blackshama's commentary on Philippine issues

I rarely agree with the Running Priest, Father Robert Reyes. But this time he is right. He accuses the bishops of "selective morality" . While Fr Reyes won't argue on grounds of canon law, he warns the bishops of falling into the trap of selective morality. The clergy he says "needs to focus their energies" on other pressing issues that affect the country. As for denying communion to "anti-life" politicians, Reyes believes this won't work. Reyes' opinion is reminiscent of the condescending term "cafeteria catholicism". If there is such a thing the bishops have fallen for "cafeteria morality".That is the danger of not heeding what the Gospel says about prejudging people. Obviously none of our bishops are in the league of John the Baptist !

The Chairwrecker Mac Esposo reflects on the coming Philippine-American Friendship Day on July 4 with this op ed piece in the Philippine Star. Mac writes "At best, Philippine-US relations can be considered a mixed blessing. The US introduced public education here as well as the US brand of democracy which we follow to this day. But if we are to weigh what they gave versus what they took — we will find that they took more than what we could afford to give." Well for our younger readers that's what colonialism is exactly all about whether it was for the Christianization of the islands by Spain, making the islands in their own image by the Americans, the Japanese idea of "Asian for Asiatics" etc. Our colonial history is unfortunately a part of where we came from. It is in our best interest and sanity to remember its legacy, which is at best mixed. That's why I think that it is of childish "nationalistic" spite that the Philippines removed from its cale...

The Inquirer has this editorial about Mrs Arroyo dogged pursuit of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Palace apologists see nothing wrong with that. We could agree. After all in many ways Filipinos are still celebrity crazy and will do nothing less than to get an autograph. But I have to agree with the Inquirer. The celebrity that Mrs Arroyo is chasing is really not yet the lead star. He still has the real chance of not making it to the White House. Besides she is the Philippine Head of State. Paying the usual courtesies to the sitting Head of State in the White House is part of diplomatic protocol. Whatever she and Mr Bush conversed in that meeting we trust is in the interests of the Philippines. But it is really in poor taste to chase the presumptive next White House tenant even if the press says he already has the keys to that house. She could at least wait to see him elected and when that happens then diplomatic niceties dictate she meet with him. Paparazzis make a liv...

Jordan, Guimaras - Political pundits here on the Mango Isle (hey! They are found from the lowliest barangay of the smallest provinces to the elite kapihans of Manila) say that Queen Gloria's refusal (even when Frank has caused a national disaster rather than a regional one like previous typhoons) to cut short her glorious junket to the US of A will cost her much. According to the pundits the one who wins the pogi points is no other than the Veep Noli. Some have remarked that Noli de Castro once dismissed as a talking news puppet, looked soooooo presidential in leading the national disaster response committee, even more presidential than the Queen herself. This is better than the idiotic product endorsement of some senators. This time I agree with the ballistic Miriam Santiago. So methinks the biggest political beneficiary here is the Veep. We ask the logical question. Did Malacanang intend this? or is Malacanang the victim of the law of unintended consequences? Ooops. Did the Quee...

Would you believe that question cropped up during my family's Pop's day lunch? In the past table talk of a very serious nature only happened when the country was in crisis. The last time that happened if I am not mistaken, was when Erap was being impeached. With the economic difficulties every Pinoy citizen faces, the owner of the fancy resto where we had lunch ( my sister's best friend) complained that the trendy set with the cash have stopped at worst, or reduced at best, their patronage of her dishes. The trendies have started moving their business to a popular family oriented chicken joint (once promoted by the late "contrbida" actor Mr Alvarado) worse to a popular noodle serving fastfood joint with a siopaw mascot! No worries, I told her. While we are indeed trendy, we fantasize that we have the cash. Thus we eat at her resto best, once a year! And that if a discount is offered. Chances are the trendy ones with the money will find themselves trendy still but ...

The Hillary postmortem has begun! The online blurbs like this one from Belfast, Northern Ireland has this to say. The Hillary Deathwatch in Slate.com has an image of the sinking Titanic except that the ship hasn't split into two! Most analysts agree that Mrs Clinton herself had become her own iceberg! Nonetheless the End for Mrs Clinton is here. When CNN political pundits start talking about a possible run at being Veep, a Secretaryship of State, a Supreme Court nominantion then we know that the last rites have been said. But Obama fans are not amused since the campaign between Hillary and Barack has generated a lot of bad blood. The Dems have to ensure party unity now. Hillary should have bowed out more than a month ago! Perhaps the biggest consuelo de bobo now in the blurbs is this "Hillary has opened a lot of opportunities for women. Women have been inspired just by watching her." Haven't we heard this before? With schadenfreude? My friend from Delaware may be rig...

I saw the Meralco stockholders meeting in the evening newscast. As a extremely minor stockholder in some big corporations, I never attended a stockholders meeting trusting that whoever gets elected to the board of directors he/she will lead the company profitably. Weeks before, GSIS President Winston Garcia threatened to buy out the Lopezes from the company. This was apparently with blessings from Her Majesty the Queen. It is not the first time that the King or in our case the Queen has tried to take over a private enterprise. Like Henry VIII who dissolved the Monasteries, Gloria I tried to "dissolve" Meralco by bringing up the spectre of high energy costs. While Henry had his Cromwell, Gloria has her Winston. The only similarities between them is that both royal subalterns are in their faces! But her Winston is no Churchill. In a globalized economy, doing a Ferdinand I on the Lopezes is nigh impossible unless Gloria I declares martial law (which requires Congressional assent...

President Gloria Arroyo's directive to give cash subsidies (to the tune of 5 billion pesos annually) to poor families has attracted criticism from Cardinal Rosales of Manila and other aid organizations. The critics say that the dole promotes dependency and indolence. I agree on the first but as one study on poverty has pointed out, the poor are hardly indolent if their dignity is respected. The poor need jobs not doles! This has pointed out by the critics. I would agree with them. The whole scheme is nothing but pure populist political gimmickry. We are not surprised. Gloria has to do all what she can if she wants to hold on to the Presidency. But as every person knows, a dole is an affront to human dignity. But that is precisely what Noblesse Oblige doesn't consider. It is convenient for the President. In Pinoy class stratified society, Noblesse Oblige is convenient. But there is no nobility in the governing class. We have two major classes.The class that steals wealth and th...

Books! National Bookstore oftentimes has surprises on sale. The bookstore we first can remember (recall that mom bought cartolina, notebooks, crayons here when we were bright eyed pupils) has over the years diversified its selections, especially books. During cut price sales you can find classics. After all where can you buy interesting science books like Tim Flannery's "Weather Makers" at around PhP 400 each? or Amir Aczel's science biography of Teilhard de Chardin "The Jesuit and the Skull" at PhP 700? or Pedro G Ferreira's "The State of the Universe" at PhP 300 ? Best of all Arthur I Miller's tome on how black holes were hypothesized and observed in "Empire of the Stars" at PhP 299! The books can be had in some branches but one has to go through the pile of cut priced books. To do this one needs lots of time. The branches at Greenbelt, Rockwell, Quezon Avenue and Katipunan across Ateneo has very good finds. That's why I sta...

Anthropologists of religion say that once a religious ritual or practice becomes non functional, it dies. Sometimes it takes a war (the old religious rites of Intramuros died when the churches there were destroyed in 1945) or cultural changes (The Latin Mass is an example. When Vatican II closed, it signified a real religious cultural revolution. Very few lay today Catholics would trade in the vernacular Mass for the Latin Mass. Catholics today barely know a word of liturgical Latin.) Since Vatican II, priests have been creative enough to update lenten practices. A few diehards tried to preserve the pre-Vatican II rites and this resulted in a major international schism (the first since the Reformation). But it wasn't the Vatican II church that split into a zillion denominations. It was the conservatives. It was a sort of Protestantism in reverse. The Vatican II Catholic Church is one. So we see new updates to Good Friday practices especially in Manila. The "pasyon" has be...

Political shamans at the Choc Kiss in UP Diliman (no pun intended here!. You may call me the Blackshaman!) are downing diabetic coma inducing ice tea and discussing exit scenarios for our Glorious Queen. Before the Queen's lieutenants begin panicking, let me say that the Queen herself will exit one day in 2010. She has signified her intention to do so as what the Constitution requires. But the shamans have placed bets on an early exit from the stage and have even listed possible scenarios. The White Shaman (who, if he is to believed, has insider info from the Armed Forces) said the level of discontent is so high that the brigades are just waiting for the proverbial "tipping point". But the sceptic in me says,well the op ed columnists have been writing all about this tipping point. But the White Shaman said to the Black that the op ed columnists have been People Power focused. Everyone is in this crowd estimation business. To which I replied "The PNP has its method, t...

There is one memorable line (now the subject of a zillion parodies!) in the movie "A Few Good Men" delivered by Colonel Nathan Jessep (played by Oscar winning actor Jack Nicholson). Lt Daniel Kafee (played by Oscar nominated Tom Cruise) wanted to find the truth about the death of a Marine grunt and when the evidence pointed to Jessep declaring a "code red"then Kaffee wanted the truth and Jessup bellowed "You can't handle the truth!" This line was voted 29th most memorable line in American movie history. But seriously the line has something for Jun Lozada and his fans to think about. So much has been been said about Jun Lozada. He has been called the "bearer of truth" (OK sort of...) and Jedi Knight (Oh puhleeeze!). The fans are in adulation but this whole morality play now staged in the Senate,on the Streets and in the Universities makes enough good Lenten reflection as we approach Passion Week. Strangely, the Catholic Bishops have missed out...

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines yesterday issued a pastoral letter on the current political crisis we have in the Philippines. The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia Chancery blog posted a copy. The six points made by the bishops have been said in other venues. It is not surprising that the bishops want EO 464 scrapped for this prevents the Queen's subalterns to appear before the Senate if they are to be questioned. They have to get her consent first. But what most op ed writers missed is this "For the long term we reiterate our call for “circles of discernment” at the grassroots level, in our parishes, Basic Ecclesial Communities, recognized lay organizations and movements, religious institutions, schools, seminaries and universities. It is through internal conversion into the maturity of Christ through communal and prayerful discernment and action that the roots of corruption are discovered and destroyed. We believe that such communal action will perpetuate at t...

If we had a Cabinet system of government then the Primus Inter Pares among MPs the Honourable Prime Minister has to convince all the ministers to toe the line. Then there is reason for a "unity walk". In the Mother of all Cabinet Governments the ministers don't walk but stand for a photo op in front of 10 Downing Street. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is Chief of State and Government of the Republic. If we compare the powers she has at disposal, she has more powers than George III of England ever had! George III however insane he was, never had to do a unity walk! So why the Unity Walk? We know that the Government is in panic mode when the ministers start the unity walk. We know that confidence is ebbing when the uniformed services do their own "unity walk". I don't really give a damn if the ministers do the walk. These civvies after all serve at the pleasure of Mrs Arroyo and they are accountable to her alone and not the legislature. However I am quite concerned w...

The last petition in the Lord's Prayer or Pater Noster is translated as "deliver us from Evil". Christians have been praying that ever since. But Garry Wills, a renowned Catholic scholar of the Greek New Testament says that the phrase really means more than what it says. When we read the koine or marketplace Greek, he proposes that a new translation should say "Wrest us from the Evil One!" The Greek has the original sense of the prayer that has been lost in translation. The Latin (from which we get our English Our Father and the Filipino Ama Namin ) implies that evil is a concept and not a person. Wills says that the evil is really a person. So we have to capitalize the "e" into an "E" in evil. So Evil is Personified. We have Dr Evil and now a President Evil if Jun Lozada recalled correctly what his friend Romy Neri really said. (Neri doesn't remember what he said!) According to Austin Danger Powers Dr Evil wants to rule the world. What ...

If this illustrious graduate of the Faculty of Civil Law of the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas has his way, then Her Pampangic Highness' cabinet members will get fired for attending a Mass! Gonzales seems to be fancying himself as Thomas Cromwell. But Cromwell was an astute lawyer and Henry VIII's hound against the religious orders. The Dominicans should dob this Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzales to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for proscribing the practice of Catholicism. The Dominican Professors probably regret having passed him in revalida . He threatens them with sedition! Is our Glorious Queen is fancying herself as Elizabeth the Virgin Queen? What's next, she'll order Gonzales to rack the Jesuits?!?! The Mass is the highest form of Catholic prayer. In the reign of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I people have been martyred for assisting at Mass. Some loyal ministers of their Majesties have lost their heads, foremost among them...

The US presidential horse race has even got the fancy of my Mum. All she talks about is what is following on CNN about who is likely to win the Democratic and Republican nominations. My Mum isn't just the only one in the non-American universe who is closely following the election race. But the Clinton and Obama side of the race is now in a statistical dead heat. Hillary got the few vote rich states and their delegates, while Barack got more states. Unlike the last major election that got the world's attention ( Question: What was that?..... Answer: The conclave that elected Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI in 2005), the American presidential race has no book of prophecies whom pundits would try to interpret. The papal elections always generate interest on the Prophecies of St Malachy which lists down the characteristics of all the popes as short mottoes. St Malachy does not name the Popes but alludes to their family history or career. So the saint lists down the popes an...

The Bishop of Malolos the Most Reverend Jose Oliveros has complained that the healing masses of Father Fernando Suarez, a Canada based priest violated Vatican rules. The Manila Times reports on the issue. The bishop cites the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ruling instituted by no other than Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger who is now known as Pope Benedict XVI. Churches with an episcopal form of government give territorial authority to bishops. Anyone who wants to minister to congregations within a diocese has to get the go ahead from the bishop. But it seems that Suarez did not bother to ask Oliveros for permission. But Oliveros was quoted to have said "I cannot unfortunately say that [whether Suarez is a real healer], although some people claimed they were healed. It needs further study, maybe, on the part of us bishops,” Fine but Oliveros may have legit concerns according to canon law of whether Suarez has the right or not to dispense the sacraments in his diocese. If he h...

The Philippine Daily Inquirer's (PDI) editorial for today is entitled "Holy Innocent" in which the blurb suggests that Reverend Ed Panlilio return the money to the Palace. As I have earlier made clear Panlilio made himself walk a spaghetti thin moral tightrope when he accepted the money. So the legal step to be taken is to return the money. I would agree but as usual the Inquirer editorial has serious logical flaws and non-sequiturs! First the PDI assumes that the priest is trained to be obedient. Possibly. But is Panlilio obedient to his bishop now that he is governor? I doubt it if he were he should have obeyed the Pope and not run for office. Thus we cannot really assume that Father Panlilio and Governor Panlilio are the same men now. Also read this "A pastor is bound by divine law. The politician’s actions, on the other hand, are permanently circumscribed by secular law. When the politician tries to be a pastor, the law becomes an obstacle to the higher purpose,...