Far From Neutral Notions - Philippine politics, culture and stuff

Jeebus.
Basta ako iboboto ko si TOL! :p

melai: komedyante nga… corny nga lang
benj: i admit, mike d’s loyalty is admirable… but not when it’s clearly bad for the country. delikadeza is still better than loyalty for me: see chito gascon, hyatt 5, who had the delikadeza to step down rather than continue to support a liar, cheat and tyrant.

I think it’s real easy to get carried away when it comes to politics. I think Defensor is a good man with potentially good ideas. He has more substance than an Escudero or a Cayetano can offer.

By the way, Hyatt 10 yun. hehe

Congratulations for being nominated in the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards.

nostalgia manila: lol, thanks… i nominated myself just to see how much traffic i’ll get looking at my stats, not a lot :p

maiinggit sana ako dapat pala nominate ko rin sarili ko lol!

melai: nyahaha, tricky SEO tools for the win! pero wala din jump sa traffic eh, same old same old pa din halos

Sorry, just saw some wrong grammar in my post…got to slow down with the typing..

Jorge, is Kontera raking in any revenue for you?

Hi Jason, what’s your blog’s URL? I appreciate the link, and even more the discourse and your views, as I think it’s healthy, overall

In response:

But lets face it, most of these activist go way beyond the rights provided. I mean do you see how they act in their rallies?

How, exactly, do they act, and how have they gone beyond their rights? By being noisy? By being a nuisance? Did they beat up policemen? Were they rioting in the streets, promoting anarchy? When? Think back on Proclamation 1071, EO 464, and how the administration has used it’s zero tolerance policy to arrest legitimate protesters and opposition personalities like Randy David in last year’s drama.

The point I was just trying to make is that it doesn’t matter who we elect in Malacanang, the rallies just never stop.

A question: why should the rallies, the outrage stop? Are you telling me there is no legitimate reason for the outrage?

Lets face the fact, not until these leftist and activist puts someone from their own backyard… the rallies will never end.

That’s as simplistic and indifferent an observation as I’ve come across in a long time. The rallies will end when there is nothing to rally about. You think the outrage many of these activists feel is selfish and self serving, and that’s up to you. I happen to believe different.

And why btw people always blame the government for all our problems. Yes I agree the it is the responsibility of the government to cater the people. But let us not forget that we ourselves have responsibilities for ourselves too.

Who’s blaming the government for everything? There’s a very specific set of issues that I, at least, am concerned with: graft and corruption (northrail, fertilizer fund), election fraud (hello garci), political killings (melo report, alston report, palparan), tyrannical leanings (eo464, proc1017), the economy (it’s not trickle down, it’s more like pissing down). This is not blaming the government for everything. This is calling to their attention very serious issues that need to be addressed.

With regards to the question you posed, can you tell me any direct link that these killings are directly ordered by malacananang?

Ah yes, the admin’s excuse: “no direct link” and “directly ordered by malacanang”. Of course there aren’t any. What exists, though, is a culture of impunity and irreverence to justice and the rule of law that gma has instilled in the military and her cabinet. Raul Gonzales is an insult to the post of Justice Secretary. Norb Gonzales paid Venable $75,000 to interfere with our constitution. Palparan may not have personally pulled the trigger or ordered his men to shoot, but he admitted to setting an example for the military atrocities. eo464, proc1017. Satur Ocampo is suddenly charged with multiple murders during election season, for murders supposedly committed over 20 years ago. Fully armed soldiers are sent to urban centers, incidentally in places where anti-administration sentiments are strong. Activists and leftists are gunned down by military men in cold blood, making no distinction between the armed rebels and those wanting to work within the system. Rather than encouraging the left to seek recourse via parliamentary means (as Satur and Bayan Muna have done), the government is actually pushing people to take to the hills because of how they’re handling those that are against them!

there are so many Filipinos who are MALISYOSO! That is the problem with the people…the same reason why the government is having a hard time helping. I am not saying that there is no corruption but the point I am making is that Let’s give the system and the leaders a chance

they were given more chances than is reasonable. what did she do with it? see above reasons.

give Gloria her terms then compare her to past leaders and see who has done more good.

This is the problem with your logic: it is not, and has never been, about comparing her to past figures. It’s about taking her to task about what she’s done; this is not a contest. And what good, exactly, has she done? The economy’s booming, you say? How? I haven’t felt the effects AT ALL. It’s not trickle down, it’s piss down: the upper 1% are the ones raking in the goods and they’re pissing down on us. The apparent strength of the peso vs the dollar is not because of her fiscal reforms, but because of OFW remittances and a struggling dollar. Gas prices went down momentarily because world crude prices went down, not because of something she did. Back when the government was cash strapped and she was pushing for the evat, she actually had the nerve to give $70,000 to an american lobbyist to interfere with our constitution. the effects of the evat won’t be felt until well after 2010. Unemployment figures are down only as a result of a “redefinition” of what unemployment is — they made it so that, even if you worked just an hour a week, you’re employed. That’s the same redefinition they did when, seeing that there aren’t enough classrooms for the students, rather than making more classrooms, she changed the ratio.

Who would you prefer to be seated? Lacson? Gringo? Erap? Sotto?

You pretend like those are the only choices out there, when those you mentioned aren’t even serious contenders. I made a short list of people that I see vying for the presidency in 2010, maybe you’d like to check it out.

Peace

Hello Jorge…thank you also. This has become a very healthy discussion, and admittedly, I am learning a couple of things with our discussion.

How, exactly, do they act, and how have they gone beyond their rights? By being noisy? By being a nuisance? Did they
beat up policemen? Were they rioting in the streets, promoting anarchy? When? Think back on Proclamation 1071, EO
464, and how the administration has used it’s zero tolerance policy to arrest legitimate protesters and opposition
personalities like Randy David in last year’s drama.

1. Most of them rally without permit. Why do you think police disperse them in the first place? If they really want to execute a peaceful rally, then why don’t they follow the correct procedure. It seems that they intentionally do this to provoke violence and then they would say that the government is hindering them from exercising their rights. The riots starts when they are dispersed because they don’t have permit, who do we blame now, the police? Gloria? The question now is “did they do their part in organizing a true and legitimate rally? One that is provided by law?
2. I’ve seen lots of demonstrations and rallies in the news (Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anak Pawis) where I see rallyists in front holding their flag poles who would intentionally use them to hit riot police. I couldn’t help but ask myself, why the hell is that guy doing that? It’s really clear that they want a riot to break out and when it does and the riot police would push them back so hard they would either fall to the ground and get themselves cut and bruised. Then they go the cameras and SAY: “PINAPATAY ANG DEMOKRASYO. SINAKTAN KAMI NG MGA PULIS.” WTF.

A question: why should the rallies, the outrage stop? Are you telling me there is no legitimate reason for the outrage?

I never said the rallies should stop. Hey, I owe my democratic rights to one of the most historic rallies in the world…EDSA. And this is the problem now, rallies nowadays is no longer rallies…you yourself termed it as outrage. which shouldn’t be.

That’s as simplistic and indifferent an observation as I’ve come across in a long time. The rallies will end when there is
nothing to rally about. You think the outrage many of these activists feel is selfish and self serving, and that’s up to you. I
happen to believe different.

Fine with me, each of us have our different sets of view. You are right in saying that the rallies will end when there is nothing to rally about. But sometimes people can be so obsessed with their beliefs and standards that they see the world they live in so negatively, so there, there really isn’t going to be an end to their disbelief and distrust.

Who’s blaming the government for everything? There’s a very specific set of issues that I, at least, am concerned with: graft
and corruption (northrail, fertilizer fund), election fraud (hello garci), political killings (melo report, alston report, palparan),
tyrannical leanings (eo464, proc1017), the economy (it’s not trickle down, it’s more like pissing down). This is not blaming
the government for everything. This is calling to their attention very serious issues that need to be addressed.

I never referred to you as the one blaming the government for everything (not unless you’re an activist yourself). My comments are pointed to these activist who are always in the streets whenever there is an issue. I am with you brother in ridding off the government of graft and corruption, I am with you in ridding off the government with TRAPOS and buwayas. But I want to make sure that the way I do it won’t add to the existing problems. I am going to make sure its not going to destabilize the government, won’t provoke violence, won’t send out a negative signal to the world that my country is factory of rallies and riots.

Ah yes, the admin’s excuse: “no direct link” and “directly ordered by malacanang”. Of course there aren’t any. What
exists, though, is a culture of impunity and irreverence to justice and the rule of law that gma has instilled in the military
and her cabinet. Raul Gonzales is an insult to the post of Justice Secretary. Norb Gonzales paid Venable $75,000 to
interfere with our constitution. Palparan may not have personally pulled the trigger or ordered his men to shoot, but he
admitted to setting an example for the military atrocities. eo464, proc1017. Satur Ocampo is suddenly charged with
multiple murders during election season, for murders supposedly committed over 20 years ago. Fully armed soldiers are
sent to urban centers, incidentally in places where anti-administration sentiments are strong. Activists and leftists are
gunned down by military men in cold blood, making no distinction between the armed rebels and those wanting to work
within the system. Rather than encouraging the left to seek recourse via parliamentary means (as Satur and Bayan Muna
have done), the government is actually pushing people to take to the hills because of how they’re handling those that are
against them!

I would rest my case on this one. As what I earlier mentioned, some people has become so negative that every action made by Malacanang is given colors, no offense Bro. Speaking of Satur, you said “for murders supposedly committed over 20 years ago”. So when it comes to allegations against Activist and leftist, it is always unproven or just accusation. But when it comes to Gloria, it is always true? Okay, Now, regardless if Satur did commit those crimes 20 years ago or a year ago or yesterday, he should face the charges. Why run away if you’re not guilty. You have a warrant and you make it to public that you will hide….oh I forgot, he went into hiding cause he needs to prepare his petition. Two days ago a tricycle driver in our neighborhood were gunned down. Another driver was the suspect and a warrant of arrest has been issued against him. Perhaps he should also do what Satur did. Go into hiding first and prepare his petition and argument also and surrender until the time he feels he’s ready. And why not publish a video as well in the net that he’s human right is being violated….I think you got point.

they were given more chances than is reasonable. what did she do with it? see above reasons.

oh yeah right, while the government was trying to iron out all these accusations and assuring the people that these are lies, activist and leftist continue to go to the streets and add more accusations….WHAT A BAD GOVENRMENT.

This is the problem with your logic: it is not, and has never been, about comparing her to past figures. It’s about taking her
to task about what she’s done; this is not a contest. And what good, exactly, has she done? The economy’s booming, you
say? How? I haven’t felt the effects AT ALL. It’s not trickle down, it’s piss down: the upper 1% are the ones raking in the
goods and they’re pissing down on us. The apparent strength of the peso vs the dollar is not because of her fiscal reforms,
but because of OFW remittances and a struggling dollar. Gas prices went down momentarily because world crude prices
went down, not because of something she did. Back when the government was cash strapped and she was pushing for the
evat, she actually had the nerve to give $70,000 to an american lobbyist to interfere with our constitution. the effects of the
evat won’t be felt until well after 2010. Unemployment figures are down only as a result of a “redefinition” of what
unemployment is — they made it so that, even if you worked just an hour a week, you’re employed. That’s the same
redefinition they did when, seeing that there aren’t enough classrooms for the students, rather than making more
classrooms, she changed the ratio

Consider this Bro, when apparent strength of the peso versus the dollar and gas prices are going down, we attribute this to OFW remittances and oil prices in the world market are going down. But when gas prices are going up and the peso value going down, activist would again come to the streets and yell KASALANAN ITO NI GLORIA KASI TUTA SYA NG KANO. Now tell me then Bro, are they being fair…or should I ask, ARE YOU BEING FAIR? The logic has become, when the government or the country gets something positive, then it must have been because of something else besides the government or Gloria. But when something negative happens, then it must be because of the Government and Gloria….

Comparing Gloria to past leaders are very relevant to this issue. let me ask you, how would you rate Erap’s performance when he was in office compared to Gloria? With Ramos? With Cory? I’ll let you answer this before I give my logic…

You pretend like those are the only choices out there, when those you mentioned aren’t even serious contenders. I made a
short list of people that I see vying for the presidency in 2010, maybe you’d like to check it out.

Well thats because there aren’t any other choices. And yes I would love to see the lost you made….please share.

The punditry in this blog is on its way to pwn Quezon.ph!

I’m really sick of all the Anti-Gloria slogans already. Sure, I want to be very considerate because we’re a young country and we had a rebirth of sorts just a little over 20 years ago, but the thing that we have in the status quo is still very pathetic. I agree with Jason, Gloria has done the best job out of the last presidents of this country since Magsaysay (death anniversary nya kahapon - 50th). I think the President is doing her best, but for some reason, I think the military finds it real easy to overrule her. At the end of the day, I don’t think that the President is in control of the military. Those high ranking senior officials do their own thing without orders from Malacanang.

Interesting discussion.

Why not just choose the right one, instead of settling for the better one (of the two evils)? *sighs* “Right one”, haha. Who am I kidding? <- Typed this a couple of hours ago but I like Fafa Jorge’s line better. “The lesser evil should never be good enough” Exactly.

But Fafa Jorge, I’m particularly bothered by this one,

I’d be willing to take a gamble on Mike D as well — heck, I thought he had great potential back in the day — if only he wasn’t the lapdog of the very people who keep the country down in the first place.

Does it mean that everyone in the administration, GMA’s cohorts-minions are not to be trusted now? Because in a way, they are lapdogs. They’re tame enough to follow GMA’s orders and kiss her ass every time she asks them to. Pero come to think of it really, I can never put my trust on the opposition candidates themselves. For/To me, they all have the makings of being trapos who like to abuse their power. Uh, hello? Aren’t we forgetting that GO candidates are supposedly supporters of Erap? Kasi collectively speaking, this is GMA vs. Erap. And personally, I hate both of them. Times like this, I’d rather kill myself than actually vote because as you’ve mentioned, lesser evil is still evil. Pero bakit hindi na lang instead of GMA vs. Erap ang laban ay gawing candidate vs. candidate na lang, which should be the case naman talaga?

“No permit, no rally” already put the constraints on the freedom of speech and assembly of the people. And just for the record, most rallies (I know about) do have permits, but the police force still stops them. Don’t ask me why. Beats me (geesh, bad choice of words). Let’s say GMA isn’t the mastermind of all the things she’s accused of, why does she allow injustice to rule the country? Instead of putting Palparan on the hot spot for being tagged by the people as the butcher, she just had this urge to praise him. Uh, excuse me?

Sorry to barge in like this. Just wanna do this to the blog admin. *kiss* LOL. Sensya magulo ako. Iba talaga nagagawa ng walang tulog.

benj: why? because he’s pro-God?

shari:

Does it mean that everyone in the administration, GMA’s cohorts-minions are not to be trusted now?

Was there ever a point when Norb and Raul Gonzales — and their ilk — were ever to be trusted? I acknowledge that turning these elections into a GMA vs. Erap standoff is a bad thing. In fact, I most certainly don’t want to perpetuate that cycle; after all, that’s what put gloria into power in the first place: a compromise of principle for expediency. That’s what gloria’s regime is all about, and why she’s still in power: far too many people would rather not bother, because it’s too much of a hassle for them to care, or act on it.

Come on now, don’t tell me you don’t see them in the news? Don’t tell me you haven’t seen demonstrations without permit near US Embassy turns into riots? Or student activist going to the Senate? BTW, MAkati is not the only place rallies are done. I never said that rallies should not be permited. My point was simple, if you want to rally, do it by the law. Secure a permit….Batas Pambansa 880.

And I contend: that’s not “most of them”. What demonstrations near the US embassy did not have a permit? Are student activists banned from going to the Senate?

me: (outrage)
you: I rest my case on this one. Your response just proved my point

and

What made you say I am doing nothing? I won’t list the things I am involved with that I feel is helping my country and countrymen. But one thing I am sure….I don’t have a malicious mind and don’t go out in the streets distabllizing and creating riots

Yes, very civic minded indeed. You like using the term “malice”, poisoning the well, and implying I am malicious or have a malicious mind — as is everyone else that feels strongly about this. I not only consider that poor form and low brow, but a personal attack.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice -Ephesians 4:31

No, I am sorry, but you do no get to quote scripture here, with me, especially without the benefit of context or research. Jesus got angry, too — but this is where the bible condones it. There are different types of anger — righteous and unrighteous — just as there are different senses to the use of “FOOL”. The apostle Paul quotes the Psalmist who says “be ye angry, and sin not” (Eph 4:26 KJV). There is “anger” that is not necessarily sinful. Jesus, who is said to be “without sin” throughout the Bible (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet 1:19; 1 John 3:5) was “angry” in the sense of “righteous anger” — He was “grieved” because of the hardness of the hearts of those who criticised His healing on the Sabbath day (see the context Mark 3:1-6). Jesus also was “angry” at the death of Lazarus — he “groaned in the spirit” (John 11:33,38) and saw death as the “last enemy” (1 Cor 15:26). It is the other kind of anger — anger that reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor — that Paul was talking about in your quote.

Our former masters from Spain misused this one, too, that’s why we spent over 300 years under their boot heel. A failure to understand that passage is why religion has in the past been called the opium of the masses. That passage certainly does not mean “be complacent”; indeed, the Bible itself denounces injustice, and urges noncomplacency:

So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
Isiah 59:14

Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Habakkuk 1:3

Oh, so running away as a fugitive is ok with you? Brother, no one is above the law. We have a system so follow it. With your comments, seems that what the suspect driver in my comments did (ran away) is okay with you.

Did you miss the part about me calling for a FAIR TRIAL? You’ve prejudged the driver, as you’ve prejudged Satur Ocampo. As with my call to gloria, let there be a fair trial to prove guilt. I do not take my freedoms lightly.

me: How, precisely, is the government “ironing out” these accusations? Because what it’s done is block the impeachment complaints via allies in congress AND issue EO464, preventing officers in the executive branch from testifying. The administration is trying to hide everything under the rug and PREVENTING a trial or even an inquiry. So where’s the “ironing out”? Or is that what you meant? Ignoring it?

you: Does the second envelope in the Erap impeachment trial just the same? Your not PRO ERAP, are you?

An incoherent sentence that does not answer my points at all followed by an accusation. We’re definitely getting somewhere here. Erap and his cronies blocked the opening of the second envelope, much like what gloria is doing to block impeachment. I don’t see how I’m being pro Erap here.

So what’s the use of electing a president then? Hell, lets just put Satur Ocampo there and let’s see what kind of programs he’ll do.

Yet again, you missed the point. In fact, you missed it by a mile. The point is that the economy is doing fine despite gloria, not because of her, in part because of the weak dollar, and mostly because of the OFWs.

Comparing Gloria is very relevant….you need to understand that atleast she’s accomplished more than the former leader, who activist and leftist are associated with right now (like ERAP).

Again, you bandy accusations without merit of proof: who are these activists and leftists that are associated with Erap, or former leaders for that matter? And yet again, you miss my point: THE LESSER EVIL SHOULD NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH. I find it odd that someone who can throw scripture at my face would be so tolerant of evil.

BTW, you mentioned you have a site. Please leave the URL

benj: ah ok. note to self: get cable.