Senatoriable Paredes seeks total “pork abolition”, free college education

TOTAL “PORK” ABOLITION URGED BY SENATORIAL CANDIDATE PAREDES: Former Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jess Paredes will work for the total abolition of the pork barrel system (or the allocation of government funds for the use of congressmen and senators of the Philippines for various infrastructure projects) if he wins as senator in the May 2010 elections.

Instead, the funds given to lawmakers as pork barrel will be used for other more worthwhile purposes like the giving of free college education to poor students nationwide, or for the construction of more classrooms, more hospitals, or more roads, or the development of business entrepreneurship among the people, Paredes said in an interview with BATAS INTERNET TV and BATAS INTERNET RADIO (www.batasradio.com) Friday, January 22, 2010.

Paredes told me and Pastor Jojo Julian of the Church of the Living God in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, during the program “Batas Media Reports” (which goes on air Mondays to Fridays, 6:30 a.m to 8 a.m., Philippine time), that, as per his accounting, some Php380 billion is collectively given to senators and congressmen by way of pork barrel (or whatever other name it is known) within any particular six-year term of each of them.

“If this amount is used to pay off our foreign debt instead, we can wipe off the current US$1.5 trillion financial obligation we have in favour of foreign governments and entities in no time at all,” Paredes, who is a lawyer and a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (of the famous Class 1971), added.

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RP NEEDS GOD-FEARING MEN AT THE HELM OF GOV’T: When queried by Pastor Jojo Julian (who was participating in the “Batas Media Reports” interview by long distance telephone call) as to whether or not he has a platform of spirituality, Paredes responded by reciting a poem he wrote and which he is now using as some kind of a “political creed”.

The poem reads: “Our country, to be great, direly needs at the helm of government: God-fearing men, able men, men of truth, men who hate dishonest gain. Posthaste, such worthy men must be found.

“Such worthy men must be empowered with: positions of trust, positions of confidence, positions of leadership. If we, the Filipino people, so now desire; so it shall be. If we, the Filipino people, so now trust God; so it shall be done.

“God save the Philippines! Humbly yours, Atty. Jess Paredes.”

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“THE 14 MUSTS” OF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL: Paredes, who resigned his chairmanship of the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACOM) on January 31, 2007 because of differences of opinion with President Arroyo on the removal of a prisoner from a detention center ordered by the courts, also wrote a list of what a person working in government must do, or must have.

Calling it “The 14 Musts”, Paredes said a person in government: must be God-fearing, not insensitive, self-centered or devious; must espouse the Truth, not lies or propaganda; must possess INTEGRITY, not graft and corruption;

“Must work for the COMMON GOOD, not private good; must uphold public interest, not private interest, or private agenda; must render genuine public service, not personal or private, or family service business; must be a true public servant, or servant of the people, not lord, master or tyrant;

“Must be responsive, not uncaring, callous or indifferent; must be humble, not arrogant, abrasive or boastful; must be upright, not morally corrupt; must be just, not discriminatory, or biased or condescending; must be firm, not cruel, or insensitive, must be transparent, not scheming or secretive; must be strong, not abusive or dictatorial.”

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CROWNING OF JESUS WITH THORNS: The Third Sorrowful Mystery of the Holy Rosary of Roman Catholic Christians talks about the crowning of Jesus with thorns, and the account of this event is found in Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2 of the Bible. There is no account of it in the Gospel of Luke.

According to these passages, Pilate had tried to release Jesus who, by then, was presented to Him after He was arrested, but the crowd instead asked for the release of another man, Barabbas, the convicted murderer, and insisted that Jesus be crucified.

Jesus was subsequently flogged, on orders of Pilate, and later was brought to the Praetorium in the company of many soldiers. The soldiers stripped Jesus of His clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him.

Then they twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head. Putting a staff in His hand, the soldiers then knelt in front of Him and mocked Him, saying “Hail, king of the Jews.”

After they mocked Him, they took off His robe and put on His own clothes on Him. The soldiers then led away to crucify Him, thus fulfilling His prophecies about His suffering in the hands of the Jews before His crucifixion.

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Filipino natives, IPs, to get titles to .5 M hectares of land-Katutubo Party

CATHOLIC PRIESTS TO GO ON A ONE-WEEK RETREAT: To the Catholic faithful, don’t be alarmed if you will not find the parish priests in your towns and cities from January 25-29, 2010 (Monday to Friday next week)---they have not resigned, and neither have they absconded from their duties.

According to Butch Unias of Palatiw, Pasig City, in his report to BATAS INTERNET TV and BATAS INTERNET RADIO (both of which can be accessed at the Internet website www.batasradio.com) on Thursday, January 21, 2010, Catholic priests from every nook and cranny of the Philippine archipelago will go on a joint retreat at the World Trade Center in Pasay City for five days next week.

Butch (who is a lay minister of the Catholic Church in his barangay) told me that the retreat was authorized by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Hopefully, Butch said, the retreat will awaken a deeper understanding of Catholic doctrines among its priests and will make them more effective workers of God.

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.5 M HECTARES OF LANDS WILL BE TITLED TO NATIVES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: KATUTUBO Party List, one of the first party list groups duly accredited by the Commission on Elections to participate in the May 2010 elections, will work to have some 500,000 hectares of lands all over the Philippines titled in the names of Filipino natives or indigenous peoples.

In an interview during the program “Batas Media Reports” over BATAS INTERNET TV and BATAS INTERNET RADIO (www.batasradio.com), Thursday, January 21, 2010, lawyer Jose “Jopet” Banghulot Jr., the secretary general of the Mindanao-based KATUTUBO Party List, said this is going to be the primary advocacy of KATUTUBO if it will win in May.

Banghulot said it is a sad commentary of Philippine society that, despite the fact that Filipino natives or indigenous peoples number about 12 million nationwide, they have no representatives in Congress that will protect their rights and address their needs, so that the benefits supposed to be enjoyed by them by existing laws are not reaching them at all.

“KATUTUBO will work for the interest of these natives,” Banghulot said.

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TOURISM TO SUFFER IN SUBIC BAY GATE CLOSURE: Dan Steakley, a former US serviceman stationed in Subic who has decided to become a permanent resident in the Philippines, is greatly concerned that one of the gates being used by residents and citizens of Zambales, Olongapo City and Subic Bay will be closed by Subic Bay Metropolitan Bay Authority (SBMA) starting February 5, 2010, just to give way to the construction of a mall owned by the Ayala Group of Companies.

Well, Dan is not exactly worried that the gate will be closed. What he is really worried about is the seeming lack of concern on the part of the authorities from Olongapo City, Subic, Zambales and from Ayala about the adverse effect such closure will have not just on the flow of traffic in these places, but also on the chaos and disorder that a big number of vehicles suddenly crisscrossing Olongapo’s main thoroughfares will bring.

In reports Dan made during his broadcasts over BATAS INTERNET TV and BATAS INTERNET RADIO (www.batasradio.com), he said there seems to be no plan at all as to how to redirect traffic on the site, to ease the expected convergence of many vehicles on Olongapo’s roads.

“This could also affect the tourism business of Subic, Olongapo City and Zambales, which, as per data from government agencies, is ranked number four when compared to other tourist destinations in the country,” Dan added.

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SCOURGING OF JESUS AT THE PILLAR: The “Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar” is the second mystery in the “Sorrowful Mysteries” of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians. Unlike all the other mysteries of the Holy Rosary, however, this second Sorrowful Mystery is the only mystery which is very tersely depicted.

In the Gospels of Matthew (27:26), Mark (15:15), and John (19:1), the scourging of Jesus at the pillar is described in just one sentence: Pilate had Jesus flogged.

In the Gospel of Luke, there is even no direct reference to it whatsoever.

This makes one wonder: what then is the importance of the scourging of Jesus, so that it merited to be included as one of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians?

To me, the significance of this event is to show the wickedness which man could descend to, if he has become totally separated from God, unwilling to comply with His commands, laws and decrees.

While man is a dearly loved creation by God, he could become a beastly creation, rejecting even God and His Son the moment he stops believing and hardening his heart against God’s teachings and direction.

This situation is of course to be avoided, for it leads us to nowhere but hell.

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Senatorial bet urges voter assessment of candidates and parties

SENATORIAL BET PURSUES VOTERS’ EDUCATION: Lawyer Adrian Sison, or Dado to his close friends and relatives, found another advocacy while pursuing a seat in the Senate of the Philippines as a senatorial candidate of the “Ang Kapatiran Party” in May---using his campaign time, Dado is simultaneously engaged in voters’ education, giving them lessons on choosing a candidate on the basis of issues and not on personalities.

When he was interviewed live Wednesday, January 20, 2010, over BATAS INTERNET TV and BATAS INTERNET RADIO at the Internet website www.batasradio.com, Dado said Filipinos must be taught to measure each candidate and each political party on what they have done, for or against, on the many burning issues of the day.

This way, Dado told me and my co-host Bishop Bert Mercado over the program “Batas Media Reports, which airs from 7 to 8 in the morning, Mondays to Fridays at www.batasradio.com, voters will see who among the candidates and the parties have already served the people, and how.

This will help the country move forward more expeditiously, Dado explained, on the theory that only candidates and political parties who have already performed well for the country and its people in the past would be expected to perform well again, especially after they shall have been elected during the May 2010 elections.

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CANDIDATES AND POLITICAL PARTIES MUST BE ASSESSED BY VOTERS: Dado, who was a classmate of mine at the UP College of Law in Diliman, Quezon City some years back, asked voters to come up with some kind of a “matrix”, which will contain a list of candidates and their parties, as well as a list of various issues which have affected the Philippines and Filipinos.

Then, using this matrix, the voters will rate the candidates and their parties, giving them a grade between 0 to 10, depending on how good, or how bad, they acted on each of the issues or problems appearing on the list. A poor performer gets a 1, or a 0, while a so-so performer could get a 3 or 4, while the good ones will be rated 6, or up to 10.

Based on these rates, or grades, if you will, voters will be able to assess each and every candidate, enabling them to decide to vote only for the best performers. In this manner, Dado told me, voting based on popularity, familiarity, or riches, will be minimized or altogether eliminated.

Come to think of it, this system (which conscientious Christians in US also resorted to in times past) can really revolutionize the manner of choosing our officials through elections, and will assure that only the best and the brightest will serve among our midst, which can only result in better governance.

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BISHOP ASKS SC TO ALLOW HIM TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT: Here is a press release which we received from the Internet Asia News and Features: “2010 Presidential Candidate Bishop Norberto L. Mercado, through his lawyers, has filed a certiorari (petition) with a request for a temporary restraining order or TRO / injunction at the Supreme Court.

“The case against the COMELEC is docketed SC G.R. No. 190786, for Certiorari with TRO/Injunction. Mercado's petition was received by the Supreme Court on January 19, 2010 at 3:48 PM, with a filing fee of P4,730.00 .

“The case he filed focuses on the culpable violation of the present Philippine Constitution by the COMELEC Chair and Commissioners. This matter is with regards to his qualifications as a presidential candidate in accordance with the Philippine Constitution as specifically enumerated in Article V11,Section 2, and the unconstitutionality of COMELEC Resolutions 8713 and 8743 .

" `... The COMELEC, likewise, violated due process as provided for by the present Philippine Constitution. As an aspiring candidate for the highest office of the land, and as a Filipino citizen, it is my duty to defend the Constitution from those who wilfully violate it because they are obsessed with power, and they think they can do anything, even culpably violating the nation's supreme law,’ Mercado said...”

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AGONY OF JESUS, AS THE FIRST SORROWFUL MYSTERY: After the Joyful Mysteries and the Mysteries of Light, the Holy Rosary of Roman Catholic Christians deal with the so-called “Sorrowful Mysteries”, which depict the parts of the life of Jesus that culminate in His death on the cross.

The first of these “Sorrowful Mysteries” is the “Agony of Jesus”, which is the story of Jesus agonizing at his impending crucifixion and death on the cross, and which is found in Matthew 26:36-45, Mark 14:32-42 and Luke 22:39-46 of the Bible.

In this story, Jesus is portrayed as being sorrowful and troubled, knowing as He did what was going to happen to him in just a few hours, even prompting Him to say “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

Certainly, this is a powerful picture of Jesus in his human attributes, especially when this is viewed in the light of His subsequent statement, which shows Him placing completely His trust and confidence in the Father with the words “My Father, if it is possible, may this cub be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The question is, if Jesus is the Son of God, why would he be troubled, and why would he say that, if possible, “this cup be taken from me”?

The answer, I believe, is that, it is necessary to show that in his human attributes, Jesus could agonize just like ordinary men, so that humans will not really despair when problems come to them, no matter how great those problems maybe.

There is a solution to the agony that everyone feels, and the solution is precisely what Jesus did: placing complete trust and confidence in the will of God.

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Raul Lambino, a senatoriable eager to win

SENATORIABLE POPULAR AMONG VOTERS: Raul Lambino, a lawyer who became famous principally because of his almost-singlehanded pursuit of effecting amendments to the 1987 Constitution via the so-called “people’s initiative” one or two years ago, believes that, by the grace of God, he will easily win in his bid to become a senator of the Republic during the May 2010 elections.

Interviewed live on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, over BATAS INTERNET TV and BATAS INTERNET RADIO at the program “Batas Media Reports”, Lambino said he is amazed that anywhere he goes now, people mob him, treating him like he is a movie star, to the extent that some are even asking for his autographs and requesting that he be photographed with them.

Lambino, the only Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial candidate who comes from the vote-rich province of Pangasinan, told me that this might be because of his involvement in past efforts to amend the Constitution which brought him in direct contact with many people from around the country, as well as in his having engaged in public service lawyering almost everywhere in the Philippines.

This is a sign that Filipinos have become aware of what a “Senator Lambino” can do if he is elected senator this May, the lawyer added.

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LAMBINO’S “ABAKADA NG PAGBABAGO”: Here are excerpts from Raul Lambino’s interview, featuring concepts from his website, raullambino.com, on the matter of his legislative priorities and platform of governance, which he has captioned “ABAKADA ng Pagbabago”.

“Change begins with you. The choice is yours to make. You can choose a candidate who can entertain with smooth talk, or a candidate with a clear vision of what needs to be done. You have the ability to transform your life and help transform the country—- and it all begins with your very own power of choice. Let the change begin—within!

“Bayan, higit sa lahat. We only have one country. Pangunahin nating tungkulin ang pangalagaan ito at ang kapakanang pambansa. Kabataan: We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. Dapat tayo mamuhunan sa ating kabataan.

“Demokrasya: A hungry Filipino is not a free Filipino. Hindi ganap ang kalayaan kung marami sa ating mga kababayan ang hindi nakakaahon mula sa pagkagutom, pangamba at karukhaan.

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GOOD LUCK, SENATOR LAMBINO: “Edukasyon: When we open a school door, we close down a prison cell. Ang karunungan ay kayamanang hindi kailanman mananakaw. Our educational philosophy must consist of producing the right kind of graduates for jobs here and abroad.

“Gamot at Kalusugan: Health is the first of all liberties. Ang karapatan sa abot-kayang gamot at gamutan ay di dapat ipinagkakait ninuman. Hustisyang Panlipunan: There is no honorable peace where there is no social justice.

“Dapat makilahok ang karaniwang mamayan sa pagpapasya sa pulitika at ekonomiya upang mawasak ang diskriminasyon. Impormasyon: Information Technology (IT) is the great equalizer! Dahil sa makabagong teknolohiya, ang impormasyon ay nasa dulo na ng daliri ng bawat Filipino. Let us harness the power of IT to empower Filipinos.

“Lupa at Sakahan: True agrarian reform does not stop at land acquisition and distribution. It must improve the lives of our small farmers, and increase agricultural productivity. Makakamtan na rin ng magsasaka ang tunay na biyayang hatid ng lupa....”

Well, then, good luck “Senator” Raul Lambino. Godspeed!

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LAST SUPPER AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST: The fifth and last mystery in the Mysteries of Light (or the Luminous Mysteries) of the Holy Rosary of Roman Catholic Christians is the “Institution of the Holy Eucharist through the Last Supper”, an event which is now being used as basis for the Catholics’ claim that Jesus Christ is present in all Catholic masses around the world.

Found in Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25 and Luke 22:7-20, the story about the Last Supper contains an order from Jesus, which is significant as it is unique: “do this in remembrance of me”.

The question of course is: why would Jesus tell his disciples, who were having the Last Supper with Him, to break bread and drink wine “in remembrance of me” or “in memory of me”?

There could only be one answer and here lies the significance and the uniqueness of the Last Supper: Jesus wanted all those who believe in Him to remember Him every time they partook of food and drinks, to remember that all the grace and blessings that come to them who eat and drink actually come from the benevolence of God.

And since everything comes from the benevolence of God, we should always be thankful to Him, and recognize that without Him, we are nothing and we have nothing, and that whatever we are eating and drinking represents Jesus, so that Jesus actually is with us all the time.

Finally, the order of Jesus to break bread and drink wine “in remembrance of me” actually asks all of us to remember that Jesus allowed His body and blood to be offered for the forgiveness of our sins, thereby confirming that He is not only God, but our Savior.

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BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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QC Rep. Defensor’s clamor for JBC CJ list raises Constitutional issue

DEFENSOR CLAMOR FOR JBC LIST RE CJ APPOINTMENT RAISES CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE: Recently-retired Supreme Court Justice Leonardo A. Quisumbing is raising a legal issue that may put in serious doubt the legality (or, more appropriately, the Constitutionality) of the appointments of judges and justices of all courts in the Philippines where the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) allowed the representatives from the Senate and the House of Representatives to vote separately or individually.

In an informal discussion with members of the Rotary Club of Intramuros, District 3810, last January 14, 2010, Thursday, at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board office of Chairman Bert Suansing, Quisumbing said the current practise of allowing the Senator-representative of the Senate and the Congressman-Representative of the House to vote as if they have one vote each actually violates Section 8 (1) of the 1987 Constitution.

Quisumbing, elected as the president-nominee of the Rotary Club of Intramuros for Rotary Year 2011-2012, was actually reacting to the clamor aired by Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor calling on the JBC to already submit a list of possible nominees for the replacement of the retiring Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno.

Quisumbing said Defensor does not have a right to air his clamor on his own, since, the former justice said, Defensor represents just the “50% part” of the Constitutionally-mandated representative coming from the Congress of the Philippines, so that, to be given any significance at all, Defensor’s clamor must be concurred first in by his counterpart from the Senate.

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JBC SHOULD HAVE ONLY ONE CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE? For our readers here to be able to appreciate what Quisumbing is saying, I am reproducing what Section 8 (1), Art. VIII of the 1987 Constitution provides.

This section says: “A Judicial and Bar Council is hereby created under the supervision of the Supreme Court, composed of the Chief Justice as ex-officio chairman, the Secretary of Justice, and a representative from Congress as ex-officio members, a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector...” (the highlighting is mine).

Quisumbing noted that this part of the charter clearly says the JBC shall only have one representative from Congress---which means, the House and the Senate must agree on this one, lone, or single representative, to represent the legislature in the JBC.

But then, the practise of allowing one congressman from the House and one senator from the Senate has evolved, which resulted in allowing the congressman and the senator to vote separately, as if they are entitled to one vote each.

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CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS LOOMS: But this is clearly violative of the Constitution, Quisumbing noted, and Defensor’s latest posturing may prompt someone to raise the issue of whether the congressman from Quezon City can legally do what he is doing---clamoring, on his own and without the concurrence of his counterpart from the Senate, for a list to be submitted by the JBC from which a chief justice can be appointed by President Arroyo.

This could ultimately result in questioning the appointments of the other judges and justices who were nominated by the JBC where the congressman-representative and the senator-representative voted separately, casting one vote each, he said.

If this happens, a serious Constitutional crisis can erupt and can divide the country further, the former magistrate told members of the Rotary Club of Intramuros.

Quisumbing did not actually say it, but if indeed the appointments of some judges and justices could be Constitutionally-defective precisely because of the problem of “over-voting” by the representatives of the legislature in the JBC, their salaries, allowances and other emoluments would have been erroneously paid.

Worse, even their official acts, represented in the decisions, rulings or other orders issued by them, could be attacked and re-opened, which can result in a larger---and more lethal---legal problem for the nation.

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THE TRANSFIGURATION OF JESUS: In the life of Jesus, there are two incidents which are recounted in the Bible where God Himself confirms, directly and in no uncertain terms, that Jesus is, indeed, the Son of God.

The first incident is the baptism of Jesus at the River Jordan, and the second incident is the so-called “Transfiguration” on top of the mountain. In these two incidents, God announces, in the full view and hearing of many people: “This is my son, whom I am well pleased, whom I have chosen, listen to him.”

The “Transfiguration” now forms part of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians as its fourth mystery in its Mysteries of Light (or Luminous Mysteries), and is found in the Gospels of Matthew (17:1 to 13), Mark (9:2 to 13) and Luke (9:28 to 36).

Why is the Transfiguration an important part of Jesus’ life, aside from the fact that it is an event that, like other parts of the Bible pertaining to Him, confirms His divine status as the Son of God?

It is important because the narrations of the event by Matthew, Mark and Luke indicate, with precise uniformity, that there is a “connection”, as it were, between Jesus and the prophets of old, especially the important ones like Moses and Elijah, which connection on the other hand shows the continuity of God’s directions for the salvation of man.

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BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Ex-SC Justice warns about Constitutional crisis re CJ row

KRIS AQUINO-MAYEN AUSTRIA BROUHAHA: POLITICIANS AND KIN MUST BE CAREFUL: The Kris Aquino-Mayen Austria “confrontation” is one good proof that politicians and their close relatives will have to be very careful about their conduct and behaviour especially during the campaign period, simply because whatever they say and do could boomerang and become a negative issue.

I am sure Kris meant well when she tried to talk to Mayen Austria about Mayen’s having confided with James Yap, Kris’ husband, that Mayen already broke-off with her own boyfriend, but creative and imaginative Filipinos will always see the event as “katarayan” or, loosely, a nasty show of superiority which could rub off negatively against Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III.

Of course, Kris had every reason to be nasty and “mataray” to preserve her family and her relationship with James (her having confronted Mayen showed that Kris was afraid that there is “something” between James and Mayen), but then people will always think that this will be the kind of conduct she will display if and when Noynoy becomes president, and this will only drive people away to other presidentiables.

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CAMPAIGNING ON ISSUES AND PLATFORMS OF GOVERNANCE IS BETTER: Really now, I do like what I have been hearing from Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party and former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD everytime they speak before presidential fora seeking their views on what they will do when they become president.

They have been very eloquent about their plans and programs of action to improve the lives of Filipinos, giving us a sample of the kind of presidency they will uphold, and this is as it should be because it is time our leaders, particularly those aspiring to occupy Malacanang, must have a clear blue print of where they will want to lead us and what they will do to achieve this.

I hope the other presidentiables, who are still mired in the old-style of campaigning (which is principally waging a smear campaign against their opponents), will realize that Filipinos are now starting to be aware that only the candidates who have a vision of what they can do really merit their votes.

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CLAMOR TO APPOINT A CJ BY PGMA CAN RESULT IN A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS: Former Supreme Court Justice Leonardo Quisumbing is saying Quezon City Rep. Mat Defensor’s latest clamor for the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to already submit a list of nominees for the next chief justice so President Arroyo can appoint the replacement of the retiring Reynato Puno may result in a Constitutional crisis.

Speaking informally but clearly “on the record” (for I asked him whether what he had to say on the matter was “on the record” or “off the record”) to members of the Rotary Club of Intramuros who met at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board office of Chairman Bert Suansing, Quisumbing said Defensor’s clamor may prompt someone to question whether he had the right to even speak on the issue.

The reason, according to Quisumbing (a president-nominee of RC Intramuros who will serve for Rotary Year 2011-2012), was that Defensor could not legally make any clamor on his own since his membership in the JBC is merely as a representative of the Congress of the Philippines, which is composed of two houses---the House of Representatives and the Senate.

For any clamor, therefore, to be validly made by Defensor, it has to be concurred in by his counterpart from the Senate, which, Quisumbing said, has not happened yet, so that such clamor is “legally inexistent”!

Quisumbing has other points on this looming Constitutional crisis, but I will write about them next time, so keep reading this column everyday.

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PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: “Proclamation of the Kingdom of God” is the third mystery in the Mysteries of Light, or Luminous Mysteries, of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians, and an account of it is found in Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14 and Luke 4:15 of the Bible.

In Matthew 4:17, the story is told that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He returned to Galilee, and then lived in Capernaum, by the lake in Zebulun and Naphtali, to fulfill what the prophet Isaiah said.

“From that on, Jesus began to preach,” the same Biblical verse says, and what Jesus started to preach was this: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

In Mark 1:14, an almost identical account is found, thus: “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. `The time has come’, he said. `The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.’”

In Luke 4:15, on the other hand, this is what is written: “He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.” Luke however says that Jesus began to preach after he was tempted for forty days in the desert.

What is the lesson that we can derive from the third mystery of the Mysteries of Light?

It is that, there is a need for man, who has become wicked and mired in sin, to repent, stop sinning, and make the good news of God---the Bible nowadays---a necessary part of his life.

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BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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BATAS Party List joining May polls in a coalition

BATAS PARTY LIST JOINING MAY 2010 POLLS THRU A COALITION: The list of 144 accredited party list groups allowed to participate in the May 2010 elections for the party list system of representation at the House of Representatives does not contain the BATAS Party List (our party which won two seats in the May 2007 polls), but our supporters should not worry.

By the grace of God, even if BATAS was not included because it was earlier disqualified by the Commission on Elections, it is now a part of a coalition of a registered and accredited party list group, together with other groups that were not accredited by the Comelec for this year’s elections, enabling it to participate just the same.

What is the name of the registered and accredited party list group which is now a coalition partner of the BATAS Party List? Keep yourselves posted here in this column for the answer. Indeed, God is good, God is great.

When He closes a window, he opens not just another window, but even the big door, and, of course, other windows, particularly for those who want to work to push His Word. So, let us wait and allow God to direct our path, as we trust in Him with all our heart, leaning not on our own understanding.

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BATAS ADVOCACY: PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD: Pushing the Word of God, particularly among the Filipino youth, is actually the principal advocacy of the BATAS Party List. In May 2007, we pursued the accreditation of BATAS, and its eventual election by the Filipino people, on this important advocacy.

We believed then, as we still believe now, that the reason why Filipinos are suffering from economic hardships, from gross dissension and confusion, and from failures in almost everything they do is because they have turned our backs on God, no longer listening to Him and no longer obeying His commands and laws.

According to the Bible of Christian believers, the only way to avoid all of these, and therefore avoid ultimate destruction for ourselves as a nation, is to listen to God’s Word again, and obey His commands, laws and decrees.

Then and only then will we find ourselves back in the good graces of God. Then and only then will we stop being poor and economically depressed, being enveloped by dissension and wrangling, being a failure in anything we do.

We believe that one great way of doing this is to make our children who are in schools---preparatory, kinder, primary, elementary, high school and college---read the Bible for those belonging to the Christian faith, and the Koran or any other Holy Book for those who are Muslims or followers of other religions.

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WEDDING AT CANA, AND MARY’S ROLE AS MEDIATOR BETWEEN MAN AND JESUS: The Bible’s account of the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned the water into wine as narrated in John 2:1-11, now forms part of the Holy Rosary of the Roman Catholic Christians as its Second Luminous Mystery (or Second Mystery of Light).

Among many Christian believers, this part of Jesus’s life is often unknown or is little heard of, although it should occupy a place of importance because, as the Bible itself in John 2:11says: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana, in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

Being the very first miracle of Jesus, it is significant to note that the Bible appears to have portrayed Him as a little hesitant in performing it, considering His refusal to do anything when Mary, His mother, first approached Him when wine had run out during the wedding banquet. Jesus told Mary: “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.”

But it was only because of Mary’s persistence---she told the servants, “do as He says” even when she was already rebuffed by her Son---that Jesus relented and, as the Bible itself emphasizes, this became His first ever recorded miracle, the very first revelation of His glory.

If anything at all, therefore, this wedding totally justifies the Roman Catholic Christians’ giving of importance to Mary and calling her, among others, as the “mediatrix of all grace”.

Indeed, it is conceded that the only mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ. But, as shown by the wedding at Cana and the turning of the water into wine, Mary is the most effective mediator between Jesus and man.

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BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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