Before we get to the blast at the Batasan Pambansa, let’s set the scene, as it was, yesterday, prior to the explosion.
The way Amando Doronila sees it, Political scandals undermining the economy, and foreign observers, too, see it the same way, as shown by this snippet:
Frederic Neumann wrote in a commentary: “We view the recent political scandals as severely undermining the President’s ability to persuade the Congress to pass new policy initiatives to advance structural reforms … The scandals will make it harder for the President to advance a new wave of policy reforms, especially relating to improving the underlying public finance sector finances.”
Neumann noted that the government had made a commitment to wipe out its budget deficits and was closing in on its full-year deficit target of P63 billlion, with the help of privatization proceeds, but its fiscal performance was “less impressive,” suggesting that more reforms were needed.
Doronila seems to have a view that’s very different from the triumphalist tones of the President herself, who seems to be crowing that her economic work is done. In Arroyo shifts focus from economic to political reforms, she is quoted as having said,
Now that we have straightened out the economy, it is time to push for political reforms. Let us reduce conflict, fight corruption, and put the welfare of the ordinary Filipino first,” Arroyo said.
But there’s something ironic in a political animal bellowing about being a beast (though a very well-educated ones with academic credentials) if it was funny-ha-ha to have the Speaker thundering on about a “moral revolution,” isn’t it funny-hee-hee, now that Arroyo blames politics for causing suicide, murder:
Arroyo called on her critics anew to focus on promoting development, this time blaming politics for the deaths of Marianette Amper, the 12-year-old girl who committed suicide in Davao due to poverty, and Alioden Dalaig, the poll official gunned down last Saturday.
“Many Filipinos are experiencing poverty since some of the country’s leaders are preoccupied with their self-interests rather than the welfare of the nation.
“On the other hand, there are politicians and groups who have no heart and conscience and are ready to use violence to attain their ambitions,” she said in a speech at the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) meeting yesterday in Malacañang.
“The preoccupation with politics, past and present, does not promote the stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that we will need to continue to move our country forward.”
But then of course she knows whereof she speaks, so there’s nothing funny about it, at all. Point is, the President was going on the political offensive, on the premise that (unlike the view of the foreign observers mentioned by Doronila) everything economics-wise, was shipshape. While Marvin A. Tort delves into the merits and demerits of the appreciating peso, the President, long a fetishist of the “strong peso equals a Strong Republic” sort, has no choice but to ponder relief to stave off the worst effects of the appreciating peso (the majority of the two articles above, describe the relief efforts the President’s decreed as a kind of series of emergency measures, which will help the poor but leaves exporters vulnerable still).
The best defense being a good offense, the President knew full well that the opposition had left her self-innoculation devoid of oomph. As the Inquirer editorial today puts it, the President’s reliance on a tactical, and not ethical, approach to questions as to her legitimacy or fitness for office, has reached the end of the road:
This has led to the adoption by the administration of a tactical, instead of ethical, approach to the impeachment process. Yet the kind of people involved — politicians — then and now aren’t very different. Quirino faced vicious infighting within his Liberal Party reminiscent of the intramurals between Kampi and Lakas today, with a relatively small opposition hounding both Presidents.
Indeed the only difference we see is that Quirino genuinely believed in his innocence and trusted the process. Quirino knew, as one of the framers of the 1935 Constitution, what impeachment is: a means by which a nation being governed badly can gain relief. As chief executive he asserted that relief was unnecessary; as a lawyer, he knew his salvation lay in confronting his accusers and opening access to information, and presenting evidence.
In contrast, President Macapagal-Arroyo mistrusts the process and the people in it. Her allies and critics in the House have conspired to approve rules that deny impeachable officials proper vindication not only before the House, but in the court of public opinion. And the Supreme Court, too, has handed down decisions that have mutated impeachment into a race to file weak complaints to stave off genuine ones.
In other words, all three branches of government are stuck in a trap, with each blaming the other for tying its hand, resulting in what we have today. Yet among these institutions, it is the House that still has in its hands the means to pass new rules in keeping with those of 1949. But it won’t, because it prefers the Palace cash buffet. Its members worship at the altar of Mammon instead of the altar of public duty.
Everything else, House-wise, on the part of the majority is bravado on the part of those left holding the bag: House majority rebuffs minority boycott of impeach hearings.
And also, because the best defense is a good offense, this took place: Panlilio, 8 more charged with bribery over Palace handouts. This was something people saw coming: Ateneo official rallies support for embattled Panlilio.
And also, because the best defense is a good offense, just as whistle blowers get the book thrown at them, anyone showing any kind of independence within the ruling coalition gets the Palace pit bills unleashed on them. Manuel Buencamino pens an open letter not for the faint of heart to Juan Ponce Enrile, senior Palace pit bull.
And so, having set the scene, let’s move on to the Batasan blast. I’d just emerged from a dinner conversation with a foreign businessman who was quite worried over the effect the appreciating peso was having on ordinary people and, of course, on the bigger Filipino exporters and other businessmen with whom he did business, and who now had to put plans for expanding or upgrading their equipment on hold (for my part, I traded notes on the true extent of smuggling which is also devastating legitimate businesses). The businessman was particularly puzzled by how the appreciating peso was resulting in an increase in the cost of basic commodities, which then led to a discussion on rice and sugar smuggling, etc.
Ironically, the businessman began our conversation by telling me how he’d first arrived in the Philippines on August 21, 1983, and the pandemonium that had ensued at the Manila International Airport as he arrived shortly before Ninoy Aquino’s flight. Anyway, as I left the meeting, I received a text asking for confirmation of the blast, and so contacted colleagues in the Inquirer who confirmed it; and so it went until midnight, when the President made a brief statement. What struck me most was the quavery voice of Rep. Darlene Custodio.
The initial responses on the blogosphere run the gamut of points of view, and helps provide an insight into the public’s reaction to the news. Whether its Shasha says or Andre’s Journal! a common reaction, on one part, is to be stupefied-and-angry (or relieved to be headed abroad, like Badfish) or simply astounded, like spiderye, or being held hostage by a creeping feeling that there’s an unfolding plot, and of God-knows-what to come, as blue law by anna writes:
Holy shit. They are NOT stopping. People kasi were criticizing them before, eh why the common tao your targeting, during the Glorietta bombing, so now I guess they’re trying to prove a point, that even law-makers, wala, nothing fazes or scares us, we WILL get our point across. What point ba???!!! What do they want? My god, when the Glorietta bombing went off, I felt really bad and angry, but I didn’t feel scared pa rin. I mean, I wasn’t afraid to go malling still or go around public places. But with this Batasan bombing, I’m like, oh my god, I got a really really bad feeling in my stomach, like, of things to come, this is probably not the end of it. Punyeta silang lahat. Nakaraos na yung bayan from our history of violence and unrest tapos ngayon binabalik balik nila.
Or simply being ticked off, as OLSEN 3 was, of people immediately cracking jokes. Outside Manila, in Antique, Antikenyo says people shrugged it off.
Inner Sanctum runs through all the conspiracy theories, and correctly points out,
While there’s nothing new about politicians getting murdered, it’s the audacity of the attack that sends jitters to most people, including myself. I don’t recall lawmakers’ domains (in this case, the Batasang Pambansa) ever getting bombed. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time that an attack happened right inside the compound that houses congress.
Piercing Pens tackles other possibilities. Though New Philippine Revolution, a few days back, insisted a pattern of resistance is emerging, I’m still skeptical -coordination has not been a characteristic of the groups opposed to the administration, who more often than not, can barely manage to talk civilly to each other.
As it stands, the initial details are fully covered by the papers, see Bomb rocks Congress; solon among 3 killed and Police recover mobile phone at Congress blast site. And Arroyo creates task force vs political violence.
Even as Akbar dies, Teves in critical condition, and media attention therefore focuses on ‘Akbar, wives controlled Basilan’ (going back even further, see Ellen Tordesillas’ Akbar and the ghost of the Lamitan siege and this profile in the San Francisco Chronicle) that old reliable had to shoot his mouth off yet again: Gonzales: ‘We got the warning two weeks ago’.
You know, Gonzales didn’t help matters during the Glorietta blast, and he isn’t helping matters now. Just as one question -who was the target?- is only beginning to be resolved, Gonzales helps raise even more questions -if the target was Akbar, and government knew, why then, did the assassination (if that’s what it was) take place? The government will announce its suspects soon enough, but that, too, will raise more questions, I’m sure.
Anyway, if Akbar was the target, then it’s no different from the assassinations of other congressmen in Metro Manila right before the May elections. It shows that congressmen aren’t beyond vendetta killings formerly restricted to their home provinces -and a general deterioration in the ability of the authorities to maintain law and order.
The collateral damage, if that’s all it was, right at the House of Representatives, also sends a message that I suspect was the cause of Darlene Custodio’s quavery voice, as she described the scene at the time. They are all in it together, and in the end, enemies of the representatives aren’t interested in separating the sheep from the goats.
for me, what is significant is that it’s unclear who, precisely, dismissed the House security detail in the wake of the bombing. If it was the Speaker, then that’s fine; if it was the Secretary of the Interior, that’s an infringement on the independence of the House. This is no trivial matter, even if justified by the authorities as a question of security. If the Palace, in charge of the police power, cocoons representatives and senators in security, the legislators shouldn’t forget that it was an imposition. So far, that hasn’t happened; the Secretary of the Interior has merely offered additional security to legislators if and when they request it, which is the absolutely right way to approach security concerns.
More on Rep. Akbar in reason is the reason:
The lowdown the wife and I got from Dr. J, who was working at the FEU Hospital near the Batasang Pambansa Complex, was that the bomb had been intended for Congressman Wahab Akbar, the Distinguished Gentleman from Basilan.
An interview I heard on the radio later confirmed that the blast had likely come from a remote-controlled IED, detonated by someone within visual range of Akbar.
Akbar had unfortunately developed a routine that his enemies were quick to use to their advantage — he would have his driver pick him up at the same exit, so conveniently close to the motorcycle parking area where a bomb could easily be transported and hidden.
A quick Google search seems to indicate that Akbar had had it coming. He was alleged to have been in cahoots with the Abu Sayyaf commanders holed up in the Lamitan siege: “a group of army officers, ASG members and local governor Wahab Akbar split ransom money that they received for the ‘escape’ of three hostages in the early stages of the episode.”
In a controversial privilege speech, Akbar also claimed that 80% of Filipino Muslims were sympathetic to the Abu Sayyaf. In the same speech, Akbar made the bold claim “I am Basilan” — which wouldn’t be far from the truth, considering that two of his wives have won the top elective positions in the island province.
There’s a moral to be found here, where a man can claim to personify a violent, backward province one day — and end up riddled with shrapnel the next.
That, indeed, may be all there is to it. Live by the sword, die by the sword. If this is what happened, then the question is, just how firmly the government can clamp down if the suspects prove to be from the military, whether in the service, or AWOL.
As Ricky Carandang points out, it’s business as usual:
What happens next is anyone’s guess, but the House leadership has said that the incident will not prevent them from fulfilling their duty of killing the latest impeachment complaint against President Arroyo.
And indeed, mission accomplished: House committee rejects new impeach rap vs Arroyo.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, economy, history, House of Representatives, impeachment, media, military, mindanao, philippines, politics, society
“Again, it’s all about being responsible. I also believe in democracy and freedom, but if there is no discipline and responsibility”
I prefer an independent,”in your face ” Philippine press in a free -wheeling environment over a “suppressed” press anytime!
Tyrants throughout history have understood that information is power, and denying information to its own people, or disseminating propaganda to the rest of the world have been trademarks for years in China.
The only responsibility of the press is not to lie.
The only responsibility of the press is not to lie.
AMEN
mlq3, equalizer:
connections, i loved that show! it was my regular “mind stretch” 🙂
MB:
sir, you’ve used one of the most effective appeals to a Filipino male. the question is, may asim pa ba si Enrile?
I agree with you on that point, Equalizer. I’d rather have an excessive media over an abusive government anytime.
One thing I like about democracy is that it gives you the freedom to choose your God, in other forms of governance, the leader takes the place of God.
“you’ve used one of the most effective appeals to a Filipino male. the question is, may asim pa ba si Enrile?tonio”
Planning to write a totally unauthorized biography of Enrile,”JPE,Bypassed by History”
“One thing I like about democracy is that it gives you the freedom to choose your God, in other forms of governance, the leader takes the place of God.Qwert”
Kim Jong-il
Equalizer,
Or maybe “The Eternal Bridesmaid” ?
Tonio,
Kahit siguro doon sa mga mahilig eh hindi na sasagi sa isip nila yan naisip mong itanong…hehe
tsinoy, i was going to respond to devils with the same line of thought but you beat me to the punch. i really don’t know if it’s bad reading comprehension, or deliberate distortion of what was said. who is “censoring” speech? until put under control by marcos during his martial law regime, philippine media was one of the most free, if not the freest. it was also one of the most irresponsible and abusive. after marcos, it was back to business as usual, with a vengeance, where one can hardly see the difference between responsible reporting and tabloid journalism. the effect in the outside world is not flattering to the filipino nation which, ironically, could be insanely sensitive, e.g., the “desperate housewives” and the kimmel “insults”. btw, i think the over reaction was more demeaning than the alleged insult, for it underscores the pinoy’s lack of self-esteem, masquerading as readiness to avenge real or imagined affronts.
devils, if you think america’s press was worst, would that justify irresponsibility and abusive behavior in the philippine media? where is the relevance?
MB
Heard they plan to revive the once popular TV game show “Spin A Win”.
Conflict of interest ba if Ronnie d’ Puno becomes the show’s spinmaster?
bencard:
and therein lies the root of everything here in the Philippines sir. the only unfortunate thing is that it’s those kinds of people who are in power now.
cvj, equalizer, and the rest:
you are too quick to prosecute. what i got from tsinoy was a call for discernment, to study the “connections” of the events to everything going on around here. media should especially be suspect,especially the larger networks who see the people of this country as an audience first and as countrymen second. it totally sickens me when they engage into fabricated/exaggerated intricacies of everyday events in an effort to whip up interest in their news programming (just listen to the almost melodramatic diction of our news presenters and you’ll get what i mean), while simultaneously feeding senseless drivel and perpetuating destructive stereotypes with the rest of their local programming. makes you wanna just stick to watching cable.
MB:
i agree with you. the responsibility of the press is not to lie, unfortunately for many of your compatriots, simply telling the truth is not a prized skill. placing a controversial or exaggerated angle, is.
MB:
hehehe, well sir, kung hindi na kasi dumadaloy yung dugo ni Enrile, di na tatablan nung sinabi mo eh.
tonio, you been here, have you observed that about every media entity here in has its own Ombudsman to safeguard its integrity and entertain all complaints from the public about media misbehaviours? That’s is why we are not involve with issues like journalistic shenanigans and if their is, the remedy is the lawsuit.
How should the press have treated the news on, say, the “Hello Garci” scandal in the manner that should have made Bencard, PTBT, Dodong and the rest happy?
Headline: WITHOUT PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT, ENEMIES ACCUSE GMA OF ELECTORAL FRAUD
Using tape recordings obtained through illegal wiretapping of which possession and use in any proceedings are prohibited under Philippine law, and without any other piece of evidence to establish proof beyond reasonable doubt, members of Philippine opposition, generally known for irresponsible behavior, today accused President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of manipulating the recent presidential elections to win…
What about the Malacañang payoff scandal?
Headline: WITHOUT BOTHERING TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION TO ESTABLISH PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT, PRIEST TURNED POLITICIAN REVEALS PAYOFF IN MALACAÑANG
There, supply the body…
“while simultaneously feeding senseless drivel and perpetuating destructive stereotypes with the rest of their local programming.”
Tonio:You are free NOT to watch.But at least in this country,people still have choices.”To each his own”.
I still prefer free-wheeling media over STATE-Controlled media where everything is about “Good News” and “Praises “for the Maximum leader.Remember Marcos?
BTW,ANC is not that bad with really good shows like “The Big Picture”,”The Explainer” ,”Strictly Politics”,”The World Tonight”.
“North Korea has 12 principal newspapers and 20 major periodicals, all of varying periodicity and all published in Pyongyang. Like electronic media, print media are all controlled by the state. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the sole news distributor in North Korea. Wikipedia”
Tsinoy,old geezer:try blogging in North Korea.It’s all GOOD NEWS there.
Equalizer: “I still prefer free-wheeling media over STATE-Controlled media where everything is about “Good News†and “Praises “for the Maximum leader.Remember Marcos?”
False dichotomy there – tonio isn’t arguing that a shackled press is better than a free press. I think we’re all agreed a free press is the best option, and we’re all agreed that our press is one of the freest in SEAsia (I’ve been to Malaysia and Singapore – wow, I do not want to have a press like theirs!).
Question is, are our newspapers and news outlets free of any agendas? Axes to grind? Filters? We have to consider that, not just the institutional agendas (business interests of newspaper owners, for example), but also the political agendas of each reporter, if any (does an unconscious radical left filter exist in reporters who graduated from schoolpapers like the Collegian?).
Wait, there’s more. How often do the facts figure in a newspaper report, versus quotes from this source or that? A reporter with an agenda can tailor an article for one viewpoint or another by quoting one source, and leaving out another. These kinds of manipulations work even under a free press, and it’s good to be conscious of these things when they happen.
ricelander, i think you got the drift. crude, but with a little fine-tuning for better readability, it could work. at least, to me, it’s more factually correct. if it were up to me, i would change the text to read:
Headline: OPPOSITION ACCUSES GMA OF ELECTORAL FRAUD
then delete “to establish beyond reasonable doubt” from the story.
on the alleged pay-off, i would put:
Headline: GOVERNOR CLAIMS RECEIPT OF CASH IN MALACANANG
Thanks micketytoc. We should look at fairplay in reporting.
I do believe in a free press, but it should be a free and responsible press.
Just compare the Inquirer and The Tribune and see how people can slant their stories to fit their agenda. Inquirer is a more moderate paper while the Tribune is so slanted they believe Erap is a hero rather than the scoundrel he is.
Equalizer, I never advocated a muffled press so stop putting words in my mouth.
PTBT: Yes, I understood your argument from the beginning. The press has the privilege of being free in our country, but it also has a responsibility, that it reports the facts as neutrally as possible.
Holding a press responsible for its errors and biases is not equivalent to a shackled press.
All this bashing against media exaggerating, making assertions, speculating, etc., etc.
Look, the GMA Administration is a secretive, opaque regime that covers up every hole at the first whiff of a scandal. In a vacuum like that, people will naturally (with emphasis on “naturally”) speculate. Anybody who says he has not speculated is a bare-faced liar. The media is not an inanimate machine. It is made up of people who behave as normal human beings do. To expect the media, and the people at large for that matter, to keep silent in the face of a vacuum is stupidity.
Do you think media would speculate if GMA allowed executive department officials to attend Senate hearings and tell the truth? Do you think media would speculate if this Administration allowed free access to public documents (e.g., NEDA minutes on NBN)?
So, if this government is the object of speculations, it only has itself to blame. Not the media.
Create a vacuum and all sorts of things will fill it in. To rage against it is futile. The only thing that will stop speculation in its track is – yes, Bencard and Tsinoy – transparency. Something Gloria does not have.
The free media is first and foremost a business. The freedom to publish is in the end a competitive business where if people do not buy or listen or tune in your business dies.
Anyone who reads, listens or views the news is like a buyer of goods and services – ‘let the buyer beware’
Since the power to communicate with the whole community endows the owners of media awesome powers varying perspectives can be gleaned from media outlets. The self interest of the owners mostly prevails in what is and what is not pursued.
Once again most can embelish or spin the information they dessiminate.
Anyone who reads, listens or views the news is like a buyer of goods and services – ‘let the buyer beware’
If one wants intelligent information and discussion you will have to go to the premier news outlets in the world. In the Philippines there is only one – in my opinion – Businessweek. The rest are glorified tabloids.
In the U.S. most Americans do not watch the public channel because there is no basic cutlture of philosophy in the U.S. You are taught to be practical and educations is narrowed on getting a skill to survive. In Europe it is different. You get both.
Everything that is published and broadcast is decided on by a select and small group of men and women. They always will have the political economy (their own interest) in the back of their mind.
One must not also forget that the pracrtice of law in the U.S. is adversarial. The soveriegn is the constituion. So even the government is subject to oversight by their own agencies and the other branches of the government since the actual sovereign is the U.S. Constitution.
The push and pull between the executive and the legislature and even agencies under the executive when they challenge their commander in chef is bound by the Constituion.
The evolution of differnet forms of authoritarian governments to this stage will take time as the principles of the individual rights, responsibilities and accountabilties of everyone under a sovereign constitution will entail a mass of the population who are economically independent and dependent on each other.
Modern ecopnomies have evovled wherein the relationship of labor and capital is joined at the hip. One cannot exist without the other. The government should only be a referee. But how to get to that stage is the continuing struggle. Vested interest will always dictate the pace of change.
The will always demand the status quo. That is why you have the right and left. That is the distinction that brought out the division. Left, the progreessive side for change. Right for the status quo. Hence the term the flat earth society. You can glean who belong to which side.
“I guess what I am really saying is this….go ahead, talk about the problem…but please stop embellishing…seek the truth but don’t just rely on what media is saying…they have their own agenda….†– Tsinoy
TSINOY, IF ONLY THOSE PROUD TSINOYS LIKE YOU WILL JUST BE PROUD TO CALL THEMSELVES PINOYS, THE PROBLEM OF THE COUNTRY IS ABOUT 90 PERCENT SOLVED. IT’S NOT EVEN THE SYSTEM PER SE. IT’S THEM. THOSE PROUD TSINOYS.
IT IS THEM TOO, THOSE PROUD TSINOYS, WHO OWN AND CONTROL THE PHLIPPINE MEDIA. CHECK IT OUT. SO WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT?
“That’s exactly the point….we should stop whining and start trying to fix the problem in our own small ways and not wait for government and the regime to fix the problem.†– Tsinoy
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIME ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. BUT AGAIN THE MAIN PROBLEM ARE THOSE PROUD TSINOYS WHO CANNOT BE PROUD TO BE PINOYS.
“still the same feudalistic datus ruling over their natives with the occasional piece of meat thrown in to placate them. And that is what I meant when I said that people in our country are not yet ready for democracy.†– Tsinoy
DON’T TRY TO EMBELLISH BUT SEEK THE TRUTH. HERE’S ONE SCHOLARLY OBSERVATION FROM ROELM IN THE OTHER THREAD:
EQUALIZAR SAID IT BEST:
WE WILL BE READY FOR DEMOCRACY FROM OLIGOPOLY AND PLUTOCRACY IF THOSE PROUD TSINOYS WILL BE READY TO BE PROUD AS PINOYS. PERIOD.
NOT THE GOVERNMENT, NOT THE POLITICIANS, NOT THE SYSTEM OR NOT EVEN THE PRESENT REGIME BUT THOSE PROUD TSINOYS, WHO ARE NOT PROUD PINOYS, ARE THE REAL PROBLEM OF THE COUNTRY, THE REAL ENEMY.
Question is, are our newspapers and news outlets free of any agendas? No
A brief glance at the history of the newspaper, the profile its owners, a simple comparison of the treatment of the same news in the different papers demonstrated beyond all doubt that the constituent elements that go to make up “the newspaper†are very varied here and abroad.
In America: Washington Times (conservative),Washington Post /New York Times (liberal)
In the UK: a whole rainbow of political views, from extreme left , center, right, extreme right (Guardian, Times, The Observer, Independent ,Daily Telegraph)
In The Philippines:
Bulletin(classified ads on Sunday)
Star (Belmonte clan)
Manila Standard Today(Razon)
Tribune (Ninez)
Inquirer (Prietos)
Malaya (Macasaet)
I must admit I miss Chino Roces’ MANILA TIMES.
I totally agree with the Shaman about Gloria’s regime being secretive, opaque, and deceptive. I also agree that we have all the leeway to speculate, and should take advantage of it.
I would just add this caveat: speculations, particularly when done by the mainstream press, should be subjected to tests against reality. Balik tayo sa Batasan bombing: we know it’s a bomb, but can we speculate that Gloria ordered it, as some have suggested in this thread? The evidence says no.
Evidence serves as a test in reality for any speculation, and we shouldn’t treat unfounded speculation with the same respect as speculation rooted in evidence.
In fact, we should be suspicious of assertions made without evidence to back them up.
Carl Sagan suggested a “Baloney Detection Kit” that can help us find the truth in any assertion; I suggest we learn to use it.
shaman, of course the media is free to speculate – so is everyone, including you. but whoever feeds it to the public must make it clear that it’s speculation, not a fact, and there is no available proof to substantiate it at the moment, if that is the case. it’s just a matter of being honest and fair, not deception and con artistry.
secrecy of one party is no excuse for falsely fabricating “facts”, c’mon.
old geezer: in the real world of the Philippines,it’s hard to search for proof to substantiate everything.
No tranparency at all.
Executive privilege and EO 464 are used as shields for cover-ups.
“There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots – suspicion.â€ÂDemosthenes
vic:
yup, you wouldn’t expect that sort of behaviour from the CBC, but the CBC isn’t just the government mouthpiece, it won’t hesitate to place erring MPs and other government officials in their place, albeit gently. and the media really do police themselves over there. here, well…
of course it won’t. but im pointing out a basic thing here. if the media there is even worser than here, why are people there not asking for more moderation from these media outlets?
perhaps bec they know that the end of democracy starts with little things. first it’s asking media to be responsible. then next, govt will define which is responsible and which isn’t irresponsible reporting. before too long, what we’ll have is a muzzled press.
i hope you can appreciate the import of that bencard.
our media leaves much to be desired. but it is a working media that is better left alone to evolve responsibility on their own.
since media is consumable, then it’s up to the consumers to demand such responsibility from the seller. stop patronizing those who are obviously irresponsible.
i’ve stopped watching GMA and ABS-CBN news. simply abominable the programming of these two. no story is followed through, and overkill in other stories. plus, they’re still at it with infotainment.
for my news, I read inquirer. then I watch CNN and BBC.
Equalizer: “in the real world of the Philippines,it’s hard to search for proof to substantiate everything.”
That still doesn’t justify believing speculation without evidence. Besides, official cover-ups may close some areas of investigation, but they can’t close them all.
Like I said (in a comment that’s still awaiting moderation):
Every speculation should be tested against the evidence. Evidence serves as a test in reality, and we shouldn’t treat unfounded speculation with the same respect as speculation rooted in evidence.
In fact, we should be suspicious of assertions made without evidence to back them up. Even if the government makes it hard to collect evidence; no excuses.
Bencard, I think I know how you would headline a newstory wherein your reporter received a copy of the Garci recordings: REPORTER RECEIVES RECORDING (WHETHER ORIGINAL OR NOT IS NOT CLEAR) OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS OF TWO PERSONS (their sex cannot be ascertained from the recordings)
But your:
Headline: OPPOSITION ACCUSES GMA OF ELECTORAL FRAUD
is a story about the opposition’s interpretation of the Garci Recordings not of the Garci recordings themselves.
and you other headline:
on the alleged pay-off, i would put:
Headline: GOVERNOR CLAIMS RECEIPT OF CASH IN MALACANANG
is accurate but why include Malacanang at all when it was received from somebody not from Malacanang but from another governor. But the more accurate headline would be: GOVERNOR CLAIMS RECEIPT OF CASH FROM AIDE WHO CLAIMS RECEIPT OF CASH FROM ANOTHER GOVERNOR WHEN THEY WERE IN MALACANANG
Well, you may want to redefine what a headline is.
“no story is followed through.. DevilADV8”
That’s also my biggest complaint!
One-day headlines!That’s why the government moves from one mischief to another.
We have no memory.
“Even if the government makes it hard to collect evidence; no excuses.”
The best protection for the people is not necessarily to believe everything people tell them: Demosthenes
“i’ve stopped watching GMA and ABS-CBN news. simply abominable the programming of these two. no story is followed through, and overkill in other stories. plus, they’re still at it with infotainment.”- devils
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I think part of the reason is the kind of market these networks have and it can be gauge by the commercials they show.
CNN have 5 star hotels,airline companies,resorts,insurance,luxury cars, laptops, etc… while these local networks have shampoos,skin products,detergents, fastfood chain… etc and of course lest we forget, the political ads during election campaign.
I’ve said before that a dictatorship here in the Philippines would be worthwhile if it is used to break up (i.e. spring clean) the current elite of the country. In China, Mao destroyed the oligarchy and the warlords which paved the way for Deng’s reforms. In Vietnam, they did the same which is why we had the phenomenon of the Boat People. That cleared the decks for their subsequent take off.
In non-communist States like Singapore, one good thing the dictator LKY did was to force integration among races in favor of a Singaporean-identity. This is done via mundane rules like quotas among various races (Chinese, Malay and Indian) in terms of housing block occupancy. Over here, a dictator should break up the ghettoes in Binondo and Greenhills. Also, s/he should imprison any ‘Tsinoy’ who is reported to be prohibiting his son/daughter from marrying a ‘Pinoy’. Any Tsinoy who leaves will of course be allowed to do so minus his capital which should stay in country for the benefit of the people.
Then maybe the next generation would be rid of this BS dichotomy between Tsinoys/Pinoys.
Equalizer:
maybe i should really get cable. or just read my news on the net, as i usually do. because seriously, if you still watch local free TV, how can you take a news program that says, in the same tone, “senado inimbistiga ang bigayan sa malacañang” and “bea and john lloyd nag-aaway nga ba?”…
cvj:
did you court a Chinese girl and had a really great relationship, just that their parents were the problem? i did. hahahaha! i wasn’t chinese enough.
but come on man, is it still like that nowadays?
are the filipinos of chinese descent still the “real enemy” as watchful so loudly proclaims?
aren’t Filipinos who aren’t afraid to trample on their countrymen for a bit of the “good life” just as much to blame?
we are all guilty of a myopia of interests–they’re only clear so long as it involves the welfare of the small group they consider their own. it’s all just a matter of degree.
as i told bencard though, it’s those who are hopelessly myopic who are running things, owning things, and making the most money in this place.
too bad for the rest of us.
Bencard,
Speculations in the media, more often than not, come in the form of opinions based on available facts, or on allegations from one side that are not controverted by the other side. These opinions are found in editorials and columns, that’s why you find them in the “Opinion” pages of newspapers. Reporters, on the other hand, report the opinions of other people, usually public figures, and perhaps some ordinary people, if only to have a glimpse of the public pulse. Opinions are opinions and nobody can claim outright that they are “facts”, even if they are based on partial evidence. Now, if someone thinks that my opinion, for instance, all things considered, conforms to reality, I can’t blame that someone if he believes my opinion is “fact” and act on it accordingly.
It is not necessary for media to always preface its reports or opinion pieces with phrases such as, “What I will say or report is not backed up by evidence beyond reasonable doubt.” (Do they do that in your neck of the woods?) The public is not as stupid as some people think it is to be treated so condescendingly.
The primary responsibility of the media is to the public interest, and not to bend to the government’s will. Its main duty is to bring to the people information that impinge on public welfare. Even a government lie is information that has to be reported. For sure, a lie is not a “fact”, is it? But it has to be reported just the same.
It is through the information that the media provides that public opinion is formed. And this public opinion is, in turn, reflected in the media. If the government wants public opinion to be on its side, it has to give out facts that the media can report, not lies. If the government wants to win the public opinion war, it has to stop being secretive and cease covering things up. Because, again, the public is not that stupid.
In the end, the moral is: the government must promote public interest all the time, every time. That’s the only way to keep public trust.
And if government does that, for sure, it will be reported in the media.
tonio, my constant hanging out in the blogosphere would give you an idea on how good i am in initiating real world personal relations. Anyway, when the time comes, i’m sure a Pinoy brigade can be formed made up of disappointed would-be suitors like you to inform on misguided parents who can then be reeducated.
As i said above, a significant portion of Filipinos are of ‘Chinese’-descent since most of us came from the Mainland or Taiwan. It’s only that integration into mainstream society was disrupted during the Spanish & American periods so the latecomers haven’t been able to integrate (maybe through no fault of theirs). Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore saw that such internal-balkanization is not good for national development so he took steps to ensure integration and equity. We should do the same.
As far as i see, it is the elite in Wack-Wack and other enclaves who come up with self-serving deals the costs of which will be passed on to the rest of us Filipinos in the form of loans. Aside from this, who are you referring to?
Which is why it is time to take into account the welfare of the great majority of Filipinos. The elites have occupied their current positions of power and privilege for too long with nothing to show for it. It’s time to change that.
“I think part of the reason is the kind of market these networks have and it can be gauge(d) by the commercials they show.
“CNN have 5 star hotels,airline companies,resorts,insurance,luxury cars, laptops, etc… while these local networks have shampoos,skin products,detergents, fastfood chain… etc and of course lest we forget, the political ads during election campaign.” qwert
No use complaining about the market. A vast majority of Filipinos are poor. It’s a fact of life that no one can deny. All businesses, the media networks included, always go for the largest market. No wonder, then, that you get ads in GMA and ABS-CBN for “shampoos,skin products,detergents, fastfood chain… etc.”
Same thing with CNN. It has a particular audience, that’s why you get ads for “5 star hotels,airline companies,resorts,insurance,luxury cars, laptops, etc”.
In other words, the networks are just acting rationally. You can’t fault them for that.
“In other words, the networks are just acting rationally. You can’t fault them for that.”-shaman
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Right on target Shaman, one cannot fault these media outfits. So, it is incumbent upon the government and any government for that matter to alleviate the plight of the majority of our people-the poor.Good governance equals better people equals better media.
mlq3,
Bencard and Proud to be Tsinoy on the right and all the others on the left. Interesting divide. I wonder if it is all about the age difference, as in generation gap perhaps?
Thanks.
cvj:
an interesting proposition… how, besides the installation of a “benevolent dictatorship” will this happen you think?
shaman:
i can get it with the drivel on TV Shaman, I can. after all, networks have to pay they’re talents. and they are businesses after all, with a bottom line to protect, but the news? must news anchors and reporters get in on the act too?
The more important question is “benevolent to whom”? In my own blog entry, i distinguished between a populist dictatorship where the benefit goes to the masa and an elitist dictatorship which favors the current powers.
As the Nigerian proverb goes “He whose head is used to open the coconut does not get to participate in the eating.” I’m not one to endorse a dictatorship, but if it ever has to come to that, you can guess whose heads i would prefer to use as coconuts.
on a question related to the bombing, and i hope someone can give us some behavioural angle here…
when an assassin uses a bomb, what is he saying?
hi there bencard,
thanks for the backgrounder, we are both from bicol! you have a bit of nora aunor in your history — selling bottles of water at trainstations!
re: this patriotism bit issue. i wonder if you got the patriotism bug when you moved to America, rather than when you were here in the Philippines. i think the challenge for all of us Pinoys is to develop love of country while we are here in the land of our birth, rather than developing judgmental attitudes regarding patriotism when we are safely cocooned in environments where love of country is a given. i agree with you that americans in general are a patriotic bunch — moreso than Pinoys — i say this with a bit of sadness — because historically, Americans shared a lot of historical events that united them — while we pinoys are still struggling, and the pivotal moments we had were quite hilaw or nipped in the bud — Phil. Revolution of 1896-98, Edsa I and II, etc.
and re: alice in wonderland, i’m not referring to you being in America and it being a wonderland — i’m referring to a state of mind when a human being make pronouncements based on standards that cannot be realistically or humanely applied in a given setting. i hope you get my point.
Just a note for Proud to be Tsinoy.
You will agree with me that compared to some of the countries around RP, Pinas is a democracy. When you say that Pinas “…is NOT ready for democracy”, it would be like you smacking yourself in the face.
In Malaysia, Tsinoys are not treated as first class citizens the way you are treated in Pinas (because Pinas is a democracy), you will not be able to go to a Malaysian university as easily as you may in Pinas (because Pinas is a democracy), you will have to pay more for the same type of home that other non-Tsinoys of Malay stock and which you don’t have to in Pinas (because Pinas is a democracy), your children will have lesser access to opportunities and will find that many of them will have to live lives in less luxurious circumstances unless they get to be drivers or aide to foreign expats, etc. and that is because as a Tsinoy, you will be non-Bumiputra
You will be treated a second class citizen in Malaysia even if you have been lucky enough to have the trappings of wealth and splendour because you are a Tsinoy which is absolutely the opposite in Pinas. In that sense, the Philippines is a democracy and is ready for democracy, otherwise, where would you be?
So let’s have less of this “Philippines is not ready for democracy” crap because if Pinas were not ready, you would be considered second class and perhaps, third class citizen for being a Tsinoy just like in Malaysia.
Catch Us If You Can
(by the Palace Gang 5)
Here they come again, mmmm-mm-mm
Catch us if you can, mmmm-mm-mm
Time to get a move on, mmmm-mm-mm
We will yell with all of our might
* “As far as the Palace is concerned, with this impeachment issue settled, at least at the committee level, we can now move on and tackle other issues that really matter to the people,†Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye told members of the media this afternoon in Malacanang.(Press Briefing 11/15)
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
* According to the President, the preoccupation with politics does not contribute to stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that the country needs to move forward. “Indeed, it’s time for a new beginning and when we talk about a new beginning we talk about moving on,” she said.(KBP meeting 11/15)
Now we gotta run, mmmm-mm-mm
No more time for fun, mmmm-mm-mm
When you’re getting angry, mmmm-mm-mm
We will yell with all of our might
* “Too much preoccupation with politics does not promote stability, continuity, security and order that we need to move Team Philippines forward,†Bunye said.
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
Yeahhhhh
“So let’s have less of this “Philippines is not ready for democracy†crap because if Pinas were not ready, you would be considered second class and perhaps, third class citizen for being a Tsinoy just like in Malaysia.MBW”
Well said!