Clear doubletalk or a work of an opposition?

The first and last paragraphs of an article from Yahoo/GMA TV:

Arroyo introduces RP climate change delegation to Pinoys in Denmark

Speaking before about 300 members of the Filipino community in Denmark at the Hilton Hotel in Copenhagen on Wednesday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo introduced the Philippine delegation which included top government officials who, according to her, each have his or her own roles in the government’s climate change mitigation efforts.

xxx

After declaring in her speech to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change that, "We cannot leave Copenhagen without a deal," the President flew back to Manila Friday morning before any deal had been reached at the climate summit.

Unquote: Baka mapagkamalan na naman ito na work of the opposition?

Martial Law in Maguindanao: Moot and Academic

Mang Gustin kidnaps the son of Ploning, detains him, and asks for ransom. Later, Mang Gustin changes his mind and returns the kidnap victim. Does the later act (returning Ploning's son) renders the kidnapping moot and academic and therefore Mang Gustin is not liable of the crime?

The case of Mang Gustin's kidnapping is just a micro of the Martial Law issue. According to the bopols-men... err, tongressmen... err, congressmen, because the Martial Law in Maguindanao was already lifted, therefore it is already moot and academic and there is no use discussing the issue.

Sabi ni Doy: HUWAAATTT!!!???

Tikboy thinks there is no reason to be surprised. All actions should be in pursuit of the greater good. The warrantless arrests and detentions, the warrantless searches and seizures, the businesses that gone bankrupt, the displacements of people, the fear sown among the people and the resulting trauma suffered by the children are all nothing compared to the greater good. Note: NOTHING COMPARED TO THE GREATER GOOD.

So, oke lang yun pareng Doy. Even if these Maguindanaons die of trauma, or nervous breakdown or heart attack, oke lang yun. They do not represent the greater good anyway. They are just like dogs and pigs na anytime, they can be dispensed away with. Their lives and well-being are nothing compared with the interests of those in Malacanang, of those who want nothing but to stay in power no matter what. And because this is the framing of the members of the Congress, we should understand their logic: The lifting of the Martial Law renders the issue moot and academic.

Next time, when Gloria in the Palace puts the whole country under Martial Law, arrests everyone and jails them for no reason but airing grievances against the government, then later lifts it, don't be shocked. If you belong to those arrested and even killed, don't be surprised when you wake up in heaven or in hell -- your life is useless. At any rate, after the Martial Law, you are nothing but a history -- moot and academic.

Why are the members of the AFP not charged of rebellion?

Why are the members of the AFP not charged of rebellion if, for Executive Secretary Ed Ermita and sitting president Gloria in the Palace defines it as simply an ownership of guns and maintaining an armory?

The Revised Penal Code, as amended by R.A. 6968 provides that:

Art. 134. Rebellion or insurrection; How committed. — The crime of rebellion or insurrection is committed by rising publicly and taking arms against the Government for the purpose of removing from the allegiance to said Government or its laws, the territory of the Philippine Islands or any part thereof, of any body of land, naval or other armed forces, depriving the Chief Executive or the Legislature, wholly or partially, of any of their powers or prerogatives.

It is clear. The elements include (1) rising publicly, (2) taking arms against the government, and (3) with a purpose of removing allegiance to said government or its laws, etc., etc.

In the case of the Ampatuans in the Maguindanao Massacre, nothing of the aforestated elements is present. Patago nga ginawa ang massacre. Inililibing pa nga ang mga biktima. Yun nga lang, nahuli. And those who are killed? Civilians... not government officers. And the arms -- those were not taken against the government. With the markings on the arsenals, puwede pa ngang ibinigay ng government ang mga yun. And third, the willingness to participate in elections is a clear indication of allegiance. Actually love na love pa nga nila ang magsilbi sa gobyerno kaya nga allegedly pinatay pa nila ang mga kalaban nila para sila lang ang magkaroon ng opportunity na magsilbi.

But of course, the government has its own way of redefining things. Basta me armas na dala-dala, rebellion yun. Simply put, isama na rin mga miyembro ng AFP at PNP. Me dala-dala rin silang armas.

Hmmmnn....

Sa Pampanga kaya may mga matatalino rin?

When Gloria Arroyo filed her certificate of candidacy for district representative in Pampanga, nahulog sa upuan si Aling Tanya. Siya kasi dating presidente ng Santa Krusan sa Sampaloc. Nang gusto niyang kumandidato ulit kasi mas napapalapit daw siya sa Diyos, pinagbawalan siya ng kanyang mga kapitbahay. Dapat daw, pagbigyan naman niya ang iba para pantay-pantay at hindi lang siya ang maaaring makalapit sa Diyos.

Pero dahil nag-file si Gloria, at puwede naman daw, nangangalaiti ngayon si Aling Tanya. Dapat siya, pinagbigyan ding umulit. Dapat tanggalin si Aling Jenna na pumalit sa kanya. Tulad ng pagtanggal kay Jonjon Mendoza na papalitan ni Obet Pagdanganan bilang gobernador ng Bulacan. Kasi matalino si Aling Tanya. Dahil sa kanya humaba ang sagala... humaba dahil sa traffic. Dahil sa kanya, natuwa ang mga pari at obispo ng parokya. Nagkaroon kasi ng maraming pa-raffle, parang PAGCOR. Me palabunutan din ng numero. Parang jueteng. At malaking porsyento ng kita sa mga pasugalan, este, income generating projects ni Aling Tanya, napunta sa Simbahan. Dagdag pa diyan, yung mga kapitbahay niyang mahihirap, napilit niyang mag-donate o magpintura para sa sagala. Sino ba naman ang di matatakot na sabihan na kung hindi tutulong ay di makakapunta sa langit.

Ang problema, si Aling Jenna, matalino rin. Kaya nga siya nanalong presidente. At ito rin ang dahilan bakit nangangalaiti si Aling Tanya. Sa Pampanga kaya may mga matatalino rin? Kasi tatakbo ulit si Gloria dun na para bang siya na lang ang magaling. Kung si Gloria na lang ang magaling, ibig sabihin, kawawa ang mga Kapampangan. Paano na sila pag wala na si Gloria?

Who bred those monsters?

If the Ampatuans are really the brains (and brawns) behind the Maguindanao Massacre, and that the massacre is an act of a monster, then who bred those monsters?

Sino pa nga ba? Di ba tayo?

We voted for them.
When nobody questions the votes the Ampatuans received, we raised not our voices.
When questions are raised over the votes the Ampatuans received, we give no support.
When the questions reach the Comelec and the Courts of Justice, we let our Comelec and judges do nothing. And we are paying the people in the Comelec.

We give the Ampatuans a room to grow.
We allowed the environment and culture become favorable to them.
We also drew precedents that later became favorable to the Ampatuans. We let the national chief executive go un-punished. At least for calling Garci in the height of the elections, and later letting Garci go unscathed. Hence, if we didn't even allowed the leader be questioned, why should we question the Ampatuans?
We also allowed the national chief executive escape impeachment trials. When the Congress was deliberating on the matter, we sat on our hands and let our district representatives decide for us. We didn't even knock their doors to let them know how and what to represent us. And we are paying these district representatives.
When the impeachment failed, we kept our mouths shut. We do not want another EDSA, we say. We are tired of EDSAs as these do not change the society. In doing so, we do not show off our power, where sovereignty and all authority resides. And by doing so we affirm that vox populi is a waste, a garbage, a thrash. And by doing so we give the monsters more power as our silence is an admission of affirmation and not of defeat.

Now, these things happen. So who do we blame? The Ampatuans? Unless we are fooling ourselves. Nobody is to be blamed but us.

The Maguindanao Massacre: Another Record

Today, the Philippines gained another world record -- for claiming to be democratic yet allowing to flourish the violence that suppresses freedoms and liberties;

Today, the Philippines gained another world record -- for claiming to have freest press in Asia and at the same time, the freest country for those that suppresses the freedom of the press;

Today, the Philippines gained another world record -- landing on the top spot for being the most dangerous country in the world for journalists;

Today, we gained another record... and records are the only things that we desire...

Are we happy now?

Redefining a "survivor"

GMA-7's primetime program, "Survivor Philippines - Palau" is revolutionizing the dictionary with its new meaning of survivor. In order to survive the ordeals in the island of Palau and win the P3 M, the participants resort to scheming and betrayals. And surely, the winner that will be declared is the one who is the most scheming and most traitorous person.

Wala tayong magagawa. Yan ang laro. Yan din ang katotohanan sa Pilipinas. You cannot survive if you won't betray others. Just like what Gloria in the Palace did. She betrayed the trust of the people in order for her to remain in power. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Poll Tax is Good But ....

Malacañang is wondering why there is so much fuss over the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s proposed 5-percent tax on campaign contributions.

“The 5-percent campaign tax is within the purview of the expanded withholding tax system of the BIR which is allowed under the BIR Code and it has been in existence for about 30 years now,” Anthony Golez, deputy presidential spokesperson, said in a briefing. (Source here)

The government has the right to tax so why really is there a fuss over campaign taxes? Let us count the ways...

First and foremost: Where did our taxes go?

• To fancy hotels and restaurants? I love those dinners. Highly paid chefs are indeed better than tikboy's mom.
  
• As payments for houses and mansions in and out the Philippines of high ranking officials? Oh, by the way, I love that house near the beach.
• As payments for luxury cars of select officials? Or as payments for the gas of said cars? Too bad, Tikboy's kariton could not even roll dahil mahal ang grasa.
• As payments to the wines and liquor everytime the day is stressful? Hmmn... si Mang Tonyo nga gin-bulag lang. Si Mang Gustin, yung hindi nagpapabayad na superhero, tuba nga lang kaya tuwing umaga parang may nag-i-spray paint sa kubeta. Sabagay, wala ngang pera kaya papaano maka-afford kahit pekeng brandy?
• As pocket money ng mga nagja-junket? Teka, ano na nga pala ang nangyari sa mga nagpunta sa Russia? Nasiyahan kaya si Misis sa shopping?
  
• As easy cash sa bulsa ng iilan? Pang-shopping kaya? Pambayad sa bodyguards?
  
• Ano pa kaya? I'm sure me alam kayo na hindi alam ni Tikboy.

Second, nagde-declare kaya ang mga pulitiko ng tamang expenses? Bulong-bulungan, si Gloria in the Palace nga gumasta ng P8 billion as campaign expenses. Pero ang declaration, barya lang daw! Iilang milyon lang. Worse, kahit ang barya, ni hindi na-subject sa tax. Pero sabi ng BIR at ng Malacanang, matagal ng batas ang witholding tax. HELLLLOOOEEEERRRR!!!!!! Naglolokohan ba tayo?

Tito Sotto: Nakakatakot ang mga sundalo

In yesterday's Eat Bulaga, the theme was halloween. Halos lahat ay nagsuot ng mga nakakatakot. Me sa aswang, sa bruha, me sa tikbalang.

But former Senator Tito Sotto wasn't funny. He wore a soldier's uniform. A former senator doing that is something of a statement. Was he using his head? That we do not know. But the point is: Former Senator Tito Sotto says that "nakakatakot ang mga sundalo".

Who moved ... Chiz?

The recent declaration of Chiz Escudero is not just a political gambit but a political suicide. Pero ok lang yun. You won't create a name if you will not think outside the box. Political suicides are a way of thinking outside the box. Just like doing good governance. Local chief executives who are noted for exercising good governance usually end up losing the elections. Why? Because the voters still prefer the traditional way -- expecting the politician to shell out money in times of KBL (kasal, binyag, libing) and hand the amount to the solicitor.

This behavior is the reason why the word "change" ranks least in the survey of words that has an impact on the Filipino psyche. Just this year, the top word is "decency". Kasi nga, a politician is expected to be decent enough to give an amount to a solicitor. Otherwise, the politician is branded as "buwaya" dahil sinosolo niya lang ang nakukurakot niya sa gobyerno.

But who or what really moved Chiz Escudero to declare his resignation from the NPC? To note, he is also one of the more decent politicians who stayed with a political party for more than a decade. Others are party-hoppers na everytime di mapagbigyan, lilipat sa ibang partido. Gaya ni Loren. Kaya nga siya pinagbigyan na na maging kandidato ng NPC for VP. Watch out also for Gloria in the Palace if di siya mapagbigyan ng KAMPI to run for Congressperson sa Pampanga. Who knows, baka lumipat din siya sa UNO o kaya sa PMP ni Erap...

Pero who really moved Chiz? Ewan. Baka si Danding?

According to Karl Marx, religion is the opium of the people. But that was during Marx's time. Today, religion gives votes and causes traffic.

While Tikboy agrees that everyone has a right to religion and respects it with pure sincerity,

Mickey Mouse... err, Mikey's House

It's in the family.

Whatever Gloria in the Palace says, expect the opposite. At any rate, she is famous for Orwellian double-talk. And it could be in the genes. Inquirer reports that her son, Mikey Arroyo, who had been claiming to be very transparent had not been transparent after all. According to the report:

Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo has not declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) for the last two years a $1.32-million (P63.7-million) beachfront property in the San Francisco Bay area in California that he bought and then transferred to his wife Angela in 2006.

Mikey is the eldest of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s three children.

The house at 1655 Beach Park Blvd. in Foster City, San Mateo County, is now up for sale, but the property does not appear in Mikey’s 2007 and 2008 SALN... (which is a requirement in the guidelines and by the law.)

Or Mikey has the dictionary that her mother has and transparency is defined as "being open to share information that's only the tip of the iceberg"? Whatever. Anyway, if Inquirer is correct in the description of the place, below are the pics of the alleged Mikey's house na dapat nating e-enjoy panoorin. Dapat nga ba?

The front view: Ano kayang sasakyan ang ipinapasok sa garahe? Undeclared din kaya yun?

The backyard... Sa Mr. & Mrs. Smith me underground basement pa para sa mga tools at iba pang gamit ni Bradd Pitt. Meron din kaya dito?

The Family Room and the Living Room. Mukhang masarap tumambay dito. Pang-ilang reincarnation kaya ang kailangang maranasan ng mga pulubi sa Pampanga para makatambay sa ganito?

At ang kitchen at ang dining room. Gara, di ba? Ano kaya ang iniluluto sa kitchen at inilalatag sa mesa? Kahit ba amoy man lang puwede kayang pagbigyan ang mga humihingi ng limos sa mga kalsada ng Pampanga? O kaya mga barker ng jeep na mali-mali ang itinuturong direksiyon dahil siguro sa gutom, puwede rin kayang paamuyin ng mga iniluluto at inihahapag sa mesang kainan?

Kung sabagay, di naman kasalanan ni Mikey kung bakit siya mapera. Tiyak, nagsipag din siya o kaya ang mga magulang niya para lang ma-acquire ang mga properties na yun. Kasalanan ng mga pulubi, batang kalye at barkers ng jeep sa Pampanga kasi hindi sila marunong pumili ng mayamang magulang bago sila ipinanganak. At kasalanan din nila dahil hindi sila naging pulitiko, di ba, Mikey?

All pics are courtesy of www.ewalk.com. Kung interesado kayong bilhin ito, $1,380,000 lang or P 67,440,600 base sa palitan ng dolyar at piso noong Biyernes.

Neri comes, Neri goes... and the Carlo Caparas Blunder

It's been a while (again) since my last post. Even then, visitors continually access this site looking for something new. And tadaaannn!!!! Here's the list.

1. Romulo Neri will be suspended for his participation in the ZTE Scandal especially for being shy to talk about his President's participation and for being so shy to tell Ben Abalos to "back off".
   
2. Abalos is also indicted "just for being nice to the ZTE people." Talaga? Is that also the reason why he is so nice to Neri for offering the 200...? Kaso mukhang kulang ang 200. Dapat siguro 300 para wala ng mag-squeal.
   
3. Joey de Venecia, the squealer, is planning to run for Senator. Ayos yan para walang sikreto sa Senado... if the price is not right. (?)
4. Pero ang kakapal naman. Kay Bayani Fernando nga okay na ang P1.6 million. Diba BF? Musta ang mga kakalsadahan natin? Mukhang maraming nagkalat na picture mo at praise releases. Kasama ba yan sa P1.6 M?
   
5. Pero if Joey De Venecia is running for Senator and BF for President, Komiks writer-turned director is running for Senator para patunayan na karapat-dapat siya to receive the National Artist Award. Quoting Caparas: They are forcing me to run for a political post, mapipilitan siguro ako because of what they are doing, na parang walang karapatan ang isang galing sa masa na katulad ko na maging National Artist.

Akhhhh!!!

Nabulunan ako dun ah. Since when na ba ang eleksiyon naging venue for the selection of the National Artists?

Di na ba puwedeng magbiro sa Pinoy?

For his joke, actor Alec Baldwin was banned from entering the Philippines. This is after Hongkong columnist Chip Tsao was also banned for making a joke on Filipinos last March 27.

Baldwin joked in a May 12 interview on the “Late Show with David Letterman” that he thinks "about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point or a Russian one, I don’t care, I’m 51. Tsip Chao, meanwhile, said that Filipinos should not think higher than the Chinese who employs them as domestic helpers.

Teka, teka, teka. While the joke has a racist color (daw), there is also truth in it. Wag na tayong magpaka-ipokrito. A few clicks in the Net, makikita natin na halos Filipina ang nasa mail-order bride websites. And the government admits, it sends Filipinos abroad as domestic helps to compete with Indonesians, Malaysians and even Indians. All of these because of poverty.

Mukhang masyado nang sensitive ang gobyerno ngayon. Pero just like its head, Orwellian sensitivity lang ang pinaiiral. Pinipili lang ang gustong patulan. Otherwise, dapat nahiya na ang Gloria in the Palace mula ng sumingaw ang "Hello, Garci!" Scandal. O kaya umalis na sa puwesto matapos ang sunod-sunod na dagok ng mga iskandalo. O kaya, napansin na ng gobyerno ang talamak na kahirapan at pagkagutom.

Kung sabagay, ang kabayo na may tapa-ojo, diretso lang ang tingin. Ganun din ang Administrasyon Ni Gloria. Kaya wag kang magbiro, baka ma-Jun Lozada ka. Di ba Mike?

RP blacklisted for its bank secrecy law

The Philippines is among the four countries "blacklisted "as uncooperative tax havens yesterday after Group of 20 leaders declared the age of banking secrecy was over and said they would no longer tolerate shady havens draining away badly needed tax revenue", reports Philippine Star.

The other countries are Uruguay, Costa Rica and the Malaysian territory of Labuan.

The blacklisting was done because of "mounting concern that banking secrecy in tax havens has helped to worsen the economic crisis by disguising the true value of some global assets. Anti-poverty activists say such places provide corrupt officials places to stash illicit funds, often depriving poor nations of needed resources."

Can we expect the palace to say that the work of the G-20 is instigated by the opposition? Puwede!!!

Pero teka, why is it that the Palace is mum for comments? Dahil ba wala silang plano na alisin ang Pilipinas sa blacklisted areas for being a tax haven? At least si Pareng Erap, nag-approve ng Anti-Plunder Law which eventually caught him on the hook. Even then, the law partially opened the windows enabling some to peek into the bank accounts of suspected offenders. Takot din kaya si GMA na magsalita (through her nose) na "I will look into the matter and see to it that the laws will be relaxed on bank accounts"? Kala ko ba, iron-willed siya gaya ng ipino-project ng mga PR persons niya? O iron-willed siya na okay lang na blacklisted ang Pilipinas otherwise mauungkat ang mga bank accounts ng First Family at mahirapan silang idepensa kung saan galing ang mga perang laman ng mga accounts na iyon?

Aminin!

Anyway, let us look at the brighter side. World Record holder na naman tayo... and that seems to be the reason why Filipinos and the Philippines exist -- ang gumawa ng record.

Congratulations!

Chip Tsao apologizes... who's next?

Earlier, HK Magazine issued an apology for Chip Tsao's article, "The War At Home". The Philippine Star also reported that yesterday, Tsao also issued an apology.

Well, that's nice of Tsao. But can we expect also the government headed by Gloria Arroyo to apologize to the Filipino people for breaking their homes and families and forcing them to go abroad and be the domestic servants cum heroes?

Chip Tsao says sorry... who's next?

Earlier, the HK Magazine issued an apology for Chip Tsao

Chip Tsao and 'The War at Home'

When Chip Tsao's article went out last March 27, a war of words blasted as if a bomb was thrown in the Philippine archipelago. Senator Pia Cayetano, probably not because she is seeking reelection, joined calls to demand a public apology from a top Hong Kong publication and one of its columnists while the Palace is now thinking of possible options on how to deal with the issue.

Well, this is just expected. For intelligent people like them, Tsao's article is like rubbing a salt to a wound. But who's fault is it anyway? Tsao's? Or the people in the government headed by Gloria Arroyo who would rather encourage the Filipinos to go abroad and work as servants than generate employment and high-earning jobs in the country?

Dapat nga pasalamat pa sila at mahiya kay Tsao. What Tsao says is true and the truth will set us free... yun nga lang, me kasabihan: There is no such thing as free lunch. And the cost here is the bitterness of truth.

Below is Tsao's article for your brains to "chow".

The War At Home
March 27th, 2009

The Russians sank a Hong Kong freighter last month, killing the seven Chinese seamen on board. We can live with that—Lenin and Stalin were once the ideological mentors of all Chinese people. The Japanese planted a flag on Diàoyú Island. That’s no big problem—we Hong Kong Chinese love Japanese cartoons, Hello Kitty, and shopping in Shinjuku, let alone our round-the-clock obsession with karaoke.

But hold on—even the Filipinos? Manila has just claimed sovereignty over the scattered rocks in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, complete with a blatant threat from its congress to send gunboats to the South China Sea to defend the islands from China if necessary. This is beyond reproach. The reason: there are more than 130,000 Filipina maids working as $3,580-a-month cheap labor in Hong Kong. As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.

As a patriotic Chinese man, the news has made my blood boil. I summoned Louisa, my domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, hung a map on the wall, and gave her a harsh lecture. I sternly warned her that if she wants her wages increased next year, she had better tell every one of her compatriots in Statue Square on Sunday that the entirety of the Spratly Islands belongs to China.

Grimly, I told her that if war breaks out between the Philippines and China, I would have to end her employment and send her straight home, because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day. With that money, she would pay taxes to her government, and they would fund a navy to invade our motherland and deeply hurt my feelings.

Oh yes. The government of the Philippines would certainly be wrong if they think we Chinese are prepared to swallow their insult and sit back and lose a Falkland Islands War in the Far East. They may have Barack Obama and the hawkish American military behind them, but we have a hostage in each of our homes in the Mid-Levels or higher. Some of my friends told me they have already declared a state of emergency at home. Their maids have been made to shout “China, Madam/Sir” loudly whenever they hear the word “Spratly.” They say the indoctrination is working as wonderfully as when we used to shout, “Long live Chairman Mao!” at the sight of a portrait of our Great Leader during the Cultural Revolution. I’m not sure if that’s going a bit too far, at least for the time being.

A sitting President can be arrested

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has a new reason to be nervous -- sitting presidents are not immune from arrests for committing criminal offenses. This is the legal milestone set by the International Criminal Court (ICC) when it ordered the arrest of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in a concerted government campaign against civilians.

International Herald Tribune reports:

The criminal court judges took more than seven months to examine the evidence on Bashir before charging him with five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape. The two counts of war crimes were for attacks against a civilian population and for pillaging.

In their statement, the judges said the court did not recognize immunity for a head of state and called for the cooperation of all countries - not just the 108 nations that are members of the court - to bring Bashir to justice.

Under the rules of the UN charter and Security Council, Sudan is legally obliged to arrest Bashir, the judges said - but that appears unlikely. The court has no police force or military of its own, and the 24,000 or so UN peacekeepers operating in Sudan have no mandate to detain war crimes suspects.

If this is the case, and human rights groups are able to substantiate the claims against Gloria Arroyo for human rights violations and for suppression of press freedom, then she might find her feet treading the path to jail.

Yun nga lang, medyo malabo na. First, elections are near, barely one year. Kung hindi siya ma-impeach, hindi na rin siya presidente in case ICC issues a warrant of arrest against her. Second, Lorelei Fajardo will surely fire verbal ammunitions against ICC calling the act the work of opposition and the issuance of the warrant of arrest politically motivated. (Un)Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales will also let loose his unbridled tongue to delay the proceedings while FG Mike Arroyo will gather another crowd in EDSA to be airlifted to The Hague to show protests.

Pero sabi, ang protests na gagawin ni FG ay pagtutol sa proceedings ng ICC regarding the criminal cases of his wife. Ang gusto niya daw kasi na talakayin ng ICC ay annulment case dahil wala na rin siyang pakinabang sa asawa niya kung mawawala na ito sa pagiging presidente. Isa pa, wala nga daw na nagawa si Gloria sa ZTE-broadband issue eh pumayag na nga siya na pumunta si Gloria sa Boao kahit pa nasa emergency room siya at may sakit.

Philippines, Piracy and Property Rights

My trip to Quiapo (no, not patterned after Ricky Lee's scriptwriting manual) remains vivid in my head as the songs of the tinderos and tinderas kept going: Dibidi... dibidi... dibidi.

Naalala ko tuloy ang balita kahapon. Gusto ng mga pharmaceutical lobbyists sa America na bigyan ng economic sanctions ang Pilipinas dahil sa Cheaper Medicines Act ng huli. Violation daw yun ng intellectual property rights (IPR) ng mga malalalaking pharmaceutical companies. Pumirma kasi ang Pilipinas sa isang kasunduan under the General Agreement on Tariff and Trades with regard IPR.

Pero kung may punto nga ang mga American lobbyists, ibig sabihin, kailangang mahal ang mga gamot. Ibig ding sabihin, kung ang isang mahirap ay magkakaroon ng karapatan na maka-afford ng gamot para sa isang malusog na pangangatawan ito ay isang violation din ng IPR. Ibig ding sabihin, ang tanga-tanga talaga ng mga Pilipino dahil ibinoboto ng mga ito ay mga opisyal na basta na lang pumipirma ng mga hindi naiintindihan na dokumento. Buti na lang merong Gloria Arroyo na matapos sumabog ang balita na negatibo sa bansa ang implikasyon ng ZTE Broadband Deal, minadyik na lang para mawala ang mga dokumento. Galing di ba?

Pero isang malinaw na implikasyon din ang kahalagahan ng amendments sa Konstitusyon - amendments na hindi lang basta "able to read and write" ang kandidato kundi "able to understand" din ng kanyang binabasa at sinusulat.

But while we agree sa karapatan ng mga nag-isip, nag-imbento, gumawa, nag-develop, etc., ng mga bagay-bagay (gamot, pelikula, damit, musika atbp.), dapat gumawa rin ng paraan ang gobyerno para hindi naman lahat pabor sa mga may-ari ng IPR. Ang trabaho ng gobyerno ay balansehin ang mga interes at gumalaw patungo sa ikauunlad ng bawat isa. Puwedeng isa ang Cheaper Medicines Act pero huwag naman sanang maging bahag ang buntot ang gobyerno pag umalma na ang ibang bansa. Ikalawa, huwag lang tumutok sa gamot. Tutukan din ang iba pang bagay tulad ng Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Bill na hanggang ngayon, nasa drawer pa rin ng mga kongresista. Matagal na ata yun na nai-file pero mukhang hanggang filing cabinet na lang.

Ikatlo, tutukan din ang mga smuggler na kasabwat ng ilang tao diyan sa gobyerno. Mukha kasing ang nangyari, everybody happy lagi at naging "customary" na ang snuggling. Kung may hinuhuli man, ito yung maliliit at mahihina mag-coordinate. Ganun nga ba talaga yun?

Siyempre, lagyan ng pangil ang mga batas. Huwag ng gawin yung slogan ni Erap na "walang kai-kaibigan at walang kama-kamag-anak" kasi may lusot dun. Wala na ngang kaibigan (kaya nga umalma si Jun Lozada dahil kumonti ang kita), at wala na ring kamag-anak kasi panay na lang "kapamilya". Otherwise, bakit sinasabing "all roads of corruption lead to Rome... este, Home... I mean, Malacanang"?

Merceditas and the ethics of lawyers

Q: Do you know the reason why lawyers cannot enter directly either the heaven or the hell?
A: Because they keep on questioning the guidelines of St. Peter.


But kidding aside, lawyers have this Canon of Professional Ethics which they need to follow "that the public shall have absolute confidence in the integrity and impartiality of administration of justice." And Merceditas Gutierrez is a lawyer before becoming an Ombudsman. But it seems that her breeding is not of a lawyer as she personally lashed back at her critics who followed the rules and filed an impeachment complaint against her ... o lawyers lang ang dapat sumunod sa Canon of Professional Ethics?

Kung sabagay, why should we expect kay Merceditas to be following the Canon eh simpleng argumentum ad hominem hindi niya nga alam na fallacy pala. But even then, her speech makes a very good comic show. Here's the take from Inquirer.Net:

Phil Star: Profligate leadership by example

The Philippine Star's editorial today is worth reading... and sharing. Below is a copy. For the source, click here.

Profligate leadership by example

While other countries have slipped into recession, President Arroyo appears determined to show to the world how healthy the Philippine economy is: by traipsing around the globe. Her latest eight-day jaunt across Europe, the Middle East and North America cost taxpayers a whopping P123 million — and that’s the amount that Malacañang was willing to acknowledge.

What did Filipino taxpayers get in return? Few people remember exactly why the President went to Davos, Switzerland, or to Italy. If she went to the World Economic Forum to brag about the Philippine example, the international community seemed unimpressed.

Malacañang cited benefits from the entire trip amounting to an even more whopping $2 billion. Where did that fantastic figure come from? Palace officials said the President received pledges of aid from Saudi Arabia totaling $500 million and, from Bahrain, an investment commitment of $350 million for a hotel project in Makati City. In the United States, where her quest for a coveted photograph with new President Barack Obama ended in humiliation, there is a possibility that the Philippines can export $1.2 billion worth of textiles.

Decisions regarding foreign aid or major investments are not made as quickly as the President decides to fly to Washington for a photo op. The groundwork for decision-making is laid over several months, and the final commitment does not need the presence of the head of the recipient country. The original reason cited for the President’s Middle Eastern trip was to act as job-hunter for overseas Filipino workers. But the region has been hit by the precipitous plunge in world demand for crude oil. Projects and major investments in the Middle East are on hold, foreign workers are being sent home, and it’s doubtful that recovery will be quick.

Textile exports to the US? The Philippine textile industry has been devastated by competition from China and India. And if there is textile to speak of for exports, are Americans buying at this time? As for that unfortunate pilgrimage to Washington, where the President did not merit even a nod or word of acknowledgment from her US counterpart, the embarrassment should be enough to keep her home at least for the duration of the global slump. But then that would be too much to expect of this President. If members of Congress and even police officers are inveterate junketeers at taxpayers’ expense, it is because they are simply following their leader’s example.

No Cha-Cha -- Lakas Agrees

Finally, Lakas-NUCD conceded. It's impossible to have charter change at the moment.

Pero bakit nga ba kailangang magmadali na baguhin ang saligang batas? Let us count the ways:

1. Mabilis bumaba ang presyo ng gasolina. Baka makasabay si Gloria.
2. Dumadami ang populasyon dahil marami pa rin ang sumasalungat sa Reproductive Health. Baka dahil sa pagdami ng populasyon mahigitan ang mga botante ng administrasyon. Talo na sila sa susunod na eleksiyon.
3. Malapit ng maayos ang economic crisis ng mundo. Mawawala na ang "chaos". At dahil mawawala na ang chaos, mawawala na rin ang mga opportunities ng mga nasa gobyerno at malapit sa gobyerno ni Arroyo. Di ba may kasabihan, "In chaos there is opportunity"? Remember the rice crisis -- sino-sino nga ba ang nanginabang? Tanungin natin si Sec. Yap at ang biyenan nito.
4. Malapit na ang eleksiyon. Nawawala pa rin si Garci. Wala pa nga atang kaso.
5. Wala na rin ang ZTE at mahina na rin ang kita dahil sa ibinunyag ng World Bank na kapalpakan sa DPWH. Wala ng perang pumapasok.... waaaaahhhhhh!!!!!
   

Two New Years

It's been a while since my last post. Lumipas na ang Christmas, dumating na ang New Year at eto, new year na naman... Chinese New Year!

It's funny to note having two new years in one year. Parang yung standards ng graft and corrupt practices act ng gobyerno. Sabi ng World Bank, me tatlong Philippine-based construction companies na involved sa rigging ng bidding and these were all blacklisted. Sabi naman ng DPWH, at ng mga Tongressman na tiyak sumasahod sa mga blacklisted construction companies na ito, wala at hindi totoo ang sinasabi ng World Bank. Katunayan, dagdag ng DPWH, mas mahigpit nga ang bidding laws dito sa Pilipinas and based on the DPWH standards, malinis ang mga construction firms na blacklisted ng international financial institution.

Sino ngayon ang baliw... este mali: Ang World Bank o ang DPWH?

Going back sa new year, puwede namang sabihing pareho tama both ang international new year (based sa Gregorian Calendar) at ang Chinese New Year (based on a Lunar Calendar). Analogously, puwede ring sabihing tama ang World Bank at ganun din ang DPWH. Ang kaibahan nga lang, mas mahigpit ang DPWH kasi, sabi ng isang ispiritu santong prayle sa loob ng departamento, money down muna. No money, no honey... este, no contract. Tama ba?