Deposing a Speaker

DSC00034Update 2:17 pm: House showdown deferred. Talk is rife, however, that it might push through anyway, but without media coverage. Rep. Matias Defensor says the ruling coalition prefers a secret caucus in committee rooms, where congressmen will indicate where they stand should there be a division of the House; and that when the winner is known, they will then return to the Session Hall to formalize their choice, without having to engage in debate.

Quite a high-wire act. Until this morning, the deposing of the Speaker had an aura of inevitability not to mention, invincibility. A delay of 24 hours can give the de Venecia camp a second wind. Conversely, it can give the Palace more time to consolidate its forces. Defensor says, though, that their objective is to settle the leadership question by tomorrow at the latest. The primary consideration (see below) might actually be: can JDV muster the eighty-odd votes required, not to save his position, but to transmit the impeachment complaint to the Senate?

Sergio Apostol says the Palace is dangling appointment as ambassador to Washington or Secretary of Foreign Affairs to de Venecia (confirming previous scuttlebutt).

Rufus Rodriguez says if Nograles has the votes, they’ll join the bandwagon.

***

Over the weekend, there was posturing a-plenty: De Venecia, Nograles camps both say they have the votes. The best the Speaker could do was along the lines of JDV says he’s receiving many offers to join opposition.

He reportedly consulted former President Estrada who summoned an opposition meeting Sunday lunchtime. But that was worth a handful of votes at best. On the other hand, the leading Palace candidate for the speakership, Rep. Nograles, didn’t bother to show up at the Lakas leaders’ Palace golf-game.

Prior to that, he’d telegraphed that the Liberal Party and a big chunk of congressional neophytes had signed on to topple de Venecia.

The President, for her part, played alternately coy and helpless: Arroyo won’t stop sons on JDV ouster.

In its Sunday editorial, The son also rises, the Inquirer said that the apparent rebelliousness of the President’s sons was all an act.

Besides what the editorial pointed out, Mon Casiple in his blog entry Between two families traces the sore spots between the Speaker and the President:

The two protagonists–President Macapagal-Arroyo and JDV–have been dueling through proxies for some months now since the president broke her promise to step down in one year’s time from July 2005. The current stage started when the ZTE scandal broke out last year, involving JDV’s own son, Joey de Venecia. In December 2006, JDV was nearly unseated when his co-savior, Fidel Ramos, insisted on the supposed agreement in July 2005. He did a judo trick, going along with the Malacañang charter change agenda. In the process, FVR got elbowed out and was humiliated at the Lakas coalition showdown. However, the president’s men did not forget JDV’s “unreliability” and ambition for the top post. Their discontent fed into KAMPI’s own simmering grievance over its being sidelined for a long, long time from the speakership post, despite it being acknowledged as the president’s own party. Over time, the presidential (and JDV’s) argument for maintaining the rainbow coalition got fewer and fewer audience among them. Things got into a head in the last 2007 elections. The JDV camp found itself fighting for survival–not for speakership–but even for membership in the House. JDV got into a real fight with Dagupan mayor Benjie Lim for the Pangasinan’s 4th congressional seat. It was bruited later that the principal backers behind Lim included the First Gentleman and KAMPI. JDV won the fight (with FVR support) and later defended his speakership by invoking the continuity of the limping coalition. However, by that time, the trust between the coalition partners had all but disappeared. Malacañang concentrated in its hand all the pork barrel (and IRA) disbursements.

Back to Casiple: he ended his piece by saying further developments would be suggested by the results of the Palace golf game yesterday morning.

But as it turned out, Arroyo snubs Lakas golf game (this morning’s Inquirer editorial objects to the choice of gold, and the choices the various groups such as the Liberals have made, to go along with the Palace-led ouster of de Venecia). However, one source, quoting a conversation with Dato Arroyo on Saturday, said of the so-called snub,

ala raw golf chuchu much les wid tabalko talaga sa sked ng nanay nya. Napapirma raw nya rachel arenas ysday. 140 na but targeting 20 to 40 more.

And so, instead of a Sunday meeting, the Speaker was told he should go to the Palace on Monday, either at 10 or 11 am. That gave the Palace time to round up the “20 or 40 more,” which refers to pledges to vote against the Speaker (see Pals, foes switch to battle mode as JDV fate hangs). The Monday meeting, held at the Palace Park, was expected to take all morning.

Casiple also said that the escalating fight between de Venecia and Arroyo carries with it the risk of tearing apart the ruling coalition. This is something I tackle in my column, Aliens versus Predators.

News like this –Eastern Samar Gov. Evardone quits Lakas party– is a sign of things to come:

“I can better serve my constituents if I join other political parties … I want to join a political party that I think is close to President Arroyo’s heart,” explained Evardone, who is spokesperson for the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, a group of local government executives. “Where the President is, I will be there,” he said.

Lakas has to consider if it will keep an increasingly decorative speakership.

As for de Venecia himself, Conrado de Quiros zeroes in on the problem: those still loyal to the President view him as disloyal and dangerous; those opposed to the administration can’t forgive him for killing two impeachments and giving the President a new lease on political life in 2005. An interesting tactical point comes from Joel Rocamora, as quoted in UNTV: impeachment might suddenly get a new lease on life.

The Speaker made a choice in July 2005, gambling on achieving parliamentary government by giving the President a chance to survive. FVR gambled on the same thing. The President eliminated FVR as a power in Lakas and then proceeded to cultivate the Speaker to kill impeachment efforts. The President rewarded them by using the resources of her office to try to kill Lakas. When the Speaker’s son decided to spill the beans later rather than sooner, the Speaker agonized over it and tried to save himself even if it meant he had to distance himself from the son who was trying to do the right thing, for whatever reason.

Leadership requires numbers but it also requires showing true grit; this is how politicians become statesmen. The Speaker has had repeated opportunities to finally choose the path of statesmanship but chose the low road each and every time. The simple lesson here is that if anyone is going to be held accountable for anything, it’s not the President or her family; it will be allies who, once they show some independence of mind, will be crushed.

In the blogosphere, The Lonely Vampire Chronicles compiles relevant headlines; smoke has a bone to pick with the opposition concerning the speakership fight; and Uniffors advises congressmen to take the money -and squeal. The Equalizer points to Rep. Mikey Arroyo saying it’s all about ZTE. Brain Cell Exercises puts it well:

This recent skirmish in the House of Representatives only goes to show several things: first, that when blood relatives squeal on Malacañang, one should be ready for the death of his/her political dynasty. Second, that there are no permanent allies in politics — only permanent interests. I believe that Nograles and his allies do have the numbers to finally topple JDV. But considering this man’s trapo nature, it’s just going to be another case of one set of rascals being replaced by another set of rascals. Let’s just see how much of a Malacañang lapdog he’s going to be. If the issue on charter change gets revived for the nth time in the House of Representatives under Nograles’ term as Speaker, then my theory is proven: that Nograles has been bestowed with the all-mighty Malacañang shield of power.

Pinoy x-sa KSA points out,

If you are a father, you know very well that you cannot control your sons and daughters. If you are a son or daughter, you know you cannot be controlled, 100%, at all, by your parents. For me, it was important that JDV III exposed the NBN deal.

Agree!

And Ricelander’s Blog reflects on unbridgeable opinions.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

200 thoughts on “Deposing a Speaker

  1. Alas ka Dora,

    Sugbuanon diay ka? pagbantay baya diha. Dunay usa ka tiguwang dire nga kusog kaayo mosupak sa mga kontra ni pandak. Mura ra ba siyag korek, wa may unod ang ginasulti sa kagwang.

    (Trans. to English: Are you Cebuano? Beware, Alas ka Dora! Watch your words, you might step on someone’s toes.)

  2. tess, as i said, doctors have been immigrating to the u.s. since when they were first allowed to do so. filipinos have been trying to live and work abroad since the time of quezon and through all the administrations after his. gma has nothing to do with your decision to leave. it’s not fair to blame her for that. she didn’t compel you nor “allowed” you to exercise your right to go wherever you want.

  3. hawaiianguy,

    nahibalo ko na naa dire supsup kaayo kay pandak, and i’d like to step not just on their toes but on their heads.

  4. bencard,

    if you ask the people who left the country in the last 5 years why they left, i bet, that one of the reasons they’ll give you is gloria or her goverment… sad, but true.

  5. ang nakikita ko lang no. 1 benefit of immigrating is being a pensiyonado at libreng health care, from retirement age onwards.

    That maybe true in some countries that health care benefits starts from retirements onwards, but in some like Great Britain, Canada and other commonwealth countries, Health benefits start the day you are born..it just varies on a little before retirement, like medications for maintenance are not covered for those who are gainfully employed, but more than covered by extended health care by employers, buy for those without means still covered by government drug plans..Education is publicly funded.

    But I agree that there are a lot of immigrants that are not quite successful in their careers and just hoping that their Children educated in the system will have a different future than them and been here for more than 3 decades now and Im seeing the good results…

  6. tess, met a lot of new immigrants, young and mostly professionals, since the country had recently open its doors to independent family migrants with the quota of around 10,000 for the Philippines annually, there is a 4 to 5 years waiting list, some on top of their career successes that and mainly the reasons of their move is the uncertainties of the future, the dwindling resources, and the Poor Public services for their taxes..and of course the adventure for a new experience..few regretted the move, especially if they can’t find the job expected, but somehow too late to go back for to start all over again is even worse…

    For the difference of Governance, that is just an Afterthought, and quite a few can not believe How Bad the country’s Politics as soon as they experience how it is in the Progressive and Mature North..while they were still there, most think was just normal..for they too were part of it…

  7. From The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

    Murphy’s Law is at work in the case of radio commentator Alex Adonis. Penniless and abandoned by his lawyer and employer, the former Bombo Radyo broadcaster is now languishing in jail for libel.

    Adonis was convicted of libel for reporting that Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles (now Speaker)ran naked in a hotel in Manila after the woman’s husband allegedly caught them in bed in July 2001. The story was broadcast by Bombo Radyo in General Santos City.

    The Manila-based tabloid Abante Tonite picked up the reported incident, which became known as the “Burlesk King” scandal.

    Nograles denied the incident. Aside from Adonis, he also sued Dan Vicente, Bombo Radyo station manager, and Abante Tonite for libel.

    Adonis, who has been in media for 18 years, was a hard-hitting political commentator. He was reported to have “lambasted on air drug lords and members of crime syndicates, government offi-cials, and erring policemen.”

  8. tess,

    “like you said, purely speculation and you speculated wrong.”

    but that doesn’t mean you’re not speculating as well

    in short – we’re both wrong!

  9. DevilsAdvc8,

    “scalia, kahit dumoble kayod ka man don, at least nakikita mong may binubunga ang kinakayod mo. nakakapagpundar ka, secure ka, at higit sa lahat, may laban ka sa mata ng batas! na umabot man sa punto na maghanap ka ng hustisya, may fighting chance ka! dito, meron ba?”

    sorry my friend, pero modesty aside i’m just one of many living examples na di na kailangang lumabas ng bansa para maka-achieve ng some level of asenso. not filthy rich, but a relatively comfortable life.

    “equality hindi dolyar ang hanap nila. namin. ako!”

    nakapagtataka. kaming mga nabiyayaan ng Dakilang Lumikha dito, nakamit na yang equality na sinasabi mo

    “mag aplay ka dito ng trabaho anong hahanapin sayo? papel muna bago kwalipikasyon. kuneksyon bago kakayahan. dito, kahit magaling ka, kung wala kang kapit, wala!”

    di nga maganda yang ganyang practice. pero mali naman yata na sabihing yan ang norm

    “doon pinag-aagawan ang mga magagaling! di pa ba kayo nagtataka kung bakit may mga OFW na sa ibang bansa lang umuunlad?”

    nagtataka rin. kaming mga nagtitiis dito, umuunlad din! marami pa ring magagaling dito!

    “di lang pensyon at healthcare ang habol ng immigrants. peace of mind. na alam nila mag retiro man sila makalawa at bukas, may maasahan sila. na maliit na tao man sila, kapag nagdemanda o nag file ng suit, may laban.”

    sorry kaibigan, pero may peace of mind kaming mga naiwan dito.

    as to lawsuits – iho, trust me, may laban din dito. and sorry to say, pero kindly ask bencard to confirm your speculation (on the lawsuits)

    “dito kumusta nman ang SSS at GSIS pensioners? si Garcia lang yata at kung sinong hudas ang nasa SSS ngayon ang yumayaman. yan! yan ang ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do to your country! and what they can do to their country is rob it blind!”

    huli ka! o see? perceived na mas maganda ang pension abroad kaysa SSS and GSIS! kaya nag-abroad na.

    tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk yan ganyang mga attitude ang mga walang malasakit sa bayan!

    kaya mayaman ang US at Canada ngayon ay dahil may mga naunang henerasyon na nagsakripisyo.

    “peace of mind na bukas makalawa, walang magre raid sa bahay nila at manghu-hulidap. na mag drive sila sa lansangan, walang titigil at kokotong sa kanila. peace of mind, na ang mga pulis na naatasang magbantay sa kanilang seguridad ay talagang magbabantay dito, at hindi ang syang unang mangugulo dito!”

    eh ano ngayon? yan ang basehan mo sa pag-migrate!!???!!! napakababaw! para namang nararanasan yan ng bawat isa sa 90 million Pinoys

    subukan mo ngang tumira ng napakatagal sa mga inner cities sa states. mag immerse ka doon.

    subukan mo ring mag-drive ng kotse sa Manhattan during rush hour

    “security hindi pera! katuparan ng pangarap hindi pagtuturista!”

    iho, we feel and are secure here. wala naman kami sa Basilan

    “sa ibang bansa, posible lahat ng gustuhin mo! dito, sobra pa ang kayod at determinasyon, hanggang kahig tuka lang ang hahalikan mo!”

    tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk easy way out ka lang. maraming umaasenso dito, di na kailangang umalis.

    “doon, oo, sobra kayod at triple pa ang determinasyon ang kelangan mo, pero at least, may bunga! may bunga!”

    sorry my friend, maraming living examples to rebut yang napakasweeping assertion mo.

    “masdan mo ang ama ko, buong buhay nya andito. capped premium sa SSS at isa pang private life insurance. pero asan ngayon? di makapagretiro at tinakasan na ng private insurance at walang maasahan sa SSS! ayan, nasa mindanao at kumakayod pa rin!”

    sorry to say, pero ama mo yan. yan ang situwasyon mo. wag mong idamay ang situwasyon ng iba.

    “oo, gayahin natin ang kapitbahay mong yumaman sa pangungurakot at pag-una sa bayan. oo, inunahan nila ang bayan. sa gulang!”

    iho, mahiya ka naman sa sinasabi mo. maraming umaasenso dito ng dahil sa sariling sikap at marangal na paraan.

    saka aminin mo na – naghahanap ka lang ng rational justification to confirm your desire to migrate

  10. hawaiianguy,

    “Pero galit din yata si Anthony sa OFW, eh.”

    no.

    nabasa mo yung post nya right? typical Pinoy na atat na atat mag-migrate

    gloria is just a mere confirmation of the deeply ingrained desire and decision to migrate

  11. hawaiianguy,

    “Another way of naturalizing migratory behavior, which is not backed up social facts. I heard this many times before. Did it occur to you that, within the Philippines, the Ilokanos are one among those who have migrated en masse? (Others include the Cebuanos, Siquijornons, etc.) If you examine their historical and cultural circumstances, migrating elsewhere is not ingrained (natural) in their psyche, nor an emotional impulse that comes out of the blue. Declining resources, esp. land (due to rapid population growth), is what have driven thousands of Ilokanos to leave their villages. Plus the fact they have established social networks (friends and relatives) in their places of destination, which leads others to follow suit”

    not backed up by data because no one has attempted to quantify that (underlying reason to migrate).

    i differentiated the underlying reasons and the confirmatory reason. declining resources et al confirmed the decision to migrate

    saka contrary to what you said, its ingrained in their minds to migrate. at first, the target of migration is just Manila

    “Just to give you one example, Filipinos in Hawaii are dominated by Ilokanos (about 85% according to some informed estimates) since they started coming in 1906. USA’s liberalized immigration policy in 1965 also hastened it.”

    no problem with 1906. at that time its more than easy for the ‘little brown americans’ to join their ‘benevolent big white american brothers’ in the mainland.

    no problem also with what happened 1965-onwards. there’s no measurement of the underlying reasons they migrated!

    “Agree! Gloria’s policy for the OFW confirms the desire to migrate, but it makes it easier for them (Ilokanos and non-Ilokanos alike) now to leave. That policy lends itself to the making of a mega-social network that draws Pinoys out of RP and unnecessarily contributes to the diaspora.”

    no sir. the perception that the country is hopeless under gloria confirms the decision to migrate! my friend, no OFW or only a few OFWs are aware of ‘gloria’s policy for OFWs’

    “Right decision? For the individual, yes. For the nation? that’s debatable. But it’s more like the nation is killing itself, slowly…. for the glitter of dollars and short-run hedonism.”

    colonial mentality contributed to that. it gave the lens that give glitter to ‘dollars and short-run hedonism’

  12. tess,

    “(When you see your kamag-anak graduating from college because of your hard earned dollar, you don’t call that failure.)”

    oh yes thats not a failure! the kamag-anak remained here!

    im assuming that the kamag-anak did not suffer from the physical absence and guidance of the immigrant

    baka naman isisisi pa kay gloria ang madaming anak/dependents

    “(true- instead na ibili ng plane ticket, ipapadala na lang sa Pilipinas.)”

    bakit ayaw pa rin umuwi?

    “(sa isang Pilipino na nagtatrabaho abroad ilan sa tingin mo ang pinag-aaral nya?)”

    mare, alam mo ba kung bakit able sya mag-paaral ng more than one? dahil di na nya concern ang health coverage!

  13. “GMA is truly determined to achieve her vision for the country, and she will do whatever means necessary to realize that goal, and that is admirable. realpolitik at its finest.– Liam Tinio

    her vision for the country running backwards for 8 years, and now to be fast-forwarded in 2 years, heheh.

  14. anthony scalia, you have have refuted everything that’s been said by me, devils and hawaiianguy punto per punto. i’m not going to argue with you because i think we are not going anywhere with that. but, with what you have written allow me to profile you.

    1. you’re are rich, not filthy rich YET, but definitely not middle class. me marangal kang trabaho, maybe the boss of your own company?

    2. you have equality and peace of mind, you’re rich.

    3. you have been to New York or likes to read travel magazines. i’ll go with the former.

    4. you can buy the best lawyer money can buy, you’re rich.

    5. you don’t live in basilan, somewhere in manila perhaps? alabang? sta rosa? in one of those posh villages?

    6. you have an insurance better than SSS and GSIS… you’re rich.

    7. you have a beef with kamag-anak being left behind… who left you behind at di na umuwi?

  15. tess, blaming gma for your decision to migrate is like blaming your parents for not being wealthy enough so you don’t have to work hard.

    hawaiianguy, the ofw services set up by the government are for the benefit of ofw’s who are working, or seeking to work, abroad. it’s mostly for their protection from rapacious recruiters and foreign employers, and to monitor their safety in the foreign location. this is part of government’s responsibility to its citizens. i don’t think they are established for the purpose of “encouraging” migration. would you rather have the government just leave these ofw’s to their own devices in an alien place?

  16. who was that actress with whom Nograles had an affair? i heard she’s the wife of Nograles’ campaign manager? hmmm who could that be?

    anyway, i don’t like Nograles, another gloria’s pet. damn! can they just all burn in hell??? so that all of Filipinos can finally be a happy nation. what a peaceful country this will be if all those corrupt jerks perish?!

    (hope this happen anytime soon)
    (hope gloria arroyo be ousted anytime soon)
    (hope the arroyo brothers (in the guise of congressmen) vanish in the dark)
    (hope gloria’s husband go with them)

  17. Bencard: “i don’t think they are established for the purpose of “encouraging” migration. would you rather have the government just leave these ofw’s to their own devices in an alien place?”

    You’re right. There’s nothing in the policy that says “encouragement,” “let’s go OFW,” etc. That’s the “fine print” (“latent function” of messages) embedded in such policy, or symbolized by POEA, CFO, etc. – which people SEE or READ.

    Agree, it’s better if OFWs are guided rather than left to their own devices. But have you ever entered any of those offices and inquired how they do it?

    Btw, even former SC Justice Artemio Panganiban wrote a biting piece on OFW, when he himself experienced how a govt office shabbily treated his OFW daughter.

    If that can happen to a known, ranking official of the land, how much more for the ordinary OFWs? he lamented.

    I think you should also check who are those rapacious recruiters. Some of them are ranking govt officials themselves, Mike Defensor will tell you more about it.

    Also, pls try checking what happens to the OWWA funds, esp. during the Lebanon crisis.

  18. tess,

    “you have have refuted everything that’s been said by me, devils and hawaiianguy punto per punto.”

    thank you

    “i’m not going to argue with you because i think we are not going anywhere with that.”

    agreed.

    “but, with what you have written allow me to profile you”

    be my guest

    “1. you’re are rich, not filthy rich YET, but definitely not middle class. me marangal kang trabaho, maybe the boss of your own company?”

    at best, only upper middle class. by the grace of God

    its only a small company, < 10 employees, with modest income

    “2. you have equality and peace of mind, you’re rich.”

    im not rich. equality and peace of mind are internal features, meaning, i don’t let external forces get in the way of having ‘equality and peace of mind’.

    “3. you have been to New York or likes to read travel magazines. i’ll go with the former”

    no, the farthest I’ve gone to outside Asia is Sweden. i just happen to know some New York City residents

    “4. you can buy the best lawyer money can buy, you’re rich.”

    magagalit si bencard sa yo. lawyers aren’t ‘bought’ they’re hired

    no, i don’t have the means to hire P4,000-an-hour lawyers

    “5. you don’t live in basilan, somewhere in manila perhaps? alabang? sta rosa? in one of those posh villages?”

    somewhere in Rizal, in a middle class subdivision

    “6. you have an insurance better than SSS and GSIS… you’re rich.”

    im not rich. by the grace of God, i was able to get coverage ‘better than SSS’

    “7. you have a beef with kamag-anak being left behind… who left you behind at di na umuwi?’

    ah no, i don’t have a beef with those ‘left behind’

    baka you are referring to a TNT na talagang di na makauwi

    sa awa ng Diyos wala akong kapamilya/kapuso na nag-migrate sa abroad na i have to depend on. yung mga kamag-anak kong OFWs became as such more for professional than economic reasons – na-assign ng company, nag-work sa Silicon Valley, nag-work sa Wall Street, nabigyan ng upper management position, etc.

    let me be clear from the onset – ibahin natin ang OFW sa nag-migrate. at least yung OFW, may intention pang bumalik at remain a Pinoy.

  19. let me be clear from the onset – ibahin natin ang OFW sa nag-migrate. at least yung OFW, may intention pang bumalik at remain a Pinoy.

    bilang isang dating OFW na natuluyang nag ‘migrate’, sa tingin ko walang pagkakaiba. actually ang first gen immigrants, ang feeling palaging pauwi ng pinas. kaya ayun, pag nagbabakasyon, sa pinas palagi ang bagsak. sa tingin ko, ang mga nag-migrate ay OFWs na mahahaba ang contracts. sila nga lang ang mag didisisyon kung kailan matatapos. ang drawback dito, the 2nd gen for sure will not be a pinoy anymore.

  20. i stand corrected, you don’t buy lawyers you hire them. i hope no one in my family read about that, i’m related to one, and no he’s not P4000/hr.

    when in NYC you have to rely on your legs and the subway to get from point A to point B.

    you mis-understood #7, read it again.

    i need to read more books on profiling or watch more ncis perhaps, but you have to admit i was not bad at all.

  21. tess,

    “when in NYC you have to rely on your legs and the subway to get from point A to point B”

    so as far as commuting/travelling is concerned, ano ang pinagkaiba ng NYC sa Metro Manila? efficient ang transpo system? what i was referring to is travel by car, not going from A to B in general

    “you mis-understood #7, read it again.”

    no i didnt. you misunderstood my answer. read my response to your no. 7 again, please

    “i need to read more books on profiling or watch more ncis perhaps, but you have to admit i was not bad at all”

    if it will make you feel good, oh sige – you were not bad at all

  22. “sorry my friend, pero modesty aside i’m just one of many living examples na di na kailangang lumabas ng bansa para maka-achieve ng some level of asenso. not filthy rich, but a relatively comfortable life.”

    my family live with our heads above water too, if that’s what you mean. if you’re just one of many who doesn’t need to go abroad to succeed, then congratulations. but that still doesn’t take away the fact, that much more than your “many,” majority of pinoys don’t feel that way. bec if what you say is true, then we won’t have the millions leaving now, will we? so your “one of many” is actually a minority.

    “nakapagtataka. kaming mga nabiyayaan ng Dakilang Lumikha dito, nakamit na yang equality na sinasabi mo”

    nakapagtataka, kaming mga pinagkaitan ng Poong Maykapal, di makamit yang equality tinatamasa nyong mga biniyayaan ng Dakilang Lumikha. naknamputsa, baka magkaiba dyos natin!

    “di nga maganda yang ganyang practice. pero mali naman yata na sabihing yan ang norm”

    mali mang sabihin, at masama mang pakinggan, pero yan pa rin ang katotohanan. iyan ang NORM. ang meritocracy ang exception. maglibot ka sa lahat ng opisina, pribado man at publiko at kausapin mo ang mga empleyado, o mas mabuti pa, mga HR personnel ang tanungin mo, sila ang makapag papatunay sayo nito.

    “nagtataka rin. kaming mga nagtitiis dito, umuunlad din! marami pa ring magagaling dito!”

    kayong mga nagtitiis? akala ko ba you’re living a “relatively comfortable life?” ba’t bigla kang nagtiis? okay, uumunlad rin. pero di mo pa rin maipagkakaila, minority kayo. at karamihan (ok, di ko nilalahat) umuunlad sa pangungurakot. meron sigurong mga katulad mo, kumikita sa maayos na paaran, pero majority pa rin sa minority nyong grupo, ay umasenso sa korapsyon. pero agree ako, marami talagang magagaling dito. yung nga lang, karamihan nabubulok at di nabibigyan ng tsansang maipakita ang tunay nilang galing. nauungusan kasi ng magugulang. papano, magugulang rin ang namumuno ng bansa.

    “sorry kaibigan, pero may peace of mind kaming mga naiwan dito.”

    buti pa kayo. kumusta naman kaya yung ibang di kasing “unlad” mo?

    “as to lawsuits – iho, trust me, may laban din dito. and sorry to say, pero kindly ask bencard to confirm your speculation (on the lawsuits)”

    may laban talaga – yung mayayaman at may koneksyon. pumunta ka nga sa ibaba at nang malaman mo ang kalakaran. magpaka pobre ka, makisalamuha ka sa masa, better yet, mag volunteer ka sa PAO, baka matauhan ka na ang hustisyang tini-take for granted mo, di makamit-kamit ng iba. at oo, patotohanan yan ni bencard, na sa ‘tate, walang mayaman at mahirap sa mata ng batas (at least most of the time)

    “huli ka! o see? perceived na mas maganda ang pension abroad kaysa SSS and GSIS! kaya nag-abroad na.”

    huh? perceived? di lang perceived, proven to be true. pero as i said, kahit wala yan, dun lang sa posibilidad ng katuparan ng mga pangarap – yun lang, mag aabroad na ako.

    “tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk yan ganyang mga attitude ang mga walang malasakit sa bayan!”

    kaya pala ang sangkatutak nating mga pulitiko, andito kasi may malasakit sila sa bayan. now i get it.

    “kaya mayaman ang US at Canada ngayon ay dahil may mga naunang henerasyon na nagsakripisyo.”

    hello? kaya mayaman ang US at Canada ngayon dahil yung mga pinagsakripisyohan ng mga naunang henerasyon ay hindi winaldas ng gobyerno nila. nagsakripisyo rin ang nauna nating henerasyon, winaldas lang nga ng mga nagdaang administrasyon.

    “eh ano ngayon? yan ang basehan mo sa pag-migrate!!???!!! napakababaw! para namang nararanasan yan ng bawat isa sa 90 million Pinoys”

    mababaw ba? so 89.999 million lang ang nakakaranas nyan. swerte mo naman at pinagpala ka talaga.

    “subukan mo ngang tumira ng napakatagal sa mga inner cities sa states. mag immerse ka doon. subukan mo ring mag-drive ng kotse sa Manhattan during rush hour”

    wag kang mag-alala. susubukan ko yan.

    “sorry my friend, maraming living examples to rebut yang napakasweeping assertion mo.”

    mas sorry ako sayo, pero mas maraming DEAD examples para di lang i-rebut, kundi patalsikin sa kalawakan ang rebuttal mo.

    “sorry to say, pero ama mo yan. yan ang situwasyon mo. wag mong idamay ang situwasyon ng iba.”

    nagbibigay ako ng concrete example. at di ko man idamay, ganyan din ang sitwasyon ng nakakararaming pinoy. sinasabi ko nga, who you? at the upper 10% of the population?

    “iho, mahiya ka naman sa sinasabi mo. maraming umaasenso dito ng dahil sa sariling sikap at marangal na paraan.”

    pakilala mo ko ha. tapos pakilala rin kita sa kilala kong umasenso sa kabaligtarang paraan. pero turo ko lang sayo ha. di ko kasi sila personally kakilala. paramihan tayo.

    “saka aminin mo na – naghahanap ka lang ng rational justification to confirm your desire to migrate”

    naghahanap? di ko na kailanganga hanapin. it’s staring me right in the face! rational justification? tanga lang ang magdedesisyon ng walang rational justification.

    i weighed my pros and cons, and i made my decision. nauna ang rationalizing, bago pumasok ang desire.

    sige, gudlak sa pagretiro mo dito into a “comfortable life.”

  23. anthony scalia,

    “if it will make you feel good, oh sige – you were not bad at all”

    coming from someone who argued about everything, i’ll take that as a complement. i don’t believe for one minute that you will let me get away with something unless you really think so…ciao.

  24. Anthony Scalia,

    Kaya pala, I envy you for being in the top 10% of the social pyramid. Now, I can see your perspective of people who migrate, OFWs included. You are very lucky, my friend.

    Have you ever imagined, better yet lived with those at the bottom 30%? And saw how they conduct their lives? You’re indeed lucky.

    Devils, “mali mang sabihin, at masama mang pakinggan, pero yan pa rin ang katotohanan. iyan ang NORM. ang meritocracy ang exception.”

    I see that happening in many places I’ve visited outside of Manila. New teachers can’t be hired, despite their civil service eligibility, because someone is “better connected” or has already pledged his yet-to-be-collected 3 months salary. So, tiis muna sila as “substitute” or “casual.” Visit some provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao, that’s a glaring practice.

    That’s one of the “push” factors of migration I mentioned earlier.

  25. Murphy’s Law is at work in the case of radio commentator Alex Adonis. Penniless and abandoned by his lawyer and employer, the former Bombo Radyo broadcaster is now languishing in jail for libel.

    Adonis was convicted of libel for reporting that Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles (now Speaker)ran naked in a hotel in Manila after the woman’s husband allegedly caught them in bed in July 2001. The story was broadcast by Bombo Radyo in General Santos City.

    kawawa naman, penniless and abandoned. so what’s his colleagues doing about his case? those defenders of press freedom, where are they now? bakit hindi man lang matulungan yung kasamahan nila na nagdurusa sa loob ng kulungan? ang nagpakulong ay aso pa naman ni gloria arroyo. bakit pinabayaan at ni hindi man lang ata binibigyang pansin ng mga malalaking tv stations at mga diyaryo? eto ba ay sa dahilang hindi kilala at hindi taga maynila yung nabanggit na miyembro ng media? o dahil miyembro din ng media ang isang involve? palakasan din pala?

  26. tess,

    “coming from someone who argued about everything, i’ll take that as a complement. i don’t believe for one minute that you will let me get away with something unless you really think so…ciao.”

    kaya nga yun ang sinulat ko. as much as possible, hanggang makakaya ko, i won’t get in the way of someone else’s own joy.

    hey, i sincerely appreciate people

  27. hawaiianguy,

    “Kaya pala, I envy you for being in the top 10% of the social pyramid. Now, I can see your perspective of people who migrate, OFWs included. You are very lucky, my friend.

    Have you ever imagined, better yet lived with those at the bottom 30%? And saw how they conduct their lives? You’re indeed lucky.”

    envy me? for being in the top 10%? social pyramid? lucky? perspective on people who migrate/become OFWs? not knowing how to live like the bottom 30%?

    im truly disappointed. even though its in written form i can sense its tenor. how could you describe me as such? insinuating that im matapobre?

    mas mayaman ka pa sa amin! you’re in the US, earning precious dollars, x 40! your net worth is a lot bigger than mine! compared to you, im in the bottom 30% of the ‘social pyramid’

    what if i tell you i was born to a family belonging to that bottom 30%? (i am)

    thanks to our parents, and by my hard work, by the grace of God, i got out of that bottom 30%. without ever being an OFW, without migrating

    why? what did i sat against OFWs/migrants that made you write that way?

    my point has always been one need not leave the country, either as an OFW or as an immigrant, to reach a level of economic well-being. in my own modest way i want to change the propensity of the Pinoy to believe that the grass is always greener outside the country.

    tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk

    “I see that happening in many places I’ve visited outside of Manila. New teachers can’t be hired, despite their civil service eligibility, because someone is “better connected” or has already pledged his yet-to-be-collected 3 months salary. So, tiis muna sila as “substitute” or “casual.” Visit some provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao, that’s a glaring practice”

    that doesnt mean thats the norm. ‘glaring practice’? ang hirap sa ganyang observation, parang SWS or Pulse Asia survey – tiny sample lang, representative kaagad ng buong bansa!

    pero thats enough to confirm the emotional decision to migrate, kaya okay lang

  28. “that doesnt mean thats the norm. ‘glaring practice’? ang hirap sa ganyang observation, parang SWS or Pulse Asia survey – tiny sample lang, representative kaagad ng buong bansa! — anthony s.

    Sorry, anthony, your projection gives me the impression you are part of this gov’t. talaga, but I know I’m wrong again, so please pardon me again. Last na to-its, pare ko, hehehe.

  29. Anthony:

    “im truly disappointed. even though its in written form i can sense its tenor. how could you describe me as such? insinuating that im matapobre?”

    Sorry to contradict you, I never insinuated that you are – far from it. Pls. re-read my post and others previous to it. I respect you and hold you in high ground, believe me.

    As to your being rich, you said so to Tess, didn’t you?

    “tiny sample lang?”

    Tiny sample ba ang millions of people living in those places? It’s not yet a norm by national standard, but it is a very significant part of it. Just one important region, read what’s happening to DepEd ARMM (5 provinces in Mindanao). Do you know how many thousand teachers work there, who complain about this glaring practice? And you call that TINY?

    “why? what did i sat [say] against OFWs/migrants that made you write that way?”
    “my point has always been one need not leave the country, either as an OFW or as an immigrant, to reach a level of economic well-being… i want to change the propensity of the Pinoy to believe that the grass is always greener outside the country..”

    Well, that’s my reading – whether you like it or not. Devils and Bert may have noticed that, too. Since you started writing about OFW/migrants, I sense your hostility to this category of pinoys. As if they lack Filipino-ness for mindlessly “packing their bags,” leaving their country (“atat na atat mag migrate”) instead of staking it out like what you are doing.

    Why can’t you admit difference? Where you see green grass at home, they may find brown grass. Where you create or discover lots of opportunities, they couldn’t or see scarcity and hardships. No, you can’t change that propensity, now imbedded in the diaspora. But the govt could, because it would take massive resources to reverse or reduce it after setting that diaspora in motion.

  30. Anthony,

    “what if i tell you i was born to a family belonging to that bottom 30%? (i am)”

    Welcome to the club! Tell you frankly, I belong to the bottom 10%. My parents were poor, landless peasants. They had to migrate from north to south in RP to change their lot, they failed. But I somehow rose above them, got an education on my own effort, unfortunately by migrating.

    “mas mayaman ka pa sa amin! you’re in the US, earning precious dollars, x 40! your net worth is a lot bigger than mine! compared to you, im in the bottom 30% of the ’social pyramid’”

    Come on, my friend! I don’t even have net worth here. I own no property except my clothes, books, and kitchen utensils. I rent my apartment, take the bus. Well, if you multiply my measly earnings by 40, I beat an ordinary worker in RP by a few fold (probably you still earn much more than I do, being a successful entrepreneur).

    But look, I also spend dollars here, not pesos.

  31. thanks to our parents, and by my hard work, by the grace of God, i got out of that bottom 30%. without ever being an OFW, without migrating

    the bottomline anthony, life is not fair. opportunities are not distributed evenly. i can’t blame ofws for leaving the country in search of livelihood, for that is basic to life and living. what i don’t buy is leaving the country in desperation, because for me, the solution is to stay and let those crappy recycled leaders do the departing instead. systemic as the problems may be, we derive much of the source of complications from these critters–no national vision, all pocket mission.

  32. my father stayed, became an entrepreneur, closed his business during this admin, and is now an employee again, past the age of retirement.

    so what did he have to show for his hard work beyond what he gave us, his children?

    my mother left, nannied other children and cleaned other’s houses abroad, and is now looking at the prospect of retiring in relative comfort.

    my father worked for 40 years here in the phils, 20 as his own boss. my mother only worked 10 years in the US, 6 years if you discount her 4 yrs as a TNT.

    sa inyo magagaling sa business, sa tingin nyo, who had a better ROI?

    evaluate nyo ulit. stay here kung san napakaliit ng tsansa maging katulad ni scalia, o go abroad where the chances of succeeding is greater.

    why so? because abroad, talent is all you need. that and hard work.

  33. “why so? because abroad, talent is all you need. that and hard work”

    dito din! napakaraming success stories dito, mga di na nag-migrate!

    another attempt to justify the earlier decision to migrate

  34. hawaiianguy,

    “Sorry to contradict you, I never insinuated that you are – far from it. Pls. re-read my post and others previous to it. I respect you and hold you in high ground, believe me.”

    sorry to contradict you, my friend! your generous use of the words “envy me? for being in the top 10%? social pyramid? lucky? perspective on people who migrate/become OFWs? not knowing how to live like the bottom 30%?’ say otherwise!

    pero since authorial intent was disclosed, cge, even though the intent was a lot different from the resulting expression, i’ll presume good faith

    “As to your being rich, you said so to Tess, didn’t you?”

    i said ‘at best upper middle’

    “Tiny sample ba ang millions of people living in those places? It’s not yet a norm by national standard, but it is a very significant part of it. Just one important region, read what’s happening to DepEd ARMM (5 provinces in Mindanao). Do you know how many thousand teachers work there, who complain about this glaring practice? And you call that TINY?”

    let me re-post that again –

    that doesnt mean thats the norm. ‘glaring practice’? ang hirap sa ganyang observation, parang SWS or Pulse Asia survey – tiny sample lang, representative kaagad ng buong bansa!

    the ‘tiny’ modifies the SWS/Pulse Asia survey, taking issue with their tendency to project a sample as representative of the majority.

    i wasn’t calling your sample ‘tiny’. im taking issue again with your tendency to assume that your sample is the norm. for all i know, you’re just looking for something to confirm your suspicions.

    “Well, that’s my reading – whether you like it or not.”

    well i don’t like it one bit!!!

    your reading? my goodness! you don’t just arrive at a ‘reading’ from out of the blue! you read a text first! then you arrive at a ‘reading’!

    i dare you to re-post all my comments that ‘confirm’ your ‘reading’!

    “Since you started writing about OFW/migrants, I sense your hostility to this category of pinoys. As if they lack Filipino-ness for mindlessly “packing their bags,” leaving their country (”atat na atat mag migrate”) instead of staking it out like what you are doing”

    then focus the discussion on the alleged ‘lack of filipino-ness’ of migrants! and no longer stray into unnecessary discussions of class!

    “Why can’t you admit difference?”

    another attempt to justify the migration decision

    i already admitted several differences – x 40, Silicon Valley, Wall Street. saka just the thought of being a citizen of the US of A, of residing there! Access to Hollywood, live NBA games, scholarships to Ivy League schools, the White House, etc.

    “Where you see green grass at home, they may find brown grass. Where you create or discover lots of opportunities, they couldn’t or see scarcity and hardships. No, you can’t change that propensity, now imbedded in the diaspora. But the govt could, because it would take massive resources to reverse or reduce it after setting that diaspora in motion.”

    same old problem of Pinoys – a default mode to migrate, blaming government for omissions, further confirming the default mode. thats the underlying reason for the propensity! kaya nga ‘atat na atat’ eh, predisposed na to migrate. they just don’t want to consider the big possibility that grass is ‘browner’ in the US and greener here!

  35. Bert,

    “Sorry, anthony, your projection gives me the impression you are part of this gov’t. talaga, but I know I’m wrong again, so please pardon me again. Last na to-its, pare ko, hehehe.”

    ang layo at napakasablay naman ng observation mo. pinag-uusapan ang propensity to migrate ng Pinoy, tapos tatawagin mo akong im part of this government!

    oh yes, you are very wrong! pero kung ang plunderer nga napa-pardon, yun pa kayang obviously mistaken lang?

  36. inidoro ni emilie

    “the bottomline anthony, life is not fair. opportunities are not distributed evenly. i can’t blame ofws for leaving the country in search of livelihood, for that is basic to life and living. what i don’t buy is leaving the country in desperation, because for me, the solution is to stay and let those crappy recycled leaders do the departing instead. systemic as the problems may be, we derive much of the source of complications from these critters–no national vision, all pocket mission”

    agreed. but i feel for those who leave and find out that life also isn’t fair in first world countries!

  37. DevilsAdvc8,

    “my family live with our heads above water too, if that’s what you mean. if you’re just one of many who doesn’t need to go abroad to succeed, then congratulations. but that still doesn’t take away the fact, that much more than your “many,” majority of pinoys don’t feel that way. bec if what you say is true, then we won’t have the millions leaving now, will we? so your “one of many” is actually a minority.”

    you want to know why? its because of the same old same old – colonial mentality. the predisposition to migrate. deciding purely by emotions then confirming the decision using reason. the erroneous belief that no amount of a level of success can be achieved here.

    in short, a good many of the ‘millions’ who are leaving now simply did not make an attempt at the ‘good life’ here

    “nakapagtataka, kaming mga pinagkaitan ng Poong Maykapal, di makamit yang equality tinatamasa nyong mga biniyayaan ng Dakilang Lumikha. naknamputsa, baka magkaiba dyos natin!”

    posible nga yun. dahil hindi ‘pinagkakaitan’ ng ‘Poong Maykapal’ ang sinumang mag-work hard

    “mali mang sabihin, at masama mang pakinggan, pero yan pa rin ang katotohanan. iyan ang NORM. ang meritocracy ang exception. maglibot ka sa lahat ng opisina, pribado man at publiko at kausapin mo ang mga empleyado, o mas mabuti pa, mga HR personnel ang tanungin mo, sila ang makapag papatunay sayo nito”

    mali ka dyan. para namang may datos ka galing sa lahat ng HR personnel.

    “kayong mga nagtitiis? akala ko ba you’re living a “relatively comfortable life?” ba’t bigla kang nagtiis? okay, uumunlad rin.”

    iho, i was not born into a ‘relatively comfortable life’! nagtiis ako dito, di nag-migrate, did my part, at sa awa ng Diyos, kaya naabot ang “relatively comfortable life”

    “pero di mo pa rin maipagkakaila, minority kayo.”

    dyan ka mabibigla – maling mali ka. hindi kami minority

    “at karamihan (ok, di ko nilalahat) umuunlad sa pangungurakot.”

    mali. hindi ‘karamihan’, marami. magkaiba yun.

    “meron sigurong mga katulad mo, kumikita sa maayos na paaran, pero majority pa rin sa minority nyong grupo, ay umasenso sa korapsyon.pero agree ako, marami talagang magagaling dito. yung nga lang, karamihan nabubulok at di nabibigyan ng tsansang maipakita ang tunay nilang galing. nauungusan kasi ng magugulang. papano, magugulang rin ang namumuno ng bansa”

    ah no, maling observation yan. baka di mo namamalayan, you’re just giving a rational justification for your decision to migrate

    “buti pa kayo. kumusta naman kaya yung ibang di kasing “unlad” mo?”

    di ko alam. pero may nagsasabi nga na di batayan ang pagkakaroon ng napakaraming salapi para magkaroon ng ‘peace of mind’

    “may laban talaga – yung mayayaman at may koneksyon. pumunta ka nga sa ibaba at nang malaman mo ang kalakaran. magpaka pobre ka, makisalamuha ka sa masa, better yet, mag volunteer ka sa PAO, baka matauhan ka na ang hustisyang tini-take for granted mo, di makamit-kamit ng iba. at oo, patotohanan yan ni bencard, na sa ‘tate, walang mayaman at mahirap sa mata ng batas (at least most of the time)”

    tsk tsk tsk. a very hasty generalization. di ko sinasabing wala yan, pero di yan at a level na gusto mong paniwalaan. dahil naghahanap ka pa ng justification to confirm the migration decision

    teka matanong nga kita – bakit, naging biktima ka na ba ng nilutong kaso? mukhang hindi, dahil if you were, you would have mentioned it right away

    “huh? perceived? di lang perceived, proven to be true.”

    thereby verifying my observation – Pinoys are after the big pensions given in the US!

    “pero as i said, kahit wala yan, dun lang sa posibilidad ng katuparan ng mga pangarap – yun lang, mag aabroad na ako”

    noted

    “kaya pala ang sangkatutak nating mga pulitiko, andito kasi may malasakit sila sa bayan. now i get it”

    another justification to confirm the decision to migrate. as if walang kasing tulad na pulitiko dyan sa tate

    “hello? kaya mayaman ang US at Canada ngayon dahil yung mga pinagsakripisyohan ng mga naunang henerasyon ay hindi winaldas ng gobyerno nila. nagsakripisyo rin ang nauna nating henerasyon, winaldas lang nga ng mga nagdaang administrasyon”

    hello? did you get the import of what you said? are you saying na maron nang henerasyon na mga Pilipino na nagsakripisyo? na nagdulot sa kaunlaran, na winaldas lang ng mga nagdaang administrasyon? sigurado ka, meron na ba?

    yung mga nakalipas na henerasyon, ginamit ang English skills to migrate, imbes na gamitin para sa ikauunlad ng bayan!

    “mababaw ba? so 89.999 million lang ang nakakaranas nyan. swerte mo naman at pinagpala ka talaga”

    tsk tsk tsk tsk. wala kang basehan in saying na 89.999 million lang ang nakakaranas nyan! a very hasty generalization!

    another confirmation of the decision to migrate.

    oo pinagpala ako, pero ginawa ko rin ang part ko! hindi ako swerte!

    “wag kang mag-alala. susubukan ko yan”

    noted

    “mas sorry ako sayo, pero mas maraming DEAD examples para di lang i-rebut, kundi patalsikin sa kalawakan ang rebuttal mo”

    oh talaga? lets hear them!!

    “nagbibigay ako ng concrete example. at di ko man idamay, ganyan din ang sitwasyon ng nakakararaming pinoy.”

    again, wala kang hard data to say that! a very hasty generalization! and your example is not the norm!

    “sinasabi ko nga, who you? at the upper 10% of the population?”

    kung ako man ay nasa upper 10%, yun ay dahil sa good hard work, belief in the grace of God, and belief in opportunities in the Philippines. tandaan mo – pinaghirapan ko yan

    “pakilala mo ko ha. tapos pakilala rin kita sa kilala kong umasenso sa kabaligtarang paraan. pero turo ko lang sayo ha. di ko kasi sila personally kakilala. paramihan tayo.”

    talaga? cge paramihan tayo ha? promise mo na kapag marami akong naituro, babalik ka na dito for good ha?

    eh ano ngayon kung merong umaasenso sa maling paraan? dapat bang gayahin? hindi nila nane-negate ang katotohanang may ummaasenso din sa marangal na paraan!

    “naghahanap? di ko na kailanganga hanapin. it’s staring me right in the face!”

    kaya nga napadali ang pag-migrate mo! imemdiately you got the confirmation!

    “rational justification? tanga lang ang magdedesisyon ng walang rational justification”

    asus! mabibigla ka – karamihan ng nagmimigrate, purely emotional decision lang ang basehan. the rational bases come later, to justify the decision made, to show na the decision to migrate was not wrong

    “i weighed my pros and cons, and i made my decision. nauna ang rationalizing, bago pumasok ang desire”

    sabi mo eh

    “sige, gudlak sa pagretiro mo dito into a “comfortable life.”

    talaga!

  38. “ang layo at napakasablay naman ng observation mo. pinag-uusapan ang propensity to migrate ng Pinoy, tapos tatawagin mo akong im part of this government!–anthony s.

    That’s because, anthony, you also mentioned SWS and Pulse Asia surveys, and their suveys says GMA is most corrupt, and I suppose you don’t believe those surveys, am I wrong again?

  39. “They say he’s a Chinese from the province. Bagay sa iyo ideport ka. Magulo ka dito (You should be deported because you’re troublesome),” Apostol said. (Inquirer)

    – when i first read this statement, i found it childish. but if you read again, it’s a racial slur.

  40. Bert,

    what made you think i was referring to surveys on perceptions of corruption?! aber? bakit, ang surveys lang ba ng SWS and Pulse Asia ay tungkol kay gloria lang?

    did i ever single out a particular survey of gloria’s corruption and declared that the perception isnt normative?

    ******sound of buzzer****** wrong again

    teka teka nakakahalata na ako ah? you got me there my friend!

  41. scalia, what makes you so sure i decided first and then looked for justifications later? can you look into my soul?

    anyway something related manolo wrote in a previous post

    Notice that until the OFW phenomenon, the last time our professional classes could achieve stability: home, vehicle, schooling for kids, was the 50s and 60s when we’d recovered from the war. increasingly, today, people born into the middle class can only stay in the middle class, if their parents leave them an inheritance or if they go abroad; otherwise, they face a decline in living standards. even the wealthy, to a certain extent, are facing this so they’re moving abroad, too. the poor have lost access to social mobilty locally, i think it’s safe to say, unless they take the shortcut and work abroad.

    all these factors intensify corruption. if you’re poor, you will face dilemmas aplenty, to sell your soul or body to get the permits and money needed to travel and keep working abroad; if you’re middle class, you must break rules and cut corners to maintain your standard of living; the wealthy, facing competition from home and abroad, must deal dirtier and dirtier with a political class that finds itself devoid of prestige, lacking in the ability to inspire support, and which has to turn to more and more repugnant means to stay in power.

  42. DevilsAdvc8,

    the default mode of Pinoys – migrate to a first world country

    look, theres nothing wrong with deciding on emotions, then looking for justifications later per se. thats human nature.

    it seems that in this blog, when it comes to the discussion of migrating to a first world country, i am playing the role of your handle

  43. De Venecia said he would not testify against Arroyo, contrary to what he said in his valedictory address at the House on Feb. 4 that he would tell all he knows about irregularities involving the First Family, including attempts to manipulate the results of the 2004 presidential elections.

    Malacanang said over the weekend that there were backdoor talks to reconcile De Venecia and Arroyo. (GMANews.net)

    – What else is new? Once a trapo, always a trapo!

  44. tess said

    “…Malacanang said over the weekend that there were backdoor talks to reconcile De Venecia and Arroyo. (GMANews.net)…”

    As predicted … just like clockwork, I only wondered why Malacanang took too long.

    The question is if JDV would compromise again and let himself be hoodwinked once more because of perks, priviledge, money and promises. I’m not betting heavy on JDV to change his habits of … compromise, compromise, compromise, until there’s no principle left.

    Pure principles like clean water if mixed with dark unscrupulous ways like charcoal dust becomes black mud.

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