A magnitude-4.1 quake rocked parts of Ilocos Norte in northern Philippines before dawn Friday, even as state seismologists said no damage was expected.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake was recorded at 5:37 a.m. and was tectonic in origin.
In its bulletin, Phivolcs said the epicenter of the quake was traced to 53 km northwest of Burgos town in Ilocos Norte.
However, Phivolcs did not immediately cite specific areas where the quake was felt.
No aftershocks were expected from the quake, it added. (report from RSJ/GMA News)
Friday, April 29, 2011
Royal wedding eve: Crowds swell outside the abbey
With just hours to go before his wedding to Kate Middleton, dedicated royal watchers camped outside got an unexpected surprise - a visit from Prince William.
The 28-year-old groom-to-be emerged from his residence Thursday night to greet the hordes of well-wishers gathered along the processional route. Dressed in khakis and grinning broadly, William shook countless hands as his photo was snapped on cell phones and digital cameras.
The visit lent further excitement to the carnival atmosphere near the abbey, where hours earlier 29-year-old Kate had a final run-through with William's best man, Prince Harry.
A throng of curious tourists, dedicated monarchists, souvenir vendors, William-watchers and Harry-hunters have turned the Union Jack-bedecked streets into a scene of festive chaos.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Not many kings-to-be are going to be married anytime soon," said 26-year-old Sarah White, camped out with her sister, Liz. "Everyone's making friends and is in good spirits - or at least will be until tomorrow." (report from Jill Lawless/Associated Press)
Militant tribes stage rally against Quiboloy
Militant tribal groups are seeking the intervention of the Davao City government and have urged the City Council to conduct a probe on the reported violations of their rights in Sitio Kahusayan in Barangay Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District.
To press their case, the tribal groups staged rallies in front of the church led by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy Sunday and near City Hall last week.
Security men at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound of Pastor Quiboloy, according to ABS-CBN News Davao reports, pleaded to the rallyists to disperse to no avail.
The Pastor, a “spiritual adviser” of the ruling Duterte family, has yet to issue his official statement on the claims of the rallyists.
In a press conference before Holy Week, the Kahugpongan sa mga Lumad (KSL) together with PASAKA Regional Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao condemned "latest threats and harassment by forces" which they alleged were identified with the Pastor. These forces were supposedly backed by military soldiers under 84th Infantry Battalion.
The tribal leaders are claiming the religious leader ordered a road construction in the area, and just a day after 3 backhoe units were brought in the area, 84th IB soldiers also begun their patrol operations.
The road is allegedly in pursuit the Pastor's supposed desire to expand his prayer mountain and tourism project in Kahusayan village and even other villages in Barangay Manuel Guianga.
“We believe that the recent deployment of 84th IB elements prove how influential Quiboloy is in using for his vested interests the armed forces to secure his territorial expansion,” said the activist tribal groups.
The tribal groups claimed their ancestral lands were affected by the road-building.
“The land where Datu Dominador Diarog’s blood was spilled is the same land now being bulldozed,” said said Diolito Diarog, a Kahusayan leader and the PASAKA Deputy Secretary General.
Datu Dominador Diarog was killed three years ago over alleged land dispute. Pastor Quiboloy has denied any hand in the murder.
In the still unresolved murder case, armed men encircled and opened fire at the house of the Diarog family, killing in the process Datu Dominador aside from wounding his wife and two children.
The City Council conducted an investigation a few years ago on the reported land dispute case being the motive behind the killing of Diarog. Subsequent City Council resolutions ordered a status quo of “fences” around affected areas until lands had been surveyed.
But still, according to the tribal groups, the fences were moved and even built stronger by Quiboloy’s men.
“Despite this recent attacks on our human rights, we will never give up our struggle in regaining and defending our ancestral lands that our ancestors and Datu Doming Diarog fought and died for, it has been 3 years now since his death but we continue to call for justice for Datu Doming Diarog and respect the rights of the lumads,” said the PASAKA Deputy Secretary General. (report from Mindanao Insider)
Monday, April 25, 2011
EC: Border row might affect elections
The violent border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia might affect the approaching general election, Election Commission member Sodsri Sattayatham said on Monday.
Mrs Sodsri said more troops and security units would have to be deployed to the disputed border area when they should be used elsewhere to help oversee the election process.
She called on the government to quickly end the border row before the election is held.
The EC will meet the different political parties on May 2 to discuss regulations regarding election campaigning, she said.
Mrs Sodsri said the commission will consider the role of politicians who are still banned from politics, as some of them still have direct or indirect political influence. (report from Bangkok Post)
Mrs Sodsri said more troops and security units would have to be deployed to the disputed border area when they should be used elsewhere to help oversee the election process.
She called on the government to quickly end the border row before the election is held.
The EC will meet the different political parties on May 2 to discuss regulations regarding election campaigning, she said.
Mrs Sodsri said the commission will consider the role of politicians who are still banned from politics, as some of them still have direct or indirect political influence. (report from Bangkok Post)
Pokwang joining 'Happy Yipee Yehey?'
MANILA, Philippines - Comedienne Pokwang, who hosted the defunct shows "Wowowee" and "Pilipinas Win na Win," said she misses hosting an afternoon program.
She made the statement during her recent appearance on ABS-CBN's newest noontime show "Happy Yipee Yehey" to promote her movie, "Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak" by Star Cinema and M-Zet Films.
"Na-miss ko ito," she said.
John Estrada, one of the hosts of "Happy Yipee Yehey," asked Pokwang if she would consider being part of their show.
"Kung pagbibigyan ka ba na makasama namin, papayag ka ba?," he said during the show on Monday last week. Pokwang then proceeded to do her usual comic act instead of giving a straightforward response.
"May malaki kaming sorpresang ibibigay sa inyo pagkatapos ng linggong ito," Estrada told the audience.
Mariel Rodriguez, who used to host "Wowowee" and "Pilipinas Win na Win" with Pokwang, earlier said that "Happy Yipee Yehey" will soon have additional co-hosts, Push.com.ph reported.
The wife of action star Robin Padilla refused to name them as ABS-CBN management has yet to make the announcement. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)
She made the statement during her recent appearance on ABS-CBN's newest noontime show "Happy Yipee Yehey" to promote her movie, "Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak" by Star Cinema and M-Zet Films.
"Na-miss ko ito," she said.
John Estrada, one of the hosts of "Happy Yipee Yehey," asked Pokwang if she would consider being part of their show.
"Kung pagbibigyan ka ba na makasama namin, papayag ka ba?," he said during the show on Monday last week. Pokwang then proceeded to do her usual comic act instead of giving a straightforward response.
"May malaki kaming sorpresang ibibigay sa inyo pagkatapos ng linggong ito," Estrada told the audience.
Mariel Rodriguez, who used to host "Wowowee" and "Pilipinas Win na Win" with Pokwang, earlier said that "Happy Yipee Yehey" will soon have additional co-hosts, Push.com.ph reported.
The wife of action star Robin Padilla refused to name them as ABS-CBN management has yet to make the announcement. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)
Sexy actress Juliana Palermo gives birth to baby boy
MANILA, Philippines - Sexy actress Juliana Palermo has given birth to a healthy baby boy, an online report said Monday.
Celebrity website Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP) said Palermo gave birth to her first child last March 21 at The Medical City in Pasig City via caesarean section.
She named her baby "Ace Christian," PEP added.
Palermo revealed late last year that she is 4 months pregnant by her New Zealand-based non-showbiz boyfriend.
The sexy actress said, however, that she has no plans of getting married anytime soon. (report from Pep.ph/abs-cbnNEWS.com)
Celebrity website Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP) said Palermo gave birth to her first child last March 21 at The Medical City in Pasig City via caesarean section.
She named her baby "Ace Christian," PEP added.
Palermo revealed late last year that she is 4 months pregnant by her New Zealand-based non-showbiz boyfriend.
The sexy actress said, however, that she has no plans of getting married anytime soon. (report from Pep.ph/abs-cbnNEWS.com)
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Xian Lim regrets that his friendship with AJ Perez was cut short
Xian Lim still couldn’t believe that he just came AJ Perez’s wake.
Xian told Push.com.ph, “This is a super sad experience First time mangyari sa akin ito.” He added that when he visited the wake last April 18, he saw the devastation on the face of AJ’s father, Gerry Perez.
“Kapag nakita mo dad niya you might breakdown. Grabe.”
Xian and AJ sat side by side for one week as guest judges on Showtime from March 21 to 26.
The two would frequently see each other around the ABS-CBN compound whenever there were events since they have the same handler in Star Magic.
They also worked together last year in the comedy film Mamarazzi top-billed by Eugene Domingo and Andi Eigenmann.
Xian said he was disappointed that his budding friendship with AJ was cut short by a terrible accident.
“I am very sad that AJ Perez passed away. He was the type of person you wouldn't have an awkward moment with. There was always something to talk about. Nagkasama kami sa Showtime for one week and start na sana yun ng isang magandang friendship but it ended too soon. Rest in peace AJ Perez. I will miss you.”
Though he wanted to take a break during Holy Week, especially now that he is grieving the death of a friend, Xian still had to work.
He was in Boracay doing shows for Studio 23.
“Every year we do the Barkada Gimmick event to bring Studio 23 closer to people. We give them a good time with performances, awards, food, party, and all.”
The 21-year-old actor/model is also set to begin taping for the new teleserye Binondo Girl where he will play the leading man of primetime princess Kim Chiu.
“Kim is a really good friend of mine. I see na magiging masaya ang bonding naming lahat dito sa bagong show and I know I will be comfortable around her.” (report from Napoleon Quintos/Push.com.ph)
Bianca Gonzalez talks about Mariel Rodriguez and Toni Gonzaga’s birthday surprise for her this year
After celebrating her 28th birthday last month, Bianca Gonzalez admitted that even though she does not usually prepare for her natal day, she was surprised several times on her birthday this year.
First off, good friends Mariel Rodriguez and Toni Gonzaga, with whom she has a regular Thursday lunch date with despite their hectic schedules, surprised her with an impromptu celebration in Mariel’s dressing room the day before her birthday.
“Sabi ni Mariel, ‘Text mo ako kapag nandiyan ka na sa studio.’ So nag-text naman ako sa kanya. Nagpunta na ako sa dressing room niya. Pagpasok ko, nakasalang na pala siya pero may nakita na ako na mga balloon, tapos may box ng cake. Sabi ko, ‘Para sa akin ‘to. Wala naman sigurong may birthday ngayon.’ Tapos yung yaya ni Mariel nakita kong parang nagulat siya ng konti. Tapos umupo lang ako roon. Pagpasok ni Mariel galit na galit siya. ‘Sabi niya, ‘Bakit hindi ka nag-text? Sabi ko mag-text ka. Dapat isu-surprise ka namin,” she shared in an exclusive interview with The Buzz magazine.
Mariel also showed how she went all out for her friend by holding a banner that said “Happy Birthday Bianca G. We love you!”
Bianca said that she really appreciates the effort her friends made for her birthday despite being busy that day.
“So yun, nag-konting salo-salo bago pumunta si Toni sa shooting ng pelikula niya at bago puntahan ni Mariel si Robin (Padilla). So may konting party kami roon. Yun na ang gift nila sa akin. Ganon talaga kami. Sa Christmas din kasi kami talaga nagbibigay ng gift sa isa’t isa. Pagdating sa birthday, we make it a point na nagkikita-kita kami,” she shared in The Buzz magazine.
Bianca’s manager and good friend Boy Abunda also had a nice gift for the 28-year-old host.
“Hindi ko pa nakukuha kasi gusto niyang pumili raw ako ng designer tapos bibigyan niya ako ng damit. Sosyal nga si Tito Boy. Pero hanggang ngayon wala pa akong napipili. Nahihiya kasi ako. Sinasabi ko nga sa kanya, ‘Tito Boy sigurado ka?’ kasi siyempre ang mahal noon, ‘di ba?” she said in the exclusive feature story.
Bianca’s loyal fans also gave her the most memorable birthday by surprising her in her dressing room while doing SNN.
“Pagbalik ko sa dressing room, idinesenyo nila lahat. As in first time na may nakagawa sa akin ng ganoon. Sobrang na-touch ako!” she said in The Buzz magazine.
Bianca also couldn’t help but write about her fan’s efforts in her personal blog, www.iamsuperbianca.com, which read, “That evening after a loooong, haaaard days work, I got the one of the sweetest surprises of my life. I got back to my dressing room and I saw this. My whole dressing room decked out in photo collages, flowers, balloons, gifts, cakes, letters. The sweetest! aaaaaaaaaaw.. :),” she wrote.
Bianca also received an unexpected floral arrangement from President Noynoy Aquino which arrived at her home.
The pretty host celebrated her birthday in a simple way, with her mom and rumored boyfriend cager JC Intal.
“Buong araw talaga ng birthday ko nasa bahay ako. We had lunch together with my mom. Simple lang,” she told The Buzz magazine.
In her blog, Bianca admitted that she doesn’t want to make a big fuss about her birthday.
She wrote “I never really celebrate big on my birthday, I've never thrown a party and I've never made an event out of it. I just really like spending my birthday with the people important to me, doing something simple but special!” (report from Rhea Manila Santos/Push.com.ph)
CBCP: More than 130,000 joined Visita Iglesia online
MANILA, Philippines - More than 130,000 joined the Visita Iglesia online, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.
This is far better from the 40,000 number of visitors who registered last year. Philippine Star said the online version of the Holy Week tradition had fewer registered viewers last year because the website crashed.
Visita Iglesia online, launched by the media office of CBCP, is a website that offers a "virtual experience of celebrating Lent, the Holy Week and Easter at the comfort of one's room."
It was primarily launched for overseas Filipino workers.
Here, users can listen to the pasyon (sung readings of the Gospel account of Christ's Passion), watch videos of the Seven Last Words, read homilies and take part in the Stations of the Cross via a computer with an Internet connection.
"The liturgy is a community act and being so it is most meaningfully celebrated in the context of the community or the parish," CBCP media director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said in the group's website.
Visita Iglesia Online features 14 shrines and pilgrimage churches, as well as reflections given by Filipino priests. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)
This is far better from the 40,000 number of visitors who registered last year. Philippine Star said the online version of the Holy Week tradition had fewer registered viewers last year because the website crashed.
Visita Iglesia online, launched by the media office of CBCP, is a website that offers a "virtual experience of celebrating Lent, the Holy Week and Easter at the comfort of one's room."
It was primarily launched for overseas Filipino workers.
Here, users can listen to the pasyon (sung readings of the Gospel account of Christ's Passion), watch videos of the Seven Last Words, read homilies and take part in the Stations of the Cross via a computer with an Internet connection.
"The liturgy is a community act and being so it is most meaningfully celebrated in the context of the community or the parish," CBCP media director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said in the group's website.
Visita Iglesia Online features 14 shrines and pilgrimage churches, as well as reflections given by Filipino priests. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)
No to a hero’s burial, no to a revision of history
MANILA, Philippines -- Unfazed by criticisms for its stand against interring former President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) stands by its position and reiterates calls for lawmakers to withdraw their support to House Resolution 1135.
Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero, proponent of the resolution urging President Benigno S. Aquino III to allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, said in a radio interview that “he was saddened by CEAP’s opposition to his resolution” and urged them to “be open-minded and heed the Lord’s Prayer about forgiveness.’’
But CEAP president Fr. Gregorio Bañaga, in an interview with the Students and Campuses Bulletin, says true reconciliation should be based on justice.
“Who doesn’t want to be reconciled? We want unity and reconciliation, we want to move on, but let it be true reconciliation based on justice. We cannot reconcile and at your back, I stab you. Nelson Mandela formed a truth commission in South Africa to review the crimes and violations against human rights and their laws. They (violators) were not jailed but they had to confess, accept their mistake and repent. And then they moved on. Is there ever a statement by the Marcoses admitting that they indeed repressed human rights? Are they repentant? That is why in our statement, we quoted St. Augustine, ‘charity cannot substitute for justice denied’,” explains Fr. Bañaga.
Preventing a revision of history
Fr. Bañaga stresses that CEAP came up with a statement because they want to prevent a revision of our history.
“Falsehood might be peddled. What was the reason why the first EDSA Revolution happened? Do you mean to say that the Filipino people at that time made a mistake in throwing away the dictatorship. Filipinos easily forget the past. And because we easily forget, we never learn,” laments Fr. Bañaga, stressing that the decision to bury the late president at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, will “even exacerbate and show the separation and the division of the people.’’
As it is, the resolution is already dividing the nation, even as more congressmen are starting to show support for the resolution. As of presstime, there are 219 solons who have signed the resolution. Furthermore, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from March 4 to 7, revealed that 50 percent of Filipinos were in favor of the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani while 49 percent were not.
The former President is currently buried in a refrigerated crypt in his hometown in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
Fake war hero?
In the resolution initiated by Escudero, an agriculture minister during the Marcos administration, Marcos is described as “a well-decorated soldier, a veteran of World War II, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and the longest serving president of the Republic who built the modern foundations of the Philippines.”
Therefore, according to the resolution, a burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani “will not only be an acknowledgement of the way Marcos led a life as a Filipino patriot, but will also be a magnanimous act of reconciliation which will strengthen the bonds of solidarity among the Filipino people.”
CEAP in its statement, said “that these exaggerated claims about Marcos cannot be farther from the truth, and do not at all justify a hero’s burial for him.”
Fr. Bañaga says American historian Alfred McCoy has long debunked the tale of Marcos as a well-decorated soldier. “Mccoy said 25 years ago that the Maharlika guerrilla unit which Marcos supposedly organized and led did not exist. Marcos was in the war, perhaps as an ordinary soldier. But to say that he was a hero is something else. And history does not seem to prove that,” he points out.
Marcos' rise and fall
The CEAP statement underscores that Marcos became “the longest serving Philippine President because he declared martial law, used military repression to silence opponents, destroyed what was then an imperfect but working democratic system, and perpetuated himself in power through an authoritarian Constitution which was never legitimately ratified.”
“The media was repressed and there was no news about what was really happening, particularly the excesses of the Marcos regime and repression of human rights. So what the people saw was President Marcos’ astuteness, intelligence, political savvy and some achievements. But as he stayed longer in power the true situation of the nation became apparent and the noble objectives of his party became corrupted. He stayed in power for 14 years. To do that, he had to change the Constitution. So we cannot really say that he did a lot. He did many things but in the end, we became even worse. The Philippines became the sick man of Asia,” Fr. Bañaga says, adding that the former President must not be compared to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who was a person of integrity.
Fr. Bañaga also compared the solons’ attempt to paint a false image of the late President and his regime to the outrageous claim of some people that the Holocaust never happened.
“This is something similar to some guys in Germany who denied that the holocaust ever happened, that it is not true that Adolf Hitler ordered the killing of six million Jews. They said it was just a fiction of the imagination. But in Adamson University, some Jewish professors came here at that time and were given sanctuary. They taught here. So how could you deny that it never happened,” says Fr. Bañaga who is also the president of Adamson University.
Significance of burial place
The real meaning of being interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani must also be defined to know who deserves to be buried there, he adds.
“In a survey on who should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, on top of the list of Filipinos are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Ninoy and Cory Aquino. Yet the Aquino family is not even insisting that they be buried there. Not even all the Presidents of the United States are in Arlington Cemetery,” he notes.
But if the late President would indeed be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Fr. Bañaga says it will definitely have serious implications on the youth, the country and the world.
He believes the youth will be even more confused with the real meaning of history while the country will be further divided and have a lot of unrest, instead of peace.
“We are the ones who started the power of a peaceful revolt. In fact, people power was enshrined in our Constitution, during the time of President Cory. That was our gift to the world. So if we bury him at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, other nations will think that there was really no reason for our revolt in the first place. So what are we going to teach? We will revert history, we will reverse everything,” he says.
Fr. Bañaga says they are continuing to appeal to the congressmen who have signed the resolution to withdraw their signatures and support to this proposal.
“The Libingan ng mga Bayani is hallowed ground meant for true heroes. It was established as a memorial to pay fitting tribute to the gallant Filipino men and women who have brought honor to the country by fighting for freedom and democracy. How can we bury among our heroes the very man whose dictatorial regime we rejected and ousted during the EDSA people power revolution 25 years ago? It will be nothing less than a desecration and nullification of the Filipino people’s long struggle and victory for democracy which we are proud to have gifted the world as an example of non-violent political change,” declares CEAP in its statement. (report from Rachel C. Barawid/Manila Bulletin)
Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero, proponent of the resolution urging President Benigno S. Aquino III to allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, said in a radio interview that “he was saddened by CEAP’s opposition to his resolution” and urged them to “be open-minded and heed the Lord’s Prayer about forgiveness.’’
But CEAP president Fr. Gregorio Bañaga, in an interview with the Students and Campuses Bulletin, says true reconciliation should be based on justice.
“Who doesn’t want to be reconciled? We want unity and reconciliation, we want to move on, but let it be true reconciliation based on justice. We cannot reconcile and at your back, I stab you. Nelson Mandela formed a truth commission in South Africa to review the crimes and violations against human rights and their laws. They (violators) were not jailed but they had to confess, accept their mistake and repent. And then they moved on. Is there ever a statement by the Marcoses admitting that they indeed repressed human rights? Are they repentant? That is why in our statement, we quoted St. Augustine, ‘charity cannot substitute for justice denied’,” explains Fr. Bañaga.
Preventing a revision of history
Fr. Bañaga stresses that CEAP came up with a statement because they want to prevent a revision of our history.
“Falsehood might be peddled. What was the reason why the first EDSA Revolution happened? Do you mean to say that the Filipino people at that time made a mistake in throwing away the dictatorship. Filipinos easily forget the past. And because we easily forget, we never learn,” laments Fr. Bañaga, stressing that the decision to bury the late president at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, will “even exacerbate and show the separation and the division of the people.’’
As it is, the resolution is already dividing the nation, even as more congressmen are starting to show support for the resolution. As of presstime, there are 219 solons who have signed the resolution. Furthermore, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from March 4 to 7, revealed that 50 percent of Filipinos were in favor of the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani while 49 percent were not.
The former President is currently buried in a refrigerated crypt in his hometown in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
Fake war hero?
In the resolution initiated by Escudero, an agriculture minister during the Marcos administration, Marcos is described as “a well-decorated soldier, a veteran of World War II, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and the longest serving president of the Republic who built the modern foundations of the Philippines.”
Therefore, according to the resolution, a burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani “will not only be an acknowledgement of the way Marcos led a life as a Filipino patriot, but will also be a magnanimous act of reconciliation which will strengthen the bonds of solidarity among the Filipino people.”
CEAP in its statement, said “that these exaggerated claims about Marcos cannot be farther from the truth, and do not at all justify a hero’s burial for him.”
Fr. Bañaga says American historian Alfred McCoy has long debunked the tale of Marcos as a well-decorated soldier. “Mccoy said 25 years ago that the Maharlika guerrilla unit which Marcos supposedly organized and led did not exist. Marcos was in the war, perhaps as an ordinary soldier. But to say that he was a hero is something else. And history does not seem to prove that,” he points out.
Marcos' rise and fall
The CEAP statement underscores that Marcos became “the longest serving Philippine President because he declared martial law, used military repression to silence opponents, destroyed what was then an imperfect but working democratic system, and perpetuated himself in power through an authoritarian Constitution which was never legitimately ratified.”
“The media was repressed and there was no news about what was really happening, particularly the excesses of the Marcos regime and repression of human rights. So what the people saw was President Marcos’ astuteness, intelligence, political savvy and some achievements. But as he stayed longer in power the true situation of the nation became apparent and the noble objectives of his party became corrupted. He stayed in power for 14 years. To do that, he had to change the Constitution. So we cannot really say that he did a lot. He did many things but in the end, we became even worse. The Philippines became the sick man of Asia,” Fr. Bañaga says, adding that the former President must not be compared to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who was a person of integrity.
Fr. Bañaga also compared the solons’ attempt to paint a false image of the late President and his regime to the outrageous claim of some people that the Holocaust never happened.
“This is something similar to some guys in Germany who denied that the holocaust ever happened, that it is not true that Adolf Hitler ordered the killing of six million Jews. They said it was just a fiction of the imagination. But in Adamson University, some Jewish professors came here at that time and were given sanctuary. They taught here. So how could you deny that it never happened,” says Fr. Bañaga who is also the president of Adamson University.
Significance of burial place
The real meaning of being interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani must also be defined to know who deserves to be buried there, he adds.
“In a survey on who should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, on top of the list of Filipinos are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Ninoy and Cory Aquino. Yet the Aquino family is not even insisting that they be buried there. Not even all the Presidents of the United States are in Arlington Cemetery,” he notes.
But if the late President would indeed be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Fr. Bañaga says it will definitely have serious implications on the youth, the country and the world.
He believes the youth will be even more confused with the real meaning of history while the country will be further divided and have a lot of unrest, instead of peace.
“We are the ones who started the power of a peaceful revolt. In fact, people power was enshrined in our Constitution, during the time of President Cory. That was our gift to the world. So if we bury him at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, other nations will think that there was really no reason for our revolt in the first place. So what are we going to teach? We will revert history, we will reverse everything,” he says.
Fr. Bañaga says they are continuing to appeal to the congressmen who have signed the resolution to withdraw their signatures and support to this proposal.
“The Libingan ng mga Bayani is hallowed ground meant for true heroes. It was established as a memorial to pay fitting tribute to the gallant Filipino men and women who have brought honor to the country by fighting for freedom and democracy. How can we bury among our heroes the very man whose dictatorial regime we rejected and ousted during the EDSA people power revolution 25 years ago? It will be nothing less than a desecration and nullification of the Filipino people’s long struggle and victory for democracy which we are proud to have gifted the world as an example of non-violent political change,” declares CEAP in its statement. (report from Rachel C. Barawid/Manila Bulletin)
MMDA braces for thousands returning to Manila
MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is bracing for the return of tens of thousands of people to Manila following the long Holy Week holidays.
The MMDA said that as of noon on Sunday, vehicular traffic going back to Manila is smooth and light.
The agency, however, expects the traffic to get heavy in afternoon until Monday, as Filipinos who traveled to the provinces make their way back to the metropolis.
“We have 1,000 people deployed just getting ready for this,” MMDA spokesperson Tina Velasco told ANC.
The MMDA noted that about a quarter of a million people left Metro Manila during Holy Week, based on figures from the North and South Luzon Expressway officials.
The MMDA also reminded motorists that the number-coding scheme, which was suspended during the Holy Week break, will resume on Monday. (report from ANC/abs-cbnNEWS.com)
The MMDA said that as of noon on Sunday, vehicular traffic going back to Manila is smooth and light.
The agency, however, expects the traffic to get heavy in afternoon until Monday, as Filipinos who traveled to the provinces make their way back to the metropolis.
“We have 1,000 people deployed just getting ready for this,” MMDA spokesperson Tina Velasco told ANC.
The MMDA noted that about a quarter of a million people left Metro Manila during Holy Week, based on figures from the North and South Luzon Expressway officials.
The MMDA also reminded motorists that the number-coding scheme, which was suspended during the Holy Week break, will resume on Monday. (report from ANC/abs-cbnNEWS.com)
Hubby on Pilar Pilapil’s condition: She's already OK
MANILA, Philippines – Until awarded actress Pilar Pilapil is released from a hospital, the most patient one to take care of her is husband Pastor Bernie Peñas.
That is aside from Pilapil’s immediate family like only daughter Pia Pilapil, her blind better half Gerry Gonzalo and their 4 children.
Brother Bernie does not only attend to his wife’s needs but also talk to Pilar’s fellow actors and friends from the press.
According to Peñas, he and Pilar have agreed that it is not yet time to give media interview to avoid pressure and tension that could add up to the actress’ traumatic experience.
There are a number of movie journalists who want to have an audience with Pilapil, said Bernie.
“In due time, she might tell her story,” said Peñas.
Pilapil has been attacked by suspected carjackers and kidnappers more than a week ago.
“But she’s already okay. Thank God for His amazing grace,” said Peñas in his text message. (report from Boy Villasanta/abs-cbnNEWS.com)
That is aside from Pilapil’s immediate family like only daughter Pia Pilapil, her blind better half Gerry Gonzalo and their 4 children.
Brother Bernie does not only attend to his wife’s needs but also talk to Pilar’s fellow actors and friends from the press.
According to Peñas, he and Pilar have agreed that it is not yet time to give media interview to avoid pressure and tension that could add up to the actress’ traumatic experience.
There are a number of movie journalists who want to have an audience with Pilapil, said Bernie.
“In due time, she might tell her story,” said Peñas.
Pilapil has been attacked by suspected carjackers and kidnappers more than a week ago.
“But she’s already okay. Thank God for His amazing grace,” said Peñas in his text message. (report from Boy Villasanta/abs-cbnNEWS.com)
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