Biblical Sons

BEAM channel had an early Advent presentation on biblical history, from Abraham to Moses. What strikes one is that human frailties have been around since then, but of course. Abraham's son Isaac passed his birthright erroneously not to elder son Esau as he planned, but to his younger son Jacob in connivance with Isaac's wife. Then, intergenerationally, Jacob favored his young son Joseph among the brood of 12. Of course, the elder brothers ganged up on him.

Familial stories like these are still so familiar; hence the need for mediation.

Mas Erratic

Boulevard bullies are outraging each other. Now along comes Maserati maniac.
Power of money vs. Power of authority on a tenuous balance.

Mediation has seen the likes of these. Precisely, its purpose is to be the equalizer, perhaps on the street intersections, too.

Reasonable Love

Following the Desiderata, I watch and learn to what actors have to say on how they live their lives. Aubrey Miles, for instance, is a revelation. In a GMA News TV Power House episode, when asked by Kara David the secret of her stable relationship with Troy Montero, Aubrey attributed it to "reasonable love," not unconditional. What a realistic view from reel life!

Mediation, likewise, has to be grounded and based on doables, and not reaching for the stars!

Grand Scheme of Teens and Tots

GMA News TV featured today, Thanksgiving, a grandfather seeking to be united with the two minor children of his murdered son. The widow now under suspicion,  has gone into hiding, leaving her children with her parents. The latter have filed for the minors' custody, which they already enjoy but added guardianship over assets.

Any mediator  for this case?

Love's Ways not Wasted

The Daily Bread today featured "Love finds a Way." It cited a cartoon of an old man securely locked in his apartment, receiving a valentine card slipped under his door. Then, in the movie "The Brothers Karamazov," Alyosha, concerned with his brother Ivan' s cynicism, just kisses him and melts his heart.

Mediation could use these acts of humanity, and not the ax to grind!

Fairer Sex

As the song goes in the "Flower Drum Song," "I enjoy being a girl." Today's Inquirer's Motoring Section, was another boost to our gender.  First, the first female Ford, not a car but a scion just rolled out- Elena, really great, great granddaughter of Henry I. As Vice President for global dealer and consumer experience, she recently re-opened Ford Tacloban and inaugurated their new Alabang facility.

On the home front, Jeanette Ipapo-Tuason's " listed "Common driving mistakes we women make (and how to correct them)". Truly "chic driven" as is the title of her column!

That is admission of guilt and atonement. No road rage, here. A dream disputant in mediation!

Justice, not Charity

That is how beloved Pope Francis describes feeding the poor in his talk before the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

That should also be the mantra in mediation. Disputants are to receive and give each other fairness. However, no one is barred from giving more than is required. Better more, but never less. That would be bitter!

T'boli manners

 In providing cultural entertainment, T'bolis time them after dinner. Why? Because they "consider it bad manners to be eating while a performance is going on, since its core is always religious ritual."(Constancio C. Tejero's article on Lake Sebu in Sunday Inquirer, 23 November 2014) T'bolis put us to.shame.  First, they have long practised this basic courtesy which, until now, we lowlanders do not extend to our entertainers. Second, their religion permeates all aspects of their culture.

In mediation as in all other activities, those we consider inferior, backward, or different from us could sometimes surprise us pleasantly with a lesson or two. No type-casting, please.

Kind-red Spirit

Post script to the COPPS 15th anniversary celebration, we met a fellow advocate of judicial reform, or overhaul actually. Daisy Talion Arcilla Brett- Holt, retired school teacher from the Philippines, Nigeria and the UK, is the Chair of Worldwide Philippine Jury Initiative (UK) Ltd. With affiliates from the US, too, she spends her own money to spread information, interest and approval, and to translate these to about 7M signatures for a people's initiative on the jury system of justice. We have found a bigger Don Quixote than us, mediation advocates!

Policing the COPPS

Who guards the guardians? Thanks to proactivity, the Christian Officers of the Philippine Police Service (COPPS) has been training under the Ateneo's Center for Family Ministries
(CEFAM) on counseling their subordinates.  Mediators are also.being called in to settle disputes between cops and wives. In fact, we were invited to the COPPS 15th anniversary today. Prepare for ceasefire at home!

Shooting the Messenger

Evasiveness could be taught by Binay in post graduate school. Original copies of incriminating evidence have gone with the wind and dismissal of the case. Even persons of interest have gone into hiding but hopefully not into the next life. In their place have come forward claimnants to the contrary. If all else fails, absolve yourself by denials, no shows in fora and by fawning. Last resort, so far, is to claim others are doing it too. Shoot the whistle blower, hopefully again, only figuratively.

Mediators best follow the Binay bruha-ha for free lessons. Watch and learn!

Family Feud

Sometimes families play games that could lead to hunger, if not death.

Mediation seeks these conflict groups. Rules are revisited, or set if non-existent. So with human qualities that are supposed to have been in place, in the first place- honesty, fair play, compassion...  Like!

God's Positioning System

With all the scientific wonders today, it is still best to place our trust in Him Who never conks out, runs out of power and energy, and can be trusted all the time.

While not everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord can be believed, especially during these V.ery P.erilous times, mediators can more or less see who are really faith-full or just a fool.

No Singsong

DPWH Secretary Singson was a credible resource person on the Iloilo Convention Center. He talked sensibly, cool and was ready with the data on the design of the building. More so,
Secretary Singson offered to resign if proven that he got money from the construction.

Now, that is a dream person to deal with in mediation!

The Blocked Swan

The Daily Bread is not only inspirational, it is also informational. Last 13 November, for example, it mentioned that you do not feed swans on the lake because "if  the birds were fed once, they would become aggressive if they didn't get fed the next time."

At times, during mediation, you wonder how the conflict reached that point facing you. And how each side had contributed to that end.  Nip it in the bud!

Saint Paul the Mediator

Like a true Chrustian, Saint Paul followed the Great Mediator's example. He entreated Philemon to forgive the failings of Onesimus.

Mediators, how many Philemons have you reunited with Onesimuses?

Me jurada y juez

Manuel Mejorada is the latest whistleblower to face the Senate. He is also into the latest source of information- wikepedia with a dash of good old whispers.

Mediators are thus advised to check the sources of claims.

Interstellar Wars

In the movie Interstellar, before Cooper went with his crew on a space odyssey, he had terrestrial conflicts with his children's school administration, and with his daughter who did not want him to go. Then, in outermost space, he had disagreements that were literally out-of-this-world with his crew.

Mediation is earth-bound so far. Perhaps, on future space shuttles, a mediator should be on board.

Look At Another Angle

This was the big idea of the Big Hero 6 movie. It was when our little Hiro was upside down that he got to solve his scientific dilemma.

Mediators are likewise advised to seek the points of view from all sides, negotiate a happy and just balance toward a resolution acceptable to all.

African Territorial Disputes

This is one for a wild-animal whisperer. "Born to be Wild" featured an animal world war between a lioness and a hyena laughing, all the way to the bank- of the river. Animals imitating humans? Meerkats (not mere men) were likewise shown looking left and right before crossing the street!

Mediators prefer working with conflicted humans, who are hopefully humane.

Old (Check) Issues

Former Makati Vice Mayor Mercado pulled a Corona-esque revelation last hearing by showing Binay's several foreign bank accounts. All quiet on the VP front this time. No old issue lament, no denial. Otherwise, can PH claim it, especially if proven to be (not so) hidden wealth now? Check mate!, Dra. Binay.

Mediators should likewise be on the look-out for such breaks that shed light on the truth-gathering during sessions with disputants and their respective pieces of evidence.

Tiu and False

There are light moments in the Senate hearings on VP Binay. One such pun was spoken by Senator Cayetano as he related his banter with his staff- that Tiu is also false in this case.

In mediation, that cannot be true, pardon the pun we couldn't resist! True is true, and false is false, as in anywhere else, ideally.

Sewers and Cooks

That first word does not refer to waste, but to weavers of tales. The third word is not about the kitchen, but the propensity for plots. These characters were mentioned during the Senate  inquiry on Binay.

Mediators could likewise encounter these unsavory personalities. They could waste time and be hot-tempered in an effort to push through their hidden agenda. Watch out for them!

E Bola pala

The rumor that the dreaded disease has entered the "Philippine area of responsibility" is partially true. In fact, has been around ever since we have had elections. Binay is its poster boy. He pretends to be poor, denies allegations of corruption, and projects all his faults on his accusers, aside from threatening them. To his trusted minions belong his bank accounts.

Mediators should beware of the likes of B-inay!!! Ask for proof, documents or some other evidence, other than self-serving pronouncements, delaying tactics and too much protest.

Past Tense

That is the title of a coming local movie. How like the situation of disputants before mediation!  Afterwards, they can look forward to future peace of mind and with others.

Copy Catch

Copiers not of the xerox kind, were caught with Cobonpue carbon copies. Banking on the market for cheap buys, fakes have found a ready market, in fact, clients supposedly bringing designs for "execution" of the original.

Why don't fakers just apply as subcontractors for the copied, instead of being saboteurs?

John Wick's Weakness

Was late for a free movie for seniors, but on time for the gore around John Wick. Focused on my pizza slices instead, while looking at the bottom of the screen only. Self-censorship I've mastered. At the end, all John wanted was a pet dog.

Disputes come from a variety of sources- family, marriage, office, organization, church, community, or nation, as acknowledged and experienced by mediators.

When Binay Met Pnoy

When Philippine political titans are from opposing camps, expect conflict especially with elections slowly creeping in. So, it was an example of self-mediation when they met late one night. Mediation's poster boys!

Anti-Dami Law

Antonio Tiu is accused of being a dummy, for agreeing to front for V.ery P.rosperous (daw)  Binay who as paraphrased from his campaign ditty, is "gumaganda ang buhay."

There could be so much subterfuge in mediation. Layer upon layer of concealment is required to cover untruth.  Or as Senator Trillanes calls it, sewing stories together. It takes a  figurative lie detector test of questions to uncover inconsistecies.

Officialdamn

When the late public leader Emmanuel Pelaez was shot in an assasination attempt, he asked a military man what was happening to the Philippines? Now, we add, and its officials?  The president has done unconstitutional fund transfers, while the Vice President is accused of overpricing, unexplained wealth, and having a dummy (not for ventriloquism acts)! Senators are in jail for funding fake foundations for a fantastic fee. Justices and their decisions are also for sale.

When all are turning out untrustworthy, let mediation be the exception.