2007: same old, same worse

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
12/28/2007



Nothing changed, except for the worse: corruption and plunder of the country attained unprecedented dimensions with the ZTE and Cyber Ed scams to the mother of them all – the Transco privatization to Gloria and FVR cronies that amount to trillions of pesos from start to its finish in the years to come. Still, the goodness of the Filipino soul survived and continues to fight against the prevailing evil emanating from Malacañang’s and the halls of Big Business corpo-piracy in partnership with Gloria. As Magdalo Air Force 2nd Lt. Jeveehboy “Maki” Macarubbo said after released from detention said – the fight against corruption goes on.

While the corrupt regime and its predatory trapo and financial allies continue the shameless orgy of plunder, those who fight this disease in the country’s government and society rises in dignity. As Lt. Mac arubbo said upon release "I am proud to be a Magdalo… Some say the means we took in 2003 was wrong. But I believe that our claims remain valid up to now." Needless to say, the Magdalos’ means had always been right and as valid as their purposes, for they took no life even in standing up to what is right while the corrupt Gloria and her generals have been too ready to use force, use “shock and awe” to terrorize the people at every turn, insult the uniform, kidnap, torture and murder other dissidents.

Sen. Trillanes and Gen. Danny Lim’s brave march to and stand at the Manila Pen highlighted the continuing discontent amongst the honorable men in the country’s Praetorian institution, persisting in the struggle to cleanse it of cheaters and scalawags and set aright the culture of corruption in society. While some of the Magdalo are now free to contribute to the cause from outside detention, those men now in the Camp Crame custodial center have taken the sacrifice to take the risk and stay on and symbolize to the nation their continuing idealism and struggle. While they are detained, we civilians in support of that cause will not rest until they are freed and the victory is attained.

On the evolutionary political front the focus in the closing months was the tactical move of President Estrada to gain freedom and address the people directly again. The move had its risks but just a month after what one side called “unconditional pardon” and the other side called “executive clemency”, the advantage became clear – Estrada “the factor” continues to be a growing force in the opposition efforts to combat the prevailing oppressive dictatorship. The farce of the Sandigangbayan trial immediately dawned on the nation when just a month after its “conviction” of Erap the chief judge, Tess de Castro, was rewarded a Supreme Court seat.

President Estrada highlighted the contrast of his political persona from that of the callous Gloria by emphasizing his programs of indigenous economic production – focusing national attention on the issue of hunger and the response to it through “Erap’s Revolutiona Against Poverty” centering on the strides in carabao milk production or the “white revolution” when he visited the National Carabao Center which he sponsored as senator. The massive outpouring of the people where is visited for thanksgiving and to vindicate himself from the trumped up charges proved once and for all that the true sense of the people is his innocence from the charges of jueteng and financial improprieties.

The recent election results in Thailand restoring the dominance of the deposed Thaksin Shinawatra’s political movement seems to strike fear in the hearts of those who subverted the presidency of Estrada that the same may happen here. The truth is, it has happened in the senatorial election of 2007 when the Estrada backed Genuine Opposition steamrollered Gloria’s candidates. This does not mean that Estrada intends to run himself in 2010, he has dismissed the notion. Estrada doesn’t need to run, he’ll be the kingmaker in the inevitably opposition dominated 2010 presidential poll – if Gloria’s cha-cha or Martial Law does not stop it.

Gloria boasts of the 6.9% growth of her 2007 economy, but export growth fell to half of the projected 9%, while local manufacturing had contracted 6.1% in the first half continuing into the second. While OFW deployment increased the dollar crash was devastating, resulting in a massive fall in domestic consumer demand reflected in the most sluggish Christmas season sales in years. Only the colossal spending of Gloria’s Team Unity campaign blipped on the radar, but that was inflationary. OFW remittances grew but did not prevent ADB from reporting last December 15 that “RP to miss 2008 Asean growth surge“.

Indonesia, Sri Lanka and even Cambodia surged ahead of the Philippines in public infrastructure investment, standard of living and in hunger ratings. While the country grows poorer the major listed corporations in oil, power, water,property and telecoms have unprecedented profit growths of 45% to over 60% the past year – representing hundreds of billions of this nation’s wealth going to the few the corporate and elite backers of Gloria, Edsa Dos and Big Business policies prevailing today. Comelec hatchet men, AFP and PNP generals, judicial kangaroos, ad nausea get the other billions. Unless the Magdalo dream comes true, next year is more of the same and worse again. That’s why the dream should never die.

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