My Letter of Intent

Dr. Cecilia G. Salazar

Director For Graduate Studies
Mindoro State University Bongabong Campus

Labasan, Bongabong , Oriental Mindoro

Dear Madam Cecilia,

I would like to express my intention to Master of Arts in Education Major in English program which is offered in Mindoro State University.

Currently, I am a degree holder of Bachelor in Education Major in English from John Paul College. Having passed the Licensure Examination for Teacher last September 27, 2015, I want to explore the opportunities to improve myself since I am a novice in this field of profession.

When I was in college, I have predilection with subjects that encompasses literature because I would say I like to read books although I would admit that I am a moderate reader. My favourite genres are books with depth that reflect social issues that are predominantly present at the time the work is written or published. Such examples are contemporary American novels like To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee that tackles about racism and social injustice of African Americans and Catcher In The Rye by Salinger, J.D ,. Furthermore, I also read a variety of genres that catches my curiosity like young-adult ,e.g The Fault In Our Stars or socio-political novels like Hunger Games Trilogy.

I have developed my interest in graduate studies after I passed my licensure examination. I tried to enter AB literature last summer and I successfully passed the entrance examination, however I was not able to pursue the study because of my inability to withstand the tedious and tiresome three to four hour travel time which I believe could have been affected my performance in the academic participation. So I’ve decided to drop the program.
 But I am not giving up the hope because sometime in the future, when the circumstances are favourable, I will continue this program.

For the meantime, I want to explore the other possibilities available and would also serve as my stepping stone to my goal.  I’ve decided to undergo in this program Master’s of Art Major In English which is also related to my field of profession. I have firm believe that taking this program is beneficial for my career, because I am planning to take International English Language Testing System certification (IELTS) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language (TESOL) certification sometime in the future.

Given that I am a neophyte in this field of academe, I do hope I can pursue the program I’ve chosen in Mindoro State University and I intend to finish the program because I genuinely believe that there are no circumstances or condition that will fetter my determination to purse my studies.

Sincerely Yours:
Eren Saturnino 

Essay Topic:
Should the Philippines reinstate death penalty?


What is capital punishment? Capital punishment or in layman’s term death penalty is an execution of an offender to death after a conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. Crimes that can result to death penalty are murder, treason, drug smuggling or other capital and heinous crimes. In some countries such as Saudi Arabia , homosexuality and apostasy are punishable by death.

Around the world, only 36 countries are actively practising capital punishment, while 103 countries had completely abolished the dreaded punishment. Some countries, including the Philippines, has suspended it indefinitely.

In the Philippines, heinous crimes that rocked the citizens to its core has resulted of renewed calls for the government to revive death penalty. But should the Philippines resurrect capital punishment?

In every perspectives, the death penalty should remain dead.

“Death Penalty deters people from doing heinous crime”

Proponents argue that capital punishment discourages people from committing heinous crimes.  

However, this is not entirely true. Statistics says otherwise.
There are several studies refuting the claim that capital punishment deters crime rates.

A study by Amnesty International in the United States found out that the murder in non-death penalty states is considerably lower than the states that implement capital punishment. In year 2011 alone, Alaska, a state that doesn’t impose capital punishment, has 29 case of murder which is 92% lower compared to the state of Arizona which has 405 case of murder.
Similarly, in a survey conducted by American Criminology Society among criminologists, 88 percent believed that the punishment of death penalty is not a deterrent to murder.
Experts also conclude that capital punishment does not discourage people from doing crimes. Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University, shared common voice. He said that there is no credible scientific evidence that hinders criminal behaviour. He continued that executions are only meant to satisfy one’s vengeance.

Even in the Philippines, capital punishment, before it was suspended, failed to stop the numbers of crime from rising.  During the administration of Estrada, crime rate from the year 1999 increased by 15.3 percent or a total of 82,538 from 71,527 crimes in the previous year.

“It shows that the justice system has no sympathy for the criminals.”

Timothy Evans was a Welshman accused of murdering his wife and his infant child at their residence. He was convicted and sentenced by hanging. Three years after his execution, he was exonerated by court as police found evidence that his neighbour, John Christie, a serial killer was responsible for the murder of his wife and child.

One of the arguments raised by supporters of capital punishment is that death penalty provides the justice to the innocent souls of their crimes. However, there are also several cases of miscarriage of justice. Miscarriage of justice happens when an innocent is convicted and punished for the crimes they did not commit.

A 2014 study conducted estimated that 4.1% of inmates awaiting execution on death row in the United States are innocent, and that at least 340 innocent people may have been executed since 1973.

With numbers given, capital punishment is fundamentally flawed and does not guarantee that it will provide actual justice instead it becomes injustice to the innocent persons sentenced to death. Reviving death penalty is bound to repeat tragic and haunting execution of Timothy Evans.

Even if death penalty is reinstated crime itself will not be prevented because there are varied reasons why people commit crime. Serial killers, for example, commits horrendous crime because of their “urge” or “motivation”. Meanwhile crimes of passion makes someone commit crime because of intense feeling or affection.

Scientific study and statistical data conducted by various people and organization has proven that capital punishment is not an effective deterrent against crime and the worst reality of capital punishment is miscarriage of justice.  Executing an innocent man to his death is haunting and declaring someone innocent after his execution still cannot bring back the life of an innocent soul and the justice brought to parties involved. Injustice is immeasurable.

End notes:

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/deterrence-states-without-death-penalty-have-had-consistently-lower-murder-rates

https://kimkarla.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/re-imposing-of-death-penalty-in-the-philippines-approve-or-disapprove/

http://www.ihra.net/death-penalty-project

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executed-possibly-innocent

http://www.biography.com/people/groups/unnatural-death-executed

http://pcij.org/blog/2006/04/18/a-timeline-of-death-penalty-in-the-philippines

http://dokumentaryonijuantagalog.weebly.com/history-of-public-enemy.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/cdc56160-91eb-366d-ae0e-5d9c5a676fe2

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/many-prisoners-on-death-row-are-wrongfully-convicted/

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/justice/841077/Death-penalty-Your-verdict-99-of-Sun-readers-from-our-poll-vote-in-favour-of-reintroducing-capital-punishment.html

Why Senator Miriam Santiago Be Elected As The Sixteenth President Of the Philippines.

With the upcoming national elections this summer of 2016, politicians are in full force in wooing voters with common rhetoric we hear during elections such as alleviating poverty, providing jobs, and even promising the moon and stars with unrealistic promises such as eradication of crime within a limited time frame or even income tax exemptions for middle class earners. There are also certain political parties that are attempting to distinguish themselves by advocating particular cause such as “Straight Path” or “Government With A Heart” to garner the votes of the ordinary citizen.

But even with the sweet promises of these politicians, voters should be wary, realistic and rational in choosing a candidate. Voters should choose someone with integrity, and someone who follows the rule of law. Among the candidates for the highest office of the executive branch of our country, none of them meets that said quality except Senator Miriam Santiago.

Senator Miriam throughout the years in government service has proven the she has the integrity necessary for the position of president. Though she served all the branches of our government: a RTC judge, an Agrarian secretary under the administration of Cory , and a legislator for almost two decades, her time in every office she held wasn’t tainted or marred by scandal. In fact she was named as laureate of the Magsaysay Award for government service – “for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency."

In addition, during her tenure of being RTC judge, Sen. Miriam disposed of the highest number of cases in Metro Manila. Her reputation for integrity, competence, and efficiency became established, and she was showered with awards for judicial excellence from civic groups, notably as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Professionals of the Philippine Jaycees, and the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service of the Philippine Lions.

Moreover Sen. Miriam has filed the most bills in the Senate despite of her ailments and being absent due to her illness. A total of 1,314 bills and resolutions she filed the most bills and resolutions, including Anti-Political and Anti-Epal bills. Unlike other top absentees in the Congress, Miriam proved that an ailment is not an impediment in doing her duties and responsibilities.

They say, there are no permanent friends and enemies in Philippine politics. Unlike traditional politicians, Sen. Miriam’s loyalty is the Philippine Constitution. She demonstrated these throughout the years.
During the impeachment trial of Pres. Estrada , she stated that the due process must be upheld and voted against the opening of the envelope. Though people mocked and branded her as lunatic, she stand with her decision.

Similarly, during the impeachment case of Chief Justice Renato Corona, Sen. Miriam acting as senator-judges regularly denounced the prosecutors for their failures in gathering evidence.
She was one of the three senators who didn’t took bribes in the form of disbursement acceleration program fund and priority development assistance fund in exchange for the conviction of the magistrate. She denounced the impeachment trial as “hypocritical accusation and a problem in this country where all for honest government and yet the world condemn us as one of the most corrupt country in the world.”

She acquitted the Chief Justice and concluded the verdict as “kung ang politika ay mangingibabaw sa batas wala na rin akong silbi.” (If politics prevails over the rule of law, I am no use for)

Suffrage is not an ordinary right. It is a sacred right protected and vested by our Constitution. However , it is our duty and responsibility to scrutinize the candidates who are running for office. We must choose someone who has pristine track record in office. We must choose someone who upholds the rule of law.
Senator Miriam has proven that during her years of government service. We must not underestimate the significance of the upcoming election. The next administration will decide the fate of country, the fate of our future and the fate of the next generation.

Why Should We Vote Wisely

What is election? Britannica Encyclopedia defines election as the formal process of selecting a person for public office or of accepting or rejecting a political proposition by voting. Elections varies by country. Some hold indirect elections. In a indirect election representatives of particular constituencies t are responsible for electing leaders. An example is the United States.
Meanwhile, another form if election is direct elections. It is the complete opposite of indirect election. In here the eligible voters are going to cast their ballots in order to decide on who they want to see elected. The Philippines adopt this kind of electoral process.
From the national level to local positions, our country from the past two elections have witness a variety of gimmicks and campaigns in order to get their vied government post. Some were elected because of family’s name. Some succeed because he/she was a famous television entertainer. And others were elected by using old political campaign rhetoric.
With less than four months, we are heading again to precincts to elect our desired president, vice president for the Executive branch and lawmakers  for both houses of Legislative branch of our government. It is important to vote rationally.
Reason number 1.   Candidates stand and perspective on certain political issues.
Aspiring leaders has different points of view on particular issue and it has direct consequences on our society. A certain affirmation or opposition of a leader can drastically shape the society.
Political dynasty perhaps is a clear manifestation. Though the Constitution forbids political dynasty in our government, loopholes allowed dynasty to thrive especially in the Congress. And lawmakers are opposing in crafting a law that prohibits dynasties since they themselves.
In the international level, relatively speaking, the stance of our leader on issues will affect our country’s position particularly in foreign policy and regional politics.

Reason number 2. Election or participation in general suffrage is a right as defined in our Constitution
Article V Section of 1987 Constitution states that
“ Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law, who are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the Philippines for at least one year, and in the place wherein they propose to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the election. No literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of suffrage.”
Voting is a fundamental right consolidated by our Supreme Law of the Land. By giving away votes to crooked politicians through monetary fashion, we are wasting our constitutional rights. In addition , it is our time to choose exemplary leaders. Through suffrage we can oust crooked politicians in a democratic way.  Similarly, voting is the bedrock of democracy.




Voting perhaps is one of the most important aspect in a free society : a leader is elected not imposed .
Voting is akin to other rights stated in the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. It is an obligation we must exercise with wittiness and gumption because we, our country and the future generations are the stakeholders.

Before Facebook was invented by Mark Zuckerberg, reading perhaps is the activity people spend their idle time. But with the advent of technology, the popularity of reading as an activity is declining. What most people fail to acknowledge is that reading is, perhaps, an activity that is beyond comprehending linguistic pattern and discourse . Reading entails the ability to utilize the cognitive ability to identify the various elements involved in an input and with thorough critical thinking manifests a profound output characterized by enlightenment.

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Lord Acton