Ted Failon, this one’s for you

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised…” (Isaiah 5:25, the Holy Bible).

-ooo-

VELOSO EXECUTION PREDICTED BY THE BIBLE: The impending execution in Indonesia of Filipino maid Mary Jane Veloso on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 on charges of drug trafficking, is a stark reminder, yet again, of the accuracy and truth of Biblical predictions about nations who no longer listen to God and who no longer obey His commands.

This is what the Bible in Deuteronomy 28:15 and 32 says: If a country no longer listens to God and no longer obeys His commands, His curses will come upon its people. One of these curses is this: the country’s sons and daughters will be given to other nations (in our case, as overseas Filipino workers, of OFWs), and no one will be able to do anything to help them when they encounter serious problems.

As is clear, the curses of God unfortunately do not distinguish who it will descend on. As long as a country as a whole has turned its back on God and on His commands as written in the Bible, its people will suffer from those curses one way or the other, unless by sincere prayers and obedience to His Word His hand is stayed.

-ooo-

NEPAL, NEW ZEALAND QUAKES: SIGNS OF THE END: I am praying for the people of Nepal who are now also suffering in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that hit its two famous cities, Kathmandu and Pokhara, two enchanting places populated by charming people. I am particularly praying for the families of two of my Nepali friends, Dr. Udip Shrestha and Engr. Niraj Man Shrestha, both from Kathmandu.

Then, I am also praying for our fellow Rotarians from Kathmandu and Pokhara, particularly those from the Rotary Club of Pokhara, especially its Past President Rajendra Ligal and his family. Rajendra was a “classmate president” of mine when we both served as ChangeMaker Presidents of our clubs for Rotary Year 2011-2012.

It is significant to note that on Friday, shortly before Nepal was shaken by the powerful earthquake last Saturday, New Zealand likewise shook and rattled under a magnitude 5.9 earthquake, although no major damage occured. These earthquakes signify the occurrence of the Biblical signs, contained in Matthew 24 of the Bible, pointing to the end of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus, our God and Savior.

-ooo-

TED FAILON, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU: So, what else is new about the filing of libel charges against Ted Failon, a Manila-based broadcaster, by businessmen operating in Boracay? Nothing, because, libel is resorted to by people who feel aggrieved by media stories about them, never mind if the stories are true or not. But, the truth is, libel has already been abolished in this country by the 1987 Constitution.

How is that? Under the 1987 Constitution, it is there stated that international agreements form part of the law of the Philippines if it is a signatory therein. Now, one of these international agreements signed by the Philippines is the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights, which provides that libel is no longer to be considered a crime.

By force of the Constitution, therefor, libel has been abolished, so that the only recourse now of those who feel aggrieved by media should be a civil case for damages. Yet, everyone in this country continues to violate the Constitution by insisting that libel is still capable of being prosecuted, contrary to its provisions. Only in the Philippines, of course, right, Ted?

-ooo-

PLEASE LISTEN: DZEC1062 kHz Manila, 1080 kHz Dagupan City, 711 kHz Naga City, 1260 kHz Lucena City, 1224 kHz Davao City, and www.eaglenews.ph Mondays to Fridays, 6 a.m.; DYKA 801 kHz Panay Island, Yes Radio 88.3 FM, Barobo City, Surigao del Sur, Yes Radio 93.9 FM, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m.; 92.7 Smile FM, San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur, Kiss 101.1 FM, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, Mondays to Fridays, 12 noon; 107.5 Win 107.5 FM, Roxas, Isabela, Saturday, 5:30 a.m., Sunday, 7 a.m.

-30-