Earthquake news (Batanes, Catanduanes, and eastern Bicol) dominated AM radio last night; see the nifty Inquirer.net Earthquake Map.
There was an interesting observation made by Jove Francisco in his blog. He noticed that last Friday, the President held a mass oath-taking at the Palace, to which the military noticeable didn’t turn up. This helps explain, perhaps, why the President decided to sit out the Makati rally in the confines of Camp Crame. Read the whole entry, it’s a fascinating peek into what was going on in the Palace last Friday (see also his entry on the arrest of hecklers and continuing nervousness in the Palace; see the related news item, Rains abort unity walk of 77 mayors ).
Have fun with diagrams: See Romulo Neri’s cluttered booty capitalism chart. What’s interesting is his focus is on six captive industries, revolving around Alcantara, Aboitiz, Razon, Tan, and Gokongwei. The bubbles are, apperently, his view of “circles of influence.” For a detailed example, see PAL controls gateways through CAB, say experts.
On to today’s main event. Yesterday Amando Doronila pointed out that Battle arena over NBN shifts to SC. Today, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments, with one report saying it will be a Close call on Neri case. Last night, however, I ran into a former cabinet member with a formidable reputation as a lawyer, and he said that the case was really an open-and-shut one. He was confident the Supreme Court would divide along the lines shown by its decision on prior restraint. While a loyalty vote is possible, he viewed it as improbable. The reason is that everyone knows this will be a decision avidly studied in the schools, and the Justices know they’re deciding a landmark case with near-unbreakable precedents. They wouldn’t risk their reputations on this one.
Last night, the former cabinet member said the sensible path for the Justices to follow, would be to question Neri in an executive session. The news, today, is troubling: Neri a no-show as SC starts oral arguments. One has to wonder if this is of Neri’s doing or a Palace strategy, to deny the Justices information.
Read Fr. Joaquin Bernas SJ’s An E.O. 464 Catechism. He explains what the legal issues to be determined by the high court will be. Particularly relevant is the so-called “Nixon Doctrine”:
Q. Must every claim of executive privilege based on the above enumeration be honored?
A. No. The Court in Senate v. Ermita said that in determining the validity of a claim of privilege, the question that must be asked is not only whether the requested information falls within one of the traditional privileges, but also whether that privilege should be honored in a given procedural setting. Thus it is not for one claiming executive privilege “to unilaterally determine that a duly-issued Subpoena should be totally disregarded.”
Q. Who then determines whether the claimed privilege should be honored?
A. The Court. Thus, for instance, when the Nixon administration claimed privilege for certain tapes about the Watergate break-in, the Court, after looking at the claimed privilege behind closed doors, held that the tapes were not covered by privilege and should be released.
For this reason, our Court also said that “Absent then a statement of the specific basis of a claim of executive privilege, there is no way of determining whether it falls under one of the traditional privileges, or whether, given the circumstances in which it is made, it should be respected.” The lack of specificity renders an assessment of the potential harm resulting from disclosure impossible.
Speaking of E.O. 464… Let’s look at the the demands that have been made by three groups. The CBCP in its pastoral exhortation, the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan of the Ateneo, and the group of former government officials in their statement issued today.
Here are there demands, arranged in terms of their connection with each other:
They are, on the whole, reasonable demands, that address present problems as well as the need for institutional changes. What the demands lack, however, is a timetable (except for the ex-government officials). This is a serious problem, because, as Edilberto de Jesus points out, today, the President continues to be ambiguous if not actually dissembling:
Arroyo made the following points in the interview:
1. Corruption angered her as much as it did the people.
2. As soon as there was talk of anomalies, she immediately took a step to cancel it.
3. As soon as an informant complained to her about corruption, she looked for a way to cancel the project.
4. She only received the report about corruption the day before the signing of the supply contract.
5. She could not see her way to canceling the project the night before the signing of the supply contract because another country was involved.
What she did not say also deserves attention.
1. She did not identify the whistle-blower(s).
2. She did not explain the anomalies in the deal.
It is not clear whether the “pag-uusap na anomalya” (talk of anomalies) and the “nagsumbong” (informant) referred to the same source. But her action, contrary to what the trio of Cabinet officials tried to convey, indicated that there was more than just loose talk of anomalies from tattle-tales.
Arroyo could not simply say that she heard talk about anomalies; she knew about the specific attempt to bribe CHEd Chair Romy Nery. Did she learn about other anomalies from other sources? In any case, she must have found both the whistle-blower(s) and the report credible. Despite assurances from her officials that the deal was clean, she eventually (not immediately) cancelled the project.
Let us grant that the confusion about Arroyo’s radio interview arose in part from language problems or from multiple voices interpreting what she said. She can quickly clarify the issue by explaining what she had meant to say in the interview. She knows which pieces belong to the puzzle and how to put them together.
At this point, however, what is important and what will contribute to the complete picture is no longer what she said or did not say, but what she did and did not do.
If she is as “galit sa katiwalian,” why did she not act, agad-agad, to investigate the anomalies and to punish their perpetrators?
Why has she not supported the Senate investigations? Why has she not provided the Senate with the documentation of the deal?
Why has she allowed officials who could shed light on the corruption to invoke E.O, 464?
Why has she not held to account those of her officials who continue to maintain that the ZTE-NBN deal was aboveboard?
There are appeals for the Truth, but no threat of consequences if the demands aren’t met. I respect the position of the bishops that they aren’t the ones who should be making threats, but if that’s the case, it’s incumbent among the groups pushing for a more centrist, moderate, resolution of current problems to come to a consensus on a timetable.
I understand that there are some natural dates and pressure point events that various groups are considering:
1. The decision of the Supreme Court on executive privilege, 3-4 weeks after today’s hearing of oral arguments;
2. Income Tax day in April;
3. The expiration of Gen. Esperon’s extended tour of duty as AFP Chief of Staff in May;
4. Labor Day;
5. Independence Day
6. The opening of the new session of Congress in July;
7. The expiration of the one-year ban on impeachment complaints in October (deliberations, including passing better rules, can begin in July);
8. pressure point event: if the government attempts a “same dog, different collar” tactic to achieve the same purposes as E.O. 464 while formally revoking it;
9. pressure point event: if the administration, even if faced with a S.C. decision clarifying executive privilege, continues to be uncooperative vis-a-vis the Senate;
10. pressure point event: if the administration attempts to revive Charter Change;
11. pressure point event: if members of the economic team resign from the cabinet.
The 6-7 month period from April 15 to October is more than enough time for even the most moderate groups to firm up what they will do, if the President proves more inclined to pursue dilatory tactics.
I believe, in light of the above, the urgent need is for:
1. The middle forces to consolidate and pursue a consensus;
2. And having forged that consensus to consider that while some are more focused on the President, and others on longer-lasting and more wide-spread reforms, the two are not incompatible if their goal is a Reform Constituency that can challenge the Right and the Left not just now, or 2010, but beyond. John Nery puts it this way:
The strategic value of the 2010 elections lies in that deadline; a transfer of power is already in the schedule. The more our aspiring presidential candidates prepare for the May 10, 2010 contest, the more any cancellation or postponement of the elections (say, through a manufactured people’s initiative) will be resisted. No Filipino politician, not even Ferdinand Marcos, has struck it rich by betting against the Filipino’s passion for the vote. So let Mar Roxas hawk more Tide laundry products, or Manny Villar visit more provinces, or Dick Gordon play coy with Cebu’s Gwen Garcia–their ambition serves democracy’s purpose.
At the same time, the outrage over the official impunity and immoderate greed revealed by the NBN scandal must continue to be expressed. Even if people power seems unlikely, protesters must still take to the streets, fill up the churches, organize school forums, reclaim the public square.
It’s possible that such “communal action,” in the Catholic bishops’ hopelessly ambiguous term, may provoke a confluence of events that will lead to an earlier day of reckoning for the Arroyo administration. Well and good. (We must be open to surprises.) But even if it doesn’t, what of it? The important thing is to do our part.
Father Rector Rolando de la Rosa of the University of Santo Tomas asked Lozada and former president Corazon Aquino and the others who attended the Mass for Truth at the university last Sunday to consider the best way to return integrity to government: “the best way is not through a “rigodon” of leaders who are forcibly removed through people power, but through an enlightened, educated and conscientious electoral process. We have 26 months before the next election. We have enough time to prepare ourselves so we can vote wisely. Let us use people power during election time, not only before or after.”
Some extremely thought-provoking entries in the blogosphere: the most thought-provoking being Writer’s Block’s A Comprehensive Proposal for an EDSA Reform. I do think, though, that when it comes to politics, personalities can never, and never ought to be, separated from the issues, because it is a human activity and not a science. Also, getting rid of the Senate is extremely unwise, though the process for electing its members can stand review. I disagree that Federalism goes hand-in-hand with the parliamentery system; it is, to my mind, even better suited to a presidential and bicameral system. As for proposals for the redistribution of wealth, I’ve long advocated the manner in which Britain broke the power of the aristocracy: through Death Duties. The accumulation of wealth in one person’s lifetime, is to be commended; the destructive effects of inherited wealth is what the British looked at and solved, by making it very difficult to pass on fortunes without greatly diminishing them. This democratized Britain in a generation without stifling entrepreneurship.
The following entries look into the various constituencies that are participating, or not, in current events. New Philippine Revolution on current and future configurations (see also an interesting entry of his on the Vatican position). Mon Casiple calls it the “elite dilemma.” Scriptorium asks, is impeachment better than People Power?
pastilan! reproduces a paper that gives us an insight into how the Left view the middle class, and ongoing debates on how to engage it -or co-opt it, or neutralize it. {caffeine sparks} looks at those who proclaim that being apolitical is a virtue. The need to take a stand, but not get used and abused, is tackled by abashet.
Sonnie’s Porch, and What Do We Care?, and Bayen’s Living Room, and I’m A Baby! and Ang Kape Ni LaTtEX express the reasons behind their misgivings concerning People Power. A Simple Life takes up the cudgels for loyalists. smoke has an interesting entry on what she perceives to be a war of political attrition. Peryodistang Pinay on image-making on media.
i thought i’ve heard and seen every hubris in philippine politics. now comes these 60-odd “former cabinet members” calling themselves “la salle 60”, DEMANDING the sitting president to do, or not to do, certain specified acts within one week. what??? of all the presumptuousness that only a warped pinoy mind can concoct! what if “gloria” declines (politely or otherwise) to comply? will they summon a horde from hell to castigate her? obviously, they are neither threatening “people power” revolution, nor impeachment, because they have tried doing both ad nauseam and failed again and again and again.
some people, apparently in their insane hatred for the president, have become incapable of distinguishing fantasy from reality. these are supposed to be individuals who, at one time or another, held responsible positions in the government (some through merit rather than patronage) and arguably have a modicum of understanding.
wishing the president to do, or not to do, some things is one thing. but “demanding” and setting a “deadline” for compliance is another. the former could be reasonable, the latter is well… PRESUMPTUOUS!
shit, can this be all entertainment fodder fed by the politicians – to get people’s attention from what we really ought to be focusing on?
Kabayan: “Heavy vestiges of colonial mentality still reeks.â€Â
“My, what perfect English you have!–DJB
My English is worse, but I’m a guitarist so me sure I can play the guitar (not the airy kind) better than some guys. Therefore DJB is out of context. Cheers!
mita, of course you and i can’t do a damned thing about who the new comelec chairman and commissioners will be. that’s part of the gma legacy some are content to keep.
bencard, wala naman kasi talaga yung “respect for the office” na tinatawag sa western countries dito sa Pilipinas…dito lahat personalan.
Just look at how it’s coming out now that Cory said GMA was “too pragmatic” and wouldn’t make a good president or something….she wasn’t even president yet. Last I looked pragmatic was good…but ayun, ngayon dirty word na.
DJB: I suppose you use FASCISM like Robert Paxton (author: The Anatomy of Fascism) who provided a working definition of fascism:
PEOPLE WHO TRADE LIBERTY FOR SECURITY DESERVE NEITHER.
CRAVEN SCUM, YOUR TIME WILL COME!
ALL OF YOU WILL BE PLACED UP AGAINST THE WALL WHEN THE REVOLUTION COMES!
madonna, really now…who are you expecting to bring us that?
Mita,
I am just as much as a liberal and a democrat, meaning I believe that the people are the bedrock a real democracy. No I am not expecting a genie or a genius. That’s why I am just as cautious of a few groups or people leading us to rah-rah land. Our salvation is within us, collectively, we the people.
In case you have not notice in previous threads, I have consistently advocated people power within constitutional grounds.
And sorry, I am not one of those people who want to wait for 2010 to resolve the crisis.
ColdKing: when the revolution comes, both sides will possess .223, 7.62 or .308 long guns. Bolo-wielders will the first to fall.
The losers get placed against the walls. The agents of the winners get to aim and fire.
mlq, sa dami ng abogado sa pilipinas, sa dami ng miron sa pilipinas, wala tayong magagawa? erap was convicted due to the efforts of a few, very dedicated people. what can the efforts of more than a few in every island dedicated people do? even if we don’t agree on a lot of things, we have both have to agree that change is imminent because that is what the times call for…
in the last US presidential elections there were groups of volunteer lawyers who were available in most states making sure no voters were marginalized and any questions or problems that arose were addressed…
what we have now is paid patronage pa din. why does it flourish? because there are no willing volunteers…
liberal democrat…in the Philippine context, please define that for me Madonna.
coldking, chest-thumping….
BS about GMA legacy …noon pa..panahon pa ng lolo mo at lolo ko elections were crooked…it’s part of the culture!
that is the reality I’m saying we cannot face to this very day…
mita, it was qualified. pragmatic per se isn’t necessarily bad. “too pragmatic” is what’s bad.
That should be “Some losers. and also some winners… will have fled the country. Some loser-losers will get placed against the walls. Agents of the winners will aim and fire.”
Better not lose, ColdKing.
[PS: Odds are that some civilian collateral damage will need to be buried.]
PEOPLE WHO SACRIFICE LIBERTY FOR SECURITY DESERVE NEITHER AND LOSE BOTH. – BEN FRANKLIN
THE TREE OF LIBERTY HAS TO BE WATERED REGULARLY WITH THE BLOOD OF TYRANTS AND PATRIOTS.
TO MAKE OMELETS YOU HAVE TO BREAK EGGS.
EVERY GREAT NATION HAS HAD A BLOODY REVOLUTION.
PARANG MGA PRO-GMA, FUCK THEM AND FUCK THEIR BULLSHIT STRONG ECONOMY, ANONG SILBI NG “MALAKAS” (DAW-RAW) NA EKONOMIYA KUNG NINANAKAWAN NAMAN ANG KABAN NG BAYAN AT BINABAON TAYO SA KAUTANGAN HANGGANG SA KATAPUSAN NG MUNDO?!
ANG MAGANDA NAMAN SA MALAKAS NA PESO AY NAKAKABAYAD TAYO NG UTANG “NATIN” PERO SINO BA ANG UMUUTANG IN THE FIRST PLACE ABER ? EH DI ANG MGA PIDAL AT ANG MGA KAMPON NILA!
MGA GAGO TALAGA KAYONG LAHAT, WALA KAYONG BRAINS O BALLS O PAREHO KAYA LAHAT TAYO AY LUMULUBOG NA SA KUMONOY NG KASAYSAYAN AT PATI ANG MGA NATITIRANG DESENTENG TAO AY MALULUNOD NA DAHIL SA KATANGAHAN AT KADUWAGAN NINYONG LAHAT!
PARANG TALAGA KAYONG MGA LOYALISTA NI MARCOS , NINANAKAWAN O KAYA NINAKAWAN NA NGA, NAKATAWA O TUMATAWA PA ! – POLGAS
mita: re patronage. one reason it may not have been eradicated is that the case for why it should be dispensed with by most people hasn’t been properly made.
mita, not so. even if you assume *mos* elections were crooked, not *all* were, and indeed, some types of elections may have been more crooked than most. but what’s definite is that the fraud majorly mutated in 1992, was a failure in 1998 (only because of estrada’s popularity), returned with a vengeance in 2004. the fraud of the past, even the most notorious elections of 1949, 1969 and 1986, are small potatoes compared to the sophistication of the cheating in 1992 and 2004.
i don’t doubt people will put up a stiff fight vs. fraud. but with all the major appointments gma will be making between now and 2010, she will be firmly entrenching people who will perpetuate her style of governance. go through the list: comelec chairman, commissioners, supreme court justices, civil service commissioner, commission on audit commissioner…. etc.
of course its up to you if you will have confidence not only in the appointees, but the appointing authority.
cold king tigilan mo na yan.
The edited version:
some people, apparently in their insane Love for the president, have become incapable of distinguishing fantasy from reality.
too pragmatic for who? for the one who made the judgment?
Pumapapel na si Noli at lagi niyang sinasabi sa English na siya raw ang Constituitional successor kapag mabokya ang banka na si Gloria.Ngunit bago natin sakyan at i-angkla ang reserbang goma sa senaryong ito ay maigi na atin munang suriin at bigyan ng ganap na makauring disposisyon ang mga pangyayari upang hindi tayo malito kasama ng ating mga kababayan na nagtapos lamang sa mababang paaralan para hindi uli sila mahatak at malansi ni Kabayan.
Ang Panawagang “Gloria Resignâ€Âsa teritoryo ni Binay ay tumatagos hanggang sa pinakamababang lebel ng masa at mga opisyales ng gobyerno na parang siniko sa dibdib ng pitong demonyo dahil kartada singko ang ang naihirit na baraha.Pero ang naging siste ng rally ay watak-watak ang opposisyon at hindi konsolado, sila ang mga burges na oposisyon o ang paksyon ng naghaharing uri at iba na may binabalak na humalili.Ng umakyat na ang CO-RAP sa entablado pinalakpakan ang dilaw na bistida ni Cory at nag walk-out naman pala ang kilusang sa Itim at sa Puti ng nag-inglish na si Asiong Salonga at nasapawan ang bidang si Jun Lozada.Kaya tuloy naisip ko,ano kaya ang dapat tayaan sa beto-beto? Ngunit ang naiwang maraming pangkat ay nagkakaisa sa kanilang kagyat na panawagan na dapat umalis si GMA sa poder ng kapangyarihan.Nandito ngayon ang nabuldigat na problema kung ang pagpapatalsik kay GMA kapalit si Noli De Castro gamit ang “succesion excuse†ng proseso ng kasalukuyang umiiral na konstitusyon ay tutol si Loren Sinta dahil kasabwat daw ni Gloria ang tiga hila ng lubid ng Nazareno sa pandaraya kaya siya nanalo.Ibig sabihin ang kandila ng dalawa ay kukurap-kurap na o kaya’y ang pagiging kumare at kumpare ay naglakbay na sa ere.
Kaya ang kumapre ko na nag-attend ng rally ay ganito ang sinabi- â€â€-
Nakakainis ang nangyayari ngayon. Kung minsan naiisip ko, impossible ng umunlad pa ang Pilipinas at naisip ko rin na kumuha ng tourist bisa at mag TNT sa America dahil hindi pa natutpad ang wish ko na ang Philippines to becomes US state. Pero imposible iyun pare!Una tinutulan ni Quezon,sa totoo lang okey na ang Pinas.when it came to its people sa dami ng magagaling sa atin.Lalo nasa politika sa kongreso nand’yan si Tony Diaz na maraming naipasang batas,kung sipag lang naman sa pagiging kargador nand’yan si Way Kurat, at kung sa pirmahan lang experto si Iggy Arroyo, d’yan ang dalawa niyang tungaw na pamangkin na mahilig mag-import ng kabayo. Pag matuloy pa ang election sa 2010 ay may showdown sina Willie at Joey sa pagka-senador. Kung batas lang naman ang pag-uusapan ay tulo laway lang kay Gordon at Ping lalo na kapag bagong gupit si Bianzon at magkatabi sila ni Pimentel nasisingkol ang utak ni Mirrian at nasusunog ang upuan nina Lito at Bong.. ……
Kaya nga pare! Lintik at pesting gobyerno ito,iyung sahod ko sa isang buwan ay kukulangin kung pakakainin ko ang junior at neneng ko sa Jolibee, tapos may evat pang babayaran.Nakuba na ang likod ng kumander ko sa paglalabandera at mataas na ang kanyang balikat dahil kapos sa pambili ng bitamina at hindi pa naaalisan ng problema,mas problema pa kung mamatay mas malaki ang gastos dahil iyung mga nag to-tongits sa lamayan ay malakas sa paborita at kape,Mas makakatipid pa pag nabubuhay dahil tatlong supot ng noodles para sa pananghalian ay mura kesa sa bayad ng punerarya.Ang sapatos ko ay nabutas na ang swelas,sayang Nike pa naman na pasalubong sa akin ng pinsang kong balikbayan kaya lagi kong iniingatan,itong gobyerno ni 4×4 milyones ang kinukurakot.Kailan kaya bibitawan ni Arroyo ang Bola?
liberal democrat…in the Philippine context, please define that for me Madonna.
Mita,
Did you just read my previous comment re: liberal fascism and liberal democracy.
“The operative connotation is when it is contrasted with liberal democracy which is what we have theoretically. However, our form of liberalism tends to be fascistic since our social foundation is made up of oligarchs lording it over the majority of the people. Oligarchs have a quasi-legal hold of our economy and political system. Philipine oligarchs are the purveyors of western style liberalism, with their focus on economic rights, and political freedom.
When power of the few meets liberal thought, you have liberal fascism.”
Simply, mita, it means that when we have a genuine liberal democracy when the power of the people are not just exercised during elections. Elitists and oligarchs are the not the real power holders, the majority of the people == as in the United States, the middle class who constitute the majority are the great power holders. We have a niggling middle class here in the country.
This influence of the majority is felt when their representatives for example in Congress do their jobs, for example, when public opinion says majority favor that GMA be impeached, the representatives follow the will of the people without being prodded to. In a real liberal democracy, leaders follow the will of the people in terms of economic policies, etc, not elitists and oligarchs, because they know that they will be held accountable during elections.
Another example is that Edsa Dos if we were really a working liberal democracy would not have happened because Erap was a duly elected President, elected by the majority of the people and he was not yet impeached by the Senate but he was ousted. And oh by the way, I was one of those vociferous Edsa Dos veterans.
Sonny: “eto na naman tayo, media na naman ang sinisisi. we don’t have a perfect media in this country but to nail them on the cross while the real sinners are laughing on the sidelines? give me a break. sila ba ang dapat binabatikos habang ang mga nakaupo tinatrato with kid gloves? i simply don’t get it. i read the blogs, i saw the news items on TV last nite and read the major broadsheets, i am an avid follower of the news and i believe statements like ‘The media actually sends reporters to cover people… walking in formation? Anak ng… Enough, pwede ba?’ (eh bakit di ka magalit sa mga may pakana ng unity walks? nakita ko sa news kagabi na umuulan pa kahapon kaya di natuloy ang unity walk ni gloria, nabasa ang media, gusto ba nila yun o task nila yun na dapat gawin?) and ‘The media in this country will cover anything’ are quite unfair. the ones who covered them are reporters assigned in the presidential beat, they are there to cover whatever happens in the said beat. if they will be selective, di ba parang shortchanged tayo sa karapatan natin sa impormasyon? besides, manolo had always mentioned here in his blog that it is important to see what’s happening in the halls of power dahil dun natin ibabase ang ating opinyon sa mga isyu. ilagay nyo anger nyo sa tamang kakainisan.”
Isn’t the mainstream non-government media (most of them, anyway, including ABS-CBN, GMA, ABC, PDI, Philippine Star) controlled/influenced by the oligarchs?
mita, yes, too pragmatic from the point of view of the one venturing the opinion. that’s what was sought, that’s what was given. an opinion.
mlq3, so you see it happening…and all you can ask is for gloria to resign? which a lot of people have been saying is highly improbable without any legal basis…even your beloved bishops are saying so….
so now, can you truly and honestly say it is helping the situation any?
from now till 2010, what if we focus on all those appointments, those underhanded moves that we know will derail the elections in 2010…don’t you think we can achieve a lot more?
an opinion then and now a publicity stunt…
cocoy, hindi nag walk-out ang bnw.
So was I, Madonna. Back then, I convinced myself the majority had spoken and Erap was ousted. Now that I look back, I see it was nothing but mob rule. It was the emotional reaction of a disgruntled public against a disgruntling Senate. The drama should have reached its finale…the proper ending.
mita, if you don’t let up on the pressure there is a whole lot more you will have to clean up after and if she goes. i think it has helped the situation plenty. if people hadn’t been making these calls you would have a unicameral single party parliament under kampi preparing for a gma extension to 2020. that she steps down having no other choice, if it happens, in 2010 is achievement enough, that she does so before then would possibly be the salvation of this country.
but yes, we could have just had peace and quiet until 2020 with no one the wiser about everything going on, from jonas burgos to … well, you know the whole catalog of wrongdoing by now.
and if we focus on those appointments, without saying anything else, what will it achieve? even with sustained criticism the president only relents when she actually gets scared. but otherwise, she will merilly appoint whoever she wants, knowing she holds the bayonets and the cash. which keeps the house in her pocket, and governors, and mayors, and generals, and yes, even our beloved bishops.
you do not need a legal basis to ask a president to resign. you only need what lawyers call a moral certainty she is unfit for office. your legal basis is what is required to deprive her of life, liberty, and property. but depriving someone of office, which isn’t a god-given right, is something the citizenry can do at any time for reasons unrelated to what passes for the law.
Publicity stunt? — mita
Care to explain?
Oh if you were referring to the “I was an Edsa Dos veteran”, oh dearie what a judgemental person you are. That was a point I made just so would not mistake me for an Estrada supporter. Shall we say, it’s really hard to explain to some people who sometimes can’t go beyond the surface of things.
And say, this is the Philippines, not America so don’t sit on a high horse about volunteerism and charity. So an unsolicited advice, be pragmatic, like GMA.
Madonna, btw you defined liberal democracy but not a liberal democrat in the Philippine context…
you said if we truly had a working liberal democracy, EDSA 2 shouldn’t have happened…so why take it out on this president then? she who we installed after EDSA 2? are you saying the system is broken? if that is so…then why are we at each other’s throats about changing the system?
not you! the “pragmatic” once an opinion and now used as cannon fodder – if it wasn’t personal i would have no issue with it.
let me clarify that so you don’t take it the wrong way…that reply about the publicity stunt was meant for mlq3 re the opinion of Cory Aquino of GMA as being too pragmatic…
oh yes, this is the Philippines where everyone projects to be intelligentsia or CEO and expect “others” to do the dirty work….
there is dignity in labor, that’s how you get things done. if you have a problem with “America” work it out yourself. there’s good and bad in every culture….
Mita dearest,
Plase accept my sincerest apologies! Ekk mali, we are getting too heated with this crisis and we are on each other’s throat now. Hay sorry talaga.
I am liberal democrat in the sense that I believe that majority of the people must have a say on our political system, of course all in the context of rights and freedom i.e. in the current political crisis, I am rather leery of a few groups on the lead once again like what happened in Edsa Dos (like for example in the Feb 29 rally we saw Cory and Erap). People power must be the clicher — it should be about the people, not power of the few. I still believe that an impeachment is the right way to go.
MlQ3
Kung hindi pala nag-walk out ang BnW.Mali iyung impormasyon ko.Paki-edit na lang na hindi sila nag-walk out,Please! at edit ko rin yong post ko sa blog ko.
Mita,
I don’t have a problem with America. I rather like its liberal democracy, where people are really treated equal.
cocoy, sinabi kasi ni boy saycon na may nag walkout. mayroon nga pero hindi lahat ng binanggit ni saycon. kami, hindi nag walk out. sa mga nag complain, ipininaliwanag ni mayor binay na gusto niyang patunayan sa mga nagdududang sisispot sila cory at erap. kaya pinaakyat niya sa entablado. sa orihinal na pinagkasunduan sa mga miting para sa rally, may agreement na walang magsasalitang politiko para ma focus ang rali sa kabataan. tinanggap ng grupo namin ang paliwanag ni binay, tapos na ang usapan.
siyempre naman di lahat ng mga nandoon ay tumatanggap sa mga lider ng ibang mga grupo doon. ngunit ang focus ng rali ay si gma at di naman tayo dapat maligaw sa puntong iyon.
MLQ3;
Thanks for the clarification.I edit my blog.Inayos ko na.
Sometimes, we have to make a deal with the Lesser Evil for the Greater Good, and the current Administration is definitely the Root of All Evil in the Philippines! ( or is that China? :-O ) …
mlq3, i know you are basing your response to mita, at 1:06am, on your readings of historical accounts (versions) concerning comparative election frauds of various era. this is so because you are too young to have direct, personal knowledge of elections prior to marcos vs. cory.
i’m not that old but perhaps old enough to know, first-hand, most of what transpired in the post-war national elections. as far as i can remember, the first coining of the phrase “guns, goons and gold” was made during the presidential campaign between elpidio quirino and jose p. laurel in 1949. in the 1953 campaign between quirino and magsaysay, the charges that the dead, the birds and the bees voted, in addition to guns, gold and goons, were much ballyhooed. in the 1957 contest between garcia and yulo, the same charges were made. isolated complaints of cheating in the garcia vs. macapagal election were also present but not pursued because the challenger (macapagal) won over the incumbent.
the incidence of cheating prior to marcos were certainly no “small potatoes” except when compared to the mother of all fraudulent elections of 1986.
“sophistication” on the alleged cheating in 1992 and 2004 was probably in the means employed – “dagdag-bawas”, rather than “guns, goons and gold”, “flying voters”, dead men voting, and the birds and the bees.
kung galing sa probinsya, I nominate duterte from davao. everyone knows naman kung gaano kaayos ang davao. palagay ko naman kaya niyang disiplinahin mga tao sa maynila. ala ring problema sa kanya yang mga rally-rally. papayagan kang magrally ng walang permit hanggang gusto mo basta huwag ka lang makakasagabal sa publiko ibig sabihin orderly dapat ang rally. kung diyan naman sa maynila pipili, puede na rin si bayani fernando. mukhang pareho naman ang style ng dalawa. priority ay peace and order.
but we know na walang showbiz appeal ang mga eto kaya walang pag-asa sa majority. take the case na lang ng yumaong si haydee yorac. mas malamang piliin pa ng karamihan si kabayang noli.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
DAY 6
mita, i agree with you. the clamor for gma’s resignation is an attempt at free lunch. her enemies want her to hand the presidency to them on a silver platter, “make it easy” for them to grab power, under all threats of vengeance, physical violence and psychological intimidations.
time and again, gma has shown strength and moral courage to stand up against these unrelenting onslaught. by her actions in preserving her presidency, she is safeguarding our democratic ideals and institutions, which rapacious groups would trash, trample and discard at whim to suit their selfish ends.
for as long as there are people in our society that regard our constitution, our laws, our government, our democratic agencies and instrumentalities, as throw-aways, we will never have stability no matter how much economic gains we achieve.
nice call! but isn’t that just the same as *gasp* snap elections?
so djb, can you say “snap elections” at the same time with “liberal fascism?”
oh yeah, pogroms still the way to go. call me anytime you need someone to lead it 😀
i’ll whip up my list and roast them alive one by one.
jesus. that one’s a no-brainer. of course charter change will be revived again. kelangan pa bang i-memorize yan?
bencard, but precisely the problem is the perception that the game has been fixed, the referees have been bought, so the only option is a walkout.
why would i play by the rules if the arbiters of the game are all stacked up against me judging from previous contests?
but of course, there are other players who would want a walkout so that they can call the shots in the next game.
mlq3, i was able to watch your show and i like that team-rp group you featured. that’s the kind of advocacy group i want to support. you seemed to welcome their stand (i believe it’s what other commenters here want also) although it differs from that being pushed by your BnW group.
maginoo, there’s the rub. perception, perception. why not wake up to reality and obey the result of “due process”, after the “game” is thoroughly scrutinized according to the the pre-determined rules? why change the rules after the game is played and invalidate the result?
in the philippines, nothing is resolved because no one would accept defeat. the most over-used word “closure” has no meaning because for the people paying lip service to it, closure means victory for him/herself, or of his/her interest or point of view.
if the process is defective, change it in a legal way but only before the game is played. losers must “lose”. victors must win!
this is so true. kasi isa sa traits natin yan.
the following joke explains what i mean:
Question: why would i play by the rules if the arbiters of the game are all stacked up against me judging from previous contests?
Some answers: (1) When the game will be played with or without you. (2) To make real what is feared so that the next set of arguments will be over facts versus speculation.
(3) To let reality come into being to be in a position to count.
(4) To be a martyr to the cause.
(5) You can’t win if you don’t play.