In these times when so many loved ones and friends are dying, the Catholic dogma of resurrection can be very consoling. During Holy Week, Catholics commemorate the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the central doctrine of Catholicism and by extension they believe that human beings are only temporarily separated from those who die and that ultimately there will be “a resurrection of the bodies and life everlasting.”
For centuries, skeptics have questioned “resurrection” both as a scientific and historical concept. To believers, it does not need to be proved. It is an article of faith.
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The talk was expectedly on the Corona impeachment at gatherings. Will he be acquitted or will he be convicted? Each side had its reasons. If the trial were solely about legal merits, Corona should be acquitted (see Rigoberto Tiglao’s column, Corona case collapses). But as many have already said, despite vehement denials from the senator-judges, it will be decided out of court for political reasons.
Whether SC Justice Renato Corona is convicted or acquitted should not be the main concern. More worrying is what happens after the impeachment trial. That is probably why partisan surveys are appearing that Filipinos will accept any verdict. That is a pre-emption. If we cannot predict the decision neither can be predict what will happen after the decision.
The impeachment trial was reckless and did not consider the welfare of the country or the people. Filipinos are becoming aware of the country’s defective political structure. It is a problem of system and its institutions.
There is talk that INC will reject any verdict in the Corona impeachment trial because it should never have taken in the first place. The focus of the anger is against President Aquino who is challenging the judiciary system by impeaching the chief justice for the Supreme Court’s decision on Hacienda Luisita.
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With the vacuum on governance, citizens are moving to get things done and conflicts resolved. It is good that responsible members of the mining community have come forward to engage self-proclaimed environmentalists against mining.
The University of the Philippines College of Engineering as well as the UP Alumni Mining Engineers closed ranks against a blanket moratorium on mining in the country. The group emphasized they are prepared to sit down and discuss any issue on mining, with any government, religious, educational or professional institution. It invited the member-schools of CEAP, including the various Ateneo Schools to a dialogue to thresh out issues and concerns. The statement reiterates the position of responsible citizens with regards to mining.
“We support Responsible Mining as advocated by the legitimate, large-scale mines in the Philippines;
We vehemently oppose the position of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo School of Government, and Ateneo de Manila University for a blanket moratorium on the processing of mining applications and/or a moratorium on mining activities.”
The statement opposed very strongly the proposed “Philippine Mineral Resources Act of 2012.” This would effectively kill the mining industry in the guise of concern for the environment.
One of the proposals of this new act is to declare a moratorium on all mining activities until all systems are in place for the implementation of the proposed law. That would upset all investments to the country and throw out thousands of jobs and stop development in hinterlands not reached by government.
In effect the new mining law would cancel all existing mining permits, licenses, and agreements, create multi-sectoral mineral councils in every “watershed continuum with demarcated mineral areas.”
It would virtually declare the entire Philippines as a “no-mining zone.”
It is important that the citizenry is alerted with this threat. As some miners have told me some anti-mining groups think they own this country and they decide who lives and who dies.
Filipinos have to be informed that it is not true that “mining has done very little for the economy.”
“The $8 billion (P344 billion) gold reserves (5.1 million troy ounces) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), all sourced from Philippine gold mines is one proof, among others, of mining’s many contributions to the economy.”
They urged the Government to include mining and metallurgical engineers in formulating policies so these are professionally guided.
The statement is circulated in facebook and to date 30 mining and metallurgical engineers have signed it. More are expected. The above news item was posted on the facebook account of UP and it had more than 24,000 likes. It was also posted in the websites of UP, the Philippine Mining Club and even in the websites of anti-mining groups like the “Save Palawan Movement.”
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I was surprised but pleased when I received letters from the small town of Paete. They were written in formal Pilipino that is a brave thing to do with the misplaced notion that we have no use for our national language in formal communications from local authorities.
Minamahal na Gng. Pedrosa,
Pagbati!
Kaugnay po ng pagsasagawa ng Balik Paete 2012 at gayundin ng ipinadala naming liham sa inyo na ipinababatid na kayo ay isa sa mga bibigyan ng pagkilala bilang isa sa Mga Natatanging Buhay na Anak ng Paete, magalang at malugod po namin kayong inaanyayahang dumalo sa Gabi ng Parangal na gaganapin sa Abril 3, 2012 sa ganap na Ika-pito ng gabi (7 p.m.) sa Liwasang Bayan ng Paete, Laguna upang tanggapin ang gawad parangal para sa inyo.
Inaasahan po naming ang inyong mahalagang pagtugon sa aming paanyaya.
Maraming salamat po.
Lubos na sumasainyo,
Kgg. Emmanuel B. Cadayona
Punong-Bayan
Tagapangulo ng Lupon sa Pagpili ng Mga Buhay na Anak ng Paete.
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I sent a letter of thanks and asked Mayor Cadayona to read it on my behalf.
Mahal kong mga kababayan ng Paete,
Nagpapasalamat ako sa karangalan inabot ninyo sa akin bilang isang natatanging anak ng Paete. Kahit na saan man ako pumunta at ano man ang aking mga tagumpay lagi kong aalalahanin ang Paete, bayan na kumupkop sa aking ama, si Raymundo F. Navarro at ina, si Laura B. Adea. Dahil dito ang aking mga ugat ay nasa bayang ito. Ito ang una kong dinalaw ng ako ay bumalik mula sa 20 taong exile sa London. Ako’y napaiyak ng ako’y nagsalita sapagkat kahit hindi ako laking Paete ay malapit sa puso ko ang bayang ito na pinagmulan ng aking ama at ina, at lahat ng aking mga ninuno. Maraming salamat po.