Death and Taxes

Coed commits suicide over tuition. She could have been a shining example of how the public domain works, instead she's dead. There's a vivid connection between  death and taxes.

Education is one of the areas that taxes are suppose to cover. Trillions of pesos, collected as taxes, failed to save this particular life.  We have income tax, corporate tax, value added tax, sin tax, inheritance tax among thousands of variation which should have gone to areas the citizenry can enjoy and avail: (1) education (2) justice (3) peace and order along (4) with parks and roads.

Everybody knows justice is a money game and I am not talking about bribes, yet, but just normal procedures. One gets arrested, even on suspicion and the bills stack up. One needs a lawyer, one needs to pay bail, one needs to pay the court for rescheduling, copies of documents, etc etc. Having had my share of being incarcerated, I saw people doing more time than the offense would merit for a number of reasons: (1) unavailability of the judge or fiscal; my particular case ran ten  years; (2) no representation, the Public Attorneys' Office is hard to access otherwise there won't be cases where holding period before trial surpasses incarceration period decreed by law, example shoplifting; (3) backlog of cases, the court my case was assigned hears over 100 cases a day. 

If that was not bad enough the 15th congress of the senate enacts the cyber crime act effectively disenfranchising the people of the freedom of speech. Where's justice? Then, their own members commit plagiarism after a member of the supreme court. It's funny but it hurts when I laugh. If there was something about the election, it should be to boot out the incumbents.

What of peace and order? In comes the pieces of body parts and they order the investigation. We know why the most famous division of the police is Scene Of the Crime Operative. The call center is a burgeoning industry that sends its employees in the most wicked hours where there are no police officers and if there were, could turn out to be the criminals themselves. 

Here's another, Congress before recess (as if it needed more) debated over house bill 6052 (?) , something to do with lowering juvenile criminal liability from 18 to 12.  HB 6052 was prompted by media reports on rampant shenanigans committed with audacity right in the busy highway of EDSA by out-of-school youth gangs alternately called 'Bakal Boys' , 'Car Wash' and 'Tropang Rugby' .  One very graphic footage captured a taxi driver in mid morning traffic assaulted by a boy, probably no more than 15 whose cohorts, meantime, grabbed the cabbie's earnings. It was a stunning depiction of lawlessness. The inability of the police force to put a stop on the syndicates operating these 'crews' or formulate strategies to bust the gangs hanging out in the peripheries of EDSA have come down to congress making laws to jail children.

Speaking of EDSA, DPHW and MMDA are thinking of renovating the whole stretch. Not a bad idea, except time and again these agencies have shown they cannot handle the consequent traffic jams. 

Now toll on highways are another matter. It's just weird that people pay taxes so roads can be built. Then government builds roads but exact toll which would be a tax on the tax. On top of that, government levies a tax on the tax of a tax.

So BIR is going to put an eagle eye on doctors and lawyers. What about the Forbe's list? What about the congressmen and senators lining up their pockets with their Priority Development Fund?

The Coed is dead because among other factors, some non-existent NGO got funds that could have gone to her education.

In Search for Senators

The word senator comes from the Latin 'senex' which translates to 'old men'. Roman emperors enlisted  retired magistrates to lend advice on management policies of the kingdom because of the supposed relation of age to wisdom.
I know, I know It's not always true. A know a few of my own relatives who grew old learning everything in reverse.
When monarchies evolved to republics, consequently senators became representatives of the people from mere advisers to kings. Emperors were out of jobs and did not need advisers. Senex, still sought for advise by ordinary citizens, parlayed the demand by creating a cushy job. Their new job was defining the aspirations of citizens in building a just and humane society, thus was born the August Hall.
Centuries later the pork barrel was invented, thus was born scandal.
Philippines in May 2013 holds mid-term elections for Senators. 33 candidates of which 6 are incumbents are vying for twelve seats. 12 are over 60 years old and I guess you can name those tunes.
No, I am not campaigining for the oldies. I am just saying.
So while I really think 50% of the votes cast would depend which party 'buses' the electorate first, I hope there's the other half who would vet candidates. I can lend some of my own views in vetting candidates.
Here is my list.
Criteria
1.Wisdom is a foremost quality the electorate should look for in a candidate.
Wisdom is the acquisition of experience and their applications that result to the greater good. Lack of wisdom can best be illustrated in plagiarism, the act of imitation then letting people think the idea is original. Tsk tsk tsk. Lack of wisdom can also be shown when people respond with "I was unaware" after being caught with their hands on the cookie jar. ( the appropriate repartee would be "Tell me to the marines" he he he). Lastly, there's the classic 'There's no law" when questioned about propriety of action.
Is your candidate wise?
2. Fierce belief in Equality and Freedom.
The beginning and end of legislation is the definition of equality and freedom.When in the past, the candidate pushed for clipping of rights- Martial Law, Cyber crime- then the candidate is not for freedom and equality.
3. Understanding the work.
Most senators think that the Priority Development Fund (PDAF) is 'the' work, so they build farm to pocket roads and distribute money to ghost non government organizations (NGO). Really they should scrap the pork.
Talent in policy crafting is the work. Policies generally tend to negatively impact on a portion of the constituency. The trick is to ensure the positive impact lands on the greater number of the population, instead of the other way around.
A purpose of the election: Cleaning the Senate
One way of looking at the coming election is a window to clean the senate. Stories of fund misuse by ranking bureaucratic leaders abound in this country with a corruption perception index (CPI) of 105 that ties with Mali (seriously?), Kosovo and Mexico although as far as I know, the only successfully prosecuted case is that one of former president Estrada.
Recently, the senate had been fraught with scandals specifically its use or misuse of funds; first the realignment of savings to Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) involving Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile which was later discovered to have been given as additional bonuses to Senators and staff; then followed by the Priority Development Fund (PDAF) reported by the Commission on Audit (COA) to have been poured into non-existent foundations again by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile along with Senator Ramon 'Bong' Revilla and Senator Jinggoy Estrada. The three mentioned senators have terms up to 2016 although they all have relatives running for various positions in the coming election.
Jackie Enrile, gunning for a senate seat, is son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. Senator Ramon 'Bong' Revilla has wife Lani Mercado running for a congressional seat while his son Jolo is campaigning for governorship for the province of Cavite. JV Ejercito seeking a seat in the senate  is the sibling of Senator Jinggoy Estrada whose father convicted former president Estrada is also running for mayor of Manila.
If it isn't clear, I am suggesting that relatives of officials involved in questionable doings should not be voted into office. Why? Foremost, their clout, once in office would affect the investigations or court proceeding  assuming plunder cases are initiated.
Booting out incumbents
All the senators of the 15th congress are guilty of taking away the freedom of speech when they promulgated the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. So the re-electionists consist of Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Loren Legada, Aquilino Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes and Gregorio Honasan. Special Mention should be given Sonny Angara because his father was a member of the 15th congress, also Cynthia Villar whose husband is Manny. Last but not least, voters should exclude Bam Aquino because his cousin is the president who approved its enactment.
No to Dynasty
We can strive for equality all we want but we won't get there until dynasties are vanquished.
Oligarchs and dynasties share the same vision: to ensure dominance in their field and perpetuate that until 'thy kingdom come', that's equality out the window. Ferdinand Marcos hit on a bright idea to take out the oligarchs that controlled the economy. However, he replaced oligarchs with cronies and kleptocracy. But the greatest harm he set on the Filipinos was unleashing Juan Ponce Enrile.
The electorate take away the power of dynasties and these dynasties cannot protect their economic backers.
Its time for a new order.

A Stand up Movie, Stand up Guys, Lionsgate, 2013

I like buddy-action movies. But  take Al Pacino and Christoper Walken then spice it with Alan Arkin and voila, you have a treat that's upped the ante in this genre. They are  funny, believable and entirely engaging, making the film work on several levels:  (a) as pure entertainment (b) as a view on growing old and second wind (that's my own appreciation) and (c) as a look how values stand up to the tyranny of changing times.

The premise is locked tight, how do you kill your best friend?

Seems Val (Pacino) accidentally kills the mob boss' (Mark Margolis) son in a botched heist. After doing time, he walks into his best friend Doc (Walken) who had been handed the job to off him. But Doc is torn so he procrastinates, instead he shows Val a good time, hitting the brothel and finding time to rescue Hirsh (Arkin), a former get-away driver for the mob stuck in a nursing home with emphysema.
In a joy ride, Hirsh confesses to an item in his bucket list for a three-way (menage a troi) and they go back to the brothel.

The trio finds a naked woman in the trunk of the car they jacked who had been kidnapped by a group of thugs. They decide to dispense justice. Hirsh, while waiting for Val and Doc in the get-away vehicle however dies suddenly.

Doc tries to talk the mob boss out of killing Val but fails. The mob boss threatens to harm Doc's granddaughter if he does not deliver  the job. In the end the duo takes on the mob.

"Do we kick ass or chew gum?"

"I'm out of gum" Walken does a little dance as he replies to Pacino's question. Now, how could that miss?
Pacino, Walken and Arkin work on each other with good chemistry.
Initially disconcerting, a disheveled Pacino reworks his Scent of a Woman  (Universal, 1992) role, a man who is cocky on the outside but resigned in the inside. I thought of throwing a molotov cocktail on the screen when it looked liked they were going for Scent of a Woman in that scene in a bar where Pacino asked for a dance. Thank goodness, it was not a tango.

Walken does this eye thing.
In this movie, the plot  engages because of Walken's eyes.
There's the scene that really blows where Pacino washes his face and Walken stands behind him with a cocked gun. At first, the eyes (as I saw it) reflected resolve, then conflict.
Another one was in a bar scene where two guys of the mob boss approach the duo where Pacino was snorting prescription medicine.  Walken didn't say a word but unflinchingly eyeballs the two with a most menacing stare. It was great.
Arkin plays it straight reacting to the other two. His character is another doomed guy just out to have one last party. As in Argo (Warner, 2012, Oscar recipient for best Movie) his role is short but sweet.
Mark Margolis as the mob boss, Claphands, we've seen in countless movies doing the same role but he does it well and comes out believable. Good job.
I like the touch about the painting of sunrise against the movies theme of lost causes.
Stand up Guys is a man's movie without that much violence but instead, lends a reflective view on self-conflict. The movie appeals because that's an everyday dilemma, maybe not to kill but whether to kick out an old friend because you can't afford it.
I have a few friends I spent a lot of time with who I don't see anymore, probably will not, not with our advance age. So, this one appeals to me. 

The Jagged Trek on Daang Matuwid

The admirable strength of the President in his resolute pursuit of  'Daang Matuwid' shines through despite the obstacles hurdled in his path. After almost three years in office, PNoy remains unblemished by any scandal while  his performance is generally appreciated by the constituency . So while I might agree with Richard Gordon that initially, PNoy's political clout had been largely subsidized by his mother's goodwill, the situation today is totally different. He has become his own man.

The road to exacting reforms still stretches far, but for sure, some proportions of progress have been achieved, foremost, the return of trust in government institutions. This confidence build-up is seen to have precipitated the unprecedented economic growth and an upbeat view of the international community on the country's progress. However, items hogging the headlines of late, gnaw at the gains of the regime.  

As an example, eclipsing all other news is the incursion of Filipino Muslims into Sabah that has deteriorated into a raging firefight, placing the Aquino administration squarely in a vulnerable position. The on-going situation threatens both the peace initiative in Mindanao and Malaysian-Philippine diplomatic relation. Meantime, thousands of illegal migrant Filipinos face deportation and unemployment as another result of the fracas.  

How can such a large group just sail out of Tawi-Tawi without the intelligence community getting wind of it? 

No less dangerous is the polarizing effect of the partisan politics that the catholic church assumed in its continued opposition to RA 10354 also known as the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 . Because intense canonical arguments in the interpellations failed to stop the bill from becoming law , the church continued to lambaste the policy in the pulpit . Now they're taking to campaigning against the law's proponents. Apart from the divisive nature of the action, it waters down the credibility of not just the government but the church as well. The church strikes a pose of infallibility which we know is not true. I hope the church desists from continuing its political drive and let the faithful  assess for themselves their own situations. Faith cannot be legislated. 

Sharing the front page with the Sabah incident is the misuse of the Priority Development Fund  in the amount of over P100M by three senators namely Enrile, Revilla and Estrada. If no action is taken, specifically corruption charges against the three senators, it will be viewed as a whitewash. I wonder what happened to the Commission on Audit personnel stationed at the different levels of the bureaucracy when the PDAF money were being slipped into the hands of private organizations? Aren't there prohibitions of such acts?

Buried in the inside pages, Rabusa, whistle blower on the AFP fund misuse had been cleared of charges for turning state witness. The decision of the ombudsman departs from the Lozada case. In time it could explode into another controversy with Lozada backed by the clergy. Another case that conflicts with another decision is the Abadilla 5  conviction upheld by the supreme court which situation resembles that of the suprisingly overturned case against Webb et al for murder in the Vizconde massacre. Both case stood on the testimony of a lone witness; a security guard in the Abadilla 5 while Jessica Alfaro for the latter.

All these transfer efforts from initiatives to fire fighting. Definitely two step backwards were taken.

The jagged trek of daang matuwid would certainly cause some missteps towards bringing about the egalitarian and a truly democratic society promised by 'walang wang-wang' and 'kayo ang boss ko' pronouncements. I can only hope PNoy continues to put up the good fight.