President Hee Hee and President Ha Ha

June 25, 2008 by mlq3
Filed under Daily Dose

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Much levity courtesy of the Summit of the (Lame) Ducks in Washington.

Got this by way of Age of Brillig who pointed to Bush To Filipino President: “I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The — Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House” in the Huffington Post, and which pointed in turn to Bush jokes about the White House chef in the Los Angeles Times’ Countdown to Crawford blog. What caught my interest was not the famously barely comprehensible American President’s folksy attempt at being gracious (Filipinos are, after all, very proud of Cristeta Comerford, and the White House has a long tradition of Filipino stewards serving there), but rather, this exchange near the tail end of the Oval Office photo-op. See President Bush Meets with President Arroyo of the Philippines:

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thanks for coming.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you, thank you. Mr. President, with your permission, I’d like to address our countrymen in my own native language. (Speaks in Tagalog.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: I couldn’t have said it better myself. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, all.

Snippets found the President’s delivering a statement in Filipino from the Oval Office curious, but I don’t see why. The President took the opportunity to film a message to her people from the most famous stage set in the world. That message was the justification of the trip, Exhibit A in proving the trip was worth it. (What I do find curious -because the President and her handlers have been very conscious of the subconscious effects of colors on the public- is why the President’s been appearing in cheery and bright colors when she herself and American officials have tried to soberly pay tribute to the victims of the recent typhoon.)

Interestingly enough, though, as of the time I’m writing this, the Palace’s propagandists haven’t posted anything on the Oval Office meeting. So we don’t know what she said.

What I find very interesting -see Matthew Good as an example, or Inky Horizons or Wonkette- is that many Americans offended by their President’s remarks, thought our President was visiting Dubya to rattle a tin cup and ask for typhoon relief. To the minds of these Americans, it makes perfect sense that at a time of tragedy, our President was panhandling their President. But that was not the purpose of our President’s trip, see her list of things to do.

Anyway, the President, having secured her photo-op with the Great White Father, can proudly say “mission accomplished” and have NBN endlessly replay her cameo appearance in the Oval Office: she’s in Good Odor and can brag about obtaining Dubya’s Seal of Good Housekeeping.

According to RG Cruz, the subsequent improvement in the President’s mood can be seen by all and sundry, as a Public Works and Highway Undersecretary discovered:

Aquino: I am representing secretary ebdane who visited Iloilo. Out of nine bridges that were damaged, we have restored two bridges

GMA: Are u talking here of guimbal and sta. barabara

Aquino: No maâ€™am, these are in Iloilo maâ€™am

GMA: Yes they are both in Iloilo (laughs out loud)

If u were not such a good undersecretary on the ground I will spank you (laughs more)

Aquino: These are the towns of sigma dau cuatero road in capiz

GMA: Thatâ€™s not Iloilo thatâ€™s capiz

Aquino: Yes maâ€™am all in panay island

The President continues her torrent of instructions: Arroyo orders flooding of NFA rice in typhoon-hit areas. This as Farm, schools damage: P7B.

In his column, Manuel Buencamino points out, in an open letter to the President,

And then, as an added treat, according to your press secretaryâ€™s web site, â€œSome 600 Filipino-Americans witnessed the Presidentâ€™s conduct of a video conference with the National Disaster Coordinating Council where President Arroyo showed that despite her being out of the Philippines to foster diplomatic relations with its most important ally, she remains focused and on top of the situation back home.â€

Your president at work?

A total of 198,545 Ilonggos are in 58 evacuation centers in Iloilo City; 353,000 were displaced in the rest of the province; 33,000 families suffered the same fate in Eastern Visayas; and over 700 are dead in a ferry accident. And youâ€™re in Fresno, California, posing for pictures.

In Washington the only meeting you cannot pass off to a Cabinet member is your tÃªte-Ã -tÃªte with lame-duck George. Thatâ€™s nothing but a photo op. What lasting commitment can you get from him, who will be gone by January?

It would be nice to personally thank Bush and the US Senate for the Veterans Bill, but thereâ€™s a calamity back home. They will understand.

You donâ€™t have to go to the Pentagon. Gilbert Teodoro can meet with his counterpart to discuss defense reform even though itâ€™s a waste of time because he will be talking to a lame-duck secretary.

There is no meeting in Washington that you cannot cancel.

As for New York, do you really have to personally wine and dine those UN permanent representatives to get their vote for Miriam Santiago? What do you think the people of Iloilo will appreciate more: Your presence in their province or you campaigning in New York for their province-mate?

You have been compared to Marcos countless times. Itâ€™s unfair to the late dictator and his family. Marunong makiramay ang mga Marcos in times of calamity.

Imelda Marcos and her children, even at the height of a typhoon, would always be at the scene of a disaster giving aid and comfort to the victims. You always arrive late.

I remember when Milenyo hit the country, the first photo to appear in the papers was you, in your cute little rainwear, inspecting the fallen trees in MalacaÃ±ang while hundreds of thousands of victims in the Bicol region and Southern Luzon were waiting for some relief. And you wonder why you are the most disliked president this country ever had?

I have seen Imelda shed tears as she embraced victims of calamities. Her tears were real. I have seen you in similar situations; you look uncomfortable, and your discomfort is real.

(more, in a similar vein, from Fil-Ams Perry Diaz and Greg Macabenta who, for some reason, thinks Fresno was on the President’s itinerary to help her avoid, and not see, Fil-Ams! OTOH, knicnax defends the President)

So what, indeed, did the President have to attend to, that her subordinates couldn’t have undertaken in her absence?

Billy Esposo sent an email containing his conspiracy theory, which I find difficult to subscribe to in full:

A state of the art nuclear powered aircraft carrier task force is not needed for Typhoon Frank victims. The US has never been this compassionate. This is all about China and GMA’s shift to China – the real US agenda for the meeting with GMA. A lot things can happen with this development. We cannot discount these possibilities – a US-backed coup, civil war or an MILF war with the US backing the MILF which is just about the last burden the GMA regime can afford to take on.

Esposo seems to believe that America’s interests lie in separating Mindanao from the Philippines, although personally I think his suspicions are a Cold War hangover, the kind that sees the CIA lurking behind every bush. American interests more likely lies in using Mindanao as a kind of sideshow laboratory to learn jungle-fighting but not much else; certainly the Philippines isn’t worth the time and resources required to redraw the region’s map.

But I do think it’s quite possible the President made obtaining Uncle Sam’s blessings for martial law one of the main objectives of her trip -the Americans had vetoed martial law in 2005-06, after all- and if you’re going to go into conspiracy theories, Tony Abaya’s column makes more sense to me:

But my sense is that the real purpose of the visit is the meetings with Bush, Obama and McCain. And she is meeting with these three to protect her flanks. Everything else is mere fluff.

The coordinator of this visit â€“ San Francisco consul general (not Ambassador, as media describe him) Marciano Paynor, Jr. â€“ says he did not see anything wrong with PGMA meeting McCain and Obama ahead of the presidential elections. He said that this was something done by every head of state or government…

Really? In the past 60 days, President Bush was visited by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. I do not recall either of them meeting with McCain or Obama or Hillary Clinton.

President Arroyo has been trying to meet with Bush for years. In the APEC Summits in Hanoi and Sydney, her press people talked about 20-minute one-on-ones with George W, which were either cancelled by the Americans or reduced to a seven-minute â€œpull-overâ€ photo-op, meaning, I presume, that he was pulled over on his way to or from the menâ€™s room.

In February 2006, on the 20th anniversary of Edsa I People Power â€œRevolutionâ€, it was suddenly announced that she was leaving for Washington to address the American Press Club (APC), but then, just as suddenly, her trip was cancelled…

My interpretation of this little mystery was: Malacanangâ€™s PR retainer in Washington DC was able to wangle the speech invitation from the APC, a poorer cousin of the prestigious National Press Club With this speech invitation, the White House was asked for a meeting with Bush, since GMA was going to be in Washington anyway.. When the White House said no, the speech date with APC was cancelled.

President Arroyo is not the favorite â€œallyâ€ of the Americans that she may think she is, after she withdrew the 51 Filipino policemen from the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq in 2004, and after she signed an agreement with Beijing for the joint exploration for oil in the Spratlys, also in 2004. In 2005, Vice-President Dick Cheney is said to have started moves to remove her from power, starting with the Hello Garci tapes, which, according to my information, were made possible by the US National Security Agency or NSA.

The Americans could not have grown fonder of her after the aborted, corruption-ridden ZTE broadband contract in 2007, which would have given the Chinese total and instant knowledge of all decisions of the Philippine government, including sensitive ones such as on the positioning of US troops and intel assets in Mindanao, Sulu, and Basilan. How could she have been so naÃ¯ve as to be unaware of the consequences of her actions?

President Arroyo obviously wants to personally explain to Bush (and his successor) why she did what she has done. And perhaps sound them out on a possible declaration of martial law if and when it becomes necessary in 2009 or 2010, given the deteriorating global situation. Or a possible asylum in San Francisco, just in case.

The reason America would be a preferable haven to, say, Spain or Portugal (her previously-rumored potential exile haunts) is that her human rights record will result in her being hounded in the European Union the way Pinochet was, arrested in England upon orders of a Spanish court. And her other possible place of exile, China, may not be so hospitable considering the NBN-ZTE brouhaha.

blackshama’s blog says the Vice-President’s coming off looking positively presidential as he presides over disaster management meetings:

Political pundits here on the Mango Isle (hey! They are found from the lowliest barangay of the smallest provinces to the elite kapihans of Manila) say that Queen Gloria’s refusal (even when Frank has caused a national disaster rather than a regional one like previous typhoons) to cut short her glorious junket to the US of A will cost her much. According to the pundits the one who wins the pogi points is no other than the Veep Noli.

Some have remarked that Noli de Castro once dismissed as a talking news puppet, looked soooooo presidential in leading the national disaster response committee, even more presidential than the Queen herself…

So methinks the biggest political beneficiary here is the Veep. We ask the logical question. Did Malacanang intend this? or is Malacanang the victim of the law of unintended consequences?

Palace sez: Arroyo sets Tuesday visit to Iloilo to assess storm damage: President to hold Cabinet meeting there. She’s the Boss.

While I don’t think that once something’s online, it’s there for ever (lots of articles I once had online have vanished), in the wake of any major event, personal stories published in the blogosphere bring the scale and scope of the typhoon to life.

blackshama’s blog recounts arriving at the scene in the wake of the typhoon:

The road from the new international airport is littered with the remains of washed out houses and vehicles some of which were completely filled in with mud. Not a few of the cars were brand new. Evacuees line the road and many have begun the clean-up. One resident told me that the water just rose within five minutes leaving them caught unawares. The only good thing is that this happened during the day and if it did happen in the night,the death toll would have been horrible, says the cab driver who took me around.

Iloilo is defined by two rivers and a geography the gives the city its name. Residents say that they have never experienced an “Ormoc style” deluge in their lives till Saturday. This is attested by a centenarian who lived to see this day.

PromdiLiving.com recounts Iloilo stories:

A friendâ€™s house was flooded up to the roof. A bossâ€™ car was swept by floodwater. I heard a story about a Mayor who cried while watching helplessly a family on top of their roof as they were swept by the current. Poor and rich families were not spared. Typhoons do not discriminate on status. It destroys anything and everything on its path. I am fortunate my family was spared.

On to the ill-fated Princess of the Stars (the nomenclature of which blogged about by Pine for Pine), PCIJ points to its past reports, Sulpicio Lines and maritime safety: An often woeful, tragic tale:

But the occurrence of major tragedies such as the recent sinking of the Princess of the Stars has only served to underscore what problems remain to this day, some of which were identified in the PCIJ story â€” ageing and badly maintained ships, the absence of minimal safety navigational aids like lighthouses, and lack of competent seafarers, many of whom are lured to work in more well-paying shipping companies abroad.

Back in the early 1990s, a Japanese study already pointed out that at least 700 lighthouses were needed to illuminate the countryâ€™s major waterways. At the time of the PCIJ report, existing lighthouses were only half that number. At present, the number has reportedly increased but to no fewer than 500, many in very poor conditions.

The spotlight fell as well on the Coast Guard, whose authority to ensure sea safety continues to be hampered by poor funding and badly trained â€” and some charge, corrupt â€” personnel. The Coast Guard now gets almost P2 billion from the national budget, five times the allocation it used to receive when it was still under the armed forces. Back then, a commodore estimated that at least P1 billion is needed to make the Coast Guard an effective regulatory agency. Today, that amount is not even enough as more than P1.3 billion go to cover the cost of personal services, mainly salaries and allowances.

What the PCIJ also found out then was the weak and fragmented authority of the Coast Guard when it came to enforcing safety standards as its decision in the controversy surrounding the Filipina Princess was set aside by the Department of National Defense. Ordering a second review, the DND argued that the Coast Guardâ€™s decision to ban the ship from traveling was â€œunjustlyâ€ issued and without due process. Sulpicio had asserted the safety of its ship, whose navigational record in the last eight months that time included suffering at least six breakdowns at mid-sea, one lasting 20 hours.

If you go through the Maritime Industry Authority website, you’ll find that its mandate is very broad, indeed, while that of the Philippine Coast Guard is more specific, but also very broad and may actually conflict with Marina’s.

They do have a Memorandum of Agreement, PCG_MARINA_MOA_3.pdf but in its editorial, Sulpicioâ€™s ally, the Inquirer also points out the enormity of the problem, in that Marina has a broad mandate and the Coast Guard, responsibilities that have either been delegated by Marina or which have been left hanging.

Austin Dwi Lawyer takes up the cudgels for the Coast Guard but says it’s been compromised by its dealings with Sulpicio Lines:

And add to the equation, the poverty of PCG for which reason, Sulpicio sonofabitches fucking shits gave alms to their weary palms.

Someone said, the PCG is so poor that even their diesel is always up for sale. When the President and the higher ups say: “Hoy, habulin ninyo ang Abo Suyya!” “Mga totoy, hulihin ang mga pirata!” “Oy, ano, intersepin niyo ang mga illegal fishing boats!” “Daliiii!” “Ano ba!?!&%$#” “Kilos na!!!”

The PCG will allegedly only very demurely quip:

“Ay Maaam, Siiir, ay surreee po, wala tayo krudu!!!)

So, Sulpicio knowing, and feeling compassion, gave alms to the Coast Guard. And Coast Guard supposedly feeling the crunch, accepted the beggar’s relief cash. Possibly some relief goods too.

Sulpicio probably knew there was a disaster-in-waiting. They gave out relief cash and goods in advance.

As far as figuring out responsibilty for the tragedy and doing something about it, is concerned, the first step requires untangling the relationship between Marina and the Coast Guard and other agencies, including their mutual mother agency, the DOTC. There’s an alphabet soup of agencies with overlapping functions, and any government effort will be in the nature of a patch-work solution (and thus, only as good as the next, and inevitable, tragedy) unless the current process left to unfold to reveal its deficiencies, then the entire system is reviewed.

The problem is that everything is so interconnected, the official neglect so pervasive, that tackling one problem only leads to others cropping up and everyone ends up despairing over anything actually getting done.

Meanwhile, as both the editorial and At Midfield pointed out, Sulpicio Lines has already calculated its maximum payout from the tragedy -each passenger’s insured to the tune of 200,000 pesos- and surely, the cost of such a payout versus adequate maintenance, etc. for its fleet, was calculated time and again by the shipping line.

Piling on the bureaucracy to address the shortcomings of the existing bureaucracy, is, of course, the solution bureaucrats adore. And so, DOTC drafts executive order creating National Transport Safety Board (NTSB).

But it’s the human cost that keeps being hammered home: two days ago, My beautiful life…… blogged about a missing cousin:

I was hoping that my Mom’s first cousin and Cebu Port Captain for Sulpicio Lines would be able to provide us with information but it seems like Uncle Bondjing had limited info as well. And I’m sure he’s got his hands full right now coordinating and managing things. Jay is his nephew as well.

I really worried about Jay. I spoke to my Aunt this morning and apparently she was able to talk to Jay briefly when the ship was already aground. Auntie Juvy received a text message from Jay asking for prayers due to their very dangerous condition. Auntie Juvy called his cellphone to confirm it was indeed Jay.

Auntie apparently passed the phone to Jay’s son who then told him to be brave and not to be scared because he still wants his tatay to bring his toys back in Cebu. And the phone went dead.

More recently, Tingog.com blogs that he’s lost a cousin:

I just found out a few hours ago that my cousin Bebot was on The MV Princess of The Stars. Bebot used to help drive me around on some occasions when I was still in school. Heâ€™s a good guy that everyone is fond of. He has a daughter that just graduated nursing. Heâ€™s a good father, having had to sacrifice going overseas, as a seaman, in order to make a living. And now, because of the assholes at Sulpicio, The Coast Guard, and hell even PAGASA, the perfect storm has taken my cousin. A father, a husband, a cousin, a damn good guy.

The Mount Balatucan Monitor and Ricky Carandang (who has an acquaintance whose brother is missing) both take issue Sulpicio Line’s handling of the concerns of relatives of the missing or confirmed lost. Carandang is particularly scathing:

During the press conference held by the company, the vice president Sally Buaron, who answered reporterâ€™s questions kept referring to the loss of the ship and seemed more concerned about that than the hundreds of people who in all probablility are dead.

I remember when one reporter was pressing her for more information about the fate of the vessel and the survivors, she said something like â€œIf you are very concerned, so are we. That was our boat and it was expensive.â€

Another reporter asked her if the company had quantified the cost of damage and she said something like â€œI donâ€™t want to think about it. Sasama lang ang loob ko.â€

Pedestrian Observer even points to a comment that brings up the possibility of looting taking place in the capsized ship. Manilenyo in Davao has some interesting observations and suggestions:

Maybe they should increase the number of check-ups/maintenance of their vessels. It was soooo ironic that the ship was reported to have had problems with its engine during that day. There were no reports of inadequate life saving equipment, so i guess its true that the vessel really passed the safety standards.

The Captain knows best, its his ship and for sure he has vast experience sailing even in worst conditions such as that one. Maybe, this is just a hunch, maybe the captain knew that if he asked the people to abandon ship early, they will be crushed by the big waves. Maybe the captain thought that staying in the ship will be better and he was hopping that the tides would push them near the shore. But then again, the captain should know the area. I think the part were they capsized has a rocky sea bed which punctured the vessel.

The passengers should know best. Their lives are at stake here. This are those times where constant communication and information updates should be present. If they knew that there was a typhoon, they should cancel the trip. I hope that Shipping lines could include this in their policies that any customer can re-book their trip in consideration of their welfare whenever there is a typhoon. And when 30% of the passengers re-books, then the shipping line can cancel the trip. Thatâ€™s just a suggestion. I think its better to cancel the trip than face the consequences of a sunken ship and loosing lives right? Maybe airlines can adopt this also.

I asked around from people who often use and travel by water/sea and they said that big ships like the MV Princess can withstand a signal number 1 and 2 typhoon. I asked 2 of my uncles who works as seamen, they said they often experience typhoons along their way. What made this case different is that the ship had problems. It was not able to â€œgo with the flowâ€ and battle the waves. It was like a sitting duck.

By way of the Washington Monthly, you can You can check out the Map of the (American) Political Blogosphere. For less America-centric mapping, see Frog in a Well (China), which links in turn to TouchGraph and Websites as Graphs.

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Comments

134 Comments on "President Hee Hee and President Ha Ha"

BrianB on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 3:07 pm

Still haven’t heard any loss from family or relatives, though family lives on the main street of Jaro. Report there said mud water flowed up to the second floor. I’m not sure how my grandmother fared, but word is that everyone is okay. Someone should check out that 50-year-old dam. I don’t know why there are no aerial photos of the dam in Dingle.

Everyone there should feel close to one another now, rich and poor and it’s possible to come out better because of this even though we’ll have many friends and relatives missing. Ilonggos are serious about their family and livelihood. It’s a relaxed lifestyle there but everyone is focused on the essentials. Our games are mellow, nothing serious, and life is always taken in sombre tone though jest is never far behind.

PSimeon on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 3:32 pm

Somalia tops list of world’s most unstable nations.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5c4f59f0-4185-11dd-9661-0000779fd2ac.html

“One of the biggest declines in this year’s index is registered by Bangladesh, now in 12th place. According to the report, a feuding, deadlocked government, the imposition of emergency rule last year, and the devastation wrought by a cyclone last November that left 1.5m people homeless combined to reverse much of the country’s recent economic progress.”

RP has these symptoms.

But I agree with mlq3, Bill Esposo’s conspiracy theory is too much of a stretch.

KG on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 4:46 pm

tambakan tayo ng mga junk

we have a different way of cost cutting here.

instead of developing our shipybuilding which by the way exports ferryboats abroad tinitipid natin we buy scraps.

I am beginning to understand the advocacies of some to nationalize instead of denationalizing

on overlapping agencies
after creating an agency tailormade for a specific duty we create one that overlaps it.

I am beggining to see sense in the advice of scrapping the afp all together because of overlaps with the pnp and asking help from allies , and some advice to integrate the navy and the coastguard and should only be one,and of course advise to prevent the increase in the number of generals.(too much of a stretch?)I am just saying that we have a bloated bureacracy.

How can you streamline the number one source of employment in the philippines,the government (local and national).

here in the metro ;aside from election purposes, squatters are the source of the manpower of the local governments;maybe not only here but it could apply nationwide..

As many know; bulk of the budget go tot paying of debts and salaries of the bloated bureacracy.

KG on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 4:56 pm

The theory of esposo is a recycled conspiracy theory of the declaration of the republic of mindanao by misuari during the final months of Ramos.

Have not heard of it? Good !

PJ Gubatina Policarpio on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 5:58 pm

MLQIII,

Please note this is NOT an attack, merely a PLEA. Please read.

ANC Philippines,

I am a TFC subscriber here in San Francisco California. I am deeply concerned/dissapointed in your current coverage of the effects of Typhoon Frank in the Philippines. Let me preface this by saying that I am personally affected by this disaster as I still have family residing in Kalibo, Aklan, one of the areas deeply affected by this disaster.

When we first heard of the impact of Frank, through the coverage of the capsizing of MV Dona Paz and some reports from Iloilo we believed this to be a huge disaster especially concerning the 700+ passengers and crew aboard the ship. With the reports coming from Iloilo, we were also concerned as Aklan is a neighboring province and wondered how it affected our family and relatives. For the most part we were not expecting a disaster as big as it is now. However we we got hold of one important text from a cousin reporting that flood water was now more than 10 feet tall and has eventually drowned the whole town of Kalibo and other municipalities in proximity to the Aklan River we were shocked first, then deeply worried. Phones started clicking and we panicked trying to get a hold of our family with no response. Soon we would realize that at that capacity surely there would be no electricity undermining any communication. We relied to television as our main form of news and information. We understood that during the first couple of days information was hard to get by even through Manila, as communication has been stifled, but still we managed to gather more information from most of our family. We learned that the disaster was nothing this generation has ever seen. The water was over 10 feet, towns engulfed with water, everything is leveled with water, destroying everything in site. Those who have more than 1 story houses have been the most fortunate. However, this was nothing compared to what happened next. The actual flood may have lasted a day, but its after effect is even worse. The flood has left thick mud at knee length. Food, water, and all basic necessities have been scarce, with prices rising. bodies are now being laid in the town plaza, left for families to claim. Overalll, quality of life is depleting. The poor are especially hit, although everyone must be experience hunger and tremendous feeling of losing everything. One of the saddest stories Ive heard so far, were people turning away neighbors from their 2-storey+ homes scared that it might collapse, leaving neighbors out. As of the moment, I am not very familiar with what the local, provincial, and national government/other relief agencies have done.

My issue is that, Its been a few days since the waters have hit Western Visayas and yet your news about the area among many other regions have been very scarce. I beleive that certainly ANC and ABS-CBN has the power and capacity to highlight this calamity. I am not against the coverage given to the MV Dona Paz, indeed, this should be covered up to the minute, but please keep in mind the effects of Frank is national in scope. Please do not be limited into one story, I expected you to be above that. I have tremendous respect for your news organization which is why I am writing this letter. I expected up to the minute and expansive coverage to this NATIONAL disaster. Im not sure if people from Manila or in the country are aware at these conditions. Looking at your news website right now I am saddened by an article that discusses the effects on Boracay, while hardly touching the story on the rest of the province and region. Are we really just concerned about Boracay, the jewel of Philippine tourism over the life of the hungry? Is this what is considered top news i could hardly care how this typhoon has affected tourism and tourists spots. What about the people, the kids, the elderly? On the economic side, what about the crops? or the billions of peso that has apparently been wiped out by the flood and is now in mud. How long do you think this whole region recover? life has been completely disrupted and many are saying thngs have seemed to be back to zero. How do you reignite economies that have taken its time to develop? A disaster of this magnitude has long term effects long after the water is wiped away. DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS?

We specifically turned to ANC (as I believe most people did) hoping to get an up to the minute and expansive coverage, from different points as this is a NATIONAL disaster. People need to be informed about the urgency and importance of this disaster, not only in the country but outside as well. You have positioned yourself as a global source of news and at this point you have greatly failed. When Hurricane Katrina hit us in the US, it was as if the whole country had been under the disaster. I guess what I’m looking for here is through, expansive, coverage. Show some pictures/videos of the current situation, follow government action and relief, how are they handling the situation? AND everything else that I beleive you are all equipped and capable to do so. At this rate, I feel like the only thing going, if you watch the news coverage is the capsizing of the news. 24 hours of news should be about this, It is in the public interest.

best,
PJ Gubatina Policarpio

__________

Now watching ANC Top Story with Pia and Tony.

Is is really important to run a story about how Boracay is open for business when nearby people are hungry and dying??

BrianB on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 6:13 pm

Stupid talaga mga to, napaka cono ano? Puro Bora ang alam.

You know, I used to visit Bora in the early nineties and it was a grand and beautiful place before all these druggies arrived. Money is like garbage to these people and what does the local economy get? Any trickle down developments in Aklan?

PSImeon on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 6:27 pm

“Is is really important to run a story about how Boracay is open for business when nearby people are hungry and dying??” – pj

As ABS-CBN’s news head Maria Ressa says, “nothing but the truth.”

Sometimes, truth needs a reality check.

BrianB on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 6:28 pm

The Lopezes probably wanted to forget where they came from.

KG on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 6:31 pm

Yeah,

first time it happened that whole kalibo sunk.Thanks Pj for the text news dahil totoo yang sinabi mo di masyado publicized ang kalibo kahit sa mga ibang news network.

Amadeo on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 6:57 pm

‘(Filipinos are, after all, very proud of Cristeta Comerford, and the White House has a long tradition of Filipino stewards serving there)’

Really? I often wondered how many Filipinos, especially those still in the old homeland, know about her and her current position.

I confess I got to know of her only because she was featured in a TV segment on White House state dinners. And I consider myself a heavy news consumer of certain things US and the Philippines. And I may have read a feature or two of her in some FilAm newspapers ever alert of FilAm doings.

But the typical Filipino in the old homeland?

UP n student on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 7:36 pm

Somebody forwarded me an e-mail which says unless you are sending directly to a relative or friend you really know, then

….. think carefully before sending to requests saying they are raising money to help with Typhoon Frank victims in the Philippines. There is too much graft and corruption and stealing

It happened in Burma where local officials replaced with inferior products the donations from overseas.

mikel on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 7:58 pm

your continued insistence about the powerless lame duck presidency of bush & arroyo reveals how ignorant you are. both presidents have the ultimate power to set the course of their countries beyond their tenure. to the last day in fact. any agreements entered in to by both presidents become operative the moment they are signed or if needed, upon congressional approval. and bush has the power to command allies in congress for support. likewise, GMA, has all the power and authority, inspite of efforts by anti arroyo gangs to thwart her; as someone siad, SHE’S THE PRESIDENT. malas ninyo.

UP n student on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 8:44 pm

Facts are on mikel’s statement (about the power of presidents up to their last days in office). In fact, one of the biggest issues in US-of-A is this treaty with Iraq that may be agreed-on-signed-sealed by end-July 2008. [Pelosi and a few other Democrats are trying to emasculate the office-of-the-president from making commitments in the last months in office, but even their own fellow-democrats are hemming and hawwing (because they want the power when it is the democrats' turn to be in the White House).]

Just as Dubya can commit $$$ for the Philippines, so Dubya CAN still start World War III against Iran.

PSimeon on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 9:14 pm

@ UP n student

Even Pelosi made it easier for Bush to attack Iran:

“Representative Ron Paul says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi removed a section from a bill passed by Congress which would have barred the U.S. from going to war with Iran without a congressional vote, claiming she did so at the behest of the leadership of Israel and AIPAC.”

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9393

The Ca t on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 9:23 pm

I have seen Imelda shed tears as she embraced victims of calamities. Her tears were real.

Yeah as real as the tears when she talked to people who were bussed in at malacanan to become her unwilling audience when she talked about her projects. That’s according to my former boss.

She is an actress.

She cried when there were disasters but she saw to it that all relief goods even perishable ones were not distributed without a stamp of her name. She did not care if they became spoiled.

sheesh.

The Ca t on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 9:33 pm

State visits or any other type of visits by heads of state require long time preparation as to security, activities and schedules of the President of the country being visited. The latter being prepared at the beginning of the year and accommodations/adjustments are made as the year progresses.

It is not just like visiting a neighbor in the Philippines. even for ordinary residents here in the us, you just don’t drop by in a home of a friend; you have to call and asked if they are available.

substitute? how would you feel if you are head of a company and you are advised to meet a substitute below your rank.

sheesh

The Equalizer on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 10:09 pm

The Presidential Entourage (USA JUNKET):

Gloria and FG

10 cabinet secretaries

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago

59(Fifty Nine) congressmen of the Responsive House of the People :

(With travel authority)
1)Speaker Nograles
2)Dep.Speaker Raul Del Mar
3)Dep.Speaker Amelita Villarosa(Mindoro)Typhoon-affected
4)Mikey Arroyo
5)Dato Arroyo
6)A.Gonzales Jr.(Pampanga)
7)Junie Cua(Quirino)
8)Marc Cagas(Davao delSur)
9)Y.Emano(Misamis Oriental)
10)Anton Lagdameo(Davao del Norte)
11)R.Mercado(S.Leyte)
12)Danilo Suarez(Quezon)
13)William Tieng(Buhay)
14)Jose Zubiri III (Bukidnon)
15)Rommel Amatong(Compostela Valley)
16)Rex Gatchalian(Valenzuela)
17)N.Dayanhirang(Davao Oriental)
18)Rizalina Lanete(Masbate):Typhoon affected
19)Rachel Arenas(Pangasinan)
20)Monico Puentevella(Chair,House Transportation Committee)
21)H.Ramiro(Misamis Oriental)
22)Albert Garcia(Bataan)
23)Joseph Violago(Nueva Ecija)
24)Munir Arbison(Sulu)
25)Narciso Santiago Jr.(party-list);son of Senator Miriam
26)Bienvenido Abante (Manila)
27)T.Coquilla(EasternSamar):Typhoon affected
28)Andres Salvacion (Leyte):Typhoon affected
29)Martin Romualdez(Leyte):Typhoon affected
30)Trinidad Apostol(Leyte):Typhoon affected
31)Antonio Diaz(Zambales):Typhoon affected
32)Antonio Cuenco(Cebu)
33)Eduardo Gullas(Cebu)
34)Ana Bondoc(Pampanga)
35)Amado Bagatsing(Manila)
36)Nanette Daza(QC)
37)Mary Ann Susano(QC)
38)Elpidio BarzagaJr. (Cavite)
39)Marc Mendoza(Batangas)
40)Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Muntinlupa),son of Senator Biazon
41)Conrado Estrella(Pangasinan)
42)Exequiel Javier(Antique):Typhoon affected
43)Mitzi Cajayon(Caloocan)

AND 16 Other Congressmen traveling with presidential party.

XAX on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 11:02 pm

@ Equalizer

No matter how objective one tries to look at it, the list is loonnngggggg!!! Are they mostly Kampi or Lakas?

Payback time for ousting Jose De Venecia?

frombelow on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 11:04 pm

mikel

“SHEâ€™S THE PRESIDENT. malas ninyo.”

Sinabi mo pa. Malas talaga. At least you admit it. Malas kami talaga dahil siya ang presidente.

manuelbuencamino on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 11:11 pm

Cat,

“It would be nice to personally thank Bush and the US Senate for the Veterans Bill, but thereâ€™s a calamity back home. They will understand.”

They will understand. Not you obviously because your priorities are different.

Ngeoowwww!

manuelbuencamino on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 11:12 pm

Cat,

“Thatâ€™s according to my former boss.”

versus “I have seen”

jakcast on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 11:27 pm

At this point, PGMA could still make a strong gesture of sympathy for the victims of typhoon Frank. She should return to the Philippines ASAP and be with the victims of Frank. Let DFA Secretary Romulo host the “wine-and-dine” event for Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s campaign for the International Court of Justice.

The astute politican that she is, she must realize that any foreign policy initiative is just an extension of domestic priorities.

manuelbuencamino on Wed, 25th Jun 2008 11:34 pm

Cat,

you’re in good company.

â€œThe visit of the President has been scheduled and when the President left, the situation as far as the typhoon is concerned, was still in its development stage. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE HAD A STORM IN THE PHILIPPINESâ€ – Eduardo Ermita

â€œWell, the Presidentâ€™s trip was long scheduled. The storm called Frank had no scheduled arrival.â€- Prospero Nograles

The Equalizer on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 12:24 am

In 2007, Gloria Arroyo’s foreign and domestic travels totaled P588.5 million and P34.1 million, respectively, according to the Commission on Audit (COA)â€™s report on the 2007 financial transactions of MalacaÃ±ang.

nash on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 12:26 am

Grabe naman yang listahan ng junketeers. It really is long. 59 tongressman!!!!!! shet!

What bilateral agreements did they sign while spending our tax in the USA?

Jaywalker on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 2:22 am

Maybe it’s time we do something concrete to stop the madness, I meant not just the usual feel good charity but hold those responsible criminally liable.

Corruption kills and it is sooo obvious that Sulpicio Lines’ “special relationship” with whoever sits by the stinking Pasig river allows them to continuously float this mass graveyard of the sea. They have the worse record in the maritime disaster in the world with the sinking of Dona Paz dwarfing the memorialized in stage and film Titanic sending 4,375 people to their deaths.

d0d0ng on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 5:23 am

mikel on, “your continued insistence about the powerless lame duck presidency of bush & arroyo reveals how ignorant you are….bush has the power to command allies in congress for support”.

Wrong. Bush is lame duck. Bush vetoed the Farm Bill. The House voted 316 to 108 to override the Bush’s veto with 100 Republicans siding with the Democrats. Now it speaks of your own ignorance and not of the very resourceful MLQ3.

“The principal purpose of agriculture policy in the United States is to guarantee we’re not as dependent on other countries for our food as we are for our fuel,” declared House Republican Conference Chairman Adam H. Putnam. Makes a lot of sense. No wonder the Philippines inflicted its own rice-crises-injury as it has been world top rice importer since Arroyo became Senator until she is the President of a country where more than 60% of the land is agricultural. Malas ang Pilipinas!

XAX on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 6:00 am

“…One senior congressman expressed the view that so many were invited to join the US trip as part of GMAâ€™s campaign to assure support for her next Cha-cha move.” – former Senator Maceda

http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20080626com4.html

Manny Pacquiao or Cha-cha?

Anyway you look at it, Booooo!!! Mga walang hiya!

d0d0ng on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 6:16 am

PSimeon on, “But I agree with mlq3, Bill Esposoâ€™s conspiracy theory is too much of a stretch.”

Certain past events can hardly be ignored either.
1. Arroyo flip-flopped on coalition of willing in Iraq’s war and US then mentioned there is always consequences.
2. Shift of major contracts to China especially broadband risks US information.
3. Before the NBN deal was full blown and later scuttled, Ambassador Kenney expressed US concern in the view that there were 2 superior contracts both with US or European companies.
4. US set-up its base within base in Southern Mindanao.
5. Senator Pimentel questioned DFA and stressed the importance that Ambassador Kenney should obtain clearance before talking with MILF, a rebel group with ties to US enemy. The Ambassador along with 5 American officials held talks with MILF in Feb 2008.

Kg on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 6:43 am

you believe in that presidential veto/ veto override stuff?

they are all lame ducks, they are controlled by lobbyists

they might have overrode the veto. the bill could have been chopped chopped already to to defeat its purpose…….

Kg on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 6:48 am

as usual mistakes…should have said overriden the veto ,a ewan

let me check wikipedia baka chumaba ako.

However, the veto override is likely to be moot, as a 34-page section of the bill was omitted in the version sent to the White House. In effect, the President vetoed a bill Congress never considered. It is likely that the bill will have to be re-passed by Congress. [7] A similar situation occurred in 2005 with the Deficit Reduction Act, where in the enrolling process certain mistakes were made changing the text of the bill. In that case, the bill was considered to be law even with the mistakes since the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tem of the Senate attested that the language sent to the President was indeed the text that was passed by Congress.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_U.S._Farm_Bill

Kg on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 6:59 am

erase the lobbyists conspiracy fact for a while.
Tanong ko lang sa mga fil ams di ba sabay election ng presidente at congress

what control of congress beyond tenure are we talking about?

conspiracy theories:
kinausap nya si obama para makiusap na wag ipatanggal ang mga call center dito.

an article /blog before the democrats dominated us congress.

http://www.sourcingmag.com/blog/archive/outsourcing_will_it_be_affected_by_democrats_win.html

Outsourcing: Will it be affected by Democrats Win?

The Democrats have won in the recent US elections. Is this a cause for worry for the Indian IT enabled services (ITES) industry? In the run up to the US Presidential elections in 2004, there was a lot of anti-outsourcing slogans doing the rounds. The Democrats did also bring about certain legislation against outsourcing of federal work.

The Indian ITES industry seems unruffled at the turn of events, and they have good reasons to be so. They feel that India has established itself as a major outsourcing hub; cost and economic benefits would be a priority over political changes. Experts say that earlier legislation by the Democrats were the outcome of the employment situation at that time.

Though there would be a renewed debate on the issue in Congress and the topic would be a much discussed one, nothing is expected to be tabled. The Indian ITES industry is also expected to gear up with some hectic lobbying on Capitol Hill.

Kg on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 7:02 am

erase the question about election, may mid term exam este election nga pala

The Ca t on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 7:51 am

It would be nice to personally thank Bush and the US Senate for the Veterans Bill, but thereâ€™s a calamity back home. They will understand.â€

They will understand. Not you obviously because your priorities are different.

For someone who claimed to be an attache or was in the foreign service, I am surprised to hear this remark from you.

It is not as easy as saying sorry cancel all the schedules, recall all the secret service agents that were dispatched in the itinerary of the visiting head of state because one day before the flight when all safety precautions were taken as in evacuating those people whose lives were endangered by the typhoon , the storm decided to change its course and the shipping line management gave a go signal for the ferry boat to sail.

Well the people need a hug. Sheesh.

KG on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 7:54 am

employment situation at that time? ano pa kaya ngayon?

legislation against outsourcing can be found here.

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/employ/outsourcing05.htm

can we afford to be as confident as India on this issue?

confidence lang pala, closeup lang ang katapat nyan

(pun intended)

The Ca t on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:01 am

Cat,

â€œThatâ€™s according to my former boss.â€

versus â€œI have seenâ€

I had experienced being booted out of the classroom and suffer from losing my lunch break because we have to line up along Roxas Blvd. to welcome Imelda from her trip abroad.

The former boss merely confirmed what I have read from Conjugal Dictatorship, Imelda, the Steel Butterfly and Waltzing with a Dictator.

The Ca t on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:06 am

Cat,

youâ€™re in good company.

Even an ordinary mortal would know that. Even us non government corporate slaves in the US schedule our vacations, appointments and time-offs one year or quarters ahead.

If you do not remember, there is a such a word as planning.

manuelbuencamino on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:52 am

Cat,

“Well the people need a hug. Sheesh.”

I know. Why even bother going to funerals, why visit the sick? Ngeeoooow

manuelbuencamino on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:58 am

Cat,

“If you do not remember, there is a such a word as planning.”

I know.If you had a vacation planned and the night before your kid gets in a terrible accident you will go on your vacation anyway. You can always attend to your kid when you come back from vacation.I mean plans are plans, right? We can’t the unplanned spoil things, right?
Ngeeeeoooow!

manuelbuencamino on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:00 am

Poor Cat she missed her lunch break and now she can’t see any humanity in the woman who stole her lunch. Ngeeeow

anthony scalia on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:04 am

The Cat,

no use discussing with people who look at everything with ‘Hello Garci’ lens

The Equalizer on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:04 am

Gloria Arroyo ‘fiddles as Rome burns’

GLORIA Arroyo is being scorned for acting like an emperor in the dying days of Rome, after she refused to cancel her “extravagant junket” to the US despite the devastation wrought by Typhoon Fengsheng.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23922139-2703,00.html

manuelbuencamino on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:15 am

anthony scalia,

Nothing to do with Garci. Just reminding GMA about pakikiramay. It’s expected of all leaders.

If you cannot see it, you never will. But try this – If you suffer a tragedy in your immediate family instead of personally visiting just send a condolence card or communicate your grief via Skype, Tell them you wish you were ther but you can’t because you had other plans while the tragedy was unplanned. Your grieving relatives will probably be able to explain to you what I can’t.

The Equalizer on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:17 am

Official White House Press Release

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

President George W. Bush welcomes President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines to the Oval Office Tuesday, June 24, 2008, at the White House. The President expressed deep condolences for those affected by Typhoon Fengshen saying, “We, the American people, care about the human suffering that’s taking place, and we send our prayers.” White House photo by Eric Draper PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080624.html

mang_kiko on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:19 am

ang alam ko halos lahat na “employers” sa Amerika o kahit sa Pilipinas pag emerhensa, walang Plano, Plano kong gusto mo Umuwi pag magkasakit o may nay namatay sa pamilya. Kung minsan, bigyan ka pa nang paba-0N.

Ang situwasyon sa Pilipinas ay tinatawag na Extreme Emergency, na kahit na sin-ong Leader mayro-ong “prerogative” na cancelahen ang anumang arranged engagement bago mangyayari. ayon ay sanasabi nang manga supporter nang ating Presidente “prerogatives”.

supremo on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:38 am

‘The Armenian government let in foreign aid workers to help with the recovery in the earthquake’s aftermath, and this was one of the first cases when rescue and relief workers from other countries were allowed to take part in relief works in the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachev, on a visit to the United States, cut his trip short and went directly to Armenia to visit the quake-affected areas.’

supremo on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:39 am

‘U.S PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WILL HAVE TO CANCEL OR REARRANGE IMPORTANT PARTS OF HIS VISIT TO JAPAN THIS WEEKEND, BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET CRISIS IN THE UNITED STATES. HIS TRIP, INITIALLY PLANNED FROM NOVEMBER 17 TO 21, HAS BEEN CUT TO NOVEMBER 18 TO THE 20. THIS MEANS HE’LL HAVE TO REARRANGE OR CANCEL HIS PLANNED MEETING WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN.’

supremo on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:42 am

‘Ms. Tosayaporn Nitya, an official from the Prime Minister’s Spokesman Bureau confirmed with Xinhua that the Thai prime minister decided to cancel the trip to China Tuesday morning, as he does not want to bother the Chinese government which will be busy with handling disaster relief work after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province on Monday in southwestern China and caused vibration throughout many other provinces in the country and even beyond its border, leaving nearly 10,000 people dead by now.’

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:52 am

GMA — not running for re-election anytime anywhere.

VP de Castro — visible. Now where is Mar Roxas??????

anthony scalia on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:52 am

“Nothing to do with Garci. Just reminding GMA about pakikiramay. Itâ€™s expected of all leaders.”

right

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:55 am

And nowhere to hold press conferences :

MV Princess of the Stars captain still missing
06/24/2008 | 10:36 PM GMANews.tv

MANILA, Philippines – Captain Florencio Marimon, the captain of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars that capsized in Romblon waters last Saturday, is among the hundreds of passengers and crewmembers still unaccounted for in the tragedy.

QTVâ€™s News on Q on Tuesday night reported that Sulpicio Lines, the owner of the vessel, chose Marimon to navigate its premier vessel because he is the most senior and most experienced among its captains.

supremo on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:59 am

‘TAIPEI, Taiwan — President Ma Ying-jeou has canceled a plan to participate in this year’s Dragon Boat races, bowing to mounting pressure that he stop having fun in festive events while people in central and southern Taiwan have been hit hard by heavy rains and flooding.’

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:05 am

I hope they have cancelled Captain Marimon’s passport already. And I hope Philippine government has in place the requirements where the officer-in-charge of a public carrier (ship, bus, train, LRT, airplane) that is involved in an accident/disaster that results in 3 or more deaths
(a) shall notify the government authorities of his/her location within 3 days of the disaster;
(b) shall not leave the country except for reasons of health;
(c) shall submit himself/herself to the proper government agency for inquiry/hearings into the accident within 45 days of the accident;

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:10 am

Question: how much again was the compensation given to the victims of the terrorist bombing of the SuperFerry 14 in February 2004?

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:14 am

The RAND Corporation identified that the number of deaths in Superferry14 bombing would have been less if the Government of the Philippines requires effective internal sprinkler systems in the ferries. Question: is “internal sprinkler systems” now a requirement in Philippine ferries?

The Equalizer on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:27 am

Gloria is following the footsteps of George Bush in terms of showing INSENSITIVITY to the people’s suffering.She refuses to change her 10-day sked in the U.S. and plans to visit the typhoon -ravaged areas NEXT WEEK!

History is repeating itself!

Remember the New Orleans floods in 2005?

The pathetic initial relief efforts underscored the government’s neglect, with refugees waiting in squalor as Bush played golf and Condoleezza Rice went on a shopping spree for fancy shoes.

But even as they tried to recover politically, the Bush crowd showed their insensitivity: Bush commiserating with Sen. Trent Lott about his lost beachfront mansion and commending his FEMA chief (â€œBrownie, youâ€™re doing a heck of a jobâ€), and matriarch Barbara Bush opining that life in the Houston Astrodome really wasnâ€™t so bad for the flood refugees, since theyâ€™d been underprivileged before the flood.

supremo on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:38 am

Huwag pabalikin si GMA kung ayaw din lang umuwi ngayon.

GMA DON’T GO HOME!

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:40 am

Is Noli de castro the only one of the 2010-wannabe’s visible during these past days? Do the other candidates know something about the memory of Philippine voters?

anthony scalia on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:56 am

UP n,

though obviously making himself visible for 2010, Noli can get away with it by saying that he’s just doing a VP’s job, especially now that gloria is out of the country

eh ang mga wannabes na senators, di nila masasabing they’re just doing a legislator’s job kung papapel din sila sa rescue and relief efforts; obvious early campaigning na yun. di kakagatin ng media any investigation on typhoon Frank ‘in aid of legislation’

mlq3 on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 11:04 am

of the possible candidates, the veep has been presiding over ndcc meetings and was spotted in marinduque, gordon cancelled going to the states and stayed behind to supervise the red cross, roxas has been spotted in iloilo… i haven’t seen/heard where legarda, escudero, villar were.

it may be, though, and this is only a hunch, that candidates to be are relying on being seen but not too eagerly tooting their horns, as a fine line has to be maintained between being seen to help, and too obviously doing things for brownie points.

The Ca t on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 11:27 am

Is Noli de castro the only one of the 2010-wannabeâ€™s visible during these past days? Do the other candidates know something about the memory of Philippine voters?

All the presidentiables are very visible these years.

Look up and see the bilboard of Legarda Loren endorsing a skin whitener product; Ping Lacson with his skin care (rolleyes); Mar Roxas in his ad of laundry detergent?; Francis Escudero with energy drink.

This is what you call, Below the line promotion, a subtle type of promotion that a product is being endorsed.

In these ads, what are subtly promoted are the faces of the presidentiables.

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 11:33 am

I know that I raised the question. Also that there is no Rudy Giuliani in the Philippines (where divorce is illegal) so others may say the analogy is a stretch. But Rudy may be a lesson —- it may take more than “all-visible during an emergency” to be accepted as The-Next-President.

mlq3 on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 11:39 am

just how lame a duck is dubya?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/17/opinion/meyer/main1623700.shtml

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/16/Dobbs.Oct17/index.html

anthony scalia on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 1:59 pm

taga iloilo naman yata si mar roxas, kaya ok lang siguro kung pumapapel sya sa rescue and relief operations doon

hvrds on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 2:03 pm

Mayer son of Amschel of the later House of Rothschild said, “Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes the laws.”

With a global class military force and control of the international currency the empire do not need to physically invade countries today. Even with the end of the Cold War the military budget of the U.S. will hit U.S. 1 trillion soon. This is apart of the cost of the GWOT that will hit $1 trillion by the time the next President gets to sit in the W. House.

The face of the U.S. in the world today are the the investment bankers and the Pentagon.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174936
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174948/nick_turse_the_pentagon_s_stealth_corporations

The whole world is indirectly paying for that.

Under the dollar empire the client state borrows money (pesos) to enable the state to borrow in dollars so the client state can then turn around and lend the empire dollars at subsidized rates.

So the poor countries are in effect financing the budget deficit of the empire at subsidized rates which are lower than the rate at which the poor country borrows the same money.

W. should be thanking the Pinoy state for their generosity in subsidizing the Empire. Even though our share of the financing is smaller than the major economies of the globe.

Based on our lack of finance capital it is a heavy burden most especially in times of disasters.

Hence what you get is simply governance by press release or media events.
……..Mayor fumes from the Daily Inquirer

“The mayor of San Fernando, Nanette Tansingco, Wednesday blew her top and broke into tears during a meeting with a delegation that arrived Wednesday from Manila consisting of representatives from the Presidential Management Staff and the departments of social welfare and transport and communications.”

“Tansingco said that national officials had been coming in and out of her town for media engagements but had not given assistance to the local government. She said she had been using her personal funds for emergency operations.”

“The mayor and residents of the town said that other areas on the island were also on an emergency mode dealing with destruction caused by the typhoon.”

“On Wednesday, Sulpicio Lines finally pulled out five fatalities in the town whose stench had caused complaints from a nearby school.”

KG on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 2:35 pm

pwede naman pala mag cancel ng trip eh.

Arroyo cancels trip to Capiz due to bad weather

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080620-143826/Arroyo-cancels-trip-to-Capiz-due-to-bad-weather

nash on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 3:37 pm

Kayo naman, why are you letting GMA cancel her trip, who cares about the dead????? Hindi naman sila voters….

.ay wait….judging from the list of congressmen on the junket, they do rely on dead voters….

mikel on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 3:38 pm

to dodong(MLQlover) funny how you zero in on ONE single subject to argue that bush is a lame duck president. ONE. and just ignore all the bush bills passed by congress? every f***** day??? who’s engot now?

to frombelow: sorry you oppositionists will have to wait your turn in power. doubt that will REALLY happen soon; malas ninyo!

The Ca t on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 4:57 pm

pwede naman pala mag cancel ng trip eh.

Arroyo cancels trip to Capiz due to bad weather

Are you for real? Another apple and orange comparison?

KG on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 5:50 pm

What is it with you cathcath?

I have not attacked her Us trip me nadinig ka ba bukod sa mirriam at paqcuiao. entorage yung tinira ko di si pgma

capiz and us.

I know it is apples and oranges, obvious ba?

Lighten up,will you?

O sige, let me attacK PGMA if that is what you are asking for.

my point was alam nyang matindi ang bagyo sa visayas,it was enough to cancel her sorties in Iloilo and capiz tumuloy pa din.

that is how I feel about,it and I already heard your side,kumontra ba ako sa mga sinabi mo?

cvj on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 6:45 pm

mikel is collecting hubris.

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 7:48 pm

The issue is now much less about GMA leaving for the meeting with Bush, the issue is so why again did GMA not return to Philippines after the Bush meeting?

The Fresno, CA side-trip was something she should have skipped. [FG plus 4 or 5 of the entourage could have filled in for her and everyone would have understood.] And it will be extremely bad taste if a single member of the GMA entourage shows up at the Pacquiao fight.

mikel on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:14 pm

the job of governing does not stop just because of a storm and it’s consequences. while the loss of life and property is heartbreaking, this is not a life & death situatiaon involving millions or the country’s security. there are officials in gov’t. who are tasked to provide leadership and assistance; this is not PGMAs direct function. she doesn’t have to be in the country for the gov’t to work. anong pipillin nyo, ang ikauunlad ng bayan para sa marami? syempre.

mikel on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:17 pm

to cvj: ‘collecting’ hubris? wrong english ata. sa totoo lang, totoo lang ang sinasabi ko.

Bencard on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 8:39 pm

just want to restate what i said to rego on the preceding thread: it seems the very ones who bitch about “gloria” being absent (at least in this blog) are her usual detractors who cannot stand her presence (lovl).

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:06 pm

Latest Lameduck Bush announcement :

WASHINGTON – President Bush said Thursday he will lift key trade sanctions against North Korea and remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist, a remarkable turnaround in policy toward the communist regime he once branded as part of an “axis of evil.”
. . . .

Specifically, Bush said the U.S. would erase trade sanctions under the rading With the Enemy Act, and notify Congress that, in 45 days, it intends to take North Korea off the State Department list of nations that sponsor terrorism.

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:28 pm

to mikel: you are saying, right, that GMA should make pili

… ang ikauunlad ng bayan para sa marami.

For the greater good…..

What a radical concept! Disagreement is because “for the greater good”, like beauty, ‘delicadeza’, productivity or good economics is valued through the eyes of the beholder.

UP n student on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 9:31 pm

This is like the conumdrum :

…. I don’t like to pay taxes, nanakawin lang.

…. I don’t want to contribute to Typhoon relief, nanakawin lang.

nash on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:08 pm

Bencard,

there is a job opening fit for you: Committee Chairman for the Defense of the Indefensible under Robert Mugabe.

mikel on Thu, 26th Jun 2008 10:25 pm

to UPn: i never said as you say “pili”. such a typical UP student. pilosopo.

Bencard on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 12:53 am

thanks, nash, but i usually go for a winning case. i hate being on a losing side where some people seem to thrive.

d0d0ng on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 1:03 am

bencard on, “i hate being on a losing side where some people seem to thrive.”

Bencard is for the Philippine gov’t officials (the winners) who screwed up the Filipinos further into poverty (the losing side).

Said by Mikel, “Malas ang Pilipinas”.

Bencard on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 1:28 am

wrong , dodong. i was referring to you and the likes of you – the losers. you are not “the Filipinos”. don’t be presumptuous. btw, i thought you are no longer a filipino. how come you are still talking like you still belong?

cvj on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 1:44 am

i hate being on a losing side where some people seem to thrive. – Bencard

Classic balimbing mentality.

Bencard on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 2:38 am

cvj, have you heard of me changing sides from day one?

frombelow on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 2:49 am

mikel

“she doesnâ€™t have to be in the country for the govâ€™t to work.”

If that is case, why bother teleconferencing and nauseating television feeds on how she manage the country by remote control.

Which is which, mikel.

An old Chinses sage said that there is wisdom in not defending the indefensible.

cvj on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 4:07 am

Bencard (at 2:38 am), you did have your moment of weakness:

http://www.quezon.ph/1349/d-day/#comment-482257

Nevertheless, i don’t think you’re going to turn balimbing when it comes to Gloria, unlike most of her defenders who already have one foot out the door.

d0d0ng on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 5:34 am

Bencard on, “how come you are still talking like you still belong?”

It is called freedom of speech. Smile.

d0d0ng on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 5:46 am

Bencard on, “wrong , dodong. i was referring to you and the likes of you – the losers”

Thanks for getting personal. You can call me names if that makes you happy and other “presumptuous” winners out there. I can just smile.

leytenian on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 6:21 am

me too…

jmd on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 7:14 am

“Malas ninyo. Mikel”

Kaw naman, a leader LEADS. whether you are a supporter or not. As a matter of fact, good leadership skills always converts critics, and captures everyones support in the end. Meron pa kaya nyan sa Pinas?

TonGuE-tWisTeD on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 9:15 am

In a national emergency situation, only the president can approve the release of billions of funds for rescue and rehab. It gets worse when the secretary in charge of disaster coordination is with her. Ditto the Budget Secretary.

Remote control governance has its limits. The present situation is beyond those.

Bencard on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 9:53 am

cvj, name one and i’ll tell you why i think he has already one foot on the door. either he is disgruntled for not getting what he wants, not up to the job, or just plain ingrate.

TonGuE-tWisTeD on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 10:31 am

And the capsized ship goes from bad to worse to worst:

A large cargo of loosely-packed highly toxic chemicals for use as pesticide in one of the pineapple plantations had just been found inside the ship. The cargo was not declared as it is not allowed in passenger ships.

More headaches for Coast Guard.

Talaga namannnn….

cvj on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 11:20 am

Bencard, i can name two:

http://www.quezon.ph/1850/when-all-you-can-do-is-text/#comment-844305

and

http://www.quezon.ph/1821/the-return-of-the-sugar-bloc/#comment-829995

To which of your two categories do they belong?

anthony scalia on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 1:07 pm

Bencard,

“just want to restate what i said to rego on the preceding thread: it seems the very ones who bitch about â€œgloriaâ€ being absent (at least in this blog) are her usual detractors who cannot stand her presence (lovl).”

oo nga ‘no? i thought for them gloria is a fake president, so dapat for them gloria’s continued stay in the US does not matter. eh peke nga for them?

are they guilty of estoppel?

parang si Sen. jinggoy. halos hanggang langit ang pasasalamat kay gloria sa pardon kay erap, pero para sa kanya, peke pa rin si gloria (parang di nya alam na presidente lang ang pwedeng mag-pardon)

mikel on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 7:55 pm

to dodong: i never said “malas and pilipinas”. pls don’t quote out of context. if you read my comment, it was malas to the rabid anti-gloria faction.

frombelow on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 8:20 pm

“if you read my comment, it was malas to the rabid anti-gloria faction.” Mikel

“Malas” for what? For having a president like GMA?
Be profound kasi.

Bencard on Fri, 27th Jun 2008 9:47 pm

i don’t know cvj, but my reading of the ca’t’s and grd’s comments doesn’t indicate that they have “one foot at the door”. anyway, i leave it up to them whether or not to explain their positions to you.

grd on Sat, 28th Jun 2008 10:00 pm

cvj, name one and iâ€™ll tell you why i think he has already one foot on the door. either he is disgruntled for not getting what he wants, not up to the job, or just plain ingrate… bencard

bencard,

i have explained my position quite clearly before. as I stated, Iâ€™m for the rule of law. no to another people power and yes to impeachment. and if I may add; I voted for the late Raul Roco last time.

but you know, with the kind of mindset that our friend here possess, no amount of explanation will do. the guy is simply brilliant with his generalizations.

and talking about generalization, I can dish out my own also. I think I know where heâ€™s coming from. although Iâ€™m not a psychologist, based on the categories you wrote above, I think he belongs to the first one. after his all out support for gloria in 2001 up to 2004, look where he is now (forced to go on exile against his will while his fellow elitist back home are enjoying the fruit of their undying support for gloria). he must have been deeply hurt. i think thatâ€™s the root cause of his disgruntlement. poor fellow. no amount of pro-poor pronouncements can hide away his hurt feelings. imagine it took him 4 long years to realize he made a mistake. what a brilliant mind. as the saying goes, â€œHell has no Wrath like a Womanâ€™s Scorned.â€

lastly, if you have noticed it, the guy is so OBSSESSED he keeps on bringing back old comments of people here. he must have been affected too much. he thinks heâ€™s in a state of war. â€œif youâ€™re not with me, then you must be on the other side.â€

i rest my case.

whoâ€™s the balimbing by the way?

cvj on Sun, 29th Jun 2008 4:00 am

grd, you’re right that it took 4 long years for me to realize my mistake. At least it’s 3 years shorter (and counting) than the time it takes for you to realize yours. In case you haven’t noticed, ‘rule of law’ under Gloria is a joke.

Bencard on Sun, 29th Jun 2008 4:23 am

where’s the part that grd said he “realized his mistake”? trying to pull a fast one again, cvj? you’ve been doing that so many times, it’s now automatic with you, right? the real joke is when a balimbing accuses somebody of being a balimbing.

cvj on Sun, 29th Jun 2008 4:32 am

Bencard, please read my comment more carefully. You might have missed the parenthetical ‘and counting’.

By definition a balimbing is someone who switches allegiance to whoever is in power, so in case you haven’t noticed, my allegiance is not to the party in power. By contrast grd, seems to have the hots for ’strong men’ (like Duterte).

Bencard on Sun, 29th Jun 2008 7:03 am

cvj, even with your “and counting”, i still don’t see anything in grd’s comment in question that says ” i made a mistake”. just admit getting caught in the cookie jar with sticky fingers and wily ways.

i don’t buy your definition. balimbing is one who switches allegiance to any person, a party, or a cause, usually because of disloyalty, disgruntlement, promise of reward, or just plain ingratitude.

cvj on Sun, 29th Jun 2008 3:54 pm

Bencard, yeah apparently you don’t see a lot of things.

There is no shame in withdrawing support because of matters of principle or values. I don’t believe that’s covered by the term balimbing.

Bencard on Sun, 29th Jun 2008 10:38 pm

cvj, except for hallucinators like you, nobody would see “anything” that is not there. answer my question? where’s the beef?

matters of principle, my foot! (that’s a tired excuse of balimbings).

cvj on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 3:58 am

Bencard, the ‘beef’ is that grd criticizes me for having supported Arroyo in the past while he still supports her up to today (albeit with one foot out the door).

Bencard on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 5:22 am

cvj, your “one foot out the door” is the bone of contention. did grd tell you that or you again imagined it?

cvj on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 11:30 am

Bencard, ‘one foot out the door’ is based on the link i provided you above (at June 27th, 2008 at 11:20 am).

grd claims that he was ‘never fooled’ by Arroyo but proceeds to defend her anyway (not directly because Arroyo’s position is frequently indefensible but by attack those who criticize her).

Same with Ca t who denies being a ‘GMA fan’,

Both have one of their feet on the other side which is in contrast to your approach of admitting full allegiance to Arroyo, which is comparatively more rare.

anthony scalia on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 2:39 pm

cvj,

“In case you havenâ€™t noticed, â€˜rule of lawâ€™ under Gloria is a joke.”

a good example of the fallacy “hasty generalization.”

always heard from non-winners in court disputes.

its always worth repeating – gloria is still seated because the ‘united’ opposition is a joke

“(not directly because Arroyoâ€™s position is frequently indefensible but by attack those who criticize her).”

my goodness?! by simply ‘attacking’ the anti-gloria, pro-gloria na?! asus!

“anti anti-gloria” is not the same as “pro gloria”

mlq3 on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 4:23 pm

anti-anti-gloria is the same as pro gloria, not least, in the mind of the gloria camp itself. the net effect is the same, in light of the fragmented nature of the anti-glorias. much as we must always respect the right of the anti-anti-gloria to insist and identify themselves as *not* pro-gloria, still, we also have the right to point out that pro-gloria is exactly what they are.

anthony scalia on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 4:58 pm

mlq3,

why the anti anti gloria is anti towards ‘anti gloria’ is that the latter school of thought (1) propagates the false notion that gloria’s removal is the magic pill that will make ‘pinas a first world country (2) ignores the collateral damage another people power will make (3) gives the false hope that a political solution is needed to solve an economic solution (4) fails to see that the country faces more pressing issues/needs than gloria’s presence or removal (5) holds out the myth that government is the key to ‘first world status’ (or at the very least, low oil prices)

anti anti-gloria is not the same and is never the same as pro gloria. the anti gloria school is so personality oriented. while the anti anti gloria school is issue oriented.

“…in light of the fragmented nature of the anti-glorias…”

and still they parade themselves as savior/s of the country! yikes!

mlq3 on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 5:14 pm

scalia-

1. the only one buying the first world opium dream are the pro-glorias. she is peddling it and you are measuring everyone by it.

2. in contrast to what you prefer, the war of attrition and slow steady erosion of institutions taking place, so that you will have a hollow shell whose only virtue is that it retains its outward appearance of being a constitutional government.

3. every economic solution requires a political foundation, and no economic solution will endure if deprived of legitimacy: it will contain the seed of its own destruction.

4. the retention or removal of gma is the key to the lock. you can prefer to keep the door locked and you may just succeed, but it weakens the structural integrity of the door. you could have just opened the door and let things take their course. the pressing issues are magnified by her, in many instances, caused by her, and her faustian bargains to stay in power mean those problems will linger past whatever expiration date ends up being applicable to her.

5. again, just because you drink her cool aid doesn’t mean i have to. whoever said her stay in office is connected to the price of oil?? but ill tell you this -it’s when oil prices, etc. are high that a government needs a reservoir of good will from the public or at least its respect, so as to be obeyed: relying purely on fear may work but if it doesn’t, you won’t even be tsk-tsking about collateral damage at that point.

the anti-anti-gloria have never been issue oriented. because their immediate answer to any issue is:

1. but she’s still here! so what issue? we win!
2. you? yuck! so yucky we’ll stay with her! we win!

grd on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 6:25 pm

mlq3, did you vote for gloria in 2004?

anthony scalia on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 6:54 pm

mlq3,

“1. the only one buying the first world opium dream are the pro-glorias. she is peddling it and you are measuring everyone by it.”

actually, if you really think about it, it is the anti-gloria people who put up this false hope – remove gloria and everything will be okay! very much like the expectation when marcos was booted out

sorry to disappoint you my friend – the anti anti gloria people are very much aware that gloria cannot bring the country to ‘first world’ because being issue oriented, the anti anti gloria people know no president can accomplish that!

“2. in contrast to what you prefer, the war of attrition and slow steady erosion of institutions taking place, so that you will have a hollow shell whose only virtue is that it retains its outward appearance of being a constitutional government.”

thats the problem of too much fixation on who is in malacaÃ±ang.

“3. every economic solution requires a political foundation, and no economic solution will endure if deprived of legitimacy: it will contain the seed of its own destruction.”

no, every economic solution lies with the people. but if the default mode of the people is migrating to a first world country and/or banking on the malacaÃ±ang resident to provide the economic solution, that economic solution will not come.

it will contain the seeds of its own destruction? lets talk about it in 2010, by then we’ll know who got destroyed.

“4. the retention or removal of gma is the key to the lock. you can prefer to keep the door locked and you may just succeed, but it weakens the structural integrity of the door. you could have just opened the door and let things take their course. the pressing issues are magnified by her, in many instances, caused by her, and her faustian bargains to stay in power mean those problems will linger past whatever expiration date ends up being applicable to her.”

thats the problem. gloria’s removal is the starting point for the anti gloria people. wrong.

nothing good for the country

if the raison d etre for living is booting out gloria, thats understandable. but its a terrible mistake to equate progress with her removal. maybe progress of the ‘united’ opposition

“5. again, just because you drink her cool aid doesnâ€™t mean i have to. whoever said her stay in office is connected to the price of oil?? but ill tell you this -itâ€™s when oil prices, etc. are high that a government needs a reservoir of good will from the public or at least its respect, so as to be obeyed: relying purely on fear may work but if it doesnâ€™t, you wonâ€™t even be tsk-tsking about collateral damage at that point.”

my friend, no one can stop the rise of oil prices. no amount of public good will can put a ceiling to that

“the anti-anti-gloria have never been issue oriented. because their immediate answer to any issue is:

1. but sheâ€™s still here! so what issue? we win!
2. you? yuck! so yucky weâ€™ll stay with her! we win!”

okay yan ah. so ano na lang ang gagawin ng pro-gloria? magtatatalak na lang? shout ‘patalsikin na now na’ ad nauseam? would that lower the price of oil? food prices? is that the best the pro-gloria can do for the country? for sure, kasi napakadaling gawin!

no, thats not how the anti anti gloria people go about it. there are more pressing issues that need attention – removing gloria is not one of them.

the anti anti gloria people worked for the 7.3 GDP last year. yung mga anti gloria, wala na ngang ginawa to contribute to the 7.3, yet still had the nerve to undermine the results of the hardworking anti anti gloria people! the 7.3 is the success of the people, not of gloria

what the country needs now are people who can do good for the country. but if the best that these people (anti gloria) can do is to remove the incumbent president, ay no thanks na lang.

grd on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 7:01 pm

mlq3,

re anti-gloria and pro-gloria, youâ€™re saying then (as what your B&W movement must be signifying) there are only two colors of men, itâ€™s either black or white. just like the coin has two sides, head or tail. if youâ€™re not anti-gloria, you must be pro-gloria. there can be no other stand. is that right?

grd on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 7:31 pm

anthony,

thatâ€™s the problem with these people. they help install and keep gloria where sheâ€™s now and when they have realized the folly of their course of action, they want to blame other people (the middle class to be exact) just because the latter would not subscribe to their foolishness of another people power.

grd on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 7:57 pm

grd claims that he was â€˜never fooledâ€™ by Arroyo but proceeds to defend her anyway (not directly because Arroyoâ€™s position is frequently indefensible but by attack those who criticize her)â€¦ cvj

i never attack you for criticizing gloria I am merely retaliating for your attack on people (like me) who would not subscribe to your way of thinking and to your blame game as I mentioned above (7:31pm). to me youâ€™re a hypocrite after helping install gloria where she is now.

the key word is â€œrespectâ€. you respect my position and I will respect yours (just like I respect bencardâ€™s and other commenters here). we can argue anything and itâ€™s perfectly fine with me. I have no problem with anyone on either side of the fence but if you start with your accusations and generalizations then I will disrespect you as well.

and donâ€™t think youâ€™re on morally higher ground. i have the right to be mad too.

mlq3 on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 8:04 pm

grd, i did. i supported her until her “i am sorry” speech. you can review why i turned critical here:

http://www.quezon.ph/500/redemption/

mlq3 on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 8:17 pm

scalia, while i appreciate your visiting this blog, you most certainly are not my friend. so don’t patronize me.

when you say the following:

in which case the credit should be shared by all, but then immediately contradict yourself.

you deny any credit for a collective achievement, to those from the collective who are collectively opposed to your president.

to those against the president who worked at their jobs, paid their taxes, even endured a hostile environment from the government, you think that what they were doing as they exercised their citizenship was undermining the hardworking anti anti gloria pro glorias like you.

well they did not, and they have every right to point to you and enumerate every instance of officially winked at smuggling, selective red tape, and so on, that you not only made possible, but encouraged and excused, on your premise that objecting to it and the whole madcap alliance propping up the president are unimportant to wealth-creation, which happily promotes wealth-creation indeed for those putting stitching together a golden parachute for 2010 and beyond.

but for the many who may be divided on what to do, and so have found themselves held at bay by those who would rather do nothing, you not only make it even harder to improve things long-term, but have turned trying to do something into some sort of moral defect.

mlq3 on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 8:23 pm

grd, there are three sides in any political issue: pro, con, and neither pro nor con. the neither pro nor con, based on circumstances and sometimes based on pragmatic considerations of their own, can effectively tip the balance for the pros or cons, or keep the pros and cons effectively at a stalemate.

those who proclaim themselves neither pro or con, in turn can be distinguished according to whether genuinely neutral, pretending to be neutral but really, pro (or con). or conditionally neutral (whether or not the conditions are so selective as to make their choosing sides actually impossible).

personally, i view it this way: you can be moral, immoral, or amoral. in a political issue, there is only yes or no, effectively: an abstension, in voting is often a disguised pro or con vote, depending on how it will affect the outcome. in non-political matters you can insist, rightfully, on nuances, but politically there is a bottom line, for or against.

so if you and i are discussing the framework of things, we can delve into all the grey areas, but in the end it will boil down to taking sides. for the issue at hand. for other issues, specially those in the future, there can be a recombination of things. which is why today’s opponents might be tomorrow’s partners -for example, among those who agree on more fundamental things if you took aside the question of the president.

Bencard on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 9:36 pm

cvj, your “one foot out the door explanation” doesn’t cut the mustard. i’m not second-guessing grd or the ca’t but my view of their position is that it is more or less the same as mine. in my case, i admit full allegiance and respect to arroyo as the incumbent president and remain loyal to her as long as there is no clear and compelling reason (as found by a proper forum) to withdraw such allegiance, respect and loyalty. far from being a blind follower, i guess you can apply your one-foot-out-the door definition to me as well as to any and all “pro gloria” or “anti-anti gloria” who now don’t join your oust-gloria crusade or follow your politics of hatred and prejudices. i don’t agree with some of pgma’s past actions and policies, and have expressed my feelings against them. for instance, i disagreed with her decision to pardon estrada; her giving-in to the political pressure to withdraw from the “coalition of the willing” in iraq ostensibly to save the life of angelo de la cruz; the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes, regardless of the nature and severity of the felony; the continuing support for the cbcp’s anti-population control advocacy.

btw, contrary to mlq3’s point of view, i don’t think gma has done anything to weaken our existing institutions but instead she has helped strengthen them. i don’t see anything wrong about her efforts of testing the limits of the constitution, letting the courts to rule on the constitutionality of such exercise, and abiding by its final verdict. that is the essence of democracy and a telling proof that the system works. the rule of law prevails. future presidents will hopefully be guided thereby and would not have to go through the same enervating exercise that saps the nation’s energy.

grd on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 9:58 pm

grd, i did. i supported her until her â€œi am sorryâ€ speech. you can review why i turned critical here:â€¦ mlq3

mlq3,

thanks for the link. unfortunately, the links to your articles in Inquirer is no longer available.

anyway, you only realized and became critical until her â€œI am sorryâ€ speech. whereas, I believe you should have withdrawn your support to her much earlier (to be exact Dec 30 2002), she have been found lying already. yet, you and cvj gave her your unconditional support during the 2004 eleetion. so why now blame and get critical with other people who would not subscribe to your cause on removing gloria forcibly through people power?

have I profess my support here for gloria? did I ever call her â€œmy presidentâ€ ? If I say I donâ€™t support people power but Iâ€™ll go for impeachment, does it actually mean I am pro-gloria? I have always maintained I have never been a gloria supporter and I have my time of protest too. but the result of my stand now (re rule of law, removal through impeachment or wait till 2010) is due to â€œpragmatic considerationsâ€ as you mentioned above. so, letâ€™s just respect our different positions or opinion.

hereâ€™s the article Iâ€™m referring above:

Speaking on local radio, 55-year old Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced she had decided to drop out of the presidential race in 2004. “It is God who puts ideas in my heart,” explained Arroyo.

http://www.biblenetworknews.com/asiapacific/123002_philippines.html

yet, Iâ€™m sure youâ€™re one of those who prodded her to run.

mlq3 on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 10:56 pm

grd, i did not prod her to run. her decision to run made my decision to leave her employ easy when the opportunity came.

it’s not difficult for me to appreciate your opinion, as your support for impeachment reflects, to my mind, the majority opinion. as does the view that well, if impeachment doesn’t take place, then she should remain in office. i have also pointed out that i believe this is the consensus that exists overall.

anthony scalia on Mon, 30th Jun 2008 11:00 pm

mlq3,

“scalia, while i appreciate your visiting this blog, you most certainly are not my friend. so donâ€™t patronize me.”

yikes! manolo, i am completely surprised to say the least! you consider the use of ‘my friend’ patronizing????!!!!! oh my! i must have touched a nerve! sorry.

“in which case the credit should be shared by all, but then immediately contradict yourself.”

my goodness????? how do i contradict myself?????? i give the credit to the whole Pinoy nation, and not one bit to gloria!!!!!!!

“you deny any credit for a collective achievement, to those from the collective who are collectively opposed to your president.”

two things:

1. those who are opposed to gloria dismiss the 7.3, so they dont even purport to be part of that. if they did, their only beef vs gloria should be that the 7.3 is the entire nation’s credit, not hers.

the anti gloria school isn’t excited over the 7.3, right?

2. the best of those who oppose gloria never goes beyond ‘patalsikin na now na’

by the way, since gloria is not your president, i think you don’t have any right to expect her to do things only a president can do. like be here at the height of ‘Frank’s power

“to those against the president who worked at their jobs, paid their taxes, even endured a hostile environment from the government, you think that what they were doing as they exercised their citizenship was undermining the hardworking anti anti gloria pro glorias like you.”

may i remind you, my friend, that the complaint of the anti gloria school on the 7.3 is that its a sham. never did i hear anything which says in effect that gloria should not grab the credit for the 7.3

oh yes, the ‘exercise of a constitutional right’ undermines the hardworking ‘anti anti gloria pro glorias like you’. very much. the anti gloria school will drop an atomic bomb in Manila if that is what it takes to remove gloria

“well they did not, and they have every right to point to you and enumerate every instance of officially winked at smuggling, selective red tape, and so on, that you not only made possible, but encouraged and excused, on your premise that objecting to it and the whole madcap alliance propping up the president are unimportant to wealth-creation, which happily promotes wealth-creation indeed for those putting stitching together a golden parachute for 2010 and beyond.”

go ask your friend cvj, and get pointers on how South Korea reached its lofty status. the corrupt military dictatorship was never an obstacle.

if policies were the key, then all discussions should be on putting in place effective policies. not ‘patalsikin na now na’ ad nauseam

nobody’s denying the “smuggling, selective red tape, and so on…”

“but for the many who may be divided on what to do, and so have found themselves held at bay by those who would rather do nothing, you not only make it even harder to improve things long-term, but have turned trying to do something into some sort of moral defect.”

harder to improve things long term? because gloria still sits in malacaÃ±ang? don’t underestimate the efforts of NGOs like Gawad kalinga who chose not to wait for gloria to be kicked out before acting. of industry groups striving to bring in foreign direct investment here. outsourcing is now a US$5B industry here, employing hundreds of thousands of people and producing a spillover effect on other industries like telecom, real estate and food. despite gloria’s continued presence in malacaÃ±ang

mlq3 on Tue, 1st Jul 2008 1:57 am

scalia, you aren’t sorry, don’t even pretend to be, and don’t feign ignorance. it does neither of us any good.

it’s all or nothing. give credit to all or slice and dice down the line. your fixation with the 7.3 ignores two possibilities, among others:

1. it could be wrong, and with good reason: there happen to be some pretty good reasons why the 7.3 is being disputed, which is a long way from saying no improvement economically took place at all; or that even partially it may have been due to the president’s policies but also, quite possibly, due to a streak of luck on her part.

2. if true, it could possibly have been even better. conversely, you had your 7.3, now that things look less sparkly, you still don’t have what any government needs at this point, which is some sort of reservoir of good will from the public.

your hyperbole about the antis being prepared to drop an atom bomb ignores the reality of what the admin has proven itself fully capable of resorting to, to keep itself in the gravy.

re: south korea, perhaps you’d like to have a word with the tens even hundreds of thousands of south koreans who risked life and limb to bring down the military dictatorship? or the parade of officials and businessmen who keep ending up in jail? the corrupt military obstacle was most definitely an obstacle -and was removed.

and what has gawad kalinga and outsourcing have to do, with the issue at hand? gk predates gma, and i’ve put forward my view that it is skirting dangerously close to a bad kind of tokenism. outsourcing is a bright spot and will continue to be so, but other bright spots have to be cultivated. as you put it yourself, if they flourished despite her, imagine how much better they could have flourished in an atmosphere of greater cooperation and goodwill among the public and between the public and its leaders.

Bencard on Tue, 1st Jul 2008 3:21 am

to indulge in similar theoretical assumption, i say “greater cooperation and goodwill among the public” is not possible as long as the outsiders, who want to get in, are doing everything fair or foul to undermine the insiders. as long as there is jealousy and hate, pride and prejudice, ambition and covetousness, conflicting interests and competing ideologies, there will always be discord regardless of WHO is the president. the only path to peace is for the LOSERS to respect the WINNERS and to wait for their turn, if ever, in peace.

anthony scalia on Tue, 1st Jul 2008 8:56 pm

mlq3,

“scalia, you arenâ€™t sorry, donâ€™t even pretend to be, and donâ€™t feign ignorance. it does neither of us any good.”

no, manolo, i am truly sorry.

of the thousand times i used “my friend” to many others (like cvj) here its is very surprising you’d react that way! since it rubbed you the wrong way i apologize. you’re the only one who reacted to my use of “my friend” didn’t you know that?!

why don’t you admit that i touched a raw nerve? it will do you good.

“itâ€™s all or nothing. give credit to all or slice and dice down the line. your fixation with the 7.3 ignores two possibilities, among others:

1. it could be wrong, and with good reason: there happen to be some pretty good reasons why the 7.3 is being disputed, which is a long way from saying no improvement economically took place at all; or that even partially it may have been due to the presidentâ€™s policies but also, quite possibly, due to a streak of luck on her part.

2. if true, it could possibly have been even better. conversely, you had your 7.3, now that things look less sparkly, you still donâ€™t have what any government needs at this point, which is some sort of reservoir of good will from the public.

oh you’re singing a much different tune now eh? in your previous comment, you are hinting that the anti gloria people should also share in the 7.3.

which is which, manolo? ano ba talaga kuya?

“your hyperbole about the antis being prepared to drop an atom bomb ignores the reality of what the admin has proven itself fully capable of resorting to, to keep itself in the gravy.”"

an implied admission that the anti gloria school will indeed drop the bomb!

the motto of the anti gloria school – the hell with the economy, kick out gloria first. worry about the economy later

“re: south korea, perhaps youâ€™d like to have a word with the tens even hundreds of thousands of south koreans who risked life and limb to bring down the military dictatorship? or the parade of officials and businessmen who keep ending up in jail? the corrupt military obstacle was most definitely an obstacle -and was removed.”

perhaps you should realize that the efforts to remove the dictatorship arose when prosperity was achieved already.

gaya gaya ang South Korea sa ‘Pinas sa people power. pero by the time they did that in 1987, mayaman na sila! (or at least at a level the Philippines has yet to reach)

and maybe you have not realized, the “parade of officials and businessmen who keep ending up in jail” still continues to this day! even if a country has reached a level of prosperity, corruption still exists!

so zero corruption, a sine qua non to progress?

there must be some wisdom in prioritizing economic progress ahead of political progress, don’t you think?

“and what has gawad kalinga and outsourcing have to do, with the issue at hand? gk predates gma, and iâ€™ve put forward my view that it is skirting dangerously close to a bad kind of tokenism. outsourcing is a bright spot and will continue to be so, but other bright spots have to be cultivated. as you put it yourself, if they flourished despite her, imagine how much better they could have flourished in an atmosphere of greater cooperation and goodwill among the public and between the public and its leaders.”

you still don’t see it, or refuse to see it! don’t wait on the government to do something. private initiative can do good, not waiting for gloria to be booted out.

how many jobs have the anti gloria help create? how many houses for the poor have the anti gloria people help build? if one house for the homeless is built every time “patalsikin na now na” or “people power” is uttered the housing problem will be solved!

you really can’t see it because for you its all about gloria.

“imagine how much better they could have flourished in an atmosphere of greater cooperation and goodwill among the public and between the public and its leaders.”

how much time is wasted just waiting for that. its like waiting for godot.

anthony scalia on Tue, 1st Jul 2008 8:59 pm

Bencard,

“…there will always be discord regardless of WHO is the president. the only path to peace is for the LOSERS to respect the WINNERS and to wait for their turn, if ever, in peace.”

why can’t the anti gloria school realize that?!

mlq3 on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 12:53 am

scalia, what really gets my goat is that people like you do not grant an iota of patriotism or even good sense to critics of the president, while i try to make an effort to see all sides and the sincerity and good points in the defenders (implicit or explicit) of cruella. it’s enough to make anyone see red.

thnat being said, since my getting over the flu may be contributing to my ill-humor with your style of argumentation (a moving target in the style of that american commenter, geo i think his name was, who’s stopped visiting), maybe i should return to your comment in a couple of days when my health and humor are both better and i can respond to your arguments with the good faith and open-mindedness you had when you made them.

anthony scalia on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 12:15 pm

mlq3,

“scalia, what really gets my goat is that people like you do not grant an iota of patriotism or even good sense to critics of the president, while i try to make an effort to see all sides and the sincerity and good points in the defenders (implicit or explicit) of cruella. itâ€™s enough to make anyone see red.”

its because the critics of the president are only up to that, being critics. nothing good for the country. just good for being anti gloria.

patriotism? my goodness, light years away from it are the anti gloria school!

if there is even one iota of patriotism in them, they would come to their senses that the country has more pressing needs than gloria’s removal!

“thnat being said, since my getting over the flu may be contributing to my ill-humor with your style of argumentation (a moving target in the style of that american commenter, geo i think his name was, whoâ€™s stopped visiting), maybe i should return to your comment in a couple of days when my health and humor are both better and i can respond to your arguments with the good faith and open-mindedness you had when you made them.”

i agree. may the Almighty restore you to good health.

thank you my fri…ooops. thank you!!!!!

you and your blog are really great compared to the mindless bloggers at ellenville!

don’t you feel tarnished whenever this blog is placed in the same category as ellenville? I would!

mlq3 on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 12:58 pm

scalia, i happen to admire ellen, she’s a good person. and her readers are our countrymen and know the underpinnings of democracy and good citizenship better than most.

anthony scalia on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 6:48 pm

mlq3,

“scalia, i happen to admire ellen, sheâ€™s a good person. and her readers are our countrymen and know the underpinnings of democracy and good citizenship better than most.”

no, most of her readers are ex-pinoys who still practice nationalism by convenience.

oh yes they know the underpinnings of democracy and good citizenship, they are fully enjoying it. a good citizen exercises his/her constitutional freedom and rights to the hilt!

they are not called mob bloggers for nothing

grd on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 9:58 pm

mlq3, anthony scalia is right. most are ex-pinoys. they are like dodong. that’s why i disagree with cvj when he said those commenters from ellen’s blog represent majority of the filipino people.

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