con't... (message board 76)

Name:   Cesar Torres
Email:   Cesar1185@aol.com
Date:   29 November 2008

Kan Mr. Basilio Balasbas:

I apologize for my uncalled for challenge to you that I would bet $1,000 that the San Francisco Deputy Consul General, Antonio Morales, is NOT the Antonio Morales of our SamarNews.com.

Pasaylo, ha. Baga diri angay nga hambog. Mas magurang ako ha imo, unta diri angay adto nga akon guin surat. Seguro, adto nga akon "error in judgement", medyo na elicit guihapon an imo "error in judgement". But your and my errors in judgement do not make us right.

Pero ma-amot gad ako guihapon hin pangastos hin usa nga organization nga diri la puro hangin, like ito nga akon suggestion nga "PAGKAUROSA HIN KATALWASAN HAN SAMAR" or something. Dako gad ini nga burahaton. Makalilisang. Labi hin diri man kita sugad ha ira nga usa la nga bidding or kontrata hin public works, or pera nga ghost employees or ghost purchases, may milyones na nga makakawat.

Labi na nga mga armado pa hira. Diri mag-aalang pag sugo hin pagpatay.

Again, kon kandidato ka ka Gobernador or Congressman Mr. Balasbas, ano man iton imo pana-ad hi-onong hiton CPP-NPA-NDF and their allied organizations, hiton mga abusado nga mga sundalo ngan pulis sugad hadton nagsugo nga pulis ha Catbalogan hin usa nga 9-year nga bata para kawaton ang wallet hin usa nga empleyada ha Kapitolyo, destruction hito aton marine resources, iton mining, iton kagugub-an, iton drug addiction, iton mga kawatan ha gobyerno, iton mga empleyado nga diri nagtratrabaho bisan hira sweldado, ini nga mga sudlot nga kaopay tirison, an mga empleyado through Republic Act 15-30, iton corruption ha mga iba iba nga ofecina like Dept of Education, etc.

Ano man iton imo sagdon, hiton aton mga relihiyoso nga mga mahilig hin fiesta, nga diri maaram han Papal Encyclical ni Pope Paul VI, "Populorum Progressio"? Ngan sobra iton gastos didi ha America or Canada, ngan kadamo pagkaon, and then guin babasura la ang ira mga pagkaon nga natabongdo ha paper plates kay magtambok naman hira ngan nahadlok hin cholesterol while their fellow Catholics are homeless and waray kinakaon dida ha Catbalogan, Samar ngan Payatas o mga riles.

Thanksgiving didi ha America. Unta may kinilaw nga Tuwakang or tinga hin Sabulod ngan tuba ngan may kantahay hin "Punyal han Kapalaran", "Iroy nga Tuna", "A-anhon Pa?" o "Usahay". Extinct naman ini ano nga Tuwakang ngan Sabulod. Pati Tahutok ngan Kabasi. Waray atendiri han mga kawatan ha Samar ngan Pilipinas.

Sigue ha, Mr. Balasbas, pasaylo.

Name:   Andrei
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   11-29-08

To Tonyboy Morales:

I admire your high acumen on political matters, and the hot issues in Samar. The way you compose and construct an article is very impressive,maupay pagbinsa,an last nga akon nabasa nga nabantad an akon kasing-kasing ngan nagpaturo han akon luha an pagvoid han Catbalogan han pagiging ciudad han supreme court tungod han aton egkasi Samarenyo kuno nga mayor. An article nga city-os or cities…thank you Mr. Tonyboy for enlightening the Samareños. Some may hate you but the mass who understand the real issues will appreciate your thoughts. We hope and pray that Catbalogan will be victorious on its campaign.

Maeha na ako nga nagsisinubay-bay hit emo article, lastly, hope nga mamet ko kaw in personal. Long live Tonyboy Morales.

Name:   Antonio Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   11-28-08

Statutory Construction and Samarnon from Canada...

Please pardon me for reneging on my promise to end the ping-pong with you on the true nature of Isog Han Samar Movement. You have miscontrued my statement about the movement. I repeat in clear terms that Isog Han Samar Movement is not a leftist organization. Father Labendia is not a communist. Although I am not a member of Isog Han Samar, I could vouch that they are not pawns of Mao Tse Tung or Karl Marx. I know some people who are members and I could say that they are very far from the leftist label that you want them to appear. Kumbaga, it is a broad alliance of people belonging to different political persuasions. I am not a leftist. I am not a communist. But, do not be scared of communism, the movement in Samar is no longer as strong as it used to be. They no longer have the moral ascendancy because they have already turned to banditry and terrorism because their boss, Joma Sison, is enjoying his exile in the Netherlands while they are still fighting in Samar with no or little financial support from the top. I even heard some rumors that they are being used as goons by politicians during elections.

And, speaking of communism, while I do not fully embrace the idea of communism, there are things that we could learn from it. While I do not fully embrace the idea of capitalism, there are things that we could learn from it. While I do not fully embrace the idea of socialism, there are things that we could learn from it. You know, do not be afraid of "isms." Canada your home country, which is a very progressive country, has actually applied some ideas from communism to effect changes. You have a universal health care system which the US does not have. Universal health care system is not an idea from capitalism because each must pay his own according to capitalism but universal health care coverage is an idea from communism and socialism. Even the US, a staunch capitalist country, is already making some things that are unheard of in capitalism. Corporate bail outs, government take over of private enterprises, economic stimulus package, these ideas are a rebuff to capitalism. The same thing that China's communist stand is already hazy. Its acceptance of market capitalism as part of its opening up its economy is an admission that sticking to a rigid "ism" will not solve the problem.

In parallel, anything absolute that we think are bound to fail. We can't impose christianity as the only true religion because even within Christianity there are so many sects, so many different views, and so on and so forth. I thought in high school that all muslims are one and the same and when I did an extensive study of world religions in college, I found out that there are as many sects and denominations as there are in Christianity. So are Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.

Our problem is not that we do not have the capacity to learn, we have that gift from God. Our problem is that we refuse to learn. If we open our eyes, learn more about others, celebrate more about our commonality rather than our differences, we will find out that we are richer when we know that as people in this world we are more alike than different. Watching the Mek Tribe of Papua New Guinea, one of the most backward tribes according to the classification of modern world, through the Travel Channel, I could only sense that although they do not have the garments that we cover our bodies, we share the same human spirit. They celebrate feasts in honor of newborns like we do. They dance when they are happy like we do. They mourn when somebody dies. They are ecstatic when somebody marries. They are curious about differently-looking people like we are. They laugh, they love their children, they worry about their future, they fall in love, and they are very much like us who are living in the so called modern world. They may not look like most of us, they may not believe in capitalism or whatever ism, they may not have the sophistication like what we have in our modern world but our common humanity is much more compelling than our perceived differences.

To me, you can't put me in one box of absolutes. I do not believe that theories are absolute. Even Einstein's "E=mc2" is true today but will soon be proven wrong in the years to come by more brilliant scientists. Communism can only work under certain conditions. Capitalism can only work under ceteris paribus. Socialism can only work under a certain set of parameters. What we need is the blend of what is good in communism, what is great in capitalism, and what is noble in socialism. If we could have that good mix, then we are good to go. Even in Finance, it is amazing that the most resilient investment mixes are those that creatively combine high risk, medium risk, and low risk investments. Look at the hybrid babies, they look very beautiful. Mestizo. Mestiza. Di ba? Got my point? America is great when it allowed the brightest and the greatest to come to its shore and compete. Its strongest point is when it embraced the collegiality of nations in World War 1 and 2, its weakest point is when it do it all alone stubornly in Vietnam and Iraq.

Same in the Philippines, if Manila's imperial desires continue without taking care of the concerns of those in the south like Cebu and Davao, Manila is nothing but a weak citadel of power. If the Philippines must move forward, it must take care of its foot which is Mindanao. Taking care of the muslims in the south and the indigenous cultural communities are important if we want to claim our sacred space in the future. We should even embrace our brothers from the left to join the march for a common future for the Philippines instead of putting them in a box and sidelining them. Look, the rightists like Enrile, Trillanes, and Honasan are senators and they are now in our centerfold but we also need to include the likes of Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Etta Rosales, etc. so we can learn from them. They too have good ideas for our country. They may be a little wierd to us but we should try to learn from them. In the practice of tolerance, our enemies are our mentors.

To me, putting people in one simple classification is not acceptable. Justice Carpio has enumerated the requisites for a valid constitutionally-compliant classification. But, more than that we should learn to be tolerant and accepting of others and not be too concerns of labels and titles. Dig deeper and you will be amazed that there is more to a person than his labels and titles.

Thanks Canadian Samarnon!

Name:   Boy Tan
Address:   Florida, USA (Catbaloganon)
Email:
Date:   nov. 28, 2008

Ako puro nga Catbaloganon. Komusta ha iyo nga tanan. Gin mimingaw na gud ako han Samar, labi na ha akon mga partidos ug mga kasangkayan.

Na aghat ako pag surat dinhi kay an akon bugto nag sumat bahin hini nga website (samarnews.com). Nag pasabot la hiya nga maupay daw pag binasa pero an iya problema kay diri daw hiya masyado nga nakaka sabot kay puro daw english. Siring niya paano daw ma sasabutan han mga ordinaryo nga mga tawo an isyo han Samar kon mga english an lantugi dinhi?

Pwede ba mag suggest? kon ha winaray ipa agi an mga msg para dumolot gud an mga isyos ha mga ordinaryo nga tawo. (kon pwede la). Asya man ada an iyo plano nga mapa samwak ha kadam-an ini nga mga isyo.

Kami didi ha USA akon mga anak winaray amon uro-storya kay bisan ma uli ngada diri hira malilibak bisan pa diri gud hira maka dericho pag yakan winaray. Hay! kamatahom gad la pamati-on an aton kalugaringon nga yinaknan.

Salamat ngan MABUHAY AN SAMAR!

Name:    Bugsay of Cagaut
Address:   Brgy. Cagaut, Salcedo, Eastern Samar
Email:
Date:   28 November, 2008

Hit Maka-kabasa hini nga paki-tambulig ko:

Maiha na gad nga ini nga column pulos la tungod hin politika it igin-sisinurat hini nga mga nagpa-padara hin ira mga komento ug obserbasyon hit aton bungto (Samar). It ak paki-ana hini ha ira ay:

1) May ‘epekto’ na ba an iyo mga igin-surat nga nakabulig han kahimta-ngan hit kadam-an nga ta-wo hini nga aton bungto?

2) Usa nga ‘major issue’ niyo hit iyo mga iginsurat dinhi hin nga column an mga pa-agi ni Gov. Mila Tan at iya mga binuhat nga ma-aram man kita nga pulos la ‘panga-wat at pag-lingo ha aton ig-kasi waray, pero hin-o man it sumaliwan ha iya, makasiguro kaya kita nga ini nga ta-wo nga masali-wan ay diri liwat ‘kawatan’? I don’t think that whoever wins in the coming governor election would be the ‘all cure’ or ‘panacea’ of our current situation in Samar even if the person’s record in terms of honesty and integrity is immaculate and beyond reproach. That, realistically will take years for an honest public servant to radically transform for the better what Samar is at the moment.

3) Maaram gad liwat kamo nga it iyo mga isinu-surat dinhi ha Message Board ay it makaka-basa la ay it may mga may-ada computer nga may internet connection, asya man nga kadam-an hit nakakabasa at naka-pag-hahatag hit ira opin-yon ngahin ide-ya ay it mga aadto ha gawas (overseas) kay maru-upay at haru-halu-ag man it ira kahim-tangan. It aton mga ig-kasi waray nga mag-uruma, mangi-risda at iba pa nga mga kab-las ay di man hiton nakaka-basa hit iyo mga igin-susu-rat labi pa man nga mga ining-glis nga di gud mahin-sa-sabtan hit aton ig-kasi.

Ma-aram kamo may ada ako ‘project’ para makabu-lig hit aton mga pobre na di makaba-sa (diri kay waray hira gin-adman o waray paka-tung-tong hin iskuy-lahan) kundi kay waray man hira ipalit hin anti-yuhos (eye glasses). One part of the cost of buying a ‘prescribed’ reading glass is the cost of the frame of the glasses itself. I have started collecting and have been soliciting from friends their old and discarded reading spectacles. The lenses of these reading glasses certainly would not be correct or ‘up to grade’ for another person receiving them as a gift from us, but the cost of the pair would be much cheaper as compared to a brand new one.

I would like to ask at this point from our readers and writers of this column, more particularly those from abroad, if in that little corner of their houses there are still some of those thrown-away, out of fashion pair of glasses that they don’t use and can be donated to our poor waray-warays who are very much willing and interested reading your articles in this column. Please post your comments and support.

P.S. Masiring gud it makaka-rawat nga tawo hin usa nga pades nga anti-yuhos ticang ha aton nga, “Ba-ah man daw, hin ka makarit mag-surat hin ining-glis in nga mga tawo dinhi ha “Message Board”.

Name:   Basilio A. Balasbas
Address:   Laguna
Email:   balasbas.basilio@yahoo.com
Date:   November 28, 2008

For Tonyboy Morales,

I am really sorry for comparing you to journalists. You are one of the kind that even journalists will highly regard with great esteem. I am captivated by your marvelous wits that you possess especially on the IRA, the SCRA, the caves and other wonderful sites in Samar. Although you are holed up in San Francisco you can still dish out the different personalities of significance like for instance the Nacario's, the Sarmiento's to name a few and I don't even know these personages from Adam. Mel Sarmiento is the City Mayor of Calbayog, I was once the Sgt Major of TTMVS ROTC Unit and that is in Calbayog. Not that I am dim-witted, it so happened that maybe Mel Sarmiento was still in the elementary when I was stationed in Calbayog. How I wish to run in tandem with Tonyboy Morales in Samar since we are both predisposed with the same mission of bringing peace, progress and prosperity to the province of Samar, but again this is next to impossible because Tonyboy who is very much qualified to run for any position cannot do so for the reason that is obvious, he is still working with Roger Gonzales in the foreign lands, the later is also a Catbaloganon whose brother Roy, is a Senior Superintendent in the PNP.

You are indeed holed up in a pedestal so to speak, you can only see the real situation of Samar in a larger perspective from where you are but you can still help by continuously speaking out your mind on issues affecting our province and please include the national scene because the present occurrences in the metropolitan area is really very disturbing.

Again my apology Tonyboy for bringing you down by comparing you to journalists but journalists are also brilliant like for instance Dong Puno, Corina Sanchez, Teddyboy Locsin and Ninoy Aquino with whom I must say is witty like you. It’s not crabby Tonyboy.

God Bless Us All.

Name:    Samarnon
Address:   Canada
Email:   samarnonk@yahoo.com
Date:   November 28, 2007

Paging sangkay ADELBERT BATICA. Where art thou? Nami-miss ko na an imo mga authenthic ug haglarom nga mga waraynon nga mga pulong - not to mention your wisdom!

Hope are in good health and more power! Best regards.

Name:   Girlie Grimaldi
Address:   New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Email:
Date:    27 November 2008

To Mr. Tonyboy Morales of Catbalogan City:

Thank you Mr. Tonyboy Morales for a well-reasoned and written piece of literature about Catbalogan's cityhood nullification by the Supreme Court (SC).

Like you and countless other Catbaloganons and Samareños all over the world, I share your sadness and grief about this startling turn of events. Although I respect the SC's judgment, I pray the justices reconsider their decision. The close SC 6-5 vote was a very telling one.

Although Calbayog Mayor Mel Sarmiento might have his reasons, I can't fathom his petitioning the SC to nullify the cityhood of Catbalogan, Borongan and Baybay, respectively. Being a Samarnon himself and Chair of Region VIII's Regional Development Council (RDC), what he did was utterly selfish and contrary to the RDC's goals of improving developments and infrastructures in Eastern Visayas. Mr. Tonyboy Morales' analysis of Mel Sarmiento's myopic and parochial thinking is an apt one and I couldn't elaborate more.

I'll continue hoping for Catbalogan's best outcome. May our justices be enlightened enough and give Catbalogan and the other affected cities their due consideration. Peace!

Name:   Cesar Torres
Email:   Cesar1185@aol.com
Date:   27 November 2008

To Mr. Samarnon in Canada, and Mr. Balasbas who has declared that he wants to be the Savior of the Samarnons, I wrote the following:

"Frankly Mr. Samarnon in Canada – how I wish that you would not be so afraid to tell us your name, mag isog taga Samar di ba? – observing the comprehensive breath of Tonyboy Morales of SamarNews.com's knowledge and his very astute observations of Samar and Philippine society, and knowing the SF Consulate's Deputy Consul's style of delivering his speeches, I don't think the two are one and the same. Both are nationalists and patriots, but Samarnon Tonyboy Morales's nationalism and patriotism is much more fervent."

To Mr. Balasbas:

I will bet $1,000 nga ini hi Antonio "Tonyboy" Morales is NOT the ANTONIO MORALES who is the Deputy Consul General of San Francisco. I have not called the Consulate yet, kun taga diin ang probinsya ni Deputy Consul Morales.

In the first place, there are very strict rules in the Diplomatic Service. Antonio Morales, the SF Deputy Consul General would not be so stupid to be writing like the Antonio Morales here. He would not risk his career in the Philippine Diplomatic Corp just to be a leader of our poor Samarnons who cannot think any better kon guin tatampalo hiton ira kalugaringon nga kwarta.

Kun mapirdi ako, iton tunga ikadto hin pondo para gastos hiton para hin Movement that we might call "HINGYAP HAN KATALWASAN HAN SAMAR", for lack of a better term. Kadamo na hini nga mga Movement Movement, puro la hangin. When I was there in 2004, there was "An Samar Naman!" Hain ba iton. Waray man! And then there was these groups, duha, organized in Metro Manila. Puro la hangin.

Iton tunga hiton akon pusta kon maperdi ako, amot ko ha imo hiton imo kandidatura for Barangay Captain, Mayor, Councilor, Congressman, Gobernador, whatever. Hi Ray Gaspay iton aton testigo. I have worked with Ray Gaspay for a long time now. And he maintains our website.

Anyway, I think we should not waste time trying to unmask the real persona of Mr. Morales. Seguro iton iya mga ideas iton importante. Ako frankly, I want him to become Congressman, to represent Samar in that cesspool. Problema hini ha iya, kay bangin sobra ka elitista. Diri na maentidihan hito magbaho iton irok ngan mga tungawon.

Incidentally, Captain Balasbas, how will you deal with the National Democratic Front in Samar and in the Philippines, and all over the world for that matter? There are other "progressive groups", ha, those who have renounced the "armed struggle".
Iton Samarnon naman ha Canada, three things:

1. Ini nga mga alyases denhi ha Internet makabibido. Hi Ruben Gerardo, he is head of the Filipino Education Center in Norway, created the "Villahanon Forum". Por bida, puro insulto, mga birobingkil, tahap, accusar bisan waray base, mga buwa. Natago ini nga mga Villahanon hiton ira mga alyases. Iton akon panhunahuna, kon angay kasohan, di kasohan, kon may ebidensya. Ini nga Internet weird. We can hide behind some fictitious names. But even if we can do this, it does not mean that we should forget our honor and our pride. How can we become leaders of our people, kon kita mismo diri angay respetohan? Ini hi Purita Wangwang, may egroup, mga taga Samar High kuno. Por bida ini nga bata, masyado itong pakaraot hin tawo. Unbelievable.

2. Join me in the egroups I have created: UP-Alumni-in-Cyberspace@yahoogroups.com, Filam-Forum@yahoogroups.com, GugmaHanSamar@yahoogroups.com, SHS-SNS@yahoogroups.com, Worldwide-Filipino-Alliance@yahoogroups.com. The moderators, the owners, and the important subscribers do not use alayases, labi na adton sigue iton surat. They might use psyudonyms, but they tell us who they are and what they are. I did not want to put you down because you are just using "Samarnon" or in the case of Mr. Morales, "Tonyboy Morales". At least hi Mr. Balasbas, writes his full name. Masyado kamo hin ka very secretive. You don't even share your email addresses. Okay la. Angay mag-ikmat kita. I understand. Makuri iton panahon, ngan barato iton kinabuhi.

3. On being "Left", the comfortable life you are now enjoying in Canada is the result of the struggle of peoples and groups who might be labeled "Leftist", as opposed to "Rightist".

Finally, nagtitikang na liwat kita hini nga pag believe ha aton kalugaringon nga makarit gud kita. May-ada ako umangkon, Judge na yana, naka-asawa hin abogada. May tiya nga nurse ha America ini nga abogada. Guin pakandidato an iyan umangkon nga abogada. An slate, waray ngani Vice Mayor ada, waray konsehales. An iya Father in Law nga incumbent councilor ha Catbalogan, waray ngani ig api han linya hini nga bata nga nagkandidato ka Mayor ha Catbalogan. Ikina-awod seguro, kay diri man makarit nga familya ha Catbalogan.

Dayon an kampanya. Resulta? Perdi. And I was informed P15 million was spent, tungod la hin paglanat hin kauwat ngan ka tapang or napaka iyot. Pareho la ini han mga kandidato ka Presidente in 2004.

Hi Fr. Panlilio, aberration an pagdaug. Even if he was the only candidate. Pati NDF seguro, bumulig. Like Grace Padaca.

Ini nga kahimtang ha Samar ngan Pilipinas, diri gad ito makukuha hin traditonal na liwat nga pagtuod nga usa katawo will be the Savior of our People in Samar and in the Homeland. We need a Movement, people, many people fired by the same vision, the same force!

Even if I win $30 million in the California Lottery, kun maglulugaring la ako kay damo akon kwarta, waray hito mahitatabo. Dako iton trabaho-on hiton mga values hiton Samarnon. Sering pa hin Inenglish, mind-boggling.

Name:   Taclobanon
Address:   United States
Email:
Date:   Nov. 27, 2008

I wish Samarnon will try to reconsider his recent decision not to endorse Fr. Labendia but instead will help Mr. Morales if he runs for Governor or Congressman. Well, I don't blame him for he's just exercising his rights to choose whom to endorse based on his own personal criteria. What happened here and how he hastily decided not to join us (Mr. Morales, Mr. Balasbas and myself) to endorse Fr. Labendia is he was waiting for more information of the priest coming from Mr. Morales. Then Mr. Morales has said or categorized Fr. Labendia as an advocate of the leftist ideology or maybe (I'm not sure yet) that he might be a member of the leftist organization. That made Mr. Samarnon end or stop his endorsement.

The reason why I opted to join Mr. Morales in endorsing the priest is because he's done the unthinkable of fighting the anomalies and corruptions of Gov. Mila Tan and he didn't think about the safety of himself and his group in Isog Han Samar. I've been an activist in my college years but it doesn't mean that I joined the NPA or those leftist organization who are leaning to Mao's teachings of communism. I just want to break away from the corrupt people in government. Like Fr. Labendia who's against the corrupt government and he doesn't want to continue the status quo, but we are branded as leftist. In my mind there's no such thing as leftist if what we want is reform. Why can't those activist and leftist like the priest be called as reformist. I presumed that leftist organization is just a way to reform the corrupt government period.

Well, I still hope Samarnon will reconsider and join us to endorse Fr. Labendia.

Name:   Antonio Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   Nov 27 2008

Nagkakababantad na an mga kalag...

J. Marco's piece regarding Bebot Cebu of Guinsorongan has indeed taken Basil Balasbas to the defensive mood. I understand Basil's defense of his brod-in-law. It's not that he is afraid of Bebot, he is afraid of Bebot's sister who is his wife. Just kidding. I wish not to get involved in that heated exchange because honestly I do not have any information about Bebot and I do not even know him since Adam.

Back to my previous suggestion, an akon lagi suhestiyon na hi Mano Basil Balasbas an kumandidato pagka kapitan hiton Guinsorongan unta madayon na para aton na gud mautro an sistema hin pamaligya hin botos hiton aton mga igkasi Samarnon but I think that he is hesitant. Miski pa corrupt hi Bebot, diri man corrupt hi Basil. Miski pa brother-in-law ni Basil hi Bebot. Bebot and Basil are not one and the same person. So, I am still for Basil despite the revelations of J. Marco. As usual, unless proven wrong I would stick with Mano Basil. But what is exciting about all these exchanges, nanhigawas na gud an kamatuoran na miski barangay election la ngani P50 - P100 na an panhatag. Tapos, kapitan la ini di ba? Diri pa ngani ini straight voting. An mga konsehales de barangay iba iba pa iton ira panhatag. Makarima-dima na aton nahibabaroan mismo hini nga aton mga sangkay nga may pipeline ngadto hit mga political operators. To some extent, kun sugad na hito an palitay ha barangay level pa la ngani, pira na man ngay-an an konsehal, mayor, congressman, governor, etc? Mayda ak nabatian na kan Mila pamalit P2,000 na kay tungod na congressman ngan governor na man. Baa makalilisang. Salit pagkatapos hit eleksyon, kahig hin maupay para makabawi han guingasto hit eleksyon. While there is a law that prohibits the practice of vote buying, is it possible to stop this travesty of our democratic system? Pakiana ko ito han mga experto ha Political Science nga hi Former UP Professor Cesar Torres ngan an akon usa nga idolo nga hi Mano Addi Batica from Basey now based in Minnesota.

Playing the role of a devil's advocate, can I ask these hard questions to everybody (again special mention to the two experts of Political Science Torres & Batica) regarding the realpolitik in Samar in particular and in the Philippines in general.

1. Ungod na it vote buying is illegal as mandated by the Omnibus Election Code, the more difficult challenge is how to implement it. There were several cases filed by losers against winners about vote buying but no one was convicted. I haven't heard of an election winner filing a case for vote buying against his/her losing opponent. And, I haven't heard about politicians being jailed for vote buying. Question: How to implement the anti-vote buying provision of the election code? Question: Would it be better to just regulate vote buying just like regulating gambling, prostitution, and other "habitual" crimes? To tell the truth, if we will religiously implement, say hiring the FBI, CIA, or KGB to monitor elections, everybody will be guilty that all elective offices would become vacant. Again, I'm playing a devil's advocate just to elicit outrageous comments.

2. In the US, millions are spent on TV, radio, web, and other advertisement media. In fact, this year's campaign spending was record-breaking. Obama's camp spent millions of dollars that has surpassed all election spending in the history (the official la kay bangin GMA may have spent more for her 2004 election than Obama) of the whole world. Of course, the money came from donors/supporters who gave from as little as $1 to the highest amount allowed by law (I think it's $250,000). So it's the people who gave money to the politicians rather than the politicians giving money to the people. Now, spending those millions in ads in order to convince people to vote for them is "indirect vote buying." Indirect in the sense that the ads, true or false or in between, try to get the vote of the voter although the money goes to the TV, radio, or internet company instead of directly giving the money to the people. In the Philippines, the money is used to "directly buy the vote" meaning that the money is given to the voters and not through a media outlet. In theory, I believe that they are the same. In fact, it was proven in one election in Manila when Mark Jimenez won as congressman against the well-entrenched family of the Ocampos. Jimenez did not have billboards, posters, or even TV or radio ads, what he had was money directly paid to voters. The powerful Sandy Ocampo used the media and was surprised on election day that she lost to the vote buying tactics of Mark Jimenez. Question: Are the US and Philippine elections similar in that sense? Again, I am playing devil's advocate here just to bring out the creative juices of our pundits.

3. To paraphrase Karl Paul Reinhold Niehbur, a prominent theologian and philosopher, who eloquently said in his prayer to grant us the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference. Can we then say that there are some things that are ingrained in the moral fiber of our nation that we simply can't change? Is vote buying then simply one of those bad habits that we can't change? Or, it is something that we can change? Can we then just decriminalize vote buying and let politicians do vote buying publicly like having an auction as to who among the candidates can come up with the highest bid price for the people's votes? Exciting discussions are coming with these provocative questions.

4. There is vote buying because there is an ongoing election, right? If there are no elections, there are no vote buying. Can we then at least remove or eliminate "unnecessary elections"? I propose that we stop having SK elections. They are simply a waste of time and resources. I do not believe that SK is the best training ground for youth empowerment. I believe that we are taking away the innocence of youth by introducing them to the indecent practices of corrupt officials. There are better avenues that they could be trained like in schools or colleges. Definitely, the barangay leaders are not capable of guiding them. Can we reduce having regular lawmakers for the local government units? I think that city or municipal councilors or provincial board members should not receive too much salary. Right now, they are paid at least equivalent to a head of office like a city/municipal treasurer for attending at least one session a week. City/Municipal councilors and even provincial board members should be "citizen lawmakers." "Citizen Lawmakers" are part-time lawmakers and not full-time government employees. They have to have their own occupations other than their elective positions when the board or council is not in session. They will only be paid if they attend the sessions, on a per diem basis, of the council or board. With this set-up, we will be able to recruit the best and the most talented minds. Practicing lawyers, doctors, engineers, professors, accountants, and others who can be the think tank of the local government unit. Right now, what we have are regular councilors/board members whose main livelihood is politics. With that as their main livelihood, they would definitely try to earn as much as possible with every single government transaction. The city council or provincial board should exercise the oversight function of the city or provincial executive. They should not be embroiled in the day-to-day activities of the local government.

Name:    midnytbleu
Address:   Manila
Email:    midnytbleu@gmail.com
Date:   11/27/08

To Mr Basilio,

You have misread the 8th paragraph of Mr Tonyboy Morales and I quote "And to Samarnon from Canada, I AND the deputy consul general in San Francisco ARE NOT ONE AND THE SAME PERSON. I am my own man." Post dated 11/25/08.

Name:    Letenyo
Address:   Tacloban City
Email:
Date:   November 27, 2008

For Basilio Balasbas,

I have read the articles here in this forum from both of you and Tony Morales. I was correct with my insight that you are better to run for candidacy than Tony Morales. I can see you as a potential politician. Politicians as derived from “politics” specialize in many technical trades, science and art in convincing and or negotiating people, groups of people and or organization to fulfill a goal. Politicians are natural born leader and they have nothing to do with being an economist or a lawyer because experts can always work for politicians. Politicians can be good and can be bad as we have already witnessed that, Samarnons have been at the mercy of a bad politicians. If you do the same then your fate will be similar to Mila Tan.

The Filipino politicians today have been using only one technical trade, and that trade is using bribe money to fulfill their goals. Examples are vote buying, through funding NPA loyalty. A better politician would use several technical trades and the trade of buying loyalty would only be the action of last resort. President Marcos was the smartest of politicians. He used many and bold technical trades from manipulating American foreign policy for his own favor, to actual murder of opposition party leaders. Like what I have said, politicians’ skills can be used for good as well as for bad purpose.

While you will never do evil ways to achieve your goals, a better approach would be to negotiate, seek allies and allegiance from other political organizations, labor unions and many others. If they see you as a strong leader, they might make you the super leader for the union of many organizations.

I was amazed at President elect Obama of the U.S. who ran a brilliant campaign organization. He amassed political contribution of $600 million and yet only used half of it, the first in America. The rest will be used to help elect governors and representative of Obama’s Democratic Party. He used the internet to solicit support and contribution.

Name:   Tonyboy Morales
Address:   Catbalogan
Email:
Date:   11-26-08

To Sherwin of Calbayog... On City-os and Cities

"Mas marunong pa kayo sa Supreme Court! Kay anano nga si Mayor Mel Sarmiento an iyo guin babasol?" - Sherwin from Calbayog

Sherwin, diri gad namon guinbabasol si Mel kay useless iton. Mel Sarmiento should have exercised delicadeza and should not have opposed the conversion of Catbalogan into city because he is a Samarnon. Period. An Tacloban ngan Ormoc waray man iton hira makisawsaw hit cityhood of Baybay because maaram hira na Baybay is part of Leyte and they too are part of Leyte. Kun baga, miski ka supak, the least that you could do is not lead other "myopic and mayokpok" cities to question the cityhood of other cities.

Here are some realities of Mel's action.

1. Mel has a myopic point of view. I understand that the reason why Mel opposed the cityhood of Catbalogan is because the city of Calbayog will significantly reduce its dependence on the dole out from the national government through the IRA (internal revenue allotment). Mel's point of view is limited to the adverse effect of the cityhood bills to Calbayog's income. He should have taken the bigger view that with two cities in Samar, Samarnons will greatly benefit. Here's the deal, if Catbalogan is converted into a city, Calbayog would lose $20 Million in IRA share but Catbalogan will gain $140 Million more in income. Kun simple la nga matematika, kun kaupayan han kadam-an an imo ungara, Samar will have a net of $120 Million more in income. Samarnon collectively lost $20 M to earn $140 M more. Sounds good as an investment on the progress of your brother municipality.

2. Mel should have excercised restraint. The best thing that Mel could have done is to keep his opposition to the cityhood of Catbalogan on his own. He should not have filed a petition before the Supreme Court. The petition filed by the League of Cities of which he is secretary-general is more than enough. Instead his name is now enshrined in SCRA (Supreme Court Reports Annotated) as a petitioner to nullify Catbalogan's cityhood bill and others. To think, Mel is the best among the current crops of politicians in Samar. He has the managerial skills and political acumen to lead Samar but his selfish acts should never be forgotten by Catbaloganons and other Samarnons. By the way, he also wanted to create a new province out of the first district of Samar. To say the least, he does not think highly of Catbalogan as the capital of Samar. By the way it looks, he think Catbalogan as a threat rather than an ally for progress. Very crabby, I would say.

3. Mel has forgotten his roots because of money. Money is the reason why existing cities are questioning the cityhood bills. The reasons promulgated by Justice Antonio Carpio were of course valid the same thing that the reasons pronounced by Justice Ruben Reyes were also valid. It just so happened that Reyes's became the minority decision and Carpio's got the majority decision. But both could justify which ever way to go. Mel has forgotten that Calbayognons would have been happy to have another city in Samar. It's like a brother wants to graduate from college but the older one does not like the idea because the small brother's graduation will reduce his income. As the big brother, I would have been happier to cut a little bit of income so my small brother can receive a better income. The economies of Catbalogan and Calbayog are inter-related that the the advancement of one will bring the advancement of the other. And, Calbayog has been receiving its fat share for 60 years already and Catbalogan is only trying to taste its bigger share for the first time yet it was snatched easily like that.

4. The big cities (the "real ones" like Makati, Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Quezon City, Pasay, Marikina, among others) did not really opposed the creations of newer cities because they are confident and fiscally-independent. Is Calbayog a real city with those attributes? A city that is claiming to be independent but heavily relies on the dole out from the national coffers is not at all a city of grand stature. The reduction in Calbayog's share only proves that a city that is still dependent upon the national government to run its affairs is nothing better than other subsisting municipalities. If the IRA is the city's main income then that city should start reconsidering reverting back to municipality.

Hard questions for Calbayog. With no offense to Calbayog residents, my mom is from the area and I still consider myself one-half Calbayognon and one half of my relatives are from the first district, the label "city" is only a label and does not make one more progressive than others. I went to Tangub City, another petitioner, in Misamis Occidental and found out that Guinsorongan is more livelier than Tangub minus of course the "unidentified floating objects" that Basil Balasbas will take care when he becomes capitan del barrio. I went to visit Himamaylan City, another petitioner, in Negros Occidental and found out that Burak has more people than Himamaylan's poblacion. The same descriptions can be said about Tarlac, Iriga, Ligao, Legazpi, Bayawan, Cauayan, Tacurong, Oroquieta, Calapan, Bais, Cadiz, and Tagum – all petitioners. I mean Calbayog has been a city for more than 60 years, but what has 60 years in the making made it supreme in Samar? When Catbalogan was only receiving a few millions from the national government ($77 M in 2008, Calbayog was already receiving twice or even thrice what Catbalogan was receiving. Comparing the progress charts, both are technically at the same level. Very very sad. 60 years of cityhood should have made it a stellar sight in Samar but honestly it is nothing but another sleeping city.

Honestly I agree a little bit of what Sherwin said, Mel should not be blamed in this whole fiasco. He is only protecting his turf and its bread and butter, IRA share. Congress should not allow a few cities to receive unconscionably more than the lowly municipalities. A better way of allocating the IRA should be implemented to equitably share the internal revenue income of the government. I cannot understand that a city which has more power of taxation than a municipality need to rely on the national government to operate. Instead the city should be more independent and self-reliant than the municipalities. The current set-up is counter productive and would only encourage those who have already been converted into cities to become gatekeepers to the barn of government goodies. They will continue to bar other applicants in the future because they do not want to share the goodies to others.

Another thing, while I understand the reasoning of Justice Carpio on the doctrine of valid classification, are those existing cities qualified to be labeled a city? The original problem stem when congress increased the income requirement from P20 to P100 Million for municipalities (that's 5 times folks) to become cities. The justification of the change is correct but does the new requirement apply only to those who are applying? How about those who are already cities that cannot even earn more than P20 million without the IRA included in their gross income? To be fair, the income requirement should not include the IRA allocations and it would be funny to know that more than half of these "subsisting cities" are not even qualified to become cities even with only P10 million as income. So, the "city" label is not even accurate. A city, in my mind means progress, but try to look at the existing cities of the Philippines and most are disastrously mis-labeled. Most are actually "city-os" or sitios to be frank and blunt about them. Forgive my irreverence to labels and titles. If given the chance, I would still go back to ancient times' requirements for cityhood – nothing. Yes, I am not kidding, nothing. Because, cityhood in the ancient times is earned and not mandated by law. The same thing that the best in life are earned, honor, dignity, respect, and integrity.

"No bias, no bull" says Campbell Brown from CNN or if you favor FoxNews then "the spin stops here" says Bill O'Reilly.

Amo la, Sherwin.

[ Additional reading: Calbayog City opposes cityhood bid of 12 towns, including Catbalogan  - Ed ]

Name:   Basilio A. Balasbas
Address:   539 Gen. Ricarte Ext., San Antonio, San Pedro, Laguna
Email:    balasbas.basilio@yahoo.com
Date:   November 26, 2008

Now that a certain J. Marco came out and tried to besmirched the reputation of a relative whom I have a high regard and attempted to assimilate me as if I was a part of it, what is disheartening is the fact that the allegations against my brother in-law are illusory and malicious, and because of this challenge I will now throw my hat into the affairs of the government. I honestly believe that I am intellectually equipped with the skills needed to govern an LGU or even the provincial government.

I am a Captain in the reserve force of the Philippine Army. I started my career in the military as a non commissioned officer and was commissioned after my graduation in college. I was offered to work in Brunei Darussalam as the Chief of Security of Brunei Polo club for 2 years and I also worked in Singapore for one (1) year with the same position. I did not pursue my career in the military because of a meager salary. I have a very big family to support then the reason why I opted to work in the private sector. Consequently I worked as the Security Manager of Edsa Shangri-la Hotel. I am presently working in Subic for an American firm and my contract will expire at the end of December 2008.

By the way I am now convinced that Tonyboy cannot throw his hat into the political arena simply because he is serving as the Deputy Consul General of San Francisco, California. As I have said I am really mesmerized with his high proficiency in communication, what is more significant is his adeptness in the legal parlance. He is a graduate in Economics and Law in the premiere educational institution. Asya ngay-an.

Para kan J. Marco, I would like to invite you to come to my house in the address specified above to see me and my family. Madamo nga salamat haimo.

Name:   Samarnon
Address:   Canada
Email:   samarnonk@yahoo.com
Date:   November 26, 2008

To Sankay Tonyboy:

To quote you: "Since damo na man an napamatuod na it Isog Han Samar Movement diri la iton usa nga leftist organization ngan at least maaram naman an publiko na guinpakita na nira it ira tinguha not by merely writing a message here in Samarnews.com but by filing a case in the proper forum seguro samwak na iton ha ngatanan."

I hope that you were very aware of how you've constructed your sentence. ("...na it Isog Han Samar Movement diri LA iton usa nga leftist organization...)

Above is a suffiecient admission that Isog Han Samar Movement is a leftist organization. And for that, I regretfully bow out of my support for Mr. Noel Labendia. Count me out para ha iya.

Tonyboy, ikaw nala lugod an kumandidato para pagka-gubernador ug deri ngani ha congress. You have my support. At least I know your principles and vision.