Today, I Blog

Today, this blog is officially revived. I don't have any idea yet on what I am going to write about.. I might as well start writing about random thoughts. For three years, my lips were sealed, my fingers were constraint not to type. For no known reason, I stopped blogging. Though I still post some tidbits of thoughts in my Facebook wall, but that's it. I didn't have any other outlet.

Some thoughts need to be aired out.

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Paulo Coelho said "Decisions are only the beginning of something. When someone makes a decision he is, in fact, plunging into a powerful current that carries him to a place he had never even dreamed of when he made that initial decision."

The decision to revive this blog is not an easy one. Aside from remembering my account information [in order to reset my password], I didn't have the guts to write until one of my students asked me what my blog address is.

I have been constantly reminding my students to read and write, to know the world by whatever means they can, to go out from their comfort zone, to ask questions and look for answers, to continue becoming a human (rational, social and senseful). But I didn't realize that it was I who was trapped in my solitude. I get contented with writing few lines. Somehow, this attitude has to stop.

Thoughts about anything and nothing in particular have been contained in my head. (If Descartes is alive today, he would probably scold me for saying that my mind is in my head.) Anyway, my thoughts are priceless -- they are meaningful products of so many influences from the philosophers and thinkers I admire or even from the people I hate. My thoughts reflect who I am and who I will become someday. They manifest the principles and wisdom that I value. It would be so selfish of me not to share my thoughts (and myself) to the world. "I am in this world," as Martin Heiddeger once said. The space and time that I occupy cannot be separted from this world. I am here.. and I have to make my existence known.

So from this day onward, I will blog. InshaAllah!

De Leon best for MSU

De Leon best for MSU

Inquirer
Last updated 02:23am (Mla time) 09/14/2007

This is a reaction to Conrado de Quiros' column titled "A man named Muslim." (Inquirer, 9/4/07)

I am a Maranao Muslim and a local of Marawi City. Mindanao State University Main Campus happens to be my alma mater. Although I am not a fan of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (I'm praying every night for her removal from the office which is not hers in the first place), I believe Ricardo de Leon was her better choice as MSU's acting president. I know this is hard to understand for someone who lives in Manila or for someone who hates Arroyo.

De Leon has not been going around and outside MSU, soliciting signatures of support. Anyone who has seen the improvements at MSU will definitely agree with what I'm saying. It takes one "MSUan" to understand this.

De Leon is the "exception" to the typical Arroyo appointee. He has done a lot of "great" miracles for MSU. Let us not judge him on the basis of who appointed him but by how he has helped MSU. It is not Gloria but the MSU alumni, students, faculty and staff who are the ones supporting him.

Secondly, it doesn't follow that "it pays to appoint Muslims to institutions that have to do with Muslims." What? Is MSU a Muslim university? No way. It is just located in the heart of an Islamic city, but it is not an institution for Muslims only. "MSU aims to become a Center of Excellence not only in teacher education, science and technology but also in tourism, sports, arts, humanities and social sciences. It hopes to contribute to the goals of urban and countryside development through peace, unity and understanding among Christians and Muslims." It is a public institution for everyone, regardless of one's religion, ethnic culture, social standing, etc., except that students, professors and administrators must meet certain academic requirements and qualifications.

So how come De Leon is less fit compared to Macapado Muslim? Because De Leon is a Arroyo appointee? Because he is a former police general? The Bill of Rights mandates that "[n]o law shall be made respecting the establishment of religion ... [n]o religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights."

Thirdly, it does not follow that an insider can do better than an outsider in solving an MSU problem. The situation of the university is unique. It needs an outsider to look at the problems objectively. Not that I am belittling the insiders. But right now, an objective approach is necessary.

Lastly, there is always an exception for every good rule. An academic institution should not be viewed with lewd political interests. I challenge those who question De Leon's capability to visit MSU and see for themselves the situation there. They should ask around, and not complain from a distant. I have never met a man as fit to be MSU president as De Leon.

I admire De Quiros' views, but his Aug. 4 column has to be an exception. --KHAL MAMBUAY, MSU, Marawi City, via e-mail

The Price of Truth and Justice

~ excerpt from my May 25, 2007 post in my other blog..

They say only 10% (more or less) of the human brain is being used. human memory is also sometimes unreliable. no wonder most of us have forgotten the past. There are those who still doubt whether there has been cheating in the midterm election. Others say these are mere baseless allegations.

I am one of those who think that in this country, truth and justice can be bought unless certain sacrifices are made. putting the witnesses in the open is one way of accompanying them and their whole family to the grave. Presenting evidences like the "hello garci" tapes is technically inadmissible (even if it involves a national scam). Truth and justice have a price that is unaffordable for those who were pointed a gun at their heads while being forced to fill up the ballots, or for those innocent children who were instructed to placed their thumb marks at those forged ballots.

For the record, complaints are already filed and the comelec promised to look on to it.

Lets just pray that this will not be another case of Poe v. Macapagal-Arroyo where technicality concealed the truth and justice was never afforded. The 2004 ballots were never recounted, despite the evidences, just because the petitioner, FPJ, died while the said petition was ongoing. Justice was denied not only to FPJ but to the Filipino people.