To Puno: dare to debate, not dis-info

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
12/10/2007



A war to interpret what the meaning and impact of the November 29 event has ensued in its aftermath – the “Infowars”. Last Saturday a news item in a mainstream newspaper reported that Lim claimed that he was forcibly abducted and marched by the Magdalo soldiers from the Makati court, a text from a reliable contact says the report is wrong and asks for help in clarifying the matter with the public. Gen. Lim himself can only reach the press when he goes to court and is ambush-interviewed along the way. The gag on for the November 29 detainees makes it difficult to keep the public informed of their side of the issues, this column will always try to bring their side to the public all the time.

The same mainstream paper’s front page featured a virulent reaction of a certain “award winning” Batibot writer’s weblog entry, lambasting Trillanes and the Manila Pen stand. They highlighted the blogger’s sudden death from a heart attack after the blog entry. Checking with a source familiar with the Batibot writer revealed a sordid character behind the personality: he was ousted from the university he taught at for homosexual pedophilia. It’s my impression that twisted eccentricity is characteristic of many rabidly pro-status quo people who justify toleration of Gloria by rabid cynicism of idealism in those seeking change and reform or revolution.

A massive anti-Trillanes and Lim campaign to malign and sow disinformation is being waged by the regime; but all that is only in mainstream media they control and intimidate. The feedback from the middle class people and the masa is in favor of Trillanes and Lim. But the Gloria regime is unrelenting, unleashing its latest offensive carried out by DILG chief Ronnie Puno assailing the alleged blueprint for a new government supposedly found at the Manila Pen after the PNP-SAF (Special Action Force) attack. The Tribune reported on the details of what Puno claims would be an “iron fist” policy of the new leadership, but as the Tribune report also showed the policy direction of this new government would be truly pro-people consisting of the following actions:

First, cancellation of the automatic debt appropriation which will be a boon to the country; as I have often explained, controlling the nation’s financial hemorrhage on the debt is the first step to resuscitation of the country. Secondly, media oversight by people and journalists, to curtail the power of the media oligarchy and guarantee true and accurate information to the people. Remember the exploitative EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) was slipped under the media radar because the whole business sector and the biggest power conglomerate in the country also owns the largest chunk of broadcast media; the country is now a victim of Asia’s highest power cost, killing industry and jobs.

Thirdly, Comelec is targeted for clean up – who can be against that except the electoral cheats Gloria and Puno and the trapos who’ve mastered the art of cheating. Puno’s bogeyman of “iron fisted dictatorship” does not play well with the public because the country knows we are under the dictatorship of corruption and the corrupt today – the dictatorship of the Garcis, the Abaloses, the Bedols in Comelec. No house cleaning can be achieved without a leadership willing to take on the corrupted military generals, the jueteng linked police officials, the corrupt trapos, the oligarchs of endless greed (keep in mind Razon and Endika Aboitiz or the ZTE infamy) and the corrupt Arroyo cabal.

Puno is the least qualified to talk about democracy, being the mastermind of the infamous “Sulo Hotel operations” in the 1992 elections for Fidel V. Ramos. Puno is synonymous to election manipulation and fraud, and his threats from behind his SAF phalanx against the media and any citizen exercising the right to free expression reveals his true fascistic but cowardly character. The dictatorship of the corrupt must be toppled for a brief period of strong reform leadership with participation of genuinely elected leaders, like former presidents (except the cheats FVR and Gloria) of the people to help guide the reform period. After the Comelec is cleaned - a genuine, honest national elections should be held Asap.

Fourth, on exchange controls, an advocacy of ours for the past two decades, businessmen and OFWs have expressed their demand for fixed exchange rate – between the rate of P 47.00 to P 49.00 to the dollar. In 1998 Mahathir introduced it and saved Malaysia from the ravages of debvaluation, now they are spared the damaging revaluation. The destructive Peso appreciation killing our people results from the mendicant, pro-foreign financier and anti-people character of Gloria. The BSP’s Tentangco is stupid in boasting of a growing dollar reserve while that borrowed reserve is losing value and costing us taxpayers.

The “guidelines for a responsive Philippine” is a two year old document published and discussed many times before. I see no reason why it should be considered a “rebellious” document. It was a product of the best minds of the academe. I challenge Ronnie Puno to debate many other points of that “transition revolutionary government” program of governance – anytime, anywhere so long as its in full view of the public or media. Preferably a “marathon debate” until one or the other idea drops dead.

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