Communal Action ng Transport Groups, tagumpay

Matapos ang isang matagumpay na kalahating araw na trasport holiday / strike na halos pumaralisa (90%) sa buong Kamaynilaan, sa kabila ng pagmamatigas ng Malakanyang, paglalaan ng halos ilang daang military truck (govt vehicle) na libreng sakay, daang libong mananakay ang na-stranded, nagulantang ang Malakanyang, tiklop ang buntut at bumigay si Ate Glo sa kahilingan ng grupo.
(Photo by BOY SANTOS: Stranded commuters on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City wait for military trucks and free rides offered by the city government to ferry them during a public transport strike yesterday. http://www.philstar.com/)

Agad nag-issue ng Executive Order 712 si Ate Glo at pinag-utos na ibigay ang kahilingan ng Transport Group na matagal ng dumaraing sa pang-aabuso at pangongotong ng mga ganid na LGUs at Metro Manila Devt Authority (MMDA) at hilinging i-implementa ang isang unified ticketing system sa Kalakhang Manila. Kaya lang, bukud sa malaki ang hahabulin ng Transport group sa makapangyarihang batas na isinasaad ng Local Government Code (LGC) o ang "LOCAL AUTONOMY at DECENTRALIZATION" at ang kawalan ng ngipin ng Executive Order (EO) ng Palasyo, naiwang nakabinbin ang isyu hinggil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng produktong petrolyo.

Ang isang araw na communal action ay malawakang (broad) pinangunahan ng Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (PISTON), Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (FEJODAP), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers of the Philippines, Makati Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association, Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburbs Drivers Association Nationwide Inc. (Pasang-Masda); Integrated Metro Bus Operators Association (IMBOA), Metro Manila Bus Operators Association, Intercity Bus Operators Association, Northeast Manila Bus Operators Group, Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines (PBOAP), Association of Taxi Operators in Metro Manila, and 1-UTAK (United Transport Koalisyon).

Ano ang lesson na ipinakikita sa tagumpay na ito? Para kay Mang Pandoy, kung may malawak na pagkaisa, kung makatarungan at valid ang kahilingan (winnability), kung peaceful at non-violent ang pakikibaka, kung tapat at walang mga hidden agenda, kung may matitino, seryoso, may passionate at magigiting ang mga LEADER at higit sa lahat "kung 'di pinangungunahan at kinukubabawan ng mga grupong exremista, " ano mang lupit, bangis at panlilinlang ng isang evil administrasyon, NAGTATAGUMPAY ang adhikain.

Ang tanong, bagamat pinalakpakan ng sambayanang Pilipino ang matagumpay na communal action ng Transport group laban sa LGUs at MMDA, isusunod na ba ang mala-demonyong implimentasyon ng E-VAT na siyang ugat at dahilan ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina, krudo at mga bilihin, may part 2 ba? Ang isa pang tanong ng marami, kaya bang i-duplicate ng GMA Resign movement ang matagumpay na communal action ng grupong pangtransportasyon?

Doy / IPD
March 12, 2008

If political situation worsens, CBCP may reconsider its position

http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/1236
QUEZON CITY, March 9, 2008—If political circumstances worsen, the Catholic bishops of the Philippines may call for the resignation of the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz.
"It is a matter of time that Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) may reconsider its stand for Arroyo's stepping down," Cruz told CBCP News.

If things do not improve much, particularly combating corruption in the high places of government, the Catholic hierarchy may rethink its present stand about Arroyo's resignation, he said.
However, for the moment, CBCP has unanimously declined the public clamor for Arroyo's resignation in the wake of ongoing NBN scam, Cruz, former CBCP president, reiterated.

Cruz also said CBCP issues pastoral statements every now and then on the issues affecting the nation, society and Church.
The latest one was on Feb 26, after 55 bishops held an emergency meeting to reassert their position on the growing misreading of January CBCP statement calling for "communal action" that was read by many as "calling for Arroyo's resignation". (Santosh Digal)
---------------

“Kundi ngayon, KAILAN PA, an-anhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo?”
Kung titindi ang pressure ng mamamayan, at ilalabas ang katotohanan (ayon sa pagkakarevoke daw ng Malakanyang, ng EO 464), walang dudang mas iigting ang political crisis at posibleng umabot sa tinatawag na “critical mass,” na maaaring humantong sa tinatawag na "tipping point" na matagal ng hinihinatay ng tao.
Ang sad and lonely, sa tulong ng bilyong pisong warchest (budget) ng palasyo, gagawin ang lahat ng klase ng pamamaraan (declaration of Martial Law kung kinakailangan), imobilisa ang lahat ng resources ng estado, sawatain at mailibing lang ng buhay ang "communal action," patahimikin ang madla, hadlangan ang posibleng pagbabalikwas ng mamamayan, i-delay, baluktutin ang panawagang katotohanan, hustisya at pagbabagong adhikain ng mamamayan.

Alalahanin may pitong taon ng BIHASA sa maniubrahan, manipulasyon, pangungumando at kasanayang teknolohiya ang Malakanyang sa kung paano maisasalba politically si Ate Glo. Nagsisimula ng umalagwa ang propaganda machine ng Malakanyang, ang paghahahasik ng lagim, pananakot at mga pakulo, kontra-opensiba at kontra- pag-oorganisa na nakabisado ng gawain ng dirty tricks department ng palasyo. Kung 'di maisusustini at walang pampulitikang pag-igpaw, mula sa fluid at tablang lagay sa politika, patungo na ito sa yugto ng winning scenario ng palasyo.
Hinding-hindi magreresign sa kapangyarihan si Ate Glo. Buhay at kamatayan ng pamilyang Arroyo ang nakasalalay sa kasalukuyang labanan at unos pampulitika. Alalahanin tumagos sa kokote ng Malakanyang ang babalang banta ni Senator Enrile na kung bababa sa pwesto si Ate Glo, mamamatay at tapos ang maliligayang araw nito sa mundo.

Ang linyang "wag nang guluhin ang pulitika sa bansa dahil humahad lang ito sa magandang takbo ng ekonomiya." ay tila tumatagos na't epektibong propaganda ng Malakanyang. Mula sa media (broadcast at print) campaign at suporta ng LGUs, "ang pagpawi-pagkabig ng hearts and mind partikular sa Kamaynilaan, panggagapang at panghahati (devide and rule) sa ilang progresibong hanay sa mga paaralan, simbahan, hanay ng negosyo, unti-unting nahahatak ng Malakanyang ang timbangang pulitikang pumapabor sa rehimeng Macapagal Arroyo. "

"Ang nakakalungkot, baka sa kahuli-hulihan, ang lalabas na masama, kontrabida, mga nanggugulo, sinungaling, destabilizer at terrorista ay ang institusyon ng Senado, mga Obispo, simbahan, si Jun Lozada, Joey de Venecia, iba pang mga state witness at kilusang demokratikong naghahanap ng katotohanan at katarungan. Ang kakasuhan at ipakukulong pa ay yaong mga naghahanap ng katotohanan."

Kaya't kundi mai-susustina ang labanan, maisasa-ayos ang pagkilos ng malawak na koalisyon-alyansa, lahat ng grupo't political players sa bansa at 'di makasasabay ang CBCP, “kailan maipe-pressure ang Malakanyang na ilabas na ang katotohanan at pagbabago, kung patay na ang KABAYO?"
- Doy / IPD

Related Story:
Executive privilege versus public interest
http://www.bworld.com.ph/BW031008/content.php?id=004

Spratly Deal, PAGKAKANULO

Kapalit ng pautang ($9.50 billion), suhol; NBN-ZTE deal, Southrail at Northrail projects, CyberEd at bilyong dolyar na pamumuhunan, maliban sa katiwalian, kickback, sa pamamagitan ng SPRATLY DEAL, tulad ni Judas at pakirandam ng marami, "ipinagkanulo't isinanla na ni Ate Glo ang bansang Pilipinas sa Komunistang China."

Mga puntong NAPAGCASHUNDUAN;
1.Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s hurried trip to China in late 2004 produced a major surprise.
2.Manila has given a certain legitimacy to China’s legally spurious “historic claim” to most of the South China Sea.
3.The Philippines has made breathtaking concessions in agreeing to the area for study, including parts of its own continental shelf not even claimed by China and Vietnam.
4.Some would say it was a sell-out on the part of the Philippines!
5.President Arroyo’s agreement with China for a joint seismic study was controversial in several respects. By not consulting other Asean members beforehand, the Philippines abandoned the collective stance that was key to the group’s success with China over the South China Sea.

Sa isang bahagi ng artikulong “Manila’s Bungle in The South China Sea ni Barry Wain na lumabas sa Far Eastern Economic Review January / February issue:"

“Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s hurried trip to China in late 2004 produced a major surprise. Among the raft of agreements ceremoniously signed by the two countries was one providing for their national oil companies to conduct a joint seismic study in the contentious South China Sea, a prospect that caused consternation in parts of Southeast Asia.” (Photo: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/)

“But as details of the undertaking emerge, it is beginning to look like anything but the way to go. For a start, the Philippine government has broken ranks with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which was dealing with China as a bloc on the South China Sea issue. The Philippines also has made breathtaking concessions in agreeing to the area for study, including parts of its own continental shelf not even claimed by China and Vietnam. Through its actions, Manila has given a certain legitimacy to China’s legally spurious “historic claim” to most of the South China Sea.”
“President Arroyo’s agreement with China for a joint seismic study was controversial in several respects. By not consulting other Asean members beforehand, the Philippines abandoned the collective stance that was key to the group’s success with China over the South China Sea. Ironically, it was Manila that first sought a united front and rallied Asean to confront China over its intrusion into Mischief Reef a decade earlier. Sold the idea by politicians with business links who have other deals going with the Chinese, Ms. Arroyo did not seek the views of her foreign ministry, Philippines officials say. By the time the foreign ministry heard about it and objected, it was too late, the officials say.”
“Beijing and Manila did not make public the text of their “Agreement for Seismic Undertaking for Certain Areas in the South China Sea By and Between China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Philippine National Oil Company.” After the agreement was signed on Sept. 1, 2004, the Philippine government said the joint seismic study, lasting three years, would “gather and process data on stratigraphy, tectonics and structural fabric of the subsurface of the area.””
The article hints at other agreement(s) between president Arroyo and the Chinese government aside from the seismic study agreement. The clear fact was that, after the 2004 elections, the Arroyo administration went on a natural resources development binge, signing agreements and contracts for mining and oil exploration, development, and exploitation with foreign governments and companies. The ZTE and several dozen projects with the Chinese goverment and companies are part of this policy trend.

Ang walang katapusan pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan, mga unresolved at kaliwa't kanang iskandalo na kinasangkutan ng kasalukuyang administrasyon; ang multo ng “Hello Garci dagdag-bawas” Election controversy, Diosdado Macapagal Highway scandals, ang Joc-joc Bolante Fertilizer scam, Jose Pidal caper, daan-dang unresolved extra-judicial killings, ang pamumudmud at suhulan sa Malacañang at ang pinakahuli, ang kawalan ng buto sa gulugod (burikak kay Uncle Sam) sa kasong panghihimasok ng bansang Amerika sa Mindanao (MILF visit ng US Ambassador Kenney), tuluyan ng ipinagkanulo ang country, tuluyan ng nawalan ng moral ascendancy at credebility ang bangkarote at ilehitimong gubyernong Macapagal Arroyo.

Sa pitong taong pamamalagi't political survival, wala ng inatupag si Ate Glo kundi ang dumepensa't magsinungaling (cover-up / white wash) sa mga maanomalya, sustinido, sa kaliwa't kanang iskandalong bumalot sa kanyang administrasyon. Kaya pa bang tiisin ng mga Pilipino ang dalawa pang taong pamamalagi nito sa Malakanyang?
Tanging ang kabayanihang paglisan o boluntaryong pagre-resign na lamang sa trono, kasama ang buong barkada't MAPIA sa Gabinete (Puno, Razon, 2 Gonzales, Esperon, Ermita, Bunye) ang tanging paraan, solusyon upang maisalba ang kapanatagang politikal, manumbalik ang pagtitiwala ng mamamayan Pilipino at kahit paano, magMOVE ON na ang ating abang Pilipinas.
Kaya lang, isang bagungot at hindi uso kay Ate Glo (over her dead body, 'di ninyo ako magagalaw) ang PAGRE-RESIGN.

Doy / IPD
March 7, 2008

Related Story:

Text of Spratlys accord taken off DFA website--Golez http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080308-123576/Text-of-Spratlys-accord-taken-off-DFA-website--Golez

Gonzalez: 3 trillion cubic feet of gas at stake in Spratly deal"http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83938/Gonzalez-3-trillion-cubic-feet-of-gas-at-stake-in-Spratly-deal

"Gulo at Asenso"
Tonite Editorial
Sa bawat ikot at talumpati ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay iisa ang linya nito. “’Wag nang guluhin ang pulitika sa bansa dahil humahadlang lang ito sa magandang takbo ng ekonomiya.”
Himayin natin ang pangungusap na ito. Una, ang kaguluhan sa pulitika. Saan ba at paano ito nagsimula......?
Ang buod: http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/mar0808/editorial.htm

Senators worry over Kenney visit to MILF

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080306-123177/Senators-worry-over-Kenney-visit-to-MILF
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Senator Rodolfo Biazon on Thursday expressed concern over last month's visit of United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney to the main camp of the Moro International Liberation Front (MILF).

Pimentel said he has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) if Kenney's visit had its approval, but has not gotten any response until now. (Photo; US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad emerge from a close-door meeting in Camp Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan Tuesday at which they discussed ways to resume stalled peace talks between the secessionist group and the government. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/EDWIN FERNANDEZ / INQUIRER MINDANAO BUREAU / http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080219-119822/US-envoy-Kenney-MILF-chief-Murad-meet-on-peace-process)

On February 19, Kenney, escorted by American security personnel and aid officials, visited the MILF’s Camp Darapanan and met with secessionist chairman Murad Ebrahim and members of the group’s central committee.

Pimentel said that, while Kenney’s visit did not violate any specific law, it is “diplomatic practice” to seek the permission of the host when foreign diplomats travel around a country.

“It is part of [diplomatic] custom and tradition that has ripened into an enforceable practice...It is unusual for any ambassador of any accredited country to just go to any rebel camp to talk with a rebel leader,” he said.

Normally, Pimentel said, such visits are cleared with the DFA or the Office of the President.

“What if the Chinese ambassador met with…Murad? The issue I'm trying to raise is, the US is our ally...why does it treat us as if we are still a colony?” the Senate minority leader asked.

Biazon had stronger words on Kenney's visit to the MILF camp, calling it possible “interference” in the country’s internal affairs.
“Remember, even while we are already talking peace with MILF, they are still considered enemy of the state. There could possibly be the question of interference,” he said.

Biazon, who chairs the Senate committee on national defense and security, said at least two questions need to be answered about that visit: Whether US forces provided security for the ambassador, and whether there was coordination or authority from the Philippine government for Kenney's meeting with Murad.

Biazon said that from his own personal inquiries, Kenney coordinated with the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
“But is that a sufficient level of authority for [such] a serious affair?” he asked.

----

Mas malala pa ito sa kaso ng panghihimasok sa SPRATLY......

Mas malala ang pakiki-alam at panghihimasok na ginagawa ng bansang Amerika sa katauhan ng US Ambasador Kenney sa pagbisita sa BASENG GERILLA ng MILF ( Shariff Kabunsuan Area) kamakailan lang. Parang sinaksak, trinaydor, niyurakang patalikod ang soberanya ng Pilipinas. Sapagkat, alam ng US na itinuturing “terorista't kaaway magpahanggang ngayon ng AFP at Malakanyang ang MILF at sa katunayan, isa ang MILF sa palagiang ginagamit na palusot-scapegoat ng PNP sa anumang pambobombang nagaganap sa Kamindanawan maging sa Kamaynilaan."

Sa mga larawan ipinalabas ng halos lahat ng malalaking pahayagan, kitang-kitang nakikipaglandian ang US Ambasador Kenney sa pamunuan ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Kumander Murad). Kung ang pagbisita ni Kenney ay nakapatungkol sa balangkas ng naudlut na Peace Talk (GRP / MILF), maaring tanggapin ng mga Pinoy, pero - subalit "kung ito'y sikretong pagbobroker para sa isang INDEPENDENT MORO REPUBLIC kapalit ang panggagahasa't pagnanakaw sa natural resources, pagtatayo ng US military Base at gawing Iraq ang Mindanao," mukhang hindi ito matatanggap ng mga Pilipino, lalo na ng mga kapatid nating Moro.

Kung nagawa ng US ito sa Kosovo ("independence"), walang dahilan upang i-kosovo, ipasubo rin nito ang Mindanao. Ang Kosovo na pinaninirahan ng Ethnic Albanian at Serbian minority ay matatagpuan na “parang isang islang (land lock) napaliligiran ng karagatang Christian Orthodox SERBIAN (dating Yugoslavia) sa Europa.
(Photo; "Kosovo Independence celebration" news.bbc.co.uk)

Ang nakaka-intriga, walang palag, kimi, tamimi, walang diplomatic protest man lang na ipina-abot ang Pilipinas sa bansang Amerika. Siguro, kung si Bin Laden ang dumalaw, kung TALIBAN, kung si Mahathir ang dumalaw, kung Ambasador ng China ang dumalaw, kung si Joma Sison ang dumalaw o kung si Cong Mujib Hataman ng Anak Mindanao ang dumalaw sa MILF areas, baka siguro isang makunat-kunat na banat-batikos, UMULAN NG PROTESTA mula sa Malakanyang ang nangyari. Kaso, US ambasador, tiklop ang buntut ni Ate Glo.

-DOY / IPD

Masses for truth to visit 6 metro Manila campuses

'Yan ang pinakamagandang naisip na dapat isagawa ng simbahan-CBCP (Watch, Pray and Act Movement”. Maaring tutukan naman ng civil society / Kilusang Demokratiko, sa pakikipagtuwang sa mga PAROKYA, ang mga malalaki at estratehikong mga KOMUNIDAD sa Metro Manila at mga secondary urban centers sa buong kapuluan.

Sa pamamagitan ng paglulunsad ng mga "popular education, mga demokratikong konsultasyon at pagtatayo ng mga popular na konseho ng mamamayan" sa grassroot level, tulad ng "pulong bayan, pulong baryo, pulong iskinita, pulong ng mga magkakapit bahay, " kung saan maaaring talakayin ang mga maiinit na isyung pang lokal-pangbarangay, kasama ang paghahanap ng "Katotohanan, hustisya at kaunlaran ." Ika nga ng mga Kaliwa, "BASE BUILDING."

Tulad nga ng paniwala ng marami, "wala sa testimonya ni Neri, salaysay ni Jun Lozada, sa Senate investigation, wala sa suporta ng kasundaluhan at middle class, wala sa elite opposition at CBCP ang susi ng ikatatagumpay" ng "KATOTOHANAN," "nasa mga sarili natin at nasa mga komunidad. Ang komunidad ang isa sa magsisilbeng lunsaran ng pakikibaka't labanan para ipagtanggol ang demokrasya at Katotohanan. At dahil mukhang tatagal pa ang labanan, tatagal pa ng ilang buwan ang paghihirap at pagdurusa ng mamamayang idinudulot ng patuloy na pangungurakot, pandarambong at katiwalian ng rehimeng Macapagal Arroyo.
(2 Photos: kuha ni Doy Cinco sa isang "People's Camp" activities sa isang barangay sa QC /
Photo sa baba; Former cabinet members and other officials under five presidents including the incumbent present a manifesto calling on President Macapagal-Arroyo to take five concrete steps to show her commitment to truth. Photo by Tom Guevarra, http://www.journal.com.ph/)

Sa ganitong kaparaanan maitataas ang pampulitikang kamalayan, makakapag-ipon ng malaking pwersa, makakapagkonsolida, makakapag-organisa at mapapakilos ang malawak (broad) na mamamayan, ang pwersa ng "Katotohanan at Pagbabago." Alalahaning nagsisimula ng umalagwa ang maitim na "propaganda machine ng estado," ginagamit na ng Malakanyang ang LGUs at binuong Kongreso ng Mamamayan sa kontra-pag-oorganisa sa mga kumunidad at paaralan maisalba lamang ang buluk na pulitika ni Ate Glo at kanyang bangkaroteng gubyerno. - Doy


Masses for truth to visit 6 metro Manila campuses
http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/1172

MANILA, March 4, 2008—Six more “Masses for Truth and Accountability” will be held at six different Catholic schools beginning this Sunday, March 9 at the De La Salle University at Taft Avenue, Manila.
All the activities are under the auspices of the Church-based “Watch, Pray and Act Movement.”

Another Mass will be held on March 16 at Miriam College, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. Students, faculty members and non-teaching personnel of St. Joseph’s College will host another Mass for Truth and Accountability on March 23.

The Manila Cathedral School will welcome Intramuros residents to another Mass on Sunday, March 30. The Holy Trinity Academy at Calabash Road, Balic-balic, Sampaloc, Manila will host the Mass on Sunday, April 6.

Tondo residents will have their turn on Sunday, April 13, 2008 when the Mass for Truth goes to the Holy Child Catholic School at Plaza Amado V. Hernandez.
Archdiocese of Manila’s Social Communications Director Peachy Yamsuan said all Masses will begin at 10:00 A.M. NBN-ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr. is expected to join the said Masses. (Melo M. Acuña)

Related Story:
Former WB chief 'disappointed' over higher poverty incidence in RP

Former World Bank president James Wolfensohn on Wednesday said he was “disappointed” over latest government figures showing that the poverty incidence in the Philippines worsened from 2003 to 2006.
Speaking at the Asian Institute of Management, Wolfensohn noted that the country’s 30% poverty incidence in 2003 was expected to decline. Instead, it increased to 32.9% in 2006.
He said central to these debates will be issues of “equity and social injustice” amid the continued allegations of corruptions hurled against the Arroyo administration. (Photo Above:upload.wikimedia.org/.../250px-Manila_shanty.jpg)
Full Story; http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111277


Gov't says number of poor growing as prices outpace wage rises

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008030547
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 05:40 PM
MANILA (AP) - The number of poor Filipinos rose between 2003 and 2006 despite strong economic growth because income increases failed to keep up with price hikes in food and basic services, a government statistical agency said Wednesday.
The National Statistical Coordination Board said the latest nationwide family income survey showed that a total of 4.7 million families _ or 27.6 million Filipinos _ were considered poor in 2006, up 16 percent from 4 million in 2003.
It said incidence of poor families rose to 26.9 percent in 2006 from 24.4 percent in 2003, but remained below the 27.5 percent figure for 2000, the year before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was swept to power.
The agency estimates the poverty threshold _ the monthly income that a family of five requires to meet basic needs _ rose to 6,274 pesos (US$154) in 2006, from 5,129 pesos (US$126) in 2003 and 4,774 pesos (US$117) in 2000.

‘Noli phobia saving GMA’

Ang ibig sabihin ba nito ay "matagalang labanan na naman, patuloy sa paghahanap ng lider / mukha, alternatiba at kambyo na sa electoral mode 2010 election o ang senaryong mas iigting pa ang labanan sa pagitan ng ruling elite at military (conflict within the ruling elite) at intensity ng pwersang naghahanap ng pagbabago't katotohanan at "oust GMA movement" sa kabilang banda?"

Sa kabila ng papalubhang krisis politikal at pabangkaroteng paggugubyerno, makabangon man politically si Ate Glo, mukhang mahihirapan na itong epektibong makagampan ng gawaing paggugubyerno. Sa bigwas at lakas ng propaganda machine ng Malakanyang at sa "konteksto ng NOLI PHOBIA at constitutional succession", may kakahayan pa ba ang hanay ng KATOTOHANAN at communal action na mas yugyugin hanggang sa maibagsak sa paraang extra-constitutional ang pwersa ng Kasamaan, kasinungaling at imoralidad sa lipunan? Ang tanong, may tipping point na natatanaw ba ang Oust GMA movement?

(Editorial cartoon: http://opinion.inquirer.net/)

Kaya lang, ang isa pang tanong na hindi gaanong klaro at mas mahalaga, sino ang mas makikinabang, hahamig, ang aani ng lahat ng sinsabing tagumpay kung sakaling bumaba sa pwesto si Ate Glo, ang mamamayan Pilipino, ang mga manipulador, power broker, specifically, ang hiwa-hiwalay na pwersang Kaliwa at Kanan, si Noli at ang barkadahang corporate elite o ang mga naghahanda sa 2010 presidentiable election? - Doy

By Edu Punay
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080302126
Monday, March 3, 2008

It was a choice between the ouster of President Arroyo and a chance to win in the 2010 presidential race.

Presidential hopefuls are staying away from moves calling for the resignation or ouster of the President amid allegations of rampant corruption in her administration, not just to ensure elections in 2010 - but more importantly, to prevent the convenient victory of Vice President Noli de Castro, an election lawyer said yesterday.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal believes that politicians eyeing the presidency want Mrs. Arroyo to finish her term “not for anything else but because they are afraid to face the Vice President who would be a very formidable presidential bet as a sitting president.”

“With the recent dismissal of a protest filed by Sen. Loren Legarda by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal and his (De Castro’s) being a strong number one in surveys for the 2010 polls, these presidential hopefuls would rather have GMA (President Arroyo) finish her term and have equal playing field with him (De Castro),” Macalintal told The STAR.

The lawyer explained that De Castro was able to prove that he won in the 2004 elections fair and square – contrary to Legarda’s claim of massive fraud – through the ruling of the PET.

“As De Castro has proven his ability and competence to lead our country and to do the task assigned to him as Vice President. He has not been involved in any anomaly and has maintained himself as one who could be trusted to manage the affairs of the government. Thus, no presidential hopeful would dare let him reign as a sitting president running for the same position with all resources of the government on his side,” Macalintal explained.

Former senator Francisco Tatad reportedly said that presidential aspirants have been keeping their distance from mass actions calling for the President to step down because they want her to hold on for two more years to ensure the holding of elections in 2010.

Tatad said the absence of the so-called presidentiables in last Friday’s protest actions only indicates that they want Mrs. Arroyo to remain in office so as not to derail their political ambitions.
He also noted that key players for the 2010 presidential derby have not taken active roles to support calls for Mrs. Arroyo’s ouster.
Tatad noted that the current political crisis involving the administration is different from the crises that ousted two sitting presidents in popular revolts in 1986 and 2001 because these were supported by the military and the Church.

"System Change," tagilid kay NOLI

Mukhang Noli constitutional succession ang senaryong pinag-uusapan ng ilang sektor lalong-lalo na sa hanay ng Negosyo (Makati Business Cluc at iba pa). Kaya lang, mukhang isang bangungot na kusang loob na magre-RESIGN si Ate Glo sa kapangyarihan. Kung Noli na nga, tiyakin lang sanang hinding-hindi muling mabibigo ang "communal ation" ng mamamayan, siguraduhing hindi maulit ang dalawang (2x) pag-aalsa sa Edsa kung saan ang senaryong pagpapalit lamang ng mukha / tao ang tanging pinagtuunan ng pansin at hindi ang pagpapalit ng buluk na sistema na siyang sanhi at pabrika ng katiwalian, pangungurakot at karalitaan ng bansa.

Marami ang nagdududa at kinakabahan sa kakayahan at kredibilidad ng VP Noli de Castro. Ang tanong ng iba, "ito na ba ang "PALACE COUP" na niluluto ng Malakanyang sa pakikipagsabwatan sa ilang corporate elite?" Bukud sa pagiging malapit, kaututang dila ni Ate Glo, may agam-agam sa usapin ng pagbabago at ang garantiya sa isyu ng "REPORMANG PULITIKA at elektoral, ang pagbabago ng mga patakarang anti-Pilipino o ang kabulukan ng sistema na lubhang nanganganib na hindi galawin ni NOLI at ng kanyang itatayong interim government. " STATUS QUO" ika nga.
(Photo: President Arroyo arrives with Vice President Noli de Castro at Malacañang..., http://www.philstar.com/)

Kung Noli ang lumalabas, ang hiling lang ng "communal action" ay magkaroon ng safety nets ang country, magarantiya ang sumusunod na kagyat na programa, tulad ng mga ss;

Una; maisigurong walang hangarin si Noli sa 2010 presidential election, i-insulate ito sa panganib na sakmalin ng predatory TRAPO politics (KAMPI/Lakas at UNO) at ang papel ni Noli ay maibalik sa political normalcy ang bansa, irehabilitate, i-overhaul, palakasin ang naghihingalong "strong republic," kawalang representasyon ng mamamayan at ihanda ang taumbayan sa isang malinis, kapani-paniwala, credible at mapayapang presidential election sa 2010.

Pangalawa, agarang imbestigasyon sa salang pandarambong ng pamilyang Macapagal Arroyo (ZTE-Broadband deal, Cyber-Ed, Northrail, Macapagal Highway, Jocjoc Bolante fertilizer scam at iba pang SCAM na kinakaharap ng huli).
Pangatlo; agarang OVERHAULING ng COMELEC (top to bottom) at pagpaparusa sa lahat ng sangkot sa Mega Pacific SCAM at Hello Garci dagdag-bawas controversy.

Pangatlo, pagbibitiw ng lahat sa gabinete, kasama ang OMBUDSMAN, TANODBAYAN at parusahan ang may kagagawan sa kaliwa't kanang political killings na isinakatuparan ng "security forces" ni Ate Glo sa basbas mula sa pamunuan ng PNP at AFP .

Pang-apat, ipawalang bisa ang "AUTOMATIC APPROPRIATION" o agarang moratorium (at least 1 year) ng PAGBABAYAD ng maanomalya at onerous na UTANG PANLABAS.

Panglima; i-institutionalized ang "communal action," ang demokratization sa lahat ng sangay ng demokratikong institution sa bansa. Tiyakin ang partisipasyon ng civil society, ng "aktibo't responsableng mamamayan" sa lahat ng organo ng kapangyarihan ng ESTADO, mula LGUs hanggang Malakanyang.

Pang-anim, ipamahagi na sa lalong madaling panahon ang bilyong pisong kompensasyon sa lahat ng biktima ng kalupitan at human right violation noong panahon ng diktadurang Marcos. Pakawalan ang lahat ng bilanggong pulitikal at mga naiditiing matataas na opisyal at junior officers na kalahok at sangkot sa "mutiny at rebelyon" ng Oukwood at Manila Pen incidence.

Panghuli, suspensyon ng lahat ng POLITICAL PARTY sa bansa at isuspindi ang pork barrel sa Kongreso, pagbuwag ng LPP / ULAP (Liga ng mga lokal na trapito ng bayan), ng lahat ng WARLORDS, private armies, guns, gold at goons sa buong kapuluan.

Kung ganito ang UNANG 100-300 days ni Noli de Castro, maaring tanggapin at kilalanin ito ng country at 'di masayang lang ang pagsisikap ng "communal action" ng mamamayan.

DOY / IPD
March 2, 2008
---------------------
Dictatorships are one-way streets. Democracy boasts two-way traffic.
Albert Moravia

Related Story:
Noli ‘all set’ to assume presidency
Written by Aries Rufo
Saturday, 01 March 2008
The vice president is in close contact with personalities who will advocate constitutional succession in case of a power vacuum. In case of a vacancy in the Office of the President, Vice President Noli de Castro is “all set” to assume the President’s functions and duties.

While he may not join efforts to oust the President, the Vice President has taken a crash course on the basics of the presidency and what to do during the first days in Malacanang. He is also in close contact with some personalities who will advocate constitutional succession in case of a power vacuum.

Members of the inner circle of the Vice President have confirmed with abs-cbnNews.com/ Newsbreak that de Castro has undergone tutorials on the demands of the presidency and how to immediately normalize the political situation if he becomes President.

The preparation includes putting the ‘house’ in order in the first few days and drafting a national development agenda, from the mid-term to long-term, as part of effecting smooth transition of power. .......
http://www.newsbreak.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4241&Itemid=88889051

"Noli walang ‘k’ maging presidente!" http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/mar0308/news02.htm

Metro Manila, sinilyado ng PNP (Pakawala Ng Palasyo)

Tulad ng inaasahan, sa layuning imarginalized, isabotahe, takutin at i-harrashed ang communal action, ang INTERFAITH RALLY sa Makati kagabi, palabasing "KAKAUNTI, walang partisipasyon ang mamamayan, wala ng interest ang mga kabataang estudyante sa pulitika, sawa na ang tao sa rally at dito lang nagaganap sa Makati, sa Metro Manila ang communal action," kahit paano ay nagtagumpay ang PNP, ang Pakawala Ng Palasyo, hindi nga umabot ng isang milyon, may 75,000 lamang ang dumalo.

Walang pumik-up, walang naniwala na may isasagawa raw na pambobomba ang Jemaah Islamiya (JI) sa Kamaynilaan at sa katunayan daw, ayon kay Gen Razon ay "nahuli na ang isang dayuhan mag-iiexecute raw ng pagpapasabog." Una rito at hindi na bago, naging alibi rin ang MILF na pinabulanaan naman ng huli at sa katunayan dumalaw pa si US Ambasador Kenney sa pinagkukutaan nito sa Mindanao. Sumunod na alibi ang anggulong CPP-NPA, sa mga Kumunista na magsasagawa raw ng ala-PLAZA MIRANDA BOMBING sa Makati. Wala ring tangang Pinoy ang naniwala. Ang anggulong MAGDALO ay hindi rin bumenta sa masa.

"Matagal ng modus operandi ng PNP ang humalik sa tumbong ni Ate Glo. Sa larangan ng dis-information, whitewash-cover-up, pagkitil sa karapatan Pantao ng mamamayan, sa pag-aasembleya at pagkilos (no permit no rally) hanggang sa pananabotahe ng communal action, istilong BULUK at GARAPAL."

Ang PNP (AFP) blockade sa NLEX at SLEX at kahit mismo sa loob ng Kamaynilaan ay kahit paano ay nakatulong kung bakit hindi umabot sa 1,000,000 ang mobilisasyon ng INTERFATH sa RALLY sa MAKATI. Ang malaking bilang ng mga mamamayan ng Southern Tagalog at Central Luzon, partikular ang hanay ng estudyate, ang nabalahuba, pinigil, trinatong mga terorista, mga drug lord at weteng lord, todo kapkap at binalagoong sa entrada ng NLEX at SLEX.
Kung ako kay General Razon ng PNP, sa tindi ng panggagago sa sarili at pagmumukhang tanga sa iisang pamilyang gustong proteksyunan nito, magRERESIGN na ako sa pwesto.

Tanging sa pagreresign ni Razon at pagpanig sa hanay ng "Katotohanan at Pagbabago" ang magpapanumbalik ng dangal, respeto, credibility, kabaniyahan at kadakilaan ng sarili, ng kanyang pamilya, maging ang pagtitiwala ng mamamayang sa kabuuang Kapulisan.

Doy Cinco / IPD
March 1, 2008

Related Story:
"Razon admits order to stop protesters at checkpoints"
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=110874
"Binay to sue Arroyo execs responsible for blocking protestors" http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82925/Binay-to-sue-Arroyo-execs-responsible-for-blocking-protestors

Freedom is when the people can speak, democracy is when the government listens.
Alastair Farrugia

Text message says a million people will bring out troops

Mukhang malaki ata ang quota, 1.0 milyon? Sa dami ng variables, kawalan ng pamasahe't sari-saring banta, baka hindi umabot ng 40 - 60,000? Alalahaning mahaba-haba pa ang susuunging labanan. Ang sigurado, nilalangaw at pinagtatawanan ang Malakanyang backed people power ng Kongreso ng Mamamayan sa Welcome rotunda.

Ang tanong ng marami, pagod na ba sa mga rallies at demonstrasyon ang tao, dahil ba sa pare-parehong mukha (pulitiko at pulang kulay na banners / streamers) at kawalan ng alternatibo o dahil ba sa pinipigilan ng Malakanyang ang mga kumunidad, sinasabotahe, tinatakot, hinaharang ang mobilisasyong papasok (NLEX at SLEX) patungo sa mga pagkilos ng mamamayan o sa communal action?"

Sa panig ng grupong naghahanap ng KATOTOHANAN at demokratikong kilusan, bukas, magkakaiba-iba man ang posisyon, kulay o ideolohiya, paniniwala't alternatibong isinusulong, muling magkikita-kita ang maraming grupo sa iisang panawagan, sa iisang damdaming "communal action" para sa katotohanan, accountability Interfaith rally sa Makati.

Hindi na mahalaga kung ang grupo man ito ay nasa panig ng Noli - constitutional succession patungo sa Snap Election cum CARE TAKER govt, grupo man ito na may agendang IMPEACHMENT o mass resignation ng buong GMA Administration, reform o revolutionary (system change), ito may constitutional o extra-constitutional, ang sigurado, lahat ay nasa kumpas ng "Oust, pagbibitiw sa pwesto ng immoral at bangkaroteng gubyernong Macapagal Arroyo, lahat ay nasa balangkas ng PAGBABAGO, pagbabago ng buluk na sistema."

Eto na kaya ang pinakahihintay, magkaron kaya ng ispontanyong pagkilos ang mamamayan o ang TIPPING POINT na inaantabayanan ng marami? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata......

Doy / IPD
February 27, 2008
------------------------
The highest measure of democracy is neither the 'extent of freedom' nor the 'extent of equality', but rather the highest measure of participation.
A. d. Benoist


Text message says a million people will bring out troops
By Nikko Dizon, Kristine L. Alave, Alcuin Papa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:36:00 02/28/2008
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080228-121656/Text-message-says-a-million-people-will-bring-out-troops
MANILA, Philippines -- A text message saying that a million warm bodies in the streets will bring out troops and oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has begun to circulate among soldiers, but military officials shrugged it off as nothing but a "disinformation" campaign.
"The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines are asking us to produce one million warm bodies by Feb. 29 and they will withdraw support from this Mafia government. Let us all join hands to achieve this goal," the message read.

The Philippine Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, said the message was only meant to "confuse, influence, and deceive the Filipino people." Groups calling for the resignation of Ms Arroyo are set to hold an interfaith rally on Friday in Makati City.
(Photo below: JIL activity at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, http://jilworldwide.org/jilarticles/?p=17)

JIL to field 100,000
Evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva, leader of Jesus Is Lord Movement (JIL), said Wednesday he would bring 100,000 members of his group to the Makati rally.
Villanueva said he had received messages from JIL pastors and members in the provinces that checkpoints had been set up along routes to Manila and expressed fears that troops would prevent them from joining the rally.

"We are appealing to the military that they should heed their constitutional mandate, that they should be the protector of the people, and serve the people and not just one family," Villanueva said.

PNP on alert
The Philippine National Police (PNP) was to go on full alert Thursday in anticipation of the Makati rally. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Geary Barias said PNP Director General Avelino Razon had given the order for the full alert beginning at 6 p.m., meaning the 120,000 policemen in the country would stay at their posts at all times.

Barias said that the 10,000-strong Task Force Manila Shield had been activated to man checkpoints and go on patrols. Another 5,000 antiriot policemen will be deployed for the Makati rally from 5 to 8 p.m.

Snap elections
In a press conference, Villanueva reiterated his call on the President, Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate President Manuel Villar, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Chief Justice Reynato Puno to set aside differences and "give way" to snap elections. (photo: www.op.gov.ph)

Villanueva said Ms Arroyo's elected successors were not credible because of the questionable results of the 2004 elections. He urged Puno to head a caretaker transition government that would oversee the snap elections and overhaul the Commission on Elections.
"To resolve worsening political crisis, the most peaceful [way] is to hold a genuine, peaceful, honest and credible snap elections," Villanueva said.

Present during the news conference were Catholic Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez of Caloocan City, Bishop Dan Balais of the Intercessors of the Philippines, lawyer Louie Sison and Josie Lichauco of Bangon Pilipinas.

Mass resignation urged
Villanueva said the show of force and discontent on Friday should encourage government officials to resign from Arroyo's political family.
"This is not just a prayer rally. This is to inspire government officials to exercise their patriotic duty to the nation by abandoning the perceived illegitimate President," he said.

Villanueva said he and other organizers were hoping that the demonstration would "inspire" other officials who have knowledge of the anomalies in the graft-tainted National Broadband Network deal to come out and reveal what they know.

In response to Ms Arroyo's statement that the world cannot forgive another People Power revolution, Villanueva said: "What the world cannot forgive is the unresolved string of corruption and scandals exposed in the media."

Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro of the Armed Forces of the Philippines information office said military officers had received the text message and other similar ones. Verification by the AFP showed that they came from only two mobile phone numbers, he said.

"This therefore indicates that a small group is simply broadcast texting for the purpose of disinformation and agitation. We will not therefore dignify and give credence to such attempts to agitate and disinform," Bacarro said.

He said that the military "will remain true to its pronouncements that we will not be swayed into extra-legal actions." "We shall remain constitutional soldiers. We will abide by and follow the chain of command and support or obey the duly constituted authorities," Bacarro said in a text message.

Press freedom, democracy under threat, says chief justice

Hindi na balita ito, sa tingin ng marami, matagal ng sinasalaula, binababoy, tini-threathed ang demokrasya sa Pilipinas. Sa election na lamang (2001, 2004, 2007 at malamang sa 2010) halimbawa, lahat tayo'y pinaglalaruan, ginawang tanga! - Doy
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008022773
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 08:41 PM

MANILA (AP) - Attacks on journalists in the country are undermining press freedom and putting the country's democracy "under siege," the country's Supreme Court chief justice warned today.

Reporters also face harassment through abuse of defamation and libel laws, Chief Justice Reynato Puno said. "It is a dangerous time for those who report the truth," Puno said in a speech at an international conference in Manila on press freedom.

"Democracy is all about the voice of the people," Puno said. "Democracy in this country is under siege because bullets fired at the direction of journalists pierce not only human flesh, but also our republican ideals."
----------------------
The highest measure of democracy is neither the 'extent of freedom' nor the 'extent of equality', but rather the highest measure of participation.
A. d. Benoist

Huwag mag-expect sa CBCP

"'WAG UMASA, WAG MAGDIKTA at higit sa lahat WAG IMPOSING! Hayaaan nating mag-evolved, dahan-dahang mamulat ang bawat tao, ang mamamayan, kasama na rin ang mga Obispo. Bakit sa CBCP lang tayo nakatingin, bakit walang pumapansin sa Iglesia ni Kristo (INK), sa El Shaddai, sa oportunistang position ng US Government kay Ate Glo? Bakit hindi natin singilin ang ating mga “hinalal”na mga pulitiko, ang ating Barangay Captain, ang ating Mayor, ang ating mga Kinatawan sa Tongreso (Congressman)?" (Photo: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=110482)

Inaasahan na ng marami na hinding-hindi guguhit, pupusturang aktibista, militante at manawagang “Oust GMA” ang CBCP. Malayong-malayo at hindi birong magkaiba ang sitwasyon ng CBCP kung ikukumpara sa Bayan Muna, ANAKPAWIS, sa Akbayan, sa MAGDALO at Laban ng Masa. Dagdag pa, kung madalas nating maikumpara si Cardinal Sin sa mga Obispo sa kasalukuyan (PAGCOR factor), iba ang konteksto noong 1970s, nung panahon ng diktaduryang Marcos at ang pag-aalsa noong 2001. Marami ang naniniwala na "may malaking kahinaan ang dalawang pag-aalsang naganap sa Edsa at mukhang napagtuunan lamang nito ang pagpapalit ng mukha/tao at hindi ang pagbabago ng buluk na sistema na siyang pabrika at pinanggagalingan ng katiwalian at karalitaan tinatamasa ng country. "

Para sa akin, sa konteksto ngayon, malaking bagay na rin ang panawagang “communal action” ng CBCP. Maaring ito na ang pinakamataas na anyo ng panawagang kayang ibigay, ibato ng simbahan sa harap ng lumalalalang krisis ng paggugubyerno sa bansa.

Maliwanag naman sa lahat, nagkakaisa naman ang lahat na ang kahulugan ng “communal action ay pagkilos na communal, sama-samang pagkilos para sa pagbabago, commune, ika nga, kahit paano, isa itong political action.” Sa "layuning maibalik ang pagtitiwala, good governance at higit pang palakasin ang tinatawag na responsableng mamamayan, sa panimula, maaaring “communal prayer at soul searching, pray together, magdecide o mag-act together, patungo sa tinatawag nating pagpapataas ng kamulatan, pagtuklas ng MUKHA'T ALTERNATIBO.”

Walang dudang nasaktan ang Malakanyang sa panawagang “communal action” ng CBCP at walang ibang tinutukoy at pinapantungkulan ito kundi ang imoralidad, ang kabulukan ng GMA administration at ang paraan kung paano ito mareresolba, sa abot kaya ng inabot na kamalayan ng simbahan ay sa pamamagitan ng "communal action."

Sa bagong position ng CBCP, walang ibang matutuwa't makikinabang dito kundi ang institusyon ng Senado, ang tumatayo sa ngayon at nag-iisang may kumpiyansa't pagtitiwala ang mamamayan. Sapagkat, winawarat ng mga alipores ng Malakanyang ang credibility ng Senado sa alegasyon "destabilization at hindi in-AID of legislation" ang mga Senate investigation. Sa paninindigan at paghahanap ng katotohanan ng CBCP, sa "panawagang pagbubuwag ng EO 464 at panawagang hindi dapat pagbawalan ni Ate Glo ang kanyang subordinates na magsabi ng katotohanan hinggil sa nalalaman sa katiwalian lalo na sa mainit na usaping broadband scandal, mukhang pinalalakas nito ang institusyon ng Senado na gamitin ang kanilang kapangyarihan upang mapalabas ang katotohanan at accountability.”

Sa bagong mga kaganapan, back to basic ang labanan; mag-organisa't magmulat ng ating mga pamayanan, sa ating komunidad, sa ating mga kapit-bahayan, sa mga PAROKYA'T mga kapamilya, kamag-anakan sa totoong lagay ng estado, kabulukan ng pulitika at lipunang ginagalawan. Kung babalikan ang kasaysayan, hindi ang Simbahan ang namuno sa ilang dosenang PAG-AALSA at REBOLUSYON nuong 1896 (maliban kina GOMBURZA). Ang taumbayan, ang mga KATIPUNEROS, si Bonifacio, si Rizal, Mabini, si Tandang Sora at sila SAKAY ang nagpa-alab ng himagsikan laban sa mananakop at mapagsamantala.

Pasalamat tayo at hindi naging sagad-saring PRO-GMA ang CBCP at hindi nito kinastigo ang panawagang 'OUST GMA CAMPAIGN” ng maraming sector.

Doy / IPD
February 27, 2008

Related Story:
CBCP pastoral letter does not discourage protests vs Arroyo
While it does not call for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines' (CBCP) latest pastoral letter is not discouraging protests against her either, a bishop said.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82386/CBCP-pastoral-letter-does-not-discourage-protests-vs-Arroyo

Keep the pressure on Arroyo

Sa itinatakbo ng mga pangyayari, sa huling mga pahayag ni Ate Glo na kesyo "siya raw ang duly elected president ng bansa, siya ang pangulo, siya ang masusunod, may kapangyarihan at ito'y tatagal pa raw hanggang 2010" at ang ikinikilos ng kanyang matataas na pinuno ng kasundaluhan at kapulisan na halos ang may hawak ng command sa lahat, nasusunod at partner in crime ni Ate Glo, bilang pagpapatindi ng panawagang "peaceful at non-violent communal action," ang tanong ng mamamayan, kung 'di agarang magbibitiw sa kapangyarihan si Ate Glo sa poder, tulad nung sinabi ni Bishop Yniguez, isusunod na ba ang CIVIL DIS-OBEDIENCE campaign? - Doy

(Photo: Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, left, Catholic nun Sister Mary John Mananzan, right, and Rodolfo Lozada Jr., center, a star witness in the Senate corruption probe; http://ap.google.com/article/ LeqM5hhNMGCg3tLa5qc6xrmK9l8pB3HnAD8V1SIF00)

Commentary
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/opinion/view/20080225-121089/Keep-the-pressure-on-Arroyo
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 14:42:00 02/25/2008

Because it is easier to imagine it, corruption has taken center stage in the public’s appreciation of the current national crisis. Against the backdrop of mass poverty, the quantities are truly mind-boggling: $130 million in kickbacks for a government project worth $329 million, a bribe offer of P200 million for a single signature, cash gifts of half a million pesos each for politicians who attend a breakfast or lunch meeting with a President facing impeachment, and many more.

It would be a mistake, however, to think this is just about corruption. This is, more importantly, about the long-term damage to a nation’s social institutions. Far from being a neutral arbiter of disputes and a source of normative stability, the justice system has become a weapon to intimidate those who stand up to power. Far from being a pillar of public security, the military and the police have become the private army of a gangster regime. Instead of serving as an objective referee in electoral contests, the Commission on Elections has become a haven for fixers. Instead of serving as the steady backbone of public service, the government bureaucracy has been turned into a halfway house for political lackeys, misfits and the corrupt. Instead of serving as a check on presidential power, the House of Representatives has become its hired cheering squad.

The erosion of these institutions, no doubt, has been going on for a long time. But their destruction in the last seven years under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s presidency has been the most comprehensive since 1986.

The damage is not confined to government; it has fanned out like a shock wave from the epicenter to the periphery. We have thus far only seen the debris of government institutions that have lost their standing in the public esteem. Now we are seeing how the tension is passed on and threatens other institutions. This happens when issues that are left unresolved by the institutions of law, politics and government spill over to other spheres of society. This is the collateral damage that can be created by a runaway crisis – the importation of an unresolved political-legal dysfunction into our churches, schools, editorial rooms, board rooms and homes. If we don’t handle it well, we could all end up collecting debris to build a bonfire of institutions.

All of us must contribute to the shaping of the public consciousness, whether as individuals or as communities, but we can only speak for ourselves. We must take care we don’t destroy the institutions to which we belong, for that will only mean we are no different from those who have abused the institutions of government. In self-defense, we must keep the pressure on the Arroyo regime until it releases its grip on our government. At the same time, we must continue to admonish the custodians of our Constitution to do their work faithfully and urgently, and thus spare the rest of the country from the continuing nightmare of a destructive presidency. – Randy David, Inquirer

ZTE advanced $41M to ‘greedy group’--witness; http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20080226-121240/ZTE-advanced-41M-to-greedy-group--witness
AFP denies reports of planned withdrawal of support; http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82304/AFP-denies-reports-of-planned-withdrawal-of-support

Jailed soldiers join call: Break command chain

Definitely, upang kahit paano ma-ensure lang ang peaceful at non-violence struggle for truth at accountability, sa ayaw man natin o sa gusto, kailangan ng "communal action" ang papel ng kasundaluhan, lalong-lalo na ang hanay ng patriotic at propesyunal na mga JUNIOR OFFICERS.
(Photo: SHOW OF FORCE. Top military and police officials led by Armed Forces chief General Hermogenes Esperson (3rd, R) and police Director General Avelino Razon (2nd, R) link arms as they march outside Camp Aguinaldo; AFP )
Alam nating hindi basta-basta magre-resign, bibitaw sa kapangyarihan ang Ate Glo ng ganun-ganon na lamang, ng walang resbakan o labanan. Gagawa't gagawa ito ng alingasngas (pamunuan ng military-PNP, Arroyo's army at goons), panggugulo, pananabotahe, asasinasyon, terorismo, matiyak lamang na 'di mapo-prosecute (kinahinatn ni Marcos at Erap) ang pamilyang Arroyo sa kapahamakan. Kung baga sa isang ahas, kung malalagay at masusukol, manunuklaw ito, magwawala at magsasaboy ng venum. - Doy

Enrile to GMA: Give up power, you’re dead; http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080225122

SPECIAL REPORT
By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:52:00 02/24/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- He had the right credentials, the right connections. He could have gotten where he wanted to go on his career path. But Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, 52, one of the youngest and brightest officers to gain star rank, had some other guiding light to follow that led to his sacking as commander of the elite First Scout Ranger Regiment and his landing in jail in February 2006.

Lim had allegedly sought the military’s withdrawal of support from President Macapagal-Arroyo in the midst of calls for her resignation on a charge she had rigged the 2004 elections with the help of some generals—an accusation she has denied.

As the President grapples yet again with another scandal, this time involving allegations of bribery in the scuttled $329-million broadband deal that implicated her husband and has triggered calls for her to step aside, Lim has once again joined a call to soldiers to “break the chain of command.”

From his jail cell, Lim signed a manifesto declaring that the AFP had lost its moral authority as protectors of the people. This followed claims by whistle-blower Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. that he was abducted by soldiers on his return from Hong Kong on Feb. 5 as part of an elaborate Malacañang plan to cover up its involvement in the broadband deal.

“The military has its own sworn duties,” Lim says during a break in court martial proceedings against him, Col. Ariel Querubin, Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 25 other officers and men in connection with the 2006 incident.

“The soldiers say ‘OK’ without question, but in the process of performing their sworn duties they also start asking questions when they see that the ideals that they have internalized sharply contrast with the morals and values they see in their institution,” Lim says.
“We’re not parrots. A parrot can mouth rhetoric and it can articulate. But I want to articulate and internalize,” says Lim.

Being out of the barracks is a familiar role that Lim, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy and the US Military Academy at West Point, has played time and again.
Full Story:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080224-120807/Jailed-soldiers-join-call-Break-command-chain

Detained officers urge troops to join ‘communal' activities

02/25/2008 08:49 AM
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/82019/Detained-officers-urge-troops-to-join-communal-activities
Saying the present situation is worse than the Martial Law days, soldiers detained for the February 2006 standoff urged soldiers to assert their Constitutional duty and join "communal actions" that are aimed at ridding the ills facing the nation.

In a statement posted on the "Sundalo" website, the officers said soldiers are also citizens who can distinguish right from wrong.

"It would be the height of insensitivity and callousness to let alone the people do the cleaning when we, ourselves, were so much a part of it. Going out of barracks to join the people in communal action to rid the ills that befell our nation is a Constitutional duty. In fact, it is demanded of us, as soldiers, by the very people whom we failed. Let us not, this time, fail them. Let our voices be heard from the barracks. Let our sense of community be felt from the barracks. And let our actions be seen in and out of the barracks," the officers said.

Signing the statement were former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and ex-Scout Ranger commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who were detained for allegedly planning to withdraw support from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2006.

"We are not faceless automatons incapable of thinking, feeling and discernment. We feel the pain of our neighbors as much as their anger. We see their oppression and sense their hopelessness. Of course, their happiness is ours too. But they are not! ... We, too, can distinguish good from evil, a truth from a lie, an honest one from a cheat and a thief. But it would be our most grievous sin if we tolerate and do nothing about it," they added.
The soldiers said the mess created in the 2004 polls, either by direct participation and/or by silent complicity, needs to be "cleaned."
They lamented that in the 2004 elections, a "misguided and partisan few" went out of our barracks not with a noble intent but to commit a crime against the people.

"They are still out of barracks trying to cover up for the crimes they committed while suppressing the truth. Sadly, more are being lured out of barracks to partake of the loot," they said.

"After everything has been said and done ... We appeal to the Filipino people to bring us back to barracks and keep us there. Keep us forever in barracks by electing responsible public officials and holding them accountable, by being ever vigilant and by strengthening your sense of community. We, your soldiers, will then march back to barracks to settle to the task of keeping your worthy trust and respect. Let that be our covenant," they said.

The soldiers also urged the public to join "patriotic activities," including the afternoon rally at Mendiola; a Mass at the EDSA Shrine led by Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez Jr., KME and Laban ng Masa; and a Mass at Baclaran Church; and a candle-torch rally at the Welcome Rotonda. - GMANews.TV

The arguments for inaction

Passion For Reason
By Raul PangalanganPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst
Posted 23:14:00 02/21/2008

You’ve heard the sensible argument: “‘Hanggang 2010 na lang naman.’ [It’s only until 2010.] Why the rush?” My answer: If Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stays in power until 2010, she will remain in power after 2010. She and her cabal have transgressed the law so often now while they are in the saddle. There is simply too much at stake at too high a risk for them to dismount and freely relinquish power to a new president. Imagine her thinking: Why will I allow myself to be in Joseph Estrada’s shoes? Surely she dreads the full wallop of karmic revenge.

Even if we go through the ritual of a presidential election in 2010, at the very least, she will ensure that a brand-new ombudsman will be in place to immunize her and her family from culpability for the next seven years. In other words, she will continue the prostitution of our republican institutions.

Just look at our law enforcement agencies. Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. testified under oath about a $130 million commission and Neri about a P200 million bribe (who reported it to the President, who in turn did nothing), about his kidnapping by the very police sworn to protect us, and now about the half-million pesos given to him by a Malacañang lawyer -- and what do they do? They talk about charging Lozada’s wife with perjury! Susmaryosep. By the time Ms Arroyo goes, she will have debased the Republic, and made a total wreck of our constitutional order.

The second argument is: “Away ng mga fixer lamang ’yan.” [“It’s just a brawl among fixers.”] Why indeed should we involve ourselves in a brawl over illicit commissions? My answer: Precisely because it takes a thief to catch a thief, and we must embrace this long-awaited fissure within the ruling elites. In fact, I’d like to see Rep. Jose de Venecia explain why the conspirators in the national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp. kept on insisting on “the NorthRail template,” the exact same swindle that ZTE wished to emulate, except that NorthRail was De Venecia’s baby and ZTE wasn’t. So the fixers are raring for a fight? That’s good news for all us victims. We must celebrate, we must fuel, we must spark the outrage.

The third argument is a sequel to the second: “Let us settle for the lesser evil.” I’ve actually found this argument most enticing, especially since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is by far the most highly educated of our presidents, and she wonderfully looks the part. The only problem is, going by what Romulo Neri allegedly said, she is “evil.” The law says Cabinet members are the alter ego of the president, and when the alternate ego brands the original ego as “evil,” he should know whereof he speaks. At the rate she’s going, just about every other option is the more “moderate” evil.
The fourth argument is: “Respect the rule of law lest you open a Pandora’s Box of power gone berserk.” My response: You mean, any more berserk than Arroyo’s Mafia sense of power? Whose Strong Republic is forceful in hounding its enemies, but weak in punishing its friends?
Full Story: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080221-120384/The-arguments-for-inaction

Full steam ahead for communal action

http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/1018

MANILA, February 21, 2008—PPCRV Chair and former Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Henrietta De Villa said her group is organizing the Catholic faithful in various dioceses and key cities to take part in various communal activities beginning with the noise barrage scheduled for Friday, February 22 from 6:00 – 7:00 P.M.

Speaking over Catholic-run Veritas 846, Ambassador de Villa said meetings have been going on in various key areas including Jaro, Iloilo with Msgr. Meliton Oso. She said she expects a warm response from well-meaning citizens to blow their horns and produce noise similar to what’s being done every New Year’s eve.

She called on radio listeners to actively participate in the activity called Busina para sa Katotohanan, in support of star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr. and the on-going Senate investigation.

“The idea behind the activity is to further inform the public of issues involved in the revelations made at the past Senate hearings,” de Villa added. Quoting CBCP President and Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, de Villa said the graft and corrupt practices in the country is now considered “the greatest shame of our people.”

Reacting to some pro-administration lawmakers accusations that the Church is meddling into politics, de Villa said “politics is supposed to be for the achievement of the common good.” However, she stressed the Church has made its presence felt to “cleanse” the country from the evils of politics. “In fact, politics today hinder the realization of the goals of the Catholic church’s Second Plenary Council of the Philippines in 1991,” the former envoy added. (CBCPNews)
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Mukhang wala ng awatan, tuloy-tuloy ang momentum, lumalawak at papatindi ang communal action at people power para sa pagbabago at katotohanan. Maliban sa grupong estudyante, propesyunal, Black and White Movement, Makati Business Club, Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, Integrated Bar of the Philippines at iba't-ibang maka-kaliwang grupo, sumama na rin ang Bangon Pilipinas, Muslim Legal Assistance Foundation, United Church of Christ in the Philippines at National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

Ang pinangangambahan ng iba, maaring ikatuwa naman ng ibang grupo lalo na mga extremista, ang paghahasik ng karahasan ng Special Dirty trick department." "Wag lang sanang gayahin ng Malakanyang ang Burma at ang kinahinatnan ng bansang Pakistan." (Larawan sa baba: Mayor Pelayo ng Candaba, Pampanga, ang tuta ng mga Pineda at ng mga Arroyo; www.geocities.com)

Sa ganitong klaseng pakikibaka't pagkakaisa, sa ganito kalaking organisasyon, koalisyon o alyansang nasa ilalim ng "oust GMA movement," hindi ko alam kung kayang tapatan ito ng PEOPLE POWER na ikakasa naman ng "Kongreso ng Mamamayan- consultative dialogue," ng mga GOONS, pulitiko (LPP-DILG), sa basbas ni Cong Mikey Arroyo, Malakanyang at suporta ng WETENG lord na si Bong Pineda ng Pampanga.

Ang nakakalungkot, imbis na agapayan ang kasamahang si Gov Evardone ng Eastern Samar, bigyan ng suporta't tulong ang mga nasasalanta ng baha't kalamidad sa Samar, Leyte at Albay, catanduanes, pamumulitika, pipol power, political survival at pamumudmud ng kwarta ang inuuna ng Malakanyang.

Tulad ng sabi ni Bishop Lagdameo, sana nga hindi na "maulit ang Edsa 1 at 2, kung saan ang pagpapalit lamang ng presidente, ng tao at hindi ng buluk na sistema, ang buluk, elitist, undemocratic at patronage system of politics ng bansa," ang nangyari
- Doy /
Feb 21, 2008