Wednesday, January 31, 2007
This day in history from:
Heading for another busy month
My two busiest clients will again be busy this coming month. One is headed for the courts, the other headed again to where it was last month.
Fortunately, these things do not go unrewarded. After my long meeting yesterday, I was able to get that soprano saxophone I wanted but could not get last month because there were no stocks. I just chanced upon this when I was buying my dad his birthday gift (of a decent instrument cable for his guitar, costing ten times the trash cables he was enduring but was also ten times better).
From trying it out last night, it's going to be my favorite sax. It's way lighter and easier to set up. Plus, it's a B-flat instrument, unlike my alto sax which is E-flat. It's already in tune with the trumpets in my brass group and it's going to be easier to transpose to the key of C. Of course, the alto has its own merits. And there's still my flute playing where I'm still devoted to.
But it's harder to play. So I'm going to have to practice. But that will all depend again on the time I will have this month, remember?
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
This day in history from:
Dreaming with a Broken Heart
by John Mayer
When you're dreaming with a broken heart The waking up is the hardest part You roll outta bed and down on your knees And for the moment you can hardly breathe Wondering was she really here? Is she standing in my room? No she's not, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone....
When you're dreaming with a broken heart The giving up is the hardest part She takes you in with your crying eyes Then all at once you have to say goodbye Wondering could you stay my love? Will you wake up by my side? No she can't, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone....
Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh
Now do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand? Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand? Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand? Would you get them if i did? No you won't, 'cause you're gone, gone, gone, gone, gone....
When you're dreaming with a broken heart The waking up is the hardest part
(Just discovered this song yesterday... fantastic song with fantastic lyrics...)
Monday, January 29, 2007
This day in history from:
Lindsay on Rehab
(For those who thought this was about Lindsay Lohan on rehab, turn away now. Look to the profile to find out who Lindsay is. Although my Lindsay was actually named after her.)
Brought Lindsay to the Apple service center today. Good thing she was still on Apple care so I don't have to worry whatever her problem is. The bad thing is I'll get her back only after 15 days.
Good thing there's Scarlett.
I'm thinking about either upgrading her (as in increasing her RAM, increasing her hard disk) or replacing her with one of those Intel Core2 Duo iMacs. Which option is better, assuming there are enough funds for either (not all) of these options?
Saturday, January 27, 2007
This day in history from:
Improved
Spent most of the day with Bea over at her school's fair. It was tiring but fun. Of course, Bea enjoyed the most because all she did was eat and buy stuff after her field demonstration.
Because of this school fair, we had to move our brass band session to this afternoon. Though I was already tired, I attended because we only play brass once a month (the other Saturdays, I play flute and they play strings).
It was a decision I did not regret. Found out how much I improved in my saxophone playing. I think I even surpassed the one who lent me his saxophone for me to try (he has been playing for years). As of now, I can actually play stuff already and could follow the pieces given by our maestro.
Only problem is, the session was too close to choir that I did not get enough rest. And my flute playing suffered today, it sounded so airy. I'll try to play the flute tomorrow morning to see if my lips was just tired today.
But we're also set to go out of town tomorrow to visit my 87-year old aunt who just arrived from Canada...
Good thing Bea has no class on Monday. At least, I will not get up early that day.
Friday, January 26, 2007
This day in history from:
Blog Lecture No. 69: Parricide, Homicide and Murder
Turns out, I cannot discuss homicide and murder without discussing parricide.
How does the law define these three crimes?
The Revised Penal Code states thus:
Art. 246. Parricide. — Any person who shall kill his father, mother, or child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, or any of his ascendants, or descendants, or his spouse, shall be guilty of parricide and shall be punished by the penalty of reclusion perpetua to death.
Art. 247. Death or physical injuries inflicted under exceptional circumstances. — Any legally married person who having surprised his spouse in the act of committing sexual intercourse with another person, shall kill any of them or both of them in the act or immediately thereafter, or shall inflict upon them any serious physical injury, shall suffer the penalty of destierro.If he shall inflict upon them physical injuries of any other kind, he shall be exempt from punishment.
These rules shall be applicable, under the same circumstances, to parents with respect to their daughters under eighteen years of age, and their seducer, while the daughters are living with their parents.
Any person who shall promote or facilitate the prostitution of his wife or daughter, or shall otherwise have consented to the infidelity of the other spouse shall not be entitled to the benefits of this article.
Art. 248. Murder. — Any person who, not falling within the provisions of Article 246 shall kill another, shall be guilty of murder and shall be punished by reclusion temporal in its maximum period to death, if committed with any of the following attendant circumstances:
1. With treachery, taking advantage of superior strength, with the aid of armed men, or employing means to weaken the defense or of means or persons to insure or afford impunity.
2. In consideration of a price, reward, or promise.
3. By means of inundation, fire, poison, explosion, shipwreck, stranding of a vessel, derailment or assault upon a street car or locomotive, fall of an airship, by means of motor vehicles, or with the use of any other means involving great waste and ruin.
4. On occasion of any of the calamities enumerated in the preceding paragraph, or of an earthquake, eruption of a volcano, destructive cyclone, epidemic or other public calamity.
5. With evident premeditation.
6. With cruelty, by deliberately and inhumanly augmenting the suffering of the victim, or outraging or scoffing at his person or corpse.
Art. 249. Homicide. — Any person who, not falling within the provisions of Article 246, shall kill another without the attendance of any of the circumstances enumerated in the next preceding article, shall be deemed guilty of homicide and be punished by reclusion temporal.
What is parricide?
Basically, it's killing one's father, mother, or child, whether legitimate or illegitimate, or any of his ascendants, or descendants, or his spouse. But killing a spouse under the circumstances in Article 247 is not parricide but a homicide under exceptional circumstance, as stated in this previous blog lecture.
What is murder?
Basically (again), it's killing aggravated by the following circumstances:
1. With treachery, taking advantage of superior strength, with the aid of armed men, or employing means to weaken the defense or of means or persons to insure or afford impunity.
2. In consideration of a price, reward, or promise.
3. By means of inundation, fire, poison, explosion, shipwreck, stranding of a vessel, derailment or assault upon a street car or locomotive, fall of an airship, by means of motor vehicles, or with the use of any other means involving great waste and ruin.
4. On occasion of any of the calamities enumerated in the preceding paragraph, or of an earthquake, eruption of a volcano, destructive cyclone, epidemic or other public calamity.
5. With evident premeditation.
6. With cruelty, by deliberately and inhumanly augmenting the suffering of the victim, or outraging or scoffing at his person or corpse.
What is treachery (or alevosia)?
As the law states it:
There is treachery when the offender commits any of the crimes against the person, employing means, methods, or forms in the execution thereof which tend directly and specially to insure its execution, without risk to himself arising from the defense which the offended party might make.
The operative word here is "insure" execution and insure such execution without risk to himself from the possible defense of the victim.
Can you give an example?
The classic example is hitting the person when he's not looking, or from behind.
What is evident premeditation?
In its most simplest terms, evident premeditation means the killer really intended to kill his victim, that he has thought about it calmly, coolly and dispassionately, which clearly show his lack of remorse in the killing.
In jurisprudence, there is evident premeditation (hence, murder) when there is evidence that:
1. The killer has made a decision to kill; 2. He has clung to such decision; 3. There is a lapse of time where the killer had the opportunity to reflect on the consequences of his decision to kill and perhaps still desist.
But still killed his victim.
Can you give an example?
Sure.
When a killer decided to carry out his act, meticulously planned how he was to do it, prepared his tools to carry it out (like cleaned his gun, or any weapon of choice), there is evident premeditation and hence the crime is murder not homicide.
So what is homicide?
It's basically a killing that cannot be classified as parricide or murder (or even an exceptional homicide under Article 247 of the Revised Penal Code). When you can't classify it under anything else, it's homicide.
Why do we need to distinguish?
Parricide and murder are capital offenses and hence, not bailable. Homicide is still bailable.
If you charge a person with homicide at the outset and is already arraigned for homicide, he cannot be convicted of a higher crime like murder or parricide even if the prosecution was able to prove circumstances to classify the crime as such. But if you charge murder or parricide but you could only prove homicide, the accused would be convicted of homicide since it is subsumed in murder or parricide.
Once arraigned, the charge can not be changed from homicide to murder anymore.
So now you know why the prosecution always guns for a higher offense. And why the defense would want to get an arraignment on the lesser offense.
What do you call killing an insect?
Insecticide.
What do you call killing then throwing the victim in the river?
Riverside.
What do you call killing then throwing the victim in the middle of the road?
Roadside.
What do you call killing then throwing in the trashcan, but missed?
We interrupt the scheduled blog lecture for an important entry...
HELP! Lindsay won't start up! She started to choke and hanging up yesterday which was very unusual. I thought it was just the new security update that's causing it.
But when I tried starting her up last night, all I got was that ambient light and the fans whirring at a high speed. Don't even hear the start-up chime anymore...
Looks like she's the victim of a defective power unit that's subject to this repair extension program. I checked her serial number and she's included.
But I can only take her to the shop on Monday because I'm the designated driver for my mom's meetup with her siblings today...
I'll try to post that lecture later... once I get my bearings...
Thursday, January 25, 2007
This day in history from:
Blog Lecture No. 68: State Witnesses
Hello! It's been a while you know.
So let's get started on another year of blog lectures, shall we?
Don't worry this will be short.
Distinguish a state witness from an ordinary witness?
A state witness participated in the prosecuted crime. An ordinary witness is not necessarily a participant to the crime.
Where is the rule on state witnesses in the Philippines?
It's found in Republic Act No. 6981, known as the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act and Rule 119 of the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure.
How do you qualify as a state witness?
Section 10 of the law states:
Section 10.State Witness. - Any person who has participated in the commission of a crime and desires to be a witness for the State, can apply and, if qualified as determined in this Act and by the Department, shall be admitted into the Program whenever the following circumstances are present:
(a) the offense in which his testimony will be used is a grave felony as defined under the Revised Penal Code or its equivalent under special laws;
(b) there is absolute necessity for his testimony;
(c) there is no other direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of the offense committed:
(d) his testimony can be substantially corroborated on its material points;
(e) he does not appear to be most guilty; and
(f) he has not at any time been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.
An accused discharged from an information or criminal complaint by the court in order that he may be a State Witness pursuant to Section 9 and 10 of Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Court may upon his petition be admitted to the Program if he complies with the other requirements of this Act. Nothing in this Act shall prevent the discharge of an accused, so that he can be used as a State Witness under Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Court.
Sections 9 and 10 of the Revised Rules of Court referred to in this law are now Sections 17 and 18 of the same Rules which read as follows:
Section 17.Discharge of accused to be state witness. — When two or more persons are jointly charged with the commission of any offense, upon motion of the prosecution before resting its case, the court may direct one or more of the accused to be discharged with their consent so that they may be witnesses for the state when, after requiring the prosecution to present evidence and the sworn statement of each proposed state witness at a hearing in support of the discharge, the court is satisfied that:
(a) There is absolute necessity for the testimony of the accused whose discharge is requested;
(b) The is no other direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of the offense committed, except the testimony of said accused;
(c) The testimony of said accused can be substantially corroborated in its material points;
(d) Said accused does not appear to be the most guilty; and
(e) Said accused has not at any time been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude.
Evidence adduced in support of the discharge shall automatically form part of the trial. If the court denies the motion for discharge of the accused as state witness, his sworn statement shall be inadmissible in evidence.
Section 18.Discharge of accused operates as acquittal. — The order indicated in the preceding section shall amount to an acquittal of the discharged accused and shall be a bar to future prosecution for the same offense, unless the accused fails or refuses to testify against his co-accused in accordance with his sworn statement constituting the basis for the discharge.
What is a grave felony?
Article 9 of the Revised Penal Code distinguished grave, less grave and light felonies, as follows:
Article 9.Grave felonies, less grave felonies and light felonies. — Grave felonies are those to which the law attaches the capital punishment or penalties which in any of their periods are afflictive, in accordance with article 25 of this Code.
Less grave felonies are those which the law punishes with penalties which in their maximum period are correctional, in accordance with the above-mentioned article.
Light felonies are those infractions of law for the commission of which the penalty of arresto menor or a fine not exceeding 200 pesos or both, is provided.
What are afflictive penalties?
These are reclusion perpetua to prision mayor, according to Article 25 of the Revised Penal Code.
So I participated in the crime of, let's say, plunder. I want to turn state witness. How do I go about it?
Of course you have to qualify first, given the requisites of the law. This means:
1. If the crime is not grave, NO DEAL!
2. If the testimony is not necessary, that is, the prosecution can prove the case without the testimony, NO DEAL!
3. If the testimony cannot be verified by other evidence (object or testimonial), NO DEAL!
4. If the snitch is actually the mastermind of the plot, NO DEAL!
5. If the snitch has been convicted of a crime like estafa before, NO DEAL!
If the snitch qualifies, he executes a sworn statement describing in detail the manner in which the offense was committed and his participation therein.
If after said examination of said person, his sworn statement and other relevant facts, the prosecution is satisfied that the requirements of this as and its implementing rules are complied with, it may admit such person as a state witness.
The prosecution then files a motion in court to discharge the snitch in the criminal case as a state witness. If granted, that discharge operates as an acquittal, unless he does not live up to the end of his bargain, which is if the snitch fails or refuses to testify against his co-accused in accordance with his sworn statement constituting the basis for the discharge.
What about co-principals or co-conspirators?
Depending on the evaluation of the prosecution and the court, if these snitches do not appear as the most guilty, then they may become state witnesses. But then again, an act of a co-conspirator is the act of all so guilt becomes equally distributed. Ruling on the amount of guilt then becomes the judgment call of both prosecution and the court.
Tomorrow, I'll discuss the difference between homicide and murder.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
This day in history from:
Home Office
It's good to be back working here at home... listening to Madonna... while working on a presentation of jurisprudence on the urban poor. Thank goodness for this "short" hiatus from the work from my most demanding client. But that will resume next month...
Finished the text already, thanks to my best friend who provided me with a roadmap to these cases. Of course, I had to fill in the details because I still want to to some of the work.
This will be presented at a planning session this coming February that I cannot attend because I have to go to the north again. It does not matter, anyway because any one of the lawyers in that office can present this for me.
There's still the "small" matter of creating the Powerpoint presentation which I will do later... after I fetch Bea from school (again, another thing I could not do because I was busy).
So I'll leave you be because I'm already hungry. Perhaps I'll deliver the same lecture here in my blog sometime... if a lot of people ask for it.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
This day in history from:
As I predicted
My hearing was postponed... again. But I said all there is to say about that yesterday...
But got to have lunch at my aunt's house again. Her cook and companion for so many years make such simple dishes taste so good.
I will have a two-week furlough from the stuff I have been doing these past month and a half. So this will be a good time to catch up on my other clients' requirements. That includes making a presentation on available jurisprudence on the urban poor. I will not get to deliver this presentation, though because I will have a hearing again in the north at the time. I'll leave it to the capable hands of my co-workers.
I think it will be a sedate day for today. I just have to go to my consultancy and have lunch with a friend. And after that tiring day yesterday, I think it will be downhill from there. Just the work I just stated before.
Monday, January 22, 2007
This day in history from:
Tired even before I start
Could not sleep well last night because I had to go out early for an "out of town" hearing.
On the one hand, this is a break from what I've been doing the last month and a half. But on the other hand, I'm getting weary from attending these hearings. This has been going on for about two years and it has not been progressing very well. All these delays. And I anticipate, I'll be delayed today again. It's getting difficult to constantly explain how slow and painful the justice system is here in the Philippines.
But this particular case is excruciatingly slow, because hearings starts more than two hours late and the number of cases for hearing there is unusually high. So when it starts, all we can do is have our cases postponed for lack of material time. Add to that the usual causes of postponement like the prosecutor/public defender is sick/on leave/ on seminar, etc. And the nature of this case gives the witness a well-founded fear for his safety.
Out of guilt for what the client is experiencing because of this, I'm severely tempted to report this court's inefficiency to higher authorities. Just a simple matter of starting hearing on time will do wonders in declogging this court's docket. But another part of me hesitates for fear of reprisals. Part of me does not want to rock the boat.
Also, it takes a herculean effort to get up and drive that early in the morning...
With all of these weighing on me, no wonder I could not sleep every time I have to attend to this case... and every time I attend, I find myself tired even before I start.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
This day in history from:
Nothing much for a change
Thanks (should I be saying this...) to my bout with the flu yesterday, I was able to get some rest. It was a welcome break for a change. Lying in bed all day. Not doing work (though I did some work, but my body kept rejecting it...)
I'm feeling better now if you want to know. Except for a few errands, today's going to be more of the same, except for the weekly chamber session and choir. But there's work coming next week, but not at the same level as the past few months (I hope).
Friday, January 19, 2007
This day in history from:
Won't quit my day job...
This was supposed to be the reward round...
But I was sorely disappointed to say the least. That's what they think of our hard work (less than 50% of what it actually is!). And to think, they'll be rich beyond their wildest dreams in the exercise, leaving us with scraps of our compensation we actually deserved. And this is not doing wonders for my waning self-esteem.
So now, instead of thinking of things I would like to purchase and the debts I would need to pay off and the bright future we would have with them, I'm now just thinking of using this as survival money, as the relationship is strained at the very least.
Anyway, this taught me to keep my day job... not to put my eggs in one basket. But they should also learn that because of this exercise, they don't deserve to hog all our working times. But I still have one more prospect that I hope would not be as disappointing as this... I hope it finally pushes through.
To top it all, I'm coming down with something. My body resistance dropped considerably because of all the late nights of now less-than-half compensated work...
Thursday, January 18, 2007
This day in history from:
Backfire
All of the sudden, the Office of the Ombudsman went into hyperdrive. Hence, the recent rash of "summary executions" on public officials aligned with the opposition.
First, people may be wondering if this office really has to power to do that when they still have to file the criminal case with the Sandiganbayan.
Unfortunately, it can.
What the Office of the Ombudsman did it rule on the administrative aspect of the complaints against these officials and then exercised the penalty for them, which is dismissal. It's similar to a private company where the boss fires his employees for stealing money (or whatever grave offense). The company can still file a criminal case against said employee but it can already lay the good 'ole Donald Trump catch-phrase on that erring employee.
However...
These actions may backfire as these so-called "erring officials" (I'm beginning to hear that favorite "Let him cast the first stone..." catch-phrase of Jesus Christ...) can now portray themselves as underdogs and martyrs, thereby securing their re-election bids. These people may just have won the elections.
And as discussed before, "the rule is that a public official can not be removed for administrative misconduct committed during a prior term, since his re-election to office operates as a condonation of the officer's previous misconduct to the extent of cutting off the right to remove him therefor." (Aguinaldo vs. Santos, G.R. No. 94115, 21 August 1992) So these cases will be forgotten and absolved when these people get re-elected... unless the Ombudman really goes to work and file the criminal charges...
Whew! Did I just make my first blog-lecture for the year without labeling it such?
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
This day in history from:
The things people try to pull...
That's the only thing I can say about my trip to the south because the rest would be privileged information...
Anyway, there's still some things left to do for that project and some more meetings to attend. After that, it's off to another project... but first, I hope they reward us handsomely for our efforts.
For today, it's a breakfast meeting and then back to my government consultancy that I have not attended to for some time now.
But just to keep up, I have recently been getting up early mornings. Today was no exception. And I still have two more documents to draft. And I'm just taking a break with this entry.
So I may post some more later. If I have the time.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
This day in history from:
South for the winter
I'm going south this afternoon for a change. And by airplane, also for a change...
Given the horrendous internet connections we have, even in the city, I anticipate I will not be able to post until I come back Saturday afternoon. I'll probably miss my Saturday sessions and will show up for choir just by the skin of my teeth.
So in the meantime, have a pleasant week. And wish us luck. Will tell you all about it when it's finished.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
This day in history from:
Sorry, not only time constraints
It's a combination of time constraints and bandwidth problems that cause me to be delinquent in my blog.
I actually came home from work at 1:00 a.m. today... the I attended a hearing this morning, apart from waking up at 5:00 a.m. for my normal duties as Bea's driver.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
This day in history from:
A crucial week ahead
Gearing and psyching myself up for a very crucial week... a year (or career)-defining one.
I'm feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation... which is both healthy and destructive at the same time. But I hope we go towards the healthy part...
Believe it or not, I still have a meeting this afternoon so if you'll excuse me, I will get some rest and relaxation in the meantime.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
This day in history from:
Game of Love
I've had it with this game! But I love this song:
Game of Love (Carlos Santana featuring Michelle Branch)
Tell me Just what you want me to be One kiss And boom you're the only one for me So please tell me why don't you come around no more Cause right now I'm crying Outside the door of your candy store
[Chorus] It just takes a little bit of this A little bit of that It started with a kiss Now we we're up to bat A little bit of laughs A little bit of pain I'm telling you, my babe It's all in the game of love....
..Is whatever you make it to be Sunshine set on this cold lonely sea So please baby try and use me for what I'm good for It ain't sayin' goodbye it's knocking down the door of your candy store
[Chorus]
It's all in this game of love
You roll me Control me Console me Please hold me You guide me Divide me Into two...
[Guitar solo]
So please tell me why don't you come around no more Cause right now I'm dying outside the door of your loving store
[Repeat Chorus]
It's all in this game of love It's all in the game of love Yeah, in the game of love
Roll me Control me Please hold me (Make me feel good, yeah)
Friday, January 05, 2007
This day in history from:
Bandwidth Sucks!
For the life of me, I could not blog yesterday because I had trouble with all Google products all day long. Could not access my Gmail. Could not post. Could not even read my own blogspot.
All I could do yesterday was manage my torrent downloads that still keep on moving backwards instead of forwards...
But finally, I had the chance to work from the house in quite a while. Even had time to personally take care of my kids (which is equally rewarding as sufficiently compensated work), since the person I hired (their nanny for so many years) took a well-deserved holiday.
Anyway, I finally took the risk (or you may call it an "investment") of paying for a lifetime membership in our national bar association. For an advance payment of about 10 years worth of annual dues, you'll be rid of paying it yearly for life. I should have done this eons ago but other financial concerns got in the way (like my kids...).
Also, there's a certain status that comes with stating a life roll number in your pleadings than merely stating the receipt number (showing you just paid for the year). It seems to convey a statement that you've arrived. Well, at least for me, I most certainly hope so. Or at least, arriving very soon...
There's still a lot of work to do with my two most active clients. But make that three because things are again brewing up in my government consultancy. At the rate I'm going, I have to find a way of splitting myself into three (or four if you count my fatherly duties). But again, I'm not complaining. Better a lot of work than no work at all, I always say.
All in all, I say not bad for a first working week of the year. It's even a partial week since we all had the Monday off.
Monday, January 01, 2007
This day in history from:
Holiday Text Messages...
First off, I like to apologize to the people who sent me text messages but did not get a reply from me...
For one, I really don't greet people back simply by hitting reply or forward. Also, I prefer to send my greetings through other means (through email [though I used the "forward button" here, simply because the email was good], blog posts, friendster posts, etc.) because I know (and am appalled by) how much the telecom companies earn in just four hours of Christmas and New Year's Eve and I don't want to contribute any more to their financial bliss.
But there are some text messages I like, such as:
"Viva bene, spesso l'amore, di risata molto." Live well, love much, and laugh often. It's an old Italian wish for you and your family for the year ahead. -- HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
and also (already translated into English from text):
"Our lives are books & each day is a page. We can't erase what has been written but we can always write a better ending with God's grace. HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
or this one (Maybe I'll give the translation later...)
"Sa labas lang po tayo magpaputok...
Isang paalala ng NATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING COMMISSION. Maligayang Pasko at Maligo bago ibaon...
(But then again, maybe I'll not... Just laugh with me if you can understand it... Heheheheheh!)
but my favorite text message came at around six 'o clock in the morning (and at around that time at the beginning of each month...):
"Thank you for loading P 500 with free text of 83. Your load will be valid for 60 days..."
Anyway, a fruitful year ahead for all of us... BLOG ON, EVERYONE! It may be our country's only hope...
It's already a tradition for me to update my gadget list at the beginning of the year. So here it is (again, the ones with an asterix I acquired in 2006):
PRAYER FOR GENEROSITY
Lord Jesus,
Teach me to be generous,
Teach me to serve You as You deserve
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labor and not to ask for reward,
except that of knowing
That I do Your Holy Will. Amen
THE LAWYER'S PRAYER
May every word I speak be from Your Truth...
I ask come from Your Wisdom...
May every case I handle receive Your Guidance...
May every heart, every life I touch, feel Your Love.
THE JABEZ PRAYER
And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,
"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your Hand be with me,
that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain."
So God granted him what he requested.
Side Oath
The Lawyer's Oath
I 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 the doing of any in court;
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.
