Category Archives: Ink

Words are more than just a combination of letters

5
Mar

More Filipinos poor in 2006 – Enchanted Kingdom under siege (updated)

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This is another blow to the Arroyo regime’s dream of this country having a first-world status by 2010.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NCSB) has reported that the number of poor families have increased from the period between 2003 and 2006, from 24.4% in 2003 to 26.9%, but lower than that recorded in 2000, at 27.5%. That means 27 out of 100 families are poor, or an increase of 3.8 million poor Filipinos from 2003.

National Economic and Development Authority’s Director General, Augusto Santos (and Romulo Neri’s successor) attributed this increase to “increasing prices and/or insufficient rise in personal income.” Other contributors included the expanded Value-Added Tax (eVAT) imposed in 2005, higher oil prices, typhoons, and a population growth rate of 2%.

(NB: I think this is a good indication of eVAT’s immediate impact on Filipinos.)

Santos also believes that the 7.3% GDP recorded for last year will help alleviate poverty. Uhm. Since 2001, our GDP is increasing (so the Fortress claims), and so thus poverty incidence. It doesn’t add up. My math must be failing me (not that I am good at it).

Lorelei Fajardo, what’s your take on this one? Blame the opposition and destabilizers? Lozada? The Senate?

I remember that series of commercials with the icky tagline “ramdam mo na ba ang pag-asenso?” I wonder what 27.6 million poor Filipinos ha d felt when they saw/heard that commercial (pilosopo: syempre wala kasi di nila napanood/narinig, poor nga eh, di ba?). No wonder they are no longer airing it. (Is it in YouTube?)

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For the past few days, my mother is complaining that prices of some goods have increased. Have you experienced this? Can you itemize?

And don’t forget to vote at the poll (at the sidebar), in case you haven’t yet.

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UPDATE:

And add more blows to Gloria Arroyo’s Enchanted Kingdom:

* Peter Wallace tells everyone it is time to face the facts. And this is a strong indictment:

We have an economy today that is skewed to favor a few. The growth is not widespread and is not reaching the bulk of the people. It is an economy that is losing its middle class (it shrank in 2007). One could say that it takes time to reduce the huge inequality that exists, or that the momentum toward that is there. But after six and a half years, surely there should have been some improvement, not a worsening.

* RP poverty up due to weak tax take, corruption – ADB study Despite the eVAT, “corruption undermines tax collection, reduced resources for and quality of infrastructure development.”

3
Mar

Fortress bothered by OFW remittance boycott

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The threatened remittance boycott by OFWs has the Fortress and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas bothered, reports GMA News.

Let’s give way to Lorelei Fajardo, Fortress loudspeaker and one reasons why I don’t like Fortress propaganda:

Such a call is irresponsible and tantamount to economic sabotage. Their action will not benefit anybody. It could cause a serious setback to our economic gains, bringing greater damage to their loved ones and the nation as a whole.

Huh? But you told us that the economy is on its way up? What’s US$30 million delayed a day against that ginormous 7.3% GDP rate that you are harping about? Well, what the Fortress doesn’t want every Juan to know is that our economy is being driven by OFW remittances.

Ms. Fajardo, here’s a tip: tell your Raul Gonzalez to charge each and every OFW who doesn’t send remittance with economic sabotage. Wag natin daanin sa daldal, idaan natin sa proseso, ilabas ang ebidensya. Mmmk?

OFWs, show the Fortress who’s the boss.

(LOYALISTS: If the economy is that robust as your idol claims, how come she and her people are afraid of one-day-only boycott? Surely it should not affect the economy, right? Besides, the day after the boycott OFWs will remit the money naman eh. Masyado lang paranoid ang idol nyo. So just sit back, relax, and see the lies crumble. Enjoy!)

2
Mar

Undermined institutions will continue as such

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What if institutions are undermined and no longer works?

Some people keep on harping that we should let institutions run as they were, as if they were not undermined and co-opted by this regime. Heck, some of them blamed the people for electing such buffoons as leaders. While this is a reality that we should face, the fact that some of these people who play the blame game did not vote anyway, so their finger-pointing smacks of hypocrisy. Besides, that is not enough a reason to blame others when clearly someone manipulated these institutions to submission.

One such institution is the so-called Philippine National Police, now being derisively called Palpak na Police. It is on a roll nowadays. The PNP, led by the intellectually-dishonest Avelino Razon, has shown how it is being undermined. Just take these examples:

* A day before the interfaith rally at Makati (held last Friday), the PNP has deployed checkpoints along the routes where participants from provinces would traverse. The pretext was security, but it was obvious that the reason was to delay if not stop participants from joining. Here we can see Razon being dishonest. On the day of the rally itself, there were complaints that the participants were being stopped. Razon admits ordering checkpoints to stop these rallyist, but only for inspection. His dishonesty is shown by the experience by De la Salle-Dasma student Jhay Rocas.

* Then there’s the no-fly zone order by the same, dishonest Razon. And again, the claim was security. Yeah, but for whom? The no-fly-zone order was from 5PM-9PM, the time given for the rally. How convenient.

* And there’s the arrest of 4 Trillanes Senate staff members for dubious reasons. According to Ellen Tordesillas, these 4 were arrested immediately after the rally because someone complained that the 4 were claiming to be policemen. At the Southern Police District, the story was different: they were caught laying spikes along the road. When asked for evidence, the police couldn’t produce evidence. The 4 were released without being charged.

This is just the PNP. What more about the other institutions?

Institutions that are undermined will continue to be undermined because of people like this one, who choose to blame others instead of the one undermining the said institutions:


(Placard reads: GLORIA, URS S D SILENT MAJORITY)

29
Feb

Bakit dapat nang magbitiw sa pwesto si Gloria Arroyo?

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Marahil panahon na para aking ipaliwanag kung bakit dapat magbitiw sa pwesto si Gloria Arroyo. Narito ang mga dahilan kung bakit dapat na syang magbitiw.

1. Ang pagtatalaga niya sa mga mahahalagang posisyon ng mga taong hindi karapat-dapat.
a. Raul Gonzalez – Ilang beses na ba nagkalat ng lagim ang taong ito? Muntik na nga sya mamatay pero wala pa ring kadala-dala. At saka ilang beses na sya na bypass ng Commission on Appointments, pero kapit-tuko pa rin sa pwesto, katulad ng nag-appoint sa kanya.
b. Norberto Gonzales – Isa pa ito. Nung mangyari ang Glorietta 2 blast noong birthday ko, sabi nya gawa ng terorista yun. Pero ang sabi ng PNP hindi raw. National Security Adviser yan ha.
c. Lito Atienza – Boo! Buti pa kung si Kim Atienza ang nilagay eh. Eh eto? Bahagi sya ng Catholic Taliban, kontra sya sa non-natural family planning methods. At saka kasama sya sa mga nagtangkang patahimikin si Jun Lozada.
d. Angelo Reyes – Sya ang tunay na mutineer. Nakailang lipat na ba sya ng pwesto? Di ko na nga matandaan. Kapit-tuko rin. Hindi sya matanggal kasi subukan lang gawin ni Gloria yan. Bukas lang iba na presidente natin.
e. Romulo Neri – Nilagay sa CHED kahit na ang minimum requirement para maging Chairman eh isang doctorate degree. Saka dapat may paninindigan at backbone, hindi kanta-sabay-takbo.
f. Ben Abalos – Kailangan ko pa bang ipaliwanag ito?
g. Virgilio Garcillano – Basahin ang letrang f.
h. Ignacio Bunye – “I have two discs, the original and the fake.” “Liar, liar.” Pag nagsalita sya, maiinis ka na agad.
i. Lorelei Fajardo – Sang lupalop nanggaling ang babaeng ito? Sa wikang Ingles, she’s very repugnant.
j. Hermogenes Esperon – Duh. Magsalita pa lang alam mo na kaagad ang takbo ng utak nito – utak pulbura na ewan. Isa pang kapit-tuko na kailangan pang magparinig para lang maextend ang term. Saka tingnan mo ginawa kina Lim at Querubin. Matatapos na ang Pebrero pero nakakulong pa rin ang grupo, pero di pa rin tapos ang pekeng court martial. Saka sangkot din sya sa Hello, Garci.
k. Merceditas Gutierrez – Ayoko na sanang sabihin na bumagsak muna sya sa bar exams bago pumasa, kasi unfair sa mga abogado na ganun din ang sinapit. Pero tingnan mo naman. Noong magtestify si Jose de Venecia III sa Senado noong nakaraang taon, marami ang nagsampa ng kaso sa Ombudsman. Pero kelan lang sya umaksyon? Ngayong buwan lang! At wala silang maipakita kahit ano para mapatunayan na nag-imbestiga sila. Kaklase pa ni Mike Arroyo sa Ateneo. Yun na.

2. Pagtatago sa katotohanan dahil sa mga kapalpakan at kadugasan.
a. Hello, Garci – Tatlong taon makalipas ang isyu, walang nangyari. Si Garci, nagtago, nagparamdam, nagtago, bumalik, kumandidato, natalo, at ewan kung nasaan na sya. Si Esperon, ginawang Chief of Staff – at na-extend pa. Si Gudani at Balutan, na tumestigo sa Senado, ayun naka court martial. Retirado na si Gudani, kaso tinanggal ang kanyang retirement benefits. Yung iba pang heneral na nabanggit sa tapes, itinalaga sa ibang posisyon para masakop ng EO 464. At tinakot ng NTC at DOJ ang media upang hindi ipalabas/iparinig ang Hello, Garci tapes.
b. Fertilizer scam – Pinatakas si Jocjoc Bolante papuntang US, pero nakansela ang visa nya, kaya ayun, nakakulong sa US. Sana ipadeport sya rito, kaso may pending syang political asylum application, kasi raw ipapapatay raw sya ng NPA. Saka kung sakali mang makabalik sya, gagawin lang nila ulit ang tinangka nila kay Lozada. Pero this time, perfect na, saka willing magtago si Bolante.
c. Mga pekeng impeachment cases – Sabi ni Gloria daanin raw sa proseso, at handa raw syang ipagtanggol ang sarili sa tamang lugar. Idaan daw sa impeachment, sabi nya. Pero, tatlong beses nyang binusabos ang proseso, salamat sa mga pekeng complaints nina Lozano at Pulido. Salamat din sa mga bayarang kongresista. Asa pa kayo sa panibagong impeachment ngayong taon? Aba, si Lozano, nagpadala na agad ng complaint kahit hindi pa paso ang ban dahil sa palyadong complaint ni Pulido. Pero wag ka, magulat ka na lang pag tinanggap yan sa Oktubre.
d. EO 464 – O kung di ba naman takot sa katotohanan ang Gloria, nilabas ang EO 464. Kung wala kang itinatago, bakit kailangan mong busalan ang mga tao mo, di ba? Ganun lang kasimple yun.

3. Mga kabastusan at anomalyang hindi pa rin nabibigyang linaw hanggang ngayon.
a. Hello, Garci – Kasi nga, ginawa ng administrasyon ang lahat, wag lang lumabas ang katotohanan. Kung totoo ang laman ng tapes, ibig sabihin nandaya si Gloria para manalo.
b. Fertilizer scam – Natapos na ang termino ni Ramon Magsaysay Jr. bilang senador (at nanguna sa pag-iimbestiga sa kasong ito), pero wala pa ring napaparusahan. Kasi, natutulog sa kangkungan ang Ombudsgirl. Saka si Bolante, nakakulong pa sa US. Biruin mo, ang Makati, binigyan ng alokasyon para sa fertilizer! Ah, baka yan ang ginamit na pampasabog sa Glorietta!
c. NBN-ZTE at ang mga pangyayari sa buhay ni Jun Lozasa, kasama na ang isyu sa Spratlys.
d. Mga extra-judicial killing at mga taong sapilitang dinukot diumano ng mga tauhan ng gobyerno – Malapit nang mag-isang taon noong mawala si Jonas Burgos, pero hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin sya makita. Pati na rin yung dalawang estudyante ng UP, kasama yung iba pang nawawala. At ang Gloria, ipinagmalaki ang kanyang human right record. Hay ewan.
e. ATBP – basahin sa PBWiki.

4. Ang pagyurak sa mga institusyon ng bansa.
a. Comelec – Ang pagtatalaga sa mga hindi karapat-dapat na sina Abalos at Garcillano. Ang palpak na poll automation. Hello, Garci.
b. House of Representatives – Pagiging sunud-sunuran sa rehimeng Arroyo. Ang pagbaboy sa proseso ng impeachment.
c. Ombudsman – Ang hindi pagkilos ng mga kaso na kontra kay Arroyo, kumpara sa bilis ng kaso kontra oposisyon.
d. Armed Forces of the Philippines – Naging Armed Forces of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Naging tagapagtanggol ng rehimen imbes na tagapagtanggol ng bayan.
e. Philippine National Police – Naging Palpak na Pulis. Naging pangontra ni Gloria laban sa mga nagpoprotesta.

5. Pagtataksil sa pagtitiwalang binigay sa kanya ng bansa (bagamat hindi naman sya tunay na pangulo ng bansa). Basahin lahat ng mga nabanggit sa taas.

Kaya, Gloria Arroyo, resign na! Now na!

Ikaw, dapat nga bang magbitiw na si Gloria? Bumoto sa aking survey. Kung gusto mo, mag-iwan ka ng komento, sabihin mo kung ano ang ibinoto mo, at bakit.

[poll=4]

28
Feb

Treason! Have we ceded/sold out Spratlys to China?

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Be the judge:

Basically the report presents several agreements entered into by China and the Philippines through two companies. The said agreements allow China to explore Spratly Islands (subject of dispute by China, the Philippines, and other countries) for mineral resources, most specially oil. The Constitution expressly prohibits this practice – unless we have already surrendered Spratlys to the Chinese. The question now is: at both counts, was treason committed?

For more information, read the following:

* Today the Spratlys, Tomorrow Palawan
* Treason
* Treason in the Spratlys

Will update this post when I get more information.

28
Feb

Treason, 4

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This is part 4 of 4. Part 1 here- Treason, 1. Part 2 here, Treason, 2. Part 3 here – Treason, 3.

28
Feb

Treason, 3

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This is part 3 of 4. Part 1 here – Treason, 1. Part 2 here – Treason, 2.

28
Feb

Treason, 2

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This is part 2 of 4. An episode of The Correspondents titled “Kung Di Ukol, Bubukol.” Part 1 here – Treason, 1.

28
Feb

Treason, 1

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This is part 1 of 4. An episode of The Correspondents titled “Kung Di Ukol, Bubukol”

27
Feb

The CBCP’s statement is a political statement (UPDATED)

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The recent pronouncements by the “united” Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines is not a surprise for me (here is their non-issue, useless statement). In fact, in a previous post, I had stated that “the hierarchy is not inclined to support any mass movement versus Gloria Arroyo, and neither it is inclined to call for her resignation, too.” Immediately, the Fortress thanked the bishops for their political stand. And there’s the rub.

(As an aside, I commented that during the Monday rallies, it rained. Reader Joyfulchicken pointed out that maybe God is pro-GMA. With the way Catholic bishops are acting, I think I have to agree with Joyfulchicken.)

The reasons being given by bishops for not calling for Gloria Arroyo’s resignation are as follows:

1. Leonardo Legaspi, OP – he says the CBCP expects her to be part of efforts to seek reform. Dear bishop, she is already at the Fortress for seven years now. What reforms do you want her to institute? If she wanted reforms, she should have done so in the past 7 years. And we only had that VAT Law so far. There are no efforts to effect changes in several problematic institutions, like elections. Do you expect her to effect reforms in the next 2 years, when she has to do everything to escape prosecution?

2. Orlando Quevedo, OMI – he claims there was no enough basis to call for her resignation. Yeah. I still remember Piux XII and the Holocaust. I’m sure there were no enough basis for the Vatican to oppose Hitler during the late 1930s.

3. Francisco Claver, SJ (retired) – he says that calling for Arroyo’s resignation could weaken the country’s democratic institutions. But, dear bishop, the said institutions are already undermined by Arroyo! How many more institutions must we allow her to undermine? If there is something that could weaken these institutions, it was already done by Arroyo! Calling for her resignation will not weaken something that is already weak in the first place. Please stop grasping at straws, and instead, pray that your God will enlighten you, that you may see what is truly happening.

4. Antonio Ledesma, SJ – he says that they did not call for her resignation because it is a “political call that’s not within the competence of the bishops.” I wonder if they had this competence back in 2000-2001 (to refresh your memories, read here, here, here, here, and here – see October 13, 2000 entry).

And the most common argument that, for me, is too grating to be ignored – that calling for her resignation is a political act, and the bishops cannot be involved in political acts.

I don’t know about you, but isn’t their call/non-call a political act? After all, they met to discuss a clearly political issue, and not calling for Arroyo’s resignation is indeed a political act – for who benefits from their decision but Gloria Arroyo alone (just look at the reactions by Fortress loud mouths here and here).

Also, remember the issue between the Quezon City Council and the bishop of Cubao? When a councilor filed a bill for a reproductive health program for the city, the bishop opposed it vigorously (too bad, the ordinance passed – buti nga). Again, filing that ordinance, debating it, and passing it – these are political acts. Yet the Church, through its bishop, participated in such a political act by opposing it. (See my thoughts on this case – The Church and the State.)

And lastly, the ultimate trump card to shred the apolitical gimmick to bits – EDSA 2.

My conclusion from this episode (and in retrospect, from the post “Confused bishops? Whatever“) is that the Catholic hierarchy can do a political action if and when it wants it to do so. And choosing not to call for Arroyo’s resignation is a political act, and a true reflection of the moral decay that we are in now. I am just glad that this time around, envelopes were not distributed. (Of course, the distribution could have been done discreetly.) Otherwise, they are no different from Arroyo herself.

MLQ3 thanks the bishops for the statement. Yes, it clearly ends the confusion, and shows where the bishops’ political standing.