PerryScope
by Perry Diaz
On September 26, 2005, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order 464 which prevented members of the cabinet, police and military generals, senior national security officials, and "such other officers as may be determined by the President" from attending congressional hearings unless approved by the President. Arroyo issued EO 464 when two military officers appeared before the Senate Committee on National Defense to testify during the investigation of the "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal.
With a single stroke of the pen, Arroyo imposed a "code of silence" in her administration. And like the Mafia's "Omerta," EO 464 made sure that what happens in Malacanang stays in Malacanang. So far, nobody dared to break Gloria's "Omerta," except Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada.
When Joey de Venecia III exposed the ZTE-NBN deal, he implicated Romulo Neri -- then the Director of NEDA -- for recommending approval of the overpriced $329 million deal. However, Neri said in his testimony before the Senate in September 2007 that former COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos offered him P200 million for his endorsement of the deal. Neri then called Arroyo and told her about the bribery offer. Arroyo told Neri not to accept the bribe but to go ahead and endorse the deal. When asked for details, Neri invoked "executive privilege."
In January 2008, the Senate issued a warrant of arrest for Neri and Lozada to compel both of them to testify before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Consequently, Neri petitioned the Supreme Court for prohibition against the arrest warrant claiming immunity under EO 464. On February 5, 2008, the Supreme Court issued a "status quo" order which temporarily restrained the Senate from arresting Neri. Three days later, Lozada surfaced and appeared before the Senate and blew the whistle on the ZTE-NBN "sweetheart deal." He testified that Abalos wanted a $130 million kickback from the deal, $70 million of which would go to First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.
The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the arguments of Neri on March 4 and would then decide whether EO 464 would prohibit Neri from disclosing the details of his conversation with Arroyo. It is interesting to note that in 2006, the Supreme Court ruled in the Senate vs. Ermita case that the doctrine of "executive privilege" was constitutional but failed to define the limits of such doctrine. However, it is the opinion of some legal experts that "executive privilege" can only be invoked when national security is involved. They are also of the opinion that "executive privilege" cannot be invoked when corruption is involved. Corruption is a crime and not even the President can shield anyone from prosecution of a crime.
Recently, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a "pastoral letter" which condemned the "continuing culture of corruption from the top to the bottom of our social and political ladder." They recommended, among other things, the "abolition of EO 464 so that those who might have knowledge of any corruption in branches of government, may be free to testify before the appropriate investigating bodies." They also asked Arroyo to "allow her subordinates to reveal any corrupt acts, particularly about the ZTE-NBN deal, without being obstructed in their testimony no matter who is involved."
Arroyo immediately formed a legal team to study the possibility of scrapping EO 464. The members of the team were DoJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol, Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Manny Gaite, and Government Corporate Legal Counsel Alberto Agra. This would be like "Godfather" Vito Corleone appointing his Consigliere and capo regimes to come up with a recommendation on how to do away with the "Omerta" code of silence.
As expected, Malacanang said that it has deferred its decision to repeal or not repeal EO 464. Their excuse: "We have to clarify what the CBCP meant." Really? Was the pastoral letter not clear enough? Arroyo's legal team wanted to have a "dialogue" with the bishops. Once again, Arroyo pulled one of her tricks. But CBCP's reaction was: if Malacanang would not revoke EO 464, the 55 bishops will meet again to study their next move.
From what I understand, the CBCP was divided on how to deal with the corruption issues against Arroyo and her administration. After more than 10 hours of discussion, the pro-Arroyo majority favored a soft approach to dealing with the corruption issues. It was revealed that Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos threatened to oust Jaro Bishop Angel Lagdameo, the President of CBCP, if he wouldn't listen to the pro-Arroyo majority. It is interesting to note that Bishop Pueblos was appointed by Arroyo to the Melo Commission to investigate the extrajudicial killings. Now, with Arroyo's hesitation to abolish EO 464, the CBCP might change its stand and join the chorus in demanding her resignation. Among those who are urging Arroyo to abolish EO 464 were Vice President Noli de Castro; Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga; Arroyo's political ally and close friend Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri; and -- surprisingly -- Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon.
With Arroyo's control of the Executive Branch, the House of Representatives, the military and the police, the only government bodies that she could not control -- or influence -- are the Senate and the Supreme Court. If the high court ruled in favor of Neri's petition, the Senate would be rendered inutile and put an end to its role as fiscalizer of the Executive Branch.
But the real issue is: What is Arroyo hiding from the public that she has to prohibit government officials from testifying in cases of corruption? There is a public clamor for the truth in the ZTE-NBN and other corruption cases. The only person that is keeping the truth from being disclosed is Gloria Arroyo. The people deserve to know the truth and if she continued to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the massive corruption in her administration, then she has lost the moral authority to lead the nation.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Deliver Us From Evil:
A Prophetic Call for Societal Change and Church Unity
We in the Sisters' Association in Mindanao, an aggrupation of some 360 nuns coming from more than 40 congregations in Mindanao, renew our call for Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down.
We have been unequivocal in the past. We continue to be unwavering in spite of the perceptible absence of a uniting spirit within the Church. But we are inspired by the Church as people of God where the Spirit permeates to bring about righteousness and morality in governance and in our communal life.
Our assertions in previous statements remain true until today, in the light of the ZTE-National Broadband Network scandal. We stand by our belief that "President Arroyo has committed the grave sin of stealing her legitimacy from the people. She has committed a serious immoral act in governance like the rulers of old whom God had banished from their thrones for violating covenants with His people to uphold truth, justice, and peace."
As soon as Mrs. Arroyo betrayed the 10-point Agenda she signed with people's organizations when People Power 2 catapulted her to power, she had broken her covenant with her people and had already lost the moral ascendancy to govern. When she refused to heed the people's clamor for her resignation following the "Hello Garci" controversy, she has morphed into a more vicious sinner. With the ZTE-NBN deal and the serial corruption dipped into by the First Family, and the various conspiracies to suppress the truth, Mrs. Arroyo has become a recidivist sinner. 'Evil' has been her ultimate transformation as illegitimacy, corruption, idolatry of foreign powers and globalization, and tyranny have merged and is now responsible for the malevolent spirit of poverty, hunger, extra-judicial killings and human rights violations, and serious moral bankruptcy that has engulfed our nation.
The rottenness starts from the core of our country's leadership.
There is no equivocation in our minds and in our hearts, therefore, that Mrs. Arroyo should be removed from power NOW. We lose our own self-dignity and righteousness if we tolerate Mrs. Arroyo's sins until she finishes her term in 2010. We waver in our faithfulness to God if we allow the regime to further commit sins that are a direct affront to the Gospel values of truth, justice, and peace.
We also assert that the brokenness of the Church as People of God has been brought about by this 'evil' in the helm of our country's leadership. We and our people are yearning for Church unity anchored on the upholding of truth and justice so that reconciliation and national renewal can begin. Systemic corruption has erupted in almost all facets of our society like wounds and sores on the Body of Christ. It is time for social renewal, starting with a cleansing from the top coupled with a conversion in the culture of corruption that visits our daily individual and communal life.
Aware that the Church hierarchy can not as yet make a definitive call for Mrs. Arroyo's ouster or voluntary relinquishing of power, we nevertheless take the cue from the CBCP statements that empower the laity to assert their sovereign will and take "communal action." "Citizens are not obligated in conscience to follow the prescriptions of civil authorities if their precepts are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or to the teachings of the Gospel" (#399 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church).
There is HOPE and LIFE after Mrs. Arroyo. The continuing history of our salvation gains valuable learnings from our struggle to remove her from power. It provides us a momentous opportunity to put forward a people-centered program for national renewal.
It is our prophetic imperative as religious, and doubly so as women disciples, who are called to follow Jesus the Good Shepherd, to walk abreast with our people in calling for an end to a morally bankrupt regime.
We reaffirm our pledge to "support our people by joining them in prayer and in action until Mrs. Arroyo is booted out from office." We take inspiration from Mary who has shown us the way to be truly prophetic and faithful to God. We sing her Magnificat to proclaim the message: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior, He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit." (Luke 1:46-48)
For reference:
Sr. Elsa Compuesto, MSM
Executive Secretary, SAMIN
We in the Sisters' Association in Mindanao, an aggrupation of some 360 nuns coming from more than 40 congregations in Mindanao, renew our call for Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down.
We have been unequivocal in the past. We continue to be unwavering in spite of the perceptible absence of a uniting spirit within the Church. But we are inspired by the Church as people of God where the Spirit permeates to bring about righteousness and morality in governance and in our communal life.
Our assertions in previous statements remain true until today, in the light of the ZTE-National Broadband Network scandal. We stand by our belief that "President Arroyo has committed the grave sin of stealing her legitimacy from the people. She has committed a serious immoral act in governance like the rulers of old whom God had banished from their thrones for violating covenants with His people to uphold truth, justice, and peace."
As soon as Mrs. Arroyo betrayed the 10-point Agenda she signed with people's organizations when People Power 2 catapulted her to power, she had broken her covenant with her people and had already lost the moral ascendancy to govern. When she refused to heed the people's clamor for her resignation following the "Hello Garci" controversy, she has morphed into a more vicious sinner. With the ZTE-NBN deal and the serial corruption dipped into by the First Family, and the various conspiracies to suppress the truth, Mrs. Arroyo has become a recidivist sinner. 'Evil' has been her ultimate transformation as illegitimacy, corruption, idolatry of foreign powers and globalization, and tyranny have merged and is now responsible for the malevolent spirit of poverty, hunger, extra-judicial killings and human rights violations, and serious moral bankruptcy that has engulfed our nation.
The rottenness starts from the core of our country's leadership.
There is no equivocation in our minds and in our hearts, therefore, that Mrs. Arroyo should be removed from power NOW. We lose our own self-dignity and righteousness if we tolerate Mrs. Arroyo's sins until she finishes her term in 2010. We waver in our faithfulness to God if we allow the regime to further commit sins that are a direct affront to the Gospel values of truth, justice, and peace.
We also assert that the brokenness of the Church as People of God has been brought about by this 'evil' in the helm of our country's leadership. We and our people are yearning for Church unity anchored on the upholding of truth and justice so that reconciliation and national renewal can begin. Systemic corruption has erupted in almost all facets of our society like wounds and sores on the Body of Christ. It is time for social renewal, starting with a cleansing from the top coupled with a conversion in the culture of corruption that visits our daily individual and communal life.
Aware that the Church hierarchy can not as yet make a definitive call for Mrs. Arroyo's ouster or voluntary relinquishing of power, we nevertheless take the cue from the CBCP statements that empower the laity to assert their sovereign will and take "communal action." "Citizens are not obligated in conscience to follow the prescriptions of civil authorities if their precepts are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or to the teachings of the Gospel" (#399 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church).
There is HOPE and LIFE after Mrs. Arroyo. The continuing history of our salvation gains valuable learnings from our struggle to remove her from power. It provides us a momentous opportunity to put forward a people-centered program for national renewal.
It is our prophetic imperative as religious, and doubly so as women disciples, who are called to follow Jesus the Good Shepherd, to walk abreast with our people in calling for an end to a morally bankrupt regime.
We reaffirm our pledge to "support our people by joining them in prayer and in action until Mrs. Arroyo is booted out from office." We take inspiration from Mary who has shown us the way to be truly prophetic and faithful to God. We sing her Magnificat to proclaim the message: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior, He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their conceit." (Luke 1:46-48)
For reference:
Sr. Elsa Compuesto, MSM
Executive Secretary, SAMIN
IBON: Corruption scandals under Arroyo cost Filipinos P7.3B
03/04/2008 | 03:31 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Corruption scandals in the last seven years under the Arroyo administration have cost Filipinos at least P7.3 billion, according to militant think tank IBON Foundation Tuesday.
In a statement, IBON said with six corruption scandals so far, including the $329.48-million ZTE broadband network scam, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has become the most corrupt president the country has ever had.
"President Gloria Arroyo may indeed be the most corrupt president the country has ever had, based on amounts lost to the Filipino people in just six corruption scandals over her seven years in office," the Ibon statement read.
Other scandals under the Arroyo administration were the P728-million fertilizer scam, the Jose Pidal bank accounts, the Northrail project, the $14-million IMPSA power plant project, the P1.3-billion poll automation project, and the Macapagal Boulevard project.
IBON said the amount could have been used to provide badly-needed education and health services to millions of impoverished Filipinos.
"For example, it could have been used to help the Department of Education (DepEd) bridge its resource gaps of classrooms, textbooks and teachers," it said.
Citing DepEd figures, IBON said the DepEd's 2008 budget is still P8.43 billion short to bridge its resource gaps for the year.
On the other hand, it said the amount could also have been used to increase subsidies for indigent patients in government hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital.
"These cases also indicate the Arroyo administration's high tolerance for corruption, since none of them has ever been satisfactorily resolved. In fact, the Ombudsman only filed graft and corruption charges against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez in January 2007 or six years after the charges were made public," it noted.
Perez allegedly received a $2-million bribe so that the Department of Justice would give the go-ahead for a $470-million contract to IMPSA for rehabilitation of the CBK hydroelectric plant in Laguna.
"Clearly, corruption is inherent in a liberalized backward economy and has greatly benefited the Arroyo administration for the past seven years, while it continues to worsen the incidence of poverty and deny much-needed social services to millions of Filipinos," IBON said. - GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines - Corruption scandals in the last seven years under the Arroyo administration have cost Filipinos at least P7.3 billion, according to militant think tank IBON Foundation Tuesday.
In a statement, IBON said with six corruption scandals so far, including the $329.48-million ZTE broadband network scam, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has become the most corrupt president the country has ever had.
"President Gloria Arroyo may indeed be the most corrupt president the country has ever had, based on amounts lost to the Filipino people in just six corruption scandals over her seven years in office," the Ibon statement read.
Other scandals under the Arroyo administration were the P728-million fertilizer scam, the Jose Pidal bank accounts, the Northrail project, the $14-million IMPSA power plant project, the P1.3-billion poll automation project, and the Macapagal Boulevard project.
IBON said the amount could have been used to provide badly-needed education and health services to millions of impoverished Filipinos.
"For example, it could have been used to help the Department of Education (DepEd) bridge its resource gaps of classrooms, textbooks and teachers," it said.
Citing DepEd figures, IBON said the DepEd's 2008 budget is still P8.43 billion short to bridge its resource gaps for the year.
On the other hand, it said the amount could also have been used to increase subsidies for indigent patients in government hospitals such as the Philippine General Hospital.
"These cases also indicate the Arroyo administration's high tolerance for corruption, since none of them has ever been satisfactorily resolved. In fact, the Ombudsman only filed graft and corruption charges against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez in January 2007 or six years after the charges were made public," it noted.
Perez allegedly received a $2-million bribe so that the Department of Justice would give the go-ahead for a $470-million contract to IMPSA for rehabilitation of the CBK hydroelectric plant in Laguna.
"Clearly, corruption is inherent in a liberalized backward economy and has greatly benefited the Arroyo administration for the past seven years, while it continues to worsen the incidence of poverty and deny much-needed social services to millions of Filipinos," IBON said. - GMANews.TV
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Three angles to treason issue.
(Herman Tiu Laurel/ Infowars/ Tribune column/ 3-4-2008 MON.)
The highest form of corruption in a Republic, the treason issue against Gloria Arroyo, has now drawn the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) into the debate with Barry Wain's report on China's large loans to the GMA-JdV projects in exchange for privileges in the disputed Spratly's area. The FEER naturally does not report on the other angle of treason by Gloria: the sellout of the Philippine national interest in the Malampaya gas deal signed away, by FVR as well for a song; while other countries get as much as 30% to 50% royalty, Gloria is threatening further reduction of our Malampaya shares to a measly five percent by pressing privatization and/or securitization of half of the country's stocks.
In Bolivia, oil royalties have been pushed to over 50%. Western companies protested vehemently while Chinese oil companies were all too willing to pay up. Venezuela increased its royalties from 17% to 22% and increased taxes on oil corporate profits on top of that and then later assumed total control of many of the oil companies unwilling to accede to higher royalties. In the Philippines, there are three angles to the debate on treason – two are both wrong sides and only one is the right side. The wrong angles are: selling out to the Chinese and selling out to the Anglo/U.S. and its surrogates in the region. The only right side is the patriotic and nationalist side.
Most Filipinos will associate with one side - the patriotic and nationalist side; but that is easier said than done. Nationalists get sidelined, or eventually change their tune, like Lorenzo Tañada Jr. who's supposed to stand for the nationalism yet lead the "fair trade alliance". That sounds good though actually misleading. Nationalism or patriotism is not "fair", it is pro-active; it takes affirmative action for the nation. In international affairs and trade, if one does not start form "getting the most" for the country one loses out - "fair trade" becomes a lame cover for "free trade" which failed every country that advocated it – including the U.S. and that's why Obama and Clinton are competing to dump NAFTA.
Treason motivated by China deals is but a small fraction of treason motivated by Anglo-U.S. deals in the Philippines. Although Chinese dealings with the Philippines' corrupt traditional political leaders are growing, they cannot compare with the century old treason the Anglo/U.S. has cultivated amongst the elite in the Philippines – from the betrayal of the 1896 Revolution by members of the old Philippine aristocracy to the collaboration in World War II with both the U.S. and the Japanese by factions of the local elite which led to the destruction of the economic foundations of the Philippines. True nationalists like Recto, Taruc and many others were ostracized after the war.
Some of the icons of Philippine conventional history are actually treasonous, like Landsdale's pet who was used to depose the Quirino regime which was pushing Philippine industrialization; the same was repeated with Diosdado Macapagal against President Garcia who maintained import, currency and capital controls to preserve the Philippine economy. Marcos initially played ball with the Americans but pursued a patriotic agenda in trying to recover Sabah which the British lobbied the U.S. to avert and Ninoy Aquino betrayed, Cory Aquino reversed Marco's development of the domestic economic capabilities with "liberalization." Now, what makes patriotism and nationalism, and who is treasonous?
The political drama unfolding today with the ZTE scandal is bringing various political forces into convergence without eliminating their essential divergences. Corruption of the Gloria regime is the focal issue and Senator Trillanes has brought it to the issue of treason by the brilliant move of calling for its investigation in the senate. As I said in my last column, this elevation of the issue is a signal contribution as it now highlights the real crisis in Philippine society and the Republic – treason. The political forces converging against Gloria is divided amongst two treason factions and one patriotic and nationalist movement. Already, the treason factions are sabotaging the nationalist movement.
Last Saturday, the pro-Anglo/U.S. faction of the anti-Gloria campaign made its first major move against the patriotic and nationalist faction: Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement (B&W) threatened to bolt from the anti-Gloria rallies because President Joseph E. Estrada was allowed to speak for one minute at the Ayala Interfaith Rally. Of course, no one is worried because B&W committed only 200 people for the mammoth crowd of 80,000 that day; and they probably delivered only a third of that in three FX vehicles. B&W want Gloria out and Noli in so there's no change in the present pro-U.S. exploitation bias of the system, versus what Estrada and nationalists want: Philippines for Filipinos.
Leah Navarro also claimed that KME (Kilusang Makabayang Ekonomista) walked out when Estrada spoke. I called KME coordinator Jimmie Regalario who flatly said Navorro is lying. Former FVR bagman boy Saycon also said COPA is protesting, but haven't most COPA leaders rejected that group as they reject Edsa Dos – like Linggoy Alcuaz? Solita Monsod, who now denies Edsa Dos was "people power" and says it was a military coup, says to go slow on ousting Gloria and to use the courts. She didn't advocate that when Estrada was ousted. Monsod's husband is WB-IFC representative in many projects with "sovereign guarantee", and Solita is a regular consultant to Western funded projects.
In the tri-angle on the treason issues the patriotic and nationalist angle is the side that promises hope and change, that's where I place Estrada's "Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kunid kapwa Pilipino" (No one will help Filipinos except fellow Filipinos) slogan and the Bagong Katipunan of the young military officers which has a website clearly outlining a nationalist program of government and identified with Senator Trillanes with the "Magdalo" movement. Nationalism has been at the bottom of the triangle inverted by neo-colonialism the past hundred years, we can set it upright by putting the sharp point on top to lead the way this Twenty-First Century – as Rizal Envisioned in "The Philippine a Hundred Hence".
Many note how the ZTE-Gloria corruption and treason issue has revived the student movement; it is a most opportune moment to awaken them to the nationalist perspective of the Philippine crisis and the real sources of corruption - treason. This message would be easier to deliver when the Black and White, and COPA with other Anglo-U.S. treason groups' obfuscation are isolated. The FEER is igniting the anti-China sentiment, but the light to illuminate the Anglo-U.S. continuing neo-colonial oppressive must also be stoked – these will fuel the growth of patriotic and nationalist awareness. (Tune to 1098AM, 8:30 to 8am, Mon. to Fri.) ###
The highest form of corruption in a Republic, the treason issue against Gloria Arroyo, has now drawn the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) into the debate with Barry Wain's report on China's large loans to the GMA-JdV projects in exchange for privileges in the disputed Spratly's area. The FEER naturally does not report on the other angle of treason by Gloria: the sellout of the Philippine national interest in the Malampaya gas deal signed away, by FVR as well for a song; while other countries get as much as 30% to 50% royalty, Gloria is threatening further reduction of our Malampaya shares to a measly five percent by pressing privatization and/or securitization of half of the country's stocks.
In Bolivia, oil royalties have been pushed to over 50%. Western companies protested vehemently while Chinese oil companies were all too willing to pay up. Venezuela increased its royalties from 17% to 22% and increased taxes on oil corporate profits on top of that and then later assumed total control of many of the oil companies unwilling to accede to higher royalties. In the Philippines, there are three angles to the debate on treason – two are both wrong sides and only one is the right side. The wrong angles are: selling out to the Chinese and selling out to the Anglo/U.S. and its surrogates in the region. The only right side is the patriotic and nationalist side.
Most Filipinos will associate with one side - the patriotic and nationalist side; but that is easier said than done. Nationalists get sidelined, or eventually change their tune, like Lorenzo Tañada Jr. who's supposed to stand for the nationalism yet lead the "fair trade alliance". That sounds good though actually misleading. Nationalism or patriotism is not "fair", it is pro-active; it takes affirmative action for the nation. In international affairs and trade, if one does not start form "getting the most" for the country one loses out - "fair trade" becomes a lame cover for "free trade" which failed every country that advocated it – including the U.S. and that's why Obama and Clinton are competing to dump NAFTA.
Treason motivated by China deals is but a small fraction of treason motivated by Anglo-U.S. deals in the Philippines. Although Chinese dealings with the Philippines' corrupt traditional political leaders are growing, they cannot compare with the century old treason the Anglo/U.S. has cultivated amongst the elite in the Philippines – from the betrayal of the 1896 Revolution by members of the old Philippine aristocracy to the collaboration in World War II with both the U.S. and the Japanese by factions of the local elite which led to the destruction of the economic foundations of the Philippines. True nationalists like Recto, Taruc and many others were ostracized after the war.
Some of the icons of Philippine conventional history are actually treasonous, like Landsdale's pet who was used to depose the Quirino regime which was pushing Philippine industrialization; the same was repeated with Diosdado Macapagal against President Garcia who maintained import, currency and capital controls to preserve the Philippine economy. Marcos initially played ball with the Americans but pursued a patriotic agenda in trying to recover Sabah which the British lobbied the U.S. to avert and Ninoy Aquino betrayed, Cory Aquino reversed Marco's development of the domestic economic capabilities with "liberalization." Now, what makes patriotism and nationalism, and who is treasonous?
The political drama unfolding today with the ZTE scandal is bringing various political forces into convergence without eliminating their essential divergences. Corruption of the Gloria regime is the focal issue and Senator Trillanes has brought it to the issue of treason by the brilliant move of calling for its investigation in the senate. As I said in my last column, this elevation of the issue is a signal contribution as it now highlights the real crisis in Philippine society and the Republic – treason. The political forces converging against Gloria is divided amongst two treason factions and one patriotic and nationalist movement. Already, the treason factions are sabotaging the nationalist movement.
Last Saturday, the pro-Anglo/U.S. faction of the anti-Gloria campaign made its first major move against the patriotic and nationalist faction: Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement (B&W) threatened to bolt from the anti-Gloria rallies because President Joseph E. Estrada was allowed to speak for one minute at the Ayala Interfaith Rally. Of course, no one is worried because B&W committed only 200 people for the mammoth crowd of 80,000 that day; and they probably delivered only a third of that in three FX vehicles. B&W want Gloria out and Noli in so there's no change in the present pro-U.S. exploitation bias of the system, versus what Estrada and nationalists want: Philippines for Filipinos.
Leah Navarro also claimed that KME (Kilusang Makabayang Ekonomista) walked out when Estrada spoke. I called KME coordinator Jimmie Regalario who flatly said Navorro is lying. Former FVR bagman boy Saycon also said COPA is protesting, but haven't most COPA leaders rejected that group as they reject Edsa Dos – like Linggoy Alcuaz? Solita Monsod, who now denies Edsa Dos was "people power" and says it was a military coup, says to go slow on ousting Gloria and to use the courts. She didn't advocate that when Estrada was ousted. Monsod's husband is WB-IFC representative in many projects with "sovereign guarantee", and Solita is a regular consultant to Western funded projects.
In the tri-angle on the treason issues the patriotic and nationalist angle is the side that promises hope and change, that's where I place Estrada's "Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kunid kapwa Pilipino" (No one will help Filipinos except fellow Filipinos) slogan and the Bagong Katipunan of the young military officers which has a website clearly outlining a nationalist program of government and identified with Senator Trillanes with the "Magdalo" movement. Nationalism has been at the bottom of the triangle inverted by neo-colonialism the past hundred years, we can set it upright by putting the sharp point on top to lead the way this Twenty-First Century – as Rizal Envisioned in "The Philippine a Hundred Hence".
Many note how the ZTE-Gloria corruption and treason issue has revived the student movement; it is a most opportune moment to awaken them to the nationalist perspective of the Philippine crisis and the real sources of corruption - treason. This message would be easier to deliver when the Black and White, and COPA with other Anglo-U.S. treason groups' obfuscation are isolated. The FEER is igniting the anti-China sentiment, but the light to illuminate the Anglo-U.S. continuing neo-colonial oppressive must also be stoked – these will fuel the growth of patriotic and nationalist awareness. (Tune to 1098AM, 8:30 to 8am, Mon. to Fri.) ###
Monday, March 3, 2008
The Evil and Her Mongrels
March 1, 2008
Froilan Vincent Bersamina
www.fvdb.wordpress.com
THREE out of four Filipinos (or 76 percent) distrust their bogus President while two of every three or 65 percent of Metro Manila consider Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada a credible witness in the National Broadband Network (NBN) controversy, according to the latest public trust reading of Pulse Asia survey.
The result of the survey, which hit newsstands a day after the Ayala interfaith rally held on Friday (February 28), only confirms that an overwhelming majority of Filipino— never mind if they're loud or silent— now want Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's ouster by whatever means, this despite the desperate effort of Malacañang people and their media lackeys in belittling the result of said peaceful demonstration.
It also confirms that 92 percent trust rating received by NBN star witness Lozada after his supposed face-to-face confrontation with former Comelec commissioner Benjamin Abalos who was backed by a cabal of well-prepared Gloria's ass-lickers (no need to mention their already disgraced names.)
Malacañang paid liars tried very hard to make the people believe their luckiest bitch-evil boss was never affected or alarmed whatsoever by the interfaith rally which attracted 80,000 protesters (based on the estimate of Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay) or 15 to 30,000 (based on the estimate of an unnamed Makati policeman).
There is a dire need for Gloria's muchacos and muchachas to downplay or underestimate the result of the Friday rally because all they could do is crochet a web of illusions or lies in order to confuse the public. Apart from the use of force and illegal state apparatuses confusion is one of the allies of an evil regime.
It they can't counter it, confuse it. The same strategy is also being applied to the NBN case— if you can't prove it, confuse it. And it appears that the Arroyo administration is becoming more expert in using this "tactic of confusion" in getting the support of the people, if they did— if you can't get the support of the people, confuse them. And this can be done not only by the people close to the illegitimate President like Iggie Bunye, Eddie Ermita, Raul Gonzales (who's very good at diversionary tactic), and Mike Defensor (Gloria's palpak muchacho) but also by a number of Malacañang propagandists or obscurantists in the media like PDI's Belinda Olivares-Cunanan, Philippine Star's Alex Magno, Federico Pascual, among others.
So far, they succeeded in making the following fallacies look real and acceptable:
Lots of Gloria's paid or interested lackeys in the media sector seemed to believe their boss and her husband are totally innocent. That the latter never committed not even a single sin or crime enumerated in the constitution and in the penal code.
Magno, for his part, kept on painting the Senate as a venue for partisan or one-sided probe on Arroyo regime's anomalies.
"The circus at the Senate, driven by politicians attempting to win media visibility in preparation for 2010 is getting a bit out of hand. This circus is not only scaring away investments, it is also damaging our foreign relations," Magno wrote in his March 1 "First Person" column. Here, Magno has to make the people believe the ongoing Senate investigation into the NBN deal only seeks to advance the political interest of its sponsors, wastes much public money, scares away foreign investors and damages foreign relations. Thus, the people should and ought not to support this NBN mess.
Indeed, his criticism on the ongoing Senate investigation is coupled with the glaring enumeration of the probe's fatal impact on our economy; but it seems that this Philippine Star columnist needs to check his premise. Who's really wasted and is wasting public money? How does Magno and his ilk call the public funds (P700-million plus fertilizer fund) used in 2004 election? How does he and his disgraceful ilk define those brown envelops given to Gloria's political allies last year?
Why, does this NBN deal tainted not only by corruption but also by unfair competition and illegal deal not scare foreign investors? Yes, it may attract corrupt foreign investors, particularly the Chinese because maybe, they were the ones who "invented corruption", according to Sen. Miriam Defensor.
Logic tells me that this system of venality under the current regime, which not only implicates ordinary public officials but also people close to the President, is an ultimate turn off to foreign capitalists! An honest capitalist (not businessman, because this word is used to describe scheming money-makers) cannot exist in a corrupt system. This is the reason why so many business groups are joining the Gloria quit call. This is probably the reason why America is watching us "with great interest", according to US Ambassador Kristie Kenney.
What kind of foreign relation Magno is talking about? To sell a portion of our territory (the Spratly islands) to the Chinese people without even consulting our neighboring countries. Gloria did just that and she left her counterparts in the region in the lurch.
There are important questions that demand outright and honest answers like the following:
Froilan Vincent Bersamina
www.fvdb.wordpress.com
THREE out of four Filipinos (or 76 percent) distrust their bogus President while two of every three or 65 percent of Metro Manila consider Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada a credible witness in the National Broadband Network (NBN) controversy, according to the latest public trust reading of Pulse Asia survey.
The result of the survey, which hit newsstands a day after the Ayala interfaith rally held on Friday (February 28), only confirms that an overwhelming majority of Filipino— never mind if they're loud or silent— now want Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's ouster by whatever means, this despite the desperate effort of Malacañang people and their media lackeys in belittling the result of said peaceful demonstration.
It also confirms that 92 percent trust rating received by NBN star witness Lozada after his supposed face-to-face confrontation with former Comelec commissioner Benjamin Abalos who was backed by a cabal of well-prepared Gloria's ass-lickers (no need to mention their already disgraced names.)
Malacañang paid liars tried very hard to make the people believe their luckiest bitch-evil boss was never affected or alarmed whatsoever by the interfaith rally which attracted 80,000 protesters (based on the estimate of Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay) or 15 to 30,000 (based on the estimate of an unnamed Makati policeman).
There is a dire need for Gloria's muchacos and muchachas to downplay or underestimate the result of the Friday rally because all they could do is crochet a web of illusions or lies in order to confuse the public. Apart from the use of force and illegal state apparatuses confusion is one of the allies of an evil regime.
It they can't counter it, confuse it. The same strategy is also being applied to the NBN case— if you can't prove it, confuse it. And it appears that the Arroyo administration is becoming more expert in using this "tactic of confusion" in getting the support of the people, if they did— if you can't get the support of the people, confuse them. And this can be done not only by the people close to the illegitimate President like Iggie Bunye, Eddie Ermita, Raul Gonzales (who's very good at diversionary tactic), and Mike Defensor (Gloria's palpak muchacho) but also by a number of Malacañang propagandists or obscurantists in the media like PDI's Belinda Olivares-Cunanan, Philippine Star's Alex Magno, Federico Pascual, among others.
So far, they succeeded in making the following fallacies look real and acceptable:
1. The country's economy is improving. The truth is— the economy is being buoyed by OFW's dollar remittances, public spending, etc.
2. Gloria Arroyo is the only option. This is the worst lie ever created by these people who have successfully surrendered reason to stupidity. If that's the case then we should start burning this nation. I believe there are lots of Manmohan Singh in this corruption-riddled country.
3. The Filipinos are tired of mounting another Edsa. It may be true, but this should not be taken lightly by the Arroyo regime. This doesn't mean they have all the rights to abuse this fictitious "People Power fatigue".
4. Another people power would even weaken the country's democracy. Another props of confusion. Does that mean prolonging the stay of Gloria in power would heighten democracy in these parts. That's ridiculous.
5. People power might ignite military intervention. This won't happen considering that we had already toppled a tyrant who relied heavily on military power. This won't happen considering that we have so much outspoken people.
6. This public unrest (caused by the NBN crisis) is being sponsored by political opportunists and demagogues who are only after power. It may be true, but there are ways to minimize or narrow down this possibility. They cannot just use this reasoning as their scarecrow to confuse the people.
Lots of Gloria's paid or interested lackeys in the media sector seemed to believe their boss and her husband are totally innocent. That the latter never committed not even a single sin or crime enumerated in the constitution and in the penal code.
Magno, for his part, kept on painting the Senate as a venue for partisan or one-sided probe on Arroyo regime's anomalies.
"The circus at the Senate, driven by politicians attempting to win media visibility in preparation for 2010 is getting a bit out of hand. This circus is not only scaring away investments, it is also damaging our foreign relations," Magno wrote in his March 1 "First Person" column. Here, Magno has to make the people believe the ongoing Senate investigation into the NBN deal only seeks to advance the political interest of its sponsors, wastes much public money, scares away foreign investors and damages foreign relations. Thus, the people should and ought not to support this NBN mess.
Indeed, his criticism on the ongoing Senate investigation is coupled with the glaring enumeration of the probe's fatal impact on our economy; but it seems that this Philippine Star columnist needs to check his premise. Who's really wasted and is wasting public money? How does Magno and his ilk call the public funds (P700-million plus fertilizer fund) used in 2004 election? How does he and his disgraceful ilk define those brown envelops given to Gloria's political allies last year?
Why, does this NBN deal tainted not only by corruption but also by unfair competition and illegal deal not scare foreign investors? Yes, it may attract corrupt foreign investors, particularly the Chinese because maybe, they were the ones who "invented corruption", according to Sen. Miriam Defensor.
Logic tells me that this system of venality under the current regime, which not only implicates ordinary public officials but also people close to the President, is an ultimate turn off to foreign capitalists! An honest capitalist (not businessman, because this word is used to describe scheming money-makers) cannot exist in a corrupt system. This is the reason why so many business groups are joining the Gloria quit call. This is probably the reason why America is watching us "with great interest", according to US Ambassador Kristie Kenney.
What kind of foreign relation Magno is talking about? To sell a portion of our territory (the Spratly islands) to the Chinese people without even consulting our neighboring countries. Gloria did just that and she left her counterparts in the region in the lurch.
There are important questions that demand outright and honest answers like the following:
1. Why did Gloria suddenly change the BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) scheme to loan agreement with ZTE Corp. of China?
2. Was there a bidding? How did they conduct the bidding?
3. What was business of Ben Abalos and FG Mike Arroyo in the NBN deal?
4. What kind of anomaly was relayed to the President the night before the signing of the deal?
5. If the deal was really regular and constitutional, why did the President canceled it? And why did she cancel it five months after the signing when she was informed it was tainted by "anomalya?"
6. If there really was "anomalya" a day before the signing of the deal, why did she insist on ging to China to sign the contract? This case, Gloria has to tell the whole truth and not just a crumb of it.
7. Why did they have to abduct or "protect" Jun Lozada? Protect him from whom? From the first gentleman?
8. Why did his passport not carry the customary arrival stamp if the government really wanted to "protect" him?
9. What did the President know and when did she know it?
10. Is she (Gloria) evil?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Joke of the Century
Conrado de Quiros, Inquirer
Last Monday, we saw more cops and soldiers than we have since Martial Law. We saw them in abandoned streets, we saw them in occupied streets, and we saw them, rows and rows of them, at the Edsa Shrine.
Given the cops' repeated efforts to scuttle the crowd of 3,000 at the Edsa Shrine was a victory unto itself. It proved that the Edsa Shrine can, and ought to, be retaken – at the soonest possible time. The shrine is not theirs; it is ours.
It was Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel who had the best quote of the day. She was part of the group that had been stopped by cops on the way to the shrine and she was part of the group that had been stopped by cops on the way to Ateneo de Manila University. She exclaimed: "What's with this country? You are now banned from hearing Mass. You are now banned from attending concerts."
Corazon Aquino, the academe and big businessmen are now asking Gloria Arroyo to resign because she is corrupt. The Catholic bishops, however, are asking Arroyo to remain because she can help fight the corrupt? That has got to be the joke of the century.
That reminds you of Ronald Reagan, a staunch ally of Ferdinand Marcos, insisting then that Marcos was "part of the cure" and should be kept even as the entire Philippines, and even the US Department of State, was insisting he cut and cut, well, cleanly or clumsily they did not particularly care. History, of course, made Reagan irrelevant. It will do the same to most of the bishops.
The bishops' position adds whole new, and grotesque, meanings to the saying "It takes a thief to catch a thief." But Arroyo's corruption goes beyond the theft of money to the theft of votes – or have most of the bishops been stricken deaf as well as blind and can no longer hear that grating voice helloing Garci? We have a "crisis of truth," they say. True, but nowhere is that crisis deeper and blacker than among their ranks. When the very institution tasked to bear witness to the truth can no longer see the truth, or hear the truth, or smell the truth, or taste the truth, or feel the truth, then you know it's time for that institution to go. The Catholic bishops are the very argument for this country to turn Muslim, or Buddhist, or atheist.
There is one thing worse than the corruption of the body and that is the corruption of the soul. There is one thing worse than the corruption of the State, and that is the corruption of the Church.
Al Gore is right: The hardest people to convince about inconvenient truths, however stark those truths are and however dire their effects have been, are those whose paychecks make them want to not be convinced.
Alas, the Church of Sin has been replaced by the Church of Grace – from Malacañang. The only thing I'm sorry about in all this is that none of Arroyo's most ardent defenders among the bishops said, "GMA evil? That's like calling us prostitutes." I could have replied: One rests one's case.
Last Monday, we saw more cops and soldiers than we have since Martial Law. We saw them in abandoned streets, we saw them in occupied streets, and we saw them, rows and rows of them, at the Edsa Shrine.
Given the cops' repeated efforts to scuttle the crowd of 3,000 at the Edsa Shrine was a victory unto itself. It proved that the Edsa Shrine can, and ought to, be retaken – at the soonest possible time. The shrine is not theirs; it is ours.
It was Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel who had the best quote of the day. She was part of the group that had been stopped by cops on the way to the shrine and she was part of the group that had been stopped by cops on the way to Ateneo de Manila University. She exclaimed: "What's with this country? You are now banned from hearing Mass. You are now banned from attending concerts."
Corazon Aquino, the academe and big businessmen are now asking Gloria Arroyo to resign because she is corrupt. The Catholic bishops, however, are asking Arroyo to remain because she can help fight the corrupt? That has got to be the joke of the century.
That reminds you of Ronald Reagan, a staunch ally of Ferdinand Marcos, insisting then that Marcos was "part of the cure" and should be kept even as the entire Philippines, and even the US Department of State, was insisting he cut and cut, well, cleanly or clumsily they did not particularly care. History, of course, made Reagan irrelevant. It will do the same to most of the bishops.
The bishops' position adds whole new, and grotesque, meanings to the saying "It takes a thief to catch a thief." But Arroyo's corruption goes beyond the theft of money to the theft of votes – or have most of the bishops been stricken deaf as well as blind and can no longer hear that grating voice helloing Garci? We have a "crisis of truth," they say. True, but nowhere is that crisis deeper and blacker than among their ranks. When the very institution tasked to bear witness to the truth can no longer see the truth, or hear the truth, or smell the truth, or taste the truth, or feel the truth, then you know it's time for that institution to go. The Catholic bishops are the very argument for this country to turn Muslim, or Buddhist, or atheist.
There is one thing worse than the corruption of the body and that is the corruption of the soul. There is one thing worse than the corruption of the State, and that is the corruption of the Church.
Al Gore is right: The hardest people to convince about inconvenient truths, however stark those truths are and however dire their effects have been, are those whose paychecks make them want to not be convinced.
Alas, the Church of Sin has been replaced by the Church of Grace – from Malacañang. The only thing I'm sorry about in all this is that none of Arroyo's most ardent defenders among the bishops said, "GMA evil? That's like calling us prostitutes." I could have replied: One rests one's case.
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