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| Truth and Justice? By Antonio C. Abaya Written July 24, 2005 For the Manila Standard Today, July 27 issue Meeting at the Quezon City Sports Club last July 21 for the launching of a broad coalition � to be known as Unity for Truth and Justice - for the formation of a �caretaker� (or transition or revolutionary) government, some 66 individuals were asked to nominate people who would form the (revolutionary) council. (Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 22) Susan Roces was the top-notcher with 36 votes, followed by Horacio �Boy� Morales with 27, Fortunato Abat with 24, Joseph Estrada with 23, Evangelist Eddie Villanueva with 22, and former defense secretary Renato de Villa, 21. Others who were nominated in the straw vote but who presumably got less than 21 votes each were: Muslim leader Datu Akmad Bayam, former UP president Dodong Nemenzo, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, former MNLF chair Nur Misuari, former solicitor general Frank Chavez, former president Corazon Aquino, Jesuit constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, Sen Panfilo Lacson, UP professor Randy David, ex-congressman Didagen Dilangalen, former labor commissioner Roy Seneres. If one were to scratch out those who would most likely decline to join this �caretaker� coalition (Cory Aquino and Fr. Bernas) as well as those who are obviously just saling pusa in the above line-up, the resulting roster would be substantially the same as the 9-person �revolutionary council� that Binay and JV Ejercito have been trying to put together in the past few weeks � see my article �Military Dilemma� (July 19) - minus the disposable Salvador Enriquez Jr. and the two communists Satur Ocampo and Crispin Beltran. (See the Update below.) The heavy presence of pro-Erap personalities among the nominees (Morales, Binay, Dilangalen, and Erap himself) suggests that the main agenda of this group is to restore the disgraced Erap to power or, at the very least, clear him of the plunder charges pending against him. (See the Update below.) How would that agenda sit with the self-proclaimed reformists in this motley group, especially Abat and De Villa, who are stumbling over each other vilifying the corruption in the Arroyo government and presenting themselves as the paragons of uncompromising virtue? Aside from the fact that Erap is a personal friend and an associate in the showbiz industry, how does Susan Roces square pimping for the disgraced Erap with her self-appointed role of restoring pride in our politics and our government? And having announced during the May 2004 elections, as well as in recent weeks, that he wanted to promote �righteous leadership,� quoting the Bible that �when leaders are righteous, the people rejoice,� how does Evangelist Eddie Villanueva now reconcile that with aligning himself with a habitual drunkard, inveterate gambler and incurable womanizer who, while in power, chose to surround himself with gambling lords, smugglers, stock price manipulators, embezzlers and fugitives from the FBI? Erap represents �righteous leadership?� Jesus H. Christ!, Brother Eddie, you must be reading the Bible upside down. Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the lust for power doth make hypocrites of ye all, and may lightning smite those who sell their souls for the pelf of high office. There must be an appropriate Biblical quotation to that effect. Low-down on an Update In its July 25 issue, the Standard Today reported that �militant party-list groups that allegedly have established alliance with the United Opposition and the family of former President Joseph Estrada are opposing efforts by the latter�s camp to exonerate him from his plunder charges (if) President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is ousted and a revolutionary government is created.� What did I tell you? A two-page document obtained by this newspaper is alleged to have said that �the Estrada family had long been financially supporting the radical left in their efforts to oust GMA from office and is now seeking a �payback� through his exoneration.� The newsstory also said that �one of the sons of Mr. Estrada is directly or indirectly dealing with leaders of the radical left, including the alleged provision of multi-million-peso support� for their mass mobilization to oust GMA. The two-page document, said to have come from the party-list group PKNP, alleges that the Estrada son (JV?) �wanted to deviate from their original agreement (to propel GMA�s ouster) by the grant of a �revolutionary amnesty� to his father in case the President is ousted and a revolutionary government is created.� What did I tell you? According to this document, the gains made by the CPP-NPA from their alliance with the UNO and Erap camp include �firearms and ammunition, telescopes, cellphones, satellite phones, computers, motorcycles and medical supplies.� Some would call this treason on the part of UNO and the Estrada family. The communists have now presumably abjured this well-stocked supply line because of their objection to the proposed �revolutionary amnesty� for Erap. Bully for them! No wonder Satur Ocampo and Crispin Beltran are not in the Unity for Truth and Justice coalition. At least the communists, for all their anachronistic advocacy of a failed ideology, are men and women of principle. The same apparently cannot be said, unfortunately, of Fortunato Abat, Renato de Villa, Susan Roces and Eddie Villanueva. Fidel Ramos� Formula Former President Fidel Ramos invited to a one-on-one discussion over tea last Saturday on his formula for getting the country out of the impasse in which it is stuck. As there is not sufficient space here to delve into it in detail, I will have to postpone it to next Thursday, assuming all hell does not break loose in the coming days. Reactions to [email protected] or fax 824-7642. Other articles in www.tapatt.org |
| OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Truth and Justice?� Dear .Tony, Always following your interesting articles about the Philippines dear to our heart ! I hope something good will come out of this mess. We greatly appreciate your genuine efforts to bring about positive changes for a better future. The Philippines and its people really deserve it. They have all the skills needed. The key is governance and the involvement of leaders genuinely interested in the common good not their own interests. I am not asking for the sky. Even imperfect countries and governments in the region have succeeded or are on the way to succeed. This to tell you also that I have retired, that I have left Paris and the OECD, and I am back home in Fribourg , Switzerland where I am trying to settle down again and find new challenges for the interesting period ahead. Paul et Madeleine Obrist, [email protected] Friburg, Switzerland, July 27, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, This idea of a revolutionary junta being concocted by the opposition and spearheaded by the Ejercitos, Binays, JOMA and company will never prosper. The military will not cast their lot on them nor will the people heed their call to converge at EDSA again. These people who are conspiring to unseat GMA are desperate to acquire political power at all cost; they are interested in extracting revenge against GMA for the ouster of a promiscuous ERAP, who became president with no academic credential and no moral spine. These people wanted to put anybody but GMA to lead the country. The road they want to take the 80 million people is not to the promised land but to perdition! Their choices of Susan Roces, Brother Eddie, retarded Abat, etc. are no better than a nanny who works long hours in Hongkong or a live-in health caregiver who works in the city of New York. . Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, [email protected] New York City, July 27, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Beautiful piece on strange bedfellowships! Antonio Montalban II, [email protected]. Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 27, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Ouch! You have used real strong language here, no mincing of words.. Suits them. Hope you don't get a libel suit for alluding to the "habitual drunkard". I like this issue. Brother [I shouldn't be his brother ] Eddie, ha ha..ha..., has misplaced his Bible if he has one. I don't think he comprehends what he reads. I think he's under the spell of the evil spirits! Re-Susan Sonora Roces: Her ancestry was from an illegitimate branch of the Locsin {Sin Loc] clan. Her relative Rep. Teddy Boy Locsin knows this. On the Insider Magazine cover, issue of Juy 27, 2005, is pictured the "FPJ's love child Jovi". I wonder what exclamations Susan uttered when she learned of FPJ's [RIP] illegitimate children [now termed as love children ]. Her handlers surely made her a fool to many and many of her Locsin relatives, including my wife who comes from a legit family branch. She is a victim [?] of number two [2]. Twice by GMA and same or thrice with FPJ [RIP] . Re PGMA during her SONA: When PGMA ascended the stage of JDV and Drilon, when the latter shook her hands, the crowd applauded and howled briefly. Was this howling an elation for the two? And when PGMA was delivering her SONA Drilon was very visibly seen pulling out his handkerchief from his left hand pocket then wiping his face. He did this several times. Why? It would be nice to hear what a psychologist would say about this mannerism and his stoical behavior thru out the SONA.. Good the SONA lasted only for 28 minutes with 33 applauses. Had the SONA lasted for at least another 30 minutes. I think Drilon might have been tortured with PGNA's "lies" and might have stepped down for a breather. heh..heh..heh Many people now, even his fellow Ilongos, regard Drilon as a "stabber at the back" for being too ambitious at the wrong time. Noli didn't bite and maintained his stand for PGMA. Roger L. Madrigal, [email protected] July 27, 2005, wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Copy furnished of email sent to various egroups) Some things that I appreciate in Mr. Abaya is his recognition of the importance of the Internet in "globalization" and the instantaneous exchange of ideas. In this sense, he is like my favorite Senator, a possible statesman even if many would like to spit at his eyeballs, Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. If Filipinos in cyberspace had their way, Sen. Pimentel would be the President of the Philippines. He is not like those contemptible trapos or pangpunas ng toilet bowl. Senator Pimentel drafts his own emails and shares them with cyberspace. You may agree or disagree with him, but he lets you know what he thinks and why. And we know that he is not ordering his poor assistants to send the emails for him. Sayang. Back to Mr. Abaya. He is looking for the personification of the qualities of Jose Rizal, the Virgin and Boy General del Pilar, Apolinario Mabini, General Miguel Malvar, Andres Bonifacio, Jesus Lava, Luis Taruc, Epifanio de los Santos, Lee Kuan Yew, Artemio Ricarte, the Shoguns, Saladin, Deng Shiao Peng, and Mao Zedong, Simon Bolivar, Tandang Sora, Gabriela Silang, and Che Guevarra. How about combining the best qualities of Walden Bello, Joel Rocamora, Jose Ma. Sison, Luis Jalandoni, Satur Ocampo, Jovito Palparan, Captain Jarque, Dr. Francisco Nemenzo, Jr. Jesus Lava, Luis Taruc, Dr. Dante Simbulan, Sultan Kudarat, and the financial genius of Gen. Carlos Garcia? Isama mo na si Horacio "Boy" Morales. Cesar Torres, [email protected] July 28, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Mr. Abaya, Thanks for the Truth and Justice updates. Weird developments. Militants and leftists with grafters and turncoats banding together, disbanding, etc. There is no end to this. Two days ago I was sitting with one of them and he unabashedly said they want to have the so-called caretaker government to fix things. But I asked him who chose them and he could not say who. I asked which caretaker group (because it seems there are several out there gunning to be "IT") and I asked -- Is it the one who takes over Malacanang first? And he could not answer. I think GMA is right in saying we need to fix the political system now or it may never happen. That may be her graceful way out of her mess but it is redemption because it will bring a new wind to this troubled land. At the expense of cutting her term, bringing a federal-parliamentary system into play is heroic. Which is why I hope newspapers such as the iniquitous INQ should perhaps now stop becoming the propaganda sheet of the resign-GMA movement. INQ sucks! It is so blatantly partisan, printing out headlines that are mere allegations just to sell, and truly contributing to the unrest and dissent in the country. Many people are now beginning to stop their INQ subscriptions, including me. Ramos has openly said he will remain a private citizen. But the opposition also wants an assurance the Joe the V will not run for PM. So also with GMA. They want to regain power by exclusion instead of going through the political process that a new political system will define. Thats the kind of UNO we have today -- completely immature, unprofessional, swashbuckling,etc... Perhaps before GMA moves to change the political system, she should declare martial law and clean out our society with all these bastards. Then resign and get the country to select new leaders that are not weighed down by careless spouses and sons, not facing plunder charges, not bible-bearing hypocrites, and not turncoats of the highest degree! Then set up a new government that -- 1. Provides for clean elections. 2. Provides an easy recall mechanism so that elected officials can be replaced by people's initiative quickly. 3. Provides for a better judicial system that can resolve court cases fast. 4. Provides for an effective graft-free law enforcement system. These are what businessmen and investors are looking for. The country can take off quickly and join the ranks of developed countries with these four basic ingredients. It is the private sector which will make things happen in the economy provided government can assure good governance, peace and order, and a level playing field in commerce and industry. Wilfredo L. Segovia, [email protected] July 28, 2005 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, As a Filipino citizen just like you, I consider as primary issue the apparent Election Fraud committed by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cohorts in the COMELEC, NAMFREL, AFP, PNP, LGUs, CONGRESS and traitors in the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Isn't it provided in the Philippine Constitution and pertinent implementing Rules and Regulations of the COMELEC that Election Fraud bars any "winning" political candidate from holding office? The issue as to who should be the replacement when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo steps down from the Presidential seat that she does not deserve is secondary. The Philippine Constitution of 1987 has the appropriate provisions on the prescribed sequence of succession to guide the Filipino People. The various intentions, motives, or agenda of the different political groups spearheading the UNITED clamor for GMA to step down are irrelevant. There will always be differences in the intentions, motives, or agenda of different political groups: that is supposed to be tolerated under Democracy, isn't it? Joseph Midar, [email protected] August 08, 2005 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |