Blog Posts by VERA Files

Text and photos by Vincent Go, VERA Files

The city of Manila marked the end of Lunar New Year celebrations with a cultural exhibit featuring performers from Suzhou, China.

The end of the Chinese New Year, also called the Lantern Festival, fell on Feb. 24, which happened to be the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Suzhou, located on the Eastern part of China adjacent to Shangai, is famous for its traditional art, Kun Operas, and Pingtan performances. The city is also known for its rich agriculture, silk production, embroidery and handicraft.

The Suzhou Cultural Exhibition runs from February 23-26, 2013, from 5 pm to 10 pm at the Chinese Garden in Rizal Park.

(VERA Files is put out by senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for true.)

Sabah standoff

By JOSE APOLINARIO L. LOZADA JR., VERA Files

COMMENTARY

As the 300 followers of the Sultanate of Sulu remain holed up in Sabah, the Philippines has no choice but to immediately act to prevent unwanted consequences that could lead to the “suspension” of relations with Malaysia again or, worse, possible bloodshed.

One option: For President Benigno S. Aquino III to reconvene soonest the Bipartisan Executive-Legislative Advisory Council on the Sabah Issue that then President Fidel V. Ramos created in 1993 but has lain dormant since the Arroyo administration.

Created days before Ramos’ historic visit to Malaysia in 1993, the council was already in the thick of discussion with Malaysia on economic activities for the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu when its work was stalled first by the 1998 elections and later by the ouster of then President Joseph Estrada in 2001.

Historically, and without question, Sabah belongs to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu.

But when the Philippines began pressing its

Podcast and photo by Charissa Orjalo, VERA Files

Dating back to pre-colonial days, sabong, or cockfighting, remains very much a male pastime in the Philippines. The blood sport is played out in arenas throughout the country, especially on weekends, almost always sending bettors and spectators into a frenzy.

Charisse Orjalo visited a Malabon arena one Sunday where she mingled with the sabungeros, kristo, sentenciador and other habitués. She recounts the experience in this podcast in Filipino:

Read the script.

(The podcast was produced by Charisse S. Orjalo, a senior journalism student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, for her J196 seminar class under VERA Files trustee Yvonne T. Chua. VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for “true.”)

By Leilanie Adriano, VERA Files

MARCOS, Ilocos Norte—A village chief running for mayor of this town was gunned down on Saturday afternoon, becoming the second mayoral candidate here shot by motorcycle-riding men.

Fortuna barangay captain Alfredo Arce, 62, was driving his motorcycle on his way home from a birthday party in his village around 2 p.m. when unidentified men riding in tandem on a motorcycle shot him several times, police said.

Arce was running as an independent candidate against incumbent Mayor Salvador Pillos of the Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats and neophyte candidate Arsenio Agustin of the Nacionalista Party.

Pillos himself was shot in front of the Marcos Agro-industrial School on Feb. 18. He survived with a few scrapes.

Police said Arce was shot twice below the left ear. The bullets exited through his armpit.

Recovered at the crime scene were at least six empty shells of .45 cal. pistol.

Police investigators said Arce still managed to drive his motorcycle and run

A scene from Baybayin

By Pablo A. Tariman,VERA Files

Films about hometowns are rare indeed and if they come, you get to share a part of the director’s rarely known childhood.

Lino Brocka’s “Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang” is a classic example and it was a reflection of his childhood in San Jose, Nueva Ecija and perhaps, Donsol, Sorsogon where his mother came from.  The film not just zeroed in on the peripatetic town gossip but portrayed double morality and dirty politics for what they are.

Another gem of a film with riveting look at one’s roots is  Auraeus  Solito’s “Baybayin” which graced the latest edition of Cinema One film Festival.

The film came after the much-awarded “Busong” which again earned for the director the Ani ng Dangal Awards along with other cultural workers in different fields. The award will be given next week as a concluding event for the month-long celebration of National Arts Month.

According to Solito, “Busong” and “Baybayin” are part of a trilogy which is his tribute to his home

DILG Sec. Mar Roxas signed as witness in Samar's recent peace covenant. (Vicente Alejandro)

By Vicente Alejandro, VERA Files

CATBALOGAN CITY – Four persons, three of them murder suspects, and several loose firearms and ammunition were seized in a week-long operation of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Samar ahead of the elections.

The PNP in Eastern Visayas (PNP-8) conducted the operations in the hinterlands of the first district of Samar to confiscate loose guns and rid the area of private armed groups as part of the preparations for secure and fair elections on May 13.

Samar’s first district is comprised of Calbayog City and the municipalities of Gandara, Almagro, Pansanghan, Matuginao, Sta. Margarita, San Jorge, Tagapul-an, Tarangnan and Sto. Niño.

Region 8 Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer R. Soria said the arrested men could have easily been tapped by unscrupulous politicians for their own interest in the coming elections while the seized firearms could be used for terroristic and other criminal activities.

The successful operation, he said, would help

West End Mamas 2 Maya Barredo-Duffy, Gia Macuja-Atchison, Cez Campos-Bonner

By Joseph Cortes,VERA Files

We take it for granted that the musical “Miss Saigon” did much good for Filipino actors. Since the musical first premiered at London’s West End in 1989 with Lea Salonga in the lead role, so many local theater talents were discovered and have starred in productions that covered Europe, the United States and Canada. The interest in the revival temporarily set for 2014 will undoubtedly revive the fascination Filipinos had for Kim and her tragic life when the show was first produced.

It didn’t come as a surprise to discover that all members of West End Mamas, the trio of Filipino singer-actresses who have worked and performed in London’s West End, were all, at one time in their lives, “Miss Saigon” cast members. Ces Campos-Bonner did perform Kim in Manila when the show was staged here and in Asia in early 2000; she also sang it in London, Europe and Australia. Maya Barredo-Duffy also played Kim around the United Kingdom and at the musical’s home, Theatre

The May 13 elections will be PWD-friendly. (Mario Ignacio)

By Mikha Flores, VERA Files

WHEN persons with disabilities (PWD) go out and vote on May 13, they can move around with more ease from drop off points to classrooms where they will cast their vote.

This is because the Department of Public Works and Highways will be building or enhancing some structures in and around selected school buildings to make voting precincts more PWD-accessible. Work is expected to commence shortly and will be completed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ban on public works construction and spending takes effect on March 29, 2013.

The renovations followed an audit done by government agencies and nongovernmental organizations which teamed up to audit 32 out of 60 voting centers for accessibility late last year.

Retired Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento earlier said that only 53 percent of voting centers were audited because of time constraints and limited budget.

As a result of the audit, 10 voting centers in the National Capital Region and 50