“Unity Walk”
“Solidarity Walk”
Same walk, different caption. A sign of the state of confusion at the Palace. Is it just me, or or are these pictured (from yesterday, the so-called “solidarity walk,” swiftly retitled “unity walk” at the Palace; by the way, see abashet joey on the President and PhotoShop) too creepily reminiscent of the End Days for Estrada, when he, too, tried to show his administration wasn’t beleaguered, by trotting out his cabinet?
Who among them is in or in the official family? The Inquirer editorial yesterday asked, Is it Neri next? and today it says it’s Panic time.
Trot, trot, clip-clop, tick-tock. What do you get?
A horse gone wild: Adviser calls Arroyo ‘luckiest b*tch’.
That’s just karma for what must surely have been a Palace factotum-released tusongbaboy YouTube video, featuring what seem to be wiretapped conversations between Jun Lozada and Joey de Venecia.
The Financial Times reports the President may be losing her fondness for playing the China card. I’ve begun rather interesting scuttlebutt of an intriguing kind, involving a government commitment to relinquishing our claims to the Spratley Islands in exchange for investments. But nothing firmer than that.
The ancient Chinese believed that the “mandate of Heaven” was revealed by tangible signs, such as flood or famine. Such misfortunes were indications that the legitimacy of a ruler was waning. Confucius elaborated the idea further, and taught that the “mandate of Heaven” was dependent on knowing the moral order of the universe, and demonstrating it in the six relationships that govern superiors and subordinates (i.e. minister to prince, friend to friend, teacher to student).
These relationships are evident in the various groups bestirred by recent events.
The Action for Economic Reforms is holding a presscon-forum on “The Godmother and the Philippine mafia” on Friday, Feb. 22 9:30 am to 12 noon at the Sta. Ana Room, 3rd Floor, U.P. College of Law. On the same day, February 22, The Law Student Government Coordinating Council, composed of the Student Councils of the Ateneo Law, UP, UST, FEU-La Salle and UE Schools of Law will be holding various activities (see i’m NOT a stop along the way. i’m a a DESTINATION for details). And Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan has a forum on Feb. 23 (with regards to the Ateneo, read the concrete steps proposed by Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan in their statement, as well as those proposed by the Ateneo’s Department of Political Science in its statement (the question then becomes, of course, what if government refuses to do anything?). On Feb. 25, there will be a “Concert for Truth, Accountablity and Reform” at the Ateneo from 4-8 pm (for information contact Ms. Reese Fernandez Programs Head, Team RP Tel: (02) 426-5657 <reesefernandez@ yahoo.com>)
Starting February 24, it seems Masses “for Truth vs. Corruption” are going to be held, sequentially, in Adamson University, the University of Santo Tomas, de la Salle University, and then Miriam College.
In recent weeks, the political landscape of the Philippines has been shaken because of one man, Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr., and his past proximity to Romulo Neri, Jr.
Both are of Chinese extraction; I have even heard that Romulo Neri, Jr. practices a form of divination, the I Ching. At this point it seems to me, whether consciously or not, both consider themselves Mandarins.
The Analects of Confucius, L. Giles translation.
The first two extracts concern definitions of good government. The first involves the “five excellent things” and the “four evil things”:
Tzú Chang asked Confucius, saying: What are the essentials of good government? — The Master said: Esteem the five excellent, and banish the four evil things; then you will become fit to govern. — Tzu Chang asked: What are the five excellent things? — The Master replied: The wise and good ruler is benevolent without expending treasure; he lays burdens on the people without causing them to grumble; he has desires without being covetous; he is serene without being proud; he is awe-inspiring without being ferocious. — He is benevolent without expending treasure: what does that mean? — The Master replied: He simply follows the course which naturally brings benefit to the people. Is he not thus benevolent without expending treasure? In imposing burdens, he chooses the right time and the right means, and nobody can grumble. His desire is for goodness, and he achieves it; how should he be covetous? The wise and good ruler never allows himself to be negligent, whether he is dealing with many men or with few, with small matters or with great. Is this not serenity without pride? He has his cap and robe properly adjusted, and throws a noble dignity into his looks, so that his gravity inspires onlookers with respect. Is he not thus awe-inspiring without being ferocious? — Tzú Chang then asked: What are the four evil things? — The Master said: Cruelty: — leaving the people in their native ignorance, yet punishing their wrong-doing with death. Oppression: requiring the immediate completion of tasks imposed without previous warning. Ruthlessness: — giving vague orders, and then insisting on punctual fulfilment. Peddling husbandry: — stinginess in conferring the proper rewards on deserving men.
The second related extract involves the tangible signs of good government, and the things that can be dispensed with, and the thing that absolutely cannot be dispensed with:
Tzú Kung asked for a definition of good government. The Master replied: It consists in providing enough food to eat, in keeping enough soldiers to guard the State, and in winning the confidence of the people. — And if one of these three things had to be sacrificed, which should go first? — The Master replied: Sacrifice the soldiers. — And if of the two remaining things one had to be sacrificed, which should it be? — The master said: Let it be the food. From the beginning, men have always had to die. But without the confidence of the people no government can stand at all.
Then two extracts in a similar vein, on the means to maintain public confidence, and the means to instill harmony in the people.
A simple rule of thumb concerning the hiring and firing of officials:
Duke Ai asked, saying: What must I do that my people may be contented? – Confucius replied: Promote the upright and dismiss all evildoers, and the people will be contented. Promote the evil-doers and dismiss the upright, and the people will be discontented.
A similar reiteration concerning promotions:
Chi K’-ang Tzú asked by what means he might cause his people to be respectful and loyal, and encourage them in the path of virtue. The Master replied: Conduct yourself towards them with dignity, and you will earn their respect; be a good son and a kind prince, and you will find them loyal; promote the deserving and instruct those who fall short, and they will be encouraged to follow the path of virtue.
And then, an extract pointing to the importance of precision on the part of policy makers:
Tzú Lu said: The Prince of Wei is waiting, Sir, for you to take up the reins of government. Pray what is the first reform you would introduce? — The Master replied: I would begin by defining terms and making them exact. — Oh, indeed! exclaimed Tzú Lu. But how can you possibly put things straight by such a circuitous route? — The Master said: How unmannerly you are, Yu! In matters which he does not understand, the wise man will always reserve his judgement. If terms are not correctly defined, words will not harmonise with things. If words do not harmonise with things, public business will remain undone. If public business remains undone, order and harmony will not flourish. If order and harmony do not flourish, law and justice will not attain their ends. If law and justice do not attain their ends, the people will be unable to move hand or foot. The wise man, therefore, frames his definitions to regulate his speech, and his speech to regulate his actions. He is never reckless in his choice of words.
And what about wrongdoers?
Chi K’ang Tzú questioned Confucius on a point of government, saying: Ought not I to cut out off the lawless in order to establish law and order? What do you think? -Confucius replied: Sir, what need is there of the death penalty in your system of government? If you showed a sincere desire to be good, your people would likewise be good. The virtue of the prince is like unto wind; that of the people, like unto grass. For it is the nature of grass to bend when the wind blows upon it.
In sum, then, in the face of wrongdoing on the part of officials, considering the things that make for effective government, and which weaken it:
Confucius rejoined: Ch’iu, an honest man hates your hypocrite who will not openly avow his greed, but tries instead to excuse it. I have heard that the ruler of a state or of a clan is troubled not by the smallness of its numbers but by the absence of even-handed justice; not by poverty but by the preresence of discontent; for where there is justice there will be no poverty; where there is harmony there will be no lack in numbers; where there is content there will be no revolution. This being the case then, if outlying communities resist your authority, cultivate the arts of refinement and goodness in order to attract them; and when you have attracted them, make them happy and contented. Now you two, Yu and Ch’iu, are aiding and abetting your master; here is an outlying community which resists your authority, and you are unable to attract it. Partition and collapse are imminent in your own State, and you are unable to preserve it intact. And yet you are planning military aggression within in the borders of your country! Verily I fear that Chi-sun’s troubles will come, not from Chuan-yú, but from the interior of his own palace.
Do you need someone else to tie this all together for you? Including the abstract at the end of this entry? Thank you, Left Flank.
The question then… as my column for today is titled, is for people to see what the Minimum and maximum goals they want achieve from hereon up to 2010 will be. (someone who takes the court of public opnion seriously is Chances in the Starlight).
Blogger un suplemento metafisico a la realidad de mi existencia slices and dices things very well:
The administration shall be presumed innocent until they are proven guilty. However, its actions do not allow me to do so. The anti-truth mafia has scribbled so much manipulation of evidence, information, and facts that the presumption of innocence has been vaporized. Instead of testifying for the “truth” the co-conspirators of the anti-truth mafia has been hiding behind what they call “executive privilege.” The administration has pushed the envelope too far. It is now at the edge of a cliff and is desperately holding on by trying to cover-up all pieces of evidence that may eventually lead to its demise.
Thanks to the anti-truth mafia’s propaganda, Jun Lozada has been accused of harboring nothing but hearsay which they claim is inadmissible in courts. However, he does say these statements under oath, thus he has with him what is called testimonial evidence. “A woman who has been raped can send a man in jail just with her testimonies.”(Escudero, 2008) In addition, he seems to be very consistent with his statements unlike some of the anti-truth mafia. Jun Lozada was also accused of being corrupt – which he admitted with a smile, and I think this makes him all the more credible – He was part of the project, he was an insider, he knew the goings-on of the ZTE-NBN deal.
Jun Lozada is neither a saint nor a hero but he has with him the truth. Whether he came out to tell the truth for the sake of truth or for some other ulterior motives – which is hard to think of considering that his testifying in the Senate has put him in a very precarious situation. If he were to lie, what motive was so great that he was willing to put himself out of the pan and into the fire almost voluntarily? Testifying has put Jun Lozada between the legendary monsters Scylla and Charybdis. He is currently between hell and the deep blue sea. In whatever perspective I try to view the course of events for Jun Lozada, I can’t seem to find any advantage that he might gain in testifying. In fact, he was “forced” to do so – as with the summons, this implies that testifying is not advantageous for him. On the other hand, he might be thinking of a career in showbiz. If that is so, then he is making a good start. We are probably watching one of the best soap operas ever made.
It doesn’t matter whether or not the bringer of truth has been tainted with wrongdoings in the past. What is more important is that he has the truth with him and so his voice shall be heard. The substance lie in the statements, not in the personality. An honest man will voluntarily take off his clothes to show that he has nothing to hide; while a thief would wear layers upon layers of clothes just to hide whatever it is that he has stolen.
In the rest of the blogosphere, the Ateneo Mass last Monday was covered by Don’t fight darkness. Bring the light, and darkness will disappear and by Mahal ko Pilipinas!!!!! and …strawberry-filled donuts… (Lozada’s nephew) and with photos by Blahg, Standing in Motion, neo saicon, sj while thatniceboy gives an insight into the minds of those who remain detached. There were other activities, too: it’s a yummy world recounts attending a Mass at the Redemptorist Church. highwayse7en8 doesn’t like Masses with political aims. Neither does priest-blogger Bangor to Bobbio. On the other hand, Postcard Headlines in Cebu describes the first glimmerings of people bucking the view that the city is “GMA Country”.
As for Lozada, lifelong learning compares what he’s doing to debriding dead tissue; pine for pine compares folksy Lozada and Abalos stories; as for views, there are the pro: there’s lecheplan, and four-eyed joie’s thoughts as well as Verities of a Writer’s heart; con: you can’t be more straightforward in expressing skepticism than under deconstruction; and neutral: preMEDitated wants to believe, but doesn’t yet. dino! dedicates poetry to the man. rl_829 thinks he’s a dead man. My Mirror to Reality undertakes an interesting experiment: what if Lozada is 100% good, or what if he’s 100% evil?Law and ICT and mga kababalaghan sa buhay ko take opposing views on whether Lozada’s phone being hacked is believable or not. Vincula points out we should give thanks for the demolition team assembled by the Palace.
There are, of course, continuing views on what’s going on. Katataspulong some time ago, wondered if people really want decent officials, or whether the tangled web of corruption makes for a comfortable pigsty for everyone. jmtaylor has a bone to pick with politicians in general. Romwald’s Realm tackles the dynamics of corruption: subtle rebel runs down a list of the ironies of life (politics-wise).
Lawyer notes of marichu c. lambino points out that the government keeps corroborating the testimony of Lozada (tart comments on Gaite’s admitting he gave Lozada half a million in Alleba Politics and Bong Montesa’s weblog ). The Mount Balatucan Monitor is certain of the outcome of government efforts at damage control. The Warrior Lawyer takes a similarly skeptical look at the Ombudsman, etc.
And yet… there are those who prefer to stick it out with the administration because they continue to loath those who oppose her more. In a sense, the “same-same” message track of the Palace continues to work, as Walk This Way echoes:
I mean, yes, the First Gentleman is a little piglet. No doubt about that. But please don’t tell me that all the politicians pursuing this issue aren’t little piglets either (below). Getting little greasy slices of pork from projects like the NBN is modus operandi in ANY administration – it’s no secret to us and it’s no secret to the senators doing the grilling. It’s been the modus operandi for decades! Where else would ANY administration get money to do things like, oh, give to senators and congressmen for their election campaigns? Senators and Congressmen don’t come for free, ya know. Tip: instead of looking at the noisy ones, let’s try and count who are the quiet ones in Senate and Congress. Perhaps they are quiet because they already were given their pieces of the pork. And it’s only the squealing ones that are upset because they didn’t get theirs. Hence, if it’s all just piggies fighting piggies over pieces of pork that they just pass on to other piggies, then it’s just politics in the end. Period. Philippine politics and governance is sick, that is as obvious as obvious can be. But will this Jun Lozada scandal be the catalyst for the great changes that need to be made? Ha! Great changes will be done in this society through small ways and on a person to person basis. Paradigm shifts don’t happen through Senate hearings. Trust me, this “moral revolution” WILL NOT be televised.
Do I think corruption should be addressed? Yes. Do I think getting rid of Gloria will solve this issue? No. Do I agree with JDV that a moral revolution in government should be pursued? Yes. But will that revolution come from Senate and from Congress or from JDV himself. Hell no. Parehong baboy silang lahat. So that’s why I’m ignoring the politics and protests. And judging by their sad rally last week (Please. Makati Business Club, Black and White Movement, Cory Aquino et al. More people attended the Beyonce concert than your rally), I think others are too.
A senior citizen, My Life in the Philippines, is ambivalent about removing the President from office but for different reasons:
I consider GMA having lost the “Moral Authority” to continue on as President until Yr2010. Granting PGMA credit for a resurging Philippine Economy does not justify Moral Bankrupcy. While our kind of Democracy has made ours a “Country-of-Laws” (where Public Issues ought to be decided in the heirarchy of our Courts), a collective judgement of a fully-informed Citizenry (by a Free Press) in the Court-of-Public Opinion does carry a strong moral value.
…On the other hand, I believe: (1st) That People Power I & II have not brought about a “Better Philippines”. I consider “Graft & Corruption,et.al” as an Ethical Problem which have not and could not be remedied by street-mandated Political Solutions – i.e. People Power Change-of-Presidents; (2nd) That the Church (visibly represented by the Religious Priest & Nuns in the Streets, in Congress, in the Courts) have failed in its Pastoral Work of enlightening and encouraging Political Leaders to move away from the evil of Greed-for-Money – thus necessitating “Graft & Corruption”.
…Given all of the above, I contend that it would be good for our country for PGMA to continue in office until Yr2010. But, she must take the lead for all in Public Office in a “Moral Crusade for Good Government”. She (together with all who would follow her example) could redeem herself/themselves in the Public Eye and erase all doubts about “Hidden Wealth” by a public demonstration of giving-up 90% of their respective Family’s Private Wealth accumulated during their entire Political Career. I liken this “Moral Crusade” to a “National Cleansing” following the Korean Example – not too long ago.
The senior citizen blogger isn’t alone: UST student james_cartmire says something similar:
i got into some debate though when i opened that my position, no matter where investigations lead, was for gma to definitely finish her term in 2010. i said that even if everything leads to impeachment, the impeachment process, being a political process, will just muddle and broker ties with old faces, further preventing genuine reform efforts, and that the whole gma vendetta might even ruin the promise of a new start in 2010. i also echoed what neri purportedly said (based on the supposed lozada document i received trhough mail) that an impeachment buzz would just increase government spending (i.e. malacañang diverting public funds to buy out representatives, opinion leaders and power brokers) and that all these crises could lead to another economic slump. after almost breaking to a 39-level before the nbn hearing resumed, just yesterday, the peso-dollar exchange rate was again P41 to $1.
And so, some are ambivalent about resignation or People Power (see paperchimes.net). Or the Catholic Church: Brown SEO asks some tough questions, as does Philippine Commentary opposes People Power. On the other hand, Ceci Da Supastar reproduces the soul-searching appeal of a member of the Left, who says they can’t afford to miss the bus again:
Why should we work with them? Because we all want the same short term goals, which are the end of the GMA administration, the reform of a corrupt system, and free and fair elections. We may disagree on our broad ideologies, but we agree that these are the immediate obstacles to our various long term goals.
But, perhaps more importantly, if there is anything we should have learned from our EDSA experiences, it is that we want bargaining chips when this is all over so that we can influence the future. And those bargaining chips only come in the form of weight of our participation and the numbers we draw.
And yet… Lunasandwich says people are increasingly interested, but still stumped on what to do:
I take this as a good sign, of the keen interest of the people to know how others feel or think about the issue. What has really struck me though is the disenchantment and shared distrust for almost all people in government…
It seems the enormity of the problem — graft and corruption (which does not end with Arroyo’s removal from office) and the deeply rooted social malaise — is not lost on the people. Sadly, while the problem has long been identified, at the moment, people still seem to be at loss on what to do.
Marvelous photos of the Senate hearings taken by Bro. Ceci of La Salle: Ceci’s Corner.
And here’s something eloquent by Yogon Multiplies: let’s remember to do the small stuff, too. lovelife?! – eto self supporting! ^_^ writes about school pride.
Thank you to the reader who sent me a copy of this paper: The Integrity of Corrupt States: Graft as an Informal State Institution by Keith Darden. Interesting abstract:
This article argues that corrupt practices such as bribery and embezzlement, which scholars have previously assumed to be evidence of the breakdown of the state, may reinforce the state’s administrative hierarchies under certain conditions. Drawing on a cross-national analysis of 132 countries and a detailed examination of the informal institutions of official graft in Ukraine, the article finds that where graft is systematically tracked, monitored, and granted by state leaders as an informal payment in exchange for compliance, it provides both an added incentive to obey leaders’ directives and the potent sanction of criminal prosecution in the event of disobedience. Where graft is informally institutionalized in this way, it provides the basis for state organizations that are effective at collecting taxes, maintaining public order, and repressing political opposition but that may undermine the development of liberal politics.
nakupo! mabuti sana if this ’short cut’ does not produce collateral damage! one lasting ‘collateral damage’ is the continued belief that ‘people power’ is available all the time
“this ‘people power on demand’ does not do the country any good! that medicine is worse than the disease called gloria!
if only to diffuse, once and for all, this ‘people power on demand’ im willing to let gloria sit until 2010 (besides shes entitled to it), but without prejudice to bringing her to justice after her term end–Anthony S.
naku po, ang kulit talaga nating lahat! pa-ikot-ikot na lang tayo! this waiting ’til 2010 will not do because the cha-cha will be forced into our throat, and gloria will rule us forever with the same dirt that pervade us today. are we thinking this dirt similar to the real thing that can be washed with a bar of soap? ano, Anthony, hihirit pa?
@ramrod
“remember this, once you’re in your sickbeds (or deathbeds) you’ll all cry out to God”
Probably but definitely cry out NOT to CBCP or the Church…..:D
cheers
I read the letter of Mrs. Gaite and she sounds very genuine. I sympathize with her. So is resigning from La Salle.
From Philstar.com headliners excerpt:
Ombudsman’s lead prober cleared Abalos in automation case
By Sandy Araneta
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The lead prober in the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation of the national broadband network (NBN) deal with Chinese firm ZTE Corp. had cleared former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos, one of the respondents, in a previous case also involving a multibillion-peso project…
Anthony,
Claro, I get you. I am not in government.
i honestly don’t know where to start. but maybe some questions are in order…
1. does everyone know which district they live in? (they should)
2. does everyone know their congressman? (if they voted in their proper district, they should)
3. does everyone know how to contact their congressman? (this i’m not sure of)
let’s be clear here. i’m advocating working within the system. the EDSAs should have taught us how ineffective misguided civil disobedience is. it should have taught us that if we leave our fate with this current crop of politicians… pupulutin lang tayo sa kangkungan.
a clear, co-ordinated, plan of action is in order.
and it starts by going through the proper channels.
“…Board of Nursing, said that out of 67,728 examinees, 28,924 passed for a 43.45-percent passing rate”
The sad reality of our life is that of these 28,924 new nurses, how many have ‘moral revolution’ on top of their agenda?
Sigh, supply far exceeds demand. Junk the CBCP and its moronic meddling with population control programs! Population control now!
of course, the pain that mrs. gaite is feeling right now is genuine. but she has only her husband to blame for whatever their family or she has been put through.
“Kung emosyon lang ginamit ni Mrs. Gaite nagpa press con na rin sya at nag-iiyak na din sa taumbayan. Ano ginawa nya? sumulat ng mahabang sulat sa mga pari ng La Salle kung saan kunektado din sya….that process of writing alone makes it a thinking, rational thing.–Mita
Aha, Mita, semantecs. Umiyak, sumulat, what’s the difference as long as it conveys the same objective. Many ways to skin…..heheh.
Bert,
YOU BET YOUR BOTTOM PESO NA HIHIRIT PA AKO!
(sorry, di ko alam mag-italics or mag-boldface dito, maybe you can show me how. salamat)
iho, alam mo ba kung paano mag-amend ng constitution?
(1) all the House can do is propose amendments. but the House cannot do it alone, the Senate must also concur. in short, coming up with amendments require the united action of both chambers.
as if naman the Senate will agree to the amendments proposed by the House! diyos ko day! 2010 na, wala pa ring concurrence ang Senate dyan. sigurado yan!
at this stage, expect cases to be filed with the Supreme Court. pampatagal din yan.
(2) then the COMELEC will schedule the referendum for the ratification of the proposed amendments.
expect cases din sa Supreme Court
(3) then the actual referendum. gaya ng nangyari sa 1973 Constitution, sigurado ako if the referendum will result in a ‘Yes’ win someone will contest that sa Supreme Court! pampatagal din yan!
baka di mo napapansin, activist na ang SC ngayon. di friendly kay gloria ang mga desisyon
kaya sa madaling sabi, iho, dadaan pa sa butas ng karayom ang kahit anong amendments para ito maisama sa konstitusyon!
baka iniisip mo, the House, all by itself, can effect the inclusion of amendments.
depende din sa amendments. kung ang proposals ay puro sa economic provisions, that will not be difficult.
just read the Inquirer breaking news-Palace changing story on gAite hit. Ginagago, iniinsulto ang intelihensya ng tao parehas lang ang ibig iparating.
Devils,
mukha bang oxymoronic,o sige defensive mode time.
one of the meanings of revolution is complete change;what happenned to us might havee been incomplete change or if complete change has ever happened; it went 360 degrees and back to normal again. That is the cycle I observe that keeps on happening. What I read in comments of the french revolution type, what happened to them immediately afterwards; after 1799 came Napoleon, kaya sa akin, commemomorating an event,with putting blinders on what happened afterwards is not learning from history at all.
kaya icommemorate natin eds one and forget about what the lousy revolutionary government that came after it,wag na lang.gumawa tayo ng constitution, reactionary lang naman sa 73 constitution…an example would be that the afp is the protector of the people..sure it was meant to prevent military abuses;but if were explained properly to us,no one would make it as an excuse to adventurism.
that’s all baka kung saan pa mapunta ito.
Cheers devils, that rant was not an attack to you.
Gina Devenicia told arnold clavio of gma news FG holding midnight cabinet. Dapat siguro ki Mrs devinicia tumugiltigil sya dahil parehas lang sya ng asawa nya na walang credibilidad. wag nyang haluan ng vendetta ang pagnanasa ng taong bayan na malaman ang katotohanan at maibalik ang respeto ng tao sa gobyerno.
Now it’s this idiot Velarde who is now set to rally his flock.
Bozos like this see their organisations as nothing more than a body shop that can be mobilised at their whim.
It’s time people took away power not only from politicians but from religious leaders as well and understand what it means to be spiritual (vs. being MERELY religious).
Zel, you are reading my comments with a closed mind because you’ve already made up your mind and it doesn’t jive with mine and that’s why you cannot understand. I don’t begrudge you that nor am I criticizing you. That’s just the way it is.
First of all, belief is different from the truth.
Parang reincarnation sa Buddhist at Langit sa Kristiyano…belief yon pero kung may bumalik at kinumpirma ang isa sa dalawa, o ang dalawa…TRUTH na yon. Gayunpaman, hihingan pa ng pruweba yon, diba?
I already repeated, NO ONE HAS A MONOPOLY of the TRUTH. Kahit ako, wala. Sino pa sa inyo ang aamin na hindi nyo talaga alam ang nangyari? Can anyone else here admit that they do not have the whole story, that they are going on about ALLEGATIONS like it were TRUTH.
If you want to believe one person or the other, that is all up to you. But let’s please remember, BELIEF IS DIFFERENT FROM THE TRUTH.
JMCastro, Political truths? meron ba nun! ? hehehe..
but seriously why resolve political truths kung truth na. I’m talking about courts because eventually, if the Senate investigation establishes that there is enough to take it to court and make someone accountable, which as of now, meron na. hence, we have to let that process play out. I recognize what you are saying, the budgetary details will shed light on a lot of anomalies, then that should be addressed by the legislative who will make a law or make recommendations for the Executive to consider.
But when it comes to accountability, then the Judicial Branch of government has to step in. Yun ang batas sa bayan natin. THAT IS THE LAW.
I know people can get away with murder in this country, I know we can get away with making lagay if we get caught in traffic, I know people get away with a lot of things, BUT
as much as we have sacrificed our principles, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO, for EXPEDIENCY, we should draw the line somewhere, this is our country at stake…GMA is not going to be there forever, presidents come and go as they have done in the past. THERE IS A BIGGER PICTURE.
Obviously, we are not at a place where people can trust the different branches of government or we wouldn’t be in this mess. But we have to TRY or we’ll never get it right. It’s not an easy task but we have to take that single step and walk those miles one at a time or we might find ourselves lost.
magalit na ang may ibang opinion,
tuwing madidinig ko si erap na never sya nangurakot, na ang gabinete nya never nagurakot para bang gusto kong masuka; kung ganyan ang strategy nya mali,wag nyang gamitin yung never sya nangurakot dahil marami din namang naniniwala na hindi ito totoo.
convicted na si erap tumahimik na sya..kaso na-pardon! *&(%$
Yes indeed they are different but then they should not be set in opposition with one another. The proper comparison is not between belief and truth, but between substantiated belief and unsubstantiated belief. The question then becomes, what is the basis for holding such beliefs?
As far as truth is concerned, the concept is related to degree of authentication. As per Thomas Sowell, the level of authentication then enables one to classify a belief (aka an ‘idea’) into a hierarchy that includes:
Theories – “ideas systematically prepared for authentication”
Visions – “ideas not derived from any systematic process”
Illusions – “ideas which could not survive any reasonable authentication process”
Myth – “ideas which exempt themselves from any authentication process”
Facts – “ideas which have already passed the authentication process”
Falsehoods – “ideas known to have failed – or certain to fail – such processes”…”both mistakes and lies”
http://www.cvjugo.blogspot.com/search/label/philosophy%20of%20science
This process of authentication applies inside and outside the courtroom.
The Om-bads-men are at it again … just like hair care … conditioning, conditioning, more conditioning, then rinse … Abalos is shiny clean from the Poll Automation graft case.
Now let’s take that new ZTE dirt off you, this should be easy, there was already a lot of conditioning…
Sorry, Anthony, ‘di ko rin alam mag-boldface at italics. At mag-amend ng constitution. Inggit nga ako sa’yo, kasi alam mo iyong isa. But your explanation looks so simple to a simple me, it gave me the impression that you are up to some mischief at my expense, so am wary. I’m not sure of that so pardon me if I’m wrong. BenigNo will call me a moron for this, but isn’t there a move called ‘people initiative’ or something that the Supreme Court rejected for mere technicalities that could do away with the senate to effect charter change, and this could be done once the technicalities are taken care of? In any case, if what you explained is correct, which I don’t doubt it is, but only a diversion, then how come the president’s minnions, when this NBN brouhaha is over, will be pushing for that cha-cha if that is so hard to achieve, as you said? Are you now giving me a hint that Gloria and her minnions are so moronic (borrowed from BenigNo) to indulge in such futile exercise? And, please, don’t give me that crap(excuse the word) about the comelec and the house…they’re pretty efficient(read:smiley w/horns) instituions basing from recent history.
Hindi rin ako marunong maglagay ng smiley, turuan mo nga ako.
Bah, why do any of you even waste time arguing with the likes of Benigno, James, et al, when it is so obvious that they are all nothing more than alaga and bayaran of Gloria, the very embodiment of upper class white collar oligarchy, which makes them in a single 4-letter word, EVIL, and you DO NOT REASON with EVIL, you do not appeal to its BETTER NATURE, because evil is by it’s very nature beyond all reason and has no better nature to begin with. The only way to deal with evil is Aku Soku Zan – ” Sin Swift Slay ” – or Kill Evil Instantly . The only appropriate and fitting way to deal with creatures like that is to hunt them down and wipe them out as soon as possible. This is why the Philippines is the way it is now, nobody good, decent, or honorable is ready, willing, or able to get their hands dirty getting rid of the real and true scum of society, these monsters masquerading as men and men who transformed themselves into monsters. How do you think the French and the Russian people liberated themselves from their own native oligarchies? Not by all these polite talk with fancy words, they took matters into their own hands and literally tore those bastards apart ripping them limb from limb as was only right and proper. Until and unless the good people of this nation find it in themselves to do the right thing and actually purge the body politic of monsters like the administration and all it’s supporters , each and every single one of those demons ( as well as the opposition ), by spilling the blood of the wicked, the Philippines will continue to be the hell on earth Quezon I foolishly wished it to be in his bombastic excess. Of course, I know this comment will most likely be deleted because most of you are cowards, but there are things which have to be said!
Bah, why do any of you even waste time arguing with the likes of Benigno, James, et al, when it is so obvious that they are all nothing more than alaga and bayaran of Gloria, the very embodiment of upper class white collar oligarchy, which makes them in a single 4-letter word, EVIL, and you DO NOT REASON with EVIL, you do not appeal to its BETTER NATURE, because evil is by it’s very nature beyond all reason and has no better nature to begin with. The only way to deal with evil is Aku Soku Zan – ” Sin Swift Slay ” – or Kill Evil Instantly . The only appropriate and fitting way to deal with creatures like that is to hunt them down and wipe them out as soon as possible. This is why the Philippines is the way it is now, nobody good, decent, or honorable is ready, willing, or able to get their hands dirty getting rid of the real and true scum of society, these monsters masquerading as men and men who transformed themselves into monsters. How do you think the French and the Russian people liberated themselves from their own native oligarchies? Not by all these polite talk with fancy words, they took matters into their own hands and literally tore those bastards apart ripping them limb from limb as was only right and proper. Until and unless the good people of this nation find it in themselves to do the right thing and actually purge the body politic of monsters like the administration and all it’s supporters , each and every single one of those demons ( as well as the opposition ), by spilling the blood of the wicked, the Philippines will continue to be the hell on earth Quezon I foolishly wished it to be in his bombastic excess. Of course, I know this comment will most likely be deleted because most of you are cowards, but there are things which just have to be said!
Really cold Cold King, but in truth your desire is not lost to a lot of Filipinos. But for many this is considered as a last resort. Mahirap din kasi baka sakyan ng mga masasama in guise of cleansing. But believe it or not I sympathize with you, the only problem with that is once started there is no turning back.
TheColdking, check out the previous thread. There’s this guy ‘grd’ from the other side of the fence who shares your viewpoint. Previously, he just wanted me to go back to the Philippines (from Singapore) to work. Now, wants me to volunteer to become a suicide bomber.
http://www.quezon.ph/?p=1682#comment-738292
Maybe you both should meet up.
Kung may portable nuclear bomb lang ako, payag akong maging suicide bomber para burahin na sa mundo ang buong administrasyon at ang mga alipin at alipores nito…
dang…in this day and age, we still have people talking of HATE, HUNT DOWN, WIPE OUT, CLEANSING, RIPPING FROM LIMB TO LIMB, SPILLING BLOOD….
Is this what you really want?
cvj, stop doing the twist on me. I didn’t put it in opposition…I just said those two are different. we may disagree on a lot of things but apparently we agree that BELIEF and TRUTH are DIFFERENT, is that right?
Mita, that belief and truth are different is in itself an uninteresting point. You did not use up 430 words (at 7:31pm) just belabor that.
sorry that should read,…just to belabor that.
Yes, and these primal urges are being prodded and resurfaced by this corrupt administration by their constant use of mafiosi tactics and management. They should be careful, the Filipinos have different stages of critical mass, one the non-violent one, the other, the violent one. Once the corrupt people in power are considered NOT Filipinos anymore, that is the time for them to run or hide.
karl, i know what you meant. lam ko ur comment wasn’t agst me. mejo natawa lng ako sa concept na pumasok sa isip ko nang sinabi mong sustainable.
sabi ko: langya, rebolusyon na sustainable. parang walang katapusang bloodbath yan ah 😀
pero tama ka, incomplete nga ang mga nakaraang rebolusyon. kaya dapat pa rin nating tapusin ang incomplete revolution na ito.
yes benigs. it’s time you lead this fight. i really am interested in how you can un-brainwash religious fanatics. but i know how to make religious leaders impotent (no, not sexually, but politically) 😀 so what good suggestions have you? you know how i’ve been agst institutionalized religion from the start.
cvj, but I didn’t, didn’t I? Do I get a “D” for that?
oh BTW, if it’s an uninteresting point….funny you should post a multi-paragraph reply to it…and NO I will not count the words because I’m not THAT anal…
sorry…”did I” is what I meant..
wheee. seems like we have a Rurouni Kenshin fan.
oh shoot, again…
I did, didn’t I?
Bert,
iho, masalimuot ang pag-amend ng constitution.
baka ang iniisip mo, kapag nanalo ang Sigaw sa Supreme Court, effective na ang amendments? No!
baka di mo nalalaman, the division and commission levels of the comelec denied Sigaw’s petition. kaya Sigaw went to the Supreme Court
ang legal issue sa Supreme Court noon ay tama ba ang pagdismiss ng Comelec sa petition ng Sigaw.
pag nanalo ang Sigaw sa SC, ibabalik ang ang petition sa comelec para i-process ito. its still possible na i-dismiss pa rin ang petition. at this stage, whatever the comelec decides, meron maga-apeal sa SC
di ko alam kung moronic sila. ewan ko nga ba sa media, they are blowing out of proportion yung mga bali-balita sa cha-cha. much ado about nothing
yung nangyari nung 2006 sa efforts ni JDV to railroad cha-cha, wala ring epekto yon kung natuloy dahil kelangan ang concurrence ng senate.
the ‘doing away with the senate’ refers to the desired end-result of the amendment – unicameral legislature, members elected by district. Parang House. it does not refer to the process of amendment itself
I remember my grandfather telling me about this people advocating for bloody revolution.
They are the people who have not experienced war. They are the people who think that killing and spilling blood is a walk in a park.
They have not seen the eyes of the innocent children, hungry and orphaned. being a guerilla was also a no-picnic for the men who had to leave their families.
yong mga nag-aadvocate ng bloody revolution, ere lang yan.
just fart and you will feel better.
Don’t expect the Filipinos to become heroes by joining a bloody revolution. There is no such thing as hero. but there is such as thing as if the price is right.
Cry “Havoc!”, and let slip the dogs of war… because i think i just saw a puppy of war.
ColdKing, if you think violence is the solution to this entire situation, then please, go grab a couple of your buddies, and a few grenades and automatic weapons and launch yourselves at Malacañang. Your tirade is sure as hell sounds like fighting words, so either get out there and fight, or find another forum to air your brand of violence.
m’kay?
Cat wrote:
Be careful Cat, you could be wrong.
Cat wrote:
You obviously never been in a firefight where people risk their lives for the lives of their comrades and families.
Mita, you’re third paragraph (at 7:31pm) explains the manner in which you tried to set the two concepts in opposition.
suicide bomber na pinoy?
sa tingin ko kahit na me mga muslim tayo na mga kapatid,wala pa sa kanila ang magiging suicide bomber.
Sana tama ako.
pero may mga kulto din dito na madaming nabrebrainwash,kaya medyo nakakatakot din,baka sa sa mga tipo nila manggaling.
To whomeveer thought of that idea,I hope he spends at least a week in south asia or the middle east para masampolan nya ang horror nito pasalamat tayo walang series of suicide bombings dito,sana walang manguna.
re:terrorism I don’t want to be called an american jihadist or a moron or a bozo;rewind to the glorietta bombing,the reason why the pnp has a covenient excuse is it may have been a combination of rdx and methane gas explosion;the methane gas explosion explains why me pataas na pagsabog (unscattered) and the rdx could explain why the parked cars also exploded;as to the source of rdx let the irrelevant senate(according to many here) find out;and we must not forget the batasan blast and all the blasts from the past. To the suicide bomber wannabe..do it somewhere else,or in another lifetime.
The suicide bomber has another personality, the mutilator or axe murderer who wishes destruction from limb to limb;let us say they are figures of speech,why even imagine such a figurative scenario;or if it is meant to be literal,you can join hannibal lecter wherever he maybe.Wow Scaaaary.
As to the revolution, French style;boy it was a bloody ten years before a monarchy was turned into an empire.
Or move up north using Cromwell’s civil war;everything he despised about the monarchs he outdone it,or he topped it all by doing worse,so no one thanked him for getting rid of the evil king later because he was a worse dictator.
Ganito na ng setup natin, we have the elites or the few who are influential,powerful,landed . How can a revolution change that;let them give up their lands and distribute them and bahala na sila kung anong gagawin dun;ay pumalpak nga pala ang land reform.
Not allow them to peddle influence;wala pala silang pinagkaiba sa sidewalk vendors at peddlers sa divisoria.
Power;kahit wala silang power maimpluwensya pa din sila look at Pichay and Defensor.
To end this like an Axe commercial..
What happens next is up to us!
No need to prod what need not be prodded, there are other silent readers as well
“TheColdking, check out the previous thread. There’s this guy ‘grd’ from the other side of the fence who shares your viewpoint. Previously, he just wanted me to go back to the Philippines (from Singapore) to work. Now, wants me to volunteer to become a suicide bomber.
https://www.quezon.ph/?p=1682#comment-738292
Maybe you both should meet up.–cvj
cvj, that could very well be the battle of the century.
If you guys think Gloria is shrewd, maybe that’s the whole point of all this exercise….to make sure she is not a lame duck president….tignan niyo ngayo, lahat kayo nagtatatalon…
One very innocent sentence (at 11:13) and my comment is awaiting moderation? hmmmm,bakit kaya.
Kagaya nga ng sinabi ko, bigyan niyo lang ako ng kahit isang bomba kagaya ng mga tauhan ng al-quaeda na personal wmd, at ako na mismo ang gagawa ng soluyson sa problema ng buong bayan 😀 , para talagang puruhan silang lahat, kung hindi e kayo na ang tumahimik diyan mga duwag, kasi hindi ko sasayangin ang buhay ng isa sa mga konting natitira pang tunay na patriot sa bansang ito dahil may nakaligtas, kung ibibigay ko ang buhay ko sisiguraduhin ko hindi ito maaaksaya dahil sa kakulangan ng lakas sa armas …
coldking, maramng dinamita jan, tumalon ka na lang sa manila bay baka makahuli ka pa ng fishda….yung big ha!
cvj, quit while you’re ahead…you have now replied several times to an uninteresting point…
Supreme Court orders dismissal of LRA cases
“Saying it has stayed on the case too long, the Supreme Court has ordered the Office of the Ombudsman to dismiss the administrative and criminal charges against officials of the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
In a 14-page decision penned by Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, the first division granted the petition of former LRA administrator Alfredo R. Enriquez and other officials that charges against them in connection with the agency’s Land Titling Computerization project be dismissed.
The Fact-Finding and Intelligence Bureau of the Office of the Ombudsman started the litigation on May 9, 2000. After repeated follow-ups, however, the Ombudsman failed to resolve the cases.
The delay, the officials said, “has not only besmirched their reputation but also caused them severe anxiety and great and irreparable injustice as they have been denied employment opportunities and retirement benefits rightfully due them.”
The case reached the high court on Oct. 20, 2006. The court, in favoring the officials, noted they exerted diligent effort by filing several motions for speedy trial.
The Ombudsman, despite its task to “determine the causes of inefficiency in the government, and make recommendations for [its] elimination and the observance of high standards of ethics and efficiency,” violated due process.
“Here, respondent, the very protector of the people, became the perpetrator of the dictum that ’justice delayed is justice denied.’ The said dictum is not a meaningless concept that can be taken for granted by those who are tasked with the dispensation of justice,” the court said.”  Ira P. Pedrasa, BusinessWorld
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Now, who wants to file a case before the Ombudsman with this kind of a track record?
DevilsAdvocate wrote:
“but i know how to make religious leaders impotent (no, not sexually, but politically) so what good suggestions have you? you know how i’ve been agst institutionalized religion from the start.”
Devils, the BIR had beat you to it, the castration (not literally, but figuratively) process begun already with Bishop Cruz of Dagupan (see Inquirer news).