Belinda in Space

Monday’s Mass at Baclaran (where the Comelec encoders had sought refuge after walking out of the canvassing of votes in the PICC) pictures, where people from all walks of life came together to recall Edsa I:

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Approach to the Church; banner at the front of the Church

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Church begins to fill up; reminder behind pulpit, placed by Redemptorists

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Amb. Howard Dee and friends; media takes up its stations

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Church fills up; preliminary security sweep

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overflow crowd; FPJ’s daughter

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FPJ’s daughter; Boy Blue arrives

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Cory and Lozada arrive

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Mass begins; processional

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Processional; clergy before the Altar

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Gospel; Cory lights Truth Candle

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Cory; Offertory led by lead convenors of BnW and leaders of Ang Kapatiran

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Two gentlemen in white T-Shirts are the Ang Kapatiran leaders; after mass, “Bayan Ko”

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“Bayan Ko”

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“Bayan Ko”

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“Bayan Ko”

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“Bayan Ko”

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Cory’s remarks

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After Cory, Jun Lozada’s remarks

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Jun Lozada

I recently read an article (in a book) by a foreign correspondent who observed that one of the President’s problems is that she engages in fights she cannot win (e.g. after Estrada’s macho posturing, she tried to be “Ina ng Bayan”). I was reminded of this by a couple of things in Jove Francisco’s latest blog entry. First, there’s the scene of the Loyalty Rally organized by the President’s sons in the Liwasang Bonifacio yesterday :

And let us not forget that her allies conducted their own noisy (festive) rally at the Liwasang Bonifacio. She wasn’t there, but her allies from the lower chamber were seen having lunch (or were assembling themselves) at the Macapagal Blvd restaurant of her son, Rep. Mikee Arroyo (reportedly his)… before going to the Liwasan. And as if that’s not enough, the 100 or so congressmen even trooped to Malacanang shortly before seven in the evening for some chit chat with PGMA. While there, some congressmen, led by House speaker Propsero Nograles continued to lambaste the president’s enemies, like JDV (he called on PGAM to resign), Senate president Manuel Villar (the impeachment quote) and yes, even Erap (for being Erap).

Yup, the president just wanted herself shielded from politics on this people power holiday. But as we’ve seen, she actually surrounded herself with politics today.

(Inicidentally, Pressure Points wasn’t amused by Dato Arroyo’s quoted remarks) And then, here’s Jove’s account of how the President tried to summon up one of the last remaining viable counter-arguments of her administration: that, somehow, Filipinos outside of Metro Manila have different values and that she continues to represent them. So the President, yesterday, went to Cavite. Was it a spontaneous or pre-prepared visit? Jove recounts,

Based on the number of passenger jeepneys (I saw more than 20) and buses (about a handful) that occupied a vast lot beside the provincial capitol of Cavite…one can say that the Cavitenos really “came in droves to pour out their support to PGMA”

The sight of those vehicles parked in that lot was in a word: overwhelming. It was like seeing a vast field where a flock of tamaraws rest. Rolling steel moving around, causing the dust to envelope the area. Pero sige lang ang lakad ng mga tao na naka color coded attire at may dalang lobo sa isang kamay nila. From afar they seem quite happy and excited about being there.

My team waited for the folks who rode the said vehicles near the entrance of the event area. PGMA has yet to arrive so may time kami mag-“man on the street” interview. Pasalubong ang direction namin, eager to talk to some of them.

Turns out… some of the people who trooped to the event were clueless about why they were asked to be there, in the first place.
You have to watch the clip to listen to some of them.

After about talking to a handful of people, and getting the same answer (Hindi kami andito para kay Gloria, Hindi ko alam na para sa kaniya ito, Di ko alam bakit kami pinapunta dito etc etc) I told my crew (Armand and Luther) “Pano ba ito? Bakit wala tayong makuha na supportive sa admin, baka masabihan tayo na hindi fair.” So we tried interviewing some more, but we got the same soundbytes. (Hence, during the final edit, I asked my VTR editor to include the pro PGMA banners, placards plus the shouting of real fans of PGMA (they were seated in front) in my report. Para fair.
Cavite leaders admit… they were the ones who mobilized their kababayans so they’ll attend the rally and so that they can show Mrs Arroyo that the feelings in Metro Manila doesn’t necessarily reflect the sentiments of those in the provinces.

PGMA arrived via chopper. Then she motored to the provincial capitol.

Some residents may not be aware that the event is for PGMA…but as soon as the guest of honor arrived, they still gave her welcome fit for a VIP.
Strangely… the palace disclosed that the president will just GATE CRASH the event. In fairness, she didn’t have a teleprompter with her on stage and we saw her organize her thoughts/speech kodigos in between listening to the ‘small talk” of her seatmates on stage and listening to the seemingly endless profession of support by “almost everyone who mattered in Cavite”. (They were under a tent, the people were not, the reporters were not. It was one warm day, napakataas pa ng araw. Nagdusa kami lahat.)

But at the start of her supposedly “impromptu” speech, the president had a slip of the tongue. Nasabi niya na INIMBITAHAN siya ni Governor Maliksi, pero ooops, di pala siya invited, wala silang kinalaman sa rally na iyon, nag gate crash lang daw sya. Okay then.

When life gives you flags that can’t be raised and potentially lethal clumps of confetti, as well as today’s Inquirer editorial, At least you have that noble prelate, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales who will surely come in handy in that episcopal gabfest today. And there’s the return of the President’s husband to be thankful for, well, hey, hey, the gang’s.. and there’s always Bel Cunanan.

So Bel Cunanan presents the party line, as is well her right and indeed, her duty at a time like this. But something was in the Cool-Aid when she wrote,

Some schools are also reported to be planning to join Friday’s rally and will bus their students rain or shine. This has drawn protests from many parents who don’t want their children to be used and involved in the politics of hatred. So concerned have some parents become that they have set up two blog spots where other parents can air their sentiments: www.pulitikangpinoy.blogspot.com and www.8sallpolitics.blogspot.com. Anonymous bloggers are welcome.

Anonymous bloggers, huh? Commenters, I guess she means…

To be sure there are parents who feel worried, but really, can someone say someone was so concerned they set up a blogspot to air sentiments, when one of the blogs was set up in 2005, has entries for only two months, entirely about Constitutional issues. See Pilipinas: Pinoy, Buhay at Pulitika. Here’s a screenshot, as of 1:12 AM February 26, 2008:

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I mean, is it just me, or isn’t “So concerned have some parents become that they have set up two blog spots” supposed to mean they’re fresh, spankin’ new blogs, for a cause? Seems like a relict of the “Our Name is Legion for We Are Many” Days.

he other blog, It’s All Politics…. (u know…) however, fits the bill, having been set up this month. It’s a great read. With such kid-friendly gems as this entry for February 23:

The continued manipulation of public opinion is so outrageous to the point of hideousness. One of these days, history will catch up with all of you, heroes and traitors alike.

Then we’ll bury you all deep in goat shit.

Continuing on that (goat) theme, there’s the entry for February 24:

Overpriced goats, reckless dispersal of public lands to relatives and friends, kickbacks from previous government projects he had been involved with, and more… all these have slowly eroded Lozada’s credibility. But the most damning thing he ever did was to dance to the tune of his new marching band(his patrons)…and go around schools convincing kids (as young as pre-schoolers) to support an uprising against the government. Such blatant manipulation reeks of goat-shit. Unable to convince the masses to join them in renewed bid to grab political power, the political opposition (a friend calls them the disgruntled opposition) are trying to mobilize the youth by USING the religious sector and the media and just about everybody else who dares falls into the trap of their Jun Lozada script.

I agree that it is the duty of every citizen to be concerned with the affairs of government but we must NEVER fall into the trap set by politicians who have shown no qualms of using public opinion in the furtherance their selfish ends. The danger of Jun Lozada is not in the exposure of seemingly unbridled corruption in government: It is in manipulating the political power of the people and abusing popular will in order to serve self-serving interests.

Enlisting kids to join in subverting authority is one example.

This we cannot allow.

Leave it to the alumni, I guess? Those less interested in goat-poop can, instrad, go on explaining ,as Filomeno Sta. Ana III does, what The Fight for our Children’s Future is about.
Meanwhile, I’m hoping Bel familiarizes herself more with space. Cyberspace.
Now this extract from Space Bel’s column will, I’m sure, get someone’s goat:

There’s inaccuracy regarding the ZTE document signed in Boao, China, last April, and peddling it shows the opposition’s intellectual dishonesty. President Arroyo went to Boao mainly to deliver a speech before the biannual gathering of international leaders there. Afterwards she planned to spend a week in China, but First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s condition forced her to cut her visit to only 12 hours. Before flying back, Ms Arroyo witnessed the signing of several agreements by various government officials, among them the ZTE deal.

What was signed, however, was not a contract, but only a memorandum of understanding on a supply contract, which is only Step No. 3 in a 17-step process that includes multi-department reviews. The Department of Finance late last year circulated an enlightening graph showing this long process. The many steps could be the reason the cancellation of the deal took five months. But this graph was ignored by the media, which chose instead to strengthen the perception that the ZTE “contract” was consummated at Boao.

I leave it to Uniffors, though, to chew on in. If anyone can get her goat, that blogger will. Perhaps Bel has no diplomatic experience and so needs to be informed what it means when a head of state witnesses the signing of any sort of official document.
And so, the debate on what to do, what not to do (or simply, to be left alone, as A Simple Life prefers), or perhaps whether what should be done is worth it it all, continue. Pinoy Potter’s Chronicles is filled with misgivings at the scale of the problem. And yes, ambivalence about People Power, see The Warrior Lawyer.
He’s not a blogger but Juan Mercado’s Fond illusion looks at the same problem, too:

The crisis, meanwhile, dismantles unnoticed one of our fondest illusions: that before midnight, someone on a white charger, will dash in to banish enemies. They’d rebuild plundered institutions while we slump back to business-as-usual.

This ZTE scam instead tells us: Look beyond discredited pretenders to ordinary people. Leadership is not an office. It is life lived and, in the on-going process, brings change. Academics, parents, students and barangay officials seeking truth will usher in tomorrow. They continue to do that with Governor “Among Ed” Panlilio in Pampanga province. People Power is a weapon of last resort. A stray “hinge factor” may yet see that unsheathed.

“Much of what is new and innovative is not initiated by governments,” Indonesian thinker Soedjatmoko wrote. “Their source is ‘movements from below’: expressions by ordinary people of their aspirations for a decent, secure and equitable way of life.”

Or, as big mango asks, should we aspire for a continuing revolution?
As John Nery points out, what people overlook is that a People Power moment just materializes, though it’s the tug-of-war over public opinion that creates a situation in which People Power can manifest itself. Two years ago I quoted Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.’s dismissive remark on the first impeachment effort, that the opposition was “trying to manufacture a People Power moment,” and agreed with him; there is a more conscious appreciation of the need not to force things forward but trust the Fates to let them unfold in their own good time (which is why those who argue the recent gatherings are an effort to force that moment, are completely wrong).
Returning to Neri:

I think it is fair to say that, for many who are now outraged by the abuse of power and immoderate greed revealed by the ZTE-NBN scandal, the analogy for today’s crisis is that turbulent 100-day period between October 2000 and January 2001. If true, then taking to the streets should quickly lead to a decisive People Power moment.

But it is also possible that the real analogy goes farther back in time. The highly esteemed Torn and Frayed blog, for instance, posits the idea that Lozada is today’s Perfecto Yasay — the Securities and Exchange Commission chairman who dueled with Estrada a year before Singson saw the light (the headlight, that is, of an unfriendly police vehicle). We should remember that the road to EDSA People Power II wound through Ayala Avenue too; in August 1999, over 100,000 people thronged the famous intersection to denounce Estrada’s attacks on press freedom.

I think the real analogy may be to that even more turbulent 1,000-day period between the Ninoy Aquino assassination and EDSA People Power I. We took to the streets almost every week then, driven by the need to confront the evil in the system, but acutely aware that the dictator’s fake-hero persona would not allow him to cede control peacefully. People Power as we know it now was not even a dream then.

So, yes, we should take to the streets; we should repair to our churches; we should fill the public square. But we should let People Power take care of itself.

Meanwhile, it’s up to the citizenry to figure out their personal level of engagement, and define what their participation ought to look like, as caffeine_sparks suggests. Blogger-citizens like Don’t F**k with a Ninja!! are under the impression that political questions require “proof” beyond reasonable doubt. This has never been the case whether for impeachment or elections, a moral certainty is what’s required, precisely because proof beyond reasonable doubt is what’s required for a criminal conviction; in political matters what suffices is simply a preponderance of evidence (as in civil cases). Does it exist? c0nfoUnd aMbigUity seems to think so.
What interests me though are those who support the President because they are uneasy about the Vice-President. But the President hand-picked de Castro to be her vice-presidential candidate; he was her choice, and she knows as well as anyone else that a veep is literally a heartbeat away from the presidency, it’s happened three times to us. Therefore, in her mind, the person best qualified to succeed her should the unthinkable ever happen, is the Vice-President. So you trust her wisdom, then you must accept her choice. If you didn’t accept her choice, you should’ve voted for someone else for veep (for this reason, I voted to Hermie Aquino in 2004).

signs of life has no qualms about standing up and being counted at the present time. Pedestrian Observer links to ongoing on-line efforts.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

170 thoughts on “Belinda in Space

  1. After all the endless discussions, we can only ask ourselves whether we have the courage to undertake comprehensive reforms in our political and social system. It seems we only talk and argue a lot but, at the end of the day, nothing will be done.

    The two EDSA’s gave us opportunities to change Philippine society for the better, yet nobody had the courage to take on the bastardized system that had been established by Marcos and those before him. Instead, the new regimes were coopted by the old order. Some new faces came in, some pre-Marcos faces made a comeback, and many of the pro-Marcos establishment stayed on became even more entrenched. Marcos henchmen and cronies like Joe de Venecia, Ronnie Puno, Ronnie Zamora, Mel Mathay, Fred Lim, Danding Cojuangco, Tony Boy Cojuangco, Lucio Tan, the Madrigals, the Escuderos, the Cayetanos, Johnny Enrile and Erap, just to name a few, easily adapted to or bought their way into the “new” order. Like true political butterflies, the oligarchy has the ability to metamorphose into “new” personalities that blend with the new environment.

    And many of the Marcos technocrats and operatives were utilized by the new order to continue the dirty political tricks that they had learned so well under Marcos. Peping Roño and his boys: Ronnie Puno, Gabby Claudio, Vic Sumulong, etc. became prized political consultants and tacticians. Even the notorious Leonie Perez and his protégés
    became valued political advisers in all administrations after Marcos.

    At the heart of it all is the fact that each new “order” is basically just a replica of the old one, albeit with a few cosmetic changes. There is no real desire to change the way things are done and, because of a weak moral spine, there is a tendency to be drawn into the dirty practices of old.

    I can only laugh at the idea of Cory Aquino searching for the truth. She had a good 6 years as the most powerful person in the land, and she couldn’t even get to the truth behind her husband’s murder.

  2. ya, i thought my ip address was disallowed from your site because i had difficulty accessing

  3. Belinda Cunanan has to worked hard .She knows which side of the bread is buttered:

    The appointment of Ambassador Thelmo Y. Cunanan (Ret. Gen.) by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to head the top policy-making body of the Social Security System (SSS) can be considered as auspicious, coming as it did on the 47th anniversary of the national pension fund last September 1, 2004. As the 15th Chairman of the Social Security Commission (SSC), he brings to the position a well-rounded blend of business savvy, diplomatic skill, and military experience.

    Chairman Cunanan is no stranger to high-level posts in both public and private sectors. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) from February 2001 to August 2004. At the same time, he served as Chairman of the various subsidiaries of PNOC, such as the PNOC Petrochemical Development Corporations, PNOC Exploration Corporation, PNOC Shipping and Transport Corporation, and PNOC Development and Management Corporation. He also sat in the Board of Directors of diverse corporations, such as PETROCORP, Jacinto Group of Companies, Eastern Telecom, and Inter-Command Security Agency.

  4. Jude,

    One effective way to counterbalance the damaging influence of the oligarchs is to campaign to the lower and middle classes to wake up and be a little more vigilant for their own good. Magtulungan tayo at pagtulungan natin ang mga yan.

  5. I can only laugh at the idea of Cory Aquino searching for the truth. She had a good 6 years as the most powerful person in the land, and she couldn’t even get to the truth behind her husband’s murder.

    I thought this is where we must admire Cory. She was undeniably the most powerful person after Marcos but Cory, I must say, would know better how to handle power than any president before or after her. The truth sorounding the death of Ninoy may not have been fully uncoverd in the long winding court procedures but Cory never used her influence or force to suit her own conviction of truth.

    GMA in contrast uses everything including peoples money to cover up whatever her adminitration has messed up.

  6. Jude, isn’t that what many of us want to happen? That is for the rule of law to be followed? What else could have Cory done differently anyway, force the judiciary and the military to find who killed Ninoy?

    If Cory failed to find the real killer because she followed the rule of law when she was president, then we should not follow the rule of law in deposing Gloria because it is not going to work either, right?

  7. Kawawa naman si Bel Cunanan. Imagine how she must feel now. Once upon a time, she was on easy street just rehashing press releases from JDV and GMA.

    She has been a loyal promoter and defender of both JDV and GMA, extolling their virtues and all that. Now she has to choose between them.

    Or maybe she can do the smart thing: don’t take sides in the GMA-JDV fight and just attack and condemn the political awakening and involvement of the youth in the nation’s affairs.

  8. there are essential truth beyond the understanding of the court. we can take for example thae lozada expose that NBN-ZTE was ovepriced. what paper trail would possibly prove that. None. between testimony of Lozada and the actions of the Malacanang peple on the matter, which dow e think jave more consistency. one can only glean from the undisputed facts as presented by John Nery at the issue of the inquirer today. By the way, I skip Blinda Cunanans column because i find her a lousy writer.

  9. I’d like to correct a line i my previous post it should read Between Lozada and the Malacanang people who do we think have shown worst inconsistency on the issue.

  10. Hi Manolo are these your pics? Which area were you at? 🙂

    I came in a bit late and by that time the Redemptorist church was packed to the brim.

    Now some posters would be aware that the event was a multi-sectoral mass. Rich, poor, middle-class, from the right, center, and left of the political spectrum. No divisions as being conjured by some. And with one voice we say Enough is Enough!

    A far cry from the disastrous omen filled EDSA shrine celebration early during that day which disallowed even ordinary people to participate in mass. They think they’re royalty I think. Then the flag wouldn’t raise, the background sound system conked out, the helicopters without realizing it bombed the people and a media camera with bunched-up globs of confetti. I was half expecting it was to be capped off with the group of “unity jump” bigshots to trip all over themselves. Well, I guess it was too much to ask. Later protesters claimed the EDSA shrine, as indeed it rightly for those who detest corruption and abuse in government.

  11. The pro-corruption groups are likely getting desperate … trying to hijack websites … for shame.

    (…waiting for a cranky sound of protest, any moment now) 😀

  12. Jon Mariano : I like this.

    If Cory failed to find the real killer because she followed the rule of law when she was president, then we should not follow the rule of law in deposing Gloria because it is not going to work either, right?

  13. Sorry to rain in your parade. No need to crow about this people power that was supposed to happen yesterday. It went pfffft. Call a spade a spade. No matter how you spin it to the contrary, it was a disaster in gigantic proportions with sparse crowds . Wowowee can attract more people than that. The whole thing was a non event. It was a gross miscalculation by the opposition. Just like the senate hearings too much noise but nothing to show for. They should change their tactics. Its better to get GMA through judicial means instead of disruptive demonstrations. Peace.

  14. maiba…is the leo san miguel being mentioned in the senate hearing the same one from the cable tv industry?

    magdiwang, long weeked kasi kahapon tapos oscars pa. it’s a sad commentary on Pinoy commitment, but I think it really affected crowd-drawing on both sides…

    kabayan, tingin ko naman wala sa Pilipino ang pro-corruption. rather than help your cause, you will alienate more people when you use that term…

  15. mlq

    do you have any picture of the event that would show a rather ‘significant’ number of gullible people joining this wasteful and useless engagement. For the last so many years I could see same number or even lesser and same faces- the intigators of this ‘non-event’.

    the number one instigator ABS-CBn would give us footages of rallies in different parts of the country as if this is really nationwide! Some of those can’t even reach 50 rallyists. what made them eye-catching are the attractive red streamers and flags.

  16. Mita,

    Who are the pro-corruption Filipinos? They are now there walking in the halls of government. Those who manipulate the truth, who use all means necessary to preserve their ways. Yes, there are pro-corruption Filipinos who will lie, cheat, kill, manipulate the law, intimidate, and abduct so that their corrupt way of life is preserved.

    Will this alienate others? If it will alienate the big time corrupt people of society and their protectors, so be it. That includes the balimbings now wanting to side with civil society because they are scared of losing their “milking cow”, (i.e. the Filipino people), their power and other luxurious amenities that they have grown accustomed to.

    There are people with harsher opinions than mine, and they would not think twice of executing these abusive men and women in power, and unjust as it is, even their families. I am mild by comparison.

  17. Magdiwang,

    Sayang yang pangalan mo, bilib pa naman ako sa mga Magdiwang naging grupo ni Gat. Bonifacio, Jacinto at Sakay. Nasanay ka at ang iba sa “instant noodle victory”, diyan ang kahinaan ninyo.

  18. “To those who said let GMA finish her term… To those who said let the rule of law work for her impeachment… To those who said theres’ no better alternative than GMA… Need I say more?” – RIP EDSA 1 (1986-2008)

  19. Salients Points of Presidential Resignation Speech:

    “I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. The Vice President will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office.”

    “I shall continue to work for the great causes to which I have been dedicated throughout my years as a Senator, a Vice President, and President, the cause of peace not just for our country but among all nations, prosperity, justice, and opportunity for all of our people.”

    “In all the decisions I have made in my public life, I have always tried to do what was best for the Nation. Throughout the long and difficult period of my political crisis, I have felt it was my duty to persevere, to make every possible effort to complete the term of office to which you elected me.”

    “I would have preferred to carry through to the finish whatever the personal agony it would have involved, and my family unanimously urged me to do so. But the interest of the Nation must always come before any personal considerations.”

    “I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of the Nation first. The country needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad.”

    “I shall leave this office with regret at not completing my term, but with gratitude for the privilege of serving as your President for the past years. These years have been a momentous time in the history of our Nation and the world. They have been a time of achievement in which we can all be proud, achievements that represent the shared efforts of the Administration, the Congress, and the people.”

  20. Everybody watch Senate hearing today on Columnist Lito Banayo’s diagram of Oligarchic control which was given to him by Neri…incredible.

  21. So Cory Aquino just followed the rule of law, the rules of evidence and, somehow, nothing came out of it. LOL!!!

    There was another Marcos henchman who led the most corrupt branch of the military during most of Marcos’ term. Not surprisingly, he became President, with Cory Aquino’s blessings.

    In the final analysis, we can argue until we are blue in the face and the Church can pray until Kingdom come. But unless the nation is willing to take the bull by the horns and make wholesale changes in our political, social and economic structure, it will only amount to blather.

  22. Madriaga: Cost of NBN project was padded by “Filipino Group” and ZTE

    Magkakutsaba. Dalawang grupo pala ang lumalabas na ma-Moderate ang greed.

    According sa kanya, yung mga additional na dagdag sa amount ng kurakot para pala sa “War chest” ng administrasyon sa susunod na eleksyon. Ang initial yata na ibinigay (o ibibigay?) ang basic $ 1 Million + $ 10 Million(for government including First Couple, Abalos among many) + $ 30 Million(for Election War Chest)

  23. Ruben Reyes and Jimmy Paz involved who would be receiving among the larger chunks of corruption money which also involves Abalos and the First Couple.

  24. No wonder the administration Congressmen were ultra loyal to the Gloria administration – it already alloted an initial $ 30,000,000 for the election War Chest in the initial stages of the ZTE deal alone.

    Therefore it is not surprising that no Congressional investigation against the Executive Department will prosper because of this (and for many other reason).

  25. So from Madriaga’s statements, it follows that it is not only Mike Arroyo who is involved in the ZTE corruption but Gloria Arroyo as well.

  26. From $ 50,000,000 to $ 329,000,000, figure the difference.

    The illegal price difference will come from us the FILIPINO PEOPLE, our children, and our grandchildren.

  27. Total illegal price difference that the Filipinos will pay for a SINGLE TRANSACTION (i.e. NOT including other transactions like the rushed Northrail project) is $ 279,000,000 or P 3,950,000,000 at the old exchange rate of P 50 is to $ 1.00.

    Now what can you do with nearly 4 BILLION PESOS in this single anomalous transaction alone?

    =====

    Sorry my computer hung a few minutes back and had to reboot

  28. “But unless the nation is willing to take the bull by the horns and make wholesale changes in our political, social and economic structure, it will only amount to blather.” – jude

    Definitely street “revolutions” no longer constitutes this proverbial taking of the bull by the horns. All these hollowheads from whatever Catholic schools can sing ‘Bayan Ko’ til kingdom come on the streets. But at the end of the day, it’s the guys who hold the guns and the gold who will call the shots. 😀

  29. Total illegal price difference that the Filipinos will pay for a SINGLE TRANSACTION (i.e. NOT including other transactions like the rushed Northrail project) is $ 279,000,000 or P 3,950,000,000 at the old exchange rate of P 50 is to $ 1.00.

    Now what can you do with nearly 4 BILLION PESOS in this single anomalous transaction alone?

    =====

    Sorry my computer hung and I had to reboot

  30. Everyone,

    Laws are made for men. I can’t quote an authoritative source right now except Jesus but I bet what millions of people feel are superior to petty technicalities. Besides the Bill of Rights, laws are malleable in the longer and wider view.

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