New Philippine Revolution

Manok King--Great-tasting lechon manok with the crispiest skin in town

2009-12-22T10:16:00.000+08:00

The first MANOK KING place, taken by my good friend, Ding Gagelonia yesterday. It's located at 1773 N. Garcia street, Poblacion Makati and at Washington Street corner Dela Rosa Street, Makati City.

By tomorrow, Manok King will be established at Mindanao avenue in Quezon City.

We open at 11am and last until 10pm. Our Washington outlet is 24/7 so for those working as Call center agents, you can order our Supreme Roast Beef Solo for just 89 pesos (roast beef, sidings, 1 rice with FREE GRAVY) or Manok King solo or 2-piece (solo is 89 pesos while 2-piece is just 109 pesos)

Thanks Ding. If you want to order the most succulent, the juiciest chicken roast with the crispiest skin, call us at 8188496/09156041149. Or email us at manokkingsupreme@gmail.com. If you want to franchise, text me at 09063286207 or email at manokkingsupreme@gmail.com.

Great-tasting lechon manok is now here!

Noynoy Aquino continues to lead in the presidential race

2009-12-22T10:07:00.000+08:00

Senator Noynoy Aquino continues to lead other presidential aspirants in the presidential surveys. In the latest Pulse Asia report, forty four percent of 1,800 adult respondents interviewed said they will vote for Noynoy Aquino as the Philippines' next president. Pulse Asia said Noynoy's ratings remained "stationary", while all others increased.

Nacionalista party bet Manny Villar's ratings improved by 4 points (from 19 to 23%) while Joseph Estrada's ratings went up by 8 points (from 8% to 19%). Gibo Teodoro of the administration party got 3 points after remaining as a cellar dweller for some time. While the other presidential aspirants got ratings of 1% to 0.50%.

The Pulse Asia survey validated our earlier blog entry that says that should Chiz Escudero withdraws from the race, his supporters will increase the ratings of Joseph Estrada and some will possibly go to Noynoy and Manny Villar. It seems though that Escudero's constituency broke up and most transferred to Estrada and Villar.

The Liberal Party welcomed the Pulse Asia results. This shows, says the Liberal, that most people favor the advocacy of the party for an honest and clean government.

As a researcher, these survey results mean these things:

1. Noynoy Aquino, thru his relentless campaign sorties and less the "glamourous" TV ads, is solidfying his mass base support. If he sustains his lead, he will be the most formidable candidate ever in the history of Philippine elections. No other candidate has been given the mandate of 44% ahead of the elections. Joseph Estrada, who commanded the most successful presidential campaign ever, just got between 23-30% ratings ahead of the 1998 elections. He got more than 30% of the electorate vote.

2. Manny Villar's lead is still surmountable. Since Villar got the nationalist block on his side, that is about 2-3 million votes extra for him. Likewise, should the Marcoses endorse him, Villar stands to gain from the Solid North votes. If he solidies support from Mindanao and snatch Visayas away from Noynoy Aquino, it will increase his chances of clinching the presidency.

3. Don't count Joseph Estrada out yet. His ratings continues to surge, a benefit he gained from the withdrawal of Chiz Escudero. However, his mass base will just be between 20-24%, still lower than Noynoy's. In the event that Erap decides to withdraw from the race, his supporters will shift to Villar. That would benefit Villar.

4. Gibo Teodoro needs a miracle to win. He needs to make a public "disengagement" with the Arroyo administration. However, that would only translate into a ratings "push" of 8 points. Arroyo's 4% stable mass base will only be translatable to Teodoro's and give him a ratings of about 11-14%.

Mayon Volcano eruption--a sign that political change will also happen in 2010?

2009-12-21T10:08:00.000+08:00

Mayon Volcano, says Philvocs, is expected to erupt anytime soon. That's why the Provincial government of Albay ordered the forced evacuation of 100,000 residents. Alert level 4 had been raised.

The provincial government is doing a pretty good job in disaster management. No one is competent to actually predict or say how much pyroclastic materials Mayon Volcano would spew in the next few days. Philvocs already recorded 6,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 1,600 earthquakes. Red hot lava continues to flow from the slope and hot steam is spewing from the southern side of the volcano.

Philvocs say that they expect an explosion in the magnitude of 2000 or 2001---the same natural event that preceded the ouster of former president Joseph Estrada. Remember that before EDSA dos, man-made and natural calamities occurred.

A limited number of people got killed in the 2000-2001 Mayon volcano eruptions.

Question---is this another portent of things to come? Will a change in the political situation here also happen in 2010? Abangan!

Six re-electionist senators, sure winners in 2010 elections, says "The Center"

2009-12-21T08:22:00.000+08:00

Ed Malay, the lead of this survey group called " The Center" issued another PR-laden article---six re-electionist Senators are sure winners in next year's elections. And the lucky six are: Jinggoy Estrada, Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Juan Ponce-Enrile, Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla Jr.

Okey, so expect two brilliant lawyers, an environmentalist, a former presidential son, and two moviestars again at the Senate. And you know what? I think Ed Malay, even without basing it from a survey, is correct in this one.

I read a confidential report, a study on how Filipinos vote. Two of the top four values Filipinos want their candidates to have are: First, a clean record of public service and second, someone who "delivers", meaning, a candidate who actually extends a helping hand to the poor. This may mean even the most self-serving "medical mission" or a "bike rally cum donations rally" but these schemes work---all the time.

This shows that despite hours and hours of voter education, and hours and hours of trying to raise the level of "nationalism" and the necessity for electing "new faces, new names" in the next elections, the results would still be depressing---two aged lawyers, an environmentalist aligned with the biggest real estate magnate and three moviestars---would still be occupying the six top Senatorial slots.

So, now, all "new faces" would have to contest the remaining six slots. And their chances are pretty, pretty slim since familiar names want their political comebacks come 2010: Frank Drilon (former Senate president and now running under the Liberal party), Serge Osmena III (even as an independent, his name still rings a bell), Ralph Recto (even if you hate him because of the VAT issue, his name still registers strong in surveys), Tito Sotto III (voters already forgot the drugs issue and how he stabbed Erap in the back and made the big jump to the Arroyo camp).

So, these four familiar names enjoy a stable political stock. And in an automated elections, where complicity favors the old, traditional political brand names, newer names in politics stand a losing chance in this forth-coming elections.

There are only at least five new names that seemed very strong not just in surveys but also, basing on my inquiries with grass-roots organizers, are:

1. Teofisto Guingona III or "TG"---the political scion of the Guingona clan.
2. Bongbong Marcos--despite the "Marcos" tag, Bongbong's name resonates very, very well with older and intelligent voters.
3. Susan "Toots" Ople---getting lots and lots of support from the ground due to organizing work and online campaigns.
4. General Danny Lim---every one seemed convinced of his drawing and electoral power.
5. Apolinario "Jun" Lozada---very strong in both the Luzon and the Visayas.

These five names, I believe, with fight it out in the end game. Whoever has the longer strand of hair (:-) will survive the hair-pulling event in the stretch.

Yet, there's a catch---since we don't have a very credible electoral body in the name of the Comolect, err, Comelec, we may yet see at least two more administration names there in the final winning Comolect senatorial list. That would mean violence.

Noynoy's organization is imploding and Montelibano's tirades against those concerned with LP problems

2009-12-19T14:45:00.000+08:00

I read Paul Farol's blog entry " Paid Anti-Noynoy propaganda", a reaction to what Jose Maria Montelibano wrote in his Inquirer column and Mr. Farol has a very valid point. I don't want to agree or disagree with what he said, but let me just say that, for the record, I was the first one to criticize and praise Noynoy all at the same time in different posts in this site and also got pilloried by alleged Noynoy cult followers. I know Jose Montelibano, he's the husband of Noynoy's media bureau chief. And for me, it is highly immoral for someone to write something about the client of one's wife.

Much more criticize others for being paid hacks when you know for a fact that you, yourself are tainted with being a paid hack.

Anyway, with what is happening, I am actually re-analysing Noynoy's chances and like what I wrote in previous entries, Noynoy is a sure winner if he does the right things. What I am hearing now, and this is verified, is that his internal organization is getting messier and confused as we near the elections. Seems that Noynoy's organization is imploding and in the process, being defensive about many things.

Reason for the implosion---GREED. Yep, Noynoy's inner circle are acting like rapacious wolves salivating for this and that posts, confident that they belong to the right group and their bet is a sure winner. Their greed has definitely overtaken the Cause. It has muddled the real cause why Noynoy ran in the first place.

For example, I know for a fact how certain members of Noynoy's group barred friends of Mar Roxas, some of them, senatoriable material, from being included in the Liberal party official senatorial slate. Reason? They don't want Mar's old circle of friends there, fearing a power struggle.

I know how some of them, members of Drilon's team clashed with Abad's.

Now, these internal clashes and talks about the slowly dwindling funds are affecting Noynoy Aquino's campaign. These talks are spilling over the public sphere and causing demoralization to some.

And when these verified information reaches well-meaning people, true friends of Noynoy and they write about it, people like Montelibano and some fanatical Noynoy Yellow army members act like they're the sages of old and probably felt they are doing good by branding everybody paid hacks.

Let me just say that I now fear what will happen to the government if Noynoy wins. At this early in the game, his close-in advisers are fucking things up, showing their greed and engaging in petty internal squabbles and power struggles.

Let me put on record that I am no paid anti-Noynoy writer. Check my background. I am not even an anti-Noynoy. Most of my friends are in the Liberal Party and I agree with what they are fighting for. Yet, I cannot say , for certain, if I am truly pro-Noynoy. I am pro-Filipino People and the reason why I write is simply to scratch my writer's itch. And I care for Cory Aquino and Ninoy, parents of Noynoy, whom I revere and salute for what they did for the country. It does not follow, however, that I will blindly follow the son. What people ask of Noynoy is get your thing going by publishing your platform and let us discuss them before the people. Until now, however, no platform, no discussions.

I write to warn Noynoy to take a firm hold of the organization and exercise leadership, an enlightened one.Purge your organization of ravenous wolves and vultures. The "cretins" which Montelibano described in his article resides well within Noynoy's circles. Be a man.

Andal Ampatuan Jr. got a head injury

2009-12-18T19:09:00.001+08:00

Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. had a mischievous smile on his face when he faced the media for the first time since he was incarcerated and jailed at the NBI headquarters in Manila. He seemed to be taunting the media. One of my friends, whom I will not say, reportedly hit him with the blunt end of his camera. Ric Diaz of the NBI say it was deliberate. So, what Ric? That is too tame for someone as vicious and as bloody thirsty as Andal Jr.

During the preliminary investigation, Andal was photographed yawning. He seemed bored. That shows that he and his group must be planning something and he also seemed to very confident. With a hot-shot lawyer who defended former cops who massacred kidnappers in the late 80's, Andal is probably thinking that he's out of there big-time also.

Nah. I think the gravity of the crime will definitely put Andal behind bars for a long time. Come to think of it, reason why Andal is smiling is, he probably thinks that my term "for the long time", means ten or so years.

If this crime happened in states where there's death penalty, Andal would probably not be smiling as broadly as he was during the hearing.

An injury to Judge Reyes harms Philippine democracy

2009-12-18T11:26:00.000+08:00

A woman judge, yes, is being pitted against a brutal serial killer and mass murderer. And her name is Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes.

For Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., according to a star witness, has killed and raped women before. The junior Andal has no compunction killing his political enemies and anyone he fancies. In fact, says star witness Abdul, whoever he wishes killed in Maguindanao, is murdered.

Fact is, more than 30 women were killed in that massacre in Shariff Aguak. Some of them were brutally killed, mangled and raped.

People are worried that Reyes will suffer the same fate as those whom the Ampatuans fancied. The brutality of the Ampatuans has been exposed before the world. With this Maguindanao massacre case enjoying global attention, any action against those whom government will use to dispense justice will be a direct affront to the Power of the State and a direct mockery of Philippine democracy.

Judge Reyes reportedly rejected offers of security, even saying that she does not fear the Ampatuans. Reyes has handled numerous heinous crimes before and even suffered an assassination attempt. She, according to reports, is no stranger to death threats. Like Miriam Defensor-Santiago before, Judge Reyes eats death threats for breakfast.

What irony that a woman is now the Judge in this gruesome massacre. That is a direct blow to the machismo image being brandied about by these serial mass murderers.

It remains to be seen, however, if the Ampatuans will respect Judge Reyes. If the Ampatuans harm Reyes, they will be harming the State and all that it represents. It will be a direct affront to democracy and will show the world how reckless the Philippine government regards justice and law. And all hell will break loose.

Oddities in Philippine politics: Truth be told

2009-12-18T08:46:00.000+08:00

For telling us the unvarnished truth about the real relationship of the Arroyos and the Ampatuans, Lorelie Fajardo, the palace deputy spokesperson, is now being kept in a "freezer", officially off her duties as press undersecretary. The palace punished her for being "inconsistent". Fajardo should have kept telling the people about lores and lies, says Cerge Remonde.

After spending years defending Gloria, justifying her extravagant lifestyle and even working as her go-to man, Mike Defensor is now trying very hard to win the mayoral post in Quezon City. He's now a Nacionalista. And he's pitting Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista against Mayor Sonny Belmonte in the alleged 200 million fund anomaly. Mike, what is 200 million when your boss already stole billions? Why did you keep your mouth shut then?

The Comolect, err, Comelec, just recently disqualified Ang Ladlad as an accredited partylist organization. A few days ago, the Comelec en banc resolved the Motion for Reconsideration by a split vote---the First division going for Ang Ladlad while the second division defended itself. Comelec chairman Jose Melo intervened and voted against Ang Ladlad, siding with the second division's "Holy Men". Unfortunate for Ang Ladlad since their case landed on the laps of those who think "holy" of themselves. Danton, my friend, next time please.

As what the Bible says, " Curse those evil men who think themselves holy."

By the way, Susan "Toots" Ople is making a lot of headway in her bid for the Senate. Thousands are volunteering and helping her in her advocacy for the Filipino worker. She has a Cause--Pursue the Labor Agenda in the Senate. And her Cause is shared by others.

My apologies to my Muslim Sister Yasmin Lao and my Friend Pete Rahon

2009-12-16T17:02:00.000+08:00

Pete Rahon, a very good friend, sent me an email on Yasmin Busran-Lao and let me apologize for my remarks in my previous post. Pete, my comment was rather uncalled for, seeing that I forgot Yasmin's involvement in the peace and development of Mindanao.

To Yasmin and Pete--my sincerest apologies.

My fellow Muslim sister, I am sorry for making you as an example of an "unknown senatorial candidate". You, like the others who aspire for change, deserve a Senate seat. I read what you accomplished in Mindanao and some of my friends, reminded me of your work and I am but equally impressed.

However, one note lang my beautiful sister---you forgot to wear our traditional hijab here in your photo. I suggest that you always wear your hijab. Be proud of your Muslim heritage. Be proud of being a Bangsamoro.

Let me reproduce, with your permission a blog entry on Yasmin Busran-Lao.

IN 2005 YASMIN BUSRAN-LAO was granted the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Fellowship for Professional Development Award given by the American embassy and the Benigno S. Aquino Foundation. The award came as a surprise to the woman who had repeatedly spurned similar nominations by conveniently forgetting to submit her credentials. “I never expected to be publicly recognized for what I do,” she says. “Fighting for the rights of Muslim women and other marginalized groups is something personal for me. I get enough satisfaction helping people gain a certain control over their lives.”

What is not surprising is how this Psychology graduate of Far Eastern University came upon her advocacy. Yasmin recalls how, as an 11-year-old probinsyana, she had to contend with seatmates who would suddenly edge away when she was introduced before the class.

“Muslims were seen as devils, complete with tails and horns,” she recalls of the prejudice and stigma she had to put up with when her family moved to Manila in 1972. Like thousands of other families, they had to flee war-torn Marawi where private armies like the Ilagas and Barracudas had established a reign of terror. Her father, too, had just been appointed as the first Muslim judge in the Court of Appeals, and had to stay in Manila.

The experience, Yasmin says, made her conscious at an early age of the “impact of bigotry and discrimination on human relationships, especially on dignity and communal harmony.” It also made her a thorn in her mother's side. She recounts: “It was at the Quiapo mosque where I met these women who were abandoned by their Iranian husbands. This was during the time of Khomeini in Iran. The women were disowned by their families and kicked out of their homes, so I decided to bring them with me. I was running some sort of a woman's crisis center at home, and my mother could only shake her head.”

Soon, she was joining other activists when they visited Muslims in death row. “I just wanted to know what was happening,” says Yasmin. It was an unusual show of spunk for one who was only in her third year high school then.

Such dissonance ushered her into an existentialist phase at 16, when she studied the Qur'an, Buddhism and other religions to find where some oppressive practices were coming from. “They were not in the Qur'an, so why are Muslims embracing them?” she asked.

The questions led her to establish the Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation (AMDF) in 1997, shortly after she attended the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women as a representative of the feminist group PILIPINA. “In Beijing, I was able to interact with Muslim women from other countries,” recounts Yasmin. “I realized that much of the Islamic teachings we adhered to, particularly those pertaining to women, are not really what is in the Qur'an, but rather cultural interpretations of Islam.”

What followed was intensive research on the situation of Muslim women-from their domestic roles to reproductive health and poverty, from politics to the impact of armed conflict. “This we did in response to allegations that gender issues are Western issues that have no resonance in Muslim Moro communities,” says Yasmin.

Main advocacy

The Foundation was inspired by a Qur'anic verse, Al-Mujadilah (Qur'an verse 58), which, depending on one's source, either means “The Woman who Pleads,” “The Woman who Seeketh (Justice),” or “The Woman who Disputeth.”

The AMDF has been acknowledged by its partner networks for the significant role it plays in Maranao society, the Bangsamoro struggle, and society in general.

As an institutional partner, Oxfam NOVIB, the Dutch organization for international aid, had this to say about AMDF: “(It) has proven its worth in community organizing, convening of civil society organizations, organizing youth clubs for high school students, breaking the barriers with (Muslim) women theologians and other conservative sectors of the community, capacitating local government units (LGUs) in mainstreaming gender and pushing for the implementation of the gender and development (GAD) budget, legal literacy and popularization of the Code of Muslim Personal Laws, and the construction of a grassroots’ women training center. The AMDF has a good opportunity to further develop its distinctive role in the Lanao Sur area as a community-based nongovernment organization (NGO) advocating for women’s rights, peace and governance.

The Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute has been working with the AMDF since its inception and has been supportive of its various initiatives on peace building in the region. The AMDF is a member of civil society third party mediator for the declaration of ceasefire and third party observer to the peace process undertaken by government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It has created venues for the diverse civil society organizations to come together, share perspectives and collaborate in addressing the various peace, governance, poverty and other social issues confronting Maranao society. It has also trained LGU officials on conflict resolution, negotiation, counseling and paralegal in selected municipalities and their consequent organization into Barangay Justice Advocates (BJAs).

PILIPINA recognizes AMDF as its affiliate institution in Lanao del Sur. As such, it acknowledges its pioneering and unique contributions in advancing the discourse and praxis of putting gender values and principles in the center of peacebuilding, right to self- determination and governance efforts in the Bangsamoro homeland.

CO Multiversity, on the other hand, as the partner of AMDF in crafting its community-based strategies, acknowledges the remarkable transformative processes the organization has been able to catalyze as breakthroughs in Maranao culture as it makes a difference in governance and electoral politics while taking stock of the challenges it has to face such as (a) sustaining existing initiatives in people’s planning and decision making process; (b) maximizing participation in the barangay development planning and management; (c) participating in the educational processes for electoral reforms; and (d) sustaining initiatives on gender mainstreaming.

In 2007 Yasmin also cofounded the Nisa Ul-Haqq Fi Bangsamoro (Women for Truth and Justice in the Bangsamoro) to respond to the need of Bangsamoro women for a deeper understanding of Islam from a feminist perspective and reclaim the spaces and voices of women in Islamic discourse and praxis. Under her leadership as its current chair, the foundation has initiated the following activities: (a) conduct of study group sessions and round-table discussions on Islam and gender; (b) conduct of evidence-based researches to address the issues of Bangsamoro women such as early and forced marriages, polygamy, divorce, inheritance, reproductive health and rights, political participation, and economic empowerment; (c) engagement with the regional government of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on gender-responsive governance; and (d) collaborate with the ARMM regional government and the Philippine Commission on Women on the development of a GAD Code for ARMM.

Comelec means como-llect

2009-12-16T12:08:00.000+08:00

Tagalugin ko na ito para maintindihan ng Comelec or what I now call "Como-collect."

Aside from Nicanor Perlas and Danton Remoto, General Danny Lim, the general imprisoned by this administration for alleged crimes against public order, was disqualified by the Como-collect err Comelec as a senatorial candidate. The Comolect said that General Lim does not have any resources nor logistics for a national campaign.

WTF?!

Kailangan pa bang ipakita sa Comolect ang dami ng mga Pilipinong boboto kay General Lim? Kailangan pa ba naming ilabas ang 650,000 organizers sa ilalim ng Young Organizers' Union at YOU para maniwala ang Comolect na may kakayahan si General Lim na tumakbo?

Dahil ba Liberal Party guest candidate si Danny Lim kaya siya disqualified? Bakit si Col. Ariel Querubin pasok?

Hay naku. Hindi na talaga natuto itong mga taga Comollect. Dapat naging halimbawa na yung legal head nila na natambangan sa harap ng isang Casino sa Maynila sa kanila. Balita ko, kumolect yung taga Comollect na iyon pero na collect nila bala dahil sobrang corrupt.

Hay naku, galit yata sa mga taga-Liberal ang mga taga Comollect.

O baka takot lang sila na papasukin si General Danny Lim dahil matitiklo sila sa plano nilang dayaan? Abangan! Magsasaliksik si Manok King, este, Pat Mangubat tungkol dito.

Martial Law and oil in Sulu and Mindanao

2009-12-16T09:19:00.000+08:00

ExxonMobil, a giant oil firm, is digging for oil off Sulu sea. The international company just invested US$100 million to look for oil in the 8,620 hectares off the Sulu sea. Exxon partnered with Mitra energy to "dig for oil" which analysts estimate to have between 750 million to 1 billion barrels worth of that precious black gold.

Mobil has a contract to drill oil in the Sandakan basin, a few kilometers away from Brunei. The oil giant started drilling last October to depths as deep as 3,000 meters. Exxon probably finished drilling already since based on their plan, drilling would have finished by the last week of November.

Energy officials are bullish about this since this will reportedly solve the energy requirements of the Philippines for the next seven years. However, we all know what will happen to these millions of barrels worth of oil--it will be sold abroad and like the Malampaya project, will benefit other countries other than the Philippines.

What is significant though is this project will confirm earlier predictions that the Sulu sea and the area called the "Spratlys" do possess billions and billions of barrels worth of oil. Some oil experts even believe that Mindanao itself is sitting on a gold mine. That certain areas of the region might hold rich deposits of coal, oil and even probably gold. Most of Mindanao are still "unexplored" territory.

If these oil speculators strike gold, then, this would have very serious security implications in Mindanao. It would definitely affect the lives of millions of Bangsamoros since unscrupulous and greedy speculators would definitely flock to Mindanao to find for oil, gold and other precious metals and minerals.

The issue of security will definitely be a major concern. ExxonMobil is an American company and with this issue of security, this definitely entails additional security from the US military. But, how do to it when the VFA disallows it?

That's why the government tinkered with martial law.

Comelec suffering from political homophobia?

2009-12-16T08:54:00.000+08:00

Now that the Comelec has released the official list of names for the President, the Vice President and the Senatoriables, let me just say to all these aspirants SPECIFICALLY these new names or candidates who are running for the top posts--use this site for your propaganda. Just email me your press releases and let us set interviews and I will publish them here.

Tips for electing somebody to office: Check both their professional and personal qualifications. It is not enough that somebody is intelligent or has topped the bar--that someone should have principles and has the heart for service.

Now, let me write about Danton Remoto. Remoto, as you know, is the chairman and founder of Ang Ladlad, a partylist organization.

Remoto has just been dealt with two devastating blows---his partylist org was disqualified and just yesterday, he was also stricken out of the list of qualified senatorial candidates. The second division chaired by no less than Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer handed a fatal blow to Ang Ladlad when he disqualified the organization for being "redundant". Now, Remoto was also disqualified because of his lack of organization and resources.

This is clearly a sign that the Comelec is suffering from homophobia. How in the world did they determined that Remoto does not have a machinery to use for a national campaign?
Remoto's name alone attracts millions of votes.

Remoto, undeniably, has already established a name as a gay rights activist. His exposure is definitely beneficial for any campaign. His name has been published in most broadsheets and tabloids and people know him by name and by the cause he espouses. Why consider a name such as Yasmin Lao eligible when a Remoto is not?

Lao, pardon me, is a relative unknown, though she is a Liberal party candidate. Remoto can actually launch a campaign all by himself, since he already established political stock.

Do you mean to say that people will vote for a Lao or an Ocampo (a senatorial candidate of the Bangon Pilipinas) instead of a Remoto? I will definitely vote for Remoto rather than waste my time shading that box next to these two names: Lao and Ocampo.

This surely is a justiciable question---whether or not the Comelec has the power to define what a "national campaign is" and what qualifications an individual must possess to be eligible to run for a national post like the Senate.

This decision to strike out Remoto's name is a clear case of political homophobia.

"The Strategy"---How to Decrease Noynoy's chances without even trying

2009-12-15T09:41:00.000+08:00

Joseph Estrada is beatable. Yes, he is. He's performing yes, and his ratings show consistency--between 12-18% (both Pulse and SWS). So, better engage him and prop him up as the "man to beat", instead of Manny Villar (consistently getting between 20-28%) and Noynoy Aquino (consistent between 30%-41%).

Apart from their ratings, Estrada is basically positioned as "anti-FVR". What better analogy (in fact, some say anomaly) than to prop up an "Estrada vs. Gibo" battle come May 2010? That would surely make Gibo a virtual winner in the polls, since people behind Gibo presumes that there is a considerable number of anti-Erap people in civil society and in the middle class who'll make the jump should Villar's and Noynoy's ratings drop. That also will diminish the impression that next year's elections will basically be a fight between traditional political parties Nacionalista and Liberal. The consequence is devastating for trapos, since that will surely end the "tyrannical" dominance of Lakas-Kampi-CMD in the Philippine political scene.

So that's the "strategy"---create an atmosphere where people believe that Noynoy's ratings are "slipping" away and being "eaten up" by Estrada. Manny Villar's ratings---just leave them be since he'll suffer the dreaded "Mitra's fate" anyway (Mitra's fate is when a very strong political organization whithered in the final stretch and suffered defeat in the hands of a small political machinery. This happened in the candidacies of former Speakers Ramon Mitra and Jose de Venecia Jr.).

Fighting Estrada is easier than fighting Noynoy's since the Liberal party bet enjoys the support of cause-oriented groups and civil society (meaning, middle class). And Noynoy is actually "beatable" since he does not have the widest of networks and has limited logistics or resources.

Beating him by spreading rumours and using surveys just might do the trick---it's not that costly and is effective. Yet, it may backfire. And I dein say why here. Let the political magicians figure it out.

Surveys & PR: Waiving the Magic Wand

2009-12-15T09:16:00.000+08:00

Surveys as traditional tools for political campaigns have been around since the Cory Aquino administration. SWS surveys came to light after a series of surveys show someone leading prior to the elections and the founder claimed to have "predicted" that person's victory. SWS came into the forefront of things when it "accurately" predicted the poll victory of Joseph Estrada (this is still disputable). It did not, however, foretold of his early ouster.

When numerous questions against surveys cropped up, especially against the "integrity" of these SWS surveys, many of which were "commissioned", up came Pulse Asia of my former professor Felipe Miranda. Pepe Miranda is one of the country's leading political analysts. He is a political science professor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He partnered with other political heavyweights and created the survey research group.

So now, people know of just two survey groups---Pulse and SWS. In recent months, their surveys show the same ratings, except for Villar, Aquino and Estrada, they show that Gordon gets a consistent 1% "approval" or " trust" ratings and his partner, Bayani Fernando is a consistent " number 1", meaning 1%.

Gibo's ratings were worst than these two former administration allies---negative 0.80%. Then, it slowly turned to about 1-2% in recent Pulse and SWS surveys. Now, another outfit, called "The Center" reportedly got results indicating that Gibo's ratings are now double digits. And that is, shortly after that Harapan debates over at ANC. Wow.

Two things---when PR guys drop their pants and use the pure discipline of marketing research to back up their rah-rah sisboomba campaigns for their clients, surveys tend to magically turn into a wand. Yes, a wand, a very dangerous one.

When PR guys create survey groups, and these survey groups magically churn up data to support whoever commissioned them for PR work, not research, they waive the survey like a wand and presto! Their clients immediately turn from "dismal" to "winnable".

And when surveys are used and manipulated for unjust ends, research gets a very bad reputation. Instead of being in the service of the electorate, research and surveys are now being transformed into PR tools.

I do not dispute however, that Noynoy's ratings are "slowing down" and "going south" (if that what "stationary dive" means) since that essentially is the law of the universe--everything "heavy" must come down. Statistics always follow a historical trend, since it depends much on previous actions and preferences.

Yet, prematurely announcing it seemed more of PR rather than a credible survey. That it was announced in an untimely manner shows that the survey was a manipulated one and not credible at all. How in the world can you process 1,200 respondents in one week, granting that indeed, you pooled these respondents together and processed their responses? That's possible if you just have one question. But, how can the "Center" came up with assumptions that are more qualitative than quantitative. It does not make any sense.

It makes sense though if PR firms or guys involved in Public Relations wave the magic wand.

Idealistic Officers should be paragons of discipline

2009-12-14T13:20:00.000+08:00

Detained colonel Ariel Querubin reportedly had a scuffle with another detained officer, Major Jason Aquino. According to reports, Aquino was spreading "malicious rumours and imputing crimes" against the person of Querubin. The scuffle happened inside the jail where the officers are imprisoned.

And we all thought that idealistic officers like Querubin and Aquino are all one in uniting this country. Yet, even idealistic officers are fighting each other.

They should set aside personal differences and unite.

It sets a very bad precedent if idealists such as these two officers show rogue behavior. How will the people trust them with the most crucial and most critical of governance functions if they are still acting like teenage brutes?

Probably they believed the lies being spread by Mike Defensor who visited the camp facility prior to the scuffle. They should not befriend this administration's crisis go-to guy.

And I even believed that officers have principles. How would you then govern in the future if you are still acting like a heated animal? Control your tempestuous rages and you deserve leadership.

"The Survey" of " The Center"

2009-12-14T10:02:00.000+08:00

Ed Malay, a publicist, created The Issues and Advocacy Center or "Center", purportedly a survey group. A PR man of former president Fidel V. Ramos, Malay spearheaded surveys on presidentiables, the most recent, a survey reportedly showing administration candidate Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro's "surge" and Liberal party candidate Noynoy Aquino's "stationary dive".

I've been in the strategic marketing research for a very long time (since my MA in Comm Res-UP Dil), managing survey groups for banks in Singapore before (Citibank, AMEX, etc.) and even helped in creating a research group (ITMC) which assist private companies and in a decade of involvement, this is the first time that I encountered the term "stationary dive". What in the world does this mean?

The "Center" said that Noynoy Aquino continues to lead Manny Villar by 7 points, yet the "Center" noted "the survey" shows Aquino's ratings slowly levelling to a point where it is now just 31%. Malay, however, said that Noynoy continues to show strength in the "super regions", yet, highly praised Gibo Teodoro for getting at least double digit ratings (10%) after the presidential debates.

And it seems that the "Center" was created to specifically aid in the candidacy of two formidable administration allies---Gibo Teodoro and Richard Gordon. Whereas these two always get single digit (and rather dismal) ratings in Pulse Asia and SWS (Gibo--2%; Gordon--1 or even less), "The Center" says in "The Survey", that Gibo is now double digits and Gordon "at least 8%". Wow. Talk about statistical improbabilities, this one is phenomenal.

Look at what Ed Malay told the media about "The Survey" results:

“The other significant movements were Teodoro’s climb to 10 percent on the strength of his bold decisions on the Maguindanao massacre and his impressive showing in two presidential debates, and former President Joseph Estrada’s 19 percent as he bounced back from last October’s survey,” he said.

“Sen. Dick (Richard) Gordon also began to make his presence felt with eight percent.”

Malay said Teodoro benefited from the positive reviews that he has been generating from the public debates among the presidential aspirants, as well as his handling of the Maguindanao massacre even when he was no longer defense secretary."

See the PR standpoint? Let me reproduce with the permission of the Philippine Star and Paolo Romero, what Ed Malay, the publicist cum survey man, told a news conference about what "The Center" noted:

In the wake of the Maguindanao massacre, Filipinos “have begun to look not only at the qualifications of the presidential aspirants but also at the experience and capability of each to lead the country in 2010 and beyond,” he added.

Malay said the presidential debates became a springboard for Teodoro by highlighting the qualities of strong leadership and bold ideas associated with strong leaders.

"The debates were most harmful to Noynoy,” he said.

“(They) exposed the weakness and lack of depth on the basic issues by the neophyte senator when ranged against a more knowledgeable and experienced candidate such as Teodoro who topped the 1985 bar exams.”

With the elections five months away, the Center sees a further tightening of the race among the top four or five candidates, Malay said.

Malay described Aquino’s once-formidable lead – driven by public outpouring over his mother’s death in August – as a ”myth” and a “bubble.”

He cited an earlier survey by The Center taken Oct. 19 to 26, 2009 where a “stationary dive” in Aquino ratings was detected.

The survey was the first since Dec. 1 after the candidates had filed their COCs with the Commission on Elections.

Malay said the survey was a more focused and accurate assessment of voters’ sentiments than earlier ones.

“People have started narrowing down their choices and preferences, basing them not on rhetoric but on what each presidential candidate represents such as their platform of governance, family values, advocacy of issues, and the viability of the roadmap each has proposed to lead the Philippines out the political and economic doldrums,” he said.

Malay said the survey asked respondents the question, “Who would you vote for from among the list of nine presidential aspirants (Noynoy Aquino, Manny Villar, Erap Estrada, Gibo Teodoro, Dick Gordon, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, JC de los Reyes, Jamby Madrigal and Nicky Perlas) if elections were to be held today?”

Reacting to The Center’s survey, Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay said it only “confirms the crowd-drawing charms of Teodoro, who visited several cities across the country in denims and green polo shirts, even without celebrities in tow.”– Paolo Romero

Malay mo tama si Ed. At malay mo din ang "Sentro" ay ginagamit lamang para kay Gibo. You'll never know--Malay ni Ed.
Wow. Talk about surveys, this one is definitely PR-related. "The Center" is one wrecking crew, trying very hard to project that Gibo is the man to beat in this elections and trying to justify that political machinery still works here.

RPN 9--a microcosm of government neglect and its bright future

2009-12-13T17:35:00.000+08:00

Whoever becomes president in June 2010 should take a look at how government fucked up in running government owned and controlled corporations and I am referring to TV networks RPN 9 and IBC 13.

Since I left the network last 2002 and began the struggle against Gloria, my foremost concern was my colleagues' welfare. Many of the "oldies" of RPN 9 left already and retired. Those with higher ranks got their pensions and retirement benefits while those who were of lower standing were simply not given their dues.

My dream is to ask the new government to appoint former RPN 9 employees like me and let us transform the network from what it is dismally now today to a more stable and more dominant network in the future. RPN 9 is a microcosm of our economy, how, in the past, we were no. 1 and then slowly disintegrated into what is now, a non-rating TV network.

The Tiengs, a close associate of the First Family, are the ones profitting from RPN 9 revenues. This must STOP. The Tiengs of Solar had their fill already and it is time for RPN 9 to be resurrected.

Time to put RPN 9 on the ratings board again. To do just that, government must ask the Tiengs to dis-engage, put new members of the board there and infuse funds to energize the network.

Government must invest in RPN 9 or if not possible, try to lure the Benedictos back. If the Benedictos still have money or maybe a cooperative venture with a big name magnate, then RPN 9 would surely be back on the leaderboard.

The people deserve another channel. The people deserve something better than what GMA 7 and ABS-CBN 2 offer.

If I just have the money, I'll buy RPN 9 and transform it into a 24-hour news and public affairs network, similar to CNN. There'll be local shows but more of lifestyle and entertainment shows. Likewise, I'll put Raffy Tulfo's show "Wanted sa Radyo" there as one of the centerpieces of the current affairs program. That will be the network's public affairs component.

I have been fighting for this for a decade now, and I hope that whoever becomes president, he will give these dreams a chance.

Alex Lacson---a Patriot who deserves to be in the Senate

2009-12-13T17:21:00.000+08:00

I remember the times when Alex Lacson and I spent numerous nights talking about our country. It was 1988 when we first met. We were dorm mates. We lived in the same room, together with two others--Hector Halabaso from La Union and another one whom I forgot the name already.

I was a freshman, he was, I think, third or fourth year. We were both political science students. I was then the elected block president.

I learned a lot from him, how dysfunctional our system is and how to cure it. I was then a very young recruit of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and starting to read Marx. Yep, I admit--I was a very avid reader of anything Marxist (and continues to be).

My colleagues over at LFS, I remember Rommel Banlaoi and Jules Calagui used to tell me to distance myself from Alex, since he belonged to a rival political party (Alex and his friend, Ariel Nepomuceno founded ISA or Independent Student Alliance). We were all SAMASA, the dominant political party at that time. I remember it was then David Celdran who was our Council chairman and being true to my self, I joined Celdran's volunteer group.

Despite our differences in politics, we were friends, Alex and I. We shared food, mostly monggo and rice and tuyo. We sometimes debated over Marxism and the rightist ideology. My curiosity pricked, I started reading non-Marxist tracts and that began my "odyssey" so to speak, on numerous ideologies other than Marxism. I admit though that Socialism remained dominant in my thinking, even now. I enjoyed dialectics so much, that I fused it with my studies on quantum physics.

When the Davide Commission (if my memory serves me right) was formed to investigate on the coups d'etat at that time, Alex was a research staff member. It was then that I was able to read may tracts about what ideology the Young Officers' Union (YOU) and the Revolutionaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM) adheres to. Familiar names cropped up--Abe Purungganan, Gringo, Danilo Lim, Ariel Querubin and a young Lieutenant named Diosdado Valeroso. Never in my wildest dreams that I would be able to meet one of these guys in the future and one of them even became my kumpare.

Anyway, I am glad that my "kuya" Alex Lacson is running for the Senate under the Liberal Party. When the Kabataang Liberal was being formed, I was asked to join it. I refused, since I think that I can never work for a traditional political party. Yet, when I met Mar Roxas last year and had supper with him, my thinking changed. And now that "kuya" is running under them, I am thinking of helping them.

Good luck, my friend and make us proud when you're there at the Senate.

By the way, Alex---I am still a Socialist and Revolutionist. :-)

Warlords of the Republic by Prof. Patricio Abinales

2009-12-13T08:39:00.000+08:00

If you have not read this, let me reproduce this article written for the Philippine Daily Inquirer by Prof. Patricio Abinales on warlordism. It's a great read. This article is entitled " Warlods of the Republic" published today over at the Inquirer. I commend the paper for publishing such an incisive article. And thanks to Prof. Abinales, who remains the country's top political analyst.

THE value of warlords arose from their coercive capacities that backed up national leaders, assisted the military in the destruction of rebels, reformists and other “threats” to those in power, and brought in supplementary largesse when patrons and allies, having looted state coffers dry, needed extra funds to retain their power.

Warlords emerged out of a distinct period in Philippine history: the war years.

First generation

First generation warlords acquired their notoriety with the guns and followers they amassed during World War II to establish local fiefdoms.

The Dimaporos of Lanao del Sur, the Marcoses of Ilocos Sur, the Sinsuats and Matalams of Cotabato, the Montanos of Cavite and the Duranos of Danao had a common beginning when the United States—concerned with fighting the war elsewhere—gave its blessings to anyone ready to set up an “anti-Japanese” guerilla force.

Having shown “loyalty” during the Japanese occupation, they would be exempt from the arms-confiscation program of the returning Americans. And once the national parties were (re)established, national politicians found them handy allies who could bring in votes from their provinces.

Illicit sector

Guns and goons, however, were not enough. Many an ex-guerrilla aspiring to become a politico failed through lack of largesse to bribe officials, buy votes, support a patronage network and keep private armies fed. Deprived by older caciques of access to landed estates and the spoils of the national state, the more enterprising found sustenance in the illicit sector.

Hence the stories and rumors of the Duranos’ connection with the paltik [homemade-gun] industry, the Dimaporos’ involvement in illegal logging, the Marcoses’ control of granting citizenship to illegal Chinese immigrants and the Montanos’ smuggling of cigarettes in Cavite.

Marcos

These were the folks who did well-enough financially to be able to broaden their political ambitions. The best and most notorious eventually became president, ruling the country for two decades.

Ferdinand Marcos built his presidency and dictatorship on a military he turned into his own private army, reinforced by a coalition of warlords—many from his cohort—who helped the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “preserve peace and order” in their respective areas.

Marcos was not simply their patron; he was a model for their future. For Marcos preserved his essential warlordism while embellishing it with the more honorable perks of the presidency.

Going ‘legit’

He was, if you will, the Filipino realization of Godfather Michael Corleone’s dream of going “legit” without sacrificing the benefits accruing from the family’s dark practices.

The relative “peace” created by martial law and the scaling down of the warlords’ responsibilities (no more elections and their accompanying intimidation) was the occasion to acquire the legitimacy and respectability that Marcos appeared to possess. Hence, the grandchildren of the bosses found themselves being trained in good manners and right conduct, sent to good schools to start careers totally unrelated to their fathers’ (and grandfathers’) line of work.

The transition was not always smooth and respectability would take at least two generations to attain. Eventually, there was grandson Ace of Lolo Ramon Durano and grandson Khalid of Datu Ali Dimaporo. Some never made the grade, but listening to Chavit Singson’s children articulate a defense of their father after he beat up their mother, one senses that becoming properly bourgeois is just a few years away.

New kids in the ‘hood’

Yet as one warlord clan pursued respectability, new warlords emerged to renew the phenomenon. Like their predecessors, they had their genesis in a state of war, but one with a more limited geographic scope—Muslim Mindanao.

The separatist rebellion of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was the first conventional war the republic fought, and it profoundly altered and eventually undermined the grand plans of the Marcos dictatorship. The AFP took the lead in containing the rebellion, receiving substantial support from Muslim warlords who shared the dictatorship’s opprobrium of the MNLF because of the movement’s antitraditional Muslim elite platform.

Openly against MNLF

Even after the rebellion died down, however, the build-up of warlord firepower continued and now the mantle began to shift away from the Matalams, Dimaporos and Sinsuats to the likes of the Ampatuans and their rivals, the Mangudadatus.

Like the older warlord clans, Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. was openly against the MNLF. He used to be friends with the secessionist group. To what extent he and his clan fought the MNLF remains an area that needs further investigation by scholars and journalists.

But a hint of this involvement is discernible in the clan’s open hatred for the MNLF’s successor, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). (If true, this would point to a necessary revision in the way the separatist war is described by historians, public intellectuals and pundits. The popular and politically correct explanation is that Christian militias alone fought alongside the AFP.)

Removed from office

When Marcos fell and Cory Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, she ordered the warlords removed from their local offices but never dispossessed them of their guns and private armies. Wracked by internal bickering, constantly threatened by coups, and naively believing it only needed to change some structures and rituals and democracy will pop out of the genie’s bottle, the Aquino administration was too engrossed with its own survival to prioritize eliminating the blight of warlordism.

The warlords soon rebounded. Ampatuan was in fact named officer in charge of Maganoy town by Aquino. His rival, Datu Surab Abutazil, was gunned down in 1987, a year after the Edsa revolution, but it elicited little concern from Manila. After all, what was Maganoy but a small, sleepy town in one of the poorest and least accessible provinces of the southern frontier?

Power of ARMM

These places—Maganoy, Maguindanao, Moro Mindanao—were the essence of unimportant backwaters.

But not for long. Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991) and the peace agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government significantly changed the power calculus within the Muslim provinces as well as their relationship with Manila.

Suddenly, instead of a myriad minor provinces whose voting contributions were negligible because of their thin populations, there now stood a single regional autonomous body with a hefty voting constituency.

Instead of localities operating autonomously and often having multiple ties with different national patrons, here was the possibility of unifying the Muslim provinces under the firm hold of the governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with ample funds and, of course, the firepower to back him up.

(ARMM’s budget for 2008 was P10 billion, but it cannot be examined by commissioners of audit fearful of being killed.)

Decisive in election

The ARMM thus morphed from the poorest and arguably least consequential local organization—the MILF was more seriously regarded in Manila—to a potential bloc that could prove decisive in any critical election.

The new value of the ARMM did not become immediately obvious because under Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, the regional body was still in the hands of ex-MNLF leaders who were appointed as reward for signing the peace agreement.

Latecomers in the patronage game and novices in the art of governance and the spoils system, the MNLF governors used the regional body’s resources to jump-start their own political careers and set up their own bailiwicks.

But it was already clear to the warlords of provinces in the ARMM what a “special autonomous region” in a war zone could do for them and their national patrons. And they would find their soul mate in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Gloria and Andal Sr.

Ms Arroyo is probably the first president to fully appreciate the value of local politics for national survival. Unlike her predecessors, she has kept the internal revenue allocation tap open to provincial and city officials and ensured their support during her 10 years in office.

Aware that Manila will always vote for the opposition, she has sought to mitigate the capital’s electoral impact by bringing in votes from the provinces. The bosses, who were the most effective in helping her, were also those who ruled like petty despots over their bailiwicks.

Indeed, it was from small, impoverished towns like Maganoy (now Shariff Aguak) that Ms Arroyo garnered the needed votes in 2004. This differed from when Lanao’s dead rose from their graves to vote 100 percent for Marcos, something which had no critical impact on the national scene.

The 2004 “contributions” of the Mindanao warlords were the beginning of what appears to be a long-term strategy of consolidating the provinces against the cities.

Rewarded

The plan seemed to revolve around expanding the Ampatuan’s grip over the entire region so that in the battles ahead, elections included, Ms Arroyo could rely on the entire region and not just one province. (Implausible? Note that current ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan gave himself the following alibi for the Nov. 23 massacre in Maguindanao: He—a Maguindanao—was in Malacañang discussing with the President who would be Lakas-Kampi’s best candidate among the Tausogs of Sulu!)

For their services the Ampatuans were well-rewarded: the ARMM governorship with its billions in funds, the privilege of naming relatives and allies to prized government posts, enough arms to supply an army battalion, and, most of all, direct access to Malacañang. The military and police would also keep their hands off whatever racket the clan was involved in.

Simply too much

Then the massacre happened. The Ampatuans seem to have truly believed that since Ms Arroyo was behind them, they could push their despotism to a higher, bloodier level, literally destroying anyone who stood in their way.

They were wrong. For no matter how power-hungry she is, the President cannot simply wish 57 dead bodies away the way she dismissed criticisms of her 1-million vote margin in 2004. This was simply too much.

Ampatuans must go

The Ampatuans will have to go, for unlike older, respectability-seeking clans, they are too dead set on brutality and comfortable in their malevolence.

They remind one of Virgil “The Turk” Sollozo, the heroin dealer in The Godfather who planned the assassination of Vito Corleone. Sollozo saw no value in adopting the gentlemanly practices of the Mafia Dons, just as the Ampatuans refuse to transcend their disreputable condition and school their young like an Ace or a Khalid.

Much like Sollozo, they will have to be taken down by the very government that nurtured them. This will be necessary in order to pretend to restore “normalcy” in Maguindanao and save whatever is left of Malacañang’s credibility.

Pipe dream

Alas, the end of the Ampatuans does not mean the end of warlordism. Given the high cost of running campaigns and the growing competition to access the billions coming out of the illegal sectors of the economy to fund them, the further criminalization of the electoral process would be difficult to reverse. And when criminals are involved, guns must be within easy reach.

As I said at the outset, warlordism has always been a major ingredient of our republic’s politics. It would take a major overhaul of our system to eliminate warlords from our political life.

This, regrettably, remains a pipe dream.

(Patricio N. Abinales is a professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University in Japan. His latest book, “Orthodoxy and History in the Muslim-Mindanao Narrative: 1890-2006,” will be published by Ateneo de Manila University Press.)

Mrs. Arroyo lifts martial law; but dangers still lurk

2009-12-12T20:09:00.000+08:00

Mrs. Arroyo has just lifted martial law in Maguindanao. But, don't rejoice yet. The dangers still lurk. We all know why they lifted Proclamation 1959---Mrs. Arroyo is not entirely sure if most Lakas-KAMPI-CMD members will vote for it come Tuesday, December 15 (Meldy Poblador, Malacanang's and Mrs. Arroyo's closest adviser failed to get a sizeable number of support last Thursday) and there is danger that the Supreme Court will rule against it.

Admit it--Proclamation 1959, as what PinoyObserver wrote in his entry today, is legally infirm. It stands on very shaky grounds.

If pushed comes to shove, Malacanang would have lost its face. Eduardo Ermita, the president's Executive secretary said they have achieved their objective and rightly so.

First, they got a mouthful from Congress. They now know when is the best time to declare martial rule--when there is ACTUAL rebellion. What prevents them from doing something, a farcical coup and then declare martial rule? Nothing. In fact, they know how to do it.

Second, they already know that both Congress and the Supreme Court are useless to prevent martial law, despite the "checks and balances" provided for by the Constitution. That anyone with this power can actually declare martial rule anytime and with just the minimum of reasons and they can actually implement it for at least a week.

Lastly, they now know that no military group would dare oppose them. This is very dangerous since not a whimper of opposition was heard from the uniformed services and civil society when Malacanang declared martial rule.

Fact is, this is not the last time we will hear martial law. This is only the first.

Palace to pre-empt Congress and SC moves against Proclamation 1959: They will lift it ahead of December 15

2009-12-12T09:07:00.000+08:00

Pinoyobserver has a very interesting and more comprehensive entry about this alleged new plot. The plot, I say, will be repulsed by the People.

By Monday, AFP Chief of Staff General Victor Ibrado will reportedly recommend the lifting of martial law, ahead of the deadline set by the Supreme Court for palace officials to answer the pending petitions and one day before Congress meets to vote for or against Proclamation 1959. Many sees this as a move to avoid losing face, since palace officials are wary that the Supreme Court may take a contrari position and they don't know how many Congressmen actually support Proclamation 1959.

Remember that most incumbent Congressmen who belonged to Lakas-KAMPI-CMD have transferred to either the Liberal or the Nacionalista, two parties who expressed opposition to Proclamation 1959. A source says Mely Poblador, the close adviser of the President, has failed in securing Congressional support. The December 15 session may backfire against the president.

The lifting therefore of martial law in Maguindanao is in the offing.

However, sources say, the palace is tinkering with an extended martial law to cover all of the ARMM provinces and some provinces in Mindanao, excluding the Zamboanga peninsula and Surigao, while setting the necessary elements for another proclamation, this time, covering the National Capital Region (NCR) and the rest of the country.

This will replace the inherently "defective" and "legally infirm" Proclamation 1959.

This will happen only if the plan of the cabal pushes thru---a move against the government, reportedly a self-initiated "coup d'etat".

Senator Santiago validated Oplan Alpha--the move to declare the entire Philippines under Martial Law

2009-12-12T08:24:00.000+08:00

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago just validated Oplan Alpha, the plot of this administration to extend its rule beyond 2010 thru an extended martial law. The Inquirer headline today " Bolder martial law seen" was first exposed here and I am not ashamed of exposing the plot more to you my dear readers so that we can pre-empt this plan, like what we did in Oplan August Moon.

However, it might be too late for us.

Talks are swirling that an attempt against the seat of Power is slated to occur by the 16th or 17th of this month. If this will not occur, then a group of Generals are reportedly meeting to take full control of the government after Christmas.

The plot reportedly involves hawks within the palace who first suggested the establishment of a transitory government prior to the 2010 elections. This "cabal" as what Santiago described them, is tinkering of extending the scope of Martial law first in the entire ARMM (that explains why people are also asking that the Lanao provinces and the Sulu-Basilan-Tawi-tawi be put under Martial law).

Now, there is a twist behind this plot---the objective of securing ALL of Mindanao to prevent lawless elements, and that includes terrorists, who might be planning of sabotaging the biggest energy project in the Sulu sea. This is actually the second reason why security advisers of Mrs. Arroyo are fully behind martial law.

The move is reminiscent of the God Save The Queen.

Now, what is troubling is this---this cabal will surely be surprised because there is now a massing of support to create stiff opposition against them. The New Patriots of the New Generation will stand up and oppose them, whatever it takes, just to secure the True Will of the People which is OUST GLORIA.

Warlordism--the ugly scourge of misgovernance and the Face of Democracy's Failure

2009-12-11T16:48:00.000+08:00

You asked why warlordism sprouted its ugly head in Mindanao and in other places in the country? My dear, credit that to a failure in governance.

For example, look at ARMM. Most warlord clans dominate the political scene in all of ARMM territories--Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. You have the Ampatuans dominating Maguindanao. You have the Mangundadatus dominating Lanao. You have a new clan being cuddled and taken cared of by the government in Tawi-Tawi. And who does not know the Tans in Sulu?

ARMM was used to supplant legitimate Bangsamoro revolutionary leaders with collaborators, families who owe political debts to the Arroyos and families and clans who are being armed by government and develop as counter-forces against those who want to liberate these Bangsamoro lands from the ambit of Imperial Manila.

BY doing so, government is slowly reconfiguring the Bangsamoro political and social landscape, allowing collaborators of the Bangsamoro Revolution to enjoy the trappings of power and siphoning off any dissent or those who know the true way towards Bangsamoro liberation.

Admit it--ARMM was a counter-insurgency experiment gone haywire. Its failure validates the MILF struggle towards self-governance.

Government allowed ARMM to fail so that neo-feudalism will thrive there. As public services fail to improve the quality of life of the Bangsamoro people in ARMM provinces, people naturally gravitated towards these warlord clans, relying on them for support and protection thereby strengthening these clans' hold over their lives. Naturally, these lands remain underdeveloped and backward because any change in the quality of life will consequently dilute patronage ties between warlord clans and their subjects. It is poverty that binds these ties together and as people remain poor, they remain powerless subjects.

Is anti-poverty programs the answer then? No. The answer is democratize institutions and enable and widen economic opportunities to the people. Democracy is anathema to these clans and any attempt at equalizing the economic landscape will surely meet stiff opposition.

The answer then is the complete democratization and liberation of these areas under warlord control. It is by completely disengaging these clans from the lives of the people that these areas will be free.

The Mindanao situation reflects the situation in other poor areas as well.

If you study the political landscape of the Philippines, you will find that the poorer the province is, the higher the possibility that that area is being controlled by a warlord family. A classic example is Isabela. Isabela is one of the country's poorest provinces. Why? Because for decades, the Dys dominated the political landscape. It is only now that Isabela is improving.

David Randy in his article, " Philippines: Warlords in a weak state", sums it all up for us. Randy summarize the situation as the development of parallel power centers due to the weakness of the State. Randy explains that warlord clans thrive due to the existence of an insecure leadership without a clearest of mandates.

Where there is a weak presence of the national government, surely, there is a local power center dominated by just one family. Worst, those already "liberated" or "freed from traditional warlords" are slowly reverting back to their original states because those who replaced them are using the very means of democracy to transform themselves as alternate warlords.

Ermita admitted no actual rebellion in Maguindanao prior to Martial Law

2009-12-11T12:28:00.000+08:00

So, now, Ka Dante, Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita admitted that Mrs. Arroyo proclaimed martial law in Maguindanao even without the existence of actual rebellion. That's comforting. At least after almost a week, someone inside the Iron curtains had the gall to admit that they fumbled and committed a great fax pas. Or maybe, just maybe, his conscience was pricked. Or maybe his wife already told him of a brewing rebellion that will break out anytime now and she wants him to pack his bags and leave for Batangas.

I have one message to Ermita and his rambunctuous bunch of idiots there picking their noses while eating pork and some even sipping wine while I write this---it is tooo damn late for them to repent and ask for mercy.

They initiated a very serious thing that surely will develop into more complications, particularly in Mindanao. One complication---it just proved that ARMM is a damning failure.

It just negated the very idea of ARMM as a fitting and comfortable compromise between Imperial Manila and those who aspire for a truly autonomous Bangsamoro land.

It lay bare the nefarious plan of government to give Bangsamoros temporary respite for war, cooing them to acquiesce, while slowly stabbing them in the back with their plan to elect Muslim puppets in the ARMM.

The Ampatuan family is one such puppet. And with an Adiong there assuming the ARMM governorship post, the puppet show continues. ARMM was made a tool by the Philippine government to perpetuate the continued enslavement of the Bangsamoro.

The Bangsamoros will never be free if they allow themselves to be fooled once more by offers of an improved version of ARMM.

ARMM is a puppet show. ARMM is an elaborate sing-and-dance routine aimed at lulling the true Bangsamoros to sleep; an entertaining charade meant to soften the Bangsamoro's desire for true freedom!

The discovery of huge caches of arms and ammos only show you, Bangsamoro, that this government intends to perpetuate civil war among your ranks, to break your hold over your lands, to break your ties, and dominate you by force!

Autonomy is not the answer to the Bangsamoro Problem. Fact is, autonomy worsens the wounds of the Bangsamoro, inflicted by centuries of enslavement by those who salivate in their riches and wealth.

Autonomy is the anesthesia that your slave masters slowly inoculated into the very heart of Bangsamoro land to make you forget the true path towards freedom!

Be free, fellow Bangsamoros! You have only your chains to break!

Federalism is also not the answer. Federalism will only perpetuate the rule of the traditional Muslim politicians, whose desire is to enslave their fellow Muslims in their anti-Islamic philosophy of moderation. Moderation allows enslavement not just of the body but of the mind, and eventually, the Spirit.

Freedom means breaking the hold of these self-proclaimed Muslim royalties and their armies and obliterate them from the face of the earth! There is no other Monarch nor royal One, than Allah SWT!

Break the chains that bind you from the Sinsuats, the Ampatuans, the Adiongs, the Mangundadatus, the Datumanongs, the Dilangalens, the Tans and all others who claim ascendancy due to their so-called "blue blood". Their veins are not colored blue. Their blood is as red as ours!

These puppets foster pseudo-Islam in their territories, enriching themselves with your wealth and allowing you to wallow in extreme poverty while they fatten their bank accounts and their families with their puppet fees.

These families are scourges, they are the scurvies that worsen the wounds of slavery. They are collaborators. They want you to drop your arms and abandon the True Banner of Islam. And why do they want that?

These collaborators and those who want to enslave you want you to forget those vast oil fields just lying underneath the vast Sulu sea. They want you to forever struggle and fight this self-perpetuating cycle of war for you to abandon your rich lands, for you to forget that they're exploiting your ore-rich mountains and rivers full of gold. They want war in your land so that they can exploit your women and take them to foreign lands as prostitutes and slaves. They want your men to forever be slaves to the lands which your ancestors gave as inheritance.

The only way out of this misery is struggle towards the complete liberation of these Bangsamoro lands from tyrannical hold. Revive the spirit of your ancestors which lie dormant in each of your breasts. Ask Allah SWT for mercy and Allah will give you freedom!

Enough of accommodation and of trying to be Filipinos. You are not Filipinos. You are Bangsamoros! Be proud of your heritage. Be proud of your lineage. Be proud of your History. Be extremely proud of your future!

Peace! Peace without the sacrifices of the Brave and the Pious is nothing. Peace is the reward of the Brave, the crown of the True Patriot and the trophy of the conqueror.

Be worthy of it.

No other place than Homers

2009-12-11T11:22:00.000+08:00

I had a blast last night and thanks to Ka Dante. He led me to Homers. You don't know where it is? Well, it's infront of ABS-CBN, along Mother Ignacia street, Quezon City.

Homers is not your typical resto bar. It has relevance. The place was well thought-out. Its cool. Its secured. You don't feel threatened. Its a place where young people (and that includes me, hehehe :-)) just meet to have a great time. And the food tastes great too. Ask my wife, my kasambahay, my daughter and my young kid. They enjoyed it. I enjoyed my laing and my Bicol express.

And it's great to know that apart from food, Homers gave me the joy of relishing great rock music.

It had been a long time since I last enjoyed rock music. And boy, was I treated with one hell of a blast and it came from this band called FMD.

Call me a dork or whatever, but it was my first time to hear FMD. And I enjoyed it. These corky young sonafabitches rock. Their songs are witty, engaging and surprisingly, highly musical. This band knows great singing. They rock, yes, but, unlike other bands, you'll understand their lyrics. They don't allow those beautiful lyrics to be drowned by beautiful "background noise" (you know what I'm talking about). They don't sing trash. They don't engage in stupid emo and they combine great music with great singing. Sorry, forgot the name of their chubby singer.

That chubby singer possesses great range. I know. I use to sing and compete in singing competitions during elementary and high school. I know my C's.

Sorry if I failed to even make a photo out of my experience last night. Just go there tonight and enjoy. I don't know what band they'll be featuring tonight, but, I sure bet your Singdollars that it'll be worth it.

And the price for all of these things? It just cost me under 600. Reasonable and definitely practical. Imagine great food+great music just under 600 pesos. Wow.

I asked Ka Dante if FMD already waxed something, and he said that he'll check. Whatever. The point is, I'm now a Certified FMD fan.

And thanks to Homers. There's no place like Homers.