Philippine Passport Delay: Whose Priority?

I heard it from the grapevine that contrary to the official press release from the Department of Foreign Affairs that the, ” delay in passport releases (which stared in February 2011 and affecting 19 Regular Consular Offices) is primarily the result of maintenance work and upgrades on equipment in the ePassport Personalization Center at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas facility in Quezon City,” - the real culprit is really  the current pressure by the new President to prioritize the workload of printing new Philippine Peso bills where his parents’ faces and his signature appears. I should be thankful that at least his image and sister Kris and nephew Joshua are still in the hold, however these are not a far possibilities. The rush and urgency might have been prompted by his seething anguish and vindictiveness over former president Gloria Arroyo whose signature appears on the old bills.

The BSP in their press release appealed to the understanding of the travelling public and assured them an additional ten (10) working days before their passport release. Right now my friend who applied her passport at DFA-CAR last March is still in the Philippines – that is already more than the 10 day leeway.  Now their travel is canceled and their non-refundable plane tickets and accommodation gone.

Click DFA link for press release.

The Brains and the Foolhardy

The 100^th University of the Philippines Commencement Exercises is an affair of comedy and irony between the brains and the foolhardy. Take the case of John Gabriel Pelias and Noynoy Aquino.

The Brains

On April 17, 2011, 19-year old, record-breaking, BS Mathematics Summa Cum Laude John Gabriel Pelias delivered his valedictory speech during the 100^th Commencement Exercises at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, amphitheater.

Young and idealistic Pelias in his speech, encouraged fellow government scholars to serve the country in favor of the taxpayers who supported them in school, “The least we can do in return to this country’s taxpayers who paid a huge part of our UP education is to dedicate even just some time of our lives in the service of the Filipino people,” he said.

Click here for vide courtesy of therokirode.

The Foolhardy

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III, was conferred a Master of Laws Honoris Causa during the commencement rites. Forgetting that he is no longer on a presidential campaign, he slammed the opposition, the previous administration and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez whom he refers to as OMG in his speech, and as a show of gratitude ‘recognized’ UP for its various contributions in helping expose the anomalies of the previous administration. (Note that Noynoy is the first president gracing the graduation rites in 12 years.) His public outburst of indignation against his perceived contender, whom he calls as “OMG” is not the first time because a week ago on April 11, 2011, he attacked Ombudman Gutierrez during a leadership forum of the Student Catholic Action of the Philippines in St. Paul University.

The conferment by UP of a Master of Laws Honoris Causa will give Noynoy, who has not had pursued any higher studies beyond his college degree of Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila, an imaginary scholastic edge against lawyer Gutierrrez and a motivation to publicly attack whoever incurs his ire.

His speech however was interrupted when streamers were unfurled for the President by a protesting UP- based militant group dissatisfied with his administration. The group was immediately led away by the Presidential Security Group.

Click here for video courtesy of PINASISM6.

A Gauge of Sincerity

Enough of the multitude of excuses from Noynoy Aquino’s handlers. His absence in the second part of the GMA7 sponsored “Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot” forum is a blatant declaration of insincerity, disrespect to the institution of the electoral public and sheer cowardice.

What’s with November 27, 2009? Birthday of his namesake father Ninoy. He could have moved the date of his filing for his Certificate of Candidacy. His father a patriot, would understand. Indecisive as he is the November 27 date was moved to the 28th. He was busy and more lame excuses blah blah. And besides 28 is a good date for fengshui. What fatalism!

Are these dates more important than the people and his supporters? He was the only one absent in the forum and it shows for obvious reasons something is very wrong. He could have taken a stand and appeared at the forum and show that even with his lack of competence and confidence and guilt behind the Hacienda Luisita issue he is sincere. Well if indeed he is sincere.

I am not a noynoy supporter but I am disappointed with his absence kasi kulang wala na akong pakikinggan. I admit that whenever I listen to him I hold myself close to my seat just in case I fall from utter embarassment. Notice how he slumped on his chair during the first part of the forum. He was obviously nervous he talked so fast beyond the comprehension of the viewers. He shrunk on his seat looking like a little wooden boy scared of another beating from a disciplinary sermon. I pity Noynoy and if I were his supporter I’d be embarrassed. And yet I’m still interested to hear and catch bits of novelty from him for, “even the dull and the ignorant they too have their story”.

Its still six months to go before the election. I expect to get the lamest excuses from their party. And I say, enough!

Proud Voter The First Time

For the first time, I feel proud to have chosen from among the many presidential bets, Gilberto C. Teodoro. In fact, I have volunteered to formally campaign for him in our province in Misamis Oriental this summer. Lately,  I have started campaigning for him to my relatives and friends however subtly yet.

Last week, I took a leave without pay from work to return home and register. I was home last summer, I did not register yet as I was not keen on even voting. I had not voted for a long time. I had grown cynical over our political system. With Gibo however coming into the picture, different from among the politicians running for public office, the die is cast.

Teodoro gives me a reason to be hopeful and prouder as a Filipino. I know the odds are narrow for him to win the seat given the populist trend in politics. But I have so much faith in him that for the first time I have hopes that we will be changing the political culture in the country.

What I admire about my president are traits one hardly sees in a typical winnable popular-traditional politician. I do not want anymore to compare him with the other candidates. I do not want to earn the ire of their fans. I decided to be diplomatic and descent and that goes with a hidden agenda – to convert my friends and even enemies to appreciate, decide, support and vote for him in the coming elections.

Noynoy Aquino Para sa Pangulo?! Sure ka na ba?

Funny but this morning I woke up with a facebook friend request from Noynoy Aquino Para sa Pangulo. The profile picture looks like this.

I don’t know when Noynoy will be weaned from his father’s image, from his mother, even from his little sister Kris Aquino. I don’t know how long this circus will be. I don’t know how long the list of endorsements from local entertainers will be.

Can’t Noynoy just stand for himself? Can’t he even give us a vision for this country? Can’t he provide us with his concrete platform? Instead of just saying, “I’m an economist and base sa aking pag-aaral”. Or much even worst, “according to my advisers”!! (Is this another Estrada on the making? )Will he answer the Hacienda Luisita issues? The death of farmers, the stocks distribution option? What is his stand for a genuine comprehensive agrarian program? It is so ironical that the Aquino’s – the very same who take the credit for CARP (Cory’s Regime) are the very same people who violate the program.

The even scarier thing is – knowing Noynoy’s lack of will power, heaven forbid! – we will have Kris Aquino leading the country!

Gibo for President

I am decided to vote for Gilberto Teodoro for President on 2010.

Manny Villar does not ring much to my ear, my head and not even my heart. Manny Villar’s rags to riches story is something I admire but the Itik I dont. Villar on the account ot yestersday’s viewers on the ANC: Face to Face was simply restating the questions. That is expected.Villar hangs on to his popularity to win and nothing else.  I have nothing much to say about Villar except that I don’t see in him a president.

Chiz Escudero. The glib talker of a man was of course glib talking like he does and that will never change. I want a president who is sincere not a president who relies on his popularity by way of his opposing and constantly opposing the government. I want a president with a good tract record and I mean really good. Hindi lang yung kuryente lang ang nagawang proyekto sa kanyang distrito. Chiz is cunning. He is slick. It is just too easy for a not-so-informed voter to be swayed by his cunning.

Noynoy Aquino”s interview was the one I caught up after waking up too late at ten am. I had a hard time making sense out of his answers. I cannot. It was not inaudible but definitely it was not also intelligible even to a viewer with an average political quotient. like me. Noynoy in my background check has not had a good tract record. He was not bad but he has not done anything remarkable either. Being a son of Ninoy who has died for the freedom of his country and a son of cory whose magic rings euphoric to the masses is not enough to make him president.

I have watched Gibo’s Face to Face interview. Gibo is my man but I am also eyes and ears for the other three candidates. Let us all make a wise decision this time. Hindi pwedeng buboto lang dahil sa bugso ng damdamin.

Gilberto Teodoro

Status Message from Gilbert Teodoro Fan Page:

Face to Face: 100 Local Government Champions vs 4 Presidential Contenders” with Sen. Francis Escudero, Sen Manny Villar, Sen. Benigno Aquino III and Sec. Gilbert Teodoro. Tuesday, October 6, 8:30 A.M at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati. To be aired live over ANC.

I hope to see this live or even on replay on television or youtube perhaps. I’m shopping for my president in 2010. Gilbert Teodoro is on top of my list so far. I want to know how he fares.