Stupid God(s)?

AS a Makati Elementary School grader, I found June 29 — like today — to be special. Feast of San Pedro at San Pablo. Big day in San Pedro, Makati. One joy was in the

peryahan ( funfair) in the ample front yard then (now super-cramped) of the church in Poblacion. There I gambled. Terembe, pulaputi. atbp.

I do not gamble today. The wealthy do, in casinos, horse racing, the poor cannot bet in jueteng. But gambling is in our DNA; the Pinoy will bet on anything that moves. I support Digong’s reported proposal invidiously discriminatory that the rich can gamble in casinos, cock poor cannot bet in jueteng.

Manny Pacquiao can, in cock senatoring as child’s play, insists that is on. But, I wonder how many would watch the fight in, of all places, Malaysia. Sounds like scraping the bottom of the barrel. Muhammad Ali is the only prominent Muslim I can think of in the Manly Art of also converted (Malik Abdul Aziz).

Time, Senator Manny, to retire and stop making the Senate look bad as a part-time chore, sideline or hobby. With Senate Prez Tito Sotto perceived or misperceived as another Digong fanatic or lemming, what else does Digong not control in government? And what does Preacher Manny think of “God is stupid”? But, “do not disturb”?? However, vocal opposition is needed in a democracy for positive creative tension. “Dialogue” could lead to “daya na, lugue pa,” in our experience.

Good manners and right conduct

I was nearly catatonic hearing the Prez say my God — omigod! — is “stupid.”

Imagine a new Constitution with a Preamble saying, “imploring the aid of a Stupid God…” The Prez’s fascinating Constitutional Commission has its work cut out for it. (Budget Secretary Ben Diokno has to tell us how much the body has cost us so far; the Prez can totally ignore its work, a derelict in the waters of the law, the brilliance, patriotism and piety of certain members notwithstanding.)

After years of Benedictine piety and a bit of Jesuitical casuistry for the Prez, here we are, with a Stupid God, in his view.

Wotta great blasphemy! — Benedictine Father Urbano Casares would boom in the Church of Our Lady of Montserrat when I was in pre-law, entire length and breadth of Mendiola (which the Prez was to attend about a decade or so later, and whose teachings on God he has arguably rejected). No Fr. Casares today?

We, Christians, etal., are advised to be meek and turn the other cheek but certain hardcore Muslims just might take offense if anyone called Allah “stupid,” the comical terminological jiu-jitsus of Digong’s mouthpieces notwithstanding. Remember Salman Rushdie and fatwa. And, in a proper case, Onward, Christians Soldiers…

We need to speak up. So, I have urged the Benedictine community, that our fellow Bedan may walk back, for everyone’s sake. Some of the cruelest lies are often told in silence. –Robert Louis Stevenson.

We don’t want anyone taking an oath and ending with “So help me, Stupid God.” Good manners and right conduct matter.

Choosing a new CJ

Of course, there are the gods of Padre Faura. Maybe the spin could be that Digong was alluding to one of the stupid dissenting six ( Justice TonyCarp deserves to be elevated, notwithstanding). Those for judicial independence may have in mind the stupid majoritarian eight. Democracy.

In the choice of a new chief justice, we see a number of names to be considered. The Judicial and Bar Council even invites nominees; I see no requirement of seniority for CJ but Senior TonyCarp is a shoo-in, in my book. However, nominees now in government have to remember the Veloso-Mallari-Calida test, as it were. It was Rep. Alberto Veloso, a former Court of Appeals justice — who I

sorta remember for penning the 2004 (?) reversal of a Pasig Regional Trial Court decision convicting my client below, which we appealed successfully, thanks to him — who first mentioned quo warranto.

Compañero Eligio Mallari and SolGen Joe Calida picked it up and Joe told the Supreme Court in bold in his QW petition (page 28) that RA 3019 required CJ Meilou income earned, expenses incurred and taxes paid. So, the JBC should verify whether any CJ applicant has so complied. No one will pass the Veloso-Calida-Mallari test, not even TonyCarp, I’m afraid. Nor the JBC members. But, I do not see it as a disqualifying measure of integrity in

I remain uncomfortable with having to apply for an appointment as judge, as chief justice, more so. Roberto Concepcion and JBL Reyes applying to be appointed or promoted?

When I was young, cream would simply rise to the top. Then Marcos came and damaged our values and institutions, like the judiciary (there was a short-lived renaissance in 1986, I like to think). Declining, not applying, TonyCarp should be appointed; the post should be thrust on him.

is your destiny.

Whether to retain the Judicial and Bar Council and return to the Commission on Appointments has to be studied carefully. We need to arrest decay where only certain hardline godless communists would not mind God being called stupid by our No. 1 citizen, seen as a role model, no ordinary Juan de la Cruz with no vast right not to speak more often. He has attack dogs to do the dirty job. He has to change, for our sake. He has to be, well, prudent naman sana. Inday Sara advises not to mind him but offending the religious feelings of the faithful is an affront not easy to ignore.

Rescuing tambays

One change I see, on top of worse traffic, is that the status of peace and order has so deteriorated that for the first time in memory, there is a debate on whether or not to arm priests of a Church with “stupid” teachings. And so would-be barangay officials (before, one became tininti del baryo through sheer prestige until the Pelaez Law took effect when I was a law senior and got elected as a barrio councilor, willy- nilly).

Again, to be a bum harming no one is a human and constitutional right, in my view, and experience.

I was also a bum, a tambay, in my time, in Pasig, in the sari-sari store of affable Chino Pio, and later, in the town plaza, where our barkada made sure Rizal’s monument was not stolen. At times, we would have post- midnight snacks in the with steaming rice, using our washed hands (kamayan), and even join buying livestock and fruits in Batangas. We enjoyed our right to be let and left alone.

Today I may be accosted/arrested? Or “rescued”? Are we really decaying? Have we gone far in the wrong direction? Reverse, reverse, I plead, on bended knees.

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On July 2, happy birthday, Madama Meldy and CJ Meilou , who may be a senator on her 59th natal anniversary in 2019, and help provide constructive opposition , for everyone’s sake, in a seeming wreckingball administration.