Elitist corruption in our penology system

KIBITZER
Rod Kapunan
6/13-19/2011



Life in the new Bilibid Prison is a microcosm of the kind of society we have. It is a mirror in fact of who we are.

Focusing alone on the issue of corruption one could see for himself the harsh matrix of Philippine society.

Elitism, religion and corruption blends well that one could think of Philippine society compressed into one tiny territory where the corrupt, the rapists, the swindlers, the murderers, the psychotic maniacs, and the scum coagulate as one.

Not a Deterrent
The scandal that rocked the Bureau of Prisons where convicted prisoner Antonio Leviste was arrested by the elements of the NBI lounging at his luxurious condominium in Makati only serve to highlight the corrupt practice that have long been taking place inside the country’s premier penitentiary.

Leviste has proven it again that incarceration is no deterrent for the elite and the wealthy to enjoy good life.

Maybe corruption varies. But inside the prison walls corruption is merely suited to the new environment; that class distinction is by no means erased by one’s incarceration.

On the contrary, the wealthier they are, the more they are treated like kings with the lowly prison guards even bowing their heads to them.

Maybe Leviste was bold enough to exploit the unwritten privilege by maximizing that to one of a living-out prisoner to make an effrontery to our justice system.

A Fellow Batangueňo
Maybe it was also coincidence the Prisons Director was a fellow Batangueňo, but certainly Ernesto “Totoy” Diokno cannot claim he did not know of what was going inside his domain.

If such is his claim Diokno no business accepting a delicate job of making sure not one of those dregs are allowed to mingle with the law abiding citizens.

More than that, it was highly ludicrous for Diokno and all his predecessors to have no knowledge that luxurious cottages have sprouted right inside the compound.

Known a “kubol,” those cottages have all the amenities of a small condominium complete with electric fan, air conditioner, television set, stereo components, kitchen and a bathroom, something many of our people living outside of the prison wall do not enjoy.

They have their own privacy, are allowed a conjugal visit, including visit by their mistresses.

As the saying goes there is always a special place for those who could afford.

Why P-Noy Waited
Indeed, many wonder what due process President Aquino was talking about when he waited for Diokno to tender his voluntary resignation.

Aquino failed to realize that the resignation was only meant to prevent further embarrassment to his government, but did not absolve Diokno the liability for letting out Leviste from his prison cell, with or without his knowledge, while he sits there as director.

The trouble with P-Noy is he wanted to simplify things thinking that people are so stupid to believe they have been vindicated by the resignation tendered by a scalawag official.

At this point, this column would like to raise why convicts who have yet to complete the full term of their sentence, and are granted pardon by the President are automatically restored of their civil and political rights?

This is asked for often influential and wealthy convicts are able to manipulate their sentence by befriending and even bribing prison officials who expectedly would recommend to the Prisons Director the commutation of their sentence.

After that has been granted they would then work for the submission of their names of prisoners to be pardoned by the President allegedly for good behavior.

Discriminatory and Unjust
So, if the convict is to serve for life, after serving three to five years can have his sentence commuted from 8 to 12 years, and two or three years more another commutation say spending 7 to 8 years in jail, they will now be eligible for pardon, thus serving only from 8 to 12 years at most.

They are able to easily work this out, except when the person they killed is a national of a country that looks at the Philippines as its downtrodden colony.

In other words, our penal system, particularly in the commutation of sentence and in the granting of pardon, has become discriminatory and unjust.

It is not so much that they are able to easily get out of jail, but of the fact that right after being pardoned by the President, their civil and political rights are automatically restored that they could immediately vote and shamelessly run for public office.

Worse, these convicts now capitalize on their new and misplaced fame to dupe the voters they are highly qualified to run.

What is repulsive is many of those poor convicts who completed their sentence, say 8, 12, 17, or even 24 years, as those convicted for the Aquino-Galman murder, continue to suffer as they are prohibited from exercising their civil and political rights, like their right to vote and run for public office.

Rather, it should be the other way around; that even if they have been pardoned, their release from jail should not automatically restore to them their right to vote, to run or to be appointed to public office.

The Butt of a Joke
Even those who have been given their commutation of sentence and released without the benefit of a pardon should not be entitled to the full restoration of their civil and political rights until after they have completed the number of years for which their were originally sentenced by the court.

There is nothing wrong with pardoned convicts running public office, but why discriminate those who suffered most, that after completing their sentence they remained treated as outcast?

We have become the butt of a joke for we are the only country that routinely elects convicts.

But as one would quip, why vote for a repentant when there are many who have not done anything to transgress the law and are better qualified for the position?

• rodkap@yahoo.com.ph

The RH man hunt

CROSSINGS
Butch Junia
6/13-19/2011



Any violation of the Reproductive Health Act or commission of any of the acts prohibited therein shall be penalized with imprisonment ranging from one month to six months or a fine of P10,000 to P50,000, or both, depending on the discretion of the court.

That is clearly and ominously provided in Sec. 29 of HB 4244, “An act providing for a comprehensive policy on responsible parenthood, reproductive health, and population and development, and for other purposes”, or the RH Bill.

As far as I can recall, and I do not claim a long memory or deep knowledge of state policies, this is the only development policy I know that has penal and punitive provisions. Violation of this policy has been criminalized.

Significant Loss
Anyway, this particular column, my wrap-up on RH, should have come out in OpinYon last week when Congress was still in session and the sponsorship of the Lagman Report was on-going. Glitches and goofs, all mine, and an unplanned excursion, made me miss my deadline.

But as we go to press now, the House, too, missed its target to railroad RH on its first regular session, so that kind of make us even – the House and I.

Further, Sec. 29 says: “If the offender is a public official or employee, he or she shall suffer the accessory penalty of dismissal from government service and forfeiture of retirement benefits.”

In effect, more than the fines, the public official pays additionally by forfeiting even the contributory portion of his retirement benefits, a significant loss considering that the retirement package is mostly funded by the official’s personal contributions.

I do not know if government employees are aware of this, and I am not if sure they will still go with this bill once they know the prohibitions and the violations they could possibly be held for.

Undesirable, Irresponsible
Well, if we must look for an upside in this one, we can use this law to finally rid government ranks of undesirables who have so far dodged accountability under stringent anti-graft laws.

They may not get off as easily under the RH Bill dismissal and forfeiture provisions.

Here is the punitive measure I particularly like: “If the offender is a juridical person, the penalty shall be imposed upon the president or any responsible officer (of the company).”

We can see all of these companies appointing “responsible officers” for RH, to insulate their president from liability, but I wonder if jail time will be part of the job description when they seek out new hires. I bet this will be the most-avoided spot in the corporate ladder.

Golden Handcuff
On the other hand, the company CEOs and presidents can use this jail risk to leverage more and better stock options, additional perks, and even a ”golden handcuff”, in case they actually have to go to jail.

Would the increase in costs from all these perks not result in higher prices to consumers, another of the unintended effects of the RH bill?

In any case, the top honchos used to VIP treatment may not have to give up their perks, after all. They will have their pick in the kubols recently vacated and could run their company from their iPhones and iPads in jail.

For starters in this front, we can focus on the executives of the suppliers of so-called RH devices, who could very easily violate one or the other principle or objective of this proposed law, given its vagueness and many inherent contradictions.

Violations, Prohibitions
What are these violations and prohibitions?

As a matter of state policy, Sec. 24 mandates: “The government shall guarantee the right of any person to provide or receive non-fraudulent information about the availability of reproductive health care services, including family planning and prenatal care.”

Sec. 2 declares: “The State likewise guarantees universal access to medically safe, legal, affordable, effective and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies and relevant information and education thereon even as it prioritizes the needs of women and children, among other underprivileged sectors.”

Sec. 10 provides: “Products and supplies for modern family planning methods shall be part of the National Drug Formulary and the same shall be included in the regular purchase of essential medicines and supplies of all national and local hospitals and other government health units.”

Not to be taken lightly
On the foregoing policies alone, how many hospital directors, staff and an infinite number of other public officials and medical professionals do we send to jail? When a government facility fails to provide a modern family planning device, will the hospital director go to jail for it?

The policies that can be violated are sweeping and broad, and a resolute complainant, with good legal advice, can find the peg to hang any target of choice.

The prohibited acts for public and private healthcare service providers are as follows:  1) “knowingly withhold information and restrict the dissemination thereof, or intentionally provide incorrect  information regarding programs and services on reproductive health, including the right to informed choice and access to a full range of legal, medically safe and effective family planning methods." 2) "Refuse to perform legal and medically safe reproductive health procedures on any person of legal age on the ground of lack of third party consent or authorization.” 3) "Refuse to extend health care services and information on account of the person’s marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, personal circumstances, or nature of work,” with an escape proviso for a conscientious objector.

I would advise those within the definition of healthcare providers, which is also in the proposed law, to read this bill very closely.

Jail time and a big fine should not be taken lightly.

Very Broad Scope
Under prohibited acts, any public official who, personally or through a subordinate, restricts the delivery of legal and medically safe reproductive health care services shall also be liable, again, a very sweeping prohibition, considering the very broad scope of health services it covers. Even the bill itself waffles on what modern family planning methods are.

As for employees being enjoined from discriminatory practices, there are safeguards against these in welfare and labor legislation, but since the penal provision gives this more teeth, we will be good with this one.

The most chilling prohibition is Sec. 28 (e), as follows: “Any person who maliciously engages in disinformation about the intent of the provisions of this Act”.

At another time, this would have gotten media hopping mad at this clear incursion on press freedom and the bare-knuckled attempt at prior restraint.  Apparently, this is not one of those times.

Disinformation
In any case, the proposed law should have a clear frame of reference for what constitutes disinformation.

As we all know, there is much diversity of opinion on many key aspects of reproductive health, as demonstrated in the recent floor debate between Rep. Anthony Golez, interpellator, and Rep. Janet Garin, sponsor, both medical professionals, on the beginning of life. On what school of thought will an official hang; by which opinion will he be sent to the gallows?

Worst yet, the proposal is a hodgepodge of so-called “intents”: economic, social, medical, political, etc. such that you cannot make any comment without touching on one or another putative intent.

In ancient Rome, the sovereigns perpetuated their reign by inventing lese majeste, which criminalized any commentary on the sovereign.

This self-perpetuating proviso of the RH Bill is in the same genre as lese majeste. And if the RH bill is already law, IF and not WHEN it passes, I will have trepidations writing as I now do.

A friend said this proviso, reminiscent of the lamented McCarthyist era, can lead to a witch hunt.

I said no, it will be a man hunt: A Lagman Hunt!

Punto Bonito
I doff my hat to fellow Cebuano Niňo Bonito Padilla, a media veteran whose 5-minute no-holds-barred editorial – Punto Bonito – is making waves on morning primetime radio.

It is no coincidence that Niňo dominates the airwaves that the late Louie Beltran used to rule at DZRH, for they are quite similar in more than just their portliness. Both hard-hitting and unforgiving, their weapon of choice is their acerbic wit, and woe unto him who happens to be at the receiving end of it. They are comfort to the afflicted, and affliction to the comfortable, in the classic sense of that adage.

High in Niňo’s peeves are what he grandly describes as “nitwit politicians and government idiots”, and he hastens to add that they seemingly grow in numbers, in direct proportion to the rise in public disaffection with government.

As he marked a milestone year last Monday, June 6, when this item was supposed to come out, he continues to arouse and stir social awareness with a twist in Punto Bonito, after the 7:30 newscast of radio icon Joe Taruc on RH – that’s DZRH, not the RH Bill.

• Email crsng_47@hotmail.com

Failed Independence, Failed P-Noy!

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW
Linggoy Alcuaz
6/13-19/2011

Yesterday, we celebrated our Declaration of Independence’s 113^th Anniversary. Soon, P-Noy will be celebrating the first anniversary of his Inauguration as the 15th President of the Philippines. To many people, not only in the Philippines, but also around the world, Independence has been like P-Noy – a big disappointment.

During struggles for independence, just like during the 2010 Presidential Campaign, expectations have  been too big, too broad and too high. Many newly independent states, like P-Noy, have not been able to deliver on their promises. Corruption and inefficiency have hobbled governments of new states just as they do P-Noy’s Administration.

By contrast, the old colonial governments, like GMA, appear much more efficient than the present administrations. But like GMA and her Administration, the old foreign masters exploited their subjects massively. However, we tend to forget the sins of the past and exaggerate the sins of the present.

Many, if not most, former colonial masters extend their influence, dominance and control beyond their grant of independence.

In like manner, GMA has managed to extend her influence way, way deep into P-Noy’s Administration.

Some of the reasons for these are:

• The sheer length of time she occupied the Presidency– nine and a half years. Out of 15 Presidents, GMA had the third longest Administration after Marcos and Quezon-Osmeňa. By contrast, Presidents Sergio Osmeňa, Sr., Joseph Estrada and Manuel Roxas had the shortest followed by Dr. Jose P. Laurel, Ramon Magsaysay and Gen Emilio Aguinaldo. Then, we have Diosdado Macapagal, Elpidio Quirino and Carlos P. Garcia. Finally, we have Fidel V. Ramos and Cory Aquino;
• The sheer slowness of P-Noy in taking charge. After almost a year, he has appointed less than one third of the co terminus officials. His bench is the narrowest and shallowest of all the Administrations since the time of Aguinaldo. His cabinet is the least bright and least experienced of all the Cabinets. His men are the least In bravery and courage, morality and self-sacrifice;
• Aside from the campaign slogans that have lost their meaning and been disgraced, namely: “Matuwid na Daan” and “Walang Mahirap pag Walang Korap”, the Aquino Administration has not had a clear vision and mission. Meanwhile, allegations of and perceptions of corruption have struck and stuck those perceived to be closest to P-Noy, namely Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, Usec Rico Puno, and Asec Virginia Torres;
• The prosecution of the previous Administration has degenerated from reform to vengeance. P-Noy designed the Centerpiece of his anti-corruption campaign and reform drive around the Truth Commission. First, he drafted a wrong and unconstitutional Executive Order, Then, he chose the wrong man, former COMELEC Chairman, Davide Commission Chairman, Supreme Court Chief Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations Hilario Davide, Jr. to chair it. Finally, the Supreme ruled it to be unconstitutional. In the meanwhile, half a year had been lost and the momentum of the anti-corruption and reform campaign had glided to a stop;
• The Ombudsman had a fixed term until late next year, Mercerises Gutierrez was a law classmate of Mike Arroyo and a hardened GMA Loyalist. Her Impeachment was delayed by the Supreme Court. When the Impeachment Trial was about to begin, she resigned. With this P-Noy lost the opportunity for a grandstand show that could have relaunched the image of a crusading P-Noy. Meanwhile, it’s taking a long time to appoint a new Ombudsman. At least two Deputy Ombudsmen have left. One resigned and the other was suspended or dismissed;
• During her nine and a half years, GMA and her cohorts were able to convert many important and strategic co-terminus positions into fixed term positions. Then, she transferred her favorite officials to these secure positions just before her term ended;
• P-Noy reorganized Presidential Public Information and Media Relations into an unwieldy monster dubbed, “ang tatlong itlog”. He appointed the wrong men and women for the task. He got a bad press. He can no longer get out of the quagmire. He is now sufferingfrom all the worst perceptions. He does not have the substantial good news to disseminate;
• Usually, Presidents become Lame Ducks at the end of their terms. P-Noy is the first Filipino President to become a Lame Duck even before his first birthday. Meanwhile, for all his bravado and bluster about fighting corruption, P-Noy has hardly clipped GMA’s wings;
• In simplest terms, when needed, GMA had the humility (dishonesty to some): to admit she was the problem and say that she would not run for re-election (Dec 30, 2002); say “I am sorry!”(July 2005) and finally to descend from the Presidency and run for Congress (May 2010);
• On the other hand, P-Noy’s hard headedness and pride have combined with a negative karma and charisma to make him lose the trust and confidence of his once broad and solid base of supporters.

Binay’s Prayers
While P-Noy appears to be a hopeless case, is our independence still viable?

Well, for one, it is easier to change a leader than a whole country. After taking the jump to independence, it is almost impossible to reverse the process. So, while it might be easier to just replace P-Noy with Binay, we have no choice but to still try to make our independent Republic work.

Meanwhile, Binay is praying very hard that P-Noy does not fall before noon of June 30, 2012. That way, if he succeeds P-Noy after that date, he can still run for re-election in 2016.

With the appointment of defeated Vice Presidential candidate Mar A. Roxas, as the new Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Binay has added another prayer: that Mar either sinks in a boat, crashes in a plane or is hit by  train.

Balimbings, et al
This early, the political pots for 2013 and 2016 are boiling.

All the Balimbings who cannot get close to P-Noy nor be accommodated in the Liberal Party, are trying to join Binay and the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino.

Of the 12 Senatorial slots available in 2013, six will be occupied by reelectionists (Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Greg Honasan. Loren Legarda, Sonny Trillanes, and Zubiri) and four by balikbayans (Pong Biazon, Dick Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, and Mar Roxas). That leaves only two slots open.

The ex-future First Lady Cynthia Villar will also run in order to replace the ex-future President Manny Villar. Two sons of graduated or graduating senators are planning to run:  Atty. Koko Pimentel and Angara’s son.

Erap in Manila
And what about San Juan Congressman J. V. Ejercito? He was planning to run way back in 2007.

However, at the last minute, his father, Erap, made him give way. Erap does gained the moral high ground to be the Godfather, Kingmaker and Unifier of the Opposition in the 2007 Senatorial Elections.

In the eventuality that Willie Revillame and Kris Aquino decide to run, it will be a very tight Senate race in 2013.

Meanwhile, in Manila, both former Assemblyman, Congressman, Vice Mayor and Mayor Lito Atienza and incumbent Vice Mayor Iskho Moreno want former President Joseph Estrada to run for Mayor in 2013. Lito is an old enemy of Mayor Fred Lim. Iskho was his running mate in 2010 and won’t run for Vice Mayor again under him. If Atienza runs again for Mayor against Lim, he will probably lose again.

Erap was born at Mary Johnston Hospital in Tondo. He lived part of his life in Tondo. His father was once a Department head in the Manila City Government. He has apartments for rent in Sta. Mesa.

It would be a simple matter of transferring his Voter Registration from San Juan to Manila. Erap’s long-time business is build and sell, houses before, townhouses and condos now. Watch out in the next year if Erap makes more investments in Manila.

Aristocracy
Going back to the topic of the DOTC, did Secretary de Jesus resign irrevocably or was he fired?

Whatever it was, the root cause is the difference in work styles between P-Noy and Ping de Jesus. Does it mean that P-Noy and Mar have similar work styles? Not necessarily.

However, P-Noy and Mar both belong to the Aristocracy. Ping is a mere professional manager, middle class at best. That is why P-Noy is now giving Mar a free hand in the DOTC.

However, Secretary de Jesus was not given a free hand.

Early on in the Aquino Administration, we heard that Ping’s first problem was that he was not able to recommend his own candidates for key positions.

C.E.S.Os Appointed
Instead, as in many other departments and agencies CESOs were appointed. These CESOs are not Career Executive Service officials.

They are Classmates of Executive Secretary Ochoa.

They are in the tradition of P-Noy’s Kabarkada, Kaklase and Kabarilan.

Oligarchy's paper

CRITIC'S CRITIC
Herman Tiu Laurel
6/13-19/2011



My apology for the typo error at the beginning of my column in issue # 42, I am my harshest critic. It was a hectic week and my volunteer editor, Lawrence, was also overtaken by many tasks, too.

Such are the travails of “mind guerillas”, as there are few sponsors for truly journalism against the Establishment controlled mainstream media.

Aside from writing, and we have to really work to keep our information guerilla war going.

Our targets are the mainstream newspapers and broadcast networks that serve as mind conditioning and control tools of the domestic ruling oligarchy and their Western hegemonic overlords – the neo-cons who have wreaked havoc in the world by neo-colonial conquest, economic and financial domination, two world wars and threatening a third – all to maintain and expand its hegemony.

Justice in Reporting
A noble epigraph from UNESCO’s preamble echoes in me since high school, “Since wars begin in the mind of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be established.” The defense for peace is comprehensive truth and justice in reporting.

Last week, I started the campaign here against one mainstream newspaper’s Op-Ed page that consistently projects a pro-neocon, pro-oligarchy bias dishing selective information, outright disinformation and misinformation to displace vital historical, factual and holistic information and perspectives.

Neocons and oligarchy are the sources of social and global injustice and war.

I wrote “Inquirer, Conrad and Revillame” likening to Revillame’s shows the Inquirer Op-Ed pages and De Quiros’ columns thriving on repetitions of hackneyed distractive themes of anti-Marcos and anti-Erap, human rights, anti-third World’s independent governments, and such views fashioned from Western eco-political perspectives, overlooking critical national and people’s issues of survival in predatory electricity, water, food, transport and toll ways rates, and oligarchy’s culpability.

Meralco Profits
The recent June 9, 2011 Op-Ed pages of the Inquirer is an example: aside from its absolutely misleading news item on the latest power rate development by its reporter Amy R. Remo headlined “Expect lower power rates”, page A4; June rates are up by 0.50 centavos/kWh the latest ERC approved Meralco PBR (performance based rate) of P 1.58/kWh - doubling the original RORB (return-on-rate base) of P 0.76/kWh.

Meralco doubled its profits every year since 2008, and that PBR will go up to P 1.90/kWh by 2015 – unless we (our coalition against the Meralco and ERC abuse) succeed in stopping this and reverting to the RORB.

Given these rate issues and other Meralco outrages, including its recent call to raise funds to reimburse our billions in “meter deposits” (which shows they misused the “deposit” the consumers put in their trust) and the COA mandated refunds, the amount it owes to the public would run over P 100-B.

Propaganda Mantras
You won’t read of these power issues in the Inquirer Op-Ed pages but, like Conrado de Quiros latest column entitled “Relevant” on Rizal’s birth anniversary, you won’t fail to find in the many editorials and columns gratuitously, irrelevantly inserted propaganda mantras in its many materials like this: “Today Filipinos have gotten educated… and have taken over government.

But our rulers continue to look upon their tenure …: as an opportunity to make hay while the sun shines … mind-boggling corruption particularly during the despotic rules of Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the brief, but benighted, one of Joseph Estrada.”

Under Marcos power consumers enjoyed the lowest rates the country’s history, the State set up the energy development program to ensure energy supply and its stability (which de Quiros’ idol Cory Aquino scuttled), while Erap earned the ire of the oligarchs for refusing to allow power rate increases posthaste.

A Solomonic Decision
The Inquirer editorial that same day concentrates its fire on Marcos too in connection with Vice President Jojo Binay’s “solomonic decision” to have military honors for Marcos but burial in Ilocos.

It said, “Instead of seeking balance, Binay should have chased context: Who is Marcos, and what is he in Philippine history? Where are the experts who can refute the evidence of massive fraud behind his bogus medals and alleged military exploits? … what did Marcos do to the military? He turned it into his own private army; he set back the professionalism of the armed services by at least a generation;.… To bury Marcos with military honors is a moral, national, historical outrage.” What are the facts of history?

Take away all the medals and Marcos was still, at very least, a genuine soldier; unlike Inquirer’s idolized Aquino family led by the Japanese puppet government’s Kalibapi head Benigno S. Aquino, Sr. and its women’s bureau chief Mrs. Aurora Aquino.

Some Truths
Boni Gillego was a key figure in discrediting the Marcos medals. But he admitted to me (when he and I were with Manglapus’ CSM) he worked for the Americans - we know the US wanted Marcos out after his 11 industrial projects and demand for US bases rentals.

The Inquirer should interview soldiers from Marcos’ time about corruption in the AFP, but Inquirer can turn to one of its own favorites to find out some truths here.

Linggoy Alcuaz attests that while corruption did exist in the AFP in Marcos’ time it never reached the level it did under Cory Aquino and Ramos.

Alcuaz’s father-in-law was an army colonel and he visited his fiancée in the modest quarters of the officers’ families.

During Marcos’ time the it was the PC that was notoriously corrupt, which was under Fidel Ramos.

An objective study of this must be done, but 25 years after EDSA I they have had the authority and resources but haven’t done such a study.

About military professionalism, Inquirer should remember that Marcos’ AFP defeated both the NPA and the MNLF at the time when both were supported by foreign powers.

Vindicated
The Inquirer and its Op-Ed stable can’t face the fact that despite their 30 years of anti-Marcos demonization Filipinos have compared Marcos and Cory Aquino, realizing that everything after EDSA I were only for the benefit of the oligarchy and the foreign powers – and Marcos has been vindicated.

Inquirer’s idols like Cory Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Gloria Arroyo, Eggy Apostol et al, are mere utusan of foreign interests and the oligarchy.

More on this next issue, on: Patrick Pierce’s interfering “President Aquino should lead move to probe Burma”, the author is associated with the International Center for Transitional Justice funded by Ford and MacArthur Foundations, Carnegie Corporation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

The other by Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski from Project Syndicate (funded by George Soros’ Open society fund), “The front line of democracy” who wrote “…. Peoples in transition from authoritarian rule—peaceful in Poland in 1989, bloody in Libya today— How should the former regime’s worst wrongdoers ... be treated?” while US and NATO are killing civilians in Libya.

(Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m., and Sulo – M-W-F 6 to 7 p. m. on 1098AM; TNT with HTL, Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m., replay at 11 p.m., GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com for TV/radio archives)

Laughable Pueblos, PeNoy & Drilon

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
6/13/2011



I couldn’t help laughing out loud after reading the exchanges between Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos and the Palace hacks over the former’s call for BSA III to resign posthaste or risk ouster by a “shadowy group.” It’s not that the idea posed is silly — for BSA III has proven so grievously pro-oligarch and anti-people in his economic policies while being so corrupt in appointing so many KKKKs (Kaibigan, Kaklase, Kabarilan at mga Korap) — such that his early resignation is called for; it’s the source of this call and how these erstwhile jolly pots and kettles in the Gloria Arroyo camp are now calling each other black when they’re all the same!

The bishop is alleged to be one of the more well-known “envelope” prelates of Mindanao, along with Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla, during Arroyo’s 10-year bribery rule; but at the same time, we should remind BSA III that he himself also voted to stop the playing of the “Hello Garci” tapes when this caper was being investigated in the Lower House.

Sen. Franklin Drilon, in defending BSA III from the onslaught of the Butuan bishop, asks the prelate where he was when Arroyo was appointing her manicurist and gardener to high government posts; yet he forgets that he was a rabid supporter of Arroyo until such genuine patriots as Sammy Ong, Alan Paguia, the Tribune, this space, and many others helped expose “Hello Garci.”

Today, Drilon should ask himself what he is doing about the appointment of the four Ks as we mentioned above (especially the last), whose felonious records would make any manicurist or gardener accepting government sinecures look saintly.

Still, there is indeed that group (though not as shadowy) that has been active ever since the elections in trying to manage the situation in favor of Arroyo’s proxy candidate while allowing the US Embassy to take command of the entire process through Smartmatic, back-stopped by a shadowy corporate network registered in Barbados and Florida.

Pueblos’ shadowy group, meanwhile, is simply pipitsugin. It has staged sham coup initiatives in the past to get publicity for fundraising, often by using retired, washed-out military generals as fronts. Still, there’s no telling what trouble it can create for the Palace today if backed by potential contributions from Gloria and Mike, along with the participation of some opportunistic generals embedded within the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In fact, this Pueblos salvo may just be a warning shot across the bow from the Arroyo camp, which has been under some pressure from the allies of Malacañang. Although I don’t believe that any of the taunting and teasing by the Aquino regime of Arroyo is serious — from the dubious Truth Commission to the impeachment drama over Merci Gutierrez and, now, the opposition posed by Arroyo and her decrepit former Justice Secretary over the possible appointment of Carpio-Morales to the Supreme Court — such moro-moros may still be enough to scare BSA III.

The hope for a real force for authentic social reform and economic revolution rests only in an alliance of patriotic, nationalist, civilian mass movements with the idealistic young officers’ corps. In the past, this group of young officers has proven to be a truly serious, reformist and risk-taking lot. Though they have not succeeded, mainly due to the repeated intervention of the US Embassy, their idealism continues to grow, same with their numbers, because of the continuing oppression and injustice the prevailing system is inflicting onto the people.

This force, I have been told by former idealistic young officers, is now three times larger than when it flexed its muscles for the first time in the 1980s. Its members now understand the sham democracy that prevails, having seen through it in the decades that have passed where the nation has become poorer as the oligarchs have gotten richer.

They must be laughing at presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda for engaging Bishop Pueblos in some doctrinal debate on church involvement in politics, saying, “It is not the Church’s task to set forth specific political solutions‚ and even less to propose a single solution as the acceptable one‚ to temporal questions that God has left to the free and responsible judgment of each person. It is, however, the Church’s right and duty to provide a moral judgment on temporal matters when this is required by faith or the moral law.”

That’s because the political history of this country that led to the installation of BSA III’s government is largely based on the interference of the Catholic Church. From Jaime Cardinal Sin baby-sitting Cory Aquino through Edsa I and then Gloria Arroyo in Edsa II, to Bishop Soc Villegas holding Arroyo’s hand after Sin died to cradle the Yellows through the crises of illegitimacy, until a managed transition to BSA III became possible, the Church’s hands have been locked with the Yellows through and through.

Drilon called on Pueblos to resign as prelate and join GMA; but he should also resign his office, along with BSA III, and join the US Embassy if he were to be sincere in his call.

The Catholic Church, this puppet government, and the Yellows — who have all been in control these past 25 years — are all handmaidens of US hegemony, assigned to mesmerize the people with mystic opiates and a sham democracy while the country continues to bleed P800 billion a year in foreign debt amortization, to feed the globalist banking mafia with hundreds of billions more in eVAT and other taxation, as well as allow the Yellows’ Big Business branch to siphon off the same amount in profits from privatized public utilities.

A new generation of patriotic and nationalist young officers must continue to evolve hand-in-hand with popular, civilian mass movements for the historic opportunity to come together to oust this hopelessly corrupt system.

(Tune in to Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m., and Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)