This photo was taken in the vicinity of the Senate flagpole last night as a candle-lighting was held last night, to pray that Jun Lozada would surface and be released safely. The man in the red shirt is one of the brothers of Jun Lozada. Earlier that day, Lozada brother seeks amparo writ from SC. The candle-lighting was in support of that effort. The gentleman beside Lozada’s brother is Black & White Movement Convenor Vicente Romano III. You can read Affidavit A vs Affidavit B: ZTE witness preparing new story, says Ermita for a background on Jun Lozada’s odyssey as a potential witness and the Palace counter-effort to get Lozada to change his testimony.
Who is Jun Lozada? You can begin with an entry last week in Ricky Carandang’s blog, The Lozada Factor, posted when Lozada, due to testify before the Senate, was suddenly sent out of the country by the Palace:
Lozada has first hand knowledge of many of the events that led to the deal being signed. When the senate’s investigation zeroed in on him, he started getting “anonymous” death threats, followed by summons to meet with Palace officials. Earlier this week, he was ordered to cool his heels in Hong Kong so he couldn’t testify. But he can’t stay there forever and no one really knows what he’ll do when he comes back. He may succumb to the pressure, or he may — despite the great personal risk to him and his family– rise to the occasion and tell the truth about what he knows. And that’s giving someone in the Palace sleepless nights.
Additional material on Lozada and why he matters can be found in Newsbreak’s Senate Key Witness to Corroborate Neri.
The sleepless nights, as Carandang puts it, must have intensified when it became known Lozada was coming home. He was supposed to be met at the airport by concerned citizens and the Senate Sergeant-at-arms. Instead, he was abducted, in one of the crudest and most bumbling kidnappings in our political history. First, Gov’t grabbed witness in NBN deal–sources:Lozada met by airport men, whisked off via tarmac. See also, Lozada arrives from HK, but vanishes at airport. An account also in notes of marichu c. lambino.
Bumbling all around. Razon first claimed there was a letter from Lozada asking for security, then claimed the Police got a request from the family: PNP chief insists Lozada, sibling sought PNP protection. Then, today, he claims Lozada then wrote a letter asking for government security on the spot, when he arrived, after the PNP was tipped off by one of Lozada’s sisters. See: Atutubo: Lozada not missing, was picked up by cop then Airport exec says presidential guards fetched Lozada and then MIAA exec says Lozada went out of NAIA with cop, driver and Lozada illegally held by PNP, wife says; Razon denies claim; then, No Lozada in police custody, Senate told then PNP clueless on Lozada but says cops guarding exec.
The brothers and wife went to Court to secure Lozada yet the government kept insisting it had been asked to secure Lozada, which of course ignores the question of why government intervened to spirit him away from the Senate sergeant-at-arms (see Brother disputes PNP, says no Lozada asked for protection Brother disputes PNP, says no Lozada asked for protection). Can you say obstruction of justice? But wait, no, it’s justice if government does it but it isn’t obstruction if it’s uncomplimentary to the government. As it turns out, Lozada now says he was whisked away from the airport by men sent by Sec. Lito Atienza (his boss) and released when he’d signed affidavits contradicting his earlier ones.
The great escape was more of a government blunder worse than a crime (for them). The papers missed out on it today because the story broke at 2 a.m.see the stories: Lozada finally surfaces, links Abalos, Big Mike to ZTE mess. Also Lozada: Abalos insisted on $130-M kickback on NBN deal and, Lozada unmasks FG, Abalos in aborted NBN deal and the Senate takes custody of Lozada.
It’s been a nerve-wracking few days!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch… The post-mortems on Jose de Venecia Jr.’s stint as Speaker of the House ranged from the Inquirer editorial The assassination of De Venecia and The Business Mirror editorial ‘Night of the Long Knives’ to the PCIJ story Chronicle of an ouster foretold (see also How lawmakers voted in vacating Speaker’s seat). Manuel Buencamino’s column Naked runner inspired my column for today, Live from the Bastusang Pambansa.
So what happens now to the ruling coalition? Journal of the Jester-in-Exile has three entries in a row by way of analysis: Let the Numbers Speak, Part I: Anatomy of a Lynching and Let the Numbers Speak, Part 2: Opening Salvos and Let the Numbers Speak, Part 3: Death by Co-Option.
Then Ramos: De Venecia to remain president in Lakas-Kampi merger. An offer the Palace has to refuse? Not really -more of a face-saving merger, but with a last-ditch effort to give FVR some wiggle room, too. The Lakas old guard in the Palace want JDV sacrificed to maintain closeness to the President; Ramos is trying to gain time to either convince JDV to pipe down or to hang himself, so that the party can salvage a little dignity before it turns into a fully-owned subsidiary of Kampi, Inc.
Yes, I noticed that too. Abalos was so quick to convert the 130 million dollars to 6.5 billion pesos.
Oo nga. Thanks for pointing that out.
Kaya naman nung tina-tally na rin yung votes ni Zubiri, nakalimutan ni Abalos na hindi pera yun kaya kinonvert niya. Kaya yung 12,640 na votes, agad agad niyan ti-nayms 50….force of habit kasi.
at ang conversion nya pa ay yung exchange rate at that time. para bang.. na convert nya na tong amt na to noon pa man. kasi natural na reaction ng tao ay mag-convert sa current exchange rate…
pero alam kaagd ni abalos na ang $130 M noong panahon na iyon ay P6.5 B
naisip ko tuloy yung sa minority report. nahuli si tanda dahil sinabi nya na namatay sa drowning yung babae. samantalang tanging killer lang ang nakaka alam nun.
@Rob, gee. first time kong makakilala ng isa ring Martin fan. i have all books of the ASoIaF series. have you read his book Windhaven, co-written w/Lisa Tuttle?
did you know HBO has acquired the rights to turn Fire and Ice into a TV series?
Dora, you’re looking for Michaelangelo Zuce. I believe he’s Garcillano’s nephew.
This recent development (i.e. Lozada) is very interesting.
President Arroyo on Thursday ordered the Department of Justice to conduct a preliminary investigation on public officials who may be liable for violation of procurement and anti-graft laws in connection with the canceled $329-million national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corp.
EQUALIZER’s Suggested SIX (6) Questions for DOJ inquiry:
1)Why was it changed from BOT scheme (“build ,operate and transfer”)to a loan?
2)Why was the overpricing of the $329 million contact allowed? (The Huawei deal proposed to build the same broadband network for $240 million, while Arescom’s offer was reportedly $135 million.)
3)Why the UNDUE HASTE in signing the contact in Boao,China in April 2007 witnessed by no less than Gloria Arroyo?
4)What was the role of COMELEC (Commission on Elections)Chairman Abalos in the deal?
5)What was the role of The First Gentleman Mike Arroyo in the deal?
6)What did the President really know before the signing of the contract?
Secretary Raul Gonzalez:Can you objectively investigate this scandal and answer these SIX important questions?
Just this morning, Razon was saying that it was Lito Atienza who called him and asked for Jun’s protection. However, when Lito Atienza was interviewed also early this morning, he was saying that he is concern about Jun’s safety but he never asked the police for protection. He said it was Jun… Bwa ha ha ,this plan stinks, haste makes waste !!!
Equalizer:
Do you want straight, honest answers to your questions…or do you want Raul Gonzalez to answer them? 😉
between Lozada and Razon,puno et al , I definetely thinks that Jun has a higher credibility…WAKASAN NA ANG MGA SINUNGALING, FROM THE MONEY GIVEN TO THE CONGRESSMEN AND GARCI SCANDAL, NAGKAKAPILIPIT PILIPIT DILA SA PNALOLOKO SA PILIPINO !
CATCH US IF YOU CAN
The PIDAL COUPLE
Narrator:Pinoys are a people with short memories.They easily forget Scandals!Headline stories last only for several weeks.Then our people will forgive and Forget.
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
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
Catch us if you can
“Pinoys are a people with short memories.”
No longer. With the internet, we can ensure that all these events are recorded for all eternity.
Poetic justice will be when we do get a state-owned broadband network that will allow for faster downloads of the hello garci tapes, the dancing oreta video, the abalos human conversion calculator interview, the miriam speeches, the ‘i will not run for re-election’ gma video.
You can even go to wikipedia and edit all those profiles of senators and tongressmen (written by their staff of course).
And with the advent of email, one can write senators and congressmen – praises of they are good, vitriol if they are bad. To comment on a blog post is one thing, but to directly tell off those congressmen is better.
“Arroyo orders DoJ to find culprits in NBN dealâ€Â
Maybe it should be
“Arroyo orders DoJ to find fall guys for NBN dealâ€Â
Or maybe this
“Arroyo orders DoJ to find FG not the culprit in NBN deal”
This whole sordid caper is once again proof postive on why press freedom must be protected at all costs.
The Philippine press which is more mercenary and entrepreneurial than straight is the only institution right now that is serving up as the guardian of the people.
It is also not surprising that so called technocrats like Neri and Lozada continued to serve their masters even after clearly probable criminal activity at the highest levels of the executive department.
They participated in discussions at the outset with the operators then they seemed to get cold feet. No wonder Abalos threatened the nerd. Did Lozada not wonder and question on why Abalos was involved at all.
Is the lure of the prestige and the power of a high profile position in government make these guys forget what they are there for? Even if the overprice was Php 1M they were discussing raiding the treasury. Abalos wanted an atrocious figure. Joey salced has often said in public that state expenditures on supplies and public goods have embedded overprice’s of up to 30%
Neri and this guy Lozada seemed to be on a power trip. These events happened a year ago. Both are still working for the same government. (Lozada just resigned yesterday after events forced him to.)
There is little doubt today that the police and military are being used sometimes wittingly and unwittingly as enforcers to capos or caporegimes of a criminal syndicate. What is truly frightening is the probability that the Office of the President is the center and braintrust of this criminal syndicate.
This ‘malkas or palakasan’ syndrome in the Philippine scene is the curse of Philippine history.
The rich most often will be fixated on the past and the poor have no time to think of anything else except the daily struggle for bread and it is the middle class that will strive for the future. It is they who are most affected and thus become the most progressive. However their numbers in the Philippines remain to be limited and it is they who are leaving. A lot of them see no future for their children. It is they who bear the brunt of taxes.
In an abstract way the scene is pornographic in the Philippines.
It is obscene that the people who have left to seek greener pastures and the indentured labor are the ones that are propping up the consumption based economy and this government. For all the spin about government export policies our formal trade contributes in net values only 1-1.5% our total GNP.
There is very little doubt that our economist President is incompetent and clearly now most probably a crook.
“…vitriol if they are bad. To comment on a blog post is one thing, but to directly tell off those congressmen is better.”
It won’t work, nash. The faces are thick-skins, the pay-offs even thicker.
The plot was so brilliant if not for the expose..imagine using Abalos who has nothing to do with the NBN as the go-between; he just gotten so greedy for asking too much, according to the allegations, maybe if he just settled for slightly lesser amount, everything will be fine and dandy and he still will be Chairman Abalos, instead of a Disgraced Old Man and maybe soon a convicted like Erap..along with some???
Catch us if you can:The Pidals
Hehehe! Nice one nash, made me laugh out loud.
As for some of the comments here, of course Lozada was abducted and made to sign documents under duress. Sana naman wala ng magtanga-tangahan.
I hope this is the beginning of the end of the ruthless, ultra-corrupt, highly-deceitful GMA administration.
Nerve racking indeed. I just kept watching and watching the reports, reading and reading the reports. And Razon just kept lying and lying through his teeth. As I’ve said before, maybe Gloria should have all of her cohorts attend a Logic seminar in order for them to lie better.
By the way guys and gals. New word for the year,
Razon, n. A contradiction meant to cover up a lie
Sounds “Razon”able right?
@bert
“It won’t work, nash. The faces are thick-skins, the pay-offs even thicker.”
I don’t care if they are thick skinned, that’s a given. At least I voiced my opinion clearly to them. Kung hanggang blog/blog comments lang, hindi naman nagbabasa ng mga blogs yang politiko na yan so you should, as a taxpayer, contact them directly.
I don’t seem to get much replies from my emails though even if I send a series. I sent Mike Defensor a couple and he won’t even acknowledge. 😀 Baguio Congressman Domogan is at least civil. You can disagree with him openly, at least hinid ka niya ipapapatay. 😀 Yes, don’t send emails to Abalos dahil violent na mama yan.
Buti pa MPs here, even if I’m not a citizen, they reply to my emails. 😀
<blockquote: NASH SAID:
And with the advent of email, one can write senators and congressmen – praises of they are good, vitriol if they are bad. To comment on a blog post is one thing, but to directly tell off those congressmen is better.
There is the catharsis aspect nash mentions. The congressman may not read it but his assistant does and, if the assistant is good, will let congressman know if out-of-the-ordinary e-mail volume is happening.
If a lot of people send enough at the same time, you can fill up their folders and shut down the individual e-mail account, or shut down the server completely.
If a lot of people send enough at the same time, you can fill up their folders and shut down the individual e-mail account, or shut down the server completely.
@UP n
but you don’t want that because it’s counterproductive, you want your email to be read…
Goooood! Hurray Lozada! Keep telling what you know.
This NBN-ZTE deal is just a window to the series of mega-corruption projects under the Arroyo regime. Next, the CyberEd project, Northrail, and others.
For Abalos? Sorry na lang siya. Better do a Chavit so he can spare his ass, while it is still early.
the media’s headlines “Lozada unmasks FG, Abalos in aborted NBN deal” and “Lozada finally surfaces, links Abalos, Big Mike to ZTE mess” are obvious attempts at overreaching, at its worst, to yet condemn and malign the president’s husband by unfair publicity through vague innuendoes. while lozada’s statements are directly damaging to abalos (corroborating neri’s and joeydv’s senate testimonies) nothing whatsoever implicates mr. arroyo, either criminally or civilly that can stand up in any forum. his claim that abalos name-dropped mike and had phone conversation with someone he called “pare” is purely conjectural to link arroyo to the deal. his claim of a meeting at the country club where he saw abalos talked to arroyo telling the latter that “ayos na sila ni joey”, doesn’t cut it either.
if anything, lozada’s much-ballyhoed testimony reinforces neri’s insistence that, per explicit instruction from the president, the deal could only be carried out through b.o.t. and not through loan financing. i don’t see anything wrong with that.
i believe this whole thing is driven by “gotcha” partisan politics, and stubborn, never-say-die obsession to oust “gloria” before 2010. this anti-gma forces are impervious to humiliations, and will keep going unbowed by layers of rotten eggs on their faces.
my comment is awaiting moderation. did i hit a sensitive chord?
Bencard, maybe the spam filter is following Neri’s instructions to moderate… 😛
So does THIEVERY IN HIGH PLACES PAY?
He’s not as filthy rich as he was many years ago, but siguro, ramdan ni Erap ang 7.3% GDP grasya hi GMA.
—————————–
JANUARY 30, 2008
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan will no longer seize personal assets of former president Joseph Estrada after the anti-graft court located enough funds to cover the more than P700 million it ordered confiscated, its spokesman said Wednesday.
Lawyer Renato Bocar, spokesman of the Sandiganbayan Special Division, said so far some P215 million from a bank account under the foundation has been seized.
Investigations also discovered a P1.1 billion investment management account under Velarde’s name deposited at the Banco de Oro, Bocar said.
Estrada has repeatedly denied he owned the funds, subsequently waiving his right to the investment management account. His business associates are claiming the funds as theirs.
“It is already enough to fill up the rest of the more than P700 million ordered confiscated by the court,” Bocar said.
….
“There is no more need to go after the property of president Estrada,” he said.
Another teleserye in the Senate.
Will it end the same way the previous teleseryes ended. The whistle blowers lost their whistles? So much tears flowed from the witnesses. Much of them were crocodile tears anyway.
My crystal ball says, nothing is going to happen. My CSI brain says even testimonial evidences do not necessarily reflect the truth.
Too early for celebrations and speculations.
Nash, UPnS,
Since you’re good at computing, could you figure out how much be the $130 million Abalos commission relative to the 1 million votes Gloria got over FPJ?
Vic,
“The plot was so brilliant if not for the expose..imagine using Abalos who has nothing to do with the NBN as the go-between”
Are you surprised? That’s PAYBACK to the “hello Garci,” what else? Part of the political culture expressed in “utang na loob.”
“my comment is awaiting moderation. did i hit a sensitive chord?”
Did you use words like “incest” or “anal”?
Hawaiianguy, thanks for pointing that out. The connection of ZTE-NBN to Gloria’s illegitimate rule couldn’t have been more direct than what has been revealed. This shows why election cheating is in the nature of a continuing crime and not something we can ‘move on‘ from.
“I sent Mike Defensor a couple and he won’t even acknowledge.”
“Kung hanggang blog/blog comments lang, hindi naman nagbabasa ng mga blogs yang politiko na yan so you should, as a taxpayer, contact them directly.”
If you told Mike Defensor in your email he’s a lousy mouthpiece of GMA, hindi nga maga-acknowledge iyon dahil totoo. In the same manner, if I email Nograles telling him he’s a worse clone of JDV in terms of pocketed pork(I was tempted to write rapaciousness, heheh), and UPn said only the assistant read it but not Nogi, so, wala rin. I told you it won’t work. Still, I think I’m going to heed your advice, kasi kinonsensya mo ako. I’m not sure though I can have the courage to praise any of them for being good kasi nasa isip ko, paglabas nila galing sa loob ng Malacanang may bitbit silang glossy paper bag. Baka pagtawanan lang nila ang papuri ko sa kanila. ‘Di ba, nash?
@nash, who said “NO” to e-mail flooding … “…but you don’t want that because it’s counterproductive, you want your email to be read……”
Not for you to worry… ten times the people on this blogsite sending within an hour of each other will NOT shut down an e-mail-ID much less a folder… but surely the e-mail flood will get the attention of the e-mail recipient. [It takes automation – several bots — to shut down a server.]
Here are 3 “complaint” outlines.
NOT INCLUDED: The name-calling you-are-all-from-the-same-evil-tree method.
—————-
Protest, Appeal or Call to Action
..Something is wrong. State what it is.
..Why is this wrong? Who is to blame? What harm is done?
..How can this wrong be corrected? Make definite recommendations for changing things for the better.
..What should XYZ do? Tell your audience exactly what you want them to do, think, or feel.
AIDA Outline
A – Win the audience’s Attention
I – Arouse their Interest
D – Create a Desire
A – Stimulate Action or Agreement
Problem/Cause/Solution Outline
..The problem is Ã…
..The problem is caused by Ã…
..Some solutions are Ã…
..The best solution is Ã…
@bert
You don’t have to be negative. For example a letter to Zubiri can begin: “Would the kind senator look into the alleged cheating in Maguindanao during the last elections? Would he investigate and assure that all concerned are brought to justice…”
Or to Defensor during his tint at DENR “Sir, I have heard from employees within your organisation that your household maid is drawing a salary from the DENR. Would the secretary send assurances to the contrary….”
Of course, the dakilang alalay wearing rose tinted glasses that makes his boss look like mother theresa won’t probably pass it on but at least you tried.
In the UK, MPs are given a maximum amount of time to reply to letters from constituents. These letters are filed as well as a copy of the response.
I do understand that letter-writing is not advisable for known violent dynasties (like the Singsons, the Dys….the Cavite-Laguna…etc) …
What happened to the postcards sent by B&W a few months back? Any replies?
Small minds discuss people.
Mediocre minds discuss events.
Great minds discuss ideas.
————
Small minds discuss the need to discuss ideas
Mediocre minds criticize ideas that are not theirs
Great minds DO SOMETHING!
“cvj :
Are you surprised? That’s PAYBACK to the “hello Garci,†what else? Part of the political culture expressed in “utang na loob.†– hawaiianguy
Hawaiianguy, thanks for pointing that out. The connection of ZTE-NBN to Gloria’s illegitimate rule couldn’t have been more direct than what has been revealed. This shows why election cheating is in the nature of a continuing crime and not something we can ‘move on‘ from.”
cvj, hawaiianguy, vic,
I’ll go back a little further – Comelec’s Automatic Counting Machines! The overly huge kickback Abalos had hoped to make in NBN will give him enough cash to split with the mafia, at the same time, reimburse the Treasury with the P1Billion plus making it look like the supplier and Comelec had complied with the Supreme Court order. They can get rid of the physical evidences (ACMs) rotting in some warehouse that future administrations may make a monument of, as living proofs that this regime never really respected anyone, including the Supreme Court. One big thorn in Gloria’s backside she may have wanted Abalos to remove.
That automation project, with its intended large-scale microwave wireless transmission of COC’s, made Abalos familiar with ZTE, I even said in my blog Abalos may have already committed that unawarded portion to ZTE at that early date. Of course the commissions may have also been advanced and similarly, the microwave equipment have been manufactured already the Chinese are getting impatient that they need to convert these items to cash.
Presto! There’s the Plan A: the NBN Backbone – same specs, same quantity, same configuration. Or Plan B: Cyber-Ed!
Who could have “mastered” Microwave-for-NBN application better than Abalos and his old gang from ACM, right? That is the reason Gloria allowed him in the NBN deal in the first place. To clear the old ACM tracks, and make new money to fund her candidates last May.
That’s why Razon, who funded Lakas’ campaign, has his imprints all over the NBN deals. It was also so crucial, she even had to sign the contracts in the Chinese airport.
I would appreciate hearing better reasons why Abalos was lording it over the NBN deals but until then, I stick with my theory.
cvj:
“This shows why election cheating is in the nature of a continuing crime and not something we can ‘move on‘ from.”
Absolutely!
Any govt shrouded with questions of illegitimacy would be followed by an avalanche of actions that cross the line of legitimacy, one way or the other. That’s because legitimacy is central to the relationship between the ruler and governed in any democracy. Once it is lost, or contested widely, people lose trust on the leadership.
Then, the leadership will try everything at its disposal to legitimize its position and survive. Even to the point of wrecking the democratic institutions, institutionalizing nepotism/cronyism and bastardizing the civil service, mocking the rule of law, liquidating dissent, muzzling the press, etc.
That’s the long and short of all these troubles hounding Gloria’s regime. They all lead to her “illegal” occupancy of Malacanan.
Out of curiosity, why does Abalos need so much money given that he is old?
I’m reminded of Gen. Garcia’s children who were seemingly oblivious to the source of their money, given that their father was a mere general (compared to a successful businessman).
“Then, the leadership will try everything at its disposal to legitimize its position and survive. Even to the point of wrecking the democratic institutions, institutionalizing nepotism/cronyism and bastardizing the civil service, mocking the rule of law, liquidating dissent, muzzling the press, etc.” – hawaiianguy
This is no different from dimwits who are apt to mass on Manila’s streets hoping for the next “extra-constitutional” change of administration — considering that the bozos that they say have betrayed them (say, in failing to “impeach” the President) were actually the same bozos they elected into office.
Pinoy nga naman talaga.
That huge sum of money? What for?
How about paying off the likes of the Garci Generals, politicians, would-be witnesses, etc. (even GMA apologists here). To dismiss them with final payment eases the burden of “utang na loob.â€Â
benign-zero,
I visited your blog where you claim we have a bad command of the English language and yet you say this “Reducing the proportion of output generated directly by labour by increasing the component generated by capital increases output per person and raises incomes.”
Contradicting yourself, much?
Benigno:
“This is no different from dimwits who are apt to mass on Manila’s streets hoping for the next “extra-constitutional†change of administration  considering that the bozos that they say have betrayed them (say, in failing to “impeach†the President) were actually the same bozos they elected into office.”
What’s wrong with people power per se? If you’re talking of the “failed” (or even Edsa 2) marches, you’re probably right. But I still hold the first one in high esteem as an expression of people’s sovereignty, with its own weakness as Manila-centered.
You assume that everyone is stupid and dimwit but you, an unthinking homo sapiens of the Philippine variety. You denigrate the pinoy, even his culture, conveniently taking out the “I” from that despised category.
No, I won’t join any such marches (aka “people power”) if led by those opportunistic trapos who quickly divide the largesse among themselves, as if it were war booties.
How about you?
“benign-zero,
I visited your blog where you claim we have a bad command of the English language and yet you say this “Reducing the proportion of output generated directly by labour by increasing the component generated by capital increases output per person and raises incomes.â€Â
Contradicting yourself, much?” — Nash
What part of the above statement is self-contradicting?
Looks quite logically consistent to me. 😉
“What’s wrong with people power per se? If you’re talking of the “failed†(or even Edsa 2) marches, you’re probably right. But I still hold the first one in high esteem as an expression of people’s sovereignty, with its own weakness as Manila-centered.
You assume that everyone is stupid and dimwit but you, an unthinking homo sapiens of the Philippine variety. You denigrate the pinoy, even his culture, conveniently taking out the “I†from that despised category.
No, I won’t join any such marches (aka “people powerâ€Â) if led by those opportunistic trapos who quickly divide the largesse among themselves, as if it were war booties.
How about you?” — hawaiianguy
I hold the first one in high esteem only as far as it achieved by sheer luck the desired outcome. But holding it up as a paragon of Pinoy achievement is wishful thinking at best as it does not represent any kind of significantly insightful effort much less one that was actually organised, orchestrated, or engineered (notice the last three words describe skills that Pinoys are famously collectively DEFICIENT in).
In that respect Edsa “revolutions” are consistent with the Pinoy character in that they are mostly random, fiesta-driven, and chaotic by nature and their outcomes merely hoped for (or prayed for) rather than planned or engineered.
Typical indeed.
And though I call Pinoys collectively dimwitted, I don’t think there is any convincing argument out there (certainly no one has come up with one) that can point to the contrary as we have no impressive collective achievement to speak of other than these random spectacles we are wont to exhibit everytime some bozo we elected in the first place needs to be removed.
Er,…if you say so.
(this is better than a monty python sketch. must resist urge to laugh hysterically)
“Er,…if you say so.”
Yes I say so. Too bad YOU can’t. 😀
no nash, it only proves his point.
bencard, this is more than just gotcha partisan politics although I’m sure there will be people out there who will make it such. Miriam was closer to the truth when she said this was a fight between two thieves over their kickback.
looks like joey de venecia was supposed to be the lead on a BOT deal with abalos and zte as mere suppliers. but when abalos insisted he gets his kickback, joey was incensed because he couldn’t come up with the money. according to lozada, this is where the first gentleman comes in…abalos supposedly called him and the succeeding events turned the whole deal upside down, with joey de venecia out and the deal with only zte working it with a Chinese government loan…
also, according to lozada, he only saw mike arroyo once – in Makati Shangri-la and not in wack-wack…. no mention at all of the “back off!” statement joey de venecia alleged in the senate.
=================
i don’t understand why the la salle brothers have to explain anything. lozada was clear in his statement that he asked to be brought to la salle because his family was there. he probably didn’t tell the “men” who secured him that his intention was to seek refuge but that’s a given.
he was also clear when he said he asked his boss Sec.Lito Atienza for assistance on his return precisely because he was afraid to be in the Senate’s custody…
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truth is, the whole process of deal-making with government is riddled with corruption. we’ve all heard this before…yet the system remains…you can change all the players and we’ll still have the same results…