Ramos in Bangkok

I’ve been busy working as well as doing interviews and fielding calls from ANC, TV Patrol World, GMA7, Inquirer TV, MSNBC Asia, and ABC News Australia, so updates today have been spotty.

Yupki Girl blogs on Fidel V. Ramos and his solution to life, the universe, Philippine politics, and everything: a unicameral legislature, or parliament. Since we won’t be able to avoid discussions of unicameralism versus bicameralism, better start reading up on the subject. A good summary of the pros and cons is here.

But this is what we’re facing: even as the debate seesaws between a constituent assembly, which Ramos and Speaker de Venecia prefer, and a constitutional convention, which the President prefers (and I believe the President, now that she knows she will be in office for some time to come, will be applying the brakes on the Ramos plan in order to regain leverage over the government, and wean herself away from Ramos’s protective shadow), there’s a definite effort at impeachment, although some have reservations about how doable this would be.

One discussion is over whether or not the original impeachment complaint filed by Marcos loyalist Atty. Oliver Lozano, was a ploy by the President in order to torpedo an impeachment by filing a defective complaint. Rep. Ronaldo Zamora says any defect in the Lozano complaint can be rectified by amending the original complaint. Just now, Rep. Simeon Datumanong, chairman of the House committee on Justice, said on ANC that as long as the Lozano complaint is amended before either the House secretariat sends the complaint to the Speaker, or the Speaker transmits the complaint to the committee, then the opposition can amend the complaint as much as they want.

A reader of this blog, Atty. Edwin Lacierda, argues that a defective complaint isn’t something to fear. Taking off from my suggesting that Atty. Eduardo Nachura felt that the Lozano complaint was dangerous because of a precedent set during the impeachment attempt against the Chief Justice (that you can only file an impeachment once a year), he wrote,

Not necessarily so. Rep. Nachura’s opinion on the Davide impeachment case
before the Supreme Court hinged on the House Rules of Procedure on
Impeachment which the 12th Congress promulgated. The SC reviewed the
constitutional provision on impeachment vis-a-vis the House Rules on
Procedure. Those rules were not graven in stone. That means the House of
Representative can come up with a new set of procedures to govern
impeachment cases and perhaps provide a provision that would satisfy the
constitutional proscriptions on impeachment. The Davide decision did not
and does not prevent Congress from establishing new procedural rules.

If a case is filed anew before the SC questioning the validity of
impeachment complaints, the Supreme Court would, under the doctrine of
separation of powers, have to review and decide the case based on the new
rules of procedure that the House may enact.

I heard my friend Erin Tañada suggesting that they will file a supplemental
complaint. That may be a possible means of curing any defect on the Lozano
complaint since the House Rules are silent on the matter. I am quite
confident that like Rep. Nachura, the administration solons have studied the
Davide impeachment case and as a constitutional strategy, this majority
members of Congress will have to amend the rules of impeachment procedure to
come up with an authentic impeachment process and to assuage any unrest.
Otherwise, if this impeachment case turns out to be a moro-moro, neither FVR
nor the bishops can stop the onslaught of outrage and military intervention.

I still believe that impeachment though an arduous and contentious process
is worth the while. After all, to paraphrase Thomas Paine “That which we
obtain easily, we esteem lightly.” Let the Filipino people take the bitter
pill. It may perhaps be better for our political maturity in the long run.

Impeachment is a big gamble, and I’m still not convinced the President will really welcome it, which is why other avenues to distract public attention are being pursued. Still, whether impeachment or charter change in whatever form end up being the primary, or simultaneous, options of the President, I still see things headed in a more radical direction (more on that soon).

Still, for now, all eyes will be on Makati, where Mayor Jejomar Binay says a massive rally (fifty thousand! five hundred thousand! five million! five hundred five million billion!) will take place -“you can write that in stone,” he boasted to the cameras. We shall see. Certainly this afternoon and tonight’s rally seems better organized than the rent-a-rallies of the Estrada loyalists. We shall see. Sen. Panfilo Lacson supposedly told Senate reporters he’s now close to Susan Roces and they will both appear at tomorrow’s rally. But from what I have heard, it’s neither the United Opposition or Lacson who has Ms. Roces’s ear.

Update: according to someone who saw it on TV (I didn’t) delegations from the provinces were blocked by tanks.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

18 thoughts on “Ramos in Bangkok

  1. My dad once told me not to participate in political rallies here in Manila, because it’ll not do any good for me. Failing grades, Away, at bukol ang aabutin ko. But still, I joined some of them. Im not the type of rallyist who kept on shouting on top of their lungs… Im not like that. I went there to observe.

    Ang naobserbahan ko lang, yung tinatawag na “leader” ay wala sa frontline. Pero pag andyan na ang media, lalabas na yon at magpapainterview.

    Sana ang mga tao na hindi naman alam ang pinaglalaban, wag ng makisawsaw pa sa mga nangyayari. Lalo lang gumugulo ang situation.

    If they think that GMA isn’t fit to govern na, wag naman daanin sa mga Edsa Edsa thing na yan. May batas tayo na pwedeng sundin mga kapatid. Walang masama sumunod sa batas. Mag isip-isip naman tayo.

    Nagmumukha na tayong STAR WARS eh. Ang daming episodes.

    Sana marealize nila na tayo rin naman ang talo in the end.

    Sana umulan later.

    Pahabol, sana yung mga nasa pwesto, wag ng udyukan ang mga tao sa mga pang personal na hangarin nila. Maawa naman sila. Be a role model, imbis na sulsulan ang nyo ang mga tao, pumagitna ka at kalmahin ang mga tao.

  2. Another thing, medyo off topic na to since Sir Q, isa kayo sa iilan lang na pinapanood ko sa TV kasi idol e. hehe. 🙂

    Here’s my question,

    bakit tuwing malapit na ang election, lagi na lang ang MASA ang bukambibig ng mga kandidato? Eh yung MASA na yan hindi naman nagbabayad ng TAX.

    Eh di ba dapat ang mga tax payers like OFWs, Teachers, Nurses, Professionals etc etc ang mas binibigyan nila ng pansin kasi ito ang nagpapasok ng pera sa bansa at tumutulong sa pagpapaunlad ng bansa?

    Kahit nanalo na sila, laging MASA pa rin ang inuuna. Alam ba nila na halos wala ng maiuwi ang isang normal na manggagawa tuwing araw ng sweldo sa laki ng TAX na binabayaran nila?

    Sana next time, ang hindi nagbabayad ng tax hindi na makakaboto.

    Para naman hindi lang puro MASA ang binibigyan nila ng pansin.

  3. engel, lahat ng tao nagbabayad ng tax, everytime they buy or sell something. yosi, may tax, softdrink, may tax, hamburger, may tax, etc. ang iniisip mo, income tax, pero sa mga may sweldo, may withholding tax.

    siyempre they shout, masa, masa, because the masa have the numbers. but you see the difference between pandering to them and leading them. noon, sa panawagan na ang mahirap ay dapat magkaroon ng sariling lupa, they would be made to pay, however long, by installment; since the 1950s, outright giveaway. there are many reasons for this of course, but it does lead to those receiving not having had to sacrifice for what they got; so easy come, easy go. that’s bad for citizenship.

  4. A few years ago, I saw a documentary about the ‘CARLYLE GROUP’. It was reported that membership is exclusive and ranges from people who have wielded power in the world. FVR’s name was also mentioned as one. It’s BUSINESS? WAR. Bush,Sr. is one of its leading members.

    It gives me the chill to know that Ramos, who has “retired” from public service is now again at the helm of advising[?] gloria.

    What’s cooking?

  5. hmmm the “Carlyle Group” I heard that in the docu “The Corporation”. Now I don’t recall having heard FVR’s name mentioned with the above group but I remember distinctly a conversation with a “futures” broker gushing on about how the war in Iraq is so good for business specially in the trading of Oil. How they would all want it to continue just to see the price of oil jump up to an “unimaginable” $50.00 per barrel then so they could laugh all the way to the bank. Well it’s now at $60.00 so they should be doing a heck of a beeline to the bank. **gulp**

  6. What caught my attention was the narrator’s mention of FVR, along with the powerfuls of the world, otherwise, I wldn’t have watched it till the end.

    I wonder…perhaps this is why the ol’ american boy fidel always go to out of the country,perhaps to meet with his colleagues in the war business?

    Ahhh!

  7. What is happening in this little country of ours, hiwa-hiwalay na nga ang islands pati ba naman ang idealismo hiwa-hiwalay din. Idealismo nga ba or each personal interests….
    wala na bang matino sa bansang ito????? Everytime i listen to each interviews at kung lilimiin mo ang mga sinasabi, always has their own personal agenda behind….. wish I wasn’t born a Filipino instead….

  8. On a not-so-related note, Manolo, why have we not heard from the Filipino Ayatollah? What explains Joema Sison’s silence. One would think that in moments like this, his “insights” would make the airwaves and the tabloids. He relishes such moments…

  9. Galing sa isang ordinaryong manggawa sa Pilipinas
    ————————————————-

    Lagi na lang sinasabi ng mga pulitiko: Ipaglaban ang masa! Tulungan ang masa! Mahalin ang masa!

    SINONG “SILA”? EH DI MGA MGA TAMBAY NA PILIPINO NA MALUSOG ang KATAWAN PERO HINDI NAMAN NAGTRATRABAHO AT HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG TAX, MGA MAYAYAMAN AT ARTISTANG TAX EVADERS, PATI MGA AKTIBISTA, NPA AT IBA PANG IDEOLOGICAL GROUPS NA HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG TAX PERO PANG-GULO!!!

    Teka SINO BA TALAGA ANG BUMUBUHAY SA BANSANG TO?

    SAAN BA GALING ANG PANGPAGAWA NG MGA TULAY AT KALYE? SAAN BA GALING ANG PORK BARREL?

    KAMI NA MGA MANGGAGAWA AT MIDDLE CLASS NA BAGO PA MAKUHA ANG SWELDO BAWAS NA – KAMI ANG BUMUBUHAY SA BANSA NA ‘TO!!!!!!!!!

    BAKIT YANG BANG MGA MASANG YAN NA LAGI NA LANG SENTRO NG PLATAPORMA NG MGA PULITIKO EH NAGBABAYAD BA NG TAX ???!!!!

    KAHIT ISA SA MGA NAG-RA-RALLYING MGA SQUATTER NA YAN, KAHIT SINGKO HINDI NAG-RE-REMIT YAN SA BIR! PERO PINAPAKINGGAN BA KAMI NG GOBYERNO?

    LAGI NA LANG OPINYON NG MASA ANG INI-INTINDI NG GOBYERNO. KUNG SINO ANG NAG-RA-RALLY, SA EDSA, SILA ANG NASUSUNOD. KUNG SINO ANG MAS MALAKAS SUMIGAW PERO WALA NAMANG ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION,
    SILA LAGI ANG FOCUS PAG MAY PROBLEMA.

    SILA LAGI ANG BIDA.

    KAMING MGA ORDINARYONG OFFICE WORKERS, OFW’S, LABORERS AT IBA PANG NAG-TRA-TRABAHO AT NAGBABAYAD NG TAX – KAMI ANG NAGPAPAKAHIRAP PARA BUHAYIN ANG PILIPINAS. KAMI ANG MGA TUNAY NA BAYANI NG BANSA!!!

    Tuwing nakikita ko ang payslip ko, nag-iinit ang ulo ko at gusto kong maiyak sa inis. Napakalaki ng tax na binabawas sa akin pero ginagamit lang sa walang kwentang bagay ang perang pinaghirapan ko. Lahat ng pagtitipid ginagawa ko para suportahan ang sarili ko, pamilya ko at ang bansang to. Ni hindi ako makabili ng chicken and spaghetti meal sa Jollibee kahit gutom na gutom na ko. Nag-tya-tyaga ako sa waffle na tig-P10, o kaya pag may konting pera, junior bola-bola siopao sa Mini-Stop sa halangang P20.

    Eh kung yung pera ko na pinapangbabayad sa tax sa kin na lang napunta, eh di sana nakakapanood pa ko ng sine at least 2 beses sa isang buwan. Nakabili na sana ako ng bagong rubber shoes. Nakapagpagawa na sana ako ng sarili kong
    bahay.

    Yung tax na binabayad ko, pinapangsuporta sa mga mahihirap. Saan ba galing ang pera pangpagawa ng housing at pagtulong sa mga mahihirap, di ba sa mga manggagawa na nagbabayad ng buwis! Pero karamihan ng mahihirap, kung umasta kala mo inaapi sila ng sobra.

    SA TOTOO LANG NO, KAYA ANG MGA MAHIHIRAP LALONG NAGHIHIRAP KASI MGA TAMAD!

    Ang daming mga tambay sa kalye na walang trabaho pero ang laki ng katawan. Eh kung sila ba nagkargador sa pier eh di sana may pera sila.

    TAPOS WALA NA NGANG PERA, ANAK PA NG ANAK!
    LALO NYO LANG PINAPADAMI ANG TAMAD AT TANGA SA MUNDO!!!!!

    Naaawa ako sa mga batang pakalat-kalat sa kalye at namamalimos. Imbes na nag-aaral, dumadagdag lang sila sa bilang ng mga future criminals sa Pinas. Hindi ako magtataka na yung batang nakita kong namamalimos sa Cubao, pagkatapos ng ilang taon cellphone snatcher na.

    YUNG MGA MAGULANG NAMAN DYAN, COMMON SENSE LANG! HIRAP NA HIRAP NA NGA KAYO SA BUHAY, MANGDADAMAY PA KAYO NG IBA?! PAPARAMIHAN NYO PA LAHI NYO!

    Palibhasa walang mga trabaho at walang pinagkaka-abalahan, kaya nagkakalabitan at nagsusundutan na lang maghapon, magdamag. Sa totoo lang, nakakabilib. Kasi kahit sa ilalim ng tulay o sa kariton lang, nakakabuo pa rin ng bata! Ibig sabihin, maabilidad ang mga Pinoy. Kung gugustuhin, gagawan ng paraan. Kahit sa makipot, mabaho at maduming lugar – SOLVE!

    Isa pang mga grupo ng tao na nakakainis, yung mga aktibista, NPA at kung ano-ano pang ideological political groups. Sabi nila, mahal na mahal nila ang Pilipinas kaya pinagpalalaban nila ang kanilang mga adhikain.

    EH HINDI RIN KAYO NAGBABAYAD NG TAX! ANG KAKAPAL RIN NG MGA MUKHA NYO!

    MGA HIPOKRITO! MAHAL DAW ANG PILIPINAS AYAW NAMAN MAGBAYAD NG BUWIS!

    WALA DIN NAMAN KAYONG MGA TRABAHO! KUNG MAY TRABAHO TALAGA KAYO, HINDI KAYO MAG-RA-RALLY DAHIL SAYANG ANG SWELDO NYO PAG ABSENT KAYO!

    PAANO NYO MAIPAPAKITA ANG PAGMAMAHAL NYO SA PILIPINAS KUNG WALA NA KAYONG GAWANG MATINO KUNDI MAG-RALLY AT MAMUNDOK??!!!

    ISA PA YANG MGA MAYAYAMAN AT MGA ARTISTA, NA NANGDADAYA AT HINDI NAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS. ANG KAKAPAL NG MUKHA NYO! ANG DAMI NYO NA NGANG PERA NANGDADAYA PA KAYO SA TAX!!!! HINDI NYO NAMAN MADADALA SA IMPIERNO YANG MGA KAYAMAN NYO. MASUSUNOG LANG DUN YAN.

    KAYA LALONG BUMABAGSAK ANG NEGOSYO DITO SA PILIPINAS, KASI MGA NEGOSYANTE MANDARAYA. PATI SHOWBIZ INDUSTRY, BAGSAK NA DIN. KARMA ANG TAWAG DYAN. MGA BALASUBAS KASI.

    Sana magkaron ng POLITICAL AND NATIONAL CLEANSING.
    At higit sa lahat, dapat tax payers lang ang pwedeng bumoto!

    Kung kinakailangang magka-giyera para magtino ang mga Pilipino, ayos lang. Masyado na kasing matigas ang ulo ng mga tao dito. Gusto ng kalayaan, pero hindi naman handang panagutan ang responsibilidad ng pagiging malaya. Meron daw pinaglalaban na prinsipyo at adhikain pero takot namang mamatay para
    dito.

    Hangga’t hindi nagkakaron ng radical change, patuloy na walang kwenta ang Pilipinas at patuloy na magiging tanga ang majority ng mga Pilipino.

    Sa dami ng nag-mi-migrate na Pilipino sa ibang bansa, dadating ang panahon na minority na lang ng population sa Pilipinas ang may utak. Yung mga magagaling na Pilipino, mal amang maubos na. Sobra na kasi silang na-fru-frustrate at na-de-depress sa mga nakikita nila.

    Alam ko marami pa ang umaasa at naniniwala sa pagbabago. Good luck and God bless! Sana tama kayo at mali ako.

  10. two or three days ago Lozano said he is open to amendments in his bill. INcluding if necessary withdrawing his bill in favor of what people think to be a better one. No cause for fear then it seems.

  11. i agree that the constitution should be changed but why federalism? in the time of big company mergers, unification of europe and the convincing world dominance of the united states (wc has a presidential system), the ruling party wants to go the other way. what is fvr up to? can’t he just drop dead? i am not insensitive to the fact that many provinces are suffering due to the cocentration of powers in imperial manila. nonetheless, i do not agree that the powers of the central government should be devolved to the provinces in the manner federalist states are set up. my suggestion is that there should be an increase in true representation instead. the executive should surrender some of its powers to congress in the areas such as budget release and control of the armed forces (perhaps by way of having more oversight committees), but retain most of its current powers. this, i think, is better for our situation as retains our “isang bansa, isang diwa” while addressesing problems that can no longer be igonred which are, among others, the underdevelopment of the countryside; and the excessiveness of the executive power that is always abused, missused and unused. if by some miracle our nation will be blessed with an honest snap election under a two-party system , the next president should not only be a great leader but someone who has a lessened chance to be a great disappoinment as well.

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