President Noynoy Aquino promised to issue a new and modified Executive Order. Yet, several weeks after the Supreme Court issued its controversial decision, nothing. No news about this supposed Executive Order.

Aquino should explain this to the public. The Filipino People needs some explanation. Aquino vowed to rid our society of graft and corruption.

What now? Is Aquino abandoning the fight against the corrupt Arroyo regime?

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

People in the know, people who partied with the spoils of the previous regime, are preparing for war. Yes, the Supreme Court has given them the moral and legal weapon against those truth-seekers who want nothing but their incarceration and destruction.

As I was informed, these people will be using the Law against the law abiders. They will try to create so much noise to defend the existing ruling of the Supreme Court in the Truth Commission not just to destabilize this administration, but moreso, to protect their sore asses.

And yes, they have the entire Filipino People to fool, but, unfortunately for them, the Truth Seekers abound in these lands. There will be no travesty of justice in this one.

Yesterday, the July 1, 2010 Movement was launched. General Danny Lim, a good friend and a co-founder of the Young Officers Union (YOU), led the mass-based campaign.

The movement, launched in Club Filipino, aims to encourage Filipinos to come out of their shells and expose the nefarious past activities of the previous dispensation.

General Lim described the Arroyos not as an “endangered” species as what we, the Filipinos would want to think, but as a “dangerous” species.

Dangerous because the tentacles of the previous regime still are very much entrenched in the bureaucracy. Many of the Arroyo’s most trusted lieutenants and generals still sit in highly sensitive posts in government. Many are still loyal to the previous regime and are, according to sources, still cleansing their files of filth.

Dangerous because even within the dark alleys of Malacanang, these men of dubious mold still exert a great influence over the decisions of the State.

These “reformed” men even of the Cloth still make their cases before the New Powers, and some, nay, most of them, sing halleluyahs before the Aquinos but continue to make money out of their political associations.

Since the Supreme Court has automatically debilitated or strung the hands of the Aquino administration, nay, tied it tightly in such a humiliating manner as use the Equal Protection clause to justify their immoral judgment, it is now up to the Filipino People to do what is necessary to get justice.

Ah, justice, justice is such a sweet name.

Lim encourage truth tellers to expose what they know about the previous regime. Get those documents. Get those grafters. Haul them off to court. Or, if the Courts refused to hear the People, then, let the Patriots of the New Generation get them this time.

I call upon the Old Sparrows, those whose Patriotism are as solid as their clinched fists.

It is time. Time for them to create History.

Those who have oppressed the People, those who enjoyed the perks of Power during all these nine years, know this:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:29-30

And its great. It has WI-FI, free applications, has word processing abilities and calendar, great for professionals like me. I put some games into it, and its great for passing time.

I can organize my things better with this. It is just at the right size. It’s not as heavy as a laptop neither is it as small as a phone. The size is really just great for me.

It comes with a cute and small keyboard. It has a touch screen. If you just want to use it, use it as effortlessly as you want. And it’s stylish.

After reporting a stellar year of profits, the utility company now wants to get more from us by raising their rates. Meralco has reported a consolidated core income of 5.8 billion. Fact is, Meralco reported a 169% jump in net income in 2009 and is targetting another 3% growth by the end of 2010.

Meralco’s energy sales has even jumped to 14% in the first quarter of 2010 alone. And it attributes its sales jump to the increased prices in the WESM. Meaning, the WESM is actually giving Meralco astronomical income jump. The Commission on Audit (COA) even said that it is not justified for Meralco to increase its rates since it already collected more than 6 billion pesos from its customers.

What Meralco wants is for its consumers to finance even its personnel salaries which is now at 2 billion. What? Why will the consumers bear the cost of Meralco’s executives and workers?

Meralco is not losing money. Fact is, it expects a further increase in income due to the rise of demand from the industrial sector (18.8%) and following, the residential sector (16.3%). Meralco even reported a very good income statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange. see link.

Let me give you why it is not justified for Meralco to increase its rates. Since its profits grew more than 12%, which is the allowed limit for Meralco in terms of profit, it is not justified for it to even salivate for another price increase. See a very interesting discussion here.

Even if Meralco is buying a higher rate from the WESM, it is still not justified for it to increase its rates since its profits have soared to the multi-billions since 2007, according to the COA report.

Meralco admits that NAPOCOR has sold power to them in a lower rate than before, but because of the rise of power rates in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, Meralco, as they say, has no choice but to raise electricity rates by 44 centavos.

The Energy department should abolish this WESM and instead, control the market. It can do so under its police powers and driven by public interest.

Instead of just providing government with an explanation, the Energy secretary Jose Almendras should ask WESM to justify why government should even allow its extended existence. The existence of WESM is beginning to harm the country and acting against the welfare of the People.

This is too much already. Meralco should even be divested of its franchise to operate a utility firm. Meralco is raking so much profits from us and they had the gall to tell us that they are raising electricity rates.

We already have the highest electricity rates in the region. Another electricity hike would affect businesses, not just households.

Government should look into this because this might be a clear case of sabotage. Remember that Meralco is now controlled by Pangilinan, who looks towards his Malaysian bosses more than he looks downward, to us, his fellow Filipinos.

How will we be able to recover from the economic slump with a very high electricity rate? How will we be able to transform this country into a viable investment site if prices here are higher than our neighbours in the region?

The Malaysian investors behind Pangilinan’s “successful” takeover of Meralco are probably dictating this to their Filipino counterpart. They want our country to remain uncompetitive. It is probably time for Filipinos to regain Meralco from the clutches of foreign interference.

People should militate against Meralco if they push thru with their plan to raise electricity rates this month.

If the Aquino administration refuses to interfere with this issue or is helpless, then, I urge every Filipino to militate against Meralco by turning their lights off on August 30.

Let us express our collective disgusts against Meralco and to Manny Pangilinan, who is posturing as someone who cares for us, his fellow Filipinos, but continues to follow the dictates of his Malaysian overlords in Kuala Lumpur.

Asian School of Hospitality Arts (ASHA)

Labor requirements rose after hotel occupancy levels grew by 3.4% this year, a positive sign that the industry has now recovered from the global recession.

In a report released by the Asian School of Hospitality Arts (ASHA), the premier hotel school in the Philippines, the hospitality industry is expected to grow 11% this year, a strong indication that the industry has now recovered from the global recession.

With this growth, more five-star hotels and restaurants would need additional hotel, food and beverage managers, baristas and hospitality staff. These are supervisorial and skilled positions which Filipinos are qualified to fill in.

ASHA Directress Angie Blanco says Filipinos are most-sought after when it comes to these positions. Top five-star hotels hire more from the Philippines because Filipinos are highly qualified, trust-worthy and hard-working. Filipinos are more qualified because most are HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) graduates.

“ We have thousands of Filipinos in the hospitality and leisure industries which can benefit from the recovery of the industry after a slump in 2009. Entry levels in these positions are high. We are in the best position to exploit the hospitality job markets because of our high competency especially as hotel and restaurant managers, baristas and hotel staff, “ says Blanco.

Hospitality-related jobs command competitive pay rates. For hotel managers, the average daily wage is US$ 50 per hour or about 2,300 php (P46=1US$) per hour. In the United States, baristas earn US$ 10 per hour or about US$100 a day. This translates to almost 100,000 pesos per month. Filipino chefs, meanwhile, are being paid more than 150,000 pesos a month.

Blanco reports that hotel occupancy in the United States alone grew by about 1.7% this year after occupancy rates rose in the first quarter of 2010. The growth increased revenues by 57.1%. This is a positive development, says Blanco, since more hotels will require additional hotel and hospitality staff to attend to the needs of guests.

Based on the ASHA report, hotel occupancy rates in the Asia-Pacific rose from 15.3% to 63.1%, the average daily rate increased by 8.6% to US$125.52, and revenue per available room jumped 25.2% to US$79.24. This, says Blanco, is based on the STR Global report.

Shanghai China experienced the largest occupancy increase, rising from 55% to 71.7%, followed by Beijing (65.3%), Hongkong (78.3%) and Osaka Japan (77.3%). Malaysia posted a positive 40.4% to US$ 71.65.

In the Philippines, improvements in the tourism industry generated close to 3 million additional jobs, according to the data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). As of May 2010, a total of 48,048 jobs were generated in Central Philippines, Metro Manila and Tagaytay alone. The hospitality outlook in the Philippines remains bright, says Blanco, as private investors continue to have a bullish attitude in the country.

Blanco says that domestic tourism alone hiked 2009 air traffic by about 25%. OAG, a reputable body monitoring the global air industry, shows that seat capacity increased by 9% or an additional 1.2 million to a total of 15.3 million seats in Asia-Pacific alone. Worldwide, seat capacity increased by 6% and added 20.5 million seats to a total 335.5 million.

Amongst the hotel chains, luxury properties and upscale hotels remain at a very positive growth. Performance of luxury hotels are strongest, while mid-scale properties with food and beverage should lag all property types with only 3.3% growth.

Lodging demands in the first quarter of 2010 increased by 5.3% over the first quarter of 2009. Blanco says if this trend continues, expect the hospitality and leisure-related job market to further improve in the next few years. In fact, Blanco adds, 2011 will see a 7.8% growth in the industry.

“The employment of hotel management staff is expected to grow just as fast as the average managerial position for all sectors through 2014. More opportunities are predicted to be available because many experienced managers will be leaving the industry to pursue other interests or through retirement. The better and higher education that is obtained, the more plentiful the opportunities will be” adds Blanco.

Do you know that Congress, led by Speaker Prospero Nograles and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez are leading the charge to tax us on every text we send to our friends? For businessman Joey de Venecia III and OFW crusader Susan “Toot’s Ople, that’s too much

For Joey, the House-approved measure imposing a five centavo excise tax on every text, picture, video or audio clip sent through mobile phones is uncalled for. “While proponents of the bill such as Speaker Prospero Nograles say the tax will not be passed on to consumers, it does not provide such a guarantee,” according to de Venecia.

“Why pass this burden on to consumers? Why not just improve tax collection efforts and eradicate graft and corruption in government?” he asked.

House Bill 6625 removes the “no pass on provision” of the original bill authored by Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson. This means that the telecoms companies would be allowed to pass on to consumers the new tax. The government, meanwhile, is expected to add an additional P20 billion to P36 billion to its coffers.

The Philippines is known as the texting capital of the world owing to the Filipinos’ inherent need to constantly keep in touch with their friends and loved ones. Between the three major players Globe, Smart and Sun, nearly 40 million cellphone owners nationwide send 2 billion text messages a day. “Texting is a small luxury enjoyed by most Filipinos. The tax approved by the House majority will affect nearly all Filipinos,” de Venecia said.

Additional taxes is not the solution to the country’s very serious problem with graft and corruption, he added. The Geneva-based World Economic Forum very recently said that the country’s perennial problems of corruption, inefficient government bureaucracy and inadequate infrastructure were the main reasons given for the further decline in the country’s competitiveness ranking.

This is what the government should address, said de Venecia.

Nograles errs when he says the telecoms companies can easily bear the tax burden since the actual cost of short messaging service is very low, according to de Venecia. Capital expenditures of the telcos is in the billions and is constant in order to keep up with constantly evolving technologies, he added.

IT-based businessman de Venecia is a pioneer of broadband technology in Asia and helped establish the Philippine call center industry.

He became a national figure when he acted as whistleblower of the now infamous ZTE-national broadband network scam whereby an inferior P16-billion broadband network would have been installed with billions of pesos in kickbacks going to the pockets of powerful figures in the Arroyo administration.

Never mind if there’s a photo of the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo with his wife Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with ZTE officials at Shenzhen Golf and Country Club. Nothing wrong when the First Gentleman met ZTE officials and project proponent Joey de Venecia III and uttered those infamous “back off” threats as nothing sort of an everyday expression from his friend.

Nothing wrong when Joey de Venecia III spilt the beans to the “most corrupt government project of all time” which was worth P 16 billion pesos, with a few billions thrown in good measure to Abalos, Neri and Mike Arroyo. Of course, Gordon saw nothing wrong when the President left for China while her husband lay sick in bed only to witness the contract signing of ZTE officials with DOTC officials, led by Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

And probably, Gordon would just flash his toothy smile and wink when he is reminded of that debacle in China, when DOTC officials reportedly lost the only signed copy of the deal. Of course, for Gordon, it is too presumptious for colleague and former Blue Ribbons chair Alan Peter Cayetano to say that the deal stinks as high up as the First Couple.

And obviously, Gordon saw nothing wrong when Mrs. Arroyo’s met with former NEDA chief Romulo Neri and told him to “just accept the money and approve the deal.” Or that infamous meeting between Jun Lozada and the First Gentleman when Lozada reminded everyone to “moderate the greed” because this could blow them all over. ” Bubukol ito, ” for Gordon, probably meant a description of the First Gentleman’s big tummy.

I’m beginning to think that the reason why Gordon wants to be chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee is he wants to ingratiate himself with the First Family. Is he serving as the First Couple’s hatchet man or he’s just being himself? I remember a few years ago when the Americans were still running Clark and Subic.

When cases of abuses were filed against American servicemen, Gordon saw nothing wrong with the accused safely inside the bases facility and waited for days before the cases were dismissed. Gordon saw nothing wrong with protecting the Americans rather than those comfort girls in those Zambales honky tonks. And of course, Gordon found nothing wrong when he showed the world how he wept unabashedly in public while his fellow Americans left our shores.

Gordon also saw nothing wrong with Americans spraying dirty water to Gordon’s fellow Filipinos protesting in Subic. Gordon even saw those protestors as “monkeys”, just like what those WASPs think of us.

So, I’m not really surprised that Gordon wants to crucify the whistleblowers than the masterminds. Or Gordon is doing it because Joey de Venecia stands to get his seat in the senatorial elections?

Or, probably, that was the concession Gordon got because America and his friends, Mrs. Arroyo already agreed to revive the Clark and Subic bases and Gordon wants nothing sort of getting his old post back? Or, Gordon really saw nothing wrong with his logic.

But, if you go to Cavite or Quezon City, you’ll find that diesel pump prices remain at the 23 plus to 24 pesos per liter. That’s about 2 to 3 pesos lower than Metro Manila prices.

And if you have’nt heard, Meralco just raised their electricity rates to about 75 cents. That’s more than 2 pesos within a span of a week. Is this the price we pay for PLDT’s incursion in Meralco? I mean, people, come on! Are we supposed to give back what Manny Pangilinan invested in that near bankrupt utility?

Government is quite insensitive about the people’s concerns. High electricity rates…higher gasoline pump prices and higher food stuffs. Government is really trying our patience! Government is really killing us with this. How are we supposed to survive these exorbitant commodity prices?

Betrayed by Pseudo-Revolutionaries

On May 10, we will be commemorating the death of the great Plebian Andres Bonifacio. This is not marked as a holiday in any of our calendars. Yet, it bears remembering here, since that treacherous death signalled the new chapter in the Katipunan revolution. As what fellow Historian Ambet Ocampo wrote in his book on Bonifacio, his death led to a shift in leadership, from the worker’s class to the propertied class. With Bonifacio gone, pseudo-revolutionary thought permeated within the Katipunan, promoted by Filipino peninsulares and intelligentsia, the likes of Paterno and Aguinaldo. These propertied men tried to erase the millenarian character of the revolution and attempted to pattern the revolt with Western models. The adoption of Western war tactics paid off, but, these concepts carried conceptual baggages like diplomacy, truce and sell outs. History is replete with instances of sellouts by the Filipino propertied class to subvert the pure Filipino concept of revolution. Despite these attempts at diluting the millenarian nature of the Katipunan revolution, manifestations of Katipunan revolts mark every chapter of Philippine history. The mark of these revolts bear noting, since these are not just agrarian nor worker’s based outbursts. Rather, they bear the Katipunan trademark, ascribing the struggle as that of Jesus Christ, with all the markings of the Pasyon written all over it. One such incident was that of Macario Sakay, who led the New Katipunan against American colonialists. Like his forebear Bonifacio, Sakay was a victim of treachery. Dr. Reynaldo Ileto in his book, ” Pasyon and Rebolusyon” (Passion and Revolution) wrote many manifestations of the Katipunan Spirit, as recently manifested in the EDSA revolt. Ileto said that EDSA I and the Katipunan bear striking resemblance due to the millenarian character of these two revolts. It just showed that there is, still, a continuing revolution which claims its roots from the Bonifacio led revolution. Like its predecessor, EDSA I has its pasyon chapters in it. The birthing of EDSA is the ” baptism” chapter. Cory’s revolutionary cabinet was like Jesus Christ’s formation of his 12 disciples. Enrile’s highly publicized resignation as Cory’s defense minister was history’s version of Judas Iscariot’s alleged treachery. And the series of coup attempts made against Cory was like Jesus Christ’s passion. The interregnum (Ramos’ administration) can be likened to Christ’s descent to hell where he tried to save as many souls as he can. Yet, it was interrupted by an attempt to re-institute a hellish version with Erap’s administration which led to an obvious attempt at “re-birth” with EDSA two. So, we see that our history is replete with highs and troughs, bearing the mark of Christ passion. Predictably, what we are in right now is what I call the “treasorous” stage where former architects of the revolution are reprising their Judas Iscariot roles all over again, much the same way as those propertied class did against Bonifacio and Sakay. Last Sunday’s EDSA picture, showing Enrile, Honasan and the RAM boys sipping tea with Mrs. Arroyo is obviously a painting likened to Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” except that the characters show a pseudo-Christ partaking food with Judases in barongs. It was an attempt to promote a new kind of philosophy rooted in what Mrs. Arroyo termed as “a new kind of boldness”. Arroyo’s new boldness philosophy is being made as a counter-ideology against the rising and fully gestating true expression of Katipunan revolution. That picture of Mrs. Arroyo with Enrile and the RAM boys and that Inquirer ad showing various organizations uniting behind the leadership of Danny Lim are filled with meanings. It revealed two competing forces in modern Philippine history, much the same way as those of Magdalo and Magdiwang during the revolution. However, one obvious question remains—which among the two forces will win it this time? What people don’t know is that the real inspiration behind the RAM is actually not Honasan. No. Honasan did played a key role but the ideologues behind that historic movement are not those in that stage with Mrs. Arroyo. Those who sipped and partook of the poison fruit by Herr Majesty last Sunday are like the Macabebe scouts who betrayed Sakay. They are the inheritors of the ignominious role played by Col. Makapagal who pulled the trigger that killed the Great Plebian in that mystical mountain in Maragondon Cavite. Like historical traitors, these former comrades will also share the same fate as their father who hanged himself in the tree. When these RAM boys staked their legacies for a fistful sum of gold, they threw their souls along with it. Like those Katipuneros who betrayed Bonifacio, they will all share the same fate as that of Aguinaldo’s who died of old age (Enrile?) What is certain is that light always triumph against darkness. This “show of forces” which we witnessed today mark the continuing, not the end, of this revolution started centuries ago. Mrs. Arroyo’s “boldness” speech tried to stab this revolution to death, yet, what she failed to recognize is that no force is strong enough to kill the “dream”. The dream may have died with Enrile, Honasan and the RAM boys of Gloria. Yet, those words etched in the RAM offices in Makati are still pretty much burning within the hearts of the True Patriots of Bonifacio’s revolution. With God’s help, that dream, will, someday, if not soonest, become a reality.