Forgive Me, Tita Cory August 15, 2009
Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: aquino, cory, EDSA, people power, philippines
add a comment
Cory in 1986
This article of mine appeared in Celebrity Sun.Star on August 9, 2009 (http://specials.sunstar.com.ph/entertainment/?p=952). I think it also appeared in the print edition of Sun Star Cebu on August 8, 2009
One February day 1986, somewhere on EDSA, I wondered if I would really be ready to die for my country; for freedom and democracy. Could I really? Well, it was too late to turn back. The soldiers were coming for Camp Crame.
I heard June Keithley’s voice on Radyo Bandido announcing that Marcos loyalist forces were moving in. There was more than a hint of alarm and dread in her words. This was it, I thought. The soldiers were moving in.
I felt real, mortal fear. What would I do if I were in the path of an armored car or staring at the muzzle of an assault rifle? Would I take a stand or run?
Then I heard the National Anthem over the speakers. A familiar tune to which in the past I had often onlly grudgingly gave respect. But today I realized what it stood for. I stopped at the center island of EDSA, raised my heart to God and shed tears. I guess many others were doing the same. I had never sung the Lupang Hinirang with as much fervor as I did that morning, choking with emotion and close to shaking in fear. Though we were all afraid, we took heart in that suddenly stirring martial tune. If some of us were going to die, we would at least die on our feet, standing up for our beliefs. I was a proud to be a Filipino.
And so I chose to stand with the millions of ordinary Filipinos, praying that People Power would not turn into a bloody massacre. But if it came to that, I hoped, and doubted too, that I would be ready to give up my life for my country, my people.
No rivers of blood flowed that day. The helicopters that landed at Camp Crame had joined Ramos and Enrile. The soldiers were stopped far from where I had stood with a group near the Camp Aguinaldo corner of Corinthian Gardens. Later we heard that the loyalist forces had pulled back and Ramos had the initiative. Soon after Cory took her oath of office at Club Pilipino, Marcos left the country peacefully. Our merciful God gave us the miracle of People Power.
Now, 23 years later, having survived without EDSA without actually coming close to being harmed, I wonder if I ever truly lived for them.
True Love Waits is Coming to Cebu May 6, 2009
Posted by Maddog in Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: abstinence, chastity, marriage, purity, sexuality
add a comment
Barbie sets up
“True Love Waits.” That line might sound corny, but it’s an important truth our youth need to hear.
Consider this: Everyday they are bombarded with trendy messages telling them that if something feels good then it must be morally good. They are told that sex is fun, and that you don’t have to face its consequences as long as you have “safe” sex. No wonder then that so many of them engage in it before they are ready and — when contraceptives fail as they eventually will — they have to grow up quickly because of new, unexpected responsibilities.
Or, worse, they may end up murdering the innocent, unborn fruit of their indiscretion through abortion.
Is sex education the answer, as the proponents of the RH Bill say? Not if it just encourages more promiscuous behavior and even more health and social problems.
Fortunately, there is a viable, truly life-saving and life-changing alternative: education in purity and life values.
That is exactly what True Love Waits (TLW) Philippines (http://wagmuna.com and http://www.tlw.ph) is trying to do. The movement, which is affiliated with LifeWay Student Ministry, has a four-fold purpose (taken from the TLW Philippines website):
- GUIDE young people to make a commitment to sexual abstinence until marriage.
- GIVE young people who have made a commitment to abstinence a chance to reaffirm that promise and challenge other young people to do so.
- GUIDE parents of young people to make or reaffirm a commitment to Godly standards of sexual behavior and model a life committed to sexual purity.
- GIVE adults a tangible way to affirm and encourage young people who make a commitment to sexual abstinence until marriage.
Now that’s a whole lot better than teaching kids how to use condoms!
This month, on May 15, TLW will be conducting a Purity Conference Strategic Planning Session. The event will be held at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City, from 9:00AM to 12:00 noon, and is for teachers, guidance counselors, leaders of youth organizations, and just about anyone else who wants to help organize the upcoming Purity Mega Event to be held on September 19, 2009, called UNASHAMED Cebu. Entrance is FREE.
Derek Ross, the group’s national Director, will be in Cebu to meet with interested parties at the planning conference and even afterwards. Derek’s a Texan, married with five kids, and likes to refer to himself as “Zaido, Pulis Pangkalokohan!” Yeah, I know. Don’t ask me where he got that one.
Barbie gives her testimony
I attended the UNASHAMED Purity Conference held at the Mega Tent in Pasig last February. It was meaty, straightforward, and did not beat around the bush. It gave the participants straight talk on issues that matter in their lives, and did it all with a good dose of fun and humor. At the end we were treated to some good live music. I had the privilege and pleasure to see Barbie (of Barbie’s Cradle) perform again. She’s such a beautiful, blessed, and talented lady. Her testimony touched me as I’m sure it touched so many others. This is something your kids (and even you) shouldn’t miss.
See you at UNASHAMED Cebu on September 19!
For more information, contact Ree Soria, TLW’s national Media Coordinator, at 0926-6102514
Who’s Really Delaying the Millennium Development Goals? April 22, 2009
Posted by Maddog in HB 5043, Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: Human rights, maternal health, MDG, millennium development goals
1 comment so far
Those know-it-alls at the UN are at it again.
I was quite dismayed to find how Minar Pimple, deputy director of the UN Millennium Campaign, thinks that ending the dispute on the RH bill — presumably meaning the end of opposition to it — would somehow allow us to reach the fifth U.N. Millennium Development Goal, which is improving maternal health. (“Dispute on reproductive health ‘delays pursuit of dev’t goals‘” — Sunstar, Monday, April 20, 2009)
Pimple seems to have forgotten that according to the World Health Organization the great majority of maternal deaths in the Philippines could be prevented by simply providing adequate basic and emergency obstetric health services along with trained midwives and health workers. Former senator Kit Tatad also points this out in his brilliant blog article, “Revised: THE TRUTH AND HALF-TRUTHS ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH“:
The proponents claim that ten (10) poor women are dying everyday from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. This may or may not be correct. If correct, experience has shown (as in Gattaran, Cagayan and Sorsogon, Sorsogon) that the incidence of maternal death arising from such complications could be fully mitigated and brought down to zero simply by providing adequate basic and emergency obstetrics care and skilled medical personnel and services.
The RH bill, however, does nothing substantial to help in this area.
Instead, the bill’s authors seem intent on treating pregnancy as if it were a disease, and want to reduce maternal mortality by reducing childbirth. Instead of providing urgently needed health care, the RH Bill seeks to provide condoms and abortifacient contraceptives! The RH bill therefore ignores the real causes of maternal death while attacking a non-problem.
The Philippines has to deal with many other true killers such as heart and vascular diseases, pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer, and diabetes. The government does not provide free medicines and medical treatment for these because it cannot afford to do so. Why then should it waste money on contraceptives which do not treat any real disease (pregnancy is not a disease)?
The RH Bill will not help reduce maternal deaths. It will only succeed in diverting scarce resources away from more urgent problems while encouraging even more promiscuity and — as the country experiences even more contraceptive failures — eventually greater demand for abortion.
It’s about time we junk this bill, along with Lagman and its other co-authors. And maybe we ought to tweak Pimple’s nose while we’re at it.
The Evil Cousins: Contraception and Abortion February 5, 2009
Posted by Maddog in Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: abortion, contraception, Human rights, pro-life, prolife, reproductive health, sexuality
4 comments
There is a common misconception about contraception being peddled by the proponents of the highly coercive, so-called “Reproductive Health” bill known as HB 5043. They often claim that the incidence of abortion can be reduced through contraception. While that may sound plausible, the cold facts from around the world tell a different story. Contraception does NOT decrease abortion rates; in fact, contraception increases them!
The Contraception-Abortion Link
Here is some evidence to chew on:
- Fact Sheet: Greater Access to Contraception Does Not Reduce Abortions
http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/contraception/contrafactsheet0207.shtml(The resources mentioned in this Fact Sheet by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are especially valuable)
- The Role of Contraception in Increasing Abortion
By Ruben Obregon
http://www.noroomforcontraception.com/Articles/Role-Of-Contraception-Increased-Abortion.htm
(more…)
The Deceptive SWS Survey October 18, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: abortifacient, abortion, contraception, deception, HB 5043, Human rights, lagman, life, reproductive health, survey, sws
6 comments
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) has weighed in on the debate over the anti-life Bill pending in Congress, and now known as HB 5043. Its latest survey, which received wide media coverage, is touted to be fair and free of bias. Sadly, in my opinion, the truth is otherwise.
The SWS released its third quarter 2008 Social Weather Survey, which was fielded between September 24-27. Acording to Mahar Mangahas, president and co-founder of SWS, in his article in the Inquirer (New Polls on reproductive health), had two modules relevant to the issue: “one module of three items done on SWS’ own initiative, and a second module of three items commissioned by the Forum for Family Planning and Development (FFPD), a non-government advocacy group.”
Mangahas goes on to say:
The SWS survey asked six questions on the RH topic, the first three of which were FFPD, and the second three being SWS’ own items. The first four items were a battery of Agree/Disagree (A/D) statements, with two of them phrased in opposition to the Reproductive Health and Population Development (RHPD) bill currently being debated in Congress, and with the two others phrased as affirmative to it. The fifth item asked whether the respondent already knew of the RHPD bill. The sixth item asked if the respondent favored it or not. I believe that the A/D battery, being evenly divided in slant, did not introduce affirmation bias to the succeeding items.
Mangahas notes that the first and third test statements of the A/D battery had “anti-RHPD” assertions, while the second and fourth were phrased as “pro-RHPD”. The fifth question consisted of informing the respondents of HB 5043 and asking them if they knew about it. The final question asked respondents their opinion of the Bill.
Dirty Tricks 101: Slanted Questions
I wish to take issue with the way Mangahas characterizes the questions in this survey. He imagines that the A/D battery of questions did not introduce any bias because two were slanted against the Bill and two were slanted for the Bill.
Why not look at the actual questions then? It will become apparent that overall the survey was not neutral at all and its questions and statements definitely introduced bias.
Kill Bill 5043 October 11, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: abortifacient, abortion, contraception, family, HB 5043, health care, Human rights, lagman bill, marriage, overpopulation, philippines, population control, poverty, pro-life, prolife, reproductive health, unborn
4 comments
Congressman Lagman’s anti-life Bill pending in Congress is now known as consolidated House Bill 5043. Sadly, it contains the same abortion-promoting and coercive provisions as previous versions.
Couples for Christ has launched an online campaign against this monstrosity posing as a “health” Bill.
Kill Bill 5043
http://www.prolife.cfcinternationalmissions.com/
There’s another petition against HB 5043, this time created by an individual. Please sign this too!
No to Reproductive Health Bill (HB5043)
http://www.petitiononline.com/xxhb5043/petition.html
Be counted and kill this murderous Bill! We have to stand and protect the rights of unborn children and the right of each of person to follow his conscience, free of government coercion. Online petitions may not have the force of written petitions with real signatures, but they do have some moral force. If you wish to register your opposition to this Bill online, you may do so using those petitions.
If you have time, you may also wish to write a letter to your favorite newspaper, your local government officials, and to your Congressman and any Senator. Let them know you are against this coercive and dangerous Bill.
And in 2010, make sure you DON’T vote for Lagman and his accomplices in Congress.
Resources (update to this post)
- What’s Wrong with the Reproductive Health Bill?
By Francisco S. Tatad
http://www.cfcffl.org/prolife/articl…_kit_tatad.htm
http://prolife.org.ph/article/articleview/1296/1/103
- Religion, the Constitution and reproductive health
By Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20081013-166086/Church-Constitution-and-the-RH-bill
Highway Robbery September 23, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law.Tags: Human rights, justice, motorcycle, philippines, protest, safety
1 comment so far
It seems to me the greatest irony that a nation blessed with as much talent and resources as the Philippines should also be cursed with some of the most incompetent, stupid, uncaring, and corrupt leaders ever to walk the earth. That sad situation has again been brought to the fore by the mindless machinations of another corruption-ridden government agency: the Land Transportatiion Office (LTO).
In a mind-boggling display of idiocy, the LTO has decided to implement an Administrative Order that, among other things, prohibits “unauthorized” modifications to the original designs of motorcycles. There are no other qualifications or specifications to this ban, and it can easily be interpreted to include even those modifications that actually improve safety and performance, as well as non-safety related modifications such as using non-original yet harmless aftermarket accessories!
In other words, if you so much intend to put better tires on your bike to replace bald, worn out original tires, you need some “approval” from the DTI! So if your replacement tires are of a superior design or material, but “unapproved”, you can be fined for improving your ride.
Time for Integrity July 20, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: abortifacient, abortion, Catholic, Catholicism, choice, contraception, family, freedom, HB 5043, health care, Human rights, justice, lagman bill, marriage, overpopulation, population control, poverty, pro-life, prolife, religion, reproductive health, unborn
add a comment
The newspapers, and especially their columnists, are having a field day writing about Ozamis Archbishop Jesus A. Dosado’s decision to deny Catholic politicians who are pro-abortion and pro-artificial contraception the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Some writers caution of a backlash, warning that decision appears too confrontational, and others seem sympathetic to the affected legislators, as if they were the underdogs. Some would even praise them for taking a principled stand.
But just how principled a stand is that of these politicians? And are the other considerations even relevant? Let’s examine the situation at hand.
Integrity
We are all sinners and are guilty of not living up to all our beliefs. It would seem, however, that these Catholic politicians have radically disconnected their faith from their actions. They claim membership in a Church that emphatically teaches one very fundamental tenet, and then openly announce their support for — and will work to bring about — the opposite. It’s one thing to be privately inconsistent with one’s beliefs, but to do so repeatedly, publicly, without remorse, and to claim that it is right, is another thing altogether. It’s a scandal.
What does that say about their integrity?
Here are the definitions of “integrity” from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values
2: an unimpaired condition
3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided
“Firm adherence” and “complete or undivided” all imply consistency in belief, word, and deed, don’t they? To have integrity means to behave in accordance with declared and freely held belief.
It’s obvious that these arrogant politicians want to have their cake and it it too. They want to advocate and pass coercive laws that promote and condone abortion and abortifacient contraceptives, while at the same time demand that they be considered Catholics in good standing!
What kind of chicanery is this? A Catholic “in good standing” is one who tries his best to follow the doctrines of the Catholic Church. What kind a Catholic is someone who refuses to believe in Catholic doctrine? Can such a person even be a Catholic except in name only? A How then, can one be in “good standing” with the Church when one promotes laws that are directly contrary to the Catholic doctrine?
Atty. Jose C. Sison, in his article “A bishop’s courageous stand” (July 18, Philippine Star) hit the nail on the head when he wrote:
So Catholic politicians in Congress or in city councils who sponsored and supported these pro abortion measures should not complain if they are denied the Sacraments; or try to sway public opinion against the Church for their predicament. They “should have the integrity to acknowledge” that their stand is contrary to their Faith, and voluntarily refrain from receiving the Sacraments “until they have a change of heart”, as Archbishop Dosado admonished.
Can we expect integrity from these politicians? If we cannot expect such, then why elect them? They will have their day of reckoning.
Railroading a Deadly Agenda May 26, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: abortion, Human rights, overpopulation, population, population control, poverty
add a comment
Imagine a doctor or health worker being sentenced to a prison term simply because he or she refused to prescribe — or refer someone who would prescribe — an abortifacient “contraceptive”. Imagine being fined and jailed for staying true to your pro-life convictions. Could that ever happen in the Philippines?
Well it just might if the latest “reproductive health” bill is passed in the Philippine Congress!
(Image on the right is by Matthew Bowden)
The bill, known as the “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2007″, has a number of highly objectionable provisions. Here are just a few of them:
- Section 9 (Hospital-Based Family Planning) (Note: this section of this post has been updated) specifically subsidizes the use of IUDs (insertion of the device is performed in a hospital). The IUD, however, is NOT just a contraceptive. It is also an ABORTIFACIENT. The IUD does not only prevent ovulation. Rather, it also works by affecting the uterine wall so that it prevents a fertilized ovum — which is already a human being — from implanting. The Philippine Constitution specifically protects human life from the moment of conception. The IUD clearly violates that principle.
- Section 16 (Ideal Family Size) defines the “ideal family size” as having two children. This idea has no scientific basis whatsoever and further perpetuates the myth of “overpopulation”, which has been discredited around the world. Poverty in the Philippines is NOT caused by overpopulation, but by massive government corruption and economic mismanagement. This so-called “ideal” number of children is also below replacement level, which is 2.1. Should this be be widely practiced, the Philippines will soon be faced with the prospect of population stagnation and population ageing. There are no economic structures or even agreed-upon solutions to counteract the grave negative economic effects of such a situation in the Philippines.
- Section 21 (Prohibited Acts), number 5 mandates that any health care provider who refuses to dispense certain services or information based on religious grounds (for example, a Catholic health worker who will not dispense IUDs or other abortifacients like the birth control pill), is still forced to recommend a “patient” to someone who will perform the objectionable deed! To make such a referral, however, still makes the conscientious objector an accomplice in the objectionable act. Those who refuse to make such a referral are threatened with 1-6 months imprisonment and a fine of P10,000-50,000. This provision is therefore highly coercive and tramples upon religious freedom.
Ramming Through Congress
The bill, with its deadly and coercive agenda, is currently being RAILROADED through the Philippine Congress in a highly irregular manner. This is detailed in a report (shown below this post) from the Bishops-Legislators Caucus on the status of this and other similar bills in the Philippine legislature. Take note that the consolidated reproductive health bill passed the Health Committee of the Lower House in just two minutes, without any debate or discussion! There was no technical working group formed to make the substitute bill, which is in violation of a Constitutional requirement. Something smells rotten in Congress!
This situation has all the elements of a deadly, tragic farce: a bill that is coercive, has no scientific basis, and violates the Constitution is being rammed down our throats without the people in general even knowing aboiut it. Talk about being shafted!
What are we going to do about it?
Link to text of Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2007
(http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgdp8vjs_4t9kmvwgr)
Planned Parenthood’s Racist Abortions May 13, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.1 comment so far
This may sound unbelievable, but it seems that people can now donate money to Planned Parenthood to specifically abort babies from minority groups.
A number of videos have been posted on Youtube containing recordings of calls to Planned Parenthood centers. In these videos, a donor asks if it is possible to donate money for an explicitly racist purpose (such as reducing the number of black children in a community). The Planned Parenthood employees inform the donors that this is definitely possible and gladly accept the donations.
Here are the links to some of these videos.
- Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation Part I: Idaho.
- Planned Parenthood Racism Investigation Part II: Oklahoma and New Mexico (In Part II there’s a clip of Barack Obama thanking Planned Parenthood!)
The videos were made by Live Action Films. Here’s a link to their channel on Youtube.
The videos, of course, sparked protests from outraged Americans. Here’s a link to some photos by the De-Fund Planned Parenthood Campaign.
Evidently, Planned Parenthood will take money from anyone for clearly racist purposes. Given the group’s history, that isn’t surprising. It’s founder, Margaret Sanger, was a devoted rascist and openly promoted eugenics — the idea that human hereditary traits can be improved through direct intervention. The article, “The Truth About Margaret Sanger“, traces the groups roots:
The ‘Overpopulation’ Scapegoat April 25, 2008
Posted by Maddog in Politics and Law, Prolife Issues, Religion and Social Issues.Tags: corruption, overpopulation, population, population control, poverty
2 comments
The latest “crisis” to hit the Philippines is the much talked-about rice “shortage”, and as expected, the advocates of the Culture of Death are once again blaming “overpopulation” as the culprit. Not only is this factually wrong, but it is also a despicable attempt to turn attention away from the real cause of the crisis: massive corruption and irresponsible, long-standing mismanagement of the economy.
Politics of Distraction
Research shows that the GMA administration is perceived to be one of the most corrupt in Philippine history. The Philippines scores way low, at 131 out of 180 nations, in Transparency International’s 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index. A recent national survey found many Filipinos think that Gloria Arroyo is the country’s most corrupt leader, more so than former President-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, as reported in the December 12, 2007, Sun Star story “Survey says Arroyo most corrupt president“:
The nationwide survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia found that 42 percent of Filipinos believed Arroyo is the country’s most corrupt leader, compared to 35 percent for Marcos.
Lest anyone miss the point, massive corruption has serious effects on the economy and the delivery of government services. Funds that should be going into education, salaries and housing for our soldiers and civil servants, infrastructure, health, agricultural support, and social services ends up in the pockets of those who don’t deserve it. Is it any wonder then that we lack classrooms and texbooks, have underpaid soldiers and policemen, inadequate primary health care, and poor, underproductive farmers?
Another problem — which, to be fair, was allowed by previous administrations — was the insistence on debt servicing, including even the repayment of questionable loans. This has effectively emaciated government’s ability to make critical capital investments in the nation’s industries and infrastructure.
