Spirit Possession: Do Demons Exist?

 Strange incidents happened in some parts of the Philippines with teenage girls reportedly being possessed by  malevolent spirits. The phenomenon is difficult to understand considering that it happened in several places that are far apart and at different times with the victims displaying similar symptoms.

Sometime on the third week of August 2011, thirty-three students of Compostela National High School in Davao del Norte were reportedly possessed by evil spirits after they had played “Spirit of the Glass”. The students displayed unusual behavior such as speaking strange language in class, fainting, screaming and even hurting themselves. School authorities then provided religious and medical services to the victims and suspended classes.

“Spirit of the Glass” is a sort of dabbling with the occult where children innocently played it out of curiosity or fun. In the game, the light is turned off and a candle is lit on top of a glass that is turned upside down. The children then call the spirit of a departed one to get a clue or an answer to some questions.

On September 10, 2012, female students of Crossing Bayabas National High School in Davao City were reported to be possessed by demon spirits. The victims were said to be displaying odd actions such as writhing, screaming, swearing at classmates and fainting. They also displayed unusual strength when held or restrained by other people. The possession of the students happened after a Talisay tree was cut down to pave the way for the construction of a new building.

On October 7, 2012, seventeen female students of Jaclupan National High School in the hinterlands of Talisay, Cebu were reportedly possessed by evil spirits a day after an all night seminar over the weekend and after three Bagalnga trees were cut down to make way for the construction of new building. One of the victims was said to have seen a dark being that was glaring at her. The victims showed similar symptoms with those of the students of Davao City. The victims were brought to a chaplaincy which was located across the school, but the priest could not help with the situation so that they were brought to Mary’s Little Children Community to ask the assistance of Msgr. Frederick Kriekenbeck. One of the victims was said to levitate as the priest performed the exorcism rite for them.

The exorcism of the victims did not end the ordeal as their possession by the spirits continued the next day. On the morning of October 8, 2012, after the class prayed the rosary fourteen students were possessed. Msgr. Kriekenbeck went to the school to exorcise the victims and performed the rite of deliverance to rid the students and the school area of demon spirits. School authorities asked the assistance of government agencies such as the Department of Education and brought in medical personnel and psychologist to check the physical and psychological conditions of the victims.

Superstitious people said that the phenomenon was caused by nature spirits. The cutting down of trees in the school campus of Talisay, Cebu which were believed to be the abode of the malevolent spirits angered them. They got back at humans by possessing their bodies. Msgr. Kriekenbeck urged the people of the community especially the students to be more active in professing their faith to keep them from becoming easy prey of demon spirits.

If Christians and other religious groups are to be believed, the spirits that possessed people are those of demons. Demons are said to be once upon a time angels who were cast by God into earth for rebelling against Him. On earth, they try to tempt and mislead humans to keep them away from God. At times, demons cause harm to humans such as making them become sick or possessing their bodies. Humans who are mortal and physical being cannot fathom the nature of spirit because they are invisible and in other realm.

People have heard of stories through the ages of humans being possessed by demon spirits. Even the Bible contains many verses on Jesus casting away evil spirits from humans. An example of those verses is Mark 1:34: “And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.” 

Related posts:

The Unholy Number 13 https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-unlucky-number-13.html

Tambaloslos http://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2025/09/tambaloslos.html

 A Tale of Sigbin and Tambaloslos  https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-tale-of-sigbin-and-tambaloslos.html

Shopping Online at eBay

The internet has made it possible for people to do lot of things even in the comfort of their own home. One of them is online shopping. eBay is the world’s biggest internet site where people the world over can either buy or sell goods online. A person can shop for almost anything on eBay. Goods that can be purchased include vehicles, antiques, collectibles, clothing, watches, jewelries, electrical appliances among others.

Global merchants can have their goods listed on eBay which will be offered in auction or in “buy it now” category.  Online shoppers have to win the bidding first in an auction in order for him to buy the listed goods. The “buy it now” goods can be bought by a shopper without having to go through the bidding process.

Generally, it is more feasible to shop physically if the goods are available in the local malls or retail stores. Offline purchases are cheaper and faster and the buyer actually sees the goods before paying for them and bringing them home. But not all the goods one wants to buy are available locally, and more so if the items are rare, collectibles or whose production is already discontinued. A person may want to have again or replace those cherished things that are broken or long gone because he is ever delighted in using them or that they have sentimental value on him. A hobbyist or professional in many fields of endeavor such as sports, photography among others can spice up his activities by shopping online. At eBay he can select cheap, expensive, brand new, used, common and hard to find items that he wants to buy. He can even purchase replacement parts of his equipment or gears. “When it is in your mind, it is on eBay”, “whatever it is, you get it on eBay” are two of some of the slogans that aptly describe online shopping at eBay. However, goods whose uses are considered illegal or immoral are prohibited to be listed and sold at eBay. Pornographic materials, guns, drugs, drug paraphernalia among others are some of the prohibited items at eBay.

The operations of eBay are localized in thirty countries. One who wishes to do transaction at eBay should first register in its site and at PayPal. Payments on purchases are made via PayPal. Customers can pay through their credit or debit card. If a customer is a debit card holder he must see to it that his bank account balance is sufficient to cover the cost of his purchases. PayPal will automatically convert one currency into another in a situation where a customer from an eBay host country buys goods from another eBay host country. My favorite site is the US eBay because it offers wider selection of goods that are listed for outright sale or auction.

Just like physical shopping one must first check the goods he is to buy online before placing his purchase. The item should be without defect if it is brand new, or that it should meet his standard if it is used. Goods listed at eBay have pictures that can be enlarged for inspection by the buyer. In addition the seller has to describe his items and state its condition to include defects if there are any. A buyer too can communicate with the seller regarding the item/s he wants to buy. A buyer should also look at the rating of the seller and the comments made by those who have purchased his goods. A higher rating and favorable comments suggest that the seller is trustworthy and that the buyer can exactly get what he expects from the money he spends on his purchase.

Goods bought on eBay are sent through regular mail, express mail or courier service.  Arrival time of goods depends on the buyer’s and the seller’s countries of origin and the type of delivery services the former selects for the transport of his goods. Regular mail is the slowest and courier service is the fastest. Some sellers offer free shipping on their goods while others require the buyer to pay additional cost on shipping. Goods sent through the mail are picked up at the post office while courier service companies make door delivery. In some cases, items that are categorized as luxurious and bought outside of one’s country are assessed at customs bureau especially if it is sent through a courier service company. A buyer then has to pay more for the goods in terms of custom duties.

A Decisive Victory of Government Forces over Misuari's MNLF in the Siege of Zamboanga City

Pres. Aquino

After Nur Misuari’s declaration of independence of the Bangsa Moro Republik in Talipao, Sulu on August 12, 2013, his more than 200 armed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) followers led by Ustadz Habier Malik sneaked into the coastal villages of Zamboanga city on September 9, 2013, to hoist the Bangsa Moro Republik flag at the front of the city hall.

Maria Isabelle Climaco- Salazar, the mayor of the City, refused to give in to the demand of the armed groups, and this led to firefights between the combined city police and the military personnel that were assigned in the area against the intruding militants. The fighting forced civilians to leave their homes and to evacuate in safer places at the heart of the city. As the fighting continued more people left their homes to seek refuge in evacuation centers. In addition, the conflict forced business, schools, airports and other establishments to shut down. Mayor Climaco sought the assistance of the national leadership to help her deal with the crisis.

President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered Manuel Roxas III, his DILG Secretary, to go to Zamboanga to oversee the police operation against the militants. As the battle raged on and the number of evacuees increased, the president also ordered Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff Gen Emmanuel Bautista to go to Zamboanga to further strengthen police and military actions there. Later, the president who is also the commander in chief of the police and the armed forces joined his troops in Zamboanga.

Having previously warned Misuari’s group that the government would not hesitate to use its power and its resources against those who would break the law, the president made good his words. Aside from the troops that were already on the ground, he called in the most elite fighting units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines such as the Scout Rangers and the Special Forces to further strengthen his forces. In addition air assets and naval ships were also directed to bear down on the militants.

The forces of Misuari led by Ustadz Habier Malik however were unyielding. Since they could not engage the government forces head on, they took some civilians as hostages to shield themselves  from government forces’ fires. The militants were even accused of deliberately burning houses to conceal themselves and slow down the advance of government forces.

Eventually, the MNLF forces were pushed and constricted into the coastal villages but were still holding some hostages and exchanging fires. Despite their difficulties, the militant refused to capitulate and gave the government forces as good as what they got. They might have think that by prolonging the battle as long as it take would exacerbate the crisis and bring it to the attention of international media, the intervention of the United Nations or the Organization of Islamic Conference. Moreover, the destruction of homes and properties, the paralysis of businesses and the increasing number of evacuees were about to create a humanitarian crisis in the city. These situations might prompt the government to initiate a ceasefire, a development that would be favorable to the militants.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay had a communication with Nur Misuari on a ceasefire between the government forces and the latter’s armed group. The Vice President then reported to the president in Zamboanga to present his proposal to him. However, the president turned down the idea.               

Apparently the president made the right move in rejecting a ceasefire because it would enable Misuari’s troops who participated in the siege to get away with their deeds. A ceasefire could also be misinterpreted that it was the militants who had the control of the situation, and Misuari might later exploit it to his advantage. A ceasefire would also have given a morale boost to the remaining MNLF fighters and restore the sagging image of Misuari as a leader of the Moros. On the other hand, a ceasefire declared by the commander-in-chief when his troops had already taken a number of casualties, and when they were in the upper hand in the battle would have demoralized them.The surrender of the militants to end the fighting would have been more acceptable to them.

With no ceasefire effect, the remaining militants took a beating from the government forces. As the fighting continued, they ran low on ammunition, and they starved because their supporters could not penetrate food supplies past the cordon of troops. Slowly but surely, the remaining militants surrendered or were killed. It was a surrender or die situation for them. On September 28, 2013, the government declared an end of military operations when all of the remaining hostages were rescued by the soldiers. However, the fate of Habier Malik, the leader of the militants in the siege of the city is still unknown. He was not among those who were captured or had surrendered, and the troops could not identify him among the dead militants either.

The government declared the end of the crisis on September 28, 2013. But losses in terms of lives and cost of properties were enormous. The MNLF suffered 183 killed and 192 members captured. The government forces had 25 soldiers (two officers) killed and 184 wounded. On the civilian side there were 12 dead and 70 wounded. There were about 10,000 houses that were burned and more than one hundred thousand people were displaced. It is estimated that the government must have to spend billions of pesos to rehabilitate Zamboanga City and help its people that were affected by the armed conflict.

The government forces under the leadership of President Benigno Aquino III have decisively defeated the forces of Nur Misuari in the siege of Zamboanga. Many however are perturbed with the massive destruction suffered by the city as a result of the siege. But it is the responsibility of the president to impose his powers under the law to protect his people and assert state’s sovereignty even if the price of doing so is heavy.

14th Month Pay, Anyone?

Senator Vicente Sotto III, the Philippine senate minority floor leader, has proposed a bill that would grant rank-and-file employees from the government and public sectors a 14^th month pay.

Despite the supposed benefit to employees, most people give it a cold shoulder treatment with good reasons. The proposed bill came in the midst of the pork barrel scandal which exposed the extent of wide spread corruption committed by elected high government officials and some heads of the government agencies. Some people think that the proposed bill is intended to subtly deodorize the politicians allegedly involved in the scandal.

If the bill filed by Senator Soto becomes a law, the 14^th month pay will effectively increase the cost of labor in the manufacture of the company’s finished products. As a result, the price of goods and services will also increase because businessmen will pass the additional cost to the consumers. An additional pay to a salaried worker is always beneficial to him, but not so with other people who do not depend on it for their income. People such as the self employed, pensioners, and those who are paid on commission, boundary and task basis and most especially the underemployed will even have the purchasing power of their income diminish because of the increase of the price of goods and services that they will have to pay for. And this is not to mention the unemployed who have no income at all.

The proposed bill would probably discourage new investors, both local and foreign, to put up their business in the country.  If the Philippines would like to be competitive in attracting foreign investors, then it should offer better investment incentives than those of its neighboring countries such as China, Thailand, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia among others.  If the cost of doing business in the Philippines is too high because of high labor cost and taxes then the foreign investors will skip the Philippines as its destination in favor of countries that have friendlier atmosphere in doing their business.

Workers in the Philippines are protected by the government for their wages and benefits and employers are even obliged to give 13^th month pay to their rank-and-file employees. However, it is believed that some of them do not even pay the basic minimum wage to their employees as mandated by law. Some employees tolerate this practice thinking that being underpaid is much better than having no pay at all because of having no jobs. It would be more prudent for the government to see to it that employees are paid what is rightfully and legally due to them first before proposing new payment schemes that will not be followed by some employers.

I think that beyond the pays and benefit currently set by law, any extra pay to the employees should be determined by the economic factors prevailing at a certain time and the productivity of the employee. Although there are some companies that exploit their workers, there are others which are generous to workers in terms of giving benefits. Business entities fall in bad or good times. In good times they can pay bonus to their workers. But compelling them to pay their workers more when business situation is bad may cause them to go bankrupt.

Senator Vicente Sotto III, the proponent of the 14^th Month Pay Bill, should have to make further study of his bill because if it becomes a law it could have a far reaching implication of the country’s economy as well as the well being of the people. The advantages derived from it should outweigh its disadvantages.

The Benefits and the Privileges of Being a Senior Citizen in the Philippines

A person that is at least 60 years of age is called a “senior citizen” in the Philippines. When I reached that age on March 21 this year, it was, at first, hard for me to think that I would join the club of elderly people. Slowly but surely, however, I came to accept the reality of what I am- a new senior citizen. I have realized that the only thing that is permanent in this world is change. Time does not stand still, and I cannot turn back the clock so that I will not grow old. I am not as physically strong as I was before. My body built, physical appearance, color of hair among others things have changed not for the better with the passing of years. However, it’s a consolation that some good things also happen as I aged. With age comes increase in wisdom and the understanding and love of my fellowmen. I love the company of my family especially my four grand children who are now the apple of my eye. I am fortunate that I grow up and live in a society where young people are highly respectful of the elderly.

It is also nice for me to know that the government fulfills its obligation to its senior citizens through its social security programs. One of them is embodied in Republic Act (RA) 9944 which is also known as “Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010”. In this article I will discuss some of the benefits and privileges of a senior citizen under the act.

Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption and 20% discount, if applicable, on the purchase of goods and services which are not limited to the following items:                                                                                                                                                                       

·         On professional fees of attending physicians  in private hospitals, consultation in outpatient clinics, services in home health care, and dental services including the price of prescribed medicines and essential medical supplies and accessories.

·         On fees of lodging, inns, hotels, restaurants and recreation centers such as theaters and carnivals.

·        On actual fares of public utility jeep (PUJ), public utility bus (PUB), Asian Utility vehicles (AUV), taxis, and on actual fares of airplanes and ships as well as fares of trains of railway companies owned and operated by the government. 

To emphasize how this privilege helps a senior citizen, let me assume that he buys goods covered under RA 9944 with a selling price that includes VAT.  For the sake of simplicity, let me also assume that the price of the goods is PHP 1,000. Since the VAT rate in the Philippines is 12%, I shall first determine the cost of the item before VAT. Dividing the price by 100% plus 12% (1,000/1.12) equals 892.86. Multiplying the quotient by 20% (892.86x.2) equals 178.57. Therefore, the senior citizen has to pay only P714.29 (892.86-178.57) out of the sales price of PHP 1,000. In this illustration, a senior citizen gets a whopping discount of PHP 285.71 or an effective discount rate of 28.57% from his purchase!

Other benefits which are not limited to the following:

·       A 5% discount on the payment of water and electric bills to public utility companies provided that the consumption is not more than 30 cubic meters for water and 100 kilowatt hours for electricity and that the meters that are used are registered in the name of a senior citizen in the consuming household.

·         A PHP 2,000 death benefit assistance to the heir of a senior citizen.

·        A PHP 500 monthly stipend for indigent senior citizens.

·         Free dental and medical services, diagnostic and laboratory test such as but not limited to x-rays, computerized tomography scans and blood test that are conducted in government facilities subject to the guidelines to be issued by the Department of Health in coordination with the PhilHealth.

·         Educational assistance for senior citizen who wishes to pursue high school, college, and vocational or technical education.

·         Mandatory enrollment to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

·        An express lane in private and commercial establishment for customers who are senior citizens. In the absence thereof priority shall be given to them.

·        Continuation of GSIS, SSS and Pag-ibig benefits.  

                                                                         

A senior citizen has to apply for an identification card (ID) at the Office for Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) in the city or municipality where he lives so that he can identify himself as such and avail of the benefits under RA 9944. The ID given by the OSCA is valid for use anywhere in the Philippines. Other government-issued IDs such as driver’s license, passport, PRC ID, voters ID on which the birth date is indicated will suffice to identify the holder thereof as a senior citizen.

The Prayer "Ave Maria" or "Hail Mary" in Song

The Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most revered religious figures of the Roman Catholics, she being the mother of Jesus Christ who, Christians believe, is the promised Messiah and the Son of God. The “Hail Mary” is a prayer dedicated to her. A song of the prayer with Latin wordings is one of the all-time favorite Christmas songs. Although the song is mostly heard during Christmas, it is also played in any other time of the year especially in September 8 which is celebrated by the Roman Catholics as the “Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.

“Ave Maria” was originally composed and written by Franz Schubert in 1825. The original German lyrics were based on a poem by Sir Walter Scott called “Lady of the Lake”. The revised and updated version of the song in Latin has lyrics that are taken from the Roman Catholic prayer “Hail Mary”.

Celine Dione, Beyonce Knowless, Mario Lanza, Pavarotti, Karen Carpenters are some of the many artists who covered the song. My favorite is Karen Carpenter’s version which is included in her and her brother Richard’s album entitled “Christmas Portrait” which was released in 1978.

Below is the video of the song “Ave Maria” with lyrics in Latin that is sung by Karen Carpenter. (Credit to Homero Souto who uploaded the video in You Tube)

Some Lawmakers Are Guiltier than Janet Lim- Napoles in the PDAF Scam

Janet Lim- Napoles

Hogging the headlines of Philippine dailies, radios, TVs and the social media is the PDAF scam to the tune of billions of pesos which is allegedly masterminded by businesswoman Janet Lim- Napoles, a wife of an ex-major of the Philippines marines. A Commission on Audit (COA) special report for 2007 to 2009 has it that about 10 billion pesos of the legislators’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) was channeled into Napoles’ bogus Non Government Organizations (NGOs).

Senators are each allocated 200 million pesos PDAF while each congressman has 70 million pesos. PDAF is allotted to a lawmaker so that he can help his constituents in his district of their needs such as public infrastructures, health and education among others without going to the office of the president to ask for money. It is the practice of the lawmakers to identify the projects and choose the NGOs that will implement them.

The reports of the PDAF scam came to the fore when Ben-Hur Luy, a former employee and cousin of Napoles who was allegedly kidnapped on her instruction divulged in public the magnitude of the raid of the public coffers perpetrated by his ex-boss. He claimed that the NGOs that she put up were illegitimate. Luy along with other whistle blowers who surfaced claimed that her bogus NGOs siphoned off PDAF money that ends up in the pocket of corrupt government officials and some private persons. Napoles and the involved politicians earned money in the scheme. It has also turned Napoles from a struggling business woman into a very rich and well connected person.

A contractor that implements a PDAF funded project claimed that it is the lawmakers who get the lion’s share of kickback that is as high as 40%. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) which releases the fund is allegedly given back 15% of the money by the project implementers. The government agency to which the fund is released gets 5%. The heads of Local Government Units (LGUs) where project is implemented have 20%. The actual projects or beneficiaries of the fund get only 5% out of the PDAF. What remains of the money after giving involved government agencies or officials their share goes to Napoles who takes responsibility of having the funds liquidated to comply with the requirements of COA. The loss of money in terms of commission given to government officials is the reason why infrastructure projects from the PDAF are inferior in quality, and funds for social services are inadequate. It is also for that reason why persons like Janet Lim-Napoles who deals with the PDAF of the legislators becomes filthy rich overtime.

The scandal surrounding the PDAF scam shows that corruption has permeated the Philippine society in a grand scale, and that high government officials are involved in it. Napoles is able to do her scheme because high government officials tolerate her. Or worse of it, they use her to earn huge kickbacks out of their PDAF. Senators involved such as Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Gregorio Honasan and other lawmakers claimed that their signatures were being forged and that they did not know how their fund was spent because it is the government agencies where the fund is channeled which should oversee the proper utilization of the money. However, failure to take care of huge amount of tax-payer’s money entrusted by the government to an official that resulted to its loss and waste is negligence in the highest order and is punishable by law. It would be naïve for the Filipinos to believe that Janet Lim- Napoles could pull a fast one on highly intelligent and astute politicians such as Enrile, Honasan and other law makers many of whom are high-caliber lawyers. On top of it, Janet Lim- Napoles is not a government official, the lawmakers are.

Corruption has destroyed the moral fabric of the Philippine bureaucracy so that some officials who are entrusted with the custody of government fund think that it is theirs to loot from. And the rich, the influential and the powerful can get around the rules to further their vested interests. The NGOs put up by Napoles are classic example of how an unscrupulous person can connect with high officials and gain financially with their help, connivance or indifference. Former Senator Edgardo Angara, even put up his own NGO with himself as an incorporator, stockholder and member. He even downloaded 14.4 million pesos of his PDAF to it. There are reports that there are at least 82 bogus NGOs which are conduit of the PDAF, and Napoles owns only about ten of them so there are probably more persons other than her who are involved in the plunder of the PDAF.

While the use of the PDAF portrays the corrupt ways of some high government officials, it also shows the good traits of other officials who are in the government. Although, probably, not all of the COA personnel are honest and some might have conspired with persons such as Napoles, others such as the COA commissioner Grace Pulido- Tan set an example of what a good public servant should be in the midst of the big scandal that is faced by the government.  She could have just opted to keep silent, maintain the status quo and earn big money by conspiring and cooperating with the wrong doers. But this brave lady has chosen to be on the right side. She makes reports on what things really are even to the extent of implicating powerful people in the government for corruption and of risking her own life.