The Jamby-NDF talks

After being a crybaby in her feud with Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Senator Jamby Madrigal now turned into a lady when she made a stand: this time, with Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leader Jose Maria Sison. In a joint communique with Sison, Jamby said:

• that the Arroyo administration was responsible for the urgent problems in the country;
  
• that there was a need to unite the Filipino people and solve the armed conflicts;
  
• that formal talks between the government and the NDF must resume;
  
• that the all-out-war policy of the administration was wrong; and,
• that the issue of the terror tag on Sison and the CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army, must be addressed by the communist group and the opposition.

Of course, Gloria's rahrah boys howled. They accused Madrigal of treason,and gross ignorance of the socio-political reality of burgeouis-NDF relations. Toting Bunye also called Madrigal's act as a desperate move to advance personal interests.

With the howls from the yards of Malacanang, iiyak pa kaya si Jamby?

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Drilon, though, defended Madrigal and called Raul Gonzales as over-reacting. He said: Legally speaking, Sen. Madrigal cannot commit the crime of treason because the Philippines is presently not at war with another country, which is an essential element of treason under Article 137 of the Revised Penal Code".

Indeed, one of the elements of treason is a 'war levied against the Philippines by another country'. (See Article 114 of the RPC.) And Gonzales seems misled. Bakang iniisip niya ay "war against terrorism" which is nothing but a concept paper considering that the law against terrorism is not yet approved?

Hmmnnn.

Buti pa si Sen. Pong Biazon, nag-iisip. As Biazon said: As legislators, we should be allowed to talk to any of the segments of our society because remember our job is all about legislation and definitely, addressing the root causes of an insurgency is a legitimate function of all in government including the legislators.

Kaya siguro palpak ang mga programa ng bosing Gloria niyo kasi one-sided kayo mag-isip. Praise release lang lagi. Ayan tuloy, baka mag-back fire pa yan sa inyo.

A fall guy named Resurreccion Borra

Many are wondering why elections commissioner Ressureccion Borra was singled out in a Mega Pacific Scandal when in fact what happened was a colegial decision of all the Comelec commissioners. Kailangan bang si Borra lang ang burahin?

Reports have it that there was a resolution submitted to Deputy Ombudsman Victor Fernandez showing that a panel of investigators found probable cause to indict all Comelec officials for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust. However, Meceditas Gutierrez ignored the findings of its panel and instead submitted a report that only Borra was guilty. This, despite her statement that "when anybody violates the law, it is our (the Ombudsman's) duty to enforce its sanctions".

Asan na ngayon ang statement niya? Nalimutan?

Senator Aquilino Pimentel said, however, that the watered-down report of the Ombudsman was aimed at two things: Borra is expendable, and that he is a peace offering to groups moving to impeach Arroyo.

Borra, it is said, has no big political padrino. Which simply stresses the fact that the career growth in the Arroyo government is dependent on MBA -- that is, May Backer Ako. Second, Borra's lips sometimes slips as what happened during the investigation on the 2004 elections. And slipping lips has no room in the government. Is it primarily because some things need to be hidden?

Kaya ba si Benjamin Abalos di nakasama sa culprits ng Mega-Pacific Scam dahil may big MBA siya plus a sealed lips? If so, then talagang may itinatago nga talaga with regards Gloria's victory.

But Borra, the poor Borra, must he be the fall guy? At this point,medyo pumalpak ata ang mga spinmeisters ni Gloria. Knowing Borra with the slipping lips, baka lalong sumabog ang kanilang mga itinatago especially if Borra is pressed to the wall. Dapat siguro si Abalos na lang kasi magaling din naman palang magtago ng sikreto itong si Chairman, di ba?

Not unless Borra's mouth is full. He might not talk when his mouth is full. Pero ang mga tanong: Magkano ba? Three times the figures involved in the scam? Four times? If so, sino ang magbibigay? And is Borra willing to put his name as a stake? And his family's reputation also?

Hmmnnnn.....

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PCIJ's take on the mega-Pacific Scam: Senate adds voice to clamor for Comelec official's resignation

Football and basketball in the Philippines compared

While the worldis dying with the World Cup fever, parang walang paki naman ang mga Pinoy sa football. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. Mas tutok ang mga Pinoy sa basketball. Ang mga basketbll players kasi, either puwedeng mag-artista (Benjie Paras, Joey Marquez, et. al.) o kaya puwedeng magkaroon ng GF na artista (Ethel Booba's Alex) o kaya GF na artistahin (Kyla's BF).
2. Sa basketball, puwede ka ring maging pulitiko (Jawo).
3. Feeling kasi ng mga Pinoy, matatangkad sila kaya bagay sa kanila ang basketball.
4. Sa basketball, matataas ang score di tulad sa football na minsan 1-0 lang ang score. Gusto ng Pinoy matataas na figures kaya nga si Gloria ipinagpilitan na di dapat bumaba sa one million ang lamang kay FPJ last 2004.
   
5. Sa basketball, madaling dumami ang populasyon ..... ng mga players. Sa football kasi marami ang kailangan, konti lang ang puwede.
6. Mas madaling maka-goal sa basketball di tulad sa football. At gusto ng mga Pinoy, goal agad. Kaya nga kahit hindi swak, pinipilit. Tulad ng sufficient number of classrooms ni Gloria Arroyo. Para masabing me accomplishments, pilit binabago ang rules.

Ano pa kaya?.... hmmnnnn