The World According to Jim Paredes
Photo courtesy of Jim Paredes
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By Wilfredo G. Villanueva
It gets you. How come surveys do not indicate intelligent choice? Will we depart from Daang Matuwid just when Bloomberg has called our country the strong man of Asia? Will we lose democratic space because voters seem to prefer a would-be despot, or our growth upended by a new dynastic kleptocracy? The head spins, but a conversation with Jim Paredes helps to regain balance and perspective. I wrap up the interview as if I have climbed a mountain, the rolling hills and plains under my feet, breathing rarefied air, gaining understanding. The musician-philosopher, 64 years old, but still, uhm, spoiling for a fight, says we’ll be all right.
First, the elephant in the room: Is he or isn’t he an Australian citizen? “No,” Jim says, “my two younger children chose foreign citizenship, exercising their option to choose, but I remain a Filipino citizen, so does Lydia my wife.”
As if to silence his critics once and for all, he confides that he did surrender his United States green card in 1989, after the most serious coup that almost toppled Cory Aquino’s government. “I deprived myself of an exit,” he said. “If I will fight for democracy I will stand and fight to the finish.” Thoughts of Sun Tzu came to mind: never fight an enemy who has no exit. He will not compromise, having no means to retreat—heavy casualties on both sides, a costly war. Meet Jim Paredes of APO Hiking Society fame, musician, singer, book author, writer, poet, patriot, warrior.
He has 27 albums which he shares with Danny Javier and Boboy Garrovillo of APO, he who was a 100 per cent ingglisero being Ateneo de Manila born and raised, but had to learn Tagalog to make APO’s songs more lasting, give them a common touch, so people can own them. They had about three songs in English who made the grade, but almost all their songs in Tagalog ring loud and true as Original Pilipino Music or OPM, sparkling diamonds in the days when the country would not have its fill of foreign songs, even up to the present time.
Photo courtesy of Jim Paredes
I asked him to divide an imaginary pie into the things he likes to do, for example, what part music, what part politics for social change. “The whole pie is music, it just so happens that I am a liberal democrat and everything I do speaks of my stand on certain issues, but on the whole, my life is about music, just music,” flashing the same boyish grin that has endeared him to the population, across the sexes.
Edgar Lores of the Society of Honor asked if the Philippines has any philosophers, in other words, are we a thinking people? No one in the talkative group could provide an answer, perhaps it was a resounding no, but no one had the heart to say, “No we don’t have a philosophy of our own, therefore, no philosophers because we love fiestas and siestas, but never thoughts, for we don’t like deep, ‘babaw lang.”
Backtrack a bit, to the time when Jim was five years old. He is the ninth of ten children. His father Jesus Paredes, Sr., Horacio de la Costa, S.J., and Leon Maria Guerrero were in the same honors’ class in Ateneo, all graduated summa cum laude. Both Paredes and de la Costa had a calling for priesthood but it was only Horacio de la Costa who responded to the call. When Jim was five, his father died in a plane crash. The plane was called Mt. Pinatubo, so named because it was the tallest mountain in Zambales, the province of the plane’s main passenger. It was a presidential plane, carrying the late President Ramon Magsaysay, crashed on a mountainside in Cebu, killing all passengers. If the plane hadn’t crashed, Jim’s father, Magsaysay’s speechwriter and adviser, would have been appointed as Secretary of Education.
Horacio de la Costa was a permanent fixture in the Paredes household before and after the tragedy, and it was in this milieu where Jim grew up, loving his music, playing his guitar and piano, catching conversations of the philosophic kind, all the while missing his father.
Years from now, when we look back, we could say perhaps Jim Paredes is one of the country’s philosophers, constantly thinking of country and how to reach out, solidifying his Philippine-view through the music he, Danny Javier and Boboy Garrovillo composed, sang to their audiences, recorded, by doing so they had the time of their lives. Twenty-seven albums. A lifetime achievement.
But he wouldn’t rest. Moved his family to Sydney, left the two youngest Ala and Mio in Oz to make a life there, came back to the beloved country, sang some, wrote some, marched some, fought some.
He is a familiar face in rallies. Recently, he led a “walk your talk” on Ayala Avenue initially with an anti-corruption message but lately adding an anti-dictatorship theme under the tag #DiNaKoPapayag, planning it with Leah Navarro, Noel Tolentino, JJ Soriano, Cynthia Patag and others. It was basically a coming out party for social-media activists, who, upon taking a stand and hammering on it, walked their talk. They didn’t apply for rally permits, so they just walked in a file, four abreast please, making the least noise, maybe just a gong, and a three-meter by one meter tarpaulin carried in front saying Down with the Binays basically. Three walks already, and all of the events were well-attended. During the first two occasions, Jim was handed a megaphone by one of the marchers, but at the third time, he just approached every grouping among the walkers to make announcements: “Friend us in Facebook for future action, okay?” he says, his voice hoarse.
“Are you not, uhm, in fear of your life?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “I had close brushes in the Marcos years, but this time, no. A friend says someone is following me when we walk through Ayala Avenue, taking pictures, but that’s about it,” he said.
“And do you think too much noise in a democracy will lead to repression in the future?”
“No. People are aware. With social media, we are aware of our freedom to speak out, and it will take a great force to stop people from speaking out. Democracy, with the right to express oneself, is here to stay.”
“Like pushing toothpaste back to the tube?” I asked.
“Yes.”
The man is tireless. He has written four books: Humming in My Universe, Between Blinks, Writing on Water, As Is Where Is. He does not dwell on political analysis in the books, only general observations, to understand life in a silent way. Yes, it’s about Zen.
His favorite line in the interview: “To become accident-prone to perfection, by doing it repetitively until it leads to an awakening to the interconnectedness of things and the disappearance of self.” Whew. Figure that out yourself. Or go buy his books at lulu.com. National bookstore? Try, he said.
The guy is perpetual motion personified. Sixty pushups every day. Walking an hour or two. Teaching in the Ateneo: Special Topics in Performance and Practice—World Music, OPM, Humor, Creativity, and Songwriting. An album of his own coming out this month, a complete departure from the APO signature melody. For the Mar Roxas-Leni Robredo campaign, concerts and maybe two more walk your talk down Ayala Avenue. Twitter feeds for not more than 140 characters, for which he has 973,000 followers as we spoke in interview. Jim’s health is also his wealth. At 161 pounds in a 5’11 frame, he could do “three rounds of tennis and still have sex,” this according to his Australian doctor after his latest medical exam.
His proudest moments? The first anniversary of EDSA, and the song he wrote, Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo was performed and sang before hundreds of thousands of people, singing in Carnegie Hall with APO, his four books, when he read on-cam the curfew order of Marcos at PTV-4, after which he said, “H’wag natin sundin!”
How would he want to be remembered? “Just build a tiny statue of a man playing the guitar in some small corner in a barangay where kids can gather and play music. Or just keep singing my songs and keep them alive.”
His second most important line in the interview: “The best thing about a democracy is that everybody has a voice; the worst thing about a democracy is that everybody has a voice.” He kept on repeating it, laughing his heart out.
It wasn’t an easy interview, but don’t get me wrong. He wasn’t distrustful at all, opening his doors wide for me, showing me the skylight in the bathroom of the guest room of his Filipino inspired, wooden, glass, steel house, yes, a tour of the entire Paredes home. But Jim isn’t easy to draw, to write about, because he doesn’t keep still, his mind wraps around every concept in his mind like a lover would. The interview was like attending a party and he welcomes you to a buffet of every thought his mind contained, and your brain expands like a stomach would expand after a feast. No wonder he could write songs as naturally as breathing.
I’m glad I asked for the interview. It’s not every day you sit down in conversation with a Filipino and you don’t feel dispirited afterwards, saddled with all the negative thoughts that every normal Filipino would have in times like these. Jim Paredes believes in the country. He has had two chances to break free, but in 1989 he chucked his green card, and when he relocated his family in Australia in the ’90s, he said no to citizenship, my place is in the Philippines, Australia is a good country and my younger children have chosen to live in it, but my place is in the Philippines, from which I will have no exit.
Mabuhay ka, Jim.
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The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Take that, Bobi Tiglao! While Tiglao will fade into oblivion as the man with no name, no dignity, and whose integrity died before his physical self, Jim will live on and on….
Mabuhay ka Jim, Wil!
Hi Andrew! Rigoberto Tiglao is actually Jim’s classmate. What a contrast. Born and bred in the same academic environment but who turned out completely different from each other.
You could interview Tiglao also…
the resulting article could be something like this:
https://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/79/MPW-39930
@Wil
I know. Tiglao has been harassing Jim for some time now in his columns. Tiglao fell into the abyss, while Jim soars.
Tiglao’s audience happens to be the Rody/Macoy peenoise fanboys who want a strongman back into the Palace, and to free his patron GloMA.
Mabuhay ka po manong Jim.
and Will of course.
Thank you, Karl! Mabuhay ka rin.
Will, it was Edgar who gave us a pop quiz about naming a Filipino philosopher.
Edited in already, bro.
👍🏻
A health and fitness buff interviewing another just like him, physically fit and so in love with the country, and walking the talk. Wish I could have been a butterfly in the wall, no not a fly, during the interview.
Yes folks, you may think we are just for Mar and Leni, but first and foremost, we are for the country. Truly.
I echo the others’ wish – Mabuhay ka, Jim and Will.
Two genuine nationalists – Will and Jim. In 1984, I saw him in the Quirino Granstand, I was a high schooler then and I was startruck at this privileged man/celebrity who was marching with us in the rallies that had been organized all over Metro Manila. That’s when I fell in love with my country, the Philippines. A love affair forged in the prayer rallies that stay with you for a lifetime. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas ! #RoxasRobredo
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, stpaul! Keep on loving the beloved country!
akala ko sasabihin mong, that’s how i fell in love with Jim. LOL! talking of which. i grew up with Apo’s music and i really was a fan and still am. i have a collection of their album (mga cassete pa iyon). my cousins and i had gigs in some folkhouses earlier and some of their songs were part of our repertoire. He became politically visible after Edsa. I heard, Danny is maka-Duterte,nothing wrong really.
@pelang :XD But boy he was so pogi .
Thank you Apo Jim for the inspiration.
he-he! sinabi mo pa.
Hi Mary Grace! Should have brought you along, although we might have sounded like twins asking the same questions at the same time. Eerie. Mabuhay ka rin, Mary Grace.
haha…yep, you could be right at that…
great writer and writing for a great subject. Yes, Jim has been my own Filipino Wayne Dyer, Given an appropriate social media platform, we can all be in his classroom and together continue to lift each other and the nation.
Thank you, Menchie!
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My sense of Jim Paredes is that he is one of the few Filipinos who practices what he preaches.
I know he is a seeker, an artist, and a doer.
As a seeker, he has stepped out of the culture and yet is immersed in it.
As an artist, he is a creative musician, singer, lyricist, writer, poet and photographer… and I don’t know what else.
As a doer, he is engaged in living an authentic life, a charismatic rebel with a cause.
I see an integrated life. Cause. Commitment. Creativity.
In the Philippines, are rebels doomed to be outside the establishment… forever? What would a Jim Paredes in office do? What would he be like? Would he become non-Jim?
*****
Not just because he is my cousin,I believe in his integrity.If ever he will be in any capacity in the government,he will be 100% Jim.
wow, cousin mo sya, karl..that’s great…I wish my cousins and I have the same political beliefs. They are avid fans of GRP and Duterte…aaarrrggh! and all so passionate and opinionated like me..my aunt cautions me not to start a debate with them in the interest of my health..hahaha..but I love them, being poles apart in politics notwithstanding.
Yeah aargh,I also have cousins that are pro Duterte.
And my dad,I think mother and sister too are pro Grace.aaargh.
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Not only you, Karl. I have compatriots who are for Duterte and Binay. Aaaargh!
*****
At least it is not the typos we are aaarghing about. 😜
Good question. I think he will, or he will wither and die, like a sun-loving plant planted in the shade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Alejandrino – Heneral Luna’s bearded comrade, was an engineer, a revolutionary general, a Senator… and wrote the original version of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayan_Ko in Spanish… so idealists can be in public service.
His book “The Price of Freedom,” was published as “La Senda del Sacrificio” in 1949… and I was (not really) surprised when Manong Sonny mentioned him as one of those behind the formation of the Commonwealth Army… together with Senator Sandiko. Seems that Filipinos often forget the less bombastic people (except the martyrs among them) and I include Mabini who was Rizal’s and Alejandrino’s Ateneo classmate among the forgotten.
Irineo, credit of bringing out Gen Alejandrino and Sen Sandiko in the article belongs entirely to Prof Trota-Jose. The thoroughness and clarity of coverage by the kind Prof had my head spinning when reading his book about our very own national defense beginnings. (my strong wish, that our youth cultivate a true pride about our beginnings in/and all aspects of nationhood). Every Filipino household has stories to tell and share. That’s the place to start.
It is not easy to be able to sing & create your own music, they are very original. Very comfortable in their own skin as an artist to represent their own identity of who they are, the OPM at it’s best because of them.
Sense of Nationalism is highly reflected through arts, poetry, history, music etc., Those are things doesn’t teach you how to manage an enterprise or business but it enable us to know who we are not being confused, it shape our future as a country. To be able to truly know yourself allow you to know your weaknesses & strength.
I really hope to see the young generation of Filipinos aspired to be like Jim. Young Filipino artist to be themselves & be original.
Well done!!! The best article I’ve ever read here so far. Definitely better than AlDub post.
Thank you Will.
Quits na tayo, James? Hahaha!
Good and refreshing piece.
Thank you, cwl!
I was deeply touched – but not in the way Gary Lising meant it when a woman slapped him.
Good to know there are still real “warriors of the light” in the Philippines, a country that often seems like the home of hypocrisy, outright shamelessness or even open-mouthed tulala stupidity.
Oo nga, Irineo. Warriors of the light.
That reminds me, the Marcos trolloyalists keep mentioning “nganga” whenever mentioning PNOY.
Yeah they think they are so smart but they are just parroting predefined agitprop.
I find it good BTW that you are responding to fallacies, summarizing important points about Poe, Binay and the Marcoses and not letting some stuff by MRP for example stand, because those who don’t have the time to read (5 hours a day traffic I would just sleep and in traffic maybe browse during red lights) might just believe that distortions are true – just like I lacking full information before thought that GRPs distortions were the big picture.
Thanks, Irineo…I took a break from trial balances and Finacial Statements for a while after finishing the 40th of the 43 corporations. Next year it could be 45…tough luck that the election period coincides with the preparations for the April 15 BIR annual returns and SEC submissions. Sumabay pa ang stockholders’s meetings…
Am lucky to be just 45 minutes (30 or less depending on traffic) away from the office with the company service car. Vertigo prevents me from browsing when car is in motion, the stops and starts during traffic is worse.
MRP’s posts are so many, hard to rebut most of them, sir edgar and Joe usually do it, and cha of course. I usually rebut a combination of his posts. Sometimes I agree wirh him, most of the times, I like to choke him…joke..haha…but he is entertaining. My worry is when new readers who don’t realize he is just being provocative, and mostly in hyperbole mode, will take him seriously and be influenced accordingly..time is so scarce really. Peace, MRP…!
Thank you for your continued concern for our country even when you’re nicely settled in Germany.
I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again. — a Quaker saying attributed to the Quaker Missionary Stephen Grellet.
Many contributors at The Society embody this, but no doubt Jim Paredes embodies it. You too Will. Thanks for giving us the core of that interview.
The life of Jim Paredes shows too the good thing that comes from ancestry/ parentage and being close to people with values. (Hate to say this in the same post but here goes: in this sense what would one expect of BB Marcos and Junjun Binay. Or closer to home — what would you become if you hang around GRP day in and day out rather than The Society, with the indulgence of Joe for mentioning The Society in the same breath.)
SNIOP is a person who is Susceptible to the Negative Influences of Other People. I owe benigno a huge favor for tossing me from GRP, for it set me on the path of trying to do something very different from what they do there. What they do is easy, I think. Anybody can pull up a snarl and hurl blames and insults left and right, and at people who object. I appreciate Jim Paredes because he thinks as an artist typically does, without limits, and then he imposes the limits himself to pursue high principles.
Couldn’t believe that you were once at the other side, Joe. Look what you’ve done, being positive, and positively brilliant.
Joe just commented at GRP and he got into benign0 and company’s nerve or goat,by being positive and positively brilliant.
link or screenshot please Karl. I find it hard going there cesspool of negativity
I meant that because of his positivity and different values from GRP,he got this “comment somewhere else then goodbye treatment.” I will look for it here,Joe posted it just a few days ago.
Also, I said Joe just commented there because Will joked that He can’t believe Joe was on the other side.I did not mean “By just” to mean recent.NHerrera was clearer by saying he hanged out there.
https://joeam.com/2012/05/02/get-real-post-bans-joe-america/
Karl, thanks for the link. A nice read, like an action movie!
Aksyon na aksyon nga Manong NH. 😄👍🏻
Oh yes, NH! What a take! That’s why Joe is right. The article is only the first half of the blog. The comments comprise the second half.
Thanks, NH! You’re always welcome!
Who said youth is wasted on the young?
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/773958/youth-group-demands-of-bongbong-marcos-ibalikangbilyones-ng-mamamayan
Now that’s the pushback I was confidently referring to. The only Marcos youth who still believe in their mythology are those that come from the disreputable schools, the vandals who defaced the People Power Monument.
Dismantle the remnants of the Marcos regime!
Galing, Andrew! Good you posted that. Love the bow tie. Nothing like a graphic representation. Thank you!
Could be graduates of the schools in the Ilocos region (remember the video shared by Irineo?) who are being brainwashed from kindergarten to high school and possibly through college, now here to further their studies and to sow the grim philosophies indoctrinated since. Children of Marcos loyalists who benefited mightily from the Apo regime.
This is the unfortunate thing about regionalism and tribalism, identity at the cost of bigotry and smug supremacy.
Apo means Apo Marcos….not the Apo Hiking Society…aaarrgh!
I don’t know nothing about JP but I took notice of his walk and wondered what kind of a man is he. Thanks Wil, it’s a good piece. Nice to know that the man has substance.
Will, do you not sit in judgement like many proRoxas supporters of people like Paredes and other OFW’s who showed a willingness to abandon their adopted or birth country to follow their personal preferences and better opportunities? Sure he gave up his green card to return to his roots but the prospects of a return to dictatorship had faded and a return to the place where his musical career could most fluorish was perhaps too inviting to resist. I bring this up because he too is among those who fault Poe in choosing once a more secure life for herself and her family in another country. There are hundreds of millions of people throughout history who made the same choice including those immigrants who made the country where my family lives and works the great nation that it is. It is a bit repugnant to me that as great a Filipino musician and self declared patriot as he might be, he now ends up as a moral critic of of those like me, Irineo and other OFWs, and even perhaps JoeAm for making the same choices he and his family made. Seems to me giving up his green card does not take away from the hypocrisy of his criticism as he it then applies to him twice, once to his birth country and again to the country that welcomed him with open arms when he was seeking a new life. Anyway, thats just my take on it.
Maybe Jim Paredes changed his moral mind upon gathering further information. Every opinion is a moral judgment. Frankly, I’ve not seen criticisms from him of Poe, and I’d like to see what he has said to be clear on what you say is hypocrisy. I do know there is a difference between running for President and playing music or being socially engaged. I do know he has been active in the “stop Binay” effort.
I never wanted to be President. I don’t think I was in the same situation as Poe. I want to make it clear that I have two citizenships– Filipino and Senior. I was once forced to run for Barangay Captain and I thank God I did not win. Read the article again about what I did to my green card. i do not condemn anyone for their decision to leave and have a good life abroad. But to run for President, I think we should demand more loyalty and commitment. Have you read the US Oath of Allegiance? It asks you to renounce all loyalties to any country including your home country if need be and pledge loyalty EXCLUSIVELY to the US.
Wow, it’s rare that my favorite composer and singer is commenting here. Cynthia is an FB friend, I share most of her posts, Vicky Garchitorena too.
Am a reader of Ducky’s columns, too. My first and only comment there got moderated hahaha.
I agree with you on loyalty and commitment. I have a lengthy comment about her claim to be an OFW somewhere in this article of Will.
Work pressures prevent me from partipating in your walk the talk in Ayala. I wish I could, but haven’t retired yet. My prayers are with you all who can walk your talk.
God bless you.
Good of you to visit, Jim. I always appreciate your thinking, especially your occasionally wicked tweets, and for sure appreciate the many times you have circulated our postings to your large following.
To me, loyalty is part intellectual, part heart, and part making sacrifices. A person who has traveled the world or lived in different countries understands that there can be more than one loyalty, but only one allegiance at a time. I stopped following the Poe legal debate because, to me, it was irrelevant. If she qualified for the presidency on the basis of experience and skill, I’d care. But she never made it through that filter, for me personally.
Thanks for sitting down with Will to share your thoughts. I wish you the best in your many endeavors.
*******
Speaking as a Filipino who abandoned his Filipino citizenship, I know there is a difference between one who has contemplated apostasy and another who has committed apostasy.
I do not think the apostasy should be viewed in moral terms, in terms of absolute good and evil, but in terms of deliberation and commitment. In a word, loyalty.
So, yes, there is a world of difference in the patriotic ardor between a Jim Paredes and a Grace Poe, between a Wilfredo Villanueva and an Edgar Lores.
I will satirize Binay, but would I join a march against his corruption? No.
I criticized Marcos, but would I have joined EDSA I? No.
I love the Philippines, but would I seek greener pastures abroad? I have.
Is my love less than that of Will’s? Yes, I would have to say so.
And no amount of protestations on my part will alter the fact.
There is a difference between a husband who is attracted to another woman but loves his wife to the extent that he will not commit adultery… as opposed to one who will commit adultery, readily or not. There is a difference between a husband who commits adultery but remains by his wife’s side… as opposed to one who commits adultery and abandons his wife.
There are degrees of deliberation and commitment. It is important that we see and acknowledge the nuances.
I do not believe that Jim condemns wholesale all Filipinos who have gone abroad and renounced their Filipino citizenship. He condemns only two who now seek the presidency — one who has stayed and remained a Filipino and another who ventured abroad and became a non-Filipino — and both for their proven lack of total love for country.
*****
Your last paragraph is an accurate representation of what he is saying in the post below re: his sentiments on Grace Poe and her citizenship :
https://m.facebook.com/jimparedes/posts/10153093181211828
Except for that last bit on love of country though.
The intent to run for president by Ms Poe may coincide with other intentions especially as a genuine response to a strong popular call as reflected by the polls. Her track record as senator does not demonstrate that executive capability, though. And all the more she must be vetted till the final count and especially upon and beyond accession. These questions have not been wanting for discussion.
*******
Good to have one’s speculation confirmed from the horse’s mouth!
*****
LOYALTY is a very sacred word, it’s very extreme, it’s like a fundamentalism. You are tie to a certain things.
When I took my oath to other country I’ve lost my loyalty to my country but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my love to my country.
What about the loyalty of Mr. Ongpin to Binay is that also a good loyalty???
*******
When you adopt another country, you have diminished your loyalty — and perhaps love — to your native country… but the love is not totally erased. We all have big hearts that can accommodate more than one love.
The bonds of loyalty can be tight or loose. Like love, loyalty can be bought and sold.
Loyalty that is bought is — more often than not — cheap. It can be redirected, at a moment’s notice, to that of a higher bidder. (This may be the loyalty that Mr. Ong attaches to Binay?)
I believe the ultimate test of loyalty, like love, is that it is offered freely, it is faithful to the end, and demands no return (reciprocation).
*****
No one but the society’s guru can clarifies things for us in such complete manner…words and concepts like loyalty usually escapes our attention, the eyes pass over it and moves on, thinking we understand it but after sir edgar expounds on it, one can have a deeper appreciation of things…
Thanks for enriching our mind, sir…as always.
Poe and family keeps comparing themselves to OFW. It’s not completely true. While OFWs left their country, it’s to seek greener pastures and opportunities not available here. In the case of Poe, she left the luxury she is given by her adoptive parents to live in luxury in another land, proof is the expensive mansion (and her other real estate investment) where she resided in the US. From luxury to luxury – there’s a lot of difference compoared to OFWs.
She claims having been an OFW and mouths concern for them, I don’t know what she have done for them in her 3 years in the Senate, she claims to champion the cause of foundlings like her, again, in all her 3 years in the Senate, she did not even thought about sponsoring or co-authoring the enabling law that would ratify the international law that would prevent statelessness for foundlings. It took Senator Lapid to do that when the Senate is about to adjourn.
Escudero’s campaign ads says we will do what they are saying once they get elected. I say, Mar and PNOY has been doing what they say for the longest time.
Poe’s campaign ads has supporters saying that, that’s the candidate… fighting!!!…I say yes, this candidate is fighting and violating the constitution, laws and procedures.
http://www.opensourceinvestigations.com/philippines/washington-post-grace-poe-owned-one-expensive-houses-county/
As I said, from luxury to luxury…OFW? nah!
According to the Washington Post, Grace Poe’s home was among the most expensive real estate sales recorded in 2006 in the Fairfax County. The data supplied to the Washington Post by the Real Estate Division of the Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration shows that the current Philippine presidential candidate lived in one of the most luxurious house in the entire region.
No, she didn’t work for a living. No, she didn’t become independent. No, she is nothing like the 10 million overseas Filipino.
Unlike the most of the overseas Filipino workers, Grace Poe didn’t leave because of poverty or for a better life opportunity. She didn’t have a Filipino family to support. She didn’t even look for a higher standard of living.
Grace Poe simply left her luxury life in the Philippines to live a luxury life in the United States.
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“No, she didn’t work for a living.”
Grace Poe’s work experience is as follows:
o 1990 – Served as intern in Massachusetts gubernatorial election.
-> [1991 – Graduated from Boston College with a Political Science degree.]
o 1995 – 1998 – Worked as a preschool teacher.
o 1998 – Worked as a procurement liaison officer at the US Geological Survey.
-> [2001 – Acquired US citizenship due to difficulty of permanent residents in applying for jobs after 9/11 attack.]
o 2005 – Vice President and Treasurer of FPJ Productions.
o 2010 – 2012 Served as chairperson of MTRCB.
o 2013 – Present – Serving as a Senator.
Intrusive thought: I think her most relevant experience is as a preschool teacher… seeing that most Filipinos are kindergartenish in their emotional and intellectual development… and would fail the marshmallow test.
(Will the above comment place me into hot water?)
Assessment: Sparse and thin resume.
*****
This is so so deja vu. I was just entering my teens and I remember the running shoot or jab war of words that then Mayor Lacson was waging against Pres Magsaysay. Many times I thought the president didn’t deserve the barbs. Now, we must pass judgment and rightly feel duty-bound to do so.
Hot water? ahaha…I just shared the article of Washington post, the link was provided. am so fond of posting excerpts.
My comment – could it be that she worked until 2005 (?) to pass the time, must be boring just to stay in her mansion all day with all the kids at school and hubby at work. I will be if am in that position. Susan and FPJ obviously invested a lot in the US real estate aside from their residential mansion, and she is the heiress to the Poe’s millions, those investments could be earning also by way of rental income.
The point is, she was not an OFW, in the sense applicable to all Filipino OFWs with contracts and OWWA membership. OWWA is the government welfare institution that protects and promotes the interest of member-Overseas Filipino Workers.
I am reacting to a line in your post, @edgar. This post has nothing to do with Poe, but on the general matter of deliberation and commitment:
Being human with instincts that cannot always pass as moral — without deserved criticisms if known to the public at large — there is a whale of a difference between THOUGHTS, and deliberation and commitment on the other hand. Thoughts of adultery with an intelligent, beautiful, and willing woman — with a philosophical bent such as edgar would love to converse with till the wee hours of the morning at a an overly long winter conference — may tempt edgar and Joe (and me too for that matter; leaving Wil out of it). But determination and commitment is another matter.
Juan de la Cruz and Florante are my thing. The Biggest Thing! That is why I prefer browned skin punk’d flare nose Filpinos over imported half-bred half-white English-snob Englisero American and German beauty queens.
“(Florante) was a pioneer and leading exponent of Pinoy folk rock[1] during the DZRJ-AM radio boom in Manila during the 1970s. His more popular singles include the hit ballad, “Handog” (Offering) and other songs, such as “Ako’y Isang Pinoy” (I Am A Filipino), “Abakada” (A-B-C-D), “Digmaan” (War) and “Pinay” (Filipino Woman), which form part of the musical genre called Manila sound.
ANG PINAY is a song for Pinoys dreamed of wanting to marry tisays, mestizas ex-colonists abroad in America and in Europe. IT IS ALSO FITTINIG FOR OFWs. Here is full lyrics of ANG PINAY
Dapat ka bang mangibang bayan?
Dito bay wala kang paglagyan?
Tungkol sa bebot ditoy maraming okey.
Dito ang kelot ay kulang
Bakit pa iiwanan ang lupang tinubuan?
Dito ka natuto ng iyong mga kalokohan.
Baka akala moy ganoon lamang ang mamuhay sa ibang bayan,
at kung ikaw ay mag-aasawa ang kunin mo ay pilipina
pagkat magaganda ang mga pinay.
Sa bahay man silay mahuhusay.
Kumustahin kung manamit, okey lang
at kung umibig ay lalong okey ang pinay
Bakit pa iiwanan ang lupang tinubuan?
Dito ka natuto ng iyong mga kalokohan.
Baka akala moy ganoon lamang ang mamuhay sa ibang bayan,
at kung ikaw ay mag-aasawa ang kunin mo ay pilipina
pagkat magaganda ang mga pinay.
Sa bahay man silay mahuhusay.
Kung minsan ay selosa rin ang pinay
pagkat ang selos ay tanda lang ng pagmamahal ng pinay
(Please translate for JoeAm)
I tear up everytime I hear this song. Wonderful! Beautiful lyrics! Awesome lonely tune!
Here is the song, don’t forget your Kleenex to cry on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNN4b9Zlhrw
Rock and Roll Juan de la Cruz. They are awesome band. Their song is immortal. Too bad record company does not have money to pay-for-play in streaming and local radios. TOO BAD !!!!
Immortal songs are Himig Natin, Carenderia Blues … evferything !!!
Here are their discography:
1 Himig Natin (OUR SONG)
2 Panahon (Translation, please)
3 Titser’s Enemi No. 1 (TEACHER ENEMY #1)
4 No Touch
5 Beep Beep (HONK OF JEEPNEY HORN, BEEP! BEEP!)
6 Kahit Anong Mangyari (WHATEVER … HAPPENS)
7 Balong Malalim (Translation, please)
8 Kagatan
9 Mamasyal Sa Pilipinas (TOUR PHILIPPINES)
10 Palengke (MAREKT)
11 Nadapa Sa Arina (STUMBLED & FELL IN THE ARENA)
12 Rock & Roll Sa Ulan (ROCK & ROLL IN THE RAIN)
13 Pinoy Blues (INSTRUMENTAL: WALLY GONZALEZ)
14 Rak En Rol Sa Mundo (ROCK & ROLL IN THE WORLD)
15 Nakatagong Mata (HIDDEN EYES)
16 Langit (SKY)
17 Sarap Ng Buhay (LIFE IS GOOT)
18 Last Song
Wally Gonzalez is Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani rolled into one! It is like listening to G3 Live in Tokyo !!!
Aha! ha! ha! FORMER DESPOT FERDINAND MARCOS HAD ALL RADIO STATIONS PLAY ORIGINAL PILIPINO MUSIC (OPM) EVERY 15 MINUTES. IS IT STILL ON? OR IS IT STILL PLAY-TO-PAY?
These are awesome home-grown Filipino bands lacking play-to-pay money!!!
Heard of JUNIOR KILAT rock band? THEY WILL BLOW YOUR MIND !!!!
Of course, I am also undying romantic !!! I listen to Sharon Cuneta !!! These are my favorites:
1. High School Life
2. Sana’y walang wakas
3. Init sa Magdamag
Don’t forget to take a listen to Joey Albert’s YAKAPIN MO AKO !!!!
FILIPINOS GOT TALEN. I LISTEN TO ALL I MENTIONED BECAUSE IT IS IN FILIPINO DIALECT !!!! AND THEY ARE BROWNED-SKIN PUNK’D PIGSNOUT NOSE CURLY TOPS AND THICK LIPS!!!!
LOVE YOUR HERITAGE, PEOPLE! LOVE YOURSELVES! BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY LOOKS YOU’VE GOT !!!!
Juan de La Cruz’s dig on Pinoy Blues sounds like a copy of Jeff Beck’s “We ended as Lovers” but better Wally Gonzalez let his guitar gently weep !!!
LOVE YOURSELVES! YOU’LL FEEL BETTER. THE MORE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELVES … EVERYBODY FEELS PROUD AND DIGNIFIED !!!!
Forget those imported half-bred half-white non-traditional looking beauty-for-hires beauty queens …. because THEY MAYBE WHITE BUT YOU CAN NEVER BE WHITE NO MATTER HOW MUCH INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH ESKINOL SKIN WHITENING LOTION WITH PAPAY EXTRACT SLATHERED ON YOUR SKIN ….
You wanted to be white? Here is a quick way, DRINK CLOROX! In a minute ya’ll turn WHITE AS WHITE AS AMERICAN WHITE !!!! YOU’D BE COOL, TOO!!!! COOL AS COLD!
Inquirer’s Preen Magazine finds Pilipina are not Magaganda !!! Inquirer Preen Magazine is promotion of half-bred half-white hybrid Filipinos.
Do not even bother to send your photo portfolios if you are browned skin. they’d be LOLing crazy.
“A friend says someone is following me when we walk through Ayala Avenue, taking pictures, but that’s about it,” he said.” – JIM PAREDES
Lookit! Jim is a star! Somebody gotta take pictures of him. This is overblown. Jim is making up stories!
I get mobbed, too! Do they hate me? No! They wanted my autograph! Someone even shoved their checks and have me signed it.
Why would Philippine Gestapo snap pictures of Jim walking in Ayala? I wouldn’t. I would just shadow him. If he talks to someone, I’d pick-up that someone. This is not a spy game. This is the Philippines!
I stated a fact that was told to me by an intelligence officer. He just told me and warned me to be careful. I even know the guys name but I wont say it. The intelligence officer who told me says the guy was given the task to follow and report what I do in Makati. And he carried a gun during the first walk.
Does it worry me? Like I said in the interview, not really.
Glad that you answered him, I was about to be pikon.Do take care,manong Jim.
To MRP,go on with your sabattical.
*******
Mariano,
Contemplate this:
“To become accident-prone to perfection, by doing it repetitively until it leads to an awakening to the interconnectedness of things and the disappearance of self.”
If you try to understand the being of a man who is able to think this, if you have a scintilla of light in your soul, you would not have posted this garbage.
Must you sully everything you touch?
*****
http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/125867-grace-poe-rody-duterte-pulse-asia-march-survey
The latest PA poll brings good news and bad news to Roxas supporters. The good news is that Binay dropped from tied at first with Poe and he is now tied at third with Roxas. The bad news is that Roxas’s numbers declined as well, inspite of his stellar debate performance. The numbers in Rappler’s reporting does not show this and thats because their last monrh numbers are all screwed up and shows a Roxas uptick only because they reported numbers in the previous month lower than what Pulse Asia released. I know because I checked the AP website and apparently Rappler did not.
Why is this important? Because the Roxas camp crowed that Roxas had a great debate which boosted his ratings. Think again. It really is time to switch gears and to a campaign that reverses Mar’s downward momentum so he can pass Duterte and at least come in second, in case Poe wins but is disqualified post election. There are only several weeks left. Do something!
“Poe dominates the National Capital Region or Metro Manila (30%) and the rest of Luzon (36%), while Roxas is the preferred candidate in the Visayas (37%). Duterte is the overwhelming candidate of choice in Mindanao, obtaining a 47% preference rating.” – RAPPLER
NCR & Luzon vote for Poe because she’s from Luzon
Visayans vote for Roxas because he is from Visayas
Mindanao vote for Duterte because he is from Mindanao
Somebody got to check the population of Luz-Vi-Min, apply the percentages and we got a winner ! Simpel math! Quick & Dirty.
Filipinos do not vote on results of debate. Filipinos do not vote on issues. THEY VOTE BY AFFINITY!
Visayans are intelligent people. They speak good English. They do not watch tagalog movies. They vote for intelligent candidate. MAR ROXAS !!!!
The bakya dowdy crowd are in Manila and Luzon. They watch tagalog movies. They cry in the dark over some sob drama. They follow mestiza tagalog movie stars like they are God. This region is where mass of poor lives. They squat over properties and never leave. They vote stars and comedians. They vote GRACE POE !!! Not entirely intelligent !!!
Mindanao has been wracked by violence since I can remember. It produced Abu Sayaf. 4-fingers Marwan. Ampatuan. Violence is imprented in their psyche. An eye-for-an-eye a tooth-for-a-tooth! Violence at sleep. Viollence awake. Of course, they vote for violent despot. They vote DUTERTE !!!
Where is MIRIAM SANTIAGO IN THE MIX? Filipinos naturally hate intelligent personality. They hate Miriam because she’s too intelligent for them to understand. What Filipinos cannot understand is mental and retard.
Filipinos do not vote for mental and retard. They vote for someone with average-intelligence, murderer and OJT & Intern.
So, it seems the political equation has not change thru the ages. Philippines do the dance of cha-cha. One step forward, two steps backward, ….
What could have happen,if you held on to your promise to yourself to come back after may.No one said I will hold you to that.
About promises,at least you took Edgar’s challenge to not leave stone unturned with regards to Poe.
You’re dancing the Chinese dance, in reverse, Renato Pacifico. Cha-cha is two steps forward, two steps backward…:).
KEEP SHINING THE LIGHT ON THE MARCOSES
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/137766/137766
Have you noticed that when the issue of ill-gotten wealth and human rights abuses are brought up, the Marcoses seem to behave like evil spirits that flee from the light? They deflect, change the topic, keep mum about it, joke, etc.
Just like what AMLC is doing to the Binays, keep shining the light on the Marcoses!
AMLC is screwed. They were wrong on 242 accounts. Binay has only one account after all. Instead of billions, AMLC admitted on record he only got millions !!!
Now, AMLC and the Senate is now showing a new circus in town: $81.00 laundered money !!!!
Tan, Go, Chuk, Chi are called “resource person” Branch Manger Deguito is “accessory”. Doncha love AMLC, Philippine Press and the Filipino people?
The International Banking Community and their respective Central Banks are watching the circus and entertainment. They are LOLing very very hard. They did not realize there are 100,000,000 scapegoats around.
I’m lovin’ it! Life is Goot in the Philippines !!!!
No wonder the hackers picked the Philippines because they can buy anyone and they always have scapegoats !!!!
AMLC has a reputation in the Philippines of being one of the responsible agencies engaged earnestly in tracking down illicit wealth. The Senate is the circus. The AMLC has shut down accounts linked to Binay through his network of dummies and fraudulent activities. The brilliance of Binay is that he has established an elaborate method to isolate himself from illicit transactions. It is weird to have someone mocking the agency that has methodically taken the network apart by following the money. That is, you express a simple emotional conclusion, critical at that, rather than an informed one that recognizes the important work being done by AMLC. Seems you are emulating what you criticize, playing the headlines and the pith and ignoring the facts.
This report in the Inquirer puts forth some of the details: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/774097/part-of-hillmarcs-fees-traced-to-binay-accounts#ixzz431LUn8oR
Generally, I criticize the Inquirer for salacious reporting, but this one is truly informative. It is the best factual basis we have, although it presumes we agree that the Inquirer is reporting from the actual AMLC report. I personally do. I waive judgment of the way the Inquirer got the report, because the information is so important.
Hi Joe, on an unrelated note. May I ask if their is an archive for the Notes To The Editor. I find them witty and fun to read. If yes, may I have the link? Id like to read/reread ’em all. Hehe. Thanks!
Hi, Harry, I don’t keep them. Sometimes they are preserved within comments but they are hard to find, rather like a needle in 1,000 haystacks. One part of me wants to retain them, because some superb ideas occasionally pop out there. But another part wants me to toss them to the wind, to grasp the reality that we are here just a short while and . . . if we want to create something worthwhile, we best keep working at it. I have taken to putting them now and then into Facebook, but basically, once consigned to dust, they are dust.
Hello sir.
Try exploring web.archive.org.
http://web.archive.org/web/20151018100445/https://joeam.com/
there is a left and right arrow somewhere to browse the dates of available archives.
First thing I do when I come to this website I check NOTES TO THE EDITOR before anything else.
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING ACT
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – … the policy of the State to protect and preserve the integrity and confidentiality of bank accounts and to ensure that the Philippines shall not be used as a money laundering site for the proceeds of any unlawful activity. Consistent with its foreign policy, the State shall extend cooperation in transnational investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in money laundering activities wherever committed.
AMLC is over-reaching its function to snoop domestic bank accounts to become a tool to politicians dirty-tricksters. They have not proved, considering my spotty readings of domestic affairs, The Crime Famly of The Binays carted money off to Macau like Ombudsman not connect overpriced money to The Binays pockets “until now”.
The Hillmarcs is well timed. They waited for Binay’s polls rating. My advice to The Binays, keep the poll rating at a minimum to keep away the dirty-tricksters. It happened on Grace Poe. It happened on Duterte. BongBong. Happened to everyone.
The roadshow of investigation was runniing for over two years now they just realized to follow the papertrail from binay-to-contractor-to-binay-to-Binay’s crooks! THEY MUST BE FOLLOWING ME LOOKING FOR DIRECTIONS HOW TO PIN BINAY !!!
OVER TWO YEARS … !!! They started to follow the papertrail!!! The roadshow! The sideshow! The circus! Suddenly they decided, let us do the Mariano Way.
I do not credit AMLC on $81.0M fiasco. I credit those that spotted erroneous spellings. In the end it will be Bank Manager DeGuito at fault. A scapegoat.
RCBC is too big to fail. Lorezno is too big a fish to fry. AMLC fails. Now it is time for AMLC to prove me wrong.
With the world watching us,we will improve the Anti money law,bank secrecy,etc
Or if we screw up, we will be the next Switzerland,or Cayman Islands.
another possibility is that we get blacklisted and the remittances powering our economy gets slowed or the fees rise, both of which is a few percentage points of gap growth. Our country got sold out again for a few million dollars. These people should be charged with economic sabotage.
The only stuff I can find that is related to Economic sabotage here,is a Presidential decree anout illegal recruiting and an executive order about smuggling.
Maybe economic sabotage has yet to be legislated.
RA10022
The Migrant workers act is the only law that I can find so far that mentions economic sabotage.
Economic sabotage should be discussed,in this amlc rcbc.hearings.
So it will be of urgency to the next administration.
Jueteng and the likes,illegal drugs,all kinds of trafficking and organized crime and more are forms of economic sabotage.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/95267/economic-sabotage-dead-law?nomobile=1
Law to vague and too wide.
Like those initially charged with plunder,some were just charged with graft.
Next Switzerland or Cayman Islands? Well, Karl, dreams in the Philippines never materializes.
I like Jim Paredes and his music. I also like Will and his writing. But most of all, I like them both for their passion and deep love for our country.
I agree with every word, cha
Does it mean, then, that anyone who is not for roxas-robredo does not love our country. Does it mean that I am less patriotic than the ro=ro supporters? That because I don’t believe the plaudits for mar that I wish the country ill. This is why ro-ro cant seem to make any headway. Their drumbeaters are so full of themselves. Their conceit is nauseating.
They are so sure that if ro-ro don’t win, the country will automatically and sure as hell will go down the drain. These supporters will supplant the P-noy haters who cant accept that Noynoy won in 2010.. Thus , these Pnoy haters did everything to undermine his administration, notwithstanding the fact that Pnoy won with overwhelming majority.
I am sure that ro-ro supporters will do the same. I hope I am proven wrong by the Society.
Firstly, I did not vote for the current President, but I gave my 100% support for the duly elected President, PNOY.
Secondly, let me reprint my post to an earlier blog article:
I’m confused by people who claim to be for the country but keep on criticizing Mar at every turn, how he talks, how his hands move when making speeches, how he conducts his campaign sorties, his human imperfections, but quick to defend Poe re her citizenship and residency issues, very obviously silent on her shallow appreciation of issues, her “honest mistakes”, how she often demonstrates her lack of loyalty, honesty and integrity and related issues here and there.
If they are really for the country’s welfare, and so against a Binay or a Duterte presidency, why undermine Mar’s chances? Surveys can change if only these nitpickers would join hands with the RORO supporters (instead of viciously attacking and/or ridiculing them) to lift the chances of the truly deserving candidate – RORO – who have no baggage like the Marcos cronies, ex cabinet men and mafia members surrounding Poe, Duterte, Binay and Santiago. These four will bring back the good old days of the Marcos era – corruption and plunder, selective anti violence (in the guise of peace and order) and anti drug programs who will say what is popular but not beneficial to the country.
For those wondering how on earth a Poe presidency is linked to Marcos – here, let me count the ways:
Ongpin – Marcos Cabinet member, one of Poe’s financiers of the DBP shares and BSP scam recently not counting what they all did during the Marcos regime
Escudero – the son of Marcos Agriculture Sec/minister along with all the other Marcos cronies I forgot to list here.
Cojuangco – a major financier, Marcos crony – what did Poe say about coco levy fund?
Estrada – a compadre, couldn’t decide whether for Poe or Binay, but lets his mistress to go for Mar just to be sure
Zamora – Marcos Cabinet member
FPJ glamour, the hero on the silver screen, but in real life an avid Marcos loyalist
Bongbong and the rest of the Marcos family of the solid north votes, the Poe – Marcos votes… pandering to get them, how about burying the dictator properly (by properly, whose definition, the Marcos family definition?)
Enrile – Poe, Binay or Duterte is fine just not PNOY’s candidate
For the country or what?
And the SC, too, for the country, constitution and laws or for a particular foundling? They are even split on the majority ruling.
Thirdly, the bottom line is we go for what we think will be best for the country and to make that happen, it should be NEVER AGAIN for a return of the Marcos mafia in the government.
I never attacked mar or leni. My choice is personal to me. I dont say bad things against the candidates except Binay because I dont know them intimately to be able to judge what is in their hearts. I look at how they interact with people and try to sense their sincerity. I look at grace poe and I dont see a liar nor do i see an opportunist. Thats how i see trillanes , too.
Now we’re talking. I see Poe as sincere but naive to trust someone like Chiz Escudero.
I also see Trillanes as sincere, but with too much of a one-track military sort of mindset.
Yes she may be naive but she is not stupid. She will see through the shenanigans of thoe who wish to take advantage. Trillanes’s stubborness is what endears him to his believers.
Naiveté is when she says to the coconut farmers that it is the government’s fault and not Cojuangco’s that is to blame for the non distribution of coco levy funds when it is the Senate in which both she and Escudero are major members of, who sat in the law enactment that would enable the government to implement the SC ruling, forgetting too, the 3 decades delaying tactics employed in that coco levy issue by her current benefactor. Now what is the role of Escudero there, knowing that he is a party member of NPC whose head is Danding?
They sat on it for a long time and now when they were in front of the coco farmers, they shifted the blame to the government, and made it an issue, promised the distribution that they themselves delayed, to get the support of the farmers.
How well did she know the issues which have been with us since the time of the Marcoses, the role played by the people surrounding her now since most of her adult life she spent with her Marcos loyalist adoptive parents then later in her luxurious existence in the US?
Her POV is formed in the environment of her adoptive parents, whose wedding was sponsored by the conjugal dictatorship, and proven true blue Marcos loyalists….her friends and compadres are the Estradas, the bosom friend of FPJ and an equally Marcos loyalist too, whose presidency paved the way to the return of the Marcoses in the government? With her VP tandem, a son of Marcos crony and cabinet minister whose wedding was sponsored by the members of the Marcos mafia one of which is Danding Cojuangco, who, days after NPC’s announcement of support for her, she defended in the coco levy issue?
The issue of her 10 year residency in the country is precisely for her to appreciate these things, how could she when in those early years of those ten years, she has not completed a single full year here, she travelled back and forth to the US attending to some business matters,how can she devote enough time to know these issues when after she was done with matters in the US, she was kept busy dealing with her adoptive father’s estate, later in the movie and tv reviews?
She was guided by a crony’s son, now the VP candidate, in all her years in the Senate, has mingled with the Estradas… how can she be familiarized with issues other than coming from those immediately surrounding her…..she should have been a VP candidate first so she could have formed a deeper understanding of the country’s history, apart from the Marcos cronies and friends and their take on such history….as of now what she is mouthing are half cooked analysis, not deep enough just like her pronouncement re the INC rally and her analysis of the Mamasapano tragedy, the role of an executive there and the security issues relative to the global war on terrorism.
These are not personal attacks, we are looking at how and why her statements and actions are what they are…she is a presidential candidate after all, we have the right to examine the sincerity of what she is publicly saying.
Jolly, you said “Yes she may be naive but she is not stupid. She will see through the shenanigans of those who wish to take advantage.”
Again, what is her take on the coco levy fund, the 3 decades of delaying tactics employed by Danding’s lawyers (E. Mendoza?), and her and Chiz’s sitting on the enabling law passed already by the HOR so the Government can implement the SC ruling, and days after NPC declared her support for her, she went to the coco farmers and attacked the government so she can ask for the farmer’s support? Naive or what? Chiz, (of NPC) is truly something to engineer this sly attack and collect votes, who is misled? who has less perspective and judgment?
naive (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment.
“the rather naive young man had been totally misled”
(of a person) natural and unaffected; innocent.
“Andy had a sweet, naive look when he smiled”
synonyms: innocent, unsophisticated, artless, ingenuous, inexperienced, guileless, unworldly, trusting; More:
gullible, credulous, immature, callow, raw, green, wide-eyed;
informal wet behind the ears, born yesterday
“don’t be fooled by his naive manner of speaking”
antonyms: worldly
of or denoting art produced in a straightforward style that deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques and has a bold directness resembling a child’s work, typically in bright colors with little or no perspective.
Interesting. I see it differently in that if we are in the position of hiring someone, all we have is a resume and maybe an interview or two. A couple of hours to ascertain if this person can do the job. Well, it is not the presidency because we can fire them if they prove not capable. We can’t fire the President. But there is a ton of information for us. Debates, news reports, interviews. Setting Binay aside, Roxas, Poe and Duterte are VERY different people, with very different approaches to giving out information and making decisions and the knowledge they have about national government. They appear to have very different values and approaches to the job. It is beyond my comprehension that anyone could not sort out the pros and cons, the risks and the likely rewards. Then there are platforms and what is promised and how specifically they will make the finances work out. Very very different. I do think those who make certain choices are making emotional decisions with little regard for the Philippines, as a nation. The next three blogs will address this. You might not want to read them.
One of my FB friends who is very pro-RoRo has a profile picture showing Miriam, Duterte, Poe and Binay in doctor’s emergency room clothes…
The message is quite clear I think… would YOU trust them with your intestines?
Boom.!..jolly, that’s just it…our choice is not personal to us…never had been. I will repeat, we base our choice in what we think will be best for the country, not what will be best to us personally. I understand it’s your personal conviction, can you try to see where we are coming from?
We never expect anything from a RORO admin if ever God will will it that they win. The expected good governance and the straight way of going about it is reward enough for us. And could not understand why after everything has been explained, others would not budge….country or self?
Irineo explained it well, I will just add that if we say things against other candidate like Poe, it’s done with careful analysis based on what is coming from their own lips and actions, nothing personal. Calling it nauseating conceit is hurtful when we mean no malice.
That’s what it was like during the Edsa 1 and Edsa 2 uprising, and even before that…we risked our lives and limbs to stand up and be counted, we saw in Cory the integrity and sincerity that will somehow help restore trust in the government hence our support, never expecting anything but to get rid of the plunderers Marcos and Estrada, to at least minimize the evil that they did to the government system that resulted in corruption being the way of life from the lowest baranggay officials up to the presidency.
We have suceeded in driving away the head of the mafia, but the members are still here, creating havoc within the government, realizing they surround Poe, Binay and Duterte made us wary. The Marcoses are back in the local and national government, their return to Malacanang and the seat of power is a nightmare that should never be made possible…NEVER AGAIN!!!
So Grace, if I may call you Grace. You think that I am for your “Tokayo” because I will personally benefit from her Presidency. That is more insulting than my “full of themselves” and ” nauseating” comment. That is a direct attack on the kind of person I am. For your information, I am a lowly government employee and would not benefit from any of the candidates. If I benefit, then the whole government workforce will benefit.
Regarding her backers, I do agree that SOME of her financial supporters may have benefited from Marcos. But to say that all these businessmen became successful because they were cronies is quite a stretch. It has been 30 years and yet they are still there.
I could also cite some dubius supporters of Roxas., most notably Gutierrezof the mining and lumad controversy.
You say that you cant understand why educated people don’t just go for ro-ro. I don’t know about the other non roro supporters, but for me its very simple. I am not impressed by Mar. He was given all the chances by Pnoy to shine by giving him portfolio positions that are quite visible to the public. He has nothing to show for it. TEKA TEKA. So afraid to make crucial decisions
I did wrote “I understand it’s your personal conviction, can you try to see where we are coming from?”… that’s as opposed to some other supporters who are waiting or expecting something in return, the one GMA termed as thank you posts?
So, it does not apply to you, then I apologize if I inadvertently hurt you, it’s not intentional, believe me… . I reacted to your saying it is personal to you,. You see, I’m not reacting to you alone, my points are directed to other supporters of other candidates as well who resort to vitriol attacks, insults or threats, or even those pretending to be supporters of Mar but are slyly undermining Mar’s campaign by nitpicking his human imperfections and endless trumpeting of survey results to influence wavering supporters to go their way as if the preference of 28% of the 2,000 respondents can erase questions of integrity and capability.
Mar’s work experience in the government is not limited to this current admin alone. He has served the Estrada and Arroyo government as well after sponsoring laws in the legislature that has brought benefits to the masses and the entire nation – cheaper medicine law, tax exemption for minimum wage earners, etc.. and is responsible for the economy beginning to take off during those admins, could have began to soar if not for the plunders done there as well. Chiz’s traitorous Noy-Bi has resulted in Pnoy’s not being able to avail of Mar’s excellent capability for one whole year. He was not given the position that his expertise (economy, business and banking) is suited to during the first year of Pnoy’s admin, a 1-year prohibition had to be respected, other people has been in position after that one year has lapsed. He was in DOTC for less than a year (I think) and problems there involved the decisions of 3 admins before the current one, with contracts that are too complicated to get out of, enough time should be allotted to study how to, and solutions to find, hence that teka teka moniker. You have to realize he has done well as DILG Sec a position he got after the death of the very able Jesse Robredo.
Teka teka is a black propaganda initiated already by Binay since 2010, knowing Mar will be his rival in 2016, he live and breath political campaigns, he is on record as saying he begins campaigning the day after each inauguration, hence his need for continuous campaign fund flow, allegedly sourced from ghost employees and other scams. He continues to this day, saying his admin will be decisive but then, but then let’s remember a popular adage, haste makes waste…”You do not save any time by working too fast; hurrying will cause you to make mistakes, and you will have to take extra time to do the job over again” (Idioms by The Free Dictionary).
He has explained about the mining industry. Please expound on it so you can expose dirt that we do not know of at this moment, we’ll appreciate it. What we know of are the issues against Ongpin, Estrada, Cojuangco and Marcos. Those names spell danger – of the return-to-Marcos-era kind.
We have expounded on the gains achieved by this admin, gains recognized even by other countries, what we need is continuity.
Mary Grace, it is all in the Philippines, like, it is all in the family. Like what I have been haranguing people all over, OUTSOURCE THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT !!!!
OUTSOURCE THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT NOW!!!!! Everyone is connected to everyone from someone anyone !!!
Do you think anybody would take on that job… not even the United States did that for long. From 1907 onwards they delegated more and more stuff to Filipino people.
No… if Filipinos don’t learn to get their act together themselves no chance for them.
Even if everyone is somehow connected, learning to play by the rules and especially not change them in the middle of the game is essential to progress. Otherwise forget them, why don’t we just enjoy our lives abroad? I still have hope that some and more will learn.
“President Duterte, I didn’t vote for you po, but since you won, you are President of the country and you have my respect.” Jim’s words in an imaginary meeting, as told to me, if Duterte should win. He said this during our interview. I also said the same thing when Ramos, Erap and GMA won, all of whom did not get my vote. As Mary Grace said, we love the country and will not stand in the way of any person who has the country’s welfare in mind. We are not obstructionists. Suffice it to say our collaboration with the new administration ends where solemn duty to country begins, as is expected of us in a democracy. Did I answer your question, jolly?
I trust the Society to keep the promise of Mr JOe. That, except for Binay, of course, the next president will have his support if he/she doesnt stray from the right path.
That would be wrong. The society didn’t give PNoy a free pass. In his failings we still vilified the administration but the mindset is to help improve never to undermine. I think I can speak for everyone that with the Philippines 🇵🇭 best interest in heart the next president will be treated fairly as long as he is not a Binay.
Small correction criticized not vilified – pintas o kritika, hindi naman paglalait. I think it is OK to argue for whichever candidate one thinks will do the right thing. In fact I am looking at the arguments of Poe, Duterte and Roxas camps and comparing them constantly.
Next thing I plan to do is to take note of the promises of the winner and his programs, then make a yearly review per SONA. The “Ngayon” period of Philippine history so to speak, and to use Will’s fitness metaphors a big picture of all parameters – diet, blood pressure, endurance, flexibility, possible issues, remaining vices (mine is still smoking I admit that will be the last vice I will get rid of but very soon), exercise routine – to show where things are.
Hmm. Looking forward to that one. Was thinking of a similar checklist, but pinpointed to major issues and major crime: inception, promised resolution timetable if any, status, hurdles, anniversaries, milestones and the like. Maybe I can collaborate with tech-savvy SocHos (pun on socko) on this project?
The next immediate installments will be Philippine History Part IV: Pilipinas… Section 1 Disappointment (1998-2010) and Section 2 Recovery (2010-2016) – both coming soon. Would be delighted to get some comments from Society Members when they come out. Trying to sychronize the still somewhat jumbled picture of what happened in the past 18 years, because the country has changed enormously in that period. RHiros stuff about current account deficit, debt etc. and state/GDP ratio is a highly significant recent input.
As for the checklist, I think the Society of Honor can already do a great job if we would track the priority bills that the House should be working on, Gian did great forensics on the NALUA killed bill. There is a mine of information in the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ weekly update which is of course a businessmen-oriented digest: http://www.eccp.com/articles.php?category=23 – important bills passed and stuff.
Regarding the major jobs to tackle, both Poe’s Kabuhayan, Kaligtasan, Karunungan as well as RoRo’s freedom from hunger, freedom from fear and freedom to dream map very well to one another and do give headlines to the top national priorities I think.
Para hindi tayo malito sa dami ng points… we need something like a structure with 3-5 major headlines, subpoints (3-5 for each headline) and sub-subpoints… something like a Work Breakdown Structure this is something project managers like josephivo know about.
At the ground level I wonder how many constructive citizen watchdog internet groups already exist… something like TrafficWatch, CrimeWatch, BasuraWatch, KurapWatch, RolexWatch ay mali panahon ni Marcos iyong last point pati iyong NewsWatch TV program.
I think thats all well and good but in the end it will barely scratch the surface of what needs to be changed in making this and future elections achieve better outcomes. If it is to justify who and how we, the supposed cognoscenti, choose our leaders, Mar or Poe, Robredo or Trillanes, Bam Aquino or Risa Hontiveros versus Binay or Duterte, Escudero or Marcos, , Sotto or Pacquiao, you will be largely preaching to the converted. And its easy to just write off the masa vote as selfish, superficial and worse, stupid but the fact is it is from their perspective that any attempt to understand and change election results has to focus on to be successful. It would be commendable by the 30% or less of us non-masa voters who agree more or less with your criteria but it sickens me to say this, it might be just a futile exercise for the bulk of Filipino voters who will determine who our president, vice president, senators, governors, mayors and barangay leaders because they march to a different drummer. Okay thats my vent for the day but it really needs to be said as I am sick of camaigning against leading candidates like Binay, Duterte, Marcos, Escudero, Sotto and their ilk election after election. This is pure insanity and more thought and resources should be focused on trying to understand and fixing this perennial and strategic problem.
And whereabouts in my three statements and Grace’s one did you draw all that from?
You really think those that are not for mar and leni are dense, dont you?
I don’t think it is a matter of “dense”, which suggests stupid. I believe it IS a matter of how well informed people are (judging from a lot of the arguments, not very), and how emotional they are (angry, starstruck, macho, whatever).
Whoa! And how did you get that from my one single question?
If you actually have a point to make, just do so. Don’t squeeze it out of other people’s statements instead. Start your own comment thread or maybe even write a whole blog to express your own opinion and sentiments. I am sure Joeam will be happy to publish.
And to answer your question, I don’t know each and every person who are not supporters of Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo to be able to make a generalisation that they are all dense. Of those that I know personally, I wouldn’t say they are. My brother and a couple of cousins who have lived in or are regular visitors of Davao on business trips are staunchly pro-Duterte. They are all well-educated and successful in their respective professions.
I also have relatives from the Ilocos region, some are also former military men during Marcos’ regime. They are true blue Marcos’ loyalists; though thankfully not to be found among the screaming, angry mob rampaging in social media or vandalising public structures.
My background is In the social sciences so I am more drawn to trying to understand the motivations and states of mind of the candidates and their supporters. Simply ascribing labels such as being dense or conceited to disparage certain people instead is I think rather juvenile and lazy. And possibly dense. So there.
So you think that because they have a different perspective from yours that they are less of a patriot than you ?
You are not trying to understand the candidates and their supporters. You have already made up your mind.
Hah? Where again did I say that? Are you even really reading the right posting when you respond to mine? Never mind, don’t answer. Let’s stop wasting each other’s time.
But thank you for making a clear example of what it is to be dense.
Now Jolly, I thought you meant in general Cha,Mary Grace and others has in no way have shown that they have the monopoly for love of country nor do they say that Mar has the monopoly for love of country.
If we have to be guilty eveytime we state opinions,then that is beyond poltical correctness.
@Jolly,
I did not want to interrupt,because the last time we talked,you said I insulted you., and I apologized. But,I have something to say.
What do you call what you are doing,telling people around here that they are so full of themselves and see others as dense.No fair!
Ok Karl. Accepted. I apologize to you, Mary, Will and Irineo and the others not mentioned. I just want to emphasize that the ro-ro supporters don’t have the monopoly on patriotism and love of country.
Thanks for accepting my apology.Point well taken as far as I am concerned.
Jolly, apology accepted, please accept mine too as stated above re the personal gains. I acknowledge that this is a tight campaign with each of us having our own personal conviction……. We respect it and I know you will respect ours too. Sometimes we write at the heat of the moment
“This is why ro-ro cant seem to make any headway. Their drumbeaters are so full of themselves.” It might be true of SOME of their drumbeaters but definitely not all of them.
I as an observer have for example mentioned that Poe’s program is 1-2 steps behind Roxas and 2-3 steps in front of Duterte – I think it is totally wrong to discount either Poe or Duterte as complete idiots and incompetents like some RoRos SEEM to do sometimes.
“Their conceit is nauseating.” For sure those who are unwilling to explain WHY they see Poe and Duterte (Binay no need to talk about at all) as not qualified enough may come across that way to some – Mary is a counter-example who explains why she does not see them as trustworthy, Gian is a counter-example who explains the achievements of the present administration which are often ignored. Alienating fellow Filipinos by refusing to explain is not the way to win for sure – many are just misinformed not stupid or backward.
Mary, cha, Irineo, Joe, karl, Wil, gian:
I am very appreciative of the efforts made in explaining with specifics and consideration your posts in this mini thread starting from cha’s post of March 16, 2016 at 5:54 am.
I am sure a non-dense (aka open-minded) visitor will have a grand time reading and learning from the posts. This is why I love coming to this Blogsite and reading (posting less so I have more time to savor the goodies. 🙂 )
I really just wanted to sing about love. 🙂
Here’s one of my favorite Jim Paredes compositions.
Ako naman, cha, I missed the ascendancy of APO because I just left for the US as an immigrant. It was also the time of the camps of Nora vs Vilma. Talagang age of innocence, a time when we were guessing what songs Jose Mari Chan was going to put out in campus. 🙂 (Bata sa amin sina Jim at Boboy)
Ayy yes, let’s stop and talk a while. 😉 I was in primary school when that song was on everyone’s favorites list then JM Chan just seemed to have disappeared from the radar. Years later when I was already working, I saw him again while attending a corporate conference at the Manila Hilton. No he wasn’t there for a singing engagement, he was the hotel’s General Manager! (if I remember right, their family actually owned the hotel then)
I attended his concert at the Manila Hotel some years back. I think he was called the Cliff Richard of the Philippines.
cha & Mary, at those times, Cliff Richard was at the top of the charts Joe Mari’s batch was a year behind us in college. Syempre puro ‘musmos’ kami and books were supposed to be our primary duty. But whatever spare times we had we gathered at the Student Catholic Action and Sodality rooms or during ROTC breaks on Saturdays we managed to socialize. Manny Pangilinan and Walden Bello were in my batch but sila they had their own barkada (Economics & Humanities), nasa science and Math kami. Joe Mari many times would oblige and gave us impromptu songs (w/ his guitar). I remember his renditions of CONSTANTLY and AFTERGLOW specifically. We lost touch na after college. He stopped his music for a while because of his family business obligations. Walden continued on to Princeton and Wash DC. Next time I heard about Manny was his return na to Manila from HK. Nostalgia for those days does come lalo these days. We shared the same small campus when hearts and heads were young and full of expectation and dreams. With me anyway. I’m sure you had your share but I realize your generation had to grow up faster than us.
I was also with the Student Catholic Action at UP. For truth, freedom, justice and love!
🙂
We learn from your posts too, sir NH. Please don’t let recent events and disappointments affect you and your health (the 2 rulings on Comelec released this March). Let’s take everything in stride. It will be God’s will or his allowing things to happen with a greater plan in his mind.
Take care.
That’s a real question that needs to be asked: “How come Surveys do not indicate intelligent choice?” I’m always skeptical of Surveys. They are unregulated and no independent group of people that monitors when surveys are being conducted. Surveys can influence the decision for casting votes of the big chunk of the population, imo. It marginalizes those who disagree or those who partly agree and cause peer-pressure on them. They might think they will be a left out if they don’t follow what the surveys indicate. I think that is the reason why there are several nations the State does not allow surveys. Philippines is a democratic country that I don’t think will ban Surveys but I’m hoping they will be monitored and regulated. Filipinos should not let themselves revolve around the public-opinion polls that there is no independent group of people tracking and certifying the accuracy of the results , imho.
*******
Surveys do indicate intelligence choice. Intelligence is a range — low, medium, high.
But, yes, it is good to be skeptical of surveys, and it is best, as you so judiciously highlight, to use one’s judgement and not follow the bandwagon willy-nilly. So, high-five on that!
*****
Part 2 — My foray into political analysis
DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS
In science, when quantitatively determining dynamic movements, aside from formulating the equations — if one can — it is necessary to use boundary conditions or constraining factors associated with the equations or the problem to get to the solution.
The movement of survey numbers of the candidates in the national election, is also a dynamic problem but one of great complexity; one cannot hope to formulate the needed equations. Equations through heuristics or some correlation may be derived but can be useful at most, if ever, in one or two survey cycles. One may however approach the problem via determining some the boundary conditions or constraining factors and using notional concepts to arrive at a picture.
Let us see how this concept on the dynamic movements of the ranking numbers of the Presidential Candidates may work.
CONSTRAINING FACTORS
Candidate Poe
With everyone fighting hard on the last stretch of the campaign; the vociferous criticisms of the SC decision favoring her; her own missteps on Cojuangco and the coconut levy; the concept of “discounting” effect of the SC decision even before it was rendered but expected (discounting in stock exchange speak) — all these may limit her end number to less than 35; probably more like 30 which I use here.
Candidate Binay
His political trouble seems to have escalated of late — Junjun Binay at Sandigan, COA, Ombudsman, AMLC — and this will not escape his financiers or voter support. So I put 15 as the likely end of his number.
Candidate Santiago
Because of his health, her sorties are limited to University/ School Campuses where her youth constituencies abound. But expectations from her are in my opinion are probably already discounted so we may just use 5 for her.
With above notes, we are left with the number 50 (equals 100 – 30+15+5) to allocate to Candidates Roxas and Duterte.
Perhaps we may also use as constraining factor the idea that Roxas number seems to be stuck at 20. But I have decided (as the analyst here ha ha 🙂 ) to not use this as a constraining factor, noting certain recent events which may increase or decrease his number — depending on one’s view or weighing in of the events.
CASES AND NOTIONAL CONCEPTS
In a way I have reached the end of the road with the above. Determining with reasonable certainty how much of the 50 goes to Duterte and how much to Roxas is of course an impossible thing.
Case 1
It may of course be used as a boundary condition that Roxas is stuck at the level of 20 and so the difference (from 50) goes to Duterte, especially since the March Pulse Asia survey seem to suggest that. But might this not be a flash in the pond considering the ground work that still need to be done and the voters may yet get to know more of Duterte and Roxas. Thus Roxas with 30 and Duterte at 20 is not improbable. But let us go on.
Case 2
While at this, to top Poe, Duterte needs to have something like 33 with the result that Roxas gets 17. But this as much a leap of faith for Duterte. But Roxas at 33 and Duterte at 17, is this also a leap of faith?
Case 3
A more probable result on the allocation of the 50 to Duterte and Roxas is notionally either Duterte 27 Roxas 23 or its converse Roxas 27 Duterte 23.
Case 4
With lesser probability, but STILL PROBABLE, is the concept that the three — Poe, Duterte and Roxas — are still very much in contention. And it is anybody’s game.
TOPNOTCHER AND SECOND PLACER
But here is a concept I have a more gut feel: the difference between the topnotcher and the second placer may differ only between 3% and 5%, or in votes, between 1.5 million and 2.5 million. This portends trouble especially if the number is in the neighborhood of the lower figure.
http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
“They trace the trend to the 1960s, when the Republican Party shifted electoral strategies to try to win disaffected Southern Democrats, in part by speaking to fears of changing social norms — for example, the racial hierarchies upset by civil rights. The GOP also embraced a “law and order” platform with a heavily racial appeal to white voters who were concerned about race riots.”
“This positioned the GOP as the party of traditional values and social structures — a role that it has maintained ever since. That promise to stave off social change and, if necessary, to impose order happened to speak powerfully to voters with authoritarian inclinations.”
“Democrats, by contrast, have positioned themselves as the party of civil rights, equality, and social progress — in other words, as the party of social change, a position that not only fails to attract but actively repels change-averse authoritarians.”
“Over the next several decades, Hetherington explained to me, this led authoritarians to naturally “sort” themselves into the Republican Party.”
“That matters, because as more authoritarians sort themselves into the GOP, they have more influence over its policies and candidates. It is not for nothing that our poll found that more than half of the Republican respondents score as authoritarian.
Perhaps more importantly, the party has less and less ability to ignore authoritarians’ voting preferences — even if those preferences clash with the mainstream part.”
I am putting this quote and link to try to help understand that “authoritarianism” exists in all cultures. Essentially when due to many reasons the center can no longer hold… Even a man like Jim Paredes will probably succumb…
The Philippines where the State has limited resources, the ruling class may splinter and support an individual who can unite the majority with bread and circuses.
The airwaves and print are bought and paid for. The constant narratives simply with a grain a truth and a mountain of spin create a false reality that people hold on to and sometimes defend to the death…
Jim Paredes is a song writer maven who shows all his very cosmopolitan outlook coming from his own family background…
However he like others who are now shocked at the ascendance of Bongbong and Duterte fail to understand that the Marcos and Cory governments robbed the future generations of their birthright to a proper education and you have today’s voting age citizens who are completely clueless.
Karl Garcia wrote a piece on money recently…To simply just look at the percentage since 1986 of the budget spent on salaries, supplies and maintenance, debt service, IRA allotments, human capital development and hard capital development. The backlog created is in the trillions in the last two are humongous.
Just look at the fiasco created by this recent money laundering scandal…FDR said in his inaugural speech that bankers occupied a very high seat in the temple of human civilization…
He changed all off that…Yet in the 21st century we watch in awe and amazement (at least I do)as bankers tell law makers that they will not speak in public due to the bank secrecy law..After they are caught red handed in possession of stolen money. Law enforcers seem to be left dumb founded.
I personally know that if this was done in HK or Singapore the law enforcement agencies would have carted the evidence and persons involved the minute it was reported. The same goes for the alleged billions stolen and hidden by Binay and his cronies…Unfortunately rules and laws in this country are simply suggestions to the well placed.
The Bill of Rights, Consent of the Governed are merely suggestions in the country…
So now a vulgar grumpy guy named Duterte comes along and says he is a law and order man. Rich and poor gravitate towards this guy. But his words tend to bring around him men who like to shoot first and ask questions later. What is dangerous in society is that these men are the same ones tasked with the legitimate monopoly of violence in society… (Police and military)
Naturally the weak institutions of the State are weak and lack resources so bullets and grave diggers are faster and cheaper…
“Handog ng Pilipinas sa Mundo”
Thanks for the mention.
How did 1billion get transferd to the casinos? By bayong given to fat Mike and Don Enrique? or by the truckloads,armored vans can be traced to the security agency and the bank.
I watched in awe too.
First,we must admit that there are loop holes andl lack of teeth to the law.
“I personally know that if this was done in HK or Singapore the law enforcement agencies would have carted the evidence and persons involved the minute it was reported. The same goes for the alleged billions stolen and hidden by Binay and his cronies…” – R.HIRO
Same here, in the hacking-and-hatchet job of RCBC Bank Manager they did not raid RCBC head office. They did not raid RCBC Branch Office. They carted off witnesses !!!! AHA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! (Excuse me for laughing, I cannot help it) Nothing like that in the Philippines.
I did not see ABs-CBN News showing videos of AMLC-NBI-Presidential Command raiding this offices and carting off boxes and boxes of potential evidence. THEY WERE BEGGING ON THEIR KNEES TO ATTEND AS “RESOURCE PERSONS” including RCBC Bank Manger Deguito “who facilitated the hacksters”.
In the news big shots big fish are billed as “RESOURCE PERSONS”, RCBC BM DEguito as “accessory”.
International Banking Community and countries respective Central Banks are watching The Filipino Channel circus on Tuesday Senate Hearing beamed in Switzerland on enourmous big screen color UHD-TV clinking glasses of vintage wines while LOLing !!!
NO FOREIGN COMPANIES IN THEIR RIGHT MIND INVEST IN THE PHILIPPINES !!! Except ALLEN and COMPANY, LLC of New YOrk !!!
Yeah! They invested in Asia probably in the Philippines to quote Wikipedia, ” 1986 onwards, Roxas visited the Philippines more frequently and proposed to Allen & Company to set up a branch in Asia, specifically in the Philippines; later his superiors agreed. In 1991…” Allen and Company, LLC is a secretive, reclusive mystical Merger&Acquisition Investment banking outfit in New YOrk that only deals with the high net-worth, mighty and powerful.
I did not know there is Allen and Company, LLC in Makati. I am also amazed there are high net-worth sacred family to be had in the Philippines for Allen&Company to bother about. Could it be Binay Camp?
Aha! While mentioning that, does anyone have a feeling Allen&Company is financing Mar Roxas? So Philippines will Merged and Acquired by China? Why would Allen&Company set up shop in a country plagued by incurable illnesses? Unless they have someone in the inside.
I have a vision (once again) of an “Ocean’s 14” heist movie in Bangladesh and Manila.
Of course with George Looney and Brad Pitt… and the 14th crook is MRP himself telling George he does not have any degree in crookery from UP but learned it on the Internet. 🙂
Will The ocean’s 14 be a rebbot, were the 14 Will be hackers?
My question about truckloads of cash may no longer be necessary with those hackers.
You still need to take the cash to the casino… that is where Looney & Co. are needed.
But the RCBC stuff looks a bit more as if Baltic & Co. 2016 version took care of things.
Buhay pa pala si Roni Santiago, akala ko reprints na lang like Peanuts Comics
” . . . rules and laws in this country are simply suggestions to the well placed.” I high-fived the literary gods on that one. Well said. By the way, there is a clamor building for a blog article from you. I’d welcome one, for sure.
I am mad at Rappler. Tired from a long day, I read this headline in its “Latest News” header:
“Niger presidential candidate ill, to be flown to Paris for treatment.”
http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/africa/126086-niger-presidential-candidate-amadou-paris-treatment
All political correctness had left me due to fatigue, and I thought it was Binay! 🙂
Cannot be Binay! IMPOSSIBLE! Binay goes to church every Sunday! Tithe big time! The Priest, Parish and Bishops are happy with the money !!! So, Priest & Bishops pray for Binay’s health. The longer Binay lives the more money comes in and more tithe money laundered to Vatican so they can sip vintage French wine.
Ahahaha, I had to read this several times to get the point, and then I died laughing at the kind of joke a white Chris Rock would be allowed to make on the Oscar stage. Very good, Andrew. You get the rare five smiley award. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Off topic
Irineo (and other followers of AI):
Well, the fifth game also went to AlphaGo and thus the match ended 4-1 in favor of AlphaGo. I know you did not miss that news even with your pre-occupation on a lot of things.
https://gogameguru.com/alphago-defeats-lee-sedol-4-1
This is one more feather in the cap of AI. Who knows what the status of AI will be only a decade from now.
Google is very powerful in AI… I remember how bad the search results of yahoo used to be.
They employ top-level people with PhDs in stuff like semantic linguistics in their think tanks.
We are headed for a crazier world for sure… drones, robots, self-driving cars… sci-fi live.
The rational thinking is the easy part of AI. More difficult is reading moods, recognizing anger or humor, but AI is improving in this areas too. 2028 is now predicted as the year when computers will be able to recognize and return our true love.
More or less a decade then. That must be because Moore’s law probably applies to software as they do the computer processor speeds and development.
Yes, Moore’s law on one hand and on a better understanding of the underlying brain processes of emotions, from reading faces, intonations, word choice…, linkage with previous experiences, chemical conditions in our brain soup… up to the selection of the most likely reactions.
But you sound very hopeful. You now your favorite computer already? My computer keeps reminding me how stupid I am :- (
A mix sentiment really including the sci-fi scenario of AI robots getting that good and becoming berserk with help of virus-artist tinkering with the machine.
Mega Manila, 2076: the new version of DDS 5.0 robots has run amok in the slums. President Marcelo Carpio, grandson of Sara Duterte-Carpio, has the IT team executed.
John Karl Angulo, head of the development team, manages to escape to the forbidden zone near the radioactive waste dump in Alabang. He mobilizes the mutant slum dwellers near Radiant Mountain. High on shabu and with hacker kits to jam the killer robots that guard the ruling family, they attack the Palace along the Pasig. The mutants are able to hide in the polluted waters of the Pasig without surfacing for hours. The showdown begins. What a horrific movie with zombies and robots plus Philippine conditions to the extreme.
🙂
OT I would like to invite Society members and commenters to two of my recent articles:
http://filipinogerman.blogsport.eu/a-nation-forms/ – the nation as a social phenomenon…
http://filipinogerman.blogsport.eu/the-philippines-inc/ – the nation as “common wealth”… 🙂
The generations that was, well some of them were good but its glaringly turning sour. Its time for a change in the view of an immigrant presidential candidate who has witnessed the bulk of leadership coming from the marcos, aquino and ncr centric politicians whom have not addressed the ails of our nation (poverty, discipline, criminality and great divide among regions.
It is rarely seen a leader emerging from a crowd of aspiring managers.
Just one question: what makes you so sure Poe is a real leader? There are many doubts. Please explain so we may have a comparison. I am sure the Mar supporters will have their own idea about why they think Mar is the right person compared to Poe.
Sorry sir my statement was lacking its should have been a domestic immigrant from cebu to mindanao. I do not argue sir i just lay my statements to be pondered. Good night or morning 🙂
Good morning, Diego. Thanks for laying your statements on the table for our reflection.
I was about to go on hibernation but I couldn’t let go of this:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/774412/binay-sent-p100m-to-hk-via-philrem
AMLC is like Philippine Center of Investigating Witness Journalism. They just found out about PhilRem on Binay after PhilRem got caught with money Laundering !!!!
I JUST SO LOVE PHILIPPINES !!! I so love PhilRem. AMLC did not caught them or intentionally did not caught them. Maybe AMLC knew about PhilRem’s Laundering money for Binay but AMLC have RELATIONSHIP with PhilRem. So Status Quo.
Now that PhilRem is squeezed in money Launderin … they got no choice but rat out Binay!!!!!
SEE FOLKS? PHILIPPINES GOT PLENTY OF RATS, CROOKS AND SOUVENIR POLITICIANS !!!
WHOEVER sits in Malacanang …. NOTHING HAPPENS !
My Political Axiom still rings true to this day: WHAT GOOT IS A GOOT PRESIDENT IF FILIPINOS ARE NOT GOOT !
I bet, Lawmaking Senate Investigators will call Deguito’s dead great great great grandparents to witness stand.
Swiss Banks declared a Bank Holiday so they can watch Philippines and its lawmakers stand on its head scratching their head and do a spin.
This is wild! TOO WILD! It is like Philippines have a rage party everyday !
Bangladeshi rushed to their homes to watch THE UNFOLDING:Marauding Launderers
They have a scapegoat.
They have PhilRem
They have RCBC
And now … THE BINAYS !!!!
AHA! HA! HA! THIS IS GETTING QUIRKY !!!!
Is the Binay angle to take off the heat from RCBC and Lorenzo Tan?
Heeeelllllooooo PCIJ … Philippine Center of “Investigative” Journalism … what your witnesses say yo ?
If AMLC were in the United States of America, AMLC would be investigated for failure to detect Binay’s transfer of huge amount of money to Hong-Kong thru PhilRem.
But this is the Philippines … In the Philippines … it is more entertainment, circus and flying trapeeze when they fall they got powerful network to catch their fall !!!! A network of crooks !!!
NOW I AM ANGRY … REALLY REALLY ANGRY …. AND PEOPLE ACCUSE ME OF BINAY LOVER WHICH I AM NOT !!!!
The AMLC operates under rules that are different than US agencies, those rules written to protect thieves. I suspect one of the outcomes of the current visibility to the stolen $81 million and the Binay accounts is that the Philippines Bank Secrecy laws will be re-examined in light of the kind of timely investigations that you advocate.
MY APOLOGIES … I should have read the news before I ranted.
The news was OLD NEWS, RESURRECTED, REHASHED AND PUT PHILREMS NAME ON IT TO MAKE IT CURRENT BECAUSE OF THE MONEY LAUNDERING !!!
I so love U.P.-run Philippine Inquirer and the Philippine Press I NEARLY GOT CAUGHT IN THEIR SPIN.
PhilInquirer must be so scared of Binay’s heading to the top that they have to regurgirate old news.
It does look like a battle shaping up between the Inquirer and Binay, and I’m happy to report that the Inquirer did not go silent in response to the Binay intimidation tactics, which appear to be forming a pretty profound pattern of a guy who uses powerful personal persuasion to get what he wants. The Inquirer headline today reported on P100 million pesos transferred overseas by his dummies.
I personally found the new report enlightening, as it better described how the layers of dummies and accounts fit together, and how Binay tried to sanitize his own involvement. Even today, he is arguing his name is not attached to the overseas transfer. But of course it is not. That is the beauty of loyal, well-paid dummies who operate on verbal orders.
Good of you to represent the thieves so ardently.
No, Sir, I do not represent the thieves so ardently. I wanted to ferret out the truth in most judicious way American-style because Philippine law textbooks are authored by Americans.
Binay always slips because there is dysfunction between Investigation Philippine-style and Justice American-style in the context of Philippine setting. Investigation Philippine-style thru witness accounts cannot stand a chance in Justice American-style which Philippines has.
AMLC “failed” or “intentionally failed” to catch Binay laundering money thru PhilRem’s laundromat operation.
Here is whys:
1. PhilRem is run by big time Chinese crooks like RCBC
2. AMLC has relationship with PhilRem
3. AMLC would not rather rat on Binay because it would jeopardize AMLC-PhilRem relationship
4. Since PhilRem is now in the spotlight … and its eventual demolition … WHY NOT RAT OUT ON BINAY? PhilRem is going down anyways.
5. How can AMLC not know any electronic transfer by PhilRem
6. AMLC should be investigated
7. AMLC is a crook.
8. Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism cannot Investigate because they do not have witnesses that is why AMLC happily slip thru the cracks.
Since the lawmaking Senate got so many investigation going to entertain the world … I doubt they’d investigate AMLC. Becaue if they investigate AMLC, the electronic transfers would include all the big boys of private and public companies ….
Nobody is sacred in the Philippines. TELSTRA knew better. No investment in the Philippines. They’d rather invest in Zanzibar.
Sabbatical, Mariano. Second advisory. Sabbatical.
AMLC reporting is a month late. and it involves even the smallest transactions from all the required financial institutions. This volume of data cannot be reliably monitored without use of machine learning, A I, Big data, Data Science techniques. I think this is the reason why they have to be selective on what they try to monitor strictly the big fish and only when the fish smell funky.
This volume of data cannot be reliably monitored without use of machine learning, A I, Big data, Data Science techniques.
LIKE!
I am a born again Christian but I respect and admire Pope Francis, Mama Mary and Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
Same here Mary (though not a born-again Christian, but born-again in my own way. 🙂 )
Say, you are getting to be quite an expert posting images. You have gone hi-tech!
Hit and miss, Sir NH…i so wanted to paste here the interlocking directors and common shareholders of companies related to Binay and his dummies. The name Martin Subido (brother of Atty. Subido, a partner of Abigail Binay in the law firm which transferred hundred millions of funds using Philrem as exposed by AMLC) appears in 5 companies – Sunchamp Real Estate & Development, Agriculture, Inc., Greenergy Holdings, Inc., Earthright Holdings, Inc., Southern Field Limited. so many layers… corporations with him as one of the directors/stockholders will be a major shareholder of the other four corporations.
A click will display the link, though
hey, it went through….haha!
A magnifying glass is needed, I think….☺
Atty. Daniel Subido (brother of Atty. Martin Subido who is partner of the law firm where Abigail Binay is a partner-on-leave, who is part of the interlocking Directors and Common shareholders of alleged “dummy corporations”) is on the Legal Department of the Office of the VP.
“The total amount transacted from Limlingan’s joint account is an exact matching transaction involving the crediting of $2,208,604.17 equivalent to P99,042,361.46 to the US dollar account of Daniel Subido within the same period,” the AMLC said.
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/774412/binay-sent-p100m-to-hk-via-philrem#ixzz438PpATxH
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
a cousin of mine offered to sell us a parcel of land near Tagaytay City. I asked for a copy of the TCT so I can verify it at the corresponding Register of Deeds, they could not give me one, instead a notarized MOA is offered coming a 3rd layered buyer who were not able to transfer the title because ihe poriginal seller is a beneficiary of Land Reform which required him to hold on to the property for a required number of years (it’s been 20 years ago) We did not offer to buy.
I learned that his Binay hacienda is part of a Land reform program too. Binay is an expert in circumventing rules of government agencies, like the one in Comembo property which he was able to transfer to Erlinda Chong with the alleged connivance of the DENR and the OMB the, named Desierto. Hmmm….
Circulating on FB today, The last sentence connecting the last dot is still a shocker, although it shouldn’t have come as a total surprise, by now. This is by lawyer Ruben Carranza (autobiographical note included).
“What’s the connection among your slow internet in the Philippines, the Marcos dictatorship and candidate Grace Poe? Be patient and I’ll connect the dots.
“It’s not because of the Smart/Globe duopoly. If that were so, those two would profit more if either one of them could provide faster internet. But the fastest internet frequency is inaccessible to both. Why? It’s because the fastest frequency is monopolized and controlled by San Miguel/Danding Cojuangco/ Ramon Ang. This is the frequency that would give the fastest internet speeds yet. Who owns this frequency? Liberty Telecoms.
“Who owns Liberty? Ramon Ang/Danding Cojuangco. Who was the original owner of Liberty Telecoms? Raymond Moreno. Who is Moreno? A military contractor during the Marcos dictatorship. Who is/was Moreno’s business partner? The chief of the Marcos military, Fabian Ver. (Both were sued for their corruption during the dictatorship: Moreno by the US government, Ver in the Philippines)
“So why doesn’t Liberty just go ahead and compete with Globe and Smart then? Because they don’t have access to enough capital and technology that it takes. They were going to get Australia’s Telstra. (And why an Australian company? Because that’s where Danding Cojuangco has parked the bulk of his assets.) But Telstra knew what many Filipinos distracted by the political circus and telenovelas don’t think much about: that Ramon Ang’s ‘capital’ isn’t money but political power.
“And Telstra won’t risk billions that it can’t recover if that political power isn’t guaranteed (which explains why Telstra wanted Ramon Ang to guarantee it would recover its money if they failed to get all the regulatory and infrastructure requirements that require political power to accomplish).
“So what’s Ramon Ang’s alternative? How can Danding Cojuangco ensure that Liberty keeps its monopolized internet frequency? And tempt foreign money to come in and partner with him (without risking money he doesn’t have enough of)? And be able to ‘assure’ a foreign investor like Telstra that he has the kind of political power to ‘guarantee’ their monopoly and their profits forever? Through a constitutional amendment of course.
“So there you go: the candidate who said she she won’t give Cojuangco any advantage is already promising to do it even before she can get herself elected. The bonus in all of this: someone’s spouse works as an IT consultant for Liberty Telecoms. His name is Neil Llamanzares.
(“And if I know much about Marcos, Cojuangco and Ver and the Marcos dictatorship, it’s because I pursued their ill-gotten wealth as PCGG Commissioner. But what do I know about telecoms regulation? From 1995-1999 I practiced law – and a large part of that practice was litigating at the National Telecommunications Commission. Disclosure: I represented PLDT on telecoms cases at the NTC. Next disclosure: as PCGG Commissioner, I helped recover PLDT shares acquired unlawfully by the Marcos family. And if I’m wrong about something in any of this, happy to be corrected or to debate it.)”
BTW, Grace Poe says she plans to get the Constitution amended from her first month in office:
http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/126067-grace-poe-changes-constitution-economic-provisions
Thanks for bringing up that Ruben Carranza note. He does connect the dots.
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So, people, if you want faster Internet, vote for Grace Poe.
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I thought you were for Binay, you turn coat, you…hahaha
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Between sardines and Imgur — Imgur wins. 🙂
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Now you are making the choice very difficult for me. I don’t know if Joe who complains of internet speed is also placed in a great dilemma — theoretically speaking of course.
Oh oh. This and the decision just out — SC decides to have Comelec continue with issuing the verification receipts in the election — will put another scenario in focus. Who has the more Pesos to buy the votes, through the verification receipts? More fun indeed. (Sorry for the negativity.)
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I understand voters will not be allowed to take the receipts out of the polling station? Of course, they could discard any old piece of paper and who will be the wiser?
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Yes, but assuming such creativity, we have —
By the numbers:
Boosting one’s numbers by 4% for insurance purpose, means 2M votes — say through the voting verification receipts of the poor. This means only P1B @ P500 per vr. CHEAP when one considers that reports showed that a total in excess of P6B has already been spent on campaign ads.
Voters are banned to take out the voter receipts, am I wrong? a shredder is to be placed near the ballot box and it is where it is destined once the voter has made sure that what he shaded was what the PCOS machine read.
Why couldn’t the SC approve an option where the voter is allowed to view it from the machine’s monitor or something?
Do we still have time for the bidding, purchase and upgrade of the PCOS machine to allow printing?
Will there be 2 days voting, overnight at that?
SC, SC, SC….. aaarrrgggh!
… and who guarantees that what went into the memory is identical to what is printed?
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Nothing, of course.
I would have said that random audits of precinct results vs. a tally of the paper ballots should verify the accuracy of the machines.
But the same question can be asked: who guarantees the validity of the random audits?
Ultimately, nothing is foolproof? But it would take a huge conspiracy to falsify automated elections.
So one would have to trust that the machines work as they are programmed and configured now… and the receipts are NOT necessary. The receipts simply add a minimal level of assurance for the individual voter… but not for the automated system as a whole. And that minimal assurance should be weighed against the extra accessories, steps, cost and time necessary to implement the feature.
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reason why countries with less number of positions to vote opt to use manual counting. You should be lawyering / running communications for Comelec. All their press conferences seem like Supreme Court rant sessions of children.
@edgar
The verification receipt I agree with you is much like a placebo — a feel good pill. That against other measures such as random audit of precincts. And of course the cost/ benefit item and the time constraint for this election, much time having been spent in the slow SC deliberation of the Poe case.
I did not follow the SC orals on the receipts but funny but there is this thought: the SC Justice are persuaded by the high probability of Poe being a NBFC, but not so the low probability error without the verification receipt. That as against the audit measure that may not have been emphasized by Comelec, if they did bring home that point. 100% certainty in Poe’s citizenship is not necessary. But 100% false certainty through receipts seems required. (This is a quick opinion post in reply to your comment.)
I’m not a theorist. I’m a practologist, which is a lot like a proctologist with a wider lens.
Will Telstra do a MacArthur in the Philippines once Poe wins, so SMS can give the guarantee they are seeking?
SMC ….aaarrrgghhh!
So my fellow Filipinos, the Marcos connected monopoly will once more be back in the Philippines, courtesy of Poe, (if she wins) her husband Neil, Danding and SMC. No wonder they are doing everything to get her elected. Globe/Smart/PLDT, stand aside..MVP, what do you say? Even if you buy your own stocks in the bourse, billions will still be lost by PLDT.
Will a constitutional amendment be in the offing to allow this monopoly with the bait to the Filipino people to vote yes so they can have faster internet service. what a bait!
Why can’t this faster internet be shared by all, why the monopoly?
Happy days are here again for the Marcoses and cronies?
Hi, Mary Grace. Have been following the discussion online–apparently a number of people have reacted to Ruben Carranza, saying that the proposed constitutional changes on foreign ownership will likely benefit Smart and Globe, as well as SMC. And benefit us all because it could result in faster Internet (although others pointed out that it is well within the power of Smart and Globe already to speed things up–as proved during APEC).
Carranza’s response is: ” In other words, should faster and cheaper internet speeds (i.e. technology) that could (arguably) be one way to break inequality be left in the hands of those who won’t do any breaking but would rather consolidate and entrench inequality through the constitution? Foreign investors have no interest in overhauling inequality; but their choice of local capitalists to partner with (and their willingness to empower the rent-seeker who promises the least risk to their capital) does have an impact on whether accountability and with it, the vague but potent promise of ‘good governance’ can move forward. It won’t if those that should be held accountable are instead handed permanent impunity and allowed to consolidate the advantage they obtained through dictatorship-level plunder and human rights violations. Or to put the dilemma in still another way: we can ‘move on’ as Marcos Jr keeps saying, but at what cost and is it the best way to make your internet go faster?”
Faster internet. Faster trains. What are we willing to give up for these things? Marcos won support for Martial Law precisely because everything (at first) seemed so orderly, so efficient, so streamlined. We could, of course, simply abandon the troubling questions raised by Carranza in his initial post, and by the continued coyness of Poe regarding her relationship with Cojuangco and other backers. We could do that. Or we could just NOT.
RHiro has been saying for quite sometime that we do not need foreign investors.
Some labeled him as marxist,ultranationalist,or something like that and that was before twitter and facebook.
Now of course investors only care about their investments,this is proven by the easy come easy go of hot money. But can you say the same if we allow foreign smes to conpete with our own?
Sure it will still be cut throat,but you adapt to survive.
About the so called 60-40 local to foreign ownership.
SingTel owns 47% of Globe
First Pacific and NTT own about 45 % of PLDT
Is it as long as you don’t reach 50 %,you are not violating anything?
Wikipedia is more updated than the globe’s website, it says there only 21.5 % ownership of singtel
My bad the 47% is the common shares owned.
Mea culpa.
I’ve always been a fan of Jim Paredes & the Apo Hiking Society! I love his music much less his undying love for the country. Mabuhay ka, Jim…am one w/ you!
thank you Will for this article! like a breath of fresh air in a polluted, stressed and negative environment we all are contained in! 2 more months, and the, 3rd quarter is about to end.
Please tell Jim that he is already immortal, his life’s work will be forever appreciated by the whole wide world, wherever you may find a Filipino, they will raise a toast for Jim Paredes! But if you will Will, please tell Jim to keep pushing, continue making music. We are patiently waiting for his next album!
Well written. The writer is exceptional too, aside fr the distinguished subject. Kudos😊😄😐
Another interview from 2006:
http://pcij.org/stories/jim-paredes/
what will jim paredes be remembered for?
as the washed up singer, irrelevant “political activist” and dirty old man/wanker who wanked while on a video call/chat with an unidentified woman who wasn’t his wife and was stupid enough to record the entire thing.