| Justice in SloMo
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on March 09, 2009 For the Standard Today, March 10 issue Some readers of the March 7 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer may have been genuinely puzzled by its banner headline: 4 Garcias held in US jails, with the following sub-headline: Ex-general�s wife, 3 sons all US citizens. Some clarification is in order. The four Garcias are the wife and three sons of Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia, former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They are Mrs. Clarita Depakakibo Garcia, Timothy Mark Garcia, Juan Paolo Garcia, and Ian Carl Garcia. All four are US citizens. Clarita and Timothy Mark were arrested by US authorities on March 5 in Detroit, Michigan, according to the Inquirer, on the basis of an extradition request from the Philippine government for the crime of plunder committed in Quezon City between 1993 and 2004 Juan Paolo and Ian Carl were arrested separately on February 25 by US authorities, the former in Pontiac, Michigan, the latter in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were arrested following their indictment last December 2008 by a federal grand jury and charged with conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling of $100,000 in December 2003.in San Francisco International Airport. In my article titled Plunder and Gen. Garcia (March 22, 2005), I wrote: �The story got bigger because their mother, Clarita D. Garcia, trying to wiggle her sons out of their mess as well as trying to retrieve the confiscated $100,000, signed a sworn statement in April 2004 before US authorities admitting that �I always declare the money when I bring it into the US. I declared the money in 1993, in 1995 when I had a medical operation. I declared $100,000 on December 17, 2003. I also declared $200,000 in January 2003�.� �Apparently asked to explain their sources of income, Mrs. Garcia wrote in the sworn statement that their money comes from two corporations, a daycare school, and her husband�s job as a two-star general in the Philippine military. In addition, she said, �(husband) Carlos receives travel money and expenses in excess of several thousand dollars. I often travel with my husband on business and my travel expenses and shopping money in excess of US$10,000 to $20,000 is provided to me. He also receives cash for travel and expenses from the businesses that are awarded contracts for military hardware. These businesses are in Europe and Asia. He also receives gifts and gratitude money from several Philippine companies that are awarded military contracts to build roads, bridges and military housing�.The expense money, gratitude money and shopping money is not declared as income�..� �Although the military high command apparently heard of the San Francisco incident soon after it happened, its �investigation� was discontinued �for lack of evidence,� and then AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya (no relation) did not remove Gen. Garcia from the office of comptrollership until February 2004. �Military court-martial proceedings against Gen. Garcia were not started until January 2005, or 13 months after the San Francisco incident, and the charges were only for the minor offenses of perjury and falsification of public documents, not for unexplained wealth�� Gen. Garcia was convicted of the perjury charge only last month., four years after the charge were filed. Again, from my article Plunder and Gen. Garcia: �It was subsequently revealed in media, after August 2004, that the Garcias own real estate in the US: a $765,000 (Trump Tower) condo on 502 Park Avenue and a $750,000 apartment at 222 East 34th Street, both in New York City, and a house in the town of Westerville, Ohio, of undisclosed value. It was further revealed in media that there are at least eight luxury vehicles registered in their names at the Land Transportation Office, and that Gen. Garcia maintained 40 bank accounts in several Philippine banks. All this from a monthly salary of P37,000 as AFP deputy comptroller�..� .. ��..In their complaint for plunder, (Lawyers Frank) Chavez, (Mario) Ongkiko et al submitted eleven annexes to support their case, including US Customs reports evidencing transfers of dollars to the US by the Garcias and declared by them: $15,000 in 1993, $10,400 in 1995, $100,000 in 2003, and $204,230 in 2004; foreign currency certificates of time deposits in 2002 with Allied Bank for $75,000 and $30,000; the report of US Customs regarding the $100,000 seized in San Francisco in December 2003; a purchase agreement with Trump Park Ave. Condominium for one unit worth $765,000; and Clarita D. Garcia�s sworn statement to US authorities trying to explain a) why sons Juan Paulo and Ian Carl did not declare the $100,000 in December 2003; and b) how and where the Garcias earn their money. �Also submitted in the complaint as Annex B and Annex G were two articles written by me for the Manila Standard: �Corruption and Taxes� (Feb. 02, 2005) and �GMA and Garcia�(Oct.28, 2004). �In �Corruption and Taxes�, I had written, among other things, �Why would anyone need 40 personal bank accounts in his name, for chrissakes? It can only mean that each account is likely a parking space for somebody else who does not want his or her name to appear in the bank documents but who is actually the beneficial owner of the money stashed in it as his or her share of the money accumulated by Gen. Garcia by whatever means�.� Hence, the Jane Doe, John Doe, James Doe and Joel Doe in the complaint. In April 2005, the outgoing US Ambassador, Francis Ricciardone, speaking before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, urged the government of President Arroyo to adopt a continuous trial for Gen. Garcia and offered to turn over to it the voluminous documents in the US government�s possession. His offer and suggestion were ignored, and Gen. Garcia remained in limbo. But the recent flurry of developments in this case raises the question of: Why, all of a sudden? Does this mean that those 40 bank accounts have now been obliterated from bank records and their beneficial owners now safely hidden in total anonymity? We shall see what we shall see. The key question in all this is: Why do we have Justice in Slow Motion in this country? I am not a lawyer, but isn�t this Garcia case what lawyers call an Open and Shut Case? In a case of Plunder or Unexplained Wealth, I have been told by lawyer-friends, the burden of proof is with the accused. The accused must prove that the wealth in his or her name was legally acquired. The prosecution does not have to prove that the wealth was illegally acquired. How can Gen. Garcia and his wife and sons show that their alleged illegal wealth (valued at P303,272,005.99) can be explained by his salary of P36,015 a month? And, while we�re at it, why are some of the cases against Imelda Marcos still pending even after 20 years? It seems to me that the remedy lies in continuous daily trials lasting 90 days for high-profile corruption cases, not in adopting the jury system, as advocated by some groups. If we had trial by jury, the cases against Imelda Marcos would still have languished for 20 years or more, many members of the jury would have died by now � causing more delays as replacement jurors are selected and screened - and the legal system would have been bankrupted since it would have been required to pay the salaries of the sequestered jurors � whatever their means of livelihood - while they were serving in the jury. Justice delayed is justice denied. But in a land dominated by 50,000 lawyers, that truism does not seem to infuriate anyone. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Justice in SloMo� Celente Predicts Revolutions Sex and Religion in Manila Galman was a Scapegoat Why God made Moms Dear Tony: How can there be justice in the Philippines when the President herself, the lawmakers, the police, and the prosecutors and judges are by general consensus caught in a web of corruption? The Rule of Law pretty much does not apply to those who are wealthy and powerful, or are well connected to the wealthy and the powerful. These are the people who easily and routinely get away with any and all crimes under the sun, whether it be murder or plunder. The plunder case against former President Joseph Estrada, the plunder case against General Garcia, the case against Imelda Marcos: these are cases in point. But there are many more of these which need not be cited here. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers, NY, March 09, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Re the Garcias, I wonder how they got to be American citizens? And when? Ben Lim, (by email), Makati City, March 09, 2009 (I have no idea, Ben, but they are not the first Filipinos of dubious incomes to be granted American citizenship. Nor would they be the last. Tony) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, You warote: It seems to me that the remedy lies in continuous daily trials lasting 90 days for high-profile corruption cases, not in adopting the jury system, as advocated by some groups. If we had trial by jury, the cases against Imelda Marcos would still have languished for 20 years or more, many members of the jury would have died by now � causing more delays as replacement jurors are selected and screened - and the legal system would have been bankrupted since it would have been required to pay the salaries of the sequestered jurors � whatever their means of livelihood - while they were serving in the jury. Your conclusion about the JURY system, which consists of the GRAND JURY and the TRIAL JURY, is too hasty. And even before going into the details, the difference in the US justice system and the one installed by the American Occupiers based on the 1935 Philippine. Constitution, from where the provisions about the JURY system were intentionally omitted, is necessary to be given due consideration before drawing your conclusion. You are a conscientious student of geopolitics. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that you would have encountered the writings of THOMAS JEFFERSON, one of which was: "The Jury is the only anchor yet imagined by man that can hold a government to the principles of its constitution. For a balanced perspective, you have to compare the period from 1935 up to today of roughly 74 years to the corresponding 74 years from the time the US Constitution was adopted. The absence of the JURY system made the critical difference and basically has been the "missing component" for the SOVEREIGN WILL of the Filipino People to be ALWAYS over and above any pre-emptive action on the part those who are merely elected to subvert the collective rights of Filipino Citizens. I am providing CC to three (3) practitioners within the JURY systems of the USA and UK for their reference in providing inputs regarding the People's JURY Initiative of 2009. At my end, I would like to call your attention on the much ignored RESERVED Legislative Power of Filipino Voters as provided for in all versions of the Philippine Constitution from 1935 up to 1987. The provisions for the People's INITIATIVE and REFERENDUM are what have been grossly "buried away from sight" of the general population, since they are the available mechanisms for Filipino Voters to: 1) ENACT the laws desired by Filipino Citizens that have been intentionally ignored and set aside by elected legislative bodies, from CONGRESS down to the Barangay Level; and 2) REPEAL / RESCIND any law passed by elected legislative bodies, from CONGRESS down to the Barangay Level. Respectfully, Joseph Midar Nepomuceno, (by email), March 09, 2009 Interim Secretary General, Core Group of Convenors (CGC) PHILIPPINE JUDICIAL REFORMS MOVEMENT (PJRM) forging a NATIONAL ALLIANCE for PEOPLE'S JURY INITIATIVE of 2009 (PJI) (To convince other people of the correctness of your advocacy for the Jury System [Grand Jury and Trial Jury], may I suggest that you cite countries, preferably fellow Asian, whose judicial systems improved significantly after adopting the jury system? The �before� and �after� approach is more convincing than quoting Thomas Jefferson, who was an Anglo-Saxon talking to other Anglo-Saxons. We Filipinos are not Anglo-Saxons. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, A few months ago I shared with an advocacy group (decrying the despicable inefficiencies in our Justice System) about a legal case handled by my late father for small fisherfolks in Calatagan Batangas vs the Hacienda Zobel of the mighty Ayalas. It was an up and down case with the local courts in Batangas practically giving in to every dilatory tactics of the Ayala lawyers. If I recall correctly, my father got into the losing case in the mid 50s and after several setbacks and victories in the Minicipal level, the case finally reached the Supreme Court. However my father passed away in 1984 at 82 yrs and did not see the "Final and Executory" Supreme Court decision in favor of the fisherfolks in the late 90s. That's more than 40 years Tony, 40 plus long years! Onli in da Pilipins! As I have emphatically stated in that Judicial Reform group that I support, the key to our emancipation from the bondage of graft and corruption is resolute law enforcement and efficient judicial process. I guess that is very obvious. We are for efficient "due process" which in many (most?) cases remain perpetually overdue! Right now there are many poor defendants languishing in our hellish jails because the wheels of justice seem to have gone flat. My lawyer son have his hands full helping many of these poor accused get their fair share of justice. Many have been looong in a state of "just tiis". And so we remain angry witnesses to the big-time celebrated cases where the crooks and culprits, the smart ones, remain thumbing their noses at us as their battery of lawyers seem to obstruct rather than allow the law to take its rightful course. You mentioned 50,000 lawyers (I thought there were more) who should be at the forefront in bedeviling the Courts for the denial of justice with their TROs and granting of postponements for very flimsy reasons. Not to mention questionable decisions and grave misconduct of magistrates in the high tribunals! How long will this unacceptable situation remain? While many innocent accused are said to be suffering for crimes they did not commit, there are probably more who, despite preponderance of evidence against them remain scot-free and continue to bask in the limelight with their pelf and power. In their desperation, I can't blame some people when they ask "Oh where have all the 'Sparrows' gone?" Shalom! E. J. T.Tirona, (by email), Kawit, Cavite and Paranaque City, March 09, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: I hope and pray someone would be brave enough to put some lead in the head of those people who steal the people's money. If some brave people can do this, I think people like the "Garcias, and the " De la Paz" would think twice before they steal the people�s money. Peter Mendoza, (by email), March 09, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear ACA, Wow! What a revelation! I didn't know the Garcias (mother and 3 sons) were in U.S. jail. I thought they were free and on vacation. And I had no idea about the status of Gen Garcia (AFP Comptroller) case. This is the reason I love reading your articles sent in by email, instead of reading newspapers or listening to TV/Radio reports which are without deeper details the way it is presented in your article. Please go on and don't ever stop writing. Filipinos need to get the details the way you present them. Keep up the good work. Thank you very much! Jun Manzano, (by email), March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The only thing that is fast in this country is injustice and corruption. What else is new in a banana republic such as ours with a state headed by apes, programmed by gorillas, and implemented by monkeys. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. God help us all. (Name withheld on request), (by email), March 10, 2009 . wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, In most major cities in America there are now a number of Filipino periodicals. There are at least five in the Sacramento area. Two things I regularly avoid reading are corruption cases and entertainment gossips and movie stars expose'. The latter is disgusting, sugary and a no-brainer. Generally, corruption stories make my blood boil. Corruption is so pervasive and a way of life in the Philippine; and the perpetrators are seldom punished. So I've stopped hoping for miracles because in essence justice is never served in the Philippines. But your article for some reason made me curious how a two-star General earning a measly P36,000 pesos a month could accumulate that much wealth? In a nutshell, Mrs. Garcia's testimonies reveal her husband is on the take. I wonder if she knew what she was doing was wrong or was she bragging of her status as a cheat? How did they acquire US citizenships? Does anybody know? That is a trail I would curiously follow. I assume the extra 40 separate bank accounts General Garcia maintained was for the benefit of silent military and/or government-civilians plunderers. It appears the monies are from overtly stacked/overstated military contracts. This is another trail I would follow to unmask the additional 40 silent partners and plunderers. Tony, what can I say? I wish to close with a positive phrase but I can't. I am afraid, rather than use paradise it is just another day in hell. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Rocklin, CA, March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, We have the Ombudsman in Manila, but she is inutile. We have the judges there too, but they can be bought. Slo-mo seems to be more like No-mo. Like your beginning sentence, I am not a lawyer--yet. Cita D.-didn�t-have-to-be-a-Harvard-Law-stude-to-figure-that-out. Cita Dinglasan, (by email), Cambridge, Massachusetts, March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony, You know what? Why not let the NPA try this kind of cases and if conviction is obtained, let them(NPA) have the amount of money involved. I think if would be faster and very fast. Don�t you think so? Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), March 10, 2009 (Or, better yet, let the NPA execute the convicted plunderers. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, In response to this article, I'd like to offer a very famous literary line: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." - William Shakespeare Thank you, Gus Cosio, (by email), March 10, 2009 (There wouldn�t be anyone left in the Senate and the Lower House. Except possibly the janitors, who are probably law students themselves. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir Tony; The truism does not seem to infuriate anyone because everyone who's supposed to be infuriated and can actually do something about it chooses to be blind, deaf and mute to what is obviously right in front of their noses. The answers are clear as day yet they refuse to acknowledge the obvious once more and forget to ask the relevant questions like who owns these accounts, how does Garcia get that money, who pays him and what does he get paid for - simple questions even a 5 year old would ask but again - obviously - those who can hammer down the point prefer to sit in the sidelines and watch and wait... for what - we can only speculate. With that much money revolving around these people -maybe they got paid to ignore the obvious and play dumb. Where is this government's sense of delicadeza? Again - obviously, natabunan na ng sangkatutak na dolyar. For a foreign ambassador like Francis Ricciardone to actually tell PGMA to pursue this case [with obviously no solid results and a lack luster performance on her "fight" against corruption] - hindi na ba sila nahiya or kinilabutan man lang sa dami ng kurakot nila against the number of people dying from poverty, illness and a lack of public service in our system? Obviously WALANG delicadeza at WALANG hiya. God Bless and regards, Jenny/Jenifer Xavier, (by email), March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Kuya Tony C. Abaya, Ang KarMa Las dadating na...malapit na sa mga taong 'yan na dapat parusaan...salamat linagay mo sa artikulo mo na yan. Leona Guera, (by email), Australia, March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww A bit malicious perhaps but my thoughts include this : that the cases against General Garcia, or Imelda Marcos, and other similar high profile ones where huge amounts of money is involved will in fact take very long to conclude (if there ever would be a conclusion) because these are almost bottomless milking tanks. The explanations of Mrs. Garcia were obviously self-serving and, tragically, also inflicting legal wounds unto herself and her family. The crime was just too much to be covered. the more she spoke the clearer we see the general's crime. Better for Garcia to confess, own it all up in Philippine courts, and make amends by returning all the money that is not his and help the government in tracking down his cohorts. He still may go to jail or whatever, but he would at least do one good thing for a change. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You are absolutely right, Mr. Abaya, that Maj. Gen Carlos Garcia could be the handler of the different bank accounts of people above him. If my memory is not failing me, he was first designated AFP Comptroller during the time of then CSAFP now DOE Sec. Angelo Reyes. One of the demands of the Oakwood mutineers was the relief of Reyes who was then Secretary of Defense because of so many irregularities in the military. Instead of being sacked, Reyes was given the DILG portfolio until Ronnie Puno became interested in the position as part of the latter strategic long range plan for the presidency (in case his master and co-conspirator will not be able to stay in power before 2010). As DILG Sec he can have control not only of the local governments but also the police which play major roles during elections. To appease Reyes he was given the Eeergy department for which he has zero background. The question is, why is Reyes indispensable? Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Great! Since they are all US citizens, they can join Daniel Smith at the US Embassy. They now have a quorum for mahjong. Oh, what fun! Aurora Pijuan, (by email), Makati City, March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You are so wrong... The pace of justice in the Philippines infuriates some Filipinos. You for one. And me for another. And I am sure thousands of other Filipinos. But the system is so entrenched, so deeply rooted it is like trying to demolish the Great Wall of China with a hammer. Nakakagigil! Remy Marmole�o, (by email), March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, There were two occasions where Atty. Adel Tamano was asked during the Q&A after his talk at the Rotary Club of Pasig and Rotary Club of Makati why are we in such a mess considering that we have so many lawyers, or words to that effect. His answer was 'On the contrary, we need more lawyers, GOOD LAWYERS.� May God bless and keep you always. Jerry Quibilan, (by email), March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Regarding the Garcia(s) case, plunder and whatever, I submit that your suggestion of a '90-days continuous trial' will not solve our problematic Justice System. It will only give our lawyers and judges a shorter time to manipulate. It will not solve the corruption, manipulation and dirt in the system. There are good lawyers and honest judges out there. We know that. The same is true for other workers in government. But they are the exceptions, not the rule. I am worried that one day, when the "under-dogs" will decide and say - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Let us do something about this! Can the lawyers and manipulators in our society stop the people's anger? I wonder! To go a little further - ordinary people with common sense, who are not lawyers, can sense where a case is going by the way lawyers -prosecutors especially- propound their questions and the way judges allow the manipulations to proceed. You don't have to be very bright to know these things. OMBUDSMAN? What animal is that? What's in a name? I have heard and read a lot about 'this Ombudswoman'? And one can only take so much news of this kind. As a people, we continue to allow ourselves to be "Stupidized" (new word in Filipino Dictionary). To continue- In our society cases are not won in open court, but in hotels and nooks where 'Arrangements and Agreements' are made (again) between lawyers and their cohorts. What chance at true justice will one obtain if he is not moneyed or influential? But in the Jury System, the 12 members of the jury chosen, will give both the accused and the prosecution equal chances, as any move to manipulate will be under the scrutiny of Twelve Individuals who think and assess the case before them on their merits. Even if a member is ignorant of the law, he/she can always ask the Judge for guidance, as the System allows. The lawyers can try to sway the case in whatever way they are permitted by law, but still the "Twelve Jurors are the ones who will decide the case". Not the Judge! Your Honor, I rest my case. J.Jose Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City, March 13, 2009 (Aren�t you idealizing a system that you have no empirical experience of? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Fritz Maramba) Celente Predicts Revolution, Food Riots, Tax Rebellions By 2012 By Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com November 13, 2008 http://thecriticalthinker.wordpress.com/2009/02/13/gerald-celente/ The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012. Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week. Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts. "We're going to see the end of the retail Christmas�.we're going to see a fundamental shift take place�.putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree," said Celente, adding that the situation would be "worse than the great depression". "America's going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for," said Celente, noting that people's refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis. Celente, who successfully predicted the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S.. dollar, told UPI in November last year that the following year would be known as "The Panic of 2008," adding that "giants (would) tumble to their deaths," which is exactly what we have witnessed with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and others. He also said that the dollar would eventually be devalued by as much as 90 per cent. The consequence of what we have seen unfold this year would lead to a lowering in living standards, Celente predicted a year ago, which is also being borne out by plummeting retail sales figures. The prospect of revolution was a concept echoed by a British Ministry of Defence report last year, which predicted that within 30 years, the growing gap between the super rich and the middle class, along with an urban underclass threatening social order would mean, "The world's middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest," and that, "The middle classes could become a revolutionary class." In a separate recent interview, Celente went further on the subject of revolution in America. "There will be a revolution in this country," he said. "It's not going to come yet, but it's going to come down the line and we're going to see a third party and this was the catalyst for it: the takeover of Washington, D. C., in broad daylight by Wall Street in this bloodless coup. And it will happen as conditions continue to worsen." "The first thing to do is organize with tax revolts. That's going to be the big one because people can't afford to pay more school tax, property tax, any kind of tax. You're going to start seeing those kinds of protests start to develop." "It's going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we're going to see many more." "We're going to start seeing huge areas of vacant real estate and squatters living in them as well. It's going to be a picture the likes of which Americans are not going to be used to. It's going to come as a shock and with it, there's going to be a lot of crime. And the crime is going to be a lot worse than it was before because in the last 1929 Depression, people's minds weren't wrecked on all these modern drugs � over-the-counter drugs, or crystal meth or whatever it might be. So, you have a huge underclass of very desperate people with their minds chemically blown beyond anybody's comprehension." ***** wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Fil Juntereal) This was shown on BBC. It's on overpopulation in Manila and the Catholic Church's opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill. The entire BBC show on YouTube for anyone who might have wanted to see it... Here is the link to Part 1 of 3, look to the right, you'll see links to part 2/3 and 3/3... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIYVqkedZ8A Links to Parts 2 and 3 are also given below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG7nAwNGKcQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4DYfotbNt8&feature=related wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Galman was a Sacrificial Scapegoat This is in reaction to the news item, "Freed convicts didn't kill Ninoy -chaplain," which was first posted in your online edition on March 8, 2009. The claim of Msgr. Robert Olaguer, chaplain of the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa is preposterous. He based his opinion on the stubborn insistence of the Infamous 10 who were convicted as assasins of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr.on that fateful 21st of August 1983 as he was embarking from that China Airlines plane which brought him back after his self-imposed exile in the United States of America. Those soldiers were freed after being pardoned by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who has consistently been distrusted and hated by the majority of the people of this nation and which many believed, including this reader/letter writer was done to spite former President Corazon Aquino who has been calling for the former's resignation. We believe that those ex-convicts have sworn to and committed their undying allegiance to the masterminds of this our country's crime of the century. They and their families have surely been under constant threat of immediate and fast retaliation should any or all of them reveal the identities of the conspirators that no amount of Olaguer's alleged psychological expertise combined with his religious persuasive powers could move them to tell the truth. It may also be possible that former MSgt. Pablo Martinez was instructed to point to one of Marcos' cronies Eduardo Cojuangco as the mastermind in order to deflect attention from the other co-conspirators and at the same time divide the Cojuangco family. We believe that the flamboyant Imelda Marcos and the late Gen. Fabian Ver were the main co-conspirators in that most crude execution of the murder plan. Martinez's confession to Olaguer that he and the other jailed soldiers met at the Carlston Hotel in Baclaran, Paranaque to plan the killing of Ninoy should be given more weight than the consistent denial of the others which made the chaplain to believe that they were innocent. He had the courage to admit his part in the collective guilt. We subscribe that not all of those soldiers fired the fatal shots. The other soldiers were there on standby, ready to do it themselves, and to see to it that the plan was carried out either by Galman (which should have been most convenient for the planners), who was most assuredly threatened to kill Ninoy or get himself and his family killed if he didn't. As it turned out Galman was in a lose-lose situation. Both he and Ninoy were killed and his wife had disappeared forever. We believe that Galman was a sacrificial/scapegoat. Olaguer backed up his belief by categorically saying that, "Ninoy was actually shot on his left ear by Galman ..." And Olaguer seems so naive to be fooled and even allows himslef to peddle and spread lies most blatant. Ramon Mayuga, (by email), Essen, Germany, March 10, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Conrado Sanchez) Why God made Moms Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions: Why did God make mothers? 1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is. 2. Mostly to clean the house. 3. To help us out of there when we were getting born. How did God make mothers? 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring. 3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts. What ingredients are mothers made of? 1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean. 2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think. Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom? 1. We're related. 2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me. What kind of a little girl was your mom? 1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff 2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. 3. They say she used to be nice. What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? 1. His last name. 2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? 3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores? Why did your mom marry your dad? 1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot. 2. She got too old to do anything else with him. 3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on. Who's the boss at your house? 1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball. 2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. 3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad. What's the difference between moms and dads? 1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. 3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends. 4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine. What does your mom do in her spare time? 1. Mothers don't do spare time. 2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long. What would it take to make your mom perfect? 1 On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery. 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue. If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that. 2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me. 3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head. WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING -- SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS....and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh. ***** OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to [email protected] To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |
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