Can there be a more apt description of Gringo Honasan than putschistenführer? I think not. The big news since early this morning has been Honasan’s capture, apparently after a chase and a scuffle.
Bunker Chronicles believes Honasan should have faced the charges against him and not hidden. Loi’s Site doesn’t like his political propaganda. Newsstand always thought it was a matter of time, but wonders why the AFP always captures its own, but can’t apprehend Muslim rebels.
When Torn and Frayed said, recently, Honasan’s election as Senator after mounting coups was the perfect key to understanding post-Marcos Philippines, I had to agree. Our politics has been working on the Peter Principle. A commentary in Thailand’s The Nation makes for illuminating reading, too.
Newsbreak dissects the putschist factions and has scuttlebutt on the next Supreme Court appointment.
Bad cop: Palace spokesman says human rights issues are part of propaganda by opponents of the government. Good cop: Executive Secretary says they will talk to investors to address their human rights concerns. Mother of All Cops: President says she cares about killings. Call out the cops: President’s husband will continue filing cases against critics. Cops and robbers: Atong Ang asked, deal or no deal?
State of the Nation: pool champ gets medal, check, and praise, then gets robbed.
Baghdad needs cops: academics kidnapped en masse.
In the punditocracy, my Arab News column for this week is Philippines Continues Asian Tradition of Being a One-Party State.
The Inquirer editorial suggests why foreign investors are applying pressure on the President with regards to human rights: stockholders.
Bong Austero on understandable and incomprehensible reasons for running for public office.
Manuel Buencamino has a wish list for American Democrats.
Greg Macabenta on the gallows humor of overseas Filipinos. An interesting column on the history of the UST main building by Bambi Harper.
Philip Carter ponders if warfare has undergone a revolutionary change or not.
Bloggers’ observations on the Manila mayoralty race: Philippine Politics 04 sees Atienza billboards sprouting; An OFW in Hong Kong ponders Lim vs. Lacson. Purple Phoenix presents some scuttlebutt.
Jove Francisco on journalists’ advocacy of decriminalizing libel.
mongster’s nest discusses what’s set to happen in Cebu City for the Asean Summit. Peryodistang Pinay reports from the field, saying the news on the change in venue has been inaccurately reported.
blackshama on the Latin Mass (since I’m not religious, my attitude towards such things is purely aesthetic: and the more incense and ritual there is, the happier I am).
Technorati Tags: media, military, philippines, politics, president
since I’m not religious, my attitude towards such things is purely aesthetic: and the more incense and ritual there is, the happier I am.
Santayana. He’s atheist but he loves going to mass. 🙂
According to Tito Sotto, Gringo’s arrest is a blessing in disguise. I am bothered because it is closer to the truth. If the elections will push through, it is very likely that Gringo’s arrest will be beneficial. I’ve already read several blogs cheering Gringo’s supposed heroism. Hello, have they forgotten the more deadly attempts he’s done in the past? It’s really baffling and very frightening. We shouldn’t support people just because they are against the administaration. This just goes to show a very dangerous future ahead of us.
Ich stimme zu, mlq3. Das ist richtig. Honasan ist ein Putschistenführer. Aber, gemäß dem Artikel an espace, “Auf Honasan war ein Kopfgeld von rund 80’000 Euro ausgesetzt worden.†Also, wohin wird die 80’000-Euro-Kopfgeld gehen? Wird der PNP-CIDG dazu berechtigt?
i agree.
he should not have run away and hid himself. he should have faced his charges like dodong nemenzo other anti-arroyo and “gma resign” people being charged with rebellion.
shows you how smart this guy is.
Kiko,
I thought a person facing rebellion charges is prohibited from standing in elections. Is this true?
If this is the case, Gringo cannot legally become a candidate for office.
I agree with John that – he should have come out of hiding at some point to face the charges squarely. He no longer is a military officer and didn’t have to fear that he would be held incommunicado by the military in one of its Philippine Guantanamo Bay-like prisons.
Exec Sec Ed Ermita is dreaming. If he thinks simply addressing business groups to allay their fears would make a difference, he’s wrong.
There’s been a lot of “promises” made no less by Gloria herself, one of the most recent of which were contained in her speeches to leaders in Europe, yet 2 months after those speeches, there hasn’t been an iota of change with the end result that the JFC have to issue their concerns more strongly than ever.
Gringo looks heroic because he is against Gloria. Pathetic. But, rhen again, even shit looks delectable if the choice is between it and Gloria.
anna de brux,
I think only covicted individuals are prohibited to run for public office. Even Jinggoy, faced with a plunder charge, was able to run and win. There’s this news article in Inquirer where Tito Sotto said despite Gringo’s arrest, he could still run for senator.
Kiko,
Thanks. Gringo should just completely fade away. Never was an admirer of this desk soldier.
Gringo is a Jekyll and Hyde character, being both putschist and an elected Senator with a proven constituency. To me, his arrest is a good thing because now he is forced to be the latter and not the former. Unless convicted with finality, he will likely run for and win a Senate seat. The Palace sees the jury of Senator Judges ready to convict her assembling. They’ve gotta knock them out one by one if they are to avoid a Hanging Senate. Lt Sg. Trillanes is also running. Perhaps Danilo Lim, Segumalian and Querubin ought to resign their commissions and go into politics. Go straight to the people for justice. Even Erap could run in 2007 in time to be Senator Judge in GMA’s upcoming impeachment trial.
If Gringo, Erap and another Estrada, one or two Marcoses, Danilo Lim, et al., manage to get themselves elected into a ‘hanging Senate,’ GMA could be out by next year with Noli De Castro taking over. Meanwhile we’re stuck with these Senators for another 6 years.
From Witness, a New York-based human rights group — “See it. Film It. Change it.” The group has already gathered almost 3,000 hours of footage of human rights abuses from people in more than 75 countries. It is getting ready to launch a YouTube-like Web site for human rights. Caldwell said rights groups are increasingly harnessing the “power of images and human stories to motivate change.”
—
Female detainees in Malaysia had complained for years that Malaysian police humiliated them by ordering nude squats, ostensibly to dislodge anything they might be hiding on or inside their bodies. Even women arrested on minor traffic violations complained of this inappropriate treatment.
Human rights groups protested, but nothing changed, they said. It was hard to get word out about any police misconduct… In a nation where the same political party has led the government since 1957, authorities silenced critics.
—
Then the “nude squat video clip” began circulating phone to phone, e-mail to e-mail. Eventually it was posted on YouTube and other Internet sites, to be viewed by millions. The video clip became public and shattered the old balance of power.
Jeg,
you prefer GMA to those senators?
you prefer GMA to those senators?
Good question, MB. I keep forgetting this isnt a perfect world and even if GMA and the Senators belong to co-equal branches of government, they wouldnt just go poof! after they convict. I never did like the taste of bullet, but looks like we have to bite a few.
😀
In the Philippine setting, it might not be entirely a bad thing to have all our lawmakers legislate behind bars. The citizenry would be able to sleep better knowing that after every session, they would be safely under lock and key.
cvj,
Or how about they can steal all they want but they won’t be allowed to spend a cent of their loot. Would that discourage graft?
DJB,
If that scenario happens and GMA is convicted, Filipinos might finally realize that there is Justice in the Philippines.
Mabuhay si GRINGO – COUP anytime as long as it is DONE to
CHANGE the FAKE LEADER because SHE does NOT DESERVE to LEAD …
Kiko you should be ashamed of yourself if you ACCEPT a FAKE and a BOGUS – ABUSIVE ADMINISTRATION such as GNA
Well we CAN ALL SHOW our SUPPORT come ELECTION 2007, it’s
LEGAL – ALL WE HAVE TO DO is ELECT OPPOSITION SENATORS
AND CONGRESSMEN … Bahala na kayo sa Mayor and Governor
BASTA Wag KALILIMUTAN – VOTE WISELY and GUARD OUR VOTE
Because this will be OUR VOICE and our ONLY OPTIONS LEFT …
It’s PAYBACK TIME … GO OPPOSITION !!!!
GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR !!
GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR !!
GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR !!
GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR ! GRINGO for SENATOR !!
mb, it may be futile to ask, but where is your deranged hatred of GMA coming from? It could not be just from your perception of “evil” deeds that have never been proven.
I think such an odious sentiment towards another human being can only stem from extreme dissatisfaction with oneself? I hope it makes you feel like you’re worth something by equating our sitting president to what comes out of your rear end.
DJB… I agree with you that Gringo will run for the Senate in next year’s elections. I don’t want to make a prediction as to whether he wins or loses, but if he wins (and to remember… a senatorial seat is via national elections) then it becomes further proof that the mess in the Philippines is the creation of the Filipino people. Forget Marcos, he is too long gone. Forget US imperialism, votes from US-of-A do not count during elections. Forget Japan, that country is only good for reparations money. The people in Congress
(both pro- and anti-GMA) are the people’s choice.
Bencard: wouldn’t it be a blessing that the country blooms and harvests improve from presidential (and congressional) night soil.
Amen to you, UP student. Bad “karma”. We reap what we sow.
In that event, we deserve no sympathy from anyone, and we cannot blame anyone else (as we have a penchant for doing whenever we shoot ourselves on the foot).
Regardless of who is elected, as long as the coming elections are honest and credible, our country would have taken a step forward.
Bencard, it may be futile to ask, but where is your deranged admiration of GMA coming from? It could not be just from your perception of “good†deeds that have never been proven.
I think such a total devotion towards another human being can only stem from extreme dissatisfaction with oneself? I hope it makes you feel like you’re worth something by equating our acting president to what comes out of your delusional mind.
REBEL_WITH_A_CAUSE,
Just because I shun Gringo doesn’t mean I am for this administration. Just like you, I also believe GMA is abusive. I never said her presidency is legitimate. MB said, sh*t even looks delectable if you compare it with Gloria. I will never find it delectable, thank you. Because by doing that, where and what is the difference? It still is sh*t to me.
There is nothing that matters more to the Palace now than the 2007 midterms. Everything it does can be understood in relation to that, and the nightmare they are trying to prevent. The whole nexus of worry is the senate race and a Hanging Jury of Senator Judges from the Opposition.
I shall state a new Theorem I have about impeachment in the future: the House will never again attempt an impeachment like Erap’s where the Senate would NOT have convicted the President in a trial anyway. That was the lesson of the Second Envelope. That was the lesson of 2005 and 2006 impeachment attempts.
Only the people may impeach and convict the President in this realpolitik. By first electing a Hanging Senate. It’s the only way to remove the hanging sword of Damocles over eighty necks, not all of them brave or moral or foolish enough to vote impeachment in the face of certain Failure.
Next year there will be eight incumbents ready to convict. The Opposition only needs to win 8-4 in 2007 and we shall have the 2/3 in the Senate needed for conviction at trial.
When that happens in the Senate, the House will become a house of hammers and guess who will look like the nail?
[quote]Mabuhay si GRINGO – COUP anytime as long as it is DONE to CHANGE the FAKE LEADER because SHE does NOT DESERVE to LEAD…
-REBEL_WITH_A_CAUSE said this on November 16th, 2006 at 12:02 am[/quote]
And where is accountability in that? Both Gringo and Gloria, among others, must be held accountable for their criminal offenses to the Filipino people.
DJB’s theorem states : the House will not again attempt an impeachment when the Senate would NOT have convicted the President in a trial anyway.” To repeat ronnie-pedfan’s question, where is accountability in that? DJB’s theorem is “the devil made me do it” excuse, no different from the student who says “why study when there are no jobs anyway?”
The modus operandi of the Ichneumon Wasp may seem strangely familiar to people. They lay their eggs INSIDE the guts of a big fat, live caterpillar. The Mother Wasp then stings the prey, paralyzing and putting it in suspended animation still alive. The eggs hatch and literally eat the caterpillar from the inside out. The caterpillar lives until its heart-brain is eaten. It’s a lil like surrounding the cities from the countryside.
The hand of the CPP in regard to “extrajudicial killings” is pretty obvious. The Party Cell inside PDI and various front organizations are to be congratulated for a magnificent multi-year propaganda campaign that has some of the people fooled. Why, a veritable Global United Front of workers, peasants, students, journalists, bishops, activists and even US Imperialist Apparel makers can now be claimed to have fallen behind the great red banners demanding justice for the fallen comrades. (Meanwhile, daily hurrying to get to the bathroom on time ahead of his kidneys, the Professor gets to play Jamby Madrigal in Prosecutorial Drag at the People’s Permanent Tribunal in Brussels. Does anyone know, do they have a Presiduum too in that Kangaroo Court in Brussels?)
Folks, I hope the anaethesia wears off quick. The truth is, ALL the imaginable causes for murder are present in these killings. (Not just fascist repression).
Karapatan maintains what it calls a “List of “Martyrs/Victims of Political Repression. Strange, the list does NOT contain the names of people that the NPA brags it murdered, like any of the “rejectionists.” Why for example is POPOY LAGMAN’S name not one of the Martyred 750? Why is it all reaffirmists on the lists?
Hey, what’s that gnawing at my carpus callosum?
UP_Student–
The theorem is not a moral principle but a statement of Realpolitik. I am glad she wasn’t impeached in 2005 or 2006. She would only have been acquitted. Though we are each answerable to God, this is still a constitutional democracy, not a moral heaven or a socialist paradise. Nothing scares the Moral Dwarves more than the Sword of Damocles. That’s just reality. Remove it and they will become your new heroes.
Regardless of who is elected, as long as the coming elections are honest and credible, our country would have taken a step forward. this is exactly right, cvj. 🙂
In this next election, I wish there would be enough congressmen to win in order for an impeachment to push through. But more than that I just wish to see an honest to goodness impeachment process. One that will clear every little thing that we want to know that were denied during the past up to now. We must not be blinded in just wanting to remove somebody but better for us to work for a better process of rebuilding and strengthening our institutions.
The only way to move on is to allow the efficiency of due process, make good decisions and strenthening our authorities and institutions.
MLQ3,
The exact question SWS asked in the poll you mentioned in your PDI column today was:
“Recently the Sigaw ng Bayan and ULAP raised their petition to the Supreme Court. Do you have much trust, are unsure, or have little trust that the Supreme Court would make a fair decision as to whether or not to grant the petition of Sigaw ng Bayan and ULAP regarding people’s initiative?”
The results were: 13% (much trust); 62% (unsure); 24% (little trust)
This is equivalent to a crystal bowl with 13% red balls, 62% white balls and 24% blue balls.
Now if SWS pulls mostly white balls, it is a true statement to say that a majority of the balls are NOT RED.
But the PDI headline was: “62% of Filipinos doubt fairness of SC, says poll” because the SWS Media Release said, “62% unsure if SC will rule fairly on people’s initiative.”
This was a really sneaky way of putting words in the mouth of the undecided, because it is literally also true from the data that 62% were unsure if SC would rule UNFAIRLY on people’s initiative.
This is an example of a loaded ambiguous question that makes a survey UNSCIENTIFIC and propagandistic.
If they are Estrada’s, Marcoses, Arroyo’s, etc. or even movie stars or anybody else’s, so what. Let us not resort to branding or labeling and accuse anybody just because of their names or group they belong to. If they have done something wrong charge and punish them. The problem with our country is that cases and issues are not correctly decided in proper courts or responsible institutions.
Funny how the multinattional companies complain about human
right violation, but they are the no one human violator by under
paying their workers.
Nothing funny about it. Logically, the multinationals are well within their rights to complain about human rights violations since the subject of the complaints are the killings and not underpayment of workers. It would have been a different matter if the multinationals were also engaged in extrajudicial killings.
Gringo, a hero? Thats how low the rabid anti GMA can really go? So pathetic. And then JV will go senate, all in the name of Erap referendum? wow!!!!
how the mulitnatiomals underpay their workers. ? by violating the minimum wage laws?
The only way to move on is to allow the efficiency of due process, make good decisions and strenthening our authorities and institutions.
Bokyo said this on November 16th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
– WE CAN ONLY STRENGTHEN OUR MUCH POLITICIZE AND PROSTITUTED INSTITUTION by REMOVING the ONE THAT’S DOING THE DAMAGE …
With GMA still around or at the HIGHEST POSITION … where is
CREDIBILITY ? Do you TRUST the Department of INJUSTICE ?
Do you still BELIEVE any WORD that comes from GMA’s mouthpiece such as BUNYETA and ERMITANYO ?
Sabi nga ni LATE PRESIDENT FPJ – Muli natin IBALIK and TIWALA ng TAO sa GOBYERNO. This Government is LIAR and a MASTER of
DECEPTION !!! How can we allow the EFFICIENCY in Government
when there is STILL PALAKASAN SYSTEM – First Gentlemen is a
PERFECT EXAMPLE – ABUSING his POSITION to SILENCE the MEDIA
and to MAKE THE MEDIA a LIAR as GMA !!!
Why do we LET the IDEALISM of the YOUNG MILITARY MEN die, when
they are JUST VOICING OUT what is REALLY WRONG in the SYSTEM
There is a REASON to be DEMORALIZE when CHEATERS gets PROMOTED
while those who SPEAK the TRUTH are PERSECUTED …
I can only WAIT for the DAY when GMA becomes POWERLESS,
the CRIMES and her EVIL Deeds will be UNCOVERED and
we can conclude that SHE’s REALLY the WORST thing that
happen to our Country.
Does anyone thinks that something is fishy with gringo’s arrest? I mean this is a guy who knows combat and even direct a coup plot. I mean if he really doesnt want to be caught then he wont be caught. I dont remember if this is a myth or not but werent he was detained in a yatch before for fear of somebody’s trying to get him out and still he escaped? I doubt if the arrest of gringo is going to help anyone from Gloria’s administration.
remember the trojan horse.
Dean,
Re: “Does anyone know, do they have a Presiduum too in that Kangaroo Court in Brussels?”
You are starting to seriously annoy me with your roughshod geography. OK, I will remain cool and will not say that you are completely out of your depth, when a topic is no longer about Bush or when the scope is beyond Pinas.
What the hell do you mean by “Kangaroo court in Brussels”?
I don’t know where you get your news on Europe but as I’ve told you that if you get them from Burssels Journal, you are way off your gong – Brussels Journal is an extreme right wing, xenophobic, racist (white race supremacy kind of) medium and does not contain news relevant to the non members even if you say you agree with everything they say for the simple reason that you are Pinoy – you are brown!
Anyway, you need to review your geography really! Brussels is not in The Netherlands…Where your pet peeves meet for their political daliances is in a place called The Hague. The same place where Bismarck of Prussia decided to scuttlebutt one of the first disarmament summits called for by the Russian Tsar during the last quarter of the 19th century. So you see, on the poor, not pretty The Hague; one may say it has gone from being the haven for all sorts of extremist groups i.e., extreme right wing and extreme left. It may be of interest to you to know that they seem to co-exist or live side by side in that place National Front and Communists.
Ooops, meant “even if you say you agree with everything they say, they won’t give you a minute of their time for the simple reason that you are Pinoy – you are brown!”
little brown brothers unite!!!!! 🙁
Yeah I think the hague is in the netherlands and brussels is in belgium. errr i wasted 4 minutes trying to think which is which.
troll post 🙁
What I hate most is I still get the feeling that almost everyone looks down on filipinos (that include those pinoys who tasted some snow and got their citizenship on that country) I mean I even heard a pinsan of mine saying cos they are filipinos and filipinos are no good. letse, nasapak ko ang pinsan kong pranses. maybe its time for us to even reflect how we treat our fellow filipinos before getting the respect of other people in this globe.
another troll post. 🙁
Edwin,
Academically (versus emotionally) thinking about it, a reason that some Filipinos feel that non-Filipinos think low of them is that (some) Filipinos think low of the history of the Philippines. One time too many, I have been asked why the Philippines is so poor now when it was only twenty-some years ago that the Philippines was number 2 in Asia. [Vietnamese, Chinese, Indians, Cambodians… they don’t accept the answer “Marcos” anymore.]
The OFW-phenomenon has also created situations and anecdotes. I have a friend (BSBA graduate – UP) has had enough experiences in Europe where she is asked if she is the nanny to the children she is chasing around the park. [The children — her kids.] One of the better places probably for overseas Pinoy’s will be in the US. If you get dissed in the US, chances are the idiot who dissed you is “equal-opportunity” and will diss an Indian, a Mexican, an Arab, a Nigerian, even a Pole and maybe even an Italian. US, having many more years of assimilation of foreign-born, has done better than, say, France. A lot more Filipino citizens in the US, too, namely that they/Filipino-heritage, makes a significant voter-bloc in the US. It also helps that in many US areas (e.g. metro-Wash-DC or New-York-city) many of the Filipino “blood” (first- and 2nd-generation) are professionals (e.g. teachers, civil/mech engineers, software-techies, media-folks, accountants, doctors and others).
UPn student. I dont think filipinos have a better chance in the US. I worked there as a project manager of a big anti virus company. I encountered racism from my fellow filipinos (flips what they call themselves now) subordinates. They think lowly of me and even tried to get the INS to deport me for they thought im a TNT (eek!). I was trying to look at it as a crab mentality type when I suddenly heard a flip told one of my co managers not to trust a guy from the philippines because they are just this little brown brothers. oh yeah? I fired him and almost all the flips on my project then asked symantec to just let me work in the philippines. I never experienced discrimination from my co-workers. I just experienced it from my fellow little brown niggers.
Edwin,
I feel I owe you an explanation so let me start by saying that when I ‘blew my top’ at DJB, it was not meant to denigrate Filipinos (but must admit that I wanted to send a strong message to DJB); first I’m one – a Filipino – and have never, anywhere remotely misrepresented my origins and never felt inferior or little about being one – NO WAY! (besides it’s impossible to deny the obvious, I’m perhaps a ittle tall for a Filipino at almost 5’6 but I have definite Asian traits), 2nd I’m not even ‘enamoured’ of Belgium, happen to be assigned here, am an expat and perhaps will be asked to move to another post soon, I don’t know, sent to Timbuktu maybe? (and praying it won’t be to Manila coz I don’t like Gloria and the way she runs her government), …and 3rd, I took particular exception to Dean’s remark on the “Kangaroo court” thingy in Brussels because I felt he was grossly misleading readers but worse, he was being thoroughly unfair on Belgium…It was a gratuitous remark. It is a very, very tiny nation and has its faults like many Western nations; it may not be as great as Dean’s (DJB) beloved America and in the scheme of things in the EU, its prime minister is not even nearly as powerful as a US Senator but I’ve come to believe in spite of my misgivings a year or two ago that it is a brave nation.
What I believe is that Dean is being (and I’ll weigh my words) hugely subjective and is being purely spiteful: Must admit however that his seeming “hatred” for Europe (and of Pinoy Communists) that he’s displayed in his other posts is equal to my “hatred” for Bush – his stems from his belief that Europe is perhaps coddling Joma and other Filipino communists (and technically, he’s right since Europeans after all, refuse to dump these Filipino Communists in the Atlantic Ocean which is nearby) has unbalanced his otherwise usually more sensible views (while mine stems from Bush’s illegal invasion of and war on Iraq.) On that score, Dean’s been very denigrating Brussels law courts is UNFAIR. He may say what he wants of the People’s Tribunal in The Hague and really, I don’t mind (don’t know much about it anyway.)
But here’s what I find ridiculous and annoying: Jamby Madrigal whom Dean describes as playing with Joma or the other way around, has filed a case against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (with Mr Casino whom I think he’s a member of Congress) but, – and Dean knows this very well, having communicated with him about it – the case is expected to be tried IN The Hague where the People’s Tribunal sits and definitely NOT in Brussels. So, what I’d like Dean to explain is why he denigrates Belgian law courts and labels them “Kangaroo Court” when he knows perfectly well that the People’s Tribunal that he resents so much for trying GMA is not IN Brussles.
I don’t know. Could it be that he’s confused his geography? That what he purports to be the Joma-Jamby daliance in his mind took place in Brussels because Jamby Madrigal was in Brussels to meet with some EU officilas before attending the Peoples’ Tribunal in The Hague. But he knows this already. So, was irked by his remark.
In other words, I am annoyed that he insults proper law courts (Brussels) which are innocent of what he accuses them of and gratuitously so, more so because he knew perfectly well or was clearly told about it, i.e., that GMA is being tried in a city called The Hague, somewhere in Europe.
When you think about why he would insult a Belgian law court as “Kangaroo Court in Brussels” on purpose, something comes to mind: Could it be that Dean resents the fact that the EU has not acted on Uncle Sam’s declaration that Dean’s pet peeve (Joma Sison) is a US State Dept terrorist? But the EU has… The EU cooperated and declared Joma Sison, terrorist. It’s Gloria’s government that must tie the loose ends, sign an extradition treaty for example with Holland (national laws in Holland are their own and not the EU’s). What I find all the more perplexing is why Dean who says he’s a strong proponent for the rule of law cannot seem to accept that there are laws governing different member nations of the EU and people who are accused of a crime by Uncle Sam or Dean’s beloved America could appeal.
Passons…
But then, again could it be that it so happens that there IS a special branch in the Brussels law courts: they can prosecute a former leader of a foreign nation, political or military for war crimes, eg. Blair, Bush, Cheney (when they leave office) and any other leader involved in the invasion of and war on Iraq.
Simply put, a victim or a group representing a victim of war crimes can file a criminal suit (for war crimes) in Brussels against say Bush or Blair in the future. (Matter of fact, a group of lawyers here has already filed a case against Rumsfeld for war crimes already)… The nation to which the accused belongs need not be a signatory of the international criminal court that tried Milozevic of Serbia for instance (again, in The Hague).
However, these courts in Brussels are off limits to Joma Sison whom we know now Dean “hates to destruction” (funny really because I don’t believe Joma is that important at all anymore but he’s become more important than any time because Gloria’s government is making him more important than he really is) since he does not fall in the war crimes victim category. Besides, the old sod is forbidden to travel outside The Netherlands unless he has to attend court hearings in Luxembourg for his refugee status appeal (he’s being kicked out of The Netherlands but he’s appealing this.)
So my beef with Dean is he’s mixing things up and I believe he’s doing it on purpose – quite unfair on everybody, particularly on readers here who might interpret what he’s said as true, more pointedly on what he says about Brussels law courts is completely unjustified.
I believe it’s alright for Dean to be staunchly pro-American come hell or high water, American war crimes or no war crimes in Iraq, even when he had wished US Marines had invaded Malacanang, wished Philippines were a semi-colony of the US as he thinks Japan was and still is, or that Bush was right on Iraq, etc. that’s HIS problem, matter of fact, he can denigrate Europe all he wants but he must try to be fair. And I mentioned Brussels Journal because I believe he’s sourced info in the past from that horrible journal him which I know as many other expats here do, is anti-muslim, anti-non-white, racist of the worst category and definitely xenophobic (skinheads sort of people who would pounce on a poor Muslim, a colored person or a gay if given the chance) and that the people who run the journal are like the members of the BNP (British National Party whose members, to this day, have Adolf Hitler for their hero)…No person who is a democrat at heart or who believes in democracy should take that journal seriously.
(Aplogies, Mlq3 “pour ce long discours”…Merci.)
Edwin,
I feel I owe you an explanation so let me start by saying that when I ‘blew my top’ at DJB, it was not meant to denigrate Filipinos (but must admit that I wanted to send a strong message to DJB); first I’m one – a Filipino – and have never, anywhere remotely misrepresented my origins and never felt inferior or little about being one – NO WAY! (besides it’s impossible to deny the obvious, I’m perhaps a ittle tall for a Filipino at almost 5′6 but I have definite Asian traits), 2nd I’m not even ‘enamoured’ of Belgium, happen to be assigned here, am an expat and perhaps will be asked to move to another post soon, I don’t know, sent to Timbuktu maybe? (and praying it won’t be to Manila coz I don’t like Gloria and the way she runs her government), …and 3rd, I took particular exception to Dean’s remark on the “Kangaroo court†thingy in Brussels because I felt he was grossly misleading readers but worse, he was being thoroughly unfair on Belgium…It was a gratuitous remark. It is a very, very tiny nation and has its faults like many Western nations; it may not be as great as Dean’s (DJB) beloved America and in the scheme of things in the EU, its prime minister is not even nearly as powerful as a US Senator but I’ve come to believe in spite of my misgivings a year or two ago that it is a brave nation.
What I believe is that Dean is being (and I’ll weigh my words) hugely subjective and is being purely spiteful: Must admit however that his seeming “hatred†for Europe (and of Pinoy Communists) that he’s displayed in his other posts is equal to my “hatred†for Bush – his stems from his belief that Europe is perhaps coddling Joma and other Filipino communists (and technically, he’s right since Europeans after all, refuse to dump these Filipino Communists in the Atlantic Ocean which is nearby) has unbalanced his otherwise usually more sensible views (while mine stems from Bush’s illegal invasion of and war on Iraq.) On that score, Dean’s been very denigrating Brussels law courts is UNFAIR. He may say what he wants of the People’s Tribunal in The Hague and really, I don’t mind (don’t know much about it anyway.)
(con’t message to Edwin, had to cut it up coz i’m under moderation, toooooooo loooooooong perhaps, heehe!)
But here’s what I find ridiculous and annoying: Jamby Madrigal whom Dean describes as playing with Joma or the other way around, has filed a case against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (with Mr Casino whom I think he’s a member of Congress) but, – and Dean knows this very well, having communicated with him about it – the case is expected to be tried IN The Hague where the People’s Tribunal sits and definitely NOT in Brussels. So, what I’d like Dean to explain is why he denigrates Belgian law courts and labels them “Kangaroo Court†when he knows perfectly well that the People’s Tribunal that he resents so much for trying GMA is not IN Brussles.
I don’t know. Could it be that he’s confused his geography? That what he purports to be the Joma-Jamby daliance in his mind took place in Brussels because Jamby Madrigal was in Brussels to meet with some EU officilas before attending the Peoples’ Tribunal in The Hague. But he knows this already. So, was irked by his remark.
In other words, I am annoyed that he insults proper law courts (Brussels) which are innocent of what he accuses them of and gratuitously so, more so because he knew perfectly well or was clearly told about it, i.e., that GMA is being tried in a city called The Hague, somewhere in Europe.
When you think about why he would insult a Belgian law court as “Kangaroo Court in Brussels†on purpose, something comes to mind: Could it be that Dean resents the fact that the EU has not acted on Uncle Sam’s declaration that Dean’s pet peeve (Joma Sison) is a US State Dept terrorist? But the EU has… The EU cooperated and declared Joma Sison, terrorist. It’s Gloria’s government that must tie the loose ends, sign an extradition treaty for example with Holland (national laws in Holland are their own and not the EU’s). What I find all the more perplexing is why Dean who says he’s a strong proponent for the rule of law cannot seem to accept that there are laws governing different member nations of the EU and people who are accused of a crime by Uncle Sam or Dean’s beloved America could appeal.
Passons…
But then, again could it be that it so happens that there IS a special branch in the Brussels law courts: they can prosecute a former leader of a foreign nation, political or military for war crimes, eg. Blair, Bush, Cheney (when they leave office) and any other leader involved in the invasion of and war on Iraq.
Simply put, a victim or a group representing a victim of war crimes can file a criminal suit (for war crimes) in Brussels against say Bush or Blair in the future. (Matter of fact, a group of lawyers here has already filed a case against Rumsfeld for war crimes already)… The nation to which the accused belongs need not be a signatory of the international criminal court that tried Milozevic of Serbia for instance (again, in The Hague).
However, these courts in Brussels are off limits to Joma Sison whom we know now Dean “hates to destruction†(funny really because I don’t believe Joma is that important at all anymore but he’s become more important than any time because Gloria’s government is making him more important than he really is) since he does not fall in the war crimes victim category. Besides, the old sod is forbidden to travel outside The Netherlands unless he has to attend court hearings in Luxembourg for his refugee status appeal (he’s being kicked out of The Netherlands but he’s appealing this.)
So my beef with Dean is he’s mixing things up and I believe he’s doing it on purpose – quite unfair on everybody, particularly on readers here who might interpret what he’s said as true, more pointedly on what he says about Brussels law courts is completely unjustified.
I believe it’s alright for Dean to be staunchly pro-American come hell or high water, American war crimes or no war crimes in Iraq, even when he had wished US Marines had invaded Malacanang, wished Philippines were a semi-colony of the US as he thinks Japan was and still is, or that Bush was right on Iraq, etc. that’s HIS problem, matter of fact, he can denigrate Europe all he wants but he must try to be fair. And I mentioned Brussels Journal because I believe he’s sourced info in the past from that horrible journal him which I know as many other expats here do, is anti-muslim, anti-non-white, racist of the worst category and definitely xenophobic (skinheads sort of people who would pounce on a poor Muslim, a colored person or a gay if given the chance) and that the people who run the journal are like the members of the BNP (British National Party whose members, to this day, have Adolf Hitler for their hero)…No person who is a democrat at heart or who believes in democracy should take that journal seriously.
(Aplogies, Mlq3 “pour ce très, très long discoursâ€Â…Merci.)