In the news, Malacañang circles the wagons on ‘Garci’ (see Newsbreak on The President’s Ad Hoc Style) even as Senators split on wiretap inquiry (the Inquirer editorial says an investigation’s in order). Political recycling continues: Arroyo security adviser to head legislative liaison office (so Gabby Claudio’s out; and Joaquin Llagonera?) On the Mindanao front, Sacked officer confirms aircraft were recalled.
This is interesting: More RP firms join race to set up stake in Vietnam.
This may become politically significant: Couples admits ‘divorce’ over Gawad Kalinga and Split rocks CfC; Meloto quits Gawad Kalinga. The debate seems as much about a more secular orientation for GK as it was an effort to maintain the exclusively Catholic orientation, perhaps even vaguely socialist orientation of the movement (a story like this, for example, goes to the heart of the leadership split: Call center training for Gawad Kalinga residents mulled). Anyway, end result: Split in Couples for Christ May Hurt GK Housing Projects.
Overseas, some nifty readings, indeed. Let’s begin with Thailand’s referendum: The long march back to the barracks, which takes a highly critical view of the country’s latest effort at constitution-writing (In Thailand: After the Constitutional Referendum takes a less obviously critical, but extremely cautious, look). A Thai newspaper op-ed piece points to A recirculation of elites in Thai politics (a necessary thing, and when the process is thwarted, it causes even more problems).
And there’s not one, but two, excerpts from “Asian Godfathers” (Joe Studwell) published in Asia Sentinel. Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The first chapter is How to be a Post-war Godfather:
In the Philippines another usurper, Ferdinand Marcos, demonstrated a similar response to Suharto’s with respect to the possibilities of godfather relationships. After winning two presidential terms in (distinctly dirty) elections, Marcos circumvented his country’s two-term presidential limit by declaring martial law in 1972. Like Suharto, he also looked beyond the established godfather elite — in the Philippines, traditional Spanish and Chinese mestizo families — to find some of his key business proxies. The archetype was Lucio Tan, a first-generation immigrant and one-time janitor who became, under Marcos’ patronage, the Philippines’ leading tobacco vendor, as well as having interests in everything from banking to real estate.
It is probable that — as with Liem Sioe Liong, who knew Suharto from the latter’s military postings in central Java — Tan and Marcos knew each other from Ilocos, the president’s home region where Tan had his first, small cigarette factory. Both Suharto and Marcos signalled regime change by promoting new, non-indigenous outsiders to godfather roles. Tan was a clear break in the ethnically more mixed and integrated Philippines because he represented the so-called ‘one-syllable Chinese’ — those who had not assimilated and adopted local surnames.
The promotion of new outsiders achieved two useful things for the dictators: it provided ultra-dependent, ultra-loyal sources of future finance for them and their families; and it served as a warning to the established, more integrated economic elite that it was not indispensable.
In the pre-Marcos Philippines, businessmen of every ethnic make-up had been increasingly successful in overrunning and manipulating a weak parliamentary system and thereby obviating the need to make deals with ultimate political power. Ferdy reversed this trend, though it remains a latent tendency in both the Philippines and Thailand whenever central leadership is weakened.
The second is, what those godfathers focus on: Core cash flow:
In the Philippines a tradition of political allocation of state offices and government largesse built up from the 1920s, under American colonial rule, until it reached its logical conclusion under Ferdinand Marcos. There were trading monopolies for major foodstuff imports, and marketing monopolies for the key local crops — sugar and coconuts.
Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco was one of the leading Marcos monopolists. (It is a reminder of the small and elitist world in which money and power resides in Southeast Asia that Danding is from the same landed family as Cory Aquino, whose ‘people power’ movement overthrew Marcos in 1986.) Danding, a Marcos favorite, benefited from a new levy on coconut production that funded the development of United Coconut Planters Bank. He was made president of the bank, which in turn bought up most of the Philippines’ coconut milling facilities. Danding’s coconut cash flows were strong enough to buy up much more besides. He became known as Mr Pacman, after the video game character that eats everything in its path.
Marcos monopolies set new standards in the powers they conferred. Lucio Tan’s Fortune Tobacco Co., which was given tax, customs, financing and regulatory breaks that were tantamount to a domestic monopoly on cigarette making, wrote a new cigarette tax code that Marcos signed into law. In the same period Tan is alleged to have printed his own internal revenue stamps to paste on cigarette packets. The cash flow from tobacco propelled him into chemicals, farming, textiles, brewing, real estate, hotels and banking. After Marcos fled to Hawaii in 1986, Tan wrote an open letter to new president Cory Aquino in which he asserted: ‘We can proudly say that we have never depended on dole-outs, government assistance or monopoly protection throughout our history.’
…The crudeness of the monopolies handed out by Marcos and Suharto tends to obscure the almost universal presence of monopolies, cartels and controlled Asian markets in Southeast Asia.
Of course these things aren’t new to Filipinos; but what will be new to Filipino readers is how similar things are in neighboring countries.
Elsewhere, relevant reading in terms of ongoing debates on the the Japan-RP free trade agreement: Indonesia-Japan EPA: Who’s getting the best deal? And In South Korea: “This is What Democracy Looks Like!”. In Foreign Affairs, Elizabeth C. Economy looks at China and asks if in environmental terms, it isn’t taking a harmful “Great Leap Backward”. The Economist asks whether President Putin isn’t building a “neo-KGB state” in Russia. In Australia, an ongoing debate on the nature of Federalism; one issue involves hospitals: Hospital plan puts focus back on ‘new federalism’. By the way,
Australian government caught editing Wikipedia.
The Magnificent Seven looks at American soldiers who’ve published an op-ed piece criticizing their government’s conduct of the war in Iraq; Sir, Can I Publish This, Sir! clarifies the circumstances under which soldiers can criticize their government. Ah, and The Credit Crunch in Financial Markets Remains Severe, says Roubini.
On a lighter note, Vanity Fair on how Ralph Lauren captured the public imagination.
Amando Doronila’s column today, is somewhat related to the above, in terms of the role coercion plays in politics (and by extension, business).
From Patricio Diaz of Mindanews, a two part series, Metamorphosis 1 and Metamorphosis 2, on the evolution of Filipino Muslim political thought.
In his column, Dan Mariano discusses Roberto Verzola’s suggestions for a more productive approach to election automation.
In the blogosphere… I remember that the President’s famous “I. Am. Sorry.” speech had people divided between those for whom it was far from being enough, and others who felt it was a breathtaking act of contrition. The clincher, of course, was that for some it was too little, too late, for others, more than enough. The same applies as news has begun to circulate Society columnist quits over OFW bashing (see also Manila Standard columnist quits after getting OFWs’ ire). For details on the actual letter of apology itself, see Ang Kape Ni LaTtEX. In Piercing Pens, there is more information, including People Asia saying it will publish the letter of apology in lieu of Malu Fernandez’s next column.
As An OFW Living in Hong Kong points out, this was a demonstration of political muscle by OFWs and their families. I am not convinced it was totally an achievement of the blogosphere: it’s still a small circle compared to the online media Filipinos congregate in, in truly significant numbers, and that’s e-groups (and e-mail: the magazine article was scanned, then circulated by e-mail, some time before it finally started being commented on in blogdom). The impact of a statement by press associations, such as the one issued by the Filipino Press Club in Dubai, is also the sort of thing media practitioners from the older generation get impressed.
So my observation is that the blogosphere has become fully integrated into established fora and information-opinion networks of Filipinos, at home and abroad; and that, furthermore, the blogosphere along with other online media now creates its own news and yes, it can rock the older media to its foundations, whether print, television, or radio; and it has become to serve as an effective check-and-balance, not only to the media, but to itself (see Nasty Me and Superblessed, and Tanuki Tales, who is glad it’s all at an end). Everyone got thoroughly scrutinized on this one, not just in blogs but in e-mail discussion groups. It’s not as if it hasn’t always been there, but Class Struggle suddenly got validated (or one step closer, anyway, see Ajay’s Writings on the Wall, which incidentally has the best Malu photo caption ever), and as with all revolutionary notions, it isn’t a picnic as Mao said.
Nonetheless, I think the combined letter of apology and resignation from the paper and magazine, were the proper form of atonement and Malu Fernandez deserves credit for it. An apology is never easy, resignation even harder, and both, combined, is an unusual yet potent combination -and an example of accountability (on her part, to be sure; and even People Asia’s, if and when it publishes her letter; the newspaper dodged a bullet without saying anything). But there will be those who will be watching with keen suspicion, for some time to come (see Taragis na Buhay to, for example).
[email protected] takes a look at the overall implications of the issue for bloggers (a pyrrhic victory, he says). For thorough look on our changing demographics, see Jove Francisco’s tribute to OFWs.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, economy, federalism, Gloriagate, Hello Garci, history, ideas, journalism, korea, media, military, mindanao, philippines, politics, president, Senate, society, war
The OFW is empowered by the internet (as you mentioned by email, usergroups, blogs, and other means combined). We are spread out all over the world and the internet is the only way to get together and join forces. It’s in a very early stage and as usual nobody can really put a handle on how to do it widely and consistently. The issue must be of interest to many as the Malu Fernandez one.
An example of a “move” by OFWs to flex their muscle that won’t take off is not to remit money for a certain period of time.
An example of a “move†by OFWs to flex their muscle that won’t take off is not to remit money for a certain period of time.
That made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up, JM.
jonmariano:why don’t the OFW communities turn out in bigger numbers to vote? if you were half as interested in helping choose national leaders as you were in avenging the insult to you, i would imagine that more ofws would have voted in 2004 and 2007.
JM,
Witholding remittances won’t take off kasi naman gugutumin nila ang mga pamilya nila dito sa Pilipinas.
However, Witholding remittances is a powerful pressure tool but it requires a lot of thinking about timing and hitting the right target,
Rom,
I think the logistics of voting has a lot to do with low turn-outs among OFW voters.
Jeg and Rom, OFWs in general act on things that interest them. Elections apparently is not at the top of the list (there are many reasons like difficulty in registration, long distance travel to voting stations, can’t a get a day off on election day, etc.)
You may also notice that the Malu case was an “easy” one as nobody has to get away from their desks or work places to take part.
MB, you’re right on witholding of remittances. For OFWs family comes first (again, generally speaking).
“breathtaking act of contrition.” heh.
ah. hopefully, more ofws will be more concerned with less easy issues like choosing national leaders.
In retrospect, the Malu issue was about political correctness. It involved politically incorrect speech.
That’s a lot different from hate speech.
I don’t think we should censor political incorrectness. That kind of censorship is “p.c. fascism”, the sort of ideology peddled in shows like Oprah etc..
Sayang, no more great fat jokes, no more insults, and ad hominem attacks on that blimp. She’s gone.
No more pig in the poker gone and I was just working up an appetite.
And her final squeals weren’t all that satisfying either.
Grrr….
Anyway, I’m putting up a bounty on Malu.
P1000 to anyone who can publish a picture of her in a swimsuit. A bonus of P500 if she’s in a thong bikini.
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news4_aug23_2007
Man, this got ugly ano?
GK pala is “God’s Kingdom”. And some of the statements made by former GK members are a little extreme, IMO.
Re Gawad Kalinga, I was always of the opinion that GK has not been very honest in its self-promotion. In article after article about GK it seems there is this underlying tone that what they have been doing – building houses for the poor – is their own invention. Habitat for Humanity has been there, done that ages ago.
What I didn’t like about the Malu affair was the collateral damage on Miss Piggy. How dare they compare Malu to Miss Piggy. Sa wit lang, malayung-malayo si Malu.
Moi!
“Of course these things aren’t new to Filipinos; but what will be new to Filipino readers is how similar things are in neighboring countries.”
It’s not the monopoly; it’s the racism.
“I don’t think we should censor political incorrectness. That kind of censorship is “p.c. fascismâ€Â, the sort of ideology peddled in shows like Oprah etc.”
Free speech is pretty nebulous on this one. What I’m interested in is the balance of power between the classes.
You won’t believe this, but I used to be in the Youth for Christ, CFC arm made up of kids of CFC members. I’ve met both Meloto and Padilla. Couldn’t remember which one was the conservative. One of them offered his Playboy to me when I was staying in his house.
It’s always like this. There is a conservative and there is a liberal.
“Sayang, no more great fat jokes, no more insults, and ad hominem attacks on that blimp. She’s gone.”
Know why Malu smelled so fine? It’s the whale blubber.
“Sayang, no more great fat jokes, no more insults, and ad hominem attacks on that blimp. She’s gone.”
Know why Malu smelled so fine? @hale blubber.
Can’t believe Tony Meloto’s girl married a British national. Now, I know who offered me the Playboy, but I’m not telling.
i wonder what you people would say if Malu Fernandez looked like Lucy Torres. or angel locsin.
ah, bigotry begets bigotry. such a nice ring to it.
jaxius,
“i wonder what you people would say if Malu Fernandez looked like Lucy Torres. or angel locsin.”
good question. but that won’t get in the way of my carnal desires for the two beauties you mentioned. And even if Malu were the nicest person on earth, I still won’t fuck her.
Will you?
“i wonder what you people would say if Malu Fernandez looked like Lucy Torres. or angel locsin.â€Â
That is why I don’t believe the Filipinos lack certain words in their vocabulary,because for certain they can think of something,if those two wrote something controversial like that.Lucy is more inclined to,because she writes for the Philippine Star.
But Manuel,when you say nicest,inside or outside?
the GK split is a cycle that all NGOs undergo. see Randy David’s explanation on this one.. (basically, when organizations grow bigger, two paths emerge, to develop the org into a bureaucracy and lose all sense of being an NGO or to split the org into smaller tight-knit groups) Of course the GK split we have here run in ideological lines. But that’s just natural as organizations grow.
and wow, na extra tayo sa cases of “successful” counterinsurgency campaigns. here’s the excerpt from Fred Kaplan’s piece from the link provided by Manolo (The Magnificent Seven).
“The cases of “successful” counterinsurgency campaigns that many advocates and historians citeâ€â€most notably, the Americans in the Philippines, the British in Malayaâ€â€involved much more brutality than we would likely tolerate today and perhaps more casualties and time as well.”
That puts to rest, any questions, that the US did wage their war agst the Filipino guerillas during the Phil-American war in a brutal fashion.
As for the wiki editing, it’s just natural that self-serving interested parties try to “edit” history thru wiki. after all, wikipedia is growing to be the easiest way to “learn history.” The lesson here is: wiki administrators should be more vigilant in guarding their websites against any vested interest. all edits should have proper sources to back them up.
as for OFWs demonstrating political muscle, I think the online community, not merely OFWs did much of the muscle flexing (for the OFWs). so this was a demonstration of the internet’s power if anything else. and truly if it really wanted to use its massive political clout (lying dormant), joining elections would be the best thing OFWs can do. Let 2010 signal this new age. logistics or no, desire is the single biggest factor all OFWs need to contend with. do they still care and how much for them to act?
you can bet that only if media start blaring this idea on TV, OFWs would realize their folly in abdicating their only power of affecting real change, and start using that power for good.
but i’ve long since given up on Lopez and Gozon. they can both burn in hell for the part they’ve played in perpetuating social injustice here in the Phils. Cojuangco doesn’t count. ABC 5 viewership is too negligible to consider. and govt stations are so out of the question as well.
and Verzola will be my hero if he successfully manages to inform more people of his idea abt election automation. wake up mediamen and give this guy some help! bloggers, time again for some serious information campaign if mass media won’t lift a finger on this one. (and thanks Manolo for the heads up. thank Dan Mariano for us too)
now that i think abt it, why have we crucified Malu while failing to take the bigwigs of the industry to task? is it bec she’s too easy to dislike (with her figure and all…) Jaxius said it all: bigotry begets bigotry. well, Malu suffered a dose of her own medicine and suffice to say, she discovered it was a bitter pill indeed.
Devils, I’m also glad Verzola’s advocacy warning against automating the wrong parts of the election process is at least getting some attention. Consultants and Suppliers who advocate election automation for commercial gain should be viewed as a threat to our democracy.
cvj, eye opener talaga yung mga warnings nya abt automation being a false panacea. he’s right. it won’t completely eliminate human intervention. in fact, jz getting to the few people who controls the automation makes cheating so much easier. and damn, did he hit the issue right on the spot when he said counting in the precinct-level is the one that is most impt and finishes the fastest. eto dapat ang pinoprotektahan natin. and a system to publish online nationwide precinct counts would be better than counting machines. in fact, jz local citizens trooping to their various precincts and video taping the counting and then posting it on youtube would count a lot. let them doctor that if they can! (and jz imagine if all precincts can be covered!)
should we just sit back and let the comelec do the counting for us or do it ourselves? we already have the means, the technology… all we need is the desire to do so.
Just heard an oxymoron from Christian evangelical Pastor John Haggee, featured in CNN’s series “God’s Warriors”
Haggee said, “I am a Zionist Christian.”
Damn MB, I completely forgot Christiane Amanpour! Is there still a replay? I miss all three parts!
“I am not a republican, I am not a democrat, I’m a christocrat” – Rick Scarborough, Baptist preacher and founder of Vision America.
Not a christlican?
Devils, what i’m particularly worried about is that the government procurement process will ensure that the wrong election automation solution will be implemented.
I suppose that at this stage, big-time entrepreneurs & financiers together with their IT partners (foreign and local) are already talking to this or that government official (or relative). They will all try to influence the specifications that will go into the Request for Proposal(RFP). Some of them will even propose innovative financing schemes like ‘Build-Operate-Transfer’ or ‘Build-Operate-Own’ a-la LTO licensing.
In my work, i’ve seen that process up close when i was still based in the Philippines so i know how these guys think (both on the vendor and the customer side). Back then, the word ‘snake-oil salesman’ always crosses my mind.
cvj,
that soup slurping comelec commissioner will buy from whomever gives him the best deal.
Best thing is to avoid any major purchases while that guy has his hands on the soup spoon.
cvj, we can fight it. bigger, better, more aware next time.
MB, i agree that kicking out the present commissioners would help, but even if it was Christian Monsod himself at the COMELEC, i believe the process itself is flawed. What won’t be lost through corruption can also be lost through ignorance (particularly the one that causes a mismatch between business requirements and technology implementations). I think there should be a cap on the amounts procured no matter who is at the helm.
Devils, if we rally around Verzola’s advocacy, i’m hopeful of that as well.
Yes Cvj,
Unisys, as an example has such proposals in the dust bim
like anti carnapping chassis number detection and the likes.
Let us think positive and have a can do attitude,instead of the defeatist attitude of one person, ever so harsh to Pinoys,even mocking the Pinoy by saying pathetic Pinoy, Kawawang Pinoy and ang Pinoy nga naman.
What kind of help is that in nation building? Tough,love?
Or just plain cruelty. no matter how hard I try when I reread past entries.I really boil.
If We know who this guy is and find out he works for one of our broadsheets,the way he has been harsh not only to oFWs but to the whole Philippines,will we do the same move.
Lucky for him to have a cloak of anonimity.
i think this year’s elections just proved that. but what we need isn’t many, separate cause-oriented groups. what we need are those groups ALL cooperating as ONE.
funny thing thing is that there is a growing movement in England and the US to go back to the traditional method of voting. They believe errors and cheating are harder to catch using those hi-tech voting machines.
Guess the moral of the story is honest referees. That’s the only way to ensure clean elections.
Karl, maybe we should recommend him to the Manila Standard job position that Malu Fernandez just vacated and wait for events to take its course. 😉
MLQ3, Patricio Diaz says in the first essay you link to
“The metamorphosis is the transformation of a people seeking their rightful place in the present and the future anchored in Islam and the past they ever hold as glorious.”
Glorious? Tell that to Horacio de la Costa and the Jesuits, who throughout the Spanish colonial period were forever battling the Maguindanawons, the Tausugs and the Sulu SLAVE RAIDERS who were selling thousands of slaves to Borneo and other glorious Islamic sultanates taken from Cebu, Panay, Arevalo, and in an amazing raid involving 60 ships in 1602, the taking of 800 captives from as far away as Mindoro, Balayan, Batangas and Caliraya!
Then in his second essay, he says:
“Under the federal system [that] we propose as an alternative to secession or integration, there is a need to restructure the political unit [sic] of the nation. There is in turn a need to create political subdivisions, arranged in such a way that the Muslims of Mindanao and Sulu will constitute one political entity….â€Â
Oh great! One island for the Muslims, one for the Catholics, one for the Protestants, one for the Jehovahs… Sorry, but last time I checked THEOCRACY is outlawed under the Philippine constitution. He is suggesting religious apartheid, I think.
I got nothing against federalism, but it cannot be based on religion. That is against the Bill of Rights.
There will be no State or states, ever, whose future is “anchored on Islam” or any other religion. That is a recipe for a return to the year 1602.
There is one further metamorphosis Mr. Diaz misses:
I think the peace process is dead because the Moro Cause has already been hijacked by the Global Jihad and there is nothing he or we can do about it!
The best thing that could happen now is for Christians and Muslims to unite against the common threat and extirpate what is essentially a foreign invading force that has already gained many local adherents. Whether or not the Moro cause was valid before this, is no longer relevant.
As JI and AQ, they have no place here either now or in the future. Just as much as the sleepwalking Christians, we need to awaken the Muslims to the subsuming of their identity to the Caliphate. Now is the time to prove their spirit of independence.
He can join Bong “Let freedom wait” Austero
Manolo, about “hello Garci” and the possibility of tapping into a “secure” GSM signal – I asked a few know-it-alls on ask.metafilter.com, and a few interesting answers came up. Make of ’em what you will.
“Oh great! One island for the Muslims, one for the Catholics, one for the Protestants, one for the Jehovahs… Sorry, but last time I checked THEOCRACY is outlawed under the Philippine constitution. He is suggesting religious apartheid, I think.”
The Muslims have always had special treatment. Ever heard of Mormons in the Philippines practicing polygamy? But the Muslims can.
DJB, i think you got it half-right. If the Filipino Christians (nominal or otherwise) and Muslims got together to expel both JI/AQ and the American/Australian soldiers, then we’d be spared this ‘Caliphate vs. Empire’ showdown.
Anyway, you’re probably right that there were slave traders in Sulu at around the time the Americans were exterminating the native population in the New World and the British Empire was trading Opium in the Far East.
BTW, whatever happened to your idea that the Church is ‘just another NGO’ and all that? Doesn’t this also apply to the Muslims?
DJB aka rizalist:
Re “Horacio de la Costa and the jesuits…” i suggest you re-read Rizal’s “Indolence of the Filipino” where he talks about how the spanish depopulated the islands through forced labor, conscription to fight in Indochina, etc.
“Whether or not the Moro cause was valid before this, is no longer relevant.” Breathtaking yet utterly predictable arrogance. you dismiss the Bangsa Moro struggle for self-determination, declare it subsumed under the “global jihad,” and draw a line based on Bush’s “with us or with the terrorists” soundbite.
Another possible way of tapping a cell phone conversation aside from SIM cloning.
“More than 100 mobile phone numbers belonging mostly to members of the Greek government and top-ranking civil servants were found to have been illegally tapped for a period of at least one year. The details of the case were presented at a press conference given by three government ministers on Thursday February 2, 2006. The phones tapped included those of the Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and members of his family, the Mayor of Athens, Dora Bakoyannis, most phones of the top officers at the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry for Public Order, members of the ruling party, the Hellenic Navy General Staff, the previous Minister of Defense (at the time a member of the opposition party), one phone of the American Embassy. Moreover, the mobile phones of former National Defence Minister Giannos Papantoniou and businessmen of Arab descent were also at the foresight of the wiretapping ring, as well as of former governmental officials from the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK)……
The case was opened when Vodafone Greece customers reported technical problems and prompted a review of the exchange software. On March 4 2005 Ericsson located in the software of two exchanges a so-called “lawful interception” subsystem of unknown origin that was never purchased or activated by Vodafone. Apparently, the subsystem was activated only when the interception was taking place and was somehow hidden at other times. This mode of operation made the subsystem difficult to locate by the routine auditing mechanisms of the software’s operation. On March 7 2005 Ericsson notified Vodafone of the existence of the interception subsystem.”
“The U.S. Commerce Department’s security office warns that “a cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone.” An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can “remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the owner’s knowledge, which will activate the microphone even when its owner is not making a call.”
cvj, Yes all churches have the same status as NGOs. That is precisely why they are called Non-Government Organizations. They are not allowed to BECOME governments, which is what a Federal State Anchored on Islam would be, no?
renmin,
I bet you have never actually read Jose Rizal’s essay, On the Indolence of the Filipinos.
I also bet that you have never actually read even a single one of George W. Bush’s speeches.
But let me guess, you read the Philippine Daily Innuendo everyday, browse the Renato Constantino stacks at National Bookstore (just enough to memorize the titles and backpage blurbs) and memorize every manifesto from the CPP NPA you can get your hands on.
But what were you saying about INDOLENCE?
DJB, at that time you introduced this idea of Church as NGO, your emphasis was on the eligibility of the Church (and its representatives), by virtue of their NGO status, to participate in political advocacy. You were using this as a counter to those who protested Church involvement on the principle of separation of Church and State. On participation in government, you also said (in connection with the issue of religious organizations being ineligible to participate in Party-List elections) awhile back that:
Sorry for the formatting error, the paragraph above…
I take it that everything you said about ‘Church as NGO’ and what you implied above as to the ‘weirdness’ of non-eligibility of participation of religious groups in Party-List elections also applies to Islamic organizations?
…should not be within block quotes as it is mine.
“Karl, maybe we should recommend him to the Manila Standard job position that Malu Fernandez just vacated and wait for events to take its course. ”
Yes and he could stick to his/her penname Benign0,it would not matter.
Sobra na ang panglalait nya, di na style yan eh,sakit na yata yan eh.
I retract from my earlier statements,that I am beginning to understand him,after dedicating an hour or two, just reading his comments.
It’s a good thing this Fernandez issue happened, madami pala ang kagaya ni Benigs.
BTW: Benigs,know anything about fashion? There’s a vacancy at the Standard.
Now to that GK,
Yeah,Habitat for Humanity has been doing that,President Jimmy Carter even assisted in building one home,(as seen on the news)
Just like any annulment case ;it is always the irreconcilable differences thing again.
I just hope the projects will go on ,and one project I am interested in is the One in Taguig where it is not only GK and Habitat but with synergy with the rest of the developers to build homes with rich and poor in one neighborhood. If that taguig project is succesful,why not spread it,but with internal spats like thatin GK, pano pa kaya yung group differences.
Nagkataon lang lahat ng namention ko sa taguig na developer at grupo ay may kanya kanyang separate project,may kanya kanyang mayor’s permit,kaya siguro naisip ni mayor na baka pwede ang nasa isip nya.