| OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Leading a Revolution� Congratulations on another masterpiece analysis and excellent journalism. I have been sharing your columns with my network and colleagues in COPA and others. . And I anticipate it will, again, bring a host of contentious responses especially from my colleagues in COPA and other civil society and advocacy (power elitist) groups. Not to worry, however, since the natural (as against the mocked up) synergies of opposite and opposing but equally powerful ideas colliding with each other, often bring out and expose the simplest, most practically obvious solutions, otherwise, barely hidden or buried like gems in our own backyard. Unbeknownst to you, I have been having a lot of impassioned discussions about your analyses of recent current events with COPA top-insiders with whom I am in touch on a regular basis. In the main and in the whole, I have endorsed and piggy-backed on your insights as I have characterized them invariably anywhere from "right on the cutting edge" - to "right" and "cutting edge". Understandably, those on the bleeding side of the blade do not relish-cherish the anguish and pain from "the slings and arrows of outrageous *abayanism*..." ; ) You have the eye of the tiger and the heart of a lion. May you continue to soar like a (tru-blue) eagle as you succeed to shoot straight like a (green) archer. ----------------------------------------- Footnote: *abayanism* - coined term, (mine), I used in referring to your "right on the cutting edge", "right" and "cutting edge" analyses of the muck up politics of the coup vaudeville, Honasan, Lacson, Erap and D'cravens and Trapos. The term seems to have taken a life of its own in the heat of our discussions as some colleagues in COPA have parodied the term to mean "a bayan ism" (as in "suntok sa bayan ni Don Quixote na panay mantsa." - apparently referring to your analyses and/or me for taking up the cudgels in endorsing these.) Evidently, some COPA top-insiders who felt "wrongfully alluded to" in your analyses, resented ( as much, if not more) my piggy-backing and agreeing and endorsing your views as the (only) "right" and "cutting edge" (and honest) multi-sectoral analyses of - -------- the "gringollanes aborted mutinuous lies, camera, action"; -------- the profligate-cocksucking-madder-efPING's ulterior motives for another foiled and muck up "show 'n tell" - "I'll show yours first, while you touch mine." --------while COPA's Saycon desperately if imploringly forces a cameo "ride me-to-ride-you-too" (or in the vernacular: "sali ako, please, pasali naman.") While I have shared many common aspirations with COPA in the past, this time, I took a step back and unleashed a series of stinging and unabated attacks on the "media palabas" of Saycon. I did not do this behind anybody's back, as I took up my disenchantment directly with the COPA-top insiders. And to reinforce my arguments I endorsed your views, as "right on the cutting edge", the "right" and the "cutting edge" (*a-bayanism*) of what is true, correct and honest. And that was when one COPA man came back and characterized me and my arguments as a "step back into *a bayan ism* - "suntok sa bayan ni Don Quixote na panay mantsa." And that was when I countered with: "I'd rather take a step back into *a bayan ism* than to take a giant leap frog to 'kiss-sabay-hug' d' Gringollanes, madderefPINGS, and the Saycon-pantics, of the power (grabbing) elitists." The de-beat goes on. Pepeton J�anton, [email protected] September 08, 2003 ����������������������������� Dear Sir: Do Philippines still have a future? Or its already like a cancer, hope is so thin. Do MR. Ople know why this absentee voting registration result most dont go to registered? First they dont trust, if the ballot box inside the Phil. can be hi-jack how much more if it is coiming from overseas. They said this is our opportunity to vote, but we think we are giving them also opportunity to cheat. Actually majority of ocw's dont want this absentee voting only those small organization here who are practicing baby politics here thru regional organization. Second there is no candidates whom we think are honest and not goons in their blood. Regarding MR. Pidal case can you pls. publish to bring this to court and not in senate because the one involve here is the husband of Pres. GMA and not herself. Better use the senate time how to boost our economy and improve the life of filipinos. And to the opposition instead they destabilised the present government just wait for a few months for the election.They should prepared their flatform for better philippines, sorry to say, pero para silang putang babae "putak ng putak sa senado". Even a domestic helper who watched tfc alam nilang nangugulo lang lang ang opposition. We are not pro GMA nor pro Opposition, we are after a better Philippines. Sino man ang iboto ng mamamayan, they should do their job with integrity and honesty. Kaya nga pinagkatiwala sa kanila ang pamumuno because we trust them, we entrust to them our future. from, Alexander Carranceja, [email protected] September 08, 2003 ������������������������� Tony, The fear that a real revolution (blood bath) will soon be inevitable seems to be felt by many. But first more lawlessness, anarchy will take place. Then rightist groups will take control and then resistance will follow and the country will be divided into warring factions. The revolution you want to countenance will not happen before the blood bath takes place. Change of hearts and minds needs something more drastic than mere articulation of visions. Revolution is very much more than arm-chair and blueprints. And the followers cannot be in air-conditioned offices waiting for their salaries. Revolution is and must be outside of the establishment. Even St. Paul had to be struck blind. And Christianity had to have a crucifixion and resurrection and a lot of men, women, and children fed to the lions and slaughtered like animals. Isn't that exactly what Christians today have forgotten? I'm afraid your kind of revolution is a pipe dream and bea rs affinity to the "EDSA" kind. There is no such thing as a peaceful revolution. For a revolution if true must perforce break the establishment for it cannot be part of it. And surely it will be painful. For there is such a thing as a painless revolution. Gras Reyes, [email protected] September 08, 2003 ���������������������������� Tony, My candidate for DND is someone who is a civilian and very much qualified since he was with the Davide Commission in 1990. The only problem is I really doubt if he will accept any offer since he is doing very well with the private sector. During Cory's time, Rainerio Reyes (then with DoTC) also recommended him as Executive Secretary. His name is Delfin L. Lazaro. Rick B. Ramos, [email protected] Bacolod City September 06, 2003 ��������������������������� People shouldn't talk of revolution when they are already in power. It's like he Pope asking you and me to be more holy--for my pocketbook most certainly. Gloria talks like Cong Dadong, full of bluster and emptiness. Can you ask her to get rid of her provincial intonation. Margaret Thatcher took up locution lessons and was not ashamed of it. How else can you be high class if you don't talk like high class. The masses will be impressed if there leader is high class. In the absence of it they voted for idiot noli de Castro or gunman Pilo. GMA has "wisely" taken up the defense portfolio. It is an expression of idiocy, lack of trust for any prospective appointee. Can you imagine this happening in America, Britain, Holland or any civilized country? No candidate fires your imagination. Same here. Maybe Roco's main defect is his potbelly indeed. Ross Tipon, [email protected] Baguio City September 09, 2003 ������������������������� Thank you very much for sending me this article. You are one person whom even without knowing you, I have so much admiration for your writings and ideas behind the journalism. I can see that you are concerned about our country, and have excellent ideas towards the beginning of a new dawn for our people. I am of the same twig as you. I used to work at the Research & Devpt Center of the AFP and I could not swallow the corruption of most of the officers. And because I was vocal, I was the last on the list for promotions and schoolings and seminars. I had to fight my way to get a slot, because I had my eligibilities to boast me up. Talking about revolution, I do hope that we can fire the hearts of the people and once and for all we should fight against everything dishonest and everyone who is corrupt. I am only an employee who still supports my kids over there, but each time I go home I raise some little funds to give out food baskets to the poor. Just tell me what I can do to help, I will do it. I have lots of friends, and have lots of contacts with other filipinos. We must see to it that Lacson should not be the next president, not Honasan, nor Enrile. I know what Lacson is doing now, he wants to create chaos and sow the seed of doubt to the people. What is disgusting is, the senators took the bait along with the hook, line and sinker. How naive can they be? Iggy Arroyo is a private citizen, why would he be subjected to this grilling in the first place and be questioned where he got his money? As a private citizen, yes he has the right to privacy. The senators should question each other to start with, how much wealth they have accumulated during their term. Lacson plays the tune and the senators dance with it. Then he flies away, to create more mystery, but he is somewhere scheming for something else more devious. He has to save his own skin and like Marcos, he has to create a fire somewhere then while the people are busy putting off the fire, he is somewhere planning and scheming for another devious plot. We must prevent him to be president. Merlie Hammer, [email protected] September 11, 2003 ..................................................................................... |
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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Leading a Revolution By Antonio C. Abaya September 03, 2003 President Arroyo has wisely taken on the concurrent position of secretary of national defense, vice the resigned Angelo Reyes, for a temporary period of six weeks. It can be assumed that she has done so in an earnest and sincere effort to understand the root cause of military discontent. As a hands-on manager, this is the only way she can comprehend the problem, by immersing herself in it, as much as is possible under the circumstances.. So, by mid-October, we can expect that President Arroyo would have gained some valuable insights into the problem and would be ready to come up with solutions, as well as one or two nominees for the DND post. President Arroyo should follow the unsolicited advice from many quarters that the next (and every future) DND chief should not be a retired or retiring general, and that he (or she) should not be a politician either. The next DND chief should come either from the DND leadership, or from the private sector but one with a knowledge of the military. In the first category would be Undersecretary Feliciano Gacis (who was nominated by Reyes as his successor) or former Undersecretary, now PCGG Deputy Chair, Ruben Carranza Jr. In the second category would be Renato Valencia, who admittedly is a retired colonel from way back but who has long since made a name for himself in the private sector. In the meantime, rumors of another coup and the setting up of a junta are proliferating like the proverbial mushrooms. But, realistically, what are its chances of succeeding in the present context? The Magdalo plan of setting up a purely military junta, with Gringo Honasan as junta head or dictator, has as much chance of surviving as an ice cream cone in Hell. Even assuming that they manage to grab power, as they tried to last July 27, they will not be able to govern as they will meet with strong resistance and cynicism from the middle class, the final arbiter of political morality in this country (as it should be). Honasan�s junta would be resisted not only by the middle class, but also by the communists, the Church, the business community and media (except those in the payroll of Erap, who was/is meant to be its immediate beneficiary, in exchange for his financial patronage). Honasan�s junta would be a pariah in the eyes of the international investor and financial community, again except for Erap�s Chinese Mafia, which built those fabulous mansions for his concubines in exchange for a predatory position in the national economy. No investments or credit from mainstream sources, only from Erap�s sleazy Chinese Mafia. Honasan�s junta would also be isolated diplomatically by the family of nations which would view it as a retrogression in the evolution of the nation-state, which it would be. And it would not elicit any sympathy in neoconservative Washington, which would not view with favor Honasan�s anti-globalization stance as expressed in his sophomoric National Recovery Program. Washington, however, is not inherently opposed to military juntas. It learned to tolerate Gen. Pervez Musharraf�s military government in Pakistan because it needed Pakistani help in demolishing the Al-Qaeda and Taliban infrastructures in neighboring Afghanistan and in tracking down their surviving leaders hiding in Pakistani cities. A civilian-military junta, under a leader other than Honasan, would arguably enjoy better chances of acceptability, both here and abroad, depending on who that leader will be. But even that would still be disruptive: it would still discourage the inflow of investments, scare away tourists, weaken the peso further and thus increase the cost of living, add to lawlessness and unemployment, and, most of all, damage the political system, such as it is, perhaps beyond repair. It will embed in the national psyche the notion that regime change is possible only through power grab or mob action. It is becoming a bad national habit: 1986, 1987, 1989, 2001, and now 2003? And all because of what? Because some macho types cannot stand another eight months of being led by a woman. Because some discredited politicians desperately want to be sprung from jail, or grab headlines to deflect attention from their own problems with the law. Because some power-hungry presidential wannabes fear they cannot win in 2004 if Gloria Arroyo runs for a second term. There is no disputing the sentiment that this country needs some drastic changes in its politics, its economics and its social structure, that we need a revolution, a cultural and social revolution, to effect some major transformations in our society in order to release the creative and productive energy of the Filipinos. But we do not need or want the Maoist revolution of Joma Sison and the communists. We do not need or want the Last Revolution being peddled by Honasan and his Magdalo junta. We do not need or want the revolution implicitly promised by a faceless civilian-military junta beholden to the Chinese Mafia and the Pwet ng Masa turds of the criminally inclined ignoramus Joseph Estrada or his designated successor Panfilo Lacson. And we cannot expect any revolution from the likes of Noli de Castro or Fernando Poe Jr. because the two simply do not have the brains to comprehend or articulate it. That leaves us Raul Roco (who does not take a hard position on anything and has no fire in his [pot]belly), Teofisto Guingona (who is a boring speaker) and Danding Cojuangco (the quintessential feudal warlord, also a boring speaker and, in my opinion, morally unfit for the presidency)�..hardly the stuff that revolutionaries are made of.. . If we must have a revolution, a non-violent social and cultural revolution � and I am of the opinion that we must have one � then the least disruptive (to the economy) and the most effective (no need to overthrow anyone) way, given the choices available, would be to convince the incumbent, assuming she survives the Jose Pidal scandal, to lead such a revolution, as I have been proposing in this space since at least January 2002.(See my past articles archived in the website www.tapatt.org.) It is gratifying to note that President Arroyo seems to have accepted that premise. Some six or seven months ago, she expressed the need for this country to have �a revolution in the way we do and think politics and economics.� In the past few days, she has again been harping on the �revolution� theme. But, so far, it has not generated any resonance in media or among the general public. Probably because talk is cheap, more so because it has not been backed with specific modes of governance that can be considered, even remotely, as revolutionary. What seems to be lacking, especially among her inner circle of lieutenants and advisers, is the intellectual capability to conceptualize, articulate and concretize the nitty gritty details of that revolution. ***** The bulk of this article appears in the September 14, 2003 issue of the Philippines Free Press magazine |
| Dear Mr. Abaya, Hi! I was browsing the internet when I came across your article. I do agree with you 101%. I was the campaign manager of Raul Roco in one of the largest State in the US and an incident happened wherein we have found out his true color which I wanted the Filipino to know about before Mr. Roco deceive them. I will email you my complete report about it next time. I come from a family of public servants and I will email you my biodata to give you an idea on what credibility I have to announce such an expose' or revelation about Roco. My office mate is related to Gen. Narciso Abaya, I don't know if you are too. I salute you for giving your sincere and informative insights on our political instability, one of the reasons why there's a very low turn out in the registration of Absentee Voters here in the USA. Bong L. Sempio, [email protected] September 28, 2003 MY REPLY. No, I am not related to Gen. Narciso Abaya. Yes, I look forward to receiving your revelation about Roco. But, to be fair, we will give Mr. Roco the opportunity to reply. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |