Tag Archives: philippine society

5
Mar

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

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , ,

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?)

—

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.

—

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

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , ,

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

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , ,

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?

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , , ,

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]

25
Feb

Let there be change in this country, and let it begin with me

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged ,

I was only 7 years old when EDSA People Power 1 happened. I was old enough to remember, but I wasn’t there. I couldn’t remember seeing it on TV. I couldn’t remember reading the news, or hearing from radio. What I knew I had read from other people’s accounts, so I cannot share anything at all. I do remember one of those coup attempts afterwards. I can vividly remember those planes they called tora tora encircling Manila. I was about to go to school when a neighbor sent me back home due to the coup.

Twenty two years later, and six years after EDSA 2 and 3, we keep on asking ourselves, where did we go wrong?

Some people call people power as a revolution. Was it? If it was, then that is where we went wrong. It was an incomplete revolution.

Many keep on harping about change. Some of them tells us to start within ourselves. I agree. And I think the next revolution should start within ourselves.

—

During the heyday of Hello Garci (back in 2005), when Black and White Movement was born, many people smirked and argued that it is not simply black and white – there is always the shades of gray. This thinking may be realistic, but it has brought us to where we are right now. Jun Lozada‘s expose brought home this point, using a line that will probably symbolize this regime forever: moderate their greed.

Life’s ambiguity can lead to confusion. Subscribing to shades of gray thinking has brought about the confusion that we are in now. We refuse to tag evil as evil, hence evil has persisted. We accept that corruption is a way of life, and we tolerate it to a degree. And what has that brought us? Confusion. Darkness.

For me, there are times when we have to end ambiguity and call evil as evil. Only then things can be clear, and by that time, perhaps we as a people can come into a consensus and agree on what to do. Until then, we are just enjoying our days in the mud.

—

So, where do I begin? I don’t know about you, but I know where I shall begin. I will begin with small steps.

1. I shall obey traffic rules. Since I don’t drive (and I don’t have a car anyway), I shall follow all pedestrian rules. I will cross the road at the designated places. I shall use the pedestrian lanes and overpasses and underpasses. I shall wait for the green signal before I cross the street where traffic lights are present.

2. I shall throw my garbage at the proper places. I shall keep my bus tickets, water bottles, and candy wrappers, and put them for recycling. I shall never pee at the wrong places.

3. I shall vote on every elections, whenever I can. I shall vote for those who are capable and willing to do things the right way. I shall listen to candidates’ takes on issues, and I shall refuse to be entertained nor to be paid to vote. I shall not sell my vote.

4. I shall do my best to be a good citizen by following the rules and convincing others to do the same. I shall continue to blog about issues, and try to convince my readers to talk about ideas and issues. I shall engage my blog readers into a meaningful exchange of ideas.

5. I shall exercise my freedoms responsibly. I shall respect each other’s right to express their opinions. I shall agree to disagree with you.

And I may translate this inward change outwards.

This is now my challenge to you: what can you do to enable change in this country?

22
Feb

“It hurts! It hurts!”

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , ,

In yesterday’s TV Patrol, classmates/schoolmates of Gloria Arroyo from Assumption were interviewed. All of those who were interviewed defended her vigorously. So vigorous, in fact, that one of them almost showed she listens to one of those radio stations.

“It hurts! It hurts!” she blurted.

I almost expected her to continue “It hurts, you know!”

Anyway, just one thought for these ladies. You get wrinkles over time, right? So is it impossible for a person to change over time? How can you be so sure that the girl you knew before is still the same person now? Defend her all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that this country is nearing scorched earth status because your classmate-who-did-not-change-since-high-school has destroyed every social and political institutions that we have.

Take the Ombudsman, for example. Merceditas Gutierrez is the current Ombudsgirl. And she is a classmate of Mike Arroyo. Nothing wrong with that, right? Fine. How about this one? Since August last year, after the NBN-ZTE scandal broke out, several personalities and groups have filed charges at the Ombudsman. And nothing happened at these charges. At all! But when Jun Lozada came out, and the Fortress began its idiotic reaction, the Ombudsgirl changed tact! Immediately, she called for a preliminary investigation. Imagine that! And she claims they have been discreetly investigating the issue. But on the first day of the hearing, there were complaints of respondents not having copies of charges! The Ombudsgirl does not have copies of Senate transcripts! Some of the respondents and complainants have not received summons!

Or how about the old, aging duo of the Presidential Legal Counsel and the Secretary of the Department of Justice? In other parts of the world, their stupid remarks could have lost them their jobs. But no! Your classmate thinks these two have their uses, so she didn’t even publicly reprimanded Sergio Apostol for his racist remarks. The same for Raul Gonzalez for his sh*t remarks about anything.

How about the Office of the Press Secretary? Do you still remember Ignacio Bunye’s “I have two discs, the original and the fake?” And then Gonzalez threatens those who will play the Hello Garci tapes with cases! How come he has not charged Bunye, who played the discs, too?

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she allows people of this caliber to remain in office, even if these people drag their offices to the estero. In other parts of the world, these people wouldn’t be employed at such positions in the first place.

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she allows persecution of those who went out of their way to testify for the truth. How many more Gudanis, Balutans, and Lozadas before you can even see that?

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she kills all efforts to ascertain the truth. How many impeachment attempts has she concocted for her lapdogs in the House to stamp out into oblivion? Why hide in the hideousness called EO 464 and yet claims she is clean? Why is she always claiming she did nothing wrong but does not even entertain efforts to uncover the truth? Remember Ricardo Manapat and his stupid attempt to have Fernando Poe Jr. disqualified by making a fake birth certificate?

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she allows her people to peddle lies as truth. She allows the use of state resources and police power to silence potential whistleblowers. She pays lip service to good governance and transparency yet shuns every means of ascertaining the truth.

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she treats human rights as if Article 3 of our Constitution does not exist. She hinders our exercise of our rights. Remember 1017? She puts mechanisms that put us on guard. See those surveillance equipment at La Salle Greenhills and St. Scholastica College? (If the reason for a camera at La Salle is to monitor traffic, then it is the wrong reason. The right solution is honest-to-heaven traffic enforcement! Such reasoning is BS.) I shudder to think when they put a camera in front of Sto. Domingo Church.

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she allows her people to use threats against her critics. Remember the “we-will-unleash-BIR” text message when Makati Business Club called for her resignation? Remember Nograles threatening the removal of tax exemption of churches, because they dared to call for her resignation? Remember Mascarinas filing perjury charges against Jun Lozada’s wife, all because Lozada dared to tell what he knew? Remember Gudani and Balutan, who were court-martialed because they testified at the Senate?

Gloria Arroyo is (fill in the blanks, Neri) because she has shattered the integrity of our political institutions.

Just look around you. Just look at how you perceive our political institutions. Do you trust the Department of Justice? The Philippine National Police? Raul Gonzalez? Norberto Gonzales? Sergio Apostol? Ricardo Saludo? Prospero Nograles?

Now, dear ladies. Open your eyes now. Is she still the same girl you knew? I don’t think so.

—

I am sick and tired of people saying there’s no alternative. That is just a lazy way out. For example, why not you? Yes, you! You are not an alternative? No? You mean you are not capable of anything? Is anyone not capable of anything nowadays? Goodness!

I am also sick and tired of people saying they are all the same. So are you telling me you are the same with *shudders* Raul Gonzalez? This is just another lazy way out.

What I am getting is that either (1) people are lazy nowadays or (2) creativity is dead.

20
Feb

Confused bishops? Whatever

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , ,

The recent comments by Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines President Angel Lagdameo is a sad reflection of the sorry state of the CBCP nowadays. Aside from talking from hindsight, the comments have implied 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. Not only do conservatives have the numbers in the CBCP, most of them are known supporters of Gloria Arroyo.

Whenever the Roman Catholic hierarchy is somewhat involved in Philippine politics, I am reminded of the book Hitler’s Pope. The said book details the history of the Canon Law and how the power structure became centralized. After EDSA 2, the large archdiocese of Manila was divided into several dioceses; that is why we now have bishops of Caloocan, Cubao, Novaliches, Parañaque, Pasig, etc (see here, and here). It was said that the decision to divide the archdiocese was made in reaction to Jaime Sin’s active involvement in EDSA 2 (though Rina David disputes this view, without citing sources), and also due to the failure of Monte de Piedad (now GE Money Bank). Now, take these things into today’s context, and understand why these bishops are acting this way.

Anyway, what the good archbishop cannot say is that some of his brethrens are already compromised. Fr. Robert Reyes was not so circumspect. In national TV, he noted that some bishops are reticent in calling for Arroyo’s resignation because they are afraid the government will reduce its donations. A bishop (a known Arroyo supporter, of course) chastised Reyes for the comment. Heh.

Lagdameo calls for a people power of a new sort. Maybe what he meant is that people should no longer look at these bishops for guidance. If that is what he meant, I fully agree. Let the people decide, and let the bishops do the collecting, este their jobs pala.

—

If you think the current situation is confusing, you are not alone. Just look at those Catholic bishops.

—

If you are a man (or woman), and you know something that is so wrong, illegal, and damaging to someone who has all the means to wipe you out of this planet, would you reveal what you know? Jun Lozada first thought he should run. He was provided the means to do so. Yet how come he is acting that way? If you take on the mob, you know that your life is in danger; hence, the tendency to run away. Yet he came back and faced the mob.

If for that alone, I believe him more than all the Abalos, Apostol, Arroyo, Bunye, Enrile, Fajardo, Gaite, Golez, Gonzalez, Mascarinas, Neri, Razon, Saludo, and Santiago of this world.

13
Feb

Rationalizing lazy thinkers

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged ,

Some people are asking others and themselves this question: “How come, despite all these scandals, there is no outrage? How come we are not out in the streets, protesting these fools?” One sociology professor from a Catholic university says it is because of people power fatigue.

For me, it is plain and simple rationalization, a defense mechanism triggered to defend the ego. In this case, let me give way to Siege Malvar (quoting him in full):

I think what’s keeping Gloria in power is the Filipino hardheadedness to swallow his own pride. After all, you guys made all that noise in Edsa to put her in power.

Now, you just don’t want to admit you made a mistake.

So, on, and on, we wait for something from the machine to arrive. We wait for a God-given disease to consume her flesh, we wait for an assassin’s bullet to pierce through her vest, we wait for other people to take courage and rise up. We wait. Because we don’t wanna say “I told you so” to ourselves.

You disgust me, Philippines. You with all your “blogging” “for peace”, “for unity”, for all the fucking causes you can think of next.

You disgust me because you are letting this happen. You made this monster, gave her executive powers, and you’re too proud to admit it.

Corruption is staring at you right in the face, Philippines, and what are you doing about it?

(If you want to comment on his blog post, please go to this link.)

Last night, TV Patrol had this report, where they asked people who were waiting to get in as contestants for their turd-of-a-noontime-show WoWoWee about the Lozada expose. The answers are, I think, symptomatic of the defense mechanism stated earlier. The comments were funny, serious, agreeable, and detestable, all at the same time. (As a side note, there was a pro-Gloria amongst them, and she must be glad she was not mugged he he.) But most of them said that “wala rin namang mangyayari” (nothing will come out of it).

That is people power fatigue. That is rationalization.

The problem is that defense mechanisms can be unhealthy. In our case, the unhealthiness stems from the fact that we have virtually abdicated our roles as citizens. We ALLOW these things to happen because “wala rin namang mangyayari” if we acted on these things. Yet we don’t want to admit that EDSA 2 is a mistake. This is another form of defense mechanism, and psychologists call it denial – one of the most unhealthy among the defense mechanisms. Read Siege’s post above. And wala talagang mangyayari because WE CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING. As we say in computing, GIGO – garbage in, garbage out.

And there is a more subtle form of rationalization that is creeping the Interwebs. You can recognize this form easily. It begins with someone justifying his/her participation on EDSA 2 – a simple rationalization. Then, when asked about the current situation, another rationalization comes up. He or she will say that there are more better ways to affect change yada yada et cetera ad infinitum, without even saying what are those ways. And the most sinister amongst these is the implication that we should just move on and let things be. Yes, even if there is corruption, let it be. We might as well have no laws, right?

Why are these rationalizations unhealthy? Because we are hurting ourselves in the long term. What is happening nowadays (and what had happened before) will become templates for tomorrow – what has been done before can be done again. Because we are not addressing the issues, they will keep on hounding us again and again and again. Rationalizing might have swept the dust under the carpet, but the dust remains, only hidden.

And the worst thing? You may slug on your own (better?) way to affect change, but it may all be for naught since you chose to ignore the issue. Baka wala ring mangyari in the end.

PS: Actually, I would have wanted to use laziness as the thesis of this blog post, coupled by selfishness. Next time, maybe.

8
Feb

Bloggers’ reaction to Lozada’s testimony (Updated)

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged , ,

MLQ3’s live twit of the Senate hearing on ZTE with witness Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada Jr. here.

Initial reaction from bloggers:

* Simbahan
* Lozada’s Testimony
* Explosive Testimony at Philippine Senate Rocks Arroyo Government (with an MP3 recording)
* Will More Lozadas stand up?
* The Aftermath of the Jun Lozada’s Senate Testimony
* Thomas Aquinas and the Moderation of Greed
* Washington Sycip and The Rise of the Technocrats: A Reality Check
* NBN-ZTE Senate Investigation Awards Part 1
* Jun Lozada’s Testimony: Will Sec Romulo Neri stand up please? and BLOGGERS, UNITE!
* Jun Lozada and Our Battered Nation

Got this via IM:

pls help me 2 publish sa lahat ng tao pupunta sa nabanggit kong lugar, tomorrow feb 09 phil time 11am plan A lrt baclaran terminal, plan B tutuban mall, plan C Uniwide Quiapo, Plan D SM manila, Plan E Robinson Malate, paki advice nmn sa mamamayan ng manila wag cla punta muna sa mga lugar na yan kc sa intel report namin pasabugin yan bukas para maligaw ang isyu sa senado 2ngkol kay LOZADA. tnx…pls pass

Tomorrow is Esperon’s birthday.

UPDATE:

If you have a blog post regarding Lozada’s testimony, please leave the URL at the comments.

23
Jan

Cris Mendez: Continuing injustice at UP Malcolm Hall

Posted by | Categories Ink | Tagged

The University of the Philippines is currently celebrating its centennial, and it is a pity that behind the festivities, problems continue to hound the university. And with everyone focusing on the celebration, only a few had noticed that what was gone is back.

It has been five months since Cris Mendez was killed. Have you wondered what happened to his case? The National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Terrorism Task Force is the lead investigator in the case, and since November, nothing new was heard from the investigators. There’s nothing from the news. The NBI was faced by the sudden disappearance of key people, like Mico Cruz, the son of the Dr. Francisco Cruz. Dr. Cruz was the doctor who brought Mendez to Veterans Memorial Hospital; he was also the doctor who signed the release to a funeral parlor. The good doctor and his son were summoned by NBI. After delaying for certain days, the doctor’s lawyer went to the NBI. Both father and son never bothered to show up.

When the news of Mendez’s death broke out, there was widespread condemnation. Sure, it was not the first hazing-related death. But the thinking at that time (in the UP community at least) was that it should be the last. Remember all that outrage? Those candle lighting activities? It seems all of these were just for show.

I had reported before that the fraternity involved in the murder, Sigma Rho, began its gradual return to Malcolm Hall. Now, the return is full scale. Yep, they are back, as if nothing happened.

Malcolm Hall is where the College of Law is. In this building, future lawyers are being trained to uphold justice at all times. Heck, there is this thinking that law professors in Malcolm Hall are gods. I find the idea horrid, what with the continuing injustice under Malcolm’s roof.

And, if my sources are correct, the greatest injustice is this – Mico Cruz is back, haunting the corridors of Malcolm Law, making istambay at the SR tambayan at the parking lot.

Cris Mendez remains dead. Justice for Cris Mendez is dead.

And the UP Diliman community is too busy celebrating to care.

—

Previously:
“To stand by the side of any brother Sigma Rhoan right or wrong” yeah right!
Cris Anthony Mendez: Back to normal
Cris Anthony Mendez: The Search for Justice
The true barbarians of UP (UPDATED)

—

And don’t forget to vote in my poll, in case you haven’t voted yet.