WHEN JUSTICE REQUIRES JUST PEOPLE FROM THE TIME THEY ARE BORN

"Hello Christine, I'm very sorry if you think that I had done what you have said here. I'm sorry but I did not do it. I swear to God, My Jesuit mentors have taught me to be honest, to be truthful. 

If you think that I had done it and that you have felt very hurt, I'm sorry if I had been a tool, but I am sorry I did not do it."

This is a more gentlemanly way a nominee for the highest court of the land should say -- without admitting any crime or sin. 

Unfortunately, Judge Brett Kavanaugh appeared very defensive trying to paint Christine Blasey Ford, as the one in the wrong. 

Well, Folks, this hearing has made us riveted into its details so much so that it has made me ponder on the following:

1. Listening to Christine, I saw how she was treated as an object by the person who was trying to rape her, with the full view of his friend. 

I've been thinking isn't courtship a part of American society, that women are to be courted with roses, chocolates and invites to Broadway musicals before asking, much more so demanding sex. And what is sex if it is not because of love? Apparently, there is no such thing as love in that instance;

2. The school where Judge Kavanaugh studied in an institution run by Jesuits. I studied my master in communication under the Ateneo de Manila University run by the same order. But there was always an element of ethics in every subject that we were taught. But how come Judge Kavanaugh turned out that way?

An all-male institution could bring up the wrong directions for boys who could be malleable to outside forces much stronger than all the subjects taught in school;

3. Brett studied at Georgetown Preparatory School, a Catholic all-boys high school. With the revelations of Christine, and this case  showed that drinking and gang raping were offshoots of parties attended by the kids. I wonder if this is  still the way of life in that community and so in which case, shouldn't co-educational system be universalized?

3. Alcohol played a great part in the situation that Christine was driven into. And I think, many of the crimes, many of the accidents is really caused by alcohol. The situation mentioned by Christine happened in the 80's, but it is already 2018, alcohol is still reaping a great many lives, either destroying family relationships, destroying personalities, and even lives;

4. Judge Kavanaugh says people are trying to destroy him. Yet, the only thing needed is for the incident to be proven true or not. And how is that to be done, if not through an investigation that would  cover maybe a whole community; a whole society, interviews of many, many people;

5. If this is the way a crime will be solved, by allowing the culprit to deny the crime, then I think that would be the poorest way to do it. Friends of Kavanaugh have texted him to wish him well, but does their action erase the incident? No it doesn't;

6. What is the culture in high school? During my time in the 60's we had viewed Western women as liberated when it comes to sex. This is brought about by Hollywood movies which showed free love as in Camelot, Irma La Douce, Mrs. Jones, and many more.  But the action of Christine, during the situation showed that there were still women who valued customs and traditions and would not be readily pulled for a down-and-out activity. In other words, that custom of respecting women, of going through phases of courtship is still important in society; 

7. The women's movement is so much more stronger now after this hearing. More women will come out courageously and not feel an ounce of fright to pinpoint the guilty persons who have sexually abused them. The next generation of women leaders will feel so much more confident now to pursue any political position without hesitancy because the case has shown that people (majority of whom are men) who occupy the upper rungs of the government are not that pure. I could pinpoint two judges who acted immorally in their posts -- one was bitten in the ear by a woman who was following up a case with him, right in front of me!. The other one keeps an employee as his secretary and sexytary. to the knowledge of all the people in his court. Do you want to know their names? 

8. The Supreme Court is the highest important institution in any country because it provides people the last defense against oppression suffered from other wrongdoings of the other institutions in society.  Ergo, any member of the SC should have an unassailable character -- from the time they are born to the time they are nominated. They will be putting their imprint on every case that would need the highest ethical judgment. If the member of the SC has a black mark, then the contending parties in any case will not find the decision or judgment that plausible. In a particular country, the leader is sought for among children who exhibit traits that would prove them to be good leaders;

9. Lastly, Sisterhood will have deeper meaning now because machismo and male bonding have just been displayed and thrashed by the testimony of Dr. Blasey Ford. 

Women helping other women, especially the needy,  will become a much more important priority in all parts of the world. 

FILIPINO WOMEN SILENT TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT?

Folks, this is my opinion about Dr. Christine Blasey Ford who has accepted the US Senate Judiciary Committee's request to testify on Ford's allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school. 

Don't you think the FBI should ascertain first if the incident truly happened before she faces the Senate which is predominantly pro Kavanaugh?

Many things are happening now in the US which do not reverberate in our country. The women in the Metoo Movement, an action of American women to present to the public the sexual harassment they had suffered in the hands of prominent men in society --bosses in Hollywood, corporations, and now this -- a judge nominee to the Supreme Court. 

How come we don't find the same focus among our women here? 

When sexual harassment occurs, the victims suffer psychologically, internalizing the experience unless they are able to express it to somebody else, usually a counsellor or a psychiatrist. 

Dr. Blasey suffered for many years and she was able to recover from it . But she has a husband who understood what she was going through and so was able not to feel so tormented by the memory of the event. 

What happened to her? On September 16, 2018, she publicly alleged that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982, in what she described as an attempted rape at a high school party. 

Although the incident happened more than 30 years ago, still the incident is grave enough to rattle the moral reputation of Kavanaugh as a member-to-be of the Supreme Court, which should count among its members justices who are honest, just, truthful, humane and respecter of women. 

MINES AS TOMBS

When we are confronted with deaths of people who got buried by landslides, we cannot help asking, when will my turn come? What accident could I go through and lead me to die in  a similar way?

It seems we have become immune to hearing-reading news about deaths. Everyday, we encounter death -- whether through drug incidents or because of natural disasters. 

But dying through landslides are worse. People die without fighting Mother Nature. They are just tossed and buried helplessly most of the time. Landslides could bring soil and rocks which could hasten the dying of people. If landslides only bring soil and water, victims could still swim through them; but once rocks and stone accompany the wash outs, the mines could become their tombs. Then we could only pray for their being saved by miraculous means - through the intercession of God. 

Whatever the nature of dying in these recent landslides, in Itogon, Benguet in particular, it is obvious that those who died and other victims have been shaped into an unthinking community whose sole preoccupation is to find gold. The lure of instant wealth, of high return of efforts, is so strong that the small time miners and their families could ride through all kinds of obstacles without regard for huge consequences should irregular events occur, like landslides. 

The Benguet Corporation has been in existence since 1903. It started as a company engaged in gold and other metallic and non-metallic mineral production, exploration, research and development. That means for 115 years it has existed, grown very wealthy and continues to thrive in the economic environment in our country. 

And what has it contributed to the upliftment of the lives of the people surrounding the area?
The deaths of the Itogon miners can only be faulted to the highly unscientific minds that have been administering the projects. The people have been bred not to think scientifically -- to survey the environment, to know how it could be treacherous living in that area, to know how to detect and how to escape should untoward incidents like landslides should occur, and many more. 

In other words, living in such an area requires not just a financial know-how, nor technical knowledge of how to dig for gold, but also comprehensively, to look at how that environment could become one's tomb as well should they not be able to assess their presence there. 

Hence, it is a shame that the officers and owners of Benguet Corporation have manged to be blind to that need for the people to realize the dangers of living in a mining camp. Greed has been the preoccupation, no longer so called -- Corporate Social Responsibility. 

What a nice phrase this CSR which was just coined recently. I wonder what phrase the Benguet Corporation used before to signify it they had any noble intentions at all to help the community people in their area of business. 

I do think that Science has to be the guiding philosophy in this mining business, more so for the people to embrace. 

However, because of the extremely dangerous status of our environment, maybe, acquiring a scientific mind should no longer be the priority but rather the abolition of the business of mining. Existing for 115 years and not knowing that landslides could occur, the Benguet Corporation might as well fold up for acting or being ignorant of the environmental consequences of their business activities. 

Widowed and orphaned families will have scars in their minds of the fateful day when the father died. More grievously, not all the wealth that the Corporation has could erase that at all. They can never make the dead live again. 


Death and Life, painted by Gustav Klimt in 1916. In this painting, the allegorical figure of death is portrayed as a robed skeleton, holding a stick, approaching a family that is grouped together. They are filled with life, and they portray the full range of life, from that of a young baby up to older children, to a mother, father, and even a grandmother. In their grouping and position, they are turning away from death, and seemingly unconcerned by his stalking of them. (https://artsology.com/death-portrayed-in-art.php)

Data on Benguet Corporation:

Benguet Corporation (Benguet), incorporated on August 12, 1903, is a mining company, which is engaged in gold, nickel and other metallic and non-metallic mineral production, exploration, research and development and natural resource projects. The Company's segments include mining, real estate, logistics and others. The Company's mining segment is engaged in exploration, nickel and gold mining operations. The Company's real estate segment is engaged in the sale of lots. The Company's logistics segment is engaged in logistics services to the supply-chain requirements of various industries. The Company's others segment is engaged in research, development, health services and water projects. The Company is also engaged in healthcare and diagnostics services through BenguetCorp Laboratories, Inc., mining logistics through Arrow Freight Corporation, trading of industrial equipment and supplies through Benguetrade, Inc., port services through Keystone Port Logistics and Management Services Corporation, shipping services through Calhorr 1 Marine Services Corporation and Calhorr 2 Marine Services, Inc., and real estate development and lime kiln operation through BMC Forestry Corporation.

The Company is working on exploration and drilling programs to upgrade the capacity of Acupan Gold Project (AGP). The Company's Irisan Lime Project (ILP) in Irisan, Baguio is engaged in the production and trading of quicklime. ILP produces approximately 7,890 tons of quicklime. The Company's mining operations also include Masinloc Chromite Operation (MCO). The Company's exploration, research and development projects include Balatoc Tailings Project (BTP), Antamok Tailings Project (ATP), Surigao Coal Prospect (SCP), Ampucao Copper-Gold Prospect, Pantingan Gold Prospect and Zamboanga Gold Prospect (ZGP).

The Company's Ampucao Copper-Gold Prospect is located inside the Pugo Mining Company claims within the southern part of Benguet's Acupan gold mine. The Pantingan Gold Prospect in Balanga, Bataan consists of approximately 1,410 hectares. The Pantingan property is a prospect for epithermal gold mineralization. The ZGP in R.T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay consists of approximately 399.3 hectares of land area. The SCP consists of approximately 10 coal blocks measuring over 12,000 hectares in total area. The ZCP is located approximately 150 kilometers northeast from Zamboanga City. The Company's water project includes Baguio City Bulk Water Supply Project (BCBWSP). The Company's land development project includes Kelly Special Economic Zone (KSEZ). The Company also offers logistics services and healthcare services. 

Key People Benguet Corp.

Board of Directors

Name/Title	Current Board Membership

Daniel Andrew G. Romualdez, 54Chairman	Benguet Corp.
Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez, 53Vice Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer

Pananaw ni PIRANDELLO sa Dulang Anim na Tauhang Naghahanap ng Manunulat

Bakit tayo nanonood ng teatro, ng dula? Para masiyahan, para makalimutan ang ating paligid at malagay sa kakaibang buhay ng ibang tao, para makapagsulat ng review ng dula  para sa klase? Maraming dahilan nguni't may isang dula akong pinanood na sa tingin ko ay papa-iisipin kayong mabuti. 

Napanood ko sa UP ang Anim na Tauhang Naghahanap ng Awtor, na sinulat ni Luigi Pirandello noon 1921. Ang anim na tauhan, isang ama, ang asawa niya, tatlong anak at isang anak na babae na prostityut. 

Taong 1921. Katatapos lamang noon ng Unang Pandaigdigang Giyera na nangyari mula 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918 sa Europa. Malaking sigalot noon na marahil ay nakaapekto sa pananaw ni Pirandello sa buhay na kanyang nailarawan sa kanyang dula. 

Ano ba ang pananaw ni Pirandello? Ilusyon ba o katotohanan ang buhay? Ang nangyayari ba sa buhay natin ay mapaniniwalaan nating totoo o kathang isip lamang?

Sa dula, yung 6 na tao ay isinadula ang kanilang buhay na pinanood naman ng tropa ng dula sa teatro upang maipalabas sa teatro. Subali't mayroon silang di pagkakaunawaan  dahil iba ang pananaw ng mga taga teatro. 

Dito na pumasok ang tanong: kailangan bang tunay na tunay ayon sa buhay ang ilalahad sa dula? Ano ang karapatan ng isang manunulat na baguhin ang takbo ng isang dulang batay sa tunay na pangyayari?

Masalimuot ang dula subali't masasalamin dito kung paanong ang buhay noong panahong yaon ay nakasira ng pananaw ng mga tao. Ang direktor ng entablado na isang diktador sa kanyang mga artista ay tinitingala. Ang prostityut na maganda ang tinig ay kabahagi ng lipunan na para bang isang regular at normal na kasapi kahit na may imoralidad ang kanyang trabaho. Sa dula ni Pirandello ay nakipagtalik pa ang prostityut sa sariling ama niya na hindi raw niya alam subali't maaaring nagsisinungaling din siya. Ang ama ay tinalikuran ang kanyang kasal at nakiapid sa iba. Ang asawa niya ay nakiapid naman sa ibang lalaki at nagkaanak pa dito. Sa huli, nagpakamatay ang isang anak -- suicide -- at ang bunsong babae naman ay nalunod sa "fountain". 

Madilim ang mga buhay na nailarawan ni Pirandello. Ang tanong: tama ba si Pirandello na maglahad ng kanyang pag-aalinlangan sa buhay? 

Hindi natin masasabing tama siya sapagka't siya ay isa sa mga taong nabuhay noong panahong nagkagiyera at marahil ito nga ang epekto ng giyera -- ang sirain ang ating paniniwalang ang buhay ay maaari pang pagandahin. Samakatuwid, sinisira ni Pirandello ang ating pagiging optimistiko sa buhay at sa halip ay parang nais niyang sabihin na madilim talaga ang buhay. 

Tayo sa Pilipinas hindi naman ganyan siguro mag-isip kung saan ay nawawalan tayo ng pag-asa sapagka't kahit papaano ay bumabangon tayong maaliwalas ang pagtanaw sa buhay. 

Kahit na naghirap tayo ng 14 taon sa ilalim ng isang diktador, hindi pa rin tayo nawawalan ng pag-asang iigi ang buhay natin. Yun nga lang, ang iba ay napipilitang lumabas ng bansa upang makatikim kahit na kaunting kaginahawahan para sa pamilya. 

Palabas ngayon ang dulang ito sa UP Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theatre.Maganda ang pagkakasadula, na dinirek ni Tony Mabesa. Magandang panoorin upang makita natin ang pag-iisip ni Pirandello. 

Tuwing Biyernes, Sabado at Linggo. UP Trunkline 02 9818500; 9261349

ON CELEBRATING HEROISM ON CELLULOID

I would like to think that when I watch a historical film I would feel elated that our heroes and heroines despite their weaknesses, vulnerabilities and humaneness, would be depicted as champions of our need for independence and sovereignty.

Unfortunately, sometimes my desire do not get satisfied that easily. There is a tendency for some film products to delve on the weaknesses, rather than the larger-than-life existence of our martyrs. 

It is difficult to face death every day, not to be sure if you will still live the following day. That is the constant sword of Damocles that any military or police officer faces. Ask anyone and they will answer you in that way. 

Hence, I prefer to have a more sympathetic view of our martyrs especially on celluloid because we, as filmmakers, are relaying to them our past, the heroic struggles of the defenders of our independence. Every medium has that obligation to instill in the young audiences the need for them to aspire for something higher than their everyday existence, like their struggles with their dota (a computer game), their celfone's slowness to connect, their computer applications, their needs for popcorn and soft drinks while watching the movies, etcetera etcetera, such preoccupations becoming the centers of their attention so that they need not face the realities of life. 

Do you get me, Folks? Reliving the past to our young generations now and tilting the films to making our martyrs as "too human, too sexually weak to the other sex, etc" will only drive them away to seeking quick self gratification. This could be a dangerous path for them to follow because these youths will be our future leaders, and where would they take us?

Now how should we deal with the foreign invaders on celluloid? Should we show them as matter-of-fact military men, of course, who had been commanded to conquer our country? Not only that -- conquest has inner motives. And the intentions of the Spaniards, the Americans and all other invaders were to scour our land of her natural resources for the satisfaction of the needs and increase the wealth of their own people, their own countries. There is no such thing as everything is equal in times of war. No, there is always that heavy emphasis on the question of "what will this conquest give me?"

I think this is where militaristic films fail most of the time. They focus too much on the war and violent scenes instead of showing the systematic and scheming ways by which all such militaristic maneuvers have been planned, and that is to ransack the natural and human resources of the country. 

Hence, let our films depict as many self-sacrificing individuals in the name of liberation, but let us not forget that we must uphold the dignity of our people and our land. We inherited this land from the Almighty and as Macliing would say, "How can you say that you own this land when it will outlive us?"


Yes, let us have more heroes and heroines on the screen and celebrate their sacrifices. 

  

THREE WORTH REMEMBERING WHO DIED IN AUGUST

Let us remember three people who died in the month of August in the past:

LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG, National Artist for Music (d. August 16, 2008) 

Tita King as she was fondly called was a pioneer in terms of combining ethnic and western classical music in her compositions. She also nurtured many young children as she organized the NAMCYAA. She was the Chairwoman and co-founder of Kamalapina Women in Media Theatre Collective which produces feminist artistic products. 

BEHN CERVANTES, Theatre Director par excellence              (d. August 13, 2013)  and may I add
Behn was a great theatre director, well-versed in European and American plays as he studied in Hawaii, East West. Center. 

He was highly influenced by the radical groups that pulled him to produce highly politically propagandistic theatre during the martial law period. 

Behn is very artistic and he produced plays that had blockings that looked like they were born of paintings. 


PRINCESS DIANA who died in a car accident, in Paris. (d. August 31, 1997)

Princess Diana suffered a lot in the hands of a cold husband whom she divorced in the 90's. After separation, she bloomed politically and became an ambassador for peace. Her memorable photo holding a landmine was printed and posted in many countries in the world to bring about global attention to the danger of that tool for wars and which the radical groups in our country are prone to be using against the State forces. Unfortunately, the consequences of using landmines also cover the innocent civilians. 

Princess Diana was the best patroness for peace in her time and could have done a lot more had she lived longer. 

ON NURTURING AND BREEDING HEROINES AND HEROES

                                    

The United States of America is focused on a heroine and a hero in their midst who died last August: Aretha born on 25 March 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, died on 16 August 2018 in Michigan while John McCain, US Senator for three terms, born on 29 August 1936,  died on  25 August 2018. 

You can find other details of their deaths, funeral services when you read the American newspaper, New York Times and Washington Post. 

Thousands of people trooped to view their bodies, signifying the impact they have made on the lives of the people. 

Aretha, a singer, composer is very much revered because her songs spoke of women's empowerment and the need to erase racism. John, meanwhile, is extolled for having been very consistent in his democratic views despite being a Republican Party member. He opposed the oppressive, racist Trump policies and acts from the time that IO sat on the post. He also fought for the rights of war veterans. Other details may be gathered from the above newspapers mentioned. 

Let us also build heroes and heroines in our midst, those who sacrifice their lives in service of the people's needs, whether while in the government or outside of it. 

Our society needs to award and reward them while they are still alive -- like the Ramon Magsaysay awardees whose lives have been dedicated to serving the marginalized and needing attention in societies. 

Let us also broaden our definitions of heroines and heroes beyond the sports field. 

To build them, we must encourage freedom of expression and learn to appreciate good works when necessary. 

There is nothing like people comforting, nurturing and helping other people, not only those in need but also those who work for them. Nurturers of those in need suffer from burn-out and depression. We must recognize those states of emotional and physical conditions and learn to be sensitive to them. 

Not only because God said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," but also because it is the most humane thing to do. 





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McCain Poster by Angela Cevedo