| Contemplating 2010
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Feb. 17, 2009 For the Standard Today, February 18 issue The latest public opinion surveys that I have seen, from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia, seem to validate each other, namely that the 2010 presidential elections will largely be between five or six individuals. The SWS survey, conducted from November 28 and December 1, showed Vice-President Noli de Castro getting the nod of 31 percent of respondents as "the best leader to succeed President Arroyo in 2010." Senators Loren Legarda and Manny Villar trailed him in second and third places, with 28 and 27 percent respectively. Senator Francis Escudero was in fourth place with 19 percent, followed by Senator Panfilo Lacson (14 percent), former President Joseph Estrada (11 percent) and Senator Mar Roxas (10 percent). Others were: Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando (both at 2 percent each); Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Senator Francis Pangilinan, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, Sen. Ralph Recto, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri (one percent each). Seven percent of respondents could not give an answer, and 12 percent had no one to recommend. (What's the difference?) In the Pulse Asia survey, conducted from October 14 to 27, 2008, Sen. Escudero and Sen.Legarda enjoyed "big trust" from the respondents, followed by Sen. Roxas (67 percent), Sen. Villar (59), Sen. Lacson (51), Mayor Binay (45), ex-president Estrada (48), VP De Castro (48), Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (29), Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno (29), House Speaker Prospero Nograles (22), etc... Strictly speaking, the Pulse Asia survey was not a presidential survey. It was further made unnecessarily complicated by inserting the element of "small trust" as opposed to "big trust." I hope the next Pulse Asia survey will be more straightforward and ask the simple question asked by SWS: "who is the best leader to succeed President Arroyo?" At this stage, 15 months before the elections, the leading candidates are, in alphabetical order: De Castro, Escudero, Lacson, Legarda, Roxas, Villar, with Estrada and Sen. Richard Gordon as possible dark horses. Jojo Binay and Bayani Fernando should follow the lead of Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte and fold away their presidential tents. So should Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Evangelist Eddie Villanueva. They are simply not in the radar screen of most voters and pursuing the presidential goal any further would be a total waste of their time and money.. Legarda and Escudero are competing against each other for the presidential nomination of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) of Danding Cojuangco and his new silent business partners in the San Miguel Corp, rumored to be Mike and Gloria Arroyo. If and when this connection becomes public knowledge, as in time it will, their ratings are likely to drop significantly. Noli de Castro has been the perennial top presidential contender in most surveys. But it has been recently revealed, and De Castro has admitted, that his campaign (for VP) in 2004 was financed by Businessman Celso de los Angeles, founder and chairman of the Legacy group of companies which have fallen from grace in recent months because of alleged questionable transactions. If and when the details of these transactions become public knowledge, as in time they will, Noli's ratings are likely to drop significantly. As for Manny Villar, his involvement in a questionable property that he bought in Paranaque has not been fully aired. For reasons of their own, media have not graphically shown the location of this property in relation to the proposed extension of the C-5 highway whose alignment was apparently changed to benefit the development of the new Villar property. A simple graphic comparison of the C-5 alignment, before and after Villar purchased said property, would tell at a glance if the man can be trusted with the highest office. As for Erap Estrada, a convicted plunderer does not have the moral ascendancy to aspire for the presidency again, and certainly would not be eligible for that office in other, more morally upright societies. But then, of course, the Philippines is not a morally upright society, being the only country to contribute two (Marcos and Erap) � and possibly soon, a third (GMA) � entries in the List of the Ten Most Corrupt Leaders in the World in the Guinness Book of World Records. The long and short of it is that Mar Roxas and Dick Gordon seem to have the least vulnerabilities among the current contenders, Panfilo Lacson being still shackled by the allegations against him by Victor Corpus and Mary Ong, all still unproven, as are his own allegations against Mike Arroyo and Jose Pidal. The basic flaw in Roxas and Gordon may be that, like the other contenders, they have been in the political game far too long to create the excitement that the harried and hapless voters, especially among the jaded middle-class, are instinctively looking for to feel that their votes are going to make a difference in the creation of a New Philippines There are many groups of concerned Filipinos, both here and abroad, trying their best to raise the level of political discourse, among them Harvey Keh's Kaya Natin, out to field senatorial candidates of unquestionable integrity and competence, and Nandy Pacheco's Ang Kapatiran, focused on searching for the most selfless candidates for municipal councils nationwide Perhaps it is too early in the game. Perhaps there really is a dearth of exciting presidential contenders. Perhaps there is just too much cynicism all around. Perhaps the feeling that this country is hopeless is afflicting more and more Filipinos as the Lakas-CMD and the Kampi continue their backroom maneuvers to keep President Arroyo in power beyond 2010, by hook or by crook, by fair means and foul. But as we head for 2010, the Need of the Hour is for a visionary president who can excite the Filipinos and sweep them off their feet, as Ramon Magsaysay did in 1953, but with the intelligence and the political acumen to conceptualize, articulate and implement innovative modules of governance that will unleash their long dormant creative energies. If our political system, because of its many inherent flaws, is incapable of finding such an individual, then we should seriously consider junking it and replacing it with a revolutionary transition for at least three years, so as to make possible a new and better system for choosing our leaders. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Contemplating 2010� �CJ Puno defended Martial Law� �An Emergency Powers Act� �Asch�s Theory of Conformity� �Death Squads Terrorize Davao� �A Flailing Democracy� Dear Mr. Abaya: This is with reference to your column of February 19, 2009, Contemplating 2010. In your column, you made mention of our Ulat ng Bayan October 2007 trust ratings of national political personalities, including those who have been touted, declared or considered as possible presidential candidates for the 2010 elections. We are thankful that you have included these data in the column. However, in the same column you wrote that "Strictly speaking, the Pulse Asia survey is not a presidential survey. It is further made unnecessarily complicated by inserting the element of "small trust" as opposed to "big trust." I hope the next Pulse Asia survey will be more straightforward and ask the simple question asked by SWS: "Who is the best leader to succeed President Arroyo?" The Pulse Asia public trust findings you allude to are really not intended to probe the public's presidential preferences. They are simply a gauge of the confidence that our adult citizenry have in several notable personalities and groups or institutions, whether they be public officials or private citizens, government agencies, private sector companies or other civil society groups. We do have specific 2010 electoral probes � presidential, vice presidential, as well as senatorial vote preferences and other public sentiments relating to the possibility of aborted elections [I have attached a copy of the Media Release] -- in our October 2007 Ulat ng Bayan survey (and all earlier surveys). The question on presidential preferences is a standard international probe. It reads: "Of the people in this list, whom would you vote for as President of the Philippines if the elections of 2010 were held today and they were presidential candidates?" The response to this question validates your analysis that the 2010 presidential elections will be a contest between five leaders. Kindly note, though, that we underscored that Filipinos still do not have a clear choice for the post of president in the May 2010 elections with five probable contenders registering almost the similar overall voter preferences (13% to 18%) working with the standard probe item. Given your keen interest in public opinion polls, we would be including you in our mailing list so that you could regularly receive our media releases. These media releases discuss the major findings in our regular Ulat ng Bayan survey. Upon release, they are also uploaded to our website at http://www.pulseasia.com.ph. In the case of the results of our presidential election probe last October, the brief media release had been posted on our website. I hope this letter will correct your impression that Pulse Asia has not conducted a presidential survey. Thank you very much for your kind attention. Please feel free to email or contact us (9270028/09189335497) if we may be of any help. Very truly yours, Ronald D. Holmes, (by email), Feb. 20, 2009 President, Pulse Asia, Inc. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: Your closing solution to our Philippine politics by 2010 should be elaborated further in your next article, as you elaborated how your list of presidentiables would win or lose in this forthcoming election. What is revolutionary government in your own definition? Should it be run by the leftist, centrist, or rightist? You must have been tired and sleepy already when you suggested this revolutionary government that you were suggesting. Because if you were to remember, the administrations of Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had both recipes of revolutionary government. And how did these two administrations made a difference in the transition of government to lead it to government for progress and reforms? Jess Guim, (by email), New York City, Feb. 21, 2009 (I have been advocating a revolutionary government in this space since 2002. I prefer a centrist-rightist coalition for the simple reason that a leftist revolutionary government would easily be taken over by the local Maoists of Joma Sison whose model society � Maoist China � under a one-party state, with monopoly of power to the Communist party, has been shown to be a failure. (True, Cory Aquino led a revolutionary government from Feb. 1986 to Sept. 1987, but she made the mistake of mixing leftists, rightists and centrists in her Cabinet, in a naive effort to please everyone, but she ended up displeasing everyone. (President Gloria Arroyo never led a revolutionary government. She was elevated to the presidency on the ruling of the Supreme Court that her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, had �constructively resigned,� thus paving the way for VP Arroyo to constitutionally succeed to the presidency, after military generals had withdrawn their support from Estrada. If anything, it was a military coup, disguised as People Power Edsa 2) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: I nominate Willie Wong, former FOIC, Philippine Navy. He did not only preach integrity and competence in the Navy, he lived and breathed it. Other than him, how about Ed Panlilio of Pampanga? If he can buck GMA in her bailiwick, he must be one hell of a guy. The caveat, of course, in finding a new, invigorating and inspiring leader is the level of political maturity the Filipino voters posses. Are they over the charismatic movie star image? Erap still being considered by at least 10% does not bode well. And so is the pronouncement from Bong Revilla that he is considering VP if Jinggoy is not going to run. Dan Jimenez, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 Dan, Mel & Jim wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Among the contending presidentiables, I am inclined to favor Sen. Flash Dick Gordon. I don�t know him from Adam and he does not come from our region, but I have watched his performance both as a Cabinet man, as an activist like Obama, a tested Constitutionalist, a sincere community organizer/leader, Mr. WOW ambassador, have helped save Subic/Clark from the bases pull-out and fall-out from Yankee's R&R, Red Cross leader and volunteer, Disaster fighter, no record of graft and corruption so far that I know, voted TOYM in the previous year, as a Chair of the Senate blue-ribbon committee I consider him the most articulate point man in the Senate�s current batch.. I do not believe, as you have described him, to be too long in politics not to be considered as the most qualified for good governance and man of integrity. If the only criteria is the length of service in public service, then this is more of his strength than a weakness which WE, all the intelligent and patriotic citizens must elevate to the consciousness not only of the few knowledgeable but as well as to the majority masa, with the aid of the mass media and perhaps with the help of the religious institutions who claims moral leadership and value formation to influence their common aspiration of the electorate. Jojie Umali, (by email), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: That Mar and Dick are the least tainted of the 2010 presidentiables is a point we agree on. And if the Blue Ribbon Committee does well in the WB report hearings - and then Gordon bolts the GMA ranks, it could make Gordon a real option. But what really makes your recent piece worthwhile is its conclusion. There's not much to hope for in the present system, making a 3-year revolutionary transition government preferable. Beware the Ides of March! Tito Osias, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww How to Choose a President Our problem in choosing the next president is simply that it costs a lot of money to win an election. Even assuming that we can find, or by some miracle someone would emerge with all the qualities that make for a good president, how can he win against all the moneyed others? A revolutionary leader? God help us if with all the power and money he mutates into the likes of Marcos and Arroyo. Filipinos have a peculiar way of solving a problem. We pray and pray, we invoke the help of all the saints in heaven, but we also resort to some mischief to get what we want. So, I suggest that, being a catholic country, we bend the rules a little, and use religion as a means of getting popular support, to elect a bishop or a priest as president. Then, the best brains in the country can be recruited to help him lead us all out of the hell that we are presently roasting in. The Kapampangans did it in the case of Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio. Let�s do the same for the entire country. We have had enough of deviltry, haven�t we? Amado Cabaero, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww With so many candidates running for the same position - the only winner here would be the candidate with the resources to cheat. The lesser number of candidates in the running, the better for all of us because it is the diversity and number of candidates that unable this country to be united on anything for that matter. Votes would be scattered amongst all of the candidates and the candidate with the available resources to cheat will definitely win and frankly, I've had enough of the past administrations. What should be a benchmark in picking the "lesser of all evils" candidate is the ability of that person to be honest [which is.... what?], the ability of that person to say NO to paying back "utang na loob" and putting cronies in vital agencies [which is also d-uh in this country], and the moral ascendancy of that person to earn the rightful position as PRESIDENT of this country..... [which is all together shot so who else is left???] That person should have a sincere God-conscious desire to SERVE this country but all want to be served first so that too has gone to the dogs. Small inherent traits like prudence, tactfulness, sensitivity, compassion, empathy, honesty, sincerity, transparency, justice, a sense of properly placed servitude, honor, humility and a strong spine - should be the quality and traits of a deserving candidate and not the number of diplomas or universities they attended in their lifetime. Since most of the concurrent ones don't even have a fear of God in them, maybe we should bring that one back as well. Because had they had any fear of the Almighty - would our country be in such a mess to begin with? I don't think so. It would be a wild topic in heaven once they all face the Almighty and He asks them what the heck did they do with their opportunities on Earth to better the lives of people they were supposed to serve... I wonder what their answers would be. There are so many Obama-wanna-be's in the running, promising change and all that mimicking Obama speeches but heck - until they get their acts together, get a real to goodness honest and sincere candidate up there who the populace can believe and pins their hopes on - I simply don't see any candidate who fits the template of a good President for this country. It�s sad that we, the people, have to settle for the next best thing even if the candidate isn't even ideal for the country's top position. Are there any other candidates we can choose from?? Best regards, Jenifer Xavier, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, You are right, to me the toss up would be between Roxas and Gordon, as they are the least "sinners," so to speak. But Roxas has the upper hand as his political baggage which is too elite would be a plus factor in terms of finances. And these was what kills the late Sen. Raul Roco as during the campaign to the provinces, he has to take the commercial transportation as he refused the help of the likes of Lucio Tan. And Gordon has to bite this arrangement which would make him beholden to these people once elected. Roxas does not need this kind of people as they have their own, besides in the issue of dynasty, Roxas has none to show, hence corruption would be less likely, while Gordon has his wife who was once one time the mayor of Olongapo when Gordon run for a national office. My own personal analysis though. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww We need a visionary leader with a clean heart and who can keep his hands just as clean. and we should have only two presidential candidates. But beyond the candidates, or more than having the right ones (to give us a choice between good and better and therefore without a 3rd option that is bad), we need new voters who can choose well, and we need campaigners who can change the voters' minds and attitudes so that votes will not be sold -- by money, favor, or intimidation. It takes two to tango. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Thank you for sending to me your write-up. It came to me ahead by Patrick Pantaleon the youth group that are now involved in the shaping and inculcating that youth must open their mind, to be at the front in preparing the political scenario in the Philippines. In that shared and forwarded of this article, I shared my personal opinion of who is in the survey list I think has the vision. Because, just to read the names of the protagonists everyone has question how they perceived these people. In the overall picture of each and everyone of them nobody is immaculate. Talking about the vision, the only person stands out with the vision is Sen Richard Gordon. I watched and recorded the Senate proceeding during the phasing-out of the American bases in the Philippines. I was very angry with ERAP, for the ONLY reason was there was NO ALTERNATIVE to the jobs and works for 1million Filipinos directly connected with the bases and the 7million Filipinos benefitting with the indirect business in the bases. Then in there, only RICHARD GORDON and all his VOLUNTEERS secured the SUBIC BAY. The Subic Bay Naval Base is intact everything in it. While CLARK AIR BASE, NOBODY SECURED THE AREA, THERE WAS A FREE FOR ALL IN THE CLARK AIR BASE. RICHARD GORDON'S VISION FOR THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBALES the KIND OF VISION that can be translated into other means, VOLUNTEERISM is in the blood of the YOUTH and as the BLOOD AND GENE COME from the OLDER ONES. IN THE ONSET, THE FIERCE ENEMY IS GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, ONE PRESIDENT INSTITUTIONALIZED GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, NOW THE PRESENT IN POWER NOT ONLY USE THE INSTITUTION BUT USE THE MASTERS, PHDS AND THE ART OF FAMOUS MAGICIANS IN GRAFT AND CORRUPTIONS. FORMER PRESIDENT, THE FATHER, OF THE ONE IN POWER NOW HAD THE (EEA) Emergency Employment Administration or the Emergency Employment Agency is the first KURAKUTAN that I knew. It was just a kindergarden status but nationwide in effect to compare what is going on NOW! Tony Villan, (by email), Milan, Italy, Feb. 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I am surprised that I have not seen the name of Rudolfo Biazon as one of the candidates for president in the coming elections. On ANC this morning, I heard Biazon defending the passage of the proposed Reproductive Health Bill in the Senate against the stand of the CBCP. I admire Biazon for this. Only because of this already, he deserves to be a presidentiable, before anybody else. If I were allowed to vote I would cast my vote for Rudolfo Biazon for President. Unfortunately, I am not, because I am still a 'foreigner'. Arnold van Vugt, (by email), Cagayan de Oro City, Feb. 23, 2009 Dutch resident of Mindanao wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I just can't understand why a big chunk of Filipinos (31% per SWS) still think that Noli de Castro " as the best leader to succeed President Arroyo in 2010 " considering that he is identified with that "evil" "bitch" and if elected will definitely protect her and the rest of the greedy group to another corruption bonanza. Most Filipinos are upset on the gravity of corruption prevailing in the country but do they know that among the issues raised against Noli de Castro in the 2004 election was his "extortion" practices as a member of the media. There is also the question of his involvement in the Pag-ibig funds. People should ask how rich he is now and what are his sources of income. Lastly, Filipinos being predominantly Christians, do they know that Noli de Castro is a convert to Islam, allegedly to avoid prosecution for concubinage? [email protected], Feb. 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, here's an addendum to my previous letter containing additional information on Noli de Castro as disclosed by a Malaya columnist. "Noli De Castro admits that Delos Angeles financed his 2004 vice presidential campaign, caused the printing of his campaign materials, and even bought a tabloid to help sell him to voters. So, immediately after De Castro assumed the vice presidency, he promptly endorsed De los Angeles as head of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC). By paying a political debt to De los Angeles, De Castro not only epitomized everything despicable about traditional politics. De Castro also helped De los Angeles lure more unsuspecting investors and depositors into putting their money in Legacy. How does the Vice President connect to the Legacy mess by his acceptance of the 2004 election funding from Delos Angeles and his endorsement of the businessman to NHMFC? Simple. When De Castro endorsed De los Angeles, he vouched for the latter's integrity, leading people to conclude that De los Angeles and his Legacy Group must be clean for having been given a seal of approval by De Castro, no matter how indirectly. In fact, although Noli had no qualms dropping De los Angeles like a hot potato, it may not have been because of complaints to Gloria Arroyo that Celso was the worst thing to happen to her housing program, we hear that the two friends had already reached a state of enmity over a pretty young thing. Of course, the TV talent chose the more powerful of the two (and refused to return the jewelry that the other gave her as gifts). How ironic that they were both working in the Pag-ibig program. Ang pag-ibig nga naman!" Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, Feb. 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Generally the poll results and credibility are based on questions the pollsters asked and the perceptions of respondents. The result of the two polls you mentioned not only posed vague and general questions making the results suspects and unscientific and less credible at best. Having said that, no wonder Castro and Legarda are ahead of the pack due to their previous backgrounds as newscasters and therefore more recognizable personalities. Which begs the question as to why they are running in the first place and what have they accomplished these last few years? Looking from outside of the box they are unknowns to us living here the US. Entertainment personalities do not rate much as far as we concerned. I hate to belittle our people but, for God sake why does Erap even get a vote considering he was impeached and accused of plundering the treasury of the country. What do the masses not understand that Erap is a bad guy. The world knows he is a bad guy. Don't the Filipino masses understand what image they are sending out to the world? Are they glutton for punishment or just plain dumb? I don't know the leadership and credibility of the probable candidates. I have met Gordon here in the states. He strikes me as sincere, has leadership qualities with fresh ideas. I would like to see Governor Panlilio run. Here is an idea: With Filipinos having dual citizenships, having the ability and funds to getting involved with more practical approach to put a good person to the presidency, we expatriates could play a major role to determine the next president. There are millions of Filipinos now living in foreign countries. We can organize and play havoc at the status quo there and change the lutong macao of electing presidents . What do you think Tony? Keep up the good work. Thank you for your informative and cerebral challenging articles. God bless. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Rocklin, CA, Feb. 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww CJ Puno defended Marcos Martial Law Civic and religious leaders planning to install Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno to the presidency in 2010 ought to rethink their political strategy because the track record of Puno as the defender of the martial law regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos will haunt him in the campaign trail. This was the revelation made by Louis �Barok� Biraogo, the public interest advocate who is accusing the Chief Justice of committing an irregularity in the resolution of an election case involving Negros Oriental solon Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong. �It seems that people have forgotten that Chief Justice Puno was the assistant solicitor general who defended the excesses of the authoritarian regime of President Marcos,� Biraogo said in a symposium in Quezon City organized by student groups. �We must never forget that awful chapter in Philippine history when human rights were sacrificed at the altar of national security. We must never forgive the government lawyers like Puno who defended the dictatorship,� Biraogo added. The Marcos dictatorship lasted from the time martial law was proclaimed in September 1972 until the ouster of the late strongman in February 1986 in the aftermath of the EDSA Revolution. During that period, then Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza and Assistant Solicitor General succeeded in defending the excesses of the totalitarian dispensation before the Supreme Court. As a consequence, the press and the media were subjected to strict censorship, curfew hours were imposed, warrantless arrests were in effect, secret presidential decrees were enforced, freedom of travel was restricted, and the courts were powerless to release political prisoners and other perceived enemies of the state without the permission of Malaca�ang. These excesses led to public discontentment which paved the way for the overthrow of strongman rule. �How can Chief Justice Puno, a leading supporter of the abusive Marcos dictatorship, respect a regime of freedom and human rights if and when he becomes President?� Biraogo inquired. �It will be martial law and authoritarianism all over again,� Biraogo added. In February 2008, Biraogo filed a petition in the Supreme Court to question the disbursement of public funds to pay the salary of Negros Oriental representative Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong whom the Commission on Elections said is an alien. In December last year, Biraogo announced in a press conference that a decision in his favor was unanimously approved by the Supreme Court on July 15, 2008 and that all 14 Associate Justices of the Court had already signed the same but Chief Justice Puno refused to release the decision to the public for less than proper reasons. Louie Barok Biraogo, (by email), Feb. 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Emergency Powers Act of 2010 Hello Tony, I will be leaving the AFP next month - permanently. However, I intend to propose - not necessarily to the AFP - an Emergency Powers Act ratified through a national referendum along with the 2010 elections. This Act will allow the application of populace and resource control in insurgency affected areas for limited periods of time. I think it will require some sort of a citizens' initiative to get to the referendum stage. Emergency powers may be applied only upon the occurrence of widespread insurgency-related incidents and must be lifted, mandatory, if six months elapse that is violence/incident free, and may not be re-applied within a year after being lifted. Unique to this approach is the national referendum where each citizen - the high and mighty along with the poorest and the humblest - each will have one vote. The AFP should not meddle with the outcome of the referendum because it needs to hear its master's voice - that of the collective sovereign Filipino people. The Left should support it because it will eliminate Extra Judicial Killings. What do you think? Brig. Gen. Ricardo C. Morales, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 Philippine Army HQ, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City (Dick, I think the greater threat to the national security and well being of the Filipino people comes, not from the Communist insurgency, but from the corrupt politicians, their corrupt bureaucrat allies, their corrupt business cronies and their corrupt lawyers. I would be glad to sit down with you and draft an Emergency Powers Act against these blood-sucking cretins. Tony.) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Asch�s Theory of Conformity Hi Tony, If you haven�t had the chance to read Solomon Asch�s theory of conformity, I suggest that you read it. It was part of my lesson when I was in college. I still remember how my professor applied it in our experience as a people. I want to highlight some of the lessons I learned which I am sure would be an eye-opener especially to those who push for a change in our society. Imagine yourself in the following situation: you were asked to take part in a psychology experiment together with five other subjects who, not known to you, are confederates of the experimenter. The experimenter shows two cards- one card contains one vertical line and the other card contains three vertical lines of varying length. The experimenter would ask which of the three lines on the card matches the sample line on the other card. The five confederates, as per arrangement, unanimously make incorrect responses by choosing the wrong line. You, the subject know that they are wrong in their responses but you are also aware that they have given the same answer. What would you do when you are asked by the experimenter? Would you say that they are wrong? Would you give the same incorrect answer? Would you go along with them? Or would you trust your perception and stick to your guns? Asch said that more often than not, group pressure does not affect our perceptions but it affects our behavior. This means that you as a subject, without any hint of disapproval, go along with the group even when you know that their choice was erroneous. You don�t want to be different from the group. The reason is simple: you want to be �in� with the group, you don�t wish to be desolated from the group even when they make the mistaken choice. This goes to show how strong group pressure can be that sometimes we don�t trust ourselves, our judgment and allow others to make faulty judgment for us. There is some evidence in our society that supports this view of Asch. Because it is unlikely that our leaders can make a difference in our societal life, it is likely that we go along with the crowd in electing our leaders even when we know that they are not morally upright. The impact of people who accept our fate as a hopeless society influence our thinking that our society is indeed a desperate society. What we can do at most is to educate our people to form their own judgments. We will probably see a better Philippines when our people tend to be more autonomous and responsible in their choices of leaders rather than be easily swayed by the uninformed and careless many. Thank you. Very truly yours, Reginald B. Tamayo, (by email), Aparri, Cagayan, Feb. 19, 2009 Member, Sangguniang Bayan, Aparri, Cagayan wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Death Squads Terrorize Davao (Fr. Shay's columns are published in The Manila Times, in publications in Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, and on-line.) http://www.preda.org/archives/2009/r09021801.html The men in black rode their motor cycles up to the corner of the Davao City market, people fled in all directions, they calmly walked up to the two sleeping street boys, then drew big revolvers and shot them dead at point blank range. Young brains and blood were splattered on the pavement yet this horrific murder would not be repudiated by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who denies any involvement. He told the media recently, "If you are doing an illegal activity in my city, if you are a criminal or part of a syndicate that preys on the innocent people of this city, for as long as I am the Mayor, you are a legitimate target of assassination." Not even the so called "war on terror" cannot justify the violation of human rights and the abandonment of the principles that protect the fundamental dignity of the person and their inalienable rights to justice. A panel of eminent international jurists and distinguished legal experts led by the former Irish President Mary Robinson spent the past three years studying the practices and methods by which the leading democracies waged a counter-terrorism war and reached such a conclusion. In a 199 page report, they have clearly stated that the methods used are counter-productive, and they had seriously damaged and undermined respect for human rights around the world. "The United States, one of the world's leading democracies, has adopted measures to counter terrorism that are inconsistent with established principles of international humanitarian law and human rights law," the report said. The international panel of eminent jurists, that includes supreme court judges, U.N. human rights experts and law professors, said in effect, that the use of abduction, torture, detention without trial, and assassination are to be repudiated. We urge every head of state to repudiate such violations. The Philippines is known for its admiration and mimicry for American everything, especially military techniques and weapons, and is a major recipient of US sponsored counter-terrorism training. Hundreds of officers and men have been to the United States for training. The assassination of hundreds of Filipino social activists journalists and even pastors in recent years is ample evidence that the respect for human rights in the Philippines is at an all time low. Perhaps no other place has such a sordid reputation for assassination than Davao City, in Mindanao. Hoteliers wonder why tourists are not flocking to its tourist attractions considering the death squad is supposed to make it safe. No one is safe without the strict implementation of the rule of law. It has taken ten years of death-squad activity and graveyards full of bodies to get the attention of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (PCHR). Now, under the new leadership of Commissioner Leila De Lima, the ten-year killing spree will be investigated by a public inquiry slated for the last week of March this year. They have reached a "glaring and alarming" proportion, she said. While the assassination of suspects is widespread in the Philippines, Davao has the highest number of victims, 814 according to media reports. This February 2009, there has been 33 killings alone done by the Davao Death Squad. Street children and youth have been singled out and 73 of them have been stabbed or shot to death on the street, some in a shocking open manner, the killers acting brutally with total confidence and impunity. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself rides around on a big motor bike but says thats no evidence of his involvement despite his statements allegedly approving the killings as widely reported in the media. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Mayor Duterte last February 15, 2009 saying that all the 814 people deserved to die because they were smeared with criminality. "What I want is to instill fear...if it will send the wrong signals what wrong did I commit? The problem comes if we get the wrong people", Duterte told journalists. If the suspect showed the slightest sign of resistance, he would order the police to "shoot you and aim for your head" to make sure that you are dead. END (Feb. 18, 2009) Visit www.preda.org for more related articles. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished to Tapatt) Dear Eddie, Did you know that GMA's latest excursion to the U.S. via Davos and Saudi Arabia cost P121 million ($2.57 million) of taxpayers money and achieved practically nothing except the promise of a Saudi loan (more mortgaging of our future?) and to shake the hands of Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senator Daniel Inouye who backed the Philippine Veterans Bill. She seeks visibility as a world leader, but is constantly snubbed � especially by newly elected Pres. Obama. I hear Mrs. Arroyo didn't even receive an invitation to that National Prayer Meeting where she sought the ear of Obama but failed. Even meeting Secretary Clinton didn't help. For Hillary's first trip abroad (to Asia) the Philippines was excluded from her Itinerary, another snub. High on the list is her visit to Indonesia. But shaking Inouye's hands may have helped, but will it really? The $197 million aid to Philippine Veterans bill was inexplicably included in the economic rescue plan which was recently passed by a politically divided U.S. Congress. The inclusion did not fail to catch the attention of media � especially CNN � and a good number of Republicans who raised the valid question of how this provision of the bill can improve the U.S. economy. I understand that 45% of Americans opposed the passage of the bill. Malaca�ang says that the passage will affect over 40,000 Filipino veterans of WWII. Washington's count is only 18,000. Surviving veterans living in the Philippines will get $9,000 each and those veterans who obtained American citizenship and live in the U.S. will be given $18,000. Most of these surviving veterans � all of whom are over 86 years old - live in the Philippines. Bearing in mind the bad reaction, might not the U.S. implementing agency drag its feet through unnecessary red tape? The very old, ailing veterans will quickly fade away. The assistance package remains but may be too late. Democracy is on the rise in Indonesia and is flailing in the Philippines. The reason is that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) is no Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). Neither are any of the current aspirants for the presidency in 2010: VP Noli de Castro, Senators Villar, Lacson, Legarda, Escudero, Gordon , Roxas, and Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati. If any one of them (except Mar Roxas) is elected, I'm concerned that Philippine democracy might turn from 'flailing' to a failing democracy. I will vote � reluctantly � for Mar Roxas. Reluctantly, I say, because Mar failed to prove himself as an effectual executive when he was Secretary of Trade and Industry. His tenure in office was rather insignificant, but it earned him the top senatorial slot as 'Mr. Palengke'. Roxas is suitable because he is the more honest among the candidates. He does his homework before attending Senate hearings and may gather around him an excellent bunch of technocrats as his advisers. I was originally for the younger 'Cheez' Escudero because he had the right sound bites. Then I learned that he is being backed by two of the wealthiest robber barons in town. I sought confirmation from a reliable source. The reply came back in the form of a text: 'Yup, you guessed right. In the political game, you need godfathers in order to get anywhere. Elections are costly.' When you come, it will find be interesting to discuss the political scene with your friend 'Doro'. So, you see, I am uncertain about the prospects of democracy here in the medium term. In my own lifetime, I fail to see an SBY emerging in the Philippines. That's why I agree with you that, under Obama, U.S. focus in Southeast Asia will be on Indonesia rather than the Philippines. Sincerely, Ben Sanchez, (by email), Feb. 17, 2009 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to [email protected]. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |
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