Posted in Daily Dose

Norberto the Silent

   September 22, 2005  33 Comments on Norberto the Silent

0922Gonzales
(photo at right) Monkey see, Norberto do. Sec. Gonzales gets a potassium fix. Courtesy of Inq7.net

One of those days where too much has to be done too quickly. And so this belated entry.

My Arab News column for today is How Karaoke Has Taken Community Singing to Frightening Heights, which will surely make me unpopular with the KTV crowd. My PDI column, The Rule of Law, makes reference to my continuing antipathy for the provisions of the Penal Code on rebellion and subversion

The Palace has appointed 33 members of a consultative commission on constitutional amendments, including Star columnists Alex Magno and Jarius Bondoc (PCIJ has the skinny on everyone). I only know one person who declined to be a member of the commission, and my warm congratulations to that person. Incidentally, a news report suggests Federalism is the price of peace in Mindanao.

There’s the continuing saga of the Spy vs. Spy affair, covered by Jove Francisco in New Jersey with this entry and this entry, making him, I think, the first Filipino blogger to practice international journalism; and while we’re at it, Max Soliven opines on the issue:

What’s deplorable is that the opposition leaders who’ve admitted to having “received” e-mail from Michael Ray Aquino appear to have been interested in information from the FBI files derogatory to GMA and her government officials. If this is true, and I must say it still remains to be established, I must comment that it’s abominable to resort to pawning through the garbage reports of foreign spooks who’ve been prying into our own country’s secrets. I guess it’s par for the course though if you believe in the old adage that “all’s fair in love and war.” And politics in the Philippines is no less bloody than war.

He has a point. Just attend US Embassy receptions. The food’s free, and you won’t get arrested (and you’ll pretty much arrive at the same conclusions the Americans arrive at). The whole thing, for some reason, reminds me of this scene from the Pink Panther:

Clouseau: Does your dog bite?
Man: No.
(Clouseau pets dog, which promptly bites him)
Clouseau: I thought you said your dog does not bite?
Man: That is not my dog.

Tomorrow I will be going to Cebu to speak at a conference about Gloriagate:

Dr. Victoria Aveña of the Counsel For the Defense of Liberties (CODAL); Manuel Quezon III, Citizens for Truth and PDI contributor; Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales, AKBAYAN Party-List Representative; and Dr. Fernando T. Aldaba, chairperson, Dept. of Economics, Ateneo de Manila, will share their analysis about the present situation at the UP Cebu Conference Hall, from 1-5 PM , September 23. For more details about this forum presented by the Action for Economic Reforms and the Social Sciences Division of UP Cebu, please call 233-4708.

Hope Cebuano bloggers will drop by!

The punditocracy has Dong Puno marveling at how Sec. Norberto Gonzales got his job when he seems so… unqualified, but then that’s what we all said when Rep. Roilo Golez held the same post, so, well… Anyway, Tony Abaya ties all the ongoing news-grabbing events together and concludes it paints an ugly picture about the President. H. Marcos C. Mordeno views the insistence of Marcos loyalists to have their hero buried in the national cemetery as stupid; speaking of Marcos, Lito Banayo recounts he had with (the real) Ninoy Aquino on the subject of the real Makoy; and yet on another Marcosian note, Connie Veneracion compares FM to GMA. JB Baylon recounting his depression at Haydee Yorac’s wake (I dropped by briefly and got similarly depressed);

The blogosphere has, well, an article on it by Max Limpag, which came out in the Sun-Star Cebu (yours truly, Sassy Lawyers and others were resource people for the article). Max Limpag, incidentally, is the fellow behind the Cybercafe Experiments, which I read to keep up with journalism-relevant technology.

The blogosphere’s abuzz, too, about Norberto The Silent: Newsstand (who, in another entry, says the hearings reveal a new plan of attack) caught only part of the coverage but concludes Gonzalez’s performance was catastrophic. As for the Benjamin of the journalistic blogosphere, Newsboy weighs in with his trademark style and some titillating scuttlebutt.

Expectorants weighs in against Marcos; Cat does everyone a great service by posting a proper timeline of martial law (people, the real date is September 23! That’s when people were arrested!); finally, Punzi annotates the Bill of Rights.

Avatar
Author: Manuel L. Quezon III
Manuel L. Quezon III.

33 thoughts on “Norberto the Silent”

  1. The Philippine Star made the banana episode sound like a cookery class…

    from the front page

    …..”Noberto Gonzales was cited for contempt while also suffering a hypertension attack and hypoglycemia during grilling before the Senate”.

  2. Even Prof. Contreras of DLSU agrees that we should just go on living our lives & doing our thing. Even the drag queen, Atty. Liwayway Vinzons Chatto says there isnt anybody to lead the opposition at present. So can we just attend to making a living?

  3. The worst part about karaoke is that the wind tends to carry the worst off-key voices the farthest.

    Someone must conduct a census of singers that have been silenced after a fatal rendition of “My Way.”

  4. watching sec gonzales choke and bloke (metaphorically speaking) during the senate blue ribbon committee “barbeque” (ihawan at gisahan espesyal) reminds me of a bad episode of “Meet My Folks.” unlike in the show where a real lie detector machine is used, the committee well-oiled “grilling” machine composed of seasoned “argumentatists” made gonzales almost become another “statistic” of health and maybe, just maybe, pee his darn pants. i respect the old man – but the argument that man’s dishonesty could be detected through physical changes (no matter how minute – the point of a lie detector machine) made the theory of the machine itself acceptable as a fact.

  5. this just in…

    ayon kay gloria…maximum tolerance to be exercised to “bullies” that are rally…hindi kaya yan na ang bagong tawag sa “m a _ t i _ l l _ w” ngayon???

  7. sec gonzales has fought many lonely fights. his first remarkable efforts were against the marcos regime. he saw defects in the system and found a better alternative in some sort of socialism. unfortunately for gonzales, though, the concept was too novel for the masses and so wide support never picked up. when the marcos regime finally caved,not much was heard of him for some time; after all, he had no visible role in edsa i. out of the public eye, it was later revealed that he was working on strengthening his socdem-ish group. later on, he joins gma’s kampi when the president was still a senator.

    i do not agree with the guy’s politics and the people he represents, but allow me please to show some mercy on him. he had a “scent of a woman” moment at yesterday’s hearing and it touched me in my heart. clearly, he has shown honor in living up to the oath he took. he never lied. the price for that, of course, as we all know, is the danger to his health. any moment now, he could suffer a major system failure in his body.

    borrowing the words of al pacino, again from scent of a woman, “why are you alone in this?” why don’t the chacha proponents show their faces and pick up the fight for him? this gonzales experience should serve as a warning to other passionate idealists working for these people. they are just being used. the same were the fates of victor corpus or nur misuari. i hope gonzales is the last.

  8. Re: ARAB News article:
    That’s a very interesting topic there: KARAOKEs!

    I have been to a couple of KTVs [Las Pinas & Pasay City owned by Korean nationals] with friends while in Manila a couple of years back. I was aghast at how our kababayans behave while inside it. I never realized those things happen IN my country! Akala ko sa ibang bansa lang meron nyan! I must say, I didn’t enjoy those nights out and went home as soon as I can manage.

    HERE, there are KARAOKE BOXes that allows people to sing their hearts out in the company of friends ONLY. This one is a little safer and more modest.
    …. The bars where most Pinays work are similar to what you described.

    Anywayz, I have a neighbor in Inang Bayan who loves to sing especially on birthdays and Saturday nights out. My kapitbahays would belt it out on top of their voice to the wee hours of the morning in front of their house.
    Kapag lasing na, mas terible ang boses: sigaw na yata yun. Some people do not know the word “Hiya”. I bet they continue to this day.
    There must be some Law that prohibits off-tuned singers [if one can call them that!] to refrain from singing. Stiff penalty like cleaning public toilets shd. be imposed.

    On a lighter side, it would be nice, though, to go hear you sing even once, M. How about a night out singing? That, would be something to look forward to. Hahahahah!!!

  9. Should the Church in Cebu speak out on political issues like Sugbuak? dapat lang gyud mo speak ang Church about the political issues. dili lang kay sa Sugbuak. but sa tanan gyud nga issue/s. because they’re also citizens of our country. oy Willy “Siloy” Rodolfo palihog kog patik ani amo comment ha. PLEASE DON’T EDIT AND/OR DELETE.. ayaw kuha-i. ayaw dugangi. kay tag 40Php per hour baya ni nga Internet Café amo nasudlan. dili ka motoo? aria mi diri sa Computupia. located beside a Coffe Shop. here in J. Avila & G. Garcia Streets in Capitol. dili baya lalim nga dili ma patik ang hinagoan namo. kay kang Pampeers ra baya imo pirmi mapatik/ipatik. what about our side? damie or mister 09173324115 ug tag-iya ani nga number 09173284305. correct kaayo mo sa inyo comment about mister Pampeers Barcenas of

    Carcar. bravo! tunay na sugbuanon! unya kana si Pampeers Barcenas. wa gyud na Sya lain malitok. puro ra gyud “PUOL”, “PAHUWAY”, “QUEER CHARACTER”, “tiguwang si SIM”.. ug uban pa. unya pina bundak pa. with matching “!”. sir Pampeers man ang angay mo PAHUWAY. kay PUOL na kaayo imo commentary. balik-balik lang. kasabot ka Sir Pampeers? ug kana si Aristotle “Ares” Aves usa ka Hitman sa AKRHO. angay na Sya hiposon. gibutang na si Aves sa listahan sa mga MOST WANTED. si Aves maoy SAGBOT sa KATILINGBAN. dili si Dumpit. he’s just protecting the innocent, like me, apil pa gani imo mga family Pampeers(!), from harm. para dili mabiktima sa mga pareho ni Aves. ug sama nimo Sir Pampeers.. HeHeHe.. bato-bato sa langit ang tamaan wag magalit.. kasabot ka sir Pampeers? ikaw Sir, you’re one of those, matud pa nimo, “QUEER CHARACTERS”. well, palahi ta, we need more people like Dumpit, Damie, Tony Garcia(hei! i admire about your comment Sir Tony. ingun ka about Misis Gwendolyn Garcia Colina that paka
    uwaw lang sa inyo kaliwat. ana gyud!) and to the owner of 09173284305(hei! i second demotion sa imo comment to Sir Pampeers.. uuuppss… a toddler Pampeers!). hinay-hinay lang Sir. kay ang imong heart attack.. mo attack unya! kuyawang Pampeers oy! HUBAGANG Pampeers oy! unya kana sila si Dumpit, Damie, Sir Tony and the owner of 09173284305 are some of the people with sound and fair judgement. dili pareho anang usa diha nga walay klaroiya baruganan. mamersonal pa gyud. dili issue ang hisgotan. balik-balik lang ang “PUOL”, “PAHUWAY”, “QUEER CHARACTER”, “tiguwang si SIM”.. ug uban pa. pro-GLORIA diay ka Pampeers? Ha!Ha!Ha! Roll Over The Carpeted Floor Laughing! Ha!Ha!Ha! BwueHeHeHe.. whew! oust GMA oy! pwede open your moron mind. para makabalo ka unsay dugang kalisod among nasinati to GMA’s government? kaming mga kabos ug timawa? ha Pampeers? wa pa gyud na matarog imo gahi nga heart? oy Willy “Siloy”
    Rodolfo palihog kog patik ani amo comment ha. kay tag 40Php per hour baya ni nga Internet Café amo nasudlan. dili ka motoo? aria mi diri sa Computupia. located beside a Coffe Shop. here in J. Avila & G. Garcia Streets in Capitol. dili baya lalim nga dili ma patik ang hinagoan namo. kay kang Pampeers ra baya imo pirmi mapatik/ipatik. what about our side? ako diay ni i-forward the following.. gi forward ra pod ni sa ako E-mail.. please read.. and a reaction ana mga streamer/s nga gipang bitay sa mga kadalanan.. matud pa CEBUANOS LOVE GLORIA?!?! kinsa man na nag pa butang ana nga streamer/s. PLEASE AYAW I-GENERALIZE. kay dili tanan CEBUANO nahigugma ni GLORIA! i’m a pure blooded CEBUANO. i was born here since birth diha sa COLON. intawn ayaw ninyo iapil ang wala nahigugma ni GLORIA! I AM A CEBUANO. I AM CALLING FOR GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO TO RESIGN! hilasa gud anang Kapitan sa Guadalupe! unsa sa office
    hours patawagon? ngano masuko man na Sya nga He’s a Public Official Man. kana lang gani Presidente sa Kapilya. action man gani dayon. Sya na ba.. 24/7 imo trabaho Manoy Euguenio Faelnar! maypa mo resign na lang ka pagka City Councilor. pwerte pa rabang huwaga sa imo lugar. daghan pa gyud kaayo TIGBAKAYAN! aw, cockfighting aficionado gud ka! naa raba diay ka earings. first impression pa lang nako nga naka kita ko nimo in person with earings.. naka ingon gud dayon ko.. “sus! mao ni padag-on? nga adik-adik man! well i didn’t vote for you man. if i where you Sir.. AMBROOTTT nimo Manoy!!!

    and another one.. hello.. ninyong tanan. pwede mangutana kinsay tag-iya sa GGC General Services Incorporated nga naa sa 5th Floor BF Building Escario Street, Brgy., Capitol Site, Cebu City beside Capitol Parish? dili si Misis Gwendolyn Garcia Colina? tan awa ila opisina. na puno ug calendar ni Misis Colina. nag hire man gud ang GGC General Services Incorporated.. being a Manpower Agency.. ug 500 ka CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES(please refer Cebu Daily News Classifieds) para sa CONVERGYS Call Center. are they allowed to collect Php300 para sa ila (written) examination. ila pa man gud pa kuhaon ug examination ang applicant. what if dili makapasar ang applicant? goodbye Php300? or, GOODBYE Php300! maypa moderetso na lang ug apply sa CONVERGYS. wa pay bayad(wala ba pod kaha?). i’m just asking.. i hope naay action ang mga proper authorities on this concern, like DOLE? thank you very much!

    PAMPEE BARCENAS Car Car, Cebu. 09173249841.

  11. I hate karaokes. I am bothered that my countrymen lose their mind at the sight of a microphone and a tv screen with flashing lyrics, no matter if it’s in a resto, mall or roadside carinderia. I am uncomfortable with this disconnect between myself and seemingly 99% of Pinoys.

  12. AY sus, ginoo, pampee,
    diri kami makasambot sa imo
    sinurat.
    abaw, tagalugin ba,
    ug maka-intiende nmn kami diri.

    Pardon my ramblings, but while I’m sure it’s heavy with insights, I can’t appreciate her views becoz of my limited Visaya’

    Peace!

  14. i’ve had the opportunity to live in the vicinity of a fishing village the only time see the fisherfolk with enthusiasm in their faces aside from having had a good catch is when they get hold of the microphone and start belting/belching? away on their favorite tune, i think this another way for poor people in airing their hidden frustrations, lost dreams and ambitions.

    norbert gonzales a man who one time ago marched openly against the dictatorship, he must gone soft, having duped himself unto the powers that be in malacañang he is now just like one them eager beavers hastily rushing off to make a quick buck…..yon nga lang nabuko, huli!

  15. Manolo, it’s interesting to see that you speak so highly about Freedoms & Rights.
    But i guess what I wrote yesterday pissed you off. So you decided to limit my Freedom & Right of expression cause it was getting in your way.
    By spaming me.
    But Goverment can’t do what it’s supposed to do to defend it’s self.
    And you can just click a botton!
    So much for Democracy & Rights!
    I guess what you write about is just a series of words mixed harmoniosly but is void of substance.
    I guess it comes with youthfulness & idealissim.
    And I respect that fully.
    The sad part is that the things you say will further misguide a confussed society.
    Anyway, don’t worry, I won’t right na
    Never have been a yes man anyway
    I guess won’t even qualify for a funs club member.
    Anyway, good lack w/ your work

  16. “it’s abominable to resort to pawning through the garbage”

    I believe the word is pawing.

  17. joey:

    Spamming couldve been triggered automatically. Manolo knows its not healthy for someone in his profession to be carried away by personal feelings. We all know where he stands but it shouldnt get in the way of having an exchange of ideas. Korina Sanchez is somewhat like Manolo. We know where she stands. but she manages to maintain some equanimity. And poise. Cant say the same about the likes of Pia Hontiveros, Gene Orejana or Karmina Constantino who glare at subjects they dont like. And are heavy handed w/ their views, as if they are alone have a monopoly on truth. But Manolo is very professional like Korina & Ric Puno.

  20. Hey Joey, don’t you dare leave! You’re a breath of fresh air. People like you speak the truth and make more sense than our journalists and politicians today who have allowed their hatred of GMA to blur their thinking. Everyone should learn more from plain folks like you so we can stop acting like children and grow up. Puro gulo, puro awayan, puro galitan, puro inggitan. Lahat bida. Meanwhile we’re not moving forward. It’s good to voice out our differences. That’s democracy. It allows us to learn from one another and respect each other. But at the end of the day we must compromise and support our government. Democracy gives us rights, but let’s not be just enamored by those rights. We should use those rights to work together and solve some real problems like poverty and the lack of good jobs. I heard Congress right now has over 4,000 bills pending, yet the Senate choose to prioritize a piddly issue questioning Gonzales. All these grandstandings should stop. Meanwhile, those pending bills could help our ailing schools, fix roads and bridges, etc.

    Joey, mabuhay ka. Keep on instilling some sense in all of us.

  21. Joey,
    Don’t you dare stop posting here! You’re making sense and putting into words what a lot of us have given up trying to express. Your the voice of the silent majority here so don’t give it up.

    I got spammed here once too and I assumed it was just a glitch somewhere in cyberspace.

  22. When the then National Security Advisor of the US, Condi Rice appeared at a bipartisan hearing on the events leading to 911, she was prepared to be grilled and to answer all the hard questions that will be asked by the panel. It was a memorable moment watching her on tv. Her answer were direct, sharp and convincing. Her body language and repartee projected a person of courage worthy of her position.

    Gonzales on the other hand showed a person sick under pressure. He cannot and will not be able to cover for the truth which he and his MADAM, tried to make fool of the senate and the Filipino people.

  23. Joey I support your right to post here as well we may not have agreed on past topics before but, I think it is my right to read your views and your right to read mine.

    We look to manalo to provide an talking poit a subject where we can see others view points, I am rarely in agreement with his views but i do like his articulation of his views.

    I support your freedoms…

  24. (PCIJ has the skinny on everyone). I only know one person who declined to be a member of the commission, and my warm congratulations to that person. Incidentally, a news report suggests Federalism is the price of peace in Mindanao.

    Federalism is a price for PEACE..

    Should it not be PEACE cannot be obtained with a centralised minority government..

    Decentralization is better for all.. Even in companies it is better to outsource and strip the power from the top and give it to the employees to work the systems, not work within a system bound by one or two people..

    So many people are scared of Fedralism it is the disempowerment of the few in Manila, Which is why it scares so many..

    Think Bicol will be run by Bicol. But some laws and control will be handed to Manila for the countries best.

    The US is a Fedral system same with Australia, the only time the Fedral government is meant to get involved is in things like
    BASIC EDUCATION
    BASIC HEALTH CARE
    ARMY-NAVY-AIRFORCE
    TRADE LAWS with other countries
    ADUJICATOR of laws accross provinces (Borders they impose a single law to make it easier to enforce things like the right to bear arms.)
    A Federal Police Force
    The rest is left to the Province – States, but are given extra funding where required from the central tax to help in things which will benefit the whole country in the long run. Like helping with the road Works, Or dredging a new port.

    Therefore also it will distribute the wealth as companies in bicol can really get Bicol projects not the Bicol arm of a Manila company..

  25. (PCIJ has the skinny on everyone).

    One who has dirt on others must have a reason to have it or they would have dropped it on the table already.

    Keeping information about someones character can only be for the use of blackmail, Whether in the direct dictionany meaning or in the indirect to use against them in the future either to get what they want or to stop what they want. EG (Blackmail)

    If you expose it straight away then you can never be accused of staying on one side, or for using it for blackmail purposes.

    Having a Public Dossier on people would enable the government also to make better decisions but no they keep it secret and only expose it when they feel it is time to. (To get their way… )

    The question below has not been answered by them or others that i have seen

    Is SWS President Mahar Mangahas related to MALOU MANGAHAS member of the PCIJ board of editors,. who is related to FPJ since FPJ-Mangahas (SWS) blood relationship

  26. On Rule of Law you concluded –

    “This is the behavior of a government that recognizes its legitimacy only in its press releases.”

    This reminds me of Bob Harris who wrote –

    “I think natural selection must have greatly rewarded the ability to reassure oneself in a crisis with complete bullshit.”

  27. Joey you go spammed? how? i dont think manolo will do that. manolo though i dont know him in person and sometimes disagree with the dude will not stoop down to that kind of shit and he got a reputation to keep.

    sometimes i wonder what the hell is wrong with singing my way anyway. But i almost also got killed by singing it when i was drunk and my ka inuman got irked because I think I sang it with class than what he did few moments before. He got a knife and attempted to stab me but boy i watched too much of UFC and it came handy. the bane of singing while drinking.

  28. sorry po kasi alam ko ala sa topic itong susulat ko.kasi po nababalita na po sa pilipino newspapers dito sa estados unidos na mag martial law daw po dyan at nabasa ko po sa inq7 na ganun nga daw.parang di po ba na ang author ng martial law dati ay di ata si presidente marcos kundi yung si fidel ramos.kasi ala na si marcos buhay pa din ang banta ng martial law…mukhang ang nasa likod ng martial law dati e yung head dati ng metrocom na syang nanghuhuli nung mga panahon na yun…gulo sa pilipinas grabe talaga dyan…

  29. uh, joey, what are you talking about? the spam filter is automatic. if there’s a problem, email me and I’ll look up why spam karma deleted you. it’s never been a problem with other people.

  30. Manolo, don’t worry, it must have been a tech glitch, it’s something of the past now.technology can really think.i just had to re register
    nga pala, thanks, sleepless,De, alex,June, MitaMS

  31. good to hear joey, the problem is that blogs are always under attack from spammers, so the software to keep them out has to get stricter and stricter!

  32. A DESCLAIMER TO THE PUBLIC!

    ATTENTION TO ALL READERS OF THIS WEB:

    Pampee Barcenas and his daughter Lorelei J. Barcenas, denies equivocally all writings and comments on this site. THIS IS NOT THEIR DOINGS AND IT IS VIOLATIVE OF THEIR PERSONAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!

    However damaging or self-promoting the aforementioned messages may be, said authors blatantly deny said propagandas. They are so childish and amateurish for anybody to be convinced of said ideas so much so that even the spelling, such as that of Carcar are being wrongly done as Car Car (with space in between) which is very wrong. With all due respect, being residents of our beloved town for so many years(now city), Carcar is to be spelled without a space in between.

    Clear enough that we, the supposed/alleged authors, are not the culprits of said damaging write-ups or propagandas hereof. We condemn this atrocity and barbaric use of our names. they are fit to be termed as murderers of “press freedom” for dropping names on this site without permission from us. — Whoever you are, shame on you! =( — Pampee Barcenas and Lorelei J. Barcenas.

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