Far From Neutral Notions - Philippine politics, culture and stuff

In not-so-breaking news, a has-been (never-was?) “actor” — and I use the term loosely here — has finally confirmed joining the May 2007 fray. This time, it’s former matinee-idol Richard Gomez, whose political aspirations have never been a secret, but whose credentials are not so evident. If he even has any; that’d have to be the best kept secret in the world.

What, if any, can we expect from yet another no-talent hack, should he get a seat in the Senate?

1. More clueless grandstanding. See Jinggoy, Tito Sotto, both Ramon Revillas, Erap and others.
2. Too bad Joker Arroyo may not run for a second term; the look on his face while trying to fathom Goma’s idiocy would be priceless.
3. A staring contest to decide national policy.
4. More bad acting from Goma, trying to look hurt because his “peers” underestimate his intellect.
5. God I can’t wait for Miriam to just go off on this guy.
6. Endless hours of Goma going on about sports and MAD. In the middle of a budget meeting.
7. Fistfight!!!
8. Can you just imagine if John Osmena or Ernie Maceda were still Senators, with Goma and his alleged homophobia in the same room?
9. Lucy Torres everywhere. Not such a bad thing, that. If only it isn’t a ploy to push Goma even further up the political ladder.
10. Bench Upperhouse Underwear™. I am filing for a trademark at this moment. Domaineers of the world, take note: this domain will be hot!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
~Psalms, 23:4

“Why should they be afraid to come out?”

So asks military chief, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., when asked about the safety of witnesses — not that there are any, yet — who could or would testify against soldiers implicated in the political killings and suppression that has become commonplace in the regime of GMA. This comes in the wake of the Melo Commission - headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo - tagging retired Maj. General Jovito Palparan as responsible, via the doctrine of command responsibility, for a fair share of the atrocities.

Really now, sir. You have to ask?

When the “president” is more than willing to suppress basic freedoms, ruthlessly squash political opposition and grip the Executive Branch with an iron fist, you have to ask? When the government looks the other way when its constituents are abused by a foreign power, you have to ask? When the military came down hard and fast on Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, the Batasan 5 and many others for trumped up rebellion charges, while Palparan retired in glory despite having long been accused of ordering the political killings, you have to ask?

Really? I know military intelligence has long been an oxymoron, but honestly, General, what do you take us for?

What witnesses there may be should be afraid to come out - this is no time for the summer soldier, the sunshine patriot. This is a government that we should be afraid of, because it is filled with people who, having lusted after power and getting it, will stop at nothing to keep it.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Daigotsu Eiya is a fallen Crane duelist with awesome stats and even better abilities. This is a quick concept of what I think he used to look like. Pose inspired by the Samurai X manga, the battou-jutsu, which is similar to the L5R mechanic of Iaijutsu.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Mirumoto Chojiro is one of my most favored personalities in the L5R collectible card game: decent stats, killer duel ability, good traits, and cheap. His ability to more easily fetch you the card Legendary Confrontation is what makes him superb in honor-runners, hence the name for this piece of artwork.

Popularity: 2% [?]

I was a send off that would make Weslu happy, I think. It was our way of saying goodbye through the medium we knew him best: music. No FMD pics, though we played. None of our friends had a camera, and I ran out of film (I only brought one roll of 24) halfway through the whole thing.

Popularity: 2% [?]

The important thing is not to stop questioning. ~ Albert Einstein

Mong Palatino posed several questions regarding the upcoming elections, questions that we should be asking, as well. He pretty much covered most of it, so I’ll just add a few that come to mind at this moment:

1. How many times will we see candidates hop to one political party after another in the hopes of landing a seat in the 12 Senatorial slates?
2. Is Raul Gonzales bat nuts crazy?
3. Will the Senatorial race turn into the Amazing Race, Family Edition?
4. Will GMA spank Mike D?
5. What impact will the turd este “Third Force” have on GMA’s power base?
6. Will the dry-run for RA 8436, or the Election Automation Bill, be successful?
7. Will the CBCP stand by its (moderately) anti-GMA stand?
8. Who will the other Christian groups support?
9. Who will INC support? Note: there’s a reason I didn’t label them Christians
10. Will Randy David run?
11. Echoing John Marzan of the Political Junkie blog, does the Erap vs. GMA frame still apply after all the party switching?
12. What’s gonna happen to Namfrel?
13. Who’s gonna be Garci 2.0?
14. What will the Congressional landscape be like after the votes are counted?
15. Follow up: will the impeachment process succeed this time?

Popularity: 2% [?]

A just city should favour justice and the just, hate tyranny and injustice, and give them both their just desserts. ~ al-Farabi, The Dictionary of Islam vol. IV

“Justice” Secretary Raul Gonzales has long been one of my personal pet peeves - even back when he was still an Iloilo Congressman trying to evict UP from its Iloilo City campus. Man’s man (ahh yes the beauty of hidden meanings ) that he is, Mon Tulfo admires Gonzales’ guts for voicing out his opinions on controversial issues like allowing the US custody of convicted rapist Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, but testicular fortitude is no excuse for being, at best, totally out of touch, and at worst, selling us out. But hey, that’s Tulfo for you. <sarcasm>I mean, Hitler, Stalin and Mao took very controversial stands as well, didn’t they? Yep, very vocal people, those three. And I remember reading that Mao had this thing for twelve-year-old virgins, too. I daresay it takes a lot of guts to do that</sarcasm>.

And just how, exactly, is kowtowing to US pressure being brave? Brave would have been telling the US just where we want them to collectively shove it. Brave would have been standing up for the little guy - us - rather than nipping at the heels of Uncle Sam. Brave would have been, oh I don’t know, maybe remembering what the Justice in Justice Secretary meant.

Whom do you serve, Mister Secretary? Whose “justice” do you look out for? You can say that “Nichole” had it coming — and yes, Subic is hardly the place for good clean fun — but dammit, she’s one of ours, and she was violated. She may or may have not led those Marines on, but no matter how Tulfo might posture, nobody deserves to be treated like that.

But this kind of behavior is precisely the reason why some American servicemen (among many others) think they can just come here and have their way with us and get away with it. I mean, hey, apparently our own Department of “Justice” holds the US-RP ties to be more important. This kind of thing will happen again, because nobody calls the US to task about the behavior of her soldiers. Does anyone even talk about what they did to POWs in Iraq anymore? Letting the US have custody of Smith is tantamount to a slap on the wrist. Wink wink, try to be more careful next time.

What gives?! Make no mistake, there will be a next time, because not holding the US accountable is tacit approval. So no, Mister Tulfo, Secretary Gonzales is not a brave man. A brave man would shout: Fiat iustitia et pereat mundus! at the top of his lungs. Let justice be done, even should the world perish! Let justice be done, even should US-RP relations sour. And if Americans only believed half of what some of their great thinkers and leaders stood for, they would agree, for was it not Martin Luther King who once said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere?

Popularity: 3% [?]