Read the Inquirer editorial, Battle for Burma, and Alex Magno’s column, Emergency. Asia Sentinel has Horror in Burma, and asks, Where are Burma’s Monks?
The Irrawaddy News Magazine Burma Protests page has continuous updates. So does More on Burma in the Guardian Unlimited.
“and did you hear the laughable news govt is floating the idea that Globe and Smart now shoulder the NBN? amidst all their bad service? they can’t even straighten up their service with their paying customers so I don’t think they have the right to even dream of taking on that project!””
Yan ang palagi kong sinasabi. Last time I talked to tech support, I had the lady on the other side pass a message from me to Ablaza. Forget the NBN project, concentrate on your current customers. Wag silang parang gubyerno, puro lubaklubak broadband nila.
The show ‘Desperate Housewives’ didn’t criticize Filipino health professionals or people. They made a joke about the Philippine Medical School industry and its quality.
absurd thought –
God of the Universe says
get insulted easy
http://absurdthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com/
🙂
.
Pilipino, i too still have my dignity and pride. perhaps you didn’t read my article, but there’s a difference between bullheaded defense of false pride and respectable display of REAL pride.
just watched FOX news, and golly, the americans are just laughing at us that no less than our president has had to rise at this perceived affront when local americans themselves don’t give jack shit when their own cities or localities are made the butt of jokes in TV shows and comedy bars.
and as the anchor rightly said (not exact words):
insensitive and hurtful? yes. but racial slur? i don’t think so. (and i agree)
just rest your horses and accept the apology. isn’t that enough?
as grd says, ’nuff said!
BrianB, you wouldn’t believe the horror stories I heard abt our private telcos disservice to their customers. And when I mean OUR, I mean ALL of them. Even Bayantel who recently got glowing praises from other consumers is slowly morphing into the usual suspects. it’s OVERSUBSRIPTION is what it is. my blog carries a running campaign abt this. (how i’m willing to pay to jumpstart a class suit whenever i meet like-minded consumers) and just so you know, these telcos’ lock-in clause in their contracts are ANTI-TRUST. what’s NTC doing abt it? jack shit!
Harry,
“Stalking involves one person’s obsessive behavior toward another person. Initially, stalking will usually take the form of annoying, threatening, or obscene telephone calls, emails or letters. The calls may start with one or two a day but can quickly increase in frequency. Stalkers may conduct covert surveillance of the victim, following every move his target makes. Even the victim’s home may be staked out.”
Think about it. You’re almost there.
Oo, while waiting for my fake transcript of records to be made in some recto university, I took time out to make a petition condemning the Burmese Junta….
Oy tama na yang Pinoy jokes, Chinese and Bombay jokes naman dahil hindi sila pikon….
Ewan ko ba, tao namamatay sa burma, mga peaceful oppositionists nagiging desaparecido sa Pinas, Iraq naghihirap, eh siningitan pa ng mga petitioners na ewan.
Free Burma!
(yung iba dyan ipagpatuloy ang panonood ng walang kwentang tv show)
“I don’t our forefathers were savages, they had their own religion, they were just trying to protect their territories from foreigners.” – Pilipinoparin
Lapu-Lapu was literally “my” forefather, I was born and raised in Mactan. We do not take offense to being called savages, because its true we will “savagely” fight for what we believe in. In another country they have “berserkers,” fearsome warriors both “more than human” in strength, skill, and courage and “less than human” in their propensity to kill, behead, maim, torture, etc. to send a message to their enemies that they are not “pushover” tin soldiers.
“refusal to fire on violent aggressors on the pretext of “defending the people†is a cop out, if not outright dereliction of duty.” – Bencard
Although I respect your opinion, I would like you to take some time to look at certain aspects of “soldiery.”
If your idea of a soldier is limited to the movies you have been watching, or perhaps books yo have been reading – I will give you a guided tour albeit just briefly into a soldiers’ barracks.
When you enter the door you will see written in very legible letters a certain “code” that is memorized, carved in the hearts and minds every soldier, a code that defines their very existence, the answer to the question “why am I here? what is my purpose?” and it goes like this:
Code of Conduct of the Filipino Soldier
1. I am a Filipino Soldier .I will support and
defend the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.
2. I am a Filipino Soldier. I will fight all forces
that would destroy the freedom of the Filipino People.
3. I am a Filipino Soldier. I will obey the law,
legal orders and decrees of my lawful superiors at all times.
4. I am a Filipino Soldier. I will fight and die in the
true Filipino tradition of valor, honor, duty and loyalty.
To all these I pledge my life, my treasure and my sacred honor.
I posted this last night to see if anyone will be able to use in, understand it, and realize “why” some of our soldiers and officers are behaving “weirdly” like Querubin and company. Someone commented (very sharp person) with this :
pong :
ramrod,
Is the Code of Conduct pledged to in the order of importance?
Defending the constitution(1)is more important for a soldier than adhering to the chain of command(3)?
“1. I am a Filipino Soldier . FIRST and FOREMOST I will support and defend the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.â€Â
“3. I am a Filipino Soldier. I will obey the law,
legal orders and decrees of my lawful superiors at all times.â€Â
This does not mean blind obedience. But blind obedience is in fact being demanded of soldiers who question the origin of the chain of command  the commander-in chief  as being in clear and present violation of the constitution which they have sworn to support and defend.
Under the present circumstance, a declaration of ‘withdrawal of support’ to the commander-in-chief by soldiers breaking out of he chain of command is not the appropriate declaration. The declaration should simply be, “I hereby honor my pledge to support and to defend the constitution.â€Â
I tried to communicate with this “pong” further but he was silent after that. I was curious because the only pong I know is Gen. Rodolfo “pong” Biazon.
Anyway, there are people who actually put their lives on the line or “stick out their necks” literally for our sakes and sometimes we take for granted the “small liberties” no the “freedom!” that they provide under the mantle of their protection and we dare question the manner they execute it. You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!
I like watching “Desperate Houswives,” the women are beautiful, sexy, smart, confident, and witty. Its high time somebody said something “truthful” about out Filipino doctors! Did we ever read or hear any doctors here sued for malpractice? (quack doctors really). They would rather protect themselves than face up to their mistakes. And what do we expect after the nursing exams “leakage” scandal? A pat on the back? Lets not kid ourselves to believing we have the “best” doctors because we don’t – “pretenders” now that we have a lot of. All this was blown out of proportion, is our ego so low that anyone can just step on it? Come on, we’re bigger than that, its too petty, not worth the effort really – maybe it was just “misdirection” as some of you perceptively pointed out?
“BrianB, you wouldn’t believe the horror stories I heard abt our private telcos disservice to their customers. And when I mean OUR, I mean ALL of them. Even Bayantel who recently got glowing praises from other consumers is slowly morphing into the usual suspects. it’s OVERSUBSRIPTION is what it is. my blog carries a running campaign abt this. (how i’m willing to pay to jumpstart a class suit whenever i meet like-minded consumers) and just so you know, these telcos’ lock-in clause in their contracts are ANTI-TRUST. what’s NTC doing abt it? jack shit!”
They sell you promising everything. Have you visited their website? Their ad for the “we roam” is really something, you can access the internet via your laptop even in non hot spot areas, in the beach, resort, etc. In the beginning like a year ago yes it was okay but lately it ridiculously slow and can’t even support our VPN. Did they oversell their capacity?
To Bencard, Ramrod, Pong,
What do you think of Randy David’s statement last March 2007?
“If it was right to force (Joseph) Estrada out of Malacañang in 2001 for plundering the public coffers, why is it wrong to oust GMA today extraconstitutionally for an even more grievous offense of stealing the presidential elections?”
“If it was right for the Catholic bishops to demand the resignation of an incompetent and immoral president and mobilize people to flock to the streets in 1986 and in 2001, why aren’t they demanding today the resignation of a president who has made a mockery of the democratic process?”
“If it was right for the Armed Forces in 1986 and in 2001 to intervene in the political sphere, why was it wrong in February 2006?”
“If it was right in 1986 to set aside the Constitution in order to give way to a revolutionary government when such powers are needed to dismantle the structures of authoritarianism, why would it be wrong today to seize the government and set aside its Constitution in order to pave the way for a formation of a truly just and free society?”
“If it was right in 1986 to set aside the Constitution in order to give way to a revolutionary government when such powers are needed to dismantle the structures of authoritarianism, why would it be wrong today to seize the government and set aside its Constitution in order to pave the way for a formation of a truly just and free society?†– GPS
Honestly, it would be very difficult to do today. The officer corps is not that united anymore and its easy to get in trouble even hinting of such ideas. There are more “squeelers” now than before. Another thing, I believe most of our soldiers are “tired” of all this already because of past experience. Just look at them, listen to them, you’ll find traces of “learned helplessness” or apathy.
Join the “Support the Monks’ protest in Burmaâ€ÂGroup in FACEBOOK.317,000 members now and growing!
The telcos’ “LOCK-IN CLAUSE” is holding us ransom for two years, two years of headaches and frustration! Sometimes I want to join the NPAs who are bombing their sites.
Ramrod,
There was a time when I had the idea that Col. Jessup being the protagonist instead of the main antagonist of that movie. Truly, something stirs the souls and hearts of men when honor, duty and country are invoked. Good and noble intentions are unassailable until one realizes that the road to hell is paved with them.
I just sometimes wander how some officers can invoke the Constitution yet thoroughly disregard it. The Senate hearings on the wiretapping controversy has revealed that wiretapping operations are routine despite what Constitution and RA 4200 says. I am not even referring to the political intelligence that the ISAFP has become infamous for the past few years. Even before the issue surfaced, I know for a fact that it is heavily utilized. Name a violation of the right to privacy of communication, the AFP has violated it. Phones, check. Mail, check. Private conversations, check. Surreptitious entry on abodes, check.
There are battalion commanders who threaten (and some have done so) to bombard villages nearby places where troops are ambushed. And yes, the AFP is behind most of the killings of activists. Junior officers openly admire Gen. Palparan.
Protect the Constitution, you say?
The best protection the military can afford the Constitution is staying out of the political arena.
Free bird towards a free Burma
(By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi)
My home…
where I was born and raised
used to be warm and lovely
now filled with darkness and horror.
My family…
whom I had grown with
used to be cheerful and lively
now living with fear and terror.
My friends…
whom I shared my life with
used to be pure and merry
now living with wounded heart.
A free bird…
which is just freed
used to be caged
now flying with an olive branch
for the place it loves.
A free bird towards a Free Burma.
Hi tdc,
We are all Burmese!
ramrod:have you posted on the Wall for the Monks?
Ramrod,
There was a time when I had the idea that Col. Jessup being the protagonist instead of the main antagonist of that movie. Truly, something stirs the souls and hearts of men when honor, duty and country are invoked. Good and noble intentions are unassailable until one realizes that the road to hell is paved with them.
I just sometimes wander how some officers can invoke the Constitution yet thoroughly disregard it. The Senate hearings on the wiretapping controversy has revealed that wiretapping operations are routine despite what Constitution and RA 4200 says. I am not even referring to the political intelligence that the ISAFP has become infamous for the past few years. Even before the issue surfaced, I know for a fact that it is heavily utilized. Name a violation of the right to privacy of communication, the AFP has violated it. Phones, check. Mail, check. Private conversations, check. Surreptitious entry on abodes, check.
There are battalion commanders who threaten (and some have done so) to bombard villages nearby places where troops are ambushed. And yes, the AFP is behind most of the killings of activists. Junior officers openly admire Gen. Palparan.
Protect the Constitution, you say?
The best protection the military can afford the Constitution is staying out of the political arena.
tdc,
I joined already, even put in my real name, how do I post on this wall?
Burma today,Philippines tomorrow!
We must support the Burmese people in their struggle against a dictatorship!Hindi sila nagiisa!
I’m sure one day the world will support us too against a looming dictatorship.
gloria will NOT step down in 2010.Mark my word.She will want to perpetuate the Pidals in power!
Press “write something ” in The WALL
lost a post. it was waiting moderation last night. now, its gone?
As per Manolo’s recommendation, I just finished reading Mabini’s “The Philippine Revolution” (available online) and he makes a similar point. As to Lapu-lapu, i think that was the first and last time we Filipinos (or our ancestors at least who are non-Muslim) were able to repel foreign invaders unassisted. I’m not sure why he is not a larger figure in the mythology of the Philippine military.
Oops, posted the above before reading Ramrod’s clarification at 8:56am.
“Lapu-lapu, i think that was the first and last time we Filipinos (or our ancestors at least who are non-Muslim) were able to repel foreign invaders unassisted. I’m not sure why he is not a larger figure in the mythology of the Philippine military.” – cvj
We have a Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu and thats just about it. Maybe because there’s not much written about him, the early historians were probably spaniards and tried as much as they could to belittle or trivialize the humiliating trouncing of their civilized soldiers by this unknown “savage.” Off with their heads!
Harry, your personal pursuit of karah is a distraction.
ramrod, honestly now, do you believe Esperon is true and faithful to the Code of Ethics of the Filipino Soldier?
Ramrod, i’m not sure how much switching to Globe will help. Although in theory, telco deregulation which brought about competition would lead to better service, Albert Hirschmann (in his ‘Exit, Voice & Loyalty’) wrote about a situation where competition leads to poorer service compared to a monopoly.
He uses the elements ‘exit’ (equivalent to apathy or in your apt words ‘learned helplessness’ and expressed as switching to the other provider) and ‘voice’ (manifested in customer complaints).
What happens right now is those disatissfied with Globe go to SMART, those disatissfied with SMART go to Globe etc. etc. Net effect of this churn is that the telcos don’t hurt enough to improve their service.
Contrast that with a situation in which there is only one provider (i.e. a monopoly) and the only alternatives for the consumers is to complain, ‘grin and bear it’ or do without phone service. Hirschmann says that in this scenario where a phone is almost a basic necessity, the consumers will have no choice but to eventually complain with the result that a government (assuming it is responsive to the people), will have to take action.
Of course Hirschmann it as a given that the government is not populated by the likes of GMA, Abalos, Neri and the like in which the result would be what we are seeing now. But he can be excused because he is not a Filipino.
Incidentally, you can apply the above dynamic to Philippine Education and the OFW phenomenon.
Shaman of Malilipot,
Honestly, (and because of our anonymity) I think Esperon has forgotten this already. Ask him to recite it, I’m pretty sure he cannot anymore.
In the most recent speech by GMA at the UN General Assembly, she singled out Myanmar (Burma). I quote:
“This is the time for Myanmar to return to the path of democracy and to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi – now – and involve all the parties including the National League for Democracy in the democratization and the constitutional process.” Quite a gutsy statement. (I hope this statement would not be viewed again that it has something to do with the present woes the Palace have).
My heart goes to the Burmese people. Even the apolitical monks have started to go to the streets to demand better governance from the Military Junta. A round of Sanctions would just aggravate the situation considering there’s widespead poverty, hunger, and chaos. Even if sanctions would be set in place, it would be the people that would suffer, not the Generals in their comfy abodes.
We can only do as much as supporting the cause and us being morale boosters to the Burmese people. Other than that, we are helpless in a sense that we cannot involve ourselves too deep in the matter because it’s the fight of the Burmese people, not ours.
Ramrod, i responded to the above but it’s under moderation. In the meantime, i reposted my response in my own blog.
GPS More than being RIGHT or WRONG, the question is: Can the OPPOSITION who has been very vocal and aggressive in calling for GMA’s resignation GATHER THE NUMBERS for such an endeavor? They have tried several times to call for another EDSA-like People Power but they have always failed miserably. What’s even more puzzling is that even CORY AQUNIO’s calls and her joining the rallyists didn’t quite have an impact “strong” enough for GMA to even consider stepping down. Now, why is this?
I have several hunches: (a) Is it because those who want GMA out as well (shall we say a portion of the Silent Majority) does not want to sleep with the very Opposition they outsted (Erap) years back? (b) Due to the past experiences, GMA learned to pamper and spoil the AFP and PNP Generals? (c) Is it because the CATHOLIC CHURCH (in hte Philippines) are also at odds among themselves at the demise of the ever Politically Active Cardinal Sin? It’s a fact that Cardinal Rosales does not say much about Philippine Politics.
All these questions of Randy David are all valid but it’s not the only questions that should be asked and should be answered.
Each and every EDSA People Power is UNIQUE. Even the situation and circumstances between EDSA 1 and EDSA 2 though the same goal was to oust a President had very different details and ramifications. A lot of people say, HISTRY REPEATS ITSELF. I beg to disagree. A better concept would be: “Parallelism in History do happen.”
karah, i wish we can trade in the Burmese monks for our Filipino clergy. i won’t be surprised if there will be a dramatic collapse (not just the ongoing slow decline) of belief in the Catholic Church in the near future just like what happened in Europe.
devils, KSP lang kasi ang pinoy.
cvj,
I read your response to “switching to Globe” in your blog, thanks, I’ll probably add a Globe line mobile phone but my fingers are really itching for the “visibility” gadget they’re promoting right now where I can access the internet via laptop outside hot spot areas faster. I keep thinking about your comment earlier re “belonging to the vendor side” and I’m more careful now before spending for another high tech gadget that turns out to be a lemon afterwards.
cvj Was born and raised as a Catholic. It is true that a number of the Clergy from the RCC are committing blunder after blunder – we can’t deny that. My faith though would not depended solely on the “priests” so to speak but on my religious and spiritual convictions. I have deep respect for Buddhism and the Monks but if you ask me now, I’d rather remain a Catholic and only compelling reasons might let me reconsider this assertion of mine.
cvj,
I read your response to “switching to Glxbe†in your blog, thanks, I’ll probably add a Globe line mobile phone but my fingers are really itching for the “visibility†gadget they’re promoting right now where I can access the internet via laptop outside hot spot areas faster. I keep thinking about your comment earlier re “belonging to the vendor side†and I’m more careful now before spending for another high tech gadget that turns out to be a lemon afterwards.
can you tell ANC and other ABS-CBN channels to start using Burma instead of Myanmar. BBC has been doing this for a while.
karah,
Its not that nobody tried. Its just that you don’t know who you can trust nowadays anymore, as I said t
“too many squeelers!” Before (when you were 5 years old), its possible to go from room to room at night and pass on the messages, flyers, etc. about the movement. They can talk in the grotto, in the hidden nooks and crannies, and nothing gets out. If you notice there are officers getting caught passing out these messages. I don’t assume to know the motive of all these “squeelers” but there was a time when squeeling was punishable by death. There was a time when you kept quiet and nursed your busted toe or broken rib in silence bacause of “what you see, what you hear, leave it here.” Now I hear they can even yell “hazing!”
Ram I’m not from Cebu but I know some of the Garcia’s (the present Governor), and one of them is a good friend of mine. Been to Cebu a good number of times.
Quite recently, there’s a Plan to merge CENTCOM (Central Command) which is within Cebu City, one of the Unified Commands of AFP and the AirForce Base in Mactan somewhere in Mactan as well.
There’s not much Security Problem in Cebu, anyways. Except for very few insurgents in the West/Northwest. As far as I know, Cebu is one of the safest Cities to live in the Philippines. Plus the fact that within CEBU CITY, there’s only ONE EXIT in the NORTH, and ONE EXIT in the SOUTH. It’s hard to do kidnapping and those stuff.
Karah, i understand that one of the reasons for remaining within a given religion is because they were born into it. i also have remained a Catholic despite the contradictions and primarily because of my Mom’s example. i’ve also been hardwired to believe in God so i cannot not believe even if i wanted to.
However i am not talking individual cases. there will be others who’s faith and disposition is such that the contradictions they see will overcome their belief in the Catholic Church. I am basing my forecast on what you refer to as the numerous ‘blunders’ committed by the clergy and RC. This all the more highlights the contradictions and will accelerate the process of collapse.
This collapse has already happened in Europe. For those with a need to believe in something, they will just channel this belief to other religions and/or cults (within or outside Christianity), other ideologies (nationalism with or without fascism).
Ram It’s because nowadays, SQUEALERS within the Military is REWARDED heftily. All this time, you didn’t notice that most of the Cabinet of GMA are former Generals from the AFP and the PNP? These Generals still have some following in their formers Division and/or National Support Office.
Gone were the days of “see, hear, and say no evil.” Now, it’s “squeal” when you’re not given any piece of the pie.
just because cardinal rosales doesn’t want to get involve with politics and go out on the streets, the catholic church is on the decline now (says who?). nothing comparable between the situation in the phils (a democratic state) and that of burma (controlled by a military junta where the opposition is being locked-up). such a world of difference. even internet in burma is banned.
grd, in a way you’re right that the situation in Burma and the Philippines are not comparable but your standards for comparability are not what i used. My standard for comparison is the reaction of the monks and clergy to an illegitimate and oppressive government. The Burmese monks are currently risking their lives while the Philippine clergy (especially Cardinal Rosales) has largely sold out.
I guess it all boils down to a collective appraisal of what the tipping point is, when the majority including the clergy decide once and for all “enough is enough”.The Burmese monks and Philippine clergy as a whole sees things differently but it does not mean that both are bereft of a high standard of morality and love of country.
ramrod, feel free to speak up against high-tech gadgets. i belong to the services side of the business and in terms of gadgets i’m agnostic and i make it a point to use technology that is one or two generations older (i.e. mature). of course sometimes, as they say, it’s better manual.
i once attended a lecture by a historian from mindanao and he pointed out that one nuance we still have to resolve, is that the nobility of the time (lapu lapu was one) were borneans, that one way to look at it, is that they were foreign leaders on our shores; or the other way is the way the malaysians view the sultan of sulu as part of the malaysian nobility; personally, one idea i’ve been exploring (gradually, for lack of time) is that what we consider the philippines was not what even the spaniards would have considered the philippines, what the americans intended to be the philippines, etc. or even what our first republic was trying to establish as the philippines. it’s a very interesting thing to explore but requires a lot of fussing around with maps, and consulting committee reports, particularly in the 1935 constitutional convention, etc. even the philippines that became independent in 1946 is not the philippines of today: only after independence in 46 did a young diplomat named diosdado macapagal gain the distinction of raising the philippine flag in the turtle islands, for example, expanding our territory marginally.
crv,
Its not that the clergy has actually sold out. After all thats happened (EDSA 1 and 2), even the involvement of its members in the radical left, the catholic church is more reserved in their responses to this situation, there are also members of the church who opt to assume a more biblical position, after all, it is clearly defined in the good book – give to Ceasar what is for Ceasar. Nowhere is the delineation between church and state taught more strictly than in the born again movements where the teachings are based directly from the bible especially if you use NIV and not from whatever comes out of the priests’ mouths.
In the Philippines, there are churches that are growing phenomenally fast and these are very radical in their intrepretation of the bible. When the minister is speaking, they take down notes and check the verse in their own bibles. They do not blindly follow what the minister or priest is saying. These churches are particularly attractive to the growing middle class as the lower class cannot relate to what might look to them as “elite” but eventually this was overcome by forming clusters to cater to this uniqueness, dialect and all. Yes, I agree that there may come a time when traditional churches will decline because the otherwise docile “yes father” flock will become more educated and will look for more meaningful ways of worshipping other than the “formula” prayers – Our Father, etc. and there is this deep need to be rebuked truthfully in love. Some of the flock may even turn to other more “scientific” form of worship. But there are members of the catholic church though who are adjusting to this new breed of christians’ need. Take a look at Bo Sanchez, and several others (I forgot) where their way of communicating with the flock mirrors that of the born again ministers, does this mean the catholic church is aware of the unrelatability of tradition and is adjusting to a more sophisticated flock?
cvj In my lifetime (which I’m only 26), I have searched and explored the Catholic Religion – studying Philosophy, Theology and Spirituality. And I can base my own convictions only in my experience that more than being born a Catholic, I believe in the traditions, the bible, and the magisterium of the RCC. Yes, good example counts a lot but when we grow older, it’s really up to us on what to choose.
I don’t think that 2000 years of History by the Catholic Church would just be destroyed by crisis here and there. Actually, the RCC faced bigger ones from the time it was established. There was even a time in Rome that just a mention, just a suspicion that you’re the Christian (Catholic, you’ll be burned alive. Remember, Nero and how he made Christians human torches in the Colosseum.
There’s a downtrend, sure, but there are Catholic Churches that might have been dormant yet Catholic Churches in Africa and Catholic Churches in South America are very vibrant. The collapse of Catholicism in Europe cannot be attributed alone to all these scandals, rather, it’s due to Atheism. How this came to be needs in-depth study of Religious History in Europe.
A person should not stay in a particular religion just because he/she was born into it or he/she was forced into it. A person should stay with his/her Religion/Beliefs because of his/her convictions and principles. This is the line that draws the HAPHAZARD BELIEVERS from the TRUE BELIEVERS.
cjv, i’m not really sold out to your notion that the phil clergy has largely sold out (is that how you portray the clergies and other filipinos, easily bought if their stand is different from yours?) again, just because according to your standards, our clergies are not risking their lives against this “illegitimate and oppressive govt”. don’t you think you’re giving our clergies too much responsibilities instead of pointing the blame on our legislators who have the power to remove this “illegitimate” govt? i would prefer a church that will not dip its hands on politics. but you know what? the scenario in our country will dramatically change after 2010. you will witness again something explosive to happen (that i guarantee) that will unite the people. that is, if gloria decides to stay (which i really doubt). now just compare 6 years of gloria’s “illegitimate” reign against the many years of burmese sufferings at the hands of an oppressive regime before the monks did their act. you can see the difference and what filipinos are capable of.
re: grd
if cardinal rosales yelled at the president she should resign, then piously tells the people let’s move on, i think he can be taken to task vs. another bishop who might say, consistently, forget politics, period and another bishop who consistently has something strong to say vs. say gambling and abductions.
institutionally, well, there’s always a silver lining and recently when i was invited to give a brief analysis to a group of foreign businessmen, i simply pointed out a mature secular democracy doesn’t rely on the clergy, so you could see it as the country finally taking a step forward toward being a secular democracy.
just as, in feb. 06, i understand that among our officer corps, a common current among even those incensed over corruption in the military was, that the military has no business governing, it’s not qualified to do so, that the intervention in edsa dos opened up more problems than it solved -in which case, maybe that’s another step forward.
for those upset with the president as i am, it also means accepting as i’ve pointed out elsewhere that while some of us may have more hard line positions than others, you never give up trying to nudge the public forward but at a certain point, also, take stock and accept there is wisdom in what the public wants and is prepared to do.
the most ferocious backlash the government faced was when it seriously proposed cancelling the may 2007 elections and abolishing presidential elections. so, those are the parameters: people don’t want a coup; they insist on elections; they want to vote for the head of state and government; and also, i do think the rules of people power i identified early on held true: those who benefited from it, cannot deny it to anyone else (the backlash against gov’t clamping down on protests); those who were its targets, cannot claim it for themselves (the manner the estrada, the national democrats, and marcoses, when they intervened, helped people power fizzle out), and that people power must be peaceful and be led by its leaders from the front and not the rear. and so on down the line, so what i told the foreigners was, parameters have been laid out; whenever anyone tries to cross the line, the backlash is equal (versus the admin and versus the opposition), that people have decided to remain open-minded to purely constitutional options like impeachment, but it’s not their fault if the processes won’t move forward.
or maybe i’m being too much of an optimist.