"In societies where Robbing Hoods are treated like a celebrity it is but natural to expect political parties to act like a Mafia syndicate" Political Jaywalker "In a nation where corruption is endemic people tend to confuse due process with aiding and abetting criminals" Political Jaywalker "War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left" Bertrand Russell "You have just one flash flood of money, you keep your people poor. It's like a time bomb and it's scary" Philippine Lawmaker

No Clowns allowed in Pool?

Alex Pagulayan the 2004 World Pool Champion dropped from the Philippine National Team in the Asian 9 ball tournament for…………….. “clowning too much”. Say what now? Is it his “clowning” antics or is it something else? Well, if you ask Alex he say it was not about his being a comic or trying to be funny that did him in but vindictiveness on the part of the officials of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines. What's wrong with being funny anyway, below is a you tube of Alex.... judge for yourself if his antics affects his skill.



According to Pagulayan it’s all about the money and his refusal to appear in a reality TV show “gratis et amore” is the real cause why he was dropped from the team. Not so, according to BSCP president Ernesto Fajardo as he told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Pagulayan was replaced because he was “clowning around too much in the semi finals of the Singapore leg” of the tour. Hmmmmnnn that was odd even though Fajardo admitted that the sponsors of the tour, Guinness and the TV broadcaster ESPN Star Sports had not complained about Pagulayan’s antics. Pagulayan is a comic and it is in his character to which the fans really appreciated for the entertainment they get during his tournament plays.



Leave it to the jokers errr the BSCP officials to decide what’s best for the sport and it can go south just like that, tsk, tsk, tsk. It’s unfortunate that Pagulayan has to state that being a professional he needs to be compensated if they intend to use him in any TV production. Rightly so, unfortunately some numb nuts think otherwise and for that the fans are the actual losers here not Pagulayan as some joker may think otherwise.



The last lost of Pagulayan was an exciting match against Malaysia’s Ibrahim Amir 11-13 where both men played some great shots. Pagulayan was hoping to redeem himself and his inclusion will of course see a very motivated Pagulayan who may play one of his best, but not so according to some genius that runs the show for the Philippine pool. Money, money, money to someone's pocket where it should not go................ what are these fools thinking anyway? Yeah produce a reality show and get the professional players like Pagulayan for a song while they pocket the revenues just don't make sense. Pagulayan's refusal to be charitable to the show producers cost him to be dropped at the games but the biggest loser here are the fans themselves and another blackeye to the credibility of Philippine officials in how they handle said matters with shameless impunity and shallow ego trip to the international community.




Related article: The Lion, Amost Win Or The Volcano?



Pussy with ESP?

I had an entry titled My Friend's Pussy is way BETTER...... last 29th of June, 2007 and surely he was indeed better than Tess pussy of Prudence and Madness. Barely a little over a month and my friends pussy does not seem way better anymore when a new pussy came along.


This pussy was adopted by staff members of Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Meet Oscar the amazing Cat subject of news stories and even scientific studies for his uncanny ability to “sense” if grandma or grandpa’s time is up. He was adopted as a kitten and for 2 years has presided over the death of more than 25 residents of the facility. He is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at the Steere House and the families of the residents for his precise prediction.


He has been an instant celebrity with cable news featuring him every so often for such uncanny ability to predict death. Some people look at Oscar's ability as a paranormal phenomena just like cat lover Vanishing American while others try to understand what exactly is going on.


A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat by David M. Dosa, M.D., M.P.H. as published in The New England Journal of Medicine had a very interesting narration on what Oscar has been up to, which I quote:

Making his way back up the hallway, Oscar arrives at Room 313. The door is open, and he proceeds inside. Mrs. K. is resting peacefully in her bed, her breathing steady but shallow. She is surrounded by photographs of her grandchildren and one from her wedding day. Despite these keepsakes, she is alone. Oscar jumps onto her bed and again sniffs the air. He pauses to consider the situation, and then turns around twice before curling up beside Mrs. K.



One hour passes. Oscar waits. A nurse walks into the room to check on her patient. She pauses to note Oscar's presence. Concerned, she hurriedly leaves the room and returns to her desk. She grabs Mrs. K.'s chart off the medical-records rack and begins to make phone calls.



Within a half hour the family starts to arrive. Chairs are brought into the room, where the relatives begin their vigil. The priest is called to deliver last rites. And still, Oscar has not budged, instead purring and gently nuzzling Mrs. K. A young grandson asks his mother, "What is the cat doing here?" The mother, fighting back tears, tells him, "He is here to help Grandma get to heaven." Thirty minutes later, Mrs. K. takes her last earthly breath. With this, Oscar sits up, looks around, then departs the room so quietly that the grieving family barely notices.



On his way back to the charting area, Oscar passes a plaque mounted on the wall. On it is engraved a commendation from a local hospice agency: "For his compassionate hospice care, this plaque is awarded to Oscar the Cat." Oscar takes a quick drink of water and returns to his desk to curl up for a long rest. His day's work is done. There will be no more deaths today, not in Room 310 or in any other room for that matter. After all, no one dies on the third floor unless Oscar pays a visit and stays awhile.


Stop the Genocide in Darfur!

US Congressional Committee Passes Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act that will now be up for voting in the general congress. Help stop the genocide in Darfur, Darfur: An Unforgivable Hell on Earth needs your help and cooperation this Monday, 30th of July, 2007 to call your US representatives to urge them to vote for the passage of H.R. 180.

The Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act. H.R. 180 would require the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a list of companies whose business activities in Sudan directly support the Sudanese Government. The measure also authorizes divestment by state and local governments and bans the federal government from contracting with companies on the Treasury list.

Help pass H.R. 180 and Call 1-800-436-6243 or visit the Anti-Genocide Hotline to urge your representative to co-sponsor the Genocide Accountability Act (H.R.2489).


Individuals who participated in the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides that have been identified by the US Justice Department and some of whom are living in the United States under false pretenses are able to escape prosecution.

Under current law, these individuals cannot be arrested or prosecuted, because they are not U.S. nationals and the genocides they perpetrated did not take place in the United States. The Genocide Accountability Act would close a legal loophole that prevents the United States from prosecuting individuals who are guilty of perpetrating genocide in foreign countries. The laws on torture, material support for terrorism, terrorism financing, hostage taking, and many other federal crimes allow for the United States to hold foreign nationals accountable. Take a stand and be counted… you can also visit this site for Ten Things you can do to Stop Genocide.


Pedestrian Observer On Bloggers Radar

On July 22nd, 2007 Pedestrian Observer has been in the bloggers radar and for the 3rd time was mentioned in the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs initiated by Jannete Toral of Digital Filipino courtesy of ederic. Pedestrian Observer was mentioned in the initial five emerging blog in ederic's list:


Today July 28, 2007 Pedestrian Observer through countless bloggers has voted this blogger consistently in the top 3rd for 2 weeks (week 65 runner up & no. 1 in week 66) earning a Filipino Blog of the week a HALL OF FAME award. The following are bloggers that I have the honor to be with on week 66:

July seems to be a good month for this blog that is in its 4th month just posted on the 15th of the same month an entry titled On Bloggers Recognition & Awards wherein the blog was cited in the Power to Smooze Award by Gabby of Project Afterlight and twice recognized in the Top 10 emerging blog by Les_tat of OFWLayf and E. Akino of Kabayan Junction.

Indeed it seems this blogger is on his way to make other people's lives miserable, hehehe watch out you corrupt trapos it seems that this Jaywalking Cyber Pedestrian Observer is here to stay. Just so I don't get carried away and for my ego that has a tendency to swell like some of my pathetic kayayabang errrr kababayan (countryman) I am glad that I have access to a very effective tool called ego pricker that can be found here.



Modern Day Heroes or Commodities in Human Trafficking of Slaves?

Are we sending our people as modern day heroes or as commodities in human trafficking of slaves? In our 21st century world, where access to information is just a click away we still see a vestige of the ugly human trafficking slave trade of the past still haunting us like a recurring nightmare. Unfortunately this phenomenon is real and happening in most developed countries of the world with the third world countries supplying them with their abundant hapless poverty stricken population like commodities in foreign trade.

Unthinkable that while freedom and democracy are spreading in every continent and societies of the world evolving to new heights of sophistication brought about by technological advances human beings are subjected to unimaginable inhumane cruelty. While nation’s progressed to never imagined heights we still see appalling and morally unacceptable conditions that hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children are exploited, abused, and enslaved by peddlers of human misery.

People in third world countries are the most susceptible to exploitation and abuse driven by poverty out of the country to seek greener pastures falling prey to heartless recruiter’s victimizing unknowing victims. Some of these victims find themselves in slave like conditions in a strange land and culture working as domestic helpers to deranged families from hell. What is sad is most of them even paid huge amounts of money to these peddlers of human misery luring them with the promise of work only to suffer verbal, physical, sexual and all kinds of deviant abused even animals don’t deserve.

A Modern-Day "Slave Trade": Sri Lankan Workers in Lebanon by Reem Haddad narrates the sad plight of how Sri Lankan women upon arrival in Lebanon ended up abused, imprisoned, raped, hungry, defenseless and alone. One such case is that of Siriani P. a 27 year old in her attempt to save her family from a life of poverty victimized by her cruel employer beating her senseless at whim as reported by Reem Haddad of Middle East Org. Escaped after 10 months of being subjected to unimaginable dehumanizing abuse of physical beating. Awaken at 4:00 am to work like an animal forbidden to eat till 5:00 pm Siriani ended up worse than her situation in her poverty stricken village.


Silence on maid abuse must end screams the headline in Singapore. Those who could speak up against maid Muawanatul Chasanah's horrific abuse kept quiet. The govt. should raise its voice now.

Muawanatul Chasanah was for nine months regularly starved, whipped, punched, slapped, kicked, jabbed with sharp objects and scalded with hot water by her employer, Ng Hua Chye. She eventually died after a severe beating on Dec 2 last year.

In Malaysia, SOS message saves 17 abused maids:

Seperti berikut: Tolong tolong dato! Kami dikurong dlm1 pejabat hari2

PUTRAJAYA: "Help, help, Dato! We are kept in an office. Every day not given food but sent to houses by (an) agent. There are 20 of us here. Eventually, all of us will die here. Help, help..."

Ministry secretary-general Tan Seri Aseh Che Mat said the issues of abused and unpaid maid needed to be addressed and handled properly as Malaysia has a special relationship with Indonesia.

These human sufferings are happenning in South East Asia, you would think that having almost similar cultural and racial traits things will go smoothly. Unfortunately it is not to be so because we are dealing with ignorance at the lowest level that some people who happens to have more seems to lack humanity in their despicable acts at par with that of the middle ages.

What about the Middle East the destination point of most of the unskilled labor coming from poverty stricken nation victimized for their lack of education given no choice in seeking greener pastures get ensnared by peddlers of human misery? They either land in forced sexual slavery or they may have landed in a legitimate household but just the same ended up in slave like condition finding themselves in an ignorant family who happen to have more money they can't fathom due to oil revenues thrown in their direction. Sad to say the Middle ages errrr East societies treats their women as commodities to be owned by their menfolks and as such having women from third world countries to work as domestic helpers is an open invitation for exploitation and abuse...... If they can treat their own women with disrespect what more with foreign women? If this is the prevailing attitude why then would government like the one where a cheating errr seating president with questionable tenure promote and encourage exporting our women as "super maids"?

How can these moronic families of ignoramuses so blatantly treat other human being with such impunity can be traced back to their sick social mindset. How else can you explain their sick inhumane treatment of migrant workers when people in their society are active participant in dehumanizing migrant workers and women in particular. Their police agencies are known to treat domestic helpers as perpetrators first rather than a victim when they return abused domestic helpers to their "masters" to suffer more unfathomable abuse with more intensity for escaping.


Torturing of "suspects" occurs when you have ill-trained police too lazy or too ignorant in gathering evidence. The situation gets worse and desperate when you have a male dominated society treating women as a commodity in a society that treats outsiders and those with western influence as infidels. In a society where might is right and no one gets in trouble for filing a false police report, the domestic helpers are in a very dangerous situation of getting abused by just about anyone in a barbaric society left behind in the middle ages. Below is the sad plight of a Filipina as narrated in an article "A Modern-Day "Slave Trade":

Last August, a Filipina housekeeper was arrested after her French employer called the police to report a theft of a gold medallion. Linda Sacbibit, 42, charged that as soon as she entered the police interrogation room, two policemen tied her wrists and ankles together, forcing her into the fetal position. A long piece of wood was inserted behind her knees, then placed across the top of two chairs and Sacbibit hung head-down from it "like a roasted chicken," as she recounted her experience tearfully through metal bars at Baabda prison. "They began beating the soles of my feet with a cable of some sort. I don't know how much time passed but it was a long time. Then they untied me and made me stand in a pot of water. Soon after, they tied me up and suspended me again," she said. "They slapped my face and they beat my body with the wire repeatedly. I don't remember more because I fainted."


When Sacbibit woke up, she saw small black spots on her chest and arms but couldn't remember how they got there. "The men then ordered me to wash my face and arms because they were a little bloody from the rope's friction. I had to hold my arms up to show them there was no blood left. Then they made me run all around the room. They kept yelling at me to confess that I stole the medallion and gave it to my boyfriend. I told them I didn't steal anything and that I don't have a boyfriend," she said. "But they kept calling me a liar and continued beating me."

Imagine yourself in Sacribit's position would you want to be in her shoes? Why do people go to these horrible places? Sad but poverty forces people to seek greener pasture but the other side does not necessarily are greener than where they left off. This one experience from a lawyer helping migrant workers really shows the kind of low life some of these people are:

For lawyer Mirella Abdel Sater, who volunteers her time and expertise to help foreign maids, the hundreds of cases she faces can be overwhelming. "Sometimes I feel so helpless," she admitted. "I tell people what the law requires, and they tell me: ‘Get out of here, you and your law!'." At one point, she decided to call abusive employers and ask them to stop the beatings. "In return, they threatened me," she said. "They told me: ‘We know important people and you'd better watch out'. Once the police even called me in for questioning! Since when do you question lawyers representing someone?"

In this scenario where even the law enforcers themselves don't respect the law what protection if any do these hapless migrant workers have? It was estimated that about 10% of migrant domestic helpers are subjected to all forms of abuse and embassies of their respective countries can't cope with the number of "escapist" that migrant workers have to take the responsibility themselves in pitching in to help one another. These abuses has to stop................ I dare say that this is a crime against humanity.

Related articles:








Blame Game & Jonas Burgos

NPA won't deny or confirm Jonas tag as rebel screams the inquirer headline, well who cares anyway if Jonas Burgos was an NPA or not. The fact is he was abducted and in all probability no matter how the military tries to divert the blame on other parties are failing miserably to convince everyone except themselves. The military brash errrrr brass to bring the issue of NPA membership on a victim just does not make sense at all. Does it mean that if one is a member of an illegal organization he/she then deserves what fates awaits them from pea brained men in uniform or out of uniform acting as the police, judge, and executioner without a shred of evidence presented in the court of law?


Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino’s allegation that kidnapped agriculturist Jonas Burgos was a member of the New People’s Army has not merited any reply from the 38-year-old communist army. Tall yarn and it just keep on spinning when the plate number used in the abduction was traced back to their Bulacan headquarters shamelessly points to the left as the culprit is just not going to cut it.




Below is the artist rendition of the suspects on Jonas Burgos Abduction, do they look like NPA operatives?



abduction suspects


A report by Joel Guinto at Deadline All the Time had quoted Editha Burgos (Jonas mother) accusing Army Chief Lieutenant General Romeo Tolentino of cooking up a "scenatio" with his latest pronouncement that her son was a communist guerilla. She was quoted as saying:




“This is the third time [Tolentino has linked Jonas to the communist underground]. They are laying the grounds for another scenario,” Ms. Burgos told reporters.



“They have not provided documents [to back up Tolentino’s allegation],” she added.



Ms. Burgos said Tolentino’s statement “reinforced” her suspicion that the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion based in Bulacan province was behind her son’s abduction.



“He [Tolentino] has just given a clear motive…Whatever my son is, that is irrelevant,” she said.



“They should stop doing this. Up to now, Jonas has not been surfaced,” she said.



Will the military just do their job of coming up with hard evidence instead of throwing unsubstantiated claims and counter claims that only shows their incompetency.



These are all hogwash and they should just clean their mouth with it as whatever they are trying to convey stinks to high heavens. All these based on email by a certain Joey Marquez branding the Missing Jonas Burgos as an NPA Commander does and will not justify the abduction. He was not armed nor was he a combatant assuming he was indeed with the NPA so are they saying that if he was he deserves what he got?



Fools galore and no one is buying these criminal incompetency of the military that has nothing good to say or any action that makes one proud...... they should bow their head in shame but this is the Philippines where everything is a lie and sadly they get so wrapped up in it that they themselves believe their own hogwash.



As Father Rolando de Leon the chairman of Alyansa ng Mamamayan para sa Pantaong Karapatan the matter of whether Burgos was an NPA rebel or not was "less of a concern to him".



He further added that, “The more important questions now are ‘who abducted him?’ ‘why was he abducted?’ and ‘is abduction according to the rule of law in our country?’ Presuming he was an NPA, he still has the right to have a day in court, not abducted or killed,” the priest said of the son of press freedom icon Jose “Joe” Burgos, I couldn't agree more.


Tamara Dominado's Statement on the 100th day of abduction

When I learned that my mother was abducted, I felt like the Grim Reaper just ripped out a big chunk of my heart. I don’t know what to think. What goes through the mind of crazy people is only known to those who have the power to read minds or to those who are crazier. During the summer, my heart got stitched up, even for just a moment, when I had the chance to spend a lot of time with my friends. But unfortunately summer left, and I cannot forget.


On the last day my mother and I were together, we went to Tigbauan to sort out matters regarding my boarding house for my summer internship. Afterwards, we went to South Park, a nearby restaurant where we ordered Tenderloin Tips and Chopsuey. We Had a long wait and I was surprised that she didn’t complain or wasn’t even annoyed. She was silent the whole time, the kind of silence that gives you the feeling that something bad is going to happen. the food was served. In the middle of our meal, the song Tatsulok played on the radio. She asked me if I liked that type of music and she suddenly started singing with the chorus. I remember that day every time I hear that song.


My sister is now taking care of me, and it’s kinda hard for us to make end meet and make sense of things. Everything has changed in my life. Before, It is usually the sound of her voice that wakes me up on a school day. Now, I only hear the irritating beeps of three alarm clocks.


I miss her footsteps in the hallway and her voice trying to wake me up. I miss when she would bring home food for me. I miss the fact that when I stay out pass my curfew, she would threaten to punish me if I do not come home immediately, but when I arrive, it seems as if nothing happened. I miss the sound of Bandila every night.


Now, I usually keep myself busy by trying hard not to cry (not the other way around). I also keep myself busy with school work. And I also keep myself busy by having fun at all times. People complain that I act as if nothing has happened and even have the gal to be happy. Well, it’s only because I want to hide the pain since I cannot forget it, so I will not be a burden to others. They say that for every happiness there is, in turn, seven times the sorrow. But that is only so if you let the sorrow take hold of you. Whenever I’m down, I always think of this:


Sorrow and despair is abundant everywhere but even if it is, there is always a sunrise at the start of the day reminding us all that we live in a world where the happiest of miracles can still happen.


I want/wish/hope that Nanay would come home still in her right state of mind, uninjured if possible and miraculously alive.

Support For Dr. Noel Chua Growing


Letters to the Editor of
The Tribune & Georgian




Dear Editor,


It has been 10 months and counting since DA (District Attorney Stephen) Kelly and his office arrested Dr. (Noel) Chua. They ruthlessly and without hesitation froze all his assets and incarcerated the good doctor. The DA's office self reportedly spent nine months to carefully orchestrate an iron-clad, no-escape list of allegations against him that included 17 counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and, as erroneous as it may sound, RICO (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations) charges. Oh, also a felony murder charge. (We'll talk about the common drug abuse and suicide at a different time.)


Reporter Gordon Jackson (Jacksonville, Times-Union) reported on Feb. 21 from the Woodbine Superior Court that the honorable Judge Amanda Williams "denied a motion by defense attorneys Tuesday to drop felony murder charges against" Dr. Chua. It was stated that there was "no foreseeable risk of death" by the defense attorney. The DA's office argued "it should be up to a jury to decide whether (Dr.) Chua is guilty of felony murder." Judge Williams agreed, saying, "a jury, not a judge, should decide if (Dr.) Chua should have foreseen potential problems when he prescribed the drugs."


Of course, this reasoning makes perfect sense. All of us in Camden County want, and have been waiting, for this case to go to court and be tried. What doesn't make sense is why a DA's office that self reportedly took nine months to prepare their meticulous and specific "iron clad-no escape" case against Dr. Chua and was operating at an alarming lightning-runaway-freight-train speed and abandonment last fall to try this case in two months of the arrest, all of a sudden came to a grinding halt when Dr. Chua refused to sign a plea agreement that would falsely incriminate him. Now, 10 months later, the DA's office is still waiting for Dr. Chua to sign a plea agreement. Not "the plea agreement," just any sort of plea agreement. Why, with such a perfectly-constructed and organized case that is now 19 months in the making, where is the trial? Why is the DA's office still hoping, praying and now forcing Dr. Chua to sign a false statement? "Forcing" because the DA has been granted this immense power by us, the people who elected him into this position. "Forcing" because the DA has the power to keep Dr. Chua indefinitely until he finally coerces a signature from him.


What would cause the DA's office to act so suspiciously? What happened to the case of the century they sold us on? Now we can only believe what we strongly suspected last fall. The rush-rush tactics employed by the DA's office were really "cover-up, cover-up." This also will be uncovered in court and the prosecution knows it.Why is it so important to get Dr. Chua to admit guilt to a crime he is innocent of?


What is the reason the prosecution can't take this case to court as they are still begging and hoping and forcing for a plea? Nineteen months and all they are hoping for is a plea?

Hmmm, why do the letters "I" and "F" keep popping up in my mind?


Robert McLaughlin


Sign petition to release Dr. Noel Chua


Is it Incompetence or Outright Thievery?

So it seems the man of the hour that can save Pampanga from the thieving vultures was indeed true. “Amang” Gov. Panlilio collected P11.6 Million in quarry taxes in a span of 10 days compared to the past administratong errrr administration’s P29.1 Million for the whole of 2006. Is this a case of incompetence or outright thievery, well your guess is as good as mine.


Yikes now what in the name of kotong errr kind of collection are they doing….. Jueteng style where those who pay have a chance to win? 365 days equals P29.1 Million against 10 days of Gov. Panlilio at P11.6 Million, heck no wonder father and son cannot be reached and supposedly are in the US. Calling on federal authorities maybe some investigation is in order because the USA is never a safe haven for criminals or never will harbor criminals if it turns out that a crime was committed in the quarry tax collection.


In 10 days Gov. Panlilio collected 39.86% of what Junior Lapid collected in 365 days so is this incompetence or there’s thieving going on? It seems if the report is accurate the P29.1 Million is the highest peak since father and sonamagun errr son junior's collection range from P10 to 30 Million per year. Now how disgusting is that?


Let’s hope that Vice Governor Joseller Guaio, keeps a close watch on alleged quarry irregularities, and hopefully continue pursuing the graft case against the younger Lapid and provincial treasurer Vergel Yabut as he promised. Here’s a quote from the article by Tonnete Orejas of Inquirer:


"Guiao noted a "discrepancy" of P337 million between the collections of the Natural Resources Development Corp. from 1999 to 2001 and the elder Lapid's administration from 2002 to 2004.


In the case he filed at the Office of the Ombudsman in March, Guiao said between P600 million and P1 billion might have been lost to graft from 2004 to the first two months of 2007 under the younger Lapid's administration.


Private sector leaders have formed a quarry watchdog last week to help foil irregularities in the collection of quarry taxes."


More on WW2 Comfort Women

In a NY Times article tilted Japanese Researchers Rebut Premier’s Denials on Sex Slavery By MARTIN FACKLER and CHOE SANG-HUN Published: April 18, 2007 a group of Japanese researches publicly challenge PM Shinzo Abe’s denial’s of military coercion of WW2 comfort women.

“It is clear that the comfort women system was a system of sexual slavery,” said a group member, Hirofumi Hayashi, a history professor at Kanto Gakuin University. “However, the movement to openly deny this has grown stronger in the government and elsewhere.”

The group's report was based partly on the interrogations of Japanese soldiers submitted in the war crimes tribunal that ended in 1948 as part of the evidence of war crime atrocities. While the documents are dated in it are evidences that proves the Japanese armies forced abductions of young women and child for sexual slavery.

It is sad that to this day these conservative Japanese politicians refuse or are purely in denial of the past atrocities their barbaric army has committed upon defenseless women. How can they then move on if they continuously do not exert any effort at correcting their past mistakes? Is this the very reason why our women are literally pimped by a desperate government for the dollar remittances with a ready and willing client for they have not learned the lessons of the past?

In this youtube video are graphic horrific atrocities comitted by Japanese war criminals titled “Issue of the Nanking Massacre & Comfort Women - JPN Gov” (warning contents are too violently graphic)



Comfort Woman Interview



Related Articles:

Harry Potter & the Harry Putragis (SOBs)
Comfort Women: an unfinished ordeal
WW2 Comfort Women Victims of Abuse to this Day!
LILA Pilipina Brochure from Gabriela
Piglas Diwa Booklet. Lila-Pilipina. Philippines: GABRIELA



WW2 Comfort Women Victims of Abuse to this day!

The recent response of some group of Japanese conservative politicians in response to US Congress has to this day in the twilight of their years has reaped upon the WW2 comfort women more abuse and insult. Not content with the harrowing experience they have subjected these women they have labeled them as prostitutes is the most despicable ignorance I have encountered. Could it be that to this day there are a great many sectors in their society that sees women as a commodity? Or was it total ignorance owing to their denial and as such has not owned up to their barbaric past that its citizenry has no clue on the cruelty and atrocities their soldiers committed in the name of the emperor.


One response that I got from an expat may explain why up to this day we hear of such unacceptable and moronic response from these group of cuckoo nesters:


All nations have their darker sides and better sides if we care to look.

Problem is when government bodies decide to control the state to the point of excluding the honesty of its own regime and people who wish to trust are blindingly led, you might recognize some domestic parallels in that suggestion. Japan suffers that in its education system.

About 15 years ago I visited the Kranji war memorial in Singapore. SomeJapanese tourist were there and were puzzled by the graves showing crosses but clearly no one there. I explained that the doctors, nurses and patients were bayoneted by the Japanese Imperial army even whilst in surgery and the bodies dismembered so not possible to put together.

Only one understood enough English to give a full translation. the scene was very quickly short of cameras and smiles and lots of head hanging followed by two of the girls crying. They are not educated as to what happened, its not their fault. as they are more widely traveled they see the reality and do understand.

I told them not to be ashamed for what happened in the past just make sure it does not happen again!!

What do we say about not visiting the sins of our fathers on our children, etcJust some thoughts, no rights or wrongs.

Mike


The responses below points out the “supply and demand” problem that I believe are very valid and people in the government especially those promoting export of its citizens should see to it that they don’t become part of the problem. Corruption indeed plays a major role on why some of our “entertainers” find themselves victims of the sexual trade run by local and foreign pimps. The peddlers of human misery only sees money in their pockets and corruption in government agencies tasked to oversee this sector exacerbates the problem even more. What about us, do we just turn a blind eye to this present day problem?


Not only has the Japanese government not owned up to and apologized for these acts during WWII, they are currently allowing the practice to continue in Japan presently! How many young Filipinas have been granted "entertainment visas" to Japan, only to find themselves upon arrival forced into prostitution in the nightclubs of Tokyo and Osaka? I contend that the Japanese government, by granting these so-called "entertainment visas," is working hand-in-hand with Japanese criminals / nightclub owners and in fact are co-conspirators in kidnapping Filipinas and forcing them to satisfy the sexual desires of wealthy Japanese businessmen!

If one were to travel to the south, in cities like Tagum and Davao, one would discover that many of these Japanese criminals are actively and currently "recruiting" young, poor Filipinas TODAY!!!! This practice needs to STOP and the Philippine government needs to step in and put and end to this practice! Arrest these bastards and deport their asses!!!!

Finally, why does the Philippine government continue to issue these"entertainment visas" to these, most often, unsuspecting young ladies????? Government officials are acutely aware of what is going on!

Robert


The biggest problem does however nor rest with Japan, its rests here with the Philippines. I see far more evidence of localized human trafficking for 'comfort women services' or 'entertainers' than I see being recruited for overseas deployment. These girls are bought and sold by Pinays, mainly Chinese Pinoys/pinays who specialize in underage girls for the local market.

I turn away so many every week from these sources who think that my bar will accommodate their requirements. I am assailed almost daily by Pinoys wanting 'young girls', not for export but for instant sexual gratification, virgins being bought and paid for at a premium!. Needless to say they are invited to go elsewhere.


Sad to say that elsewhere is readily available!! People can jump up anddown about the Japanese situation, they should however understand that the international trade is small by comparison to the local and domestictrafficking that takes place.


The human trafficking of these vulnerable people is supported by authorities who just do not care as long as they get their cut. The Japanese recruiters identified in Davao and Tagum as well as other places are only able to operate as the authorities have been bought off. Rules for overseas recruitment are stringent, yet so easily circumvented.


I found it laughable the the US government reduced the Philippines rating on the human trafficking watch list. The idiots who made that decision, clearly do not know their subject or worse could not care, they just go through the motions. A scratch at the surface of this sick practice will show that trafficking is wide spread and flourishing, the rewards go through to the top of society. For this reason do not expect any changes soon.

For those who view this as being punishable in the after life, you may beright. What is more relevant is the punishment and suffering these innocents are receiving during this life. The perpetrators could not and do not care about consequences, be it here and today or some time in the future, or future life.


Cyber should focus on cleaning up the Philippines back yard before blaming the foreigner, the usual and predictable Pinoy act of ensuring that they are blameless and that the only reason the Philippines ever has a problem is because of foreigners. No, this does not excuse the Japanese damnable position or the practice of recruiters elsewhere. Find a bar anywhere in Asia that is not nearly staffed 100% by Pinays recruited as 'entertainers'


The problem like charity begins at home


Mike


True, I should not just blame other nation for our miseries a deeper look from within is needed to fully grasp the enormity of our problem as a nation. In some ways I agree that pointing the blame on others without looking from within are at times convenient and tends to divert our focus in our trek towards a better Philippines. On the other hand we should also have a well balanced outlook lest it creates an attitude of blaming the victim instead of the perpetrator. The problem of the WW2 Comfort Women are definitely not of our own making but the barbarity of an occupying army, the present day problem is a culmination of denial and neglect in a mindset that sees women as commodities. How about you what do you think?


If you are a US Citizen, you may want to know if your Congressperson is supporting House Resolution 121. If they are not sign the petition , send your representative an email and attach the URL link.





Related articles & site:
Harry Potter & the Harry Putragis (SOBs)
Comfort Women: an unfinished ordeal

Comfort Women.org




On Bloggers Recognition & Awards

It seems that Pedestrian Observer blog is getting some recognition from fellow bloggers and let it be known that this blogger appreciates such gesture and recognition.

As they say when it rains it pours, first off Gabriel of Project Afterlite a technology blog has awarded this Jaywalking Cyber Pedestrian Observer The Power of Schmooze Community Involvement Award that caught me by surprise. The Power of Schmooze Award was created by Mike at Ordinary Folk and Danielle at Pink Reviews and it has generated a buzz among the blogging community spreading exponentially like wildfire.


Then comes Les_tat of OFWLayf, nominating this Jaywalking Cyber Pedestrian Observer in a writing project initiated by Jannete Toral of Reflective Thinking, a writer, SEO consultant, trainer, blogger, policy lobbyist, and entrepreneur. The goal of this project is to identify new and emerging blogs of Filipinos that are gaining amounts of readership and influence.


Incidentally let me take the opportunity to acknowledge Les_tat in helping this technically challenge blogger in tweaking the layout of the blog.While Ihave successfully removed the google bar with the help of Bizwhiz of Tips for New Bloggers I am bothered by the top margin and cannot figure out how to bring it up. Les_tat was able to walk me through without much problem (ok, I admit a little bit since I have to see the exact code which he patiently crafted) by supplying me with the html code.


E. Akino of Kabayan Junction was nominated by Les_tat for the same project who also nominated this Jaywalking Cyber Pedestrian Observer. I am telling you this is really getting better and I am almost about to inflate my ego luckily I have an antidote for this malady.

These are all good I should say unfortunately one of the rules was they have to identify the blogger and this Jaywalking Cyber Pedestrian Observer is not amenable to that and prefers to remain anonymous. I am hopimg that I don't disappoint Les_tat and E. Akino but it has been clear from the very start that this blogger intends to be anonymous.


It is the aim of this blogger to be socially relevant in the real world and stroking of the ego is really a hindrance to my avowed purpose in using this new venue. Let me just make it clear that I do appreciate all these and these kind of recognition are a big boost in having people notice this blog and hopefully with that in mind get the message I am trying to send.


Oh, another one is the Filipino Blog of the Week started by The Composed Gentleman but unlike the first 3 above mentioned recognition this one is a contest I have volunteered myself to be let in. It's a curiosity (hopefully curiosity does not kill, lol) on my part how I will fare in such contest so I can gauge where my blog is at with fellow Filipino bloggers.


The following are the list of bloggers that I have the privileged to be listed with, vote for Pedestrian Observer or any on the list that you feel deserve their due recognition:

Ok, so I realize that winning this blog of the week will have some egoistic effect on the Jaywalker, remember that I have the antidote. While it may not seem important I believe that with increase in popularity comes more headache (evil laugh haha) for the cheating errr president and her minions……. So a vote for this Jaywalker meant a vote of confidence on where this blog is going…… giving those cheaters a hard time hahaha (really evil laugh) especially my "friends" errr fiends (bogus party list) that wants to weasel their way into tongress pork barrel through the backdoor, there I said it, hahaha it does not sound like I am that desperate, am I? Or was I?

I guess that's a bit silly so let me push this a bit farther. That is, if you want a good laugh (warning, if you are a self righteous "proud" Pinoy, don't go there) you may want to check out Top 10 Reasons Why There Couldn't Be a Filipino-American US President .............




Comfort Women: an unfinished ordeal

Report of a Mission by
Ustinia Dolgopol
Snehal Paranjape
Geneva, Switzerland

Conclusions

1. The Japanese Imperial Army and Navy initiated the setting up of a vast network of comfort stations for the exclusive use and "enjoyment" of the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy, before and during the Second World War. The Japanese military planned and executed the provision of comfort facilities to its troops, wherever they were located. Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Filipino, Malaysian, Indonesian and Dutch women and girls were put into these comfort stations and sexual services were extracted from them under duress.


2. The taking of these women, even where it was done initially by private persons, was soon handled by the Japanese military itself. It appointed recruitment agents who were given special permits for travel to and from military establishments. These recruiters were actively assisted by the military (kempeitai) and local police, to ensure that the girls and women "volunteered". It is indisputable that these women were forced, deceived, coerced and abducted to provide sexual services to the Japanese military.


3. Detailed regulations were framed by the Japanese military for the setting up, use, operation and control of the comfort stations. The regulations were so detailed that they reduced the women to mere commodities.


4. Life at these comfort stations was living hell for the women. They were beaten and tortured in addition to being raped by 15,20 or 30 soldiers a day and officers by night, day after day, for periods ranging from 3 weeks to 8 years. Living conditions were cramped and shabby. The lives of those who had to follow troops around at battlefronts were put at risk, day after day. Food was usually of poor quality and in short supply. Although medical check-ups by army doctors sometimes took place, many women were afflicted by sexually transmitted diseases. When they were brought to the comfort stations they were virgins, healthy in body and spirit. They left the comfort stations diseased in body and crippled in spirit.


5. As transportation within all areas controlled by the Japanese military was strictly regulated, it is obvious that the military was aware that thousands of Korean women were being transported within Korea and from the Korean Peninsula to places such as China, Burma, the Philippines, the South Pacific, and the Ryuku Islands (Okinawa). Even when passage was arranged on passenger ships, passage had to be authorized by military officials. The witnesses have testified to the fact that many of them were actually transported on military ships, trains and road vehicles. As these were under the control of the then Japanese Government, it bears responsibility for trafficking in women. This responsibility should be accepted by the present government.


6. From 1942 onwards, Japan occupied and controlled the Philippines. It is clear that Philippines were being kidnapped and forcibly detained within military camps. There is sufficient evidence to show that military officials in the Philippines were aware of the fact that Filipinos were being kidnapped and placed in comfort stations.


7. Documents obtained by the ICJ mission contain special requests made by field officers to commanders in Tokyo for the recruitment and transportation of comfort women to their areas. This again demonstrates the knowledge on the part of high-ranking members of the military of the existence or the comfort stations and demonstrates their active involvement in the recruitment and placement of women in those stations. It could not have been otherwise, as Japan was at war and it is clear that any area controlled by the military, and in particular a military camp, would be under tight security regulations.


8. It also emerges from the testimony of the witnesses that, in some camps, Japanese soldiers attempted to kill women who had been in the comfort houses when they realized they were about to lose the war. As these soldiers were under the command or the Japanese military, it remains responsible for their actions.


9. An extremely tragic consequence or the confinement of these women was that their suffering did not end after the war. Faced with untold difficulties, after being abandoned by fleeing Japanese soldiers, some of them reached home, only to live lives of isolation. Typically, it has been a trial of the victims who have had to pay the price of the violations inflicted upon them.


10. Estimates of historians that 100,000 to 200.000 women were made to serve as comfort women are consistent with the large number of Japanese troops stationed throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The vast scale on which these atrocities were perpetrated is truly appalling. Although women were not treated equally in any society at this point in time, they had never been humiliated to this degree. in such vast numbers, for so long.


11. The grinding poverty they were living in. and their social framework, made these girls and women extremely vulnerable to force, fraud, deceit, coercion and abduction. In the context of the Philippines, the Japanese atrocities and wanton acts of brutality caused many of the women to be doubly victimized. A number were arrested on suspicion of being guerrillas or guerrilla sympathizers, subjected to acts of torture, then confined in military camps as comfort women. Others were forced to watch relatives being killed or tortured.


12. Even if it could be established that sonic of the women did agree to go "voluntarily" to the comfort stations, under no circumstances could they have ever imagined what they were letting themselves in for. Further, there was no way they could have known that the military would kill or attempt to kill them or abandon them after the war.


13. The then Government of Japan was directly or vicariously responsible for all that happened to these women. Its actions violated customary norms of international law concerning war crimes, crimes against humanity, slavery and the trafficking in women and children. These acts should have been made a part of the trials which took place at the close of the war. Unfortunately the focus of those trials was on acts committed against nationals of the Allied powers. Japan should take full responsibility now, and make suitable restitution to the victims and their families.


14. The investigation conducted by the Japanese Government is inadequate and appears calculated to placate sentiments rather than being focused on a solution to the issue. A fuller and more complete investigation by Japan is necessary.


15. Regarding the Japanese Government's investigation, although it is important to uncover as many documents as possible, it is equally important to interview witnesses. Former soldiers and officers of the military are alive and should be interviewed with respect to this issue.


16. Questions have been raised within Japan as to whether the government is in fact making public all documents available to it. It has been said that many documents were burned or destroyed in other ways at the end of the war and hence the complete picture may never emerge from documentary evidence. In saying this, we do not mean to undermine in any way the obligation of the Japanese Government to continue to search for all records relevant to this matter. It is difficult to believe that there are no existing police documents with respect to the "recruitment" of women from the Korean Peninsula. The police were often given instructions as to the number of people that needed to be recruited from a specific area and it is difficult to believe that all of these documents were destroyed. Furthermore, recruiters had to be licensed by the local police and, again, it is difficult to believe that all documents authorizing these individuals have been lost or destroyed. The Police Department is the only department other than the Department of Libour to say that there were no documents in its files concerning this issue. We find it hard to accept that this is an accurate statement.


17. In addition, more effort should be made to uncover the diaries of soldiers and officers. Where such materials have been made public, they have been useful in documenting the establishment and operation of the comfort stations. Serious efforts should be made by the Japanese Government to locate all existing diaries.


18. The Allied Powers had full knowledge in 1945 of the fact that these atrocities had been committed. They did nothing to bring those offenders to trial or to obtain reparations for the victims. Clearly they owe a duty to explain this, and to make public all records in their possession, pertaining to this issue.


19. Neither the 1965 Agreement on the Settlement of Problems Concerning Property and Claims Between Japan and the Republic of Korea, nor the 1956 Philippines and Japan Reparations Agreement, present an impediment to the women's claim against Japan. The former was never intended to and did not include "claims" involving the violations of human rights. The latter agreement was for reparations to the "people" of the Philippines because of the devastation wrought on their country. The issue of compensation for individuals was not part of the negotiating process, therefore the treaty was not intended to and should not be interpreted as having settled this issue.


20. Some mechanism should be established quickly to determine the case of each of the women who have come forward so far. It is not sufficient to rely on the court cases in Japan; these may take up to ten years to resolve. Given the age of the victims, this is not an adequate means of redress for the violations of human rights which have been perpetrated against them.


21. As there was no attempt made to hold Japan responsible for its treatment of the comfort women at the close of World War II. the international community, and particularly those countries that were members of the Allied forces, have an obligation to these women to put pressure on the Government of Japan to ensure that it takes adequate measures to rehabilitate and provide full restitution to the women, as those terms are used in the report of Professor Theo van Boven, Special Rapporteur for the study on the Right to Restitution, Compensation and Rehabilitation for Victims of Gross Violations of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Many of the victims have been surviving at the mercy of friends and relatives. They arc beyond the age where they can be expected to work. Many need constant medical attention and care. Some of them are heavily indebted having taken loans for their bare subsistence. Their rehabilitation will therefore ensure them adequate shelter, medical aid and a decent standard of living. Having regard to the years of neglect already suffered by the women, an immediate interim payment of US $40,000 per victim is warranted.


Recommendations


1(a) Japan should make a full and complete disclosure of all information it has in its possession concerning the operation and maintenance of the comfort stations, including the methods by which women were taken to those stations, the manner in which they were transported, and the ways in which they were treated at the comfort stations.


(b) Japan should expeditiously provide and set up an administrative forum where the claims of the victims can be heard and disposed of within a time-frame of six months or so. Alternatively, Japan should enact appropriate legislation enabling disposal of the pending law suits expeditiously on merits waiving preliminary technical objections of jurisdiction and limitation.


2. If no action is taken as suggested in 1(b), Japan should take steps to fully rehabilitate the victims. This would include making full restitution, as also providing rehabilitative measures such as medical coverage, a decent shelter and other similar measures. Japan has an obligation to fully rehabilitate the victims for the harm they have suffered.


3. In the event of Japan's refusal to rehabilitate the women a tribunal or an arbitration panel, consisting of international law experts from countries not directly concerned with this issue, should be formed as soon as possible. NGOs and individuals should also be permitted to appear in their own right as parties. All parties must agree in advance to abide by/accept the opinion of the tribunal/panel.


4. Pending action under (2) and (3) above, the Japanese Government should pay, as a purely interim measure, without prejudice to its rights and contentions, the sum of US $40.(KM) for the rehabilitation of each woman who has come forward. For this, the NGOs representing the women should submit lists of victims to the Japanese Government.


5. If the Japanese Government persists with its present policy on this issue, the NGOs representing the women should pursue the matter with appropriate organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations, with the aim of seeking the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, so as to have the legal issues authoritatively clarified.


6. The Governments of the Republic of Korea and the Philippines must immediately move the International Court of Justice for interpretation of the respective treaties.


7. Those countries that were members of the Allied forces must make a public disclosure of all information in their possession which pertains to this issue and ensure that Japan does take adequate measures to provide full rehabilitation and restitution to the victims.

Note this report is from Comfort Women.org

Related article:
Harry Potter and the Harry Putragis (SOBs)

Harry Potter and the Harry Putragis (SOBs)

I thought I have seen it all, but as they say you learn new things everyday. What in the name of political crap are these Japanese Conservative Fooliticians peddling now? This is like telling as that Harry Potter's wizardry and magic are for real.... what a crap of Harry Putragis!

Fer cryin out loud they even had the gall to ask for APOLOGY on the so-called “wrong information” by the US Congress regarding the 200,000 “comfort women”. Now if this is not a group of cuckoo nesters I don’t know what is. Heck who are these Japanese fooliticians trying to fool? They are claiming that there were no sex slaves during their war of atrocities during WWII in their greed to dominate Asia with their “Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” BS that 200,000 sex slaves mostly from the Philippines, China, and Korea were supposedly willing prostitutes in their army brothels is the worse lie and self denial I have seen.

Now if that is not adding insult to irreparable injury, I don’t know what is. How callous and insensitive for these cuckoo nesters to even suggest such unthinkable labeling of their forced sex slaves as willing participants who even “saved” money is pure hog wash. Yeah, your money back then was worthless piece of paper not even worthy of an ass wipe, so what savings are these fools blabbering about?

Liza Maza of Gabriela has stated it succinctly that these are yet another form of violence against the women victims of sexual slavery during World War II. There are a few of these women surviving today, these travesty is unacceptable we need to send them a clear message that we are not going to take this abuse and further insult sitting down. Let me quote Inquirer in what these Japanese politician cuckoo nesters are saying;

In their letter to be distributed to US members of Congress, the Japanese conservatives said they felt "anger and sadness because the resolution is based on wrong information."

"No sex slaves existed for Japanese military," they said. "There were only business organizations and prostitutes to make money
from soldiers."

"This is the indisputable historical fact," they added, urging US Congress members to reinvestigate and retract last month's resolution.

Here is the The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan where all the Japanese embassies and consulates are located, send them your protest and demand an apology for their callous denial of the atrocities to women they have inflicted in WWII.

This article from By Gi-Wook Shin, director of Stanford University's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and professor of sociology at Chinese in Vancouver site has very valid point;


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's drawing of distinctions about the degree of coercion used to bring Korean, Chinese, and even Japanese women to these brothels is an unfortunate response to the proposed resolution. There are certainly areas of ambiguity in the historical record about this and other Japanese war crimes. But the direct involvement of the Japanese authorities, including the military, in the forcible recruitment of comfort women has been well documented, including by Japanese scholars.

Furthermore, the issue is not the degree of criminality but rather the willingness to take clear moral responsibility for a past that continues to cloud the present. Faced with the international criticism of his remarks, Mr. Abe became more "apologetic" recently, but he still has not clearly confronted the issue. It is vital that the Japanese take seriously the pain that still burdens Chinese, Koreans, and other victims of past Japanese aggression.

The reckoning with the past, however, is not simply a matter of passing judgment on Japan's misdeeds. The United States, too, bears responsibility for the failure to fully account for and confront Japanese war crimes. The US is not an outsider to the problems of history arising out of the wars in Asia, and America must confront its role in mishandling Japanese war-crime issues after 1945.

It is not the loser that writes the history and until the Japanese politicians recognize the war atrocities they committed and cease from denying this historical fact they are just prolonging the misery of those they have abused. Give the survivors and those left behind by the victims a closure and peace of mind than continually abusing them with more insults heaped upon them by these delusional Japanese politicians denials.


Keeping Them Honest Or Let The Traitors Prevail?

A Jaywalking Cyber Pedestrian Observer response to Professor Abueva in his critic of the Urgent Appeal to GO Senators-Elect, by Enteng Romano at the OFW-Gov yahoo group.


The reality is we are under this present pathetic political system and their mandate was on the premise and perception of voters that they will oppose the cheating errr seating president for its excesses. I say Keeping them honest or let the traitors prevail is a better alternative than changing the system structural or whatever goobledydook they want to call it.



Are we then going to ask for a change in our senatong representation by region because as you have said there is no clear definition of their mandate? Let me quote Fidel Umaga's article featured at Pedestrian Observer and here titled
WE OUGHT NOT TO FORGET!;


"If I remember it right, these people rode on the crest of the people's rejection of and repugnance to the national policies of the sitting President. The people opted to express their strong disapproval to the current administration by rejecting almost all of its national candidates but for Ed Angara and Joker Arroyo, while Administration's local bets swamped the Opposition almost all over the country. Migs Zubiri's case is an exemption not because he, like Angara and JokerArroyo, had been rewarded by the Filipino People with their affection. He was not. His stellar rise to national leadership seems to be by the grace (or disgrace) of the Comelec Chair, Abalos and his pawn, Lintang Bedol, the Emir of Maguindanao."



How will changing the political representation be for the better if we still have unbedolable (unbelievable) people that are so "incompetent" and his unaccountable manner of "safekeeping" CoCs then spitting at our face showing off his arsenal daring us to get him. Will it be any different, will your new system transform crooks into saint just because you want to dress them up as angels?



It's amazing that instead of keeping our politicians honest to their avowed "principles" and accountable to the people that voted them we see some sectors blabbering about change of the system...... I agree that we badly need change but all these changes are useless if we are just re-arranging the power sharing of the ruling minority elite. If these present crap errrr crop of politicians are breaking and bending the rules to suit their ulterior motives what good is a new system?




I would like to believe that autonomy of regions will usher in a new era in good governance but the experience in Midanao where the leaders are now in detention for corruption and the way they conduct unBedolable (unbelievable) election makes me really leery..... How about you do you think Mr. Abueva's "structural" change will do the trick?
___________________________________
Reinvent the Senate, Change the System
By Jose V. Abueva

Institute of Federal-Parliamentary Democracy
Kalayaan College


It is fashionable to criticize the opposition and GO senators who are supporting the reelection of Manny Villar as Senate President, because TU and other pro-Administration senators are also supporting him. Villar is being called a traitor.


The argument is that all the opposition senators have a common popular mandate against the Arroyo Administration. Therefore, together they should be the majority faction in the Senate and their main function is to oppose, and guard against the abuse of power by, the administration. This is a simplistic and negative way of defining the electoral mandate of the opposition in the Senate.


But what do the opposition senators stand for individually and collectively? Their separate party platforms aside, for they did not run on those platforms, the opposition senators are either for Manny Villar, or Mar Roxas, or Loren Legarda, or some other one of them for president in 2010. They do not have a common platform or program of government as a coalition or alliance in our presidential system. For the most part, they are individual personalities with shifting allegiances, because our presidential system does not develop parties of principle and programs that are responsible and accountable to the people, asin a parliamentary system.


On the fundamental issues of constitutional reform, the opposition senators are mostly noncommittal, or against Charter change on the form and/or the structure of governance, or unclear on the timing and mode of changing the Constitution. They seem to say that there is nothing basically wrong with ourpresidential and unitary political system. They are in effect saying that real problem is the leaders of the Arroyo Administration and their allies in Congress. If in 2010 the opposition is able to elect one of their leaders as President and to capture a majority of the seats in the House and the Senate, everything will be fine with the country.


Never mnd our sad experience with our dysfunctional political system that has helped prevent the solution of our basic problems and left us far behind our progressive neighbors in Asia.


The opposition is in denial about the condition of our Senate. The combined outcome of the senatorial elections in 2004 and 2007 makes the Senate in the 14th Congress very lop-sided in its geographic membership: 19 or 20 of the 23 senators are from Luzon; only two or three from the Visayas; and only two from Mindanao. (Should we count Lacson for the Visayas?)


If we were to continue with a bicameral Congress it would be better to elect the senators in autonomous regions that could promote equitable regional and local development and empower our citizens nationwide. This way there would also be equitable representation of the regions as in the presidential-federal system in the United States where every one of the 50 states elects two senators to the U.S. Senate.


Better still, we should have a unicameral Parliament combined with Autonomous Regions in an evolving federal system. Why have an autonomous region only for Muslim Mindanao? Why not in all the regions?


The Autonomous Regions should each have a Regional Assembly (a regional parliament) composed of all the provincial governors in the autonomous region. Every Regional Assembly will elect two of its members who will sit in the national Parliament to represent, protect and advance the interests of all theAutonomous Regions. There is no need for a nationwide election of senate.


We should decentralize and devolve our highly centralized unitary and presidential system that concentrates political power and government authority in the National Government (the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives) in the National Capital Region which is far from most parts ofthe country.


In other words, a change in the form and structure of our government will have major consequences for the quality of governance, the development of the country as a whole, and the welfare of our citizens.

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