DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/18/2010
Remember the “Alabang Boys” drug and bribery case involving state prosecutor John Resado? Remember the shit that hit the Department of Justice (DoJ) fan in 2009 when Resado was accused by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) of illegally releasing drug suspects Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Joseph Tecson because of purported “defects” in PDEA’s case?
The DoJ prosecutors at that time rallied around Resado. The two agencies then traded charges. Government was thus compelled to conduct an independent investigation, where it found a suspicious, unsatisfactorily explained P800,000 deposit in Resado’s account on the same day he signed that infamous resolution.
Good thing someone pursued the Alabang Boys and Resado cases. PDEA agent Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino at that time impressed the nation by standing up to the browbeating of then DoJ Chief Raul Gonzalez and other DoJ top brass.
Meantime, let us be reminded too, of the case that hit international news with the headline, “Philippine judge sacked, another suspended over bribery scandal,” involving Justice Vicente Roxas and Associate Justice Jose Sabio, where three other justices were suspended for not taking the appropriate action.
The scandal arose after Sabio revealed a P10-million bribe offer by a lawyer of Meralco but which he didn’t report until months after, whereas Roxas was dismissed for offering fabricated transcripts of deliberations to a review panel investigating that scandal and writing a ruling on the petition without first consulting the Court of Appeals justice involved.
There is a large volume of seamy stories on our justice and judicial system. So when I heard the DoJ’s lawyers quibbling about technicalities in the amnesty for the Magdalos, I thought: “Who are they to talk?”
They of all people should realize that the power to grant amnesties bestowed upon the Office of the President — the office, not the person — is absolute. The progenitors of our Western (or American) constitutional tradition recognized the potential of any system of laws and government to be flawed. Thus they provided the power, under the checks and balance principle, to the highest elected official representing the almighty people to resolve such issues in behalf of the people themselves.
The anomaly though in our current political and cultural set-up is that power is being wrested from the people’s hands by the politicians and bureaucrats, many of whom have been corrupted and controlled by the powerful oligarchs, Gloria Arroyo, and foreign interests. And this is the only reason Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has not been able to sit in the Senate despite the earnest efforts of his 11 million voters.
For truly, the struggle of Trillanes is the struggle of the people to wrest back the power that is supposedly theirs, peacefully and legally, despite all the obstacles put in place by the bureaucratic and political usurpers of that power.
Take this issue of the Makati trial court’s handling of Trillanes’ case which, despite having taken over seven years of hearings and deliberations, has not been resolved to this day. While most perceive this murderously slow grind as normal for this country’s courts, by international standards, two years is already a denial of the fundamental right of the accused to “a fair and speedy trial,” the rectification of which should be an outright dismissal.
But the tragedy of our society is that the flaws and infirmities of the system have been so accepted because they have plagued us so long. Alas, those who shrug the injustice to Trillanes off are really condemning themselves to suffer that same fate soon.
I heard the DoJ prosecutors complaining about having “labored long and hard these seven years preparing and arguing” the case against Trillanes. But have they actually thought of the hardships the senator, his wife and children, his family, friends and comrades underwent over seven years and seven months of being behind bars, and of being unable to travel the 10-kilometer stretch leading to the halls of the Senate where he was elected by the people to serve?
The parties carping against the amnesty, such as those “unnamed legal experts” quoted by a mainstream pro-Arroyo paper when the Oakwood protest occurred, are undeserving of serious consideration because they have not done their share in standing up to the corruption of the system as the Magdalos and Trillanes have, or risked their whole profession, as what Alan Paguia laid on the line when he criticized the Edsa II transgression of the highest court of the land.
The high prominence being given to criticism of the amnesty from a motley crew of non-entities does not surprise me. I am aware that the party with the most to lose when the amnesty for Trillanes is perfected, i.e. Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts, is moving to fan the criticisms to cover the real issues that led to the Oakwood protest and the astonishing victory of Trillanes over Arroyo’s moneyed candidates in 2007: The unprecedented levels of perfidy, treason and corruption of that regime, which continues today with Arroyo’s reign in Congress and her factotums ensconced in the government bureaucracy.
As for Teddy Te’s comment, I understand his belief in his infallibility, but even he must admit that it is the system that is corrupt through and through — like a Kryptonite that even his super legal brain cannot overcome.
The entire nation, with the 11 million voters of Trillanes, must take action now to shout down the voices of petty tyrants who are attempting to usurp the power and the sense of justice of the people.
Text to radio and TV programs; start hanging posters in your windows and vehicles; start the teach-ins in schools; and declare to the world, “Justice for Trillanes, justice for all!”
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch “Justice for Trillanes, Justice for All” on Politics Today, 8 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., Tuesday, with Teofisto Guingona, RG Guevarra and co-host Abby Aquino on Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http:hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
Monday, October 18, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Sweet, bitter and tasteless
DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/15/2010
Today I prefer to start with the sweet than the bitter because a homecoming to freedom is a joy beyond compare. I have been behind bars before and know of its oppressiveness. Last time I was “in,” I was a fellow detainee of the civilian and military protestors of the Manila Peninsula standoff. I was released after only five days, though I thought I would stay for years.
I left behind young courageous military officers who had started their protests way back in 2003 at Oakwood against the corruption and illegality of the former regime. When the Manila Pen standoff took place in 2007, we were carted off to jail altogether. Three years later, all were released except one, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. For those he has inspired with his steadfast principles, the political amnesty signed for him a few days ago can only be the sweetest news in quite a long time.
There is, however, a slightly bitter aftertaste when one considers that this amnesty should not have been needed at all if only all the legalistic crap that stood in the way of immediate freedom for those that stood up to the former regime was never taken seriously.
The bitter aftertaste even becomes a very bitter sense of indignation when one recalls the history of the past 10 years, beginning with the brazen subversion of the nation’s Basic Law by a motley group of conspirators from the Legislature, the Judiciary, the military and police, the Catholic Church, and the evil “civil society,” with foreign elements that deposed a duly-constituted government to install a regime of their own of unprecedented corruption, oppression, and usurpation of power.
Bitterness then almost turns to nausea when one sees that not one of the conspirators has been punished as most are even in the perches of power today.
More bitter irony in that Gloria Arroyo, who now sits in the legislature, participates in crafting laws, and disposes national budgets after insulting the whole nation with her lies, from the Impsa scam to the “Hello Garci” cheating, down to the ZTE-NBN scandal; while Aquino III assures her impunity by creating a mock investigative commission and placing at its helm her chief cohort in the 2001 Edsa II abomination.
Irony overflows as Joker Arroyo continues to throw inane arguments to frustrate justice for Trillanes, who is absolutely free of scandal, while he still has not answered charges of misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds in the 2001 elections, as well as his illegal walkout in the impeachment hearings that denied President Estrada his day in court.
Irony never ends as the Lord of all Lords Chavit Singson, Edsa II rogues Ebdane, Esperon et al. still lord it over, with the list of the vile ruling in style becoming endless.
I look forward to the day soon after the final release of Senator Trillanes to bring about a long deserved meeting between him and the inspiration of the entire anti-Gloria, anti-oligarchy, pro-masa struggle, President Joseph Estrada, who himself served six years and six months of unjust incarceration under the oppressive, illegal regime of Gloria Arroyo and the oligarchy behind her.
Although the two have not met in the past decade, I have always believed that Estrada and Trillanes represent genuine leadership for the nation and the Republic — being individuals (and leaders) of the highest order, and being truly patriotic and never subservient.
Unlike all other politicians on the present political stage, the two have never compromised their most fundamental principles of service to the people and the laws of the Republic in exchange for any quarter from the powerful oligarchs, corrupt tyrants or their prison guards.
Of the events surrounding this amnesty for Trillanes, there is one that seems very tasteless, to say the least. I am referring to the prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DoJ) who said, “We are disappointed… because we had wanted to know what the court will say… We concede that these are political offenses but we have a problem with the timing. If you want to respect the rule of law, we should have waited for the promulgation.”
Such is the farce of our judicial system where the criminals run free while the conscientious objectors, protestors, and dissenters are imprisoned, with the state’s lawyers totally helpless in helping the latter and prosecuting the former. The court trying the Magdalo and Trillanes case has taken too long to absolve the innocent and has proven to be inutile, too, in going after the guilty. Almost everything of vital importance in this society is decided by politics and not the law.
But the tasteless DoJ prosecutors’ comments only echo their secretary’s candid declaration that resignation has indeed crossed her mind after Malacañang tampered with the Incident Investigation and Review Committee’s findings.
Resignation is not something said but done. Her saying it while not doing it is hypocrisy and doubletalk—typical of the posturing of Aquino III’s Cabinet such as Robredo’s being Department of Interior and Local Government secretary but not really; Puno’s not taking jueteng bribes but not apprehending the bribers; and Defense chief Gazmin’s talk of an assassination plot against Aquino but not really offering any proof or follow through.
Meanwhile, my final “tasteless” award, though not related to the Trillanes case, goes to the Pasig River marathon led by “philanthropist” Gina Lopez who raised multi-million sums, not from her own pockets, but from tens of thousands of university students who forked out P100-registration fees and P150-T-shirts, and by compelling government to fund policemen and soldiers to join, while her family raises electricity rates again by another 30 centavos per kilowatt hour this month. This hypocritical kind of elite philanthropy, together with the tastelessness of the current political leadership, is what ought to go into the Guinness Book of World Records!
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch “The Trillanes Saga” on Politics Today, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m. on Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http:hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/15/2010
Today I prefer to start with the sweet than the bitter because a homecoming to freedom is a joy beyond compare. I have been behind bars before and know of its oppressiveness. Last time I was “in,” I was a fellow detainee of the civilian and military protestors of the Manila Peninsula standoff. I was released after only five days, though I thought I would stay for years.
I left behind young courageous military officers who had started their protests way back in 2003 at Oakwood against the corruption and illegality of the former regime. When the Manila Pen standoff took place in 2007, we were carted off to jail altogether. Three years later, all were released except one, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. For those he has inspired with his steadfast principles, the political amnesty signed for him a few days ago can only be the sweetest news in quite a long time.
There is, however, a slightly bitter aftertaste when one considers that this amnesty should not have been needed at all if only all the legalistic crap that stood in the way of immediate freedom for those that stood up to the former regime was never taken seriously.
The bitter aftertaste even becomes a very bitter sense of indignation when one recalls the history of the past 10 years, beginning with the brazen subversion of the nation’s Basic Law by a motley group of conspirators from the Legislature, the Judiciary, the military and police, the Catholic Church, and the evil “civil society,” with foreign elements that deposed a duly-constituted government to install a regime of their own of unprecedented corruption, oppression, and usurpation of power.
Bitterness then almost turns to nausea when one sees that not one of the conspirators has been punished as most are even in the perches of power today.
More bitter irony in that Gloria Arroyo, who now sits in the legislature, participates in crafting laws, and disposes national budgets after insulting the whole nation with her lies, from the Impsa scam to the “Hello Garci” cheating, down to the ZTE-NBN scandal; while Aquino III assures her impunity by creating a mock investigative commission and placing at its helm her chief cohort in the 2001 Edsa II abomination.
Irony overflows as Joker Arroyo continues to throw inane arguments to frustrate justice for Trillanes, who is absolutely free of scandal, while he still has not answered charges of misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds in the 2001 elections, as well as his illegal walkout in the impeachment hearings that denied President Estrada his day in court.
Irony never ends as the Lord of all Lords Chavit Singson, Edsa II rogues Ebdane, Esperon et al. still lord it over, with the list of the vile ruling in style becoming endless.
I look forward to the day soon after the final release of Senator Trillanes to bring about a long deserved meeting between him and the inspiration of the entire anti-Gloria, anti-oligarchy, pro-masa struggle, President Joseph Estrada, who himself served six years and six months of unjust incarceration under the oppressive, illegal regime of Gloria Arroyo and the oligarchy behind her.
Although the two have not met in the past decade, I have always believed that Estrada and Trillanes represent genuine leadership for the nation and the Republic — being individuals (and leaders) of the highest order, and being truly patriotic and never subservient.
Unlike all other politicians on the present political stage, the two have never compromised their most fundamental principles of service to the people and the laws of the Republic in exchange for any quarter from the powerful oligarchs, corrupt tyrants or their prison guards.
Of the events surrounding this amnesty for Trillanes, there is one that seems very tasteless, to say the least. I am referring to the prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DoJ) who said, “We are disappointed… because we had wanted to know what the court will say… We concede that these are political offenses but we have a problem with the timing. If you want to respect the rule of law, we should have waited for the promulgation.”
Such is the farce of our judicial system where the criminals run free while the conscientious objectors, protestors, and dissenters are imprisoned, with the state’s lawyers totally helpless in helping the latter and prosecuting the former. The court trying the Magdalo and Trillanes case has taken too long to absolve the innocent and has proven to be inutile, too, in going after the guilty. Almost everything of vital importance in this society is decided by politics and not the law.
But the tasteless DoJ prosecutors’ comments only echo their secretary’s candid declaration that resignation has indeed crossed her mind after Malacañang tampered with the Incident Investigation and Review Committee’s findings.
Resignation is not something said but done. Her saying it while not doing it is hypocrisy and doubletalk—typical of the posturing of Aquino III’s Cabinet such as Robredo’s being Department of Interior and Local Government secretary but not really; Puno’s not taking jueteng bribes but not apprehending the bribers; and Defense chief Gazmin’s talk of an assassination plot against Aquino but not really offering any proof or follow through.
Meanwhile, my final “tasteless” award, though not related to the Trillanes case, goes to the Pasig River marathon led by “philanthropist” Gina Lopez who raised multi-million sums, not from her own pockets, but from tens of thousands of university students who forked out P100-registration fees and P150-T-shirts, and by compelling government to fund policemen and soldiers to join, while her family raises electricity rates again by another 30 centavos per kilowatt hour this month. This hypocritical kind of elite philanthropy, together with the tastelessness of the current political leadership, is what ought to go into the Guinness Book of World Records!
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch “The Trillanes Saga” on Politics Today, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m. on Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http:hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Doublespeak
DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/11/10
Headlines last Saturday focused on the doubling of the congressional “pork barrel” through an extra P50 million allocated for each congressman, over and above the regular P70-million take, in exchange for “looking the other way on Aquino’s non-transparent lump sum appropriations in the tens of billions.” Also highlighted was the gargantuan concession by the Palace to now Rep. Gloria Arroyo — ostensibly for the same reason — of P2.2 billion in public works “pork” while adjacent congressional districts got measly amounts of a million or two.
These latest adjustments in the pork barrel already included amounts to appease several Visayan congressmen who earlier stonewalled the approval of the budget when they decried the “raw deal” they got from being left out of the huge pie. But that’s not all: All congressmen (save for those from the party-lists) will now get P25 million each from the Road Users Tax!
Everybody in Congress, especially that grimacing little Gloria, is now very happy — except for the public that’s sure to seethe over this. But getting mad is not going to change things unless there’s a physical revolt.
At least Aquino III is fulfilling his promise of “change,” except that it is not the “change” people expected of him during the campaign. As one Yellow mainstream daily headlined, Aquino III is sure to face the challenge of “Changing (the) old system;” but he’s doing it only for the worse — with more pork, more compromises with his avowed target, and more doublespeak than Gloria ever uttered in her first 100 days in 2001.
So what’s the point of forming the “Truth Commission” when even this early, Aquino III is already engaged in heavy horse trading with Gloria to get Malacañang’s lump sum appropriations through Congress? That’s another confirmation that Arroyo exercises tremendous clout in the Lower House; and I am not surprised, as the Speaker is an Arroyo crony himself.
All told, the whole system is a system of doublespeak, and the Filipino people would do well to put that in their minds and totally dismiss anything the caboodle of politicians, particularly the top honchos, will ever again say to the public.
My purpose of engaging in a continuing public discourse through radio, cable TV, and writing is to expose the doublespeak, the lies, which people are subjected to each and every moment of the day. A nation simply cannot survive on doublespeak; as vision cannot arise from lies. It is my hope that the Filipino people and the various social leaderships that are not party to this system of lies may come together and exterminate the lowlifes that have wormed their way into the corridors of power.
Last Friday night, in our celebration with close friends, one of the subjects that came up was the budget cut of P1.2 billion from the University of the Philippines, described by former UP president Dodong Nemenzo as “paralyzing.” This was discussed alongside the “K+12” plan of Aquino I+2II’s Bro. “Damaso,” Armin Luistro, that was heavily criticized as the increase in the overall education budget of P2 billion will only go to such a scheme that is overwhelmingly rejected by parents and public school teachers alike. We all agreed that since Luistro admonishes parents to look at “K” not as a burden but as an investment, he should first become a parent to know what he’s preaching about.
Ultimately, arguments for “K+12” center on “conforming to international practice” — yet another euphemism for globalization. So the best counter argument: Adding two years to poor quality education is still two more years of poor quality education!
Speaking of education, a surefire budget for “wrong education” is found in the huge increase for the Arroyo-esque “cash transfers” program. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will feed himself forever,” it appears that neither Aquino III nor Dinky Soliman wants the Filipino poor to learn how to fish. By slashing the budget that higher education rightfully deserves, only to divert this to dole outs, thus “dumbing” down the people, the DSWD should now be called the “Department of Social Welfare Dependency.”
But wait: Given the huge increase in its budget, the DSWD now even has a housing component. As a result, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council must be crying over scraps while Dinky thanks her lucky stars profusely. Why, she now has the wherewithal to buy several 4x4 pick-ups to spread her dole outs. And even as she continues to deny that these are SUVs (only “trucks,” without ever mentioning the brand), any idiot will know that a 4x4 pick-up is also an SUV! Another doublespeak again.
PS — I lost my main cellphone last week and won’t be able to respond nor act on requests for a while. I committed to see some visitors to Manila from Mindanao referred by Dionisio Lopez of Zamboanga. Although I am very eager to meet with them, I hope Diony will understand my predicament. If the visitors are still in Manila by the time this column reaches Diony, he can text me at 0922-8797627. Regular texters can also send their reactions and suggestions to this number, especially those who send their views for our radio program discussions.
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch Politics Today, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m. on Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
Herman Tiu Laurel
10/11/10
Headlines last Saturday focused on the doubling of the congressional “pork barrel” through an extra P50 million allocated for each congressman, over and above the regular P70-million take, in exchange for “looking the other way on Aquino’s non-transparent lump sum appropriations in the tens of billions.” Also highlighted was the gargantuan concession by the Palace to now Rep. Gloria Arroyo — ostensibly for the same reason — of P2.2 billion in public works “pork” while adjacent congressional districts got measly amounts of a million or two.
These latest adjustments in the pork barrel already included amounts to appease several Visayan congressmen who earlier stonewalled the approval of the budget when they decried the “raw deal” they got from being left out of the huge pie. But that’s not all: All congressmen (save for those from the party-lists) will now get P25 million each from the Road Users Tax!
Everybody in Congress, especially that grimacing little Gloria, is now very happy — except for the public that’s sure to seethe over this. But getting mad is not going to change things unless there’s a physical revolt.
At least Aquino III is fulfilling his promise of “change,” except that it is not the “change” people expected of him during the campaign. As one Yellow mainstream daily headlined, Aquino III is sure to face the challenge of “Changing (the) old system;” but he’s doing it only for the worse — with more pork, more compromises with his avowed target, and more doublespeak than Gloria ever uttered in her first 100 days in 2001.
So what’s the point of forming the “Truth Commission” when even this early, Aquino III is already engaged in heavy horse trading with Gloria to get Malacañang’s lump sum appropriations through Congress? That’s another confirmation that Arroyo exercises tremendous clout in the Lower House; and I am not surprised, as the Speaker is an Arroyo crony himself.
All told, the whole system is a system of doublespeak, and the Filipino people would do well to put that in their minds and totally dismiss anything the caboodle of politicians, particularly the top honchos, will ever again say to the public.
My purpose of engaging in a continuing public discourse through radio, cable TV, and writing is to expose the doublespeak, the lies, which people are subjected to each and every moment of the day. A nation simply cannot survive on doublespeak; as vision cannot arise from lies. It is my hope that the Filipino people and the various social leaderships that are not party to this system of lies may come together and exterminate the lowlifes that have wormed their way into the corridors of power.
Last Friday night, in our celebration with close friends, one of the subjects that came up was the budget cut of P1.2 billion from the University of the Philippines, described by former UP president Dodong Nemenzo as “paralyzing.” This was discussed alongside the “K+12” plan of Aquino I+2II’s Bro. “Damaso,” Armin Luistro, that was heavily criticized as the increase in the overall education budget of P2 billion will only go to such a scheme that is overwhelmingly rejected by parents and public school teachers alike. We all agreed that since Luistro admonishes parents to look at “K” not as a burden but as an investment, he should first become a parent to know what he’s preaching about.
Ultimately, arguments for “K+12” center on “conforming to international practice” — yet another euphemism for globalization. So the best counter argument: Adding two years to poor quality education is still two more years of poor quality education!
Speaking of education, a surefire budget for “wrong education” is found in the huge increase for the Arroyo-esque “cash transfers” program. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he will feed himself forever,” it appears that neither Aquino III nor Dinky Soliman wants the Filipino poor to learn how to fish. By slashing the budget that higher education rightfully deserves, only to divert this to dole outs, thus “dumbing” down the people, the DSWD should now be called the “Department of Social Welfare Dependency.”
But wait: Given the huge increase in its budget, the DSWD now even has a housing component. As a result, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council must be crying over scraps while Dinky thanks her lucky stars profusely. Why, she now has the wherewithal to buy several 4x4 pick-ups to spread her dole outs. And even as she continues to deny that these are SUVs (only “trucks,” without ever mentioning the brand), any idiot will know that a 4x4 pick-up is also an SUV! Another doublespeak again.
PS — I lost my main cellphone last week and won’t be able to respond nor act on requests for a while. I committed to see some visitors to Manila from Mindanao referred by Dionisio Lopez of Zamboanga. Although I am very eager to meet with them, I hope Diony will understand my predicament. If the visitors are still in Manila by the time this column reaches Diony, he can text me at 0922-8797627. Regular texters can also send their reactions and suggestions to this number, especially those who send their views for our radio program discussions.
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch Politics Today, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m. on Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
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