The Dirt Under The Hood of Politics

The Philippine's recently concluded inculpation entitled "Chief Justice on Trial" has made its way to global awareness. It's not as if the entire world ever cared much about politics in a third world country's perspective but, at the very least, it did stir up talks across nations. A first in Philippine history, the highest official in the Judiciary underwent an "in-depth" (or was it?) investigation of undeclared wealth. It was a trial reminiscent of former Philippine President Estrada's which took the public's interest as if a top-rated TV series was aired. So what really made the entire impeachment proceeding so interesting?


Courtesy: ABS-CBN NEWS
In a third world country like the Philippines, seldom would you see people's interest spike on political matters. However, trials involving corrupt practices and the like become an instant hit; one that sell like pancakes in dusty streets. Former Chief Justice Renato Corona was found guilty by 20 out of 23 Senator Judges in the impeachment court with the accusation of an incompletely-filed SALN (Statement of Assets Liabilities & Net Worth).


Courtesy: Impeachment Update
Believed to be a start of a "clean" government, a large number of politicians and folk rejoiced at the outcome and conviction of the former Chief Justice. Like the promise of the current President of the republic, the country will be geared toward pure and corrupt-free governance. Ironically, that promise sounds too good to be true and one that might remain a dream in a lifetime. Having a "clean" President is never a guarantee of a domino effect in all sectors of the government. If a simple act of joining the bandwagon headed to a "moment of truth" is a challenge for majority in office, how much more difficult would it be to reveal corruption hidden in a very deceiving manner? It can be recalled that the accused, himself, stood before the impeachment court in the light of cleaning a heavily tainted reputation and divulging everything owned straight from the crocodile's mouth. It was a time when the concept of a "moment of truth" was initiated through the signing of a waiver to bank secrecy. It was a brilliant idea despite the debatable intention of such execution. Unfortunately, not everyone was willing to raise their white flags in favor of transparent and honest governance. Such raises a question whether there is a widespread betrayal of public trust or not.

How will the citizens be able to attain absolute justice if the court is only placing one official on hot seat? Shouldn't the signing of the waiver be made mandatory to initiate the promise of an honest government? Why do we hear comments that it is irrelevant, unnecessary and questionable? Is it a personal shield for those who have a lot (of illegally-amassed wealth) in secret? People in politics unconsciously practice irony among themselves and that itself signifies the dirt under the hood of Philippine politics.

It ridicules me knowing that not all of the 188 Congressmen and 23 Senators were willing to submit themselves under the signing of the said waiver when in fact they were all pointing their fingers, both guilty and innocent, to the former Chief Justice. I admire the three Senator Judges who stood for what they thought was right. Not being swayed with the majority's decision is, in itself, a commendable act.

The dirty game of politics is the main factor pulling the country down to poverty line. Those who accuse are often to be accused themselves; a cycle based on luck. If a corrupt official is not exposed to his wrongdoings, he remains clean in the eyes of the people. So you think it's unfair? I say the word itself is an understatement.


Courtesy: Cafebabel
Since the time I learned to think, I have always regarded this government as a corrupt and dishonest one. Standing out and claiming my luck at changing it is as impossible as snow in the Philippines. If in my financial-well, I am unable to cease the strong force of corruption and dishonesty in governance, more so will I not be able to reach success in the field of politics. Philippine politics go by one honest motto: "once corrupt, always corrupt."

The Lonely Side of it All

Lively, jolly and all hyped up are some of the common characteristics that people regard radio personalities, more popularly known as DJs. They are celebrities in their own field who dominate the airwaves and fill them with music pleasing to the listeners’ ears. But what really happens to the people behind the voices is something that is not really familiar to the majority.

Oftentimes, it is very easy for people to jump into conclusions and that, unfortunately, includes the mentality that being a radio personality only requires eloquence. In reality, the job requires more effort than what people perceive. Jessica Moldez, a [former] radio personality of Killer Bee Dumaguete, believes that her job is, more often than not, underestimated. She thinks the reason behind this is the people’s lack of information about her career. Attending to thousands of listeners, hundreds of text messages, arranging the flow of songs, answering phone calls, preparing information tidbits as well as getting all-hyped up has become part of her system as a radio personality. But despite those, Moldez still loves what she’s in right now.


(Jessica Moldez and me. KB Tech JC behind us.)
“This is an avenue where I can express myself and at the same time, entertain people with the right dose of music they love to hear.” Moldez further explained that music has become a stress-reliever for her especially that she’s usually stressed as an employee of a BPO company. At the same time, she finds joy in pleasing her listeners, “hearing simple admiration from listeners is a very pleasing experience that never fails to make me smile.”

They say nobody can please everybody; that applies to the job of a DJ too. Radio is a very complex medium and so is its listeners and Moldez understands that it is either a please or piss situation for anybody in the industry concerned. “It’s all a matter of taste. Apparently it’s mandatory for us to welcome comments or criticisms or let’s just put it this way, we just don’t have any other choice.” She is better off facing criticisms, taking them as challenges to further enhance her performance. In radio, there is really no way to control who the listeners should be—one reason why radio personalities should all the more understand that it’s a diverse community out there.

“Sometimes listeners tend to be so harsh on us but even though it hurts a lot, it must not get into us and affect our performance because the rest of them will surely notice it.” The more depressing fact is the presence of listeners who send criticisms, often without any basis, aimed at bringing radio personalities down. Those are just some of many problems that Moldez and people in the same field are faced with.

A lot of people ask Moldez what exactly happens inside the studio off-air. Contrary to what it may seem, it’s a lonely world for her inside the DJ’s booth especially when alone. In her case, she has to face the computer and read numerous text messages that people send within her 3-hour shift. “I myself thought I’d go nuts after a few months working here [at Killer Bee] in a sense that the computer and the microphone are the ones I usually talk to on-air.” What’s more difficult for Moldez is the part where she has to do away with certain dilemmas and emotional pains just to entertain her audience. For her, it’s essential because most, if not all, listeners care less about what’s happening to the jock on board—a sad reality that radio personalities are aware of. “A lot of our listeners miss the point that we are also humans who are prone to hurting at any given time, even at work.”

For a rate of Php 25.00 an hour, Moldez is ought to do multi-tasking and worst, troubleshooting. Just like employees of other companies, she gets her fair share of reprimands whenever mistakes are committed though she always view them as constructive. Whether or not the salary is worth-it, she doesn’t really mind. What’s more important to her is the experience that she’s enjoying and the opportunity given to her that not everybody is entitled to.

In a world where what is apparent becomes the majority's reality, Moldez is forced to wear a mask because in reality, it’s all happy when the microphone turns on but it’s different when it’s shut off.

***Article written August 24, 2009. Minor changes done.***

How 69 Brought Bad Luck

It was not so long a time since Dumaguete/Negros Oriental made it to global news. Now another set of write-ups were published involving such a humble city and province. Unfortunately though, it was not something majority would have wanted to hear of.

February 6 - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake brought about panic and mass destruction to the laid-back province of Negros Oriental. Though not as severe as that of Japan's 8.9 magnitude earthquake, numerous people in the northern part of the province were left homeless, hungry, miserable and worst of all, broken. Over a hundred are believed dead as earth abruptly ate people unable to escape such ill fate. For a number of survivors, a dark tomorrow became crystal clear. Having lost every single thing and person valued most marked a not so fresh start and since majority of the affected are financially incapable, moving on was never an easy way out of their fall. Despite such sad reality, the northern municipalities weren't the only places affected.


Dumaguete, reported to have felt the devastating intensity 7 shake, had its own story as well. Hundreds fled to higher lands upon knowing that a tsunami level 2 alert was issued by Philvolcs. People near seashores were reported to have left their households with the fear of getting an experience of Japan's fate. But that move was far from necessary.

Precaution was the main implication that the government agency wanted to get across. Needless to say, such alert was way too misunderstood. Dissecting at the triggering factors of the people's hysterical moves led to spotting the gap at which information dissemination was transmitted between the agency, media and the people. With the media having the most weight in the process, failure to clearly emphasize what the alert level accurately meant was evident. That automatically became a theory right after seeing how people reacted to the situation. It is undeniable how people feed information from media especially in cases as such. However, it is likewise high likely that people may have been informed well but have over-reacted to what has been communicated.

Taking a look at both sides of the coin brings to conclusions that people's knowledge of procedures pertaining to natural calamities are arguably poor and that media fell short at going the extra mile in letting everyone, affected or not, know how to get by situations where mother nature takes credit.

One Big Turn© has several basic tips to help everyone save their asses in case of an earthquake:
1. Stay calm despite how exactly opposite your environment is. Your mind thinks better when you are calm than in panic.
2. Look for a heavy piece of furniture (table etc.) that can protect you from falling objects/debris in the entire duration of the quake.
3. Stay inside a building especially if the exit is quite far from your location. However, if you are lucky enough to be near a building's main exit, do go out and look for an open area where nothing can fall on you.
4. Never take the elevators when getting out of a building; even minutes after the earthquake.
5. Expect aftershocks to happen and when they do, refer back to the previous instructions.
6. Be informed. Get the latest information from a trusted media institution for instructions and updates.

Note: To those who expected this write-up to be about something else, sorry to have you disappointed.

The Chosen One

It's plain and simple. Many are called but only a few are chosen. In this case a question can easily arise asking if the "chosen" ones are fit for the pedestal or not. What makes a good leader and how do you become one?

You'll never be a good leader unless you’ve had one before. It's a matter of influence most of the time. That person becomes the teacher and you get to learn so much. Comparable to the reality of an eagle’s story, Leadership 101 is actually a push of potential more than a theoretical study. That being said, it follows that the manner on how eagles push their offspring toward the edge is the learning that counts in the process.

Most of the time leadership entails risks. If you keep on hiding on the safe spot then you’re not a leader but a mere follower; a puppy with no teeth for that matter. Leading is never a stable task; it never was intended to be. Once you become a leader, something will stir your mind up every once in a while and that is something beyond your control. When that time comes, the real leader thinks out of the box, gets a solution and puts the theory to action. If the action doesn’t work, it’s time to revisit the problem and do a re-work. Who said theories in Mathematics work only for figures? This is the exact time to apply trial and error; a key factor in the success of problem-solving in real life.

Sad to say, some “leaders” tend/opt to be followers in reality. Having the mentality that they’re up there make them afraid of getting kicked in the ass and fired up. It’s a safe move – of a follower, not a leader. If placed into context, it would be safe to say that many are guilty or simply playing blind. Another sick situation is when leaders become too complacent of their capabilities that they slowly become gods of their own kind – and want to be treated as such too. Power-tripping, as many would call it, is a very fatal problem that is swarming most of the so-called “leaders.” It’s an infection with no tested immunity and one that would most likely take millions of years to find a physical cure. In this case, dissatisfaction among the employees is just an inch away. What’s next is something that nobody would want to be in – quitting.

Acquiring the skills and values of a real leader is not as easy as how it is presented to be. Becoming a leader by position doesn’t make one earn respect in a snap of a finger. There’s so much more to learn other than those published in books or manuals. As usual, growing opportunities career-wise pop-up unexpectedly like one would wait for corn to pop when cooked. Perhaps one parameter of efficiency as a leader is the quality of a finished product, something that you can be so proud about and be able to say “this is my ROI (Return on Investment).”Another is when a leader is able to clone himself, ready to move up the ladder and hand the responsibilities to a successor. Nothing beats the feeling of being looked up to, being an inspiration and being appreciated for the kind of leadership rendered.

Leadership is a passion, not a position. And most importantly, it’s a role, not a name. Such role needs a very high dose of maturity to be able to face any obstacle that may come out of the blue. There is never a perfect leader as compared to what majority demand to have; an ideal leader, maybe. It’s known to everyone that even the most powerful person/entity in this universe do not get everyone’s faith and respect. How worse can it get for real leaders?

Who said that being a leader is easy? There is truth in saying that indeed many are called but a few are chosen.

Random Thoughts

Would you rather be the strongest among the weak or the weakest among the strong?

Everything Crappy is Under the SUN

Customer service - I guess it all starts with that and ends with that as well. With SUN's tempting deals, one would want to switch to this seemingly "stable and organized" network. However, what majority probably don't know is that SUN Cellular has the crappiest customer service among all the providers in the country.

It was on a Monday when I have completed and forwarded all the requirements they were asking from me. All went fine and I left the shop with a smile upon knowing that the turn-around-time would be 2-3 days for the processing alone. I was fine with that, though the same process I underwent with Smart two years ago didn't take as long. On Wednesday, I asked for an update regarding the application; lo and behold, nothing!!! Three days after, they called up, asking for "clearer" payslips. I presented to visit their site and take the initiative to have them secure a screenshot of my payslips (since they are online-based) but they just told me that they would be calling back. An hour passed but no call from them came in. I was upset and decided to head to the shop and check, only to know that they had a workaround for me not to secure a "clearer" copy of my payslips. Then I was told that the last thing they needed was the "approval" from the head office. That day was supposedly my last day of waiting like they have promised but they were definitely LYING. I thought the cliché that says "promises are said to be broken" never existed in the corporate world; the sad reality proved me wrong. Saturday came and I was really optimistic that everything was ironed out. I was ready to disregard the inconvenience I have encountered from them the past days but then again, I was wrong. The status was yet unknown/uncertain/nowhere to be seen or heard. My total pay wasn't sufficient, they said. Then I started to question why it "wasn't sufficient" when in fact it even exceeded their cut-off for the plan I was applying for. The representative was explaining something that I didn't understand but I refused to argue. I just left a message that if things won't get any better on Tuesday (the following week), they should consider my application cancelled. The irony is I didn't have any trouble, at all, the time I applied for my current plan with Smart. Considering the plan I have now is PhP 1200/month, why would I have too much trouble with a plan that's PhP 201/month cheaper?

This is my second attempt at re-considering Sun as a primary line since I was a very frustrated customer 4 long years ago. I wanted to give them a chance and see how much they've improved, if ever they did. But sadly, their tainted reputation just got worse, for me at least. I wouldn't recommend Sun postpaid, prepaid or any of their products especially when you're eyeing for a higher allocation/value. Also, expect that their "Network Busy" problem is still existent especially during peak hours.

By now you should be able to get my verdict on Sun Cellular's services. But just in case you want to make sure that you're thinking what I'm thinking, do refer to what you can see below.

Random Thoughts

Know that people looking down on you isn't such a bad thing after all. No matter how they let you feel as small as dust, always remember how you can get into their eyes easily.