The true imperative

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
7/23/2007



While mainstream media’s puppet show of political, judicial and toy soldier wars distract the nation, the circus tent is burning. The nation is being drained of life and energy as corporatists devour the people and its resources – charging Asia’s highest and still escalating electricity, water, telecommunications and oil prices. Few protests – certainly not the political “opposition” - except gallant incarcerated officers, economic nationalists, consumer advocates and crusading journalists: these are the true nemesis to the Gloria oppressive social-economic-political dis-order.

The past week saw the brutal greed of corporatist Meralco and Gloria’s bureaucrat-capitalist gofers with the implementation of the JCPC (Joint Congressional Power Commission, with Serge Osmena leading the way)-DOE-ERC “automatic cost recovery” for power generating-distribution companies: instant P 1/kwh increase for Meralco without due process and public hearing to examine Meralco's claims. This is a repeat of the swindle Meralco did in 1994 with Rex Tantiongco facilitating it for the Lopezes – resulting in P 30-B overcharging.

While power pirates plunder a creature from the Black Lagoon, the Ayala’s Manila Water Company Inc. preys on subdivision homeowner in many suburban areas: aside from charging what may also be the highest water rates in Asia (each cubic meter of water in the outskirts of Shanghai is equivalent to P 1.64 compared to the Ayala owned Manila Water’s P 17/cu. m.; in Malaysia individual home users Malaysia .57 sen per cu. m. or about US $ 0.17, or P 7.65/cu. m.), MWCI et al are making homeowners advance and donate for its capital expenditures.

A reader in Cainta e-mailed their problem: the MWSS and the Manila Water (MWCI) is requiring every homeowner in their subdivision to fork our P 20,000.00 for the rehabilitation of the old lines and the installation of new Main Line and Lateral Lines to connect them to water service. After the payment period of 24 to 36-months, depending on what the MWSS and the MWCI decides for each area, the pipelines laid with the consumers’ money will have to be “donated” to MWCI. What fantastic business the Ayalas’ have!

Our e-mailer asks: “Why can’t a hero in Senate or in Congress look into this matter? Is it because one has to go up against a political benefactor like the Ayala’s? Can somebody please look into this and convert the “DONATION”’ into a form of “SUBSCRIPTION”…. ?” There’ll be such a hero in the senate but we cannot rush it; the issues have to be crystallized and the strategy to defeat the oligarchs carefully mapped out. As for turning consumer investments into “subscription”, why should the Ayalas share anything at all when under Gloria they can have it all anyway?

The atrocities by these rapacious corporatist crocodiles are replicating in every part of the Philippines. From Iloilo we received a text lat June 22, 2007 that appealed: “MIWD (Metro Iloilo Water District) Iloilo is to be privatized – PLEASE HELP!” I asked them to sent the documents over to study. The second text came on July: “Papers on MIWD privatization not available to the public – FDC (Freedom from Debt Coalition) Iloilo colosely monitoring – residence of Atty. Gerochi (FDC local chair) attacked with M203 w/c due to God’s mercy did not explode.”

Iloilo scored the first victory against the IPP by Atty. Romy Gerochi several years ago. That was reversed this year as the Supreme Court sided with the Panay Electric. I not surprised? Gloria’s Supreme Court justices are corrupt, they look forward to sinecures with the corporatists like the Lopez group. Former Justice Artemio Panganiban is now director of First Philippine Holdings –Meralco’s owner: A reward for the midnight SC decision on the Meralco rate increase in December 2006? Shameless Panganiban!

Shamelessness in Philippine government dominated after Gloria and the Davide Supreme Court’s Edsa Dos. Chief Justice Reynato Puno should strut about too much lest people remember he was ponente of the grossest twisting of jurisprudence in the Estrada vs. Arroyo case where they “constructed” a resignation of a healthy and alert sitting and genuinely elected President! But Justice Puno has a reserved seat in the hall of shameless Edsa Dos luminaries, and now the American hand is propping him up as a palace coup alternate to Gloria.

The nation is suffering immensely under Gloria - yet not even a quip about the real issues from “opposition” elements (some so young and so trapo already). Instead, we see them hedging for Gloria’s graces. To be bequeath the lame duck Gloria’s illegitimate seat? This is what Villar, Mar Roxas, Chiz Escudero, Alan Cayetano et al, who seek accommodation with Gloria are doing. And what’s this “Her Majesty’s loyal oppostion” slogan of another “opposition” group – do they know what that slogan implies? These “opposition” pretenders are doomed to irrelevance.

The imperative to replace Gloria ASAP is that force that will oust Gloria and her regime’s corruption and rapacious corporatist-profit policies. It will be that pro-people and pro-Filipino force that will restore the role of the State as protector and servant of the people, and reject servitude to corporatists. Betrayed by profit seeking education fund swindlers, private utility companies, tax fiends, the middle class is ready to join the masa to support this force. When that force rises, be ready to join. As we say in Pilipino – magdalo tayo.

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