Hi school life

We just finished the weeklong activities on our twentieth year reunion of Silliman high school 1988 in Dumaguete City.
One of the most memorable experieinces of our lives were those that happened in high school.
WE had a hectic schedule for seven days, parties every night and community outreach in the morning.
We attended alumni gatherings in the high school and donated a roofed study corner in the high school.
During our culmination program, we made a slideshow of old photographs of our classmates when we were in high school.

All set for the reunion?

Everything is all set for the grand twentieth reunion of Silliman High School batch 1988 in Dumaguete City starting tomorrow August 22.
Or so I thought.
Earlier today, my classmate Judge Voltaire Repollo called me to ask the radio station in Dumaguete to announce and appeal to batch members to join the activities.
He said he fears there are still some who haven't gotten wind of the festivities.
I believe though everything is all set.
This evening I had dinner with high school classmate Rito Neil Yee, a successful computer entrepreneur in Los Angeles who checked in for the reunion activities.
I am leaving for Dumaguete on Saturday August 23, as I still have a lot of work to finish.
I have taken charge of the T-shirt souvenirs, and volunteered to video tape the activities. That is my role for the affair.
It's going to be one week from August 22 to the 28th.
There will be a Hawaiian night, sing-along night, beach party, and of course community outreach, and donations to the high school.
I am excited to meet old friends.

Counsel for Senate minority bloc

I have just been designated counsel for Senators belonging to the minority bloc in their attempt to convince the Surpeme Court to allow jailed Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV to perform his duties as a duly elected member of the Senate.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. told me I will act as counsel for the minority bloc as they intervene in the pending petition before the Supreme Court filed by Senator Trillanes (SC G.R. 179817).
The intervenors belonging to the minority bloc are Senatos Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., Benigno S. Aquino III, Rodolfo G. Biazon, Panfilo Lacson, Loren B. Legarda, Jamby Madrigal and Manuel A. Roxas II.
Last August 20, I filed the senators' motion to intervene.
It must be noted that the Supreme Court had already denied Senator Trillanes' bid to be allowed to perform his duties in a decision last June 27, 2008.
A reconsideration is being sought by Trillanes.
The arguement is that the continued denial of Trillanes to perform his senatorial duties infringes on the doctrine of separation of powers.
Also, it is argued disallowing Senator Trillanes to take his seat in the Senate can already been seen as a de facto punishment upon a senator,which constituttional power to punish exclusively rests in the hands of the Senate.The Manila Bulletin and the Philippine Daily Tribune published articles ont his.

A question of timing

The bountiful merits and lofty ideals of the proposal to shift to federalism have been skewed by strong suspicions that this move is really a means to perpetuate political power of overstaying politicians.
However attractive the objectives of federalism are, it is quickly engulfed by a thick cloud of skepticism.
Federalism is widely viewed as the instrument that will dismantle the concentration of power from the central government.
Federalism means people empowerment, in the regions, in the provinces, and in the cities and towns.
However, the shift to a federal form of government would require tinkering of the fundamental law.
Here lies the danger.
Any attempt to change the constitution at this time will largely be likened to a reckless surgery that will not heal a defective organ, but will destroy other well-functioning organs.
One of the basic and fundamental principles in our constitution, which is the imposition of term limits in elective office, is in grave danger of being shattered.
The inherent belief in a democracy is that in the hands of the sovereign literally lie the power to choose those who govern.
Shattering term limits among elective offices goes against this democratic principle.
It is a wicked pathway of maintaining political power.
It must not see the light of day.
We embrace the merits of federalism.
Federalism is a system seen to galvanize peoples’ hopes for a brighter tomorrow
We look forward to seeing it eventually enforced in the future.
But not today.

The 15th year reunion

I belong to batch 1988 of Silliman University High School in Dumaguete City.
Its a rather memorable batch, if you ask the members of the faculty.
Mrs. Eva R. Silorio, during our last reunion said "How can you ever forget batch 1988?"
The governor of the province was once invited as guest speaker in one of our affairs then, and he described the batch as an "unruly" batch.
No, it wasn't because his daughter was a member of that batch.
This year 2008, is our twentieth year. It's going to be a bigger (weeklong) affair.
In 2003, it was our fifteenth year since graduation.
It was a major gathering, with some classmates coming home from the U.S. and Canada.
We have snapshots of that affair.