Newsbreak Magazine turns five years old with its current issue (hoorah!). Three articles make for particularly compelling reading:
Itsy-Bitsy Spiders and Little Ms. GMA takes a look at the various anti-administration groups (or is it groupies?); the characterizations and descriptions seem objective and accurate enough (note: I am among the convenors of the Black & White Movement).
The other two articles focus on the armed forces and rebellious members thereof. In Trillanes: Faeldon Was On His Own, the magazine reports how Faeldon (escapee du jour for some time) gained his 15 minutes of fame despite his comrades failure to sanction his escape attempt. In The X Factor, Glenda Gloria (widely respected for her contacts in, and knowledge of, the armed forces) tackles the probability of a coup attempt (mixed, it seems).
Despite its being slightly overtaken by events, Tony Abaya’s column is making waves: it’s just the kind of conspiracy theorizing that makes everyone drool.
Rebel soldiers call on people to take to the streets vs GMA (see their manifesto, whose style may account for why no epidemic of red armbands seems forthcoming).
In other news, Top spooks cover up for Gloria, admit junking all wiretap probes.
Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz has issued a manifesto-statement on a recent decision by the Civil Service Commission in favor of the President’s assertion of powers over the civil service. The famously independent-minded Solita Monsod (she’s argued that Arroyo won, doesn’t look kindly on coups, but is also skeptical of Charter Change) has waved her cutlass at the administration on this issue, saying Goodbye to good governance.
Connie Veneracion objects to the Jollibeefication of the Philippines.
Sad news: the domain registration for Malaya Newspaper seems to have expired. I’ll miss the columns of Carmen Guerrero Nakpil and JB Baylon (Ellen Tordesillas remains accessible due to her blog).
John Mangun has a column defending English and decrying its vanishing status here.
US Vice-President Dick Cheney mistakes a crony for a quail: or, Does Dick Cheney Know How To Hunt?
Another goody from Slate: how world leaders call each other up (and deal with prank calls).
Technorati Tags: constitution, media, Philippines
winnie whines late in the game…good governance said goodbye a long time ago.
Hear hear! Really makes me wonder about Winnie. We spent most of the four days of EDSA I together. She certainly knew right from wrong then.
stupid question: how do you manage to read all this stuff everyday?
and thanks for the links to interesting reading mats.
i just visited the malaya website and it seems to be working fine.
do you mean to say that it will soon be no more? if that’s the case, it’s sad news indeed.
On Dick Cheney – BBC News reports that he didn’t have the correct license to shoot quail! Puts him right in the same boat as Arnie Schwarzenneger. What’s with these American politicians?
On Mike Luz – he is truly an honorable man. It’s a pity that the DepEd has lost his expertise and dedication to honest service. Guess this government can’t stand having people like him in it!
It is good that there are still people like Solita Monsod who bother to observe and make distinctions and are not given to just making blanket statements. By doing so, she is still able to appreciate what was good in the civil service scheme and what was lost as a result the adverse ruling. Whereas the typical undiscerning eye will see everything as bad (‘pare-pareho lang sila’, ‘all politicians are bad’, ‘good governance said goodbye a long time ago’…). It is this level of discrimination that all of us need to cultivate so as not to be overwhelmed by a cynicism that drives one into a hopelessness that leads to apathy. Our ability to distinguish the fine points of the system is also the quality that will allow us to appreciate and salvage the good and excise the bad when the time comes to pick up the pieces.
“…are not given to just making blanket statements.â€Â
“Whereas the typical undiscerning eye will see everything as bad (’pare-pareho lang sila’, ‘all politicians are bad’, ‘good governance said goodbye a long time ago’…).â€Â
…i admire the few who not only can DISCERN but also can READ MINDS to give such a blanket statement…
there is no fine point between hoping to salvage mike luz and hoping to excise gloria from the system. mike luz’s governance differ from gloria’s by leaps and bounds…
Just checked; Malaya is back.
“she’s argued that Arroyo won, doesn’t look kindly on coups, but is also skeptical of Charter Change)”
http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=64370&col=84
i don’t think winnie wrote that article about No El. inquirer editorial yan, hindi ba? unless she’s the one who wrote that editorial.
john-
sorry, wrong link. thanks for the correction.
apologies to baycas for my own ‘blanket statement’.
gloria* is a spider herself and is immune from the itsy-bitsy spiders’ web glue.
*not newsbreak’s gloria but the one glued to her questionable throne
—–
cvj, no prob.
I don’t intend to be rude or anything, but, I really doubt the real intention of these rebel soldiers of writing that letter addressed to us (pinoys).
Obvious points:
1. They despise GMA base on their “PERSONAL JUDGMENT” that her presidency is illegitimate.
2. They blame the sorry state of the poor Filipinos to GMA alone.
3. They are conditioning the minds of the readers that GMA is a bad leader base on their accusation.
4. They are provoking the Filipinos to join them in civil disobedience.
I’m just thinking…. If we just let ourselves be carried away by their call base on their personal judgment, it’ll be like total neglect of due process or what the rule of law states. It’s the judges who determines whether her term is illegitimate or not.
Before GMA became the president, poverty already exists. From their great great grandparents, their clan is poor. Common reason:
1. Kalolololohan, di nakapag-aral.
2. Maagang nagsipag-asawa.
3. Nagparami ng supling kahit di stable ang trabaho.
There are other reasons of course. My point is, we can’t blame it all to one person or one entity alone. One more thing, I just would like to ask if those who signed the letter have any suggestions to solve poverty? If people join them, will that be the solution to it?
Are they lawyers or sound engineers to prove that their accusations are true? Sabi nga “Bago mo linisin ang dungis ng yong kapwa, hugasan ang yung putik sa mukha.†Didn’t they violated the articles of war? From the looks of it, they really are being prejudiced. The public shouldn’t be listening to them with that kind of attitude.