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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Guilty or Not Guilty?
By Antonio C. Abaya Written July 09, 2007 For the Standard Today, July 10 issue The verdict is supposed to be handed down by the Sandigambayan 90 days after the plunder trial ended on June 15. But this early, after less than 30 of those 90 days, both sides of the argument have made noises calculated to stir the pot, inflame passions and influence the justices as they deliberate on the merits of the plunder case as argued by the contending lawyers. It was the Erap camp that issued dire warnings, in print and on television, that they will not accept a guilty verdict, and predicting that public unrest will greet such a decision. I am not a lawyer, but is this not �contempt of court�? The matter is still sub judice since the case is still being deliberated on by the justices. Surely, statements that defiantly reject one verdict or another, and which threateningly predict unrest if an unfavorable verdict is reached, constitutes contempt of court. And yet, in a country with 56,000 registered lawyers, not one seems to have filed such a complaint, even though the inflammatory rhetoric can easily be verified in the back issues of newspapers or in the video files of ABS-CBN and other TV stations. Rule of Lawyers versus Rule of Law. A variation of this has subsequently been floated to skirt the sub judice tag, by quoting eminent persons � like Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal � who are said to have intimated to Erap that President Arroyo has allegedly signified to the Sandigambayan that she wanted a guilty verdict. Cardinal Vidal has denied that PGMA made any such revelation to him, or that he has passed this revelation to Erap. It is psy war calculated to pre-empt a guilty verdict, by claiming that it has been pre-ordained by Malacanang, and by predicting dire consequences if such a verdict is rendered. To this non-lawyer, it is still contempt of court. In the light of this deliberate provocation, Malacanang is perfectly justified in putting out one-page ads in all the broadsheets, with the big bold head: ERAP; GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY. Kailangan bang may gulo? (Is violence necessary?) Much has been made of the suspicion that these ads were prepared and placed by Dante Ang, former (and probably current) publicist of President Arroyo. But even if true, so what? The message is more important than the messenger. And the message is: �Whatever the decision of the Sandigambayan � Guilty or Not Guilty � all of us must respect it. There will be some who may exploit it to sow discord and destabilize the country. Stand firm against them. �The Court has spoken. Our duty is to uphold the law. This is the way of democracy. Due process has been observed. Let the rule of law prevail�� Who can possibly find fault with that? So, if the verdict is Guilty, will there be violence? Probably, yes. But judging from past attempts of Erap�s people to stir up People Power against President Arroyo, it will not fly because the middle class � the shock troops of Edsa Uno and Edsa Dos � are not enamored of Erap and his communist allies. During the Oakwood Mutiny of July 2003, a mob-for-hire was waiting a few blocks away, ready to march to the besieged hotel with their pre-manufactured streamers and banners supporting the �spontaneous� mutineers, who all happened to wander into the hotel premises simultaneously, all 300 of them, carrying high-powered firearms and explosives. The mob-for-hire, probably recruited from the slum constituency of Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, was led by Erap rabble rouser Ronald Lumbao, and Erap�s chief political lieutenant Boy Morales, co-founder of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the political arm of Joma Sison�s Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). (See my article Erap�s Fingerprints, Sept. 17, 2003). In 2005, in the aftermath of the Hello Garci tapes - released to the public by former Erap lawyer Allan Paguia - it became fashionable to openly talk about revolutionary governments to replace the incumbent Arroyo government. Erap�s Boy Morales was the most high�profiled proponent of what he gingerly called a �transition council.� In a bid to win over the middle class, Morales� transition council had for its chairman, former AFP chief-of-staff and former Defense secretary Renato �Mr. Clean� de Villa, but it included four comrades: Satur Ocampo, Crispin Beltran, Dodong Nemenzo and himself (Morales). (See my articles Military Dilemma, July 19 2005; Devill�s Advocate, Sept 11, 2005; and How Not to Topple GMA, Oct 09, 2005). There was a not-so-subtle move to insert Joma Sison, founding chair of the CPP, into the putative transition council. To his credit, De Villa issued a public statement that if Sison were included in the transition council, he (De Villa) would resign from it, even before it could seize power from Arroyo. In the aftermath of the February 2006 so-called Marine Stand-off in Fort Bonifacio, it was revealed (and admitted by the Erap�s son-in-law Beaver Lopez) that some P8 million had been donated in December 2005 by Erap�s Saludo sa Kawal Foundation to the �multi-purpose co-operatives� of the Rangers (under Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim), the Marines (under Col. Ariel Querubin), and the PNP Special Forces (under Col. Franco)�..by the strangest coincidence, exactly the very units that were planning (as admitted by the officers themselves) to march to EDSA and declare their withdrawal of support from the Arroyo government, in a People Power extravaganza organized and orchestrated by the comrades. (See my articles A TIMEly Story, Feb. 28, 2006; and Marching with the Communists, March 07, 2006). I called the P8 million �donation� from Erap�s foundation a down payment for services to be rendered in the form of multi-purpose monkey business. Given Erap�s past history of colluding with the comrades � not out of ideological commitment, but out of his personal desire to be freed from detention and cleared of the plunder charge � whatever violence is generated by a Guilty verdict soon is not likely to elicit support from the middle class, which had avoided earlier efforts to entice them in 2003, 2005 and 2006, no matter how unpopular President Arroyo has become.. A Not Guilty verdict would embolden Erap and his cumbancheros to try again, for the fourth time, to topple the Arroyo government, but such an enterprise is not likely to generate sympathy and support from the middle class, especially since the economy is doing fairly well and very few, if any, would want to do anything to muddy the economic waters, at least not for the benefit of such undeserving jokers as Erap and his communist allies. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Guilty or Not Guilty?� More Reactions to �Moro-moro in Maguindanao� More Reactions to �In One Generation� More Reactions to �An Idiot Nation� �The Better Side of the Philippines � Great article, Mr. Abaya! I hope it's a GUILTY VERDICT. Enough already of this "joker Erap" and his nothing-better-to-do cronies. The Philippine economy is finally waking up. Why give him the opportunity to flush the good accomplishment so far of the current administration down the toilet? He and the likes of him should be totally banned from politics or running any public office. He cannot represent the Philippines anywhere anyway. At one time I was so embarrassed to even mention his name as the President of my beloved country. Erap and his kind are the biggest reasons why Filipinos don't want to go back home. Maybe one day when the actors, basketball players, boxers, ex-cons, etc., decide to take up new professions other than politics and running the government, we'll all run back home. Delia D. Santiago, (by email), New York City , July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir: Your article should have been titled ERAP IS GULITY ! Frank Y. Anoyan, (by email), Singapore , July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony: While reading your article, loaded with facts, history and backdrop scenarios I can't help but compare the goings-on that you described like the little rascal children fighting, bickering and playing in a playground in Tondo tenements.(representing the Philippines) Here's the scenario. Scene 1 There is the usual suspect- the leader of the pack Goon Erap doing the Travolta walk, the Big Bully who terrorizes all the other kids with his big, mean voice; with his gangsta' friends armed with howitzers to deliver shock and awe in order to stir the pot and spread confusion in the playground (the Philippines). He felt it is his right to take over the playground with his gooneys. The children scampered away and traumatized. Erap pounding his chest like King Kong to celebrate his takeover. Scene 2 The bystander crowd of kids watching the takeover let out a big a cheer, laughing hard carrying on with high five's because they think it was hilarious and funny. They did not care or think what had just occurred. The Bullies survive and take over is what they understand. Scene 3 Then there's the good guys in their ivory towers, the powerful, the middle class and the intelligentsia looking out the window to see what is the commotion and ruckus going on in the playground. They look at each other sipping chai tea and coffee and munching petit pours with delicate hands while their pinkies twirled up, the a/c is going full blast and concluded "nothing at all, no nothing at all. Just noise" . And they continued their little chit chat not feeling any draft in their comfort zone. AAAh, Life is good and the rest of the world. What about the laws and the rules that govern society and the people one would query? They apply on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, one can strong-arm to seek justice or use he power and influence of money. That is fair. What is going on is an assault to the rule of laws and mockery of the justice system Without it is simply CHAOS. It doesn't matter much if every one is a lawyer or however many if they DO NOT RESPECT THE LAWS AND THE PROCESS AND LET IT PLAY OUT. It seems to me the game of upmanship in the justice system in the Philippines has reached a point of being ridiculous. It is so screwed up. Like little children, everyone is looking how he can beat the opponent without justice and a sense of fair play. AND THE SAD PART EVERYONE has gotten so good at playing the game. From your article I see the following quick band aid needed desperately for start: There has to be ownership of justice and a sense of fair play There has to be recognition of the rule of laws. There has to emerge the maturing of the people There has to be application of punishment that is just and fair. There has to be an improvement in beliefs and honesty There has to be practice of restraint and modeling of behavior and mindset There's got to be recognition of authority and discipline. There has to be a move to unify the country. There is a need to change the ways of doing things. There is a need to heal and pursue happiness. There is a need to care and love the Philippines . There is a need to move on with the positive changes and can do attitude. I have to tell you that reading this article made me realize how seriously ill and complicated things are in the country. The games played as you described gave me migraine headaches. The people have added to the complexity by electing the wrong people, silently accepting and not taking a stand to bad things happening (a few perhaps). The ball of yarn is now so big and difficult to unwind. What to do, what to do. Thank you, Tony, for allowing people like us to stay in touch. You are doing a tremendous job and you picked a heavy cross to bear, but I am sure you do receive accolades along the torturous steps to the promise land. Keep the faith and conscience burning, my buddy. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Roseville , CA , July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony. I fully agree with you. Even if Erap were convicted by the Court, we will not see any sizeable rallies. If I remember correctly, only 30 went to hear Tito Guingona's speech saying Erap should be acquitted. A pathetic sight, indeed! Erap's minions think that just because more members from the opposition won in the last senatorial elections, that these voters would come and rally for him. Well, they are in for a surprise. I believe these voters did not vote for these opposition candidates because they are pro-Erap. I don't even believe all these voters voted for these opposition candidates because they disliked GMA. Many of these voters may have cast their votes in favor of the more popular candidates, and that is all there is to it. And since the opposition candidates, owing to the negative thinking media, had become more popular over the past three years, it is but natural that they win more votes. That's why I agree with you that these People Power rallies that Jinggoy and Binay would try to form will never materialize. Cheers! Bobby Tordesilla, (by email), July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Are we right to say: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY? (Why not? That is what a judicial trial is all about. To determine if the accused is Guilty or Not Guilty/ ACA) We say that the Courts are guilty. It is justice delayed and justice denied. (So what do you propose to do? Abolish the courts? ACA) It is no secret that our justices are influenced by politics and those that appointed them into office. It cannot be denied that our so called "DUE PROCESS" is often used by lawyers to delay justice, so it becomes unjust. It cannot be denied that our judiciary system is a big business enterprise of lawyers at the great expense of their cliants. It cannot be denied that we have many hoodlums in robs and uniform. It cannot be denied that our present justice system in the Philippines is very deffective. How can we have peace and order when there is no clear justice in the country? Rex Rivera, (by email), July 12, 2007 (So what do you propose in place of the courts, the lawyers, the justices and everything else that you find fault with? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony The scenario I have been flirting with is that Erap will be found guilty, GMA pardons him in return for a commitment to stay out of politics and renounce any claim to the presidency. Of course, Erap makes the commitment, then breaks it and plots a coup or EDSA III or IV (whichever one it is) with certain senators, generals, mayors and, of course, the masa, who will do anything that he pays them to do. The middle class on the streets foil this but the results are that the country's credit ratings plummet, as do the stock market and foreign investment. OFWs hold their remittances and the peso depreciates to around $1=P60. Emigration soars. Good for those with foreign currency deposits or income. Thus the same old boom and bust cycle starts all over again. Plus �a change plus c'est la m�me chose. Regards Tony Lee, (by email), July 12, 2007 (C�est vrai. C�est vrai. My scenario is similar to yours. But I will wait for the Sandigambayan to makes its decision before I discuss that scenario. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I have long felt insulted, as a citizen of the Philippines , by the chicanery of Erap and his ilk (e.g.his lawyers, movers, handymen etc). I often wonder why, with so many lawyers in our midst, no one has enough guts to bring Erap and his camp to task. Why is Erap allowed such allowances like passes to attend this and that? He was a past president who is being tried for the crime of plunder, committed against a nation that he was supposed to lead? What can be more heinous than that? He was not only an immoral, incapable, and utterly inept president, he was also cunning, No matter what he and his camp says or does, he is already guilty in the eyes of the public. Erap has become a nauseating presence in our lives. It would have been better if we had followed the Romanian solution when they executed their president. We could have moved on. Dr. J.V. Banaag, (by email), July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Great article!! Peter Capotosto, (by email), July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Nice one. Thanks. Mandy D. Chavez, (by email), July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It is appalling how Erap can repeat over and over again that his conscience is clear and that he is innocent. He even cites God sometimes. Even his blind followers have perfected their complaint that justice delayed is justice denied. They are in effect accusing the prosecution of delaying the trial, which they themselves prolonged as long as possible, waiting for a more sympathetic administration. This blatant reversal by the Erap camp of what is really happening in the trial has been the strategy of even his lawyers to elicit sympathy from the people. And to strengthen their dwindling support from the masses, the Eraptians aligned themselves with the Left. They campaigned heavily for Trillanes, whose rebellious attitude endeared him to the Communists who took care of the barrios to ensure Trillanes' victory. Knowing fully well that the evidence against him is almost indefensible, Erap switched his fight to the political arena. Banking on the unpopularity of Gloria Arroyo, he aimed to gather the people's support by being the enemy of the administration. I just hope he fails for if he succeeds, this is the first time that evil will triumph over good. Victorts, [email protected], July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Can we still cling to our hope of a better future for our beloved Inang Bayang Pilipinas? Ramon M. Golpeo, (by email), July 12, 2007 (Yes. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, Well said. After more than five years of trial, Erap has to be convicted. He is GUILTY, no doubt. Unfortunately. the hatred of some sectors for GMA has blinded them to reality and common sense. Imagine Guingona calling for the non-guilty verdict because GMA is not the rightful president. Tsk tsk tsk Everyone, including most of the medi,a are aghast with that ad but hey are not equally mad when the Erap camp is spreading those malicious messages. Erap is a plague that the country got rid of. If he gets acquitted, all the respect for the rule of law will be totally lost! Regards, Marvin Valido, (by email), July 12, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The Honorable Justices of the Sandiganbayan should write the final decision based on the facts, not on political spin, threats or counter-threats. It is high time that the Philippine Government (Judicial Branch) exert its authority, Otherwise, our country will be another Banana Republic. Ernie Aragon, (by email), Hagerstown , Maryland , July 13, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww There's a lot of talk on the expected verdict against Pres. Estrada, yes PRESIDENT. I didn't want to comment on the case as I feel, yes it's sub-judice. but your column is reeking with contempt against a person "who has not even been convicted YET". You speak of justice and yet you defend the Malacanang tenant. For all the sins attributed to President Erap, if you speak of fairness "in the eyes of the middle class kuno", [I AM ALSO FROM THE MIDDLE CLASS] do you think THE SINS COMMITTED BY GMA IN HER REGIME is lesser in degree? I am not an ERAP supporter, just reacting to your column. I thought you were a champion of justice and . . . all that the Philippine Democracy stands for. In our view, the charges against Pres. Erap were prepared and predicated even before he assumed office, because the so called "High Society Citizens" were not comfortable being ruled by one like Erap. Do you think WE will not see through all these? Of course there are "noises" re the case, but the "REAL NOISES" in the GMA government are bursting at the seam, as it were. Think about it, Tony. Jose Regino, (by email), July 13, 2007 (Contempt for a person [which is a personal reaction to an individual] is not the same as Contempt of Court [which is a civil offense]. I have no love for Gloria Arroyo, as I have expressed in many columns Neither do I for Joseph Estrada, who has tried in 2003, 2005 and 2006 to recruit military mercenaries and communists to serve his personal ends. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Guilty! And President Arroyo will pardon him a la the US ' Scooter Libby? Serafin Dudeo, (by email), California , July 13, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Is jueteng money public funds? Medivic Lozada, (by email), July 13, 2007 (Probably not. But tobacco tax levies are. And receiving kickbacks from jueteng lords is a criminal offense. We will have to wait for the decision of the Court. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Of course, the verdict will have to go where the physical evidence lies (assuming our justice system still has the capacity to convict fair and square without fear or favor). Morally, Erap appears guilty as sin and should be convicted. Personally, I have no sympathies for Erap or his kind. Just so a semblance of sanity would still reign in this country for the long-term, I feel he should be convicted -- if only to send the message that crooks have no business leading this country or making a mockery of the justice system. The reason for conviction must not be just to legitimize a widely perceived illegitimate regime. Regards, Dr. Dennis Acop, (by email), July 15, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Just read about the government department head who bungled his job for approving licenses and receiving bribes. He was tried and beheaded for his crime. This happened recently in China . If the Philippine government were to behead the department heads and others for the same reason, I am sure we will have a "headless government" running the country. Or are we experiencing one right now? Marilu Soriano, (by email), July 15, 2007 (As far as I know, convicted corrupt government officials in China are shot with a bullet to the head, not beheaded. The net effect is the same, of course, a �headless� agency or department, until his/her successor is named. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Moro-moro in Maguindanao� (June 29, 2007) Mr. Abaya You wrote: It is only in the Philippines , with its prostituted concept of American liberalism, that lame excuses like this are accepted at face value. I often wonder why Filipinos like to say American liberalism when they really mean conservatism. Don't American liberals stand for big meddling government and the conservatives the exact opposite. Brian Brotarlo, (by email), July 12, 2007 (You are correct. But in the issue at hand � the electoral fraud in Maguindanao � I was not referring to Big Government or Least Government as defined in US domestic politics, but to the permissiveness and laxity in enforcing the laws in the Philippines, which I blame on a corrupted American-style liberalism [re �due process,� innocent until proven guilty�] which do not have much resonance in Malaysia or Singapore. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: I am sitting here twiddling my thumbs having read the comments written regarding this article. This whole fiasco should not be happening if Comelic and various responsible people do their jobs. Honestly and expediently that is. But it looks like people wait to do their job (which is paid for) until they see benefits are coming. The "what is it for me" mindset. There is too much red tapes going on in the country and the populace for one reason or another accepts and lets it happen. Of course one never knows who is tied with GMA or someone else. This then create bottlenecks. Let me revisit your previous comment regarding being 6,000 miles away from the heat. Being away from the heat however does not change the desire. So desire it is. Here goes an idea for you: With the advent that Filipinos can now have dual citizenship, which means they can now vote, own properties. pay taxes and run for offices in the Philippines . If this is so, it seems to me many of us expatriates living in America, Canada and the rest of the world can begin to organize under a third party let 's call it OFPO which stands for (Overseas Filipino Political Organization). The OFPO may endorse candidates for every position available. We can select excellent candidates for the OFPO if and when the proposed change passes. I am sure this idea will generate interest to many expatriates who would do everything to make changes in the country. The driving force would be to free people from lifetime poverty and elevate the country to a first rate producing nation. It is a long time coming. From responses and feedback you have been getting from "foreigners" the overriding message is to correct the ills and improve the state of economy. The country cannot continue to depend on the $12 billion remittances generated by the OFW. It creates a superficial economy not based on GNP. These are some of the advantages of OFPO Party: � We have more expendable finances. � We are more independent from old party affiliations � We are independent thinkers. � A totally different mindset and approach. � We are more inclined to the rules of Laws. � We have a different experience and exposure. � We will not be tied with ruling dynasties. � We have realistic approach and solutions to resolving problems. � We are foreign educated � Global perspective. � Foreign skills � Good command of the language � None of the cumpadre system influence. � We have-Can do attitude. � Time oriented. � Production oriented. � We are apt to be more honest and accept no bribes. � We practice control and management review. � Have Maturity � More realistic in analyzing problems � Follow rules and regulations � System oriented � So much more I believe OFPO will inject new ideas, new blood, new approach and new ways of doing things. The right way that is. I think it will be a catalyst to make the much needed change in the culture of the country. It may not happen overnight. It'll take a while to accomplish political reconciliation as well as cultural reconciliation. It will be a lot closer expediently as opposed to a total and sweeping revolution; with less lives sacrificed. And surely this group will do it because new ideas if done right from outside the box and proven to work will generate immediate support. Because the OFPO group is coming from outside of the box not confined or tied to old cultural ideas people will be more inclined to support and accept the group as a breath of fresh air to politics. These are ideas I am sharing with you and hopefully you would find the time to share your thoughts. I have noticed you are only eight months older than I. That is just a number as we know. It does not matter much in the scheme of things. What matters is, if at the end of the day or when I open my eyes in the morning and I am breathing it is worth rejoicing because it means I received another gift. The setting sun still looked fabulous in Manila Bay two years ago while strolling in Luneta. Rizal stood like a sentinel watching his beloved country. Hope to experience it again come May 2008. I treasure these memories. They reflect my motherland. God speed. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Roseville , California , July 14, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, What happened in Maguindanao illustrates why the problems in Mindanao will not go away... Regards, Col Dennis Acop (Ret), (by email), July 15, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �In One Generation� (June 20 and 22, 2007) Tony, I agree with you. A virtuous, benevolent dictator / strong leader plus a united people willing to sacrifice for the greater good can make a country move forward, including the Philippines . However, in the case of the Philippines , the society needs to be transformed into a more egalitarian one ... None of this being a second class citizen in your own country i.e. servants --- housemaids, drivers, etc. If half of the population does not think and behave like the other more educated / privileged half, no amount of leadership and good governance will ever suffice. Regards, Col Dennis Acop (Ret), (by email), July 15, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww In the course of more than six decades of self-government, we changed leaderships by democratic electoral process with the hope of joining our Asian neighbors to NIChood. We failed. We tried another means of changing leadership - the EDSAs. Again we failed to achieve substantial reforms. If the result of this midterm election does not bring the necessary reforms to, among others, improve the quality of life of our people, especially the Ds and Es by way of employment generation and poverty reduction, then it's time to birth a new Filipino nation by changing, according to Mabini, not only our institutions but also our manner of behaving and thinking in a peaceful but bold way using Sec.1, Art.II of the Constitution which states that "Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them". As the International Center for Non-violent Conflict in Washington D.C. puts it: "The option for non-violent action is an irresistible alternative to violent struggle. It is no less glorious or revolutionary for the people to be the means of their own emancipation than it is for the armed forces to be that instrument. The right to rise up can change history, but blood is no longer the price." If the more than 80% of our people, as the surveys show, all put their hands on deck, so to speak, it will not take a generation for the Philippines to join the NICs of Asia. Gen. Fortunato Abat (Ret.), (by email), Jul;y 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reaction to �An Idiot Nation� (Feb. 11, 2007) After reading this item, it makes me very angry. We are not IDIOTS. I come from the Philippines , I am proud to be a Filipino. Filipinos are smart and intelligent people. One thing I'll say, we are addicted to movies and we are influence by what we see everyday. We should be intelligent enough to see the difference between reality and "make belief." I have said my piece. Josefina Estrada-Morgan, (by email), July 15, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (The following article was sent by Ma. Cristina A. Prat) THE BETTER SIDE OF THE PHILIPPINES The following was written by INTEL General Manager Robin Martin : Filipinos (including the press, business people and myself) tend to dwell too much on the negative side, and this affects the perception of foreigners, even the ones who have lived here for a while. The negative perception of the Philippines is way disproportionate to reality when compared to countries like Columbia , Egypt , Middle East, Africa , etc. Let us all help our country by balancing the negative with the positive, especially when we talk to foreigners, whether based here or abroad. Looking back and comparing the Philippines today and 1995 (the year I came back), I was struck by how much our country has progressed physically. Consider the following: 1. The great telecom infrastructure that we have now did not exist in 1995. 1995 was the year the telecom industry was deregulated. Since then billions of dollars have been invested in both fixed line and cellular networks producing a system with over 5,000 kms of fiber optic backbone at a world competitive cost. From a fixed line capacity of about 900,000 in 1995 we now have over 7 million. Cellular phones practically did not exist in 1995; now we have over 11 million line capacity. 2. The MRT, many of the EDSA flyovers (including the Ayala Avenue flyover), the SKYWAY, Rockwell and Glorietta 4, the Fort, NAIA terminal 2 and most of the new skyscrapers were not yet built in 1995. 3. If you drive to the provinces, you will notice that national roads are now of good quality (international quality asphalt roads). I just went to Iba, Zambales last week and I was impressed that even a not so frequently traveled road was of very good quality. 4. Philippine exports have increased by 600% over the past eight years. There are many, many more examples of progress over the last eight years. Philippine mangoes are now exported to the US and Europe Additional tidbits to make our people prouder: 1. INTEL has been in the Philippines for 28 years. The Philippines plant is where Intel's most advanced products are launched, including the Pentium IV. By the end of 2002, Philippine operations became Intel's biggest assembly and testing operations worldwide. 2. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS has been operating in Baguio for over 20 years. The Baguio plant is the largest producer of DSP chips in the world. DSP chips are the brains behind cellphones. TI's Baguio plant produces the chip that powers 100% of all NOKIA cellphones and 80% of Erickson cellphones in the world. 3. TOSHIBA laptops are produced in Santa Rosa , Laguna. 4. If you drive a BENZ, BMW, or a VOLVO, there is a good chance that the ABS system in your car was made in the Philippines 5. TREND-MICRO, makers of one of the top anti virus software PC-Cillin (I may have mispelled this) develops its "cures" for viruses right here in Eastwood Libis, Quezon City . When a virus breaks in any computer system in the world, they try to find a solution within 45 minutes of finding the virus. 6 . Today a majority of the top ten U.S. Call Center firms in the U.S. have set up operations in the Philippines This is one area in which I believe we are the best in the world in terms of value for money. 7. America Online (AOL) has 1,000 people in Clark answering 90% of AOL's global e-mail inquiries. 8. PROCTOR & GAMBLE has over 400 people right here in Makati (average age 23 years) doing back-up office work to their Asian operations including finance, accounting, Human Resources and payments processing. 9. Among many other things it does for its regional operations network in the Asia-Pacific region here in Manila , CITIBANK also does its global ATM programming locally. 10. This is the first year ever that the Philippines will be exporting cars in quantity courtesy of FORD Philippines. (I have an idea this article was written between 2001 - 2002, so this operation should have been on-going for the last 3 years or so. CYN) 11. The government is shedding off graft and corruption slowly but surely. This is the first time in our history that a former president is in jail and facing charges of plunder. Despite all odds, we are still pursuing the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos now enjoyed by his unrepentant heirs. Next time you travel abroad and meet business associates tell them the good news. A big part of our problem is perception and one of the biggest battles can be won simply by believing and by making others believe. This message is shared by good citizens of the Philippines who persevere to hope and work for our country. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHER FILIPINOS!!! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |