The model for the public intellectual includes, preeminently for liberals, I think, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Sad news that he’s passed away. I’d only started the reading the first volume of his autobiography, “A Life in the Twentieth Century : Innocent Beginnings, 1917 – 1950″ (Jr.”, Arthur M. “Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. Schlesinger), a kind of human monument to the liberal life, who, as Taylor Marshal points out, didn’t vote for Jimmy Carter because he found him too conservative (and the best the conservatives can do is promote Conservapedia).The classical historian Michael Meckler wishes Schlesinger had been more grounded in classical antiquity. A fond appreciation by Evan Thomas comes out in Newsweek. An anecdote from 2004 from Josh Marshall -how he tried to explain what a blog is to Schlesinger.
Perhaps trumpeting everything is peachy was a bit premature. After some bargain hunting yesterday, the market decided to drop some more, today. The peso, too, continued its slight dip. Is it just me, or is government’s pointing to OFW remittances and downplaying the overall importance of the stock market, a bit of a retreat from its past talking points?
(Here’s hoping consumer groups monitor power rates to see if rate drops last as long as guaranteed: 10 month in Luzon, 18 months in Mindanao, visayas for 3 months, and at the biggest drop, 31 centavos per KWH, seems to me pure electioneering in the President’s bailiwick right there).
Slate Magazine tries to pin down the causes for the selloff in the US market, and it thinks it wasn’t really about China:
U.S. stock markets have routinely shrugged off negative information during the recent bull run. What made yesterday different? This time, the signs of a slowdown – not a recession but a slowdown – are clearly evident. The plunge in durable goods orders indicated that the manufacturing sector may be in danger of recession. (Thankfully, the U.S. economy relies less and less on manufacturing for growth, which is why a manufacturing recession may not trigger an economy-wide one.)
And the twin turbines that have driven the U.S. economy in recent years are clearly sputtering. When housing is doing well, it stimulates a great deal of economic activity, creates jobs, and makes people feel wealthier – and hence more likely to spend. When housing is doing poorly, the opposite holds. And as today’s new home-sales report confirms, housing is still struggling. Prices and home values are down marginally, but when assets are encumbered with huge amounts of debt – as houses are – it doesn’t take much of a decline to make an impact. (If you put 10 percent down on a house, and it declines 10 percent in value, you’ve lost your entire investment.)
Second, and more important, there has been a precipitous decline in the business of housing-related credit. In recent years, cheap and abundant mortgages have allowed people to buy ever-more-expensive homes with little money down and to borrow against homes they already own to expand and renovate, thus fueling consumer spending. The huge volume of so-called mortgage-equity withdrawal, Alan Greenspan and his Federal Reserve colleague Mark Kennedy have argued, has been a significant contributor to the late consumer-spending binge.
Here, too, the trend may no longer be the economy’s friend. Interest rates are still low. But with subprime-lending operations failing, and with big banks taking big hits to their mortgage portfolios, pressure is mounting among regulators and investors for lenders to become more parsimonious.
Anyway, in finally accepting an opposition challenge to debate, the administration wants to keep the discussion to the economy, while denying the other side any opportunity to discuss inconvenient truths (that the opposition would do well to focus on). This is typical (and comes from an appreciation on which side its bread is buttered). As the Inquirer editorial today puts it (referring to something else),
The thing is, the President could answer all of these questions with grace and intelligence, but she always chooses to question the motivations of those posing them, always espying dark shadows behind the queries, and always demanding that the questions be made along her own line of inquiry, which is predictably favorable to her government. She does not only want to be President, she also wants to be stage manager.
Meanwhile, the Vice President is methodically, but quietly, building his own power base for 2010. JB Baylon points out the attractiveness of Ang Kapatiran.
WTF Department: Danton Remoto, according to an interview he had with Twink Macaraig, didn’t file his candidacy for senator. So he can’t run for senator. And the Comelec has rejected Ang Ladlad’s bid for party list accreditation. Which leaves Danton mulling over running for congressman in the 3rd congressional district of Quezon City. So that leaves me and faithful reader of this blog in the lurch, doesn’t it? Neither of us can vote for Remoto for senator. Which leaves me back to voting for Kiko Pangilinan, I guess…
Technorati Tags: Blogging, elections, history, ideas, philippines, politics, president, Senate
Ok, now Danton Remoto gets tagged by the COMELEC as a nuisance candidate! So that means he filed. Ang gulo!!! haha
“At karapatan nang bawat Pilipino to demand more from the public servants.â€Â
This is what Rego is expecting from the opposition as well.—Barnardo Carpio.
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Exxxxxxxxaaaaaaactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sabi ko nga sinswelduhan din yang mga nasa opposition na katulad ng Gloria eh. They are both public servants hindi lang si Gloria. Aminin man nila o hindi they are part of the government that they wanted to destroy. So if we demand more from Gloria we should also demand more more from the opposition. If the opposition failed to oust Gloria based on the issues that they sensationaly higlighted and if they failed to provide a better and positive alternative to the administration policies that they opposed. That is a failure, big deal, in their part as public servant. That means they are not doing more so the must be castigated for that. Because moving this country forward is a shared responsibility of both the administration and the opposition.
rego, every president submits the proposed national budget at state of the nation time, except president arroyo developed the habit of being tardy with the submission. congress never drafts the budget from scratch, it’s based on the budget prepared by the executive department. the house deliberates first, followed by the senate.
I think this question about “walang nagawa” ang opposition is a stupid one.
They can’t do much other than to oppose (or support) Arroyo’s policies because they’re not in power. And the House is completely under GMA’s control, so the Senate is neutralized, and the check and balance system is crippled with the admin’s EO 464 and it’s other incarnations.
The opposition’s primary goal should be to make Arroyo and her crooks accountable, and reform the COMELEC and military. Retain the policies that work, and scrap the ones that need fixing and are major sources of wasteful spending (like the pork barrel system and Arroyo’s CHA CHA initiative/diversion.)
It’s also the responsibility of both sides not to be immoral and unjust or else we will be facing rebellion.
I think this question about “walang nagawa” ang opposition is a stupid one.
They can’t do much other than to oppose (or support) Arroyo’s policies because they’re not in power. And the House is completely under GMA’s control, so the Senate is neutralized, and the check and balance system is crippled with the admin’s EO 464 and it’s other incarnations.
The opposition’s primary goal should be to make Arroyo and her crooks accountable, and reform and depoliticize the COMELEC and military. Retain the policies that work, and scrap the ones that need fixing and are major sources of corrupt wasteful spending (like the pork barrel system and Arroyo’s CHA CHA initiative/diversion.)
Bansa nga tayo nang mga krimen na walang kriminal eh, kaya mahirap magkaron nang accountable for anything…
Kung meron mang mahuling kriminal laging in total state of denial… LOL
ang ladlad filed for party list accreditation. since sept. 2006 pa.
but danton failed to file his candidacy for senator on time.
From Ben Abalos:
Hindi kami nagbubulagbulagan sa ginagawa (achievements) nang Executive branch, it’s just that they’re bragging economic gains, in my opinion and analysis she’s just riding the upswing a normal phenomenon. And for me kulang pa ung mga bandaid na nilagay nya sa nagdudugong economy natin.- Francis
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Normal phenomenon ba ang EVAT at efficient tax collection and contolling government expenses to raise more funds, close budget gaps and solve economic hindrancess. I dont think so. Gloria saw the problem do something about it no matter how unpopular it is. Clearly she did not just ride on the natural phenomenon.
I know you are refering to OFW remitances. But even before Gloria, OFW remittances was already there. And even after Gloria they will still be there for the next president to positively exploit.
Gusto ko reply ni Manolo he said :
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“one problem i think is that aside from the national democrats and akbayan, everyone else has pretty much the same economic policies. plug the holes in the budget with the vat, keep the funds managers and rating agencies happy by keeping expenses down, don’t raid big business, etc.
that is why even during the 2005-2006 period, the mainstream opposition generally supported the passage of evat, the anti terrorism law (which is more necessary perhaps for investor confidence than it is for national security), etc. there is no difference in economic policy because in today’s globalized world, the options of any philippine government are limited”
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eto kasi ang totoong sitwasyon ng bansa eh. And the oppsition has nothing better to offer that they too has to support the EVAT and other policies initiated by the Gloria. So now what is the point of critizing the administrations economic initiative and policies when they will be doing almost the same thing? dont tell that the oppsition willnot rely on “natural phenomenon” like OFW remittances once they got into the power?
rego, every president submits the proposed national budget at state of the nation time, except president arroyo developed the habit of being tardy with the submission. congress never drafts the budget from scratch, it’s based on the budget prepared by the executive department. the house deliberates first, followed by the senate. — Manolo
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But still there is house senate deliberations that you yourself mentioned. Pwedeng pwedeng mag ingay nang mag ingay ang opposition hanggat gusto nila…
One way to measure the missed opportunities of Gloria Arroyo’s administration is to look at the World Bank’s Rule of Law Governance indicator.
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Year Est. %Rank Std.Err
1996 -0.16 53.6 0.16
1998 -0.10 55.3 0.19
2000 -0.55 38.9 0.15
2002 -0.59 31.7 0.13
2003 -0.65 30.8 0.13
2004 -0.67 32.7 0.12
2005 -0.52 38.6 0.13
‘Est.’ stands for Estimate which ranges from -2.5 to 2.5
‘%Rank’ stands for Percentile Rank which ranges from 0 to 100
————————–
The significance of the above is that a one point increase in the Rule of Law index for a lower middle income country such as the Philippines would result in a 362 US Dollar increase in Intangible Capital per person [Source: Where is the Wealth of Nations: Measuring Capital for the 21st Century, World Bank]
Arroyo’s inability to improve the rule of law during her stay in Malacanang translates to foregone intangible capital. As an illustration of what might have been, if in 2005, she was able to bring back the rule of law index to its 1998 levels of ‘55.3’ (instead of the actual value of ‘38.6’), then intangible capital would have been higher by 6,045.40 US Dollars per person, computed from (55.3-38.6) x 362 USD.
Note: Intangible Capital is component of the nation’s total wealth. Total wealth is estimated as the net present value of sustainable future consumption. According to the authors of the referenced document: “the calculations require assumptions regarding the time horizon and the discount rate. Throughout the calculations, we assumed a time horizon of 25 years, which coincides roughly with a generation’s time span.”
With 81.5 million Filipinos, that translates to almost 500 Billion US Dollars in what might have been Intangible Capital.
On Danton. i already called the groups attention about the news walang pang reply from Danton. But I believe the next plan is to run for congress in one of teh QC district. And the COMELEC decision about accredition of Ang Ladlad wll still be challenged in the Suprem Court.
Sa totoo lang gusto gusto kung sabubutan si Abalos at iba pang COMELC commisioners pag na meet ko sila!!!!
I forgot one other thing. Aside from making Arroyo and GArci accountable, the primary goal is to also make the gov’t more trasparent.
Ah, katulad ng nangyari sa 2004 Canvassing, where their complaints and presentation of evidence on electoral fraud were just “noted” away?
(And the admin has the nerve to accuse the opposition of using “delaying tactics” to prevent arroyo’s proclamation. lol.)
Arroyo and her allies play a numbers game, and arroyo has the numbers.
mlq3, your kilometric mishmash may be summed up this way: (1) you concede that PGMA is a strong leader but lacks “scruples” on how she wields power; (2) after sitting on essential bills (e-vat, anti-terrorism, etc.) for the longest time and passing them on the 11th hour, the opposition-dominated senate gets credit for them, but not PGMA; (3) PGMA could have done better but caused her own “distractions” for having to defend herself from opposition’s efforts to impeach or oust her by any means; (3) PGMA single-handedly put the country on the brink of bankruptcy; (4) the People did not buy PGMA’s ouster because she frightened the middle class and coddled the upper class, the leftist/communist were visible, the police and the majority of the military did a good job protecting her, the clergy faltered, the opposition inept and divided, PGMA’s “annointed” (actually constitutional) successor, the Vice President, was not acceptable, and the opposition did not present a choice.
You paint a very dim view of our country, our leaders, our economy, our people and our existing political order. Fortunately, not enough of our countrymen see things the way you do. The all-out “revolution” that you appear to be advocating, and which you seem to believe is inevitable to overhaul and replace our system of governance, will not happen and if it does, will fail, as all attempts to oust PGMA have so far failed.
good morning mr. bunye…
“The opposition’s primary goal should be to make Arroyo and her crooks accountable, and reform and depoliticize the COMELEC and military. Retain the policies that work, and scrap the ones that need fixing and are major sources of corrupt wasteful spending (like the pork barrel system and Arroyo’s CHA CHA initiative/diversion.) ” —John Marzan
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This is an execellent goals. The shoudl articulate this very well and a way that the voters will fullyunderstand it And I believe the voter also wanted this so much and are anxiously waiting for this to happen kasi eto na rin ang pinangako nila sa publiko noong nakaraang mag elecksyon eh.
Now the question is mapapaniwla pa kaya nila ng taumbayan this time. If you look at their senate slate napapa “look whose talking” ka.
The oppsition has soooooooooo much work to do epecially in the rural areas. Pano nila ipapaunawa ang sa mga botante sa local level ang “good governance”, “depolitization”, “accountability”. Ni hindi nga nila tinatagalog ang ang mga term na eto. Pag tinagalog mo naman, pano naman yung mga illongo, bisaya at yung iba pang hindi nakakintindi ng tagalog.
Sa akin lang there is really something soooooo wrong about this electroal system that there is really nothing much to expect from the its results.
It should have been better had the awarenes gained from Garci issue was used to fix the electoral system.
Anyway, the Kapatiran seems like a real fundamentalist organization – akin to E-Vil’s Bangon Pilipinas.
Babel fish?
“Ah, katulad ng nangyari sa 2004 Canvassing, where their complaints and presentation of evidence on electoral fraud were just “noted†away?
(And the admin has the nerve to accuse the opposition of using “delaying tactics†to prevent arroyo’s proclamation. lol.)
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Now bablik ako sa aking stupid question ko. Nakita na pala ng opposition ang ganitong problema two years ago
pa ano ang ginawa nila to prevent, eliminate or even lessen this kind of fraud? Tapos eto sila
sasabak na naman sa sa eleksyon…. Arent they stupid and make the people stupid as well. And whole world are laughing at us and saying what a stupid nation!
rego. if the garci brouhaha had led to electoral reforms, you’d even have the chance for reconciliation. but precisely, the comelec officials took their cue from the president and stuck to their guns. no reform’s taken place, because if reform took place, it would be harmful to the political class (oppo and admin).
heres the latest from Danton about the news of his disqualifications
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From: “Danton Remoto” Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2007 09:31:26 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Omigoshhh, Danton was declared nuisance candidate by COMELEC!!!!!!
Ok guys, calm down. On Monday, I will go to Comelec and file:
1. a motion for reconsideration for the rejection of the party list Ang Ladlad.
2. a motion for reconsideration for my declaration as a nuisance candidate.
I was initially irritated when I read the news, especially when they said Richard Gomez was accredited because he was popular. Ha? Is this a popularity contest now? And even Victor Wood was allowed to run, ha.
One political party has also invited me to join their senatorial slate. I can only divulge final details when we have already signed the agreement. Sorry, guys, it is not the Genuine Opposition.
Hindi pa tapos ang laban! Because they have done a double whammy to me, expect MAJOR media coverage of my case on Monday. Promise 🙂 And all of this media coverage is for free, unlike other Team Unity candidates, etc, who pay P10,000 per SECOND of their ads on TV. At saan naman nanggaling ang perang iyan?
Thank you and take care,
Danton
walang dayaang nangyari kaya hindi kailangan nang reform. It was in fact the most honest election ever, for that everyone who made that election a success was promoted.
From: “danton_ph” Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2007 18:00:21 -0000
Subject: > Comelec, again
Because I am running as an independent, Comelec has declared me a nuisance candidate for the Senate. However, they asked me to go to Comelec on March 7 and prove othewise.
Therefore, I am going there on March 5, Monday, to file the motion for reconsideration for Ang Ladlad’s non-accreditation.
Then on March 7, Wednesday, I am going there to prove to Comelec with documents at hand that I am not a nuisance candidate.
Do not be alarmed with Comelec. Legalese is the only thing they have. We have the overwhelming support of the people.
Take care,
Danton
Manolo,
Re: “the administration wants to keep the discussion to the economy, while denying the other side any opportunity to discuss inconvenient truths…”
We all know that Gloria Macapagal may have the physical courage of the piranha but let’s face it, she is a frigging moral coward.
Another thing the opposition cannot do is match the Gloria’s ability to pick advisers.
Here’s Sergio Apostol
“The AFP must move for the cancellation of their (leftist party-list groups) accreditation (by citing) violation of the Penal code for rebellion or sedition. They are leftist organizations and members of Congress should honor the. Constitution, you cannot be part of Congress if you’re a leftist.â€Â
He added, “I think somebody has to initiate and it should be the military. It has to move because that is a clear violation of the Constitution. We encourage the AFP to take the appropriate action on this matter. It should not be Malacanang, we might get questioned again. The House is too busy, somebody has to file a complaint, the best complainant is the AFP leadership.â€Â
Ang galing di ba?
Manolos’s prodigious insights in the foregoing are truly valuable for anyone desirous to gain a deeper understanding of the current Philippine political landscape.
Those same insights also confirm the perception by many, myself included, that Philippine politics remains a copycat of American politics, an awful copy however. Let me explain.
While Republicans have a more market-oriented philosophy than Democrats who favor government regulation of the economy, there are many instances where Democrats and Republicans echo each other’s platform. The reason for this is that Americans are either estranged ideologically or they find themselves at the Center, in which case the personalities of the individual candidates matter. Nevertheless, voters are at least presented with some threshold policy alternatives.
In the Philippines, major political parties are still highly ideologically identical; hence, electoral debates are mainly focused on the candidates’ personalities, stage histrionics or forensic skills rather than on substantively differentiating public issues framed by party ideology.
To illustrate, comparison can be drawn from the forthcoming presidential elections in France this April where the issues are being framed not merely along the usual Left/Right spectrum but squarely between the “social democratic model†of Segolene Royal of the Socialist Party and the “Anglo-Saxon model†of Nicolas Sarkozay of the ruling Gaullist Union for a People’s Party, indeed a choice between two opposing political telos.
cvj has once reflected on the same phenomenon in the context of Latin American politics that has brought to power Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez or Bolivia’s Evo Morales. Perceiving that the Nat Dem and Akbayan discourses are bordering close to tedium, there’s been seen the need for them to go through some sort of repackaging in the Latin American brand. Indeed, this indicates the economic policy options of the Philippine government may not be as “limited,†the “globalized world†notwithstanding.
Not as the end goal, but as a means to attaining the common good, I believe business leader and philanthropist Washington Sycip is espousing Confucian authoritarianism even as national artist and social thinker F. Sionil Jose has once advocated the staging of a revolution to address the problems of the country, foremost of which is mass poverty. Neither of them is known to be a communist ideologue, it should be pointed out.
On the other hand, I am seeing the political statements of strong 2010 presidential timber Mar Roxas as a potential trigger for the emergence of a sharper ideological realignment along the government and market discourse over the control of the so-called commanding heights that in British politics defines more or less the laissez-faire agenda of the Conservative Party and the social welfare program of the Labor Party.
I have noted that Mar Roxas has evinced his state-interventionist bent as a congressman at least as regards the Retail Trade Liberalization law in which he was accused of inserting protectionist clauses. As DTI secretary, Mar threatened to withdraw Philippine membership from WTO upon the contention that Philippine tuna has been subjected to tariff discrimination by the US in favor of the Latin American package. I was a gutsy move by a former Wall Street investment banker, I thought, which may bear out a capability of tinkering with some “grand economic policy.â€Â
The ideological debate was boldly taken further by CBCP in its pastoral letter of July 10, 2005. “The people mistrust our economic institutions†the letter said, “which place them under the tyranny of market forces whose lack of moral compass produces for our people a life of grinding dehumanizing poverty.â€Â
I believe the political envelope can be pushed beyond the “limited†enclosure that the Washington consensus has imposed upon our class of political “midgets,†to borrow a popular tag overused here, to allow considerations of even grander politico-economic policies.
mlq3,
“no reform’s taken place, because if reform took place, it would be harmful to the political class (oppo and admin).”
so this is the perennial problem our country has faced since independence in 1946. and we are just taking it. doesn’t this tell us that our problems go deeper than Gloria? whoever the sitting duck is can always do the same thing and we’ll get screwed over and over again…
see why the so-called apologists are not buying the rhetoric that gloria is the root of all evil and should be ousted? our problems are endemically socio-political. short-term solutions are just short-term solutions – no pun intended.
First things first; I’m heterosexual!
Abalos’ statements are so weak that I have no doubt that the SC will rebuff him (with regards to LADLAD). Yet this illustrates the kind of hurdles that a future re-election of ex- Estrada will face. The move of COMELEC just denies Ang LADLAD time and resources in its campaign should in the end it is actually certified to run as a party list group.
Kalalabasan lang ng gagawin ni dating presidente Estrada ay magtanim, magpatubo, …….. pero sa huli ay iba ang kakain at siguradong makikinabang lang dyan pag pinayagan sya ay ang mga tulad ni PGMA.
Going back to the party list; it would be wise for the group to read the SC decision on party list and the actual law itself (RA 7941).
Worth noting is that the actual law states:
“Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. – (a) The party-list system is a mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof registered with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Component parties or organizations of a coalition may participate independently provided the coalition of which they form part does not participate in the party-list system.
A party means either a political party or a sectoral party or a coalition of parties.
A political party refers to an organized group of citizens advocating an ideology or platform, principles and policies for the general conduct of government and which, as the most immediate means of securing their adoption, regularly nominates and supports certain of its leaders and members as candidates for public office.
It is a national party when its constituency is spread over the geographical territory of AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF THE REGIONS. It is a regional party when its constituency is spread over the geographical territory of at least a majority of the cities and provinces comprising the region.
A SECTORAL party refers to an organized group of citizens belonging to any of the sectors enumerated in Section 5 hereof whose principal advocacy pertains to the special interests and concerns of their sector.
A SECTORAL organization refers to a group of citizens or a coalition of groups of citizens who share similar physical attributes or characteristics, employment, interest or concerns.
A coalition refers to an aggrupation of duly registered national, regional, sectoral parties or organizations for political and/or election purposes.”
(Bolds are mine)
As far as I know; majority is taken to be 50% +1.
The SC decision states:
“The foregoing provision mandates a state policy of promoting proportional representation by means of the Filipino-style party-list system, which will “enable†the election to the House of Representatives of Filipino citizens,
1. who belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties; and
2. who lack well-defined constituencies; but
3. who could contribute to the formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation as a whole.
The key words in this policy are “proportional representation,†“marginalized and underrepresented,†and “lack [of] well-defined constituencies.â€Â
“Proportional representation†here does not refer to the number of people in a particular district, because the party-list election is national in scope. NEITHER DOES IT ALLUDE TO NUMERICAL STRENGTH in a distressed or oppressed group. Rather, it refers to the representation of the “marginalized and underrepresented†as exemplified by the enumeration in Section 5 of the law; namely, “labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers, and professionals.â€Â
——-
“The marginalized and underrepresented sectors to be represented under the party-list system are enumerated in Section 5 of RA 7941, which states:
“SEC. 5. Registration. — Any organized group of persons may register as a party, organization or coalition for purposes of the party-list system by filing with the COMELEC not later than ninety (90) days before the election a petition verified by its president or secretary stating its desire to participate in the party-list system as a national, regional or sectoral party or organization or a coalition of such parties or organizations, attaching thereto its constitution, by-laws, platform or program of government, list of officers, coalition agreement and other relevant information as the COMELEC may require: Provided, that the sector shall include labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers, and professionals.â€Â
While the enumeration of marginalized and underrepresented sectors is NOT EXCLUSIVE, it demonstrates the clear intent of the law that not all sectors can be represented under the party-list system.
(Bolds are mine as well)
If the COMELEC decision mimics Chairman Abalos’ words in his interview; And LADLAD will get recognition from the SC.
With regards to the military being advocated to file for cancellation of leftist groups:
The move would have to be along the line of disqualification through proving that leftists group accredited are groups that “advocates violence or unlawful means to seek its goal”.
The law however is silent if the leftist “do not” reject violence or unlawful means to seek its goal.
Oooopps,
The last sentence of the first post above should read as:
“If the COMELEC decision mimics Chairman Abalos’ words in his interview; Ang LADLAD will get recognition from the SC.”
Justice League
As to Ladlad, Abalos also did not recognize a party list group with the acronym TOMA. He said drunks have no place in Congress.
And then he offered a ord of advice to Ladlad and TOMA : ” Aminin muna nila na mga bakla, tomboy at lasenggo sila.”
Before proceeding to allow the candidacy of the fake Peter Cayetano.
A bigot and a tuta of the Arroyos is in charge of the May election.
What does this say of the person who appointed him Comelec chairman?
hindi ba ang party list ay supposedly representation ng marginalized people? e bakit nirerequire nila na kailangan magpakita na marami silang members para ma-approve? wtf?!
rego:
anong masasabi mo sa mga 6-year high figures ni GMA? sino ba ang president 6 years ago? di ba si GMA din? so, our economy now is just at the same level as when she assumed office. and now we are saying that the economy improved under her watch?
So you acknowledge that Gloria is part of the problem? Good. Hardly anyone is under the illusion that all our problems will be solved by Gloria’s removal. However, since she is the latest manifestation of our perennial problem, her removal is a big step in the right direction…one less obstacle to worry about. This will give us the breathing space to focus on the underlying socio-political problems. If the next leader attempts to follow in the footsteps of Gloria, then we have no choice but to discipline him/her as well. Matira ang matibay – ang taong bayan o ang mga trapo.
sa makatuwid, Glueria has no moral ascendancy to govern. She has lost her credibility already for keeping mum on the issues surrounding her government. Peace and unity will only be obtained when she’s no longer in power/holds power. It’s sickening when they try to distort the meaning of “unity” and try to apply it to their own socially contructed term “team unity”. Garapal talaga!!
…i mean politically constructed and motivated term.
MB,
I specifically left out TOMA because I have no inkling as to what its advocacy is aside from the link above which brands them as drunkards.
With the idea that TOMA or LADLAD is running as a sectoral group, I think that the COMELEC will have a hard time in defending their demand for a nationwide membership.
But if I was to believe that TOMA has an advocacy for getting drunk as implied in Chairman Abalos’ statement; then the hindrance for TOMA would be what is in the declaration of policy in RA 7941. (I initially wanted to post that already but the part I quoted already was long so I decided not to. Seems I should have proceeded.)
Sec. 2 of RA 7941 reads:
“Declaration of Policy. – The State shall promote proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives through a party-list system of registered national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof, which will enable Filipino citizens belonging to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties, and who lack well-defined political constituencies but who could contribute to the formulation and enactment of APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WILL BENEFIT THE NATION AS A WHOLE, to become members of the House of Representatives. Towards this end, the State shall develop and guarantee a full, free and open party system in order to attain the broadest possible representation of party, sectoral or group interests in the House of Representatives by enhancing their chances to compete for and win seats in the legislature, and shall provide the simplest scheme possible.” (Bolds mine)
Though the SC didn’t elucidate much on the bold part(they likely found it inconsequential in the case at hand back then); they did cite the part on the decision as evidenced by #3 in the previous post above.
TOMA (if the allusion to their advocacy is true) will have a difficult time defending their program and platform in the SC. They can always go to the SC but its likely to be a waste of time and money on the group’s part.
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With regards to the actions of Chairman Abalos and its reflections on PGMA; I’d be cautious on dwelling on this for too long.
For those who believe on the reflection part and approve of CJ Davide’s actions, do consider that it was ex-pres. Estrada who appointed him CJ. For those who believe on the reflection part but don’t approve of CJ Davide’s actions; then probably you should consider that ex-Pres. Estrada got what he deserved.
MB,
BTW, Chairman Abalos word of advice “in a sense” would be in accordance “somewhat” in the kind of candidates they will nominate to represent them in Congress should they win as party lists.
It is embodied also in the SC decision wherein:
“Seventh, not only the candidate party or organization must represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors; so also must its nominees. To repeat, under Section 2 of RA 7941, the nominees must be Filipino citizens “who belong to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties.†Surely, the interests of the youth cannot be fully represented by a retiree; neither can those of the urban poor or the working class, by an industrialist. To allow otherwise is to betray the State policy to give genuine representation to the marginalized and underrepresented.”
In the end, the nominees of Ang LADLAD will have to certify that they are that way in the same that nominees of TOMA will have to certify that they are “lasenggo” (if what Abalos said was indeed true).
Abe Margallo, having concluded that our political system is a “bad” copy of the American prototype, you are now suggesting (in conformity with cvj’s prescription) to emulate Venezuela’s Chavez and Bolivia’s Evardone. You seem to advocate a retreat from free enterprise and a reformatting to more government-imposed, and intensely regulated, economy.
I respect your dissatisfaction with the “American way”. But “copying” the other method may not be the right thing to do. Foremost reason is that the idea has been tried by other nations with disastrous consequences. The seeming early “success” of Chavez (who has the advantage of oil-driven economy) is, I think, transitory at best.
Do you want us to be another Cuba? Don’t forget the former Soviet Union. And how about Mao’s Red China?
Articulating the merits of communism may sound chic and intellectual. But advocating it is like igniting a fire next to an open gasoline tank. You could burn not only yourself but other innocent souls in the process.
What was disastrous for us was following the IMF prescriptions courtesy of Virata and Jobo Fernandez. It is only now that we are recovering from that debacle.
Cuba can teach us something about training enough doctors. The Soviet Union can teach us a lesson of what *not* to do in terms of following the Washington Consensus prescriptions and turning businesses over to the oligarchs and the Russian mafia. Mao’s Red China can teach us both positive and negative lessons. The positive aspect is his getting rid of his warlords and oligarchs in 1949 which paved the way for Deng’s reforms. Of course, he also taught us the disastrous consequences of economic and social experiments such as the ‘Great Leap Forward’ and the ‘Cultural Revolution’. All you see are the reforms of Deng in 1978, but his success would not have been possible if the old order consisting of Chang Kai-Shek and other warlords were still in place.
What is it in reactionary thought that renders people ideologically color-blind that they are only able to distinguish between American-sponsored Capitalism and Communism? In the Philippine context, this is what is burning innocent souls (via extrajudicial killings).
Cuba is an interesting social experiment under Castro. Truely Cuba has among the highest doctors per capita and Cuba life expectancy is among highest along with Chile and Martinique.
Cuba has among the lowest immigration (out-of-Cuba) rate.
Cuba has among the highest number of doctors seeking asylum into the US and Canada.
Cuba has the highest suicide rate in Latin America (but Cuban American suicide rate is lower than other Miami groups). Cuba has the highest abortion rate.
According to the UNAIDS report of 2003 there were an estimated 3,300 Cubans living with HIV/AIDS (approx 0.05% of the population). In the mid-1980s, when little was known about the virus, Cuba compulsorily tested thousands of its citizens for HIV. Those who tested positive were taken to Los Cocos and were not allowed to leave. This practice has been stopped.
Cuban doctors can make more by becoming taxicab drivers or tour-guides. The Kaiser Family Foundation (US-based NGO) in 2000-01 described Cuba’s health caresystem as “a shining example of the power of public health to transform the health of an entire country by acommitment to prevention and by careful management of its medical resources”. President of the World Bank James Wolfensohn also praised Cuba’s healthcare system in 2001, saying that “Cuba has done a great job on education and health,” at the annual meeting of the Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
My imaginings tell me : Had Joma crossed Vlad Putin, Joma would probably be dead by now.
And I can not imagine what Mainland China will be today had Chiang Kai Shek prevailed.
rego,
For someone who lives in the United States you seem to have a very low standard for freedom and prosperity.
“Do you want us to be another Cuba? ”
Read UNDP annual rankings and you will see Cuba outranks the Philippines in quality of life measurements. Cuba is in a category ranked 20 or 30 countries above us. We belong to the bottom third of the world.
Not that I would prefer to live in a country under seige by America but I’m only pointing out the UNDP annual rankings to show that, despite being under US embargo for the last 40 some years, Castro has managed to accomplish what none of our leaders have.
rego
anong masasabi mo sa mga 6-year high figures ni GMA? sino ba ang president 6 years ago? di ba si GMA din? so, our economy now is just at the same level as when she assumed office. and now we are saying that the economy improved under her watch?
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Paeng,
Sabi mo nga “6 years high figures”. High! ibig sabihin positive. So OK pa rin. Kahit sabihin mo pang flat hindi bumaba, hindi rin tumaas, pareho lang. Good pa rin dahil hindi nag collapse ang economy na katulad ng prediction ng opposition during the time that lumabas ang Garci.
Investors are coming in and not going away. Foriegn economic ratings are also good. so positive pa rin. Local and Foriegn businessmen are satisfied so positive pa rin.
For as long as its positive OK ako dyan.
Now that doesn’t mean that im VERY impressed and VERY satisfied on Gloria’s economic performance. I also would want it higher. sino ba ang ayaw?
If there is another leader who can make it higher. I will go for him. If Erap and the opposition has something that will really impress me and make the figures soaringly high. Then definitely I will go with them.
Pero kung pareho rin lang naman ang gagawin nila na katulad ng sinabi ni MLQ3. Id rather let Gloria finish her term. After all everybody can see that she is working very hard. Hindi naman sya nakatunganga lang dyan sa Malacanang, nag paparty, nag lalasing at nag susugal.
Come to think of it, nababalitaan na lang ba natin na may paparty si Gloria sa malacanang na katulad ni Marcos at Erap noon? The lady is working so hard so why not let her work. I can see that she doing all her best to lay all the foundation of a sound and stronger economy. And to me that is good.
With the idea that TOMA or LADLAD is running as a sectoral group, I think that the COMELEC will have a hard time in defending their demand for a nationwide membership.- Justice league.
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I dont know with TOMA but Ang Ladlad has no problem with this.
From: “Danton Remoto” Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2007 02:25:33 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: political party coalitions
“this constituency is invisible but strong. i have a network of poll watchers that run from apparri in cagayan to lamitan in basilan. thousands and thousands of them, and we are training them now in poll watching procedures. some of them belong to a non-catholic faith “
rego,
For someone who lives in the United States you seem to have a very low standard for freedom and prosperity.–Jsutice League
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what do you mean, will you kindly elaborate? But if you are only saying this because I dont have the same political conviction and causes as you and your ilk. Never mind! Dont bother!
If she is not the real President, then she has no business working in Malacanang at all.
How can you call that laying a foundation of a sound and stronger economy? Have you seen how rule of law(and the other Governance indicators) has deteriorated since Gloria took over? Her tenure has been marked by the further deterioration of our political and social institutions, which is not exactly the right sort of foundation to build upon.
“What was disastrous for us was following the prescriptions courtesy of Virata and Jobo Fernandez. It is only NOW that we are recovering from that debacle.” cvj (emphasis added).
Yes, cvj, under PGMA’s watch.
“Cuba can teach us how to train more doctors.” cvj.
We have an oversupply of doctors that many switch to nursing to enter the U.S. Don’t you know that? Do you think those Cuban doctors will stay in Cuba if they can leave without risking their lives?
Re: delivering the Russian business from the bureaucrats
to to the oligarch and russian mafia, well, sort of from the barracuda to the sharks, right? What a cruel world!
Mao’s Red China? What else can I say about its disastrous misadventures that you concede?
rego,
Freedom – the right or the capacity of self-determination as an expression of the individual will. The US is definitely the country that promotes freedom.
What about rego’s standards?
rego loves Gloria who prefers EO 464, CPR, Extrajudicial killings, libel cases left and right
Prosperity – Situation of Economic Growth, low Unemployment, and general sense of well-being of most of the economy’s population. The US is definitely the country to beat when it comes to prosperity.
What about rego’s standards?
rego again loves Gloria who prefers OFW remittances to sustain economy, trickle down economy, 100 students per classroom, count one hour of work in a reporting period as full employment.