Tuesday, December 31, 2013

cOUnTDOwN TO nEW yEAR 2014 !!!




Awakening


Year-end Reflections from Dr. Jose Rizal: On tyranny, dignity, ignorance, compassion etc.

Jose Rizal
Rizal wrote a famous letter in Tagalog, Sa mga Kababaihang taga Malolos, (To the Young Women of Malolos), while he was residing in London, upon the request of M. H. del Pilar. On December 12, 1888, a group of twenty young women of Malolos petitioned Governor-General Weyler for permission to open a “night school” so that they might study Spanish under Teodoro Sandiko.  Fr. Felipe Garcia, the Spanish parish priest, objected to the proposal.  Therefore the governor-general turned down the petition.  

However, the young women, in defiance of the friar’s objection, bravely continued their agitation for the school – a thing unheard of in the Philippines in those times.  They finally succeeded in obtaining government approval to their project on the condition that Señora Guadalupe Reyes should be their teacher.  The incident caused a great stir in the Philippines and in Spain.  

Accordingly, Rizal sent the letter to Del Pilar on February 22, 1889 for transmittal to Malolos. Jose Rizal.NHCP

Excerpts from some of Rizal's reflections in the letter:

"I do not pretend to be looked upon as an idol or fetish and to be believed and listened to with the eyes closed, the head bowed, and the arms crossed over the breast; what I ask of all is to reflect on what I tell him, think it over and shift it carefully through the sieve of reasons.

"First of all.  That the tyranny of some is possible only through cowardice and negligence on the part of others.

"Second.  What makes one contemptible is lack of dignity and abject fear of him who holds one in contempt.

"Third.  Ignorance is servitude, because as a man thinks, so he is; a man who does not think for himself and allowed himself to be guided by the thought of another is like the beast led by a halter.

"Fourth.  He who loves his independence must first aid his fellowman, because he who refuses protection to others will find himself without it; the isolated rib in the buri is easily broken, but not so the broom made of the ribs of the palm bound together.

"Fifth.  If the Filipina will not change her mode of being, let her rear no more children, let her merely give birth to them.  She must cease to be the mistress of the home, otherwise she will unconsciously betray husband, child, native land, and all.

"Sixth.  All men are born equal, naked, without bonds.  God did not create man to be a slave; nor did he endow him with intelligence to have him hoodwinked, or adorn him with reason to have him deceived by others.  It is not fatuous to refuse to worship one's equal, to cultivate one's intellect, and to make use of reason in all things.  Fatuous is he who makes a god of him, who makes brutes of others, and who strives to submit to his whims all that is reasonable and just.

"Seventh.  Consider well what kind of religion they are teaching you.  See whether it is the will of God or according to the teachings of Christ that the poor be succored and those who suffer alleviated.  Consider what they are preaching to you, the object of the sermon, what is behind the masses, novenas, rosaries, scapularies, images, miracles, candles, belts, etc. etc; which they daily keep before your minds; ears and eyes; jostling, shouting, and coaxing; investigate whence they came and whiter they go and then compare that religion with the pure religion of Christ and see whether the pretended observance of the life of Christ does not remind you of the fat milch cow or the fattened pig, which is encouraged to grow fat nor through love of the animal, but for grossly mercenary motives.

"Let us, therefore, reflect; let us consider our situation and see how we stand.  May these poorly written lines aid you in your good purpose and help you to pursue the plan you have initiated.  "May your profit be greater than the capital invested;" and I shall gladly accept the usual reward of all who dare tell your people the truth.  May your desire to educate yourself be crowned with success; may you in the garden of learning gather not bitter, but choice fruit, looking well before you eat because on the surface of the globe all is deceit, and the enemy sows weeds in your seedling plot.

"All this is the ardent desire of your compatriot.

"JOSÉ RIZAL"

The original Tagalog text:

"Dí ko inaasahang paniwalaan ako alang-alang lamang sa aking sabi: maraming taong dí natingin sa katuiran at tunay, kundí sa habito, sa putí ñg buhok ó kakulangan kayá ng ngipin. Ñguní at kung ang tanda'y magalang sa pinagdaanang hirap, ang pinagdaan kong buhay hain sa ikagagaling ng bayan, ay makapagbibigay ñg tandá sa akin, kahit maiklí man. Malayó ako sa, pagpapasampalataya, pag didiosdiosan, paghalili kayá sa Dios, paghahangad na paniwalaa't pakingang pikit-mata, yukó ang ulo at halukipkip ang kamay; ñguni't ang hiling ko'y magisip, mag mulaymulay ang lahat, usigin at salain kung sakalí sa ngalan ng katuiran itong pinaninindigang mga sabi:

"Ang una-una. "Ang ipinagiging taksil ñg ilan ay nasa kaduagan at kapabayaan ñg iba."

"Ang ikalawa. Ang iniaalipustá ng isa ay nasa kulang ñg pagmamahal sa sarili at nasa labis ñg pagkasilaw sa umaalipustá.

"Ang ikatlo. Ang kamangmañga'y kaalipinan, sapagkat kung ano ang isip ay ganoon ang tao: taong walang sariling isip, ay taong walang pagkatao; ang bulag na taga sunod sa isip ng iba, ay parang hayop na susunod-sunod sa talí.

"Ang ikaapat. Ang ibig magtagó ñg sarili, ay tumulong sa ibang magtagó ñg kanila, sapagkat kung pabayaan mo ang inyong kapuá ay pababayaan ka rin naman; ang isa isang tingting ay madaling baliin, ñguní at mahirap baliin ang isang bigkis na walis.

"Ang ika-lima. Kung ang babaing tagalog ay dí magbabago, ay hindí dapat magpalaki ñg anak, kungdí gawing pasibulan lamang; dapat alisin sa kanya ang kapangyarihan sa bahay, sapagka't kung dili'y ipag kakanulong walang malay, asawa, anak, bayan at lahat.

"Ang ika-anim. Ang tao'y inianak na paris-paris hubad at walang talí. Dí nilalang ñg Dios upang maalipin, dí binigyan ñg isip para pabulag, at dí hiniyasan ñg katuiran at ñg maulol ñg iba. Hindí kapalaluan ang dí pagsamba sa kapuá tao, ang pagpapaliwanag ñg isip at paggamit ñg matuid sa anomang bagay. Ang palalo'y ang napasasamba, ang bumubulag sa iba, at ang ibig paniigin ang kanyang ibig sa matuid at katampatan.

"Ang ika-pito. Liniñgin ninyong magaling kung ano ang religiong itinuturó sa atin. Tingnan ninyong mabuti kung iyan ang utos ng Dios ó ang pangaral ni Cristong panglunas sa hirap ñg mahirap, pangaliw sa dusa ñg nagdudusa. Alalahanin ninyo ang lahat ñg sa inyo'y itinuturó, ang pinapatuñguhan ñg lahat ng sermon, ang nasa ilalim ng lahat ng misa, novena, kuintas, kalmen, larawan, milagro, kandilá, corea at iba't iba pang iginigiit, inihihiyaw at isinusurot araw-araw sa inyong loob, taiñga, at mata, at hanapin ninyo ang puno at dulo at saka iparis ninyo ang religiong sa malinis na religion ni Cristo, at tingnan kung hindí ang inyong pagkakristiano ay paris ng inaalagang gatasang hayop, ó paris ng pinatatabang baboy kayá, na dí pinatatabá alang alang sa pagmamahal sa kaniya, kundí maipagbili ng lalong mahal at ng lalong masalapian.

"Magbulay-bulay tayo, malasin ang ating kalagayan, at tayo'y mag isip isip. Kung itong ilang buhaghag na sabi'y makatutulong sa ibinigay sa inyong bait, upang ding maituloy ang nasimulan ninyong paglakad.

"Tubó ko'y dakilá sa puhunang pagod" at mamatamisin ang ano mang mangyari, ugaling upa sa sino mang mañgahas sa ating bayan magsabi ng tunay. Matupad nawá ang inyong nasang matuto at harí na ñgang sa halaman ñg karunuñgan ay huwag makapitas ñg buñgang bubut, kundí ang kikitili'y piliin, pagisipin muná, lasapin bago lunukin, sapagka't sa balat ñg lupá lahat ay haluan, at di bihirang magtanim ang kaaway ng damong pansirá, kasama sa binhí sa gitná ñg linang.

"Ito ang matindin nasá ñg inyong kababayang si…

"JOSÉ RIZAL
Europa, 1889."

First Rizal Monument erected in the country, 1898.
Daet, Camarines Norte

Rizal Monument in Boac, Marinduque
Photo: Myke Magalang

Monday, December 30, 2013

Solar wind, flares in the offing, weather modification: Should we be concerned? Geoengineering research papers released

COMING SOON--THE FIRST AURORAS OF 2014: Magnetic fields in the sun's northern hemisphere have opened up, creating a vast hole in the sun's atmosphere--a coronal hole. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is monitoring the UV-dark gap:


Coronal holes are places where magnetic fields threading through the sun's atmosphere spread apart and allow solar wind to escape. A stream of solar wind flowing from this particular coronal hole could reach Earth on Jan. 2-3, possibly sparking polar geomagnetic storms. SpaceWeather

INCREASING CHANCE OF FLARES: Sunspots AR1934 and AR1936 have grown significantly in the past 24 hours, each more than doubling in area as dozens of new dark cores add themselves to the two active regions. Click on the image to review the developments:


"Wave of ionization in the upper atmosphere over Asia, the Middle East and eastern Europe"

Sunspot AR1934 has developed a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that harbors energy for powerful X-class solar flares. Sunspot AR1936 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for lesser M-class flares. Nevertheless, AR1936 poses the greater threat to Earth because it is directly facing our planet. Indeed, an M3-class flare from this sunspot on Dec. 29th created a wave of ionization in the upper atmosphere over Asia, the Middle East and eastern Europe. More flares are in the offing, so stay tuned. SpaceWeather

Good vs Evil ©Isabel Castaño. www.isabelcastano.com

Should we be concerned?

This year, and at no other time in history has the subject of solar radiation and the effects of weather modification triggered such heightened awareness. This seems to have been generated by postulations touched in mainstream media including the Internet that Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan that struck Central Philippines was a supertyphoon that underwent man-made intensification. 

Attempts to debunk the idea by so-called local 'experts' merely succeeded in bringing to the fore the 'woeful mistake' by a sector of our local scientific community in dismissing the subject as 'just not possible in science'.

Wikipedia defines Geoengineering as "the application of geosciences, where mechanics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and geology are used to understand and shape our interaction with the earth". Others define it as roughly the “deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment to counteract anthropogenic climate change” (Shepherd et al. 2009). 

Now global geoengineering has become an even hotter topic as it now also involves the touchy 'weather modification via frequency' postulation. More than one-and-a-half curious millions were drawn to the relevant YouTube video that generated people's interest worldwide. 

As if the cat is really out of the bag, 12 scientific papers have recently been released all at the same time, seen by some as the beginning of the public involvement in the discourse 'at least officially':

Special Issue: Geoengineering Research and its Limitations
In: Climate Change, Volume 121, Issue 3, December 2013. They're as follows:  Link

Articles:













Also read:

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Rizal Day celebration: Free MRT/LRT rides; The Marinduque youth who smuggled Rizal's "Noli" and "Fili"

For tomorrow's Rizal Day celebration Metro Manila's mass rail systems will offer free rides to the public during peak hours. This year’s Rizal Day likewise marks the centennial of the Rizal Monument, built as the tomb and memorial to Dr. Rizal and which has since then served as the symbol of our nationhood.

The free rides on trains of the Metro Rail Transit Corporation and the Light Rail Transit Authority will be from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.





The MRT runs from North Ave. in Quezon City up to Pasay Rotonda in Pasay City, while LRT Line 1 operates from Roosevelt Ave. in QC to Baclaran. LRT Line 2 covers Santolan station in Pasig City up to Recto station in Manila.

A Marinduqueno smuggled Rizal's books for distribution into the Philippines 


There's a little known fact about Rizal's clandestine work and that of a young Marinduque native who figured in that episode.


Dr. Augusto V. de Viana’s book, "The I Stories", is a compilation of eyewitness accounts of people who actually participated in important historical events, including little known accounts on Rizal. Those interviews were originally published in The Manila Times and the Philippines Free Press in the 1920s up to the 1950s.


One of those stories was about Rizal’s efforts to protect his books “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” through the accounts of a relative of the hero’s family, Dr. Jose Francisco, and a former cabin boy, Perfecto Rufino Riego.

Perfecto Rufino Riego was a native of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque. Details of Riego's first meeting with the national hero based on the former’s account was shared by de Viana during the Marinduque historical conference held in the town of Mogpog in 2008.

According to de Viana, it was in the house of Francisco's father, Don Higino, where Rizal and other leaders of the independence movement held their secret meetings and kept their political propaganda, including the original manuscript of the Noli.

It was then Riego, working as a cabin boy, who took the task of smuggling copies of the Noli and Fili into the Philippines from Hong Kong. Copies of the books were shipped on the boat “Don Juan” from Germany where they were published. Upon return, Riego also had a hand in the distribution of the books in Manila's old towns using a caleza.


Perfecto Rufino Riego was from the town of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque.
It was also the young Riego who helped another Filipino hero, Graciano Lopez Jaena, escape from the Spanish authorities during an aborted visit to the Philippines by disguising himself as an "apprentice" to Riego in taking him to Hong Kong on his way back to Spain. 

In his twilight years Riego gave De Viana an account of his part of the story with interesting details that provide a more human side of his encounter with the national hero.

In Revolutionary Spirit: Jose Rizal in Southeast Asia by John Nery (Iseas Publishing, Singapore 2011), we also find the following note:

"A feature in the Philippines Free Press of 25 December 1948 tells the story of how Rizal recruited Perfecto Rufino Riego, a cabin boy on a ship that plied the Manila-Hong Kong run, to help smuggle in buri sacks full of copies of the Noli. Augusto de Viana's The I-Stories, a helpful compendium of "alternative" eyewitness accounts of the Revolution and the Philippine-American War, recounts the interesting details. There are some inconsistencies in Riego's account (by the time the story came out he was already in his eighties), but the basic facts seem authentic".

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Year-end volcanic fireworks, ash plumes rising; 2013 sets new record, risk of global cooling heightened



Volcano activity for the week of  December 18 – December 24 2013 (December 27, 2013) by Earthquake-Report

The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program.
New Activity/Unrest
Kliuchevskoi  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)


ISS photo showing an oblique view of an eruption plume emanating
from the Kliuchevskoi volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Credit: NASA.

KVERT reported weak seismic activity at Kliuchevskoi during 13-20 December, and video images showedmoderate gas-and-steam activity. Satellite images detected daily weak thermal anomalies over the summit and the SW flank. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Palena Volcanic Group  | Chile
The eruption OR wildfire plume near Palena volcano yesterday (photo: A Gillmore / Twitter)
Based on a pilot observation and analyses of satellite images, the Buenos Aires VAAC reported that activity at the Palena Volcanic Group began around 1530 on 22 December. Satellite images showed an ash plume drifting SE which dissipated quickly, and diffuse ash, gas, and steam near the source.
Ongoing Activity
Bagana  | Bougainville (Papua New Guinea)
Bagana Volcano: Photo: SI
Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 22 December an ash plume from Bagana rose to an altitude of 2.7 km (9,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 75 km NE.
Chirinkotan  | Kuril Islands (Russia)
Steam plume from Chirinkotan volcano in the Kuriles  (Terra false color image).
SVERT reported that a thermal anomaly over Chirinkotan was observed in satellite images on 9, 12, and 15 December. Cloud cover obscured views on the other days during 10-16 December. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.
Dukono  | Halmahera (Indonesia)
Dukono. ExtinctionProtocol
 Based on analyses of satellite imagery and wind data, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 18 December a possible ash plume from Dukono rose to an altitude of 2.1 km (7,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted over 35 km E. On 24 December an ash plume rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 55 km N.
Karymsky  | Eastern Kamchatka (Russia)
Karymsky. Photo: SI
KVERT reported that Vulcanian and Strombolian activity at Karymsky continued during 13-20 December. Satellite images detected a bright thermal anomaly on the volcano daily, and gas-and-steam plumes that drifted 30 km SW on 18 December. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Kilauea  | Hawaiian Islands (USA)
Satellite photo of Kilauea volcano, showing the summit caldera
 and parts of its east rift zone with the active vent Pu'u 'O'o. 
During 18-23 December HVO reported that the circulating lava lake occasionally rose and fell in the deep pit within Kilauea’s Halema’uma’u Crater. The plume from the vent continued to deposit variable amounts of ash, spatter, and Pele’s hair onto nearby areas. At Pu’u ‘O’o Crater, glow emanated from spatter cones on the N and S portions of the crater floor. The 7.3-km-long Kahauale’a 2 lava flow, fed by the NE spatter cone, was active with scattered break-out flows and burned the forest N of Pu’u ‘O’o; the flow however was most active about 6 km NE of Pu’u ‘O’o based on satellite images from 20 December.
Manam  | (Papua New Guinea)
Satellite image of Manam volcano (c) Google,
RVO reported that activity at both Manam’s Southern Crater and Main Crater was low during 1-15 December; white vapor emissions rose from both craters. Light gray ash clouds rose from Southern Crater during 6, 10, and 13-14 December, and incandescence from the crater was observed during 6-10 and 12-13 December. Incandescence from Main Crater was visible during 11-13 and 15 December, and gray ash plumes rose from the crater during 13-14 December. No plumes from either crater rose more than 100 m during the reporting period.
Rabaul  | New Britian (Papua New Guinea)
Satellite image of Rabaul (Tarvurvur) volcano (c) Google
RVO reported that Rabaul caldera’s Tavurvur cone was quiet during 1-15 December. White and occasionally blue vapor plumes rose from the crater, An explosion at 1850 on 15 December generated an ash-poor plume.
Sakurajima  | Kyushu (Japan)

Ash plume from an eruption of Sakurajima Dec. 24, 2013.
JMA reported that on 19 December an explosion from Sakura-jima’s Showa Crater ejected tephra as far as 1,300 m. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-5). The Tokyo VAAC reported that during 18-19 and 21-23 December explosions generated plumes that rose to altitudes of 1.8-3 km (6,000-10,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted E, SE, and S.
Shiveluch  | Central Kamchatka (Russia)
Large pyroclastic flow from Shiveluch volcano, (KVERT webcam)
Based on visual observations and analyses of satellite data, KVERT reported that during 13-20 December a new lava dome extruded onto the NW part of Shiveluch’s older lava dome. Moderate explosions generated ash plumes that rose to altitudes of 4-5 km (13,100-16,400) a.s.l. Lava-dome extrusion was accompanied by hot avalanches, incandescence, and fumarolic activity. A thermal anomaly was detected daily in satellite images. Several strong explosions on 17 December generated ash plumes that rose to altitudes of 5.5-6 km (18,000-19,700 ft) a.s.l. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.
Sinabung  | (Indonesia)
Steaming Sinabung. in Sumatra. VolcanoDiscovery
Based on webcam images, the Darwin VAAC reported that on 22 December an ash plume from Sinabung rose to an altitude of 3.7 km (12,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 55 km W. During 23-24 December ash plumes recorded by the webcam rose to an altitude of 3 km (10,000 ft) a.s.l.
Ulawun  | New Britian (Papua New Guinea)
Satellite image of Ulawun volcano (c) Google,
RVO reported that activity at Ulawun was low during 1-15 December; pale gray ash plumes rose from the crater. People between Sena Estate and Noau on the N flank reported ashfall in early December.


Niijima and Nishino-shima (Japan) connect after weeks of eruptions (December 26, 2013)
The two islands of Nishino-Jima (t) and Niijima (b) have merged on Christmas Day. 
Photo has triggered a nickname for the island, "Snoopy Island".

What one (maybe one time in the future) could expect at El Hierro, happened the preceding weeks and days in Japan when a Surtseyan submarine eruption surfaced and continued to erupt until Niijima and Nishino-shima made a connection on Christmas day. The eruption lasted for many weeks.

*** *** ***

By Friday, December 27, 2013 Discovery.com provided an update that includes the following volcanic activities: 

Etna, Kizimen, Suwanose-jima, Paluweh

Friday Dec 27, 2013 18:03 PM |

Etna this morning (Schiena dell'Asino webcam, Etna Trekking)
Etna this morning (Schiena dell'Asino webcam, Etna Trekking)


Steaming Kizimen volcano this morning
Steaming Kizimen volcano this morning







Gas (+ash?) plume from Suwanose-Jima this morning
Gas (+ash?) plume from Suwanose-Jima this morning













Etna (Sicily, Italy)
: The volcano has remained mostly calm. Ash emissions from the NE crater decreased and tremor fluctuated at low levels over the holidays.















Kizimen (Kamchatka): Activity has picked up at the volcano again. An ash plume was reported this morning by VAAC Tokyo to 17,000 ft (5 km) altitude extending north. Webcam images show a significant steam plume which possibly contains ash.  This suggests that the lava dome might be entering a new phase of growth. KVERT still maintains the volcano at status "Green" (normal).
















Suwanose-jima (Ryukyu Islands): A small explosion occurred this morning (JST time) at the volcano; VAAC Tokyo reported an ash 
plume at 4,000 ft (1,2 km) altitude.

[September 2013 photo of Paluweh by NASA/Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon

Paluweh (off Flores Island, Indonesia): After several months with little activity, an ash plume was spotted again by VAAC Darwin yesterday, with an estimated altitude of 10,000 ft (3 km). The new lava dome probably continues to produce occasional collapse events and explosions.

On Twitter today:

El Hierro /Canary Islands (Spain)

El Hierro. Volcanoes
No more earthquakes but continued deformation in the South-East of the Island. (Earthquake-Report). The northern part of the island has migrated 30 mm towards the north and south, 20 mm in the south. Changes the West / East are not so serious. As distortions will continue, the crisis will not be over. (VolcansVanuatu)

Etna's paroxysms.

2013 Sets A New Record For Volcanic Eruptions: Heightens The Risk Of Worldwide Cooling

2013 has seen more volcanic eruptions than at any time since records began. As reported in Seven Volcanoes In Six Different Countries All Start Erupting Winin Hours Of Each Other, vulcanism is on the increase. In an average year, 50-60 volcanoes erupt. So far this year there have been 83, not including any eruptions when writing this article.

An extra 23-33 eruptions (so far) may not seem like much, but those extra eruptions represent a massive amount of gases and ash being blown into the atmosphere. Millions and millions of metric tonnes which can have a profound effect on life on Earth.

The ash, which contains a variety of particulate matter, reflects sunlight back away from the surface. In severe eruptions it actually prevents sunlight getting through at all, as with the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991. Sulfur dioxide, one of the main gases thrown up during eruptions, also decreases temperatures and millions of tons at a time can be discharged when a volcano erupts. More on TheDailySheeple



First major eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991,
 viewed from Clark Air Force Base. Karin Jackson
FLASHREPORT (Update):

Chaparrastique / San Miguel (El Salvador)

El Salvador begins evacuation after Chaparrastique volcano erupts for the first time in 37 years. Authorities in El Salvador have started to evacuate the municipality of San Miguel after the Chaparrastique volcano erupted Sunday, Dec. 29 shooting a giant ash cloud into the sky. Independent


Chaparrastique shooting giant ash cloud. Independent

Friday, December 27, 2013

High Court vs House of Representatives: Dangerous impasse leading to anarchy


A dangerous impassé

By Emil Jurado | Dec. 27, 2013 
•••
The impassé created by the House of Representatives ignoring the Supreme Court decision on the citizenship issue against Regina Ongsiako-Reyes, effectively ousting her from sitting as congresswoman of Marinduque, brings to fore the basic issue of what should be superior—the Supreme Court as the final arbiter on questions of law and constitutional issues, or the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal which rules on questions of electoral protests.
As a lawyer myself, I am concerned about this case since the impassé creates a constitutional crisis.
I have always believed that the Supreme Court, while flip-flopping on some issues, has the last say on justiciable issues brought before it. We may not agree with what the Supreme Court says, but when it hands down a decision, that’s effectively the rule of law, which must be obeyed.
Now comes the House of Representatives saying that the HRET has the exclusive jurisdiction in the Reyes and Velasco case since the former has taken her oath as Marinduque representative and has been recognized as such by the House leadership.
That may be so, but Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno held in her separate concurring opinion that the Comelec disqualification order has already become final, and hence, the HRET has no jurisdiction on the electoral case.
Back to the question on which is superior. This impassé sets a dangerous precedent. Imagine a co-equal and co-independent body like Congress defying the High Court.  The Judiciary has no teeth to enforce its decision, having no police, no army and no law-enforcement agencies.
I am concerned not only as lawyer believing in the majesty of the rule of law and due process, but as a Filipino in a country where the three branches of government cannot work at cross-purposes.
This could lead to anarchy.
•••
Now comes the move of the House, in its oversight function, to investigate the Judiciary Development Fund in the wake of calls of some congressmen to impeach and hit back at the justices for saying that the Priority Development Assistance Fund is unconstitutional.
My gulay, how else can you interpret this move by the House? If this is not blackmail—remember that the President’s own pork barrel through that new animal called Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is under consideration by the High Court—then what is it?
Why are members of Congress hitting back like spoiled brats whose lollipops were taken away from them?
When Speaker Sonny Belmonte says, in an attempt to tone down calls for probe of the JDF, that the House will simply exercise its oversight function, there’s reason to believe that he is speaking with a forked tongue. We all know that the House is retaliating, comparing the JDF with congressional pork barrel.
My gulay, these lawmakers should know that the JDF is not a discretionary fund as the law defines how it will be spent: 80 percent for cost of living allowances, and not more than 20 percent for office equipment and facilities of the court.