All posts by Pol Pinoy

Business, Film and TV, Human Interest, Politics

Anti-Marcos Burial Protesters To Picket Manila’s Ukay-Ukay Stores

December 2, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau). They’ve come by the hundreds, or thousands — depending on who’s counting. They’re the activists protesting the burial of the remains of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (LNMB).

They’ve rallied at Luneta, on EDSA and in school campuses. Now, they’re running out of new venues and strategies to attract more participants in their protests.

Until now.

Today, the Movement for All-Around Protests (MAAP) announced that beginning on Monday, they will picket ukay-ukay stores throughout Metro Manila, and eventually across the country.

“Ukay-ukay” are considered to be the Filipino version of the flea market where used items ranging from clothing to kitchen and garden gadgets are sold at cheap prices

The term “ukay-ukay” is said to have originated from the Filipino verb “hukay” or “halukay” that means to dig.

The MAAP told The Adobo Chronicles that they found it appropriate and symbolic to picket the ukay-ukay stores because these outlets accurately reflect what the protesters are demanding: to dig or exhume (hukay) Marcos’ remains.

The group has even come up with their chants and battlecry: “Marcos, Hitler, Dictador, Tuta” and “What do we want? Ukay-ukay. When do we want it? Now!”

The protesters hope that their new strategy will attract more than the 3,000 or so participants they’ve had in previous rallies.

Government, Politics

Senator Trillanes Files Bill To Change Philippine Flag

November 30, 2016 Pol Pinoy 10 Comments

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Arguing that the Philippines is a country for all — pro-Duterte, pro-Aquino and anti-Marcos alike — Senator Antonio Trillanes today filed a bill that would change the current flag of the republic.

He unveiled the proposed new design at a press conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila, the same hotel where a group of 10 Cabinet ministers held a news conference several years ago to announce their resignations in protest against alleged poll-rigging by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and urged her to quit. They became to be known as the “Hyatt Ten.”

The new design replaces the blue stripe of the existing Philippine flag with yellow, representing Filipinos who are pro-Aquino and pro-Liberal Party. The red stripe remains to represent the pro-Duterte and pro-Marcos supporters.

Other senators have expressed their full support for Trillanes’ bill, among them, Senators Risa Hontiveros, Franklin Drilon, and Leila De Lima.

Government, Politics, Religion

For Whom The Bells Toll, According To Philippine Catholic Bishops

November 30, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

The famed Mayon Volcano in Albay province

LEGAZPI, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Bishop Joel Z. Baylon announced during Sunday Mass the ringing of church bells in Albay province every night at 9 p.m. as a signal to the faithful to pray for an end to extrajudicial killings in President Duterte’s war on drugs.

The head of the Catholic Diocese of Legazpi announced his call for “Prayers at Nine” in a letter to Mr. Duterte that was read in 45 churches throughout the province a day after the President repeated his vow to execute drug addicts, urging them to stay indoors or be silenced forever.

“We will ring the bells of our churches and chapels to call our people to prayer, to ask God to bless us all with his grace of mercy and compassion,” Baylon said. He added that the bells will keep on ringing as long as necessary.

Reacting to the bishop’s call, residents of Albay province complained that the ringing of the bells will keep many awake at night, especially those who go to bed early. “It’s very insensitive of the bishop to do this,” they said.

Meanwhile, pro-Duterte activists criticized the announcement, saying that the church bells of Albay are biased and discriminatory.

“Why didn’t the bells toll when 44 men of the PNP Special Action Forces were mercilessly murdered by Muslim rebels simply because the sitting President at that time refused to give the order to the other AFP and PNP elements to rescue the trapped SAF troopers,” said netizen Ed Malay.

He added: ” The bells should have also tolled when Canadian Robert Hall was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf. The bells should have also tolled when 13 demonstrators lost their lives at Mendiola in 1987. The bells should have tolled when farmers of Hacienda Luisita who merely wanted to get their shares of their labor were killed in 2004. The bells should have tolled when 58 innocent civilians were murdered in Maguindanao in 2009. The bells should have tolled in 2010 when 9 hostages were killed in a botched rescue attempt at the Luneta that gave the country a glimpse of an incompetent President who was propped up by the Church. And the bells should have tolled when thousands of Typhoon Yolanda victims lost their lives and were deprived of the benefits that could have been given them from the P120-Billion in foreign donations that are now missing and unaccounted for.”

Wow, that’s a lot.

Maybe the Catholic Church should just stay out of politics!