About the author- litigation lawyer in telecoms, taxation, criminal, labor, appellate, family law and corporate; a radio broadcaster, speaker, author a husband, a father, advocate for consumers, for justice www.angkapatiran.org and a sinner who wants to
be a saint. hilman1108@yahoo.com
ANAK TV SEAL
By Mag Cruz Hatol
(Column for 27 March 2006)
QUESTIONABLE FUSS OVER MTRCB’S DECISIONS
We could not help but suspect the real motives of this anti-pornography group that keeps surfacing every so often, decrying what they call the "inefficiency of the current MTRCB". Recently, they made noise about Oscar and Golden Globe winner Brokeback Mountain and Cassanova.
The issues surrounding the said films were answered squarely by MTRCB through its chair, Marissa Laguardia, in fairly comprehensive stories that appeared in the major dailies. That should have silenced the alliance. That the now undermanned MTRCB was able to answer the allegations head-on showed that the agency is on top of the situation and is in fact, efficient. It cannot however be effective if ulterior-motived parties persist on shaking it up mindlessly.
Lately, the same johnny-come-lately succeeded in using a few broadcast newsteams to get its stories and gripes on air. We checked what the ruse was all about this time. It was the same baloney, we discovered, except that it zeroed in on the movie Hostel and the observation that there is too much smut in print. (Wrong tree, we interject, because MTRCB has no jurisdiction over printed media!)
It turns out Hostel was granted an R-13 rating. Asked why, Chair Laguardia explained to this column that it was the board as a collegial body and not herself alone as head of the agency that makes such determinations. We know the board has its feet firmly planted on terra firma. It also realizes that it is now the age of the iPod and 3G phones; that the age of Latin masses, carromatas and priests’ tonsures has been overtaken by more practical and acceptable alternatives. If Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Scarlet Fever were taboo a century or so ago, the current MTRCB board thinks there is leeway for a little guarded liberty, given the times and considering that the Pinoy is, after all, from an intelligent race and he is a generally responsible media user. To question the decision reached by the board is tantamount to doubting the integrity of the board and the soundness of its decisions. Paranoid elements in society could misconstrue the same as questioning the very office that
appointed the MTRCB board, the same authority that considers it to be the body that could act wisely and judiciously in matters such as Hostel in the first place!
Lo and behold! It was also a surprise to learn from an insider in the Palace that the key person in the move to declare MTRCB inefficient has actually been worming his way into position and he has decided that it is the chairmanship, not just an empty board seat, that he is seriously after. And that the best way to get noticed is to pump out a lot of air, no matter how redundant the accusations are. This cry for more moral uprightness is therefore questionable and peculiar. (Colleagues immediately asked if the wannabe MTRCB chair also happened to be the unpopular priest who had been angling for the top spot by rocking the boat since the time of Armida Siguion Reyna and Nic Tiongson. Thankfully, the ambitious priest has acquiesced and must have accepted that he can only swing that post when the country becomes a theocracy.)
Where does all this ridiculous hullabaloo figure in the campaign for responsible media?
Many people agree that Brokeback Mountain, Cassanova and Hostel were given fair ratings. It is the MTRCB board’s, as well as Anak TV’s stance, that safeguarding morals should not and must not be the duty of one mere government agency, the church or the school. It should be the collective responsibility of everyone, so much like the African saying that reminds us about the entire village being expected to raise the child.
Investing the role of moral guardianship on MTRCB alone would be preposterous and equivalent to asking MMDA to ensure that the metro’s streets are litter free and decongested. Surely, the citizens are expected to put in some amount of effort.
If Hostel and the other films in question were given liberal ratings, it only meant that MTRCB wanted parents to join their kids, 13 years and above, in viewing and discussing the materials intelligently. The agency does not abnormally shield the youth from realities of modern life. MTRCB does not want to present an unnaturally chaste picture to our youth, who are only too familiar with sex and violence at even younger ages. Parents’ watching TV and movies with their kids is the ideal form of media literacy activity today because the mature and intelligent use of media should begin with the family, not with one’s peers.
Hospital Window A great note for all to read it will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band - he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you." Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy. "Today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present." The origin of this letter is unknown, but it brings good luck to everyone who passes it on.
COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA: COMMON GOOD BEFORE PROFIT
VATICAN CITY, MAR 17, 2006 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the president of which is Archbishop John P. Foley.
The Pope began his English-language address by praising those present for their commitment "to the important apostolate of social communications, both as a direct form of evangelization and as a contribution to the promotion of all that is good and true for every human society." He then went on to refer to his own first Message for World Communications Day, which considers "the media as a network which facilitates communication, communion and cooperation."
That Message, the Pope continued, also recalls how "the Vatican Council II decree ‘Inter Mirifica,’ had already recognized the enormous power of the media to inform the minds of individuals and to shape their thinking. Forty years later we realize, more than ever, the pressing need to harness that power for the benefit of all humanity."
The Holy Father referred to words of St. Paul to the effect that "we are no longer strangers and aliens but citizens with the saints and members of the household of God," adding: "This sublime portrayal of a life of communion engages all aspects of our lives as Christians and for you, in a particular way, points to the challenge to encourage the social communications and entertainment industries to be protagonists of truth and promoters of peace."
"Such a commitment demands principled courage and resolve, on the part of those who own and work within the hugely influential media industry, to ensure that promotion of the common good is never sacrificed to a self-serving quest for profit or an ideological agenda with little public accountability."
Another theme of his Message, the Pope continued, was "the urgent need to uphold and support marriage and family life, the foundation of every culture and society." In this context he stressed the importance of presenting children with "edifying models of human life and love," that do not "ridicule the God-given dignity of the human person and undermine family interests."
The Pope concluded his address by calling on leaders in the communications sector "to promote what is good and true, especially in regard to the meaning of human and social existence, and to denounce what is false, especially pernicious trends which erode the fabric of a civil society."
AC/PLENARY:SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS/FOLEY VIS 060317 (410)
A Look at Repair Contractualization at PLDT
Chronology of Events
Prior to First Pacific Company’s takeover in the 1990s, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company is a service-oriented company. Public service is PLDT’s commitment of which prompt restoration and troubleshooting of interrupted services has contributed to the company’s image today.
PLDT even categorized their client into the following:
KBC or key business clients, wherein interrupted telephone services must be restored within 1 hour after it is reported repair service, 173/
HVB or high value business, reported troubles under this category must be cleared within 3 hours after it was reported.
Regular clients, troubles under this category must be cleared within 24 hours after reporting.
Under the reins of First Pacific’s Manny Pangilinan, service-orientation was abandoned in favor of revenue orientation.
Year 2002 sees the fixed line stability of PLDT, subscriber base reached 2.1 million.
In 2003, PLDT targeted more revenue, prompting the management to utilize its over 1,881 plant personnel (repairmen, installer, plant combinations) as sales agent, drivers of promotions personnel, delivery men of billing statements and product promoters.
Despite repeated requests of its plant personnel to perform maintenance and repair of sagging outside plant wiring and hanging terminals, PLDT thru its managers, continued to ignore the importance of these requests.
Repairs and restorations were no longer the main concern , PLDT’s thrust is new installations of telephone lines and DSL.
As a result, PLDT earned a net profit of 2.3 B in 2003, 28 B in 2004 and more than 30 B for 2005.
At the start of 2006, PLDT contracted out repairs of telephone lines, which is regular jobs of repairmen. PLDT claims alarming increase of repair tickets.
On February 1, 2006, the Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon ng Pilipinas (MKP), PLDT’s rank and file union , filed a notice of strike at the Dept. of Labor (DOLE)-National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB). MKP claims that PLDT’s alibi of increasing repair tickets is artificial and that the management intentionally allowed the upsurge of troubles.
On February 7, 2006, at the conciliation, PLDT thru its lawyer, Atty. Lanting, has not shown any intention of rectifying its deliberate actions of contracting out of repairs, but instead asked for a resetting of the hearing.
Prepared by: Kiko Vytingco, Assistant Secretary-General (09228064822)MKP PLDTS
RANK AND FILE UNION
It is Lent. We prepaRE OURSELVES for the Lord Jesus Christ who knew that He will suffer pain, He will be brutalized, tortured, betrayed, and die for the salvation of our souls.
He asked us to forgive ourselves, and forgive others. Hw talks about forgiveness.
God has and will always give us unconditional love. All He asks of us is to ask for Gods love. One of the seven captial sins is the sin of pride. We are too proud to ask for forgiveness, and too harsh with others that we do not forgive.
Let us work on forgiveness. I ask for forgiveness from everyone that I have hurt, and I forgive those who have hurt me. The words we speak and write that casts aspertions on others does hurt.
To the hurting spouses who are abused by their partners and husbands, and the battered men hurt by their partners and wives, work on forgiveness.
Do not allow yourself to be a punching bag nor be emotionally, psychologically or economically controlled. Demand that the abuser obtain the appropriate psychological counselling. He will ask for forgiveness. Yes forgive but do not allow the abuse to continue in the cycle of violence.
Dear Lord , I offer to you such brutal men, insensitive, violent, and unrepentant.
May they obtain the grace to ask for forgiveness , to reform and do no harm.
We ask Saint Padre Pio to talk to the guardian angels of violent fathers and mothers who must be awakened on the harm they are doing.
Please intercede that they may stop the abuse. Amen
attysison2020@yahoo.com
Diokno’s political will
Gemma C Araneta
A PERIOD of national mourning for the demise of Jose W. Diokno, was declared by the year-old government of President Corazon Aquino from the second to the twelfth of March, 1987. The nation mourned the loss of a nationalistic political leader, a staunch defender of human rights, and a legal luminary who offered his services to the poor. Thrown in prison at the onset of martial law, Jose W. Diokno was released in 1974, and immediately set up FLAG ( Free Legal Assistance Group) to offer free legal services to victims of martial law. He was a fearless “street parliamentarian,” in constant touch with Sen. Benigno Aquino who was then suffering the indignities of a kangaroo court. To no one’s surprise, after EDSA 1, then President Corazon Aquino appointed Jose Diokno chairman of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights, with rank of minister, and the negotiating panel which arranged the return of rebel forces to the fold of the law.
President Aquino’s Revolutionary Government phase was not yet over when the “Mendiola massacre” occurred on 27 January, 1987. To everyone’s horror, fifteen farmers were killed during what started out as a peaceful rally. True to his principles, Jose Diokno resigned both government positions as a rightful protest against the Aquino administration’s blatant disregard of human lives. Notwithstanding the significant role he played to install Corazon Aquino in Malacañang, Jose Diokno was first and foremost a principled man. He had political will.
Today, we should remember the “political will” stories about the late Sen. Jose Diokno . I think the most awesome had something to do with Harry S. Stonehill, a GI turned carpetbagger businessman who made a fortune in the Philippines using methods and channels too familiar to us all. There were tales of how the unscrupulous Stonehill amassed billions in reclamation projects and by monopolizing trade in natural resources like tobacco. By the late 50’s, he had become so economically powerful he bribed and bought his way to high echelons of political power.
(Business personalities of other ethnic origins have since taken Stonehill’s place.) Stonehill was also a shameless tax evader. To make a long story short, Jose Diokno had Stonehill arrested at a casino in front of his gambling buddies or at a high society function, something like that. All jaws dropped in Manila and to everyone’s surprise, Jose Diokno resigned as Secretary of Justice. He was pressured into doing so by the person who had appointed him.
Undaunted, Jose Diokno ran for the Senate in 1963 and won handily. He became the chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs where he worked for the passage of proFilipino legislation like the Industrial Incentives Law. He believed that the direction and development of our economy should be placed in Filipino hands and that local investors and entrepreneurs needed incentives to grow in number and strength.
In 1968, at the height of the USA’s war in Vietnam, Jose Diokno and three other senators, Jovito Salonga, Benigno Aquino Jr., and Tecla San Andres Ziga, vigorously opposed the “Philcag Bill” which provided for Filipino troops to be sent to Vietnam, an early version of today’s ” coalition of the willing.” The bill earmarked an annual release of R35 million which Diokno considered an affront to our national dignity. How could the government spend R35 million each year when the school house-building program was already three years late?. As indomitable fiscalizer, Diokno exposed suspicious budget appropriations of the Marcos government , like the R100 million which were supposed to be given out in slivers of R2,000 each to 31,000 barrios, throughout the country. Senator Diokno smelled the stench of rotten pork. Instead, he advocated a humanized system of taxation which could burden the rich, not the poor. He supported the imposition of taxes on travel, real estate and luxury items like private automobiles.
Together with Sen Lorenzo Tañada, Jose Diokno made serious studies about the local petroleum industry only to discover that it was controlled by four foreign-owned refineries. Because of that research work, committee hearings and investigations, legislation was passed regulating the petroleum industry.
National dignity, pro-Filipino economic policies, defense of human rights and upholding democracy in the face of dictatorship — these are the legacies of Jose W. Diokno. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. gemma601@yahoo.com
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