Let Us Not Get Distracted

Maybe we should go on and pass a law on cyber unjust vexation. Oh wait, that's what unfriending, blocking and hiding are for. Do it. Lest you want to be further annoyed. Making a fuss out of the cyber crime law, making a fuss out of how pointless these acts of sharing / liking / commenting / changing of profile picture, and making a fuss out of why people find that these cyber acts are pointless?

Same thing.

These are all demonstrative of why the freedom of expression should be upheld and protected. Aren't we all supposed to be in this together?

Our battle is against the oppressive provisions. Not with/against each other.

Walang Basagan ng Trip

Kung hindi nyo trip ang cyber activism, huwag niyo gawin. Walang pumipilit sa inyo. Siguro nga, sa mata ng ibang perspektibo, napakaliit ng epekto nito kung ikukumpara sa ibang anyo ng aktibismo. Pero ang akin lang, kaya ko wall ito, at kaya ko profile ito ay dahil malaya akong sabihin at gawin ang gusto ko. Kung hindi ko pwedeng gawin dito, saan pa?

Kapareho lang yan ng kalayaan ng kahit sino na i-block o i-hide ang mga posts o tao na sa tingin nila ay nakakapagpapangit ng sarili nilang cyber-mundo.

Ang kalayaan, hindi man totoong hindi limitado, ay kalayaan na marunong rumespeto. Ang pagkumpara sa kung ano ang nagawa mo at nagawa ng ibang tao ay katulad ng pagsasabi na mas mabigat ang problema mo sa problema ng katabi mo.

Kaya nandito ang cyber-espasyo ay para bigyan ng boses ang mga taong hindi kayang makipagsabayan sa buhay na tinatawag mang totoo ay hindi naman masasabing mas totoo sa kung ano ang nakikita, nababasa, at nararamdaman sa nilikhang cyber-kalawakan na ito.

Walang basagan ng trip. Sabi nga ng MYMP, "Hindi lang ikaw, hindi lang ikaw ang nahihirapan."

RH BILL: My Stand While Kneeling Down

I don't think my faith in God and my support for the RH Bill are mutually exclusive. Frankly, it is precisely this faith that pushes me to believe that people should be allowed and, more importantly, be given the OPPORTUNITY to live a life of quality. It is this great appreciation for the blessing that is life that convinces me to dream that the RH Bill, although OBVIOUSLY not a panacea, will strengthen the Filipino family and uphold this sense of responsibility for the future of the next generation.

 When I am asked to kneel and pray the anti-RH  Bill prayer during the Holy Mass, I do kneel and thank God that He has given me the free will to pray my own prayer and the discernment to stand my ground for what I believe is right not only for me but for my country.

We need to give the next generation a fighting chance.

 Pass the RH Bill NOW.

>This is what democracy should be all about, having the right to vote your candidate without being judged for it. If we honestly believe that the other is making a mistake in voting his candidate, let that person commit that mistake. If these candidates really want a better Philippines, they should be able to help even if they lose. That is how true public service should emerge. Kapit lang, PILIPINAS.

LUPANG HINARANG

FARMERS’ PILGRIMAGE for CARPER

Why a Farmers’ Pilgrimage for CARPER?

The historic journey of the Sumilao Farmers by walking from Bukidnon to Manila paved the way for their eventual victory after 12 long years of struggle. Their experience leaves prints of hope and inspired other groups to make their own pilgrimage. The same is true with the Banasi and Calatagan farmers who, inspired by the Sumilao farmers’ struggle, walked for more than 444 kilometers from Camarines Norte to Manila and from Batangas to Manila, to claim their lands under agrarian reform.

Their successful campaign exposed the Achilles hill of the landed states and brought agrarian reform to the forefront of national concern. CARP had reached its 20 years of implementation on 15 June 2008, but congress seemed indifferent to the calls of peasant groups to extend and reform CARP. It even disregarded the resounding call of the 79 Bishops for the passage of CARPER. The only thing it did was to issue Joint Resolution No. 19, which only paralyzed CARP, short of killing it.

Calls for an urgent and coordinated response from peasant movements, AR advocates, the Church and Civil Society are overwhelming. The Church, through the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is very consistent in calling for a legislation that will extend and reform CARP. Bishop Pabillo’s hunger strike is a testament to this.

The primary aim then of the Farmers’ Pilgrimage for CARPER is to contribute to the wider agrarian reform struggle to pressure congress to pass CARPER before June 30, 2009. The strategy is to raise the consciousness of the public to take concrete actions and as well as for the farmers to lead the cause by taking the pilgrimage for CARPER.

Considering the time element, 50 Sumilao farmers and other groups will have a caravan from Bukidnon to Visayas, and shall start their walk at the Banasi area in Bicol. The Sumilao farmers will encourage the locals that they shall pass through to join the pilgrimage. It is expected that the pilgrims will increase after every diocesan forum. The core pilgrims shall be joined by the Banasi Farmers upon reaching Banasi, Bula, Camarines Sur. They shall also be joined by the Calatagan Farmers when they reach Batangas. The increasing number of pilgrims shall continue their walk to the House of Representatives in Manila to converge with other farmer groups.

PILGRIMAGE UPDATE

11 February 2009

Today (11 February 2009) marks another historic journey of landless farmers to justice and equity. It is on this day that they embark on a pilgrimage to Manila to pressure congress to extend and reform the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

As a kick-off salvo of their campaign, a CARPER Forum was held this afternoon within the 50 hectares of land that was reclaimed by the Sumilao Farmers from San Miguel. The choice of the place deliberate as it symbolizes victory of the poor and marginalized farmers against the powerful and influential San Miguel.

Atty. Jan Perry Eugenio, legal officer of BALAOD Mindanaw, provided the framework of the forum, and presented the salient provisions of CARPER. After the discussion, there was an open forum. Mr. Rene Penas of the Sumilao farmers read the “Citizen’s Petition to the Congress of the Philippines to Pass the CARP Extension with Reform Bills (House Bill 4077 and Senate Bill 2666)”.

The petition was signed by around 150 participants who attended the forum. The pilgrim-farmers hope to get as many signatures to sign the citizen’s petition in order to show to congress the overwhelming call for it to do its constitutional duty of extending CARP with the necessary reforms.

Bishop Honesto Pacana was present in the forum. He first read the letter of Congressman Ernesto Guingona of the 3^rd district of Bukidnon expressing the support to the campaign. He also expressed his disgust over Joint Resolution No. 19, which effectively cancels the distribution of 64 percent (64%) of new lands which are set to be covered by CARP as well as halts the distribution of all lands that are being processed for distribution under the compulsory acquisition mode.

“Joint Resolution No.19 must be stricken down as it violates Constitutional mandate of just distribution of all agricultural lands,” said Bishop Pacana.

The non-implementation of CARP triggered the conduct of this action. He stressed that there is a need to pressure the government particularly our legislators. He challenged our legislators to respect the rights of the farmers and uphold the law and set aside their interests as landlords. He ended his speech by assuring the participants that during the last Bishop’s meeting, they all agreed that the church will give its full support in this initiative. He likewise inspired the people by describing the pilgrimage as “Ray of Hope”, for this action will benefit not only the few but the entire country. And for this, it is expected that the support of the Filipino people across the country is at hand.

He also encouraged the pilgrim-farmers to be steadfast in their commitment, and assured them that his prayers are always with them.

The message of Peter Tuminhay of the Sumilao Farmers was also very emotional as he expressed their commitment to support the campaign on CARPER. Once again, the Sumilao Farmers will go out on streets. This time, it is not only for themselves, but for the other farmers who up to now do not own the land they are tilling. He stressed that the Sumilao Farmers will not stop to participate in public actions as long as injustice exists in our country.

DAR Region X Regional Director Felix Aguhob was also present and assured the farmers that the Department of Agrarian Reform supports this campaign.

PARO Celestiano of Bukidnon on his part closed the forum with warm wishes for the success of the pilgrim-farmers pilgrimage for CARPER. The forum ended around 4:00 in the afternoon. The Sumilao farmers who will join the pilgrimage shall be spending the night with their families and prepare for tomorrow’s caravan and forum to be held in Cagayan de Oro City.

In preparation of the long pilgrimage, the Sumilao Farmers and other farmers in Bukidnon performed a ritual yesterday to ask the spirits to guide the pilgrim-farmers as well as the staff of BALAOD Mindanaw and other support groups who shall join the long pilgrimage.

The ritual started at 10:30 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. The family members of the pilgrims also joined the ritual performed by Datu Nicanor Tuminhay, Marcelo Salagiya, Bernabe Ligmon, and Anao Baloan and made their own prayer for guidance. After the ritual, they shared a community meal.

Two farmers from Davao del Sur also arrived yesterday to join the core pilgrim-farmers all the way to Manila. Farmers from Agusan del Sur are also expected to arrive and join the pilgrimage.

Later in the afternoon, an orientation and internal preparation was conducted, especially to those who have not joined the “Walk for Land, Walk for Justice” campaign. But, this new chapter of their wider struggle will still not be easy for those who joined the 1,700 walk. Like anybody else, they are not immune to long for their family and loved ones, said Rene Penas.

Yet, despite the expected long drawn struggle, the pilgrim-farmers are ready to leave everything to fight for everything that matters to them – their land.

WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE CARPER BILL?

· We should push Congress to perform its constitutional duty of enacting a law extending CARP with the necessary reforms especially those contained in House Bill 4077 and Senate Bill 266 at the soonest possible time.

· We must push Congress to revoke Join Rsolution No. 19 in order to give way to land acquisition and distribution through Compulsory Acquisition.

· We should resist and block anti-CARP bills like the Perfecting Amendment Bills proposed by Congressman Villafuerte

· We should continue our struggle of relentlessly upholding the rights of the farmers and farmworkers in order to promote the principles of justice and equity enshrined in our Constitution

· Strengthen our collective resolve and commitment and work to expand agrarian reform constituents to support the nationwide call to extend and reform CARP

ICONcert

WHAT IS THE QUESTION? The first crucial question to ask is where can we find our country in the exercise of one’s citizenship. We can debate ad nauseam along this direction but we propose a more inward looking type of reflection through the following questions which we can pose to ourselves individually or as an organization. “Why do we find ourselves in these desperate and appalling conditions?” “What has been my role as a Filipino citizen?” “What am I doing that adds up to the difficulties of the nation?” “What can I do to improve?” “How can I change?” “Where can I start?”

HELP MAKE Citizenship by Good Example [CGE!] WORK. Be one of us! Let’s celebrate our response! On February 21, 2009 , the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) will have a concert entitled “Pinoy Ctzen ICONnect ICONcert” at the Ateneo de Manila High School Covered Courts. This is to jumpstart our communal effort towards building the nation. We will gather the youth from Metro Manila and nearby provinces for an entertaining and engaging campaign that will fire them up once again towards love of country as did Dr. Jose Rizal, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio in their youth.

The CGE! Movement is thrilled to welcome an impressive array of talented artists to help us spread the CGE! message. Included are Itchy Worms Band, the Philippine Allstars, Noel Cabangon and other performers.

The Key Staff consists of international theater trainor and artist Terence Guillermo as Stage Director, UP Filipiñana Dance Troupe Artistic Director Van Manalo as Choreographer, multi-awarded videographer Joel Barquez as Multi-media Director, and award-winning composer Atty. Dulce Punzalan as Musical Director.

It promises to be a spectacular evening and we encourage everyone to tune in and join us. There is great need to drum up awareness on the importance of the campaign and why is this so, because more and more people especially the young members of our country are less involved in socio-political concerns. Recent youth surveys show that the youth are more inclined to be “non-joiners” when it comes to exercising their civic duties and responsibilities. Let this be a wake up call for all Filipinos. Through an effective and engaging media campaign in the form of indie-rock music and dance, we hope to communicate the CGE! mission to the country’s “Fair hope of the Fatherland.”

Tickets are sold at P200 (student price) and P400 (regular price with CGE! Album CD). For inquiries call SLB at (+632 426 5968) or please send SMS to (+63 908 2429733). Thank you.

From UP ALYANSA (repost from JIHAN)

IN DEFENSE OF REASON AND MUTUAL RESPECT

Amidst the din of partisan conflict, misinformation and mudslinging, ALYANSA remains committed to upholding reason and mutual respect in this ongoing debate for the future of the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS).

Let us make ourselves clear. For months, we have withstood much partisan attack from our fellow student leaders, the same people claiming to defend the Office of the Student Regent (OSR). Sadly, their defense is not guided by reason and mutual respect, but by unfounded attacks on character.



We recognize, and recognize clearly, that we will not agree with each other all the time. Nonetheless, our disagreements must not stand in the way of reason and mutual respect. For as we abandon these two, we turn into beasts – allowing our basest instincts to run over our humanity. We must not yield our civility and allow this debate to degenerate into a partisan exercise of name-calling and mudslinging.

Nonetheless, as we condemn the lack of reason and mutual respect in this ongoing debate, we do not yield our argument. We will stand firm with a resounding "NO" to a referendum that ignores choices for our fellow Iskolars para sa Bayan and changes to the currently flawed selection process. However, beyond opposition, we steadfastly continue to push for our progressive propositions.

Contrary to what our opponents claim, we affirm the upcoming referendum as an expression of student empowerment. However, we believe that this referendum is NOT a truly empowering exercise if students are limited to ratifying a document in its entirety, without even bothering to inform students on its real contents – or worse, deliberately misinforming them with hollow calls for defense. Student councils were given high expectations since September last year that they may participate in forming the proposals that will be forwarded to the students in the referendum. A number of student councils gave counter-proposals to the status quo, none of their heeds were seriously considered - like silenced dissenters during the darkest annals of our country's history. Our representatives were stripped off their right to vote when their calls were merely shrugged off by the OSR during the GASC, and their numerous pleas of appeal. Our position was never to vote no, until the right of the students to choose for their own was capriciously and whimsically slapped away with finality. In defending the office, must we not also defend those that the office has pledged to serve?

Once more, we will reiterate our stand, a stand that has defined our formation for almost a decade.

We uphold the spirit of proportional representation, as expressed by our proposal for giving each college a vote each in the Student Regent selection process. The current system clearly disenfranchises many students, while giving some a much greater say.


We also approve of giving our duly-elected student representatives a greater say in the selection process, not just a group of partisans belonging to the same political stripe. The status quo of a few partisans running the SR selection while our student representatives remain in the dark is not just morally indefensible, but practically untenable.


We also endorse a set of rules and regulations governing the Student Regent, as a sign of his commitment to serving his constituents. The prospect of absolute power is not an option. Arguing nothing for this provision is tantamount to consenting to absolutism by the Student Regent, and nothing less.


We also believe that a Student Regent has the responsibility to maintain a MINIMUM academic standing, consistent with his commitment to the Filipino people who fund his education through their sweat and blood. As a student, he is expected to do nothing less.


As we reiterate our arguments, we stand for the overarching principle that the best defense of the Student Regent lies on making its Office a true representative of the students. Its defense lies not on hollow cries and hackneyed rhetoric bordering on blind endorsement. Its true defense lies in enlightened reason and mutual respect towards building a culture of reform. For in the end, if we are remiss on these basic conditions, we might as well defend the Office of the Student Regent from ourselves.

ALYANSA ng mga Mag-aaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (UP ALYANSA)

For more information on our Check the OSR campaign, visit our homepage at http://upalyansa. multiply. com. ALYANSA is also one of the members of the Choose to Know movement, a coalition dedicated to reforming the SR selection process. Log on to our site at http://choose2know. multiply. com to become one of our volunteers.

Prev: After 5 Months

I Lack the Wit.

I lack the wit to write about the things that transpired during the long weekend. Maybe it's because of the fact that almost everyone's been talking and yeah, writing about it that i find it totally pointless to embark on another "discussion" about who's to blame in the turmoil that we, Filipinos are in.

It's far too humiliating. And annoying. And disgusting. And uhmm, the list goes on and on.

There really is no one to blame. Just blame our far too-wide streets for being too conducive to really big rallies. Blame Fort Bonifacio for being so open to the media and for being tolerant enough to allow the aggravated Marines to ask a few questions about their Commandant issues. I repeat, blame Fort Bonifacio, not the officers, just the place for being too accessible. Blame Malacanang for being so attention-grabbing that people tend to crave for just a glimpse of how amazing it is to get that much attention. Blame the Palace for being grandiose. It's a simple Bitch Factor.

People write about the possibility of Martial Law as if they even bothered to read how Martial Law can come to place... blame the law for being a boring read. Blame the camera for not shooting at the right angle which could've made GMA look more convincing when she said, "everything's under control."

Go on. Let's start another finger-pointing festival. I think we should come up with a Finger-pointing Holiday. Let's dress our fingers up and indulge in a day of extravagant finger-pointing or maybe a night, think LuvaPalooza. We can call the event, "Finger-lickin'" and make KFC sponsor it, or "Dalirian" or uhmm, "Turo-turo". Perfect, "Turo-turo" will not only embody our food but also our political culture. Maybe we can make another record, the biggest number of people engaging in a finger-pointing event ever! Although we've been doing it for the longest time, at least we can rechannel it into something positive. That'll be the best therapy for us. After all, Olympics are made to prevent wars right? Maybe, just maybe, this festival will exhaust us.

----------------
http://eunicemonsod.blogspot.com

PROCLAMATION 1017

First posted 01:16pm (Mla time) Feb 24, 2006
INQ7.net


MALACAÑANG PALACE
MANILA

PROCLAMATION NO. 1017

PROCLAMATION DECLARING A STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY

WHEREAS, over these past months, elements in the political opposition have conspired with authoritarians of the extreme Left represented by the NDF-CPP-NPA and the extreme Right, represented by military adventurists--the historical enemies of the democratic Philippine State—who are now in tactical alliance and engaged in a concerted and systematic conspiracy, over a broad front, to bring down the duly constituted Government elected in May 2004.
WHEREAS, these conspirators have repeatedly tried to bring down the President;
WHEREAS, the claims of these elements have been recklessly magnified by certain segments of the national media;
WHEREAS, this series of actions is hurting the Philippine State--by obstructing governance including hindering the
growth of the economy and sabotaging the people's confidence in government and their faith in the future of this country;
WHEREAS, these actions are adversely affecting the economy;
WHEREAS, these activities give totalitarian forces of both the extreme Left and extreme Right the opening to intensity their avowed aims to bring down the democratic Philippine State;
WHEREAS, Article 2, Section 4 of our Constitution makes the defense and preservation of the democratic institutions and the State the primary duty of Government;
WHEREAS, the activities above-described, their consequences, ramifications and collateral effects constitute a clear and present danger to the safety and the integrity of the Philippine State and of the Filipino people;
NOW, THEREFORE, I Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested upon me by Section 18, Article 7 of the Philippine Constitution which states that: " The President…whenever it becomes necessary,…may call out (the) armed forces to prevent or suppress…rebellion…, " and in my capacity as their Commander-in-Chief, do hereby command the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to maintain law and order throughout the Philippines, prevent or suppress all forms of lawless violence as well any act of insurrection or rebellion and to enforce obedience to all the laws and to all decrees, orders and regulations promulgated by me personally or upon my direction; and as provided in Section 17, Article 12 of the Constitution do hereby declare a State of National Emergency.
IN WITNESS HEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.
Done in the City of Manila, this 24th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand and six.

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
President
Republic of the Philippines

EDSA Revolution: A Worthy Struggle

 At this particular point I time, a lot of Filipinos are engaged in their own conversations revolving around what we have become after the EDSA Revolution. Sadly, although the People Power Revolution, for a time, was perceived as a triumph of democracy, at present, it has become a constant reminder of how we have failed in achieving progress, or fell short in fulfilling our potential as a nation. After countless debates, and an infinite number of celebrations, our "victory" has become, to the younger generation, an empty achievement. It's a sad development, and unless we try to understand the responsibility that come with this bloodless revolution, we, as a people, will remain to be unworthy of the gains that a democracy can give to its truly deserving protectors. Let us keep our dignity intact, fellow Filipinos. Let us fight for the freedom that our predecessors have gifted us with. #NEVERforget. -

"The People Power (R)Evolution, @LegallyBlunt #SocialCommentary #thoughtbubbling #realityeverafter #introvertmindextrovertheart #Photords #Pilipinas #LegallyBlunt #Photography #blackandwhitephotography #BlackAndWhite #photooftheday #Philippinestagram #Filipinos #LegallyBlunt #LegallyGrunt #RealityEverAfter #writersofinstagram  

WAR?

Every gun that is made,Every warship launched,Every rocket fired signifies in the final sense,
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
Those who are cold and are not clothed.
This world in arms is not spending money alone
It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
The genius of its scientists and The hopes of its children
-- Eisenhower

War, no matter how noble the cause will always be a reason for grief, hunger, fear, and proliferation of evil in all its forms. I cant help but think of the not so recent US-led war in Iraq. I must admit, I was very open to the idea of war, I even thought it was a great idea to finally force Saddam Hussein to let go of Iraq and let them be. I was ok with it because I thought that the end will justify the means. But I realized that one major reason why I was ok with it was the fact that there is little possibility that I will be directly affected by such a war. By merely watching CNN and watching all these documentaries about the war, I began questioning if it’s really worth it. Is “freedom” really a long and painful process? will the emergence of democracy in Iraq be worth the lives of not only the soldiers from both sides but also of the innocent people who happen to be caught in the middle of these dark days?

There is a trade off to everything, besides the lives shed, I believe that it really snatches away the opportunity from people who would want to be in school, of unemployed people waiting for help from the government, of production. As an economist, I have always been firm with my decision, WAR is inevitable but its advocates should ensure the people that its reasons are valid. And that in the future, when we look back, we will all nod in appreciation at the thought that we made the right choice in the past.

Gene Therapy

I strongly believe that the betterment of lives and prevention of death are two most important goals that we should all have. In the controversy regarding gene therapy, I have always believed that there's nothing immoral to anything which aims to cure. I do understand the moral dilemma in which a lot of the people who oppose the said therapy are clinging to and I feel that they might be getting carried away by limitations that they have set for themselves. For every innovation, every advances in technology give way to the emergence of more risks and unavoidable repercussions. But I think that once again, “Fear should never paralyze us into inaction.”

Only, there is one fear or I guess dilemma that I would like to be addressed regarding this.. I just hope that if ever that there will be a massive success in the improvement of gene therapy, everyone will be given the chance to avail of such cure. I hope that it will not result to another divide which will affect the structure of a lot of societies. And though there are experiments that should be carried out, I hope that the doctors will not take it as a mere gamble but a a conquest.

HAPPY NEW YEAR PINOYS!

I have always been fascinated with Rizal and the things that he was able to come up with back when Filipinos weren't expected to excel. His ideals, theories and suggestions have been proven to be very useful and true not only in the past but also in the present, it’s amazing how he was able to predict a lot things that we are still experiencing now. It’s not a surprise to me that he has talked about how Filipinos have been in a way very individualistic with respect to progress and development. It’s quite obvious that we all are aiming for the development of our country in all aspects but we all move without thinking of how it will affect other people. It’s saddening because we have always been proud of our close family ties, our ability to survive no matter what, still, the simplicity of being united isn’t present in our society.

Just like the old times, when the revolts in the Spanish Era were motivated by mere personal motives, we will fail. We can only realize our dreams if we will try to be more conscientious of other people. We all are skilled, we all are intelligent, but moving as individuals is a disadvantage. We must lost that “one man for himself” attitude and instead focus on how we can contribute. Apathy will not get us anywhere. We must move as one, that’s why we’re called Filipinos, we all are under this nationality, we all are instruments of development and progress.

In the end, one thing is clear… The government cannot make changes happen without our help. The more we try to be overly dependent on what the government can do for us, the more our country will sulk in this slum we are stuck in. Actions will be more effective if only we are UNITED. Our economy’s growth will not be a question of who the president is, rather, a question of UNITY towards ONE GOAL. I am urging everyone to be more vigilant, concerned and sensitive of what each and everyone of us can do for our country. It is time to make a difference and to show the world what we have.

Conrado de Quiros: There's the Rub: Cry rape

I just had to repost this.

Conrado de Quiros: There's the Rub: Cry rape

Harsh Harsh World

"the law is harsh, but it is the law." -- after the numbing "Mr.speaker, may i explain my vote?" marathon,i can finally say that i feel sympathy for the opposition. i will give it to them for fighting a good fight and though they mourn for their loss,i think it's time that we really move on. i dont like the idea of once again going to the streets, this wont end if the loser wont bow down. this is democracy, the majority has spoken and the truth is, it is a game of numbers.

apathy is bad, but fanning the already alarming fire is worse. =)

Get Real : The media and the lynch-mob mentality

First posted 11:40pm (Mla time) July 22, 2005
By Solita Collas- Monsod
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A12 of the July 23, 2005 issue of the
Philippine Daily Inquirer

I THINK I may have been one of the fiercest critics of President
gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the years, with my criticisms
particularly focused on, but not limited to, her economic policy. I
also admit that I may have imposed higher standards on her because she
is an economist. But in any event, I would like to think that these
criticisms were based on solid grounds rather than on conjectures and
speculations. And they were definitely not partisan or ideological in
motivation. The objective was always to look out for national rather
than personal interests.

Which is why I want no part of what has to be called the lynch-mob
mentality that has seemed to grip the nation, fed by, I am sorry to
say, the media, which, more often than I am comfortable with, cannot
seem to distinguish between generating news and reporting it. When
that happens, a vicious cycle occurs: We generate our own excitement,
then we panic because of it, and people get caught up in the hysteria,
which then results in generating more excitement....

Take for example the June 27 nationwide broadcast where the President
apologized for her lapse in judgment. Who was immediately asked to
react? Certainly not the man-on-the-street. Tremendous emphasis was
given to the opposition's reactions, starting with the jailed Joseph
Estrada, which were predictably unfavorable; and much less emphasis
(and I think column-inches or air-time analysis will bear this out) on
the reaction of administration stalwarts, which were predictably
favorable. Even more unfortunate, the "I am sorry" part of the
President's statement was focused on, practically ignoring the rest.

Let's just follow one thread in that reaction pattern: Susan Roces on
the basis of the President's statement and her (Ms Arroyo's) eyes,
accused her of stealing the presidency -- not once, but twice -- and
of insincerity. No one bothered to ask what in the Arroyo statement,
or for that matter the tapes, could possibly have been the basis of
that accusation. But it has caught hold of the public's imagination.
Anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon: My upholsterer in Subic asked
me what should happen now that President Arroyo had admitted that she
cheated in order to win. Is it any wonder that a very large majority
of the population want her to resign or be impeached?

And yet one recalls, the President made no such admission. But the
opposition fanned the flames, repeating the accusation that she stole
the elections with practically every breath they took. This was duly
recorded by the media. And while I may be casting too much blame on a
sector to which I belong, there were at most only feeble attempts to
bring balance to the reporting.

Couldn't there have been at least an attempt to determine whether
those conversations could have indeed resulted in stealing an
election? Because if the attempt had been made, some timing
inconsistencies would be revealed. The conversations took place from
May 27, after all the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) were already in
Congress. With all the security attendant to those COCs, not even a
Houdini (much less a Virgilio Garcillano) would have been able to
alter them to suit his evil purposes. The "dagdagan, dagdagan"
[vote-padding] theory falls apart.

Couldn't there have been a brief review to remind ourselves of what
transpired in the run-up to and the aftermath of the elections?
Because if there had been one, the releases of the poll groups Social
Weather Stations and Pulse Asia at the time would show that Ms Arroyo
had overtaken Fernando Poe Jr. in the polls and as of the week before
the elections, the difference between them was statistically
significant nationwide. While Metro Manila and Luzon and Mindanao
could go either way, the lead in the Visayas was so commanding (57
percent Arroyo, 20 percent Poe) as to ensure her victory. Which is
what happened.

Also, Bill Luz of the election watchdog group Namfrel was quoted as
saying: "We didn't see enough electoral anomalies at the national
level to have a material effect on the national results"-i.e., of
course there was cheating (there always is, and this must be
punished), but nobody stole an election.

And a year later, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
(CBCP), through Archbishop Fernando Capalla, said: "It is the view of
the bishops that the results of the elections reflected the will of
the Filipino people." Unfortunately, not much attention was given by
the media to this statement.

And finally, amid all the furor over the latest survey results, surely
it would not have been too much to report that in one survey (June
28-30), while 18 percent wanted resignation and 20 percent wanted
status quo, 26 percent of those surveyed wanted more information. This
was totally ignored.

Also ignored is that in the latest Social Weather Stations survey, 62
percent were in favor of a truth commission-which means that whether
they wanted resignation or impeachment, they also wanted the facts.
(Perhaps their cool heads struggling to overcome their warm hearts?
There may be hope yet.)

Am I saying that media are in some way to blame for this lynch-mob
mentality? Another bit of anecdotal evidence here: When asked what
they thought would be the outcome of their demonstrations against Ms
Arroyo, a spokesman said, "It depends -- on the media and the
military." Not necessarily in that order, would be my guess.

But we must also blame ourselves. Surely it cannot have escaped our
notice that most of those making the noise are also-rans and people
with self-serving agendas. We should all refuse to be railroaded by
these people who don't want facts to get in the way of their
conclusions and their ambitions.

------------

yihee, im so proud.. we "almost" have the same opinion 'bout everything.

A Call to Strengthen our Public Institutions

PROUD ALUMNAE of THE UP SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS... GOOD JOB GUYS!

The present political crisis has plunged the country into confusion and despair. Several parties have come forth with propositions on how to repair the government’s failures and set things right. Their demands are as multifarious as they are drastic—some want the President to resign, a few desire the overhaul of our Constitution, while others envision a new government. Their only common ground is the longing for genuine change.

Change can be brought about in many ways. In our search for the correct answer to our current problem, we must not overlook the most straightforward solution: reinforcing and relying on the strength of our public institutions.

Our public institutions are the product of years of development; they must not be compromised merely because of the mistakes of a few personalities. Rather, they must serve to probe perceived anomalies in the government and rectify what is proven illegal.

Great governments are not born overnight; they are forged through time by public servants who spurn compromise and by dutiful citizens that stand vigilant. While it is true that our political system is mired by corruption and infested with opportunists, what many forget is that our government is very young and still very fit for renewal and progress.

Only through the repeated practice of due processes can our system of public institutions gain strength and integrity.

The UP School of Economics Student Council rejects all calls for the President’s resignation. We reject the amendment of our Constitution for the sake of addressing our current political predicament. We further reject the notion of abolishing our public institutions in favor of setting up an interim government.

We call upon our lawmakers to immediately file an impeachment case against the President. We implore Congress to administer the impeachment proceedings fairly and speedily. We ask all Filipinos to keep a watchful eye over these proceedings and respect our lawmakers’ final decision.

UP School of Economics Student Council 2005-2006

My Stand While Sitting Down...

(another piece written during my Philo “Kapihan sa 309” Class)

A lot of people’ll agree with me when I say that for the past weeks, my life revolved around law school. It’s saddening on my part to come into a realization that up until now, I have yet to come up with an entry regarding my stand on the multifarious issues that our country is currently trying (desperately if I may add) to face. One good thing about my staying in Starbucks every night is that I am able to converse, argue, debate and laugh with a lot of very opinionated people. In a way, I continued to learn and to understand the different sides and even depth of the issues or should I say, controversies.

Since this is my blog, let me indulge a little by looking back at what for me triggered all these. I believe it all started in EDSA 2. It is given that for a lot of people (even for me) EDSA 2 was a demonstration of the victory of the people. It was a culmination of a long standing doubt pointed at the incompetence of a “bearded” President (“wag jan, may kiliti ako jan..”). But I think, what a lot of us forgot to take into consideration was the losing of that “MAGIC” that was once EDSA Revolution. It was the initiation of this whole mockery of the democracy that we have long abused.

By putting GMA to office through an extra-constitutional means, we have also invited the establishment of a shaky mandate of the President. The elections came and after the SMOG (smoke’s too cliché) has been cleared, the LITTLE PRINCESS was announced by both COMELEC and NAMFREL as the new president. The next thing was inevitable, she was accused of having cheated. It is in our nature to doubt, so we assumed that she cheated. Let me stretch this by saying that I am certain of the fact that if FPJ or Ping or Eddie Gil (… puking) won, they would eventually find pieces of evidence that whoever won cheated. Tradisyon eh.

What am I driving at? I think it’s but appropriate to quote Ping Lacson when he announced his acceptance of the success of GMA, let me paraphrase it because I’m only writing it according to my recollection, “Assuming that someone cheated, the candidates who failed to protect the votes entrusted to them by those who believe in them doesn’t even for a second deserve the votes of those who believed in them." It’s but pertinent to point out that I am definitely not PRO-cheating, but life is unfair in itself, and if our own apathy or tolerance brought us GLORIA in a rusty platter, then we have to stand by what the consequences of our actions are, that’s what we deserve. Granted that she cheated, does this mean we have to be stuck in this pseudo reality? I DON’T THINK SO.

When the GLORIAGATE SCANDAL emerged without warning but also without anything new, our economy (which by the way was actually improving in its own microscopic way) is once again bombarded with hesitation and even fear on the part of the investors. The president for a time maintained her silence (which I thought was the right thing to do) until she came up with a “Maalaala Mo Kaya”-inspired statement charged with an obviously fake begging for sympathy aggravated by the choreographed tilting of head, teary-eyed routine. My family was laughing while watching her statement because it was an ill-decided scheme. If she was trying to assure the masses, I think it’s to no avail because they will not be swayed by a non-actress (pun intended). If she was trying to fool the middle and upper class, she should’ve guessed that we wouldn’t dig a Nora Aunor rendition of apology. If she was trying to assure the investors / the business community, she should’ve stuck with her usual firm, straight to the point, all business façade. It was a mistake on her part to come up with the “Drama, drama, drama…”

Meanwhile, the opposition is livelier than ever. They are persistent in questioning the validity of the government and prying into the littlest of loophole that they get their already owl-like eyes on. Under normal circumstances, it’s tolerable. But at present, the opposition, to my opinion, has been diminished to a power-hungry group of people whose only goal is to be on top again. I don’t blame them; it is now that they are actually seeing a teeny-weenie twinge of light at the end of a quite long, time-consuming, exhausting, spelunking-on-the-cave that is the Philippine political system.

I’m to my bones appalled at the rate things are going now. The call for forced resignation will only start another trend that I’m sure we will not be able to handle in the long run. If GMA resigns, will there be an assurance that Noli de Castro will not be called upon in the future to resign? We are all living in fear that the next president will not be good enough. I am one of those guilty of moving on because I don’t see anyone who can actually step up to lead this country. At this time, a significant number of people from the President’s side already resigned and withdrew their support for her. The scenarios are unfolding right before our eyes. I say we shouldn’t all be caught up in a supernova of emotions. We should once and for all try to THINK. 

Won’t it be more comforting for us to know that we have exhausted all means to find out if she did cheat? We cannot be ruled by our own emotions, we should be able to decide after the LEGAL PROCESSES, that were meant to resolve these kinds of disputes, are put into practice. After all, they aren’t called processes for nothing. One of my friends asked me, “ERAP wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt, we all were eager to let him resign.” That was a good point, but to say that he was totally deprived of these processes is absurd. We tried to give him the chance to prove his claim through impeachment proceedings but the senators on his side didn’t want whatever was in the envelope to be presented. Even Marcos was given the chance to redeem himself through the Snap Elections, but he decided to cheat again. Why not give GMA that option to redeem herself too?

This is my stand. Let us all follow what should be followed. If emotions and free-judgment will rule over the law, then it will only prove how disrespectful we are of the LAW that we, in the first place, created to protect us.