political activists, while 23 are slain mediamen. Forty-six have been undergoing trial with two of them having already arrived at convictions.

SOURCE: Philippine Embassy Press Release

Is man-animal hybrid embryo acceptable?

I venture to take on this foreign issue because of its significance not just on the laws of Britain but on the laws of ethics and humanity themselves. On Tuesday (Monday in London) the British Parliament voted 336-176 in approbation of a bill permitting the creation of hybrid embryos made by introducing human DNA into animal ova, a Zenit.org report says. This aims for the development of stem cell potentials and focuses on tapping the embryonic stem cell's capability of treating a wider range of injuries and diseases thought incurable by adult stem cells.

The decision received various criticisms, mostly coming from pro-life groups while others are from various religious and non-religious individuals. For years embryonic stem cell research is viewed as an unethical way of finding the causes and treatment of diseases, as it involves the usage of early stage embryo following the discovery of scientists that an embryonic stem cell does better than the adult stem cell. The latter's effectiveness has been demonstrated in hospitals but is only limited to a number of damages and diseases, while the embryonic stem cell has more derivative cells and has a potential of replacing more types of damaged cells provided that the immune system is able to receive it. The furor is exacerbated by the said law which allows the injection of human DNA to animal embryo for a hybrid human-animal embryo.

The Vatican expressed their stunned viewpoint, arguing that it is a horror “that has always brought rejection in ethics.”

Advocates of the new law say that opposition is confined only within religious boundaries, but as it turns out even non-Christians and lay leaders stressed their disapproval.

In my opinion it is indeed a humiliation to humanity to use a kind of human life-form in order to supply scientific undertakings. Regardless of the fact that it will be utilized for the treatment of human injuries and diseases the bottom-line is that in addition to intervening with the embryonic development the association of human composition to animal embryo is a devaluation of the dignity of man, treating our beings like accessories to pursue scientific breakthroughs. To quip, it is like having an animal as a partner in sexual intercourse, which may be horrible (it is alright if not) to the proponents themselves, who are deranged by the prospect of scientific breakthrough/recognition/Nobel Prize (you may choose between the three).

Aren’t adult stem cells more acceptable? Why not try to enhance them so that they can be differentiated into hundreds of cell types derivatives of the three primary germ layers? Didn't Gordon Brown's friends over the Atlantic devise a way to revert an adult stem cell into its embryonic stage without using the actual pre-fetal phase of human beings? Another fact that renders hybrid embryonic stem cells dangerous is the possibility of undergoing uncalculated fusions in the combined man-animal DNA structure, a sort of transformation that results to cloning, those which Bishop Elio Sgreccia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life calls as “unknowns.”

These are notably one of the few instances that I agree with churchmen, since I value life and humanity, and it is unbearable to contemplate a part of Eve being taken as guinea pig for cold research.

I fell serious at this concern because it ultimately shows how close we are to the future; that is, how close we are to the extermination of rational ethical thought.

Free-of-charge text messaging anyone?

I do not know if this is good news for you.

A March 23 Philippine Star article by Paolo Romero reported that DOTC will file a petition before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) demanding that text messaging be made free of charge by telecom firms.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza stated Thursday that short message sending (SMS) is not really considered a service and should be free. Based on Memorandum Circular No. 8-9-95, SMS is identified as value-added service.

I was up on my tickler earlier, listing down the advantages and disadvantages of having an absolutely free text messaging, 24/7 from all telecom companies such as Globe, Smart and Sun Cellular. So far I only thought of a few. As to the bright side, free SMS service is great help for small business people, considering the enhanced communication-based logistics it offers to common entrepreneurs, especially to those who have no access to the internet. Likewise it practically provides an inexpensive medium for long-distance correspondence, and is convenient for mobile people at times of mild necessity.

However, free SMS poses a few disadvantages directed especially to those we call as text fanatics. It could result to the youth`s overindulgence to social texting, which in turn may proceed to indolence and/or possible psychological problems. Technically, having a free flow of text messaging also produces a great bulk of SMS traffic whic may render reception time longer, with some messages failing to be received at all. It makes text messaging a not-so-reliable form of essential communication especially at times of emergency.

These are what I thought some of the pros and cons necessary to be weighed before deeming whether free SMS is beneficial or not. If the kind reader has in his or her mind some ideas I request him or her to indicate them in the comments section so that the readers (as well as I) will be more illuminated on this particular matter.

Enforcing rule on the 'rule-makers'

If during these days you happen to pass by the Constitution Hill in QC do not forget to take a peek in the Batasang Pambansa Complex where from the gallery you will be a spectator to these two long blocks of seats, some vacated while some occupied, and a number of people in the plenary hall straggling everywhere or sitting and having a cup of coffee, reading news, looking around or just simply staring blankly at afar. Others are conversing in the seats, at the door, or outside. You can count the heads paying attention to the presiding officer. Marvel not, for this is still the House of Representatives, even though the awful sight brings you memories of your fifth grader days.

Aye, this is the Lower House. A body of learned men who thought they are so over the law that they are comfortable to crook one. They are the conglomerate of our taxes, and for every session the Filipinos are paying millions worth of accomodation expenses for these men and women of action (and inaction) and decision (and indecision), only to skip out after forty minutes and disappear behind the doors just like rabbits.

Their few minutes of attendance, or to be more definitive, appearance, is being paid with billions annually. Each can make out more than half a dozen commercial actors’ pay. One of their functions is to deliberate on things especially legislation, but as it appears their quorum is a composition of absent-minded politicos whose erudition about law and governance is made dubious by underlying ethical circumstances, and here they come and go as they please just like primary school pupils.

I think the proponents who seek to lock the doors of Congress during session hours are one of a few who knows how to do things right (for the momentary consolation of the ‘few’ I will refrain from thinking that this will not vindicate the fact that some of them are still crooks, he he he). The house rules need to add complimentary guidelines in order to enforce proper decorum to our ‘lawmakers’. If need be put at least a hundred SWAT men surrounding the plenary hall, and beat the hard-headed who attempts to put the session out of order.

Ah, I almost forgot, they are the representatives of the FILIPINO people anyway.

Describing Scylla and Charybdis

Continuing yesterday`s rantings I should say that at some respects ABS-CBN has been an institution of charity, yet it shares the same weakness as that of GMA when it comes to presentations. For some reasons it is a closed type of programming. This is understandable because ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation has expanded its network into various specialty channels such as MYX, Studio 23, CinemaOne, the Lifestyle Network, Pinoy Central TV, Hero, Maxxx and ANC. The flagship ABS-CBN channel committed itself more on pure entertainment.

Perhaps another common complaint to the two networks is their overemphasis on TV commercials, showing ten to fifteen minutes of ads per thirty minute-program. I can recall that during my childhood this was my usual grievance as I could only watch my favorite cartoon in less than fifteen minutes.

Most of the networks I know do not exceed to thirty minutes per hour in commercial breaks. I am not sure if they have laws which regulate commercial ads in their countries, but what I noticed is that AXN, ESPN, Star World, Star Sports, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, ANC, CNN, Animax, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and BBC does not take more than fifteen to twenty minutes of break in one hour. Meanwhile movie channels such as HBO, Cinemax, MM1 and MM2, Star Movies and Pinoy Box Office take a full fifteen minute-break without commercial ads per one and a half hour, i.e. after the end of each future presentation. Cinema One inserts commercial ads between movie running time. Weird.

It cannot be blamed perhaps, for the two contending networks have to contend in ratings and survive by revenues. Revenues are one way of replacing huge production budgets put in incompetitive shows. Hence the next time they put so much money in them they must make sure that what they are doing are entertaining, authentic and informing. These are the criteria for TV quality that may be deemed as standards for comparison with foreign TV.

It is a perpetual war of the ratings after all

I just couldn`t hide my amusement over the two networks who seem to challenge each other in every step of their existence. The earliest instances might have been far way back before and, as I bear myself closer to witness their hairpulling right from the ratings war of last year, I can`t help but wonder why cannot these two media giants focus on more quality programming instead of creating over and over again productions that aim to compete with the other station`s production.

Of ABS-CBN and GMA all I see is a one-faced television. If one launches a distinct program the other answers with a program of the same genré. There are now two Hana Kimis (one from each network); both have their own noontime show and Sunday bash; if one has a Mars Ravelo production the other one answers with their own Mars Ravelo series. ABS-CBN is about to launch My Girl, a Koreanovela-based presentation; GMA is also equipped with My Name is Kim Sam-Soon, also a Koreanovela-based Filipino version.

I do not know if they are just coincidences among many other `coincidences` which filled their time slots. It seems that the war of the ratings is not over yet. They are even bickering in their slogans, self-proclaiming themselves in the most ultimate sense.

Yet in achieving these standards and producing many such shows of novelty and imitation the two networks have overlooked the need for more qualiy programming. GMA, with so many fantasy-series has poured in hundreds of millions in pesos for their budget. But because they have to divide the total budget to each production presentations are compromised. Computer graphics and effects are not that impressive nor convincing, making me feel like a 5 year-old boy ignorant of animation. Quantity has trampled over quality.

I learned to restrain myself from writing lengthy posts. Hence, let me reserve the second part of this topic for the next updating of The PelicanSpec. There are many things about Scylla and Charybdis to rant for.

It is still Putin's Russia

The Red Square celebrated the 63rd anniversary of the European Victory Day yesterday in a fashion reminiscent of the Soviet era, as warheads, tanks and colors marched in display of Russia`s military might, now under its new presidency. Dmitriy Medvedev, who was inaugurated last May 7 as Vladimir Putin`s successor, was endorsed by Putin himself along with four other major parties before he went on to win last March`s presidential elections with 70.28% of the total votes.

Yet the Putin government is not over, as Medvedev chose to appoint his former boss as the federation`s new prime minister. This means that Putin will have another chance of pursuing his domestic and foreign policies, the tenure being an assurance that he has more time for continuing to extend Russian influence over former Soviet Union states. Before the end of his term Putin had denounced the expansion of NATO as well as George Bush`s attempts to include Poland and the Czech Republic in the proposed missile defense shield. With states slipping away from Russia Putin feels that he has some unfinished business.

Putin also made some ominous moves of aligning back the system of regional bureaucracy in a way that governors should rather report to the prime minister than to the president. Does this mean that Medvedev`s term (or terms) will rather be an exercise of rubberstamp presidency? That is, will he serve only as Russia`s ruler de jure while Putin still is the de facto president?

We will see more of the two as Medvedev has vowed that he and his former boss will work closely together in the following days.

Politics among the ruins

The international community is still struggling to persuade Burma`s authoritarian regime to receive foreign aid for the relief of the cyclone-torn country. The devastation caused a shuddering number of death toll ranging to more than 22, 000, and the UN estimates that about a million are left homeless. The organization Save the Children also reported that 40% of the dead and the missing are children.

For about a week the Burmese people have been scrambling for food, clean water and gasoline as a result of the government's reluctance in letting in foreign aid. However, yesterday the UN has already extended 25 tons of commodities along with other countries committed in helping the Burmese refugees, a great number of whom are for six days still stranded along the Irrawaddy River.

What seems to be going on to the ruling Burmese military junta is a case of maintaining its assumed political grandeur, seeing to it that it could awe the world in displaying what it thought is a power of self-sufficiency. And what now? The international community cannot wait for the junta to eat their delusions, thus action has to be taken before more than half of Burma gets swallowed by the relentless destruction of cyclone Nargis.

It has been estimated that 100, 000 fatalities are expected and at this point there is no need to be ideologically intransigent, otherwise such natural disaster will result to becoming one of the most blunderous human errors ever, next to George Bush`s War in Iraq.

The Burmese ruling party must have been thinking that this is UN`s strategy to lure the people to democracy, comprehending it as tic-tac tactics and growing suspiciously cautious. If this remains, this shall be a very regrettable period for a country who has unregrettably deprived itself of diverse human rights and freedom, cutting not only trade but also communication from the rest of the world.

If Burma cannot think of freedom, it should well think of survival.

On social and political change

In one end I may advocate the ideals of federalism, but it is a self-serving purpose to push charter change forward without considering the consequences following its ratification. There is even an ever-present danger that the resolution is set in motion not because of urgent need, but because it is principally a creation of some personal interests.

Even though it has passed twenty-one years since its approval the 1987 Constitution is still in the stage of infancy, and there may come a time that it will per se realize its vulnerability and tolerance to corruption, and hence be amended to expediently curtail any abuse of wealth and power. It took many nations’ constitutions to attain aptness in close proximity, but none has ever been perfect. However in the Philippines it seems that only the character of the leaders complements the effectiveness of the basic law of the land.

And it is the persons of these leaders that must be observed, especially those who craft this move either for the better or for worse.

Anyway, in creating a new form of government some benchmarks must be designed in order to define if such a change is necessary or appropriate. First it must be known whether such an alternative can and will give the best restrictions against corruption and tyranny. We must also give a mind as to its timeliness, and its propriety to the kind of social and political culture we have today; that it should not be detrimental to our tradition, and likewise our tradition shall not be in turn in conflict with it. We must also take note that our values should be suitable with such a kind of government, so as to avoid more excesses that may be gained from the benefits of positions under a federal government.

Most of all we must calculate when the present status of our government, a set of leaders the majority of whom governs with corruption, can be changed by the ushering of a new batch of public servants whose persons are immune from the mammon of office; they who have been educated by the admonishing situations of the past and present-day politics. Meanwhile the old hands who have through and through served with all their sincerity and integrity also have the right to be maintained in office.

Should there be a change in the Philippine form of government, I pray that there shall also be a reformation in the social values and political philosophy as well. Because there goes with this change the rise of a new breed of morally effective and excellent leadership.

This constitutes a bipartite change to align the governing and the form of government altogether. First we must not get so far in emulating foreign culture, because we are of different backgrounds. Hence the American-oriented way of governing must cease and become considerate to the Philippine situation where alleviating poverty, not strengthening national clout and prestige abroad, is the issue. More concentration in internal issues is necessary. Liberal views must be applicable to domestic context, and not as an influence of foreign politics. There are things needed to be prioritized, and our hierarchy of needs commands that survival is the first of all things.

The second pertains also to modern-day influences impressed upon our culture through trade, and that is getting rid of profligate lifestyle. I have again and again written much about this negative social disposition here in The Pelican Spectator, that we must live sufficiently and avoid becoming unwise spenders. Unnecessary overspending does not only give dramatic fallout to the poor as it causes inflation, but also familiarizes the society to a materialistic lifestyle, and the desire for more acquisition of material wealth foreshadows greed, and therefore, corruption.

In order to enforce that long cliché of “bringing about change” we must work from the roots. We only need a change in the structure if the present unitary form is unable to accommodate the full-representation of a people who has already learnt integrity and patriotism. Thus I value the federal form because it gives importance to representation, but I doubt if it would single-handedly dismantle corruption right to the bones. Yet for the meantime we must first have a nationwide moral revolution before going on to a structural transformation to maximizing the involvement of the whole country in national decision-making. Otherwise is it not ironic how come a lawless people be concerned of its basic laws?

Should I defend the joint resolution?

The trauma the nation sustained from tyranny has made Filipinos suspicious of any act of changing our form of government, and in due time lose all trust in the notion of charter change thereon. I myself speculated no positive bearing on the government's previous attempt to hand the country over to parliamentarism years ago, inasmuch as it is the fear of converting the consolidated executive and legislative branches into a military junta that dissuaded me the time it was conceived.

Yet that was no indication that I would not entertain any other notion of charter change, if and only if I see in the alternative a better balance of power between the government branches and the people, i.e. the people possessing the distinct right to participate in the national government through the grace of representation.

It is inevitable that dozens of criticisms are raised against the implementation of Joint Resolution No. 10, and among those is the doubt that structural change would not do any better to dispel rampant corruption. That is an assessment of how Filipinos react nowadays to charter change, having foreseen possible regression to dictatorship similar to that of the 1970s by the concept such a change may advocate. Perhaps that is one reasonable point. However, the thing is that the present system is too tolerant to accomodate more corruption, and the inadequacy of representation gives trapos more pretext to justify their desire for more funds and pork barrel.

However, on the other hand a sad facet of my concurrence is looking at the fear that the joint resolution may be ridden with the covert interests of certain personalities behind its filing. And it behooves me to be cautious lest this may become a difficult case of political brinkmanship. Perhaps it is advisable to reserve this matter to a more appropriate situation. Let us take more time to ponder.