Author: Julian Alejandro

Terrorism

Three years ago, the world’s most powerful nation suffered from the 9/11 terrorist attack that killed thousands of its people. The United States government retaliated by attacking Afghanistan, believed to be the base of Osama bin Laden, main suspect in the World Trade Center Attack.

Later, it claimed that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was in cahoots with bin Laden’s al Qaeda. Thus, with a little help from its friends in the so-called “coalition of the willing”–to which Philippine President Arroyo enthusiastically dragged her nation–US invaded Iraq and killed around 12,000 Iraqi civilians and a thousand of its own soldiers.

Movies and Television

The Pinoy Dream

I passed by in front of GMA TV Network building this afternoon and was amused at the crowd of young people gathered there. It must be another day of StarStruck audition. Too many teenagers want to follow the footsteps of Mark Herras, Jennylyn Mercado, Rainier Castillo, and Yasmien Kurdi.

General

Free Gmail Invites

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For those who’d like to try Google’s free e-mail service, we have a couple of Gmail invitations for you. Just leave your name the e-mail address where you want the invitation to be sent.

Issues

Stupid and Ironic

A university in Manila has imposed an “English-only policy” supposedly to improve its students’ proficiency in English. Speaking in languages other than English is allowed only at certain areas within the campus. The constituents of the university–the name of which is in Filipino–may also speak in any languange around midday.

The Inquirer quoted the university’s president as saying they want “to create an environment” in which those who will speak in Filipino at the English zones will be ignored.

This policy, besides being ironic–the university that imposes it is called Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila–is stupid. While contributing to the continued marginalization of the Filipino language, it suppresses the natural flow of communication between students, teachers and staff of the university and makes these people sound awful.

Government

The Invitation

President Arroyo “has invited former Vice President Teofisto Guingona to spearhead development programs attuned to the 10-point agenda, ” according to Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye.

But the Manila Bulletin, quoting “Malacanang insiders” reported that the invitation “may run in conflict with her earlier designation of Vice President Noli de Castro as alternate chairman of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, Presidential Adviser on OFWs, and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman.”

Events

Tax Me Not Launch

Friends and members of the media are cordially invited to the launching of

TAX ME NOT COALITION
a movement against new tax measures

August 27 (Friday), 10 am to 12 nn
Bulwagang Tandang Sora, College of Social Work and Community Development (CSWCD), University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

The coalition aims to unite labor organizations, farmers, urban-based associations, the academe, business groups, legislators, policy-makers, economic experts and concerned sectors and individuals to resist the government’s proposed new tax measures.

General Peace World

Back to Iraq?

The Inquirer today reported that the Philippine government is open to sending another batch of “humanitarian mission” to Iraq. Such a new batch of Filipino troops would be under the United Nations framework, foreign secretary Delia Albert reportedly said.

Before the US-led invasion of Iraq, President Arroyo kept on paying lip service to the UN. In the end however, she joined the so-called “coalition of the willing,” which went to war in Iraq without UN sanction.