A cemetery scene in Valenzuela City. Photo from PNA.
Cemetequette is a term coined by environment- advocate EcoWaste Coalition for “Pinoy Cemetery Etiquette.”
Nov. 1 and 2 are Undas days for the predominantly-Catholic Filipinos. Undas is derived from the Spanish word “honrar” which means “to honor.”
Nov. 1 is All Saints’ Day when we honor the saints that we all go to for refuge and comfort in times of need. Nov. 2 is All Souls’ Day when we remember our loved ones who have departed.
As we troop to the cemeteries to observe this beautiful tradition, let’s make sure that we do our share in making life worth living.
Khaled Hosseini’s Sea Prayer is all of 547 words. In 43 unnumbered illustrated pages.
It’s a powerful moving story of a father and son fleeing the violence and chaos of Syria to a place unknown where they know they are not welcome.
Hosseini of the heart rending best seller, The Kite Runner, said Sea Prayer was inspired by the story of Alan Kurdi, the three- year old Syrian refugee whose dead body was washed ashore somewhere in Turkey in September 2015 as a boatload of refugees tried to flee to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.
There is something very wrong about the statement of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito Galvez praising the President for agreeing to the rule of law.
Galvez said that Wednesday when he announced that the AFP won’t be reconvening for now a general court martial to try Senator Antonio Trillanes IV following the denial by Judge Andres B. Soriano of the Regional Trial Court NCR Branch 148 of the motion of the Department of Justice to issue a hold departure order and issue a warrant of arrest for the senator for the charge of coup d’etat that the court dismissed seven years ago.
“We have already discussed this in a meeting and the President already decided that we will go to the courts,” Galvez told reporters.
He added: “We have to praise the President because he agreed to the rule of law.” AFP Chief Carlito Galvez shows Pres. Duterte the command saber on the sidelines of the joint AFP-PNP command conference at the Malacañan Palace on Oct. 4, 2018. Malacañang photo by Alfred Frias.
Judge Andres Soriano of Makati RTC 148. Photo by Philippine Daily Inquirer.
It took only a single act by one man to restore the fading faith of democracy –loving Filipinos in the country’s justice system.
It took only one man: Presiding Judge Andres Bartolome Soriano of the Regional Trial Court, National Capital Region, and Branch 148.
And all Judge Soriano did was do what he believed was right.
Judge Soriano’s principled stand is contained the 33-page decision he handed down in the Motion of the Department of Justice to issue a hold departure order and warrant of arrest against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in connection with the coup d’etat case which he dismissed in 2011.
That’s why it’s awe-inspiring listening to Atty. Lourdes Mangaoang, former Customs X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) chief, in insisting her expert opinion about the magnetic lifters that were alleged to have been used to smuggle illegal drugs last July estimated to be worth P6.8 billion.
Atty. Lourdes V. Mangaoang interview in DZBB. Screengrab from DZBB video.
Same with Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine drug enforcement agency who has not wavered in the findings of the agency that the magnetic lifters that passed through the Bureau of Customs contained shabu which is now flooding the streets of the country destroying more lives.
To many families, politics is a family business. And they prefer it to be a monopoly.
Certificates of candidacy filed this week reveal that they are determined to hold on to their privileged positions. Here are some of them:
Imme Marcos files her certificate of candidacy for senator accompanied by her sons and Bongbong Marcos. From Bongbong Marcos Facebook.
The Marcoses
Eighty-nine year old Imelda Marcos, widow of the late authoritarian President Ferdinand E. Marcos, walks assisted by an aide but she is still running for governor of Ilocos Norte, a position vacated by her daughter Imee, who is running for senator.
Mrs. Marcos holds the congressional seat for the second district of Ilocos Norte.
Pres. Duterte raises the hand of his Special Assistant, Bong Go, who filed his certificate of candidacy for senator at Comelec in Intramuros, Manila on October 15. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez.
Christopher Lawrence Go, popularly known as Bong Go, special assistant to President Duterte until last Monday, made a mark in the country’s electoral history by filing his certificate of candidacy for senator the 2019 midterm elections accompanied no less by the highest official of the land.
He was in tears after hearing a mass before his filing of his certificate of candidacy. In his prepared statement, he said: “Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa Diyos dahil natutunan ko kay Pangulong Duterte kung ano ang tunay na malasakit at serbisyong publiko. Dalawampu’t tatlong taon akong nanilbihan sa kanya at ang karunungan ko ngayon ay utang ko rin sa kanya. Dahil kay Mayor Rody, lalong naging malawak at malalim ang aking pang-unawa (I thank God because I learned genuine concern and public service from President Duterte. I served him for 23 years, and I owe him the wisdom and understanding I’ve learned through the years).”
We have our usual clowns: Daniel Magtira, who claims to be the husband of Kris Aquino; Anson Tuana, who said he is an ex-boyfriend of Mocha Uson and Emilio Delfin Tagean, ‘King Salam of Maharlika Kingdom.’
They are welcome distractions to this serious exercise of electing our leaders.
Pres. Duterte receives Michael and his associates in Malacañang. Photo from Yang’s company website.
Things will never be the same between China and President Duterte after the latter’s unprovoked comment about businessman Michael Yang and Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua at the dinner with officers and members Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. last Oct. 4 in Malacañang.
Duterte is now regarded by Chinese officials as a loose lip and untrustworthy.
They will use him to further China’s interest for the remaining time of the Duterte presidency, which is now uncertain in the light of his revelation that he had to go through tissue tests following an endoscopy and colonoscopy three weeks ago, but they see him now as “somewhat crazy”, someone they should be nice with but wary about, according to a source in the Chinese community.
Fresh from his “day-off” to undergo laboratory tests at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Duterte was his usual talkative self. His started with his maraming- beses- ng- bumenta line of setting aside his prepared two-page speech and rambled. He talked of the same things he had been talking even before Day One of his presidency- about his reluctance to run for president in 2016 because he had no money, his son Sebastian’s predilection for women, his wise daughter Inday Sara, his fight against corruption, etc. etc. . And of course his disdain for drugs.
Then, he mentioned Michael Yang: “Ito daw si isang Michael Yang na drug addict daw (This Michael Yang, they say he is a drug addict.)
A face mask-wearing Pres. Duterte was seen at the Uniqlo store in Causeway Bay in Hongkong today , Oct. 6, at about 7:30 p.m with companion Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Kitty accompanied by about 20 Filipino and Hongkong security escorts.
We texted and called up Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque for confirmation of the President’s trip to Hongkong but he didn’t reply. Malacañang reporters said he told them earlier at about 5 p.m that “the President is in Davao.”
The source said four of the security escorts walked closely with Bong Go, special assistant to the President. One of the Filipino bodyguards “carrying a bundle of cash” paid for the purchases of the presidential party.
The source also said she did not recognize Duterte right away because of the face mask he was wearing but her curiosity was aroused by the presence of many security escorts in the Men’s clothing section where she was looking for an item. She realized immediately after that the masked person a few feet away from her was Duterte.
She said the presidential group went next to the Ladies section on the second floor
This Hongkong trip comes three days after the President admitted he had undergone endoscopy and colonoscopy three weeks ago. Last Wednesday he said he was back at Cardinal Santos Hospital in San Juan for tissue sample test.
He said, “If it’s cancer, it’s cancer. And if it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will not prolong my agony in this office or anywhere.”
Here are the photos:
Pres. Duterte wearing face mask while shopping in Uniqlo in Causeway Bay, Hongkong.
