Estrada's Absolute pardon: absolutely ridiculuous?

We have followed the case for the past 6 years. The plunder case against the deposed President Estrada was not only monumental. More than ever, it is a test of the Philippine judicial system. It not an easy case to handle even for the most distinguished men of the law. Yet the government prosecutors, who have the most honest and truthful intentions to show that they will be unperturbed despite the threats in their lives, chose to burn the midnight...

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Basic courtesy guides for an “Ipula”

“Ipula” is a term used by Ivatans for someone who is not a native of Batanes. They would know if you are an Ipula or not, simply because you are a new face, and you do not speak their dialect. Ivatans are naturally courteous people. It is very heartwarming to know that the basic virtues taught by our grandparents and our parents still thrive in Batanes. Why not? Perhaps we can attribute it to the fact that they are an island and rarely do we, Ipulas,...

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Sweet honesty

Written on a small white board, the house rules say:Self-service po lamang. (Self-service only.)Get what you need.Please pay [for] whatever you get.If you have no change, please knock at the next door. If no one answers, sorry. So you give more than the price. Salamat po (Thank you) and may your tribe increase.Remember, honesty is the best policy.Thank you and have a happy day!Honesty Coffee Shop is located in Ivana, the third town from Basco, Batanes....

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Basco's Casa Napoli

Anybody who is new to Batanes, a pizzeria is a rare find. One would not expect a fine pizza parlor that serves pizza (of course) with real mozzarella cheese. We are just lucky to know locals who are familiar and frequent Casa Napoli.Casa Napoli is located along Abad Street in Basco and is actually a residence converted into a pizzeria by its owner and chef Javier, who used to work in a ship. The place literally offers a colorful ambience that will...

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Windows of Batanes

I am back from a week of hibernation and I am coming back with some great photos to share!Read on....I was fascinated at how this PC computer perched on the table with the window as its backdrop.Instantly, I got an idea for my blog, and windows became my fetish during my short Batanes sojourn, so the title: Windows of Batanes.Aside from the colorful, but otherwise monotonous blue paint of windows in almost every house, I find the windows of Batanes...

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INKBLOTS POLLS: 50/50 on Hello Garci

The Senate faces a big challenge as soon as Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s revived the issue on Hello Garci that was started two years ago. It can be recalled that the House of Representatives conducted its own congressional investigation on the matter but nothing has been resolved despite the long proceedings and quite a number of witnesses. Now that it is the turn of the senate. The question is: Will the Senate finally resolve the issue this time? But...

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Blogging: The heart and soul of it

Treasure chestMy wife was always complaining that I spend too much infront of my PC and retiring in the wee hours of the morning because of blogging. However, when I joined the Wika 2007, I never thought she would not support me to campaign for my entry. [It is because I promised her that I will give her the pot money if I win! Lolz]. So she helped in the campaign as well, and helped analyze why our 200+ contacts did not translate to number of votes....

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INKBLOTS POLL RESULT: 64% against military offensive in Sulu and Basilan

The entire country, and perhaps the international community was struck by the news last July 10, 2007 that when 10 Marines were beheaded by alleged bandits coming the ranks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels and Abu Sayyaf. It was enough to cause distress, foremost to the communities near the place of incident, but also to the peacemakers who toiled hard to bring back peace and development in Mindanao. Since the all-out war policy...

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