Paglabag sa batas sa Marinduque FMR bids atbp umusok na

3 linggo bago mag-eleksiyon: Anomalya at ilegalidad sa midnight loan bids ng Lalawigan ng Marinduque ayon sa COA

Harap-harapang panggagahasa sa kaban ng isang-lalawigan?

Noong Oktubre 20, 2015 panahong suspendido si Gov. Carmencita O. Reyes ng Sandiganbayan dahil sa kasong tinaguriang Fertilizer Scam, ay nakipagkontrata si Reyes sa DBP para sa pangungutang ng P300M para sa mga ibat-ibang proyekto sa gitna ng mga protesta.

Kasama sa inuutang ang infra projects sa halagang P170,086,533.96 para sa farm to market roads kung saan nagkaroon ng bidding noong Marso 9, 2016, kahit pa may nakabinbin na kaso sa Makati Regional Trial Court na naglalayong ikansela ang kontrata sa DBP.

Base sa masusing pagsusuri ng COA, lumitaw na sadyang kadudaduda diumano ang legalidad ng prosesong isinagawa ng Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) sa maraming kadahilanan. Ilan dito ang hindi pagsunod sa mga probisyon ng RIRR ng RA 9184, mga bidders/suppliers na binigyan ng kontrata bagamat hindi kumpleto ang legal requisites, mga impormasyon na tinaguriang "bogus" ng COA, kabiguan ng mga bidder na magbayad ng tamang income tax sa BIR, kabiguang magsumite ng Tax Clearance, at marami pang iba pa.

Ikinagulat ng COA kung bakit sa likod ng mga nasabing pangangailangan ayon sa batas ay pinayagan ng BAC at Technical Working Group na palusutin ang mga ito sa panahon ng preliminary evaluation, evaluation at post-qualification bagamat ang mga bidders ay "ineligible".

Sa isang kasunod na Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), na ipinadala kay Gov. Carmencita O. Reyes ay maliwanag na ipinarating ng COA ang kanilang pagsusuri. Ayon sa Komisyon may surplus sa pananalapi ang lalawigan na ang suma-total ay P 526,204,782.13 kayat hindi rin kailangang mangutang sa DBP.  Kasama sa nasabing halaga ang cash in vault, cash in bank at mga time deposit.

45% naman ng total cash na nagkakahalaga ng P238M ay magagamit sa mga proyekto sa halip na mangutang ayon sa Komisyon sa Audit.

Bahagi ng pagsusuri ng COA na may petsang April 11, 2016

Matatandaang noong 2014 ay tahasan ding iniulat sa bayan ng nasabing Komisyon na ang hindi pag-gamit ng lalawigan sa mga pondong nakalaan para sa mga proyektong makakatulong sa taumbayan ay hindi naaayon sa letra ng mga kaukulang batas.

2014 pa nagbabala ang Komisyon sa Audit

Dahilan dito iginiit na ng COA, bukod pa sa ilang mga dapat isagawa ng tuwid ng lalawigan na may kinalaman sa pananalapi, ang pagpaliban sa pangungutang sa DBP at pagtitiyak na ang pag-gamit ng kaban ng bayan ay naaayon sa "vision, mission at strategic plans" ng lalawigan.

Para sa ilang mga mamamayan ng Marinduque bilang reaksyon ay napakaliwanag na diumano kung ano ang talagang pakay ng mga nasa likod ng pangungutang.

"Tatlong linggo na lamang at eleksiyon na, so alam na!", anang isang kabataang sumusubaybay sa usaping ito.

Ito kaya ay maituturing na klasikong kabanata na kung saan ang isang inabusong pamayanan ay patuloy na ginigisa pa sa sarili nilang mantika?

Minsang bumagyo sa Marinduque ay umulan ng celphone
galing din sa kaban, disallowed na rin ng COA

Pope Francis: Marinduque in his mind (Part 2)

"... pangalagaan, gabayan, ipagtanggol at samahan ang sambayanang ito lalo't higit ang mga dukha at mahihina, kasama na ang kalikasang ating NAG-IISANG TAHANAN na tinawag ng ating Santo Papang COMMON HOME, na nalalapastangan ng pagkaganid ng iilang mga tao." - Most Rev, Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr., Bishop of Boac

Did Marinduque's decision makers listen?

The stakeholders' loud and united clamor to waste no precious time in moving Marinduque's class suit to Canada has been going on for more than two years now. That was the result of numerous meetings and stakeholder consultations organized by the concerned local government units following rejection of an unacceptable settlement offer being rammed into the people's throats.

Yet, even with blatant attempts by the powers that be to still manipulate the minds of a "people not capable of deciding what's good for themselves", as a provincial official has been reportedly saying repeatedly, the people of Marinduque have not been swayed. This time they showed their capacity to separate the truths from the myths related to this environmental and social issue.

That said, it does appear completely justified then when Bishop of Boac, Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr. ('Bishop Junie' to his flock), was prompted to formally ask provincial officials in the provincial session hall, thus:

"Kayo po ba ay naniniwalang napakalaki ng inyong responsibilidad sa mga tao sa lalawigan, sa bayan, at higit sa lahat sa Diyos, sa mga hakbang na inyong gagawin patungkol sa kasong ito?"

The Bishop continues, "Muli po, kung inyo pong sagot ay OO, ako po bilang Obispo ay magbibigay ng suporta at makikiisa sa inyo sa anumang hakbanging inyong gagawin na TAMA at MABUTI. Sapagkat ang aking atas na magsilbing pastol sa bayan ng Diyos dito sa Marinduque ay humihiling na aking pangalagaan, gabayan, ipagtanggol at samahan ang sambayanang ito lalo't higit ang mga dukha at mahihina, kasama na ang kalikasang ating NAG-IISANG TAHANAN na tinawag ng ating Santo Papang COMMON HOME, na nalalapastangan ng pagkaganid ng iilang mga tao."

Again, were the elected provincial officials being addressed by the Bishop listening? Or could it be that their loyalty is not to the people, bayan or sa Diyos, but to other 'forces', judging from their apparent attempt as an official government body to discard the people's call?

It will be recalled that in August last year, Bishop Maralit, together with church prelates enjoined all Catholic churches in Marinduque to include in their Sunday mass prayer petitions the pursuit of "environmental justice and the protection of the province's precarious state of natural resources".

The Catholic faithful in Marinduque comprising 87% of the local population to this day utter the same prayer petition in barangay chapels, churches, public schools and government offices during mass.

Folkloric morion masks of Marinduque.
Chronicle Magazine cover, 1962

The deep religiosity of Marinduquenos, home of the oldest cultural and religious festivals in the country is beyond question. 

Could it be that some decision makers (they go to mass yes, making sure they're seen in religious places), are in fact willing to perform actions contrary to beliefs, ideas and values we hear them promising their constituents? Or is it that they'd simply play deaf and blind to such prayer petitions holding more dear the more impressive pecuniary benefits they could take home - that has eluded them so far with the people's rejection of the onerous settlement offer?  

The good bishop has taken time out to tenderly remind them: "Huwag po ninyong kalilimutan ang atas at pagtitiwala sa inyo ng mga Marinduqueno na kayo ang nagtataguyod sa kanilang mga karapatan at nagtatanggol sa kanila sa kahit anong kapahamakan."

Ordination of Bishop Maralit by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales
at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Lipa, March 2015. Photo: Diocese of Boac

Curiously, after the Bishop's call last year for prayer petitions in pursuit of environmental justice, the SP decision-makers passed for some reason a resolution last year: 

"Resolution of Thanks to the Most Reverend Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr., D.D. Bishop of the Diocese of Boac FOR HIS UNWAVERING RESOLVE TO GUIDE THE PEOPLE OF MARINDUQUE IN THEIR CONSTANT QUEST FOR THE ELUSIVE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE".

With that kind of recognition for the Bishop's valuable efforts, we, the people would expect the provincial government to take heed, right? 

Not quite. Guess what really happened in what might be described as 'the height of undeniable deception and treachery'.

(To be continued)

Pope Francis: Marinduque in his mind (Part 1)

"I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor!" - Pope Francis

The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium), is the title Pope Francis has chosen for the first major writing of his pontificate. It outlines the Pope's vision for a missionary Church, whose "doors should always be open". It covers numerous themes, including evangelization, peace, social justice, the family, respect for creation, faith and politics, among others.

The Pope's thoughts, particularly about the economy and the distribution of income is one topic that would soon reverberate right in the session hall of the provincial government of Marinduque, as conveyed by the leader of the flock comprising 87% of the local population, Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. of the Diocese of Boac.

Pope Francis named Maralit Bishop-elect of Boac, then was ordained and installed as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Boac in March last year.

Bishop Maralit's exhortation was for our local politicians to examine their conscience - if they truly believe that they have a big responsibility to the people of Marinduque, the province itself, and most of all, to God. This, in relation to the environmental class suit yet to be refiled in another country by the province of Marinduque, where people are being kept in the dark anew, or so it seems.

("Kayo po ba ay naniniwalang napakalaki ng inyong responsibilidad sa mga tao sa lalawigan, sa bayan at higit sa lahat sa Diyos sa mga hakbang na inyong gagawin patungkol sa kasong ito?" - Bishop Maralit asks the Sangguniang Panlalawigan).

Earlier in the Vatican, Pope Francis conveyed to Maralit, through the Congregation for Bishops, the Pope's awareness of the Marinduque environmental issues and what had transpired in Nevada. More on this later. 

Bishop Marcelino Antonio M. Maralit, Jr. (4th Bishop of Boac)

Quoting directly from Pope Francis' writing, Bishop Maralit before members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared in Tagalog, thus:

"Hinihiling ko sa Diyos na bigyan Niya pa tayo ng mas marami pang mga politiko na may kakayanan sa isang tunay at epektibong pakikipag-usap na nakatuon sa pagsugpo sa pinakamalalim na dahilan at hindi lamang po ng mga kasamaan sa ating mundo.

"Ang politika kahit pa malimit ay hindi na maganda ang tingin, ay nananatiling isang mataas na bokasyon at isa sa pinakamataas na uri ng pagmamalasakit kung ang hangad nito ay ang kabutihan ng lahat.

"Kailangan nating makumbinse na ang pagmamalasakit ay hindi lamang ang prinsipyo ng mga maliliit na ugnayan katulad ng mga pamilya at kaibigan kundi gayon din dapat sa mga malalaking ugnayan katulad ng panlipunan, pang-ekonomiya at politika.

"Ako ay nagsusumamo sa Panginoon na bigyan po Niya tayo ng mga politiko na tunay na nababagabag sa kalagayan ng lipunan, ng mga tao at higit sa lahat ang buhay ng mga dukha!

"Bakit hindi tayo lumingon sa Diyos at hilingin sa Kanya na pukawin ang kanilang mga binabalak? Ako ay tunay na kumbinsido na ang kabukasan sa nakatataas, sa Diyos ay maaaring maapagdulot ng isang bagong pag-iisip na politikal at pang-ekonomiya na makakatulong sa pagpapabagsak ng mga pader na naghihiwalay sa ekonomiya at sa kabutihan ng lahat ng lipunan."

 (Evangelii Gaudium 205) "I ask God to give us more politicians capable of sincere and effective dialogue aimed at healing the deepest roots - and not simply the appearances – of the evils in our world! 

"Politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good. 

"We need to be convinced that charity “is the principle not only of micro-relationships (with friends, with family members or within small groups) but also of macro-relationships (social, economic and political ones)”. 

"I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor!

Why not turn to God and ask him to inspire their plans? I am firmly convinced that openness to the transcendent can bring about a new political and economic mindset which would help to break down the wall of separation between the economy and the common good of society."

(to be continued)

COA issues strong audit observation memo on Marinduque midnight loan bids

COA issues strong audit observation memorandum on PGM projects related to P300-million midnight loan with DBP

Even as the case filed in the Makati Regional Trial Court by Marinduque taxpayers to nullify a loan contract between PGM and DBP remains active, the provincial government of Marinduque appears to relentlessly pursue the loan just a few weeks away from the May 9, 2016 polls.

To the extent that existing rules and regulations of RA 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act) appear to be ignored or blatantly violated by those concerned, the Commission on Audit (COA), was prompted to issue an audit observation memorandum (AOM No. 15-06), addressed to Gov. Carmencita O. Reyes.

According to COA the winning bidders/suppliers of infrastructure projects, office supplies, furniture and fuxtures, medical supplies and heavy equipment failed to submit the complete eligibility documents, "rendering bidders as ineligible thereby affecting the legality of contracts with the Province questionable and doubtful".

COA has cited several provisions of the RIRR of RA 9184 that have not been followed in an apparent attempt by the province to rush the bidding process. COA disclosed that "certain bidders/suppliers were awarded contracts despite their failure to submit the complete eligibility requirement". 

In the case of one bidder that was awarded a contract, COA plainly stated that "it appeared that information provided by the bidder to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), as projects completed is bogus". This, in addition to apparent "failure of the concerned bidder to file and pay correct income tax to the BIR". 

In the case of another bidder COA disclosed that "the BAC should have declared him ineligible during the post-qualification process". The said bidder "submitted tax clearances which are not in the list of released tax clearances for bidding purposes of the BIR thus, their authenticity appeared to be doubtful".

Still another construction firm "failed to submit Tax Clearance during bidding of "Furnishing of Labor, Materialss, and Equipment for the Construction of Various Farm to Market Roads, Gasan and Torrijos, Marinduque" based on checklist of technical documents signed by the members of the BAC.

COA stated thus, "The BAC should have required him to submit Tax Clearance as one of his Class "A" legal documents, otherwise he should be declared ineligible or disqualified".

COA minced no words in stating that to avoid disallowance in audit, "the BAC and the Technical Working Group be required to submit their basis for rating the aforementioned legal, technical, and financial documents submitted by the bidders as "Passed" during preliminary evaluation, evaluation, and post-qualification considering they appeared to be ineligible". 

The AOM was issued by Geronima G. Tan, Audit Team Leader, OIC, Supervising Auditor, COA, Province of Marinduque.

Meanwhile, a former provincial official quipped upon learning of this development that, "those government officials concerned are not afraid to violate these laws anymore, knowing it could take decades for graft practices to be decided, if cases could be initiated at all, in the first place." 

"Our fellow Marinduquenos should be able to realize by now what's hitting them in the head over and over again for many years already", the said official added.

Climate Engineers Cut Off Critical Rain From Populations Around The Globe

Dane Wigington
geoengineeringwatch.org

Why are there so many record droughts unfolding around the world? A warmer atmosphere holds much more water vapor (7% more for every degree in centigrade of warming). The laws of physics state it MUST rain more on a rapidly warming planet. So why are record shattering droughts increasing in regions all over the globe? Because geoengineering/solar radiation management programs are completely disrupting Earth's hydrological cycle.

Geoengineered skies over Yosemite National Park, California. Photo credit: Ron Kauk

By saturating the atmosphere with particulates (aerosols) to produce the "global dimming" effect (which is the stated primary objective of the SRM climate mitigation programs), the geoengineers have totally derailed the planet's primary terrestrial life support system, rain. The climate engineers literally control the global spigot. Controlling precipitation means controlling food supplies and populations all over the world.  The intentional attempt to create a "nuclear winter" is actually fueling the overall warming of the planet in addition to expanding global drought. Record droughts are decimating ecosystems and populations around the globe along with fueling water conflicts. Droughts comparable to the engineered catastrophe in California are happening in countless regions. The headlines below are all recent breaking stories, all are click to open links.

"Amid Climate-Fueled (Drought) Food Crisis, Filipino Forces Open Fire On Starving Farmers"

"Drought-Effected Farmers Block Kidapawan City (Philippines) Highway To Demand Relief"

"Cebu City under state of emergency due to water crisis"

"Vietnam's Southern Mekong Delta Faces Worst Drought In History"

"El Nino Falls Short, Leaving California In Drought"

"Forests Struggle As Drought And Climate Change Bite"

"Honduras: Drought Emergency Appeal"

"Drought In America Threatens Food Production"

"South America: Exceptional Water Deficits Are Forecast To Persist"

Other recent breaking stories:

"Thailand Hit By Worst Drought In Decades"

"Thousands May Die From Drought In Somalia Unless Donors Give More"

"Worst Middle East Drought In 900 years"

"Climate Change Worsening Colorado River Droughts"

"India Facing Worst-Ever Water Crisis"

"Uganda: Water Crisis Worsens As Dam Dries Up"

"Palau Suffers Worsening Drought, Emergency Declared"

"California Drought: Get Used To It, Scientists Say"

"Historic Drought In Southeast Asian Countries"

Global geoengineering is not just ecocide, not just genocide, but planetary omnicide. Geoengineering is weather warfare, nothing less. Due to the highly toxic fallout, climate engineering must also be considered biological warfare. The ongoing weather/climate manipulation is not only wreaking havoc on the planet's climate system, geoengineering is also destroying the ozone layer. Without an ozone layer, there would be no terrestrial life on Earth. Though some "official sources" claim the ozone hole is recovering, UV metering from the front lines completely disputes any such conclusion. The ozone destruction will only get worse with every day that the atmospheric spraying is allowed to continue.

The heavily damaged ozone layer is allowing dangerous UV radiation levels to reach Earth's surface.

Many in the climate science and environmental communities are justifiably criticizing the special interest groups and organizations who are aggressively denying global warming, but what about their own inexcusable criminal denial of the single largest climate disrupting factor of all, global climate engineering? How can there be any legitimate discussion of the climate without first and foremost addressing the climate engineering atrocities? There can't be. We are now in the "Anthropocene epoch". Any form of anthropogenic activity that alters the biosphere (and thus Earth's natural systems) must be considered a form of geoengineering, This being said, climate engineering and its highly toxic fall-out is the greatest and most immediate threat we face short of nuclear cataclysm. How do we stop it? Reaching a critical mass of awareness is the only way forward, all of us are needed to do our part in this most critical battle to salvage what is yet left of Earth's life support systems. DW/GeoengineeringWatch

Birth of the Lamb of God, the Messiah

Rosh Codesh Nisan / ראש חודש ניסן

Beginning of new Hebrew month of Nisan. Nisan is the 1st month of the Hebrew year, and responds to March or April on the Gregorian calendar.

Rosh Chodesh Nisan begins at sundown today Friday, 08 April 2016.

What's the significance of this day for Christians? The Birth of the Lamb of God, Agnus Dei.

LAMB OF GOD, born at midnight, Nisan 1
which responds to April 9 for this year 2016

"Only in the lambing season do shepherds watch their flocks by night," Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn says. In late March and and early April the shepherds would watch for lambs being born in the fields, he explains. "So here they are, out looking for lambs to be born and who do they find? The Lamb of God."

Jewish observances coincide with key moments in the life of Christ:
-- Passover lines up with Jesus' death.
-- He rose on the Feast of First Fruits, and created the Church with the sending of his Holy Spirit on Shavuot or Pentecost.
-- The Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah foretells the Messiah's second coming.

So looking for a Jewish holiday in the spring that would fit with the Messiah's birth, Cahn settles on Nisan 1, because it symbolizes a new beginning.

Most scholars agree that the present tradition of celebrating Jesus' birth in December dates back to Emperor Constantine and his desire to coopt the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, a pagan celebration that includes a sacrifice to Saturn, a public banquet, gifts and a carnival-like atmosphere. (Christian Examiner)

List of Dates
Rosh Chodesh Nisan begins on:
Fri, 20 March 2015 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5775)
Fri, 08 April 2016 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5776)
Mon, 27 March 2017 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5777)
Fri, 16 March 2018 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5778)
Fri, 05 April 2019 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5779)
Wed, 25 March 2020 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5780)
Sat, 13 March 2021 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5781)
Fri, 01 April 2022 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5782)
Wed, 22 March 2023 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5783)
Mon, 08 April 2024 at sundown (1st of Nisan, 5784)

Also read:

Nisan 1:Birth of Yeshua, Messiah Jesus. For 2016, it falls on April 9

Nisan 1: Birth of Yeshua, Messiah Jesus. For 2016, it falls on April 9!

Easter and the holidays that are related to it are movable feasts which do not fall on a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars which follow only the cycle of the sun; rather, its date is determined on a lunisolar calendar similar to the Hebrew calendar. (Wikipedia) 

How come that Lent moves around while Christmas stays put?

From Daniel Engber, columnist for Slate:

Because the church said so in A.D. 325. The date of Easter is determined according to the lunar calendar, while the date of Christmas is fixed on the solar calendar. Before 325, there was no official celebration of the birth of Christ, and Easter was celebrated by some Christians on Passover (a lunar holiday) and by others the following Sunday. The rationale: Christ's last supper took place on or around Passover, he was crucified on a Friday, and the festival of Easter celebrates his resurrection two days later.

But what if, indeed, last year's Christmas was to be our last Christmas as both Pope Francis and Queen Elizabeth have been widely reported to have stated last year?

Well, just think of celebrating Yeshua, Jesus' real Birthday according to the Hebrew Calendar, and that's on Nisan 1 that falls on April 9 this year. 

It's going to be the first celebration of Jesus' true Birthday then!

Then we could say with heartfelt and soul-stirring remembrance, 

"Thank you for coming into our lives Yeshua!"

Christ's real birthday

Jonathan Cahn is a Messianic Jewish Rabbi and pastor best known for his best selling novel The Harbinger, in which he compares the United States and the September 11 attacks to ancient Israel and the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel. In particular, he sees Isaiah 9:10 as a prophetic warning to the United States.

Cahn has addressed the UN a few times, the last one on March 2, 2016, when he spoke at the UN-Symposium on Peace, Reconciliation, Sustainable Development and Multicultural Understanding.

In the video below he directly answers many questions related to the Birthday of Jesus. Excerpts:

Question: The Jewish calendar falls a different time. What would be, on our calendar then, the exact date? Would there be an exact date?

Cahn: It would change on our calendar every year, but it's gonna be in spring, it's gonna be March, April, and it's gonna be Nisan 1. You could find out Nisan 1 every year. In fact Nisan 1 is the true New Year for Jewish people, but Jews don't celebrate it because they think Rosh Hashanah* is. 

*Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

Astonishing revelation: Jonathan Cahn brings forward proof that Messiah Jesus (Yeshuah) was born in spring. Why and when exactly? 

The date changes on our calendar every year, just like other movable Christian holidays such as Easter. This year, 2016, Nisan 1 falls on April 9, 2016 according to the Hebrew calendar.

Best-selling author Rabbi Jonathan Cahn reveals Christ's real birthday

Jonathan Cahn the Messianic Jewish Rabbi best known for his best selling books "The Harbinger" (2012) and "The Mystery of the Shemitah," (2014) has now released a documentary film called The Mishkan Clue" -- a quest to solve the mystery of the date of Christ's birth.

In "The Mishkan Clue," Cahn rules out the traditional season for celebrating the occasion and makes a case for why knowing the actual date matters, focusing on the biblical passage that "shepherds were in their fields watching," as key to identifying when Christ actually was born.

Cahn considers a variety of material circumstances to pinpoint a time for Jesus to have been born, but ultimately decides a springtime delivery is the best fit with the details of the account because it is Israel's "lambing season."

"Only in the lambing season do shepherds watch their flocks by night," Cahn says. In late March and and early April the shepherds would watch for lambs being born in the fields, he explains. "So here they are, out looking for lambs to be born and who do they find? The Lamb of God."

Leo Hohmann outlines Cahn's arguments in a post on WND Diversions, focusing on how Jewish observances coincide with key moments in the life of Christ:

-- Passover lines up with Jesus' death.

-- He rose on the Feast of First Fruits, and created the Church with the sending of his Holy Spirit on Shavuot or Pentecost.

-- The Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah foretells the Messiah's second coming.

So looking for a Jewish holiday in the spring that would fit with the Messiah's birth, Cahn settles on Nisan 1, because it symbolizes a new beginning.

Most scholars agree that the present tradition of celebrating Jesus' birth in December dates back to Emperor Constantine and his desire to coopt the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, a pagan celebration that includes a sacrifice to Saturn, a public banquet, gifts and a carnival-like atmosphere.

But Cahn's point is not political or religious or even academic, but relational.

He emphasizes that Christmas is a time to celebrate "God joining Himself to your life."

"Your life was meant to be like this tabernacle, filled with the glory of God. In that place is the fullness of your healing, in that place comes your emotional healing, your joy, your shalom, your destiny."

In other words, Jesus is the reason for the season. - Christian Examiner

A clue on why we celebrate December 25. Above illustration is from Gill Broussard

Cong. Lord Allan Velasco refutes rival's press statements

Reyes admitted under oath her non-compliance with the requirements of RA9225

 In 2013, the SC sitting en banc upheld the decision of the Comelec declaring Reyes ineligible for a congressional seat due to her failure to sufficiently establish that she reacquired her Philippine citizenship in accordance with the provisions of RA 9225. 

According to the SC, a person who seeks to reacquire his/her Filipino citizenship under RA 9225 must accomplish the following acts: (1) take the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before the Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in the USA; and (2) make a personal and sworn renunciation of her American citizenship before any public officer authorized to administer an oath, which Reyes had been remiss to do.

Marinduque solon refutes rival’s claim over natural-born issue

Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco took exception to the claim of his nemesis, ousted Rep. Gina Reyes, that she is similarly situated with presidential candidate Grace Poe-Llamanzares, and that she should benefit from the recent SC decision allowing Poe to run.

Reyes argued that if Poe, a foundling, was allowed by the SC to continue her presidential bid, then she, a natural-born Filipino, whose parents are known to be Filipino citizens, should be allowed to run for public office.

Velasco explained that Reyes cannot take refuge on the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision allowing Poe to continue her presidential bid for two reasons: first, Poe had shown by unquestionable documents that she had already lost her US citizenship. Actually, apart from simply executing an Oath of Renunciation, Poe had executed an “Oath/Affirmation of Renunciation of Nationality of the United States” before the Vice Consul of the US Embassy in Manila, who subsequently issued a “Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States.”

A fact that is glaringly absent from Reyes’ evidence. Truth is, Reyes is still an American citizen. The Oath of Renunciation she submitted before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is ineffective because Reyes failed to present such evidence supplied by Grace Poe.

Velasco explained that unlike Reyes, Poe undertook the tedious process and actually made overt acts to show her intention to renounce her US citizenship. Poe took an oath of allegiance and renounced her American citizenship in accordance with law, to wit: (1) Poe took her Oath of Allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines and filed with the Bureau of Immigration a sworn petition to reacquire her Philippine citizenship; (2) Before she assumed the position of chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), she executed an “Affidavit of Renunciation of Allegiance to the United States of America and Renunciation of American Citizenship” before a notary public in Pasig City; (3) She executed an “Oath/ Affirmation of Renunciation of Nationality of the United States” before the Vice Consul of the US Embassy in Manila, who subsequently issued a “Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States”; and (4) She attached to her certificate of candidacy for Presidency an “Affidavit Affirming Renunciation of USA Citizenship,” which was subscribed and sworn to before a notary public in Quezon City.

Velasco pointed out that Reyes, on the other hand, was a natural-born citizen who, by virtue of her marriage to an American citizen allegedly acquired the citizenship of her American spouse.

She is a holder of an American passport, which she repeatedly used, evidencing her status as an American citizen. In 2013, the SC sitting en banc upheld the decision of the Comelec declaring Reyes ineligible for a congressional seat due to her failure to sufficiently establish that she reacquired her Philippine citizenship in accordance with the provisions of RA 9225. 

According to the SC, a person who seeks to reacquire his/her Filipino citizenship under RA 9225 must accomplish the following acts: (1) take the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines before the Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in the USA; and (2) make a personal and sworn renunciation of her American citizenship before any public officer authorized to administer an oath, which Reyes had been remiss to do.

It is also not true that the SC held in the Poe case that the Comelec cannot disqualify candidates under Rule 23 of the Comelec Rules. What the SC ponencia actually discussed is that proceedings under Rule 23 “must be based on a prior authoritative finding that the candidate is not qualified,” which authoritative finding becomes the measure by which the falsity or the representation can be determined. - The Daily Tribune