Merci resigns.... HUWAATTT?

Ombudsman Merciditas Gutierrez finally resigned.

This is surprising. Asan na yung palaban niyang stance? O nagbasa na siya ng libro ni Dale Carnegie na "How to Win Friends and Influence People"? She seems to be fanning something. A smoke to cover something? Maybe. Pero ano nga ba ang implications ng resignation ni Merci? Let us count the ways:

• Kinain niya ang salita niya. Pareho pala sila ni GMA -- saying one thing and doing the other.
• Bluff lang ang tapang ng pinakita niya. Pareho pala sila ni GMA kunyari malaki, maliit lang naman. Kunyari matapang, bahag din ang buntot.
• Hindi niya nirespeto ang karapatan ang mga tao na malaman talaga ang katotohanan. 
• Chikadora. More than this, lumalabas na isa siyang sinungaling. Ang sabi niya: the interest of my family, my office and more importantly the nation must come before any personal consideration. On the other hand, sinabi niya rin na: [I]f I persist in fighting the charges levelled against me and I lose, I lose not only my retirement benefits, the opportunity to again serve government in equally dignified but less taxing capacities, but will also reap the shame of being the first Ombudsman to have been forcibly removed from office (Emphasis supplied).
•  Posibleng tama ang mga akusasyon sa kanya. Tinimbang siya ngunit kulang.
• Sinayang niya ang preparasyon sa Lower House at sa Senado. 
• Sayang din ang mga papel at laway sa committee hearings sa Lower House.
• Sayang din ang mga pinatahing damit ng mga Senador para sa Impeachment Trial.
• Sayang din ang oras na kanyang pinahaba. Sana kung napaaga siyang nag-resign, me accomplishment na sana ang Ombudsman na pumalit sa kanya.

But it's a stroke of art. Kung kailan me royalty wedding fever ang mga tao at kung kailan nasa Europe si Gloria Arroyo, saka pa siya nag-resign. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Bantayan natin ang ratings bukas kung kelan huhupa na ang epekto ng kasalang William at Kate.

Ombudsman's clearance on Lasam: Puwede Naman

Just recently, the Ombudsman created a lot of blunders. Two of these is when the Office of Merceditas Gutierrez filed a case against Jose Barredo along with the alleged key players in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam and against a dead man, Gumersindo Lasam, a dead man who was earlier cleared by the very same Ombudsman "on May 4, 2009, certifying that Lasam had no pending criminal or administrative cases as of April 27 that year."

Well, tama naman. There were no cases filed. Malinaw, di ba? But this clarity and vividness (to use the verbosity of Brenda) simply shows one thing: Nagsisinungaling ang Ombudsman na pinag-aaralan talaga nila ang mga kaso. Di ba ang depensa ni Merci, they just don't file a case because they carefully study everything para di masayang ang efforts nila? How come na kahit isang guhit o patak ng printer ink tungkol kay Lasam ay walang nakita ang Ombudsman? Bakit pa nito hinayaang maging recipient ng Lingkod Bayan Award kung saan ay requirement ang Ombudsman clearance?

Nakoowwwww!!!! Lalo lang pinapakita ng Ombudsman ang kapalpakan nito. Naghahabol ba para sa depensa sa Impeachment Trial? Hmmnnn....

Sermon on the Mount

A shocking report from abs-cbnNEWS.com:

Priest tells RH bill supporters to leave Mass

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – A priest at the Baguio Cathedral drew flak from some Catholics after he ordered people supporting the reproductive health bill to leave the church and stop hearing Mass.

His remarks drew outrage from some parishioners, who walked out in consternation.

The priest, whose identity was withheld, used his sermon to mock supporters of the bill such as former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel.
"Kung meron nakikimisa dito pero pro-RH bill… Please, go out. It's useless," the priest said.

"What is this mass for if you are pro-RH bill? What is going to Church for if you're pro-RH bill?" he asked. (continue reading here)

Shocking, indeed. Alam ba nang paring ito ang sinasabi niya? Kung si Kristo nga gustong kasama ang mga makasalanan para ma-convert ang mga ito at mapalapit sa Diyos, bakit si father na isang alagad ni Kristo namimili nang pagmimisahan?  Choosy naman si father. O baka tinatamad lang si father na gawin ang misyon niya -- ang ipahayag ang salita ng Diyos at maging isang pastol sa mga tupa ni Kristo? Aminin...

On the other hand, natatakot siguro si father na baka maimpluwensyihan siya ng mga pro-RH bill kaya ang sabi niya: O tukso, layuan mo ako?

O puwede ring sabihin na nakukunsensiya si father sa stand ng Simbahan kaya dahil sa guilt feeling pinaalis niya ang mga pro-RH bill.

Lastly, baka tunay na makasalanan si father at tingin niya sa mga pro-RH bill ay mga banal at nakakaintindi kaya pinaalis niya ang mga ito dahil insecure at guilty siya. Kaya nga sabi niya "Kung meron nakikimisa dito pero pro-RH bill… Please, go out. It's useless."

Useless nga, father, dahil ikaw ata ay isa sa mga tinutukoy ni Kristo sa isa sa kanyang seven last words which Tikboy quotes: Ama, patawarin mo sila dahil hindi nila alam ang kanilang ginagawa.

How late is late for the Ombudsman

Just how late is "late" in the dictionary of the Ombudsman? Consider this from the Philippine Star:

Fertilizer rap sheet: Dead man included By Jess Diaz

MANILA, Philippines - A dead man will be charged with plunder and other offenses before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly taking part in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam in 2004.
Last week, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro signed on behalf of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez a resolution finding probable cause to charge in court Gumersindo Lasam, who died two years ago after two men on a motorcycle ambushed him while he was on his way to his farm in Barangay Basi West, Solana, Cagayan province.

At the time of his death, Lasam was Department of Agriculture (DA) regional director for Cagayan Valley.

He was 63. The motive behind the killing was not known. <>

Better late than never?

Ombudsman Merci Gutierrez claims the filing of cases against Jocjoc Bolante & Co., for their participation in the Fertilizer Scam is 'not a ploy to "counter her impeachment case.' In a report, Gutierrez's spokesman, Atty. Tomas Syquia, said that “It is not meant to counter. It is just that the Ombudsman’s work does not stop with the filing of the impeachment case.”

Tama naman. In the very first place, ganyan naman talaga kagabal si Merci so Mar Roxas should not berate the Ombudsman for her late filing of the case. Besides, it is better late than never, di ba? So kung patay na ang kabayo at saka pa lang dumating ang damo, okay lang yun. At least me damo...

On the other hand, bakit nga ba sa kinabagal-bagalan ng mga bagay na mabagal, bakit na-timing sa Impeachment Trial? Anak ng kabayong damo naman to. Di ba, sabi nga ni Leuccipus: Nothing exists at random but out of reason and out of necessity? 

Bakit ngayon ka lang?

From Inquirer.net:

Plunder raps ordered filed vs Lorenzo, Bolante over fertilizer scam
By Tetch Torres

Filed Under: Joc-joc Bolante, Government, Graft & Corruption, Impeachment
MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of plunder cases against former agriculture secretary Luis Ramon “Chito” Lorenzo and former undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante implicated in the P728-million fertilizer fund scandal.
Based on the 134-page joint resolution, the Office of the Ombudsman, through its panel of investigators said “there exists probable cause” to pursue the criminal cases against the officials who are “probably guilty of the crimes charged.”

Me themesong ito: "Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang" ni Ogie Alcasid.

Kung sabagay, marami namang dahilan bakit ngayon lang:

1. Naghahanap pa ng ebidensiya ang Ombudsman. Naubos na kasi ang pera sa Fertilizer Scam kaya di makita kung nasaan. Walang pera, walang ebidensiya, di ba?
2. Allegedly, liquid fertilizer ang pinagkagastusan ng P728 M. Nagkataong nabasag yung lalagyan kaya hayun, di na nakita pa yung liquid. Yung nabuhusan, wala ring tumubo kaya di rin nakita ang fertilizer.
3. Wala ring maidudulot yung Senado at ang nakalap nilang ebidensiya ay mahina lang. Tsaka me virus sa Senado -- Ribonitis. Kaya mahirap pagkatiwalaan ang ebidensiya na maipo-produce ng mataas na kapulungan baka na-contaminate ng virus.
4. Mas magaling pa ring maghanap ng ebidensiya ang Ombudsman. Lalo na kung under pressure -- that is, Impeachment pressure. Yun nga lang, LATE. Pero di ba may kasabihan: Huli man daw at magaling, huli pa rin... este, naihahabol din?

MIAA or MIS?

Is Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) really an authority? On what? On sleeping on the job? If so, then it should not be called airport authority and its acronym should not be MIAA but MIS -- that is, May I Sleep?

First there was this un-Congressman Ronald Singson who was sentenced for possession of illegal drugs in Hong Kong. Now there's this three Filipinos who were executed -- Sally Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain. What is the MIAA doing?

Kung sabagay, baka galit na rin ang mga nasa MIAA sa pagiging over-populated ng Pilipinas kaya pinapabayaan lang nila na makalabas ng bansa ang mga may dalang droga para di na makabalik forever.