Open Letter to Barack Obama: Bloggers Help!

I heard what Press secretary Cerge Remonde told Ted Failon over DZMM this morning. He said that the open letter which a few Patriots published in selected newspapers today will not even reach the eyes and ears of Barack Obama. The letter urged Barack Obama to look at the real situation of the Philippines.

I was challenged. Ganon ba? Today, I vowed to populate the Internet and all sites, even the Pentagon and even the US.gov site to be able to reach Obama.

Let me publish here the Open Letter of Drilon and a host of others. I'll make sure that this reaches the White House ahead of the meeting. To all bloggers all over the world, especially those in the United States:

HELP US SPREAD THIS OPEN LETTER AROUND SO THAT IT REACHES THE EYES OF US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AHEAD OF THE MEETING

Here's the Open letter. It was signed by Teofisto Guingona Jr., former Senate Presidents Jovito Salonga and Franklin Drilon, former SC justice Camilo D. Quiason, former senators Wigberto Tanada, Sergio Osmena III, Vicente Paterno Jr., Agapito "Butch" Aquino, and former secretaries Josefina T. Lichauco, former solicitor-general Frank Chavez, Corazon Soliman, Juan Santos, Jejomar Binay, and Bro. Eddie Villanueva, Sr. Mary John Mananzan, Atty. Harry Roque and Jun Lozada.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

July 29, 2009

HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
Washington District of Columbia
United States of America

Dear Mr. President,

We shared the wonderful jubilation of the American people during your historic election triumph. When you assumed office early this year, we rejoiced at the audacious hope that you inspired, and on your promise of change for the common good.

We joined all freedom loving people of the world who exulted when you declraed that "those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent...are on the wrong side of history."

The Filipino People share the same morals, ideals and aspirations that define the envied way of life of the American people. Filipinos yearn for the same kind of leaders that the American people yearn for themselves; leaders who are imbued with the right values, lead principled lives, and govern with the highest ethical standards. The ideals of justice, democracy and the upliftment of human rights animate the Filipino people's dreams of a better world in much the same way that these ideals animate the dreams of the American people.

Upon your invitation, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will have the chance to meet with you on July 30, 2009. In your meeting with Ms. Arroyo, it may serve you well to be mindful of Ms. Arroyo's legacy of corruption, extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, bribery, election cheating, among others. We do not wish to belabor you with the details of these high crimes which have surely been documented and reported by the U.S. State Department to your office.

The Filipino People also yearn for change from the effrontery of hopelessness and the curse of decadence that Ms. Arroyo represents. In your meeting with Mrs. Arroyo, we feel confident that you will make clear to her that a Government that does not comply with Principles of Democracy and respect for Human Rights cannot have the approval and support of your administration. We implore you Mr. President to inspire hope and be an instrument of change for the common good of the long suffering Filipino People.

signed.

Scandals and Scandalous Free Riders

If you look at Google Trends today, you'll find that the most searched item in the net seems to be about calorie restriction diet plan. Interesting is'nt? Despite the recession in the United States, people are still conscious of their diets.



It would obviously, not be true in the Philippines, where 2.1 million Filipino families are experiencing hunger. If they have their own PCs, maybe, they're be looking for "jobs", "work" or simply " how to get food the easy way."



I looked and saw that it's "scandals" and "cabal" that remains as some of the top search words that Filipinos look for. Of course, Marian Rivera seems to be the top female celebrity and Rihanna is going on second place. Paris Hilton remains a hot Pinoy sexual fantasy as Radnarok games.



However, in the blog sphere, people are quick to ride the crest of popular discussion. For example, I know of a blogger who'll jump right straight to the fire of irrationality just to increase hits on his site. He'll write entries without even a batt of an eyelash, again, just to get those hits.



Scandals are staple food for those intellects rotting in those coffeeshops. Worst, there are free riders who will just join the melee and the popular ride just to gain hits.



As what my friend used to say, they are the legitimate scums who try to bully their way into national (un)consciousness just by the click of their cheap laptops.

Bloggers Unite! You only have your chains to unshackle!

Calling all those Filipinos who blog.

We are faced with a threat more vicious and more deadly than those we ever faced before.

Having been hit so many times, the State is now undertaking a campaign that would paralyze this new found freedom of ours.

Like what China did to its blogging and online community, the State is thinking of shutting down the entire online community and make us toe the Palace line.

A report says that Malacanang is pissed with the Truths we have been writing against this dispensation and has ordered the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to debilitate our Internet access.

With a pending authoritarian measure right before the laps of Mrs. Arroyo, propagators of this evil regime are propounding the inclusion of blogging as another media which they want to conquer and kill.

Let us not allow these evil men to triumph.

Let us make our voices heard.

We call upon all bloggers to unite and rally behind the Cause of Freedom. Let us organize ourselves now and destroy these people before they use their iron fisted hands to strangle us to our online deaths!

FilipinoVoices.com under State Attack!

FilipinoVoices.com, the foremost citizen journalist weblog, is under extreme attack. Since yesterday, the servers are down, allegedly attacked by the forces of the Arroyo administration.

Reportedly, a vicious Trojan and virus attack were undertaken by black operators under the hire of the Palace. As what I warned several blogs ago, Malacanang has hired unscrupulous bloggers to undermine certain blogsites, including this site and that of FilipinoVoices.

To those who did this dastardly attack against this new found freedom, be forewarned. Like this evil regime, your days are certainly numbered.

We have identified these Malacanang operators. If you think you can hide under the cloak of anonymity, you definitely cannot hide what you did. We have your PC identifications and I am now privy to your personal information.

If you think you can escape from the long arm of the law, think otherwise. You may have the State backing you up, but the People's Warriors are now hot on your heels, ready to end your miserable lives. You're worst than the Lumpen Proletariats that roam the dirty streets of Manila.

The New Patriots have tracked you down and like vicious swines, you'll be slaughtered until nothing is left of your devilish selves.

The Intellectual Entrepreneur and the New Philippine Revolution

There's a new group out there promoting what they call the "New Revolution." Check it out at http://www.tayo-na.com. I've checked their site and it's a very simple organization calling for changes in Philippine society. It's unique because it does not have the mumbo jumpo traps of an ideology nor do it promote a new one. Quite simply, the organization wants to address the basic issues and promote basic answers to societal problems we face as a people.

Change, I presume, starts with enlightenment. This organisation strives to enlighten the masses of the need for change. Promoting no concrete platform for regime change, yet the organisation hits the core of the problems by encouraging people to talk. Initiating discussions is one of the most effective means towards change. It makes people think hard about their situation and builds up the desire to change their environment a lot faster. Being free from the trappings of traditional critiques nor ideologies, this organisation could very well encapsulate what this blogsite is all about--sparking internal discussions amongst Filipinos of all ages, thereby spreading the word and widening the broad sector involvement in true, genuine revolution.

It is time for us to talk, that's what this organisation wants us to do. For years, we have been explaining ourselves before foreigners and those from the outside. It is time for us to talk amongst ourselves and strive for a collective platform that promotes what we believe are long-lasting solutions to age-old problems.

Hence, in this new paradigm for change, the role played by the intellectual entrepreneur is all the more emphasized. The Intellectual Entrepreneur promotes knowledge and enlightenment. He/she strives to influence policy-making in government through his pen. He/she acts in concordance with democratic principles yet imbued with critical social thinking that makes change possible, both on the microcosm and macrocosm.

The intellectual entrepreneur is alive in every blogger who writes here in the blogsphere. Bloggers and social changers out there doing political work are intellectual entrepreneurs. They are the new class who will lead the broad masses to victory in this new era of revolutions.

My take on the Bloggers vs. Trad Media Thing

First, do bloggers need gatekeepers? Answer, no. By the very nature of blogging as a journal we don't need an editor, unlike those in the mainstream media.

Second, is the lack of a gatekeeper the primary reason why traditional media practitioners don't consider us a part of the media industry? Yes. The statements of some journalists about the lack of gatekeepers are being used to delimit or even marginalize our important part in the information environment.

Third, is the lack of a gatekeeper a justifiable ration d'etre for bloggers not to be classified as true journalists? No. Bloggers are your online opinion-makers, your columnists, your influencers, your 3rd party endorsers even.

Fourth, is the blogsphere media? Yes, the blogsphere is media because it fits with the elements and description of a media outlet, especially since it has its own loyal audience.

Lastly, a blogger who's a bonafide member of the blogsphere, of this New Media, can he be considered a journalist? Yes. A journalist is one who professionally writes on what's happening in an outlet, either print or electronic media.

If a blogger, for example, writes due to his passion, can he then be classified as a journalist? Some would say, no, because he's not being paid to write articles for a living. Point to me a journalist that is not paid to write by his publication or a network. So, is a passionate foodie blogger or a tech blogger who writes for free and is not paid, will he be considered a journalist?

Yes, by all means, yes. Why? Because the money aspect is irrelevant. A blogger, like a journalist, is a writer. Whether he writes for money or his passion is irrelevant. A blogger has an outlet to express his thoughts, his observations, like a journalist.

So, those who castigate and belittle the blogger, think again. The blogger is the newest evolution of the journalist. He is the latest version of your everyday journalist. He writes because he loves writing. He observes because he loves to express what he feels, what he sees, what he hears. He's not only a citizen journalist.

In fact, the blogger is more than your ordinary journalist.

A blogger is your purest journalist because he writes without compromise. He is the purest of the pure. He competes with himself and does not write due to profit. No.

The blogger is your true journalist.

Teodoro's dig at bloggers and salute to my fellow bloggers

Former UP College of Mass Communications Luis Teodoro puts it bluntly--bloggers should be responsible for whatever they write in their sites. He then encouraged mainstream journalists to write their own blogs, especially TV reporters. Teodoro said that mainstream journalists should write blogs to "set an example."

I respect Dean Teodoro. In fact, I'm one of those who already heeded his advice. I'm still an active member of the media industry. In fact, I devoted most of my 37 years of existence writing and working as a journalist. I started as a newswriter for DZBB GMA 7 and despite being a senior official of a top strategic marketing communications agency here, I still maintain a very strong relationship with my peers.

This leads us to one question--is there truth to Teodoro's assumptions that bloggers are irresponsible and therefore, not a good source of news and information?

Let me ask another question--what's the purpose of blogging in the first place?

Lastly, let me propound another question--is a blogsite a media outlet by itself or just a mere journal, a daily take on things?

On the first question, Teodoro's assumptions about some bloggers are valid. There are irresponsible bloggers out there who blog for the wrong reasons. For example, was it a good idea for Brian Gorrell to expose the dirty linen of Manila's alta sociedad just so he can collect his supposed money from a controversial socialite? Answer? No.

Using a blogsite to deride, cajole, humiliate, smear, or besmirch the reputation of someone is utterly irresponsible. If you read Gorrell's blog, it is full of "he said", "she said" ,things which most, if not all, are presumptions of certain facts, but not true facts. As readers, we can't verify all those he wrote there. Who's to say that all of those things really happened? Who edited Gorrell's blog? None.

Look at his entries. He wrote something about a person based on another person's "testimony". That's hearsay, plain and simple. There were no dates supplied nor exact location of where these incidents happened. We all know one place--Boracay. So, then? So, what?

Gorrell's blog shows you how irresponsible a blogger can be when allowed to write without an editor. Editors are gatekeepers. Why? Because one's take on things may not be reflective of reality.

Now, we go to the second question--why do we blog? What's the real reason for blogging?

Blogging started as a daily journal. By its very nature, blogging is a personal take on things. Its subjective, therefore, not fit to be a source for news. Blogs could be a very good source of opinions, of views, of expert advice. But, never a news site. Why? As I said, the very generis of blogging makes prevents it from being a good source of information.

Lastly, is a blogsite a news outlet? By the hits and pageviews it generates, yes, it could be said to be a media outlet. Since its beginnings, blogs serve one purpose--a journal which one maintains to express oneself to the world. It was never meant to be taken literally by bloggers as their license to be true journalists.

By the way, thanks to my fellow bloggers Nick, Mon Casiple, Cocoy, Janette Toral, Philippine Commentary and Manolo Quezon. They are just some of the most responsible and highly respected bloggers in our age. I appreciate your take on this blog. I never meant this site to be that way. I am humbled by your observations of this blog.

But, I need your help. Really. Give me advice on how to further improve my site. I am not really satisfied with my design. I want a simple, yet functional design. And I also would like to get advice on how to promote my site, especially to Filipinos abroad.

To my fellow bloggers, please give me your thoughts on how to improve my site. I really want to improve.

To my colleagues in the mainstream media, my site does not pretend to be a news site. No. This site aims to provoke debate, discussion based on my daily take on things. I write because I want to analyze what's happening especially the whys. I don't delve on the whats, the wheres, the whens. This is my political philology. If you agree on the things I wrote, thanks. If you don't, thanks din.

I am also very thankful that Nick provided a venue for political pundits like me to reach a wider audience. The Filipinovoices.com (www.filipinovoices.com) is the new Indios Bravos, the new La Solidaridad. I am very certain that all these things which we are doing will spillover beyond the blogsphere and eventually lead to real societal changes.

By the way, I have another blog, http://pinoyobserver.wordpress.com. Its getting bigger and higher hits by the day. Its not heavy stuff, totally different from what I write here. It has its usual political stuff (I really can't detach myself from political masturbations, sorry!), yet more on mundane things. If it reaches a thousand hits, I'll invest some money to make it as an electronic newspaper. Do help me make it happen. Thanks. Have a happy weekend.