For Bikol and the World

I got to meet Gibo at the UP College of Law where he was known to be an exceptional student, which reputation he cemented when he topped the 1989 Bar exams. Years later, I would chance on him in Congress whenever I would serve as a resource person for hearings on human rights bills. The last time I personally conversed with him was when we happened to be on the same plane to San Francisco a few years back.

"ITO ANG PANATA KO: TAPUSIN ANG KAHIRAPAN." (This is my avowed mission: to end poverty.)"

To this Manny Villar's opponents quickly raise alarums given his multi-million peso advertising campaign vis-à-vis the C-5 controversy: all that money would be recovered through presidential influence, if not outright corruption. Hence, the joke now about "C-5 at Taga" as against his "Sipag at Tiyaga."

On Tuesday, Feb. 09, the campaign period for president and other national officials will formally begin. Of course, our aspirants have long been campaigning already. But what matters now is that each of us who will cast our votes must be a discerning voter.

Sad to say, Mayor Robredo (through Mr. Prilles; email 01/26/10) is now accusing me, among other personal attacks, of having "cherry-picked" data and of "intellectual dishonesty." He also dragged in Fr.

Jesse Robredo is set to finish his third term as Mayor of Naga on June 30. With his first three terms from1988-1998 and his succeeding three terms from 2001-2010, he will then have been in power for 18 long years.

Every New Year finds us listing our resolutions for a brand new start. This usually covers our personal and family lives as well as our work. But an important aspect which we often take for granted is the community in which we live in, that, is, society at large from our own barangays and localities to the nation and the world.

Here, tradition bids us to consider the "Urbi et Orbi" message of no less than our Holy Father.

As the grim details of the Maguindanao slowly come out, we find ourselves at a loss for words to describe it other than -

UNSPEAKABLE, BARBARIC.

And equally for us all, we assert that the massacre is not "a mere aberration" as Malacañang puts it. In truth, it stands as a stark reminder of unfettered lawlessness in the country by lawless elements tolerated, if not encouraged by direct support or inaction, by the "Strong Republic" of the present dispensation.

On Friday last, I fetched my daughter from school at Poveda. If you happen to do this routine, you normally scout almost every student on sight, whether walking or running towards the exit gate, just sitting idly by, reading or chatting with friends, laughing or crying, or otherwise simply playing tag or hide and seek on the grounds until you finally see your child.

We Filipinos have been known to reveal our real sentiments in jokes. This avenue for expression may be traceable to our history of colonial subjugation, oppression under Martial Law, and the iron hand of the present " Republic."

True enough, in the wake of the massive flooding in Metro Manila brought by typhoon "Ondoy," the latest joke to come out was about the Rainforest Park in Pasig City.