Opps, haven't you noticed?
In just a few days, the peso climbed to 43 pesos to a dollar. That would surely affect rice importation by government. Instead of probably losing 20 billion pesos, as what Mar Roxas correctly said, government could lose more since it aims to import 675 metric tons of rice. Current global prices of a ton of rice is pegged between 800 to 1,000 dollars per metric ton. That would surely require more money from government to be able to import enough stocks.
There's another one.
Former agriculture secretary Salvador Escudero, the last agri secretary of dictator Marcos, correctly pointed out that Mrs. Arroyo is set to implement a 43 billion pesos rice self-sufficiency program similar to Masagana 99. Escudero said that Masagana 99 gave the Philippines a self-sufficiency status for almost ten years.
With FIELDS, Escudero hopes that the same thing will happen in the Philippines. I think though that the similarities are just about that.
With 2010 just around the corner, I am quite sure that this FIELDS program will just be used to prop up the chances of KAMPI-Lakas CMD against the opposition, especially in courting votes in the countryside.
KAMPI knows that its chances against the opposition stands quite low since Estrada continues to position himself as the opposition's poster boy. To justify cheating in this election again, they could probably use FIELDS to justify victory in the countrysides.
We all know that cavans of rice translate into votes come election time. And if we are to believe economic adviser Salceda that this crisis will affect us until 2010, you now know what I mean.
Showing posts with label Estrada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Estrada. Show all posts
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Snipnets: Clashes
Clashes of NPA and government troops
Two rebels died while scores of soldiers were injured in a running battle between government troops and NPA rebels in Pila Laguna. The AFP said that the CPP-NPA-NDF is slowly weakening. How will they explain this? It seems that the rebels are closing in Metro Manila? Previous to this, NPA rebels attacked a convoy of soldiers in Aurora Quezon which led to the death of some soldiers. Are they really being weakened? Or this pronouncement is just braggadocio on the part of government?
Esperon finding his relevance
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said that he expects the CPP-NPA-NDF to become "irrelevant" by 2010. Basing on what he's been doing and his boss fucking up the economy, this prediction will again, fail. Remember, last 2002, they said that they'll succeed in decimating the "enemy" by 2008. Its already 2008 and still the insurgents are becoming stronger and more relevant. Is this Esperon's way of actually justifying his relevance and possible extension of term of service? Yup. You guess right.
Two camps, Two Coups
This noise is deafening. Reports are highly reliable. Two groups within the AFP are trying to neutralize each other. One group is reportedly composed of Esperon's men; the others, the Patriots. Who will win the hearts and minds of the soldiers? Last December, a survey was conducted which showed that the Patriots have the support of at least 30 percent of the AFP. This is an improvement of a previous survey where it says that only 10% support the Patriots and 10% support the administration. Now, the configuration has changed.
The question is--who will launch the first one? I believe that groups aligned with Esperon and Gonzales will try to launch a coup and point to the Magdalo as a culprit. Obviously, Esperon will crush them and earn the extension which he wants. This is dangerous. And only Arroyo is to be blamed for this.
Bhutto style
Ellen Tordesillas wrote about an alleged plan to assassinate former president Joseph Estrada. Some would brush this off. I dare say that this report should not be glossed over. The AFP and the PNP should investigate this. Why? Because if these evil men succeed in their plan, it will plunge the country into a state of perpetual destabilization, leading to a civil war. If ever some hawks in the Cabinet has this plan in their nimble brains, they better abandon this. They are digging their own graves.
Two rebels died while scores of soldiers were injured in a running battle between government troops and NPA rebels in Pila Laguna. The AFP said that the CPP-NPA-NDF is slowly weakening. How will they explain this? It seems that the rebels are closing in Metro Manila? Previous to this, NPA rebels attacked a convoy of soldiers in Aurora Quezon which led to the death of some soldiers. Are they really being weakened? Or this pronouncement is just braggadocio on the part of government?
Esperon finding his relevance
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said that he expects the CPP-NPA-NDF to become "irrelevant" by 2010. Basing on what he's been doing and his boss fucking up the economy, this prediction will again, fail. Remember, last 2002, they said that they'll succeed in decimating the "enemy" by 2008. Its already 2008 and still the insurgents are becoming stronger and more relevant. Is this Esperon's way of actually justifying his relevance and possible extension of term of service? Yup. You guess right.
Two camps, Two Coups
This noise is deafening. Reports are highly reliable. Two groups within the AFP are trying to neutralize each other. One group is reportedly composed of Esperon's men; the others, the Patriots. Who will win the hearts and minds of the soldiers? Last December, a survey was conducted which showed that the Patriots have the support of at least 30 percent of the AFP. This is an improvement of a previous survey where it says that only 10% support the Patriots and 10% support the administration. Now, the configuration has changed.
The question is--who will launch the first one? I believe that groups aligned with Esperon and Gonzales will try to launch a coup and point to the Magdalo as a culprit. Obviously, Esperon will crush them and earn the extension which he wants. This is dangerous. And only Arroyo is to be blamed for this.
Bhutto style
Ellen Tordesillas wrote about an alleged plan to assassinate former president Joseph Estrada. Some would brush this off. I dare say that this report should not be glossed over. The AFP and the PNP should investigate this. Why? Because if these evil men succeed in their plan, it will plunge the country into a state of perpetual destabilization, leading to a civil war. If ever some hawks in the Cabinet has this plan in their nimble brains, they better abandon this. They are digging their own graves.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
2008 Start of the Presidential Campaign
If a coup does not occur in either January or February 2008, chances are the following configurations will happen on route to 2010.
Roxas-Legarda
There are strong indications that a tandem between Senators Mar Roxas and Loren Legarda is being done in the woodworks. These two individuals are the strongest candidates for the top posts. Lakas is reportedly talking with either NP or LP. However, Ray Roquero did'nt mention that most Lakas members favoring LP over NP. The question that remains is, what would happen to the principled stand of the LP articulated by LP stalwart former Senator Frank Drilon that their party will never align with the administration party? If LP coalesce with Lakas, Drilon's reputation will definitely be at stake. And surely, their trust ratings will suffer because, obviously, the people will never tolerate a Lakas-LP coalition.
Villar-Noli
Villar has intimated his desire to run for the presidency early on in 2004. The prime problem of Villar is his vice presidential contender. There are indications that NP will side with the administration this year for possible preparations for 2010. Indications are rife that Villar will align with a contender from Arroyo's party, most probably Noli. However, I believe Noli's camp is also preparing for his possible candidacy, at the behest of Arroyo. This tandem will not be the strongest.
Administration choosing either Noli, Bayani or Belmonte
There are signs that these three stooges will campaign hard for the blessing of Arroyo this year. These three coalition partners of Arroyo stand no chance of winning the presidency. Their campaigns are just test missions so to speak. They are being pump primed in the event that Kampi fails to coalesce with NP for 2010. Should any of these talks fail, its either a Noli-Bayani tandem or a Noli-Belmonte tandem will happen. In any case, Bayani Fernando's candidacy is interesting because he can run either as Vice President or Senator. If he runs for Senator, he has a strong chance of winning. This year 2008 is a critical year for Bayani. If his Test mission fails to generate enough dent in his ratings in any surveys, he could probably settle for the Marikina post again in a post-Arroyo regime.
Roxas-Noli
A Roxas-Noli tandem is also formidable. Both groups share the same passion. Both have strong campaign machineries. However, I don't know if Noli would agree on such a coalition. In any case, should their tandem happen, it will occur when Noli forms his own party since I believe, LP stalwarts will never coalesce with Arroyo's.
Binay-Estrada
Within the opposition, there are lingering talks of a Binay-Estrada tandem. Obviously, Jinggoy is a strong vice-presidential candidate and a tandem like this will definitely benefit the Estradas rather than Binay. If this occurs, what will happen to a possible UNO coalition with LP?
Insider info
These talks as revealed by Ray Roquero involves the total absolution of Arroyo's camp from any prosecution after 2010. Knowing these people from NP, they will obviously agree since its a cheap negotiation anyway.
Curio
Notice that no name of either Arroyo or De Venecia came up with all configurations, precisely because, as far as the public is concerned, they are has-beens. The question really is---will these two personas allow themselves to fade away from the public eye? Surely, they would really really press hard for a change of government prior to 2010. This month, an attempt was made in Congress precisely about this one. The hearing will happen in the first week of January. The question is--will NP and LP allow this to happen? The chances of a parliamentary shift is very strong given that the opposition is truly weak at the core.
Roxas-Legarda
There are strong indications that a tandem between Senators Mar Roxas and Loren Legarda is being done in the woodworks. These two individuals are the strongest candidates for the top posts. Lakas is reportedly talking with either NP or LP. However, Ray Roquero did'nt mention that most Lakas members favoring LP over NP. The question that remains is, what would happen to the principled stand of the LP articulated by LP stalwart former Senator Frank Drilon that their party will never align with the administration party? If LP coalesce with Lakas, Drilon's reputation will definitely be at stake. And surely, their trust ratings will suffer because, obviously, the people will never tolerate a Lakas-LP coalition.
Villar-Noli
Villar has intimated his desire to run for the presidency early on in 2004. The prime problem of Villar is his vice presidential contender. There are indications that NP will side with the administration this year for possible preparations for 2010. Indications are rife that Villar will align with a contender from Arroyo's party, most probably Noli. However, I believe Noli's camp is also preparing for his possible candidacy, at the behest of Arroyo. This tandem will not be the strongest.
Administration choosing either Noli, Bayani or Belmonte
There are signs that these three stooges will campaign hard for the blessing of Arroyo this year. These three coalition partners of Arroyo stand no chance of winning the presidency. Their campaigns are just test missions so to speak. They are being pump primed in the event that Kampi fails to coalesce with NP for 2010. Should any of these talks fail, its either a Noli-Bayani tandem or a Noli-Belmonte tandem will happen. In any case, Bayani Fernando's candidacy is interesting because he can run either as Vice President or Senator. If he runs for Senator, he has a strong chance of winning. This year 2008 is a critical year for Bayani. If his Test mission fails to generate enough dent in his ratings in any surveys, he could probably settle for the Marikina post again in a post-Arroyo regime.
Roxas-Noli
A Roxas-Noli tandem is also formidable. Both groups share the same passion. Both have strong campaign machineries. However, I don't know if Noli would agree on such a coalition. In any case, should their tandem happen, it will occur when Noli forms his own party since I believe, LP stalwarts will never coalesce with Arroyo's.
Binay-Estrada
Within the opposition, there are lingering talks of a Binay-Estrada tandem. Obviously, Jinggoy is a strong vice-presidential candidate and a tandem like this will definitely benefit the Estradas rather than Binay. If this occurs, what will happen to a possible UNO coalition with LP?
Insider info
These talks as revealed by Ray Roquero involves the total absolution of Arroyo's camp from any prosecution after 2010. Knowing these people from NP, they will obviously agree since its a cheap negotiation anyway.
Curio
Notice that no name of either Arroyo or De Venecia came up with all configurations, precisely because, as far as the public is concerned, they are has-beens. The question really is---will these two personas allow themselves to fade away from the public eye? Surely, they would really really press hard for a change of government prior to 2010. This month, an attempt was made in Congress precisely about this one. The hearing will happen in the first week of January. The question is--will NP and LP allow this to happen? The chances of a parliamentary shift is very strong given that the opposition is truly weak at the core.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Cancelling each other Out
The symbolic meaning of Arroyo's pardon is this--it solidified the struggle against both Arroyo and Estrada. This pardon just shows that there's no difference between Arroyo and Estrada; that they all remain the same and belong to the same kind--that of the most despicable kind. It tells a lot about the dynamics of politics and how numbers matter in realpolitik. More importantly, whether the math is imagined or not, the point of every political exercise is to shock and awe the other side so that their defenses cave in. In this case, Estrada emerged triumphant against Arroyo because Estrada managed to shock Arroyo into believing that he still has the numbers to move against Arroyo.
The onus of changing our present state and moving towards a more credible, honest government lies in all of us. Those who were disgusted with what Arroyo did should stand up now and be counted. Those who think that she did the right thing should also stand up. Let's fight it out. Let's just do it. Threatening each other with hell does'nt serve us any better and it only worsens our situation. If its time to fight, we must fight. If its time to be silent, then, find our comfy nook and stay there. We fear civil war. Everybody wants peace. But if peace cannot be attained by peaceful means, then, there is no other way out of this mess but to just fight. Let's fight. Let's just lay it out.
De Venecia was mentioning Singapore as a model for us to follow. Yes, Singapore should be our model. And if that tiny island-state is our model, then, we must be ready to fight it out amongst ourselves. We must be ready for civil war. For Singapore did not attain its first world status without people shedding blood. No. Singapore underwent extreme social strife before it calmed down and before everybody sat down to work it out.
Its quite obvious that we are truly divided. We are divided on the way to solve a problem like Arroyo. Some think that a petition would work. Others believe that a military solution is the way to go. Personally, I believe that the military should really intervene in this and impose a civilian-military government to save the republic from total destruction.
I now dare the soldiers who criticize this administration: it is time to make history.
The onus of changing our present state and moving towards a more credible, honest government lies in all of us. Those who were disgusted with what Arroyo did should stand up now and be counted. Those who think that she did the right thing should also stand up. Let's fight it out. Let's just do it. Threatening each other with hell does'nt serve us any better and it only worsens our situation. If its time to fight, we must fight. If its time to be silent, then, find our comfy nook and stay there. We fear civil war. Everybody wants peace. But if peace cannot be attained by peaceful means, then, there is no other way out of this mess but to just fight. Let's fight. Let's just lay it out.
De Venecia was mentioning Singapore as a model for us to follow. Yes, Singapore should be our model. And if that tiny island-state is our model, then, we must be ready to fight it out amongst ourselves. We must be ready for civil war. For Singapore did not attain its first world status without people shedding blood. No. Singapore underwent extreme social strife before it calmed down and before everybody sat down to work it out.
Its quite obvious that we are truly divided. We are divided on the way to solve a problem like Arroyo. Some think that a petition would work. Others believe that a military solution is the way to go. Personally, I believe that the military should really intervene in this and impose a civilian-military government to save the republic from total destruction.
I now dare the soldiers who criticize this administration: it is time to make history.
Friday, July 20, 2007
What will Erap do?
Atty. Homobono Adaza, counsel of Magdalo, filed another plunder case against former president Estrada. In the case he filed at the Sandiganbayan, Adaza included Erap among those to be charged for plunder. Representing an unknown prince who claims ownership of the entire Philippine archiepelago, Adaza said that Erap should be charged for allowing the construction of the Erap City at the Tala estate. The attorney says that estate was part of the property of this prince.
Bull.
Adaza should just keep silent. I don't know what Adaza has in his mind. Clearly, this is an attempt at keeping Erap behind bars. The question really is, what will Erap do? Obviously, this administration will not allow him to escape jail.
I would like to see how Erap will react in this latest caper. Its clear that this administration is pushing the ex-leader to the wall. Maybe this administration knows something which we, ordinary mortals, do not. Will they drag this country into civil war? Will Erap use his vast financial resources to campaign against this administration?
Will Asiong Salonga vanquish his enemies? Let's see.
Bull.
Adaza should just keep silent. I don't know what Adaza has in his mind. Clearly, this is an attempt at keeping Erap behind bars. The question really is, what will Erap do? Obviously, this administration will not allow him to escape jail.
I would like to see how Erap will react in this latest caper. Its clear that this administration is pushing the ex-leader to the wall. Maybe this administration knows something which we, ordinary mortals, do not. Will they drag this country into civil war? Will Erap use his vast financial resources to campaign against this administration?
Will Asiong Salonga vanquish his enemies? Let's see.
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