MGA AGOS SA DISYERTO: SA MULING PAGBULWAK
Alexander Martin Remollino

1964 nang bumulwak sa landas ng panitikan sa Pilipino ang Mga Agos sa Disyerto, isang kalipunan ng maiikling kuwento nina Efren Reyes Abueg, Dominador Mirasol (SLN), Rogelio L. Ordoñez, Edgardo M. Reyes, at Rogelio Sikat (SLN). Mula noo’y nakadalawang edisyon pa ito: isa noong 1974 at isa pa noong 1993.

At ngayo’y muli itong inililimbag. Kahapon, inilunsad ang ikaapat na edisyon ng klasikong kalipunan sa Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (PUP) sa Sta. Mesa, Maynila... BASAHIN ANG BUONG ARTIKULO

OF PIES AND CRUMBS (OR HOW A FORTUNE CAN BE A PITTANCE)
Alexander Martin Remollino

20 million pesos
is a pie that could make or break records
until you break it up for multitudes... FIND FULL POEM AT ARKIBONG BAYAN

NOYNOY BACKTRACKS ON PROMISE REGARDING TRUTH BODY
Alexander Martin Remollino

On June 29, a day before he was inaugurated as the country’s 15th president, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III announced his plan to create a truth commission that would investigate corruption and human rights violations under the Arroyo regime.

“This is the body that I promised the people I will set up to put closure on so many issues,” Aquino told reporters in a press conference that day. He also said the commission “will, as necessary, prepare and prosecute cases to make sure those who committed crimes against the people will be made to pay.”

He said the commission will look into “any and all issues, including extrajudicial killings.”

Human rights group Karapatan documented more than 1,200 extrajudicial killings and over 200 enforced disappearances under the nine-year Arroyo administration. Arroyo’s implementation of Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL) – a US-directed counter-“insurgency” program which targeted unarmed activists and ordinary citizens for “neutralization” purportedly to destroy the “political infrastructure” of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP) – is blamed for the killings and disappearances.

Aquino named beforehand Hilario Davide Jr., a former Supreme Court chief justice who campaigned for him in the last elections, to head the commission.

On July 30, he signed Executive Order No. 1, creating the Philippine Truth Commission of 2010 and outlining the scope of its work.

Human rights violations are conspicuously absent from its coverage... READ FULL ARTICLE

ANG DAAN PATUNGO SA PAGBABAGO AYON KAY NOYNOY AQUINO
Alexander Martin Remollino

Ako, si Noynoy Aquino,
na lubusang nakatitiyak
na ang mandatong nakuha ko sa huling eleksiyon
ay patunay
na umaasa pa rin ang Pilipino sa pagbabago,
ay nagdedeklara ngayon
na ito ang daang tatahakin natin
tungo sa pagbabago... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

WATER CRISIS, IMPENDING TOLL AND POWER HIKES HIGHLIGHT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN CABINET
Alexander Martin Remollino

The crisis in water supply which has recently broken out in Metro Manila, as well as impending increases in toll fees and power rates, have underscored conflicts of interest haunting some of the appointees to the cabinet of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Reports of zero water supply in several barangays serviced by Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company are rife. More than a million residents of some 120 barangays in Metro Manila and Cavite, which fall under the service area of the two big companies, are affected.

Meanwhile, an increase in toll rates is scheduled to be implemented at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) by the middle of August.

The Lopez-owned Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has also recently filed a petition for a power rates increase.

The public utilities – water, toll roads, telecommunications, and power – are often contentious areas insofar as the crafting and implementation of policy are concerned. These are areas in which the interests of big business and the needs and welfare of consumers often come into conflict. It is thus important that those appointed to head government agencies that deal with the public utilities be in a position to decide fairly when it comes to dealing with such conflicts.

Three of the cabinet appointments Aquino made have recently aroused controversy, as these involve people who were named to head public utility-concerned agencies – even as they also have obvious ties to big business... READ FULL ARTICLE

PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON
Alexander Martin Remollino

(kina Atty. Edwin Lacierda, Atty. Ignacio Bunye, Atty. Fernando Barrican, at iba pang nagsilbi bilang presidential spokesperson)... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

HINDI MANHID
Alexander Martin Remollino

At kanyang tinapos
"ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan."
Pero, wala siyang sinabing... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

MGA HAMON KAY NOYNOY
Alexander Martin Remollino

"Ngayon, sa araw na ito — dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko, ngunit kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat.

"Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagayan, na sa bawat taon pabawas nang pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy na nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuluy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon.

"Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago — isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan."

Ito ang tinuran ni Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III matapos ang kanyang panunumpa noong Hunyo 30 bilang ika-15 pangulo ng Pilipinas... BASAHIN ANG BUONG ARTIKULO

POLITICAL BUTTERFLIES AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Alexander Martin Remollino

In 2005, Rodolfo Valencia of the second district of Oriental Mindoro voted in favor of dismissing the impeachment complaint filed against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“This has sown divisiveness among us,” he said in his speech explaining his vote. “My decision is not by my blind loyalty to the president but by my loyalty to my constituents. We cannot allow the economy to stagnate. The economy will not recover in the next five years if the president is impeached. There is unemployment, poverty, homelessness. This raging wildfire will cause damage. It is time to end all this bickering.”

The next year, he would also vote in favor of junking the second impeachment complaint against Arroyo.

Florencio “Joeben” Miraflores, of the lone district of Aklan, did not vote on the 2005 impeachment complaint. But he voted against the 2006 complaint.

Valencia and Miraflores, both formerly part of Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi coalition, are now with the Liberal Party – the new administration party.

They are among the new members the Liberal Party swore in on June 25, or five days before Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino’s inauguration. That day the Liberal Party swore in 25 new members – 22 of whom are “defectors” from Lakas-Kampi... READ FULL ARTICLE

QUEST FOR SPEAKERSHIP: A 3-CORNERED FIGHT
Alexander Martin Remollino

With a few weeks to go before the 15th Congress opens session, the battle for House speakership is still largely expected to be a two-way fight between Quezon City Rep. Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte of the Liberal Party and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman of Lakas-Kampi (who will be sharing the speaker’s term with Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez), although Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla of the Nacionalista Party has also declared he will compete for the House speakership.

Who will emerge as the next House speaker will in large part depend on whether party alignments will continue to change... READ FULL ARTICLE

BAGO PADAPUIN SA KANILA ANG INYONG MGA PAMALO
Alexander Martin Remollino

At isang krimen na pala
ang magkampo sa harap ng isang "arko ng kapayapaan"
upang hingin ang talagang sa iyo.
Sana, bago padapuin sa kanila ang inyong mga pamalo... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

KAY NOYNOY AQUINO, SA KANYANG PAG-UPO BILANG IKA-15 PANGULO NG PILIPINAS
Alexander Martin Remollino

Itinatak mo na sa iyong noo
ang mga katagang... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

THE NEW PRESIDENT'S CABINET
Alexander Martin Remollino

The members of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III’s cabinet include one of the big donors to his electoral campaign, as well as several executives of big corporations and a known advocate of neoliberal globalization.

Aquino announced the names of his cabinet members in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, the eve of his oath-taking as the country’s 15th president. READ FULL ARTICLE

LP to focus on becoming dominant party in House - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

NANG IBILAD MO ANG MGA KANSER NITONG LIPUNAN
Alexander Martin Remollino

(kay Dr. Jose Rizal -- bayani, manggagamot at manunulat)

Nang itaas mo ang bahagi ng belong
nagtatakip sa mga kanser nitong lipunan,
hinubdan mo rin ng dangal... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

INT'L AND LOCAL GROUPS PRESSURE NOYNOY TO FREE POLITICAL DETAINEES
Alexander Martin Remollino

Several groups have called on President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to free all political detainees, as his mother former president Corazon C. Aquino did shortly after assuming office in 1986... READ FULL ARTICLE

IN MEMORIAM: JOAN HINTON, PHYSICIST AND REVOLUTIONARY, 1921-2010
Alexander Martin Remollino

You let your science flourish
where no one splits atoms
to send cities back to the Stone Age... READ FULL POEM

Businesses, relatives bankrolled Aquino campaign - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

BUT THEY FED IT ALL TO THE DUSTBINS AND TOILETS
Alexander Martin Remollino

How many mouths can P10 million feed
in a single sitting?
Up to 250,000 or so... READ FULL POEM

'MIDNIGHT APPOINTEES' ARE LOYAL ARROYO ALLIES
Alexander Martin Remollino

It was not just that outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made so many “midnight appointments” in less than two weeks; her list of appointees, documents show, includes loyal former generals, a campaign contributor, a number of her political allies, and Malacañang spin doctors.

Last March, outgoing Arroyo beat the constitutional deadline for appointments to government positions during an election year and made some 250 appointments to government-owned and-controlled corporations (GOCCs), as well as to agencies attached to the Office of the President.

The Constitution prohibits the president from making appointments 60 days before the elections. This year's ban on appointments started last March 10.

Documents Newsbreak obtained from a government source it did not identify show that Arroyo's “midnight appointees” include a number whose appointments may be controversial or even scandalous, based on their backgrounds... READ FULL ARTICLE

DOWN THE DRAIN
Alexander Martin Remollino

A fortune most will not amass
even after spending P10 million
on lottery tickets... READ FULL POEM

HINDI NALUMPO ANG IYONG PANININDIGAN
Alexander Martin Remollino

(sa alaala ni Rogelio "Ka Mamay" Galit, lider-magsasaka sa Cavite, 1957-2010)

Sa iyong mga huling araw,
tila ka iginapos sa luklukang may gulong... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

Updated list of House members absent during FOI roll call - Nation - GMANews.TV - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News

TINITIBAG ANG MGA PANANDANG-BATO SA ATING DINAANAN
Alexander Martin Remollino

Hindi lang ang di-paglingon sa pinanggalingan
ang dahilan ng ating kabiguang
makarating sa paroroonan... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

Solon hits Nograles for ignoring quorum - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

NOYNOY AND HACIENDA LUISITA: A MATTER OF DUTY
Alexander Martin Remollino

Now that Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino is inexorably bound for the presidency, it is an opportune time to revisit his varying – sometimes, conflicting – campaign statements and commitments regarding Hacienda Luisita, the 6,453-hectare hacienda in Tarlac of which the Cojuangco clan claims ownership.

Hacienda Luisita, the country's second biggest family-"owned" plantation, will be an acid test for Aquino and how he will position himself on the matter of land reform – a major policy issue affecting some 75 percent of the country's population.

Near the beginning of the national electoral campaign, Noynoy said he is open to talking to his relatives about redistributing Hacienda Luisita. The he claimed there is nothing much he can do about the issue since he "owns" only 4 percent of the hacienda. Then he promised to redistribute it by 2014, the deadline for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Reforms (CARPER) Law. He next said the family does not want to redistribute the land pending the payment of all the landholding's debts. Now he says he is leaving the courts to decide on the matter.

In the first place, it is not a mere option for Noynoy to be "open" to talking to his family about redistributing Hacienda Luisita. How much of the hacienda he really owns is not an issue. The redistribution of the hacienda need not – and should not – wait until 2014. The family can, and should, redistribute the land without passing on the debts to the beneficiaries. And the Hacienda Luisita question, in the final analysis, is not something that Noynoy can just leave to the courts... READ FULL ARTICLE

Information Bill backers pin hopes on Aquino III - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Lakas-Kampi leaders agree to term sharing for Speakership - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

BEFORE PULLING THE TRIGGER
Alexander Martin Remollino

(in response to the May 31, 2010 attack by US-armed and -funded Israeli forces on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza Strip)

And your soldiers pulled the trigger
on that flotilla... READ FULL POEM

Poll official admits party-list system ‘flawed’ - Eleksyon 2010 - GMANews.TV

28 party-list groups proclaimed, land seats in House - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Comelec proclaims 28 winning party-list groups - Eleksyon 2010 - GMANews.TV

MARCOSES COME CLOSE TO FULL CIRCLE
Alexander Martin Remollino

With three of them now holding elective posts -– including one senator -– the Marcoses have come close to full circle.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the only son of the ousted president, was among the new senators-elect proclaimed last May 15, five days after the country's first automated elections. His mother, Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, is the new representative of Ilocos Norte's second district. His sister, Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos, is Ilocos Norte's new governor.

Forced into exile in Hawaii on the heels of the 1986 People Power uprising, the Marcoses were allowed to return in 1991.

This is not the first time since 1992 that any of the remaining Marcoses were able to hold elective offices.

Imelda was elected representative of her native Leyte's first district in 1995.

Bongbong represented Ilocos Norte, his father's home province, from 1992 to 1995. He subsequently served as Ilocos Norte's governor for three terms. In 2007 he was reelected as the province's second-district representative.

Imee was Ilocos Norte's second-district representative from 1998 to 2007.

This, however, is the first time all three of them are holding elective posts at the same time. While it is not quite yet the time for them to sing “Happy Days Are Here Again,” all it would take for a complete reversal of 1986 is for one of them to become president... READ FULL ARTICLE AT PHILIPPINE ONLINE CHRONICLES OR AT LA INDYMEDIA

WONDERLANDS
Alexander Martin Remollino

Alice in Wonderland cries and creates
a sea of tears,
where she swims and meets a Mouse
and other animals.
They later meet on the bank... READ FULL POEM

KA BEL: HUWARANG LIDER NG SAMBAYANAN
Alexander Martin Remollino

Kahapon ang ikalawang anibersaryo ng kamatayan ni Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran.

Noon at ngayon ma’y isang huwaran si Ka Bel sa lahat ng nagnanais na maging lider ng bansa... BASAHIN ANG BUONG ARTIKULO

THE NEW SENATORS-ELECT AND PEOPLE'S ISSUES
Alexander Martin Remollino

The line-up of 12 new senators-elect who will serve until 2016 is now complete. As nationally elected legislators, they will play prominent parts in crafting national policy for the next six years.

What are we to expect from the newly elected senators? A look at their track records, or previous positions on people's issues, and their platforms of government would be instructive.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had been able to proclaim nine senators-elect last May 15, five days after the country's first automated elections. They are Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Franklin Drilon, Juan Ponce Enrile, Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Ralph Recto, and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

Three days later, the Comelec was able to proclaim the remaining three senators -- Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, and Teofisto “TG” Guingona III.

During the run-up to the elections, the Pagbabago! People's Movement for Change -– a group advocating socio-political and economic reforms -– had assessed several of the senatorial candidates based on its People's Criteria, which cover five issues: truth, accountability, and justice; economic progress and the environment; people's welfare; sovereignty, peace, and equality; and love of country. Pagbabago released its findings to the media a week before the elections.

This is an opportune time to review the People's Criteria that Pagbabago put forward and take a look at how the 12 senators-elect weighed against these... READ FULL ARTICLE AT PHILIPPINE ONLINE CHRONICLES OR AT LA INDYMEDIA

YOU HAVE REFUSED TO SEAL YOUR LIPS
Alexander Martin Remollino

You have refused to seal your lips --
knowing that each time you tell your tale,
you speak out for all those voices... READ FULL POEM

MCKINLEY DID NOT CIVILIZE THESE ISLANDS
Alexander Martin Remollino

McKinley did not civilize these islands:
their people had just fought fiercely for freedom
when his uniformed beasts
planted the Stars and Stripes on their soil... READ FULL ARTICLE

NOTES FOR A POETRY WORKSHOP, BY WAY OF A POEM
Alexander Martin Remollino

A poem is the smallest package
containing the biggest things... READ FULL POEM

PHILIPPINES: INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF AUTOMATED POLLS URGED
Alexander Martin Remollino

Quezon City -- A group advocating political and socio-economic reforms has called for an independent audit of the May 10 elections, the first automated elections in the Philippines' history.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had declared the May 10 elections a success, even as it acknowledged the numerous problems that had arisen during election day.

"I'm smiling again," Comelec chairman Jose Melo told reporters in a press conference on Monday. "It was successful. I will add the 'very' part later."

But the Pagbabago! People's Movement for Change has disputed Melo's assessment, citing the Comelec's own admission that there are discrepancies between the electronic election returns and their printed versions. The discrepancies affect some 150,000 voters from 196 precincts in different provinces... READ FULL ARTICLE

PHILIPPINES: WATCHDOG URGES POLL BODY TO COMPLETE RESULTS TRANSMISSION
Alexander Martin Remollino

Quezon City -- An election monitoring group has urged the Philippines' Commission on Elections (Comelec) to complete the transmission of election results.

In a press conference here earlier today, Kontra Daya conveners said delays in the canvassing of votes could put the credibility and integrity of the counting in question.

The 2004 and 2007 elections were marred by allegations of massive fraud. The automation of Philippine elections failed to ease fears that fraud can still be committed.

Around 10 percent of precinct results have yet to be transmitted to the Comelec. Also, as of early last night, the National Board of Canvassers had been able to process only 60 out of 274 certificates of canvass... READ FULL ARTICLE

PHILIPPINES' NOYNOY CAN'T YET REST ON HIS LAURELS
Alexander Martin Remollino

Manila -- The Liberal Party's Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, the leading presidential candidate, seems set to become the Philippines' next president.

Based on the results of the unofficial Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV)-GMA 7 count as of 1:10 pm today, reflecting 89.46 percent of election returns, Aquino enjoys a lead of almost 5 million over his closest rival, Joseph Estrada.

But he cannot yet rest on his laurels. There is someone he has to face who could pose a major challenge to his rule... READ FULL ARTICLE

WHO IS USING THE HACIENDA LUISITA 'CONTROVERSY' AS A TOOL FOR POLITICS?
Alexander Martin Remollino

When I interviewed 32-year-old Maribel Valdez on Nov. 16, 2009, during the fifth anniversary of what is now known as the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, she was not saying national candidates and "left-leaning groups" were using the issue as a "black propaganda ploy" against Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, the Philippines’ leading presidential candidate, whose family claims ownership of the 6,453-hectare land encompassing several villages in Tarlac. She was not saying she and her family were "beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita."

Hacienda Luisita was, in late 2004, the scene of a bloody confrontation arising from its supposed owners’ refusal to grant farm and mill workers’ demands for higher wages and additional work days, hospital benefits, and land redistribution. Seven strikers –- Jesus Laza, Jhaivie Basilio, Juancho Sanchez, Jessie Valdez, Jun David, Jaime Pastidio, and Adriano Caballero –- lost their lives on Nov. 16 that year, when a combined police and military contingent fired upon the picket line. A hundred and eighty-one more were wounded.

Maribel was pregnant with their fourth child when her husband Jessie was killed. During our interview, she said she had become the sole breadwinner for herself and the children, earning a living by planting rice in her native Isabela, where they moved shortly after the massacre... READ FULL ARTICLE

PHILIPPINES: PRESIDENTIAL SON IS ABOVE POLL LAWS
Alexander Martin Remollino

In the Philippines, being a presidential son allows you to be a party-list nominee without possessing any of the qualifications for being one.

Or at least that is what is shown by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruling dismissing the disqualification petitions filed by senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza and the party-list group Bayan Muna against presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo.

Arroyo is running for a seat in the House of Representatives as the first nominee of Ang Galing Pinoy Partylist (AG), which claims to represent security guards, tricycle drivers, and small businessmen. Ocampo, Maza, and Bayan Muna have sought his disqualification, arguing that Arroyo does not represent the marginalized and underrepresented sectors that AG claims to represent... READ FULL ARTICLE AT LA INDYMEDIA OR AT ASIANCORRESPONDENT.COM

KAHEL
Alexander Martin Remollino

Tila hindi bibitiw sa baril ang mga daliri ni Nonoy kahit na pukpukin ng maso.

Buo na ang kanyang kapasyahan: aasintahin niya ang ulo ni M. Villa, ang kanyang pangunahing kalaban sa panguluhan ng bansa, at kakalabitin niya ang gatilyo. Mabaliw-baliw na si Nonoy sa galit dahil may ilang linggo nang halos araw-araw ay laman ng mga balita si M. Villa at ang pagsasalaysay nito ng mga ulat mula raw sa mga sakada ng Hacienda Lucia na siya, kapag nalalasing, ay mahilig na mamaril ng sinumang dumaan sa kanyang harapan. Buo ang paniniwala niyang makasisira ito sa kanyang kampanya, kahit na ang mga marka niya sa lahat ng sarbey ay tila walang alam na tunguhin kundi pataas.

At ngayon, sa kanyang sasakyang nakahimpil may ilang daang metro mula sa tanghalan, nakaabang siya at ang kanyang mga badigard sa pagtawag sa pangalan ni M. Villa.

"At ang susunod na magsasalita, mga kababayan, ay ang dapat na maging susunod na pangulo ng Pilipinas -- walang iba kundi si M. Villa!"

Humigpit pang lalo ang kapit ng mga daliri ni Nonoy sa baril. Bumaba ang bintana ng kanyang sasakyan at bahagyang sumungaw mula roon ang bunganga ng baril ni Nonoy... BASAHIN ANG BUONG KUWENTO

KUNG PAANO NAGING KAGALANG-GALANG SI JUAN TAMAD
Alexander Martin Remollino

Isang araw ay biglang napagod si Juan Tamad sa kahihiga sa duyan habang nakangangang naghihintay na lumapag sa loob ng kanyang bunganga ang bayabas... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

HIGIT NA MAHAL
Alexander Martin Remollino

Sa silid-kainan ng iyong isip,
kailanman ay hindi nila natikman ang ipaghain --
kailanman ay hindi.
Ni hindi nga nila nalasap doon ni minsan
ang alukin man lamang na kumain --
ni minsan ay hindi... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

PAGBABANTAY SA HALALAN NG 2010
Alexander Martin Remollino

Hindi mamatay-matay ang usapin ng pandaraya sa halalan sa ating bayan. At paano naman ito mamamatay, ay wala pa yatang naitatalang talagang malinis na halalan sa ating kasaysayan? Sa wika nga ng istoryador na si Ambeth Ocampo, sa kauna-unahan pa lamang na maituturing na pambansang halalan sa Pilipinas –- sa Kumbensiyon sa Tejeros -– ay may naganap nang dayaan.

Naging lalong maapoy ang usaping ito noong nakaraang dalawang halalan dahil sa garapal na pagsasagawa nito noon. Hindi pa nalilimot ang ayon nga sa makatang si Richard Gappi ay “di-mabilang” na botong “di nabilang” na para kay Fernando Poe Jr. noong halalan ng 2004, na humantong sa pagkakapagbigay diumano ng panibagong mandato kay Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Hindi rin nalilimot ang pandaraya sa ilang kandidato sa pagkasenador ng Genuine Opposition sa halalan ng 2007, na humantong naman sa pagkakaluklok ng ilang kandidato ng Team Unity na hindi naman kapani-paniwala ang pagkapanalo batay sa naging katayuan nila sa mga katiwa-tiwalang sarbey... BASAHIN ANG BU0NG ARTIKULO

INT'L ACTIVIST GROUP CONDEMNS ARREST, DETENTION, TORTURE OF 'MORONG 43'
Alexander Martin Remollino

An international activist formation has condemned the arrest, detention, and torture of the 43 health workers in the Philippines who are collectively known as the "Morong 43."

The International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), which describes itself as an "anti-imperialist and democratic formation," in a recent resolution called on its member organizations worldwide to "make the strongest demand that they can muster for the release of the 43 health workers and to condemn and hold accountable the US-Arroyo regime for its gross and systematic violation of human rights in the Philippines." It also called for the immediate release of the "Morong 43" and demanded that those involved in their illegal arrest, detention, and torture be arrested and brought to justice... READ FULL ARTICLE

BLACK RIBBON
Alexander Martin Remollino

(for Atty. Kathrina Castillo, Kabataan Partylist's third nominee in the 2010 elections)

A black ribbon from them to you.
And all because you have taken the challenge
of sending sparks of hope... READ FULL POEM

10 SUREFIRE WAYS TO GET AWAY WITH CRIMES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Alexander Martin Remollino

1. Present evidence you are Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
2. Prove you are Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo... READ FULL POEM

PANGHAHARANA SA ATING MGA BOTO
Alexander Martin Remollino

Binabasag nila ang katahimikan
ng ating mga gabi’t araw
sa kanilang panghaharana sa ating mga boto... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

PHILIPPINES: DISSERVICE TO THE ELECTORATE
Alexander Martin Remollino

The Philippine civil-society group Social Watch could not have been more correct when its leaders said in a recent media briefing that the campaigns of the leading presidential candidates are not addressing the country's real problems.

This is especially true of the two frontliners -- Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and Manuel "Manny" Villar... READ FULL ARTICLE

INT'L RIGHTS GROUP SPEAKS OUT ON 'MORONG 43'
Alexander Martin Remollino


The Nobel Prize-winning group Amnesty International has spoken out on the arrest and detention of the 43 health workers collectively known as the "Morong 43."

In a statement dated April 8, Amnesty International expressed concern for the health workers' safety. "Joint forces from the military and police forcibly entered a private residence in Morong town, Rizal province, where the health workers were staying," Amnesty International noted. "The health workers were not informed of the reason of their arrest or where they were being taken, and Amnesty International is concerned that their rights to due process are being violated... READ FULL ARTICLE

PANGILINAN PLAGIARISM: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS
Alexander Martin Remollino

The gesture of Filipino businessman Manuel "Manny" Pangilinan amidst a plagiarism controversy involving him and two students of the Ateneo de Manila University who had helped him write his speech for the university's commencement exercises this year is laudable. It provides a sharp contrast to the behavior of the people behind Ang Galing Pinoy Partylist (AG), including no less than the presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo... READ FULL ARTICLE

WHERE IS MARIO CONDES?
Alexander Martin Remollino

Mario Condes -– wherever he may be at the moment –- must be feeling very important right now.

The mere mention of his name in a search warrant issued last Feb. 5 has spawned an entire legal and political controversy involving the violation of the rights of 43 health workers in Rizal, Philippines... READ FULL ARTICLE

YES, VIRGINIA, THERE ARE SUCH THINGS AS MERMAIDS AND MERMEN, TIKBALANG, KAPRE, WITCHES, FORTUNE-TELLERS, AND MAGICIANS
Alexander Martin Remollino

Yes, Virginia, there are such things as mermaids and mermen, tikbalang, kapre, witches, fortune-tellers, and magicians. In fact they abound and thrive in this sad republic where to love entertainment as an addict loves opium, LSD or some other mind-bending drug has been the fashion for generation upon generation... READ FULL POEM

KUNG ANG KULAY MO MA'Y HINDI NAKASISILAW
Alexander Martin Remollino

Kung ang kulay mo ma'y hindi nakasisilaw,
huwag kang tumungo't magtakip ng mukha... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

BRAWNER'S BEST IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
Alexander Martin Remollino

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Public Information Office is hoodwinking the public when he says that AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado is ordering the transfer of the 43 health workers collectively known as the Morong 43 to a Philippine National Police (PNP) facility, even as they have supposedly communicated their desire to remain at the military’s Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, where they are now detained. He is trying to make the AFP and its chief of staff appear more magnanimous than they actually are... READ FULL ARTICLE

GOV'T VIOLATES ELECTION LAWS BY FIELDING OWN PARTY-LIST GROUPS
Alexander Martin Remollino

Catholic priest Fr. Joe Dizon, convener of the anti-fraud and election monitoring group Kontra Daya, raised hell earlier this week over the Commission on Elections’s (Comelec) accreditation of a partylist group that is, by its own declaration, a project initiated by an official of the Arroyo administration and a prominent ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Father Dizon said the Comelec should not have accredited the partylist group that calls itself Batang Iwas Droga (Bida or Kids Avoiding Drugs), and called for the group’s disqualification from the May 2010 elections.

Bida describes itself in its website as “the brainchild” of Ephraim Genuino, chairman of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Department of Education (DepEd) are Pagcor’s project partners in Bida... READ FULL ARTICLE

2010 WATCHDOG URGES PEOPLE'S ACTION IN WORST-CASE SCENARIO
Alexander Martin Remollino

A 2010 election watchdog group launched yesterday is geared not only to monitor the upcoming elections, but also to rally the public to respond accordingly should the electorate’s will be frustrated.

Kontra Daya 2010, which was launched yesterday morning in Intramuros, Manila, has this early raised several fears about the May elections. These include the possibility of massive fraud and failure of elections.

“Our objective is to have credible and acceptable elections,” said former Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, one of Kontra Daya’s conveners, in a press conference organized for the launch. “With the number of warnings and complaints we have received and signs (that are making themselves felt), there is every reason to be worried about May 2010.”

“We want to prepare the people to take action in case the worst scenario takes place,” said Fr. Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines, another Kontra Daya convener... READ FULL ARTICLE

PASASALAMAT
Alexander Martin Remollino

Sa ngalan ng “Morong 43” at ng mga nakikinabang sa kanilang libreng serbisyong pangkalusugan sa isang bansa kung saan pati yata hangin ay gustong pabayaran sa mga mamamayan, walang patlang na pasasalamat ang nauukol na ating ipaabot sa Armed Forces of the Philippines, lalo na kina Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia at Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato... BASAHIN ANG BUONG TULA

RAPACITY IS NOT A TUB
Alexander Martin Remollino

You say he is as likely to steal
as a sheep is likely to kill,
because he has all the wealth in the world... READ FULL POEM

A HUNDRED FEBRUARIES AND MORE AFTER
Alexander Martin Remollino

A hundred Februaries and more
after Grayson fired those fatal shots... READ FULL POEM

YOU WILL NEVER BE HISTORY
Alexander Martin Remollino

History for you
was never a mere calendar of events.
Your pen was a million megaphones,
loudspeaker upon loudspeaker,
for the chorus of voices
silenced by official histories... READ FULL POEM