| Whittling down the Wannabes
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Mar. 11, 2009 For the Standard Today, March 12 issue My dirty mind tells me that, since nothing of significance happens here without a reason or ulterior motive, the ongoing probe of the Legacy Group of Companies and its profligate founder Celso de los Angeles, and the forthcoming revelations of Cesar Mancao regarding the double murder of publicist Bubby Dacer and his driver are directly related to the 2010 presidential elections. It does not mean that the political figures who may be found to be involved, either as perpetrators or as beneficiaries of the crimes under scrutiny, are mere innocent victims of political machinations or deliberate demolition jobs. If they are guilty of the crimes imputed, or about to be imputed to them, by all means let them squirm in their seats as the spotlights focus on their alleged misdeeds. Too bad if they are presidential contenders and the negative publicity reduces their chances of being elected in 2010. Cesar Mancao was formerly a senior superintendent in the Philippine National Police, and member of its elite unit, the Police Anti-Organized Crime Task Force or PAOCTF, together with Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino and Supt. Glenn Dumlao. All three of them were accused of abducting and murdering Dacer and his driver in November 2000. All three were under the command of then PNP Gen., now Senator, Panfilo Lacson, presidential contender in the 2004 elections, now a declared candidate for 2010. Mancao and Aquino surreptitiously skipped the country in July 2001 and fled to the US Aquino is serving time in federal prison for illegal possession of classified documents, a form of espionage, which documents were apparently stolen from the desk of Vice-President Dick Cheney in the White House by Leandro Aragonicillo, a Fil-Am US Marine who was playing double-agent, for Cheney and the neo-cons as well as for Philippine opposition figures led by former president Joseph Estrada and Sen. Lacson. Mancao is expected to reveal the mastermind of the double murder. And that could only be, so the betting goes, either Estrada or Lacson., not by coincidence two of the six or seven leading contenders for the presidency in 2010. Both Estrada and Lacson have publicly professed their innocence several days before Mancao�s affidavit is released. Initial leaks to media suggest that several unnamed Estrada officials are indeed implicated in the Dacer double murder. Since Lacson was a high-ranking �Estrada official,� he cannot assume that he is not one of those implicated by Mancao. In addition, Mancao will undoubtedly be milked for all the toxic information that he may have on the Kuratong Baleleng, in which 12 gang members were apparently summarily executed and to which Lacson has also been linked, as well as the disappearance of casino video cameraman Edgar Bentain who had taken footages of Estrada gambling away at the gaming table. Bentain�s body is believed to have been stuffed into a 55-gal drum containing fresh cement and the drum thrown into the lahar-swollen Bacolor River in Pampanga. A military general once told me that when they searched the river for Bentain�s remains, they found, not one, but nine, 55-gal drums with human remains inside. So apparently this was the standard operating procedure of the people who had exterminated Bentain. But, as usual with criminal investigations in this country, no one followed up logical leads such as identifying the nine sets of skeletal remains through dental records and DNA analysis, to look for and find a pattern in the gangster-style executions. Perhaps this will also come out in Mancao�s testimony. If Estrada and/or Lacson is/are implicated � and this is a big IF � in the Dacer and other murder cases, this would or should be the end of their presidential plans in 2010, assuming that the hero-worshipping, church-going, squealing masa can be convinced that murder is indeed both a dastardly crime and a mortal sin. If not murder, how about mega-swindles involving hundreds of millions of pesos of the hard-earned money of hundreds of thousands of depositors in rural banks, that were apparently squandered by the man at the top, to finance his extravagant life-style and to bankroll the political campaigns of favored politicians, including Vice-President Noli de Castro in 2004? My sense is that the story of Celso de los Angeles has not been fully revealed. But in the March 9 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, we are told that of the P487 million in deposits placed with the First Interstate Bank (FIB) � one of the 13 shuttered banks belonging to the Legacy Group of companies � only P1 million was left, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The BSP has filed a second case of syndicated estafa � or swindling � against De los Angeles and some of his executives. �The 13 rural banks of Legacy that closed down in December 2008 for being insolvent and for engaging in unsound practices had a combine deposit base of P15.9 billion. Of the amount, P14 billion could be covered by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp.� That leaves P1.9 billion in deposits of thousands of depositors lost and unrecoverable. �Legacy�s shuttered pre-need firms have obligations of P1.1 billion to some 50,000 plan holders�..� �Among the assets of De los Angeles, who is also the mayor of the town of Sto. Domingo, Albay, are a yacht, two posh houses (one of which has an artificial waterfalls) and four luxury cars. �..� �The first syndicated estafa (charge) that the BSP filed on Feb. 26 against De Los Angeles and other Legacy officials involved deposits worth P1 billion siphoned off from the Rural Bank of Darbci. In the March 10 issue of the Inquirer, we are told that the Legacy Consolidated Plans Inc. (LCPI), the shuttered pre-need company of the Legacy Group of Companies bought a house and lot at BF Homes Subdivision in Paranaque City for P5 million that an SEC commissioner � identified as Commissioner Jesus Martinez � gave as wedding gift to his son. The SEC is the government agency that oversees and regulates the operation of pre-need firms. Another LCPI official said that the pre-need firm also paid Paranaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita P1.8 million in �consultancy fees.� And so another parade of questionable relationship between Big Business and government regulators that mimics the worst practices in Wall Street vis-a-vis the business community which eventually wrecked the financial system. In both cases, the big bosses paid themselves enormous salaries and fat bonuses, while the little guys with modest deposits or mortgages in arrears lose their savings or their homes. The ultimate question in all this is how much did Celso de los Angeles spend to finance the electoral campaign of Noli de Castro in 2004, which De Castro has publicly acknowledged. With such a shady character backing up Noli de Castro with the money of swindled depositors, can the hero-worshipping, church-going, squealing masa be convinced that swindling is a dastardly crime and a mortal sin? Does De Castro have the moral ascendancy to become president of this tortured and wasted land? ***** 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. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Whittling the Wannabes� More Reactions to �Justice in SloMo� �Stop the Babies!� Sir: Absotively (Absolutely and Positively) Noli de Castro is off my list of candidates... Juan Manuel C. del Prado, (by email), San Pedro. Laguna, March 30, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Another great piece by Master Tony Abaya. Let us all cry for the Philippines. Maybe we can declare every election day as a National Day for Weeping. Why? because shortly after that, more people will become hungry, more manifestations of suffering. Yes, we do have some cosmetic improvement. But real improvement is still elusive. So-self centered Filipinos. I just had a first hand experience here in my office. Some people, feeling privileged and untouchable, try to bully or harasss another. In my job in the field of Human Relation [i considered it a risky job] if you carry-out and implement your policy, better think twice. I got brought up here with a loaded firearm. Of course, it�s just harassment. The company cannot guarantee your life and your loved ones'. I'm not sure if I can sue this guy and what kind of offense I will put against him. Ernie Dellosa, (by email), Sto. Tomas, Batangas, March 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mr. Abaya, We can't be at fault for having dirty minds. We are fed nothing but dirt and on the run up to 2010 elections, all wannabees will be sporting different style of mudpack on their face. How will people vote without seeing the faces of candidates? I'm tired of these media expose' where nothing really happens afterwards. I believe the media can change the 2010 election campaign process. I hope that the media will include candidates� positions on issues and platforms in their reports or featured articles. Print media reporting on front pages accomplishments and platforms of candidates, TV channels hosting debates on issues and see how intelligent and smart our candidates are. Let us see them debate on prominent issues like OFW situations, industry and labor, environment, economy, Mindanao peace process, foreign policy like the baseline bill and how to deal with China or US, Cha-cha, corruption (oops..). Debates can also be sponsored by Ateneo or UP law and business schools or even the UP Public Administration. Debates like the Obama-McCain one. There can also be a televised public forum much like the set up of House of Commons in the US were representatives from People's Organization will be given a chance to ask questions about issues concerning them. I think people want to see them face to face outsmarting each other, and for sure people will not vote for a really dumb candidate. And maybe it can convince me to vote again or at least help me select a candidate, which is actually the main objective of the exercise. OO nga pala. More power to you! Edelberto Anit, (by email), March 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Noli de Castro topped the latest survey on who will be the next president, in spite of the adverse publicity he is getting. Why many Filipinos still choose this man who converted to Islam to avoid prosecution, accused of using his TV program in extortion, accumulated so much wealth beyond his income on TV and salary as VP, a stooge of the Arroyos etc etc is really puzzling. Only in the Philippines! Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, March 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Firstly I would like to begin my reaction to your column by answering the question in the last part of your article, "Whittling down the Wannabes." The answer is a big "NO." This Noli de Castro who presently occupies the position of vice president does not have the moral ascendancy nor the essential knowledge to hold any government office, much less for the one he now holds and least for the presidency. Those hero worshipping and idolizing mass of the uninformed part of the population must finally realize that the personalities they blindly and ignorantly idolize and made popular just because of their glittering facades that attracted them and cover the emptiness of the heads of those they admire would bring nothing good for their adoring fans save for a sack of rice or a miserable amount of cash like a drop of morphine to temporarily relieve society's cancerous pain. That Celso de los Angeles should be locked in jail and the key thrown to the bottom of the Philippine Deep where it could not be retrieved. Our problem is that he has amassed billions of pesos which he could use and would certainly use to buy the services of the best lawyers, prosecutors and judges. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) and the National Bureau of Investigations are all up in arms against de los Angeles, that corrupt Commissioner Jesus (what blasphemy!) Martinez, and their cohorts. The Ombudsman will surely join the fray and use everything in her power to find and prosecute the guilty. With such massive employment of these arms of the law, those culprits can run but they have no place to hide. If they have no friends in the Palace they will surely rot in jail. Once those suspected of involvement in that heinous thievery of the savings of tens of thousands of unsuspecting poor depositors are jailed they would be paraded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her so-called arms of her law as their crowning achievement in the fight against graft and corruption, just right in time before the 2010 elections. But de los Angeles was also an Atenean and we assume that he has friends in high places. So we better wait and see. Ramon Mayuga, (by email), Essen, Germany, March 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww These are what they all are - crooks spilling beans on other crooks because it's the self-saving thing to do. So we get treated to a show of "change", only to discover it's from one bad leader to someone worse. Personally, I really never minded about the Kuratong Baleleng killings. Those guys got done in by people of their kind. And in their world it was a simple case of "unahan lang". Now it could be the turn of those who did them in, getting done in too by, still, another croc . Maybe. Mancao could either spill the truth or lie to save his neck. And I wouldn't disregard the suggestion that Malacanang people are behind Mancao's confession. but that motive is part of it all, whether it's the Arroyos or whoever is in Malacanang. a chance to club a competition's head and throw him on his ass is always an edge. And one should not lose that opportunity. But let them be, so long as the true crook is snared. I just hope this wouldn't end up like the ZTE thing, - where everybody got fingered but no one was jailed. In fact, there were more rewards, weren't there ? There's also a limit to enduring pain and loneliness, and the prospect of returning to a normal life is a juicy reward for a treachery against an underworld brotherhood. We can't blame Mancao turning against his lead croc. But it don't make a difference. Like I said, it's one croc after another croc's diet. On he other hand , Dacer was a big time dealer p.r. man and made lots of money in that business. People like him step on gold mines or now and then trip on a landmine. That was his kind of business and the price was too high and he stepped on a croc's head who snapped quickly. We pray the croc who ordered to burn him gets caught by a smarter one. Let them cannibalize each other to kingdom come. So let it all unfold. But never feel grateful to the ones who catch these criminals, because their motives are far from what we know of which come from true crusaders. There's a line in a cemetery somewhere outside Iloilo City that says (translated) : "kami ngayon, kayo bukas.". Victor Ma�alac, (by email), March 13, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Wow! Reading this was like watching C.S.I. Miami here in the United States. Maybe there can be a new program, C.S.I. Manila!. For those not aware of C.S.I. it stands for Crime Scene Investigation and it is a very popular TV program here, but unlike here, the stars there would be real people! Jay R. Brundage, (by email), Ridgefield, Connecticut, March 14, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Magulo at hindi " maturity" ang issue, dahil nakasaad na " Multi Party system" tayo sa Cory Constitution, problema ay Presidential ang form of government. Multi Party systems work in Parliaments, but presidential forms work best under two party systems. Kaya nga panay ang gulo. Jose Caedo, (by email), San Francisco, CA, March 14, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Reur �Whittling down the Wannabees�, the forthcoming revelations of Cesar Mancao and the Legacy revelation about De Castro will surely buoy up the probable candidacy of Gilbert Teodoro for the presidency. But with the dirty baggage of the Arroyo connection on his back, Teodoro�s being touted as the Obama of the Philippines contrasts ludicrously with the US president who was not a Bush co-conspirator. Amado F. Cabaero, (by email), March 14, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony One down again and how many more to go?? When will we have responsible political parties that will investigate and sanction its own members, wannabes or what? When will a responsible political party emerge to be the face of principled politics, fearing no one except the wrath of God and the recall of elected officials, initiated by the very party who was betrayed as well? Our problem is not merely leadership but moral leadership. The party with moral standards is not easy to find, nor to join. How is it that no one wants to debate PLATFORM? Mabuhay ka, Tony, and the best of health. Eric Manalang, (by email), March 14, 2009 Ang Kapatiran Party wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I agree 100% with your opinion. Dominador Co, (by email), March 14, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sadly, issues such as these are investigated not for the purpose of solving the crime and arresting the main suspects, but rather, these are used for political ammunitions in the coming May 2010 election wars. I think with how the politicians are acting, the elections is starting already and we expect all kinds of dirty linen to be out in the media. You hear Mar Roxas advocacy for the Legacy plan-holders. I never heard his voice last 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. 2007 and 2008, biglang umingay... Chairman Bayani was never gun shy about his plans. Together with his best friend, Mayor Binay. Sen.Villar, matagal na to but I doubt it if he makes it. Si Senator Chiz appeals both to opposition and the other groups. My wish is for media to put focus on what the candidates may have done and they don�t print or broadcast dirty or misleading issues so that the masa can be helped in intelligent voting. Lahat naman ng politiko, nagsimula lang sa wala, ngayun na ka Expedition at me wang wang pa mga walanghiya. So what if they have dirty pasts... I just hope that this coming elections, we will be able to elect "leaders," not like the present na maraming utang ng loob that is now results in dismay, pagkainis and hatred towards this GMA admin. Let�s love the country by voting the right people. Many thanks. Mike Delgado, (by email), March 14, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Many familiar names here, including those who are frequent commentators in our [email protected]. If I may, can I share my own reactions to the following interesting reactions: 1. For Filipinos to be hankering for the Obama phenomenon in America and applying it to the Philippines is irritating. Think again! The almost "cosmic" difference in terms of political and civic culture of the Americans and the Filipinos and the extent of Internet usage in America and in the Philippines. I almost puked when the mestizo Congressman Teddy Boy Locsin was trying to lecture us in a forum in the San Francisco Consulate in November 5, 2008, about Obama and how his presidential campaign should be emulated by the trapos in the Philippines. And when that boy who wants to become the first president from the Bicol region addressed a gathering in Los Angeles, he was trying to get many pogie points by saying that he was fascinated and was a firm believer in Pareng Barack (to use the words of your fellow Atenista also,20Benjamin Pimentel) and that he could become President in Pilipinas because he was a Barack also, without the brown skin, the curly hair, and the wealth of the Butanding political dynasty in Sorsogon). Buti na lang, Louis Pawid stopped comparing his Boss, the No. 1 Upsilonian, as similar to Pareng Barack. I was starting to feel nauseous. 2. I maintain that the Philippine Military will continue to play an important role in the elections in 2010, if there is going to be an election. It is possible that by fomenting more disorders in Mindanao, the more powerful group in the military -- those opposed to those in prison, like General Danny Lim, and the retiring Gen. Ricardo C. Morales, and others -- will attempt a seizure of power, perhaps egged on by the ruling cabal in the Homeland. This would be ala Suharto in Indonesia in 1965 when a high estimate of 3 million Indonesians, most of them members of the Partai Komunis Indonesia, the equivalent of our homegrown National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines, resulting in Suharto becoming No. 1 in the list of Transparency Interntional. (And the No. 1 UP alumnus, listed as No. 2 and that dropout from the Ateneo at No. 10 in the list.) (Transparency International does not rate individuals, only countries. You may be referring to a list of the most corrupt leaders in the world, compiled in the Guinness Book of World Records. ACA) 3. How about the "progressive groups"? Will the NDF continue to demand "PTOC" (aka kutong) from the candidates even at the barangay level who are so poor but who are really sincere and competent in serving the people? Will they consider renouncing the armed struggle and adjusting and modifying their antedeluvian "socialist", "communist", "wave of the future", positions with the realities of contemporary political, economic realities? The "leadership" in the Netherlands and in the Philippines are probably not ignorant of the intensifying impact of Global Warming and Climate Change in Zuider Zee and in the 7,107 islands of Perlas ng Silangan. There is this "Clash of Civilizations", Jemaah Islamiyah, Al Qaeda, the MILF, Abu Sayyaf. And how about this global economic meltdown? It will intensify the compulsion of thousands of our people fighting over pagpag, kung mayroon pang magiging pagpag, and garbage so that they can survive. 4. And nakakalungkot kasi para bang itong mga sinusotsutan na mga "Saviors" ng 92 million Filipinos, many of them anyway, are already declaring that sila lang talaga ang tunay na Saviors ng Pilipinas. I felt sad when Fr. Ed was quoted as saying that if God tells him to run for President, aalis siya as leader of Pampanga to fulfill his perceived divine destiny as President of the Philippines. At saka maraming mga frustrated na mga pari, iyong kasama sa PAX, are really pushing him to declare that he has been anointed by the Holy Spirit. Kasi mayroon yatang isang pari in Latin America na Presidente dito sa Latin America. 5. Admirable ang initiative at vision ng kapwa mong Atenista, Mr. Abaya, the tireless Harvey Keh (na laging nakasabit sa kanyang emails ang Ateneo Something for Good Government). But Harvey, excuse me, can I suggest that perhaps your dreams and our dreams can be modified a bit. 6. How about ensuring first that the leadership and the example of Grace Padaca in Isabela (I think she will still win if she runs for re-election), Mayor Robredo in Naga (I think he will still win, hands down, in Naga or Congressman or Governor in the Bicol Region), and Fr. Ed in Pampanga (frankly, I am not sure anymore if the Kapangpangans will re-elect him in 2010, this time with a massive and overwhelming majority, but I am for him, of course) by working with other groups and movements and political parties in some kind of a Coalition. And then demand that if the Movement or Coalition will be lucky in 2010, Grace Padaca should become a Cabinet Member, Fr. Ed too as Education Secretary, and Mayor Robredo as Local Government and Interior Secretary. Ang dami daming mga batas na maganda. Kahit iyong panahon ng Conjugal Dictators. Pero ang pagpapatupad ng mga batas na iyon ang malaking hinagpis. 7. Anyway, for whatever it is worth, I agree with your rejoinder to the thoughts of Gen. Ricardo C. Morales, quoted below. Incidentally, iyong Chairman pala ng only surviving Internet-based Non-Profit Organization, the Worldwide Filipino Alliance, Inc. is Gen Jose "Liber Seregni" Comendador, who enjoyed free board and lodging, courtesy of the malnourished, emaciated, Filipino people when he was imprisoned for 3 years because he refused to bomb airbases and population centers when he was ordered to do so. 8. I stumbled on the "Sundalo" website, one time. There is a line there by someone, alias ang ginamit, which says: "It is time to die for the right reason." Nakakaiyak ang implikasyon, Mr. Abaya. Cesar Torres, (by email), California, March 14, 2009 "Brig. Gen. Ricardo C. Morales, (by email), Feb. 22, 2009 Philippine Army HQ, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City (Dick, I think the greater threat to the national security and well being of the Filipino people comes, not from the Communist insurgency, but from the corrupt politicians, their corrupt bureaucrat allies, their corrupt business cronies and their corrupt lawyers. I would be glad to sit down with you and draft an Emergency Powers Act against these bloodsucking vermins. ACA)� wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, As a foreigner with Philippine. family but still with residence in Europe too, I also deposited at a rural bank now belonging to Legacy. I put pension money there so that my spouse has access to immediate needed money even in my absence. In addition, the good interest rate provided a bit extra income aside of what I could transfer. I had some accounts in RP since 1982, lost some with closed banks, got a good interest at then Rural Banks, former BA bank, later taken over by other banks with everytime lower interests. I checked about the double-your-money schemes, also offered by other banks with times from 5 to 7 years. The 20% have been very possible since the bank charged over 30% for loans, expensive but still cheaper than the 60% of pawn shops and the also much higher rates for instalment. Most of all, the bank was accredited with BSP and a member of PDIC. Very surprisingly, there has been the statement of Rep. Suarez that depositors who split their accounts to the maximum insured by PDIC are like criminals and practically supporting de los Angeles' criminal schemes. Has this lawmaker still all his mind at the right side? What can be wrong if depositors who cannot put millions at once then try to secure their money as good as possible? I wonder if Mr. Suarez has all his wealth in just one account and in RP. His blame is further, say it soft, a nonsense since PDIC anyway pays only �250.000 no matter how many such accounts exist. Or otherwise, are really all accounts up to 250.000 Pesos insured, not only one? This would very much match the PDIC labels at every bank teller, that deposits up to 250000 Pesos are insured, nothing there about "per depositor, per bank" etc. That was also what depositors have been told by bank managers and it is what a straight thinking client reads out of the PDIC labels. Otherwise, people would not deposit more than 250000 at one bank but spread it to several banks. We have also a savings account and we have put there the interests we did not need immediately. Also surprising, it has not been paid with the accounts up to P100,000 but has been "tied to the time deposits". So, our savings plus the added interests are now not savings anymore, but part of time deposits. Since my spouse deposited money of relatives, which I added up to P100,000 each, deposited as and/or deposits, even their interests are now part of our time deposits. We made and/or so that my wife could maintain deposits of relatives that are old or living far away. They got their money when needed by visiting them or by trusted people. Are they all now criminals for holding split accounts? With all the delay and creating more complications by PDIC, now declaring 6 billions practically unfit for payment, it looks like PDIC also does not know where are their declared 64 billion funds and therefore have to try anything to slow down and refuse paying claims. We received our interests at all our deposits, hardly it would have been paid if deposit documents are not correct. If Legacy misdeclared deposits and loans, that is the problem of BSP and PDIC, they control and audit banks. Why they did not declare illegal what now they call pyramid scheme? Why they did not inform the public that Legacy has pending cases? Why they waited years, but then immediately closed the banks just days before the insured limit should be upgraded to 500.000 Pesos? There are many questions about what delos Angeles did, but also about how depositors are now treated by PDIC. Kurt Setschen, (by email), Tagbilaran City, March 14, 2009 Swiss resident of Bohol wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony (ACA): Considering the way our judicial system works, how long do you think will it take for all the supposed crimes you mentioned, will be decided- with finality- 10 yrs. 20 yrs. or may even be NEVER? Don't you think it's time to accept reality, especially in our culture, for this 'Nation-State?' to utilize the Jury System in resolving conflicts between and among citizens and State (Government)? The United states of America, a little over a century ago, introduced the democratic system and ideals in our country, in part, (because the Judicial System was not included). Is this attributed perhaps to some defects in our culture, or was this because our own political leaders, then, saw the danger to them or that they did not consider this important to "Our Kind of Ideals"?! You see, now that you have enumerated and imputed "alleged criminal acts" to some of the 'President-(i)ables' people are beginning to react, this denizen included. We cannot continue to ignore and or set aside this defect in our system if we are to grow as a people, and as a democratic nation-state (kuno). We have been traumatized by the way a few 'bastards' (forgive my anger) have been abusing our people. Shall we allow them to continue wallowing in stolen wealth from the very citizens they represent and supposed to protect? How much more can we take? You have the capacity to do something in improving our way of life, lead the way. Don't stop. Continue your mission. We are behind you. If nothing else, our grand children and great-grandchildren, will no doubt, benefit from your quest for change. Jose Regino, (by email), Zamboanga City, March 15, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Justice in SloMo� (March 09, 2009) Dear Mr. Abaya, It�s not only Justice in SloMo, but it�s Justice that's mute Cita Garcia, (by email), March 29, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, The wealthy and the powerful are not longer the legitimately wealthy. They are all the crooks in government and the military. They are the new elite. The majority of these multimillion peso cars sold in the Philippines are enjoyed only by the crooks. Hence the term wealthy and powerful should be replaced by the crooks in and out of government, but mostly in-government. Marcos made sure he would destroy the old legitimate elite because they were the only people that could credibly look down on him. After him we have never really recovered and have grown to accept that money is money, dirty or not. Before Marcos, these hoodlums in Customs or the BIR ( then the most crooked ) could never mingle with the legitimate members of society. After Marcos they became the envied even idolized role models. And then an even worse class, the military hoodlum was born. Lynn Abad Santos, (by email), Washington DC, March 29, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Predictions are hypnotic spells... they come true if we believe them and do nothing to stop them.....with our free wills and actions. Hitler, Marcos, Mao, Stalin, Mussolini, Napoleon, Pol Pot, Apartheid, the British Empire, the Conquistadors, the Rising Sun, etc. were some hypnotic spells who mesmerized millions like evil pied pipers leading millions to their destruction. Pundits and Nasdaq chairs like Madoff are not different. Buyers, listeners, readers, citizens... and pundits(!) beware what you hear and read. Everything has a local context, but they all get generalized in the shifting sands of reality. Petraeus came and all of a sudden Iraq is a different war. Obama came and all of a sudden America is a different country. Panlilio is coming to town. If I were you, I'd fly out for a couple of weeks and see him from afar sans your political and emotional baggage in deep silence. You cannot see the picture when you are inside the hazy, smogged frame. Something is astir underneath akin to that of what happened before the Asian tsunami caught every expert sleeping in the noodle house. Hernan M. Hormillosa, LMSW, (by email), New York City, March 30, 2009 Psychotherapist wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, i am less interested in jailing General Garcia than I am curious about who his "clients" were. I see Garcia as something like a "funds manager" for some higher ups. I fear that we will be given the run around of a case and that will take very long as both sides (prosecution and defense panels ) will continue to draw more milk from it. To say therefore that Garcia acted alone or contained all that wealth in the family is to be naive. I suspect that he was working for a group of powerful people and he made money along the way - making therefore his share (those that have been identified) the tip of the iceberg. The number of scams and scandals that government has been exposed about simply make us all paranoid these days ! I will be pleased to see Garcia sentenced but I would be convinced that justice was served only if some other higher official is likewise exposed and incarcerated, and a syndicate broken up. But this kind of ending perhaps couldn't happen in our country. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), March 30, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, You wrote: (To convince other people of the correctness of your advocacy for the Jury System [Grand Jury and Trial Jury], may I suggest that you cite countries, preferably fellow Asian, whose judicial systems improved significantly after adopting the jury system? The �before� and �after� approach is more convincing than quoting Thomas Jefferson, who was an Anglo-Saxon talking to other Anglo-Saxons. We Filipinos are not Anglo-Saxons. ACA) That was a very hasty rejoinder on your part. You forgot the fact that the present generations of US citizens are not limited to the Anglo-Saxons. You have to recognize that virtually most Asian cultures are represented among the present generations of US citizens. And Filipino migrants form a sizable group among those, Mr. Abaya. (According to the US Census, in 1990-2000 Asians made up only 2.9 percent, Hispanics 9.0 percent and blacks 12.1 percent of the US population. Ethnic minorities have no choice but to abide by and conform to the institutions and processes of the dominant culture, the Anglo-Saxon culture, which was nurtured by Anglo-Saxons like Thomas Jefferson principally for other Anglo-Saxons. In the Philippines, the dominant culture is Malay, not Anglo-Saxon. ACA) Your suggestion is "begging the issue". The other Asian countries are not relevant to the issue at hand. The fact that must be used as proper historical reference is that the 1935 Philippine Constitution was supposed to have been patterned after that of the US as amended up to 1935. And you should know that the initial draft of the 1935 Philippine Constitution contained the pertinent provisions for the JURY system. However, the US military representatives based in Manila at the time were able to unilaterally delete the provisions for the JURY system. (Did it ever occur to you and other true believers in the jury system that the Americans may have scrapped the jury system from the 1935 Constitution because they decided it would not work here, the dominant culture not being Anglo-Saxon? ACA) You may not ignore the fact that the 1987 Philippine Conversion is just the latest version from the 1935 Philippine Constitution. And the fact remains that it has been the absence of the GRAND JURY system that led to the "zarzuela con moro moro" of the "Hearings in Aid of Legislation" in Congress, whose majority no longer represents the Sovereign Will of Filipino Voters but whoever provides the moolah in more ways than just the "pork barrel". And you know that. Had there been the GRAND JURY system from 1935, our political history would have been drastically different from what unfolded since then. (What is your proof of that? Just because you believe it so does not necessarily make it so. Show me one Malay country, even one Asian country, whose judicial system improved drastically by adopting the jury system. If you cannot show me one example, then your advocacy rests on a mere theoretical assumption, without any basis in reality. See another reaction below. ACA) Joseph Midar Nepomuceno, (by email), March 29, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I think you are spot on when you ask the proponents of the jury system to cite countries, preferably Asian, whose judicial systems improved after adoption of the jury system. I don't know why they think that the twelve citizens who will make up the jury would be any less corruptible than the judges or the prosecutors. Or would be eager to serve. In my experience, people view jury service as something akin to seeing a dentist and it is often joked that one must be awfully stupid not to be able to avoid it. I have not checked recently, but the last time I did, less than half of the states in the United States were still on the jury system. I was a partner of Baker & McKenzie (three years in Chicago, 25 years in San Francisco and eleven with their Manila member firm) but retired several years ago. It is not my intention to put anyone in his/her proper place, but just to be clear about the issue, there is a difference between a grand jury and a trial by jury. It is the former that exists in about half the states in the US; the latter is a constitutional right, which can be and often is waived by the accused. Regards, Johnny/Juan Collas, (by email), San Francisco, CA, March 30, 2009 Retired Partner, Baker & MacKenzie Law Offices, San Francisco and Chicago wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Good day to all, I guess all these things point out to the reality that our beloved country was and still is being run/led by corrupt, self-serving clowns in the guise of service to our country and there are many ways of eliminating them: One is lining them up against the wall... Another is making sure our votes are counted honestly. I think the most effective way of changing these is from the leadership down the line. I still believe in "leadership by example" as the best way of making all Filipinos toe the line. Nawawala na kasi ang check and balance sa gobyerno natin kasi parang naging mafia style na ang pamamalakad.Tingnan lang natin ang mga fraternal organizations within the judiciary system, police, military, etc. where I believe members tend to cover each others' ass, kaya konting baho lang ang nakakalabas. Dati rin akong myembro ng militar at nakita ko ang ginagawa ng mga kasama ko kaya minarapat kong umalis na lang at magtrabaho sa labas ng bansa natin.At nawawala na rin ang tiwala ko sa hustisya natin. Tama yung sinulat ni Mr. Mariano Patalinjug. Mas nakikita natin yan sa lansangan: Example lang sa intersection na may traffic light. Anduon ka sa may green light pero bigla na lang merong may convoy sa may red light ng kung sinong malakas na tao at pahihintuin kayo para lang dumaan sila, kahit nag-iisang motorcycle cop ginagawa yan para lang makauna sa traffic.Pati na rin ang mga private vehicles na nilalagyan ng "wang-wang"/sirena at ambulansya ng mga bayan-bayan na walang pasyente.Kung ganito ang nakikita natin sa mga namumuno o kung sinong dapat magpatupad ng batas na sya ring sumasalungat dito, papaano mo mapapasunod ang mga ordinaryong tao? Talamak na talaga ang corruption at pag-aabuso ng kapangyarihan sa bansa natin. Parang cancer na na kailangang operahan or i-chemo therapy. Sana magkaruon pa ng magandang pagbabago sa ating bansa para sa kinabukasan ng mga anak natin at sa mga susunod na henerasyon. Joey C. Sarroza, (by email), March 30, 2009 Philippine Military Academy, Class of 1983 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Stop the Babies! Dear Tony, I have been conducting interviews with young men from poor families. These young men are seeking to improve themselves and lift their families from poverty by taking advantage of an offer of trade scholarships. Part of that interview involves asking them about themselves and their families. Each and every evening I needed not just one drink, but a few to fight the dreadful depression brought on by these interviews. When asked of the number of siblings, the minimum was six and the maximum of living was twelve. Less than a handful had a father who was employed, and even their older siblings, after many years of graduating from high school were also unemployed. Virtually all siblings still lived with their parents, just lazing about all day. We all are aware of the poverty and population growth in the Philippines. There is continual intellectual debate on the morality of promoting family planning. What I would like to see is for the opponents to cease debating it after attending Mass and instead go out into these villages and talk to these people, to witness first hand the tragedy their middle-class oppression has caused. It is the biggest natural disaster ever to occur in the Philippines. Arguments quoting countries who, because of family planning, now need to import labor do not apply if one is mass producing the uneducated and unemployable. If what the opponents of contraception are doing is Christianity, then it is not for me. This is cruelty. Deep down though, I know the bishops are wrong. The ignorance that permits mass breading of the unemployable, who in turn will multiply even more of the same just cannot be justified. It has to cease. If by using a condom or pill these people will go to hell, at least they have a chance of experiencing a little bit of heaven here, because at the moment they need not fear hell - they are already in it. Alan C. Atkins, (by email), Para�aque City, March 18, 2009 British resident of Metro Manila OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 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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