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Aya Fabros
Focus on the Global South
10 July 2008
In a couple of weeks, Gloria Arroyo will be delivering her State of the Nation Address (SONA), marking another year of tenacity and triumph over a recurring and still-unfolding crisis confronting her delegitimized regime. (Photo:http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/07iz2nYg9wgeJ/610x.jpg)
This upcoming SONA is her key address since the wildfire of political scandals that revived calls for her resignation, including the NBN-ZTE deal, the Malacanang cash gift fiasco and the impeachment farce. The economy, which had been registering steady growth, low inflation and some incremental improvements in employment, has essentially served as her administration’s refuge from the political verwirrung that followed. With her legitimacy in question, Arroyo and her spin doctors have craftily appropriated the dictum ‘it’s the economy, stupid,’ as a central strategy to deflect criticism and opposition to her regime. Indications of a healthy economy have in effect served as political tools for undermining and discrediting demands for her to step down and cut her term short. Her spin doctors have worked doubly hard to capitalize on this picture of a soaring economy, presenting an image of Arroyo as a manager and leader bent on getting down to work, with her goal set on ensuring and sustaining economic progress, even in the face of escalating adversity and ‘destabilization’.
This propaganda drive gave birth to slogans such as “Trabaho hindi gulo” as well as the barrage of TV ads and tarpaulins that brandish the lines “Ramdam ko ang asenso” and “Ramdam ko ang kaunlaran.” In the recent stage of this propaganda blitz comes a more targeted populist offensive, spawning interim programs such as the Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino and the Katas ng VAT, which provide a springboard for direct transfers to the poor, including lifeline users of electricity and poor households with young school children. This portrays a responsive, pro-poor president, who has put in place timely programs for the poorest whose conditions are aggravated by rising prices of key commodities, as the dark side of the economy stealthily reared its head.
The robust economy that the Arroyo administration has been gloating about has manifestly bared its key flaws. With the unravelling of key indicators such as prices and jobs, more and more paradoxes are starkly revealed as the SONA approaches. The boost of 2007 turned out to be short-lived, a spurt that could not be sustained. The spin pertaining to a solid economy is dramatically discredited by sharp changes in key indicators that Arroyo supposedly tamed under her watch. After the record-level growth of 7.3%, the “soaring” economy of 2007 “slackens”, with GDP growth down to 5.2% in the first quarter of 2008, to use the words of NSCB Secretary-General Romulo Virola.
The slowdown in national income growth comes with staggering rises in prices, weakening real value of the peso, declining employment and increased joblessness, and high incidence of poverty and hunger. Prices of key commodities, such as rice and oil, are escalating week on week.
Inflation rates are sharply rising. From an average of 2.8 percent in 2007, inflation has skyrocketed to 11.4 percent in June 2008. The real value of the peso fell to 65 centavos, in May 2008, and then to 63.5 centavos in June compared to its value in 2000. Put differently, the goods and services that could be purchased for a hundred pesos back in 2000, now cost P 157.4 (June 2008). For the ordinary Pinoy, this means that we need to shell out more to maintain our standard of living. The cost of living continues to go up, real incomes are dwindling, at a time when Filipinos are struggling, and barely getting by, w i t h p o v e r t y - l e v e l w a g e s , underemployment or joblessness.
Jobs crisis: Precarious work and unemployment
A chronic jobs deficit, both in terms of number and quality of work, continue to characterize the employment situation in the country. Job generation has not kept pace with the economy's growth. Although the economy is growing, the number of jobs is not growing fast enough for the expanding labor force. The working age population has increased from 56.4 Million in April 2007 to 57.7 Million by April 2008. Of the 34.22 Million in the labor force, 2.9 million do not have jobs. Unemployment has worsened from 7.4% last year to 8% this year, indicating that our economy is losing jobs rather than creating them. Between April 2007 and May 2008, nearly 200,000 jobs were lost.
Working Poor, Inadequate Incomes and Poverty Wages
While some workers have lost their jobs, a larger number of workers are engaged in precarious, low paying (if at all) employment. Of those employed, 10.9 Million (32.6%) are laborers and unskilled workers, most likely earning poverty wages. To offset the rising cost of living and the shrinking real value of the peso, a 20-peso increase in the minimum wage has been approved, in the National Capital Region (NCR), and P10-P15 pesos elsewhere in the country. Income tax for minimum wage earners has also been scrapped recently. For NCR, the minimum wage is now in the range of P362-P382 a day, but this covers only 43% of the P 882 family living wage (FLW), an official estimate set by the National Wages and Productivity Board, comprised of food and non-food expenditures required to nourish and sustain a household of six. The quagmire of laborers is a heady cocktail of falling real wages and inadequate income: They're not only suffering from diminishing purchasing power, they're also not earning enough to sustain their daily needs. Worse, among those employed, 12.5 percent are actually unpaid family workers or workers not earning anything at all for their labor. The number of unpaid family workers is also on the rise, now at 4.2 Million from 3.85 Million last year.
Precarious Employment, Decline in Formal, Steady Jobs, Underemployment
Similarly, the proportion of wage and salary workers has also dropped: from 53.4% in January 2007 to 51.7% in January 2008, while own account workers are also increasing in number, with 10.88 Million Filipinos being “self-employed”. Small and medium entrepreneurs might come to mind, but then again, think hawkers, vendors, scavengers, and the like. In this respect, regular formal work with steady wage incomes seem to be on a downturn, and more and more Pinoys appear to be resorting to informal employment to make ends meet.
This is similarly reflected in the growing number of the underemployed. Despite the fact that 60 % of those employed are actually working full-time for more than 40 hours a week, there are 6.62 Million Filipinos who have a job but are still looking for more work. The underemployment rate is up from 18.9% to 19.8% from April 2007 to April 2008 and the number of underemployed has increased by almost 300,000. These figures underscore questions pertaining to the quality of work available to Filipinos.
The Young and the Jobless
Who are the unemployed? Apparently, majority of the unemployed are young and educated. 2.37 Million or 81.4% of the unemployed are young, aged 15-34 years old. This figure only stood at 2.14 Million or 79.7% last year, indicating an increase in unemployment among the youth. Another unemployment paradox is the apparent rising unemployment among the educated. Among those who are unemployed, 40%, or 1.166 Million, have actually obtained college level education; up from 39% or 1.05 Million last year. Now this is bursting the Filipino dream, our ahon sa kahirapan strategy, to send our children to school against all odds, in order for them to secure good jobs and a better quality of life. And then again, with jobs sparse and wanting at the homefront, the recourse is to go abroad.
Agriculture, Employment, Productivity, Income
T h e agricultural s e c t o r continues to lag behind services and industry in terms of GDP share. In 2007, it accounted for only 14.1% of gross domestic production (current), contributing 936 Billion to national income. In contrast, the share of services and industry comprised 54.2% and 31.7% respectively. In terms of employment, however, agriculture provided as much as 35.2% of jobs. Industry, on the other hand, employed only 15.6% of workers. Agriculture did not demonstrate the same positive correspondence between employment share and share in domestic production. A simple way of illustrating this contradiction is by computing the ratio of GDP and Employment share. Industry has the highest ratio at 2.03, followed by services at 1.09, with agriculture trailing behind at 0.4. Malalauan (2006) describes the agricultural sector as being “trapped in low productivity” in a previous Development Roundtable Series (DRTS) publication, showing a similar trend with respect to GDP per input of labor.
Agricultural output per unit of labor in 2005 was a meager P 63,828, compared to Industrial output per unit of labor and service output per unit of labor valued at P 357,651.55 and P 183,018.7 respectively. He further points out, “from such low productivity, and considering costs of inputs, we can only expect very low incomes in the agriculture sector. In addition, frequent calamities, poor infrastructure, unstable prices, and seasonality of employment render agricultural incomes vulnerable.” Precarious production and unsteady incomes are still reflected in the latest data. Almost half of the underemployed (48.3%) are found in the agricultural sector. It also accounts for majority of unpaid family workers.
Half of Pinoy families say they are poor
The crisis in prices, jobs and incomes has grave implications on poverty and hunger. Official statistics show that (as of 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey) the number of poor families rose to 4.67 Million in 2006 from 4.022 Million in 2003. At least 32.9% of the population live below the poverty line. Self-rated poverty is even higher. An estimated 9 million families, or 50 percent of households consider themselves poor according to the March 2008 survey of the Social Weather Stations. Moreover, the most recent SWS survey shows that 2.8 Million families (15.7%) have experienced involuntary hunger. In the wake of surging food prices, a rise in the incidence of hunger cannot be far behind. While real incomes have been falling, the price of food has been continuously rising, at a fast pace. Food inflation rate has already reached double digits at 16.5% (June 2008), and even higher outside NCR at 17.3%.
The price of rice has increased at an even faster pace, at 43% across the country, and a staggering 60.5% in NCR. Food is ecoming more and more inaccessible, with inflation getting a larger cut from already inadequate incomes and as of the first quarter, approximately 7.1 Million households, or 2 out of 5 Filipino families, already consider themselves ‘food-poor,’ according to SWS. Over 400,000 families, 5.8% of the self-rated food poor, experienced severe hunger in the first quarter, at a time when inflation was still 4.9 to 6.4 %.
High incidence of hunger and poverty is set against a backdrop of stark disparities in incomes and resource access. According to the 2006 FIES, the average annual income of the poorest 10% is pegged at P 32,000. This is clearly inadequate to nourish and sustain an average Filipino household, even when set against a low per capita poverty threshold of P15,057, or 42 pesos per person, per day. Comparing between income groups, note that the average income of the richest households is 19.4 times more than the average income of the poorest households. The poorest decile earned only P 32,000 and the richest decile had an average income of P617,000 in 2006. The sharp contrast in incomes reflects skewed access to opportunities to earn and to gain from economic growth.
The striking disparities can be demonstrated in various ways. For instance, in 2006, the poorest decile registered a total annual family income of P 56 Billion (current prices), from P 44 Billion in 2003, generating an increase of P 12 Billion. In contrast, the richest decile garnered a total annual family income of P 1.074 Trillion, from P 884 Billion in 2003. With a P 190 Billion increase (current prices), the richest families got a share of 34.23% of total annual family income growth (P 555 Billion increase from 2003 to 2006). The poorest families, on the other hand, received 2.16% of the total growth in annual income of families. The contrast between the growth of the two income groups is 15.83 to 1-- the total income of the richest families grew 16 times more than the poorest families. That the poor are getting a smaller share of growth should not come as a surprise in an economy where distribution of resource endowments and access to other opportunities to earn are skewed and limited, confined mostly to precarious work, with low, unsteady incomes. What’s worse is that these families are also the ones most likely to feel the harshest blows of the crunch. They do not only earn a lot less, but also devote a lot more of their expenditures on food and other commodities that have shown highest increases in prices. In this respect, it’s not only the distribution of gains that are unequal, but also the distribution of risks, with the poorest most vulnerable and intensely affected by swings and shocks.
This is a snapshot of how the economy is faring in terms of jobs, prices, incomes and poverty. Clearly, the state of this tenuous economy is best gleaned from the state of the Filipino working people. As we contend with this heady cocktail of skyrocketing prices, escalating cost of living, precarious employment or joblessness and falling real value of incomes, more Filipinos will find themselves thrust in a condition of worsening poverty, insecurity and hunger.
The cruel contradiction that underlies our economic trajectory is the fact that the majority of Filipinos who have not accrued benefits from economic upturns, are the ones who are most affected and devastated by its downswings. While our economic managers are busy cooking up a cacophony of short-term populist projects, they have not addressed the inherent contradictions that characterize our economy or even effectively insulated the most vulnerable from the shocks that take place. Although the government has insistently pinned the blame on global developments, they will have to come up with more than just sophisticated spins or one-shot programs to appease the rising numbers who are feeling, and reeling from, the crunch. As more and more Filipinos are slaughtered by this economic tempest, what would be worth noting is how this latest swing in the economy will determine the unravelling of the political crisis.
* Aya Fabros is Research Associate for Focus on the Global South.
Doy
July 8, 20
08Hindi ko lang alam kung uubra pa rin sa mga Pinoy ang pagiging pasensyoso't matiisin pagdating sa pagbabago ng pamumuhay, pagdidildil ng asin sa hapagkainan, sa tindi ng kagipitan sa buhay at hanggang langit na taas ng presyo ng petrolyo at bilihin. Kung sa P54 – 62.00 / litro ng petrolyo ay tila ayos pa, mukhang kakayanin pa, ewan ko na lang kung sa P100.00/litro, baka tuluyan ng magwala't maghurimintado ang mga Pinoy?
Ayon sa mga eksperto, kung sa ngayo'y naglalaro sa $145.00 / barrel ang bilihan, malaki ang hinala na baka bago mag 2009 at 2010 election, bumulusok sa $200.00/barrel sa world market ang presyo ng petrolyo o katumbas ng mga P80 - 100.00 / litro ng gasolina. Kung mangyayari ito, para na ring nagkaroon tayo ng isang klase ng digmaang magpapahirap sa sangkatauhan, papatay sa milyong sanggol kada araw, paglago ng prostitusyon, mas masahol pa sa pinsalang idinulot nuong World War II, ang pandaigdigang pakikidigma ng Global KAPITAL kasabwat ang Malakanyang at mga lokal na pulitiko laban sa mahihirap na Pilipino.
Ang masakit, sa kabila ng patong-patong na krisis na kinasasapitan ng marami, makakarinig ka pa ng “hindi na kailangan ang isang pagbabago ng patakaran sa ekonomya, manageable pa't tamang economic fundamental daw ang tinatahak ng country.” Ang dating kalakaran, ang dating pang-ekonomyang balangkas na “bangkang papel na Noah's Ark," tulad ng pamumudmud ng P500 sa mga tao, isang makalumang moda ng kaunlaran na dinisenyo ng isang pulpol, teknokrata't pulitikong si Salceda.
Sa ganang akin, parang inutil at walang gubyerno, wala tayong maramdamang naggugubyerno. Tama nga ang pakiwari ng marami na “mahina nga't weak ang estado at walang kakayahan itong ipagtanggol ang sariling mamamayan.” Ang nakakapanglupaypay, patuloy na pinaninindigan ng mga tinaguriang lider-pulitiko na nakaupo sa Malakanyang at lehislatura na “wala itong magagawa, wala itong kinalaman, manalangin na lamang tayo, beyond their kontrol ang sitwasyon, sapagkat ito naman daw ay pandaigdigang penomenom.” Maaring sa panahon ngayon ay kaya nilang linlangin ang masa, pero kung ito'y makapag-iipon ng lakas, sama-sama kikilos, may ilan daang libo lalabas sa kalsada, sustinido at mananawagan ng pagbabago, baka mag-iba ang rason at ihip ng hangin.
Kung noon, may tatlumpu't taon na ang nakalipas ay may Oil Price Control, may Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF), may buffer na ipinatutupad sa pabago-bagong presyo ng langis, mayroong pagrarasyon ng gasolina, kayang brasuhin at kontrolin ang lokal na industria ng langis, may tigasing regulatory power ng estado na kahit paano'y naipagtataggol ang mamamayan. Sa ngayon, nagbago ang panahon, tila inutil ang gubyerno, wala siyang paki kahit tumaas at umabot hanggang langit sa 15% ang inflation, poverty at malnutrition rate ng bansa. Maliban sa pamumulitika't paghahanda sa 2010 election, nagkakakasya na lamang sa patsi-patsi, peacemeal, palyatibo at reactive na mga patakaran tutugon sa krisis ng bansa ang mga pinuno raw, ang mga kinatawan daw ng bayan?
Bukud sa popular na panawagang pagbabasura ng VAT, bakit hindi bawiin ng gubyerno ang Petron, pambalanse't mayroon lang pantapat sa Shell at Chevron? (Photo above: http://www.audiowav.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mrt3_shaw2_2.jpg, http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/2050294144_beb7f63b9d.jpg ; bp1.blogger.com/.../s400/x-DSC01200.jp)
Kung may pagtatangkang bilhin ng gubyerno ang MERALCO, bakit hindi ang Petron? Ano ang problema't balakid at bakit hindi payabungin, suportahan at palaganapin (mass production) ang E-jeepney, magradical shift mula sa fossil fuel (langis) tungo sa paggamit ng elektrisidad para sa pangmasang transportasyon? Bakit ayaw ipatupad ang pagkakaroon ng malawakang bicycle lanes sa lahat ng estratehikong lansangan sa Kamaynilaan, kahalintulad sa Shanghai, Copenhagen at Amsterdam? Dahil ba sa walang SOP, walang dilhensya sa mga proyektong ito?
Dahil sa pakinabang sa EVAT (expanded value added tax), sale tax, excise tax at iba pang uri ng tax, parang kasangkot ang gubyerno sa pagpapahirap at panggagahasa, pagsasamantala at panggogoyo sa mamamayan Pinoy. Tulad ng mga dambuhalang kumpanya ng langis, nakikinabang at nagpapasasa ang Malakanyang sa kahirapan, pagsipsip ng dugo't pawis ng mamamyan.
Ayon sa mga kritiko, ang Value Added Tax (VAT) na umaabot sa 12% at iba pang uri ng buwis ay sa totoo lang ay hindi bumabalik sa mamamayan sa anyo ng pagpapataas ng uri ng pamumuhay o pagdelver ng basic services. Sapagkat, kailanman'y hindi nakinabang ang mga Pilipino sa biyayang yaman ng bansa, bagkus ito'y kinukupit, kinukurakot (pork barrel), bayad utang sa mga galamay, kaalyado sa pulitika at ipinangmumudmud lamang ng Malakanyang bilang mga suhol ("special concerned" ng Malakanyang) at payroll sa mga lider ng sektoral organisasyon (Transport Organization, Urban Poor Organization, Simbahan at iba pa) sa bansa.
Sa totoo lang, tulad sa maraming mauunlad na bansa, maganda ang konsepto ng EVAT kung "efficient, may good governance, may strong republic, may accountability, responsive, may partisipasyon ang mamamayan sa paggugubyerno at higit sa lahat, nagdedeliver ang isang gubyerno. Walang masama sa EVAT kung may fiscal stability na dulot ng efficient na collection ng revenues at paggastos ng salapi't kabang yaman ng bayan."
Sa loob ng walong taon sa kapangyarihan, bukud sa pagiging valedictorian sa Asia sa larangan ng pangungurakot, ano ang track record ng Malakanyang sa pagsugpo ng katiwalian sa burukrasya? Hanggang ngayon, taun-taon, ultimo KUBETA, kakulangan ng mga guro't silid aralan ay 'di mareso-resolba, simpleng relief and rehab sa mga trahedya ay nagkakandarapa. Kung baga, bakit pa kailangang magcontribute ang mamamayan (sa anyo ng buwis) kung wala na itong tiwala sa gubyernong iba na ang pinaglilingkuran? Kayo na ang makapagsasabi. Related Story:KITA ng VAT NAWAWALA ni BOYET JADULCO, ROSE MIRANDA, JUN TADIOS at NOEL ABUELhttp://www.abante.com.ph/issue/july1008/default.htm
Doy
July 4, '08
Marami ang nagsasabi na isang classic example na naman ng "lutong macau at padrinong pulitikal" ang nangyaring pagkakapwesto sa kareretirong Court of Appeal Justice Lucenito Tagle at Malabon RTC Judge na si Leonardo Leonida sa Comelec. Ang SEARCH COMMITTEE na itinalaga para mai-democratized ang selection process, ma-ensure ang “kredibilidad, integridad, competence, independence, credibility ng Commission on Election (COMELEC) ay nagmistulang walang silbe, naloko at nagmukhang tanga.
(Photo: (L-R) Former regional trial court judge Leonardo Leonida and retired Court of Appeals Justice Lucenito Tagle take their oath as Commission on Elections (Comelec) commmissioners before Comelec Chair Jose Armando Melo in Manila, Thursday, July 03, 2008. [Buck Pago/NEWSBREAK/abs-cbnNews.com]; http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=123967)
Sapagkat ang totoong labanan pala ay nakasaad sa Saligang Batas na si GMA, sa ayaw n'yo man o sa gusto ay "may absolutong kapangyarihang mamili ng gusto niyang italaga sa pamahalaan." Wala siyang paki-alam sa SEARCH COMMITTEE! Kahit wala sa short list ng search committee ang dalawang commissioners, eh ano ngayon? Ano man ang sabihin ng mga kritiko, kesyo hindi kilala, walang track record sa larangan ng electoral reform, kesyo unpopular, ika nga ng isang spokeman ng palasyo, inggit lang kayo! Kaya lang, ang tanong, para que at binuo pa ang SEARCH COMMITTEE? Hindi na bago ang ganitong patakaran, walong taon na itong manhid sa taghoy ng mamamayan. Ang totoong kwento, ang padrinong si Arsobisbo Eduardo Talamayan ng Tuguegarao, Cagayan, isang masugit na tagasuporta ni Ate Glo, ang umarbor kay Leonida para sa pwesto.
Tulad ni Comelec Chair Melo, nanaig din ang padrino at political accomodation. Tulad ng naunang dalawa (Tagle at Leonida), halos ilang buwang itinago, inilihim at sinekreto't binitin sa mga MEDIA at madlang pipol ang kabuuang proseso ng pagkakanomina kay Melo. Tulad din sa kaso ng 2, back door channeling at kawalan ng transparency ang ISYU, nabastos din ang search committe at grupo ng mga Obispo ng imungkahi nitong si Comm Wilhelm Soriano (chair ng CHR) ang iupo sa Comelec. Kumbinsido ang mga Obispo na mas kailangan ang isang batang-bata, energetic, may kredibilidad at highly respected na indibidwal kung ikukumpara kay Melo. Sa tingin ng mga obispo, bukud sa malapit ito sa mga Macapagal, sa gulang na 75, walang dudang uugud-ugud na, amoy lupa na at baka mas mahirapan si Justice Melo na imanage ang napaka-sensitibo at komplikadong trabahong ibangon ang prestiho ng Comelec
Ang irony pa nito, mula sa SEARCHING, nagsi-shift ang grupo sa gawaing pananaliksik, sa tracking of records, ang pag-alam sa BACK GROUND INFO at MONITORING - EVALUATION ng mga commissioners na ipinupwestoni GMA sa Comelec. At may pakonswelo de bobo, may isa pa raw na paraan at "kapangyarihan" ang mamamayan, sa pamamagitan ng pagbara sa Commission on Appointment (CA) sa Tongreso? Kawawang PPCRV at civil society, harapan ng binabastos na, inuuto, ginagago, pinagloloko, sige lang ng sige, mukhang na-immune na rin.
Habang unti-unting kinakatay ang country sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng petrolyo at bilihin, ang man made at natural na trahedya, inililibing ng buhay ang demokrasya. Kalunus-lunos na ang lagay ng pulitika sa bansa, suntuk sa buwang magkakaroon ng clean, honest, credible at peaceful 2010 election. Kahit pa modernisado na ang election sa 2010, kung walang seryosong electoral at political reform (Political Party, Campaign Finance, Political Clan at pagbubuwag ng private armies), "tulad sa karanasan at kinasapitan ng bansang Kenya, Zimbabwe sa Africa, mga dating Soviet Republic at Mongolia, inaasahang mas hihigitan pa, mas titindi pa ang dayaan, kaguluhan at patayan sa 2010 presidential election."
Kung patuloy na babaliwalain ng Malakanyang ang partisipasyon ng mamamayan (selection process), hindi malayong isiping na magpatuloy ang political uncertainty, ang walang katapusang extra-constitutional na paraan ng pagbabago; fertilizer ito ng palagiang bantang KUDETA, people power, INSUREKSYON at REBELYON.
Ang pagkakabulaga ng bansa sa dalawang hindi kilala’t retiradong kinatawan sa Hudikatura sa Comelec, bukud sa nilabag nito ang prinsipyo ng TRANSPARENCY, nanaig ang back door channeling at MAFIA politics, lalo nitong pinahihina ang mga institusyon ng estado. Kaya naman paulit-ulit nating sinasabi na "napaka-imposibleng magkaroon tayo ng isang STRONG REPUBLIC kung ang mga taong labas, mga PADRINO ang siyang nakapagmamando sa gubyerno." Hinihinalang all the way na si Ate Glo na maireplikang muli ang “dagdag bawas controvercy sa 2010 election.”
Ayon sa ilang mga nakalap na inpormasyon, bukud sa agarang maisasabak sa ARMM election, si Tagle at si Leonida ang magtitiyak sa matagal ng inaasam-asam na plebisito para sa Cha Cha na pinaplanong maaring isabay sa 2010 election. Prinoproyekto't ginagapang na ng Malakanyang ang Supreme Court, ang CBCP at ilang maimpluwensyang grupo na ayudahan ang pagpapalit ng sistema ng paggugubyernong parliamentarismo.
Related Stories:
Questionable search process by Ninez Cacho-Olivares
FRONTLINE
http://www.tribune.net.ph/commentary/20080704com2.html
Civil society checks new poll execs' track records
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=124022
John Hopkin's Cancer Updates
Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 07
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion.When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and
including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor traction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
Photo above: Cure (cancer Updates, Research Cure, http://covers.magazine-agent.com/images/image.aspx?i=86.jpg&w=303)
CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6,Flor-ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.
Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.
Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else.
Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.
Cover food with a paper towel instead.
Doy
July 2, 2008
Kung dilubyo at trahedya para sa mga Ilonggo ang bagyong Frank, sa Malakanyang, sa mga pulitiko na naghahanda sa 2010, ito’y oportunidad, ito’y isang pagkakataon makapag-papogi points, makapag-image building at mangangkong ng mga kalabang pulitiko na nasa kabilang bakod o oposisyon. Meaning, kung ika’y magmamatigas sa paninindigan, sa prinsipyo at katotohanan, piyadong wala kang matatanggap na biyaya ng RELIEF at REHAB mula sa Malakanyang. (Photo: Typhoon Frank's devastation (Iloilo City)
Para bang ang lahat ng tulong agapay ng Malakanyang para sa apektado ng kalamidad ay gusto pang palabasin “utang na loob” ng tumatanggap. Ganito rin ang sitwasyon sa Pork Barrel na mga Tongresman at prosesong SARO ng Dept of Budget and Management (DBM), dahil utang na loob, kailangan pang tumbasan ng kapalit na pabor. Sa haba ng kasaysayan ng pulitika sa Pilipinas, patuloy na nananalaytay ang “padri-padrino, malapit sa kusina ng kapangyarihan, palakasan, kanya-kanya, kami-kami at kayo-kayo.”
Ito ang klase ng “CULTURAL POLITICS” na nakabaon sa sistema ng paggugubyerno ng Pilipinas. Na ang relasyon ng paglilingkod (ESTADONG MAHINA) sa mamamayan ay "napaka-PERSONAL, PRIBADO at hindi pampubliko" (private ang relasyon at hindi public service). Ang wastong oryentasyon ay ang pagiging public servant o public service. Sapagkat “ito'y galing sa buwis ng mamamayan at dapat lang ibalik sa mamamayan, claim making ika nga sa balangkas ng serve the people, hindi paglilingkod sa mga pinagkakautangang pulitikal.” Unknown at wala sa bukabularyo ng mga pulitiko, "wala sa kaisipan at kamalayan ng sistema ng paggugubyerno sa ating bansa ang ganitong prinsipyo ng serve the people."
Sa kaso ng Iloilo na nilumpo ng bagyong Frank kamakailan ay isang classic example. Tinatantyang may dalawang bilyong piso ang idinulot na pinsala sa imprastruktura’t agrikultura at ilang daang buhay ang ibinuwis sa probinsya. At dahil kontrolado ng oposisyon, hindi KAMPI at Lakas-CMD ang may hawak sa lugar, meaning kalaban sa pulitika at pati ang mga Obispo ng probinsya ay kritikal din sa Malakanyang, ang resulta; pinagdamutan, pinagkaitan at tinipid ng Malakanyang ang Relief at Rehab nito sa Iloilo. Patunay ito sa naging pahayag ng Kalihim ng Dept of Agriculture (DA) na si Arthur Yap (senatorial candidate) at ibang ahensya na “MINIMAL” daw ang epektong pinsala ni Frank sa agrikultura’t pangisdaan ng Iloilo.
Base sa huling pagtatasa ng NDCC, humataw na sa P10 bilyon ang kabuuang pinsala ng bagyong Frank sa Pilipinas at mukhang tataas pa ito kung makokompleto ang mga datos sa ground. Ayon sa ulat kahapon ni National Disaster and Coordinating Council (NDCC) Executive Director Glen Rabonza, may P5.2 bilyon ang damage sa agrikultura, P2.3 bilyon sa imprastruktura’t mga tulay, P2.3 bilyon sa iba pang pasilidad, P445.0 milyon sa mga paaralan at iba pa.
Ang mas nakakatakot, piyadong pagkakakitaan na naman ng mga pulitiko ang bilyong pisong rehabilitation ng mga nawasak na imprastruktura sa probinsya. Para masawata ang KURAKOT, ang mungkahi ng marami, "mas ibigay sa mga KOOPERATIBA, sa mga grupo ng mamamayang (nagsama-samang mga un-employed karpentero, tubero, mason, electricians at iba pa) nagbaBAYANIHAN, kaysa sa mga Contractors at Supplier na kasapkat ni Tongresman, predatory syndicates sa DPWH, LGUs (Mayor at Gobernador), ang bilyong pisong proyektong REHAB, ang proyektong pagkukumpuni ng mga nawarat na gusali’t tulay dulot ng bagyong Frank."
Kung mahilig sa subsidy ang Malakanyang, ito ang tamang istratehiya upang maidemocratized ang sistema ng pag-aawards at bidding ng IMFRA projects ng gubyerno at kahit paano ang mamamayan naman ang pumarte ng kabang yaman ng bansa, malabanan ang krisis na dinaranas, umunlad, makinabang at kahit pansumandali, ma-empowered.
Doy
June 26, 2008
Kumilos na kahapon ang mga galamay ng mga Pineda, Lapid at tumatayong Padrinong si Cong Mikee Arroyo upang simulan na ang destabilization at pagtanggal sa pwesto ng kasalukuyang Gubernador ng Pampanga, si Among Ed. Matapos maisampa ni Among Ed ang plunder case laban sa weteng lord na si Bong Pineda, kamakalawa, agad ikinasa ni Mikee Arroyo (calling the shot mula sa Amerika) at Lilia Pineda ang digmaang pulitika sa Pampanga at mukhang "kasado na ang lokal na makinarya" para i-RECALL si Among Ed.
(Photo left: Bong Pineda, www.pcij.org, Photo below; ex-Gov Mark Lapid, www.pep.ph, Mikee, GMA at MIke Arroyo, valleynotebook.wordpress.com)
Matagal ng atat na atat ang tatlo (Pineda, Lapid at Arroyo) na tanggalin sa pwesto si Among Ed, sa kabila ng kabi-kabilang mga natatanggap nitong parangal at suporta mula sa mga Capangpangan, sa buong bansa, mula sa NGO communities, simbahan, civil society organization, mula sa ibayong dagat (Amerika, OFW group), ang Gawad Kalinga, Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year 2007, ang katapangang ipinakita nito para sa katotohanan, ang pamumudmud ng tig kakalahating milyong piso (P500,000.00) suhol ng Malakanyang para sa mga pulitiko (LGUs) at ang pinaka-panghuli, ng mapabilang isa sa modelo ng “best practices” ng good governance (with Gov Padaca of Isabela at Jess Robredo ng Naga City) sa bansa si AMong Ed.
Kung matatandaan, ang pagkakapanalo ni Among Ed sa governatorial race sa Pampanga ang isa sa pinakaremarkable at pinakamakasaysayan kaganapan tagpo sa kabuuang pandesiplinang electoral politics sa bansa. Sa kakapiranggot na botong isang libong (1,000) botong winning margin, si Among Ed na dating isang paring diocesan ay sinasabing walang karanasan sa larangan ng pulitika't halalan, ang yumanig sa tatlong pinakamakapangyarihang pulitiko ng probinsya, ang Macapagal Arroyo Clan, ang natalo at dating gubernador na si Governor Mark Lapid at ang natalong Provincial Board member Lilia Pineda, asawa ng pinakilala at pinakakontrobersyal na gambling "weteng' lord ng bansa, si Bong Pineda.
Nananatiling solido, malakas at makapangyarihan ang pwersa't makinarya ng mga kaaway ni Among Ed sa probinsya. Ang dating magkatunggaling Pineda at mga Lapid ay pinagkaisa na ng mga Arroyo sa tulong ng pagkakatalaga ng huli sa Philippine Tourism Authority upang ipokus at pagtulungang pabagsakin sa pwesto si Among Ed. Pilit nitong sinasagkaan ang konsolidasyon ng panimulang punla ng repormang politikal na matagal ng asam-asam ng mga Kapangpangan.
May mga ugung-ugong na may isang bilyong piso (P1.0 billion) na ang pinakawalan (mga P100.0 milyon kada bayan) simula pa nuong nakaraang Enero ang iminudmud ng sabwatang Arroyo, Pineda at Lapid upang simulan ang destabilization at paganahin sa susunod na buwan (Hulyo) ang nasabing Recall sa probinsya. Kung saka-sakali, ano ang maaring isangkalang kaso ng Provincial Board at mga lokal na trapitong mga Punong Bayan laban kay Among Ed?
Nang hindi bumenta, walang naniwala sa kasong ibinato ng mga Mayors sa pangunguna ng attack dog at KONTRATISTANG Mayor Pelayo kay Among Ed na “nandaya” raw siya noong 2007 election, " nagVOTE BUYING daw siya, nanuhol, nanakot ng botante at nagsagawa raw ng dagdag-bawas, kumambyo ang mga ito sa panawagang “loss of confidence at in-efficient daw si Among Ed.” Wala na raw kompyansa ang mga Capangpangan kay Among Ed." Ang tanong ko naman, sinong Capangpangan naman ito, yung mga CABO ng weteng, ang mga goons-lider-lider nila sa barangay, ang mga inaa-anak at kamag-anak nila, ang private armies nila sa probinsya at mga sindikatong naapektuhan ng raket sa QUARRY?
Sa isang pagtitipon at press conference ng mga Mayor ng Pampanga kahapon sa Matalino St, Quezon City, kapal mukhang sinabi nitong “frustrated na raw sila sa performance ni Among Edbilang gubernador. Nabigo raw ito na tugunan ang matitinding problemang bumabagabag sa probinsya, tulad ng solid waste management at matagal ng suliraning paulit-ulit na pagbaha sa mga mababang lugar ng probinsya. Hindi raw nasawata ni Among Ed ang prostitusyon, drug addiction at ang lumalalang kriminalidad sa probinsya. Kung 'di ba namang sandamakmak na tanga, uguk at taran... itong mga Mayor na ito, wala pangang dalawang taon sa panunungkulan si Among Ed, kung ikukumpara sa walong taong dilubyo't kamalasang panunungkulang ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sa Malakanyang.
Dahil daw kay Among Ed, pati raw ang Kapitolyo ay nagmistulang isa ng simbahang Cathedral. Ang mga larawan ng dating gubernador ay pinagtatanggal raw nito at ipinalit ang naglakihang larawan ng kanyang sarili.”
Paano magiging epektibo't efficient ang governance ni Among Ed kung binabara, pinaparalisa ng mga Pineda at Arroyo ang operation at inplementasyon ng mga programa ng probinsya. Isang kongkretong halimbawa ay ang Provincial Board at Mayors Ordinance 176 kung saan pipilayan ang kapangyarihan ng Governor (desisyon sa kung saan-saan mapupunta ang share na kita ng quarry) sa kapakinabangan ng mga Mayor ng probinsya at ang kasong "graft o kurakot" na isinampa ng sampung (10) provincial board member at Vice Gov Bren Guiao sa Ombudsman. Ayon sa nagmamalinis na Guiao, “dereliction of duty, gross inexcusable negligence, grave misconduct, abuse of authority and/or impropriety in the performance of duty raw” ang kaso ni Among Ed.
Kawawang Among Ed, ang tanging kasalanan lamang nito ay "ang hindi pag-aktong pulitiko, ang hindi umayon sa kalakaran, hindi humalik sa tumbong ng mga Arroyo't Pineda, maging hunyango at makisalamuha't lumahok sa pandarambong ng kabang yaman ng probinsya."
Hindi tayo magtataka na ang ouster plot kay Among Ed ay bahagi na ng paghahanda para sa 2010 presidential, local election at political survival ng angkang Arroyo Macapagal sa kapangyarihan. Balak bawiin muli, gawing balwarteng pulitikal ng mga Arroyo ang probinsya sa pamamagitan ng pagtatalaga nito kay Cong Mikee Arroyo (last termer at nagmukhang tanga bilang Energy Chair sa Tongreso) bilang gubernador sa 2010 at maisasakaturan lamang ito kung maagang mawawala sa eksena ang magaling na gubernador ng Pampanga na si Among Ed.
Related Story: Panlilio marks first year in office by Ding Cervantes
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Nation&p=49&type=2&sec=28&aid=20080630127
Doy
June 22
, 2008
Mahigit pitumpong (75) mataas na opisyal ng gubyerno, kasama ang "Unang Pamilya," mga alipores sa Kongreso't Senado ang nagpapasarap ngayon sa biyahe sa Amerika. Sa loob ng sampung araw (10) na working visit, “imi-meet ang ilang matataas na opisyal sa US; si Pres Bush, presidential candidate John Mcain, Barack Obama, malalaking negosyo sa Amerika at ilang grupo ng mga Pilipino." Kasama rin sa mga gimik ng mga kumag ay ang panuurin ang laban ni Pacquiao-Diaz sa darating na Linggo, June 29 sa Las Vegas. (Whitehouse Photo by Eric Draper: http://www.blogger.com/www.whitehouse.gov/president/statevisit200305..president/statevisit200305...)
Ang tanong ng taumbayan, ano ba talaga ang layunin ng “junket” trip sa US, eh halos limang buwan na lamang ang itatagal ng unpopular President Bush sa gubyerno? Ayon sa mga balita, "muling palalakasin ang kumpyansa't pagtitiwala ng gubyernong Amerika sa gubyernong Arroyo na ang Pilipinas ay isang tunay, masugit at reliable na alyado sa Asia Pasipiko." Bakit humihina na ba ang pagtitinginan ng US at Pinas at nasa "Komunistang" China na nakikipaglandian si Ate Glo?
Habang naggu-good time, makonsiensya kaya ang buong barkada, ang ilang milyong pisong masasayang sa walang kapaparakang “junket trip,” ang libong patay dahil sa trahedya, ang mahigit isang bilyong pisong pinsala ng pananim, inprastraktura at libong mamamayang sumisilong sa ngayon sa mga evacuation center dulot ng Bagyong Frank?
Kung idudulug nito (kay Uncle Sam) ang pagpapawalang bisa ng bilyong dolyar ($70.0 billion) na utang ng Pinas sa Amerika, sapagkat ito nama'y bayad na, hindi napakinabangan ng country, nauwi lamang sa bulsa ng KURAKOT, walang problema, masaya tayong lahat, magiging bayani pa si GMA!
Tulad ng mga nakaraang biyahe (European trip), mas kapani-paniwalang isipin ni Mang Pandoy na “simpleng pamamalimos at pangungutang” ang walang dudang pakay ni GMA sa kanyang kuyang si Uncle Sam, ayuda para sa Mindanao at pagpapatindi ng subsidy para sa mga taga Metro Manila. Tulong pautang at suportang pinansya para sa mga beteranong Pinoy ng WW2, tulong para resolbahin ang patong-patong na krisis sa pagkain, langis at pag-eengganyo ng mamumuhunan mula sa malalaking negosyo sa Amerika.
Ang isa pang tanong, kasama kaya sa agenda kung okey lang ba siyang mag-extend ng termino lagpas sa 2010, alang-alang sa paggiba't pagdurug ng terorismo't insureksyon sa ating bansa?
(Photo below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7467735.stm, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7467735.stm)
Lubhang napakahalaga ang presence o command na manggagaling sa pangulo upang dagliang tugunan ang emergency situation dulot ng rumaragasang bagyong Frank. Ayon sa sunud-sunod na balita, mukhang may kalakihan ang pinsala sa mga napuruhang mga rehiyon sa Visaya, Mindanao, Metro Manila, Central Luzon at Northern Luzon. Sa gitna ng unos, “Parang isang inahing manok na iniwan sa ulan, sa mga predator ang kanyang maliliit na akay na sisiw.” I-assume man natin na may iniwan itong tagubilin kay Noli de Castro at Sec Gilbert Teodor ng NDCC, pero iba pa rin kung ang inahing NANAY ay nasa larangan ng labanan kalamidad.
Ang problema, ano ang maipapakitang "legacy" nito sa nalalapit na State of the Nation Adress (SONA) sa Hulyo, ang bangkang papel ule?
Ang mungkahi ng maraming Pinoy, “wag na silang bumalik!”
Doy
June 20, 2008
Dalawang araw na ang nakalilipas ng ma-snatch ng bag ang isa kong ka-opisina. Dalawang beses (2x) na siyang na-iisnatched at nahohold-up sa lugar. May isang linggo bago mangyari ang insidente, may dalawang magkasunod na snatching ang nangyari sa lugar. Ilang buwan na ang nakalilipas ng pasukin ng mga kriminal ang aming kapitbahay at nakawin ang mamahaling mga panabong (tinaling manok) sa garahe.
Sa pagkaka-alam ko, sa loob lang ng isang taon, may hindi mabilang na insidente ng KRIMEN ang nangyari sa lugar, ang lima dito ay kakilala ko't mga senior staff ng mga NGOs na nag-aadvocate ng pagbabago at nagbibigay serbisyo sa lipunan. Pawang mga kababaihan ang mga nabibiktima. Broad daylight kadalasan isinasagawa (1-5 pm) ang operasyon, kung di nakamotorsiklo, may sasakyang gamit, naka Revo tinted, naka-Taxi o kung minsan walk in at may abang na getaway vehicle sa 'di kalayuan..
Maliban sa snatching, talamak din ang hold-up, “akyat bahay,” “dugong-dugong o salisi gang,” pagnanakaw ng side mirror, hub cab sa gulong, bukas kotse, carjacking at carnapping. Isa kong ka-opisinang si Bobby Garcia ang nanakawan ng L200 Mitshibishi pick-up sa parking lot ng opisina. Kamuntikanan din ma-nakaw ang Toyota Crown ng isa ko pang ka-opisina (Jhorina) sa magkaparehong parking area. Makailang beses ring tangkaing pasukin ang aming opisina, sa kabutihang palad, nasawata ito ng security.
Ayon sa Barangay na sumasakop sa lugar, "halos araw-araw ang naitatala nilang insidente ng krimen" (Teacher's Village, UP Village, Sikatuna at Central District) sa lugar. Kung tutuusin, halos isa-dalawang kilometro (1-2 km) lamang ang layo nito mula sa QC City Hall at Camp Karingal (PNP). Talamak ang krimen mula sa kahabaan ng Maginhawa, Matimtiman, Mapagkawanggagawa, Matalino, Matatag, Malakas, Maginoo, Masikap hanggang sa kalye ng Kalayaan na tumatahi sa apat (4) na Barangay ng QC. (Photo above QC City Hall; ww.qcpubliclibrary.org/images/qchall1.gif)
Kung may kahinaan o ano mang klase ng "pagpapatrulya (multi-cab, mountain bike, scooters)," pagtatalaga, pagpoposte ng mga Tanod sa mga strategic corner, paglalagay ng GATE na isinasara pagdating ng 11:00 ng gabi, parang walang epekto, hindi makontrol ang nakawan, dumarami ang krimen. Kung nagaganap sa araw-araw ang krimen sa pusod mismo ng Lunsod Quezon, walang dudang mas grabe ang sitwasyon sa maraming barangay sa Kamaynilaan.
Bagamat inaamin ng Barangay na "malaki ang kanilang kakulangan, limitasyon pag-usapin sa budget patungkol sa seguridad ng lugar, kulang sila ng personel, transportasyon at mga pasilidad, kasangkapan para kahit paano mabawasan man lang ang krimen." Ultimo pulis (PNP) ay napakadalang magpakita at magpatrulya sa lugar. Kay daling unawain, sapagkat, ang pokus, tinututukan, prioridad ni Mayor Sonny Belmonte at apat na Kinatawan sa Tongreso ng QC ay ang "bilyong pisong massive INFRA projects ng Lunsod Quezon. " Kung sa bagay, maliban sa may kurakot, maliwanag na "SOP," dilhensya ika nga, pogi points pa sa 2010 election.
Hindi natin masisisi ang ilang kilalang subdivision kung bakit ala martial law kung magpatupad ng seguridad, ala “GREEN ZONE" sa Baghdad. Tulad na lamang ng Dasmarinas Village, Forbes Park sa Makati, sinilyado ang buong perimeter ng Village, para makapasok, dadaan ka sa butas ng karayum, tatanungin kung ano ang pakay, sino ang kakilala sa loob? Hahanapan ka ng appointment letter, pipirma ka sa log book, kakausapin antimano ang nag-inbita sa'yo, kukunin ang ID mo at ng taxi driver. Hindi ubra ang “right of way” sa lugar, hindi uubra ang kapangyarihan ng LGUs lalo na ang astig na si Bayani Fernando. May sariling gubyernong ipinatutupad ang DASMA, Forbes at ilang kilalang Subdivision sa Metro Manila. (Photo below; www.filairsoft.com)
Kung mananatiling inutil, walang magawa ang mga awtoridad sa lumalalang krimen sa lugar, hindi malayong paniwalaang muling sisibol ang "vigilanteism." Hindi rin maiiwasang ang pagdududa na mga kasabwat o mga assset ng pulis ang mga salarin. Marami na ang nauubusan ng pasensya, nag-iisip, gumawa na ng mararahas na hakbang upang hadlangan ang araw-araw na krimen, isecure at ipagtanggol ang lugar. Hindi rin naman tayo naniniwala na kailangan ng idiklara ang carfew, Martial Law o emergency power.
Ito na nga marahil ang mga simptoma, epekto ng lumalalang krisis sa bansa; tumataas ang un-employment, kawalan ng trabaho, tumataas ang bilang ng out of school youth, tumataas ang bilihin at gasolina linggo-linggo, dumaraming street children, namamalimos, lumalaking bilang ng prostitusyon, mga batang maagang naghahanap-buhay (nagtitinda ng sampaguita) at nag-aasawa, lumalalang drug-pagkalat ng shabu, daming lango sa alak tuwing gabi, dami ng nagugutom at nagkakasakit.
Sa patong-patong na krisis na humahagupit sa country, ano mang klaseng subsidy o band-aid policy na gawin ng Malakanyang at wala itong babaguhing patakaran o polisiya, tiyak na pupulutin lamang ito sa kangkungan, masasayan lang at walang mangyayari.
Comment:
rhodora.abano@gmail.com
mga kasama,
sobra na itong krimen sa teachers' village that endangers not only the NGOs kundi lahat ng naninirahan at nagtatrabaho dito maging yong mga dumadalaw o dumaraan lamang. sobra na! so ano kaya maari nating gawin?
ano kaya magagawa ng ngo community dito in solidarity with the entire community? pwede kaya tayo magpetition letter o representation kay belmonte, sa police station/camp karingal, sa congress reps etc etc etc? pwede kaya manawagan sa media etc etc etc?
- concerned resident/citizen
Tumpak! Lahat ng proposal na binanggit ay korek! Kailanagng may mag-initiate, mag-usap-usap, pwedeng isang dialogue, kung di sa Home Owners-Concerned Citizens, sa Barangay, sa Congressional district o sa City Hall ang labanan dito. Kung saan-saan level na tayo, nasa GLOBAL, NATIONAL at SECTORAL na ang pinapasukan natin, eh yung pala naman, sa sariling bakuran (kumunidad) nangangamote tayo! - Doy
Doy
June 18, 2008Limang (5) araw ng tahimik na nakikipagnegosasyon si Sen Loren Legarda sa mga bandidong nangidnap sa grupo ni Ces Drilon. Ayon kay Loren, “wala raw ransom, wala raw binayarang board and lodging, wala raw pinangakong livelihood projects at naki-usap, request lang daw ito ng ABS-CBN.” Matapos ang sampung araw (10) na ordeal, naging epektibo't matagumpay ang “pakikipagnegosasyon” sa mga bandido. Bukud sa pagdududa, mga espekulasyon, ang malaking katanungan ngayon, maniwala kaya ang country? (Photo below: Ces Drilon, http://www.philstar.com/, Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji at anak na si Haider; http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122237%29
Sa balita ng GMA 7, may naispatan silang iniwang "bagpack" na dala ng kapatid ni Ces sa mga awtoridad na nagresulta diumano ng pagkakalaya ni Valderama (crew ni Ces). Pangalawa, sa banta ng mga bandido na tuluyan na nitong puputulan ang komunikasyon o kontak sa mga negosyador kunong si Mayor Alvarez Isnaji ng Indanan, Sulo at ang kanyang anak na si Haider, na kung 'di maibibigay ang P15.0 milyong ransom money na hinihingi, maaring pugutan ito ng ulo ang isa sa mga crew ni Ces. Pangatlo; hindi maisasa-isang tabi na may kaugnayan ang nasabing insidenteng kidnap for ransom sa nalalapit na ARMM election sa Agosto, taong kasalukuyan.
Sa araw ng Martes, June 17, 12 noon, kasabay ng itinakdang deadline ng mga bandido, isang priva
te passenger plane (SEA Air) na walang sakay maliban sa isang abugado ang lumapag sa airport at nakitang nagbaba ng ilang "duffel bags” na hinihinalang naglalaman ng ransom money. Pang-apat, inamin mismo ng Sulo Vice Governor Lady Ann Sahidulla na kahit paano’y may kapalit na kabayaran ang naging paglaya ng grupo ni Ces, ito man ay “board and lodging o ransom money?” Panghuli, nasaan si Prof Dinampo at bakit bigla itong nawala sa eksena at ano ang balitang dumaan daw ito sa mahabang proseso ng “debriefing" ng awtoridad? Ano ang ibig sabihin ng “debriefing” at bakit siya lang at hindi kasama ang grupo ni Ces Drilon? Ayon sa mga pulis, si Prof Dinampo na isang lider ng mga peace advocate sa Mindanao ay "mukhang isa pa ata sa pinaghihinalaang may sabwatan sa mga bandido."
Dahil sa pagkakalaya ng grupo ni Ces Drilon, sinasabing hindi lang mga taga-Mindanao ang pinahanga, maging ang buong bansa ang pinabilib ni Loren. Ganito rin ang kinahinatnan nuong 2002, sa kaso ng kidnapping sa journalist na si Arlene de la Cruz at Major Buan sa Mindoro mula sa NPA, pawang si Loren din daw ang trumabaho't nakapagpalaya.
Isang taon at kalahati (1 1/2 year) na lamang ang nalalabi, 2010 na. Si Sen Loren ay isa sa limang (5) mga 2010 presidential contender at malamang na napipisil na maaring manok ng administrasyon. At kung ika’y seryosong contender sa 2010, ito ang tamang panahon upang makapagpabuild up sa political positioning. Si Loren na walang malinaw na partidong aakay ay may maayos na standing sa dalawang magkasunod na electoral survey ng SWS at Pulse Asia
Tulad ni Loren, may iba pang (5) nagkompirma’t nagparamdam na tatakbo sa 2010. Lahat sila ay nasa electoral mode, maagang namumulitika, maagang nag-iipon ng bilyong pisong budget para sa kampanya, nagtatayo ng political machinery, nanliligaw na sana’y maindorso ng malalaking partido politikal . Bilang bahagi ng preperasyon sa 2010, pinoproyekto ang political Ad, ang "estratehiyang NAME RECALL. Sa science ng electoral politics, "lubhang napakahalaga ang tinatawag na political visibility at image building," ito marahil ang pinaiiral at maagang inaatupag ng mga operador ni Loren.
Kaya lang, alam din siguro ng limang presidentiable na unti-unti ng nawawalan na ng tiwala ang botanteng Pinoy sa kabulukan ng sistemang elektoral at politika sa bansa. Imbis na asikasuhin ang lumalalang kahirapang dulot ng patong-patong na krisis ng bansa, makapagpanukala man lang ng pagbabago sa buluk na sistema ng eleksyon at pulitika, i-eduka ang mamamayang botante (Voter's Education) para sa 2010, pamumulitika ang inaatupag ng mga presidentiables.
Walang garantiya ang election modernization. Wala pa rin pagsasara sa kung paano mareresolba ang "dagdag-bawas, hello garci controversy, ang daang bilyong pisong gastos na pinaluwalan ng malalaking padrinong pulitikal sa mga kandidato, ang mga katulad ni Ampatuan, ang guns gold at goons (3 Gs), kasal binyag libing (KBL), ang mga iligal na elektoral na makinarya at mga operador na siyang sumasalaula sa tinatawag na representatibong demokrasya sa bansa."
Related Story:
“No ransom!”Joke! Joke! Joke!
Hirit ni Arnold Clavio
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/june2108/op_ac.htm
May ilang araw ko ng inoobserbahan at pinagmamasdan sa Sport's section ng 4 na malalaking local major dailies ang maiinit na labanan, updates, resulta ng bawat laro sa Euro 2008, kung sino ang nananalo at natatalo? Nakakalungkot isiping dedma ang media (print / broadcast) sa bansa, hindi kinocover at ibinabalita ang nagaganap na EURO '08 FOOTBALL Championship. SHOCKING!!
Pasalamat na lang at may internet, kahit replay, kahit paano'y nakasusubaybay tayo. Ang European Football Championship na kasalukuyang nagaganap at hinohost ng bansang Switzerland at Austria ay big deal sa mga European, lalo na sa darating na Worldcup 2010 na gaganapin sa South Africa. Sa totoo lang, "ang FOOTBALL ang pinakaprestiyoso, popular at numero unong laro kundi man sa buong mundo, maging sa buong Europa, South Amerika, ASIA't maging sa South East Asia." (Photo; http://www.nba.com/finals2008/index.html below;
http://%20soccernet.espn.go.com/)
Nakakapanglupaypay isipin na nasa NBA finals ang lahat ng ibinabalita ng local media (ABS-CBN, GMA News at 4 na malalaking dyaryo) sa bansa. Nakamonitor at nakatutok ang mga kilalang sport's commentator ng buong bansa sa NBA Final kung saan naglalaban ang Boston Celtics at LA Lakers habang dedma naman sa nagaganap na EURO “08 football championship, kung saan, nangunguna ang Portugal, Netherland, Spain at Croatia. Pinatutunayan lamang na mas American centric, inpluwensyado tayo sa basketball sports kung ikukumpara sa popular sports na FOOTBALL sa mundo.
Ang nakakalungkot, hanggang ngayon, pinagpipilitan pa rin ng ating elite na Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), kasabwat ng ilang kumikitang mga personalidad sa media ang larong basketball (halos national sport), bukud sa maraming pera, siya pa ring tinitingala't pag-asang madodomina ng Pilipinas ang basketball sa ASIA. Mukhang namamali ng oryentasyon, prioridad at nananaginip ng gising (bangungot).
Ito'y marahil sa napaka-americanized ang ating tradisyon sa sport, "kahusayan nating mag-spokening DOLLAR" at pumapangatlo ang Pilipinas sa nagsasalita ng ENGLISH sa mundo. Ang resulta, kulelat tayo sa SPORTs at sa halos lahat ng larangan sa Asia. Maliban sa sport, napag-iwanan din tayo sa larangan ng edukasyon, science and technology. Ultimo silid aralan at toilet ng mga bata, KAPOS, dahil sa kurakot, hindi maiprovide ng ating mga pulitiko.
Ultimo sa agrikultura, transportation at infrastructure, malayo na ang narating ng Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore at Vietnam. Tanging caregivers- KATULONG, japayuki, PROSTITUTION at basurahan na lamang ang expertice ng 'Pinas. Nakakaiyak.
Sa nalalapit na Beijing Olympic, China sa August '08, tulad ng kininatnan sa 15th Asian Games sa Doha 2006, dahil sa kakulangan ng pondo, katiwalian, kahirapan at paghahanda, inaasahang baka wala tayong masungkit na medalya at luhaang umuwi ang mga atletang Pinoy.
Doy
June 16, 2008
Historically, bukud kay Sen Nene Pimentel, alam ng mga tagaSULO at Zambo na ang ASG ay creation ng military. Ang "Lamitan Siege" kung saan matapos maibayad ang milyung dolares na ransom money, “pinatakas” ang dalawang hinostage na American missionary couple na si Gracia and Martin Burnham. Ang pagkakakidnap kay Fr Bossi, ang mahigit pitong oras na firefight sa Tipo-tipo at ang incidence ng pugutan ng ulo sa Basilan ay ilan lamang sa mga kaduda-dudang mga insidente na maaring sabihing may collision, conspiracy at may connivance ang mga "naglalaban-labang" mga pwersa sa lugar. May pagtatangka pang i-news blackout ang opensibang militar sa Basilan.
Kaya't hindi kataka-takang sabihin na kung nakaligtas ang mga Lopez, Meralco (ang system Lost) at ABS-CBN sa isyu ng kuryente, sa Mindanao, walang kawala si Ces (Ces Lost).
Saksi ang simbahan sa katotohanang "ang ASG ang ginagamit hindi lamang palaBIGASAN (kidnap for ramson), nagagamit din ito (utak pulburang mga opisyal) upang maitaas ang budget ng ahensya, magprocure ng makabagong military hardware. Ginagamit din ang ASG upang patuloy na magcreate ng pekeng GERA, pananabotahe at terorismo sa Mindanao, ibintang sa MILF, MNLF at wasakin ang pagsisikap na magkaroon ng peace process sa Mindanao." (Photo: ASG, survivalx.com/.../terrorists/75823-AbuSayyaf.jpg)
Sabi nila "400 na lang ang ASG, tapos 200 na lang, kalaunan ang sabi, ubus na raw, pulbos na raw, nahuli na ang pamunuan." Ang sigurado, mananatili ang ASG sa Mindanao, sapagkat ang alam ng marami, MILITARY ASSET, mga ahente at protektado ng special operation group ang ASG." - doy
http://www.carryabigsticker.com/images/when_power_love_500.gif
SAYS POLICE CHIEFDriver claims military agent, not Abus seized Drilon team
By Julie Alipala
Mindanao Bureau
First Posted 19:13:00 06/12/2008
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- The hired driver of television reporter Ces Drilon and her crew has claimed to police that a known "military agent" and not members of the Abu Sayyaf extremist group abducted the ABS-CBN team, the Sulu police chief said Thursday.
Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, Sulu police director, said driver Maramma Hasim, the man hired by Drilon and her team to chauffer for them in Maimbung on the day of their disappearance, claimed that one Juamil "Maming" Biyaw was the "missing link" to knowing who was behind the abduction.
Biyaw, a resident of the village of Sandah in Patikul town, is known in Sulu as a military agent, Kasim said.
Kasim said Hashim, who is now in police custody, claimed Biyaw was with the group Sunday when Drilon, cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, and their guide, Mindanao State University Professor Octavio Dinampong went to Maimbung.
They went missing after an armed group reportedly intercepted them along Kulasi, town of Maimbung while on their way to meet Abu Sayyaf leaders “to cover a special event.”
Quoting Hashim, Kasim said Biyaw ordered the driver to stop somewhere in the village of Labbah at around noon Sunday.
"The passengers, including Madame Ces, thought there was problem with the car,” Kasim quoted Hashim's account.
"All the passengers casually went down from the vehicle and this Biyaw guy invited the four to join him in a walk towards Mount Mabusing (interior of Labbah). So there was no scuffle. Madame Ces and the rest walked casually," Kasim added.
Hashim was reportedly surprised when the five left him on the highway.
Ang buod: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080612-142325/Driver-claims-military-agent-not-Abus-seized-Drilon-team
Related Story:
Kidnapping blamed on gov’t failure to defeat Abu Sayyaf
http://www.cbcpnews.com/?q=node/319
The Greenbase Expose
http://thetrillanespapers.blogspot.com/2007/01/greenbase-expose.html
The Memorandum of Instruction (MOI) authorized the implementation of OPLAN GREENBASE, which is basically an action plan to capture and occupy the Buliok Complex fronting the Liguasan Marsh Area. The reason for the clearing operations is to enable the NEDA to implement the 25-year Liguasan Marsh Development Framework Plan and the revival of the Farm-In Agreement and Joint Operating Agreement between Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd. Another objective of the plan according to the MOI is to capture MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim dead or alive. Also, the MOI explicitly stated that all matters pertinent to OPLAN GREENBASE should be coordinated with the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Presidential Adviser for Special Concerns.
The Four-Point Policy Framework (FPPF) meanwhile, detailed and expanded OPLAN GREENBASE into an action plan that would operationalize the approved MOI of GMA. The action plan is broken down into a four-point policy framework.
The first point provided the guidelines for the capture and occupation of the Buliok Complex and the capture of MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim.
The second point explicitly stated that the Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities has been suspended indefinitely. Moreover, the government will set up a monitoring team to absorb the duties and functions of the yet to be formed, OIC monitoring team.
The third point is about the government’s intention to invoke its right for the MILF to observe the May 6 joint communiqué where the MILF agreed to interdict criminal elements taking refuge in these controlled areas. It also states that once the Liguasan Marsh is cleared of the MILF, the Liguasan Marsh Development Plan, the Farm-In Agreement and Joint Operating Agreement between PNOC-EC and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd and the Manila-Tripoli-Kuala Lumpur palm oil project could be implemented. (Photo below: Davao International Airport BLAST na ibinintang sa grupong Abu Sayaff at bahagi ng Oplan Greenbase / newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38918000/jpg/_...)
The fourth point, however, is the most controversial part of the whole document. In its entirety it states:
“The MILF must be held responsible for the AFP-backed spate of bombing in urban areas and destruction of several Napocor transmission towers, power sub-stations and barges, the Mt. Apo Geothermal Power Plant, the Pulangi Power Plant, and power plants of electric cooperatives and companies in Mindanao.
Appropriate charges of rebellion, sedition, multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder will be filed against MILF leaders in various courts in order to secure warrants of arrest against them and reduce them in estoppel. “The AFP’s plan to conduct comprehensive psywar operations over print and broadcast media, and destabilizations in urban Christian areas, such as Davao International Airport, Awang Airport, Gen Santos City International Standard Airport, Zamboanga International Airport, Cagayan de Oro Airport, principal ports and wharves, foreign embassies and consulates, hotels and restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals, churches, public markets and terminals, radio and television stations, factories, oil depots and gasoline stations, buses, cinemas, schools, plazas and others must be intensified and thereafter put the blame on the MILF so as to convince the Asean, the European Union, and the United States’ State Department to formally declare the MILF as a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION and Chairman Hashim Salamat as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist because of the gravity and magnitude of threat he and the MILF pose on the national security and territorial integrity of the Philippines and Asean Countries. Hashim’s capture or death, and MILF’s designation as an FTO will ensure the smooth conduct of Balikatan 03-1 in Central Mindanao and the US troops’ planned basing in Sarangani-Gen. Santos City.”
In a couple of weeks, Gloria Arroyo will be delivering her State of the Nation Address (SONA), marking another year of tenacity and triumph over a recurring and still-unfolding crisis confronting her delegitimized regime. (Photo:http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/07iz2nYg9wgeJ/610x.jpg)
