(updated)
Today I went to the House of Representatives to watch our Motion for Intervention end up buried by the administration majority in the Committee on Justice. There weren’t many of us bloggers there, but it was comforting to know those among the intervenors unable to be present were thinking of us, as were other bloggers who have expressed their support, most lately including stuart-santiago and The Pelican Spectator.
As co-intervenor Marocharim Experiment blogged yesterday, everyone went into the process with no illusions, but no desire to compromise belief:
Like I said before: it doesn’t matter if GMA has two years or two days left in her Presidency. If she is found to be unfit to rule by virtue of a fair evaluation of evidence – or an admission of guilt – then the law doesn’t say that she doesn’t have to pay the price in the name of “stability” and “progress.” I reiterate: justice, fairness, and freedom are not words or compromises, but are perspectives.
For what actually transpired, {caffeine_sparks} provides the minutes of the proceedings of the Committee on (in)Justice. Here’s a sample, the moment of truth.
And see the coverage of Inquirer.net, of ABS-CBN, and part 1, part 2, and part 3 of GMANews.TV’s coverage. There’s Also the Philippine Star. While some of my reactions have been quoted in reports, I’ll get to that in my column tomorrow.
So let me point you in the direction of co-intervenors [email protected] and particularly, of Alleba Politics who takes a close look at the Mindanao bloc in the House:
Curiously, South Cotabato Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio and Bukidnon Representative Teofisto Guingona III who fought for the intervention during yesterday’s hearing was absent today. And I am disappointed. I was counting on Custodio to fight for Mindanao, to declare that an injustice done to Mindanao and its people has repercussions and consequences. Arroyo has used and continues to use Mindanao and it’s issues for her political gain. But this is proof that we are not willing to fight for ourselves. Of the more than 50 representatives for Mindanao, not one, not a single one of them voted to accept the intervention. Not even one of them lobbied for it. Not one of them endorsed it.
Let it be known that these congressmen, supposed representatives of Mindanao and its people stood idly by, while their land, their constituents, their constitution, their country was put in peril and bastardized by Arroyo:
1. Aquino, Jose II S.
2. Amante, Edelmiro A.
3. Plaza, Rodolfo ‘Ompong’ G.
4. Pancrudo, Candido Jr. P.
5. Guingona, Teofisto ‘TG’ III L.
6. Zubiri, Jose Ma. III F.
7. Uy, Rolando A.
8. Rodriguez, Rufus B.
9. Romualdo, Pedro P.
10. Zamora, Manuel ‘Way Kurat’ E.
11. Amatong, Rommel C.
12. Nograles, Prospero C.
13. Garcia, Vincent J.
14. Ungab, Isidro T.
15. Olaño, Arrel R.
16. Lagdameo, Antonio Jr. F.
17. Cagas, Marc Douglas IV C.
18. Bautista, Franklin P.
19. Dayanghirang, Nelson L.
20. Almario, Thelma Z.
21. Belmonte, Vicente Jr. F.
22. Dimaporo, Abdullah D.
23. Dumarpa, Faysah RPM
24. Balindong, Pangalian M.
25. Datumanong, Simeon A.
26. Clarete, Marina P.
27. Ramiro, Herminia M.
28. Emano, Yevgeny Vincente B.
29. Taliño-Mendoza, Emmylou ‘Lala’ J.
30. Piñol, Bernardo Jr. F.
31. Chiongbian, Erwin L.
32. Dilangalen, Didagen P.
33. Antonino-Custodio, Darlene R.
34. Pingoy, Arthur
35. Mangudadatu, Datu Pax S.
36. Go, Arnulfo F.
37. Jikiri, Yusop H.
38. Arbison, Munir M.
39. Matugas, Francisco T.
40. Romarate, Guillermo Jr. A.
41. Pichay, Philip A.
42. Garay, Florencio C.
43. Jaafar, Nur G.
44. Climaco, Maria Isabelle
45. Fabian, Erico Basilio A.
46. Jalosjos-Carreon, Cecilia G.
47. Labadlabad, Rosendo S.
48. Jalosjos, Cesar G.
49. Yu, Victor J.
50. Cerilles, Antonio H.
51. Cabilao, Belma A.
52. Hofer, Ann K.
These are the people who have FAILED to represent and defend their constituents in Mindanao. Let it be known that they refused to recognize and accept the facts, that they have acted contrary to their mandate, their duty to serve their constituents in Mindanao. Let it be known that they stood idly by while Arroyo gave away a piece of their land, created a state within our island, entered an agreement that put our people and our nation in peril. They have failed to serve, failed to do what they are paid to do.
Of course what happened today was preordained.
Yesterday, the administration majority actually wanted to dispense with our Intervention. Please see the summary of what transpired, as recorded by {caffeine_sparks}: there’s also this interview with Rep. Teddy Casino:
Ricky Carandang: Sir, sufficient in form, tomorrow the vote on substance but there was a bit to do about whether or not the intervention filed by number of people would be included in the house. That wasn’t in the complaint… that wasn’t resolved. Was it?
Teddy Casino: No, it wasn’t resolved. In fact, we requested the committee to provide us copies of that intervention so that tomorrow we will have a more informed debate on whether to accept or not this intervention from various complainants.
Ricky Carandang: Okay, but as everybody loves to say in the House, Sir. It’s a numbers game and it doesn’t look like the majority is inclined to allow it in.
Teddy Casino: Well, the committee has to make a decision. What we are against is that it was a unilateral action by the committee chairperson Matt Defensor to consider the intervention as prohibited and to return the same to the complainants. We just want that thorough discussion be made because we think that the complainants also have right to be heard in this committee especially the importance of the issue that they are trying to bring out which the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.
Ricky Carandang: But what was the argument why they wanted to exclude it? And did they exclude it without hearing the arguments of the intervenors? Or did they vote to exclude it on a mere procedural matter?
Teddy Casino: Well it was a mere procedural matter on the technicality that the first complaint was already referred to the committee and therefore one-year ban was already in place. And the chair of the committee considered the intervention as a new complaint. But as was clarified as the chair of the committee on rules Art Defensor, this is not a new complaint. This is an intervention or more generically an amendment to the first complaint which the Justice committee would have jurisdiction over that.
Ricky Carandang: So you seem to be implying that there’s some inconsistencies here with the application of their rules.
Teddy Casino: Yes, because under the rules of criminal procedure, which is supposed to be supplementary to our rules, you can amend the complaint before arraignment. And the president has not be arraigned yet. We have not reached that stage. So our theory in the minority, is that any complaint can be amended by the Justice committee and there is no prohibition on amendments, interventions or any other matter. It’s just that the committee will have to deliberate and decide on this issue. This is a long established point of the minority, which in the previous impeachment proceedings have always been denied. But we think that it is in keeping with the rules.
Ricky Carandang: Well sir tomorrow then based on what you’re saying I anticipate a lot of discussion again about the rules about whether that intervention can be heeded or not. Just out of curiosity sir… will you…
Teddy Casino: But at the end of the day, it will come to a vote.
So, as one of my co-intervenors, New Philippine Revolution put it, we got to live another day.
I don’t exactly agree with Rep. Casino (I wouldn’t concede “more generically an amendment”) but in view of the challenge we blogger-intervenors issued last week and which I restated in my column last Monday, Walk the talk, congressmen. It was good to hear Casino say what he did and act the way he did; and of course particularly heartening were interventions of Reps. Darlene Custodio and T. Guingona III during the hearing.
The Inquirer.net report summarizes the questions that were meant to be resolved today as follows:
Quezon City Representative Matias Defensor, chairman of the justice committee, had raised the “prejudicial questions” that must be considered before determining whether the complaint would be sufficient in form and in substance would be:
‘ Which complaint/ complaints must be considered?
‘ Is the complaint in intervention allowed by the Constitution, the Rules on Impeachment or the Rules on Criminal Procedure in its suppletory character?
‘ Is the chairman on the committee on justice correct in returning the Lozano complaint based on the precedent as approved by the committee on justice in the case of the Tamano/ Pulido complaint?
The four complaints submitted before the committee were from:
‘ Jose de Venecia III, et. al. submitted on October 13;
‘ Attorney Guillermo Sotto submitted October 23;
‘ Manuel Quezon III et al submitted on November 12; and
‘ Lawyer Oliver Lozano submitted directly to the committee on justice and received by the committee secretary on November 17.
In the end, those from the minority who were present did take up the cudgels, not just for the impeachment, but our intervention, today. IWe were, however, never able to argue our case, which I present for the record (my thanks to the lawyers helping us on this):
1. The intervention is not a separate complaint involving a distinct cause of action but is just another aspect of the original cause of action upon which the de Venecia impeachment complaint rests, which is GMA’s culpable violation of the Constitution and breach of her oath as President of the Philippines.
2. The primary objective of the remedy of intervention is to avoid multiplicity of suits by allowing all related causes of action and issues to be resolved in one proceeding. As long as intervention has been properly and timely made and the intervention would not cause any injustice to anyone, it should not be denied. In fact the ends of justice would be better served by granting the intervention, as public interest should predominate over technical or procedural considerations.
3. Intervention should be granted if the intervenor(s) can show that they have a legal interest in the matter in litigation. As citizens and taxpayers, it cannot be denied that intervenors have a legal right to ensure that the laws of the land are upheld, especially if the violator is a public official. Impeachment is a process of national inquest into the conduct of public officials and the bringing of charges against them for misconduct in office.
4. The intervention is based on judicial findings which were not yet made or in existence at the time of the filing of the original complaint. Hence, it may be argued that an “intervening cause” , i.e. the ruling on the unconstitutionality of the BJE MOA (which was not appealed by the government), justifies the inclusion of the said subject matter as one of the grounds for impeachment.
In other news, there has been much tsk-tsking about Secretary Jesus Dureza’s opening prayer at the opening of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Freudian slip? Trial balloon? Sneaky sabotage?
It has been more than two years since the President began chanting her mantra of “attaining first world status by 2020,” and began classifying our country as a “Second World country,” and by now, the phrase has become yet another tired presidential propaganda line, except, of course, for the very real possibility that the Palace believes its own propaganda.
And that it can be quite methodical and deliberate about achieving what it wants, in a manner calculated to reassure its loyalists, and those hoping against hope the current regime has an expiration date, and not unduly arouse the citizenry. Victory is so close, the Palace functionaries can almost taste it. Even as RG Cruz cautioned for the public to keep its eyes “on the ball,” it seems some factotums couldn’t resist a little gloating.
As Ding Gagelonia blogging At Midfield recounts,
This writer recalls that just weeks ago a commenter over at FilipinoVoices.com who claimed to be a ranking lawyer with direct links to the Palace revealed that they “wanted a 10-year term extension for GMA beyond 2010.”
This year -or next- as the Year of Political Rapture just came closer; aside from the usual suspects getting the ball rolling on further packing the Supreme Court, it was interesting to see Speaker Nograles in the space of eight months going from “amendments after 2010” in February to “maybe some amendments, let’s see” in May, to “amendments are nigh!” Saying on the news, tonight, that he was tickled pink by Juan Ponce Enrile’s election as Senate President and pointing to the trial balloon he started floating back in February, a Constitutional Convention instead of the more politically nerve-wracking method of using the Supreme Court as a blunt instrument against the Senate. (To my mind, this is where Enrile would be useful: he could smoothly navigate a Constitutional Convention law through the Senate, calling the bluff of Senators who said the only kind of Charter Change they’d support is thru a Convention).
Anyway, seems after gauging public opinion, people have either tuned out, or have proven themselves so tractable and manageable, that the administration thinks now is the time because all those saying they will “wait until 2010” are bluffing and will actually roll over and play dead if and when the President’s term extension by whatever means is achieved.
The prospects, if not for her, then for those surrounding her, are glittering indeed. As I mentioned in my 2007 column Quackery, if she’s in office come 2020, she would only be one year shy of matching Ferdinand Marcos’s grip on power.
But let me close with these reassuring words from the President’s ally, Rep. Danilo Suarez, explaining why initial reports of a 40-strong House delegation to accompany the President to Peru (subsequently reduced to 5) was no big deal:
Asked why such a huge group wants to join Mrs. Arroyo to Peru despite the economic crisis, Suarez said, “We have problems, but we don’t have a crisis.”
This reminds me of a conversation I had last Saturday, when I ran into Prospero Pichay of all people in Greenbelt. I asked him about our Chess team and then talk drifted to what seems to have been uppermost in his mind.
“You know this is a time not for politics but getting down to work,” he said, and proceeded to of course pat himself on the back as the new irrigation chief. I told him I’d been hearing of downsizing in some BPO’s, and that there didn’t seem to be much in the way of the administration (which he so loyally serves) doing much by way of revealing whether it has a game plan -starting with enumerating the challenges ahead.
He sort of snorted and said, “they’re clueless,” and proceeded to say some rather uncomplimentary things about people in the Cabinet like Angelo Reyes, who he basically described as a know-nothing as far as his portfolio was concerned.
So I responded by asking why Lakas-CMD didn’t unveil a plan, since, after all, political life for people like him goes beyond the term of the President. He smiled and said some non-committal things. Then paused, and said, “even she doesn’t listen to me, every time I make a suggestion, well, you know how taray she can be.”
And then, after some more pleasantries (he is, after all, a pleasant person) we parted ways.
Onward to First World status by 2020!
supremo,
“Compare the economy of the Philippines to Malaysia and you will know the status of GMA’s First World status by 2020.”
wow, sablay na sablay, my dear ex-kababayan.
the road to First World status is not up to gloria.
Its up to all of us who chose to remain Pinoys
dodong,
—————————————————————————–
“I heard you, and the surprising thing Filipinos are even proud of screwing up others like equating smart to taking advantage of others.
In September 2008, a Canadian family learned this the hard way. They were charged $2,600 for 2 pizzas from Pizza Hut and cut short of their vacation.
http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=66d92db6-38a7-4959-be1b-ee72395960bb”
—————————————————————————
how can that story be a proof that Pinoys are ‘proud of screwing up others like equating smart to taking advantage of others’? that story does not say something to that effect!
how could you attribute that faux pas by Pizza Hut and/or MasterCard to the country? i don’t read them complaining to the Philippine embassy.
***sigh***
Scalia, I’ve mentioned this English tourism before. Don’t you think this is something our government should pursue? Unlike beach tourism, which only ruins our environment in the long run, English tourism will even improve our educational system.
I need for someone to mention this in a newspaper or something.
As for the Spanish being backward, just ask anyone in Western Europe, and may I direct you to this amazing movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479230/
14 pesetas is eye opening in that it revealed to me how Filipino Spaniards are 🙂
Justice,
No problemo!
dOdOng, “Mindanao is always behind in terms of economic development.” How would representation in the Senate address this problem? Did any Congressman from Mindanao back the bloggers’ suit?
Federalists have the idea, but, MLQ3 says federalism is messy. Obviously, now is not the time for us to mess around. Devolution w/ due fiscal federalism is the answer. The challenge is how to make lawmakers do it. It will help if federalists get out of the way, at least for now.
Nakakainis naman itong mga mambabatas natin. “Yung kay Bolante iniimbestigahan na nga sa Senado, iniimbestigahan din pa rin sa Kongreso. Sa meryenda lang ng mga kongresman at senador na nag-iimbestiga eh malaki na ang nagagastos. Eh iyung mga inimbita pa nila. Gagamit pa sila ng koryente at aircondition. Naku! Ang laki ng gastos!
Samantalang pwede naman dalhin sa korte ang kaso na iyan. “Dib a nga nakasama na sa Ombudsman ang kaso eh bakit patuloy pa rin ang magkahiwalay na imbestigasyon sa senado at kongreso. Mind you, inimbestigahan na rin iyang alleged fertilizer scam noong nakaraang Kongreso at si dating Senator Magsaysay ay nagrekomenda na kasuhan si Jocjoc. Kahit na nga “in aid of legislation†eh wala namang panukalang batas na ginawa.
Sa panaonngayon na marmaing pamilyang Pilipino ang nagugutom, dapat pati ang kongreso at senado ay magtipid. “Wag sila pasaway!
RICKY SANTOS
[email protected]
Dapat kasi tumutok na lang ang mga senador sa pagbabalangkas ng batas imbis na ituon nila ang atensyon sa pagiimbistiga sa kaso ni Bolante, una merun namn tayong korte upang humusga diyan. Nasasayang lang ang panahon natin.
At sa mababang kapulungan ng bansa ang kongreso dapat lang na ibasura na nila ang impeachment dahil wla naman itong patutunguhan una, alam naman ng lahat na hindi matibay ang mga paratang at ebensya sa impeachment.
bakit hindi na lang sila magantay ng 2010 election
B,
“I’ve mentioned this English tourism before. Don’t you think this is something our government should pursue?”
yes the govt should
“Unlike beach tourism, which only ruins our environment in the long run…”
but the solution there is not doing away with ‘beach tourism’ totally
“…English tourism will even improve our educational system.”
yes
“As for the Spanish being backward, just ask anyone in Western Europe, ”
now im curious how the Spanish can be backward
“and may I direct you to this amazing movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479230/
14 pesetas is eye opening in that it revealed to me how Filipino Spaniards are ”
maybe it should be how Spaniard Pinoys are
taxj, devolution is your hope of suppressing the aspirations of regional autonomy embodied in the federal system, to preserve the advantage enjoyed by manila and it’s environs.
Nagkalat lang si Sen. Jinggoy Estrada noong inimbestigahan si Jocjoc Bolante. Bakit ‘ka mo? Eh biruin mo naman kung magtanong parang sanggano at parang nakikipag-usap lang sa kapwa niya siga. Para siyang hindi senador, para siyang lasing kung makipag-usap. Wala naming kwenta iyung mga tinanong niya. Isang nakakatawang tanong niya eh noong tinanong niya ang isa sa mga taong nasa likod ni Bolante. Sumagot iyung lalaki na “I’m Attorney……†Biruin mo, bigla ba naming nagfollow-up question si Sen. Jinggoy na “Are you a lawyer?†Attorney nga eh siyempre lawyer ‘yun! Nakakataas talaga itong si Sen. Jinggoy oo. Kawawa naman ‘yung mga bumoto sa kanya.
Ipinakikita lamang ni Sen. Jinggoy na wala siyang malay sa kanyang trabaho. Bilang senador, dapat magpakita siya ng katalinuhan at kagandahang asal dahil sa maraming mga kabataan ang tumitingala sa kanya bilang isang halal na opisyal ng bansa. Tsk tsk tsk!
Mabuti pa iyung tatay niya na si former President Erap Estrada. Kahit medyo mahina ang ulo sa larangan ng lehistratura eh nagpakita naman ito ng modo noong senador siya (kasi hindi naman sumasali si Erap sa mga usapan, tahimik lang ito lagi ‘di natin malaman kung naiintindihan niya ang mga tinatalakay).
NEWS: U.S. automotive industry may go bunkrupt. US Congress has strong dislike for the big three.
MLQ3,
I was intially shocked and at right now, fuming how that intervention got shot down, wherein it was not a different complaint, rather a supplement. [Heck, I’m not even a law student and I deducted that much.]
Second, it was also shocking, but not surprising that those 50 did not help in getting the intervention done.
Since the intervention did not push through, we just have to be vigilant now more than ever since Enrile has the Senate Helm, the Congress is 90% likely to shoot down the JDV Impeachment Complaint, 2 years is the race marker to ‘gather’ more resources, and lastly Gloria seems to hold on tooth and nail to the presidency and is likely to hold it all the more, because of Charter Change…
Jemas Undag,
Hindi pwedeng hintayin ang 2010 elections, dahil…
1. Malaki ang posibilidad na palitan ang constitution bago mag 2010. = Gloria bilang pinuno ng bayan.
2. Hanga’t gumagawa sya ng mga kilos na magwawatak sa bayan natin, o lalong humakot sa kaban ng bayan, hindi tayo pwedeng umupo lang.
3. Baka magising ka na lang isang araw, wala nang Middle-Class Filipinos, dahil lalo tayong nabaon sa utang dahil kay Gloria.
d0d0ng since the beginning of what? mindanao senators were the rule from the start of nationally-electing the senate (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_general_election,_1941), it’s only in recent years that it’s become hardly balanced, geographically. more in one of my previous columns, http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080410-129399/Senate-the-victim-of-a-design-flaw . i also have a column on the moros elected to the senate over the years but can’t find it right now.
mindanaoan, under your view of a federal structure, would there be a national capital and what would the role of that capital be? in the federal systems you prefer, do they have national capitals and what is the role of the capital in those existing systems?
“the road to First World status is not up to gloria.”
you planning to flip side, anthony? welcome to our club, you will find it’s not as degrading and as embarrasing as the other side.
“mindanaoan, under your view of a federal structure, would there be a national capital and what would the role of that capital be? in the federal systems you prefer, do they have national capitals and what is the role of the capital in those existing systems?”
State capitals or national capitals? European community is a grouping with national capitals with a common market and common currency but not a national currency. Fiscal policy is still in the hands of the different nation states.
The representation by states in Congress of the U.S. and the electoral system of voting for President makes the U.S. federal system a hybrid form of a parliamentary Federal system. Power is diffused.
Equal opportunity pork barrel is a way of life in the U.S. political structure.
Any attempt at centralization will not be sustainable.
Unless the head of state is dependent on the representation of all regions equally and not by the numbers in each region you cannot decentralize.
Only the richer more populous regions will be dominant.
The higher the material base the higher the population.
Economic development in the country was started by outsiders in enclaves and as such the Philippines is highly mal-developed.
You cannot legislate this to correct this imbalance as the people who are making the laws will always protect their own turf.
The initial distribution of factor endowments (colonial period) have created constituencies that will not change or give up their economic dominance which translates into political dominance.
No amount of reforms can work unless that original system is destroyed.
I just heard the Dureza is starting his own NGO and this will be called ‘Gloria Save Us Movement’
You will see government PR to come out in the months to come proclaiming GMA as the only one who can save us in this ongoing financial crisis.
mlq3, manila enjoys advantages not because it is the capital but because central planning tends to concentrate development on one area, the source of power. a federal setup distributes that source of power, and see how development follows accordingly.
i don’t disagree with you on that mindanaoan, i’m just concerned some (not all) federalists think you can have a country, federal, or not, without some sort of national authority over the component parts.
SAWANG SAWA NA KAMI SA DALAWANG GRUPO NINYO. ( bert at anthony scalla)
GUSTO LANG NAMIN AY DISENTENG TRABAHO, MALINIS NA GOBYERNO AT MALIWANAG NA PLATAPORMA.
HINDI YUNG MGA MAPAG-PAIIKOT NG MGA SALITA MAIPAGTANGGOL LAMANG ANG KANILANG MGA IDOLO (GLORIA) AT ADHIKAIN (OPOSISYON).
SI BERT PARA SA SA PAGPAPAALIS KAY GLORIA AT SI ANTHONY SCALLA SA PANGANTYAW SAS OPOSISYON.
HINDI KAYO ANG KAILANGAN NG BAYAN.
hehehehe.
kaminaman,
“desenteng trabaho” is attainable if we pour our resources here and create jobs, leaving the politicians to their comedy/tragedy… (that is of course if the other businesspeople don’t pounce on you first)
“malinis na gobyerno” is a Utopian idea… No government is absolutely squeeky clean. They just function to their own optimal levels. Same thing goes to everyone who relies or complains about them…
“Maliwanag na plataporma”… Do you remember the only senatoriables who submitted platforms if they win? And they lost… Popular democracy is for the popular… Self-reliance is something we have to learn here…
Kailangan natin ang dalawang opinyon dahil kung wala yung dalawang pwersa, hindi posible ang adhikain mo…
To everyone else,
How long do you think the last impeachment would last in a congress full of lapdogs?
bERT
sNEERING IS THE LAST REFUGE OF THOSE WHO…
HA HA HA
Bert,
“you planning to flip side, anthony? welcome to our club, you will find it’s not as degrading and as embarrasing as the other side.”
hey wait a minute. excuuuuzzzzzzz meeeee.
puh-leeeeaaaaasssssseeeeee!!!!!
never did i ever say that gloria is the key to economic progress. the key is the people, not her.
kaya there is no need for me to switch sides.
have you been forgetting my posts int he past?
to its-our-turn,
to borrow Bert’s soon to be immortal words,
hehehehe
antonio scalla
ha ha ha.
wala talaga kayong pinagkaiba ni Bert.
HOHOHO….pasko na!
there will be an election of somekind in 2010, but not presidential…i just can’t imagine gma giving up her clout and power and subject herself to civil/criminal litigations after ( if ever) she steps down as president.
she needs to stay in power forever for self preservation. 2 years is long time to plot something! i’ve been watching the news today and everyone was saying that there is no time left to change the constitution because 2010 is only 2 years away! who said that only through charter change gma can stay in power past 2010?
it is same mentality before marcos declared martial law. politicians were saying marcos would not dare declare martial law. and the rest are history and we still have not learned from it!
actions speaks louder than words. we are not children anymore that we believe everything malacanang says! but i guess this is a democratic process and we have long long long way to go!
with johnny running the senate…who knows…there might be another attempt on his life in wack wack…while eating a hamborgeer that only abalos makes! then gma can declare martial law with all her past and new appointees in SC having the majority saying it is constitutional! ( same as neri not telling the truth as a matter of national security).
then next logical step is to abolish senate and have a unicameral (rubber stamp), batasan pambansa! all in the name of progress…sounds similar? the new society! it’s the economy stupid! maybe we will have the benidictos back, the cojuancos (danding) and too bad the lopezes are on the wrong side of fence again!
we can be china! run by tyranny but an economic giant of the world. not that bad huh. unless the government thinks you not with the program and takes you away from your family for re-education and never to seen or heard again. wait a minute, that has been going on with palparan and getting commended during gma’s sona!
i am hoping and praying that i will be proven wrong! but as the bible says “God help those who help themselves”.
istambay, that will not happen if you ask tongue.
teka, teka, sino ba ang nagloklok diyan kay johnny sa puwesto niya ngayon?
The sky is falling!!!
“to borrow Bert’s soon to be immortal words,
hehehehe”-anthony
pasensya na anthony, hehehe lang alam ko, hindi ko alam maglagay ng smiley (imoticon ba iyon?). alam mo naman laki ako sa pinaka-liblib na lugar ng Pinas kaya hindi sanay sa pc, keyboard lang…tuldok system pa. inggit nga ako kay UP n, kung ano-anong smiley nalalagay niya.
hindi naman ‘sneer ‘ang hehehehe ko, ang ibig sabihin lang noon natutuwa ako, kasi naman nakakatuwa talaga ang iba dito sa blog ni manolo, heheh.
ok na sa akin ang hehehe kumpara sa imoticon, generic tsaka original Pinoy.
the arroyos are on the move!
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20081120-173418/Arroyo-son-leads-Charter-change-move
“The sky is falling!!!”
I disagree!!!!!!
“The sky is falling!!!”
HOHOHO!
The impeachment failed because it was not the way of Christ.
Could you imagine Jesus impeaching the Ceasars of Rome? Not gonna happen.
What Jesus would do:
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38-42, NIV)
Also:
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,” “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. *And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also*. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” (Luke 6:28-31. King James Version)
“The joke was that our president Gloria (yes, herself) plan to get the Philippines attain First World Status by 2020 at a time when she has barely three years in office, hehehe.
Now gets na?†bert
Bert,
are you saying that when the present admin says, it aims for the country to attain first world status by 2020, it follows that the sitting president has to stay in power to fullfill that plan? your interpretation is too shallow and literal. why, can the next president not pursue that vision?
gumagawa ka talaga ng sariling multo. i have said it before, it seems you are the one who cannot let go of gloria.
are you saying that when the present admin says, it aims for the country to attain first world status by 2020, it follows that the sitting president has to stay in power to fullfill that plan?
Either you were abroad in prior to 2004, or never passed any of the PNP/AFP camps in EDSA, and Taguig.
After Gloria’s historical announcement at Rizal’s grave, the camps displayed banners at the gates which said “Strong Philippines 2010”.
So is “First World Status by 2020” another prophecy? By soldiers and cops?
grd :
“istambay, that will not happen if you ask tongue”
I’m still amused why many anti-Gloria groups still consider the senate coup as a Malacañang plot. I keep repeating that the senate majority under Villar was not an opposition Senate, it had ALL the admin senators in it. Chiz, Jinggoy and Alan were the outsiders.
Also by those who believe that Pimentel should have been the anointed one as Enrile is pro-chacha.
But I found this on Pimentel’s website:
Read the whole article here.
And this one, which the same website published just this Nov. 2:
The whole article is here.
Looks like their fears may be unfounded and are treading on dangerous ground.
Jologs for Jesus: X’mas 2008 will not be happy for a number of Filipinos, especially those without OFW-relatives in Santa-claus outfit.
ooops, I forgot the closing tag for the first article:
http://www.nenepimentel.org/news/20030614_Federalism.asp
actually, that clause about OFW’s not relevant.
Some Filipinos will have a good X’mas 2008… some Filipinos will have a dismail X’mas 2008.
And it looks like end-year-2008 won’t be good for a number of Chinese, too as their government leaders take action.
China, like Pinas, hqw lousy social security system. “No jobs means no food.” Politburo understands that job creation and economic growth in China are considered crucial to maintaining the Communist Party’s hold on power. With factory workers losing their jobs and taking to the streets in protest, the government has moved quickly this fall to quell dissent, in some cases handing out cash to laid-off workers to keep the demonstrations from growing.
very recently, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Yin Wenmin warned of a rise in the number of newly jobless workers as the latest in a series of indications that China’s economy is not immune from the broader global downturn. And earlier this week, China announced that it will shelve a plan that it had trumpeted just two months ago to raise the minimum wage. A lower minimum wage would at least theoretically relieve stress on struggling companies, allowing them to keep more people employed overall.
“We have to first worry about whether workers have a job — then worry about how much they’re getting paid later,” Hu said.
to TongueTwisted: I know Con-con/Con-ass has not happened yet, but I can just see the Philippines and its lawmakers cowered by the CBCP and unable to enact a commonsense-law — divorce.
A purely Political Revolution will not change things significantly. Not EDSA III nor IV etc. We’ve seen the failed hopes and promises of the past two upheavals.
The Philippine Society is sick to the core. The social moral fiber needs re-weaving. Not at all healed by the opportunistic government and organs of the State, nor by the confused/confusing Catholic Church, nor by the dysfunctional family (made so by the OFW phenomenon), and the destructive forces of a globalized world.
The Philippines will survive and will not be a failed state. But as to industrialized status, I have strong doubts.
“After Gloria’s historical announcement at Rizal’s grave, the camps displayed banners at the gates which said “Strong Philippines 2010″.
So is “First World Status by 2020″ another prophecy? By soldiers and cops? ” tongue
so what if they have banners about “Strong Philippines 2010″? what have they achieved so far?
what’s the connection with the phils “First World Status by 2020″?
what prophesy? isn’t gloria’s terms up to 2010?
i mean gloria’s term…
Off Topic:
MLQ is mentioned in Miguel Syjuco’s interview. Syjuco won this year’s Asia Man,
http://mbstudentsandcampuses.blog.friendster.com/2008/09/the-%E2%80%98ilustrado%E2%80%99-in-miguel-syjuco/
Very little coverage of this writer locally though he also won the Novel category for the Palanca.
Bert,
“inggit nga ako kay UP n, kung ano-anong smiley nalalagay niya.”
ako din
istambay,
wala sa bibliya ang “God help those who help themselvesâ€Â.