2012: My Personal Notes

We are surviving 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar.
The Mayan Long Count calendar ended a 5,125 –year era last Dec 21^st, 2012.
I have adopted the interpretation that this is a shift, a new beginning, another cycle or the end of an era.  It is kind of easy to see this shift not only in the light of the recent deluge in the Davao region but also in the recent events in the country.

I read the eventual passage of the Philippine Reproductive Health bill as the era towards secularism in governance. This soon to be  law is a result of thirteen years work by women’s groups.

Anna Leah Sarabia recounts, “the NGO struggle for RH began long before the first bill was filed. In 1986, during an early broadcast of Radyo Womanwatch,
Dr. Florence Tadiar announced that her group ISSA would organize a small workshop on women's health at the QC City Hall.
Princess Nemenzo joined her there, and together they founded what would become in 1989 the Women's Health Coalition. There were other temporary groupings: the Women's Health Alliance, the Marching for Life Groups, and others, until the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network was formed, and the present formation stayed. 
At the Senate, the pioneers were  Leticia Ramos Shahani, who led everyone including Juan Flavier and Rodolfo Biazon. 
The Second Wave Senate Leaders are Pia Cayetano and Miriam Defenso Santiago, with Ping Lacson, Loren Legarda and Bong Marcos.  From the lower house, we have Edcel Lagman with Janet Garin, Kimi Cojuangco, Ted Baguilat, Kaka Bag-ao, Risa Hontiveros, Walden Bello and Emmeline Aglipay.” 

This year also saw the impeachment & conviction of Chief magistrate Renato Corona.
Political pundits said that former Chief Justice Corona had been the best witness for his own prosecution: divulging his millions not reported in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities & Networth (SALN).
It was thought that a Chief Justice cannot hide behind an old 1972 confidentiality provision of the Foreign Currency Deposit Act ( FCDA) which  violates the spirit of the 1987 Constitution.
As Chief Justice much is expected from him than a narrow interpretation of law.
If he was the head of all judges, what kind of judges' orientation did we want our people to have access to?”

Then, last October 15, a Bangsamoro Framework Agreement was signed,

which among others, proposes to replace ARMM with a new political entity called Bangsamoro through a new law still to be passed by Congress.

According to former GPH peace panel Chair Marvic Leonen, the political commitments of the peace deal ensures a process under the auspices of a Transition Commission which will be created by the President of the Philippines through an executive order; the transition commission of 15 members to be appointed by PNoy will take charge of drafting & engaging with all stakeholders towards the passage of a new law (Bangsamoro Basic Law) for the Bangsamoro political entity.

 The administration of PNoy will shepherd the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law by certifying the bill as urgent. Once passed, this Basic law will be ratified by the qualified voters within the territory. When ratified, the created Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) takes the place of ARMM.  

One of the contentious issues then in the MOA-AD was territory which was deemed expanded.
This time, the framework agreement lists the core territory as the current ARMM areas (five province & two cities) plus the areas which voted for inclusion in the autonomous region in the plebiscite of 2001. These areas are 6 towns of Lanao del Norte, towns of North Cotabato, Cotabato City & Isabela City.

During the year, we mourned the passing of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo who was able to put to good use the resources of government at his disposal for the development of his city.
His voters liked this enough to vote for him as their mayor for close to two decades.
 From a low income city, Robredo was able to bring Naga City to first class status, not only increasing income for all but also making the abstract word empowerment become real & felt by the poor through civil society.
And that is why as a member of civil society, we emulate his strategy.
Defining for us the concept of local representation, is one project promoted by Jesse Robredo which is so close to our hearts in our own Alternative Law Groups Network (ALG).

And as shared by a colleague, Atty Claire Pauig Luczon, “Colleagues in ALG were so proud to work with you in ensuring that the poor & the marginalized were represented & heard in local government. We were so impressed with your work that the ALG drafted the proposed Local Representation Law patterned after the experience of Naga City, under your leadership.”