Sen. Santiago tells Pacquio 'back-off'

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:06:00 05/17/2011

Close this MANILA, Philippines—Back off Manny Pacquiao, just focus on boxing.

This was the advice of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who even challenged the world boxing champion and now representative of Saranggani province, to a fist fight.

“Suntukan na lang kami [Let’s just slug it out],” Santiago said in jest on Tuesday.

Turning serious, the senator advised Pacquiao not to join the debates on the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, saying that he should rather focus on his sport.

“Huwag mo nang pasukan ito. E kung kaming mga senador, hindi kami pumapasok sa pagboxing pero kung gusto mo e pwede rin [Don’t get yourself involved in this anymore. We senators don’t engage into boxing but if you want, then we may],” Santiago said, reacting to Pacquiao who sided with the Catholic Church in opposing the RH bill.

Santiago also lectured the people's champ when he interpreted the Bible literally when he used the quote “Go out and multiply” to defend his position against the RH bill.

“May I just make a point of grammar please? The Bible does not say, 'Go out to the world.' It sounds very much like God is encouraging us to go out and copulate in public,” she said.

“God said in the Bible, 'Go forth and multiply.' That meant that God wanted man, not necessarily to literally multiply, but to go out to work with the rest of the human beings of this planet and to apply the stewardship theory. Meaning to say, taking care of each other, who are all in the planet living together,” she pointed out.

Besides, Santiago explained that the Bible was not written by God and not even by any of the eyewitnesses to God since she said it was written at least 70 years after the death of Jesus Christ.

“They are quoting Jesus … but none of them were living when he was around plus they're quoting God but the Bible says no one has ever seen God. In fact, if we claimed to have seen God, as I said, you are in urgent need of psychiatric care,” she further said.

Asked if she was threatened by the popularity of Pacquiao, Santiago said, “I don't think so, this is a literate country.”

“We know, we can see, that he knows more about boxing than possibly anybody alive particularly in the welterweight department, which is considered to be “the” boxing title. But still, we cannot be know-it-alls. It will be very misleading to use his celebrity status to enter into, what is after all, a great debate on the political economy,” the senator added.

Santiago is one of those pushing for the passage of the RH bill.

Aquino to visit Brunei May 31

By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:38:00 05/18/2011

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III’s official visit to Bandar Seri Begawan—scheduled for May 31 to June 3—will give the Philippines a chance to further strengthen its bilateral relations with Brunei Darussalam, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario visited on May 10 the Brunei capital, where he called on Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, that country’s leader, and other top Brunei government officials.

During his meeting with Bolkiah, Del Rosario “mentioned the President’s forthcoming trip to Brunei as an opportunity to further strengthen Philippines-Brunei ties,” said Foreign Assistant Secretary J. Eduardo Malaya, also DFA spokesperson.

Del Rosario also reported to Bolkiah that the construction of the new chancery of the Philippine Embassy in the Brunei capital will be completed next month.

The building “symbolizes the country’s long-term commitment in fostering relations with Brunei,” according to Malaya.

Both the Philippines and Brunei are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Hell no,’ says Fil-Ams to Marcos’ hero burial

By Carissa Caraig
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:23:00 05/17/2011

Close this The ‘US Pinoys for Good Governance’, a group of businessman, lawyers, doctors, academicians, writers and community leaders, personally delivered a position paper to Aquino urging him to assume responsibility over the issue of Marcos’ burial.

The group asked Aquino to end the issue and to deny Marcos the privilege of a hero’s burial.

"We show our support to President Aquino and the country by asking him to do what is right,” Spokeperson Ted Laguatan said in the paper, adding that the abnegation of responsibility on the issue is very disturbing.

The Filipino-Americans’ group believed that Aquino did not provide the proper leadership to protect the nation from being dishonoured by the possible hero burial of “a despotic corrupt former president”, when he passed the issue to Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay.

"I sense even his [Aquino’s] most ardent supporter will be turned off if Marcos is buried as a hero under his watch," Nevada surgeon Dr. Philip Chua said, adding that Aquino’s credibility is at stake in the issue.

"Instead of insisting that Marcos be buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani, his family should just refurbish his present Ilocos tomb and turn it into a shrine for themselves and their followers,” Loida Nicholas Lewis, New York based community leader and philantrophist said.

Citing the Christians’ view that burying Marcos in the heroes’ cradle is a sign of forgiveness, Jules Torres of Los Angeles said “not burying him as a hero does not mean we have not forgiven him. It just means we don't want to lie by burying a scoundrel as a hero.”

The US Pinoy group in the paper also feared the damaging effect of a Marcos hero burial on the entire nation, and on the future generation of Filipinos.

“The honor and pride that we gained in the people's revolution in EDSA I, and emulated by others to bring down oppressive regimes will be for naught,” San Francisco lawyer Rodel Rodis said, adding that the hero burial would mean changing historical facts.

He added, “It will be like saying that the martyred President's father was the villain, and that the Marcoses were justified in eliminating him."

“He [Aquino] should then openly declare to the Filipino people and to the world that the late dictator is not a hero, and that he owes it as his duty to the Filipino people - not to have him buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani now and forevermore," the group said, adding that it is the right thing to do.

“We trust that the President will listen to our well-meant admonitions and perceive that doing the correct thing involves faithfulness to what is true and right," Laguatan said.