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Party(list) People

Monday, April 30, 2007

KABATAAN Partylist held a fashion show-concert against electoral fraud and violence last April 24, 2007 at Araneta Ave. cor Erod in Quezon City.

The fashion show featured different election-related issues that hound the May 2007 elections and the youth’s tasks to ensure clean and honest elections.

Here is the story from Bulatlat.com. And here are more party photos from Arti Entertainment.
Party Ng Kabataan - A Fashion Show and Rock Concert for a CLEAN and HONEST 2007 Elections held last April 24 ,2007 at Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.

Featured Fashion Designers are Ani Cunanan, Tracy Dizon, Ioeli Cabunilas, Jani Llave, Kermit Tesoro and Rei Raña.

Props Designers were Carla Ujano and Manolo Sicat.

With performances by Datu’s Tribe, WUDS, Kadangyan, Milagros Dancehall Collective, Reggae Mistress, Peace Pipe, Top Junk with Tuesday Vargas, Puny Eathlings and Brownman Revival

Directed by Jani Llave

Photographed by Cyrus Tantay

Continue reading this entry >>


National Disgrace Award

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Today we will troop to the DOJ to award Raul Gonzales with a mudpie with words "national disgrace" written on it. This is after we gave a cake to SC Chief Justice Puno and hailed him as a youth idol and hero. We will also call for Gonzy's removal from office. I hope we get media coverage and land in the news.

If Gonzy agrees to retire, I think giving him a mug like this one as a retirement gift would be a great idea. But instead of a dog's mouth, I think an illustration of a mouth with a gag on it would make a lovelier sight. Hehe.

Continue reading this entry >>


It's joke time

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Joke for the day #1: AFP takes lead in pact for clean polls

Joke for the day #2: Esperon orders troops to focus on solving political killings

Joke for the day #3: Chavit caught on video buying votes (again). Story here.

The punchline: when he realized there were media men, he took it back and said he was giving away not 50,000 pesos per barangay but 50,000 "anting-antings."

Sorry Chavit, but according to the COMELEC guidelines, it is not only money politicians are not allowed to give out but things of "use value". Including large volumes of anting-antings, I guess. (Hmm, on second thought...)

The best joke of the day award goes to Alan Cayetano: "DOJ Raul Gonzales should be added to the Guinness Book of World Records for most ridiculous things said and most excuses for breaking the law," he said on a TV interview reacting on news of Gonzales' vote-buying attempt. Nadale mo!

Joke time is over: 3 weeks before elections, Arroyo releases P1.76B for "infra repair." Bwiset.

Continue reading this entry >>


Hack the vote and then get the 16gb flash disk

Try to dig this: Hackers Invited To Crack Internet Voting.

A comment hitting that "common-sense-lang-yan-c'mon" spot:
1. Find bug, 2. Don't report it, 3. ????, 4. Profit!

More techie news: 16GB flash disk soon to come.

Meanwhile, the breakthrough of "phase-change" memory, which is 500-1,000 times faster than the current "flash" memory, has been announced.
"You can do a lot of things with this phase-change memory that you can't do with flash," IBM senior manager of nanoscale science Spike Narayan told AFP.

"You can replace disks, do instant-on computers, or carry your own fancy computer application in your hand. It would complement smaller technology if manufacturers wanted to conjure things up."
Which means in a few years, we will have smaller chips doing unbelievable, beyond our imagination things.

Continue reading this entry >>


Pekeng Partylists ng Pekeng Pangulo

Monday, April 23, 2007

Here's direct evidence of Malacanang's hand in the funding and operations of some partylists.

The memo, exposed by progressive partylists last week, was a letter addressed to the President made by the Office of External Affairs, informing her of the formation of the OEA Special Operations Group which will focus on the participation of Malacanang funded partylists in the May 2007 elections. P5.5 million was initially asked to fund the campaign.

The partylists:
  • Agbiag! Timpuyog Ilocano (Agbiag!)
  • Babae para sa Kaunlaran (Babae Ka)
  • League of Youth for Peace and Development (LYPAD)
  • Kalahi Advocates for Overseas Filipinos (KALAHI)
The objectives:
  • Provide full support to several Comelec accredited party-list groups that are ascertained to be pro-administration and ensure the winning of nine (9) to twelve (12) seats in the House of Representatives;
  • Form a party-list bloc that will support the plans and programs of the administration and help in countering destabilization moves by the opposition as well as left-leaning party-list groups;
  • Contribute in the overall campaign to substantially lower the number of votes of leftist and left-leaning party-list organizations, and in the process reduce the seats of these anti-administration parties in the House of Representatives.
Download/read the .pdf files of the memo and the OEA plan here. (via kabataanparty.com)

Continue reading this entry >>


Paper graffiti for human rights

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Sulok ni Karl has some interesting stuff in his multiply account, including this paper installation art for Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, the 2 UP students abducted by the military in Bulacan.

Photos here.

More info on the Karen and Sherlyn abduction here.

Continue reading this entry >>


Philippine Army kills 9-year old girl

Young columnist Pat Evangelista today writes about the murder of Grecil Buya, a 9 year old girl, in Compostela Valley. Grecil was killed by AFP soldiers.
At the encounter site, they saw the dead girl lying on the ground. The back of Grecil’s head had been blasted off. Almasa claims no firearms were found near the body.

The fact that the AFP even had the guts to use Grecil's murder for propaganda is really deplorable. What kind of thinking breeds such disregard for life?
She was 9 years old. She had big brown eyes and shiny black hair. She liked spider-fighting and watching “Wowowee,” and woke up at six every morning for the hour-long walk down the mountain to her second-grade class. Her teacher said she should study harder, and she did, because she was a little girl who wanted to be a nurse someday. She had a medal for “Most Neat” at the end of the school year. In the summer, she played with the other children, racing rubber bands while hopping in green-slippered feet.

Her name was Grecil, and she was killed, shot once on the elbow and once on the head.

Angry reactions here.

Continue reading this entry >>


More on the NCAE

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

My statement on the NCAE landed on the letter to the editor page of the Inquirer here, last Friday, April 13.

I watched a show in ANC hosted by Tina Monzon-Palma tackling the same matter the other day. Carol Anoos, a recent high school graduate from Quirino HS, also a member of KABATAAN Partylist, was one of the guests in the show. Carol boycotted the exam because she did not believe it would have served its purported objectives.

Along with Carol is a DepEd undersecretary, a TESDA consultant, and a guidance councilor from Ateneo.

I shall answer some points raised by DepEd in the discussion which tried to justify their implementation NCAE. It is important to discredit these wrong notions once and for all for it is persistently being peddled by the DepEd and because many are actually falling for their arguments.

1. The NCAE will help the students in evaluating their skills and finding the right career path for them. Maybe help them choose a college course.

This might be a popular belief, more like a common sense thing, but this is not true.

If they wanted to help the students choose a course or a career path, they should have implemented the exam June or July of last year. That was the time the students were choosing the courses they would take. They would have already made a choice when the exam took place, much more during the release of the results. It didn't help with nothing.

The NCAE doesn't aim to help you find a course or a career for that matter. It is aimed to screen students who want to enter college. See the difference? The first wants you all to go to college and help you with it. The NCAE, in the word of Sec. Lapuz, "wants you to appreciate other alternatives to a college diploma."

Its a national entrance exam to college, much like the NCEE during martial law. Only, it's covered will a lot of bullshit.

Let's assume that they really did have the intention of examining the students' skills and academic tendencies to help them with their career path. The NCAE would, still, have not achieved such purpose. Why? Because you have an unbelievably low quality of education.

For example, if you want to evaluate what fruit juice would do to your body, you would have to drink an ample amount of fruit juice and observe what happens. You wouldn't drink water or poison, or wouldn't take a teaspoon of fruit juice.

You wouldn't be able to evaluate career skills of a student if in the first place, basic learning competencies and requirements were not taught to the student.


2. No need to worry, the NCAE is optional. It is just a "guide."

This statement is clear sign of bullshit. This is a pilot test. In a few years, they want this test to be required and they will push for a law to make it so.


3. It's no problem if you fail. There is high market demand for tech-voc anyways. This is actually the point of all this: to show students that they should go voc-tech.

There you go. That's what they really want. To push students to go voc-tech. What's wrong with that?

Let me tell you first where the idea came from. It's a 1998 Philippine Education Sector Study, from the ADB, IMF-WB has its own recommendation, saying that our "globalization" role is to provide "semi-skilled" labor.

What's wrong, is that, again, the DepEd is blindly following these recommendations. Voc-tech: call centers, transcriptionists, etc., are indeed wanted it the market TODAY. But what about a few years from now? 5 years? 10 years? 20? What if a new foreign recommendation comes out 2008?

These sunshine industries are just temporary, short-term jobs, that are 'uso,' for now. What if investors decided to suddenly pull out for whatever reason?

Employment in the long term would necessitate national industry development, that is self-sustained, stable and progressive. This would necessitate an education that is of reasonable quality, has strong nationalist characteristics, and scientific. Far from the education that the DepEd is pushing for with its recent NCAE.

----

What? Still hooked by that job mismatch thing? The mismatch is here: DepEd Sec. Jesli Lapuz is not an educator. He is a businessman and a politician. He should be booted out of that office before he makes more trouble.

Continue reading this entry >>


At SM, We've Got it All/Tragedy at the Escalator

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Long story short: Kinain ng escalator sa SM ang tsinelas sa kaliwang paa ko at ang laylayan ng pantalon ko, muntik na yung paa ko.

I am not kidding. The escalator freak accident story about a child's jacket getting caught in the end of the escalator, pulling the kid and injuring him, could really happen. And I unfortunately had to find this out myself in an unbelievable fashion.

What follows is an account of how I got stuck in that damn escalator in SM North Monday after Easter, and how I dealt with the management who refused to take responsibility. (Damn greedy capitalists!)

And no, I am not making this up. I wish I am. I don't know if it was because my penitensya last holy week was not enough. It freaking happened.



The tragedy

Around 12:30nn, Silay and I were going up from the SM North Food Court which was at the lower ground floor to the upper ground. We were having a conversation while we boarded the ascending escalator.

When we reached the top, as the escalator folded, I stepped my right foot out of the escalator. As I lifted my left foot, I felt the back part of my left slipper being pulled down by the escalator, then something from the escalator snapped, and got the end of my khaki pants as well.

I resisted and tried to pull my slippers to prevent injury on my left foot. Good thing the escalator's force stopped pulling, half of my slippers and the end of my pants were just stuck.

A few seconds after, perhaps after noticing that people were getting stalled behind us, a technician and a security personnel pushed the emergency button and stopped the machine. I was waiting for the technician to tell me what to do since I was stuck there and half of my slipper was in the machine, or maybe reverse the machine so that I could get my foot out.

But hell, he didn't tell me anything. He just stared at the escalator and my foot and radioed security. Seems his job was to look after the escalator and not the people getting stuck in it.


The moment

For a moment, I was stuck there, until this man came from behind us in the escalator, and probably thought that the escalator was still pulling my leg. He hurriedly helped me pull out my pants from the machine and pulled my slipper which tore it. The back half of it was left in the escalator.

By then, security guards were already there but still no SM personnel talked to me to ask me if I was alright or if I was injured or anything. As it seemed, the "yes-ma'am/sir-how-may-I-help?" assistance was only available if you want to buy something from their stalls.

I stood for a while beside the elevator waiting for of the guards to assist me, but no, they were too busy, reporting the broken escalator.


The encounter

A kind woman who passed by with her kids told me, "Naku, wag nyong palagpasin yan. Demand nyo na dapat palitan ang tsinelas mo at pantalon mo, kung hindi idemanda nyo sila o kaya ireport nyo sa media. Mananalo kayo. Wag nyo yan palagpasin."

That was when I stopped expecting SM to come to my rescue and "assist" me. Heck, the way it looked, they were more concerned about the trouble a broken escalator was bringing to their daily sales. At that moment, the sense of artificial comfort, entertainment, pamamasyal, ease, you feel when you're in SM ceases to exist.

I suddenly felt like I was in Morayta, or Recto, having to deal with the bullshit of pulis patolas. Or in a picket, confronting the greed and profiteering schemes capitalists.

Me: "Sino bang pwedeng kausapin? Kinain ng makina nyo yung tsinelas ko e. Pano ba ito?"

Guard: "Hintayin lang po natin yung higher sa kin,"

Me: "Asan ba ang Customer Relations? Building Manager? Admin?"

(Hehe. If this was a rally, I would have asked for their ground commander.)



The office

We walked to the Customer Relations Office (it's also the Security Office) with my slippers pigtas and torn to half. The office looked like a police desk. It was ugly, with dirty walls, plastic chairs, nothing like the stalls inside SM.

Man at desk: "Ano po yun sir?"

WTF? Anong ano po yun?

One of your escalators is now broken and it almost injured my foot. Isn't that the reason you have walkie-talkies, to know what's happening inside the freaking mall?

Ano po yun?! Ano to, barangay hall?

Me: "Naipit yung paa ko ng isa sa mga escalators."

Man at desk: "So magcocomplain po kayo?"

Ay syempre. Anong gagawin ko? Magpapasalamat?

Me: "Oo sana. Sino bang pwedeng makausap? Yung building administrator nyo pwde ba?"

Man at desk: "Tatawagan ko na ho yung building admin. Pwede pong pasulat lang ng statement nyo." He gets a paper with a header saying "STATEMENT".

Me: "Sige, mamaya na ko susulat, kakausapin ko muna admin nyo."

Man: "Papunta na daw ho, sumulat na muna kayo jan para may reference lang kami."

It really felt like I was in a police station. I reminded myself: when you are in trouble, do not sign anything. I refused to sign the statement unless I saw the building manager.


The manager

I don't know if she's really the building manager, she most likely was a customer assistant or something. She looked younger and more middle class-ish than the security officers at the desk. Parang me highlights at nakarebond ang hair ng lola mo.

Building manager: "Ah, good afternoon sir."

Lintek.

BM: "Ah, kasi po first time lang ito nangyari. Aksidente po ito at hindi po naman nangyayari talaga.”

Translation: The mall was not responsible for the accident. It was not caused by the mall.

BM: “Bale sa ngayon po, papalitan natin ang tsinelas nyo para hindi kayo barefoot."

Translation: O, bibigyan ka pa namin ng pabor.
Me: "E yung pantalon ko?"

BM: "E hindi ko pa po masasagot yan ngayon. Bale mag-file na lang po kayo ng complaint tapos i-raraise pa po sa management,"

Me: "Pano ba yun? Hindi ba dapat may ibigay man lamang sa king pakonswelo ang management dahil sa nangayaring ito?"

BM: "Syempre we understand naman po. We assure you naman po na ang hindi pababayaan ng management ang pangyayaring ganito."

Her words were scripted. It was like talking to a government office. Protocol-ish.

Me: "I'm leaving my legal options open." Nanakot pa ko. "Sige, palitan na lang natin muna ang tsinelas ko."

We went inside the mall, looked for a pair of slippers. On the way, we rode two escalators. Both of which had missing chips, "bungi".

Me: "Tignan mo yan o, sira ang mga escalator nyo."

BM: "Ho?"

Ho?

I wanted the same kind of slippers I had but there was no size for me. I chose another kind, the ones with thick sole para hindi na sumabit sa escalator ulit. She payed for it with a credit card: P191.50.


The statement

We went back to the office as agreed for me to write down my complaint. I have never been comfortable writing down statements on papers, I don't trust my handwriting and always do my stuff on the computer. I seldom even write down notes of meetings or events.

"Kinain ng inyong escalator ang aking tsinelas at laylayan ng pantalon..."

I've decided to write in Filipino to make it easier for me and for whoever will read the complaint. I made it as simple as possible.

"...paakyat kami mula sa food court..."

But I've decided not to make a simple "affidavit" of what happened but, indeed, a "statement" of my demands.

"Dahil sa nangyari sa akin, hinihiling ko sa SM mgmt ang ss:

> Palitan ang lahat ng mga nasira sa akin. Tsinelas, pantalon.

> Bigyan ako ng sapat na halaga bilang kabayaran sa injury, perwisyo, kahihiyan at abalang idinulot sa akin.

> Ayusin na ang mga escalator ng SM at tiyaking hindi na maulit ang nangyari.

Matindi ang aking paniniwala na ang kapabayaan ng SM ang may kasalanan sa nangyari sa akin at hindi simpleng aksidente lamang."

BM: "We apologize po ulit. Tatawagan na lang kayo kung anong updates."


The aftermath

I went back to the "crime scene" to get the other half of my tsinelas, but was surprised to see that the escalator was already repaired and was functioning as if nothing happened.

This proved that they already knew very well how to repair the escalators in case of such accidents. This was definitely not their first time.

I still haven't talked to a lawyer for legal advice. Maybe I could give me at least SM gift certificates for compensation. Some people are saying that if this happened in the US, that I could sue for millions.

Asa pa sa SM.

Oh well. Buti na lang kamo hindi ako naka-Crocs. At buo pa ang mga daliri ko sa paa.


Continue reading this entry >>


Hindi lang pang KABATAAN

Wednesday, April 4, 2007



KABATAAN Partylist posts new videos featuring parents, vendors, teachers, and workers that will vote for KABATAAN.

This one features Nanay Malou, a vendor in Maisan, a community in Sampaloc, Manila.

Videos made by Sine Patriyotiko (SIPAT). And no, they're not a professional ad agency. Magaling lang talaga 'pag KABATAAN. :)


The rest of the videos here.

Continue reading this entry >>


April Fools

Sunday, April 1, 2007

‘Keep up good work,’ Arroyo tells deployed Metro troops.

Is this a joke? Or does this president really take us all for fools?

It seems the COMELEC is also fooling with us, in its refusal to release the list of party-list nominees, which allegedly includes the son of Benjamin Abalos.

Kabataan Partylist thinks GMA is not fooling anyone with its lies regarding economic growth.

Take a break from government lies and senselessness: read the Alston report, which was also tackled by today's Inquirer editorial.

PhilippineRevolution.net comes out with new documentaries for the NPA's anniversary last March 29. Watch.

----
Showbiz balita: friends texted me last weekend saying Dionne of PBB is a member of the LFS. I wasn't enthusiastic though. The last time I watched PBB, she was in trouble because of indecent conduct.

Continue reading this entry >>


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