Manny Pacquiao liable for violating RA 6713? Flaunting wealth in times of great economic distress

Is this "Para sa Bayan" crap?

Manny Pacquiao just bought a NEW V8 Ferrari. The price tag? It is US$ 240,000 or roughly 12 million pesos. Wow.


Article 25 of the Civil Code of the Philippines, says, and I quote:

Article 25. Thoughtless extravagance in expenses for pleasure or display during a period of acute public want or emergency may be stopped by order of the courts at the instance of any government or private charitable institution.

Manny Pacquiao is not an ordinary citizen now. He is a Congressman. He cannot just flaunt his wealth like that because Section 4 (h) of Republic Act 6713 expressly prohibits the extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth:

Section 4. Norms of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees--(A) Every public official and employee shall observe the following as standards of personal conduct in the discharge and execution of official duties:
(h) Simple living.--Public Officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form.

Pacquiao should know this and cognizant of his responsibility as a public servant always. Now, you know why I don't believe that usual crap PR line of this man always telling us that he is fighting for the country?


INstead of buying a Ferrari, Pacquiao should have given that 12 million pesos to charity or to Jay Jaboneta in support of his project to provide boats to school-age children who swim every single day just to reach school. 


That 12 million pesos could have provided the money to build more boats for these children. By the way, read Reader's Digest and know about the Philippine Small Fund for Kids. 


Contrast that with what Manny Pangilinan did with his money--he bought five (5) Toyota Altis worth at least maybe roughly 5 million pesos and gave it to those who truly need it. 


And don't ever tell me that that Ferrari will escape Customs eyes just because "Congressman" Pacquiao is the one driving. If Pacquiao intends to bring this Ferrari here, he should be made to pay the right taxes and duties. 

Jay Jaboneta, Josiah Go and the Philippine Dragon Boat---Kabayanis all

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Philippine Dragon Boat team for a job well done. Five gold medals and two silvers--they clearly dominated the opposition during the World Dragon Boat Championships. 


Their feat proved that we are better without government. Don't wait for the government to resolve the minor and major problems of this country. Let us start uniting ourselves and let's do the work ourselves. 


Jay Jaboneta is doing just that, together with Marketing expert Josiah Go. The two are going around the country, visiting depressed rural communities and helping send children to school. This is a small feat, but worthy of our emulation. Imagine, if Jay and Josiah do this for a year, think of how many children they would be able to send to school. 


Jay and Josiah are on the quest for helping depressed children reach the school grounds by helping or giving them boats. Yep, boats. Many of our kababayans in far flung areas are being prevented from going to school because they have to cross rivers and seas just to study. Most of them tread those treacherous river or sea crossings and put themselves in harm's way. Others, well, live in mountain tops and don't have jeepneys or tricycles to transport them to the nearest school.


Jay and Josiah want nothing more than give these children the chance of transforming their lives. They believe that education is our country's great equalizer and I am a living testimony of that. I belonged to a poor family and now, enjoying the fruits of my hard won struggle. 


I know of some groups who are helping other fellow Filipinos cope with poverty. Instead of spending their time in gyms, they spend it with the rural or urban folks, helping them and trying to share with them their knowledge. This may be small things, but when an entire community of like minded people do these things, it becomes a bold, and major enterprise.


I am thinking of setting up a weekend school to give impoverished high school graduates the chance to get a diploma. The most daunting challenge of this project is the cost of paying for teachers. I am encouraging civic-minded professionals to spend their time teaching these students. 


Let us be like Saint Ignatius de Loyola who spent his whole time teaching the poor and helping them achieve their self-worth and accomplishments.

Government service is not about Power--it's about love

I just attended the Thanksgiving dinner for four of our member Kabayanis who are now serving government. I was asked to give them some words of encouragement and I only gave them one--serve the People because you love them.


One accepts government service for one particular reason--you want to help other people. Other people want to serve government because of the power attached to it. When you have power, you have money. When you have more money, you get more power.


Government service, for me, is only for those who really want to serve the People. When you feel that you ought to serve, that shows that you love the people. When you love the people, you must love unceasingly.


Alex Lacson, Chairman emeritus of the Kabayanihan Foundation puts it more clearly: power makes one sexier but it does not make them holier. Which is more important---power or a good name? I'll always go for a good name every time.


By the way, expect help from me, guys. 


Atty. Fred Mison has been appointed as deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration. Mark Chang is now an assistant secretary of the Office of the Political Affairs, while Nong Nagrampa is now assistant head of the National Printing Office (NPO). Of course, Jay Jaboneta serves as Malacanang's Social Media Director.

Aquino calls for a boycott against media companies involved in "sensationalism"

Wow. 

Anong nangyari dito? Famous quote of Aquino
during Manila Bus Hostage crisis

Noynoy Aquino just called for a boycott against media companies reportedly engaged in "sensationalism". Aquino wants advertisers to "kill" these media companies allegedly trying to besmirch the integrity of the new administration. 


Wow. I say out with Aquino and fight for real democracy!


Let me ask you Mr. Aquino---what is your definition of "sensationalism"?


Is it "sensationalism" for media companies to report about rising crime? How about reporting on rising graft and corruption in your administration? 


How about these widespread corruption at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)? Or reports of rising prices of basic commodities, are these sensational reports?


Mr. Aquino, please go to one grocery and do the buying yourself. You'll find that Filipinos are really unable to buy basic commodities due to high prices. You can buy these things, of course. You're cono. 


You were born with a proverbial silver joystick...err....spoon in your mouth. You can buy yourself a Porsche, when we, the impoverished ones, can't even buy ourselves a decent kilo of pork. We can, probably, if it's double dead.


Yes, Mr. Aquino, me nagbago....

" Ang promise ni Aquino, may magbababago...

at mukha namang nagkatotoo...

tumaas ang mga presyo

lalo na ng asukal at petrolyo

wala namang taas ng sweldo.

Yan ang pagbabago" 

Boycott natin media. Hindi
nila nirereport yung
private meetings ko with
my nephew and his gang.
Di nila irereport na
naglalaro ako ng PSP during my
work hours and they don't
report na madali akong
nagkakasakit pagka
stressed out.

Aquino probably is so pissed when he read nothing of the "deals" he and his Cabinet struck with several multinational companies, or the purported "anti-graft changes" in several government agencies.


What changes are you talking about, Mr. Aquino? I think you just imagined these things. You seem to live in an enchanted kingdom, Mr. President. 


Fire your communications team, Mr. Aquino. It is not the fault of media companies that they don't report your imagined projects, oh no. Media just reflect what society is.


Your communication team sucks. You have the likes of a Carandang who is so haughty, how the hell do you expect the media to even emphatize with your administration? You're just lucky you have a Rey Marfil there and a Jay Jaboneta, otherwise, wala ka na Mr. Aquino. 


You want war Mr. Aquino?


Do you want us to report the real truth? That you spend your precious work hours, in private sessions, reportedly playing your favorite video games inside Malacanang?


Do you want us to report that you spend close to 40% of your working hours, conversing with your close associates and doing nothing but talk? THat your day has these "private meetings"?


Do you want us to report that there was this video clip taken of you, driving your Porsche in the wee hours of the morning and turning NLEX your personal race track, as alleged?


Do you want us to report that a big port operator a close Arroyo associate contributed to your campaign kitty last elections?


Do you want us to report that there was a Cabinet meeting where you and several others reportedly spent just as a drinking session, as alleged?


You're a non-performer, Mr. Aquino. Kung buhay lang ang mga magulang mo, tiyak yan, me kurot at pengot ka na sa tenga, Noy.

For Jay Jaboneta and the Filipino Youth: The Filipino is worth serving for

Jay Jaboneta, a fellow Kabayani, shared this story written by Francis Kong. I deemed it wise to publish it here in my blog for my friends and my readers. 


Jay, I know sometimes you feel unappreciated, and sometimes you feel that nothing will happen with all the things you're doing right now for the people. But hear this:


" There is nothing in this world that passes the ear of God. God hears and God sees the wondrous works of His children."


We, all have different functions in this life. Some, like me, write not to chastise but as a critique. I am but a friend who writes things not to malign somebody but to tell them that things are not going the way we intend it to go, and these friends must wake up before perdition sets in.


To those idealists who work right now in the new administration and finds the enemy real and bigger than what we previously think it is, know this:


" There will be a time when all of these things will pass. There will be a time when true change will happen in this country. It is just a matter of time. 


" What we lost as a people, and this is the Truth, we will regain in due time. We lost our moral compass. We lost our ability to imagine beautiful things. We lost our romanticism. We lost our trust to ourselves. And as Inday Varona remarked in Facebook, we are now seeing a blurring of what is right and what is wrong.


" But, if we will only find time to see how wonderful the Filipino truly is, if we only realize the great potential of the Filipino that lurks within him, and if we only can peer into the future and see that the moment has come for the Filipino to rise above his condition right now, we will definitely be proud of being servants of the People."


What many Pinoys do not realise is this---there are still several idealists working in government right now, young minds and young souls such as Jay Jaboneta who really want change to happen in our lifetimes. 


Jay leads hundreds of others who want to work within the system to change it. There are thousands however, outside the system, who realize the immensity of the problem and therefore, resolved within themselves that the solution is really the total overhauling of the system, not its redemption.


Change, will definitely happen, if the Filipino re-discovers himself. Change will definitely see a New Dawn, if we struggle to regain the traditional values which define us, Filipinos.


I remember what Atty. Fred Mison said last night---the Filipino is inherently cheerful, friendly, smart, brilliant, a change agent, brave, patriotic and helpful. These values show themselves before the world whenever there's a calamity.


THe goal therefore, of all those who are sincere in their desire to change this country for the better is this:


" Try to unite with groups such as the Kabayanihan Foundation. Together, let us create the environment wherein we Filipinos would be able to show our true values, our true personal worth and thereafter, create beautiful things together.


" The Filipino, really, is worth serving for."


On to the story by Francis Kong.

When envy takes over BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) By Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star) Updated November 13, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

A greedy man and an envious man were walking down a road when a stranger befriended them. Before the stranger left, he told them that he would leave a gift for each one of them. The stranger’s gifts were: A wish come true for the first one to make a wish; and for the second one, a double portion of what the first had wished for. The greedy man knew what he wanted, but he was afraid to make his wish because he wanted the double portion for himself and didn’t want the other to get it. The envious man felt the same way so he was also unwilling to wish first. After a while, the stronger of the two grabbed the other by the throat and said that he would choke him to death unless he makes his wish. At that, the other man said, “Very well! I make my wish – I wish to be made blind in one eye.” Immediately he lost the sight of one eye, and his companion went blind in both. Greed and envy are the perfect twins for courting disaster in life.
F. B. Meyer was pastor of Christ’s Church in London at the same time that G. Campbell Morgan was pastor of Westminister Chapel and Charles H. Spurgeon was pastor of the Metropolitan Chapel. Both Morgan and Spurgeon often had audiences much larger than Meyer did. Troubled by envy, Meyer confessed that not until he began praying for his colleagues did he have peace of heart. “When I prayed for their success,” said Meyer, “the result was that God filled their churches so full that the overflow filled mine, and it has been full since.”
At least Meyer did the right thing. Unfortunately most people I know do not. Rather than praying for the success of others, they wish those others will fail, and some would even go out of their way to plot and scheme the destruction of the people they envy.
Have you ever tasted success? I bet you have. And have you ever experienced losing some of your “friends” because they’ve become your enemies after witnessing your success? True friends celebrate our successes and are not bothered or threatened by it. Poser friends are not only bothered or threatened – some of them may even go nasty, hurling unfair accusations and throwing mud to malign your name and credibility.
Jerome P. Fleishman says, “Always there will be, along the sidelines of life, inferior souls who throw mud at those whose attainments they do not quite understand. The man who really accomplishes doesn’t pay attention to such detractors. If he did, he’d be on their level. He keeps an eye singled on the higher goal – and the mud never touches him.”
Meanwhile, Judith Jamison says: “So many people dwell on negativity and I’ve survived by ignoring it: it dims your light and it’s harder each time to turn the power up again.”
Do not play the same game mud throwers play. Popular TV morning show host Bernadette Sembrano once told me something I will never forget. She said, “In our business we have been at the receiving end of endless intrigues, false accusations and mud-throwing. And if you are experiencing the same thing then welcome to the club. But always remember this: people who know you would not believe the mud thrown against you, and people who do not know you don’t even care, so why sweat the small stuff?” What great words of wisdom.
What is envy? Envy is simply greed directed at others who have what we want! And what’s wrong with greed? Greed will get you what you want but will rob you of what you already have.

It’s important to develop the ability to celebrate other people’s success and remove envy out of our hearts in order to succeed. Losers want others to fail so they can succeed. Winners want everyone to succeed, and then challenge themselves to perform better every day. A Greek proverb says, “As rust corrupts iron, so envy corrupts man.”
Set your standards on God’s grace and mercies. Then learn to give thanks in whatever situation you find yourself in. And when someone else experiences success, learn to celebrate with them. In doing so, you already become successful!
(Attend this once in a lifetime seminar on “The Leadership Factor” featuring Dr. Harold Sala, Francis Kong and Jim Collins (video), on Nov. 27 at the SMX Convention Center. Call Pam or Kriselle of Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6872614 or 09178511115 for further details.)