right of reply

another sponsorship speech... again, raw and unedited. 

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My esteemed colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.  As Chairman of the Committee on Public Information, I have the privilege to sponsor House Bill No. _______, AN ACT GRANTING THE RIGHT OF REPLY AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF, which has been approved by the Committee in substitution of House Bill Nos. 162 and 1001.

 

The proposed bill before you gives all persons, whether natural or juridical, the statutory Right of Reply when they are accused or criticized by the media in newspapers, magazines, newletters or other publications, or on programs and shows in television, on the radio, in websites or through any electronic device.

 

The State guarantees freedom of speech, of expression and of the press.  Yet the State, more importantly, also values the dignity of and guarantees full respect for every human person.

 

We must acknowledge the potent force of media in molding perceptions of people and inciting public opinion.  Media has the power to make or break a person through news items, criticisms, analysis, commentaries, features and exposés.  How many times have personalities and personas, both famous and unknown, been subject to what we know of as “trial by publicity?”  This bill seeks to grant the right of reply to persons, to offer to a person the opportunity to react to any information in the media that may have presented inaccurate facts about him and which information affects his personal rights. 

 

The public must be guaranteed a right of reply when mass media publishes false, inaccurate or misleading information or material about them.  After all, most victims of these inaccuracies and misinformation would only want to be allowed to present their side of the story or their point of view after the public have been presented with an inaccurate version of events.

 

Media cannot argue that this bill is adverse to the exercise of freedom of the press.  They forget that freedom of the press is a responsibility exercised by journalists on behalf of the public, and not a carte blanche license to trample on the rights of persons.  Media plays a very important role in the democratic process, but this role becomes muddled when badges of doubt and confusion are created in the minds of the people due to inaccurate or unfair information.

 

The right of reply is a demonstration of a commitment to truth and accuracy.  The right of reply encourages and promotes the best traditions of journalism.

As the philosopher Onora O’Neill pointed out:  “If powerful institutions are allowed to publish, circulate and promote material without indicating what is known and what is rumour; what is derived from a reputable source and what is invented, what is standard analysis and what is speculation; which sources may be knowledgeable and which are probably not, they damage our public culture and all our lives.”

We urge Congress to support us in the passage of this bill.  Thank you.

proposed advertisement regulation act of 2007

sponsorship speech for house bill 2811, to be delivered by Rep. B.M. Abante, Th.D., Chairman of the House Committee on Public Information

(raw and unedited)

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Good afternoon, my esteemed colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.  I am very privileged to sponsor this important piece of legislation, House Bill No. 2811, AN ACT PENALIZING ANY ADVERTISING AGENCY, TELEVISION OR RADIO STATION AND PUBLICATION WHICH EXPLOIT WOMEN AND GLORIFY SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN ITS ADVERTISEMENTS, which the Committee on Public Information has strongly supported and approved.

Time and again I have risen to speak against the despicable and deplorable manner by which we treat our women in society.  Where women should be loved and adored, we see their almost naked bodies plastered in billboards all over the metropolis.  Where women should be protected and held in high esteem, we watch various TV commercials and read hundreds of newspaper and magazine ads which exploit the beauty, sexuality and femininity of our women.  

Using media as tool, advertisers indirectly push and influence what is shown and portrayed in media outfits who are more interested in delivering the market to advertisers rather than serve the needs of the public.  Instead of moral and social responsibility as their guiding principles, it is the gratification of the desires and prurient tastes of their audience that spur advertisers and media outfits.

The exploitation of women and female sexuality, and the glorification of sexual violence in advertisements have serious negative and far-reaching consequences for women.  Media – and the advertisers – forget that they are a very powerful and potent force in shaping the attitudes and behavior of society in today’s modern world.  Advertisers have a moral responsibility for what they want to push people to do.  They have a personal responsibility to foster the general well-being of society.

It is in this light that we propose the passage of the “Advertisement Regulation Act of 2007.”  There is an urgent need to regulate the proliferation of advertisements that exploit women and glorify sexual violence.  The bill seeks to prohibit advertising agencies, television and radio stations, and publications from printing, showing or broadcasting advertisements which exploit individuals and glorify sexual violence.

Truth in advertising does not mean seeing a half-naked woman telling you to buy a bottle of lotion or a piece of lingerie.  Truth in advertising should not connote young, pretty and sexy girls in skimpy attires offering products to the world at large. 

We urge Congress to support the passage of this bill.  Maraming salamat po.

taken, not borrowed

i have a thing about keeping my stuff personal.  read:  mine and mine alone.

i have been working for almost 10 years now, and of course, there are some worldly, material things i have which i have either saved up for or was really happy to purchase on sale.  because of their value to me, i consider them hands off to others. 

on my "do not touch without my permission" list:  my pencil collection, laptop, ipod, books, CDs, jewelry, perfume, cosmetics, clothes.  yes.  C-L-O-T-H-E-S.

the list is short.  super short.  so i wonder, i really wonder, why some people are too dense or too stupid to realize that when i mean "do not touch without my permission," i mean it with all my heart, soul and screaming mouth.

i come from a big family.  we all live in one house.  my parents, a sister and 5 brothers.  i bet you all can figure out which items match which family members.  and hell breaks loose every time i catch one or the other violating my simple rule. 

and tonight, when i got home from trinoma, i saw traces of yet another crime against my rule and my property.  this, considering, that i had gone to lengths to HIDE the thing, precisely because i did not want anyone else to even TRY to borrow it from me.

remind me to get a padlock tomorrow.  i swear this is the last straw.

legislating pornography

we are about to legislate what is "pornography", "obscene", "indecent".

no one is against it.  but right now, my personal beat is that it's really hard to legislate the definition of these terms.  even the Supreme Court refuses to make their own definitions, and only decides on pornography issues on a case to case basis.

there are 4 bills pending before the committee on public information, and another bill pending with the committee on revision of laws.  by mid-next week, we hope to pass the porno bill at the committee level. 

sana hindi half-baked.  sana mag-participate ng maayos ang mga stakeholders whom we invited to the technical working group meetings, kahit hindi sila nag-attend sa initial deliberation kanina.  yung baywalk bodies, nag-attend, sabi nila hindi pornographic or obscene or indecent ang ginagawa nila.  (alangan naman... haha.)

sabi nga ng mga abogado galing sa MTRCB, KBP at AdBoard, what is "pornographic", "obscene" or "indecent" will depend on the medium being used and contemporary Filipino values.  use the Miller v California test.  but that begs the question, kasi case to case basis nga e.

kung laging "it will depend," wag na nga i-legislate yan.  hayaan na natin ang PNP na ilusot lahat sa Art. 201 of the Revised Penal Code, o i-lusot ng media at mga defense lawyers nila sa "art."

Cong. Abante (holding a copy of RedHot magazine, showing a sexy hunk in briefs, with a really erect manhood):  Ikaw, Mr. De Guzman (gay manager ng Baywalk Bodies), tingin mo pornographic ito?
Mr. De Guzman:  Your Honor, hindi po.  That's art.
Cong. Abante:  Ah... So sinasabi mo na ang picture na to, parang Oblation sa UP?
Mr. De Guzman:  Ay, your Honor, hindi po yan parang Oblation.  Pero artistic po sila pareho.

ayos.

coffee addict on leave

a starbucks or seattle's best planner was supposed to make it to my top 10 christmas wish list, but i figured it was too "trivial" to be lumped together with a car, a plasma tv & a new laptop...  pwede pa sana if i wish for a new PDA phone. hehehe...

so why this special entry on coffee and planners? 

because for the first time since starbucks started with their planner christmas promo, i will be unable to complete my card.  scratch that.  i haven't even been able to stick any of those red coffee cup stickers on my card. not one.  this, considering that for the past years, i would already get to claim my planner on the 1st or 2nd week of december!

i can't drink coffee.  baby might come out as restless and as jittery as i.  or baby might come out before it's due.  kris said i can drink decaf, but what is coffee if it has no caffeine???  i have stayed away from starbucks since the confirmation, because i don't want to be tempted to drink my favorite white choco mocha.  (all the books say i can drink a cup or two of coffee a day.  but i'd rather not.)

my alternative planner is the petron planner, my 2nd loved planner.  but am not sure if this year, maila will be able to distribute the planners to us.

oh well... am just really sad about missing the planner this year.  and i hope that this entry serves as more than just a reading piece to manila-based friends and family, who might be kind enough to donate to me their hard-earned starbucks planner.

i will love you for the whole of 2008. promise. :)

breaking the silence

i have been down with a really bad cold and intermittent fever this week, so i wasn't in congress when the blast occurred.  still, my sense of security was shattered...  had it been an ordinary work day for me, i would have been in the congress complex around that time, either finishing up at the mitra building, or walking around the main or south wing lobbies in transit from my office, to the an waray office, to the session hall, to the atm machines, etc., etc...

i didn't know what happened until i received texts and calls from some friends and officemates asking me if i was okay.  in turn, i texted and tried to call all my friends who i knew would usually still be in congress around that time... bem, spocky, nad, malen, the an waray staff.  everyone was okay.

when the news came out, i got more texts and calls from concerned family and friends, even all the way from the states.  thanks to all for the concern and for worrying about me.  mwa. mwa.

two news alerts later, i found out that maan, a former kalayaan dormmate and friend, was one of the victims of the blast and was in very critical condition.  i called up spocky to rush to malvar.  and knowing how close they were and that he would not have access to tv news, i then tried to call nad, but his phone couldn't be reached, so i texted him about maan's whereabouts.  since i wasn't allowed to rush anywhere given my condition, i fell asleep restless around midnight, hoping nad or spocky or anyone else would keep me updated on maan's condition.  at around 2am, nad texted me that maan had passed away.  i said a little prayer and reminisced about our last deep conversation about traveling and finding true love... sigh.  rest in peace, maan.

(nad has written a very touching tribute to maan in his blog.  you can read his post here.)

i will not attempt to make any conclusions on why the blast occurred, or whether or not it was really cong. akbar who was the target.  for me, any act of violence involving the use of force is an act of terrorism, whether directed at a single individual or to create a political statement. 

but i blame the ineptness of the PNP house security for the incident.  considering that congress is a seat of power, i know for a fact how easy it is to get inside the congress premises.  they do not need to blame the tiangge that was ongoing this week.  tiangge or no tiangge, PNP personnel at the gate seldom check the vehicles of guests and employees.  and as long as the passenger holds a congress ID, even a taxicab doesn't need to go through a security check.  what the newspapers report are true:  security checks at malls are more stringent than congress security. 

earlier today, i asked my brother to go to my congress office to pick up a document for me.  since my car doesn't have a congress security sticker, i gave him my congress ID just to make sure he wouldn't be harassed too much at the gate if he would be questioned.  when i texted him how security was in the complex, he immediately replied: "te, i'm in UP na.  it wasn't hard to enter the gate.  i didn't even take long."

tsk tsk tsk.  this again, only two days after the incident.  que horror.

my sweetie in CDO

my sweetie, patrick gabutina, opened his first one-man show at cagayan de oro last friday.

i was so sad that i couldn't make it.  but of course, i shared in his apprehension... and in the success of his opening, albeit from afar.

pat is my best guy friend.  he's gay.  when we first started going out together (yes, we had our own dates.), we got to the habit of calling each other "sweetie", and that pet name stuck.  he is a politician's politician, a leader's leader, a friend, an artist (writer, photographer and painter!) and all-around buddy.

one of his friends who also couldn't make it to the opening of his exhibit instead wrote a lifestyle piece on him, in time for his opening last friday.  read the article here.

so if any of you find yourselves in cagayan de oro and have time to spare, do drop by the cobalt gallery and check out "Into the Dark."

congrats sweetie!!! so proud of you!

falling in love...

... with work again.

after six years, i'm doing something new.  i'm reading new laws (not "new" new, but new to my line of work).  i write, and i am acknowledged for what i write.  i speak, and my words aren't attributed to blood-sucking, attention-grabbing "acting superiors."

no one grabs the limelight now.  my new boss doesn't take credit for my work.

vindication is sweet.  being appreciated is even better.

movie re-review and re-classification

my artist friends in the film industry will probably kill me for what i am about to do.

this week, cy and i will be ensconced in the comfort of our own homes for two whole days, watching some local and foreign films that our boss has shortlisted for us.  our mission:  to nitpick on the "correctness" of the ratings given by the board.  (don't worry, bebs.  no indie films included)

i admit it will be difficult.  i love films, i'd like to believe i am an artist at heart, and i am all for freedom of expression.  this time, though, i have to view the films not as a film buff, or as an artist, or as a mere critic, but as a 'watchdog.'  after years of watching movies as a hobby, i now need to check on the language, content, violence, nudity, etc., etc., etc... 

tonight, i will be immersing myself in the provisions of the law & the rules of the MTRCB.

tomorrow, i will be a movie reviewer. 

totally cool, spending two days watching movies as part of my job.

totally uncool, that i need to be technical and critical about something i love doing as a pastime.

of guilt and closure

GUILTY.

the sandiganbayan finds erap guilty of plunder.

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CLOSURE.

i used to hate erap on a purely personal level:  i considered him as the proximate cause for my one-year hiatus from law school, which led me to graduate a year later than my original batch.

as political staff of minority leader sonny belmonte from 1999 to 2001, we were at the forefront of (staff) action during the initiation of the erap impeachment proceedings in 2000. 

at the house of representatives, then cong. sonny alvarez had endorsed the first impeachment complaint.  we had to help gather at least 73 more signatures to make sure that the complaint would be elevated to the senate, who would then try the impeachment case.  the spice boys (migz zubiri, mike defensor, nani braganza) and the old spice (sonny b, oca moreno, joker arroyo, recom echiverri) were tasked to hound their party-mates and other congressman friends and beseech them to add their endorsements to the complaint.  when they had prospects, we (the staff) would in turn add a little pressure on the staff of these prospects, so that it was a two-pronged kulitan event.  the main headquarters and operations center was the minority leader's office, where coffee, food and microwave popcorn were constantly available.

i'm sure nad would agree:  those months were the most tiring work-months, but they were also the most exciting. 

we had a lot of work to do.  suddenly, we had multiple bosses, with different requests and demands, most of which included sleuthing trips, undercover research, phone calls made under pseudonyms (well, we had to confirm the presence of certain personalities in their declared places of residence!) and a lot more which i obviously cannot divulge.  we would hear clicks and whispers of mysterious persons over the line, while talking with someone over the phone.  it got to a point where we had to put small post-its on all our phone units which read:  "warning:  this line is bugged."  then PNP chief ping lacson saw these post-its on one of his visits to our office, and could only shake his head and smile wanly. 

i will never forget the time when we got into an argument with some of our co-workers from the engineering department.  i think it was just a week before the deadline and we were all scrambling to get the numbers.  we were on "happy, expectant mode" because manny villar and his group had already sent feelers that they were ready to endorse the complaint.  we were ready to work overtime as usual, then we heard the rumble of fogging and pesticide machines mar the silence of the congress environs.  apparently, there was a scheduled fumigation and we all had to vacate the office premises.  we fought tooth & nail with the engineer on duty, telling him to stop the fumigation for the whole main building.  (if they had spared our office alone, it would have been useless since the main building of congress has centralized airconditioning.)  unfortunately, mr. engineer had an office memo from the sec.gen. allowing the fumigation.  they spared our office and those beside it (what used to be 2 more conference rooms, the appropriations committee office and the internal audit office).  until now, i have never acknowledged the smiles or greetings from mr. engineer when we cross paths.  hehe.

as the books of history will show, we got our numbers.  i was at the session hall when manny villar directly sent the complaint to the senate and banged his gavel, to the dismay of the other members of the house.  and i was there when he was unseated as speaker, and noli fuentebella was elected to take his place.

our office was again in chaos, this time in the middle of the impeachment proceedings.  boss sonny b was the head of the prosecution panel (and the house contingent).  we did not personally participate in the case at that point, since the prosecution panel had hired their own secretariat staff, though we were left in congress to monitor EVERYTHING happening around, and that included watching the impeachment proceedings everyday.

then the senators did not allow the opening of the second envelope.  that night, by 8pm, i found myself at the EDSA shrine where a few people had started to gather.  my co-worker, markk, was at a barkada dinner when he got the news.  knowing in his heart that he had to go to EDSA, he started walking along timog towards EDSA to catch a bus.  there was an ongoing noise barrage (car horns were blaring everywhere!), and suddenly a car slowed down beside him.  the occupants of the car asked him if he wanted to go to EDSA shrine with them.  in the spirit of solidarity (and without considerations of safety), he got on the car with those strangers. hehe.

i also had my version of "riding with a stranger" on those days at EDSA.  i think it was the second day, and there was a downpour.  i had to get to school by 6pm for class, and traffic was at a standstill.  we decided to walk north from galleria and just hoped to catch any kind of transport somewhere along the way.  by the time we reached the EDSA monument, we were dog tired.  i got this crazy idea of trying to hitch a ride to UP.  i made a sign that said "TO UP OR KATIPS DIRECTION. PLEASE. "  after 30 minutes, a car driver took pity on us.  he was a UP alumnus and he told us that his conscience couldn't take not giving a ride to his "schoolmates." 

it's funny to note that i was present on all those EDSA 2 days... all days EXCEPT the day when GMA took her oath and was booed by the crowd.  ha.  i could only gloat at the sight (and turn green with envy at not being able to "boo" at her myself), in the comforts of my anonas apartment.

the next session day, with GMA now assuming the presidency, we knew that there would be corresponding changes to the congress leadership.  at first they wanted manny villar re-elected, but the original minority group (sans SB) had some apprehensions.  eventually, manny villar expressed his desire not to be elected as speaker, since he was also planning to run for the senate. 

i was at the session hall when my boss was elected the third Speaker of the 11th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines.  from the basement of the main building, we moved to the most coveted office of the batasan complex.

and since the speakership is an all-around office, both political and administrative, it meant a lot more work and greater responsibility for us, the original staff, who suddenly had to supervise our own staff. 

everything took its toll on my studies, especially my attendance (rather, non-attendance) at classes.  eventually i decided to go on leave, if only to save my grades and not put my academic standing at risk.

this is how it came to be that because of erap, i had to give up a year and prolong my law school life. 

but i'm a lawyer now, so i think it's time to let go of the hatred.  it was pure circumstance, and the accidents that consequently happened have provided me with numerous opportunities that i think have been worth the one year hiatus.  as i said to myself on the day that i filed my LOA, "que sera sera."

the past six years have been good.  nah.  i think they've been great.  and i can only thank erap for being the proximate cause of everything that has led me to this day, to who i am now, to what i have, and to everything else that lies ahead. 

tech distraction

i am not wallowing in agony anymore over my lost files.  i am positive that given a few months, i will be able to retrace and retrieve most of my files from the PCs and files of other friends, and my pics from the CDs of my brother.  i hope.

in the interest of updating you on why i am in such a chirpy, happier mood:  i got my dual-sim cellphone yesterday! 

made in china. 
both sims active at the same time. 
mp3/mp4 player. 
2 megapixel camera. 
touch-screen, with stylus.
very very good sound quality.

will keep you updated on its performance

negligence & injustice

my laptop, storm, crashed last weekend.  i don't know why it happened.  my brother was watching musicals on youtube, and bang, glowing black screen.

i told him to switch the power off & remove the battery.  basically, leave the laptop alone.  maybe it was just making tampo or something. (obviously, i am not a techie.)

2 hours later he switched it back on.  after the initial windows boot-up, black screen.

glowing black screen.  glowing black screen.  glowing black screen.

when i got back from barops, i switched storm on and the same thing happened.  glowing black screen.  i was getting really scared, because i had no back-up of my files.  nothing for the last 6 months.  and that's a lot, like 80% of my work, lawyering, academic and raket life.

why now, when i was busy with a lot of things? 
why now, when i hadn't backed-up my files in a looong time? 
why now, when i had just "cleaned" my flash disk & had just removed files AND PICS which i thought were just 'clutter?'
why? why? why?

after tinkling with storm, my brother successfully restored everything.  everything EXCEPT MY FILES.  the documents, folders & programs of all users of storm, including all shared documents were successfully retrieved.  all THEIR files are there.  EXCEPT MINE.  i have a folder in the sytem back-up, but it's empty.

my files, pictures, demand letters, pleadings, students' grades... GONE. GONE. GONE.

my heart bleeds at the injustice of it all.  sniff. sniff. :(

the brotherhood of boys

i entered UP in 1994.  i graduated in 1998.  i went back for law school in 1999, and finally left my beloved diliman campus in 2005.  in almost a decade, i have experienced, seen, felt and heard of a myriad of unfortunate events on fraternity violence.  i cannot remember all of them, given how many there are, but i remember those which left a mark.

these snippets that follow are purely personal and brutally real.  a number of incidents of frat-related violence happen at the diliman campus every year, and every year it seems that these BOYS will never, ever learn.

1994.  freshman year, 2nd sem.  dennis venturina is killed.  i did not know dennis, but i knew two of those charged for his death.  one is still in bilibid, who i vow to myself i will visit sometime this year, and is awaiting the outcome of their appeal.  the other one, who i became good friends with in law school, was acquitted and is now a lawyer.

1995.  freshman year, 2nd sem.  i was seated by the window, daydreaming in the middle of comm2 class.  suddenly i hear shouts, and gunshots.  another fraternity rumble.  no one gets hurt or killed, but i become very disturbed seeing a friend holding a pistol while running away from a policeman.

1995.  sophomore year, 1st sem.  mark roland martin dies while undergoing initiation rites.  i get a call at dawn from some guy i didn't know that i had to rush to los banos to help two of my friends.  gail & i went to los banos, straight to the municipal jail.  i had to process the leave of absence of j, who couldn't show his face in UP, while r's mom took care of her son's leave.  j moves to cebu.  r is now a very successful engineer.  they are both active with volunteer work.

1996.  sophomore year, 2nd sem.  i see the name of a high school schoolmate on the pages of the collegian.  the UP diliman police gave his name as a suspect in a rumble that had happened.  i don't know if that guy ever graduated.

1997.  junior year, 2nd sem.  there is shouting and running in the corridors of BA, and suddenly we hear what sounds like a gunshot.  i tell my barkada that i have to go check, since i was the only one who had friends in almost all the frats.  i go out and see two groups of boys running away from each other and dashing into separate waiting cars.  the UP diliman police, who apparently had released the warning shot, looked on and let them go.

1998.  first job.  alex icasiano dies of hazing.  the name of my college roommate's best friend, a sophomore at law school, is 2nd on the list of suspects.  he is found guilty for a lighter  offense.  he applies for parole, goes back to law school, and becomes a good friend and inuman buddy.  he is now a lawyer.

2000.  freshman law, 2nd sem.  i arrive at UP for class and find the law center area swarming with police.  i see yellow ticker tape, and i know there has been another death, most probably from a rumble.  i walk slowly to malcolm, and i see smears and drops of blood on the walkway and steps between the law center and the library.  i get to class, and some of the boys are conspicuously absent.  later we get confirmation that it was indeed a rumble, and den reyes had died.

2004.  september, last day of bar exams.  my friend who was acquitted in the 1994 case just finished taking the bar.  he is one of the first of the UP grads to go out of dlsu.  i watch him like a hawk, because i know that ever since the acquittal, the rival frat had the hots on (and for) him.  suddenly, UP boys with broken bottles were rushing into my friend's frat's tent and destroying everything in sight.  they beat to a pulp another boy who couldn't get away fast enough.  they see my friend and try to go after him.  my friend didn't want to hurt the UP crowd, so he walked away from the group.  suddenly, one of the more-infamous hot-headed alumnus of the rival frat approaches my friend and points a gun on him from 3 feet away.  malen and i rush to cover our friend, not thinking of the danger to our own lives.  after what seemed like eternity, "manila's finest" police arrive and arrest the gun-toting boy and his boy-cohorts.

now, the life of cris mendez has been cut short after he succumbed to injuries from hazing almost two weeks ago.  a number of the suspects are currently in law school, and i heard that most of them have already filed their leaves of absence from the college.  the case is undergoing investigation.

i will not venture into an analysis behind-my-lines and beyond these senseless incidents and killings.  i have seen my friends grow from the boys that they were to the men that they are now.  my brothers are safe.  not one of them has joined a frat, despite the numerous invitations they get every semester.  from my viewpoint, that's as personal as i can go. 

the rebel in me will always scream for these frats to stop and just be normal orgs, for crying out loud.  instead of mauling and killing each other, they can do more productive things for the community and the nation. 

how to get to them to realize that is beyond me.  i have tried, and it was useless talk.

the world uncovered

have money. will travel.
no money. have connections. will travel.

the rest of the world awaits...



create your own visited country map

i'm not a bad pinay...

My Lakbayan grade is B!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

---------------------

when i first joined multiply, i saw this on a number of my friends' blogs... i was too shy to ask how to paste my results.  thanks to northwolf & freeradicalgreg for the tips :)

now where can i get a "where i've been" world map that's compatible with multiply... i have one on facebook and i don't know how to copy it here. (is that possible?)

Globe Broadband

Rating:	★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	Other
Manufacturer:	Innove Communications

when it rains, don't count on an internet connection. don't even count on getting to make a call. and you might as well forget about turning on your laptop and logging on in the middle of a typhoon.

my dad and my siblings should write this review, given that i am rarely at home. but i can't take it anymore. the few times that i have hogged our internet connection, 8 times out of 10, i have failed to utilize my stolen internet time efficiently and effectively.

our law office uses smartbro, and definitely, globe broadband pales in comparison to smartbro. smartbro has faster service, better technical back-up, with almost the same rates. and it works even when there's a typhoon.

instead of globe bombarding the Filipino citizenry with TV, radio and print ads, i suggest they invest on their technical backbone first. they should make sure their subscribers get the kind of service they promise to give.

my sister has informed the customer service hotline about this feedback for N number of times, but the operators keep on telling her one thing: "just look at the white box. if the data light isn't flashing, just wait for it to flash. then try logging in again." huh? again, again...

one more week of bad service, and i swear i am going to spur a congressional inquiry into this matter. yes, we secretariat employees have clout of our own... (evil laugh...) just joking.

Globe Broadband!!! fair warning. do something about your broadband connection soon, else you anger harrowing Miriam who, god forbid, might actually spur a senate inquiry into your inefficiency.

for the twins

i haven't seen you both in a loooong time.  i think the last time was when you were about to leave for the states.  but i really can't remember. :(

i always found it funny that after being almost inseparable in grade school (we did a lot of crazy stuff then!!! haha.), and sending each other snail mail throughout high school, we never got to really spend time together anymore even when we were just a few kilometers apart in college.  and it continued on even when we were all working.

i don't know if it was just me, or the fact that we had different friends already.  but then again, the good thing about the friendship was that we really didn't have to meet face to face.  we kept in touch, and still do sometimes.  though now, i wonder why we have never done it oftener.  (keeping in touch, i mean...)

i was excited to meet up with you when i went there early this year.  but Fate had other plans too.  maybe, just maybe, Fate and the Gods have a big plan ahead:  like us meeting by chance while strolling the ruins of the roman empire in turkey, or the pyramids in giza, or snorkeling in palau.  haha...

you are the only good friends i've had whose weddings i missed, and i feel bad about it.  i'm sorry for not making it to your weddings...  i hope to be there for the christening of your youngest kids, though.

i know life is treating you well, and you have the greatest loves you can ever hope for.  and for that i am thankful. 

happy birthday, chary and christy... 

FINALLY!!!

House solon sworn in finally 3 months after polls

INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:53pm (Mla time) 09/04/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Nearly three months after the elections, An Waray Representative Florencio “Bem” Noel has finally been proclaimed as the newest member of the House of Representatives.

Noel’s entry has brought the number of members in the House to 238.

The House stopped its session momentarily Tuesday to allow the re-elected partylist lawmaker to take his oath at the Speaker’s podium. He was joined by colleagues in the opposition, led by Minority Floor Leader Ronaldo Zamora.

Maila Ager


A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO VOTED FOR & BELIEVE IN AN WARAY & WHAT WE STAND FOR!!!

The fight goes on...

busy slacker

i have demand letters to write.  i had to meet my editor who flew in from singapore.  i had to finalize some details with my new boss about the international convention which our real new boss wants us to spearhead in a month's time.

but i wasn't feeling well yesterday.  my body was aching all over and i had a splitting headache to boot.  i was PMS-ing, so i'm entitled to feel LAZY and SLEEPY even in the middle of the work week.  so i called in sick at work.

instead of resting and sleeping and bitching my brothers around, i played...



it's a big fish game i got from ivy.  and i'm hooked.  i'm 4 steps away from being master chocolatier, and i have $5.9M in assets.  i own 3 chocolate shops and 6 factories.  happiness!!!

don't worry. i went to work today.  and after i finished all that was supposedly due yesterday, i played again!

a big thank you to the guys at big fish! i haven't been hooked on a game for a long time.  and now, i have to MAKE quality time to become master chocolatier.

and nothing, nothing, can get in my way

my students' take home exam

due to the bad weather (it really seems like there's a typhoon, pero hindi daw, hindi...), i decided to give my students a take home exam instead of a sit-down exam.

and just for the heck of it, i am sharing a few questions with you   feel free to attempt to answer them.

-----------------------
Dobby is a Grade 5 student at the Hogwarts Private School for Boys in Mandaluyong City.  Dobby woke up one day when Typhoon “Egay” was wreaking havoc in the Philippine atmosphere and sending rains and winds over Metro Manila.  He wanted to sleep and not be sent to school by his mother, but it was the day of their First Quarter Exams in Science and Math.  Dobby knew he had no choice.

He was already in school and furiously scribbling down his answers to the Math problems in their exam, when his teacher, Miss Dambeldur, told the class that classes had been suspended due to the really bad weather.  Miss Dambeldur instructed all of them to finish the exam, and they would be allowed to go home once they submit their answers.  Dobby rushed to finish his exam, not caring if his answers were right or wrong.  He was praying that his mother would be able to fetch him from school, as his school bus was scheduled to pick them up later in the afternoon. 

After submitting his exam, Dobby asked for permission to leave the school.  Without any question or any concern, Miss Dambeldur nodded her head as she was busy texting her own son to inquire about his whereabouts.

There was no security guard at the school gates, as they had gone home as soon as the principal had announced that classes had been suspended.  Dobby tried looking for his mother among the throng of “sundos” outside, but he couldn’t find her.  Having no other choice but to go home on his own, Dobby took off his shoes and waded through the flooded streets.

About 4 meters from the school, Dobby slipped and couldn’t get up.  Everyone around him was busy navigating the floods and didn’t notice him.  He was getting cold and shivering in his wet clothes, when he heard his mother shout:  “Dobby!!!  What are you doing there, anak?  What happened to you???”

a.      If anything serious or life-endangering had happened to Dobby, could his mother sue Miss Dambeldur and the administrators of the Hogwarts Private School for Boys for not taking care of her son?  Why?  (10 points)

b.     State the provision of law applicable in this case.  (5 points)            

c.  What is a fortuitous event?  What are the requisites before it can be applied as a defense to negate liability? (5 points)

---------------------
Ariel Revero Records (ARR) is the strongest independent recording company and distributor in the music industry.  Its stable of artists is unparalleled, with their albums constantly receiving platinum and gold awards left and right.  Unknown to most, the company is in deep financial trouble, after its Chief Financial Officer, Martin Nibera, fled to the US bringing with him 80% of the cash he withdrew from the company accounts of ARR.

Due to the financial difficulties experienced by ARR, it could not pay their obligations to their creditors.  Sony Philippines had already sent them a letter demanding payment of P1,350,000.00 for the sound equipment it had delivered to ARR early this year.  RPN99 was collecting on the publicity fees (amounting to P350,000.00, plus taxes) that ARR owed them for airing the concert of Mack Milby, an ARR talent, on their Sunday Special last month.

Buying for time, ARR unearthed all their financial records and attempted to put their finances in order.  They discovered that Sony Music Philippines, a subsidiary of Sony Philippines, owed them P550,000.00 as royalties, back when they allowed Mack to guest in two of their special album compilations.  Meantime, IBC33, a sister company of RPN99 under the same management and administration group, had an outstanding obligation of P480,000.00 to ARR, stemming from unpaid talent fees to five of the recording artists of ARR for hosting their month-long anniversary special last year.

ARR informed Sony Philippines that they owed Sony only P800,000, after offsetting the obligation of Sony Music Philippines.  Likewise, ARR communicated to IBC33 that the station must directly pay RPN99 P350,000.00 and remit the balance of their obligation amounting to P130,000 to ARR within 10 days, otherwise ARR will have to file a collection case in court.

 a.      Is ARR correct in applying the debt of Sony Music Philippines to partially fulfill its obligation to Sony Philippines?  Explain. (10 points)

 b.     IBC33 countered that its obligation is to ARR, and that they have no responsibility to pay anything to RPN99.  Do you agree?  Explain. (10 points)

 c.      Define and differentiate Confusion and Compensation.  Without considering your answers to (a) and (b) above, explain whether or not Confusion and/or Compensation can be applied in this case. (20 points)

 d.     Sharon Cometa, a good friend and rumored ex-lover of Ariel Revero, the president of ARR, offered to cover the payment for all overdue obligations of ARR as a token of gratitude for all their years of friendship.  Ariel graciously declined the offer, yet Sharon issued checks to Sony Philippines and RPN99 to pay, in full, the obligations of ARR to these companies.

                                                          i.      Sony Philippines rejected the check of Sharon, telling her that they do not accept personal checks.  Is this action of Sony valid? (3 points)

                                                            ii.      RPN99 accepted the check of Sharon, despite the check being made out to “RPN99 President Mr. X.”  With the issuance of a receipt of payment, is the obligation of ARR to RPN99 deemed extinguished?  (2 points)

---------------------------------------

and since it's a takehome exam, good luck to ME who has to read and rate their answers to an all-essay exam... haaaay.

Betel Box Backpackers Hostel, Singapore

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Other

in our original quest for a backpacking adventure, nad & i reserved two bunkbeds at the Betel Box Hostel in Joo Chiat Road, Singapore. beds at the mixed dorm cost S$18/day. there were cheaper hostels at the heart of the city, but we both decided to try Betel Box because the overall online reviews were great & from the pictures, the place looked nice & cozy.

of course, we also considered the high probability of meeting new european friends, as it appeared on various online pages that this hostel was THE recommended hostel by numerous european backpackers. both nad & i have experienced backpacking in europe, and suffice to say that the experience was one for the books.

straight from changi airport terminal 2, we took bus 24 to joo chiat road. we were dropped off at a quaint village so unlike the singapore i knew from last year, and soon i realized that if we were looking for an adventure, well, it had already started.

the area surrounding joo chiat is the old malay district of singapore. for us pinoys, it's like going to chinatown, but the area's cultural influence is not chinese but malay. we rolled our stroller bags (yeah, for backpackers, we were using the wrong luggage. haha.) down joo chiat road and as we were getting deeper & deeper into the district, i knew without nad telling me that the vibes we were getting weren't that good.

when we got to the hostel entrance, we were buzzed in & upon opening the door, a flight of stairs welcomed us. our stroller bags considered, this was definitely not a good welcome.

when we got to the second floor where the reception counter was, we were "welcomed" by a member of the hostel crew with a stare, from head to toe, and without a smile, she asked us whether we had a reservation. whoops. did she treat us that way because we were asian, like her, and she felt a kinship with us? (yessss, i am dripping with sarcasm here.)

after we signed their logbook and paid for one night, she gave us our sheets which looked freshly laundered but weren't even folded/ironed.

we then walked to the mixed dorm room, which looked like one of the better dorm rooms in our university belt area. the room looked clean & well-maintained, and i found it a comfort to see women's blouses hanging in one of the bunks. unfortunately, all lower bunks were occupied. nad & i chose the two upper bunks that were together.

i decided to take a shower after settling in. the size of the stall was okay for me, but i wonder how our other european brethren fared. it was a hassle, though, not to have an area where to put your bathing essentials (soap, shampoo, etc.), and double the hassle not to have enough space where to hang your towel, your used clothes, and your fresh clothes. i remember when we trekked to batad terraces in banaue and stayed at the sole inn/hostel there, the bathroom had space for those, even if the v.v.cold weather somehow doesn't make you feel like you really want to take a bath. but i digress...

there was only one toilet in that dorm room, which housed (i think) 9 double-decked beds (transl: maximum 18 occupants). nad had to wait for more than 30 minutes to use the toilet.

as we were rushing to get to golden mile complex, we really did not have a chance to check the other areas of the hostel. i did get to meet other guests, and they were all very nice. at least the guests were nice! (well maybe because they were european, and not asian like us. funny.)

on the way to golden mile, nad & i decided to find lodgings elsewhere. heck, we were willing to pay for a room somewhere else, if it would mean being treated nicely by our kind, and getting to use a bathroom with space for bath knick-knacks, and not having to wait for forever to pee.

we never got to spend even just one night in the hostel. maybe for europeans, betel box is a great place. maybe for others, betel box would work. unfortunately, not for me. and there won't be a next time.

ps. if you're the nigerian i met who was very nice to me, and told me that you consider betel box your home, i'm sorry for this review. but heck, you & those 2 guests (one british, the other indian) i got to talk to are the only reasons why i am giving the hostel a 3-star rating! :)

Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Other

I have been to the Louvre, the MoMA and other museums here in the Philippines and other countries I've visited. The Asian Civilisations Museum had a good collection, which covered the essentials of Asian culture and history. The displays and exhibits were tastefully done and were quite informative.

My companion, Nad, and I found it very disturbing, though, that there was ONLY ONE display of an artifact from the Philippines. It was a beaded necklace from the Kalinga Province, and it did not even say that the item was from the Philippines!

What irked Nad the most was the special exhibition on "Beauty in Asia" which had a section on beauty pageants. Nad is a pageant enthusiast, who has nurtured 6 Binibining Pilipinas winners. Not one reference was made to the Philippines, who has produced the most number of Miss Universe and Miss World winners in Southeast Asia!

I love museums and the opportunity they grant me to immerse myself in art, history & culture even if only for a few hours. I was hoping for that feeling of being a "culturati" when we left the Asian Civilisations Museum, but it was absent. I was very disturbed that Philippine art, history and culture was deemed by the curators of this museum as 'inadequate' enough to be included in the collection.

Of course, we UP grads did not take this sitting down. Nad wrote down our thoughts and filled up the recommendation form. We got a free magnet each from the desk officer, who read our comments without any reaction.

Unfortunately, a magnet just won't cut it.

un-lawyer-like

i have been a lawyer for a little over a year, and i never fail to elicit comments like:

you're so young to be a lawyer! (duh. i'm 30 years old, if we really go by age)

you don't act like a lawyer. (eh?  lawyers don't know how to have fun?)

you should dress more like a lawyer! (like, i have to always be in either a suit or in casual business attire even when we're doing office housekeeping???)

don't be pa-humble... be proud when people call you "attorney!" (my name is apryll.  i only need that title when i appear in court or when i sign pleadings!)

i really don't know whom to blame:  all those 51,000 lawyers ahead of me in the roll of attorneys, who carried their "title" around as if it were a badge of honor, or the families of those 51,000 lawyers who made it appear like having a lawyer in the family or knowing a lawyer personally was reallyyyyy something to brag about, or just plain "Philippine society" in general, for creating stereotypes of lawyers and planting these ideas into the consciousness of the community.

i am attorney # 51877 and i know i am not alone in my predicament.  let's see... give or take around 300 "cool, unpredictable, easygoing" lawyers every year for the past 20 years, my idea is there are only approximately 6,000 lawyers who are leading lives and practicing law like me.  lawyering is serious work, but heck, lawyers don't need to lead sedentary, laidback lives, catering to the whims of their bosses/partners/associates/clients 24/7.

and for the sake of the future of the Philippines, i think we should do away with letting the older lawyers believe they are demi-Gods.  please... practicing law is a profession, not an excuse for being swathed in constant attention.

i'll be damned if someday i swallow my words and become the "typical" lawyer.  kick me in the ass when that happens. :)

ayon sa batas 2

Q. Ako ay isang balo for 3 years already, as of now may nobyo po akong chinese d2. Balak naming umuwi jan sa Pinas para magpakasal, ano po ba ang dapat kong gawin? Makasal kaya kami ate? Paano? (Gina D., via email)

A. Ang pagpapakasal, kahit saan man ganapin, sa Pilipinas man o sa ibang bansa, ay kinikilala at sagrado sa batas natin. Pinapahintulutan ang mga balo na ikasal pang muli. Kung dito ka sa Pilipinas magpapakasal, kakailanganin mo munang kumuha ng Certified True Copy ng Death Certificate ng yumao mong asawa, sa National Statistics Office (check the rates sa website ng NSO – www.census.gov.ph).

Para sa kasal niyo dito sa Pilipinas, you will need to file an application for a marriage license sa Civil Registrar’s Office sa kahit saang munisipyo o city hall. Ang application na ito ay kailangan mong i-file at least one month bago sa araw ng inyong kasal. Ipapa-submit sa iyo ang Death Certificate ng dati mong asawa, ang birth certificate mo (na i-re-request mo rin sa NSO) at ang mga iba pang patunay ng iyong estado. Kailangan din mag-submit ng iyong nobyo ng Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage, na dapat issued and duly certified ng kanyang embassy or consular office dito sa Pilipinas.

Kung kayo naman ay ikakasal sa simbahan, may iba pang requirement na hihingin ang simbahan o denominasyon na magkakasal sa inyo.

Ò Ò Ò

Q. Tungkol po sa pangalan ng mother namin, iba po ang naka register sa NSO at iba iyong gingamit nya. Gusto po naming baguhin iyon ngunit ang sabi nila ang gagastusin namin ay abot ng 9,500 pesos para mapalitan iyon. Nagbabakasakali po ako na ako ay inyong matulungan tungkol sa bagay na ito, kung talaga bang ganito kalaki ang dapat bayaran, me paraan po ba na maiwasan ang pagbayad sa ganito kalaking halaga dahil maliit lang naman po ang kita namin, o kaya naman po me pwede po ba kaming lapitan na tao o ahensiya na malalapitan. More Power! (Myrna Guilim, via email)

A. Ang pagkakaiba ng pangalang ginagamit ng mother mo at sa naka-record sa NSO ay maaaring maitama sa ilalim ng “administrative proceeding” (derecho ka sa Local Civil Registry sa munisipyo at hindi mo na kailangan ng abogado para gawin ito), by filing a Petition for Correction under Republic Act 9048 (Clerical Error Law).

Pero you have to know na pwede lang gamitin ang paraan na ito para ituwid ang (1) mga itinatawag na “typographical error” o mga maliliit na pagkakamali sa mga nakalagay sa record gaya ng spelling, (2) pagpalit o pagbago ng katawa-tawa o nakakahiyang first name, o di kaya (3) ituwid ang pag-gamit ng first name dahil iba ang nasa birth certificate niya sa first name na ginagamit o inaakalang tunay na first name magmula sa pagkabata. Kung wala sa tatlong ito ang kaso ng mother mo, kinakailangang ninyong magsampa ng kaso sa korte para mabago at mailinis ang record niya.

Kung ang pagtuwid ng record ay maaaring idaan sa mga opisina ng Civil Registrar, pwedeng mother mo mismo ang mag-file ng petition, o kahit sinong malapit na kaanak na binigyan niya ng authorization para i-file ang petisyon para sa kanya. Dapat i-file ang petition sa munisipyo kung saan unang nakatala ang pagkapanganak ng mother mo.

Sino ba ang sumisingil sa mother mo ng P9,500? Sa halagang isinisingil sa inyo, hindi maliwanag kung ito ang isinisingil ng isang abogado na hahawak ng petisyon sa civil registrar, o kung ito ay singil sa korte. Kailangan niyo lang ng serbisyo ng isang abogado kung ang kaso ng mother mo ay hindi kayang ituwid ng Local Civil Registrar. Ang pagtuwid ng pangalan ng nanay mo ay nakadepende sa konteksto ng sitwasyon niya.

Ayon sa RA 9048, kung ang petisyon ay isinampa sa Local Civil Registrar, P1,000.00 ang singil para sa pagtuwid ng “clerical error” at P3,000.00 sa pagpalit o pagtuwid ng first name. You have to remember na ang mga nasabing halaga ay bukod pa sa gagastusin ninyo para ma-kumpleto ang mga documents na magpapapatunay sa pangalan ng mother mo, tulad ng mga certified true copy ng baptismal certificate, NBI clearance, at iba pang documents. For more information, puntahan ang website ng NSO sa www.census.gov.ph at i-click ang RA 9048 or Clerical Error Law.

ayon sa batas 1

17. I have been separated from my husband for 10 years. Right now, I have a loving, stable relationship with my boyfriend, who is a foreigner. We want to get married in Manila soon. Will we have a problem with our plans since I have been previously married?

1. Yes. You cannot marry another person, whether a Filipino or a foreigner, because you are still considered married to your husband in the eyes of the law. It doesn’t matter if you have been separated from your husband for a long time. You will have to have your previous marriage properly annulled before you can get married again. Until you do so, you cannot remarry under Philippine laws.

Remember also that before you can get married again, you will have to get a marriage license from the Local Civil Registrar where you habitually reside in the Philippines. This will require a declaration that you are single, or else you have to submit a copy of the Court Order/Decision which declared your previous marriage as judicially voided or annulled, among other things.

If you decide to get married in another country, the government of that country may also request that you submit as part of the requirements a certification from our embassy or consular office that you are qualified to marry. The Office of the Civil Registrar General should issue a Certificate of No Marriage (CeNoMar) or Certificate of Singleness to prove that you are eligible to marry. At the moment, you cannot get that certification since your previous marriage has not yet been annulled.

Ò Ò Ò

Q. I am a single mom and I gave birth to my son in 2001. I heard that there is a new law which allows illegitimate children to use the family name of their father. Can my son, who has been using my family name since birth, now use the family name of his father?

A. Yes, your son may use the family name of his father, as allowed under Republic Act 9255. This is a purely administrative proceeding which must be filed at the Office of the Local Civil Registrar. However, you will be required to submit proof of filiation or an acknowledgement of paternity. This means that your child may only use the family name of his father if he has been expressly recognized as such by him, whether (1) in the record of birth, or (2) in an admission in a public document (for example, the father issues an affidavit to attest that he is the father of your son), or (3) in a private handwritten letter or document. A copy of the baptismal certificate may also be accepted as proof of filiation, as long as the name of the father appears in the document and the father himself appears at the Civil Registrar’s office during the hearing.

Keep in mind that all children, even illegitimate children, have the right to be supported by their parents. As long as there is proof of filiation and paternity, it is not only the use of his father’s family name to which the child is entitled, but more importantly, the right to demand for support.

ako ay filipino

ako ay pilipino. (i am filipino.) and a lawyer. and a female. and i come from a breed of strong, brave and arrogant people, the waray-waray.

i'm still an idealist. despite the fact that i graduated from the state university almost 10 years ago, i still believe there is hope for the philippines. how that will happen, i don't know. but somehow, i feel that in my own way, i try to 'do my own thing' to make it happen.

so what do i do? i work for the government. (and my ideals and values remain intact, thank you.) i teach college law part-time at an all-girls' college in quezon city. (knowledge is power.) i have a law firm which we put up with good friends and classmates from UP Law. (it's good to be your own boss.) i am the secretary general of a party list. (this is my "giving back" to society, in the most direct way i can manage.) i write a legal column for a filipino magazine published in singapore. (knowledge, again, is power.)

i know i do a lot of things, but i enjoy doing them. and yes, i still have a life.

if many of us believe, i think that little by little, step by step, our country will be a better place to live in. i hope.

* * * * *

last year, i met pastor rey navarro, a publisher of a filipino magazine in singapore, Ako Ay Filipino. mr. tormes, a former boss, facilitated the meeting. pastor rey invited me to join the magazine as a contributor for legal issues. i started writing in december, and the response has been good.

after blogging personal stuff for some months now, i decided to create this blog where i can post the answers to the questions that are sent to me via email.

if you have questions yourself, feel free to post your inquiries and i will try to answer them as soon as possible. i have always believed that the law is for everyone. and while inquiries here are free, i am posting a caveat: nothing beats going to a lawyer face to face when legal troubles arise.

carpe diem.

reflections of a working law student (a personal history, part 2)

So I had a job.  One problem down.  Or so I thought.  Only, ONLY, I was told that it would take THREE months to process my first paycheck.  Great.  I distinctly remember it was a penniless christmas, but I was with my family as always so that was a great thing. 

But I am getting ahead.

The student loans

In UP, we have a thing called the loan board.  At the start of every semester, you can file for a loan to cover a percentage of your tuition fees (75% of total tuition fees for undergrads; 80% for graduate students), excluding miscellaneous and other university fees.  The student would decide when to pay the loan, as long as the total loan amount would be fully paid before the next registration period.  Otherwise, you’ll be denied enrollment for the following semester.

I knew how it worked theoretically, but on the 2^nd semester of my freshman year, and due to the fact that my employment papers were still being processed, I had to bring myself (gulp.) to apply for a student loan.  Me?  So yabang, ingglesera & often acting sosyalin, apply for a student loan???  Jolette, the master of almost everything (or so I think he thinks. Haha.), told me to swallow my pride, accept reality and go to vinzons.

Smiling but worried, I trekked to Vinzons to check if I would qualify for a student loan.  The long queue didn’t even affect usually-cranky-i-hate-long-lines me.  Beggars can’t really be choosers, and at that point, I felt like a complete beggar.  When I got to the counter…  Completely filled-up reg mats duly checked and assessed, check.  ID picture, check.  Application form duly accomplished, check.  Co-guarantor, wtf??!!!  I didn’t know any permanent employee of the University!  Then it dawned on me:  the staff!  The helpful Ates! (twinkly eyes, goofy grin… sabay lakad pabalik sa law)  Ate Alma at the College Secretary’s office was a God-send.  She agreed to be my co-guarantor.  As God and the Fates deemed it to be, I got my student loan check a few hours after I first went to Vinzons.  I was alive and breathing again. 

And so it was, on that fateful day, my student loan-self was born.  That sem and for the following sems of my esteemed law school life, I was a happy, fully-leveraged student every semester. 

Food, booze & (drunken) words

Yes, we had time to drink and be merry.  (we had loves, too, thank you. Oh. And affairs too.)

Legally Blonde was a very, very welcome film that helped me explain to other friends how law school was like.  Think Elle Woods.  We (my blockmates & i) were Elle Woods, only the barako, typical , UP manginginom kind.

During our first week as freshmen, my blockmates and I would always go out after classes for dinner and beer, on the excuses that: (1) we had to bond.  We were going to be together for the next 5 years! and (2) we all had to know each other really well.  Those with the better jobs usually paid (they had to. Haha.).  Afterwards, I think we went out because (3) we had no other choice.  our friends outside law school were usually sloshed by the time our classes ended at 9. 

From 9 in the evening until as late (err, early) as 4am, we would be trading woes about bad recitation episodes, really bad exam performances, the current political situation, law school chismis, our problems, etc., etc.  Trellis and Treehouse were the usual haunts.  Jolette also loved going to Canimog, until I refused to go there anymore coz they had flying ipis.  I remember the guys would drink at Gulod before classes (yes, they did that) but I never got to go with them.  Tapika and Katips were alternatives.  When the guys discovered the beer mug and tapang usa at this place in timog, that became it.  I wasn’t with them when this happened but this really cracked me up when they told me about it:  one night, one of the guys had a problem so they decided to go to timog.  They got really drunk that on their beer mugs (the mugs are sized like pitchers!), nag-trip sila to ask the waitress for those cocktail thingies (the fruit slice with mini-umbrella) which they put on the rims of their mugs.  Then they asked for a straw and sipped their beer like a cosmo!  Nice.

We also drank at our houses:  at jard’s apartment, at my apartment(s), at jolaz & anna’s.  During their family occasions, at mich’s and arlene’s houses.  And we always, always got drunk at arlene’s family’s house in subic. 

I remember with fondness (hehehe) that we would go to the videoke carinderias at The Wall (in Balara) when we had no money, just to quench our thirst & belt out a few songs after bad recitation nights.  (Malen!  Gloria Gaynor! Hehehe) We stopped going there though when we heard that a bar reviewee got shot because he didn’t want to share the mic with another customer. (that’s what I remember.  God rest his soul.)

Our sem-enders & class parties were always excuses to get really drunk.  Didit’s at Valle Verde was the favorite venue, followed by Arlene’s at Subic.  but for purely personal reasons, the sem-ender that will always be at the top of my list would be the one we had in Tagaytay.  (reminiscing edited for peace of mind.  definitely not my mind alone. go figure.)

To those who kept the flame of dinner, beer & good conversation alive at that stage of my life, kudos:  Jard, Jolette, Jolaz, Chizper, Henry, (always the late) Marlon, Ericson, Lan, Gerry, Malen and Mich (always with Spocky. Hehe. Sabit.).  Luther, Alvin and Arnell were often there, but they seldom drank.  (Presence counts. Haha.)

Unforgettable recitations

Every day in law school inside the classroom was h-e-l-l.  especially for me who was never fully prepared:  either I lacked time to finish the whole case assignment or I just really couldn’t force myself to study that day.  The clammy, shaky hands and racing heart at the start of every class will never go away.  From freshman year until I graduated, I was never kampante enough with what I had studied and read.  Scratch that.  Even while I was taking the bar, I never felt prepared.

In law school, it matters that you are seated beside friends whom you trust.  Friends who will be your “TV” and “radyo” when the need arises.  “TV” is when your seatmate writes down the key word or opens his/her book and points to the answer.  “Radyo” happens when your seatmate whispers to you the answer, in the hope that (1) it’s the right answer and (2) you, the recitator, will be able to decipher the whisper.

However, because we will never be really prepared, visual and hearing aids aside, these happened.  Believe me, they did.

Prof:  After studying the whole Constitution and going back to the Preamble, what can we deduce from all of these?  Mr… Mr. A?

A:  Sir? 

Prof: What is your answer?  Don’t make me repeat my question.

A:  Sir?  I’m sorry, sir…

Prof:  You, Mr. B?

B:  Sir… that, uhm, that…

Prof: Ms. C?

C:  (stands and remains silent)

Prof:  Ms. D? (not me)

D:  Sir, that our Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

Prof: And?  But?

D:  Uhmmm….

Prof:  You haven’t learned anything at all aside from that?  You knew that already!  Mr. E?

E:  (stands and looks at prof)

…… (half of the class is standing now, including me)

Prof:  What?  What can we deduce?  We, the Filipino people… the people are what?  The people are what??!!!!  Mr. F!

F:  The people are… uhm… The people are…

Prof:  The people are supra-…. Supra what, Mr. F?

F:  Sir… the people are supra…

Prof: SUPRA WHAT?  SUPRA WHAT?

F:  Sir… supra-man?

(mwehehehehe… Jard answered this correctly.  The people are supra-constitutional.  So what happened in EDSA 1 & 2 were not unconstitutional.)

Prof: Is an earthquake a fortuitous event, Mr. L?

L:  Yes, sir.

Prof:  Are you sure?

L:  No, sir.

Prof: What?  Why?

L:  Sir, there are man-made earthquakes, sir.

Prof:  Ha?  Saan?  Ms. Dumas, do you agree?

Me:  Sir, I’m sorry, but I don’t agree.  Earthquakes are acts of God, so they are fortuitous events.

Prof:  Don’t you think earthquakes can be man-made like Mr. L says?

Me:  Probably, sir, but I believe these only happen as effects of other man-made events, sir, like nuclear testing.

Prof:  Nuclear testing?  Bakit naman?

Me:  Sir, when there are nuclear tests or other testings of bombs and armaments, when these big bombs explode, the earth will necessarily shake.  So a small earthquake occurs.

Prof:  Really?  Define an earthquake, Ms. Dumas.

Me:  Sir… uhm, an earthquake is when the earth shakes, sir, and sometimes the earth splits open.

(no shit.  i said that.  i really said that.  i tell you, i watch too many movies.)

Prof:  Why does the Supreme Court not allow the filing of this other case, Mr. M?

M:  Because the law and the rules are clear sir.  This is not allowed.

Prof:  You know the law already.  Why nga?

M:  Sir, we should follow what the law says.  The Supreme Court is only applying the law.

Prof:  Hay naku.  Ms. Dumas, why not?

Me:  Sir, the law does not allow it.  So this case cannot be filed.

Prof:  But that is what Mr. M said… Give me a different answer.

Me:  Uhm… Sir?  Sir, because if the court allows cases like this to be filed, this case will just be a rehash of the first case.  This will be an addition to the court dockets, sir.

Prof:  What are you talking about, Ms. Dumas?

Me:  The law does not allow it since this will clog the court dockets.

Prof:  Huh?  Why?

Me:  Allowing this case to be filed will open the floodgates to the filing of more cases like this, sir.

Prof:  Oh.  So you’ve seen the floodgates open, Ms. Dumas?

Me:  No, sir… (ngiti. ngiti. then I bow my head.)

(argh. kaasar… i remember I said these things just because I had to say something.  Otherwise, that recit would have been an automatic 5.0.)

I actually have a lot of boo-boos inside the classroom.  Lots more.  But these two were my highest moments of glory.  Smirk. 

During our sophomore year, we would make fun of one of our professors for wearing the same Lacoste shirt to class every time we met.  He caught us giggling over our ‘witticisms on scratch paper’ (those little notes you share with your seatmate while class is going on, where you talk about life, love, the prof & everything else in general except the topic at hand) and decided to call us for recitation though we had just had our turn.

Prof:  Ms. P, what is commodatum?

P:  Commodatum is… uhm, sir… (looks around and kicks me in the shin)

(I get it.  I leafed through my book like mad to look for the exact definition.  Found!)

P:  Commodatum is when… (she reads from my book)

Prof:  Amazing powers of reading, Ms. P.  Ms. Dumas?

Me:  Yes, sir.  I agree with the definition stated by Ms. P, sir.

Prof:  You’re answering a question which I haven’t asked. 

(silence…)

Prof:  Sit down, both of you.

(so we decided to be really good girls and listen.  Then I went out to go to the ladies’ room.  I felt like going out to eat fishballs at the parking lot, so I went there too.  After fishballs, I realized I had been gone for a long time so I decided to get back to class.  Outside the classroom, I met Jolette who had just come from another class and we got to talking.)

Prof:  Ms. P, where is Ms. Dumas?

P:  Sir, she had to go to the bathroom.

Prof:  Really?  She’s taking her own sweet time, eh?

P:  Sir, I think she’s not feeling well.

Prof:  Where is Mr. A?  Are they both outside?  Maybe they decided to go on a date!  Or maybe they’re just outside the classroom!

(goes to the door, opens it, and actually finds me perched on an extra teacher’s desk in the hallway, talking to jolette!)

Prof:  Ms. Dumas!  You can tell me if you really don’t want to attend my class!

Me:  Sir, I’m sorry.  I just had to go to the bathroom because I wasn’t feeling well.

Prof:  Oh.  So you’re getting yourself cured now by hanging around the hallways.  Good.  Take your time, take your time… Until you feel better.

Me:  (very embarassed.  Very sorry.  And very, very, very scared…)  Sir, I deeply apologize sir…

(I run to the room, sit down, and I don’t even dare look at the prof’s direction until classes end.)

For that episode, I paid dearly.  I had better recitations than Ms. P (yes, you, you know who you are!) and got higher exam grades.  At the end of the semester, Ms. P got a 1.5, the rest of the class had grades ranging from 1.25 to 2.0, and I got a 2.5.  At least he didn’t forcibly drop me from his class for my misdemeanor, which he could have done.  Professors are gods immortal.

Arlene, Mich, Lumen, Pearl and Lyne (and those whom I was near enough to see or hear from UP Law Classes 2004E & 2005E):  for being the best tv guides and radio announcers, thanks.  These sablay moments were mine, and are mine alone to bear.  Mea culpa.