Friday, May 2, 2008

D.E.C.E.I.T.

All warfare is based on deception.
-Sun Tzu, The Art of War

You all might be wondering why I'm starting off with a quote from someone far removed from Biblical reference.

Let me just say that things will make more sense as we go along.

Follow me now, not forward, but back several days to April 16, as I read, with chagrin and gritted teeth, that first ABS-CBN article. My heart dropped as the reporter described 4 documents they had obtained, that supposedly chastised (our dear friend Frank sure loves that word) CFC over GK. I wondered how they were able to get their hands on CFC's internal documents, and I have to admit, the first thoughts in my mind weren't pretty.

The reluctant star of that article was a letter dated March 11, from the Vatican's Cardinal Rylko addressed to Joe Tale, since it was the source of several quotes. In fact, of the 4 documents that ABS-CBN supposedly had, it was the only one that ABS made available on their downloads page.

But the article failed to disclose the actual context in which those letters were sent (A conjecture: Possibly because they didn't even bother asking anyone in the CFC leadership about it, choosing instead to interview someone not in the IC anymore, Tony Meloto). That the March 11 letter was just one in a series of communiques (a dialogue) between the IC and the Vatican.

So that article came out on April 16. As early as April 13, 4 letters, including the March 11 one ,were already being circulated in the FFL community. Frank outright denies having a copy of this letter in his April 30 email blast, saying instead it came from the IC supposedly "as they tried to downplay" the article. Now that makes no sense since ABS had it as a download when the article came out. How can you reveal what has already been revealed, complete with yellow highlighting on the important phrases, I might add.

So, who then supplied these letters to ABS, and even more importantly, who stood the most to gain from the supposed controversy it would cause? (That backfired, btw.)

Lets take a look at the ABS-CBN copy:

























Now the version being circulated in the FFL emails:

























The original document from the CFC Home office:

























Do you notice anything different?

Try the second paragraph.

Let me type it out for you, since I'm in a generous typing mood. The 2nd paragraph of both the ABS copy and the FFL emailed version reads like this:

In describing the facts, you admitted that in this difficult period lived by the association Couples for Christ, there have been mistakes. It was also important that you have realized that much scandal to correct this. In this regard, it is important that you follow the recommendations that the ecclesiastical authorities have indicated.

Did I get that right?

Now the text from the same paragraph in the Center's copy:
In describing the facts, you admitted that in this difficult period lived by the association Couples for Christ, there have been mistakes. It was also important that you have realized that much scandal and confusion is being provoked by the fact that Couples for Christ received funds from pharmaceutical firms producing contraceptives. We appreciated the explanation on your part and your sincere willingness to correct this. In this regard, it is important that you follow the recommendations that the ecclesiastical authorities have indicated.
Hightlights mine.

The underlined sentence is completely missing from the other versions.

The sentence in bold sure means a LOT.

It's amazing how a single sentence can change the tone of a missive. Equally amazing is how its omission can give certain parties fuel for their rants.

I ask again, who stands to gain the most from the clever editing of an official letter from the Vatican?

Oh and by the way, the tampering and altering of an original work and claiming it as the original is called forgery.

It is also morally wrong and reprehensible.

Calling ABS-CBN and Miss Carmela Fonbuena: PLEASE CHECK YOUR SOURCES. The last time a news agency went to press using forged sources, someone huge in the industry lost his job.

I end this entry with another quote from Sun Tzu. Not that I'm an adherent, but because sometimes we have to look at history from time to time and learn from it.


"Every battle is won before it takes place"



54 comments:

Anonymous said...

CD, it looks like we have a legitimate case against the ABS-CBN reporter. For justice sake perhaps some moves should be done to address the deception involved here.

The Round-Eyed Toddler

estelito.iii said...

*jaw drops*

i'm definitely going to be praying for everyone to exercise restraint and love with these new developments.

looking at all three pictures, it seems there may be a chance that it was folded neatly to remove the critical sentence. and looking at it now the resulting paragraph makes a very tiny sense.. quoting: "It was also important that you have realized that much scandal to correct this"(CD, i think the one in the post is not the same as the picture in the ffl and abscbn's copy)

God bless CFC and FFL!

estelito.iii said...

@roundeyedtoddler: i think we can start by doing what's stated below the article:

Text back your reaction to this article using your
Globe, Touch Mobile, Smart, Talk n' Text, Sun and Addict, cellphone bysending REACT to 2366 or send an email to newsfeedback@abs-cbn.com
Please refrain from offensive language, slanderous statements
and commercial messages.


Maybe we can have the D.E.C.E.I.T article turned into email and blast the email address above to start the ball rolling (and while waiting for a reply from the earlier letter the IC sent to abscbnnews.com)

just suggestions though...

Anonymous said...

CD:

WOW! Thank you for highlighting the DECEIPT. May I say, KAPALMUKS here?

I don't think you correctly typed the corrupted version of the 2nd paragraph that came from FFL and ABS-CBN. When I first read the downloaded version from ABS-CBN, the last time, I already suspected some "splicing" when this sentence did not make sence, although I thought perhaps Vatican had a different English nuance or grammar. CD this is the version that I said you have not correctly typed:

"It was also important that you have realized that much scandal to correct this."

TWO (2) FULL LINES WERE OMMITTED after the word "scandal" and before the phrase "to correct this"!!! Let them burn, brother.


CD, quickly, can you please post here a teaching guide on how to react to this? It is really mind-boggling and earth-shaking, and lest we sin in thought, word, and action, paki-post nga, Brother or whoever, I mean what is the proper CFC attitude towards this... Yun bang gusto mo na sanang batokan pero mayroong teaching na huwag, ano nga 'yon? Wala kasi akong maala-ala kaagad na proper posture or attitude towards this. So, HELP, I am being transformed into a murderer mentally now!!!

Anonymous said...

What's new with this? Lagi naman s'yang(FP) ganito. O, di ba? May devil-devil at pa enemy-enemy pa sya. Abangan na lang natin ang susunod pa n'yang gagawin.

WillyJ said...

CD,

Curiously enough, the first question that popped into my mind when I saw Cardinal
Rylko's letter was: Is the letter authentic? As the lie is now out in the open (I have
to commend your Sherlock Holmes-like sleuthing abilities here), the abscbnNews story is now exposed not only as a slanted spin but a gross and deliberate distortion of truth based on a
maliciously tampered source. On hindsight, it offends more not the intended target (us),
but the innocent and unsuspecting observer who is led into error in thought and action.
The perpetrators of this dastardly act has more to answer to FFL followers more than anyone else. Try thinking in terms of deliberately leading your children into serious error, and that would be the reverse of all things I have learned so far in CFC. All I can say is let us pray for the conversion of those people responsible, whose talents should have been directed for His greater Glory, but has sadly veered away - so far, far away.

MeMeMe said...

sad sad sad

Anonymous said...

Brother Frank Padilla, ngayong nanawagan ka na sa tulong at panalangin ni Mama Mary, nagiging totoo yung isang sinabi dito na gagawin mo 'yon ngunit wala kang mapagtaguan sa mga malupit at masakit na ulan ng anumang pagbabatikos sa iyo, for "weaving untruths and half-truths towards a Vatican sanction."

May you be in good health physically and more specially mentally to withstand and understand the situation...you may now stack the sandbags....'kya lang, this will be a short siege. (Suggestion lang, FP, kasi yung "military options" mo in a siege situation dapat malinaw. Ewan, CD baka may advise din dito si Sun Tzu that will help FP cope...)

Brother Deo, if you won't mind, baka puede kang mag-lead ng rescue mission for the FFL na madadamay sa pagputok ng malaki pang mga ammos. I sense kasi na susunod sa free-for-all ang rival media groups, kasabay seguro yung galit sa media moguls, etc. Kausapin kaya yung mi-hawak ng "trumpets" nila baka puedeng i-blare na to lead the lost and/or misinformed brethren back to the original CFC fold - yung gusto lang kasi baka naman may ibang evangelistic mission talaga ang FFL.

Let us also prepare our minds and hearts for deep empathy and love of lost brethren. GOD HAVE MERCY.

Anonymous said...

Alam mo CD, I will not be surprised anymore if one day FFL will say that it is CFC that added words from the letter of Cardinal Rylko.

Ano sa tingin niyo mga kapatids.

Edwin Cruz
Central C

Anonymous said...

Has it gotten this serious that some of us will try to forge documents and peddle them as facts?

I don’t mind personal biases because everyone is entitled to their opinion but to use tactics to push an agenda... it sounds like politics and we have forgotten our true mission.

Let us learn from this experience and be thankful that there are people willing to stand up and challenges us to see thru such illusion.

Present this facts to any Philippine news agency (Philstar)... they will have a field day on ABS.

And let us continue with our commission.

Anonymous said...

"For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light." -Luke 7:18

Anonymous said...

One of the saddest days. This is just so wrong. Unbelievable! This smells of desperation. Not to mention that this probably constitute a criminal act. To go this low is just plain wrong. We can disagree all we want, but my goodness, don't do this. Not like this.

Jacobo Pumaling, Northeast, GK Advocate

FortesInFide said...

CD,

I don't mean to throw cold water in an already very hot situation here.

But I would tend to agree with estelito.iii about the paper being folded where it has been.

I can definitely believe that the ABS-CBN copy was from the FFL because it is an exact copy, missing words and all.

However, deliberate tampering of an official letter and from the Vatican at that!

This is a very, very SERIOUS charge and I can't believe Frank Padilla nor the FFL would stoop to such level.

Is it also possible that this could have been unintentional?

Not that I am giving them any ideas, but for their sake, I really hope it is.

Fortes In Fide

Anonymous said...

"...there are people willing to stand up and challenges us to see thru such illusion."

AGREE: And there were other illusions by Padilla, among them:

- of "restoring" an original CFC;
- of making CFC thrust global by separating it from LNP
- of an exclusive authority to dispense with CFC charism
- of washing away CFC collective sin by his "spiritual" resignation.

These and other illusions may "not fool the people all the time."

Their days are now numbered.

Anonymous said...

has anyone read the latest from ffl? it has a letter from cardinal rylko dated april 3, which definitely talks about one cfc... but i also noticed one of the attachment that they sent is the fake one... should we call it fake or snowpake?

so frank este the ffl este the easter group is passing on the article that has been altered....

ay peke

Anonymous said...

hello we have all become soco este imberstigador. eto ang aking napuna sabi ni rylko kay bishop gabby, na may copy siyang ibigay, so alin ang copy na binigay???
hello vatican, alin ang galing sa inyo? yung putol o yung buo?
yun buo? e saan galing yun putol?

sino ang nagbigay ng copy sa abscbn? may tawag dyan....

hello carmela naku nakuryente ka!

Anonymous said...

The FFL copy was cropped and dragged up to omit two lines in the original letter addressed to Bro. Joe Tale. And quite poorly at that. (This can easily be done using a simple picture editor software such as Microsoft Paint.)

Looking at the tampered document more closely, there appears to be two dots after "mistakes" which is the last word in the first sentence of the shortened paragraph. These two "points" are in fact the tails of two lower case 'p' letters directly above the letters "po" in the word "important" which is two lines down in the genuine document below the word "appreciated".

Also the crop line clipped the lower portion of the letters in the second sentence of the shortened paragraph of the FFL version while the tails of lower case letters present in the real document can be plainly seen just below this crop line. Check out the p's and y's and especially the g which are in the original document.

The lid of this deception should be blown wide open. Send it to ABS-CBN. Blog their (ABS-CBN) survey about it. Make it known to the clergy. Let our FFL brethren be informed.

Anonymous said...

hi Brother fortes,

We surely miss your sharing. Please continue to pray for all of us and we are hopeful to hear from you again.

see you in my prayers,
sleepless in NJ

Anonymous said...

ooooh... and the plot thickens!
nice work, CD

FortesInFide said...

Okay THAT'S IT!

I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt because I can't really believe that a supposed MAN OF GOD and a supposed "restored" CFC could do such a thing.

I thought that it could be possible that the "folding" of the paper was unintentional, but come to think of it now, it would be VERY UNLIKELY that a paper would be neatly folded 2 lines deep while being scanned or faxed.

It is very clear NOW that this document has been INTENTIONALLY tampered with.

Even if they will contend that the missing lines do not have such a big impact (for them), this is just totally outrageous.

The whole membership of FFL must know about this definitely UNACCEPTABLE behavior of their leader(s).

Fortes In Fide

Anonymous said...

CD I dont think this document has been tampered with. I think that the paper from which it was scanned have been folded that is why the 2 lines are not showing. Remarkably when you added the last word from the beginning of the third line it made sense.

Anonymous said...

IT was FOLDED intentionally. A person with sound mind cannot perfectly put it in flatbed scanner (manual) without folding it twice.

First fold was to clipped the next line after scandal up to the next two succeeding lines then fold again (the second fold) to connect the line that started "THE CORRECT THIS".

TRY TO PRINT THE ORIGINAL, FOLD IT yourself and DISCOVER yourself IF it's INTENTIONAL or NOT.

Pasgkatapos gawin nyong Tabanog Hahahahaha.

Anonymous said...

I tried to edit the original using MS Paint, it takes less than 10sec to do it.

Folding it is OBVIOUS. SOmeone used HI TECH, computer graphic program.

CFC only.

Anonymous said...

Si Jesus, nong nag COLLECTIVE GUILT siya hindi siya nangdamay nang iba! Nag dasal siyang mag isa! Ang sabi lang niya sa mga Apostoles na huwag kayong matulog. Hindi siya pumunta sa mga Pari pa mag sumbong! Inako niya lahat kasalanan ng mga tao! Siya ang nagpapako sa Cruz! Sana ganon ang may Charism ( Kuno ) (or Carmarism?) na lider natin noon! Imbis mag resign si Kristo bilang lider tinanggap niya lahat na paratang sa kanya! Hindi siya pumunta sa ABS-CBN para magpatulong ikalat ang dinaman tama!
UNSA NANI UY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God bless us all!

Anonymous said...

The other interesting point is that the CFC copy had a time of "08:58" when it was faxed (also showing the fax number of the Vatican with country code "39"). This could be either the "send" time or a "receive" time. The ABC-CBN and FFL copy does not have a time as that area seemed to have been clipped too. If the "08:58" time is a "send" time, then most likely the other recipients would also have some time at the top-left (assuming the same fax machine was used by the sender). Since FAX machines can only connect to one phone number at a time, it's possible that the other copy would have a different time (like a minute or more off if they were sent in sequence). Or it could be a totally different header if a different fax machine was used or at a different time. It doesn't look too good for some of the recipients here.

This looks like a computer generated tampering. If the paper was physically folded, it would be very difficult to get them to line up perfectly (at 90 degrees). As what we can see from the pixels or dots left-over from the deleted text, they aligned perfectly on the left side and right side of the document.

Anonymous said...

To fold or not to fold?

Being in the graphics business, folding a document and then scanning it will result to a visible line on the digital output. Unless, after folding and scanning, they clean it up digitally again.

But why fold when you can digitally edit after scanning?

Doesn't make sense at all!

You can even see the paper folds clearly from the ABS-CBN copy, compared to the FFL copy - which to me, looks clean and crisp.

However, the bigger point to me... and I honor CD for this, is where ABS-CBN got its copy of a very private communication document. I ask as well: who will benefit from this brouhaha? Who had the motive to feed the media on this issue? Certainly not the IC!

The challenge from the ABS-CBN writer is for 10 entries to retract previous statements from this blog.

My challenge to the ABS-CBN writer is a simple and honest apology for the infraction - just one (1) entry!

If God forgives, who are we not to.

C.D. said...

Bro Malachi,

As much as I got a bellyful of laughs from your comment, I'd have to ask you try again please and be gentler on the humor this time. Hehe. I loved the "Fake, Folded..."

God bless, and thank you for the humor to keep things in perspective in these troubled times.

For anonymous who apologized, no need, it was MY fault, I just edited it. Thank you for pointing it out.

Mga Kapatid, I implore you to withold judgement, yet use your hearts and minds to discern. Lets pray for the parties responsible (if any, who knows, baka folded nga), that they see the light, and realize the damage they are causing our community.

God Bless you all,

CD

Anonymous said...

Thanks CD
For the advice,i just could not help but be amused with FFL. But the thing is, if that folded and technically enhanced to FFL's delight version,was circulated to FFL as a whole, that means that it is not only Bishop Gabby who is being taken for a ride but the whole FFL.To our FFL brethren we will pray that somehow you will be able to discern where " the tail of the snake" is. If you will heed your leader's call to write to the Vatican please go the adoration chapel nearest you before you do so. Mama Mary will speak to you in the adoration chapel and help you be part of those crushing the head of the serpent. Not even the head maybe just the toes of you know who(clue: bearer of the charism)just to wake him up. Peace brothers and sisters love one another as I have loved you. These are indeed trying and difficult times.Let's share the laughter and the joy but with christian censorship, again thanks CD your blog makes my day.

Anonymous said...

corection please; I think CD, you made the biggest blooper in this post. This is definitely not D.E.C.E.I.T.......

This is F.F.L....

F R A N K
F O L D S
L E T T E R

F.F.L.

Anonymous said...

Mga kapatids,

My first job was a clerk/typist in one of the biggest corporation in the Philippines and there was no computer then. So when I type a long report and found a mistake there was no choice then but to redo the report.

But I discovered the FOLDING, COPYING and SNOWFAKING. How's that?

1. FOLD the paper where the error este the words that you don't want others to read.

2. PHOTOCOPY it.

3. SNOWFAKE all lines that appeared on the copy because of the FOLDING.

4. PHOTOCOPY the SNOWFAKED copy again.

5. SURPRISE! Parang orginal basta maganda at malinaw ang photocopying machine mo.

No computers back then e now pa better kung SCAN first then SNOWFAKE the scanned copy then SCAN the SNOWFAKED copy again. Mas mukhang original this time kasi HI TECH na.

Try it.

God Bless,

Edwin Cruz
Central C

Anonymous said...

Maybe FP found a second career in the art of origami.He seems to be good at folding paper. After all his writing days are over I suppose. I was once buying his books like crazy and giving them to friends. As for his origami can Flame make it available during asemblies hehehehe. Just for the sake of curiosity did Pope Benedict pay for his latest book? So sorry for taking up space, will try to control the urge to post. Please bear with this blog addict I would very much like to learn the art of folding paper.

estelito.iii said...

a question that has now been bugging my mind is if the abs-cbnnews.com reporters copy a faxed one, a real printed fake or just scanned.. cause looking at it it seems so crumpled and there's even staple wire marks.

Athrun Atreides said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Danny, WB said...

Have you seen the latest reply from the FFL? Parang bata na ano? Parang "inis talo"... Hahaha... sabi nila

"(2) Cardinal Rylko's letter says the name "Couples for Chrit" cannot
be used by another. Of course, rightly so. But "CFC" with something attached to it becomes an entirely new and different name. "

So pwede pala tayong mag-tayo ng "Couples For Christ, Hahahaha" and they think that will be allowed by the Vatican?

This really reminds of Marcos and Erap during their last days in Malacanang...

Seriously, I think FFL really needs our prayers... tagilid na talaga ang reasoning powers nila eh...

Anonymous said...

hey mga bros....

hwag naman kayong ganyan... hindi naman sadya yung pagka Fold nung letter... and we didnt even know kung sino nga ang nagfold nung letter... kse kung sinadya yun, tama sana yung logic nung 2nd paragraph... and i dont think a great founder could have done that...

magaling magaling magaling...

yun lang...

miniongCFC said...

To Anonymous who said...
CD, my dear, who is spinning? FFL or CFC?
Bro, part of being a Christian is being polite.
... your name CFC cannot be used by any other association -- is just a polite way of saying - Hey FFL. YOU CANNOT USE THE NAME CFC.
and the appeal to CBCP is also a polite way of saying - Hey bishops, Nagsalita na ang Vatican. You obey.
Sana naintindihan mo.

Dear Hiraya said...

If this is what really happened, then, why not report it directly to ABS-CBN! Well, maybe, they're not aware that that document that they've received was forged but then again, though it's really a big issue on our side since it gave negative impressions to CFC, they should correct their mistakes. In this way, we could prove to the people who is doing something different from what we have learned in this community.

http://hiraya.co.nr

Anonymous said...

from Philstar.com:

My salvation is in the needy: Why I joined GK
By Eddy Co Chua
Sunday, May 4, 2008

I use the word “needy” because I think “poor” is inappropriate. The needy are poor only materially but are rich in character and other virtues that seem to evade many of those who have more.

I have no intention of maligning or belittling anyone, any position or any class or group of people.

I am a Catholic and I will die one because according to my observation, it is the most open and its teachings are the most selfless. I make this statement without any prejudice to the many non-Catholic Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists I have met whose lives have enriched mine.

This is a personal realization and I do not wish to impose it on anyone.

Hardly anyone talks about salvation nowadays. Yet, underneath all our desires, each of us wants to be saved.

I have discovered my salvation. Let me share it with you.

It is in the Gospel – the book we consider as the Word of God.

And I discovered it in the words of Jesus who has promised to prepare a place for me in His Father’s mansion.

The way to my salvation is an open secret. Jesus illustrated it already in the Gospel of Matthew.

When I finally meet Him, He will not ask me if I was a good and active member of any Catholic ecclesial movement or if I was in a position in charge of watching over souls and spirit.

He will not ask me if I was a priest, or a bishop, or Cardinal or lay.

He will not ask me how often I went to Mass.

In fact, He will not ask me if I was Catholic or not.

He will ask me if I gave Him food when He was hungry; if I gave Him something to drink when He was thirsty; if I received Him in my house when He was a stranger; if I clothed Him when He was naked; if I cared for Him when He was sick; if I visited Him while He was in prison. How can we do this?

I would like to refer you to Matthew, the evangelist.

The Final Judgment

“When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, and the people of all nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. Then the King will say to the people on his right, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me. The righteous will then answer him. ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me!’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God’s curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’

“Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’ These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.” (TEV Matthew 25: 31-46)

In this account, the King does not stop at rewarding the righteous. He condemns those on the left by calling them Devil and sending them to “eternal punishment.”

Also in this chapter according to Matthew, there is no caution of overdoing it. Although, given the obtaining situation in the Philippines, the caution for Filipino Catholics would be that we are doing very little of it – or not doing it at all. Perhaps that is why the needy continually increase in number and in the intensity of insufficiency.

The only caution in the New Testament I can remember is in the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. If we are going to help the needy, let us do it out of sincere and genuine love. Otherwise, like a noisy gong or a clanging bell, it is worth nothing.

Now, where would I rather be? To the left, or to the right of the King?

I choose to be on the side of the least who constantly and desperately need food, drink, hospitality, clothes, care, visits. And while there is still time, God sent me to discover Gawad Kalinga.

I have neglected Jesus for too long by hiding behind “providing for the family.”

A recent experience proved to me that when I look after Jesus in the least, he will look after me and my family.

(The author is the head of Focolare Communications.)

Anonymous said...

Also in the Gospel According to Matthew: "I tell you, on the day of judgement YOU WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF EVERY CARELESS WORD YOU UTTER, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)

troy of west c

Anonymous said...

Hi CD,
do we have any response from ABS - after the altered letter. Perhaps Vatican should also be sent a copy of this - to let Vatican know that FFL as altered the letter
thanks

Anonymous said...

i do not know where to post this, because i have a comment for both deceit and practice what you preach. we who are leaders are the preachers in our community . practice what we preach is a principle that we also apply within the family. i try to do that to the best that i could.

i do not smoke nor do i take alcohol, except the red wine in very rare occasion. so i really really tell my children not to smoke and not to drink. how can i teach and share that which i do not possess.

i do not have any comments about frank. i do have comments about the deceit that has been uncovered. there is deceit and it is EVIDENT, there is proof. there is no proof whatsoever who the culprit is, nor his motives.

have we forgotten 'brotherly correction', so i ask this question to all who read this and to the international council...

Carmela fonbuena wrote an article that is very damaging to the CFC community, this eventually opened the floodgates of major criticisms that has put even the bishops, vatican and the Catholic Church into into what is a highly scandalous situation.it is therefor just proper and this is where the principle of; following what you preach-

we teach brotherly correction, then that is what we should-

1) IC must correct ABSCBN and Carmela Fonbuena for coming out with an article based on a tampered document

2) IC should ask other bishops if they received the original copy from rylko. if they got the tampered document then they should be provided with the original.

3) inform Bishop Gabby that a tampered document is now being passed around. If the tampered one is in his possession then also correct him by providing him with the original,

4) IC should practice what they preach and do the necessary corrections

if we practice what we preach deceit will be exposed.

if we practice what we preach the truth will be established.

if we practiced what we preached we would not have been in this 'scandalous' position in the first place.

Anonymous said...

to preacher: AMEN ! AMEN ! Bro ..it 's time our leaders practice what they preach!

akosikenn said...

OK, late comment here... :-) What do I think of these documents - deceit or honest mistake?

One thing is certain, Ms. Fonbuena based her report in an incomplete document. Would it have changed her article? Would things have been different? Honestly, I don't think so. Read it again - don't you think that someone who wants to show "CFC being admonished" would gladly highlight a few of the missing parts? Yes, one with that frame of mind would also skip emphasis on the "appreciation" of the cardinal.

Now, some have already assumed as fact that the "tampered" document is from FFL. The main reasoning behind this assumption is that the article seems to have been circulating among FFL leaders since April 13, days ahead of Ms. Fonbuena's article.

Based on the images posted by CD, I have reason to believe that the one circulated in FFL is just a cleaned copy of the one circulated by ABSCBN. My proof? Look at the lower right part of the page where a "Tel" number is shown. The cleaner clearly did not clean it well - you can see a trace of the snowflake cutting through the word Tel and the phone number. Look at the ABSCBN copy at the same part - you will see the same exact noise but much bolder cutting through the same line and the lower part is a much lighter color. If ABS's copy is from the FFL copy, the change in tone wont happen. A similar trace (but harder to detect) is at the bottom of the word Philippines. Not sure if you are seeing what I am seeing here but that's proof that what FFL got was second-hand and either got it from the internet or from ABS.

I read all sorts of explanations here about folding, computers, etc. My take? Someone who has the time to process the deception through folding will have the time to see that some letters are peeking and correct it? Same with Photoshop or whatever application. Has anyone here used a rolling scanner? You know the one you use by hand and when if you are in a hurry to scan, you can miss some lines? Think about it.

Did someone deliberately tamper with it? Who is the source? I will not be able to answer, these images alone cannot prove it. All are mere speculations. The only thing I can argue confidently is that the FFL copy is second-hand. Insisting that FFL is the original source without substantial proof will just lead to frustration, animosity and unkind words.

C.D. said...

Akosikenn,

You know that arguing with you is the last thing I want to do, but I would like to input some of my observations as well. Please don't consider this argumentative, merely a friendly discourse on the validity of each others points. Deal?

Even if we were to ignore the fact that the clear copy was in circulation a good 3 days before the article came out, there are inconsistencies in the two documents that keep me from believing that the FFL's document is a cleaned copy of the ABS-CBN one. First of all, it's rather difficult to make as clean a document as the FFL one from the ABS. In fact I'd challenge any photoshop user here to take the ABS document and make it look exactly like the FFL one.

Next, look here:

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2352/march11comparisoneb3.gif

That's animated, it should cycle through both docs every second.

Those are the two docs laid over each other. Now, you are welcome to do so yourself, but I've tried my best to get the two documents to match, but they just won't line up. If we were dealing with the same document with one just cleaned, they would at least match up. If you notice, the ABS-CBN (dirty copy) has seen some corruption, probably due to printing, copying, or faxing. I find it hard to believe that whoever would clean up the ABS doc will also go through the trouble of re-aligning portions of the text and headers. Also, if you notice the white swath going across the text vertically: This would have made any cleaning up difficult without manually recreating the letters that it corrupts.

My opinion is this, and I say this without prejudice: The ABS copy is a copy of a printout of the clear FFL copy. The clear FFL copy appears to be a better source, being clearer and more defined. The copy supplied to ABS, likely with creases and folds, may have contributed to the shifting of the text. That's why it won't match the FFL copy. A defective copy machine would have turned out that dirty, dark copy. Any resemblance of some details shared by the two documents can be more easily explained by the fact that they both might have come from a single master document.

I don't know bro, I'm not trying to pin the blame on the FFL, but I'm left with more questions than answers if I try to go with that chain of possession.

Regards,

CD

Anonymous said...

to akosikenn,

bro simple lang. we need to read the letter in its entirety. i think it would have made a lot of difference. but of course, we have our own points of view. my point of view may have been different with her being a journalist and i assume a non-member of the CFC community.

but it made a lot of difference for us in the CFC community.

i ask you, did it make any difference with you when you found out that there were missing text in the letter? did it make any difference when you found out that there were 2 versions of the same letter? how did you feel...

just the simple act of deleting some text in the letter, how would you feel about that...

thanks brother for reading.

Anonymous said...

CD,

thats a nice animated picture you have there.

if im not asking too much, can you also do the same for the IC copy and the FFL copy?

lets see the big difference. thanks.

akosikenn said...

CD
I tend not to dwell too much in arguments either - it can get tiring. As I have done in the past, I present my view and arguments a couple of times and thats it. :-)

Anyway, I did a quick photoshop of the 2 images myself and was able to pretty much align them (using layers). The ABSCBN copy is smaller (because it was probably photocopied first and then scanned) so by reducing the length and width of the FFL version, it ligns up. I have the GIF file and will upload or send it to you via e-mail. I haven't tried the cleaning up challenge but will try when I get the chance. I figure that may take some time.

Again my argument is that the FFL version can be a copy of the ABSCBN but not vice-versa because of the leftover snowflakes (?) mentioned in my earlier post. Also, the lighter margin around the ABSCBN copy indicates a photocopy of a photocopy. There is a master copy that is broken and circulating as early as April 13, I agree. What I contend is that the FFL version, at least the one posted here, is not it. So if FFL circulated a second-hand copy, then there is doubt they own the master doc.

God bless.

akosikenn said...

To jiggSAw, if you are asking whether the missing text made a difference in the overall context, my point of view is that it did not make much of a difference. The missing text were already mentioned in the past by the IC.

Now if you are asking what I feel about 2 versions existing, then it depends on what the presumptions are. If i assume that one is a deliberate forgery, then I would indeed be angry. If I assume that one is a technical mistake, then I will just be annoyed that the broken version was circulated. I lean towards the later because if I put myself in the position of the culprit, if I would have taken the time to make a forgery I would have taken the time to do a good job at it. But thats just me.

Hope you got my perspective. God bless.

Anonymous said...

I also have this very wild and extreme theory that maybe Cardinal Rylko has the wisdom of King Solomon.

Maybe what he did was create 2 similar yet different letters, one for the handler of each side. He took some careful effort to make the letter appear to favor the recipient's side, yet not losing the message of the letter.

Then he waited to see which one would proclaim and publish the letter first and claim that its side is being supported by the Vatican. By this, he would see which is the humble side, which is the side that respects privacy, which is the side that will twist the words from the Vatican (and who will leak the letter first as a bonus)

Just some wild thoughts, forget that you ever read this.

Anonymous said...

to akosikenn,

i got it, we have a different perspective after all.
call it a technical mistake if you will.

if it was scanned using a rolling scanner as you mentioned in your earlier posts (though i believe they are a bit inexistent nowadays because a flatbed scanner is very much more convenient), it was highly improbable to have SKIPPED on the missing two lines of the letter.

id say whoa! what a coincidence!

and as i look further in the copy,
please look at the lines before the missing text, that read - "It was also important that you have realized that much scandal",

notice that the bottom of the letters were not complete. thats because either the letter was folded or the text below it were snowpaked.

again, this is just me -i think a technical mistake in scanning would not result to this very CREATIVE result. it would have overlapped or some text would have expanded just like when receiving fax messages that encountered some errors.

got it? thanks for reading.

akosikenn said...

jiggSAw: I understand yours and CD's points and they do make sense. However, I still believe this can be produced by a technical error. I also understand my argument does not carry weight until I can produce some samples of how it can mess up but I will probably leave it at that. The more important point in my original post is that FFL received a broken copy (shown on the April 13 email) which got circulated.

Let me tell you this though: If it was indeed tampered and the culprit is found as one of us, I assure you there is no place on this earth where that person can hide from the fury of FFL members... of course only if nobody else gets him first ;-)

Anonymous said...

to akosikeenn and jiggs, i do not know if this will help settle your argument. here is another perspective;
"there is a presumption in law that whoever benefits from the forgery is the author thereof"

cd has brought to light this 'discrepancy' and we just follow the thread of how he says... apparently... this document went from vatican to abscbn.

there is one aspect that we have not no one has highlighted in this conversation. it is the fact that bishop gabby got a copy of the march 11 letter, as stated by the march 15 letter of cardinal rylko.

so there were 2 copies. one was sent to joe tale and one was sent to bishop. bishop gabby mentioned that he did not give a copy to abscbn, however he gave copies to the bishops. so now there were more than 2 copies. if all bishops were provided a copy we are counting close to 90 pcs of this document. here is the twist, bishop gabby in his meeting with the council as the story goes read a copy before the members of the IC and...

he read the 'short' version, and it is told that the discrepancy was pointed out by one of the IC members who was there and bishop gabby also noted that indeed, may kulang.

if this is true then there are indeed 2 versions of the letter...

question:
1) did b gabby receive a shorter form?
2) did b gabby distribute the shorter form?

granting that it was a 'miscalculated printing error' therefore the shorter version came from b gabby, which he got from vatican????

jiggs your turn to answer

Anonymous said...

hi anonymous!
my name is jiggs, whats yours?

im not sure if i can answer them but let me share my opinion.

your question:
1) did b gabby receive a shorter form? (from the vatican, i assume)

you also said: "bishop gabby also noted that indeed, may kulang."

my answer:
...to the question is NO. bp gabby received the LONGER AND CORRECT copy and he has seen and read it having admitted that "may kulang"

now, my question is:
1. who gave him a copy of the shorter version?
2. why does he have one? where did he get it?


your question:
2) did b gabby distribute the shorter form?

my answer:
i dont know. i hope not. my assumption is - he did not send the shorter form. he would have sent the LONGER and CORRECT one to the bishops. i presume that there is ONLY one version of the letter at the time it was sent to other bishops. i presume he does not have a copy of the SHORTER version then. i presume wala pang shorter version nung time na yun.

i hope someone here can provide a copy sent to other bishops.

you said:
granting that it was a 'miscalculated printing error' therefore the shorter version came from b gabby, which he got from vatican????

my answer:
NO. there's no shorter version from the vatican. NO. the shorter version would not have come from bp gabby.

these are just my opinions as i dont have facts. i have not seen the letters. i just view them here in the blogs.

thanks, God bless.
Jojo Peña (Jiggs) - CFC! by no other name!

Anonymous said...

hello again kenn,
thanks for understanding my point.

you said:
The more important point in my original post is that FFL received a broken copy (shown on the April 13 email) which got circulated.

my opinion:
where could it have come from?
if you really wanted to know and are willing to try - you can trace the original email. you can do a "reply all" to your email and ask. or from the same email - get the last entry and ask him/her.

my thought is that - it would not have come from CFC.

thanks.