Not surprisingly, Vice President Noli de Castro didn’t grasp the full significance of the offer by the Black and White Movement, to leave Gloria Arroyo not later than Nov. 30, 2005 and lead a new, reform-oriented government.
In rejecting the proposal of the Black and White Movement, composed mostly of civil society groups that helped install Gloria Arroyo to the presidency without election in 2001, De Castro asked: “Is there any good and legal reason that they can give me right now why I should join them?”
I seriously doubt if De Castro really wants what is “good and legal”. If he wanted what is good, why is he condoning lying, cheating and stealing by Gloria Arroyo, unless he has a different definition of “good”.
If he is scrupulous for things legal, how can he stomach Gloria Arroyo’s perversion of the law? Doesn’t he see anything illegal in the diversion of the fertilizer fund for farmers to the campaign fund of Arroyo? Doesn’t he see anything illegal in the tampering of election results?
De Castro also talked about abiding by the Constitution. Didn’t he ever think that Gloria Arroyo came to power by violating the Constitution? Countless times, Gloria Arroyo trampled upon the Constitution to hold on to power. One of that is the use of the Commission on Elections and the military to cheat in her favor in the 2004 elections. And he says he is adhering to the Constitution by supporting Arroyo?
What is lost on De Castro is that by rejecting the B&W offer, he has helped paved the way for those who seek the ouster of Arroyo to go extra-constitutional.
Of the different groups opposing Arroyo, the B&W movement is considered moderate being composed of middle-class individuals who would, as much as possible, want to preserve the comforts they are enjoying. They are wary of communists and disdainful of Estrada’s group.
With Cory Aquino as their patron saint, they are the ones who are expected to adhere to the Constitution. But after De Castro’s rejection, the movement is now talking of a scenario where Senate President Franklin Drilon takes over the reins of government and calls for a snap election.
Under the Constitution, the only time a Senate president assumes the presidency is in case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, ore resignation of both the President and Vice President.
The past six months, we have seen Arroyo’s determination to hold on the presidency which she has stolen, in the words of Susan Roces, “not once but twice.”
Although Loren Legarda, runningmate of Fernando Poe Jr., has a pending protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, there’s a tacit acceptance among the opposition groups that De Castro won the vice-presidential contest. Moderate groups were banking on him to avert the slide to extra-constitutional methods proposed by other more radical groups.
De Castro could have helped manage the transition until a new election, whether immediately or in 2010, is held under whatever system is decided by the people.
B&W said their call now is “Resign, Gloria, Noli!”. That jibes with what the leftist and other groups including that of Estrada have been calling for. The only difference is that the other groups are working on other means of removing the two aside from resignation. And it won’t even be Drilon who would be at the helm of the new government.
A retired military officer who remains in touch with reform-minded active officers said whereas before, they were waiting for civilians to lead the way and were content with just providing the “military component”, they are now talking of a “military takeover.”
They will be the ones to decide to whom they will turn over the government and when.
This is a scenario that is not supported by many Filipinos .Last month’s survey by Pulse Asia on political scenarios showed that four of ten (40 percent) of Filipinos are of the opinion that a coup by the military and police at this time is most inimical to the people’s well-being.
Of the 40 percent, 22 percent said it is not beneficial to the country for a coup to take place and the military and police decide who will rule the country . Eighteen percent answered said it’s a most inimical scenario where the military and police exercise power themselves.
Our source said he finds the survey reflective of the sentiments of the people. But he pointed out that in the same survey, six of ten Filipinos (58 percent) want Gloria out by resignation.
Our source said that with the prevailing apathy, the military is expecting that the people would just stand by and watch Gloria ousted by force. I say that many of them would even clap.
The officer said, “I’m worried because we were trained to fight. We were not trained to govern.”
In marketing, CONVERGENCE has not track record of success.
In marketing, DIVERGENCE is what leads to successful promotions of products and services.
An analogy can be drawn about the efforts of the GMA opposition, political and media. The more they CONVERGE, the more they will FAIL. I guarantee that.
Evolution is a very slow process. Reforms are faster.
But no effort at CONVERGENCE will lead to institutional REFORMS.
REFORMS by definition, DO NOT CONVERGE….in fact, they DIVERGE. Until the “reformers” realize this, their efforts would be futile. BAD IDEAS, NEVER DIE. They just get recycled…by different personalities, at different times.
Just like technology and industry…I will repeat myself…politics DO NOT CONVERGE…to become effective and successful at instituting REFORMS. Politics must learn to DIVERGE… (end of Advanced Marketing 202).
Hints: Can you visualize a flying car? Have you seen one? Would you like to own one? Drive and/or fly one?
Clue: In the USA, the voters market is virtually divided into two, (with an insignificant minority that begs to be recognized as the third, fourth, fifth and sixth alternative), mutually exclusive political parties. Democrats and Republicans. One is either a democrat or a republican.
Those who try to “converge” in the perceived “happy middle”, typically and traditionally (that is historically) end up in the “mushy middle”. Neither here, nor there. Trying to be “everything to everybody” has never been proven in all and throughout all of civilization to be a successful strategy. Its legacy is identified with Jacko’f all trades.
Life is not all about politics. Neither should journalism or news reporting and OP-EDs. These things get old and tiresome, after a while. Especially when all the spins and bloviatings end up being proved…”maling haka-haka, at walang sinabing kuro-kuro.”
Actually BEING the first to scoop a news or an opinion, is not nearly as important or impact-driven as being PERCEIVED as the first to break the news, in a new category. It is not an issue of “survival of the fittest”; nor “survival of the firstest” that is critical to the successful promotion of a “political leaning”. Rather it is a question of being the FIRST, to be perceived as FITTEST and STRONGEST. All the propaganda efforts by opposition and anti-GMA media, towards “pursuit of truth, and morality in governance” are trite, hackneyed, and in plain reading – “aint gonna work.” (whether based on truth or not). Besides, all anti-GMA propaganda efforts are resisted and negated by the fact…those against (GMA) ain’t got nothing better to offer. So????
Change tactics. Change strategy. It’s not working.
December 7, 2005, is only a few days away. And Christmas only a few weeks.
If the political opposition and anti-GMA sectors of society are really determined to remove GMA before her constitutionally mandated term is over, they should try to sell the idea to the USA. Until they have the guts and gumptions to do it…mag-misa de gallo na lang tayo muna.
Merry Christmas. And yes, it will be (economically) a Happy New Year for those with relatives abroad who have been sending back their hard-earned dollars, in record breaking volume. And the purchasing power of the peso continue to strengthening, daily, vis-a-vis the US dollars. Hellllowwwww Dr. Walker, I hope you did not “short” the currency of your choice.
Pepeton
Dear Elllen,
In your article, someone’s commented that “we were trained to fight and not to govern”.
I don’t think anybody’ is trained to govern, if we mean govern as in ‘rule a nation’ except members of the monarchy; and even then, only the heir to the throne is taught the rigours of governing from the time he/she is born.
In the same manner that General Charles de Gaulle and General Dwight Eisenhower were trained to fight to the finish but not to govern a nation, yet they proved to be two of the most outstanding presidents the world has ever known. General Napoleon Buonaparte was one of most outstanding administrators France ever had in spite of his ultimate defeat in a military battle. The general who defeated him and who had always lived and breathed military, to fight all the time, was one of the best prime ministers that Great Britain ever had. Juluis Caesar, a warrior, a fighter, a killer became a politician and governor hors pair even as he fought many a great battle. He too was simply trained to fight and basically, not to govern but he did, and Rome was great under Emperor Julius Caesar.
There are many more examples of people who were trained only to fight yet became their country’s best leader and ‘governor’. I feel that we should now not allow ourselves to believe that a person is trained to govern and that’s that. There is no such thing.
There are individuals who are born into a family of politicians, reared in the belief that they are better equipped to govern. It’s like saying that of someone whose family has been in business for decades – the heir/heirs have to be trained from infanthood to take on the rein of the family business when the time comes. Not all heirs to a businees succeed in running a busines, many fail and fail miserably. In the same manner when a person enters the world of government to govern, there is no guarantee that he would be the right leader because it takes more than just mouthing the precepts learned in Politics 101 to be able to govern. It takes immense natural honesty, tremendous moral courage and a big wonderful heart to start the process of getting trained ‘to govern’.
Thereofore, the right to govern in non-monarchial societies is earned the hard way and not inherited – the right to govern is not something that should be vested in some ‘leader’ indiscriminately or just because that person belonged to a family of politicians. To be allowed to govern, a person must be judged according to several criteria – the person must possess the wisdom of the ages, the moral fiber to serve with genuine humility and the dignity of a courageous warrior to stand up there amidst the madding crowd and do what is right whatever the odds and the sacrifice to self. Only then can the training to govern begin.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is a ‘trained politician’ and her demeanor in public shows that she’s been well trained in the art of demagoguery. Wasn’t she after all, reared in a family that lived and breathed politics and government? Is she any good? My answer is no. I don’t believe she was inherently in possession of the the moral fiber of one who could or should govern a nation the souls that inhabit a nation.
Sadly, and by simply looking at her overall political track record, Gloria has been trained indeed in politics of cheating – definitely not a criterium for someone whose job it is to govern.
This is why the Philippines is in dire straits because the people had allowed themselves to believe that she was trained to govern, when in fact she was simply trained to carry a name. One cannot expect another to govern just because one has inherited a name. The Philippine government today is the living proof that believing that one can be ‘trained to govern’ is pure, unadulterated technical fallacy.
It’s like saying “My dog is trained, therefore it’s a good, intelligent dog.”
Ellen,
Thanks Ellen, have just posted it and added the following:
I wish to add that the military officer who said that “they (the military officers) of’ training for a military man to become an officer!
By tradition – and this dates to centuries and centuries of military tradition, a military offficer is not just trained TO FIGHT but most importantly, he is trained TO LEAD and does not have any business being an officer if he/she can not lead.
If that military man whom you’ve quoted in your article has failed to absorb this basic military officers’ tenet, then by all means, he should stay away from governance because if all he knows is to fight then, it will be difficult for him to lead let alone, to govern.
It seems, the more we go into the crux of AFP matters, the more we discover that there is something inherently wrong in the Philippine military officers’ psyche.
It’s perhaps why our military has remained amateurish – their officers have not learned that “to lead” is the basic tenet of a military officer’s calling.
I believe it’s time the AFP re-train its officers and inculcate in them that being an officer entails the crucial ability to LEAD his/her men.
The Christmas spirit is now is in the air and as a boost God blessed our people with the runaway Overall SEAG Championship. For the first time in years Filipinos have something to be proud of. Let us savor this feeling up to Christmas and New Year. Ignore Garci, he is someone not to be proud of and for at least December let us pretend that we are a people united. Let us enjoy a respite from all that is ailing us and pretend that our country is healthy. Think about being sick next year na lang. Let Jesus reign in our hearts and at least learn to forgive if we cannot forget. Forgiving is not condoning and it is divine. God will make a way for our not only to survive but to live up to his standard.
Bravo to the RP SEA GAMES’ victors, the champs, the people who backed them up, the organizers big and small…
Hi Ellen, would just like to inform your readers na there’s a huge democracy rally yesterday in HK. Nakaka-inggit sila.
Buti pa ang mga taga-HK pwedeng mag-rally sa kalsada by the thousands without fear of being CPR’ed by Arroyo’s police.
Read Publius Pundit report at wag kang mamatay sa inggit. While the HK people are demanding full democracy from China, the Philippines OTOH are slowly becoming a banana republic under this current adminstration. Fake elections, illegitimate rulers… tapos anti-gov’t rallies are now banned in places where they were once allowed under previous administrations, and tendency by Arroyo’s police (many without nametags and others in civvies) to use violent force against student and the middle class anti-Arroyo protesters.
Tignan nyo po ang mga pictures dito. There are so many people on the streets. Should the Chinese gov’t use the same excuse the Arroyo admin used in banning anti-Gov’t rallies… na we should not have any more rallies in the streets of Makati, Edsa and Mendiola because they will only “make traffic worse”? LOL.
Sample pic:
Here’s a good roundup of the recent HK rally for democracy.
Sabi ng Arroyo admin, tigilan na raw sila ng opposition, dahil Christmas season na. Tignan nyo naman sa HK, kahit na Christmas na, rally pa rin, basta hustisya ang ipinaglalaban mo.
Since Christmas ngayon, siguro magiging maluwag na ang patakaran ng Arroyo admin sa CPR nila, and maybe if we organize “prayer rallies” instead of calling them Anti-ARroyo rallies, baka payagan na tayo ni Lito Atienza na mag- uhmmm… “prayer rally” sa kalsada katulad ng nangyari sa HK.
We were trained to fight not to govern………
As far as PMA is concerned they have a rich curriculum of Liberal arts and even management sciences..definitely there is leadership and management…
Governance..sumikat lang ito nung lumabas ang Enron at ibang skandalo wala pang 5 taon kaya lahat ng mga skwela gusto magturo ng corporate governance,public governance etc…
at kung kumuha ng kaalaman ang corporate sa militar at vise versa siguro naman alam na aat nabasa ng mga tao ang Art of War at siguro naman me nakasa na ng Corporate Combat….
kahit anong ituro sa tao babalik at babalik pa din yan sa tinuro ng magulang at kung minalasmalas ka kung palagi wala ang magulang
matatandaan mo ang turo ni Yaya…..
Long live to the SEA Games athletes! In fairness, PNP done its work very well too, mabuhay PNP!
hindi ba taga borneo yan.. o cast out ng borneo. kasi parang kahawig sya ng orang-utan eh. tingnan nyo shots nya. di ba kahawig.. pero palagay ko kasiraan sa lahi ng mga orang-utan yang si garci kaya nagpipilit magmukhang tao. Pilipino pa ang nagustuhang lahi. hak hak hak
Dear Ellen,
I just wonder who and what gave the so-called “Black & White” Movement any authority to speak on behalf of all Filipinos. I just want a specific and truthful answer to that, no “shades of gray” as their website says.
If they really want to get to the bottom of the election fraud issues, why not ask one of their leading lights, one Mr Bill Luz (who was listed in their website)
From my favorite historian Barbara Tuchman’s essay “On Generalship’:
“Senior command in battle is the only total human activity because it requires equal exercise of the physical, the intellectual, and moral faculties at the same time. I tried… to think of rivals for the claim, but in fact no others will do. Generalship in combat does uniquely possess that distinction.”
And, quoting a Chinese proverb:
“A general who is courageous and stupid is a calamity.”
When an adversary offers a hand of peace, you have to prepare for war.