Costs of political cannibalism

How’s this for a reality check: President has had to withdraw her latest supreme court appointment.

How’s this for another reality check: hold on, before you brag of local races you won or a 12-0 command vote sweep, did voting even take place in Maguindanao? Even the Comelec’s making noises of doing some sort of investigation. To be sure, the Palace is doing its best to try to give the impression the floodgates have finally opened (and snafus like Namfrel’s can only help); but accounts of how the machine broke down and didn’t deliver the votes just keep cropping up: see how the Executive Secretary didn’t deliver in Batangas, for example. The other is that local allies in some cases are fighting for survival, so how can they attend to delivering national votes?

But as Patsada Karajaw points out, even this is a far cry from the pre-election bravura of the Palace: before elections it was bragging of sweeping entire regions; post-elections, it is crowing about sweeping entire… villages.

Not to mention that electoral sweeps simply leaves the public dissatisfied and discontent (see sneaky.dog and the Zamboanga del Sur vote; see Lente reports) and media raising an eyebrow. Nonetheless, as Mga Diskurso ni Doy (who, before the election, pointed out two things: the Lakas vs. Kampi campaigns in the provinces was sapping the administration’s strength; and there would have to be a very large public turnout for the operators to have wiggle room) points out, that won’t stop the operators from trying to minimize their principal’s losses.

The stage has been set for the emergence, Ricky Carandang says, of the new Garcillanos of our times.

Amando Doronila sets the scene for the next few days:

From the early returns, the expected sweep by the administration’s machine has not been taking place in the Visayan provinces, in regions where President Arroyo polled heavily in 2004 to wipe off her deficits in Metro Manila and Luzon. Early returns reported by Catholic Church-based quick-count centers in the provinces of Cebu, Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, Leyte and Eastern Samar put the opposition senatorial candidates in more than half of the Senate seats.

The returns from Mindanao tell a different story in a region where the machine was showing its muscle, with an early 12-0 result for TU in Maguindanao province. Mindanao is being watched closely as it was the region, where, according to the Virgilio Garcillano tapes, tampering of the results allegedly took place to enable the President to win the election in Mindanao.

Garcillano, who ran for Congress in the first district of Bukidnon province as an independent, has conceded defeat. Roilo Golez has won a landslide in Parañaque City for the opposition. These are among the tell-tale signs of rejection of the regime, casting doubt on the claim of an even bigger majority in the House and a sweep of local offices. More surprises cannot be ruled out.

Doronila also mentions the problems foreign observers are causing: and their comments, already quite uncomplimentary, keep coming in.

Also, Doronila is on to something the Inquirer editorial points out: that the Palace tried two very specific things: to win in the senate and to eliminate high-profile congressmen who featured in the impeachment. I’ve started putting together a list of elected congressmen which attempts to answer the following questions:

1. What will be the party composition of the House in the 14th Congress?
2. How many congressional races were Lakas vs. Kampi fights? What’s the batting average of either party?
3. How did the high-profile pro-impeachment congressmen do?
05162007Tally1
The data above is based on information posted on the Eleksyon 2007 site, and culled from blogs focusing on the local races. Here’s the information as it stands: if anyone wants to help fill it out, or can suggest a more useful set of information to include, let me know:
Congress2007
So see the database I’ve put together, above. This early on, the main point involves question number three: and it’s a resounding defeat for an administration unable to crush the pro-impeachment congressmen.

The news also suggests that there are high-profile local races the administration lost, most notably, Manila (and of course, Makati City). See Torn & Frayed for his reading of why Lim won.

In the punditocracy, Raul Pangalanan tries to analyze what the Trillanes-Honasan vote means.
Overseas, The Economist writes Tony Blair’s political obituary; Anne Applebaum tries to understand what kind of a man he is; Geoffrey Wheatcroft tries to answer why the Brits dislike Blair so.

History Unfolding says the Surge in Iraq is failing. Timothy Noah says: good riddance, Jerry Falwell.

On another note, na(g)wawala recounts what it was like to cover the close of Abang Mabulo’s campaign vs. Dato Arroyo.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

93 thoughts on “Costs of political cannibalism

  1. Exactly! I too revealed a little of my self in this blog. I dont exactly know why…But I think it gives some personal touch on these forum and it makes it different from other blogs. Im not really sure..

    Whose life is perfect anyway?

    But whatever personal troubles we had should not prevent us from expressing our opinion on something that we feel we wanted to say something….

    I was wondering realist, why you haven’t revealed something about you in these blog??? hhhhhmmmm. takot ka ba na may masilip na konti ang buhay mo?

  2. “That was Civil Society’s first attempt at taking power and governing and see where that has led us. The entry of civil society members into the State has had a double negative effect in that it has led to loss in momentum in the advocacies of those on the outside and has corrupted a lot of those remained on the inside. The people in government whom we are fighting now are the same ones who had high ideals back then.”

    – No. The people we are fighting now have always been the same people back then. They only shed their sheep’s clothing. If u review the actions of Arroyo et al, u would see the pattern, and would surmise they never had the same ideals as the civil society that catapulted them in power had.

    “Civil Society has a finite amount of energy and i believe that we were more effective in the public sphere rather than within the institutions of the State.”

    – this is where we disagree of course. If in fact CS has a finite amt of energy, then it seems more logical to concentrate that energy into where it won’t be wasted. GK is the perfect example. One whack of the demented Arroyo regime and everything it accomplished will be in ashes. You should read Randy David’s discourse on Volunteerism. It’s an excellent primer on why Politics and NGO/GK-like orgs can never be seperated. The action of one affects the other.

    “Let’s concentrate on improving our ability to discipline those who are on the inside before we dream of taking over wholesale.”

    – And how can we discipline them if they are the ones in power? Short of another People Power?

  3. “Hindi ka makakapagpapasa ng bill kung walang approval ang iba. Kaya kahit sabihin mo pang independiente ka, kailangang isusuko mo pa rin ang iyong idealismo para maipapasa mo ang isang batas.”

    – Which is why I think going into Congress to effect change is senseless. Congress has morphed into a collective idiocy. It has become a herd of mindless people following the call of the pork barrel. Idealism indeed has been lost in the number of people you need to please in order to pass that law you wanted so that you could “help” the people.

    OT: to Rego, Cat, and Realist.

    Personal attacks show you up for who you really are. Debate ideas and not personality. Stop the fighting. You are degrading the quality of this thread by starting a flame war.

  4. To label Dr. Martin Bautista as a christian fundamentalist is to ignore his history — a Pro-Choice internist in Oklahoma.

  5. To label Dr. Martin Bautista as a christian fundamentalist is to ignore his history — a Pro-Choice internist in Oklahoma.

    He’s opposed to the use of Oral Contraceptive Pills in the Philippines btw. So what now? He’s a hypocrite if that’s the case – a philosophical turncoat. :p

  6. No. The people we are fighting now have always been the same people back then. They only shed their sheep’s clothing. If u review the actions of Arroyo et al, u would see the pattern, and would surmise they never had the same ideals as the civil society that catapulted them in power had. – devilsadvc8

    Some of them are, but a lot of them came from the ranks of civil society. A few of them became the Hyatt 10. The rest have chosen to stay because they say that they want to see the programs they started take effect. The Arroyo government’s support base comprise the otherwise decent citizens of the middle and upper class fearful of a Coup, a Lacson ascendancy or an Erap restoration.

    In any case, how can we be sure that Dr. Martin Bautista is also not a wolf in sheep’s clothing or that he will not be corrupted once in power? In reality, there is no assurance. If we do not have a means of disciplining him/her from the outside, what do we do then?

    “If in fact CS has a finite amt of energy, then it seems more logical to concentrate that energy into where it won’t be wasted. GK is the perfect example. One whack of the demented Arroyo regime and everything it accomplished will be in ashes. You should read Randy David’s discourse on Volunteerism. It’s an excellent primer on why Politics and NGO/GK-like orgs can never be seperated. The action of one affects the other.” – devilsadvc8

    Actually, this is where we agree. However, i do not limit involvement in politics to holding office in the State. We are better off staying in the Public Sphere as a network of NGO and GK-like orgs with the difference that the focus should not just be limited to the local. We should also come together at a national level.

    “And how can we discipline them if they are the ones in power? Short of another People Power?” – devilsadvc8

    Precisely, which is why i said we should get rid of this “let’s move on” mentality which encourages apathy. On the other hand, it is the quest to keep power that has corrupted those who have come before in our name.

  7. OT: to Rego, Cat, and Realist.

    Personal attacks show you up for who you really are. Debate ideas and not personality. Stop the fighting. You are degrading the quality of this thread by starting a flame war.

    Why did you not write this, the first time that lowlifer told me to mind my personal life. Sheesh. Isa ka rin.

  8. Is Martin Bautista a pro-choice? And campaigned against the use of oral contraceptive? Then if it is true, we call it “fishing”. A pro-choice advocate would not oppose the use of any means of terminating or even helping the progress of pregnancy.

    I been following Mr. Bautista campaign platforms, especially the issues regarding affordable health care and drugs availability to all. It is very ambitious and you need an absolute majority in government to even get to preliminary stages.

    Tommy Douglas had to do it by introducing it first in his Province of Saskatchewan by winning a Government there and show to the whole of Canada that it worked. But even then it took suceeding Governments of his party to eventually implement the programs of affordability of health care and several more years for the whole country to see its benefits.

    Medical practice in the U.S. is indeed lucrative (I should have known) but it’s nothing compares to the practice of a Philippines Senator. Show me a Philippines Senator who makes less than a U.S. medical practitioner? And pays less taxes, And I’ll show my two siblings income tax returns of whatever left after filling their tax returns…

  9. i hope no one will ever spare their ammunition when it comes to blasting away at ideas, our officials (of whatever side) and me and other bloggers, but when it comes to commenters vs. commenters, some things are totally beside the point.

    cat disagrees with many things on this blog but she’s always been respectful of personal issues. i think we should respect her and each other when it comes to her personal life story.

  10. Cat

    Mayor Lim was on DZMM this evening

    Announcer: gusto ninyong magpasalamat sa mga supporter ninyo”

    Lim : Oo. Nagpapasalamat ako kay Erap at sa Iglesia din….

  11. sa katotohanan lang yun God-based politics ng Lapatiran medyo patungong Taliban ang dating sa akin kaya hindi ko sila ibinoto.

  12. sa katotohanan lang yun God-based politics ng Kapatiran medyo patungong Taliban ang dating sa akin kaya hindi ko sila ibinoto.

    I whole heartedly agree! I wish the Filipinos were more like the Turks in Istanbul – ready to fight for secularism.

  13. Sino nga pala ang vice ni Mayor Lim? Si Isko Moreno ba?..

    Devils,

    I have no problem with your suggestion. Subalit dapat mong mainitindihan na ang comments section or dicussion sa blog na eto ay freewheeling in nature. Kaya kung saan saan napupunta ang isang topic eh. Maganda talaga kung ang lahat ay mag stick sa issue at walang personalan. kaya lang kung minsan nag kakapikonan talaga at yung hindi kayang makipagrason sa kanyang nagkabanggan yun ang mailimit na namemersonal.

    Now you have a choice to skip it naman kung hindi mo type yung sagutan. O symepre may choice ka rin sawayin sila.

    Just the same, nakakaenjoy pa rin ang blog na eto….

  14. mlq3, i totally agree with you regarding personal issues. In these days where almost nothing is sacred, some things are still, and must remain, inviolate. Assailing one’s private life for his/her viewpoint is like beating up the messenger for the message he bears. Thanks for the reminder, i guess, we needed that.

  15. Cat, low life, duwag, ano pa? E ikaw kaya, ano ka? Gusto niyo ng matigas na bola, pero pag tinamaan ka, iyakan na! Kung makaatake ka ng mga taong di mo naman kilala, o kaya naman mag galing galingan sa bagay na di mo naman talaga alam, tapos ipagyabang ang inyong background, sali-sali na yan.

    So, si mlq3 ibinunyag na bading siya, so what? Hindi naman siya nangaatake at nag gagaling-galingan na tulad mo, cat. Hinde naman siya nasa US na nagmamagaling tulad ni bencard. Si mlq3, bading man, puwedeng respetohin.

    Cat, kung di mo kaya at iiyak ka, huwag ka ng magbulgar ng buhay mo dito. Di ako impressed. Hinde high school to.

  16. realist, marunong din akong makipag-insultuhan pero hindi ako kailanman nagmagaling. what i say speaks for itself and i don’t need you to judge me, as a person, on that basis. if you think I’m “magaling” or “nagmamagaling” its your own problem, not mine.

    i don’t need you to respect me either but i don’t think you are qualified to judge who is “puedeng respetohin”. I think coming from you, respect is like a pie on the face, if not a dagger on the back.

  17. edwin is urging manolo to run? and all this while, we’ve been clamoring for political reform?!?

    with all due respect, and no offense to mlq3, but personally i’ve made it a point not to elect anyone whose historical political lineage has already been tried and tested. not even a descendant of rizal will make him earn my vote. i’ve learned my lesson after macapagal ran for senator. ‘nuf of this popularity contest. no to mar roxas for president. my rallying cry is not, “pare-pareho lang ang mga iyan” but “sila-sila na lang ba?”

    rego:

    “I was wondering realist, why you haven’t revealed something about you in these blog??? hhhhhmmmm. takot ka ba na may masilip na konti ang buhay mo?”

    this is not to defend realist, but i didn’t realize that mlq’s blog is a confessional box. you yourself is not even certain why you have to reveal aspects of yourself.

    ask these questions before you engage in a debate/forum like this: was your personal revelation relevant to the discussion? would your personal life make for a MEANINGFUL answer or example to a political issue being discussed at hand? or were these just blatant attempts to show off? would your arguments make any difference if you did not share aspects of your life (e.g., who cares about where your brother or sister or father or uncle graduated from? or where you work?)–if it didn’t, what was the confession for? would flipping your academic badges, for example, make you more erudite argument, or was this made to make a fallacious appeal to “authority” (when maybe you have none)? can one argue without involving personal circumstance, unless the issue or topic discussed here is worthy of “maalala mo kaya” segment? if the issue of mlq’s sexuality was discussed here, that was because the issue was about sexuality.

    you need respect–respect yourself. find the right forum to unveil yourself. set up your own ego-inflating personal blog. but if you think your personal life is in the middle of any political issue, then by all means, get ready to be scrutinized. perhaps the only personal thing relevant in this forum is your view on issues, not your biography.

  18. personalan na…

    i used to think that it’s not hard to set aside personal issues from the “real” ones (that, being the essential and what concerns most of our fellowmen). but to see that comments in this blog have went beyond what is presumed to be proper, maybe, it’s hard after all.

    i believe most visitors of this blog want reform and change and good for our nation. if we continue attacking personal issues of other people rather than tackling what the real issue is, then aren’t we the same as the politicians we condemn?

  19. Despite the urge of some hatemongers to crow about some high-profile races, the fact remains that Congress is solidly with the administration, perhaps even more so. While much is made about a few races where the opposition scored a victory, some of those who voted for impeachment have been trounced during this election as well. Neric Acosta will be gone. He tried to move up to the governor and got beaten black and blue by Joe Zubiri. His sister, Malu, was also dumped by the electorate in favor of Zubiri’s candidate. Clavel Martinez ran for vice-governor and was resoundingly defeated. Dodot Jaworski ran and lost for Mayor, a double whammy for Mikee Cojuangco whose dad, Peping the “wazn’t me” coup plotter, was foiled in his quest for Tarlac governor.

    Should Trillanes win, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff says that it is better that he become part of the establishment instead of fighting it through arms. Or as Lyndon Johnson once said, “better him pissing out than pissing in”.

    In the end, Digs Dilangalen, who just won as opposition Congressman for Maguindanao, makes a lot more sense than hotheads who would want to sow intrigues and destroy the gains of the past 2 years. He has pledged not to support any impeachment moves against the administration. Says Dilangalen:

    “I don’t see any good and convincing reason to impeach her. It will not succeed. The country must move forward. Impeachment will only serve as a drawback to our steadily growing economy. We are all losers in the end.”

    While we await the final results of the elections, a punishing experience that is like watching the grass grow, the peso continues to improve vs the dollar and the stock market goes to one record high after another. This is the most important vote of confidence in the administration’s handling of the economy. Like Dilangalen, I hope the troublemakers will take the electoral verdict peacefully and stop trying to rock the boat.

  20. ““I don’t see any good and convincing reason to impeach her. It will not succeed. The country must move forward. Impeachment will only serve as a drawback to our steadily growing economy. We are all losers in the end.”

    While we await the final results of the elections, a punishing experience that is like watching the grass grow, the peso continues to improve vs the dollar and the stock market goes to one record high after another. This is the most important vote of confidence in the administration’s handling of the economy. Like Dilangalen, I hope the troublemakers will take the electoral verdict peacefully and stop trying to rock the boat.”

    Sounds good at first but really it’s just echoing the Administration line. Let us forget all about the past and focus on the growing economy.

    But if we must grow, let us not forget to improve or correct the wrongs in our institutions as well. We cannot do this by just ignoring or be blind to what has happened. We must continue to seek the answers and to hold accountable those who are suppose to answer for what they have done. Just like when you are erecting a high or multi storey building, we should be careful in laying out our foundation, for in the end we will suffer if we rush to finish as many floors as we want to have, having a weak foundation.

  21. I agree with Bokyo, can you just imagine how much success the Philippines will achieve if we have leaders of unquestionable mandate supported by the people and goes hand in hand with a growing economy?

    I am happy for the Philippines to have a buoyant economy where everybody benefits but at the same time I am for the punishment of leaders who abuse their powers and break the laws of the land they’re supposed to protect.

    If balancing the two makes for a poor economic situation today but creates a better view of the future, I would still go for that instead of just closing our eyes to the abuses and focusing on the economy.

  22. Bencard, this is tiring and old so, tapusin ko na pinasimulan ninyo ni cat. Ang salita mo ay bumabalik sa iyo. Counter puncher ako, nagre-react lang sa batikus. Sabi mo: You don’t have the right to judge me? Ang korni mo! People judge people here there and everywhere all the time, lalo na ikaw at yung isa pang pusa. Don’t kid yourself!

  23. jon mariano, right you are.

    but, we must make sure that EVERYBODY benefits. because as far as i notice, even if the dollar-peso exchange rate is improving in the past days, prices of commodities remain and have a threat of increasing because of the oil price hike.

    this is one of the few moments though, when forgive and forget should not be the case.

  24. inidoro,

    Of course i feel it was! Im sure Ca T feel same way too. That revelation happened on the thread about Laurgarism’s ranting about her personal issues. That she was comntemplating on leaving manila becuase of those issues.

    Then I remember, Ca T and I was sharing our personal experiences as a cuationary tale.

    I think what was wrong is to use that revelation to attack us in other arguments which is nt totally related to the topic. In the first place that was just too little part of our life. ( we are not that stupid para ibuyang yang ang buong buhay namin dito).Yun ang mali sa ginawa ni realist.

    At ang mali mo naman, di mo tinanong ang sarili kung familiar ka ba sa doon sa sinsabi namin ni Ca T na revelation at kung saan thread namin ginawa yun. Kasi kung familiar ka, Im sure marerealize mo na related yung revelation na yun sa link ni Manolo about Laurganisms. Or kung familiar ka naman, Im sure di ma na gets ang ibig naming iparating. Which is not our problem but yours! Alrighty?

    An dthis wi be my last say on these “issue”

  25. I totally agree with Bokyo in his comment above that no matter how good the a leader or a party manage the economy or the fiscal policy, the people can not just ignore the “wrongs” committed along the way without dealing with it.

    To give an overview on our case, the Leadership and Long stewardship of Prime Minister Jean Chretien Liberal Government was the Best performing 11 years of our Economic Boom that we were out of Federal deficit into sustained surplus, his government defined our foreign policy distinct of that of our neighbor in the south; he was able to conclude all the unresolved treaties and agreements with our aboriginals, But when the Auditor General discovered the Corruption that was the only taint to his otherwise unquestioned leadership, “the Sponsorship Scandal” it lead to the defeat of his Government Party and the conviction of the people belonging to his party and disgraceful exit in Politics of all others involved. And we still able to Move On after…

  26. jude: re clavel martinez, she shifted back to supporting the admin; also her defeat was part of the larger defeat of the forces that wanted to divide cebu into several new provinces.

    dodot jaworski, too, didn’t support the 2nd impeachment and joined the administration (haven’t been following the protests over his defeat though), and dilangalen also supports the administration whatever his nominal affiliation (admin. support was required to turn his district into a new province).

  27. cat disagrees with many things on this blog but she’s always been respectful of personal issues. i think we should respect her and each other when it comes to her personal life story.

    Thanks Manolo.

  28. Cat

    Mayor Lim was on DZMM this evening

    Announcer: gusto ninyong magpasalamat sa mga supporter ninyo”

    Lim : Oo. Nagpapasalamat ako kay Erap at sa Iglesia din….

    One of the traits that I like in him. He’s always prim and proper which he balances with his politics.

  29. At ang mali mo naman, di mo tinanong ang sarili kung familiar ka ba sa doon sa sinsabi namin ni Ca T na revelation at kung saan thread namin ginawa yun. Kasi kung familiar ka, Im sure marerealize mo na related yung revelation na yun sa link ni Manolo about Laurganisms.

    Thanks rego. My anecdotal experience was about being a member of a highly educated family in SF in relation to the article in Laurganism.

    In my 10 years of joining forums, this is a good example of FLAMING.

    realist :

    Cat, you tell us. binulgar mo na yan noon, diba? paawa o patawag pansin?

    Ano ang dapat kaawaan sa akin?

    So i dho not knowwhat’s wrong with my personal life and what has to do with my statement about Trillanes’ possibility of joining Congress.

    realist :

    Ito naman si cat akala mo e may talagang alam sa buhay sa congress. Umarya kana naman, yung buhay mo muna asikasuhin mo.

  30. @cvj – Yes. We all need to trust somebody I guess. The only assurance we can have is if we run for office ourselves. lol. And that can give assurance only to ourselves and to those who know us best. There are many causes of apathy more than just this mentality you’re referring to. Two things top my mind: entertainment, and breaking past the “breaking point.” I am more in the view that our greatest enemy has always been entertainment. The gladiator fights were created this way too. To divert the public from the hardships of their life. Today, this has been replaced by showbiz and video games. The other cause of apathy is more tragic. And that is to go past the point of caring because your life has been reduced to nothing but subsistence.

    @cat- Bec. I thought u were better than that, and wouldn’t give it a moment’s notice. And bec. i thought if left alone, it wouldn’t escalate.

    @rego- Yeah. I know. I may have jz been too used to the environment of the forum I frequent that I forgot Manolo’s blog isn’t so much moderated as that one. Don kasi eh pag nag OT ka mapagsasabihan ka kaagad. Plus sinasaway kaagad ang potential flamewars kasi nga sinisira nito ang thread na binuksan ng topic starter. Isipin mo nga naman kung ang puro mo mababasa eh sagutan nung dalawang nag-aaway. As for ur comment abt this blog being enjoyable to visit, u got that right. This blog isn’t on Philippine’s Top 100 for no reason. Altho I hate it when Manolo jz post charts/tables/stats and links w/o general explanation or summaries. It then falls to me to dig thru the dirt jz to get what he’s saying. Which of course I fail to do. Which is why I like his PDI column more than this blog. lol.
    I’m more into what ppl are posting here. From the absurd, to the enlightening, it sure is an interesting read.

  31. Yeah. I know. I may have jz been too used to the environment of the forum I frequent that I forgot Manolo’s blog isn’t so much moderated as that one.

    As far as I know, I have assumed the role of reminding people to refrain from unsavory remarks.

    cat- Bec. I thought u were better than that, and wouldn’t give it a moment’s notice. And bec. i thought if left alone, it wouldn’t escalate.

    This is not the first time, this individual crossed my path. And that was just because, I made a comment about his hero, Pacquaio.

  32. Dami na palang revelations sa forum, ngayon ko lang nasagap ang iba…hehehe.

    Ayusin nyo na mga bangayan nyo, isyus na lang ang pag-usapan. Mas maigi siguro mag-post pag tapos na ang bilangan, i think by second week of June tapos na yan kasi pasukan na at kelangan na ng mga canvassers na ienroll ang mga anak nila. Sa totoo lang, ang bagal ng quick count.

    Yung mga matindi ang ego, sundin nyo na lang ang payo ni Inidoro: build your own blog at doon kayo magkalat. 🙂

  33. Jude,

    “While we await the final results of the elections, a punishing experience that is like watching the grass grow, the peso continues to improve vs the dollar and the stock market goes to one record high after another. This is the most important vote of confidence in the administration’s handling of the economy.”

    On the contrary, the peso and the stockmarket surged because investors welcomed the opposition victory. They saw there would be some oversight over your beloved crooks.

    I told you before and I’ll tell you again. Your data is fucked and your spin technique is amateurish. You remind me of those alex magno and ricardo saludo types.

  34. A lot of sharp economists here, I see. *sarcasm unintended*

    Just my 2 cents.

    The evaluation of the Peso?

    An effect that will happen regardless of GMA being president or some other scmuck like Victor Wood.
    In fact, the peso’s evaluation cannot be stopped even if we wanted it to.

    Point 1: our economy is being propped up by remittances. with every year seeing record highs.
    Point 2: the US dollar is an embattled currency, thanks in large part to the genius known as Bush. With the drain on Iraq war, the US is already so far down that dark pit of budget deficiencies, it’s a wonder the whole world economy doesn’t tailspin into another great depression.
    Point 3: Why be so proud of that gain? Most other currencies had been going better against the dollar than us, from strength to strength ever since Junior came into power. It’s like boasting after duck hunting. We got four feathers. The others got whole ducks.
    Point 4: peso appreciation has a downside. exports earn less. a marker of a good economy is this: a country spends less on imports and earns more on exports. guess this isn’t us huh?

    So, is our economy getting better? Let us count the ways:

    More investments since that damn mining act went full blast. Jobs and money flow into the country. Still more investments because of the BPO industry. Wow. So many jobs, so many are happy we don’t even care if they’re exploiting us anymore! After all, beggars can’t be choosers, right?
    Our credit rating has finally improved. What does that mean? Well it only means lesser interests rates for all that debt we have. Wow. Finally, a glimmer of hope that maybe we could finally chip off a small part of our natl debt’s principal…just after paying a few decades for a debt our country incurred mainly because of CORRUPTION!

    Hmm. That list glows. Do inform me if I’ve missed others.
    Now onto the consequences:

    Mining. After a decade of that, the investors pack up, leaving each sites a wasteland and sucked dry of all minerals. All the lucky workers given jobs now have assorted respiratory diseases. The investors grin like hyenas having struck pay dirt. wow. buying our resources cheap and making off like thieves. Wow. Feels like a virgin who begged to be paid for sex, was paid 20 bucks, and then raped by 50, was left dead and spat on after being used. This one’s a sure winner I tell you.

    BPO. Hmm. Nope. This is actually good. I totally agree with this one. Exploitation aside, so what if they’re paying us like peasants compared to what their earning? Dependence on us is actually a good thing. If only those damn Indians would get out of the picture, we could totally milk this cow and demand higher wages. This cow’s got a few more years to live anyway. After which the Koreans and the Chinese enter the picture. We’re all teaching them to be our future competitors, aren’t we? How smart of us!

    Pandering to IMF and WB just to have our credit rating increased, nuff said. So what if most of those debts were due to illicit transactions by the same devils who’ve impoverished our nation? We’ll never get out of this hole unless the powers that be approve that total debt write-off for all developing countries that we’ve always been asking for. If they’ve already given it to the poorest African nations, we should be next in line huh? Or why would they bother? After all, our gov’t is already so gung-ho abt paying all this debt, we should thank GMA if they deny us that request huh?

  35. I kept hearing and hearing people saying lets just move forward. lets stop trying to create trouble and just concentrate on nation building. See our economy is growing and getting stronger. Let us stop the escudero and cayetano tag team from trying to impeach Gloria again.

    I dont fcuking think so.

    Nobody can move forward if the we dont believe in the driver of the car. Nobody can start the nation building if we dont even have the sense to lay the proper foundation. the reason why I think a lot of people voted for those 2 is the same reason why we just talked and talked here. They are going to talk for us. They might have a lackluster performance as a legislator but sure as hell knows how to talk ( listen to how Escudero talk, calm and with an uneducated ears like I have,he sure sounds like a man with common sense)

    here in manolos blog. I read a lot of educated and smart persons yapping and yapping and yapping. The term keyboard warrior comes to my lowly mind. and I am also sick and wanted to puke to the so called intellectuals bashing the so called opposition, calling them names and telling everybody hey we got a strong economy! yippeeee! thank us we saved you from an actor. yeah and thanks to you, we are also benefiting to a lot of things that I am ashamed to mention.

    Im just trolling and venting my anger. Pardon my rudimentary use of english language. For im just a high school graduate and I am super pissed about whats happening to the country WHERE I LIVE.

  36. INSOFAR AS speaking fluent-english is IS CONCERNED, cheeze pales in comparison with my 20y.o. nephew who grew up in LA. Most importantly, my nephew can distinguish right from wrong. Escudero a is paid jukebox of erap and FPJ, he says. Just like his father was a tuta of marcos.

    “…listen to how Escudero talk, calm and with an UNEDUCATED EARS LIKE I HAVE,he sure sounds like a man with common sense.”

    INSOFAR AS INSOFAR-AS-IS-CONCERNED IS CONCERNED, escudero has indeed lots of common sense to a lot of UNEDUCATED EARS that listen to him.

  37. edwin, you will be miserable and bitter wherever you live. cursing and writing obscenities will not do you any good – might even get you into trouble because no one likes a bellyaching whimp. nobody owes you a happy life. you try to make your own, and you cannot rely on other miserable people to make things better for you. they can only make them worst.

  38. INSOFAR AS speaking fluent-english is IS CONCERNED, cheeze pales in comparison with my 20y.o.nephew who grew up in LA.

    so what’s your point? your nephew has imbibed english as a first language. naturally we expect him to be fluent in that. but does he have the gab of fluency to speak filipino as a second language? besides no where in edwin’s thread did he mention which language soothes his üneducated” ears.

    “Most importantly, my nephew can distinguish right from wrong.”

    apparently you are making your own subjective judgment, and therefore the better introspection to ask is can you distinguish right from wrong?”

    edwin:

    “Im just trolling and venting my anger.”

    feel free to express it, edwin. indifference is only for the living dead.

  39. “…does he have the gab of fluency to speak filipino…”
    “…can you distinguish right from wrong?”

    Me and my nephew are not fluent with filipino/tagalog, bisaya man mi. We don’t even have to be a high school/college graduates to distinguish right from wrong.

    You and majority of the commenters here are tremendously outraged by GMA’s alleged cheating. So am I. I am even more disappointed that her sons and in-law are occupying seats in congress. I am against political dynasty/nepotism.

    Despite escudero’s “lackluster performance as a legislator” and being a representative of erap/fpj, instead of sorsogon, why did people vote for him? The only visible acomplishment he & cayetano did was to grandstand and get noticed in the media.

    Despite honasan and trillanes’ acts of mutinee. Why were they voted for? When sonny boy was tried in court, he kept on insisting that the oakwood mutinee was merely an oakwood INCIDENT. If he becomes a senator, just imagine how he would justify his irregularities by mere OCCURENCES.

    On one hand, we focus too much on GMA next moves (too many soothsayers). On the other, we tolerate other politicians’ wrongdoings?

    I believe all of us want to rid our country of corruption and all forms impropriety. We want a better future for us and our children’s. Let’s be consistent. Aside from GMA, let us make others accountable for their wrong doings:

    – The biggest of them all is marcos and his heirs
    – behest loanees enrile, disini, cojuangco, etal
    – tax evader lucio tan & the likes
    – murderers honasan, lacson, etc
    – plunderer erap and his accomplice
    – corrupt militarymen and mutineers
    – political dynasty families & disarm their private armies

    Let us make past and present politicians (president downwards) make known to the public how their pork money were spent or where account they went.

    You want objectivity, let’s go after ALL all of them NOT just ONE.

  40. “You want objectivity, let’s go after ALL all of them NOT just ONE.”

    AMEN.

  41. jonphil, i concur. let’s get all the bastards. let’s make it an equal opportunity endeavor. no untouchables, no sacred cows, no hypocrites. but let’s not forget “due process” and the “rule of law”. they are imperfect, but they are the best we have against injustice.

  42. I appreciate Bencard’s points because without our laws, we’d have the law of the jungle. but i think we have to keep returning to what impeachment is, which is essentially a political process meant to preterminate an elected term, which otherwise is expected to run its due course. at stake in an impeachment is neither life, liberty, nor property, it is political office: the people giveth, the people’s representatives can taketh away.

    bencard and cat often return to the reality that impeachment, under the present constitution, has never been easier -yet unattainable twice so far. we disagree on the reasons why this is so.

    i do think the majority in the house, everything considered (and the ultimate consideration was the pork barrel, something estrada denied congressmen and so it made going against him so much easier at the time), had a point when the minority complained of the way the impeachment rules for the 13th congress had been put together. they were crafted so as to make the presentation of evidence something that would take place only after the consideration of the charges. i pointed out that in the case of quirino, for example, before the charges were tackled in terms of form or substance, the evidence was presented and publicly so. and since impeachment is a political process, the use of the president’s majority then as now, was perhaps inevitable but much more understandable -and less debatable.

    not so, now, and as the majority pointed out, the minority acceeded to the rules because they thought the procedure wouldn’t matter, they could get the public upset enough and drive the president from office.

    but in that political calculation the experience of the 2000-2001 impeachment was forgotten, as were the lessons from 1986: a people power moment, as teddyboy locsin angrily pointed out, cannot be manufactured. it can be helped along, but you cannot speed up its ripening.

    that being said, the question for any leader in the face of a challenge is to fight or flee; the president i think deserves criticism and continued opposition for simply turning her back on two decades of democratic rebuilding. she was free to reject calls for her resignation, but she then threw every obstacle in the path of vindicating herself: and there were ample means to do so, whether from a truth commission, a proper impeachment, or even asking congress to appoint a special prosecutor.

    she could have been proactive and not reactive -proactive is what fvr, much as i criticize him, tried to be in 2005. he tried to identify a way forward and it could have been a winning formula, but ultimately his proposal required too much sacrifice, not only of the senate but of the president herself. and even from the house.

    so we remain divided, both sides who have opted to declare for or against the president in a kind of war of attrition, while the public itself that was not on either side had made its preferences known: in favor of impeachment, not in favor of taking to the streets, against hammering the senate, against the senate fighting back but not doing anything else, unexcited about the leadership options from the vice-president on down, against military force resolving matters, against the gratuitous use of the police power, for a peaceful means, and above all else, keeping things within a democratic framework.

    the recently concluded election had a lot of people staying away, not least because not much could be expected of a situation where the comelec is the same one that discredited itself in 2004, and where the leadership options again, would be uninspiring -but it voted in favor of a more aggressive new bunch of senators because the public doesn’t feel the president deserves any slack or favors -and until the process is made to work, then things might as well slide until 2010 when the president is well and trulty out of the picture -and make no bones about it, the public was prepared not to tip the balance either way from 2005 onwards, but an extension for the president isn’t in the cards, and the public came closest to a revolt when the house seemed poised to even take away the emotional outlet (and test of whether institutions discredited after 2005 could redeem themselves) of the 2007 elections.

    the comelec’s failed to redeem itself. so has the palace. those gambling on the palace’s resources have seen its limitations. the new senate will be on probation. other groups have redeemed themselves, namely the watchdogs from namfrel to the ppcrv, even the survey firms and media.

    personally i’m skeptical anything drastic will change unless something fantastic (as in beyond belief) like sneaking in chavit singson or mike defensor or suddenly and majorly overturning what’s emerging as an 8-2-2 result takes place (even a 7-3-2 at this point will raise eyebrows). i don’t even know if reviving charter change by the end of the year will convince the public of anything beyond what it already expects from the palace, which is bad faith. but it will lead to simply, a stubborn continuation of the confrontation that began in 05.

  43. I hate MAR ROXAS. I wish he won’t be the next president. I completed the CAP college Plan (CAPHelp Plus) for my son and suddenly this damn Mar Roxas is Pulling CAP down. That is supposed to be the future of my son and he is ruining it. I’m not sure but I guess he is just using Korina Sanchez for his campaign. Few years back, everything was silent about Mar & Korina. Now, it’s back. Sorry to Ms. Korina Sanchez. I have nothing against her. I HATE MAR ROXAS. I beg, Please don’t vote for him if ever…

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