| Predictable Gloria
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on April 21, 2009 For the Standard Today, April 22 issue Unless there is a popular uprising and/or a military revolt, chances are high that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will remain in power even after her non-extendable presidential term ends in June 2010. She will remain in power as prime minister. She is following the example of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, as I had predicted as early as September 2007. President Arroyo is quite predictable. On December30, 2002, she had made her famous pledge that she would not run in the 2004 presidential elections on the grounds that her participation would be �divisive.� But based on her body language and subsequent pronouncements, I predicted in my column of May 22, 2003, titled She Will Run that she would run. And, sure enough, she did, and she won, with substantial help from Virgilio Garcillano. Hermogenes Esperon and the resident evil genius on electoral fraud who had honed his skills in 1992. In February 2005, her miniscule party Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino) held a party conference in Manila during which party president, then Antipolo congressman Ronaldo Puno, announced plans to make Kampi the largest political party in the Philippines by the year 2007. I interpreted this stated goal to mean that President Arroyo intended to dominate the Lower House before the end of her presidential term in 2010, with the help of the majority party Lakas CMD under Former President Fidel Ramos and then House Speaker Jose de Venecia. Why? To introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution that would allow her to remain in power beyond 2010. How? By shifting to the parliamentary system, in which she would be chosen prime minister and thus remain head of government as long as the Kampi-Lakas CMD coalition retained a majority of the seats in the new parliament. And I spelled this out in my column of May 17, 2005 titled Prime Minister Gloria? as well as in another column on March 28, 2006 titled GMA Forever. In my column of April 04, 2006 titled Railroading Cha Cha, I quoted from a recent speech of President Arroyo in which she said, �The true power of the people is being felt with the signature campaign to change our form of government. The old time politicians of the status quo better stand back because the train has left the station. It is time to stand back or get run over�.� (Inquirer, March 31, 2006). She was referring to the then recently launched People�s Initiative of the Sigaw ng Bangaw led by De Venecia lieutenant Raul Lambino, which sought to collect six million signatures to support a shift to the parliamentary system. But this was subsequently dismissed by the Supreme Court as a �gigantic fraud,� on the grounds that most of those who signed apparently had no idea what they had signed for. But De Venecia, then a key Arroyo ally in her campaign to remain in power beyond 2010, was not discouraged. He launched a shameless campaign in late 2006 to convene the Lower House into a constituent assembly (ConAss) that would railroad a shift to parliamentary without the participation of the oppositionist Senate. De Venecia�s reward would have been being elected to the post of interim prime minister in 2007, his last chance to become nominal head of government, until 2010 when a duly elected parliament would have been in place, with Gloria Arroyo as the real prime minister and mistress of the universe.. Fortunately this devious maneuver was hooted down by public opinion. In the meantime, the mercenary alliance between President Arroyo and De Venecia fell apart after De Venecia�s son, Joey de Venecia, exposed in 2007-08 the corruption and mega-bribery in the ZTE broadband contract, in which President Arroyo and her husband allegedly played stellar roles. But the temporary setbacks did not discourage President Arroyo from pursuing the Holy Grail of staying in power beyond 2010. In February 2008, her top economic adviser, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda � who had once publicly called her a �bitch� � launched a Cha Cha caravan that aimed to generate public support for parliamentary in the provinces. A few weeks later, Senator Aquilino Pimentel launched his campaign to shift to a federal system of government, specifically timed to happen before the end of President Arroyo�s term in June 2010, despite my warnings to him that his senate resolution was a Trojan Horse in which Gloria Arroyo or her surrogate in the Senate would be hiding, ready to jump out at the most opportune time with a push for parliamentary. Pimentel finally withdrew his resolution two weeks ago. In August 2008, there was another push for federalism under the ambit of a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain with the Muslim separatists of the MILF, which would have been an opportunity to insert parliamentary into the discussions. But the MOA was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Another setback for the persistent Gloria. But she has not given up. In April 2009, there are two initiatives in the Lower House to amend the Constitution. One is by House Speaker Prospero Nograles (Lakas) which seeks to amend economic provisions in the Constitution to allow foreigners to own land. The other initiative is by Camarines Sur Congressman Luis Villafuerte (Kampi), which is claimed to test the constitutionality of a constituent assembly in which both Houses of Congress sit and vote as one body, in which case the Senate would be overwhelmed by the Kampi-Lakas coalition in the Lower House. The two initiatives are seen as a good cop/bad cop song-and-dance routine of the same operetta where the ending is pre-ordained: Gloria remains in power beyond 2010. I wrote in September 2007 that President Arroyo would likely follow the example of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Let me explain. Putin was elected to a second and final presidential term in 2004, to end in May 2008. In December 2007, while still the sitting president, Putin ran for and won a seat in the Duma or parliament. In March 2008, his hand-picked successor, Dmitri Medvedev, won the presidential elections and when he assumed the presidency in May, to no one�s surprise, chose Putin to be Prime Minister. Although Russia�s is a presidential system, no one doubts that the real power now rests with the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, who is genuinely popular with the Russian people. It is not yet clear if Russia will formally shift to the parliamentary system. Following Putin�s example, Gloria Arroyo, while still president, may possibly run for the congressional seat of the second district of Pampanga in the May 2010 elections. She may choose a convenient toady, her Medvedev, to run for president. Somebody like Noli de Castro who is genuinely popular but who knows his own limitations, who will ergo be content with being a ceremonial president. With at least seven other contenders for the presidency � Villar, Roxas, Escudero (or Loren), Lacson, Villanueva, Panlilio, Estrada � Noli de Castro would be a sure winner for the presidency. So would Gloria Arroyo be in her district in Pampanga. As elected congresswoman, she would enjoy immunity from suits, as she does as president.. When the new Congress convenes in July 2010, its first order of business would be to railroad a shift to parliamentary, thus ensuring that Gloria Arroyo remains in power beyond 2010 and forever more. By that time, Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who reaches mandatory retirement age in May 2010, would be out of the picture, and the new chief justice � to be appointed by President Arroyo - would most likely be one friendly to the Arroyo game plan. H/she would likely rule that the Senate and the House can sit and vote as one body in a constituent assembly, thus ensuring the victory of the Arroyo game plan.. And everything would be legal and constitutional. As I have written many times in this space since 2002, only a revolutionary transition government can save this country from its politicians.. ***** . . . Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo Reactions to �Predictable Gloria� More Reactions to �Why Dubai, Inday?� Responses to Jay Brundage The Reality of Islam wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww If you are concerned about the on-going swine flu outbreak, click on the following URL for a sober and dispassionate analysis of the event: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/29/Swine-Flu.aspx My column on Tuesday, May 5 will be devoted entirely to this article wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, If there will be a revolutionary transition government, I want to see a leader in the likes of Gen. Park Chung Hee of Korea who transformed the once backwater called South Korea. In 1980's South Korea transformed from a debt-strapped nation to a loan-giving one. The reason for this is that Gen Park saw to it that his country would industrialize first and foremost, for he saw that without industrialization he becomes a traitor to his people. Jose Leonidas, (by email), Quezon City, April 23, 2009 Faculty member, Miriam College wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Probably without meaning to, with this column you have given President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo clear and convincing pointers on what she should do to remain in power beyond 2010 when her term as President expires. I do hope that out of a sense of gratitude she will thank you for those valuable pointers. President Arroyo is desperate to stay in power beyond 2010 for one cogent reason. That is the only way she can protect herself and her family from prosecution for all their documented acts of corruption while she was in office as president. And that explains why she has to move heaven and hell to stay in power: through the holding of a Con-Ass which will shift the Philippines from a presidential to a parliamentary form, with her holding the position of Prime Minister, and through the packing of the Supreme Court with justices who will be beholden to her and rule in her favor in the event a case is lodged against her or members of her family. In the event, Prime Minister Arroyo will need to make sure that the police and the military are solidly behind her--just in case widespread violence should erupt and she will be forced to declare Martial Law and has to depend on the police and the military to protect her. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers, NY, April 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Revolutionary transition! Are you saying the Trillianes or CCP or MNLF type? Nonoy Ramos, (by email), Pennsylvania, April 23, 2009 (Neither one. I do not want a revolutionary government under the MNLF as I do not want to live under Sharia Law. I do not want a revolutionary government under the CPP as Marxist-Leninist socialism is a proven failure. I do not know what kind of government Trillianes wants to adopt. I would like to see a bourgeois (or middle class) revolutionary government as in 1986-87, but this time led by people who know how to transform society. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, This is, while realistic, so depressing--as most realistic things are. Even so, my gut feeling about a revolutionary transition government is that we may be going from the frying pan into the fire. I think it is time for us to make our views known. Does the President want to go down in history as the 3rd president to provoke a People Power? She might not care, but, given her warning about PP back then, I think that's a clue to her state of mind. If the House goes through with its Constituent Assembly (or whatever) proposal, then perhaps PP is the only remaining option. But with Cardinal Sin gone, who will rub the PP genie out of the lamp? Ethel David, (by email), April 23, 2009 (PP - by which I presume you mean People Power � is by its very nature a revolutionary process that can lead only to a revolutionary government, as it did in 1986. Unfortunately it did not lead to meaningful changes because the leaders who were brought to the fore then had no idea how to transform society. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww To Mr. Abaya, For a member of the Manila elite to say these things, that's scary! BTW, I come from Cagayan de Oro--- where Cepalco would lose its clout under a revolutionary government! [email protected], Cagayan de Oro City, April 23, 2009 (Not necessarily. Under a Communist revolutionary government, yes. But under a bourgeois (or middle-class) revolutionary government which welcomes private enterprise and private investments, not likely. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony:: WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DO NOT DESERVE! Max Fabella, (by email), Florida, April 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Our dear Tony, Thanks for the fearless prediction. Yes, everybody knows that President Gloria is moving Congress and Hell to keep herself in power. Just last week I asked a taxi driver what would happen if the elections in 2010 would be cancelled. And he said, magulo, hindi na siguro papayagan ng mga taong-bayan. If there is no people power against President Gloria now, it is because the extra-tolerant Filipino people are waiting for the 2010 elections. I have said it before and I say it again that if the 2010 elections would be cancelled, it would be very bloody. As the last one holding the bucket, all the ire of the suffering Filipino people would be vented on President Gloria. All the abuses of the past Philippine Presidents would be blamed on her. The support of the military for her would crumble like castle made of a deck of cards. I am against another People Power but that is the picture unfolding before us. I pray that one day, long before her term ends, she would truly turn to God. That would be the greatest miracle in the Philippines. Col. (Ret.) Hector Tarrazona, (by email), April 24, 2009 Original member of the 11-man Ad Hoc Steering Committee of RAM (1985-1986) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony Reur �Predictable Gloria�, either of the possibilities you mentioned, i.e., popular revolution or military takeover, would be a �jumping to the fire� solution. I think we can still keep democracy alive in our country if we can get rid of Gloria by peaceful means. If only the Catholic Church would look at national salvation as an objective greater than itself and allow any willing Catholic Filipino to be a means to achieve that end, without getting itself involved, I think we can get out of the frying pan alive and intact. I believe the tandem that can bring about this peaceful change are Ed Panlilio, priest- governor of Pampanga and Henrietta de Villa, present head of Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and NAMFREL which organizations have long been in the vanguard for clean and honest elections. Ed Panlilio has proven his incorruptibility by collecting in one month what took his predecessor one year to collect and account for in quarry fees. H. de Villa was a former Ambassador to the Vatican. With them as candidates for president and vice president, respectively, in the 2010 elections, even without money, the people who reportedly are disappointed with the Arroyo administration will have a rallying point to kick Gloria out. With PPCRV and NAMFREL working to keep the elections free and honest, maybe this time we can have free and honest candidates elected too. Amado F. Cabaero, (by email), California, April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Kuya Tony Abaya, You mentioned in your columm " Predictable Gloria" the following: "With at least seven other contenders for the presidency � Villar, Roxas, Escudero (or Loren), Lacson, Villanueva, Panlilio, Estrada � Noli de Castro would be a sure winner for the presidency. So would Gloria Arroyo be in her district in Pampanga. As elected congresswoman, she would enjoy immunity from suits, as she does as president.." In our Constitution a congressman or a senator is not immune to suit while in office. He/she is only exempted to arrest whenever Congress is in session or into hearing if his/her crime is penalized by Prision Correctional (six years) and below. Higher than that he/she can be arrested by a peace officer. It's only the president that can not be arrested while in office because of the Constitutional Immunity. But after La Presidenta Gloria de Excesses steps down in June 30, 2010, she will be vulnerable to arrest in a charge of the non-bailable crime of Plunder. An arrest that would be reminiscent to what happened to the former presidents of Taiwan, and South Korea, and of course to our own Erap Estrada. Again, being a congresswoman in Pampanga will not save La Gloria from arrest, unless she declares martial law - the last card she has to shun jail -- before the May 14, 2010 poll because Constituent Assembly of her lap dogs in congress led by Nograles and Villafuerte becomes impossible after the Supreme Court threw lately a monkey-wrench called additional number of Partly List representatives. http://northernwatchonline.com/2009/04/18/my-daily-dosage-of-what-lsd-was-to-the-beatles/ Mortz Ortigoza, (by email), Dagupan City, April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, And even we ordinary mortals can predict that too. This is the reason, I believe that she frequently goes to her home province, although she did not grow up there. She grew up in Iligan. There is one more here that I think you forgot. Her election (selection) or voted to the office of Speaker of the House to solidly ram through that Cha-Cha. And there is one more, if we will just speak of immunity or be away from being put to prison, just like Estrada, as this is the main reason why she wants to stay in power. Estrada is going to run and if he wins, pardon immediately GMA. I think Estrada is the last game plan. There is one more scenario as discussed by former SC Justice Panganiban. The way COMELEC behaves, there might be a declaration of failure of election in 2010 for the whole country. And everybody knows what will happen - extension of terms. "Magtatagal" Arroyo will do everything in the book, to stay in power. So, what will the majority of the Filipinos do. Fight it out, if not revolution, fight it out in the plebiscite, although it is very hard considering the mentality of our voters, if there is a plebiscite. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Finely written, well said, excellent sequence of details and flow of logic. Thank you. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You have laid open the master plan of Gloria Arroyo Mr. Abaya and I hope your readers will share the article so that our countrymen will see and know what's coming. This evil bitch has also made sure that her stooges are entrenched at the Supreme Court, the military and the police as they are critical to the success of the plan and for her survival. In a recent ruling, the SC allowed several party lists to be represented in Congress and it turned out that majority of them are pro charter change. We should see more of its pro administration ruling in the future. In the AFP, Gloria Arroyo has promoted and placed loyal officers like Bangit, Prestoza and Martir to posts that will eventually land them to top positions. Yes to a revolutionary transition government as long as it is not the kind that will be hatched by the Arroyos and their henchmen, but can we have it without bloodshed? Only if members of the military and the police will move as one together with the civilian populace against this immoral and illegitimate government . Our Constitution is very clear in regards to where the power resides and our great hero lawyer Apolinario Mabini who was the conscience and brain of the Philippine Revolution believed that power resides in the people when he wrote and I quote: "A revolution maybe conducted against a national government, if such government has abused the power placed at its disposal by the people, with purpose of having injustice administered, by using this power to drown out the people voice and at the same time to administer to its own convenience or caprice". The question now is, will the Filipino people exert that power and how? Someone said that life is like a sewer. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it. Narciso Limsiaco Ner, (by email), Davao City, April 24, 2009 Former Army Intelligence Commander for northern Mindanao and the Cotabato and Lanao provinces. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, With this column I am totally convinced of what my friend told me during the Lenten season. He came to Italy to be with his wife. His previous work in the Philippines was as a computer programmer and his company was the one responsible for the GSIS computerization. What alarmed me most was his information that during the election for president, the money from GSIS was used for the election. There was a person behind this manipulation, and that person is now transferred to SSS. We have to be alarmed ChaCha as you mentioned and the election 2010 are on the program. What you said could be true. Yours, Tony Villan, (by email), Milan, Italy, April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Unfortunately, this country should seriously think about that drastic alternative to save itself. It's like a commander requesting for a bombing run right on his battlespace to counter the enemy that is about to overrun his position. He doesn't know whether it could save his men but he's taking the risk in the hope that it would. That's also a leap of faith for the pilots who will have to be courageous, steady and precise, knowing that anything less will result in tragic consequences for the guys they're rescuing. Democracy is an ideal worth striving for. But for it to work, it needs a mature nation of democratic practitioners who respect its tenets regardless of their selfish or vested interests. We're not there yet, and it seems that we're moving away from that ideal rather than towards it. Irresponsibility has seen to that. Now, I sense that more and more thinking elements of society, after giving democratic ways a chance and our leaders the benefit of the doubt, feel truly threatened by their criminal bent. So, I guess a leap of faith must be seriously considered as probably the only way out. To that, let me add "Heaven help us!" Raffy Alunan, (by email), April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony. This is so disheartening for us who are truly sick of this administration's shenanigans. This entire Arroyo clan is a curse to our country. I couldn't imagine that GMA is so callous to the cry of our citizens. She has twisted every possible rule of law just to accommodate her whims and greed, without qualms of any kind. I sometimes ask Our Lord when will all these end, when will good triumph over evil, and when will these people have the retribution they definitely deserve. I feel the hurt in my heart whenever I see, hear or read the corruption that has overtaken our entire government, saved by only a handful of still trustworthy people. Thank you, Tony, for all your exceptional articles, which have kept alive the hope for a better Philippines someday, without all these trapos. Please continue with your fight, and I'm sure Our Lady will be hearing all our prayers soon. More power to you and regards. Ditas Villa-Real, (by email), April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: I agree that only a revolutionary government can save the Philippines now. Recent events show GMA throwing in everything to push Con-Ass and other strategies to ensure she stays beyond 2010. And there seems to be no group to stop her. Unless... Tito Osias, (by email), April 24, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, You have been right with your future-seeing about GMA and for sure, you are right now. For GMA it is not only her power-hunger and her feeling-to-be God-sent. Most of all she needs to be at the top for to make sure that nobody could succeed in investigating the already unaccountable wealth of the Arroyos. Because it would be hard to explain how they have been able to increase their wealth maybe hundredfold within the still few years of her in power. If really GMA would push through her plan against the will of the majority of the people, nothing and nobody could protect her from being also eliminated, the more as it could be seen as executing the will of the majority of Filipinos. There are too many examples worldwide where the victims have been much more and much better shielded and protected than the police or military could do in RP. Except if they turn Malacanang into a bomb-proof fortress and Arroyo will never leave. But since she needs people there, even this is not absolute safe. Do you think that GMA really believes she is the God-sent leader and therefore God would protect her? Then she should remember that God even could not protect the Pope and it was only the fact that the attacker was not a sniper, that the Pope survived. And his use of a bulletproof "Pope-mobile" has shown that he also did not believe in God�s protection. Or could it be that GMA is so sure that no Filipino would ever be brave enough to do the same to her? To err is human..., esp. as there are too many other aspirants for to become "top of the nation" and too many who would do anything if the price is OK. Nobody is safe anymore, no matter who is it. Pedro Lamayas, (by email), Germany, April 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, everything the Nazi government of Germany did in the 1930s was legal and within the constitution. They did tweak a few things to grease the wheels, but it was all done legally. And look how that ended. Cheers Perry Gamsby, (by email), Sydney, Australia, April 25, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Responses to �Why Dubai, Inday?� (April 21, 2009) Hello Tony and Mr. Ramon Franco: Calling Ms. Gloria Arroyo "Inday" is not disrespectful to her.Mmaybe more disrespectful to the "Indays". Elmer Fabros, (by email), Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2009 OFW in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Of course, Inday rhymes with Dubai. Great title and, as you said, the disrespect is in Mr. Franco's own mind. Glad you taught him some Bisayan. Best, Genevi�ve Huang, MD, (by email), April 28, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Philippine Minds have entered into a new phase called "Speculation Time" in regards to the nearing of the 2010 elections and with GMA's movements today... Here are some Philippine Mind "Speculations" I have heard from people I talk to regarding the topic: Maybe, it could be the GSIS or other government monies that she instructed way back to be invested in the Middle East, which she's trying to get back soon so she won't get caught in the middle when it can't be retrieved and explodes in her face! Government investments have been very quiet regarding their overseas investments when the economic crunch happened. Maybe, she's renewing her "personal" money placements (which she never had, before she was PRESIDENT) in Dubai... Maybe, she has "personal interest" (like a sheik, perhaps) that she has to be there... Maybe, she is turning Muslim first to be one of his four wives.. (since she loves power and money!) Maybe, FG has turned Muslim and she should stand as a witness.. Maybe, Perez is an OFW and works there Maybe, Obama is there again (based on her "Palpak" informants) Too many maybes spoil the broth as the saying goes... An invitation to other "speculations" is welcome at this point...Join in and lets all have fun speculating (while we still can, because we shall not know what will happen by 2010) Nearest speculation to "reality" wins a JW Blue by 2010 Jose Genato, (by email), April 28, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Ramon Franco probably thinks "Inday" means "maid," as many families in the Philippines call their maids "Inday", if they come from the Visayas, just like "Filipina" in England became synonymous with "maid." Curiously, there was a commercial for Tide in the 1960s where one line became a popular expression in those times: "Inday, palalayasin kita." The voice was Myrna Franco's, who was then with Procter & Gamble. I wonder if there is any relation. Poch Robles, who might have been your classmate, was then the brand manager of Tide. I know because I was with the ad agency that serviced P&G at the time. By the way, Myrna left P&G shortly after that commercial had run its course to join the order of the nuns who ran the school where she studied. Oscar Lagman, (by email), April 28, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I was amused reading your articles about Inday Gloria. My comment is just to add on your definition of "Inday" as a name because in different regions, the name has a different meaning. From where I was in the Philippines, here's what I know: For Tagalogs: Inday is a common name for anybody especially if she is from Visayas. Mostly, they address people lower than their economic level in society...e.g. katulong as Inday. It is easier to call them "INDAY" than their real name. For Ilonggos, which my father was, Inday is used as a TERM of ENDEARMENT and with reverence of a person from a lower rung in society to her master or to the lady of the house. It is also used to call the little girls of special importance to the family...sometimes the eldest or the youngest, though mostly the eldest girl in the family. It is also meant to address ladies or women whom a girl has high regards to when talking about her. For Butuanons, Inday means I don't know. Inday Ruth Alviola Posadas, (by email), April 28, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, Madam Gloria Arroyo is obviously now looking for a place to exile herself & family after she's removed. Just like Thailand's Thaksin now hiding in Dubai. Elmer Sr. Fabros, (by email), Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2009 OFW in KSA wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony , Regarding the comments by Mr. Ramon Franco of Australia ( see below ) demanding respect for Gloria Arroyo , the question to ask is : Does she deserve one ? Come on . You and I know . We all know . The whole world knows , that this person is not just a small-time criminal in the streets of Manila , but a criminal of the highest degree who deserves capital punishment for the numerous crimes she and her allies committed against the Filipino people , most of them CAPITAL OFFENSES . She has to be talked to in a special language a high-class criminal , like her , understands . So what's the problem ? It would be another gargantuan blunder to redisplay that well-known Filipino Timidity And Gullibility to these criminals similar to what Filipinos did to the Marcoses and their cronies by giving them softie-style punishments . Now all these hardened criminals are back in circulation using their loot to buy any Filipino face into submission . And they are again back in power , infesting and reinfesting Philippine society and government . As they say in Filipino , " Aba'y walang pagbabago , O , E Di wala ding pag-asa ! " It could happen again to the Arroyos and their allies . They will go scot-free , enjoy their loot and then back to power .... Tsk Tsk Tsk ... What an idiotic cycle tolerated by the general population ! I've heard your complaints so many times before , Pinoys and Pinays . Do you want another Jaime Cardinal Sin to hold and lead you by the hand like a helpless toddler , AGAIN ? You can do better than that , Pinoys and Pinays ! [email protected], April 29, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Responses to Jay Brundage I thank Mr. Brundage for his reply and I believe I owe him a comment too. First and foremost, let me emphasize that America is not the "hand that feeds" us that I seem - in his impression - to have "bitten". We do reject such colonial attitude that they freed us, fed us, and continue to defend and feed us. Also , he has interpreted "fired" in its literal translation. Yes, I have an average reading habit for history. Some time ago former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara wrote his book and Mr. Brundage should read that too, so he can know what lead to America's involvement in it and finally its realization that they were wrong in many ways. There is a road to every final objective. It is the motive, the goal, that dictates the journey. Many goals in life, when done , finally reveal what and to who should one be grateful for. And now, Iraq. Another Vietnam, or so a number of western writers say. World War II ended with the cooperation of all freedom loving nations. We were all allies to each other. Our gratitude to America is balanced off by America's gratitude for our valiant Filipino fighters who died alongside their soldiers, provided intelligence info, fought a sustained guerilla war. McArthur, Americans and Filipinos, were defeated and the general had to escape to fight another day. He owed our countrymen the promise to return. He did and we honor him as a hero. And to add to Mr. Brundage's knowledge of history : America did not defeat the Spaniards that culminated by way of the "Battle of Manila Bay". Before that day, historians write that the Filipinos by then had already defeated the Spaniards in almost all of the Philippine territories. The rest was politics between Spain and America and therefore the drama of "the Battle of Manila Bay". America's fight against terrorism benefits the entire world. The critical cooperation of countries all over the world benefits America also as this war is a global thing. and wars are better fought outside one's borders. Each of us have its own interests that we share in the efforts to fight terrorism. We should be grateful to everyone as they to us. America's superiority should not be reason for anyone to say that we should be so grateful as to remember always that they fed us, feed us, protect us, and that we should never bite its hand. There is somehow a deeper meaning in what our Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay says : "deal with America as equals". Victor Ma�alac, (by email), April 29, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: With all due respect to Jay Brundage, General Douglas McArthur was fired for insubordination by President Harry Truman because he wanted to extend the war throughout the Korean peninsula, including even bombing China along with the possible use of nuclear weapons. Now regarding Grenada and Panama, those were examples of overkill and aggression. Grenada's government offered to help the US government in evacuating the American medical students who were trapped on the island. Furthermore, what President George Bush senior and the American government did in the invasion of Panama was outright brazen aggression that resulted in the killing of at least 10,000 Panamanian civilians in Panama City and the injuring of thousands more of them injured along with the destruction of their homes and businesses . And the main reason for the involvement in the Philippines by the US government is because of its enormous mineral resources, including oil and natural gas in the Sulu Sea, and its strategic geopolitical location with respect to the containment of China. Another exposure of America's quest for hegemony and global dominance as a global empire. Now you owe me an American Jewish hoagie and Philadelphia cream cheese, including a halo halo, pancit, and a San Miguel beer for that contribution. HA! HA! HA! HA! I suggest that Jay Brundage read Noam Chomsky's book - "HEGEMONY OR SURVIVAL:AMERICA'S QUEST FOR GLOBAL DOMINANCE" ; and Noam and Ed Herman's book - "MANUFACTURING CONSENT: THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE MASS MEDIA". The American Empire is no different from the British Empire, regarding its imperial ambitions except that the Britishers are a lot wiser and astute since they know statecraft, including the people to support , to achieve their imperial ambitions, whereas the American diplomatic bureaucrats, and politicians invariably support the most hated and corrupt despots like the Somozas of Nicaragua; General Rios Montt of Guatemala, General Pinochet of Chile; the Shah of Iran; Papa Doc Duvalier of Haiti;Mobutu of the Congo, Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam, Lon Nol of Cambodia; Trujillo of the Dominican Republic; and Fulgencio Batista of Cuba. Shalom, George Bradford Patterson II, (by email), Quezon City, April 28, 2009 American resident in Metro Manila wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I also wish to react to what you have written. Do not think as if you, people of the USA,. think that you are freeing the world from oppressive despots. I would think otherwise. We fought with you in the Second World War, but you gave better treatment to Japan than to us. Look at what happened to our (Filipino) WW2 veterans, when did they get the treatment they deserve from you, At what price? The equipment that your government had been so generously providing the Philippine military are nothing more than the equipment that your own military rejected because of their inherent defects. Some of these are the F-8 Crusader (or widow maker?),AT-28D- sold for a very low price but when the military needs to replace its parts, the price is so high even if those parts came from the junkyards and you just have it reconditioned. If not for the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, you will still be occupying Subic and Clark but paying our government not a rent but a "best effort" from your government on how much you will give us for this occupancy. You sent soldier-teachers after the USA. and Spain made a "treaty" in Paris (after payment in exchange for the Philippines), to "educate" us but what you did was remove our Filipino identity through your "education". We were even not allowed to speak our own language in these schools your soldier-teachers put up. You always say that we, Filipinos, are your little brown brothers but you do otherwise. I am so sad that our leaders keep on hanging out with America even if we know what you really are doing to us. By the way, your General Douglas McArthur did not return to the Philippines to free our country from the oppressive yoke of the Japanese. He did so because the Philippines is vital in your quest to defeat Japan, nothing more than that. You just want to bully small countries like ours.. And you are not the hand that feeds us but the hand that abuses us. Joey C. Sarroza, (by email), April 29, 2009 Rebel pilot in the 1986 People Power uprising wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Please turn on the volume and click on the background music below : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95NohU4Xsk wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Gil Santos) The Reality of Islam To understand THE REALITY OF ISLAM and how it is spreading around the world. Please click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reactions to [email protected]. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |
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