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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Is GMA Stronger? By Antonio C. Abaya Written Sept. 20, 2005 For the Standard Today, September 22 issue That was the question posed to me by Korina Sanchez in her program last Monday, Sept 19 over ANC Channel 27. And the premise was that immediately after President Arroyo scored a technical knock-out over the opposition in the tussle over the impeachment process in the Lower House, a flurry of good news seems to have fortuitously cascaded down into media and the public consciousness. These were a) her successful chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council summit meeting in New York, which was attended by the most powerful men in the world, such as George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin, Hu Jintao, etc.; b) the victory of Manny Paquiao and another Filipino boxer over their foreign rivals; and c) some positive economic statistics that showed slight increases in exports and the employment rate, etc. Her performance at the UN is being touted by Malacanang as an historic first: the first time that august council was chaired by an Asian, a Filipino and a woman. Granted. But that kind of crowing comes only from people with an inferiority complex, who would be amazed that an Asian (several other Asians have actually chaired that meeting) or a Filipino or a woman would be so honored. Her chairmanship of that meeting was indeed a success, but only in the sense that no delegate slumped dead on his desk during the proceedings, and no wild melee ensued when debates, if any, took place, and no delegates walked out in disgust, throwing sheets of paper into the air, as happened in the Batasan during the impeachment proceedings. An honor for the Philippines? Hmmm, yes, sort of. But President Arroyo was not specifically chosen for this function. She happened to be the head of state of the country that happened to be the chair of the Security Council when the United Nations happened to celebrate its 60th anniversary. (In a CNN video-clip of the proceedings, George W. Bush looked terribly bored and fidgety, which may have encouraged the story that Dubya passed a note to Condoleeza Rice behind him that �I have to go to bathroom.� To which Condi is said to have scribbled back, �No. 1 or No. 2?�) As for the Filipino boxers� no doubt well-deserved victory, President Arroyo cannot take credit for that nor even shine in their reflected glory since, as far as I can tell, she never took any interest in sports in general or boxing in particular, nor initiated any program to develop any sport, during her four-year presidency. As for the positive economic statistics cited, these increases are only incremental and may even be spurious, deliberately cranked up to give a positive spin to her beleaguered administration. There is no accurate way, for instance, to monitor employment and unemployment in this country since most wage earners are not members of the social security system and do not apply for (non-existent) unemployment insurance when they lose their jobs. But to get back to Korina�s question, Is President Arroyo now stronger? My answer was a categorical No, for the following reasons. Her technical knock-out victory during the impeachment proceedings in the Lower House may be Pyrrhic, meaning, it was a victory won with staggering losses. In reply to those who had called for her to reign, she had urged them to give her her day in court by allowing impeachment proceedings to take their course. But when the process was begun, it was her own allies in Congress, no doubt with her encouragement and Machiavellian manipulation, who blocked it from getting beyond Step 1. This scandalous disconnect between what she says and what she does has become a trademark of her leadership. Far from making her stronger, her spurious victory has made her weaker, in the sense that there are now more people in the general public (though, granted, not in Congress) who dislike and distrust her than there were two months ago. And as if she did not have problems enough, her National Security Adviser, Norberto Gonzales, had to come up with a patently stupid contract with the law-and-lobby firm Venable LLP that would ostensibly lobby in the US Congress for support for charter change to a federal-parliamentary system in the Philippines. All this for the princely sum of $75,000 a month, or $900,000 or more than P50 million a year. Why the national security adviser would meddle in a political-constitutional matter that is outside his jurisdiction or province of competence has not been adequately explained by Gonzales or President Arroyo. Why he wants a foreign government to financially support a debate over a constitutional issue inherently restricted to the citizens of this country, the national insecurity adviser does not explain either. Where he would get the P50 million to finance this enterprise, since there is no allocation for it in the national budget, Gonzales has explained by saying that it would be paid for by the private sector. But when pressed to name the private donor or donors who would foot the bill, Gonzales feigns sudden amnesia, saying that President Arroyo would know. The guy is lying through his teeth. But does President Arroyo really know? Of course, she does. My interpretation is that this has all to do with the life-saver that former President Fidel Ramos threw in her direction last July, to give her a graceful exit from her crumbling presidency. Under FVR�s so-called Total Approach, President Arroyo and other elected national officials will resign from their positions by February 2006 while a shift to a federal-parliamentary system is debated in a constituent assembly, then ratified in a referendum. An election for parliamentary seats would then be held on May 12, 2006, and the winners installed on June 30 2006. (See my article �FVR�s Solution� of July 31.) Gloria Arroyo having been allowed to waltz into the sunset (in San Francisco?), unscathed and unrepentant, the new prime minister will then take over, and he will be, it can be assumed with certainty, either Jose de Venecia or Fidel Ramos. Those who want to rejoice at this endearing future are free to shout themselves hoarse. I refuse to join in the jubilation. Why does Gonzales want American congressional support for this, as is the intent of the Venable contract? Partly because the Philippine treasury is empty, and partly because American support is deemed critical for President Arroyo�s continued stay in power, at least until May-June 2006. Which support can be assured (by Venable and compliant American congressmen) if the desired constitutional amendments will include a proviso allowing 100% foreign- (read, American-) owned corporations to own Philippine land and operate in the Philippine economy. If President Arroyo knows the details of this contract, then she is as guilty as her flunkey Gonzales for trying to peddle such a disgraceful sell-out. If she does not, then one must wonder what kind of leadership she exercises in her government. She is damnable if she knows, and damnable if she does not. Another factor that weakens her even after her technical knock-out victory at the Lower House and her success at the UN is the disappearance of Virgilio Garcillano. This cannot be swept under the rug. Instead it will continue to haunt her like the Ghost of Elections Past. President Arroyo is the only one to benefit from Garci�s disappearance. And his disappearance was engineered by her puppets in the bureaucracy, specifically the Air Transportation Office and the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, and covered up obligingly by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Flight is an admission of guilt. By disappearing, Garci has admitted his guilt and, by extension, the guilt of President Arroyo, since it takes two to hold an incriminating telephone conversation. Finally, there is the FBI espionage scandal. While those who are most embarrassed by it at the moment are Sen. Panfilo Lacson and former president Joseph Estrada, there is a strong likelihood that President Arroyo will likewise be scorched by it because of the negative comments about her that are likely to emerge from these �secret� documents once they are fully revealed.***** Reactions to [email protected] or fax 824-7642. Other articles in www.tapatt.org. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Is GMA Stronger?� Tony, She won? Is she stronger? It really depends on where you live - in the real world, or in Gloria's phantasms. In fact, her eye bags reveal that she hardly sleeps. Because of this, others perceive that she really burns the midnight oil and thus a hard-working president. In the real world, however, put yourself in her shoes -- how can you sleep when 79% of the people are not with you. Unlike Indira Gandhi, whose assassin surprised her, I believe whatever little is left of Gloria's conscience is slowly killing her. Psychologically, this stage is dangerous and can drive anyone to suicide. But that is only my opinion as an amateur psychologist. Adolfo Paglinawan, [email protected] September 22, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Why would Sen. Osmena mention the names of your Chairman and that of Endika Aboitiz as suspected private donors unidentified by Gonzales, not only once, but twice during his interpellation of the Security Adviser? I thought I was the only lonely soul harping about the special services that these two "booty capitalists" have been receiving from the previous and present Administrations in terms of handsome concessions for their protected undertakings. If you have missed this, please browse at http://rpweb.ph and see how our maritime industry has been tilted to favor ICTSI and Aboitiz shipping. Tet Gambito, [email protected] Cebu City, September 22, 2005 MY REPLY. If by �your Chairman� you mean Enrique Razon, the chairman of the corporation that owns Manila Standard Today, then I have no answer to your question about Sen. Serge Osmena�s suspicions. I am not an employee of the corporation, so its chairman is not �my Chairman.� wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You know, Tony, your essays, particularly today�s, have the effect of circumscribing GMA in by logic so faultless that they take on the precision and exactness of a mathematical formula. The wild card is in the timing. How long will it take for things to unravel? Sooner rather than later, I hope. I may sound wistful or even plaintive but, please, don�t falter. Your perspective is vital for everyone to see the trees for the forest. Francis de Borja, [email protected] September 23, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony - I read with great interest your column today. I've been involved with GMA as a neophyte senator in 1992 and supplied tons of research and background materials for the exhaustive investigation she conducted for several weeks on the Pepsi 349 scandal which duped thousands of poor consumers nationwide. That was her springboard to the Vice Presidency when her report in June 1993 faulted PepsiCo US for gross negligence because the Pepsi promotions was marred with deceptive and misleading advertising. The GMA Senate report is a judicial notice under the rules of court no. 129 section 1 of the Rules of Court of the Philippines. Victory for the thousands of poor claimants was assured by her report. As President, she disappointed and distanced herself from the issue. She used the Pepsi349 issue as the ticket to her political stardom and ejected herself when she achieved her goal. She, as President could have intervened as peacemaker and could have broken the chain of poverty for thousands of poor consumers all over the country. Please visit www.pepsi349.com for more details. Vic Del Fierro Jr., [email protected] September 23, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww In your article "Is PGMA STRONGER?" YOU SAID THAT THE INCREASES IN ECONOMIC STATISTICS ARE MAY BE SPURIOUS, DELIBERATELY CRANKED TO GIVE UP A POSITIVE SPIN TO HER BELEAGUERED ADMINISTRATION. aND ALSO YOU SAID THAT THERE ARE NOW MORE PEOPLE IN GENERAL PUBLIC WHO DISLIKE AND DISTRUST HER. I THINK YOU HAVE NO ACCURATE WAY TO DETERMINE THESE RESULTS AND YOU WERE JUST RELYING ON THE SURVEY RESULTS OF THE FALSE ASIA (OR FOOLS ASIA?), WHO WAS PAID BY THE OPPOSITION TO COOK UP SURVEYS TO GET THE RESULTS THEY WANTED IN ORDER TO AID THE OPPOSITIONS IN THEIR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE PRESIDENT IIN UNSEATING HER. I WOULD RATHER SAY THAT I HAVE AN ACCURATE WAY OF TELLING YOU THAT MORE PEOPLE LOVE HER AS EVIDENCED BY THE ANEMIC TURNOUT OF RALLYISTS ORGANIZED BY CORY AND THE OPPOSITIONS. IF YOU REALLY LOVE OUR COUNTRY AND THE FILIPINOS IN GENERAL, THEN USE YOUR SPACE TO PROMOTE UNITY AND RECONCILLIATION TO MOVE THE PHILIPPINES FORWARD TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WHICH THE FILIPINOS WOULD BE THE BENEFICIARIES. ANYWAY, THE OPPOSITIONS HAVE NO AGENDA OF UPLIFTING THE LIVING CONDITION OF THE KABABAYANS, RATHER THEY WANT THEM TO SUFFER MORE BY PULLING THE PHILIPPINES INTO ITS ECONOMIC WOES. MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS. No name given, [email protected] September 23, 2005 MY REPLY. Next time, have the courage of your conviction by attaching your name to your opinions. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished) My dearest wife and my dearest friends: I have spent agonizing days and sleepless nights trying to figure out who will best replace GMA. Tony Abaya, my unknown friend and supporter, has already determined that GMA's departure is now just a question of how soon. The new President is upon us. But the question is who. Who will be qualified enough to fill Malacanang and give the people hope and a chance for a better life? Who will reform the government and make society believe in the collective potency of aspirations and dreams? Who will inspire the Filipino Soldier to deliver a country at peace with itself and devoid of criminality? Who will instill justice as expected: fair, uncouth, swift and unforgiving? Who will stimulate business and the economy and make the country respectable in the Family of Nations? Who will be committed beyond reason and disregard the perimeter of human frailties and endurance? Who will sacrifice and use all his wherewithal to make our nation the true Pearl of the Orient Seas? Ladies and gentlemen, my dearest friends, my countrymen, I give you my humble SELF. I know most of you if not all will not be able to contend your glee and thanksgiving for even without any clamor from anybody, I have presented to you myself in a most unselfish way. Yes, I will be your President. And you can thank me later for that. My first act as President is to ask the (dis)honorable members of Congress and the Senate to commit hara-kiri under my supervision and jail all the ex-Presidents, living or dead, for failing the Filipino big time. Right after World War II, we were the second most progressive nation in Asia. Our currency was one to one with the US dollar. Now, we are second to the last and the peso is 55+ to $1. Our leaders, our past Presidents in particular have pushed the country down the ravine with extreme prejudice. They have failed us big time. They must answer to their crimes. Next, I will reorganize the government into two departments: Interior and Foreign Affairs. All others become bureaus. Less managers, less salaries, more savings. The Armed Forces(AFP) will also be reorganized. Only the Chief of Staff, AFP(CSAFP) will be a general, the major service commanders will be Colonels. Again, savings in salaries. The Army will be headquartered in Zamboanga, Philippine Navy in Cebu, Air Force in Lipa, the Police stays in Manila. CSAFP's term will be three years regardless of retirement age unless found incompetent very lax and very shabby. NPA, MILF and other pain in the neck "revolutionaries" will be given 24 hours to lay down their arms in exchange for peace and the right to join society. Those who will not heed the ultimatum will be hunted down and terminated regardless of who nor why. The new and true Filipino Soldier will see to it that this order is carried out. On Foreign Affairs, I will declare the Philippines a neutral country in the same way that Switzerland is. Beholden to no one, loyal but to ourselves.(I do reserve the right to invade Brunei, as it is part of the Philippines back when land bridges made it possible for our Malayan ancestors to settle our country. I would defer such invasion so long as the Brunei People pledge allegiance to RP, and that oil will be sold to us for no more than $1 per barrel.) Dissent will only be tolerated if the dissenter can offer a better alternative. Finding fault just for the heck of it is not going to be tolerated. Filipinos will be solution finders, not a bunch of whining complainers. Those who insist of being cry babies will be tied up to a post at Plaza Miranda and to their heart's content be able to say their piece for one week, 24/7. Then they will be executed. Discipline as exemplified by queuing will be imposed and violators will be dealt with 40 public lashings. Recidivists will have their fingers cut off. Incorrigibles, will be executed. Our country is in dire need of infrastructures of which in the past were the biggest source of corruption..And since most of the recovery projects will entail funds, I will ask the 10% who hold the country's wealth to donate to the government, half of their family's wealth or be vanished. No if's or but's. If one's wealth is just too much that one no longer values money and even uses such for evil ends, such as planning for my overthrow, one does not deserve that much money. Let that money be put to good use. Proven corruptors who enriched themselves in office will be given a chance to save their lives by returning all their loot to the national coffers. Those who will refuse will be executed. I will encourage more OFW's that there will come a point when the rest of the world will wake up and go to sleep with a Filipino controlling the light switch. The world will soon realize that life will not be possible without the Filipino. In return, each OFW and his family will be given immaculate treatment by the government and will be accorded appropriate respect and gratitude. These and much more I promise to do regardless of my popularity or unpopularity. I did not win any election. I do not have a mandate. I owe allegiance to nobody. I do not have to prove anything. There is but one desire I have: after the end of my term, I will still be able to enjoy walking the streets unsecured like the anonymous nobody I have always been. Meanwhile, I will leave the Philippines in its greatest glory as Rizal and Bonifacio had always envisioned it to be. Your Humble Servant, Anak ni Racuyal Danilo M. Jimenez, PMA �77, [email protected] September 23, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Is Gloria stronger? I also say NO! Regarding the "patently stupid contract with a law-and-lobby firm Venable LLP", with reference to your column "Is Gloria Stronger", I believe that the action itself is an indirect BRIBERY. Bribery because administration man, Secretary Gonzales, is spending money to get in return some benefits from the US Government , in order to look good to the President. If the President condoned (or even sanctioned) this transaction, then she is equality guilty, as an accessory to the fact, of BRIBERY. Merardo C. Abaya, [email protected] September 23, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Shouldn�t the title be " Is GMA richer than before ".Let's not forget their daily take from the numbers game. Jueteng lords may be the ones probably alluded by Gonzales as private funders for the Venable project. If GMA does not repent , how can she face God with a straight face and tell the Lord that she did not lie, cheat the filipino people. I hope and pray that she realizes that eventual confrontation. Everybody needs to get right with the Lord. Bombing Moll, [email protected] September 24, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: To those who reply in the affirmative to your question, I have only this to say: "Odor isn't everything!" Tito Osias, [email protected] September 24, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, To the rhetorical question, "Is GMA stronger?" is a matter of perception. People tend to ignore the big picture but consumed their energy on political misstep and miscalculations of their president. There is an absolute absence of standards in Philippine politics that measures presidential strength or weakness(es).The opposition is tempted to measure it, journalists are motivated weigh it, some people merely talk about it, but overall the people themselves ignore it and do nothing about it. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, [email protected] New York City, September 25, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir, Why media should change for awhile specially during this critical period of our country. Instead we should be a peacemaker than adding fuel to the fire. Anyway alam ninyo rin naman lahat ng politician ay mandaraya, pagalingan nga lang sila ng pandaraya. And the losser will shout that they were been cheated. What we need is to watch our leader, hindi sila sila ang nagbabantay sa isat isa. Sabi nga nila magnanakaw galit sa magnanakaw. And the best thing next election lahat na yan huwag ng iboto. Alexander Carranceja, [email protected] Kuwait, September 27, 2005 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |