The President sets the terms for proclaiming an end to her emergency status. However, NSA chief rejects call to withdraw PP 1017 citing “there are still platoons in the Army that are unaccounted for, and members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines inside Metro Manila”; the same paper, the Manila Standard-Today also reports a cinematic plot: red flags to signal support for the Marines.
Speaking of coup attempts, the Philippines Free Press blog republishes two articles dating back to past coups: The Friday coup: they Almost won! by Teodoro M. Locsin and The anatomy of loyalty, by Edward Kiunisala.
The Manila Times wonders if Sec. Raul Gonzalez is trying to get back at the Iloilo press. Malaya reports on Gonzalez’s various prescriptions for our ailing nation.
PCIJ reports the NUJP website was hacked, and why broadcasters are nervous about new government rules. Anyway, as the Inquirer reports, Media still have to follow guidelines even if 1017 lifted.
Funny feature article for the day: Cory in full bloom, Gloria visibly wilting.
On another note: I remember snorting during the Saturday sermon of Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales for many reasons, but one was the repeated reference to him as “Cardinal-elect,” which betrays an ignorance of how the Catholic Church does things. Whispers in the Loggia points out the manner in which Cardinals are announced, and how they should be referred to until they actually receive the red hat from the Pope. Such people are “cardinals-designate,” since becoming a Cardinal is a dignity, a title, not one of the three Holy Orders (deacon, priest, bishop) of the Church. The ignorant and repeated reference to Rosales as “Cardinal-elect” is a phyrase only suitable to bishops, as the Church retains the historical fiction that bishops, as in the early days of the Church, are elected. A Cardinal is created” in the same way a Duke is “created” by, say, Queen Elizabeth II and for the same reason: it is a title, a dignity, which is why you do not even have to be a bishop to be a Cardinal (and, until very recently, you did not even have to be a priest or even a deacon: Paul VI, for example, considered making Jacques Maritain, theologian but not priest, a Cardinal).
Serendipitously, my column for today, She is as they are, may answer Conrado de Quiros’s question as to why those who’d vowed “never again” to strongman rule are now embracing it.
Juan Mercado, who was locked up by Ferdinand Marcos at the onset of martial law, points to three truths about governments that attempt to control the press:
Lesson One: Suppressing the media is self-defeating.
Lesson Two: “In the long run of history, the censors and inquisitors always lost,” Cebu’s major newspapers said. “The only weapon against bad ideas is a better one.”
Lesson Three: Press muzzlers first seek out the weakest link.
The journalists that Marcos and Estrada tried to gag were there to report their downfall. That’s Lesson Four.
Manuel Buencamino lists down what government has done to incite sedition and rebellion against itself.
In MindaViews, Patricio P. Diaz discusses the targets of emergency rule, and discerns that while the proclamation was legal, the manner it’s being implemented is another story altogether.
Tony Abaya wonders if Communist infliltration of the anti-Arroyo efforts isn’t total.
Connie Veneracion dissects emergency rule and questions whether the wrongs the government seeks to right, can be righted with a possibly, if not wrong order, then the wrong methods of implementing orders. She concludes,
Sure, PP 1017 sucks. Big time. It is like seeking to right a wrong with another wrong because most of what it seeks to repress are wrong anyway–political power grabbing, military adventurism and even a licentious press. But the biggest mistake anyone can do right now is to get his attention deflected by everything that is wrong with PP 1017 and forget everything that is wrong beyond it.
While I tend to disagree with most everything Emil Jurado writes, I do agree that “Wowowee” shouldn’t be resurrected. But then, as I said before, I’d be happy to see all noontime variety shows taken off the air.
Larry Sipin says there’s always good news.
In the blogosphere, there’s a marvelously observant entry by Random Fandom on the government, media, and the participants in the Fort Bonifacio standoff. Read the whole thing.
Newsstand on the politics of cute and why policing the newsroom isn’t kosher. Speaking of the politics of cute, e-Mandirigma launches a Frappuccino for freedom campaign.
Big Mango tackles truth and justice; he says neither side can claim both:
Both camps want righteousness— the Anti-Arroyo camp Righteous Truth without Justice and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Righteous Justice without Truth. That is not Truth and Justice. Neither case is the right path no matter our collective intention: see economic prosperity. All we have is drama, all sound and fury and at the end of the day, signifying nothing.
Captain’s Log shows how technological unsophistication can add to the political noise.
Concerns of a Bystander on the different stands people take in times of trouble.
Technorati Tags: journalism, media, military, people power, Philippines, state of emergency
Guys we all KNOW what to do and deep inside we know what is right. But please don’t post in all CAPS and add space in between. It’s hard to read. 🙂
May I request then that Mr. MLQ3 make her blog have a higher line height (1.3em is nice) so it will be easy on the eyes.. I know I am a webdeveloper. Currently it is set in px. not user friendly.
I always pray that everyone teach their children not to cheat, in line, in their scores, in buying something so that our childrens childrens can enjoy a nice country such as the Philippines.
And please don’t blame them for what we are right now they can’t help it. Once your in politics your in politics. Atienza have his reasons the same with Drilon when he stop supporting our (in my opinion) greedy cheating President. Mayor Atienza has a great history maybe he have plans for the future we don’t know or he have some investment to protect.
We should all chip in for the good of our country. MLQ3 doesn’t want to be in politics because as he said he is good in writing and politics don’t pay much, I know some of my friends are in politics and it’s really a sacrifice because of the low pay.
The Senators are doing their job but they don’t have a police power per se. ALl they can do is suggest on what to do.
I am an activist by heart but I am not judgemental of others. I always try to disect reasoning of my enemies. I always get excited when GMA’s government is on the brink of falling down or THEY (GMA’s camp) suggest that someone’s bringing it down.
The only reason it is still a government is because there is not a concerted effort to bring it down as Gonzales, Lomibao are suggesting.
If I was a soldier I’ll snipe them down anytime of the day because they embody the thinking of the old… Elite versus powerless society.
Yeah Civ4 and all versions is fun to play.Played them all. You get to be a ruler from barbaric age to 2056 ata or who ever get to build a spaceship first.
If your a history buff you’ll love the technology research. there’s religion that can really influence the society, mostly in happiness of the state, and there’s the form of government your civ will be using…
dont play it MLQ3 once your in it your in it… you’ll spend countless hours on it.
There’s also world leaders with different character and policy towards other… didn’t find one that fit GMA maybe Genghis Khan of the monggols fit her. expansive and have a military bonus. 🙂
#1 tip:
Your religion should be the same with your neighbor or your in for a really early war.
@Jon Mariano
One thing I notice about us here are we are all well read and educated and informed. I never suggested that let others pave the road for me, I gave up being a SUPER activist, now I just try to help the helpless and not care much about them politicians. They will eventually get caught, and someone somewhere, sometime in the future books will be written about them and learn of their misdeeds. The reason I lost hope is I won’t be seing it in my lifetime so I might as well help in some other ways… And if by luck I get my one moment in time to change Philippine politics I wont shy away from it.
I really do love my country and countrymen. Philippines is one of the most beatiful places in the world we might not have the awesome architecture of Europe the divine city’s of the middle east the captivating grand canyon of the americans, we don’t even have a world wonder, but we have a beatiful country and countrymen. I always dream that the government can get their act together so that in the future the Filipinos will not be a squatter in their own land.
It’s really a pitty that most of land now are owned by the Chinese.
Notice, people, that past entry No. 27, “El Sleepingero” and Joselu were no longer “barok magsulat” and started getting their English straightened out.
P*T*I* talaga kayo..
Hanggang dito ba naman mandaraya pa rin kayo?
Hindi talaga kayo lalaban ng patas -mga buwitre..
Umalis na kayo, salot!
lol good observation in a pig’s eye
some poster’s also know too much facts and data for an average guy, as if there’s google on the other screen and an encyclopedia on the other screen and a Philippine history database on the other… that’s 4 screen (one for posting on this article) you need good funds to do just that..
Francis,
Is that Civilization game on the market? What is it called exactly and what company produces it or under what label is it on the market?
Civilization 4 developed by 2K games distributed by Firaxis and sold in our country. meron nyan sa DataBlitz Php2,300 ata if i remember. It’s the MOST famous game of all. sa mundo nang gamers ha. pero don’t expect too much kasi it is really for hardcore simulation type guys kasi game time is 12 to 24 hours. your start in the barbarian age to civilized age and also don’t expect too much war because it is not a war game it’s some sort of a social game were you really need to be nice to your neighbors because they have a much powerful army and you need good alliance with some and there’s also trade.. there’s too much to say..
In summary it’s a technological race first one to discover something have an edge against other civilizations… just pure FUN specially dealing with other world leaders they have sum humor like :
Let’s slaughter a thousand slave to celebrate this momentous occasion Montezuma’s welcome message when he meets your civilization..