Happy New Year

It’s 9:27 PM in my wall clock, Dec 31. Let’s forget the world in 2 hours and 33 minutes.

Happy New Year to all. Whew.

Subversion in the Garden of Eden

One headache to the world today is the crisis brought about by the huge outflow of refugees coming from the Middle east.  Obviously, they are people running away from war, particular mention to the war that is going on in Syria.  We are seeing a massive surge never seen by the world for some time until now.

Lifted from Google search: Syria bombings.

As bombings intensified, the odds of not being hit in the crossfires have become too narrowed for the civilian populace.  Leaving homes and cities have thus become imperative.

Lifted from Google search: Syria bombings

What makes this subject interesting to me? I think I said something out there that looked like stupid even to myself. Like, it looks OK now to incite people to rebel against their states.

Its called inciting to rebellion.

But you know, personally I don’t really agree that inciting is a crime. If I suggested to you to overthrow your President and you did right that and you got into trouble, then, it is your trouble and not mine, right?

RJ1970 3 days ago

@RLTJ Then, by your logic, the Syrian problem is THEIR problem, right?

But let’s go away from Syria.  Let’s talk about Satan and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Accordingly, God created Adam and Eve.  And then God put them in a paradise that is also known as the Garden of Eden. God told them that they can enjoy everything that’s in the garden except to eat the fruit of one tree which we now call the tree of knowledge, the tree of innocence , whatever.  And so it came to pass.

One day came Satan in the form of a talking serpent. He subverted Eve who in turn tempted Adam into both them eating the fruit of the forbidden tree.

And God learned about what had happened. God was so displeased by Adam and Eve’s disregard of his law. God banished both them from paradise for their disobedience.

What happened to the Daemon? Nothing or no mention about it. I guess, to mislead or to deceive is Daemon Satan’s role. It is his job. It is his nature. Creating chaos, confusion, hell and everything bad, all belong to him. He is stuck to his misdeeds, which is what Satan is. Blaming Satan for them therefore, is a waste of words.

But whose problem was it?

Whose problem was it?  The problem out of the Garden of Eden was Adam and Eve’s problem. That’s right, it was Adam and Eve’s problem.  Theirs alone. The Daemon did not owe weak people like them anything – relocation, resettlement or whatever.  God does not owe anybody, either.

What we see on the roads are actually the fortunate ones. For whole families to migrate is not easy. Migration entails costs and not everybody can afford that.      Lifted from Google search: Syria refugees

 

Let’s go back to Syria. Let’s go back to the problem of the refugees. Here, we are not talking about the demon. We are talking about Pres Barack Obama.  He is the President of the United States of America.  Somehow, he and America owe some to the Syrian people.  Syria has been America’s war. Or to put it another way, America has been part of the Syria war.

No, you wont find any law that says Syria refugees are America’s problem.

So, whose problem do you think is Syrians problem?

A Natural-born for a President. Why?

The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines specifies a natural-born Filipino for a President. Why? Because all Philippine constitutions starting 1935 said so.  But why?

Because Filipinos, mostly and easily, usually copied from mother U.S.A. which they have always esteemed as the greatest country in the world. I guess, framers of the first Philippine constitution after the Filipino revolution of 1896, easily saw senses so broad and without much labor. They saw them working well somewhere.

The Americans assumed the Philippines from the Spaniards after the Spanish-American war in 1898. They also inherited the Filipino revolution against Spain that, except for a few leaders on the run and in hiding, they almost totally crushed by 1903. The Philippines thus was a U.S. territory until 1934 when it became a Commonwealth Republic, which was granted independence in 1946. The 1935 Commonwealth constitution was carried on until the time of President Marcos. The Philippines also celebrated its National Independence the same day America celebrated its, which is July 4th. Just like copy and paste.

The 1973 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines

The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines [1987 – ]

“…senses so broad and without much labor.” That, folks, is actually an impression, an opinion. Because every time somebody questions anything whether constitutional or not, Supreme Court always has an answer. Fact is, while the constitutions specify natural-born for a President, they never specifically stated why.

Is “natural-born” Filipino citizen just a matter of legal technicality or is it there purposely?

Lifted from google search: grace poe

Currently controversial is the issue of birth and citizenship of Senator Grace Poe, a candidate to run for President. Since there is a case in court right now regarding them, this article is not really about her though we might be doing some scratching on surfaces of the matter. Something in general.

The case is not with the regular courts actually, but one filed with the SET or Senate Electoral Tribunal – for disqualification when Ms Poe won in the 2013 senatorial election. Considering the urgency of the question, the tribunal seems to have found the case hard to decide. It’s now 2015 and Ms Poe, now set to run for 2016 Presidency, is facing the same unresolved issues.  This is understandable enough because the SET has three [3] from the Judiciary and six [6] from the Senate comprising its body, and not really one wholly comprised by people of the bar. Traditional politics is always a probable factor to play in a body like this

Ms Poe topped the 2013 senatorial race, running in the administration line-up. A candidate carried by more than one party, actually. Being a fresh and untarnished face in politics, and known daughter of actor king Fernando Poe Jr. and actress queen Susan Roces, she topped in popularity. They rode on her, she rode on them, so to say. She made past elections topnotch like Gloria M. Arroyo and Loren Legarda seem small. But we are going a-side.

Where were we? Ah, doing some revisiting of the constitutions… I found it amusing that they mentioned natural-born for a president but never exactly said why. So I guess much is left to common sense. And since they are English words, well established English dictionaries could also provide meanings and clues.

While questioned whether or not she is a natural-born Filipino, I think there is a deeper question, which is about her citizenship itself. She is a declared foundling. She is married to an American. One time in her life she migrated to the U.S.A. She became an American citizen and reproduced children who are Americans. She came back to the Philippines and [reacquired her Philippine citizenship].  I think she needs lots of clearings to do for herself.

ARTICLE IV Citizenship, Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.

SECTION 5. Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national interest and shall be dealt with by law.

Aw, I forgot. Where were we? Ah, a natural-born citizen for a president. Why?

Filipinos Must Grant to Bangsamoro, or Else…

Ive been browsing the net for world events when I stumbled on these. I decided to snatch and reprint the articles than simply link to them, instead. I think they are quite intriguing:

Give Muslims self-rule or ‘count body bags’: Philippines’ Aquino

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino has called on lawmakers to pass a bill endorsing a pact aimed at ending a decades-long Muslim separatist rebellion, warning them they would otherwise start counting “body bags.”

Aquino had wanted the bill, which would give autonomy to the majority Catholic nation’s Muslim minority in the south, passed this month.

But Congress suspended debates on the proposed law in the face of public outrage over the killings of 44 police commandoes by guerrillas in a botched anti-terror raid in January.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace deal a year ago Friday, had said its members fired in self-defense at the commandoes, who passed through a rebel camp while going after militants.

“This is the crossroads we face: we take pains to forge peace today, or we count body bags tomorrow,” Aquino said in a nationwide television address.

“Perhaps it is easy for you to push for all-out war,” he said, hitting out at critics who have condemned the peace deal with the MILF.

“But if the conflict grows, the number of Filipinos shooting at other Filipinos will grow, and it would not be out of the question that a friend or loved one be one of the people who will end up inside a body bag.”

The rebellion for a separate state or self-rule has claimed nearly 120,000 lives and cost billions of dollars in economic losses, according to government estimates.

Under a peace deal signed with the MILF, the 10,000-member group pledged to disarm while the Philippine government vowed to pass an autonomy law in Muslim areas of the south.

“The Bangsamoro basic law is one of the most important proposed bills of our administration. It answers the two most pressing problems of our countrymen: poverty and violence,” Aquino said.

He warned it would be difficult to restart peace talks if the current process failed and the MILF leadership lost its influence among its members to more radical elements.

Aquino is required by the constitution to stand down in mid-2016 after serving a single six-year term.

The January police raid sought to capture or kill two men on the US government’s list of “most wanted terrorists” who were living among Muslim rebels in southern Philippine farming communities.

One of the men, Malaysian national Zulkifli bin Hir who had a $5-million bounty on his head, was reported killed.

But the other, Filipino Abdul Basit Usman, escaped as rebels surrounded and killed the police commandoes.

No, Mr. President, “total war” is too big a phrase to use. Let’s forget the big joke called Bangsamoro Basic Law and let law and order, no one above the law, take their course for all Filipinos irregardless of ethnic and religious affiliations.

No, Mr President, it is not autonomy the MILF, co-author of Bangsamoro Basic Law, is demanding for Muslim Filipinos. We already have the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao [ARMM] long established in there since 1989. The Mindanao Islamic Liberation Front sees itself as different from Filipinos.They hope to cut away southern Philippines – territory and its people.

Also, poverty and rebellion are common, national problems of Filipinos. They will need blanket solutions for patch-up.

Yes, Mr. President, nothing is free. Whichever way people choose to take they will have to pay no less.

Except for one comment seen bellow, Arab News decided to close for comments on the article. I think, what we see there is just a sample, the tip, of Filipinos who are sick and tired of double talks and treachery.

Filipinos demand no more than their rights and they are prepared to pay.

Comments for this thread are now closed. Miguel Ramirez • 2 days ago

This comment from PNoy shows his understanding of the situation is not sufficient to resolve the Mindanao muslim dilemna. He wants to capitulate to the demands of the Bangsamoro, or else our side suffers? That is a perspective from a position of weakness. He means to tell us that it is a certainty that we would be counting body-bags? Who will be in those body bags? Our personnel? This is the mentality of an over-cautious, vision-less and pessimistic coward and sloth. The first thing we need to do is assess the situation, and what the consequences of our actions will be. We also have to consider our position, or what our rightful place is. We are the sovereign Filipino people, and our antagonists are the MILF, its comrades the BIFF, JIM, and other muslim bandit groups, and the NDF. We are the superior, and they are the inferior. So, we do not treat them as if they are equal to us. We don’t even need to negotiate with them, but it is they who need to negotiate with us. We should always keep in mind that we do not accede to their unreasonable demands, specially if they threaten us with unprovoked retaliation if they don’t get their way. No one is above the law, most specially those who have demonstrated their defiance of the law. So, the best way to do this is to end this conflict once and for all, and that is to direct our Armed Forces to exterminate these criminals, rebels, secessionists and terrorists. /// [This is a cut version from its original, cut by rltjs.wordpress.com ]

The Joint Aquino – MILF Enterprise called Bangsamoro Basic Law

This is not about right and wrong. This is not about good and bad, either. This is about what is what.

The thing called Bangsamoro Basic Law

This has been heralded by Malacañang as the “long-lasting peace” or “final peace” for Mindanao among others. The Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL, since its Bangsamoro Legal Entity days, can be said as the brainchild of the President, Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III.

The President seated with the MILF Chief. lifted from Google search: mamasapano massacre images

Malacañang, through its negotiating panel, has entered into formal agreements with the MILF, something which people now know as the BBL or the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The BBL has become an Aquino – MILF partnership, with Malacañang Palace much bound to it. That reminds us of the MOA-AD that although of different contents was of similar circumstances. One  difference in them is that, while this BBL is now a done deal between Malacañang and the MILF, in the MOA-AD the Supreme court intervened just in time to stop everybody from signing. It caused embarrassment to the PGMA administration but otherwise President Arroyo was free to walk away from the deal.

The President’s mirrors and alter egos with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front: [L  to R] Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Marvic Leonen, Teresita Q Deles. Lifted from Google search: presidential adviser on the peace process. Alteration to the images is by rltjs.wordpress

I think the architects of this BBL have their cues from the wreck of what was MOA-AD that ran a-ground.  This time they are more adept and cunning steering almost through without any snag. They have even rendered the Supreme Court helpless to look into the matter as they work it on.

Eager to stamp the Aquino-MILF enterprise into law, the eager beaver and the skeptical of them. Lifted from Yahoo search: feliciano belmonte images

But the agreements without the seal of Philippine congress are useless. So, we have seen congress, both houses almost without any opposition, trying to expedite the thing called Bangsamoro Basic law.

They also talked about amending the constitutions. They saw conflicts that call for a need to rewrite whatever in the constitution to suit the Bangsamoro Basic Law that the President wanted done by congress.

Then came the Mamasapano debacle

It’s been 41 days since Mamasapano. Philippine SAF troopers going after Zulkifli Abdhir aka Marwan and Basit Usman, two internationally tagged terrorists, encountered composite rebels in that place. Marwan and Usman were said to be living in that territory controlled by the MILF. SAF got into a fight with the MILF which later were said to have been reinforced by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters [BIFF], Abu Sayyafs, and their militias.

A “Misencounter” between enemies. Images lifted from Yahoo search: mamasapano maguindanao images

When the guns of battle ceased firing, forty four [44] members of the Special Action Force [SAF] of the Philippine National Police [PNP] were accounted dead, killed in skirmishes and ambuscades that ended in their total rout. This happened shortly before dawn in January 25, 2015 that went on until the next day, the 26th.

The Mindanao Islamic Liberation Front [MILF] has justified it as a “misencounter” and later as an act of self-defense on their part. That is interesting. Misencounter is a term applicable only between two friendly forces. And that could be true. The President and his men have considered the MILF as friends and partners for peace. In fact this is not the first time that there was a “misencounter” between Government and MILF forces. In such occasion, government never lifted a finger against MILF perpetrators. “For the sake of Peace”, they will say.

Like Filipinos will be in trouble if they insist on respect and justice due them? Are not Filipinos being bugged or held hostage?

I think Filipinos should be reminded. The Mindanao Islamic Liberation Front [MILF] is a secessionist organization. They are fighting for a different, separate national identity and territory. They have Islamic Mindanao independence for their ultimate end. Filipinos cannot allow them that.

The MILF is on ceasefire with Philippine government, something that has been going on since the PGMA administration – peace that is good while they last. That does not change the fact that they are hostile forces, enemies of the Filipino people.

One people, one nation, one country – the Bangsamoro Basic Law does not serve them. It is bringing the Filipinos away from them. It will wreck the country apart.

“For the sake of Peace”? Grant genuine amnesty to those who would want it. There is no shorter way than that.

Opposite that is peace, the long and the hard way, but nevertheless true peace and not mere hope for peace that is devoid of any historical basis to support it…a pure dream, a fantasy.

That’s true. One object of war is peace. Stated from another angle, sometimes peace is attained through war.

Everybody Is an Aspiring Zookeeper.

CIA suspects Russia’s President Putin to have Asperger’s syndrome. I found the matter interesting, being part of a more interesting subject which is human characteristics, social and human natural, so that I decided to make a post about it.

Everybody is a jail warden. Everybody is a zookeeper. People should be good.

What’s that? A good warden lets people out in the yard for relaxation and play. He should know when and who to let out, and when and who to lock in.

Now, everyone is doing that to all the characters in him, he is aware of it or not. One will be surprised he has Hitler to Pope Francis inside in him. Each person is a complete jungle of characters within himself.

Lifted from Google search: Hitler, Pope Francis. Arranged by RLTJ’s

Human characteristics are generally universal. Sure, they vary in degree, from person to person. And the differentials make the thing called Personality. Other wise, humans are all boringly the same – they all can be tickled, pleased, irritated, angered, what else.

Sometimes Hitler might be good let out when Pope Francis might be good suppressed in, or the other way around. It’s a matter of doing the right thing in the right time.

That is why Solomon is considered as the icon for most gifted. Wisdom is deemed the greatest of all virtues.

There are differences between the real world and the world of virtual reality or that which exists only in the mind, though. In the real world, characters to mean persons, can die. In virtual reality, they cannot be killed. The most unwanted of them are always there, only shackled, arrested, held in a dungeon sit for life. Because nobody wants them out. Ooh, Sometimes they do escape a warden.

This post has nothing really particular to Vladimir Putin. In fact, we all have him inside each one of us. When we get irritated we all react the same. 🙂