October 2010 – ellen tordesillas

Palpak na serbisyo ng Cebu Pacific

Published by Ellen on October 31, 2010

Napaaga ang Halloween ng mag-anak na Biazon. Courtesy ng Cebu Pacific.
Ito ang kuwento ni dating congressman Ruffy Biazon at ng kanyang asawang si Trina na sinulat nila sa kanyang blogs.

Nagbakasyon daw sila sa Boracay, sakay ng Cebu Pacific noong isang linggo. Okay ang biyahe nila papunta. Okay rin ang kanilang bakasyon. Ang kanilang horror story ay nangyari noong pabalik na sila sa Manila.

Sabi ni Ruffy, meron daw offer ang Cebu Pacific na kung gusto mo, pumili ka ng upuan mo in advance. Magbayad ka lang ng extra. Dahil kasama niya ang tatlong anak na ang pinaka-bunso ay apat na taong gulang ( ang isa ay 8 at ang pinakamatanda ay 15 taong gulang), nagpa-reserve sila at nag bayad ng extra. Anim sila, kasama ang yaya.

Nang sumakay na sila at naka-upo na sila sa front row, dahil yun ang kanilang pina-reserve, pinapalipat sila dahil bawal daw ang batang mas bata kaysa 15 taong gulang sa upuan nay un dahil yun ang nasa-exit.

Bago huli ang lahat…

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2010

Maraming beses nababasa at narinig ko sa mga kaibigan kapag namatayan ng mahal sa buhay sinasabi na “Sana ginawa ko ito sa kanya..” Sana, sana.

Alam ko ang kanyang pakiramdam kasi maraming sitwasyun sa buhay ko na ipinagliban ko ang dapat ko gawin at nang nagkapanahon ako, wala na. Patay na ang tao.

Hanggang ngayun pinagsisihan ko pa rin ang pagkukulang ko sa aking tiyo, kapatid ng nanay ko . Ang tawag ko sa kanya ay Tay Medes.

Walang asawa ang tiyo ko at doon siya nakatira sa aming lugar sa probinsiya. May sarili siyang bahay kubo, katabi ng aming bahay sa aming baryo. Nangingisda siya at gumagawa ng kung ano-anong trabaho makatulong sa mga kapitbahay. May konting tulong din naman galing sa aming magkakapatid.

A wish from one who nearly died – a Halloween reflection

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2010

This article is by Armand Nocum, former reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

I could very well be writing you from the grave this time. No, this is not a Halloween joke.

I nearly died of heart attack two months ago; instead I lived perhaps to complete some unfinished work.

Last August 18, I was diagnosed to have five of my heart veins up to 99 percent blocked. Foreseeing an impending heart-attack or fatal stroke, doctors at the Saint Luke’s Medical Center immediately performed angioplasty on me and inserted six stents to open up my blocked veins.

The operation was successful and thanks to the miracles of high-tech medical science, I am recovering fast physically. However, the experience has left me greatly shaken. All thoughts of power, invincibility and longevity had vanished. Today I am living from day to day, thankful for each sunrise and sunset.

Five things John Silva learned about dying from Abby Tan

Published by Ellen on October 28, 2010

On All Soul’s day, writer and historian John Silva will have one more candle to light. It’s for his friend, Abby Tan, Singaporean journalist who covered the Philippines since the martial law years under President Marcos.

Abby passed away last Sept. 18. John was one of the two persons (the other was arts and culture advocate Maan Hontiveros) who was with Abby all throughout her four years of intense battle with cancer.

In remembering Abby, John chose to write about the five things he learned from her about dying.

Following are excerpts from the article he posted in his blog “John’s Thoughts and Deeds.”

Thoreau once remarked after seeing autumn leaves falling , “I watch these brilliant colored leaves for they teach me how to die gracefully.”

I wanted to learn how to be of solace to a dying friend. But more importantly, when my time is up, I want to replicate the grace, spunk, and love Abby demonstrated till the end. Here’s what I learned.

Continue readingFive things John Silva learned about dying from Abby Tan

Probe revisits the Vizconde massacre

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2010

Update: Hubert Webb seeks acquittal from SC Hubert Webb has asked the Supreme Court to acquit him and order his release from the New Bilibid…

Pulutan

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2010

Breaking news: Makati RTC postpones promulgation of Magdalo coupd’etat case.

Sa mga nagpasabi sa may-akda na sana may tagalog na bersyun ang “Pulutan” na cookbook ng dalawang Magdalo na opisyal, wish granted na. Nagpalabas na ang Anvil Publishing ng “Pulutan-Mula sa kusina ng mga sundalo.”

Pwede nang bilhin sa lahat na sangay ng National Book Stores.

Tuwang-tuwa sina dating Ensign Elmer Cruz at Emerson Rosales sa pagtangkilik sa English na bersyon ng kanilang cookbook na inilabas noong Hulyo 2007 nang sila ay nakakulong pa sa Fort San Felipe sa Cavite.

Apat na taon ding nakulong sina Elmer at Emerson dahil sa kanilang partisipasyon sa tinatawag na Oakwood mutiny kung saan nanindigan sila laban sa korapsyun at panloloko ni Gloria Arroyo noong Hulyo 26, 2003.

Further Mistakes of MS Word or more Plagiarism from Justice Del Castillo?

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2010

Holding the UP Law Faculty in Contempt Would Be a Grave Mistake

by Evan Criddle and Evan Fox-Decent

We are writing to lend support to the University of Philippine’s College of Law, which now faces a very serious charge of contempt from the Philippine Supreme Court (PSC). If the members of the College are held in contempt, they face the loss of their bar licenses and with that the loss of their ability to teach and practice law.
Criddle is one of those whose work was plagiarized by del Castillo.

Read the whole article here Opinio Juris

by Harry Roque

In the earlier case of Ang Ladlad, (GR No. 190582, April 8, 2010) Justice Del Castillo appeared to have committed plagiarism as well. Our study is only preliminary but the exigencies of the situation have compelled us to make this public.

In the Ang Ladlad decision allowed a gay rights group to run in the party-list elections, and was released 20 days earlier than the Vinuya decision. The ponente here is also Justice Del Castillo.

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The relevant passages are as follows:

The rise of a Filipino star conductor

Published by Ellen on October 25, 2010

by Pablo A. Tariman VERA Files Mark Nov. 13 (Saturday) for Gerald Salonga’s concert with the FILharmoniKA at the Philamlife Theatre. Gerard Salonga is emerging…

Ang pangu-ngopya ay pagnanakaw

Published by Ellen on October 24, 2010

Mariano del castillo — Del Castillo with his benefactor

Ito ngayon ang kumakalat na joke: “Binawi ng Post Office ang pinakahuling labas nila na mga stamp. Kasi mga litrato pala ng Supreme Court justices. At ang dinuduraan ay mga litrato ng mga justices.”

Ito ay galing sa Facebook ni Ferrum Mann.

Ganyan na ngayon ang tingin ng taumbayan sa mga justices ng Supreme Court lalo na sa kanilang desisyon na idismis ang isyu tungkol sa pangungupya ng isa nilang kasamahan si Associate Justice Mariano C. del Castillo sa ibang desisyon ng mga banyagang abogado at ipinasa niyang kanya. Ang krimen ay tinatawag na “plagiarism.”

Ang plagiarism ay pagnanakaw. Kinukuha mo ang ideya ng ibang tao at inaangkin mong iyo. Di ba klarong pagnanakaw?

SC vs UP law and those who believe cheating is wrong

Published by Ellen on October 23, 2010

I have been away for vacation in a place where internet access was difficult. I have not dwelt on this important issue which has been discussed lengthily in this blog but under the topic of Morong 45!. I’m writing about the subject for my column tomorrow but meanwhile I’m opening a thread on this with the searing dissenting opinion of Justice Lourdes Sereno and the UP Law school faculty who are facing sanction by the Supreme Court for not criticizing plagiarism in the High Court.

Justice Sereno’s dissenting opinion:

What is black can be called “white” but it cannot turn white by the mere calling. The unfortunate ruling of the majority Decision that no plagiarism was committed stems from its failure to distinguish between the determination of the objective, factual existence of plagiarism in the Vinuya decision[1] and the determination of the liability that results from a finding of plagiarism. Specifically, it made “malicious intent”, which heretofore had not been relevant to a finding of plagiarism, an essential element.

The majority Decision will thus stand against the overwhelming conventions on what constitutes plagiarism. In doing so, the Decision has created unimaginable problems for Philippine academia, which will from now on have to find a disciplinary response to plagiarism committed by students and researchers on the justification of the majority Decision.

Month: October 2010