Piercing Pens

Press Statement of DESAPARECIDOS (Families of Desaparecidos for Justice)

This coming All Saints’ Day, we, the relatives of the disappeared continue to suffer but cannot mourn. We are uncertain whether our missing loved ones are still alive or already dead. There are no graves where we can light candles or offer flowers.

Those we call desaparecidos are our relatives who were abducted and are still missing. They come from the ranks of workers, peasants, professionals, youth, indigenous peoples and women who were tagged as enemies of the state. The military, police and paramilitia – the elements of the state are the only ones who would have the motive to silence them and stop them from their work in serving the people.

I watched a portion of That’s Entertainment veteran Jojo Alejar’s TV show one night. It is called All the Way. Oriah said it is patterned after the TV show of Jay Leno and David Letterman. The show’s not bad, but I’d prefer watching Eli Soriano and the Iglesia ni Cristo ministers.

What I noticed about Alejar is that his hair looked like a wig. Oriah said it only looked like that, but she thinks it isn’t. At least the guy doesn’t need the hair transplants New Jersey surgeon Dr. Gregory Pistone offers, hehe.

While browsing the Inquirer last Sunday, I came across Mrs. Arroyo’s photo at a monument of Gat Jose Rizal in China. The photo creates an illusion that she has high regard for the national hero–as if she did not desecrate Rizal’s memory by lying to the Filipino people on December 30, 2002, Rizal’s 106th death anniversary.

When we have extra money, Oriah and I eat out at some of the restaurants in the Roces/Morato area in Quezon City. We once tried one that serves Mediterranean cuisine. The food was not great, but I think I enjoyed it naman. But the price– it’s too steep for young, struggling writer-journalists like us.

One thing that we noticed while eating was that on the other table there was a big family with a bunch of preteens and teenagers who were very noisy. They were even speaking in accented English. And because of the general ambiance of the place, even if I haven’t been out of the Philippines, I felt like we were in another country where many un-Filipinized Filipinos roam. In United States, maybe? Since California ranks first in the number of Filipinos, probably it was like in one of the restaurants in La Jolla?

Anyway, we decided not to eat there again. Not because of the Pinoy kids with foreign tongue but due to another reason I cited earlier.

Wikipedia has a list of all TV commercials done by Manny Pacquaio. With the rate that the boxer is accepting such ads, I’m sure that list always needs updating. Looks like the only commercial Pacquiao has not done yet is one for a Papaya soap.

What Pacquiao doesn’t have, Kris Aquino has. It’s for a papaya soap that sounds like the name of a now inactive sexy star.

The current favorite endorser–not ours, though–is Sam Milby. He has fastfood and cellphone ads, among other products including–yes–a Papaya soap. I wonder what he will do next, maybe one for plastic surgeons. Do you think he will say, “Why not?”

By Jay B. Rempillo
Supreme Court Public Information Office

The Supreme Court, voting 8-7, today dismissed the petition for a People’s Initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution by shifting the present Bicameral-Presidential system to a Unicameral-Parliamentary form of government.

In a 52-page decision penned by Justice Antonio T. Carpio, the Court affirmed the Commission on Elections’ August 31, 2006 resolution denying due course to an initiative petition to amend the Constitution by petitioners Raul Lambino, et al.

“This Court cannot betray its primordial duty to defend and protect the Constitution. The Constitution, which embodies the people’s sovereign will, is the bible of this Court. This Court exists to defend and protect the Constitution. To allow this constitutionally infirm initiative, propelled by deceptively gathered signatures, to alter basic principles in the Constitution is to allow a desecration of the Constitution. To allow such alteration and desecration is to lose this Court’s raison d’etre,” the Court said.

Windows Liveâ„¢ Spaces: Neil Crespi

Neil, who describes himself as “a true blue Californian guy,” is a 24-year old writer. He says he is a freelance journalist, part-time blogger, and a part-time blog ghostwriter. According to him, writing has been his passion ever since he realized its existence.

Neil’s interests range from politics to sports and showbiz. “Tinsel Town is a rich source of things to write about aside from the fact it truly is interesting to follow through the lives of equally interesting and good-looking people,” he wrote in one of his blogs. Aside from writing, he is also into snowboarding, hiking, and diving, among other things. He likes Chinese food and love to read John Grisham novels.

Check out the link above, and you’ll find links to his other writings at Live Journal, WordPress.com, MySpace, Squidoo.com, and Blogspot.