2009 Updates on PAX Activities by: Atty. Pais Ricky Ribo

1) On April 25 and 26, 2009 PAX had its first Convention at the Chirst the King Seminary, E. Rodiguez Avenue , Quezon City .

The General Assembly, through the different groups, came up with the following Vision Statements, to wit:

Grp 1 Brotherhood of men, rooted in Christ, serving life towards a just, humane and dignified society.

Grp 2 PAX: Strategic and critical partner in the Philippine renewal process.

Grp 3 An organization of exseminarians mutually helping each other, economically and spiritually while being conscious and attendant to its social responsibility.

Grp 4 PAX is a strong cohesive and action oriented brotherhood of former seminarians sharing common faith & values and living as agents of moral transformation.

Grp 5 A potent vehicle of transformation towards a just humane and dignified society. PAX changing people, changing society, changing a nation.

Grp 6 An active partner in the socio-apostolic aspect of nation building. PAX tibi.

After some deliberations, the body approved the following Vision Statement:

Rooted in Christ, PAX envisions to be an influential and effective force for the renewal of the family, the community & the nation, the earth and the Church towards the attainment of justice, peace & integrity of creation

For lack material time, the body agreed on the following Mission Statement (subject to further refinement), to wit:

PAX is committed to the Philippine renewal process through its national and global network and capacities in a strategic and critical partnering with all the other stakeholders.

2) On July 12, 2009 PAX launched a nationwide signature campaign for a people’s initiative to increase the penalty of vote-buying to reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment) to deter vote buying activities and to instill awareness of the importance of a free, clean and honest elections.

3) Interested members of PAX aligned with KILOS NA!, a movement for good governance and ethical leadership which supports Gov. Among Ed Panlilio.

4) On August 7, 2009 PAX filed its Articles and By-laws for registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a non-stock non profit organization with the following Board of Trustees

Atty. Tyrone R. Cimafranca

President, XVD Alumni Association

Mr. Landrito M. Diokno

Vice-president, St. Augustine Seminary Alumni Association ( Mindoro )

Mr. Allan P. Credo

President, MCHS- KABALENZ Inc, (Pangasinan)

Mr. Richard Burgos

Head, Former Seminarians of the Order of

Augustinian Recollects (FORSOAR)

Mr. Edwin Solano

President, CEAFI-CICM

Mr. Godofredo Seneris III

Nat’l President, Alumni of Salesian Houses

Mr. Romeo B. Almonte

Secretary General, OLAS Alumni Association

(Franciscans)

Mr. Derek C. Madrunio

Representative, Former seminarians of the Order of St. Benedict

and of Alagad ni Maria

Mr. Marlon Exmundo

Former Chapter President and National Auditor

St. Pius X Seminary Alumni Association

Mr. Noel Bacoto

Secretary General, Ut Unum Simus Inc.

( Northern Mindanao )

Mr. Jose D. Tidon

Convenor, Bicol Alliance of Xseminarians

Representative, Former seminarians of UST Central Seminary

Atty. Edilburgo Silva

Coordinator, Community of Former Seminarians

Cebu

Mr. Osmund Orlanes

Representative, Blanos of Samar

Mr. Michael Eugenio Plana

President, SFDPI

(Former seminarians of the Order of Preachers)

Atty. Ricardo M. Ribo

Past President, Palo Leyte Alumni of the Seminary Foundation

We limited our Board to 15 members in order to expedite the registration of the Articles of Incorporation. We will be filing an amendment to the Articles of Incorporation to increase the number of Board Members to include other officers and representatives of other seminary alumni associations. At present, PAX is composed of Forty (40) seminary alumni associations.

5) Our Malunggay Project is presently undergoing some changes in the processing stage as a result of the laboratory analysis of our malunggay powder. Meanwhile, Mr. Plana has offered to PAX the use of his processing plant located at Bulacan.

Pax member and former Secretary of Health Aberin has also offered to help PAX on its technical and marketing side. Bishop Teodoro Bacani likewise offered his 10-hectare land in Bataan as our production site.

If you have available idle agricultural lands, kindly contact our Malunggay Project Chairman, Sam Yap (xvd) 09175050503 or call PAX Office at (02) 3924184 or text 09193274512 (ricky).

6) We are appealing to the general membership and the seminary alumni associations to contribute their time, money or effort to the advocacies of PAX. Monetary Contributions may be deposited to Philippine Alliance of Xseminarians Inc., BDO Savings Account No. 1570280116. Please inform us of your deposits for proper accounting.

PAX office is located at Rm. 204 Reza Building, 1318 Quezon Avenue , Quezon City (Beside Maalikaya)

“Ut unum simus!”

Among Ed's by: Pais Nathan Almiendo

The way I understand our political landscape is through its history, rich and shallow, exemplary and ugly.

The entry into political arena of a catholic priest come 2010 presidential election makes even more our political exercise to be exciting. The recent award to fused Smartmatic and TIM as system provider for an automated election looks brighter to our sublime right of suffrage. At least, for this election, politicians will still grope in the dark to manipulate those machines unlike the antiquated system where most of them got doctoral degrees in Election Manipulation. Shun your ears to those making noises that there will be no election. They are a breed of political carcass that stinks. They fear for their eventual fall. Like butterfly, they are ephemeral. In a year or so, their names will be blown by the east wind.

Among Ed’s intention to vie for the highest office gains a cold reception. Malacañang even considered the priest from Pampanga ‘a dreamer.’ In the church where he had served for 29 years, he receives the bitter pill from some members of the hierarchy. Although suspended, Gov. Ed, is still a priest. That indelible mark imposed on him 29 years ago remains in him. Tu es sacerdos in aeternum as ascribed to Melchizedek of old.

Of the questions for his intent, some quarters pose these presumptions: 1). that by throwing his hat to the presidency, he is diluting the immense efficacy of the church’s sacrament especially that of the sacrament of penance, for how can he hear confession from his civil and political constituents? 2) that he will become the symbol of division within and among the presbyterium.

Shortly, the first question is premature and it remains to be seen until Among Ed is given again his faculties or celebret to hear confession. If the faithful still flock to him for the sacrament, it is not diluted. And we have to admit, priests of shadowy character are still flocked by the faithful for this purpose. The reason could be that Among Ed’s church has faithful fully educated on sacraments or worst they don’t know the escapades of their priests. Second, the history of his church is rich on account of division. The Church first council, the council of Jerusalem , was beset by division, between Jews and Gentiles, between circumcised and those not. Eastern and Western Church finally separated in 1054. That is why we have now the Eastern Orthodox and Latin Rite. Lest we forget, the protestant’s rise in the Middle Ages sowed division. Internally, the inquisition, the crusades caused divisions. And the founder of Among Ed’s church, through the Holy Spirit guiding it, allowed these to happen…

The way I understand Among Ed’s thought for the presidency is through the history of the church where he serves. In this church, he was formed, gained education, served it the best way a zealous priest could do. For more than 2000 years of its existence from the Pentecost in that Upper Room, the Catholic Church stands as it is today, millions and millions of members. Even in its exegetical presentation of creation, the ruah, the breath, the spirit hovers over the creation and changed it.

Change is inevitable as calling is dynamic. The fisherman Simon Peter became the first bishop of Rome and established the community in the year 42/43 AD. Persecution ensued. During the reign of Emperor Constantine, the church was favored. Around 320 he founded the Church of St. Peter over the tomb of Peter on the Vatican Hill. Despite being a secular emperor, Constantine wielded religious-political power and summoned the council of Nicaea and handed to the Catholic Church the Nicene Creed. Politically, the church became powerful but with it the rise of monasticism which criticized the church’s secular-political garb. St. Anthony (not of Padua ) and St. Pachomius, two founders of Monasticism harmonized the ascetic life with the life of the early church.

The great schism of 1054 precipitated from Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople ’s prevention of Pope Leo IX extension of the latter’s political power into southern Italy . Martin Luther, Calvin and scores of reformers rocked the church. The renaissance period characterized by philosophic- theological advancement is tainted by inquisition, persecution of heretics, and witchcraft. Its founder allowed these to happen…

For 488 years ago, Catholicism found its place in this mystique archipelago. Resistance from siga Lapu-Lapu ensued. To date, so much of dissention rocked this side of the boat of Peter the fisherman. Fr. Gregorio Aglipay, wanting the Filipino secularization of all parishes, established his own church, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. With it the introduction of protestant thinking into Filipino religious life brought by the influx of foreigners either serving as teachers such as the Thomasites, or those serving in the armies with protestant orientation, or those plain missionaries sent by the Protestant America. Some Filipinos themselves established their own churches.

This is a tidbit of the history of Among Ed’s church. From being the bearer of the personified savior directly touched by the historical Christ it traversed into taking of political power. In between are a dualistic assumption of its mission, church and state. One may never wonder why Rome is an independent state of Italy , a city within a city, an empire within an empire so to speak. In this line the church becomes the church of the saints and the profane, totally different from the idea of the katharoi (the pure ones) of old. The savior himself declared that he did not come for those healthy but for those who are afflicted.

Locally, the same is not observed at least in its modest form. Yet scores of bishops are branded politicking without stripping off their garb. Double standard is aptly applied to those hitting two birds with one stone. And Canon Law provision itself bars its priests from this practice. The Constitution explicitly provides separation between Church and State while upholding the sanctity of civil and political right, and that is to include of running for public office in the case of Among Ed. In fine, by running for the presidency, Among Ed does not violate the fundamental law of the land yet he runs in opposition to the Code of Canon Law. Shelving his cassock may give him a fine answer to his dilemma. And that is what he intends to do as the hierarchy pressures him to forget his plans and return to the ministry.

To run or not to run. If Among Ed will not throw his hat and take his chance, I would probably choose one among the lesser evil. The candidates we have now have their personal stakes over probable winning, cunningly infusing their personal agenda yet transforming them into legitimate political issues with the objective of swaying in most ways the ordinary and non-questioning voter. As to Among Ed’s bid, he is no lesser evil. He is a good political choice. I do not see Among Ed standing on the same mountain Jesus once stood to be tempted by the devil with power, wealth, and sheer need for sustenance. But if I ever see him there, he carries with him the 29 years of fidelity as a priest and his untainted 2 years in service as a public servant. The noise surrounding his government is akin to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem where soon he would be crucified. The same people will cast a slur on him.

The Philippine political landscape is distinctly defined by prestige, power, wealth, and worldly trappings. It is ruled by oligarchs and dynasties that have long plundered people’s strength and will unto their remaining end. Cory’s constitution which provides for an anti-dynasty provision has long been waiting for an enabling law from an unwilling congress, a bitter pill for it to swallow. Not in their term will this anti-dynasty bill come. Yet I do not underestimate Filipinos’ sensible choice. The people of Isabela elevated the paralytic Gov. Grace Padaca to topple down Dy’s regime of repression and fear. The EDSA I is known to all. The late president Aquino had shown to the world the gift of freedom truly laden in powerlessness but in the end known by its name, ‘the people power.’ St. Paul himself exhorted: “It is in being powerless that I am strong.” Gov. Ed became governor of Pampanga without the worldly-defined power. He assumed the governorship with his Toyota Revo and motor bike purchased while he was still active as a priest and will come out with the same assets. His victory is very much inspiring. Filipinos share a common experience with the downtrodden, with those who have less but nevertheless come out jubilantly victorious. I share the same. But more than that, I wish to continue to rally the goodness of the Filipinos in their search for an edifying leader. In Among Ed’s church, the Holy Spirit continues to play a key role in its upstream and downstream and tapped insignificant personalities to rule a nation. Without waiting for an answer and just as others have witnessed the life of this simple priest from Pampanga, I will support him in his bid to be my president. I will claim to myself Philippine’s nationhood if only to deservedly give it a worthy leader. I know he has no machinery, he has no money, his two years in office as governor will likely pull him down being neophyte for a higher office. But I will not falter. Even with all these his purity of heart to serve will transcend. If Paraguay can have Fr. Fernando Lugo, SVD as president, the Philippines which is more discerning and culturally parochial should consider Among Ed as the next president. Among Ed has no business interest to protect. He has no overly demanding family to maintain. He has nothing to gain but so much to lose, and that includes his beloved priesthood he kept faithfully for 29 years.

I continue to discern that this maybe a stirring and echo of Among Ed’s god working in the history of his church and his nation and in himself as a servant, not necessarily as a priest…

May the God of our ancestors bless his intention.