Custodio: The grad school chronicles

NGARAG at werla. That's me alright. I had to call colloquial lingo-savvy friends to make sure I got their meanings right.

Editorial: Make my day, he says

SEVERAL times, people of Malacañang had to be censured for their statements that were obviously said without using a little brain.

The first one was fired off by the no-brainer tweet of Mai Mislang, presidential speech writer, who will now live with the infamy of twitting that the wine served during the state banquet in Vietnam sucks and that there were no handsome men in Vietnam, written as though she herself has been physically endowed.

Lee: On Traffic Accidents

PART of being a lawyer means being called into the police station to handle cases of clients who accidentally bumped someone with their car, or were bumped by cars.

What always pops up during such discussions is the possible filing of criminal charges due to the traffic accident.

Maglana: Make my day

IT MIGHT have been one of those situations when a fellow gets carried away by the heat of the moment. Despite previous promises never ever to commit that infraction, strong emotions overwhelm and prevail. And the next thing you know you’ve done it. Utter movie lines I mean (why, what were you thinking?).

Millan: Olympus has fallen

FIRST and foremost is the family. It must be. It is not. It seems now.

The midterm election campaign is coming to a close. Even then, we have not seen the whole picture of the role of the family. We have only seen what has been highlighted in the media. Obviously, everything that has come out on print, broadcast, television and online are mere highlights, because a deeper research and documentation will show a more overwhelming reality.

Uyboco: What would you do with P5,000?

BEFORE you read on, take a few seconds to think about and answer this question: If you had P5,000 extra cash right now, what would you do?

I asked this question on Facebook and took note of the responses I got.

Editorial: Track record

AS THE May 13 elections are getting nearer, candidates for various positions in Davao City have started to become bolder in their campaign. By bolder we mean they have transformed into gallant and fearless individuals who are ready to hurl vindictive against opposing camps and at the same time ready to endure whatever public ridicule is being thrown at them.

Oledan: Growth Hype

DESPITE the high credit rating upgrade of the Philippines, it seems that whatever economic growth has failed to improve the lives of people. The recent National Statistical Coordination Board report shows that the percentage of Filipinos living below poverty line remained practically the same between 2006 and 2012.

Velez: Light and dark in Davao Oriental

THE first part of the country to get the sunrise is in Davao Oriental.

But not everything is bright in this province. More so with the devastation of typhoon Pablo last December that made thousands lose family and farms.

Gonzales: Spotting the difference (Part 1)

IF YOU were in a room of 88 children, how would you identify that one child with autism? Pre-school teachers are often the first ones to confirm the fear of some parents who are still on denial stage that something is different in a particular child. It is very important to know that early prognosis is vital to the development of a child with autism. The earlier the child undergoes intervention and therapies, the better are the chances of developing and teaching the child how to cope with the deficits brought by autism.

Estremera: Stuff nightmares are made of

A FEW friends have been saying they have stopped watching and reading the news because of dismay over how things are being covered in this part of the world. The spate of news boycotters increased with that last James-Kris spat.

While indeed I shunned local news at that time, I still watched and read the news from international sources. No, it does not have anything to do about colonial mentality, rather, it was a silent protest against stupid choice of headline materials.

Editorial: Why move only to save?

ON THE front page of a national daily, youths in costumes of indigenous tribes were standing in line along the breakwaters of Manila Bay in a bid to join the growing call to “Save Manila Bay”.

Every year since ABS-CBN initiated it, thousands have been running at daybreak to “Kapitbisig para sa Ilog Pasig”.

Hidalgo: Three weeks to Election Day: Righteous, wise voters wake up

EVEYONE sees the worst situations with the heated election fever in the air. Fraudulent breaking of Comelec rules topped by the gun ban law which runs to more than 5000 guilty citizens as I write this article. I need not enumerate the rest; just hear the reasons of the offenders."Everyone is doing it. Let us see them stop us. I do not know who did this; possibly my opponents. Let them catch and prosecute us. Will there be enough jails for all of us? Who will be left among the registered candidates after pruning all the offenders? This is a crazy world. It happens every election time. Be wise.

Estremera: Stereotypes and hatred

PEOPLE were glued to the television once more last week as the police tracked down the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. That was a news coverage straight out of some suspense novel, although way too short, so maybe just a chapter.

Custodio: Zooming out

AND so, one week has passed and I have been a graduate student for a week.

Graduate student.

Editorial: True representation

DAVAO City Councilor Berino L. Mambo-o Sr. called for the implementation of the indigenous peoples mandated representative (IPMR) up to the barangay level, which is required by law.

Mambo-o himself was appointed into office because of this mandate of the law that placed him in the office.

Oledan: Bottomless

IT APPEARS that Commission on Election (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. was not merely whining on the status quo ante order of the Supreme Court (SC) on the Comelec decision to restrict airtime of political advertisements. Speaking over the national television, a hurting Brillantes appeared confused on what he described as an intervention of the Supreme Court. “I do not understand. If they want to regulate the campaign... the way of campaigning, then what will Comelec be? Ano kami?”

Ledesma: Watch those grandiose claims

THE era of black propaganda is back conjured by the same dirty tricks department that have only created mistrust of the public on the candidates they disparately promote. In the present era and advancements in information technology it is ill-advised for anyone to indulge in dirty tricks. As we move closer to the finish line in this year’s mid-term elections there’s a deluge of propaganda aimed at either promoting or destroying the image of political adversaries. So let’s watch closely those grandiose and incredible claims and dirty tricks.

Uyboco: Thoughts on Prayer

DURING lunch at a restaurant, I overheard a conversation at the other table where there were two boys with their parents. The little boy was complaining, "I don't want to pray. Prayer doesn't work!"

The father asked, "What are you talking about? What do you mean prayer doesn’t work?"

Millan: Oblivion

THE Supreme Court has issued another landmark ruling on election law.

Whether or not this will be permanent or temporary, as the Supreme Court can flip and flop as it has in the recent past flipped and flopped, we can never tell. But, as of now, the Supreme Court has decided that the time limitations on advertising by candidates imposed by the Commission on Elections do not hold water.

Editorial: Circumspect

THE Boston Marathon bombing remains in the news and is the most discussed topic in social networks. With it comes the never-ending sob stories, most of which are turning out to be a dud; stories made up by people to touch the hart but doesn’t give much respect to the truth.

But that’s how it is in this world where everyone has access to media of communication. Before the information technology age, thee was gossip passed on from mouth to mouth that hanges and later becomes urban legends. Untruths picked up as truth and believed by many.

Lee: Contracts

IF THERE is one thing I have learned as a lawyer is that as much as possible, all your business dealings, transactions or agreements must be in writing. The best mode of putting into writing what you have agreed upon in business is through a contract.

The Civil Code of the Philippines defines a contract as “a meeting of minds between two persons whereby one binds himself, with respect to the other, to give something or to render some service.” (Art. 1305, Civil Code).

Velez: Uneventful

BORING. No exciting exchanges. Just running around in circles all the time. If you think this is about the Donaire-Rigondeaux sleeper match, I’m actually talking about the 2013 elections.

It's been a bore so far. Look at the turnout in campaign sorties. Or look at the streets and you don’t see so many posters, but at least it’s not an eyesore.

Editorial: Mourning with the world

YES, while we are thousands of kilometers away, we feel the disbelief in how anyone would want to harm persons who are, or whose kin and friends are, merely fulfilling their dream or commitment to run in the oldest marathon.

But, we can never plumb the depths of hatred and evil, and so all we can do is condole with the kin of those who died and join the world in condemning the explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in the USA.

Ledesma: 12-0 is a crime

THE last time a President told her subaltern to campaign for 12-0 she was criminally charged of election fraud and went to jail. If I recalled right she was indicted on the basis of a statement of an aide of Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan. The assistant claimed that he heard former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo telling the governor that "dapat 12-0 tayo sa Maguindanao."

Gonzales: Angels for Autism

DO YOU know that every 3rd week of January is the annual observance of the National Autism Consciousness Week? Under Proclamation No. 711 signed by former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1996, the community of advocates for rights of persons with autism, spearheaded by the Autism Society Philippines, conducts activities to increase awareness and acceptance of persons with autism.

The NACW also serves as a call for more government and private sector support to the needs of persons with autism.

Hidalgo: Situation we watch at the sidelines

HAVE you read this? Petron hits oil smuggling. The government is losing P30 to P40 billion annually, according to the CEO of Petron. Studies from 2001 to 2011 show that smuggled oil products account for at least a third of the total volume sold in the market.

I read also that there are at least 10 oil smuggling cases filed with the DOJ waiting to be resolved. How can all of these go on unabated? I remember this incident.

Oledan: Electoral duties

DURING the May 2010 polls, the automation of polls inadvertently deactivated the registration records of teachers. The number of disenfranchised teachers reached 120,000 or almost half of the number of teachers who served the previous election.

Election laws provide that only teachers who are registered voters of the city or municipality can be appointed as chair and members of the BEI but the assignments given to the teachers are based on the places of their work, regardless of their registration. Before the automated polls, teachers were allowed to cast their votes in the precincts they served even if they were not registered there.

Editorial: Securing the PCOS machines

WITH the Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines starting to arrive in Davao Region, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would like nothing but to keep these secured all the way up to Election Day on May 13 and up to their transport from the polling precincts for the counting of ballots.

Comelec regional director Wilfredo Jay Balisado said the Philippine National Police (PNP) through the Police Regional Office (PRO) has helped them secure the PCOS machines as soon as they arrived.

Valle: Learning the hard facts

IT IS good to know that some idealism never dies. Unlike humans, the nationalistic fervor of the youth continues to burn even as most idealists grow old and grey... (agay!)

It is good to know that the young tirelessly seeks for ‘perfection’, if only to ease the pain of growing up and needing to be fulfilled. The endless hunger for what is right, the yearning to know the truth, and the insatiable thirsts for what is just... these are but a few of the reasons why it is ever so sweet to be young and restless...