Series of Bombings Will Put to Test the Government’s Ability and Credibility

Series of Bombings Will Put to Test The Government’s Ability and Credibility

The back to back bombings in Mindanao which claimed several lives and injured numerous other will now put a test the government’s credibility in handling the crisis.

The first test is whether or not the intelligence services, with all the resources allocated for Intelligence was able to get a sense of this bombing offensive. With 600 Million Pesos under the Office of the President, 270 Million Pesos in the PNP and 118 Million Pesos under the AFP, it is highly questionable why the series of attacks seem to go on without the authorities unable to give a clear picture of who is responsible.

The second test is whether our law enforcement agencies is able to investigate the bombings effectively and conduct arrests of the suspected bombers. Bombings are crimes that leave evidence behind and competent investigations will lead to at least an indication of the profile of the bombers.

The third test is the authorities’ ability to prevent further attacks. While the bombers had the initial advantage of surprise, the authorities now have the luxury of expectation. By this time, it should already be anticipated that the series will continue therefore measures should be put into place in order to enhance security and deter further attacks.

The fourth test is the government’s credibility in convincing the people that this is not part of a sinister grand plan to impose emergency rule. With all the talk about the administration doing its best to extend its tenure with scenarios ranging from amending the Constitution to sowing disorder as a basis for emergency rule, the people cannot be blamed for even considering that the bombings are the handiwork of operatives with a political objective. How the government will convince the people that this is not part of a grand political plan will depend on whether they pass or fail the first three tests.

My Suspicious and Malicious Mind Smells Something Fishy With the Pullout of TIM From Poll Automation

The local partner of the consortium which won the poll automation contract for the 2010 elections suddenly and mysteriously pulled out of the consortium, effectively putting a monkey wrench into the first fully automated elections in the Philippines.

After a very tedious and lengthy process which was the most transparent procurement process in the government’s history, participated in not just by government agencies such as the COA and the Ombudsman but by NGOs and other civil society organizations and election watchdog groups, the Filipino partner backed out from the contract two days before its final signing.

Throw in all the time and expense involved in the passage of the law authorizing the automated elections and the appropriations that accompanied it, the emotional debates which transpired in Congress and the public discourses that occupied the headlines and airwaves for months, the billion-peso contract is now in danger of not pushing through.

The logical question of course, is “WHY?”.

While there were those who supported and worked for an automated election in 2010, there were also those who expressed apprehension and even opposition to it. Some were merely afraid of the unknown, since automated elections are an entirely novel idea in the country. Some were afraid that it would only result in automated cheating. But I’m sure there were some who did not want a departure from the old system, where cheating was already elevated not only to a skill but to an art where unscrupulous individuals earn and immoral candidates win.

So my suspicious and malicious mind is wondering…could there have been an unseen hand which caused the retreat of TIM from the contract? That after failing to stop the procurement process through machinations and manipulation, a final act had to be done a couple of days before the signing of the contract in order to prevent automation?

It is a curiosity why a winner to a historical multi-billion peso contract will back out at the last minute after surviving the selection process. My suspicious and malicious mind tells me there’s a gun pointed to someone’s head.

The excuse given by TIM is that due to “irreconcilable differences”, they had to back out. They are saying that they had wanted to back out a long time ago, but they hung on in the hope that it will work out. They say that certain agreements were not arrived at so, two days before the contract is finalized, they back out.

In other words, they are saying that they entered into the process and sought to get the contract without having settled matters between their partners. They have effectively sabotaged the automation of the elections.

I say the government should look for ways to penalize them. They should not simply get away with this without suffering the consequences. They have been highly irresponsible in their conduct and have caused loss to the government not just in financial terms but in the cause of cleansing the election process.

This matter should be investigated thoroughly.

What I Learned From My Father

If you were asked what’s the best gift you have ever received from your father, what would be your answer?

I am pretty sure that whatever the answer is, it would be something that was really the best that a father could afford, for after all, being a father myself, I would want nothing less than the best for my child.

Whenever Christmases and birthdays would come, I would scour the shops and shopping malls for the latest toys that my kids are craving for, sometimes not minding if it would cost me an arm and a leg. When they get prizes for their accomplishments, I give them the chance to name a “big prize”, meaning that they can get something with a price tag that is beyond the standard limit that we have set, because I do want to give them a big reward for what they have achieved.

But while indeed, fathers want to give the best to their children, top quality gifts with a big price tag are temporary both in existence and relevance especially as the children grow up. The bicycle which my father gave me for Christmas when I was around seven was really blew me out at the time I received it, but eventually, I outgrew it within a couple of years and now, it is only but a memory of my childhood.

So when I am asked about the best gift I received from my father, I don’t offer the list of gifts he gave me over the many Christmases, birthdays, and special occasions. I appreciate all those things I received from my father, although looking back I realize they were not necessarily the most expensive. But for me the best gifts he ever gave me, and I think the best that anyone could receive are the many life lessons that he taught us both by his spoken words and everyday action.

One of the most important of which is the lesson that the best legacy a father could give to his son is not material riches, property or even social prominence, but the wisdom on how to live a contented life in a manner that you do not destroy the dignity of your family, preserve your integrity and principles, and treat other people with respect.

Over and above the car that my father gave me when I began my life separate from the loving arms of my parents, I treasure more the lesson on responsibility over things that are put under my care without which I wouldn’t have been able to maintain the car and put it to good use.

Much more than his being general and senator which extended to me his prominence in society, I give more value to the lesson in humility that he imposed on us as we were growing up when he always reminded us to treat ordinary soldiers with respect because the privileges of his rank did not extend to us, his children. “Only I am the officer above them, not you”, he would tell us.

More valuable than the help he gave for me to achieve victory in my campaign to become congressman were the many lessons in facing and handling disappointment that I underwent as I was growing up. I am grateful that he did not spoil me by giving in to every desire and demand I had, because it has made me more resilient in life and more appreciative of whatever is given to me, big or small.

Not all of the things I learned from my father are lessons that were given in lecture or advice. The most effective lessons are those that are learned from experience and seen in examples.

Many of the precious lessons I learned from my father I learned not just by listening to his advice but by seeing how he lives his life. If I were to put into sentence one lesson I learned from how he lives his life, it would be “You will always run after Happiness unless you settle down with Contentment.”

Growing up, I never saw my father seek for things beyond his reach, but for all his achievements, I have never seen him struggle for an ambition. Instead, he would have a vision and simply do his best in what he is doing.

Years ago, before the 1986 EDSA Revolution, he was a colonel commanding a brigade in Davao City. For us, it seemed that that was the highest rank he would reach because he had earned the ire of the president then, and we were prepared for him to retire from that last post. But when the dictator was ousted, he was given an assignment which merited a promotion for him, even though he was not a part of the coup that ousted the dictator. He was recognized for his accomplishment as a soldier loyal to the Constitution and democracy.

With that assignment to the Philippine Military Academy as its Superintendent, he was promoted to Brigadier General. With that, he expected that he will retire from the military service with the Baguio post as his last assignment. He even prepared us emotionally and psychologically that we would be settling down in Baguio City, the city where he and my mother met and fell in love.

But somehow, fate intervened and he was given another assignment which earned him another promotion. He returned to Manila and was assigned as Commandant of the Philippine Marines, the dream assignment of all Marine officers. He was promoted to Major General, once again surpassing his own expectations.

Not long after the assignment as Commandant, he was given another higher post, until he finally reached the highest post and rank that a military officer could achieve—AFP Chief of Staff. Eventually, he would then become Senator of the Republic.

What’s remarkable about his story is that he reached those successes without being a slave to ambition. As he rose through the ladder of success, he was prepared to stop at each rung, focusing only on doing his best in the responsibility handed to him and not distracted by a desire for a higher ambition. But in being such, he earned the approval of others and of Fate, earning the reward of promotion and greater responsibility.

It is from his life that I take the most valuable lessons on how to live mine. The most precious gift I have received from my father is not the most expensive but it is definitely priceless. I would never trade his life lessons for anything else in this world. For these, I am forever grateful for what I learned from the best dad on earth.

The Lone Ranger Cha-Cha in the House

The passage of House Resolution 1109 proposing to amend the Constitution is another blow to the already tarnished reputation of the House of Represenatives. It is appalling that the leadership ignored the sentiments of the people which reject moves to amend the constitution at this time. It gives the House the image that it is callous to public opinion and will only give due attention to matters that pertain to its members’ personal and political agenda.

It is also deplorable that in the undue rush to pass the resolution, the House leadership chose to deny members of the House their right to express their positions on such an important measure. The untimely motion to end the debates aborted the interpellation of congressmen who were already lined up to ask questions. At one point, one congressman who rose to ask a parliamentary inquiry was simply ignored, as if the presiding officer was blind and deaf.

I myself was not spared, when I indicated my desire to explain my objection to the motion to approve the resolution. I was denied the right with the threat of simply being ignored like my other colleague.

The “Lone Ranger” Cha-Cha , where the Senate is likewise ignored by the House of Representatives convening itself as a Constituent Assembly, is immoral and smacks of political arrogance in that it practically ignores public opinion, legal advice and processes and institutional courtesy.

The haste with which it was calendared and forced to a vote exemplifies the House’s distorted sense of priorities, with the Cha-Cha resolution edging out important and urgent measures such as the Agrarian Reform Bill. It goes to show that if the leadership really wants a measure passed, it can do so, in contrast to other measures which languished in the legislative mill without meriting the leadership’s attention.

Finally, the viva voce vote on such a significant measure clouded any semblance of transparency, denying the people the knowledge of how their representatives voted on the resolution to amend the constitution. As a result, accountability for their votes is nil, allowing the members of the House to hide under the cloak of anonymity.

Although drowned out by the majority “yes” votes, my “no” vote is one that I will hold myself accountable to, and am proud to say is reflective of my constituents’ sentiments on the matter.

Playing With The Sharks

Simplified, the idea seems incredulous, if not ridiculous. You look for a fish in the hundreds of hectares of wide open sea, jump into the 200-foot deep water and chase a creature which is in its natural element and you are not.

Sounds crazy, right? Well it may sound that way, but many have traveled hundreds of kilometers, spent a couple of thousands of pesos and braved personal fears to do just that. Together with my wife, my in-laws and some staff, I jumped into the waters off Donsol, Sorsogon, and swam with one of the most wondrous creatures on earth—the whale shark, or locally known as “butanding”.

“Butanding” has come to mean more than just a fish, or a variety of shark. Perhaps owing to the mild, docile nature of the creature that the word is attached to, “butanding” now seems to be a term of endearment, and a reference to a national treasure.

I’ve heard stories, saw photos and watched videos of other people interacting with the butanding. It certainly attracted my interest, so when I had an opportunity to visit Bicol as part of the Tour of Hope, I made sure to squeeze in some time to go to Donsol, Sorsogon, now tagged as the “Whale Shark Capital of the World”.

Actually, we were billeted in Camarines Watersports Complex in Pili, Camarines Sur where the Tour of Hope ended. Since our flight back to Manila was going to be from Naga City, our trip to Donsol was just a daytrip. We left CWC around 4:00 AM and after a leisurely drive of just over two hours, we arrived at Donsol in time for a good breakfast prepared for us by the locals.

Even before our trip, we were told that we might not have a good chance of encountering the butandings since the rainy season had already set in. The peak season for butanding encounters are said to be from February to April and that at this time, the end of May, we might not see any at all.

As we finished our breakfast and headed for the boats, I noticed that the sky was still overcast, in spite of the advancing time of the day. But the waters were still and the wind calm, so we were confident that it would get better as the day wore on.

There were fourteen of us in the group and we had to be divided between two outrigger boats for safety’s sake and for easier handling by the Butanding Interaction Officers. The “professionalization” of what I would call whale shark wardens is a step towards the right direction of controlling the interaction of tourists and whale sharks and nature conservation. Hopefully, it does not start and end just with the conferment of official titles such as “Butanding Interaction Officers”.

In the outrigger with me was my wife Trina, my sister in law Cila and her husband Jim, my wife’s brother and sister, Ichi and Michelle and staff Charina. In the other boat were my cousin Jomer and Rene, Andy, Roland and Bong, all of whom are my staff.

While the motorized banca was pushing out to open sea, the BIO gave us a briefing on what to do, what not to do and what to expect. After that, we were all excitedly chatting for about thirty minutes when the first sighting occurred. Another group was already at the site, but by the time we got there, the butanding already dove deeper. So we didn’t jump in yet. But at least we got to see what we’re supposed to do when we have our own encounter. I noted that the people in the water were all wearing the thick orange lifejackets which made it difficult to swim in the water.

Well, I wouldn’t blame them for making sure that they won’t go under the waters which was so deep it was dark blue in color. A thought crossed my mind…if it weren’t for the prospect of the thrill of seeing the butanding up close, I don’t think people would just jump into waters this deep for fun of it. It looked foreboding and evoked images of the movie The Abyss.

The anticipation of swimming with the whale sharks fueled our excited chatter as the outrigger cruised around the bay. There were other groups scouring the sea, about ten other outrigger boats loaded with tourists eager for the chance to have a close encounter with the butanding.

Off in the distance dark clouds began to swell and after a few minutes, what appeared to be grey curtains rolled down from the clouds and onto the distant land mass. Rain was falling on the shore, although from where we were, it was still clear.

For some reason which up to now I do not know why, the boatman steered oour outrigger towards the area where dark clouds loomed and rain fell in the distance. I didn’t bother to ask why, assuming that the boatman knew what he was doing. As we neared the swirling clouds and the pelting rain, we shivered in the cold wind that blew into the tiny shelter of the outrigger.

Soon the rain drops felt like tiny pricks of needles on our faces, and we got wet even before we dove into the water. We continued to cruise around the bay under the rainshower, which fortunately enough, did not bring with it strong winds that would cause the waves to grow bigger.

About a hundred feet from us we passed by a lone fisherman paddling his small outrigger, with no choice but to ride out the rain. I’m glad I didn’t have to make a living that way. But then again, I’m sure he’s also glad that he doesn’t have the complicated life I have, which is even made worse by the bad reputation that my profession has among the people. Maybe he’s better off than I am. Anyway…..

We cruised around for about 45 minutes to an hour until the sky cleared. Good thing it did, because otherwise, the money we paid would have been washed away without us getting its worth.

Not long after, our guide called our attention to get ready. I strained to look at where the spotter was pointing to but I couldn’t see anything. But after several seconds, I saw the brownish shadow lurking just under the surface, about 50 feet from our outrigger. I’m impressed at how they could see the butanding under the surface. But it’s what they do for a living so I guess they have to be good at it.

Just as instructed, we put on our snorkeling gear and sat on the edge of the banca, ready to dive once the signal is given. Immediately, it stirred my imagination to pretend that we’re a team of Navy Seals, ready to launch for a special mission. In my mind, I played a sound track appropriate for the scene. My heart was pounding, but I was very eager to get wet and meet the butanding face to face. I looked at the faces of the people with me…they’re all as eager as I was. Here we are, ready to rock and roll.

The boatman deftly navigated the outrigger in a tactical maneuver, placing us in a position that would rendezvous with the submerged creature. At the right moment, the guide shouted, “Talon! Talon! Talon!” (Jump! Jump! Jump!). After a fraction of a second’s hesitation, we all jumped into the water. The second I hit the water, I got my underwater camera and turned it on, ready to shoot and quickly swam after my wife who was being guided by the BIO. A strong swimmer, that BIO was.

The water was a bit murky, and in the wake of the BIO’s and my wife’s paddling, bubbles were obstructing my view, but a few moments later, I saw the distinct tail fin of the remarkable . I almost could not contain my excitement, although for a micro-second, I hesitated. But my eagerness overcame the hesitation and I paddled faster to catch up with the butanding.

I found myself swimming beside the big fish, although it did not seem as big as those I had seen in pictures which looked like submarines. But still the excitement of swimming alongside it overwhelmed me. I struggled to get my camera into position, but even though I’m a photography hobbyist, I couldn’t get an acceptable position. So I just clicked away, just hoping that I would eventually get a good shot.

My wife was better off since she was with the guide who managed to tug her to the right position. No sooner was I able to get a good frame of her and the shark when suddenly several people appeared all around and over the whale shark. Other groups had already converged on the butanding when they saw us jump into the water and the water was suddenly full of men, women and even children, all flapping and splashing to marvel at the creature.

Unfortunately, one swimmer couldn’t contain himself and touched the whale shark, something which was prohibited by the BIO’s. Perhaps sensing the violation, the butanding started to dive into the murky deep, escaping from the throngs of tourists.

It was just a short encounter but truly an amazing one, the stuff that unforgettable memories are made of. We all climbed back on board our outrigger, very much excited about the experience, everyone talking at the same time expressing sheer pleasure at the close encounter.

I quickly reviewed the photos I took. Although I was able to get a record of the encounter, the quality was something that left me unsatisfied. I needed to see another butanding.

After that first swim, we were eager for more. Our outrigger once again patrolled the ocean, our guides and spotters covering all angles watching for the telltale signs of the butanding. After a while, the spotter pointed to a dorsal fin protruding from the water. We all excitedly put on our gear while the boatman steered the banca towards the shark. The guides said this was a big one, judging by the size of the fin.

As we got near, the girls in the group jumped into the water ahead, with the BIO guiding them to the butanding. We followed them, but when we got to where they were, the butanding had already gone deep. But the girls were ecstatic since this was a bigger one, much bigger than the first one we saw. Unfortunately, the camera was with me so we weren’t able to take photos. Once again, I was left with the insatiable desire to see another one, hopefully a giant.

This time around, it took us quite a while looking for the next encounter. The excitement waned and the exhaustion brought about by the adrenaline rush and the early morning wake up call and travel from Camarines Sur to Sorsogon also set in.

We could see other boats patrolling the bay, once in a while gathering together in certain spots. It was also an amusing sight to see, the outriggers rushing towards a spot where there’s a sighting. Again, in my mind, a soundtrack played as I watched the motorized bancas racing along the water. “Ride of the Valkyrie”, which was played in a scene in the movie Apocalypse Now where squadrons of choppers flew in formation, was playing in my head as an imaginary background to the movement of outriggers.

After a while, we saw another dorsal fin, and our boat rushed to the spot. Other bancas raced towards the spot, but before we could jump in, the shark disappeared into the depths. We then saw another crowding of bancas so our boatman turned towards the spot. We got there just in time to see a big tail fin break the surface with some people on the water crowding around it. Our BIO told us not to jump in anymore since the fin indicated that the shark was diving deep.

We continued with our quest as the sun was climbing higher into the late morning sky. The heat was taking over and it was a good thing we were all wearing rashguards to protect us from the searing heat of the sun. But we just had to see one more whale shark. We just had to.

Finally we were rewarded with another sighting. We raced to the spot, along with about six more boats filled with tourists. We quickly jumped into the water and swam with all the energy left in us. Within a few seconds, I was right there beside the big fish, and made sure that I was able get a good video shot of the butanding.

The shark lingered long enough for me to get a good shot before it disappeared into the blue. I was very pleased. At least the experience will not just be in my memory which may be forgotten, but saved as a digital file which I can post, pass on and preserve.

We went back to shore just in time for lunch, which was also prepared for us as part of the package. As expected, we exchanged stories among ourselves, reliving and reviewing the wonderful experience. We all agreed it was well worth the effort to go there, and look forward to a future visit.

Truly, the Philippines is a beautiful country. The diversity in the people’s culture is matched by the richness of its natural resources. The encounter we had was just one of the many experiences that is available for us to enjoy. All we need to do is take it all in and enjoy them.

But more than the wonderful experience of seeing the country’s natural beauty, it is the realization that all these are there for us to enjoy, created by a Father who wanted the best for His children. The world is our playground. Thank God for His creations.

Of course, it follows that we should take care of it.

Unanswered Questions About Untimely Deaths

Unanswered Questions About an Untimely Death

Perhaps the worst experience one can ever have is to lose a loved one in an untimely death, although death by disease is much better than death by accident. Death by accident is like a thief that comes under cover of darkness, stealing your loved one from you in the least expected moment, when your guard is down and emotions vulnerable.

Such sudden, unexpected deaths usually leave behind grieving relatives who are haunted with nagging questions like “What if..?”, “How can it happen…?” and the most compelling “Why?”.

An example is the sad fate which befell the Presidential chopper which crashed in Ifugao last April 7. Eight lives were lost that day, persons who were serving not just the President but the whole country as well. It was indeed a mournful loss, the grief of the family shared by many others.

I personally knew one of the victims, although not enough to say that I am close. I had many occasions to interact with Usec. Malou Frostrom owing to the nature of our jobs. That’s why when I first heard that she was among the passengers of the ill-fated chopper, I had a reason to give the news a little bit more attention.

The circumstances of the crash gave rise to questions as to how it could have happened considering that the area has a reputation of being inhospitable to flying during the time of the day that it took off. The accident could have been avoided if prudence was exercised, especially that there was a practice among aviators not to fly out of Loakan after 3:00PM.

This practice, which at that time was unclear to the public if it was actually a policy, had a reason to be in place and the nagging question in my mind was “why did the chopper take off and who authorized the flight?” The question was coming from the purpose of reviewing aviation policy and avoiding future accidents.

Media outfits carried the questions that I had as news reports which in turn earned the displeasure of Malacanang. I reacted to the tirade of the Press Secretary through my blog and subsequently delivered a privilege speech to call for an inquiry in the House of Representatives.

The inquiry was also given reason to be conducted even by Ms. Marichu Villanueva, a member of the Malacanang Press Corps, who wrote an article entitled “After Grief, Let Justice Be Served” in the April 24 edition of the Philippine Star. In it, she wrote “This sad incident should have ended there. But apparently there’s still a crying need to hold somebody, or some people accountable for this fatal chopper accident. Such sentiments continuously poured. But whether these sentiments are valid or not, this incident must not be just left to God’s will.”

It is no wonder then that my father, Senator Rodolfo Biazon had the same thing on his mind when he called for an inquiry in the upper chamber. Although we did not coordinate on this, perhaps he countless times that he has mentored me in my job as a legislator has resulted in us thinking along the same lines.

But it seems that our line of thinking—that the accident should be thoroughly looked into in order to get the whole picture of how the accident happened in order to prevent its reoccurrence—is not shared by all, especially Malacanang.

The inquiry in the Senate was already scheduled but the committee was asked by the Senate leadership to postpone indefinitely owing to a request from Malacanang on the grounds that “they are not yet ready.”

In the House of Representatives, the hearing was scheduled to proceed with me as chair of the hearing. While we were preparing for the hearing, the committee staff was contacted by some family members of some of the victims who expressed interest in the inquiry.

At first, I thought they were going to object to the hearing, which seemed to be the line of Malacanang. But I was surprised to be informed that the families wanted the hearing to proceed because they wanted to know the whole truth about how the accident which claimed the lives of their loved ones happened.

One of the staff in the House secretariat was a classmate of one of the crash victims and is close to the family. She told me that the wife of one of the casualties is really distraught, owing to the fact her husband was so dedicated to his job that his time with the family was limited and with his death, he is now forever parted from his wife and children. She is simply at a loss on how to live without him.

The House staff went on to tell me that what was really painful for the wife was that as her husband was leaving that day for the flight, she had asked him to stay and let the team go without him. She pleaded with him twice, but saying that he had a duty to perform, he left to board the chopper. Little did he know that that was the last time he would be talking to his wife.

I also received an email from someone who claimed to be a relative of one of the pilots. He said that he too, wants to know what really happened that fateful day. He said he knew his relative to be a good pilot and not one to taking risks.

Confident with the knowledge that the families themselves are interested in finding out the whole story about the ill-fated flight, I advised the committee secretariat that the hearing will proceed as scheduled.

On the morning of the hearing itself, which was scheduled at 1:30PM that afternoon, I was requested by the Chairman of the Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs to stand in for him in a hearing of his committee. I acceded to his request, since the hearing of his committee was scheduled at 10:00AM.

While I was in the Dangerous Drugs Committee hearing, I received a text message from the staff of the Defense Committee, telling me that they needed to talk to me before we start the hearing on the chopper crash. I sensed that there was a problem, but I had a task at hand, so I set it aside for awhile and tried to finish the hearing on time.

Due to extended questions by congressmen, we weren’t able to conclude the hearing on time, so I was late going to the Defense Committee. Before entering the hearing room, I was met by the committee staff who told me that they received a message from Malacanang.

Before he even told me what the message was, I already knew what it was. Malacanang was requesting that the hearing be postponed, since they were “not yet ready”, especially that they had just observed the 40th day of the deaths. The invited guests from the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were not going to attend.

I was also shown by the committee staff a letter from the Department of Defense informing the committee that the officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines will not be able to attend the hearing since they were not able to secure permission from the Office of the President. But the AFP sent officers as resource persons for the bill proposing an increase in quarters allowance, since I also included it as part of the agenda for that afternoon’s hearing.

It became apparent that there is an effort to prevent the inquiry into the chopper crash. Even prior to the scheduled hearings in the Senate and the House, there were steps which seemed to be designed to stop the inquiry.

When I delivered my privilege speech on the crash, I moved for the inquiry citing several policy questions which I believed should be answered in order to enhance aviation safety. Although these questions were brought about by the crash of the presidential chopper, the adoption or modification of policies will benefit not just the aviation sector but the public as well.

Normally, privilege speeches are referred to the Committee on Rules in order to determine which committee it will be referred to for action. The one who delivered the speech is invited to explain the purpose of the speech and the action desired by the one who delivered it.

But in the case of my speech, it was taken up and acted on by the Committee on Rules without giving me the opportunity to explain the speech, although it was already clearly stated in my discourse.

The Committee on Rules sent my speech to the archives, even though the speech moved for an inquiry into military and civilian aviation policy and a further motion of referring the speech to the Committee on Defense.

When I came to know about the action on my speech, I decided to raise it as in issue in plenary. But some colleagues, members of the Committee on Rules, offered to just reverse the committee’s action and have it immediately referred to the Committee on Defense. Hence, I was able to schedule the hearing. Sadly, it seems Malacanang is taking steps to prevent it from happening.

After learning from the committee staff the request from Malacanang and the non-appearance of the invited guests from the PMS, PSG and AFP, I peeked inside the hearing room and saw the guests from the private sector, aviation experts and civilian pilots. The families of two of the victims were also there, although they were not officially invited. They came on their own volition, in the desire to learn the truth.

There were also two members of congress there, known close allies of Malacanang. At that point, I had to make a quick decision. Either I push through with the hearing or postpone. If I push through, I already anticipated the possibility of someone questioning the quorum (there was none) which would result in the adjournment of the committee hearing, and waste the time and effort of those who were present. On the other hand, if I postpone, everyone will go home without accomplishing anything.

After a quick consideration, I decided to cut the agenda into two. I would proceed with the hearing on the Quarters Allowance Bill, and just take up the chopper crash as a consultation, which cannot be questioned on the basis of quorum. It would be an activity purely at my discretion as chair. We will still be able to ask questions about the crash minus the possibility of the proceedings being challenged.

I then convened the committee and announced what will happen in the proceedings. The moment that I announced that we were not going to take up the chopper crash in a hearing but rather in a consultation, I noticed the families, who were seated at the back of the hearing room, animatedly talking among themselves looking agitated. A couple of minutes later, they all stood up and walked out of the room.

I immediately instructed my staff to try to catch up to them and explain to them that we will still discuss the matter, only that it will be in a consultation instead of a committee hearing. My staff was able to catch up but when he tried to explain, they did not want to hear any of it.

They were extremely disappointed. They had been waiting for the hearing, even skipping lunch, to find out what they can about the circumstances of their relative’s death. I can understand their frustration. Perhaps they even regard me with displeasure. But I don’t take it against them if they got angry at what happened, although I had all the intention of proceeding with asking questions about the crash. Maybe this is not the first time that their quest for answers were met with a blank wall.

The consultation proceeded in spite of the absence of the victims’ families. The information provided by the resource persons—aviation security experts, air accident investigation experts and pilots—all proved to be important and crucial in understanding the crash. It provided sufficient preliminary information that may be used when we finally conduct the official inquiry into the chopper crash.

What bothers me now is that there seems to be an effort to sweep this issue under the rug and relegate it to a forgotten memory, in spite of the fact that the families themselves are straining to find the truth. In addition, the whole circumstance surrounding the crash should be revealed in order to prevent the recurrence of accidents.

But I have this feeling that the next time I pursue this inquiry, it will once again be met with resistance. If that happens, then maybe I might just have to accept the reality that any effort will be in vain. It just bothers me that the families of the victims themselves are seeking the truth and it appears that I have failed them in their quest.

The truth may never be found out and just remain in the bosom of the cloud-covered mountains of Ifugao. All I can do at this time is offer my prayers for the departed and the families they left behind.

Anti-Cervical Cancer Advocacy

About two years ago, I joined the advocacy against the spread of cervical cancer in the Philippines. The Cervical Cancer Prevention Network (CECAP) of the UP-PGH Cancer Institute, led the efforts to save the Filipina women from the life-threatening disease and invited me to join their nationwide campaign and programs.

My district became one of the pilot areas for their programs, which I supported 100% with funding, moral support and even my time and energy by going with them to various municipalities and cities around the country to share the experience in my district and explain how government officials can join the advocacy and programs.

Last year I also joined the Tour of Hope in northern Luzon as one of the speakers in their symposium at the stops of their bike run from Vigan to Subic.

This year the Tour of Hope will be in Southern Luzon, starting from my district in Muntinlupa City all the way to Naga City in Camarines Sur.

In recognition of my participation in the program these past couple of years, I was hailed as an Honorary Woman by the CECAP Network and the SM Women’s Committee.

This poster, produced by CECAP and GSK, declares the Muntinlupa City’s full participation in the program, with not just my office as congressman but also the city government led by Mayor Aldrin San PEdro.

Shown in the poster are my wife Trina, the mayor’s wife Leah and the chair of the Health Committee in the City Council, Coun. Amy Patdu-Labios. Together, they lead the grassroots implementation of the program and make sure that Muntinlupa’s women have accessible service to protect them against the number 2 killer cancer among FIlipino women.

The Text Message

It’s 11:17 PM and I just stepped into our home. It’s been a long and tiring day which started with meetings around the metro before going to the House of Representatives for the session which starts at 4:00 PM.

 

I was scheduled to interpellate Cong. Junie Cua, the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, on Committee Report No. 1992 regarding House Joint Resolution 24. The measure proposes to authorize the President to make adjustments in the job classification and compensation of government employees.

 

When the deliberations started at around 5:00 PM, I was number six in the list of interpellators. I patiently waited for my turn, listening intently to the deliberations, which also helped me fine tune my own set of questions. I crossed out those in my list which had already been asked by the other congressmen. I came up with new ones based on the answers of the sponsor.

 

While the measure is proposing for an increase in the compensation of all government employees, there are those who are not satisfied, in the belief that they are entitled to more in order to make their compensation at par with other public sector employees who have higher salary grades in spite of the fact that they have lower qualifications.

 

The public school teachers are clamoring for a bigger increase because a public school teacher, whose entry qualifications require a college degree and a board certification, has a salary which is lower than an enlisted personnel in the AFP who is only a high school graduate.

 

To some, time seems so slow in the Session Hall. Not everything that is discussed there is as interesting as the screaming headlines of newspapers usually report. But to others, time flies as if you’re having fun. Well, it’s not really fun.  But it’s interesting. Before I knew it, it was already 8:00 PM.

 

There were two more interpellators before my turn. But the congressmen who were still in the hall (the patient few) had an agreement that it was time to call it a day. Everyone was already weary from all the debates, especially since the day started with committee hearings from morning until afternoon.

 

After the session was adjourned, I immediately rushed out to go to the White House in Cubao, where a party was ongoing in celebration of Senator Mar’s birthday. I was already dead tired, but I wanted to greet the senator personally.

 

There were a lot of guests when I got there, my fellow members of the Liberal party, some form other parties, from the private sector and prominent civil society members. Of course, the bride-to-be of the president-to-be was there and they looked the sweet couple that they are. It was actually my first time in the White House, and I marveled at its simple elegance. For someone who grew up in military camp in a proletarian life, it was a privilege. 

 

After some socializing, I couldn’t resist the desire to go home and rest. It was indeed a full day. Besides, I still had a 7:00 AM breakfast meeting the following day. Mercifully, the drive home at that time was not like the usual crawl during rush hour traffic.

 

So I step into to my house, drawn by the prospect of taking a cold shower, lying down in bed and in the privacy of my bedroom, just wear my shorts and go shirtless, and cuddle with my wife. Ahhh…there’s no place like home….

 

But just as I was about to go upstairs, my cellphone receives a text message. I expect it to be a message from my wife, probably asking what time I’ll be home. But when I look at the screen, it shows an unknown number, meaning that it is a number not saved in my directory.

 

It is not uncommon for me to receive text messages or even calls from unknown numbers. Believe it or not, my cell phone number has remained unchanged for almost ten years now. I freely give it away, even to my constituents. That’s why my directory has over three thousand entries, although I have already lost hundreds or a thousand more when I changed cell phone units over the years. But the number remains the same.

 

I open the message. It’s from one of my constituents, and it read : “gud pm po cong. Biazon sna po m2lungan u po me mkpgtrbho snap o m2lungan u po aku kht anu po ok lng”.

 

Again, it’s not an uncommon message that I receive. Specially nowadays, many seek help regarding employment, scholarships, medical assistance and a host of many other personal concerns. It’s my barometer of the state of living of my constituents, perhaps even the country.

 

But no matter how often or how many messages of such nature I receive (I receive no less than 20 such messages a day, filling up my inbox and slowing down my phone), I can’t seem to get used to it. I still get emotionally burdened by each and every message, because I believe that once it has come to my knowledge, I feel obligated to do something about it.

 

Sometimes, messages come at a time that is supposed to be “my time”, but I still feel obligated to address the concern. For example, one Sunday (which for me is family day not just for me but also for my driver so I drive on that day) a constituent sent me a message asking for help in getting his child out of the hospital. His child was already well and he didn’t want another day to be added to the bill which was already beyond his capacity to pay. Usually, my office already has a procedure in helping constituents in such a situation.

 

But since it was a Sunday, my office was closed. I was not in my district and was visiting my in laws in Manila. But to simply say I could not help because there was no office and I was not in my district was something that I couldn’t bring myself to do. The call for me help already reached me. What am I to do?

 

It was actually not a really difficult decision to make. I drove back to Muntinlupa to meet up with my constituent and help him get his child discharged from the hospital. After that, I went back to my inlaws’ house where I left my wife and kids.

 

And so it is that I receive this message at this time of the night. I can only wonder what kind of worrying this person was doing in texting me at this time of the night. But the burden also becomes heavy on me since I don’t know how to help him with his request. During these times, I also know for a fact that many companies have frozen hiring, some even retrenching their employees.

 

As I now lie in bed, my mood is not as I was hoping for. Relaxation is now elusive, with deep thought on what I can do to help this person now occupying my mind. As we discuss proposed salary increases in Congress in which some are unsatisfied with the increase they are about to receive, there are those out there who don’t even have a salary to rely on.

 

Such a difficult world, indeed.

Leadership Nuggets

It seems that the times now have made the Filipinos more critical about the country’s leadership. With frustrations of the past now merging with the desire and hope for change in the near future, the people are not only more aware about leadership issues, they have adopted strong positions on leadership itself.

For ten days (not consecutive), I posted in my Facebook status what my thoughts are on leadership. These leadership nuggets are all borne from my personal beliefs and experience, although some were derived from lessons I learned from mentors, books and other leaders.

As part of my reflection and hopefully, my own development as someone in a leadership position, I intend to come up with 30 leadership nuggets. That’s one a day, which may serve as a daily reminder on how a leader should conduct himself.

The reactions on comments to posts I made in the past several days serve as confirmation to the relevance of the nuggets I came up with. I also received a couple of requests for me to post a compilation for their better appreciation. So here it is:

The first 10 Leadership Nuggets:

1. Leadership is not about claiming credit for what went right but accepting responsibility for what went wrong.

2. Good leaders lead with open ears, not with closed fists.

3. Leadership is not the exercise of power over the people but the endeavor to empower the people.

4. More than giving orders and direction, it is the function of leadership to inspire and motivate.

5. The best legacy a leader can leave behind is not the string of accomplishments he has but an army of leaders he has raised to take over when he’s gone. 

6. The ability to lead goes hand in hand with the willingness to learn. One cannot be a good leader if one is not willing to learn even from those one leads.

7. Leaders should be masters over their own faults and weaknesses, not over their followers.

8. The first thing a leader should realize upon assuming leadership is that the position is temporary.

9. Leadership and pride are a dangerous combination. When a leader believes that he is the only key to success, he actually becomes the cause of failure.

10. In the exercise of power, an intelligent leader knows when to start and a determined leader keeps on going; but a wise leader knows when to stop.

Let Them Come Out Now

It is exactly one year before the country once again goes to the polls to choose the nation’s next leaders. But unlike previous elections, there seems to be a heightened interest in the polls at this early time. Usually, it is just the politicians and aspirants who get excited about the elections one year before E-Day. But now, the entire country, cutting across all sectors, is buzzing with activity in preparation for the elections.

 

In way, it is good. The change in politics that we have been longing for in the past may actually happen in 2010. The people’s increased interest in the elections will hopefully lead to increased participation in the process, from voter education all the way to vote protection during the canvassing of votes.

 

It is about time we end the vicious cycle of voter-apathy-then-complain-about-elected-officials and move on to a higher level of national political maturity. We should stare the ugly monster in the face and slay it.

 

One good step in the right direction was the recently held Leadership Forum in the Ateneo and aired over Cable Television in the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC). The forum provided an opportunity for the people to get a glimpse of who the possible candidates are, what their platforms are, how they express themselves and many other facets that we need to know in order to make a wise decision.

 

I think with the one year left before elections, more of those forums should be held, and it should  be done even at the local level. Let the potential candidates come out of the woodwork and present themselves.

 

In the past, people frowned at such “early campaigning”. One of the changes we should do now is to shed that hypocrisy. What’s wrong with aspirants coming out in the open? Why do aspirants always have to lie with “It’s too early to talk about elections” when they are asked if they are running one year before the elections? Isn’t better that the people find out who are those seeking public office in order for them to know more about those who will ask for their votes?

 

The result of that pretentious practice is that people only get the information about the candidates during the official campaign period, which is actually superficial. For a national candidate, he only has ninety days to cover the entire country and present himself for voter scrutiny. That’s why the methods are mostly high-impact, attention-getting propaganda instead of having real depth.

 

We should take advantage of the heightened interest in change among the people and make this one year period an extended-getting-to-know-you pre-campaign activity. This will help the people make a sober, logical and well-thought out decision come 2010.

 

It is just too bad that not all the aspirants were present in the Leadership Forum. But this is just the first and it is hoped that there will be others that will be held. Perhaps those who shy away or purposely avoid appearing in such forums should already be stricken off the list by the electorate since they are not willing to subject themselves to public scrutiny. 

 

In addition, it would also be better if the forum is made available to a bigger audience. Perhaps the networks will consider airing the leadership forums on free tv instead of just a cable channel. The majority of Filipinos still do not have cable in their homes. They should also relax copyrights on those forums, so that it may be reproduced and further expand the viewership. Voter education advocates and civic groups can conduct screenings of those forums.

 

As I write this, one day has been deducted from the one-year countdown before E-Day. What we do with the remaining days may turn out to be more crucial than that one day when everyone is equal regardless of religion, ethnicity, dialect, income or sex —-each person with one vote each. IF change is going to happen on May 11, 2010, it has to begin now.