"Melon amoy"

INFOWARS
Herman Tiu Laurel
2/4/2008



In English, the title for this piece is “something stinks.” It reminded me of a Bible quote, “And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river.”, when the Egyptians were cursed by an angry omnipotent. “Melon amoy” comes from a Filipino joke about a Chinatown old timer in a brothel describing but mispronouncing “r” with “l”, what he smelled sniffing his paramour from head to toe exclaiming “amoy melon” (sweet smelling as melon) and finally getting to the bottom exclaiming with disgust “melon amoy” (there’s a stink)!

The Philippines is accursed with the Malacañang lies, from their incredible economic 2007 growth rate to the intimidation of media with spurious charges of “aiding and abetting” soldier-rebel Faeldon, the Esperon promise to liquidate the NPA to justify his extension, and the perfuming of Justice Melo for the Comelec top post to do an Abalos but with a better smell. They have poisoned the wellspring of our data, statistics and national discourse. Gloria, her spin masters and her newspaper hacks such as the one who wrote “GMA’s successes” in Manila Standard Today trumpeting the alleged 2007 DP growth rate 7.1% (later revised to 7.4% for GMA’s Davos whopper) have twisted the facts:

The continuous two year decline of the manufacturing sector; the P 2.7-Trillion debt in Gloria’s seven years compared to P 1.5-Trillion total of the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada’s combined fourteen years; the massive overstating of agricultural growth claims belied by the impact of the drought last year and smuggling of agricultural goods that find itself inputted in the statistics as production or sales; the closure of 9% of the export sector or 540 companies due to the dollar earning weakness of the Peso; 2.5% imports contraction; and declining tax collection effort after the initial RVAT surge. Ever since GMA stepped into office Filipinos are loathed to drink from the flow economic statistics.

The PNP story designed to intimidate media stunk to high heavens when it insinuated names of media persons alleged to have aided Marine Captain Faeldon in his escape from the Manila Pen police cordon. Ellen Tordesilla’s name was floated and then denied when the unflinching newspaper lady challenged the PNP to show proof. The PNP shifted to floating Dana Batnag as the culprit which was forcefully exposed as a fraud. I was beside Dana Batnag at the Manila Pen as we were marched down from the tear gassed rooms and hallways and down to the winding stairs, so I have this story to tell:

After Senator Trillanes decided to march out peacefully to save civilian lives, more than fifty of us, with the media, crowded in one function room for a final press conference. Suddenly the lights were shut and tear gas permeated the halls. Holding wet hankies to filter air into our lungs we marched like sardines hemmed in by the narrow hallway then out to the pitch dark mezzanine. A few search light beams scanned the cavernous Manila Pen lobby. At the stairs, I found myself beside Dana while Ellen was down at one of the lower rungs. I kidded Dana, “Maybe you can adopt our friends as your crew.” Dana replied, “I can’t do that; that is inappropriate for us (media) to do.”

At the stairs, SWAT commanders ordered everyone to sit, like common criminals. That’s when many protested. I went down the lowest rung to join the protesting media people and found myself handcuffed and dragged through the APC smashed glass façade onto the PNP bus. Reading the PNP insinuations against Batnag later, I saw how preposterous the PNP allegations were since Batnag was at the stairs all that time and couldn’t have helped Faeldon squirrel out. It couldn’t have happened earlier either, since we were all upstairs and escape wasn’t yet on option for anyone.

Equally preposterous is Esperon’s brag to liquidate in ninety days the NPA insurgency which has gone on for over 50 years? Does he think the officer’s corps stupid? Finally the biggest stink lie – the Melo Comelec appointment by GMA and the “selection committee” of pro-Establishment, anti-people elite and “civil society” icons: ex-Comelec chair Christian Monsod who covered up 1987 cheatings exposed by Comm. Tancangco, “Mr. Trending” Joe Concepcion, “Mr. Erroneous Exit Polls” Majar Mangahas, FVR factotum Carmen Pedrosa, CIA labor front man Democrito Mendoze, etc. No one there to represent the masa, the real victims of the Edsa Dos power grab and 2004 “Hello Garci.”

Melo-Macapagal ties date back to the 50’s with Dadong. Senator Lacson identified Melo in a Senate ZTE hearings picture sitting behind Abalos, a place reserved for counsels of the resource person. Melo said a friend asked him to counsel for Neri and Mendoza. Is that “friend” Gloria? The picture shows him seated closer to Abalos than Neri or Mendoza, and beside Abalos’ son. Melo whitewashed Gloria’s responsibility in Palaparan’s “extra-judicial killings”. Melo participated in the “constructive resignation” travesty of Davide’s Supreme Court. Melo declined interest in re-opening “Hello Garci”, allowing the corrupt Comelec network to stay put? The Melo appointment dooms the 2010 elections.

How much longer can this nation survive the stinking, choking GMA milieu? Let all decent Filipinos, men in arms, unite for real change!

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