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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| �Most Corrupt President�
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Dec. 19, 2007 For Standard Today, December 20 issue Of course, it was and is �only� a perception. But because no one can possibly know all the �objective� facts about anyone or anything, we all make decisions and choices based on our perceptions. When we buy a new car or choose a lot for our new home, we are making choices based on our perceptions, that this or that brand and model is most suitable to our station in life and our budget, and that this or that neighborhood is the best we can afford to raise a family in. We probably do not know all the facts about the technical flaws of this or that car, and we probably do not know all the unsavory things that have occurred in this or that neighborhood. Or even if we did, we still make the decision to choose and buy, because our perception is that the pluses outweigh the minuses. So also with public opinion surveys and free and open elections. We do not know everything about the subject being surveyed on, and we do not know everything about the politicians who are soliciting our votes. But we give our answers to the questionnaires, and we cast our ballots in favor of this or that candidate�..based largely or entirely on our perceptions of the subject and the candidates. Perception is everything. So when President Arroyo and her apologists in media dismiss the Pulse Asia survey that ranked her the �most corrupt President� of this country in the last 35 years as �not being in tune with reality� � or words to that effect � she is not defining what that reality is. She is merely expressing her perception of the perceptions of her own people about her. Reality is elusive and unknowable. Even in physics there is such a thing as the Principle of Uncertainty, articulated by the German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg in the 1930s, based on the realization that what was then considered the most elemental event in the universe � the orbit of an electron around the nucleus of an atom - cannot be directly observed and therefore cannot be known with absolute certainty. It can only be mathematically perceived and inferred from related phenomena. If the Pulse Asia survey had ranked her as �the least corrupt President� in the past 35 years, she would have been beaming from ear to ear and her apologists in media would have been singing hosannas about the unsullied objectivity of Pulse Asia. But the Pulse Asia survey in question was apparently commissioned by former senator Serge Osmena of the Opposition who had paid a supposed fee of P300,000 for it. Does that make the survey results unreliable and suspect? I personally have confidence in the professionalism of Pulse Asia and would accept the results at face value. But those who don�t, have the option to pay for a similar survey, to be run by Pulse Asia or by another professional survey organization (such as the Social Weather Stations), and ask exactly the same questions. Would they come up with similar or dissimilar results? The Pulse Asia survey was conducted between Oct 20 and 31. At that time, the newspaper headlines and the TV evening news were dominated by reports of bags full of cash handed out to congressmen and governors convened in Malacanang, by public calls for GMA�s resignation, by maneuvers to have her impeached, by continuing Senate hearings on the corruption-riddled ZTE broadband contract. It is only natural that public perceptions of her and her government were overwhelmingly negative. If an administration-sponsored survey were conducted, by the same organization and asking the same questions, during a euphoric period when, say, vast deposits of oil are discovered in our territory, and all those with pending plunder cases with the Ombudsman are convicted, and the NPA and the Abu Sayyaf decide to lay down their arms, and the GDP climbs up to 9 percent, then public perceptions of GMA and her government would be more positive. But would this period of euphoria ever come to pass? Not very likely. . But we are talking of the here and now, and President Arroyo must suffer the consequences of her own actions and decisions � or failures to act and decide - that have created the present (im)moral environment. She is being fried in her own fat. To the question: In your opinion, which president is the MOST CORRUPT in the history of the Philippines ?, Pulse Asia�s 1,200 respondents gave the following replies: Gloria Arroyo (42%), Ferdinand Marcos (35%), Joseph Estrada (16%), Fidel Ramos (5%), Cory Aquino (1%), No reply (2%). To the question: In your opinion, under which administration has there been the most intense allegations of corruptions?, the replies were: Arroyo administration (45%), Marcos administration (31%), Estrada administration (14%), Ramos administration (7%), Aquino administration (1%), No Reply (1%). To the question: In your opinion, which president is the LEAST CORRUPT OR NOT CORRUPT in the history of the Philippines ? The replies were: Cory Aquino (66%), Joseph Estrada (11%), Ferdinand Marcos (9%), Fidel Ramos (6%), Gloria Arroyo (5%), No Reply (3%). The replies to the first two questions more or less reinforce each other. But the answers to the third question conflict in parts with the results of the first two, and suggests that many of the respondents did not completely understand the question. How can Estrada be the second least corrupt when he is also perceived to be the third most corrupt? How can Ramos be ranked both fifth most corrupt and fifth least corrupt at the same time? But there is no ambiguity about perceptions on who the �Most Corrupt President� is, and it is Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. No matter how undisturbed and nonplussed she may try to project herself to be by this latest roasting, it must hurt, and it must hurt badly. At the start of her presidency in 2001, she had told everyone who cared to listen that she had no ambitions to become �the best president,� only �a good one� and that the Good Lord would take care of the rest. Or words to that effect. But as things have turned out, she may not even be perceived as �a good president� at all. For most people, it is difficult, even impossible, to reconcile �goodness� with �most corrupt.� Perhaps the Good Lord has a rationale beyond human comprehension for this moral conundrum. Didn�t she tell Pope Benedict that it was the Good Lord who placed her in her position? Having �bested� Marcos and Estrada in the corruption sweepstakes, will she now be included in the Guinness Book of World Records� list of the World�s Most Corrupt Leaders, and give the Philippines the singular distinction of being the only country in the world with three - no longer just two - presidents in this list? But she has no one but herself to blame for this ignominious dishonor. When Romulo Neri telephoned her that Benjamin Abalos had allegedly offered him a P200 million bribe to approve the ZTE broadband contract, she merely told him, according to Neri, not to accept the bribe but to approve the contract nonetheless. If she were a moral person, she would have fired Abalos for cause, sic-ed the Ombudsman on him and cancelled the contract right away. She cancelled the contract only months later, after public outrage forced her to. The public perception is that she (or a member of her family) was in on the corrupt contract and tried to get away with it. Since March 2005, the Americans have tried to nudge her into accelerating the trial of Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia for plunder. The Americans, after all, were the ones who arrested Garcia�s sons while they were trying to smuggle in $100,000 in cash at San Francisco International Airport, and the Americans have the documentary evidence on their US bank accounts and their real estate holdings: a condo unit in the Trump Tower in Manhattan and a house and lot in an Ohio town, all on his salary of P27,000 a month as AFP comptroller. Yet, President Arroyo could not or would not do anything to expedite his trial. The public perception is that many other AFP officers and civilian DND officials � including those with whom she had conspired to topple Joseph Estrada from the presidency in the months before January 2001 � would be exposed as accomplices in Garcia�s scams, and would likely drag her down with them. Similar deliberate foot-dragging in the plunder charges against Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and Col. George Rabusa can be explained by similar reasons. (See my articles in March/April 2005): http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/plunderandgengarcia.html http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/plunderandgenligot.html http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/plunderandgenrabusa.html And is there any other explanation in the deliberate efforts by her senior bureaucrats to prevent Virgilio Garcillano from being investigated by the Lower House, and Joc Joc Bolante by the Senate, than the obvious ones that she did not want them to spill the beans about the electoral fraud and the unauthorized use of P728 million in government funds in the May 2004 elections in which she was the principal beneficiary? (See my article/s of July 2005): http://www.geocities.com/dapat_tapatt/garcisvanashing.html And those bags full of cash mysteriously distributed to mayors, governors and congressmen and women during or after their meeting with her in Malacanang. Doesn�t she realize that the public does not believe the admissions lamely proffered by various individuals for various supposedly altruistic purposes? The public perception is that these monies were distributed to bribe the recipients a) to block the impeachment proceedings against her; and b) to support the forthcoming revival of charter change to allow her to remain in power beyond 2010, as prime minister. I could go on. But the point has been established, I believe, that perceptions are just as compelling as reality, especially since she has tried � successfully, it must be said � to block reality from being dragged out into the sunlight. She has no one but herself to blame for being judged the Most Corrupt President of this country. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Most Corrupt President� �Scorching Judgment� More Reactions to �Wayang in Bali � More Reactions to �Gender Gaps� �Thank you, Mr. Renaissance Man� Happy Holidays to you and yours! It seems that the sorry state the Philippines is in, never leaves us and just keeps on going in vicious cycles. There is nothing much left for us to do but keep on trying and hoping that we hit the right one. I am pretty sure that GMA has tried, but maybe due to inexperience and simply because she does not have what it takes to be a good president, she failed us big time. What to do now? Just like buying a car, if you end up with a lemon, then there is no other choice left but to discard or replace it. Easier said than done, but the time is now ripe to do it. God bless the PHILIPPINES ! Regards, Noe Castanos, (by email), Toronto , Ont , Canada , Dec. 20, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I agree with your comments about the various situations that have taken place during Arroyo's term which have become the bases for the "perceptions" that people have about Arroyo's performance in the presidency. As you said, we can never get to the reality of things. My concern then is this: If Arroyo had better spin doctors would the perceptions have come out better? Worrisome to think about. Renedios Marmoleno (by email), Dec. 20, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony. I fully agree! Let GMA and her apologists commission a similar survey asking respondents the same questions and as sure as the sun rises in the East, the same results as those gathered by Pulse Asia would come into play. Merry Christmas to you and your family! God bless always and keep the pot boiling! Jeremias Decena, (by email), Dec. 20, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir Abaya: While reading your article, I was of the impression that you again would explain 100% of the not so 100% reality of �perception�. Almost, but not quite. You forgot to mention that more often than not, survey results would favor the objective of, shall I say�sponsor. Unless of course the agency doesn�t take into consideration pleasing their customers as their primary business goal to stay alive in the world of business competition. Considering the current trend and behavior of Philippine politics and these agencies track record of playing with the top tune on the billboard time and again, such exceptional attitude is highly doubtful, never mention who runs what agency. In addition, don�t forget the huge factor that the present information technology is providing which was not possible during the reign of the �not so corrupt� leaders as perceived by the survey. Of course this latest and cutting edge available resource for spreading ones �perception� is only a tool of the new found �freedom� and �power� of the media. And again �perception� depends largely on whose pocket these influential media practitioners are playing for. But these are all normal, in a vibrant or over vibrant democracy that the Pinoy Nation is happily enjoying. Regulation is the key, I think. Well, well�it all comes back to what you said, this is only my own personal �perception� that can be somebody else�s, not only in the Philippines but around the world, thru the help of the internet. Thanks and More Power! Ador Ramoso, (by email), Atlanta , Georgia , Dec. 20, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, I would take a pause and greet you a Merry Christmas and a more prosperous New Year. I hope to see more enlightening articles in '08. God bless you! Grace Santos, (by email), Dec. 21, 2007 (Thank you, and a Merry Christmss to you, too. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww GMA is making her own doing. While it is true that the people involved in the commissioning of the said survey is questionable, however, there is no question that GMA is into shitty agendas. The briberies, joc jocs, garci's, manapat of the national archives, zte, Cebu lamposts scandals, Mike Arroyo brother's riches pero the taxes imposed was a joke and so many other issues were NEVER SETTLED. That is where her problem starts. Mike Delgado, (by email), Dec. 21, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, To the question: In your opinion, which president is the LEAST CORRUPT OR NOT CORRUPT in the history of the Philippines ? The replies were: Cory Aquino (66%), Joseph Estrada (11%), Ferdinand Marcos (9%), Fidel Ramos (6%), Gloria Arroyo (5%), No Reply (3%). I agree with the perception that St. Cory is the least corrupt or not corrupt despite the charges of Kamaganak Inc, Borloloy Bldg, etc by Ernie Maceda (of the �So young yet so corrupt� infamy of the 60s) and mis-governance leading to debilitating �brown-outs� (although in fairness, a lot of those were suspected to have been triggered by her share of destabilizers led by now Senator, �sounds similar�, Gringo). But the fair-minded (read: not so consumed with prejudice) observer should also relate it against the time when the survey was made and the time when Pres. Cory was the darling or �flavor of the month� of our media then just coming out of the dark nightmare that was martial law. There shouldn�t be any problem understanding that. As for the very popular Erap, (remember that he was adored by the masa as �bida� for decades), who ruled (like an Emperor) for about 2 years only but was charged in court, went though fair trial aided by the �best� (in delaying tactics?) legal luminaries and found �GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt� to have PERSONALLY amassed hundreds of millions of pesos and yet being perceived as the (far) 2nd least corrupt? Oops! there goes your three hundred thousand (P.3M) survey. But of course you are free to swallow it hook, line and with an old rubber tire as sinker. That�s Pulse (rhymes with �False�) Asia for you. Add the fact the client was an interested party still gloating at their supposed victory in the last �dirtiest polls� (allegedly bankrolled by Erap) which was also forecasted by surveys which you and I know can be used to condition people�s minds to accept a designed end. But the TRUTH seems to contradict the surveys when practically no one showed up at The Manila Pen Moment of Truth party. The facts, simply, does not fit. Tsk, tsk, tsk. If the claimed results were indeed the TRUE perception, but NOT necessarily THE TRUTH, then our media and the demolition team of the opposition and power grabbers- combined must have done a helluva job of character assassination indeed. Of course the alleged perception is NOT without basis. You can see that in the hundreds, maybe thousands of column inches written about them apart from copious saliva on the microphone from mouth-frothing news commentators (onli in da Pilipins when news readers make prejudiced side remarks) who must fill air-time even with inanities, asininities or simply insanities to earn their keep. But have they helped gather the evidence necessary to help file an air-tight case? No siree, for the simple reason that the objective is NOT to dig for the truth. It is to squeeze the most damaging allegations and keep the accusations in the public mind ready to be perceived as truths by minds too timid to read beyond what the media barkers dish out day in and day out. I read that �Editors are supposed to separate the chaffs from the grains. They sure do but they chose to publish or broadcast the chaffs instead�! Also, I did not realize that local Journalism and Waste Management are so related. Do surveys always tell us the truth? Plus or minus 3% margin of error (daw) - they insist with an air of arrogance. Yes, we can say if the soup is salty or not with just a teaspoonful. But that is if you have a homogeneous mix! Whatever random sampling technique is used will only be as accurate as the homogeneity of your population which will be represented by your sample. Have they been faithful in their sampling and interpretations? Have their clients offered to help supply data �to increase the sample size�? Let�s be honest now. These maybe naughty questions but it pales when we consider the �noble� MOTIVE behind the survey. If marketing is the push to sell a product, advertising is the pull to help accomplish it. Media is the critical link in that enterprise. Let�s now hit the point. If the removal of GMA is the desired end, then a damaging survey result is designed to facilitate it. The pattern for another �golpe� attempt (or call for a �Snap�) is appearing too soon. Carpe diem? Por dios por santo, pwede ba wait na lang kayo for 2010?!!! E. J. T.Tirona, (by email), Paranaque City , Dec. 21, 2007-12-23 (But no one is stopping anyone in the administration party from commissioning its own survey of people�s perceptions. One must fight fire with fire. The problem remains: which surveys will people believe in. In the 1998 presidential elections, Candidate Jose de Venecia of Lakas-NUCD commissioned a previously unheard-of polling organization with the initials FBI � I cannot recall what those initials stood for � which came out with results that showed him, De Venecia, way ahead of Joseph Estrada of the Pwet ng Masa. Of course, no one except Mrs. De Venecia and their children, took De Venecia�s FBI seriously. The actual Comelec results gave Estrada 38% of the votes, De Venecia only 17%. Time for GMA to commission JDV�s FBI? ACA). wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Your :"I believe, that perceptions are just as compelling as reality" OH REALLY?!? "PERCEPTION" makes it the truth? (Yes, really?!? I did not say that �perception makes it the truth.� YOU did. ACA) What if "perceptions" were formed from misinformed conjectures/ half baked reporting/ yellow journalism/planted biased and mendacious stories/misinterpretation/gullibility-- what then? (Well, then, those who are stuck with the wrong or erroneous perceptions will have to live with the consequences of their perception. ACA) Tell you one thing-- invasion of Iraq was based on "perceptions" that Saddam has WMDs. (Bush invaded Iraq, among other reasons, on the perception, which turned out to be wrong, that Saddam had WMDs based on the knowledge that Saddam was developing WMDs in the 1980s Those who opposed the Iraq invasion, including this writer, had the contrary perception that Saddam had no WMDs based on the fact that the UN and US weapons inspectors could not find any. ACA). Dangerous precept this- "Perceptions are just compelling as reality" (Dangerous only to those who think they possess the one and only Truth. ACA) Alexander Po, (by email), Dec. 21, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You said it is "only" a perception, then you blame it on her? Can't we not just say that the perception of the people surveyed by Pulse Asia is plain wrong? (Even Malacanang says it is only a perception. And she is to blame for it, as stated in my article, because of her actions or failures to act, with regard to Gen. Garcia, Gen. Ligot, Col. Rabusa, Garci, Joc Joc Bolante, ZTE and Abalos, the bags full of cash in Malacanang, etc. ACA) Of course we all agree that Marcos is the most corrupt. In fact the effects of his corruption extends to this day. Now, it can also be argued that Estrada is more corrupt than Arroyo. Some may argue the other way around. But everyone will agree that the Estrada government did not have any semblance of government at all, only corruption. (�We all agree�.� �Everyone will agree�� It is only your perception that everyone agrees with you. ACA) Indeed, the "perception" is dead wrong. The people surveyed are misinformed. And where did this people get their information? Where else, but from our similarly corrupt mass media that is obviously more on the side of Estrada and even Marcos. I do not know the morals of this President, but I am sure she is doing better as President than Marcos and Estrada. But since I don't really know, she may in fact be more corrupt. (So the perception that GMA is the most corrupt president is not really �dead wrong� since you admit that �she may in fact be the most corrupt.� ACA) Sad to say though, that, I am sure, even the best and highly moral President will be perceived as most corrupt given this media environment. And it makes matter worse when intellectuals such as yourself rather join the bandwagon of blaming the President than correcting the wrong perception. (She could have easily changed perceptions, including mine, if she had acted quickly and decisively against Gen. Garcia, Gen. Ligot, Col. Rabusa, Garci, Joc Joc Bolante, ZTE and Abalos, the bags full of cash in Malacanang, etc. ACA) Serafin Duldeo, (by email), California , Dec. 21, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir: Please, continue sending me your articles. I haven't received any for a week or so. I am willing to pay a subscription fee. I hope you're okay and just taking a break. HAVE A SAFE HOLIDAY !!! Take care, Lucita Luciani, (by email), Dec. 21, 2007 (Thank you. I checked our distribution list. You are still in it. The problem seems to be that SOMETIMES some servers (aol.com, lycos.com, yahoo.com) treat our postings as spam and deliberately block them. We suggest you complain to your server if and when this happens to you. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Its a national shame for every Filipino overseas to know that their President is the most corrupt president of the Philippines had since Marcos, whose watch took more than a decade. I was in my senior year in high school when I met her father in Malacanang. The late President Diosdado Macapagal must be turning on his grave. It would seem that Arthur and Cielo (especially) did better in living up to the legacy of the late President Diosdado Macapagal. In their respective fields and accomplishments they honored their beloved father who had contributed to the building of the our nation's edifice. Between now and 2010, she should genuinely strive hard to reverse through genuine pro poor concern and reforms. Her protection and biased for big business is misplaced. This shame is a nightmare on every Filipino every where. May God save our nation. Vic del Fierro, Jr., (by email), Dec. 21, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Hello Tony: Greetings! Does it really matter who is the most corrupt president of this benighted republic? Corruption in this country permeates in all levels of society, including, I might add, the clergy. I don't agree that GMA is the most corrupt president because I don't think it is fair to compare the present with the past in this case. I don't even know how Pulse Asia chose the respondents. Who are they? What's their age group? Etc. (Scientific polling organizations � as I believe Pulse Asia and SWS are � exert efforts to make their universe reflective or representative of the national demographics: gender, age groups, rural vs urban, income levels, geographical distribution, etc. ACA) Filipinos are notoriously forgetful of past transgressions among their leaders. I know of some people who remember the Japanese occupation with fondness. I won't be surprised if Apo Ferdie will be honored as a genuine hero in the near future; nowadays no one remembers the gross corruption during the Erap regime and why he was unceremoniously booted out of office. You look at the current aspirants for the presidency and there's not an honest soul among them. The bottom line is that power holders and brokers in this country have failed the people miserably. Hermenegildo Gutioerrez, (by email), Dec. 21, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, If I may add - It is not enough that you are not involved per se in the corruption but you also need to show to the public that you are not corrupt by transparency in contracts, treaties, etc. No need to wait for the Senate to call for the documents involving the likes of National Broadband (ZTE), and the North Railway deals, etc. etc. GMA should, as a matter of policy, make these documents available to the Media at all times, at the slightest suspicion of corruption. If all is above-board, why the secrecy??? Jun Manzano, (by email), Dec. 22, 2007 (Amen. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: I don't believe that anybody could surpass the unenviable record of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos when it comes to graft and corruption and human rights violations perpetrated during his abominable regime. David Tabaniag, (by email), Dec. 22, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Corruption and injustice thrive in government because politics is treated as a business and as an entitlement, instead of how it should really be - as a privilege to serve the public justly and selflessly. For as long as society remains weak, government will continue its power-tripping and abusive ways. Once society shows intolerance for wrongdoing and extracts accountability from erring officials, government will function honorably. When attitudes change for the better, good behavior will follow. Crossing over though is not as simple as saying "I am sorry" and then not doing anything about it. Because corruption and injustice are moral issues, it will take exceptional leadership in every sector of society to get the nation on the road to reform and recovery. The current administration is in no position to lead. In fact, it should get out of the way. Merry Christmas! Raffy Alunan, (by email), Dec. 22, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony! My reaction to your article: To the 45% who voted GMA as most corrupt, the sins of Marcos and Estrada seems to have been forgiven and forgotten. That or they believe that her ZTE and fertilizer scams, among others, are bigger crimes than Marcos' "...takeover of private companies; creation of monopolies for sugar, coconuts, shipping, construction, and the media; fraudulent government loans; bribes from companies; and skimming off foreign loans and raiding the public treasury." (Transparency International) or Estrada's B&W, Juetengate and Boracay mansion. What about Marcos' Swiss deposits and Estrada's Jose Velarde account, proofs of their ill-gotten wealths? Is GMA's alleged diversion of public funds for election purposes or bribery of congressmen bigger crimes than thievery or plunder? I bet those respondents don't even recall anymore the reasons why Marcos and Estrada were ousted from office. Congratulations are in order to Erap's strategists (Serge Osmena included) for refurbishing his tattered image in record time. The goal is a haloed Erap by 2010. Enrique Labayan, (by email), Dec. 23, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Ranking the various Filipino presidents in terms of degree of corruption is not only politically disingenuous but intellectually dishonest. Upon reading the survey, I was reminded by William Shakespeare in his famous passage near the end of Macbeth. "...it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." How can we make sense of something when it is not framed as context-specific? Do we think Marcos in his regime is less corrupt? Or Estrada? This is a case of infinite regress, unless, it is ex cathedra for Serge. More so, how can we make sense of it when everyone has bloody hands and responsible for making this sorry state of affairs? It is my hope that we create something different and stop flagellating ourselves? Efren N. Padilla, Ph.D., (by email), Hayward , CA , Dec. 23, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I don't think the survey established anything except give the opposition satisfaction. First, you and I know that no amount of corruption by GMA in these times of militant media could surpass Marcos' billion -dollar pillage. Or just Erap's two and a half years' binge. Every move of GMA is criticized and subjected to an eye of the needle scrutiny. On the other hand, Marcos controlled the press, and there was not even a semblance of opposition during his martial law years. He could have literally sold the country without anybody knowing it. During Erap's time, he could have added ten more mistresses and given them all a Boracay mansion each and everything would have been a secret as long as Chavit Singson was left happy and unthreatened. The long and short of it was the survey was timed to elicit an answer of the most corrupt being GMA and nobody else. The survey could have been structured so that respondents would hardly know Marcos and Erap In the group's mind was still the poor man's friend (for example, the age bracket of the population sampled could be no more than twenty-five years old so that Marcos would be a stranger to them and Erap a hero). Now, if the survey was above board, I would say that the Filipinos have become so gullible that they could not choose a good leader in our lifetime. [email protected], Dec. 23, 2007 (Again, why doesn�t the administration commission a counter-survey that asks the same questions? and let�s see what results it gets. Then let people decide which survey is more credible. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, I have no comment on the survey results since it is just plain rubbish. Marcos is the most corrupt and what ever GMA is doing, Marcos provided the blueprint. Anyway going back to the survey, you mentioned the Serge Osmena commisioned it. So if Pulse Asia came up with a result saying Erap is the most corrupt (although he is not, he is the most dumb), will Serge and his ilk go back to Pulse Asia for another survey? No, they will go to SWS or worse demand a payback. Maybe the survey method is "statistically accurate" but in what part of the country did they conduct the survey? Do it in known bailiwick of the of the opposition, no matter what the headline is, and GMA will came out bad.Same thing for GMA. if she want to came smelling like rose, she can commission a survey and do it in her own turf. So this type of political survey means nothing, it is just a tool to condition the people. And sadly, media is buying it, hook line and sinker. Regards, Marvin Valido, (by email), Dec. 26, 2007 (The challenge still stands. Let Malacanang do its own survey, asking the same questions. My namesake, Anthony Abaya, has done several surveys for GMA. Let hom do another one, asking the same questions. And let the public decide which survey is more credible. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, I have felt for long, even when talks started about abolishing it.... that the death penalty should not have been abolished and we all know why it was abolished under this administration. I strongly feel we should move to restore the death penalty. But restoring it will amount to nothing until corrupt people continue to get away with their criminal acts. How is it possible that Filipinos are so helpless in persecuting these immoral and corrupt people? Are there no more Filipinos left who are unafraid, clean, honest and law abiding? Are we really this helpless in combatting these evil people in the government? Sophia Santiano, (by email), Dec. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Scorching Judgment By Rene B. Azurin So, Mrs. Arroyo is now perceived by the Filipino people to be the most corrupt president in Philippine history, even more than Mr. Marcos, according to a just released Pulse Asia survey. By any benchmark, that is a scorching judgment. Mrs. Arroyo shrugs this off, however, saying that this perception �does not match reality� and the public may not be aware of the government�s efforts �to stamp out corruption�. Now, as an interested member of the Filipino public, let me just say, uh, what efforts? �I assure you that progress is being made,� says Mrs. Arroyo. That incredible claim made me pause and wonder if I had, perhaps, been living in another country all this time. Well, if progress is being made, might one ask what progress is being made in the extortion case involving Mrs. Arroyo�s former justice secretary, Mr. Hernando Perez, a case where there is specific testimony from the party from whom $2-million was supposed to have been extorted and even an alleged paper trail on this payment? As I recall, Mr. Perez was accused of demanding this in exchange for signing off on a $470-million power plant rehabilitation contract proposed by the business firm IMPSA, which he did just four days into this administration. Being a criminal case with sworn statements having been filed, I believe the extorted party�s attempt to retract his charges many years after the fact should only open him up to charges of perjury and should not affect an honest-to-goodness prosecution of this case. Might one also ask what progress is being made on the case involving an estimated 234% overprice by JD Legaspi Construction in the construction of part of the Diosdado Macapagal Avenue ? As I recall, Mr. Sulficio Tagud Jr., a director of the Public Estates Authority (the implementing agency) filed that complaint in October 2002 against 28 persons including the Chairman of that agency, Mr. Ernest Villareal. (Mr. Villareal, by the way, is a Rotary Club buddy of Mrs. Arroyo�s husband and was part of their entourage in the recent state visit of the President to Spain .) As Mr. Tagud relates in his well-documented complaint, JD Legaspi�s portion of the P731-million original contract � significantly, the only portion payable in cash, not land � amounted to only P329-million but it billed the PEA P1.1-billion, P837-million of which had already been paid at the time the anomaly was exposed. Oh, and what happened to the case involving the (alleged) diversion by an agriculture undersecretary, Mr. Jocelyn Bolante (another Rotary buddy of the President�s husband), of some P728-million in public funds meant to help farmers, supposedly in order to buy the support of local officials for Mrs. Arroyo in the 2004 presidential elections? Notwithstanding Mr. Bolante�s subsequent flight � in the absence of proof to the contrary, a clear sign of guilt � there would surely be a paper trail that a genuine anti-corruption effort could convert into a viable case against those who participated in and benefited from the illegal fund diversion. And what about several reported graft cases � typically for overpriced contracts � filed during this administration against high National Power Corporation officials and Department of Public Works and Highways officials that, apparently, are moving at a glacial pace (if they are even moving at all) in the office of the Ombudsman? I think the public would also be interested in knowing of any developments concerning former Senate President Drilon�s vehement assertion a few years back that the $510-million North Rail contract, a pet project of Speaker De Venecia, was �grossly anomalous�. I, for one, would certainly like to know if our anti-corruption bodies didn�t hear that publicly-aired accusation and so didn�t act on it or if Mr. Drilon backed off from pursuing the case because he was na-areglo. And then of course there is that curious case of the P1.3-billion Comelec computerization contract that the Supreme Court voided because it found it tainted with irregularities. The curiosity is that all the Commission on Elections commissioners who approved the contract � including its Chairman, Mr. Abalos � were cleared by the Ombudsman of any wrongdoing. Should one imagine that a phantom commissioner, not any of the flesh-and-blood ones, was solely responsible for all the irregularities and was the only one involved in cutting a check to pay the supplier? Finally (because I am running out of column space), we should bring up the case of the ZTE broadband contract which the Speaker�s son admits going after, even if he is disqualified by his relationship to the Speaker from doing so. In this affair, the Speaker�s son accuses the Comelec Chairman (also disqualified as a government official) of lusting after the same project so much that he was supposedly bandying around $10-million bribes and the President�s husband (likewise disqualified) of being so interested in it that he jabs a finger into the Speaker�s son�s face and tells him to �back off�. Furthermore, the Speaker himself admits arranging meetings with other government officials to get them to back his son�s proposal, apparently not the first time the Speaker has interceded on behalf of this son�s enterprising activities. All these are, by definition, corrupt practices. Is the Ombudsman or the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission doing anything about these at all? Likewise, is the Ombudsman or Presidential Anti-Graft Commission doing anything about the case of the paper bags, each containing undocumented cash of P500,000, that were cavalierly passed out � sans vouchers or receipts � to congressmen, governors, and mayors in the presidential palace? Surely, it should be elementary to follow the bank audit trail, pinpoint the real source of the cash, and build a bribery, malversation of public funds, or money laundering case against those involved. Weeks after the event, however, our anti-corruption bodies are grotesquely silent and motionless. So where, Madam President, is the �honest and hardworking government (that) the people deserve�? Where are all those vaunted anti-corruption efforts? I believe the public has already reached the conclusion that those are as substantial as today�s most talked-about gas, methane. The reality stinks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (This article may be viewed online at <www.bworldonline.com>. You may address reactions to it to the BW editor at <e[email protected]> .) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Wayang in Bali � (Dec. 18, 2007) Tony: I filed a House Resolution calling for a review of the biofuels program of the government in view of the ongoing debate on food vs. fuel as well as some findings by global warming experts that biofuels may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Here's an article of interest to this debate: http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news-features/un-issues- warning-of-critical-food-shortages-the-livelihoods-of-billions-of-people-will-be-se/1151741.html Roy (Roilo Golez), (by email), Dec. 26, 2007 Congressman, Paranaque City wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Gender Gaps� (Nov. 27, 2007) Dear Tony, To my posting you commented "It does not erase the fact that we have many things to be ashamed of. But we do have other things to be proud of, such is this gender equality. ACA)" My response: Being a young nation we have made mistakes that does not make you and I proud. USA has nothing to be proud of also by bringing in Blacks as slaves; by taking it a long time to provide suffrage to women; by putting Japanese civilians in concentration camps during World War II; by targeting Muslim looking guys when they board a plane, by discriminating against women and non-whites etc. We do not live in a perfect world Tony! By building our strengths we overcome our weaknesses that make us embarrassed and blushed. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City , Dec. 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thank you, Mr. Renaissance Man Dear Tony: Just wish to thank you for making the past year interesting with you fabulous, eye-opening and historically loaded articles. You can be both entertaining and at the same time be fully armed with a machete to do battle with the bad guys. You are however, fair and balanced . I am sure your work does not preclude enemies... or friends or fans. The old cliche of having the good, the bad and the ugly. I look forward and truly enjoy reading your articles every week. I wish you a healthy and prosperous New Year and enjoy your short break. Hopefully I could meet you personally in the future. If you are ever in Sacramento let me know. I hope to be visiting the Philippines in 2008. Thank you so much, Mr. Renaissance Man. All the best, Oscar Apostol, (by email), Roseville , CA ,.Dec. 26, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |