Pussycat's Odyssey

Touch a blogger: Tie a yellow ribbon for Cory Aquino!

2009-08-03T19:08:00.007+08:00

Thank you Tita Cory for the lasting legacy you have bequeathed to the Filipino nation which we shall always treasure: Democracy.

Words are not enough to express our gratitude for all the sacrifices you have made for the nation. You are indeed God's gift to the Filipino people.

During one of the most difficult moments in our great nation's history, you showed us how to be courageous and face the dark forces of dictatorship. You have helped to restore freedom to our land and power to the people, and for this we shall be forever grateful

May you rest in peace and may our Almighty God be with you

always.

(Ribbon courtesy of Barrio Siete)

My Thoughts on the "Right of Reply" Bill

2009-03-10T12:52:00.004+08:00

here's the text of my post at attyatwork. com on the topic "Right of Reply" bill. The thread goes like this:

There are existing proposals in both chambers for a right of reply. In essence, the right of reply means that all persons who are accused directly or indirectly of committing or having committed or of intending to commit any crime or offense defined by law or are criticized by innuendo, suggestion or rumor for any lapse in behavior in public or private life shall have the right to reply to the charges published or printed in newspapers, magazines, newsletters or publications circulated commercially or for free, or to criticisms aired or broadcast over radio, television, websites, or through any electronic device.

The reply, which shall not be longer than the article/discussion replied to, shall be published in the same space free of charge. Penalties, including imprisonment, await violators.

Full text of both Senate Bill 2150 and House Bill 3306 is here.

So, any thoughts? Let’s discuss.

PussycatMar 5th, 2009 at 1:10 pm

no matter how i try to view it objectively, i can’t figure out how public policy can be best served by legislating a “right of reply” bill in the Congress. First of all the proposed legislation is curtailment of press freedom in disguise and has a “chilling effect” on the mass media. The point is we already have libel laws to protect those who are maligned or defamated through publicity, so why still require media at its own expense to provide an equal space for a reply, isn’t that asking too much? if the aggrieved party is a public figure then it’s tantamount to a double whammy because aside from the media being taxpayers paying taxes to the government, another burden would be added, that is, a complimentary space for a reply, for whatever its worth, courtesy of media. The resulting effect of this anomaly is that media would now disengage from its traditional role of being a watchdog particularly of public officials in order to avoid incurring concomitant costs should the aggrieved party decide to exercise this right. The bottom line is we have now a media afraid to speak its mind on critical issues and wrongdoings of public officials will go unreported. Sounds really scary, isn’t it? My conclusion is: a free press with its occasional aberrations is better than a muzzled press.

Sec. Dureza's Abominable Prayer

2008-11-26T12:29:00.007+08:00

I wasn't able to watch the actual video footage on TV but i was able to watch the video in Youtube.

My gosh!!! Pati ba naman ang Diyos eh isinasali pa nila sa kanila'ng makasariling interes? That prayer of Press Secretary Dureza (I wouldn't call him by his first name "Jesus" because he has already brought dishonor to that holy name of our Lord) was really abominable and outrageous. At any rate, I do believe that such prayer was inefficacious, and God would certainly not listen to that prayer, but what we gather from such utterances (slip of the tongue) coming from Sec. Dureza only confirms our suspicions on intentions of the present dispensation to hold on to power beyond 2010. It's now our turn to gather ourselves in prayer and ask Divine Providence for a miracle, that is, for an act of contrition from our present leaders to acknowledge their excesses in power and the humility to yield to the dictates of the Constitution. That at a definite point in time, they must relinquish power and not to desperately hold on to it, after all, this is the essence of a republican government. For the meantime, I pray that our well-meaning Senators and Congressmen and all sectors of society join hands together in forming a formidable front to oppose these devious initiatives in the House of Representatives to convene itself into a constituent assembly, on the pretext of amending the economic provisions of the Constitution . I am hopeful that the people's voice will prevail in the end. It is very clear that majority (about 64%) of Filipinos oppose charter change (at least, during this administration) according to the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS).

One of the best photos i've seen this year

2008-11-05T12:58:00.004+08:00

I can't believe this!!! Thank God he kept his word that he would endorse the impeachment complaint of his son and namesake, Joey de Venecia. This is a photo of the former House Speaker Jose De Venecia signing the impeachment complaint against President GMA at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles. Finally... he has mustered the courage to take a stand against his former benefactor and put the people's interest over and above the dirty patronage politics. To former House Speaker De Venecia, I personally salute you turning your back away from the road to perdition and deciding instead to walk the paths of righteousness. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer).

2008 Bar Exams

2008-09-28T12:43:00.005+08:00

examination Sundays were relatively quiet (read: orderly) than the previous years. But i really do miss the revelry, confetti, the bands, ati-atihan and the like. it's really sad that they decided to make things this way. Here are a few photos which i have taken through my cellphone, which nonetheless captures the excitement and tension felt by the examinees (like myself just exactly a year ago!) :-)

Newspaper headlines drive me crazy

2008-06-02T12:11:00.005+08:00

screaming headlines!

In Abu Dhabi

2008-05-21T09:22:00.006+08:00

i'm back.... :-)

First Day as a New Lawyer

2008-05-06T08:38:00.003+08:00

This is my first day as a new lawyer. I signed the Roll yesterday. what's in for me?

56,029th Lawyer of the Republic

2008-05-05T09:27:00.008+08:00

I'm scheduled to go to the Supreme Court at 4:30 PM today to sign the Roll of

Attorneys. I'll keep you posted of the latest developments. see you all! :-)

Today, I Take My Oath...

2008-04-29T19:00:00.012+08:00

LAWYER'S OATH

I, Joselito D. Fernandez of Pasay City, do solemnly swear that I will maintain allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines; I will support its Constitution and obey the laws as well as the legal orders of the duly constituted authorities therein; I will do no falsehood, nor consent to its commission; I will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit nor give aid nor consent to the same; I will delay no man for money or malice, and will conduct myself as a lawyer according to the best of my knowledge and discretion with all good fidelity as well to the courts as to my clients; and I impose upon myself this voluntary obligation without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.
SO HELP ME GOD.

Bar Review 101 for Bar Hopefuls (as if naman authority ako on the subject, hehehe....)

2008-04-27T14:34:00.003+08:00

transcript of my post at www.attyatwork.com. this was my (unsolicited) advice to chay (a forum member) and this applies as well to the other barristers who are taking the 2008 Bar. read on...

@ chay

thanx for the kind words. it would be a big honor for me if ever my own humble Bar exam experience could also serve as a practical advice to law students like you and to barristers like ***asterisk***.

right now, no definite plans yet for me after taking my oath. my immediate plan after taking my oath is to show up at the Supreme Court during the signing of the Attorney’s Roll on the date specified, hehe…. after all, that is the final act required before one becomes a full-fledged member of the Philippine Bar. but seriously, i’ll just maintain the status quo at the moment and walk the path wherever God leads me. I’m a CPA by profession and i already told myself that i’ll stay at my present job as an accountant for a makati-based firm until i can figure out for myself where i could be of better use to society.

and since you also asked the forum members for advice regarding juggling time between working and studying, allow me to share my 2-cents worth of advice since i was also a working student myself while in law school.

first, maximize your time. if you’re in an 8 am to 5 pm job. better wake up early to study, use office lunch breaks to study, and stay still midnight to study (but don’t forget to rest also)

second, let go of unnecessary distractions like gimiks with barkadas and other distractions. they’ll eat up precious time which otherwise could have been devoted to reading piles of assigned case readings in law school. i tell you, you’ll have all the time in the world for gimiks after the Bar exams.

third, study smart not hard. know what law materials to study and how to conduct your study more effectively. touch base with law school classmates and if possible find a classmate who is as passionate as you are in studying the law. they make good company.

lastly, pray, pray, pray. don’t forget to ask Divine Providence for strength and wisdom. even if you’re still a sophomore, ask God to help you make it sa Bar exams.

good luck to your studies. God bless you always….

Trying to get the feeling again.....

2008-04-25T13:01:00.003+08:00

transcript of my post at www.attyatwork.com. the question posted by a member of the forum was ano ba yun'g feeling ng nakapasa sa Bar? read on.....

hi there! just one word to describe yung feeling na pumasa sa Bar exam: “Heaven”

i also slept before the day of the exams, but it was already in the wee hours of morning of the exam day (2nd, 3rd & 4th Sunday of September). during the 4th Sunday of the Bar exams, i had very little sleep ‘coz i felt i had very meager arsenal in my hands for the Legal Ethics exam in the afternoon. but i don’t really recommend staying awake and trying to study very late the night prior to the day of the exams ‘coz very little is absorbed by the brain, if at all. serious studying must be done during one’s study in law school and not during the review, much more on the day before the exams. in my case, i hardly remembered what i studied the night before the exams. Bar examinees must already be resting by then. it was really an exercise in futility on my part, even though i’ve heard that advice a hundred times before. the only redeeming value is that i still managed to pass the Bar despite that. Thanks God.

my unsolicited advice to you: just follow your dream, and don’t let negative experiences in law school affect you. i also flunked my labor standards subject way back in law school, but i never allowed it to bother me at all. as they say, normal lang daw yun’g me bagsak sa law school, pag wala ka’ng bagsak, di ka daw normal, hehehe….

and one more thing, study smartly. i say “smartly” ‘coz there’s no point in studying hard till you drop, if you don’t have a definite study plan. i mean you should have an organized plan on what and how to study, yun’g hindi bara-bara lang. think of studying in law school as if it were a military training ground in preparation you for one of your life’s greatest battle: THE BAR.

to end, i wish you all the best and don’t forget to pray for guidance from the Divine Providence who guides the destinies of men and nations and also the final arbiter of our all our plans and ambitions. to God be the Glory!!!

Godspeed!

Looking Back....

2008-03-31T13:11:00.004+08:00

a transcript of my post at www.attyatwork.com

it’s great to be back at this forum. the last time i posted a comment here was in the wee hours of the morning of saturday (the day of release) when i said that i can’t sleep ‘coz i was so excited for the afternoon release of the Bar results. but i managed to get some sleep though and woke up around 7 a.m. and proceeded to Quiapo church to hear mass and get some spiritual recharging and after that headed to SC around 11 a.m. it was really a hot afternoon but we endured the heat of the sun, which was nothing compared to the nervousness and tension that examinees like me most probably experienced. t’was almost 4 p.m. in the afternoon when the SC opened the doors of the main hall for viewing of the results via the LCD projectors. the main hall was so crowded so i contented myself to check in the bulletin board outside where the names were also posted to check if my name is among those listed. and miracle of miracles !!! yes, i made it guys and the rest is history.

this is really a big, big blessing from God. i never seriously expected to pass except through God’s divine intervention. i know i did my best during the exam but of course there’s always the feeling of inadequacy. it’s really comforting to know that there is an unseen hand working in the sidelines carving our destinies. as i’ve said previously in this forum, it is the Divine Providence who is the final arbiter of all our plans and ambitions.

thank you atty. fred for hosting this forum which has been our favorite internet hang-out for the past few weeks to check out the latest rumors and release date. perhaps i can consider the days prior to the release as one of my life’s most stressful moments but definitely, it was worth the wait. kudos to all the 2007 bar passers. and i also pray for those who did not make it, that they may be able to accept their fate in all humility and not to lose hope ‘coz everything in this world happens for a purpose and there is a season for everything under the sun according to the Bible. may they always find the strength in the risen Christ who has conquered everything that we may also find the strength to face life’s adversities. your site’s tagline “The Almighty has a plan for all of us and I agree that the All Seeing Eye does not play dice with our destinies. Indeed, even pain has a purpose.” - Chief Justice Reynato Puno is indeed so true and i really subscribe to it.

God bless you atty. fred for being a true student of the law and may He bless all the barristers as we journey in the long and arduous path towards becoming His priests in the temple of justice.

Moment of Truth

2008-03-29T19:00:00.013+08:00

ano ba naman ito??? di ako dalawin ng antok, its almost 2:30 a.m. but i can’t help but feel excited on today’s announcement of the Bar exam results. parang ayaw ko na nga matulog.
pero eto nga, matutulog na rin ‘coz punta pa ako sa SC mamaya to face my destiny. don’t forget to say your prayers not just for yourselves but for all the barristers. truly, “this is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice.”
God bless us all….

One More Agonizing Day.....

2008-03-28T14:30:00.004+08:00

i couldn’t care less if tomorrow or kahit next week pa ang results ng Bar exam for as long as they increase the rumored low passing percentage of 13% to a socially acceptable level. Question: which would you rather have, the results released today with 13% passing rate or some other future time with a 20% passing rate? i know my answer…. that 7% difference translates to about 400+ examineees. as the wise folks would always say “patience is a virtue” and “all things come to those who patiently wait.”

to all of us Bar hopefuls, good luck and may we find the light at the end of the tunnel and may Almighty God give us the strength and courage that we need in our journey towards becoming worthy members of the august legal profession.

God bless us all.

Good luck to my fellow reviewees

2008-03-25T12:53:00.006+08:00

transcript of a blog i wrote in www.attyatwork.com:

Hi to all! Good luck to all my fellow 2007 Bar examinees.

Amid all the positive and negative rumors circulating, let’s not forget that there is a Divine Providence out there who guides the destinies of men and nations. He is the final arbiter of all our plans and ambitions. Let’s leave all our worries and fears to Him, after all, He alone knows what is best for His children. Let’s begin counting our blessings.

I don’t think if I could still add anything more to all the good wishes and the inspirational words that were written and said in this weblog.

With just a few more days before the “moment of truth” arrives, let us earnestly ask the Divine Providence to give us the strength, the courage and the humility to accept His divine will for us, whatever it may bring forth. Very soon, our anticipation will be over and all things shall surely come to pass.

God bless us all.

2008-02-24T17:41:00.000+08:00

This is my first time to do a weblog. Watch out for my future posts.