Political Shorts

Mother Nature has made a stand. The never-ending floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and typhoons have literally unmasked and exposed the inferior and second-rate infrastructure materials the government officials have been using just to squeeze whatever budget juices that were left of them. "Titipirin natin ang project ... sino ba ang mag-akalang sub-standard yan? Yon ang akala nila.

Hindi na siguro makatiis ang kalikasan - the only silent witness sa build-build-build scams na ito. Siya na mismo ang gumawa ng paraan para mabulgar na ang lahat ng mga panlolokong ito.

                                     >>>>>>>>>>>>

Despite the ecological disasters and natural catastrophes, the involved parties are determined to evade responsibility and culpability. They don't even take that as a clue that these are "Heavenly signs" that the Man Up There is fed up and might be saying: "Enough is enough."

We have seen elected officials' righteous indignation - they were angry because they are disgusted at the accusations they perceive to be morally incorrect. 

Or they were just BLINDED of their own lies ... they almost BELIEVE their lies. Kaya ituloy ang astang malinis ... kahit bukong-buko na ... nagtatago pa rin kahit umaalingasaw na ang baho. Sigi magpakalasing ka sa kasalanan.

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Kapag nasanay kasing walang parusa kahit huling-huli na ... they always expect na ganoon na lang palagi ang set-up.  Addictive kasi ang pagnanakaw ... they were thinking with their power, position and connections malulusutan palagi ang kaparusahan.

Kung nahuli ka na once ....  more often than not ... uulitin mo pa rin ang mga dating mong ginawa dahil pinauso na ang IMPUNITY sa Philippine politics. 

Nagmuntik-muntikan ka ng mahuli noon ... baka ngayon mapurohan ka na. HULI MAN AT MAGALING ... naihabol ding maparusahan ka. Now na!

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Political Short

Sa mga nangiintriga to consider humanitarian grounds for Digong .... sa mga concerted DDS chants asking to Bring PRRD Home ... to the Senators who sponsor a resolution requesting ICC to consider house arrest for him, what more tricks in their sleeves will they concoct to help the embattled ex-president?

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a no-nonsense court. Not even applying Philippine pressure ... diplomatic protest ... or Senate appeal ... mob fanaticism or legal stunts can rock the ICC boat.  

Whatever big decisions they will make, they will be guided by the Rome Statute, and they will not be swayed by any POLITICAL STANCE, STAND, or POSTURING.

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I almost fell on the chair ... when in an interview, an ex-PRRD spokesman said: "Corruption happened in Marcos Jr.'s administration.

Was he delusional or something? It seemed he couldn't distinguish between reality and fantasy. Why do you think he is hiding in the Hague and running away from authorities? 

The same kind of amnesia has plagued DDS Senator Rodante Marcoleta when he wants to investigate only DPWH anomalies starting in 2022. Even DDS trolls and bloggers have embraced the same narrative.

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One liners

 

Pageant Result: Misters of Filipinas 2025

The winners of Misters of Filipinas 2025 from left to right: Juan Carlos Lopez- Bataan - Mr. Tourism Philippines 2025, Krishna Yasser Rodriguez - Pampanga - Mr. Celebrity International Philippines 2025, Kritzan Karlo De los Santos - Cavite - Top Model Of The Universe Philippines 2025 - Oliver Eugen Kretz - Palawan - Man Of The World Philippines 2025- Winner, Calix Kayden Esguerra - Imus Cavite -Teen Universe Philippines 2025, and John Nietche Hipolito- Bulacan - First Runner Up. The pageant was held at Skydome SM North EDSA last October 2022.

Batang Quiapo - Art Imitating Life

Movies, whether local or foreign (that includes teleseryes), can weave storylines based on reality. Cinematic history will attest that we have more than enough biopic films to offer on the entertainment shelf, with plenty to choose from.

Some of the greatest stories ever translated to film aren't pure fiction at all. Biopic comes from the root words “biographical” and “picture” and refers to a film that dramatizes the life, the challenges, and personal dramas of a real person, a political leader, perhaps a national hero. an artist or an athlete.

It can be a period piece, a stirring biopic... an edge-of-your-seat crime drama?—These ripped-from-reality movies will leave you WONDERSTRUCK or AWESTRUCK, and no doubt send you searching for even more.

Reality-based movies provide good drama (that's a kicker) ... a good documentary re-writing and retelling the life of a historical figure can make movie audiences forget the time frame, and allow them to travel to another place and time. That's the immersive power of movies and television.

On the other hand, there is a handful of teleseryes that make disclaimers saying:  "This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to real-life events and characters living or dead ... is purely coincidental."

They can say that ... but there is no denying whether fictional or imaginary, the sub-story was inspired by real-life events that are hitting the headlines lately (like the flood control project scams). The controversy was such that it is enjoying tons of media mileage ... the news is the toast of the town ... and with Pinoys' anger nearing boiling point ... it is attracting a lot of media attention.

Take, for instance, Batang Quiapo with Roi Vinzon and Baron Geisler barging in abruptly sa kuwento. Not that I am complaining ... pero mukhang minamadali nila ang kanilang dramatic entrance.  Was it because hinahabol nila na makipagride-on habang mainit-init pa ang mga balita? Strike while the iron is hot ... baga.

It was a stroke of genius they cast them as contractors, and the projects they are involved in are FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT? Coincidence? It was almost too good to be true.

Watching the series last night, there was a feeling of deja vu (the feeling that I have already experienced, seen, and heard the events being presented in the story.) E di ba naman yan din lang ang laman ng mga balita sa TV at sa internet... day in and day out?

And they were talking about corruption, GHOST PROJECTS, substandard materials, and people's insatiable thirst for money and power.

Those talkies really hit us hard. It gave us that feeling like we were eavesdropping on some CONFIDENTIAL and TOP SECRET clandestine government meetings composed of engineers, contractors, and who's who in Manila's mayoral hierarchy. 

One can't help but gasp: "Ganon pala ang mga pinagusapan ... iyan pala ang mga deals nila sa kuwento ... hindi kaya malayong ganon din ang intramurals nila sa totoong buhay... sa kasalukuyang flood control projects?

Beyond issues like "ghost projects" and corruption in Batang Quiapo, flood control projects also discussed feature salient problems such as inflated budgets, rigged bidding systems, and non-transparent budget insertions. 

Kickbacks and commissions have been reported to take a significant portion of project funds, leaving a small percentage for actual construction. These features are the result of a network involving politicians, contractors, engineers, and officials who exploit the system for personal gain.

Was Batang Quiapo giving us a front row seat para marinig nating lahat ang mga ito? Pakiramdam tuloy ng mga publiko ... they were PRIVY to the secret kung paano naghahatian ang mga halang na mga kaluluwa sa perang hindi naman kanila at kung paano ang kanilang involvement maging daan para ubosin at lustayin ang kaban ng bayan.

Last night, another thunderbolt hit us hard ... (parang minartilyo ang aking ulo) when the Vice Mayor Albert Martinez intimidated that some flood control projects ay nilalagay sa mga lugar na hindi naman binabaha.

Ha ...? Anong logic meron ang panukalang ito? Kimpisal ni Vice Mayor ... para daw mabudol ang mga tao at isipin nila na kaya walang baha doon ... it is all because effective daw ang flood control project.

One wonders ... ganyan din ba magisip ang mga taong ating inhalal sa kasalukuyang pagnakaw at pandarambong by way of flood control projects?

Panoorin ninyo ang Batang Quiapo ... para mabuhusan ng malamig na tubig ang ating mga cavalier attitude at matigas na ulo sa pagpili nga ating mga government leaders.

Laqyer's Mumbo Jumbo - Motu Propio

We are not lawyers ... but we need to understand their lexicon (lawyers always have their own lingo only they can understand. Same with doctors, nurses, and engineers) 

We spend our waking hours on YouTube, and we are always exposed to hearings and debates—and also their private conversations. All we do is scratch our heads because they use legal terminologies that sound too foreign and alien to our virgin ears, and our mind wonders what they are talking about.

Let's start decoding and decrypting these words and phrases (it is irreverent for us to enter the sanctum of the in ... but desperate times need desperate measures) so the next time they use these terms again ... we are on the same page with them.  Not in limbo.

We will try to dissect and define them in simpler language so ordinary mortals and laymen (the amateur and the non-experts) can actively participate in the discussion ... and at the same time broaden their legal and paralegal stock knowledge,

So our word or phrase that is hitting the headlines today is: MOTU PROPIO.

PHRASE: Motu Propio

MEANING:  In law, motu proprio is a Latin word which means 'on his own impulse' or on its own initiative. It describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party.

Motu Proprio - refers to an action taken by the LEB (Legal Education Board) on its own initiative, without the need of a complaint being filed, pursuant to the powers vested in it under R.A. 7662 and its amendments.

EXAMPLE:

1. A MOTU PROPIO investigation in the Philippines flood control scandal refers to a probe launched by the office of the ombudsman ON ITS OWN INITIATIVE that is without any referral from anybody.

This was exemplified by the Ombudsman creating a special panel to investigate alleged anomalies in the flood control project, with the investigators examining the alleged involvement of contractors and government officials, including politicians.

2. There is no example of a motu proprio action in the Sara Duterte impeachment case because the process began with formal, initiated complaints from individuals and was followed by the House of Representatives acting on those complaints. 

Motu proprio refers to an act taken "on one's own initiative," meaning without a formal request from another party. In this case, the complaints were formally filed, and the House's subsequent actions were in response to those filings, not taken spontaneously.

3. In Philippine politics, a motu proprio example is the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) investigating and canceling a certificate of candidacy "on its own initiative" to determine if the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) was filed for a malicious purpose, such as to cause confusion or put the election process in disrepute.

Pageant Result: Miss Grand International 2025

The winners of Miss Grand International 2025 from left to right: Faith Maria Porter - Ghana - Third Runner Up, Sarunrat Puagpipat - Thailand - First Runner Up, Emma Tiglao - Philippines - Miss Grand International 2025- Winner, Aitana Carolina Jimenez - Spain - Second Runner Up, and Nariman Vattikha - Venezuela - Fourth Runner Up.  The pageant was held at MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand, last October 18, 2021.