Cat’s out of the bag
In the news, Lito Atienza new environment head: the public reaction’s been along the lines of Environmentalists shocked over Atienza appointment to DENR. The former DENR chief, Gen. Angie Reyes, not known for his environmentalism, now moves sideways to energy, on which he’s not an expert, either. Note that the portfolio Atienza was widely (and in a political sense, sensibly) assumed to be poised to assume, was that of Secretary of the Interior. Obviously, current DILG chief Ronnie Puno isn’t about to budge, despite attempts to pin the poor showing of the President’s senatorial slate on him. Puno has clearly not outlived his usefulness.
The cherades involving Reyes and Atienza is part of a bunch of cabinet appointments that resulted in Energy Secretary Lotilla either getting his wish to be replaced, or actually being fired (one press account had him reacting to a reporter’s phone call with surprise, not knowing he’d been relieved of his portfolio)
But now she’s hinted she may want to stick around: Arroyo hints at running for Congress in 2010. The cat’s out of the bag:
This is the first time that Arroyo issued a statement on her possible political plans after she steps down in 2010. She has constantly said that she wanted to shy away from politics and would focus on running the economy.
Arroyo will deliver her State of the Nation Address on Monday, her seventh since she took the presidency in 2001.
Even as she slowed down on the push for Charter change because of the May elections, Arroyo had made it clear that she has not abandoned the initiative and stressed that it would be pursued by her administration as a “platform commitment.”
Arroyo’s allies in Congress are expected to make Charter change a priority once sessions open on Monday, which will pave the way for a parliamentary system.
This is the first time she’s been bold enough to even float the idea herself since 2005. Although she has been subliminally floating the idea ever since she talked about the country reaching “First World” status by 2020.
What colleague John Nery calls Arroyo’s insurance policy. What does the President need insurance against? Obviously, ending up like Estrada after her term of office. But the argument goes, whatever her sins, if the economy improves, people will let her retire in 2010.I n the blogosphere, blog@AWBHoldings.com who points out (with a sigh),
And now, as our politicians screw up the mandates given to them, here is where we stand: we do not like Gloria Arroyo, but we cannot agree on what to do about it. Some of us would rather have her and have their stomachs full, despite the fact that some have empty stomachs. We were given all choices, we chose none of them – impeachment, people power, electing an opposition-led Congress (both houses). We wanted more of the same, we wanted comfort, we wanted progress. But at what cost? Changing our values: allowing crooks to win as long as they feed us; allowing liars to move on, as long as they feed us; allowing corrupt officials to run our coffers dry, as long as they feed us. But what if they can no longer feed us?
And the President has gambled on these things helping her, politically: her hand-picked constitutional successor is widely assumed as unfit for the job (the corollary being, while she’s alive, the President can stop worrying about her Veep; and if she dies, then what happens to the country isn’t her problem, anyway); and things like “the stock market is high,” and “the peso is strong,” and “investments are up,” combined with “the deficit’s under control”, means big business, which could finance her ouster, won’t want to rock the boat.
But as I’ve been saying even before the elections, the President’s claims to fame are getting wobbly.
1. News like Gov’t overshoots budget deficit ceiling: January-June gap balloons to P41B. See also, Deficit hits P41B on weak tax take. Still, Unfazed by P41-B deficit, Teves to meet IMF (but I thought we’d graduated from IMF tutelage? So why is an IMF team here? See: IMF visit tied to fiscal woes: Duscussions on Monetary, Fiscal Issues Are Earlier Than Usual.
2. As far as any stock market is concerned, what goes up, must come down. We can’t separate what’s going here at home with developments in the region and elsewhere. John Berthelsen says China Is not the Problem: Extraordinary popular delusions and the US stock market boom. It might be time to seek cover. A meltdown in China, etc. is out of our hands.
3. What happens if the Peso, while psychologically reassuring when strong, is too strong for the economy’s good? And how much of the Peso’s strength is our government’s doing, and not a reflection of the US Dollar’s weakness? See Dollar Near Record Low Against Euro, 26-Year Low Versus Pound and reactions, like A stronger Euro and concerns about excessive real appreciation and competitiveness loss in the Eurozone. See also Won climbs to near 2007 high; baht drops. Then see, Banker cautions gov’t vs. continued rise of peso. However, John Mangun thinks a new dynamic is at work:
In January, a barrel of light crude cost P2,500; in June, the price was P3,150. The reason we are not paying 40 percent is due to the appreciation of the peso.
The same is true for the euro. Without that 10-percent appreciation in the value of the peso against the US dollar, crude oil would now be costing us P3,500.
So what’s the point? World economic patterns change and, unfortunately, too many “experts†do not change with the environment. Previously, a weak dollar would be considered terrible for the world, and the Philippines in particular, because of US-bound exports.
But, like most of the world, we are not dependent on the US export market for our survival. The value of the peso against other currencies has actually depreciated. A weak US dollar has reduced the cost of oil we buy, yet, it also may have helped our export attractiveness to other global markets.
A weak dollar has not derailed the US economy, but might reduce its trade deficit with nations like China. Further, the strong peso-dollar rate has not slowed either dollar-based stock market investments or direct investments in the Philippines.
This is 2007. The Philippine economy is not dependent on either a strong dollar or the US consumer.
4. News like this: Asia’s First Web Casinos Lure Chinese to Philippine Farm Town, and news like this: Now, she’s also Investment Ombudsman, are related, I think:
With Gutierrez at the helm, Favila predicted that prosecuting government officials who give investors illegal headaches will be faster. “Every time I get a complaint, I will just course it directly to her.â€Â
The reactivation of the Office of the Investment Ombudsman was among the initiatives put forward by the public-private National Competitiveness Council to address the problematic government people and processes.
This is a magic wand to make problems with mining investments, for example, go away. Or else. But there’s more. Here’s this bit of scuttlebutt, said to be fresh from within the Palace:
AFter 2010, GMA faces the likely possibility of suits as a result of her ill-governance and ill gotten wealth, if any. Thus, to delay the filing of any criminal case or ensure its denial, Merceditas Gutierrez will not be allowed to finish her term which ends in 2013. Before GMA’s term ends, Gutierrez will be promoted to the Supreme Court and GMA will appoint another “friendly” Ombudsman who will be given a fresh term of 7 years. Effectively therefore, GMA is shielded from suit until 2017.
In other news, Secret ballot for speakership to set bad precedentâ€â€JdV. And he’s right (though he’s not right in spooning out the gravy: Congressmen get P1M more for travel). My column for today, Devolution of the House explains why. My Arab News column for this week is The Never-Ending Story of Scams.
2 persons wounded in Tacurong City explosion. Terrorism or extortion? Authorities can’t agree: Ermita: Tacurong blast HSA test; PNP: No, it’s extortion. But oddly enough, the military and rebels seem both inclined to dislike the Anti-Terrorism Law. See Newsbreak’s When Bitter Enemies Talk:
A militant priest says the basic problem is the newly signed anti-terror lawâ€â€and he recites a litany of its flaws. A general seated at the other end breaks into laughter and declares, “See, we’re on the same side! We are also against this anti-terror law!â€Â
All eyes now turn to the general, who has a reputation for outspokenness. Another lady justice asks: You mean the military is against this law, general? He then cites the law’s several punitive measures against law enforcers, which, he explains, won’t make them effective in the end. “We are surprised that the human rights groups are unhappy with it. Because we ourselves are unhappy with it…everybody seems unhappy with it.â€Â
Meanwhile MILF given one week to surrender ambushers, while 2 ranking Marine officers sacked over Tipo-tipo clash. Also, CHR starts probe into Basilan incident. In his blog, Howie Severino looks into the MILF being armed with weapons and ammo from American aid given to the AFP:
We have been hearing of weapons being sold to the Abu Sayyaf ever since Father Cirilo Nacorda reported seeing boxes of American-made ammunition in his captors’ Basilan camp while he was a hostage in the mid 1990s. The details of those first forays by the Abu Sayyaf are in the excellent book by Joe Torres, Into the Mountain.
While charges of complicity are nothing new, the main difference today is the extra US influence that one presumes comes from a 1,500 percent increase in US military aid since 9/11. The Americans must realize that complicity with an Islamic terrorist/rebel group is a threat to US interests as much as it is to Philippine soldiers and civilians. The Arroyo government is regarded as an important US ally in the fight against terrorism. But if Arroyo’s military officers aid the enemy without ever getting punished, or even seriously probed, one must start to wonder if this is a true ally or simply a weak regime afraid of its own military. If it’s the latter, then Filipino generals will bow down to no one except for their American benefactors…
…The tragic episode in Tipo-Tipo reminded me of another time journalists got caught in the crossfire in Basilan, back in June 2001, at the infamous seige of Lamitan, where newly trained, supposedly elite Army Scout Rangers too were badly outgunned, before the surrounded Abu Sayyaf leadership — Janjalani, Sabaya, and Sulaiman — escaped with most of their hostages, who included the American missionary couple, Gracia and Martin Burnham.
Official probes into that debacle got nowhere, despite investigations in aid of legislation in both house of Congress that pointed to senior military officers having secret transactions with the Abu Sayyaf.
That could easily qualify as among the greatest failures in Philippine military history. Inquirer journalist John Nery did a memorable perspective piece on that incident a couple of years ago that earned him and his newspaper a libel complaint, a piece that has since disappeared from the Inquirer archives. But he has written about it and Gracia’s heroic dignity in his blog.
I cannot help but bring up the Lamitan botched seige again and again because it lies buried under the rug, along with other acts of treason.
When troops fighting and dying in the field cannot be sure of the loyalty of their own superiors, it is no surprise why an army backed by the most powerful nation on earth cannot defeat a bandit group concentrated on a few islands.
In other news, Formalin-laced White Rabbit candy banned; blogger Reyna Elena, who spent a recent trip home eating that candy, asks, “have you been embalmed yet?” Ha! RP coup plot lands ex-Cheney aide with 10 years in jail while Michael Ray Aquino gets lighter 6-year sentence. News like this is always interesting: Competitiveness menu bared, as are the views of a person I very much admire, Federico Macaranas of the AIM: Oligarchs key to breaking into winning circle.
Overseas, freaky news indeed: Explosion rocks Manhattan, revives 9/11 memories. Even as Paddy Ashdown warns, We are failing in Afghanistan and there’s Read It and Weep: Even Bush’s intelligence report says the war in Iraq is making us less safe at home.
Communist Vietnam now has an emerging middle class: Vietnamese people changing their consumption habits: research. On a related note, in Malaysia, Brian Yap: Middle class that’s a force to be reckoned with, while in Indonesia, this opinion piece on Western-style toilets seems full of familiar observations: Sitting up or melting down: Power to the people. My recent enthusiasm for nuclear power brings up this cautionary tale: Japanese nuclear plant may be on quake fault line.
Alex Magno says the National Democrats aren’t interested in peace, period.
Manuel Buencamino on Miguel Zubiri and his “Comelection.”
William Pesek is bothered Imelda Marcos is getting more popular.
In the blogosphere, Smoke on the give-and-take going on in this blog; Manila Bay Watch thinks Davao City Mayor Duterte is a lunatic; Philippine Politics 04 says businessmen have suddenly lost interest in fighting corruption. The Philosophical Bastard on “hermit blogging.”
Technorati Tags: Blogging, CBCP, Charter Change, constitution, human rights, ideas, military, philippines, politics, president, Senate, society, war, Washington DC
In the first place, they are wobbly, if we take Buñag’s complaints seriously.
mlq3, you’ve been saying the same things about the president since day one, or at least since i discovered this blog. but since most of your readers are GMA-haters, you are preaching to the choir. your repeated use of “we” says it all. i said it before, and i’m saying it again, your claim that GMA is “disliked” by everybody is presumptuous and unfair. but the reason people like you always have eggs on your face is that there’s not enough of you who share your hatred for her. yeah, you can say you won the 2004 senatorial elections – a hollow victory if i may say, but is that enough to prove your claims?
and now you are repeating the same threat of reprisal on GMA once she leaves office (estrada-wise). why, how and by who? don’t get carried away by your obvious hatred for the lady, whatever caused it. it’s not worth it unless you want another egg on your face – or worst.
bencard, we can actually measure the amount of like or dislike for the president, by means of surveys. she is more disliked than marcos ever was when these surveys began. now if you believe it’s wrong to say 100% of people dislike the president, you are right. not 100% of the people dislike her, and as i have also pointed out time and again, a consistent 25% or so of the population will stand by her through thick or thin -with another 25% unwilling to go very far, which holds the other 50% which actively dislikes her in check.
and again, we can argue my basis for saying the elections proved that the dislike exists, i’ve pointed you in the direction of my arguments for saying so often enough; but i have yet to see your debuttal with your opposing evidence.
the anti plunder law is there. it can be invoked. in the absence of an ombudsman to coddle the president the way aniano disierto coddled fidel ramos, the president, upon the expiration of her term of office, would be a sitting duck. you and i can disagree on whether she is culpable or not, liable or not, whether the proper evidence exists or not, but by your own arguments, you have to admit: were we to have a president interested in having gma charged, and an ombudsman willing to let a plunder charge, etc. go to trial; then according to the precedents set by the estrada trial, gma could, potentially, be charged, arrested, detained, while a trial which could or could not, result in her conviction, takes place.
and of course you can agree or not with an additional observation i’ll make here: even people willing to let the president finish her term won’t be upset if she joins estrada in detention after her presidency expires.
mlq3, i really don’t have time to point out to you all the rebuttals and “evidence” to dispute your claim about the last election (as basis for your alleged “dislike”) that i have presented in previous threads. first of all, you know, as well as i, that the last election had mixed result with the administration winning the local elections, including congressmen, overwhelmingly; and secondly, 6 to 4 is not a decisive defeat for the administration in the senatorial contest by any measure (in spite of your rationalizations to the contrary).
plunder? maybe i missed it, but have you ever heard of anyone accusing, even under legislative privilege, the president personally of having taken any amount, let alone hundreds of millions of pesos that estrada is accused of having stolen? in any event, you cannot indict, much less convict by mere allegations. i think you know that.
Bencard,
Once upon a time, MLQ3 used to work for Gloria in Malacanan. He carried a rank of Asec or Usec. I’m not sure which, but it had to do with history…he also helped write some of her speeches…
He supported GMA during the 2004 election… for a time, he even believed she won…
And then the Garci tapes came out…he waited and waited for GMA to clear it up…he hoped and prayed…but she ducked and weaved instead of confronting the issue head on…
and that’s when MLQ3 resigned. He couldn’t work for anyone like that.
You should read his column explaining why he did what he did. His “dislike” for GMA is founded on principle.
then he should speak for himself and/or his fellow travelers like you, buencamino. most definitely not “everyone”. i know, all along, that he has a chip on his shoulders (Garci or no Garci. of course, if his words and actions are based on principles, i respect that as long as he doesn’t pretend that “everybody” thinks the way he does.
bencard,
if you look at the url it’s quezon dot ph. You don’t like what’s showing, go to pidal dot cum or start your own blog. See how hard it is to get that lil green bar that says mlq3 is hard working blogger who gives guys like you a nice place to kibitz and show off your erudition.
But I’m still waiting for you to come up with a single original idea or argument about politics or history or culture or any of the dozens of things MLQ3 writes and thinks about. Just one that’s different from “Don’t step on my Lilliput, you naysayers!”
I don’t see Quezon “pretending that everyone thinks the way he does”, Bencard.
In the first place, on a technical plane that is, I find that in general, Manolo’s writings do not infer that everyone thinks the way he does.
To me, when he reports on what he reads, hears and sees in this blog, he does it as any reporter would – he puts in as many facts as he can albeit in a compressed manner (question of space most likely) but when he writes an opinion, he puts in a bit more ‘drama’ but even that ‘drama’ is quite tepid per your “GMA bashers or GMA haters” standards – and drama in an opinion piece that he publishes in this blog of his is to be expected because it’s HIS opinion.
In the second place, the mere fact that you can demolish virtually everything Quezon writes on Gloria points to the fact that he doesn’t pretend that his opinion is everyone else’s. In fact I find that often your counter opinion where Gloria is concerned gives the impression that all GMA supporters think and feel the way you do – perhaps because you do it so forcefully, your piece pertaining to Gloria is often so emotionally-charged that it should come as no surprise (even to you) if readers whom you consider Gloria haters find themselves asking, could he (you) be right? If that is so, you must recognize that Quezon brings out the best in his commenters here, don’t you think?
Finally, whether you believe me or not is up to you but I think that Mlq3′s blog is one of the most reasonable blogs there is in Philippine cyberspace on the question of Gloria. Contrary to what you think, I find that his opinion is very seldom egotistical, his writings on GMA quite lukewarm, more cerebral than passionate and on the whole, he doesn’t indulge in eccentricties, i.e., pretending that his opinion is the opinion of all.
I believe Mr. Quezon is an Opinion columnist as well as a journalist. When he used the word “we”, I assume he must be refferring to the group that he believes belong to his group or line of thoughts and rationales, including most of the readers of this blog and his columns and articles. I myself may not be speaking for all Canadians, but I always use the word “we” when i talk about us Canadians and so far not single Canadian in any of the dailies where I regularly write to editors and speak out sections here pointed that out yet. And Torstar is the biggest daily in all Canada and yes it has its own blog too and yes i join in the discussion too, although it is little more sedate, but there is no limit to our opinions and thoughts too…
bencard, what lawyers have to teach all of us non-lawyers is precision when it comes to language. definitely, it would be wrong to say “everyone” and mean 100%. that would be an impossibility. on that point, you are absolutely correct to insist on a more precise categorization. i do stand by my view that “most” people have shown a measurable dislike for the president. just as i’ve been careful to point out that her critics should acknowledge that at the very least, the president has a sizeable loyal following.
but as for your view that the local races means something, i have to dispute that, on the basis of it very clearly being shown that since 1935, no administration has ever lost the lower house. ever. that being the case, it is par for the course, and thus no major achievement, for an administration to hang on to the house in a mid-term election.
“not 100% of the people dislike her, and as i have also pointed out time and again, a consistent 25% or so of the population will stand by her through thick or thin -with another 25% unwilling to go very far, which holds the other 50% which actively dislikes her in check” – mlq3:can this be attributed to the fact that she is a plurality president? i mean, everyone who didn’t vote for her, doesn’t like, or is equivocal about her, right? would it be different then if we required an 50%+1 majority for presidents?
We should be thankful that there is mlq3 whom I believed has retained his patriotism when he left GMA administration.
While 25% of the population has shown support for GMA, I’m not sure about the “through thick and thin part“. I think 20% of that 25% is the balimbing effect that accrues to anyone who occupies Malacanang (no matter how he or she got there). As documented in Estrada vs. Desierto:
This 20% support will evaporate once she leaves Malacanang (to be transferred to whoever replaces her). That means the hardcore support for Gloria Arroyo is more in the vicinity of 5%.
Sorry, the above quote should read…
…which is a 22% increase in six days.
profound, dean bocobo, your observation that this is mlq3′s own blog. you, of course, don’t pretend that you always agree with him like ed macmahon of johnny carson fame, do you – even though you are guesting in his “the explainer” show every now and then? yet, you are here blasting away at anyone, including mlq3, who dares put a cloud of doubt on your own “erudition”. btw, you can wait till hell freezes over for a “single, original idea” from me. i’m not here to display academic
pseudo-intellectualism. i’m here to discuss the real world, the real issues, real people, real facts and not abstractions, generalizations and, most of all, conjectures and self-serving speculations.
Manila Bay Watch: i welcome your critique of my criticism of mlq3′s anti-gma opinions. dispassionate and level-headed comments like your’s and others’ here sets the tone for a more constructive and civilized public discourse. in general, i agree with you that mlq3 is one of the most cerebral thinker and effective voice of our time. if only he could be more “fair and balanced”.
vic: my only problem with your “we” is whether you mean “we, canadians” or “we, filipinos”. i don’t believe many filipinos are interested in day-to-day affairs of canada, or even the u.s., over their (our) own national interests.
mlq3, even assuming that your 75% (50%+ 25%) who “dislike” GMA is correct, how come only 6 GO senatorial candidates won? i don’t think legarda’s vote amount to 75% of the voters, or that of anyone who opposes GMA, for that matter
Wow, MLQ3, you’re still barking up the wrong tree and howling an empty song at the moon after all this time. It’s been a year since I’ve checked in and you haven’t progressed a step.
The One Voice, BMW…sorry, B&W, righeous, condenscending teeny minority has been exposed as the hollow work of a few. The bitterness of the recognition of that reality is revealing. But really…drop it. Falling on deaf ears. For a reason. And no — not because everyone is stupid.
Dude, you’ve been blinded.
You can’t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your, er, associates and claim holiest-ness.
It would be great if you could use your many gifts to help us all see history through a magnifying glass…rather than through the prism you keep using.
Look at the hard facts. Look at the Garci tapes, wiretappers, spy trials. You need to erase your mind and start all over again. Get rid of your preconceptions. Think.
errata: should be one of the most cerebral THINKERS and effective VOICES of our time.
Wow blast from the past, welcome back Geo!
Hey, cvj. I see this wonderful country we live in is still surviving. Funny how that happens. How goes it? What’s the hottest topic nowadays?
Bencard,
” 6 to 4 is not a decisive defeat for the administration in the senatorial contest by any measure (in spite of your rationalizations to the contrary).”
First of all, please explain your math.
How does 7 GO, 3 TUTAs and 2 Independents equal 6-4?
And, in case you forgot…
Honasan, like Oreta and Sotto, wanted to run under GO but he was bumped off to make way for Trillanes. However, instead of following the example of Sotto and Oreta, he chose to run as an independent.
Pangilinan did not object to his inclusion in the GO team and he refused to run with the TUTAs because he had asked Gloria to resign after she avoided and evaded answering questions about her conversations with Garci . GO dropped Pangilinan because he was not a team player. However, despite being dropped by GO, Pangilinan continued to run as an Independent OPPOSITION candidate
Now to the congressional races…. how and what did the”administration” win exactly in those mano a manos between Lakas and Kampi congressional bets,?
Also, as head of both Lakas and Kampi, why couldn’t Gloria impose some discipline?
Why did she allow both parties to cannibalize each other?
Or did she allow it because she couldn’t prevent it?
What does that say about her leadership and the control she exercises over administration parties?
Do you think the current contest for speakership is a moro-moro or is it consequence of two administration parties going at each other in congressional elections?
I’ll tell you what I know: investments of all sizes, types and colors are pouring in. This economy is about to explode. And yes, the benefits will significantly affect all.
Spin that as one may, but it’s what everyone has been hoping for. That’s the good news.
But there’s still a rotting, inefficient, corrupt political infrastructure affecting us all. What to do about this is the challenge of our time.
Now that the idiots have gotten off the streets and midnight House sessions on TV are a rarety…what to do about the real problems?
Bencard,
You will also notice that Joker and Angara were the two TUTAs who were least identified with Gloria.
Joker even threatened to leave TUTA when Binay was suspended.
Geo, yeah we’re among the lucky ones. Last i heard, the BPO and outsourcing industry in Manila seems to be thriving. Eastwood City is running out of available office space because of all the expansion.
Geo, i think the real problem is that civil society has lost its moral compass and has come to rely upon thugs to maintain its way of life.
manuelbuencamino,
No offense, but who cares? ALL the senators are supposed to make the Philippines a better place. What they do while in office is all that matters. May we be blessed with a senate that actually passes laws this time around.
Enough BS. Demonstrate results which we can transparently and clearly see. Tangible results.
In the House, let them finish their pre-session maneuvering…and then get to work.
Forget all the political spin. Demand day-to-day measureable performance. If not, we become the politician’s fools…which we’ve been for the last decade…..
Bencard,
when I say “ weâ€Â, I could mean either whichever I qualified in my comments, but mostly Canadian, since I have lived most of my life here and have only second hand knowledge of affairs and events in the Philippines that I mostly can compare the differences that could be of interest to some albeit few.
But there are a lot of Filipinos who are just as interested of the day to day political and social events especially that of the U.S., some far more than their own as they are aware most of what is happening in the U.S. than they are in their own backyard. And events in the U.S. and other countries directly affect the events in the Philippines and if not that many are interested, they should. Maybe they will start finding that the way their leaders are running the country is not the “right way†for the remaining substantial part of the population that encourage the current leaders to maintain the Status Quo… as is as long as they have the core supporters, and as long as they merrily and knowingly know that in the end they will get away from it all….
buencamino, the point is if GMA is “hated” in the magnitude that you and your ilk want to portray, she should have lost each and every candidate she supported. if all the voters who voted for fpj, panfilo lacson, raul roco, villanueva, and other ‘also runs’, voted against gma’s candidates, none of the TU candidates sould have won (not even those “least identified” with her). the fact that defensor was just a few hundred thousand shy of the last winning candidate’s (a TU) was not exactly a slam-dunk for the anti-gma group.
btw, you got me as to the number of GO winners. my mistake.
Geo,
There’s no compelling reason for the new Senators to do what you expect them to do. Generations of politicians have proven to be both lacking in vision and selfish mongrels, which when combined give such results as we see now. People don’t change without a compelling reason. The incentive of getting the public’s appreciation (a portion of the public, that is) for a job well done is not as compelling as, say, avoiding trouble and making sure their political career lasts a very long time.
And what will compel them is fear of the public. The fact that the Marcos are still with us, living large in fact should take away all doubt about an ever-forgiving public. I believe all this corruption we see now is rooted from our seeming forgiveness of Marcosian crimes. We like ganging up on cell phone snatchers, but there’s Macoy’s daughter still as public as ever and Imelda herself going about her usual way attracting attention when she can. Next in line is the oh-so famous grand son. Politicans are very smart people and have a keen sense of the public. They KNOW they can get away with. What they can’t get away with is being a hero. That they’ll never do. I’ll bet on it. Well, there’s Trillanes who’s already in prison and has nothing to lose.
MLQ III,
I wonder why my last post is awaiting moderation when the earlier one came through instantly? Nothing libelous there?
Bencard,
your 7:17 pm comment was spin.
but your 12:25 am comment is already twisting facts
Maybe it’s the grammatical mistake? Ok:
And what will compel them is fear of the public. The fact that the Marcos are still with us, living large in fact should take away all doubt about an ever-forgiving public. I believe all this corruption we see now is rooted from our seeming forgiveness of Marcosian crimes. We like ganging up on cell phone snatchers, but there’s Macoy’s daughter still as public as ever and Imelda herself going about her usual way attracting attention when she can. Next in line is the oh-so famous grand son. Politicians are very smart people and have a keen sense of the public’s moods. They KNOW they can get away with. What they can’t get away with is being a hero. That they’ll never be. I’ll bet on it. Well, there’s Trillanes who’s already in prison and has nothing to lose.
Geo,
No offense taken because my comment was in answer to Bencard’s spin. I wanted him to explain why he thought the congressional races were victories for Gloria.
However, I cannot agree copletely with our statement : “What they do while in office is all that matters.” because it also matters how they got into office.
By the way, it’s Palace propaganda that the Senate did not pass any laws. Check the bills sent by the Lower House to the Senate, do a qualitative not a quantitative assessment of those bills and you will see that the Senate wasn’t remiss in its legislative duties. It was not even obstructionist as it passed even those laws pushed by Malacanan including the E-VAT, the anti-terror law and the 2007 budget.
The Senate also tried to fulfill its sacred constitutional duty of oversight and checks and balances but was frustrated by EO 464 and missing witnesses.
So of course “Enough BS. Demonstrate results which we can transparently and clearly see. Tangible results.” but let’s be clear about whom we hold responsible for the BS.
do we have to reduce our principles and beliefs to numbers and statistics. Does it matter if a leader is being believed by 90 percent of the people or conversely by 10 percent of the people.
opposing or defending GMA is a matter of principle. no matrix will be ever or must change that.
“Does it matter if a leader is being believed by 90 percent of the people or conversely by 10 percent of the people.”
Yes where else will a leader draw legitimacy but from the people?
so buencamino, everything that contradicts your world view is a “spin” or “bs”, and everything that’s inconsistent with your version of fact is a product of “twisting”? and i suppose you regard what comes out of your brain as unassailable truth – is that right? then why do you bother arguing? just sit and relax and wallow in your own delusions of perfection. then again, that would be like asking a cocaine user not to snort.
Geo,
The key, according to Federico Macaranas, are the oligarchs, whom Secretary Romulo Neri also blames for dragging down the Philippine economy. Sing it along with me, Geo … The key are the OLIGARHS. THEY – that’s the real problem.
What do you plan to do about this scourge of the country, Geo? What is GMA planning to do about it as a lame duck president?
mlq3, like a good sport, can you do something about my last 2 posts on the thread “Online Battles” which are “awaiting moderation”. i believe watchful eye is kinda anxious to see how i reacted to his also-delayed posting.
ooops, i mean “Online Struggles”, mlq3. thanks.
Geo: I’ll tell you what I know: investments of all sizes, types and colors are pouring in. This economy is about to explode. And yes, the benefits will significantly affect all.
From your lips to God’s ears. Especially the last sentence. A lot of people are still waiting for the ‘trickle.’
Satsat ni bencard: i’m here to discuss the real world, the real issues, real people, real facts and not abstractions, generalizations and, most of all, conjectures and self-serving speculations.
Sino niloloko mo bencard? Talagang mataas lumipad ang tuktuk mo.
This guy Leandro Aragoncillo who served 20 years with the Marines. There he was assigned to the office of the de-facto President of the U.S. I am perplexed that this guy who took an oath to defend and protect would destroy his career and his life to get points with Erap.
Principles and ideals are indeed rare in the Philippine context. What was he thinking! There he was already given a position of responsibility but he forgot that his oath made him accountable. It is not the issue of the value of the classified documents he stole. That trust given to him he broke. It appears for a few pieces of silver. What a shame. Lying, cheating by public officials are tolerated in this country by the people most often than not for economic expediency.
From the looks of the debate there is too much personalization of the problems here. It shows the cultural backwardness. Debates are supposed to be about ideas not personalities. There is no debate on the issue of the appearance of corruption between Erap and Big Mike/GMA tandem.
The reality is sad but accountabilities of public officials in this country is non-existent. The more advanced countries went through an orgy of violent forms of accountabilities. Public executions were the norm.
Intellectuals always talk of oligarchies but they forget the lessons of history. Nation states had to go through birth pangs.
The “consent of the governed” has been distorted and abused for so long in this country.
That I am sure scares Big Mike and GMA a lot as they have made sure the PSG is the best equipped and best fed unit in the military. That says a lot about this country.
maroon yatang pumasok na langaw dito na walang magawa kundi magkalat ng mikrobio, eto ang sa’yo…………….zap.
sorry, hrvds, hindi ‘yon para sa’yo. na singitan kasi eh.
For those who engage in speculation in the financial markets, it would be smart to remember that profiting from the irrational exhuberance of others is dangerous. Investing rationally is an individual exercise that requires expertise and a thorough continuing understanding of many interlocking factors. Case in point:
“In the U.S., the S&P 500 Index likewise climbed to a record 1,552 on Friday, surpassing levels reached during the Internet bubble. This came a day after the DJIA racked up its biggest one day point gain in more than four years.” Ignacio B. Gimenez Philequity Corner, Philippine Star, Monday July 16, 2007.
“The S&P 500, which is a much better measure than the Dow, breached the 1,550 mark in recent days, slightly higher than the peaks it reached in early 1999.—Think about what that means: While the price of nearly everything has risen, stocks have barely budged.”"Over the last seven years, they have only marginally outperformed cash sitting in a desk drawer. So if we are going to talk about a stock market record, we should be doing the same for a whole lot of other things.”
“I realize that this point can sound like statistical nitpicking, but it actually relates to something quite important. When you overlook inflation, you can start to think that every investment is a can’t-miss investment, because its value always seems to be going up. This mistake, combined with the enormous attention that society now devotes to the value of its investments, helps create the conditions for a bubble.” Record Stock Markets Lose Some Appeal When Inflation is Factored in By David Leonhardt, July 17, 2007 International Herald Tribune
Over a ten year span the Phisix Index of the PSE gained 36%. If one factors in inflation it is a no brainer.
The float of stocks in the PSE is very limited. If one were to strip the market cap of Manulife, SunLife and PLDT which are listed in major stock exchanges one would see the true picture of the size of the equity market in the Philippines.
This is not theory.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/17/business/view.php
leandro aragoncillo sentenced and will do the time.
Scooter libby sentenced and won’t do anytime.
Erap not sentenced is doing the time.
GMA not impeached is having a great time.
Marcos sent to exile died without a halo and a dime.
Bencard,
Don’t generalize. My comment about spin and twisting facts specifically mentioned you comments at 7:17 and 12:25.
Your comment at 2:26 shows that you can shift from spinner to twister to a child effortlessly.
Akala ko joke lang nang sinabi ng nag-text professor ko na si Lito Atienza ang bagong DENR secretary.
Maloloka naman ang Ninang ko na nagta trabaho sa DENR.
Wala na raw si Tol si Bulaklak naman ang pumalit.
Jowana
I agree with all the good words and praises given to Manolo and his blog. But i find his bitterness and nit picking of Gloria is really tooooo much and ineffective. And he has this thinking that the opposition is the holiest bunch of people that is the solution to our problems about Gloria. Its really unbelievable and unrealistic, becuase if you reallly look at the faces of the opposition senators, yes all of them, would even be worst than Gloria once any of them become pesident. I believe this is bringing his calibre as an opinion writer little lower and immature than the likes of De Quiros, Doronilla, Monsod, Esposo. Sometimes (not all the time)I even feel that Austero is better than him.
De Quiros with all his bitter criticism of Gloria still criticize the ineffectiveness of the opposition…
If only the writings of Manolo would result in new and non trapo faces in the Senate and Lower house and his progressive ideas, like run -off presidential election get implemented and would improve the economic situation of the country only then I would say that he is the most effective Filipino writer. What is all those great ideas and lesson of history if none of them is actually helping the country move forward even in small and snailly pace? (I have the same feeling on the writings of BenignO too,)
Or maybe its too early to judge Manolo’s
writings amyve I just have to wait…..
Meanwhile I have to go with Bencards ideas for now. its more practical, more realistic, and MORE EFFECTIVE!
and of course bencards comments and rebutalls, is full of good taste, livelier and more entertaining too!
thanks, buencamino, i needed that. i wish was a “child” again. but your one-liners are mostly generalizations and conclusions, aren’ they? i think you can be more articulate if you were not too lazy, or trying to be cute all the time.
bencard tuwing buksan mo yang bunganga mo nagdaratingan ang langaw! magmumug ka ng katotohanan at baka mapuno ng bulate ang butas diyan sa mukha mo!
Well, I’m not surprised that environmentalists are shocked over Atienza appointment to DENR.
He’s demolition job of some of Manila’s old buildings doesn’t exactly jibe with the job of upgrading the environment.
(Btw, Mlq3, thanks for the ‘plug’.)
Re: MILF given one week to surrender ambushers
I knew there was a hitch somewhere when Esperon declared immediately after the MILF beheaded the 10 Marines, “We must keep our cool; we must not jeopardize the peace talks with the MILF… yakatiyakyakyak…” Well, his crowning as Datu Tagawa was about to take place!
Here’s a story that’s going around in military camps:
Q: What does Esperon do to lose weight?
A: He runs away from the MILF.
Esperon’s law (akin to Murphy’s law):
There is no limit to how bad things can get.
I think Bossi’s release has got something to do with Gloria’s SONA.
Jove Francisco’s 18 July blog, “Rehearsed”, a day before the release of the priest, gives us an insight – Gloria’s body language; she was “giddy” according to Jove; in other words, I think she was giddy because she knew Bossi was about to be released, i.e., she had moved for a deal to be struck with the MILF for the release of Bossi, something she needs for her SONA.
to all i say “never attribute to malice which can be explained by stupidity.
This blog is really so upper/upper-middle class. Lotsa technocrats and beureaucrats here. Not so much a critique as an observation.
We get all worked up over the stock market and the strong peso and deficits etc –and with good reason– but mention that 53% of Filipino families consider themselves poor or that hunger levels remain at record-high 19% (the record-high incidence of household hunger of 19.0% was first set in November 2006, and hunger has been at double-digits since June 2004) and nobody seems to pay attention. Yep, because that sordid reality is really so distant from our lives. The economy about to explode and the benefits will significantly affect all? Haven’t we been hearing that for years? Hasn’t the “trickle-down policy” been discredited by now?
By the way, figures are at sws.org.ph
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=77925
The US stepped into that quagmire all on their own volition, let them get out of it on their own. In fact, not only did the US willingly opened that pandora’s box, but it did so with the ignorance that what its doing can either be contained or be smothered with too much propaganda. It spectacularly failed at both, and I’m more than happy to welcome its downfall.
As for this blog entry’s topic, De Quiros’ column “She Won’t Go” hit it right exactly on the head. And that announcement of running for congress instead of fading back into a public life shows you the frame of mind Gloria is in. After reaching the highest position in the land, this woman suddenly opines that she’s willing to settle for being a congressman?
And you might be interested in Monsod’s column for today abt a Tax Amnesty bill being quietly sneaked into a law. this will be a further blow to the govt’s efforts to lower its budget deficit.
all signs considered, its still very much important for those who can, to have their exit tickets ready at any moment’s notice, before the joke is sprung on us a year or two ahead than we expect it to be.
rego, you sound like a rubber plunger of industrial strength.
carry on, though, you are entitled to sucker up.
Bencard, I’d like to know if you think GMA is practicing good governance, the kind you find (for the most part) in your adopted country and the West in general. Is she stamping out corruption? Is she practicing accountability? Is she surrounding herself with the right kind of people? Is the government becoming more effective at delivering public service and making people feel secure?
Or is the only thing one can say for her is that she’s better than the opposition? Is the country moving forward because of her, or in spite of her?
As much as it offends my EDSA 2 sensibilities, I have to say that Erap did the right thing when he unleashed the military in Mindanao. They did their rightful job when they reclaimed those 40 MILF camps. Now is the time for GMA to show she’s a strong leader by showing these rebels who’s boss. But it seems that the military is now capable of waging war only on unarmed activists!
Nakakalungkot lang talaga. Nagkumahog ang buong sandatahang lakas para hanapin ang isang dayuhang pari, pero sarili nating kababayan, na anak di pa man ng isa sa mga itinuturing nating bayani, ay di man lang pinagaksayahan ng panahon — ni katiting na daliri walang iniangat ang pamahalaan na ito para sya’y hanapin.
Dito pa lamang ay makikita na natin ang ugali nating makadayuhan, at ang isip nating sakop pa rin ng mga estrangherong puti. Isinasalarawan nito ang ugaling Pilipinong magtago ng mga mamahaling gamit pambahay na nilalabas lamang kapag may bisitang dumarating, samantalang ang sariling mga kamag-anak, ay pinagtitiis sa mga luma at sira-sirang gamit.
Sige, ipagmayabang mo yan sa iyong SONA. Na nailigtas mo ang isang dayuhan, samantalang libo sa iyong mga kababayan ay pikit-mata mong pinababayaang mamatay.
Minsan dapat timbangin talaga natin kung may dapat tayong ikagalit sa isang tao o alamin natin kung minamalasado tayo o hindi.
Mayroong isang bata noong araw ganito ang ugali: Gusto nya laging nakakalamang at kung kailangang mandaya makuha lang ang gusto ay gagawin niya at pag inayawan at ginalit ng mga kalaro nya gagawin niya mag-iiyak iyakan, magpapaawa kunwari para matanggap muli. Pati sa kaaway kapag natatalo mag iiyak iyakan din pero pag nakalingat ang kalaban at nakakuha ng tiyempo manununtok sabay takbo.
Ang punto ko lang sana umiral sa atin ang pagiging marangal at pagpapahalaga sa dignidad at pagpapakita na pinahahalagahan natin ang pagiging parehas sa kapwa.
Mike,
I’ll grab the opportunity to answer your question if Ms Arroyo is practicing Good Governance, may not like the way in the West, but compares to the neighboring Asia’s Democracies, for example Malaysia, Vietnam (of all places),even the one party state of China, never mind Singapore (she’s already a First World), The answer is Negative.
One, Gloria is not Governing Alone. The Military is doing more than half of Governing, otherwise she could have gone long, long time ago.
There are many interest groups holding the strings and once they start pulling them strings, the puppet goes into action, not on her own but by operators behind the curtains.
And of course, family first…
The country economy maybe improving, but as ay naku noted where is the trickle down effect?
There is none, it is only Trickle Up Effect…
mike, as far as i can see, yes, to all your questions and the country is moving forward because of her leadership. I have explained my reasons for this belief in all the preceding threads that i participated in and i’m not about to repeat myself every time someone repeats the question.
i don’t know if this is covered by any rules in this blog but i thought since you specifically addressed the question to me, it is quite rude for someone to just butt in and “grab” the floor, so to speak, without so much as a superficial “excuse me”. i don’t know about canada, but we usually don’t do that here in the u.s. at any rate his “ansers” do not reflect my own views on the issues you raised and, i think, he was speaking for himself, albeit unsolicited.
erratum: should be “answers”.
Bencard, I always believe the blog is an open forum, and someone can answer question address to somebody “respectfully” and don’t need any permission from anyone except perhaps from the site owner. As we in our Parliament can do that as long as we address our Mr. Speaker respectfully. But if you compare the Canadians and Americans reputation around the world, I may say that American travelers sometimes don’t even want to show their colours. And also it shows on this blog…
To mike, sorry for buttin on your question, but i did say I’ll “grab” the Opportunity.
vic, suit yourself, but i don’t like being second-guessed by anyone with opposing world view. i’m not in the mood to debate which is better between u.s. and canada although i’m aware about the traditional ‘dislike’ by canadians towards americans – i really don’t know why. i know that the americans pay no mind to it one bit. i also know that many, if not most, filipinos in canada wants to stay and work in the u.s., if given the chance, but not vice versa.
Bencard,
Don’t worry, it’s not like this was a private conversation, even if I addressed the question directly to you.
Anyway, thank you for answering the question. I must say that while investments may be coming in now, my answers to my questions to you would have to be in the negative. GMA may be credited with certain things, like being a very savvy political player who has managed to maintain her hold on power, but in the areas of public accountability and good governance, her record is very poor. This is based on my own observation and my experiences with the institutions of government, corroborated by what is reported by media. Corruption has increased rather than decreased, and the resulting cost of doing business has increased as well. My guess is that, if we had a leader who was not so divisive and who made government truly accountable and responsive to the needs of the people, we would be seeing much greater economic gains than what we are having now.
Anyway, at least I’m clear now that, on these points, we shall have to agree to disagree. Thanks very much.
Bemcard, you are right on the point that many filipinos would rather work and stay in the u.s. if given the chance, and most have a better chance, like my sister and her husband who can’t practice their medical profession here and now both are practitioners in N.Y. It is not true that Canadians dislike the Americans, perhaps most Liberals do, but most Conservatives especially in Western Canada are closely identified with the U.S. than Canada. Quebecois for sure dislike Americans, just because of being French. But not me, my two youngest sisters are Americans and so my granddaughter. In reality I am outnumbered. And I’m even planning to retire in Northern California, very nice weather and a sister family down there..thanks and believe me i just love the u.s.a.
you’re welcome, mike. btw, i don’t expect any different answers from you to your own questions.
question for any one who cares to answer: do you have any comparative statistic as to the number of prosecution/conviction for corruption under all the presidents after marcos? i think this is the area to look at to determine whether gma is more effective at combatting corruption, not the number of unsubstantiated allegations.
A definition of “lame duck presidency”?
A “presidency [that]has been so preoccupied with political survival that it no longer performed the more important task of leading the nation toward progress and development,†and where “decision-making and resource management shifted from national issues to concerns of survival of the presidency, which included dealings with members of Congress for loyalties and alliances that will ensure the needed protection of the President.†– by Dr. Segundo Romero, who authored the Tan Report.
…
d: A letter folded into a paper airplane each thrown by Senate President Pimentel (letter from environmentalists) and Speaker of the House Garcia (letter from MayniLA informal settlers along da riles who were relocated only AFTER the election)
e: A tear-soaked letter from Mrs. Burgos
f: An epitaph-like letter from Musa (Dimasidsing)
“no gate pass for trillianes at sona”. PDI, 7/21/07.
good! detainees should be where they belong. in jail, until the court says otherwise.
I don’t get this debate.
GMA called an election official during the counting of votes.
That phone call alone is unethical. That alone is enough for her to step down.
In the private sector, if my company CEO did such a thing, I’d call for a resignation. Why should it be different for public officials?
It’s wrong to absolve her just because the economic indicators appear to be rosy. She’s plainly corrupt. Period.
So if even if we say 50% of Filipinos love her, I in all humility ask “Are they frigging blind and deaf?”
It’s very simple. We should take one step at a time by making sure all public officials are held to account.
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