“Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m. August 1, 2009 of cardio respiratory arrest. She would have wanted us to thank each and every one of you for all the prayers and your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and our country. Hinihiling po ng aming pamilya ang konting panahon para makasama namin ang aming mahal na ina,” a statement from the Aquino family read.

Details of the former president’s wake will be announced later, the family said.

Once a reluctant housewife, Aquino was known as an icon of Philippine democracy after the EDSA ‘People Power’ revolution removed the Marcos dictatorship and restored democracy in the Southeast Asian archipelago in 1986.

Aquino served as the nation’s president until 1992 when she gave way to her successor, President Fidel Ramos. Even in retirement, she remained in the public eye and continued to speak out on political issues.

In March 2008 her family announced that Aquino had colon cancer.

Full Story here…

(Watch Video: Kindly refresh page if the video doesn’t seem to appear)

To the world, she is the widow in yellow who toppled a dictatorship in a stirring show of People Power in 1986. To her native Philippines, she is the courageous president who saw off a series of coups d’etat and single-mindedly restored the institutions of democracy. But to herself, Corazon C. Aquino is a plain housewife who, in all conscience, could not refuse her country’s call to service when her husband, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., was assassinated in 1983. She continues to serve after her term of office ended in 1992 through her work with nongovernmental organizations. “What is important is that we believe in the Almighty and that we try to do whatever we can to help ease some of the sufferings of our people,” she says. “I always tell my children: ‘I don’t know how many good years I still have left, but whatever I can do at this time, I really want to be able to continue not only for the cause of democracy, but also to help in bringing about a better Filipino.” For the rest of my life, I will be doing whatever I can to improve things.”

[This profile of Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino was written by Mr. Cesar R. Bacani, Jr. for the pamphlet about her that was published by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. It has been updated by Ms. Paulynn Paredes Sicam.]

Learn more about the former president’s life and works in her very own website. Click here.

LAST NOVEMBER, the folks at Oxford University came out with a list of “top ten irritating expressions” in the English language, by which I suppose they meant the English language as it’s employed in their corner of the English-speaking world, and not necessarily in what used to be the backwaters of the Bard’s dominion, in places like India and the Philippines. “Irritating” is, of course, a matter of cultural and personal predisposition. One man’s joke—such as the “Barack the Magic Negro” song that top Republicans passed among themselves—could be another man’s slur, and what annoys an American—such as a Pinoy texting in the middle of conversation—might be perfectly normal to the other fellow.

So the Oxford list might cause some of us to just go “Eh?”, but it’s always interesting to see what ticks off other people. Now let’s see which among the following words or phrases feels like a bug in your ear:

1. At the end of the day
2. Fairly unique
3. I personally
4. At this moment in time
5. With all due respect
6. Absolutely
7. It’s a nightmare
8. Shouldn’t of
9. 24/7
10. It’s not rocket science

Well, come now, that wasn’t too bad, was it? We hear these expressions hereabouts now and then, but not that often, so they don’t grate on us as they might with the English. For example, we hardly ever say, “It’s not rocket science,” because, well, we don’t have rocket science in this country. Indeed we have our own, uhm, fairly unique ways of putting things and of getting annoyed by them.

I’ve compiled my own list of irritating expressions in English as we Filipinos use the language among ourselves, with others, over the airwaves, in the office, in conferences, and in the papers. I’m sure you can add to this list—do send me your pet peeves—and this comes with the caveat that the annoyance may be entirely mine. If they don’t bother you, then don’t lose any sleep over them; Lord knows we suffer enough aggravations in this life and in this country without having to be upset by wrong or awkward prepositions.

(Speaking of which, a reader wrote in recently to say how he or she—there was no name in the email address—failed to appreciate whatever I was doing in my column-piece on getting a La-Z-Boy, because I had committed the grievous error of saying “in the mall” instead of “at the mall” in my first sentence. I said I agreed that “at the mall” was probably the preferred and “correct” form, but I also asked him/her to Google the whole phrase “in the mall” to see how it’s entered common usage. Language—unfortunately or otherwise—isn’t graven in stone like math, perhaps to the distress of ruler-toting schoolmarms; one billion people saying “1+1=3” isn’t going to make it so. But if enough people—including influential writers and editors in places like Newsweek and The New York Times—say “different than” instead of “different from,” which I’m sticking with only because it’s what I’ve been used to, then the language will change; it already has. This might as well be the place for me to remind readers that while I do teach English and while I deeply value and enjoy language as a writer, I don’t think of myself as a stickler for rules, as some would like me to be. I cringe at bad language and poor grammar, but there are far worse things in life to fret over, and some of the worst damage to English is being perpetrated by some fools in Congress who insist on an English-only policy when they can barely speak or write it. I once had to sit through a hearing where a congressman held forth on “the youngs, the youngs of this country!”)

But here’s my list of the ten most irritating Pinoy expressions in English—irritating not necessarily because they’re wrong (although some are), but because they’re everywhere you look and listen.

1. “In fairness.” The most popular phrase in Pinoy showbiz, where fairness is apparently in great demand. Every time I hear this, my mind goes, “In fairness to whom or to what?”, but you never get to hear the other end of the phrase, so much so that you begin to suspect that the speaker really means “In fairness to me!”

2. “As far as.” I don’t mean “as far as the eye can see,” but “As far as accommodations, everything is already taken care of” (or, more likely in these parts, “taken cared of”) or “As far as Manny Pacquiao, either Hatton or Mayweather will be okay for his next fight.” As in the above, I keep looking for the missing “is (or are) concerned” after “as far as”—but it looks like that’s as far as most people will go.

3. “At this point in time,” the Pinoy version of “At this moment in time.” I can recall precisely when I began hearing this wondrously redundant expression over the airwaves—during the coverage of the 1986 EDSA revolt and its aftermath, from which point (in time?) it became a staple of reporters and broadcasters. Why not just say, “at this point” or “at this time” or the even more economical “today” or “now”?

4. “Remains to be.” Not in the sense of “It remains to be seen if Filipinos will finally vote for the right person,” but rather “The deposit remains to be unclaimed” or “This painter remains to be unappreciated by the critics.” “To be”? Not to be!

5. “Wherein.” I don’t know how this word crept into the vocabulary and overran the place, rather like the carnivore snail someone imported that ate up all the other garden creatures both good and bad, but you hear it everywhere, taking over where (or wherein?) the good old “where” (or, sometimes, the more precise “whereby”) should suffice. Hear this: “The house wherein the hero was born will be turned into a museum.” Want to have some fun? Google these two words together: “wherein” and “Philippines.” You’ll find choice examples like “He entered the University of the Philippines wherein he studied Medicine.”

6. “Demand for.” I’ve already written about this before, but obviously no one in government and corporate officialdom reads me, so we still have signs screaming “Demand for your receipt!”

7. “Literally.” Don’t people know that “literally” means, well, “literally”? I’ve heard people say “I’m so hungry I could literally eat a horse!” Really? I tried horsemeat once, in little nibbles—no, it didn’t taste like chicken—so I guess I could say “I literally ate horse,” but literally eating a horse will require hunger the size of Africa.

8. “Whatever.” You ask someone a perfectly good question you’ve taken minutes to compose, and that person shrugs her shoulders or rolls his eyes and says “Whateverrrr….” Don’t you just want to strangle that person on the spot?

9. “Wholistic/holistic.” First of all, just how do you spell this thing? Does it come with a W or not? The medical dictionary defines “holism” (no W) as “the conception of a man as a functioning whole.” But then you have websites devoted to “The Wholistic Pet” and “Wholistic Health Solutions” (which, incidentally, sells the Home Colon Cleaning Kit). This word (with or without the W—whatever) seems to be one of those warm and fuzzy buzzwords that came in with New Age music, organic tomatoes, and NGOs. (I’ll talk about “stakeholders” some other day.)

10. “Multiawarded.” It’s No. 10 on this list, but it tops my list of Ugliest Frankenwords in the Universe. Of course, it’s popular because it does the job of saying “He (or she) has won not just one but many prizes!” Anyone should be happy to be multiawarded, and I should be honored that this word’s been often applied to me in introductions and such—but it isn’t false modesty at work when you see me wincing at the word. “Prizewinning” will do. Or, better yet, “many-splendored.” But that would no longer be me.

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What a great post from a great writer I admire, Jose Dalisay Jr., aka Butch Dalisay. His writings as the “Penman” appears every Monday in the Lifestyle Section of the Philippine Star where this particular article also appeared. This post is now distributed as a viral email all over the internet without proper attribution to Mr. Dalisay. I searched on it online and that’s how I found out he wrote it! If you want to re-distribute this article, please give due credit to the original author- Mr. Butch Dalisay.

From our home to yours, from one website to another, from the staff of Tatay Pepe’s Restobar in General Santos City, Philippines- all the best this Holiday Season and a prosperous 2009 to us all…

*Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon (Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year)!

Here’s a short Christmas Joke we found as a viral e-mail: Enjoy!

It was a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, “Hey, mamacita, let’s do Weeweechu.”
“Oh no, not now, let’s look at the moon!” said Rosita.

“Oh, c’mon baby, let’s you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it’s the perfect time,”
Pedro begged.

“But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon.” replied Rosita.
“Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me.”

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, “OK, one time, we’ll do Weeweechu.”

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang…..

“Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry
Christmas, and a Happy New Year.”

The current global economic crisis is a chain of events, primarily blamed on man’s dependency on foreign oil and the manufacturing companies’ dependency on petroleum for food production. Couple it with the mismanagement of creditors to lend money to people and businesses living beyond their means, which leads to more debts and not making enough money to pay the debts. In the end, all these contribute to foreclosures, bankruptcies, unemployment, high oil prices, high food prices, world wide inflation, and global crash or recession not necessarily in that order.

The United States regarded as a superpower based on its ability to influence the world in all respects, is the most hurt among nations. We wake up with the realization that there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…

This sense of hopelessness and fear isn’t only felt domestically. What it means for the rest of the world is that they will most likely be in an even deeper mess if a superpower like America can in fact suffer the way it has. For most anti-US countries, it is a cause for rejoicing but whether other nations favor the United States or not, sooner or later what is happening to the US will have a domino effect to the rest of the world. it is only a matter of time.

Already, in a surprising twist of event, Iceland- a highly-developed country in Western Europe has announced national bankruptcy. How can that be? People declare bankruptcy, companies file for bankruptcy but a country? an entire country?!

For those who think China is the new superpower, think again. They are a Socialist Republic run by communists. They have strong censorship dictating people what they can and can’t read or know. No freedom of expression at all. They even ban certain websites from being accessed. Can you imagine that if you live in China, you can’t even access Youtube or Wikipedia?! They practically control how people live there. Despite its huge economy, it’s not as strong as some might believe. They are as vulnerable as the next country especially when part of their economy is based on US manufacturing companies, outsourcing jobs in their country. These US companies have declining funds and they are shutting down plants abroad and closing stores domestically. China workers are suffering.

For the Philippines who rely hugely on overseas remittances, what is happening to the world around it most especially to the United States is utterly disconcerting. Last year, the 11 million strong overseas workers (that’s about 11% of the Philippine population!) sent $14 billion to pump the economy. There are 4 million expatriates from the US alone and about 2 million from the Middle East sending remittances, buying properties and creating businesses (=jobs) in the Philippines. This year while it is expected to remain the same, it is already forecasting a decline in 2009. Who knows how many of these 11 million overseas workers will be sent back home or will lose their jobs in the coming months?

While the US dependency on foreign oil is believed to be the major culprit of its economic fall, the Philippines’ major dependency on its biggest export- its human resources doesn’t seem to be a cause for concern at all for the government. In fact they even brag to the whole world that the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are the lifeblood of the economy pumping those dollars to support the country’s stability and economy.

In short, thanking the overseas workers for NOT having have to lift a hand, for NOT having have to do their own laundry or wash their own dishes, for NOT getting their hands dirty, for NOT having have to sweat blood and tears because the overseas workers are doing it for them! They can be lazy on their jobs because they are getting huge financial support from overseas workers. They can continue with graft and corruption, the things they do best!

Oh as a consolation, they get to call us “modern-day heroes.” Did you hear about Pres. Gloria’s recent announcement that “From now on, call them Expats not OFWs!” She says further that “we should begin to call our overseas Filipinos expatriates because the nature of their job is increasingly more on skilled professions, and they should be called expatriates because expatriates usually get higher pay.” Huh, say that again Madam president?! Are you high?! OFW, Overseas workers, expatriates, slaves, servants- just semantics.

Seriously, that is not something to be proud about! It is a shame to say that your own countrymen are leaving the country of birth for greener pastures and opportunity. That is blatantly admitting that you the government, failed to protect your own people from poverty and unemployment and lack of better paying jobs! I would go back to the Philippines in a heart beat if I know I could survive there and live comfortably the way I can! The Philippines for all its inadequacy and destitution is a paradise to live in.

Does the government actually think we’re here abroad to enjoy the Grand Canyon or Disneyland or just enjoy the view at the Petronas towers where we can relish in the beaches of Boracay or Palawan or explore the rest of the 7,001 islands? We would not have to go to other nations and suffer if you the government can offer more decent jobs for us “expatriates.” This article shows how delusional President Arroyo is!

This article originally appears at Sinigang For the Soul. Pages 2 and 3 are on that site. Continue to read and be directed to the site…

September 10, 2008 marks the 7th anniversary of Tatay Pepe’s Restobar. Interested to know our story? Read it here.

If you’re in General Santos City, stop by tonight!! Jaz, my bestfriend and business partner is giving away lotsa goodies from where I am (US)… bottle openers, Keychains, post-it notes, pencils, luggage tags, T-shirts- all personalized! Come by the bar and have fun celebrating with us!!

Freebies, goodies, booze and music! What could be better?

At these trying times, we can’t help but call on divine intervention. There seems to be no way to resolve this. Only He can lead the way. We need a miracle! We need it now…

By Herman Tiu Laurel / Infowars / Tribune column for 8-18-2008 MON

It is now popular knowledge that the US has struck a deal with Gloria to sell out Philippine sovereignty in exchange for its silence over her bid for term extension.  At stake here are: 1) control of at least $570 billion in gas and oil reserves, and 2) the Filipino people’s right to choose its leaders and periodically vote on issues of national concern.  Specifically, the oil and gas wealth alone means P273,888 for each Filipino man, woman and child — the value of which will increase in the future.  Such a scheme will likewise perpetuate the kleptocracy and plutocracy of Gloria Arroyo’s ilk and US-backed oligarchs for years and years to come.

For over a decade now, the US has pursued a program of setting up physical and social infrastructure in key cities and provinces in Mindanao — a process which has accelerated the past five years.  Filipinos often wondered and joked about these huge US projects in places like General Santos.  Highways were built so wide and thick that engineers say they can accommodate the landing of the largest air transport vehicles.

It’s been a puzzle, really, why such an area known more for its tuna and sardines would need a highway that could land a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.  Clearly, the US has been making very strategic, long term investments in Mindanao for purposes that have never been fully revealed.

In the cloak-and-dagger of international geopolitics, few things are really what they seem.  The motives for “magnanimity” of US physical and social investments in Mindanao, as well as, those of other parties, however, have begun to be revealed — thanks to the national blowback on the Arroyo-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD).

It began with Hashim Salamat’s 2003 letter to the war-monger Bush which marked the change in the MILF’s standing from a mere rebel group to a front for US imperial and economic hegemony.

The US dangled the “terrorist” tag on the MILF until that pleading letter gave the two common cause in the “ancestral domain” supposition, which in effect cedes a third of Mindanao of over twenty-million people to the MILF, which does not even have any basis for claiming to represent over two million Muslims in the country’s third major island.

While some official Muslim population estimates reach four million, doubts are raised by the likes of former QC Mayor Jun Simon, whose experienced reckoning halves the bloated Comelec voters’ list, which gives a more accurate real figure.  But then, a nation-state is still not a cake to be cut up for each party to own; for if it were so, there would be no nation and republic to speak of.

Also, given that modern society favors meritocracy in social standing and stewardship in land use, the concept of inherited “ancestral domain” is most repugnant because it is, in essence, archaic and feudal.  The historical fact is that Philippine “ancestral domain” was long demolished by the arrival of the conquistadores and the prayles.

Incidentally, the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) is at the forefront of pushing the “peace process” on the basis of the MILF’s “ancestral domain” and is headed by former Ambassador to the Philippines, Richard Solomon, who also heads the Political Science Department of the RAND Corporation — an institution branded as “America’s University of Imperialism” by Chalmer Johnsons, University of California professor and CIA analyst.

Thus, the MILF forces have become mere mercenaries of the most oppressive force in the world.

Aside from exposing its own paucity and losing whatever respect is left of it, the MILF, along with its tactical allies like the NDF and some groups of the “rejectionist” mold have been caught in their own web of contradictions.

Many have wondered why Satur Ocampo graced the Arroyo-MILF signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur and his subsequent tepid responses as the nation raged in anger.

Last Saturday, too, a picture of a certain Sister Arnold with placards signed KPML and SNLK came out in a newspaper front page reporting their support for the MoA-AD.   When I called Prof. Dodong Nemenzo to clarify, he attributed this to the groups’ “tactical alliances” with the MILF.

From its end, the NDF has always pursued a “destroy the national government and AFP at all cost” policy as it allies with the MILF and gets trapped by the US’ global divide and rule ploy.  As a result, the NDF and some “rejectionists” have been caught in the dilemma of supporting the dismemberment of Mindanao and the nation, and unwittingly supporting the real US interest of sustaining military bases and exploiting the rich resources in Mindanao.

Mindanao can only be saved if the AFP leadership, the Muslims and Christians of Mindanao, and the entire Filipino people unite to drive off the almost fully entrenched talons of the foreign predator in Mindanao.

My position is to win over the AFP and government rank-and-file to act as one against US hegemony and corrupt domestic instruments such as Gloria Arroyo, and liberate the wealth of this country from foreign hands, earmarking them for nation building and people’s prosperity.

Arguably, this is the only window in our history where this is possible as the US is at its weakest.

The appeasement of the likes of Jose Montelibano’ s “peace at all cost” column is deceptive because the MILF peace pact will just be the root of a wider perpetual war, in the same way that the good works of Billy Esposo in exposing US imperialism are being negated by his continuing bigotry against the national leader who had already solved the MILF problem in his re-claiming of Camp Abubakar in 2000.

Let us draw inspiration from the recent South American victories over US imperialism, like the electoral win in Paraguay of the anti-US former bishop Fernando Lugo, that country’s newly-inaugurated El Presidente.  Let us all realize that unity — among our people and the AFP — is what it takes to save Mindanao and the rest of our nation!

Photo lifted from thepinoy.net

This article was forwarded by email just yesterday and we felt compelled to republish it because it concerns us, the Mindanaoans. We didn’t want to discuss Politics on this blog but from time to time, we see the need to and this write-up must be read by as many people as possible…

A somewhat difficult and long read, Mindano Blackmail is an eye-opener and refresher to what has been happening to Mindanao of late, specifically with the Bangsamoro (Moroland) led by the Muslim separatist rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In gist, the Philippine government just concluded the six-year old dialogue with the MILF on July 18, 2008; And again, reaching an agreement with the group by according them the power and control of an additional 712 villages in the island of Mindanao! As if their existing coverage in Mindanao isn’t big enough!! This furthers MILF’s political and economic powers even more!

How did this happen? You have to read the article…

On the other hand, is there really anything the Philippine government can do now but wait for the worst case scenario that in time (and it will most likely happen!), a Bangsamoro Federal State will be established in Mindanao? Yes a Federal State, separate from the Philipppines, having their own set of laws (don’t they have this already?!), governance, money and whatever else…

We’re publishing this with full credit to the author, Antonio C. Abaya.

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Mindanao Blackmail

By Antonio C. Abaya, founder and chairman of Transparency and Public Accountability Today and Tomorrow, Inc. (TAPATT) Foundation

O n the belief that nothing happens in the politics of this country without someone or some organization manipulating events towards a pre-determined outcome, I would like to consider the following developments in Mindanao. Sometime last April, Malaysia announced that it was withdrawing its contingent from the international team that has been monitoring the “peace” between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao.

There was no explanation given by Malaysia on why it was withdrawing from the monitoring team. Just before this, the MILF announced that it was demanding that part of Palawan Island be included in the ancestral domain that it wants to be officially recognized by the GRP. My interpretation of this turn of event is that the Malaysians knew that the MILF would make some demands on the GRP that the GRP would not be able to meet. In negotiations such as this, when one side makes demands that it knows the other party cannot meet, it is a sign that that party (the MILF) wants to break off the talks, but wants to put the blame on the other party (the GRP) for the termination of the talks.

Hence, the announced withdrawal of the Malaysians, programmed to be complete by middle or end of August. The prolonged withdrawal of such a small contingent (about 25 men) means they want to give the parties, especially the GRP, time to reconsider its inflexible position of not giving in to the territorial demands of the MILF.

The implied threat here is that if the GRP does not give in to the territorial demands of the MILF, hostilities would be resumed. It is really blackmail.

Last July 16, the Arroyo administration, in “peace talks” being held in, agreed with the MILF that the current area covered by the present Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao ARMM will be expanded to include 712 additional barangays or villages in five other provinces that are not part of the present ARMM. (July 23 update: Not surprisingly, Malaysia agreed to remain in the monitoring team for another year, after the GRP agreed to the MILF demands. (And, after an initial, pro-forma refusal, the Arroyo administration, as the negotiating party representing the GRP, has given in to this blackmail, on condition that the expansion would be subject to a plebiscite in the areas affected.)

(But shouldn’t this be the other way around? Shouldn’t the people in those areas be polled first on whether they want to be handed over to the MILF, instead of being presented with a fait accompli?)

The present ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi Tawi and Shariff Kabunsuan.

The stage is obviously being set for a Bangsamoro Federal State to be proclaimed at more or less the same time that the Philippine Republic formally shifts to a federal union, before June 2010.

The additional 712 villages that would be added to the present ARMM territory are in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga-Sibugay and Palawan. After this annexation, the resulting territory will be known as the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity or BJE. The GRP also agreed with the MILF that jurisdiction and control of resources found within 15 kilometers from the shoreline would be with the BJE, and any resources found in the BJE territory – such as oil and gas – would be shared as follows: 75 percent to the BJE, 25 percent to the GRP.

The MILF is also demanding, and President Arroyo has eagerly accepted, that the elections for a new set of local officials – governors, mayors, etc – for ARMM, long set for August 11, 2008, be postponed. The Arroyo administration is talking of timing the ARMM elections simultaneously with the presidential elections in May 2010. This in spite of the protest of Comelec chair, former Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, that the Comelec was ready for the August 11 elections, which would have inaugurated –finally – the long-postponed computerization of elections.

In the meantime, the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, former AFP CoS Gen. Hermogenes Esperon – he of ‘Hello Garci’ tape fame – without anyone asking him for his opinion, has come out openly for a shift to the federal form of government.

By a strange coincidence, Sen. Nene Pimentel’s Senate Resolution no. 10 calls for a shift to the federal form of government, and he wants this to happen before the end of President Arroyo’s term in June 2010. And Sen. Pimentel wants this shift to be engineered by a constituent assembly (ConAss) in which the Lakas/Kampi dominated- Lower House will overwhelm the 24 Senators, even though six or seven of them are eyeing the presidency and vice-presidency in 2010.

The stage is obviously being set for a Bangsamoro Federal State to be proclaimed at more or less the same time that the Philippine Republic formally shifts to a federal union, before June 2010.

In this orchestrated scenario, there is nothing to prevent the Lakas-Kampi juggernaut from inserting the parliamentary issue into the constituent assembly and thus engineer a simultaneous shift to parliamentary, thus giving President Arroyo the constitutional right to remain in power as prime minister.

It should be kept in mind that the MILF spun off from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari in the 1990s. The MNLF was fighting for greater autonomy within the Philippine Republic and was secular in orientation. On the other hand, the MILF faction wanted separation and total independence from the Philippine Republic, and wanted/wants to establish an Islamic state under Sharia law.

(Neither side is talking about holding a plebiscite in the present ARMM to ask the Christian majorities in the ARMM cities if they want to live in an Islamic state under Sharia law. This could trigger a Christian backlash.)

When it broke away from the MNLF, the MILF had an estimated strength of about 300 armed fighters. But because of the consensual leadership style of President Fidel V. Ramos – he signed “peace agreements” with all malcontents except the Communists, who refused: military rightists, Moro autonomists and Muslim separatists – the MILF was allowed to keep its base, Camp Abubakar in Northern Cotabato.

That one base became two, three, four, etc until it became 20. Before he became Ramos’ press secretary, Rigoberto Tiglao was a correspondent for the Hong Kong-based Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER).

He was allowed to visit Camp Abubakar and he wrote a series of articles for the FEER in which he reported that Camp Abubakar had become a sophisticated military base, with anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank artillery, sophisticated radio equipment, a munitions factory as well as a to train its (then), 20,000 fighters.

Tiglao reported that the MILF had set a Zero-Hour, at which time MILF fighters in all 20 camps would simultaneously rise up in revolt. Tiglao also reported that the MILF was planning to acquire jet planes from sympathetic Muslim countries.

Since the MILF was separatist right from the start of its organizational life, it is safe to assume that it remains separatist to this day. Its “peace talks” with the PG are merely to dribble the ball until it gains sufficient strength in territory, armed fighters and political status, hence the additional 712 villages, the transitory Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, the postponement of the ARMM elections, and the Bangsamoro Federal State in a Philippine federal union.

I would not be surprised if the Bangsamoro, at this point, were to declare itself an independent country and secede from the federal union – like from federal Pakistan, like Biafra from federal Nigeria- and there would be nothing that a Prime Minister or President-for-Life Gloria Arroyo or Gen. Esperon’s poorly equipped and poorly motivated Philippine military would be able to do about it.

Other article in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot. com.

If you really are interested to learn more, we found a more recent article regarding the issue here.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Indeed to be nominated is an honor! BUT winning would be even sweeter!! If you feel we deserve the award, please VOTE FOR US DAILY HERE… Again!

We had the timing a little bit off on the last poll vote! We thought the poll ends Saturday midnight in the Philippines! We were wrong!

The results were in. Apparently we lost but we get to be included in the next round! Congrats to the winner. So here goes:

Voting ends Saturday noontime in the Philippines (Friday midnight in the US), August 2 2008!

We have the poll brought right here on the site to make it easy for you. Please come back daily and help us win. Thank you very much. Daghang Salamat. Maraming Salamat po.

UPDATE August 1, 2008: The poll has ended so we just removed the link here.

This blog has won Filipino Blog the week and is elevated to the Hall of Fame through fast track!! Thank you much everyone for your support! We couldn’t have done it without you!

our old homepage

TATAY PEPE’S THE WEBSITE:

We started going live online not a year ago and here we are making some huge change from a static website (purely a homepage for the Tatay Pepe’s Restobar) into this- a homepage con blog con e-zine!

Really, it’s only a matter of time when we recreate and redesign the entire website!

One of the owners is a ‘dedicated’ blogger maintaining 3 blogs plus has some other affiliations with undisclosed sites! The other is helping out greatly and may be lured one day into the world of blogging!

The old homepage really looked “OLD” already and we were just getting sick looking at it!

Goodness, how we worked hard on this layout to make it at least decent and something the theme creator would be happy about (we hope!). The theme “Artemia” is just wonderful but a real pain to install and tweak. But it’s not the designer’s fault! Oh no. It was all entirely ours, given that we don’t have ANY knowledge on HTML and CSS. Just looking at the codes was enough to give us major headaches and days and days of frustrations.

We refuse to surrender!

So here we are with the new site. We hope you like this new site because we just love it! LOL. Explore the different pages. Leave a note. Give us your suggestions. We’d love to hear from you!

TATAY PEPE’S THE RESTOBAR, PHILIPPINES

The bar was born on September 10, 2001. It coincided with the birthday of the co-owner’s Mom and that was some big celebration! A restobar blessing and a birthday party! Good friends were there. The whole ‘she-bang’. Truly a happy time!

Yet following the day after, we were at the bar in almost the exact time of our merry-making when the fateful 9-11-01 terrorist attack in the United States occurred. We were shocked and devastated. We couldn’t believe a ‘superpower’ like America could be hurt like that…

We move on. Everyone moved on.

It is a hard and long journey for us. There were times when we wanted to give up. In a small town like General Santos City, Philippines- it’s not always easy for businesses. We’ve seen establishments rise and fall. We’ve seen them come and go. There are countless days when we would question what we’re doing in a risky and often dangerous world of restobars dealing with customers who have had too much to drink or who refuse to pay or handling guys who enjoys brawling! Yay!

We refuse to surrender.

So here we are, still standing. We are going to be 7 years old this September 2008! *Applause. Applause…*

To know what Tatay Pepe’s really means check out our FAQ! You might want to check out the Tatay Pepe’s concept too!

Enjoy your stay in the website. If you happen to be in General Santos City, drop us a visit!

Find us in Friendster Group!

Direct all inquiries and comments to tataypepes[at]gmail[dot]com or write via snail mail to:

TATAY PEPE’s, Along South Osmena Street, General Santos City, 9500 Philippines.

2004 & 2005 Shopper’s Choice Award for
Best Acoustic Bar in
General Santos City, Philippines