Is it right?

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent to the things that matter. Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right.

- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968)

Ei MLK, Is this right?

Oo, ramdam nga nila ang asenso. Ramdam na ramdam nila ang kaunlaran!

The Price of Freedom

We win freedom by deserving it. Loving the true, the good, and the beautiful, to the point of dying for it. And when the people has reached these heights, God provides the weapons; and the tyrants and idols shall fall, like a house of cards!

-Dr. Jose P. Rizal (Essay: The Philippines a Hundred Years from Now!)

Country still in grip of 'economic colonizers'

The words of Chief Justice Puno during the 110th Independence Day celebration yesterday rings very true. Just read below.


ON INDEPENDENCE DAY
RP still a long way from freedom--SC' s Puno

Country still in grip of 'economic colonizers'

By Abigail Kwok, Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:41:00 06/12/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines may no longer officially be under foreign rule but the country remains in the grip of "economic colonizers," Chief Justice Reynato Puno said on Thursday, Independence Day.

In his speech at rites in Caloocan City to mark the 110th year since Philippine revolutionary president Emilio Aguinaldo declared the country independent from Spanish colonial rule, Puno said foreign governments and firms continue to wield influence on the nation's economic and political life.

But aside from foreign influence, Puno said Filipinos also have to work against local elites with vested interests before they can be truly free.

Speaking in Filipino, Puno said wealthy foreign nations make loans available but "the bitter payment for these is our acquiescence to business agreements in which their businesses are granted many incentives."

And because the country cannot afford to repay these debts, "they dictate how we should run our political and economic life and oftentimes limit how much we spend to help our poor, educate their children, put food on their tables," he said.

But the chief justice said that, aside foreign nations and corporations that violate Filipinos' social and economic rights, the country's independence is also undermined by those who manipulate elections and by companies that refuse to pay just wages to their workers.

Citing figures from the National Statistics Office, Puno said the prices of commodities increased by 14.3 percent last month and 12 percent last April.

The price of rice, on the other hand, rose by 31.7 percent within a month.

He said that with every 10-percent increase in the prices of commodities, 2.3 more Filipinos join the ranks of the poor.

Puno said the situation he outlined proves that not only is the Philippines free but it has a long way to go to achieve freedom.

Shot sa gabi, para hangover kinabukasan.

Whenever things don’t look good in law school, it is not always as bad as you think.
It shall all look good in the morning!
-adopted Gen. Collin Powell (Operation Desert Storm)

So to the robbers, si Lord na ang bahala sa inyo!

Robbery Hold-up Part 1

T'is day, I am still thankful; that though they took my cellphone, they did not take my life!
-Unknown

This person was a victim of hold up yesterday, that which I never thought I would endure. What happened yesterday was really a gut wretching experience on my part, being a victim of a crime for the first time. I managed to get my sim card, though I don't think that it was a good idea because the fan knife the robbers used was about two inch from being inside my stomach (hehe!). But I still tried to get what would be the most important part of that phone, while I tried to wrestle the holdupers and thus prevented the 4 inch knife from being a part of my body.

I asked the assistance of components from the University Belt Area-Police Community Precint (UBA-PCP). We were able to apprehend one of the perpetrators of such grievious acts against unknowing and simple citizens. We filed a case against him in the Fiscal's office of Manila. And he is now under the custody of the police in the Sampaloc Police Station (PS # 4) at Balic balic. 

I finished this story later, complete with the details. I have to make ready for school.