Ang isyu ng taon

Kagaya mo rin, Ellen, nais kong matauhan si GMA at marinig ang halos piping tinig ng kanyang natitirang konsyensya at mag-resign. Pero I will not hold my breath. Gaya mo rin, naniniwala ako na hindi nararapat mamuno ang isang sinungaling, mandaraya at magnanakaw, lalo na bilang pangulo ng bansa. Ang isang katanungan ko ay ano ba kaya talaga ang hinihintay ng nakararaming mamamayan para mapuno at umapaw ang itinatagong galit? Paso na ba talaga ang mga Andres Bonifacio na handang lumaban ng harapan kontra sa superior na bilang ng kaaway? Nasupil na ba kaya ng tuluyan ang fighting spirit ng Pinoy? Siempre hindi ko naman nilalahat dahil meron pa rin namang mangilan-ngilang handang ipaglaban ang mga values ng truth, justice, equity, etc. Sorry at puro salita lang ako dahil hindi na ako resident or citizen ng Pilipinas. Pero gaya ng karamihang immigrants, mayroon pa rin akong inang nariyan sa MManila at mga kamag-anak na naghihikahos, partly dahil sa mga sariling decision nila sa buhay pero partly dahil sa asal ng mga namumuno sa bansa. Gaya mo rin, my faith rests not on people and institutions but in God who judges the intents of the heart. In the end, each one of us will have to account for our deeds here on earth and will suffer punishment or loss or receive our rewards. May you have a peaceful and joyous New Year.

First salve on this free speech issue from Ninez.

Man, freedom house is eerily accurate about arroyo.

From the Tribune editorial:

Gloria Arroyo had no hand in the drafting of the Charter changes proposal by her hand-picked Consultative Commission (Con-com), so the commissioners, led by Jose Abueva, claimed.

But the hand of Gloria in that proposed Con-com Charter certainly shows, not only in the suspension of the 2007 elections with no term cut for Gloria, but also in the big changes found in their Bill of Rights.

The sneaky Abueva-led Con-com, no doubt dictated upon by Gloria, went to the extent of limiting the freedoms the press and the Filipino citizens enjoy.

There is no doubting that this proviso clearly limiting the freedom of speech, of the press, of the right of a people to peaceably assemble and of petitioning the government for redress of grievances, shows the strokes of Gloria and her fascist aides in Malacañang, including a former newsman, Rigorberto Tiglao, who almost everyone knows, was in constant consultations with Abueva, who does Gloria’s bidding.

Just how did Gloria and her Con-com limit our freedoms?

Simple. They added the word “responsible” to modify the freedoms enjoyed by the people, which no law, but no law, can abridge.

Where the Constitution states that “no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of a people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances,” the Con-com’s new Bill of Rights on the citizens’ freedoms now reads: “No law shall be passed abridging the responsible exercise of the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Just by adding the words “responsible exercise,” Gloria, through her Con-com, killed the freedoms the citizens enjoy as their inalienable rights.

So who is to determine whether journalists responsibly exercise their freedom of speech and expression? Gloria and her aides? Abueva and his commissioners? Congress? The Supreme Court? Any goddamn government official who feels slighted by negative reports?

None of them certainly is qualified to determine whether the press exercises its freedom responsibly — and certainly not Gloria Arroyo, who, just weeks ago, dictated to the press what should and should not be highlighted, and slammed the media for their negative reports on her government, calling them “bad boys.”

Just who is to judge whether anti-government demonstrators are exercising their right to assemble peacefully for redress of grievances? Gloria? She who fashioned the calibrated preemptive response (CPR)? Her police and military that break up even a small gathering and disperse protesters even before they can mass up to peacefully seek redress of grievances? The police and military that stopped even peaceful demonstrators who enter a church to hear Mass, and denying them even their right to bring anti-government placards?

The Supreme Court (SC) then? How, when it sits on such important cases dealing with the rights of a people, such as the case against Gloria’s CPR? Then too, isn’t the SC, sitting also on the gag order of Gloria, Executive Order 464, that prohibits officials from the executive branch from attending congressional inquiries?

The Bill of Rights was precisely crafted to guarantee the rights of a people against the abuses of government. Limiting these rights means limiting their right to check on the abuses of government.

When that Bill of Rights, enshrined in the every Constitution — except that of Abueva and his traitorous ilk — says no law shall be passed abridging these freedoms, it meant just that — that government cannot abridge these freedoms. This means that government cannot exercise prior restraint. What is acceptable to the press is the recourse that one who feels slighted by news reports, can take action, which is for one to sue for libel, and even in this, there is already that age-old doctrine that government officials and public personalities, being in the public eye, cannot claim to be libeled by the press.

But in this country, despite that doctrine, even a President sues for libel, as in the case of Cory Aquino, and in the case of Gloria Arroyo, she sets her spouse and all her aides, as well as her personal lawyers to lodge multiple-counts of libel suits against their critics, all of which should be thrown out by the fiscals and judges. But as they have been so prostituted, the cases flourish.

Everything now fits, which explains why Gloria handpicked the Con-com, and why the draft came to be such.

Gloria is to stay on until 2010, with the same asses in Congress sitting in parliament, to ensure her protection.

There is to be no criticisms of Gloria as she and her thieving, lying and cheating brood commit any and all abuses. There is to be no demonstrations against her and her aides.

And they complain when Freedom House says the country under this government is no longer free?

UPDATE: More here from Ninez on CON COM’s attempts to limit free speech.

And to stop all criticisms and all exposés, Gloria has made it a point to have her handpicked Con-com limit the freedoms enjoyed by the people — especially the press.

Who else but Gloria and her set of fascists like Abueva and company dare to cut off the freedoms and rights of the citizens, by amending the Bill of Rights to state that only the responsible exercise of the freedoms will be allowed by law?

And what, to them, is responsible journalism, responsible demonstrations, responsible peaceful assemblies and responsible redress of grievances?

For responsible journalism, it is, to them, for the media to write up all their praise releases, which are nothing but pure propaganda. The media that will come up with exposés, or negative reporting will not be deemed responsible.

For demonstrations to be deemed by her as responsible, they will have to be all pro-government demonstrations that will show full support for her. As for the citizens’ right to seek redress of grievances responsibly, why, all they will be allowed is to write government a letter, pleading and begging for the crumbs that Gloria might throw their way, if it pleases her.

A dictatorship cannot survive when the press is free, because only when the media are free to report on the abuses of government, as well as the government’s employment of massive cheating to ensure the top officials’ fraudulent victory, can the government be kept in check, precisely because all other government institutions, including the SC, have been prostituted and serve only her needs.

This was the situation in 1972, when then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. Media were under heavy censorship, with the military assigned to newspaper offices to ensure that no negative reports on his government would slip out.

Then, it was claimed that the press was the robust partner of government.

Ellen at mga kasamang walang humpay na sumusubaybay sa column mo…

Wala ng bago sa mga pinagsasabi nyo…Araw araw na lang yata ay puro “KASINUNGALINGAN, PANDARAYA,MAGNANAKAW, at lahat ng masasamang katawagan sa tao.Baguhin mo naman ellen ang yong style, nawawala na ang pagka professional mo, sayang magaling ka pa naman.At ang mga tagasubaybay mo naman ay nakikisakay na lang…

Di ako tuta o aso ng singaling at mandarayang GLORIA na sinasabi n`yo, pero ang masasabi ko lang ay pag-ukulan n`yo naman ng pansin ay ang magagandang bagay na kakaharapin ng pilipinas di ang kabaliktaran nito…

Araw-araw ko sinisilip ang column mo, at wala na kayong ginawa kundi bumatikos, di ko na lang matiis kasi naisip ko na parang bago lang kayo sa Pilipinas.Noong panahon ni Marcos,nasasabi nyo rin ba yan? Hindi di ba? kasi takot kayo na baka sa kulungan kayo pulutin?
Naisip ko nga na mabuti pa siguro “semi china” na lang tayo,
kasi sa sobrang kalayaan ay lahat na magaling at matalino.
Wala ng ayaw magpakumbaba….
Yon lang at sana`y sa sususnod na taon ay iba naman ang topic nyo….

hey lucy, you reckon if ellen starts writing nice about gma or the gov’t,will the feedbacks follow suit? If you think she has nothing but nasty stuff,then stop visiting here. i come here all the time and i feel for these people who leaves feedbacks. they’re real and understands what’s goin’ on.
and lucy why don’t you create your own blogs write whatever topics you want and we’ll see if you can attract readers.

Para saiyo Lucy….

bakit babaguhin ang style ng blog na ito? para purihin ang anumang kagandahan o kabutihan (meron ba?) na nangyayari sa pilipinas? eh meron namang mga bunyeta at defensor eh, bakit sasayangin pa ang space dito para bigyang papuri ang pekeng presidente?

kahit man lang dito sa blog, mailabas ng mga sumasali dito ang frustrations nila. masama ba yun?

tell me honestly, ikaw ba ay kumbinsido sa pagkahalal ni gloria? sa kainosentehan ni garci, sa kabutihan ni bolante, at sa pagiging kagalang-galang ni mike arroyo? yan kasi ang napapala ng isang taong mahilig magsinungaling, walang ibang gagawin kundi magsinungaling uli para takpan yung mga nauna. kung talagang mabuti ang hangarin ni gloria, di sana yun na ang sinabi ng majority ng mga pilipino.

mga sipsip lang sa kanya ang pumupuri, dahil may kapalit na cash reward!

well, sabi nga niyan, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. please do not deprive those bloggers here to stop doing/writing what we are doing, just because di mo type. blog ni ellen ito, and i still believe in her professionalism. i admire her guts. kaya niyang sumulat ng akala niyang dapat lang talagang isulat.

The Abueva Concom show!!! How much these dangerous critters spent people’s money? Dapat mahiya sarili… I hope that next coming year, all of these devils be vanished. Sana tamaan kayo ng kidlat at masunog!!

NO! NO! CHA-CHA

Obsessed with unseating her, PGMA’s critics refuse to accept reality RP making headway…:))

This is a good place to exchange ideas but i think “eddie gil” do not have ideas at all. Nanggugulo lang!?

lucy, you don’t have to read ellen’s blog if you don’t like.

sorry about lucy ellen, pero maraming mga pro-arroyo types na kunwaring anti-arroyo pero ang purpose lang nila ay manggulo sa mga anti-Arroyo bloggers.

It’s called “Mobyism”. It’s a tactic to demoralize the other side by pretending to be an “disgruntled” or a “disappointed” anti-Arroyo person. they visit anti-arroyo blogs and other sites to try to plant the seeds of doubt among those who are against arroyo.

here are samples of what “mobyism” is all about, ellen.

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_02_13_corner-archive.asp#025193

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/162659p-142554c.html

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_02_13_corner-archive.asp#025188

Sabi ni Lucy: “Wala ng [sic] ayaw magpakumbaba” Ang iyong pangulong GMA ang dapat magpasimuno nang pagpapakumbaba dahil siya ang pinakamataas na lider ng bansa. Sa obserbasyon ko lang, si GMA ay both “corrupt” at “corrupting.” Marami na ang nagkakalakas-loob na gumawa ng kasamaan kasi puede naman palang makalusot. Halimbawa: Garci, Bolante, at higit sa lahat, GMA. Isa pa, napansin mo ba na hindi na-censor ang iyong comments?

SLOGAN OF FAMOUS RP PRESIDENTS:

Marcos –

NEW YEAR’S WISH …

LORD KUNIN NYO NA SI GLORIA ! ! !

PATALSIKIN ANG PAHIRAP SA BAYAN !!!!

Kung kuntento lang si Lucy sa buhay niya, wala namang nagsasabi dito na hindi siya puedeng magpasalamat kay GMA. Sabi nga ng iba, marami diyang pro-GMA media. Kaya kung ayaw niyang mabasa ang mga batikos ni Ellen atbp, all she has to do is stay away from this blog.
Wala naman siguro sa mga posters dito ang magsasabi na perfect sila. Pero sa palagay ko lang, citizens can and should expect the best from their leaders, especially the highest official of the land. Leaders in other lands who have been accused (not even proven guilty) of lesser anomalies had the decency to resign, e.g., from USA, Japan, Canada, England, etc. Pero itong si GMA, sa dinami-dami ng accusations sa kanya (and on the surface she looks guilty already), still has the gall to hang on. Kaya nga ang mga bataan niya, pati yung mga sinasabing private citizens na, ay malakas nga ang loob na isnabin ang Senate. I guess too heavilly invested na si GMA and her minions kaya hindi magkukusang magbitiw dahil alam na nilang kakatayin sila ng taong-bayan pag wala na sila sa kapangyarihan.

Have mercy naman kay Lucy. Just like us here, she just want to make a point, and point well taken.
If my memory serves me right, i come back to what DJB has said in the different blog; “the reason why we no longer see people’s rage in streets is because in their hearts they have resigned the will to be governed”. Lucy, eto yung isa sa mga outlet ng tao na wala during the other people powers. Maybe the primary reason why people power never materialize during GMA’s time, although di pa tayo sigurado duon, is because there are other avenues like this. When you said that people cannot say these things during Marcos’s time, sana nagpasingtabi ka, because i was there, already a street parliamentarian, young but very feisty. Yes, we got beaten up good, but we fought. We fought for basic rights. Rights that GMA is starting to corrupt with this Abueva Concom and a charter change that serves her callous whim to stay in power. I’m sorry, Lucy, it seems my Filipino blood runs thick. I hope yours, too?

yes, andito ako sa pinas at kita ko ang mga nangyayari. Sa sarili kong opinion, kayo yata ang medyo derailers.

Masyado na kayong obsessed ba mapatalsik si PGMA kaya lahat ng comments to puro negatibo about her kaya tuloy nalilimutan ang magagagnda. Iamgine, andaming magaganda sa Pilipinas, bakit hindi yuna ang pagtuusan ng pansin than pandaraya issue. fellow, matagal nag tapos ang eleksion pero bakit ayaw yung mag move forward. naiisip ko tuloy na stereo typicl pinoy na kapg talo, nagmumukmok at pinkon at mapagtanin ng sama ng loob. move forward please para umunlad an bayan. dapt tayong tumulong at wag mga pasaway. tingnan mo ang ating pero lumalakas na. Isn’t that great? yahoo..

“if you can’t them, joing with them”

May mga tao nga namang pag nakikita ang kapit-bahay nilang pinagnanakawan, bale-wala lang sa kanila, dahil hindi naman sila ang binibiktima. Kung may nakita sa kalsada na babaeng ginugulpi ng esposo, bale-wala pa rin dahil hindi naman nila kilala yung babae, at saka baka madamay pa kung manghihimasok. Kaya kuntento na sila sa buhay nila dahil maginhawa sila, hindi nakakaramdam ng pang-aapi ng gobyerno. Hindi nararamdaman ang hirap ng buhay dahil sapat ang income nila kahit tumaas ang bilihin. Kaya hindi nila maintindihan kung bakit may mga taong gaya ng mga posters dito na sumisinghal sa pamahalaan ni GMA. Kabilang sila siguro sa mga 20% or less na supporters ng kasalukuyang “pangulo.” May karapatan sila sa kanilang maling opinion. Napapansin kaya nila na hindi nase-censor ang kanilang posts dito?

Carl, for once I agree with Eddie Gil, on a single point–hindi dapat pagbawalan o i-discourage ang sinuman na mag-comment sa blog na ito. Kung si Ellen nga hindi nagse-censor ng mga posts nina Eddie, Lucy, Lino, at iba pang tsokaran nila. Kung kuntento sila sa pamamalakad ni GMA, karapatan nilang purihin siya. Karapatan din nilang batikusin ang mga gaya nating hindi sumasang-ayon sa kasalukuyang administration. They are entitled to their own opinion, kahit taliwas sa katotohanan. To quote Ellen: “Ang katotohanan ay positive. Ang kasinungalingan ay negative.” Doon sa mga bukas ang mata, pag pinagtabi ang kasinungalingan at katotohanan, makikita agad kung alin ang tama. Doon sa mga nagbubulag-bulagan, kahit anong linaw ng katotohanan, hindi makikita. Pero ito ang pag-asa ko: “No amount of darkness can extinguish the littlest light. The two cannot co-exist.” Kahit gaano kalaganap ang dilim, pagsindi mo ng ilaw de-koryente, flashlight, kandila, o kahit na posporo lang, umaalis ang dilim.

well carl, I did’nt know your keeping that. You seems to keep grudges..masama sa health yan.

can’t write them all, too much but I give sampl.
– unemployemnt rate decreased.
– govt employees were given health card
– kidnappings decreased, rarely happen now.
– corruption has been minimized although not totally elimnitaed..ex. Gen. Garica
– manila is getting better although not its bets parin pero getting closer(thanks to MMDA)
– tourists are coming..
– Abu Sayaff has been terminated,
– majority recognize GMA’s goverment is legit.
– boracay is nice, batangas is nice, baguio those are nice places to stay for vacation. bring your family there and spend quality time with them instead of blogging. bring your kids there.

etc..

Foreign financial analysts ang nagsasabi niyan. Malayo yan sa katotohanang nangyayari sa bansa.

Ang tinitingnan lang nga mga foreign analysits ay numero. Hindi ang makataong kalagayan ng bansa.

Katulad na lamang ng paglakas raw ng peso laban sa dolyar na pinagyayabang nina Arroyo at ng kanyang mga alagad. Nangyayari yan dahil bagsak ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Sa tindi ba naman ng pangunurakot ni Gloria at Mike kasama na ang mga kampon na sina Bolante, Genuino, etc. etc.

Dahil sa bagsak ang ekonomiya,marami sa mga Pilipino ang napipilitan pumunta sa ibang bayan para magtrabaho.

Hindi masarap ang kalagayan ng ating mga OFW. Hindi dapat ipagmalaki ni Arroyo yan. Ang pagdami ng mga Pilipino OFW ay tanda ng masamang lagay ng bansa.

Eddie, your comment on the number of kidnappings going down was wrong. According to this article from pcij, the number actually went up.