Condomated Urge

Last week, I had a rare opportunity to peer into the minds of two typical, middle aged Filipino guys. And when guys like these gather, the topic usually oozes with something really private – their sexual lives.

In this conversation, I played a role of an innocent, antiquated, missionary-position type guy to spur these people to freely reveal what they think about the Philippine Health Bill. I accomplished this by showing awe and bewilderment for every word they said. The more “awed” I appear to these sexual gurus, the more they divulged what they believe about sex and artificial contraception.

“The Church (Roman Catholic) is really against the use of artificial contraceptives. Are you in favor of this?” I asked.

Is EU Behind Charter Change Move In the Philippines?

Both the DFA and the EU Ambassador to the Philippines were shock to learn about a report saying that the EU and the World Trade Organization (WTO) were pushing for Charter change in the country.

Merlin Magallona, Law Dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law, in a letter to the DFA, said that EU and WTO were pushing for the Charter change here. He said that the EU in particular, requested the Philippine government to lift its restrictions on foreigners owning lands and practicing their profession in the country.

The DFA, through its spokesperson Ed Malaya, denied the allegation saying there has been no such request made by the EU. Malaya charged Magallona’s letter as erroneous.

A Day With A Traffic Law Enforcement Officer

When I came out of the Hall of Justice after my hearing the other day, I headed for the Goldilocks nearby  for a cup of coffee. My wife was waiting for me there.

As I was walking, I noticed the main street was unusually free from traffic. There were few utility jeepneys picking up passengers along the way. I thought this was strange.

Then I looked to the other side of the road and saw Traffic Law Enforcement Officers  from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). They were everywhere, (seeking whom they may devour). I’ve heard from a radio commentator years before that these guys must fill up a quota of arrests.

Religion and Miss California USA 2009

Religion is a sensitive nerve that runs through the entire vein of the American beauty pageant called Miss California USA 2009.

Carrie Prejean, who was crowned Miss California USA 2009, was recently “fired” from such title for honestly stating her opinion regarding same sex marriages in America during her interview in such beauty pageant.

Quoted below, is the unfortunate interview, out of which, all hell broke lose:

PEREZ: Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?

CARRIE: I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman.

The New Philippine Flag Law: Unconstitutional?

Congress last week, approved House Bill 6424 which amends Republic Act 8492 known as the “Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines” according to a newspaper report.

While this bill aims to strengthen respect to the Philippine flag in response to the many “blunders” made by celebrities in the singing of the National Anthem, the bill may suffer from unconstitutionality as it contains a provision which directly oppose a previous judicial pronouncement of the Philippine Supreme Court.

The Widening Gap Between Law and Technology In the Philippines

The sex scandal that rocked the nation recently shows us how far technology has left legislation behind. Technology strides with such leaps and bounds leaving regulatory laws in the dust of antiquity. While this situation may not be unique in the Philippines as other countries like the U.S. face the same problem, our handicap in this area is markedly displayed.

The Hyden Kho – Katrina Halili sex scandal is a good example of this gap between legislation and technology. One lawyer on national television expounded on the applicability of the Anti-Wire Tapping Law to this case. But looking carefully at this law, the latter is nowhere near the sex scandal case. The antiquated Anti-Wire Tapping Act (R.A. 4200) provides that “it shall be unlawful for any person, not being authorized by all the parties to any private communication or spoken words, to tap any wire or cable, or by using any other device or arrangement, to secretly overhear, intercept, or record such communication or spoken word by using a device commonly known as a Dictaphone or dictagraph or detectaphone or walkie-talkie or tape recorder xxx” (Sec. 1, R.A. 4200).