Kinder, gentler Gloria

Mang Benigno, bakit sinasayang mo ang oras mo dito, samantalang hindi ka naman sang-ayon sa tema ng pagsusulat ng mga may-ari ng blog na ito?

As the title says its a very positive GMA. Its a Malacanan reporter’s effort of relating what took place this morning. But out of the 10 paragraph blog, a small one was dedicated on telling the grievances of reporters.

Inq7.net (“NUJP asks Arroyo for more media transparency “), philstar.com (“Media group criticizes Arroyo handling of news conference”) and abs-cbnnews.com (“Arroyo’s new image leaves media fuming”) reported it as a very staged and managed conference. FOCAP issued complaint while others bewails the screening of questions a day before. Not the normal press conference that should be. In essence, it was part of a botox operation for GMA’s image enhancement scheme.

It was reported that questions are screen a day before, meaning these events happened yesterday but not one reporter lamented on it… just today. Or maybe they are waiting for an anticipated surprise. Maybe the reason why Shiela’s report seemed preoccupied with beauty rather than behind-the-scene reality. And with such highly anticipated conference why would Mr. “Spliced” Bunye conspicuously state that just a number of (already screened) question can be entertain because of GMA’s seemingly tight schedule.

Why must reporters take every Malacanan statement at face value?

Is it really a kinder, gentler Gloria?

I guess we should either debate with Benny Boy (I tried “In blogging in a time of crises – July 16, 1:02 am) or leave him alone. Let’s learn from every and all voices, not just our own, which is the essence of exchange. Yet I suppose the basic rule is: we can disagree without being disagreeable.

I remember someone writing: Repugnance can be the harbinger of deeper wisdom. If we think this applies to anyone of us, it is a compliment.

Benign0 wrote “…kind of blow-by-blow style…”

Ayyyy, ditseeee, lumalabasss na ang reynaaaa, apirrrrr!!!!!!!!

In order to solve the problem of our country the simple flow of solution must be followed .

Problem ? —-> Yes —-> Who ? —-> President ? Yes —->
Impeach , if no , coup d’etat , if no , EDSA ulit .

Problem ? —> Yes —> Who ? —> Government Official ? Yes ->
Senate to Investigate , if no , Sumbong mo kay TULFO

Problem? —> Yes —> Who? Corrupt na Pulis ? Yes —>
Police Commander to investigate , if no , Sumbong mo ABB para kalusin na yan .

Problem? —> Yes —> Who? President , Senate , Congressman , Police , Mayor at Barangay tanod ? —> Yes —-?
Ipunin mo silang lahat sa Araneta Coliseum at pagkatapos pasabugin mo to . Tepok silang lahat , malaya na ulit ang bansa sa mga sinungaling , trapo at mga corrupt na gobyerno .

This country is so poor at nakakaawa na , it is so pity that eversince it was handled by old politics the debt went up , homeless went up , jobless went up and etc … but the life of the filipino people still DOWN .

What this country need is a new leader , leader na walang utang na loob sa mga trapo , leader na talagang ibinoto ng tao at hindi nanalo sa pandadaya . Leader na hindi mukhang kurakot !!!!

Tayo namang mga citizen ( mahirap , katamtaman o mayaman man ) dapat maglinis na tayo konsensya , isipin natin na nakasalalay ang buhay ng kabataan at mga anak natin sa mga leader na to . Ang pag asa na bayan e nasa atin din kung hindi tayo magbabago magiging ganito pa rin ang Pilipinas hanggang sa pinaka apo ng apo mo .

Sipain man ninyo ang kasalukuyang pangulo kung hindi ma-eeducate ang masa eh back to zero tayo. Meaning zero money in the people’s pocket a lot in the politician’s pocket. Himayin natin. Deep rooted na ang kahirapan at curruption. Mga nakararaming uneducated masses that will vote for anyone who can pay a crispy new Ninoy (500 peso bill). Deep rooted greed amongst political figures who will suck evey poor people guts out once they are in power. JUETENG – as an example. Sinong tumataya dito? Ang masang mahirap na umaasa na kahit man lang sa piso pisong taya eh magkamal ng kakaunting salapi at panandaliang kaginhawahan. Jueteng laro ng mahirap pero ang kita napupunta sa mayayamang politiko. Kung titigilan lang ng mga tao ang lintek na sugal na yan malamang wala nang trapong tatakbo for Office. Katwiran ng mga lintek na politiko…”eh namuhunan kami noong eleksyon pay back time naman”. Ganid!!!…”sa mata ng mga bata ang gawaing mali nagiging tama kapag ginagawa ng matatanda” so there you go CLAN of greedy politician. Nakita ko ke tatay noong gobernador siya so why not do it. Maling moral pasa pasa…generation of corrupt and filthy TRAPOs. Ay naku tama na siguro kasi it also breaks my heart whenever I watch TFC and see those poor people…wala rin naman akong magawa. Ang contribution ko na lang siguro eh yung umalis ako ng bansa at palakihin ang aking mga anak sa sibilisadong bansa. Malayo sa corruption at sakit ng lipunan sa lupang sinilangan. Baka me pag-asa pa na bukas makalawa…ang Pilipinas babangon muli kapag naubos na ang lahat ng buwaya. Kapag naglabasan na sa bansa ang matitino at kapag lugmok na ang inang bayan. Baka sakali, kapag bumalik ng mga me utak, konsensya, at kaluluwa baka sakaling maibangon muli anf perlas ng silangan…

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Abe N. Margallo said:

I guess we should either debate with Benny Boy (I tried “In blogging in a time of crises – July 16, 1:02 am) or leave him alone. Let’s learn from every and all voices, not just our own, which is the essence of exchange. Yet I suppose the basic rule is: we can disagree without being disagreeable.
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Absolutely agree. If people find my views offensive, disgusting, or unfair, then debunk them objectively and logically. That is why I am here. I already have enough feedback from people who agree with my views. What’s far less common are people who beg to disagree with them but are able to clearly articulate why they disagree.

We’ve seen where some small-minded peoples’ speculation about my whereabouts or how much my Website makes leads to. Nada. It just simply diminishes further our regard for the intellectual faculties of the Pinoy. We should erase this impression we bring across — that we are (1) too focussed on personalities (especially as reflected in our politics) rather than the issues, and (2) too quick to take personal offense from other peoples’ views rather than step back and reflect or introspect.

For years, Pinoys have denied they are losers and proclaimed they are a proud people. Yet TO THIS DAY, we seem to find the need to ACTIVELY and AGGRESSIVELY campaing to erase this loser stigma and prop up this ephemereal “pride” in being Pinoy. Bottom line, after more than 50 years of being an independent republic, is: (1) pride in being Pinoy still does not come naturally to most Pinoys, and (2) winning AT A NATIONAL SCALE is still an elusive trophy.

Why is this so?

Could it be because we haven’t spent enough time to step back and examine ourselves closely and understand the REAL REASONS why it is so difficult to be proud to be Pinoy and achieve some wins FOR A CHANGE? We seem to prefer the easier alternative to facing realities about our character as a people — and that is to immerse oursleves in petty political intrigue and encapsulate our problems in strawmen (i.e. political personalities and former colonial masters).

As someone once sang: “It is easy to love someone so beautiful” (or something to that effect). Could it be possible then that it is so difficult to be proud to be Pinoy simply because the Philippines is now an old tired hag?

to benigno. ayaw kitang patulan kasi tingin ko nagpapaka elite ka. eh ang mga elite dito sa pinas ay mga civilized people hinde kagaya mo matapobre. sobra kang manlait. sino ka ba para laitlaitin mo kami ha? matagal ko nang napapansin mga blogs mo. sabi ko huwag patulan baka (KSP)kulang sa pansin. tingin ko pa nga nangaasar ka lang. kaya lang posted dito nababasa ng marami. parang ang tingin mo sa mga filipino ay basahan. nakakahiya ka benigno kung filipino ka man o hinde. i am sure na may lahing filipino ka rin whether you like it or not. tigilan mo na panlalait sa amin at hinde ko ipagpapalit dangal namin sa kagaya mo. kahit mahirap lng kami hinde naman kami mandaraya, sinungaling at magnanakaw. iyan ang aming ipinagmamalaki at ipinaglalaban bilang kristiano. maliwanag ba? this is my 1st & last blog about your opinion. respetuhan lang pls. opinion ko rin ito about your blogs.” PROUD TO BE PINOY”. ok b? God bless!

Beware, si GLORIA nanggogoyo na naman. Akala ni Tabako ok na kay GLORIA ang con-ass, hoy Tabako, di tanga GLORIA, alam niya na di payag ang sa Senado sa con-ass. Napag-aaway pa nya House of Representative at ang Senate through cha-cha. Nadi-divert pa nya ang issue on her legitimancy to the throne to cha-cha. Ang galling no. Pagtatawanan nya lang tayong lahat habang tayo’y mainit na nagde-debate on soundness cha-cha while she’s just buying time to consolidate her forces. Ito naman si JDV nagpapaloko naman. Hoy, mga congressman, Gloria is not willing to cut short her term. Hindi pwedeng pagkatiwalan ang sinungaling, mandaraya at magnanakaw. Her term will be cut short not on her terms, not because of cha-cha, but because she will be forced too. Hoy Gloria, di mo na kami magogoyo. Pa-gentle-gentle and kind ka pa, you HIPOCRITE. GLORIA RESIGN!!!

yeah, benign0. wag ka na mag-lagi sa blog ng PCIJ…tutal para sa yo walang kwenta naman ang site na to. di namin kailangan ang mga tulad mo. dun ka na lang sa website mo mag-post ng mga comment mo. yun naman ang nagsasabi ng tama para sa yo di ba?

The above is another classic.

Why are we led to believe that Tagalog will be the salvation of the masses?

Kahit pagulong-gulungin niyo sa daan ang mga mayayaman, they will always prefer an opportunity to guarantee their kids proficiency in English.

Saan ka ba naman nakakita ng job ad with a requirement like “Tagalog proficiency will be highly regarded”?

Wala. Employers always place a premium on English skills. The more we encourage the masses to speak in Tagalog (instead of trying to get skilled up in speaking English), the wider the intellectual divide becomes between the rich and the poor, and the bigger the gap between opportunities to prosper becomes between the two sectors of society.

Why deny the masses the opportunities afforded to the elites who have a strong command of English? The easiest way to get the poor into the world of opportunity served to good English speakers is to get them proficient in speaking English as well.

Tagalog is for losers. Let’s embrace the future and that is to learn how to speak English like world class professionals.

Check out the following article for more insight into this urgent need to get all Filipinos proficient in English and to relegate Tagalog as a relic of our tribal past:

http://www.getrealphilippines.com/solution/whytagalog.html

Excerpt:
“We fancy ourselves a nation undertaking all efforts to alleviate its citizens’ poverty. Yet we have consistently failed to add to the poor’s arsenal of employment tools an ability to match the English proficiency of the rich so that, at least in the communication aspect, they will be on equal footing with them. We can only do this by changing our approach to education and the underdog mentality of the poor that motivates them to ridicule English speakers as “pa-sosyal” (i.e. that “them and us” attitude).

It is this divide between the English-proficient elite and the Tagalog-speaking masses that contributes to the increasing polarisation of Philippine society. ”

Happy reading!! 😀

Yung iba diyan parang bata. Kapag takot o ayaw sa nakikita, pipikit na lang. 😉

Everybody,

Don’t be surprised that there are people like Benny Boy who rail against the Filipino as if the Filipino is the basest and most despicable creature this side of the planet. He is not the first, he is not even original, and worse, he does not even innovate.

A century ago, Jose Rizal himself along with the rest of the Propagandistas had to deal with lowlifes such as him. Remember Rizal’s essay “On the Indolence of the Filipinos”? Rizal wrote it with such a passion because he had to defend the indio’s honor against the slew of abuses Spanish writers heaped on the indio, foremost among them a charlatan named Wenceslao Retana. Each of the La Solidaridad writers in Spain had written brilliant polemical pieces in their respective capacities. Juan Luna and Hidalgo, for their part, painted brilliant pieces of art just to prove that the indio is not some damned late-era evolutionary monkey. And who could forget the brilliant orator, Graciano Lopez Jaena, who shamed a lot of Spaniards with his mastery of the language? With extemporaneous speeches at that?

Before his tiff with Abinales, I have suspected something else with Benign0’s posts. Do you all remember the method of Simoun, the agitator in El Filibusterismo? By taking the ultra-negative side, he had hoped to distillate the positive among the indios. At least, that was the beauty of his character.

But with his admission that he is conning us all (entrepreneurship, he says), you what he reminds me of? Not the Retana of Rizal’s time who had fine manners despite his outrageous views. Benign0 reminds me more of the uncouth Spanish friars of bygone years. Let me illustrate by way of an anecdote.

When the first-ever census in the Philippine islands was conducted, Church authorities were ordered to draw up a possible list of surnames that the indios can adopt. Before this, there were no surnames such as “Reyes, Santos, Cruz, etc.” As it so happened, a Spanish friar drew up the usual Spanish surnames but uncouth as he was, he added a few of his own. Names such as “Tanga,” “Hindot,” “Malibog”,”Gago” appeared on the list. Naturally, the townsfolk who knew what these terms signify did not use these malicious appellations as they settled for the usual Hispanic surnames or stuck with the old names such as Makalintal, Nakpil, etc. But they never forgot what this hated parish priest tried to pull at their expense.

Years later, the 1896 Revolution broke out. You know what happened to this Spanish friar? The townsfolk were shocked to find out this friar dead and impaled like a pig about to be roasted in front of the churchyard. Standing proudly beside the dead friar was a man they knew was the friar’s illegitimate son and one so stupid to be the one to take on the name “Baboy.” When asked by the townsfolk why he did it, the stupid man replied “all that i know was that he was the one who raped my mother.” He was not stupid after all. This man became later on rose in the ranks of the Revolutionary army for many years and beyond.

Moral of the story? Fate is the roadmap and character may be a guide. But all these mean nothing once destiny takes charge. Benign0 sees the weak side of the Filipino character and mistakes this as character, fate, and destiny combined! Such imbecility!

It has been said that if you cannot be the FIRST, try next to become ORIGINAL. But if you cannot still, then try to at least INNOVATE.

Benign0 with his facile blogs is none of the above. I agree with Abe margallo, let him be. After all, even imbeciles, like the most learned of sages, too have a right to inflict their opinions on the rest of the population.

pedro i got some good insights with what you post above. nice job.

Clap, clap, clap for Pedro (Abe side-glancing at P.N. Abinales while P.N. is checking on T. Agoncillo’s).

. . . looks like Benny is warming up for another “tiff.”

(I’m just reading the SONA speech right now and it’s interesting.)

Benign0 wrote:

Yung iba diyan parang bata. Kapag takot o ayaw sa nakikita, pipikit na lang.

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Benny boy, tinuturo mo yung iba na parang bata pero mas marami sa daliri mo ang nakaturo pabalik sa iyo. Parang bata nagsasabi ‘basta sali ato ta inyo maski ayaw nyo ta akin. Malunong naman ato ah.’

EyesWIDEopen wrote:

guys, if you haven’t noticed, tuwang tuwa si benign0 kapag nag babasa kayo sa posts nya.
kaya wag nyo na basahin at wag nyo na pansinin. sa amin ang tawag namin sa mga taong ganoon “KSP”.

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I agree.

Before the start of the THRILLA, I want to post something about the SONA.

____________________

SOUND BYTES: Ours is a country divided; the story of our nation is a tale of two Philippines; Almost, as it were, two countries under the same name.

BLOGS: Agree. But where is the true divide?

The divide is nowhere else but that which separates the beautiful people framed in the television screens giving GMA rounds of accolades and standing ovations and those (at least 72% of them distrusting and 80% believing in the cheating) who were sneering at the phony image and the sound bytes – my apologies S(o)B – as well as at the stark reality that their government is a government by the “hooting few.”

SOUND BYTES: Here’s the divide: One is Philippines whose economy, after long years of cumulative national endeavor, is now poised for take off. The other is the Philippines whose political system, after equally long years of degeneration, has become a hindrance to progress.

BLOGS: Where there should be talk about dealing with the broader issue of “political economy” (whose two-fold objectives I suppose are: to provide subsistence for the people and produce revenue for the state), there’s hairsplitting for some deceitful, albeit dramatic, effects.

Is the economy really taxiing now at the NAIA “poised for take off” or GMA is just flagging a taxi from Batasan to take her to the airport during rush hour to catch a plane scheduled for takeoff in 30 minutes? As usual the politicos are made the whipping boys and girls again (although many of them deserve the whip), but she, being a “US-schooled economist” and certainly a politica herself, now “kinder, gentler,” gets credit for half of her supposed being.

Meanwhile, in GMA’s blaming environment . . . whereas the political system is getting the heavy axe, escaping unscathed is the longstanding incompetence and/or laggardness of the economic elites who seem simply content with driving productive and available Pinoy human capital overseas; and as “paper” entrepreneurs, are the most to gain through their banks from the money remitted by heroic OFWs who risk being raped, held hostage, or murdered in the dessert to earn a living (Whew, aren’t Pinoys really toughies? Think now of our supposed “damaged culture” and the “indolence” of Pinoys, ha, Pedro.)

No wonder these “rent-seeking” elites (meaning they rather rent their wealth by buying government treasuries at guaranteed interests or otherwise tending their “paper” industries) and taipans are not risking enough to build factories that create the all-too important value-added (hope I got it right this time P.N.Abinales, I mean the use of “value-added”). They also play-all-too-safe by just building malls, investing in real estates and similar ventures), while the media they control (and that gives PCIJ and other bloggers a good reason for being) frets about declining foreign direct investments, not domestic direct investments, or plays blind about the gargantuan money safely salted away abroad.

SOUND BYTES: That same story, over four years, saw the drug menace cut in half, the rash of kidnappings become a thing of the past, and insurgency in the South abated.

BLOGS: This SONA is about the Philippines, not Malaysia or Thailand, see Ms. Ang See?

SOUND BYTES: I specially refer to our recent titanic struggle to enact the three laws that comprised the biggest fiscal package in our history, the biggest revenue increase in a generation that will break the vicious cycle of financing development by borrowing and having to borrow again just to service those loans. This is the one reform that will snap the chain that has bound our future to a profligate past and the debt-burdened present.

BLOGS: Titanic? When GMA (or the next leadership) starts dangling the debt-moratorium card in the face of the country’s creditors, or telling the domestic rentier regime to take up the slack in government spending and build this and that industry or else (bad “tips” for the messiahs in the barracks?), that’s when the “struggle” can be called titanic or fundamental or radical. But right now, it’s business as usual, meaning after debt service, still no monies would be left to serve the objectives of the political economy such as to pump prime and stimulate the economy in the Keynesian fashion when needed, or for human capital enhancement (not to speak of the minimum requirements for education, healthcare, welfare and similar initiatives) so that when the next batch of OFWs are dispatched, they get the better-paying jobs and remit home more.

SOUND BYTES: We’ve worked long and hard to restore our country to the prominent place it once held as co-founder of the United Nations and the Free World’s first line of defense in the East.

BLOGS: Very, very nostalgic. Pretty much like the oft-repeated “we were once second to no one but the Japanese.”

SOUND BYTES: We won a seat in the UN Security Council, where we presided over the landmark resolution calling for democracy in Iraq.

BLOGS: Ha, ha. Please define “democracy for Iraq.”

SOUND BYTES: Eighty percent of our peace talks with (our Muslim brothers) have been completed.

BLOGS: How was that figure arrived at? Why not 78% or 81.78%?

SOUND BYTES: Analysts need only to look at our stock market, and even the peso-dollar exchange rate, to sense the strong anticipation of significant improvements.

BLOGS: Didn’t they. And was it a significant upgrade or a downgrade?

SOUND BYTES: Over the years, our political system has degenerated to the extent that it is difficult for anyone to make any headway yet keep his hands clean.

BLOGS: “. . . (her) hands clean” to be currently more accurate.

SOUND BYTES: The system clearly needs fundamental change, and the sooner the better.

BLOGS: It’s not just the system. It’s the “system in place,” meaning the system and its sub-systems (e.g., wardlordism and political dynasties), or the system as a whole. Quick fix won’t work.

SOUND BYTES: It’s time to start the great debate on charter change.

BLOGS: A charter change is just one of those quick fixes, especially if at the very outset, the scope of the debate is already being contained like by a leading question “ . . . how much less government is more conducive to free enterprise and economic progress” or suggesting that “a constituent assembly may well give our people the quickest reforms.” See “quick” was mine but “quickest” hers.

SOUND BYTES: The economic progress and social stability of the provinces, along with the increasing self-reliance and efficiency of political developments and public services there, make a compelling case for federalism.

BLOGS: Great. In the first place, federalism (devolution, empowerment, self-reliance and local autonomy) is morally incompatible with a “constituent assembly.”

But what kind of federalism? Is it formal federalism or real federalism? It appears that under the JDV model, powers not granted by the constitution to the states will be reserved to the federal government. I believe, in that case, Filipinos would be better off not tinkering with the Charter now because if the “political will” is there, genuine local autonomy is also achievable under the present setup, without opening up a can of JDV parliamentary worms. Or, otherwise, simply narrow the scope of the Charter amendment, like just creating more autonomous regions than the existing two (Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras), equivalent more or less to the regions intended to be formed as the states under a federal system. That would be quick fix as well as quick win.

SOUND BYTES: Now is not the time for divisiveness, and while there’s no avoiding partisan politics, there can be a determined effort by all sides to limit the collateral damage on a country poised for take-off.

BLOGS: Let’s avoid unnecessary damages, both collateral and frontal. Madame President, please be willingly to face justice (we challenge you not to do a Davide but prove your innocence), or better yet, if the “real evidence” that are the Garci tapes are too hard to handle without invoking technicality, please take a “graceful exit” NOW. Filipinos need your self-abnegation to trigger the cathartic process of fundamental change in the system in place.

hello Pedro, normally i do not read long posts, but yours are full of insight that i read them as a hungry one. keep on posting.

[…] Abueva has been chosen by the president to be a member of a Consultative Constitutional Commission for Charter Change, composed of eminent citizens who would consult with people around the country and submit their inputs to Congress. A long time advocate of constitutional reforms, Abueva has proposed a federal-parliamentary system of government composed of 11 states, with a president as symbolic head of state, a powerful prime minister who is head of government and a bicameral parliament. The House of the People will have 300 members, most of them elected at the district level although 60 to 80 members would be selected by proportional representation. The Senate shall be elected from members of the states assemblies, meaning that they will be representatives of their states or regions. The parliament members will sit for four years and will elect the prime minister from among themselves. […]

Mr. Benigno,

It sounds like you despise Filipinos, despite the fact that you obviously are one, or once upon a time, was one.

You seem to be a very intelligent person. In all honesty, do you think the Filipino is a hopeless nation right now?

If so, can you offer us some constructive nuggets of wisdom (without pointing us to a link in your website) on how, we can start slowly but surely in becoming a great country, which perhaps, you were once a part of?

We need all the help we can get, including yours.

“I may not agree with what you say.. but I will defend to death, your right to say it (something to that effect)….- Voltaire

Sabi nga sa maraming pelikula, ang unggoy kahit bihisan ng ginto, unggoy pa rin.

Maraming versions itong kasabihan na ito. But all of them only say one thing, it is really so difficult to camouflage one’s nature. Kung ano ka, lalabas at lalabas ang natural kahit ano ang gawin mong pagtatago.

You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.