From 20-20 to Top 20

A man has been charged over the weekend as a result of a police drama last Friday. The man threatened staff at the Australian Government Solicitor’s Office after an unfavorable court proceeding result. Police believed that he will return with a gun and the vicinity of the building was locked down for hours with hundreds evacuated. No gun was found.

In another news, a tragic accident literally arrived at the doorstep of a mother and her baby sending the baby flying meters away. The baby died on the spot and the man was apprehended by witnesses after trying to flee the scene. The mother received treatment for minor injuries.

Body to develop, preserve RP’s other languages

Last year, Inquirer.net reported that the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) was rethinking its purpose and was aiming to preserve RP’s other languages. This is a welcome news since we are slowly losing our identity as our culture is slowly swallowed by the different colonizers that came to ‘teach’ us the proper way. The alibata is almost extinct while there are some dialect that are slowly becoming a dialect only spoken among the senior generation. So, the move by the KWF is welcome news. Personally, I believe if we know our language well, then we have a chance for development and better understanding of other languages. Filipino is based on the Tagalog dialect, strictly speaking if we follow a pure Filipino language not everybody will be able to understand it. My Filipino teacher back in High School pointed out that in Tagalog, month and moon are spelled the same–buwan, so, how do you differentiate month from the moon? In Filipino, (if my memory serves me right), month is buwan and moon is bulan. Some of my Bicolano readers might say–ei that rings a bell. Well indeed it does because the Filipino language, ideally, is a mixture of all the dialect of the Philippines.

Are Filipinos being deceived?

I remember vividly how my ‘political awakening’ came into being. Ninoy Aquino’s arrival was on national TV. I was Grade 3 then, and then the gun shots. I could not believe my eyes that it was really happening but I remember my Dad trembling in anger of what they’ve done and pointing to a certain general speaking on TV looking so tense and shaking while explaining to the press that the former senator was assassinated and showing them the gun that was used.

When the cat is away the mouse will play

As the saying goes and so what also legislators at the Australian Parliament did today as reported by news.com.au. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spent his Friday on an official visit to an indigenous community in New South Wales that the opposition went on “berserk” to “protest against his ‘rostered day off’.”

Two Filipinos make it to Top 20 of “Dance Idol” Contest Down Under

Two Filipino-Australian made it to the Top 20 of So You Think You Can Dance Australia. J. D. Carteret and Demi Sorono hope to wow Australian viewers of the dance reality show. One might consider the show as a counterpart of the “Idol” show.

Plain blackmail

A report over the Inquirer.net caught my eye and I felt disgusted at how blatant some people in “forcing surrender to another party over a hovering threat to their money’s lifeline. ” The report quoted Makati Business Club Chairman Ramon Del Rosario, Jr. talking about a board member of the club who received a text message from a government official threatening to “set loose the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) on the MBC.” The threat is plain blackmail and the MBC shrugged it off welcoming any inquiry from the BIR. As expected there were denials from the government side and while throwing praises to the MBC as an advocate in tax collection, this showed that the BIR, or any other government office for this matter,could and will be used against any group or personality if they become a threat to the state (read: threat to their money’s lifeline).

The Word that Made People Happy

Sorry

It was a word that most indigenous Australians have been waiting for more than four decades and it came at a right time. It came as a surprise that the opposition has supported the apology when it was implying weeks before that it will not agree to such moves. The nation was ecstatic and everyone was unanimous that this is the start of the healing process and Australia can now move forward. This came at a very good time when the economy of Australia is bullish and it has a new leadership with commitment.

Crime on the blogosphere

Well, this is off my beat but this is an interesting take on law and blogging. After the infamous battle of Yuga against a libel case against him and the fight for justice for a jailed Malaysian blogger, here’s another blogger fighting (or outwitting) the law. This blogger is certainly passionate but his passion is not welcomed by everyone.

This blogger blogs about his attraction to what he calls “LGs” or little girls. His confession of loving LGs has become a debate among lawyers and law enforcers as to how they will be able to protect the community. As one US federal prosecutor said (as this article reported) “there’s no law against someone making you feel uncomfortable.”

Law enforcers have tried to charge the blogger with minor offenses for taking photos of children in a certain school in the US. But in the words of the blogger, “I thought it was the best therapeutic thing for my own head to kind of put this out there, what I’m thinking,” he said before his arrest. “I’m determined not to do anything illegal. I haven’t done anything illegal.”

I hope you stick to your word brother. I hope you do.

One blind post

As I was reading the news, my emotions ran high. It was the same emotion when Trillanes took over another hotel. It was exciting and at the same time disgusting. The Philippine Daily Inquirer is vivid enough to put emotions into words. While I’m no De Venecia supporter, I’m just wondering when will our politician sit down or stand up to finally get to work.

Have they heard about the number of Filipinos migrating here in Australia to work as skilled workers, professionals? Or are they blinded that these migrant Filipinos will return some favor to the country by sending remittances? Well, some of the fact here is they are bringing their family here and they do not have anybody else back home. While there’s a claim of increases in OFW remittances and the Philippine economy is becoming a model for other countries, the fact still remains that these small victories does not trickle down to the lowly Pandoy household.

When I read the news, I can’t help but recall an event that I attended back in Puerto Princesa City. The phrase that this man kept saying rang over my ear just like an echo or a ringing bell–“sabi ng Mommy ko… sabi ng Mommy ko…” indulge have a guess, I might say my mind to you about this guy. 🙂 *sigh*

Western Australia Needs More Workers

Western Australia is said to spend around Aus$600,000 to attract workers to answer the chronic worker shortages, Perthnow reported early last month. Some of the workers needed for this current call include school cleaners, gardeners and tourism tourism workers. In the Philippines, these workers might not be given that attention unless you are profession is one of the most treasured export of the country.