Filipinas-Petals Community Theater Ensemble, the first and only formally organized community theater in the Filipino community in NSW, receiving a Plaque of Recognition from outgoing APCO founding President Cen Amores. In photo are founding ensemble's Artistic Director Mars Cavestany, with latest member, Jhun Salazar, also the new APCO President, and long time resident actress, Lee Meekan.

Intro

Recently I received a thought-provoking, awe-inspiring email from the Australia Council of the Arts which I am publishing herewith along with my immediate response as it comes so prodigiously in time and in rhyme with my current series on Community Theater which is greatly part and parcel of the larger scope of community arts.

Per the quick response to my letter, the Arts Council has asked my permission to publish it as well in their internal circular distributed throughout Australia. Here goes…

Dear All,
 
The Community Partnerships Committee would like to invite you to participate in a online discussion on 20 April as they wrap up discussions regarding the Towards National Sector Development discussion paper.
 
Over the past couple of months, members of the Committee and I have been meeting with representatives from the sector around the country to discuss ideas and themes presented in the paper.  To conclude this discussion the Committee have invited representatives from each state and territory and would like to invite you to participate in this discussion online.
 
We will be streaming the discussion live and would invite you to post your comments on the comments section of the website here or on twitter (#CACDNSD) on the day.  
 
Over the next week we will be sending out details as to where the discussion live will be streamed live.
 
Meeting Details
20 April 2012
10am – 1pm (EST)
Web address:  placestories.com/project/8319#!v=webcastplacestories.com/project/8319
 
Comments during the discussion can be made here or using the #CACDNSD on twitter
 
If you would like to make a submission to the paper via email we are expecting submission up until 16 April. Please send to l.mendelssohn@australiacouncil.gov.au.
 
We look forward to having you join the meeting.
 
Kind regards,
Frank.P.

My response:

Dear Mr. Frank P.,
 
Many thanks for the omnibus email sent to me by a certain Erin McVeigh of your office which came rather late specifically in view of for the April 16 deadline for the submission of comments but nevertheless still serves its purpose in letting me know of the online meeting on April 20.
 
I am a Filipino-Australian community theater director-playwright-actor-educator and in my culture we have a common saying in our native Filipino tongue that goes “Huli man daw at magaling, maihahabol rin”, which transliterates as “However late if necessarily useful, ought to be considered.”
 
In the same vein, I wish to forward, for your consideration, some salient points I have arrived at after reading with a fine tooth comb the following inter-related documents I discovered in following through the links provided for in the email invite, namely:  
 
Discussion Paper – CP Service Delivery Initiative – May 2011 
Community Partnerships Sector Plan – 2011 
Towards a National Sector Development Initiative – Discussion Paper 
 
Using myself and my experience as an example as well as a point of reference and departure at the same time, it appears that nowhere in the discussion papers has the issue/problem of lack of data base and the over-all paucity of documentation been specifically stipulated as one of the major areas of concern that should also be addressed.  
 
Apropos of this, it is quite obvious that the reason I suddenly received the general mailer referred to above is because I recently had an audience with Melina Scarcella, Project Coordinator Community Partnerships about some possible submissions I intended to achieve this funding year and in the process gave my contact number as one of the leading exponents of community arts and community development within the burgeoning Filipino community in NSW, in fact, one of the top five major sources of migrants to Australia with a population of more than 120,000 documented Filipino-Australian citizens/residents/or new settlers. In other words, if I didn’t come forward, advanced to be recognized so to speak, I would never have known of this information that are of paramount importance and relevance to my direct involvement or line of work. I wonder, how more practitioners like me, who are much too engrossed in their own work in community arts have not bothered to come forward be recognized, for one reason or another.
 
I was just wandering, am I a case in point, or are there potentially similar community arts practitioners like me in the wider multicultural communities that have not in any way enjoyed the benefits of CACD grant . In this regard, has there been a study ever conducted to find out who’s who from amongst the various cultural communities particularly NESB’s have not had any luck in receiving a grant at all, how many times have the same group/company association or individual artist have applied but was never successful (in my case 5 times since I migrated in 1995). Or in the same token, how many community art groups/organizations and artists enmeshed in the wider scope of multicultural communities have not had any applications put in at all
 
For one interesting and very telling reason or another, it should be good and perhaps, if I must say, a must to find out. I suspect responses will most probably range from “I never knew” or “I was never aware”, or “I’ve tried but unsuccessful and never applied ever again.” In keeping with the CACD’s all-out drive to maximize service delivery, the point I’m driving at here need not be overemphasized. But then again, why not? Should the CACD confine itself to the best of the lot all the time as judged by and through peer assessment? What happens to the forever unsuccessful applicants? In the spirit of fair go, equal opportunity, and equitable distribution/sharing of grants — has there been any effort made to at least directly harness these unsuccessful applicants who represent a cross section of amateurs, new practitioners, but are nevertheless the true, hard core community arts workers and groups who most likely end up continuing their projects anyway thru sheer volunteerism, self-help, and self-reliance which are the basic hallmarks of community arts.
 
All these point to my original contention. Every art form have existing directory of artists and performing groups/companies and arts/cultural institutions. High time to attempt such data base for CACD too, initially drawing from or simply collating information from past and present applicants which in itself already makes a strong DATA BASE that can continually be improved upon by informed inputs from both users and benefactors of such a data base. Again, I suspect there is no MONITORING and DATA SIFTING of this kind ever attempted by the former CCDU and now CACD  judging from the absence of communication and information that I have missed all these time. Or if there is already one existing that perhaps I am not privy to, at least ascertain that it is update regularly and form part of significant CACD files made available for everyones consumption online thereby serving as a veritable storehouse of information.
 
I realize this requires manpower, budget and all that but it all verily justified by a felt need.  In fact, I hasten to add, that such a move was so triumphantly achieved in the Philippines for example so that everyone is properly informed of who’s who are actively operating in the field (when was the last time a national conference on community arts held, I’ve lost track) with relevant footnotes as to the why’s and wherefores of the demise of community arts groups and the like.  Such data base may also include amongst others a repository of writings, articles, theses, conference papers and reports, and periodicals written about the subject matter – then and now. Excuse my ignorance, but the first and last time I ever laid eyes on a seminal book that traced the history, and dwelt on theory and practice of this, our beloved common field of endeavour, is Community and the Arts: Australian Perspectives edited by Vivienne Binns and published in 1991.
 
This leads me to my second rejoinder and crucial point for consideration — the notion of alternative manner/mode of service delivery. This is of course relevant to all other categories, but I contain my suggestions strictly to CACD.   In the Philippines prior to my  migrating here , I had been greatly involved with the giving of National Endowment Funds for the Arts to community theater groups and artists following the principle of going down to the very grass roots. Cognizant of and in response to the hue and cry amongst community theater artists being relegated to the usual “fringe” and “hand-me-down” funding they have to beg from the bureaucratic powers that be, demolished the rather ivory tower positioning of the arts granting bodies by reverting the tyranny of David’s-forever-at the mercy of the Goliath’s of mainstream theater by adopting the principle and practice of sharing arts funding to communities where community arts is a way of life. It became, in point of fact, a classic case of   ”If the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain.”
 
Contrarily, the practice here in Australia Arts Council becomes too bureaucratically delimiting for, say an emerging or aspiring community theater organization to approach an ivory tower institution and make the appropriate submissions that require so much paper work and a modicum of experience in the actual crafting of the proposal alone – something quite daunting and difficult for amateur community theater groups to muster. On the surface, everything appears to be pretty much cut and dried so that the applicant simply needs to conform to hard and fast rules and givens via submissions. In the final analysis, because of this basic limitation or lack of experience in formulating proposals according to the given format the amateur proponent is at once handicapped and most likely unable to articulate what the judging panel are looking for in the written proposal. This is of course abetted by the fact that due to logistical limitations, there is likewise no means for at least shortlisted proponents to defend their proposals is the case for instance in defending a thesis or dissertation to a panel.
 
It is in this basic, initial step of writing the application where lies the very crux of the matter, the most decisive point where the future of so many amateur community arts groups is hinged. YET very little is being done about it. One simply has to accept the cold fact that you’re application is unsuccessful. Try and try until you succeed.  Thus my suggestion is to SIMPLIFY the proposal writing in favor of a more democratic, participatory, more direct, and less cumbersome way of encouraging and reaching out to so many other community arts groups that have never been serviced by the CACD.
 
It is a totally different if simplified approach whereby the long-winded proposal writing is replaced by system whereby the CACD

1.    Identifies a LONG LIST of communities (organizations and/or individuals) based on or drawn from the DATABASE (of previous past successful and non-successful applicants plus new respondents from mailers/info sheets freely distributed to community art organizations and artists.

2.    CACD panel of judges draws up a SHORT LIST based on a simplified proposal that focuses heavily on the historical profile of the group, short description of a project, and identification and description of top three priority needs
  
3.    CACD employs a number of well-trained and experienced community arts development workers (who are normally well-rounded directors-playwrights-teacher-facilitators) and allocates them to the shortlisted proponent organizations and/or artists. Together they go through the original proposal with a fine tooth comb — confirmed and reaffirmed in detail through actual discussion with the proponents community arts organization’s officers and members or with the individual artist proponents, whatever the case may be. This spells the world of a difference, because with the aid and guidance of the community arts development worker  the community arts organization or the artist proponents will then be able to fine tune the proposal to help them  identify particular needs and address these needs specifically and peg an amount to be sought from the CACD grant.

(Note further that In the case of the Philippine experience, the grant giving body would send envoys out into communities where the shortlisted groups are based,  observe and watch performances right in their own venues or theater space (e.g. public markets, courtyards, public parks and gardens, vacant lots etc. ) and make the necessary assessments in coordination with core community arts organization members right in situ   thereby jointly identifying specific artistic or technical needs and reinforcements. Thus we have such a thing as a Venue Grant for theater groups that have everything ready but can’t afford a professional venue outside of their natural habitat. Some groups only want a playwright-director to help them mold the material they want normally fashioning out socially relevant materials dramatizing issues and concerns directly affecting them and trying them out thru improvisations and later collective creation before it is finally given to an emerging playwright from the community in close collaboration with the guest artist provided by the Arts Council. There are some companies who might ask only for direct equipment hiring assistance, or technical assistance of a Technical Director whose job it is to train and supervise local community volunteers in operating lights and sounds etc. There are also cases when some groups need only a Set Designer or perhaps a Costumier to help their group with costumes. The specific needs are as varied as the nature of the community theater groups themselves.)

I hope my ideas find some consideration and further grounds for discussion.

Very sincerely yours,

MARCELINO “MARS” CAVESTANY, APA-Ph.D in Theater Studies
Artistic Director              
Philippine Educational Theater Arts League Sydney

But my aversion to call centres was put to test recently when I did not have a choice but to make a call to one of the big virus protection software companies to complain about erroneous charges to my account.

John seated beside me, I gritted my teeth as I punched the company’s service number on the telephone keypad and braced myself for a fight.

After going through the automated screening facility and selecting one of the options which I hoped was the right one to help me, a human voice eventually greeted me and asked what he could do to help.

I felt imaginary smoke hissing through my nostrils, as I declared: “I have a complaint to make! You charged me twice for an automatic renewal for your product.”

Unfazed, the guy on the other end of the phone cheerfully stated that he was there to help me resolve that complaint. After confirming my details and checking my account, he agreed that John and I were charged twice. He then said that he submitted a reversal of the charge as we spoke.

Disconcerted by all this unexpected prompt resolution of my complaint and being curious, I asked where he was based. I was hoping that he would say “India”. The day before, John and I saw the movie “The Exotic Best Marigold Hotel” which was set in India and which has a call centre in the story. I thought I could mention that for a small talk.

It was difficult to guess from the guy’s accent, or rather from the lack of a noticeable accent where he was from. Much to my pleasant surprise, he said that he works in a call centre based in Davao City in the Philippines! I immediately switched to Filipino but he politely cautioned me that they are only allowed to converse with customers in English.

Since he knew many details about me, I thought it was also fair to ask for his name. That is how I “met” Beau Benedict Costales, and he said he was happy for me to use his full name in this story.

Ben then offered to install by remote access the virus control software! So he went through the steps with me for the PC and my laptop, and then with John for his laptop. In between installing and running the software on our machines, we even had a chat about the spinach fettuccine I was cooking.

Definitely not what I imagined my contact to the call centre would be. But wait, there’s more!! Ben then declared that as he noted we have been loyal customers of many years, he had given us an extension of two months from expiry date, and added the balance of three weeks of the other licence.

The whole process took about 50 minutes.

Ben’s call centre environment reflects a progressive workplace with confident employees empowered not only to do the ‘recovery’ but also the ‘retention’ of happy customers.

I felt proud of a kababayan and his colleagues. I will not be surprised to know if they would have impressed many other people too.

What a sweet call centre experience indeed!

Related: Move on to high-value services: Ph call centres urged

Mars: Founding Filipinas-Petals President Benny Chan's art work capturing the essence of community theatre.

This is perhaps the main difference between community theatre as it is lived in a third world, developing country as opposed to how it is practiced in a developed and westernized country like Australia where community theatre exists and persists but has not, as yet, become a reality Australians cannot do without. Nowadays, many still regard community theatre as a “myth”, traceable perhaps to what Richard Fotheringham calls “cultural wasteland myth” in his book Community Theatre in Australia.

Australian theatre has been bedeviled by a recurring myth: the notion that until quite recently Australia was a cultural wasteland in which a number of performing arts organizations and enlightened individuals have struggled to grow and flourish. This myth discounts the long and vigorous history of professional theatres of many kinds in this country, and fails to acknowledge that most of the preconceptions which Australians (theatergoers or not) have about the performing arts are products of this history.

Yet another reason is a mixture of misconceptions, negative attitudes, and ignorance about the values of community theatre, the rewards for practitioners who have chosen to commit themselves to it despite the “commercial” lure of professional theatre, not to mention the general disregard of the artistic community about people working in theatre for communities. From a practical standpoint, theatre artists tend to frown upon community theatre work as a worthless sacrifice involving too much work for so little a remuneration that is if one ever gets compensated at all.

Community service is synonymous to volunteerism, oftentimes a given in the nature of the job of community theater artist. Besides, funding for community theatre groups is almost always hand-to-mouth, unsure, and unsteady. Another reason why many so-called mainstream artists shun the idea of community theatre work has got to do with personal worth, ambition and self-image. Because of the collective nature of community theatre (as in the process of collective creation), community theatre groups prevent the identification of individuals, wary of and conscious against the so-called star syndrome, the dictatorship of the director, the sacrosanct gospel truth loyalty and punctiliousness to every word and punctuation marks of the playwright, ego-tripping among pseudo artists, the battle of artistic egos and temperaments, the mad scramble for roles, the hard and fast rules of ethics and professionalism, and the rigid adherence to pecking order, etc.- which are all and sundry accepted as the working realities, trademarks, and conventions in commercial and professional theatre practice. Thus actors, playwrights, directors, designers, costumers, etc. eager to make a name for themselves, hungry for credits quite understandably useful for their resume and track record, and desirous of joining the bandwagon to fame and glory would not survive let alone dream of working in a poor, thankless, communal set-up where equality, sharing, and other democratic processes prevail.

For another, arts administrators planning community theatre festivals, by and large still consider it purely and rather depreciatingly on the level of “fringe”. Thus, we hear of ‘fringe festivals” year in year out for community theatre groups (such as multicultural groups, youth theatres, migrants groups etc.) but only as part and parcel of the main event but never truly featured as the main event in the realm of mainstream theatre. In actuality, the term “fringe” is essentially a pejorative term because the very usage alone implies that community theatres are thought of as marginal rather than central. It also highlights the fact that community theatres are literally on the boarders and edges of the bigger cities and centers of action. Hence, they are treated like outsiders or fringes to the establishment and to more established professional theatres.
Margaret Williams alludes to this in her general introduction to the reissued seminal book, Community Theatre in Australia describing the articles incorporated therein as “recounting the first-hand experiences of the writers” and giving a “wide perspective on the creative opportunities (and frustrations) of working outside the traditional theatre structures for audiences usually not catered for by established companies.” Williams continues:

They also give an insight into why those who work in what is often classed as the “fringe” – taking theatre to and making theatre with people who might otherwise never see it, breaking down the distinctions between ‘professional’ and ‘amateur’ and relating “art” directly to the life of the audience – feel themselves instead to be at the centre.

Mars: Another rendition of the same theme, albeit an angry one. If you put it side by side with the happy version above, it reminds you of the traditional theater mask.

One possible explanation to the phenomenon of the fringe festival mentality rests in the predominance of commercial theatre in Australia which, in more ways than one, has been dictated upon by the merciless, inflexible “value system of the dominant capitalist ideology”, as Allen Lyne surmised in Mary Ann Hunter’s interview article “A Good Yarn and a Yarn with Allen Lyne and Allan Holy.” A well-versed community theatre figure in Australia admired for his proven and tested conceptualization of and commitment to working-class theatre entertainment, Lyne believes that “there should be a counter culture opposed” to such. The majority of affected practitioners are in chorus with Lyne.

Rosemary Wearing, a senior lecturer in sociology at La Trobe University, discusses the concept of a counter culture in her article, “Alternative Communities: Beyond the Fringe:”

The tensions and conflicts surrounding the creation and maintenance of the public and private space were significant reasons for the emergence of counter-cultures in the 1960s. The members of these counter-cultures expressed both a fear and a resentment of the State (represented for example, by the police, the laws, and professionals working in areas such as welfare, psychology, and medicine) which they saw as penetrating –some would say invading – the boundary between public and private, and increasingly monitoring households. Indeed, a salient feature of most alternative communities is the desire of community members to escape the surveillance of the State, to create their own boundaries, to control both access to, and exit from, such private space, and to have the freedom to live and relate according to their own rules and goals.

David Watt, ever-descanting about the subject of community theatre with such prolificacy, contributed the article, “The Popular Theatre Troupe and Street Arts: Two Paradigms of Political Activism”, included in Challenging the Centre: Two Decades of Political Theatre edited by Steve Capelin. Here he essays the trail-blazing efforts of these two Queensland-based pioneering community theatre groups that serve to fulfill Lyne’s demand for a counter-culture. Watt writes:

Although one follows the other chronologically, both are products of the radicalism of the 1960s and 1970s which accompanied the international growth of what came to be called the “counter culture” or, more sensibly, given the diversity of this loosely organized movement, the “counter cultures”. Although it has become unfashionable to regard it with much seriousness, this counter-cultural movement marks one of the most widespread expressions of political opposition to the capitalist status quo in the developed west in the twentieth century. The Popular Theatre Troupe and Street Arts represent two of the major strands of political theatre activity which emerged, not just in Australia but internationally, from the maelstrom of cultural activism the counter cultures gave rise to.

Actor-director Malcolm Robertson, (described by critic Radic as “one of Australia’s most experienced all- rounders”), has alluded even much earlier, though probably not as forceful and pinpointed as Lyne’s and Watt’s, to this selfsame need for a counter-culture. Looking back, he wrote in “The Australian Theatre: The Situation in the Seventies”, which as early as the 70’s already raised concern as to the “failure of the commercial managements to exploit the developments in our indigenous theatre over the last decade.” He bemoaned the fact that

the commercial theatre has, at times, resembled the last bastion of colonization as it has sought desperately to preserve its dependence on the English theatre and, to a lesser extent, the American theatre, for its continued existence – seemingly oblivious to what was happening around it.

The sad reality is that anywhere in the world, the ubiety and ubiquity of commercial theatre (as well as the media support it gets) make it readily identifiable if recognizable to people from all walks of life. This holds true even if a greater percentage of mass audiences simply do not and cannot afford to patronize it, as in the classic case of the “ordinary man on the street” mentioned earlier. By its sheer nature, commercial theatre caters mostly to the “haves” or the upper echelons of society – from the educated middle class, the elitist petty bourgeoisie, to the colonialist, capitalist, and oligarchic leisure class. It is an all-embracing, all-consuming enterprise whose primary objective is to make money. The be-all and end-all of its existence, (most especially in these days of crass commercialism) is determined by the marketability of the total entertainment package it offers to the “can affords” given the well-oiled machinery operated by the showbiz syndicate.

Contrarily, community theatre, much like alternative theatre (treated in this study as an antecedent or earlier manifestations of community theatre) belies the idea of commercialism along this line, let alone defies the hoary traditions of the so-called professional, subsidized, orthodox, mainstream theatre. Sandy Craig reinforces this thought in her foreword to Dreams and Deconstructions: Alternative Theatre in Britain, “an illustrated account of the development of alternative theatre in Britain” which “assesses the achievements of political theatre, the impact of feminism, the expansion of community and ‘ethnic’ theatre, and the growth of the important but often neglected areas of theatre-in-education and children’s theatre.” Craig says:

Alternative theatre has redefined the relationship between theatre and society and has been openly, politically critical of the social democratic process. It has challenged the traditional ideologies of the established commercial and subsidized theatres and has attempted to find different audiences and new forms of dramatic expressions.

(To be continued.)

Sexism (seksismo o diskriminasyon sa kasarian)

Also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination. defined as prejudice or discrimination based on sex; or conditions or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex and the attitudes, stereotypes, and the cultural elements that promote this discrimination. Given the historical and continued imbalance of power, where men as a class are privileged over women as a class (see male privilege), an important, but often overlooked, part of the term is that sexism is prejudice plus power. (Feminism 101 Blog); Sexism is a form of discrimination or devaluation based on a person’s sex, with such attitudes being based on beliefs in traditional stereotypes of different roles of the sexes. Sexism is not just a matter of individual attitudes but is built into many societal institutions; (Sociology) discrimination on the basis of sex especially the oppression of women by men; includes attitudes, conditions, or behaviors that promote stereotyping of social roles based on gender. (The Free Dictionary)

Gossip mongering (pagtsitsimis o pagkakalat ng malisyosong balita)

A conversation that divulges and spreads personal malicious information or sheer gossip about other people;

Fondness, addiction or given to gossiping, tattling or idle talk using speech for informal exchange of views or ideas. (; A person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others is a gossip or rumor-monger. (Put together from various sources such as Webster)

Apathy (pagkamanhid o walang pakialam) and Bigotry (pagka-makasarili)

Absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement;lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.(Dictionari.com) Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference. 2. Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness. (Free Online Dictionary)

Bigotry (pagka-makasarili)

The state of mind of a “bigot,” a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one who exhibits intolerance and animosity toward members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance ( Webster)

Parochialism (parokyalismo o pagka-probinsyano o) and Regionalism (kampi-kampi,tayo-tayo)

The quality or state of being parochial; selfish pettiness or narrowness (as of interests, opinions, or views) (Webster); Means being provincial, being narrow in scope, or considering only small sections of an issue. It may, particularly when used pejoratively, be contrasted to universalism (Wikipedia)

Regionalism

In politics, regionalism is a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal (administrative divisions, country subdivisions, political divisions, subnational units). Regionalism centers on increasing the region’s influence and political power, either through movements for limited form of autonomy (devolution, states’ rights, decentralization) or through stronger measures for a greater degree of autonomy (sovereignty, separatism, independence). Regionalists often favor loose federations or confederations over a unitary state with a strong central government. Regionalism may be contrasted with nationalism. (Wikipedia);

Consciousness of and loyalty to a distinct region with a homogeneous population; development of a political or social system based on one or more such areas. (Webster)

Charlatanism/ (pagdudunung-dunungan ) and Shallowness (kababawan)

The quality of having characteristics of a person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.(Free Online Dictionary)

Shallowness (kababawan)

Lacking depth of intellect, emotion, or knowledge (Free Online Dictionary); The occurrence of when a person has his own opinions of a certain topic but then changes it according to his friends’ opinions.

Cheating (pandaraya)

Refers to immoral way of achieving a goal. It is generally used for the breaking of rules to gain advantage in a competitive situation. The rules infringed may be explicit, or they may be from an unwritten code of conduct based on morality, ethics or custom, making the identification of cheating a subjective process. Cheating can refer specifically to marital infidelity.

Cheating Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, esp. in a game or examination: “she cheats at cards”.

Deceive or trick. (Wikipedia).

Corruption (korupsyon)

In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. In economy, corruption is payment for services or material which the recipient is not due, under law. This may be called bribery, kickback, or, in the Middle East, baksheesh. In government it is when an elected representative makes decisions that are influenced by vested interest rather than their own personal or party ideological beliefs.

Political corruption is the use of power by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by private persons or corporations not directly involved with the government. An illegal act by an officeholder constitutes political corruption only if the act is directly related to their official duties, is done under color of law or involves trading in influence.

Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement. Corruption may facilitate criminal enterprise such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking, though is not restricted to these activities. (Wikipedia)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It has been said, and exceedingly so in this generation, that people have become more and more sexist, ageist, and racist all at the same time. I am a living testimony of how not to be overcome by sexism and its ugly faces and manifestations.

Proudly and responsibly so, I am a mature openly gay person who married a young Punjab bloke of 21 years old which in the eyes of the straight-laced, unsophisticated, bigoted people is outrageously out of this world simply because of our age difference (which is heaps more than his age, like Madonna to his men, although I stick to one and there’s the world of a difference!) In the same vein, the solemnity and sanctity of a Christian marriage is normally, by standard societal practice, held only between heterosexuals so that my interdependent relationship is rather a sensitive matter to some sectors especially the sirado and sagrado catolicos.

Marriage celebrant weds same-sex couple

Thus in our community, it is not as if I am the first gay in the Filo community at least in NSW to have tied the knot with the same sex partner. There has actually been many ahead of me — like some very famous cases of gay marriages (lesbians, these!) that even kind of sensationally tweaked into a carnival with who’s who in attendance gawking at same-sex couple going thru the same ceremony of straight couple’s wedding vows. To prove to you that it is a common thing, many more of these marriages happen in our midst and within our community except that perhaps most interdependent unions are very privately held like mine. No matter how private though, because “tsismis” or rumor-mongering is the Pinoy’s favorite pastime, word does get around and tossed about from mouth to mouth. (Reminds me of one “Miss Universe”-themed gay jokes of yore methinks ain’t graphically and repulsively lurid as to be printed here. It goes like this. One question that totally gobsmacked the judges and viewers alike about runaway Filipina beauty title winner is: Define a male organ in your country? To which, she retorts without twitching an eyelash. A male organ in my country is like tsismis? There was deathly silence; the whole world couldn’t make heads and tails of what she said. Quick to recover her poise, she hasten to add: Tsismis, that’s a Filipino slang for gossip…rumor. Why because it passes from mouth to mouth. LOL!Tawa naman kayo diyan…)

The DIAC website defines interdependent relationship (which translates loosely in our language as pagsasama ng magkaparehong kasarian) as a relationship in which a couple have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others. The relationship between them is genuine and continuing, and they live together, or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. This is usually a same-sex partner relationship or more commonly known as gay marriages.

As of this writing, pinch me hard, but for all the Nostradamus-like prognostications about gay marriages thus far mine has been smooth sailing. I say this because this is my second and last chance at an interdependent relationship, where my first has tragically ended, and fortuitously, my current one runs audaciously and successfully afloat. BTW, I guess it is common knowledge now that we migrants can only have two cracks at sponsoring partners from overseas, after a period of five years at that. This was an immigration ruling effected to curb the burgeoning cases of serial marriages.

Jitender and Mars. Love conquers age

Don’t look now, and yes, eat your heart Virginia — but it’s been practically three years now since I got married to my young Indian same sex partner whose name is as infinitely tender as his monicker JITENDER SINGH, pictured in our d’ day accompanying shot here. Amongst a circle of very dear friends, I am fondly referred to as Mrs. Marz Singh, as it likewise appears on my Facebook.

Yes, being different is a gift from God and is one of the most beautiful things in the world especially if you know how to fit in without calling attention to yourself. That’s also the extent of boldness and daring I fearlessly and adventurously threw myself in. Needless to say, I needed to defy conventions to be able to marry “out of love” and certainly not for convenience as many have ruefully realized. “Aye there’s the rub,” to borrow from Hamlet’s soliloquy. There lies the dilemma, the problem, the part to be figured out precisely. Given the nature of my work experience as an Interpreter, I am exposed to so many cases of de facto, married, or interdependent relationships breakdowns usually of same sex couples usually even before the one year period of cohabitation and the additional two years of living together before the second assessment is approved and PR is awarded to the main applicant.

In my case, even way back in Manila where I was not totally obscure in showbiz as being one of the first married artists who have “come out” so to speak, — I did have my fare share of life’s ups and downs and that included being lampooned and pilloried in the press for my first interdependent relationship that sought refuge and full blossoming in Australia. That is why I found myself in this most humanistic, freedom loving, gay tolerant culture. But whilst my first salvo ran for 12 years mind you, 6 years overseas and 6 years here – it ended like most impermanent gay relationships that I initially and romantically dreamt I’d break by setting a record of being the longest gay union ever. But 12 years is all that that there was to it – some good things really never last! Yet, many would pat me at the back and say, “Hey 12 years nowadays is no joke, how many relationships have stood that long these day and age? And I would think back and force a smile, and LOL, true that was long enough and rare even given the rate of changing partners gays often play like musical chairs.

Experience has taught me that no relationship is ever that permanent – though I still believe that LOVE IS…! But that’s another subject matter. Strangely enough, the concept of marrying for love and the beauty of exploring the unknown is something not many people could readily accept these days, especially in cases of gay marriages. I was shocked to hear some sinister news from gossiping “ingits” about town that I had married for money. Somehow, there are some kababayans of ours who simply can’t believe things happen naturally, in the spirit of God and under the rule of law. I can only understand and rationalize this attitude as part and parcel of our countrymen’s kababawan, the so-called shallowness of our character, just because some people are so inured to doing things the wrong way. Again, hindi ko naman nilalahat, but many of our kababayans simply have a penchance for anything and everything illegal – sleazy, through the back door, under the table etc.—outrageous sorts of actions and things that they fall for – kapit sa patalim.

For me, what is paramount is that I live by the ethos (a Greek word meaning “character” that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology, per Wikipedia) of this so-called second home of mine. Everything I do is official and legal in strict compliance with and adherence to existing Australian laws. Even the case of my second marriage is strictly sanctioned by moral rights in this humane and unbridled culture , and definitely as per proper legalese as far as Immigration is concerned because apart from my APA full national scholarship I too pride myself that I took an extra quick-learning scholarship to study “Citizenship and Immigration Law.”

I am aware that we Filipinos mostly come from a strictly religious, Catholic upbringing that defines and limits the definition of marriage only to what is sanctioned by the Church, i. e. heterosexual marriage so that same sex marriage, even if it has been practiced in developed countries like Australia for a while is still a matter of personal belief and opinion. But I am insolent in this regard as every individual is entitled to seek his/her own happiness and as a human being I would be the first person to be unrestrained by convention or propriety as long as I am not endangering, harming, trampling upon others human rights and not desecrating the Golden Rule.

Last week, it was Easter so it is timely to be tattling about our common deadly sins I have defined above and some of which I have touched upon here in passing. It would be most challenging to discuss each one at length, and apply it to our community and sensibilities as Filipino-Australians.

“The best thing about community theatre groups in the Philippines is that they make themselves visible everywhere. There are professional community theater ensembles performing in public markets during Sunday market days or those permanently based in parks and or tourist spots composed of street kids and out of school youth… “

I. QUESTION OF NOMENCLATURE

The one important deciding factor if not a major stumbling block of any research work has always been the availability of information that has survived about the subject matter being studied.

Initially it would seem that the libraries would be a repository of information with enough materials that could potentially be useful for research. But once a researcher has established his/her needs and the criteria with which to select the materials that satisfies such, the vastness is shrunken and the problems set in.

An old newspaper clipping of an article about the Filipinas-Petals, the first and only community theatre - in theory and practice - operating within the Filipino community in New South Wales

Naturally the farther and more removed the researcher is from an event in time – most specially when one is trying to recapture a period or an epoch – the greater the lack of information, and the lesser or fewer the chances of resorting to traditional methods of data gathering, such as interviews for instance.

In the case of this research, tracking down personalities who figured prominently in the community theatre scene is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Even the records of community theatre groups themselves are very scanty if at all available.

But even if information is sufficient, the devil is not only in the detail but also more likely in the interpretation. Points of view, biases, assumptions and even ideological beliefs inescapably if unassailably come into play tending to shape or color the researcher’s imagination. Oftentimes, the researcher is predisposed to make arbitrary value judgments or decide on matters based on subjective preference. Again it is easy to proclaim objectivity, but when the topic is close to the heart, subjectivity unavoidably creeps in.

In cases like this, it is the critical instinct that checks and balances. Such critical faculty coupled with objective principle sets the scientific researcher apart from a literary writer. The following story is one such case of a personal experience.

A: THE STORY OF THE “MAN ON THE STREET”

To a great extent this research-study also tackles the “forms” and “challenges” that community theatre has historically undergone and that which will also be dwelt upon herewith.

Basically, however, the germ idea of this research came in the “form” of a personal experience that left an unforgettable imprint in my mind and served as a motivating factor, a “challenge” for me to pursue. It sprang from a story of “ordinary people”, the story of my encounter with an “ordinary man on the street”.

To illustrate, I recall an insightful experience as a new migrant to Australia in the year 1994. Once I asked “an ordinary man on the street” where one could watch a community theatre performance. The answer was blank. Virtually the “foreigner” or “stranger” in such a situation, and in my desire to keep our conversation going, I ended up explaining what I meant by community theatre to the local resident.

For curiosity’s sake, and also to test a preconceived notion, I asked another question about the traditionally established, orthodox commercial theatre, the likes of Broadway musicals, revues, stand-up sex comedies and extravaganza stuff. Not so surprisingly, the layman had a lot to say, affirming what I had expected.

He started boasting of Australia’s pride – such as the Sydney Opera House, the Victorian Arts Centre, and, from his little if haphazard understanding and perception of community theatre based on the basic definition I had just given him, he directed me to the RSL Clubs, which he said, have mushroomed throughout the land and are readily accessible to people from all walks of life or to any member of the community for that matter as perhaps the best possible place to find community theatre entertainment.

Interestingly enough, after obviously noting my Asian looks and finding out that I m Filipino, he started pointing to the number of Filipino talents featured in the cast and all too suddenly we had a common talking point as he referred to many of his workmates who are Filipinos and that they love to sing. He stressed the fact that much that he would like to see Miss Saigon, the ticket price even for general patronage seats was a bit prohibitive. He concluded his very informative sharing telling me that ABC or SBS usually have arts related shows on weekends that I could watch out for.

What lesson did I learn? For this researcher, such an encounter turned out to be an eye-opener. The “man on the street” is knowledgeable about commercial musicals and “high art” venues but has no sense whatsoever of what might constitute “community theatre” and the inherent values it holds for him.

It became some kind of a vision and a mission to convince this “ordinary man on the street” that community theater is for him, that is a kind of theatre for ordinary people like him (the masses, so called) and by the people, so that the intrinsic values of theatre needn’t just be a vicarious pleasure for him. To me, this was a case in point demonstrating the inequality of media attention to “high art” against “popular mass entertainment” or the failure of media to help popularize, or in the very least inform the “ordinary man on the street” and the entire populace, that there are alternative, community-based theatres within their reach.

Certainly you can’t blame this unsuspecting “ordinary man on the street” for his limited if “mediated” knowledge. Such insight eventually served as one of my guidelines in mapping out this research study: how to compare the significance and impact of community theater in the Philippines where I come from where it is “felt” and “lived” as part and parcel of daily life in marked contrast to that of the realities obtaining in Sydney, Australia where I have relocated and adopted as my new home, and where I need to, amongst other things, learn to assimilate as a migrant. On top of it all, this experience of my new, adopted country became the springboard for me to assume – as I have proven in the Philippines through my own work in community theatre – that for community theatre to live, grow and develop, it ought to be known, needed and accepted by the community for whom it is intended.

In other words, community theatre must be felt, desired, shared, and participated in by all the people including (not excluding) the “ordinary man on the street”. In this regard Andrea Hull’s article, “Community Arts: A Perspective”, comes very opportunely because it asks the basic question about the central principle around which government funding to community arts revolve, but which we will quote here as it is more in keeping with question of democratization of the arts.

“Why are the arts not an experience shared by all people, everyday of their lives, in places that they are – be it in the workplace, the school, the home, the shopping centre?”

We’re talking about Australia here, of course. For in the Philippines, this question has been addressed by the proliferation of community theatre activities everywhere.

A scene in Aawitan Kita staged last November in Fairfield. //Photo: The Filipino Australian

To compare and contrast: Had the same encounter happened to a foreigner in the Philippines, especially after the imposition of Martial Law in 1972 to the downfall of the Marcos regime following the People Power Revolution of 1986, the reverse scenario would have ensued. In fact, the question need not even be asked. The reason is obvious. There are community theaters operating everywhere from the barangays (smallest unit of aggrupation in barrios, sitios, and towns) to the cities and municipalities throughout the thirteen regions of the Philippines.

The best thing about community theatre groups in the Philippines is that they make themselves visible everywhere. There are professional community theater ensembles performing in public markets during Sunday market days or those permanently based in parks and or tourist spots composed of street kids and out of school youth coordinated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development who in turn seek assistance from established theater groups at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and its subsidized in-house drama, dance, music and even visual arts groups. There are even trainers training programs for social workers and street educators in learning theater skills and applying them directly to their constituents.

In the provinces, it’s the school-based integrated community theater groups that does skits, dances and choral singing complete with traditional musical ensemble back ups who take turns in performing to busloads of tourists as coordinated by the local arts councils or tourism offices. There are more professional run and organized community theaters that are now regularly performing in cinema houses alongside popular films — a new phenomenon that came about as a result of the proliferation of air-conditioned shopping malls. Because of the tropical weather throughout the year, plus the extreme prevalence of rainy season, the once-too-popular community performing groups have found themselves in roofed and air-conditioned shopping malls everywhere in Metro Manila.

It is amazing how community theater groups would sprout like mushrooms in every conceivable space at public squares, any crowded place or busy area in subways or underground tunnels, and in the commercial centers they perform sex comedies, cabarets, sitcoms, laugh ins, gay impersonations and stand up comedians mixed, matched and creatively concocted to cater to various audiences of yuppies (young professionals), the lesbians and gay crowd at private clubs, pubs and restaurants, or even religious groups performing at churches on Sundays. There are community theaters in factories as there in the national penitentiary or prison house for men and women, including disabled artists groups featured in shopping centers and popular malls.

Every region has its own diversity as well as homogeneity in content, form and style in rituals and ceremonies for all kinds of occasions, events and daily activities punctuated with dance-drama, individual to community singing and incantations, folk dancing, instrument playing, poetic jousts and speech choir, not to mention the ubiquitous religious dramatic observances through fluvial parades, street pageants and dramatizations incorporating the ever-present indigenous theatre forms which have managed to survive vis a vis the modern and contemporary explorations of subsidized, orthodox theatre companies influenced by the new waves and innovations abroad.

The “agit prop” street community theater presentations staged at the height of student unrest in the 60’s and then70’s disappeared during the 21-years or so of Martial Law-cum-Marcos Dictatorship, and resurfaced once more in the university belt despite the supposed return to democracy and normalcy during the term of the first woman President of the Philippines, Cory Aquino.

Cause-oriented groups of militant students, laborers, feminists, environmentalists, and other concerned citizens became the rallying forces of the burgeoning people’s theatre movement that lay low during the regime but operated underground as ginger groups specially in timorous local communities.

Likewise, terms like “developmental theater” became a byword amongst cultural workers until they were all lumped together as living examples or manifestations of TSP (theatre for special purposes) servicing the needs of street kids, juvenile delinquents and other wayward youth, townspeople caught in hamletting and other armed conflicts, displaced indigenous tribes, victims of drug abuse, rape domestic violence, the aged and the elderly, and the “differently abled” (still being pejoratively and wrongly called “handicapped” or “disabled”) – lumped all together under the umbrella of “disadvantaged and marginalized groups” or what the United Nations collectively terms as PSDC (people in specially difficult circumstances).

In this regard, modern techniques and methodologies in educational theatre, arts for therapy and rehabilitation, development communications, TIE (theatre in education), Boal’s “forum theatre”, “image theatre”, and “invisible theatre”, Barba’s and Grotowsky’s “poor theatre”, and Freire’s “pedagogy of the oppressed” etc. are creatively employed by agents of community theater. Their path-breaking work find relevance and unquestioning support ergo close collaboration of social workers, community cultural development organizers, special education teachers, occupational safety and health workers, nuns and priests and other individual volunteers involved in the creative partnership and total community endeavour to devise, create, direct and produce original scenarios, socio-dramas, realistic one-act plays and other products of what has been referred to as collective creations and other works-in-progress presented in every conceivable venue.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development and their attached agencies or NGOs, the Department of Education, and other private donors and sponsors give valuable support, financially or in kind such as the provision of free performance venues and rehearsal spaces, donation of materials used as sets and props, whereas some dailies and tabloids give space to publicize the shows and events.

It can be said that in the Philippines, community theatre is part and parcel of every Filipino’s daily existence, deeply embedded in the psyche, and well integrated in the lifestyle. It is, in a manner of speaking, a way of life.

Part 1: ONE SMALL DREAM

One Sunday morning, 18th December 2011 to be exact, my partner and I woke up to see a depressing news from a friend’s Facebook status page. We really didn’t know what to say as our dear friend, Mitchell Badelles, had not only lost five cousins to Typhoon Washi, he had also recently lost family members and friends in the recent 12 months or so. We prayed for him and his family and also expressed our deepest sympathy, although we didn’t think that it would be good enough to heal his spirit.

Our radio broadcast coincidentally fell on a Sunday. We thought it would be a perfect time to bring the whole family (Marc, Kristofer and Olivia Faith) using our airtime to greet our relatives and friends overseas and dedicate some Christmas songs. Around lunchtime, our friend Mitch rang to ask us if he can come with us to the studio. We gladly welcomed his intention thinking it would be great for him to be with other people right now after what happened. During the 2-hour program, we paid tribute to those who fell victim to the furious flood.

That one Christmas day, I thought about our friend and the people of the Southern Philippines. I searched for articles about the event and a headline “Thousands spend Christmas in Evacuation Centres” caught my attention. By that time, according to Philippine news reports, “death toll was at one thousand, 330,000 people were displaced and 69,000 huddled in evacuation centres”.

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Here we were, I thought, going to Westin Hotel located at ONE Martin place to spend our Christmas weekend in the CBD spending a fair amount of money to spoil ourselves and thousands of people were in centres possibly feeling lost, horrified and perplexed. I was in the perfect location, it was the perfect timing to shop but I felt guilty spending because at the back of my mind I have a picture of this parent who died during his sleep cuddling his child unaware of their fate. The thought gave me chills and I felt we had to do something.

Meanwhile, I wasn’t aware that my partner was already thinking of doing something with his band to raise funds as they did in the past. Unfortunately, one of the main members was extremely busy due to the nature of his work. So when I approached him, we thought we’d involve our Mitchell (as this is something close to his heart) and asked him how we can help. The idea of doing a concert came about. We had one small vision – to help.

Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Part 2: ONE TEAM

It was one New Year’s eve when some members of Filipino Press group in Sydney were holding one of our monthly get-togethers “Kapihan” when Oliver Gadista, my partner, heard Emma De Vera planning a concert for the Washi victims as well. We thought, we had the same idea why not unite as one team and make it one successful fund-raising event.

Bless Salonga and Oliver Gadista with their children

On the 3rd of January, we had a meeting attended by Tom Baena (Radio Bandilla Producer) and his wife, Romy Cayabyab (publisher of e-manila and The Filipino Australian), Menchie Maneze (Ang Kalatas columnist), Nilda and Mon Carpo (co-hosts of Radio Dalisay), Mitchell Badelles (co-founder of The MOB radio) and Millie Marcial-Phillips (publisher of Ang Kaatas) to talk about possibilities and strategies.

The initial target date was 31st of March but we learned that there would be an event that weekend so we decided to move it earlier. The initial plan of holding a concert was changed to launching an EP (elongated play CD) or an album after Raquel Pellero also brought to our attention that there are three other concerts being planned in the first quarter of the year. The initial target was to raise $10,000, but because we now have only two months to complete the project forcing us to get small to medium-sized venues, we reduced our target to $5,000.

The race against time started with a zero-budget. The first week was the planning stage and it was quite difficult as people have day jobs and we only correspond via e-mails. By the latter part of the second week, we have secured the first venue, started contacting our network of friends and possible sponsors to fund the CD production and poster printing. Oliver meanwhile has started drafting the group song and Violi came on board after coming back from her holidays.

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By the third week, the Sponsorship Team – Mitchell Badelles, Menchie Maneze and led by Emma De Vera started looking at costs and choosing the organization we will be donating the proceeds. The Marketing Team – Romy Cayabyab, Millie Marcial-Phillips, Nilda Carpo and led by Violi Calvert started distributing posters, doing press releases and contacting endorsers. The Production Team – Oliver Gadista, Eugene Wong and led by Mon Carpo started planning. Tom Baena, Jimmy Pimentel, Josie Musa were on stand-by for support. Yours truly just became the Over-all Support and Coordinator by default – designing posters, tickets, CD covers and our logo, creating the websites, drafting the programs and writing the scripts. We now have also secured a second venue.

And so our ALFA team was born! ALFA stands for Artists & Linked Friends in Action.

Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

Part 3: ONE THEME & ONE TALENTED BUNCH

Towards the last week of January, Oliver started contacting, screening and scheduling artists while composing and re-writing old songs at the same time. He wanted to make sure that the song matches the artists and artists give justice to the songs. I gave him a mammoth task of restricting the songs within the theme of love, hope and faith and he further challenged himself by varying the genre of all the songs. By the first week of week of February, the artists were summoned to record.

It was a crazy schedule, I hardly saw him in six weeks. He was like a “mad scientist” trapped in his studio. He woke up very early to do what he needed done in his studio, went to work, came home, went straight to the studio and slept late. Although Oliver is one talented musician, admittedly I was a bit nervous as I knew it wasn’t an easy task. But Oliver and the talents were to set to make history.

Oliver composed, roughly recorded (the voice and the instruments) and e-mailed the songs prior to the recording. The artists have to learn their songs in a few days, in some cases a day before recording or even change the melody the same day. At one point, he had 4 artists scheduled to record in one day giving a few of them as little as 2 hours to do so. Apparently, a proper vocal recording could take a minimum of a day.

Every time he made me listen to their songs, it gives me the shivers as the artist nailed his/her parts and connected the message of the song to me. Because of the limited time, Oliver only managed to get Erwin Querubin and Paul Noriel to do some guitars and bass for some songs and he was left with no choice but to do the rest of the instrumentals.

The next big task was to mix and master the songs for the launch on March 3, 2012. Two weeks after, all recording (instruments and back up vocals) were completed. It was just enough time for the launch. In fact, Oliver was mastering the night before the CBD launch.

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I have to highlight that Rachel Wong and Jason Gustaff never sang or performed in front of the public before, but because of their willingness to help, they mustered the courage to record for the sake of love and generosity. And the final products were simply amazing!

The talents were so great that the group song came out so well even though they have never been together, at any time, in the same room. Each individual parts/lines were recorded separately. For the second launch, the band practiced once in less than 2 hours and have no time to rehearse with the artists until the actual launch.

1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Part 4: ONE JOURNEY

While Oliver and the artists were busy with the music part, the rest of the ALFA team started selling tickets and promoting the cause via their individual radio stations and mediums.

Violi, Mitchell and Nilda, in particular started coming more often to the ONE HQ (2 – 3 times a week) to distribute posters, contact people we needed for the program and shopping for raw materials for the CD. The second week was tiring but fun – we had people in shifts to complete the huge task of disassembling, inserting covers and re-assembling 500 CD cases.

Violi and my friend Avie Rocio-Zelko was with me during the day, Mitchell in the afternoon and Romy Cayabyab, Josie & Gerry Musa, Nilda & Jules Carpo after work. Each CD has an average of 5-minute packing time multiply that by 500, that’s 2,500 minutes or 41.67 hours straight. We did it in less than 3 days including quality control, working until early hours of the actual launch date. During this time, I found out how dedicated these people were.

As Oliver was busy composing and I was busy with the baby and a few bits and pieces, in many instances we won’t have time to shop or cook. Violi, Avie, Mitchell, Nilda and a few friends will bring us food for us to share. We worked together and dined as brothers united by the determination to help. We were all thankful that all this time, God has nourished and provided us health to accommodate the everyday demand of family, work and charity life.

Around the third week, there was this voice inside me telling me to start a website, which was released on the 28th of February. With the help of Violi (who also helped me with editing as I was getting cross-eyed and at times, baby-sitting) and Mitchell, both started writing press releases and contacting endorsers.

The last two weeks were hectic distributing tickets, tallying orders and balancing the books. Not to mention CD printing, transfer and quality control plus finalizing the program. I remember reminding Mitchell to pick up some chips from Smiths and to deliver the boxes to our HQ. It was a rainy afternoon, Mon and I were talking about the narratives for the programs when Mitchell knocked on the door asking for help.

What I saw almost made me cry. I saw a truck full of chip boxes and Mitchell, even though he was sick, was so determined to bring them in for safe storage. What made me cry was the fact that we asked for a few blessings and we couldn’t cope because of the abundance of boxes! That, in spite of the rain and sickness, we were like determined soldiers tolerating the obstacles stacked against us. And in every moment we needed help, He provided.

Just like in any story, there were sceptics and villains. There were people who doubted the project and even tainted our good intentions with malicious speculations; at one point we almost terminated the project because of one venomous tongue. In a way, these pessimists inspired Oliver’s song “Bigger” which happened to be one of my favourites. Just like a great story, there’s a happy ending – how good hearts conquer bad thoughts.

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There were also some let downs as few of those who volunteered to help have not been in contact to confirm their intentions but God has always been good to us. We have been given an opportunity to meet people with genuine hearts and became emotional when Take 5 offered to help us with $600, Michelle Baltazar’s boss offered $150, Daisy Cummings donated some angels and international artists gave us their support.

Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

PART 5: TWO VENUES, ONE MESSAGE

By the fourth week, the same voice that pushed me to start the website gave me an idea to start a script for the program. It has to be a story about life: how we live in this distractive/destructive society, how our teenagers think, how we fall in and out of love, how we can relate to separation and depression, and how we conquer and accept critics and day to day challenges. It’s a story with various angles where anyone can relate to and at the end where we are still encouraged to appreciate the blessings we have.

Launch #1, Chippendale, Sydney

The first launch was “sold out” and on the last week of the second launch, I started to panic as we still had around 50 tickets left to sell. “Why are you worried?” this voice asked. I doubted, not our abilities to sell, but God’s plan. I felt embarrassed especially when three days to the launch, we had over-booked. At one point just hours after sending an e-mail, I got a dozen order from two people alone. I am not sure if it’s a good thing that 30 guests didn’t come but that day, the place was packed. I felt ashamed as I prayed for this and even entrusted that “Thy Will Be Done” but I had weak moments.

March 3, we were all tired as we finished printing and transferring music into 500 CDs the night prior to the launch. It was a wet day and venue was quite small. We didn’t know how to fit all the chairs with 17 performers requiring space also the rest of the ALFA Team. We decided to take them to Iligan & Cagayan De Oro imitating what life is like in the tents and evacuation centre – the audience were sitting on the floor.

The first launch was overwhelming for most; they couldn’t believe the amount of talents we have in the same room and they can feel the passion coming from each speaker. I glanced at the people at the back where I was and I could see teary faces moved by the emotions in the room. We successfully raised almost $5K that day.

The second launch, we (Oliver, Mitchell, Violi, Michelle and myself) had more time to prepare for the program. We were able to go through the script again, create the video prompts and check the venue. As we refuse to spend a lot of money we made do with whatever we had. For a show with no budget (and almost NIL practice) reliant on our limited skills, passion, determination and faith, we did tremendously well.

Launch # 2, Blacktown //Photo: Jade Cadelina

Meanwhile, even though they were quiet in the background, Romy Cayabyab, Millie Marcial-Phillips, Josie Musa and Michelle Baltazar were doing their best to promote the event. Tom Baena, Menchie Maneze, Gerry Pines, Jimmy Pimentel, Cita Hoersch, Jules, Nilda and Mon Carpo have provided their time and support to make the second launch successful. We managed to almost break the $10K mark.

But before we started the show, a mother approached me to introduce herself. She said she initially reserved a ticket and wanted to meet me. As she has not arranged a baby-sitter for her child, she travelled to the venue just to hand me $40 so she can help. I didn’t know what to say I immediately gave her two CD’s so at least we can share the message of love, faith and hope.

What people don’t understand is, we are not just selling a CD or a show – we are sharing an experience. The show is an opportunity for them to know themselves and see beyond the now. We would like them to enter into Our New Era where people care about each other and promote love, environment and co-existence.

The CD was a gift from the ALFA team to say “Thank you and please accept this to commemorate that tonight, we are ONE”.

What amazes me most is the audience reaction to the show. When the show started, they were all quiet — eager to hear and see what the artists had in-store for them. In the second half, you could tell that their level of acceptance and keenness has increased. Again, there are a few teary-eyed souls in the audience. When we offered the chance for them to be an “angel” and buy the crystal angel for $5 to feed 5 people, they were selling like pancakes. They really want to be in this – ONE with us.

In spite of all the technical hiccups, we have achieved what we wanted to achieve – we connected to the crowd.

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In the end we have helped our brothers and sisters in the Southern Philippines, we gained great friends in the process and touched many lives, including our audience. And that is what makes it all worthwhile.

This makes it ONE great journey!

Deuteronomy 8:18 — “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

Photos… photos… photos

The defense is building up a case by establishing the fact that it is common practice to cheat in the SALN.

This is known as the “peanut butter” strategy, a squid tactic that spreads the misconduct… almost everybody is doing it so it must be right.

How wrong can you get!

The act of cheating in your SALN is inherently and explicitly wrong and no matter how many people are doing it will never make it right… as they say two wrongs do not make a right, neither will it be right even if millions do it.

Corona’s being Chief Justice should not hide behind this rationalization because he is “primus interpares” and should lead the example for everybody to emulate.

It is expected of somebody who has the authority to rule on what is right and wrong in our lives to be beyond reproach and not to be washed “clean” by virtue of lawyers’ technical arguments.

If such an argument prospers I am afraid that we will all be leading lives governed by lawyers; lawyers who seem to have a different social and world view from the rest of us non-lawyers.

Woe to us when criminals get away from the arm of the law because of the ability of their “de campanilya” lawyers to look for flaws and loopholes to delay justice or worse to exonerate those who seem to be patently guilty.

More woe to us when more cases of blatant guilt are defended by slick and glib shysters who flaunt oratory to mock and distress the innocent. And we are doomed further if the highest magistrate of the land does not have the compunction to right wrongs, is suspected to be one with the those who impugn our laws and one who relishes the provenance provided by a closely knit fellowship working as a cabal to defraud the rest of us with their evil enterprise.

The last consolation for the wretched citizenry is the faith that God, in His infinite wisdom, will take care of imposing divine justice by banishing those who have erred in this world in Gehennah, a place of fire and brimstone.

But even this comeuppance doesn’t seem to be forthcoming when you see some members of the clergy showing their inclination to side with those who make a travesty of the law, some by erudite but pharisiacal legal reasoning, others by just reciprocal expressions of gratitude for past favours granted either personally or for their parishes.

Having laws is good only when it is used to right wrongs; protect the innocent from the guilty; when it is used to ameliorate the citizens’ lot; when it conforms to what is conventionally and culturally accepted morality and what is inherently right; and more importantly, when it is applied judiciously and equitably without fear and favour to anyone.

I am afraid this doesn’t seem to fit the description of what is the prevalent practice of law in our country today.

We are all being screwed and tattooed… smile it is all legal.

It has been a most splendiferous maiden two years for APCO!

What originally started off as a breakaway group in the face of that historically unforgettable 2010 falling out from Philippine Community Council has, only after two years, fully emerged as a united alliance of “very dedicated, active and committed community organizations” defiantly and adroitly shepherded and led by Dr. Cen Amores, proving to all and sundry, that it has delivered what it promised.

APCO officers and directors, 2012 - 2014. //Photo: Josie Musa

In the introduction to her President’s Report covering the period of inception in November 2011 throughout her term of two year paving the way towards the blossoming of the association through to her official turn-over to the new board elected last Saturday, March 17, outgoing prexy Cen Amores declared: “It is most important for all our affiliates to trust that APCO is there to serve and support them. I harbored no personal rancor nor any differences but simply projected the view to make every life change as an opportunity to make life more fulfilling.”

Read determinedly loud and clear to an assembly of 70 or more affiliate individual members and representatives of group members, she enumerated a long list of her very own leadership citations as founding APCO President, the main projects and activities of the group relative to capacity building, and the Humanitarian Emergency and Livelihood (HEAL) Program, APCO’s sterling contributions, direct participation as well as endorsements to various arts and cultural promotions and endeavors from the national triumph of the Rizal Sesquicentennial Radio Festival (RSRFS) to the various MEDG stellar performances, and numerous support given to affiliates, even to other non-member organizations, government bodies and individuals.

Likewise, she minced no words in pinpointing the challenges the initial Board had to wrestle with as part of its birth pangs as well as baptism of fire, and ended her talk with future plans and expectations firing everyone, especially the upcoming Board, with the same zeal and passion to service delivery and concretization of avowed goals.

Outgoing APCO president Cen Amores

Dr. Amores has been magnanimous in her victory, cuddling APCO in its infancy with all the love, devotion and sincerity, the strength of her ideas and courage of convictions, plus the positive thrust of her solid vision and mission.

“APCO became a better alternative state umbrella organization that adheres to democratic principles, operates with greater transparency, promotes social inclusion and leads by example”, she declared.

“We are proud to say that through APCO, we have made inroads into improving the image of the Filipino community as an inclusive and welcoming community through our active engagements, involvement and partnership with CALD and mainstream Australian communities.”

The 70 something strong who attended the AGM at the Kapitbahayan Cooperative Compound in 96 Canleyvale Rd., Canley Vale on Saturday, March 17 consisted of founding affiliate members, avid supporters and guests gave the outgoing president a resounding applause.

She capped her much-applauded and well-received reportage by distributing laminated certificates of appreciation to all the group and individual founding members of APCO, including this writer representing Filipinas-PETALS (Philippine Educational Theater Artists League Sydney).

The certification states: “The Alliance of Philippine Community Organizations, Inc. was founded on 16 March 2010 by a group of socially-conscious organizations and individuals who value justice and adhere to democratic principles.”

The feisty Dr. Cen Amores has just been singled out from the Filipino community and appointed “People of Australia Ambassador” by PM Julia Gillard for her outstanding work in building strong and cohesive local communities. She vowed to “stay behind APCO forever” even as she remains part of the Honorary Advisory Team together with husband Ruben Amores and Jimmy Lopez.

The new Board (2012-2014)

Newly elected APCO president Jhun Salazar

APCO set new and highest professional standards and upheld strictly democratic procedures in the holding of its election of new office bearers and position holders.

Everything turned out smooth, cordial, and efficient ~ with Ruben Amores, Jimmy Lopez, Daisy Cummings, Mick Miguel, and Vivianne Brewington making up the Electoral Committee.

A previous list of fifteen nominees was handed to everyone upon registration. Such list based on previously mailed in nominations whilst awaiting additional nominations from the body. There were three additions but there were also last minute backing out that left the voting body all but fifteen final nominations that resolved itself with no further ado.

The fifteen were automatically elected, proclaimed and given a chance to speak. What followed was the actual election of 9 specific posts comprising the Executive Committee plus 8 members of the Board of Directors. Everything was conducted viva voce. There was no need for balloting except only at one point to choose between two candidates nominated for the position of PRO.

The newly elected members of the board and office bearers are as follows: President – Jhun Salazar, Senior VP – Mariam McCauley, Junior VP – Gerry Musa, Secretary – Mars Cavestany, Treasurer – Josephine de los Reyes, Internal Auditor – Emylee Tuzon, and PRO – Amor Ramos. Directors – Marx Canoy, Emma Braceros, Violy Miguel, Rudy Reyes, Cora Perez, Linda Trinidad, Lee Meekan, and Glorina Papaioannou.

In his acceptance speech, the new President reinforced the outstanding and pioneering efforts of the founding President and vowed to carry on the tradition of excellence and service for all. He expressed that his natural ascent to presidency (he served as Senior Vice President in initial two years of operation) is not only “an honor but a responsibility” and possessed with a “heart for servitude” he also challenged his fellow officers to emphasize that APCO should be more inclusive rather than exclusive and thus would welcome all other Filipino organizations and individuals to join in and enjoy the benefits and privileges of the programs continued from the past and forging into the future.

“There is always something for everyone in APCO as programs, activities and services are designed to enhance community capacity-building, solid collaboration and advocacy for the socially vulnerable sectors of our community, not to mention a more professional enhancement of local artistic and cultural undertakings,” he said.

When the picture of Atty Vitaliano Aguirre appeared in the dailies looking miserable with his hands cupping his ears I was reminded of the paintings of Edvard Munch, a Norwegian symbolist painter, who explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.

One of the more popular paintings of Munch was entitled The Scream (see image on this post) which depicted a man with hands cupping his agonized face shrieking in what seemed to be an excruciating experience.

My analogy may be a tad exaggerated but so was Atty. Aguirre’s pose, but, it did convey the fact that Miriam may have overstepped her bounds by inflicting aural and emotional pain to the members of the prosecution panel.

As pointed out by several observers prior to the ugly confrontation between Miriam Santiago and Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre, the chief presiding officer of the impeachment court, JP Enrile seemed to have abdicated his role as moderator of the court and allowed senator jurors, the lead defense counsel and even himself to debase and ridicule the prosecutors in the prosecution panel.

The phrase “sober as a judge” has been given new meaning in the impeachment court when decorum and sobriety were thrown out of the window.

The prosecution panel became daily fare for the sadistic penchant of some of the senator jurors, more specifically Miriam Santiago. She had taken fancy on Rep. Niel Tupaz who became the whipping boy for her sarcastic and demeaning tirades, gave him a grade of 3 (conditional?) in case presentation with a few expletives thrown in.

The portrayal of Rep. Tupaz as a bumbling buffoon may have hurt his political reputation to the delight of his political foes, namely the Defensors of Iloilo to whom Miriam is closely related to.

The prosecution, an aggrupation of congressmen and a few private prosecutors might have been guilty of poorly crafting the impeachment papers and for ineptness on litigation procedures relative to a legal lion like the lead defense counsel, Serafin Cuevas, but surely did not deserve the bamboozling that they got.

It is to their credit that they have maintained their cool but not until Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre showed a quite passive and innocuous protest gesture by cupping his ears. This was not allowed to be passed up by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who made much of the gesture as an act of disrespect to the whole Senate impeachment court. Miriam made a motion to cite Atty. Aguirre in contempt which was followed forthwith by a seconding of the motion by Senator Pia Cayetano.

The senators should have been more sober and circumspect to have just allowed something so petty to just pass and not make drama out of such a trivial matter, besides this was precipitated by Miriam’s scathing verbal abuse delivered in a paroxysm of rage. While Senator Peter Cayetano concurred with the citing in contempt of Atty. Aguirre he couldn’t help himself but quip “having Atty Aguirre listen to Miriam for 24 hours would have been a fitting penalty”, wittingly or unwittingly agreeing that a voice like a screaming banshee is indeed intolerable.

JP Enrile has been praised for some judicious rulings in the course of the impeachment proceedings but, by and large, had made the impeachment rules as if it was a work in progress, going as his mood and spirit moved him. This led to inconsistent rulings to the dismay of the prosecution panel. He has been timid to chastise the uncouth behaviour of senator judges and has allowed himself to be cowed to go against the manifestations of a slick and savvy lead prosecution counsel (in an interview by Karen Davila of ANC’s Headstart the lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas intimated that he once saved the chief presiding officer, JPEnrile from the case of rebellion filed by Cory’s government, also, Cuevas was the one who swore in Arturo Tolentino as president as a ploy so that Marcos can reclaim it when he comes back from exile; now that explains a lot of things). The impeachment proceedings having transformed itself into a three ring circus with feral felines clawing and roaring without a lion tamer is the fault of the presiding officer.

If it’s any consolation, the testy lady senator from Iloilo does not discriminate on the object of her affections or affectations. She has been on a ballistic spree and has been cutting down people on camera at every opportunity ever since god knows when.

Here are just a few examples of bad language from Miriam that would put to shame Tiger Woods’ demeanour and gutter utterances when trapped in a cavernous bunker:

Gago
Miriam told the prosecution that they are all “gago” and that all that they have been doing are “kagaguhan”. This led to one of private prosecution lawyers, Vitaliano Aguirre, to be cited in contempt for cupping his ears to avoid the shrill screams of the enraged Miriam. –Santiago reacting to state prosecutor’s cupping his ears while she was talking. From the Feb. 29 Impeachment proceedings

The fig leaf has to go
Told UP students who conducted a survey (503 sample size) to leave UP for displaying stupidity. The “Oblation” should take off his fig leaf, perhaps in reference to transparency when she asked them to reveal their backers. In the survey the results show that 75% voted to have Renato Corona resign from his post. — Santiago reacting to UP students’ survey on Renato Corona Feb. 29, 2012 Impeachment proceeding

Provocative Look
“May I request the Chief Justice to discipline. Or, at the very least, admonish and reprimand this group that sees itself so high above the law.” —Santiago to Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. in 2001, during the impeachment trial of then President Joseph “Erap” Estrada. Santiago was irked by a group of spectators in the Senate gallery whom she claimed looked at her “provocatively.” The spectators were asked to leave the gallery.

“Mga Talakitok”
“If you can’t find enough number of senators as a bloc, then bumili ka doon sa (buy some at the) House. Mas marami sila, di mas mura sila. Para silang mga talakitok (There are a lot of them, so they’re cheaper. They’re like fish).” —Santiago in full-on sarcastic mode in 2007, when her anti-billboard bill just got swept under the rug.

Don’t text While I Talk
“May I just say to those two girls there… Will you please stop smiling and looking at your cellphones. If you’re not listening to my speech, please step out! Now! Nakaka-insulto ang ginagawa ninyo sa Senado ng Pilipinas (What you’re doing is an insult to the Philippine Senate).” —Santiago to two women in the Senate gallery during her 2009 privilege speech, which criticized government officials who appeared in infomercials. The two women were, of course, asked to leave the gallery.

God’s Power of Attorney
“Who knows what God is? Who understands the mind of God? Who has a direct line to God so that he or she can ask God what is right or what is wrong. Pag sinabi mong Diyos at mali ang ginagawa ng iba ayon sa Diyos. Ikaw ang nagsasalita para sa Diyos. (You refer to God and you say there are other people doing things wrong according to God. Then you’re the one speaking for God.) I would like to see the appointment papers of the Black and White people from God, signed by God, appointing them, giving them powers of attorney.” — Santiago to Dinky Soliman, on December 14, 2011, at what would have been the confirmation hearing of the latter as Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary. Santiago had grilled Soliman and even asked her about her membership in the Black & White Movement, an organization of concerned citizens that was formed in 2005 primarily to call for the resignation of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Pa Epal Epal
“Therefore it behooves us to start with this principle: ‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’ Huwag na tayong magpa-epal dito dahil nawawalan ng gana ang nanonood. Tama na ‘yun. Dumaan na tayo doon (Let’s stop grandstanding because viewers are losing interest. Enough of that. We’ve been through that).” —Santiago on Day 5 of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment trial, on January 24, 2012, somewhat warning everyone not to waste time with rhetorics. Shortly after this, Santiago ended up berating Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. for not immediately knowing how many witnesses the prosecution team was going to present.

Incompetent and “Duwag”
“Tila hindi n’ya naintindihan and ginagawa n’ya, in which case incompetent s’ya. O alam n’ya pero pibapabayaan n’ya, in which case duwag s’ya (It seems that he doesn’t understand what he’s doing, in which case he’s incompetent. Or maybe he knows what he’s doing but he’s just letting things slide, in which case he’s a coward).” —Santiago talking about Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno in 2009. She was incensed because she thought he couldn’t control the so-called warlords in Maguindanao.

Flouting the Order of the Senate
“What kind of public officials are Secretary Gary Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez that they will not act on a cause of action that brings national embarrassment to the entire Philippine government in the international community? How dare they flout the order of the Philippine Senate? —Santiago talking about Department of Finance Secretary Margarito “Gary” Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in 2009. She was enraged that they had snubbed a Senate hearing on the blacklisting of three Filipino contractors for alleged corruption.

The Honourable Spittoon Face
“I spit on the face of Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban and his cohorts in the Supreme Court, I am no longer interested in the position [of Chief Justice] if I was to be surrounded by idiots. I would rather be in another environment but not in the Supreme Court of idiots.” —Santiago reacting to her being disqualified from the nomination of candidates for Chief Justice position.

I Can Scream Can’t I
“Please don’t treat me as a mere observer. I am a judge in this proceeding! In any trial court, you should not speak, you should not take any behavior at all unless with the consent of the presiding judge. Don’t drown me out by screaming in this courtroom! Only I can scream here and my fellow judges!” — Santiago berating private prosecutor Arthur Lim, on January 25, 2012. Santiago was irritated that Lim once again brought up issues that had already been decided on by the court.

Miriam’s Sensitive Ears
“What the heck is so important? Is it going to change the configuration of the astrophysical universe? This is the last warning. I will cite you for contempt!” —Santiago to people whose cellphones kept ringing during a 2010 Senate session. Prior to the start of the session, Santiago had asked everyone to turn off their cellphones.

Gunfight at OK Corral
“I challenge the shadowy faces behind this corrupt media blitz. Come on you hypocrites, stop being sneaky. Be men, come out of the bushes, and reveal yourselves. Since you have chosen to engage in character assassination, let us have a showdown at the OK Corral in full view of the public.” —Santiago to her detractors at the height of the NBN/ZTE Broadband controversy in 2007.

I don’t think we will ever see Miriam donning repentant rags in atonement for her profanities and uncharitable behaviours against other people during the season of Lent.

She said she is not changing her personality for the countless and nameless faces who disapprove the way she talks and fires up, especially against people who challenge her.

”I cannot please all other people all of the time. I’m only addressing my own constituents, the university students and urban professionals,” she said, in characteristic “taray”, excluding the rest of the marginalized Filipinos who wallow in ignorance and poverty from the rest of what she considers as her kind of people; how elitist! what arrogance!

She said of her detractors, “This is a personality attack. They want me to change my personality. Hindi na possible ‘yan because I was born this way,” It’s just like saying that she was “pinanganak at pinaglihi sa sama ng loob”.

This as an excuse for antisocial boorishness, penchant for unbridled ad hominems and low regard of others including her peers is not acceptable and has no place in decent society. She should be exiled in an unpopulated desert island where cursing her existence and everybody else’s would be justified or encourage her to join an obscure cult whose abode would be the fastnesses of the mountain ranges of Afghanistan were communications would be limited to the occasional sounding of a highland horn blown by a Taliban terrorist.

Photo: From JPE's Facebook

In his youth he was outstandingly intelligent, a fact which his errantly fecund father could not help but recognize and took him in his aegis and welcomed him into the respectability of his legitimate household and honour of the family name.

His academic record is par excellence having graduated with honours in the Ateneo de Manila and the state university despite the fact he was a working student. His academic history is capped by having completed post graduate studies on a scholarship in Harvard as a master of laws.

In the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Renato Corona he sits as the presiding officer of this honourable assemblage; a people’s court task with the ferreting out of the truth in the allegations of Congress that impeached Corona. It was a disappointment to see him vacillate in his rulings, blowing hot and cold, favouring a technicality then going back to the search for truth modality of an impeachment court.

Perhaps he finds himself in a quandary, to play his role of presiding officer with utmost impartiality or to pay back, maybe unconsciously, a debt of gratitude to an old friend who was instrumental in exonerating him from rebellion charges in the dark distant past. This lawyer friend is none other than Serafin Cuevas, the lead counsel for the defense of the impeached Corona.

JPE has had moments forgetting his role as presiding officer of the impeachment court; the countervailing force of which may be his earnest desire to be seen in a heroic light, fair and truly the venerable statesman dispensing equitable justice towards all.

Who would have thought that JPE would be such a wimp and allow his court to be overrun by the overbearing lady senator whose intractable behaviour remained unchecked throughout the whole impeachment proceedings.

This weakness was carried over by his reluctance to fight for the integrity of his impeachment court by allowing the Supreme Court to defy the subpoena orders issued by his court. He reasoned out that he was avoiding a clash between the Supreme Court and the Senate which may lead to a constitutional crisis. He opted to cluck in what was a game of “chicken” between the wills of two powerful coequal branches of government citing the doctrine of “last to act” to avoid a collision.

Both are governed by the same doctrine and the Supreme Court could have veered from the smash up but was more unshakeable than the presiding officer of the impeachment court. What seemed apparent was his evasion of any conflict with the stalwarts of the defense.

He did not admonish the boorish loudness of Miriam, did not check the garrulous but sagacious Cuevas both of whom have knowledge of the law at depths rivalling his own. There were times that one might suspect that he, not to be outdone, joined in the ego tripping of Cuevas and Miriam and lectured in a condescending fashion the members of the prosecution team.

What goes on in the mind of a political Titan in the twilight of his years: intimations of mortality, the life hereafter, divine justice, past glories, leaving a fine footprint in history and having a chance at greatness in the eyes of his countrymen? The other side of the coin is the infamy of being regarded as one of the dark lords during the reign of the dictator Marcos, as a lackey of the former dictator, an architect of the rapacious martial law regime and the gang leader of a coup attempt of the newly installed Cory government.

He was a man disgraced but through a reconciliatory Cory leadership and a non-indignant citizenry, allowed himself to bounce back unfettered by his past sins and have risen to lofty aspirations, though not as a President of the republic but as a Senate President.

Is he still his own man or is he nothing more than just a befuddled old man torn between die-hard bad habits versus his concern about leaving a positive legacy for his name or even making peace with his maker before the curtains fall?

Worldly successful old men at their end of days often reflect on the biblical question; “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his soul?”

If “…loss of his soul” means having distanced himself from the truth (…the way and the light) then it is equivalent to the perdition of losing one’s desired place in history and being cast in hell.

JPE is faced with the question of clinging on to the vanity of his hubris or to renounce it by a last act of avoiding a collision with what is right. It should be an easy one for JPE to decide.