Close to the heart

Fairly recently the Philippine Air Lines employees staged a strike and paralyzed tens of flights in several of the country’s terminals.  I have always taken flights on PAL since I was a young kid.  I still have to try the feel of flying in a different airline.  But for all of my forty odd years in this planet and counting, there was never one occasion when I was stranded like the passengers that were affected by the PAL employees’ strike. Still, my heart bled for all the poor passengers who missed their schedules, suffered the agony of being trapped inside their planes and at the airport, unable to fight their sad plight.

It’s just that the old and rustic PAL is really close to the heart. I will miss flying if ever as Mr. by Boo Chanco of Philippine Star says in his article “Is PAL worth saving?” —

Maybe PAL should just be allowed to fly into the sunset the same way that the proud PanAM, the international flag carrier of the United States for many years, was allowed to fade away when the economics of that airline no longer made sense. With its shaky finances and now, its damaged brand reputation due to labor problems, there may no other choice.

That September day was a truly bad day for the employees themselves, the local and foreign passengers, the airline company and by association, the Filipino people as a whole since the airline in question is the country’s flag carrier no less.

In my work in both fields of finance and the security industries, I have come face to face with a large number of distraught humans who could not take their flight due to sudden, unavoidable circumstances.  One most memorable was during the Mt. Pinatubo explosion in 1991. Hundreds of commuters at the domestic and international airports were sent back due to cancelled flights.  I remember a Japanese guest at the five star hotel where I worked, beckoned me during rounds accompanied by a hotel detective and asked for bottled water and even just P10.00 cash, whatever for he was supposed to use it on.  The guest said he and his wife no longer had any cash left after being stranded several days in the Philippines.

I cannot recalled the name of the Japanese guest but in that same hotel alone, my experience with him was replicated hundreds of times with the other local, but mostly the foreign guests. (I guess our kababayans are really just masyadong mas mahiyain than their foreign counterparts, yes?)

To top it all, that protest on that bleak day of September 27 by the members of the PAL employees association coincided with the raging typhoon Pedring with a trailing tropical storm Quiel at its back. Such a really sordid twist.  At the onset, all I was thinking was that the cancellations were due to inclement weather. Sadly it was not.

If PAL were Sulpicio Lines, one could just imagine the relief of the passengers that the airline cancelled its flights.

But PAL has world class employees and pilots and assistant or understudy pilots. It was the strike of the world class personnel that kept the airline’s jets from flying. Fortunately, the incident appears to be isolated. It does not seem that it has something to do with movements that have political color. Or is there some nuance of color in that strike? In the same way that the Bangkok strike paralyzed the government instead of just the airport? This one really keeps me thinking hard.

The big issue behind all the brouhaha is the plan to outsource the personnel of PAL and this is something that the employees of the former government owned organization vehemently reject.

Possibly, their thinking is that without being in the regular plantilla of the airline, they are in danger of being removed at will by PAL. And so they began their round of protests and whipped it up with a huge main event that crippled nearly all the flights of the flag carrier on September.

By and large, the PALEA and their apologists would be justifying their actions, but I personally cannot agree to the wisdom of that strike.  Unless of course, there was and really is a higher purpose to it, the employees simply hammered the last nail in the coffin.

As to whose coffin that was, we can only guess. But as things appear, the Supreme Court did not side with the PALEA and their affiliate organization, the FASAP over the legal issues on the dismissal of the PAL employees. It was a big blow to the struggle of the mutinous airline employees.

Another Philippine Star columnist says that PAL owner, Mr. Lucio Tan, must have bought the Philippines just because selected Supreme Court rulings favored the group of companies of Tan.  What hogwash!

Perhaps the serious lack of acceptance and understanding of the economics and finance of PAL could really lead to more problems for the airline.  Look at how a lot of grandstanding personalities and politicians are quick to hit at the Supreme Court over the decision disfavoring the PAL employees — we will write more about this in the days to come.

According to a retired former bureau chief of a foreign news daily, a compromise agenda that PAL employees or the FASAP can hammer on is to form their own manpower agency, to engage in manpower supply themselves.  This and many other less adversarial nor confrontational tactics and strategies could certainly be a more positive and healthy move.

It is also written on the wall, that whatever the plight of our country’s private enterprise could worsen in the coming year so there will always be a lose-lose situation instead of a win-win scenario in the near future.  What a waste!

Meanwhile, because of a low tolerance between the parties in the dispute, there will be no resolution and the ultimate outcome might not be good for our taste buds at all.

If the PAL employees can come up with truly constructive demands and fight for them at the negotiating table, it is likely that there will be no need to suffer innocent consumers to prove the point that the end justifies the means, even if the end appears to be wrong.  But if there were really a higher purpose to it all, only the protesting employees, their families and the riding public preferring PAL like I do, have a lot to lose.

And that’s why this issue is really close to the heart.

Leandro Mendoza’s coup d’ etat!

 

DOTC’s gain, Boncodin’s loss

 

 

Now that Sec. Mendoza is working towards the operationalization of the National Transport Safety Board Philippine version (calling on Shawn O’Donnell and company!!! calling on the Asian Development Bank !!!  you gave the first glimmer of hope when you pledged support for the privatization of the air traffic control of the Republic of the Philippines in 1995!!!), the secretary is The Man!  At  least for those of us that are lowly bloggers, blogging feverishly about the safety of all our brethren in air, sea and on land.  Pinoy or foreigner, young and old, male or female, alike.  More on this post here…

Sincerely, Madam Arroyo should read this…

Dear Madam President:

 

 

MV Princess of the Stars’ sinking is a terrific tragedy.  It is another point scored against government in the subject of safety.  You have every right to be angry at the incident.  A law has already been passed providing for the creation of the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) out of an original proposal to former President Fidel V.  Ramos for establishing a Philippine Safety Council by Executive Order (EO).  Instead of putting out an EO due to the need for the creation of a new office, legislation was sought by former Pres.  Ramos.  Congress complied and before the end of his tenure as President, the NTSB law was passed.

 

However, I remember with grave sadness Congress and DOTC complaining that after the law was enacted Ms. Emilia Boncodin told them in a letter sending back the manuscript of the enacted law, that sorry, government has no money.  That is patent bull shit, Madam President.  Boncodin meant that DBM had nothing to spare to support a new agency such as a safety agency.  Ms. Boncodin had it all wrong.  She has so much money in the banks, in real estates, in houses and lands named after her relatives, in shares of stocks of blue chip PSE listed corporations, and in many other places who knows where!

 

Boncodin merely stopped short of telling Congress and the Executive Branch: don’t fuck with DBM because it is mine!  Don’t even salivate after DBM money because it is mine alone to dispense!!!  Shit!!!

 

 

(Above, photo of shit ugly Miss Emilia/Emily Boncodin, adoptive daughter of Madam Cory Aquino.  Golden Gown sold by Syracuse.)

 

For the love of God, during her (Boncodin’s) time, she even demands cash or checks just before releasing funds to a payee (contractor, supplier) of the government via the DBM and her take runs to millions up to a high of hundreds of millions or even more!  And she won’t release the money unless she gets her suitcase- or boxfull of money, a cheque or even a post-dated cheque (PDC), the bitch!  Garapal, Madam President!  Masyadong garapal, that Boncodin!

 

And then she and her fellow thieves who banded together in the group called HYATT 10 (Dinky Soliman, Mely Nicolas, King Deles, etc.  who got at the very least 100 million each from the Peace Bonds Super Scam) had the nerve to say they were resigning from a corrupt government.  Their group HYATT 10 came to be known as Black and White Movement (BnW) — that high and mighty group doing its best to moralize the country to their own brand of stupid morality.  Again much later they became the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) — the same stupid corrupt maniacs by another name.  Now they say they are the BUSINA! The shits, Madam President, the wretched of our society.

 

Boncodin (not to mention her fellow thieves), is / are to blame for many of our poor people’s, of all our citizens’ woes.  DBM’s word is like God’s Law.  What DBM says, sticks.  When DBM speaks, all the Cabinet and all the Legislators, all the Judiciary trembles.  The MV Princess of the Stars would never have happened if DBM did not torpedo the law and acted on it so its intent will be actualized.

 

But selfish interests prevail over humane compassion and respect for life and property.  Self-aggrandizement comes first before the universally recognized concept of not letting non-land worthy, unseaworthy and non-airworthy assets be allowed to embark from their stations.

 

This is notwithstanding that said assets should also not be allowed to set off in very inclement weather conditions.  So that none nor nothing will blamed if a mishap takes places.

 

Therefore Madam President, whether or not Ms. Boncodin will be put in jail for superlative performance of corruption in government during her time from a simple Director, Assistant or Under Secretary then Secretary, it is most respectfully prayed, albeit begged that you finally take the final steps towards operationalizing the NTSB.

 

From a moral standpoint, the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy is not just accidental deaths of the innocent, hapless casualties! It is a deliberate mass murder of helpless victims just because of that overwhelming determination to amass a hideously humongous amount of dirty wealth!!!

 

It will be feather in your cap and I grant that you’ll be remembered for a long time for advocating safety more than the other presidents had ever done!  At least FVR will be cited for possibly certifying the proposed safety bill as urgent, if that ever happened.  But it will be to your credit that the law finally became a reality!

 

Remember,  you have always said you respect the Rule of Law.  Well, let’s give the Law its due.  Godspeed!

 

More power to you and may you have a successful trip outside of the country!

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Girbaudz

 

 

 

 

Bastardizing Religion and Politics

STOP EVIL! DO SOMETHING GOOD! WHO’S TALKING ABOUT THE DEVIL?  HE DOESN’T EVEN EXIST!!!  FUCK!!!

The behavior of church was never noticed so much in the time of the ouster of Marcos, Erap or similar other campaigns until today.  The church in the Philippines is not only very much visible.  It is also extremely divided due to differing directions and determinations of its halved flocks and warring shepherds.

The great Bishop Presidente

Bishop President’s factotum

Armin Luistro, Faithful Estrada friend

Rebel Clergy Brother-in-Arms

The Catholic Clergy, here in the Philippine Archipelago, is at war with itself.  Why not?  This country is a democratic country.  Oscar Cruz, Archbishop of Urdaneta and some of his fellow rebels have embraced unnatural sexual preferences that will not make him a target of that despicable word to heterosexual celibates:  womanizer.  But surely there is another group that he and his group identifies with and they are not celibates in any sense of the word simply because of their engagement in coitus, not with the opposite sex, that is.  The uniqueness of Cruz’ position is that he is not simply a non-conformant church leader.  He is also a rebel against the government.  He is joined by loyal Joseph Estrada (deposed ex-president) friend and ally, Armin Luistro.

Archbishop Cruz Osquee, with bf

The Archbishop, is constantly cooperating and showing himself working side by side with criminals, corrupt persons and the purveyors of Communism — an anachronism in these parts where the atheists’ advocacy that God did not die because he was never born nor ever alive, is supposed to be a no-no to the Catholic religion and Christian tenets.

Satanism and Devil Worship did not use to be the province of the Political Opposition, but it appears to be in that side now.  The Catholic Church’s second or third penultimate leader, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, President or head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is said to be cavorting with Lucifer a/k/a Satan, while providing inspiration to the Political Opposition elements who are out to throw the Lady by the Pasig River into the dogs.

Many communists are in lofty positions in the Protestant sect themselves.  These religious and some Politicians however agree on one kind of Religious Politics:  the one subscribing to Satan.

If the Administration no longer has the franchise to Devil Worship after one of its key purveyors, leading light of the Lakas Political Party, Jose C. Perez a/k/a Jose C. De Venecia, Jr. of the Third District of Pangasinan, burned his bridges with the majority political group, what has it gained for the other side?

Nothing.  Congress is now investigating and curbing the corruption in the House that was so deep during the Peres a/k/a De Venecia, Jr. speakership.  This including awarding a franchise to his son in telecoms.  Son Jose Perez Perez II a/k/a Jose Perez De Venecia III went on to supply Bayan Telecom and PLDT-Smart with ZTE wireless phones and roll-out technology.  But dearest Jose Perez Perez II, went into debt with ZTE for tens of millions of US Dollars.  This appears to be a situation where after ZTE delivers supply and technical services for wireless roll-out, Bayan Telecoms and PLDT-Smart did not pay Joey and Joey did not pay ZTE.  As a result, Joey was blacklisted by ZTE.  But Joey, wanted in, and said so to Abalos.  ZTE did not want to touch Joey with a ten foot pole.  Not anymore.

ZTE probably hates Joey to the bones but absolutely no one can blame them.  So Joey threatened to spill the beans on the ZTE-RP deal and his dear papa was prepared to hit Arroyo with a knife in the back.Joey was extremely furious because his spies tell him, a lot of money was moving and changing hands fast!  Jesus, he tells himself, I got to be part of that!!!  He was totally envious!  But failing to get a cent from the furious ZTE Joey-joey boy went to with his so-called perfect  exposé. Joey, frontlining everything, was followed by daddy-employee and bosom friend Jun Lozada.

Apart from his unpaid debts, Joey’s wanting a share of the moolah from ZTE was unconscionable!  A total crock of shit.  Maybe he promised his daddy too some of the rewards…  And daddy being generous, did not want to reject the generosity of others…

After all, what is money but the proverbial “root of all evil?” Is that not what daddy and son worship with all their supposedly, “new found friends?”

Not having any real Development legislation nor on-time budget hearings was common during the time of Perez a/k/a De Venecia because like his wife who is from the world of Showbiz and Fanfare, bodabil as well as being under extreme Demonic influence and surrounded by lieutenants who were deeply enmeshed with Drugs and the Drug Business like the former deposed President and his factotum who is now a senator, was more into Excesses and boasted of an Extravagant Lifestyle where his mansion in Dasmariñas Village functioned like a five-star hotel and restaurant 29 full hours a day.

Joey Perez Perez II a/k/a Joey de Venecia III

Joey’s buddy, Jun

Cory Babysitter of Jun

CAUTION:  Too much sitting on the baby can cause cancer in the behinds.  Please exercise extreme care.

Ping Lacson

Of course, this was not so when he was out of power.  But once Congressman Perez a/k/a De Venecia once more attained to the speakership, he was again the ebullient and magnificent host and the benefactor from Hell (not Heaven) dispensing favors to the Chosen and the Favored of his group’s Satanic Coven. With the daemonic spins he and the underworld elements were weaving, with Archbishop Lagdameo in his tow, together with Archbishop Cruz, the atheists side by side and the secret agnostics called the Yellow Army of the Cory Aquino, the Lopez clan-the Victoria Garchitorena-Corazon Soliman-Fr. Vicente Romano et al group of Sexual Perverts and Deviants, the communists and pseudo-communists, and the mendicant or else co-opted nincompoops in media it was easy to dominate the air and paint a picture that the country is going to the dogs and that they were justified in attempting to feed Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the dogs, too.

The Church will never gain anything positive at all, too.  Like their political counterparts, the clergy will merely be mortgaging their souls to Hell Habitat Banking Company and its residents.  But nothing good will be gained by the priests, bishops, archbishops, nuns and mother superiors for becoming rebels at a time when no revolution can ever be justifiably called for.

Here in the Philippines neither politics nor religion will ever be in their safe sanctums anytime.

What Cong. Perez a/k/a De Venecia and Lagdameo and their fellow Demon Lovers are trying to kill that is in the possession of government, are actually in themselves.  And more.  For their pact with the Dark and Evil Forces since the previous administration that saw them in full power and throttle have made them truly a bane to this country.

This bastardization ought to stop.

What to do?

The idol of the communists, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin once asked:  What is to be done?

I feel that a Leninist Revolution will not erase the Demon Worshippers in our midst.

No one knows if this V sign will still work.  But, pray to God, that the power and influence of the Devil Worshippers and Satanists will not bring this country down to the lowest pits howsoever.  If we still pray.  If we believe.

I’m not sure what could be done, except to pray.  To pray and not do the deeds that will complement the acts of the Satanists and Devil Worshippers.  In the time of the campaigns to defeat Hitler, people showed the V (for Victory) sign with two fingers, being as it was, according to fortune tellers and psychics, at the time the most powerful symbol that would weaken the evil forces summoned by Adolf Hitler to control Germany and other portions of Europe and by Japanese military hawks to control major parts of Asia in the Axis Powers configuration.

Pray to angels and archangels to stop daemonically inspired people like Perez, Gina Perez Perez a/k/a Gina De Venecia, Cory, Cruz, Lacson, Estrada, Chato, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera from being able to continue to do the will of the Devil.

May they be struck down dead by the Wrath of God before they destroy all of our country’s cherished institutions and the entire future of coming generations.