What's Up, Cavite!

Gekkonidae Maliksensis

He's still holding on isn't he?

Liberal Party Member, "Mayor" Maliksi still refuses to step down despite the order issued from the Supreme Court which was declared effective immediately. According to reports the issues have caused disturbances to the government system in Imus and that the citizens are terribly affected by it. However... Mayor Jose Ricafuerte, head of the Cavite Mayors league, has come to to DEFEND Maliksi in his bid for the mayoralty seat and has condemned Gov. Remulla's actions, saying that it is his actions that have caused this trouble.

His? Really?

Stop being a gecko, sir, there's a system here.

In any way, recent reports say that Bacoor City Council candidates have filed a motion with the Comelec to look into the templates that were uploaded on the Commission's official website. Chairman Brilliantes, however, released a statement saying that the ballots have been corrected and that the candidates need not to worry.

Imus Tensions
Ballots and Corrections

What's Up Cavite?

Fig. 1: Mighty Bond

So, wait... there's already already an order from BOTH the Commission of Elections and the Supreme Court of the Philippines (which is the highest court in the land) and you still can't vacate your post?

It's stranger than fantasy, but this "mayor" here doesn't want to obey this order! C'mon, I'm not an expert here but how can a ruling from a local court be higher than that from the "SUPREME" court of the whole country? 

The writ explicitly says to: “Emmanuel Maliksi … to cease and desist from discharging the powers and functions of the office of the mayor … and to relinquish and vacate the same in favor of … Homer Saquilayan to cause the peaceful and smooth turn-over of office.” and that “Wherefore you are hereby directed to immediately implement this writ of execution , with the assistance of Provincial Local Government Operations Officer, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)" 

And then here comes the people that say the execution of that said order was mistaken. Ho-hum! Weren't you mistaken when you didn't act upon that order immediately? Didn't you disobey the order yourself, Mr. Maliksi? An after note, there would not have been any trouble if you didn't let your "people" or "supporters" barricade the doors. This is not some Les Miserbles musicale. 

If I were you, I would have left that post and would wait for another order from the court. Period. Now you look just like power-hungry monger.

Oh, well, people... you know who not to vote for. 

Links to the articles:

New Cavite mayor takes oath under tree

Who's the real mayor?

Maliksi: I'm Still Mayor

Law Violation?

Education and Government

Revelations

Upon the ground there now cries,

A silent shout for our country's pride,

A price they gave for what must be, 

A priceless thing for our dear youth.

With a drop of what once made shine,

The silver and gold medals that hung by her side,

Has killed her so, A victim of,

A silent killer of that same price

A dame of brains that pleaded for,

A better world forevermore,

A dame who cried for a lesser price,

For what must be a priceless prize

With her silent cries, a thousand shout,

A thousand shouts for our country's pride,

A price they gave for what must be, 

A priceless thing for our dear youth.

What's up, Cavite?

SC Unseats Imus Mayor

The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition filed by Imus, Cavite Mayor Emmanuel L. Maliksi of the Liberal Party against his erstwhile rival in the May 2010 mayoralty race, Homer T. Saquilayan while the Supreme Court on Tuesday declared Homer Saquilayan the duly elected mayor of Imus, Cavite, and ordered his immediate reinstatement to the post.

Voting 8-7, the high tribunal in an en banc session lifted the temporary restraining order it had issued in October stopping the Commission on Elections from unseating Emmanuel Maliksi in favor of Saquilayan.

The court also dismissed Maliksi’s petition and affirmed the Comelec rulings favoring Saquilayan.

“The decision is immediately executory considering that there are less than five months left in the office,” said court spokesman Theodore Te.

Maliksi was installed as mayor in December 2011, one month after the Imus Regional Trial Court ruled on his election protest against Saquilayan.

In August last year, a Comelec division declared that Saquilayan had beaten Maliksi by 8,429 votes. Maliksi appealed to the Comelec and then went to the Supreme Court.

Maliksi is the son of former Cavite governor and current Imus Rep. Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi. He is also a member of the Liberal Party, which is headed by President Aquino.

Cloud Photography

Tips regarding Cloud Photography

One of the easier subjects above the Philippine soil is clouds. They are such beauties, lovely formations and lovely colors. And, as the head of Midsummer Daydreams photography my main subject is, besides travel and history, the sky.

Now, the sky is always beautiful, but do take these notes in mind:

1. When taking pictures of clouds try adding subjects in the foreground that will look dramatic when silhouetted against the clouds. They would add a dramatic tone.

2. Clouds are best photographed during warm, summer sunsets. Take note of the sky, though, because those clouds might mean possible rainfall. Bring umbrellas in case of this.

3. Focus on any unusual detail in the sky, fascinating shapes that form out of the sky.

4. ALWAYS keep your eyes peeled; Clouds change formation often. Never let the perfect opportunity pass by. 

Besides those tips, keep safe and be wary of any thieves that may abound in the area. If taking pictures in open areas such as fields, wear clothes that would prevent mosquitoes from biting you; malaria and dengue cases are high in this country. Happy clicking!

Photos taken by SOUTH BIKE

Midsummer Daydreams Film & Photography

Taken in the City of Kawit, Cavite, Philippines

March 13, 2013

Habits

Seeing old churches like this one, the Parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Kawit or the Parish of Our Lady of the Pillar in Imus, makes you wonder and be fascinated of the by-gone days when this country was; those days when the cities and towns were haciendas and barrios, some governed by religious orders. 

Recent news bits, like the "revelations" of the clergy admitting that its dear ministers, at least some of them, have kids. But what is more surprising is that they say that this is not the issue, thus ignoring cases of pedophilia and rape, and that the focus is on the support of senatiorables who were against the RH Law. Such news brings back those accounts of priests, both in Philippine history and literature, fathering kids of their own; stories of rape inside the hallow convents and silent confession boxes. 

Remember Fray. Damaso? 

According to their statement: “We do not deny that there are instances of priests fathering children. That is not the issue, we are not the candidates here... We will not be silenced by the enemies of the church who plan to discredit us by exposing our defects." But wait... aren't they doing the same for the candidates, blackmailing them when the RH battle was ongoing?

Cloud talks

There's a million things you can realize in any moment -- and that in that single moment you are fist-pounded by clarity

Yesterday I was at the historical Imus Cathedral, the seat of the diocese of Imus, which is also known by its original name of the Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church. If you've heard about the famous papal candidate going by the name of Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle then you must have heard about this place being his first home as a young priest and, eventually, Bishop.

The parish was founded in 1795 by the Augustinian Recollects, who also managed the religious and economic affairs of their then-Hacienda de Imus, and put it under the patronage of Our lady of Pillar and St. John the Baptist. The parish was then put under the administration of Father Franciso de Santiago, OAR. 

From the former site of the parish in barrio Toclong, it was moved to Sitio Balangon, which is now known as the city proper of Imus, in 1823. The present structure, a magnificent edifice of stone and brick interior, was erected under the then-parish priest, Father Nicolas Becerra, OAR who served from 1821 to 1840.

In 1897 was administered by secular priests. Interestingly, a masonic temple was built beside the church, the Pillar lodge, a member of which is the General Emilio Aguinaldo who would later on lead the forces of the revolution down the fields of Imus. 

During the Japanese Occupation the city was under constant terror. According to the memoirs of a friend of mine, they would arrest anyone they find, torture them and kill them. On December 17, 1944, Japanese forces actually took down thirteen in the city plaza fronting the cathedral. The fourteenth man escaped and hid, so they say, in the nearby cemetery. 

The diocese was formed in November 25, 1961, separated from the Archdiocese of Manila and the Diocese of Lipa following an order of Pope John XXIII, Christi Fidelium which gave birth also to the Diocese of Bulacan. 

***

Beyond that I met an old friend of mine, a fellow choirster, and we talked about a million of things. During a sunset after choir practice we discussed the heavens and its beauty leading to Psalm 19:1, the heavens declare the glory of God, where we talked about how we are all just specks of reality drifting in a sea of possibility, guided by eternity. 

I had to expound over those things. It was a recent enlightenment and I was amazed by how profound it was. To think that we are, by chance or by luck, exist as a form in reality and that we are just part of a million possible futures that we could change in any instant. It was actually wonderful. That reality that beyond all these things we can change something beyond us and yet we are part of a grand plan by a divine being that guide us. It was beyond majesty.

That Psalm was a kind of revelation, it meant in every way that the universe -- endless as it was and beautiful and mysterious, was just a glimpse of the glory that is God Himself -- that all those grandiose realities exist because of Him for us to know Him and have a glimpse of what He is like. No matter how grand we think everything is, it offers nothing more than a fraction of a look at how God really works and how glorious He is.

Fist pound.