The Online Helper

The Ondoy Chapter is far from over. A lot of things are yet to be done. And online, the campaign to raise awareness about what happened and to rally the Filipino youth was overwhelming. Platforms such as Tumlbr, Twitter and Facebook proved to be such powerful tools in mobilizing the Filipino people to help out and volunteer.

Here are some tools used during the campaign that circulated all over Tumblr and Facebook:

A poster urging people to donate goods at the Ateneo campus for their relief operations.

A poster asking people to help out and volunteer since celebrities from other countries are doing so. Why not us, Filipinos too?

A poster of the UP Sagip Isko relief ops campaign. Go Isko!

A poster encouraging Filipinos to help out in restoring, rebuilding and recreating the country.

A poster asking people to help and volunteer for those who are in evacuation centers.

A poster of the Raise the Roof benefit concert for Ondoy victims held at the Megatent along Meralco Ave.

On Twitter, a lot of Filipino personalities, politicians and celebrities utilized its powers by coordinating and updating volunteers through its micro-blogging capability. Spot.ph's article on the 10 Virtual Volunteers: helping out in the time of tweeting gave a list of ten people who were of great help while using Twitter. And I do have to give credit to Gilbert Teodoro for keeping the people updated with current situations all over the metro regarding NDCC matters and answering people's queries. (He directly replied to my Tweet regarding the supposed loose crocs scare in Pasig and Cainta).

The internet isn't just for porn as Avenue Q would argue. And during the past week, it has proved that it is such a powerful to rouse a nation's consciousness for their fellow countrymen. At least we know that majority of the country are out to help out, and not to buy liquor or give out food with their name branded on it.

Helpful SHAMEFUL

We all witnessed the spirit of the Filipino people as we helped each other rebuild lives destroyed by the recent typhoon.

But some people are just plain SHAMEFUL.

At least three photos of such shameful acts circulated online referring to three particular politicians and their supposed disgusting deeds.

Photo #1

A photo of a man buying liquor at Rustan's Supermarket along Katipunan Ave. during the storm. People claim that this was Pampanga Rep. and Presidential son Mikey Arroyo.

Naturally, the online community was angered by the photo. As this would implicate that while the whole metro was suffering, here is the presidential son being too busy shopping for liquor.

In an e-mail response published online by news agencies and bloggers, Arroyo said that “My picture was posted on Facebook with a caption saying I was shopping for wine at the height of [Storm] ‘Ondoy.’ [This] is another malicious attack on my person. It is so depressing.” With his statement, he really didn't deny that it was him on the photo. What does that say? Hmmm. Watchathink?

He then proposed that Facebook content be regulated. Is he for real??? Wouldn't that be censorship? Brainless. Just brainless.

Photo #2

Food in labeled styro being distributed to Ondoy victims. Disgusting electioneering. The name written on the sticker still hasn't released any comment regarding this photo.

Photo #3

Is somehow of the same nature as Photo #2. Residents of San Mateo, Rizal are seen holding this piece of paper in order for them to receive their relief goods.

Both Photos 2 and 3 make us question if the concerned parties are actually authentic with their desire to help their countrymen. Or is this just another opportunity to campaign for themselves?

SHAMEFUL.

The Illegal Ombudsman

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is under much criticism having released a memo imposing more rules before the Statement of Assets. Liabilities and Networth (SALN) of public officials are released.

According to Sen. Francis Escudero, what Gutierrez did was illegal. In his statement, Escudero said that "it's illegal as it hinders or hampers free flow and access to information on matters of public concern. Confidentiality is the anti-thesis of 'public document.' Besides the Ombudsman is not vanguard but the keeper of the SALN so that the public can have better access to it."

June 16, 2009, Gutierrez issued Memorandum Circular No.1 that would require people who would want access to SALNs to provide a statement why they are doing so, two government-issued IDs and be sworn in before a prosecutor of the supposed anti-graft institution. Furthermore, as if to add insult to the injury, the public and media can be immediately denied access to SALNs if their reason is deemed "contrary to morals or public policy, or is commercial in nature other than by news and communication media for dissemination to the general public."

Blogger Carlo Ople posed this question: Instead of defending the Filipino people, the office of the Ombudsman would rather shield corrupt officials from getting exposed?

We all know how Rep. Mikey's corruption was exposed through his SALN during Philippine TV's shining moment that is the grilling of Arroyo by Prof. Winnie Monsod. We need more of these. More corrupt government officials getting exposed. And if they can't be transparent through their SALNs clearly they are hiding something. So why Ms. Ombudsman are you protecting them by imposing more rules?

We need transparency and accountability from our public officials, and if they are incapable of being so, they have no business in serving Filipinos.

Lie to Me

When I was in grade 4, my mom caught me lying about a school project.

During my juvenile years, I would lie to save myself from trouble.

"No, I wasn't the one who broke the glass."

"I wasn't the one who started the fight."

"I swear I didn't know it was yours."

Lies. Lies. Lies.

And now that I'm 21 (and yes, I'm old since I will be turning 22 in three months time) such lies are just plain ridiculous. Oftentimes, telling the truth would keep you out of trouble more than lying. And I learned that the hard way. Ask my parents how.

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Our generation is very familiar with a lot prominent people both here and overseas who have lied in more ways than one.

Who can forget Sen. Miriam Santiago's infamous admission of lying combined with her laughter during the Erap years?

US Pres. Bill Clinton and the whole Monica Lewinsky brouhaha. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

And then there's Erap and GMA. 'nuff said.

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One of the shows that I am currently obsessed with watching is Lie to Me. And this show is just made of awesome. Its premise is that, even if people desperately try to hide emotions, their micro-expressions (errr facial and gestural and even tone of voice) can give them away.

Dr. Cal Lightman (played Tim Roth) is the world's leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to discover not only if someone is lying, but why. When someone shrugs one shoulder, rotates a hand or raises the lower lip, Lightman knows he's lying. Based on the real-life scientific discoveries of Paul Ekman, the series follows Lightman and his team of deception experts as they assist law enforcement and government agencies to expose the truth behind the lies.

Watch it!!! Errr, well download it first haha :p

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I wonder, would the embarrassment that is Mikey lie the way he did, if it was Dr. Lightman in front of him?

The Embarrassment that is Mikey

Whoever Atty. Guzman is, he has a lot to answer the moment his plane lands. Well that's because his client told the whole country, that if we have a problem regarding his so-called wealth reflected on his Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) we should ask the good attorney.

Yesterday, in one of Philippine TV's finest moments, my Econ professor by the name of Winnie Monsod showed Unang Hirit viewers how the Congressman who thinks that there is no dignity in eating at turo-turos, also thinks that Filipinos are stupid enough to believe all the rubbish his mouth speaks.

Watch the videos below and see how Mikey Arroyo desperately tried to evade Mareng Winnie's upfront questions.

If Arroyo cannot fully explain the discrepancies of his own SAL, how is he able to represent his province properly? And by saying that his worth that ballooned in his short span of "public" service, that is much questioned by critics, was earned through various gifts and donations for him, would not that tantamount to bribery, especially since he is a public official and law states that such cannot accept gifts either in cash or in kind?

R.A. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees states under section 7 that:

(d) Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. - Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.

I applaud Ma'am Monsod for fearlessly interrogating the embarrassment that is Mikey Arroyo. Thank God your Econ exams weren't as tough as your questions for him.

What we need are politicians who are transparent and accountable to the people they serve. Not the likes of Mikey.

Seriously, did he think we'd believe that he doesn't fully own that California beach house?