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SONA hangover

July 25, 2006 by mlq3  
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The blogosphere was abuzz during and after the State of the Nation address (billed by the Press Secretary’s office, modestly, as the longest and first interactive and high-tech SONA). You can watch it or read it.

The reactions of young bloggers ran the gamut from admiring to dismayed.

Students like Waypoint to sudden death, or the present’s just a pleasant interuption to the past and anne_17 had to watch it because of school requirements (and seem mostly bored). Sarcasm makes the World go round… and pearlpaopao listened (the former hopes it’s not just promises, the latter found it informative, while qtme was more skeptical). Twenty-One believes it’s better to work together to correct the administration’s shortcomings.

Others, like princesstala, attended one of the rallies. Some, like My Suite, watched cable.
Punzi gave a running account. Peryodistang Pinoy weighed in with her (highly informed, I must say) reactions.  Alleba Politics reacted, too. Genocider believes the problem is not the President, but the people who surround her. Nagsusulat Lamang reacts in a pithy manner. Hope springs eternal in Comelec AKO (despite initial skepticism). Bunker Chronicles makes a provocative comparison to how Saddam Hussein gained power. In withoutwax, there’s a pretty thorough commentary, too (the speech, the blogger says, had vision).

(A report from General Santos City was intriguing: supposedly, the mayor expressed opposition to the mega regions scheme, saying it would only add to red tape. I hope the Mindanao media looks into this. So far, there’s this from MindaNews.)

Jove Francisco gives an eyewitness reaction (good observations on the audience in the Batasan).

My reaction to the SONA:

1. Two campaigns have begun. The first, for amendments to be approved in a referendum (immediately after the speech, the drum-beating began); the second, the 2007 elections (Neil Cruz on Viewpoint surprised me when he asserted it’s likely that more than 79 opposition members of the House will be elected).
2. It was a division of the spoils.
3. It was the Mother of All Pork Barrel Speeches.
4. It is, however, proof of something we don’t pause often enough to recognize. Regardless f what the President does, or doesn’t do, things move on their own. Many of the plans and projects announced aren’t the fruits of the President’s hard work, or leadership, it’s the result of continuous meetings between national and local officials, elected representatives and members of the bureaucracy. Some of these projects began when the administration was new; others date back to previous administrations; some were identified and mapped out long ago, but it is only now that they have been given the green light.
5. Therefore, much of what was announced would have happened, regardless of who is President; but there are definitely many officials happy that they have been given a curtain call, and that regardless of her motives, the importance of those plans has been recognized.
6. We should rename the Batasan Pambansa the Kroll Opera House. Not even Ferdinand Marcos indulged in such public displays of legislative sycophancy. Or double-speak. As Torn & Frayed points out, she condemnded killings then praised to the skies the number one suspect.

Foreign commentary: Thaksin and Arroyo, two thick-faced devils, on top for now (in The Nation of Thailand).

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72 Comments on "SONA hangover"

  1. iniduro ni emilie on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 9:57 am 

    bravo, we’re way up in the economic and peace ladder. di lang sa sulu, may jollibee din naman sa u.s., ah!

    honest students, honest cops. kewl, but honest president?

  2. mrabello on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 10:10 am 

    he he..”two-thick-faced devils”..and Thaksin soing “an Arroyo”..

    Interesting comparative there.

    Thick-faced na kapalmuks nga.

    Doing “an Arroyo” as in:

    promising not to run in 2004 ..

    Now,she mentions in her SONA, that she will finish her term as president in 2010– she must be swimming in confidence that cha cha is a foregone conclusion and she will return to public office as prime minister from 2010 onwards —

    poor JDV — always the bridesmaid and never the bride…. har har

  3. mrabello on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 10:11 am 

    arghh.. that’s “doing”, not “soing”

  4. Amadeo Dela Cruz on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 10:53 am 

    Only in the Philippines will a President be so concerned about a mass transit system like the LRT. When will Arroyo think big? Maybe when she becomes President.

  5. Carl on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 10:58 am 

    There’s intellectual dishonesty in attempting to oversimplify government initiatives and programs by conjuring the image of government on automatic pilot.

    Besides consultations with congress and local officials on priorities, funds have to be sought and earmarked. It took much effort and persuasion to force the hand of a grandstanding, spineless congress to pass revenue measures that were needed to sustain these programs.

    The recent efficiencies in tax collection were also attained largely because of initiatives by the executive department. And, to the dismay of the Hyatt 10, government did not cease to function without them. As a matter of fact, it has carried out its business more efficiently.

    What some people can’t stand is that the person they had so badly underestimated has come out on top. And it is the victor who gets to distribute the spoils.

  6. Theta on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 11:04 am 

    GMA, by saying that she will finish her term in 2010, pointed to the obvious (that impeachment-2 (and -3… and -4) will be for naught).

  7. tagabukid on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 11:58 am 

    how can we expect other nations to respect us a people if they see how gullible we are in the eyes of our very own president. the pinoys propensity for fantaserye and telenovela was once again exploited by GMA to the hilt in her SONA. she knew too well how to psyche the masa. the people are looking for someone who can deliver them from the economic and social morass and for six years straight GMA blatantly doned the armor, rode on horseback, galloped and poised as ‘the’ superhero the masa has been looking for — bruised, bloodied and all but still willing to keep the fight until the end.

    GMA is an epitome of a trapo and yes, a master of double-speak. but as a filipino i still hope and pray that the heavens will look kindly on us and change the course of our fate. indeed i am praying for a miracle. but meanwhile let us also do our share in our own little ways starting from our very homes. by then we can claim the right for a true leader.

  8. hvrds on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 12:33 pm 

    I think the greatest thing still about the country is the fact that everyone is allowed to say what he or she believes to be. The bad side is though it appears that government is killing those that seem to have a contrarian ideology. I have always believed that a feudal democracy that is the Philippines is an oxymoron. Some call it ersatz democracy but those like Mr. Quezon schooled in the principles and ideals of liberal democracy render an invaluable service to the country. He has quite successfully elucidated some guideposts in his writngs.

    Feudal economic systems and structures will always render liberal democratic systems shallow. They belong to two differing universes. Jeffersonian principles and ideals never matched Jefferson’s reality. Till today they serve as guideposts even in the United States. He himself reminded everyone of the need to be always on alert eternally.

    Liberal democratic structures have evolved along with liberal economic systems premised on property rights and the social contract. Smith and Marx are joined at the hip on this reality. This still is an alien concept in the Philippines.

    All this is centered on the representative idea of faith. Yes faith, not in a supernatural entity but on faith in a state. We have allowed awesome powers to the so called representative agents of the state in a faith based metaphysical commodity called currency. The power to create assets from those still to be born to benefit those that are alive. That power has been used to oppress, debase and distort the political economy of this country.

    This creates an awesome responsibility for those in the present.
    The de facto president has announced a wish list premised on having a Jollibee in every neighborhood it seems. Meanwhile half of the labor force have no actual wage paying jobs. One third of the labor force actually works part time. Only approximately 16 percent of the labor force comprise full time wage employment.

    The percentage of workers joining the so called unpaid family workers and self employed group is rising at more than twice the number of full time wage paying jobs.

    Hence the ideals behind the social contract is weak since close to 70% of the work force have no economic interest to protect.

    Hence they are not vested with any sense of ownership in the state. They have to sustain physcial survival at any means.

    Look at Lambino and the rest of the scavengers that circle over the carcass of the weak state trying to get their piece of the action.

    You cannot stop the tidal wave of economic expectations that will engulf the state that would probably rip apart this country.

    God help us all.

  9. Phil Cruz on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 12:43 pm 

    If a President is scared to report on the “true” State of the Nation for lack of real achievements, what does one do? You entertain. Put up a big show… a circus. A super production the likes of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey.

    Pack the arena with your favored super-trained chimps and get them into the act. In fact, make them the act. Make them your willing props. Then whistle, call out their names. Oh, they love that. They clap, they cheer. Toss them some bananas. Pat them on their heads. Watch them clap and cheer some more. Scratch their bellies. More, more, more… Sprinkle in a beauty queen complete in gown and crown, a champion gambler/boxer, and few mountain climbers. Get a former President in on the act, too. A pat on the head will do.

    The specific measurable target of the whole exercise is to get at least 164 applauses.. On that score, it was a howling success. Chimps happy, public deceived, Circus Master feeling triumphant.

    By the way, the Circus Master should fire her couturier. Her glittering crimson outfit, I think, was patterned after a lampshade.

  10. mlq3 on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 1:38 pm 

    Carl, Rep. Salceda pointed out that in the case of his area, the plans announced by the President have been there for some time: what he praised the President for, is that finally she announced they would be priorities, so everyone involved can stop waiting. So indeed, the delight of those in the Batasan was genuine because she’s given many of their pet projects her backing. That is one of the greatest power of a President -prioritizing.

    However I do believe much of the government is on autopilot, because the President and her staff are interested in things like survival and managing the news flow.

    Her critics point out -grudgingly or not- that while things are moving forward in quite a few respects, you have to wonder what more could have been done had the presidency’s legitimacy not been under a cloud.

    As for funds being sought and earmarked, the President’s own economic team -shockingly enough- have come forward and indicated that they will have to scrounge around for the funds. So it is not accurate to say it’s all been fully mapped and blueprinted by the administration. Maybe by the President, but obviously her economic team was caught by surprise.

  11. Joselu on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 1:43 pm 

    I think GMA gave a good SONA. She spoke from a position of strenght. I could just imagine all her “best friends” grinding their teeth in anger & inis. she is still president while some people are the perpetual noise makers blood thirsty for anything they can pick on. Forever inventing & re inventing themselves. Hard selling their ‘agenda pushing” ideas.Always forever insisting on their Rights. I can only hope that some people keep their nmisery to themselves & not drug the entire Nation w/ them.
    I think she was smart in highlighting the people who have made a difference.
    Certainly not those who make the most nosie.
    I think she was speaking as a President of the entire nation & not just forever noisy Imperial Manila.
    The old man from Ifugao was significant since he was more concerned about the future of his grandson.
    I think she highlighted all the people who are “silent heros” of this country who are responsible & do their bit for the Nation.
    Certainly not the self-proclamed “know it alls”
    I’m sure her forever obsessed critics will have a feast day on all she said.
    The zillions needed for those ambitious projects because they really are.
    But as always they will miss the entire point. The point that if we really want to proper & progress we can also do the impossible.
    I think it can’t be said that GMA is not making an effort to provide leadership.
    Like in everything. I think the problem is not about her alone but it’s about the mind-set & attitude of people who can’t be in control of their own emossions & fillings & just past all the blame on others forever.
    Personaly, I too would like to leave something concret for the generations to come & not just a lot of hot air.
    I too beleave that we can all be winners if only we can learn to be more in control of our egos & pride

  12. Carl on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 2:38 pm 

    As pointed out by Sen. Ralph Recto, the bases may not yet be 100% covered, but the financial figures are still well within the ballpark.

    First of all, the public works programs cover a period of around 4 years. Secondly, economic growth is expected within that period, creating in turn more revenue. And thirdly, there is that old dependable device used by all administrations called debt. With credit ratings agencies having improved their outlook for Philippine sovereign debt, banks are once again lining up to loan the government money.

    Despite the fact that I personally disapprove of going into debt, I mention that possibility only to show that the figures are not as unattainable as they may seem. Even if push comes to shove, the projects can still be funded because government has many recourses, even if they often may not be the most ideal.

    And if history is any guide, no administration has made debt reduction a priority. No administration has shirked from borrowing, if that is what it takes to complete pet programs, because the common belief is that the impact from accomplishments far outweighs the burden of debt.

  13. Diego Torres on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:20 pm 

    GMA is really the reincarnation of dona Consolacion vda de de Espadana from Rizal’s novels. She wears the same garish jewelries , rather, oversized jewelries in an undersized physique. Speaks spanish and would wish she were fair and really castillian rather than brown skinned and a midget with a permanent scowl and a more permanent lisp.

  14. Schumey on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:34 pm 

    What we witnessed yesterday was an awards night. She was surrounded by all her supporter. Should she push for her plans, expect another round of foreign borrowings. I think it was Eves who said that for this year alone, the administration is going to borrow a total of $8B. While they make a toast to themselves for a “job” well done, the ordinary Filipino languishes in the quagmire of despair. Sensitivity, they have none. Callousness and greed, now that’s what they have a monopoly of.

  15. Schumey on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:35 pm 

    correction – Teves not Eves

  16. anna de brux on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:37 pm 

    All these projects are excellent on paper. Corruption is killing this country. It must be stopped at all levels.

  17. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:42 pm 

    Carl Sid Inting,

    Hello there!
    You believe that it is true that there are funds for all those laundry list.Is senator Recto is accurate,the revenues would be 100 million a year,until further notice.Rep. Salceda our appropriations chair estimates the dpwh to be 250 billion a year.That means 150 billion a year should be borrowed just for the sake of infrastructure.

    How optimistic,Carl!

  18. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:44 pm 

    That would be 100 billion a year.

  19. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 3:45 pm 

    I know I had other mistakes, but you get my point.

  20. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 4:04 pm 

    Sorry, I am not yet done.

    Gloria,together with the ususal suspects gets to reeanact the budget,more often than not.

    Lets not talk three years or four years..let us talk about next year.

    Nonoy Andaya should submit a budget within 30 days,if not,there will be no budget for election year.

    How can her government operate,without accountiung hocus pocus every year without jumpstarting the budget.

    Congressman Salceda must walk the talk,and ask the budget proposal from his predecessor.

  21. anna de brux on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 4:43 pm 

    Back on corruption: Corruption is well entrenched in the Philippines. It is not only rampant in the public, government sectors. It is prevalent as well in the private and big business sectors.

    If you check with private banks and their loan officers, you are likely to find that a few require kickbacks to process and approve a loan application.

    The nation’s gotta act before corruption destroys the last remaining of fibers of morality in the country.

    Those huget ticket projects, which undoubtedly will be financed by incurring more debts, are springboards for more corruption – accountability and transparency must be enforced.

    Gloria herself and her family should be subjected to scrutiny without let up.

  22. Carl on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 5:29 pm 

    It may depend on whom you’re listening to. Other sources said the total infrastructure package would be about P500 billion (half a trillion pesos). Spread out over 4 years, that’s a little over P150 billion per year. Under that scenario, funding is certainly attainable.

    As mentioned, aside from the usual sources of revenue, annual economic growth should create more channels of revenue.

    And, as a last resort, there is that silver bullet which every administration since Marcos has resorted to – debt. That is not a personal endorsement, but borrowing has been the most predictable recourse. It enables programs to proceed, to the credit of the incumbent administration, while bequeathing the onus to the succeeding administration.

    So it isn’t a matter of being “optimistic” but a matter of objectively assessing the goals versus the resources available to attain them. This is a dispassionate estimation of whether those programs can be carried out, nothing more. We know that government has resources and recourses it can turn to when it needs to. And it has been known to be particularly creative when it is faced with a predicament.

    I will not nitpick on which cost estimates are more accurate regarding the programs outlined for the next 4 years. But given the rough information available, attaining those targets is feasible. It is only a matter of resourcefulness and resolve in pursuing them.

  23. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 5:30 pm 

    Still on corruption.
    If this can happen to just 25 projects of the DPWH,what more to all the up and coming mega projects…

    http://radyohataw.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_radyohataw_archive.html

    Dalawampu’t apat na proyekto pa ng dep’t of public works & highways ang natuklasang “overprice.”

    Bukod sa 200-milyong pisong halaga ng overpricing road project sa catanduanes, nadiskubre rin ng pma class ‘59 ang iba pang kuwestiyonableng proyekto ng dpwh.

    Sa panayam ng dzrh, sinabi ni ret. Commodore plaridel garcia na aabot sa anim na bilyong piso ang kabuuang halaga ng 25 overpriced project ng dpwh.

    Tinukoy ni garcia na lumagpas ng 27 porsyento ang mga pinasok na kontrata ng dpwh para sa mga paggawaing bayan kumpara sa 19 bilyung pisong pondo na inilaan ng gobyerno para sa naturang mga proyekto.

    Nagharap na kahapon ng petisyon ang pma class ‘59 sa korte suprema na ipatigil ang konstruksyon ng maanomalyang road project sa catanduanes.

  24. Kalakalan » Reaction to GMA’s SONA ‘06 - Philippines Outsourcing News on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 5:36 pm 

    [...] In his blog, MLQ pointed out that the speech was the “Mother of All Pork Barrel Speeches”. On the other hand, the blog Pointed Pens described yesterday’s event as SONA turned into another campaign speech gone wrong. Clair Ching’s blog post on GBWatch showed that the SONA should be renamed as the desired state of the nation. [...]

  25. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 6:02 pm 

    Just read your comment Carl,
    Thanks for replying!

  26. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 6:05 pm 

    Nice retro song to indroduce your show!

    The Lebanon!

  27. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 6:07 pm 

    So RG Cruz is the explainee,K will move to the TV!

  28. cvj on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 6:38 pm 

    Gloria’s SONA has the feel of a corporate event – pre-screened audience, powerpoint presentation, recognition of the past year’s achievers, pep-talk for the coming year – all intended to make the current management look good and the target audience feel good. I’ve been to enough of these events to know what their good for.

    To be useful to the public, a State of the Nation Address should follow a well-structured format decided upon the year before, more like an Annual Report. It should not be one more venue for projecting power, rather a time for honestly giving an account to the people.

  29. anna de brux on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 6:41 pm 

    Again on corruption:

    Representative Joel Villanueva of the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC), who received the latest (6th)impeachment complaint signed by 1,000 people said, “What reconciliation does Mrs. Arroyo want?”

    “The one where we play deaf and blind when we know something is wrong and corruption is all we see? We cannot compromise and we will need to speak out,” Inq reports.

  30. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 7:19 pm 

    Hello CVJ!
    Your comment was highlighted during the show.(the one regarding Al qaeda vis-avis SHi-ah)

    Ddo you have access of the show there in Sinagapore or Malaysia?

  31. Karl Garcia on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 7:21 pm 

    Again with my carabao English,What I meant was… Do you have access to the show(explainer)?

  32. manuelbuencamino on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 7:50 pm 

    Joselu,

    Well said.” I think she was speaking as a President of the entire nation ”

    Sayang nga lang the bitch has no legitimacy to speak as a President of the entire nation.

    Sana she was honest enough to say “I speak for Joselu andothers like him?

  33. anna de brux on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 8:28 pm 

    HAHAHAHH “Sana she was honest enough to say “I speak for Joselu andothers like him?”"

    MB, baka kagatin ka na ng mga tsongo sa Congress…

  34. VENDETTA on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 8:34 pm 

    Those PROMISES would be FORGOTTEN .. It’s UNATTAINABLE because of a SIMPLE REASON … NO BUDGET … Because the BUDGET that is SUPPOSSED TO BE USED for the PEOPLE will be USED TO SAVE DEMONYITANG GLORIA’S ASS – BUDGET will be USED for CHA CHA CAMPAIGN, TO BE USED TO BLOCK IMPEACHMENT, TO BE USED TO BUY PEOPLE IN CONGRESS, IN THE CHURCH, TO HIDE EVIDENCES, TO SILENCE A POTENTIAL WITNESS, TO BUY MEDIA, TO LAUNDER MONEY BY PIDAL !!! ETC. ALL RESOURCES WILL BE USED TO “HIDE” THE TRUTH THAT THIS GOVERNMENT IS CONCIEVED FROM “SINS” AND WILL NEVER AND CAN NEVER BE TRUSTED !!! THEY FEAR THEIR OWN CONSTITUENCY, THEY GOVERN BY FEAR BCOZ THEY ARE ALL GUILTY !!!

  35. Schumey on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 8:48 pm 

    Early campaigning is what she did yesterday. MLQ, we better prepare our voters early. We should make a manual on how to choose the candidates wisely.

    BTW, nice show. Your powerpoint served its purpose better than the one we witnessed yesterday at the SONA.

  36. mrabello on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 9:46 pm 

    Realistically, the 06 move to impeach Arroyo is unlikely.

    If elections in 2007 push through, we will need just 79 dedicated opposition members to get the 07 impeachment ball rolling.

    Are 79 opposition representatives in the lower house a strong probability?

    Is that even something to look forward to?

  37. emilie on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 10:16 pm 

    79 opposition members in 2007? I think you will have the biggest surprise of your life …soon you will see how isolated and in perpetual denial you are. I will bet that the pollsters will be put to permanent shame just as a lot of people here love to say they speak for the majority and the middle class they can not even convince to move.

  38. markmomukhamo on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 10:56 pm 

    yey! ibenta pa ang pilipino sa ibang bansa para dumami remittance at para matuloy ang mga infrastructure projects! yey!

  39. manuelbuencamino on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 11:09 pm 

    mrabello,

    when it comes to the impeachment process, I think the real problem is the Senate.

    Gloria needs only six senators to save her from conviction. Right now she has Lapid, Revilla and Miriam for sure. If she elects three more in 2007 she’s home free. If she does not elect three, she still only has to find three senators with the morals of congressmen. That will not be very hard, will it?

  40. Phil Cruz on Tue, 25th Jul 2006 11:19 pm 

    In that circus of a SONA, Gloria was profuse with thanks and praise for her beloved Congressmen who made possible the passing of the EVAT that raised the revenues daw that she needed to embark on those super mega projects. I was waiting for her to even just thank the Filipino taxpayers for carrying that extra burden on their already creaking backs.

    But you know what? Not even a tweet of thanks on that. She then proceeded to thank and flatter practically each and everybody in that hall. Kulang na lang ang thank you sa mga butiki. Ah, but she finally remembered to thank the public at the very end of her long long palabas. And for what? For our “patience” daw. Five years na in office and all she remembers to thank us for is our patience!

  41. Phil Cruz on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 12:03 am 

    mrabello,

    79 I think is easy.

    Why do you think she so desperately, so blatantly and so vulgarly turned a SONA into a campaign speech? Kulang na lang sayaw ng Viva Hot Babes. Gads! Never seen a “president” behave this way. Never.

  42. cvj on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 12:32 am 

    Karl, thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately, TFC here in Singapore does not carry the Explainer. Otherwise, i would subscribe. I hope the show becomes available in the Internet soon.

  43. anna de brux on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 2:34 am 

    Phil,

    ”She then proceeded to thank and flatter practically each and everybody in that hall. Kulang na lang ang thank you sa mga butiki.”

    Now you are making me roll laughing…

  44. Karl Garcia on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 6:22 am 

    CVJ,
    No problem!……..
    Per Manolo,they are working on the web site.

  45. mrabello on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 8:11 am 

    @ MB

    Hi manuel..

    You are right there.

    Bottom line : everything hinges on the outcome of the 07 polls — if indeed it sees the light of day.

    I believe that most will be after the actual impeachment proceeding at the senate perse and not any possible outcome.

    It will be quite a show if– and in the event– that first hurdle is breached and the House hands the torch over to the Senate.

    Let the facts of the case against Gloria present themselves and let Gloria’s attorneys work for their money.

  46. Carl on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 10:14 am 

    Examine the facts of life first. 90% of incumbent Congressment (or their proxies) will be re-elected. The electorate at the local level will vote pragmatically. It will vote back those who have delivered tangible projects and services. So it would be unrealistic to expect any signigicant changes in the composition of the House of Representatives. Thanks to that flawed 1987 Constitution, electoral exercises are skewed in the traditional politicians’ way.

    And even if the majority of the Senate goes to the opposition, it has been shown over the past year that the Senate is a eunuch that can simply be ignored.

  47. cvj on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 10:43 am 

    Carl, whether the 2007 elections will be a referendum on GMA rather than a multitude of local races (or a little of both) remains to be seen. That is a challenge to be taken up by the concerned citizenry.

    However, you should know better than to to single out and thank the 1987 Constitution for skewing the elections towards traditional politicians. There is no provision within the Legion’s proposed constitution that would change this tendency to elect incumbents or traditional politicians. At best, it is flawed in the same manner. At worst, it compounds this flaw by giving the traditional politicians the right to vote for the top leader.

  48. ricelander on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 11:13 am 

    What to me is interesting to watch is how the impeachment proceedings in Congress is gonna turn out. Note that this time around, the impeachment is being endorsed not just by the usual opposition personalities but by a number of respectable groups and individuals. Next: watch the military– seething emotions are much too palpable. Could the remaining decent elements afford to watch Lim and company go to the dumps and — without a finger lifted, not a conscience stabbed– let the election cheats take over the helm of their organization? GMA allies could do just as they did last year, to hell with public opinion, but the repurcussions this time… could be so different

  49. Phil Cruz on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 12:49 pm 

    Here’s another SONA hangover. Now this is really funny.

    So the rallies out in the streets during the SONA were reported as peaceful. The media generally credited the heavy rains as the factor for the smaller than expected rally crowds. The PNP complained. Give credit to where credit is due daw. It was not Typhoon Glenda daw but sila and their good planning that was responsible for the peaceful rallies.

    Pati ba naman si Mother Nature, aagawan pa.

  50. tam6nm6n on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 1:04 pm 

    Ngark. Nakalink pala ako dito. Hehe. Ang saya nga ng SONA ni GMA eh. Sana nga lang matupad yung mga plans nila. ^^, Let’s all just hope for the best nalang. After all, matatapos na rin ang term nya, and isa pa, kung forever nating icocondemn si GMA sa mga pinaggagagawa nya noon at sa mga maling nagagawa nya, aba’y wala ring mangyayari nyan… tao lang din naman siya diba? Kaya let’s just say, it’s part of history na. Hehe. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Ãœ

  51. Marian Villanueva on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 1:26 pm 

    The SONA is a well-crafted production number. Ok..give her production people so much credit. High-tech effect and all that. But in the end, the bottom line will still be, is “what’s on the pudding.?” GMA thought she had made the filipinos proud. Ok. Fine. Let’s give this lunatic of a woman think that we are so proud of her. Anyway, sayang lang ang galit. There is a time for everything. What comes around, goes around. It will be just be an exercise in futility to do otherwise. Lahat ng pala, nasa loob ng Batasan. Hay! such gullible people. And for what? They’re all ready to sell their soul to the devil. And to think yung mga props nya, what’s her into? these are honest people who made the country proud. Aray ko! I was really hoping for thunder and lightning….I’d rather listen to the production of Mr. Arcaya on Ted and Korina’s program. There’s a lot of sense there.

    The 2nd round of impeachment? well, even if the opposition won’t win over this one, the mere fact that all sectors are already filing impeachment one after another, geez! kakahiya na talaga yon. Kapal na lang ng mukha that she can stomach to stay in Malacanang when it’s glaring that majority of the Filipinos don’t like her anymore. As in sick and tired of her already.

    Oh well, she’s not given the name glue-ria for nothing.

  52. Carl on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 2:06 pm 

    cvj, thank you for admitting that the 1987 constitution is flawed. It is precisely the challenge in making a new constitution to rectify those flaws. Not just the way its skewed in traditional politicians’ favor, but the way its skewed towards Imperial Manila.

    I haven’t read your Legion’s proposed constitution, so I cannot comment on it. I do not know if you are taking that version as the conclusive word on a new constitution, but I’m sure there are more proposals and ideas out there. Keep an open mind.

  53. paeng on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 3:14 pm 

    wawa naman yung Senate kung i-vilify, e yung Senate Minority Floor Leader naman yung nagsulat ng batas na nagpalakas sa mga local government na pinagmamalaki ngayon ni GMA. kaya nga naging autopilot ang local govs dahil sa Local Government Code ni Pimentel.

    natawa ako sa sinabi ng isang estudyante ko. hindi daw State of the Nation address knudi HalluciNation address daw napanood niya. :p

  54. mlq3 on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 3:19 pm 

    carl, cjv and i have long been discussing here the changes that might be beneficial. but i think you should recall that this is the first constitution since 1899 that has made provincial autonomy and devolution state policy. i’ve heard quite a few local officials say, in fact, that combined with the local government code (the new one) we already have the skeleton for an authentic kind of federalism, but the code hasn’t been fully implemented. others (like me) are very open to federalism but not under the present proposed collection of changes.

  55. Carl on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 4:08 pm 

    mlq3, inasmuch as I respect your position, wouldn’t holding off charter change lead to procrastination and eventual abandonment?

    We always get so spooked by mistrust that inertia seems preferable to getting the task done. When FVR first broached the idea, it was rejected because his motives were suspect. When Erap tried to float his proposal, it was once again met by skepticism.

    I doubt if we will ever find the perfect state of affairs wherein to conduct charter change. It may take someone tenacious and pugnacious enough to push charter change through. Not perhaps the ideal circumstance for many, but the people will eventually accept it, especially if there is improvement in their lives.

  56. cvj on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 4:29 pm 

    It would take more than tenacious and pugnacious attempts to justify Charter Change. The people have rejected previous attempts because they were made for self-serving reasons. The same holds true especially today. Charter Change has to be justified on its own merits and One Voice has clearly articulated why the current proposed changes are peripheral to the real economic and social issues that matter. Lives would definitely be improved with GMA’s Charter change but the improvement would go to the traditional politicians and not to the majority.

  57. Phil Cruz on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 4:45 pm 

    This Charter Change issue is all about Trust and Credibility. If there were High Trust, High Credibility for this administration, this issue would be a non-issue.

  58. tagabukid on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 5:23 pm 

    phil: and if this administration is sensitive enough to the sentiments of the majority of the people it has already dropped this issue and instead tackle the pressing problems of unemployment, education, health, etc; and the budget for the info campaign for the chacha to help fund the socio-economic projects.

  59. mrabello on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 8:15 pm 

    Just caught JDV grinning from ear to ear(you get the picture)on Dong Puno’s Viewpoints.

    He(deVenecia) jubilantly referred to a poll from PulseAsia indicating an increase in those favoring charter change.

    These are heady days for the empire.

  60. jina - the dreamer - on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 8:34 pm 

    dropping by.

    You know, all I can think about the 6th GMA SONA right now is that it’s probably full of lies.

    Come on.

    Wonderful words and promises, yes…

    But they will all go to waste once you don’t keep them.

    So why waste your time saying that?

    0_o

    Link me,anyone.

    Or rather, tag.

  61. mlq3 on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 10:00 pm 

    Carl, sorry i’ve only gotten to respond now. My view is as follows.

    The country is in need of confidence-building measures. Since everyone is perceived as selfish, what would help disprove that?

    There is wide agreement that the Constitution needs to be reexamined. Will it be done in an inclusive way, that inspires confidence?

    Obviously I think the way it’s being done, does not. The administration opened at least two fronts, to see which would work. Personally, I am a presidentialist and a bicameralist, but I do think Federalism is the genuinely exciting and progressive proposal. I don’t think the current scheme fosters genuine Federalism -it is more interested in a unicameral parliament to divorce the politicians from wrestling with the problem of an undereducated electorate they can’t control.

    However, if, for example, all the current proposals had been put on the table, with some modicum of self-sacrifice on the part of its proponents, it might fly. For example, remove term limits? Sure, but not with regards to those currently in office. Parliamentary? If the people want it and agree to it, sure: but Ramos for one made political sense when he said now, and not later, and the President if she really wants it, should make a sacrifice and go whole hog and not try a neither here nor there staggering along until 2010. I can understand why, after the President rejected his scheme, Ramos got grumpy.

    One administration supporter told me he himself wondered why the President didn’t just call for a convention since he’s sure she could pack it. Marcos, after all, bribed the 1971 Convention. It only shows how basically self-serving and cosmetic the changes the President wants, are.

    So discussions can and do take place. I’ve tried to do my part to point out the things that are helpful to discuss. But I don’t think it’s reasonable to say Constitutional change is the way forward, when the means being used are backwards and only erode confidence and foster division.

  62. Carl on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 11:19 pm 

    mlq3, as long as channels remain open, there is a chance for this country to arrive at some common ground. The roots of mistrust are deep and expansive at the moment, but perhaps a time will come when more meaningful dialogue is possible. Despite differences, we all have share a stake in a common welfare.

  63. mlq3 on Wed, 26th Jul 2006 11:40 pm 

    Carl, I actually think in many ways, the consensus is there. The debate is how change will take place, not if. I do think there remains a sharp division over Federalism but it’s over semantics: for example, as I’ve mentioned, there are those who believe it’s all there in the local government code; others want it expressed constitutionally. I’ve expressed elsewhere in this blog that when it comes to presidential vs. parliamentary, the presidential system is only viable if we institute run-off elections (I think restoring the two party system is impractical and a step backward); if no one wants to take the bold step of run-off elections to ensure presidents begin their term with unquestionable majorities, then parliamentary is better than what we have now: but where did a national electorate ever surrender that right? The parliamentarists can’t answer me on that.

    Now I think that whether parliamentary or presidential, a bicameral system is healthier: I’d go as far as reexamining the Senate and either electing senators by region, or reserving one seat for Muslims, another for tribal minorities, and a third for overseas Filipinos (OFW representation in the House would be too diluted). A unicameral parliament if done the way the Palace wants it, will erode confidence in the state further, and may hold off trouble for a while, but intensify the reckoning later on.

    I also think certain punitive (or preventive) amendments would boost confidence across all classes: say a prohibition on anyone related to anyone who has served in elected office for the past century holding office for the next twenty years; or simply a one term limit for any office holder, meaning you run for one office but can never run for any other office ever again. Desperate times? Desperate measures. But then it’s perhaps impractical but that’s how I view it: it would genuinely democratize our country if a professional could say, take a sabbatical for a term, serve, then go back to earning a proper living (or raise salaries: in today’s pesos, my grandfather earned approx. 12 million a year in salary as president; Magsaysay, almost 7 million per annum as President: in the Commonwealth, the lowest pay grade janitor earned the equivalent, in today’s pesos, of about 8,000 a month). See my column on this subject:

    http://www.inq7.net/opi/2004/mar/15/opi_mlquezoncol-1.htm

    Then again, Carl, I also believe that if the President honestly felt she did nothing wrong, she would have either submitted to impeachment, or simply called for a referendum on her rule, and pledged to accept the results.

  64. Carl on Thu, 27th Jul 2006 8:39 am 

    Thank you for explaining your views, mlq3. Despite some differences in ideas, I believe there is enough basis to reach a consensus. Your ideas on run-off elections are now being expressed by President Vicente Fox of Mexico, after witnessing the divisive Presidential elections they recently held.

    While I personally favor a unicameral system, your thoughts on a regional composition for the Senate (plus the inclusion of some critical sectors of our society) deserve consideration.

    Although some may argue that there are enough measures in the local government code to ensure autonomy of the regions from the seat of government, it is obvious that not enough is being done.

    The seat of government has to devolve much more power and funds. That could be painful for some vested interests who have properties and businesses near the seat of government which are prospering because most of the country’s resources are being lavished at the center of power. That attitude of entitlement belongs to another era and it should be banished. That is a colonial legacy handed down from the Spanish period. Even in Spain itself, the idea of a strong centralized government has undergone much change. Modern Spain is now composed of progressive and vibrant regions, quite independent from Madrid.

    Sacrifices have to be made and mindsets have to be transformed. We all have to realize that we can’t have our cake and eat it too. Compromises cannot be avoided. The final product may not be to everybody’s liking, but the majority will go along if they see that benefits are spread out.

  65. ice gurl on Fri, 28th Jul 2006 8:29 pm 

    Well all i can say about the SONA of our beloved President Arroyo is that she deliver her SONA to the public bold, fiery and spontaneously!!! Chill guys :P

  66. pon on Sat, 29th Jul 2006 6:12 pm 

    watever glory!

  67. Charilou Amarillo on Tue, 1st Aug 2006 10:21 am 

    wala kaming paki kong ano man ang sinabi niya because sanay na kami sa mga pangako na laging napapako..how can she stomach to stay in malacanyang?? is she insane? shame on her!!!!!!!!she’s ridiculous!!!!!!!! maituturing ba nating maunlad ang ating bansa?????????? sa panahon palang ni kupong kupong ay developing na tayo hangang ngayon ba naman na panahon na tayo ni glue-ria wer still glued on the state of poverty nakakasawa na palagi nalang ganito……….all we wanted is the hyperwage theory……..

  68. nashee on Thu, 3rd Aug 2006 7:30 pm 

    well i think gloria really did a good job aztig ang speech. pero parang bumuo siya ng sariling mundo? nililito lang tyo which is reality and which is fantacy. nga pala tlga bng dapat puro positive assessment ang marinig sa SONA tanong lang..

  69. Circus Master « crash pad on Sat, 30th Sep 2006 10:20 pm 

    [...] This I got from mlq3’s commenter Phil Cruz. It pretty much summarized yesterday’s show. [...]

  70. But is there a built loader 2 for the 5.5G? on Wed, 25th Apr 2007 8:17 pm 

    Ttyfscker: Albany Kentucky?…

    With looped its 00.2. My dream job is to be self unemployed….

  71. christine on Thu, 26th Jul 2007 8:21 pm 

    wla lng

  72. micHIEL toni madrigal on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 11:04 pm 

    My reaction to the SONA:

    1. Two campaigns have begun. The first, for amendments to be approved in a referendum (immediately after the speech, the drum-beating began); the second, the 2007 elections (Neil Cruz on Viewpoint surprised me when he asserted it’s likely that more than 79 opposition members of the House will be elected).
    2. It was a division of the spoils.
    3. It was the Mother of All Pork Barrel Speeches.
    4. It is, however, proof of something we don’t pause often enough to recognize. Regardless f what the President does, or doesn’t do, things move on their own. Many of the plans and projects announced aren’t the fruits of the President’s hard work, or leadership, it’s the result of continuous meetings between national and local officials, elected representatives and members of the bureaucracy. Some of these projects began when the administration was new; others date back to previous administrations; some were identified and mapped out long ago, but it is only now that they have been given the green light.
    5. Therefore, much of what was announced would have happened, regardless of who is President; but there are definitely many officials happy that they have been given a curtain call, and that regardless of her motives, the importance of those plans has been recognized.
    6. We should rename the Batasan Pambansa the Kroll Opera House. Not even Ferdinand Marcos indulged in such public displays of legislative sycophancy. Or double-speak. As Torn & Frayed points out, she condemnded killings then praised to the skies the number one suspect.

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