An Iron Fist Leadership (Duterte): Are we Ready?

People are crying out to Mayor Duterte to run for President of the Republic of the Philippines. While his governance and leadership style has led Davao to its peak, acquiring a spot in the top 10 safest cities in the world, but the question is, are we Filipinos really ready?



While I know that one cannot arbitrarily change things as they please, but knowing that in a national scale and in almost all political systems, the opposition is almost always present, what's going to be in store for us? Granting without permitting, that Digong wins, how is he as president, going to change our unitary form of government to a federal type of govt.? I reckon that this would require a change in our constitution, and thus would require full cooperation between all the branches of our government. Is there widespread support and clamour all throughout the bureaucracy for this change? Are the legislators ready, knowing we have some incompetent persons that know nothing about legislating sitting in our Congress?



(In my opinion, Federalism is what this country would really need to distribute the wealth and power of this nation, and not just have it concentrated in the North. This was even proposed by the Osmeñas before, in the 90's. However, if this happens, are our LGU's ready? Are the people ready to embrace a new system? Can this be achieved in a 6 year term? How efficient would this be knowing how corrupt our local officials are?)



If the whole Philippines is to be replicated just like Davao, are we ready to embrace the changes?



Let me give you a few examples:
-Loud exhausts
-No smoking in a public area
-No selling of liquors beyond 10pm or 12am
-Curfew for minors
-Speed limits



(I know the Local government also has a say in this, but let's just hypothesize that these changes are to be expected.)



On point,
Are we ready to accept this? When in fact, everytime LTO passes a regulation on mufflers, the motorcycle community cries injustice, and just says loud pipes save lives?



Are we ready to actually give up smoking in public? I doubt if the public would welcome that idea with open arms. Imagine the implications of that policy if it were to be implemented nationwide, tobacco companies would have lesser income; and as a consequence that would result to a tax loss that would be tantamount to millions. (Tobacco companies earn billions from smokers who freely light their cigarettes whenever they have the chance, anytime anywhere--except in Davao, of course.) What about our sidewalk vendors and Sari-Sari stores who sells overpriced cigarettes?



Are you ready to give up your really cool night life? How would bars and drink hubs react to this?



Are minors nowadays ready to go home early, when most of the time, these "bagong-tubo" are the ones most noisy and ridiculously misbehaved whenever they go on nightouts? (Well, they can't vote though, but they are by all means very agile keyboard warriors)



Are our drivers ready to abide by speed limits? The SRP in Cebu is a very concrete example of how speed limits are not observed.



These are just some of the things that we should consider. While an iron fist ruler is what the nation needs, but that is only a part of the equation. The nation also needs open-minded followers. Are we?
---------------------

Well, I personally think that majority of the Filipinos are not yet ready, and those will be the people who will complain and complain in the near future. While I admire the kind of man Mayor Duterte is, frank yet kind hearted, willing to help without seeking credit, pure in his intentions, stern and firm in enforcing the law, and many other traits, however, I do not like this man to be eaten by the system. I do not want the system to betray him, and I would not want him to be prosecuted after his term, for politics in the Philippines is something to be ashamed of. Of course, Digong is a seasoned politician himself, but there will always be times when the tides don't come our way.



So to wrap this up, I still believe that one man can change our country, however I believe that the one man is not Duterte. It is YOU. So register, and do not let your vote be wasted. We are all a part in changing our system. Stop wasting your parent's money or your hard earned money in nightouts and vices. Save, invest, and live a better future. Obey the laws of the Land and I assure you that whether duterte runs or not, he will be happy knowing that with or without him being the President, he has inspired you to take the civilized road and inspired you to become a better citizen of the Republic of the Philippines.



Disclaimer:
I am not seeking a debate or argument. I am merely expressing my thoughts. I am not a political analyst, nor am I a top notch graduate with amazingly flying colors. Everything in this post is purely of an oppinionated nature. I am not closing my mind to other candidates. However, I will still support Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in whatever path he may take because I AM READY.

ARE YOU?

Greenpeace International and Its Help to the Environmental Concerns of the Philippines

      In every passing day of our lives, we reach a point in which there is no return. We can make good decisions, and even bad ones. Damages made to the environment can never be taken back whether we like it or not and whether we were aware of it or not. Every damage that we cause to our environment is being stacked up on an invisible container and when the time comes that it gets filled up, it will pour back on us and slowly take its toll upon us. So, it is our responsibility to care for our environment because this planet that we live in is the only one that we have, this is where we keep all our stuff, so we should watch over it and protect it at all costs. Among the long term effects of the damage we have done is the change of climate due to the excess greenhouse gases accumulated in the atmosphere or simply the phenomenon that we call global warming. Though it is difficult to attribute the calamities to the phenomenon but somehow it has its effects.

   In an effort to keep our environment protected and preserved, some organizations have been made to be able to increase awareness of our environment, one of them is Green Peace International. Green Peace is an International Organization whose aim is the preservation and the protection of the environment. As stated in their website, this organization started some 40 years ago when a ship full of volunteers and journalist sailed into Amchitka, somewhere north of Alaska where the US government was conducting underground nuclear tests. This prompted them to start a campaign against destructive materials that would cause the devastation of nature. As an international organization, it does not promise an absolute solution to all our environmental problems but it acts more on awareness and campaigning in order to attain attitude and behavioral changes from the people themselves. Aside from the awareness campaign, the organization itself also goes to the area where destruction of the environment is happening and it exposes the damage to the public, this promotes a much more open debate among those that will see it. As stated in their website, bearing witness is a part of their core values, they go to the scene of destruction not only to show the world what's going on but also to let the perpetrators know of their opposition. They also stay in the vicinity in a peaceful and a non-violent way.

   Right now, at the turn of the 21st century, the Philippines had experienced multiple calamities that has cost the lives of a lot of filipinos. Among these calamities, there is one that is really very inconvenient and when taken for granted, could be devastating; flash-floods. Flash floods and all other forms of floods have cost the Filipinos millions for damages every time there is a storm. This is a natural occurrence that can also be prevented and resolved by nature itself, but because of our abuse and the people's lack of care for our environment, the natural mechanisms of nature to prevent floods have been reduced because trees are no longer there to absorb the water to their roots when the level of water rises. So, it is like a boomerang wherein every time we do something bad to the environment, after a certain period of time, those things will come back at us like a boomerang and with speed much faster than when it was first launched. Our drainage system is also clogged up with garbage like plastics, rubber, and all other kinds of garbage that are thrown by the people. It is just also very ironic though that the people who lives near rivers and creeks are also the very ones who throw the garbage improperly despite government warnings and information campaign about the consequences of throwing garbage in our rivers. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is the lack of awareness of the people about environment care. This issue is not only present in the Philippines but also in other countries all over the world whether it is a developing country or a developed country, but except of course in those countries that has a different context. In the last quarter of 2011 and in 2012, the Philippines had experienced a couple of storms which led to the flooding of certain areas and resulted to the death of hundreds of people. It is acknowledged that storms are inevitable forces brought upon by nature, however,  there is something that we can do about it.

  Greenpeace international is campaigning for almost all concerns related to the environment. One of their job is to preserve and restore the forests. What the organization does is conduct tree planting activities in such a way that could help restore the bald forests in the future. As was always taught in environmental science, the forests plays a great role in avoiding floods because they absorb and hold the water that is brought upon by rain. The more trees planted, the less flood water will go down to the cities. One example is the case of SM in Baguio, where in a plan of expanding and creating a parking area, trees needed to be cut. Well, it has caught everyone's attention and the company had to improvise the project in such a way that the trees will be preserved. Green Peace played a big role in that instance, and it was done through massive campaigning via blogs posted on their website and by having protests in Baguio City. Even if Green Peace is a non-governmental organization, it does its job by exposing the deeds to the public and letting the public become aware of what is going on. This in turn, prompts the public to do action and gain the support of the other people in the community so that they can together protect the environment.  Just like other International Non-governmental organizations, it makes use of the principle of self-authorization to gain the people's trust since they do not have as much power as the government does.

   Volunteering for Green Peace is open to all aspirants, depending on the availability of positions, they offer volunteering opportunities ranging from clerical work down to going into the field and spread awareness. The qualifications of a Green Peace volunteer is that they should support and commit to uphold the Green Peace core values of nonviolence and independence and believe in its mission and must be able to commit to at least one of the worm areas for volunteers and agrees to be recognized as such.  There are a number of types of volunteers, one is to be an activist. According to their website, activists are the ones who take direct action in support of Green Peace's campaigns. These are the people who go out on the streets, go on the Green Peace boats, go climbing, trekking. They do everything  that is humanly possible in a non-violent way just to spread the cause, and help mother nature. They go out and look for people who abuse nature, they expose the damage being made and calls upon the authorities to do something to protect our environment. Next are interns, they are the ones who render unpaid office-based work to complement the campaign staff. Among the engagements possible is to work as research assistants on specific campaign issues, media work and public outreach. This opportunity is what is more ideal for student interns because this gives tasks that is relevant to the academic side of being an International Relations student. Research task, and public campaign is a good venue for individuals to be able to grow and develop not only their skills in research and public organization and speaking but also deepen their advocacy and love for nature. This is the opportunity for volunteering that is more suitable for student volunteers. Another is to be a cyber activist, cyber activists participate in web-based campaign and do whatever possible to help the cyber public be aware about our environment. This is the easiest way to campaign and one of the efficient ways to do so, especially if you are targeting the youth. Almost all the youth nowadays have access to the internet, and all other forms of new media. This enables them to check on news and updates regularly without the bulk of paper. This paperless campaign also helps preserves trees, because the less papers are to be produced, the less trees are gonna be cut because paper is mainly composed of wood material.

    Given these opportunities for volunteering, the application is easy. One just needs to fill out an application form with a picture and a photocopy of a valid id and send it to their applications team. This will then be added to their databases and will be processed. So, for undergraduate students, it is highly possible to volunteer for the Greenpeace International so long as they share the same advocacy and if they actually meet the certain qualifications. This internship or volunteering opportunity is a very good one because this gives the youth, specially the students a venue for them to take part of saving mother earth. In the small things that people do, lives are being saved, lives of the present generation and of the future generations to come. 

Sources:

SAFnet Dictionary|Definition For [deforestation]. Dictionary of forestry.org (2008-07-29). Retrieved on 2013-3-15

Green Peace International - South East Asia Website. (http://m.greenpeace.org/international/en/high/Get-Involved/)

Court saves trees from SM Baguio expansion, for now

April 10, 2012 4:55pm, retrieved on 2-23-2013, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/254454/news/regions/court-saves-trees-from-sm-baguio-expansion-for-now

Background – January 8, 2009 (2009-01-08). "Greenpeace International FAQ: Questions about Greenpeace in general". Greenpeace.org. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/about/faq/questions-about-greenpeace-in. Retrieved 2013-2-23. 

Migration to the Philippines: A Boost to its Economy

Globalization has significant impacts on the country, among the many things are economic opportunities and challenges to our security. These must be addressed by the country accordingly. With the advancements of the ASEAN, where the member countries are aiming for an open economic zone within the neighbor countries, free trade will be encouraged within the countries and could aid economic growth in all the countries. The ASEAN as a regional body will pursue greater regional cooperation on common issues such as combating piracy, smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism and other transnational crimes. With this, borders are opened for immigration. The National interest of a country is very flexible, depending on what the present situation of the international community is. For now, since there is less threats of war, the focuses of states is more on the development of one's economy. 

Boosting our economy has been one of our country's priorities ever since. One of the primary contributors to our economy is the tourism in our country. The Philippines is considered as one of the top tourist destinations because of our hospitality and nice tourist spots. This phenomenon is beneficial for our economy because it generates more income, however, this also poses a threat to our security because of the influx of foreigners. In my thesis, I am looking into the attitudes and perceptions of the Filipinos, specifically the Cebuanos towards foreigners. This looks into how the locals view the foreigners, specially the migrating ones in the area, whether they tolerate having them or not. Every man's perception and attitude towards them varies depending on one's political socialization.

The Philippines' foreign policy specifically targets national security, economic gains, and the welfare of our overseas filipino workers. These three are the things in which our contemporary national interest is closely associated with. In Article IV, Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interest and shall be dealt with by law. This would serve a kind of dilemma for the country, if we continue to admit migrants or not. However, Immigration is growing and expanding here in the Philippines. Every now and then, we see foreign migrants settling in. According to the Bureau of Immigrations, as of December 31, 2012 there are more than 200,000 foreigners with resident visas in the Philippines, a 6% increase compared to the data gathered in 2011. Having foreigners live in the country, gives them a good grasp as to what really is happening in the Philippines. Foreigners would get acquainted to our culture and could spread good word about the good things in the country. This eventually leads to an increase of the foreign investors in our country. One of the problems of getting investors in the country is the danger or threats that are being broadcasted by the media all around the world. However, there are two sides of a coin, it cannot be generalized that reports of armed conflict and etc. in the country, are conclusive of how bad it is to live in the country. Having testimonies from foreigners that would contradict with the negative reports would be beneficial to the country. 

Resume Activities.

It's been a while since I had posted in this long forgotten blog of mine. But anyways, now I've gone mobile. Expect more to come.

Anything and Everything Under the Sun.

Money Politics

How much does a t.v. ad cost nowadays? Around 100,000 – 200,000 per 30 seconds air. How much does a tarpaulin cost? 12 Php for every square/ft. Count all those stuff and plus the number of candidates. It could pro’lly feed all the poor people in Mindanao for a long span of time.

As the uncle of Peter Parker said, “With great power, comes great responsibilities.” I say, it’s lacking. Before that should be, “With great money, comes great power”. True, isn’t it?

I pity the candidates of the upcoming elections who are unfortunate with their funds. Their intentions are pure and so as their hearts. Some are like blank papers, without any blemish of corruption; most of them have blank pockets too. If given a scale of 10, I say, the number of good candidates who has almost 0 funds who wins, is barely 1. Without money, there is no means of campaigning.

So who’s fault is it? I have to admit, it is my fault—but not in the cosmic sense—it is your fault, it is everyone’s fault. Why? We citizens lack the knowledge of how to choose candidates, so they often end up basing their votes on these grounds: 1^st, one who has greater publicity. Simply said, the one who’s more famous, the one who polluted the streets with his posters and stickers, the one who keeps on showing his ugly face on television. 2^nd, a candidate who is from an established party. Most often, the vote straight crap occurs here. 3^rd, on who gives a larger sum of amount on or before the election day. Actually, there are a lot to mention, but it would be soooo boooorrriing to read. These things can be expressed in on sentence, “ to the ones who has got more money.”

It isn’t necessarily an evil thing, but neither is it good. We need to change our views and our way of doing things. We should be more reasonable, more responsible. The power is not actually with them, but it’s with us. And with that power, comes great responsibility. We should not give value for their money, but value for their value. It is our responsibility to vote for candidates who are responsible enough to repay their debts to us. (You pro’lly know what I mean)

So, join me and the others in this uphill battle against the incompetent, decadent, but rich candidates. In this coming elections, don’t just vote for someone we already know, try giving a chance to candidates who are not very known, but has done countless things for the benefit of the masses. Vote for candidates who are competent, who had a record of standing against corruption, against the devil inside every corrupt official. If you are against the current administration, vote for the real opposition and not just those who stand by the oppositions just to get fame. I have some candidates in mind but think you barely know them. They are not famous, but competent ones. I am not saying that you vote for poor and infamous candidates, but give others a chance. Screen them, have a look at their curriculum vitae, you might see that they are much more deserving than the others are.

Lorenzo vs. Director of Health [No. 27484 September 1, 1927]

Summary of the Case:

The statute empowering the Director of Health and his authorized agents “to cause to be apprehended, and detained, isolated, or confined, all leprous persons in the Philippine Islands” was enacted by the Legislative body in the legitimate exercise of the police power which extends to the preservation of public health.

The petitioner and appellant, Angel Lorenzo is a leprous person and is confined in the San Lazaro Hospital in the City of Manila. He made an appeal to induce the court to set aside the judgment of the Court of the First Instance of Manila sustaining the law authorizing the segregation of lepers. Lorenzo alleged that his confinement in the San Lazaro Hospital was in violation of Constitutional rights and alleged that leprosy is not an infectious disease.

Relation to Article 3:
Section 1: No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of laws.

I pity Angel Lorenzo for having leprosy. However, the law enacted was for the public safety and not just to make lepers an outcast of society. Petitioner claims that his constitutional rights were violated and I believe that he was referring to the deprivation of liberty. It is true that he is deprived of liberty but he is deprived with due process of law. His confinement and treatments is a compensation for his freedom. It should be taken as an advantage for him. He is helping the country so as the citizens won’t be infected of leprosy and helping his self to get proper treatment and attention to his illness.

As discussed in class, there are two types of due processes, the substantive and procedural. In this case, his confinement is part of the procedural due process. He is isolated, but in exchange, he is treated. So, there is no violation of the petitioner’s constitutional rights. The judgment was affirmed.

On the grounds that Leprosy is not a contagious disease. People in the past used to think that only by touching a leper, or by having contact, one would get infected but it isn’t really true. The bacteria that causes leprosy is a weak disease-causing agent, as to be compared from other contagious disease. And it was till the mid 19th century that the 1st effective drug was discovered. So, the mystery of Leprosy still clouded the minds of the people in the time of Lorenzo, that’s why the law was enacted because it was believed to be a very grave threat to the public health. Unlike the AH1N1 virus, wherein the modes of transmission are really known, the people infected with the virus voluntarily isolated and quarantined themselves. In this case, the petitioner could not really defend himself in saying that it is not a highly contagious disease because the facts about this disease were not yet very well known. That’s why the law was taken as a necessary measure to prevent the spread of the disease which was believed to be highly contagious.

Robin Padilla vs. Court of Appeals [Gr No. 121917 March 12, 1997]

Summary of the Case:
One night, Enrique Manarang noticed the accused appellant’s car running fast. After a while, a screech of tires was heard and thus, made the officer run out and investigate. Not so long, the car continued to run, so a hot-pursuit took place. Manarang then radioed the incident to the Police.
When the car was put to a stop, the driver rolled down the windows with his hands raised. The officers then noticed that it was the famous actor, Robin Padilla. While apprehended, because of the hit-and-run incident, the police saw the revolver tucked in the left waist of Robin. So, the police insisted that the gun be shown in the office if it was legal. The crowd had formed and Robin was shaking their hands and pointing to the police while saying “iyan kinuha ang baril ko”, as if it was in the movies. The gesture then revealed a magazine clip of a rifle which made the police suspect that there is a rifle inside the vehicle. Then the rifle was seen. The other firearms were voluntarily surrendered by Robin.
Now, Robin’s defense was that his arrest was illegal and consequently, the firearms and ammunitions taken in the course thereof are inadmissible in evidence under the exclusionary rule.
Robin Padilla was arrested, tried, and convicted for illegal possession of firearms. He was in possession of a .357 caliber revolver, Smith and Wesson with 6 live ammunitions, One M-16 baby Armalite Rifle with ammunitions, One .380 Pietro Barreta with 8 live ammunitions, and six live double action ammunitions of .38 caliber revolver.

Relation to Article3: Section 2.

Robin claimed that there was no search warrant or warrant of arrest thus, making his arrest illegal and the evidences inadmissible. The Bill of rights’ purpose is to put limit to the government’s power. In the People vs. Marti case, the government was not involved. In this case, the government is involved but it was not illegal.
Why? According to what’s written in the case, a peace officer or a private person may arrest a person: (a) when the person has committed, is actually committing or is attempting to commit and offense, (b) when an offense has in fact just been committed, and he has personal knowledge of facts indicating that the person to be arrested has committed it.
The instances above clearly explain the legality of the arrest. Robin Padilla, my idol had first sideswept a balut vendor and the incident was heard by Manarang and he saw Robin fled away from the scene, thus, committing a hit-and-run. And Enrique Manarang was a peace officer.
When he was halted, the firearms were revealed to the police officers without their act of searching. The firearms were in “plain view”. And the firearms were found by the police in their pursuit of their official duties. And the police have the right as to where they are because they were in pursuit of Robin when they found the firearms.