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
cvj
I meant “Dahil (not then) siempre nanalo siya.” Doesn’t mean I agree with it. It’s the reality of the situation then.
And CVJ, just because I said we are not ready doesn’t imply I am more ready for democracy than others. I too have my baggage to deal with. I too have some discernment issues. At least I am honest enough to know I have them. I am not like some other people in this forum who feels so morally superior and so all knowing.
manuelbuencamino on, “I think people know. I think people will not tolerate injustice. The idea that people will go along as long as they have a full stomach is a lie against humanity because it degrades us to the level of animals. It is an idea propagated by tyrants and would be tyrants.”
This probably described the current comatose – people tolerated the Congress vote on impeachment, no large people reaction nationwide as long they have full stomach. Maybe that is how they wanted it – no impeachment of the President. There is no survey if the people agree who their congressmen actions, or if they don’t, do they wanted to initiate recall as provided in the local government code.
Watchful eye
If below is your take of me, then I fully agree. Maybe I felt being alluded to lang kasi…if it was a mistaken allusion on my part, then I am sorry….Peace bro…
“If you are “proud of (your) roots†and “love the Philippines†because you are A PROUD PINOY then don’t feel guilty because I am not talking about you. You are not the problem, the enemy of the Filipinos.”
Equalizer
Stealing an election IS wrong. I agree with you on that.
PTSP:mÃÂng tiÄÂn jiàn 。
Tsao An! Ming Tien Jian.
WE:thanks.Are you alright,sir?
That’s a good admission because the reality is we all have our blind spots. Whether it’s the Bindondo crowd, the Wack-wack crowd or those from Tondo and the Provinces. The only consolation is, our blind spots are in different locations. The Upper and Middle class saw through Erap while the masa were blind to his faults. The opposite is true in the case of Gloria Arroyo where the masa instinctively did not trust her from the very beginning while many in the Upper and Middle classes are still defending her up to now.
This is precisely the reason why we need genuine democracy, i.e. to take care of each other’s blind spots. No group or person in our Philippine society is so superior and all knowing to act as a guide. Everyone is imperfect in some way. Now a democracy only works if the process of aggregating decisions (e.g. elections) is seen to be fair and just which is why Gloria Arroyo’s subversion of that process at the highest levels is so wrong.
Tell me Madonna, have you ever lied in life? I bet you did. Not once not twice but many times over. And its teh same case with those peopel in the opposistion who is crying out loud about Glorias lies. Then if we apply your rule of morality, that makes you and all the people in the Philippines ( including me ) not so credible too. Then this forum becomes a group of people that is not credible discussant
Now if we apply the rule law. We will be looking at the impact of that lies. And if we feel that a law is broken.Then we go to courts and file appropriate charges. The the wheel of justice will just take over. Wala na tayong pagdedeatehan pa about the issue of lying. Then we can do other things like really attending the flight of teh poor or anything that can really make these country move forward.
manuelbuencamino on, “The only responsibility of the press is not to lie.”
Idealistic. No one measures the press to its responsibility – except for actual libel charges. The large consuming public turn to newspaper with punchline and sensational stories which drive up readerships and advertising revenues.
CVJ
Agree about taking care of each other’s blind spots. My point though, if you read my threads, have been about us Pinoys being blind all these years. Despite nga the fact that we’ve gone through FM, Erap and GMA, we still are truly blind. ANd that’s why I thought maybe, we aren;t ready for democracy.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t plant the seeds. I am saying AT THIS TIME, we aren’t ready. We need to train people to be more discerning. We need to make people, especially the masses understand the implications of maintaining this feudal system. We need to make people understand what their responsibilities are in a democracy.We need to let people know they DO HAVE a stake in the system, and therefore, they SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE to make it work. As of now, that’s sense of responsibility is not in place at all.
I never advocated a dictatorship as some people think.
“It is not a question of happiness, it is a question of right or wrong.dodong â€Â
Is stealing an election right or wrong?Pls answer categorically.
will u answer?
Responsibility entails some sacrifice on everybody’s part, and that’s where things falter for our people. Once we start talking about sacrifice, most of the time, tapos na ang boxing even without throwing the first punch. Yun ang tunay na ibig kong sabihin sa sinasabi kong di pa tayo handa sa demokrasya na iaasam nating lahat.
dOdOng said ‘It is not a question of happiness, it is a question of right or wrong. The fundamental issue, is illegal wiretapping of President of the Philippines, military’s Commander in Chief which is treason and punishable by death.”
Hilo ka na naman dOdOng? Wala talagang patutunguhan ang pamimilosopo mo.
cvj on, “Which is why 70% of Americans believed that Saddam was involved in 9-11.”
The decision to invade Iraq was approved by joint Congress on October 2002 based but not limited to the following, (1) non-compliance of UN resolutions, (2) alleged (not actual) weapons of mass destructions, (3) brutal repression of its people, (4) Iraq use of WMD on other nations (Iran) and on its people (Kurds & Shitte), (5) assassination attempt of president GHW Bush, (6) members of Al Queda were known to be in Iraq, (7) Iraq aiding and harboring terrorist organizations, (8) to fight terrorists including 9/11 wherever they are, (9) authority under the Constitution, (10) Iraq liberation act of 1998 to remove Saddam Hussein.
The absence of 9/11 connectivity and lack of WMD is not enough to impeach Bush. The authority to invade Iraq is iron clad. The world perception including yours is different from the americans.
supremo on, “Wala talagang patutunguhan ang pamimilosopo mo”.
You are free to express what you think. Thanks. However, readers can tell if you are making sense or not.
The answer to stealing election is WRONG.
The constitution secured the right against unjust accusation, the burden is yours to prove.
dOdOng,
Hilo ka nga.
well I am TRULY confounded now. and i thought you and bencard were ruing the bad rap our country is getting because of our “irresponsible” media “ruining” our image to other countries which is “bad for business.” and all along good news or bad news business opportunities exists… golly.
what kind of doofus businessman relies on media news for business decisions? good businessmen rely on hard data, facts and figures – gained through research, not through media fed information. good decisions require a careful balancing act of both gut instinct and analysis of factors at play. and of course, these businessmen rely on their own network of news bringers – those who work on the ground. for all they care, our media news is just garbage to them – nothing to take seriously. all businessmen know all news are tainted with spin. it’s just a matter of who’s doing the tainting, and for what motives.
Proud to be Tsinoy is terribly confused: When he says “Iilan lang ang may tunay na pagmamahal sa Pilipinas. At di ko sinasabing kasama ako diyan. Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.” followed later on by his equally confused statement:
“That’s is what I meant by the Philippines not being ready for democracy.”
Proud to be Tsinoy, ou gotta make a choice, either you give it all you’ve got to love Pinas so Pinas will be a true democracy or not but you cannot on one hand say you don’t truly love it and on one hand say that Pinas is not ready for democracy — which is it and why?
One of your reasonis that because NOT ALL protest corruption in Pinas therefore Pinas or Pinoys are not ready for democracy is utter hogwash!
The fact that people have a choice whether to protest or not is proof enough that Pinas is democracy. The fact that people in Pinas respect their fellow citizens who are not of the Filipino-Malay stock and treat them as equal culturally and before the law, before the Constitution is because Pinas is a democracy.
Again, where would you be if Pinas were not a democracy? Today, you go around Pinas allowed to do whatever business you do because you are not treated second class citizen for being a proud Tsinoy. We don’t have bumiputra in Pinas — nothing of the kind you will find in RP Constitution because Pinas is a democracy.
In the same token, I advise you to make sure of your sentiment about the Philippines, i.e., as when you say “Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.” before you continue on your personalized crusade of trying to tell Filipinos here that Pinas is not ready for democracy.
Totally hogwash!
“I am TRULY confounded now”
Thank you so I can explain. You are correct that business decision relies on hard data and research. Have you heard of the saying, “past performance does not guarantee results”? Direction to certain degree however can be influenced by political driven factors like increase in VAT, political clamor for BSP intervention in currency market (critical to export/import business), resistance to oil price and political decision will alter the financials of oil companies.
To deviladvocate, may I add that media influence stock market, fuels currency movement. If the strong peso continue its trend, your job in the long term might be affected. Philippine call center will lose its competitiveness in the global market.
dOdOng said ‘Have you heard of the saying, “past performance does not guarantee resultsâ€Â?’
Saying? It is a SEC requirement for investment ads with performance data to say that past performance does not guarantee results.
Another example, alarmist concern of political condition can increase insurance premium especially if there is targeted bombing of shopping malls.
The best example is reactionary prices due to news on oil. Before local oil companies can increase the price, the small merchants have marked up their prices in advance.
dOdOng said ‘may I add that media influence stock market, fuels currency movement.’
Since when?
supremo on, “It is a SEC requirement for investment ads with performance data to say that past performance does not guarantee results.”
Yes. We live by that. We do budget and forecast based on historical data and given preset conditions. Those conditions can be changed in variety of ways including political fallout.
dOdOng said ‘If the strong peso continue its trend, your job in the long term might be affected. Philippine call center will lose its competitiveness in the global market.’
So all the call center owners just depended on the peso-dollar exchange rate when they decided to invest in the Philippines? Ang babaw naman nila.
“So all the call center owners just depended on the peso-dollar exchange rate when they decided to invest in the Philippines? Ang babaw naman nila.”
There is a certain threshold in currency rate, that doing business in Philippines is no longer cost effective for Call Center investment. I am not surprised anymore how business decisions are taken. It is their money.
Do Exchange Rates Matter? from Newswise
“Foreign exchange rate issues have become more important in recent years, especially in emerging markets, but businesses appear to look through exchange rate volatility to focus on key market opportunities, finds a new, far-ranging study released today by The Conference Board in conjunction with The Group of Thirty, a private, non-profit, international group dedicated to increasing understanding of critical global economic and financial issues.
Global businesses take exchange rates into consideration in making investment decisions, but market opportunity, political risk, and the legal environment are all more important for foreign investment decisions than exchange rate risks………………”
thanks supremo on the links…
If the management of Philippine call centers take hedging scheme (took options, forwards or futures contract) to manage currency risk then that will offset spike in cost of operation from peso appreciation. However, only 36% of the respondents took financial hedges.
As long peso appreciation is close to rupee appreciation, then there is no advantage of switching investment to the competitor (India).
am not clear on this, rego: you mean the ‘opposistion’ lied about glorias(‘) lies? or the ‘opposistion’ were crying out loud that gloria lies?
the former conjecture is bad, bad, bad, the ‘opposistion’ should never cover ‘glorias lies’, so you reckon? as to the latter, the ‘opposistion’ were exposing–by crying out loud–‘glorias lies’. so where do you stand here, rego?
move on?
MBW
Where did you get the idea that I said ““Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.†??? Stop putting words in my mouth.
All I said was that I also have my own baggage (my own shortcomings).
IF YOU FEEL SO SUPERIOR SUCH THAT YOU’RE SO PERFECT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR LOVE OF COUNTRY, THEN SO BE IT.
I read your points and some of them I do agree. You’re right that there IS democracy in the Philippines when it comes to being able to say what you have to say….but is that the only essence of democracy then?
BTW, I never advocated censorship. I only advocated responsible journalism. I guess for you, you should be able to say anything you want,without any shred of proof except for the say so of people”.
Just a matter of semantics, Bencard. There is a very thin line between speculation and opinion Both can have partial basis in fact. You might have even mistaken an opinion you’ve heard in the media as speculation.
Is that all you can say? I’m quite disappointed.
Yeah, if you Americans decide among yourselves to invade, then that becomes ‘iron clad’, right? Typical.
And then when it turns out that your 9-11 connection and WMD pretexts were bogus, you can shrug it off with a Britneyesque ‘Oops..i did it again.’ How about 1 million Iraqi killed and millions more displaced? Because of your country, it’s like the Iraqi people are having their own 9-11 every other day.
“Where did you get the idea that I said ““Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.†??? Stop putting words in my mouth.”-tsinoy
November 16th, 2007 at 9:59 am
__________________________
Tsinoy,
In fairness try to compare the two quotes…..
“Iilan lang ang may tunay na pagmamahal sa Pilipinas. At di ko sinasabing kasama ako diyan. Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.”-tsinoy
November 15th, 2007 at 1:00 am
This is the explosion that killed the already dead pulido impeachment complaint:
“Those who oppose the President do not trust her at all and there could be no betrayal of a trust that was never there,â€Â- Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles (Inquirer report)
This congressman is betraying his own common sense…
PANTIES for PEACE!
“You can post, deliver, or fling your panties at the closest Burmese Embassy from today. Send early, Send Often! This is your chance to use your Panty Power to take away the power from the SPDC and support the people of Burma.â€Â
Women in several countries have begun sending their panties to Myanmar embassies in a culturally insulting gesture of protest against the recent brutal crackdown there, a campaign supporter said Friday.
“It’s an extremely strong message in Burmese and in all Southeast Asian culture,†said Liz Hilton, who supports an activist group that launched the “Panties for Peace†drive earlier this week.
The group, Lanna Action for Burma, says the country’s superstitious generals, especially junta leader Gen. Than Shwe, also believe that contact with women’s underwear saps them of power.
Should we start a “UP for Esperon” movement?(“Used Panties for Esperon”)
“One has to consider China’s hostory to decipher what really went on in TianAnMen Square. What you have always heard is what the Western Democracies want you to hear…..read up on CHina’s history through China’s eyes, then you’ll understand why what happened in TianAnMen happened.
“The CHinese mind is very different from the Western mind…democracy in the form presented by the Westerners is a very alien concept to the CHinese.” – Tsinoy
Tsinoy, I’m not Chinese, so I don’t think I can read up on China’s history through China’s eyes. Since you have a Chinese mind, please just explain to me, if you don’t mind, in simple terms, why I should not be horrified by what happened in Tiannamen Square. There’s nothing wrong in wanting to understand the Chinese mind, is there?
By the way, please stop giving out statements like, “Iilan lang ang may tunay na pagmamahal sa Pilipinas.” Why, have you polled all 80 million Filipinos? Magagalit sa iyo niyan si Manoy Bencard (who thinks the world is just one big courtroom), saying things without evidence beyond reasonable doubt.
“Where did you get the idea that I said ““Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.†??? Stop putting words in my mouth.â€Â-tsinoy
November 16th, 2007 at 9:59 am
__________________________
Tsinoy,
In fairness try to compare the two quotes…..
“Iilan lang ang may tunay na pagmamahal sa Pilipinas. At di ko sinasabing kasama ako diyan. Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.â€Â-tsinoy
November 15th, 2007 at 1:00 am” – qwert
Qwert, I think you just have to understand Tsinoy. Judging by the time (November 15th, 2007 at 1:00 am) he wrote his “pag-amin”, it must have been the lateness of the hour. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.
Shaman,
No problem, I can understand tsinoy, I just cannot speak for MBW, the moment she reads Tsinoy’s response…
Say, qwert, have you heard about the latest report on the Batasan blast? It said that because of the accumulated shit inside the House over the years, there was a build-up of methane gas. It was ignited by the forceful discharge of shit from the Committee on Justice while deliberating on the Pulido impeachment complaint, causing a powerful explosion.
Shaman,
I did. On the other hand, did you hear the latest report about the discovery of the complete registration papers of the motorcycle used in the Batasan bombing? It was a three page document and Barias was very careful as he presented it to the media because written at the back of the pages was the Pulido impeach-me complaint.
Yes, qwert, I did, but I want to confirm if the word “planted” was really stamped on the registration papers.
Shaman,
Another report to consider,the Batasan bombing was an inside job according to police authorities, they have arrested this afternoon the chef of the south lounge for two reasons.The first, serving contaminated pork to the justice committee during lunch that lead to the instant outbreak of diarrhea, the rest is history, the septic tank just cannot take it anymore. The second reason, for accidentally igniting an LPG (Liquified Politician’s Gas).
Shaman
Thanks for being fair. I may have miswritten the quote. Didn’t really mean to say that if that was really what I wrote. (“aminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.”)
Regarding my other comment, it is an opinion. I am not saying that it’s true. I look at what goes on around me and reached that conclusion. You are right. I should not have phrased it as a matter of fact. It may be the case that I am just referring to what I see in Metro Manila. Peo
Shaman
I found na the comment. What I was really trying to say is: aaminin ko na ako rin di ako naging responsable at disiplinado. That’s what I was trying to say.
SOrry to MBW. You are correct that I did say that. But it wasn;t what I was trying to say. Nahihilo na rin ako siguro.
No problem, Tsinoy. It happens that we sometimes find ourselves struggling with a language that is not our first tongue.
By the way, Tsinoy, I’m still interested to know why I should not be horrified by the Tiananmen Square incident.
See what I meant by Proud to Be Pinoy’s being confused?
“Where did you get the idea that I said ““Aaminin ko din na di lubos ang aking pagmamahal.†??? Stop putting words in my mouth.”
You have put your own words in your mouth and now you say I accuse you of putting words in your mouth?
OK, agree you’re confused (nahihilo) so think first before you say anything else from hereon before you accuse people here of being racist because you yourself have opened the door and shown your true color.
Ooops, didn’t read Proud to be Tsinoy’s apology.
Accepted — let’s move on.