Senseless...

The death of Cris Anthony Mendez an Isko ng Bayan and a bright student of UP Diliman is something that should concern every UP student...The alleged death by Mendez by hazing is not exactly new..but each time someone dies because of hazing, one cannot help but think that why people still join fraternities...UP has always recognized the existence of fraternities and sororities in the campus..however, the deaths that are caused by hazing cannot be something that we can turn a blind eye to...

Being a fratman myself, I do not condemn the whole concept of fraternities...what I condemn are the deaths that have been caused by senseless violence and perhaps uncontrolled emotions...I think that what just happened to Mendez is something that would further tarnish the reputations of fraternities...not only the fraternity that was involved in his death..

The death of Mendez in the hands of fratmen may serve as the spark that would finally end the existence of fraternities in UP..the demonstration held by students condemning the death of Mendez is just an indicator that there is already a growing opposition against fraternities and frat violence.

this is a crisis not only for the fraternity involved but for all the fraternities...im sure that after this incident a lot of people and students would think twice about entering fraternities and sororities...i cant blame them though...over and over again it has happened...PEOPLE LOOKING FOR BROTHERHOOD HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN SENSELESS VIOLENCE INSTEAD...

And the carnage continues...

As Pres. Arroyo tries to curb terrorism in Mindanao...soldiers are dying in vain. I say in vain because its obvious that the govt isnt making any headway in its offensive against the Moro extremists. The fact that 15 other soldiers were killed by the Abu Sayyaf shows that the govt is fighting a losing battle, while in fact the govt should be the one pounding hard on these extremists...Imagine...20 soldiers were killed while only 4 Abu sayyef casualties were recovered...When will the govt forces finally win a battle against the enemies of the state? I know that not only me but a lot of Filipinos are disappointed by the developments that are happening in Mindanao...especially those families who have lost loved ones in the fighting.

If this trend continues then the AFP might run out of soldiers ( of course an exaggeration, but who knows) this Basilan thing has truly become a crisis for the Arroyo administration because it has not only exposed the faults and errors in the military but it has also sprked controversies about the competency of Ms. Arroyo's generals and the alleged connivance between politicians and the Muslim extremists. Also I have observed that Pres. Arroyo is very indecisive in here deciosions in Mindanao...If she wants to launch an all-out war then she should...if she wants diplomacy then she should negotiate. Arroyo must not send soldiers to their deaths only to later on take back her decision...

"Lead" by Example...

China...one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of growth...the sleeping giant that have woken up...However, it's alarming that many of their products are facing criticisms and are being taken off the shelves all over the world...Agencies in US and other nations have issued recall orders for toys manufactured ion China because of execessive lead content, Also in the Philippines the DOH has issued a device alert that warns consumers who might have bought China-made products that may be potentially dangerous to health. It is further alarming to note that among these products are toys, things that little kids put in their mouths. According to Health secretary Francisco Eduque lead is toxic if ingested.
I think this is potentially big crisis for China if their govt' fails to apply the proper solution to mitigate the effects of the recall and banning of their products. Since China is known worldwide as manufacturing country, the news about the lead content of their products may severly affect their economy and may halt the steady growth of their economy.

However, another issue about the recall order is the fact that many people may have already bought the said products and may have already been exposed to lead...if this aspect of the problem should come up...expect that many of the companies that manufactured the toys and other products will face lawsuits and crises of their own..

In the end this is something that China and its govt' cannot take sitting down...

Dead Bodies Everywhere...

As if to add insult to the already damaged reputation of AFP, it suffered another steback in its offensive against the Muslim extremists that earlier ambushed and beheaded gov't forces. 20 soldiers were killed in separate skirmishes in Maimbung...20 dead soldiers against one fatality for the Abu Sayyaf...well, the roles have definitely changed...during the administration of Erap...the extremists were on the losing end when Pres. Estrada launched an all-out offensive...but what we see here is a crisis within the higher-ups in the military that has led to the setbacks that the AFP is suffering...

The military, clearly should have the upper hand against these extremists for a number of reason 1. they are better equipped 2. they have the numbers 3. they have studied the art of military strategies...but what the hell is happening...I think that changes should be implemented...or the Arroyo administration should stop hesitating and instead launch an all out offensive that should put an end to these terror groups in Mindanao...there is an impending security crisis in MIndanao....and it should be prevented...and besides, how many more young soldiers should lose their lives in order to address the problem in Mindanao...

Errors...

It's really disappointing to know that the soldiers killed ang beheaded by Rebels were doomed form the beginning...according to the investigation done by the military, a miscommunication betweeen the field troops and the station caused the failure of reinforcements that would have saved the lives of the fallen soldiers. It is also interesting to note that in the live footage captured by the GMA news team, it is seen that the mortars that the soldiers used did not fire or took a long time before it fired, this may have also caused the doom of the soldiers.

In this light, how could the goverenment tolerate such errors and malfunctions when a reasonable part of the national budget goes to the military...I think there is a need for the govt to address the issues in the military, particularly those raised by Sen. Antonio trillanes...By addressing the problems in the military, Pres. GMA could avert a crisis that she wish will never happen - a military led coup'de etat that could stem from the irregularitites from the govt. Also the continued deaths of our military forces may also lead to the demoralization of our troops which is the last thing we need when we are trying to win battles...

An eye for an eye...

All the talk about release of Father Bossi have been quite interesting...Pres. Arroyo have put placed the credit fot Bossi's release in the name of the military and the police. However, one cannot ignore all the talks surrounding the "truth" behind the release of Fr. Bossi. Im referring to the talks circulating that the government resorted to "kidnap for kidnap" strategy wherein the government abducted relatives of the abductors to have "bargaining chips" against them. If indeed the gov't resorted to such action then it was successful as Father Bossi was released not long. However, does the govt have to resort to this kind of strategies to solve a crisis such as this. By doing so, the govt is in a way stooping down to the levels of these hardened criminals. i just think that the next time such incident occurs that the govt would have a better plan and not solve problems through manners that are against the law...

Human Security Act..

R.A No. 9372 or the Human Security Act is supposedly designed to protect the citizens of the Philippines form security threats like terrorism and rebellion. The HSA would allow the authoritities; police and military to conduct surveillance, intercept communication and allow warrant-less arrests, these are just some of the provisions of the HSA. However, this early the opposition against HSA is already growing. Various sectors are apprehensive about the legislation and are calling for the immediate repeal of the HSA. Militant and religious groups are claiming that the HSA could result in the violation of the people's right.



President Arroyo's camp however said that the HSA is designed to capture and punish members of alleged terrorist groups like the Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf; neutralize and contain the threat of terrorism in the country. Yet, despite the assurance people are still skeptic about the effect of the legislation especially on those who are critical of the administration.



R.A no. 9372 could ultimately bite Pres. Arroyo in the ass, the mounting opposition against the HSA could turn into a full-blown crisis for the administration. This is quite possible since the administration is also trying to fend off accusations that it is behind the numerous political killings all over the country. With this new HSA, Ms.Arroyo's administration may have inadvertently stirred a bee's nest. I think that enacting the HSA is not the most intelligent and timely thing that the administration could do.



If Ms. Arroyo wants to stay in power, maybe she should rethink the HSA and start thinking of other means to combat terrorism that will not attract much flak from different sectors. Well, if she really would stand by the HSA then she should prepare herself from the impending poitical crisis that is almost surely to happen..I dont think that Ms. Aroyo is willing to face the very forces that shoved her into power the first time...no one is safe from the Human Security Act... not even the president...