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From Viv: From Reyna: The lawyers of the OSG had a lecture yesterday conducted by SC Justice Nachura. Nachura described the bar results as "disastrous" and said that "less than 10% passed". Nachura said they are talking to Azcuna, the bar chair as we all know, if they can do an "across the board increase to improve bar results". According to Nachura, the bar results will be released during the last week of March or the first week of April.

--> I heard the same rumor from a friend whose sister knows Fortun, who, apparently is our Crim examiner. HIS stats are worse, 7.8% passed, 300 booklets to go...

Therefore, friends, I propose... NA MAGLAKAD NA TAYONG LAHAT NG NAKALUHOD AND MAGROSARY TIL OUR KALYOS ARE BIGGER THAN OUR FINGERS. LORD, I SOOOOOOOOOO NEED DIVINE INTERVENTION.

Gusto ko na umuwiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!

Hay buhay... This is all because of that out-of-schedule due diligence crap. I hate due diligence work. Due diligence work is like dealing with a jealous lover or whatnot: it's unbelievably tedious, time-consuming and irritating, and I generally don't get any satisfaction from ticking it off my to-do list.

Anyhoo, I have to finish this na so I can go home and sleep. It's Friday tomorrow!!! Yipee!!!

Makati traffic rerouting scheme for tomorrow (because of the rally) - from abs-cbnnews.com

Makati releases traffic rerouting scheme for Friday's rally

In preparation for a major rally by opposition groups on Friday, the Makati City Department of Public Safety (DPS) released a traffic rerouting plan for motorists Thursday, ABS-CBN News learned.

According to the Makati City DPS, traffic along the stretch of Ayala Avenue from Buendia to Makati Avenuie will be diverted starting 2 p.m.

All passenger buses coming from Taft Avenue will be directed to go straight along Buendia, turn right on Makati Avenue, and turn left on Ayala.

Meanwhile, all vehicles - except passenger buses coming from EDSA and Ayala - will be directed to turn left or right upon reaching Makati Avenue.

All passenger buses will turn right on Makati Avenue, then will be directed to turn left upon reaching Buendia.

Private cars and passenger jeepneys coming from Washington Street towards the Makati Central Business District (CBD) will be made to turn right on Geronimo Street, then right on Dela Costa to Legaspi Streets toward their destinations.

Meanwhile, passenger jeepneys may take Pasay Road, then right to Amorsolo Street toward their destinations.

The stretch of Paseo de Roxas will be closed to vehicular traffic from Dela Rosa to Villar streets.

Makati traffic rerouting scheme for Friday

Makati releases traffic rerouting scheme for Friday's rally

In preparation for a major rally by opposition groups on Friday, the Makati City Department of Public Safety (DPS) released a traffic rerouting plan for motorists Thursday, ABS-CBN News learned.

According to the Makati City DPS, traffic along the stretch of Ayala Avenue from Buendia to Makati Avenuie will be diverted starting 2 p.m.

All passenger buses coming from Taft Avenue will be directed to go straight along Buendia, turn right on Makati Avenue, and turn left on Ayala.

Meanwhile, all vehicles - except passenger buses coming from EDSA and Ayala - will be directed to turn left or right upon reaching Makati Avenue.

All passenger buses will turn right on Makati Avenue, then will be directed to turn left upon reaching Buendia.

Private cars and passenger jeepneys coming from Washington Street towards the Makati Central Business District (CBD) will be made to turn right on Geronimo Street, then right on Dela Costa to Legaspi Streets toward their destinations.

Meanwhile, passenger jeepneys may take Pasay Road, then right to Amorsolo Street toward their destinations.

The stretch of Paseo de Roxas will be closed to vehicular traffic from Dela Rosa to Villar streets.

David Letterman's Top 10 Reasons Why There Couldn't Be a Fil-Am US President (from Marie)

10. The White House is not big enough for in-laws and extended relatives.

9. There are not enough parking spaces at the White House for 2 Honda Civics, 2 Toyota Land Cruisers, 3 Toyota Corollas, a Mercedes Benz, a BMW, and and MPV (My Pinoy Van).

8. Dignitaries generally are intimidated by eating with their fingers at State dinners.

7. There are too many dining rooms in the White House - where will they put the picture of the Last Supper?

6. The White House walls are not big enough to hold a pair of giant wooden spoon and fork (made in Baguio at that !)

5. Secret Service staff won't respond to "psst... psst" or 'hoy....hoy. ..hoy...'

4. Secret Service staff will not be comfortable driving the presidential car with a Holy Rosary hanging on the rear view mirror, or the statue of the Santo Nino on the dashboard.

3. No budget allocation to purchase a Karaoke music-machine for every room in the White House.

2. State dinners do not allow "Take Home".

AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON WHY THERE COULDN'T BE A
FILIPINO-AMERICAN U.S. PRESIDENT IS...

1. Air Force One does not allow overweight Balikbayan boxes!

Hail boredom... (yawn)

Another work lull. Why is it that when it rains, I almost drown, but when it doesn't, it's practically a drought? I'm soooooooo f-ing bored right now. Since I came back from my birthday-slash-"may-sakit-ako"-leave, I've been getting just a teensy weensy bit of work, enough to make my DSR appear pseudo-respectable. BUT. I've managed to watch what seems like a hundred videos on Youtube, eleven episodes of Brothers and Sisters (Season 2) and two episodes of Boston Legal. I've uploaded more videos than I can count, and contemplated sleeping in my chair more than a dozen times. If I weren't so scared that I'd get caught sleeping, that is. Hay... Don't get me wrong, I like the sporadic work lulls. I just feel like pseudo-ranting about it.

So anyway, I'm leaving in a bit to meet up with a few friends from college. Tomorrow's Manaoag day with Anna, Mia, Carlos and Rowena. The bar results are going to be released soon. Kailangan ko na maglakad ng paluhod until I grow kalyos the size of tennis balls. Oh Lord...

But tonight, we toast to...well, whatever we can toast to.

Have a great weekend, guys!

Re: Rich's 10 happy things

(1) Beating a deadline (and submitting something I'm not ashamed to admit is MY work)

(2) Bumming around on Friday nights and the whole day Saturday

(3) Road trips (particularly going to Baguio, under no time pressure whatsoever)

(4) Pretty sunsets

(5) Ateneo on a Sunday

(6) Sunny windy weather

(7) A clean and organized drawer/desk/room/house/basically anything

(8) A good conversation

(9) Writing a particularly good literary piece

(10) Airconditioning on a scorching hot day

No work on Monday! =) ---And the rest of our days off this year.

They're all in pdf, sorry. Please see attached softcopies of Proclamation 1462 and 1463. Enjoy.

New scam, funny retorts

Pia forwarded this earlier:

http://goforthandfreaking.multiply.com/journal/item/24/Conversations_with_Jay?replies_read=22

I swear to God, you have to read it.

A genius says goodbye for good

No, I wasn't talking about myself. Hehe!

I got this from TBP at the office:

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, famous writer from Colombia, and Nobel Peace Prize winner for literature, has retired from public life for reasons of health. He has a form of cancer, which is terminal. He has sent a farewell letter to his friends.

A GENIUS SAYS GOODBYE FOR GOOD
It is recommended reading because it is moving to see how one of the best and most brilliant of writers expresses himself & with sorrow. (Even as I'm SURE this would have sounded TWICE as good in Spanish, let us enjoy the English version nonetheless. ...)

He says:
If God, for a second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life,

I would use it to the best of my ability.

I wouldn't, possibly, say everything that is in my mind, but I would be more thoughtful of all I say. I would give merit to things not for what they are worth, but for what they mean to express.

I would sleep little, I would dream more, because I know that for every minute that we close our eyes, we waste 60 seconds of light.

I would walk while others stop; I would awake while others sleep.

If God would give me a little bit more of life,

I would dress in a simple manner,

I would place myself in front of the sun, leaving not only my body, but my soul naked at its mercy.


To all men,

I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love.

I would give wings to children, but I would leave it to them to learn how to fly by themselves.


To old people I would say that death doesn't arrive when they grow old, but with forgetfulness.

I have learned so much with you all, I have learned that everybody wants to live on top of the mountain, without knowing that true happiness is obtained in the journey taken & the form used to reach the top of the hill.

I have learned that when a newborn baby holds, with its little hand, his father's finger, it has trapped him for the rest of his life.

I have learned that a man has the right and obligation to look down at another man, only when that man needs help to get up from the ground.

Say always what you feel, not what you think. If I knew that today is the last time that that I am going to see you asleep, I would hug you with all my strength and I would pray to the Lord to let me be the
guardian angel of your soul.

If I knew that these are the last moments to see you, I would say 'I love you'.

There is always tomorrow, and life gives us another opportunity to do things right, but in case I am wrong, and today is all that is left to me, I would love to tell you how much I love you & that I will never forget you.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old.

Today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn't wait; do it today, in case tomorrow never arrives. I am sure you will be sorry you wasted the opportunity today to give a smile, a hug, a kiss, and that you were too busy to grant them their last wish.

Keep your loved ones near you; tell them in their ears and to their faces how much you need them and love them. Love them and treat them well; take your time to tell them 'I am sorry';' forgive me',' please'
'thank you', and all those loving words you know.

Nobody will know you for your secret thought. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to express them.

Show your friends and loved ones how important they are to you.

Send this letter to those you love. If you don't do it today...tomorrow will be like yesterday, and if you never do it, it doesn't matter either, the moment to do it is now.

For you,
With much love,
Your Friend,

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Reclaiming our humanity (Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ)

I got this off Yang's Multiply site:

RECLAIMING OUR HUMANITY

MASS FOR JUN LOZADA

LA SALLE GYMNASIUM, GREENHILLS

17 FEBRUARY 2008

On this Second Sunday of Lent, during which we are asked to reflect on the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, I wish to touch on three themes that have to do with our moral transformation as a people: first, Ascertaining Credibility; second, Rediscovering our Humanity; and third, Witnessing to the Truth. In so doing, I hope to invite all of you to reflect more deeply on how we, as a nation, might respond to the present political crisis in which our identity and ethos, our convictions and integrity, in fact, who we are as a people, are at stake.

I. ASCERTAINING CREDIBILITY

Jun, as Sen. Miriam Santiago has grilled you to ascertain your credibility (or was it to undermine your credibility?), allow me to raise some important questions to consider in the very process of discerning your credibility. Allow me to do so by drawing on my own counseling experience.

Very often, a young rape victim initially suppresses his or her awful and painful story, indeed wills to forget it, in the hope that by forgetting, he or she can pretend it never happened. But very often, too, there comes a point when concealing the truth becomes unbearable, and the desperate attempts to supposedly preserve life and sanity become increasingly untenable.

At this point the victim of abuse decides to seek help. But even after having taken this step, the victim, devastated and confused, will tell his or her story with much hesitation and trepidation. It should be easy to imagine why. In telling the truth, one risks casting shame on himself or herself, subjecting oneself to intense scrutiny and skepticism, and jeopardizing one’s safety and those of his or her loved ones, especially when one dares to go up against an older or more powerful person.

Similarly, it is easy to imagine why Jun would initially refuse to challenge the might of Malacanang. Who in his or her right mind would accuse Malacanang of crimes against our people and implicate the First Family in a sordid tale of greed and corruption, knowing that by doing so, one endangers one’s life and the lives of his or her loved ones? We are, after all, living in dangerous times, where the government has not hesitated to use everything in its power to keep itself in power, where it has yet to explain and solve the numerous cases of extra-judicial killings.

But Jun is in his right mind. His story rings true especially in the face of the perils that he has had to face. And by his courage, Jun has also shown that it is not only that he is in his right mind; his heart is also in the right place.

Hence, my personal verdict: Jun, I believe that you are a credible witness. And if hundreds have gathered here this morning, it is probably because they also believe in you. Mga kapatid, naniniwala ba kayo kay Jun Lozada? Naniniwala ba kayo sa kanyang testimonya? Kung gayon, palakpakan po natin ang Probinsyanong Intsik, si Mr. Jun Lozada.

Jun, we hope that by our presence here, you may find some consolation. Pope Benedict XVI writes that “con-solatio” or consolation means “being with the other in his or her solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.” Jun, be assured that your solitude is no longer isolation as we profess our solidarity with you. Hindi ka nag-iisa. We are committed to stay the course and to do our best to protect you and your family and the truth you have proclaimed.

II. REDISCOVERING OUR HUMANITY

What makes Jun a credible witness to us?

I think Jun is credible not simply by virtue of his being an eyewitness to the unmitigated greed of some of our public officials. Perhaps more importantly, Jun is credible because he has witnessed to us what it means to be truly human.

Which leads me to my second theme: What does it mean to be human? How might we rediscover our humanity?

Allow me to quote Pope Benedict XVI, who in his latest encyclical, Spe Salvi, has written: “the capacity to accept suffering for the sake of goodness, truth and justice is an essential criterion of humanity, because if my own well-being and safety are ultimately more important than truth and justice, then the power of the stronger prevails, then violence and untruth reign supreme. Truth and justice must stand above my comfort and physical well-being, or else my life becomes a lie. . . For this … we need witnesses—martyrs …. We need them if we are to prefer goodness to comfort, even in the little choices we face each day.”

Our Holy Father concludes, “the capacity to suffer for the sake of the truth is the measure of humanity.”

Isn’t this the reason we emulate our martyrs: Jose Rizal, Gomburza, Evelio Javier, Macli-ing Dulag, Cesar Climaco and Ninoy Aquino? They have borne witness for us what it means to be truly human—to be able to suffer for the sake of others and for the sake of the truth.

I remember Cory recalling a conversation she had with Ninoy while they were in exile in Boston. Cory asked Ninoy what he thought might happen to him once he set foot in Manila. Ninoy said there were three possibilities: one, that he would be rearrested and detained once more in Fort Bonifacio; two, that he would be held under house arrest; and three, that he would be assassinated.

“Then why go home?” Cory asked.

To which Ninoy answered: “Because I cannot allow myself to die a senseless death, such as being run over by a taxi cab in New York. I have to go home and convince Ferdinand Marcos to set our people free.”

Witnessing to one’s deepest convictions, notwithstanding the consequences, is the measure of our humanity. Proclaiming the truth to others, whatever the cost, is the mark of authentic humanity.

Jun, we know you have feared for your life and continue to do so. But in transcending your fears for yourself and your family, you have reclaimed your humanity. And your courage and humility, despite harassment and calumniation by government forces, embolden us to retrieve and reclaim our humanity tarnished by our cowardice and complicity with sin in the world. You have inspired us to be true to ourselves and to submit to and serve the truth that transcends all of us.

III. WITNESSING TO THE TRUTH

This leads us to our third and last theme: witnessing to the truth. In his encyclical, Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII exhorts that it is the fundamental duty of the government to uphold the truth: “A political society is to be considered well-ordered, beneficial and in keeping with human dignity if it grounded on truth.” Moreover, the encyclical explains that unless a society is anchored on the truth, there can be no authentic justice, charity and freedom.

Every government is therefore obliged to serve the truth if it is to truly serve the people. Its moral credibility and authority over a people is based on the extent of its defense of and submission to the truth. Insofar as a government is remiss in upholding the truth, insofar as a government actively suppresses the truth, it loses its authority vested upon it by the people.

At this juncture, allow me to raise a delicate question: At what point does an administration lose its moral authority over its constituents?

First, a clear tipping point is the surfacing of hard evidence signifying undeniable complicity of certain government officials in corruption and injustice, evidence that can be substantiated in court.

Hence, during the Marcos Regime, the manipulation of Snap Election results as attested to by the tabulators who walked out of the PICC was clear evidence of the administration’s disregard for and manipulation of the collective will of the people in order to remain in power..

During the Erap Administration, the testimony of Clarissa Ocampo, claiming that Pres. Erap had falsified Equitable Bank documents by signing as Jose Velarde, was the smoking gun that triggered the rage of our people.

Allow me to respond to the same question by pursue an alternative track of argument: an administration loses it moral authority over its people when it fails in its fundamental duty to uphold the truth, when it is constituted by an ethos of falsehood. When a pattern of negligence in investigating the truth, suppressing the truth and harassing those who proclaim the truth is reasonably established, then a government, in principle, loses its right to rule over and represent the people.

Regarding negligence: Do the unresolved cases, such as the failed automation of the national elections, the fertilizer scam, the extra-judicial killings, and the “Hello, Garci” scandal, constitute negligence on the part of the GMA Administration to probe and ferret out the truth?

Regarding covering-up the truth: Does the abduction of Jun Lozada and the twisting and manipulation of his narrative by Malacanang’s minions constitute concealment of the truth? Was the padlocking of the office of Asst. Gov’t Counsel Gonzales who testified before the Senate regarding the North Rail project anomaly an instance of covering-up the truth?

Regarding the suppression of the truth: Does the issuance and implementation of E.O. 464, which prevents government officials from testifying in Senate hearings without Malacanang’s permission, constitute suppression of the truth? Was the prevention of AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Senga and six other officers from testifying before the Senate with regard the “Hello, Garci” scandal tantamount to a suppression of the truth? Was disallowing Brig. Gen. Quevedo, Lt. Col Capuyan and Lt. Col. Sumayo from appearing before the Lower House an instance of hindering the truth from surfacing?

And regarding harassment of those who proclaim the truth: Are the abduction of Jun Lozada and the decision to court-marshal Gen. Gudani and Col. Balutan for disregarding Malacanang’s order not to testify before the Senate examples of punishing those who come forth to tell the truth?

By conflating one’s responses to all these questions does one arrive not at hard evidence showing culpability on the part of some government officials, but a gestalt, an image which nonetheless demands our assessment and judgment. I invite all of you then to consider these two methods of evaluating and judging the moral credibility of any government, the moral credibility of our present government.

Allow me to end with a few words about an Ignatian virtue, familiaritas cum Deo. To become familiar with God involves the illumination of the intellect, coming to know who God is and what God wills. But it also involves the conversion of the affect, the reconfiguration of the heart. Becoming familiar with God entails transforming and conforming my thinking, my feeling and my doing in accordance to the Lord’s, which can only be the work of grace.

Familiarity with God thus entails rejoicing in what God delights—the truth; abhorring what God detests—falsehood; being pained by what breaks the heart of God—the persecution of truth-seekers. Familiarity with God means sharing the passion of God for the truth and the pathos of God whenever the truth and the bearers of truth are overcome by the forces of the lie.

On this Second Sunday of Lent, as we contemplate the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Horeb, we pray that our hearts and minds be so transfigured and so conformed to the mind, heart and will of the Jesus, our way, our life, and our truth.

May the Lord bless and protect you, Jun, and your family. May the Lord bless and guide us all into the way of truth. Amen.

Say bye bye, Polaroid.

Polaroid fans ponder a filmless future

Story Highlights

Polaroid announced last week it will stop making film for its instant cameras
Company has already stopped making the cameras, which debuted in 1948
Polaroids still popular in industrial and medical photography, and with camera buffs
Fans stockpiling Polaroid film; company hopes to find someone to keep making it

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- When Jerry Conlogue heard Polaroid will soon stop producing its instant film, he worried about his mummies.

Joe Howansky shows off the Polaroid film he has stockpiled in his home in New York.

Conlogue uses Polaroid film when he travels deep into the Peruvian jungle to take X-ray photographs of ancient mummies, so he doesn't have to lug cumbersome developing chemicals. Now he and other enthusiasts who use the film for art or specialized industrial photography are left wondering where they'll go to stay stocked.

"We're incredibly despondent," said Conlogue, co-director of the Bioanthropology Research Institute at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, where researchers frequently visit remote sites to capture X-ray images of mummies. "I don't really feel that there is going to be a replacement for it, which is a real problem."

Concord, Massachusetts-based Polaroid Corp. announced last week that it plans to close factories in Massachusetts as well as Mexico and the Netherlands that make film formats for industrial and consumer uses.

Polaroid instant film will be available in stores into next year, the company said. Meanwhile, Polaroid -- which stopped making instant cameras over the past couple years -- is seeking a partner to acquire licensing rights, in hopes that another firm will continue making the instant film and keep limited supplies available.

Polaroid introduced its first instant camera in 1948, just as the baby boom got started and parents were looking for new ways to take photos of their kids. Film packs contained the chemicals for developing images inside the camera, and photos emerged from the camera in less than a minute.

Now, some camera buffs who still use Polaroids for fun are trying to buy as much as they can.

Don't Miss

• Retro tech channels old-school cool

Joe Howansky, a 23-year-old professional photo technician from Queens who has shown Polaroid shots at art galleries in New York City, said he bought $800 worth of Polaroid film at a discount warehouse club after he learned Friday that Polaroid planned to stop producing its film.

"I expected it was inevitable," Howansky said. "But I went right out to stock up."

Howansky now has enough to snap 800 Polaroid shots. While he also uses digital cameras that can yield an image within a second after snapping a photo, Howansky likes Polaroid film because he finds its nostalgic quirkiness gets his creative juices flowing.

"It has an intangible quality that fits with walking down the street, and I see something cool, and snap a photo of it," he said.

Although Polaroid instant film may seem an anachronism in an age of digital photography, it's still widely used for industrial applications.

For example, in medicine, dermatologists use Polaroid film printed with grid patterns to help measure shrinkage in scars over time, said Michael Phelan, a sales manager at Calumet Photographic in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who works with industrial photography customers.

"There is no substitute for it, and there is no other product out there that is a viable alternative," said Phelan, who said his store has received several calls in recent days from customers worried about Polaroid film supplies.

In medicine, he said, people resisted going digital in some fields, because it is so much more convenient to just snap a Polaroid. "It's easier than having to worry about files, and downloading ... Anyone can pick it up and use it, and walk away with an image in a minute," he said.

Steve Rosenthal, a retired architectural photographer, used Polaroids throughout his career to take test photos and check on lighting and composition before taking a final shot using standard film. He's also spent four decades as a hobbyist using Polaroids to snap photos of churches across New England.

The 67-year-old has enough film for 60 Polaroid shots, stored in a refrigerator at his home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. "I've got a few boxes now, and I've got to be pretty careful about how I use it now," said Rosenthal, who plans to order more film soon.

At EP Levine, a photography store in Boston, business from both instant film and regular film has shrunk with the advent of digital photography. But there's still demand for instant film, especially among photography teachers who require large-format film, said Jay Callum, the store's president.

"We will keep the inventory until the bitter end, because there are people who want it," he said. "But it's hard to imagine the photo business without Polaroid being a part of it."

5 shot dead, including gunman, at Northern Illinois University

DEKALB, Illinois (CNN) -- A gunman dressed in black walked from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall Thursday at Northern Illinois University and shot 22 people, four fatally, then killed himself, authorities said.

Seventeen victims were taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, its Web site said.

Of those, six were in critical condition and were flown to other hospitals. One fatality, a male, was confirmed -- but was not the gunman, the hospital said. Two were admitted, and three others were discharged. The other five were not addressed on the Web site.

Most of the injuries are head and chest gunshot wounds, a spokeswoman tells CNN.

The shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in Cole Hall. The class runs from 2 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., university President John Peters said.

"It started and it stopped very quickly," said Police Chief Donald Grady. The gunman, whose identity has not been revealed publicly, was not a student at the NIU campus in DeKalb, west of Chicago, but "may have been a student somewhere else."

Police do not have an apparent motive now, Grady said.

Kevin McEnery said he was in the classroom when a man dressed in a black shirt, dark pants and black hat burst in carrying a shotgun.

"He just kicked the door open, just started shooting," said McEnery, who was in the class at the time. "All I really heard was just people screaming, yelling 'get out.' ... Close to 30 shots were fired."

There are about 162 registered students in the class that met in the large lecture hall.

"Witnesses say someone dressed in black came out from behind a screen in the front of the classroom and opened fire with a shotgun," Peters said.

The gunman fired from a stage at the front of the classroom, Grady said.

At 3:03 p.m., NIU police responded, and four minutes later, the campus was ordered into "a lockdown situation," he said.

At 3:20, an all-campus alert went out via the campus Web site, e-mail, voice mail, the campus crisis hotline, the news media and various alarm systems, he said.

"The message basically was: There's a gunman on campus, stay where you are, make yourself as safe as possible," he said.

Rosie Moroni, a student at the school, told CNN she was outside Cole Hall near the King Commons at 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET) when she heard shots coming from the classroom she had intended to enter.

The shot was followed by "a lot of people screaming," then people ran out the doors yelling, "He's got a gun, call 9-1-1," she said.

"It was complete chaos ... it's very scary here right now."

By 4 p.m., police had swept the area "and determined there was only one gunman" and that he was dead.

Grady said the man used three guns during his rampage -- a shotgun, a Glock pistol and a small-caliber handgun -- and was still on the stage when he turned one of the guns on himself. The small-caliber handgun has not been recovered, he said. He said the shooter started with a shotgun, then switched to a pistol.

It appears that he acted alone, Grady said.

"As much as we do, it's unlikely that anyone would ever have the ability to stop an incident like this from beginning," he said.

Classes were canceled for the rest of the day and Friday.

Seven counseling areas were set up throughout the campus, and hotlines were established.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich declared a state of emergency, which will open the governor's disaster fund to reimburse local government entities for "extraordinary expenses related to the response in NIU DeKalb" and will allow the state Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance, the governor's office said in a statement.

The 113-year-old school is 65 miles west of downtown Chicago and has an enrollment of more than 25,000. The campus covers 755 acres.

A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives told CNN that some of its agents were already on the scene to assist.

He said ATF agents could help trace the weapon or weapons used.

An FBI spokesman said several of that agency's agents were en route to the scene to assist.

Oxnard school shooting called a hate crime

Phil McCarten / Los Angeles Times

Students pass by a makeshift memorial honoring fifteen-year-old Lawrence King which lies beneath the flagpole at E.O. Green School Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008.

By Catherine Saillant, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
5:00 PM PST, February 14, 2008

Prosecutors today alleged that the shooting of 15-year-old eighth-grader at an Oxnard campus by a classmate was a hate crime.

The 14-year-old defendant was charged with premeditated murder with a special allegation of using a firearm in the commission of a hate crime. The victim, Lawrence King, was declared brain dead on Wednesday and will be taken off a ventilator today so that some organs can be removed for donation, officials said.

Prosecutors will ask that the boy be tried as an adult once King is taken off a ventilator, said senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Maeve Fox. She declined to discuss the hate-crime allegation.

"We've never had a violent shooting like this in Ventura County," Fox said. "It's very tragic."

Defense attorney Brian Vogel said the defendant and his family, who were in court for his arraignment hearing, were also hurting.

The boy and his "family are terribly sad to learn that [King] is brain dead," Vogel said.

He said the defendant, whose name is being withheld because of his age, did not have a prior criminal history and was generally a good student. Vogel said the boy just turned 14 on Jan. 24.

King was shot in the head early Tuesday in a classroom full of students at E.O. Green Junior High School.

Police said the suspect shot King at least twice at the beginning of their first-period English class and then fled the campus. The boy was apprehended by police a few blocks away.

Several students at the south Oxnard campus said King and his alleged assailant had a falling-out stemming from King's sexual orientation. The teenager sometimes wore feminine clothing and makeup, and proclaimed he was gay, students said.

"He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails -- the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out."

Student Juan Sandoval, 14, said he shared a fourth-period algebra class with the suspect, whom he described as a calm, smart student who played on the basketball team.

"I didn't think he was that kind of kid," Sandoval said. "I guess you never know. He made a big mistake."

"Their lives are both destroyed now," said student Hansley Rivera, 12.

Several students said that a day before the shooting, King and several boys had some kind of altercation during the lunch period.

Jay Richard Smith, executive director of Ventura County Rainbow Alliance, a nonprofit group which advocates gay and lesbian rights, attended today's court hearing and said his group would be keeping a close eye on the trial.

"This is an equality issue," he said. "Every child should be able to go to school and be safe. We want to make sure that happens."

Bullying in schools has long been a problem. But recent studies show that a student who comes "out" as gay or lesbian is far more likely to suffer abuse than others, said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network based in New York.

A student thought to be gay was five times as likely to be threatened or injured by a weapon, a 2002 California Department of Education study said.

Jennings said other studies have found similar results. His group advocates more teacher training on how to handle bullying and harassment, specifically of gay students.

"This Oxnard shooting is very upsetting but not surprising," Jennings said. "The real issue is not the kid coming out, but the kid sitting next to him. Schools must teach that we may not like one another, but we must respect one another."

Teachers and counselors at E.O. Green Junior High, meanwhile, sought to calm fears about escalating violence at the south Oxnard campus. Hueneme School District Supt. Jerry Dannenberg said the school would have extra staff and police on campus for the next few days.

Counselors will be on hand as long as needed, Dannenberg said. The school district will hold a meeting for parents next week to discuss concerns.

This week's shooting was a first, not only for the school but for all of Ventura County, which has never before seen a classroom fatality.

catherine.saillant@latimes.com

L.A. Times: Oxnard student declared brain dead

Lawrence King, 15, was shot at a junior high school Tuesday. A classmate faces murder charge.

By Catherine Saillant and Gregory W. Griggs, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
February 14, 2008

An Oxnard junior high student who was shot in the head by a classmate earlier this week was declared brain dead Wednesday, and the 14-year-old male suspect now faces a first-degree murder charge, authorities said.

Lawrence King, 15, was declared brain dead by two neurosurgeons about 2 p.m. at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, said Craig Stevens, senior deputy Ventura County medical examiner. King's body remains on a ventilator for possible organ donation, he said. He was shot early Tuesday in a classroom at E.O. Green Junior High School.

Authorities initially believed that King was improving. But the boy's condition worsened early Wednesday, and he was placed on a ventilator a few hours later with his family nearby, said an official, who asked not to be named.

David Keith, an Oxnard police spokesman, said the family would have no comment and asked the media to respect their privacy.

Police said the suspect, whose identity was not disclosed because of his age, shot King at least twice at the beginning of the school day and then fled the campus. The boy was apprehended by police a few blocks away and is being held in Juvenile Hall. He is scheduled to appear in court today.

Ventura County Dist. Atty. Gregory Totten said prosecutors would decide whether the case should remain in Juvenile Court after reviewing the police investigation. Under state law, prosecutors can ask the court to try the suspect as an adult, he said. "In all probability he will be charged in adult court," Totten said.

Police have not determined a motive in the slaying but said it appeared to stem from a personal dispute between King and the suspect.

Keith and Totten declined to elaborate.

But several students at the south Oxnard campus said King and his alleged assailant had a falling out stemming from King's sexual orientation.

The teenager sometimes wore feminine clothing and makeup, and proclaimed he was gay, students said.

"He would come to school in high-heeled boots, makeup, jewelry and painted nails -- the whole thing," said Michael Sweeney, 13, an eighth-grader. "That was freaking the guys out."

Student Juan Sandoval, 14, said he shared a fourth-period algebra class with the suspect, whom he described as a calm, smart student who played on the basketball team. "I didn't think he was that kind of kid," Sandoval said. "I guess you never know. He made a big mistake."

"Their lives are both destroyed now," said student Hansley Rivera, 12.

Several students said that a day before the shooting, King and several boys had some kind of altercation during the lunch period.

If the suspect targeted King because of his sexual orientation, the case could rise to the level of a hate crime, authorities said.

"We've heard that and a lot of other things," Keith said. "But I can't say what the motive is until we finish our interviews."

Totten said he could not comment on the specifics of the case until he reviewed the police investigation. But a hate-crime enhancement is something that prosecutors would consider as they move forward, he said.

"It's something we will look at," he said. "But the case is going to be reviewed as a murder involving the use of a firearm, and that carries a potential sentence of 50 years to life."

Jerry Dannenberg, the school district superintendent, said the school's staff was aware that King had butted heads with other students, including the suspect, and offered both students help.

"They had been doing a lot of counseling and a lot of work with [King] to help him deal with some of his concerns and issues," Dannenberg said. "But I can't go into specifics about what was going on."

Bullying in schools has long been a problem. But recent studies show that a student who comes "out" as gay or lesbian is far more likely to suffer abuse than others, said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network based in New York.

A student thought to be gay was five times as likely to be threatened or injured by a weapon, a 2002 California Department of Education study said. Jennings said other studies have found similar results. His group advocates more teacher training on how to handle bullying and harassment, specifically of gay students.

"This Oxnard shooting is very upsetting but not surprising," Jennings said. "The real issue is not the kid coming out, but the kid sitting next to him. Schools must teach that we may not like one another, but we must respect one another."

Teachers and counselors at E.O. Green Junior High, meanwhile, sought to calm fears about escalating violence at the south Oxnard campus.

About a quarter of the school's 1,000 students stayed home Wednesday due to fear of reprisals, Dannenberg said.

He said the school would have extra staff and police on campus for the next few days.

catherine.saillant @latimes.com

greg.griggs@latimes.com

Traffic Advisory for tomorrow

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

There will be a projected march/protest rally in the afternoon of February 15, 2008 (Friday), to be held at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas to be participated in by militant cause oriented groups, religious and business sectors. At 3:00 p.m., Ayala Avenue, from Salcedo St. to Makati Avenue, and Paseo de Roxas, from Dela Rosa St. to Sedeno St., will be closed temporarily until the duration of the rally.

The following traffic rerouting will be implemented:

LIGHT VEHICLES:

From EDSA : Take Ayala Avenue, turn right to Makati Avenue in going to Salcedo Village, Paseo de Roxas and Gil Puyat Avenue; or Turn left to Makati Avenue in going to Legaspi Village, Greenbelt and Pasay Road

From SSHW/Gil Puyat Avenue to Legaspi Village/Greenbelt: Take Pasong Tamo Street, turn left to Dela Rosa Street, turn right to Salcedo Street or Turn right to Ayala Avenue, turn right to Salcedo Street to destination.

From Gil Puyat Avenue to EDSA or Ayala Center/Glorietta: Take the stretch of Gil Puyat Avenue, turn right to Makati Avenue, turn left to Ayala Avenue.

NOTE: Crossing of vehicles at Ayala/VA Rufino, from Salcedo Village to Legaspi Village is allowed.

PASSENGER BUSES:

From EDSA/Ayala to SSHW – Pasay Take Ayala Avenue, turn right to Makati Avenue and turn left to Gil Puyat Avenue

From SSHW/Gil Puyat to EDSA: Turn right to Makati Avenue, turn left to Ayala Avenue

PASSENGER JEEPNEYS:

From JP Rizal Avenue/Makati Avenue to Ayala Avenue: Take Makati Avenue, turn right to Dela Rosa St., turn right to Salcedo St., turn left to Ayala Avenue towards Ayala Extn.

From Buendia /Washington to Ayala/EDSA: Turn right to Ayala Avenue, turn right to Salcedo St., turn right to VA Rufino St.,, turn left to Amorsolo, turn left to Arnaiz Avenue, turn left to EDSA. RETURN ROUTE: Take Ayala Avenue, turn left to Makati Avenue, turn right to Dela Rosa St., turn right to Salcedo St., turn left to Ayala Avenue towards Buendia Avenue

Ayala – Mantrade: From Paseo de Roxas, turn right to Legaspi St., turn left to Dela Rosa St., turn left to VA Rufino St., turn left to Amorsolo St. towards destination.

RIP Roy Scheider

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/movies/11scheider.html?_r=3&ref=obituaries&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Roy Scheider, Actor in ‘Jaws,’ Dies at 75

By DAVE KEHR

Published: February 11, 2008

Roy Scheider, a stage actor with a background in the classics who became one of the leading figures in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Roy Scheider, right, with Richard Dreyfuss in “Jaws” (1975). Mr. Scheider played the police chief of a resort town menaced by a shark.

Mr. Scheider played the lead role in Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz” (1979).

Mr. Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years, and died of complications from a staph infection, his wife, Brenda Siemer, said.

Mr. Scheider’s rangy figure, gaunt face and emotional openness made him particularly appealing in everyman roles, most famously as the agonized police chief of “Jaws,” Steven Spielberg’s 1975 breakthrough hit, about a New England resort town haunted by the knowledge that a killer shark is preying on the local beaches.

Mr. Scheider conveyed an accelerated metabolism in movies like “Klute” (1971), his first major film role, in which he played a threatening pimp to Jane Fonda’s New York call girl; and in William Friedkin’s “French Connection” (also 1971), as Buddy Russo, the slightly more restrained partner to Gene Hackman’s marauding police detective, Popeye Doyle. That role earned Mr. Scheider the first of two Oscar nominations.

Born in 1932 in Orange, N.J., Mr. Scheider earned his distinctive broken nose in the New Jersey Diamond Gloves Competition. He studied at Rutgers and at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., where he graduated as a history major with the intention of going to law school. He served three years in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. When he was discharged, he returned to Franklin and Marshall to star in a production of “Richard III.”

His professional debut was as Mercutio in a 1961 New York Shakespeare Festival production of “Romeo and Juliet.” While continuing to work onstage, he made his movie debut in “The Curse of the Living Corpse” (1964), a low-budget horror film by the prolific schlockmeister Del Tenney. “He had to bend his knees to die into a moat full of quicksand up in Connecticut,” recalled Ms. Siemer, a documentary filmmaker. “He loved to demonstrate that.”

In 1977 Mr. Scheider worked with Mr. Friedkin again in “Sorcerer,” a big-budget remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 French thriller, “The Wages of Fear,” about transporting a dangerous load of nitroglycerine in South America.

Offered a leading role in “The Deer Hunter” (1979), Mr. Scheider had to turn it down in order to fulfill his contract with Universal for a sequel to “Jaws.” (The part went to Robert De Niro.)

“Jaws 2” failed to recapture the appeal of the first film, but Mr. Scheider bounced back, accepting the principal role in Bob Fosse’s autobiographical phantasmagoria of 1979, “All That Jazz.” Equipped with Mr. Fosse’s Mephistophelean beard and manic drive, Mr. Scheider’s character, Joe Gideon, gobbled amphetamines in an attempt to stage a new Broadway show while completing the editing of a film (and pursuing a parade of alluring young women) — a monumental act of self-abuse that leads to open-heart surgery. This won Mr. Scheider an Academy Award nomination in the best actor category. (Dustin Hoffman won that year, for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”)

In 1980, Mr. Scheider returned to his first love, the stage, where his performance in a production of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” opposite Blythe Danner and Raul Julia earned him the Drama League of New York award for distinguished performance. Although he continued to be active in films, notably in Robert Benton’s “Still of the Night” (1982) and John Badham’s action spectacular “Blue Thunder” (1983), he moved from leading men to character roles, including an American spy in Fred Schepisi’s “Russia House” (1990) and a calculating Mafia don in “Romeo Is Bleeding” (1993).

One of the most memorable performances of his late career was as the sinister, wisecracking Dr. Benway in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch” (1991).

Living in Sag Harbor, Mr. Scheider continued to appear in films and lend his voice to documentaries, becoming, Ms. Siemer said, increasingly politically active. With the poet Kathy Engle, he helped to found the Hayground School in Bridgehampton, dedicated to creating an innovative, culturally diverse learning environment for local children. At the time of his death, Mr. Scheider was involved in a project to build a film studio in Florence, Italy, for a series about the history of the Renaissance.

Besides his wife, his survivors include three children, Christian Verrier Scheider and Molly Mae Scheider, with Ms. Siemer, and Maximillia Connelly Lord, from an earlier marriage, to Cynthia Bebout; a brother, Glenn Scheider of Summit, N.J.; and two grandchildren.

NICO'S OFFICE DARES =p (Feel free to add.)

1) Run one lap around the office at top speed.

2) Groan out loud in the toilet cubicle (at least one other 'non-player' must be in the toilet at the time).

3) Ignore the first five people who say 'good morning' to you.

4) Phone someone in the office you barely know, leave your name and say, "Just called to say I can't talk right now. Bye."

5) To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears and grimace.

6) When someone hands you a piece of paper, finger it, and whisper huskily, "Mmmmmmm, that feels soooooo good!".

7) Leave your zip open for one hour. If anyone
points it out, say, "Sorry, I really prefer it this
way".

8) Walk sideways to the photocopier.

9) While riding in a lift, gasp dramatically every time the doors open.

10) Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.

Three point office dares...

1) Say to your boss, "I like your style" and shoot
him with double-barrelled fingers.

2) Babble incoherently at a fellow employee then ask, "Did you get all that, I don't want to have to repeat it".

3) Page yourself over the intercom (do not disguise your voice).

4) Kneel in front of the water cooler and drink
directly from the nozzle (there must be a 'non-player' within sight).

5) Shout random numbers while someone is counting.

6) Put your rubbish bin on your desk and label it
"IN."

7) Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has got over his or her caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

8) Don't use any punctuation

9) As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

Five point office dares...

1) At the end of a meeting, suggest that, for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (extra points if you actually launch into it yourself).

2) Walk into a very busy person's office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times.

3) For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as "Bob".

4) Announce to everyone in a meeting that you "really have to go do a number two".

5) After every sentence, say 'Mon' in a really bad
Jamaican accent. As in "the report's on your desk, Mon". Keep this up for one hour.

6) While an office mate is out, move their chair into the lift.

7) In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your
forehead repeatedly and mutter, "Shut up, all of you just shut up!"

8) At lunchtime, get down on your knees and announce, "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again".

9) In a colleague's diary, write in 10am: "See how I look in tights".

10) Carry your keyboard over to your colleague and ask "You wanna trade?".

11) Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now".

12) Come to work in army fatigues and when asked why, say, "I can't talk about it".

13) Posing as a maitre d', call a colleague and tell
him he's won a lunch for four at a local restaurant. Let him go.

14) Speak with an accent (French, German, Porky Pig etc) during a very important conference call.

15) Find the vacuum and start vacuuming around your desk.

16) Hang a two-foot long piece of toilet roll from
the back of your pants and act genuinely surprised when someone points it out.

17) Present meeting attendees with a cup of coffee and biscuit, smash each biscuit with your fist.

18) During the course of a meeting, slowly edge your chair towards the door.

19) Arrange toy figures on the table to represent
each meeting attendee, move them according to the movements of their real-life counterparts.

Transcript of Statement of Rodolfo Lozada Jr.

2 a.m. Press Conference February 7, 2008, La Salle Greenhills

…I was taken from the airport, there was, I guess there was just a miscommunication because I did not know I was to be taken from the tube. So, ah… I was taken from a tube, I was not prepared for that. So from there I did not know the route yet. They took me from the tube.

I guess that's were all the confusion started and I texted my brother that I was already taken by a group from the tube. When I told them that I need to show myself first so that those who were waiting for me will not be alarmed, they said that it's already been taken care of. So I was, I just had to go with them and we, I was driven around.

I guess, for me, it was really a result of miscommunication between the groups who were supposed to pick me up and towards the end of the night, they felt that there's so much noise from the media already that I have to be brought back to the family, to my wife in particular.

That my wife is already staying here at the Brother’s house, so I asked the group who took me to just bring me back to the Brother’s house to La Salle Greenhills, so that's why I'm here.

Okay. So, first I drafted my [statement] via my own writing... I like to start by thanking a lot of people expressed their sincere sympathy for the family so I like to thank them first. There's so many of them. Sa Tagalog, nagpapasalamat po ako sa lahat ng nagpahayag ng kanilang pag-aalala sa akin at sa sampu ng aking pamilya. Ako po ay nagtawag sa pagupuplong na ito upang mabigyan ng liwanag…

Ang dami kasing katanungan ng bayan ukol sa (national broadband network) NBN-ZTE na ito at upang huwag na sanang mapilitan pa ang iba, marami nang napipilitan pang magsinungaling dahil sa akin. Hindi naman sila kasama rito, napipilitan pa silang magsinungaling. Ayaw kong maging dahilan na magkaroon pa na magkasala sa Diyos at sa bayan kahit sinuman. Ayoko ho iyon.

Mabigat po sa aking damdamin ito at sa isipan itong aking gagawin ngunit kailangan kong gawin ito para sa kaunawaan, para magkaliwanag na ang mga isipan ng bayan tungkol sa mga bagay na ito na lubhang nakakaapekto sa kinabukasan nila.

Ang aking mga ilalahad na salaysay ngayon ukol sa ZTE-NBN ay iyong mga bagay na iyong ako ay may personal na ginampanan. These are the things that I'm involved with and I'm going to say this with malice on no one.

Wala ho akong malisya sa kahit ninuman bagkus ang sasabihin ko ay kung ano lang iyong ginawa talaga namin at anong nangyari. So iyan lang po ang ano ko, opening statement.

From my recollection of events, I start off.

The first time I was introduced to this project by Secretary Neri with an introduction to Chairman Benjamin Abalos. I guess if it was not late September or early October, I was introduced by Secretary Neri to [Commission on Elections] Chairman Benjamin Abalos in Wack-Wack [Golf and Country Club] together with his usual entourage sina Ruben Reyes, Leo San Miguel, and the ZTE representatives Yu Yong and Fan Yang... and we had lunch in Wack-Wack, wherein we talked about the NBN-ZTE, and the good secretary asked me to help him out understand what this whole project is all about.. okay, so that was the first.. if I remember right, the secretary told Chairman Abalos to course his project proposal through the proper channels.. NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) received the first copy sometime in October, of the first version of the CICT (Commission on Information and Communications Technology) feasibility study.. it was prepared by ZTE, of course CICT. It was signed by the then secretary.. all questions were referred back to Asec (Assistant Secretary Lorenzo) Formoso..

When the secretary game me a copy to review, the first thing that really caught my attention when I was reviewing the financials was the financial projection were based on Abante Tonite September 20, 2006 issue wherein they were quoting how much government was spending for telecom expenses.. so I found it funny then that a multi-billion peso project was based on a data reference from a tabloid. so anyway, that was what I remembered..

So, I told the Abalos group through their guy Leo San Miguel that they should revise their proposal, they should fix it and try to avoid the education part of it because there was a CyberEducation project.. so it was sometiome in early November that Joey (Jose de Venecia III) was introduced to me by Secretary Neri because Joey presented project proposal for the NBN, and the secretary asked me if it was appropriate and I said yes so he encouraged Joey to pursue the project development further.. and when the secretary asked me if there was a synergy between the two projects and I said yes. But both of them were pitching for the same project. so the secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents. and at that point it was really a good project..

And at that point when the secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents, I immediately went to work and proposed a structure for the two proponents wherein both of them can achieve both of their objectives. since Joey's objective was to do a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) with government, which was completely above-board, and Chairman Abalos's objective was to do a project on a loan basis.. so the project structure I proposed was that Joey becomes the lead contracting party to government because it's on a BOT basis anyway, and that Abalos achieved his objective of supplying, becomes a supplier to Joey's project...

So I thought at that point this was already a win-win situation for everyone involved. The government gets its NBN project, Joey gets his BOT project, and Ben Abalos gets his supply contract.. so at that point I left them already to do their own thing. its finished.

But I guess the trouble started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130 million... how shall I put this commission on the project.. dapat daw proteksyonan yung 130 million, and he'll agree that Joey will become the main proponent.. at that point I just felt na being like a consultant to the proejct I told them that it might be a little too big..in the vernacular, sabi ko bubukol po ito, at sabi ko siguro kalahati pupuwede, but nonetheless, I relayed the information to Joey. because it's going to be Joey's project anyway.

And then Joey, his reaction, reaction was like really ballistic. He's worried where, saan niya kukunin ang 130 million na ito.. because the project cost is 262 million dollars and Abalos wanted 130 million dollar na commission.. so sabi ko sa kanila hindi ko problema iyan, that's your problem sabi ko kina Joey.

So at that point, I don't know if the listener can realize how much money na pinag-uusapan, these are millions of dollars.. at that point I was telling them problema niyo na ito, basta you make sure you get this thing together because we do not want another Atong Ang - Chavit Singson scandal to rock this country.

Sabi ko basta it's very clear, both of you can be.. basta iyong maayos lang.. sometime in December, the ZTE reps si Yu Yong at Fan Yan.. became quite close to me along the progress of the work, was already geting frantic, talking to me about develoment in the project because they already given enough advances daw to Chairman Abalos. So sabi ko sa kanila the project is moving along so they should not be alarmed.. it was also at this point because of Joey's hesitance to agree on the 130 million dollar commission, Chairman Abalos started considering doing the proejct on his own.

Didiretso na siya. ang sabi ko ho sa kanya, sir hindi po puwede na didiretso kayo kasi ang kabilin-bilinan sa akin ni Secretary Neri, na iyon din ang utos 'ata ng presidente na this project can only be done through a BOT basis, hindi puwedeng utang.. so I was standing firm on that, na hindi talaga pupuwede.

At that point, that was the time that Chairman Abalos, halika tawagan natin si FG (First Gentleman Miguel "Mike" Arroyo). Tinawagan niya, sabi niya pare nandito ang taga-NEDA sa katabi ko hindi daw puwedeng iutang ang project ko.. I cannot hear the voice on other end, pero sabi niya, kung ganyan kayo kausap.. and then the Chairman continued, kung ganyan kayong kausap ang hirap niyo palang kausap. kalimutan niyo na lahat ng usapan natin....

I don't know what that meant.. but the following day, totoo nga a letter from the Chinese ambassador came adressed to the government (I don't know if it was still Mike) and stating that, this was already December, you can check this na lang sa record.. because im just doing this through my own recollections. wala ho akong kaanu-ano sa mga records sa mga dokumento. But if you can check sometime December, a letter addressed to Mike 'ata came in from the Chinese ambassador saying that there is now money available for loan for the NBN project independent of the CyberEducation project.. kasi ang CyberEducation iyon ang napag-agreehan na ilo-loan nga.. so ngayon, there's another loan na naman, puwede na rin iyong NBN I-loan.. so that was sometiome early December if I'm not mistaken...

So I told the secretary about it, si Secretary Neri.. and his instruction to me was very clear, sabi niya "Jun, you moderate their greed." I was naive to accept that order. So I do not know what moderating greed means.

But I followed Secretary Neri. and due to the insistence ng mga taga-ZTE that the proejct gets going, Chairman Abalos invited us sometime towards third week of December, I'm pretty sure of the timing, for a dinner in Makati Shangri-La.. he asked me to invite Joey as well kasi si FG will be there with us. actually the First Gentleman did not say much, except that Chairman Abalos told him that pare OK na kami nina Joey. okay na kami sa NEDA. "Ah ganun, so buti naman OK na. OK na."

So I'm just narrating to you as it is as I said with no malice intended whatever that means kayo na po ang bahalang mag-ano..

So and then off they went to China, I did not join them anymore, so I guess Joey can fill in what happened in China.

So sometime early January naman, so Secretary Neri again invited us for lunch with Abalos in Makati Shangri-La in the Chinese restaurant together with Yu Yong, Fan Yan of ZTE and the Chinese commercial counselor.

At that point the Chairman [Abalos] again was making the impression that the project is already a go. Maybe there was a parralel track because from our end it was not yet a go. So, there was some negative reaction from the ZTE person and the secretary noticed some awkward moments there and he immediately asked [for] a leave. He said he has to go and then he asked me to stay behind.

When they came back to the room Chairman Abalos and the ZTE guys were in furious exchange of words. because the ZTE people were like demanding from Chairman Abalos that he promised that the ZTE deal will be done on a loan project ala-the NorthRail.

I don't know what's their pick about the NorthRail. They keep on mentining ala-NorthRail loan agreement. That was the last meeting I had with the Chairman and on January 18, I remember the date very well.. this is the only date that I can remember. because this is the date I quit the project. I gave said bye to the project.. I was then in Dumaguete in Negros together with Henry Teves, when Chairman Abalos called me up, it was some like early evening. and asked me questions like - Alam ba ni Neri ang ginagawa mo? I said opo. Alam ba ni Neri ang ginagawa mo? Opo. Alam mo bang malapit ako sa militar? Opo. Alam mong malapit ako sa intelligence? Opo. Alam mo bang malapit ako? Opo.

And then he started cursing, mura siya ng mura in Tagalog, lahat-lahat.. ang ano niya nandito sa akin ang CD ng lahat ng phone conversation ninyo nina Joey.. 'yan mga hayop kayo tinatraydor ninyo ako... I don't know what gave him that impression but I know that the MIG-17 (Military Intelligence Group 17) in ISAFP (Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines) can do that, which Chairman Abalos, Ruben Reyes was pretty close to. I was not surprised. So, I just took it with a grin and then Chairman Abalos ended up his tirade with me with his words na "Huwag kang magpapakita sa aking hayop ka sa Wack-Wack o sa Mandaluyong at ipapapatay kita.."

So that's where all my troubles started.

So I quit the project, I told the secretary I don't think this project is worth risking my life for. All I did was try to help the good secrtary to understand this.

So on February '07, an executive order (EO) was issued.. so this is now just to complete where my personal participation ended and where it ended.. on the project progress. In February '07 an EO was issued by the Office of the President... transferring the TELOF (Telecommunications Office) to the implementing agency to DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communcations) and on April, I guess everyone knows this already the NBN project was approved by the joint-NEDA ICC (Investment Coordinating Committee) and (CABCOM).. at P329 million ...

When I quit the project, the project cost was 262 million dollars, when it was approved.. I don't know what happened then.. I'm not imputiong anything now. But when it was approved it was already approved at 329 million dollars. And the day after it was approved, the president together with some of officials went to China to witness the signing of the agrement.. so I guess that's were all my narration of the events of the ZTE would end.

I just have one statement lang in Tagalog.

This project for me is just one transactional example of a dysfuntional government procurement, like a systemic dysfunction of how we procure projects.. there are other more that have escaped scrutiny, but ganoon din ang sistema..

I have agonized over this decision, both sides know, like many people who had been trying to get me to speak, no (one) knew that I dont want to speak along partisan lines. I do not want this statement to be taken as a partisan political exercise.. I just want to give this to the country.. I've suffered long enough, agonizing over this. I'll just give you my prayers kung ano bang dasal ko naman sana after nito..

Ang dasal ko lang sana maintindihan ninyo ang dusang dinadanas ng pamilya ko ngayon, ano, ang dasal ko lang sana matutunan na natin after nito na ang salitang Pilipino ay hindi lang tumutukoy sa isang pamilya.. ang salitang Pilipino ay tumutukoy sa isang bansa.. isang bansang Pilipino and sometimes it's worth taking a risk for this country... (crying)... maraming salamat po...

Meron ho akong mga napirmahan nitong mga nakaraang araw, paki-ano na lang po 'yon, because I signed it without really, I signed some affidavits this morning, I signed yesterday, I signed some security request so, paki-pasensiyahan n'yo na lang po 'yun na pinagpipirmahan ko 'yon. I signed it in their company.

I am 11:59 am.

	You are 11:59 a.m.

				You are late-sleepy relaxation, the half-awake moment when you realize it's morning, but you don't have to get up, because there's no place you have to be. You are that cozy spot under the covers where everything feels temporarily perfect, even if you know you'll eventually have to wiggle out and start the day. Maybe you're the artistic type, who doesn't function well on a normal schedule. Sleep's important to you, and you like the freedom of sleeping as late as you want (especially since that is closely related to the freedom to stay up as late as you want). You like to roll out of bed, put on some comfy clothes, and get a laid back start to the day. If not everything on your list gets accomplished, no worries. Your only priority is having no priorities – you just want to take things at a slow, mellow pace. 14% of the people who took this quiz got the same evaluation.