Bato

Aura Manatad

November 24, 2016 · FB post

The heart of stone is doomed;
His master is lower than a baboon;
Who reinstall the king of doom;
Forsaking everyone including the stone,
In his move to please the heirs of doom.

The stone was used and polished to perfection,
To fit the agenda of the baboon and the heirs of doom;
But the manipulation is slowly taking it's tool,
And the stone hits a wall and cry in front of a million fools.

The Duterte - Bongbong Connection

Aura Manatad updated her status.

November 26, 2016 · FB post

Here's an amateur conspiracy theory...
1. Why did Duterte declared that he can solve crime and drug problems within 3-6 months during his campaign and promise to resign if he fails?
Because they honestly believed that Bongbong Marcos will become VP and by resigning he can deliver Malacanang and the entire country back to the Marcoses on a silver platter.
Now that Bongbong is not VP, he is trying everything he can to grab it from Leni and so while he schemes his way to the vice-presidency, Duterte is asking for extensions on his deadlines. Extend the deadline until Bongbong is ready.

2. So why did the Marcoses claw its way back to Malacanang? Is it so that they can finally give their father a hero's burial? Nah, I don't think so. The burial of Marcos, the dictator, is just a means to an end. Looking at this family's actions since Imelda and Ferdinand set foot in Malacanang, during and after Marshall Law, you can surmise that these people only displays emotions when they are aiming for a better prize.

I have personally listen to Bongbong Marcos once in a student forum, when I was still in high school. That was only a few years after the family was driven away from Malacanang. Although I forget the topic of the talk, I still remember my impressions of him then; that he was one brilliant and charismatic man who I thought is either very brave or completely without shame for standing proud and tall in front of us after what happened in EDSA.

In retrospect, I can see how that brilliant young man of long ago, can be capable of (aided by the more experienced and hardened family members) orchestrating the biggest political coup our history will ever have--that is if they will succeed on this one.

To what purpose? Certainly not because of wounded sentiments. It's not even out of mere wounded pride. So what is it then you ask?
We'll it's all about the money, money, money.
It's not pride but greed!

What money you say? The billions of ill-gotten wealth that they still can recoup once they have that power. Greed is a powerful motivation--especially for something that you had once enjoyed.

#TakingTheFilipinos4aFool
#bumpyrideahead
#braceyourselves

Duterte's War on Drugs

"...imperialism and militarism were seen to be defensive strategies by which threatened rulers attempted to rally their people against a foreign threat as distraction from social tensions at home. - quoted from somewhere

So this administration's adversarial stance against US and UN appears to be just another ploy to take the attention of the rest of the citizenry away from the debauchery of their war on drugs.

The anti-American rhetoric that we don't need the Americans to which millions of Pinoy raised their fists and say Amen, well, you don't need them; so why are you still working in the blasted American businesses that let's you afford that laptop that you are using to denounce their contribution?

We do not criticize your president just because we do not like him. And we certainly do not rejoice in his international faux pas that started to destabilize this country's economy. We call upon it because we are concerned. I know this is an understatement, but I just couldn't state it more plainly; It was and will always be so unwise for a president to commit such diplomatic blunders as the president consistently make. That is not caused by us nor the media. It is on your president and the people that surrounded him.

On EJK, well, you asked us where we are when an innocent is killed by drug addicts? You accuse us even of depending and protecting these people. Yet, again you are wrong. We wanted this criminals to pay for their crimes. We also want justice same as you. But unlike you, we want them to be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt before an equal punishment can be meted out. But no, just like you prefer everything instant like your coffee, you want them dead instantly. For all those who happily welcome the news of every kill that this administration has encouraged in the pretext of their war against drugs, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THAT YOUR LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT THESE PEOPLE?!?!? YOU ARE NOT GOD! YOU DON'T OWN THEIR LIVES!

You say, oh accept your defeat, move on and support our president!

First, let me tell you this. In a presidential race, voters shouldn't have lost, regardless of whether the people they've supported failed to make it to the aspired post. That this with the assumptions that those who aspired to become the president, will do his duty to heed to and protect the welfare of the entire citizenry, not only those who voted for him, or worse, those who only contributed to the campaign fund. Regardless of who won, we should have been all winners.

Next, there is nothing to move on. This is our country too. Election should not have been the be all-end all for all of us. As citizens we need to be mindful of what's happening, critical even. We do not elect officials and leave them be. If you do that, you're simply brewing yourself a recipe for abuse, disaster and corruption. This, with most certainty I will say, is also what you will do had any of the other candidates won in the election. You too will be critical. And we wouldn't have begrudged you of that, for we understand and respect your constitutional right to it. We wouldn't have shamed you just because your belief is not aligned with ours.

Lastly, we are dying to support your president. Just give us something we can put our hearts and soul into. If you can't give us that, let us be for now. For as long as this is a Democracy, everyone should be able to speak their mind freely and "fearlessly".

For Him

It was one grand day,

When I ventured into the path I know I need to be;

Hoping that with the track I'm taking,

Learning will be mine for the picking.

And so it started out that way,

The need to be productive and earn my way;

Had led me to a road that’s both tough and rewarding,

For I’ve learned more than what I am searching.

I’ve seen you led unobtrusively,

Letting us learn things our way;

And with gentle hands you straighten our path,

When we stumbled and missed our shot.

When our quirks and foibles make lesser men squirm,

Your good humor helps us learn a few important things;

By your smiling example we journey through life,

Trying hard to be responsible while keeping that childlike delight.

A Touch of Man's Darkness and Evil

It was an afternoon in the early days of June 2012. I was rushing out of the office to meet up with my sister. We were to see a man who deals with those table top coffee dispensing machines that we would like to set up at Thinkers' Hub, the Internet cafe that we've struggled to keep up-float.

I was running down the stairs at the office, "texting" her that I'm on my way. Putting my cellphone in bag, a thought flashed my mind, "what if I lose the cellphone now." Since it was more of a flash than an actual thought, I continue hurriedly on to wait for a "jeepney". It was rush hour and not only a few people waited at the "jeepney" stop near the office. Anxious not to be late, and since I am the one in constant communication with the dealer, I decided to walk towards the next "jeepney" stop.

At the jeepney stop, there were also a lot of people there waiting for a ride. I was already standing there willing for one vacant jeep that I can ride in when a thought crossed my mind to call one of our vendors to remind him of a contract we are working on. I got the cellphone from my bag and tried calling him but when there's no immediate answer I just turn the phone off. I was about to open my bag and put it there again when a vacant jeepney made a u-turn in front. Fearing not to get a ride in that one jeep that is not overloaded with passengers, I put the phone in my pocket at the last minute and join the queue of eager passengers. I stand there in front of the jeepney steps for quite a while not sure why it took me that long to board the jeep at that time.

As far as I can remember, there was a man with a black shirt holding the bar of the jeep's entrance effectively blocking my way. Then there's another man at my right doing the same thing while allowing other passengers to pass through. When the jeep was quite full, a man in a white shirt stands up and said he will just stand at the jeep's entrance. Once that man in the white shirt got out and stand on the right side of the jeep, there appears to be a wide enough space for me to get through and board the jeep.

Steeping up inside the jeep, I felt something was taken out from me but not knowing what is it i just get on to inner part of the jeep and sat down. A moment later, a man in a white shirt set beside me and saw him holding a cellphone in his lap. Seeing the edge of the phone in his lap give quite a jolt. Then and there I searched my pocket and my bag for my phone. Knowing instinctively that I could not find it anywhere with me.

However, I keep searching my bag for about 5 to 10 minutes when some man sitting near the entrance of the jeep said "epektibo jud?" and the man beside me said "epektib kaayu."

Somehow, deep within me I know its them. But even, after that I keep rummaging through my bag and my pockets hoping that I can still find my cellphone.

When I get off the jeep, I was drenched in the rain, I don't where my sister was and the man we are supposed to met. Not finding my sister in the meeting place, I went home and hoped she made contact with the vendo man all the while worrying what will my boss with me losing the phone that is entrusted to me by the company.

When I get home, I asked my other sister to text our eldest sister that I lost my phone.

I wanted to cry but the tears barely shed from my eyes because I was angry. I wanted to cry because that time, I don't have money to buy a new phone. And I am seriously worried about losing the trust of the people who entrusted me to use and care for that important business tool.

I was also angry...

Angry at the those people, angry of being victimize. Angry that i can't do anything even if i was quite certain who among those inside the jeepney took my phone.

I was a victim. The victim. Where before I only read and hear news of shoplifting... now I experienced it first hand. Hearing news and stories about similar incidents I can't think of any reason that would justify thievery. Now, being a victim and having a glimpse of the evil personified... the usual alibi of poverty and hunger will no longer hold true. At least to my mind... for the people who had my phone is as well-heeled as the next guy on the street.


GRRRRRRRR!