“That basic notion, that the world is there for us and if it doesn’t actually serve our purposes, it’s dispensable, has produced the devastation of vast areas of the land’s surface.”
by Ducky Paredes
I have a letter from a heckler who laughs (heh, heh) that the reason I will not vote for Among Ed Panlilio has to be that he has no money to buy my support. Thus, I am glad that Archbishop Oscar Cruz expresses the same doubts about the prospects of havin a President Ed Panlilio.
The Archbishop explains: “Every now and then, I pass by Pampanga and see for myself rallies against him and some gossips flying here and there. If what I hear is true, he might find it hard to govern a nation… If his governance of Pampanga would be used as reference, if he would do the same, definitely, it would be very hard for him to run or govern the country.”
That is part of the point. What I have not talked on is the other thing about the Church. It is so dead-set against condom use and other effective forms of family planning that having anyone as thoroughly Catholic as a priest – former or current – as President would doom us to being the baby production center of the universe. While hewing to Genesis 1:28 could be interpreted as doing God’s work, isn’t this what is causing most of the world’s problems?
“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
This is the root of all our problems, the cause of global warming, hunger, the extinction of species, territorial wars and so on. The other thing that screws us up is organized religion. It often causes us to exterminate those who believe in other forms of the same one and only God.
This is not an original idea. Sir David Attenborough blames the idea that Man was given Earth to do with as we please for the deterioration of the environment and the extermination of many species of plants, animals and insects.
Says Attenborough: “The influence of the Book of Genesis, which says the Lord God said ‘go forth and multiply’ to Adam and Eve and ‘the natural world is there for you to dominate’, [is that] you have dominion over the animals and plants of the world.
“That basic notion, that the world is there for us and if it doesn’t actually serve our purposes, it’s dispensable, has produced the devastation of vast areas of the land’s surface.
“Of course it’s a gross oversimplification, but that’s why Darwinism, and the fact of evolution, is of great importance because it is that attitude which has led to the devastation of so much, and we are in the situation that we are in.”
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If they had only allowed “Nicole” to tell her story the way she honestly told it when she was first found by passers-by in Subic sitting by the quay, she and us would not have had all the trouble of an emotional court case that we all had to go through.
Now, the ones who created the problem by supporting “Nicole” as long as her story was that she was raped by an American serviceman in the country under the Visiting Forces Agreement want the lawyer who notarized her statement to be investigated.
This is how it should be. After all the notary was with the law firm of Sycip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan law firm which was representing the accused American serviceman and Nicole’s counsel of record was neither present nor was she even informed that her client was about to recant.
That should be investigated; although if the law firm knows its law, there are many ways of getting around provisions that prohibit their talking to another’s client, even one where they represent the other side. All that is really needed is a sworn statement by Nicole that she did this of her own volition.
As for the revelation of a draft resolution of the Court of Appeals clearing Nicole’s accussed, what is the problem? If that can happen in the Supreme Court – the publication of a draft decision — why should the CA be any different?
The problem in the way that our Justice system has lost its sheen, even our justices no longer respect the traditions of their own courts?
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While it seems foolish that Director General Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) orders an investigation on the display in public of a replica 30 caliber machine gun mounted on a World War II military jeep in Carmen, Cebu, the fact that this was on the vehicle that paraded former President Joseph Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay around the town made it imperative for Verzosa to do so.
He would have had to do so, even if its was a plastic replica of a laser gun from a sci-fi movie. That’s the law.
While we can sympathize with Jojo Binay saying that this is ridiculous, couldn’t a towel over the toy have prevented anyone from making a fuss over nothing?
Clearly, the jeep goes around the town with its replica machine gun and Carmen residents are used to the jeep. When a photo comes out in the national papers, that can cause all sorts of talk. People seeking higher office must remember that the strictures of the sought office already apply even to mere candidates, even still those still to be proclaimed.
Apparently, even if the jeep goes around the town on a daily basis, the fact that Binay, a possible vice presidential candidate and Estrada, the possible presidential candidate to Binay’s veep, creates the violation.
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Today, the First leg of the San Mig 3-in-1 Coffee Senior Tournament for the Federation of Philippine Amateur Senior Golfers, Inc. (FPASGI) this year will tee off at Eastridge Golf and Country Club at 7:00 a.m.
At 11:00 a,m,, the First Media-Congress-Malacanang Golf will start at Wack-Wack. After the game, will be a fellowship and raffle prizes.
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hvp 03.25.09)
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