Earlier today, at around 10:51 am, radio station DZMM said that the Palace was set to issue a statement favoring Charter Change today. During the lunchtime news program of Tony Velasquez and Bernadette Sembrano, word is that the President, in a workshop this morning, directed government agencies, particularly the Department of the Interior and Local Governments and the Department of Budget and Management, to pursue Charter Change by 2009.
What will make this version of Charter Change different is that it will be focused on Federalism, an original component of the administration’s first Charter Change efforts, but eventually dropped in favor of a focus on a shift to the parliamentary system.
Whether this focus on Federalism is meant to muster local government support, and salve the wounded feelings of original Civil Society allies of the Palace, remains to be seen -just as whether this is an effort to put the President’s imprint on this version in contrast to the parliamentary focus of the Speaker who pushed for the previous effort: after all, having solved the President’s impeachment-related problem for 2007-2008, the Speaker is now dispensable (despite warnings from the Speaker that if he falls, she falls, which he said he told her in a one-on-one meeting Sec. Puno denies every happened; see also Datumanong drafted by Palace to replace JDV? But Newbsreak says, detente is the name of the game).
Anyway, here’s the news: Arroyo renews call for Charter change: Panel formed to draft federalism ‘roadmap’ by 2012. See also Arroyo revives Cha-Cha bid, forms federalism panel (the political opening, of course, would be, such a shift would require some sort of transitional government).
I’m inclined, for now, to treat this as a clumsy effort to deflect attention from the Palace’s dilemma over what to do with Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio. But it would be prudent to place the whole thing within the context of a problem identified in Chinese Money Meets Filipino Politics in Asia Sentinel:
With the president out by 2010, however, her hold may be waning as junior leaders look toward their political futures. There are allegations of other irregularities in Chinese deals and critics may find lots of material to throw at newspaper reporters in an effort to chip away at Arroyo’s credibility, despite the country’s solid economic performance in recent years.
Mon Casple in his blog, says the ruling coalition is also increasingly paranoid:
The real rift between the GMA and the JDV camp threatens the solidity of the ruling coalition–a coalition that weathered the political storm of the past three years.
This is compounded by a lot of factors: among them are the continued political challenges coming from the opposition, the inexorable deadline of the 2010 end-of-GMA-term, the wily play of the presidentiables, the US and Western concern over growing Chinese influence, health problems of key administration players, and the flexing of the military’s political clout.
These factors are leading to a growing perception of a lameduck GMA presidency. This may not yet be the case but it cannot anymore be denied that, if no decisive GMA policy decision on the political crisis is forthcoming, the perception will take hold and influence the decisions of the various key players.
Atty. Pulido’s impeachment complaint–however haphazard it may seem to many–acquires significance beyond its original assessment in the light of this current political reality. Considering the political nature of an impeachment process, a significant coalition of legislators in the lower House can seize and railroad the process (only 80 votes needed for impeachment). They can shortcut the process and give it to the Senate.
Such a possibility spooked Malacañang and hence its attempt to hold the line with the ruling coalition majority. It may entail more concessions to the JDV camp. On the other hand, it may also precipitate an ouster move on him. What is clear is the signs of nervousness (and suspicion) that everyone exhibits when looking at his or her neighbor in the coalition.
Shifting loyalties–such is the stuff of transitions and wind of political change.
As the political class’s attention increasingly focuses on 2010, the Palace has to find ways to keep itself relevant to the political class. An effective way is to keep everyone guessing what the President’s real intentions are concerning 2010 and one way is to keep local government officials and legislators coming back to the trough for regular fattening.
A news item like this one, seems innocent at first, Palace looks to add judiciary in Ledac, but becomes interesting in light of what the President is poised to do next year: enjoy the opportunity to appoint a new Civil Service Commissioner, new Commission on Audit Chairman, several Supreme Court justices, etc. An institutional means to circle the wagons over the next couple of years has just been floated.
Gov. Panlilio’s revelation last week was that after a Palace meeting, he was given half a million pesos in cash. Bulacan Gov. Jonjon Mendoza confirms the account of the Gov. of Pampanga. Their accounts go in the face of denials or conflicting testimony from everyone else who was at the same meeting. An earlier meeting involving congressmen, has led to conflicting accounts, too: Cash gift ‘standard’–House leader: This is when we’ve done something good, he says and Two more congressmen admit receiving Palace ‘cash gifts’. Now the congressional dole outs may have had impeachment immunization in mind (see GMA gets ‘immunized’) but the local government dole outs make sense not only with the baranggay elections but also Charter Change in mind, too.
Gov. Panlilio’s initial response was pastoral, not legal: to take the money and place it in the provincial treasury and use it for good works. But then he seems to have realized that what is pastoral (therefore, moral) is not necessarily legal. Also, considering he’s a reformist governor, it’s a political opening for his critics: Kampi mayor to Gov Ed: Why did you take the money?. So the Governor has said he intends to ask why he was given money without the required voucher, and if Palace can’t explain why he’ll return the money: Panlilio to Palace: Where did P500,000 come from?.
Meanwhile, Neda firm on keeping NBN papers. Konfrontasi with the Senate continues.
Even as Opposition plans to take impeach referral to SC, this is a sensible move: Opposition to boycott impeachment hearings. And this is a long-overdue reform: Noynoy eyes 3-strike rule vs Cabinet appointments.
Economic news: No stopping the peso, closes even higher while Hot money back, Sept. net inflow $38.2M.
Senator Joker Arroyo vigorously justified himself in a piece he demanded be published, and his opinions are shared by Philippine Commentary while criticized by last Sunday’s Inquirer editorial and in a commentary by Amando Doronila today.
In his column, Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ discusses what an impeachment is and isn’t:
The whole point of the impeachment process is to save the nation from one who does not deserve to be in office. It is not meant to be an instrument of punishment. Punishment can follow in a criminal proceeding if impeachment succeeds or when the official concerned leaves office.
The constitutional rules for impeachment, however, can be manipulated to make the process achieve the precise opposite of its purpose. It can be manipulated to shield an official from a serious impeachment complaint for one year. And this is easily done. All that is needed is one member of the House who is willing to file or endorse a flimsy complaint. This is what all the current brouhaha is about.
(See Philippine Politics 04 for related materials on impeachment and the Supreme Court’s definition of when a complaint gets initiated.)
Justice Isagani Cruz tackles executive privilege.
Randy David says the legal system hasn’t caught up with public opinion:
Thank heavens not everyone hangs by the thread of unresolved legal issues. In the meantime, there are political closures. The fact that GMA or her husband has not been charged or found guilty of any crime does not negate the certainty that the majority of Filipinos have closed the political book on her. Her consistently negative approval ratings in recent surveys attest to this. The rejection of most of her candidates in the last senatorial election shows this in no uncertain terms. The stunning election to the Senate of the detained young military officer Antonio Trillanes IV, accused of leading a mutiny against her government, confirms this closure. Ms Arroyo governs on the sufferance of a nation still recovering from past upheavals. Everyone awaits her last days in the presidency.
There are moral closures too. No one today, not even its most rabid supporters, thinks of this administration as an emblem of good government or of ethical leadership. Those who still see politics as a contest between the forces of good and evil are in no doubt at all as to which side Ms Arroyo is aligned with. No other administration has been as brazen as this one in giving cash to legislators, election inspectors and bishops.
And there are social closures. After Marcos, no other head of government has earned the resolute distrust of the citizenry as much as GMA. Again, survey after survey expresses this. More than at any other time, distrust permeates the whole political system today because of the way she has run the government. She ought to listen to how ordinary folk talk about her on AM radio. She may not sense this now, but it will be difficult for her not to notice it when she finally leaves public office. She will receive none of the lingering affection and awe that Cory and Erap continue to bask in when they are among ordinary people. No one with any hope of winning will want to be associated with her in any future election. That is social closure.
A truly outstanding entry in Ricelander’s blog, on the relationship between politics, politicians, and issues: read the whole thing.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, Charter Change, constitution, federalism, House of Representatives, impeachment, journalism, philippines, politics, president, Senate, society
cvj,
thanks, I think the term “federalism” must first be defined and then contextualized before anything else.
Perhaps another word should be used to more accurately denote and describe the priciples and processes involved in the idea.
In fact “balkanization” seems to be the more intellectually honest and accurate term. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanization
But if decentralization is the intention why use “federalism” when simple “decentralization” is more oppropriate. Federalism entails an alien philisophy that renders the undertaking simply an imposition on the people who should not be expected to comprehend what federalization really entails when the proponent themselves do not. I can imagine the line “if we federalize, our province will prosper ” as the beginning and the end of their explanation.
I have nothing against federalism but devolution must be perfected first before taking on more complex things.
bencard,
relax, you might have an attack, under the condition you’re in, you’re safer where you are now, i wouldn’t advise you to come over and stay, take a look at what they’re doing at philhealth, most filipinos can’t afford healthcare unlike where you are now, relax, don’t bother yourself with my comments, ok, now drink your expensive medicines that few can afford here
shaman, you disappoint me. i though you were better that. i was saying “what if”, “supposing”, “could it be that..”, “what makes anyone sure that..”, “isn’t it possible that.. “. i never made any factual conclusion. nothing is factual at this point except, perhaps, that there was meeting in malacanang. i think you should check the difference between speculation and conclusion. you make a speculation, doesn’t that entitle me to make a counter-speculation? even if panlilio was an angel, his declaration, whether or not corroborated by another or a hundred other angels, that he was “bribed”, is just an assertion, not a fact. his assertion, and that of others, are full of holes – gaping holes. then again, if what they say is true, they should all be prosecuted and put in jail. after all, according to you, they have said something which amount to voluntary confession. didn’t they?
supremo,
coming from you, “devolution” sounds more comforting than “revolution”.
“Devolutionism” should therefore be the better term. Senator Pimentel authored the Local Government that spelled out the devolution that gave our lgu’s a certain level autonomy that they enjoy now. He is now one of the leading proponents of federalism. I’m quite dissapointed actually. But maybe a more creative idea will come up as the discussions get along.
It’s very easy for Filipinos to develop the principle or idea of “devolutionism” because basically the ideas are derived from actual experiences. LGU officials can rally around an idea that they are confident about. Mobilizing grassroots support must be sustained from start to finish in an undertaking such as changing the structure of government.
Devolutionism could be describe as an evolving de-centralization or a combination of evolution and de-centralization as a process — dynamic, flexible, adaptive. And perhaps the principle of centralized command, decentralized operations is essential in our case,having an scattered-islands geography.
“Bayanihan” should be the core value or the moving spirit behind “devolutionism” — a pooling together of regional strength to lift the nation.
But one important Bond that Binds is at the executive level. The three mainn islands must be bonded seamlessly and fused on that level, at the head, the command center. If and only if the bond that binds the three main islands are strong can the nation withstand the stressful centrifugal effect of decentralization.
Without vision, decentralization leads to dis-integration. Without the pre-requisite conditions and preparations the undertaking could be disastrous.
Even if there is a unifying vision and the pre-requisite conditions are met, the danger balkanization is always present in a coutry such ours, given our geography and our history — both past and ,specially, the current.
The timing tells everything. We are being asked to scatter at a time when we should be holding tightly and working together. The ship of state of our nation is sailing along turbulent seas — amidst global uncertainties.
Focus on priorities is lost when fear of one’s political survival takes precedence over national interest. Is it again time to ‘re-start’ the great debate on charter change?
jumak, unless that was a veiled threat of possible violence by lawless elements, don’t worry about my health when i go back there. i was there recently and was confined for weather-related minor illness at st. luke’s. excellent service, doctors, nurses and facilities. was out in two days
again, instead of whining, count your blessings. no one can have it all, not even us here in the u.s.
btw, why don’t we wait for gma’s road map on federalism before we make any judgments? let’s stop creating bogey men to scare people of what could be the answer to their problems. i detest those who complain about all the wrongs our present government system suffers, and resist with all the opposition they could muster when any serious program to address them is attempted.
Focus on priorities is lost when fear for one’s political survival takes precedence over national interest. Is it again time to ‘re-start’ the great debate on charter change?
bencard,
st luke’s is very nice and very expensive hospital, good for you
bencard,
” resist with all the opposition they could muster when any serious program to address them is attempted.”
The ZTE-NBN and the CyberEd are they ‘serious programs’ or serious problems?
These are not priorities, I’m sure you’ll agree. And these are loans we will have to pay for. When people who are sick can’t avail of basic healthcare and when kids walk barefooted for miles to reach a dilapidated school room and share a book with four others, then go back the same way on an emptier stomach, are these the ‘serious programs’ that adress their basic needs?
Thanks Bencard for your reactions to my comments. I’m giving GMA a chance, I hope she gives the other 80M Filipinos atleast a chance at a decent life without going out like many of our people overseas. I believe you have the welfare of our people in mind, til next. tnx
you’re welcome jumak. i think she deserves nothing less. but she cannot do anything alone without our help. this is our nation to lose. let us help her, at least, to help our people.
brianb, yeah we “know what’s wrong with this country” and it boils down to system problems. we have to re-invent ourselves, our government, our institutions, our way of political thinking, under the rule of law. desperate situation calls for drastic and decisive action. over a century of “the same thing” is enough. let’s face up to reality and act accordingly.
let’s fight the forces of status quo. we had enough of them.
Unbriddled exploitation of our natural resources by foreigners is one of the targets of charter change and federalism. Foreign interests are unseen players in the push for GMA’s cha-cha agenda.
“Pinoy environmentalist to bare ills
of Arroyo’s mining projects at London conference”
http://www.kalikasan.org/kalikasan-cms/?q=node
that’s the beauty of diverse opinions, you see the pros and cons. What do you want guys? some altar boys who say amen to everything you say? Do you listen to other arguments as well?
I listen to you guys how you proclaim that the end is near. There have been many heroes and heroines that you exalted in this blog and look where are they now?
Finally, Good vs Evil
And what has Panlilio done over the weekend? He has told the truth. In one simple, quiet, unobtrusive gesture, he has brought a battering ram pounding on the ramparts of falsehood. He has brought light to shine blindingly on pitch dark. He has brought air bursting through to people trapped under the rubble. That biblical injunction may yet prove awesomely prophetic in these dark times, in this dark place:
The truth shall set you free.
– Conrado de Quiros
http://services.inquirer.net/express/07/10/16/html_output/xmlhtml/20071015-94624-xml.html
Federalization that goes haywire is balkanization that is irreversible. Look at Russia now which is in a very desperate situation. Can the Union of Soviet Republics united if and when each one of them is thretened by a super power?
If the proponents later realize that federalism is an un-controlably wild beast when let loose in the Philippine social, economic, political and cultural environmnet, can they gather back the spunned off regions when these are already co-opted by multinatinal neo-colonialists and global neo-feudal landlords?
“@benign0
out of curiosity, how are you an authority on the matter?”
he has a self-refereed online discourse whose references are littered with me, myself, i.
Fr. Bernas in his Inquirer article mentioned above has written: “The one-year ban found in the Constitution was inserted for a noble purpose: to protect an impeachable officer from harassment. But the wisest plans of mice and men have often gone awry. The human mind can be very mischievous.â€Â
Only some fools would probably doubt Bernas as a reliable authority on the mischief in his mind, but hanging tough like this is likely to turn out more well-meaning students of Philippine Constitutional Law questioning his fidelity to constitutional principles (such as effective checks and balances) as well as his scholarship on the subject.
What seems ironic Fr. Bernas makes allusion to John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,†a novel about two American migrant workers during the Great Depression whose simple dream of owning a piece of farmland and having a better life has gone awry by the cruelty of the obtaining milieu then acting upon what would have been a realizable plan and aspiration. Steinbeck’s characters, George and Lennie, are like millions of Filipinos today whose dreams are equally simple but will continue to be insuperable because of the callousness and coldness of the social, economic, political as well as legal forces heaped upon them, whether wittingly or unwittingly, even by righteous men like Fr. Bernas.
“I’ve always admired the patience of many people here who continue to seriously engage senile and deluded Bencard in a debate (although some here are obviously just humoring him), knowing full well that he won’t listen to other arguments except his own.ay naku”
I don’t think he cares whether the facts were there or not. If he really gave a shit he would come back rather than just tell everyone else what he thinks from his lonely room in America while waiting for his welfare checks.
I will follow your advice from now on!
‘Fr. Bernas in his Inquirer article mentioned above has written: “The one-year ban found in the Constitution was inserted for a noble purpose: to protect an impeachable officer from harassment. But the wisest plans of mice and men have often gone awry. The human mind can be very mischievous.‒
The Wily Filipino – Steve Martin.
“Federalization that goes haywire is balkanization that is irreversible. Look at Russia now which is in a very desperate situation. Can the Union of Soviet Republics united if and when each one of them is thretened by a super power?”
We’re already united. It’s stupid, regressive, retrogressive,. I am amazed just how wily some Filipinos are. With Federalism, some provinces could turn their islands into gambling havens, especially palawan where practically every citizen “cooperates” with the politicians. They can resist agrarian reform forever; they can lower minimum wage, they can READ MY LIPS do whatever they can.
The Philippines’ Culture of Impunity
The prevailing culture of impunity gives a wrong sense of power or creates a situation conducive to the abuse of power without any legal consequences. The prevailing feeling within the GMA administrations that they†can get away with anything “by simply issuing a denial, making a cover-up or creating distractions ( example: the new “Cha-Cha move) or distortions by the usual spin doctors.
How do we break this culture of impunity? At the moment,it seems like ending impunity will remain a tough nut to crack.
mav,
You’d need a nut-cracker and a little bit of hand grip power.
Bencard, no sir, I’m not begrudging you the right to speculate. Ever since I joined this blog, I’ve known you as someone who always wants to follow the lawyerly dictum of establishing first the factual bases before making any conclusions, which therefore precludes speculations. You just surprised me that now you are amenable to making, how shall I say it, “educated speculations”, if there is such a thing.
Of course, everybody who is involved in bribery, both the giver and the taker, must be prosecuted. That’s the only way to stop corruption in this benighted land.
mav
“How do we break this culture of impunity?”
The best way to break the culture of impunity is by breaking it at its nerve center — GMA’s pit-bull grip on the presidency. Those who call her a lame-duck president disregard the fact that she is more like a Pit Bull than a Duck when it comes to power. Didn’t she grab and locked her grip on to the presidency? If GMA is lame at all, she’s a Lame Pit Bull President – more vicious and dangerous when cornered.
“Since a pit bull will firmly grip and hold its victim, break sticks have been designed to reak their grip.
A break stick is a device made to be inserted in the mouth of a Pit Bull (behind the molars) to gently pry its jaws open and release its grip on another animal or object.
Remember that Pit Bulls do not have any special mechanism or enzyme that allow them to “lock their jaw”, but they were bred to have an unmatched determination and to never give up.â€Â
The impeachment is supposed to be the ‘break stick’ constitutional device to pry open and release GMA’s grip on the presidency. Isn’t our constitution itself now in peril because GMA is really behaving no less than a cornered Lame Pit Bull President?
Is it possible to break the culture of impunity without breaking the grip of a fake president who stole the presidency not once but twice and going for thrice?
Shaman,
the only fact that matters to Bencard is the judicially declared fact, and it is mere speculation to say na nag-“udo” si Bencard this morning or yesterday and that his “udo” is as foul as ours. The way his thinking goes, some are more equal than others.
Abe,
you have to understand Bernas. His position was the one adopted by the SC in the Davide case that reduced the impeachment process into a rat race. it is not that the impeachment process is being manipulated to defeat its purpose; it is because Bernas and the SC gave it such an interpretation, without giving the House the respect due it, that reduced it into, well a rat race, in order to save the skin of Davide. If there is anyone that should be blamed for that spectacle, the blame should squarely fall on the SC. And if there is any institution that has kept Gloria in power more than any other, it is the SC. Remember the mantra of this administration? “Sue us” because they know where the courts stand as opposed to Gloria.
“Those who call her a lame-duck president disregard the fact that she is more like a Pit Bull than a Duck when it comes to power. Didn’t she grab and locked her grip on to the presidency? If GMA is lame at all, she’s a Lame Pit Bull President – more vicious and dangerous when cornered.PEPE”
Absolutely right.GMA reminds me of Nixon in so many ways.
The Watergate investigations revealed the immense scope of Nixon’s crimes and abuses, which included campaign fraud, political espionage and sabotage, illegal break-ins, wiretapping on a massive scale, including the wiretapping of the press and American citizens and a secret slush fund laundered in Mexico to pay those who conducted these operations.
The investigations of Watergate were heavily influenced by the media, particularly the work of two reporters from the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, along with their mysterious informant, Deep Throat.
I fervently pray that we have courageous investigative journalists who will one day uncover the can of worms in the continuing saga of the “Gloriagate” scandalS.I have no such hopes for Senate investigations(“pure grandstanding” on live TV)
I am sure there are brave souls who will be the “Deep Throats” who will provide the tips for the investigation.
BREAKING NEWS!
“Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran was reported injured when his vehicle figured in a road accident in Intramuros district in Manila Tuesday.
A radio DZMM report said Beltran sustained a head injury when his vehicle, a Toyota Hi-Ace, collided with a Ford Everest at the corner of Victoria and Juan Luna streets in Intramuros.”
I sincerely hope that this was really a pure accident and not the work of some “crazies”! Remember Beltan was the whisteblower on the attempted bribery by KAMPI to encourage him to sponsor the “fake” immunization
move.
wowowoo, what going on here???? Back to Benign0 and bencard bashing?
Cat made the right call! Common you guys. Just present your counter arguments sabi nga ni Benigno.
hohumm. makatulog nga lang.
Pero teka isang tanong lang. Bakit nga ba kailangan natin kaagad na tangaapin ang akusayon ni Ed Panlilio na galing sa malacanang o kay Gloria ang regalong natanggap nya? Dahil ba malapit sa malacanang ng iabaot sa kanya ang regalo? O dahil eto ang pini feed ng media?
Kung tutuusin alam nating lahat kung gaanong ka rumi ang politika natin. Kaya hindi talaga natin pwedeng sabihinh walang kakayanan ang mga kalaban ni Gloria na gumawa ng mga katulad ng nabanggit ni Bencard.
And I just could not understand how benigno became anti Filipino with his proposition that federalism is like breaking up the country into small pieces. I myself have the same concern on federalism.
But still i wanted to see the draft /
At bakit nga nag CVJ hindi mo lang ipresent ng maayos ang ” proof of the conatrary” mo? Sa ganyang paraan lamang makakita ng mga mamababasa sa blog na eto kung sino talaga ang dapat pakingggan sa inyong dalawa?
rego,
it is not as if no one heard panlilio air his narrative in this bribery saga so it is unfair to suggest that it was fed by media. He said his chief of staff received it from the governor of Bulacan who (as told also by the latter) received the money from a woman from the palace. The governors were there supposedly upon invitation by the Palace as well as the congressmen, some of whom have already admitted to having received money either in the palace or in the house on the same day the meeting was called.
I would not be surprised if panlilio will be accused of wanting the presidency for himself by coming out with his story that makes the palace look bad.
re: bashing, if you read between the lines, it is not really bashing per se the reactors here. It is about arguments, assessments, credibilities, conclusions. I bet not one of them have seen hitler do or order the monstrous crimes he has been accused of and yet i would like to believe that they believe hitler (or osama for that matter) is a monster. And i can almost hear them say, but ah, that is a different case. Really?
like i’ve stressed in the past, same sauce for the goose and the gander, not some being more equal than others.
Beancurd, I even wonder if Bencard believes anything that his wife says without the latter presenting evidence beyond reasonable doubt. For him, the only thing factual is something that comes with a document that says, “SO ORDERED”.
mav: i find it hilarious that people these days are very fond of putting words into other people’s mouths. it’s obvious that you mastered this art – speaking in behalf of what other people might say or think. in your growing up years, maybe you’ve read too much ufo literature that your paranoia is way off the charts. even inventing such ideas as internet brigades. have you even looked at yourself in the mirror and asked, am I not myself part of this internet brigade against gma and her administration? you are mocking the very medium you are using. next time, would it be possible for you to lessen your dakdak, satsat, and putak. you sound like those in little corners of squatters area gossiping and rumor-mongering just about anything under the sun. what a pitiful state you have. your arguments are downright childish. well, I don’t think it’s bad for a person like you to go back to elementary and learn the basics. you might be old but hey, even old people these days go back to school. the way you post your comments, you have a semblance of how john lapuz presents her tsismis at showbiz central
cvj: you’re a pretending know-it-all whose only weapon is mockery and stupidity. if you haven’t heard, people who has some attitude like you, don’t advance too much in life. people like you simply die a natural death in their own pitiful and pathetic state. do you even think that your style of attacking people and not the argument is funny, it’s moronic. you come saying that nobody is entitled to his/her opinion, stupid, simply stupid mindset. i wonder, when you were studying, were you taught about values education or you simply cut class each time that subject is being taught. It seems to me your don’t even know what that subject means. Why don’t you agree with high-schoolers and maybe they would be willing to join your dying and lost crusade. You’re very fortunate that you were born in a democratic country, if you were born in china, you might be sex feet below ground by now. treasure your rights, preserve it, don’t abuse it like what you’re doing. And you thought you can even pull a fast one on me each time, well each time I nail you to the wall with size concrete nails and size 5 bronze nails – the prostitute, the tsismosa, and cvj holed into one person.
to all the members of hate gloria club: you are all pathetic. and to think that you can even let gma step down thru extra-constitutional means? do you even think that she would resign before 2010. i think i would like to reconsider my position of gma only until 2010. if the philippines would be plagued with people with the likes of you, i’d even prefer a martial law to at least give discipline to abusive and undisciplined filipinos who think they are the messiah.
even among the hate gloria clun coalitions, you can’t even agree among yourself and you have the guts to throw dirt at the administration like you’re not dirty and filthy yourself. the nerve. to mav and cvj, i think you better run for office and touch base with your people who have the same attitudes and paradigms as yours – in the congress and senate. all pulpol.
you guys even wanna acquit a putschist like trillanes? no wonder the Philippines is going to the dogs like yourselves. whether trillanes is courageous is beside the point. the very fact that he and his cohorts broke the law, they should be held liable criminally. what you are asking is that each time there would be soldiers who would stage a coup, a mutiny or a rebellion, just set them free. the honasan precedent should stop once and for all. so, you wanna want gma to be held criminally (which you can’t yet because she’s still president), then gather all the evidence you can gather. you people can’t even stage a decent impeachment complaint and you speak like you monopolize the truth. the truth is, you can’t handle the truth! that gma is there to stay. not even the senators could present anything concrete and good as evidence after all the senate investigations they have undertaken.
the only sensible persons in here are I think mlq3, ramrod, bencard, and the cat, and some others. if you want people to always agree on your argument then please don’t feed the people in here with gossips, rumors, speculations, in the vernacular, tsismis and lots of them. but then again. you people are bystanders pretending to do something for the country but at the end of the day, you are all the same – useless whose only job is to whine and complain about everything and not doing anything at all to become better citizens.
another funny thing is how media would like to pit gov. ed against gma. there’s this reporter who asked gov. ed: is this a declaration of war against gma? what a question. even gov. only wanted to know where the funds came from, from what office it came from. is it public funds of private funds or what. the media are feasting like vultures again and doing all their best to pin down gma . weird. not even this gov. mendoza of bulacan could confirm who really gave the paper bag. for all we know, the money came from the opposition. you know how people come and go in the malacanang palace.
cvj: are you really from the IT industry or from the ET industry since you’ve very fond of seeing things that only you can see and other’s can’t. if you don’t know what ET means, you can google it as you’re very good at googling.
cav: aside from putting words into other people’s mouths, what are the things that you do to be a better citizen?
putak
satsat
dakdak
tsismis
i think you mastered these tricks.
While reading Nancy Kress’ Beggars and Choosers (sequel to her award-winning Beggars in Spain) I encountered some relevant quotes re political events in our country today.
On clamors for reforms:
“He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.” Francis Bacon
On the much awaited trickle-down of the economy’s vaunted 7.5% growth:
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
On Manny Pacquiao and Lito Atienza vs Alfredo Lim; GMA and family vs JDV and son; Abalos vs Neri; TRAPOS vs everyone else:
“The personal is political, and the political is always personal.”
“i think i would like to reconsider my position of gma only until 2010.”
what suddenly came to my mind was an image of someone bending over to let themselves get f*@!ed in the ass, or some other lurid sexual position signifying the joy of being screwed.
“you can’t even agree among yourself and you have the guts to throw dirt at the administration like you’re not dirty and filthy yourself. the nerve.”
it’s not like GMA and JDV are both paragons of friendship anyway. the nerve.
“if the philippines would be plagued with people with the likes of you, i’d even prefer a martial law to at least give discipline to abusive and undisciplined filipinos who think they are the messiah.”
well, you know what they say: be careful what you wish for. on the other hand, you can gather people “the likes of you” and ask Gloria to put you all under Martial Law and see how you like it.
“the only sensible persons in here are I think mlq3, ramrod, bencard, and the cat, and some others.”
aww. well, i guess i must be one of the “others.” tnx.
“i think i would like to reconsider my position of gma only until 2010. if the philippines would be plagued with people with the likes of you, i’d even prefer a martial law to at least give discipline to abusive and undisciplined filipinos who think they are the messiah.”
Multiple Choice(S):
Anybody could be picked up at anytime for any reason by the military or the police. You could wind up a detainee, or you could just vanish, a “salvage” victim. If you protested against the government, you were labeled a “subversive” or a “communist” or both and you were summarily arrested. People the government didn’t like were tailed by security elements, their telephones tapped. A student who spoke up to Imee Marcos was murdered. No two words were more invoked and abused for the purposes of oppression than “national security.”
People were afraid to speak out.
YOU would not be blooging right now under Martial Law!
STAY FREE! period.
“Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said Tuesday Malacañang’s giving of cash gifts to politicians last week is normal and are usually sourced from the discretionary fund of the Office of the President. ABS CBN news”
A bribery is a bribery a bribery!
“i think i would like to reconsider my position of gma only until 2010. if the philippines would be plagued with people with the likes of you, i’d even prefer a martial law to at least give discipline to abusive and undisciplined filipinos who think they are the messiah.â€Â
Mutiple Choice(s):
The biggest lie — the mother lie — was that Martial Law was imposed for the good of the people. It was not. It was imposed for the good of the Marcoses and their cronies, to keep them in wealth and unassailable power forever and ever amen. Marcos was a congenital liar: he lied about the state of emergency. He lied about his ill-gotten wealth (“what ill-gotten wealth?”, he would ask amusedly.”Tell you what, if you can find it we’ll split it”. Shows how reliable his word was). He lied about his war medals (almost all of them were fake), he lied about his father’s wartime heroics (it turned out Marcos Sr was a collaborator executed by the guerrillas), he lied about his health. He lied about holding free elections and dismantling Martial Law. He lied and lied and lied.
STAY FREE period!
“Congress veterans attest that since time immemorial, the practice has been for the incumbent administration to summon the lawmakers on the eve of a recess and hand them some funds, out of gratitude for their support and to give help for their programs and projects. One lawmaker told me that the funds given out last Thursday to House members and local officials constituted financial help for the barangay elections, inasmuch as the officials are also expected to support their local leaders in the barangay elections. This is a tradition that has gone on for so long, a part of our political culture, said this lawmaker, and anyone denying having received it is a hypocrite.”
Belinda Olivares-Cunanan on her column yesterday.
Well, at least we’re clear on one thing: it’s a tradition! wow.
“One lawmaker told me that the funds given out last hursday to House members and local officials constituted financial help for the barangay elections, inasmuch as the officials are also expected to support their local leaders in the barangay elections.”
evilAdv8:
Omnibus Election code
Sec. 38. Conduct of elections. – The barangay election shall be non-partisan and shall be conducted in an expeditious and inexpensive manner.
No person who files A certificate of candidacy shall represent or allow himself to be represented as a candidate of any political party or any other organization.
No political party, political group, political committee, civic, religious, professional, or other organization or organized group of whatever nature shall intervene in his nomination or in the filing of his certificate of candidacy or give aid or support, directly or indirectly, material or otherwise favorable to or against his campaign for election
mav, take it easy now. the veins in your neck are expanding. it’s your monthly period so just chill out.
I meant Deviladv8 (not evil).sorry buddy!.
devils, i suppose it depends when bel thinks time immemorial began:
http://philippinesfreepress.wordpress.com/2006/05/27/last-of-the-100-days-may-27-1939/
it used to be that dinner was enough.
“mav, take it easy now. the veins in your neck are expanding. it’s your monthly period so just chill out.”
multiple choice(s):
HIJA:thanks for concern!
hope you learned something about the evils of martial law.
Stay Free.Period
ram, cvj, mav,
The bribery attempt on Gov. Panlilio looks like a set-up which, if it had succeeded, would have permanently neutralized the good Governor.
1)Syndicates , like jueteng, quarry and government contractors, who are badly affected by the Gov’s clean-up drive tried to frame him up with the bribe money. The Lapids who are badly hit and exposed in the quarry operations could be advancing a defensive strike on the Gov. These and many other criminal elements have the motive and capability to provide the bribe money.
2)The governor had from the start loomed as a moral challenge to the status quo and his victory in GMA’s home province against GMA’s closest allies strikes too close to home for GMA’s and her allies’ comfort. Gov Panlilio is a threat in a scenario that looms larger than local politics. The bribery attempt has the effect of a pre-emptive strike against a potentially dangerous enemy.
MLQ3: I would appreciate your views on my earlier post:
“The prevailing culture of impunity gives a wrong sense of power or creates a situation conducive to the abuse of power without any legal consequences. The prevailing feeling within the GMA administration is that they “can get away with anything” by simply issuing denials, making cover-ups or creating distractions ( example: the new “Cha-Cha” move) or distortions by the usual spin doctors.
How do we break this culture of impunity? At the moment,it seems like ending impunity will remain a tough nut to crack.”
PEPE:interesting theory;but why INSIDE Malacanang.That place is virtually a security fortress.How could the the crime syndicates in Pampanga penetrate it?Do they have connections there?lol