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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Moro-moro in Maguindanao
By Antonio C. Abaya Written June 27, 2007 For Standard Today, June 28 issue The moro-moro in Maguindanao over the past two weeks has underlined the following facts: One, the Philippine State, as represented by the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is a 97-lb weakling which does not have the nerve or the guts to impose its writ on a mere provincial factotum, who defiantly thumbs his nose at Manila and is allowed to get away with it, apparently under the cop-out rubric of �due process.� It is impossible to imagine anything like this impasse happening in Malaysia or Singapore or Taiwan or South Korea . In these strong states, an arrogant public servant like Lintang Bedol, a major suspect in electoral fraud, would have been arrested and thrown in jail the very day he claimed the electoral documents in his custody had been �stolen.� It is only in the Philippines , with its prostituted concept of American liberalism, that lame excuses like this are accepted at face value. Two, Comelec is a toothless tiger, forced to give the suspect one (unmet) deadline after another to show up at Comelec HQ or to present himself to Task Force Maguindanao, to explain the strange goings-on in the province under his electoral control. It is incomprehensible that Comelec did not or could not deputize the 160,000-men Armed Forces of the Philippines or the 130,000-men Philippine National Police, thousands of whose personnel are already stationed in the province, to hunt Bedol down and arrest him the very day he defied Comelec�s summons. The wishy-washy style of the Comelec leadership over the past two weeks merely adds fuel to speculations that Comelec�s weak handling of Bedol is due to Bedol�s hold on Comelec. Bedol has them by their proverbial balls. Meaning, Bedol was apparently involved in electoral fraud, not only in 2007, but also in 2004, and he can name the names of his handlers in Comelec, even all the way to Malacanang and Camp Aguinaldo , to whom he apparently lent his unique expertise in both elections. Bedol does not deny that he and Garci are �good friends.� Bedol was, after all, prominently mentioned in the Hello Garci tapes in which a male voice that sounded like Comelec�s Virgilio Garcillano�s conversed with a female voice that sounded like President Arroyo�s, and assured her that �pipilitin po namin� regarding �my one M� that she was concerned about. (Breaking News: The Comelec announced today, June 28, that it has ordered the arrest of Bedol for contempt. But the police superintendent in Maguinadanao asks, �Where�s the arrest warrant?� as they cannot arrest anyone without a warrant. Perhaps it has also been �stolen.� Or it could be that the dog ate it. Why am I not surprised?) Three. It is futile holding another national elections as if nothing significant occurred in Maguindanao and other predominantly Muslim provinces in 2007. I realize that this is not a politically correct statement to make, but I say, �To hell with political correctness if it gets in the way of solving a nagging national problem.� And the nagging national problem that needs solving is the recurrent wholesale electoral fraud in these provinces. In the snap presidential elections of 1986, the regular presidential elections of 1992, the senatorial elections of 1995, the presidential elections of 2004, and the senatorial elections of 2007�.the pattern was and is the same. Results from these provinces are always the last to be tabulated, weeks after the results in the rest of the country have been tabulated. Even when �special elections� are called to replace the flawed regular elections, there are charges of fraud, voter intimidation, vote buying, ballot-box snatching, manufactured electoral returns, manufactured certificates of canvass�..usually amid scenes of chaos, fistfights, shouting and screaming, and general disorder right at the polling places themselves. Outside of Mindanao, this happens only in places like Sierra Leone and Somalia . (See my article Lanao in Africa, May 30, 2007). And this has never been the fault of the average Muslim voter. It is the handiwork of their feudal overlords, in collusion with candidates for national offices (or their proxies) based in Metro Manila. Political lieutenants of (moneyed) national politicians, who are trailing in the official Comelec tabulations and the unofficial Namfrel counts, determine how many votes their clients need to put them in the winning circle � or, in 2004 as in 1992, how many votes their clients need to win by a certain pre-determined margin - and then they fly off to the Muslim provinces to buy those votes from the vote wholesalers, who are none other than the provincial feudal overlords (or their proxies). To put a stop to this recurrent, long-running moro-moro, we have to make some drastic changes in the way we conduct elections for national offices. The most sensible idea so far floated is to hold these national elections ahead of the rest of the country. At least two weeks ahead, with all the safeguards and security measures at the command of a Comelec with more guts and nerve than the present one. By holding national elections two weeks ahead of the rest of the country, the Muslim provinces would no longer be corrupted by national politicians based in Metro Manila as their repository of winning votes that they can buy from corrupt vote wholesalers, who are usually the provincial feudal overlords themselves (or their proxies). Liberal bleeding hearts, concerned with political correctness, will complain that this will reinforce feelings of separateness among our Muslim brothers and sisters. But again I say, To hell with political correctness. If explained adequately to them, especially to their imams, most Muslims, I think, can be convinced that holding separate national elections is no more discriminatory than Muslims going to their mosques on Fridays and Christians going to their churches on Sundays Another way to break the hold of national politicians based in Metro Manila on the electorate in Muslim Mindanao is to elect senators on a regional basis, rather than on a national basis, as I suggested in my articles An Idiot Nation (Feb 11, 2007) and Our American Heritage (Feb. 20, 2007). This would reduce, even eliminate, the role of Muslim Mindanao vote wholesalers in our elections. It would also assure each region of permanent representation in the Senate. In the 2007 senatorial elections, there was only one Muslim among 37 Comelec-recognized candidates, Jubalil Kiram, and � as expected - he fared very poorly, only slightly ahead of the what�s-his-name also-rans. On the other hand, the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and Bicol were/are over-represented in the Senate. If anything can be said to give the Muslim community a feeling of being separate, it is their perennial non-representation in the Senate. Politically correct liberals should ponder that whenever their hearts bleed and their crocodile tears flow.. As for the moro-moro in Maguindanao, it is, of course, but a microcosm of the larger picture. It cannot be solved in isolation, without solving the bigger, region-wide problem. One would think that it would be elementary, my dear Watson, to determine whether or not elections took place in Maguindanao province last May 14. But nothing seems to be elementary in Maguindanao and other similarly situated provinces, i.e. where vote wholesalers make a living selling votes wholesale to the highest bidders from Metro Manila every three years. It was the schoolteacher Musa Dimasidsing, Maguiindanao schools district supervisor, who, along with other members of the board of election inspectors, refused to sign a statement saying there were no election irregularities and anomalies in Maguindanao in the May 14 elections. For his principled refusal to play along with the vote wholesalers, Dimasidsing was shot dead on June 10. What irregularities and anomalies? There were claims that Team Unity (administration) senatorial candidates had scored a 12-0 victory in Maguindanao. There were further claims that 19 non-administration senatorial candidates had garnered zero votes in several towns in the province, which even the administration-leaning Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos called �statistically improbable.� The only way to find out if these claims were true or not was to examine the municipal certificates of canvass (CoCs) and their derivatives, the provincial certificates of canvass. These documents would show if TU indeed scored 12-0 in the province, and if non-TU candidates did garner zero votes in some towns. The problem is these documents had been �stolen,� according to Lintang Bedol, provincial election supervisor for Maguindanao, in whose custody they had been entrusted Several days later, with the prospect of a Comelec task force bearing down on Maguindanao to determine for itself what really happened on May 14 and later, Bedol changed his tune and said the missing documents had been found. But by this time, the election had been over for more than a month. Who in his right mind will accept these lost, then found, documents to be authentic evidence of an event that happened more than a month ago, and not the spuriously manufactured CoCs that four other schoolteachers claimed they were forced by armed men to fill out in some banana plantation (not in any polling place) even before the May 14 elections took place? At heart here is the question, did an election take place in Maguindanao on May 14? Those who say Yes, point to the fact that local officials who won in that election have been officially proclaimed. But that does not necessarily hold true for senatorial candidates. Did the senatorial election take place, when there are no credible documents to show that it did? Did a tree fall in the forest if no one saw or heard it fall? There is a way of checking this. Election returns (ERs) at the precinct level are the most basic document in Philippine elections. It is from ERs that municipal CoCs are derived. And it is from municipal CoCs that provincial CoCs are derived. Given that the municipal and provincial CoCs from Maguindanao are highly suspect, to say the least, the last resort is to examine the ERs from the 22 municipalities of the province. By law, ERs are prepared in seven copies, of which one each is given to Comelec HQ, to the majority party (Lakas), to the minority party (Liberal), and to the citizen watchdog (Namfrel). Assuming these four organizations received their copies as mandated by law, then it would be easy to compare all four copies to see if they contain identical vote counts, as they should. (Under current electoral rules, examination of the ERs needs an electoral protest to be lodged with the senate electoral tribunal). If these four copies were not distributed at all to their intended recipients, or if they contain wildly varying numbers, then no election took place, even if some people went through the motions of writing on ballots and dropping the ballots into ballot boxes. That would have been nothing but moro-moro in Maguindanao. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Moro-moro in Maguindanao� More Reactions to �In One Generation II� Dear Mr. Abaya, What can I say other than �Thank you very much?� As a German who has lived here for 17 years, I was on the verge of losing my marbles over the recent, nationwide comedy show called elections. Your article has condensed the whole affair and its aftermath and shines like a shaft of light in an otherwise benighted place. I fully agree with you as to your assessment of the dilly-dallying of the Comelec regarding this Bedol character. I have traveled the globe the past 27 years as a consultant-engineer and I can only agree with you that the way this mess was handled could have happened nowhere else but in the Philippines , aside from a few African countries. I saw a picture in the PDI recently, where Bedol poses with a gun and defied whatever order he had been given by his superiors. What else to say? I have been reading your articles for quite a while now and also the numerous responses to them. I have come to the conclusion that there are a substantial number of people out there who are fed up with these crooks in our government. I would think all it needs is a catalyst to bring together enough of sane minds to achieve a critical mass that can bring about a meaningful change. Thank you again and keep up your good work. Regards Ulrich Bosse, (by email), June 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, This was definitely good reading. Thanks and more power. Jeremias Decena, (by email), June 29, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Is it not OBVIOUS that this Bedol has an ace up his sleeve, making him UNTOUCHABLE? The Garci tapes and the recent testimonies of witnesses to the 2007 election cheating, the inconsistencies of Bedol's statements etc etc etc POINT to Gloria Arroyo's ( I refuse to call her President because she is illegitimate) sinister and diabolical scheme to perpetuate herself in power. What I don't understand, though, is why those in government institutions independent of the Executive, like the Supreme Court and the Commission on Elections, allow themselves to be manipulated and dictated by an illegitimate, immoral and corrupt "leader". The cheating, lying and deception is prevalent not only in the past two elections but also in all aspects of governance, like the economy where figures and datas are doctored, the justice system where money and connection are the deciding factors, which holds true also in the law enforcement arena, the AFP which is supposed to protect and defend the Constitution is now bent in protecting and defending Gloria Arroyo even at the expense of the Constitution, delivery of basic services is sidelined for telecommunication and other more lucrative projects etc etc etc. Ours indeed is a dying society and the only way to revive it is to eliminate the cause of that disease. Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City , June 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww MORO-MORO YOU SAID IT RIGHT. THAT'S THE STATE OF OUR TOUCH ME NOT NOLI ME TANGERE PHILIPPINE DEMOCRACY. THE LEGACY OF GLORIA IS SIMPLY THE LEGACY OF CHEATING AND MORE CORRUPTION LIKE SOME OF HER PREDECESSORS IN THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENCY WHO BENEFIT FROM THE SEEMINGLY SEAMLESS TEFLONLIKE DAGDAG BAWAS CHEATING OPERATIONS INSTITUTIONALIZED MAINLY IN MINDANAO (REMEMBER, ENOUGH TO MAKE MIRIAM SANTIAGO AGONIZE). BUT A LEADERSHIP OF CHEATS DOES NOT MAKE A NATION OF CHEATS. WE NEED ALL THESE CURRENT DIALECTICS FOR THE ANTITHESIS TO SURFACE. AND THE CURRENT THESIS OF THE STATE OF THE NATION IS THAT IT IS CONSTITUTIONALLY LEGAL TO CHEAT WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE LAW AS PROVIDED BY THE CONSTITUTION. CALL IT A PARADOX OR AN IRONY BUT THAT'S THE PARODY OF PHILIPPINE ELECTIONS, YES MORO MORO STYLE WITH OR WITHOUT BEDOL, GARCI OR I AM SORRY DRAMA POLEMICS. IN THIS I STATE MY CASE OF WHICH I AM CERTAIN, FOR KOKO PIMENTAL TO ASK WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BOGGLING FPJ'S HEART AND MIND ALL ALONG --FOR AS LONG AS IT IS LEGAL, IS IT ALRIGHT TO CHEAT AND WIN A NATIONAL ELECTION? THE ANSWER IS AS CLEAR AS DAY, A RESOUNDING YES UNLESS CHIEF JUSTICE REYNATO PUNO WILL HEED THE GREAT ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE THAT TRUTH AND JUSTICE WAS NOT DESIGNED TO BE THAT WAY BUT AS A GOVERNMENT OF LAWS AND NOT OF MEN TRYING TO MAKE A NAME IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY OR CHEAT HISTORY ITSELF. SO MUCH FOR THEIR TRYING TO PLAY GOD FOR THEY WILL NEVER BE IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE FILIPINO MASSES WHOM SILENT MAJORITY AS THEY MAY ARE TRULY LIVING IN QUIET DESPARATION AGAINST THE PRESENT DISPENSATION OF BOTH THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND NOW THE SORRY STATE OF THE JUDICIARY IF THEY ALLOW THIS TRAVESTY TO BE LEFT UNTOUCHED UNTIL A REAL FILIPINO WITH A FILIPINO HEART COMES ALONG AS A PRODUCT OF THEIR FOIBLES (NAY, NOT TRILLANES UNLESS HE WANTS TO BE A PRETENDER). UNTIL ANYONE IN THE SUPREME COURT CAN SHOW ME THE LIGHT IN THIS DARKNESS, THE PRINCIPLE OF CHECK AND BALANCE IN THE HIGHEST COURT OF THE LAND HAS MOOTLY AND ACADEMICALLY STOOPED TO THE LEVEL OF THE COMELEC AND ITS PRAETORIAN GUARDS OF DAGDAG BAWAS IN TANDEM WITH THE DILG OPERATORS IN THIS UNLEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR NATIONAL ELECTIONS: IT HAS SIMPLY BECOME CHEAT AND BALANCE NOT CHECK AND BALANCE. AND TALKING OF CHECKS, FORGET IT FOR PUN'S SAKE, CASH RULES AND HAS BECOME THE LAW OF THE LAND. ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES ? ...MORO MORO INDEED, Aldric V. Dalumpines, (by email), June 29, 2007 (Please refrain from using all-caps, as these are hard to read. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww That seems to be our problem; we know where the troubles lie, the root causes of the problem, and instead of attacking the roots and get rid of it, we do it like finding the roots and feeding more "fertilizer" on them, and like the weeds on the lawn, it will spread even more... Vic Sanoy, (by email), Scarborough, Ont. , Canada , June 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Living in America and reading this article, to me is a complete parody of comical proportions. I swear a US style democracy in the Philippines will not come to fruition-ever! Quit hoping and trying. Over 60+ years of unchecked mismanagement, graft and corruption have established a way of life and a mindset. among Filipinos. It is a messy tangle web of lies and deceptions. No wonder Pinoys are ready and willing to leave at the first chance of opportunity, to prosper and be free from deceptions and vinyl existence. What is obvious to me looking outside of the box, the Filipino people has gotten so good at creating quagmire and confusion to avoid the truth, In the breaking news section of your article, the authority that was supposed to arrest Bidol had the audacity and stupidity to announce it to the world he could not arrest Bidol without a warrant! Hello, duh? In America we say that is your job. And too, why are these people elected or appointed not made accountable or fired? Control is a tool of democratic operation. I did notice you were a bit hard and angry in your criticism. I understand. I lose my cool when the going gets too basic and even cavemen would have a clue. No amount of chastising, vitriolic "I told you so" would make a dent to the status quo. The motherland has become a complete maze and it is sad because the people are smart, kind and gentle and yet...can't do the right thing or things right. Whatever. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Roseville, California, June 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I agree with you that the result in Maguindanao is moro-moro. The cheaters over-did it. It's statistically improbable. Only the ERs and ballots will determine the true result. How statistically improbable? Let's look at the numbers:(based on COMELEC Data I gathered.) 1. Too High Voters Turn-Out - 97% According to the new COC, 198,912 actually voted from 1,078 out of 1,116 precincts canvassed. Maguindanao's Total Registered Voters is 212,921. All towns registered more than 90% turn-out. In the town of Datu Unsay , Maguindanao only 22 did not vote out of 10,172 registered voters or 99.8%. The national average is 70%. 2. Too High Votes received by 8-TU Candidates - 95% Zubiri topped with 195,823. 7-TU candidates got at least 194,000 votes. The votes garnered by a candidate divided by the number of registered voters, the national average is 44%. Legarda topped in 39 COCs, the highest is 59%. Escudero topped in 30 COCs, the highest is 58%. Kiram topped in 3 COCs (in ARMM), the highest is 40% Singson topped in Ilocos Sur (his home province) with 60%. Zubiri topped in his home province of Bukidnon with 55%. Zubiri also topped the Local Absentee votes with 72%. Interestingly, only 3 did not vote out of 36,364 voters. It's 8-3-1 in favor of TU. 3. ZERO vote received by 19-Candidates From 105 COCs, including the Local Absentee, the Total for Overseas Absentee, Provinces, Cities and Municipalities, the lowest vote garnered by a candidate is 27 (Orpilla) in Batanes where the registered voters is only 9,345. If the National Board of Canvassers (COMELEC) trashed the original Bedol COC due to statistical improbabilities, why did they canvass the new COC which is almost identical? Unbelievable. Regarding the election of Senators by Regions, I agree with this proposal. It will at least minimize expenses and provide equal representation. But, will not be a guarantee for a cheating-free elections. Choi Opetina, (by email), Georgia , USA , June 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, There's nothing more to add to your Moro-Moro article. People, especially from Comelec, the Judiciary and government who know or are openly aware of the goings on in Maguindanao and other Muslim municipalities, must apologize to the whole nation for their inadequacies and failures in their lead-roles. Their refusal to take cognizance of the failures in the electoral processes, current and past, means they are either in cahoots or are the main players in the game of "Election-by-Fraud"! What else is new this time around? More power to you. Jose Regino (by email), June 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, you sound like the fearless journalist that is needed to run the Filipino Global Fund which will finance the teaching of entrepreneurship to our people, the setting up of a micro-lending bank to start-ups, and the newspaper that will expose and hound and prosecute scoundrels in the government with the help of whistleblowers and informers to be aided by lawyers who will be paid attorney's fees along with the rewards for the informers. Go, go, go. Lionel Tierra, (by email), Sacramento , California , June 30, 2007 (So who will organize it? I have neither the time nor the talent to do so. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww What now after May 14? The mid-term May 14, 2007 elections finally come to a close. The winners in the senatorial, congressional, party-list, gubernatorial, mayoral, and municipal or city councils shall be finally proclaimed officially. There shall be no more room for rhetorics and theatrics. All must �buckle down to work� so says a former president. No less than the Supreme Court ruled thereby opening the door for the COMELEC to proclaim Zubiri shortly as the 12th senator-elect of this Republic. It can be said that the results of the senatorial race, fairly and squarely, reflect the voice of the electorate. Thus, the people have spoken. It can also be said that on the overall, the May 14 elections were generally clean and honest except that the Bedol phenomenon created a lot of confusion � a tug of war � between Koko Pimentel and Migz Zubiri. Perhaps, it is really the people�s verdict or as luck would have it for Zubiri. So be it. There are concerns worth looking into. The next COMELEC chairman must necessarily be apolitical � no immediate relatives participating in the elections. That should make it easy to reconstitute COMELEC with new non-partisan commissioners. If 2004 had Garci, 2007 had Bedol and it stands to reason that Bedol must go, or more heads should roll. COMELEC needs a total overhaul as we have only one day left to save it from chronic institutional decay. We hardly need any of its present membership � most of whom � can only wear the �official mask� of the Chairman. This May 14 mid-term elections prove two giant polling circuits � SWS and Pulse Asia � as entirely irrelevant. None of their official surveys � from the earliest to the latest � reflected the official turn-out from the COMELEC. Nothing in their supposed-to-be scientific methodologies captured the fish from the waters. SWS perfectly located the ranking order for Loren, Aquino, and Cayetano in its latest May 2-4, 2007 on the one end, and Pulse Asia rightly located Loren, Escudero, and Pangilinan in its latest April 21-25, 2007 survey on the other. But, be that as it may, still, both survey firms dismally failed to capture � by scientific standards available � the names of who will make it to the top 12 as it did fail to reflect the ranking order. From where I stand, they are nothing but �push-polling circuits� or some kind of vendor machines to paying patrons. It is time to amend the laws that have proved inutile. Better still, place the laws that cannot be implemented in the legal junkyard. Or, what �political ad ban� are we talking about? What �fair elections and practices act� do we really subscribe to? These are, by and large, a lot of baloney � kaput! The unfolding political landscape far from gives us an encouraging sign of a better future. The myth of a so-called �genuine opposition� can now be demystified � no such thing, after all. The mad race for the speakership is a classic work in histrionics. At bottom, it is not the speakership per se that is the problem. Rather, that the very same politician will be the speaker for five punishing terms is but the greatest anomaly in our political history. In the end, be it in the Senate or in the House, the carrot that are the various committee chairmanships is being dangled as the �quid pro quo� only paves the road toward that highest political ideal called �patronage politics�. With it a mere vicious cycle, when would good politics really begin, pray tell? Primer C. Pagurunan, (by email), June 30, 2007 UP Diliman, Quezon City wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You hit the nail on the head again. How sad for the country. What�s the solution? Jose Luis Yulo, (by email), July 01, 2007 (Look for a Filipino Lee Kwan Yew. If one is found, give him full powers. If no Filipino Lee Kwan Yew is found, turn the country over to the Communists. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �In One Generation II� (July 01, 2007) Dear Tony, Elsa Bayani, in her very long commentary, seems to know all the answers to our problems and even strongly averred that you "erred in all forms". Maybe she can try first running as Barangay Captain and test all her "opinionated ideas". Her assertions are usually heard in corner �tuba-ans" where inebriated Toms, Dicks and Harrys "insist" that everyone "accept" their "opinions". Oh boy! I submit that this kind of "Liberal Opinion" is why we are where we are. More power to you, Tony. Jose Regino, (by email), July 02, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, To truly transform the Philippines , we have to go back to basics. The greatest failure in our educational system is the lack or absence of citizen education in our country. Thus, we really do not have an informed and interested citizenry. Just search on "Citizenship," you will find a wealth of instructional materials on "Citizenship Education." In the Philippines , it looks like teaching the people, especially the youth, on "Social Responsibility in Action" is not known or unheard of by the Department of Education (DepEd). Sayang! Thus, I will concentrate on "Citizenship Education" as a means to truly empower our people for it to make a difference. One project I have committed myself to is to publish a book on the Rights & Responsibilities of Citizenship. This will include my own personal experiences in the past 30 years. The beauty of institutionalizing "People Power" in our daily lives is it will help ensure that our future leaders will DO their jobs. Best regards. Rick B. Ramos, (by email), Sta. Rosa, Laguna, July 02, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Manong Tony, I endorse Tony Joaquin's suggestion of compiling your articles into a book. However, instead of having the expenses borne by a Taipan, I suggest that all of us, who are recipients of your e-mails contribute to the expense. Towards this end, I pledge my one-month pension. I believe that the publication expenses can be recouped by way of selling the books to the public, by consigning it to National Book Store or other bookstores who would agree to this arrangement. One of George F. Will's books entitled, "The Woven Figure", sold very well, although, I hasten to add, book sales in the United States are no comparison to those in the Philippines Manong,.I am willing to sit down with you over a cup of coffee to discuss this matter further. Just let me know and we will arrange it. I made a similar suggestion years ago to a very loving, kind, and good priest. I told him that his homilies are as good as, if not better than, the homilies of the then Parish Priest of EDSA Shrine, Msgr. Socrates "Soc" B. Villegas, now Bishop of Bataan, who published them in 1994. "Jesus in my Heart" is a good companion.. I challenged him to have them published.. Fr. James Perry, who has lived in our country since World War II and preaching the Gospel, just smiled and said in a joking and fatherly manner that he doesn't want to compete with Msgr. Villegas.and with Fr. Jerry Orbos for that matter.- Try attending the 9:00 s.m. Sunday Mass at Christ The King in Greenmeadows and chances are Fr. Jim is the celebrant if he is not traveling in other places in the country giving recollections. Good morning and have a nice day. God bless. Jerry Quibilan, (by email), July 03, 2007 (Thank you, Jerry, for your suggestion and offer. Several other persons have made similar suggestions in the past. But my stock answer has always been: my articles are already published, electronically, in my websites, available for FREE to anyone anywhere in the world with access to a computer. But I will keep your suggestions in mind. Thank you, again. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Senior Antonio Abaya: So you asked: CAN THE PHILIPPINES BE TRANSFORMED INTO A MODERN, PROSPEROUS NATION AND A STRONG STATE IN ONE GENERATION? So I ask: One generation? Whose generation? Why a generation? Why, why and why so long? DO WE NOT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES NOW? Sir, My generation asked the damn stupid question and a lot of my contemporaries are already gone. Your generation is asking the same damn stupid question and soon, yours will likewise be gone. Still, you want the next generation to ask the same old damn stupid question or even the next after the next? So I ask: How does one live and die asking the same old damn, damn stupid question, preserved from oblivion? My generation knows the answer. I doubt very much if your generation doesn't know the answer. The next generation doesn't have to search for the answer. The answer will be spoon-fed them. We all know what the answer is. It has long been there. So I ask: How does one live and die in perpetual denial of the obvious known? Any empirical evidence suggesting that IF the Chinese, Thais, Koreans, Singaporeans, Malaysians or even the war-torn Vietnamese can do it, WE can also do it, is nothing but pure hogwash! We don't think and act like they do and we don't live where they live and vice versa. Other than similarities for reasons of geography, we are not like them and they are not like us, and they don't want to be like us. But we wish to be like them and/or copy them. So I ask: How does one live and die operating like a perpetual Xerox machine? Why would a certain Antonio Trillanes be "an unarticulated longing" for a fresh new idea? What fresh new idea? Good god! Is this another case of sponsorship and/or toadyism or both, and the perpetration of both for the glorious benefit of one soul or a group of souls? So I ask: How does one live and die under the spell of a deified "caricature?" Better still, why a Trillanes, when there is you? Yes, Why not you? You certainly make a lot of sense and would probably do a lot better than those tiresome, irksome and useless fools out there, based on your convictions as evidenced by your writings -- writings that can elicit a tear or two. What gives? So I ask: How does one live and die watching the agony of a gassed and frenzied people? Senior Abaya, you've got a problem. You are Filipino and you were born in the Philippines . And in the Philippines , the problem is the Filipinos and what they do to each other. And what they do to each other where you are, they also do to each other somewhere else. Add the lack of self-pride and the lack of love of one's country, your problem is much bigger than you think. So I ask: Can you make a difference? Sure, you can. Your brilliant articles are just the beginning. If you don't do something now, you'll be back to asking the same old damn stupid question all over again. And so would the next generation. Please do, and more power to you! (Name withheld on request), (by email), July 03, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |