We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
A place for good cocktails, great conversations
What could be better than to end a long and busy day or week with a great cocktail surrounded by people you vibe with? Panjee and Mike Singleton, the successful owners behind Banter and Jive, shared how operating a cocktail bar business can still be an enjoyable learning experience while navigating life together. “We like to drink together. That’s how we connect,” Panjee said, looking back on why they thought of setting up a cocktail bar business in the vibrant and buoyant streets of Poblacion. “We just wanted a place where we can sit down, talk to a bartender, have pretty good drinks and just hang out with each other.” Panjee decided to leave her corporate job to go full time into the business, while Mike still keeps his day job as a financial analyst. While they are relatively new to the business, it is not their first time to open a bar. In 2020, the couple ventured into the business, not knowing that the pandemic would go full-blown months later. However, it did not stop the Singletons from taking such risks: “We’ll try a second round. If it doesn’t work, then [we] will never get back to it,” Mike said, adding that they constantly reassured themselves whenever they felt bouts of hesitancy at the thought of trying again. Indeed, the second time’s the charm. As soon as the couple opened Banter & Jive, the dream was realized. [caption id="attachment_192197" align="aligncenter" width="875"] BANTER and Jive signature cocktail drinks.[/caption] Current bar scene With so many bars, pubs and nightclubs in Poblacion, one might say that the competition is fierce — but it’s the complete opposite. In retrospect, the couple agreed that the bar industry in Poblacion has been laidback despite the rise of established bars around the area.“The bar community is very strong. We’re very collaborative with each other, especially the cocktails. We don’t really treat each other as competition… It’s more of uplift[ing] the community together,” Mike said. “We all have a shared goal of increasing cocktail awareness,” he added. There is also a noticeably growing cocktail appreciation in the area. While there is nothing wrong with the classic shot of hard liquor — the oddly satisfying sensation of the burning aftertaste it delivers — new and old customers alike are becoming more adventurous and experimental with their drinks. “We keep on revamping our menu in such a way that people would really accept or like,” Panjee said, adding how they would cater to what their customers like in their menu, giving them a more profound and appreciative drinking experience. Undeniably, the country’s nightlife has always been one for the books — where a spontaneous trip to a bar with the people you cherish ends up being one of the most unforgettable moments in your life. Adding Filipinos’ innate hospitality and natural charm, the Poblacion nightlife perfectly captures the vision of being yourself while connecting with others. “As much work as we have to put into drinks, we also put in a lot of effort in making people feel welcome, especially in an intimate bar like ours. You could remember a really great drink but you will never forget the places where you really felt welcome, [where it] felt like a second home,” Panjee said. Taking a leap of faith Despite the lack of experience in operating a bar, it did not stop the couple from turning their passions into something bigger than themselves. With Banter & Jive opening early this year, the couple is onto something great as they are soft-opening a new bar next month in Poblacion. “Take the leap… It’s very scary. It’s still scary now, but take that risk. I think it’s also important for you to have a good support system when you do that — take the leap,” Panjee said, continuing that being surrounded by like-minded people who support you definitely takes the fear and hesitancy away. For aspiring entrepreneurs who want to operate their bar business, the couple agreed that now is the best time to materialize your dreams. “Not having experience isn’t a good enough reason for you not to do something. The only way to have experience is to actually experience it. There is no better time than now,” Panjee said. The post A place for good cocktails, great conversations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Budget season
Marathon meetings were held this week in the Senate and the House of Representatives in line with the budget season leading to the approval of the ever-increasing P5.7-trillion budget for 2024. The yearly “budget-serye” (budget series) never fails to disappoint in bringing out issues that extract the tiniest of details in our government that are given monetary figures in the form of public funds, amounting to millions and even billions of pesos. And every year, we see how the majority gets its way, especially early in the Administration, such as where we are right now. My biggest pet peeve in these sessions is the consistent usage of incompetent sponsors for specific government offices who deserve much better. These sponsors, whose mandate is to defend their sponsored government office before the increasingly knowledgeable and wise interpolators, must be technically and legally verbose and experts in the Philippine budget process. Clearly, this is all wishful thinking since we see neophyte, inarticulate, incapable, yet extremely loyal sponsors who would do anything to prove their worth to the powers that be, even if it means being humiliated and trending on social media for the wrong reasons. Indeed, this is the time for the opposition lawmakers to shine and feast on the mental shortcomings of their counterparts. The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives finds itself in the limelight as it engages in its own “hunting season” against willing victims, may they be Cabinet secretaries or, gasp, the Office of the Vice President, whose massive confidential and intelligence funds are being questioned repeatedly anew. Lo and behold, we have a statement from the House Appropriations Committee chairman that these OVP allocations will be realigned to more deserving government agencies, i.e., the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard. However, we have yet to see the indisputable evidence to prove this happened. Nevertheless, it is a fair and conclusive presumption to say that the majority will still get its way despite the awkward and unconvincing defenses and sponsorships in favor of the government agencies. Is the budget process faulty? It appears not since the correct agencies still receive what is due them. The problem, in my humble opinion, lies in the implementation of these budgets granted to them. For instance, the alleged spending by the OVP of its confidential funds amounting to P125 million in 19 days or 11 days, whichever is true, is a problem of implementation, not allocation. What prevented the OVP from spending this amount earlier? What’s likely is that the OVP rushed the spending so they would not be accused of failure in spending public funds for the right and correct reasons. The other issue on the alleged unconstitutional transfer of funds by the Office of the President to the OVP, while the GAA of 2023 was in effect, is likewise the product of faulty, inefficient implementation of the law. It is illegal for a government office, such as the Office of the President, to casually assign a portion of its fund to the OVP because this renders the budget process faulty and even useless. If there is something that may be attributed to faulty implementation, it can be its failure to set proper safeguards that would lead to the enforcement of new ones. In fact, a Supreme Court decision on the alleged unconstitutional transfer made by the OP to the OVP is in the works. This would place the 2023 “budget-serye” on record as the landmark budget season that would define those in the coming years. For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com. The post Budget season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Osiris returning with asteroid sample
WASHINGTON (AFP) — NASA’s first mission to retrieve an asteroid sample and return it to US soil is expected to reach a perilous finale on Sunday with a descent into the Utah desert. Scientists hope the material — possibly the most ever retrieved by such a mission — will provide humanity with a better understanding on the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The US space probe OSIRIS-REx, launched in 2016, scooped up the sample from an asteroid called Bennu almost three years ago. Touchdown is scheduled for Sunday at around 9:00 am local time (1500 GMT), at a military testing site in the western state. Some four hours earlier, at about 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometers) away from Earth, the Osiris-Rex probe will release the capsule containing the sample. The final descent lasts 13 minutes: The capsule enters the atmosphere at a speed of around 27,000 miles (43,000 kilometers) per hour and reaches a maximum temperature of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,800 degrees Celsius), NASA said. If all goes well, two successive parachutes will bring the capsule to a soft landing on the desert floor, where it will be retrieved by prepositioned staff. Hitting the target area of 250 square miles is like “throwing a dart across the length of a basketball court and hitting the bullseye,” Rich Burns, OSIRIS-REx project manager at NASA, told a press conference last month. The night before landing, controllers will have a final opportunity to abort if conditions are not correct. If so, the probe would then circle the Sun before its next attempt — in 2025. “Sample return missions are hard. There’s a number of things that can go wrong,” said Sandra Freund, Lockheed Martin’s OSIRIS-REx program manager. Teams have meticulously prepared for the capsule’s return — even a “hard landing scenario” according to Freund — in order to preserve the asteroid material in its pristine form. A final dress rehearsal took place in August, with a replica capsule dropped from a helicopter. Once the capsule is on the ground, a team will check its condition before placing it in a net, which will be lifted by helicopter and taken to a temporary “clean room.” The next day, the sample will be flown to a highly specialized laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Scientists will open the capsule and separate pieces of the rock and dust over a period of days. Some of the sample will be for studies now, with the rest stored away for future generations equipped with better technology — a practice first started during the Apollo missions to the Moon. NASA is expected to unveil its first results during a press conference on 11 October. Obtaining the sample involved a high-risk operation in October 2020: The probe came into contact with the asteroid for a few seconds, and a blast of compressed nitrogen was emitted to raise the dust sample which was then captured. Bennu had surprised scientists during sample collection: During the few seconds of contact with the surface, the probe’s arm had sunk into the soil, revealing a much lower density than expected. However it allowed NASA to take far more than the initial target of 60 grams — the agency thinks the sample could be up to some 250 grams of material. That mass would be the “largest from beyond the orbit of the moon,” NASA program executive Melissa Morris said. The post Osiris returning with asteroid sample appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender
Azerbaijan said Wednesday it had regained control over breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in decades after separatist Armenian fighters agreed to lay down their arms in the face of a military operation. The stunning collapse of separatist resistance represents a major victory for Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in his quest to bring the Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh back under Baku's control. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The years of conflict have been marked by abuses on both sides, and there are concerns of a fresh refugee crisis as Karabakh's Armenian population fears being forced out. A day after Azerbaijan launched its military operation in the region, Baku and the ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh announced a ceasefire deal had been brokered by Russian peacekeepers to stop the fighting. "Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty as a result of successful anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh," Aliyev said in a televised address. Aliyev claimed that most of the Armenian forces in the region had been destroyed and said the withdrawal of separatist troops had already begun. The attack left "at least 200 killed and more than 400 wounded," Nagorno-Karabakh separatist official Gegham Stepanyan said. Late on Wednesday, Armenia's defence ministry said that Azerbaijan had fired on its positions along the border between the arch-foes. Such skirmishes are frequent along the border. Truce deal Under the truce deal, the separatists said they had agreed to fully dismantle their army and that Armenia would pull out any forces it had in the region. Azerbaijan's defence ministry said that "all weapons and heavy armaments are to be surrendered" under the supervision of Russia's 2,000-strong peacekeeping force on the ground. Both sides said talks on reintegrating the breakaway territory into the rest of Azerbaijan would be held on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh. President Vladimir Putin said Russian peacekeepers would mediate the talks. Moscow has said several of members of its force in Karabakh were killed when the car they were travelling in came under fire. Latest violence Baku's operation marked the latest violence over the rugged territory. After the Soviet Union fell apart, Armenian separatists seized the region -- internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan -- in the early 1990s. The war left 30,000 people dead and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. In a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured swathes of territory in and around the region. President Aliyev on Wednesday praised the "political competence" of his country's historic rival. "The developments that took place yesterday and today will have a positive impact on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. Azerbaijani presidential foreign policy advisor Hikmet Hajiyev promised safe passage for the separatists who surrendered and said Baku sought the "peaceful reintegration" of Karabakh Armenians. A separatist official said over 10,000 people have been evacuated from Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh and "forced to find a shelter" elsewhere in the territory. Russia's President Putin said he hoped for a "peaceful" resolution, adding that Moscow has been in contact with all sides in the conflict. Putin held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Wednesday evening, but the Kremlin insisted the crisis was "Azerbaijan's internal affair". 'War is over' Jubilant residents in Azerbaijan's capital expressed hope the deal heralded a definitive victory and the end of the decades-long conflict. "I was very happy with this news. Finally, the war is over," 67-year-old pensioner Rana Ahmedova told AFP. In Armenia, there was fury at a second defeat in Karabakh in three years. Clashes broke out in Armenia's capital Yerevan, where thousands of protesters waving the separatist region's flag blocked a main road and riot police guarded official buildings. Demonstrators threw bottles and stones at police as they slammed the government's handling of the crisis, while officers used stun grenades and made arrests. The loss in Karabakh ratchets up domestic pressure on Pashinyan, who has faced stinging criticism at home for making concessions to Azerbaijan since the 2020 defeat. "We are losing our homeland, we are losing our people," said Sargis Hayats, a 20-year-old musician. Pashinyan "must leave, time has shown that he cannot rule. No one gave him a mandate for Karabakh to capitulate," he said. The Armenian leader has insisted that his government had not been involved in drafting the latest ceasefire deal. Again denying his country's army was in the enclave, he said he expected Russia's peacekeepers to ensure Karabakh's ethnic-Armenian residents could stay "in their homes, on their land". International pressure Azerbaijan's assault came as Moscow, the traditional power broker in the region is bogged down and distracted by its war on Ukraine, which has left it isolated in the West. But its peacekeepers there appeared to have played a key role in helping to negotiate the ceasefire and will now oversee its implementation. Turkey, a historic ally of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan that views mostly Christian Armenia as one of its main regional rivals, had called the operation "justified". The EU and United States have been mediating talks between Baku and Yerevan in recent months aimed at securing a lasting peace deal between the two foes. The White House said Wednesday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. "We're obviously still watching very, very closely the worsening humanitarian situation inside Nagorno-Karabakh," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. He added the situation "has been exacerbated by the hostilities perpetrated by Azerbaijan" in Karabakh, where there are now fears of a refugee crisis. The post Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden urges ‘national unity’ 22 years after 9/11
President Joe Biden called Monday for Americans to unite despite bitter political differences as the United States marked the 22nd anniversary of Al-Qaeda's 9/11 attacks. Bells were rung and the names of nearly 3,000 people were read out in somber ceremonies in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania where the hijacked planes struck. "Let's honor September 11 by renewing our faith in one another," said Biden, speaking at a US military base in Anchorage, Alaska as he traveled back from a trip to India and Vietnam. "We must never lose our sense of national unity, so let that be the common cause of our time." Speaking in front of a huge flag, Biden added that "terrorism, including political and ideological violence, is the opposite of all we stand for as a nation." His speech comes as the United States is increasingly polarized, with tensions likely to increase as Biden, a Democrat, heads into a likely election rematch next year with Republican former president Donald Trump. Trump has been indicted four times since April, including for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, with the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack by his supporters still fresh in the public's memory. 'Never forget' In New York, Vice President Kamala Harris and current and former mayors joined victims' families at the 9/11 memorial on the site of the World Trade Center twin towers brought down by two aircraft flown by hijackers. The names of the more than 2,600 who died in New York were read out by family members and young relatives not alive at the time of the attack. "I wish I had a chance to really know you. Everyone in the family misses you. We will never forget," said the grandson of firefighter Allan Tarasiewicz, who was killed at age 45 during rescue operations at the World Trade Center. At the Pentagon in Washington, where the attackers plunged a third aircraft into the headquarters of the US military, a sailor rang a ship's bell for each of the 184 killed there. And in western Pennsylvania, where a fourth hijacked plane apparently heading toward Washington was forced to crash, bells were rung for each of the 40 passengers and crew who died. "September 11 made America a nation at war, and hundreds of thousands stepped up to serve our country in uniform," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Pentagon ceremony. "I know that it aches to remember this milestone year after year... The men and women of the Department of Defense will always remember." Across New York City, in Congress and elsewhere, a moment of silence was held to mark the attack, plotted by Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was found and killed nearly a decade later by US Navy Seals in a raid on his hideout in Pakistan. Biden noted in his speech that he himself had given the order for bin Laden's successor Ayman al-Zawahiri to be sent to the "gates of hell" last year in an airstrike in Afghanistan. "The soul of America is the fortitude we found in the fear of that terrible September day," he added. "The terrorists believed they could bring us to our knees, bend our will, break our resolve. But they were wrong, they were dead wrong." The post Biden urges ‘national unity’ 22 years after 9/11 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Maguindanao del Norte: Caused by wrong legal advice (2)
The Maguindanao del Norte impasse, with the spectacle of having two acting governors holding office simultaneously, is obviously caused by wrong legal advice of the government lawyers of the Office of the Solicitor General, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Acting Governor Bai Fatima Ainee Sinsuat, who assumed office pursuant to Section 30, Republic Act 11560, holds office at Datu Odin Sinsuat municipality, which is the seat of the Provincial Capitol of Maguindanao del Norte. Acting OIC Abdulraof Abdul Macacua, appointed by the President, presumably upon the advice of government lawyers, pursuing the theory that there was a vacancy in the position of Acting Governor in the newly created Province of Maguindanao del Norte, is holding fort in Cotabato City, curiously not a part of Maguindanao del Norte. The Acting Vice-Governor Sharapudin Tucao Mastura and the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Maguindanao del Norte, hold their sessions at the old Capitol Building in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte. The government lawyers foisted the legal opinion that Section 50 of Republic Act 11550 which created the new provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte is not applicable to Acting Governor Bai Fatima Ainee Sinsuat and Acting Vice-Governor Sharafudin Tucson Mastura, in so far as the law makes them the transitional highest provincial officials that will govern Maguindanao del Norte until their successors have been elected and qualified in the elections of 2022. They opined that since the plebiscite ratifying the law creating the new provinces occurred after the 2022 national and local elections, and not prior to the elections, as contemplated in the said legal provision, the assumption of the elected Vice-Governor and the highest-ranking board member elected in the 2022 local elections in the then undivided Maguindanao Province, cannot take place. To their legal minds, by reason of such circumstance, a vacancy was created in the positions of Acting Governor, Acting Vice-Governor, and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. This wrong legal opinion, which apparently became the basis of their legal advice to the appointing power, paved the way for the appointment of Abdulraof Abdul Macacua as Acting OIC of the Province of Maguindanao del Norte. That wrong legal opinion and advice created the legal fix Maguindanao del Norte is presently in. It is the proximate cause of why the efficient and effective delivery of basic services to the people of Maguindanao del Norte has been stalled, if not completely stopped. So too is the failure of the employees of the province Maguindanao del Norte to draw their salaries on time, if they receive it at all. These lawyers have forgotten a basic tenet in legislation. A law cannot create a vacuum. It cannot allow a situation where there will be a hiatus in governance relative to who will assume such a task. Nor will it tolerate a circumstance that there will be either a stoppage of work or a failure or a delay in the delivery of basic services to the people. (To be continued) The post Maguindanao del Norte: Caused by wrong legal advice (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Magician Efren
Author’s Note. Back in my high school days, it was normal for us students to skip classes to play billiards at the “Pink House” along Katipunan Ave. across the Ateneo campus. Our dean of discipline, Mr. Vergara, whom we dubbed Garaver, would raid the Pink House regularly to round us back to the corral. So, I can rightfully say that I speak with authority on the subject of billiards. Efren can make billiards magic because he shoots with his mind, not his hands. In truth, billiards is more of a cerebral rather than a physical game, an intellectual game rather than plain geometry and angles. That is why Efren, the Magician is revered by everyone, especially global billiard pros and commentators. He would ponder silently while chalking his cue stick and his mind would be racing through complex possibilities with lightning speed before finally making his move without hesitation. Billiards is the merging of the physics of motion and momentum and the metaphysics of “feel” and psychic power. Especially in eight-ball, it requires analysis and strategy as to where to place the cue ball for the next shot, what Filipinos call “preparacion” — a Spanish word. This is the expertise of Efren the Magician, or Efren “Bata” (The Kid) Reyes, rightfully the greatest pool player in the world today, according to pool commentators and pros. He makes his “preparacion” with ease. This has made him the first non-American to win the US Open Pool Championship. TV anchors would normally predict how Efren would play his “preparacion,” but many times they would be wrong because Efren thinks out of the box. He would go for a complex three-rail bank shot with ease instead of the more obvious straight shot. Indeed, Filipino pool players, led by Efren, are noted worldwide for the unique way they play, and how they are changing the way pool is played on the global level. The great champions from Europe and America have started adopting the unorthodox way Filipinos play. There is today a radical Filipino pool culture respected in the global arena. Efren is especially noted for casually shifting from his right hand to his left to shoot, which is a unique Filipino playing style. He is an expert in masse, giving the cue ball enough of a spin to curve around or jump over an obstructing ball by hitting the cue ball at a steep angle using a shorter cue stick. Another expertise of Efren is the “safety shot,” hiding the cue ball from the target ball, if he has no open shot to make. Rather than risk a dangerous shot to pocket the ball, this defensive strategy often leaves the opponent with an impossible shot. Efren can maneuver and hide the cue ball from the target ball with ease. Efren’s charisma abroad is phenomenal. They all love the way he scratches his head when he makes a blunder. You would not know if he made a mistake or played his magic, because, either way, he has on this sheepish smile. He would giggle if he did a “tsamba,” a lucky accident of sinking a ball in an unintended pocket. He brims with humility even in his greatness. Filipinos are good at billiards partly perhaps because it is a poor man’s game, as Efren was as a kid. One can spend hours in the billiard hall. Time just melts away. It is called making “istambay,” a corruption of the English word “stand by.” Just hanging around the pool hall all day and learning lessons from the experts, like Efren did as a kid. In contrast, sports like basketball and swimming are essentially more expensive to go into. Billiards is an “easy” and “cheap” sport because it is essentially entertainment, but at the same time cerebral. It can be expensive only if you gamble. Efren is known as the richest pool player of all time. He has earned about $2 million or P100 million as of February 2023. He is in the Guinness World Records. He and Francisco Bustamante hold the records for the greatest number of victories in pool in 2006 and 2009, respectively; followed by Li Hewen and Fu Jianbo of China in 2007 and 2010, respectively. (Source: guinnessworldrecords.com) At the age of 68, Efren still has not retired. Unlike in boxing or basketball where great athletes retire early, in pool, which requires little physical effort, there are a few rare great pros who are septuagenarians. Wikipedia lists Efren’s titles and achievements at a phenomenal 137, as of this writing. The post Magician Efren appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bottoms up!
Meaning: An encouragement to drink or to finish one’s drink. Did you know that the term “Bottoms up” originated in an era when English sailors were encouraged to drink? There is a popular story behind its history where English sailors used to be bribed with coins to join the navy and many times, they would be tricked into joining by being given a beer with a coin at the bottom of the glass. Sounds fun, right? There is a reward after drinking a reward. I can drink to that! According to the legend, men began to say “Bottoms up” to their drinking buddies so they could see if there were coins in the glasses before the drinks were finished. Now, in modern times, most people say, “Bottoms up!” to cheer their buddies when drinking alcohol, having fun, and celebrating an event. It used to be a happy term, but did you know that it could also be a negative phrase? In some situations, people say “Bottoms up!” to encourage drinking something unpleasant. For example, you need to drink your medicine despite its bitter so someone will say to you “Bottoms Up!” until you finish it. Yes, my dear readers, how are you after the long weekend? Have you recharged and had fun together with friends and families? Nothing wrong with having fun, of course, as long as it does not hurt anyone or as long as it is after working hours. Speaking of “Bottoms up!,” it has been all over the news recently, have you seen it? In case you haven’t, then let me fill you in on some spicy information. Last week, on 16 August, acting port managers and seven other officials of the Philippine Ports Authority assigned to the Port Management Office of Bohol were caught on CCTV drinking inside the PPA office multipurpose hall to celebrate the acting port manager’s birthday. That’s not the worst of it. Aside from drinking on the premises of a government facility, they used the office chairs and tables (supposedly for meetings and official functions) for their drinking session with lots of bottles of alcohol, an invited band, and the attorneys and port police dancing as shown on the CCTV footage. Like I said, having fun is not bad at all, celebrating birthdays is okay, and being together with friends or co-workers on a special day is totally fine.... but not to the extent of using government facilities and resources to fuel that fun. These eight officials of PPA Bohol, including the acting port manager/birthday celebrator, two legal attorneys, four port police officials, and the Port Services Department Bohol head, were removed from their posts pending an investigation. Recently, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago issued a memorandum reiterating Memo Circular No. 013-2023, otherwise known as the “Strict prohibition on the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the workplace.” The memorandum was first issued in 2018 under the same management after the former DoTr officials issued a directive prohibiting alcoholic beverages in the workplace — all in accordance with Civil Service Commission Memorandum No. 4, series of 2011, stating the policy guidelines on the prohibition of alcoholic beverages among government officials and employees. See? No government official or employee is excused for drinking inside a government office. An official is expected to serve the public, to give assistance, to make their lives easier, to be of great service to the community, and not to be another source of conflicts and problems within their areas of responsibility. Ports operate 24/7, thus there is no need to be complacent at any moment. Thank goodness for the high-tech surveillance system of the PPA, serious negligence and deliberate negative acts like these can be monitored from the head office. To be fair, drinking has long been the center of workplace culture, whether for socialization or to gain each other’s trust. In fact, in China, drinking with business partners serves as a moral contract in which the potential work partners get drunk together until they become friends and gain each other’s trust and professional interests. But we are not in China, we are here in our beloved country striving to always change to rise from the difficulties of being in a third-world country. A lot of people, or even more deserving people, need jobs, hence, any job, especially a government position, should not be taken for granted and abused. Now this brings us to a question: Does alcohol have a place at work and should it? Your guess is as good as mine. Let us not normalize alcohol drinking at work or the pressure to participate. It may seem like a nice gesture to subsidize alcohol at events to build camaraderie, but it is not necessary in carrying out government functions, especially inside office areas. There you go, fellow boat riders, yes, we either sink or swim all together because we are in the same boat, but this time we’re not in the same boat because no one wants to be bonding with booze and boss in an office setup on a weekday. Smells like a “Bottoms up!” disaster. Yikes! The post Bottoms up! appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Impertinent lawmaker
A leftist party-list representative, one among those who foist their nationalistic pretense, who has been critical of the previous administration’s war on drugs but couldn’t for once slam the communist rebels for their terroristic activities, and always engaged in either wrong or misleading narratives, has once again unleashed a thoughtless and unstudied declaration, poking her finger in the West Philippine Sea dispute vis-a-vis China’s claim that the Philippines had committed to removing the BRP Sierra Madre which has been aground for a long time at the Ayungin Shoal. This time she has targeted former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the latter’s alleged silence on the issue in the face of former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s, Joseph Estrada’s and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s denial of making such a commitment to China. She has cast suspicion on the former maverick President’s and the latter’s daughter’s (Vice President Sara Duterte) alleged non-issuing a denunciation statement against China’s attacking the resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre and failing to deny having made the aforementioned pledge. In the first place, there is no need to dispute China’s claim because, for one, it has not submitted proof as to the identity of a government official who made such a commitment, and on what occasion and year it was made. For another, assuming a commitment was made by whomsoever, the same could not be undertaken given that the ship in question is in Ayungin Shoal, which is within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, over which place the latter has sovereign rights under international law and the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, and therefore it can do whatever it pleases. Moreover, the arbitral ruling handed by the Permanent Arbitration Court has affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights’ claim to it while it rejected China’s expansionist claim over the West Philippine Sea — hence, any contrary claim over the use of the same or invocation of whatever commitment made in regard thereto not only has become moot if not irrelevant but — and more importantly no basis in international law. There is no need for FPRRD to issue a statement to deny or dispute China’s claim simply because as aforestated, it has not validated its allegation with any semblance of proof. Moreover, it is irrelevant at this stage owing to the arbitral award. Even if it is relevant, the denial of the existence of such commitment by no less than the current head of state is more than sufficient. Unlike this impertinent lawmaker, FPRRD abhors calling attention to himself. To require the Vice-President to issue a similar denial and a denunciation against China’s assault on the Philippine Coast Guard is redundant, with PBBM having already an official statement on the matter. The lady solon nastily insinuates that FPRRD has been sleeping with the enemy citing instances that she did not particularize forgetting that even if he has developed a friendship with China’s President, his virtual speech before the United Nations, asserting our sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea and his raising the arbitral ruling in a face-to-face dialogue with President Xi Jinping on his first state visit to China spoke eloquently of his position that he is fiercely opposed to China’s unlawful incursions on Philippine waters. This member of the Lower House has also repeated the lie started by some anti-Duterte critics that the latter has described the arbitral ruling as a mere piece of paper. For her education and others. PRRD was describing how China is treating the favorable decision by not only ignoring it but committing repeated acts of aggression against the Philippines. China is demonstrating its rejection of the international arbitral court ruling by treating it as a worthless piece of paper. In other words, it is telling the world that the Philippines may have the decision (paper) but it has control over the territory it has won in the arbitration. There is wisdom in the suggestion that she zips her lips and halt her rants and focus on legislation. The post Impertinent lawmaker appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protect (not) their own
Enterprising journalists always insist on getting the so-called “spot reports” that cops responding to calls for police assistance immediately send to their superiors to inform them of actions taken. While the grammar is usually horrendous, the 5W and 1H reports (Who, what, when, where, why, and how) are oftentimes good enough for breaking news despite being sketchy, as in lacking in details. Then some reports are “sketchy” in the sense that the narrative appears dubious, and the storyline implausible because, just to cite one red flag, the actions cited by the cops run against normal human reactions. But then again, when it comes to crimes, logic cannot always explain the violent tendencies of men and women experiencing a wide gamut of emotions — pain, anger, desperation, jealousy, etc. — that throw them off the edge of sanity. For crimes of passion and even road rage, for example, we have a term for that, “Nagdilim ang paningin,” a phrase that roughly (not literally) translates to someone descending into the dark enough recesses of the human mind to commit a crime in an instant. If one blinded by anger kills without premeditation, he or she is charged with homicide if successful, but if the killing was planned or was attended by treachery and the use of overwhelming force, then murder would be. During olden times in the Philippines, a husband who stumbled upon his wife in bed with another man and killed one or both would have just merited the punishment of “destierro.” A legal reference defined destierro as a “mere banishment, rather than a punishment, one that serves to protect the killer or attacker from retaliation from the family members of the deceased.” How about that: Protecting the killer or killers? The intent of destierro, based on that definition, clearly elucidates the point that there are crimes that sometimes do not rise to the level of imputing criminal liability on the perpetrator. The same could be said of actions taken in self-defense. The point here is that even before suspects in criminal cases are brought before the prosecutors for inquest, or before the courts for trial, the police have always exercised control over information pertaining to crimes that are imbued with public interest and so must be ventilated by the media. Cops routinely release mug shots of those arrested in small-time drug busts, but their officials cry foul when members of the media report on incidents that may involve men in uniform, leading to the perception, right or wrong, of whitewashing or cover-up. Take that fatal shooting of “Jemboy” in what the Navotas police claimed to be a case of mistaken identity and of a couple of the warning shots (fired by all six responding policemen, mind you) finding their way into the teen’s head and hand. No spot report that contained the names of the cops that had since been restricted to quarters was released to reporters, while those few who had gotten the names from external sources were prevailed upon to withhold the names of the suspects. A case of double standard, would you say? The sacked Navotas police chief had it coming when he decided to withhold the names of the six cops who, after all, had already been subjected to inquest. Court reporters should have gotten the suspects’ names, too, but again the lid put on their identities was so tight in the few days after the shooting that the public started thinking something was being cooked. More so since the six were only charged with “reckless imprudence resulting in homicide” instead of homicide, as suggested by forensic investigator Raquel Fortun; or murder, as this Contrarian raised in a previous column. A lawyer of Jemboy’s family had said they are pushing for a charge of murder against the six cops. With what little we know of the case, that seems to be a fair enough course of action. Again, the National Bureau of Investigation should step into the picture if we are going to have a credible investigation and prosecution of this case. Out with the sanitized narrative of how Jemboy wound up in the murky depths of a Navotas river, with blood oozing from his head. The post Protect (not) their own appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Settled doctrines on sexual harassment (3)
Sexual harassment engenders three-fold liability: Criminal, to address the wrong committed against society; civil, to address the private wrong against the offended party; and administrative, to protect the public service. Criminal liability for sexual harassment notwithstanding, the offended party may pursue a separate civil action. Aside from the actual perpetrator, the employer or the head of office or institution may also be impleaded in an independent action for damages. They would be solidarily liable for damages if they did not take immediate action on a sexual harassment complaint. Unlike in a criminal action where the penalty is a fine, imprisonment, or both, the penalty in an administrative action is, at most, dismissal from the service. This is because an administrative action seeks to protect the public service by imposing administrative sanctions on the erring public officer. In prosecuting an offender for sexual harassment, the intent is immaterial. The mere commission is sufficient to warrant a conviction. The threshold is whether an act violates and/or threatens the personal space and physical safety of another person, regardless of the motive for committing the act. Guided by the foregoing, let’s take a quick look at actual cases of sexual harassment decided by the Supreme Court. In the case of Escandor v. People (G.R. No. 211962, 6 July 2020), the complainant testified to several acts of sexual harassment, including the respondent’s acts of grabbing her hand, kissing her, engaging in improper conversations, touching her thigh, giving her gifts, telling her that “she was the kind of girl he really wants,” asking her out on dates, and sending her text messages telling her that he missed her, that she looked beautiful, and that he loved her. The complainant stated that these acts made her feel disrespected, humiliated, cheap, uneasy, and frightened. She also could not concentrate on her work, could not sleep, and found herself “staring into empty space.” Without any doubt, the Supreme Court held that the respondent’s acts resulted in an intimidating, hostile, and offensive environment for the complainant, thereby making him guilty of sexual harassment. In another case (A.C. No. 5900, 10 April 2019), a professor was charged for allegedly unwanted sexual advances or innuendos against his students. One of his students recounted that in one of her class recitations, she sought clarification of a question propounded to her, saying, “Sir, come again?” The professor retorted, “What? You want me to come again? I have not come the first time and don’t you know that it took me five minutes to come, and you want me to come again?” In his defense, the professor said the joke was intended for himself and that in fact, the students had laughed at the joke. In ruling against the professor, the Supreme Court stated that the professor’s remarks could not be categorized as an innocent joke meant only to lighten the mood of the class. It was readily apparent that the remark was tasteless, vulgar, and crude and had no place in an academic setting. It was not clever wordplay or a mere statement with a sexual innuendo as its intended meaning was obviously discernible. The professor’s attempt at humor failed miserably as his words clearly referred to himself needing five minutes to ejaculate again. The professor’s statements made the student uncomfortable and embarrassed her in front of her classmates as it went beyond an innocent joke and was instead a gross graphic and insensitive remark. Thus, the Supreme Court ruled that the professor abused the power and authority he possessed over the students. His sexually laced conduct had created a hostile and offensive environment that deeply prejudiced his students. In what was supposed to be a safe place for them to learn and develop, they were instead subjected to unwarranted sexual advances. In another case, however, the Supreme Court clarified that casual gestures of friendship and camaraderie, done during festive or special occasions, and with other people present do not constitute sexual harassment. In Aquino v. Acosta [429 Phil. 498 (2002)], the Supreme Court ruled that the act of greeting a person with a kiss on the cheek, in “beso-beso” fashion, was not shown to have been carried out with lustful and lascivious desire or was motivated by malice or ill motive. The Court explained that pecks on the cheeks should be understood in the context of having been done on the occasion of some festivities, as busses on cheeks were simply friendly and innocent, bereft of malice and lewd design. Ultimately, therefore, it is a matter of respecting each other’s boundaries and creating safe spaces for everyone. For more of Dean Nilo Divina’s legal tidbits, please visit www.divinalaw.com. For comments and questions, please send an email to cabdo@divinalaw.com. The post Settled doctrines on sexual harassment (3) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stop the reclaiming
Instead of falling for their heavily advertised utopian urban fantasies, it’s best for us to stand firm against the brazen cynicism of the greedy profiteers salivating over the land reclamation on Manila Bay. The brazen cynicism is in the form all of us are easily taken in by — arguments that it’s only by expanding Metro Manila’s urban sprawl through reclamation that we can save the metropolis from itself. That’s a big fat total lie. The incontestable truth is this: We all certainly know that the only way to save the sprawling nightmare that is frenzied by Metro Manila from unmitigated horrors is to decongest it. A decongestion that will only work when people are taken out of the metropolis by spurring economic development away from imperial Metro Manila’s porous borders. That much is a given. Yet, these profit-mad scoundrels arrogantly gaslight each one of us, even managing to hoodwink otherwise sound development policymakers. So much so that they have been able to convince policymakers that the outright banning of reclamation projects on Manila Bay isn’t in our best interest. Recently, for instance, senators were calling ONLY for the suspension of reclamation projects in Manila Bay, citing their adverse impact on the environment and, bizarrely enough, complaints that reclamation will spoil our view of the famed Manila Bay sunset. Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR announced last week the formation of a team to review all ongoing reclamation projects for their impact on the environment. Why a review only now? So many scientific studies have time and again warned that reclamation endangers the delicate environmental balance of the bay. Hadn’t they heard of that? Similarly, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla is pushing for a review of all the contracts for the reclamation projects in Manila Bay, saying the awarding of reclamation contracts by the Philippine Reclamation Authority or PRA was “rushed” and that no public hearings were held. Again, there’s that nasty word “review.” Something is deeply unsettling about mere suspensions and reviews. It conclusively betrays the government’s lack of decisiveness and political will against a portentously disastrous issue! Without ifs, ands, or buts, the government must put out a policy banning outright reclamation on Manila Bay. An explicit and unambiguous policy that will stop all proposals and activities related to reclamation must be put in place at the soonest possible time. There really is a need to get all worked up against reclamation. As things now stand, Metro Manila can hardly cope with its environment. Earlier, I spoke of unmitigated horrors plaguing the metropolis. The metropolis perpetually endures floods, monstrous traffic jams, people crammed into sardine-can living spaces, and whatever else, testifying to the fact the world’s fourth-largest urban area is in depraved chaos. Yet, despite these horrors already causing societal and environmental collapse, our reclamation scoundrels glibly argue that reclamation projects are redemptive. Their arguments are fundamentally wrong. Primarily because reclamation tends to attract and increase further the 24-million population of the metropolis. Also, those planned gleaming urban villages in those reclaimed areas are idiotic come-ons. More likely than not, those villages will be unaffordable to most Metro Manila residents. So much so that employees of businesses in reclaimed areas will likely locate to nearby already densely populated areas. As such, there will be no palpable decrease in Metro Manila’s bursting population density. In addition, our joke of a public transport system will force even more people to take to cars to get themselves to the reclaimed areas. Throw out then any imagined metropolis free of unbearable traffic and pollution. Flooding, too, won’t be finally solved. It will get even worse. As early as 2019, scientists had raised the alarm that the planned reclamations on Manila Bay would not only worsen flooding in Manila, but also submerge coastal villages in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Cavite. Recent monsoon rains had turned Bulacan and Pampanga into insuperable water worlds. This even without reclamation projects in place. So, you still want those damn reclamations? The post Stop the reclaiming appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist
The promising artist that Katya is today is the latest phase in a lifelong journey that began at an early age when she began drawing characters from cartoon comics. All the while she was growing up in a home that nurtured her interest in the arts, as much as it prepared her for rigorous academic training. She read early in life, in a house filled with books. In this second part of our interview, Katya shares with us how she made a number of choices that would lead to where she is today. But once upon a time, for all that had been given to her on a silver platter, she was in a quandary as to what to do with her life. But when she finally decided on what she wanted, there was no stopping the talented and smart girl who, it turned out, possessed an intellectual prowess not unlike those of her parents, the lawyer, and senator Edgardo Angara, whose affinity for the land had been impressed on his daughter, and the lady educator Gloria Manalang Angara, who opened up her daughter’s eyes and minds to the wonders of world literature and the other arts. And it was in art that the young girl did not only find solace but also healing. Here is the final part of our interview: DT: After high school, did you immediately leave for London? KA: To be honest, and I don’t want filters here, I had mental health issues at that time. I was severely depressed. Before I went to London, I went through a tumultuous period of deciding where to go with my education. So, after Poveda, I went to Woldingham (boarding school). then I did half of my BA Psychology degree at UP Diliman from late 2000 to 2002. I loved my time at Diliman but it was a tumultuous transitional period for me, so I decided to revisit pursuing university in London. Central Saint Martins, to be precise, is one of the most prestigious and distinguished art and design schools in the world DT: Around what time was this? KA: It was in 2002. I was bouncing around like I couldn’t anchor myself to one thing. Like, okay, I’m here in London already. And then, okay I’m going to study Psychology in UP. So, what’s with the leap, the sudden jump, the sudden shift? I couldn’t make up my mind. And I think that frustrated my parents for the longest time. I was also being hard on myself because I ended up causing a lot of frustration for myself. And I think that depressed me. So, you know, I’ve been diagnosed with different things. I’m bipolar. And then, I had the hallmarks of ADHD. Let’s just say that my brain works differently DT: Well, one can never be sure about oneself. KA: No, you can never be sure about yourself. And I was questioning myself. For the longest time, all those years I thought, what’s wrong with me? Why am I making all these strange decisions? Why am I behaving this way? Why do I react to people this way?”. You know, parang I shouldn’t be talking or reacting to people like this in this kind of situation. And I’m not just saying with family or what. But with my classmates in school. What drew me to art was it being a place that has its own language e. It’s a place where I can express myself. Art is also a way of healing your own wounds. It’s also a way of revealing those aspects of yourself that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It really was a way of healing for me. And I didn’t even know that I needed it. Because again, I was a very quiet and introverted kid. I don’t know why. I couldn’t rely on people, talk to people the way I thought, or maybe people thought I should. So, you know, I kept to myself. I’d hide away in the library every recess or lunch. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. So, that carried on until my university years. Daily Tribune (DT): What did you finally take up in college? Katya Angara: Well, first I just wanted to do a purely art course. So, my foundation course to get me a degree was an Art and Design course. My first choice for this was Central Saint Martins, which continues to be ranked as one of the best art and design schools in the world. I was over the moon when I made it in. DT: What did you have to show to qualify? KA: I needed to show my work. I had some already since I was drawing a lot in my childhood and teenage years. DT: Your works are not the usual ones that use oil, watercolor, acrylic, and all that. KA: I was drawing mostly. And for some reason, I have always been more of a draftsman eh. I’m always more into drawing. I have more illustrating tendencies. DT: Like pen and paper? KA: Yes, pen and paper. Pencil, charcoal. I’ve always had a thing for dry media and pen and ink. It’s more about the control and the precision. That’s my personality. DT: That’s not easy ah. KA: It’s not easy. But you have an affinity for it. And your hands have to be steady. Which is unlikely for someone with pasmado hands like me. But that’s where I find my control eh. That’s why I like it so much. DT: So, what was it like when you showed your drawings at Central Saint Martin? KA: So, I showed my drawings because that was required during the interview. And so I went through the ropes. They asked questions like, "why do you want to do this course here?" DT: Your work must have been good to get you accepted. KA: They were fine. I think it was good enough. But there was a lot I had to improve on. I only knew that once I got into the school. Then, you told yourself, Ah, oo nga pala. There was so much I had to learn. That I could be taught. DT: How was your learning experience? KA: From the beginning, as a child, I always copied from cartoons. And they didn’t like that. They didn’t want to see any cartoons or anything like that. They wanted to see me. They wanted to see my work. My drawing from life. DT: So, how did you do that? It must have been challenging KA: So, I gave them the best of my life drawings. But when I showed them my other works, they weren’t happy with them. So, I learned from that. Being young, you got a bit crushed. But then, you realize it’s a different way of thinking. It’s a different way of doing things. Okay, there’s still so much to learn in terms of art. And it’s not the be-all and end of it all. And then, they said, “This is where you should be learning from.” And they showed me art books. They said, “Go to this gallery or this museum.” DT: How was it like living abroad? Back home, you were the daughter of a senator. KA: Which means nothing when you’re abroad. It meant nothing. Which I actually loved. It was something that I was looking for. Because I lived in a bubble back home. To my parents’ credit naman there’s a reason for that. I was very protected. They wanted to keep me safe and secure given my father’s position. So, I’d always lived in a bubble. I’d always have bodyguards and drivers and all that. And it just felt at times a little restrictive. DT: So, it was a welcome thing? KA: It was a welcome thing. Really, I felt different. I felt normal na parang my family name didn’t mean a thing. And that was refreshing. I could be anything I wanted to be. I could experiment and nobody would judge. Because in schools like that and abroad, especially in Europe, they’re so open-minded. They’re so liberal. DT: How were the teachers? KA: Oh, wonderful. Of course, you always have your favorites, right? Very varied. Depending also on what course you were taking up, whether industrial design or sculpture which I was horrible at when I tried it. I didn’t really get close to my tutors until I moved on to my actual degree. Funny enough, instead of ending up in a practical course. Which would have been like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration because I love drawing. You would think that I would end up in a more practical course like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration, I did a complete shift and I did a theoretical course. I did Curation, Art Criticism, and Art History. So, my training is as a curator and an art critic. DT: Wow, that was very intellectual. It’s good that you always read a lot. KA: Yes, I think that helped because you have to read a lot. You have to love reading. You have to like doing the research. And that served me well. Who would have known, right? But if you think about it, as long as you follow what you want to do in life, it just opens up even if you don’t intentionally seek it. Somehow it just finds you It just fell into place for me in that sense. This is not what I initially set out to do. But I think you have to allow yourself to change your mind. Parang whatever happens at the time, you change with it. You adjust to it. And it worked out beautifully for me. DT: So, were the teachers terrors? KA: Mabait naman sila. But they have very different personalities. My course leader was a lovely older lady who was really into Victorian arts and culture. As in, Victoriana lahat. She would tell you everything about English Victorian history. And she was very passionate about it. And you know, it involved a lot of writing and research. But my favorite tutor was someone who was writing about comic books. Comic books and Pop culture. So, for me, that was a revelation because I didn’t think you could take comics books and put them in the academe. You know, academic level like intellectual. Pwede pala e. Because he showed me a way. He took me under his wing and he showed me his work and from there I learned to write. And because I love comic books. I’m actually a huge geek. I’m a nerd, I’m a dork. DT: What was your thesis? [caption id="attachment_165427" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Roger Sabin was Katya's pop culture mentor at Central Saint Martins in London.[/caption] KA: Because I wanted Roger Sabin, my pop culture tutor, as my professor for my thesis, it was about a 1990s Japanese animated film called Ghost in the Shell 101. It was an animated film based on a very heavy graphic novel, a manga or Japanese comics, by Masamune Shirow. And for me, his work is revelatory. It wasn’t just the style of the Ghost in the Shell. And to think just one man could draw like this. I mean it was a very thick graphic novel. He could draw like that. And he wrote the story too. And to think you had the mental stamina to be able to write something like that and to draw. DT: You must enjoy doing comics. KA: Since I was a kid, I’ve made my own comic books. You know, I would sell my own comic books and people would actually buy them. I taught myself to draw in the comic book style. I learned them all. You know, there’s like Stan Lee of Marvel. DT: You really had it in you. KA: I had it in me. My love for comic books started by reading the ones my brother had collected over the years. He had a stash of them, so, I just devoured them. It was all very amazing to me. Kasi the drawings, the stories, these are worlds written by someone else. So, you have Marvel comics, DC comics, Dark Horse comics. [caption id="attachment_165417" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With brother, Senator Sonny Angara, whose comic books she devoured for their cartoon figures.[/caption] Q: You didn’t idolize anybody? A: Well, I wasn’t particularly huge on the American comics. I think it was until I stumbled upon the Japanese comics or manga. That really piqued my interest to a degree I never felt before. Kasi it wasn’t just the style, which at first for me was very girly. I mean, I love the romantic comics. But I also felt myself leaning toward the darker stuff. DT: What did you like about Ghost in the Shell? KA: It’s a cyberpunk graphic novel. So, ang galing, ang ganda ng style. It was like, wow. You know, the sheer amount of detail that he puts into the drawings. I said I want to draw like this. I want to tell a story like this. But I don’t know if I was capable of telling if I had the stamina to tell something so intricate and complex. DT: When did you graduate? KA: In 2008. The BA in the UK is only three years. That’s why you take a foundation course. There’s a BA in Curation, and Communication, and criticism in Arts and Design. DT: I am told that you graduated at the top of your class. But you’re not telling me. KA: It sounds so funny kasi eh. Anyway, I graduated with first-class honors for my degree. So, basically, I was Suma Cum Laude in my batch in my year. So, that was what sealed the deal for me and my dad. Kasi for the longest time, I was kind of meandering. I was kind of flip-flopping. My mom knows this eh She goes, “You know Katya you have a tendency to be whimsical.” I am an artist eh, what can I do? Besides, I was young and I wasn’t sure. I knew what I wanted to do, which was to be in the arts but not where I wanted to go. I was asking myself if I had the stamina, the commitment, the fortitude to see it through. [caption id="attachment_165415" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Katya and mom Gloria Angara, who first ignited her interest in the arts.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_165419" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Katya with her dad, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara from whom she learned to apply the principles of nature to her art[/caption] DT: College made you really bloom. KA: Yes. It was the environment. it was the people I was with. Because I was able to go into something I really enjoyed. I wasn’t just doing homework because I was told to do homework. I loved what I was doing. I was invested in it. DT: What did you do after you graduated? KA: Apart from community work, I also worked for some small galleries. I did some work for the Victoria and Albert Museum. I tried to have experiences in bigger institutions, bigger museums, and small independent galleries. I thought that experience would hone me and make me well-rounded. With the smaller galleries, I was able to practice my curatorial background. I was able to help a lot of young artists. They don’t know how to talk about their work or they’re not confident enough to do so. So anyhow, apart from helping them put together shows, I help them speak about their work. Or offer them a perspective they have never seen or thought about. And I feel that that was helping them and I think that’s where I have been able to engage with them. It was fulfilling to help them find their voice as an artist. DT: All the while, you were all alone in London? KA: I was married actually. To a Filipino who was born in the UK, in London. He’s an Englishman, for all purposes. It didn’t work out. We have a daughter. I had a beautiful little girl with him. She lives in London with her father. She’s been here. She lived here in her early years. After she was born in 2010, I decided to move back here. Then, after four years, we went back to London because it was what my husband wanted. He and my dad had a falling out. DT: When was your first exhibit? KA: Last year. Earlier, I did a group show at the Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins. So, I did it with other emerging artists. My next group show was at The Crucible. But it was for a book that Sari Ortiga had commissioned me to do. He wanted to do a series of children’s books about Philippine artists. I did mine. Mine was about Anita Magsaysay-Ho. I did the illustration. It wasn’t new to me because I had been making my own books. I would staple them myself. Although up until that point I didn’t know how to really do it professionally. I found out it could be lucrative and fulfilling. This was in 2008 when I didn’t have a daughter yet. DT: Tell me about your forthcoming show. (The current show had yet to be opened). What paintings are you showing? KA: They’re not paintings, they’re not just drawings. They’re an amalgamation. They’re what you call a compendium of everything I’ve ever done as an artist. The book illustration, and then I dabbled a bit in black-and-white photography. I like the look of black and white photography. So, I do it with my phone or a simple camera. It’s also good for taking reference photos for my work. Because if you can’t sit in the park drawing people or objects, or subjects, the next best thing is you take pictures. And you can draw from those pictures. Kaya maganda siya for reference. So, my work is that, actually. DT: So, what about your subjects? KA: Well, I’m a very central person. We live in a very conservative culture. And I have subjects that would make people say ay, you know, you shouldn’t talk about that. So, there’s no filter, it’s very raw, very natural. In London, I was able to talk to people about things like BDSM or Bondage Sado-Masochism. And you know, that can get a bad rap. Because if you do it wrong, it would look strange to anyone who is not familiar with it. Among the Japanese, there is a subculture that does that. DT: Do they consider BDSM an art form? KA: There’s a particular Japanese artist whose work I used to admire. He’s a photographer. And his subject is BDSM. There were pictures of women tied up and then there were flowers and reptiles. So it was very sexual. I found myself drawn to that because there’s the element of the dark side. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, talked about how we have to make our unconscious conscious. The darkness in us is unconscious. And if you don’t make your darkness conscious, it’s going to come out in other ways at some point. Meaning to say, you shouldn’t repress those sides of you. I think it is a side that’s intertwined with the creative side of me. I can’t be an artist without being sensual. Without that aspect, all that would be macabre. Which brings me to my mom again. She used to chide me for reading Stephen King when I was a kid. I’m a huge Stephen King fan. She was like, “It’s so macabre, so dark.” And I’m like, “I like it, I like his work.” He’s such a skilled writer. And I like how he could take something so mundane and make it terrifying and frightening on all levels. Stephen King said that he writes two thousand words every morning. I’m not sure if I can do that. I wanted to write na rin eh because the natural partner of my art is my writing. Because as a curator, I didn’t just read. I had to write a lot. And that’s where I honed my skills. Kasi siyempre, it’s a sword that you have to sharpen every now and then. So, for the show. I did a lot of writing. I did my own writing. DT: While we're on the talk of artists, what about the Filipino artists? Who among them do you admire? Do you have any mentors and idols? KA: Among Philippine artists, Junyee is my second father and my first artistic mentor. He is my OG sage and shaman of Philippine art, the Father of Philippine Installation Art. I'm actively lobbying for him to become National Artist soon, as no one deserves it more than he does, with his magnificent oeuvre. I'll always remember how, in a fleeing moment of impostor syndrome, he consoled me by saying that making art for myself always comes first. Love the process and the rest follows. The maverick attitude is very Junyee! And yet, he lives a modest life in the forest-like setting of his home in Los Banos, echoing the nature-loving ethos of our favorite Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki, creator of Toroto, Nausicaa, Spirited Away, among many other magical films. Since I was a child, Junyee saw my potential and continued to push me to have my own gallery shows, as did his longtime friend and one of my other mentors, Sari Ortiga. Sari's daughter Yasmin is a good friend and batchmate of mine from Poveda. Sari owns and runs the distinguished Crucible Gallery, and he hired me to illustrate one of the children's books for his series "Growing up with Philippine art" in 2009. It's thanks to Sari that I pushed myself to evolve as an artist, to grow outside of my comfort zone. The acclaimed visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso is something of a bad boy du jour of the Philippine art scene, and his dissident attitude is something I can identify with. I love the unorthodox, the sensual, the macabre, the dark stuff that delves deep into the psyche. I'm so bored of the "covers" or "riffs" of the countless Amorsolo, Basquiat, Picasso, or Rothko-type artworks that I see so much of in the local art scene. As wtih Junyee and Sari, Jinggoy has taught me how to navigate the perilous seas of art and life, echoing Junyee's advice to remain myself, in a world that often pushes us to be someone else. My three mentors, by example, taught me how to be original. DT: How many are you exhibiting? How many works? KA: Now, I have 9 complete pieces. I’d like to add another one. Honestly, medyo cramming ito because I only had two months to do the show. Normally for this kind of work - especially with the big piece I am doing - it’s a seven-foot piece. I would need, preferably to be comfortable, at least four to six months to do all this work. Kasi, there is so much nicer when you give it time to compost. To come together, to become fertile. DT: Is there enough time for one more work? A: Yes. I have one more work that I want. Because I feel that it rounds it up eh. If I do ten, I love the work that I’ve already done. Again, it’s not a painting, it’s a collage. So, I’d call it a photographic collage with paper cuttings on canvas. I wanted to treat canvas in a way that is not painting DT: Shouldn’t someone curate for you? KA: For now, I’m happy to have to do it myself. Because I feel that I’m the only one who can portray myself in a way that I feel I should be portrayed. Kasi it’s art eh. You’re trying not so much to explain yourself as you’re trying to convey who you are to somebody without being obvious. That’s art. DT: Where does Stephen, your partner, come in? [caption id="attachment_165418" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With her partner and anchor, Stephen Lu.[/caption] KA: Stephen is somewhat of an anchor for me. So, I feel comfortable, I feel more confident when he’s around. But I guess I’m okay. DT: Now, as we wind up, let’s talk about how you are like your parents and not like them. You said that your interest in the arts came from the exposure that you received from your mother, and of course, the presence of books at home. Tell me more about your father’s role in your becoming the person that you are. KA: One of my fondest memories of my father was his love of nature, gardening, and farming, which I learned from him. He was at his best and calmest when he was at his farm in Nasugbu and Baler. Whilst my father was a “man of the soil”, I learned to be an “artist of the soil”, a gardener who applies the principles of nature to my art. Hence the overlying themes of nature in my oeuvre of artwork. And the most resonant themes of philosophy (which my father also studied and applied in his life) are the themes relating to lessons learned from nature: patience, fortitude, temperance. From this I’ve become more acutely aware of life’s transience, making our time all the more precious, being grateful for small and simple pleasures, and the opportunities that come my way. The naïveté of my younger years meant that I didn’t have a complete grasp of the opportunities presented to me by my father, I took much for granted. Now I see why he did what he did, he gave me the tools to be able to achieve my full potential. Only now that I’m embracing that fire and heading in a direction that makes the most of my talents. I had impostor syndrome for the longest time. Always questioning and doubting myself. Now I can fully embrace who I am and it is cathartic. DT: In what way are you like them? KA: I have the different strengths of my parents. I’ve inherited their academic minds and cultured tastes, with an eye for detail and beauty. I have many mannerisms and behavious in common with my mum, in terms of poise and self-possession. But, she is like Audrey Hepburn and I am infinitely more of a Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was also a very private person and something of a poet and writer. I guess it’s no surprise that I am drawn to art and writing; I am highly introspective, painfully self-aware and attuned to my moods and to the moods of others; like my Dad, I’m intuitive and know how to read people. DT: My last question is, how has art influenced you in your direction in life? And where are you going from here? KA: Being an introvert, I don’t always translate into easy social interactions with most people. So I channel it all into my art. It’s a language that best expresses my psyche, thoughts, and emotions. Working with my hands is healing and consolation for the isolation, depression, and anxiety attacks that grip me on bad days. That’s why as an artist of the soil, gardening and art go hand in hand. In the future, I can see myself tending to the land and becoming a farmer as my father was. It’s like coming home. The post Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
An ‘artist’s’15 minutes of fame
A question of freedom of expression or outright blasphemy? Social media and its ardent followers recently engaged in animated commentary, some amusing, others vitriolic, when drag queen Pura Luka Vega, dressed up to imitate Jesus Christ, performed before a noisy and possibly inebriated audience that sang along with the “star,” a pop version of the church hymn “Ama Namin” in a crowded venue that appeared to be a bar. The engagement drew a flurry of protests, principally from the country’s Catholic faithful. But what did Vega expect? The Philippines is, after all, a country with about 78.8 percent of the population identifying themselves as Roman Catholics based on the 2020 census. While some sectors proclaiming themselves as vanguards of the arts expressed their support for Vega, a participant in a contest featuring drag queens, the majority of the comments, some of them from those who are not even Catholic or “religious,” condemned the act and demanded an apology from the person at the center of the controversy. Many said what he did was “blasphemous, offensive, disrespectful.” Several senators openly denounced his act, with one saying the performer could face criminal charges. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code punishes “those who offend any race or religion in the performance of obscene or indecent plays, scenes, acts or shows in theaters, fairs, or any other place.” The law imposes a jail term and/or a fine on violators. “As a woman of faith, I admit I find this regrettable. However, I also caution against the use of this incident to deny rights and protections to a community that has long been marginalized and excluded,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros. said For his part, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said Vega “should think of some other way to make himself known and not resort to gimmickry.” On the other hand, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, the first Filipino transgender lawmaker, warned Vega not to use the gender card in his defense. “Do we really need this kind of provocation? What is the contribution of this to LGBT rights?” Roman said. She added that invoking the performance as a constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression is not absolute. She even dared the artist to do what he did to other religions with less tolerant views to see how far he could go. Pope Francis, the first pope, has criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust” and advised Catholic priests to welcome LGBTQ people into the Church. My take on the gender issue is probably not as magnanimous as that of the pope. I am a conservative Catholic, meaning I am quite rigid in interpreting/differentiating the male from the female. For me, there are no “in-betweens.” But it does not mean that I do not respect our fellowmen who identify themselves with a gender that is not what they were born with. I respect them so much and would protect them as I would protect my children. But mind you, respect is a two-way street, so let us leave it at that. Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said it was not inclined to press charges against the artist, adding that it was enough that he got the message that what he did was wrong. Although Vega said he apologized “to those who were offended by his performance,” it didn’t sound like he meant it because he added that he would not stop expressing his art, and it was his way of practicing his faith as a Catholic, and it was a form of worship anyway. In a bar before people obviously having a good time? At the same time, he said it was some healing process for him for having experienced exclusion from the Church because he is gay. Huh? The logic escapes me. Vega’s imitation of Christ also drew the ire of local government officials in Gen. Santos City, who recently declared him “persona non grata,” meaning there’s no welcome mat waiting for him in the city. Plucked from obscurity, Vega has become an instant celebrity of sorts and apparently basks in the spotlight. A concept introduced by the late American visual artist Andy Warhol who said, “Everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” it implied the fleeting nature of being a “celebrity.” We see this phenomenon now with the surge of bloggers and vloggers flooding all social media platforms, from taho vendors to movie stars to various hangers-on, retired police officers, etc. All one needs is a cellphone with a decent camera. Soon enough, your video becomes viral. Meanwhile, let Vega enjoy his 15 minutes of fame while he can. The post An ‘artist’s’15 minutes of fame appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The little things that restore the body
Have you ever wondered about the many ways we can help our bodies feel better? Oftentimes, it is the little daily practices that can contribute to our restoration. Here is a list of possible To Dos you can consider. It may not be a part of your daily routine but it is certainly worth considering. The subtle results are guaranteed. Raising your legs It’s time to defy gravity. All day long, your legs and feet are stressed from standing and walking. Whenever you can, lie on the floor and place your legs against the wall for five to 10 minutes. These are the benefits: Soothes sore muscles Improves circulation Relieves headaches Helps improve digestion Releases tension Neutralizes stress [caption id="attachment_160540" align="alignnone" width="1707"] DRINK water every waking hour. | photograph courtesy of pexels/wallace chuck[/caption] Drinking water If you ever noticed it, each time you are dehydrated, you develop a mild, nagging headache. Do not wait to get dehydrated. Your brain and heart will suffer the most. Drink water every waking hour. At night, have a glass of water by your side. Each time you get up to relieve yourself, always replace the lost water with a few sips from your glass. Always ask for a fresh glass of water when in a restaurant or at a party. It’s better than drinking from your glass that has been sitting on the table for too long. You might ask, bottled or house water? House water is best if the restaurant or event place is a reputable one. If you are uncertain, ask for a bottle of mineral water. Doing Stretches Remember to find ways to stretch your body. Exercise is not enough. You must be flexible at all times. The trick with regaining your flexibility is to do moderate stretches. It will not happen overnight but in time, you will be able to touch your toes without effort. Squatting Who can squat without any discomfort to the body? It takes practice. Try getting up from your sofa while watching TV and sit again on the sofa. Get up, sit, get up, sit. Nice and easy. If you do this 10 times a day, then you will find stronger leg muscles after two weeks. And that’s a promise. There is a bonus, it is also good for firming up the buttocks. [caption id="attachment_160539" align="alignnone" width="1707"] INHALE, exhale. | photograph courtesy of PEXELS/mikhail NILOV[/caption] Breathing Doing it the wrong way can cause palpitations. First of all, straighten your back. No slouching! Every time you crouch, you compress the lungs and impede oxygen from entering your body. This will diminish your lung capacity. Inhale, exhale. Make this your regular regimen. Closing the eyes No need to nap, unless you can do this one a day. But for those who do not have the time to take a nap, sometimes simply closing the eyes can make your troubles go away. Close them for a good three minutes. Focus on your breathing. And be silent. When you pause, the body enters a recharging phase. Once you open your eyes, you will have a sense of feeling brand new. Keeping your cool When you make an effort to control your temper, you will feel more empowered. Positive self-talk helps like “You are cool,” “You got this,” “I am Mr./Miss Chill.” Losing your cool can spike your blood and sugar levels. So, which is it going to be? No need to win an argument It is not worth it. When in conversation with someone or a group, it pays to listen well then comment in your own objective way. Back off when tensions rise and the conversation becomes argumentative. You do not need to be right. You need to be in control of your mood. Affirmation: “I am on top of every situation.” Love and Light. The post The little things that restore the body appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Love story
Dishonest love is the darkness deeply rooted in the outrage over the promotional video of Tourism’s troubled new slogan. Dishonest love fuels everyone’s raving anger spasms over the two-minute-long tepid — as in like a senior Tourism student’s thesis project — though still dreamy love video featuring the country’s popular travel sights completely ruined by footage of four tourist sites found in other countries. Lies then shape the promo video in a clear case of, “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream,” as one of the most-Taylor-Swift-sounding lyrics goes. By the way, there’s nothing frivolous about referencing Ms. Swift and the tourism fiasco. “Love” is the cheeky theme of the latest slogan and there’s no other 21st-century personality other than pop superstar Ms. Swift and her hugely influential songs of doomed love and heartaches (or at least that’s what my daughters tell me since I’m not a “Swiftie”) to access notions of nervy postmodernist love. Anyway, information is scanty about who in the ad agency DDB Philippines or its contractor sneaked into the lies. What we only know is that the video, exposed by a blogger and subsequently fact-checked by an international news agency, brought Tourism bureaucrats frequent migraine flashes. Still, as things stand, the besotted affair insinuates its makers’ cynical feelings about their task of commanding foreigners and Filipinos alike to love the country. In the case of their cynical feelings, it’s starkly summed up whenever one hears Ms. Swift singing: “And the saddest fear/Comes creepin’ in/That you never loved me/Or her/Or anyone/Or anything.” Despite that, we can still be charitably human enough to say the video makers were probably at their wit’s end chasing a tight deadline, prompting the commission of unforgivable fakery and lies. This, even as they insinuated their low opinion of their Tourism overseers’ critical faculties. For their risk, they lost all, profuse apologies failing to assuage. Meanwhile, the reviled video excited something else entirely — a wave of confessionals about loving the Philippines. As the fiasco unfolded, many well-meaning Filipinos, both here and abroad, confessed, “It’s difficult to love the Philippines.” The prophylactic sentiments, if anything, showed Filipinos aren’t zombies when they junked en masse the conformist injunction that to profess love for country, as one media analyst observed, is “to stand by it and close one’s eyes to whatever is wrong.” Still, despite the confessionals many somehow still heard Ms. Swift’s singing, “This love is difficult, but it’s real/Don’t be afraid, we’ll make it out of this mess.” Though some were thoroughly distressed that the Swiftian lyrics, “I screamed for whatever it’s worth/‘I love you,’ ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?” became an anthem. Locals are markedly depressed and distressed. But we can only speculate what the internationally publicized humiliation does to the foreign tourist in perpetual search of a painless second adolescence. But I wouldn’t place too much stock on their feelings. The foreign tourist can just as well sing — not a Taylor Swift song this time — but the late sultry Tina Turner’s iconic rock ballad, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” Turner’s ballad jettisoned other love songs fixating on enduring relationships and instead diabolically proscribes that purely sexual chemistry is pretty too. Carnality also informs love. Now doesn’t that hidden dimension color also many a foreign tourist’s pleasure-seeking short jaunt here? Still, another tributary flows from the love slogan. The cheeky slogan also marks and entices the modern Filipino migrant. Modern Filipino migration is germane to the love campaign because a good part of the flow of tourists coming here is made up of Filipino migrants — our tourist who is not a tourist — returning home for a vacation. In milking and profiting from the Filipino migrants’ or OFWs’ homesickness, the love campaign’s advisable jingle might as well be Ms. Swift’s lyric, “Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere.” The post Love story appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Orchestra-conducting robot wows audience in S. Korean capital
A South Korean-made robot made its debut as an orchestra conductor before a sell-out crowd in Seoul on Friday, wowing the audience with a flawless performance in place of a human maestro. Named "EveR 6", the five-foot-ten-inch-tall (1.8m) robot guided more than 60 musicians of the National Orchestra of Korea who was playing traditional Korean instruments. The robot successfully guided the compositions, both independently and in collaboration with a human maestro who was standing next to it for about half an hour, entertaining the more than 950 audience members who had packed the National Theater of Korea. The robot was showered with applause when it first appeared from below the stage on a lift and turned to face the audience, bowing in greeting. Throughout the performance, the robot's blue eyes stared unblinkingly at the musicians, only nodding its head in time to the music. The rookie performed well on its stage debut, audience members said. "I came here worried whether this robot could pull this off without a glitch," Kim Ji-min, a 19-year-old college student majoring in music, told AFP. "But I found it to be in great harmony with the musicians... It felt like a whole new world for me." While there have been musical performances led by robotic conductors in the past, including a 2017 concert led by the robot YuMi in Italy, this was the first time South Koreans were able to witness a robotic conductor on stage. EveR 6, developed by the state-run Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, was programmed to replicate the movements of a human conductor through motion capture technology. The machine is not capable of listening or improvising in real-time, however. EveR 6's developers are currently working on enabling the robot to make gestures that are not pre-programmed, said Lee Dong-Wook, the robot's engineer. Improvising and communicating with musicians in real-time is the next big step, said Song Joo-ho, a music columnist who came to see the performance. "It needs to improvise in real-time when musicians make a mistake or things go wrong." The post Orchestra-conducting robot wows audience in S. Korean capital appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack
Grieving families buried their dead in western Uganda on Sunday while others searched desperately for missing loved ones after militants killed dozens of students in a "brutal" school attack. Officials say at least 41 people, mostly students, were massacred Friday in the worst attack of its kind in Uganda since 2010. President Yoweri Museveni, in his first statement since the attack, vowed to hunt the militants "into extinction". Victims were hacked, shot and burned in the late-night raid on Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe, which lies less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Pope Francis offered a prayer on Sunday for "the young student victims of the brutal attack" that has shocked Uganda and drawn condemnation from around the globe. Ugandan authorities have blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia based in DR Congo, and are pursuing the attackers who fled back toward the border with six abductees. "Their action -- the desperate, cowardly, terrorist action -- will not save them," said Museveni. Fifteen others from the community, including five girls, were still missing, said Eriphaz Muhindi, chairman of Kasese district, which shares a long and forested border with DR Congo. - 'Great pain' - Families desperate for news waited all night in the cold outside a mortuary in nearby Bwera. Those able to identify loved ones embraced and wept as they took away the bodies in coffins. "We flocked (to) the hospital and found many bodies -- of boys and girls, some cut with pangas (machetes), others hit with hammers on the head," Roti Masereka, a farmer, told AFP. He left with the body of his brother -- 35-year-old Mbusa Kirurihandi, a security guard at the school -- and his 17-year-old son. But a third son, aged 15, is missing, and the family is distraught. "Today we have buried two bodies, the father and his son. But we are still looking for the missing child," he said. The government said Sunday it would assist with funeral arrangements and support the injured. Seventeen victims were burned beyond recognition when the attackers set a dormitory ablaze, frustrating efforts to identify the dead and account for the missing. Muhindi said they had been taken away for DNA testing, a process that could take some time. "This is a great pain to their families," he told AFP. - 'They wore military camouflage' - Officials said 37 students were killed -- 17 in the torched men's dormitory, and 20 female students who ran but were hacked to death. Elias Kule, an 18-year-old survivor, said the boys locked their dormitory door when they heard gunshots and saw armed men entering the school. "They wore military camouflage. Each had a hammer, a hoe, knives, pangas (machetes) and guns with magazines," he told AFP. He said the attackers started firing through the windows and doors, hitting at least one student, before lobbing a "bomb" into the dormitory that started a fire. "I ran out of oxygen, I covered my mouth and nose with a cloth... I got blood and smeared myself on the head and ears to claim I was dead," he said, waiting until the coast was clear to escape. Four non-students, including the security guard Kirurihandi, were also killed. - 'Appalling act' - The African Union, France and the United States, a close ally of Uganda, offered their condolences and condemned the bloodshed. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: "Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice." Questions have been raised about how the attackers managed to evade detection in a border region with a heavy military presence. Major General Dick Olum told AFP that intelligence suggested the presence of the ADF in the area at least two days before the attack, and an investigation would be needed to establish what went wrong. Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive in 2021 to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but the measures have failed to blunt the group's violence. Originally insurgents in Uganda, the ADF gained a foothold in eastern DRC in the 1990s and have since been accused of killing thousands of civilians. The Islamic State group claims the ADF as its Central African affiliate. Attacks in Uganda are rare but in June 1998, 80 students were burnt to death in their dormitories in an ADF raid on Kichwamba Technical Institute near the DR Congo border. More than 100 students were abducted. The attack was the deadliest in Uganda since 2010, when 76 people were killed in twin bombings in Kampala by the Somalia-based group Al-Shabaab. gm-np/bp © Agence France-Presse The post Fear, grief after 41 dead in ‘brutal’ Uganda school attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
What we know about India’s worst rail tragedy in decades
India's deadliest train disaster in decades killed at least 275 people and injured hundreds more, a tragedy officials have said was linked to an electronic signal system. While a final report has not been released into Friday night's crash near Balasore in the eastern state of Odisha, local media quoting preliminary investigations have pointed to human error connected to the signaling system. Trains resumed operations on tracks past the crash site on Monday. Here is what we know so far: What happened? The Coromandal Express, a passenger train travelling from Kolkata to Chennai, was diverted onto a loop line on Friday evening and slammed into a stationary goods train loaded with tons of iron ore. The collision flipped the carriages of the Coromandal Express onto another track. The derailed compartments then struck the rear carriages of another fast train, the Howrah Superfast Express from India's tech hub Bengaluru, which was passing in the opposite direction. The two fast trains were carrying more than 2,000 passengers. Trains in India are usually packed at this time of year, with many people travelling during school holidays. What went wrong? Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's railway minister, has suggested the crash happened due to the "change that occurred during electronic interlocking". That refers to a complex signal system designed to stop trains colliding by arranging their movement on the tracks. "We have identified the cause of the accident and the people responsible for it," Vaishnaw said, but added it was "not appropriate" to give details before a final investigation report was completed. Local media have quoted a preliminary investigation report, with the Times of India saying a "human error in signaling may have caused the collision between three trains". India's Railway Board has recommended a high-level probe into the disaster by the federal investigating agency. How many died? The death toll has been revised several times since the crash. Officials had initially reported it stood at 288 but the Odisha state government has since revised the toll downwards to 275 after some bodies were mistakenly counted twice. Of the 1,175 injured, 382 were still being treated in hospitals, authorities said Sunday. However, many fear the death toll could still rise because medical centres are overwhelmed by the number of casualties. It is the worst crash since 1999, when 285 were killed when two passenger trains collided at Gaisal in West Bengal, an accident blamed on human error. India's worst crash was in 1981, when an overcrowded passenger train plunged into a river during a cyclone in Bihar state, killing about 800 people. India's safety record India has launched a $30 billion railway infrastructure modernization in a bid to boost the economy and connectivity, and Vaishnaw said last month tracks were being "upgraded very rapidly". In 2022, India built 5,200 kilometers (3,230 miles) of new tracks, and upgraded or replaced about another 7,500-8,000 kilometres, Vaishnaw said. But analysts say that while accidents have reduced over time, India's antiquated rail system still has a long way to go. An average of 20,000 people died each year between 2017 and 2021 in rail accidents -- collisions, derailments and other causes -- according to official records. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the country's top audit authority, said derailment was the reason for 69 percent of the accidents. Defective tracks, poor maintenance and old signaling kit combined with human error were the main cause, it said. Indian Railways, the world's fourth-largest rail network, runs some 14,000 trains daily with 8,000 locomotives over a vast system of tracks some 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) long. The trains carry more than 21 million people each day. The post What we know about India’s worst rail tragedy in decades appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suspect in kid’s slay Dahmer ‘wannabe’
A startling development was unearthed by the Las Piñas Police on the case of the 4-year-old boy who was found dead inside a washing machine in Las Piñas City on Sunday as authorities said that the suspect was seemingly emulating an American serial killer. In an exclusive interview with Daily Tribune’s online morning program Gising Na!, Las Piñas police chief Col. Jaime Santos disclosed that the suspect — a 15-year-old male who was the child’s uncle — was idolizing Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer who killed 17 children from 1978 to 1991. Santos said that the post the suspect wrote on social media — which was already deleted — showed the same thing that his supposed “idol” has done during his criminal rampage. “There is a Facebook post which we retrieved as it was screenshot by his relatives and the pattern is there with the same words of Jeffrey Dahmer,” Santos said. Historical records showed that Dahmer — also known as the Milwaukee cannibal or the Milwaukee monster — was an American serial killer and sex offender who killed 17 children during his time before he was arrested on 22 July 1991. He was beaten to death by a fellow inmate on 28 November 1994 inside the Columbia Correctional Institution, Portage, Wisconsin, United States of America. Santos revealed that some excerpts of the suspect’s post were similar to that of Dahmer’s earlier statements after his arrest. The Las Piñas Police chief also revealed that in Dahmer’s fashion, the teener supposedly took 28 photographs of the victim when he was laughing, crying and when he was put inside the washing machine when he was already lifeless. The suspect also allegedly sent the photographs to 28 kids in a group chat. The evidence was submitted to the prosecutors’ office to augment the case against the suspect. To recall, the child was reported missing on 26 May and his remains was discovered at around 7 a.m. on Sunday inside the house of the suspect in Kalamansi Street, Barangay CAA, Las Piñas City. Santos said the suspect’s mother reported the discovery of the kid’s decomposing body inside the washing machine. The police chief added that the suspect was already brought to the fiscal’s office for inquest proceedings and after that he was brought to Bahay Pag-asa in the city for interview subject to evaluation and recommendation of psychiatrist to determine if the minor suspect acted with discernment or he knew what he was doing. “In discernment, it means the suspect knew what he was doing that what he had done was wrong and if that will be determined, criminal proceedings will commence immediately upon the age of majority and that is 18,” Santos said. He added that the suspect will be transferred from Bahay Pag-asa to the jail facility of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. The post Suspect in kid’s slay Dahmer ‘wannabe’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»