ROCKY ROAD: 2nd night of The Voice of the Philippines (with updates/comments)

So there we were, Facebook and Twitter friends, hoping for a revved up The Voice of the Philippines. The show’s tepid pilot was, after all, spiced up by 2nd night-plugs showing cute faces and overwhelmed judges coaches.

Turns out, the judges coaches were bowled over by … the judges coaches. Themselves.

You’d think after the disaster of Mariah and Nikki in American Idol, Apl.de.ap, Lea Salonga, Bamboo Manalac and Sarah Geronimo would train their considerable charms into drawing out a very subdued audience.

Instead, they filled up dead air with deadly wit, the kind that elicits groans and enough rolling of eyeballs to trigger seizure alarms.

I have no idea how The Voice PH chooses its contestants; I haven’t seen the kind of audition crowds that make for fascinating Idol train wrecks. God knows what formula they used for determining the blind audition line-up – chronological, by lots, tossed coins or eeny-meeny style. I only know the result: Boring, disappointing. And this was billed as a rocker’s night.

They did have a mildly interesting opening: Cora de la Cruz, the raspy-voiced gal who sells belts, likes mabango guys and probably harbors a dream of becoming a circus acrobat.

Cora, who comes on like the stepdaughter of a reformed Mystica – decked out in Salvation Army from the ’70s bin. Cora, who gifted primetime viewers with the word “libog” (lust), courtesy of Lea. (The household broke into cheers there. Attagirl, Lea. Yes, perfectly acceptable since she wasn’t describing anything the MTRCB would ban.)

Libog there was, but Cora’s body language couldn’t match the smoke in her voice. Plus, there was very little nuance in her singing. We don’t know if the Kapampangan Apl – who later shows an impressive command of that language — can teach her that.

Cora and everyone else was pretty much karaoke level. A little curl of the notes here and there does not make one an original.

Many of those who tried fell hard: the handsome Edward Benosa; Miriam, the secretary who started really nice and then “went Shrek,” as a niece put it; two guys who were nothing but fillers.

The gorgeous (and gracious loser) Abby Assistio didn’t exactly self-destruct. But all the promise of that sculptured face, and the molten heat her many fans swear on, fizzled out midway through “Girl on Fire.”

On Twitter, @youghpcornejo8h “Not her usual self. She was too nervous to do her thing.”

‏@tetalimcangco adds, “oo nga eh, sayang…baka na pressure”.

Rey Balneg Jr. (on Facebook): “Sayang…i saw her performance in the past…poor choice of song”

Jose Norman Lo (Facebook) halos walang arrive talaga ang boses and performance nya.

Orly J. Cajegas (Facebook) Before – I have heard her sing: she’s awesome! Like a softer Adele with the swag of Jessie J.!  After – Kakainis yung build-up nila. Wala namang nangyayari so far…

@ChiliMedley9h “What she lacked in singing power, @AbbyAsistio more than made up for in principle and personality. Keep it up.”

@cristallebelo9h “Aby Asistio has such a courageous soul… She truly is on fire! Glad she tried out for #thevoiceofthephilippines. She will have her moment😊

Three acts went through. Aside from Cora, Sawsan Sammie Muhammad, called Taw, can do a little jazz, a little R&B and sailed through Alanis Morisette’s “Ironic.”  The English teacher from Iloilo impressed Sarah (though why a vocal coach would peddle massage expertise, beats me).

But Taw chose Lea, who then gloated and skidded into mean-girl territory. Which the sly Sarah, in full goody-two-shoes mode, exploited to the hilt. (I don’t think Lea was being mean. In her sophisticated world, it would have been pure jest; friends sass each other. On TV, ayayayay, it just came too close to sneering.)

Speaking of Lea, I finally get why she seemed so awkward in the opening show’s grand performance or even when she’s trying to show us she’s a gal who can jive. She ain’t got rhythm. It’s as simple as that. She can’t dance to save her life. She’s a musical genius, a singer with a voice of exceptional purity and an a theater artist idolized in West End and Broadway. But Lea sways and grinds to a count only she can hear.

A singing contest that becomes all about the judges is in dangerous territory. But you can’t really blame them. It’s like basketball. When your team plays so badly there can be no salvaging the situation, a little brawl could offer some returns on ticket prices. Yeah, it was almost that bad.

The third survivor, Junji Arias, gave me hope for some fireworks, given his recent escape from the world of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

He has sad eyes, a beautiful French wife and sang Bon Jovi’s “I’ll be There for You” in a so-so voice, never mind that Sarah pretended it was infused with the blues. In our Bacolod City village, in the very early 80s, all the idols of my youth were also into sex, drugs and singing. Half a dozen of them performed in folk joints and could have wiped their feet on Junji.

He’s not bad. Just a long way from wonderful. His performance was a little desperate, understandably so. Sarah is surprisingly sharp with her criticism and seems to know her musical values, so there may be promise there. Besides, Junji chose her for “sincerity” so let’s hope for a happy ending.

There’s something about Sarah, and I’m saying that in a nice way even if she doesn’t quite realize it’s confusing to have her flirt one minute, then apply for a masahista job and then become a garland-bearing fan — in less than an hour. But she must promise never again to quote Twilight. This is not an audition for some vampire flick.

All in all, a bummer of a night.

Some thoughts from our readers below. How do you gauge the first two nights of The Voice of the Philippines?

On Facebook:

Luis Matias : too many commercials. longer than the main show.

Brian Pena Cruz :I cant believe. LIBOG is the term for Lea.

@GaryValenciano14h “Having fun watching The Voice of the Philippines.”

@mjfelipe9h “We’re gonna cook something up for all you followers of #thevoiceofthephilippines for the BATTLEROUNDS!!!! This is BIG! Trust me!”

‏@augustbenitez9h “Dang it! This new show called #TheVoiceofthePhilippines is flooding my timeline like nothing I’ve ever experienced! hmph!”

The last line says it all. It’s a hit, folks 🙂

June 16, 2013June 17, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: culture, EventsTags: Apl.de.ap, BAMBOO MANALAC, Lea Salonga, REACT, Rotary, Sarah Geronimo, The Voice of the Philippines 9 Comments

Payo kay Tatay, Papa, Daddy, Tatsky sa tuwing nagpapasaway ang anak

Father’s Day greeting shared by Roselle Janolino Animo on Facebook

Sa mga kaibigang Tatay (kasama man kayo o hindi ng mga anak),

Isang pag-pugay sa araw ninyo! Hindi madali ang maging Tatay.

Yung Tatay naming 11 mag-kakapatid, ang manunulat na si Rolando Espina, ay dapat sabitan ng daan-daang medalya sa pagpapalaki nya ng maraming matitigas na ulo na mga anak. Utang namin sa kanya ang mga biyayang kailan ma’y di mananakaw nino man — ang pagmamahal sa libro at sa musika (at ang mga boses namin, haha), ang walang humpay na pag-aaral sa lipunan at sa buhay, at ang matibay ng pagsasama ng pamilya — kahit na, sa ilang kaso, ay nagkakahiwalay ang mga magulang.

Hindi perpekto si Daddy. Minsan, nakakabitiw ng masakit na salita. Minsan, masyadong ma-drama kahit pwede naman ang derecho at mahinahon na pag-aayos ng mga problema.

Pero kung pagmamahal lang ang pag-uusapan, champion sya. Kahit medyo conservative sya (saradong Katoliko, ika nga, kaya nga andami namin), bukas na bukas ang bahay nya — at ang puso nya — sa mga taong iba ang lifestyle at paniniwala.

Rolando Espina, journalist, scarredcat’s dad

At dahil pinalaki niya kami sa malayang kaisipan, kaya nga pag nagtatampororot sya at nagrereklamo sa ilang mga anak, pwede kaming sumabat (with a smile!), “Ay, Dad, kanino pa mag-mamana yan?!”

Mga bok, mga tsong, habang padami ang puti sa buhok nyo, mas madalas kayong mag-aasta na si Grumpy ng Seven Dwarves. Konting payo lang galing sa isang Nanay na napilitan ding maging Tatay 🙂

Nawa’y pag nabibwisit kayo sa mga anak nyo, pag-isipan nyo — ngek, ganyan na ganyan din ako noon 

Marami ako kalokohang nagawa sa buhay. Minsan pag-nakikita ko ang dalawang anak, nag-iisip, na may dalang sense of wonder, “wow, I must have done something good!” (Sabi ng nina Maria at Captain Von Trapp sa Sound of Music 🙂 Ito, medyo natutunan ko sa pamamaraan ng trial and error:

• Mas madaling makinig ang mga bata kung di tayo nag-aastang last word on wisdom.
• Mas madaling intindihin ang warning natin kung mag-tapat tayo sa mga sins of the past, ika nga.
• Mas madaling mag-turo kung ang dating ay, ayoko ko kasing masaktan ka dahil naranasan ko na yan. Kesa naman, “wala ka bang utak na pasukin mo ‘yan?” — eh, alam naman ng anak mo, dahil tsismoso talaga ang mga mag-angkan, na ginawa mo din yun!

Respeto at katapatan. Ang pagkilala na ang anak ninyo ay malayang tao na kailangan na tumahak ng sariling daan.

And then… take a deep breath because ALL KIDS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO FLY AND TEST THE WATERS, as we did once upon a time. Paano nga namang matutong bumangon kung kailan ma’y di nadadapa?

Just be there when they tumble or flail … pero siguro may limit din sa trials that fail, hehehe.

Before I scram… just thought of this: I think you’re on the way to being a great Dad — or a great Mom — if you look at children with gratitude for the miracle of an autonomous life, with the quirks and wonders that brings, than with pride at YOUR accomplishment.
The latter, I think, is where the problems start… when you look at your kid as a statement about you. (Which they often are, but only because we refuse to let them forget it!)
Ciao! May the heavens shower blessings on you, your parents, your children and everyone in your circle of life…

Happy Father’s Day!

June 16, 2013June 14, 2014 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: culture, Events, HeroesTags: Daddy, Fathers' Day, Papa, parenting, Rolando Espina, Tatay Leave a comment

LOST IN TRANSMISSION: THE VOICE (PHILIPPINES) COACHES – Review with Poll

The Voice of the Philippines got off to a slow start. Yeah, despite the Twitter buzz. Four of the biggest Filipino musical talents rockin’ out in the pilot night’s opening number and then things went downhill.

Their cover of The Script’s “Hall of Fame” wasn’t that memorable either. They could have chosen a tune with power chords and driving rhythm that spur the audience into dance. However, I can appreciate the difficulty of finding THE song that does justice to all four coaches: international musical theater star Lea Salonga, apl.de.ap of Black-Eyed Peas fame, rocker Bamboo Manalac and Sarah Geronimo, the pop princess who rose to fame by winning a reality singing show

“The Voice of the Philippines” — the name itself doesn’t lend much to excitement. It sounds like an oratorical contest. The Twitter hashtag #TheVoiceofthePhilippines takes too much space. Just ditch those two little words, please.

(In a country where every little barangay sing-a-long has a diva or two, a title like “The Voice of the Philippines” sounds a tad pretentious, too. I haven’t heard anyone described as The Voice of America — which would probably qualify as a copyright affront on the US government-owned radio station — or The Voice of Britain; it’s always, “winner of The Voice”… USA, Britain, or wherever they come from.)

It could have been the old-model TV in sister’s bedroom. Watching the first episode of The Voice, I couldn’t reconcile the euphoric reactions of the judges to the sights and sounds on thE small screen.

THOR DULAY, photo from http://www.davaobase.com

Thor Dulay was the best of a mediocre lot. The self-proclaimed “Master of Soul” has been around for a while. A Facebook friend turns out to be a fan of the singer who sees himself an R&B artist — which is probably why he chose Apl over Lea.

But did the Ateneo de Davao graduate, who’s already sung for David Foster, really merit all four judges turning? While Thor hit some high notes, his voice tightened at the upper register and lacked timbre at the lower range. And no charisma either.

UPDATE: Reader Joy Lora wrote to say Thor didn’t just perform for Foster.

“He actually won a contest (Born to sing) wherein David Foster himself selected the winners,” Lora wrote. (For the rest of her note, please see comment box.)

It’s a clean voice, all right; Thor sings the right notes and evades flats and sharps. But we’re not looking for good voices, are we? We’re looking for good voices of star material. He didn’t look or sound like any soul master, more like a middling balladeer. I’m not sure that singing backup for Vice Ganda is a good indicator of potential. Does anyone remember being wowed or bowled over by the comedian’s musical numbers?

I didn’t catch Daryll Shy, the folk singer from Baguio who got the votes of Apl and Lea and chose the latter. No doubt that the Filipino star of West End and Broadway is a superb technician, so there may be some hope there.

The pretty Deb Victa got Bamboo by default. You’ve probably seen Deb’s twinkling eyes and dimples on TV —  as Lea Salonga  noted in a divine example of back-handed compliment. (Which aspiring artist/commercial model wants to be reminded she’s not that memorable a face?)

That Bamboo was the only one who turned — and he sure looked pleased by Deb’s looks — is very good news for her. Lea and Sarah, even at their kindest, would reduce her to jelly. Bamboo’s a stylist; he could free her from that hotel lounge singing, infuse some swag and strut and ooomph. Who knows? Her Facebook page hints at gray matter behind the ingenue image.

Bamboo’s photo courtesy of The Voice website, ABS-CBN

A balut vendor who wants to sign for his family’s survival is a good backstory. And, hell, we’re all suckers for a rags-to-riches tale (see Nora Aunor or, lately, Jovit Baldovino). But there was nothing in Romel Colao to separate him from the millions of karaoke-loving Filipinos. His singing failed to move any of the judges.

His balut did, however, prodding an impressive display of kalye-eating style from Sarah. (That was a genius PR move, really.) Calao also got a belt from Apl. Two other guys, including one who churned out a pail-load of cheesy to curry favor with Sarah, got tepid platitudes.

The youngest judge  proved the sternest taskmaster. Her comments, on the emotive connections or lack thereof, were on spot.

Sarah, who is usually saccharine in those TV variety and talk shows, backpedalled on tweetums affectations. She might just be finally hitting maturity. About time, too.

Sarah Geronimo’s photo from The Voice website, ABS-CBN

Lea, on the other hand, gasped and squealed over Cherry Mae “Chien Berbana of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. She must have heard something that didn’t quite sail through the airwaves.

From where we sat, Chien’s voice had power but overdosed on rasps and growls. Lea can teach her subtlety – maybe.

Lea Salonga’s photo from The Voice website, ABS-CBN

She can also try to teach Chien vocal exercises to loosen up the throat and chest muscles on the upper notes.

I get that Chien was trying for an Aegis-vavavoom-rocker persona, but the hit duo slides effortlessly from alto to hallelujah-belting sans brassy grate. Still, it’s always a thrill to witness a raw talent being polished by the rigors of competition and Lea has a houseful of tricks (sorry, techniques) learned from decades of performing on the unforgiving theater stage.

Lea’s TV projection helps explains her frustration at not being able to win over Filipino showbiz patrons. She’s wrong in saying Pinoys don’t appreciate her voice. But what can stun a theater audience comes out a tad too loud and OA on the boob tube. Something’s just lost in the transmission.

Everyone loves Lea’s voice — when they get to hear it. How many Filipinos can afford theater, especially back when she was performing for Repertory Philippines? And while we’re talking musicals, I’m wondering what she isn’t playing Celeste’s part in “Katy”? And maybe have the Cultural Center of the Philippines take a pared-down version around the country?

The Voice may liven up and lighten up tonight. The sneak preview showed a lot of gorgeous faces and a number of good voices. Already, there’s buzz around Abby Assistio, the winsome lass with no hair.

Anyway, I’m happy there’s one talent show in town that doesn’t feature acrobats, sand artists, magicians, dancers and fire eaters. So I’ll stick around a bit for The Voice.

Did you think any of tonight’s contestants will make it tothe final round? Who? And why? Will the forced, wooden “wit” of the judges improve tomorrow?  Whadcha think?

June 16, 2013June 17, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: culture, Events, music, reality shows, ReviewsTags: Abby Assistio, Apl.de.ap, Bamboo, Chien Berbana, Daryll Shy, Deb Victa, Lea Salonga, reality shows, Sarah Geronimo, The Voice of the Philippines, Thor Dulay 18 Comments

BIR extends validity of old receipts — full text of Revenue Memo Circular 44-2013

Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares apparently held the loud moans of despair on social media over the agency’s imposition of new receipt formats, a move that caught many business owners and professionals by surprise. 

No, she still wants the new receipts but has extended the validity of old ones printed before Jan 18, 2013. The deadline for application for the printing of new receipts remains the same. 

Here’s the full text:

11 June 2013
REVENUE MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 44-2013
SUBJECT : Extending the Validity of Unused/Unissued Principal and
Supplementary Receipts/Invoices Printed Prior to January 18, 2013
and other Matters.
TO : ALL INTERNAL REVENUE OFFICERS AND OTHERS CONCERNED.
This Circular is being issued to extend the validity of all unused/unissued
principal and supplementary receipts/invoices printed prior to January 18, 2013, the
effectivity date of Revenue Regulation No. 18-2012, from June 30, 2013 to August 30,
2013. However, the deadline for filing an application for the printing of new receipts to
replace all unused/unissued principal supplementary receipts/invoices printed prior to
January 18, 2013 shall be maintained as of April 30, 2013, and therefore all applications
received after said date shall be considered late application and the penalties for late
filing shall be imposed.
All unused/unissued principal and supplementary receipts/invoices printed prior
to January 18, 2013, the effectivity date of Revenue Regulation No. 18-2012 shall be
surrendered to the RDO where the taxpayer is registered on or before 10th day after the
date of printing stated in the new principal and supplementary receipts/invoices. For
purpose of this Circular, and other issuance related hereto, the date of the new principal
and supplementary receipts/invoices is the date of expiration of the validity period of
the unused/unissued receipts/invoices referred to herein.
After August 30, 2013, all principal and supplementary receipts/invoices printed
prior to January 18, 2013 shall no longer be valid. Issuance of said receipts/invoices
shall be deemed to be an issuance of an invalid receipt or deemed as if no receipts were
issued, and a violation of Section 264 of the National Internal Revenue Code. And
transactions with said receipts are deemed not properly substantiated and may not be
allowed as a deduction.
All internal revenue officers and employees are hereby enjoined to give this
Revenue Memorandum Circular as wide a publicity as possible.
KIM S. JACINTO-HENARES
Commissioner of Internal Revenue

June 13, 2013June 13, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: UncategorizedTags: BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, bureau of internal revenue, Philippines business rules Leave a comment

War and peace and freedom: An Independence Day Chat

An Independence Day chat on loyalty and fighting battles and defending the indefensible. And knowing when to walk 🙂 

Person 1 “What’s loyalty?” (to employer)
Person 2 “It means not raking it or your colleagues through the coals in public.”
Person 1 “How about inside?”
Person 2 “Inside, you fight hard for what is right”
Person 1 “What if it doesn’t work? What if the final policy is wrong? Do you keep quiet in public? What do I say when asked?”
Person 2 “That you will refer it to proper channels. And make sure you do.”
Person 1 “Is the gag blanket?”
Person 2 “There will be always exceptions, some issues so universal that speech is a no-brainer. Choose your battles. And know the risks. Do not let fear rule you, but respect your employer and colleagues.”
Person 1 “Must I always defend my employer?”
Person 2 “No. Loyalty to a cause does not take away your perception — or conscience. The best they can demand from you is silence. The word loyal must not be mistaken for apologist”
Person 1 “What if my good work isn’t recognized internally? What if people put stumbling blocks?”
Person 2 “People do not like whiners. Fight your battles inside. And when that line on the sand has been so trampled on that it no longer looks like a line, know when it’s time to walk.”
Person 1 “How does one walk away in victory?”

Person 2 “Why victory? Isn’t it enough to walk away with grace?”

Person 1 “We all want victory.”
Person 2 “If you’ve done all the above, if you’ve been ethical INSIDE, they will respect you outside.”
Person 1 “After I walk can I spill the beans?”
Person 2 “Depends on your contract  And remember, many other ethical, hard-working people remain inside. Do not hurt them just to get back at the employer.”
Person 1 “How will I know it’s time to leave?”
Person 2 “Aside from that poor, bruised line? When you find your eyes perpetually on the horizon and the thought of freedom and all its risks makes your heart beat harder, it’s time to give everyone a hug and leave”
Person 1 “God, will it be worth it?”
Person 2 “You’ll never know till it happens “

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYONE! Remember, only when you know which battles to fight — and how to fight these — will you win the war. (Said my friend Sun Tzu, in one of his non-sissy days hahaha)

 (All similarities to any conversation you’ve had with someone is pure coincidence. Here’s to freedom — and responsibility!… PHOTO by the scaRRedcat

June 12, 2013June 12, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: UncategorizedTags: battles, conscience, dignity, freedom, Independence Day, June 12, knowing when to walk, loyalty, Philippines Independence Day, war 1 Comment

COMELEC MONEY BAN HURTS THE INNOCENT (Updated)

(With updates from Malacanang and legislators)

A lot of people actually. And not everyone is a corrupt politician out to buy votes, a tax evader or a member of some criminal syndicate. Lots of folk are going to face problems because of Comelec Resolution 9688. You can read the full text of the resolution here. 

The new Comelec rule bans the following:

• Withdrawing or cashing checkes, or pawning anything for more than P100,000
• A series on encashments of checks worth more than P500,000
• Transporting more than P500,000 (the Comelec automatically deems it for the purpose of vote-buying)

Don’t get me wrong. I dig the motive. Vote-buying is a major problem every election. Guns, goons and gold: You need the latter to have the first two.

There’s ample reason to believe that a mad scramble for “contingency” funds is taking place among politicians and political parties at all levels of government. But gauging from reports across the country, politicians have been hoarding their cash (not to mention counterfeit money) for months now.

I remember actually seeing sacks of money being taken out of a room in a Makati mansion owned by a Manila congressional candidate in 2001. He’d been throwing money left and right during the campaign while depriving workers of salaries for months. That situation led to a walkout by staff and he summoned executives to his home. After hours of talk, he finally got the message: no pay, no work, and the resulting bad press could hurt his candidacy. And out came the money, in sacks, literally.

The Comelec has ordered the country’s security forces to include a money watch in their checkpoint duties. But with assaults and killings and general mayhem piling up across the country, the Philippine National Police may be hard-pressed to expend additional energy into keeping tabs on the transport of money. Unless, of course, there are potential “incentives” to be had.

The Comelec also ordered the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank) to implement Resolution 9688. The BSP has demurred, claiming it would disrupt business and trade and industrial activity. It has also noted that the resolution violates some banking laws. A constitutional body, of course, is still mandated to operate within the law. But those two institutions have more than enough lawyers to argue the issue. Let me just stick to what effect the resolution could have on ordinary people and business entities.

There’s a restaurant owner rushing the interiors of a third branch of a popular (but still small-scale) joint. Opening’s set for May 15. There is no architectural firm or interior design company doing the project. It’s mano-mano, hands-on, with the help of a small contractor. The contractor can meet the salaries of its crew. But the client buys all hardware and pays for other expenses. The client is still trying to get banks to allow acceptance of credit cards. His credit card limit doesn’t cover the cost of the project materials. It’s down to the kitchen and bathrooms now. No appliance center in malls or any distributer of industrial kitchen implements will take checks. Three stoves alone cost more than P100,000. He needs three days to install these. What does he do now?

A small construction company is undertaking its first three big projects. Construction workers are usually under casual status. There are no payroll deposits here. Work hours are computed and everyone is paid in cash, at the end of the week. Three projects — should the workers wait till after elections?

And here’s one closer to home. What happens during a serious family emergency that, say, lands someone in the ICU or in the operating room? What happens when you’ve been in the hospital for a bypass or angioplasty for two weeks or more? Even with health insurance, the family is bound to have to pay in six or seven digits. (Friends had to scramble to help a friend whose husband went for angioplasty two weeks ago and the amount IS in seven-digits.) Unless you’re a VIP or connected, your personal check won’t be accepted or, at least, clearance won’t be given until the check clears. Ditto IOUs. Or they probably will but only after a stressful argument. It’s Wednesday; if checks come from banks different from the hospital account, that’s a three-day wait. What now?

And even if you own a business that does transactions by check, what happens when suppliers line up to encash and that amount goes beyond P500,000? Those suppliers also have their own payments to make. It goes on and on… and don’t say just a few companies operate on this level. What does P500,000 give you these days?

You can always present cops with proof of need, of course. But for decades now the government has been trying automation of procedures precisely because it wants to do away with the human factor and the interaction and negotiations that often fuel corruption.

You can also apply for an exemption. But this resolution’s effectivity is IMMEDIATE. To get an exemption you need the Comelec en banc or the Chairman when it’s not in question, or a provincial director or the National Capital Region director. The Comelec itself has repeatedly said it is understaffed, its personnel overworked. You add a stampede of people pleading for exemptions and you’ll have officials whose attention could be diverted from other important tasks. And again, the idea behind automation is not just efficiency but doing away with red tape and the elbow-rubbing that often abets corruption.

There’s no doubt that shady campaign financing is the root of most corruption. Payback time comes between elections. But let’s not forget either that there are many legitimate expenses in the homestretch of an election. Any final rally in any major city will definitely cost more than P100,000 — stage, sound system, big screen, food catering (even just for campaign staff and guests), the motorcade, banners, streamers, murals etc. Even if a candidate or political party is scrupulous and pays in checks for better accounting (and accountability), what happens if all those suppliers line up to cash their checks, say, Friday, all at the same time?

But the right course would be to put in systems — and the manpower and funds — to address the problem right from the start of every political campaign period. This resolution, I’m afraid, has more bark than bite and, as is wont in this country, the innocents get trapped and the fat cats laugh all the way to the next anomalous contract.

(Update: Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma has just announced Malacanang’s support for the Comelec money ban resolution. Coloma says the important thing is the Comelec’s good intentions. And all the while I thought the law EVERYONE was supposed to follow the law, not turn this upside down on a whim, no matter how well-intentioned.

Senators Ping Lacson and Ralph Recto have slammed the resolution, calling it illegitimate because it upends existing legislation — anti-money laundering lawm bank secrecy law. One could also argue about the constitutionality of this new Comelec rule. Reports have said Comelec Commissioners decided to hold a special en banc to review the issue.)

May 8, 2013May 8, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: Events, Law, politicsTags: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, campaign finance, Comelec, Comelec Resolution 9688, Halalan2013, money ban 3 Comments

SINO ANG MAY KAILANGAN NG P100,000? (Comelec Reso 9688)

Marami, at di sila lahat politikong gustong bumili ng boto o mga lider ng sindikato o mga tax evaders. Maraming maliliit o medium na mga negosyante ang humaharap ngayon sa mga problemang dulot ng Comelec Resolution 9688 na ipinasa kahapon (May 7). Noondito ang buong resolution.

Ano ba ang nilalaman nito?

• Bawal ang mag-withdraw ng cash o mag-encash ng tseke na mahigit sa P100,000 sa bawat araw, simula ngayon hanggang sa halalan. Bawal din umutang sa mga financing (kung cash ang lalabas) o magsanla ng gamit.
• Bawal din ang ihati-hati mo sa maliliit na withdrawals o pag-encash ng tseka ang P500,000 na manggagaling sa isang account.
• Bawal ang magdala o mag-sakay ng mahigit P500,000 cash. Aniya ng Comelec: automatic na paghihinalaang pang-vote buying ang ganitong halaga ng salapi, maliban na lang kung may exemption ka.
• Kasama ang money watch sa mga trabaho ng police and military checkpoints. Inatasan ang Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas na ipatupad ang resolution — pero umalma ang institusyon at sinabing labag ito sa ilang batas.
• Nagbigay hintulot din ang Comelec sa madla na mag-citizen arrest kung may nakitang nagbebenta o nagpapabili ng boto.
• Para magkaroon ng exemption, kailangan dumulog sa Comelec en banc o sa Chairman kung walang sesyon, at sa provincial Comelec director o sa regional director ng National Capital Region.

Magandang Hangarin

Maganda naman ang hangarin ng Comelec: ang mapugsa ang “vote-buying”. Maraming Pilipino ang nakaka-alam na ang sistema ng “guns, goons and gold” sa tuwing eleksyon ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit malala ang korupsyon sa iba’t-ibang sangay ng gobyerno.

Hindi magkakaroon ng guns and goons kung walang gold, ang pag-iisip ng Comelec. Tama naman ito. At lalong walang vote-buying — para man bumoto sa kandidato o wag nang bumoto kung ang manok ay ang kalaban — kung walang cash sa araw ng halalan.

Pero pustahan tayo, matagal nang nag-iimbak ng pera ang mga kandidato at political parties. Kwento ko sa inyo ang mismong nakita ko noong 2001.

May isang kandidato noong 2001 sa 6th district ng Maynila (pero nakatira sa isang mansyon sa Makati) na di nag-sweldo ng mga empleyado nya sa loob ng dalawang buwan. Nag-walk out ang staff at pinatawag niya ang mga opisyal ng kumpanya sa mansyon. Nang pumasok na sa kukote nya na di talaga babalik ang mga manggagawa hangga’t di nabayaran — at na makakasama sa kampanya nya ang ganitong balita — pumayag na sya. Aba, eh lumabas ang ilang sako ng salapi mula sa isang kwarto ng mansyon!

Sa dami na ng report ng iba’t-ibang klaseng vote-buying, alam nating bumabaha na ang pera.

Totoong mangangailangan ng malaking “contingency” ang mga kandidato lalo na kung nagkakaroon na ng “bidding war” para sa mga boto (o sa hindi pagboto). Pero maraming kontribusyon sa kampanya na under da table at malamang nakahanda na ang mga perang para sa mga tumatakbo.

Ang talagang tatamaan? Mga maliliit na negosyante. Ilang ehemplo lang ang ibibigay ko.

May isang kainan ka. Popular naman ito kaya nagpapagawa ka ng pangatlong branch mo. Pero di ka naman malaking negosyo kaya wala kang architectural firm (umuupa ka lang ng lugar) o interior decorator man lang. May contractor ka na maliit din; kaya magpa-sweldo sa tauhan pero ikaw dapat bumili ng lahat na materyales. Siempre restaurant, kusina at banyo ang malaking gastos. Hindi naman tumatanggap ng tseke ang mga appliance stores or mga bilihan ng hardware. Maliit ka lang at walang credit line. (Nag-aaply ka pa nga na maka-tanggap ng credit card). Hindi din naman kayang ma-cover ng credit card mo ang mga dapat bilhin. So kailangan mo ng cash. Eh, 3 industrial-type lang na stove kulang ang P100,000 mo. Eh opening mo sa May 15. Paano na ngayon?

May construction company ka. Hindi ka higanteng kumpanya, pero may 3 proyekto ka na medyo malaki nang building. Halos lahat ng construction workers casual ang status. Di yan binabayaran sa bank accounts; walang payroll deposit dyan. Weekly din ang bayaran. Paano ngayon yan?

Ngayon, pera ang babantayan sa mga checkpoint. Dapat naman pagkatiwalaan ang mga pulis. Pwede ka magpakita siguro ng kontrata mo sa bagong branch o payroll na hinahabol. Pero ang sabi nga nung nag-automation ang Comelec — hinahanapan natin ng paraan ang sistema para pabawasan ang human factor na madalas ang dahilan ng anomalya, harassment at iba pang mga problema. (Tanong nyo sa Bureau of Customs and sa Bureau ng Immigration.)

At siempre pa, paano pag may family medical emergency. Knock on wood, pero paano pay biglang may kailangan na ICU o ma-operahan? Paano kung kailangan nang lumabas ng ospital at ilang dawn libo na and babayaran? Ilang ospital ba ang tumatanggap ng personal checks na di pa na-clear ay makaka-alis ka na?

Pwede nga naman pumila para sa exemption, pero sa dami-dami ng problemang hinaharap ng over-worked at under-staffed na Comelec, dadagdagan pa nito? Hindi sa binibigyan ng malisya ang Comelec officials, pero sa uulitin — ang automation ng mga proseso ng gobyerno ay mismo para mabawasan ang “discretionary” powers at redtape na pinagsisimulan ng korupsyon.

Kayo, may naiisip ba kayoing sitwasyon na mangangailangan ka ng mahigit P100,000? Interesado akong marinig ang ideya ninyo.

May 8, 2013May 8, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: Law, news, politicsTags: Comelec, Comelec Money Ban, Comelec Resolution 9688, Halalan2013 3 Comments

NUJP slams abusive Dipolog police chief: Assault before libel charge

Every police recruit knows the drill. The Philippines is a democracy. In a democracy, authorities respect due process. 

Or they should, which isn’t the same thing. You have mayors who have made “Tondo” a verb (i-Tondo mo yan) and mayors and vice mayors who think nothing of beating up people or threatening them in full view of cameras. 

Well, some of us do get more than due process. So Cesar Mancao hies off because he doesn’t like his future cell block and government officials practically beg him to come back and, short of promising the dropping of criminal charges, are waving all kinds of offers. (We also have full escort services for suspected drug lords, suspected money launderers, suspected murderers. It’s just a matter of knowing someone and having the money to grease some palms.

But we try hard to retain trust in our cops. And there are a lot of good cops out there. But what do you make of the chief of police of Dipolog City who assaults a broadcaster before filing libel charges against him?

Here’s the statement of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines:

May 5, 2013

 

How the arrest of Dipolog City broadcaster re-exposes impunity at work

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemns the manner in which Dipolog City chief of police, Superintendent Reynaldo Maclang, chose to show his grievance against blocktime commentator Rodolfo Tanquis of dxFL 88.9 FM by having him arrested arbitrarily and then later barging into the announcer’s booth to commandeer the airwaves.

We also deplore Western Mindanao police director, Chief Superintendent Juanito Vano Jr., for attempting to cover up for Maclang.

On Friday morning, May 3, Tanquis was hosting his 6-7 a.m. program, Isyu Karon, when Maclang, accompanied by several of his men, arrived.

Tanquis had been criticizing Maclang for the high number of unsolved killings in the city.

His colleagues said Maclang went into the announcer’s booth and locked it from the inside while his men prevented a technician from entering.

Mitchel Bala, who hosts another program over the station, said Tanquis “questioned Maclang on the number of unresolved killings. In turn, Maclang took offense, slammed his caliber .45 pistol (on the table) and informed Tanquis that he is filing a libel case.”

The police chief then “arrested” Tanquis and had him taken to the police station, leaving the station’s audience listening to dead air.

The Dipolog police detained Tanquis until Maclang finished filing libel charges for which the broadcaster had to post P10,000 bail.

Whatever Tanquie may have done to offend Maclang, the police chief’s reaction and actions clearly overstepped the bounds of both his authority and the law.

 

Surely, even a rookie policeman knows enough not to arbitrarily arrest anyone without a proper court-issued warrant on properly filed charges. And surely, libel, even if such were indeed the case, is not one of the offenses the commission of which allows for a warrantless arrest.

And for Maclang to draw his weapon and slam it down in front of Tanquis is a clear abuse of authority and as grave a threat as anyone, especially a person in authority, can make against another person.

As for Vano, his brazen attempt at covering up for Maclang shows why the impunity with which extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations are committed persists and why the murders of journalists, activists, lawyers, religious, indigenous people and others remain unsolved.

We demand that PNP Director General Alan Purisima and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II immediately investigate and sanction Maclang and Vano, who have proven to be a blot on the service.

We acknowledge that our profession is beset with a myriad problem of ethics and professionalism and make no excuses for these. Which is why we continuously strive to convince colleagues to strive to uphold the tenets of the profession.

But offensive word or thought can never justify resorting to brute force – threats, assaults, murders – in response.

 ** Full disclosure. I formerly chaired the NUJP and remain a loyal member

May 5, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

Fun, Free Family Bonding at the Luneta

 

Want to give your kids summer fun that goes beyond the malls and play stations? Here’s a free and genuinely interesting offering from Rizal Park!

 

The National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) launches today (May 4) the “Labs Kita Saturday” weekly program at the Luneta. Today’s eventwill feature the Park’s first free art workshops at the picture-perfect Musical Dancing Fountain are, from 4 pm, withe the theme  “.

 

The event is organized by NPDC Executive Director Juliet Villegas through the Public Relations and Events Management firm Blitz Communications Philippines; Arts Association of the Philippines (AAP); on-the-job trainee students of Far Eastern University, De La Salle University– asmarinas, and Technological University of the Philippines; and in partnership with UniSilver TIME, DONG-A, and UnliSolutions Manpower Services & Events Management Inc., Media partners include Business Mirror, Health and Fitness Newsprint Magazine, and Pilipino Mirror.

 

Along with other members of the AAP, the art workshop will be led by seasoned artists and its current President, Fidel “Maestro” Sarmiento, and shall utilize mediums such as oil pastels, sand paper, and felt paper.

 

Free oil pastels will be provided to the first 500 families who shall register for the “Labs Kita Saturday” art workshop, while the first 200 families will be provided with free sand paper to be used during the said activity.

 

Meanwhile, all registered participants have chances of winning several masterpieces or paintings from Sarmiento through a raffle draw.

 

May 4, 2013May 4, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: children, Events, Travel, UncategorizedTags: "Rizal Park Alay Kulay Para sa Pamilyang Pinoy, Arts Association of the Philippines, family bonding, Fidel Sarmiento, free art workshop, Labs Kita Saturday, Luneta, Rizal Parl, summer activity 1 Comment

Amid grief, Obama shares the best of America

Amid grief, Obama shares the best of America. AND IT IS NOT MIGHT.

In this speech, a script that once more combines scriptures and everyday images of a life everyone deserves to have, Obama shows why, even while we protest the more inimical US policies, it is a no-brainer choosing between an admittedly flawed democracy on the one hand and a landscape of mayhem and death on the other.

April 19, 2013 by Inday Espina-Varona Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment