As of this writing, I am mad; the description fuming just could not contain the emotion I was trying to relieve.
Most of you know the type of work I do, my day job, besides the occasional sculpting projects I enjoy. But for others who still haven’t got a clue, I was privileged to be hired as an online comics illustrator at one of the top outsourcing companies of the best web designers, developers, and artists here in the Philippines, bar none. We work according to Philippine laws, pay our taxes. Our company provides work to almost 400 talented Filipinos.

Now granted, some of our clients and some of our works deal with adult materials, but none of them illegal, based on the vague anti-pornography laws we have here. Just how vague? More is explained in this news clip: http://www.gmanews.tv/video/5636/Lack-of-law-hinders-fight-vs-cyberporn

Now, some unscrupulous people under the guise of Investigative Journalism are trying to destroy the business our good employers and we are trying very hard to establish by taking that vague law and twisting it to serve their selfish evil schemes.

I’m not going to beat around the bush and I’ll come right out: They are extorting money from our company and trying very hard to make our working conditions miserable by disrupting our work schedules, through intimidation and harassment by their paid goons or associates and threatening us through trial by publicity (why else would you have a camera crew in hand?).

Our employers have had enough of this and decided to stand up for it, knowing we are not doing anything illegal. You can read how we scored some points in this news article here: http://uw.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=73466

Now we’re guessing this is something their egos couldn’t take, so they are getting back at us, always some sort of unauthorized raid (no search or arrest warrants) is going on, treating us like we’re effing criminals, treating our female employees with disrespect, disrupting our outsourcing business and scaring off potential clients in the process. Like most of my peers, I’m fed up. I have to take action. What better way could I have done? Who can I turn to? Who can I trust? If some government agents are on the take, if journalists of high regard like the Tulfos can threaten anyone with trial by publicity if they are not happy with the amount of payola they receive, what other options are left at my disposal?

How about trial by exposé? I’m going to expose their wicked ways through blogs, the one media they could not control. To destroy what little credibility they have left, credibility they probably acquired through intimidation, threats and manhandling little folks like us.

So I’m humbly requesting those of you who’ve read this, especially Filipino artists among you, to please repost it in your blogs and other journals. Through this minor effort, I want to show them that not all of us can be intimidated and are willing to stand up to being bullied. If no one else’s going to stand up against these extortionist bullies now, who will? I do have a seething hatred for bullies, don’t you? I’m hopeful too, that this post may reach some of our still honest government agencies and maybe they could take action against these people.

The fate of 400 talented Filipinos, people that are only trying to earn an honest living in their own country, hangs in the balance. Please, we need your support.

Enough is enough. We’re taking the stand.

By an anonymous writer from iweb

I reposted this from another blog, I am not the author of this blog post, pero ito masasabi ko… if there is no law on pornography, then I see nothing wrong in what they do. Next thing na masasabi ko from an Internet marketing point of view, since target market naman nito, hindi naman mga taga Philippines, kadali lang ma-block ang Philippine-based IP addresses. So no one in the Philippines can see the site. So wala nang problem ‘di ba?

THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY WARDEN SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO AMERICAN CITIZENS IN THE PHILIPPINES. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION OR NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU.

The United States Embassy in the Philippines is seeking information on the welfare and whereabouts of Ms. Julia Campbell, a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer who was reported missing on April 11, 2007. Ms. Campbell was last seen on Sunday, April 8 in Banaue, Ifugao Province, Northern Luzon area. She intended to hike in a hilly area near Batad, 1.5 kilometers east of Banaue town, and was unaccompanied.

Julia Campbell has been working in public and private education in Legazpi, Southern Luzon, since she began her Peace Corps service in the Philippines in March 2005. Julia Campbell is a 40-year old Caucasian American with blonde hair, eyeglasses, 1.7 meters tall (5 feet, 7 inches), weighing 58 kilograms.

Anyone who has seen Ms. Campbell anytime after April 8, or who may have information on her movements or current location, should call Mr. John Borja, Safety and Security Officer of the Peace Corps – Philippines at 0920-900-5270, or contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila at (02)-528-6300.

UPDATE: We are sad to hear that Ms. Campbell was found dead. More info on Ms. Julia Campbell’s life can be found on her blog.

Ok, what can I say? I got sick. Cough, colds, fever, I felt like sh*t. In fact I still do a bit. And I didn’t even bother to go and watch Manny Paquiao Pacquiao live against Jorge George Solis.

There is always a next time to watch anyway. Those that sent emails to me asking where they can watch the fight, sorry, I really was not feeling well. But if you are outside the Philippines, and was not subscribe to who ever cable company in the US, or is a Filipino (or even Mexican) that wants to watch the fights, here is the best I can get.

Please note, that last year, all the YouTube fights of Manny Pacquaio Pacquiao were removed. So if you are going to watch the Manny PaquaioPacquiao vs. Jorge Solis fight, you better watch it now before some copyright laws kick in. This may be low resolution, but this is the best I found.

Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao once again! Pinoy Isulong!

Manny Pacquiao vs. Jorge Solis recap – Blaze of Glory

Manny Pacquiao vs. Jorge Solis Fight, Round 1, 2 and 3 – Blaze of Glory

Manny Pacquiao vs. Jorge Solis Fight, Round 4 and 5 – Blaze of Glory

Manny Pacquiao vs. Jorge Solis Fight, Round 6, 7 and 8 – Blaze of Glory

And after Jorge Solis lost, this is what he said:

“Pacquiao never hurt me with one punch,” said Solis in Spanish. “All that talk about how strong he is, I think it’s exaggerated. Sure, I respect him and he beat me. But it was an accumulation of punches that put me down. I got dizzy after taking so many punches and that’s how I lost.”

Yabang din ano?

Ngayong araw na ito, isang may ari ng isang day care center sa may Tondo Manila ay lumabas kasama ng dalawang guro at tatlongpu na magaaral para day sa isang field trip. Aba may topak pala itong may ari at dinala ang field trip sa City Hall ng Maynila. Sabagay, historical din ang Intramuros, pero ang topak nitong may ari ng paaralan na nagngangalang Jun Ducat, ay may baon sa field trip. Ang baon n’ya ay dalawang granada, isang assault riffle at isang pistol na mga baril.

Ang hinihiling n’ya ay, magandang kinabukasan ng mga studyante, masmabuting pamumuhay at tirahan para makaahon sa hirap at makapasok sa colegio ang mga bata na ang tansta ng mga pulis ay nasa mga anim na taon gulang.

Kodakan, pero pwede, wala munang smile ngayon? (Photo: AFP)

Pagkalipas ng apat na oras sa pag hohostage, may pinalaya din na isang magaaral na nilalagnat at agad sinakay sa ambulansya at dinala sa malapit na ospital.

Yun pala ang nanghohostage, matagal nang may topak! Ito ang kasaysayan ng katopakan n’ya:

• 1989 – Nang hostage ng mga pari. Dalawang pari na gamit mga pekeng granada. Ewan ko kung anong gusto n’yang palabasin noon.
• 1998 – Umakyat sa taas ng torre ayon sa balita. Pero pagkaalala ko, hindi torre ito. Ito yung mga malalaking billboards sa may Guadalupe. Bakit daw s’ya umakyat? Kasi kontra daw sya sa pagtakbo ng pagkakandidato ng isang pulitiko at hindi daw Filipino citizen.
• 2001 – Hindi pumasa bilang kandidato pang congreso. Hindi nabanggit kung bakit, pero kahit hindi banggitin, alam ko na kung bakit. Dapat masmalala sa pagkatopak n’ya ang kailangan para pumasa pero dapat yung tago ang pagkatopak. Yung mga ladlad ang topak, hindi pumapasa sa congreso. At sa ganitong klaseng antas ng katopakan, medyo kilala itong si Jun Ducat ng mga iba’t ibang pulitiko.

Salamat kay Captain Barbel (Photo: Reuters)

Sabi nga ni Manila Mayor Lito Atienza: “I know him as a very, very passionate individual who has his own kind of thinking on the solutions to our problems, But we cannot agree with his ways.” At dahil kilala din ng anak ng anting-anting na si Sen. Bong Revilla, s’ya na ang nakipag usap at pinayagan itong sumakay sa bus. Ayun parang wala naman nangyari, pero at least nagkaroon ng channel ng communication ha. At kay Bong Revilla din pinababa ang nilalagnat na bata. Kasi kung hindi umakyat si Bong Revilla, hindi tinanggap ng manghohostage na si Jun Ducat ang inaabot na landline. Hello? Ok lang sila? Landline? Wala bang cellphone man lang. Gaano kaya kahaba ang phone wire ‘nun. Hindi tinanggap ni Jun Ducat at baka sumabog daw.

Ice Cream galing SM Manila (Photo: Reuters)

Sa kasalukuyang pangyayari… hindi ko na alam kung ano na. Pag may bagong balita, balitaan ko kayo. Pero headline na ito sa madaming lugar sa buong mundo at mga AP, AFP at Reuters reporters na nandun.