I’m off to Bacolod, so no blogging for the next few days, I must confess, good riddance to Metro Manila for now. Manila Bay Watch knows why I’m happy to get out of town. As the best headline of yesterday put it, Neri shields Arroyo from ZTE mess, gags self through ‘464’. Exactly.
Yesterday, the crackdown in Burma began. The Guardian published an eyewitness account by a young protester, ‘The middle class are now poor, the poor are destitute’. It also reports Burma bloggers keep one step ahead of junta. A Guardian reporter has been blogging updates, see Burma Protests.
And see the online paper by Burmese exiles, The Irrawaddy News, for updates on the goings-on in Burma.
Meanwhile, Cracks Showing in Burma’s Junta:
Sources say that foreign diplomats are heading for Rangoon, perhaps on a chartered flight, to seek a way out of the worst crisis the country’s ruling military junta has faced since seizing power in 1988 in a bloody crackdown on democracy protesters.There are signs that a diplomatic initiative to find a solution to the crisis in Burma is underway as splits may be developing in the ruling junta.
At least some of the ruling junta’s generals are reported to be “in shock” at the uprising of the nation’s revered clerics. With monks in play, the crisis is worse than the junta could have imagined and some military leaders are reportedly deeply worried that the situation may already be out of hand.
A source informed Asia Sentinel that some regional commanders have sent word to their superiors that they will not attack monks. They will reportedly guarantee the safety of the monks.
The wild card in the crisis is the role of Aung Sang Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate and leader of the opposition National League for Democracy. The generals despise “the lady,” as she is known, sources say, and some alternative to her may need to be found.
Blogger Bangkok Pundit compares whats going on in Burma to the Philippines in 1986:
Not to go over the top with analogies with the People’s Power movement, but there were two key events at that time (1) the very public defections of 2 key Marcos supporters/advisers Enrile and Ramos which weakened the powers of the state over the citizenry, and (2) the US providing Marcos with an opportunity for a clean break.
On (1), we will have to wait and see whether there are any key defections and this would be a real tipping point. It might not be so public as it was in the Philippines and it might be done in private, but unless there are some defections I can’t see how the people can overcome the state’s monopoly of force. On (2) I support such moves as providing an incentive for a dictator to leave office can help ensure a clean break without much or any bloodshed – something which is being tried in Zimbabwe. Obviously, you need to make sure there is a new government which is democratically elected…
Personally, I hope to God columnist Carmen Pedrosa is rethinking her recent endorsement of those with a collaborationist (and relativist) attitude towards the Junta:
Like other more aware Burmese, he rejects western media’s attempts to simplify its problems. That simplification has misled many to think of Burma as an — isolated country ruled by a military dictatorship; and that the solution is to remove the ruling junta, recognize the election last May 1990 and install National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi in its place. The ASEAN foreign ministers are equally captive of this kind of thinking and makes for the impatience about the democratization of Burma to give the group a ‘better image.’
How many of those who sat around the ASEAN table, or the larger audience who read newspapers, know for example that Myanmar (Burma) is much more complex than they make of it. Ambassador Thaung Tun speaks for his government and many of his countrymen when he agrees to enshrine human rights in the charter albeit not through a shame and blame rights body. Like a true Asian, Thaung Tun, talks about ‘consultations’ rather than the more Western ‘confrontations’.
Yes, much more complex, indeed, in need of a more pragmatic way forward. Like truncheons and tear gas? Asian values indeed!
Here, at home, no bravery’s to be found. A lot of Dutch courage in official circles, perhaps. The Palace has managed to hold the line and can take a breather. The Philippine Star editorial yesterday was prescient:
Those hoping that Neri would have something more substantive to say Wednesday may be in for a disappointment. If the initial reports are accurate, Neri could provide a direct link between the questionable deal and President Arroyo herself. But Neri has given no indication that he is about to provide the noose for the President’s hanging. He was reportedly set to join the President last night in her trip to New York for the annual gathering of the United Nations General Assembly. But amid the furor generated by news reports identifying members of the presidential delegation, Neri was ordered to stay behind and face the Senate. The man is loyal to his boss, and it is bound to show in his testimony Wednesday.
See Marichu Lambino for a lawyer’s take on what the President has basically had to stipulate. Philippines Without Borders pens an op-ed piece thinks Neri’s part of the whole mess. As Parallel Universe thinks, the plot thickens. Slap Happy seems to think so, too. Postcard Headlines found some humor in the whole thing.
Patsada Karajaw says Neri copped out. I agree. Stella Arnaldo calls him a wimp, who has done institutional damage:
By running away from the truth, Neri has singlehandedly destroyed the credibility of NEDA, a government agency tasked to assess all major government projects and monitor the implementation and use of overseas development assistance. He even allowed his Presidentita to take over its oversight functions. (A text message from a former DG: “Deliberate ‘yan: Destroy NEDA’s oversight function so the plunder agenda would meet no resistance.”) I can imagine the frustration of all the hardworking good people over there.
But Uniffors, who pens an eyewitness account of being at the Senate yesterday, says Neri was a rat:
The little shit hid behind executive privilege all day, refusing to reveal any more than that he reported the bribe offer to Gloria.
I must admit I was too distracted, enjoying too immensely, the skewering of Abalos I did not catch on to Neri immediately.
It was Ping Lacson who finally exposed Neri.
Lacson realized that Neri was not going to budge from his executive privelege position so he offered Neri a way out. If he couldn’t talk because of executive privilege then maybe Bondoc could do it for him, considering that he was a source of many of Bondoc’s information.
So Lacson asked Jarius Bondoc how many times he talked to Neri and if he was willing to reveal what they talked about.
Jarius replied, ‘yes but I have to ask Neri’s permission first.’
Lacson then asked Neri if he would permit Jarius to reveal the contents of their conversations.
Neri replied, ‘I will not grant permission.’
That’s it, I told myself. Neri was sent to rat on Abalos. He didn’t go to the Senate to tell the truth. He went there to throw Abalos to the wolves…
The worst character in any criminal enterprise is the gang member who rats, the one who acts as the pawn to protect the capo de tuti capo by sacrificing another loyal consigliori.
I thought Neri was an eagle. He is a bat. A rat with wings.
If that was too much, console yourself with this puff piece.
This comment in Ricky Carandang’s blog was also shrewd and on the button, I think:
I believe Romy Neri has two things in his mind. He wants to fight corruption and the best way to show it is to expose Abalos. On the other hand he does not want chaos by exposing GMA, he knows that it will trigger street protest, bring down the economy, create a crisis, usher in the uncertainties of a De Castro presidency. Maybe looking at some of the opposition senators he might tell himself “dito ko ba sa mga ito ipagkakatiwala ang katotohanan, they can’t handle the truth”.And maybe if the senators eliciting the truth were Ninoy Aquino, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose “pepe” Diokno, and Jovy Salonga kaninang umaga pa natin alam ang katotohanan.
But nonetheless Romy Neri is not the judge of who deserves the truth. Poor guy, he’s playing God.
So there. Theoretically, there was much to admire in Neri on Regulatory Capture. But he’s been captured and he can’t even say he’s a prisoner of conscience.
You know, a few days ago, Atenean friends forwarded me this picture:
The Spelling-challenged.
And fair being fair, I think the LaSallians ought to email all their Ateneo friends this picture:
The Integrity-challenged.
Cuz yu ken alwayz larn haw tuh spayl but if yu dunt knoe rayt frum wrowng bah noe, iz two layt.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, liveblogging, philippines, politics, president, Senate
I suppose you don’t have to be a grad of UP to get a proper job. I wasn’t myself and yet I’m in UK earning a few millions a year.”-
———————
blogOloco.
Im curiuos . Is that few million in UK money or phil peso?
About schools, my experience in Intel is that in most cases if you are not a UP or Ateneo grad, you have to be a board topnocher or an honor grad to be able to get in as a engineer or join the Recent College Grad Program.
If you find an engineer who is not UP or Ateneo Grad, Board topnotcher or Honor Grad. These are the engineers who started a technician and got promoted a after years of stay in the company couple with good performance.
BTW, I am none of the above ( UP or Ateneo, Board Topnocher or an honor Grad ) and my GPA is just above passing grade. How did I get in? I was rejected the first time I applied. But after taking graduate studies in UP Diliman I got hired easilly. And Im not even finished with studies in UP yet.
I believe suceess in not really much due to IQ. Its all about EQ.
clarification: my yawning was not about the struggle of the burmese people but about shaman’s tired, largely ignored, and passe’ claim of pgma’s “illegitimacyâ€Â. one should know when to quit.
bencard,
These people are soooooo genius in making the Gloria connection, similarities… in every bad new or negative event in the world.
Elac,
I dont think Manolo is inetrest in running for senator.
“I believe suceess in not really much due to IQ. Its all about EQ.”
Elite Quotient? I’m sorry but if you meant emotional quotient it’s really a non sequitur based on you post on schools.
“I dont think Manolo is inetrest in running for senator.”
I’m curious in the human interest angle in case this happens. I think MLQIII should try as an experiment.
“The present ruling military junta in Burma is illegitimate”
It’s not democratic but taking power by force is the most legitimate way to take power. Heck, every politician knows that.
“also, he should tone down anti-government cynicism”
you mean anti-government idealism. It’s the government who is cynical.
lacierda, can i expect some articulation of your one-liner?
PGMA is calling on Burma’s Military Junta to return to Democracy and release all political prisoners and that is good if the Junta even give her scant attention. She can’t even convince her own people, the insurgents and the rebels in the south to lay down their arms and be at peace with all Filipinos. And she can not even make her calls heard by her own Military that ignores her call to stop all extra-judicial means of trying to beat their enemies. Madame President, the skeletons are in your closet…
A word of caution, Francis.
Pls refrain from calling figures of religion so to speak as “murders”,especially in the web.
Remember the danish,cartoons.
do not underestimate,the reach of this blog.
Di nadadaan yan sa repecting one’s open minded opinion,when it comes to religion.
even the use of the swastika,maybe harmless to some but harmful to those ww2 survivors and their heirs.
Bencard, I’ll not tire in denouncing GMA’s illegitimacy.
And that also goes to you, Rego, Bencard’s choo-choo-waa
Just read this:
Rangoon: ‘army mutiny’ reported
Troops refuse to fire on crowds
Reports from Rangoon suggest soldiers are mutinying. It is unclear the numbers involved. Reports cite heavy shooting in the former Burmese capital
‘Coup’ claimed in Rangoon
Than Shwe ‘deposed by No 2’
Military sources in Rangoon are claiming that the regime’s number two, General Maung Aye, has staged a coup against Than Shwe, and that his troops are now guarding Aung San Suu Kyi’s home. A meeting between him and Suu Kyi is expected. Maung Aye is army commander-in-chief and a renowned pragmatist.
http://www.newsdeskspecial.co.uk/burma/
manuelbuencamino,
credit is due to Cory for not hanging on to power, that does not take the fact though that hers is a revolutionary and one woman rule as in dictatorship untill the 1987 constitution also by the way sponsored and in cohorts with her….very well done….time will tell….again hurrah to Cory….that is not the fact? ok should i then subscribe to sellective fact…that is acceptasble only to the oligarchs….oh la la indeed…
Karl,
I do hope that you have read the other side of the arguments about the Bible ….am not really afraid of black propaganda and I do not dispell the fact that the Filipinos are religious in almost a fault sense….however….ain;t the Filipinos have their own religion and beliefs before the arrival of the Spaniards?
Ain;t Christianity is but 2007 years old only? compared to the original religion of the world which amongst other the Sun god of Egypt and Zeus and the Greeks God, not to mention the Romans? B.C. Before Christ….Common Era as used by the once in power….people….truth would have come before our faces and minds during the Spainish Inquisition period hence it’s passing because those in the fold of the power of their faiths imposed it on others….and are so afraid that the days of enlightenment is coming….being religious is good if it’s benefit your own happiness in life but if it’s ruins governments and institutions and if it’s erases culture of so many like the Philippines own then tell me….is it really good? those who condemns me for this truth is a traitor to your own ancestors who fought with their blood to keep their faith and their culture….what is left of the culture of the Philippines now?……am not understimating the reach of this blog but it will be really disastrous if I will be judge for opening up the minds of those perhaps like yours that needs opening….
Karl, I do hope as I have read the Bible that you read the other books as well that dispells some of it’s sensational contents…..aint the God portrayed in the Bible a vindictive one? that you will be damned if you don’t believe….ain’t it not a dictatorial God? come on….if we subscribe to that belief then why don;t we just kill all the Buddhist of Myanmar/Burma, the Muslims of the middle east and kill all the homosexuals as subscribe in the Bible….I do hope you know your Bible very well both the old and the new testament….
PGMA,
The Greatest delusional of all God’s creation….calling for return of Burma democracy? Really delusional indeed….why didn’t she return first her not once but twice stolen presidency….shameless
The irony of it all is as we watch the potential reemergence of democracy in Burma through People Power, the Filipinos who credit themselves to have given the Power a new charter seem placid to watch by the side the painful slide into enfeeblement of its own democracy.
Abe,
Very well said…..
Yes Brian its really is non sequitor…
I don’t know but I always do that in most of my comments.
The banner: “Arroyo to Mayanmar: Restore democracyâ€Â
The caption of a photo (of a collected and cocksure Arroyo): “BASKING IN THE AFTERGLOW. A day after receiving praises from former US president Bill Clinton, an old school chum, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gives reporters a rundown of her report to the UN General Assembly on Friday (NY time), which will highlight the stable economy, her government’s efforts towards a Green Philippines, and the status of the peace process with rebel groups. Arroyo will be the third speaker on Friday.â€Â
HOW CAN ARROYO BASK IN THE AFTERGLUE OF THE ZTE AND CONTINUING GARCI TAPES SCANDALS?
Inquirer.net should be ashamed of this deliberate subliminal message that is a plain insult to the Filipino intelligence.
“leah navarro is a “has been†professional pop singer… carandang? he is an o.k. newsreader who does the bidding of his employer (abs-cbn)… manolo? oh well, if only he can be more open-minded and less tolerant of double standard in judging people. also, he should tone down anti-government cynicism.”
and bencard? he could not defy the logic of the rule of (martial) law, preferred to flee than fight it. a firm believer in the dogma that gma is godsent, and should be venerated from mole to sole. will never become a has-been: he holds lifetime office as prexy of gma fans club, u.s. chapter.
“And that also goes to you, Rego, Bencard’s choo-choo-waa.”
rofl. high e.q. nga.
e.q.= echo quotient
Speaking of spin … in his own words, here’s how Romulo Neri explained “regulatory captureâ€Â:
The vicious cycle of booty capitalism starts when vested interests including powerful business groups, finance their own candidates during elections. When their candidates win, the vested interest groups are able to add political power to their already vast economic power. This oligarchic elite is able to influence policies to the point of distorting them. And their very ability to distort policies allows them to capture economic rent, economic rent being extraordinary profits which make them extraordinarily rich. This gives them greater economic power which in turn allows them to finance our election.â€Â
There’s no question that Neri’s subject in the foregoing are the “oligarchic elites†operating in the vicious cycle of “booty capitalism.â€Â
And here’s Inquirer’s spin on the same subject:
Neri hoped that when he faces the Senate, the senators would go beyond getting the names of the officials involved in the allegedly anomalous deal.
The CHED official said he wanted the Senate to focus not so much on “who did what†but on the flaws in the government’s policy that led to so much corruption in the system. He said he hoped that the Senate would get lessons in policy reform from his testimony.
“What I would not like to see happen is an emphasis on personalities, on who’s guilty of what. My long term view is to reform the system,†Neri said.
Neri zeroed in on the prevalence of “oligarchs†in government, saying these people only pursued their own interests at the expense of the people, making the Philippines an “oligarch state.†(see Inquirer.net, Breaking News – NATION, Neri ‘at peace’ with testimony before Senate, September 25, 2007, by Kristine L. Alave).
“Oligarchic elites†are obviously different from “‘oligarchs’ in government†(if there’s such an animal as the latter phrasal concoction).
My point is: mainstream media are quick to come to the succor of the real powers that be that control them and then deflect the blame to others such as the usual scapegoats, the beat-up trapos and the government at the slightest chance the spotlight could be focused on the sins and omissions of the “oligarchic elites.â€Â
“do you hear the sound of my violin (and yawning)?bencard”
Is there a part of the world where it’s acceptable to believe bullshit(BS)? Then I reside in the other part. What was the question anyway?lol
“Arroyo urges Myanmar: Return to path of democracy
Says RP has no tolerance for rights violations.INQUIRER”
I hope Gloria Pidal starts believing her own words!
It is more efficient to wait until GMA is no longer president to bring justice to bear upon her than facing her full might now.
Frankly, I would be very happy just to see Abalos’ head on a pike. The added bonus is that the more you squeeze Abalos, the more he is likely to “rat” on GMA, making eventually dealing with her much more easy.
Abalos’ head on a pike! -Deus lo vult!
Myanmar has a f*ck*d up Military Junta. Who wants a military committee to rule a country anyway…..
“Parang poetic justice,†he told the PCIJ. “What is happening to me is parang kusa ng Diyos (as if God had meant it to happen). As if He is saying, ‘Ben, I’m putting you there because you have experienced how it is to be cheated.’Benjamin Abalosâ€Â
Daddy Chair:It’s called “KARMA”.
oy, wag nyo na pag-initan si Francis. it’s an Ender’s Game he’s playing. o kung hindi, nakow, mas lalo lang ako sa kanya naaawa. biruin nyo, too many facts trying to fit in an unready brain..
tayo daw eh unlearned and unread… unlike him.
“at least i could say that mine is objective and well informed and well researched opinion.”
wow. at least we could all put this matter to rest and console ourselves with the fact we’re arguing with an “expert’s opinion.”
“Jesus Christ being the figure head of Christians all over the world would also be responsible for the death of not only millions but billions in the name of propagating Christianity…death of culture of so many countless country……in the name of non-adherence to the use of condoms which resulted to the death of millions….the inquisition…etc….etc…isn’t Jesus Christ the greatest murderer in the history of mankind?”
nice. an advocate of command responsibility, ain’t you?
“one cannot really comment on things unless one knows the fact and perspective for use of a wordings”
nicely said!
“am not understimating the reach of this blog but it will be really disastrous if I will be judge for opening up the minds of those perhaps like yours that needs opening…”
buti naman alam mo!
“If one reads between the lines of what one says and not interpret it in a clouded perspective because perhaps of what you learned in life or in school or indoctrination then one would see where am coming from”
oo na, we all submit you are the most open-minded, critical thinking poster in this blog and if you insinuate that some more, our brains might jz explode with all the wisdom you’re spouting at us.
“I wish I know little then it will be easy to believe people like you really”
I wish that as well. Oh how I wish that so much! pero wala na tayo magagawa eh, you’ve ingested a lot of information without digesting it’s entirety. resulta? me information gas yata tayo dyan.
In one fell swoop, Francis has maligned an entire group of people without bothering to note exceptions and qualifications in his statements. it’s Malu all over again! and he acts as high and mighty as well! not only that, he would task us as well for having ancestors that may have rape, pillaged, and burned people at the stakes. quite easy to do when you’re armed with an objectivist mind and belief in your own open-mindedness.
i’ll cry havoc as well, and let slip the dogs of war. but first, i’ll claim monopoly to free thinking. that’d strike all my opponents dumb with wonder at my open-mindedness.
the lawyer who filed citizenship case against FPJ was found with her thorat slashed insde a hotel in Pasig City. Why???
I watched Meriam Santiago’s “blow out” during that ill fated day and I can’t help but think that what we saw and what came out of her mouth was not really what was in her mind. Was it “reaction formation” if I still remember my “basic psychology.” What she should have said, if she really is the “fearless” dragon lady is “this is a waste of the senate’s time and taxpayers money, let’s call this off and let the supreme court or Ombudsman do a serious investigation! All of you are just grandstanding in front of the television cameras!” Her allusion to the “Chinese” was just to throw everybody off her initial message probably to avoid the ire of the other senators who felt good about themselves in front of all the cameras. Its really very obvious as the noses in front of our faces that this is a case of government contract/bidding experts (or dogs) fighting over (in Joey’s case lost commission) and Abalos’ “pera na naging bato pa.” There are even members of the senate present at that time who are “guilty” of the same thing in government contracts/biddings in the past. For me, that hearing was an exercise in hypocrisy (if there was such a word) and it makes me want to vomit. I’m sorry if I offended some of Joey’s fans but lets face it, he’s used to getting his way with government contracts because of his father’s clout. In his arrogance he thought he could go against Abalos. What would happen if an unstoppable force meets with an immovable object?
Francis,francis: I was waiting for your reply.
That was not for myself, i am also saying that sa christiano ok lnag magka publication magkasine na against sa kanya,(davinci code,shogun mayeda,kingdom of heaven,etc))but try doing that to the muslims ala danish cartoons.
Bakit pa tayo lalayo,Jose Rizal exposed a lot about the age of enlightenment kuno.
we all know that the spanish inquisition,even have fake priests in them.
alam na natin yan but faith is not all about that.
faith is not about two sides of the coin,it is believing no matter what,but there is also time lose faith if you feel its not worth believing.
——————————
since they mentioned Non Sequitur..mahilig din ako dyan…
What if the muslims won in the crusades,then muslim would have spread,what if the romans never had the greeks for a rival in world domination,baka roman and greek mythology ang religion natin ngayon.
Imagine before; the persians and babylonianas were the force here,and only alexander was able to penetrate the impregnable force.
what if the mongols,have more force, e di iba na din ang widespread religion.
all this is history so to speak,it already happened weather accidental or not…
Magkakaron pa din ng organized religion,kahit na anong tawag natin dun.
di ko masingit si budha,di naman kasi war freak ang history nya except sa kung fu films.
if you want to change the world,then fine…feel free.
keep that open mind,tuloy mo yan.
but as to you saying,I hope you understand;fine ,I try.
the lawyer who filed citizenship case against FPJ was found with her throat slashed insde a hotel in Pasig City. Why??? why ???
lol. a free thinker wanting to impose his opinions on others? is that like a liberal acting like a rabid neocon?
Francis
I am a Catholic by birth and a “born again Christian” by choice, lately I’m just a non – practicing Christian, ie I don’t go to church as often as required but I believe I have a direct line to God in my prayers.
It is moronic to blame Jesus Christ with murder just as it would be a mistake for me to blame your father (or mother) for you being an idiot. The dark ages in the history of christianity and the present dark moments in the church are not attributable to Christ but to some individuals or leaders that led the church organization astray. That is why the bible warns us to always check if what our leaders are saying (or doing or telling us to do) are in consonance with the “word.” Oftentimes we follow leaders and not the “word” and are led by the noses like lambs to the slaughter. It is always wise to have a standard, to be grounded on the basics, otherwise you will be doomed to a life of “mediocrity.” So stop this nonsense and go out into the light before you hit your head groping in the dark all of the time.
frombelow, rape, theft, crime of passion? we won’t know until some facts of the investigation are established.
you can’t just cite that incident to allude to something you suspect maybe the reason.
ramrod, thanks for saying it better than i can ever do. i won’t mention my religious leanings yet in a hope Francis will shoot his mouthful of assumptions at me. lol. people at Ellen’s blog already did that and when I referred them to my blog, received the biggest shame in their lives.
Frabcis,
I hope you did not take it personally when I told you were confused due to information overload…
If you have not read my apology in the previous blog I am repeating it here,sorry.
—
Non Sequitur is supposed to be nothing follows;but some use it as it does not follow, so I am using the latter.
Oligarchy: dictionary.reference.com
1. a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few.
2. a state or organization so ruled.
3. the persons or class so ruling.
so why do we have the habit of making things redundant like the broadband connectivity.
oligarchic elite is a redundancy.
oligarchs in govermnment may be redundant if you take definition number one and or two;but may not be redundant if you take definition three.
_____________________
Brave blogger from Burma.
http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/
We are all BURMESE!
DevilsAdvc8
Good reminder. Thats the right attitude. wait for the police report on ivestigation. Tnx very much
Rego:
“If you find an engineer who is not UP or Ateneo Grad, Board topnotcher or Honor Grad. These are the engineers who started a technician”
—The sad thing is that You DON’T need an engineering degree to work in an assembly plant. The intel plants in the philippines have very little value added services and this is true for all sc plants in the philippines. We are basically overqualified to be cutting up wafers, bonding them, and testing them so that wires are in the right place…
😀
Miriam is plain nuts…but a thinking one at that. That racist statement was given to divert attention and she somehow succeeded. ‘Twas only a diversioNeri tactic…
—–
“Uremic encephalopathy†rang a bell to me.
CHINA ZTE deal
I am no fan of Lady Miriam but I’m concerned about China’s growing support and involvement in the Arroyo administration.
China is trying hard to be seen as a responsible player on the world stage BUT there is growing criticism on its involvement in :
1)Support for the cruel military government in Burma.
2)Supply of arms to Sudan.
3)And now,big-time bribery in the ZTE deal with the Arroyo government.
No wonder there is growing clamor for boycott of the China Olympics in 2008!
China monitoring ZTE deal probe!
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/62491/China-closely-monitors-ZTE-probe
TdC,
Don’t forget NOKOR…
Ana :true!
In The Quiet Land
(By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
In the Quiet Land, no one can tell
if there’s someone who’s listening
for secrets they can sell.
The informers are paid in the blood of the land
and no one dares speak what the tyrants won’t stand.
In the quiet land of Burma,
Bo one laughs and no one thinks out loud.
In the quiet land of Burma,
you can hear it in the silence of the crowd
In the Quiet Land, no one can say
when the soldiers are coming
to carry them away.
The Chinese want a road; the French want the oil;
the Thais take the timber; and SLORC takes the spoils…
In the Quiet Land….
In the Quiet Land, no one can hear
what is silenced by murder
and covered up with fear.
But, despite what is forced, freedom’s a sound
that liars can’t fake and no shouting can drown.
(Daw Aung San Suu Kyi:Nobel prize winner;elected president but imprisoned by the cruel military dictatorship in Burma))
I am not a fan of GMA but her take on foreign relations specifically trade relations is quite interesting. Take for example her efforts in building closer trade relations with one of the fastest growing economy in the world – China. My company is the biggest Paper and Forestry Products worldwide with over a hundred sites globally. We recently invested millions of Euros in infrastructures in China as well as thousands of hectares of plantation land all this as we pulled out a big chunk of our business from the U.S. If you are aware of the cultural differences between the European “transparency” and Chinese “relationship business” you would say this is an impossible feat. You’ll be surprised that not all Chinese dwell in shady deals and can even grasp the concept of Forestry Management and sustainability. Global players are positioning themselves in China. The Filipinos might try to go beyond the “Oust GMA” noise and see if there is logic to her direction or vision.
I have this impression that the opposition has adopted a “scorched earth” strategy to discredit if not demolish the present administration no matter what the cost – even to the point of sabotaging the economy just to prove a point. Its obvious that the present administration is riddled with corruption but I also see that the opposition, turncoats and all do not have the “moral highground” to lead also.
Its quite embarassing everytime my collegues ask me why our newspapers are full of “corruption” issues. Is it possible to tackle all these in court and fully investigate them without making everything a “media event?”
“The sad thing is that You DON’T need an engineering degree to work in an assembly plant.”
That maybe true for car assembly plants,but as to the semi con industryy?
I end that with a question mark,dahil di ko alam.
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Beijing olympics without a us dream team for basketball?
then handing it over to russia in a silver platter?I don’t think so;at least for old times sake;the two have already boycotted each other’s olympics before.
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beijing might be the reason for the junta’s lakas ng loob …siguro may ipinagmamalaki.
beijing must do big time damage control; summer of 2008 is fast approaching.
Does it follow beijing’s summer time?
KG:China is in a position to influence the Burmese ‘leadership’, yet they refuse to do so due to their economic relationship with the country.
If the rest of the world stood up to China and threatened to boycott the Beijing Olympics next year unless she uses her influence on Burma, China would be backed into a corner and forced to alter her position.
“The sad thing is that You DON’T need an engineering degree to work in an assembly plant.â€Â
I don’t agree with that at all. It would always be an advantage if the majority of your workforce are engineers, this way you can be assured that your people can grasp “efficiency” concepts as well as “continous improvement” programs and apply them to the work at hand never mind if its a “conveyor belt” type of operation. Add the “technology transfer” requirements as well as “training,” an engineering degree is just a prerequisite. If we’re really serious about it these engineers should have master’s degrees. This would give us the “push” to pull ourselves from a bunch of “mindless automatons” as you may have stereotyped the processing zones to a “globally competitive” industry player.
To ManuelBuencamino,
RE:
“You said you were an artist. Well, don’t use artistic license on facts.â€Â
I am an Artist but I certainly do know what fact to artistic license is. And if that is what you imply, Could you not be accused of distorting or selective portrayal of history i.e. Cory’s revolutionary/Authoritarian/Dictatorial regime pre-1987 Constitution? (That constitution I personally believe is flawed anyway). Kindly prove the particulars and definition of such words comparing it to the actual event which is the Edsa 1. How do you call a revolution which is the Edsa 1 if the players are the Americans (neo-colonising the government and oligarchs in connivance with) the mutinous soldiers (Enrile, Ramos, Honasan, et all), a Cardinal of the Catholic Church (Jaime Sin), some personalities, the CCP, about a million people in the Avenue perhaps in comparison to the total population of the Philippines which is close to 72 million who gave Marcos a mandate during a snap election which acceptably and factually inaccurate but nostalgia seems to be proving the detractors wrong on this matter. Isn’t revolution is a far-reaching and drastic change in ways of thinking and behaving? Apart from just an overthrow of a government by those who are governed? What has changed? Obviously the ruling oligarchs and the dynamics in personality have changed. Who overthrow Marcos? Certainly not the governed (i.e at least the total population of Manila) but a few conniving oligarchs with the blessing by Uncle Sam.
Statistically, the final official parliamentary canvass result showed that Marcos got a total vote of 10,807,197 (53.62%) and Cory got 9,291,761(46.10%) which revolutionarily changed and nullified on 24 March, 1986 so that the latter’s result would become the former. That is exactly like “constructive resignation†in itself mirroring the Edsa 2 mistake. Who in their objective sense of being would believe this? That does not give Cory a mandate but it does technically change the landscape from being a revolutionary/power grab to officially proclaim as mandated by the people. Cory is so naive and vindictive not to accept a power sharing offered by Marcos since the latter has recognised that at this election, he becomes a minority president and so it is but acceptable to share power between ruling oligarchs. That would perhaps stop the divisive society we have now. Power sharing is widely recognised in the western, civilised, and rich countries of Europe even during that period. Isn’t it that Marcos the dictator to the end is a genius and a real statesman? One dictatorial mistake (Marcos) has not corrected the wrong by putting another (Cory) authoritarian regime. One questionable mandate to another has not restored Democracy in the Philippines but ruined it to oblivion. Just check out the event that followed after the Edsa 1 power grab. We had after Cory a Ramos whose mandate is questionable. We have Erap as the only president of our country mandated clearly without a doubt by 11 million Filipinos but deposed by an usurper to the presidency not once but twice.
Be objective
By the way,
Forget about the Namfrel statistics….they are inutile