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?

GMA vindicated from the NBN scandal?

While the report is yet to be prepared, Malacanang is already confident that sitting president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be vindicated from the NBN scandal. The reason: There is no evidence linking the president to the scandal.

First, paano ba sila nakakasiguro lalo na si Ed Ermita na vindicated nga talaga si Gloria? Mukhang me whitewash na agad na nangangamoy ah?

Second, paano nga ba talaga magkakaroon ng ebidensiya? They controlled all the possibilities to come out with an evidence? Parang Impeachment Trial. They kill it immediately with technicalities.

Pero vindicated nga ba? Not beyond reasonable doubt. Hanggang ngayon lutang pa rin ang mga koneksiyon ni Gloria sa mga iskandalo ng gobyerno. Actually she even admitted these categorically. She said sorry when she called Garci. And she said she still signed the NBN Contract despite the anomalies. This means she is not scot-free. And this will haunt her til the rest of history.

Little Red Riding Hood (lum)?

The words of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in a speech before signingthe P1.227-trillion 2008 national budget, are clear: To fix the corruption that still plagues our nation, we call on Congress, now that you have passed the budget, to work with us to pass a comprehensive anti-corruption reform act in 2008.

This reminds me of the wolf in the story of Little Red Riding Hood a scene of which goes:

Upon reaching the house of her grandma, Little Red Riding Hood knocked on the door so the wolf asked: Who's there?

Little Red Riding Hood, hearing the big voice of the wolf, was at first afraid; but believing her grandmother had a cold and was hoarse, answered, "It is your grandchild Little Red Riding Hood, who has brought you a cake and a little pot of butter mother sends you."

The wolf cried out to her, softening his voice as much as he could, "Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."

Little Red Riding Hood pulled the bobbin, and the door opened.

The wolf, seeing her come in, said to her, hiding himself under the bedclothes, "Put the cake and the little pot of butter upon the stool, and come get into bed with me."

So a question for Arroyo goes: Bakit ngayon lang na naipasa na ang pinakamataas na budget appropriations? At bakit ngayon lang na meron na namang alingasngas? And to add: Why still pass anti-corruption laws eh andami na natin nun? In addition, we even have a Code of Ethical Standards for government employees and public officials?

The issue here is not that we do not have laws. The issue here is implementation. We do not need additional laws. Sumobra na nga eh kaya nga dahil sa sobrang laws like EO 464, hindi nakakausad ang mga investigations na ginagawa.

Likewise, what we need is not an additional number of anti-corruption laws. What we need is an accountable and transparent government. And we do not need laws to be accountable and transparent.

Sabagay, going back to Little Red Riding Hood story, kung transparent ang wolf, he could have not eaten the girl. Kung transparent din ang Arroyo Government, no one could have dipped in their hands in the lucrative government projects. Si sana maingay ang Spratly contract with China, o kaya ang ZTE Broadband Deal, ang North Rail Project, ang South Rail Project, etc., etc., and ad infinitum.

Whistleblowers banned

I missed this from yesterday's news:

Palace: Lozada ‘truth caravan’ dangerous to youth
AFP says whistleblower not welcome in camps

Even then, I had some comments in Ellen Tordesilla's blog which I quote:

I think tama din naman ginawa ni jesli lapuz. Kung papayagan niya kasi na magsalita si Lozada sa mga public schools, magkakaroon ng public knowledge ang mga public school students at magiging publicly aware sila sa pangyayari. Siyempre malalaman din ng mga public school students na niloloko rin pala sila ng gobyerno dahil habang nagpapasarap ang iilan sa million-dollar kickbacks at SOPs, itong mga public school students ay nag-aagawan ang mga puwit sa kakarampot na bangko at pisara ng kanilang mga eskuwelahan; nagsisiksikan sa kokonting classrooms; nagpipipilit gumising ng maaga para lang mahabol ang three shifts ng kanilang paaralan; at nagtitiis sa gutom o kaya nagkakasya na lamang sa limang pisong baon. Kung magsasalita kasi si Lozada, baka mainggit lang itong mga public school students sa sarap ng buhay ng iilan, na maganda rin pala sa Wack-wack, at ansarap ng P650 na burjer ni Abalos. Kung mangyayari yun, baka mag-drop out sila sa klase at mag-applay na lamang bilang mga caddie.

At tama din si Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo when she said that "The youth can be very emotional about this, and the danger is, when we become emotional, we lose objectivity."

Unquote: baka mag-rally ng mag-rally ang mga estudyante at mahulog sa silya ang presidente.

"In the many times that he [Lozada] came out, he has not presented concrete evidence, not even one, to back up his claim," Fajardo said, adding, "And that's dangerous."

Unquote: Di pa rin kasi pinapayagan na lumabas si Neri.

But funnier is the apolitical AFP who also issued statements na bawal ang whistleblower sa kampo. Bakit kaya di rin ipagbawal si Esperon dun? Apart from the fact that he is really due to go, he also blew the whistle without doing the appropriate action -- i.e., by filing cases at the proper courts an attempted coup for the officials whom he said are recruiting him?

EO 464 and the death of Godzilla

Finally, EO 464 was scrapped but its baby, Memorandum Circular (MC) 108 remains enforced. And we do not know if there are still a number of babies awaiting to get out of their shells. Parang Godzilla. They killed the mutant mother reptile without knowing that underneath, mas marami pa pala.

Bayan Muna, however, says it's a victory. The Catholic Bishops (most of them if not all) says they are pleased. Just like the mayor and the general in the Godzilla movie. Ang problema nga lang, they seemed to forget the succeeding moves of the power game. Una, what will happen to the legal issue raised by Romulo Neri before the Supreme Court? If the case was anchored strictly to EO 464, there is a greater likelihood that the high tribunal will dismiss the petition for being moot and academic. In a sense, hindi pa rin mare-resolve kung hanggang saan ang boundaries ng executive privilege ng presidente. Talo pa rin ang mga Pilipino.To note, even the Supreme Court Spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez admits that the executive privilege is innate in the president and can be invoked anytime.

Ikalawa, EO 464 is not an assurance that Neri will be spilling the beans. During the time of the Senate hearings for the Jose Pidal account, Iggy Arroyo had been invoking to the teeth his right to privacy. How sure are the Filipinos that Neri and the others will not also use the same old worn out line?

And we may not know. Somebody might spill some blood to keep the beans in the basket. Parang accident ga', sabi ni Dodong.

Pero teka, if EO 464 is Godzilla with the documents like MC 108 and the ZTE Contract as the babies, asan yung isla kung saan nag-mutate si Godzilla? Is Ricky Carandang correct na ang isla na yun ay ang Spratlys? Hmmmnnnn....

Dirty minds

On the idea that the joint activities with China to explore the Spratly Islands was only arrived at to secure loans for the Philippines, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales just said: Nothing, nothing. That is a lot of speculation by people who have dirty minds.

On one of his posts, Ricky Carandang expounded his theory on the possible connection of the NBN-ZTE Contract to the joint Philippine-China activities on the exploration of the Spratly Islands. And it looks there is a sense. For instance, bakit nga ba dumami ang loans ng China sa Pilipinas? At bakit sunod-sunod ang mga kontrata na kahit palpak pinipilit pa rin na isulong? Consider the Northrail project among others. At ngayon, ang ZTE Broadband deal. Does this prove Leuccipus who said that "Nothing exists at random but out of reason and out of necessity"?

Mukha nga. With the uncommon common sense of Ms. Gloria Arroyo, it is not impossible for her to sell even the whole Philippines. Consider the fact that she still signed a highly irregular and anomalous contract despite her knowledge about it.

A third evidence is provided by the 2004 presidential elections and the "Hello, Garci!" recordings. One, bakit atat manalo si Ms. Arroyo? At bakit di dapat bumaba sa 1 million ang gap ng boto nila ng second contender? Bakit di na lang iasa sa tunay na saloobin ng taumbayan? Will her loss mean a lot like life and death? Hindi kaya dahil me cash advance na sa China at kung hindi siya manalo baka mag-leak agad ang anti-Filipino Spratlys joint exploration ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas at China? At kung walang cash advance, san nga ba kumuha ng pera na ginasta? Tingin ni Aling Maria, tunay na pista ang 2004 elections. Surely, hindi lang yun dahil na-liquify ang fertilizer funds o iba pang government funds.

At any rate, Aling Maria and the others may just have dirty minds. But why is Ms. Arroyo hiding her hands with the invocation of the executive privilege? And why is she not pushing for the prosecution and incarceration of those who caused the flaws of the contracts she signed? Kala ko ba galit din siya sa katiwalian? Why, is her hands dirty that she is trying to hide them?

Corruption, a matter of executive privilege?

In Tuesday's hearing on the question of law filed by Romulo Neri with regards his attendance to the Senate probe on NBN-ZTE Scandal, an agreement was reached. According to the high tribunal, Neri should attend the hearing but could not answer the following questions:

• Did the President (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) ask him to approve the contract despite his report of bribery and kickbacks?
  
• Did the President order him to prioritize the project?
  
• Did the President follow up on the contract?

It is said that those are matters of executive privilege, questions that clearly give the clues as to whether or not Arroyo indeed took a dip in the honey of corruption.

Kung sabagay, the Senate probe is not about whether Arroyo is corrupt or straight but as to whether or not the NBN-ZTE Contract is indeed anomalous. Isa pa, di pa naman nagbibigay ng final na desisyon ang Korte Suprema defining particularly what executive privilege really is and what are its limits and boundaries. But given these developments, and if in the end the Supreme Court will sustain the result of the compromise agreement, magkakaroon na ng precedent ang mga susunod na administrasyon. Una, puwede palang mangurakot ng mangurakot and when probes like the one being done by the Senate is conducted, i-invoke lang ang executive privilege. Ikalawa, magiging "for display purposes" na lang talaga ang Sections 27 and 28 ng Constitution which we quote:

Section 27. The State shall maintain honesty and integrity in the public service and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption.

Section 28. Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.

Similarly, useless na rin ang mga anti-graft laws natin at laws on the code of conduct of public officials and employees dahil sa pamamagitan lang ng executive privilege, free as a bird na ang mga nasa top positions covered by the executive privilege.

Pero di pa naman tapos ang lahat. We still believe that the Supreme Court is still independent and that it can end the crisis involving executive priveleges in the soonest possible time.

The Writings on the Street

When two opposite poles attract each other, the only thing certain is there's a magnet.

Yesterday's inter-faith rally was an interesting sight. There we see ousted president Joseph Estrada and one of the key figures in ousting him, former president Cory Aquino, joining together in a common cause. Inquirer.Net even had a picture of them appearing to be dancing together. We also see the prayerfuls and the prayerless; the religious groups and the atheists; the movie stars and the movie-goers; the left and the right; the capitalists and the anti-capitalists; the employers and the employees; and so on and so forth. All are united in saying that truth must come out. But will the concerned people led by the claiming president Gloria Arroyo herself listen?

For a person trying to save his or her ass, parting with power may disprove Shakespeare's statement that "parting is such sweet sorrow". For this people, parting will be very bitter, hard to take pill. Paano pa kasi magiging Darna si Darna kung wala na ang bato? O paano pa magiging presidente ang presidente kung wala na siya sa puwesto?

But whether these people will listen or not, the writings on yesterdays streets in Makati will show: the end might be near. Ang pagsasama-sama ng magkakahiwalay at magkakatunggaling na puwersa ay isang indikasyon na dapat bigyang pansin. Ganun din ang pagpayag ng mga publicity-hungry na pulitiko na huwag magsalita sa entablado at ang mga anti-imperialist na huwag sumigaw ng "ibagsak ang imperialismo" para huwag mabuwag ang mga tao. It's plain and simple science: Opposite poles attract. When these attract each other, a new shape is forming, and a new shape will surely be formed.

Favila, another lost tongue?

Just the other day, US presidential hopeful John McCain was forced to take time to disavow disparaging remarks made at a rally about Sen. Barack Obama by conservative talk show host, Bill Cunningham. This simply affirms the saying: More talk, more mistakes.

Kung sabagay, Cunningham's remarks had improved the likability of Mc Cain. The presidential aspirant was given the additional time to boost his candidacy by denouncing anti-racist statements.

Yun nga lang, mas marami ang Cunninghams kaysa sa McCains. Tulad ni Gloria Arroyo when she affirmed that there was, indeed, flaws in the ZTE-NBN Broadband deal. Earlier we have Raul Gonzales, a loose canon; Lorelei Fajardo, and Sergio Apostol. Buti nga medyo tumahimik na si Toting Bunye after the long and never-ending two blind mice... este, two pirated CDs.

Pero teka, meron na naman palang bago sa listahan ng Filipino Cunninghams: si Trade Sec. Peter Favila. Sabi ni Favila, ex-President Fidel Ramos pressed Gloria to attend the Boao Forum kaya andun ang ale sa China. Kaya nga daw nag-agonize ang ale.

Parang naririnig ko tuloy ang background ng video-singko sa kapitbahay. Bago maglabas ng score, me soundtrack muna na parang ganito ang lyrics: Ang tanga, ang tanga-tanga talaga....dubidubidubidum... klang!

One need not study abroad to learn the fact that silence is gold. Yun nga lang, one needs to use that gold in the proper time. Parang buying and selling ng dolyar. Kung mataas ang dolyar, kelangan magbenta, kung mababa, kailangan bumili.

Releasing statements that GMA went to China dahil lamang kay Ramos only creates more questions as well as enemies. Bakit ngayon lang sinabi yun na malaki na ang gulo? Dahil ba inililigaw nila ang isyu? Bakit di na lang pinadala si Noli De Castro? O kaya si De Venecia na isa ring Lakas? O si Ed Ermita? Ganun ba ka-insensitive si Tabako at kailangan pang pilitin o i-pressure ang isang tao na ang asawa ay lubhang may sakit?

Opinyon lang ni Tikboy sobrang sensitive itong si Tabako. Pa-pogi lagi eh. And during his administration, he flies political balloons first before enacting as well as implementing policies. For that reason, kahit me rallies din noon, walang mga "Oust Tabako Movements" na nagsipag-sulputan, movements na kasing-sigasig sa panahon ni Cory, ni Erap, at ngayon, ni Gloria. Sa madaling salita, maiintindihan naman ni Tabako ang sitwasyon ni Gloria kung sakali.

Teka, lumabas na naman ang soundtrack. Kumanta kasi si Aling Toyang. Ang score: 39%.

GMA: The Rule of Law

After admitting the presence of flaws in the NBN contract and still signing it, and after doing nothing to immediately punish the erring officials involved, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is calling "on the public to remind the legislators to respect the rule of law in its investigations into alleged corruption in her government."

Teka, bakit ang legislators lang? Di ba kasama sa gobyerno ang executive department kung saan siya kabilang? Or what she means is respect her for she is the rule of law?

AT any rate, kung hindi siya ang rule of law at siya ay tagapagpatupad lamang ng batas, she should have not sacrificed the welfare of the people for the sake of the length of time. Immediately sana, pina-hold niya muna ang kontrata ng ZTE at hindi ito pinirmahan, pinatalsik niya ang mga pumalpak na opisyal ng gobyerno na involved sa pag-aaral ng ZTE, at kinasuhan niya agad ng violation of anti-corruption laws at violation of RA 6713 ang mga involved. Ganun din, inalis niya ang EO 464 at pinaharap sina Romulo Neri at iba pa sa Senado para sa imbestigasyon din na maaring makatulong sa pag-gawa ng mas matitibay na batas laban sa korupsiyon.

Anyway, consistent din ang ale. Dagdag niya sa speech niya sa Trece Martirez, Cavite kanina, "Yes, lahat tayo laban sa katiwalian, pero ang pinaglaban naman ni [hero and first Philippine president General Emilio ] Aguinaldo ay rule of law, democratic principles, ipaglaban natin yun."

Kung maaalala ng lahat, matapos ang eleksiyon at nanalo si Aguinaldo laban kay Andres Bonifacio, the former also insisted that the rule of law prevails. Kaya ilang araw lang, pinatay si Bonifacio para di na mag-ingay laban sa resulta ng eleksiyon na sabi ng ilang historians, tainted din ng dayaan. And Gloria allegedly won also because of cheating. Di ba? Hello? Garci?....

Kaya pala di natin masisi si Jun Lozada when he begged off Jinggoy Estrada's question. Tanong kasi ni Jinggoy during the ZTE hearing: Sino ang idol mo doon... este, ngayon?

Sinabi kasi ni Lozada na dati idol niya si Joker Arroyo kaya lang nagbago na pagtingin niya. Ngayon, di na niya sinagot si Jinggoy. Mahirap na kasi baka mabuking siya. Malaman ng lahat na idol niya rin si ex-Comelec Chair Ben Abalos. While Lozada begged off the question, si Gloria Arroyo naman proud pa na gawing halimbawa si Aguinaldo.

Well, this just proves the saying: Birds of the same feather, flocks together.

And with this, it can also be rightfully said na nabibingwit talaga ang isda sa bibig.

GMA and her uncommon common sense

Truth is like water, it always seeks its level.

Gloria Arroyo's admission that the national broadband network deal (NBN) with ZTE Corporation is flawed simply shows that she really deserves to be ousted and that her spinmeister has really lost its touch. Kung sabagay, ang utot, kahit ano'ng pabango ang ilagay mo, utot pa rin.

Actually, Inquirer.Net has done a good job already. It has shown that Arroyo is a party to corruption and had the deal pushed through, she would be very silent about it. Kaya nga lang, there were talks that the project is anomalous so she only cancelled it. If the PDI reporter recorded it right, the intention is vividly encapsulated in Arroyo's words which we quote: Kaya itong proyektong ito, oras na may pag-uusap na anomalya, ay agad-agad kong kinansela. Agad-agad na gumawa ako ng hakbang para kanselahin (So in this project, soon after talk circulated that it was anomalous, I immediately canceled it. I promptly took steps to cancel it).

Kaya nga lang, why cancellation? Why not investigation and eventual incarceration of those involved? Kala ko pa naman mga beterano ang mga legal advisers ni Gloria. Ba't di nila sinabihan ang ale na ang mga involved sa anomalya ay liable sa mga batas natin foremost of which is Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees? The silence of these legal advisers, idagdag niyo ang machinegun-mouthed na si DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzales, simply shows two things -- either na nalimutan nila ito or me pino-protektahan sila. Pero kung nalimutan nila ito, it simply means that they do not deserve to receive income from the government dahil useless din pala ang binabayaran ng mga tao. Mas marami pa ang magagaling na abugado diyan sa tabi-tabi. O kung wala, marami namang paralegal diyan na wiling magsilbi. Just give them the opportunity.

Pero kahit wala ang mga advisers na ito, kahit simpleng sentido kumon na lang sana ang ginamit. Kaso, mukhang kakaiba ang sentido kumon nitong si GMA.

Worst of these is the following:

The President herself, speaking mostly in Filipino, made the disclosure Saturday in an interview with radio commentator Joe Taruc over dzRH. “Someone told me about it the night before the signing of the supply contract. That was one of many signings [in China]. But how can you cancel it the night before, considering that you are dealing with another country?” she said.

In simple analogy, kung bibigyan pala si Gloria ng kontrata na gagawing testing site ng nuclear bomb ang Pilipinas tulad ng ginawa noon ni French Pres. Jacques Chirac sa Mururua at Fangataufa Atolls, at ibinigay ang kontrata a night before the signing of the contract, pipirmahan niya pa rin pala ito kinabukasan? Being a testing site for nuclear weapons is no different from being the killingfield of the weapons of poverty, debt and hunger. Ang kaibahan nga lang, mas mabilis mamatay ang mga tao sa isang bomba lang. But poverty and hunger is more torturing ang inhuman than dying in an instant.

This being the case, Gloria Arroyo just showed her lack of concern for the plight of the Filipinos than the plight of the pockets of some groups or individuals. Whether kasama siya diyan is another story. The clear story is, she doesn't deserve to be a president and that she is betraying the public trust. And she is betraying the country. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

In a way, tama si Senator Kiko Pangilinan, her former ally. According to the Senator:

“Assuming for the sake of argument that the President is telling the truth … her subsequent act of proceeding with the approval of the contract proves that, at the very least, she tolerated and condoned criminal activities,” Pangilinan said, adding:

“At worst, she was a party to it. Either way it appears she failed to act appropriately and may have betrayed the public trust by this failure.”

Kaya lang, di ba nagsisisi si Kiko sa ginawa niya bilang "Mr. Noted" during the 2004 canvassing of votes for president and vice president?

The Logic of Abalos

Former COMELEC Chairman Ben Abalos yesterday presented "evidences" to debunk the claim that he (Abalos) issued death threats against Jun Lozada. The evidences are receipts showing that Lozada went back to Wack-wack and even ate hamburgers.

Sabi ni Abalos sa TV interview sa 24 Oras: Kung nagbigay nga ako sa kanya ng death threats, bakit pa siya babalik sa Wack-wack at kakain pa ng hamburger?

Abalos is a lawyer but it seems he lost his 8 years of studies with a single twisted logic. It's like arguing that Pedro should not eat food anymore because he was a victim of food poisoning. Or it's like arguing that the "Hello, Garci!" scandal is not true because there are no phone receipts that can be shown.

Kung sabagay, kaya nga pala hanggang ngayon bulok pa rin ang sistema ng Comelec; kaya nga pala hanggang ngayon di pa rin maamin-amin ni Abalos na marami pa rin ang dayaan sa eleksiyon; kaya pala hanggang ngayon di parin ma-automate ang sitema, etcetera, etcetera....

Pero bakit nga ba twisted ang logic ni Abalos? Let us count the ways:

1. It doesn't mean na porke sa Wack-wack binigay ang death threat, di na puwedeng bumalik dun ang tinakot. So what kung bumalik si Lozada sa Wack-Wack after the death threat kuno ni Abalos? Maybe Lozada thinks Abalos cannot kill him in public. In short, it is non sequitor na dahil dun sa area na yun binigay ang death threat, dun papatayin ang tinatakot. Si Tikboy pinadalhan ng death threat sa bahay niya. Does that mean hindi na uuwi si Tikboy sa bahay niya? Eh, bahay niya yun. O kaya si Tikboy, tinext sa CP niya na papatayin daw siya. Does that mean hindi na gagamit ng CP si Tikboy?
   
2. It doesn't mean also na pag binigyan ang isang tao ng death threat at hindi ito natakot, hindi na totoo ang death threat. Its like arguing na "hindi mamamatay si Tikboy kasi di naman siya naniniwala kay Kamatayan."
3. It doesn't also mean na pag binigyan mo ang isang tao ng death threat at ang tinakot ay bumili pa ng hamburger, hindi na totoo ang death threat. Similarly, it does not follow na totoo ang Diyos kasi ang binili ni Aling Conching na Santo Nino sa Quiapo ay walang resibo.
   
4. It doesn't also mean na pag kumain ang isang tao ng hamburger, di na totoo ang death threat.
5. It doesn't also mean na pag ang nagbigay ng death threat ay Comelec official, hindi na rin totoo ang death threat.

At siyempre, marami pang iba. Whether or not the death threat is true, hindi po ebidensiya ang resibo ng hamburger. Otherwise, wala ng tao na may death threat ang kakain sa McDo at Jollibee. Baka kasi pagtawanan lang ito ng mga pulis kung magsumbong na may death threat nga talaga siya.

No Fear and No Peer

After days of silence, Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzales fired his mouth once again this time against Cabinet members who contemplated of attending last Sunday's mass at La Salle Greenhills. Gonzales said, these cabinet members will be axed. So far, there is no report of any Cabinet members attending the mass which was held in support of Jun Lozada, ZTE-Boradband scandal.

But why the fear? Di ba wala namang katotohanan ang pinagsasabi ni Lozada? So what kung dumami ang supporters ni Lozada eh kasinungalingan lang naman daw ang pinagsasabi nito? Kala ko ba, truth always triumph?

To further strengthen the claim, Press Secretary Eduardo Ermita and former NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri read before the media this morning a manifesto of all the cabinet members saying that they hold steadfast to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Kaso, dalawa nga lang sila, asan yung ibang Cabinet Secretaries? Ang masama pa, sabi ni dating Cabinet Member Ging Deles in a TV interview: Ginawa na rin namin ang ganun. We also made a manifesto declaring our support to GMA and even issued press releases to the media but in the end, we all resigned through the Hyatt 10.

Pero truth prevails, sabi nga, di ba? So GMA will prevail. In her is truth. So why fear?

Oo nga, why fear? Kaso, di ba ang ambassador ang representative ng presidente? And the actions of the ambassador are also the actions of the president. Kasi nga extension ng presidente ang ambassador. Now, according to whispering spirits from Spain, may katotohanan daw kasi ang report ng Malaya na si Philippine Ambassador to Spain Joseph Delano Bernardo gusto ng tumakas sa Pilipinas at maging Kastila na. These whispering spirits said that Bernardo indeed applied for Spanish citizenship but was denied. One of these spirits work with the office that process papers for naturalization. If the actions of the ambassador indeed represent the actions of the president, it can also be said na takot na rin si GMA at gusto na ring tumakas sa Pilipinas tulad ni Bernardo. Puwede di ba?

Pero bakit naman matatakot si GMA eh she is holding the truth?

Kunsabagay, tunay nga na she is holding the truth. Kaya nga ayaw niyang papagsalitain si Neri. Gayundin, ayaw niyang magsalita si FG Mike.

When money talks

Why did Jun Lozada blow the whistle for the ZTE-NBN deal?

It is said that Jun Lozada asked the help of Malacanang para di siya humarap sa Senado. Baka daw kasi magsalita siya ng totoo. In response, people from the palace promised Lozada to bring him to London. Pero ng makaalis ang eroplano, ibinaba lang siya sa Hongkong. Nagtipid daw kasi ang Malacanang. To get even, Lozada went back to the Philippines and exposed what he knew.

Though this is just a joke, whispering spirits from Malacanang admit a grain of truth in the story. Dahil sa expose dati ni Gov. Ed Panlilio na binigyan siya ng half million, nalaman ng ibang kapartido ni GMA na un-equal pala ang hatian sa Malacanang. At dahil me mga hindi na masyadong nalalangisan, dumadami ang mga "wait and see". At dahil umagos ang pera sa panahon ng pagpapatalsik kay Speaker Jose De Venecia, pumintig ang mga puso at nabuhay ang mga dugo.

In simple terms, when money talks marami ang nakikinig. And money needs to flow steadily to keep the audience from going away. Ang problema, hindi ganun ka-steady ang source ng pera. Sooner or later, mauubos din ito. And it might be impossible to do another ZTE. Lalo pa ngayon na mapagbantay na ang mga tao at aktibo na rin ang media.

Can't a sinner become a saint?

In yesterday's Senate hearing on the ZTE Broadband Scandal, Miriam "I lied!" Santiago confronted Jun Lozada with documents on the latter's alleged irregularities. She even portrayed Lozada "as a self-dealing government executive with political ambitions who acted as an agent for Jose de Venecia III, the first whistle-blower on the broadband scandal."

According to Santiago, she was merely testing the credibility of Lozada. Lozada, though, did not deny and admitted Santiago's accusations, mea culpa. Which reminds me of her "I am sorry" speech during the elections for her "mistakes" in supporting Erap and the EDSA III. Just to aid Tikboy's memories, Santiago was the one who spoke during the EDSA III and called on the people to storm Malacanang. She was also famous for saying she will jump from the airplane if ever Erap will be ousted. But when her obligation to jump was due, she just said: I lied, hehehe.

Because of her "mistakes", she lost the 2001 Senatorial elections. Fearing another failure, she asked for an apology over the media and sided with Gloria Arroyo. The people forgave her ... and won.

But with her reactions at Lozada, it appears that she forgot her past mistakes. And she forgot that the people also gave her another chance -- that is, by re-electing her. Or maybe she was not really forgiven and she doesn't think it that way. It could be that she also cheated her way to the Senate so why entertain the idea of the voters forgiving her? As she laughingly admitted that she lied, she can also laughingly admit that she cheated during the elections -- that is, if there are evidences shot at her face. So why, indeed, should she think of being forgiven and return the favor by also giving others another chance?

Kung sabagay, ang lohika ni Miriam ay "once a thief, always a thief". If this is the case, she remains to be a liar as a liar is a thief of truth. And her apology is nothing but a pure politically-motivated activity to boost her campaign. And if the logic is indeed "once a thief, always a thief", her boss, GMA, is also guilty for stealing people's votes as the "Hello, Garci!" remains undisputed to this day.

O di ba?

Mickey says it all

Who says Mickey Arroyo is doing nothing in the Congress?

Just this afternoon, at the Newsbeat in Net 25, Mickey Arroyo was interviewed on his withdrawal of support from Speaker of the House, Jose De Venecia. Arroyo forwarded two reasons: De Venecia's lack of transparency, and the Speaker's failure to push reforms in the lower house.

Pero teka, kung ito ang mga dahilan bakit pinipilit mag-resign si De Veneca, di ba ito rin ang mga dahilan sa pagpapatalsik sa ina ni Mickey na si Gloria? Bakit ambilis ngayong magturo ni Mickey ng bang tao eh ang mama niya mismo ganun din ang mga isyung binabato? In the issue of reforms, for instance, corruption is an all time high in the Philippines. Killings, disrespect for freedom of the press, freedom to air grievances and assemble, and lack of genuine anti-poverty and other economic and social reforms continue. In the same way, di pa rin natatapos ang isyu ng “Hello, Garci!”, ZTE, jueteng, smuggling, malversation of funds, liquified fertilizer scandal, ang P500,000 Malacanang payoffs, proper accounting of expenditures, sobrang biyahe, ang di pagbibigay pahintulot sa mga Cabinet members para magsalita sa Committee hearings sa Senado, etc., etc., etc., etc....

Kunsabagay, understandable naman si Mickey. Nanay niya si Gloria so why would he also withdraw his support from her. To consider, one of the reasons why he run for District Representative is to save her mother. And shifting the burden as well as the limelight to De Venecia is one way of realizing his objective.

Which reminds me of the Tammany Ring in the drawing pen of Thomas Nast. Tammany Ring is a sort of a mafia in the early 1900's in New York. All the persons involved have been pointing at each other as the corrupt official. Yun pala, lahat pala sila involved.##

Rape Victim Punished in SA: An old story in the Philippines

The rape victim from Saudi Arabia who, instead of getting justice, was punished with 200 lashes and six months in prison had become a favorite subject in a number legal circles. Even Philippine government officials are also discussing and condemning the same as unjust and unsound. Of course, they are cautious in raising their voices for fear that Saudi Arabia might mete the country with indirect sanctions considering, primarily, the oil prices which are steadily rising.

But is the case of this rape victim a new story in the Philippines? Mukhang hindi, ah. For instance, some are planning to charge with bribery and violation of the rules and ethical standards for public employees Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio, the person who caught public attention for the questionable Malacang payoffs. Similarly, Joey De Venecia, whatever his motives may be, is being pressed to the wall and is facing accusations one after the other for exposing the ZTE scandal. On the other hand, the culprits and peddlers (does that include Ben Abalos?) go unpunished. Look at Estrada who admitted to have plundered the Philippines by not contesting the facts and judgment imputed to him by the SandiganBayan. He is free as a bird. And where is Garci? And Bedol?

Hmmmnnn. Kaya siguro maingat din ang Malacanang na magpalabas ng statement against the Saudi Government (kagaya ni Bush) dahil baka balikan din sila. Totoo ba?

Goodbye, NBN!?

After weeks of struggle deciding what to do
here comes Mrs. Arroyo
saying goodbye to the contract with ZTE
just like saying goodbye to 'hello, Garci!"?

Why kick the contract without a sound
Was it because it was never found?
Or is it because goodbye kickbacks na
dahil maingay at me mga bomba?

O dahil ba nadadawit si FG
at nakigulo rin si Luli?
O dahil ba sa pasabog ni Neri
o dahil si Abalos sa bibig ni Joey
ay broker na ng ZTE?

But it's undeniable, goodbye NBN
ang tono ngayon ni madam president
pero ang sure sabi ng source
naiipit ang family, pressure or force
kickbacks, whatever, di kasi malinis
at mga sagot sa senate di rin na-rehearse
kesa maging Erap part 2
itong si Mrs. Arroyo
Goodbye NBN, yan ang sigurado.

From "Hello Garci! to "Goodbye Abalos!"?

It seems that Comelec Chairman Ben Abalos will be saying "Adieu" before his retirement day comes. Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico already filed an impeachment complaint before the lower house against Abalos for corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.

But one thing sure, he didn't betray the private trust -- that of the ZTE.

Of course, Abalos denies to death his engagement in the NBN deal. Sabagay, sino ba ang aamin? Pontius Pilate washed his hands. Even Mike Defensor, with his questionable audio expert, didn't even give a damn to apologize. Si Erap nga, di rin umamin na tama ang Sandigan. Ang alam lang niya, gusto niya ng pardon -- an act which gives an inkling na me kasalanan nga siya.

Pero si Abalos, i think he deserves more than just an impeachment. Kung nangyayari nga talaga ito sa ZTE, what more sa iba pang projects kung saan dawit ang pangalan niya tulad sa Comelec election automation? At paano rin ang tungkol sa election money? Consider: mukhang rattled siya na palinis kamay sa isyu ng Hello, Garci! At may mga insider na nagsasabing, tuwing eleksiyon may flow of money rin na nangyayari. At kasamaa si Chairman sa mga nauulingan.

If, tulad ng claim niya, he is innocent (tulad kay Erap), then let the process begin. Go, go, Impeachment proceedings!

Mirriam's Logic

Mirriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday walked out of the National Broadband Network deal. Her reason: The senate is just being dragged into a case of 'kickbacks' double cross.

She also argued that the senate is just wasting its time for hearing those 'kickback' stories.

Teka, kala ko genius si Mirriam. Ba't di niya naiisip na tip of the iceberg lang ang kickback stories? Or medyo naiinis siya kasi million dollar kickbacks ang pinag-uusapan at ala pa ata sa kanyang nag-offer ng ganun?

Or masyadong matalino si Mirriam kaya ang mga simpleng bagay, di niya nabibigyang pansin. For this, let us count the ways why the Senate should continue investigating the NBN-ZTE deal:

1. NBN deal is a deal on corruption. Mantakin mo, million dollars ang pinag-uusapan. Si Neri, may 200. Si Abalos nag-offer sabi ni Neri. Ibig sabihin, mas malaki ang kay Abalos. At siyempre, mas malaki rin ang mga ibubulsa ng mga nasa likod ni Abalos. Si FG ba? Si Gloria?
   
2. NBN deal is a deal on the betrayal of public trust. Bakit ganun kabilis ang mga pangyayari? Bakit nabigla na lang tayo na meron palang ganun?Sabi ng mga taga-UP di naman daw masyado kailangan dahil kaya naman ng ating mga private companies. At bakit atat si Abalos? Si Gloria, pumunta pa ng China. Si Aling Tonya ni walang pamasahe papuntang Avenida. At bakit si Abalos na Chairman ng Comelec, mukhang nasa DOTC na? At si FG, while naglalaro sa Wack-wack, napasok pa sa eksena. Broker na rin ba? At bakit pa? Malinaw nmn sa Republic Act 3019, di ba?
3. NBN is a deal na kailangang pasanin ng mga mamamayan. Utang ba. At si Juan ang magpapasan. Eh ni wala ngang alam sa computer eh. Kahit nga ang anak niyang si Lilian, me subject ngang computer 101 eh hanggang tingin na lang sa keyboard dahil ang computer set sa school nila, pentium II na nga nag-iisa pa. At bilyong-bilyong piso ang pa ang babayaran.
4. At binabayaran ang mga senador na tulad ni Mirriam para siguraduhing bantayan ang kaban ng yaman at hindi lang ito basta malalaspag ng kung sino man. Kaya nga the power of the purse rests on the Congress di ba? At kilangan din siyempreng well-appraised ang mga tao sa mga ginagawa sa Senado, at ang mga batas tulad ng pakikipag-kontrata ng gobyerno. Kung walk-out lang ng walk-out, ba't di na lang kaya sila mag-walk out sa puwesto at ibalik ang pinangsahod sa kanila ng mga Pilipino?
   

So, di pa ba alam ni Mirriam kung bakit dapat siyang nakaupo din sa hearing? O inggit lang talaga siya sa million dollar kickbacks? Hmmmnnnn....