RH Bill, Plea Bargaining, Pacquiao...

The Reproductive Health Bill being pushed by some congressmen are being met with stiff opposition from the pro life movement led by the Roman Catholic Church. Though many (if not most) ordinary Filipinos do not care about the bill because they’d rather watch Eat Bulaga, the debate among its proponent and opponent are so intense that that the dialog sometimes degenerate into name callings and hecklings. This is both sad and entertaining.

I was watching a live TV debate about the bill, and I couldt help laughing at the way congressmen, doctors, bioethics professors, atheists, theologians and common folks engage the discussion. There was more personal issues discussed than an objective discussion of the issues. Also, the audience were unruly. How could there a proper debate when you have audiences acting as cheerleaders and hecklers for opposing sides. Not only did they cheer, but they were also carrying banners, placards, cue cards etc. with unflattering messages. 

The merit and the flaw of the bill was not explored and discussed by the panelists. What happened was that the panelist started attacking each others' institutions and persons. It was like watching a derby in a cock fighting arena.

Although the sexuality education part of the bill was opposed by many conservatives, actually human reproduction is regularly discussed in science classes as part of human anatomy lessons. Most science teachers (if not all), I being one of them, discuss the process of getting pregnant, and, I, for one, cannot help injecting a discussion/sermon on the dangers of early pregnancy, the effect of early pregnancy on a child nad on the teenage moms, how it could jeoperdize their future, how they would be creating a miserable life for their accidental baby, how they would be adding another mouth to feed to their parents…Etc...

I explain the relationship between the size of the family and the parents’ capacity to provide with the quality of of their lives. They are aware that a family with two to three children are better off. 

Every Filipinos know that it is important to control the size of the family. The poor, especially, are the most affected by uncontrolled birth. The more educated a couple is, the better they plan the size of their family.

The issues involved in the Bill are so complicated because of the ignorance about the bill, the Catholic Church’s archaic dogmatism and the politicians lack of political will that I don’t see the bill being passed in the near future.

I would just like to ask a question to the opponent of the RH Bill in congress: Congressmen (not all of course), how are you able to control the size of your family and your second family and your third family etc. How do you prevent the pregnancies of your mistresse/s? Ouuucchhh.

I think the Catholic priests living a bachelor’s life is the proponent of the RH Bill for they practice the best birth control method, celibacy.

Protestant ministers could be both pro and anti RH Bill and have no qualms about the theology and the ethics.

Politicians are hypocritical about the issue.

The common folks' reaction? Who cares for even the Care Bears don’t care!

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The Sandigan Bayan upheld the plea bargaining agreement of General Carlos Garcia. Of course it is fact that once an accused enters a plea bargaining agreement, guilt is already admitted.

The court seemed to be more interested in getting back the money, or at least part of the money plundered, than meting out justice. Many are in agreement that the money is not that important, although it is, what are more important are the prosecution and the punishment of the general. This will send signal to the generals that they would not get away with corruption by sharing the loot with the government.

The areglo system in the Philippines is usually done by the tulay/padrino system, and it is usually done outside the court. Why is it being done in the country’s judiciary…not a law expert.

Of course I do not pretend to know the facts, the ombudsman and the court may be justified in saying that government may have a very weak case versus the general. It’s up to the experts to determine that, but I, personally, would like to see the general in jail with the common criminal rather than see him a couple of million pesos poorer but still rich enough to enjoy a comfortable life at the cost of our poor soldiers.

I sometimes wonder why these generals have not been assassinated, beheaded, salvaged and bombed into oblivion by the AFP’s commandos. Maybe they want to these nefarious generals in jails too for death may be an escape too good for them like what General Angelo Reyes did.

Hey, what is happening to general Ligot!

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Manny Pacquaio should not be fighting lesser boxers. One reason is that his fighting ability is being compromised. It was observed in his fight with Mosley he did not perform as expected of him. He was slow (he had leg cramps according to Manny). His combinations are not that fast.  The truth is that he is fighting a fighter whose objective is to survive the fight without being knocked down. Manny is not used to chasing, he is used to fighting it off blow by blow, fist for fist and face to face. Unfortunately with Mosley and his later opponents, he has to change strategy from head on boxing to chasing the butterfly. These fights may have negative effects on his confidence. He was training hard, sparring, getting fit only to end up fighting a sissy Mosley.

Many Filipinos are suggesting that Manny retired from boxing while still on top. I agree because if he waited too long and he lost to lesser fighters, the mystique surrounding his boxing prowess may wane. He has nothing to prove anymore. He is the best. He does not need the money. 

Also, the danger of brain damage is real. He may end up like Muhamad Ali. Retired, rich, famous but suffering from Parkinson’s Syndrome due to heavy blows on the head. Sad.