Noynoy coughs and says someone remembers him

Usual for Filipinos that whenever they cough, they think that someone remembers them. In President Aquino's case, yes, someone or many people remember him, every, single day. But, that's not the reason why he coughs more often than not these days.

Noynoy coughs because he's an inveterate smoker (like me). Those dry coughs remind him to either quit the habit or continue smoking until his lungs dry out. Yep, someone remembers him and surely, or probably, that's his lung.

Smoking is harmful to one's health, yet, there are cases where smoking actually contributes to long life. There's an 80 plus something old man in the Ilocos who smokes cigars every, single, day, and he's still as strong as a bull. Death, according to scientists, is linked genetically. Meaning, yes, smoking do lead to someone's death but it is not as certain as being hit by a speeding truck.

Anyway, many people do remember Noynoy especially if they want to buy something but due to their very low income, cannot. Noynoy's name always crop up whenever someone receives his monthly pay and sees that more than twenty thousand pesos were slashed due to taxes, or if someone wants to buy a car and notices that the taxes to be paid to the LTO far exceeds someone's expectations.

Obviously, Noynoy's name comes up whenever people hear about graft and corruption among his peers or rampant smuggling remains unabated.

Noynoy will not probably die due to smoking, fact is, smoking helps a lot when it comes to lowering stress levels.

Noynoying or Noynoyism--the state of doing absolutely nothing

In case of a supervening event, who will ascend the highest rungs of power if both the President and the Vice President are incapacitated of holding office? According to the Constitution, it is the Senate President who succeeds, and if he is also incapacitated, the Speaker of the House.

No where is there a provision which says that the Supreme Court's Chief Justice would actually be a viable constitutional replacement. 

However, during the time of former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, suggestions flew high and thick, about a plan to install the Chief Justice at the top. At the height of calls for Gloria's resignation, people entertained the idea of the Chief Justice as head of government, a government not necessarily like this existing one, but a different political animal altogether. 

I am referring to suggestions before of establishing a Council of State which is imagined to be the ruling power in a revolutionary government. Meaning, proponents of this plan imagined striking Gloria with another coup cloaked as a revolution, and entirely erasing the government and supplanting it with a revolutionary government. Under a revolutionary government, anything is possible. It's like rebooting the entire system and setting it to zero. 

Those whose ideas of change rests in surgical operations think this is the best option there is for change to really occur in our lifetimes. Imagine the opportunity of really changing things for the better by erasing some of the anti-people provisions of this Constitution and having the power to unilaterally cleanse the bureaucracy of misfits. You not only manage to oust the Most Corrupt Power--you also secure the very future of this country by changing the Basic Charter.

Of course, this did not happen since elections occurred and the people reportedly elected in an overwhelming fashion, President Noynoy Aquino. Nearing three years in office, and you have a country embroiled in very serious troubles: skyrocketing oil prices, consumers losing the value of their peso and food stuffs distancing themselves from the reach of consumers faster than an increase in monthly wages. 

Above all these, we have right now a government willing to sell all its assets to the right price just to generate revenues for its existence. This government is on a selling mode. Instead of using its monies to build industries that will last a lifetime and secure the futures of many, this government is scampering and looking for buyers for services which this government is supposed to give to its constituents. 

This is what people meant when they say "noynoying" or "Noynoyism"---the state of doing absolutely nothing.

" Leave everything to the fates", or " Let's see where this will lead to"--are oft-repeated lines of this administration. There is no assurance that this is the final version of this Executive Order or this is the final construction of the Executive in deference to an existing legislation. 

There is a perception really that things have really worsened that this administration does not know what to do anymore. We are in deep shit, but, we are not being told the real situation because this administration fears the worst---an outburst of emotions in the streets. 

Do we need another rebooting, the kind that would really test our wills and would eventually lead us to the right path?

Iglesia Ni Kristo Mass Evangelization come February 28

There is nothing to worry about, says President Benigno S. Aquino III on the purported mass gathering of Iglesia Ni Cristo believers come February 28. February 28 is scheduled to be a mass evangelization activity by the biggest and most influential religious group in Philippine society. More than 3 million INC members are expected to grace this event.


Truly now, the desire of the INC leadership to propagate the teachings of Jesus Christ ranks far higher than any political goal. The INC believes that we are living in the last days--a period of tribulation and hope. Tribulation because true believers of Christ will experience persecution because of their faith; and hope, because Christ reigns supreme and promised to save the elect from more harm.


The activity is being laced with poison because of politics. Many believe that the relationship between the INC and the Aquino administration has been severed due to several instances, one of which is the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. Corona is not a member of the INC. However, his defense counsel, former Justice Serapin "Ka Apin" Cuevas is. 


So what if Cuevas is a member of the church? It does not necessary mean that the entire Church will side with whoever Cuevas decides to accept as a client? Only the Church leadership determines who to support politically based on collective will. According to the church teachings, the paramount will expressed in the community comes from God. The Body of Christ speaks louder than anything. 


The reason why several suspicions are being thrown at the INC is the fact that, in every successful political activity that led to a succession, the INC body was there.


When news about the INC severing its ties with the Marcoses and sided with the opposition, it was the tipping point of the entire struggle. 


When Erap was "ousted", there were news that the INC leadership asked its members to go to EDSA.


When the Mayo Uno proletarian revolt broke out, there were news that the INC asked some of its members to go to EDSA shrine and support the pro-Erap mass action.


Now, this.


As an observer, I do not believe that the INC leadership will risk further tension with the Aquino administration. I believe that evangelization is more important than politics. The INC was established to correct the monumental wrongs in religion, and it is the wrong religion that it is now fighting against, not wrongful policies. 


Fact is, the Messenger of God, Ka Felix Manalo once asked his fellow believers to shun politics and armed themselves with the armor of God, meaning the words of the Living Father because salvation is more important than living in the flesh.


Those who are outside the Church must refrain from lacing the pure intention of the church of spreading the Word of God with politics. 


The INC is not a political group. The INC is a religion. The INC concerns itself with salvation and with providing the true path towards the City of God to those who want to be saved.


As what Jesus said when he was still alive, " Let things of Caesar, be of Caesar's and Let things of God, be of God's."