Monthly Archives: June 2017

More than two centuries ago, Thomas Paine wrote that society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution raised enormous optimism among millions of Filipinos that democracy and progress are finally on the way. But three decades later, the nation has remained deeply divided.

Our prejudices against each other do not merely come from obvious political demarcation lines; they are rooted in the hegemonic regional divide. For most Filipinos, Manila evokes images of high-rise structures, elite schools, flyovers and horrendous traffic, while Mindanao is often associated with the Moro rebellion, the rural life and, indeed, severe poverty. Until this day, politics in the country continues to be dominated by aristocrats.

Philippine public life is controlled by a very limited number of rich families and politicians, who rule in perpetuity by monopolizing power in government. In this way, politics has only become that existential burden in our never-ending search for happiness as a society. But nation-building is a serious question that should concern every Filipino. Andres Bonifacios Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa rightly comes to mind.

But all our hopes for this God-forsaken land might just remain utopian because no rich man will unconditionally give his wealth to the poor. And so, we are a country of dreamsdreams of peace and prosperity, dreams of love and happiness. Elitist democratic rule breeds social and economic injustice. The harsh reality is that it results in the marginalization and exclusion of millions among us.

The poor are wanting in what Pierre Bourdieu calls cultural capital. Since the civic sphere has become almost the exclusive domain of the educated class, the majority of Filipinos are unduly denied of a platform or sounding board for them to critically express their legitimate protests against the abuses so often perpetrated by those who are in positions of power.

Yet politics is not just a matter of class interest. A nation is formed by its culture and history. Solidarity is also that enduring quest for a community that dignifies the life of each and truly respects the uniqueness of every person. But the road to institutional reform that leads to justice and equality is a dreary and treacherous journey.

Many among us lead unhappy lives. Millions toil without ever seeing the fruits of their labor, and millions more persist in this cruel world even if they are not really sure of achieving their modest goals in life. Perhaps, such is the sad tapestry on which our destiny as a nation is founded. But while most poor parents may not see the change in the lives of their children, they will continue to carry in their hearts the spirit and passion to pursue all that needs to be done.

It is not the task of political philosophy to preach to the world what men and women ought to be. Human freedom, G.W.F. Hegel teaches us, is a life and death struggle. Philippine politics is defined by conflicts and particular interests. It is only in the recognition of the right of each Filipino to a decent life that this society may be able to throw away the many forms of unwarranted privilege so wrongly enjoyed by the very few.

President Dutertes unsmiling radicalism is not the greatest threat to our freedom. Rather, it is our divisiveness. This is the most difficult obstacle in the effort to overcome the many decades of misery to which thousands upon thousands of Filipinos have been subjected. In the end, we must find that common ground that will bind us together as a nation. The sacrifice of democratic ideals can only mean the irreparable loss of our liberties. Thus, the standard of reasonableness should be the lever on which the future of this nation must depend.

Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD, is assistant professor of philosophy at Ateneo de Davao University.

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The greatest threat to our freedom - Inquirer.net

By now all Freedom residents should know public comment for the 2017 Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan ends on June 20, at which point the Planning and Zoning Commission could approve the plan and send it to the Board of County Commissioners for a 60-day review.

Now is the time for all of us to demand better. Freedom Area roads are overcrowded, our schools are the only ones at or near capacity. We ask for better restaurants, better retail choices and more places for family recreation. We get another grocery store. If you are tired of being ignored, read on.

Here are some of the summary of recommendations that county planning department wrote as part of the rationale for updating the comprehensive plan.

Here's what they say: Facilitate residential infill development in character with the existing housing in Freedom's established neighborhoods.

Here's the reality: The planning department proposes to increase the densities on three large parcels Gibson, Beatty and Wolf without justification from the property owners to show how the change benefits the community. None of the increased densities will match the character of the surrounding neighborhoods. The development of these parcels could mean an increase of over 600 homes in an area where schools are at or near capacity and roads are already clogged with congestion. No one property owner's rights are more important than any others.

Here's what they say: Increase the amount of land designated for commercial and light industrial uses in the areas targeted for economic development.

Here's the reality: The intersection of Md. 32 and Md. 26 remains the center of commerce. From the inception of the Comprehensive Mini Plan for the Freedom Area and Environs, the stated and expected areas of development have always been the Md. 26 and Md. 32 corridors, not our quiet residential neighborhoods. We have many vacant storefronts and land in that corridor yet the county planning department wants to put commercial and light industrial uses in the same neighborhoods they promised to protect in item one.

Here's what they say: Ensure that the development review process is predictable, consistent and evenly applied.

Here's the reality: If the county planning department refuses to update our 15-year-old zoning codes before moving forward with this plan we will be open to other costly and time consuming lawsuits that pit the county against itself. The perfect example is the assisted living facility on Oklahoma Road. A similar facility can be built anywhere in the county because the zoning that allows it is still in place. As long as the county continues to change zoning amendments, like Amendment 156, to favor developers we will not have an evenly applied process. Predictability? Well just go back to items one and two.

The State of Maryland has set forth "The 12 State Planning Visions" which the county is required to address when revising our plan. Vision No. 2 is public participation: "citizens are active partners in the planning and implementation of community initiatives and are sensitive to their responsibilities in achieving community goals."

Unfortunately, citizens have only been allowed to react to the plan put forth by the county not be active participants. For over four months, the county planning department met without actively seeking public participation. How long would have this continued if a group of advocates not heard the plan was under revision and contacted the county planning department?

All but one member of the Planning and Zoning Commission lives outside the Freedom area. That so many citizens who live in the northern part of the county are making decisions for us is illogical and disingenuous.

The large parcels being considered for development in this plan are within 5 miles of Bennett Road, so logically the majority of concerned citizens come from this area. Throughout this process, falsehoods have been perpetuated that our resistance to this plan is because "we don't want that in our backyard." I think a more accurate and realistic assessment is that the rest of the county doesn't want it in theirs. We certainly don't expect the county not to grow, we are simply demanding accountability and the predictability and consistency the county is required to give.

It is not only our right but our duty to be informed and involved in our community. Openness, accountability and honesty are the traits of government transparency. Transparency is a government's obligation to share information with citizens. It is the heart of how citizens hold our elected officials, and government employees, accountable.

I am respectfully requesting that the Freedom Plan continue to be reworked until the county can meet the goals that they, the State of Maryland and we the citizens have set for them. If you agree write to the county commissioners at commissioners@cccg.carr.org and the planning and zoning commission at ccplanning@ccg.carr.org and tell them so.

Kimberly Madeja writes from Eldersburg.

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Madeja: Keep working on Freedom Plan to get it right - Carroll County Times

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has called on Filipinos to honor the heroism of those who fought for the Philippines freedom by performing their civic duties and protecting the countrys sovereignty.

In his Independence Day message, the President noted that thousands laid down their lives more than a century ago so that Filipinos today may live with the dignity and rights befitting a free nation.

Let us take inspiration from our forebears who valiantly fought and offered their lives so that we may have the liberties that we enjoy today. Let us pay homage to their heroism by preserving our sovereignt and performing our own civic rights and responsibilities, Duterte said.

After all, it is our inherent duty as citizens to ensure that the Philippines fulfills its destiny as a great and prosperous nation, he added.

Duterte also said the countrys journey to freedom was a long and arduous one and involved blood, sweat and the ultimate act of selfless sacrifice.

Despite the insurmountable hardships, the patriotism and undaunted spirit of the Filipino led to our triumph against the shackles of slavery and abuse, the President added.

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The Philippines is celebrating today the 119th anniversary of the proclamation of its independence from Spain.

Photo shows President Duterte comforting a relative of slain S/Sgt. Joven Triston upon arrival of the remains at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City from Cagayan de Oro last night. MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

Duterte will lead the flag-raising and wreath laying ceremonies in Rizal Park in Manila. Independence Day rites will also be held in Pampanga, Laguna, Davao City, Bukidnon, Baguio City, Iloilo, Cavite, Bulacan, Caloocan and San Juan.

But Duterte cancelled the traditional vin dhonneur to attend to matters in Mindanao, which has been placed under martial law because of terrorist threats.

Vice President Leni Robredo will also attend the wreath-laying ceremonies in Rizal Park. In the afternoon, she is expected to attend a democracy summit at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Robredo asked Filipinos to honor the soldiers and policemen who fought for freedom in Marawi City.

The military aims to raise the Philippine flag in Marawi this Independence Day to show that the government has regained control of the countrys only Islamic City after almost three weeks of intense fighting with extremists, who had claimed allegiance to the terrorist organization Islamic State.

On Independence Day, lets not forget the heroism of our countrymen who continue to fight members of the Maute terror group in Marawi City, Robredo saidyesterdayover her weekly program over dzXL BISErbisyong Leni.

Robredo said she hopes Filipinos today would be inspired by Philippines gaining of independence 119 years ago.

Senators also called on Filipinos to fight for freedom from terror, injustice and poverty amid the proliferation of fake news and online persecution that they said undermine the countrys democracy.

Liberal Party Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Francis Pangilinan in separate statements said 119 years after the countrys obtained its independence because of the sacrifices of heroes, its democracy continues to be under threat.

Pangilinan cited the ongoing battle in Marawi City as well the imposition of martial law in Mindanao; high-poverty incidence; inaccessibility of education, and proliferation of fake news.

He said he wished that Filipinos be free from fake news and lies.

As one nation, we have gone through many trials. We owe that to those who gave their lives and sacrificed our heroes, ordinary people who responded to the challenge of history, Pangilinan said in Filipino.

Aquino said Filipinos in the past fought for independence from foreign rule, and fought for freedom from a ruthless dictator, referring to the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Now, we fight terrorism, encroachment on our territory and our freedom to dissent, the senator said.

In an era of fake news, rabid online persecution and weak political institutions, we need to fight for our democracy now more than ever, he said.

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima saluted the countrys modern day heroes overseas Filipino workers, teachers, government workers and media, as well as hardworking Filipinos who toil for their families.

De Lima also thanked the soldiers and policemen who continue to battle Maute militants in Marawi City to protect the country from terrorism.

We call on the Duterte regime to stop your crooked system of governance. The country cannot grow by killing our poor countrymen, she said, referring to the drug-related extrajudicial killings that critics said have only victimized low-level pushers.

Sen. Joel Villanueva is set to file a bill penalizing those who maliciously create and intentionally spread fake news in print, broadcast or online following the false claims of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II implicating some opposition lawmakers in the conflict in Marawi City. Alexis Romero, Helen Flores, Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte-Felipe

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Duterte: Honor those who fought for Phl's freedom - Philippine Star

Hundreds crowded the Jepson Center on Saturday to celebrate freedom and African culture during the museums 11th annual Juneteenth celebration.

Juneteenth, which is celebrated on June 19, recognizes June 19, 1865 the day Texas, the last state to abolish slavery, emancipated its slaves.

Today is about freedom, said Harry DeLorme, museum senior coordinator. We have a little bit of everything for everyone and some great performances.

The museums event was held Saturday to avoid clashing with other Juneteenth celebrations in the city, DeLorme said.

The family-friendly event, which ran from 1 to 4 p.m., featured cultural exhibits, kids activities and live dance performances from local groups such as the Abeni Cultural Arts Performing Dance Studio.

Dance is universal, said Devan Cokley, an Abeni dancer. People should know that there is more out there besides ballet, jazz and others typical things that you make think of. Through dance, you can celebrate a culture and African dances celebrate the African culture and our roots.

Visitors also got the opportunity to learn about historic traditions such as the basket making and creations of Kente Cloth and participated in a libations ceremony.

Vaughnette Goode-Walker, who coordinates the annual event at the Jepson, said she has seen history change before her eyes in Savannah.

This is all about history, Goode-Walker said.

And Saturday was all about learning from history to create a better future, according to Gregory Grant, a basket maker tabling at Saturdays event.

There is the legend of the Sankofa Bird that flies forward with its head looking backward, he said. You cannot know where you are going without knowing where you came from.

Continued here:

Savannah celebrates freedom at annual Juneteenth event - Savannah Morning News

As we celebrate our Independence Day today we cant do so without a long look at the sacrifices made by so many to achieve it. Thats the true spirit of independence or kalayaan and you can be sure that the liberties you are enjoying now came a high cost for those youve never even met. Truly I dont know if the youth or even the older generations still understand the cost of freedom. In our history the cost of our independence was paid in blood.

I know that we take our freedom for granted in so many ways today. The same freedom of speech we have we abuse when we raise our voices in anger at one another and make slanderous claims. The same freedom we have to peaceful protest has lost its meaning when every single week there is a protest about one thing or another. Lets face it, in so many ways, weve forgotten what that freedom or independence truly means in our every day lives and squander it.

Now Ill admit that most of the time it is unintentional. We are just so used to having the freedom that we have now that we dont stop to think how different our lives would have been if we were born 119 years ago. How one wrong word could have landed us in jail or how having an opinion could put you in front of the firing squad. It seems so much time has passed that we have forgotten what it must have been like to not have liberties and all the sacrifices so many made so that we could enjoy our freedom today.

History buffs have been reminding us for years, and especially in this last year alone, that those who dont know their history are doomed to repeat it. And that seems to be truer now than ever before. While some kids can give you a rough idea of what we celebrate today most cannot. Most cant even remember Martial Law era of the 1980s let alone the bloody battles over 100 years ago. They were born into the world they live in now and behave as though that is the way it has always been.

I cant blame them. Perhaps we have all gotten complacent when it comes to the freedom we enjoy in our every day life. When things dont go our way we go online and rant about them. We videotape every altercation and put people on trial in the court of public opinion. We elect officials haphazardly and when they fail to live up to our expectations we immediately think of ways to impeach them. We take to the streets without reverence and we think that we are fighting the same way our forefathers did. Honestly, I think most of us cant even comprehend what that must have been like.

Would you march out of our comfortable homes with the same fervor if you knew you would have to pay the ultimate price? Would your rants on social media be as loud if the punishment was the same? I dont know. Maybe for some of us they would be but not for the majority who would soon realize that the cost of the actions would need to be paid in blood and sometimes not even by them but by those they love.

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I think remembering what our freedom truly cost is something extremely important as we celebrate our Independence Day. Its even more poignant now than ever before because as we are celebrating here in Manila and around the world, battalions of our soldiers have put their lives on the line in Marawi fighting once again for freedom against terror and oppression. Despite the many conflicting opinions about Marawi one thing remains sure these men and women are putting their own lives on the line and deserve our respect and admiration.

In fact the cost of sacrifice once again came to light with the viral story of Army Private First Class Dhan Ryan Bayot. His incredible courage in the face of adversity is something that should inspire us all. This young solider was part of the 51st Infantry Battalion team stationed at Barangay Lilod in Marawi serving as additional security for a local government official stationed above their detachment.

Their battalion was attacked with, if reports prove true, the help of the security men of the local executive who were sympathetic with Maute terrorists. The assault was well planned and overwhelming and even though the battalion radioed for reinforcements none could get through because the way was heavily blocked and guarded by hostiles.

After hours of fighting and with most of his comrades dead, Private Bayot knew the inevitable was near. He radioed his commanding officer and instead of pleading for help or expressing anger and anguish at their situation simply requested Bombahin na lang niyo and location ko, Sir! (Just bomb my location, Sir!). He knew the end was near for him and he wanted to take down as many enemies as he could. He faced death without fear and chose instead courage and the hopes of making the enemies pay an equally high price. That is a hero and that is the price they are willing to pay.

On May 28 the soldiers remains and those of his comrades were finally retrieved. And serve as just one of many reminders that there are just as many brave men and women putting their lives on the line for us today, as there were hundreds of years ago. The men and women who serve our country deserve our respect and admiration whatever our political leanings may be. And today, more than any other, we need to give thanks for the freedom that their sacrifices bought and vow not to take it for granted.

Now, more than ever, we must be the watchmen/women of our own history and make sure that every generation remembers it and reveres it. Happy 119th Araw ng Kalayaan, Philippines and may we all endeavor to be better and do better every day.

Continued here:

The price of freedom - Philippine Star

The Hindu

'Denial of freedom a universal phenomenon' The Hindu Mr. Narayanan said the Emergency was a turning point in the history of independent India and that it was the beginning of the decay in Indian National Congress, which had played a major role in the Indian freedom movement earlier. He said the response ...

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'Denial of freedom a universal phenomenon' - The Hindu

With the countrys eyes on Comey, Trump enlists evangelicals to push Senate on health bill and says he'll prevail, as the Bible says.

Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, listens to remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, where President Donald Trump spoke on Feb. 2, 2017. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

As Washington sat transfixed before the image of former FBI Director James Comey spilling some beans on the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump went to work. An expert in creating crises, Trump is not the kind to let his handiwork go to waste.

At a conference of mostly evangelical Christians convened in Washington, DC, by Republican political operative Ralph Reed, Trump reminded attendees of the Faith and Freedom Coalitions annual Road to Majority conference of their agenda and his. If he made any reference to the drama unfolding before the Senate Intelligence Committee, it was this: As you know, were under siege; you understand that, the president said. But we will come out bigger, better and stronger than ever you watch.

BY Adele Stan | February 2, 2017

Expressing his appreciation to members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition for their work on his behalf during the 2016 presidential race, Trump cited some 22 million pieces of mail sent, 16 million videos shared, 10 million phone calls made and 1.2 million doors knocked on in the key battleground states. He quoted the Book of Isaiah from the teleprompter.

He went on to recount what he had already delivered for his religious supporters: a drastic reduction in illegal crossings on the southern border; the appointment of Neil Gorsuch, a foe of abortion rights, to the Supreme Court; an executive action on religious freedom, a withdrawal of aid to overseas humanitarian groups that dare to speak of abortion, and withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. That last one elicited a raucous and sustained cheer from the assembled, seeing as how its very name combines two mutually repugnant ideas: the fact of climate change and a city in which people speak French.

Without naming it as such, Trump noted the leaked draft of a rule revision, dated May 27, under consideration at the Department of Health and Human Services that would appear to definitively permit religious orders that run hospitals and social service agencies to flout the current mandate that employer-provided health insurance include coverage for prescription contraceptives. The Little Sisters of the Poor, Trump said, referring to a Catholic religious order that brought a lawsuit against the Obama administration that challenged the mandate, had just won big with his executive actions on behalf of religious freedom. The president pointed at two nuns in the audience. Stand up, he instructed them. You dont mess with the Little Sisters, he quipped. Never mind that the nuns obediently standing were from an entirely different order (the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist); they were old women in habits. They would do. The optics worked.

BY Theo Anderson | April 20, 2017

He went on at length to describe his instruction to the IRS to refrain from investigating houses of worship for political activity that would threaten their non-profit status as an unleashing of free speech from the pulpits of the nation.

The audience then received an accounting of the agenda yet to be undertaken the part that requires legislation by Congress. Trump came to Road to Majority to set its army of socially conservative, mostly white churchgoers to work on Capitol Hill, lobbying senators and members of the House, as many groups do during national conference. But few get their marching orders directly from the president, even if not said in so many words.

First on the presidents list was the health care bill that is currently stalled in the Senate.

Restoring freedom and opportunity also means repealing and replacing the disaster known as He put his hand to is ear.

Obamacare! the crowd shouted.

That was easy, Trump replied. Something I hope great is going to come out through [Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell in the Senate.

The next big item was tax reform the biggest tax cut ever, he said. But sadly, Trump added, they would have to pass each of these measures without a single Democratic vote, because Democrats are obstructionists who are bad, right now, for the country.

The entrenched interests and failed bitter voices in Washington will do everything in their power to try and stop us from this righteous cause to try to stop all of you, Trump said. They will lie, they will obstruct, they will spread their hatred and their prejudice, but we will not back down from doing what is right. Because, as the Bible tells us, we know that the truth will prevail, that Gods glorious wisdom will shine through, and that the good and decent people of this country will get the change they voted for, and that they so richly deserve.

He patted himself on the back for deporting people he deemed gang members and drug dealers, and characterized his summit with Saudi leaders as a blow against global terrorism.

As the Bible tells us, we know that the truth will prevail, that Gods glorious wisdom will shine through, and that the good and decent people of this country will get the change they voted for, and that they so richly deserve.

He made a call for unity, noting that whether we are black, brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood.

In America, he said, we dont worship government; we worship God.

The speech, delivered at the conference luncheon, was well-received. Afterward, attendees boarded busses headed for the Capitol the Senates Dirksen Office Building, to be exact. There they would be treated to a town hall-style meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republican lawmakers. The meeting was closed to the press.

Once it concluded, members of the group would lobby the senators from their respective states.

Milling outside the hearing room where the town hall would take place, Rebecca Clutter, a woman who looked to be in her 50s or 60s, offered her assessment of the presidents speech. [I]t was amazing and awesome and it hit all the points, said Clutter, who had traveled to Washington from Ohio, where she had knocked on doors during the campaign under the aegis of Women for Trump.

Casey Matta, a student at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, also loved the presidents speech, naming as his favorite points Trumps anti-abortion rhetoric and something about the Paris [climate accord].

Asked how the US withdrawal from the climate accord agreement fit in with the religious purpose of the Faith and Freedom Coalition event, Matta thought a minute. Well, I think its like a Republican religious convention so when he brings that kind of stuff for conservatives I agree with that.

What did he make of the probe of Russian meddling in the US election, and contacts between Trump campaign figures and Russian officials? Matta said he didnt believe that Russia had intervened in the election. By his lights, it was all a put-up job by Democrats.

I think [Trump] definitely is being targeted, with the Democrats and everything. I mean, they need to cool it, he said. Give him some time to worry about what hes got to worry about now.

Right now, Trump is worrying about, among other things, getting a legislative win. And Casey Matta, Rebecca Clutter, and hundreds of others came to the nations capital to help him get it, all in the name of God.

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Trump Brings Out the Bible for Faith and Freedom - BillMoyers.com