Can anyone sell this mantra to the masses? Maybe rephrase it.

Anyway, I think it’s widely accepted but not honestly stated.

DIE HARD III

Herman Tiu Laurel

11/02/2009

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Every week we get a dose of reminders of the Yellow’s bitter legacy for Filipinos. Last week it was the arrogance of the privatized “oily-gopoly:” The collusion of the oil companies, manipulating Philippine petroleum products prices, covering up their transfer pricing schemes, bribing or browbeating politicians to pass oligopolistic laws for their companies. Because Cory Aquino and the Yellows relinquished the ownership and role of the State in the oil industry. We, the people, have lost control of our energy supply and prices, which has left us to the mercy of the inhuman greed of the oil companies.

The “Ondoy” crisis compelled the Arroyo regime to make a show of instituting an oil price freeze. The privatized oil industry sector arrogantly replied: “Face shortages.” In the debate, a shocking claim was made — the oil companies had only a week’s inventory. The safe minimum stockpile for any country is at least a month’s supply. Either the oil companies are lying to justify their claim of imminent shortage and demand for free rein on prices, or they have stopped stocking the accepted minimum inventory of at least four weeks because of low international oil price levels the past months and await higher priced deliveries expected in the months ahead. This is their transfer pricing practice at work! This space has called for six months inventory to capture the high and low price cycle to average out oil prices for domestic consumers, and the return of Marcos’ Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF).

The privatized oil industry sector has gotten away with swindle. There has been no massive protest. Thanks to the Yellow elite’s control of mainstream media and the Catholic universities which have brainwashed their audiences, particularly the middle classes who serve as the ruling class’ cogs and wheels, to believe that privatization of strategic industries under the principle of “free trade” is good for the economy. Their theory is that private corporations and competition bring down costs of goods and services, but 21 years under the Yellows’ policies have proven otherwise. Not all are fooled: As far back as 1998 people from class D and E to C, B and A voted against the system, electing Estrada to temper the abuse and greed of the post-Edsa I system. But the profit-seeking ruling class could not even tolerate the moderating influence sought by their pro-poor leader.

Erap’s “appeals” to the oil companies and other utilities like Meralco, Maynilad and Manila Water enraged the corporate tsars. They elicited Cory Aquino and her Yellows’ support to oust Erap, and they got it. The Yellow zombies invoked the mythology and halo of “people power” for Edsa II. Eight years later Cory Aquino would have to make a near-death bed apology for what she did, but interests that drove the Yellow movement just brushed it off as “a joke.” I don’t know how many Filipinos still fall for that “people power” fairy tale, are there still are some infantile minds that cannot grow out of it? Many mouthing the Yellow line, individuals that I know personally, are doing so only for opportunistic interest — to get back lucrative high level government jobs after the next elections. They think they’ve got the elections won because they have the Yellow media behind them.

Unfortunately for the Yellows, the fairy tale has been demolished by the Ondoy floods and the oil companies’ arrogance. Cory Aquino, FVR and GMA failed to follow up on the great infrastructure programs of the Marcos regime to solve the decadal flooding crises. They “dropped the ball on the flood control program and Parañaque spillway” project started by Marcos in the 1970s. This finally hit home last month as millions of Filipinos suffered the consequences of the stupidity of the Yellow regimes. After that, more came to light: The decay of the armed forces capabilities, the expressway development standstill for 21 years, the total absence of any major infrastructure achievement of the Yellow administrations. Then, last week, the dire consequences of the loss of State-owned Petron and PNOC dawned on the people when the oil companies coldheartedly refused the nation’s plea.

With the realities flashing in the minds of the people, radio airwaves filling with texts and callers recalling more failures of the Yellow regimes: The high oil prices and the “highest power cost in Asia.” It was inevitable that the glow on the Yellow’s 2010 candidate would fade sooner or later. As it has turned out, it is sooner than later. The surveys are showing fast declining popularity for the Makati Business Club-Lopez-Prieto-Belmonte candidate, and the dirty tactics of the Yellow camp against President Joseph Estrada reflect their desperation.

But a greater disservice in this is the obfuscation of the issues against the Yellows and its avaricious corporate backers. The Yellow media are trying to gloss over the issues by concentrating on celebrity political coverage, trivializing the political process. The people somehow should get to know the whole truth: That the high oil prices are a legacy from Cory Aquino and the Yellow movement. The Yellow media won’t let this be known. It’s up to us, our readers and all patriotic Filipinos to inform family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues at work about this truth.

(Tune to 1098AM, M-W-F, 6 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday 8:15 to 9 p.m., Global News Network, Destiny Cable, Channel 21 “H1N1: Swine of Swine-dler’s Flu?” with former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez)

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The guy makes good points. What are the solutions?