Things we learned from the Pacquiao-Marquez fight

Manny Pacquiao won a split decision to claim Juan Manuel Marquez's WBC 130-pound title Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in a sensational fight that left both men bleeding, battered and triumphant.

The highly anticipated rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao was supposed to answer one very specific question: who is the most dominant featherweight in boxing?

Now that it's over ... we still don't know. We only knew that Pacquiao won by a slight split decision and Marquez can stage a potentially strong come back.

Pacquiao escaped with a narrow split decision Saturday night (Sunday in Manila), taking advantage of a third-round knockdown to edge Marquez and capture the WBC super featherweight titles.

But was Pacquiao the better fighter? Well... a third encounter is really in order to see who's who in the featherweight division.

Certainly Pacquiao, who improved to 46-3-2, deserves credit. He once again showcased uncanny power for a 130-pounder (though by virtue of adding 16 pounds since Friday's weigh-in Pacquiao checked in at 145 pounds), flattening Marquez (48-4-1) in the third round with a short left hand.

Still, Marquez showed the same warrior-like mentality he showed in the first fight between the two, surviving the third and rebounding to win the majority of the remaining rounds.

So what did we learn from Marquez-Pacquiao II? Let's take a look:

1. Nothing

If you were looking for definitive answers, all you came away with were more questions. Few fighters could have withstood the sporadic onslaughts from Pacquiao, who connected on several left hands that would have KO'd any other featherweight in the division. Marquez also did not shy away from brawling with Pacquiao, connecting on a number of hard power shots of his own. At the same time, Pacquiao showed a more tactical side, using his right hand more than in the first fight and occasionally boxing with the technically superior Marquez. While both fighters efforted to fight their own fights they were clearly willing and able to alter their styles in the flow of the fight.

2. There needs to be a third fight

Will there be? That's the multi-million dollar question. After the fight, Pacquiao expressed a desire to move up to 135-pounds, while Marquez remains content to continue fighting at 130. Since little was decided in Part II, a third installment is required. And if Marquez wins the third fight, a fourth, deciding fight should be made.

3.Paquiao should be in no rush to move up

David Diaz? Nate Campbell? Jose Alfaro? Those are three of the recognized champions in the lightweight division, and each one carries about the same box office appeal. Not one of those fighters would be able to carry a lucrative pay-per-view and even a decisive victory wouldn't guarantee Pacquiao anything beyond a relatively meaningless title. If Pacquiao were willing to move up to junior welterweight, where he could get potentially lucrative fights with Ricky Hatton, Paul Malignaggi or even Floyd Mayweather, then he should consider leaving super featherweight. But with lightweight carrying the same cache as cruiserweight, he should be in no hurry to move up.

4. Practically speaking, the loss doesn't mean much to Marquez

Yes, Marquez was hoping a victory over Pacquiao would help him escape from the shadows of legendary Mexican champions Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales -- and it would have. But if Pacquiao does make the jump to lightweight, Marquez immediately regains his spot as the top super featherweight. Undefeated Edwin Valero and Mzonke Fana currently hold titles, but they are not in the class of Marquez, who has re-established himself over the last two years. With Pacquiao gone, Marquez, 34, stands a strong chance at unifying the division.

5. Judging should be a job for the media

I probably won't get much support for this one, but the corruption that has plagued boxing begins with the judging. Marquez-Pacquiao II isn't a good example (two judges scored the fight 115-112 for Marquez and Pacquiao, respectively, while the third gave Pacquiao a 114-113 edge), but the boxing landscape is littered with questionable decisions.

I say put the judging in the hands of reputable boxing news organizations like ESPN, The New York Daily News and, yes, Sports Illustrated. Showtime already does press row scoring that, in general, is far more accurate than the judges. We might as well make it the real thing and hope that the world's sporting boxing bodies recognize this soon.

I know for certain that the boxing organizations can agree with this option but the Judges' Organizations would say otherwise because this is effectively removing their bread and butter from the boxing world. Well, then I say: "improve your craft gentlemen."

Where should education bring us?

This month is graduation time, and the country’s turn out of more or less 300,000 graduates each year is no small figure to talk about considering the ratio from among them that get employed, or better still, considering their employability both here and abroad.

The recent report on the deteriorating English proficiency among our graduates is no less alarming, not to mention the ever-rising unemployment rate due to the absence of viable jobs in the country.

This is one of the reasons why our graduates, especially of medical-related courses, train their eyes abroad for employment. It is no surprise that doctors, nurses and even midwives and physical therapists leave the country for good.

While this is the sad plight of our graduates, it is no issue that education is still the best hope for Filipinos to get even with our Asean neighbors. But certainly, something must be done to reconsider the present thrusts of our educational system and how it should go considering the inevitable need to globalize.

There is no question that education is the future for us, so it is needless to ask the question as the title below, rather, we should ask “Where should education bring us?”, to emphasize the fact that we should not only be made literate through education but that education should also lead us somewhere or towards a clearly defined path whose end is what the Philippines and Filipinos ought to be in the very near future.

This end should be achieved soonest because the fact is that it has been long overdue. It has been what the Philippine education should have been about two decades ago.

We have been mesmerized in awe by the fact that education has been getting the highest share from our national budget. True, but we have not asked how this budget compares with other ASEAN countries in terms of the GNP ratio.

The other point is, given our high literacy rate, that we had been so proud about, where should education focus at this point in time? What should be aptly considered by the public education sector, the private education sector, and the business sector? Where should each of these sectors focus their efforts on considering their expertise and what they can do better given the nature and scope of each of these institutions?

To understand this better, we shall feature an article by Mahar Mangahas, President and Founder of the famed Social Weather Station:

Social Weather Station

Will education be our future?

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara spoke on “Education is our future” at the Jaime V. Ongpin annual memorial lecture at the Ateneo de Manila University, Rockwell campus. I was a discussant of the lecture.

I said that I agree with almost everything Senator Angara said -- the global context, the general analysis, and certainly with the theme that education should be our future. (The only part I disagree with is on tax breaks for business. Business only needs them when projects do not promise a very high rate of return. When social returns are not well captured by business, projects are better done by non-business institutions.)

I said that education should already have been our present, if the call for a quantum leap in investments in science, technology, and innovation had already been heeded by the government two decades ago, when made by former University of the Philippines president Emanuel “Noel” Soriano, and others.

My question, “Will education be our future?” is really asking when will the government accept the responsibility, pay the cost, and follow the principles of global competition in undertaking the needed investment in education. In all countries, it is the public sector -- and not the private non-profit sector or the business sector -- that is responsible for the major part of elementary and high school education, graduate-school training, and research, in science. (Collegiate training is an area where private education can be dominant.)

Accept the cost. The first issue, the cost, is very well worth paying. Senator Angara’s norm of 1.0 percent of the gross national product (GNP) for research and development is the same as the one that Noel Soriano recommended long ago. On an annual GNP of P6.6 trillion (2006), 1.0 percent is P66 billion. But the Philippines is currently investing only one-tenth of 1.0 percent, i.e., P6 billion. Thus the immediate annual shortfall is P60 billion ($1.5 billion). When will the government commit to filling this financial gap? It isn’t too large. It isn’t enough to catch up with Singapore and Japan, which are investing 2+ percent and 3+ percent, respectively. It only serves for the Philippines not to fall further behind in the global race.

There is no investment without sacrifice. Increasing public investment requires raising the savings rate, and the tax rate, on the present generation and -- to the extent that investment is based on borrowings -- on future ones. Alternatively, funds for more R&D can be raised by reallocations away from other investments. For example, the P60 billion could be cut from annual national government spending on public works projects with a lower rate of return than the return on R & D. Perhaps the local governments should pay for those public works instead. And if no one can pay for them, then let us just do without them.

Pay people competitive rates. My second point is on government employment policy toward people in science. Education is a human-resource-intensive activity. Most of the people engaged in it are, and should be, government employees, not private employees. The fundamental way of mobilizing human beings is by offering attractive compensation for their work. When will the government accept the principle of paying globally competitive salaries for its own workers in science?

Such workers should be freed from the Salary Standardization Law. Their employers, such as the University of the Philippines (UP), should have authority to set their own internal salary scales. For that matter, the UP management should be free to set a salary scale for each field of specialization!

A serious push towards R&D entails mobilizing very many, very qualified, people very fast. We should think global, and recruit not only Filipinos but also all other nationalities, as do Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and, of course, the United States. Let us look for talented scientists from Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America who want to emigrate but are denied visas by Western countries for political reasons. Let us prioritize young and unmarried scientists, many of whom, through chemistry and biology, will naturally find Filipino partners. Let us give them family visas in order to encourage them to settle down here.

Involve private institutions. My third point is that the government should support research in private institutions also. Private universities cannot be expected to sustain research solely on the basis of tuition fees. Under market rules, tuition revenue will cover the costs of teaching time only, and not the costs of research time also.

Not more than half of a research professor’s time should be for teaching. The research time, particularly for basic research, should be funded by the government and philanthropic sectors. For instance, the National Science Foundation, the US government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering, funds both public and private research on the basis of competitive proposals -- an excellent case being its 1994 grant that led to the development of the search engine Google at Stanford University, which is private.

The whole world is competing for scientists. Education will be our future when the government invests at least P60 billion per year in it, pays market rates to people in science, and makes use of the entire research community. When will that be?

So what..? Even if Pres. Arroyo finishes her term or not!

Given all the scandals erupting around it, it would be wishful thinking to expect major improvements in governance during the remainder of the term of President Arroyo. It seems that the poor will not only remain with us while she continues to govern but they will continue to grow in numbers too.

The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proudly touts the relatively high economic growth during its watch as if it were its crowning achievement. It never misses any opportunity to remind everyone that the rate of economic growth has been accelerating since 2001, allowing it to outperform previous administrations, while glossing over the fact that, except for last year when the Philippines posted a remarkable 7.3 growth in gross domestic product, it still was not keeping pace with its dynamic neighbors like Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei to name a few. And always the key question is: Who is benefiting from such growth? Why are the main streets in major cities teeming with hungry children and why are there sidewalks filled with homeless people?

By the government’s own statistics, the number of Filipinos who were poor grew by some 3.8 million over a period of three years, from 23.8 million in 2003 to 27.6 million in 2006. That means that almost one out of every three Filipinos (32.9 percent) is considered poor.

And that is not the last of the grim statistics. According to the same survey, the number of families that did not earn enough to buy the minimum amount of food they needed rose to 1.9 million in 2006 from 1.7 million in 2003. That means that 12.2 million Filipinos, or 14.6 percent of the population, were not eating enough or “food-poor.”

How did so many millions swell the ranks of the poor at a time when the economy was growing? Augusto Santos, acting director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority, said this was due to the higher prices of essential commodities and an “insufficient increase in personal income.” The first, he said, was partly caused by the expanded coverage and the increased rate of the value-added tax, while the second could be partly attributed to agricultural losses from two devastating supertyphoons that struck the country in 2006.

What Santos failed to mention was that despite sustained economic growth, real family incomes actually fell during the period not only because of higher prices but because economic growth was not high enough to improve family incomes as the population continued to grow at a fast pace. And the worse news is that there is little reason to hope that the war against poverty can be won anytime soon.

The Asian Development Bank, for one, says the country would be hard put to sustain last year’s record (for the past three decades, at least) 7.3-percent growth, which it said was largely driven by huge election spending. In its report, titled “Philippines: Critical Development Constraints,” the ADB identified three major factors that are bound to hamper economic growth. These are: (1) the government’s “tight” fiscal situation; (2) declining investments in infrastructure; and (3) lack of investor confidence because of corruption and political instability.

And what would it take to correct these constraints? Good governance. Checking graft and corruption and other government reforms will improve tax collection, ensure the proper use of government resources and enhance investor confidence.

It seems, these are not for this administration of Pres. Arroyo to achieve in the short term, given her remaining term of office, even if we assume that she tries very hard. A President who loses so much credibility in the face of scandals, mostly charges of graft and corruption, will find it hard to steer government back on track as different sectors of the society try to pull her down.

Good governance is not only the making of the highest official of the land but also of the different segments of society cooperating towards its attainment. Even if we assume that it is only Metro Manila's population that is loudly against her continued stay in power, people from the rest of the country would tend to believe what they hear and read most of the time as mouthed by media.

From what we have right now, where do we expect to go from here? Or more appropriately, given all these, what must a President do? Pres. Arroyo holds the moral answer to these questions.

Are there better things to expect yet in less than two years of the President's remaining term? Maybe none, maybe no more, but it would certainly be a little bit different if she gives up the presidency for good. The sooner, the better!

Tips on Writing a Graduation Speech

So, you've been assigned to give a graduation speech for your graduating college or high school class. Maybe you're the valedictorian or the class president, or an invited guest speaker, or maybe you're just lucky. Or perhaps you need to write a graduation speech for your public speaking class.

Most graduation speeches aren't really good. You know why? Because they're too generic. They talk about the future and "spreading your wings" and all kinds of cliche things that can apply to any graduating class. A good graduation speech should be tailored only for your graduating class. The speech should be unusable by other classes because it is filled with details and stories specific to these students' experiences.

Here are some tips to writing an unforgettable graduation speech:

Tell lots of stories. The stories should be about the students in the graduating class, the teachers, and other important people in the school. The stories can be funny, or touching, or just descriptive. The audience is filled with parents and people who are not part of the graduating class, so what you want to do is make that graduating class come alive for the people who aren't a part of it.

Talk about major events. What are some important things that happened in the world, your community, or at your school in the last four years? Include them in your speech, especially if these events evoke emotion. If a teacher or student died, mention them and say how much everyone misses them. If your football team won the state championship, mention this (and expect enthusiastic applause from the audience).

Talk about meaningful activities your class did together. Here's where you talk about the prom, Spirit Week, a successful charity event, the awesome school play, etc. If your school has some traditional events, mention them. Some of the audience members will be alumni and will appreciate this.

Talk about values that are important to the students and the audience. If this is a Christian school, talk about God. If this is a liberal arts college, talk about the value of a liberal arts education. Don't dwell on these kinds of topics or you risk sounding corny, but mentioning them will make your speech feel more inclusive to everyone.

Be inclusive. Talk about everyone in the class: the jocks, the band geeks, the Honor Society kids, and everyone else. This speech is for everybody.

Use popular culture references. This is a popular culture era, so including popular culture references is another thing you can do to make your speech more personal. Work in references to popular TV shows, movies, and songs. Just don't mention that Green Day song (see below).
Don't talk about yourself. Well, you can talk about yourself a little bit, but only a little. This speech is for everyone, and it isn't very classy to steal the focus.

Don't speak badly of anyone. This is not the time to make fun of that nasty English teacher, nor is it time to get even with that kid who bullied you from grades 3 through 10. Be nice. You can gently poke fun of quirky things, like that weird green stuff they serve every Thursday at the school cafeteria, or the fact that your dorms were voted worst in the country. But do this sparingly, and be careful not to offend anyone.

Be appropriate. Use common sense. This is not the forum to discuss the drunken antics of your classmates or other indiscretions. Don't swear.

Use inside jokes sparingly. Your classmates might appreciate inside jokes, but the audience won't know what you're talking about.

Avoid cliches. The phrases "spread your wings and fly," "new chapter in our lives," and "be true to yourself" should not appear in your speech, and neither should other cliches.

Give advice sparingly. Graduation speeches do not have to contain advice, and if you're part of the graduating class, you may not have much advice to give.

Thank the parents. Ask everyone in the graduating class to give them a round of applause. This will mean the world to them. Make your mom cry.

Thank the teachers. Lord knows teachers don't get enough praise. Thank the principal or the dean too.

Reading Jamju's mind . .

(Here is a man’s opinion on Mindanao and the Bangsamoro and related issues. He wields his mind and arguments ubiquitously in every space of taboan.net and impresses his eloquence upon everyone in that site – old and newcomers. He seems to have mastered his own kind of argument and brandishes them so skillfully – you would not know whether he is admirable, credible, annoying, a plain and simple skilled pauper, or all of the above.)

(Frankly, I can’t help but admire his eloquence, have mixed thoughts on his credibility and get annoyed in the end by how he tries to disprove every point you raise. That seems to be what he had defined for his existence and purpose in life. To help you know how this man’s mind runs.. here are some of his impervious remarks on some issues concerning Mindanao, the ARMM, the Bangsamoro, the Moro fronts as well as the Abu Sayyaf.. This man’s full name is Jamju Alano Rivera from Isabela, Basilan. It's for you to believe in him or otherwise get awefully amused by his verbal antics!)

These are what he says:

1. On the MILF’s clamor to restore the Peace Talks

Why force the issue? Why look to "solve" this impasse if the only solution in the minds of the MILF is the one that they have always insisted on all this time? The MILF has thrashed and cried and whined for a Bangsamoro Homeland (or a more euphemistically termed "Juridical Entity") like an infant bawling for its milk... ! Why is it that it should always be the Government of the Republic of the Philippines who should always give in? More precisely, why are all these talks being done above the heads of the Filipinos who live and work in Mindanao? What's with all the secrecy anyway? Can't they handle a public relations backlash once all these "talks" and "offers" are laid out for all to see and hear? Has the people of Mindanao (and I do mean the entire Mindanao...and not merely the gerrymandered Mindanao that the MILF proposes to be called their BJE) ever been asked about this?

I remember distinctly that several plebiscites and referenda were held and conducted... and the constant reply by Mindanaoans was and is a loud and emphatic "NO!" Why can't the MILF just accept this reality? Nagbibingi-bingihan ba?An why the arrogance of NOT RECOGNIZING THE CONSTITUTION? Well then... if that's the case, then these brigands...these criminals...shouldn't wonder any longer why WE WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE THEIR BOGUS CLAIMS OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER ANY PART OF MINDANAO!

Tit for tat. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

Yes, you may add us up under that column which says: "HAWKS"... the stand of Mindanao's Business Sector on this issue is clear and incontrovertible: NO BANGSAMORO HOMELAND. NO MILF TREATY. NO FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS. These criminals should be rounded up like common law crooks and tried and incarcerated for the bandits that they truly are.Otherwise, these MILF bullies can always give up their guns, go back to their farms and businesses, make a good and legitimate living, pay their taxes, marry off and multiply their tribe. Wouldn't that be much simpler? Wouldn't that be a much better alternative?

Self-determination is not a destablizing concept IF AND ONLY IF it is determined by all the people in a particular community. Otherwise, self-determination is like 13 southern states seceding and calling themselves the CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA all for the defense of a way of life based on one group being superior over another... what we're trying to point out here is... not all struggles for self-determination are right and correct just because some people think it is.And the one in Mindanao by the Moros alone...surely is not!

2. On his Wish List for Mindanao

(1) a true and genuine PEACE that involves the people of Mindanao first and foremost...let the MINDANAOANS decide on the best form of peace it wants for its own home...the National Government and the Organization of Islamic Countries should step back and listen to what WE, THE PEOPLE want for Mindanao;

(2) the abolition of the AUTONOMOUS REGION OF MUSLIM MINDANAO...which is the biggest legal form of government sanctioned corruption by petty warlords and local political kingpins;

(3) the abbrogation/nullification of all existing TREATIES, AGREEMENTS, COMMUNIQUE'S, etc. with the MNLF, MILF, CPP-NPA, and whatever other sham organization comes forward to claim the voice of Mindanao;

(4) the non-recognition of a BANGSAMORO HOMELAND...there is no such thing. There is a Philippine State. The Constitution of the Philippines must be above all other considerations. Territorial claims by indigenous minorities and other ethnic cultural groups is nothing but an illegitimate rush to grab lands from legally established Filipino land-owners;

(5) the opening of Mindanao to long-term foreign investments...WE WANT MORE TRADE, NOT AID...MINDANAO IS NEITHER CHRISTIAN NOR MUSLIM...IT IS FILIPINO!!!

3. On the Bangsamoro’s Claim for a Homeland

Yes, I agree there WAS such a thing as a Bangsamoro Homeland before Christian Settlers came over in the late 19th century till the early part of the 20th Century... WAS, because this Homeland that you speak of has gone the way of Prussia, Chou, Annam, Khmer, Assyria, Persia, Rome, and the Grand Empires of the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, the British, Nazi Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics! IT DOES NOT EXIST NOW....THEY ALL DO NOT EXIST NOW. To insist that it does... that they all do... is probably a lesson taught by your History Professor, not mine.

ALSO ONLY PARTLY TRUE... because as much as Christian Filipinos migrated into Mindanao (up to the present...this internal movement of peoples has never really stopped...!) conversely, Muslim Filipinos were likewise migrating into Visayas and Luzon all at the same time! BEFORE, your Sultans ruled 80% of Mindanao... NOW, what piece of Mindanao do they rule? Going by your logic, sir...since your Sultans ruled 80% of Mindanao, and therefore that you basically own Mindanao in perpetuity... then are you likewise proposing that we return the rest of the Philippines to the Datus and the Rajahs that can be assumed to have ruled the rest of the islands before Magellan came to visit his Cebuano pal Lapu-Lapu? Oh well then, why stop there? Since the Datus and the Rajahs...and yes, even your Sultans, were preceded by a millennia of Aetas... then are you willing to give up your precious Homeland to the Aetas (from whom we've never heard a peep on about these "ancient" rights!)???Think about it sir...deeply... your forefathers may have come to Mindanao before my forefathers did... but even your ancestors weren't the first here... unless you yourself ARE IGNORANT OF YOUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. Again, not my fault... probably your History Professor’s…again.

Besides, now that 80% of Mindanao is beyond the grasp of all your modern-day Sultans combined (i.e. Ampatuans, Akbars, Dimaporos, Tans, Loongs, Paglases, Macarambons, Datumanongs, Rasuls, etc.)... did you ever hear any of your Christian neighbors even sheepishly propose that this 80% be called an Autonomous Region in Christian Mindanao? Or worse... a Bansang Kristiyano Homeland??? NO!Why don’t we? Because we acknowledge the inherent strength that unity and understanding between peoples can bring to our nation... especially here in Mindanao. We do not want to keep Christian Filipinos and Muslim Filipinos separated by these ever widening rifts. We want these artificial borders between the Christians and the Muslims to be totally erased from the map. Its a reverse APARTHEID SYSTEM which we do not wish to be institutionalized any further than it already has. We want all Christian and Muslim Filipinos to learn the beauty of living together harmoniously without too much of the excess baggage of the past which, we admit, has been equally violent on both sides. The debate on whether or not we should have a Federal State in Mindanao is heartily accepted… we actually support the idea as well… but please, YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY RIGHT WHATSOEVER TO CALL IT MUSLIM… as much as we never even dreamed of calling it Christian or Lumad or Buddhist or Animist or Agnostic or Atheist! Nor should it be called a homeland of the Moros alone… as much as we would not wish to call it a Federal State of Visayans, Tagalogs, Ilocanos and Ilonggos (who are clearly the majority in Mindanao’s population now!) alone as well.So we insist that there is no Bangsamoro Homeland as much as there is no Christian Homeland in Mindanao today. Again, our stand is, and it remains: Mindanao is neither Christian nor Muslim...it is Filipino.

Who says that we should be thankful that they (the Muslims) are claiming only a very small portion of Mindanao. We should be thankful indeed that the MILF is blackmailing the sovereign Philippine State into accepting a Bangsamoro Homeland carved out of its sovereign territory? Thankful why? Because otherwise, if we insist on not recognizing this bogus homeland of theirs, all hell will break loose? We should be thankful that the MILF, just like the MNLF, and just like the Abu Sayyaf...are asking for just a very small portion of Mindanao in exchange for Peace of Mind? In legal jurisprudence...sir...I'm sorry to say it as it should be said... but this is called EXTORTION. In street lingo... we call it a HOLD UP... !

They want something, sir... they go on ahead and offer something for it... they buy it... exactly like what my grandparents did when they BOUGHT the lands that this homeland of for the Moros is claiming to encompass right now. They want something? They shouldn't take it for free… claiming some divine intervention in the distant past awarded these lands to them in some Biblical passage akin to Israel’s being given, by Divine fiat, to Moses’ descendants...!The problem with your arguments sir...is that you want US to respect people who do not even care to reciprocate the respect that they so noisily demand! Respect the laws of the land first and they shall earn the respect of law-abiding citizens everywhere. They cannot demand respect when they themselves do not respect the legal systems that the State upholds...as enshrined in our Constitution...and as protected by our Republic and its duly constituted institutions. Respect the MILF? Respect the MNLF? Respect the Abu Sayyaf? Respect their reasons for making so much trouble in these last four decades? Sir, you ask too much!And then the temerity to raise that oft-repeated mantra that Christian Settlers are "LAND GRABBERS"?

Let me ask you sir... And I do hope I do not prick your sensibilities with my questioning... but, what of the Muslim Filipinos who live and work and own lands in Luzon and Visayas? What of them? Are they land grabbers as well? I do not believe us ever calling them that. They may not be as numerous but they are there... vital members of Phiippine society, brave, valiant, and proud of their heritage as much as the next Ilocano, Pampango, Bicolano, Bisaya, Ilonggo, Waray and Tagalog! And we are happy and grateful to live our lives with them as or neighbors and friends and family.And yet, according to your own flawed logic, only the Filipino settlers in Mindanao, professing a religion other than yours, should be considered LAND GRABBERS. This has always been the separatist movement's guiding principle, has it? Misuari was mouthing this as early as his UP days. Hashim Salamat also. And Abdurajak Janjalani. Even some of the most exalted Muslim Senators, Legislators and Local Executives have perpetuated this fantastic MYTH that the Moros own Mindanao...and that we are nothing more than unwanted guests.

But really sir, by your own admission that the first owners are the rightful owners...then only the Aetas actually have the real right to even call anyone land grabbers. Not you! So, unless you are an Aeta sir... your calling my forefathers land grabbers is simply the height of arrogance and/or ignorance (whichever way you might wish to put it...sir.), again...an issue that you must really take up with your History Professor."Your forefathers do not own a square inch of land in Mindanao. These lands were tilled by Muslims and the Lumads before your grandparents came.

"TRUE!!! Alas...my forefathers do not own a square inch of land in Mindanao! I Agree. Why? Because they are all dead. The legal system simply does not allow dead people to claim ownership over lands in Mindanao or elsewhere in the Philippines for that matter. Yes, these lands were tilled by Muslims and Lumads before my grandparents came... but just like my industrious and innovative and law-abiding grandparents... your grandparents and the grandparents of the lumads are all equally DEAD. Just as much as your Bangsamoro Homeland IS DEAD. Just as much as the great empires of the Incas and the Aztecs of the Americas ARE DEAD. And the Kingdoms and Principalities that used to make up modern-day Europe ARE ALL DEAD. You get my drift?We own pieces of land in Mindanao because our OCTs and TCTs say so. You can go as far as the International Court of Justice at The Hague... and you will find the same answer, sir. Moreover, our Land Titles are guaranteed and protected by the sovereign Republic of the Philippines... NOT by your mythical Bangsamoro Homeland...Besides, my gardener makes my garden all tidy and pretty... but it still doesn't make him the owner of my yard... unless of course, he buys it from me.

So my grandparents came and bought land from your grandparents... whatever reasons your grandparents may have had in selling this land that they only "claimed" to be theirs in the first place, is an issue wholly between you and your grandparents. Why your grandparents refused to have your vast "ancestral lands" properly titled and registered and taxed... is something that you must make extra effort to find out for yourselves. Your grandparents sell my grandparents a pot of land and after the day they all die you simply come out of the woodwork and claim that my grandparents stole this pot from your family...! That's a cheapshot. That's just plain and simple delusional. That's like Imelda Marcos claiming that she and her family owns one half of the Philippines! Did you ever realize how many millions around the world guffawed at her over such a dubious claim?After Mindanao, will you go on ahead and lawyer for the descendants of Raha Sulayman and Lakandula and Raha Humabon and Raha Matanda... claiming Metropolitan Manila and Cebu for your clients as well?

Finally, I say this... those who refuse to know and appreciate the realities of the present should bring their case to the courts and kingdoms of the past (if they still exist!)... and seek judgment in a past that they must first resurrect ... yes, history records a lot of things ... and its pages are littered by records of fallen kingdoms, lost empires, defeated principalities, abolished shogunates, eliminated reichs, false gods, faiths and prophets, numerous experiments in human society ... and the common thread running through each and every story is one and the same ... that they are all a part of history... HISTORY.

But you have the choice to see past these discombobulating contortions in your understanding of the world if you really wish to get past your own prejudices. If you will just accede to the realities of the present and say, finally: “Whatever we had before, we do not have now... but what we could have in the future is a far greater alternative than the past” ... that is: a united people, blind to the differences of religion, culture, race and origin... ONE UNITED PEOPLE. ONE STRONG NATION! NOT CHRISTIAN...NOR MORO...BUT FILIPINO. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that, do you?

4. On the Abolition of the ARMM

No, sir... abolish the ARMM not merely because it is corrupt... abolish the ARMM because the whole premise of establishing it is inherently wrong... it should not exist even if it was not corrupt.The fact that IT IS CORRUPT is just a case of "I told you so".

Who asked that ethnic lines be drawn to divide us in the first place? By calling this mythical homeland 'Bangsamoro'... by naming your autonomous region a 'Muslim Mindanao' region... who drew the first line? It all used to be just Mindanao.We only aim to erase these artificial dividing lines "imposed" on all of us in Mindanao. We should stop calling each other Christian or Muslim or Lumad... just as much as Americans should stop calling their citizens Whites, Blacks and Latinos... our worldview dictates that we all start calling ourselves simply, FILIPINOS. That's it. No more, no less.

Lastly, we agree with you wholeheartedly that all Good Mindanaoans should work to vanquish all Bad Mindanaoans, once and for all. We too, believe that we are all inherently GOOD. On this thought, we support you completely, and we are willing to work hand in hand with you on efforts that will bring about this great reawakening.

Much Ado Over a Policeman's Picture

(Following was a correspondence we had with Suara Bangsamoro, a militant Moro youth group, that works with several other progressive civil society groups. I recall my own kind of arguments when I was as young as they are now and having been member of such radical student groups as the LFS and CEGP I felt how it was to be like them once upon a time. Now I speak the language of the elders way back then - the same langguage that I wouldn't quite understand before. What an awefully revealing experience I have now to be wearing a different kind of shoes!)