Corruption: Why we need to abolish the SK!

The 9th Aboitiz Future Leaders Summit kicks off today and tomorrow at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel where around 90 of the brightest college student leaders from all over the nation will hone their potentials in preparation for the real world of business and nation building. These lucky fellows will meet the chief executive officers of the Aboitiz Group of Companies and hear them speak, but above all, break bread with them. This was something we never had in our college days.

Aside from hearing the top CEO's of Aboitiz talk about the world of business, they will also hear inspirational talks from speakers like Social Entrepreneur Krie Lopez of Messy Bessy, award-winning film director Pepe Diokno and the Philippine Azkals vice captain Chieffy Caligdong. More power to the Aboitiz Group for molding the future leaders of our nation.

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I just read disturbing news from Bloomberg online which said that a chemical triclosan that has been used as an anti-bacterial chemical to head off gum disease has been linked to cancer-cell growth in animals. Regulators are studying whether this chemical should be safe to put in soap and toothpaste. We learned that Colgate Total uses this chemical.

My family always uses Colgate toothpaste and I would like to know from supermarkets or grocery owners if they are pulling out all Colgate products until Colgate Palmolive comes up with an official statement that will tell whether all their Colgate products have this chemical inside these products. This is of extreme importance, which is why I'm writing it here.

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The world has apparently mourned the sudden passing of comedian Robin Williams who apparently committed suicide due to manic depression. If he didn't die we wouldn't have known that he fathered a Filipino child, Zelda, where he sent to her his last tweet. Indeed, depression is a killer and we must go all out to help friends in a depressive stage.

Looking into back issues and articles about Robin Williams, here is a quote that is perfect for our political situation when he said, "Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently for the same reasons." I hope this message gets to Pres. Benigno Aquino III who all of the sudden is thinking of getting his allies in Congress to extend his single 6-year term as President. No doubt, the world will miss Robin Williams, but as for PNoy… I will certainly not miss him!

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Not many people knew that last Tuesday was International Youth Day and I got this report that Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called upon the youth to use the power of unity and creativity of social media to push for more youth empowerment and representation in governance, including reforms in the Sangguniang Kabataan.

Sen. Cayetano urged the youth of today to be active and to be creative, citing successes of past struggles for youth empowerment like student representation in state universities. He said the government should continue empowering the young people of this country, and focus on more spending for education; arts and culture; and sports and development.

Sen. Cayetano also lamented the "Virtual abolition" of the SK because of corruption issues saying, "It is the Trapos and the older ones who teach the young corruption. Yet we virtually abolished the venue for youth participation rather than ridding our country of trapos and corrupt officials." This is the very reason why I have been for the total abolishment of the SK since the EDSA Revolt of 1986 because it only produced a corrupted youth!

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Have you seen the You Tube videos, which can also be seen in Facebook of what the ISIS Muslim Extremists are doing to Christians in Iraq? They are herding them like cattle and brought into freshly dug graves and made to lie down then machined gunned to death. Then one man goes slowly with his AK-47 to shoot each dead Christian a fatal blow in case that person was still alive or wounded and we can only assume that they buried those poor people. If you watched that gory video, it brings you to ask…what is the world doing about this heinous crime, ethnic cleansing Christians?

We know too well the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ that if some slaps you on your right cheek, show him your left cheek as well. Well this is more than merely showing your cheek. ISIS Muslim extremists want those Christians in Iraq to convert to Islam and those who stick to their Christian faith suffer death. Some were even crucified and shown in a public square. What has this world come to? Are we headed towards Armageddon, which has been prophesied in the Bible? Perhaps we are in the end of times.