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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| A Post-Arroyo Scenario
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on March 26, 2008 For the Standard Today, March 27 issue Although President Arroyo and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno are apparently still scheming to engineer a constitutional amendment to allow her to remain in power beyond 2010 � witness the continuing efforts to make Kampi the biggest political party, only 27 months from the end of her non-extendable presidential term - that hope becomes more forlorn with every passing week. Given her irreversibly low popularity, approval and trust ratings, the only way President Arroyo can remain in power beyond her legal term would be to declare martial law before 2010, as President Ferdinand Marcos did in September 1972, in preparation for the end of his legal term in 1973 The rationales for such a move are many in the current global and regional scenes. The price of oil has gone up to more than $112 per barrel. The value of the US dollar has plummeted down to less than 100 yen per dollar and to almost 1.60 dollars per euro. The credit and financial meltdown in the US , triggered by the collapse of the sub-prime real estate market, continues to pummel its economy into a recession. The world prices of basic food staples � rice, wheat corn � have increased by more than 30% in the last 12 months due to stronger demand, droughts and floods brought about by global warming, and the foolish conversion of millions of hectares of farm lands into plantations for bio-fuel crops. The convergence of these economic negatives can create a perfect storm that will ravage many countries, including the Philippines which in the past four or five decades never learned to be self-sufficient in food, never learned to industrialize to create the jobs needed by millions of its people, and never learned to curb its run-away population growth rate. The current financial and credit crisis in the US has been categorized as the most severe economic crisis in 60 years. Meaning that if the war years were excluded, it would be the most severe since the Depression of the 1930s. Is the world headed in that direction? A global recession would mean many Filipino workers in affected countries would lose their jobs and/or would reduce their dollar remittances to relatives at home, those remittances already reduced in peso value by the continuing weakness of the US dollar. This in the face of skyrocketing prices here for food, fuel, electricity and everything else. A global recession would also reduce Philippine exports to affected countries like the US , Japan , Taiwan , South Korea , and most of the Euro zone economies. And would also significantly reduce tourist arrivals from these same countries which, at present, make up the bulk of our relatively modest tourism market. A further massive loss of jobs from an economy that is already hard put to create enough jobs every year for new entrants into the labor market would be catastrophic, especially in the face of rising prices for food, fuel, electricity and everything else. Many of the poor would be forced to live lives of crime, brigandage and prostitution, just to stay alive. The communist movement and the Muslim separatists would benefit from the widening social discontent and the unraveling of the social contract between rulers and ruled. Their ranks would swell with new recruits. In such a situation, President Arroyo, Secretary Puno and the generals with whom she had plotted the overthrow of President Estrada months before January 2001 would not hesitate to declare martial law to preserve the status quo and the benefits that they derive from it.. The present Constitution requires that any declaration of martial law must be with the concurrence of Congress and must not last longer than 45 days. But this may be an oxymoron. Anyone who declares martial law in the evolving scenario would more likely abolish Congress and tear up the existing Constitution, as Marcos did in 1972. As I wrote in a previous column, if President Arroyo survives 2008, she will be around for a very long time. And it looks like she will survive 2008. The decision of the Roman Catholic bishops to refrain from further participating in the Gloria Resign! movement means a major, if fragmented, weapon has been removed from the armory of the anti-Arroyo forces. This was probably the result of an unpublicized instruction from the Vatican . I recall that sometime in 2007 Pope Benedict XVI was said to have told the Philippine Catholic hierarchy to abstain from engaging in partisan politics. This is exactly what the Roman Catholic bishops have obediently done. And this should be a welcome development. Too often, Filipinos have been under the false impression that God takes sides in partisan politics and have consequently made their pious choices known to God through endless �prayer vigils,� �interfaith rallies� and �Masses for the truth.� To no avail, while other clerics bless President Arroyo and she insists that �the Lord put me here.�. A distraught reader asked me last month: Whom does God listen to? The empirical evidence is that God does not take sides in partisan politics, or even in wars of extermination. After the Council of Nicaea of 325 AD defined the parameters of the Christian faith, Christian communities in North Africa, Asia Minor and Europe which persisted in their unique interpretations of the Word of God were declared heretics and exterminated with glee, with both exterminators and exterminatees praying fervently to the same God. During the Thirty Years War in the central Europe of the 16th-17th centuries and simultaneous hysterical hunts for witches, Catholics and Protestants massacred each other in uncounted thousands in defense of their respective One True Faiths, both anchored on the same God, the same Son of God and the same Word of God. A state of war that persisted to the 20th century through the cute leprechauns in Ireland . And it is not just the Christians who warred on each other while they prayed to the same God. Ever since the Imam Hussein ibn Ali, second grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, was killed and beheaded in 680 AD in what is now Iraq , for refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliph, Sunni and Shia Muslims have been exterminating each other with relish even as they both knelt on their prayer mats and prayed to the same Allah. In the past four weeks alone, despite a general decline in violence in Iraq , more than 50 Shia civilians were killed in suicide bombings in the holy cities of Najab and Karbala . Neither God nor Allah takes sides in politics or war. Filipinos should learn to solve their human problems by using human resources and human ingenuity, and should stop pestering God with the righteousness of their cause against President Arroyo, just as President Arroyo should stop invoking the same God as the author and guarantor of her presidency. The most likely post-Arroyo scenario is that there may be no post-Arroyo scenario, at least for some time to come. I will not mind being proven wrong. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com.. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �A Post-Arroyo Scenario� More Reactions to �Jesus� Lost Tomb?� �Why do the Bishops�� Tony, I still look positively about a post-Arroyo scenario after considering all the factors I have noted in my article below. Why change. It is worth noting that President Cory�s revolutionary government could have brought distinct advantage to the nation. Unfortunately, that government was eaten up by a system that was so graft-ridden and unrestrainedly corrupt that no amount of leadership change could bring about national progress and wellbeing to the people . Constitutional processes only perpetuated the traditional politics that catered to the political and personal interests of the incumbent politicians. The opposing groups in the civil society, on the other hand, could not get together on who, what alternative to support, and when to change. The Chief of Staff or anyone in the military establishment could have taken the revolutionary cudgels for the people but there is a nationwide aversion for a military/police takeover. The fact is that the military standoffs failed to make a change. The military and police establishments are themselves divided. Like the civil society groups, there is the Erap military, Fvr�s, Cory�s, Lacson�s, and those who sup off GMA�s hand. Takeover by communist or muslim insurgents is certainly not acceptable to the people. Any effort toward this end would be bloody. The only constitutionally organized institution left to lead a peaceful and orderly change and reduce efforts to destabilize the country is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. How to change. Traditional politicians shall lay off for the meantime and let the head of the court of last resort act and do justice to the people�s cause. This is an option for non-violent action, an alternative to violent struggle for the Chief Justice to lead a revolutionary transition from a dysfunctional governance to a new constitutional system of government. In form and substance, the Chief Justice is still the more credible institution than those of the executive and legislative branches of government or any other institution of the civil society. What form of change. Since government is a public service organization, the caretaker government may function as a corporate entity with personalities of proven integrity and probity constituted as the Board of Directors and the Chief Justice as Chairman/CEO, the Cabinet (may be reorganized) headed by a non-political COO as the corporation officers, and the LGUs organized as corporate subsidiaries except that LGU elected officials related within the 4th civil degree of consanguinity or affinity and serving within the same political constituency be considered resigned and replaced as the Transition Government may direct. How is this going to happen. With the support of leaders of the different civil society and professional and business groups, the uniformed establishments of the active and retired list, the Chief Justice shall lead the transition to a new constitutional order on behalf of the million Filipinos that expressed their desire for a change in governance. The AFP and the PNP shall insure that the transition is peaceful and orderly, and, conscious of their apolitical and protector roles, provide a secure climate for an authoritative governance of the transition government. The offices of the President, Vice President, and Congress shall be suspended for the duration of the transition to give the transition government a chance to perform so that when the new constitutional order is ratified they can submit themselves to the people again. Transitory measures. The transition is intended to reform present institutions of governance and clean the ills of the traditionally corrupt political system in a timeline of 2 to 3 years. A Constitutional Commission shall be constituted with Philconsa providing the core of constitutionalists to draft a new constitution for the ratification of the people within the timeline period. A Court of Inquiry shall be constituted with Sandiganbayan as the core to take over and facilitate the Congressional investigations on the election fraud of 2004 and other issues imputed against President Arroyo. Government personnel involved in the issues under investigation shall be suspended until cleared. Backsliders shall promptly be dealt with the full force of revolutionary laws. The major actors in the Transition Government shall not be eligible for candidacy in the initial election for the new Constitutional Government. (Revised 120208 FUA) Fortunato Abat, (by email), March 27, 2008 (But a �transition government,� even if led by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, would still be a revolutionary government. Since it would have no constitutional mandate, that transition government would need a military component to a) install it in power; b) keep it in power; c) meet the inevitable challenges from the trapos who would want to regain their power; the communists who believe they have an exclusive franchise on �revolution�: the liberals who are allergic to the word �revolution�; and media who cannot conceive of anything outside American-style liberal democracy. The strongest resistance will come from the incumbents � civilian and military � who want to stay in power indefinitely. (Since 2002, I have written several articles in support of a revolutionary government. But how do you convince the rest of the country that the time has come? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony hi, Without giving specifics I would agree with you that Gloria may survive this year. However, being naive or eternal optimist, I believe her this time that she won't pursue power beyond 2010 if she would be lucky to finish her term of office. This, of course, depends that she will not be persuaded (with a little twist of arm or nudge) by the people around her who are really in the take. These are the same people who could force her to declare martial in fear of being persecuted or convicted for being accessory or principal of past wrongdoing like the erstwhile NBN contract with ZTE and fertilizer scam. What a waste of great talent this lady is (or shall we say was). She should not have let others led her to go astray. She could have lived and died with the initial words she uttered when she assumed office: I'll do my best and let God do the rest. Now I implore the Almighty to do the best for the rest of us. Arcy F. Sibal, (by email), Sta. Maria, Bulacan, March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony! Pretty interesting article about post scenario. I dont think GMA is an idiot to push her luck knowing public opinion and odds are against her especially with the impending world recession. People have oftentimes "underestimated" GMA's political savy by saying she will be gone in a short time (even i am guilty of that) or it would be the end of her. The fact that she has survived makes her cunning enough to survive and not to stretch her luck further. And man, this woman is lucky! Imagine Cory all too suddenly falling sick to cancer - and not being able to lead the rallies anymore. She may not have as much influence as before but she certainly is a good "prop" for worldwide audiences. What GMA will do as a post scenario strategy is to either spend for De Castro and push him to win the Presidency or make compromises with either Villar or Roxas. Since Judy Roxas is much determined to have her son Mar win the presidency, the LP will have to come solid for them. With the Atienza wing (of GMA) split, they will have to find a solution to the disunity or lose the elections all together. In the end the LP will come as one supportive of Mar. The conflict is really between Drilon and Atienza and this could bed settled for the sake of Mar's candidacy. That post scenario is pretty much interesting. I underestimated GMA many times in the past and my fearless forecast is that she will fade away from the scene but making sure that all bases are covered. Gerry Delgado, (by email), Changmai , Thailand , March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Your scenario is plausible despite the fact that, for so many years, going back to when I was in grade school, I was told by teachers, priests and professors that the Philippines was sitting on a social volcano and that it could erupt at any time. Since I looked up to these people as my mentors and superiors, I believed them. Well, it's been almost forty years and no social volcano has erupted. I am now wondering whether these supposedly intelligent and perceptive people overestimated or underestimated the Filipino people. Did my mentors overestimate the Filipinos' capacity to exert effort for change and a better life? Did they underestimate the Filipinos' capacity to endure endless insults to their dignity and intelligence? While I see the logic of your prognosis, I still have to see whether there is enough courage and conviction out there. History has shown that severe economic malaise is the surest way to prod our people to act. The past two EDSA's were preceded by serious economic downturns and hardship. However, I am still not sure whether the present economic problems in the U.S. will be severe enough to cause serious difficulties for the Philippines . There certainly are dark clouds in the horizon, the perils of acute inflation and food shortages being at the forefront. But the world seems better at countering these threats nowadays. Just a couple of years ago, the idea of $100/barrel oil would conjure images of meltdowns and conflagration. We are there now and the world still hasn't fallen apart. Sincerely yours, Juan Deiparine, (by email), Toril, Davao City , March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I am an avid reader of your columns and RXs. I agree with most of your views, and sometimes find real amusement with the RXs, although I applaud some. In this instance, I agree with you and our leading economists (Habito, Medalla et al.) that it really looks bad for us and the rest of the world, with the US in a nosedive and pulling down the rest of the world with it, and that as a country we are one of the least prepared for that dive. I think, however, that you shoud refrain from using the circumstance to flog the Catholic Church, or any other church for that matter. I don't know about others, but I don't look to your views in this area of religious history and sacred politico-theology. But keep up the rest. I'm cheering for you there. Best regards, Manuel Q. Lim, Jr., (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Now we know, the religious priests are more Vaticano than Filipino. Wilhelmina Orozco, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Abaya wrote: After the Council of Nicaea of 325 AD defined the parameters of the Christian faith, Christian communities in North Africa, Asia Minor and Europe which persisted in their unique interpretations of the Word of God were declared heretics and exterminated with glee, with both exterminators and exterminatees praying fervently to the same God. I'm afraid that this is nonsense. The Council of Nicaea did not "define the parameters of the Christian faith" -- it harmonised the date of Easter and ruled that the Second person of the Trinity was of the same substance as the First person, condemning the new teaching of Arianism as heretical. In the following years, far from the Arians being persecuted, they persecuted the Christians. But after another 40 years Arianism ceased to be fashionable and was forgotten. Accusing others alive today of being murderers and torturers 1500 years ago is an evil deed. Roger Pearse, (by email), March 28, 2008 (According to Wikipedia: �The first Council of Nicaea�convoked by the Emperor Constantine I in 325 AD was the first Ecumenical council of the Christian Church and most significantly resulted in the first uniform Christian doctrine called the Nicene Creed, [also known as the Apostle�s Creed � ACA],�.� ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, There is one more scenario that I believe should have been added to declare martial law. With the impunity of GMA's actions, people will rise and revolt and if it happens, martial law is inevitable, considering that I believe majority of her advisers are Marcos martial law babies. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mr. Abaya, I am saddened by the doomsday scenario that you vividly depict. The US recession is indeed forthcoming and will most likely hit our shores. To what extent will its effect be, only God knows. It is for this reason that I dare ask, would it be more prudent for us to rally our people to unite towards a common good rather than divide our political topography with endless political meanderings? The idea of making a little sacrifice- that is- to rock the boat at this time, disposing of a "bad president" through an undetermined process is I believe not a viable option. Rocking our fundamentals will not help at a time when everything seems to be in disarray. The salient point right now is that, amid all these turmoil - these impending crises, is for us to focus our energy towards one goal. and that is - to make sure that we will be able to weather what fate will throw our way. As cliche as it may sound, let us keep the faith. Frank Lloyd Gonzaga, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Prayers always help.God is always with the righteous. But all feel they are right. I feel the way you do that GMA will make an attempt to stay in power, not just because she lusts for power but she is scared she might just land behind bars. But of course, she could leave the country and vacation comfortably somewhere in Spain . Cesar Sarino, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, people are mad. The garbage collector is mad. Barbero ko, pag si GMA ang nasa TV, kulang nalang basagin yung TV nya, My businessmen friends are frustrated. I am mad, Tony. Never mind the UP students and the jeepney drivers, lagi naman galit mga yan eh. My point is, many will not allow a continued GMA government, no matter what scenario they will paint. With what happend with the last senatorial elections, one can observe the trashing of admin candidates in the national level, in spite of the governemnt election machinery and money. Now came the ZTE deal and Mr. Neri's silence and cover up, galit na kami, Tony. Realistically, we will have a new president by 2010 and it will not be Bayani or Noli. Galit eh. Mike Delgado, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Beautiful piece.These scenarios are written in the Signs of the Times. When the regime simply mind its political survival and perpetuate the social order that they benefit from, millions will indeed perish! AL Jose Leonidas, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww VERY WELL WRITTEN. MAYBE SOME EXPERT CAN TRANSLATE THIS IN TAGALOG AND ALL THE OTHER DIALECTS SO IT CAN BE DISSEMINATED TO THE MASSES. AT LEAST THOSE LITERATE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND. VERY NICE PIECE FOR SURE THE "A" AND SOME OF THE "B" CLASS CAN UNDERSTAND THE FULL IMPLICATIONS. HOWEVER WE ONLY COMPRISE 20-25% AT MOST OF THE GENERAL POPULATION. EVEN THE "C" BRACKET WHO MIGHT UNDERSTAND CANNOT IMAGINE HOW IT IS RELEVANT TO THEM. YET, BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT WAS SAID HERE, ANY ATTEMPT TO STAGE ANOTHER PHONY EXCUSE FOR MARTIAL LAW, WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY SQUASHED EVEN BEFORE IT IS CONCEIVED. LAS, [email protected], March 28, 2008 LSGH68 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Prof. Abaya: Your incisive analysis of the "post Arroyo scenario" reminds me of the masterly argumentative writings of the late Teodoro Locsin, then publisher and top philosopher of the Free Press. Gloria Arroyo, prodded by her generals and businessmen, is certainly reluctant to relinquish political power in 2010. She knows that, once devoid of political power, the opposition and other critics will bombard her with criminal cases for all the crimes she had committed against our people. I agree with your conclusion that there will be no " post Arroyo scenario." GMA is an astute political tactician. She know that it is important for her to continue to control the levers of power to assure her personal, and her family's, continued and unhampered access to wealth and political eminence. Many thanks. Accept my warm personal regards. Ricardo Magtibay, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mang Tony, I don't think Arroyo will stay in power beyond her term, she will step down as promised. Regards, [email protected], March 28,. 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I too have gut feeling basing on GMA's previous actuations that she will "move heaven and earth" to stay in power and a Martial Law scenario is very possible what with a rice crisis looming and the other scenarios you have cited. people who have the capability must act now and act decisively. They must have that " its now or never " attitude. Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City , March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Of course there will be "A Post- Arroyo Scenario" .... come 2010. We will have a new president but hopefully not Trillanes, Lozada (joke) nor anyone from the arrogant and power-tripping Senators who unwittingly revealed their abominable character in the long-running Ping & Jamby Machiavelli Show. The real saving grace in this Senate inquisition, from my perspective, are the 2 senior solons, Arroyo and Enrile who showed maturity throughout, unlike the trapos and cocky juvenile solons who, when still in the lower house, if you recall, first showed their youthful fangs when they tried but failed to go after the neck of SC Chief Justice Davide while enjoying a brief power joyride. Anyone care to remember? I see in "A Post Arroyo Scenario", whether you like it or not, a Noli de Castro, who might yet surprise all with his conventional wisdom. We have different readings about GMA's 'game plan' if you want to put it that way. I think she just can't wait to complete her term in 2010 to relinquish power and the headache that goes with it. With or without the ZTE brouhaha, I believe the Lady feels that 10 years of dedicated service is enough. Being President of a country like ours is not an easy job even for a Lee Kuan Yew! Anyone who has experienced managing any organization will understand what I mean. She has done what can be done, under the circumstances and she has already contributed enough to the economic reforms that our country needs. The near-reality of a balanced budget and over 7% growth, among others, can be attributed to her economic brinkmanship the Ted Failons and Korina Sanchez-Roxases of media will find hard to understand. I think, after being elected VP garnering more votes than Erap did for the presidency, (if i'm not mistaken), she deserved to be his successor when Erap self-destructed after only 2 years (thank God) of despicable mis-governance. No, I don't agree with your oft-repeated "President Arroyo, Secretary Puno and the generals . . . had plotted the overthrow of President Estrada months before January 2001". The more sober observer will recall that even during the period of Erap's impeachment, she was too coy (to the discomfort of well-meaning people), to come out and position herself as the rightful successor to Erap - if and when he goes. It was only when that became apparent and thus necessary, to prevent a quick grab from a perennial threat salivating from the wings, that she was correctly advised (pushed?) to talk with key political and military personalities to draw up the succession scenario that led to EDSA2 (blessed by a God you probably don't believe in). Begging to disagree and hoping you will not go ballistic with this contrary view, :-) E. J. T.Tirona, (by email), Paranaque City , March 28, 2008 (That she was meeting with generals before January 21, 2001 has been admitted by her, though she, naturally, does not admit plotting with them to overthrow Erap. Similarly she has admitted talking by phone to an unnamed Comelec official, for which she said she was sorry, but denies she was following up on the cheating for her �one M.� She has also admitted she was told by an unnamed official, just before she left for China, that there was a P200 million bribery offer for the ZTE contract, but denies that she or her husband had a financial interest in that contract. One has to be extremely na�ve not to see a pattern of shilly-shallying to hide the sordid truth, in all this. And, yes, she promised on Dec. 30, 2002 that she would not run in May 2004, and I presume you believed her. I did not. I wrote a column titled �She Will Run� on May 22, 2003, and I was proven right. Check www.tapatt.org. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, Re your Post Arroyo Scenario - I couldn't agree with you more in its entirety � from the malaise of people invoking God's name for their "cause" and the hopeful specter of a no post arroyo scenario. To my mind there are two notions on the calling on God, one is those who tell Him their problems and then say bahala ka na Diyos � I will remain here "still and in silent prayer" and bahala no Po Kayo. the other notion is about those you mentioned -"pestering" God for whatever they want. Problem with the first is that when God does answer their prayers by providing them the earthly physical means by way of persons or resources to solve their problems � they fail to see these opportunities because they continue in a state of remaining "still and silent". On the advocates of pestering God, the problem is they expect God to side with them on their own self-interest agenda. Any benefits to the masses and nationhood are mere fall-out. Meaning, before it reaches them, I'm taking my percentage first. And we see this all the time. Siyempre ako muna! More and more people discern this malaise among the so-called leaders � whether they be in government or those against government. What is needed is a cleansing of ourselves to remove the hypocrisy, the deceit, the selfishness that has permeated our society. Perhaps a way to start is by taking a fresh look at our so-called democracy. Is this democracy where only the rich and powerful are heard? In any crime have any of the master minds ever gone to jail? Sure, some went to jail � for a while � and then got acquitted. Or if by some miracle of public opinion they do go to jail do you actually believe they are in the cells of the ordinary prisoner? Nope � money talks � and they have air conditioners, special meals from wherever. So even among those convicted (not to speak about the innocents who were made fall guys who didn't have the resources to defend themselves) there is injustice. So the problem isn't only gma and her cohorts � it's the whole system that has to be torn apart and nurtured to grow into one that is truly of service to the people and for the people. This is important so that real priorities are identified � as an example � instead of the broadband deal � why not a national irrigation program coupled with warehouses and feeder roads from farm to market? That certainly would have mitigated the rice crisis. Somebody told me about the inane remark by some agri official that july to September are the lean months because it's summertime � hello??? If irrigation had been provided even the harshest summer would not affect production that much. Years ago, this is what dr. sam hsieh, once with the adb and who later became the chairman of the development bank of Taiwan and governor of their central bank would repeatedly bewail in our conversations. This is getting too long so let me wind up. Only then, when we do kneel down before God with a clean heart will He provide us the means to overcome our gigantic problems so that we can be the davids that are needed to tear down the goliaths of this country. We all have an opportunity to be a david - he was a murderer, an adulterer, had many wives � and yet God said � "I have found david to be a man after my own heart". Maybe it's because he didn't steal or lie or engage in cover-ups?? Seriously, How can that be? The short answer is because � over time david's heart desire was to do God's will and not his will. The key word here is "do". Warm regards, Carlitos Pedrosa, (by email), March 28, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I fully agree with you, Tony. She will not give up power, and her advisers are telling her precisely that. Since she seems to have weathered the storm, with the steadfast support of her generals, and the division of the bishops, half of whom (or more) are on the payroll, they thinks she is well over the hump. She dreads the uncertainties that retirement from power brings --- a cold jail or extradition even in exile. So do her ministers and courtiers, who have amassed fortunes that will take generations to waste. And the economic crunch will give her the excuse or pre-planned justification. But then again, portents of things to come may be God's own way of reducing population. Since His bishops will not ever allow, much less find reason in population control, both natural calamities and man-made cross-extermination such as wars and civil strife, may be His Way. Who are we to question that? Malthus, after all, mentioned war and pestilence as natural means of population control. Lito Banayo, (by email), March 30, 2008 Consultant to Sen. Panfilo Lacson wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If she can just get rid of that albatross around her neck, a.k.a Mike Arroyo, I am willing to support any political scenario that would ensure the continuity of the country's economic momentum. Even if she has to declare a revolutionary government to get all these destructive, scheming and belly-aching obstructionists out of the way and fix this system to make it work better. She can do this, no doubt about it, and no one from the opposition can do anything to stop her. I am certain that the majority of the population, the real majority that the media, the pollsters and the bleeding-heart politicians who claim to represent them, have disregarded, will support such a move. Sounds radical, yes. I know this will not likely see print and even rate your contempt. Fine by me, sir. But I still enjoy reading your columns and even if I don't always agree with you, at least someone is thinking and floating ideas worth considering. I'm tired of reading other hacks who call themselves columnists and opinion-makers. Have a nice day. RR, [email protected], April 02, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww NOTE: Because of limited space, this post may be truncated in acabaya.blogspot.com. It appears or will appear complete in www.tapatt.org. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Why do the Bishops�.? Why do the Bishops not share and give away their lands to the poor landless citizens? Why do they make if appear that those who have land are greedy and selfish like th politicians who made CARP but exempted their own lands. Why do the bishops not concentrate on their pastoral mission to teach people to be obedient to the laws of God? Why do some bishops and even cardinals justify receiving money even if it came from evil sources? Why do bishops destroy agriculture and sacrifice the productivity of the land by parceling them to small lots and lose the advantage of economics of scale? Why do many bishop not first take basic courses on agriculture and learn the science of natural crop production? Why are bishops so much against mining? Do they not want man to benefit from the God given wealth created for man's use and domain? Is it because they do not get a sizable share on what is taken? Why do the bishops not discipline Catholic schools that cater only to the wealthy and abandon the poor? Why do many bishops who are very good in making nice pastoral letters, but do not know how to "Practice what they Preach". When we point an accusing finger on others. remember that three fingers point back to us. We are all sinners, and we start with correcting ourselves if we want to have a better society. The smoke of Satan has entered the domain of the Church called POLITICS Rex Rivera, (by email), April 04, 2008 . wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Jesus� Lost Tomb?� (March 25, 2008) Dear Tony, Sometime ago you reacted violently when I shared with you my Christian belief. (I reacted angrily to your email because you arrogantly wrote that my life was meaningless, just because I do not share your religious preferences. ACA) Here you are discussing this Jesus' Lost Tomb. This is a very sensitive issue to me as a Christian. But it is perfectly fine with me. You are simply exercising your freedom of the press, freedom of religion. What was your motive or intention? Do you want us to abandon our Christian belief? As a journalist, you should be tolerant about your readers' opinions and beliefs, because we, your readers, are tolerant about yours. (You obviously did not read or understand the second to the last paragraph in my article: �(Jacobovici)�s discovery does not constitute proof beyond reasonable doubt that the Joshua buried with his immediate relatives in the family tomb in Talpiot, was the same Joshua of the New Testament�.� ACA) (You obviously did not read or understand my reply to a reader who asked why I did not accept Jacobovici�s theory outright: �I elected to be cautious about The Lost Tomb of Jesus because any theory such as this, with a serious potential for undermining a 2,000-year old global religion with 1.1 billion followers, requires more rigorous proof than has so far been presented by Jacobovici�..� ACA) I believe that I am a sinner, that Jesus Christ came to earth to die on the cross to pay for my sins, and that by repenting and asking for God's forgiveness I will be saved from eternal damnation in hell, and that I will join God in heaven when I die.That is my belief Tony. If you do not believe in what I believe, that is your choice. But if I continue sharing my Christian belief with you, it is because Christianity is to be shared with others as commanded in the Book of Matthew. (Does Matthew teach you to tell other people that their lives are meaningless, just because they do not share your religious preferences? If so, tell Matthew to stuff it up the River Jordan . ACA) I am not alone in this belief. This is the belief of the whole Christendom. Since you open the topic, Jesus' Lost Tomb, we might as well discuss religion as openly and as freely as we can. Don't you agree? Notwithstanding this difference of beliefs you are still my friend and will always be. Sincerely, Hector Tarrazona, (by email), March 31, 2008 (Anyone who tells me that my life is meaningless, just because I do not share his or her religious preferences, is not my friend. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Edel Anit and Bambi Harper said it all. Either we believe or we don't. People "try" to learn, to understand, to discern and some still continue to search for "The TRUTH". The evolution of faith has gone a long way and it would be better if we don't muddle what is already muddled. Jose Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City , March 31, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Your retorts to your readers never fail to elicit laughter. I'm amused at the way you put them in their shoes, particularly the writer who anachronistically brought in Jun Lozada. Why are they saying that you shouldn't be writing about such topic? That's stereotyping you as a political writer. Any writer has the freedom to write about any topic of his choice as long as he has the facts. I agree with Edel Anit that we can never find Jesus' bones on earth because we Christians believe that He ascended into heaven a few days after the Resurrection. Are we forgetting that? Best, Yett Montalban, (by email), March 31, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Greetings, Tony, I enjoyed reading your articles and blogs--specially the companion article to this blog today re "Jesus' Lost Tomb?" Truth is I sort of expected comments re our Lenten tradition and observance of Christianity's most holy day-Easter Sunday. It seems to me even a sedulous Christian would wonder why a God would send his only begotten son to be the blood sacrifice to atone for the sin of Adam and Eve. The Vatican up to now insists that man for all generations to come is tainted with Original Sin which may be expiated only through a redeemer. And I would think any good Christian should express compassion for poor Judas, vilified for 2000 years for performing his role in the crucifixion drama so that Jesus could redeem mankind. Hu?! Freddie Wieneke, (by email), March 31, 2008 (Hi, Freddie. You could look at The Last Temptation of Christ [book by Nikos Kazantzakis, film by Martin Scorsese]. In it Judas performs the heroic role of forcing the vacillating and hesitant Jesus to live up to his �duty� of dying on the Cross. All fiction, of course. Tony) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony - Cayo and I are on vacation in Dubai (Timmy's son Xavier & family - he's with Shell Oil - live here) and I've had some unusual loose/free time and read through most of the responses (I found the ones from the "traditional/conservative" believers completely expected with no surprises, but was extremely impressed with the several from folks "unoffended/unviolated" who, to my perception, held a more mature view of the meaning of Jesus' life and teachings and spoke of a spiritual vs physical resurrection and were completely comfortable with deeply important meaning in their lives from dedication to the teachings without the "promises/expectations" of their sins having been automatically "deleted" via Jesus" crucifixion and "eternal life") to your piece - which Cayo read and deleted several days ago - and I'd really appreciate the opportunity to read it as well. Could you please resend your piece/column to this email address at your convenience? I'd appreciate that very much. All best wishes to a man whose perceptions and writing has always impressed me and caused me to think about different angles on the many topics you address. Hope all is well with you and your family. Take care, Fred Marschner, (by email), Moraga , CA , April 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Kuya Tony, Strong belief or faith is the only thing. These "Jesus Lost Tomb" theories just add up more doubts to readers of the Bible etc., and believers or unbelievers. Let us put it this way: when one dies with belief that no Jesus rose from the dead, such person ends up where? with all the dead. Where does he go? Where the dead people go. If Jesus did rise from the dead and rose into heaven, and one believes in this when he dies, he goes to Jesus. Lucky for him he believed and maintained his faith. Either way, no one actually loses anything when he/she dies. All goes somewhere. I choose to believe that Jesus did die but rose from the dead and went up to his place with God, in Body and Spirit.If I am wrong in this belief, I actually didn't lose anything, I still died. If I am right in the other way around, glory to God on High, I was on the right track. I am sure God has something extra good for my soul. For those who were wrong, God still has something good for their souls. So, no harm done actually. So, let us just go on living in the meantime, doing good to others and to dwell much on something that is so divisive with no one being able to provide proof of the truth of this subject matter. Thanks Kuya Tony. Leona Guerra, (by email), Australia , April 01, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, True, THIS is not a reason to rewrite Christianity. There would be much more reasons to do so. No matter if Peter's bones have been under the Vatican or just accidentally the bones of anyone else, who knows any proof to say "yes, that is Peter"? The same to the bones counted to Jesus and his family. Nobody knows anything to justify any declaration who are thw bone owners. It is already a contradiction of the bible if Jesus belonged to a rich and influential family, since the story says Mary was poor and Joseph only a carpenter. It also a stunning mater that the bible knows ant detail of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus, but nothin is told about his time until he started discussing at the temples many years later. Where is any real proof that they are the same person? Also controversial is the crucifixion. The Romans did not use nailing and hardly other people had iron nails when iron was not in common use. Or, there is the biblical story of that heroic mountain city in Sinai which fought the enemies until all died. But archeologic diggings found out that there has never been any bigger community, no signs of any fighting but that all the younger people had been going down to places with better and easier chances to live. Lastly, when Jesus really has been the son of God (why the complicated creation as a human?) and part of the Trinity, why he did not know anything about the world outside the Roman Imperium? Like about other continents, other races like the long existing cultures in Asia and South America ? [email protected], April 02, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOTE: Transmissions to yahoo.com and mydestiny.net addresses are sometimes delayed or blocked by the servers for one reason or another. If you are experiencing these delays or blocking, we suggest you move to a hotmail or a gmail address. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |