Around the World

I recently visited a Travel Expo at the SMX Convention Center. My desire to travel around the world ignited once again. I have always wanted to see several countries- from the usual tourist cities such as Paris, Tokyo to the not-so frequently visited countries such as Kenya and Peru. I thirst for adventure and new learnings. I have always been very interested with geography. As a child, I would memorize capital cities and flags of countries. And if only I have the money to spare, then I would be willing to travel the world my whole life.

For now, these are the top places I want to go to:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- Who wouldn't want to go there? It's a party paradise and has a laid-back atmosphere too. It has great beaches, and really good-looking citizens. Another reason is because this country is exotic and very far from the Philippines (with a $2,000 ticket however). Not to mention that it will soon host the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics!
-No visa required for Filipinos-

Istanbul, Turkey- One of the oldest cities in the world. This city offers historical sites that makes history-buff people like me a reason to smile. At the same time it is also very modern and is literally the bridge between Europe and Asia.




 
Casablanca, Morocco- There is something about Morocco that makes me want to go there. Is it the spices? the desert? I'm not really sure. I just want to tour its markets and see weird and exciting products. By the way, I haven't seen the movie yet.

-No visa required for Filipinos-

Sint Maarten is in the Caribbean but is a Netherlands territory. It's a beach paradise with parties to boot. But one major reason I like this island is because its airport is so close to the shore. Large aircrafts just fly a few meters above people on the beach. I've always wanted to take a photo of  A Boeing 747 landing there.

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Suicidal

A day before Valentine's Day, former Armed Forces Chief Angelo Reyes was laid to rest at no less than the Libingan ng mga Bayani. He was given honors fit for a hero.

I cringe whenever I hear about this. I sympathize with the family over his death, but people praising him too much makes an eyebrow rise. I understand that whenever one dies, it is usually the good things that is remembered. But in this case, it's just too much.

First of all, he is hounded with corruption allegations with no less than his former subordinate accusing him of receiving millions of pesos. Second and equally important factor, he committed suicide. Whether the first one is true or not, the second one overruled the situation. Fact is he did take his life. But now it seems people are justifying suicide. They say he did that for his family, for the institution. It seems what he did was heroic and worthy of praises. That just disturbed me. Suicide is suicide, it's a sin.

We can never fully know the truth about AFP corruption with his death, which actually leads to more questions than answers. Reyes committed suicide for a reason. And what is clear is that he knows something we don't. Whether or not he took money, for certain, he has an idea who. Because it would be hard to imagine that someone as smart as him would kill himself if he knows he is perfectly innocent.

For now, let's just hope this investigation will continue and will bear fruit. I hope it's not another congressional hearing.

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The Tale of Whistleblowers

During Tuesday's hearing at the House of Representatives, former auditor of the Commission on Audit, Heidi Mendoza, testified of alleged corruption in the military. Mendoza said there were irregularities in bank transactions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in connection with a multi-million peso grant given by the United Nations for the Philippine Peacekeeping Mission.

Soon after the hearing, Mendoza received praises from various sectors and from the public who used online media to express their admiration. She was called a heroine by some. Senators, congressmen and other personalities also tweeted their support for Mendoza, who appealed for protection as she fears for her life.

The story of Mendoza is not new in the Philippine setting. Many other so-called whistleblowers have come out in the open and accused the government of corruption, fraud and graft. Among the most prominent whistleblowers in recent history are Jun Lozada, Sandra Cam, Vidal Doble, Nancy Gadian and Marlene Esperat.

Lozada accused the government of bribery in connection with the multi-million peso NBN-ZTE Broadband project. Cam alleged top officials received jueteng payola. Doble accused former President Gloria Arroyo of cheating in the 2004 polls with the 'Hello Garci' scandal. Gadian accused AFP officials of pocketing millions of pesos from the RP-US Balikatan funds. Esperat, a journalist, exposed the Bolante Fertilizer Fund Scam. They are just a few of the many other witnesses who saw rigged transactions in the government.

The question now is, what happened to their revelations?
After being milked by officials in several hearings and investigations, after all the media glitz and the publicity, what happened? The answer is simple: nothing much. Where are the whistleblowers now? They're probably still under the Witness Protection Program, probably hiding and still fearing for their lives. Worst, Esperat has been killed. And yet, no one was held accountable for all the alleged crimes.

Whose fault? The country's justice system. Unfortunately, its speed is just a little bit faster than a rabbit. It's really difficult to convict an official in the country. Despite several pieces of evidence, it seems no one can pin them down. The public, too, is at fault. They show their support, but after a while, they lose interest. When the public loses support for a whistleblower, the media follows (and vice versa). It's as if a whistleblower is just a flavor of the month.

This is a sad reality. The Senate and the House of Representatives hold all these hearings in the aid of legislation. But there seems to be no law curbing all these corruptions and issues. In fact, the Whistleblower Protection Act is still pending in Senate.

Hopefully, this will all change with the revelations of Mendoza. Hopefully, something good will happen. Hopefully.

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50-50 January

It's February, but let me tell you about January.

God really works in ways one cannot fathom. The first half of January was not a good one. As written in my previous post, I had financial problems, a thief, and other woes like career issues. But then the second half came. Somebody lent/gave me money, had 2 coverages and my proposal for more coverages was welcomed and approved. I was also informed that I will be moved to the morning shift. Though it was a sad news, I took it as a new challenge and phase in my life. The evening shift bade me a nice farewell. Ma'am Tina Monzon-Palma even funded for my "despedida party". That was January for me. A month of two opposite sides. Indeed, God works mysteriously.

Coverage food at the New World Hotel, Makati

Coverage food at the New World Hotel, Makati

Coverage food at Makati Shangri-la

Coverage food at Makati Shangri-la

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