Santiago as judge to Int'l Criminal Court

It's great news for us. It's excellent news for her.

But I fear that she will now leave a void in the Senate that no one in pumps can replace. I am sorry to say this, but for many years, the Senate has yet to churn out another Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

She has her moments. She's had her scandals and issues. And her laugh is legendary amongst those who try to copy her on stage. But her rep sheet is something that can not be ignored.

True enough she is going ahead and representing the country in a higher court. But who would pick up the slack? No offense to the other great senators, there is but a handful of you by the way. And I am in no way talking about those whose previous job is to smile for the camera.

Who would come up with bills that are focused on making the lives of women, the common man and education better?

I am sorry but I don't know of anyone who can.

Still congratulations, Senator Miriam, I am sure you would do us proud.

How fare you train-taking friends? : LRT and MRT fare hike

I am actually glad that I take the bus in the morning. I chanced upon a link in my plurk timeline about the LRT, MRT fare hike  being approved. I used to take the train a lot when I was in the PM shift while working for E-Lamp. For a person who is claustrophobic it's hell to go to work by MRT. But the alternative was to spend two hours on the bus during lunch hour so there was no real contest. 

http://www.urbanrail.net

But for the millions of commuters who will be affected by this price hike, I wonder what they would have to give up just to adjust their budget. I know it's long overdue and I know that they only reason why we didn't get this hike a long time ago was because it a political move for Arroyo. But Mr. President, I just want you to reassure all of us that the next time we walk in and out of the MRT or the LRT, at least there wouldn't be grayed walls of dust and those odd hiccups that cause us our attendance incentives. 

We don't have a choice but to shoulder what the government slowly refuses to shoulder. But make sure that we get more from this than those who run the tracks. You have yet to show us any beef of your promise to battle against corruption and raise those who are below the poverty line. 


With this decision, although sound from a business point of view, you might just put more people back on their feet, literally, since they can't afford the train fare. 

Good job. 

bigbang theory

Ellen Tordesillas blogged about me (and of course, mah awesome inay!)

Caregiver of caregivers’ kids

The phenomenon of Overseas Filipino Workers, OFW in short, which disperses more than 10 million Filipinos all over the world, most of them away from their families, has created another phenomenon: children growing up without the care of their mothers who are taking care of other people’s children.
This sad situation has created also another kind of job in the Philippines : mothers taking care of children of mothers who go abroad to take care of other people’s children.
One of the outstanding entries in the this year’s Philippine Expat/OFW Blog awards was Niña Simon’s “My Mom’s Quasi-orphanage” . It won the Nokia award for Philippine-based blogs that also deal with overseas Filipino workers.

Gross Injustice

My Acquitted poem is small scream from the already loud crowd of victims and women who are appalled by the verdict. 
As a woman, I fear for myself, my sister, my mother, my friends and all the future generation of women in this nation. This sends a positive message to all the perverts and mollestors that "Hey, if he could get out and live through that, so can I!"

And all I can say to him and to the people who let this happen, "God can't be bribed or lied to." He may be forgiving, but I heard that purgatory is a bitch. I hope they let you and your kind bend over for all eternity.

Death for her service

Hustisya, hiling ng mga nurses para sa gang rape victim

It wasn't a long time ago when my friend told me about her experience volunteering for a family as a requirement for a subject in her Nursing course. It was replaying in my head how the family that sponsored them seemed offended when they didn't eat with them or bathe where they did. She also mentioned that they could barely sleep because the father went home drunk so they took turns sleeping. But as I read the fate of this nurse, I shuddered at how minute their complaints have been over what she had endured. And when she awakens, nothing will ever be the same for her. I almost got mugged once and that makes me extra vigilant. What more if you had to live through that kind of ordeal. 

 Men who have no shame do this. Men who have no souls do this to a woman who had done nothing to make them do unthinkable things to her. God had the mercy to let her life. But to be what? To be the flag-bearer of justice for women and rape victims alike. What of Nicole, that women who caused a ruckuss but buckled against her American dream? Would she be like that girl? Perhaps not. When or if she comes out of her condition, she would be scared for life. She would not look at men, nay, at people and herself the same way. She would be damaged. 

But sometimes, wounds heal. It would take a miracle and all the love in the world for her to be well again. It would take steel faith and unfaltering, unconditional love. And it would take a wondrous man to get her to trust in their sex once again. He would have to be a gentle, loving and patient man. I wish her a speedy recovery if that is altogether possible. 

And I pray, if only I could, that an avenging angel or a brave heart would smite those who did this to her or at the very least point the police in the right direction. For their shame and incarceration would not be enough. It would be their lives, the ones they do not have a care for at the very least, that is needed to repay the life that she would never have, the one of unconditional trust in the good that is in every man. 

There is a circle of hell waiting for them. I pray it starts on this earth.