From General Order No. 5, by the President of the Philippines has been born the following criteria for an acceptable press in this country:
Lomibao said news reports “should not hurt the Philippine state by obstructing governance including hindering the growth of the economy and sabotaging the people’s confidence in government and their faith in the future of this country.”
I think I shall call the policy the New Strength Through Joy Movement.
Late last night I watched the Manila Overseas Press Club Philippine National Police night. It was quite an unpleasant experience. Every time the media had Lomibao flat on his back, Tony Lopez would step in and apply the press conference equivalent of mouth-to-mouth. His most chilling line that night: “I’m used to holding a gun, not talking.” Or something to that effect.
I’ve been thinking, if Director-General Lomibao was a surgeon and not chief of police, he’d probably handle things this way:
“Hello. Well, last December I thought you might have a tumor, but I well, studied it, and well, put it under surveillance, and you know, thought about it, it seemed big and dangerous and then by January, it looked dangerous again but I was qorried that if I did anything about it the tumor might start spreading, so I well, talked to your tumor in a soothing voice and gambled on the tumor behaving and well… in February your tumor, not as seriously as in December and January but still, seriously, started causing trouble so, that being the case, we have to chop off your head now. Sorry.
“But it’s not that serious. If you don’t want us to chop off your head, I recommend self-medication. Though if you self-medicate, I’ll still watch your tumor because if it grows, it will be your fault and I’ll chop off your head anyway. In the meanwhile, let me write you this prescription…
“Ok, here’s the prescription. Here’s how to keep healthy and happy. 1. Don’t move while we do our tests or we’ll cut off your toes, then your fingers and finally, your head. 2. Don’t miss an appointment because it costs me money and if you do, I’ll cut off your genitals. 3. Don’t ask for a second opinion or bother to try understanding what we’re doing, and even if you’re terminal, you have to say, in a very loud voice, you feel as healthy as an ox or we will chop off your head.
“And while you’re under treatment, presuming you survive, we reserve the right to camp out in your house and if you don’t behave, we will take over your house. So now, whether you like it or not, your treatment for your tumor will begin. This is a medical emergency, you know.
“What? Surgery for your tumor? I’m a butcher, not a surgeon!”
My Arab News column for this week is basically based on this blog. The Inquirer editorial basically calls for a referendum on the President’s rule. Why not? Let the people be heard. It’s one of the things people can do next, as Rina Jimenez-David points out, people are thinking up all sorts of things. Greg Macabenta says the martial law generation has its own thinking to do.
The best opinion piece of the day: Alex Magno, you maggot! by Manuel Buencamino.
Punzi has a point about those challenging Proclamation 1017: it may be a trap to get discussion banned on the basis of its being sub judice.
Newsstand makes a fearless forecast: if it looks like the Supreme Court will overturn the proclamation, the President will declare the emergency over.
Finally, AsiaPundit compares and contrasts Thaksin and Arroyo.
Technorati Tags: military, Philippines, state of emergency
Right about what, CVJ?
that idiot squatters like totoy should be kicked out of the country?
cvj was refering to me.
no need to kick me out: i’m already out of the country enjoying a double shot black label on the rocks while typing on my 5000 dollar 17 inch powerbook. and i’m not a squatter coz i own a condominium in makati and another one in baguio.
Disclaimer:
This blog does not condone [insert whatever action/statement/behavior/thought process/faith/creed/political affiliation/gender/educational level that happens to be decreed as illegal in the coming days] nor does it support any measures deemed [illegal, immoral, unethical, impudent, etc. in the coming days] by [insert name of person/office/department/ministry/special authority/supreme authority/galactic authority] as mandated by [insert title, date, and number of presidential/imperial/royal order/decree/proclamation/decree/edict here] issued by/for [insert title here] of the Philippines.
Thank you.
totoy, spent too much on your powerbook so you’re reduced to making do with black label? o_O
Whew! Thanks MLQ3.
i got a full bar manolo i felt like a black label tonight.
how do you “make do” with black label? i like to sip black label for an hour it goes down smooth. it’s good for cold chilly nights.
you know what you make do with? a 10 peso gin bulag. that’s making do.
…about the ‘internet brigade’. then again, maybe the black label explains it…
mlq3, might be safe to add ‘except as otherwise provided by law’…
.. per dti permit 1017 series of 2006. 😛
cheers, then, totoy
People won’t go to the street because
they already know GMA , She’s a BLOOD-SUCKING
dictator, ready to paint EDSA with Filipino’s blood
Remember May 01, EDSA 3 ?
YOU’LL REAP WHAT YOU SOW …
Someday you will be POWERLESS to protect your ass,
JUSTICE will PREVAIL …
cheers.
MLQ3, CVJ,
Luli Macapagal’s Internet Brigade is not a shot in the dark!
Not at all…
MLQ3,
Just got this in the e-mail from a US-based Pinoy friend.
Thought you might want to answer his question at the end.
“At the end of the American Civil War in 1865 it was often difficult for returning Confederate soldiers to find employment in some devastated parts of the South.
“One farmer near Appomattox in Virginia offered to supply work to any of Robert E. Lee’s veterans. To save the embarrassment of the officers, who were unused to manual labor, the kindhearted farmer divided his workers into squads according to their military rank. A passing neighbour enquired of him one day, ‘Who are those men working over there?’
“Them is privates, sir, of Robert E. Lee’s army. Very fine men, sir, first-rate workers.’
‘And who are those in that second group?’
‘Them is lieutenants and captains. They work quite well, but not so well as the private soldiers.’
‘I see you have a third squad. Who are they?’
‘Them is the colonels.’
‘And how do the colonels work?’
‘Well, neighbour, you won’t be hearing me saying anything ag’in a man who fought under Bobby Lee. But I tell you one thing: I ain’t gonna hire me no generals.’
Reminiscences of the Civil War, by General John B. Gordon, 1903.
anna,
how many ex-generals are working for the government after their retirement? does it explain why the philippine government is so messed up right now? the virginia farmer knew better.
bob
Stop it. This is silly. I thought this was a blog which values thoughtful contributions.
And people wonder why everyone here can’t get his/her sh*t together…..
mlq3 — shouldn’t you be leading the way? There’s nothing that can be done about extremist posters (other than banning…which has its own repercussions), but you are supposed to be the glue here, right? The even keel? Or no? Crap is crap…no matter from which side of the spectrum it comes from. Or not?
This is getting ridiculous. Polarization is a society-killer. If no one else is happy, then at least you (generic you) are not alone being unhappy, eh? Let’s rip each other apart. What a recipe.
What a waste of something special. As I tell my kids, being blessed means being burdened by a corresponding responsibility. The ultimate measurement is what one has done with his/her blessings and how that has related to the betterment of a greater whole.
Sadly, embarassingly, the most talented sectors of society are failing miserably. So what was all that education-related expense for? How can anyone claim to be a representative of the people when he/she has failed as a person?
Aren’t we all better than this? Childish reactions met with childish reactions is a truly bad point of departure. Stop it. Please. Really — please. This is stupid. Suicide.
a de brux, is that so? thanks for the heads up, but i would have thought they organized one long time back so they would have in place resident commenters by this time. anyway, as disembodied comments, we all exist at mlq3’s hospitality so for the good of every would-be visitor, i hope none of us abuses his welcome…(btw, mlq3, i’m really glad ‘captcha’ is working again.)
MLQ3,
A letter I just received this instant from Tita O, a well-off European-based Pinay and born into a Philippine upper middle class who spends a great part of the year in the Philippines.
“I am so happy to hear that you found it Anna, thanks a lot.
“You know I am saddened by the impression I got tonight from some returning retiring Fil-American friends as well as some well established local Filipino friends. They do not seem to care about what she did, her cheating, the funds that disappeared before elections, the scandals of her husband and his role in jueteng, bribing, corruption, etc. etc…..just as long as the country moves forward, never mind about the continuing misdeeds, etc.. never mind about all the moneys that disappeared before the elections…what happened and what do we do about such mentality in people who used to be correct and above board in their integrity?
“People I used to know who were highly moral people have changed suddenly, everything is acceptable to them now just as long as they can go on with their lives and with their lucrative businesses, etc. etc. even people I know who were highly moral and who are in government now seem to have changed. What happened to friends I used to admire? The excuse is always, who will replace her?
“Returning OFWs and some young Filipinos who are trying very much to survive with their own businesses tell me they can hardly survive, it is very very difficult, almost impossible to survive in the Philippines, pretty soon, these people will leave.
“Why don’t we OFWs make or even demand for the opposition to come up with somebody credible and capable in their ranks… can’t we do this? Have we really ran out of credible and capable leaders? What do we do about this? Just as I advocated strengthening the OFW Voice, I feel OFWs have to be more decisive in our stand if we are to win this fight. Shouldn’t we buy a whole page and post an open letter addressed to the leadership and the people and use now our leverage for this woman to resign?
“What do you think? I do not know if you agree but being here, I feel that if we wait too long, people will already go along with what this woman is doing, she just bribed the whole government employeedom with her 1000 additional allowance to their salaries I am sure this will change the minds of the people against her….you know how desperate people are…” Tita O
good point geo. playtime is over, folks.
IMHO your blog can actually be more enjoyable to read if you will make the line height (spacing) higher.
Tita O,
“Have we really ran out of credible and capable leaders?”
The myth of the credible head of state is bull. All leaders have flaws, but you have to see the overall contribution of a leader. Just check out this list of great leaders:
Thomas Jefferson – owned slaves
Winston Churchill – economics ignoramus
Bill Clinton – immoral womanizer
Mahathir Muhammad – anti-Semitic
Lee Kuan Yew – control freak. covert racist (against Malays)
Chian Kai Shek – corrupt
Margaret Thatcher – authoritarian anti-welfare
Emperor Hirohito – imperialist
John Howard – anti-immigration
Deng Xiaopeng – Tiannamen massacre
Carlos Garcia – trapo
Franklin Roosevelt – segregationist
Park Chung Hee – alcoholic, womanizer, brutal dictator
Let’s make do with Gloria and support her vision!
Every leader has his/her flaws (some bigger than others), that is not in dispute. On your list, all the democratically elected leaders had no legitimacy issues. Of course, you don’t believe in democracy for Filipinos so i don’t expect you to agree.
a de brux
Philippine politics is all about business. All our politicians are businessmen, they don’t care about you, me or anybody all they care about is ROI and good business ventures.
That’s the reason why they want to change the constitution and the form of government to parliamentary (to lessen the COST of being top dog)
And there’s no such thing as Nationalism in Filipinos blood, just read totoys’ post he/she is damming his/her own race.
Ok got to get back playing Civilization IV at least people in the simulated world have a sense of national pride…..
this totoy guy is a professional eh….
he knows too much… from world leaders to GIN BULAG..
and loves GMA too…
^_^ how much do you earn kissing GMAs butt?
You bought a laptop and 2 condos kissing GMAs butt???
No legitimacy issues? Park Chung Hee – South Korean military dictator? Carlos Garcia accused of rigging the elections in the 50’s?
What these leaders have in common is that they took the economies of their countries to meteoric levels.
francis, there is some truth in your observation about politicians and their motivations, but it is not logical to generalize about the nature of Filipinos and their nationalism or lack of it from a sample of one. besides, from totoy’s comments, it’s not nationalism that is in question, but democratic values which is another thing altogether…
totoy, thanks for the clarification on Carlos Garcia. I was not aware that Park Chung Hee was ever democratically elected but if so, thanks for the info as well. As i mentioned in another post – a democratic government is not like a corporation where effectiveness (however it is defined) automatically confers legitimacy. (Even on this point, GMA’s ‘effectiveness’ is mostly credit grabbing the work of others.) But since you don’t believe in democracy for Filipinos , we have to leave it at agreeing to disagree…
it’s my opinion from my experience that MOST filipinos don’t have nationalistic pride/feeling we are usually self centered individuals with self serving intentions ang goals.
Look at our streets, it’s littered with debris of candies, bus tickets and in simple terms JUNK. Most don’t realize or care to think that this is OUR country/land or part of their home, most people only care/take care of their BAKURANS which they diligently clean or rid of trash/junks.
IMHO Filipinos are too democratic, they allow people to cheat because it does not affect them. That’s the same reason, in my opinion, why the GARCI tapes or scandal was not solved or no head rolled. Individuals achieved their goals never thinking of the consequences for the country our nation.
I still think we are still in the barbaric stage of socialization were in we protect the herd, not the country.
Nahh, it’s just my opinion.. don’t take it by heart.. maybe I am just playing too much Civ… ^_^
francis, now that you put it that way, point taken. btw, it’s good that your playing ‘Civilization’, from what i hear, simulation games are educational especially in the areas of economics and society.
cvj, the reason I said totoy don’t have nationlastic feelings is the way he opined that squaters are the reason we are on this quagmire we are in.
I was once a squatter (people who don’t own a land on his own COUNTRY).
i see, then please disregard my comment #80.
yeah it’s good.. you can calm a revolting society by placing troops on the city. 1 batallion = 1 happy person. That is when your civic is Hereditary Rule.
Just saw it in real life last weekend.. 🙂
This one just came to mind…. what if all land in the country was paved and buildings were put up… were would all the squatters go? Will they be put on boats and told to go away from their own land?… weird….. got to sleep… now.
Here in Singapore, they put up government housing (Housing Development Board – HDB), sort of like Imelda’s BLISS but more successful. Most Singaporeans live in this housing blocks, but more and more are buying condos of their own. I’m currently renting one from a family that migrated to Melbourne. I don’t know if land ownership is viable for all 80 Million Filipinos, but apartment block housing certainly is..
Know what Francis,
I almost couldn’t care less if our politicians get involved in politics because it’s good business but why can’t they get it into their heads that good business should produce good dividends and that these dividends could be shared with the personnel?
So, let’s tell our politicians to run politics the way a good business outfit must be run.
A business will make profit and lots of profit if the people who run it look after the people that help them run it; that’s why good corporations have DHRs, that’s why they run continuing education for their personnel, they try to keep their personnel happy by giving them good pay, good health cover, encourage the personnel to stay and serve the company better; moreover, sound business dictates that you bestow incentives on the personnel because that’s part of creating a happy work and business environment; the personnel need security too and that’s why it’s important to have correct and sound policies; a business in order to grow must allocate part of its profit into research and development in order to come up with good, better, excellent marketable products; the short, mid, long term goal is to make profit not only for you but for the other investors too; and in order to achieve that you gotta be good to your people, your personnel – they will help your business make profit!
Francis,
Problem with our politicians is that not only do they grab all the profits for themselves they also dip into the capital and steal most of it when no one is looking; they run off somewhere to hide it, so business gets bankrupt, corporation gets bust and the personnel are left to either pick up the broken pieces or left in the lurch.
You’re right Francis, that’s how our politicians deal with politics, they grab the profit, steal the capital and leave the people in the lurch.
They’ve never heard of Enron and all those companies that went bust, whose top guys landed (and more will land) prison terms.
They don’t simply get it!
But if indeed the parameter of politics and public service in the Philippines Enron practice, I think it’s high time we went hard on them and did an Enron on them – Gloria first and the others next…
a de brux,
Your right on the money. BUT we don’t need businessmen running our country right now. We need patriots and nationalist. Businessmen and business have certain goals, and to be efficient they need to cater to a select few and invest the surplus cash to a profitable venture NOT share it to the inefficient/useless portion of the group.(usually the inefficient group get axed)
GMA is running our country like a businessman would. Kill/eliminate all competitor and lure skeptics with power and wealth or eliminate them if they don’t join.
If a patriot or a hero would be born right now it would take another 40 years for him to have an impact on our country.. by that time i’ll be dead.
For now I am really just enjoying the show. Can’t make a difference. I am currently drooling at the other civilization on planet earth… specially the australians.. they’re rich, nationalist seems every citizen have a secured future… see how they united when one of their countrymen was bashed?!
I agree with you, Francis. In an ideal world, politics should not be about making about monetary profit for the politician.
I’m pretty sure we have politicians in the country who do not look at politics as a business operation to fatten his bank account.
Just that Gloria has brought politicking and politics to the level of the morally depraved. She and her family have made poltics money-making operation. So we think everyone is like her but I refuse to believe that the nation is bereft of morality and of moral politicians. There’s one or two out there who are as qualified, as capable and perhaps more moral.
There is an alternative!
“She is as they are”
A very powerful piece…Congratulations, MLQ3.
agree with a de brux’s review…timely column.
The recent statement by the US government is short and concise. But it puts tremedous pressure on President Arroyo.
It has called on Arroyo’s government TO RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW, UPHOLD CIVIL RIGHTS AND REJECT VIOLENCE.
As a result, President Arroyo is considering to lift 1017 in 3 days.
What cannot be done by the opposition, can be done by a foreign government with its economic clout.
I came accross a comment from the host of the other blog I visit that we are a nation of spoiled brats.
That reminded me of sleeping’s litttany re:responsibility and accountability.
Come to think of it..i don’t care if we won’t stop until we get what we want(to answer spoiled)as long as we won’t trample or run over those who would not care less.(hope that answers reponsibility)
Oh my… FINALLY.. MLQ3 speaks up! great piece. “She is as they are”
We common people have the same opinion, but don’t have the same reach of audience as the OTHER people… all we can do is post on blogs that only a few can read. It can’t change anything or influence anybody.
I’ve been waiting for that kind of piece since the garci tape broke out and now finally I just read powerful and straight to the point article. 1017 has a purpose after all…
Anyway GMA would be a billionaire by time she relinquish her post and corruption will be going, going, going and going.
francis wrote on March 2nd, 2006 at 7:26 am
Oh my… FINALLY.. MLQ3 speaks up! great piece. “She is as they areâ€Â
…
Agreed 99 %
the one percent i disagree on on is the finally mlq3 speaks up
MLQ3 has been speaking up for quite a while now…
(sorry kung pilosopo)
Just read it and it is Great!.. had to wait for everyone to finish reading,,because my internet connection is so speed bagal
and it is much faster to read it offline
Go back and look at what korina did say in the piece i mentioned you may not have writen it that way bat to come out and say that there is a list of 200 to 2000 and then provide not a single fact. Means that it is a Lie..
Get your facts correct before pumping the public with crap..
Rumours can be phrased that way but she said that the government had a list which contained a group of 200 to 2000… Not that it was a guess or rumour..
Check your facts MQL3..
Remember why i chose this name way back it was.. To define the question of who is sleeping with who..
Lets see in the last week we have Madgalo and NPA
ANC with anyone anti-government and more so now that they have cases to answer for due to the Bad planning and execution of the WOW WOW WEE exercise.. (I think execution is a good word there..)
Pump the public full of half truths and rumours and then they can play the same later when it gets to court.. (We know what happens there..)
I saw a show yesterday and there must have been 100 Children at the show, how many guards, teachers and parents, at max 10-1 ratio..
How many guards at the stadium 1-500.. How many ambulances 1 to 10,000… Well planned is all i can say..
We know Korina has to push the company line.. but MLQ3 you could be like the other executive at ANC and look at your fisrt page and its goals.. STOP THE HATE..
If hatered gets more then what will happen to the people who dont fit in.. they will be the targets of the angry mobs.. Just because you walk funny, dress differently, talk funny..
The president did something ANC was unable to do that is what they dont like, she averted a disaster, and saved lives…
sleeping, for your reference:
200 people facing arrest?
Philippine Star, Philippines – Feb 24, 2006
Government cracks down on enemies
Philippine Star, Philippines – Feb 25, 2006
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/phillip/articles/20060228.aspx
that’s the minimum number. the 2,000 names figure was relayed by media colleagues as speculation emanating from police, afp and palace sources, but obviously not confirmed by any official announcement. will convey your comment though, because as originally written, it was not stated as fact, but as alarming indication of the extent of the enemies’ list.
Sleeping, how did proclamation 1017 avert a disaster?