ZTE-NBN deal--not a mom and pop ops, says Gordon

So based on the observations of Senator Richard Gordon, the ZTE-NBN deal is not a mom and pop operation. It's a father and son caper. That's how Gordon sees it.

Gordon sees nothing wrong with the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo with his wife, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal strolling down the fairways of Shenzhen golf and country club as "nothing wrong". Gordon sees nothing wrong with the First Gentleman threatening Joey de Venecia III with the now infamous words, " back-off!" as a sign that he's interested with the deal. And obviously, Gordon sees nothing wrong with Mrs. Arroyo's meeting with former NEDA chief Romulo Neri and telling him to "just accept the money and approve the deal."

I'm beginning to think that the reason why Gordon wants to be chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee is he wants to ingratiate himself with the First Family. Is he serving as the First Couple's hatchet man or he's just being himself?

I remember a few years ago when the Americans were still running Clark and Subic. When cases of abuses were filed against American servicemen, Gordon saw nothing wrong with the accused safely inside the bases facility and waited for days before the cases were dismissed. Gordon saw nothing wrong with protecting the Americans rather than those comfort girls in those Zambales honky tonks. And of course, Gordon found nothing wrong weeply unabashedly in public while his fellow Americans left our shores.

Gordon also saw nothing wrong with Americans spraying dirty water to Gordon's fellow Filipinos protesting in Subic. Gordon even saw those protestors as "monkeys", just like what those WASPs think of us.

So, I'm not really surprised that Gordon wants to crucify the whistleblowers than the masterminds.

Or Gordon is doing it because Joey de Venecia stands to get his seat in the senatorial elections? Or, probably, that was the concession Gordon got because America and his friends, Mrs. Arroyo already agreed to revive the Clark and Subic bases and Gordon wants nothing sort of getting his old post back?

Or, Gordon really saw nothing wrong with his logic.

ICRC workers' lives in extreme danger

Two of Mrs. Gloria Arroyo's lieutenants are bickering over the Sulu ICRC Hostage crisis. Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro castigated Senator Richard Gordon, an ally of Arroyo, for saying that the lives of the hostages are now in the hands of the president. This rabid administration dog wanted to shield his boss from brickbats later on. However, this betrays the real intention of the government.

Teodoro does'nt feel like talking with the hostages. For him, enough concessions have already been given. It's not for Gordon. For the head of the Philippine Red Cross, a troop pullout is needed to allow negotiations to continue. An inch of pullback would be enough to allow representatives of the ASG and the government to negotiate for the safe release of the two ICRC hostages, Notter and Vagni.

This is a very dangerous play these two jerks are playing. They're putting the very lives of these ICRC workers in extreme jeopardy. By bickering in public, they're both justifying the use of force and they're both telling us to just accept the terrible consequence later on. They are priming for an attack against the ASG.

What these government officials don't know is they're both playing in the hands of the ASG. Their public bickering would justify what the ASG wanted all along---behead the hostages and show the world that they mean business. They did it before and they're willing to do it again moreso now that even the Pope is watching the developments in that part of Mindanao.

Wittingly or unwittingly, these two government officials have now placed the very lives of these foreign hostages in extreme jeopardy. I would'nt be surprised if we get news that one of the two have already been executed.

Government want an assault. They want to feed on the machismo, the bravado and the confidence of the commander on the ground, to the detriment of the hostages and their families.

Actually, even prior to the release of Lacaba, government has planned for an assault. They want to show the world that they can defeat the ASG by the use of force, consistent with the US policy. They want to show Washington that Mrs. Arroyo is tough against terror.

This justifies what I have earlier wrote here----the government of Mrs. Arroyo, especially those hawks within the palace, want negotiations to fail to justify an armed encounter with the bandit group. This is just a palabas, a show, meant to appease their bosses over at the Pentagon and the State Department. Mrs. Arroyo wants to sacrifice the lives of the International Red Cross workers to show the US that it is serious in fighting intransigent elements in the country.

I say it again, what these jerks intend to do is based on a misreading of the situation.

Dime a dozen analyst

Tomorrow, March 11, transport groups will try to paralyze the entire country. Various transport groups have joined forces to demand for the end of corruption in the streets. They are fighting for the revocation of the OVR or the Official Violation Receipt. Leaders say its a source of corruption. And, like other groups calling for the resignation of Gloria, they are also after the eradication of graft and corruption. I will be praying for their success.

Dime a dozen analyst

What I would like to write today is not about this rally. I would like to ask the people not to believe so-called security analysts like "Prof." Rommel Banlaoi who continues to defend the anomalous Spratlys deal.

I read the document and clearly, it is violative of the 1987 Constitution. Under the Constitution, it is only the Philippine government that can exploit the natural resources of this country. Government may allow private companies to explore these resources but the use of these resources, particularly oil, should be for the benefit of the People.

Under this agreement, no such provisions exist. Banlaoi says what's the big fuss about this agreement--it's a deal likened to the Military Bases Agreement (MBA) where China will act as a "renter" "occupier" or "lessor" while the Philippines will act as "lessee". How stupid!

This deal is different my former comrade because it involves the exploitation of our resources. We cannot allow a foreign government to "study, explore and exploit" natural resources there. It's like telling them to go rent our land and if you find a treasure there, keep it. Under our Civil Code, treasures or resources found in one's property is its own (of course, giving a portion to the government). So, we cannot allow another foreign occupier to have an "MBA-like" agreement.

Banlaoi does not know what he's talking about. Like his other erroneous prognoses and researches about terrorism and security issues in this country, Banlaoi is not fit to be called "security analyst". I have been part of a government think tank before, and I fully understand the security implications of this deal, which, unfortunately, "security analysts" like Banlaoi deems "unimportant". Banlaoi just wants to courtsey to the powers-that-be in the palace, while doing a great disservice to the Filipino People in turn.