Category Archives: Ink

Words are more than just a combination of letters

18
Jan

Isang kandila para sa EDSA Dos

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Gustuhin ko man magsulat ukol sa EDSA People Power 2, mas mabuti pang magsindi na lang ako ng kandila.

Sa aking pagbabasa ng mga sumulat ukol sa EDSA Dos, nakakalungkot isipin na karamihan sa kanila ay nawalan ng gana. Sa wikang Ingles, they were badly burned. Iyung iba, talagang nag-isip pa pero isa lang naman ang patutunguhan ng kanilang mga sinasabi. Sa sikolohiya, meron tayong tinatawag na defense mechanisms, at sa aking palagay, sa mga nabasa ko na, nangingibabaw ang rasyonalisasyon.

Kung mabuti ang EDSA 2, bakit hindi natin ito magawa upang mapatalsik si Gloria Arroyo? Ang ilan sa iba, nagsabi na hindi ang pagpapaalis sa pinuno ng bansa ang solusyon. Ibig sabihin ba nun hindi tamang solusyon ang EDSA 2?

Ang iba naman ay nagsabi na mas mabuti na tumulong na lang sa ibang paraan upang mas mapabuti ang lipunan. At pabayaan na lang natin ang pulitika at iwan ito sa mga pulitiko? Parang nabalewala lang ang pagpunta nila sa EDSA. Para na rin nilang sinabi na hindi nakabuti ang EDSA 2. Eh bakit kailangan mo pang sabihin na tama ang EDSA 2 kung ganyan din lamang ang sasabihin mo?

Porke ba napaso tayo ng mga nangyari pagkatapos ng EDSA 2 eh susuko na tayo? Kung ganyan lahat ng pag-iisip natin, wala talagang mangyayari.

Kaya nga ayaw ko na magsulat ukol sa EDSA 2. Sasama lang ang loob ko. Dahil kahit anong gawin ko, kahit anong isulat ko upang ipaalam sa madla kung bakit dapat tayo makialam sa pulitika, wala ring mangyayari. Dahil mahirap makipag-usap sa taong nagtutulug-tulugan.

17
Jan

Poll: Opposition’s standard bearer in 2010

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It is time for a new poll.

The opposition always brags about its deep bench of presidentiables. However, this is also its biggest problem. With so many presidentiables, all with big egos unwilling to give way to anyone, a scenario worst than 2004 is in the offing.

So who do you think should be the opposition’s standard bearer? Vote in this poll.

[poll=3]

If you have another person in mind who is not on the list, please leave a name at the comments. You may also want to explain your vote, the comments are open for that.

16
Jan

Lip service

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For those who don’t know it yet, or for those who think they don’t know it yet, the Arroyo regime’s concept of transparency and good governance can be simplified by using the term “lip service.” When you hear any Arroyo factotum (or Gloria Arroyo herself) utter the words “transparency” or “good governance”, just substitute “lip service.”

For example, there are several vacancies in the Commission on Elections. The Fortress had already appointed someone whose reputation was suspect, and while there was a muted outrage, it burned the Fortress badly, and its intentions were already under suspicion. To rescue its already tattered reputation, it formed a search committee, composed of seemingly upright individuals. However, the search panel suffers from the same problem that the Arroyo regime has. Lip service=search committee.

Then, we have this nice episode of a convict (who happens to be the husband of a representative that is very close to Gloria) who is reportedly missing (though the representative says he’s not missing). Now, still reeling from the Jalosjos caper (also under investigation), the Fortress is now ordering an investigation on this issue. I can still remember the Mayuga report, the Feliciano report, and the Melo report, all unacted upon (and the Mayuga report unreleased to the public). Do you think something will come out of the said probe? Lip service=investigation.

And lastly: have you noticed the high-profile pardons that this regime is issuing? We have Erap last year. Then there was the botched Jalosjos caper. And now, SalvadorNorberto Manero (what’s with people named Norberto). For Jalosjos and Manero, too bad this ain’t the day. There’s nothing wrong with pardon. The problem is the kind of person being pardoned. That is not good governance. That is patronage. Good governance=lip service.

Transparency=lip service. Good governance=lip service. Wash, rinse, repeat.

14
Jan

Paranoia

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In what hospital was Raul Gonzalez operated on? I wouldn’t want to be confined there. It seems that the doctors there were incompetent. They should have not released him and instead confined him more. He is clearly suffering from some mental difficulties.

Gonzalez has been hogging the limelight for the past few days, what with his ridiculous statements and ominous words. First, he issued an ALL CAPS “reminder” to CEOs of news organizations, warning them about interfering with official police business. The reminder goes:

Please be reminded that your respective companies, networks or organizations may incur criminal liabilities under the law, if anyone of your field reporters, news gatherers, photographers, cameramen and other media practitioners will disobey lawful orders from duly authorized government officers and personnel during emergencies which may lead to collateral damage to properties and civilian casualties in case of authorized police or military operations.

Oh, he is not content with that. The “reminder” also covers foreign press. Wonderful.

What caused this latest intelligent remarks from Gonzalez? Another destabilization plot, he claims.

I said earlier that Gonzalez should have not been released from the hospital. He is clearly suffering from paranoia.

Why? While he thinks there is another destabilization plot, the Armed Forces of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo belittles such plots. It will not succeed, Mister Hermogenes Esperon boasted. Mr. Esperon, tell that to Raul Gonzalez.

Heck, even the Philippine National Police joins the fray, saying that it is the communists who are plotting something. To even sweeten the plot, it is another left-right destabilization plot. Paranoia clear and simple.

If these plots are true, Senator Rodolfo Biazon is correct. Why can’t the AFGMA and PNP just arrests these plotters? If they don’t have a case, Esperon and Razon and Gonzalez better shut up.

Paranoia. n. a disturbed thought process characterized by excessive anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat.

12
Jan

Makasarili

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Isang nakakalungkot na bagay ang aking natutunan sa isyu ng pagpataw ng buwis sa text messaging.

Dahil sa direktong apektado ang mga tao sa nasabing panukala, marami ang umalma at kumontra, at napilitang umatras ang rehimeng Arroyo.

Pero sa mga mas mabibigat at mas malalalim na isyu pero hindi direktong apektado ang karamihan sa atin, ni ha ni ho, wala. Ganoon na ba kalala ang ating pagiging makasarili?

11
Jan

Buwisit na buwis

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Habang ang karamihan ay nangangarap na masuspinde ang pagpataw ng 12% na VAT sa mga produktong petrolyo, ang rehimeng Arroyo naman (sa pamamagitan ng kalihim ng kalakalan Peter Favila) ay nangangarap na patawan ng buwis ang text messaging. Opo, mga text addict, dahil sa lakas ninyo magtext, nakaisip ng dahilan ang rehimen para makalikom ng pera para sa 2010.

At hindi naman pahuhuli ang dalawa sa mga pangunahing tagasuporta ng rehimeng ito. Ang dalawang ito ay kumakatawan sa grupo ng mga mangangalakal at mga malalaking kumpanya. Ayon kina (ihanda ang inyong mga sarili) Donald Dee at Francis Chua (gusto ko maduwal), sang-ayon sila sa panukalang buwis. Sabi ni Dee, mabuti raw ito dahil marami raw sa mga kabataan ang nagpapadala ng mga walang kwentang text messages.

Kung gagamitin natin ang napakalupit na lohika ni Dee, dapat din nating buwisan ang mga sumusunod:

* mga tawag sa telepono, singkwenta sentimos kada minuto, 100 piso para sa mga komersyal na linya
* mga email, piso para sa mga email na galing sa mga kumpanya, 2 piso kung galing sa mga kumpanya na may kapital na mahigit sa 1 bilyong piso
* mga anunsyo sa radyo, telebisyon, at dyaryo, 100 piso kada 1 libo na ginastos sa nasabing anunsyo, 1 libo kada 500 piso kung ang kumpanya ay may kapital na mahigit sa 1 bilyong piso
* mga board meetings, 1 libong piso kada 30 minuto ng pagpupulong; 10% ng per diem ng mga board directors
* paglipad patungo sa ibang bansa upang dumalo sa mga pagpupulong, 5 libo kada isang araw na wala sa bansa
* dami ng sasakyan ng isang kumpanya, 1 libo kada isang kotse, 5 libo kada isang trak
* mga palabas sa telebisyon, 1 libo kada isang minuto ng palabas, na babayaran ng producer ng palabas; hindi kabilang ang mga balita

Alam nyo na ang ibig kong sabihin.

Kumontra naman sa nasabing panukala ang TXTPower. Hinamon nito ang rehimeng Arroyo na pagbawalan ang lahat ng byaheng panglabas. Ayon sa nasabing grupo, gumasta ang rehimen ng halos 692 milyong piso para sa mga byahe ni Gloria Arroyo noong 2005 at 2006. Grabe, ano?

Ngayon, sinasabi ni Favila na wala raw silang balak na patawan ng buwis ang text messaging. Siguro natambakan sya ng text messages. Buti nga sa kanya.

—

Bakit mali na buwisan ang text messaging? Simple lang. Mas matipid magtext kaysa tumawag. Mas mabilis ito, hindi kailangan ang internet connection. Pwede ka magtext kahit saan, basta may signal, may baterya, at may load. Bakit mo bubuwisan ang isang matino, mabilis, at maayos na paraan ng pakikipag-usap?

9
Jan

Oil price slick

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ABS-CBN reports that any law that will suspend VAT for oil products shall be vetoed by Gloria Arroyo, says Finance Secretary Margarito Teves. The purported reason is that such a move will be “detrimental to the country’s economy and will only benefit the rich.” According to projections, the government stands to lose Php 54 billion from lost VAT revenues from oil if Mar Roxas’ proposed bill passes.

First, I don’t think Mar Roxas’ proposed measure will prosper. The House is firmly controlled by Arroyo lapdogs, and as such, a counterpart bill is impossible. Even if such a measure passes through the eye of the needle, Gloria Arroyo can simple veto it. And I doubt if both Houses can muster enough votes to override the veto.

Second, the government can always find a way to plug a possible deficit by reducing unnecessary spending. If these elected and appointed officials really mean it, the 40 billion shortfall can be cushioned or eradicated. For example, senators and congressmen and Gloria Arroyo can forgo their pork barrel allocations. Again, that’s impossible, given the kind of characters we have in government.

Third, Teves claims that only the rich will benefit from the suspension of VAT on oil products. He is assuming that the suspension will greatly benefit rich car owners. How about the middle class who owns cars? How about the jeepney and tricycle drivers and operators? And what about the so-called trickle down effect that this regime has been yakking about? Is that also one of this regime’s lies?

No. This regime is composed of goons who cannot afford to scrimp while the people it purportedly serves gets the shorter end of the stick. That 1% tariff reduction is just lip service. Imagine. A one percent reduction can mean a Php 0.23-0.25 in the price of diesel – and the people should be thankful for that. It will take effect two weeks from now, but independent oil players are already proclaiming an increase by January 15. There you go.

I find this piece of news curious:

She said if the tariff’s current rate remains at three percent the government will have windfall earnings of P11 billion but she added that this would be useless if prices of commodities go up as a result of high oil prices.

Using that logic, a windfall of earnings from VAT is useless if prices of commodities go up. Go figure.

So here are the main suggestions on how to cushion the effects of high oil prices:

* The regime slashes one percent from the tariff imposed on diesel. Token gesture as they say.
* Some lawmakers want the VAT for oil suspended. The regime calls it suicidal.
* The Left calls for the scrapping of the Oil Deregulation Law. Businesses (specially oil companies) balk at the idea.

Hmm. Why not reduce the VAT rate for oil to six percent?

Do you have any suggestions? Leave them at the comments.

7
Jan

Summit of stupidity

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The political buzzword for this month is – no, not related to 2010 – is summit.

When the price of crude oil reached US$ 100, the Department of Energy is calling for an Energy Summit this month. The summit aimed to seek solutions on how the cushion the impact of impending oil price hikes. Yes, folks, the political appointees at the DoE have no idea. No wonder a lot of people are calling this summit a waste of time. I agree. It is just that some of those who are complaining are clueless, too.

Anyway, with the strengthening of the Philippine peso against the US dollar, the impact should not be that hard, right? We cannot tell. Heck, we cannot even say if oil companies are being greedy or not, since most of them are private and thus their books are not open for scrutiny by government.

Then, the Bureau of Fire PreventionDILG is calling for a summit, too. The Galleria Baclaran fire, which raged for more than 24 hours, pricked a lot of egos in the Department of Interior and Local Government (which oversees BFP). All fire fighting volunteers who responded in that fire blamed the ground commander for the fiasco, first by raising the general alarm 3 hours after the fire broke out, and by ordering these volunteers to go away.

You know, it was incredible. There was an emergency situation, and these guys were squabbling. They need a summit to smooth things out. Incredible. They had been fighting fires since Heaven knows when, and they don’t even have a protocol on this? Absolutely stupid.

What’s more incredible? Marius Corpus recommending for a formation of an armed task force to keep fire fighting volunteers in check! Not only that. He also says they will be filing charges against these volunteers. Tsk. These actions are typical responses from Arroyo lapdogs.

Incredible. Absolutely stupid.

Oh well. Remember that dialogue that the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas had brokered between the government and the media in the aftermath of the Manila Pen affair? Nothing was accomplished, right? These two summits will reach the same fate, the same way that the Feliciano and Melo commissions ended – producing useless reports and nothing else.

As long as Gloria Arroyo is busy doing something else (don’t ask me what she’s really doing), reports and recommendations will remain as that – papers that will remain unacted.

4
Jan

Pagtaas patungo sa Enchanted Kingdom

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Nagulat ang marami sa mga tumataya sa Super Lotto 6-49 kahapon. Nagtaas kasing bigla ang presyo sa pagtaya. Dati, sampung piso (Php 10) lamang ang bayad para sa anim na numero; ngayon, dalawampung piso (Php 20) na.

Matatandaan na dati ay sinubukan na ng Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) na taasan ang presyo ng pagtaya sa lahat ng larong lotto. Nagpaskil sila ng mga anunsyo sa mga tayaan ng lotto ukol sa nasabing pagtaas, kaya marami sa mga mananaya ang nagreklamo. Sa sobrang dami, napilitan si Gloria Arroyo na ipahinto ang nasabing pagtaas.

Ngayon natin makikita kung gaano kasuwail ang mga tauhang itinatalaga ng rehimeng Arroyo sa mga opisina ng pamahalaan. Para hindi na makapagreklamo ang mga mananaya, hindi na sila naglabas ng anunsyo ukol sa pagtaas. Hindi ba isa iyang uri ng pagsisinungaling? Ano pa nga ba? Eh iyong mismong punong nagtatalaga ay sinungaling, ano pa ba ang dapat nating asahan?

Mas nakakatuwa ang sinasabing dahilan ng pagtaas. Kailangan daw ng PCSO ng karagdagang pondo para mas marami pa raw ang mapagsilbihan nila. Saka dumoble naman daw ang jackpot prize.

Teka. Bago ang bola kagabi, ang jackpot prize noong Linggo ay nasa Php 50 milyon lamang. Ngayon, ang lumalabas na jackpot prize ay nasa Php 60 milyon. Ang pagtaas ay simula Disyembre 31. Bakit ganun lang ang naging jackpot prize? Di ba dapat mas malaki na kasi bente pesos na ang taya? Hay, ewan.

Kulang sa pondo? Bakit hindi ninyo bawasan ang gastos nyo sa mga anunsyo nyo? Tutal halata naman na ibinebenta nyo lang naman sa tao si Gloria Arroyo. Mas makabubuti siguro na ilaan na lamang ninyo sa mas makabuluhang bagay ang pondo sa pagbayad sa mga anunsyo na si Gloria Arroyo ang pangunahing makikinabang.

Pero baka tama nga ang butihing arsobispo ng Lingayen-Dagupan.

—

Nakakatawa ang mga nangyari kahapon.

Mula sa Twitter twit ni Ederic Eder (ito at ito), nalaman ko na kapag binisita mo kahapon ang mga Web site ng Kagawaran ng Hustisya, PNP-CIDG, at ITECC, dadalhin ka ng Web browser mo sa Web site ng Enchanted Kingdom. Tawa ako nang tawa kahapon.

Kung sino man ang gumawa nito: sana ganyan ang ginawa nyo sa Web site na ito.

Para kay Gloria Arroyo: tanggalin mo na ang mga tagasulat mo ng mga talumpati. Yung paggamit mo ng pariralang “Enchanted Kingdom” sa iyong talumpati ay isang karima-rimarim na katangahan.

2
Jan

Say no to Charter change this year

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Second day of year 2008, and what has the Fortress thrown at us? Chacha (charter change, dummy)!

I admit that our Charter needs some changing, but expect me and others to oppose Chacha. You see, the people at the Fortress are so untrustworthy that hearing the word “chacha” automatically means “beyond 2010” and “Fidel Ramos” for me. The fact that Eduardo Ermita is a known Ramos man adds to the uneasiness. And don’t forget another Chacha dancer named Jose de Venecia.

The reason for Ermita’s comment on Chacha was to facilitate the creation of a Moro federal state, a stumbling block in the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. As I am not well-informed about the Mindanao situation (except for that fact that it hosts some of the poorest provinces, and that it had given us Garcillano, Bedol, and Zubiri), I cannot discuss this topic with enough confidence. However, Chacha is a different story.

Again, Chacha is not that bad. As I have said, some provisions need to be changed or removed. However, there is a general distrust about any moves to amend the Charter. And I can’t blame them. The Fortress has never been forthright on its dealings; it has stonewalled on several issues; it had resorted to dubious means to ensure its hold to power. So it should not be a surprise if people reacts negatively to any Chacha moves this year.

My point is that you can never trust this regime to stick to the Moro federal state as reason for charter change. You can never trust it not to insert provisions that will change the system of government, or to remove term limits, or to remove any impediment for Gloria Arroyo to remain in power beyond 2010. Heck, if you can trust someone who patently and consciously lied, there must be something wrong with you.

In other parts of the world, such distrust would lead to a resignation. Here in the Philippines, you go to hell.

No to Cha-cha this year. No to Cha-cha until Gloria Arroyo is out. Period.