Konfrontasi
February 12, 2008 by mlq3
Filed under Daily Dose
Nalito Atienza; Watchful nuns
“Hello, M’am?”; Romeo Macalintal settles in
Razon’s bravado; Razon’s pensiveness
The aggrieved Senate sergeant-at-arms; Razon seeks comfort from the lawyers
Madrigal schmoozes; Razon betrays lack of confidence
Lights, camera, action; Mascarinas the admin’s muscle
Mike Defensor does his job; Bautista the Hutt arrives
Actor Pen Medina; the admin lineup
Gloria’s Dragon arrives; Bautista the Hutt in admin huddle
Hutt ogles Loren; Loren pose part 2
“We swear to tell lies and only lies, so help us M’am”; La Salle brother
“Are we still on script?”; Bautista the Hutt naps
Bautista the Hutt; Gloria’s Dragon huddles with the Hutt
Mike D’s wife after bringing back the cash; Hutt and Gaite huddle: Mike D. reports to M’am?
The Palace was certainly between a rock and a hard place going into yesterday’s Senate hearing. If it stonewalled, it could deny its critics evidence and at least prevent its factotums from further incriminating the administration. But it would leave the public with no other story but Lozada’s. Or, the Palace could come out swinging in the hope that it would thereby fortify the determination of its allies to stand by the President, and possibly confuse things enough to prevent a total collapse in public confidence.
The Palace decided to come out swinging but got a beating. That’s because it has mastered situations it can totally control, but has never quite figured out how to handle situations where the advantages enjoyed by officials end up stripped away by public interest and some common sense questioning.
A former member of the cabinet, and as shrewd an observer of our politico-human condition as any I’ve ever met, once told me there is a very simple line that separates the haves from the have-nots in Philippine society. That line, he said, is transparent spontaneity.
The middle and upper classes instinctively wall themselves off from the rest of society, and have an innate sense of privacy that is impossible and even unimaginable for the majority of our population. The ordinary Filipino has little to no privacy, knows instantly what the rest of the family is doing, and what the neighbors are up to, from defecating to love making to quarreling and gossiping.
And so, they are keenly aware of anything that smacks of posturing when, for the walled-off minority, what is ingrained in them is a strong and unshakeable belief in certain things being for public consumption while other things are not. And so, when someone displays emotion, runs the whole gamut of emotions from terror to anger, it resonates; when someone confesses to a reality that most everyone is aware of (though posturing politicians pretend ignorance and then shock), it resonates and adds to credibility.
Maintaining a stiff upper lip in the face of pressure is an alien concept except to those who uphold the values of the upper class.
There is another line that separates the haves from the have nots, not in the sense of those who lack and have money but rather, political power (besides the other kinds of power that exist, such as economic power): and it is, having experienced intimidation.
I’m willing to bet that those who remain skeptical of Jun Lozada’s motives and statements have never experienced the full panoply of official and social intimidation that comprises life for most of our countrymen. This is because the skeptics have always been in the position of being immune to intimidation or who blithely take it for granted as a kind of necessity to keep uppity underlings in line. Or who have lived such insulated lives that it frankly amazes them when someone claims they didn’t have options to explore in their self-defense.
In other words, their inability to fully grasp what Lozada’s gone through is a failure of the imagination. Of empathy.
But it is a situation most Filipinos can appreciate, because they have encountered it on some level at some part of their lives. Whether a slum dweller at the mercy of urban gangs, predatory police, bodyguard-protected officials, or Chinese Filipinos subjected to the BIR, PNP indifference to kidnapping and extortion, the middle class person subjected to mulcting cops, bureaucrats on the take, judges for sale, the appreciation of official intimidation is something that crosses ethnic and economic lines.
But it can also be something that varies in degree and method, and so for some, being subjected to the combined squeeze of the executive and legislative branches as described by Lozada -and floundering in it- seems inconceivable and thus, unbelievable. But for the rest, they know first hand how official intimidation takes on many forms, not all of it overt, most of it calculated on the premise that a reminder of the resources officialdom can mobilize in its own interests and defense is enough -and much more than any one person or family can, or should, resist.
We are a story-telling culture, an aural and oral culture, sensitive to the nuances betrayed by one’s conversational style, constantly trying to situate people in our society’s landscape: we look for what a person’s accent betrays in terms of background, what one’s storytelling style tells about them, constantly forming and reforming a mental image of the story being told and whether it makes sense. Gut feel becomes a sort of scientific method. And in a society that profoundly distrusts all institutions, the arena in which contending forces clash, and public opinion is formed, and where the advantages of the powerful are blunted, is an instinctive form of checks-and-balances the public craves.
Even the best-honed script, by its very nature manufactured, can be torn to shred and wily lawyers, for example, foiled in the face of hammering away at testimony yet failing to get a witness to recant or contradict previous testimony. Which is why these hearings tend to take a tremendous amount of time and why appeals to leave things to the courts leaves the public cold.
Oh. And in case you missed it, Unseating of Panlilio as governor starts.
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tess on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 1:46 pm
Bautista the HUTT, very funny… I still feel sorry for him, 70 years old and he maybe disbarred. what was he thinking really?
ay_naku on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 1:50 pm
True. And a failure of empathy too for those criticizing Lozada’s family for reacting the way they did. If I believe that a loved one is in grave danger, I would also explore all possible remedies.
Kabayan on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 2:13 pm
Hi mlq3,
Waiting for the next sequel of your story … “Bautista the Hutt meets Emperor Palpakparin” (I’ve changed it from Emperor Pandakparin to Emperor Palpakparin to make the character’s name more politically correct)
The Equalizer on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 2:20 pm
The following poem is composed entirely of actual quotes from the Defenders of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Deny, Deny, Deny To The Bitter End!
(Sergio Apostol)
Lozada is a crying wEtness.
Like a crying lady.
Intsik pala siya eh.
Kung ako ipapa-deport ko na ‘yan!
(Abalos)
Madali akong makatulog.
Wala pang five minutes…
tulog na ako eh.
“Nagugulat nga ako.
Wherever I go,
people would still go around me.
You would feel the love whenever they greet you.
That’s what I feel!
(Puno)
Lozada was peacefully asleep
While the police were attacked by mosquitoes!
La Salle Brothers tell the Truth
De la Salle Brothers have pity on us!
(Big Boy)
I do not meddle in government affairs
I deliberately avoid the limelight
I have suffered all unfair accusations
I don’t interfere with governance!
(Atty Bautista)
In my 50 years of lawyering
I will not draft anything that is null and avoid
I prepared the draft on his instructions
Not for the comfort of Malacanang
(PNP Chief Razon)
We are not telling a lie
We have told the truth
He requested for security detail
He prepared on his own volition!
(Lito Atienza)
The public is getting the wrong impression
There’s no kidnapping at all
I feel violated by all of this
The people who believe in me are getting bothered
(Joker)
You favor one station
You favor some senators
Don’t mess around with my wife!
Pag BAD ka lagot ka!
The PEOPLE
Big Boy sat on a wall.
Big Boy had a great fall.
All the Queens’ horses and all the Queen’s men
Couldn’t put Big Boy together again.
Kabayan on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 2:25 pm
Equalizer,
That poem could be perfect for a rap song, maybe even a hit ring tone for some enterprising music mixer.
Diego Torres on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 2:41 pm
All the Queen’s eunuchs and all the queen’s gofers couldn’t detach their forked tongues from their wallets!
Kabayan on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 3:00 pm
Joker Fett thought he was in a roll till his wife got caught in the discussion and controversy. That is why he should have not married and just cloned himself just like all good Clone trooper Fetts do.
tonio on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 3:40 pm
oh my, such fun. and i’m stuck at work…
Jon Mariano on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 3:55 pm
Now what? The palace’s fear of Lozada was for nothing after all! They just shot their own foot.
tonio on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:04 pm
Jon:
pray tell, please, tell us what happened?
Jon Mariano on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:07 pm
Look, Lozada’s bomb has detonated. Pero wala ring nangyari.
Jon Mariano on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:10 pm
Kung hindi nila tinangay si Lozada, his story will be less sensational. So the palace’s handling of Lozada is like the craven 11 handling of the estrada envelope; wala naman palang laman.
tess on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:19 pm
De Venecia: Give Arroyo a chance
” I want her to lead a moral revolution. I want her to co-lead our moral revolution”
“… And all of us will be rooting for her”
- oh, pleezzzzzzzz. equalizer, do include him in your poem.
renmin on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:22 pm
An entertaining sideshow was the way Chiz Escudero had his pants pulled down to his ankles by Mike Defensor–when the latter revealed a phone conversation they had in 2005 in which Escudero asked Defensor to ‘take care of him’ in case Malacanang declared martial law. Chiz walked into that one! His aggressive questioning of Atutubo trailed off and he crawled back to his corner limping. Pretty slick move by Mike there, turning the tables on Chiz.
Kabayan on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:23 pm
tonio,
It was quite incredible, according to Praetor Razon the Senate Sgt-at-Arms have no authority to arrest outside the Senate however when grilled further he admitted that a Citizen’s arrest and a Sheriff dispensing its duty is authorized to carry out arrest. Later Razon was rambling about no clear rules about this … I was waiting for him to kick himself. If that be the case, when Lozada landed we, ordinary citizens, by ourselves can arrest him and bring him to Senate while the Senate Sgt-at-Arms can only gawk at us as we perform the arrest. Utterly ridiculous.
The Joker Fett and Lozada exchange was even more ridiculous. The once illustrious Senator lost a lot of luster in that one. In any case, its better to watch the exchange in television, it’s all over the news, you should see the expression in Joker Fett’s face when his wife got involved. The Joker said that it was “bad faith” for Lozada to converse with Sen. Lacson since it was not “fair”, however Lozada shot back and said that he was fair since he also talked with Joker’s wife. Joker Fett was livid after that. I was half expecting spittle to come out from the Joker’s mouth.
tess on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:48 pm
Senator Arroyo: Lozada credible witness but documents needed
…” seems to be a credible witness” (inquirer)
DevilsAdvc8 on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:50 pm
ang ganda pala ng asawa ni Mike Defensor
sayang, ‘ne. iba na lang sana pinakasalan mo.
nadadamay ka pa sa kabulastugan ng asawa mo.
pero siguro naman mas malaki pa sa 50k nakukuha mong shopping allowance kay hubby, no?
e si lozada ngang di nya naman hamak na asawa binigyan nya ng 50k pang shopping, ikaw pa kaya?
Jon Mariano on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:57 pm
What am I expecting to happen?
1. Bills/Laws that will close loopholes in government systems that thieves take advantage of.
2. Bills/Laws that will punish thievery in the government.
3. Punishment for those implicated by Jun Lozada (after being proven true).
4. World Peace
tonio on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 4:58 pm
Razon’s still spouting the company line, eh? despite all the jurispridence to the contrary?
ay_naku on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 5:08 pm
From Newsbreak: “The Supreme Court today voted 9-6 in favor of airing the controversial “Hello, Garci†tape from the 2004 presidential election period which the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Secretary of Justice had warned radio stations and television networks against playing.”
Talo na naman ang Team Balasubas (Arroyo administration.) Tatlong taon ang inabot ng kaso (susme!) pero better late than never. Ano pa ba yung mga important pending cases sa SC? (Kelan kaya mare-resolve ng SC yung senate arrest warrant kay Neri, after 3 years ulit?) Maybe we should have an online “SC Watch” that will monitor the status of important still-unresolved cases sa SC (kung wala pang ganun.)
benign0 on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 5:14 pm
“The whole Lozada thing” is just the latest incarnation of a number of whistle-blowing incidents that dot Pinoy history.
Unfortunately Pinoy society is no more than a kibitzing society. When the spectacle is over, all the fishball vendors will pack up and the crowds will disperse to go home to watch the Wowowee.
Edsa “revolutions” for that matter are no more than glorified exercises in mass kibitzing.
Hanggang diyan lang ang Pinoy. There will be not an ounce of reflection after this latest spectacle. Mark my word.
ay_naku on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 5:17 pm
We already have sufficient laws for these. Implementation lang ang problema. Kakulangan (at kabalastugan) na mostly ng Executive Branch.
Copy-paste ko lang yung ibang portions ng Feb 11, 2008 statement ng Action for Economic Reforms (AER):
The Philippines is not lacking in laws and institutions against corruption and plunder. The 1987 Constitution devotes an entire article of 18 sections (Article XI) to provisions on accountability of public officers. The Revised Penal Code punishes malfeasance and misfeasance in office of public officers, including bribery, frauds against the public treasury, and malversation of public funds. The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, expands the punishable corrupt practices even further. Republic Act 7080 defines and penalizes the crime of plunder. We have a powerful Office of the Ombudsman, with the duty to investigate and prosecute illegal acts or omissions by public officers and employees. We also have a special court, the Sandiganbayan, with jurisdiction to try high-ranking public officials for graft and corruption. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) has created the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission to investigate and hear administrative cases and complaints against erring Presidential Appointees, and to assist the President in the campaign against graft and corruption.
Much effort has been undertaken to address chronic corruption. Multilateral and bilateral donors, economists and policy analysts, and non-government organizations have studied the problem and proposed anti-corruption strategies and programs. The measures adopted have been comprehensive and deep. These include regulatory reforms, agency-level reforms and capacity building, judicial reforms, changes in the procurement law, strengthening of the anti-corruption lead agencies, and introduction of various anti-corruption activities such as lifestyle checks and values formation.
Despite all this, what is missing is the simplest answer to the problem: Fighting corruption is a question of leadership.
Since the leadership itself is brazenly engaged in plunder, corruption remains unabated. Under the leadership of a non-corrupt president, anti-corruption programs and institutions will be effective. Under a corrupt presidency, the same programs and institutions only become a protective veil for corruption itself.
Kabayan on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 5:45 pm
ay_naku,
Watch out for the Ombudsman, biglang nabuhay at tumayo sa libingan nila.
They seem to come to the rescue of … well it’s obvious.
The Equalizer on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:16 pm
What’s Your PRICE?
Whether you are a Senator,
Congressman or an overstaying General.
In her mind
Everybody has a price!
Deal or No Deal?
The Price is Always Right!
In her mind
Everybody has a price!
Make Johnny Enrile happy?
Appoint his wife as ambassador!
Make Miriam happy?
Appoint her relatives as government officials!
Make Congressmen happy?
Bring them to junkets!
Or Give them money brown bags
Everybody has a price!
Make Erap Happy?
Give him a Pardon
Make Ramos Happy?
Pretend to Kowtow to him regularly!
Make Abalos happy?
Give him a ZTE commission
Make Razon happy?
Give him the ports and other deals!
Make Big Boy happy?
Give him the deals!
Make Esperon happy?
Give him an extension!
Make Jun Lozada happy?
Intimidate,
Abduct,
OR Silence him
alas ka dora on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:29 pm
arroyo will not resign. ano kayo, hilo? wala tayo sa japan. Prime minister Abe of Japan resigned when his popularity plumetted. For him it was a signal that his constituents have lost confidence in his leadership. realizing he could not do the country any good by staying as prime minister in that situation, he resigned.In so doing, he restored self respect. he was not even accused of corruption.
wala na ang delicadeza sa atin. nakaka walng galang ang ginagawa ng mga tao sa gobyerno. what this government has done is a big blow on our faith/hope for honest governance. nag people power tayo nung 2001 in the hope na manumbalik ang maayos at matapat na pamamalakad ng gobyerno pero anong nangyari? mas malala pa.
hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang gagawin natin. parang nawawalan na ako ng pag asa na meron pang credible leader sa panahon na ito.
nash on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:39 pm
benign-zero,
again, what is your proposal to rid us filipinos of this malaise?
and please don’t tell us again to read your blog or paper. I had the misfortune of reading it and all it is is 70 plus pages of badly composed drivel with no conclusion. (well, actually I thought you were the living embodiment of your 70 page diatribe…so well done mate)
so, it’s time YOU get real
alas ka dora on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:41 pm
nash,
ignore him. kulang yan sa pansin.
Kabayan on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:43 pm
Jose De Venecia recent quotables:
Let’s give her [Arroyo] a chance,
I want her to lead the moral revolution.
I want her to co-lead our call for moral revolution
And all of us will be rooting for her
When the times come for me to testify against the President?
Let the others do that. I’m not vindictive
=====================
Once a super trapo, always a super trapo
tagabukid on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:51 pm
“In other words, their inability to fully grasp what Lozada’s gone through is a failure of the imagination. Of empathy.”
Right on MLQ3… tinamaan ata yung iba jan, lalo na yung mga out-of-touch sa reality who continue to sneer at Lozada’s testimony.
tagabukid on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:56 pm
“Hanggang diyan lang ang Pinoy. There will be not an ounce of reflection after this latest spectacle. Mark my word.”
Yeah right, Mr. Crab.
You want to see the Filipinos fail, yan ang greatest dream mo.
cvj on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 6:59 pm
Interesting quality – transparent spontaneity. I think that best aaptures what Jeg described in his comment over at Rom’s blog:
…and also accounts for my own observations which i stated in the previous thread:
http://www.quezon.ph/?p=1672#comment-724003
The Ca t on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 7:13 pm
And after this Senate Circus, Lozada will be forgotten. The senators look for another ” star”.
Politics and showbiz mix.
And the anti-GMA will wait for another hope for GMA to fall only to wake up it is already 2010.
Like in the past discussions about probes and investigations, the anti-anti- GMA’s predictions will come true again.
Nothing’s gonna happen.
It’s all because many senators would like to become stars too and not legislators.
Waiting for the mass action? go get your hankies and weep, even the people are tired of this Senate spectacle.
The only people who are demonstrating are the people with red flag who ride on every issue, relevant or not relevant just to stay in the streets.
I find their props funny. Their demos have created a cottage-industry for posters and outlandish costumes for
street demonstrators.
The Equalizer on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 7:32 pm
The Mike Arroyo Poem
(This poem is made entirely of actual quotes of Mike Arroyo,the First Gentleman)
Let’s Settle This Outside!
I am not Jose Pidal
I have no account in the name of Jose Pidal
The fact that I have an ancestor by that name
Not a basis to link me to the Pidal accounts
I do not meddle in government affairs
I deliberately avoid the limelight
I have suffered all unfair accusations
I don’t interfere with governance!
Back off !
Let’s settle this outside
Back off!
Let’s settle this outside!
This is a continuing fairy-tale
I deny involvement in the ZTE deal,
Worse, it is a sham
My wife, the President, was not involved!
Back off !
Let’s settle this outside
Back off!
Let’s settle this outside!
I will make peace with my detractors,
I will stay in touch with God
I have a new lease on life
I am a walking miracle!
Back off !
Let’s settle this outside
Back off!
Let’s settle this outside!
JMCastro on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 8:35 pm
Tagabukid: We might empathize or imagine, but nothing short of the realest truth possible will get the likes of the middle or the upper class on the move.
Despite everything negative pointed out in this blog about our current senators, I still feel that they have the greatest amount of integrity among the top political leadership in the Philippines today.
Konti na lang, palagay ko gagawin din ni Senator Arroyo at ni Senator Enrile kung ano ang tama. All they are asking for is documentary evidence of corruption, and they have it in the form of an “Annex A” submitted by Joey de Venecia in an earlier testimony detailing what he calls the “bill of materials” of the NBN project.
I am assuming that this “Annex A” (which I heard about in the Senate hearing yesterday) details the equipment and services of the NBN project. Experts in the field of projects such as these can look it over, and actually come up with projected price ranges.
If the overprice is consistent with the testimonies of Lozada and de Venecia, we have real evidence of corruption which can beat empathy or imagination any time of the day.
Anonymous on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 8:52 pm
Who can predict the future? Maybe something will happen, but it may not be what we expect.
DevilsAdvc8 on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 9:44 pm
Mike Defensor’s idea of shopping money – 50k
which could buy:
a franchise for a small food stall (like waffle or hot dogs) or
3 decent personal computers (my idea of decent being it can run multiple programs w/o crashing)
or
sari-sari store start-up package
or
50 sacks of rice
or
pay for hospitalization bills of 4 women giving birth in a private hospital (normal delivery, doctor’s fee included)
kayo, ano naiisip nyong pwede nitong maibili?
and my god! Mike only thinks of this as shopping money!
DevilsAdvc8 on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 9:47 pm
Abalos’ offer to Neri to approve the ZTE deal: P200 M
Abalos’ demanded commission: $130 M
Lozada’s shopping money: P50k
Joker’s face when Lozada said Joker’s wife talked to him: priceless
There are people money can’t buy. But for everyone else, there’s Malacanang.
JMCastro on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 9:54 pm
DevilsAdvc8:
50k is Lozada’s salary in a month. If Jun accepted it, it would’ve covered his family’s expenses for at least a month.
baycas on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 9:55 pm
‘Pag baLd ka, Lagot ka!
Pee-pol’s Dragon!
Kamote on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:00 pm
Devils Advocate nice one!!!!!!!!
For everything else, There’s joker’s joke on him.
The Equalizer on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:02 pm
Every single scandal of the PIDAL COUPLE follow a clear pattern.Here are the three (3) basic STEPS:
Step 1: Anomalies, Scandals EXPOSED
Step 2: Brazen Lies,Briberies,Cover-ups,Deceptions
Step 3: C’mon,Let’s Move On! We can’t be distracted!
Then another mega scandal,repeat steps 1 to 3!
Why are the PIDALS getting away with it,over and over again?
Very simple! They know we are a people with SHORT MEMORY!We easily forget and forgive!
TAMA NA ! SOBRA NA!
You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
Abraham Lincoln
piankiller on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:02 pm
what has happened with raul gonzales? medyo namimiss ko siya ah. can’t he find a “legal remedy” for this one fast? man, malacanang sure made an investment by sending that many surrogates.
and can we have more pictures of mike d’s wife? wehehe.
hvrds on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:17 pm
Under the present Bush government, during his watch the U.S. public debt grew from $5 trillion to over $9 trillion. His government has borrowed more than all the U.S. presidents combined. A large part of that debt is borrowed from the Social Security trust fund. The trust fund is still in the surplus. It won’t be for long.
Corruption thorugh earmarks (pork barrel) and government procurement in goods and services in the U.S. have their share of as part of the budget. In fact the share of government expenditure as a % of domestic economic activity is over 30%.
However in the Philippines the government is the source of a large part of the formal employment. Apart from employment with multinationals a permanent government position is prized for its regularity and job security. It’s tought getting formal employment in the country. The bureaucracy in all branches of government have been genrally more politicized than it is not. The autocratic form of political structure thus freezes the entire bureaucracy in a top down line of authority. Loyalty of the entire existing government is premised on loyalty to a sitting monarch since Marcos. Throw in the cash cow institutions on top of the budget in the SSS, GSIS, Pagcor, OWWA, DBP, Land Bank and the BSP. All integral parts of the modern treasury.
Unfortunately Cory Aquino’s idealism did not translate into strengthening the institutions of law and the utter failure to jail the persons who were responsible for the excesses of the Marcos years. Even on the issue alone of resitution of the plunder. She in fact (not her directly) but her family brought back the crony capitalism almost immediately. One of her earliest executive orders put her family in charge of the main port of Manila. Joe Con her “benign” crony was able to corner the entire budget of Quedancor (a government lending agency for small farmers for his company.)
The lesson of Edsa 1 was established early on. “It is our turn at the Treasury.” Even the agrarian reform progream was receipient of the greatest landscam almost being perpetuated, the Garchitorena land scam.
Silently in the background the debt buy back scam that sealed the debts under Marcos for the benefit of the elite.
Let us look at the law firms to stress a point.
Under Marcos it was ACCRA and PECABAR. Fast forward to today. ACCRA is representing ZTE while under Marcos they represented Westinghouse. Drillon, Angara and Roco should have been charged under the Cory government. Today Angara recused himself from the hearings concerning ZTE.
Let us look at the lawyers who were part of PECABAR. Enrile, Cayetano, Bautista and Reyes. The sons and daugther of Rene Cayetano are now in the Senate and Peter is head of the Blue Ribbon. Atty. Reyes has represented Imelda in some of her cases with the government. Atty. Bautista is the lawyer of Neri according to some quarters. All these lawyers have access in the exclusive corridors of power. Their networks are the top of the political and business heirarchy. That is where the legal spin is concocted.
Atty. Jess Andres one of the lawyers of V.P.de Castro worked at PECABAR and got to know the V.P. when the late Cayetano became popular through his stint with ABS-CBN. he later alsobecame apart of the TV program.
Government has become the biggest enterprise in the country apart from the multinationals. The Chinese Filipino are set apart from all this but are the silent power behind the government. They are more discreet in their dealings with the government.
We have created a sort of politcal based elite that is totally integrated with the government institutions. Their economic well being is al,most toally tied up with the state. Look at Michael Defensor. He was appointed to the board of Petron. Even Emilia Boncodin who worked under Ramos and GMA in the Budget department. (DBM) The disbursing arm of the state. Bondcodin was GMA’s head of the DBM and is one of the Hyatt 10. She has had some serious health probelms and was recently appointed also to the board of Petron.
Doing business in the Philippines at the highest level of interaction with big business and big government, I have seen the workings of a system which is totally oblivious to public oversight and accountability. You multiply the event of the ZTE by the hundreds and you get a rough idea of how business is done in the country.
For a developing economy it not hard to see why the total debt picture of the country is larger than the total output of the country. Government service in the Philippines has created a lot of the landed and politcal elite.
It is not that surprising. The initial distribution of factor endowments (assets) was skewed and the beneficiaries will be hard pressed to give up their advantage. All you have a a merry go round at the top. Unfortunately the inevitability of history will change it.
“…… A technologically stagnant agricultural society is bound to be an extremely unequal one: by force and fraud, the upper class push the peasants’ standards of living down to subsistence and take the surplus as the rent on the land they control. The high rents paid to noble landlords increase their wealth and power by giving them the resources to keep the peasants down and widen the surplus – for, after all, they cannot make more land.” J. Bradford De Long from his piece ‘In Marx’s Shadow Again
That is why the middle class of the country is mostly abroad.
Yuko on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:19 pm
Lying under oath is perjury. Where I am a citizen of, it is considered a crime. If Razon and his men were Japanese, they would be stripped of their position in the police by now.
Kawawang Pilipinas!
BrianB on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:32 pm
Mike D’s wife is hot. What’s her name?
ricelander on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:34 pm
Attention here ladies and gentlemen: Either Ninez Cacho-Olivarez is drunk or has a scoop. Here’s the link:http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080213hed1.html
BrianB on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:34 pm
Manolo,
“The middle and upper classes instinctively wall themselves off from the rest of society, and have an innate sense of privacy that is impossible and even unimaginable for the majority of our population.”
Just come out with it; you mean hypchrisy, yes?
BrianB on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:38 pm
This is what I call WRITING.
hvrds on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 10:39 pm
Crony capitalism and corruption at the highest level of state capitalism.
Government is the executive committee of the rich.
For all the pinoys working abroad the government and the elite of the Philippines are eternally thankfull for supplying the hard currency necessary for the country to survive and keep the political and business elite in the standards that they are used to.
George Will from the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020802557.html
J.Bradford De Long
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/delong74
Thomas Palley
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/palley3
Joseph Stiglitz
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/stiglitz96
Keneth Rogoff
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/rogoff39
BrianB on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:11 pm
“That is why the middle class of the country is mostly abroad.”
hvrds, all and well but this does not explain why the VAST majority are not fighting back. Naloloko lang ba, natatakot?
Land ownership in the Philippines today descended from land ownership during Spanish times. Hindi naibalik ang ninakaw nang mga Kastila. My opinion is that the attitude Philippine masses came with this land ownership. The fact that agrarian reform is failing, though it is provided with its own section in the Constitution, is proof of this.
The elite, though wise and react fast in the changing times should still be the lighter class on the scale compared to its opposite. They cannot enjoy the freedom that they enjoy now if it weren’t for the passivity of the masses. The state of our culture is not up to them as much as it is up to the lower classes.
Geo on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:29 pm
hvrds,
If you don’t mind…
…Brilliant description; flawed prognosis.
A downsizing of the government (reduced overhead, increased efficiency), a stronger balance sheet (reduced debt, stronger peso), a radicaly healthier P&L and cash flow, and the rapid growth of a white collar, BPO industry (no, don’t just think call center at 3am) will most likely result in a reverse brain-drain.
The only limit to BPO/KPO/O&O growth here is the number of qualified workers available for the exploding demand.
The pump-priming in the infrastructure sector also offers the skilled OFW types a new chance to get lucrative jobs here. Remember: Many contracts went to international entities and they surely value internationally-experienced engineers/skilled labor…who are from the host country and will accept a non-”hardship” wage.
No sir, the most likely future development is a rapid increase in the middle class sector and a rapid re-patriation of “overseas” Pinoys (regardless of citizenship status).
That’s the positive development that might get aborted by all this political BS, by the way. That’s why I get pissed off now and then.
nash on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:37 pm
@brianb
“hvrds, all and well but this does not explain why the VAST majority are not fighting back. Naloloko lang ba, natatakot?”
Natatakot siempre. Kaya nga we are all here Not using our real names when we post.
At least we are semi-vocal about our displeasure. Maybe when those people who go abroad and live in places where standards are high come back home, they will notice the difference and not put up with it.
We can perhaps see what is happening in the South of Italy today. With people traveling and working all over the world, they come home and suddenly realize “Teka, bakit ako magbabayad ng lagay sa Mafia to protect my business? Wala namang ganun sa Canada ah…”
JMCastro on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:39 pm
BrianB:
I don’t think it is the place of the VAST majority to fight back.
A favorite phrase I read in Dune, I think, applies:
“A world is supported by four things… the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing without a ruler who knows the art of ruling.”
Those in the lower classes deserve to be led and managed properly by those above them. Meanwhile, those in the lower classes deserve to have a say on who will lead and manage them.
My hope is that someone from the lower classes will emerge braver, wiser, more righteous and greater than our current crop of elite as a result of our national experiences right now. Until that time, those of us lucky enough to be in the middle and at the top of our society have the obligation to be the answers to the prayers of those below us.
nash on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:40 pm
Similarly, we can say waitaminute…why do I have to put up with GMA? Ano ba ranking niya among national leaders? A bit higher than Mugabe, but definitely waaay lower than Helen Clarke in terms of integrity.
The Equalizer on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:48 pm
I just watched ANC’s Strictly Politics show hosted by Pia Hontiveros.The comments by the Presidential Deputy Spokesperson were so pathetic:
1)She claimed there were different variants of the Truth.The truth according to the government,the truth according to Jun Lozada,etc.Since when did The Truth have variants?
2)She claimed that the airport video showed that Jun Lozada was walking freely together with his captors.He was also free to use his cell phone.Yeah,right!
3)She claimed that the “president can’t be distracted and will be focused on the economy”.Of course,she had to add “let’s move on!” .(This is always the Step 3 of the Palace after every scandal).Translation:Let’s forgive and forget!
4)She claimed that there is no evidence to link directly the President.Is she saying that Mike Arroyo is not a direct link to Gloria?Have they finally divorced???
5)She said that Jun Lozada is answerable for the “petty scandals ” linked to him by Miriam in his Phil.Forest job.(How about the MEGA Scandals linked to GLORIA?)
This lady,Lorelie Fajardo was probably reading the script of Bunye (“How To Deny,Deny Deny To the Bitter End”).
rom on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:54 pm
mlq3: nitpicking … it’s romulo not romeo. He has the height of one and he sometimes thinks he’s the other.
Geo on Tue, 12th Feb 2008 11:55 pm
Yes, nash, exactly.
The global winds are blowing just right for everyone here. The reverse brain drain will ride in on the investment inflows and will participate in the expansion of the domestic economy. Smart, global money (that includes any Pinoy that’s been overseas, btw) will place bets on the prospects of extended double-digit growth. (It already has)
And yes, these new economic forces will not be beholden to the traditional powers-that-be; nor will they be muzzled or controlled. And that’s how political changes occur.
And that’s why we might be best off trying to maintain the structures of the institutions, rather than once again throwing the rules out the window…only to go back to zero…negative zero. Maybe it’s better to just win the votes the next election.
Open the economy to the world, corral the outsourcing jobs, and ride the Next Wave of the new Megatrends revolution.
Or not.
mlq3 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:01 am
brian, no. a strong sense of privacy and the belief one should maintain a stiff upper lip in public isn’t that. it’s an aspect of a particular kind of culture, the way delicadeza is: this is randy david’s point about the old feudal virtues, which respected obligations on both sides.
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:03 am
“Those in the lower classes deserve to be led and managed properly by those above them.”
The lower classes are getting smarter. The rich dumber. Even with their Harvard degrees (probably got in because of donations) I find many of the elite undeserving of the intellectual respect the wider public gives them. In Southeast Asia we probably have the most mediocre elite. Our middle class and lower class can beat their counterparts.
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:04 am
And shit, I use my real name.
JMCastro on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:04 am
Geo:
I don’t doubt that your strategy for economic development is viable.
What do you propose we do about the NBN affair? I personally don’t think it should be business as usual.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:05 am
“mediocre elite”
oxymoron ha.
please, let us stop using the word ‘elite’ to refer to the rich and the politicians.
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:06 am
I use my real name here…
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:07 am
Manolo, this attitude may not have been hypocritical in those times but in these, er, democratic times, it is. You have a lolo, I have a lolo. I remember he once told me how the rich pols would bribe people. Many would not accept but had to eventually fearing they’d be resented. That’s how they conditioned Filipinos to be enthusiastic bribe takers.
Dirk Pitt on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:08 am
The Equalizer :
Every single scandal of the PIDAL COUPLE follow a clear pattern.Here are the three (3) basic STEPS:
Step 1: Anomalies, Scandals EXPOSED
Step 2: Brazen Lies,Briberies,Cover-ups,Deceptions
Step 3: C’mon,Let’s Move On! We can’t be distracted!
Then another mega scandal,repeat steps 1 to 3!
Why are the PIDALS getting away with it,over and over again?
—-BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE BONG AUSTERO,BENCARD,THE CAT, ALEX MAGNO,ATIENZA, ERMITA, GONZALES, etc multipLIED many times over!—
Geo on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:12 am
JMC,
Investigate and prosecute (if there’s a viable case).
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:12 am
you know…all this talk about the elite and the powerful reminds me of the pre-martial law years. a new elite came out during martial law…the cronies and the inteligentsia …the bright young boys of Marcos – remember?
gosh, it’s a vicious cycle we have to learn how to break or else we’ll have another golem on our hands…
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:15 am
Mita, Marcos was one man, his cohorts a few man. few bad apples don’t mean we’re an orchard of evil.
JMCastro on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:18 am
BrianB:
“In Southeast Asia we probably have the most mediocre elite. Our middle class and lower class can beat their counterparts.”
Restoring trust between all stakeholders in the Philippine society is a difficult thing. I find Lozada’s performance in the Senate to be a great source of inspiration. What better way to go about restoring trust than telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:19 am
@mita,
now i realise i’m using the wrong definition of elite. i’m so young kase (just turned 17, pwe)
anyways, yeah ‘elite’ is such a bad term (sina joma kasi!)
i think we should elevate the word ‘elite’ to it’s once lofty status; ie when we say ‘elite athlete’, or ‘elite leader’ or ‘elite doctor’ we mean ‘worldclass’
With this usage, we should all be elitists (don’t tell that leech joma, he still alive apparently living off the welfare system of a non-commie nation)
at ikaw naman, mita nga real name mo, eh ang daming ‘mita’ ano. so you are still semi-anonymous.
UP n student on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:21 am
Because IT
is not the truth unless it passes the test of TRUTHINESS???? 
mlq3 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:22 am
brian, what they are are no longer effective. i’m working on an article where my assertion is, delicadeza as an effective concept died on a particular day: when emmanuel pelaez said he preferred to lose the nacionalista party nomination rather than do certain things to get delegates’ votes. other politicians of a traditional mold knew what marcos had in him and were trying a last-ditch effort to keep him from the final leg of his path to the presidency. when people heard about pelaez’s self control, it they stampeded to marcos’ side. twenty years later, pelaez was being rushed to the hospital, riddled with bullets, and making that famous complaint, “what is happening to our country?”
i had an interesting talk with alan peter cayetano who after all is always nice to everyone and gamely talked to me about my criticisms of him. one story he told me struck me, though. he said he discussed whether it would be a good idea to restore the two party system, to restore some sort of party cohesion to the senate. and roxas replied, “mahirap. natikman na nila eh.” referring to the way each senator views himself as a independent power.
what’s supposed to replaced informal cultural traditions -that certain things may be legal or illegal but what matters most is that certain acts will subject one to the contempt of one’s peers- is an impersonal law, etc. then it becomes neither a question of taste, taboo nor tradition but simply, a matter of the rule of law.
but, well… instead of the rule of law we have legalism, which is different.
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:23 am
“This is because the skeptics have always been in the position of being immune to intimidation or who blithely take it for granted as a kind of necessity to keep uppity underlings in line. Or who have lived such insulated lives that it frankly amazes them when someone claims they didn’t have options to explore in their self-defense.”
He, he. I’m glad someone thinks this way. This is so true. When I was in college I was often amazed of how clueless some people there was about their own country. But, then again, I actually never allowed myself to be fooled. I know these people know they are perpetuating the culture of our undemocratic past every day when no one is looking or at least when they are with peers. In class they are so knowledgeable about equality and injustices in South Africa and old US of A but somehow it never seemed to hit them or at least they didn’t mind that they are doing something very similar in their own back yard.
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:25 am
Brian,
It’s not just Marcos. It’s the REPETITION of events and circumstances that led to martial law which bothers me. Don’t get me wrong, my belief is people will not stand for another martial law so I don’t see that ever happening…
It’s just – this repetition points to a deeper dysfunction than mere politics – it’s society, it’s the Pinoy mindset to take your share of the pie when the opportunity arises…it’s that feeling of entitlement for being the smarter one, the one in power…
I’m not putting it well at all…I’m no writer and my vocabulary is limited…but there it is…
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:27 am
“instead of the rule of law we have legalism”
Legalism happens because we lack the most precious fundamental in a free society… thorough grounding in our Bill of Rights. Like I keep repeating, school kids should learn the B of R by heart.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:28 am
@UP n,
Ikaw ha, Colbertista ka pala.
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:29 am
“I’m not putting it well at all…I’m no writer and my vocabulary is limited…but there it is…”
He, and my subject-verb agreement suck when energies is low.
Reads my comment prior to these and see where I’m getting at.
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:34 am
Geo, regarding your recommendation above of “ downsizing…government“, i’m reminded of this comment from Dani Rodrik’s blog:
Those who believe in the ideal of a minimalist government that doesn’t get in the way of individual enterprise need to bear this in mind.
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:37 am
How about ‘elitist’?
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:45 am
“i’m working on an article where my assertion is, delicadeza as an effective concept died on a particular day:”
These obligations you mentioned are utilitarian. In times of rapid change, these old obligations mutate into something our generation are very familiar with: opportunism. I think you are wrong in thinking the old way was a way of virtue, that delicadeza is a true virtue. Delicadeza has always sounded like an ad hoc version of ethics to me. It worked for an era, but it doesn’t work today. I’m looking for a deeper virtue, a virtue that does not change with the time because it is universal. Call it the Bill of Rights, the Ten Commandments, being Christian. Were the elite ever any of these?
Geo on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:47 am
cvj,
I was talking about the monthly costs/expenditures. I don’t think anyone will argue that there’s no fat to trim in the gov bureaucracy. This country can’t succeed until its finances are in order.
Change the economic dynamics, change the political dynamics.
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:48 am
Manolo,
that is what I’m looking for. I believe rights and civil liberties as written in constitutions all over the world should work in any era, whatever the limitations. These old ways and old codes are simply how things were. That they seemed better than what we have today is, I’m sorry, but a myopic POV.
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:52 am
Geo, if you really believe in ‘trimming the fat‘ from government, why then are you opposed to investigating the ones who are most responsible for it? That 329Million USD worth of fat right there.
Shaman of Malilipot on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:53 am
Sen. Joker Arroyo said that Jun Lozada appeared to be a credible witness but he needed to present documents.
Okay, the following have been presented in connection with Jun’s account of the kidnapping:
1. A handwritten request for protection that Jun said he was forced to write inside the car while under the custody of his kidnappers. Stupid Razon. If Jun really wanted police protection, he would have asked his wife to write a request well ahead of his arrival. In forcing Jun to write a request for protection after he arrived and was already in police custody, Razon created the absurd situation where “protection” was given even before it was requested. Stupid Razon, as in stupid reason.
2. An affidavit that was drafted by Atty. Bautista on the instructions of Atty. Gaite and which Jun was forced to sign with reservations. The affidavit could not be notarized because the falsifiers could not find a notary public willing to ratify the document in the absence of Jun.
3. A typewritten request for protection that Col. Mascarinas forced Jun’s sister Carmen to sign. When the media started pointing out the absurdity of the police’s giving “protection” before it was requested, the stupid police forced Carmen to sign an antedated written request.
What possible document does Joker expect Jun to submit that will prove that he was seized upon exiting the plane and driven by his captors all the way to Los Banos?
If Joker means documents that will prove that FG and his gangsters were out to collect commissions from the NBN deal, everybody knows that grafters and corrupters don’t keep minutes of meetings or sign memorandums of agreement. This sordid business can only be proved by corroborated testimonies by witnesses with direct knowledge. That’s how they nail down Mafia’s goodfellas. That there were commissions on the ZTE-NBN deal has been proven by the corroborating testimonies of JDV3, Romy Neri, and Jun Lozada, all credible witnesses with direct knowledge of the matter (although I wish Neri would be so shamed by Jun’s courage and take his testimony to its logical conclusion).
Atty. Fely Arroyo a human rights lawyer? What kind of human rights lawyer is she who obstructs justice by advising a possible witness against testifying truthfully in a Senate investigation? Now, Joker claims that this thing about his wife is a personal matter. Excuse me? He’s a senator of the Republic investigating a corruption case and when his wife talked with and gave advice to a possible witness in the case, he calls it a personal matter? Should I believe that Atty. Fely didn’t discuss the meeting with Sen. Joker while, maybe, in bed before dropping off to sleep?
At the very least, Atty. Fely Arroyo should be investigated.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:58 am
@cvj
élite in old french- selection, choice; that which is chosen…which if you dig for the latin root comes down to elligare “to elect”
So we should all be ‘elitists’ and select only the best and the brightest….
Diba? Tayo ba ay magpapagamot sa duktor na hindi magaling? Ganun rin sa gobyerno, hindi pwede ang pwede na.
Nash
President for the Movement to Return “elite” to its positive definition.
DevilsAdvc8 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:01 am
delicadeza died the moment “practicality” was born in the pinoy psyche.
delicadeza died for me the moment i heard my parents say: aanhin mo ang idealism mong yan kung wala kang ipapakain sa pamilya mo?
there. now we know why our society is so screwed. every filipino thinks that way.
because, higher than delicadeza, filipinos value their family the most. so damn everything, and sell one’s soul, just so in the end, one’s family gets by. isn’t that admirable if it wasn’t so tragic?
mlq3 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:03 am
brian, my view is the virtues don’t mutate, they are discarded outright, either replaced with something better or worse. or they can evolve, particularly if adopted by more who then give them a broader meaning.
we differ on the value of tradition but i do believe the more useful search is for something that is less subjective than a cultural norm. because as there are more of us and there’s less and less of a chance any particular kind of culture will be dominant, well, what can be the pluralistic values then?
one person one vote, basic concepts of human rights, etc. they all have ancient origins, but have been refined or expanded over time.
my point was that the old values did much to enforce self-control but they stopped working at a certain point and like virginity, once lost, old values can’t be restored. at least not a large scale. in which case the search for something more workable. but to understand why we’re looking for that something new requires recognizing both the positive attributes and weaknesses of what came before, in particular, why some, at least yearn for what once was, and yet which has so thoroughly disappeared.
that’s what we’re still trying to figure out.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:06 am
@devils
“delicadeza died for me the moment i heard my parents say: aanhin mo ang idealism mong yan kung wala kang ipapakain sa pamilya mo?” – lalo na kung sampu ang anak mo naaayon sa turo ng mga obispo….
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:06 am
shaman, you’re letting the drama get to you….the senate hearing is for NBN … let’s not lose sight of that or we’ll get sidetracked. there are other issues attached to the testimony which matters to the country more than a purported kidnapping of a man who is now safe. there’s the issue of systemic corruption in government for one…
cvj, all this time geo has been posting here i don’t recall him ever saying he was opposed to investigating anyone….the issue has always been (for me anyway) – will it lead to anything?
Geo on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:07 am
cvj,
Who said I was against investigating fraud/corruption? I recently said “investigate and prosecute”.
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:08 am
with my limited vocabulary – all we need in every Pinoy is PLAIN DECENCY…
hvrds on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:09 am
“By contrast, mainstream economists argued, a technologically advancing industrial society was bound to be different. First, the key resources that command high prices and thus produce wealth are not fixed, like land, but are variable: the skills of craft workers and engineers, the energy and experience of entrepreneurs, and machines and buildings are all things that can be multiplied. As a result, high prices for scarce resources lead not to zero- or negative-sum political games of transfer but to positive-sum economic games of training more craft workers and engineers, mentoring more entrepreneurs and managers, and investing in more machines and buildings.”
“Second, democratic politics balances the market. Government educates and invests, increasing the supply and reducing the premium earned by skilled workers, and lowering the rate of return on physical capital. It also provides social insurance by taxing the prosperous and redistributing benefits to the less fortunate. Economist Simon Kuznets proposed the existence of a sharp rise in inequality upon industrialization, followed by a decline to social-democratic levels.” J. Bradford De Long from”In Marx’s Shadow Again
Development is a slow evolutionary process from the land to capital. That is the heart of capitalism. Industrial Capitalism. This has transformed the land and urbanized a large part of th planet. Financial capitalism or financialization is about future values. The monetization and commoditization of optimism. All supported by the strong state apparatus of a fiat currency system under rules of law concerning contracts and property rights. The heart of economics.
Where is the Philippines in this evolutionary process. The political institutions of state and effective and weak states themselves are a product of this evolutionary economic developmental process. The Marxists or Communists who run the People’s Republic of China are pragmatic theoreticians of Marxist thought. They have not raised Marxist analysis to a dogma. In the Philippines the distorted model of development affected by the accidents of history.
What you are seeing is the effect of this distorted unequal distribution of assets. The word land or argrarian reform is a misnomer. It trivializes and narrows the focus. Economic development is possible only where governments redistribute assets. Asset reform – public infrastructure (including the avialability of reasonable credit terms) and social spending to build up human capital.
This only possible thorugh economic nationalism of which monetary nationalism is an integral part. The reason for armed conflict in the 20th century was extreme nationalism and protectionaism practiced by the industrial economies. Imperialism was practiced and now we have a dominant force after the armed struggles that have moved to international forums and armed conflicts are less total wars but smaller conflicts.
Let us look at the people who are calling for change -Cory, Maceda, Guingona, Erap. The crooks in the Palace to be replaced by a familiar but the same philosophical mindset.
Can these so called leaders call for a revolutionary change that is necessary to strengthen the institutions of state primarily by becoming hard nosed about collecting taxes and enforcing the laws to do it. When it comes to fiscal policy the state has to become a facist state. The hand of steel should be prevalent only in that agency of the state.
Singapores main road to success is their policy of forced savings. The prevalence of all those public assets came from that policy. Subsidized housing and health care came with that policy.
That is what asset reform has wrought. Unfortunately all institutional build ups happend only during times of extreme crisis. That is when elightened leadership stepped in to intervene in the inevitability of historical forces.
Push the envelope and strive for substantive change but do not allow the same type of people to take the lead.
It would be preferable to leave Big Mike and GMA in charge as they will surely blow themselves up anyway because of their arogance and greed.
My wet dream is seeing their entire family in the bright colors of a prison outfit in handcuffs walking the walk of shame.
People need symbols of statepower and the power to dispense equitable justice is paramount to the building of a nation state. That is the heart of a classless society. Equal opportunity and equal before the law.
JMCastro on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:11 am
@UP n
I hate to engage in “truthiness”, but that’s pretty much all I got..
JMCastro on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:21 am
hvrds:
“… Push the envelope and strive for substantive change but do not allow the same type of people to take the lead. …”
From where we are, what next?
vic on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:22 am
BrianB, Agree with you that children should know the Bills of Rights by heart and practice them too..I don’t know if the term “delikadeza” or Pride are one and the Same, but if someone ask why even with very Lenient Penalties and enforcement of most minor offenses here are spotty, still people just don’t go out and break them, we just simply answer we have PRIDE..
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:23 am
Manolo, are you sure you do not confuse etiquette with ethics? The old elite is as rapacious as the new. They probably stole more. The process was merely straightforward. Where I come from it’s called “turo turo.” The well-placed would point at the horizon then trace the land to as far as his eyes could see and call it “his land.” Of course conscience-wise those old thieves were less burdened compared to the new thieves simply because of their old belief that education and culture gave a man more right.
mlq3 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:28 am
brian, i suppose so if you subscribe to the concept that property is theft.
DevilsAdvc8 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:30 am
this is a simple case of taking the logical events to its conclusion.
good people, don’t kill. bad people do.
good vs bad, good loses. bec they always get killed.
so bad people stay on top, and sometimes even multiply, because good people getting killed is a reinforcing lesson on semi-bad people and on semi-good people.
that being good is bad for your health.
so more step over to the dark side.
the level of education of an individual is inversely proportional to the number of kids they will produce.
and the more kids an individual has, the lesser chances these kids have of acquiring a higher or even the same degree of education their parents had. since this is a spillover cycle, succeeding generations would elicit a vicious cycle. having had less or no education, they reproduce even more. and their kids, even more!
dumadami ang pobre, kumokonti ang edukado.
media is powerful. BUT media, panders to the masses. the least of the educated. so, media, the ever powerful brainwashing machine, not only dumbs down the already dumb poor, but affects everyone else tuned in to it. including the rich brats who’ll someday take control of their parents empire. so stupidity though not medically contagious, spreads like the black plague.
it’s a dynamic combination! more miseducation, more unwanted population! we’re nicely coming along in the words of the revelation. it’s spinning out of control too!
more unwanted population? the more quality of education falls, the better breeding ground for more unwanted population! isn’t this what the church wants? and why not? it’s God’s word! we’re only fulfilling the end as prophesied.
and its not only the religious who gets to say “i told ya so!” but even those who believe in science. for this is evolution at its finest. man, edging out, marginalizing, the best and brightest, the kindest, most good, visionary gene-carriers among them so that the vile, stupid, cruelest, myopic gene-carriers can thrive.
i think it won’t be long before we beat the cockroach at their own game.
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:31 am
Nash, i don’t think modern society with its level of functional decomposition has room for the elite or elitists. That’s a pre-modern concept. Instead, what we need in good measure are specialists and generalists.
Mike on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:41 am
Say, tonight’s news had something about a rally on Friday. What’s being planned, Manolo?
BrianB on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:44 am
Stealing land is theft. It’s not like they paid the real owners. They paid the officials and they paid lawyers. In the old days, if you are illiterate you do not have rights.
Whenever I hear some rich guy on TV or on print ask why Filipinos are so tolerant about corruption, I want to tell him, “They tolerated your great grandfather, why shouldn’t they show the same “good faith” with the parvenus?”
On another but related topic. Filipinos do not have short memories; in fact they remember way, way back.
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:48 am
Geo, i’ve read your other comments. What you say ostensibly, i.e. investigate & prosecute, is contradicted by your stand against the ongoing Senate hearings. That’s why i cannot take your statement at face value.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:50 am
@ cvj
and as i said i want ‘elite’ specialists (ie worldclass) and ‘elite’ generalists
I guess this funny hair splitting i’m doing comes from our lesson yesterday on the meaning of ‘abduction’ and ‘kidnap’…
Oh well, as they say, semantics killed the cat.
anthony scalia on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:20 am
much as i believe Lozada, the senate investigations will lead only to a new legislation or a committee report. nothing more, nothing less.
there are much more important pending bills, yet its still a wonder why the Senate keeps on investigating it.
of course certain Senators will not want a prosecution right away, as they have to apply their 2010 make-ups first
Amadeo on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:33 am
MLQIII:
…i’m working on an article where my assertion is, delicadeza as an effective concept died on a particular day: when emmanuel pelaez said he preferred to lose the nacionalista party nomination rather than do certain things to get delegates’ votes. other politicians of a traditional mold knew what marcos had in him and were trying a last-ditch effort to keep him from the final leg of his path to the presidency. when people heard about pelaez’s self control, it they stampeded to marcos’ side. twenty years later, pelaez was being rushed to the hospital, riddled with bullets, and making that famous complaint, “what is happening to our country?â€
Coming from you, this was quite revelatory though many of us are quite familiar with these details. From a relative I learned that the surviving children of the late Maning Pelaez will be launching a book on his life this summer in the old homeland. I shall try to get more details on this event.
He continues to be the most loved son of Misamis Oriental, and particularly Cagayan de Oro. And in an odd twist (some may say), the family of Romulo Neri is closely related to Maning’s mother side, both Neri’s from Bohol.
Bert on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 3:43 am
“4)She claimed that there is no evidence to link directly the President.Is she saying that Mike Arroyo is not a direct link to Gloria?Have they finally divorced???–The Equalizer
Not divorced, Equalizer. The direct links happened nights, it’s dark and it’s private, so Lorelei was unaware, although I would guess she has an idea, heheh.
UP n student on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 4:32 am
One solution to this wheezing and carping confusion about elite, elitist is to NAME NAMES!!! And if you can say why — even if it is because they are rich beyond what they can spend in ten lifetimes — the better.
So both Elpidio Quirino, Ferdinand Marcos, Erap and GMA are, by world-standard, elite. [Less than 1/100 of one percent of the world become government department heads, much less head-of-state.]
——–
Merrian-Webster Dictionary:
elite : (i) a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence; ;
(ii) the best of a class ;
(iii) the socially superior part of society
UP n student on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 4:34 am
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
elite : (i) a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence; [Fr. Bernas is one of the intellectual elites of the country];
(ii) the best of a class [The Philippines has a vast underground of hackers, and one of its elite is The poster boy of Filipino hackerdom is Onel de Guzman, the 23-year-old Manila resident who unleashed the Love Bug virus which wiped out files and paralyzed Internet access from Pakistan to the Pentagon];
(iii) the socially superior part of society [Is it not correct to say that MLQ3, grandson to the late President Quezon, is one of the Spanish-speaking elite?]
UP n student on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 4:43 am
cvj: One reason to wish to be among the elite
is to …exercise much power or influence and move this dinosaur called the nation towards a certain direction. 
UP n student on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 5:36 am
And another reason to work your butt off to be ELITE is from this English clergyman :
Oooops, not that one. This one:
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 7:11 am
..i suppose you should add that we also have ‘elite kidnappers’ who are ‘elite wordsmiths’, able to turn the word ‘abduct’ into something all ofws should aspire to experience whenever they come home via naia..
benign0 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 7:29 am
“what’s supposed to replaced informal cultural traditions -that certain things may be legal or illegal but what matters most is that certain acts will subject one to the contempt of one’s peers- is an impersonal law, etc. then it becomes neither a question of taste, taboo nor tradition but simply, a matter of the rule of law.
but, well… instead of the rule of law we have legalism, which is different.” — mlq3
Legalism is easy because any moron can take the letter of the law literally, dish it out literally, and apply it literally — which is why fundamentalist religion appeals to losers.
While it’s easy to do that, actually understanding and adhereing to THE POINT behind the law is the challenge that seems to be beyond basic comprehension for most Pinoys.
The reality is that the elite are successful because they make up their own rules among themselves and work within that framework they created for themselves. In the same way, jeepneys operate within their own rules framework — the honesty-based payment system and the infuriating chaotic nature around which they pick up and drop off passengers.
It works both ways. It’s not just the elite. The masses also work by their own rules. So all those who seem to make an issue about “elitism” need to get their perspectives broadened a bit. It’s the SOCIETY in general that is dysfunctional and averse to the implementation of structure and transparency.
Having said the above though, check out this brilliant piece ‘Englightenment of the Elite’:
http://www.geocities.com/benign0/3-00_Makati/enlighten1.html
At the end of the day, those with the most resources at their disposal are in the best position to institute change — if only they weren’t too pre-occupied with broadcasting trash through the Philippine Media and displaying their Attourney-at-Law certificates.
Then again it is the height of naivite to actually think that appeals to civic duty work on the rich. They are too busy making money just like the rest of us.
dinapinoy on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 7:41 am
kaninong signature ang makikita sa mga documents na ito? kay jose velarde?
hvrds on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 7:47 am
The first groups on the street will always be the organized political ideological blocs belonging to the left. They cannot bring out the so called necessary middle forces. There is no economic crisis that will push these groups into the street. The opposition outsiders to state power will do their utmost also to try to get the paid crowds out onto the street. The INC which was the canon fodder for Edsa III is firmly on GMA’s side. The perfect storm preceding Edsa I and in a small way the economic storm brought about by the Asian Crisis in 1997 worked its way into a full blown crisis multiplied by the excesses of the Erap misrule.
The governments strong peso model is now critical in keeping the domestic middle forces content. Their basket of goods is mostly import dependent. Together with smuggling their standards are being maintained. The one equalizer in past political upheavals was always economic downturns that affected the small middle.
The economic firewall so to speak vs. economic downturns is still provided by the OFW’s.
For people to get involved they should join movements. It is only through mass movements that real change can happen. The center will have to be strengthened first.
The safest bet is still with the left of center groups like Akbayan and the Institute for Popular Democracy and the right of center groups like the B&W Movement and Action for Economic Reforms. They are the closest thing to a Republican centrist party that we have. The left would be the embryo of a Democratic party representing small farmers, farm workers, workers and small business. The FPI, PCCI, MBC and MAP are simply big business. Forget about them.
Asking the government to clean house is the first and only step to take. It is now a clear gauntlet being thrown down between an obviously corrupt autocratic government and the people. If there is no appreciable mass movement composed of centrists in great numbers the government has a wide open road to do as it pleases until the next time once again.
For those who are fed up you may join the extreme left and take up the armed struggle. The extreme left has many groups under its wing. Take your pick.
UP n student on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 8:07 am
benign0 said : Then again it is the height of naivite to actually think that appeals to civic duty work on the rich. They are too busy making money just like the rest of us.
I disagree. In fact, it is good law-writing to appeal to the civic duty emotions of the rich. The vehicle is the tax-break. The benefit is to push the rich along to do faster and with more oooomph (i.e.more pesos) what they were thinking of doing anyway. The other benefit is that, at the corporate-level anyway, some of the rich do practice separation of church-and-state. Case in point : what GAWAD KALINGA now faces as “corporate” wants their pesos to go to housing/health-care for the poor, in contrast to some of GK-leadership wanting to spend their time and resources proselytizing the Catholic faith among the poor.
benign0 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 8:12 am
“I disagree. In fact, it is good law-writing to appeal to the civic duty emotions of the rich. The vehicle is the tax-break. The benefit is to push the rich along to do faster and with more oooomph (i.e.more pesos) what they were thinking of doing anyway. The other benefit is that, at the corporate-level anyway, some of the rich do practice separation of church-and-state. Case in point : what GAWAD KALINGA now faces as “corporate†wants their pesos to go to housing/health-care for the poor, in contrast to some of GK-leadership wanting to spend their time and resources proselytizing the Catholic faith among the poor.” – UP n student
But that’s exactly my point.
Said civic duty should make ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL SENSE to them. As you said: “the vehicle is the tax-break”. That is still an economic incentive.
benign0 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 10:46 am
Conrado de Quiros said this of Lozada in his INQ7 column today:
“And all the efforts to rattle him, to confuse him, to confound him led only to his detractors being rattled, confused and confounded. All of which confirmed something the ordinary person has always known but which seems to have been lost on this country’s lawyers: There is only one weapon you can wield to fight off the siege the armies of the night will lay upon you when you take the witness stand, that will leave you standing when the smoke clears, proud and victorious:
The truth.”
Childlike simplicity vs the armies of Lawyerspeak.
Legalese is good at spinning different versions of what is essentially the same story.
Whereas The Truth only need be repeated — and repeated — in its simplest form to be truly effective.
That is why my message remains the same year in and year out — annoying to those who simply don’t get the inherent simplicity of The Truth and prefer to immerse themselves in pointless legalese.
The Equalizer on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 10:49 am
Gloria’s men to Lozada :Let’s Move On! (Catch us If you can )
“As far as the Palace is concerned, this issue is settled, we can now move on and tackle other issues that really matter to the people,” Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye.
“Marami pa po tayong puedeng pagka-abalahan,” he added, “kabilang na po rito yung mga programa na pang-edukasyon, kalusugan, yung ating social welfare, yung ating mga imprastraktura na mga dapat nating pondohan…
“These are the more important and more vital projects that we must be paying attention to,” Bunye said.
What ordinary folks say:
-”Uso na ngayon move on”
-Its like saying “i murdered someone” then say “sorry and lets move on”
-Because of Gloria’s standard line of “let’s move on,” wala tuloy nare-resolve na issue!
-That’s Not Right!?!Even elementary or pre-school pupils caught cheating are
punished !
-There are rules and laws for infractions like these. May the wheels of justice begin to roll. In the meantime, us “mere mortals†move on and try to eke out a living.
-”Move on” – I suppose that’s the partyline now. They should hire a popular dancing group to release a novelty song of the same name (in Tagalog of course) if they want maximum saturation from this one.
Kabayan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:25 am
The Charter Change charge of the Nazguls has begun, the succeeding gambit will soon be revealed. Inquirer.net news “Charter Change Road show begins”
1. Remove JDV, check
2. Institute Charter Change, objective ongoing.
The queen trying to keep herself clean, (the same tactic in keeping herself clean in the JDV ouster, ZTE deal, etc.) Inquirer.net “Palace: Charter change road show an LGU matter”
—–
Meanwhile from the Palace balustrade:
“Local government officials … lend me your ears! …”
—–
The battle to defend our freedom (or whatever is left) begins in earnest.
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:30 am
nash, it’s not hairsplitting because, as UPn said (at 4:43am), the “wish to be among the elite
is to …exercise much power or influence and move this dinosaur called the nation towards a certain direction”. The perception that one belongs to the elite serves as justification for all sorts of unfair and unjust social behavior (vs. the masa).
With elitism, as per UPn’s Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition in ‘iii’ (at 4:34am), comes a sense of entitlement over the rest that the term ’specialist’ or ‘generalist’ does not necessarily convey. if you’re a ’specialist’ in one area (or in a few areas), that doesn’t make you one of society’s ‘elite’. One may be an expert doctor, another an engineer, another a caregiver with no one being ’superior’ to the other.
Getting rid of the elitist mindset is a necessary step towards reciprocity.
inodoro ni emilie on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:52 am
how to kill sense of delicadeza:
benign0 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:01 pm
“-â€Move on†– I suppose that’s the partyline now. They should hire a popular dancing group to release a novelty song of the same name (in Tagalog of course) if they want maximum saturation from this one.”
Make sure they are good at doing the ocho-ocho.
Kabayan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:02 pm
Other watermarks regarding the Orc army’s march toward a de facto Martial Rule:
Status Check:
1. Joe de Venecia would have to go since he is a rival for a Prime Minister position – Check, Objective Achieved
2. Charter Change must still push through so that term limits would be removed for the future Congressmen (or the future Parliament Members for that matter) and the position of Prime Minister must have unlimited term. – Objective Ongoing
4.The COMELEC must be controlled and manipulated. – Largely Achieved
5. Maintain a Praetorian guard among generals in the PNP and Armed Forces – Check, Objective Achieved
6. Maintain the “Destabilizer†and “Communist†bogey so as to justify crackdowns of legitimate protest including opinions published by legitimate media. – Ongoing Objective
7. Emasculate the media so that those currently in power can be corrupt and abuse power without chastisement. – Partially Achieved
9. Make inroads and as far as possible to try to control or at least heavily influence the Judicial Branch of government. – Partially Achieved
—
Other Objectives (On Hold):
3. The position of Prime Minister should be a post that would be chosen by a small group (i.e. Parliament) so that only a few need to be convinced and as a consequence would have lesser bribes to dispose to get favors. – On Hold Till Objective 2 is Achieved
8.If unable to push through the above agendas effectively, they will fabricate a reason or a scenario to declare Martial Rule, or at least put in the mechanisms for a de facto Martial Law. – On Hold just in case Objective 2 and other measures fail
ay_naku on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 12:54 pm
Yup. Although after cleaning house (GMA should be swept out of course), continued vigilance should follow.
It seems there’s a series of mass protests scheduled. Exchanging ideas here is all well and good, but it’s now time to walk the walk people.
benign0 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:02 pm
Check out what I wrote about this whole hollow-headed predisposition to “hit the streets” whenever something about the way things are being run doesn’t quite sit well with our little minds:
http://www.getrealphilippines.com/agr-disagr/18-6-majority.html
Excerpt:
“Led by no less than Madame Ex-President, former Time Woman of the Year, and Ms 1986 “Revolution” herself — Ms Corazon Aquino, what may now be billed Edsa IV (or Commonwealth Avenue I, as the case may be), promised to be another spectacle of sorts. This time there was no particular heir-to-the-throne around which the fete was organised. If it succeeded in its bid to amass enough warm bodies in the streets to make a statement, it would have marked a new low in the practice of a concept that Filipinos fancy themselves to have invented back in 1986. If it had failed, it will have further served to highlight the utter ridiculousness of how Filipinos conduct their affairs.
And failed miserably it did. Bursts of little street protests sporadically erupted in Manila’s streets in the days following the House dismisal of the impeachment bid, but none even remotely approached the kind of numbers these would-be anarchists crowed in the days leading to Tueday. Each were in fact smaller in number than the equally ridiculous street gathering in Makati on 25 July.”
This was back in September 2005. Same perfect storm, different year, it seems.
Kabayan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:06 pm
ay_naku said:
“It seems there’s a series of mass protests scheduled. Exchanging ideas here is all well and good, but it’s now time to walk the walk people.”
========
So true ay_naku, as I see it:
… While the mages in their ivory towers argue the color of the fiery dragon’s breath,
the dragon destroys the townspeople burning them to death…
========
Even if there be few or even if there be many, it is time walk the walk.
inodoro ni emilie on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:09 pm
stop it already!!!!
puro kayo evidences nang evidences!!!!
putcha, evidence is a mass noun!
proper usage: feces of evidence, feces of evidence.
[translation: masyado nang mabaho ang korupsyon, deny pa rin nang deny.]
Jen on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:11 pm
I have an idea.
What if we bloggers post the same entries on Friday -”Gloria Resign” together with our fave pictures of Gloria. Let’s all post at the same time, say 10am?
What do you think?
DevilsAdvc8 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:13 pm
i think that for any revolution to succeed, we must, to paraphrase rizal, be prepared to raze all traces of the existing system. if there would be regime change, it must be total then.
and to prevent total breakdown, we must do this in phases. we cannot just replace all our leaders in one day. that would be total anarchy! but replace them all, we must.
and we must not rest once the regime change has been complete. we must continue to hold those people we put in power accountable. that was the mistake of EDSA I and II. the people went back to their homes once the leaders changed.
and to truly change the system, we must punish all past and present people (still living) who plundered the country’s treasury. from the biggest to the smallest fish, they must all be apprehended, put in jail, and made examples of. every last one. for if even just one escape, by feigning remorse, that one will one day, undermine this change we’re trying to make (JPE never did change did he? he’s still now, as before, still engaged in corruption) as did all the remnants of marcos’ cronies. most of them escaped unscathed and now continue to wreck havoc in the country.
if we cannot erase them all from our midst, we’d never have any success at transforming this country of ours into a better country to live in. these corrupt people will always be there keep on corrupting other people, and our system into what it is today.
DevilsAdvc8 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:19 pm
@jen, we cannot do that. that would close down this server for a day if we do that.
benign0 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:20 pm
“if we cannot erase them all from our midst, we’d never have any success at transforming this country of ours into a better country to live in. these corrupt people will always be there keep on corrupting other people, and our system into what it is today.”
Trouble is Pinoys’ idea of staging a “revolution” is to surround tanks with a bunch of nuns.
Even in the business of “revolution” Pinoys are hopelessly mediocre.
Shaman of Malilipot on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:21 pm
Mita,
Let me point out to you why the kidnapping is relevant to the NBN investigation.
The person kidnapped is a vital witness in the investigation. The purpose of the kidnapping was to force Jun Lozada to sign an affidavit controverting the affidavit that he gave to some friends for safekeeping just in case some bad happened to him. In other words, the objective of the kidnapping was to co-opt Jun.
The fact that Jun is still alive is beside the point. Maybe they didn’t really intend to kill him. They just wanted the affidavit. They agreed to take Jun to La Salle Greenhills because they thought they have already gotten what they wanted: a signed affidavit. As Stupid Razon said, “Mission accomplished.” The mission was for FG and his gang, not for Jun.
The kidnapping was a blessing in disguise. It led to Jun’s decision to go to the Senate to tell the truth and highlighted the evil of this government.
God is good.
Kabayan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:23 pm
Jen said:
“I have an idea.
What if we bloggers post the same entries on Friday -â€Gloria Resign†together with our fave pictures of Gloria. Let’s all post at the same time, say 10am?
What do you think?”
======
Do you mean this blogsite, another blogsite, or our respective blogsite Jen?(I think you meant the latter since it involves favorite pictures of the Emperor.) Some people might be out on Friday 10am to you know where. Maybe any hour during Friday would be good enough.
john marzan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:26 pm
here’s my take on MBC’s call for neri’s resignation
http://www.politicaljunkie.blogspot.com/2008/02/makati-business-club-calls-for-neris.html
and joker and his wife’s role on the ZTE scandal.
http://www.politicaljunkie.blogspot.com/2008/02/jokers-wife-told-lozada-not-to.html
have you ever thought about why neri was suddenly transferred to CHED? how did the admin knew that early? tapped phones? anyway, neri’s goose is cooked.
Jen on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:42 pm
@Kabayan:
Hi! Yup I meant our respective blogs
Sure any hour would be ok.
Thanks!
Jen on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:48 pm
@DevilsAdvc8:
Hi! What I meant was, what if we post an entry in our respective blogs with one theme or one title “Gloria Resign” on Friday, our day of protest. Let’s see how many of us are out there
Let’s unite via blogging on Friday. Aside from going to you know where (as Kabayan said) 
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:50 pm
how is he vital when he can’t really pin the FG or the president to the NBN deal? his testimony can be called hearsay because he didn’t ACTUALLY talk to the president or the FG about NBN. he even had no official capacity to be involved – he was with the DENR, remember?
if there’s anyone who can bring real light to this mess, it’s Neri so I still maintain that the kidnapping is just panggulo to bring in the media.
see, if the focus is on NBN and the systemic corruption…maybe, just maybe all these issues can already be pieced and actions taken. What do we have instead? Again, we have grandstanding at the Senate in preparation for 2010.
remember, dealing with corruption is what the people are clamoring for – you have expressed your indignance here several times yourself. Don’t be sidetracked.
inodoro ni emilie on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:52 pm
lozada may not be an ocampo, but–thank god!–at least he hasn’t turned into a joker who walked out on a trial due to utter ineptness.
inodoro ni emilie on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 1:55 pm
mita, haste makes waste. masyado kang nagmamadali. let’s get abalos first, pwede?
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:16 pm
INE (at 1:09), thanks. That was grating on my ears as well (in the same manner as ’softwares’ did).
Jen, that’s a great idea. Count me in.
mang_isko on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:23 pm
may reunion naman ng mga communists at leftists sa friday!
lead by the bishops in cohorts with satur ocampo, et al!
hahahahahahaha!
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:24 pm
yun nga eh…haste makes waste. sidetracking makes waste too.
i pointed out in an earlier comment (another thread) that with the 3 corroborating witnesses implicating Abalos prosecuting him should be a done deal.
you put the squeeze on 1 sure bet and what else can happen, diba?
it’s the running around in circles talking about Lozada’s credibility and the kidnapping and all the other palabok that will stall things. just think, who gains from all the grandstanding – tayo ba? nde naman eh…
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:32 pm
Frankly too, it’s in Lozada’s best interest to quit while he’s ahead. Tahimik muna sana sya…tama na ang press con….pahinga muna sya. If he has a lawyer, can’t he see this? It’s not like Lozada is Mr. Clean.
In the regular Filipino’s book, the worse thing you can do is betray your friends.
PR can work for or against you….but it WORKS and that’s why it’s a lucrative industry anywhere in the world…
Jeg on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:43 pm
how is he vital when he can’t really pin the FG or the president to the NBN deal?
Neri can. But he aint talking. And even if compelled, he’ll invoke executive privilege. The man is understandably scared and the administration handled him well, not pushing him to the edge like they did Lozada. They botched Lozada’s handling, putting the fear of God in him, which made him stronger. As in the old Pinoy saying, “Hindi mo na ako kayang takutin. Matagal na akong takot.”
Mita on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 2:49 pm
Neri is covered kasi by that EO as a cabinet secretary…but Lozada is not.
Kabayan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 3:16 pm
Path to Dictatorship 101
Explaining strategy 6. The Destabilizer and Communist Bogey
One of the often used strategy by dictators and would be dictators would be to use objective 6 as now being currently used by the Executive branch which states:
“6. Maintain the “Destabilizer†and “Communist†bogey so as to justify crackdowns of legitimate protest including opinions published by legitimate media.”
This has been a common strategy used in many countries including the Philippines. This was well used during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos in order to justify his constant crackdown even against centrists and rightists whom he consider as political enemies.
This technique was blatantly used by Joseph McCarthy. He was noted for making claims that there were large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers inside the US federal government and elsewhere. Ultimately, McCarthy’s tactics and his inability to substantiate his claims led to his being discredited and censured by the United States Senate. The term “McCarthyism,” coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy’s practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist pursuits.
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is a term describing the intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States in a period that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. This period is also referred to as the Second Red Scare, and coincided with increased fears about communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the actions of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, “McCarthyism” later took on a more general meaning, not necessarily referring to the conduct of Joseph McCarthy alone.
During this time many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees, and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators, and union activists.
Currently, this psychology is being promoted in the Philippines as part of Armed Forces and Police indoctrination so as to justify and ease the burden of conscience of the rank and file and junior officer personnel (who are often in the front line of riot police duty) when violently dispersing, hurting, abducting or killing people engaged in peaceful protests irregardless of what political leaning they may have.
Moreover, a certain kind of “Labeling” is established to give an “us versus them” indoctrination and using terms such as “leftists”, “communists” and such to justify violent and unjust acts. This labeling of supposed enemy forces (as indoctrinated in certain elements of the armed forces and police forces in the Philippines) have expanded from the mere Communist label to the Destabilizer label. The Destabilizer label refers to anyone who criticizes or opposed the policies of the questionably installed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The Equalizer on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 3:52 pm
Open Letter To Gloria Arroyo:After the JUN LOZADA expose
Dear Mrs.Gloria Arroyo:
Your great father once said “I have sat at the sumptuous tables of power, but I have not run away with the silverware.â€
Gloria, you have also sat at the sumptuous tables of power BUT you ran away with the china!
This is the reason why we will not accept another “let’s move on!” plea from you after Jun Lozada’s expose on your husband’s involvement in the mega scandal with China‘s ZTE Corporation.
We are very tired of your propagandists’ cliches “that we should consider the case closed and focus on the issues that really matter to the people”.
We have given you the benefit of the doubt many times, one scandal after another since 2001. We always said to ourselves “let’s give Gloria another chanceâ€.We also felt a sense of responsibility AND guilt since we helped install you in power in 2001.
Not this time. Our cup is filled to the brim.Absolutely to the brim!(In Tagalog, “Umaapaw na!”)
They always said that that Filipinos are very patient. We have started defining patience as “long ,long suffering under the Pidals â€.
BUT WE REFUSE TO BE YOUR VICTIMS FOREVER!
Gloria, the decent thing to do now is follow U.S. Senator Lugar’s famous advice to Marcos in 1986 “to cut and cut cleanâ€.
I am very sure that deep inside you are still a true patriot. Do the right thing. Resign.This is the best gift you can give our long suffering people .
History may view your legacy in a more positive light after your resignation. This is exactly what happened to Nixon years after his resignation.
As you said in your 2007 SONA,â€We must wipe out this stain from our democratic record.â€Wipe it out now!
God Bless You!
The Equalizer
Shaman of Malilipot on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 3:56 pm
Mita, Lozada is vital because he corroborated a lot of things that JDV3 and Neri have revealed, and a lot more.
Of course, it’s the corruption that should be at the center, and I still want to show my indignation (not indignance) at it. Far from allowing myself to be sidetracked, I just want to highlight that the kidnapping showed to what extent this admnistration is willing to go to cover up its shenanigans. You’re right, if and when Neri decides to finish his testimony, the story will be complete.
Manila Bay Watch on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 4:52 pm
Jen’s idea: BLOGSWARM! Excellent…
The Equalizer on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 4:53 pm
Translation Guide :From GloriaSpeak To English
1)Let’s Move On: Forget the issue! Catch us if you can!
2)We Deny :You really didn’t expect us to tell the truth.
3)The Truth: There are many variants of Truth(our side, their side).There’s no such thing as The Truth.
4)Con-Con: Well,it’s THE CON GAME;to divert the public from the issue at hand.
5)Noli De Castro: The Antidote
6)Impeach Me: One-year immunization.
7)Where’s the Evidence?: Do you think we are that stupid to leave something incriminating behind?
9)”Big Boy”: Sorry!That’s not a Direct link to Gloria.
10)The Pidals:Que Barbaridad!Not the Arroyos .Bueno,The Pidals are the ones who destroyed the much esteemed Macapagal name in history.Understood?
11) D Defensors: Mike and Tita Miriam ,the defenders of the Faith,legally and extra-legally.
12)Ronnie Puno:Is there a Doctor in the house?
13)Mr.Esperon:the uniformed Bodyguard.
14)Apostol: Madame WETNESS
15)Raul Gonzales: Kidney and Brain Transplants
16)Bunye Na,Saludo PA!: SPIN doctors
17)Abalos: The Ultimate Fall Guy
18)JDV:There’s a sucker born every minute!
19)The Masa: Ay Que Horror! After a photo op,”where’s my hand sanitizer?”.
20)The Filipino People:people with short memory (64kb memories:forgive and forget)
The Ca t on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 4:54 pm
Be sure someone’s reading your blog.
Kabayan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 5:11 pm
Now that was one witty translation guide Equalizer
DevilsAdvc8 on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 5:51 pm
Now you know that when it says, slow, what Malacanang really means is: we wish we could turn congress into parliament before this friday.
john marzan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 5:58 pm
here’s my take on MBC’s call for neri’s resignation
http://www.politicaljunkie.blogspot.com/2008/02/makati-business-club-calls-for-neris.html
cvj on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 6:09 pm
Devils (at 5:51pm), going by the JDV speakership episode (among others), i agree with your translation
john marzan on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 6:10 pm
maybe, but he’s better and more credible than chavit singson.
Mike on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 6:10 pm
Oh, that’s low, even for you, Ca T. Ano ang pakialam mo kung gusto nila mag protest sa sarili nilang mga blog? You have to go and make a snide comment about it?
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 6:20 pm
@mang isko,
among the tambays here you are one of the most amusing. siguro na-kick-out ka sa central committee ni joma noon ano?
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 6:51 pm
@Manila Bay
“BLOGSWARM! Excellent…”
I’m sorry, but no one really reads blogs apart from one’s friends and one’s converts.
The reach of blogs is overstated.
Although, I’d like to be proven wrong.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 8:06 pm
Today’s Gospel according to Jovito Salonga
“The Senate inquiry into the national broadband network (NBN) deal has produced enough evidence to prosecute First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and former economic planning chief Romulo Neri.
This was the opinion of legal luminary and former Senate president Jovito Salonga.
Salonga added that even President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may be impeached in connection with the allegedly anomalous $329-million contract for going to Boao, China to witness the signing of the deal with private telecommunications firm ZTE Corp.
Salonga said the transcripts of the Senate proceedings already formed part of the documentary evidence that may be presented in a court of law.
“We are not basing our complaint on newspaper articles because that would be hearsay,” Salonga said. “We are basing our complaint on documentary evidence and transcripts because they are under oath.”
Praise be upon him.
mang_isko on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 8:10 pm
ano kaya nash kung pangalan mo imention ni j-lo ngayong monday sa senado na humingi sya sa iyo ng pamasahe galing bahay nya hanggang airport. walang ebidensya.
ano ang feelings mo?
The Ca t on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 8:11 pm
Why do you have to give malice to everything I write. Ask the SEO experts how they do the simultaneous or viral blogging to ensure that readers can reach your blog.
tonio on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 8:29 pm
Mike:
bayaan mo na yan. ganun yan Ca T na yan talaga eh. she must wet herself every time she says something to put other people down.
for all her claims of competence and intelligence, it’s the cheap shots that really gets her blood going.
jen:
well, it’s up to the individual bloggers who read i suppose, but not everyone who reads manolo’s blog has one of their own.
nash on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 9:35 pm
@mang isko,
weaseling out are we not?
analogies are good. sadly, i cannot say the same for yours but then again let me humor you.
“nash kung pangalan mo imention ni j-lo ngayong monday sa senado na humingi sya sa iyo ng pamasahe galing bahay nya hanggang airport. walang ebidensya.”
So? Is this mere act of asking pamasahe a crime? I can say Yes, I can say No to this. So?
viking on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 10:10 pm
AdB,
I’m now in Poipet near the border with Thailand, but I’ll be in Phnom Penh on Friday for the gathering of Pinoys calling for GMA RESIGNATION and early elections. Pinoys in Cambodia issued a call as early as last Sunday. Regards.
Geo on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 10:15 pm
I’m wondering what people will say if Lozada (and his kin?) gets convicted of fraud/estafa/bribery/whatever? Will that be OK? Wrong? Why?
Regardless of what happens with Abalos, Neri, Joey, JDV…and/or the FG and GMA…should Lozada, if proven guilty, walk free? Or should he pay a price?
vic on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:14 pm
Two good examples where Circumstantial evidence led to first degree murder convictions. No physical evidence, no eyewitness, no forensic evidence, just testimonies and enough reason to believe that the person was the one who committed Murder.. Colin Thatcher, Alberta Provincial MP, convicted of first degree murder of his wife in l981..case summary> Joan Wilson and Thatcher were divorced and Thatcher remarried after one year..both have contentious children custody battles..Wilson was found shot in the shoulder and beaten to death..took the cops 16 months to file charges due to absence of evidence linking Thatcher directly to the Murder except testimonies, which were all dismissed by the accused defense as “hearsayâ€..the jury believed otherwise, Life without parole for 25 years..
Robert Baltovich , First Degree Murder of his Filipino girlfriend Elizabeth Bain, Body not found. Testimonies from friends and acquaintances that Baltovich was Mad at Bain for Breaking up the Relationship and several people observed them having heated arguments..happened in l990, 2 years later Baltovich was convicted, but in l998 a book revealed that Bain who’s body was never found until today may have been murdered by notorious sex murderer Paul Bernardo, Baltovich out on bail after 8 years in jail pending appeal and the court order a retrial. Chances is that he maybe declared innocent after all and will get just compensation..
My point, even in cases of capital crimes, circumstancial evidence enough to secure conviction without reasonable doubts in the mind of 12 members of the Jury, what kind of evidence we are looking from Lozada, the ZTE agreement that Disappeared after it was signed???
supremo on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:25 pm
vic,
We don’t have the jury system in the Philippines unfortunately.
Bencard on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:51 pm
“instead of rule of law, we have legalism.” mlq3
and what is wrong with “legalism”? i’m not sure what you mean by the term but to me, legalism is nothing more than strict obedience and adherence to the “rule of law” and its due processes. when the law demands the exact quantum of evidence required to condemn or convict, and the process by which such evidence could be produced, presented, and weighed, that is part of the rule of law. observance of that principle is what legalism is all about. when a claimant fails to make his case and the respondent prevails, or conversely, the claimant wins after hearing his evidence, that is part of the rule of law. like it or not, the system is adversarial. one has to be “legalistic” to win, otherwise he should be prepared to lose.
a civilized constitution, and the laws promulgated under it, are a body of rules devised to govern the conduct of men/women in a civilized society. as described by montesquieu, an enlightened constitution is a device to end men’s dominance over other men.
everybody ought to obey the law. even JesusChrist obeyed the law of his times, and did not countenance its
violation . He did not directly question the law, instead He had to speak in parables to criticize the prevailing legalities.
you’re right. “delicadeza” is a thing of the past. it was beautiful while it lasted but in this day and age of changing mores or morality, e.g. open homosexuality, same-sex marriage, cohabitation without marriage, single parenthood, political activism of the clergy and the military, etc., delicadeza is as anachronistic as the stone wheel.
vic on Wed, 13th Feb 2008 11:55 pm
Supremo, the senate blue ribbon committee members, could be jurors in its inquiry. Members could deliberate and come up with unanimous decisions or could have a hung jury, which means no verdict..could be not binding but it could influence the government into reform as a whole or the people may finally take the law into their hands. Thinks about if the American or the Canadian Justice don’t have such the impartiality of the system, the law may have been taken by the people long long time ago..as the right to bear arms may give them that ultimate power…
Kabayan on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:12 am
Jen said:
“@Kabayan:
Hi! Yup I meant our respective blogs
Sure any hour would be ok.
Thanks!”
=====
Ok, count me in
Geo on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:14 am
In the middle of all of this, here comes the baseball/steroids congressional investigations on CNN.
Might be interesting to see the parallels and the contrasts…..
Though the topic is trivial compared to what Lozada has alleged, how the “game” is played, how the players conduct themselves, what tactics are used…this might be instructive.
There is a lotta hearsay in all of this…and the Senate is leading the inquiry…..
The Ca t on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:20 am
A spoonful of vinegar will cleanse your system.
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:24 am
Vic, supremo,
The lawyers know what are those evidences. They also know that there have been many attempts to destroy them, or cover them with other evidences (e.g., the affidavit that Lozada signed). For other witnesses, it’s very easy to hide, intimidate or buy them. (Where’s this guy Valeroso who “secured” Lozada’s protection? Where are those other escorts? They are the guys who can best refute the abduction or kidnap.)
The worst that can happen is, if Geo’s query (10:15m) reaches its end, the axe may fall on the victim. Look at the recent developments now: The NBI “raid†on Lozada’s office to get documents that may incriminate him; this lady Devanadera about the possibility of perjuring him. And many more evidences of how the forces of state pin down a hapless citizen. The accuser may now become the accused. Poor guy!
Manila Bay Watch on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:24 am
Jen, done! Blogswarming against Gloria started!
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:32 am
vic, i don’t care what your laws are in canada. no jury can render a verdict of conviction without evidence. a jury is not a “super judge” in any jurisdiction. it can only act according to law, as instructed by the trial judge. check your facts and study the case thoroughly before you mislead unsophisticated minds in this blog.
vic on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:35 am
Bencard, I gave the name of the parties concern in my post, they are all in archives why don’t you check them yourself and come back and refute them before firing your blanks…
vic on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:36 am
And never underestimate others in this blog, please…
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:38 am
@supremo
“We don’t have the jury system in the Philippines unfortunately.”
You sure you don’t mean “Fortunately”?
With a jury system, in our culture, it’s easy to win via appeal to pity. Instead of good lawyers, we can hire actors and orators to represent us…:D
vic on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:38 am
And I said circumstantial evidence. are they not evidence. mr. lawyer???
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:42 am
Vic,
Amen to that one.
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 12:42 am
@Manong bencard
“..before you mislead unsophisticated minds in this blog.”
And I suppose you are the light that will lead us to a great and grand place…
cheers,
titanium on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:12 am
so, mr. canadian expert, your “circumstantial evidence” (testimonies of non-eyewitnesses) and other “reasons” were sufficient to convict beyond reasonable doubt? either you are omitting something essential or you are lowering canada’s threshold for convicting an accused felon.
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:14 am
you took the words right out of my mouth, titanium. thanks.
vic on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:18 am
titanium, the details may fill of hearings may fill up thousands of pages, but in the second case, the body was not even found..first time in criminal case that a conviction was secured without a body. and i do not present myself as canadian expert, just an observant citizen of this country..as i said the names of the parties right there, you can be an expert yourself if you do some researh instead of calling others you don’t even know..and thank you…
Geo on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:21 am
This baseball steroid scandal is indeed instructive.
The witness is an admitted liar and cheater…he admits to the wrongdoing that he accuses others of doing. But this admission might make him believable.
The accused is rich and famous…and a player in a multi-million, multi-billion world. But greed and pride might have corrupted him.
The legislators include the “trial via media is wrong!” status quo defenders and the narcissistic “where is the camera?” types.
There is still the question about having a proper forum; of legalese vs insinuation. There is still a question of just “moving on” vs “fix it now”.
Lotsa parallels.
titanium, on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:24 am
thanks but no thanks, vic. i have enough to “research” about philippine law and jurisprudence. i have no time nor interest about what’s going on in canada unless it concerns me, personally.
vic on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:41 am
well then, for me i just observe them as they happened..since the beginning i made every one’s aware that I’m just a layman expressing my opinion about my observations and experiences as a Canadian, and those that refute them are most welcome, but not just blanket dismissal without offering any kind of argument except that they are better knowledgeable in the field that the rest..that’s just simply unacceptable, even our Host doesn’t mind all missiles coming from all directions and he respectfully either reply to them or just plainly ignore them..it’s our choice…
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:45 am
vic, understimate who? ah, the unsophisticated minds in this blog, and that includes me, at least, about canada. the others – they know who they are. research canadian decisions? not now, maybe when i write a thesis about jurisprudence of other jurisdictions. but since you love discussing about canada, why don’t you do the researching. afterall, you were the one who brought it up.
supremo on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:52 am
nash,
‘You sure you don’t mean “Fortunatelyâ€?’
Once in a while you need something different to shake up the system. Some cases in the Philippines should be tried by jury. Sandiganbayan corruption cases are good examples. Having a jury might speed up the trials because you cannot hold the members of the jury for a long time like 10 years.
vic on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:58 am
bencard, check my post directly above yours, and read it. but for your benefit, i said I OBSERVED THESE CASES as they happened..they were all public trials as you know all cases are done in public..but i also observed that you must have done an enormous researh of Philippines Jurisprudence and rulings at the same time since you can put up every arguments against anyone in the country. and of course i love discussing about Canada, it’s my country.
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 1:59 am
Vic: “And never underestimate others in this blog, please…”
Nash: “And I suppose you are the light that will lead us to a great and grand place…”
Let me react to these, and maybe indirectly to Titanium’s.
There’s a presumption that bloggers are generally unthinking, irrational, unable to discern, emotional. Especially if their posts are opposed to the way ideal norms are observed by those in power, and point out the wide gap between norms and wayward practices.
Only the “I” is an exception. It is superior.
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 2:07 am
@supremo,
true, it gets expensive to sequester a jury.
i was just reminded of miss platitudes loren legarda during the impeachment trial when she let loose those tears. an opposing lawyer could have easily zoomed in on her (ie as emotional and vulnerable). (and who could forget that this impeachment jury saw it fit to sing the Jubilee song, an overtly catholic song of no bearing to the task at hand, prior the start of session!).
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 2:11 am
Vic: “… those that refute them are most welcome, but not just blanket dismissal without offering any kind of argument except that they are better knowledgeable in the field that the rest..that’s just simply unacceptable…”
I agree. I’ve also experienced the same thing from some people. If we don’t like someone’s post, we’d better ignore it. Or, if we want discussion, let’s offer our side.
Insulting and flaming others don’t work, except for those who love insults and flames for their own sake.
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 2:22 am
Well, “blog comments” is a TEXTUAL medium. Who knows in what state of mind or emotion the writer is in when posting? (Unless they are really eloquent.) It’s a virtual ‘inuman sa kanto’ that lacks that face to face element.
(we can only assume that bencard is not nangigigil sa galit when composing those sentences….i certainly hope not.)
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 3:07 am
and what, specifically, are those sentences, nash?
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 3:39 am
palagay ko, hindi ako yung “nangigigil sa galit”. sa tingin ko si vic dahil pinuna ko yong hilig niyang magreport tungkol sa canada – e sa wala naman yatang kinalaman ang canada hinggil sa nagyayari sa pilipinas. isa pa e hindi ko naman nire-refute yong canadian decision na ikinekuento niya. nagtatanong lang ako bilang isang “unspohisticated mind” sa mga bagay tungkol sa canada na binanggit niya. e ewan ko ba!
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 3:43 am
Nash,
“Well, “blog comments†is a TEXTUAL medium. Who knows in what state of mind or emotion the writer is in when posting? (Unless they are really eloquent.) It’s a virtual ‘inuman sa kanto’ that lacks that face to face element.”
I know what you mean, I also said something to that effect earlier. In a way, we are all TEXTS on a screen here. But sometimes people can’t hold their fiery texts after receiving one, esp a demeaning or insulting line that presumes or even states (consciously or unconsciously) the ignorance of a poster – the “You,†not the “I.†Thus, humanity and its binary is summoned, as if people are actually seeing each other face to face when, actually they don’t. They blog from different corners of the world and are virtually clueless who they are sparring with. Some even call them “ghosts,†literally they are.
Despite the anonymity and facelessness that most of us have as bloggers, we feel hurt by insinuations, direct assaults, throwing craps, flamings, etc. hurled to us by those who don’t subscribe to our position. Don’t we?
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 4:20 am
This is a general commentary not meant for anyone here in particular.
I’d like to believe that there could be “real” trolls out there, or another kind of “Filipino monkey†floating in cyberspace. Paid hacks could also, and actually, troll. Isn’t there a Luli Internet Brigade?
Behind those cyber-identities, they are real persons who have truly mastered dissociating themselves from a purely fictitious, unknown handle (quite likely several), and so would delight at an instance when someone takes the bait and indulges in endless flaming, insulting, shit-throwing.
They have a defined agenda – to sow confusion, divert attention away from an issue, conquer by divide-and-rule tactic, make them feel stupid, weaken others.
Intelligent texters? If they aren’t trolls, paid hacks or Filipino monkeys, and would discuss matters dispassionately and rationally.
Lest I forget, the “I†could also conveniently accuse others of trolling, hacking or monkeying, or some other derogatory texts once a nerve is struck. (That includes me, of course, esp if I have no basis.)
But we may have missed something here, moderating (not the “greed” of Abalos, FG or Joey) those textual “excesses†we now find here.
Or, shall our host leave them there, as we are all global posters anyway, not governed by, nor subscribing to, some set of norms whatsoever?
Pedestrian Observer GB on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 4:40 am
They have underestimated Lozada thinking that he was so intimidated not realizing he has reached a point where the only thing he fears now is fear.
Indeed, Greed & Corruption is like a jar of Jalapeños What you do today…………….. might burn your A$$ tomorrow.
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 4:41 am
i think the general rule should be: when you make a stupid comment, someone could point out to you why it is stupid (the comment, not you). if you feel insulted, or hurt, or take it personally, that is entirely your problem. when you make a comment, you are fair game, and i know mlq3 understands that, for which reason this is a free-wheeling and well-read blog, with minimal restrictions, if any. but i think this is not a “bastusan” blog, where obscene, harassing and threatening remarks against any commenter are tolerated. stupidity, yes, but bastusan, no.
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:16 am
Bencard,
Are you talking to me?
I still believe in what the golden rule says, not any kind of rule that anyone defines to suit his/her own standard.
If you think your general rule is superior to the golden rule, I don’t question you. I wouldn’t even insist the other way around.
And please, don’t split hairs, ok?
inodoro ni emilie on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:18 am
i don’t get this: lozada’s office was raided by nbi. how come they are so quick to gather the dirt of those who make the accusation rather than the accused? was abalos’ office given the same treatment? or neri’s?
ok correction: lozada was accused by brenda of graft.but why would nbi be so quick to take the word of brenda, who is a liar [damn! you should have jumped off the plane a long time ago.]
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:27 am
@hawaiianguy
“Despite the anonymity and facelessness that most of us have as bloggers, we feel hurt by insinuations, direct assaults, throwing craps, flamings, etc. hurled to us by those who don’t subscribe to our position. Don’t we?”
I can only speak for myself and would say that I don’t feel that way after an insult mainly because it is JUST a blog comments box. Kantiyawan lang naman yan.
cheers
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:28 am
@inidoro,
parang pelikula diba. huli lagi ang pulis, incompetent pa. sa pagkaka-alam ko to be an nbi agent you need to be lawyer…
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:31 am
inodoro ni emelie,
Evidence, evidence, evidence. That’s what it amounts to, my friend. That’s legalese at its finest, under this hopeless regime operated, among others, by those with less than “moderate greed.”
They want to prove that this “probinsiyanong intsik” is a liar. He’d better go to prison, not the bigtime corrupt, greedy officials who defraud govt. and make it dysfunctional.
It really sucks. The accuser is now becoming the accused. As usual, it’s blaming the victim syndrome.
Btw, have you come across Salonga’s take on this hearing? Ssomeone mentioned it earlier.
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:44 am
Nash: “I can only speak for myself and would say that I don’t feel that way after an insult mainly because it is JUST a blog comments box. Kantiyawan lang naman yan.”
Ok, gotcha! But didn’t you notice how many are reacting to insults (maybe not you or me) but others in this thread or previous ones. If only words can kill, many bloggers would have been erased, hehehehe! (Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan ay huwag lang po magagalit. Pero kelangan din siguro malaman ang puno’t dulo, hindi ang dulo o kapiraso lang.)
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 5:52 am
hawaiianguy, who’s splitting hairs? the golden rule it will be, but i reserve the right to show why a comment is stupid when i see one.
btw, re lozada, that’s what happens when a cooking pot calls a kettle black, or when a hideous face calls another “ugly”. golden rule, right?
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 6:15 am
with all due respect to former senator salonga, the senate witnesses, though under oath, did not undergo cross examination by the adverse party against whom it is intended to be used. their testimony are still hearsay for the purpose of proving the truth of such allegations. while it may be admitted as exception to the hearsay rule, it suffers from unreliability because of lozada’s admitted wrongdoings and criminal participation, not to mention that most of his testimony are not based on personal knowledge but are speculations and conjectures. i doubt any prosecutor could build a “winning” case based on that.
watchful eye on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 6:35 am
Bencard, how are you going to defend Lozada if for instance he hires you to take up his cause? As intelligent as LOzada is, he’ll probably tell you at the start that his testimony is corroborated by at least two other credible witnesses . . . Neri and JDV III. Ngayon, as good a lawyer as you are, how are you going to build your case on such a claim?
JMCastro on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 6:56 am
Mr. Bencard, former Senator Salonga is a very good lawyer, having taught law and even written books on that very subject.
Moreover, he has rendered public service with great distinction, retiring with an “unblemished” record.
If there is anyone who can make both an expert and a moral judgment about this issue, it’s probably only him.
hawaiianguy on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 7:13 am
JMCastro, (on Salonga)
I salute Salonga more than any of those brilliant lawyers who even barter their souls for some silver. It’s too bad that PCGG went awry and steered towards the path that it has started denouncing. The “graft buster” has become a “graft busted,” or so it is claimed. (Don’t ask me why.)
But he has nothing to do with that.
JMCastro on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 7:22 am
Oh, and on a side note — did a search on Google using the terms:
“only evidence” testimony philippines
Short answer: if a judge believes the witness, he/she can convict solely on witness testimony.
benign0 on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 7:26 am
Bencard, I think the lack of anything in the way of clarity coming out of these committee hearings is that they were never intended to be an exercise that would yield any actual useful outcome.
They’re just venues for all our moron politicians to grandstand and get airtime (which the Media, true to form, seems quite happy to indulge).
If all this was done in a proper court of law and subject to proper due process (where said processes were designed around a specific resolution or outcome, by the way), then at least we’d see some semblance of a ROADMAP of where all this is leading.
At the moment it is no different from any other spectacle that politicians stage, which Media in turn disseminates, and which Pinoys in turn happily lap up and “discuss”.
Typical.
JMCastro on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 7:39 am
benign0:
If this was handled “quietly”, it’s very possible that Lozada would be dead by now. That’s one of the points that homed in on me when I pondered on Monday’s testimony.
While I agree that the Senate inquiry last Monday was mostly grandstanding, and really it is interesting to watch and fun to talk about, don’t you think that preventing Lozada to be 6 feet under the ground is “a useful outcome”?
nash on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 8:48 am
@bencard,
I think Jovito Salonga is not yet senile, so pardon me if I put more weight to his legal opinion.
The Equalizer on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 8:50 am
The following poem is composed entirely of actual quotes:
“THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE”
(Noli De Castro)
Nobody is above the law
Lahat ng sangkot
From Top To Bottom
Dapat makasuhan!
(Jovito Salonga)
There is enough evidence
Chair Abalos is heavily involved
The FG is also involved
She was … directly involved in ZTE contract
(Joey De Venecia)
As a Filipino citizen
I’m now asking Gloria to resign
She cannot stop corruption
And all the lies from Malacañang!
(Ermita)
We stand by our President
She is our legitimate President.
Everything is under control
The situation is normal!
(AFP Spokesman)
AFP on red alert
NPA will infiltrate rally
Create confusion
And other destabilizations!
UP n student on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 8:51 am
My understanding is that it is the elitist French and Spaniards (and elitist Filipinos
) who do not believe in the jury system. [This must have come from their religious upbringing.]
The premise (to my understanding) is that “regular citizens” do not have enough sophistication, much less the legal background, to discern truth from the obfuscation and half- and total-lies that lawyers and interested parties can enunciate, so it is foolish
to allow regular citizens to make court decisions.
In non-jury countries, the underlying premise is that only the elite — the judge — have “what it takes”.
JMCastro on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 8:53 am
Tortuously looking at all the posts here, I am most inclined to agree with hvrds (February 13th, 2008 at 7:47 am), left and right of center will have to figure out how to chart a course towards what he calls “cleaning house” — getting rid of high government-sponsored coercion and corruption.
Years before, I used to work in the private sector. We won small government bids which, from where I stood, had no corruption. What I inferred from the testimonies of Lozada, JDV Jr. and Neri is that a government deal will have to be of a certain size so that it can be “corruptible”. The procurement system of the government requires a Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to award the best bid, and the Commission on Audit (COA) to audit the aftermath. It would theoretically take a great deal of coercion and bribes to corrupt the whole process.
Isn’t that what we are witnessing right now, as a result of the Senate and media circus happening right before our eyes?
UP n student on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:01 am
And by the way, it is allowed in many countries for the government prosecution to stretch the truth
, the whole stretchy truth, and nothing but the stretchy truth, in order to convict. The defense lawyer is also allowed to do likewise — stretch the truth — to defend the client. But ‘perjury’ is that rule which says lying among friends — 
NOT ALLOWED.
Another NOT ALLOWED is trial via the media.
And did anyone influence peddling, bribery, thuggery?
benign0 on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:13 am
“While I agree that the Senate inquiry last Monday was mostly grandstanding, and really it is interesting to watch and fun to talk about, don’t you think that preventing Lozada to be 6 feet under the ground is “a useful outcomeâ€?” – JMCastro
Yes, absolutely. In fact he’s one of the best things to happen to the Philippines in recent memory.
But we all know that at some point, like anything that needs to be investigated and resolved, the proper PROCEDURE needs to be applied. Resolution is a very slippery and elusive fish to reel in. And as history will tell, we Filipinos aren’t exactly world-renowned for our ability to get things resolved.
This whole Lozada thing is clearly headed down that path. The longer it takes to get this ‘whole thing’ down the right channel, the more successful bozos like Enrile and Joker Arroyo get at muddying the water around it.
It’s simple, really.
UP n student on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:17 am
And a key intent of RULE OF LAW is to provide a body of procedures — a lot of them written down — that prevents mayhem given this scenario that truth gets stretched (even by well-intentioned eyewitness or passionately truth-seeking priests, nuns and Evangelicals who know in their hearts (and damn the evidence, this is TRUTH!!!
) that the house of GMA is corrupt).
As the boxing referee says each time, “Protect yourself at all times!”…. and watch your wallet.
titanium on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:19 am
jmcastro, i have very high respect for sen. salonga and i recognize him as a great lawyer, law professor and politician. but i was not talking about him, rather i was talking about the possible use of the senate blue ribbon transcript as evidence for impeachment or prosecution. the problem is that you look at the person, not the idea.
i have argued cases in the u.s. 2d circuit court of appeals against eminent authorities in the particular branch of the law involved. if i were awed by their stature to the point of giving up my position, i would have given up representing my client.
expert opinion? no question. moral judgment? i don’t think any man (including the pope) has that authority.
benigno, i cannot disagree with all that you said. i think lozada would be good as an actor in a teleserye. his ability to cry on cue rivals the current crop of crying “stars” at abs-cbn. btw, how do like seeing grown up men crying like babies? only in the philippines’ world of make believe!
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:25 am
sorry folks. the last post under titanium’s handle (who is another lawyer in my office) is supposed to be mine. i used titanium’s desktop and forgot to change the handle.
JMCastro on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:36 am
benign0:
“… we Filipinos aren’t exactly world-renowned for our ability to get things resolved. …”
You’re right. I just can’t accept that a court of law can resolve this, since applying the same amount of coercion on the judge that they applied on Lozada will kill the process of finding the truth.
Political venues such as Senate hearings are the proper forums for testimonies such as Lozada’s, since I feel that, even as we speak, political pressure is building up in the executive branch to come up with a substantive response against coercion and corruption in government. In short, we are in the middle of “historical forces” which has every possibility of effecting a great deal of change.
It’s up to the Senators whether we’re looking at substantial reforms, or *gasp* a revolution (peaceful or otherwise).
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:38 am
nash, but salonga is 25 years older than me (lol). oh yeah, i forget things sometimes. see my preceding post.
JMCastro on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 9:55 am
Bencard:
As “UP n student” pointed out to me, I can only argue from my gut. I don’t know enough to appreciate the finer legal points you raise vis-a-vis Mr. Salonga’s.
One question I honestly want to know is this — is there any court in the Philippines which can handle this case?
The Equalizer on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 10:03 am
Update from the Chief
FROM: The Grand Pooh-Bah Luli A.
TO: The Luli Arroyo Internet Brigade
RE: The Fulfillment of Our Grand Plan
I think it’s time we took a breather and looked back on what we’ve accomplished in the past twelve months.
When I conceived the Luli Arroyo Internet Brigade, I saw a long fight ahead. I pictured sleepless nights replying point by point to every destabilizer-with-an-internet-connection. I looked at the task ahead, and despaired.
However, it’s taken surprisingly little effort to achieve our intended goals. Why? Because our enemies have been doing our job for us.
To wit:
The partnership between the Communists, the Cory faction, and the Erap/FPJ faction: a master-stroke in undermining credibility. I wish I could take credit for it, and I commend you, my agents, for keeping a straight face as Jinggoy and Cory stood together in solidarity against my mom. I wish I’d thought of putting Guingona and Erap back together, as if the impeachment never happened. They shot themselves in the foot – we didn’t even need to pull the trigger!
OK, so I thought we still had the Church to contend with – but my worries vanished when that Bishop fulsomely apologized to Erap for that little misunderstanding called Edsa II. Problem solved – and we didn’t even lift a finger!
Credibility-reducing hyperbole. And I thought I’d seen it all when Imee Marcos all but accused my mom of being a “liar and thiefâ€. But when the destabilizers began to bandy around words like “worse than Martial Law†to refer to my mom’s presidency, I knew the movement had jumped the shark!
Mission accomplished? Hell no! There’s quite a ways to go. But it looks like they’re saving us the trouble: the more our opponents come out looking like they’ve forgotten to take their Tourette’s medication, the more their media sympathizers cry wolf, the more they substitute wacky conspiracy theories for astute analysis – all the more they defeat themselves!
Cringeworthy public appearances. We’ve already talked about the strange bedfellows of the Left and Right uniting against the government. Scratch that. I’m talking about the Black and White Movement’s regular Friday tea parties-cum-public protests. I’m talking about Maria Theresa Pangilinan throwing a tantrum at her own graduation. I’m talking about every single instance where the destabilizers get together to wave flags and choke traffic, and piss off the undecided who would otherwise be attracted to their cause.
The reactions to the people’s overwhelming non-reaction have come in two flavors – “Gloria’s people are working against us to keep us downâ€, or “Fuck the middle class, they can’t take a hint.†Neither of which are even close to the truth. But, brigadiers, we want them to keep believing this. We want them to keep believing that the Luli Arroyo Internet Brigade has been largely responsible for the utter silence that greets them every time they enter a Starbucks in a black shirt. We want them to believe they can “rearrange the furniture†around an apathetic middle class. The greater the gulf between the opposition and reality, the more successful we shall become!
Stay vigilant, my agents – in time, the opposition, for all intents and purposes, will BE the Luli Arroyo Internet Brigade!
Love and kisses,
LULI A. (My Mommy right or wrong!)
Mita on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 10:31 am
gee, there goes the boogie man theory being circulated again. in the past, right on this blog, i’ve been accused of being a “brigadier” and i didn’t even know what it was…
it’s juvenile to say the least. and it doesn’t help anyone because YOU who make the accusations lose out by blinding yourself to another person’s opinion. if you view everyone with an opposing view as “the enemy” wouldn’t you want to know what they were thinking.
in warfare, battles were lost because the enemy’s actions were not accurately predicted. how better to predict what the enemy will do but to get inside his head? how better to conquer the “brigadiers”…
chew on that.
Bencard on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 10:32 am
jmcastro, since you asked me, if there’s no case, there’s no case. it’s as simple us that. unless there is enough admissible and credible evidence that a crime has been committed and the accused perpetrated it, no prosecutor worth his salt will file a case knowing he will lose. that would be a waste of public funds and resources.
if no case is filed, courts cannot try and adjudicate.
benign0 on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 10:55 am
“benigno, i cannot disagree with all that you said. i think lozada would be good as an actor in a teleserye. his ability to cry on cue rivals the current crop of crying “stars†at abs-cbn. btw, how do like seeing grown up men crying like babies? only in the philippines’ world of make believe!”
Actually on that note, I do cringe seeing him on TV. Considering that he’s lost a brother and is in the middle of quite a pickle, it boggles the mind how he is able to go around with that stupid grin on his face on one hand and then at another moment would be crying like a baby in public.
Panay pa ang patol sa Media.
I don’t know how the Law works (or non-works) in the Philippines but the simple thing to do (based on what I think my rights would be if I were in his shoes) is to engage a lawyer, invoke his right to remain silent, PENDING the time this whole thing gets channeled through the proper judicial process.
For now, all he is doing is dancing to the agendas of the usual people — as Pinoys tend to do.
qwert on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 11:29 am
” but i was not talking about him, rather i was talking about the possible use of the senate blue ribbon transcript as evidence for impeachment or prosecution. the problem is that you look at the person, not the idea.”- Bencard
_________________________
I think there’s a strategy behind the idea…
Karl Garcia on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 11:53 am
Re: anonymity and pikunan
I am one of those who use their real names,but what the F! We are still semi-anonymous as one puts it(with exception to public figures).
As to pansinan ng comment ng iba…..
siguro tama yung sinabi nung isang commenter,na kantyawan lang naman ito,so as the old saying goes na: take things with a grain of salt like Tequilla!
let us not forget to repect each other,so hindi na aabot sa bastusan.
By the way,Good day to everyone!
Shaman of Malilipot on Thu, 14th Feb 2008 2:57 pm
“you took the words right out of my mouth, titanium. thanks.” – Bencard
You’re just playing tag-team. Di ba magkasama lang kayo sa opisina?
Bert on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 12:25 am
†but i was not talking about him, rather i was talking about the possible use of the senate blue ribbon transcript as evidence for impeachment or prosecution. the problem is that you look at the person, not the idea.â€- Bencard
Maybe he suspects there’s a motive behind the idea, kung baga, agenda, heheh.
Bert on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 12:28 am
hi, Shaman, are you from Malilipot, adjacent to Bacacay?
mang_kiko on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 12:44 am
at ako naman si mang_kiko, pag mahuli yung ibang handle ko, sabihing kong sa partner kong doctor yon kasama sa clinica..
Bert on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 3:10 am
“Or, shall our host leave them there, as we are all global posters anyway, not governed by, nor subscribing to, some set of norms whatsoever?”
hawaiianguy, our host has limited power. He can delete, alright, but he won’t do that because he is a firm believer in the democratic freedoms so his action is bound by his resolve, as can be gleaned from his writings. That’s the way I see it, and that’s pretty admirable to me. In a crunch, our host can ban the IP address, but that won’t work since, if it’s true there really are trolls, the troll operator, assuming that the Equalizer is correct (2008 at 10:03 am), has unlimited logistics.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 6:15 am
shaman, halata. look at the time stamps.
bencard, please don’t resort to this trickery. it makes you a schizo.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 6:17 am
crap. you said you’re retired.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 6:25 am
bencard,
looks like you and titanium do not verbally speak to one another, eh? so do you two text messages when eating in the same dining table? or email each other when conversing even if you “two” are seated next to one another?
stylometrically, it’s poorly done.
Bencard on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 6:55 am
suit yourselves, inodoro n.e. and shaman. have a feast on it, for all i care. titanium is my partner managing our manhattan office which i was visiting this week. i take care of our boston branch. btw, i said i am semi-retired at age 63. titanium is very busy but once in a while, he manages to post a comment or two. yes, we sometimes talk about politics, including philippine politics.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 6:59 am
don’t do a gloria: huli na, ayaw pang aminin. look, the time stamp says 1 am, which means 11 pm, ny time, or wherever. you two must be working big case. hello, titanium.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 7:02 am
ah, lawyers. daming palusot.
hawaiianguy on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 7:18 am
inodoro ni emilie,
marunong ka palang manghuli ng isda, hehehehe!
TonGuE-tWisTeD on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 8:45 am
Inodoro ni Emille,
I noticed it once before. The ventriloquist and the dummy made a terrible slip then, but I thought it was just a regular act here.
Check this out:
(www.quezon.ph/?p=1637#comment-686242)
(I Omitted 3 paragraphs)
This was the dummy’s reply:
(www.quezon.ph/?p=1637#comment-686353)
That seemed normal. But the next post was what got my attention, look at the blogger’s nick and that whom he addressed it to:
(www.quezon.ph/?p=1637#comment-686378)
Ventriloquist played patay-malisya and this time used the correct character.
(www.quezon.ph/?p=1637#comment-686428)
Hahaha! Gloriang-gloria! Buking na ayaw pang umamin.
Next witness, pls.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 8:55 am
must be a lonely life out there. two computers, one revolving chair. or one computer, two revolving personalities.
hawaiianguy on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 9:00 am
TonGuE-tWisTeD, Inodoro ni Emilie
hahahahaha! huling huli ang isda, hindi sa bibig kundi sa pagmamadali sa keyboard. Meron tuloy nalimutan.
Talaga naman.
Bencard on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 9:19 am
thanks guys for thoroughly dissecting my posts and that of titanium. is this an “investigation” in aid of tsismisan? why don’t you report it to cayetano’s committee? maybe they could make a “scandal” out of it and force “gloria” to resign because of it, huh?
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 9:38 am
bencard aka titanium,
now we know whereof you speak.
TonGuE-tWisTeD on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 9:43 am
He just lost all his credibility.
Bencard on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 10:48 am
tonguetwisted, coming from you, i need credibility like a hole in the head. you have not contributed anything worth reading to this blog since you appeared from who-knows-which-side-of-hell. not even knowing what “half-truth” is, i really think this blog is out of your league. go back to ellenville – that’s a good place for you to use your talent for heckling!
inodoro, assuming i’m bencard aka titanium, does it add to or detract from the import of what i say? does it make my views “wrong” and yours right?
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 11:18 am
an honest answer: no. only that i find it ludicrous for a person to be patting himself in self-agreement. see, you can use several handles for all i care. but then do you have to deny it? you’re beginning to sound like jose pidal. or whoever voice there is in the hello garci tape ['sounds like her but not her', according to mike defensor].
tagabukid on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 12:02 pm
Lolo Bencard,
Huli ka na..so invoke ka na lang ng Executive Privilege
juvenile masyado kahit lolo na..hehehehe…
tagabukid on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 12:04 pm
nice work TonGuE-tWisTeD, tap, tap , tap (pat on the back)…
Bencard on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 1:00 pm
inodoro, then make my day. sue me!
tagabukid, hindi pa naman ako lolo, at kung babae ka (hindi bading), puede pa ‘to, baby.
inodoro ni emilie on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 1:06 pm
why should i take the legal route when you only made a fool of yourself.
tagabukid on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 2:47 pm
Ganyan pala mga lawyer pag nabubuking ano… =)) ROFL, FOOL!
Bert on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 3:52 pm
My sympathy is with Bencard because you are ganging up on the poor guy even if he’s already down. Cheers!
Pinoy_Insomiac on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 4:33 pm
Does anyone know kung ano yung ‘oath’ na sinusumpaan ng mga “witnesses” sa senate? Coz it obviously does not work. Baka pwedeng palitan yung sasabihin nila with something like this(more creative oaths are welcome)
“May my virgin daughter be savagely raped, brutally sodomized and left for dead if I lie…”
Malay natin talaban sila.
cvj on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 5:32 pm
Bert (at 3:52 pm), that’s a very Filipino trait that the Arroyo’s will find handy when the time comes.
Bert on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 6:20 pm
“Bert (at 3:52 pm), that’s a very Filipino trait that the Arroyo’s will find handy when the time comes.”
Very correct, CVJ. But, I believe kasi, that in a fair fight, once the objective is attain, and in this case it was, the better part of valor is compassion. And sadism is such an obnoxious trait. Bencard is no criminal, I can’t say that of the Arroyos.
Bencard on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 8:54 pm
made a fool of myself, inodoro? let me tell you what making a fool of oneself is. when you make an idiotic comment that you cannot even articulate and defend in this blog, that is making a fool of yourself because you are just displaying your being brain dead.
btw, if i made a fool of myself as you claim, what is eating you? or what’s in it that makes you act like a winner?
cvj on Fri, 15th Feb 2008 10:01 pm
Bert, i agree that a sense of magnanimity is a positive trait as long as we don’t underestimate the adversary.
Bert on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 1:20 am
“Bert, i agree that a sense of magnanimity is a positive trait as long as we don’t underestimate the adversary.–cvj
Ah, yes, cvj, fully agree with you. My point is, when the opponent is down we stop kicking him, when he goes up again to fight another round then we can pummel him to a pulp again until he submits. Or, we go for the jugular, of which in the blogging business is not allowed.
TonGuE-tWisTeD on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 1:22 am
pushing it further, bencard? okay, not half-truth then. How about half-life? Suits the titanium/bencard split personality, doesn’t it.
Again, “titanium: thanks, titanium…” Bwahahaha!
TonGuE-tWisTeD on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 1:35 am
“tonguetwisted, coming from you, i need credibility like a hole in the head…bencard
Of course, you don’t! Who else would compliment himself using another alias if he doesn’t already have one?
“go back to ellenville – that’s a good place for you to use your talent for heckling!…-bencard
Ah, now our resident know-it-all also has sole discretion where one can blog or not. Thanks for revealing yourself, Mr. Rule-of-law. Back to your straitjacket!
Bencard on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 1:44 am
bert, thanks but no thanks for your patronizing gesture. now you think you fulfilled your fantasy of seeing me (your “opponent”) down? am i really? in your dreams, buddy! c’mon, “pummel me to a pulp”, or “go for the jugular” – let me see what you got. you want a brawl, let’s have a brawl (of words and ideas, unless you prefer something else).
hawaiianguy on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 2:02 am
Well, some of us here are (or were) from Ellenville, including others who “fought” Ellen and her sympathizers. I am. The fight is just carried on. This is what makes blogging colorful and spirited, isn’t it?
Bert, cvj, I agree with both of you. You emphasize finer points that sometimes we gloss over.
mang_kiko on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 2:03 am
wowowee, ang manga kuro-kuro dito, palubog na, may hamunan na nang away nang ideas, or kahit ano na raw. pabaya-an muna natin maglabanlaban ang manga alipores ni Macapagal Arroyo at manga oppositions at manga Masa sa Bayan natin, pagkatapos puede na kayo naman…
Bencard on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 2:54 am
mang_kiko, tama ka. this used to be a relatively civilized blog where battles are confined to ideas and opinions. now it is being hijacked by hecklers who would personally assail you instead of your arguments. it’s becoming a terrible waste of time especially for people who want to learn from others through a healthy debate. if only we could all be like our host, mlq3, a formidable adversary in a competition for ideas and reason, and from whom you learn even as you teach.
i realize, more and more, that this blog is a microcosm of the kind of society we now have in the philippines – a society dominated by morons and idiots (as benigno would put it) whose main stock in trade is personal ridicule.
hawaiianguy on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 3:49 am
Hay naku! another flawed realization about a blog or Philippine society. Ok, blame them all – they are moronic, idiotic, hollowheads, etc. (except the “I”).
How about the bigtime kurakots and liars in govt?
Incidentally, after blogging here for a while I noticed two “I’s” (there may be more, including me).
Unfortunately, these two I’s don’t see each other – how shall I put it? – eye to eye. (Maybe it’s turning into a fortune now?)
Bencard on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 4:10 am
see what i mean, mang_kiko? there goes one, talking about “i”and “me”, not thoughts, ideas, or reason. remember the saying: idiots talk about other people, mediocre individuals talk about material possessions, and intelligent people talk about ideas and concepts (or words of similar import)?
hawaiianguy on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 4:19 am
Ghee, I don’t know now if I’m talking to Bencard, or Titanium, or Mang Kiko, or some other creatures.
Anyway, “titanium: thanks, titanium…†hehehehe
Manila Bay Watch on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 12:13 pm
HG (or Tongue or whoever is in the know),
Are they really one and the same?
mang_kiko on Sat, 16th Feb 2008 10:06 pm
hawaiianguy, siguradong, sigurado hindi kay mang_kiko. 100 % garantiya, walang sinugalingan, pag huli aminin. ano ba si GMA pakawalan manga Lappis (lap puppies). Hayan naman, dahil daw inamin ni Lozada ang kanyang ‘demons’, wala daw kredibility, habang sila nagsinuggaling mulat mula, sila pa ang may kredibility. Alam mo kong sin-o ang magaling dito? manga Abogados nila, magaling magpaliko liko ang manga iyon..
The Equalizer on Sun, 17th Feb 2008 5:08 pm
The DEAFENING SILENCE of ATENEANS
“Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.â€
St.Ignatius
I just read “Living and Dying†In Memory of 11 Ateneo de Manila Martial Law Activists by Cristina Jayme Montiel.
Did Ateneans die for activism? Aside from Rizal,Aquino, Colayco and Evelio Javier, were there other students and alumni who sacrificed their comfortable lives to fight for a cause?
I got my questions answered with this book.
Dr. Montiel celebrates and honors activism with the highest degree in writing the lives of the 11 Ateneans who fought for justice in the dictatorship. Some of these Blue Eagles were banned by the administration because they were ‘disrupting classes’.
But I ask the question now:Why is there a deafening silence among Ateneans about the Lozada expose?Where are the “Men For Others�
Is is it because of sheer embarrassment that some of the major players in the Lozada Expose are Ateneo alumni?
*Mike Arroyo
*Ronnie Puno
*Romy Neri
*Ignacio Bunye
*The Arroyo Kids
*Nograles
It is personally so painful to accept the fact that most Ateneans are now so APATHETIC!!!
In contrast, tne LA SALLIAN community has shown COURAGE in providing refuge to Lozada.
truth on Thu, 21st Feb 2008 4:09 pm
you guys are all sooo gullible. Lozada is just one big hoax.. and you (supposedly sensible people) are falling for it. My goodness. The Philippines is really hopeless to have people like you.. What is the rule of law for if youll listen and believe a man who has a questionable past! How ambitious could he be?? My God, please wake up and think deeper guys!
Kabayan on Mon, 25th Feb 2008 9:59 pm
Gloria’s administration thought the same for most of the Filipinos, using that Rule of Law crud which is actually the Rule of Gloria … not anymore.
Gloria Get Out and take your apologists and spin doctors with you