SOME FRIDAY THOUGHTS

UPDATE: The man who gives info on piecemeal basis is also admitting things inch by inch, and only when confronted by evidence. Last night, he finally admitted his mistress, saying "Nagkasala ako ng minsan (I committed a mistake, once)".

Once? -- Three illegitimate kids?

Today, as Cory Aquino walks side by side Jun Lozada in a rally in front of the Ninoy statue, I suggest that the former president ask Lozada the following questions:

1. Why were you evasive when asked about your mistress and three illegitimate children?
2. Why are they living in a house in a poor part of Metro Manila?
3. How can you afford to spend P400,000 a year in golf fees when they are living close to slum levels?
4. Where are the illegitimate kids studying?
5. Why are your other kids in LaSalle keeping up with the pedigreed Abalos grandchildren while the others are in______ ?
6. How many other mistresses do you have?
7. How many other illegitimate children do you have?
8. How are your other mistresses and illegitimate children dealing with life? Are they also in LaSalle?

She should be able to ask him that. Mayor Binay, faced with rumors about widespread wrongdoings, was confronted be her, some years ago. According to Mayor Binay, Cory asked,

“Jojo, anu ba yung kung ano-ano na naririnig ko tungkol sayo? (Jojo, what are all these things that I keep on hearing about you?)”

To which Binay was said to have replied, “Ma’am, hinding-hindi ko kayo ipapahiya (Ma’am, I will never smear your good name)”.

I wonder if in the face of Cory, Lozada will still be able to reply as arrogantly as he replied to the same question (in LaSalle, last night). Last night, in an arrogant tone, he said “Kung ikaw nasa sitwasyon ko, ano ang isasagot mo (if you are in my shoes, what will your reply be)?”

Before I continue, let me digress a bit by recounting the following: If I remember it accurately, Lozada has made popular the phrase “Hindi ko pino protektahan ang kaotohanan. Ang katotohanan and pumopritekta sa akin. (I am not protecting the truth. It is the truth that is protecting me).” He also said, “Wala akong mga dokumentong dala. Ang katotohanan lamang ang kakampi ko (I do not have documents supporting me. It is only the truth that is helping me)”

For a person who is preaching the truth, the answer should be very simple.

Yes, if yes. No, if no!

Lozada, you miserably failed the first test.. Is it the truth?

Kids playing in WackWack and LaSalle Greenhills. Perhaps, also with the world as their annual playground. But hidden mistresses and illegitimate kids in poor neighborhoods...

Just like JocJoc.. You too are causing great shame to a lot of of us, your buddies.

You know what I am talking about.

And the battle rages...

A lie, repeated often enough, will end up as truth.

- Dr Paul Joseph Goebbels
Hitler's Minister of Propaganda (1933-1945)

I am very busy these days but I can’t help but dish out some thoughts regarding the brouhaha called the NBN Scandal. An assortment of witnesses is coming out one by one and seems to be dishing out bombs distributed over time in order keep the public talking about it. Looking at it in terms of warfare, what we are seeing here is a prolonged bombing strategy intended to soften the targets before launching the final assault. This campaign is reminiscent of the last two wars in Iraq.

In the Dessert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf ran a month long bombing campaign while flanking his forces deep into Iraq in a final strategy called the “Hail Mary” that lasted only for 100 hours. During the campaign to oust Saddam, the US rained hell on Iraq before sending in the troops using a basically the same strategy now very popularly known as “Shock and awe”.

In the Philippines today, what is happening is a variation of the two campaigns except that the public is only seeing the propaganda aspect of it. Like an audience in a stage play, they are only seeing what the directors are showing. The bigger play is happening in the back stage.

In one side of this campaign, witnesses are lined up, dates are set, bombs timed and things are being set into motion. With Durano’s revelation that Lacson’s chief of staff is a close friend of Lozada’s brother and that they have been planning this since August, I am not at all surprised that this things are happening. And if that is the case, the street protests, withdrawal of support and possible military component is probably being worked on.

Of course, there may be truth to the allegations against GMA and corruption may actually be taking place. But one thing that we should never forget is that stalwarts of the Estrada led opposition, Escudero, Lacson and now Cayetano et al. are the ones leading the charge in the senate, the others are in the streets and one of the godfather’s, Erap has started to come out to lead the attack.

Let us remember that in contrast to GMA, Erap has been convicted of widespread corruption. Having spent only 880 days in Malacanang, he was he was proven guilty of having amassed P4,097,804,173.17 or P4.6 million per day. That is discounting the other charges that the prosecutors decided not to pursue, being so confident of winning a conviction in the first two cases.

Last weekend, the opposition Godfather Erap, bragged that none of the government dealings of his regime was ever tainted of corruption. With the media replaying this statement again and again, the public is being made to believe that this is true. This part of the strategy is nothing new, it was a theory so effectively used by Hitler, through Joseph Goebbels.

But what are the facts? Isn’t it that Erap was guilty of:

1. misappropriating, converting and misusing for his gain and benefit public fund in the amount of ONE HUNDRRED THIRTY MILLION PESOS (P130,000,000.00), more or less, representing a portion of the One Hundred Seventy Million Pesos (P170,000,000.00) tobacco excise tax share allocated for the Province of Ilocos Sur under R.A. No. 7171, in conspiracy with co-accused Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang, Alma Alfaro, Eleuterio Tan a.k.a Eleuterio Ramos Tan or Mr. Uy, and Jane Doe a.k.a. Delia Rajas, as witnessed by Gov. Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson, among other witnesses; and
2. (c) directing, ordering and compelling the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) to purchase and buy a combined total of 681,733,000 shares of stock of the Belle Corporation in the aggregate gross value of One Billion Eight Hundred Forty-Seven Million Five Hundred Seventy Eight Thousand Fifty Seven Pesos and Fifty Centavos (P1,847,578,057.50), for the purpose of collecting for his personal gain and benefit, as in fact he did collect and receive the sum of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P 189,700,000.00), as commission from said stock purchase; and

What do the two statements mean?

a) He took P150 million out of the P180 M of tobacco taxes.

b) He used the SSS/GSIS money for gambling purposes in the stock market. In Pilipino- “Ipinang sugal ang pera ng gobyerno”

There are so many other things that Erap is guilty of, here’s the court decision to enlighten us all. That is one big problem. If GMA is a plunderer, the opposition which is trying to oust her, is by itself led by a confirmed and unrepentant plunderer.

Isn’t it strange that they are also asking for the ouster of the mandated successor, the Vice President (VP)? They allege that since he is not lifting a hand against her, he should be taken out, as well.

Logic dictates that the VP’s silence is the most proper thing to do. With him about to benefit from the president’s downfall, any attempt for him to lead the opposition will make him look like a power grabber. One thing should always be remembered. Even if we have doubts to the VP’s ability to lead the government, he is and should be the successor, should anything happen. That is a truth that is as clear as the sun, which the opposition is trying to shield our eyes from.

The opposition is taking out the VP because he is no puppet of theirs. What they are doing is nothing but an attempt to bring back the old days. When the first order of the day was to persecute political opponents and reward friends, pardon convicted criminal friends, a hero’s burial for the Apo at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, etc, etc...

The best strategy for the people is to be vigilant and keep on sending crooks to jail, while awaiting the likes of Mar Roxas and the younger ones to become ripe. Hopefully, by 2010, they will be. Let us be careful in believing the opposition, they’re as tainted as the people they are trying to depose.

One thing for GMA, though… Take heed! The people is running out of patience. The end is near… As Shaekespeare once wrote,

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances.."

You will only be remembered only for your exit, for your entrance happened a long time ago.

Lozada, please come clean

I'm really pressed for time and I never had the chance to read and edit my posts. Here it is. better late than never. Post Edited.

In an episode of the apprentice, Donald Trump said something like,

“In my books, there’s nothing that ranks higher than a comeback”.

In the Philippines, a former president of a government corporation and whistle blower Jun Lozada is trying to present himself as a person out to come clean while admitting ONLY to SOME guilt. That, for me, falls short of a real conversion. And with the way his exposes are coming on piece meal basis makes me start to have serious doubts on his credibility. Should he fail to completely admit to his guilt, it won’t be long and he will end as one discarded puppet in a stage play entitled “The world”.

Lozada baby, with your "Probinsyanong Intsik", "Moderate your greed" and other quotable quotes. I have a few quotes that aptly describes you.

"Putang Ina, Pare!" "Tang Ina" and Kabig "from both sides, pare!"

That's you, Jun Lozada. Listen to the tapes that you admitted was you on the phone.

Moderate pala, ha?

Moderate some greed

For a change, the today’s criticism is directed towards the gyms that mushroomed in this country within the past few years. They boast of the finest equipments that money has to offer but the question is, do they provide enough to support the throngs of members that they persistently badgered into enrolling? The valuable treadmills and other cardio equipments are so few in every gym that members are only allowed a limited amount of time to use it. My beef is that gyms are supposed to help members improve their health. But what happens is they focus too much of muscle building that their longtime members can hardly finish a 5 story climb in their workplaces. If you’ll ask me, I’d tell you that most of these private gymnasiums are rip-offs. It’s all about the money.

The City Hall fights back

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

-Shakespeare

Yesterday, Jun Lozada got another taste of man's evil. After having testified, he is now being tossed by people playing the role of a manipulative god. Whether they're from the government or the opposition, the people responsible for the release of the audio clip tries to show him as loudmouth, vulgar, corrupt and a scheming gangster. Is it the enemy discrediting him? or is it his colleagues dumping him after he has served his purpose?

I'm sure that he is starting to realize it by now. That when one fights against the city hall, the repercussions are very dire. One's public record will be scrutinized and used, all charges will be made, and even the sink will be thrown. Lucky he is, if he escapes a jail term.

Isn't it very convenient that multiple allegations against him all came one after the other and within 24 hours?

• GMA's classmates held a press conference to speak about how righteous she is til now. I wonder where they were when GMA was on TV to say, "I am sorry".
• Lozada's former subordinate tearfully spoke on TV to enumerate his boss' alleged corruption. He alleges that his subordinates didn't know what to say whenever farmers complain why lands for Jathropa use were being awarded not to them. --I almost believed him save for that statement. Why? Lozada's company controls the biggest lands in the country since the government is the biggest land owner in the Philippines. At this point, only a small portion of its land inventory has been awarded and therefore, there is still a lot more to be awarded. Now, tell me, why will there be complaints? Are we to believe that there are that many poor farmers interested in Jatropha? They don't even know what the !@#$% Jatropha is. The subordinate also said that nobody asked him to speak. Then why and how did he land into the primetime TV?
• The supposed wiretapped conversation came out and it was trying to picture Lozada as a bad person, something that he has at the very least partly acknowledged.

I am no Lozada fan but the way he is being hit makes me start to give more credit to his testimony. Some people are playing God and Jun Lozada is just starting to feel how does it feel to smash into a solid brick wall.

COMPLETE TEXT OF THE ALLEGED YOUTUBE CONVERSATION BETWEEN JUN LOZADA AND JOEY DEVENECIA

This is the text of the alleged You Tube conversation between Jun Lozada and Joey Devenecia. I completed transcribing the entire clip. For those who also wants the voice clip, here it is.

JUN: Hey Joey…

JOEY: Jun, can you hear me?

JUN: Yeah, go ahead.

JOEY: Wait a sec… ahhh, Ang formula ko dun, kuha ko ng pts dun sa saaaa 130.

JUN: Ahhhh, hahaha

JOEY: Kasi saan ko pa kukunin, diba

JUN: Ahhh hahahaha…

JOEY: …putcha >>>> Gago, kaya lang pare, you, need to get some.. at least something from Ben, dib a?

JUN: Yeah, from all sides!... Pucha, hahahahaha!

JOEY: Pucha, si Ben pare… is on top of this thing and ahhh… because he’s the gatekeeper of the votes, puta , ehh…

JUN: Hahaha!

JOEY:I can understand but not that amount

JUN: Oh yeah, that’s too big, man. That’s too big..

JOEY: Pare, why don’t we develop a plan to talk to him.

JUN: Ahhh… so…

JOEY: You know what he told me between you and I, when we were in Hongkong, when we were in Shenzen. Don’t, don’t quote me ha..

JUN: Okey..

JOEY: sabi nya, kasi marami akong… Sabi ko Bakit ba ang laki laki singkwen.. Sabi nya, marami akong kailangang bigyan pati na ang NEDA. He said, he said the word NEDA haa..

JUN: Oh, Hehehe!

JOEY: Putang Ina,

JUN: naman..

JOEY: For your working information, pare.

JUN: Sitempre, I would understand that. He’d like to look at the…

JOEY: Wait, maybe you can quote me and say, sabi ni Joey, SInabi mo daw sa kanya meron daw ang NEDA, diba!

JUN: Sige, sige.. Hahaha!

JOEY: Puta, kaya lang baka magwala na naman yun…

JUN: Oh Hahahahahaha! For some reason, I have this chemistry with him.(unintelligible) Sabi nya, Ikaw na mag referee bukas, ha.. Sabi nya, I want you to be there, ikaw na mag referee, ikaw na magsabi kung papano. ..

JUN: Sige po, sir. Ako na mag aano dyan.. hahaha!

JOEY: Hahaha! Anyway, so ahh.. that’s where I am looking at right now… ought to get you.. and then, ahhh, think of a strategy for Ben and me.

JUN: Okay.

JOEY: If you need me to back you up, I’ll be there..

JUN: Hey, Joey..

JOEY: OK,

JUN: Regarding this Chinese embassy thing, think I struck a motherload, no. I’ll put them on Roxas boulevard. Putang ina, di ba..

JOEY: In the reclama… reclamation?

JUN: No, Putang Ina, that’s not prime. I’ll put them in the CCP Complex.

JOEY: Yep, got it!

JUN: Putan ina.. I think, I can swing that goddam deal, man!

JOEY: Isn’t that owned by the central Bank?

JUN: Yeah, yeah yeah Yeah! Can you imagine, same stature as the American embassy, better pa, diba?

JOEY: (slowly) Yeah yeah

JUN: The Japanese embassy is in Roxas boulevard, the American Embassy is there. (unintelligible) so it’s just right that you put the Chinese Embassy in the midst of it all, di ba?

JOEY: Yes, yes, of course that’s perfect.

JUN: Di ba? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mention my name pare..

JOEY: Gaano kalaki, pare?

JUN: Putang ina, as much as __ hectares man

JOEY: Putang ina, tapos siguro, kumuha rin tayo dun. We need Ben’s finances.

JUN: No, no, no.. I just cant tell you all the things I’m being asked to do but that one I think, I can >>> for ourselves.

JOEY: OK, I’ll talk to the guy.

JUN: Talk to him right away. Talk to him right away.

JOEY: Sige pare.

Youtube clip of the Lozada and DeVenecia You tube clip

NOTE: The complete transcript of this tape is in this link.

Here's the youtube clip of a supposed conversation between Jun Lozada and Joey Devenecia. I got this from the Inquirer. The question remains if the tape is authentic. I am in the process of transcribing the audio and will post the transcript here. This is a 3 minute recording. Please stay tuned.

Joke of the day

There’s this joke about two wealthy and senior gentlemen who are often seen in the company of young and sexy women. Meeting inside an elevator, one asked, “What are you wearing those platform shoes for?”

The other one answered, “Because I date women who are taller than me”

Looking at the box in the other’s hand, he asked, “What about you? What are those blue pills for?”

INSPITE OF, AND NOT BECAUSE OF

Former economic planning secretary Dr. Cielito Habito wrote in his Inquirer column today that the economy is growing not because of the GMA administration, but it is in fact moving despite it.

He stated that GDP or local production has not really accelerated its increase, the income of the middle and the lower classes dropped and it's largely the OFW remittances that contributed to more stable prices and the strengthening of the dollar.

I agree with most of what he wrote, except for a few things. I agree that the economy is growing despite the government. What i am not sure of if it will continue to grow should the opposition come to power.

The government failed to reach its tax revenue targets and made money largely from selling government assets. The incidence of poverty is increasing, exports are on a decline and without the OFW remittances, I don't know where will we be.

However, Habito wrote that unemployment figures have gone down not because people have found work but simply because they have stopped looking. I say that this is largely inaccurate.

It is a big mistake to ignore the 300,000 BPO workers that were employed during the last few years. Of course, that is not sufficient to fill the needs of all Filipinos within the working age. But my two eyes have seen the largely unoccupied buildings that are remnants of the construction boom of the mid 90's that were suddenly filled to capacity. It was all because of the call center and outsourcing boom. Of course, there are those who stopped looking for jobs but the government is right in not counting them. Those who have no desire to help themselves should not be counted as a part of this economy or any society.

GMA, please manage this country well. We know that your "Damang dama ang asenso" advertisements are mere propagandas. The people are keeping you merely as a damage control measure and sans any viable alternative. But take heed. I am not about to call anyone to rise against you but I am not the only opinion writer in this land. My readership is nothing compared to the other bloggers who are soooo mad already.

Should the people rise, nobody can stop them and when that happens,

.....may God save the Queen!

Lifestyles of the rich

Watching the television faceoff of Jun Lozada against Ben Abalos at al., I can’t help but think of the numerous golf balls that I got for free as a tournament participant at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. A lot were given upon registration and a lot more were given away as raffle prizes. Looking back, the lifestyle of several people that you will see at the golf course will make several foreigners doubt that there is poverty in this country.

SURVEILLANCE CAMERA IN LA SALLE

Yesterday, there was outrage over the installation of a police surveillance camera in front of De la Salle Greenhills. This is mainly because of the fact that anti administration witness Jun Lozada is seeking refuge in the campus against perceived threats against the government. I, myself found the move so brazen until a police officer was interviewed over the radio, moments ago.

According to him, vehicles with congressional plates (No 8) arrogantly park their cars in front of the school and traffic becomes so bad. How bad are the traffic violations? They occupy three lanes causing massive jams along Ortigas Avenue. When cops come over to drive them away, they even have the arrogance to yell at the lowly cops. The radio announcer interviewing the cop, suddenly switched gears and agreed. He turned out to be a parent of De la Salle students and he agrees with the observation. He, too is so disgusted with the arrogance, not only of congressional vehicles, but also of government cars (red plated) bringing kids to school.

That can happen only in that school. In UP, Katrina Ponce Enrile, the daughter of former Marcos defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile once narrated that during the Martial rule, she was studying in UP and students there waved their fists in her face. I also heard stories that Katrina was actually being polite. Actually, students there waved dirty fingers in her face even in the presence of her armed body guards, as a show of anger at her dad.

That's probably the reason why those congressmen and government officials sent their kids to La Salle. UP students will never have any of their arrogance.

RALLY IN MAKATI

About an hour and a half ago, a rally was starting and Ayala Avenue from Buendia up to Makati Avenue was closed to vehicular traffic. Listening to a rally speech, I heard one say that their crowd is so huge that delegations about to join them are now being stopped and held along the South and North Expressways. Well, that was a lie designed to create an impression of grandeur.

Because, a few minutes ago, A news chopper (Ricky Velasco) reported that the North Expressway is open and traffic is very light. He also saw no convoy or rallyists being stopped anywhere.

I don't trust the government. Neither do I believe in the opposition. Today's rally is just one proof of that they too cannot be trusted.

To whom are we gonna run to, then? Joma?

I hope not.

Home Economics

The latest reports about the economy not really doing that well. The poor performance compared to the expected GDP figures, the poverty incidence, the declining income of the middle and lower classes and many other indicators make me think of clipping Overstock coupons. I figure that by planning every purchase and researching every item for discount coupons, I will be able to save 20% in total expenses. And where shall I derive the savings? It will be in volume and coupon discounts, gas consumption, freebies, rebates and many other things. Tough times call for tough measures.

Musings...

The latest NBN scandal also reminds me of parties, wines in my favorite Riedel glasses, imported cheese, expensive food and feasts that can feed entire communities for a long time. While reserving my final judgment on whether there’s a guilty party or none at all, I stand by my belief that the broadband project is not needed by the country. Existing technologies renders the perceived project benefits redundant and all that it has to offer is the possibility of some savings for the government. Appoint me as head of the DOTC and I can make it all happen without any expense to the government. It’s that easy.

Night Contradictions

Now that profits from the NBN deal is said to have been siphoned from government housing projects, I remember having passed by Fort Bonifacio on my way to Makati, several years ago. It was late at night and foot soldiers were walking in the dark streets. However, there were a few big and modern houses in with big chandeliers probably supplied by Seagull lighting that are very visible. During that time, I wondered.. No private individual can possibly buy land inside the camp. Who the, owned those houses? Government officials?

CRAZY TIMES

We often hear the Chinese saying, "May we live in interesting times!"

But in this country, we've all had our share of roller coaster experiences that the latest brouhaha seemed to have failed to create a "Clarissa Ocampo" effect- EDSA 2! We seem to have had more than our quota of action that what is happening now seems to be boring already. Yes, we still listen and talk about it but it doesn't seem to be enough motivation to take action. Being an EDSA 2 veteran, I find myself asking nowadays, "Now what?" and "Are they all the same?".

Years ago, I have stopped being stubborn and finally opened myself to the idea of migration. I realized that i have been paying my taxes for so many years already but none of it seems to be coming back to the country. Such mind shift was strongly reinforced when FPJ, Jr. ran for office. I thought that it was good for everybody that he lost. But what happened? With GMA at the helm, there seems to be no end to the government scandals which I believe is not entirely untrue.

When the economy was bad during the ERAP times, I had the people to blame for voting for him. I've always said that to a large extent, we deserve what we are getting. But in this instance, I am not really sure if that saying is very accurate.

For those who are trying to consider the pros and cons of migration, count me as another vote for the pro.

Go and live happily ever after!

Drugs Galore

Having been involved in a number of cause oriented projects, I realized that the country’s problems with drug addiction is quite severe especially in the public grade and high schools. The government’s DEA says that at least 50% of the kids are said to have tried marijuana, shabu or other types of banned substances. Drug rehab centers in the country isn’t that many and according to sources, the quality of treatment in most of the centers is below standard. I hope that we will be able to lick the drug problem, before the drug problem starts licking us.

IS THIS WHY THEY ARE SO HESITANT TO COVER THE ROADS THAT THEY DIG?

Manila Water is an Ayala company.

They built the Makati CBD into what it is now from the grasslands of the post war era. Having done that, the company is well versed in the behavior of cement, construction time and liquidated damages. Having so many years of experience in building and beautifying their malls, these people are so mean to their contractors and are quick in assessing damages in the event of late completion and poor marksmanship.

So why are they so slow in finishing their pipe repairs and restoring the roads that they dig? Why is the quality of their excavation so bad?

The answer is probably this.....

Manila Water 2007 net income slightly higher at P2.409B

Profit did not rise as much as they want it to. Being a private corporation with a monopoly of the water services in its area, the company decided to act the way they are supposed to --- a monopoly! They take their time to dig the roads, does not put anybody to man the traffic, does not work 24 x 7 and hardly restores the roads. Traveling in what is supposed to be a well paved road, my car (all 4 wheels) fell into what used to be a dug portion of the road (that was miserably restored). It's good that I drive a new vehicle and it still has a good suspension system. But what if it was a couple riding in tandem in an old motorcycle (at night)?

I wonder what will happen the situation takes on another form and their plumbing contractor delays its repairs and restores Glorietta's flooring the way Ayala restores the roads?

Like the others, this company spends on CSR projects. Supposedly, their projects help the less privileged. But won't it be better that instead of spending on dole outs, the people will be better off if Ayala will just restore the roads properly?

Just asking.

Getting old

I have always said that the only way for people to escape old age is to die before reaching it. But if that is not possible, it is but wise to plan for that eventuality. It is also rational to expect that man, upon reaching old age, will start to become dependent upon other people for their daily needs. Bit by bit, their need for special attention is expected to increase, especially if they have health concerns. To be able to pass this stage smoothly, good planning is vital.

For those preparing for their eventual old age or those looking for the best care home for their loved ones, bettercaring.com is a good resource page. The site has tips and answers to most of the questions that one can ever have regarding issues related to old age. On top of that, it has a discussion page where people can share concerns, experiences and solutions to various issues. Keep the site bookmarked. You will surely need it.

WRIT OF HABEAS DATA

With Justice Puno at the helm of the country's Supreme Court, individual rights to privacy and liberty are being raised higher. Too supplement the Writ of Habeas Corpus, the court came up with the Writ of Amparo. hoping to strengthen it further, we now have the Writ of Habeas Data.

As a practical example, let us assume that a person is missing and reported to have been arrested by government authorities. Visits to various military and police offices turned negative and relatives are already afraid that the arrested individual might have been kidnapped by lawless authorities or taken by government agents and tortured (or even killed). The relatives and friends of the missing person may seek the courts help by filing for a writ of Habeas Corpus that directs the authorities to produce the body before the court at a specified time.

However, the people identified and directed by the Writ of Habeas may deny having the person in their custody and the relatives are still left not knowing if the apprehended person is still alive. In this instance, the Writ of Amparo, which is derived from the word "Amparar" (protection) serves as a very effective tool. I will edit this article later and elaborate on this part.

To give the citizens more legal options, the court has introduced the Writ of Habeas Data which partly is partly explained through the following:

"The writ of habeas data, which went into effect Saturday, is available to anyone whose "right to privacy in life, liberty, or security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission" of public officials or private individuals or entities that gather, collect, or store data regarding a person or his family, home, and correspondence.

One can use it to compel the release of information, or to update, rectify, suppress, or destroy such data.

"The basic attribute of an effective right to informational privacy is the right of individuals to control the flow of information concerning or describing them. It is, however, a right that must be balanced by legitimate public concerns," the Supreme Court explained."

• Here's the complete PRIMER ON THE WRIT OF AMPARO
• The Writ of HABEAS DATA according to the Chief Justice
• The HABEAS DATA and the WRIT OF AMPARO

Starting an online business

I’ve been wanting to put up an ecommerce site knowing that the customers for this kind of business is limited only by the number of people with internet access. However, there are some facts that I have to take into consideration before embarking such endeavor. First of all, I am no techie, not at all. I can have somebody do everything for me but security becomes a serious issue when you let somebody ran everything in your online business. It’s like hiring somebody to do everything in your store with you not really understanding anything. It’s a good thing that there’s Ashop Commerce that offers a web based shopping cart software that requires no installation and can be interfaced with your website within a day. It is ready to take credit card transactions and most of all; it has a 24 hours customer service assistance system to help every website owner tackle every related problem that may arise. That’s very assuring isn’t it?

Let’s see…