- SWS’ latest survey has Senator Manuel M. Villar topping the list of leaders who should succeed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2010
- Jun Bautista of Political Commentary on the disposition of electoral cases (hint: it’s really slow) → “[…]election cases in general do nothing except line the pockets of election lawyers, for in most cases the winners end up with empty victories, no to mention empty purses, because the favorable verdicts come in only after they have become moot.”
- In light of the upcoming SONA by GMA, wawam reacts to several Senators’ statement that they will walk out of the event if the Lower House called for a constituent assembly to tackle Charter change after the SONA → “for the senators to even think that it is possible for the congressmen to do it in itself speaks volume of the kind of people that the senators think the congressmen are. we cannot blame the senators. the congressmen has done it before in approving con-ass. if they did it once, their honor thrown out, they can do it again.”
- Ellen Tordesillas points out more things wrong with the way the automation of our elections are being handled → Comelec has option to buy (the counting machines) for an additional P2 billion. So the real cost of the contract is P9 billion, not P7 billion. If the machines stay in the RP after December 10, 2010, because of election protests, and the need for an audit, then they are considered to have been bought.
July 22 ‘09 Bullets
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 21 ‘09 Bullets
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
- MLQ3 doesn’t think much of Among Ed’s bid for either the Presidency or Congress, and outlines a plan that puts the presidential son, Mikey Arroyo, in the Gubernatorial seat, and GMA in Congress. → “If the President ran for the House, it would displace her son; he would have to seek another post; that post, it seems, would be the governorship; but if Panlilio challenged the President by contesting her run for the House, not only would Panlilio lose to her, but he’d also relinquish the governorship to -who else- the President\’s son, who would run as the unifying candidate for the Pineda-Lapid factions in the province.”
- Cocoy makes as strong a case as any (one made before) as to why Chiz Escudero shouldn’t be the next President → “This isn’t about defending the current state of education in the Philippines, which has been discussed time and time again by The Jester-in-Exile and blackshama (update: must read, btw those two articles, which show insight into education). This is about building and designing the future and Mr. Escudero seemingly, in spite of his youth, doesn’t have the understanding, imagination nor courage to do it. “
- John Marzan, political junkie, on why the automated voting system isn’t the cure for all our electoral ills → “Sure, automated counts votes faster, but it is also easier/faster to fix elections from the inside. And AFAIK, chairman melo has not done anything to investigate or remove the 2004 operators who worked for garci inside the Comelec. He did not clean house. Doing the automated system without credible election officials in charge is like building a swanky new henhouse while retaining the services of the fox to guard it.”
- Mar Roxas presses the issue against pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, demanding that the multinational to open its books to a congressional oversight committee. → “To my mind, the actuations of Pfizer are motivated by no other reason than to impede and obstruct the full implementation of Republic Act No. 9502. The persistence with which Pfizer has been blocking and fighting Philippine government’s efforts to bring down the prices of medicines and make essential medicines accessible to Filipinos is extremely alarming. In fact, I believe that their acts are unethical and violate not only Philippine Anti-Corruption Laws, but also the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” Roxas said.” I suppose running for president does allow you to grow some balls — or approximate possession thereof.
- Somewhat related, Herbert Vego of Iloilo Views laments at Roxas’ blunderous idea of letting the President set the maximum retail prices of the drugs covered by the Cheaper Medicines Law → “How could we agree to Pfizer reducing the price of the anti-hypertension Norvasc 5 to P22.50 from P44 (still overpriced) when — according to Cong. Ferj Biron — it costs the equivalent of only three pesos in India and Pakistan?”
- GMA’s legacy will ultimately include, among other things, being the most untrusted President ever. Seeing as she’s already lied about it once, I can understand why several sectors aren’t taking her assurances (that she won’t try to stay in power) at face value. → “If the Palace isn’t interested in Charter change then why is it debunking the SWS poll results on the matter? Nahuhuli ang isda sa bibig (A fish is caught by its mouth). Malacañang’s slip is showing as it questions the SWS poll results. We should all take this to mean that Cha-cha isn’t dead and that we must guard against an illegal con-ass,” Sen. Francis Pangilinan said. The SWS survey said the majority of Filipinos were opposed to Cha-cha.”
The Usual Suspects, 2010
If [the] elections [are] filthy, let’s make it less filthy. If [the] elections [are] dominated by the elite, let’s make the elite listen to our problems. If [the] elections [are] a popularity contest, let’s demand a concrete platform from all candidates.
Allow me the luxury of reprinting one of my older posts, to introduce this one. It’s entitled “On Wanting Better Leaders“, and was a reaction to a published column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Our circumstance is not that we expect too much from our leaders, but that we expect too little. Our elections are farces, something that we do out of habit, not something that we do to influence the direction of our nation. Our politicians have an overbloated sense of entitlement, stemming from years, if not decades of being in power […] All because we let our guard down, we allowed our vote to lose meaning, because we put too few expectations on our elected, and in no way held them accountable. They’re not afraid of us, of our vote, and because of that we’ve given them leave to walk all over us.
We should expect better, because right now, we deserve what we got. After all, we put them there, current occupant of Malacañang notwithstanding. We should hold our elected officials accountable for not being better than thier ego, for not being better than their greed. We should hold them to higher standards. They should earn and justify the right to be called Honorable.
We want for things to be better. We want to be able to stand tall and proud. We all want to change the world. So let me clue you in on a little sumthin-sumthin: we can. If you’re a Filipino, and 18 by May 10, 2010, (all together now) yes! we can! Just in case you don’t know what the hubbub is all about, here’s a refresher: May 10, 2010 marks the 2010 Philippine General Elections, where presidential, legislative, and local elections will be held. And every citizen eligible to vote will have the chance to exercise that most basic of rights: voting.
It’s a big deal for me, and if you’re a Filipino, it should be a big deal for you, too. I’ve gone on forever about why your vote is important, and I will again, in the following months. So in the interests of promoting an informed and responsible electorate, I am putting up a microsite specifically to cover the 2010 Philippine General Elections, as well as a wiki on the candidates. Vote wisely, my friends.
Angel Wing Clams (Diwal) are back! Well, sort of
It’s been said — don’t ask me who, but really, it’s been said — that the first fellow who ate an oyster (or a clam, as the case may be) must have been very desperate, very hungry, or most likely, both. Whatever the status of his (or her) testicular fortitude, that person will always and forever be my personal hero. Read the full post at Okrayista sa Probinsya (ng Capiz).
Dissonance in Administrative Leadership Change
Faced with an extremely charismatic and popular predecessor, Dr. Emma Encarnacion – by most accounts a heretofore successful leader on the fast track — embarked on a mission to institute change at the College of St. John — Roxas. This case study is a look at what went wrong, and why. Read this case study on Organization and Management at Kaizen — continuous improvement through small changes.
Power Plays in Educational Institutions
What began as something so promising slowly began to turn sour, as soon enough, many of the same people who once supported her began tuning her out or even openly challenging her, as a series of events unfolded that showed, as one former department head put it, “she can’t be trusted any more, she’s too busy playing politics”. Read this case study on Organizational Behaviour over at Kaizen — continuous improvement through small changes.
Rest, Free Man
Friday, March 6, 2009
I consider FrancisM a patriot, if for no other reason than this: he sang songs that inspired me to love my country more. One of the first songs that truly moved me — and it’s all the more significant because he was rapping, and I don’t do hiphop — was his Three Stars and a Sun, off, I think, his Freeman record, and the first few lines went something like this:
Three stars and a sun, in one sky, so high,
I live and die and die will I for my
Motherland [...]
I think he did. Rest, free man. And God speed.
What happened to us?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Corazon C. Aquino, February 25, 1986:
At last, we are home. Let us remember the day, February 25, 1986; the time, nine in the evening; he occasion, the coming of freedom.
Freedom from twenty years of dictatorship, twenty years of oppression, hardship, repression, injustice, corruption, greed, waste and near despair — ended. Ended by a revolution of peace, prayers, Rosaries, radios, and above all, raw human courage.
It is true: the Filipino is brave, the Filipino is honourable, the Filipino is great.
I have never felt prouder to be a Filipino. I am sure I share this feeling with millions of Filipinos. I am told that in other cities, when they learn that you are a Filipino, they shake your hand and praise the nobility of your race. In the streets of New York, I am told that Filipinos are being stopped and congratulated for moral courage as a people. The Filipino stands proud before the whole world.
What a difference a couple of decades make.
No new EDSA post
Because I have nothing new to add to what I’ve already said; they’re all still valid.
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