Randy David weighs in

Professor Randy David appeared on ANC to be interviewed by Ricky Carandang. They discussed David’s most recent column. David believes that the Filipino people are not angry because of three things:

1. The effectiveness of the government’s crackdown on media, preventing airing and discussion of the tape.
2. The probability that even those who have listened to the tape (or versions thereof) have not listened to it in its entirety.
3. The lack of context and explanations of their true implications and meaning, of the conversations in the tape.

He says the tapes, to those favorably inclined to the President, on the surface, could sound innocent, or innocuous, enough; but that anyone who understand how politics is done, and how elections are subverted, and who then gets to see the real implications of the conversations in the tape, cannot avoid the conclusion that the tape contains proof that a crime was committed. He praised ABS-CBN reporter Allan Bacolodin (sp?) for methodically listening to the tape, and investigating how the President did in every location discussed. The President won in every location by a wide margin. Precisely the sort of outcome the conversations indicated were desired. David believes more reporters need to do this sort of work, to prove that the tape has a basis in fact.

So: the crime was the calculated, methodical, manipulation of votes to subvert the true will of the people.

The implications of this, he says, are dire, and threaten to shake our entire constitution order to its very foundations. For it would mean that the President not only cheated the opposition, but cheated her own supporters and neutral parties who thought they were participating in a free and honest election.

In his own considered opinion, after listening to them thoroughly several times, he is convinced the tape is genuine, and that the President has perpetrated a great crime. He feels it is the obligation of every citizen to listen to the tapes and make up their own minds. He thinks Congress should play the tapes; he thinks media has been remiss in bowing to government pressure.

He believes that the President knows this is serious and that accounts for her silence; that the administration doesn’t know what to do, and is trying to buy time.

He is known to be a sober, rational, person, and knows full well the effect his words will have on thinking circles of the population.

I believe we should listen to him and follow his advice. Listen to the tape.

Inq7.net has now made available all the versions of the controversial tape.