By: Amiel Aguilar Cabanlig

A comment made in an earlier post in DV made me reassesses the direction of Victorina ;

“Why do (comments) always disappear when no pop culture personality is mentioned?"

Indeed there has been too much worthless tumult over the ongoing ruckus on the Internet’s Kho-Halili sex video. While the comment made does carry much credence, it fails to co

nsider that scandals have customarily served as precursors to eminent societal upheavals.

Sex sells!

Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Senator Bong Revilla know this very well (only 3 “media hungry” Senators were present) - this is why they wanted media to join the hearing on the sex-scandal in aide of legislation. After rouge ex-policeman Abner Afuang threw water on Hayden, the Senate hearing chaired by Sen. Jamby Madrigal began to look like a sequel of "Dumb and Dumber".

There is a very inquisitive analysis made by Manila Times columnist Mao Samonte on this topic; “from 1969, to 1979, up to 1989, crises in politics and in the economy have been preceded by a marked rise in sex movies, a rise that each time is characterized by a name distinguishing it from the others. The bomba of 1969 gave way to the wet look movies (started by Celso Ad Castillo) of the 70s, which evolved into the sex trip, or ST films of the 80s and eventually into the TF (titillating films) of the 90s.

Sex in Philippine cinema is a continuing phenomenon that occurs at intervals of a decade, with the year “9” of each decade being the point of rise in the phenomenon. Now we’re into year “9” of the first decade of 2000. Surely Philippine politics and the country’s economy are never wanting in crises from which the people must be appeased and tranquilized: the unending controversy on extension of political terms, Cha-cha and the mode for bringing it about: poll automation, “Joc-Joc “ Bolante, swine flu, the explosive scenario in Mindanao etc.”

The Aquino administration was marked by several deadly coup attempts and the unstable nature of the country was reflected in the film industry. Director Chito Rono tried to make sense of the brouhaha and made the movie “Curacha; Ang Babaing Walang Pahinga.” Curacha was portrayed by no less than Victorina’s avid supporter, the ever FLAWLESS Rosana “Osang” Roces.

As Curacha, Osang goes through the underbelly of life; first having sex with a General that would later decide the fate of our country. She tries to numb herself with drugs, she proceeds dazedly and the film rather meanders until reaching a dead end. This blockbuster movie received an X-rating from the MTRCB.

According to Mao Gia Samonte; the efflorescence of sex genre in Philippine cinema continued well into the 80s, continually giving rise to new screen seductresses. Stella Strada made Kirot in the year Ninoy Aquino was assassinated. She made one sex blockbuster after another even as the cities and the countryside (the NPA had reached a record high 25,000 regular) were convulsing toward the EDSA Revolt in February 1986… That was in 1989, the year I launched Maita Soriano in Gatas. The sex genre, for quite a time dominated by action and drama, was thus revived, and once seized upon by other producers, sex films contributed to satisfying the people’s hankering for entertainment, peace and tranquility.”

This YEAR 2009 we would have seen the resurgence of Sex in Philippine movies.

But with the Church and its “traditional moral disciples” like Sen. Bong Revilla and Henry Sy getting along the way of history we get personal squalid videos of Hayden Kho disseminated in World Wide Web instead!

By: Amiel Aguilar Cabanlig

Dr. Hayden Kho’s 15 minutes of Gucci Gangbangin’ fame is over. Like his Gucci predecessors, one can only surmise that the secret of their over-night success was the cause to their over-night downfall. But there is something more pressing than the rise and fall of these pretentious lemmings. An unscrupulous political carpet bagger is using Hayden’s pitiable fate to propagate a tyrannical bill!

Still pending two years after Sen. Bong Revilla introduced it to the Senate, the Anti-Pornography Act of 2007 seeks to “protect all individuals from proliferation of pornographic materials and to curb nefarious activities involving pornography.” Who else is supporting the bill but anti-gay Rep. Bienvenido Abante; The Pastor turned Congressman who is adamant about purging the country of “sinful acts” of its citizens…

Last year, Sen. Manny Villar filed the Anti-Obscenity and Pornography Bill of 2008 or Senate Bill No. 2464 and a howl of protest was raised against it by journalists, artists, bloggers, media personalities and from VICTORINA. In one fell swoop, the bill would have thrown art out with smut by classifying all of it as obscene material.

May I assure Senator Bong Revilla that no PR firm is working to demolish him. While Victorina is completely capable of such, our fight is within the bounds of what is humane, moral and legal. We are here not to destroy but to transform.

From Section 3, (b) “Pornographic or pornography” refers to objects or subjects of film,television shows, photography, illustrations, music, games, paintings, drawings, illustrations, advertisements, writings, literature or narratives, contained in any format, whether audio or visual, still or moving pictures, in all forms of film, print, electronic, outdoor or broadcast mass media, or whatever future technologies to be developed, which are calculated to excite, stimulate or arouse impure thoughts and prurient interest, regardless of the motive of the author thereof. (c) “Mass media” refers to film, print, broadcast, electronic … (d) “Materials” refers to all movies, films, television shows, photographs, music, games, paintings, drawings, illustrations, advertisements, writings, literature or narratives, whether produced in the Philippines or abroad…

It means some of the things we are doing now may be unlawful once this tyrannical bill is approved.

For example the following will be deemed illegal:

1. Buying Cosmopolitan, FHM, UNO and similar magazines. This falls under Prohibited Act #10 which disallows anyone from possessing lewd content in whatever form - photos, magazines, computer files, etc.

2. Posting naked pictures of males or females. Sexy male and female photos by Raul Teehankee, Raymond Isaac and the guru Jun De Leon will all fall under this category.

3. Panting naked pictures. National Artist Ben Cabrera will easily fall victim to this silly law.

4. Broadcasting about sex on Radio. The “Boys Night Out”, “Good Times” and King DJ Logan will definitely be prosecuted under this law.

5. Indie-films. This will be the end of all gay themed Indie movies.

What is even scarier about the Bong Revilla Bill is how it defines obscenity: “Obscene” refers to anything that is indecent or offensive or contrary to good customs or religious beliefs, principles or doctrines, or tends to corrupt or deprave the human mind, or is calculated to excite impure thoughts or arouse prurient interest, or violates the proprieties of language and human behavior, regardless of the motive of the producer…

Even without the Revilla Bill being enacted, our DJ Mojo Jojo was fined several times by the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng Pilipinas (KBP) for saying “WANG” on air.

Victorina’s resident lawyer, Atty. Trixie Angeles states that “Revilla’s Bill, Senate Bill No. 12 prescribes against the publication, exhibition, sale, distribution, possession of pornographic material. Pornography is over-broadly defined as referring to any representation, through publication, exhibition, cinematography, indecent shows, information technology by whatever means, of a person (whether minor or adult) engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any other representation of the sexual parts of a person for primarily sexual purpose that is intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feeling (emphasis ours). The law says that even talking about the sexual act is pornography as is any representation of the sexual organs (which could include breasts, by the way).”

Will Senator Revilla use Katrina Halili’s embarrassment to foist censorship upon us?

We sympathize with Katrina, but we will look at Sen. Revilla’s legislation with suspicion until he can show that this isn’t just another Hitlerian response to the freedom of expression, opportunely timed to coincide with one woman’s humiliation.”

By Amiel Aguilar Cabanlig

Atty. Trixie Angeles and I have agreed to do a he said/she said on a subject matter not really worth talking about in Victorina. Due to public demand, we have agreed to write about the issue regarding the internet video sex scandal that has become a veritable media circus. Marie Eschenbach once said whenever two good people argue over principles, they are both right. Whether you side with Hayden Kho or Katrina Halili, in this post we play devil’s advocate and give another take on the whole controversy.

The Vicorina readership is a community of men and women from all sectors of society and from all walks of life. In the same way, we in the council are diverse with often times conflicting opinions and tastes, but without doubt are unified in our quest for the truth. We have learned to listen and respect each others opinions, thusly, giving our valued readers a clearer picture of the issues raised.

Unlike traditional media which wittily orchestrate slants in the stories and issues they raise, we do not follow such conundrum. We write about issues straight from our hearts and our gray matter. In this case there maybe no one right or wrong. But one thing is for sure; that great ideas will receive violent enmity from mediocre minds says Einstein!

This is our world; welcome to the domain of Dona Victorina.

Issue 1- She knew she was being taped.

Trixie: Assuming this to be the case, the consent Katrina Halili gave to being taped is separate from her consent to uploading the damn thing and letting the whole world in on a private act.

Amiel: If the video was indeed STOLEN then whoever stole it should be prosecuted.

Issue 2: She should have expected something like this to happen when she made the tape.

Trixie: The uploading of the video has nothing to do with her consent to either being taped or her consent to having sex with Dr. Kho. Since the sexual act is a private matter between two consenting adults, she had a reasonable expectation of privacy even though the act itself was taped. She did not authorize Dr. Kho or anyone to distribute it and show the world what they had done.

Amiel: Why would Hayden even think of uploading his videos? This is not the argument of contention… it’s obvious that someone else is maliciously exposing their private act on the internet for the whole world to see. Hayden (considering that he is a practicing Doctor) has much more to lose in this situation than Katrina who has built her career on flaunting her sexuality.

The fact of the matter is, people should think before acting – why make a sex video in the first place and risk the chances of it getting stolen and being spread in public?

Common sense and prudence could have prevented this whole fiasco.

Issue 3: He didn’t cause the video to be uploaded, why is she crying foul?

Trixie: Dr. Kho took the video, and he kept it. It was in his care and safekeeping.

Whether the video was deliberately uploaded or was extracted from him, he bears liability for what happened to it from the time he took it. Of course such liability may be mitigated or negated if its release had been completely beyond his control, i.e. robbers broke into his house and stole the cam together with the incriminating video.

Nevertheless, he had an obligation to keep the video so that there would be no accidental leakage of the material.

Amiel: Eric Johnson Chua, a fraternity brother of Hayden back in Santo Tomas is already accused of blackmail and uploading the said videos by OMB chairman Edu Manzano.

Philippine law always favors the woman, and Trixie knows this very well. There are two victims here, not just the woman. However, Katrina has been coming out in the papers and on television balling her heart out and pointing fingers at her former sex partner. Could this just be a well thought of tactic to draw negative attention away from her self and pull on the heartstrings of the public?

She is an actress after all. By focusing the media’s attention on Hayden and drumming up sympathy for her as a wronged woman, will this effectively subvert the other accusations/factors that are circulating about the World Wide Web?

Katrina and Hayden, according to a reliable source, were under the influence of the drug ecstasy (a reliable source says it was Katrina who allegedly gave Hayden the pill).

What does it matter if Katrina willingly had an affair with the lover of her once friend and employer?

They all seem to take a backseat in the public’s eye when we see her crying in the media with politicians at her side (perhaps eager to join the bandwagon of media attention). Katrina is a woman… but what kind of woman is she?”

Issue 4: She takes her clothes off for a living! Why should she be embarrassed now?

Trixie: She takes her clothes off for a living! Why should she be embarrassed now? Acting is one thing, doing is another. Assuming that she does act the part of the loose and wanton woman (if there is such a creature), she does so with the full expectation of being seen.

In having sex (or strip dancing) with Dr. Kho, she had a reasonable expectation of privacy. This was violated by the uploading of the video.

Amiel: I’ve seen the video and it is quite embarrassing. Who wouldn’t be embarrassed after having all their bits and parts exposed on the internet for all the world to see - zoomed in, in slow motion, and played back over and over again? But like I said before, they easily could have avoided all this humiliation if they used some common sense and never took the video in the first place.

Issue 5: They were consenting adults; doesn’t she bear some responsibility for it?

Trixie: They were consenting adults, doesn’t she bear some responsibility for it?

Well, it may seem incredibly careless of her to agree to being taped. But stupidity is one thing, a deliberate intention to violate her privacy is another. Yes, she may have made herself vulnerable, but to blame her for this is blaming the victim. She did not agree to making this whole matter public.

Amiel: She should accept the responsibility of her actions. Whether because of stupidity, carelessness… or what not. Yes, I agree that she has indeed been victimized but to say that she is totally without blame would be to wash her hands of the whole controversy.

Katrina was quoted saying: “Tingnan niyo ang video at makikita ninyo kung papano KAMI binaboy ni Hayden.”

Come on Katrina! While she obviously didn’t want her sexual exploits made public, if she had acted with more discretion and decency, Katrina would not be in the situation she is now. As the saying goes – it takes two to tango.

________________________

Lastly, I think Trixie would “agree to agree” with me that Sen. Bong Revilla is a total nincompoop and should stick to doing movies… not of the pornographic kind, of course!

By: Paul Farol

(Victorina collaborator from pinoybiz.blogspot.com)

The launch of the Moral Force Movement may be the catalyst for a much needed social change in our country. In yet another bold move, Chief Justice Reynato Puno called on the government to exercise autonomy and not surrender to the dictates of Oligarchs. Puno adds “otherwise, we will have a few oligarchs running the country.”

Meanwhile in the Senate, there seems like a boxing match going on between the Oligarchs. Senator Jamby Madrigal's (from the wealthy Madrigal clan) fight for “truth” seems to be getting somewhere fast.

Months after filing a complaint against Senator Manuel Villar (one of the richest men in the Philippines) at the Senate Ethics Committee, evidence for alleged acts committed by Villar to benefit from the construction of the C-5 road extension project in Parañaque have finally been submitted and will be scrutinized in the coming days. After funding Senator Antonio Trillanes' candidacy and footing the bill for Jun Lozada, this early she may be counting Villar's anticipated conviction as another notch in her wide belt!

Just last week, the Senate, convened as a committee of the whole, formally heard the charges levied against Senator Manny Villar. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile heard and ruled out all points raised against holding the preliminary inquiry. Charges were presented, reports on the charges were ordered to be submitted on Saturday, and a hearing was scheduled on Monday next week.

Who would have thought that Jamby would find favor in a virtual court presided over by Senate President Enrile? Politics makes fast friends out of two senators who were on several occasions hurling allegations at one another. I still remember Jamby crying when Enrile produced a picture of Jamby's parents rubbing elbows with the Marcoses.

Still another barb hurled by Enrile was the allegation that Jamby cheated in the 2004 elections -- when votes were being sold at wholesale rates.

And this gives an ominous tinge to what may happen in the coming days. And Jamby's joy at seeing Villar being either reprimanded, suspended, or expelled by his peers in the senate may be short lived. Despite present contentions that Enrile's committee of the whole is a Kangaroo Court, there is no denying that Enrile is one of the country's best legal minds to date and certainly, he'll render a decision based on evidence presented as well as the rules and laws applicable to the case.

Billy Esposo, columnist of the Philippine Star, made a great point for how Enrile might rule on Jamby's case. He pointed out that Senator Panfilo Lacson failed to prove his case against Villar when presented the case of the C-5 double insertion case before Enrile, when he was still the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Assuming partisan politics will not be a factor contrary to what is alleged by Esposo, the senators participating and voting for motions in the committee of the whole will have to look at the evidence and challenge it as best as they can. Already, there is indication that the evidence Jamby and her lawyer has submitted will not pass muster.

There are 24 senatorial seats and a two thirds vote would translate to 16 senators. Of the thirteen left, three are swing voters: Senator Edgardo Angara, Senator Loren Legarda, and Senator NoyNoy Aquino. So, minus these three, you still have just ten senators who may actually vote to suspend or expel Senator Villar.

So, if Villar's case is decided on the merit of evidence presented, he still has a chance of going scot-free.

Jamby will probably receive the embarrassment of her life when the senate trial ends with Villar being thoroughly humiliated but not at all punished. And I guess, humiliation is the real objective here for Jamby -- hers and Villars.

My guess is she'll probably end up on her haunches or hunch again and howl at the injustice of it all.

About the Author:





Mila Aguilar, the writer, has evolved in terms of the nature of her activities but she has remained steadfast in her goals: the search for truth, justice and freedom. She put her life on the line as part of the New People's Army.

She was one of the finest political communicators we had, translating the communist doctrine into terms that peasants can understand. Later, after a conversion experience, she holds the Bible as the only source of truth and lets the Book guide her actions. She is a known enemy, not only of GMA, but of everything that hinders truth and freedom.

There are ideologues who have personal, hidden agenda, but Mila Aguilar is not one of them.

I am happy that she allows us to use her words to put into the right perspective why GMA should go down in history as the president that brought lawlessness as a mode of governance. She may sound preachy lately, but with the right authority - after all she read the bible cover to cover six times - and all its editions and commentaries.

Mila A's brain should be declared a national treasure.

Why do we do this?

If I haven't written in this prayer diary for some time, it is not because I haven't been praying. I have, fervently. It was just that I could not seem to express my prayers in writing. There was something I couldn't say. I couldn't even write it in the form of poems. Now it has come out, in the form of the letter below, in answer to a correspondence on the Internet. The two other letters are unedited.

---------

From: "Mila D. Aguilar"
To: "Adolfo Paglinawan"
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 11:57:05 +0800
Subject: Re: Commentary on "Arrogance of Power!"

I wouldn't have known about your letter if Ado hadn't sent it to me with his answer, Mano Cesar. I always read Ado's letters because they are pointed and truthful even to the point of verging on libel. He knows what you who are 10,000 miles away do not know, what we who are in the thick of the cauldron dare not write.

What Ado is doing in this answer to you is to bring you back to the painful reality of the moment. Imelda is also reality, but past reality. The reality of the moment is that, as Conrad de Quiros expressed succinctly in his column of January 9:

"GMA should resign because she has a fundamental difference of opinion with her own boss, who is the People of the Philippines.

"She thinks she is the President, they just think she is the anti-Christ."

We are cowards if we don't admit that.

Yet I am not saying that Ado's scenario, of Gloria and De Castro being replaced by Manny Villar for 60 days, will come true. As an Inquirer desk editor known in the entertainment field confidently told a PEN Philippine Center group last week, "She will last until 2010, and even beyond that." He may have said that because he is for her, though he wouldn't openly admit it. I agree with him, not because I am for her, but because I feel the Lord's plan in my guts, from my readings not only of the Bible but of the histories and literatures of various countries and the world.

Gloria will stay, just as Bush will stay and continue destroying Iraq and the rest of the Middle East, and the earth to boot, because the time of lawlessness is here.

Look at how the Court of Appeals argued Smith's transfer to the US Embassy. Have you read Solita Monsod's commentary on how the justice who wrote that argument brazenly twisted the words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes?

Examine the 2004 elections. I don't have to tell you how they mangled the whole democratic process, from the precinct level up.

Review the Philippine Mining Law, which goes against not only one provision of the 1987 Constitution but the spirit of the entire Constitution itself.

Too many examples already abound, of which each and every one who reads this should be able to mention at least one.

For we are in an age of lawlessness. Lawlessness will continue to reign until the peoples of the world have had a surfeit of it, and cry out to their Lord and Savior to save them from it.

At this point our problem in the Philippines is not only corruption, it is lawlessness--the kind perpetrated by the holders of the law themselves.

And you are are fooling yourselves if you believe that you do not have the same problem in the United States. The veneer may be thicker, but the underlying fabric is the same.

It is a worldwide problem, one that will continue to reign until it reaches its peak in the abomination of abominations, right in the middle of Israel.

All this will be apparent only to those who believe. Those who do not will go on with their old ways, bereft of wisdom.

Does that, however, mean that we should just let go?

Of course not. You ask, Mano Cesar, why we are doing this. I don't know about you, but I'm not doing this for myself, or for anything physical or material that I could get, because in the first place I don't. I'm not even doing this out of my own will. I would love to just save myself. But I am compelled to try to save others, not so much physically, since we will all return to dust anyway and I may even be the first scheduled to go. I am compelled, rather, to save souls, and that is the only reason I continue to write, and reach out, and expose dishonesty, and cheating, and immorality, and pride, and boastfulness, and hubris, and anything that would tease the men, women and children of this world into sinning not only against humanity, but against God.

Dig deep, Mano Cesar, and Ado too. God bless you both, for you are good men.

Mila

By: Paul Farol

Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo is claiming that Malacañang is pressuring him to inhibit from hearing Lozada's case and that it is planning to use the perjury case to declare martial law.

Wow! This really sounds fantastic and it is surprising that a judge should be issuing such statements. It tends to give an impression that he has already made his mind up about the case he is hearing.

This comes after Lorredo said that he may summon President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to his court. In doing so, perhaps he wants to make the impression that he can actually compel the President. Then again, considering that the President is immune to civil and criminal suits, this may just be Lorredo's way of saying that he would like PGMA to drop by and visit. Hmmm... All speculations aside, I think the President would be well advised not to attend.

For some reason, after learning of these pronouncements from Lorredo, the name of Judge Florentino Floro Jr. and his “dwarf” friends/consultants come to mind. People are entitled to their quirks aren't they? Some who are like Floro may favor consulting “dwarfs” before rendering a decision. In Lorredo's case, some may be partial to issuing provocative statements – but to what effect?

While judges are supposed to be insulated from the influence of the media, they are but only human and some may even crave a bit of limelight. Perhaps Lorredo enjoys attention and perhaps getting it will boost his profile. Perhaps h Lorredo just wants to plant an elbow in the rib of one of his Panyeros and say, "Sikat na ako!" Or perhaps, Lorredo may be eying an appointment to a higher position and that's why he is consistently courting the eye of Malacanang.

Even a well known name in the blogosphere made a big deal about Judge Lorredo getting somewhat of a kick from the comments posted there, basically supporting him at a time when he is being ridiculed. I wonder if, say, Judge Floro would say the same thing and get the same treatment from the pre-eminent blogger.





No matter what his motive may be, Judge Lorredo is getting the attention he wants but it certainly isn't the kind of attention that would later make for a “Supreme Court Justice Narvasa” or a “Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno.” Judges must build their reputation on fairness and impartiality. However, in the eyes of many people, Lorredo's recent actions may show early inclinations of being just the opposite.

Why risk being hauled to the Supreme Court for a possible violation of ethics and face the possibility of sharing the same fate of Floro?

In this whole hullabaloo over Jun Lozada, many may believe in the saying that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” -- but do not fall into this trap and be fooled!

Jun Lozada is no friend to those who are seek the truth and an end to corruption in government. We must remember that Lozada did not volunteer the truth. Rather, he was forced to squeal in order to save his own ass! Lozada, was in fact, an integral part of the corruption being perpetrated... he had more than just one reason to keep quiet. It was only after he has found out and compelled (or perhaps plied with a promise of ample rewards) that Lozada finally surfaced, albeit quite reluctantly.

Lozada's tears, bawling, and other plays at ad miserecordiam must have blinded and/or brainwashed people into forgetting that among those hauled to the Senate for the NBN ZTE probe, it was only Lozada who admitted to pilfering money from the Philforest corporation. Did we forget about the tape of someone who sounded like Jun Lozada and someone who sounded like Joey De Venecia talking about a how much money was up for grabs in the NBN ZTE deal? Puh-leez!

Despite this, let's not forget that when Lozada did surface after hiding out in Hong Kong, he was indeed whisked off by a number of men. Being in a frazzled state, perhaps Lozada wasn't sure if these men were protecting him or kidnapping him? But one thing is for sure, Mike Defensor wasn't among those men.

To be accused of defending a corrupt President is one thing - but to be accused of kidnapping is another thing all together. Mike Defensor is entitled to all legal remedies under the law and he has tactfully exercised this right.

All things considered and given how Judge Lorredo has been behaving as of late, perhaps it would be best for Defensor and Lozada to have their case heard by another judge.

Hmmm... Perhaps, that is Lorredo's real objective.

Victorina’s take on The Great Book Blockade of 2009

By: Andro Ramirez

Everybody loves a good story. That is exactly what I thought as I put down my copy of Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons, which I have re-read to refresh myself and have something to compare it to the coming of its movie version this month. I have written before that I love to read. Too much, it seems that it has become a habit to exchange impressions about a book with other book loving friends.

Just last week, it has come to Victorina’s attention of a bit of news that rocked many book lovers’ boots off along with our patched up socks. This came into focus when an article by Robin Hemley came out which was entitled “The Great Book Blockade 2009.” It states in part; “Over coffee one afternoon, a book-industry professional (whom I can't identify) told me that for the past two months virtually no imported books had entered the country, in part because of the success of one book, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The book, an international best seller, had apparently attracted the attention of customs officials. When an examiner named Rene Agulan opened a shipment of books, he demanded that duty be paid on it.” The importer, probably to expedite the release of his shipment and to save him from further delays, paid the duties.

Big mistake!

This shouldn’t pose a problem since we know everything nowadays is taxed. I wouldn’t put it pass our legislators that if they could find a way to tax our farts, they would probably do it. The thing is, the Philippines is a signatory to a United Nations Treaty called the 1950 Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, which was ratified in the Philippines on August 7, 1979. The Florence Agreement simply states that books or any printed materials should be tax-free as stipulated in its preambles and its annexes. It stupefied me that examiner Rene Agulan would demand taxes on Twilight when it was a clear violation of the treaty. The reason they gave out why Twilight was taxed is simply because; it is not an “educational” book.

So what’s with the ruckus? People nowadays don’t read books anyway. That is precisely what’s wrong. People are too focused on that electronic panel on the wall watching Wowowee or Eat Bulaga or the tele-novelas day in and day out. Also bearing to watch advertisements intentionally misspelling “remittance” to that of a three-letter cargo and courier company. Alternatively, the increasing frequencies of early birds to the 2010 electoral race. Cap that with people mainly buying newspapers and tabloids, not for the news. They jump to the lifestyle and entertainment sections for the latest in thing in fashion and party places. Moreover, they read on celebrity gossips regarding who is humping whom regardless of sex. Ugh!

According to Finance Undersecretary Espele Sales in her interpretation of the Florence Agreement and of Republic Act No. 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act- The cause of the tax aside from Twilight not being educational? A missing comma (,) from the word “books.” I used to make fun at how former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani would be so particular where to put proper punctuations during deliberations in a legislative bill in the Senate. Now, I see the wisdom in her ways. Leave it to our government to misinterpret a 59-year-old international treaty and mesh it with an internal book-publishing act, all because of a missing comma. Bravo Undersecretary Sales. You have now become a bane to us book lovers, and it took your genius to unabashedly state that the common interpretation of the Florence Agreement was wrong for 59 years. Where were you when Harry Potter was weaving his magic on book sales? Whose book interest grew due to the success of the movie versions? And because government got away with it, eventually, they came up with 1% tax on educational books and 5% tax on non-educational books.

Who will decide whether a book is educational or not?

Customs?

We might end up watching the Helium Club after all…I wonder how much it will cost me once Christopher Paolini’s still unpublished fourth book of his Inheritance Series, comes out?

Now that Twilight’s second book, New Moon, is coming to the silver screen, I would not be surprised if demand for the book soars. And yes folks, there are two more books in this series. So if you are a bookworm and can find the books in your favorite bookstore available, grab them now. Else, suffer the fate of borrowing from those who already have a copy, or relying on the big screen versions of Bella and Edward’s story, wherein, usually, the theatrical versions miss out on the really good parts. If your eyes can take it, buy the e-book versions online. I personally prefer having a book physically in my hands as I read. I hope and pray the likes of Mr. Agulan will not find a way to tax those e-book versions as well. Worst case, we will be left with nothing but watching a work of fiction made to appear real via, Maalaala Mo Kaya. I cringe at the thought of young minds turning into mud while chanting “hip hip hooray” and dancing to “itaktak mo.”

In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote: "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Thank you Mr. Rene Agulan and Finance Undersecretary Espele Sales for concretizing Mr. Franklin’s words. For you both, have most assuredly, hastened our countrymen’s intellectual death through your misinterpreted taxes.

Rain B

Things happened so fast right after I became editor of Victorina. After a brief introduction by our posterboy Amiel Aguilar Cabanlig to his cousin Doy Aguilar Roque (my boss), I found myself heading a division of the dynamic company M2O Communications. The company is the LEADING provider of competitive advertising intelligence backed by a unique listening technology that helps you know what people are saying, your competitors and your whole business environment. With so much technology and manpower at my disposal, we (the Council) collectively decided that the case of Chikatime should come to a close.

There were too many issues to talk about and now that the elections officially started long before the Comelec declares it so (it might have started with Padyak and the Paiyak iyak of Mar Roxas, and the latest is the Akomismo which seems to be a prelude to the next party being born from the loins of Manny Pangilinan), BryanBoy has become a non-issue – he is not even aware that fashion is becoming one of the sacrificial lambs for the world economy to resurrect. Then we saw his supreme gayness in the Helium trailer, defiantly going against the tide of global austerity and flaunting what he knows best – pretending.

Some people just don't get it!

From one of his recent posts, he said, “Sometimes I wish I had a day job that pays the bills and then some. Most bloggers have 9-5 day jobs and their blog is nothing but a hobby. I dunno... maybe it's just me but perhaps there aren't THAT many full-time bloggers out there. The question is... can I imagine myself waking up at an ungodly hour, sit in a cubicle for the whole day, deal with office politics and daily commute? I don't think so. But for some reason, there's an appeal to it -- stability. Whether you work in the office or laze away in the cubicle and browse internet sites on company time, you still get paid... and at the end of the day, your "work" is done. Meanwhile, people like me are up 16, sometimes 20 hours a day, dealing with so much. Not only for five days but for the entire week! It's a never-ending struggle. But I love my job. I really do.

So, if this is true that he does not have another source of income and his income is not that much, to say the least, then how does he maintain an “expensive” lifestyle, aside from ex-deals?

But that’s another exploration for other people to dig into.

For now, let me just focus on three questions from the comment section of the last Chikatime post:

1. From a comment in DV- "I have only one question: WHERE'S YOUR PROOF? "

Per the opinion of our Managing Editor, Atty. Trixie Angeles, Victorina must not make public our source. However, since we have no interest in filing a case against Bryanboy, then allow us tickle your fancies with some records we intercepted in the World Wide Web.

BRYANBOY.COM SOA RECORD
Name Server ns09.domaincontrol.com
Email @jomax.net
Serial Number 2005062100
Refresh 8 hours
Retry 2 hours
Expiry 7 days
Minimum 1 day


CHIKATIME.COM SOA RECORD
Name Server NS51.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Email @jomax.net
Serial Number 2007072100
Refresh 8 hours
Retry 2 hours
Expiry 7 days
Minimum 1 day

CHIKATIME.COM DNS RECORDS

Record Type TTL Priority Content

chikatime.com A 1 hour

68.178.232.100 (Scottsdale, AZ,

US)

chikatime.com MX 1 hour 0 smtp.secureserver.net

chikatime.com MX 1 hour 10 mailstore1.secureserver.net

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DNS Records ▼

Chikatime.com DNS and Name Server Lookup - Who.is http://www.who.is/dns/chikatime.com/

1 of 2 5/4/09 12:28 PM

DNS Records Search

Record Type TTL Priority Content

chikatime.com NS 1 hour ns51.domaincontrol.com

chikatime.com NS 1 hour ns52.domaincontrol.com

chikatime.com SOA 1 day

NS51.DOMAINCONTROL.COM.

dns.jomax.net. 2007072100

28800 7200 604800 86400

mail.chikatime.com CNAME 1 hour pop.secureserver.net

www.chikatime.com CNAME 1 hour ghs.google.com

Isn’t this interesting?

Chikatime.com and Bryanboy.com have exactly the SAME DNS information…

2. from a comment DV- “I never really liked Bryanboy. But what bothers me about this post is that the same people who enjoyed reading Ghikatime are most probably the same people who are publicly crucifying him right now! Shame shame shame... Phiippine society is indeed run by BIGOTRY. KADIRI KAYO! Why don't you just own up to your pretentiousness (sic)?? At least Bryanboy does!”

There is no doubt that there are some people (not all of them) in the Victorina community who enjoyed reading Chikkatime and are now publicly crucifying him. When we read Chikkatime, we didn’t know it was BryanBoy and we liked the whole idea of an unknown blogger using the internet to destroy high society. We thought they were ordinary call center agent who found the tools and the guts to fight back and expose high society per se. When it turned out that it was BryanBoy who was trying to destroy the very people he kisses and dines with in public (BryanBoy and Tara Tambunting together again in Helium), the affair took on a different note.

It has the tone of Jun Lozada attacking people for corruption, when Lozada himself appears to be corrupt when we went through his official government transactions and his statement of assets and liabilities.

With this, we close the Chikatime series.

It is my companies motto that for every complex problem, there is a simple solution. The complexity of today’s information technology requires that companies have the essential media intelligence to create advantage, identify threats and reveal opportunities..!