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!!!!!
   

JDV is cheap!

Cong. Jose de Venecia admitted accepting a P500,000 bribe just to stall the October 2007 Impeachment complaint against Gloria Arroyo. Here's the report of the Inquirer:

Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that he, along with some other congressmen and local officials, was given the alleged bribe on Oct. 11, 2007, to support a "sham" impeachment complaint to protect President Macapagal-Arroyo from a stronger suit.

On the same day he received the payoff, the then Speaker De Venecia said Ms Arroyo pressured him three times during a meeting in her Malacañang office to endorse the "weak" impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Roel Pulido.

De Venecia said the P500,000 was brought to his office in the House of Representatives by a staff member of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office on the afternoon of Oct. 11 when the House was set to vote on the Pulido complaint.

How cheap naman!

But JDV seems to have forgotten: Coming out this late (it's one year and one month!) does not relieve him of his guilt of being a party to bribery! Is he coming out only because he wanted to get even? If he really wanted to follow the law to the letter, he should have came out earlier and accused Gloria in the Palace of bribery and not after one year. In bribery, the issue is not whether or not the money is intact. It's the act of accepting the money and the intent behind such act.

How sad naman...

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?

GMA, accountable only to the Bishops?

Secret-keeper, err, Secretary Toting Bunye announced that Gloria Arroyo will be meeting with the Bishops to explain her side on the bribery scandal that broke out days ago. This followed after the CBCP called the Arroyo government as "morally bankrupt".

But since the day the scandal broke out, the Filipinos have been dying to heard the voice of GMA with regards the scandal. After days of silence, she finally wanted to unzip her mouth and report only to the CBCP. Which implies that GMA is accountable only to the bishops and not to the Filipino people.

Teka, teka, teka. Amended na ba ang Constitution to state that "sovereignty resides on the bishops and that all government authority emanates from them"? And, therefore, GMA is answerable to the bishops and not to the Filipino people? Kala ko ba there is a separation of Church and State?

Kunsabagay, there could be reasons why GMA has shifted her accountability from the Filipino people to the bishops. Many are claiming that she cheated her way to power in 2004. If that is true, and that she didn't really win the elections, it is therefore logical that she cannot be compelled to vow to the Filipinos who did not install her as president. So, who installed her, the bishops? Which leads us to think how the PPCRV behaved during the elections...

Second, during the Hello,Garci! scandal, the bishops called for sobriety instead of GMA's resignation. As a result, GMA was never ousted nor impeached -- courtesy of the bishops. Which means that GMA, indeed, is accountable to the bishops rather than the Filipino people.

Pero tanong ni Tikboy: While there is no problem with GMA being the president of the bishops, what about the money that had been circulating lately as alleged bribes? And what about the money that GMA is spending to run her government for the bishops? Di kaya pera rin yun ng mga bishops? O kaya naman pera yun na nahulog mula sa langit considering that GMA is close to the bishops?

Hmmmnnn....