The Witness

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Here is the transcript of his early morning press conference held at LaSalle Greenhills. Details in abash*t: The backstage of Rock Ed Philippines, in the entry Tired Brave Heart. and a photo page, JUN LOZADA, witness.

A background briefing by Newsbreak: Lozada: Benjamin Abalos and Mike Arroyo Behind Broadband Deal Overprice. A profile in the Inquirer: Just a ‘probinsyanong Intsik’

Lozada’s early morning presscon derailed plans in place by Michael Defensor to have held an afternoon press conference in which Lozada would then be made to read the government-prepared affidavits that out to lie any previous affidavits. That same evening, the President;s husband was obvious informed the coast is clear. Which have been the case if government minders hadn’t let down their guards and which allowed Lozada to contact friends who came forward and made the early morning press con possible.

late morning to mid-afternoon yesterday I was in the office of Senator Allan Peter Cayetano where Jun Lozada is being kept preparatory to his appearance before the Senate. It’s the first time I’ve encountered the man. He looked tired, his eye-bags were already purplish, and he was, understandably, rather high-strung, at times breaking down and sobbing as he recounted the ordeal he’s undergone -and which is continuing- and he said he was too tense to sleep and keep down his food properly. He had a firm handshake but his hand was clammy.

He will testify before the Senate, today, under oath, and so concerning the details of his being sent to Hong Kong, his stay there, his decision to come back, and what happened to him from the time the plane landed and he finally had his early morning press conference, we’ll all know his version of events soon enough.

What I did ponder upon, as I heard him recount recent events, is that there are many kinds of pressure that can be applied on a person to bend them to one’s will, and not all of them require brute force or overt threats.

Watching him and talking to him, I recalled something my father told me when I a small boy. I once asked him, what is courage? And he replied by telling me a story about his own father when they were on Corregidor. In the midst of the tunnel being shelled, he said his father spotted him cringing and biting his lip in fear; and his father told him that the truly brave man is not the man who doesn’t feel fear, but rather, the man who is filled with terror but does his duty anyway.

I can appreciate Lozada’s courage. Make no mistakes, he has faced among the worst kinds of peril I can imagine: a combined crisis of conscience, fears for his own life and that of his loved ones, the end of a career, the hostility of some friends and the harsh judgment of powerful patrons, uncertainty whether his answering the cries of his own conscience aren’t a foolhardy exercise. Being in such a pressure-cooker situation, contemplating the prospects of a kind of not only professional and financial suicide but of embarking on a sacrifice the public won’t even recognize -or possibly even deserve- whether at the end of a chain of events one initiated or in which one was swept up… Well, it’s enough to destroy anyone. His is the dilemma of a proud, perhaps overconfident man who has had to realize he is nowhere as clever, nimble, and important as he thought he was.

Let me explain what I mean by this, and these are all impressions.

To me, Lozada is no saint, or put another way, he represents the kind of man who finds himself at the center of great events, yet who could never have expected he would gain fame in such a perilous manner. He is the kind of man who doesn’t hold the actual power but who has access to those who wield power -and more importantly, has done so because he’s proven himself competent at certain things, and who thus holds a certain amount of authority.

And so, he is the kind of Useful Man who then believes that his competence and limited authority allows him to pull a kind of fast one in that, he can both tolerate a certain level of official wrongdoing, and yet accomplish something beneficial, because his efforts somehow mitigates the wrongdoing around him. (One of his more quotable quotes was his being advised by Neri to attend meetings to “moderate the greed” or words to that effect). Operating in a perpetual moral twilight, thinking it’s ultimately for the common good, can’t that then start tricking the senses into confusing twilight with the dawn? At least until a ray of light reminds that person of what the light is truly like.

Most of the questions I addressed to him were along these lines: if your work in the government involved tolerating a certain amount of official corruption, then what finally made you decide that a line had been reached you could no longer cross? He tried to explain by means of a parable.

He said that his work takes him to forestry areas and in one such area, he encountered a Dumagat. He pointed out to the Dumagat that the trees were heavily laden with fruit; that the fruit should be sold in the lowland towns. And the Dumagat replied, but those fruits are there to feed the birds. Lozada says he recalled that story when he encountered an official who, not content with the 3 billion Pesos in overpricing he (Lozada) was willing to let the official have, then insisted no, he (the official) should get 7 billion Pesos. That was simply unacceptable.

And again, I had to return to my question -what was the line, then? Essentially, this, Lozada said: percentages -commissions- say, up to 25%- are par for the course in government projects but beyond that, officials insisting on more have simply gone too far: their pound of flesh becomes so large as to deny the public any possible advantages or gains from the project. (This is not a direct quote, I am paraphrasing our exchanges.)

As he was expressing these thoughts I recalled something I’d heard from a defender of Romulo Neri, which was that his attitude, say concerning the North Rail Project, was that a certain amount of corruption was acceptable, so long as the public obtained something beneficial in the end: in this case, a railroad that should be built, anyway, without incurring heavy government obligations.

I must say that I am uncomfortable with his explanation: it makes sense, and on a certain level, yet betrays a kind of hubris. What he said does go to the heart of a very basic line (ultimately, a fluid one) most Filipinos instinctively draw, which is, that there are certain things that are just too crass -too garapal– that once crossed, can’t be tolerated. It is this, more than his obvious intelligence, or his being stuck in a perilous situation, that will resonate with the public. We navigate between our own personal spheres and the official one always conscious of the grey areas, always factoring in a certain amount of official malfeasance, but there always comes a time, even if we aren’t directly affected, when something is too much -too crass to tolerate.

But I do find it troubling that an official relies on a line he himself drew, on a basis that by its very nature must be vague or at least arbitrary, compared to the lines that should be drawn, beyond a shadow of a doubt, by the law. This is the kind of discretion that can result in a line so erasable and movable, that it becomes meaningless. In Lozada’s case he obviously resisted the temptation to keep moving the line, though he stopped moving it quite late -a matter of mere nights ago, possibly? It’s just as well he seems firm, now; it’s too bad he has moved the line so often that any potential benefits arising from his testimony will be that much harder to achieve. I am also under the impression that his personal line also involved whether or not he would have to make statements in public.

So long as everything was in the realm of speculation, did not involve his personally having to testify under oath, he may have thought that prudence was the better part of valor -no sense in seeking some sort of martyrdom. But confronted with a summons he could not ignore, and facing pressure to avoid those summons; and furthermore, realizing that the ultimate response on the part of the administration was not to enable him to permanently avoid those summons, he wouldn’t go as far as perjuring himself, at least not at the point at which he’d personally have to raise his right hand and swear to the veracity of what he would say, before the public.

There are two things about Lozada that will go far, I think, in understanding the distinctions he’s tried to make, and his eventual decision to hold the line once he felt things had gone too far. The first is that he is proud of being a Thomasian, he quotes Thomas Aquinas widely. The second is he is a passionate student of Jose Rizal.

Some snippets from his remarks to people during the hours I was there, to illustrate. Again, these more along the lines of paraphrasing his conversation, as I was taking notes by means of sending text messages to myself.

“Thomas Aquinas said the worst form of corruption is the corruption of the best.”

“We’re a failing state. The obligation of a state is to provide basic services…. Self restraint isn’t there. Checks and balances do not work. Instead, influence peddling moderates the checks and balances.”

“Rizal asked his brother Paciano, did God makes us poor and silent, or we were so misgoverned we ended up that way? Paciano couldn’t answer. Two years later, Rizal wrote to Paciano, and said, in my travels abroad I have the answer: we didn’t get the right kind of government from our leaders.”

“Rizal said there are three requirements for a Just Revolution. First, there must be a great cause, and all peaceful means must be tried to achieve it, and still, all fail; second, prepare for imminent victory, this is why he rejected Bonifacio’s invitation to join the revolution, they’d left too much to chance without thinking of what would happen afterwards; third, we must have an educated population otherwise the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow.And also, you must be prepared to erase every shred of the system you overthrow.”

“We must make it too expensive for someone to screw up the country. Only then will the next person will have second, third, fourth thoughts about trying to mess the country up.”

“If you want to understand my moral compass, there’s this book I read in which this question was tackled: ‘Why is it that billions have walked the earth while only a few have stood the test of time. And yet those few lived at a time when there were many who were more powerful or famous than them?’ When a group of thinkers examined these people, they identified four polarities. First, they had a Transformative Vision, for example, Christ’s concept of love. Second, they had Courage, even if it meant going against the trend. Third, they had a Firm Grasp of Reality. Fourth, they had Unbending Ethics. The four things form a kind of diamond and with all sides present, you have a formidable leader. But if any side is lacking it’s enough to doom any leader. The book is ‘The Philosophy of Greatness.'”

(A note on how one’s recollection of another’s recollection works in a pressure cooker environment: as he was recounting this, a nun in the room asked him the name of the author of the book; he couldn’t recall; eventually, I tracked down this book: “Leadership: The Inner Side of Greatness, A Philosophy for Leaders, New and Revised” (Peter Koestenbaum) which has an Amazon page which boils down what he was trying to say:

Believing that leadership is a “mindset and a pattern of behaviors” that can be learned and taught, Koestenbaum presents and illustrates the meaning of his “Leadership Diamond.” This consists of “four strategies for greatness”: vision (thinking big and new), reality (having no illusions), ethics (providing service), and courage (acting with sustained initiative).

A reader’s review is even more illuminating, I think, in that it presents what Lozada probably thinks he’s tried to do, regardless of whether his peers or the facts bears it out:

Koestenbaum presents his approach in a didactic manner, yet never underestimating his audience, utlizing a model for Leadership values in the form of a four vertex diamond: Vision, at the top, encompassing the ability to think strategically, but also to understand others with different cultures and realities than our own; Courage at the bottom, which surprisingly represents not heroic, one-time achievements but rather sustained initiative, the ability to focus on an objective throughout life; Reality on the left, comprehending the ability to deal with hard facts, but also the understanding of the paradoxical nature of life; and, last but not least, Ethics, which beyond anything represents empathy and stewardship, service to others as the ultimate way of realizing greatness.

I also noticed that his recollection of the events surrounding his decision to testify in public, seem solid enough, in large part because they withstood constant re-telling).

Again: the person with little actual power but some authority, the person of superior intelligence but inferior social or political status, must either accept his condition as a servant or adorn his existence with the trappings of being a kind of philosopher-king in training; servitude is always an unpleasant existence for the person convinced he has a greater mind and a superior virtue to those he serves; it makes for what some would call a messianic complex and others a hero-in-the-making.

Personally, I believe he is motivated by patriotism, and that he subscribes to the notion that he’s reached a point he did not want to arrive at, but the challenges of which he must embrace. But part of the blame, part of the peril he faces, was the making of people like himself, who thought that he could somehow outwit those who may be dull of mind and insatiable in their appetites, but who have the means to hire brains to counter his and wield force which settles any possible debate with finality.

I do think he was treated very badly by a government that failed to recognize every man has his limit and that furthermore, which overestimated its capacity to be the master of events just as it thinks it has found the measure of every man. Because there are times when the threat of brute force, or the even more cunningly applied implications of dire consequences, stiffens instead of weakens a person’s resolve to obey a higher law.

Redemption is something every person should have an opportunity to achieve.

But let us see how he testifies under oath; and how he faces up to the cross-examination by the Senators allied with the administration.

As it is, for now, a new phrase has entered our political lexicon: Moderate their greed’ :Instruction refers to Mike Arroyo, Abalos.

For now, may I refer you to the Inquirer editorial for today, and the analysis of Mon Casiple in his blog:

What happened to JDV showed that the Arroyo family is prepared to ruthlessly discard even a top ally who may dissent from its position. It demonstrated the vulnerability of all friends and allies once they doubt or oppose the ruling family. Further, the JDV ouster can be seen as a major — if not a fatal — blow at the independence of the House of Representatives and the building of a genuine political party system.

What happened to Mr. Lozada was something else. It exposed the readiness of the Arroyo family to use the state instrumentalities — even if violative of laws and human rights — for purely political survival imperatives. Malacañang’s subsequent explanations and “evidences” to support an alleged “voluntary request” by Mr. Lozada for protection pale in the face of Lozada’s own story of forced abduction. The actual events support Lozada’s own version, such as the cloak and dagger operation, the denial by Lozada’s own family of such a request, the subsequent urgent motion for a writ of habeas corpus and writ of amparo before the Supreme Court, the contradictory stories of various government officials identified with the abduction, and the renewed Malacañang attack on the Senate investigation of the ZTE-NBN deal.

The panic, desperation, and tenseness evident in the sloppy decisions and executions in these incidents vie for supremacy with the arrogance, ruthlessness, and power-tripping evident in the mind-processes of the decision-makers.

And from Billie Princesa, niece of Lozada, an appeal for prayers.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

467 thoughts on “The Witness

  1. JL, don’t worry much, it is somewhat similar to the Bills of Rights, only very brief and succinct and to the point. Imagine a preamble which just look like this:

    Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:

  2. Ca T,

    Before the likes of Clarisa Ocampo surfaced in the impeachment of then President Estrada; the major witness against him was Chavit Singson.

    My impression on whistleblowers never changed. I did not consider Chavit singson a hero. As you can read my previous comments, i have no respect for people who will go out only to expose corruptions and anomalies for their own selfish reasons.

    In my book, a hero is not someone whose life is endangered because of his own wrongdoing.

    A hero is someone who when made to choose between friends, relatives and country, he will choose the country.

    I admired Singson’s secretary though when she testified in the Senate. She was straightforward and never was intimidated by the questioning of the veteran defense lawyers. Hindi siya umiyak. Neither did Clarissa.

    It is not the testimony of Singson which nailed Estrada.
    They were the papers, photos and other documents that the prosecutors presented as hard evidences.

    So even if the expose was made by a whistleblower, there is no guarantee of indictment and conviction.

    If the Senate finds substantial evidence to bring a case against Abalos to Sandiganbayan, then by all means, they can do so. But the way, I see it, mas papicture picture lang yong mga senador para lang mapansin at mabanggit sa media.

  3. Cat: “It is not the testimony of Singson which nailed Estrada. They were the papers, photos and other documents that the prosecutors presented as hard evidences.”

    True. In the same way, couldn’t it be possible that from Lozada, those papers…documents would later come up as part of the “collateral damage?”

    Start from the Abalos plan to file libel. And he should do against 3 persons, not just against Lozada. FG should also do his, if he thinks in the same mold.

  4. Cat: “It is not the testimony of Singson which nailed Estrada. They were the papers, photos and other documents that the prosecutors presented as hard evidences.”

    Do you ever see an effort from the Senate doing this?

  5. hawaiian guy, i wasnt taking about forensic experts so i dont know why you are addressing me when you choose to define forensics experts. 🙂

    cat,
    so sloooooooow.
    i was referring to your definition of hearsay.
    o ano gets mo na.
    mali po.
    ang definition mo.
    ok na ba?
    o bagalan ko pa.
    but why do i bother?! im just dragging myself down reading your inane posts.

    dont bother replying.

  6. b. vodka,

    Ganun ba? Am sorry if I mistook your sentence. Ganito kasi sinabi mo eh:

    Sagot sa “As a forensic would define hearsay;”

    “haha saang law book galing definition mo? magconsult ka naman minsan sa lawyer before shooting your mouth of.”

  7. cat,
    so sloooooooow.
    i was referring to your definition of hearsay.
    o ano gets mo na.
    mali po.
    ang definition mo.
    ok na ba?
    o bagalan ko pa.
    but why do i bother?! im just dragging myself down reading your inane posts.

    So dumb.

    It was not my definition. I quoted a forensic expert from CSI. Panay lang kasi panood ng mga walang kuwentang TV show.

    That’s the reason why someone gave you the definition of a forensic expert.

    And you’re giving me an advice to consult a lawyer from your City Hall when we had batteries of lawyers here in the US when we had a harassment case.

    Ang mga wala pang inabot, napakayabang.

  8. Ca T

    So it seems both Lozada and Singson are non-heroes as far as you are concerned.

    But the claims of the non-hero Singson bore fruit.

    Proof is the conviction in the SandiganBayan of ex-Pres. Estrada of plunder for amassing wealth; one of which thru jueteng collections.

    Your contention is that it was not the testimony of the non-hero Singson which nailed Estrada. That instead it was the papers, photos and other documents that the prosecutors presented as hard evidences.

    So you are telling us now that even without the non-hero Singson testifying about the bribery ledger; the said ledger would have been hard evidence against ex-Pres. Estrada.

    That the prosecutors and the court on their own could decipher the contents of the ledger like “7/14 AS/258 2.650” meant P2,650,000.00 was given to ex-Pres. Estrada on July 14,2000 , that “8/16 AS/258 3.050” meant P3,050,000.00 was given to ex-pres. Estrada on August 16, 2000 and so forth.

    But are you also telling us that the court would have had their hands on that ledger if Singson did not provide it in the first place or squealed on the name of Yolanda Ricaforte (who had her own bribery ledger)?

    You extoll the non-hero Singson’s secretary’s and Clarissa Ocampo’s decorum during their testimony. Alright they deserve it.

    But are you implying that they would have come out on their own and denounced the highest official of the land even if the non-hero Singson had not already paved the way for them to do so?

    Singson did not present evidence when he denounced the scam. He presented it bit by bit later to try to prove his claims.

    Maybe Lozada can also do so to prove his claims. But then maybe he can’t.

    But you did say that “If the Senate finds substantial evidence to bring a case ….”; so in the end, whether you consider Lozada as a hero or not is irrelevant, isn’t it?

  9. Mr Jun Lozada should be jailed along with everybody that will fall in this ZTE mess. He is very credible in his testimoy, which is great,but we should never mistake credibility with integrity. It is unfortunate to hear and see people whom I respect fall for guys like Jun Lozada because of thier emotions and not thier reasoning. I am referring to the nuns and brothers that escorted him. There is no way that he should be praised with words like courageous, hero .. some even used saint in thier sentences to describe him. It is insulting. What king of message are we sending our children… OK lang magnakaw ka basta malakihan lang, pagkatapos pag nahuli ka ituro mo lang yong mga kasabwat mo na mas impotante sa yo o malakihan magnakaw kaysa sa yo.

  10. Sunny Ignes,

    Long before Lozada came, there is already a concept of a state witness coming from those accused.

    Whether certain people believe such accused is hero or not is irrelevant for the protection of the “squealer” from further prosecution for that offense.

  11. well, your battery of lawyers (not batteries. sheeesh) obviously did not do you any good. And when you quoted the forensics’ definition, you made it your own, didnt you. So dont dissociate from it.

    I just corrected it. D mo matanggap?

    And how would would you know where ive been? wala pa akong inabot because i am not in the states? hahaha. ive been there before. and the ten year visa’s been renewed. but i dont see the need to go there. nagpapakafeeling ka e youl be a second class citizen there forever. pinagmamalaki mo pa. 😀 sheeeesh.

  12. sunny has a point though. the day we make heroes out of self-confessed crooks (Lozada says he doesn’t consider himself a hero) is the day we give up on our principles…

    why should we do this? out of convenience? there are just certain things in life you cannot and should not sacrifice – just because we are lacking in genuine heroes.

  13. justice league,
    I agree with you on the concept of witness protection. however i still maintain that when you are a thief you should be treated like one wether you squelled or not. should he earn to be placed in the witness protection program so be it.

  14. Joker Arroyo was very disappointing–mukhang pera din pala. I regret now that I voted for him everytime he ran for the senate-even when he joined Gloria.

    Mirriam Santiago is getting crazier each day. I’m glad she never got to be president. I just feel sorry for all the people she sentenced when she was a judge. She probably destoyed a lot af people and families with her crazy judgements. She should be in a mental hospital before she victimizes more people.

  15. 1. I may not be popular with what I am about to share with you. I am not a psychologist but after reviewing the TV clips and the statements, I believe the Filipinos are in for a ride. You have a savvy con artist in your hand.

    2. Ask yourself the question how he made it to IBM, Alcatel, then to the Govt. It is obvious he is a good marketing trickster. If you analyze the pattern of events you will see a common denominator. I have seen a lot of those in my business work and its something amazing how one can sell his whole shirt to make the deal and climb the ladder.

    3. He said his boss in the Middle East was so impressed with his work that as a result ask him to bring more of his classmates which he had proposed. what a proposal!

    4. He said he got the job with Victor Corpuz because he offered him help in reviewing the Cyber Education proposal Corpuz was planning to present

    5. He said Neri called him in to help him understand the ZTE Broadband proposal and AH broadband proposal.

    6. He went to all the big names in politics because he does not want to appear in the Senate. This was his proposal to get opinions everywhere. With his sweet talking style, he was able to harness all the opinions and help in the political marketplace. Note how he dropped names left and right at the witness stand.

    7. Atty Bautista made some interesting statements. Lozado was very impressed with how Atty Bautista can summarize what they have discussed. In return Lozado quip to help him do some business since he has a 50 hectare land. Atty Bautista said he was God sent since Bautista was looking into those opportunities. Atty Bautista also mentioned that Lozado pointed out to him that somehow that being a UST centennial awardee was not included in the affidavit.

    8. The President of De La Salle has said that Lozado prearranged to keep the Lozado family at De La Salle before his departure to Hong Kong. So he had a master plan how to stage the De La Salle fiasco.

    9. If he claimed that he was kidnapped and he knew where his family why did he not called the De La Salle brothers for whom he connived for the shelter of his family.

    10. The sergeant at arm of Congress, De La Salle President, and his family is supposed to meet him at the airport. Is this not a stage event? So maybe there is direct communication in HKG with Lozado family and who else??

    11. I may assume the “govt” is also caught in the spin thinking that Lozado is a govt official he is entitled to be protected by the govt that he finally denounced. They may have also their counter plan of escape that had been turned to “kidnapped”. Its a drama in the making. The question who is really a better director to the stage play.The masses are watching a good opera in the making. The question who will be the fall persona and bless by the Church leaders whose heads are also been spinned.

    You can tell me I am wrong I am looking at the pattern “proposal ante ante”. All those testimonies are laid bare in public to us to judge. Unfortunately in our search for truth we are for a good spin on both side of the equation.

  16. well, your battery of lawyers (not batteries. sheeesh) obviously did not do you any good. And when you quoted the forensics’ definition, you made it your own, didnt you. So dont dissociate from it.

    There is again your ignorance.

    I said batteries of lawyers because we have a group of lawyers for each case.

    Unlike in the Philippines when even a notary public, abogadong pulpol can represent you in court, here, you got to get lawyers for every case.

    Corporate lawyers cannot handle immigration cases, it has to be an immigration lawyer. Corporate lawyers can not handle patent and copyright issues; it has to be a patent lawyer; Divorce lawyers handle divorce proceedings and personal injury lawyers handle accidents and car mishaps.

    And if it is a corporation like what we owned where stockholders were sued separately with that of the corporate entity, you really need to have batteries of lawyers, one for each stockholder and another group of lawyers for the corporation itself.

    Are you now educated?

  17. I believed J-Lo (Jun Lozada) is telling the truth. Ang isang pagkakamali lang nya ay sinabi nya kay Atienza ang detalye ng nalalaman nya tungkol sa zte deal, na agad namang iniulat ni Atienza sa Malakanyang at doon na nagsimula ang plano nila. Ang pag-alis at pagbalik ni Jlo ay mistulang may timer sa mga mata ng gobyerno ni GMA. Mahigpit ang seguridad sa NAIA, hindi basta-basta nakakapasok ang kung sino lang para sunduin doon sa loob ng tarmak mismo. Pero dahil galing sa taas ang utos, lahat tiklop-tuhod at sunod-sunoran ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno. Lahat kailangan pagtakpan. Military trained ang karamihan sa alipores ni GMA, madaling gumawa ng lusot, maparaan, kasihudang may masagasaan at mamatay. Meron din silang tinatawag na Damage Control Team, kasama dito ang liquidation squad to facify the talking public. Idea din ito ng mga militar..ang number 1 killer ng human rights. Look, ano ang nangyari after the decision on impeachment last october? galit ang mga tao. to divert the attention, pinasabog ang glorieta..para di halata, methane gas daw ang dahilan at aksidente ang pagsabog. After the decision on Anti-terrorism bill, pinasabog ang Batasan, para madivert na naman ang atensyon. Maraming divertion tactics ang ginagawa ng militar.

    Hindi tayo santo, lahat me kasalanan. Marahil ang iba ay nagkakasala lalo dahil sa pagsunod sa gusto ng iba. Sana kung magkakamali man tayo, sana tayo lang ang apektado. Pero kung magkakamali ka at buong sambayanan ang magsasakripisyo, wala kang puwang sa gobyerno.

    Malamang sa hindi, dahil sa halos lahat ng pamilya ni GMA ay nasa pulitika, halos lahat ng kabulukan sa gobyerno ay dala ng kanyang pamilya.

    Kung seryoso ang GMA government na ayusin ang gobyerno, una nyang paalisin sa pulitika ang kanyang pamilya. Nakakaladkad ang impluwensya nya hanggang sa kamara dala ng kanyang dalawang anak. Tingnan nyo na lang kung gaano kadaling magpalit ng Speaker sa congreso ang gobyerno.

    Di ako aktibista, at lalong di ako pulitiko, isa lang akong taxpayer..masakit sa loob ko na ang bawat sentimong kinakaltas sa sahod ko ay mapupunta lang sa luho ng mga pulitiko.

    Sana isa lang sa isang pamilya ang pwedeng pumasok sa pulitika at hindi isang buong pamilya para mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang iba na mamuno at magsilbi ng maayos sa taumbayan.

  18. There seems to be a cloud of inaction that envelops the decent citizens of this country. But this inaction I think must never be mistaken for indifference and apathy. I think if there is one thing that hinders the decent majority to DO SOMETHING it is the fact that we no longer know what to do.

    I for one am on the verge of exploding. My senses has been obscenely offended and violated by all that is happening around me but I have also been burned before by joining rash action led by people with less than honorable and honest intentions.

    In as much as I support Mr. Jun Lozada with my whole heart and soul and will do everything to make sure his sacrifices are worth something, I will NOT JOIN the protest actions on Friday. I cannot join people who use to support officials who are very much like the people I pray will be removed from office today.

    They have lost their moral ascendancy for me to follow them. Taking the cue from Mr. Jun Lozada, I REFUSE TO BE USED by either the opposition or the administration. Because in reality these two warring sides are 99.99% similar. They are carbon copies of each other.

    I keep on hearing people say we need to heal the wounds of EDSA. I wondered why the wounds don’t heal from the time of the Marcoses until the present. I then realized what common sense tells us. DIRTY WOUNDS DON’T HEAL, THEY GET WORSE!

    We never clean our wounds. We just cover them up with bandages over bandages over bandages! All we do is stitch things together and let the pus go wild inside. So now everytime we move, we feel the pain. With this pain we can never get too far. We will never get well until we CLEAN them all.

    I love how Mr. Quezon explains the value of history, because at 34 I cant seem to recall who wronged us just 20 years ago. Are the Marcoses guilty? Did they wrong us? Did they steal from us as brazenly as the Arroyo’s are allegedly stealing from us now? I never got a clear answer to that. WE NEVER GET ANSWERS! We do not even know who killed Ninoy and worse we cant seem to agree who did.

    The time has come for us to speak openly about these sores. It will definitely hurt a lot more now because our wounds as a nation is gravely infected by lies and more lies. If we do not do this now, we deserve to lose it all.

  19. as a Fil-American living in Los Angeles, CA for 30 years, i admire the courage of our new hero’s ika nga…for many many years…wala tayong matinong govt. employee that at least at the end of the day…the care for this country is greater than his own personal agenda..Im from Calamba, Laguna now it’s Calamba City…As a Fil-American i continue my participation in the act of volunteering social and economic contribution to my C0-Fellow Fil-American Fund Raising here in Los Angeles NAMELY AS follows: CALAMBA ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; JP RIZAL MONUMENT MOVEMENT; PeDRO (Philippine Emergency Disaster Relief Org.)all are non-profit organization dedicated to serve the poor countrymen in the PHil..
    Now with the current situation from Jun Lozada’s testimony at the senate hearing…the least i can offer is to talk to my relatives and friends in Calamba to participate in the rally to show support to Jun Lozada…Yes I provide their transportation and food…As a Filipino American ..This is the best i can support Jun Lozada’s testimony in the senate against the current Philippine administration blindness to the Truth and the defying admittance of wrong doings by all these allegations of Corruption and Lies to the People of the Philippines…These Administration and to all Corrupt Goverment Officials starts their Corruption and Power Grabbing after the Oath Taking of their Position..Once they took the Oath…they all become Liars and stupid when they get caught and becomes Ignorant what INTEGRITY stands for. Yours Truly!!

  20. Castador, Zel, Terry:

    Those are very enlightening and moving posts, indeed.

    Yes, follow your conscience. That’s the best thing to do under these trying times when it’s hard to find models anymore, or when those models represent some vicious streak masquerading as saintly.

    Zel, “They have lost their moral ascendancy for me to follow them. Taking the cue from Mr. Jun Lozada, I REFUSE TO BE USED by either the opposition or the administration.”

    When push comes to shove, you got to make a decision. Stay away from the “used” word and follow your heart (I don’t imply mindlessly).

  21. “I admired Singson’s secretary though when she testified in the Senate. She was straightforward and never was intimidated by the questioning of the veteran defense lawyers. Hindi siya umiyak. Neither did Clarissa.- the Ca t”

    Singson’s secretary, well, the two of them, are now Directors of Poro Point Management Corp. Clarissa is a director in some gov’t controlled corp. “Heroism” PAYS.

  22. Tongue,
    Clarissa Ocampo gave up a lot for her testimony. Her family was never the same again after her appearance at the Senate…

  23. Sana sa pag bulgar ni Jun lozada sa mga katawalian ng kasulukuyan pamahalan ay magising na ang bawat pilipino na panahon na para tumayo kayo sa inyong paniniwala at ipaglaban kung ano ang tama mahalaga sa bawat mamayang pilipino na wag kalimutan ang ginawa ng ating pambangsang bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal wag kayong matakot kung alam nyo tama ang inyong pinaglalaban tulad nang pinaglaban ni Dr. Jose Rizal kaya ipaglaban natin ang tama. Ngayon si jun lozado ay isang tao na may paniningdigan kung siya nagawa niya sabihin ang totoo kung kaya niya humarap sa katotohanan eh di kaya natin ang ginawa nya sa sambayanan filipino. to all OFW pls cooperate to Jun Lozada to find the truth!!!!!!!!!!!

  24. hey cat, i guess there shouldnt be any surprise that youre the subject of a ton of cases but i gave you too much credit. mwahahahahaha.

    ok this is getting boring already.

    and dont talk about ignorance kasi if you were not as ignorant, you wouldnt be presuming to discuss the fields of law to a lawyer like me. mukha kang ewan.

  25. you wouldnt be presuming to discuss the fields of law to a lawyer like me

    Oh i believe that you are a lawyer. Even a notary public in the Philippines finished law.

    here in the US a notary public is not a law graduate. He is a graduate of a six-month course and has taken a state exam for notary public. ayan additional knowledge saiyo.

    If you are a lawyer, you should know that if you’re in business, you are more open to civil suits.

    But hey, awa na ako saiyo, baka nagagstusan ka ng maghanap ng internet cafe para sagutin lang ako.

    bwahahaha

  26. Jun Lozada is being used by ambitious politicians who want to take advantage of the situation. Walang matinong personalities sa mga sasali sa protesta bukas, lahat iniisip ang sarili nilang kapakanan

  27. someone who finished law is not a lawyer. he is a law graduate. when he passes the bar he becomes a lawyer. so stop obsessing about notary publics, who do not have any connection with any topic here. wala rin akong pakialam sa notary publics in the US if thats what you aspire to be.

    puro ka non sequitur. being in business doesnt make you more open to civil suits. doing bad business does. and of course, engaging in illegal activities. maybe you know a thing or two about that.

    and mukhang naubusan ka na yata ng argumento? pati saan ako nagiinternet pinatulan mo. so what if sa internet cafe ako? so what if kailangan pa akong umutang para maginternet? does that detract from my argument? but to answer your moronic comment, no, 24-7 ang internet service dito sa bahay kasi unlimited. dito sa pilipinas, lahat ng bahay na may internet, unlimited!

    di lang bankrupt ang arguments mo pati pala values mo. pera lang pala maipagmamalaki mo! figures. in the first place sa yo ba yan o sabit ka lang sa family business??

    cut your losses already!

  28. For those missing the forest for the trees:

    Sabihin pa nating jun lozada is the antichrist, a crying antichrist if you will, but if his testimony speaks of the truth then anong pakialam pa natin sa pagkatao niya. the truth is the truth. was abalos and malacanang about to get 130 million dollars (at least P5.2B) from the ZTE deal or not? why are some people busy hairsplitting and talking about irrelevant or peripheral issues? kagat naman yung iba.

    others say they dont want to be used by politicians, etc. during rallies. so ano sit back nalang, let malacanang complete their deals one after the other. let each deal be more onerous to the people than the last? it’s the same with the original EDSA revolution. should people have said then, what? enrile and ramos are behind it? Oh no, these people were part and parcel of martial law. I cannot possibly be used by these opportunists to topple Marcos.

    and to those who scream “rule of law”, well thats just nice and dandy but what did the Ombudsman do with the seven cases that were actually filed by well-meaning citizens vs. those involved in the ZTE deal? ………
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    ………WALA SYEMPRE! Oh sorry, meron pala. INUPUAN ang mga kaso.

    Panoorin niyo nalang how fast the cases vs. Lozada will go compared with the Abalos cases which were filed like 6 months ago but which no one has heard from again since. But hey whats the rush? Even if binilisan theres really no point, he’l be acquitted just as he was acquitted in the Mega Pacific deal/scam. I suppose makwenta lang ako masyado, kasi, whats wrong with a few more billions?

  29. No matter what made Jun Lozada came out, one thing is for sure… this administration is “very scary”!!!.

    I believe in Jun Lozada’s testimony and ironically, it is the accused who has made his testimony even believable beyond reasonable doubt.

    Sad to say, I have to agree w/ Cha. I voted for Joker last election, but it turns out that he’s no better than the others, specially her boss “GMA”. I mean, I think he has the right to protect his wife but he should have not threatened Lozada like that, instead he could have asked his wife first.

    And to General Razon… WHAT A LIAR!!! (VERY VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!) How I wish you will go through what Jun Lozada’s family felt when they don’t know where you’re “FAT MAN” Mascarinas brought him….. My respect for Razon went down to the drain from 100% to inefinite negative.

  30. Razon only betrayed his true color. This damned lying and cheating govt is really infectious. Some people who adore Razon as an impartial person and a man of himself are really disappointed. How could a man of that stature lie in public?

    Of course, the police is able to produce an “evidence of seeking protection” (antedated, and typewritten ready for Lozada’s family to sign?).

    Now, watch what Atienza is saying. Another liar of the incorrigible variety.

    This is a brand of legalism that operates under this despicable govt., which is now shooting its own foot as it panics. This is “protection” with sinister motive to cover up bad tracks to make a stinky govt smell good.

    Let’s also watch the next move. How will this Ombudsman (read: woman) handle the Lozada case?

    In this fight against corruption and evil, there’s no way one defend evil. It’s the last call for a display of magnanimity (not magnanakaw).

  31. c’mon people! you have to be blind or deaf not to be able to tell apart the liars from the person who’s telling the truth. mr. lozada so far has never changed his story while the goverment have changed theirs a few times already! no less than gen. razon already admitted that the lozada family did not request any security for mr. lozada on the day of his arrival. mr. atutubo made a “judgement call’! and non of the guys at naia knew mr. valeroso but they trusted mr. lozada’s security which they claim was under threat but of unknown source! that’s the worse excuse ever or they are just telling the truth that the govermnent are being run by the most incompetent people! from the top to bottom! but then again they are smarter than the rest of the filipino people who up to now still had done nothing! and still does nothing to change the course of our country! i think we really deserve what we get! and where we are right now as a nation!!! going nowhere. what economic growth are we talking about here??? poor are getting poorer. dollar exhange getting better? prices are still going up not down! it is time that we all wake up! we did it once during the marcos’ years and we can do it again this time and will do it again and again if the need arises because it our responsible as nation to be active and not just bystanders and wait for mana from heaven drop in front of us. we must help ourselves and gain respect from the whole world as a nation of people who is in charged of our destiny. and this will serve notice to the future leaders that we as people will not hesitate to get rid of anybody in power who abuses it! let us not get tired of going to streets if needed bacause we are fighting not just for the present but also for our future, our children who will one day rule this country! we need to teach them that it is not right to abuse power and violate human rights and if they do, we as a nation will not hesitate to remove them from the office! the soldiers, you must not listen to the politician to stay neutral, because you are not! gma is using you right now to stay in power. to be truly netural is let the people’s voice be heard and gather in streets to voice our demands for a change in goverment. but you are not neutral! you intimidate the people and claim you are defending the constitution but the fact is you are defending the worst violator of the constitution which is gma. the soldiers are never neutral. you are not robots. God gave you minds to decide right from wrong and use it! you are not stupid, although some are aguably are indeed stupid. how they got there is another argument. and my last point is to punish the violators, all of them!!! every single one of them because gma would not have been this brazen if she is not supported by those in position also. so let us just ask for re-election from top to bottom. get rid of those corrupt politicians!!! send all of them to jail! and serve them jail meals! and please my fellow filipino let choose the right leaders!!! know their past. let us not elect anybody resposible of our present misery included anybody from the marcos era! also, their should be special jail for mr. raul gonzales, miriam defensor, mike defensor, ermita, norberto gonzalez, bunye, garci and last but not the least mr.abalos! mr. lozada please stay strong!

  32. correction. miriam should not go to jail. she should got to the mental institution. she needs to be given some sort of medication! one that would shut her mouth completely! isolate her!!! maybe in her own little world she will be the smartest person. and she could forever argue that with herself. we have a term for that right?
    BRENDA! she is a BRENDA!!!

  33. Geo,
    I agree with you, it should be put on proper forum, Lozada should file charges, until now there is no evidence.
    One thing i notice, actually first he refuse to testify on the Senate, he is part of the gang, he went to HongKong, upon his request to his superiors..
    But as what i have read, from the back channels, somebody from his family was talking to Sen Lacson..
    From my opinion, Lozada talk to much.. his predicament is a by product of him for being talkative, i read an article that this guy is good in social networking/ politicking…
    I’m not proGMA, but who will replace GMA??? people are confused.. opposition .. has history of corruption also..

    Don’t you guys noticed it.. who ever in Malacanang.. same story.. over an over again….

    We need total change.. not just replacing GMA..
    They just using lozada to kick GMA, same politicians… are there… same people….

  34. Balian,

    You come as if you have a problem with the Vice President taking over or those next in line.

    If PGMA should step down, that doesn’t necesary mean the rest stepped down as well.

    Maybe the opposition has a problem with those in line of succession but I wonder as to your reasons.

    Maybe your reasons are good so lets have them.

  35. it is an open secret that “kickbacks” “commisioning” is happening from the office of the president down to the barangay level, to the police, military, legislative & judiciary..it just varies on the gravity & who is involve..this has to stop now..it is very shameful to have this government officials running our country, getting the respect and vip treatment..the are like a tomb..well painted on the outside, but rotten on the inside..they will tell us that they are there because they want to serve the people and this country..oh common..let us stop fooling around..you want to be a government official simply because you have business, money & power interests..it obvious, you spend millions on campaign, get bad words from the peolpe when youre elected if your true color starts to show up..for what? for a salary of 15k to 60k per month?? oh common!!

  36. Yung burger (bar-Grrr) na pinagmamalaki ni Ben Abalajingjing sa Ben’s Diner gusto ko matikman.

    This guy is seeking redemption after the “accidental” killing of his brother and neice. This is his opportunity, don’t lose it and tell everything.

  37. Since you are talking about chess. Watch Sen Lacson the king and his Queen Madrigal make the move. Follow the pattern using the art of war by Sun Tze, you will see a very close connection. Lacson learned and mastered the principle in PMA. And by the way the art of war was invented by a chinese for that matter. What a coincidence.

    Now that Lozada is sacrifice for the next gambit, watch how the next witness will be move for an open end game.

    enjoy

  38. I think this country should be asking the bigger questions here. Regardless, of whether Jun Lozada is friend or foe, hero or villain, conspirator, or accomplice. One fact we can’t deny, is that he exposed yet another corruptive scheme of our amazing gov’t. Amazing coz the people in office have the stomach to take a blind eye & greedy pockets, on the deep turmoil our country has been experiencing ever since time immemorial.
    We keep forgetting what history has taught us, and yet we are surrounded by it everyday. How many years were we enslaved by the Spaniards? How many years have the Americans been a part of our government’s decision making during the Marcos’ regime? To think we even needed their recognition for our OWN independence day! Don’t get me wrong, I love America, as a matter of fact, I’m 25% American, but I’m 100% loyal to my country the Philippines. And it’s a sad fact that our people have to find work elsewhere to support their families. We are servants in their countries, and when you come to think of it, we are still servants in our own. What people hold the business sectors in our country? Isn’t it the Chinese, or some other foreigner? Even for the small businesses, like the vendors et al. Who do they run to, to lend them money? The Indians! Why is that? Doesn’t it enrage you being a servant in your own country? And due to what? The highest forms of reptiles in our gov’t.

    Sa totoo lang magmula ng maging tao ako, korupsyon na ang nakagisnan kong gobyerno. Nakakawindang na, grabe na talaga. Para bang normal na talaga ang korupsyun sa pang araw araw, na dapat nating tanggapin na may katumbas na pursyento na dapat ‘ilagay’ sa kung sinomang nakaupo na nangangasiwa sa proyekto o ng anumang ahensya ng gobyernong kelangan nating lapitan.
    KAILAN BA MAGBABAGO ANG MGA LIDER NG BANSA NA HUMUHULMA SA GOBYERNONG NAG DEDESISYON SA PARAAN NG PAMUMUHAY NG BAWAT PILIPINO?
    KAILAN MATITIGIL ANG KORUPSYON?
    ITO BA ANG SINASABI NI RIZAL NA ANG MGA BATA ANG KINABUKASAN NG ATING BANSA, ANO ANG MAGIGING KINABUKASAN NILA, KUNG GANITO ANG GOBYERNO NATIN NGAYON?

    I think we’ve had too many Edsa Revolutions, to prove that we have time and again, put in position a corrupt govt. What do we need to change? The people running the gov’t, or the kind of gov’t itself?
    It’s a sad fact that a half breed (no insult intended) Filipino in the person of Mr. Jun Lozada had the guts to stand up to those bulging corrupt officials. To be questioned, to be ridiculed, to be terrorized day after day, and undergo this agonizing reality. Again, if he’s a fake, so what? Isn’t what he’s claiming, not true? Whether you take a 20% or a 50% commission isn’t the bigger question here, it’s the fact that this gov’t did! Can one say, “Oh I just stabbed him once, I didn’t shoot him, he just died 20% not 50%!” A crime is a crime people. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball!
    So the bigger, and probably biggest question here is, what do we DO after this? Put another corrupt gov’t in office? Isn’t it commonsense, if something hasn’t been working for what 40 years more or less, then it won’t ever work? Let’s do steps to change. Does it really matter if we give up our democracy for a freer life? (Or is this still a democratic country at all?) Free from oppression, Free from poverty, Free from ignorance, and most of all, Free from a corrupt gov’t. What is democracy anyhow, if our children are becoming dumber and their stomachs are empty?
    It took one man to stand up to the Spaniards, and his life to start a revolution to gain our independence. How many men will it take to reclaim our True Nation’s Freedom? Would it take a Ninoy Aquino, a Clarissa Ocampo, or a Jun Lozada to open our wide shut eyes to the whole truth and nothing but the damning truth? And when we find the truth, what are we willing to do about it?

    Those who are trying to demean the witness’ (JUN Lozada) are using the oldest trick of a defense lawyer, to put down a man’s character so he won’t deem credible. Aside from the dramatics of all of this fiasco’, let us keep a watchful eye on the FACTS please, not the MAN. If anything, Jun Lozada may be that vessel of liberation we haven’t experienced since Pres. Ramon Magsaysay. Or does our freedom come in percentages too?

  39. mlq3,

    Jun Lozada is exposing corruption at the highest strata of our society. I salute his courage for getting out of the system. I hope many Jun Lozadas will follow.

    However, let us not forget the corruption down to the lowest strata – vote buying in particular. It’s this corruption that put corrupt officials into power.

    Through your widely followed blog, I hope this will initiate an awareness drive against “vote buying” not just in 2010 – but now!

  40. Kailangan pa ba nating mag debate para lang patunayan na nangungurakot ang mga Arroyos?

    Kailnangan pa ba natin maging technical and legalist para makumbinsi ang mga sarili natin sa tunay na nangyayari sa bayan natin?

    Sarswela man o grandstanding ang ginagawa ng mga senador, hindi ito unang pagkakataon at marahil marami pa rin tyo hindi alam.

    Matatalino ang mga tao gumagawa sa atin ng kalapastangan ito. Huwag kayo umasa ng solidong ebidensiya para madiin sila at kung meron man umasa kayo gagawin nila lahat para mapabaliktad ang lahat.

    Marami ng beses nangyari… Alam na nila kung paano…

  41. sa mga nababasa ko dito ay nagtataka talaga ako na mayroon pa ring mga pilipino(kung pilipino nga ba talaga ang tawag sa kanila?), na nagpapanig sa mga arroyo at sa mga kasabwat! bulag o bingi ba kayo o nagbubulaglugan at nagbingibingihan lang. salot sa bayan ang corruption at katiwalian ng mga nasa pwesto. how neri! gising! bayan, gising! ginagago na tayo ng mga arroyo at mga cronies! at tayo naman ay parang gago rin na sunod sunoran na lang at naghihintay ng kidlat mula sa langit at di pa kumikilos!
    wala talagang pag-asa ang pilipinas mga anak natin kung ganito na tayo! sobra na! tama na! sipain na ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno!

  42. You can shout and curse all you want but the fact is, nothing is ever going to change, not in our lifetime. If we want a better future for our kids, lets start by teaching them what is right from wrong and to stand up for what we believe by being an example to them. Let us be the best parents we can be, respect each other and be genuinely concern to other people para pagdating ng panahon na sila na ang namumuno sa ating bansa, ito ang nakatanim sa kanilang puso at isipan at hindi lamang ang kanilang sariling kapakanan. Madaling sumigaw ng sobra na, tama na, but at the end of the day, have you really done this country any good? How long until you go to the streets again and shout sobra na, tama na, gising bayan?

  43. ipokrita&sunny,
    parang sinabi nyo na rin na nandyan na at wala na tayong magawa, sige na lang! ano ba klaseng halimbawa yan para sa ating mga kabataan ha? what have I done for this country? high school pa lang ako sa kapanahonan ni makoy nagvolunteer na ako sa namfrel…nakisali sa lansangan para mag-rally laban sa administrasyong marcos…naglahok sa mga forum sa pagpalayas sa mga base militar ng estados unidos…at iba pa…kayo ano nagawa nyo para sa bayan??? ano kalseng halimbawa ang pinapakita nyo sa mga kabataan??? hayaan ang katiwalian at magmahalan na lang tayong lahat??? kung ganyan nga talagang wala ng pag-asa ang ating bayan!!! buti nalang mayroon pang mga tao na di katulad nyo! AMEN!

  44. Nagigimbal ako partikular sa “HYPCHORISY” nating lahat lalo pa ng simbahan (tumatanggap ng mga donsayon na galing sa jueteng at mga tax evaders), Makati elite (numero unong mina-maneobra yung batas at tax payments) at civil society (elitistang walang magawa sa oras nila). Hindi ako nagigimbal sa “TRUTH kuno” na ang basehan lamang naman ay speculation at perception. Hanggat di mapapatunayan, pawang CHISMIS/SABI-SABI/HEARSAY lamang lahat iyan. Nakahanap kasi ng jester ang urban elite at simbahan kaya kinatutuwaan yung star witness na magaling umarte at umiyak sa harapan ng kamera. Ang credibilidad ng isang taong nagsasalita ng katotohan ay masasabing kapani-paniwala kung may ebidensya siyang mailalahad tulad ng ginawa ni Clarissa de Ocampo. At di sa sentimyento de patatas.

    Di ba dapat kung may sisihin sa moral decay, ang simbahan yung may kasalanan? Trabaho nila iyon, di ba?! Iyon ang papel nila sa society, spiritual and moral direction and guidance, di ba?! Hindi nila trabaho mamolitika at maghusga ng TRUTH dahil ang TRUTH ay di tulad ng FAITH na absolute! Ang FAITH pwede maniwala sa milagro samantala ang TRUTH dapat may kaakibat na matibay na ebidensya bago maging TRUTH. Hindi pwedeng “PERCEPTION OR SPECULATION” ang TRUTH.

    Dapat ang simbahan tinuturuan ang mga mamayan na maging mahinahon, huwag maghusga ng walang kapapararakan at maging bukas ang isip at damdamin sa mga nangyayari ngayon at hindi naghahasik ng lagim! At udyokin ang taong bayan sa kadiliman!

    Ang kalidad ng gobyerno ay repleksyon lamang ng kalidad ng kanyang society. Kung ubod ng kurakot, kasi ubod ng kurakot din ang mamayan niya. Ganun lang kasimple iyon. Tignan ninyo yung history natin bilang nasyon para malaman natin kung bakit tayo ganito hanggang ngayon.

    Marahil matututo tayo igalang at respetuhin ang batas at institusyon kahit imperfect ang mga ito kung tayo kung tayo ay tunay na sibilisado na. Dapat hindi tayo lumihis o mawala sa objectivity at rationality kahit na gaano tayo sukang-suka at diring-diri sa gobyerno natin. Kung hindi, ANARCHY at civil war ang lagpak natin lahat.

  45. Istambay, my point exactly. Has anything changed? You would not be be shouting now if what you’ve done in the past has worked. Ang pagiging isang magandang halimbawa ay hindi lamang maipapakita sa pamamagitan ng pagbuluntaryo sa namfrel at pagsigaw sa kalsada. Ang totoong magandang halimbawa ay maipapakita sa pamamagitan ng pagsasabuhay nito at sa pagsigurado na ikaw ay namumuhay ayon sa kung ano ang alam natin na tama. Halimbawa nalang na ikaw ay sumunod sa batas trapiko at hindi magbigay ng lagay sa mmda na humuli sayo. O di kaya ay pagtapon ng basura sa tamang lugar at hindi sa kong saan-saan lang, but then again, this may not be what you yourself would call a good example 🙂

  46. indio –
    ang galing galing ng explanation mo. sana makapulot ng aral and maraming pilipino sa yo. uunlad tayo kung marami lang ang makaintindi ng pinaliwanag mo.
    istambay –
    hindi ko maalala kung ano ano ang nagawa ko sa pipilipinas directly. and alam ko lang na hangang ngayon ako ay sumusunod sa batas, namumuhay ng marangal kahit maliit lang ang kita at tumutulong sa kapwa kung kaya. higit sa lahat kagaya ng sinabi ni ipokrita tinuturuan ko ang aking mga anak ng tama.

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