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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| The China Card
By Antonio C. Abaya Written Sept. 26, 2007 For the Standard Today, September 28 issue It was Sen. Joker Arroyo who first made the observation that the squabble (between Joey de Venecia and Benjamin Abalos over the National Broadband Network) is nothing but a quarrel among fixers. But it was the feisty Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago who cut to the quick during the Senate hearing today (Sept. 26), who minced no words and, in effect, told both parties that they were wasting the Senate�s time and in effect said they should both �back off!!�, to use a fashionable phrase. Miriam premised her statements on her experience as a trial judge. She said (and I can only summarize her words) that during a trial, the astute judge knows that it is not a case of one side saying the truth and the other side saying lies. Most often, both sides tell half-truths, and try their best to hide half-lies about their positions. So also in this case, Miriam said. This is a case of a double cross, in which one side was expecting a kickback or commission from the deal, and discovering that someone else is getting that kickback or commission, does its best to sabotage that deal. Or words to that effect. � China ,� said Miriam, �invented civilization in the East. But it also invented corruption� Presumably referring only to corrupt Chinese officials and not to all Chinese, Miriam lashed out, �Mahilig ang mga Intsik na ito� (her own pejorative) when they invite you to play golf, or have dinner with them, or invite you to visit China , they do not do so because of your good looks or your sex appeal. They want something from you or your government regarding a project. Or words to that effect. Miriam asserted that Joey de Venecia, whose company, Amsterdam Holdings Inc., which has a paid-up capital of only P312,000 and is bidding for a project worth hundreds of millions of dollars, is brokering for another Chinese company interested in the NBN deal but was just beaten by ZTE Corp, for which Benjamin Abalos is allegedly brokering. So, addressing both parties, Miriam castigated them and said: �I refuse to be made a party to this squabble over kickbacks worth P1.5 billion. You are wasting the Senate�s time�� With that, she walked out of the chamber. Bravo, Miriam!!! So using Miriam�s caution about half-truths and half-lies, I would say that I believe Joey de Venecia when he said that the First Gentleman pointed a finger at him and barked at him to �back off.� from this deal. But I do not believe that Joey is an innocent crusader for justice and fair play in this matter, especially since he violated a law forbidding relatives of the president, vice-president, the Senate president and the Speaker of the House from getting involved in contracts with the government. I believe Sec. Romulo Neri that Abalos told him, while the two of them were riding a golf cart in Wack Wack, that �Sec, may 200 ka dito.� I believe Neri when he said that he reported this apparent bribe offer to President Arroyo, and that President Arroyo told him not to accept the bribe. But I was disappointed that Neri did not reveal what Mrs. Arroyo said or did after he ratted on Abalos.. However I also believe Abalos when he said that Joey was pursuing him in his office, in Wack Wack, in China , because he (Joey) wanted him (Abalos) to connect him with ZTE Corp. Is someone playing the China Card here? I believe President Arroyo is. No previous president has approved or concluded so many projects with the government of the People�s Republic of China or with Chinese corporations, private or government-owned. The earliest or the most prominent one that I can recall is the agreement she signed in Beijing with her counterpart in the Chinese government, for a joint exploration for oil in the Spratly Islands . This was sometime in mid or late 2004. The Americans, who were apparently not informed beforehand about this agreement, were not happy about it. The Americans want that oil for themselves, or at the very least they do not want that oil to go the Chinese, whom some American strategists view as their next strategic enemy. The Heritage Foundation, one of the three think tanks that advice the neo-con government of George W. Bush, used this oil agreement to label President Arroyo �the weakest leader in Asia .� And I believe the covert US efforts to remove her from power began at this time, including the release of the �Hello Garci� tapes in mid-2005 Since this agreement, President Arroyo�s government has entered into other contracts or agreements with Chinese entities: the North Rail Project, the Laiban dam in Rizal, the Cyber-education project, the 1.24 million hectares for agricultural development, and undoubtedly other contracts or agreements that have not yet been made public. And now the NBN project, for which ZTE Corp has apparently been awarded the contract. It seems to be a deliberate policy of the Arroyo government to seek and establish economic and other ties with the People�s Republic of China . Even the tourism department has targeted China as the main source of tourist arrivals in the future. And who can argue with the reasoning that China is the fastest growing economy in the world and that we should get on the ground floor with them in our own development efforts? Is President Arroyo playing the China Card to win back the good graces of the Americans by making them insecure about her new relationships with the Chinese? If she is, bully for her. It is always good to have more than one suitor stumbling over each other for our hand. But so far, it does not seem to have produced the desired effects President Arroyo�s attempts to a have a private tete-a-tete meeting with George W. Bush, during the APEC meetings in Hanoi in 2006 and in Sydney in 2007, were rebuffed. All GMA got in both gatherings were so-called �pull-over� meetings of five-to-seven inconsequential minutes each. In Hanoi, GMA had a demure sit-down pose for the cameras, withan unsmiling George W standing in the background, not looking at the camera, and looking visibly annoyed that he was being made a prop for someone�s else souvenir photo. It was not any better in Sydney , either, where another �pull-over� meeting lasting a few minutes took the place of the 20-minute one-on-one originally scheduled (but cancelled) with George W. In February 2006, on the 20th anniversary of the Edsa 1 People Power, it was suddenly announced that she was leaving for Washington to deliver a speech before the American Press Club. And, just as suddenly, it was cancelled. What was that all about? I wrote in my article EDSA at 20 (Feb. 21, 2006) that a PR firm hired by Malacanang (was it the venerable Venable?) must have managed to get a speech invitation from the American Press Club (a poor cousin of the more prestigious National Press Club). They must have tried to use this speech date to try and wangle an invitation to the White House, since the APC is also in Washington DC . But when that hoped-for White House invitation failed to materialize, the speech date with the APC was understandably cancelled. So, I think the Americans have not regained their former trust in President Arroyo, and she should stop trying to charm them back. She should continue developing ties with the Chinese, as long as the contracts are transparent and subject to public bidding.. Except on the matter of a national broadband network. In my article A-B-Z-T-E-F-G (Sept. 19), I wrote that that �Why award an NBN contract to a company that is not only a foreign one but one that is owned by a foreign government ( China )?� �Does that not give China an insider�s look into every decision made (or to be made) by every department and every government agency in the country, even on matters involving national security, big-time smuggling, piracy, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, poaching , illegal logging etc in which Chinese nationals � some of whom must be assumed to be government intelligence agents � are often involved�..� I think that on matters involving national security, military and police affairs, it is prudent NOT to award the contract to a Chinese, or an American, firm since both countries have geo-political and geo-strategic designs in this part of the world and would naturally want to pull this country into their respective spheres of influence. It is more prudent and more sensible to bid out the contract to companies from countries that have state-of-the-art telecom technologies but also have no geo-political or geo-strategic designs in this part of world . I am referring to Finland (home of Nokia) and Sweden (home of LM Ericsson) But, of course, I can understand if Philippine public officials do not want to deal with Finland or Sweden . According to the yearly ranking of Berlin-based Transparency International, of 180 countries and territories, Finland is the least corrupt country in the world, and Sweden is the fifth least corrupt country. In other words, neither country nor their corporations are likely to entertain demands from Philippine public officials for over-pricing, kickbacks and illegal commissions. On the other hand, for many years China was adjudged the most corrupt country in Asia in the yearly ranking of Hong Kong based Political and Economic Risks Consultancy Ltd., of 13 countries in Asia . Two or three years ago, Indonesia replaced China in that dubious distinction. This year, the Philippines replaced Indonesia as the most corrupt country in Asia So if a �most corrupt country in Asia� were to waltz with another �most corrupt country in Asia ,� can we expect the saints and the angels to waltz with them? Or will they all scamper for the exits? ***** Reactions to [email protected] or [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com ADVISORY. It has come to my attention that reaction emails sent to my new gmail address are also being bounced. Best to send reactions to both gmail and zpdee addresses simultaneousy. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �The China Card� More Reactions to �Reconciliation� On Rene Saguisag, Taxing OFWs, Political Correctness, and Jose de Venecia�s Liability To tell the truth, it has become a tiresome exercise to read about the goings on in the Philippines : who lied, who bribed, who was bribed, etc. If there is evidence to support all the dismal claims, then by all means let the proper cases be filed against the individuals concerned. Sec. Neri claims that a bribe was offered to him by Abalos. If Abalos is in the government of GMA , and she trusts Neri about his claim, then she should dismiss Abalos. Simple lang yan. But does she want to? Remy Marmole�o, (by email), Sept. 27, 2007 (As head of a constitutional body � Comelec � Abalos cannot be removed by the President. He can only be impeached. But since he has resigned, he can no longer be impeached. However, he can still be charged before the Ombudsman. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Senator Miriam Santiago got it right. It was a quarrel among pimps, because of an apparent double-cross. If those two were in China , they would get a bullet thru the head for out- and -out corruption. All telecom and other high-tech deals should now be done thru Finland and the other Scandinavian countries, to discourage pimping. Why are there so many Pimps ? Onli in da Pilipins, talaga... Sincerely yours, Auggie Surtida, (by email), Tigbauan, Iloilo , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, My question here is why if there was a conspiracy to cheat the Republic of the Philippines of billions of pesos in secret commission, which a very, very serious crime, that until now there is no police investigation as to gather the evidence or probe the allegations? Of course it is a monumental waste of time not only for the Senate, but also for the media to speculate on the case, while the police, are not doing anything. Then after the investigations for possible wrongdoings or criminal actions by the quarreling parties, then the Senate or any legislative can do their own inquiry for finding the defects in the system that lead to this shameful accusations of corruptions and maybe they can figure out legislating appropriate laws to deter anyone from repeating and repeating the same... Regards and may we get better news than these politicians and businessmen trying to outdo each other for a piece of pie.... Victor Sanoy, (by email), Scarborough, Ont. , Canada , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww TOCAYO - YOU ARE A SUPER MAN! THIS ZARZUELA - AS USUAL - A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW WILL SUBLIMATE. ANOTHER STORY WILL COME UP FOR JOURNALISTS-ANALYSTS LIKE YOU TO THINK AND WRITE ABOUT. EVERYONE WILL GET "ABSOLVED" >>> :::---))) I MEAN ABSO"""LUSOT""" PARDON! BUTI PA DOON SA BURMMMAH! ????? (Pero binubugbog naman ng pulis at binabaril ng militar. ACA) Tony Oposa, MD, (by email), Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: This is one time when I simply have to heap "Kudos" on Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. She is one senator who can still detect something fishy through her olfactory organ. I cannot say the same for most of her other colleagues in the Senate or in the House. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers , NY , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww \ You wrote: "Is President Arroyo playing the China Card to win back the good graces of the Americans by making them insecure about her new relationships with the Chinese?" Bobby says: The turkey that makes lion and tiger fight end up delicious dinner for both. Bobby Manasan, (by mail), Burke , Virginia , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Miriam Defensor Santiago merely put into words what all Filipinos above 15 years of age already know: that corruption has become a way of life in the country, most particularly in government. Filipinos are aware of the millions used in election campaign funds and they know that the winning candidates will do everything they can to get back those millions they lost during the election campaign as fast as they can, so that they can begin getting millions into their bottomless pockets. Bravo, Miriam! But I have to ask, "So, what's next?" Miriam should begin an anti-corruption campaign more serious and sincere than that promised by Arroyo when campaigning for the presidency. Miriam should also begin investigating why Arroyo opted for the vice-presidency when it was quite obvious that Malaca�an has always been her goal. Was Arroyo, perhaps, a member of the plot to kick out Erap from Malaca�an if he won the presidency (which he did). How convenient that she was right there in the exact place and the right time when the plotters finally forced out Erap from his position as duly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines . Rosalinda N. Olsen, (by email), Norway , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Broadband to bribeband! Louie Fernandez, (by email), New Jersey , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, This is a very interesting article, and my salute to Miriam for her guts to say what she feels is really happening. So how can we expect the rank and file to be honest when they see all the corruptions that is being committed by all the high ranking officers of our government. When will this end. I hope that this response will get thru, the previous once I sent bounced back. Thank you, Mario Samoy, (by email), San Diego , CA , Sept. 27, 2007 Genzyme Corp. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I sent you two text messages last night including this one that bounced, yet, despite the "unable to send" notices, this one apparently got through. Strange. Anyway, R is allegedly the powerful businessman linked to the NBN deal, according to circulating text messages. You may want to check this out with him for whatever its worth Raffy Alunan, (by email), Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, But don't we still get it? That for at least 60 years the Philippines has been the land of milk and honey of Chinese immigrants? From marriages of convenience to sari-sari stores to huge companies and corporations. The big deals with the Chinese government are just the toppings on the thick crusted pizza pie. Lionel Tierra, (by email), Sacramento , CA , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Yes, Tony. My emails to you last two weeks have bounced. I hope this gets through... then will email again. Roger Olivares, (by email), Atlanta , Georgia , Sept. 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, I agree with you 100%. Everybody wants the Philippines for it's strategic location and natural resources. I agree with you that opening to China entry to our very soul and our most inner secrets, specially in the field of security and finances, through the satelites/wires, we can end up being Zombies to them. With earlier agreements--the North Rail Project (can be derailed), the Laiban dam in Rizal (can over-flow), the Cyber-education project (can corrupt the young Filipino minds), the 1.24 million hectares for agricultural development (can poison us or destroy our minds with insecticides and formalins) --I fear for the lives and minds of every Filipino. (I think they have started destroying our minds through the formalin in the white rabbit candies and the lead in the toys). They can hold us hostage based on what they will know about us through the new project. I fear that we will wake up one morning under the communist rule of China , God forbid. Right now what ordinary mortals like myself can do is to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the hearts and minds of people in the government, starting with GMA. In her desire - I am giving her honesty the benefit of a doubt- to improve our lot, it seems like she is endangering our species. It will be a complete sell-out. Please, help scrap them out, the deals, I mean. I have nothing to comment on the corruptions of whoever is involved. I believe they all are forked-tongued and double-faced . That is their responsibility before God. But if we can have evidences, let us not allow them to go scot-free. Charge them in court, and don�t "waste the people's money in the senate", borrowing Sen. Santiago's own words. Let them sweat in our court. Thank you for sharing your assessment of the situation. Pura Flor Isleta, (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reaction to the statement: "But I do not believe that Joey is an innocent crusader for justice and fair play in this matter, especially since he violated a law forbidding relatives of the president, vice-president, the Senate president and the Speaker of the House from getting involved in contracts with the government." (Antonio Abaya. The Standard Today. September 28, 2007 issue.) If the Senators are really into, or serious about, the investigation of the ZTE deal, then they should show it, because it seems that the investigation is not an investigation about the ZTE deal on the whole, but an investigation to show how corrupt the Arroyo administration is They should be fair in doing the investigation. Yes, the President, Mr. Abalos, Mr. Neri, even the First Gentleman, may have something do with the deal, but it is not only them who should be accountable or should be investigated. There is still one. Since, considering the statement of Mr. Abaya in his column, as supported by law, that no relatives of the president, vice-president, Senate president and the Speaker of the House should not get or be involved in contracts with the government, then Mr. Joey De Venecia should be on equal footing with Mr. Neri, Mr. Abalos, and the rest who are involved, as far as the investigation is concerned. It is apparent that some of the Senators are singling out the old guys. These Senators make it appear that the olds guys are the ones to be blamed and that the young one is the nation's hero. I mean, see who is questioning who. If you are religiously watching the Senate investigation, you know what I am saying. Karlo Aaron C. Respicio, (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I have just opened your article on the China-RP-US connection (It went into the bulk section again.) It just hit me that we might be 'barking up the wrong tree'. Do you think the US Intelligence could be behind the blocking of your website and maybe other sites as well? Maybe we should check first with computer-savvy guys on how interfering/blocking of sites can be done before we cry out. Then see what can be done. Regards, Ma. Mercedes Escoda, (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww First of all, hooray for Senator Miriam Santiago. She is the only one with the balls to call those half-truths and half-lies for what they are. You bet those Chinese had some things more in mind when they take those politicians out for pancit or play golf with them. Am also puzzled about why President Arroyo did nothing more than to say NO to Neri when he told her about the bribe offer from Abalos. The least I would do, given such scenario, is to confront Abalos about it. Maybe we need to press GMA about her stunning silence and inaction. In her husband's words, we should not let her "back off" without saying anything else. On the China deal with ZTE, I understand the contract has been temporarily suspended, whatever that means. I think we need to dig deeper here, find out who brokered this deal, and why Abalos, if reports are true, was placed in that capacity. It sure looks like a case of "double-cross" when we examine the situation in its entirety, with so much gold to mine, and a lot of gold-diggers on the side. If President Arroyo has been forced to deal with China , it's probably not because she wanted to irritate the U.S. with her deals, since she had long lost credibility as a genuine ally of America and, as you reported, has been largely ignored by President Bush. Now she is being hoisted by her own petard, as the old cliche goes. This NBN deal is by means over. A devil waltzing with another devil is not the best thing to see. But it may expose yet those who have been choreographing the dances behind the scenes. Remigio. G. Lacsamana, (by email), Daytona Beach , Florida , Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Your insights and analysis on the "Regime's" China Card are well taken. With the numerous "Bilateral Agreements, Contracts, Protocols and what-have-you", entered into by this regime with China so far, the Western influence--over 300 years under Spain and 50 years under USofA--will be overtaken in just seven (7) years under PGMA-FG influence. This short span in Philippine History, has greater impact than the 1,000-yrs. that "Lim A-Hong" and the rest of the Chinese traders had with our ancestors. Don't you think so? I say this because while in the past they were measured by the ordinary intercourse of commerce between two peoples or civilization, today under this regime, Documented Protocols (or "Deeds of Economic Subjugation"?) are now written, signed and sealed. It is not enough that the local commerce and industry are dominated by our Filipino-Chinese brethren, we have to go to China and mortgage the future of the yet unborn Filipino! In what terms do we measure great Filipino minds? When we think of the Rizals, the Mabinis, the Bonifacios, and Osmena and Quezon even, we are reminded of their self-less concerns for what is "good for the future generations of a people". Today we learn, we are told, that majority of our political leaders are more concerned with how much wealth they can amass in their lifetime. Maybe you can tell us why this is so. Have the Filipino transformed or metamorphosed into such "A selfish fiend" that he no longer feels concern for the rest of us, but himself? Perhaps you, JJM (Who he? ACA) and your other friends can help us "understand" what is happening to us. With great expectations and sincere regards, jjr - a filipino in anguish Jose Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City , Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr Abaya: Ms. Sylvia Mayuga referred me to your column regarding the hacking of your email account. I have a similar incident to relate. I am the lawyer for Capt Nicanor Faeldon and Capt Ruben Guinolbay. Both gentlemen are currently detained in military facilities, the first for the Oakwood incident, the second, for the February 2006 incident. Since the hearings have been heating up, I noticed that many of the emails I have been sending have not been reaching their intended recipients. Later on I also noticed that although the icons would display a notice that I have several new emails, when I opened my account, there would be less than that or no new mails at all. I am preparing to sue for violation of the Human Security Act and the Anti-Wiretapping Act. Trixie Cruz-Angeles , (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You wrote: "The Heritage Foundation, one of the three think tanks that advice the neo-con government of George W. Bush, used this oil agreement to label President Arroyo �the weakest leader in Asia .� And I believe the covert US efforts to remove her from power began at this time, including the release of the �Hello Garci� tapes in mid-2005" No surprise at all. As I said much much earlier-- I see the hands of the CIA in that "Hello Garci " tapes affair. Alexander Po, (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 (My surmise about US covert plots to remove GMA from power, including the Hello Garci tapes, is based on specific events and circumstances in 2005-06, not on generic gut feel about the CIA etc. See my past articles: Junta? Maybe. Erap? No (June 07, 2005) and Uncle Dick and Lolo Abat (Dec. 20, 2005). But you got a detail wrong. The CIA is not the agency that wiretaps friends and foes of the US abroad. It is done by the National Security Agency or NSA. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Heartwarming...reassuring...tough-speaking Tony Abaya! Bravissimo! Yes, I not only agree, but constantly adulate you and your erudition and thoroughness. And your email feedback "forum" is a-growing, my friend. And most do write and make good sense too. So, you have serious Filipinos and foreigners after the common good and the ethical way of life. They finally found a thinking leader...not a hands on gun-oriented dodo. Tony Joaquin, (by email), Daly City , CA , Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Both men are guilty as far as I am concerned. While I agree with Miriam, it is the duty of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to stop the unmitigating passion to mortgage the future of unborn Filipinos who will shoulder those kickbacks. I wonder if thy can bring their huge fortunes to hell with their soul . May be they could bribe Satan or St. Peter. All our elected public officials don't believe in their sacred preamble of our constitution ! Vic del Fierro, (by email)), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mr. Abaya, I agree with your assessment of the controversies hounding this administration. But I want to add that the Angelo dela Cruz hostage drama added to the current American administration�s displeasure with our president. Our politicians, especially the senators, are also aware of this and they are taking advantage of the situation. And, maybe, America is taking advantage of them, too. Dan Pena, (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I read somewhere the position of Joey de Venevia III that he did not violate any law since his offer was for a BoT. So you may want to check if a BoT project with the Philippine Government exempt them from the ruling on relatives of public officials not getting involved. But whatever it is, relatives like Joey de Venecia should not be involved in any contracts with the government. The big question mark is why not let the telcos like PLDT-SMART, Globe or Bayantel do it at "No Cost" to Government. They are already into with their infrastructure - backbone or whatever - and they can do it better. There will be no capital expenditures (capex) on the government side and No Loan to add to the public debt! So it is just obvious that the government broadband deal is just to make money for those in positions of power at the expense of the Filipino people. That simple! Regards. Ric Ramos, (by email), Santa Rosa , Laguna, Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww For your info, Joey de Venetia has already been dealing with ZTE, as his previous company, with brand name Broadband, was bought from them. He sold it to Anscor, et. al. Jane Banzhaf, (by email), Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Copy furnished) But, �in fairness� (that much abused word again!) many of the issues you mentioned can not be solved in one term by anyone even in normal times (Read: absence of destabilizing factors) considering what we call �due process� (justice system) and the free wheeling freedom enjoyed (abused?) by our media that whoever is at the helm will have to grapple with. I think even Mayor Alfredo S. (for salvage?) Lim -Kuan Yew will surely have a hard time and, am afraid, may just become a target for �termination with maximum prejudice� by some political warlords (with a military culture?). I voted for Lim against Estrada, etc (even with the late Haydee Yorac�s caution that Lim is �very much pulis na pulis ang dating� when I asked her privately after a pre-election forum held in UST where I was in the panel representing NAMFREL) because I felt even then that we really needed a strong no-nonsense character to enforce reform. I am inclined to agree with the idea of Tony Abaya that we need another revolutionary situation to overhaul the state machinery by throwing out the rascals and barnacles among our civil servants. For me EDSA 1 and 2 were successful �mechanisms� for electoral recall, that we could have taken advantaged of and sustained to fast track reform. But Estrada�s successor (forget that nonsense about illegitimacy) came apparently with a heavy conjugal baggage that made her successful governance improbable (again, �in fairness�). What can we do from here? Well, the Ang Kapatiran Party is I think on the right track but will need a Herculean effort to build a critical mass of truly selfless agents for change for an overhaul of our value system. If only our boisterous media practitioners can see and think beyond their bloated egos and the commercial nature of their undertaking. Vamos a ver� Ed J. Tirona, (by email), BF Homes, Paranaque City , Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Antonio, What a bloody excellent article. Thanks heaps Doug Adam, (by email), Sept. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) Hi, Pura, thanks for sharing the below article. I do believe that GMA is treading on dangerous grounds. As Mr. Abaya mentioned, China is the seat of corruption in Asia . (That came from Sen. Miriam Santiago, not from me. ACA) This is a callous nation which only thinks in terms of profit - damn the rest of the world as long as they are the ones to gain. Here in Canada , a lot of Chinese imported products, from toothpaste, pet food and children's toys, to name a few, are being recalled due to chemical contaminations. Dogs and cats here who consumed pet foods imported from that country have died by the hundreds. Children's toys, cribs, etc., contain leaded paints. The Chinese are so profit-oriented that they do not care for the welfare of humankind. Indeed, they cannot be trusted. For GMA and her cohorts to put their complete trust on this nation is the height of stupidity. They are putting the Filipino people in peril. You have due cause for alarm. Because of its growing economy, China is fast becoming a world power to contend with. It is not a far-fetched notion that it may someday spread its tentacles not only across Asia but across the whole world. Lord, deliver us from that ominous day!!! I will pray that the minds of the Philippine leaders may be enlightened to recognize the guiles and hidden machinations of the enemies before it is too late. I will also pray that the Filipino repudiate this growing "intimacy" between the nation and China by activism. Lobby the members of the Philippine Congress, tap the media. The Filipinos are well-known in the world for activism. Remember the EDSA Revolution? If ever there is a due cause for one, this is it!!! Regards and God bless you and our beloved country. Monina Solevilla, (by email), Canada , Sept. 28, 2007 P.S. I may now be a Canadian citizen. But my heart sitll beats and my blood still flows Filipino. Nobody can take that away from me. So, there! wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, The article is good, however, I must disagree on the supposed falling out between Dubya and Mrs. Arroyo. It was Dubya who was quick to confirm the recognition of Mrs Arroyo in 2001, just minutes after Erap supposedly 'resigned' his presidency. And it was Dubya (together with CNN) who painted Erap as a warmonger; fighting against the 'freedom fighters of the Abu Sayyaf'. I must agree to the Pinoy-Chinese connection, no sane European from Finland and Sweden would dare be seen in the company of Chavit, Abalos, et al. Robbie Tan, (by email), Oct. 01, 2007 (You�re talking about 2001. I�m talking about 2004-2006. It would be na�ve to think that something Dubya said pro forma in 2001 bound him forever to GMA. And, contrary to your claim, neither Dubya nor CNN regarded the Abu Sayyaf as �freedom fighters.� If they had, why did the US send several hundred troops to Basilan, to help Filipinos hunt down the Abu Sayyaf? And why did the US Embassy give out more than a million pesos in reward money to informers who had given information that led to the death of Kumander Abu Sabaya and Kumander Robot of the Abu Sayyaf? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Reconciliation� (Sept. 18, 2007) The greatest mistake that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will make in herpPresidency is to grant Erap absolute pardon. This is will be the Beginning of the End of GMA if she ever does it. Tapos na siya. She will lose whatever popular support left that she still has. I can take the 'Hello Garci' and ZTE NBN scandals, but not - NEVER - an absolute pardon to Erap. This is a great travesty of justice! Ric Ramos, (by email), Santa Rosa , Laguna, Sept. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thanks a lot for your incisive analysis and for sharing your feedback. Pepe Abueva, (by email), Sept. 29, 2007) President, Kalayaan Colleg Past president, University of the Philippines wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I hope the Estrada conviction (and pardon) is not another Lutong Macao. Virgilio Gonzales, (by email), Connecticut , Sept. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The problem of Philippine Society is JUSTICE. It is controlled by powerful politicians specially by the President who appoints all judges and prosecutors. Justice has a weak foundation because the Judicial Branch of the government does not enjoy or allow direct sovereign voting support of the Public unlike the other government branches. Voting support by the people in justice is essential in order to counter-balance the controlling power of the President and other politicians in justice. Currently, support in justice is always made dependent upon the whims of those who run the government which we call the "Republic of the Philippines ". And what is a "Republic" by the way? It is just a fancy name of the "community" of public servants including the President. The people are made to believe that the Republic is the lord of them all and therefore every Filipino should bow to it. But the trouble with the servants and politicians that presently compose the Republic is that they control justice first for their own personal benefit such as hoarding and collecting billions of pork barrels and "intelligence funds" which are spent by servants who are lacking in intelligence in serving the Public. To prevent the Republic from abusing the Public, it is therefore imperative that the Public, the Sovereign People, be given a deciding voice in justice which they have that sovereign right under Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution. This can be achieved by instituting the Grand Jury and Trial Jury Systems that will greatly speed up administration of justice. Through the Grand Jury system, the people will be enabled to directly and secretly investigate and indict in court ANY corrupt public servant without the need of asking permission by an ombudsman or government prosecutor. The Trial Jury System will further enable the people with supervision by a judge to decide for themselves whether to convict (or acquit) an accused corrupt official. By these systems, justice will become dependent upon the will of the people and not under the will of politicians. A complete draft of the proposed Jury Systems Rules has already been submitted to Chief Justice Puno by this writer. This writer urges the Public to file a petition before the Supreme Court to promulgate the Jury System. Any interested party may email this writer by giving his mailing address to request for a CD containing the proposed rules including the draft of the petition. His email is: [email protected] . Marlowe Camello, (by email), Homeland, CA, Sept. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww That article by Marlowe Camello, (on Erap�s Unconstitutional Conviction) in his reaction to Erap's conviction seems to show that he has not read the Philippine Constitution well enough to know that, unlike its American counterpart which expressly provide trial by jury, our constitution does not provide trial by jury for crimes committed against the State. The article also shows it does not know that the sovereignty of the people is exercised by the people voted into power, who then appoint the judges to the independent judiciary. Edmundo Ledesma, (by email), Oct. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww About this presidential pardon, Mr. Abaya wrote that Erap should not be given pardon, to which I absolutely agree. Mr. Abaya�s article elicited a reaction from a letter-writer thus, �The conviction of Estrada is a first in our history. Even if Estrada is never sent to a real prison, it is a good sign that some form of justice is still alive in our country. We are a forgiving people � that is our weakness and that is also our strength. We believe in divine mercy and divine justice.� What caught my attention was the letter-writer�s reference to a supposed divine mercy, which is pure wishful thinking and I assert, part of the very issue at hand, the same corrupted system that produced Erap - the corrupted moral ethics of our people as supported by Catholic hogwash. Believing in a just merciful god and imagined divine mercy skews our sense of justice and contributes dearly to why corruption in our country is practically a way of life - it sends out the message that corruption pays since they can always ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. Just look at Imelda. Our people already forgave her even as she still flouts her wealth acquired systematically through two decades of the same thing Erap has been convicted of. This questionable moral system is perpetuated mainly by the Catholics such that our people�s sense of justice is based more on forgiveness and wishful thinking than deterring kleptocrats from plundering the public coffers. Because of this belief of eternal justice and divine mercy, our people are a lot more willing to forgive, forget what happened, and move on since their imaginary god is supposed to mete out whatever is the most just punishment in the after-life. In this sense I agree with the letter-writer that our people�s forgiving nature make our nation weak. That the letter-writer also said that it�s also our strength is debatable. This Christian teaching of mercy and justice, if we are to really get serious about it, should impel us to repeal the laws and abolish the law-enforcement agencies altogether since god will punish offenders, yes? Or better, they can wake up from their daydreaming and embrace real social justice by going after the rest of the looting gang and putting them behind bars. Tony Basa, (by email), Oct. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Despite the government�s good statistics on the economy, more people continue to wallow in poverty, hunger and disease, joblessness at an all-time high, and corruption stalking all sectors in government. There is nothing more for GMA to discern but to be morally courageous and patriotic enough step down for the good of the country and people . This is the implication of her call for unity and reconciliation for her to give way to a caretaker government that will clean the dirt of our traditional political system after which a new constitutional government will be set up where she can vie again for national leadership. I firmly believe that this is the best service that GMA can give to the people and fulfill her dream of being a good President. Maj. Gen. Fortunato U. Abat (Ret), (by email), Oct. 03, 2007. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww On Rene Saguisag Mr Abaya --- I beg to differ with Aurora Pijuan who pointed to Rene Saguisag as one politician who has not enriched himself while in public office. I recall how refreshing it was to read, during Cory's time, the list of assets given by various officials in her Cabinet in which Saguisag stood at the end of the rankings, showing some piddling amount in his bank account. But that reputation, in my estimation, came crashing down when he became Erap's lawyer. How someone supposedly so upright could offer his services for the defense of a scoundrel is beyond me. Isabel Escoda, (by e-mail), Hong Kong , Sept. 23, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww On Taxing OFWs ' I was incensed to read Mr, Serrano"s hypocritical suggestion to have OFW pay income tax to the Philippine government. IS HE FOR REAL?...I think he is grossly misinformed on how OFWs are taxed in their respective jobs." They have been enjoying tax free income for years?''....Methinks Mr Serrano does not work at all, probably supported by his family...so he is not aware of income taxes paid by OFW' I hope the Philippine Congress has enough brain not to enact a stupid suggestion like this. "This small gesture will take a very short way to someone�s pocket''....Wake up, man!.. I love your response, Mr. Abaya..........thanks for enlightening the uninformed. Don't those bosses or supervisors pay income tax in their positions, business owners? Enlighten me, please. Thank you, Teddi Wender, (by email), .Ontario, Canada , Sept. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww On Political Correctness Regarding the comment from Isabel Escoda of Hong Kong: "But then there's all that political correctness in the U.S. , which in many cases distorts the truth.". The implication that "political correctness" in the US is across the board phenomena or conservative is utterly incorrect. "Political Correctness" is purely a product of the left/liberal, democrat elements of the political spectrum. It originated in the "liberal" halls of academia and was intended to provide a subjective and administrative mechanism for suppressing conservative and libertarian philosophies and opinions. It is by its nature fascistic and oppressive. I frequently see bumper stickers that say "Politically Incorrect, and proud of it". Most such folks are strict constitutional constructionists and subscribe to the political philosophies of the true American liberals... the radical and revolutionary founding fathers who wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist and anti-Federalist Papers, the Articles of Confederation, the constitutions of the original 13 states, the United States Constitution and the first ten constitutional amendments commonly called the Bill of Rights. John Long, (by email), Seattle , Washington , Sept. 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww On Jose de Venecia�s Liability Despite Malaca�ang's junking of the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project, House Speaker Jose De Venecia is still "ethically liable" for allowing his son and namesake, Jose De Venecia III, to make an unlawful and unsolicited bid for the venture, private lawyer Roel Pulido said Friday. "The Speaker remains legally and ethically liable for permitting, even abetting his son's bid to corner a government contract, in direct and blatant violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act," Pulido stressed. Pulido made the statement shortly after the Speaker said he and his son and felt "vindicated" by Malaca�ang's dumping of the NBN project that was supposed to be installed by China 's ZTE Corp. Through Amsterdam Holdings Inc. (AHI), which he controlled, the younger De Venecia had sought but failed to bag the project. "The Speaker definitely has a lot of explaining to do as to why he allowed and even apparently encouraged his son to make an uninvited bid for the NBN," Pulido said. This, apart from the fact that the Speaker awarded his son's firm, Multi-Media Telephony Inc. (MTI), a lucrative congressional franchise while he was the House leader in 1995, Pulido said. "We are absolutely convinced that there is more than enough cause to hale the Speaker before the (House) ethics panel," said Pulido, who filed a "breach of ethics" complaint against the Speaker on Sept. 21. "As far as we're concerned, the Speaker and his son have already been committed grave legal and ethical infractions, for which they must now be held accountable," Pulido added. Pulido played down Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales' concern that the House may not be able to tackle the complaint because the Speaker's alleged ethical transgressions, with respect to MTI's franchise, were committed in a prior Congress. Gonzales earlier noted that under existing House rules, only alleged violations committed by a House member in the incumbent Congress may be investigated by the ethics panel. Pulido, however, pointed out that the "crime" of the younger De Venecia "was a continuing one." "The offense began with MTI, and then with AHI. He did not stop after securing MTI's franchise in the 9th Congress. Using his supposed expertise acquired thru Broadband Philippines, he proceeded to try to corner the NBN contract," Pulido said. "In fact, the younger De Venecia continued to seek the nullification of the government contract obtained his competitor (ZTE), while his father continued to publicly endorse the son, until lately when they belatedly realized they may be held criminally liable for their actions," Pulido said. "So the grant of MTI's franchise may have been in a prior Congress, but the Speaker's toleration of his son's crime continues up to now. He has not even lifted a finger to stop his son, much less prosecute him. So the two causes of action continue to exist," Pulido said. Raul Pulido, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |