Most papers say it’s the fourth, the Daily Tribune says it’s the fifth: another explosion took place, anyway. Interesting is the Manila Times’ Johnna Villaviray-Giolagon’s take on who might be behind the bomblets (they’re little bombings, after all): or to be precise, her putting forward Norberto Gonzalez’s take on the bombings being an anti-government effort similar to the “Light a Fire” effort during the dictatorship. That reminds me, I should find out what Fr. Romeo Intengan SJ’s attitude towards those martial law bombings was.
The best defense is a good offense: Cha-cha protest gathers 10,000 in Negros Occ. and so, Gloria allies slam bishops’ ‘meddling’. But also, for every bad cop, there’s a good cop: Dictatorship? No way  GMA. And if you can’t beat ’em, smooch ’em: ChaCha advocates pin hopes on Villar.
The President accepts Ambassador Albert del Rosario’s resignation. Lurid speculation accompanied the move, but having met him (and his staff), it’s best to say RP envoy to US gets his wish to quit post. He tried to resign more than once prior to finally managing to do so this time around. Newsstand, though, thinks the whole thing smacks of politics trumping performance.
In the punditocracy, my Arab News column for this week is Why Rizal Went Bravely to His Death.
Gail Ilagan in her column reacts to a comment left by reader Anthony Viduya in this blog concerning one of her previous columns. She reminds people that throwing the “Communist” tag about is not a healthy thing to do in this day and age. And yes, I am a fan of her column.
Nu’ain Bin Abdulhaqq contends June 12 as independence day provides the pretext for Moro independence.
Tulsathit Taptim speaks glowingly of the Thai monarch’s 60th accession anniversary.
The other day, Maureen Dowd penned a tart look at blogdom, after attending the anniversary party for The Daily Kos (half a million readers! every day!). Her point: new media seems a lot like old media once it reaches a certain critical mass. John Dickerson in Slate discusses the give-and-take and the difference between American liberal and conservative blogdom’s attitudes towards media.
In the blogosphere, Pinoy Pod focuses on Filipino bloggers. Leon Kilat reviews the podcast.
Achieving Happiness attends a reception, which inspires thoughts on Epicurus and Marx (with Mao on the side: the reader unfamiliar with Mao may want to read The Little Red Book).
baratillo@cubao reviews -and fondly remembers- Nick Joaquin’s A Question of Heroes. Which makes me speculate that the Greatest Unwritten Filipino Novel was Nick Joaquin’s El Camino Real, which ended up being a play on Aguinaldo and his historical failure to seize Manila. I watched the play, ages ago, and it was marvelous; and had it been a novel, it would have beaten “The General in His Labyrinth (Vintage International)” (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) by twenty years.
And then, finally, this, accompanied by a counter-offensive by death penalty proponents:
Technorati Tags: Blogging, constitution, military, people’s initiative, Philippines, politics
Kulang na lang sabihin ng gagong Gonzalez na iyan that those bombings and those killings are a good PR campaign against Arroyo.
As to those who belly-ache about ‘political meddling’ by the Church. Gloria can take it up with the Pope when she sees him.
‘political meddling’ is endorsed by the Pope. Last Mar.30, he said , political interventions ” are aimed solely at enlightening conscience, enabling them to act freely and responsibly, according to the true demands of justice, even when this should conflict with situations of power and personal interest”
He also said, “that when Churches or ecclesial communities intervene in public debate, expresing reservations or recalling various principles, this does not constitute a form of intolerance or interference”
Bottom line for the belly-achers is an endorsement from CBCP is not meddling but criticism is. Assholes!
just want to remind our HONORABLE SERVANT LEADERS that they are there to serve not to play games and make the people damn.
how i wish i was wrong with what i’m thinking about them.
Don’t belittle the Bomblets,
They do little damage but they are chirpping calls
For Mother Bombs, Father Bombs, Big Brother Bombs and even Sis Boom Bombs
A coming together, a confluence of Bombs, Bombs Ahoy!
What is it that those opposing chacha really have to offer?
Are they the defenders of the status quo?
Or are they just those same ol characters who are not capable of separating issues from personalities?
Perhaps, they are the ‘anti evolution” people, who are so imprisoned by their fears & paranoia. They would imagine all possible excuses.
How does anyone qualify people who are neither here nor there & are more concerned w/ what they can handel.
When all they want is to oppose & having nothing better to offer.
Does development or evolution have to wait for them?
What does the church have to offer?
Is the church offerning a Theocratic goverment?
What are those characters opposing chacha trying to save?
Are they saving egoistic personalities of the senate?
A society w/ so much hate, fears, hang-ups will not go anywhere.
Bomblets or staged bombings? Bombing a dilapidated SWAT van inside a police camp? Another ploy of the administration to to push the Anti-terrorism Bill. Or maybe to justify another State of National Emergency.
Looking at how local officials squander their IRAs makes me think twice about the Cha-Cha. This only shows how local execs can easily abuse their power. Could Cha-Cha really solve our problems or would it lead to regression than evolution? With the kind of mindset our local officials have, I’d go for the latter.
death penalty links:
on the flip-flops craze.
on the picture of baby echegaray et al.
Manolo, on Intengan’s views on the bombings, check out the wacky autobiography of Light a Fire Movement bomber Eduardo Olaguer who claims that one of the “movement’s” gurus was the late Horacio de la Costa, SJ, who then recruited Intengan, Olaguer’s brother Toti and Soc Rodrigo to join the plot to plant bombs in Manila (p. 160). My leftwing ex-socdem friends also point out to the planned urban terrorism campaigns as one reason why they split the Partido Sosyalista Demokratiko ng Pilipinas (PDSP) of which Intengan and Norberto Gonzales were top honchos. They would eventually link up with BISIG of Dodong Nemenzo in the post-Marcos period (although some opted to stay within the soc-dem network but form a leftwing faction which became known as Pandayan).
I guess the Gonzalez- Intengan faction is caled Pandakan
Hi Schumey,
Mukhang malinaw naman ang iyong sagot sa iyong mga tanong.
Si GMA ay magdedeklara ng Martial Law tungo sa Revolutionary government, dissolve Congress, adapt the new constitution, schedule elections cum referendum na magreresolve na rin ng legitimacy issue, solved na ang impasse para makausad na ang ating ekonomiya at maiwasan na ang divisive politics na nagpapahirap sa taong bayan who are clamoring for change. Ganyang kasimple lang ang mas malamang sa hindi ay mangyayari. Yan ang malinaw na direksyon na kanilang tinatahak.Wala namang makahahadlang, ingay lang ang opposition, media, simbahan, a few soldiers, magkagulo man ay manageable. It would be stupid of Gloria not to go for it — a chance to save the republic. She’s too bright and gutsy to let this opportunity or mission call pass and let the impasse linger that leftist-rightist conspirators are exploiting to destabilize the government and sabotage our improving economy. Sayang naman ang pagkakataon para sa ikabubuti ng ating bayan, di ba? Besides may go signal na, inaayos na lang ang presentasyon at tiempo para perfect ang trabaho tulad noong 2004 elections. Kayat yang bombing-bombing na yan,sino man ang may kagagawan niyan ok lang yan makatutulong yan sa presentasyon, para maayos na ang ating bayan. Sabi nga ng iba dito sa blog eh, sit back, relax and enjoy it.
Joselu,
I’m pretty sure those who oppose the cha-cha are afraid of the kind of revolutionary changes GMA has in mind.
We don’t have to offer an alternative . We only have to oppose her alternative. We don’t like it and we don’t like her. Period.
m.buencamino, sounds like personality politics.
Moe,
Can you separate the issue of cha-cha from Gloria ? If you can, then you are not talking about the same cha-cha she is espousing.
So yes, this cha-cha on the table is nothing but personality politics because the personality pushing for cha-cha is objectionable.
I agree Manuel, its not Cha-Cha per se but the kind and style GMA wants. Its all about personality politics because GMA and her cohorts has no credibility at all. How many times have they been caught lying through their teeth? Buking na, nagpapalusot pa. Talaga yatang uso ang FLIP-FLOP sa administrasyong ito. Panay ang sabay sa ihip ng hangin para sa additional Pogi points. Are these kind of people who truly want genuine change or opportunists who just want to stay in power?
MB, you’ve got a point. but since most people agree that the 1987 consti needs updating anyway, is it impossible for those who aren’t under GMA’s thumb to just participate more constructively? Like, maybe suggesting other proposed amendments – ones that truly address national problems? Like Schumey said, it’s not cha-cha per se that’s the problem.
And repeat the farcical 1973 constitutional convention that Marcos used to legitimize his dictatorship? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. And the record of this regime so far shows there is no limit to the depths of hell it is willing to carve out.
Bomblets or Bomb Teasing, just reflect the totality of us-doing something without accomplishing anything. And then every expert of the land will come up swith 101 theories and some will insist his or hers is the most likely. I’ll give it another 10 years or more before we we know what really is going on. A turtle travels faster.
15 June 2006
Let me sahre my thought on this, I was still very youn then before the imposition of martial law by marcos in 1972. But accroding to what ia ve read and studied, the similarity is there, the bombings, the killings, etc………
Ironically, marcos was also hell bent on changing the consitution to favor him and his clowns. People (pros) are claiming that there is no alternative to the presidency(????) of gloria, who does this people think they are????
You cannot just separate the issue of cha-cha from gloria, I am not against cha-cha, but the issue should not tackled in this present administration, I agree that the 1987 consitution should be amended, but changing the system to day, may be it needs more understanding and studying before we change the system. I think it would be better if we call on all elective and appointive officials to resign from their post and make way for snap election, that way we could start from the beginning.
I tell you people, its not the system that is at fault, but the people who are running the system to gain their personal advantage.
jinx
Nice wordplay, MB. Intengan also played footsies with the MNLF and sent some of the Pandakanistas to train in Sabah. Nothing happened to that plan after the Malaysian government forced them to leave. Intengan’s selective recall of that past is a fascinating read in the PCIJ special issue on 20 Filipinos, 20 years atter People Power.
manuelbuencamino,it seems that it’s too shallow to say ‘we don’t have to offer an alternative” & just to oppose.You would tend to sound like empty cans only doing so.
Yes, perhaps, pgma wants to make revolutionary changes.As if we are not in need of revolutionary changes.
So what gives? Do you mean that the same people opposing are scared of change & giving all sorts of excuses to get away from it.
There are simply so many false & half truth ideas going around peddled by those “opposing”.So if those opposing do not have to present any counter ideas.Why then peddle half truths?
To me it sounds very sad that the pinoy is not capable of argueing issues on truths & realities.Insted it always boils down to the personality.
I’m afraid that since,unfortunatly,we are a society who will never admit to defeat.The issues that divide us will never end.Even if something can be a solution.It will never work cause you can be sure there will be the opposing parties that will only be watching for the wrong things & enlarge them.
manuelbuencamino, Philippine society reminds me of a lil kid when served w/ a plate of food starts to pick only the things he likes.
Perhaps, it’s a description of how over simple we can be to say it in kind words.
In a parlamentary system, the choices of PM will be wider.Why then make it appear that pgma would like to continue on.
Our problem of changing an unpopular president in the present system & why we can’t change pgma easily won’t be there.
It’;s really sad that we are at the level of nitpicking & hairspliting.
It’s like saying, I like school butttttttt, i don’t like this i don’t like that, i don’t like the way that person looks, i don’t like the way he dresses etc…. i think you call that being so ma arte.
but i guess the day of reconing will also come.
i guess the battle will be between those who want to move on & evolve against those who perhaps because of to much pride, fear & paranoia & incapability to separate personalities from issues & will forever use all forms of excuses & forms of writtings. but ask them if they have any better ideas.they will sound like empty cans.
basta oppose lang at bahala na.
i have my doubts weather these are the kind of people to take seriosly.
Manuel B.
Re: “manuelbuencamino, Philippine society reminds me of a lil kid when served w/ a plate of food starts to pick only the things he likes.”
Yikes! Sounds very much like Gloria! “I don’t like del Rosario anymore, boohooohoooo!” Bam! Del Rosario gets bashed on the head…
“Satur Ocampo stuck his tongue at me -wahhhhhh!” Bam! Satur gets shackled and dragged to the dungeon…
“Ms Panganiban-Perez, the journalist is snatching my friends, wahwahwaaaaaah” Bam, Panganiban-Perez becomes a suspected rebel lover…
“I want the name of this horrid place changed – I want my Daddddddddy!” So the nannies all get worked up and changes the name to Don Diosdado Macapagal International Airport
Oh yeah, I see what the other kid meant…