On the value of life in the womb, Thu, 24 Jul 2003

Dear friends,

I write a letter for all of you to register my position about abortion and my strong opposition to any form of abortion whatever explanation and rationalization that pro-abortionist groups are propagating to the media and to the public especially young people.

I believe that reproductive health is a right of everyone however, human rights and the right to life must put into a multi-dimensional perspective not only on the interest of the contraceptive-producing corporations and from the concern only of a single sector. I believe in the context of looking realities from the multidimensional understanding of truth. Pros and cons argument are only two-dimensional approach. I think every single child in formation in the womb of a woman is a human being waiting to claim her own contribution to life.

Every act and advocacy of abortion is also a manifestation of our advocacy to abort every equally capable child male or female to whomever mothers bearing it. If a woman doesn’t want to become a parent because she was molested or harm let the child rights to be born be respected and let us gave the child an opportunity to fulfill her own destiny as a human being in this planet. I believe that those pro-abortionist groups are equally concerned for the upliftment of the quality of life we have today and equally protectors of human rights.

But protecting our rights means guarding our own actions that we are not just protecting our lives yet destroying the lives of other and harming people on the other side, Especially the child in the forming stage inside the womb who are being killed in a notorious form of genocide. If we are genuine advocates of human rights, we must defend human rights from the humane actsAnd not for the expense of others. Sometimes we need also our heart in making our own advocacy.

I invite people to share their thoughts about what life is and what they have in mind with this topic. My positions here are just a few arguments I have and I have more but I think sharing ideas must be from the context of questions and preparedness of the listeners.

Dear friends in the light, (PART 2)

Many youth advocates share their same views as me against abortion. It is interesting that many of you still believe that life is not a piece of argument and every part of human being is important and worthy to defend with. I believe that life in any form have their own great and lesser function and therefore must be treated with kindness and special care even if they don't have any value to us on the basis of our understanding.

This is not to mention other life forms in the eco- system and beyond that is equally disrupted and harmed by pseudo advocates of development or social changes. It is remarkable that many of you are raising your little voices in the wilderness of modernity.

I guess in the proper time real culture of life will be realized by citizens of life and the culture of death will be slowly eradicated in the coming generations. But first, let us activate our conscience and not focusing our minds on the "Laws of men" but to the Cosmic Law in our Nature where conscience is truly belong. When conscience was forgotten by humanity, the” Laws of men" was conceived to debate and legislated. The moment our conscience become active and alive and recognized by many, laws, legislators and lawyers and others advocates of the laws of men will be meaningless at all.

Let us start within us. Conscience is the start to the genuine road of development and empowerment. Without conscience, our friends, and life it self will be reduce only to an object and not as partners and potentials of creative life. may your conscience within you speak to you!

-abet banico (manila 2003)

An Appeal for Our Leaders, bismonte@tribune.net.ph, news@tribune.net.ph,Sun, 18 Jun 2006

Dear Editors and friends,

I felt sad that the GMA regime is turning into a more fascist and authoritarian in its very nature. The War against the NPA since its appearance in the Philippines was not resolved by equivalent military force but significantly seen as a more fertile way to harvest more cadre and potential red fighters in the long run.

It will be best if GMA and her advisers improve the countryside and further address the socio-economic issues that produce these rebels to resolve not only the rebellion being waged by the radical left but also the conflict within her legitimacy since her own credibility to govern is already tainted with questions.

If GMA really love the value and the sanctity of life, any war to any form of human beings must be prohibited under her regime. The 1987 Constitution significantly denounce war as a policy, and yet GMA regime seems very confusing in her pronouncement in valuing life in the period when legislators rejected death penalty as a form of solving crime and social deviance.

I pray that GMA, including her generals and other former leftist advisers will realized that another undeclared or declared war will only ensure that today's conflict in some rural areas in the country will only be sustained in the next generation to come since this war will make the ground fertile enough for harvesting more rebellion.

I am a citizen of this country. And any form of violence whether it comes from the State or from presumed terrorists is not advisable. Enough blood has been wasted in our country. A significant number of the best and the brightest individuals in the country was already wasted because of useless conflict, assasination, abduction and liquidation both from the left, the right, church people, media men, students and many others.

I appeal as a citizen of this country to the NPA command and the Military generals that they should both see themselves as brothers and co-patriots of this country. May the lovers in peace in Philippine government resist this impending war against the left?

I believe that the State needs to defend the Republic, but communist are Filipinos too. And they are disillusioned Filipinos. When communists activists and red fighters can see that their countrymen cannot see the relevance of what they are fighting for because education and economic opportunities are accessible, government are run well by public officials and the economic growth are shared and felt by abandoned citizens, they will naturally die as a movement. But if we address the rebellion by another futile form of financing bullets, tanks, missiles and other killing machines, you only ensure that communist movements will multiply. I know that the democratic military generals know this!

What our NATIONAL AND local leaders need is to discuss among themselves on how to resolved the conflict in this country for the last 50 years so that in the next 50 years, younger generations will remember not the memories of war but the legacy of genuine reconciliation.

albert banico

To New SK officials

I was with the campaign for an alternative sangguniang kabataan in 1996 Sk election and we were successful in retaibning the SK against any move to abolished the SK.

There is a renewed revival to ablished the SK. I understand that many of you are incumbent SK elected official and accept it or not you grow and benefit from the incentives brought by the institution.

Rich Nalupta is still very young then (NYC chair) and i guess he will remember that congress lobbying just to maintain the SK in its own place.

I am appealing to you guys to enject new type of leadership in this country. and by being in that position and exposed to many non-ideal things, you can make a difference. May you provide this country a brand of politics. A politics of change, reform and good governance than a transactional politics. I think EDSA 1 dream for this and let us bring that dream into reality.

You country needs you. If you need to defy your elder counter part defy them especially if they are plundering the resources in the community or municipality. SK too have heroes and villains alike.

I know all of you are capable and potent hero.

God Bless the Philippines!

albert banico

ANG BAGONG LIGA

This is an effort to invite companion in the formation of a generational movement if not, a small initiave to come up with independent and non partisan initiatives to effect change, development and reforms in any field of interest.

It advocates the revolution of the mind and a proactive involvement in social action wherever they are needed with a primary audience among the youth and students. It aims to stir reflections, generate insights and collective action on particular development project and advocacy.

Our Inspiration

The name LIGA started with La Liga Filipina, our main inspiration. It was the short-lived association build by Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero in 1892 after he arrived from Hong kong where he drafted its charter that aims to build the community of new rising cultural identity.

In the early 1980's, the national democratic forces put up a group of students clamoring for the democratization of the school campuses. The highlight of this democratic reform campaign was the restoration of the student councils and campus paper that was shutdown during the Martial Law years. The group called themselves - the League of the Filipino Students (LFS), still existing today in some campuses, was militant, uncompromising and radical nationalist as they are branded in the annals of yoouth history in the Philippines.

In the mid-90's, a group of young socialist organized the Liga ng Sosyalistang Kabataan (LSK) aiming to project a socialist orientation among students and the out-of-school-youth.

At the close of 1998 election, a group of young professionals who are active in the College of Law, electoral campaigns, party-list organizing and media, drafted a manifesto for a free and honest election. They called themselves Liga Bente Uno. The meeting was held at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Building.

After Pres. Estrada was ousted through the EDSA Dos and EDSA 3 aiming to restore erap to the Office of the Presidency, Liga ng Bayan was organized to formed an umbrella organization of progressive organizations clamoring for change in the parliament of the streets.

Liga since the time of Rizal become an inspiration to many in real and not in fiction unlike the heroic characters of the movie entitled the League of Extra-ordinary Gentlemen.

From this century of inspiration, ang bagong liga will stir discussion among the youth and will try to maximize the technology to the fullest to reach the sporadic and alienated youth voice toward a common vision of reform and change not just of mind but of heart.

abet banico

NEW SK IMAGE?

Dear friends,

Let us accept that SK have a very bad image in the last several years.

There are two directions for the SK in the next few years to come,

1. the SK be abolished because it is a tool for patronage and the breeding ground of corrupt practices.

2. New SK leaders nationwide come up with an activist role in governance in the respective barangay and clamor for reform within the SK federation either in the municipal, city or provincial or even in the national level.

I prefer the second step as innovative forms of governance among new SK elected officials where SK elected officials themselves can fiscalize in their respective areas to prevent corrupt practices and become more innovative making worthwhile projects.

I guess it is not anymore the youth alone as the sole hope of the motherland. Every citizen can become like that as corruption in our system hit not only the old but also the young.

Speaking to the young, as SK elected leaders anew, let no one corrupt you and may your idealism and your youth encourage you to become more creative and good in your governing term.

May God bless all of you!!

to reply on this email, discussion is open for all.

albert banico

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"kaycee_091090"
I agree for the changes in sk image but then i already made a mistake by letting my opponent win through money and they just want to put the sk funds in their pocket..i have a lot of plans to renew the sk image in our municiplity but our federation pres dont want to soppurt it..

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- In Sangguniang_ Kabataan@ yahoogroups. com, "Zally A. Almoradie" wrote:>> Although, a lot of NYPAA members are into SK Abolition, the Board admits that the SK is part and parcel of the NYPAA. So, I agree with Kuya Albert (NYPAA-ian too). I'll also go for Reformation.

The Challenge

Young people today are wasted in their young. They are in search of role models while they continuously search for their own identity and a place under the sun. The Philippines comprise a young nation. In a society that lacks role models, the youth lost hope and sense of direction as manifested by suicide, corruption, violence, manipulation, substance abuse and other impurities rooted in our culture.

We affirm the belief that the youth have a special role to play in nation building. We believed that the children and youth are our future. Without good role models and a sense of meaning, the children and the youth are wasted in their young.