If you can’t beat ’em, scare ’em

121 thoughts on “If you can’t beat ’em, scare ’em”

1. Dan Mariano values his personal comfort over the right of the people to express their outrage at the blatant attempt of GMA and her congressional cohorts to rape the Constitution for self-serving motives. The issue is not so much the Con-Ass, per se, but their shameless act of ramming their self-serving agenda down the people’s collective throat. The archiving of the Con-Ass does not wash away the filthiness of their deed.

   Mariano’s mindset is the kind that trumps the common good in favor of self-interest. This is the kind of mindset of GMA, JDV, and the con-asses. This is the kind of mindset of Bong Austero and his ilk who are ready to sacrifice their rights just to preserve their comfortable lifestyle.

   So what if Mariano and his like-minded neighbors will withhold their contributions to the collection plate? The Church may even be better off without their dirty money. God takes care of His Church. He will provide.

2. When JDV and his gang were pushing for Cha-cha via PI and Con-ass in the tenor of we-will-do-it-whether-you-like-it-or-not
   -because-this-is-what-is-good-for you, I thought such arrogance was breathtaking. And as the methods became more vulgar each step of the way, I wondered: where has these people’s sense of decency gone?!

   It is a lesson to learn: action begets its own counteraction in equal velocity and ferocity. Nakahanap din kayo ng inyong katapat…

   Which is really sad because, having nothing to turn to, our people are forced to turn for succor to religious groups which may have as much vested interest in these as the present power elites they so detest.

3. Ricelander, moral values, in themselves, are worth fighting for without the thought of getting something in return. When your sense of decency was violated by JDV and his gang, I’m sure you were indignant and wanted to strike back without the thought of getting something in return; in other words, without vested interest.

   So, I am prepared to be charitable and concede to religious leaders purity of intention when they rose up to confront JDV and his cohorts, GMA included. I’m ready to believe that the religious leaders want to uphold morality per se, sans vested interests. After all, that’s what true religious leadership is all about.

4. bakit si misuari may guest house pa at yun mga afp “rebels” ay nakakulong.
   Di ba rebellion ang charge kay misuari? Didn’t he attack a town and kill dozens before escaping to sabah?

   i guess the explanation for the double standard is misuari was motivated by secession while the soldiers by an intense dislike for gloria. It makes all the difference in the world right?

5. Dear ricelander,

   I think it’s also possible that people of faith are realizing that a collective appeal to a higher being is a more constructive response to the deterioration they see in the behavior of legislators than an escalation of angry rhetoric or personal attacks. Although I’m a Catholic, I haven’t made up my mind about going on Sunday because I’m not sure how much prayer there can actually be in such a large crowd.

   I agree that the religious groups have vested interests in the current situation, although that should legitimately be the promotion of peace and the common good.

   I’m hoping the rally can build some bridges between the sectors at conflict and open some real, thoughtful and mutually respectful dialogue.

6. Ben,

   “I’m hoping the rally can build some bridges between the sectors at conflict and open some real, thoughtful and mutually respectful dialogue.”

   You cannot build a bridge between heaven and hell. You have to make a choice.

7. from manila standard

   The archbishop’s deception
   THERE is something terribly wrong about a clergy that preaches truth, justice, peace and love yet blithely dissembles a patently political agenda behind a prayer rally.

   The archbishop’s feeble attempt to disavow political intent makes his deception even worse: He says he has banned political placards and streamers at the rally. Now, what reasonable person with half a brain would accept this explanation at face value?

   Perhaps the archbishop is too accustomed to sheep who meekly accept the church’s teachings without applying cold logic to its arguments. He’ll be selling us a BRIDGE next.

   After all, this is the same church leadership that allowed another prelate to harbor fugitives from justice and to foment instability by urging the Armed Forces to join anti-ChaCha rallies

   “Our answer to the crisis of leadership in our land is prayer,” the archbishop said in yet another “non-political” statement. “[We pray] that our leaders may be enlightened and may have moral force to lead the country toward truth, justice, peace and love.”

   We suggest the crisis of leadership is in the church itself, because its leaders must learn to speak the truth about their own political motives.

8. James,

   So you want us to believe the pain is caused by the screaming and not the other way around.

   That’s a good spin. hahahahaha

9. james, the Manila Standard Today is an Arroyo mouthpiece, so I’m not surprised at the editorial.

   I don’t see any crisis of leadership in the Church. There would have been if the bishops remained silent in the face of the constitutional rape committed by JDV and his con-asses with GMA egging them on. Remember that it’s not only the Catholic bishops who have risen up against the rapists. All the religious denominations have risen as one.

   The religious leaders are rightly demanding morality in the political arena. It is their prophetic obligation. If there are political consequences because of their concerted effort, so be it. If the immoral politicians, the cheaters, liars, deceivers, and dissemblers, are ousted from power in the coming elections because of the religious leaders’ actions, so be it. Good for the Filipino people. The religious leaders are doing the right thing.

10. Shaman,

    I share your opinion. Men of the church, as a religious bloc when they do stand up to political forces, are right to do so.

    Philippine Commentary has translated their ‘show of force’ as their right to dissent and freedom of speech as any ordinary NGO would. And I see his logic.

    Their not having tank divisions make the exercise acceptable.

    Because Christian or any other religious blocs for that matter could be incredibly powerful and hugely influential when they flex their ‘political and moral’ muscles, I would, however, expect them to be hugely discerning when they do decide to show up to demonstrate that immense ‘moral’ power and influence.

11. Dear Manuel,

    “You cannot build a bridge between heaven and hell. You have to make a choice.”

    By bridge, I meant common ground among people in seeming conflict. For example, is it possible that people on different sides of the Cha-Cha issue may actually love this country? Or that they want a bright future for their children? Or desire the upliftment of more Filipinos? Or believe in a God of love? I think so. If so, these can be starting points for dialogue and creative problem. Who knows where things can go after that? Still, I find that more appealing than a spiral downwards to chaos, factional hatred or, dare I say, civil war. 🙁

    I’m not a historian so Manolo might give his inputs here, but it seems to me that the countries we now acknowledge as stable and well-developed went through their own political crises and WORKED THEM THROUGH. It wasn’t always neat, and oftentimes it was preceded by bloodshed, but real progress occurred only when people and their leaders took responsibility for the common good, not just their sectoral interests while simply branding others. I think we can reach this level of thinking and we can really BE a nation, instead of just being co-located accidentally in 7000 islands. IMHO, common ground and dialogue are not only possible for progress, they are necessary. Especially since I presume we prefer a non-authoritarian route. Prayer and discernment can open our minds to these possibilities.

12. ==============================================================
    “The rally was called by angry bishops after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies in the House of Representatives last week met overnight and in a rowdy plenary rammed through a resolution convening a constituent assembly (Con-ass) after their bid to adopt the parliamentary system through a people’s initiative was declared illegal by the Supreme Court in October- inq7″
    ===========================================================

    So how can we expect a peaceful prayer rally when it was motivated by anger and led by angry bishops??????”

13. Re: “So how can we expect a peaceful prayer rally when it was motivated by anger and led by angry bishops??????”

    I don’t see why not? Prayer in a way is a form of meditation, a serene way to go into cooling off period that many people take to doing when have been angered by something.

14. Manuel B,

    Re “i guess the explanation for the double standard is misuari was motivated by secession while the soldiers by an intense dislike for gloria.”

    Heh! Perhaps, jsut perhaps, “balls” have also something to do with it.

15. rego, because i think they’re expected to “storm the heavens” with prayers, sort of the same thinking that goes into preaching fire and brimstone concerning “sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance”:

    http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu43.htm

16. The INC has bigger church and bank accounts because of block voting. Have you noticed how the politicians scrambled to get INC blessings during elections? The sunday rally is the initial salvo of the church wanting to recapture its former glory and power as the kingmaker it has lost to the INC.

17. Rego,

    You said: “So how can we expect a peaceful prayer rally when it was motivated by anger and led by angry bishops??????”

    Aside from anna de brux’s fine point about the power of prayer/meditation to calm angry hearts, we also have to consider that:

    1. inq7’s account of the bishops’ motivations for the rally needs to be taken as just that — one account;
    2. even if, for the sake of argument, the bishops are motivated by anger, it does not follow that the faithful who will go there will not or cannot work together for a peaceful experience. Prayer is capable of great things, moreso collective prayer.

    I guess my point is that people can hope together and work together if they choose to — or they can just despair and give up. But with so much at stake, I respect those who choose to go with collective hope. Personally, though, I think I’ll be doing my praying at home and be in Luneta “in spirit”. 🙂

18. There will be no end to rallies and demonstrations against the administration as long as gma’s legitimacy is in question. The bishops, inc or brother ed’s motivation is not the question as mariano and some posters here wants to suggest.

    gma knows that she is the problem. she also knows that she will have to answer for her sins to the pinoys when she loses power.

    She will do anything/everything to stay in power. Can’t blame her for trying to save her skin. On second thought, you can blame her, but that’s not going to change anything.

19. Realist,

    In that case, one can’t blame people either to do what they are doing.

    Better than assasinating her.

20. The Lynch Mobs are baying for Daniel Smith’s blood because the Media seems to have learned its Yellow Journalism very well from William Randolf Hearst. All night long, ABSCBN’s Tony Velasquez has asked EVERY single guest of the last three hours why we shouldn’t now insist on a renegotiation of the VFA–first by abrogating it unilaterally then renegotiating it.

    Hey there’s that word again. And the suggestion that we ought to change Rules in the middle of a situation that they were originally agreed upon to deal with.

    If we disdained that in the Lower House, why should we now lower ourselves to the same level?

    Besides what the Lynch Mob wants is to put the damn Yankee Rapist in with the Filipino Rapists…and the uhmm 20,000 child prisoners.

    Well I’m already getting requests from US-based media for backgrounders on the condition of Philippine jails. They’re all headed for PREDA and Fr. Shay Cullen.

    I suppose something good will come of this. With all our chest beating about sovereignty and moral consistency, let’s see if we can stand a global conversation about us, rape, our jails, our justice, our Righteousness.

    Maybe it’ll lead to prison reform if human beings are to be treated as such even if they are rapists.

    Or maybe we should just hang them all? Kids too?

21. Rego, the natural reaction of any human being with any sense of decency to what JDV and his gang did is anger. Bishops are human beings, too. You cannot begrudge them that emotion. But rather than follow anger with violent action, as a brute will do, they called for a peaceful prayer rally. Be assured that anger will not be the dominant emotion on Sunday.

22. Is the Nicole-rape case significant enough to abrogate a treaty?

23. Anna, the pinoys have been blamed for practically everything – from tamad to walang paki. gma and some posters here also blame the people for following the call of their pastors to rally against the brutality, arrogance and shameless abuse of those in power.

    assasinating gma will save her from answering for her sins to the people, her office and the country. who wants that?

    Ours is still a developing democracy. the pinoy nation may not be able to survive an assasination of a sitting president, regardless of how popular or how notorious.

24. there are those who will only watch,
    those who will only pray,
    and those who will neither watch nor pray…

    but i think it’s best that they (gloria et al) should know
    those who will be counted
    on that day
    as they (the participants)
    WATCH AND PRAY…

    be there on Sunday…
    please WATCH AND PRAY
    so that you will not fall
    into temptation.

25. Tama lang na sumali tayo sa rally sa linggo. Lalong lalo na tayo na may mga pinagaralan, ayon sa pananaw ng nakakarami.

    Is not knowledge from education also about the search of what is right? What then is the use of searching for what is right when we refuse to take a stand against a wrong ?

26. Ben,

    I understand your point about common ground etc. But the search for common ground presumes certain things that cannot co-exist. For example, the US cibil war occurred not becauseone side loved America less but because one side favored slavery and was anti-slavery. That issue had to be resolved before anything else. The same thing with cha-cha. We cannot sit down and talk about that issue until we resolve the problem of GMA. The reasons are obvious. That’s why I said you cannot build a bridge between heaven and hell, pro and anti-slavery, pro and anti-GMA.
    Let’s see who comes out on top. Then the winners can talk among themselves. There is no win-win here. If GMA gets her way, we lose. If we win, she loses. No middle ground. No compromise with wrong.

27. Ben,

    I appreicate your attempt at conflict resolution but allow me to point out where you missed a very important point – “By bridge, I meant common ground among people in SEEMING conflict.”

    The conflict is real. It is about right and wrong, good and evil. This type of conflict is only resolved when one side triumphs over the other.

    Other types of conflicts can be resolved accorfing to your formula. But not this.

28. DJB,

    “Besides what the Lynch Mob wants is to put the damn Yankee Rapist in with the Filipino Rapists…and the uhmm 20,000 child prisoners.”

    Like I told you before, a pretty boy like Smith is better off with Filipino rapists and child prisoners than a bunch of 250 pound American convicts with 10 inch dicks. At least, with a Filipino husband in prison he won’t have to worry about crapping in his pants every time he farts.

29. Do you seriously believe this is about good and evil? That this is some sort of morality play like Star Wars? Is everyone with whom you disagree evil and everyone who agrees with you good?

30. aww common, so yung mg apupunta sa Luneta mga decent people and those who won’t ay indicent… This is a biiiiiiiiiiggggggg BBBB_______ SSSSS_________!!!

    People have different values and and principles and they react differently because of that….

    Why cant you just go to Luneta and express your grievances their without being judgemental and without the-holier-than-thou crap????Reminder lang Prayer Rally yung pupuntahan mo so better aline your conscience to the principles of God Teachings…….

31. The seemingly reinvigorated anti-GMA forces, in a feeding frenzy following the actions of pro-cha-cha legislators, appears to have been outmaneuvered again by PGMA’s move to give in to “popular” demand. Seeing an opportunity to revive the failed “oust-Gloria” objective, hoping to muster a better number of street marchers and aiming to transform the anti-cha-cha protest to a “people power” to remove the president, the GMA haters found themselves defanged by the president’s change of tack.

    The enemies of the president hoped to use the red-hot passion generated by cha-cha to oust her. By equating cha-cha to a supposedly GMA’s intent to remain in power indefinitely (the same charge they heaped upon FVR when he supported the same during his presidency), they have scared many, including a good number of cha-cha believers.

    Now that PGMA has gone on record as no longer pushing for cha-cha at this time, let the people continue debating the need for constitutional changes and what they should be without imputing malice on anyone in favor of, or against, the whole idea.

32. Rego and Aames,

    Cheating, lying and stealing are wrong. Yes or no?

    Is there any moral relativity wriggle room with regards to those acts?

    I sayi they’re wrong. They’re evil acts. Where do you stand?

    difference of opinion on whether cheating, lying and stealing is good or bad, right or wrong ? My ass!

33. Who makes the judgment about cheating, lying or stealing? You?
    If so, by what authority – your ass too?

34. Faith Based Institutions. Separating Deism/Theism from religions.

    The Shepards saw the wolf coming as is their reason for existence they raised the alarm. The bishops have raised the call and the lay faithful are free to act if they so wish. There is no coercion. The rats are now scampering away for having been exposed.

    It was at the end of the Japanese/American war in the Philippines that the only standing institution left apart from the victorious Americans were the predominantly faith based institutions. That is how the CBCP was born and organized.

    From early tribes the shaman or the spiritual adviser was next to the Chief or King.

    You destroy the government (representative government) and the faith based institutions will take over. In the early times of the U.S. you had the Puritans, Anglicans, Quakers and the Catholics. They were all escaping from the religous persecution in England all in the name of Christ.

    The brazen attempt to brand the Church as an interloper in politics is the work of these devils who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar in full view of everyone.

    Freedom of speech, religion, press and assembly. That democratic space needed for the seed democracy to flourish.

    It ia amazing that Magno, Pedrosa and the rest of the bunch have all taken the mantle of being progressive to justify their attempt at a power grab.

    The swords have come out against the Church. The Church are not the bishops or the Pope in Rome. Like in democratic government wherein the people are the government the Church is all men of good will including non-Christians.

    It is called free will or choice to the uninitiated.

    The Philippines is not a Catholic Christian country. It is a country where the majority of the people are Catholics. Catholic to mean universal.

    “Thomas Jefferson said it best. In his work “A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom” he wrote: “Almighty God hath created the mind free” and attempts by the state to coerce faith by making it law “tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion….”

    “The faith of the Founders was that God operates in the conscience of each individual and the search for religious truth must be free for God to be worshipped in truth. All coercion does is cripple the free search for God. In other words, in the belief system of those who wrote the Constitution, God doesn’t need the help of the state for there to be faith. Indeed, in their experience learned from Europe, all state religion ever does is breed violence and hypocrisy.”

    “The United States is not a “Christian nation” because the Christians who wrote our Constitution believed that the freedom of each individual’s conscience honored God more than coercion. All coercion gives you is disrespect of an infinite God.”
    Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, writing in the Washington Post

35. MannyB aka manuelbuencamino!

    How’d you know Smith will crap in his pants everytime he’ll fart? Why, have you been impaled before? Does penetration necessarily result in loss of sphincter muscle control? Teka, baket ba puro ASS and related matters ang bukambibig mo ngay-on? Ano ito? Unmet needs or unrealized fantasies?

36. manuelbuencamino,
    I will take that as a “yes”.

37. heads up guys,
    The CBCP declared that it would be a thanksgiving prayer and not a protest demonstration.

    Good move , how can there be a wake if the corpse has been buried or because Makati rally flopped.Only 200 joined and the militant participants were there to demand for pay hike. hohoho

    Or some favors from the wish list have been granted? hohoho mea culpa, i am but one sinner.

38. The Catholic bishops as a group seem to have finally found their balls (pardon the language) and appear to be finally heeding their own “call for the purification of reason, for the reawakening of the moral forces, for the just ordering of society.” (Here’s hoping and praying.)

    The latest news from PDI says the CBCP has had enough of the “escalation of crises”, even specifically mentioning the Garci tapes and the fertilizer funds scam, thus calling attention again to these unresolved issues. So the Dec 17 prayer rally may not just be about opposition to con-ass, after all.

    Decrying that democratic processes weren’t allowed to proceed to resolve these issues, the CBCP say that “the Church now has to intervene as a moral and spiritual body that would guide the people.” (I’m assuming that one of bastardized democratic processes they’re referring to is the impeachment; but weren’t they so unsupportive of it only a few months ago?)

    The bishops seem to be rarin’ for a fight this time around, which should be really bad news for the adminitration in May 2007.

    PDI article

39. There are no sides to the conflict in the country, except the insurgencies, the NPA and the secessionist rebellion of the Muslim Pilipinos, so there is no need for bridges among the other groups to build or mend. It is just a corrupt systems that has been going around in circle an if you think getting rid of Gloria without reforming or going to the roots of why we have the Marcosses, the Eraps, the Glorias and the hundreds of Tonggressmen and Women and even the Judges, my gosh even Judges and Police? And the Church? Ask the church what have they done? The catholic church could have done a lot in regards to Population Explosion issues that have contributed a big chunk to the social problem, but instead enjoy its relative comfortable wealthy status among the ruins. And no amount of prayers can just correct its moral leadership. Add to that the never ending thirst of the Elites and the Ruling Class for the limited and badly managed national resource, and the overall disregards by most of the environment and that has become of the current state of the nation. Now, who’s at fault, largely we blame the Politicians, the bureaucrats, the no-cares attitude of just everyone, but not our own individual self..

40. i don’t know, but the bible quotes are a dead giveaway who are in the right and who are in the wrong…

    archbishop lagdameo dubbed the gathering as an avenue to watch and pray, i think it’s a phrase aptly culled from Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

    contrast this to what the Legions were saying in the past…

    now, who’s telling the decent from the indecent ones? NO ONE. it’s anyone’s choice – whether to simply watch or simply pray…or plainly do nothing. our shepherd has invited us and i’m just extending his invitation here…

    i reiterate it’s best
    that our leaders should know the force
    who’ll watch and pray
    …for good governance

    be there tomorrow…
    please WATCH AND PRAY.

41. i don’t know, but the bible quotes are a dead giveaway who are in the right and who are in the wrong…

    archbishop lagdameo dubbed the gathering as an avenue to watch and pray, i think it’s a phrase aptly culled from Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

    contrast this to what the Legions were saying in the past…

    now, who’s telling the decent from the indecent ones? NO ONE. it’s anyone’s choice – whether to simply watch or simply pray…or plainly do nothing. our shepherd has invited us and i’m just extending his invitation here…

    i reiterate it’s best
    that our leaders should know the force
    who’ll watch and pray
    …for good governance

    be there tomorrow…
    please WATCH AND PRAY.

42. Isn’t Norberto Gonzales’s scare tactics on this Sunday’s rally a form of maliscious mischief?

    Should Norberto Gonzales be required to substantiate his ‘terrorism’ advisory on Sunday’s rally?

    Is he a National Security adviser or a political psy-ops specialist?

43. Bencard,

    THe President is known for breaking her word.

    Besides, the Lower House hasn’t reversed all that they have done.

    For one, they haven’t restored their previous rule in amending the Charter.

44. Bencard,

    “Who makes the judgment about cheating, lying or stealing? You?
    If so, by what authority – your ass too?”

    I ask you. Are cheating, lying, stealing good or bad? You tell me ur judgment.And you know what? You don’t have to get clearance fom any authority to answer. U don’t need any mission order or court order or anything like that.

45. virgie dimapasok,

    u should change ur last name to “dimagetz”. I bet ur one of those who always asks for a joke’s punchline to be explained so u can decide whether to laugh or not.

    Aames,
    You haven’t answered my question yet Ur already potting words in my mouth. So let me ask u again and this time in tagalog – yung pandaraya, pagsisinungaling at pagnanakaw, tama ba yun o mali?

46. I don’t think anyone on this board is qualified to speak about the “common good”. To do so would be either be presumptuous or deceitful. Oxford dictionary says:

    “There is no strict definition of the common good for each situation. The good that is common between person A and person B for example may not be the same as between person A and person C. Thus the common good can often change, depending on the situation, the point of view or the circumstance.”

47. manuelbuencamino,
    Would you like me to translate my questions into Tagalog too?

48. Aames,

    Bakit ka iwas ng iwas. Sagutin mo ang tanong ko!

49. Aames,

    I’ll help u out.
    The answer is YES. They’re all OK as long as you don’t get caught.
    However, if you do get caught – don’t worry there are still ways out.
    If you get caught cheating call Macalintal.
    If you get cuaght lying call Bunye.
    If you get caught stealing call Ditas Gutierrez.

    O ayan. Pwede na siguro ako sumali sa grupo mo.

50. “Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan’s apprentice.” -Yoda

    Merry Christmas, manuelbuencamino.

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