Gay Penguins

Got this story from Dispatches from the Culture Wars

"This story really cracks me up. It seems that the world is suddenly overflowing with gay penguins. At Central Park Zoo in New York, there are two male penguins, Roy and Silo, who appear to be in a gay relationship. They nuzzle each other and behave just like other sets of mates. They have sex with each other. When the zoo put female penguins in to entice them to mate with them, they had no interest at all. But they apparently make great parents"

Imelda Marcos Jr.

Yesterday, Congresswoman Imee Marcos revealed the reason why she skipped out of the country during the voting on whether the House of Representatives should adopt the Justice Committee report that dismisses the impeachment complaint against President Macapagal-Arroyo. According to Congresswoman Marcos

"Mas matindi and nanay ko sa 51 na bumoto. Mas maigi na umiwas na lang ako," (from the The Philippine Star)

She is basically saying that she did not want to argue with her mother, who supports President Arroyo, so she skipped so she would not have to vote. Her actions that day indicates, to me, her true attitude regarding cheating in Philippine elections.

Before the voting she was one of the point persons of the opposition taking up television airtime and newpaper columns to criticize President Arroyo, yet, when push comes to shove, she would rather not argue wth her mother rather than take a stand on her "principles".

Her action tells me that her criticisms were posturings to get her face on the news. I hope people remember this fact when Imee Marcos runs again and not vote for her.

Random Shorts

I forgot to to mention that the Statment of Unity I posted on September 5 was from the blog of Manuel L. Quezon III

Newspapers today carried the story of Gwen Aguilar, who has apparently been accused by the Singaporean government of killing another Filipina. The newspaper stories are sober compared to the television news stories which are more emotional. I hope the Philippine media will not fan hysteria just so they can get higher ratings or readership.

Why open source makes sense for non-geeks like me

From Leon Kilat of the CyberCafe Experiment

Why open source makes sense for non-geeks like me

"If you hold a gun to my head demanding that I write a PHP code to print “Hello World” without searching the web for hints, I’d be dead in a minute. I do not know how to program - in any computer language. If the technology world were J.K. Rowling’s universe, I’d be a squib.

And yet I was able to install and deploy various content management systems for my Cybercafe experiments, personal sites as well as sites of my friends. I was also able to deploy an online classroom for participants of both my and my wife’s lectures as well as classes under Newsletter Solutions. I was also able to deploy a newsroom intranet system (using a discarded PC) with a portal, an online news style guide and a searchable database of new sources.

I was able to do all that because I use open source scripts."

Statement of Unity

Statement of Unity
Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan

We come from all walks of life, from different political, cultural, and economic persuasions, different points of view. But in diversity, we find a cause for unity. That cause for unity is our common objective to secure the truth.

We all seek the truth. We want the truth to come out. And yet every means for seeking the truth has been frustrated; every avenue for arriving at the truth has been blocked; and every opportunity to find the truth is being closed.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s response to our call for the truth has been to suppress evidence, hide her accomplices, engage in a grand cover-up, sow fear, foment distrust and use every instrument at her disposal to encourage division among our people.

We will not be divided in these critical times.

We say with one voice, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go. For the good of the country, she must go. For the sake of our nation’s future, she must go. For the preservation of hope as a motive force in our national life, she must go.

We are united by the belief that this crisis must be resolved in a manner that is peaceful and democratic. Without the truth, there cannot be peace; without the truth, there is no genuine democracy. The truth must set our nation free.

Unite for the truth. Demand the truth. Defend the truth.

Kami ay ang Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan.

Action for Economic Reforms
AKBAYAN Citizen’s Action Party
Ateneo Concerned Faculty and Youth
Bangon, Pilipinas
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)
Be Not Afraid
Black & White Movement
Citizens for TRUTH (Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Trust, Hope)
Citizens for Truth, Resignation, Impeachment, or Ouster (C4T)
Coalition for National Solidarity
Counsels for the Defense of Civil Liberties (CODAL)
De La Salle
FPJP Movement
Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)
Interfaith Movement for Truth, Justice and Genuine Change (IFM)
Kilusan ng Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME)
Laban ng Masa
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
Peoples Assembly for Genuine Alternatives to Social Apathy (PAG-ASA)
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)
Reporma
Union of Muslims for Morality and Truth (UMMAT)
United Opposition (UNO)
Unity for Truth and Justice
UP AWARE
UP Diliman Student Council (UPD USC)
White Ribbon Movement
Women March
Youth DARE

Salen-ga Award

"Salen-ga, a Filipino, discovered that the negative electron is actually positive"

In honor of Prof. Edgardo E. Escultura, I am proposing the establishment of the Salen-ga awards. The Salen-ga awards will be given to that exemplary Filipino who has contributed to the development of Filipino's interest in science through the propagation of their crackpot theories.

I propose the creation of the Salen-ga Society. The Salen-ga Society will be the organization to administer the award. Those who wish to join the Salen-ga Society can apply here.

I propose that the award be given every 5th of May to commemorate the day when the Manila Times reported that Prof. EEE had disproven Andrew Wiles proof regarding Fermat's Last theorem.

Nominations to the award are now open, the first nominee, of course is Prof. Edgar Escultura. To nominate people, one must join the Salen-ga Society.

Suggestion for the improvement of the award are welcome, please join the Salen-ga Society.

Changing his mind

I got this comment from "Escultura Admirer" and I want to thank him for updating me on the latest developments with Prof. Escultura. I wanted more details so I went to Prof. Escultura's guest book and here is what I found.

On Tuesday 07/05/2005 5:23:50pm, a Mr. Roehlano M. Briones, wrote to Prof. Escultura this letter:

"I have attempted to confirm your story about the Nobel Prize nomination reported in Manila Times and found some anomalies.

I did a search for "Hieber" and "Jonhasen" in the Royal Swedish Academy website:

I got no hits. Nor do I find the names by checking one-by-one.

Furthermore information from the Nobel Prize website on nominations is clear:

http://nobelprize.org/physics/nomination/index.html

Information about nomination, etc. is kept secret for FIFTY YEARS. Only the winner is informed of the outcome.

Kindly send me your clarification by e-mail. Thank you."

Prof. Escultura responded

"Yes, it is a hoax and I have a statement about it in the Manila Times.

Thanks."

On Wednesday 07/06/2005 0:31:42am, a Mr. Benjamin Flores inquired

"Dear Professor,

Now that you have personally admitted as a hoax your "awards", I would like to know when the Manila Times will retract its articles and issue an apology for their flawed reporting?

best intentions,"

For which Prof Escultura replied

"The Manila Times will have my statement Thursday. E. E. Escultura"

Apprently, the letter did not get published because on Thursday 07/07/2005 4:08:13pm, Benjamin Flores again wrote to Prof. Escultura:

"Dear Professor,

The Thursday edition of Manila Times did not carry your statement.
------------
Did you actually win the Carl Gauss medal and the Michel Prize as well or was that also part of the hoax?"

The reply was

"The Times has not yet published my statement. It might appear on the same day the nobel article appeared. No independent verification of Gauss but appears to be independent. Michel Prize there is continuing dialogue with me and I have made the last requirement Tuesday. One of members involved in this project is a victim of the hoax.

E. E. Escultura"

Then on Friday 07/22/2005 3:40:55pm Richard Viejo asked

"Dear Professor,

I have an impressionable nephew who studies in Kalayaan College. Would you be so kind to let us know when your retraction will come out in the Manila Times?

Sincerely"

Things stood like this until on Tuesday 08/02/2005 7:31:11pm, Professor Escultura wrote

"Dear Mr. Viejo,

There is no need for rebraction. Everything is GO and will be known in due time.

E. E. Escultura"

So there it is, Prof. Escultura's belief that the nobel nomination is a hoax lasted for less than 30 days. And how come he came to believe that it was a hoax? The latest entry in his guest book explains

"Gentlemen/Madames,

For those who missed my recent statement, allow me to state it again.

The Nobel nomination is on. My previous assessment that it was a hoax was wrong. The error was stems from a conspiracy to make me believe that it was a haox. I hsve since then been contacted by my nominators to explain the situation and confirm my nomination.

E. E. Escultura"

Prf. Escultura Apparently missed this quote from Mr. Briones' letter

"Furthermore information from the Nobel Prize website on nominations is clear:

http://nobelprize.org/physics/nomination/index.html

Information about nomination, etc. is kept secret for FIFTY YEARS. Only the winner is informed of the outcome."

Prof. Escultura, unless you won, you are not supposed to know you were even nominated. That you are being informed by your "nominators" that you are nominated is a CLUE that it is a hoax. Please check more carefully.

p.s.

I want to thank Mr. Briones, Mr. Flores, Mr. Viejo and Mr. Reynold (whose letter I did not quote here) for their efforts to set the record straight on this matter even venturing within Prof. Escultura's guest book. To his credit, Prof. Escultura has been very open to all comers in his guest book, and does not seem to censor any of the posts even if the comments are against him.

Update:
Escultura Admirer has pointed out that Prof. Esculura has edited out from his guestbook the comments EA quoted regarding the PCIJ and UP. If EEE does not edit comments from othe people, it would seem that he does edit at least his own writings.

New Update:

I browsed EEE's site and I found out that the EA's quote is still there it's located not in EEE's guestbook but in his message board.

As I was browsing the message board I came upon this entry

Dear friends and colleagues,

I just had a conference with Andrew Wiles arranged by Dr. J-L Raymond of Luynes University, France (who awarded me the Michel Prize). He said he agreed with me but wanted more clarification as he is preparing to respond to my detractors. I shall publish the transcript of the conference in my journal in January for historical purposes.

E. E. Escultura

This message was posted by EEE July 12, 2005 at 7:02 PM. I wonder what kind of conference it was. And why should the transcripts be published only in January?

His admission of the Nobel Prize nomination is a hoax can also be seen there

Service Interruption

For the past several weeks, I have been able to post at least once a week. But my coming schedule leaves little time for doing anything else but work so new entries will be few and far between at least until the end of September.

Thank you.

P.S.

This service announcement is intended for the 2 or 3 people who actually visit this site for new postings. You know who you are. :)

Honest Politician

Here in the Philippines, the term "honest politician" is often regarded as an oxymoron. Yet, the death of former Senator Raul Roco highlighted the fact that there was at least one politician that was regarded by people as not only honest but also competent.

Sef has raised the question who can we look up to now that Senator Roco is gone. The standard and safe answer is "look into yourself grasshopper, the power is within you". The answer though safe and standard is still of course, true. But I do not want to give a safe answer today, I want to name names and let the chips fall where they may. I want, in other words, to be a whistleblower. I can always retract my words anytime I want.

So here are my candidates for politicians that should give our country hope.

1. Florencio "Butch" Abad - I first heard of Butch Abad when he was appointed by President Aquino as Secretary for Agrarian Reform. His confirmation as Secretary was subsequently blocked by his own colleagues at the House of Representatives because he was pro-land reform.
   
   He subsequently ran for Senator under the Salonga-Pimentel ticket in the 1992 elections (he lost). In 1995, he was re-elected as the representative for the lone-district of Batanes. If I recall correctly he was the majority floor leader during the 11th congress when he joined the impeachment complaint against President Estrada. And he just recently resigned as the Secretary of Education and called on President Aroyo to resign.
   
   Through out his political career, Butch Abad has shown that he is willing to forego/leave a government position to fight for his principles.
   
   
2. Joker Arroyo - I had to laugh when I read his comment regarding Senator Roco, he said (according to the Philippine Star)

   "Roco was an idealistic person, but his problems started when he 'sought to combine his idealism with politics, compromise being the hallmark of politics'
   
   'He was uncompromising in his resistance to separate the two. That was his virtue as a true leader, his failing as a politician' "
   

   It's like the pot calling the kettle black. Senator Arroyo, even in his days as a congressman is known for refusing to use his pork barell allotments, for not employing excessive personal staff, he has been known to answer his own telephone and do his own research. And though he always seemed to end up in the majority, it has never prevented him from criticizing the government when he feels they had done wrong.
   
   
3. Juan Flavier - Senator Flavier started out as the poorest Senator, now 10 years after, he is still the poorest Senator. Although I think he was a better Secretary of Health that a Senator, I do not know enough about his legislative record to be deemed competent to judge.
   
   
4. Bayani Fernando - I must confess that I do not agree with a lot of Chairman Fernando's avowed policy, even when we was the Mayor of Marikina. But he does seem to get results. My travel time from Valenzuela City to Makati has gone down, even as he closed the underpass(?) to public utility vehicles in both Crossing and Cubao.
   
   
5. Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte - I've always thought Mayor Belmonte was a typical politician until I saw him in the forefront of the Estrada impeachment case. But I place him here because of the reports of his reforms as Mayor of Quezon City. He has improved sevice, cut the number of employees and produced 2 billion pesos in savings for QC.
   

Other politicians that I have heard and seen good things about are: Mayor Jesse Robredo of Naga City, Mayor Raul Banias of Concepcion, Iloilo, Mayor Jett Rojas of Ajuy, Iloilo, Congressman Nerius Acosta and former Mayor of Datu Paglas and now candidate for ARMM Governor, Datu Ibrahim Paglas. I almost forgot Congressman Zamora, no, not the one from San Juan, the one from from Compostela Valley, the one who bicycles to work , Manuel "Way Kurat" Zamora.

I am sure that if we can still add to the names I've written here. If you really think about it, all of us do know of at least one honest and competent politician. Let us vote for them and as Senator Roco would say, let the seeds of change grow and dominate.

Raul Roco

Senator Raul Roco died today, I cannot articulate how I feel. So I point you to Sef at AlterNation 101 who expresses many of the things I feel.

"Less than 3 hours ago, it was reported that former senator and presidential candidate Raul Roco died at the St. Luke's Medical Center, apparently of prostate cancer (news from abs-cbnnews.com, inq7.net and philstar.com). I do not know Sen. Roco that well, but now that we are at a loss for leaders, I feel that his death is somewhat of a sad blow to our country."

Atty. Edwin Lacierda also shares his thoughts.

"Raul S. Roco will be forever be remembered for his greatness in the halls of the House of Representatives and the Senate floor and for his incorruptible accomplishments in the Department of Education. But I will always cherish him as my first teacher in the law profession who took time to train the humble and the lowly, to emphasize that right is might, the primacy of country over one's own, public service over private greed and faith in man's goodness over pessimism and hopelessness."

I extend my sincerest condolence to the family of the late Senator. I thank you for sharing your husband, father, brother and son with us, his countrymen.

Count the ERs

For the past several weeks, the Philippine Congress has been conducting hearings to determine whether the "Hello Garci" aka "Gloriagate" recordings are authentic. Yesterday, the Congress issued an arrest warrant for former COMELEC Commissioner Garcilliano after he "ignored it's summons to appear" (quoted fromt the PDI).

Meanwhile, the Senate for the past several months has been conducting hearings on jueteng (in aid of legislation). In the Senate hearings, there are allegations that Mike Arroyo, the husband of the President, Mikey Arroyo, the son of the President and Iggy Arroyo, the brother-in-law of the President are involved in this illegal endeavor. Yesterday, they had as witness/resource person, Michaelangelo Zuce who testified that the President knew that jueteng money was used to bribe Philippine election officials so they would help in her campaign. In addition, he also testified that "all the conversations (in the 'Hello Garci' tapes) really took place because Commissioner Garcilliano told me about them"

Partly because of the revelations from these hearings, an impeachment complaint was submitted to Congress. The complainants, for the past several days have been boasting about the roomfulls of evidence and the witnesses they have against the President. If Zuce is part of their panel of witnesses against the President, then I think we will be in for a long, very long impeachment. As I write this, the President's minions have been out gathering dirt against Zuce to damage his credibility, I do not know if the will succeed or not, or whether Zuce can convince more members of Congress to sign the impeachment complaint, I only know that I do not want this process to drag on.

I have been waiting for someone to propose we count the Elecion Returns, if the "Hello Garci " tapes are real and if election officials actually took bribes, then, this will be reflected in the higher levels of canvassing. The tapes, and maybe Mr. Zuce can pinpoint the provinces that cheating happened, Congress, in aid of legislation, can subpoena the Election Returns of these Privinces, they can then count the ERs per precinct and compare the results to the results of the Provincial canvass, if the ER totals are totally different than the Provincial canvass, then I think we can definitely conclude that cheating has taken place.

We do not need roomfulls of evidence and hundreds of witnesses to impeach President Arroyo, we need a smoking gun, and counting the ER's will give us concrete evidence of cheating. I can't understand why nobody is pursuing this. The opposition kept on insisting that the ERs be counted during the Congressional canvass, why are they not insisting on this procedure now? Surely a delay in the impeachment proceeding is permissible if it can guarantee victory. They do not even need to count all the provinces, one province where cheating can be proved is enough.

Count the Election Returns - let the Filipino people know the truth.