EDITORIAL
Mangudadatus were accompanied by the
It been two months since the Maguinadanao
Massacre, when on November 23, 2009, the
private army of the Ampatuans, a warlord
clan allied to Philippine President Gloria-
Macapagal Arroyo, massacred more than 60
men and women. Due to the crime‟s
violence, the gruesome event has not been
forgotten and remains deeply ingrained in
the minds of Filipinos as one of the most
barbaric, disgusting, revolting, sickening
and unbelievable crimes ever committed in
the Philippines. How can something like this
still happen in our generation?
To those who have been in hibernation
somewhere and have not heard of these
mass murders, here is a brief backgrounder.
On 23 November, Genalyn Mangudadatu,
Vice Mayor Eden Mangudadatu of
Mangudadatu town and Bai Farinna
Mangudadatu, the wife and two sisters of
Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu
went to the town of Ampatuan to register
him for the 2010 gubernatorial elections for
the province of Maguindanao in the Philip-
pines. Esmael Mangudadatu, who has so
many death threats on him, couldn‟t register
himself per sonally for fear of being killed.
(The local police and the army didn‟t grant
him the protection that was probably due
him.) The Mangudadatus thought that
women would not be harmed since they hold
a special place of respect in the Muslim
society so they let them register Esmael. For
additional protection, the three
two female lawyers of the family, Cynthia
OquendoAyon and Connie Brizuela, and
many others: family members, drivers and
supporters and, for safety, journalists and
their assistants. The Philippine Daily In-
quirer reports that Eden Mangudadatu was
heard to say, „”This is women power in
action. Let‟s help our men chart a better
future for the province.”
On their ways to the Commission on
Elections, about one hundred armed men
stopped the group on the highway. The
group and a number of motorists (who were
at the wrong place, at the wrong time) were
abducted, herded off to a more secluded
place, shot and buried by a backhoe in a
waiting mass grave! Note that the massacred
people were buried complete with their
vehicles! Shades of Nazi Germany
extermination of the Jews, don‟t you think?
It‟s that the armed men were from the
private militia of powerful political clan
figure Andal Ampatuan, Jr., who was also
supposed to run in the gubernatorial
election. Ampatuan has since been charged
with murder.
The crime is now being called the
Maguindanao Massacre. Sixty-four bodies
have been found so far, and most of them
have been identified. The massacre is being
reported as the largest-scale killing of
journalists in history with thirty-four deaths.
It was
extremely vicious.
What was ironic is that this came just two
days before the International Day to
Eliminate Violence Against Women. The
Maguindanao Massacre included at least
twenty-two women who were killed.
Reports are that most if not all of them were
maybe raped and/or sexually mutilated. Philippine national government must step in
Justice Minister Agnes Devanadera says: and enforce the law since the local police
“Even the private parts of the women were may be vulnerable to pressure by the
shot at. It was horrible. It was not done to powerful political families in the province,
just one. It was done practically to all the so may not likely be capable of conducting
women. The zippers of their pants were all an impartial probe on the matter.
undone. We have yet to determine whether In the meantime, the best thing we can do is
they were raped. But it is certain that pray for all those who were killed; and for
something bad was done tothem.” It is really their families and friends who are surely still
so unthinkable! This is an outrage,” CHR reeling for the loss of their loved ones. We
Chair-person Leila De Lima said, reacting to must also pray that justice will be served,
the initial stream of reports to reach the sooner or later, but hopefully sooner.
CHR Central Office in Manila. “Imagine... it
was not enough that they were unarmed, but
they had to behead women?” A visibly
NCST HOLDS FIRST
disturbed and upset DeLima continued, “CAVITE CLASH OF
“What kind of nimals are these killers?”
THE INTELLECTS ‘09″
The Arroyo government declared martial
law in the province of Maguindanao for one
week last December to supposedly run after
the Ampatuans and their private army. The
government also has since apprehended
Datu Unsay Mayor Andal U. Ampatuan, Jr.,
who is now facing 41 counts of multiple
murders before the sala of Judge Jocelyn
Solis-Reyes.

Other cases against him and his other

supposed cohorts are still at the Cotabato
regional trial court, which has jurisdiction
over the election-related massacre of 57
individuals in Ampatuan town in
Maguindanao province. However, it remains
to be seen if the he and the perpetrators will
be put to justice.
A swift and impartial investigation of the
Maguindanao Massacre must now be NCST - As part the four-day celebration of
conducted and the perpetrators of this its 11th Foundation, with the theme “NCST:
heinous crime must be charged and World-Class Excellence, Leaving No One
punished. The full force of the law must be Behind, Hindi Nang-iiwan, Hindi
made to bear on the killers. President Gloria Nagpapaiwan,” the National College of
Macapagal Arroyo must not let her political Science and Technology, headed by the
association with the Ampatuan family stand Education, Arts and Sciences Department,
in the ways of a speedy and impartial held the first “Cavite Clash of the Intellects
investigation into the incident. The ‟09″ on October 8, 2009 at the NCST
Activity Center. Participated by senior
students from various schools in Cavite, the
contest covered the following subjects: Ezenrix sa bahay pagasa
highschool mathematics, natural sciences,
Philippine history, geography, society and
culture, general information, English and
Filipino languages, literature and current
events.

Such inter-highschool quiz competition is

part of the continued effort of the school to
establish a good partnership with its feeder
schools and to promote academic excellence
in all general subjects such as Mathematics,
Languages and Literature, Social Sciences
and Natural Sciences through healthy
competition among highschools in Cavite.
“Sana ang quiz bee na ito ay maging daan
hindi lamang para maipakita ang kagalingan
ng mga estudyante kundi maging daan para
magkaroon ng mga bagong kaibigan,” said
by Mr. Emerson B. Atanacio, NCST
President and Chief Executive Officer as he
welcomed the participating schools.
After the easy, average and difficult rounds,
the Child Development and Guidance
Center represented by Kiane Timothy
Ricasa and Carmina Virata with coach Mr.
Eric Arcon emerged as the champion. On
the other hand, Richard James Reyes, and
Keith Lynyrd Honrade with coach Mr.
Joselito Amparado of Holy Child Jesus
Montessori School of Dasmarinas, Inc. got
the first place while Tristan Estepa and
Daniel Billones with coach Ms. Marilyn
Nazzarea got the second place. All winners
received trophies, plaques and scholarship
grants.
Noong nakaraang taon ay napagpasyahan ng
mga mgaaral ng ikaapat na antas ng
sekondarya sa pamamahala ni gurong Lourie
na pumunta sa bahay pagibig at pagasa na
matatagpuan sa Imus Cavite. Doon ay
namigay ang Ezentrix ng mga pangunahing
pangangailangan ng mga matanda na tila
inabandunahan n ng kanilang pamilya tulad
ng noodles, adult diapers, sabon at iba pa.
Nagbigay din ng kaunting kasiyahan ang
Ezentrix sa pamamagitan ng isang maliit n
patimpalak para maaliw at malimutan ang
kalungkutan ng nasabing matatanda. Doon
din ay naghanda nang maliit na salu-salo
ang mga magaaral. Nang matapos ang
nasabing outreach program ay malungkot n
nagpaalam ang mga magaaral sa mga lolo at
lola nang nasabing institusyon at nangakong
babalik sila muli.
The real Spirit of Christmas haunts
Ezentrix
Sa huling pasko ng Ezentrix sa paaralang
CDGC ay masasabi ko n pinaka Masaya sa
lahat ng nagging pasko naming lhat dahil
mas naging makabuluhan ito kung
maihahabing sa mga nakaraang pasko
naming dito sa paaralang ito. Una dahil
marami kming natulungan. Ang mga lolo at
lola at lola natin sa Bahy pagibig at pagasa.
APngalawa nag mga kaus palad natin mga
kabaataan sa tagaytay na naghahanap ng
kalinga ng isang tubay n pamilya at ang
pang huli ay ang pagbibigay ng isang maliit
na party mga magaaral ng kindergarden sa
binakayan elementary school. Masaya din
ang pasko naming dahil naranasan ko ulit
ang caroling sa mga bahaybahay na di ko
ginagawa noong bata pa ako. Masaya din
ang naging Christmas Party naming dahil
ginanap ito sa tagaytay at nakuha ko pa nag
minimithi kong laruan na transformers. Sa
Kasamaang palad ito din ang unang pasko n
kulang an gaming klasa dhil nagkasakit ang
dalawa naming kakalase at ang isa naman ay
di parin malapit ang loob sa aming samahan.
Ngunit khit dumaan ang bakasyon ay
magkakasaman parin kmi s mg maliliit
naming gimik at halatang nilulubos naming
ang natitirang araw ng ezentrix bilang
magkakaklase. Ano alam mo n ba kung ang
multong humahabol sa Ezenrix?
Ignite with God
Last sunday, I attended a Christian concert
held at baying luma Imus cavite. This event
is a beneficial concert and its funds will be
used for different projects in the future. The
boring concert that I thought is something
far more amazing. The Christian society
made many moves to encourage the youth
to made their lives more meaningful. From
rock bands to hiphop songs in religious
lyrics is one way to show that worship is not
boring but cool. The most memorable part
of the said concert is the open forum held
by a youth leader with tackles his own
experiences and shows us that we can still
change for the better, life is something
worth protecting and there are millions of
youth who are in help not only physically
but spriritually. Be on fire, ignite your heart
to God!