 |
 |
| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| The Lesser Evils
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Aug. 04, 2008 For the Standard Today, August 05 issue It is almost predictable that when the time comes for President Arroyo's State of the Nation address before a joint session of Congress, the usual suspects will claim that they, not she, know the real state of the nation. It is almost ritualistic that so-called leftist activists will mass on the roads leading to the Batasan to drive home the point that more and more Filipinos are living below the poverty line, and that more and more of us are experiencing involuntary hunger more often than before, and that President Arroyo should step down from power. And there are the gentlemen and ladies of the Opposition who have pointedly refused to attend the joint session as a gesture of rebuke to President Arroyo. Being neither a leftist activist nor an Opposition figure, I preferred to sit through her speech and hear her out, in the comfort and privacy of my bedroom. But I fell asleep. And when I woke up, there was a naked man on the TV screen, which momentarily made me wonder if the channel had switched to a porno flick. But I had a transcript of her speech, which I dutifully read through, just to find out what she said or was trying to say. My first reaction was: President Arroyo needs a better wordsmith, someone of the caliber of Teddyboy Locsin, who can inject some substance and some unifying cohesion to her disjointed words and thoughts. I cannot accept that what she read was the 20th revision of the speech, as Malacanang would have us believe.. It sounded more like what the first draft must have sounded: bits and pieces from different agencies thrown into the bowl, mixed with some spicy theatrics (such as the naked man), and stirred with some oily substance being passed off as her motherly concern for the poor. As far as I was concerned, three main positions emerged from her SONA. One, that she steadfastly stands by the conservative position of the Philippine Roman Catholic bishops, that only natural methods of birth control are acceptable. Two, she has given in to the demands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for an expanded autonomous region as their ancestral domain. And three, her solution to the global problem of high oil prices and high food prices is to give cash subsidies to the poorest of the poor. In my opinion, these three main positions are interconnected. In my article Lucky and Amoral? (July 16, 2008), I posited that President Arroyo is not a moral person, judging from her amoral handling of the Hello Garci tape scandal and the ZTE broadband contract scandal. Her support for the Catholic bishops' anachronistic position on birth control is, therefore, not based on moral reasons. More likely, it is based on calculations of political expediency: she intends to use the Catholic bishops to generate support for her political moves in the next two years.. Such as, for example, the caving in of her government to the demands of the MILF, that their ancestral domain be expanded to include 712 additional barangays over and above the existing Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). She knows that this would be widely unpopular among the Christian majority, including the Christians in the affected areas who face the prospect of living under Sharia law in the MILF's ancestral domain to be known as the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, eventually to become the Bangsamoro Federal State. She is apparently banking on the Catholic bishops to support her on this in the coming plebiscite/s to formalize her surrender to the MILF. For the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity to become the Bangsamoro Federal State, there must first be Charter Change to move to federalism, almost certainly in 2009. By the strangest coincidence, Sen. Nene Pimentel's Senate Resolution no. 10 seeks to move to federalism through a plebiscite before the end of President Arroyo's term on June 30, 2010. And Sen. Pimentel wants this shift to be engineered through a constituent assembly, in which the Kampi/Lakas juggernaut would totally overwhelm the oppositionist Senate. In the meantime, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda is pushing for a parallel switch to the parliamentary form of government. Gov. Salceda and Sen. Pimentel will have to prove that they are not part of the maneuver of President Arroyo and Kampi to keep her in power beyond 2010. And the only way for them to do that would be to publicly stop their respective advocacies and postpone them until after 2010. If they are not willing to do that, for whatever reason, then public perception would remain, that they are, in the language of American football, running interference for her so that she can score a touchdown. As for the Philippine Catholic bishops, my sense is that they will support President Arroyo's maneuvers as long as she supports their inflexible stance against artificial methods of birth control, even at the risk of allowing some of the faithful to fall under Sharia law. Like the Catholic Church, Islam rejects artificial methods of birth control and sees them as part of the secularism that has eroded Christianity in Europe, the Anglo-Saxon countries and major parts of Latin America, which the imams do not want to see happening in their own domains. On this point, therefore, Philippine Catholic bishops are Soul Brothers with Muslim imams. The bishops, most of whom have presumably never put on a condom in their entire lives, see the condom as the Evil Incarnate, more so because it is experientially unknown to most of them. Nothing is more threatening than an Unknown Evil. Hence condoms are more unacceptable than some of the faithful falling under Sharia law or President Arroyo staying in power beyond 2010. It is a choice of what they think are the lesser evils. ***** THAT ISLAM REJECTS artificial methods of birth control is evident in the population growth rates of most predominantly Muslim countries, as per the following data from the 2008 World Almanac and Book of Facts: Yemen (3.46%), Mali (3.30), Oman (3.20), Mauritania (2.87), Saudi Arabia (2.66), Afghanistan (2.63), Iraq (2.62), Nigeria (2.35), Libya (2.26), Syria (2.25), Bangladesh (2.12), Sudan (2.05), Tajikistan (2.03), Pakistan (1.95), the Philippines (1.91), Jordan (1.80), Malaysia (1.76), Egypt (1.74), Indonesia (1.34), Iran (1.09), and Turkey (1.04). ***** Reactions to [email protected]. More articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. . To subscribe, send as blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "The Lesser Evils" More Reactions to "Mindanao Blackmail" 'Gloria's Terror Gambit' 'How the BJE Serves US Interests' Dear Antonio, You do need to hear this: re spin doctors www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1512_debates/page22.shtml Regards, Robin Moyer, (by email), Hong Kong, August 05, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww TONY, I LIKE YOUR APPRECIATION AND INTERPRETATION OF EVENTS. OK, NOW HOW DO WE MAKE 90% OF THE POPULATION UNDERSTAND THIS ANALYSIS? AS GIFTED AS THE UPPER 10% MIGHT BE, EVEN IF THEY UNITE ( MIRACLE ) THERE IS THAT 90% THAT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT MORALS AND ETHICS AS LONG AS THEY PERCEIVE THE LEADER AS ONE FROM THEIR RANKS. LAS, [email protected], Washington, DC, Aug. 06, 2008 (A credible, visionary leader who knows how to use media, especially television, would be able to convince most of the 90% to accept his or her worldview. ACA) IN POLITICS IT IS SADLY ALMOST ALWAYS A NUMBERS GAME, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHO IS RIGHT OR WRONG ANYMORE, BUT WHO THE PEOPLE SUPPORT, RIGHT OR WRONG! "Her support for the Catholic bishops' anachronistic position on birth control is, therefore, not based on moral reasons. More likely, it is based on calculations of political expediency: she intends to use the Catholic bishops to generate support for her political moves in the next two years.." Lyn, [email protected], Washington DC, Aug. 06, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww After reading up on the rampant stupidity the Church has made me put up with lately, it makes me wonder why I'm still a Catholic. Hmm, ever heard of Unitarian Universalism? Antonio Yang, (by email), August 06, 2008 (As far as I know, Unitarian Universalism draws its inspiration from all organized religions and philosophies. It is a kind of organized secular humanism. But I do not know if they have a presence in Metro Manila. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I live in Zamboanga and the reaction here was rather strong on the lack of transparency on the provisions of the agreement. One particular sore point is that among the barangays that will be included in the new BJE are two: Zones 3 and 4 of the city, which cannot by any means be considered as areas with a high population of Muslims. These two zones in fact include City Hall, the Fort Pilar shrine, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Ateneo and streets which are in the downtown area. The street where the house of Mayor Lobregat is located is one of those. Please confirm this by getting in touch with the Mayor. Remedios Marmoleno, (by email), Zamboanga Cty, Aug. 06, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Objectively, it can be said that the Philippines has long "gone to the dogs!" It has long been caught in the vise-like grip of a predatory politico-economic elite which has successfully exploited and oppressed the Philippines since it gained "independence" from the United States on July 4, 1946. It is an elite whose obvious fixation is to perpetuate itself in power. Now, with the Catholic Church apparently in collusion with this predatory politico-economic elite, it can be said that the Philippines has "gone to the snakes!" The combination can now be characterized as a predatory "politico-economic-clerico" elite. It is a deadly combination which is bent not only on continuing to exploit and oppress the docile masses of the Filipino people, and perpetuating itself in power ad infinitum. but to do this amorally even at the expense of dismembering the country by giving additional parts of it to the existing Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The current situation of the Philippines bears some resemblance to the situation of France during the reign of the Sun King and his queen, Marie Antoinette. At the time, the French people had long groveled under the vise-like grip a predatory elite composed of the monarchy, the clergy and the aristocracy. Except for those who belonged to these predatory combination which owned practically all the land that was France, the French people were but badly exploited and oppressed serfs who were left to wallow in ignorance, hunger and dire poverty. When the time came when the people of Paris went desperately hungry and bread was not to be found, Marie Antoinette was said to have imperiously commanded: "Let them eat cake!" This was "the straw that broke the camel's back." The people of Paris stormed the Bastille and eventually overthrew the predatory combination that had dominated France for centuries. The Sun King and Marie Antoinette lost their royal heads under the guillotine. The Philippines, alas, is going through what Arnold Toynbee elegantly describes as "a time of troubles." Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers, NY, Aug. 06, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, The highlight of GMA's state of the nation speech was clearly that part in which was inserted the appearance of a near-naked man in the audience. This startling sight portrayed the true state of the nation: inappropriate to the occasion, grossly indecent and out of shape!!! Truly a fitting imagery to the state of the national economy. Charlie Borromeo, (by email), San Francisco, CA, Aug. 06, 2008) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mga Kababayan, Population control policy, GRP,BJE, MOA: Another blunder. Blunder after blunder. She is more than impeachable, she should be hanged. And Esperon and the Muslims, do they exactly know what ancestral domain is? Ancestral domain in Mindanao does not only belong to the Moro. There are many other indigenous people in Mindanao who are true blooded Filipinos. The Lumads are neither Christian nor Muslim and they have the legitimate right to ancestral domains which was neglected by this peace negotiation in Mindanao. This woman is really out of her mind, out of sane tactics to perpetuate herself in power. I don't like to call her President, anyway, she never was. She can no longer think correctly as she is so much focusing on how to live after 2010. By the way, to the left wing and the opposition, please show the people first what good things you can offer and do. You don't need to tell the people what's wrong with Arroyo, we know all very well. Make good use of those pork barrel that people may have something to be thankful to you. Edilberto Anit, (by email), Aug. 06, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir Tony, I need not put into words my utter disgust over the fact that PGMA just signed away Mindanao under the guise of peace and I won't even be surprised anymore if there will come a day that one would require a passport to enter your own island of Mindanao. What the f*ck is wrong with this government? And I don't understand what the rest of the congressmen and senators are doing or not doing about it! This country is calculatedly being shred into bits and pieces, with territories like the Spratley and now Mindanao being given away like gifts - and nobody is doing anything to stop such calculated moves. Aren't they even weighing the consequences of this "independent Moro state"? There goes energy exploration, Del Monte/ DOLE Philippines might just pull out of Mindanao, all business will either drop or move out, mining and all that goes down the drain, tourism is out the window, more conflicts will arise, families will be divided and separated - do the people who came up with such a nincompoop idea even considered the long term effects? I don't think so. I feel sorry for my children. I cannot believe this is the kind of country they were born into and the kind of government they will have to suffer from. My kids will suffer the consequences of what we do now or don't do for that matter and frankly, this country is going to be the laughing stock of other nations because where is our "beloved President" going to be while the country is in turmoil? At the Olympics? As if nothing is wrong with her form of governance? Gosh. Talk about being amoral. If there was a term for a person who has no sense of values at all, I'd used it right now but my mother taught me never to say impolite things about people no matter how rotten they are inside and out. Its like she's saying "I am President, I can do whatever I want." and does it very well she does... and we the people have to suffer the consequences. Great idealism. Sheesh! Regards and God save us from this administration! Jenifer Xavier, (by email), Aug. 06, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony. I was in Manila for 30 days. During this brief period, I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of taxi drivers. None of the drivers I interviewed claimed that their life got better, in contrast to the guest invited by the Palace handlers to grace GMA's (deplorable) SONA speech. The guest I am citing was the taxi diver who claimed that whereas he used to make Php 200 a day, now he brings home Php 500 (thanks to GMA!). One driver I interviewed said to me that if he ever run into this man, he will bash his balls for lying. Dr. Nestor Baylan, (by email), New York City, Aug. 06, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww What's with the GRP-MILF "deal"? At first, I thought Esperon & co (of course, with biddings from "Ma'm") were pushing for a deal that would necessitate a cha-cha---for the sake of inserting Ma'm's term extension*. But now, it seems as if they actually expected that the deal wouldn't be able to push through---which would give an excuse for the MILF to escalate hostilities---which would in turn give an excuse for the government to also escalate (sounds like the two fantastic Batman movies here, doesn't it?)--- which would give an excuse for martial law---which would effectively extend Ma'm's term. What's your take? What's happening? (*a push for charter change which is being shamefully also done by Sen. Nene, whom I used to admire since the martial law years, and for whom I campaigned and voted as VP along with Sen. Jovy as President. What happened to this former hero? Afraid that he will die without being at least VP level? Doesn't he know that there are more things in life than political position and power---like the greater good of the country?) [email protected], Aug. 07, 2008 (See my subsequent article "Staring into the Abyss." ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Gloria's Terror Gambit By BRETT M. DECKER FROM TODAY'S WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA August 7, 2008 Southeast Asia is a key front in the global war against Islamist terrorism, and the region has seen some notable counterterror successes. The Philippines, however, is in danger of taking a big step backward. Witness the unprecedented autonomy agreement President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is trying to strike with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF, the largest armed Islamist separatist group in Southeast Asia. Called the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, the deal would grant Muslims significant governing autonomy and the right to live under Shariah law in an expanded area of the archipelago's southern islands. The deal is designed to appease Muslims who want to break away from the Philippine nation and unify with other Muslims in the region. Under the agreement, 700 towns, many with sizable Christian populations, would be turned over to Islamic rule. Residents and local leaders were not consulted about the transition, and a constitutional amendment would be necessary to free Muslim areas from national governance. Such a national campaign to empower Muslims faces an uphill battle in a country whose population is 93% Christian. Which is just as well, since it would be a major mistake for at least four reasons: First, by carving up provinces into separate Muslim and Christian enclaves, the deal would surrender any hope that Filipinos can find a way to live together and instead falls back on the myth that countrymen can live healthy "separate but equal" lives in an apartheid-like arrangement. This would undo the decade of progress toward greater political integration since former House Speaker Jose de Venecia started welcoming Muslim representatives into his ruling congressional coalition. Second, it would increase rather than decrease the likelihood of territorial disputes because the agreement concedes to claims that the region constitutes a traditional Islamic homeland. This would likely inflame Christians, who would be kicked off of land where they have lived for decades when Muslims make claim to their legally mandated "ancestral domain." Third, further removing Muslims from the rest of Philippine society and enabling them to shape an entirely separate culture would encourage the separatist mentality that dreams of carving out a pan-Islamic state from other existing countries in the region, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. This has been a MILF goal since its founders broke off from the Moro National Liberation Front in the 1980s after that group made peace with Manila. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly for the outside world, greater Islamic independence and less Philippine control over the Islamic regions would invite even more terrorist activity in an area that already has strong ties to al Qaeda. With the deployment of U.S. Special Forces to the southern Philippines now in its seventh year, joint U.S.-Philippine operations have pacified the most lawless Muslim areas. Expanding the Islamist sphere of influence now threatens to undo this success. The Arroyo administration's openness to relinquishing control of so much territory has stirred up massive protests. On Monday, the Philippine Supreme Court temporarily put the brakes on the deal, which was scheduled to be signed in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Without a doubt, Manila needs to significantly reform the way it deals with its Muslim minority, which has long been neglected, particularly in the government appropriations process. However, a more worthwhile policy would be to improve the lives of isolated Muslims so that they could be assimilated into greater society, not further excluded from it. Then again, this agreement may not even be about the Muslim areas at all. The most plausible explanation for Ms. Arroyo's support for such a problematic deal is that it's a ploy to consolidate her own hold on power. Expanding Muslim autonomy would require changes to the Constitution, which would in turn require a constitutional convention. The likelihood this deal would pass such a convention is virtually nil. But Philippine law does not allow for limits to be placed on the mandate of a constitutional convention, or, for that matter, for the agenda to be predetermined. This means that once the convention was called, the door would be open to discussing other constitutional changes -- like the switch from a U.S.-style presidential system with a bicameral legislature to a unicameral system run by a prime minister. That just happens to be a pet project of Ms. Arroyo's, not least because it would pave the way for her to stay in office past the end of her current constitutionally term-limited single term, which expires in 2010. Reformists have previously expressed their willingness to put Ms. Arroyo in the ceremonial role of President Head of State that supporters of the parliamentary system envision creating. But the reformers wouldn't have enough support to call a constitutional convention explicitly to enact this reform. So rather than a half-baked attempt at brokering peace with Philippine Muslims, President Arroyo's support for greater Islamic autonomy can thus be seen as a Trojan Horse to extend her stay in Malacanang Presidential Palace by forcing a constitutional convention to be called on a separate issue. That's crazy, and the scheme may well not succeed. But Ms. Arroyo has shown herself to be a deft politician in the past. The real problem, though, is that this entire episode suggests she's more interested in playing domestic politics than she is in fighting the war on terror. Countries in Asia that have racked up the biggest counter-terror successes -- like Indonesia -- have done so because political leaders have been willing to stand up to strong political interests and focus on counter-terror policing. Ms. Arroyo isn't showing that kind of resolve, and the consequences both for the Philippines and its neighbors could be serious. Mr. Decker, a former editorial page writer for The Wall Street Journal Asia, is an adjunct professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww How the BJE serves US Interests Know how the BJE serves US geo-political interests AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo Tuesday, August 12, 2008 The Information Gap accounts for much of the exploitation Filipinos suffer from � the sorry state of being utterly clueless when it comes to the conspiracies and mechanisms that perpetuate the Wealth Gap. Those who are most bewildered by the sudden emergence of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that was almost inked by the GRP-MILF panel last week could never figure out as to how that came about. So many conjectures have been heard in commentaries, editorials and coffee shop forums. Still, many do not have an inkling of the real forces at play in the BJE. Because many of them hardly saw US operatives maneuvering behind the scenes, they concluded that the US could not be really taking an active stance in this development. This conforms to the idiotic thinking that what one does not see cannot be. Yet to those who have factored the US interest in the equation, they find it the most clarifying element that reveals the whole picture of the puzzle. By inputting the US interest in the equation, they are now able to appreciate how the BJE evolved. Thus, it is imperative that we detail the US interest in the BJE so that Filipinos will understand how they are soon about to lose a very rich and strategic part of defined Philippine territory under the present Constitution. China and Oil If one sees the invasion of Iraq and the effort to start a war with Iran as US maneuvers to control the remaining big reserves of oil with the corollary objective of checking China (which is a projected foe in US geo-political planning), then it is easy to see why the US will want to also have a strategic presence in the BJE. Of the approximately 1,317.4 billion barrels (bb) of the world's oil reserves (source: Oil & Gas Journal, December 18, 2006), the US has a mere 21.8 bb, China has 16 bb, Saudi Arabia 282.3 bb. Iran has oil reserves of 136.3 bb while Iraq has 115 bb. Iran and Iraq combined have bigger oil reserves than Saudi Arabia. Based on its current annual production, the same source projects these vital oil reserves to be exhausted, as follows: 1. US � 11 years 2. China � 14 years 3. Iran � 83 years 4. Iraq � 168 years So, do you still want to believe that the US invaded Iraq because of Saddam Hussein and is now poised to attack Iran over its nuclear development program? By no coincidence, the BJE, especially that Southern tip of Palawan that was suddenly included, happen to be located in the very area that will provide control of the shipping lanes in the South China Sea where Middle East oil passes on its route to China. Not factoring at all the oil in the area, it becomes a military strategic priority to be able to choke China from its Middle East oil sources. However, the area is more than just strategic in case armed conflict erupts with China. Per the Global Security website, the Spratly and Paracel Island alone are estimated to have 105 bb of oil. The whole South China Sea is estimated to have 213 bb of oil with a projected capacity to produce 1.9 million barrels a day (compared to Iraq's production of 1.88 million barrels a day). And this does not even factor the rich mineral resources of the BJE which China also needs very badly to fuel its economy. The US initiative A paper that Filipinos must read is the US State Department Philippine Facilitation Project (2003 � 2007) which is available at the United States Institute of Peace ( www.usip.org) website. This Philippine Facilitation Project was initiated in February 2003 after US President George W. Bush received the January 2003 letter of MILF Chief Hashim Salamat. I even suspect that Salamat's letter was written upon the suggestion of the US itself in order to attain a formal entry point �' an invitation to intervene � in the GRP-MILF negotiations. The stated goals of the Philippine Facilitation Project are: For the US State Department to facilitate GRP-MILF peace negotiations "in coordination with the government of Malaysia" and "To determine whether any agreement reached was viable enough for the US government to commit its support during the implementation phase." Appointed senior advisers were four former US Ambassadors to the Philippines (Richard Murphy, Stephen Bosworth, Frank Wisner and Richard Solomon) who all worked under Chester Crocker and Gen. Anthony Zimmi. Included in the agenda are: 1. Economic rehabilitation of conflict areas (read: tap all the rich resources in the BJE) 2. Security (read: secure US strategic military presence) 3. Resolution of ANCESTRAL DOMAIN ISSUES (now you know where that term came from) US participation was premised on the "Global War on Terror" � the very same cover for the invasion of Iraq. US Ambassador Kristie Kenney denies these US initiatives that led to the BJE. How can the head of State Secretary Condi Rice's team in the Philippines not be aware of a State Department Philippine Project of such strategic importance to US interests?***** * * * Chair Wrecker e-mail and website: [email protected] and www.chairwrecker.com wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to "Mindanao Blackmail" Tony, Former President Erap Estrada used a kinder word to say that Mrs. Gloria Arroyo is up to dismember the Republic of the Philippines to perpetuate her stay in power beyond 2010 or for as long as she live, the reason being that, she is so afraid to go to jail for the many crime she committed and still continue to commit against the Filipino people, and everybody knows what these crimes are and she is aware that as soon as she steps down from Malacanang she is as good a dead. Even Senator J.P. Enrile said so as strong warning to her (PGMA) early this year. To my mind, she must be thrown into a quick sand and not to be seen again by patriotic Filipinos before she finally succeed in putting an end the existence of the republic. Gloria doesn't care even if the Moros, Christains gets killed, the AFP/PNP included. All she wants is to stay in power. Most of us here in the western front believe she's sick and she needs help. Mike M. Moreno, (by email), Richmond, BC, Canada, Aug. 09, 2008 Chair- Filam Filcan Alliance wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Poor, poor, poor Philippines. Jose Luis U. Yulo, (by email), Aug. 09, 2008. . wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The die is cast. Fighting in Mindanao between Christians and Muslims reminiscent of the '70s is not far behind, no thanks to Gloria Arroyo. There are speculations and with good and sound basis and reason on US involvement in the current situation. If that is so, then US policy makers are naive. They should look back at history of conflicts involving Muslims and the Koran on how to manipulate the infidels. In a previous letter, I wrote that the Philippine government was taking the MILF for a ride. I digress. It was the other way around and the MILF has even included the most powerful country in the world. If the United States government thinks that the MILF or any Muslim armed group for that matter will allow them to establish military bases in the south, they better do their homework again. Patience is one virtue the MILF has and once their forces are on the upper hand that's when they will make their move and check-mate the Americans. Let us not wait for that day to come when our beloved country will be in turmoil because Islamic nations will be helping the Islamic fighters of Mindanao overrun the whole island and eventually the whole archipelago. Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, Aug. 09, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I am sending this RX to "Mindanao Blackmail" to my e-mail group. I think what the people are saying is very important. It is a microcosm in a macrocosm world. Shelah Hockman, (by email), Owosso, Michigan, Aug. 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww 1. Little Miss Muppet's (LMM) priority no. 1, by far, is a people approved charter change... in order to legally stay in power. 2. Cha-Cha via ConAss can't be had at any price, as proven by JDV some time ago. 3. Solution: produce an issue that REQUIRES Cha Cha within one year... e.g Moro ancestral domain. 4. Use that opportunity to sneakily insert "form of government change" into the Moro plebiscite. 5. Since LMM was FIGHTING the Moros at first, what caused her change of mind? 6. The opportunity to finally realize that long awaited priority no. 1; even if giving the Moros territory and virtual independence results in accusations of selling out the country? 7. Was this entire Moro plebiscite created just for the purpose of having one last shot at "form of government Cha-Cha", without which there wouldn't even BE a Moro plebiscite (nor serious negotiations with the Moros)? 8. Are the Philippines going to lose territory for one sole reason: that LMM can assure her stay in power...? 9. Would she deserve it? Would the Philippines? 10. Has she finally gone over the line with this? (Even Machiavelli could learn from this...) If one is not cynical by nature, watching our current crop of politicians turns you into an arch cynic perforce... Peri, [email protected], Aug.10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished to Tapatt) Letter to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel In a previous e-mail I requested you to give your comment and thoughts on the column of Mr. Tony Abaya re-Federalism, but as of this writing you have not replied. In today's news, Gloria Arroyo declared that it is go for charter change and Ermita said that it was Pimentel who wanted it, which was also the same observation made by one Atty Caballero who was representing the GRP in the TV show of Korina and Ted Failon. Maybe the friends and supporters of Pimentel as well as the whole nation need to be clarified/enlightened on just what is your concept of Federalism? What does it entail? What is the set-up? Will it mean a PARLIAMENTARY form of government? If the outcome of this federalism is the changing of the form of government to parliamentary or the division of the country into similar set-up as the current Congressional districts then this benighted nation will have Gloria Arroyo again as head of state. Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, Aug 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It's sad to think that Sen. Pimentel, in his twilight years, is dragging the country down with him. He advocates federalism when all that is needed is to make Local Autonomy work. Let us compare the two systems based on certain aspects: Economic aspects. He proposes a 20/80 sharing of National Taxes in favor of autonomous States or Regions. How much of this amount will go to the setting up and maintenance of the Regions? Imagine 11 Regions, 75 Senators and 350 Congressmen. Compare it with a plain and simple Local Autonomy where the windfall shall go directly to Local Government Units or LGU's (provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays). No need to create States or Autonomous Regions, additional Senators and Congressmen. No need to Amend the Constitution. Imagine Jolo or Dapitan with more funds for its own development. Would it want to share it with a Region? What for? Operational Aspects. How will the Regions operate? How will it allocate the Region's fund, or what is left of it, to the LGU"s? Instead of having only one source of red tape, we would be multiplying it by 11! On the other hand the operational set up of LGU's are well established. For sure, it would know how to deal with more funds at its disposal. Cooperation from citizenry may be more readily availed of. DILG is focused and equipped to provide technical and manpower services to LGU's, not Regions. Financial and political accountability. How would the Regions account for its funds. What are the procedures to be followed. To whom shall the Regions officials be held politically answerable. So may questions to answer! So many offices to fund! On the other hand, LGU's financial and accounting systems are well established or can easily be adjusted to cope with bigger responsibilities. Elected LGU officials are nearer and more familiar with existing conditions and are more accessible to their constituency. We cannot afford to spread the headaches of ARMM to other regions of the country. Supervision and contrrol. S & C over Regions have yet to be established. LGU's have existing systems and procedure. It can easily be fine tuned based on experience and new challenges. It is challenging enough for Ombudsman to cope with existing government officials and employees. Imagine what its burden would be with the newly created Regional officials and offices! Political stability. Cooperation among existing regions are part of Local Autonomy. With this in mind, it is easier to attain self-reliance at the LGU level if it is not mandated to share resources with the Regions. Self-reliant and self-sustaining LGU's will make for a self-reliant Philippines. Yes, under a working LA we can break away from our dependence from loans to prop up a national government that is overburdened with responsibilities that it can no longer sustain in the presen set-up. Federalism will create intra and inter Regional conflicts. Weak regions will be a burden to the Central government, and strong Regions may be tempted to secede. On the other hand, under a working Local Autonomy and equalization fund would be more effective if given directly to weaker LGU's than to weaker Regions, Summary. There is nothing that federalism can do which a working Local Autonomy can't do better. So? Dump the idea of federalism. Let Local Autonomy work in our country. Let provinces concerned deal with ancestral domain issues. We already have a law on ancestral domain. Implement it. Or strenghten it, if need be. Let us give the Tausugs, the T'bolis, the Manobos, the Igorots, the Mangyans, the Agtas, the Dumagats and other tribes their due. But let no cultural minority or ethnic group lord it over another. Let it not be a Muslim or religious issue, because it's not. Let's not wait for any of the other tribes to arm themselves before we act. This issue can best be handled at the LGU, not regional level. Eustaquio Joven, (by email), Aug. 13, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mr. Abaya! Just want to share with you what Vice Gov Manny Pinol said during a joint meeting of the Rotary Clubs of Davao City last night at Men Seng Hotel. 1. That he will join the Opposition if the administration to which he belongs will pursue with the MOA and BJE. 2. When he was the governor then of North Cotabato, he was present during a meeting of ARMM officials with Gloria Arroyo where the latter said that if they let the auditors liquidate their records and not liquidate them something to that effect. This is a bad joke for a president (although illegitimate) but it shows that Gloria Arroyo knows what will happen to people who will unearth anomalous transactions and yet she has not done anything concrete to stop such thing from happening. She has actually turned blind and even consents to graft and corruption practiced by high government officials. There will be IF's because it is a fact that Gloria Arroyo is a LIAR. She lied when she said at her Rizal Day speech in Baguio City that she will not run for President in 2004. She again lied when she said she did not talk to the notorious Garcillano only to make that fake amd hypocritical TV confession by saying "I'm sorry". She lied so many times that it she were Pinnochio, her nose will become a hindrance Anyway, on item 5, you said " they can always try ". My question is, WILL THE PUPPET MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE TOGETHER WITH SENATORS ENRILE, D'JOKER, SANTIAGO, ANGARA AND POSSIBLY VILLAR AND PANGILINAN BE ABLE TO PUSH THROUGH FOR THE CHANGING OF THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT FROM UNITARY TO PARLIAMENTARY ONCE THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY IS CONVENED? FINALLY, CAN FEDERALISM NOT WAIT AFTER 2010 WHEN GLORIA ARROYO IS NO LONGER IN POWER? Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, Aug. 14, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO All reactions to [email protected]. Tony on YouTube on 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. |