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| Sea as a reflection of Sky. Sky as a meditation of Sea |
What is driving the confusion? I think it's politics. Saludo ako kay Walden Bello. I lean toward the right pero when it comes to principle - everybody should be drawn toward the center. It is politically gutsy what he did. He stood on principle, acted his convictions and resigned from his party. Bakit? Kasi nakakainis na talaga yung nangyayari sa taas.
All this blaming is weak. President Ramos was right when he said that the President is not being very Presidential right now. If insiders, our own citizens, can recognize it, what of outsiders. Both our friends and those who we have not yet won over to be our friends must be of their own opinions on the matter of Mamasapano, the Peace process, and the BBL. But as for me, what is of central importance right now is for this Republic to sort itself out. Muddy water must be made clear again. Ganun talaga ang buhay na tubig. Clarity. Truth (with love as the highest truth). Everything else will follow.
Think about PNoy's advisers and appointees. What the hell have they been up to. My attitude is they should at least consider the dignity of the Office of the President. Even when they should disagree with the prevailing politics of the person of the President, I think they must always be mindful of the prevailing reality of that intangible truth upon which he, the person of the President, as well as they, his political appointees, stand upon - in the seals, symbols and titles of our Republic.
Because these are the things that will outlast them. The Office will outlast the person of the President and the Office of the President shall outlast his or her appointees too. These seals, symbols and titles will outlast because they were meant to outlast. For the truths that live within them are as vessels that contain and serve to bear forward in spirit that sense of continuity (1) for our Country in ourselves, and (2) of our Country in time. Certainly, these truths will outlast the politics of any present time and deserve to retain their own honors distinct from their successors through a lineage that is intact.
Because these are the things that will outlast them. The Office will outlast the person of the President and the Office of the President shall outlast his or her appointees too. These seals, symbols and titles will outlast because they were meant to outlast. For the truths that live within them are as vessels that contain and serve to bear forward in spirit that sense of continuity (1) for our Country in ourselves, and (2) of our Country in time. Certainly, these truths will outlast the politics of any present time and deserve to retain their own honors distinct from their successors through a lineage that is intact.
I think about PNoy himself. I do not think it wise for him to resign. I do not think it wise for him to persist in absolving himself either. Sabi nga nila e. The buck stops there. If not accountability, take responsibility to ensure accountability, Mr President. The guilt you will bear if you were not to blame in any of this is not because something was done but because nothing was done. Or because something was done after the fact that falls short of what must be done. Do I still believe in our President? Yes I think so. Pero please sir, assure your people.
Also, why does it feel like there are too many secrets here. Cover up nga daw. Pero secrecy daw is not deceptive. It should not be. Because secrets serve the truth and the truth serves the people. The State is never served by believing in a lie: Kaya umamin siguro si Washington dun sa Cherry Tree. Sino ang pinagtatakluban kung meron. At nino? At bakit? Our striving for truth must always be mindful to preserve honor but not hide incompetence. US involvement? Side issue lang yan. Intelligence cooperation is essential in operations in the nature of Oplan Exodus. Lalo na at ang NICA natin ay hindi pa up to par. Hindi pa front-line agency.
Isa pa. Gripes go up not down. Kaya siguro nasasaktan si Napenas kasi sabihin na natin na may lapses siya. Perhaps, he expected some amount of amor propio to survive in the bearing of the burden of the Fallen 44. And I do not think it was unrealistic of him to expect it.
I have a term: Conservation of Citizenship. I think we all know this concept by heart but have not given it a name. We all want second and third and fourth chances at happiness. In fact, I believe in a Country where these chances are unlimited for those of us who honestly and humanly work at being happy.
Public servants who serve at the Nation's behest up and down our Republic do the vital job of facilitating the awakening of these dreams of personal happiness within our larger awakening Dream of Country (or what I call "Republic Vision"). When these individual dreams awaken, they become real ha... Hindi po tayo parang tulog na nananaginip lang ha. The Republic Vision is a waking dream... it is like something in the horizon we have to return to, something real. Something awesome. We do not fall asleep into this Dream, we live in it. And because we do, most of us implicitly understand we can not fully "be" all of this while war is in our midst. That a house divided will not long endure.
Public servants who serve at the Nation's behest up and down our Republic do the vital job of facilitating the awakening of these dreams of personal happiness within our larger awakening Dream of Country (or what I call "Republic Vision"). When these individual dreams awaken, they become real ha... Hindi po tayo parang tulog na nananaginip lang ha. The Republic Vision is a waking dream... it is like something in the horizon we have to return to, something real. Something awesome. We do not fall asleep into this Dream, we live in it. And because we do, most of us implicitly understand we can not fully "be" all of this while war is in our midst. That a house divided will not long endure.
Our dreams are reflections of each other. They only become real because they are reflections of each other. The larger Dream of Country is a fabric of a forever woven from all of these awakened dreams. In a real sense, we owe each other something because of each other's dreaming. Consider along the line of this thought, the water we drink, how we should be thankful. We should recognize in this, our "intrinsic value". Nationhood teaches us to accept, appreciate and to ultimately love the human being because he or she is a human being. Hindi dahil ang taong ito ay may silbi (dahil nga tayong lahat dito sa ating bansa ay may kanya-kanyang silbi) kundi dahil ang tao ay tao. Love the player. Change with the game.
Not one of us expects their virtue and their worth in this Republic of ours to be wiped out by a single mistake. For as long as these mistake are human, they should stand the scrutiny of our civics. Ewan ko lang kung pinulitika na ha. Politics nga exist at the level of the State and is wholly subsumed by it. It is however, always underpinned by the spirit and strength of our civics.
Human morality, our right remembrances, and the fruits of a good religion in turn inform, empower, and enlighten our civics. Kaya nga I believe a good religion should speak to us as a human nation not so much through our politics but through the art of our citizenship and help us - teach us - to build a culture of light and a dominion of life.
Human morality, our right remembrances, and the fruits of a good religion in turn inform, empower, and enlighten our civics. Kaya nga I believe a good religion should speak to us as a human nation not so much through our politics but through the art of our citizenship and help us - teach us - to build a culture of light and a dominion of life.
Since a lot of us talk at the same time in the National Conversation and policy being an expression of the present will and vision of the Chief Executive of the Filipino State. Magulo talaga ang pulitika, pero lagi dapat maka-bansa't - makatotohanan at makatao. Politics exist to make things clear. Pero nga bad politicians use politics to muddy up the water. Wala namang bad politics. Bad policy oo kasi nga there are bad politicians - by calling talaga or by accident lamang. Pero ang pang balance po natin dito ay ang ating free expression. Kaya importante ang Free Press. Kaya madalas ako kay Ted Failon sa umaga. At hindi lamang dahil nandun si Tina Marasigan sa medyo huli... yung cat.
Kaya nga bilib din ako sa speech ni Senator Alan Cayetano, I disagree with the good Senator from Taguig at times. Katulad nung pagkukuwestyon niya kina Iqbal at sa pagdidiin niya kay Sec Deles at Ferrer. Masyadong PG kung baga. Alam mo yun? I think Sec Deles and Ferrer must work with the tools they are given. If they were negotiating from a position of weakness - which was my significant take away from the Senator's well-prepared privilege speech - we should be more diligent in going over the BBL. Because the BBL is the present sum of the whole peace process as far as the GPH-MILF track is concerned. Thank you, Senator Cayetano, for your inspired efforts.
Let me say that I make my peace right now with the common people. Walang kwestyon that there is civic peace in the Philippines. Citizenship is not so well defined in the Constitution. Only its legal parameters are mentioned there. Pero we have a deep tradition of citizenship. Malalim ang balon at marami ito laging imbak na tubig na malinaw at presko. I have attempted in this blog to define and to clarify some of its principles and characteristics. Dahil sa tingin ko importante.
Many of us are asking "who or what is a Filipino?" And many of us do not find readily available answers. Tama ang tanong. Pero dati rati kasi walang masyadong nagtatanong kaya ang diwa na nangdadala nang liwanag sa mga katotohanang pinagsasalukan natin nang mga sagot tungkol sa sino tayo ay hindi ganung kalakasan pa para maramdaman nang marami. Para itong hangin, pag pakonti-konti lang ay konti lang din ang makakapanisin nito pero pag dumami na at lumakas, may makakadedma pa ba dito? E ang dami na ngayong nagtatanong... e signal number 3 na.
Let me just say, to find out who a Filipino is, one has to make peace with the Nationhood that is ours. The answer to this question of who we are is not something we should just hear from other people. Citizenship is never an opinion. It is a conviction. It is something we must live by. Something we must realize by the power of its own truth. Hindi sa salita lamang ang sagot kundi sa katotohanan. And so I have found that my peace is fullest when it resides with the Nation, with the common people. Our Nation - Under God. And our people - With Him. We, as an integral part of one Family of Nations. For as long as you and me remain human beings with common human needs, we belong. So peace be unto us, in the service of our common humanity.
Many of us are asking "who or what is a Filipino?" And many of us do not find readily available answers. Tama ang tanong. Pero dati rati kasi walang masyadong nagtatanong kaya ang diwa na nangdadala nang liwanag sa mga katotohanang pinagsasalukan natin nang mga sagot tungkol sa sino tayo ay hindi ganung kalakasan pa para maramdaman nang marami. Para itong hangin, pag pakonti-konti lang ay konti lang din ang makakapanisin nito pero pag dumami na at lumakas, may makakadedma pa ba dito? E ang dami na ngayong nagtatanong... e signal number 3 na.
Let me just say, to find out who a Filipino is, one has to make peace with the Nationhood that is ours. The answer to this question of who we are is not something we should just hear from other people. Citizenship is never an opinion. It is a conviction. It is something we must live by. Something we must realize by the power of its own truth. Hindi sa salita lamang ang sagot kundi sa katotohanan. And so I have found that my peace is fullest when it resides with the Nation, with the common people. Our Nation - Under God. And our people - With Him. We, as an integral part of one Family of Nations. For as long as you and me remain human beings with common human needs, we belong. So peace be unto us, in the service of our common humanity.
Iba itong kapayapaan na ito sa BBL. Let me just make that clear. But the BBL if it serves to facilitate the national peace, is essential. Pero kung power play lang ito and it fosters a sense of exceptionalism in just a single community among our national communities, it is not democractic. And will remain so until the means are made equal: Uncommon Exceptions. We owe it to our fellow Muslim Filipino brothers and sisters to help them craft a peace that is meaningful and lasts and this peace is only this when it is a peace that is compatible with the Peace which is for all Filipinos for all time. Hindi lang Constitution natin ang basihan. Dahil ang Constitution natin ay may basihan din. Kapag umuwi tayo lahat dun sa basihan na iyon. Ito yon.
The National Peace is like the Dream, made up of the peace of many living communities within our Nationhood. I've written before that to salute the life of any individual with peace, one has to implicitly salute also the life of that individual's community with the same peace. Because the dignity of a human person and the dignity of a human community are goods reciprocal. One arrives in peace, one leaves in the spirit of that same peace. Damage one and you damage the other. Deny one and you deny the other. To love one, therefore, you must also know to love the other. Dahil tayo'y Bansa. Lupang Hinirang. Land of Promise. Brothers and Sisters of the Promise.
Citizens must recognize: Salok sa tubig ng langit ang diwa at buhay ng ating pagka-bansa dito sa lupa. Tubig na dati'y dito sa lupa ay delubyong pumatay at sumira, sa ati'y nitong naging sanhi ng isang samahang bayang payapa. We can not build up the living earth without these water ties. For these are the ties that bind us into the freedom of one human nation, one among a family of nations. Blood ties strengthen our families and form the foundation of our communities but only our water ties (spiritual) make us into citizens. Water is ancient.
Citizens must recognize: Salok sa tubig ng langit ang diwa at buhay ng ating pagka-bansa dito sa lupa. Tubig na dati'y dito sa lupa ay delubyong pumatay at sumira, sa ati'y nitong naging sanhi ng isang samahang bayang payapa. We can not build up the living earth without these water ties. For these are the ties that bind us into the freedom of one human nation, one among a family of nations. Blood ties strengthen our families and form the foundation of our communities but only our water ties (spiritual) make us into citizens. Water is ancient.
Ako po ay para sa kapayapaan kaya po ang tingin ko importanteng busisiin ang BBL at ipasa ito dahil sa kapayapaang naririto na... na layunin nitong palawigin. Ito po ay akin lamang: Peace for me does not depend on the BBL, rather it is the opposite. The BBL for me depends on our peace. On how well it has considered it and on how well its vision (as the BPE) aligns with it. Kaya nga when Senator Cayetano brought up his points during his speech and then he asked the question whether we were negotiating from a position of weakness, it made me think. Peace is always through strength. Not of arms, but of truth. Strength of spirit. Filipino spirit. Ito ang pinanggagalingan nang ating kasarinlan. And so, we can never lose our sovereignty by accident, only by ignorance.
So the talk as regards the BBL is not the humanity of our fellow Filipino Muslims brother and sisters, they are like us, human beings with human needs. And it is certainly not their religion we are talking about, they are like us human beings with human needs i.e. Meaningful Existence. In these, both our peace and our freedoms as a nation are already established truths. It is the politics of it. Important but distinct. And I think it is important that we make the distinction. Para medyo luminaw ang tubig. Kasi marami ang nagsasabi na ituloy ang usapang pang-kapayapaan pero pag dating sa BBL, ayan na po... dito tayo uli sa pulitika nito nagkakasanga-sanga. Ganun talaga dapat. Kaya nga ito pinag-uusapan - sa Bansa at nang Estado.
So the talk as regards the BBL is not the humanity of our fellow Filipino Muslims brother and sisters, they are like us, human beings with human needs. And it is certainly not their religion we are talking about, they are like us human beings with human needs i.e. Meaningful Existence. In these, both our peace and our freedoms as a nation are already established truths. It is the politics of it. Important but distinct. And I think it is important that we make the distinction. Para medyo luminaw ang tubig. Kasi marami ang nagsasabi na ituloy ang usapang pang-kapayapaan pero pag dating sa BBL, ayan na po... dito tayo uli sa pulitika nito nagkakasanga-sanga. Ganun talaga dapat. Kaya nga ito pinag-uusapan - sa Bansa at nang Estado.
Kaya hindi nakakatulong ang malito. Iisa lamang po ang Republika nating Katigan. Kaya kahit na sadya nga pong nakakalito ang panahon ngayon. This too will pass. Because if we should stay true, it will. My hope is this: After the storm, we will have a deeper appreciation of the calm. Meaning a deeper sense of who we are. And when I say we, I mean lahat po tayo. Lahat.
Kasi kung ibabato pa po natin ang tuon natin sa mas malayo pa sa Bayan nating sinilangan... e di ba parang mas magulo? Kasi nga po magulo talaga. Kaya huwag na muna. Magulo po kasi ang mundo ngayon. Bakit kaya? Diyos lamang po ang nakakaalam nang Kanyang layunin para sa sansinukob.
Just the same, it is really up to us to take away from all these troubles what is ours to take away. And we will never know what ours is until we have a deeper appreciation of the community - the common human unity - we call the nation in ourselves. 'Yang Inang Kanlungang na ang tawag po nating nakasanayan ay Pilipinas na ang tunay pong pangalan ay sarili - na ang bigkas po sa ating langit ay katotohanan - na ang katotohanan po sa lupa nati'y kapayapaan.
Just the same, it is really up to us to take away from all these troubles what is ours to take away. And we will never know what ours is until we have a deeper appreciation of the community - the common human unity - we call the nation in ourselves. 'Yang Inang Kanlungang na ang tawag po nating nakasanayan ay Pilipinas na ang tunay pong pangalan ay sarili - na ang bigkas po sa ating langit ay katotohanan - na ang katotohanan po sa lupa nati'y kapayapaan.
Pasensya na po kung medyo napakahaba at medyo nakakalito ang mga saloobin ko na ito. Pero para po sa akin - iyan po tayo. At nandito pa rin po tayo kaya mabuhay po tayong lahat!
Salaam. Shalom. Peace.
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