GOLF TURNED TO MAULING

Image by fitaloon via FlickrThis is a re-post from a friend please read:

So, I just had the worst day of my life.

At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course.

This is a golf course. I have been a golfer all my life, and I have never seen anything like this. NOTHING. This is hard to comprehend. And it happened to my own father and my own brother too. Right in front of my eyes.

My brother and I were playing golf at the South Course of Valley. We were on the 3rd hole, and we see two golf carts going past us, overtaking our flight, and setting up to tee off on the next hole. My dad goes up to them and asks them why they would do that, why they would overtake us without even asking for our permission. Golf etiquette 101. One of the guys says that they're with the flight in front of us. (So what? That doesn't give them the right to just pass us WITHOUT asking.) So, we go to the 5th hole. The flight behind us catches up with us, and asks us what caused the hold up. We said that this flight just slipped in front of our flight. So we complained to the marshall. We play the 5th hole and walk towards the next hole, where there is a teehouse, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshall. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talks with my dad. Things get heated up. Voices were raised. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacks my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rush to his aid and beat up my father. My 56-year-old father. My younger brother and I could not just watch. We rushed to break the fight.

My younger brother pleads to the mayor to please stop it. To not hurt my dad. To just stop. His words still ring through my head..."Sorry na po, sorry na po...tama na...tama na po..." With his hands in front of his chest in a praying position. PLEADING. The mayor socks him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad is still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother is the same way. I try to stop the fight, but all I can do is stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.

Someone breaks up the fight. I thought it was all over. The mayor shouts to his caddy: "Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!" And believe me, I had no idea who this person was. But now I know. He's the person who, with 4 other men, beat up my 56-year-old father and my 14-year-old brother. He's the person who sacks a pleading 14-year-old kid in the face. He's a person who, I am sure, is gonna rot in hell.

I lash out, but my dad held me back. I was screaming my lungs out, shouting to this mayor, telling him about what he had done. I said:"Nakakahiya kayo. Singkwenta'y sais anyos ang tatay ko. And kapatid ko kakatorse anyos. Anong ilalaban nila sayo?"

The mayor looks at my brother, point to his face, and says, "Tatandaan kita!" And he tells me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him. WHAT THE HELL?! So, my brother's bad for defending his father?!

We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk. Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes. But no. The relentless mayor still punches him in the face, and then sees my dad and goes after my dad again. Him and his friend pull my dad to the ground, pulls at his feet, and steps on him like he's dirt. I run to him and try to hold him back, holding him back by his shirt, while this other guy and this girl tries to stop me. She tells me to just stop it. I scream in her face "they're beating my father up and you want me to stop?!" I pull at his shirt--I don't let go. All I can see was my dad being trampled on. I didn't even see my brother getting beat up.

People pull them away. I get my dad, and I saw my brother. His right ear was bleeding. I freaked out. I told the receptionists to bring my brother to the clinic. I pull my dad away. People were separating us.

My mom and my older brother come. I tell her Bino's right ear is bleeding. They both look like they could kill. My dad holds my brother off, I hold off my mom. When I finally got my mom under control, my older brother gets away and I hold him off. Two of the mayor's bodyguards pull out guns. I embraced my brother from the back, just holding him back, crying. The receptionists came to us, crying, hugging me, my dad, and my mom, whispering to us to just leave. "Maam, umalis na po kayo, may mga baril sila...Maam...umalis na po kayo please..."

I am pretty sure the Secretary of DAR did not take part in the fight, but he just watched all this happen. He watched two of his sons, as we figured out, the other guy was his son, too, beat up my father and my 14-year-old brother. He didn't do anything to stop it. And this person is what now? A cabinet member. A politician.

Sounds like something out of a movie, doesn't it? But this is what happened. TODAY. The day after Christmas. To my family. And all I ask for is JUSTICE. The people at Valley Golf did not seem to want to help us. None of the security guards even tried to stop the fight. Right in the clubhouse. I came back after the fight was over and talked to the receptionists. They say they did not see anything. The general manager of Valley Golf would not give us the names of the men who made my brother's ear bleed. It took him an hour. Maybe even more than that. He seemed to not want to help us. Because, we were against the SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM and the MAYOR OF MASIU CITY, LANAO DEL SUR. They were all scared.

The world is has gone crazy. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. At a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess not. I guess they gang up on 56-year-old men and beat up pleading 14-year-old kids.

Please pray for my dad, my brother and for my whole family. Please pray that we get JUSTICE. Oh God, please, give these people what they deserve.

Here are related links:

http://pinoytanga.wetpaint.com/page/the+world+has+gone+crazy#link

http://pinoytange.blogspot.com/

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/141440/Sec-Pangandaman-di-kasama-sa-gulpihan-sa-golf-course----report

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/141418/DAR-chief%E2%80%99s-son-5-bodyguards-face-charges-for-alleged-mauling-of-2-golfers

MAR ROXAS SHOULD APOLOGIZE

Image via WikipediaPoliticians and advisers licking the asshole of the President are again on the attack, this time asking 2010 presidentiable good Senator Mar Roxas to apologize for the cuss words he uttered in a rally against Charter Change in Makati. He said something to the effect of "Patayin ang P.I. na Cha Cha ni Gloria!"

While I am not yet convinced that Mr. Roxas will make a good president, not yet anyway, because of his close association with the rich and the chances of him getting swayed to decide in their favor, I do not at all agree to grandstanding pols asking him to apologize to the nation. What? Good Lord!

Apologize for expressing his views against a clearly manipulated ploy to change the Freedom Constitution just to extend the Term of Greed of a chosen few?

Where are these F*ing bastards when we marched the streets of EDSA which led to our freedom from suppression thus leading the way to the new constitution? That is the only GOLD LOOT we gained from our sacrifice because new looters still abound in the chambers of power after our short lived euphoria.

Your guess is as good as mine. These people were sitting in the their G'damn F*ing asses waiting which side of the fence they would go. And now that we have a Freedom Constitution, nay with all its imperfection, they want to change it to serve their purpose. Over my dead sexy body, people. I will do whatever it is in my power till my last breath to help stop your ulterior motives with all your pseudo nationalistic stance of doing the country good, you Machiavellian fools.

My cries to heaven might not be as powerful as your machinery but we have proven time and again that the voice of the people MUST be heard. I agree that changes can be made but to extend your terms? Have you not stolen enough? Have you no guilt for whatever you have done to the poor people of this country? How can you sleep at night?

Now it is my belief that President Arroyo was not behind the move and I have heard violent reactions about this but evidently there is such a move and we should empower ourselves to stop this from happening. Let us not allow these fools to insult us any longer. I may not march in the streets anymore to help the new gang of kleptocrats to take the helm of governance. I have vowed to extend my energy in making people BE AWARE of these treacherous few.

Now Mr. Palengke Mar( feeling close!) do not say sorry! It is our right as provided for by the constitution to freely express our views. Just make sure that when you become a president you should not be a thief or keep a den of Sinbads in your midst like the others.

I will say sorry for my cuss words here because it is not in my nature to do so because when I am mad I beat the bloody hell out of my opponent with my lethal karate chops :-) If I see trapos again saying they just want a better Philippines I might have to do just that.

So Cha Cha it wil be but not to extend your Reign of Greed. Stop the efforts to change what we have gambled with our lives. Let us not be PINOY TANGA.

THINGS THAT YOUNG FILIPINOS CAN DO TO HELP THE PHILIPPINES

pardon the pictures as we do not have Pinoy student's pictures available. If you have available pictures please get in touch with the authors.

Harvey S. Keh The Manila Bulletin, July 20,2008 (Sunday)

Is the Filipino youth apathetic and indifferent to the plight of our country? That is a question that I am often asked by my friends who seem to be frustrated with the seeming lack of concern and action from the Filipino youth. My answer to this question is simple, I don't agree that young Filipinos don't care anymore about our country, they want and can do something but they just don't know how they can contribute positively in our society. In this regard, I'd like to share my own views of how young Filipinos can get involved in creating a better Philippines.

1.) Register and Vote in the upcoming 2010 National Elections. One of the major problems in our country today is our lack of effective and ethical leaders who will set aside their self-interest for the sake of the common good. In 2010, a great majority of Filipino voters will be aged between 18-35 years old thus, this is a perfect opportunity for young Filipinos to shape our country's future by choosing the right leaders who will lead our country out of poverty. You can help encourage young Filipinos to register and vote by joining IamChange 2010, send an email to the organizers at kai.pastores@ yahoo.com or you can contact them at (02) 426-5657.

2.) Keep yourself informed about what's happening in our country. In a talk that I gave last summer to a group of college students, I asked them if they knew the different between the roles of a congressman and a mayor. 95% of them said no. This was disheartening since they were already college students studying at a prestigious university. If we really care about our country, we should make a conscious effort to know what is happening around us by reading the newspaper, watching the news or simply taking time to visit websites that contain news about the Philippines.

3.) Harness the power of the Internet to share your sentiments about issues in our country. With the rapid growth of social networking sites and blogs, young Filipinos are now able to easily share their opinions and views with the rest of the world. This can be an effective means of sharing with your friends your views about different issues in our country and by doing so you can help generate more awareness and concern about particular issues and advocacies that need to be pushed for the betterment of our society. If you have time, visit my blog at http://filipinochan gemaker.blogspot .com .

4.) Share your books with public school students. The state of Education in our country is in a crisis. We have students who reach high school without even learning how to comprehend a Grade 3 textbook. This problem is compounded by the fact that less than 15% of our public elementary schools have adequate and functional libraries. How can we teach students to read if they don't have books that they can read? If you want to donate books or start a book drive for our public schools, you can get in touch with AHON Foundation by sending an email to ahonfoundation@ gmail.com or calling (02) 683-0262 local 109.

5.) When you go abroad or meet foreigners, share nice things about the Philippines. If you watch CNN or BBC, there are advertisements wherein countries showcase their beautiful places and encourage tourists to come and visit. This is being done since tourism can be a major driver in the economy and development of a country since it not only brings in dollars to the country but it also provides livelihood opportunities for the local communities. Given the meager budget we have to promote our country abroad, we can help by sharing nice things about the Philippines when we meet foreigners and through this we are able to encourage them to take time to visit our country's most beautiful places and enjoy the world famous Filipino hospitality.

6.) If you can, don't leave the country. Many of our best minds like our teachers are leaving the country in search of better opportunities and the effects are already showing in our public schools where there is a lack of highly skilled English, Math and Science Teachers. I totally understand and don't blame those who come from very poor families which decide to work abroad to provide a better quality of life for their families, some of them may have no other choice than to leave. But for those that have a choice and live a relatively comfortable life here, then I hope you can consider staying and working here to contribute towards moving our country forward. For those who decide to leave, I hope you don't forget to give back to the Philippines by helping send a poor but deserving student to school or sending books that our public school students can still use.

7.) Volunteer your time and Share your skills for causes that are bigger than yourself. According to studies on what makes people genuinely happy, being able to help and take part in causes that are bigger than yourself is one of the most fulfilling and happiest experiences. There are so many non-profit organizations and foundations that are currently doing their own share in helping change the Philippines but for them to reach more people and do more good work, they often need volunteers who can commit time to help in their activities. For example, Pathways to Higher Education-Philippin es needs volunteer tutors who can commit 2-3 hours a week to help poor but deserving public high school students gain access to quality higher education. Another example is Museo Pambata which looks for volunteer tour guides and storytellers who can help in entertaining and educating children who visit the Museum. You can visit the Pathways website at http://www.pathways philippines. org or call them at (02) 4266001 local 4048.

8.) Join advocacy groups that promote good governance in our country. According to a study made by the World Bank, the Philippines is one of the most corrupt countries in Asia wherein billions of pesos are lost every year due to rampant graft and corruption in our government. These billions of pesos could've been used to build homes for the poor, provide quality healthcare to the sick and build enough public school classrooms for the Filipino youth but instead they money just goes to the pockets of a few elite families which govern our country. It is no wonder why the poor remain poor in the country while those in power continue to drive around our streets in their brand new luxury vehicles. In order for us to achieve genuine and lasting reforms in our country, we need to work together to promote greater transparency and accountability in our government leaders. If you are interested to volunteer and join the fight against corruption, you can join TEAM RP by sending an email to team.rp.official@ gmail.com .Insights and comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail. com.

Please feel free to post this in your blogs or share it with your friends. Let us all work together for a Better Philippines!

Simplified Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 1 – All Human Beings are born free and equal.
Article 2 – No Discrimination. We all entitled to all human rights.
Article 3 – Right to life, liberty and security of person
Article 4 – No slavery
Article 5 – No torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
Article 6 – Everyone should be recognized by law, everywhere
Article 7 – We’re all equal and entitled to protection against descriminition.
Article 8 – For violations, you have legal remedies.
Article 9 – No arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Need legal cause.
Article 10 – Right to fair trial.
Article 11 – We are presumed innocent until proved guilty, by legal means.
Article 12 – Right to privacy and to reputation.
Article 13 – Right to freedom of movement and residence
Article 14 – Right to seek asylum
Article 15 – Right to nationality and to change nationality
Article 16 – Right to marry. Marriage needs consent. Family is protected.
Article 17 – Right to own property. No arbitrary deprivation.
Article 18 – Right to freedom of thought and religion
Article 19 – Freedom of expression and opinion
Article 20 – Freedom of peaceful assembly and association
Article 21 – Right to take part in govt. and equal access to public service
Article 22 – Right to social security & economic, social and cultural rights
Article 23 – Right to work, just and equal pay, form trade unions.
Article 24 – Right to rest and leisure, holidays with pay
Article 25 – Standard of living, Social Services, Protection for all children
Article 26 – Right to Education
Article 27 – Right to cultural life, copyright
Article 28 – Right to world where all rights can be realized
Article 29 – Everyone has duties to the community for human rights
Article 30 – No one can take away your human rights.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE PLANNING TO GET MARRIED THIS MONTH

So here we are with light moments again if you think issues are too strenuous for your taste

I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry.
That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste.
David Bissonette

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him
keep her.
Sacha Guiltry

After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just
can't face each other, but still they stay together.
Hemant Joshi

By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get
a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
Socrates

Woman inspires us to great things, and prevents us from achieving them.
Dumas

The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, 'What
does a woman want?
Sigmund Freud

I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me.
Anonymous

Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to
a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music
and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.
Henry Youngman.

'I don't worry about terrorism. I was married for two years.'
Sam Kinison

PACQUIAO-DE LA HOYA FIGHT

Hot Sunday morning and I received an early morning call from the US. My friends were looking for me in Las Vegas. How come I didn't watch the Pacquiao fight today like I always do, I have never missed one? Would have been a good excuse for me to go back to the States.
Suffice it to say that I watch the Pinoy Prides (at work) all the time like the concert of Arnel Pineda with Journey just to give support to Pinoys but this fight is beyond my intellect. This is plain and simple scam (too harsh a word, I guess, well). A shot at more money for 2 equally popular sportsmen.
While I enjoy watching sports, it is clearly exploiting people's minds and pockets and I do not want to be a part of it. I am watching it now in my friend's wide screen because I love to be with my friends but most of us are outside the Lanai enjoying the BBQ and the worthwhile chat-of course politics again. What a boring Sunday :-)
Bottom line here is these two millionaires wanted more money-greed for money is a deadly sin and we will watch how this will unfold. Would it make their careers better? Would they enjoy more millions? Do they give a part of their earnings to charity?

Well, worth one day to waste with good old friends. Enjoy this no-brainer!