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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Dominatrix
By Antonio C. Abaya Written Oct. 03, 2007 For the Standard Today, October 04 issue The resignation of Chairman Benjamin Abalos from the Commission on Elections was not an act of statesmanship or any of that bull, but was a tactical move to stymie the Senate inquiry into the broadband project and to avoid an impeachment process (which would have kicked the broadband football back into the Senate (which, according to the Constitution, sits as the trial court for anyone impeached by the Lower House). A successful impeachment against Abalos is likely to revive and invigorate another impeachment move against President Arroyo. So the battle will now move to the courts, which means the trial, if it ever comes to pass, will now drag on for years and years until some of the principals die of old age, and the matter remains unresolved and the media tire of covering it and their readers and viewers tire of following it. I would not be surprised if, when no one is looking and everyone else is bored of the issue, Abalos is given a gracious way out of the controversy and out of the country by appointing him ambassador to � where else? � China . There he would be in his element and can broker as many deals as his bosses want,, without any Jarius Bondoc around to complicate his life. Isn�t this the Filipino way of dealing with a problem? Dance around it. Make jokes about it. Drag it out as long as is legally possible. And hope that it will somehow go away. But, except in rare cases, do not wrestle with it to its logical conclusion, resulting in a winner and a loser. We always prefer a win-win solution where everyone comes out smiling before the cameras. As for Romulo Neri, I do not join the chorus pillorying him for his refusal to divulge what President Arroyo said and did after he told her that he had been offered a P200 million bribe to approve the broadband deal. After he allegedly told Bondoc that what he would reveal in the Senate inquiry would bring down the Arroyo government, he seems to have had second thoughts and decided to clam up instead, under the cloak of �executive privilege.� Neri is a timid, mild-mannered academic type. Perhaps he needs the salary and/or the prestige that come with his high position in government, even if he has actually been demoted � temporarily, it is claimed � from head of a Cabinet department to head of a sub-Cabinet agency. The fact that he accepted that demotion without a murmur of protest shows that he is basically non-confrontational.. He is not made of sterner stuff. He does not have a heroic personality and does not want to be a hero. Perhaps he has not married because he never met the dominating female, the dominatrix in the literature of sado-masochism, that he psychologically craves for and whom he may have found, figuratively speaking, in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. So let us leave Neri alone and look somewhere else for the heroic leader who will liberate us from our bondage. Sen. Joker Arroyo was right: this scandal is just a quarrel among fixers. Sen. Miriam Santiago was also right: this is a just a squabble over kickbacks. �Buti pa, magbarilan na lang sila sa kalye.� It would be safe to assume that all those numerous (29 kuno) deals with China or Chinese corporations were/are sweetened with kickbacks to appropriate Filipino government officials :So what else is new? It has been rumored that all these shady transactions were/are meant to raise money for Kampi (Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino, or something like that), the political party headed by President Arroyo. That is not improbable. During its �party congress� in February 2005, then Rep. Ronaldo Puno, at that time Kampi�s president, expressly set the goal of Kampi becoming the biggest political party in the Philippines by the year 2007. In an earlier article, I had asked why Kampi, then a miniscule grouping, would want to become the biggest political party in the Philippines only three years before President Arroyo�s non-extendable term as president expires. I concluded that President Arroyo wanted to remain in power beyond 2010, as prime minister. (See my articles Prime Minister Gloria? [May 17, 2005] and GMA Forever [March 28, 2006], both archived in www.tapatt.org. ) The subsequent maneuvers to shift to a parliamentary system of government, in the Lower House and through a so-called people�s initiative, confirmed my prognosis. Though both efforts were stymied, it does not mean GMA and Kampi have given up. We can expect Speaker Jose de Venecia to be deposed from his position soon, especially after the expose by his son Joey on the NBN deal. Does Kampi have the numbers? Probably not. But the question should be rephrased, does Kampi have the money to buy all the opportunistic trapos waiting to be bought? To which the answer is probably, Yes. A model may soon emerge in, of all places, Russia . Russian President Vladimir Putin was first elected in May 2000 from a field of ten candidates, with the support of the outgoing president, the late Boris Yeltsin. In March 2004, Putin was re-elected president with an astounding 71% of the votes. His presidential term ends in March 2008 and he is barred by the Russian Constitution from running for a third term. But � surprise! surprise! � he announced last Monday, Oct. 01, that he will run for a seat in the Russian parliament in the coming parliamentary elections on December 2, and that, as head of the ruling United Russia party, he had a �realistic� chance of becoming prime minister. This announcement, made during a pre-election party congress in Moscow , brought �hundreds of delegates to their feet with a roar of applause,� according to the French news agency, AFP. This is not political hyperbole. Putin is genuinely popular for having brought prosperity (through the high price of oil and gas) and law and order to a formerly impoverished and chaotic Russia . The latest public opinion surveys give Putin an approval rating of more than 70%. So, if he wins a seat in parliament in December � and no one doubts that he will - Putin will be both president and prime minister for several weeks or months, until he names a presidential successor to take over in March 2008. In those weeks or months, the Russian Constitution will no doubt be amended to shift from the presidential to the parliamentary system of government, to allow the popular Putin, who is only 55 years old, to remain in power almost indefinitely, as long as his party retains majority in parliament. Can our resident dominatrix, who has a net approval rating of negative 11% in the latest SWS survey, pull off a Putin here? Why not? The party in power � Kampi plus the usual opportunistic turncoats from Lakas and other parties - always has a built-in advantage over a divided and leaderless opposition, plus the cash from all those kickbacks to buy everyone with.. It is not improbable that another maneuver towards parliamentary will be railroaded soon, followed by elections for seats in an interim parliament, the original game plan of Speaker JdV to become the country�s first prime minister. But he�s out of the loop now. As in Russia after December, we could have both president and prime minister in one person, for a few weeks at least, until the shift to parliamentary is finalized and complete. As long as the economy is doing fairly well, it would be hard for Loren or Chiz or Manny or Ping or Mar or whoever to successfully raise the moral issue against President Arroyo because the perception is rife and widespread that they are all crooks anyway - or would be beholden to another set of crooks anyway - and nothing is going to change if any of them were to take over through another Big Money-dominated election. ***** Reactions to [email protected] and/or [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Dominatrix� More Reactions to �Figure This Out� More Reactions to �Reconciliation� Erap�s Prayer; Erap�s �Mi Ultimo Adios� Sa Bayan ng Paombong Media in the UAE Hi Tony, This is a good lesson for us, your readers. You are not only a political analyst but a psychologist rolled into one. As they use to say, there is nothing impossible under the sun. Who knows it might happen. Filipinos, watch out! Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), Oct. 04, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww As regards the little pygmy in the palace's plans for holding on to power, I'm afraid you'll be proven right again. She can't exit gracefully and expect to remain immune from prosecution particularly after she succeeded in getting Erap convicted. But you left out one option she could resort to, if the constitutional changes she needs do not happen: martial law. If memory serves me, Marcos had the constitution revised only after he had declared martial law. And you must admit, nothing but nothing is beyond this woman. Alex Menez, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It astounds me, 43 years after having left the Philippines , the headlines continue to be about graft in the government and opportunistic politicians. This is enough to chill whatever is left of the "good news" being fed to us from home. The ZTE deal is just the latest chapter in a never-ending story of scandals that impelled James Fallows, former editor of the Atlantic magazine, to declare that the Philippines is afflicted by a "sick culture." (Actually, �damaged culture.� ACA) That was way back in 1987, when Filipinos were still basking in the glow of people power that toppled the Marcos regime. But hopes that things would finally change never materialized, with the country still paralyzed by the same impotent and corrupt leadership. It's no wonder that Filipino diaspora is growing more and more every year. I used to give President Arroyo the benefit of the doubt, having known of her credentials, particularly in economics, and the fact that most Filipinos respected highly her late father, ex-president Diosdado Macapagal. The reality is she never lived up to her image, and it was a miracle she had escaped being thrown off her crown, what with her vast unpopularity and several attempts to depose her. The ZTE may not go anywhere, as Tony believes, though a clear outline is now emerging of what might have taken place, including the principal characters involved. Though machinations are still in place to keep the Dominatrix in power beyond 2010, it would not surprise me to see her, as the old cliche goes, being hoisted by her own petard. That, indeed, would be justice. Remigio G. Lacsamana, (by email), Daytona Beach , Florida , Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Kudos for an outstandingly logical and well-articulated analysis of current Philippine politics and the players therein and thereof. Not much can get past your microscope. Charlie Borromeo, (by email), San Francisco , CA , Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, You have hit the nail on the head! The Zarzuela currently playing out in the Philippine political scene might have garnered Abalos a "be(a)st" actor award and GMA "be(a)st" director. Grace Santos, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: The way you assess our political situation continues to amaze me. All I can say is "In God we Trust", in other words let Deus ex machina resolve it. Although, just like Aristotle's Poetic, we would rather resolve it internally. But then, who can lead us in conquering this malady caused by the powers that are with their immoral and corrupted minds and behavior? I am tired of EDSAs and coups. So again, back to letting God. Pura Flor D. Isleta, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I agree with you. Secretary Neri was one of our respected professors at AIM. If he wants to talk against the present leadership, he should resign first. What he did was prudent. More power to you. Hector Tarrazona, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: The scenario you pictured - that GMA will be in power forever (of course, after she Manipulates a Constitutional change if she can buy all the Senators, that is), seems intended to "prepare people's mind before the fact". Is this not the work-plan of the "Magickeros" in our society--people who manages scenarios (meaning invent something as if it were true even before it happens)? Oh come on, Tony! We have been thru all these and they vanish into thin air when simple people in the streets "realized their malintent"? But, those of us whom the power manipulators think are just too stupid to be hoodwinked, must never take things for granted, because the "Magickeros" of this regime, (the lawyers who were taught "How not to apply the law but to find loopholes instead") who earn millions by manipulating or inventing "scenarios before the fact", are still . . . . . very much alive and kicking, and cheating, and laughing fiendishly! Romulo Neri, the almost Hero of the moment, and other Patriots, will have to bear it for now! He is not alone. There are still a few out there (in there?), who can spill the apple cart of La Gloria! Just you watch! J. Jose Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City , Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You are right, Sir, who else is not a crook in the government now? It is their way of life! Nakakahiya, Actually I forbid any government employee or any official to enter my house. Ernie Dellosa, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Manong Tony, OK. OK. They�re setting the stage for Gloria to remain in power after 2010. While this may alarm the political opposition (who are all salivating for a share of the pie brought about by our prospering economy), will this be beneficial to the country? The only way the political opposition can grab power is to offer a better alternative (all their attempts � coups, exposes, mud wracking � have failed) which they pathetically don�t have. And how will your proposed revolutionary government fit into the picture? (No kidding, Sir. I admire your stand and proposals, but recent developments may require a change of plans). Best regards, Bong Alba, (by email, Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) Tatay Job, You should read this. Hahahaha!!! ANG GALING TALAGA NI TONY ABAYA!!! Ang tindi ng network ng mga grapevines niya.. So spine tingling.. Pang James Bond.. Happy weekend and kumusta na lang kay Nanay Cora.. Toyen Alberto Abogado, Jr., (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, 1. Excuse me for being picky, but the SWS ratings on performance of a public official use the term "satisfaction", not "approval". The words are NOT synonymous or interchangeable. Filipino journalists should pay attention, and not use "approval" for every poll on governance just because Americans journalists do. The Gallup poll can't switch away from "approval" because it would spoil its data series that goes back to 1936. 2. It seems that you accept the orthodox line that the "economy" is doing well, just because GNP growth looks good. Well, the state of hunger also looks bad, and this is not inconsistent with the GNP growth either. It's the corporate sector, and related establishments, that is enjoying the current GNP growth and so praises the "economy". Mahar (Mangahas), (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 President, Social Weather Stations wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: It looks like prosecuting crooks under the Philippine justice system is a hopeless task. Why don't we try bringing these crooks to the jurisdiction of the US courts under the "no haven" policy of the US government. There is a group called PAMUSA headed by a Frank Wenceslao. Do you have more info about this group? They claim that Bolante was the first Filipino charged in US Courts under this policy. John Salamat, (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 (I received some posts from PAMUSA�s Frank Wenceslao. If I recall correctly, they were going to file corruption charges against Benjamin Abalos. But I do not know if they have actually done so. As for Joc Joc Bolante, his case is shrouded in secrecy. We do not know if he is still detained in a Wisconsin federal prison, or has been moved to a third country, as he had wanted to be. If the latter, he will likely be used by the US government in the future, should it decide to revive efforts to remove GMA from power. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Kuya Tony, Your article is very educational and enlightening. May I present to you an article re Media freedom in the United Arab Emirates (please see attachment here) that prohibits jailing media people for what they write. Maybe we should study this matter. Imagine the Emirates of UAE have this kind of approach and understanding on the freedom of information and speech. We do not have this in our country at present. Libel laws etc are still in place. Thanks again. More power to your writings. God bless you too. Len Pasion, (by email), UAE, Oct 05, 2007 (The attachment is attached at the bottom of this post. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Indeed it is really great that media, and many so called nationalists, activists, and oppositionists, and anti-administrationists are egging for the fall of GMA.. as if she is always the pain-in-the-neck of us Filipinos... but more so, perhaps of those with vested interests and those who seek vengeance for what-who-knows she has done to them. But as Senator Miriam D. once revealed in her TV interview... that our Congressmen and Senators have the bulk of the Filipino peoples' money to spend for without any audit or accountability... what about the monthly travel expenditures of php 750,000.00-php 1,000,000.00 per congressman and senator... the php 1,500,000.00 stipend/allowance for congressmen...the php2,500,000.00 stipend/allowance... not mentioning their percentages in the pork barrel projects...without audit or accountability. Adding to such profligate spending amounts, i heard that these amounts would increase or be doubled for the 2008 national budget ! No wonder that many Filipinos are kept poor.. without good housing facilities, with limited school buildings and facilities, with poor healthcare, limited public hospitals and facilities, soaring prices of goods, fuel, and medicines... and much much more on the poor side. Where are the moral values of many of our lawmakers? Do they have the agenda of just keeping our fellow Filipinos poor? What new laws, or revision of old and obsolescent laws are they legislating to alleviate the plight of our countrymen. Are they reviewing the laws affecting our health, environment, senior citizens, education, livelihood, food supply, alternative fuels, and financial institutions? Avelino Abogado, Jr., (by email), Oct. 05, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: In the context of the ZTE scandal and the Abalos affair, it is clear that it is not for nothing that the Philippines is now considered the most corrupt country on our planet--a planet in peril for some other reason. This "dominatix" has apparently mastered the lessons of Machiavelli in his opus, "The Prince." Yes, I would not be surprised at all if this dominatrix will one of these days spring a surprise on the Filipino people and do a Vladimir Putin in her relentless and unquenchable obsession to stay in power. She clearly exemplifies the object of Lord Acton's sage warning: "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." But, yes, what does it really matter? They are all crooks anyway. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers , NY , Oct. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I am amazed at how you analyze current political situations and this time projecting them into the future, drawing parallels with Russia 's political goings-on. I had to double-check that the article was actually published in a Philippine newspaper. Indeed it was! Keep up your courageous practice of the journalistic ideals of being objective, honest, free and fearless, which I admire the most in your incisive thoughts about Philippine politics. Shane V. Flores, (by email), Sacramento , CA , Oct. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You wrote - " ....because the perception is rife and widespread that they are all crooks anyway - or would be beholden to another set of crooks anyway - and nothing is going to change if any of them were to take over through another Big Money-dominated election. *****"� And with that observation - Jose Rizal was prophetic when he wrote ".. Nuestro Perdido Eden"! Alexander Po, (by email), Oct. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, After reading the PDI front-page item on "NBN Jokes" the other day (October 4), I could not help but pass on this amusing comment from a friend: "After watching Romulo Neri testify, a doctor noted that the CHED chairman was suffering from loose vowel movement. When Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said her piece in the same hearing, the doctor diagnosed her ailment as foot-in-mouth disease. Later on, the good senator was heard singing the hit tune 'Mahal Kita Maging Tsino Ka Man.'" Filipinos have a way of letting go their frustrations �. by making up inimitable Pinoy jokes. Yours always, Ben Sanchez, (by email), Oct. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Once again I totally agree with you. What can I say :bottomline -- Neri is a WIMP like all the rest of them who still go for the easier wrong than the harder right! Enough said. The war we all have to win is WITHIN, not WITHOUT! I tell you -- most of us are losing ... Regards, Col. Dennis Acop, PhD., (by email), Oct 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Figure This Out� (Sept. 24, 2007) Dear Sir Tony, Jess Guim is right about the reality of using Linux Email system by most ISP. That's why our company IConnect is using a non-Linux system which is unhackable because the email server program itself was designed by IConnect experts long time ago and its codes are "unique and unpublished". We also have the capability of counter-attacking hackers. On the other hand Linux system used by other ISP are "open source" and its basic algorithms are exposed to the public, making it very expoitable to hackers. Alan Z. Valencia, (by email), Oct. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, Yes! let's flood their emails with indignation letters and convince them to stop nosing on other people's mail! Don't they have good manners and etiquette? My God, GMA's dad will turn in his grave when he learns what his daughter and her henchmen are doing! I think they should read about NETtiquete and computer ethics! Regards, Grace Santos, (by email), Oct. 06, 2007 (Grace, NETiquette is the least concern of these gorillas. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww There is nothing impossible, Kuya Tony, they have done it.. Change papa whiskey and check your account, to be sure.. Verify your emails.. Hackers are better than us and they are the lackeys and minions of the band of robbers. Alberto Abogado, Jr., (by email), Oct. 06, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, I sent you this more than two weeks ago. I wonder if you received it po. (I did not, Jarius, ACA) God bless and Mabuhay. � Jarius Bondoc, (by email), Oct. 07, 2007 Columnist, Philippine Star Dear Mr Abaya, I am Jarius Bondoc, columnist of the Philippine Star. We have been introduced twice, the first time zillions of years ago, when I interviewed you for a magazine article on bookstore owners, the second time in a forum which we both happened to cover. I am in your mailing list, and thus get to read all your columns. I never was able to thank you properly for your many articles in 2003 about how I got info on the Magdalo from the floppy diskettes they left behind in trash cans at Oakwood. Salamat po nang marami. I feel that, after reading your latest column, I need to share info with you about what has happened to me ever since I started writing about the ZTE deal in late March: (1) The cellphone of one of my main sources was wiretapped. He is from the telecoms sector. I guess they have a way of telling if someone is eavesdropping on them, aside from the fact that certain people confronted him with information that he swears he gave only to me and his technical man, and which I had kept as mere backgrounder. (2) The e-mail address of another source was cloned, and the fake addie sent me two very juicy but very false information which, had I gullibly used, would have exposed me to mockery and libel suits. Good thing we discovered it when I retrieved the hot e-mails and asked him for more details about the events he "wrote" about, which he turned out to not know about. The cloning was something like this. His real e-mail addie is, say, [email protected]. The fake one was [email protected]. You see, we don't usually bother to verify the details of the e-mail address, so long as we know the sender. These seem to jibe with the testimony of Joey deV that a Comelec official bugged him. If Romy Neri testifies, I hope he also reports what he told me as far back as Apr. 20 -- that one of his staff was wiretapped by that same Comelec official. All this seem to point to a danger to national security if our government insists on the NBN and awarding it to a 50% military owned company in China . May God cover us with his mantle of protection. Mabuhay po. Jarius Bondoc wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Tony, Tony, I hope you can see yourself in a different vantage point. A lot of people look up to you and sometimes consider you as their friend, idol, etc. But your reactions to some of them disgust me. They are so cold, mean and arrogant! Look at poor Hector, Cheryl and Oscar�one of them even said" more power and good health" to you a... h�! Most of us are just trying to relate to the current issues and making opinions but you seem to overstep your acts. In my opinion then�you are one obnoxious sob! Put this in the list of RX's and let us see what are you made of. Romeo M. Golpeo, (by email), Oct. 06, 2007 (Now that you have seen what I am made of, you can go away. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Undelivered mails may result from either of the following: (1) incorrect email address (2) storage has been exceeded (3) you have just been spoofed. I don't think GMA and her operatives have a hand on your undelivered mails nor has your system been hacked. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City , Oct. 07, 2007 (Emails can also be blocked, delayed, diverted or bounced at the servers and at the portals, which are all under the control of the NTC, a division of the DOTC whose chief, Leandro Mendoza, is one of the principals in the ZTE scandal. As you can see from the email of Jarius Bondoc above, my case was not unique. And if you talk to the Black and White Movement convenors, they will tell you similar stories. Today, Oct. 08, we read in the Inquirer that the website of Romulo Neri�s NEDA has been hacked and made to connect to a porno site. Do you really think all these were coincidences? Haven�t you heard? Myanmar is now totally locked out of the Internet, China partially locked out. Have they only been �spoofed,� whatever that means? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, It is time that you ask the help of the CIA and NSA so you can do the same to what they are doing to you. U.S. Ambassador Kris Kenney looks quite accommodating. If not, there is her boss who is one of her predecessors, Deputy State Secretary John Negroponte. Anyway, it looks like columnists like yourself helped make Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos RESIGN and for GMA to cancel the ZTE Contract. On a lighter note to a previous column of yours on Elvis, one reaction that i read is that Elvis sang the best rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love." Perhaps as i heard Elvis sing it again in the movie "Fools Rush In" starring the voluptous Selma Hayek. However, when i watched on DVD the concert of Andrea Bocelli "Under the Desert Sky" in Lake Las Vegas , Andrea sang the same song and even did it better with his Italian accent and classical music voice. So we can really forget Elvis! Best regards. Ric Ramos, (by email), Santa Rosa , Laguna, Oct. 07, 2007 (Thanks for the tip, Ric, but I doubt if either Ambassador Kenny or Secretary Negroponte would give me the time of day, even on a desert island. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Reconciliation� (Sept. 18, 2007) To pardon Erap to promote reconciliation? of what? Reconciliation of political parties, so that each gives the other the opportunity to stay in power? and equal opportunity to loot the national coffers? This is a very shallow and very unpatriotic consideration to grant absolute pardon to Erap who has been convicted of a "CAPITAL OFFENSE." and readers, please do not miss the point that this crime classification is so denominated because the corresponding punishment is CAPITAL, meaning DEATH. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH! AS PROVIDED BY LAW. Some quarters claim that Erap has already suffered 6 years of confinement. Confinement? My eye! I would like to be confined in a luxurious vacation estate such as what he has in Tanay! Allowing Erap in house arrest or detention like this is not punishment. It is already a big concession to a character like him. I am of the strong belief that if a pardon is still deemed necessary, it should properly be just a commutation of a death sentence to life imprisonment, but since the judicial sentence was already life improsonment, there is no need for a pardon. This case of Erap, conviction of a former Philippine president is the first in our history. Let us give the nation at large the huge signal that corruption in office, high or low, does not pay. Pardon him, and corruption will continue to destroy the future of our children and our children's children. Only the corruptors's decendants will have their future, not yours, not mine. The message a pardon will deliver would be clear: that if one has connections, and influence, everything will be alright. How many instances have we read recently about criminals who have been granted presidential pardon without even seeing the inside of prison? Let us not miss this great opportunity to prove to one and all THAT THERE IS JUSTICE UNDER OUR LAWS! Edmundo Ledesma, (by email), Oct. 08, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) Hi Mar, Do you know the "tayo-tayo" system we have in the Philippines ? This was prevalent during the time people were divided by tribal values. That has never been abandoned even during these modern times. The best example is GMA pardoning Erap. The decision is based on what they can benefit from the grant of the pardon for either side. To hell with the people. Let them eat cake. The country will continue to spiral down if the pardon is granted. I am so disgusted. Nel Tierra, (by email), Sacramento , CA , Oct. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Copy furnished) Thanks, Nel. Benevolent dictatorship seems to be the only answer at this stage of the game for a country like the Philippines . Marcos came close to it but the power and the greed got to him. Singapore and the Philippines are very good examples of the possibilities of political dictatorship. We not only need scholars to study WHERE and WHEN the split occurred and but also men and leaders with the resolve and perspicacity to apply those lessons to achieve our national goals. Outside of that, the people can keep going to church and keep chanting their "salva me's." [email protected], Oct. 04, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Perry Diaz) Erap�s Prayer Gambling father, who art in jueteng, hakot be thy name, thy kickback come thy wealth be done, in Wack-Wack as it is in San Juan . Give me this day, My daily bribe And conceal all my sins As I conceal those who sin along with me And if I am led into temptation Deliver me from criticism For mine is the country, its power, and its money forever and ever. Amen. Response: Aba Ginoong Estrada, Napupuno ka ng kwarta Ang panginoon ng jueteng ay sumasaiyo Bukod kang pinagpala sa lahat ng bobo, At pinagpala ka naman ng kay raming kulasisi mo. Erap's Mi Ultimo Adios: Mi parte de jueteng wala na. Mis compadres y lords nabuking na. Los mansiones de mis queridas ini-imbistiga Mis amigos de la Camara el ultimo pagasa. -- Shared by Popoy Bernal wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sa Bayan ng Paombong Sa dulo ng daan, banda ng may kawayan bayan ng Paombong sikat na bagoongan limang mandarambong nagkagulo, nagsulutan dahil sa kickback na dulot ng Broadband. Itong si AB na hepe ng halalan malapit ng mamahinga, bagsak ay tambayan nakasilip kung papaano magkamal ng yaman kailangan lang kumbinsihin ang timawa sa Malakanyang. Ayos na sana , tuhog na ang litson Problem ay si Joey na malakas ang pang-amoy Dali-daling bumuo ng sariling korporasyon Binalewala ang suhol, dolyares na sampung milyon. Pasok si FG na galit na galit Back OFF ang sinigaw, mga mata'y nanlilisik Atras si Joey, mukhang natahimik Plan B, pala, resback sa Senate. Sa senado'y nagbulgar si Joey na nag-iisa Iskandalo sa Broadband, bilyon-bilyong pera Inaprove ni Neri, pumirma si Mendoza Ayon kay Santiago , fixer vs fixer pala. Sumabog sa Paombong, bayan ng binagoongan ang baho ng korapsyon, kasuwapangang walang hanggan ano magagawa ng kawawang taombayan? magdildil sa bagoong, mamundok, maging tulisan? Imbestigasyon sa senado, gayon din sa Malakanyang Sino ang puputak na magsasabi ng katotohanan? ginamit na ang 'all right' ni Senador Honasan wala pa ring nangyari, panay pa rin kasinungalingan. Pag napawi na ang puwing sa mga matang pawang dilat Katotohana'y makikita, mga lihim mabubulatlat que se hoda ang executive privilege, gayon din ang ku de etat matira ang matibay tulad ng mga hayop sa gubat. Isang tanong na lang bago magpaalam ano ang papel ng pangulo, alam nya ba'y hanggang saan matutulad kaya ito sa 'hello Garci' noong halalan walang nangyari, sori na lang po, bayan. Pag ihip ng hangin bantot ay mawawala amoy ng bagoong lilipat sa kabila ganyan lamang ang laro sa kawawang bansa tanggapin ang katotohanan katarungan ay wala. Bukas makalawa, paglipas ng bagyo sino ang makakatanda ng mga nangyaring ito? Luka-luka si Sisa, Pilipino'y litong-lito Kawawang sundalo, mamamatay pa rin ng 'dahil sa 'yo'. Kailangan ng tapusin itong mahabang salaysay Ng broadband ng bayan na nasadlak sa bagoongan Sa zarzuelang liko-liko mga demonyo'y naghalakhakan Lahat tayo ay sumumpa, magbabayad din sila balang araw Dan, Mel and Jim Dan Jimenez, (by email), Oct. 02, 2007 'The greatest failure is that never attempted.' wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww UAE media community signs charter of honour posted on 03/10/2007 Editors-in-Chief signed on Monday a charter of honour and a code of ethics. The 26 article document defines the rules and ethics of the profession. Mohammed Yusouf, Chairman of the UAE Journalist' Association (UAEJA), voiced the political leadership's firm and sincere keenness to provide a favourable environment for the freedom of the press in the country. ' The UAEJA chief also praised the role the National Media Council, under the chairmanship of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, plays in establishing code of ethics in tandem with the impressive progress witnessed by the country, upgrading the profession in terms of responsibilities, obligations and rights in line with world media developments and values of Arab and Muslim communities. He maintained that the new press and publication law will constitute after its approval, a major boost to the media as it will create a new positive ambience for the profession. He indicated that national initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed for banning imprisonment of journalists and providing them with protection from threats hindering their mission should have been met by an initiative from the media community showing its commitment to the ethics of the profession. The document calls for respecting the truth and the right of the public to have access to the true and accurate information. While performing his duty, the journalist is demanded to commit himself at all times to the principles of freedom and integrity in gathering and publishing stories. He should also voice fair and neutral comments and criticism. He should use only legitimate means to obtain information, photos and documents from original sources. 'There should be no compromise in credibility, the code of ethics underlines. According to the code, respecting privacy is a main principle in the profession and journalists should respect the privacy of individuals and not expose it by publishing anything without the consent of those individuals. In regards to the news source, the code and charter stress that professionalism and confidentiality should be strictly observed if the source demands anonymity. Journalists should not seek to provoke or inflame public feelings by any means or use means of excitement and deception. They should not use media organs for purpose of libel or slandering. The edited publications should not be influenced by personal interests or businesses with a third party. Journalists should be very vigilant to traps of discrimination and avoid involving themselves by any means in any stories hinting to discrimination of race, sex, language, faith or national and social backgrounds. In crimes and issues dealing with children, names and photos should not be published. Mindful of the golden rule 'innocent until proven guilty', journalists ware demanded not to publish names and photos of suspects in ongoing trials until final verdicts are pronounced. The charter demands journalists to be very careful in their personal relationships with news sources so as these bonds can not impact the Partiality. The media should keep a sea distance from publishing photos of brutal violence and respect the feeling of the public especially children. Journalists are also urged to avoid using offending and obscene language in their reports. Respect for divine religions and traditions and values of nations takes centre stage at the mandatory code of ethics of the media and should not offended or desecrated by any forms. Human rights should also be respected and valued and should not be abused by the media under any pretext. The charter describes plagiarism, ill-intention interpretation, libel, slandering, censure, defamation, allegation and bribery-taking as a dangerous professional violation. Accepting valuable cash and kind gifts is considered breach of the code. The charter was signed by editors-in-chief of the major leading daily Arabic and English papers. (Emirates News Agency, WAM) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |