On the Relative Statesmanship of Senator Lito Lapid

Search Google News for "Lito Lapid & Hayden Kho", and you get no hits indicating any outbursts of righteous fulminating from the Senator from Pampanga over the sex tapes. As far as I can tell, he has not released any public statement, delivered any privileged speeches, or uttered any thoughts on the matter. It could be that he is judiciously reserving public judgment on the matter until the time comes for him to speak up in the context of his duties as a Senator of the Philippines, which is good for him and us. It could also be that he does not give a damn about the sex tapes, which is also good for him and us.

DUTIES ON IMPORTED BOOKS LIFTED!! Sweetness.

Not a few minutes ago (and it is 4:30am now), I was roused from sleep by an insistent knocking at my door. I shouted from bed, "Sino yan?", and the voice of what I sensed was an old crone started muttering from behind the door what sounded like "car..car..". Naturally, this did not spur me to jump out of bed and open the door. Instead, I remained in repose until I awoke for real. For good measure, I did shout out again, "Sino iyan?" This time, there was no reply.

I was about to fall back asleep, but decided to check in on my e-mail for just a moment. And I ended up reading this article from The Philippine Star. The one entitled "Taxes on Book Imports Lifted."

Thank you old crone. And thanks for the thousands who made it possible.

Film Extra From Batman & Robin Makes Eloquent Argument vs. Waterboarding

Via The Daily Beast. I can't think of a more persuasive argument out there in pop culture land against waterboarding.

The Book Blockade: Effectively Focusing Targets

I was snapped out of my Zen state (I had been on vacation and recently returned from abroad) upon seeing yesterday's Philippine Daily Inquirer front page, it leading with the Hayden Kho story. The Inquirer, as well as your other local daily newspapers, has not given the same level of coverage to the outrageous and illegal imposition of customs duties on books imported to the Philippines. Sex sells, of course, and it is the misfortune of book lovers of the Philippines that Dr. Kho did not film himself having sex with an imported book. Thus, here we have another trivial matter with our cause, competing for newspaper space and the attention of the members of Congress. We don't yet have our own Nate Silver to assess the comparative quantitative impact of the Hayden Kho story with the Book Blockade, though perhaps the number of followers in the respective Facebook causes may provide an idea of the level of outrage, at least in the Filipino online community.

What next steps should be taken in connection with the Book Blockade Crusade? As Manolo Quezon points out, some members of Congress, newspapers, and even a few government officials have spoken out, virtually unanimous in condemnation (except this guy). Yet despite the acquisition of mainstream cred, the outrage has yet to translate into positive results. Obviously, the Department of Finance remains intransigent.

The problem, I fear, is that it has yet to be acutely demonstrated to the people behind the policy or in a position to reverse the same, that their self-interest will be damaged; their hopes and dreams wrecked, should they persist. Fortunately, there are ways to inflict pain and damage on people who are in a position to do something, and who have definite plans for the future which hinge on the consent of the people. If these people and their interests are specifically targeted, there is a greater chance for the junking of the book import duties. For as long as we are not impaired by the proposed right-to-reply,

1) Finance Secretary Gary Teves. As anyone who saw the GMA 7 coverage of Pacquiao-Hatton very well knows, Mr. Teves is running for the Senate. It would not help his chances if a sufficiently outraged and organized sector, such as the Philippine reading community, would actively sabotage Mr. Teves's electoral career because he has aided and abetted the book blockade.

The advertisements against Mr. Teves virtually write themselves. Example # 1:

EXT. A backyard patio. Two housewives are hanging laundry. A child, around 8, is running around at a very high speed. Within sight of the two women, the child runs headfirst into a pole, falling flat on his back.

Woman#1: Mare, bakit ang tanga-tanga ng anak mo?

Woman#2: Hindi ko nga alam, pinapaliguan ko naman ng iodized salt araw-araw. Pero di bale na lang. Sabi naman ni Kuya Gary, hindi naman importante yang dunong na iyan. Basta maraming pera ang gobyerno, aalagaan naman tayo. Kaya sang-ayon si Kuya Gary sa pag-pataw ng buwis sa mga libro tulad ng pag-buwis ng suka. Para dumami ang pera ng gobyerno!

(The child sees a live electric wire adjacent to a sign that reads: “Panganib! Huwag hawakan!” The child reads the sign then touches the wire.)

Woman#2: (screaming) Rico!!!!

(Scene fades to black, then reveals a tall thin man at the center of the screen)

Gary V.: Ako si Gary Valenciano, ang Kuya Gary na may tunay na nag-aaruga sa inyong kapakanan. Ako ang Kuya Gary na naniniwala na ang karunungan ay masyadong mahalaga para patawan ng buwis, dahil sa edukasyon lamang tayong aangat bilang isang bansa. Ako ang Kuya Gary na naninindigan na ang sining at panitikan ay ang kaluluwa ng isang bayan, at hindi pupuwede itong patungan ng buwis tulad ng suka o silyang rattan. Tutulan ninyo ang mga huwad na Kuya Gary, ang mga Kuya Gary na walang pakialam sa kapakanan ng kabataan at ng sambayanan.

(Gary V. sings the chorus of Natutulog Ba ang Diyos while Woman #2 cradles Rico Pieta-style)

Example#2:

(INT. Fort Santiago, 29 December 1896. Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken are together in Rizal's damp dark cell for some quality time.)

Josephine: Joey, you seem irate.

Jose: Nanaginip ako Josephine, isang nakakakilabot na panaginip. Namuo nga ang isang malayang Pilipinas, ngunit ito ay pinamumunuan ng isang tribo ng barbaro, na walang paki-alam sa pag-babasa, na naniniwala ang aking Noli, El Fili, na wala silang saysay sa edukasyon. Sabi ito ng isang Estela Sales, alipores ng isang Gary Teves.

Josephine: Oh Joey, it was just a bad dream.

Jose: Anong kabuluhan sa pag-kitil ng aking buhay kung ganoon lang ang kahihinatnan ng aking minamahal na bayan. Wala.

(Rizal holds up a copy of the unfinished Mi Ultimo Adios and burns it with the flame in the gas lamp.)

(EXT. Fort Santiago courtyard. Rizal begins marching towards Bagumbayan. Josephine is with him)

Josephine: Oh Joey, do not let them shoot you in the back. Let the whole world know that you did not face death like a coward.

(EXT. Rizal at Bagumbayan, the firing squad preparing to fuego)

Rizal: (interior monologue) Matamis nga ba ang kamatayan kung ang aking pamana ay maiiwan para sa mga hindi makakakilala sa kahalagahan ng pagbasa? Mas masahol pa ang Gary Teves na iyan sa mga...

(gunshots. Rizal does not turn around to meet the volley. Instead, he falls flat on his face, in comical fashion but dead. The soldiers cheer, the band plays on)

You get the gist. Network TV will probably refuse to air these kinds of ads, but post them on YouTube, send around the link, and they may work their magic. Better, subtitle these ads, and send them around to the other finance ministers of Asia whom Mr. Teves had beat out as "Asia's Best Finance Minister" way back in January. Even if he loses in his bid for local electoral office, make this guy unemployable in the international finance community.

An organized campaign to defeat Gary Teves, if it gains traction, may not necessarily force him to change his mind on the duties. And the people who would be involved in the campaign will most likely not vote for him even if he reverses course. But if he were smart enough to become "Asia's Best Finance Minister", he should realize that he stands a better chance for election without an emotionally-charged group actively seeking his defeat. It is widely believed that the active efforts of the U.P. community helped thwart John Osmena's re-election bid in 2004 because of his irrational objection to modernizing the U.P. Charter. Mr. Teves does not need a similarly organic campaign against him.

2) Jose Mario Bunag, former Commissioner of Internal Revenue. This one is a bit of a stretch, since he is the former Commissioner. But during his tenure, now Finance Undersecretary Estela Sales was one of his Assistant Commissioners at the B.I.R. Sales of course has been the public face of villainy during this entire affair, going as far as to comment that novels are not educational. That Bunag would have someone like Sales as a deputy at the B.I.R. does not speak well of him.

Here's the catch. Bunag is currently a nominee for the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The Judicial and Bar Council will soon deliberate on the shortlist for the two vacant seats on the Supreme Court. Imagine if each of the 18,000+ members of the Facebook group against the book importation duties were to mail a letter to the JBC, objecting to Bunag's nomination because of his association with Sales. Question you may whether such association should disqualify him from the Supreme Court, but such action, I promise you, will partake the greatest public response ever before the Judicial and Bar Council against a Supreme Court nominee. It will be a force that Bunag could not ignore, and may very well impel him to make a phone call to Sales

There are of course many other means by which to effectively propagate the quest against the import duties. The beauty of a crusade in the name of creativity is that it will spur on creative, even novel ways of protest.

Proposing an Easy, Not Too Embarrassing Way Our for the Dept. of Finance on the Book Import Controversy

Copies of the controversial DOF Dept. Order No. 17-09 have emerged online, courtesy of Manolo Quezon (who credits Twitterer jtnord for scanning the same). Page 1 is here, while Page 2 is here. Manolo Quezon also provides a very useful Timeline and Readings, which better illuminate the factual background.

No surprises from the text of D.O. No. 17-09. As expected, it presumes that the Florence Agreement exempts only "educational, scientific and cultural materials" from import duties even though the text of the Agreement itself clearly exempts all printed books. D.O. No. 17-09 also assumes that Rep. Act No. 8047 only covers the tax-free importation of books Both premises are wrong. If any one of them is debunked in court, the custom duties on imported books will be invalidated as well. The Florence Agreement is clear-cut in itself, and its provisions alone should be sufficient to invalidate the duties. However, Republic Act No. 8047 provides for an equally potent basis for annulling the tariff. Under the Section 28(2), Article VI of the Constitution, the power of the President to impose tariffs and duties must be delegated by Congress, which has the constitutional authority to impose limitations on such power of the President. Republic Act No. 8047, by itself, restricts the President from imposing duties on books and could be enough to invalidate the duties.

Still, this need not go to court. Reading D.O. No. 17-09, as well as Section 105(s) of the Tariff and Customs Code, I think all the ingredients are there for the Department of Finance to back away from its position, with minimum embarrassment, and without having to cite pressure from the public or the blogosphere as basis for backing away from the D.O.

In all candor, the Florence Agreement is not a highlighted area of study in law school. I myself had forgotten all about it until this controversy emerged. It is apparent that the BDAP lawyers who drafted the 30 April 2009 letter to DOJ Secretary Gonzales were not familiar with the Agreement as well (otherwise, they would have cited it). The Agreement first came into the forefront on 3 May 2009, when Robin Hemley cited it in his Mcsweeney's article.

It is plausible to assume that the DOF had not read the text of the Florence Agreement when it drafted the Department Order in mid-April. That may seem damning to the layperson, but as I said, the Florence Agreement is hardly in the consciousness of the Filipino lawyer. What the DOF lawyers had most certainly read is Section 105(s) of the Tariff and Customs Code. The provision reads in part:

s. Economic, technical, vocational, scientific, philosophical, historical, and cultural books and/or publications: Provided, That those which may have already been imported but pending release by the Bureau of Customs at the effectivity of this Decree may still enjoy the privilege herein provided upon certification by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports that such imported books and/or publications are for economic, technical, vocational, scientific, philosophical, historical or cultural purposes or that the same are educational, scientific or cultural materials covered by the International Agreement on Importation of Educational Scientific and Cultural Materials signed by the President of the Philippines on August 2, 1952, or other agreements binding upon the Philippines.

Section 105(s) of the Tariff and Customs Code incorrectly presumes (whether knowingly or unknowingly) that the Florence Agreement only covers "educational, scientific or cultural materials" as exempt from import duties. It does this by capitalizing on the title of the Agreement, even if the text clearly states that all printed books are exempted. If the DOF (or any other lawyer for that matter) relies solely on the text of Section 105(s) of the TCC, without reading the text of the Florence Agreement itself, then it would conclude that imported books which are neither educational, scientific or cultural materials may be the subject of import duties. It is apparent from the new Department Order that it is from that framework that the DOF was coming from.

So, how could the DOF back away from its Department Order? By saying that it was misled by Section 105(s) of the TCC into thinking that it could generally impose duties on imported books; that upon reading the text of the Florence Agreement itself, it realized that virtually all imported printed books were exempt from import duties. It may be harder for the general public to swallow that the DOF had not read the Florence Agreement itself, but lawyers who themselves may be until recently unfamiliar with the Agreement would be more sympathetic. Besides, the language of Section 105(s) itself, deceptive as it is, appears to carry much of the blame for this controversy.

In one sense, the fact that this mess has barely penetrated the mainstream media has allowed some leeway for the DOF to back away from its position. For as long as the outrage has not yet reached critical mass, there would be time for the DOF to change its mind with minimum hassle and embarrassment on its part.

DOF Usec Sales -- Novels & Reading Books Are "Not Educational"

From today's Philippine Star story (finally, mainstream media attention) on the furor over customs duties on imported books:

But [Department of Finance Undersecretary Espele] Sales reportedly brushed off this argument, saying novels and reading books are “not educational.”

I don't care whether she meant in a legal sense or in a real sense -- as a public official she should know better how her words would play out in public. That statement embodies the endemic problem we are facing. The people in power presume we are not a reading society, or do not see the virtue of promoting reading among the Filipino people. Even worse, people in power like Sales are themselves culturally illiterate, and cannot see the connection between cultural literacy and our advancement as a society. With statements like these, it is easy to see why many of us have gone beyond seeing this as a legal issue. This is emerging as a moral issue with near equivalence to a battle of good versus evil. Simply put, do we want people who think and act like Sales in charge of our national policies, steering our destiny as a nation?

Undersecretary Sales's e-mail address is esales@dof.gov.ph.

Interestingly enough, I Googled "Espele Sales", and virtually all the hits that popped up pertained to this particular controversy. As if she had no life, no track record, no tangible accomplishments outside of the book importation brouhaha. Of course, because her name is Estela V. Sales. My bad.

New Rules Concerning Registering Title to Unregistered Lands

Heirs of Malabanan v. Republic was decided last April 29, and this case reexamined all the rules relating to the right to seek original registration of lands yet untitled under the Torrens system (i.e., alienable or disposable lands of the public domain). In particular, the Supreme Court established what are now the operative guidelines in seeking registration under Section 14(1) and (2) of the Property Registration Decree. These guidelines are summarized as follows:

(1) In connection with Section 14(1) of the Property Registration Decree, Section 48(b) of the Public Land Act recognizes and confirms that “those who by themselves or through their predecessors in interest have been in open, continuous, exclusive, and notorious possession and occupation of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain, under a bona fide claim of acquisition of ownership, since June 12, 1945” have acquired ownership of, and registrable title to, such lands based on the length and quality of their possession.

(a) Since Section 48(b) merely requires possession since 12 June 1945 and does not require that the lands should have been alienable and disposable during the entire period of possession, the possessor is entitled to secure judicial confirmation of his title thereto as soon as it is declared alienable and disposable, subject to the timeframe imposed by Section 47 of the Public Land Act.

(b) The right to register granted under Section 48(b) of the Public Land Act is further confirmed by Section 14(1) of the Property Registration Decree.

(2) In complying with Section 14(2) of the Property Registration Decree, consider that under the Civil Code, prescription is recognized as a mode of acquiring ownership of patrimonial property. However, public domain lands become only patrimonial property not only with a declaration that these are alienable or disposable. There must also be an express government manifestation that the property is already patrimonial or no longer retained for public service or the development of national wealth, under Article 422 of the Civil Code. And only when the property has become patrimonial can the prescriptive period for the acquisition of property of the public dominion begin to run.

(a) Patrimonial property is private property of the government. The person acquires ownership of patrimonial property by prescription under the Civil Code is entitled to secure registration thereof under Section 14(2) of the Property Registration Decree.

(b) There are two kinds of prescription by which patrimonial property may be acquired, one ordinary and other extraordinary. Under ordinary acquisitive prescription, a person acquires ownership of a patrimonial property through possession for at least ten (10) years, in good faith and with just title. Under extraordinary acquisitive prescription, a person’s uninterrupted adverse possession of patrimonial property for at least thirty (30) years, regardless of good faith or just title, ripens into ownership.

The decision recognized that in ruling that the declaration of alienability or disposability of public domain lands is insufficient to convert such property into patrimonial property, the right of registration under Section 14(2) has been significantly limited. At the same time, the decision called for legislation to remedy the problem, given the vast numbers of people who may be affected by the ruling.

There are two dissenting opinions, by Justices Brion and Chico-Nazario. They both focus on Section 14(1), which concerns the right of registration for persons able to establish possession of such lands since 12 June 1945 or earlier.

Will Henry Sy Ban 'Angels and Demons' from SM Cinemas

As he did with The Da Vinci Code? The reviews from Vatican City are out. "[M]ore than two hours of harmless entertainment, which hardly affects the genius and mystery of Christianity", says the official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. "This time, with 'Angels & Demons,' the church is on the side of the good guys.", the paper adds. I'm willing to bet though that SM will end up more popish than the Pope and ban A & D, if only out of reflex action.

Reflecting on the Finer Things

You never asked, but yes, this is my favorite among the many great vocal renditions of Ella Fitzgerald.

On How Corruption May Be Solved Through Repetitive Lyrics

Check out this great essay by Bibliophile Stalker, concerning the duties on imported books. He makes the salient point that the larger issue behind the controversy remains the endemic problem of corruption. It set me off on a thought.

Many government agencies impose requirements for career advancement, such as completion of training seminars or even the acquisition of an additional college degree. These requirements are generally no hurdle for your typical corrupt government employee. But what if career progression were made dependent on your joining the in-house evangelical or charismatic community, and more importantly, your faithful attendance in the weekly 4-hour long prayer meetings.

Chortle you may. "X is religious, but also exceedingly corrupt!" True, religious affiliation is no guarantee to personal morality. Yet give it some thought. This isn't your hour-long weekly mass which you can zen out with ease. It is four hours of sermonizing, singing, hand-waving, slaying, testifying, singing, sharing, love offering, singing. To the genuinely unfaithful bombarded with the easy-to-digest message that your true self has a well-worn Lazy Boy occupied by Satan, it is torture which cannot be dismissed offhand. 52 times in a year (not counting the holy days), and something should break eventually. Think of it as Poe's Tell-Tale Heart, but with lite-rock music and grade-school lyrics repeated again and again.

Of course this idea is unconstitutional and full of holes. Nonetheless, a half-baked solution is better than the current state of things.

No More Newly Imported Books in the Philippines; the Reason Why

(text of an e-mail I just composed)

This made me very very mad. You can help stop this outrage.

In the last few months, the importation of books into the Philippines has virtually stopped. (I've noticed it at Fully Booked) The reason why is explained in this McSweeney's article by Robin Hemley, a University of Iowa creative writing professor currently on a fellowship in the Philippines. If you have no time to read the article (and I suggest you do, and read his other dispatches as well), the essence is that because the Bureau of Customs has decided to impose duties on the importation of books into the Philippines.

This, despite the 1950 Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, scientific and Cultural Materials (which you can see here), which the Philippines ratified in 1979. The preamble of the agreement states: "Considering that the free exchange of ideas and knowledge and, in general, the widest possible dissemination of the diverse forms of self-expression used by civilizations are vitally important both for intellectual progress and international understanding, and consequently for the maintenance of world peace...", an indisputable proposition.

Towards that end, Article I(1)(a) of the Florence Agreement states:

"1. The contracting States undertake not to apply customs duties or other charges on, or in connection with, the importation of:

(a) Books, publications and documents, listed in Annex A to this Agreement;"

What does Annex A state?

"Annex A

Books, publications and documents

(i) Printed books. xxx"

Obviously, this new policy of the Bureau of Customs contravenes the Florence Agreement. More fundamentally, shunting aside the legalities, this is a tax on knowledge imposed by people who are not that smart. Only through intellectual progress can we have a fighting chance to succeed as a nation, and intellectual progress can only be possible in an atmosphere where information and ideas flow free and freely. And if you think that the problem will be cured by carving an exception for "educational books", then you are wrong. Ideas are not confined to textbooks -- they are steeped in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, pulp novels, and Mad Magazine. By no means, in 1887, would Noli me Tangere have been considered an "educational book", but it reeks of enlightenment and liberal ideas from which the reader can learn from. That is why the Florence Agreement is unequivocal in its prohibition of duties on books.

Please forward this or disseminate this in any way you can. In the name of reading.

UPDATE: Please read The Bibliophile Stalker's own take on the issue. He provides counterpoints to some of the factual statements in the McSweeney's article and on the practical impact of the duties, all of which are well worth considering.

I'd also like to add. With this issue, there has also been accompanying talk on how corruption may have motivated these customs duties. I think though that we should also consider, as a possible (if not more probable) factor, Republic Act No. 9335, passed in 2005. This law establishes a rewards and incentives system for employees fo the BIR and the Bureau of Customs if their bureaus exceed their respective revenue targets for the year. Certainly, this law highly motivates the BIR and the Customs personnel to increase revenue collections, and we have to be on the lookout that they do so without breaking the law.

Celebrity Tweets on Pacquiao-Hatton Fight (Updated)

There probably are more, but these are what I've found on Twitter so far. In chronological order:

Jalen Rose: @james_frinzi this will be toe to toe...so mk sure u don't miss the intros!...I'm taking Pacquiao...

Russell Brand: Ok. Sat next to @iamdiddy at the Hatton fight. It's an undercard bout and one of the boxers and Diddy just winked at each other. He's down.

Sean P. Diddy Combs: At fight with my new best friend @rustyrockets!!! The energy is at an alltime high!!! Wish yall were here!!! Let's go!!!!

Russell Brand: This place is alive with Hatton fans- a mighty English army- there is chanting I am going to encounter pressure to join in.

Mariah Carey: This is quite violent..

Russell Brand: Ok. Now Jay Z has turned up and the fella @iamdiddy was winking at DURING THE FIGHT has won. Hatton next. This is an unusual situation.

Jason Richardson: Who u got Pacquiao or Hatton? I'm going with the homie Pac

P. Diddy Combs: Who's gonna win the fight???? Pac man or Hatton??????

Travis Barker: PAC MAN IS PUNISHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! D A M N !!!!!

Russell Simmons: Lots of people here 2 knockdowns wowowowo. This is a fight

Mariah Carey: Woah

Mariah Carey: "I can't even know what to say"

Brian Viloria: He is out! Manny Pacquiao wins!!

J.E. Skeets: Pac!

Nazr Mohammed: Oh my goodness. Hatton just got knocked out cold. Hope he's ok. Crazy!!!!! Didn't even put his hands down 2 break his fall. Damn!!!!

Jason Richardson: Told u so?

Mariah Carey: Unbelieveable.

Lamar Odom: That was a quick fight.

Sean Combs: Now that's a fuckin knockout!!!!! Damn!!!!

Brian Viloria: Brits are shocked...almost to tears...Filipinos really excited...

Russell Brand: I don't think I'll attend boxing again- it makes me feel a bit sad. Endless love to dear Ricky, he's a beautiful bloke.

Kristie Lou Stout: "Unbelievable. Manny just destroyed him." Manny Pacquiao defeats Ricky Hatton in 2nd round TKO in Vegas: http://is.gd/wg2P #news

The Fat Boys: Pacqiao wins by KO in 2 seconds? That fight was shorter than Candyman's career LMFAO

Andy Roddick: pacquaio is nasty.... fun to watch

Bobby Phats: Did Hatton ever wake up??? That dude probably needs reconstructive chin surgery. Damn!

Bobby Phats: Word is...Ricky Hatton's camp just called the police on Pacquiao. They said that wasn't no damn fight...it was assault!! #pacquiao

HappySlip: Lost my voice after 2 rounds of yelling for Pacquiao!! Congrats to the Pacman!!!

Jessica Hardy: Pissed paquio won. Hatton hatton!!!

Bobby Phats: LOL I just keep watching this Hatton knockout over and over. That shit was brutal. Now, Mayweather needs to beat Marquez and it's on!!!

Brian Viloria: At the Pacquiao after party! Manny singing right now on stage...

In addition...

Steve Nash: Pacquiao is the best on the planet. Can we please have Floyd Mayweather Jr v Pacquiao?!

Steve Nash: Big love to all my Filipinos for the AMAZING PACMAN! Love how u support him. I wanna be an honorary Filipino! How do I earn my stripes?

Did a Department of Tourism Coffee Table Book Plagiarize Wikipedia?

Via The Coffee, reports that a new coffee table book published by PDP Digital and our own Department of Tourism may just have lifted entire passages verbatim without attribution from Wikipedia articles on individual provinces in the Philippines. You can read about it here. There may be a perception that Wikipedia articles enjoy no copyright protection. In fact, Wikipedia articles are copyrighted automatically under the Berne Convention and formally licensed to the public under a GNU Free Documentation License. Under this license, all previous authors of the work must be attributed.

This is the second instance of tasteless lifting from Wikipedia I've noticed this week. When Paraluman died last Monday, the ABS-CBN online report on her death stated, rather daftly, that she was a contemporary of both "Fernando Poe, Sr. and Marlene Dauden". I was bemused by that highly eccentric joinder of names and the somewhat skewed perspective, moreso since Paraluman and Dauden did not seem to have any notable connection. (FP Sr., on the other hand, supposedly gave Paraluman her screen name, and ABS-CBN cited Wikipedia in reporting that claim) True enough, Paraluman's Wikipedia entry at the time of her death did provide the Paraluman-Dauden framing device, which ABS-CBN should have ignored when it prepared its own report. (Speaking of skewed Wikipedia entries, Marlene Dauden's is a stunner)

Last year, I was reading an Inquirer opinion column on the founder of the U.P. College of Law, George Malcolm, whose Wikipedia article I created. I noticed that the sequence of biographical tidbits were highly familiar, and true enough, they were drawn from Malcolm's Wikipedia article. Nonetheless, Mr. Tan apparently strove with the aid of his thesaurus to rephrase the article's sentences, interjecting his own insights here and there, and I had no issue at all with the intellectual integrity of his column.