Rizal’s birth anniversary today. There’s a feature on the Rizal Shrine in Calamba; Two of my past pieces will have to suffice by way of commemoration: Why Rizal Went Bravely to His Death and Si Rizal at ang Pilosopiya ng Pagtitiis.
On the political front, the Palace is stuck in a trap of its own making. Local execs push revamp of Cabinet but as it is, all the waffling has the Palace with its back to the wall: Ermita: Malacañan will turn down Cabinet resignations. The local officials know that a cabinet revamp is not only necessary, but expected; but after Trade Secretary Favila panicked, the Palace lurched away from calling in the courtesy resignations: now no one can resign, so anyone who has to go has to be fired, compounding the problem. My friendly built-in dictionary sez:
catch-22 noun a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions : [as adj. ] a catch-22 situation. ORIGIN 1970s: title of a novel by Joseph Heller (1961), in which the main character feigns madness in order to avoid dangerous combat missions, but his desire to avoid them is taken to prove his sanity.
At least the patronage positions are being cleared: Resignations pour into Palace:
Mrs. Arroyo also ordered the resignation of the chiefs of the Bureaus of Customs and Internal Revenues, as well as the chairman of the Philippine Retirement Authority and the Philippine Postal Corporation.
Ermita belied reports that Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, two senior members of the President’s economic team, had turned in their irrevocable resignations to the President.
(From Julius Fortuna‘s column, it seems the “legacy” faction in the cabinet’s trying to assert itself) Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Gonzales is on the warpath in Bataan province.
President gets a visit from Oliver North; and Ollie then goes to Jolo (hat tip to Nicknich3 who Twittered the article).
Maguindanao: Whistle-blowers wary of Abalos, says group, while Comelec warned of fake poll papers
And two different but convergent views: Filomeno Sta. Ana III and Algamar A. Latiph. Both point out that the country’s 2nd-poorest province and its central role in electoral controversy are issues joined at the hip.
Liberal Party divided over how to be most effectively mercenary about the speakership fight. Jose de Venecia proposes a speakership powwow. And it’s a Lacson-Arroyo slugfest for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Will the Pope extend Cardinal Rosales’ stint archbishop of Manila? Whatever the decision, Archbishop Oscar Cruz is retiring -early, too: but then he’s had a couple of heart bypasses already.
Bloggers reflect on Rizal’s birthday: brienfly, from Lady in Waiting, humorously, from the thoughts that wander; while thoughts of a wandering soul got a Friendster message! Then, the hero’s effect on their education -and his faith in education- is tackled by Jaki’s Notes and in Raf’s Site. A Filipino-American’s reflections are in the Pinoy. And Canis Lupus Dendron Deux on a Rizal comic book: see Amazing Dr. Rizal.
Philippine Commentary on the pro-Americanism of most Filipinos. Ceci Da Superstar, the Patsada Karajaw and Tingog.com (who thinks Zubiri should concede) on Maguindanao. Unsent Notes looks ahead to the emerging 2010 presidential contenders.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, history, ideas, philippines, politics, president, Rizal, Senate, society
ive always wondered why you always spell malacanang malacanan. could you refer me please to any past writing of yours explaining things on the matter? much thanks
abdul, actually, officially is “malacanan palace” when referring to the residence of the president, and “malacanang” when referring to the office of the president.
malacanan palace is the pre-magsaysay official spelling. rm ordered the dropping of “palace” so we got malacanang. abs-cbn and the manila times, though (from whence came the headlines you noted) aren’t precise: malacanan, officially at least, is only correct when used in conjunction with palace. without the palace, then its malacanang.
for more on the etymology, please refer to the book we wrote. details at
http://tornandfrayed.typepad.com/tornandfrayed/2006/01/malaca_palace_.html
I’ll go for lacson for the blue ribbon comitte. Its just about time for Joker to relinquish it.
DJB,
I cant read well you blog. the breaking news is covering some part of the main entry….is there a way to close that window and unhide the left protion of teh main entry?
Abdul, excellent observation. I’ve never noticed this, nor have I even recognized there was a difference..
You can also refer to,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaca%C3%B1ang_Palace
Thus,
Malacañan Palace = Presidential Residence
Malacañang = Office of The President
I thought Joker didn’t mind leaving his blue ribbon committee? Maybe somebody didn’t want him to leave it to somebody who can make good use of it against him/her?
I wonder how the administration will fare in a Lacson-led Blue Ribbon committee with Escudero, Cayetano, and Trillanes as members.
“Senator Lacson talks through his hat when he says he wants a closure of the Jose Pidal case. Of course there has been closure already, albeit caused by himself, by his own failure and inaction. He botched it, plain and simple,” Sen. Arroyo said.
Joker is really good. To stop the investigations and shield Mike Arroyo and company without casting himself in a bad light, he requires Lacson to provide a court order to open the Jose Pidal account before conducting any further probe. Neat. The probe stopped. It’s Lacson’s fault not his. See his genius? For who is the court justice who’s got the guts to issue a court order. As if the Joker didn’t know…
You’ve got to hand it to him: he’s good.
Ricelander,
You probably haven’t read of Judge Yadao who was the judge in Lacson’s “revived” case on the Kuratong Baleleng.
If your issue regards guts of judges, surely Sen. Lacson knows there are those who have them as far as he should be concerned.
The Blue Ribbon committee (empowered to investigate irregularities in governance=corruption, I supposed) is always headed by someone from the party of majority, or coalition of majority in the senate and an investigating body that could be investigating themselves and political partisan at that, (who knows where an inquiry may lead to) is not a very effective of an investigating “ribbon”. To spare myself typing more, I’ll just paste the one I posted in Ms Tordesillas site here:
Since the Congressional records on investigations and inquiries in the past were so dismal, with most taking so much time without resolving most issues to proper closures and resolutions, my question; why not review these process and either replace them with independent outside inquiries that will be established for every investigation, probe, or inquest that may come up from time to time, for the purpose of “aid to legislation†or criminal or civil investigations to go deep into the root causes of the problems and find solutions for them, or improve on the process that even with the Senate or the House still maintain the power to conduct, should be fully non-partisan and objective.
We used to have the Senate, an appointed and partisan body, the other house of the Parliament (the other house with elected members is known as the House of Commons) did a lot of these investigations and inquiries, but they too, became irrelevant, because of partisan politics that now it is usually done by an outside independent body that is called for specific matter. And it works as intended that it’s recommendations always find its way into the new laws or guidelines and political leaders who ignore them, do so at their own risk at the next election…
Committee chairmanships in the senate are done through horse trading and as Lacson has mentioned, nobody has a lock on it. If Joker wants it, he’s got to fight for it (as he is doing now).
I think that the opposition’s superiority in number (and Joker’s jump to Gloria’s party during last month’s election) will carry Lacson to the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon
rego,
what browser/version are you using? Used to have some complaints from those still using Internet Explorer 5 or lower.
Joker and Lacson should not be burning bridges. If Binay guns for the presidency in 2010, they will be working side by side.
Joker is really living up to his name. He is the Chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee and he justifies his committee’s inaction to the failure of Lacson to provide him the evidence. I thought the blue ribbon is a body for investigations, not a reception area for evidence by people alleging irregularities in the government.
And that man is old enough to realize that Committee chairmanship, as his colleagues from the administration in the House were bragging about during the impeachment, is dependent on whether one belongs to the majority. He is certainly trying to catch up with his fellow Bicolanos, Lagman and Villafuerte. Perhaps he wants the three of them to be called the Bicolano triumvirate.
Joker is probaly disoriented. He still thinks that he belongs to the majority. He maybe suffering from dementia or simply can’t count.
Funny to see DJB gushing about the SWS survey. He should have titled his post ‘you love me, you really love me‘.
December 30 as we live it through
Rizal’s martyrdom several years ago
But ‘twas gloria’s sacrifice* in 2002…
Quite ironic, I may say, for our dear nation
As Rizal’s prophesy of unification
Turned into gloria’s prophesy of disunification
—–
Click on December 30 on the 2002 archive at newsdotopsdotgovdotph. They’ve already replaced the link with gloria’s speech in 2003.
It’s as if they are trying to make us forget gloria’s sacrifice on that day…and, perhaps, again supplant it with Rizal’s heroic deed.
—–
December 30 is already tarnished
Put June 19 instead on the holiday list!
—–
*gloria’s 2002 speech is at the old opsdotgovdotph, excerpt of which:
“…I have decided not to run for President during the election of 2004.
If I were to run, it will require a major political effort on my part. But since I’m among the principal figures in the divisive national events for the last two or three years, my political efforts can only result in never-ending divisiveness.â€Â
“Funny to see DJB gushing about the SWS survey. He should have titled his post ‘you love me, you really love me‘.”
like as if it’s a matter of grave national concern. see, djb, it’s just a comparative study among american-loving-nation-which-america-loves-to-f*ck-up. we’re just willing bitches, and all for hershey’s kisses. that’s all there is to it.
“now no one can resign. anyone who has to go has to be fired.” mlq3.
since when has involuntary servitude become acceptable in this country, other than as punishment for a crime? since this is an imputation of constitutional violation, what is your basis for this remark?
bencard, no such imputation was made, meant, or should be ascribed. i’m merely pointing out a political reality. a cabinet member holds a portfolio at the pleasure of the chief executive. that portfolio can be relinquished two ways: the cabinet official can quit, or the cabinet official can be fired.
when presidents reshuffle their cabinet -and tell the public they are doing so- what this enables is a face-saving way out for everyone. if courtesy resignations are requested, the president can dismiss them without specifically saying they’re fired. since everyone was asked to quit, those who end up dismissed don’t appear to have been singled out and fired.
but when the palace announced no resignations had been requested, whether pro forma or not, then it meant everyone has been retained. which means, anyone who wishes to go will have to buck the trend and quit, or, if everyone says they’re not quitting, anyone who leaves the cabinet will have to be publicly fired.
much obliged, mlq3. thanks.
migz concede? KOKO SHOULD CONCEDE!
SWS surveys are unreliable and biased!