#gangsters celebrate with a grand tweetup for #rhbill becoming #rhlaw – december 29, 2012

who are the #gangsters? as of now, we do not know yet for sure. we used to be the RH Bill champions on twitter. and since the rh bill  has been signed to the RH Law last december 21, 2012, we are yet to define ourselves in the coming weeks and months.

#gangsters is a nickname we like to call ourselves. we found each other on twitter, on the hash tag #rhbill, we did not know each other personally but read each other’s tweets on the rh bill and found out we were all on the same page on the controversial rh bill. we were not on the exact spot on the rh bill page as we promoted the rh bill and answered the anti rh bill twitter posts in very different ways depending on our individual backgrounds and knowledge. the variety and breath of backgrounds and knowledge were very wide, from  lawyers, media people, from marketing & advertising, doctors, nurses, sales, students, mothers and to many others but we are all tweeting for the same thing – for the rh bill to pass for women, for  pinoy families, for health and for the country. that served the #gangsters well as any tweet from the anti rhbill was adequately answered and rebuffed. aside from the technically superior answers each of us simply used sheer and naked logic and common sense in rebuff to anti rh bill tweets, two ingredients lacking in their tweets.

after hours posting on rh bill, #gangsters would talk about everyday non political things on twitter and that is where the other side of the #gangster personality comes alive. there are no words that are innocent or neutral, only words to be unmasked to its real meaning or turned naked and given new meaning, thus the #gangster alert on tweets was born.

this is a good definition:

in true form, the name #gangsters evolved also on a whim and very random. we thought the group needed a nickname. one that captures what the group does for the rh bill and what the group doers after hours.

we are a gang who reside on the rh bill hash tag and  turns into monsters after hours turning neutral words and ideas into a monsterific evolution, hence #gangsters, the short nickname of  “a gang of monsters”.  besides, the nickname has “angas” and that alone is reason enough why it is an appropriate name.

part of the #gangsters and rh champions who attended the RH Law celebration

from strangers the #gangsters decided to meet to put a face on the username and from the first tweetup the #gangsters on the average have been meeting once a month. nothing scheduled, just on whim, it just happens. the good thing about the tweetups is that as the regulars continued to attend, new people joined the #gangsters tweetups and the group grew in number, a great and welcome evolution.

representative edcel lagman, main sponsor of the RH Law at HOR

with the passage of the rh bill into rh law, it felt natural for the #gangsters to have another tweetup to celebrate. it was the christmas season and getting together was thought of to be impossible and unwise with work related and family get together scheduled. it was floated in twitter and before you knew it, many had confirmed they were available for a tweetup. the #gangsters invited everyone who were pro rhbill and last night around 50 to 60 pax attended. this was the largest the group has had as the group would just be 15 to 20 at a time in previous tweetups.

the #gangsters tweetup last night was not only special because of the number of people who came to celebrate with us, but several RH Champion celebrities came. we were awed that the following RH champions joined us – no less than representative edcel lagman, main proponent of the RH Bill at the HOR (house of representatives), representative and deputy speaker of the house erin tanada,    dr. esperanza cabral former secretary of the DSWD and DOH during the gloria macapagal arroyo administration, miss international beauty queen aurora pijuan and dr. raquel fortun, famed forensic pathologist and UP professor. the guest list was not at all short of being the A-list behind the rh bill passage into law.

rep lagman was THE rockstar of the night. everyone but everyone in the party wanted to have their picture taken with him. and that meant requests for pictures started the minute he sat on his chair at the dining table up to the door outside the restaurant as he left the restaurant. everyone kept saying – last na, last picture. rep lagman was very gracious and agreed with a smile for all the numerous picture requests.

there were so many requests for pictures with the RH rockstars that we had to ask them to transfer to another side of the table where they were seated, to against the wall to allow those with the camera more space to take a proper picture.

representative and deputy speaker of the house erin tanada

deputy speaker erin tanada talked about the difficult task of presiding over the voting on the rh bill. apparently it was a marathon 10 hour session that did not allow for breaks for food, drink or a bathroom break. but he said it was well worth it and he knew it was the right thing to do.

dr. raquel fortun disagreed with the deputy speaker. she said she did not think what was difficult was the no food, no bathroom break, it was the fact that he had to listen to the inane comments, moves and speeches of the anti rh bill during the sessions. and despite all that, the deputy speaker got the job done just the same.

dr. esperanza cabral former secretary of the DSWD and DOH during the gloria macapagal arroyo administration

dr. cabral is most admired by RH champions for her take no prisoner stand on family planning – the DOH distributed free condoms on valentine’s day during the gloira macapagal arroyo administration. arroyo was a staunch anti rh bill president. arroyo was successful in delaying even the discussion of the bill in congress. arroyo in fact stopped the free distribution of modern methods of contraception (condoms and pills) in government hospitals and clinics as early as when dr. dayrit was DOH chief.

for dr. cabral to get the DOH to distribute free condoms during the arroyo administration was unparalleled success and courage. dr. cabral said she was from the very beginning for modern methods of contraception but was never asked about it by anyone in the arroyo admin and media. she said she was in fact surprised when she was asked that question for the first time by media.

we asked her if ex president arroyo ever asked her to stop the free distribution of condoms or her stand on modern methods of contraception, she said arroyo  never did but secretary ermita did.

unlike the #gangsters, dr. cabral said she is not very active on social media but she said she was aware of the tweets as she read them. asked what she has been doing, she said she was at the senate during hearings on the rh bill as resource person and expert on RH.

miss international beauty queen aurora pijuan

aurora pijuan is unmatched beauty inside and out. she has been part of the #gangsters from the very beginning and attends the tweetups on a regular basis. aside from the very imposing beauty and presence that she has, she can by her self bring the house down with her wit, intelligence and humor. she enters the room and the whole room turns to her to admire her, when she opens her mouth to tell a story or make a comment, then the admiration goes up to the roof. with her wit and intelligence, you cannot be slow or dumb in her presence or else you miss half the fun of having her around.

dr. raquel fortun, famed forensic pathologist and UP professor

dr. fortun is the one woman CIS Manila. we have heard her talk about her craft on tv and she makes her job so easy and simple which of course it is not. someone announced her presence at the party by saying dr. fortun is offering a free autopsy for anyone who wants it. dr, fortun confirmed the offer but nobody took her up on it.

dr. fortun’s tweets we think very much reflect her expertise. we think forensic pathology  demands 55% superior logic and thinking     and 45% brilliant science and medicine. her tweets for the rh bill and comments on anti rh bill tweets expose lack of logic and lack of facts in a memorable one liner.

what is #18? well, the good doctor came prepared to the tweetup by making her own homemade number. the number is part of the world famous  “concerned number”  that a certain concerned anti #rhbill poster did on twitter. this concerned anti #rhbill poster based on a “magic document” alleged that the #gangsters and other RH Bill advocates were under the payroll of an unnamed super rich organization to tweet for the rh bill. he made a list, similar to what santa does but this one was just on a “naughty” list for him/her. (gender of this poster is unclear) the list stopped at #75.

the “concerned number” created quite a stir among the #gangsters and the the other RH champions on twitter – they all wanted to be on the list. there were protests posted on twitter asking to be included in the list. one even lobbied for 3 days to get included on the list. he succeeded in getting included in the list. still others complained why they were down the list when they felt they deserved to be on the top 10. other RH champions who were not part of the #gangsters got surprised why they were included in the list. nobody among the #gangsters and RH champions understood the criteria for being included and specially the ranking in the list. actually nobody really cared as what was important was to be included in the list and to have fun with it.

rather than being a list of shame by the anti rhbill, it became a list of honor for the #gangsters and RH champions.

this “concerned number” list was used during the party as a running gag and the thread used to get the #gangsters to introduce themselves to everyone. we will be posting the screen caps of the list on the password protected page. but we will not identify the twitter user name as we do not want the poster to get free publicity in this blog.

side from the celebs who attended the #gangsters tweetup, other celebs sent to the party their messages – jim paredes, carlos celdran and representative kimi conjuangco who is one of the prime movers of the rh bill in congress.

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pics of #gangsters december 29 tweetup here : 

• #gangsters tweetup #VI (open to all)

• #gangsters group pics (password protected, for #gangsters & those who attended the party only)

• #gangsters solo pics & the world famous “concerned numbers” (password protected, for #gangsters & those who attended the party only)

professors of 3 of the top universities, Ateneo, La Salle and University Of The Phlippines support the rh bill

click to read:

• based on serious evidence, the RH Bill is pro-poor and authentically pro-life & pro-family – UP Economics Professors
• UP School Of Economics : Population, Poverty, Politics and the Reproductive Health Bill

• joint statement of ateneo and UP professors : Pass The RH Bill Now
• UP and Ateneo professors issues support on RH Bill

• de la salle university professors support the rh bill – “rh bill is pro-life”

• ateneo president fr villarin ignores bishop, upholds independent thinking and appreciates ateneo professors efforts on rh bill
• 33 more ateneo professors support rh bill, now 192 professors
• bishop wants pro rh bill Ateneo professors fired – hahahaha
• 160 Ateneo De Manila University Professors declare support for the RH Bill
• Catholics Can Support The RH Bill In Good Conscience – Ateneo Professors’ Position Paper RH Bill 5043

professors of 2 catholic schools, la salle and ateneo announce support for the rh bill

a couple of days ago. professors of de la salle university, a catholic school published their support on the rh bill. la salle joins the professors of another catholic school, the ateneo de manila university in supporting the rh bill.

the support of the ateneo professors has created controversy as the CBCP and  the ateneo president reacted to what the ateneo professors did. with the la salle professors joining the ateneo university, this will be an even bigger controversy in the coming weeks.

read their statements here (click to read) :

• de la salle university professors support the rh bill – “rh bill is pro-life”
• ateneo president fr villarin ignores bishop, upholds independent thinking and appreciates ateneo professors efforts on rh bill
• 33 more ateneo professors support rh bill, now 192 professors
• bishop wants pro rh bill Ateneo professors fired – hahahaha
• 160 Ateneo De Manila University Professors declare support for the RH Bill
• Catholics Can Support The RH Bill In Good Conscience – Ateneo Professors’ Position Paper RH Bill 5043

the de la salle professors:

Prof. Ma. Arcadio G. Malbarosa, Political Science
Dr. Antonio P. Contreras, Political Science
Prof. Louie Montemar, Political Science
Prof. Anna Malindog, Political Science
Dr. Grace Roldan, Political Science
Dr. Antoinette Raquiza, Political Science
Prof. Gina Lomotan, Political Science
Dr. Francisco Magno, Political Science
Mr. Levita A. Duhaylungsod, Political Science
Mr. Robin Garcia, Political Science
Prof. Mark Evidente, Political Science
Prof. Allen B. Surla, Political Science
Prof. Antonio Pedro Jr., Political Science
Prof. Michael Angelo B. Promentilla, Chemical Engineering
Prof. Ma. Carla Pacis, Literature
Mr. Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, Political Science
Dr. Luis F. Razon, Chemical Engineering
Mr. Anton Simon M. Palo, Psychology
Dr. Robert E. Javier Jr., Psychology

The following members have signed the Statement by e-mailing us their scanned signatures:
Dr. Allan Benedict I. Bernardo, Counselling and Educational Psychology
Prof. Ronnie Holmes, Political Science
Atty. Avelino M. Sebastian Jr., College of Law

The following members have expressed support through e-mail, and have indicated they will sign:
Dr. Arturo Pacificador Jr., Mathematics
Dr. Rochelle Lucas, English and Applied Linguistics
Dr. Danilo Dayag, English and Applied Linguistics
Dr. Jeane Peracullo, Philosophy

The following has expressed support and e-mailed an authorization to consider him a signatory to the Statement:
Atty. Arno Sanidad, College of Law

Via RH Bill Portal:
Atty. Emily Sanchez Salcedo, Commercial Law Department

(the following as shared by Louie Checa Montemar)
Redento B. Recio, Polsci/LSIG
Arnel B. Galgo, COSCA
Rey Pomarca, COSCA
J. Bartolome, COSCA
Jon Alcazar, COSCA
Ma Ella Oplas, Polsc

the ateneo professors:

1. Marita Concepcion Castro Guevara, PhD, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
2. Marlon J. Manuel, JD, Ateneo Law School
3. Amparita S. Sta. Maria, LL.B., LL.M, Ateneo Human Rights Center, Ateneo Law School
4. Joy G. Aceron, MPA, Ateneo School of Government, and Department of Political Science

ateneo professors, the rh bill and independent thinking

there is a long line of controversy that has involved ateneo professors, ateneo de manila, the CBCP and fr. villarin all to hinged on the controversial rh bill (reproductive health bill).

read them all here (click to read):

• ateneo president fr villarin ignores bishop, upholds independent thinking and appreciates ateneo professors efforts on rh bill
• 33 more ateneo professors support rh bill, now 192 professors
• bishop wants pro rh bill Ateneo professors fired – hahahaha
• 160 Ateneo De Manila University Professors declare support for the RH Bill
• Catholics Can Support The RH Bill In Good Conscience – Ateneo Professors’ Position Paper RH Bill 5043

Church of the Gesu at the Ateneo De Manila University

a disruption to family’s dreams and aspirations – what unplanned pregnancy is to filipinos

that is the final slide in the introduction to a qualitative research powerpoint presentation conducted for the purpose of developing advertising and marketing efforts to encourage the use of family planning in the philippines. a series of qualitatve research, focus group discussions were conducted in metro manila, davao and cebu.

the respondents said,  to them  the family is the most important, even over themselves. what they were presently doing were for their families. they said they will do anything and everything for  their families which is exactly what they were doing at the present.

they were asked – what will it mean to you when you find out you are pregnant now? their answers to that question was captured in the chart, above.

find out more about this research here:  http://bit.ly/ApfPVi 

ad review: “Pangmadaliang Sarap, Pangmatagalang Hirap” has 2 fatal errors

in our ad review, the above ad suffers from two fatal errors -positioning RH as anti-sex and the bigger fatal  error, as anti-children. we think that error was brought about by a lack or no strategy and consumer insight.

rerad about it here: http://on.fb.me/niFq2p

“I support the RH Bill” tv ad – talking heads that work

talking heads using celebrities is probably one of the most effective way to communicate a message sauc as supporting the RH Bill.

read more about the RH Bill here: http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/category/rh-bill-5043/

millions of filipino catholics face excommunication

bishop odchimar

let’s assume the bishop knows what he is talking about and that he is not just bullying noynoy aquino, applying the same logic, based on an SWS survey. a high 71% of pinoy catholics will need to be  excommunicated as well as that represents the number of catholics who support RH Bill 5043.

for more, click here: http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/71-or-millions-of-pinoy-catholics-face-mass-excommunication-by-cbcp/

carlos celdran “damaso” – protest action with class! bravo!

note to carlos celdran: when you do one more of your protest  action, please let this blog know so that we can arrange good video and photo coverage of  your protest. no charge for you.

from PDI: Holding up a placard with the word Damaso on it, tourist guide Carlos Celdran screams at the clergy to get out of politics during Mass at Manila Cathedral. Damaso, an abusive Spanish friar, is immortalized in Rizal’s “Noli me Tangere.” EDWIN BACASMAS

carlos celdran, one of  the best  tour guides in metro manila, pulled a brilliant stunt to protest the catholic church’s meddling with president aquino’s stance  on providing filipinos with a free choice on contraceptive method. we think celdrn’s stunt was not only brilliant, it was one of the most classy protest we have seen in many years.

it was brilliant as celdran was successful at putting his message across and got full media, tv and print and internet coverage. getting a wide audience is one of the primary measures of a successful protest action.

more than the mileage he was able to get, we give celdran’s protest action 5 stars for being very classy. first – he did his protest action at the cathedral itself. there is no better place than that. then, and this is important, celdran was properly dressed for the part – a suit and hat that mimicked jose rizal’s clothes. and then the stroke of genius – the word “damaso” on the placard he raised at the altar.

his protest action was well thought of, well packaged and the message and medium excellent for the purpose. this was a protest action done by someone who does a lot of very good thinking. aside from the poignant message, it had excellent theater.

we are not surprised with celdran’s action and genius. we have joined celdran in a tour of the cathedral and everyone in our group was in awe with celdran’s tour. celdran in his tour at the cathedral was very well informed and he delivered his spiel in a most engaging, intelligent and even funny way. it was both entertaining and informative. he delivered history in a most fascinating way that got everyone in the tour taking and apreciating his every word, including the theatrics he put into it. we recommend that every filipino should take celdran’s tour.

what celdran did for his protest he does for his tour. never a dull moment but all the right messages delivered very well and with theater. if all protests are done the way celdran does it, we  would like to see more of it and please on a daily basis.

carlos celdran – 5 stars!

5 stars!

who is padre damaso? click here –>http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101002-295507/IN-THE-KNOW–History-101

congress to resume, will they pass RH Bill 5043?

RH proposnents will watch closely next week’s congress. this is probably the last chance for RH Bill 5043 to pass congress. if this does not pass this time, it will be back to square 1 for RH advocates. 

here is a very informative primer on RH :  http://plcpd.org.ph/Primer/RH%20primer.pdf

Speaker vows bills’ passage despite break for fight

 

By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer

WHILE PLANNING TO BE IN LAS Vegas by Nov. 14 to watch Manny Pacquiao’s latest fight with ringside seats no less, Speaker Prospero Nograles said the House of Representatives is sure to pass the 2010 budget on third and final reading when the session resumes this week.

The House is also expected to pass on second reading the contentious right of reply bill and the reproductive health bill.

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The reproductive health bill, which seeks to promote both natural and artificial birth control methods through government programs, has been the subject of plenary deliberations for many months and remains as contentious as ever.

The Catholic Church is staunchly opposed to the measure since it believes that contraceptives would induce abortion, an argument denied by the bill’s proponents.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091108-234927/Speaker-vows-bills-passage-despite-break-for-fight

UN committee to RP: Pass reproductive health bill

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net First Posted 11:40:00 10/30/2009

MANILA, Philippines – Voicing “serious” concern over inadequate reproductive health services and information, low rate of contraceptive use and difficulties in access to artificial methods that contribute to teen pregnancies and high maternal death, a United Nations panel urged the government to pass the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

A report released this October containing the concluding observations on the Philippines of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that the government should “adopt as a matter or urgency the Reproductive Health bill awaiting approval by Congress and ensure that the bill reflect the rights of children and adolescents as enshrined in the Convention [Convention on the Rights of the Child].”

The recommendations came from the combined 3rd and 4th reports of the Philippines to the UN submitted early this year on its compliance to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, where the country is a signatory. A parallel report was submitted by the NGO Coalition made up of 15 organizations dealing with children’s concerns.

“The Committee remains seriously concerned at the inadequate reproductive health services and information, the low rates of contraceptive use [36 percent of women relied on modern family planning methods in 2006] and the difficulties in obtaining access to artificial methods of contraception, which contribute to the high rates of teenage pregnancies and maternal deaths,” the report said.

While it welcomes the passage of the Magna Carta of Women, the international body said that it remained concerned “over the lack of effective measures to promote the reproductive rights of women and girls and that particular beliefs and religious values are preventing their fulfillment.”

The RH bill remained pending for years in the House of Representatives partly due to the resistance of several Church groups. Two panels composed of congressmen were created in the chamber to debate on the bill in plenary when session resumes on November 9.

The bill pushes for, among others, the use of both artificial and natural means of family planning as a way to curb the ballooning population and to safeguard the health of mothers and children.

According to the UN report, the government has a lot to do to ensure access to reproductive health counseling and provide all adolescents with accurate and objective information and culturally sensitive services in order to prevent teenage pregnancies, including providing access to variety of contraceptives and improving knowledge and conscience on family planning.

It urged the government to strengthen formal and informal sex education for girls and boys with focus on the prevention of early pregnancies. It also called for the strengthening of HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns.

The committee said it remained concerned at the high infant and maternal mortality rates in the country even as it took note that the incidence has declined since 1990 (from 43 in 1990 to 23 per 1,000 live births in 2007-infant mortality rate and from 172 in 1997 to 162 per 100,000 live births in 2005-maternal mortality rates).

The UN said the government should “continue to take all necessary measures to lower infant, under-five and maternal mortality rates.”

Doctor Yvonette Serrano Duque, health specialist of the Children in Ministry of World Vision, one of the 15 members of the NGO Coalition, said the UN committee report should prod the government to act on the recommendations.

Serrano Duque said her group supported the RH bill and has programs advocating support for mothers from the pregnancy stage until the baby would be delivered.

“They always say that the children are the hope of the fatherland. This should be reason enough to give them attention, focus on providing them good nutrition to develop their full potential,” she said in a phone interview.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20091030-233096/UN-committee-to-RP-Pass-reproductive-health-bill

House to set rules for RH debate – passage now or never

looks like the passage of the RH Bill will soon come to a head. the bill has been in congress for a very long time and with the long delay credit is given to its opponents as they have been successful in delaying it forever.

we hope congress will finally act on it.  

House to set rules for RH debate
It’s now or never for controversial bill—solons

By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:12:00 09/22/2009

MANILA, Philippines—The leadership of the House of Representatives will meet on Tuesday to finalize the rules and procedures for the debates on the reproductive health bill in order to bring the controversial measure to a vote before the 14th Congress adjourns next year.

According to Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor, proponents and opponents of the measure will meet with Speaker Prospero Nograles Tuesday to discuss how to tackle the bill after some of the opponents rejected the proposal to form two panels to handle the plenary debates.

Nograles earlier ordered the formation of two panels representing backers and opponents of the bill in order to simplify the debates. He also said that both sides should agree to a timetable so that “personal divisive emotional matters” would not hamper the process, and voting would be able to take place.

If debates are prolonged and voting does not take place before the end of the 14th Congress, the reproductive health bill will have to be refiled in the next Congress, which would then have to repeat the entire process of committee and plenary debates.

The Catholic Church has been campaigning hard to defeat the bill, which allows the promotion of both natural and artificial birth control methods in government health centers and mandates sex education classes in all schools.

How is the Reproductive Health Bill?

On  3/4/2009,  Senators filed a committe Report No. 286

Senate Bill No. 3122 recommeding its approval in substitution of Senate Bill No. 40, 43, 187, 622, 122 taking into consideration P.S. Res. No. 376

Senate Bill No. 3122 “The Reproductive Healthand Population and Development Act of 2009”

View this document on Scribd

On 2007-07-24, House Of Representative Filed HB00017

Full TITLE: An act providing for a national policy on reproductive health, responsible parenthood and population development, and for other purposes.

View this document on Scribd

Bill status: Substituted by HB05043
Thank you suntoksabwan for sharing!

View this document on Scribd

Mother Bill States: Unfinished Business (Period of Interpellation)

Resources: Senate Legislative Information ( http://202.57.33.10/plis/Public/bill.main.asp?NavSel=1&rdoType=indices&rdoDocType=1&RecallCookie=1) and Congress Legislative Information (http://www.congress.gov.ph/bis/)

read more about RH 5043 here: http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/category/rh-bill-5043/