“The most remarkable recent example of Mob Rule was Edsa Dos, in which a single person DECIDED events. That was Hilario Davide, because if he never showed up at the Edsa Shrine and just continued with the Impeachment Trial as was his sworn duty, the event called Edsa Dos would never have happened.”

Sometime on the 3rd day of EDSA 2, the military and the police authorities withdrew their support to Ex-Pres. Estrada.

On the morning of the 4th day, a part of the EDSA crowd/mob had marched towards Malacanang and eventually reached its outskirts all of which BEFORE the ex-Pres. was deemed to have resigned and before CJ Davide swore in PGMA.

The Police authorities who had withdrawn support however gave instructions not to allow the crowd/mob near Malacanang to get closer while the Ex-President was still in the premises.

Police Official Maganto made a mistake however and allowed the crowd/mob nearer. He got berated for that.

I surmise they knew that the PSG would defend the ex-Pres. to their last bullet as well as their last breath. I would EXPECT NO LESS even should higher authorities order them to abandon him so he can be fed to the crowd/mob.

But eventually he left Malacanang.

On May 1, 2001, another crowd/mob had gotten close to Malacanang. Only this time there had been no withdrawal of support by the police nor the military yet the crowd/mob was preparing to rush Malacanang just the same. Moments later, blood was shed as the crowd tried to push through.

With no support from the police nor the rest of the military, a crowd/mob preparing to overwhelm Malacanang; you seem to be under the assumption that CJ Davide could prevent Malacanang from being penetrated had he not sworn in PGMA.

And had a bloodbath occurred; what would have been the fate of the Estrada Presidency when he had no support from the Police and the rest of the Military?

Would the Estrada Presidency have survived or would we have a new ruler anyway?

Or is the absence or presence of bloodshed the determining factor of calling an event EDSA Dos or not, albeit with practically the same outcome as Estrada would have been an ex-President anyway?

Bencard (at 10:50am), i believe what i told you last October was that the definition provided by jm is more in keeping with the 1987 Constitution:

Article VI, Section 1. “The legislative power shall be vested in the Congress of the Philippines which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives…”

So Bafil’s understanding is the correct one.

Trite as it may sound, we cannot believe everything that we hear or read. We have to consider the motive, character, and integrity of the source.

Even my helpers can recite those lines.

Would you hire someone just because he claims he can turn around your organization?

We’ve heard that from the likes of honasan & lacson.

Hope we learn from our mistakes.

But that includes me and you and everyone else who took part in EDSA2. We had to see it through to the bitter end. Erap was going to be acquitted and we couldnt have that. We were used as cover for the coup. Davide merely formalized it but all of us who impeached Erap had a share in the blame. Do you honestly believe we wouldve accepted acquittal at the time? The fires were burning. Davide had to step in and break the law because he didnt like where it was all heading.

Hindsight is always 20-20, DJB. We’re as guilty as Davide, probably for being so stupid or idealistic or ill-informed that we didnt see what was being hatched by Mike Arroyo and wife behind the scenes.

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[...] domestically, Filipinos love to classify themselves according to wealth and class, and delight in pecking orders: who went to the classiest schools, wear the flashiest clothes, drive the fancy cars and other preoccupations of the Filipino petty bourgeoisie. Yet, once they stand at immigration counters abroad, they suddenly recognize what they all have in common: their Philippine passports.
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How’s that for a reality check?

The not-worth-the-paper-it-is-printed-on Pinoy Passport is the closest we will ever get to a collective national character. And the way this document is regarded abroad speaks volumes about who we really are as a people.

Tough luck is all I can say (at least until we can get past the utter pettiness of the prevailing debate).

It’s Week Four since the last Fiesta Election folks, and the news papers and news programs are still filled with post-election posturing and petty debates about who will go on to impeach the president, change the charter, or who will pair up with who to do the next song-and-dance for the next Fiesta Election.

What is wrong with this picture?

Firstly, one just gotta step back from the noise to answer the above simple question.