Punzi's Corner Blog: October 2007

Unexpected Working Conditions

The work I did on Monday actually ended this morning, at 4:00 a.m. and I actually got home 5:00 a.m.

After a few hours of sleep, I had an appointment with Nico's teacher, who was happy to report that Nico was doing very well in preschool. He's growing up such a balanced boy. It's a wonder considering the"handicap" he has.

But as the teacher says, for as long as Nico is filled with love and attention at home, he will grow up to be a balanced boy, just like his sister Bea is.

It's also such a wonder that my kids are growing up in such a nurturing environment, considering what we have been through. The past is truly behind up and we look forward to an exciting future.

And when I got back to the office, more election work awaited us. This is work and revenue that we did not seek. Because of the Law of Attraction, work (and revenue) seems to look for us, unlike before when we looked for the work (and revenue).

Now, we don't worry about it already. Work just seems to find us easily. And it's all because of the Law of Attraction. But the work and revenue is actually gravy compared to the our new-found freedom from needless anxiety of these matters, which is a great reward in itself.

And of course, we are truly grateful for all of the changes that have come since knowing and applying the Law of Attraction. And we expect more good things to come.

So why shouldn't you do the same?

Unexpected work

I was supposed to be on a break today. I had scheduled this day to be video game day for me and my kids. I even set an appointment with Nico's teacher for today.

But somehow, work found me again. Unexpected, as a potential client declined last week at the last minute.

But now they are back and so now I'm here, again reprising my role as election lawyer for a candidate.

Just when I thought this was a breeze, another client came up. And now, I'm doing two things at the same time.

Fortunately, I brought Scarlett with me and there's broadband internet access where I am. I can really manage this. I'm known to be multi-tasking... They used to call me Windows XP but I prefer to be called "Leopard" now...

Of course, all this unexpected work means unexpected income... again proof positive of the Law of Attraction in action...

And for that, I'm truly grateful.

Another milestone

Today is Bea's First Communion.

This is a time for praise and gratitude, as my little baby is growing up, growing up to be a very healthy, stable young girl.

Time flies so fast. Before I know it, she's in high school and in college.

With her "full" entry into the Catholic Church, I pray that she is guided by the Holy Spirit to do what it right all the time.

God bless my baby. God bless us all.

Blog Lecture No. 80: Pardon and Amnesty

Time for another blog lecture:

Why is pardon and amnesty important?

Because they are ways where criminal liability is extinguished. As Article 89 of the Revised Penal Code states:

Article 89. How criminal liability is totally extinguished. - Criminal liability is totally extinguished:

1. By the death of the convict, as to the personal penalties; and as to pecuniary penalties, liability therefor is extinguished only when the death of the offender occurs before final judgment.

2. By service of the sentence.

3. By amnesty, which completely extinguishes the penalty and all its effects.

4. By absolute pardon.

5. By prescription of the crime.

6. By prescription of the penalty.

7. By the marriage of the offended woman, as provided in Article 344 of this Code.

So what is pardon? What are the kinds?

Pardon contains what it means. It basically means forgiveness, punishment lifted and the convict is set free.

There are two kinds of pardon, namely:

1. Absolute pardon- means unconditional pardon
2. Conditional pardon- as the term implies, forgiveness with some conditions attached.

An absolute pardon, does not automatically restore the convict to his full civil and political rights, by virtue of Article 36 of the Revised Penal Code, unless the pardon order expressly restores him to such rights. (People vs. Madaraong, 160 SCRA 153 [1988]).

A conditional pardon is essentially a contract between the convict and the government but it does not have effect until the convict accepts the conditions stated in the pardon. On the strength of such pardon, the convict is set free and enjoy liberty as long as he does not violate the conditions of such a pardon. Non-compliance with the conditions automatically revokes the pardon and the convict reverts to his previous situation, as if no pardon was given.

What is amnesty?

Amnesty is an act of grace by the Chief Executive and as a result, the criminal liability and all the effects are completely obliterated. But for this grant, the concurrence of congress is required.

What is the difference between amnesty and pardon?

Amnesty requires concurrence of the legislature while pardon is the exclusive prerogative of the President.

As a general rule, amnesty is given to a group of persons, usually for political offenses while pardon is granted to a particular convict, for a particular crime or offense.

Pardon is granted only after final judgment while amnesty is granted at any stage of the proceedings of the prosecution of the accused.

Was the former president given absolute or conditional pardon?

He was given an absolute pardon, in the sense that there are no conditions as to his release and his continued freedom. Further, the order expressly restored his civil and political rights.

How about the forfeiture cases? Isn't that a condition of the pardon?

Arguably, no, as that pertains to the civil aspect of the offense. When we are dealing with the criminal aspect, particularly his incarceration, the pardon is absolute and unconditional.

What about the objections of the prosecution?

Basically, the prosecution cites Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution that states:

Except in cases of impeachment, or as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the President may grant reprieves, commutations and pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment.

He shall also have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all the Members of the Congress.

But in my opinion, this may not apply because the pardon was for the crime of plunder and not for an impeachable offense, though the former president was impeached for the same acts complained about in the plunder case.

This, combined with the principle of interpreting laws in favor of the accused, weighs heavily against the prosecution's argument.

Pardon me, Pardon you...

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

By the President of the Philippines

PARDON

WHEREAS this administration has a policy of releasing inmates who have reached the age of seventy (70),

WHEREAS, Joseph Ejercito Estrada has been under detention for six and a half years,

WHEREAS, Joseph Ejercito Estrada has publicly committed to no longer seek any elective position or office,

IN VIEW HEREOF and pursuant to the authority conferred upon me by the Constitution, I hereby grant executive clemency to JOSEPH EJECRCITO ESTRADA, convicted by the Sandiganbayan of Plunder and imposed a penalty of Reclusion Perpetua. He is hereby restored to his civil and political rights.

The forfeitures imposed by the Sandiganbayan remain in force and in full, including all writs and processes issued by the Sandiganbayanin pursuance hereof, except for the bank account(s) he owned before his tenure as President.

Upon acceptance of this pardon JOSEPH EJERCITO ESTRADA, this pardon shall take effect.

Given under my hand at the City of Manila, this 25th
Day of October, in the year of Our Lord, two
thousand and seven.

(Sgd.)GLORIA M. ARROYO

By the President:

(sgd.) IGNACIO R. BUNYE
Acting Executive Secretary

What are my thoughts, you ask?

On the one hand, it doesn't seem right.

But on the other hand, I think this will be for the best. Let history be his judge.

But mind the title of this entry, as it says a lot.

Doubly Busy

You know, I really believe in the Law of Attraction and how it can change our lives.

My life and the changes that have come this past few months since learning how to apply this to my life has truly proven to be a blessing and I'm filled with gratitude on my discovery.

As you may know, I made a career change from a mom-and-pop solo practice to an actual law office and work has continued to come to us. All of us in the firm are believers in the Law of Attraction. And we have been blessed because of it.

We are now doubly busy, with all the work we can possibly wish for. And all the blessings have been coming in because we have all attracted the into our firm.

And the rewards have been coming. And we believe they will continue to come in.

My specific testimonies will be put in my other blog in the coming days.

We are all excited. We are all grateful for all of these. And we visualize more to come.

Immersed

I have decided to immerse myself in my newest acquisition for the day since it was not advisable to go out to the mall these days.

The package I bought came with two Sixaxis controllers and two games of my choice. For that I got Genji: Days of the Blade and Virtua Tennis 3 by Sega.

I wanted my PS3 mainly because of Genji. I enjoyed the first game on the PS2, even if it was basically a mindless, button mashing game. It had such addictive replay value (at least for me).

Genji for the PS3 is more of the same, although some finesse playing is required. I have not finished it yet and I'm already becoming addicted.

I chose Virtua Tennis 3 because it's easy to learn and play and with two controllers, it has proven to be good family fun.

With backward compatibility, I could even play the few original PS2 games I have, such as FF10, GT3 and DOA2 (that's Final Fantasy 10, Gran Turismo 3 and Dead or Alive 2)...

Add to that downloadable demo games and trailers and I have enough to keep me busy for a while without buying new stuff just yet. And HD is the kicker. I've never seen such gorgeous games. And I'm grateful I bought this machine. Of course, I may buy a Wii and an Xbox 360 Elite for Christmas...

Of course, I can't be too addicted to these new games because I have a crucial busy week ahead. Well, more work means more stuff I could acquire.

Here's to a productive week ahead for of us despite all that has happened.

HD World

Despite the tragedy that happened yesterday (and partly because I simply did not know), I decided to move into the high-definition world and exploit the capabilities of my LCD TV by purchasing my dream Playstation 3.

There have been some detractors of this game machine. But after I got one, all I can say they are wrong. It's a fantastic machine. And I'm not saying that just because I had Playstations since the first one and I intend to purchase its subsequent incarnations.

I also got a good deal on an old model 60Gb. I preferred this old model because I heard the new 60Gb models will not be backward compatible with PS2 and PSOne games.

We tested the machine on a normal TV and an LCD projector and I really looked good already. But when it went HD as I installed an HDMI cable, my jaw dropped as I unlocked the full potential of my new TV. The resolution is even clearer than Scarlett through the VGA port...

Since this is the weekend, I'll probably explore my new toy all weekend long and probably buy another game (or two...)

Anyway, I'll leave you with HappySlip's new video:

She solved lighting problem the easy way: she went outdoors... well written (and directed piece), if you ask me.

Here's to a relaxing weekend and a fulfilling week ahead.

Relatively light

The workday today is relatively light, but still heavy.

But this week is nothing compared to the week we will have next week.

So I'll just do what it right: Be grateful for this relative light day and work hard, continually work hard, block out or replace negative feelings, keep my focus and wish for the best.

By the Law of Attraction, everything will be alright.

Enjoy the rest of your week, I think we will have long vacations coming at the end of the month so we have to work hard to play hard.

Well, what do you know?

I think this has been the longest time between blog entries (except, of course, the early days).

I'm sorry. It's just been a very busy week so far. And it will become more busy further in the week.

Also, I'm not getting too much sleep lately. Had to work early Monday morning to catch up on some due pleadings. Then I spent much of yesterday preparing for a hearing. And then today's that big hearing, where I had to go early after taking Bea to school.

The rest of the week is more of the same. But there will be a family gathering this coming and I'm so grateful it's not a funeral. Finally, our family will gather in happy circumstances. The family has been through a lot of funerals lately. This is a good change and for that we're grateful.

Anyway, I hope your week as as busy as mine because that can only mean good things coming our way.

Heaven knows...

Another sing-along Sunday:

Heaven Knows
(Rick Price)

She's always on my mind
From the time I wake up,
Till I close my eyes.
She's everywhere I go
She's all I know.

And though she's so far away,
It just keeps getting stronger everyday
And even now she's gone
I'm still holding on

So tell me, where do I start
'Coz it's breakin' my heart
Don't wanna let her go

Chorus:

Maybe my love will come back someday
Only heaven knows
And maybe our hearts will find a way
But only heaven knows
And all I can do is hope & pray
'Coz heaven knows.

My friends keep telling me
That if you really love her,
You've gotta set her free
And if she returns in time
I'll know she's mine

But tell me, where do I start
'Coz it's breakin' my heart
Don't wanna let her go

(Repeat Chorus except last line)

Bridge:

'Coz heaven knows
Why I live in despair
'Coz wide awake or dreamin',
I know she's never there
And all the time I act so brave,
I'm shakin' inside
Why does it hurt me so?

(Repeat Chorus)

Heaven knows... heaven knows.

What if...

Al Gore won in 2000 instead of George W. Bush?

Then this SNL skit may be true and not merely a comedic sketch. And the part of Al Gore was even played by... Al Gore himself:

Have a happy weekend everyone! And may the week ahead be productive one for you as well.

The Best President the US never had...

There are many politicians. But there are only a few Nobel Peace Price winners.

To the best president the US never had, congratulations on winning the Nobel Peace Price with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

He lost the Unites States presidency, but gained the world.

And best of all, he's a director of Apple, Inc.'s board. Just look at this triple-screened Mac Pro... drool....

Textitis

I'm really so busy these past few days. So I am so grateful that HappySlip released another video so I can quickly post and entry today.

Really, a band-aid is the cure for textitis:

A few words. This has better lighting. Good editing. Not her best but still very, very good.

Now, I better get back to work...

Visualization Aid

I found this video that will help me visualize what I want. Perhaps it will help you too:

Have a blast with this one. Remember, if you don't believe this, then you get exactly what you are thinking, by the Law of Attraction.

And if you know how rich you are, you're still not rich enough...

And check out this other visualization tool:

It's also good.

Enjoy!

The Science of Getting Rich

There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, penetrates, and fills the interspaces of the universe.

A thought in this substance produces the thing that is imaged by the thought. Man can form things in his thought, and by impressing his thought upon formless substance can cause the thing he thinks about to be created. In order to do this, man must pass from the competitive to the creative mind; otherwise he cannot be in harmony with the Formless Intelligence, which is always creative and never competitive in spirit.

Man may come into full harmony with the Formless Substance by entertaining a lively and sincere gratitude for the blessings it bestows upon him. Gratitude unifies the mind of man with the intelligence of Substance, so that man's thoughts are received by the Formless. Man can remain upon the creative plane only by uniting himself with the Formless Intelligence through a deep and continuous feeling of gratitude.

Man must form a clear and definite mental image of the things he wishes to have, to do, or to become; and he must hold this mental image in his thoughts, while being deeply grateful to the Supreme that all his desires are granted to him. The man who wishes to get rich must spend his leisure hours in contemplating his Vision, and in earnest thanksgiving that the reality is being given to him. Too much stress cannot be laid on the importance of frequent contemplation of the mental image, coupled with unwavering faith and devout gratitude. This is the process by which the impression is given to the Formless, and the creative forces set in motion.

The creative energy works through the established channels of natural growth, and of the industrial and social order. All that is included in his mental image will surely be brought to the man who follows the instructions given above, and whose faith does not waver. What he wants will come to him through the ways of established trade and commerce. In order to receive his own when it shall come to him, man must be active; and this activity can only consist in more than filling his present place. He must keep in mind the Purpose to get rich through the realization of his mental image. And he must do, every day, all that can be done that day, taking care to do each act in a successful manner. He must give to every man a use value in excess of the cash value he receives, so that each transaction makes for more life; and he must so hold the Advancing Thought that the impression of increase will be communicated to all with whom he comes in contact.

The men and women who practice the foregoing instructions will certainly get rich; and the riches they receive will be in exact proportion to the definiteness of their vision, the fixity of their purpose, the steadiness of their faith, and the depth of their gratitude.

-Wallace D. Wattles, "The Science of Getting Rich"

Runaround

I was so busy doing my driving errands today that I have not done any work.

Oh, well. Guess, I'll wake up early tomorrow to catch up.

Anyway, it will be a particularly busy week ahead. But it will be lucrative one. I can feel it.

Choir went well yesterday and I finally brought Sophie to church. After the mass, a particularly long practice session followed and I was particularly exhausted.

Modest as it may seem, Nico's birthday party went well. At least the food was abundant.

Here's to a good week ahead.

Dear Nico,

One more year has passed. And we have experienced more milestones together.

You just started school this year.

You have grown a lot both physically and emotionally.

We already have meaningful conversations. And I'm truly grateful for all of these.

I hope to experience many more milestones with you in the years to come.

I wish you good health. And I wish you all the best things that life has to offer.

I wish for your development to your full potential.

And above all, I only wish for your happiness in all senses.

Know that I will always be with you and we love you very much. And know that we will always be here for you no matter what.

Happy Birthday, Nico! Daddy and Bea love you very much.

Love,
Daddy

Suicide not homicide... allegedly

Police are now saying suicide and not homicide.

Said this report:

Police on Tuesday said that probers now have more concrete evidence that a lawyer-critic of the late actor and presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. who reportedly committed suicide in Pasig City recently, ABS-CBN News reported.

Authorities based their statement on the autopsy report released Tuesday that indicated fingerprints found on the knife and box cutter used in Jeanette Tecson's death belonged to the victim.

The lawyer was found dead inside one of the rooms of a hotel on San Miguel Avenue in Ortigas Center on Saturday.

Before her body was discovered over the weekend, the hotel's security camera caught Tecson entering her room after checking in at the lobby on Wednesday last week.

She was seen leaving the room a few hours later with a plastic bag.

Hotel staff said she stayed inside the room for two days before her body was found.

The lawyer had three slashes on the wrist, three on the neck and a superficial stomach wound.

Police Scene of Crime Operations office said that such instances happen when victims were brave enough to kill themselves. The SOCO also cited another case it handled wherein the victim stabbed his neck with the use of a bolo.

In Tecson’s case, police said the victim probably wanted an instant death when she slashed her wrist but decided to inflict more wounds to speed up the process.

All the evidence, including the lipstick mark on the duct tape and the fingerprint exam result, supported the police’s theory of suicide. Police added that Tecson also sent suicide messages through her cell phone.

Probers, however, have yet to close the investigation and are not discounting the possibility of homicide.

Tecson was known for being one of the lawyers who blocked Poe's candidacy during the 2004 presidential election.

She was also the legal counsel and spokeswoman of the pre-need firm Pacific Plans in 2005 when the company was sued for failing to fulfill its obligation to plan holders.

A doctor-client merely remarked: "The very though of slashing one's wrist to kill oneself is enough to make people faint." But the police said there are people brave enough to kill themselves. Brave enough to face death than face life. Go figure.

Either she's so brave or something else.... But let's leave the investigation to the police. There's not much to be heard from the family, though.

Nothing at all...

When you say nothing at all
(Alison Krauss)

It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don’t say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old mr. webster could never define
What’s being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

Falling into place

With the addition of a seasoned litigator in our team, I feel our firm is already complete as it is and we can handle almost anything.

Any more addition will only add to our capabilities. And building more capability will only mean more work for us.

We believe that if we build our organization, clients and opportunities will come. It does not work the other way around. For to do otherwise signifies an attitude of lack. And that attitude, feeling and thought of lack will only attract more lack.

So building big will only attract big things. And true enough, big things are already on their way.

Our plan is ambitious, yes, by we will get there. We our focussed and we are driven.

Our motto is simple: Happy lawyers mean happy clients. Happy clients mean happy bank accounts. Therefore, happy lawyers mean happy bank accounts.

And more of all, we all know the secret. We are guided by The Law of Attraction, our faith and our gratitude for that is coming.

Endgame

I was really busy today, with appointments in Ortigas, Makati and Quezon City.

I was also on an important mission for a client which does not end until this week.

But I was aware of what happened today. And I can see more resignations coming.

And these resignations may go all the way.

Let's continue to be vigilant and attract what is good for our country.

I know whatever happens it will be all for the better.

It may be the endgame for them, but it will be the beginning of something good for the country.

I believe that will happen sooner than later.

Why don't we all believe this way so we can attract it and make it happen?

Punzi's Corner Blog

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Tuesday, October 30, 2007"));

Unexpected Working Conditions

Monday, October 29, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Monday, October 29, 2007"));

Unexpected work

Saturday, October 27, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Saturday, October 27, 2007"));

Another milestone

Friday, October 26, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Friday, October 26, 2007"));

Blog Lecture No. 80: Pardon and Amnesty

Thursday, October 25, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Thursday, October 25, 2007"));

Pardon me, Pardon you...

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Tuesday, October 23, 2007"));

Doubly Busy

Sunday, October 21, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Sunday, October 21, 2007"));

Immersed

Saturday, October 20, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Saturday, October 20, 2007"));

HD World

Thursday, October 18, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Thursday, October 18, 2007"));

Relatively light

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Tuesday, October 16, 2007"));

Well, what do you know?

Sunday, October 14, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Sunday, October 14, 2007"));

Heaven knows...

Saturday, October 13, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Saturday, October 13, 2007"));

What if...

Friday, October 12, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Friday, October 12, 2007"));

The Best President the US never had...

Thursday, October 11, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Thursday, October 11, 2007"));

Textitis

Tuesday, October 09, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Tuesday, October 09, 2007"));

Visualization Aid

Monday, October 08, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Monday, October 08, 2007"));

The Science of Getting Rich

Sunday, October 07, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Sunday, October 07, 2007"));

Runaround

Saturday, October 06, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Saturday, October 06, 2007"));

Dear Nico,

Thursday, October 04, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Thursday, October 04, 2007"));

Suicide not homicide... allegedly

Nothing at all...

Tuesday, October 02, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Tuesday, October 02, 2007"));

Falling into place

Monday, October 01, 2007 This day in history from: document.write(WikiOnThisDay("Monday, October 01, 2007"));

Endgame

Contributors

My Other Blogs

Side Prayers

Side Oath

Side Chatter

Previously...

The Dustbin

Tagontheside

Blog Lectures

Side Blog Roll

Shameless Sideplugs

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