The forgotten SAF 44

Just like what I mentioned in my radio program Action Line sa Radyo Inquirer 990 (every Saturday, 12:30-1:30pm), this government has fully abandoned the pursuit for justice of its brave warriors, the SAF 44.

President Aquino did not even mentioned them in his State of the Nation address, a big and controversial issue that nearly tore this country apart. What the President did not understand is the fact that it is highly necessary for the government to campaign for the attainment of justice for these ill-fated troopers because they were supposed to be the long arm of the law!

What kind of leadership do we show the world when we cannot even protect and defend the rights of the very ones who are supposed to implement the law? In other countries, when criminals kill cops, groups of cops undertake hot pursuit operations to kill those bastards. The reason is simple--government must impress upon everybody it is a serious crime to kill even one cop. How will our people respect the cop uniform when we see them getting none of the justice which they truly deserve?

It is now 185 days after that Mamasapano massacre, and government has not even moved an inch towards filing criminal charges against those responsible for killing our brave warriors. Why?

The blood of our warriors shout unto high heavens from those fields where they fell.

Issue is not just about Pork--it's now Abuse of Power!

ScrapthePork network wants the people to go to Luneta on August 25 to protest against pork. Much as I want to go there, but the issue now is beyond the misuse of pork.

People must now militate against the unconstitutional use of Power.

Besides, why are they getting signatures for charter change? This is a dangerous thing. I am extremely doubtful about their real intentions--they want to use the people's initiative as a way to change the charter. That jibes with the palace intention of tickering with the Charter.

I think this group will just use these signatures to justify what the palace has been shouting about--the people's alleged demand for a second term for the president.

What well-meaning groups should protest about is the plan of the palace to get more power to perpetuate themselves in power. That is the issue right now.

Whatever some people say--that the President's pronouncement that he is open to another term is just a ruse--I still say that it is the duty of everyone to stand up and count himself in opposition of this very infantile thought.

Someone tried to assuage my feelings by saying that every President does that: announce that he is running again or is salivating for another dig at Power at the very end of his term to avoid the perception that he is now just a lameduck president.

How serious is the president in claiming for another term? His public announcement mocked the very words of his spokesmen and even his siblings, Kris Aquino and Balsy who even said that when the President did the SONA, he was practically saying goodbye or was on the verge of preparing for a valedictory address.

If President Aquino pursues this ridiculous and highly dangerous thought, this idea of a second term thru a cha-cha, there is actually no more time to do just that. For one, Congress will be busy discussing the five impeachment complaints lodged against Aquino. While mulling on whether those complaints are sufficient in form and substance, Congress will likewise do its primary job of reviewing the proposed nearly 3 trillion national budget.

Some believes that the President is just playing a game or put forth what many say is a red herring. The palace has successfully convinced the media to shift their attention from the anomalous DAP to other issues. Malacanang is trying to distract the public so that their attention is focused on other things rather than the anomalous disbursement acceleration program.

The SONA, if you ask me

If you ask me what's the greatest and most notable achievement that President Noynoy and his bunch of Cabinet members made in the bureaucracy, I'll say that they successfully regained the confidence of the people once more. Noynoy did his part in renewing the faith of the Filipino in himself.  


For nine long years, the Filipino was bruised, chastised and robbed by a bunch of nitwits and misfits wearing barong. The Arroyo administration made a mockery of truth, justice and promoted a state of lawlessness and wanton thievery that slowed down the economy and affected the very lives of every Filipino family. Poverty spread and along with it, hopelessness.


Now, there's some flicker of hope we see in the horizon. At least, we have a President who is not expected to rob us more of billions. That's what a former Gawad Kalinga now Undersecretary told me last week during a quick lunch at Casa Roces.

Wow. Utang na loob pa pala natin na hindi na nagnanakaw ang ating Pangulo. Of course, we expect every President to be a paragon of trust, integrity and honesty in service. It is of no consolation to us that Noynoy does not intend to rob and what is the proof that he does'nt?


The thing that I should have said is this: yep, Noynoy will definitely not rob us of any single cent but what about his cabinet members? What about those directors in government who continue to do the same old practices? What about them?


What do I know? I'm just an ordinary Filipino, working my butt off just to feed my family and give them a good life. 

What I know is this:


1. Oil prices have shot up. It eats up my monthly take home pay so much that I have to cut down my grocery expenses.


2. Food prices are so exorbitant and so unbelievably high that I notice my peso's value shrinking every single day.


3. Jobs are so scarce that my fellow Filipinos are hard put feeding their own families. One example: my 45 year old uncle who lost his job in a bank. He is now trying to make ends meet by selling iced water. 


I don't know nothing much about politics, but I do know about economics. During my college days, I tend to shun anything that concerns numbers. Now, I have to relive those lessons I learned from Prof. Winnie Monsod just to tide things over. By the way, Winnie just gave Noynoy a grade of 4.6, meaning bagsak. 


All I know is that it is business as usual at the Bureau of Customs, the same thing over at other agencies, with the exception of the BIR, and the Bureau of Immigration. There is no noticeable changes in policies in these agencies simply because you need changes in legislation to enhance or improve government services.


What I do know is I'm impressed with the speed my passport application went thru when I renewed my old one. I know that at least, people from the DFA are highly impressed with the way Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario is handling the department.


Who would not be impressed with Cesar Purisima? Inspite of the inactivity of the government in terms of the economy, ours continue to survive mainly because of deft handling of accounts etc. 


Of course, the patriotic Mar Roxas is now managing the DOTC. With him at the helm, expect this agency to function very well, graft-free.


Again, what do I know? I'm just a 40 year old observer of things. 


Lessen the prices of commodities and services, lower the prices of oil and increase the number of jobs. If Noynoy would do all these things, then, I'll say that there are changes.


SONA---SON NA ANG PAGBABAGO?

The People Need Guidance

Tomorrow, Illegitimate president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will again address the House of Representatives. As tradition dictates, she'll present a report and an agenda. This report is supposedly a true and honest account of what government has done to achieve the previous year's SONA. And Gloria is supposed to give an agenda to guide legislators on the priority bills this year.

Oppositionists say Gloria will just lie and picture what Makati mayor Jejomar Binay said: "..a situation where people are not hungry, oil is cheap...and government officials are honest". United Opposition (UNO) spokesman Adel Tamano meanwhile enjoined the people to just listen to the "true" State of the Nation (SONA) along Congressional Avenue and in Makati to have a grasp of the true realities of Philippine life.

True, Gloria would probably lie to us and say that she and her mafia gang are doing something to arrest what the Inquirer said, is the continuing slide of major institutions of governance to corruption and decay. Gloria would picture the "success" of her administration in solving some of the basic problems we face today. These lies would make us catatonic again, making us complacent and inutile. What Gloria is doing is weaving a tapestry of intricate lies and half-truths that as a whole, picture a stable nation.

The real question here is what will we do about it? If we are being lied about by this usurper, are we supposed to do something about it? Are we just to go to Congressional avenue and listen to alternate viewpoints?

These opposition groups should provide an answer. They should enjoin the people to act accordingly. For, in not doing so, they are being negligent of their very job of being fiscalizers and true change agents. It is not enough to comment or make aspersions about Gloria. This is the time for them, the opposition, to provide some answers so that truly, the People will see, feel and hear that they do, indeed, represent the interests of the masses.

To the Opposition--don't provide us with empty talk. The people already know we're all in deep shit. Provide us direction and guide us on what to do with a monumental problem like Gloria.

Lead the Filipino masses towards what the FSGO (Former Secretaries of Government Offices) is a "re-imagination" of the Filipino Vision. This is the time for everyone to join in and act as one against Gloria and her mafia gang. 

If these activities are just to debilitate Gloria and make her a spent force for 2010, forget about it. The People need change NOW, not in 2010. 

Let's not fool ourselves

This Monday (July 28), expect not a few people to go out in the streets to protest. Despite the scare tactics being employed by the military and police, groups from the Youth sector, church, civil society and the Genuine Opposition will gather together and present their own State-Of-The-Nation Address (SONA).

And then, what?

Are these groups really serious in making their point known to the world, that everybody hates Gloria and her gang of misfits? Or, are they just going there because it's always a tradition for oppositionists to bang their gongs whenever a head of state opens Congress?

If groups would just do this just to make noise and cause an horrendous traffic jam, then, don't bother. Better stay at home or go to work. Why?

Much as I want to go to the streets and protest, if these things would just be something momentary and would not lead to anything serious, then, I'm just wasting my time. Actions such as these should at least result to something. If it's just a way for these elites wearing activists suits to help people let off steam, then, don't bother. 

People have this attitude because what they expect from these people is something different. They expect them to take the people's cause seriously. What do I mean by this?

When civil society and the rest of the anti-Gloria groups rally, it should at least be part of a bigger thing. If it's just political posturing to make "papogi" come 2010, then, come on people!

The Filipino masses deserve something better. They want action. They want a leader or a group of leaders who'll finally tell Gloria that it's time to leave. 

People don't want to be used. No. They want to be a part of something different, something big, something historic and something that would change their lives forever.

They want another revolution. Yes, the masses had had enough of misguided rule. They want their government to be responsive of their  needs, not a bureaucratic monolith that cause them death. No.

If these groups cannot give the People this, then, let's just pack our bags and wait for 2010 to come. I don't want to hear political speeches. I don't want to listen to a litany of complaints. And I don't want to be told that I'm being fooled by this government. 

I know that when Gloria grabbed power from Erap. I already realized that when she cheated FPJ of victory. I definitely saw that when Gloria admitted calling Garci and when she dipped her fingers in an anomalous ZTE contract. And, truly, I already knew that government and big oil companies colluded to fool me to buy overpriced gasoline and diesel just to make VAT collections big. 

The people are not fools. It's time for civil society and all the rest of like-minded change catalysts to band together and put our money where our mouths are. If we want change, and we want it now, let's act now and save this country from another 2 years of Gloria's rule.

July 18 quake prediction a political gimmick

(This is a picture of the devastation caused by an 8 magnitude earthquake in San Francisco California in 1906

Why the 8 magnitude earthquake prediction in RP is a fake? And why do people believe it?

First, the author of the email has impeccable timing. It was sent right after a 7.2 magnitude quake in Japan which killed 13 people. Previous to this, a 7.9 magnitude quake killed thousands in China and rendered thousands more homeless.

Here, we are experiencing between 4 to 5.3 magnitude quakes, almost everyday since last week. Being proximate to both China and Japan, people would definitely make a connexion. If a quake hit our neighbours, the possibility of being hit ourselves by a similarly strong or stronger earthquake is there, since we’re also one of those countries located in the Pacific ring of fire.

This fatalistic thinking is being compounded by our recent experience with Typhoon Frank, which left thousands of people dead and rendered thousands more homeless. Scenes of devastation of the China and Japan quake plus the Typhoon Frank disaster still resonate in our minds. And of course, we’re experiencing weekly personal financial tremors what with rising oil and food process. Millions of people are feeling panicky and uncertain about the future. Many people are feeling insecure. Those deathly scenes on primetime news are not helping people cope with both natural and man-made disasters.

Obviously, the prediction is a fake (see http://pinoyobserver.wordpress.com). It’s an invention. But why choose an earthquake as an event to happen in this date, July 18?

Obviously, the authors of this email chose that date because it’s similar with the date of the 8 magnitude quake which rocked San Francisco California way back in 1906—April 18. Of course, they adjusted it to July 18 so that its more recent and we’ll feel threatened and vulnerable.

The purpose of this fakery? Well, its quite nasty and a little criminal. Obviously, they want to add fuel to the confusion and feeling of insecurity of Filipinos. They are feeding the fear of people. But why? Why do this?

July 18 happens to be ten (10) days before the State of the Nation address of Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. By creating a scenario of fear, people will approach this SONA with utter trepidation and uncertainty. Nonetheless, it can work in both ways.

A fearful nation come July 28 could be exploited by Gloria to introduce self-serving suggestions such as the Noah's Ark proposal or a cha-cha? Surely, no one would question this since it could be perceived as a bitter pill to swallow. People would even, probably praise Gloria for rising up to the occasion.

Or, it could be that the people are so heated up at that time that they support a revolt leading to the eventual ouster of Gloria from Malacanang. Whatever the motivation is--whether political or otherwise--it smacks of a malicious intent. It's malicious and dangerous, to say the least.