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.

The Silence of the Lamb... err, Gonzales

After the long-delayed and much awaited decision in Chavez vs. Gonzales, the Supreme Court on February 15 finally laid to rest the issue on whether or not to air the "Hello, Garci!" proceedings. The ruling: the tapes can be aired.

Kaya pala tameme si Raul Gonzales the past few days at si Sergio Apostol na lang ang medyo maingay. Kala nga ni Tikboy, nasa hospital na naman ang lolo kasi biglang preno ang machine gun mouth sa panahon ng krisis. Yun pala, nabingi din ang Supreme Court dahil sabi ni Chief Justice Puno: We slide to the issue of whether the mere press statements of the Secretary of Justice and of the NTC in question constitute a form of content-based prior restraint that has transgressed the Constitution. In resolving we hold that it is not decisive that the press statements made by respondents were not reduced in or followed up with formal orders or circulars. It is sufficient that the press statements were made by respondents while in the exercise of their official functions. Undoubtedly, respondent Gonzales made his statements as Secretary of Justice, while the NTC issued its statement as the regulatory body of media.Any act done, such as a speech uttered, for and on behalf of the government in an official capacity is covered by the rule on prior restraint. The concept of an “act” does not limit itself to acts already converted to a formal order or official circular. Otherwise, the non formalization of an act into an official order or circular will result in the easy circumvention of the prohibition on prior restraint. The press statements at bar are acts that should be struck down as they constitute impermissible forms of prior restraints on the right to free speech and press.

There is enough evidence of chilling effect of the complained acts on record.The warnings given to media came from no less the NTC, a regulatory agency that can cancel the Certificate of Authority of the radio and broadcast media. They also came from the Secretary of Justice, the alter ego of the Executive, who wields the awesome power to prosecute those perceived to be violating the laws of the land.

Ang tanong lang, matututo kaya si Gonzales sa nangyari? That we don't know. Pero me kasabihan: You can't teach old dogs with new tricks.

Sabagay, di naman aso si Gonzales. Pero yung kapitbahay ni Tikboy na si Aling Gloria, me aso na ang pangalan Raul. Kumahakol din yun lagi pero hindi sa may-ari. Lagi kasing binibigyan ni Aling Gloria ng buto si Raul, eh.