Manny Villar promotes himself as the orange clad Mr Sipag and Tiyage (Mr Industrious and Diligent, if you will) who rose from selling fishes to realty king. Mike Velarde promotes himself on the other hand as a polka dot neon suit charismatic convenor. I call him the real eventologist because he has mastered the skill of gathering hopeful Catholics in a wave your hanky bivouac in Luneta all by himself sans corporate sponsors.

Now Brittany Corp and Amvel Corp owned by Villar and Velarde respectively are entangled in a controversy on overpriced government land acquisition.
I'd like to believe, though not in direct reference to the two MV corporations, that corruption of public money in one way or another (direct, indirect, barter, etc) is an immortal sin. I know that people stealing from the government whether politicians or the politically inclined have become a fact of social life.

Oh well, one just have to push it further and think that one peso deprived from a hungry Mindanao child can develop to a 20 million ransom for his head

All these mockeries, jeers, and lies originate from National Catholicism and its political, religious, educational, and economical laws, which corrupted and converted into Mafias, are used by the news medias, and everything else within reach to present the lie as the truth, the immoral as the moral, the scholastic ethic as the scienific, and a false Christ and pseudochristianity.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III expressed his opinion that that the Catholic church must have failed to teach its followers about the sin of corruption. Albano was quoted saying: We were the only Catholic country in Asia for 400 years. Please ask the bishops why we are the most corrupt nation. That should answer everything.

This is why we ask what right does the Church have to question the moral ascendancy of the Arroyo government to govern?....In the case of Mrs. Arroyo, there was aberration in her coming to power that rendered moral ascendancy in default. Invariably, all the platitudes heaped on her as the epitome of a moral victory over that of evil are questionable. The Church has created a grave moral contradiction. In fact, some people suspect that by raising the issue of moral ascendancy the Church is attempting to cover its political shortcomings. For that matter this unwanted regime can vouch that it was during her period that the Church became politically influential and materially prosperous.
Thus, even if the Church would reassert itself as the self-anointed catalytic factor for change, this corrupt regime could bluntly ask: Look who’s talking? This is why right after the Arroyo government got its first soaking of corruption, the Church failed to assert its moral clout such as saying she has lost her moral right and authority to govern the people because their being governed without their consent. To be precise, in this game where history is about to judge this regime, that accountability exclusively belongs to the Church on why this political disaster happened. It should not be a case of Mrs. Arroyo alone explaining things to the people because they know what happened to them. Their interest is in knowing who installed that juvenile political leader.

Very well written. your post reinforces my new ideas as to the existence of god and the way the catholic church is being run. I also agree that it is a crazy idea for people to sacrifice first before receiving a miracle. I feel that most of the people who joined the procession were there because they want to show how macho they are. I can not understand why they can not be pious for 365 days instead only on Jan 9. I feel that the church is exploiting this.

Fandong

"That is why I refuse to believe that we must suffer in order to receive the miracles of the Lord. "

Buy that is also the official doctrine of the Universal Church. The Philippine Church though could not find the strength to go against the tide of popular religiosity and tolerate these cult practices.

Why? Of course we know why. The best way to control people is to keep them ignorant, especially in matters of faith.

Philippines is approximately 85 percent Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), 10 percent Muslim, and 5 percent 'other' religions, including the Taoist-Buddhist religious beliefs of Chinese and the 'indigenous' animistic beliefs of some peoples in upland areas that resisted 300 years of Spanish colonial rule.Most recently, 'El Shaddai' is a fundamentalist Christian movement within Roman Catholicism in the Philippines that has attracted a large number of converts, both in the Philippines and among Filipinos working abroad. Like charismatic fundamentalist Christian sects in the U.S., the El Shaddai movement, led by 'Brother Mike' Velarde, relies on 'healing' rites, mass congregations, and radio and t.v. appearances and broadcasts to appeal to a large number of people seeking messages and solutions to their poverty or problems. In the rallies in Manila that are broadcast throughout the Philippines by the media, vast numbers of Filipinos seek redemption or a better life by listening to what is essentially 'Filipino' gospel. Filipinos of all walks of life attend these rallies, sometimes to have their passports blessed so they can more easily attain jobs abroad that will help their families, and sometimes to have their bank books blessed so they can more easily save money.

dear andro,
OPTICAL Media Board Chairman Edu Manzano hosted lunch at Annabel’s Restaurant to officially announce his partnership with MTRCB Chair Conzoliza La Guardia , Monsignor Pedro Quitorio of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and Atty. Eric Mallonga of the Child Justice League to intensify his campaign against child pornography and flicker piracy.
ed

Why are we poor?

We are poor because Catholicism is the predominant ideology in our country today.

What are some characteristics of this collective ideological mindset of the Filipino?

1. Attitude towards Self. The Filipino sees himself as a “sinner” and an imperfect person. And because of he is taught to hate himself and the world, he is constantly battling his demons, constantly checking and always punishing himself. This kind of perpetual war inside of him saps him of his energies and creativity. It makes him a docile person. A country of docile persons will not move.

2. Attitude towards the World. The Filipino sees the world as “evil” and therefore, hopes to “save himself” by escaping from it. Furthermore, the Filipino sees the world as a “vast entity in which irresistible forces manifest themselves”. This attitude breeds a people with escapist mentality and a sense of powerlessness. They do not consider themselves as the masters of their destinies but as victims (which they celebrate also).

3. Concept of Salvation. One’s concept of salvation is important because such concept defines the raison d’etre of life. Building on the attitude of the Filipino that the world is evil, “salvation” for the Filipino consists of “saving oneself from the world” and to prepare for the “world to come”. Development requires a concept of salvation that seeks to transform this present, real world so that there can be justice, freedom and abundance.

4. Attitude towards Life. The Filipino sees life as something that happens to him (not something that he can make happen). He is resigned to his fate or to the fate that God deigns him to have. (Bahala na ang Diyos).

5. Attitude towards Riches. The Filipino believes in the so-called “preferential option for the poor.” This attitude of exalting the poor makes the poor justified in their poverty (makes them laggards) and condemns the rich as “sinners”. Thus, no development happens. The poor are morally content to remain poor as Christ was poor, and the rich, harboring guilt feelings because they are rich, sees no need to make himself further rich.

Those are some of the reasons why we continue to be poor. And it is all because of Catholicism.

for andro...Two months after her installation as Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has prohibited screenings of Live Show, an internationally acclaimed documentary film, and forced the resignation of the country's chief censor because he opposed the ban. Arroyo moved against the film after Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin and other Catholic Church leaders called on the government to do so.
Directed by Jose Javier Reyes, the documentary—which Arroyo claimed was “illicit, lewd and offensive”—examines the desperate lives of young Filipino men and women, mainly from rural areas, who perform live sex acts in Manila nightclubs. Also known as Tora, it was shown at film festivals in Europe, North America and Australia during 2000, had been approved by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and was already screening in Philippine cinemas.

Roman Catholic Church which believes that artificial contraceptives only serve to promote sexual promiscuity and immorality. Church leaders vehemently deny that overpopulation is the cause of poverty and underdevelopment.Philippine Commentary blogger Dean Bocobo contends that while birth control policies “are not per se the cause of hunger, poverty and economic underdevelopment, their undeniable consequence in the form of overpopulation strictly limits the efficacy of any solutions to the problems that face Philippine society and vastly diminishes any gains that are achieved. Overpopulation has a structural, multiplier effect that exacerbates those problems, places pressure on natural resources such as water, land and the ability of society to feed, clothe, shelter and educate the people.”

Senator Claro M. Recto wanted to include Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in the reading list of college students in 1956. The Catholic Church opposed the proposal claiming it would violate freedom of conscience and religion. They said the “novels belong to the past and it would be harmful to read them because they present a false picture of conditions in the country.” A priest, who was introduced in the senate committee hearing as an authority on Rizal, added that the Noli was not a patriotic book since it only contained 25 patriotic passages as opposed to 120 anti-Catholic statements. A Catholic senator argued that he cannot allow his son to read Rizal’s novels for fear that the boy will lose his faith.

hoy don tiburcio...Rafael Palma (your Palma Hall Amiel) has stated the case of Rizal versus Bonifacio in these words:It should be a source of pride and satisfaction to the Filipinos to have among their national heroes one of such excellent qualities and merits which may be equalled but not surpassed by any other man. Whereas generally the heroes of occidental nations are warriors and generals who serve their cause with the sword, distilling blood and tears, the hero of the Filipinos served his cause with the pen, demonstrating that the pen is as mighty as the sword to redeem a people from their political slavery. lt is true that in our case the sword of Bonifacio was after all needed to shake off the yoke of a foreign power; but the revolution prepared by Bonifacio was only the effect, the consequence of the spiritual redemption wrought by the pen of Rizal. Hence, not only in chronological order but also in point of importance the previous work of Rizal seems to us superior to that of Bonifacio because although that of Bonifacio was of immediate result, that of Rizal will have more durable and permanent effects.

hahaha! i remember amiel being killed in puerta real! floy quintos play- ngek!

One controversial issue related to Rizal's character and conviction is his idea of freedom of conscience. It is often said that Rizal invoked this freedom to justify his break with the Catholic Church. Simply put, he seemed to have said: "I would rather follow my conscience, rather than the teachings of the Catholic Church".

One controversial issue related to Rizal's character and conviction is his idea of freedom of conscience. It is often said that Rizal invoked this freedom to justify his break with the Catholic Church. The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naive and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair. -- H.L. Mencken

rain... AS editor of DV lets be honest sister- Brodett lawyer is from Ateneo and his student is Usec Blacaflor ( a Brod and Ateneo) as well as Jun Francisco and Fisrst gentlemAN. Brodett lawyer taught in FEU and produced state prosecutor John Recinio who caN hardly string nor write an English sentence... As a lawyer that's Blasphemy. I sense an Ateneo problem- wooops did Erap come from Ateneo?

what kind of priest is this fr. robert reyes? he's all over the place, running around w/ his silly kariton, making a BIG FOOL of himself.he says silly things like calling erap "SATAN" or making bro. velarde choose bet. the church or president (bakit, hindi ba pwedeng maging bahagi ng simbahan at maging maka-erap at the same time? lol! does it mean that if you're pro-erap, you're also renouncing your being a catholic?) this is disturbing because they're now using religion to INFLUENCE and MANIPULATE it's followers and PLAY PARTISAN POLITICS. what's next? they start telling their followers who to vote for -- OR ELSE?!?

sino ka naman para magdikta kung ano ang dapat at di dapat panghimasukan ng simbahan? isa ka lang fucker at institution ang binabangga mo bay! and to mind u, na iba yung simbahan nung panahon ni rizal at simbahan ngayon. hindi magrereact ang simbahan ng ganito kung wala silang nakikitang kapalpakan sa gobyerno. inuulit ko, na ang mga nasa gobyerno ay tao rin na kung saan ang simbahan ay may moral at spiritual responsibility.

Fr.Robert Reyes said they would campaign for the withdrawal of support of all Catholic faithful to El Shaddai and its leaders! POW!

What's wrong with Fr Robert 'the running priest' Reyes? Why is he advocating the boycott of several companies and several people like Jolina. Isn't he a man of cloth who's suppose to advocate love instead of hate. What will happen to the hardworking people employed in these companies? Can he feed these people if these companies close shop? Aren't we free to choose our liking because we believe in GMA. Just because we do not subscribe to his ideas, do we merit his advocacy to start a hate campaign against us? Who is his superiors? Why don't they tell this priest that as man of the cloth who has a vow of obedience to strictly obey the laws of God. He keeps on judging people when the Lord has strictly forbidden us not to judge people. How can he shepherd his people when he advocates the defiance of a simple law such as the constitution.
If he could not follow a simple law, how can he follow God's laws which are much stringer!

Amiel Aguilar Cabanlig is one of the brightest society commentator ever.I don't know her personally but she has this angst of ruining your day by her sharp pen(err...typing i shall say).Very witty and intelligent.STAR should learn from her(hiring those who can't even fill-up a grocery list...according to Giselle and can't even talk straight).Millet should be hanged from her faux Hermes belt(Kitty's sharp words).
Love you Kitty and Brian!

ED Said...

dear andro,
OPTICAL Media Board Chairman Edu Manzano hosted lunch at Annabel’s Restaurant to officially announce his partnership with MTRCB Chair Conzoliza La Guardia , Monsignor Pedro Quitorio of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and Atty. Eric Mallonga of the Child Justice League to intensify his campaign against child pornography and flicker piracy.
ed
---------------------------------
Dear Ed,

This is out of topic from boldstars post... But as such, thank you for the information you shared.

Child pornography should be stopped at the grassroots in my book. Whoever enjoys child pornography is sick in the head. Sex is a wonderful thing ONLY BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS. Good move I should say of Edu...

Oriellini.

I can assure you that Amiel is 100% man.

Love you too.

The most effective way to overcome the victim mentality is to start taking responsibility for every action and circumstance in our lives.

When we do seek in every possible way to take responsibility we can begin to see that although I cannot control my circumstances, I can always control my response!

When we accept this attitude, life's circumstances will no longer control us, because we have been freed to choose how to respond!

TO FRED: YES YES!!!!

Its in the Filipino psyche to externalize blame rather than taking responsibility for our actions. "bahala na, diyos na lang ang bahala" is our most common response to anything.

I can bear witness to its insidious effects on my mother. If her relatives borrow money from people telling them that mother (the abroad) will pay and so these people start texting and calling asking for their money, all they she says is "Ginoo na lang ang bahala sa kanya" and then PAY. Instead of taking charge and lambasting these relatives and these people as God will look at her favourably for doing"GOOD".

I have to tell her that no mother you are actually accepting fraud and etc... which she sometimes understand but at her age having been exposed to this all her life change is rather not forthcoming.

Regarding Rizal and Bonifacio.

Why is it that we have to fight and choose who is the better of the two. Why can't we have 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 heroes.

Its devisive and creates in fighting when all we want to do is instill a fighting spirit among our comarades long battered by Catholicism, poverty and political servitude

We have to face the real battle. Otherwise we become like a pack of wild dogs fighting for scandalous morsels given to us by our masters while they feast unabated.

The Catholic Church opposed the proposal claiming it would violate freedom of conscience and religion. They said the “novels belong to the past and it would be harmful to read them because they present a false picture of conditions in the country.”
Yup look at the NOVEL by Dan Brown... Banned from Catholic schools!

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III expressed his opinion that that the Catholic church must have failed to teach its followers about the sin of corruption. Albano was quoted saying: We were the only Catholic country in Asia for 400 years. Please ask the bishops why we are the most corrupt nation. That should answer everything. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH ALBANO!

Hi Rain... I offer 100 pesos load to anyone who can logically argue the utter importance of touching the Black Nazarene during the parade in Quiapo!

Para fair...

is catholicism in the philippines a religion or a business? or both? why does it meddle so much in politics? is it to protect its tax shelters or to show it has muscles to maintain and preserve the laity's servitude? or both? with this unwarranted behavior of the keepers of the catholic faith, spirituality is unduly sacrificed. no wonder, the philippines is perhaps the most corrupt country in asia despite its being only the christian country in the continent.

Amiel...

The value of any act of faith from a religious perspective is always debatable; as such any argument for or against can never be considered fair, However, as a cultural meme, the touching may find its bearing in the Asian paradigm of physical expression as opposed to the mental and metaphysical paradigms of the European faith expressions.

Still, I will add another 100 worth of load to anyone who can justly offer an insightful defense of the "touching" act as essential to one's faith.

Bring them on!

Rain

James...

Oh, we can sit down all day and debate whether my alma mater and her alumni have contributed to the growth or downfall of Philippine society. Hehehehe.

Or, we can also look at persons as formed by multiple forces, and the school is just one of them.

Rain

rico said...

for andro...Two months after her installation as Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has prohibited screenings of Live Show, an internationally acclaimed documentary film, and forced the resignation of the country's chief censor because he opposed the ban. Arroyo moved against the film after Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin and other Catholic Church leaders called on the government to do so.
Directed by Jose Javier Reyes, the documentary—which Arroyo claimed was “illicit, lewd and offensive”—examines the desperate lives of young Filipino men and women, mainly from rural areas, who perform live sex acts in Manila nightclubs. Also known as Tora, it was shown at film festivals in Europe, North America and Australia during 2000, had been approved by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and was already screening in Philippine cinemas.
===================================
Dear Rico,

I do not remember who the Censor Chief at that time was. But I should say he/she was right to let the film show or at least tried to at the expense of his being axed. That move by the government as forced upon by the church is a clear and direct violation of OUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE FOR OURSELVES. Of course the film is not for all. Not all of us have MATURE SENSITIVITIES. Any prude who watched it will sure as hell be more than titillated but will not claim so. And in doing so, they will miss what the film is all about IF THEY JUST FOCUS ON THE SEX. The film is not just about the sex but the harsh reality that this line of work does exist and how these people interact with others in their day to day existence. We might have we forgotten that these souls are people too. They breathe like you, they eat like you, their shit stinks like yours do. They laugh, they cry much like we all do. I myself have watched a real life TORO in Pasay once. To tell you the truth, it was an experience that one cannot forget easily. Upon watching the film the parallelism to true life is eerily accurate in it's depiction. Not to mention the flow of Klaudia Koronel (Milfe Dacula) and Paolo Rivero, as well as the other artists who played wonderful performances in the film.

What the church is forgetting is that we all, from the moment of creation were given the power of FREE WILL. The right to choose for ourselves. And I have said this here in Victorina time and time again that based on this God given Dogma, we have the power to choose whether we want to be good or evil. I am not deeply religious like I said before, but tell me who would you rather believe? A gift given to you by a creator or a set of laws made by men whose aim is to control your growth as a human being. Think and search within you, the answer is there.

You have FREE WILL. If you choose to be good, then be good and share it. If you chose to be bad. Then be bad for you have the right to it. But please, keep being bad alone and not involve good people much more the young to wallow in the mud with you. And please no pretensions. It will seep out like a cracked rotten egg no matter how hard you try to conceal it. And if you choose to be bad, remember that you still have to contend with punitive measures and edicts set by man. So why make your life complicated?

I presume all of us here who believes in life after death hopes for a better afterlife. So in this short and temporal existence we have here on earth, what would you rather do? Be good and be an inspiration to others or be bad and be despised. You choose, it is your right. No matter how rich and influential you get, no matter how intelligent you think you are, you can't take anything with you from this plane into the afterlife. What you will take however, is what you have made of yourself here based on the creator's grand design. Not the kind that is distorted by man to serve his/her purpose. That my friend will be your ticket to reach further heights when it's your time to meet your maker. Not all the Hallelujah's or Amen Amen you do so others will see. Not even the amount of donations you give to your church will guarantee you even a time-share in heaven. Most especially the semblance of "charity" you do immortalized via photo op and printed on glossy magazines and newspapers. No Sir. You may fool man but not GOD. The real GOD. God of us all in whatever religion, sect, cult and what have you.

And as a final note: The film was great. The film is not offensive. The real reason probably why they hated it is because they are slapped in the face with truth. Truth really hurts if you believe in an opposite scenario.

Thank you for your continued patronage Rico.

Andro

lito said...

The Catholic Church opposed the proposal claiming it would violate freedom of conscience and religion. They said the “novels belong to the past and it would be harmful to read them because they present a false picture of conditions in the country.”
Yup look at the NOVEL by Dan Brown... Banned from Catholic schools!
===================================
Dear Lito,

Sad isn't it? They are all focused on conscience and religion using GOD as a cushion for their fallible human logic. Funny and amusing how fickle minded the church has become as of late. Even banning books? Come on...

They must have forgotten that even a priest wrote erotica in 1444. The book was written by Italian priest Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who went on to become Pope Pius II 14 after the book was written. Incidentally, that book sold at an auction in 2001 for £1.5 Million.

Senate President Manuel Villar, on charges of conflict of interest discovered because of a 200 million peso “singit” in the 2008 national budget, a story appeared in one of the national dailies.
Cynthia Villar was charged in her capacity as president of the Capitol Development Bank (now Optimum Development Bank) who was one of the signatories in the P1.5 billion loan, while Manuel Villar was made respondent for being a shareholder in the family-owned bank.The signatories of the promissory notes for which Bangko Sentral loaned out 1.5 billion of the people’s money were Mrs. Cynthia Villar, not yet a congresswoman at the time of the transaction, and Ditas Magno, with Arturo de los Santos participating at the time of the dacion. The signatory for the Bangko Sentral was Andres Rustia.

Yet, the complainants and their lawyer included Senate President Manuel Villar in the complaint, who at the time of the transaction and its episodes, was either a congressman or already Speaker of the House. The lawyer explained that though Villar was not a signatory, the circumstances in the irregular and unusually generous transaction suggest clearly that the latter must have exerted undue influence or pressure upon the officers of the Bangko Sentral.
While that contention may be legally debatable, would Manny Villar leave his wife the congresswoman to answer this complaint singly? Can he simply shrug these charges off as “recycled” and “old” or leave the explaining to his faithful political acolytes, as he did the mystery of the 200 million double entry which would cross through properties he and his wife own, and for which monies of the Republic were used to compensate for road right of way? ”

For when Villar the husband was yet the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee back in 2004, he and his Cynthia worked out a project proposal with the Department of Public Works and Highways, providing funds amounting to 710 million pesos, for road construction and "road right-of-way" payments in the newly-moved location of C-5. For that year alone, 355 million was allocated for right-of-way settlements. And clearly, Villar and his family corporations own so much of these properties. From the public monies appropriated in the budget Villar "amended" – to his own pocket, right?

I've left the Catholic Church and never felt better . I agree.We don't need to punish ourselves to be worthy of God's Love and He never pusnishes as well..Traditional Christianity has espoused the use of Fear to keep their members in blind obedience . I believe we are waking up now from this Nightmare of a Fear Based Religion. Jesus will approve.. What have we done in his name ?

Andro Andro Andro

*sigh*

Too numerous to mention...

Anonymous said...

Andro Andro Andro

*sigh*

Too numerous to mention...

January 15, 2009 10:34 AM

====================================
Dear Anonymous,

Get it of your chest...
Lest you explode...
Well, I hope in a good way though.

Peace c",)

Andro

Now it's time to close that training ground of future corrupt lawyers - The Ateneo de Manila..let's crucify some Jesuits I say!

I LOVE !!!!

Now it's time to close that training ground of future corrupt lawyers - The Ateneo de Manila..let's crucify some Jesuits I say!

Very Elizabeth...