FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio


TESTING THE REVOLUTIONARY WATERS

Every man's action originates in whatever is in his mind. When a group of men such as the Magdalo soldiers led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Gen. Danilo Lim, staged another public demonstration on November 28th against the Arroyo administration and calling for the resignation of de facto president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, they were driven by a mindset that Arroyo is not a legitimate president of the Philippines. That came about from charges lodged against her of rigging the presidential elections of 2004 through graft and corruption particularly using public funds to pay off the election cheaters and stealing the presidency from Joseph Estrada in 2001.

Arroyo failed to convince the group of soldiers to think otherwise because she refused to answer the allegations before the Senate acting as a court of law by killing any impeachment moves initiated in the House of Representatives. Unless any change of thinking happens, they will persist to continue the uprising in whatever form is available over and over again until their subject resigns or escapes.

If President Arroyo truly intends to remain in Malacanang until 2010, then she needs to convince her political and military opposition that she has the moral authority to govern. Somehow through her grant of absolute pardon to former Pres. Joseph Estrada who was convicted of Plunder and sentence to a virtual life sentence, she was able to obtain some sort of legitimation upon Estrada's acceptance of the pardon.

She needs a widespread recognition of her presidential authority among the various groups clamoring for her removal from office. One important opposition group is that representing the followers of the late Fernando Poe, Jr., her main protagonist in the 2004 presidential elections perceived by the majority of the people as the real winner. If she gets their support, some other groups may follow suit that could discourage similar uprisings undertaken by the Magdalo soldiers. If not, I predict that in the final analysis, she will go down the way of Marcos, the dictator. This time around, American Samoa instead of Makiki Heights in Honolulu, Hawaii, would be willing to provide her asylum.

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FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio

SOMETHING TO PONDER ON THANKSGIVING DAY 2007

The American tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving Day once a year to give God in Heaven the credit of making our country strong and prosperous is the thing that keeps it the world's “Promised Land flowing with milk and honey.” With prosperity comes charity as the hallmarks of the American nation. Without the Spirit of God moving around our hills and valleys, America would surely become a a wasteland where death reigns.

Israel, the land of the Bible, is the greatest beneficiary of American power and wealth with its regular supply of economic and military aid. According to the Congressional Research Service 2007 report, from the 1976 to 2004, America has provided Israel with the greatest financial assistance since World War 11 with nearly 3 billion dollars in annual grants since 1985. As the greatest Christian nation in the world, our country cherishes this commitment to help and protect the land where Christianity was born not only with material things but through prayers that the Jewish people, younger son of Abraham, would turn to Christ and Christ alone. As the Christian apostle Paul said in his letter to the Romans in the New Testament, “ Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God that Israel may be saved.”

Now, Iraq is the biggest recipient of American aid, according to the same congressional report. I believe that the current American leadership under President George W. Bush sees the need to equally treat the descendants of Ishmael, older son of Abraham, with the same love and compassion and the same degree of passion that the Arab people turn to Christ and Christ alone. Remember that President Bush revealed to the whole world during a presidential debate that Jesus Christ is his greatest hero.

Who among the current presidential candidates would fit into the shoes of an American leader who could preserve the power and wealth of the United States as the greatest nation in the world and hold fast to the faith that God in Heaven is the ultimate source and provider? Who is that candidate who can really comprehend that the root of the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Arab world is traceable to the biblical account of the family problems of the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac? It is the candidate who believes that Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Sod of God, can provide the solution.

You may get the right answer by listening intently from the presidential candidates as they speak from their heart and soul. Fellow Americans, your vote for the right American president next year can keep or break the greatest nation in the world.

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FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio


“GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES”

A mad bomber penetrated the tight security of the Philippine House of Representatives located in Quezon City within the MetroManila area and exploded a strong bomb that killed four Congressional employees including a Congressman and injured scores of people. Just like the recent bombing in a shopping mall in neighboring Makati City, Philippine Police authorities are still at a loss whether the two explosions that killed innocent civilians are acts of terrorism or not.

Despite the deadly bomb attack inside the premises of the Philippine Congress, congressional allies of de facto President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who dominated the legislative body concluded their deliberations over the impeachment complaint against their lady boss by junking it for the second time around. Perhaps the death of a former Abu Sayyaf (Philippine terrorist group)member turned congressman doesn't really matter to them. For junking the impeachment complaint against their president, they could now again expect additional cash gifts from Malacanang and this matters more to these rascals.

If a bomber was able to break into the Philippine Congressional building, then he or she could enter any tightly-secured government agency, particularly Malacanang Palace whose American counterpart is the White House, the seat of presidency. It is imperative for Philipine national security authorities to address this problem of security breach as top priority unless their leader and associates as charged by a willing witness have something to do with masterminding the series of violent acts in the Philippines in order to declare martial law.

The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia. I believe God will not let another tyrant rule the Filipino people to divest them of their fundamental “right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But remember the saying: “God helps those who help themselves.”


THE NEXT AMERICAN VICE-PRESIDENT'S NAME ENDS IN A VOWEL

The poll numbers of former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, keeps rising in the Republican presidential race and is now considered by many political observers and analysts as the “dark horse.” If there's a true blue American Republican conservative who would be the darling of the Evangelicals and other conservative Christian believers, it's this candidate who is an ordained Southern Baptist Minister.

Pitted against a Mormon, a pro-choice Catholic, a maverick Christian conservative, and a no-church going Christian, Mike Huckabee, would really be a surprise winner in the coming Republican Primary.

In one of my past columns I predicted that the name of next American president ends in a vowel. Who's your choice for which of the two spots: Huckabee or Giuliani?

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FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio'

A CHRISTIAN SLEEPS FOR A LONG, LONG NIGHT

To those who believe in the Christian doctrine of Christ's Death, Burial, and Resurrection and God's Promise of Eternal Life in Heaven, the death of a Christian “has no sting” and his grave “has no victory.” For the Christian will rise from the grave incorruptible to meet Jesus Christ at His Second Coming.

My eldest brother(Kuyang in Tagalog, Nueva Ecija style), Manuel Manalo Policarpio, age 86, “gave up his ghost” on Tuesday, Nov 6th, in a hospital in the Philippines after a long bout with sickness due to old age. I believe he was ready to go to the other world yonder given several months of hospital care and unsuccessful treatment. But as a Christian, he died but will live again in God's time.

When I wrote about my other elder brother(Dikong), Benjamin, who passed away many years ago, leaving his merchandising business of art materials in the Philippines, some famous Filipino artists and painters who were his clients spoke highly of his being a charitable businessman to the starving artists and painters whose paintings now commands millions of pesos in prices.

Now what I can say with Kuyang is his record of pioneering the art of commercial photography in the Philippines during the liberation period following the end of the Japanese occupation. Together with Dikong and my another surviving elder brother(Sanko), Conrado, he established one of the first portrait studios in Manila, TRI-COLOR PORTRAIT STUDIO, located in the district of Tondo where I grew up. Charito Solis who was then just a local beauty queen from Caloocan and another local beauty who became a famous movie star, Priscilla Cellona patronized my brothers' studio. Their stiff competitors then were ROD's Studio and AIRPORT Studio on Azcarraga Street(now Recto Ave.)

Kuyang completed his B.S. Chemistry at Mapua Institute of Technology and education courses at the old Samson College that prepared him to teach science subjects such as Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry at the Eulogio V. Rodriguez, Sr. Technical School in Sta. Mesa, Manila. He was also head of the School's Photography Department that produced a lot of successful Filipino commercial photographers. For a time, he also taught at the Araullo University in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. He graduated from Nueva Ecija High School before my time(I was not born yet). Once I accompanied him to a high school reunion in Cabanatuan City where I met his classmate, former Aquino cabinet member, Luis Santos, and some military generals.

When he was in his mid30s, Kuyang traveled around the Philippines finally settling in Ligao, Albay in the Bicol Peninsula. There he met his landlady, Merle Velasco, who became his wife while he worked as a teacher in Ligao High School. Incidentally when I was in Las Vegas some months ago to attend a political event, a successful Filipino businesswoman, asked me if I'm related to a Maning Policarpio who she recalled was a very handsome teacher adored by the ladies in Albay.

My eldest brother grew up with our late grandfather Julio Policarpio, a pioneer settler and owner of large tracts of land in Cabanatuan particularly in Sumacab, Barrio Talipapa and Ibabaw-Bana . Last year, I accompanied him to Talipapa and found out that the town's elementary school sitting in the hectare-wide land donated by our grandfather was not named after Julio Policarpio.

Kuyang left a wife, one son, Julius, one daughter, Marian, four male grandchildren, two brothers, and four sisters, Priscilla, Socorro, Edna, and Felicitas. During his late years he was preoccupied with land disputes with tenants and squatters that according to my nephew Julius took much of his time at the expense of his deteriorating health. Anyway, at age 86, I believe our eldest brother had lived a full life in this world. And now he sleeps for a long, long night until he wakes up when the “trumpet shall sound.”

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FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio

A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FINALLY STUMBLES

So many interesting revelations came up from last Tuesday's Democratic Presidential Debate in Philadelphia.

First, Hillary, the only woman candidate, was exposed as a flip-flopper and a phony for making confusing and conflicting statements as she responded to questions about Iraq, Iran, the NAFTA, Social Security, and the current issue whether to give driver's license to illegal aliens. She even refused to allow media access to her archived files during her time as First Lady for 8 years under the Clinton administration.. Is she hiding a lot of questionable stuff from the American people?

Then, three of her male opponents namely Obama, Edwards, and Dodd, ganged up on her and painted her as somebody who cannot be trusted to lead the United States because of her seeming lack of integrity even without mentioning her illegal campaign donations. She finally stumbled in the remaining laps of the presidential derby.

Another candidate, Rep. Dennis Kucinich from Ohio, ridiculed himself by admitting that he indeed saw a UFO. Modesty aside, I may say by the way he talks and smiles and also the way he thinks, he was telling the truth about his “Close Encounter with the Third Kind.”

The other two candidates, Sen. Joe Biden from Delaware and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson turned out to be Hillary's defenders thus betraying their ambition to be chosen as the vice-presidential running mate of front runner Hillary if she wins the nomination. Biden avoided any unfavorable comments about Hillary's flip-flop and insisted that he is running against Republican front runner Rudy Giuliani who he said was campaigning on a platform of “a noun, a verb, and 9/11.” He described Giuliani as the “most underqualified candidate for president.” On the other hand, Richardson also tried to cover for Hillary against what he labeled as “personal attacks” from Obama, Edwards, and Dodd.

What is interesting to note regarding the UFO issue was Gov. Richardson's comment that the Federal government does not want to tell the whole story of UFO sightings by certain people like fellow candidate Kucinich. Remember, Richardson is the governor of New Mexico where aliens were reported to have landed in a New Mexican city of Roswell. Is he also a believer?

STATUS QUO IN QUEENS REPUBLICAN POLITICS

The recent Primary elections to choose local leaders of the Queens County Republican Party put those who support Democratic candidates still in control. These leaders have a history of endorsing Republicans who are really Democrats at heart such as Giuliani, Pataki, and Bloomberg. They are again gearing up to support the candidacy of Democrat and big-time Hillary fund raiser John Katsimatidis who just recently switched to the Republican Party for the 2009 New York mayoral elections.

Now the Filipinos can not claim to have the monopoly of harboring “political butterflies” or
“ balimbings”( a Philippine fruit having a characteristic multi-sided shape). New Yorkers are also noted for it.

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