Rescinding EO 464

While I was walking with the Sumilao farmers yesterday in what the media has labeled as the “Jericho March” one of the hottest issues of the day is Executive Order 464. This order was issued by Gloria in 2005 to prevent cabinet members and top officials not only of the civil government but also of the military to be dragged into congressional and senate investigations without the expressed authorization of the Thief Chief Executive. Since the “Hello Garci” scandal, EO 464 gave Gloria’s cohorts a safe haven from the inquisitive eyes of the public. EO 464 became Malakanyang’s shield that silences not only the crooks in the cabinet but the decent ones as well (I used to believe Romy Neri was decent). It became a carrot as well as a stick to ensure silence among top government officials accountable to the President. Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani and Col. Alexander Balutan of the Philippine Marines who were court martialled because he testified before the senate during the “Hello Garci” investigations in violation of EO 464.

Yesterday, in her efforts to appease the Catholic Bishops, Gloria gave in and rescinded EO 464. Was it a victory? Will this bring us nearer to the truth in the ZTE-NBN scam and other scandals like the “Hello Garci” and the fertilizer scam (remember Jokjok Bolante?)?

Do you think Gloria will give in just like that? Ain’t this just another calculated move designed to project an image of introducing changes because she has her back on the wall?

For the most part, EO 464 was already declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Rescinding an order declared unconstitutional by the highest court of the land is not an act of goodwill. In fact, faking goodwill by rescinding EO 464 make it an act of deception.

Without EO 464, high government officials can now be summoned by congress and the senate to their investigations even without the consent of the president. This will just ensure their appearance but can they be forced to talk much less tell the truth? They still have Executive Privilege to hide behind. The scope of executive privilege is still being debate on. In the case of Romy Neri, the senate can force him to appear before the senate but he will just invoke executive privilege every time they will delve into his communications with the president. We may end up going to the Supreme Court with every question asked to which he will invoke executive privilege, making our search for the truth a constant and slow legal struggle.

We cannot legislate honesty. We cannot abolish dishonesty nor the conspiracy of deception and silence of the Arroyo administration. Honesty is a personal virtue, a virtue abandoned by even the most decent in the Arroyo cabinet. They can even lie under oath and lie in front of millions o Filipinos watching the live coverage of the proceedings (remember Abalos, Manny Gaite, Gen. Razon, Sec. Atienza and the airport gang?).

Gloria and her cohorts have calculated the risks of rescinding EO 464 to fake goodwill to the Catholic bishops. They concluded that taking out EO 464 will not damage their concealment of the truth.

EO 464 has been abolished. Will it bring out the TRUTH?

I still believe the abolition of EO 464 is a hollow and meaningless act. Like the declaration of a state or emergency, it is just a disposable barrier that Gloria created to derail the search for the truth just like the rusty container vans that she uses to block the entrance to the palace.

The Arroyo administration should be taken to task for imposing EO 464 in the first place. Rescinding it after it has been declared unconstitutional to appease the Church and to project an image as is the Arroyo administration is seeking for the truth makes it an act of deceit and a ploy for survival.

Gloria and her highly paid and richly commissioned gang of a$$lickers can shove EO 464 up each other’s A$$ES and consider that their Executive Privilege.

BLOGSWARM: GMA Resign! (join na!)

Dahil Ikaw Gloria ay:

Mandaraya, Magnanakaw, Mandarambong, Kurakot,

Mamamatay-tao,Taksil sa Bayan, Abusado sa Kapangyarihan

at Walang puso para sa Bayan at Taumbayan

JOIN THE BLOGSWARM TO FORCE GLORIA

OUT OF MALAKANYANG

L A Y A S ! ! !

Mga bloggers na nasa Swarm:

Ang tunay na Madam: Reyna Elena

Foobarph

Taroogs

Maria Clara

Manilenya

GMA Resign

Pedestrian

Etcetera

Uniffors

Ellen

at iba pa…

 

mga kapatid na bloggers, ano pa hinihintay nyo?

P U T A K T I H I N N A !!!

P.S.: Maki-SWARM na rin bukas ng hapon (Feb. 29, Friday) sa

Makati. JOIN NA!!!

=================================================================

Paliwanag ng Malakanyang… MAKINIG!

Sa isang news article ng Inquirer.net ay sinubukan ng Malakanyang na LIWANAGIN ang kaguluhan ng mga statements nila tungkol sa pag-amin ni GMA sa isang interview ni Joe Taruc ng DZMM na alam nya na may anomalya sa ZTE deal bago ito pirmahan sa China. Binawi kasi ito ng Malakanyang kinabukasan sa pamamagitan ng pagsabing di naman inaamin ni GMA na alam nya ang anomalya. Basahin ang Palace admits Arroyo said ‘anomalya’ in radio interview para sa kabuuang ulat.

Batay sa ulat, sabi ni Sec. Mendoza ng DOTC ay ganire:

It is clear here … so pinag-uusapan lang yung anomalya. Di sinasabi na may anomalya (There is talk about an anomaly. She isn’t saying that there is an anomaly).

O di ba maliwanag ang paliwanag? Naintindihan nyo na? Para sa mga slow at di marunong umintindi ng Filipino at English nagdagdag ng paliwanag si Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. Aniya ay ganire:

“Parang merong insinuation pero di naman sinasabing meron (It’s as if there’s an insinuation, but she isn’t saying there is).”

So MALINAW na ba? Lord, nakakabobo. Hayz. Di vah?

Basta ako malinaw sa akin. Malinaw na bakit dapat ituloy tong BLOGSWARM: GMA Resign!

Remember EDSA 1?

Today I went to the EDSA shrine, to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Today, we are faced by another tyrant, scoundrel, thief, human rights violator, liar and a fake president. Today, 22 years after we have joined hands to oust a dictator, we are once again faced by the challenge to show our unity, the strength of our resolve for radical reforms. Today, we gave her and her coercive police and military men a preview of things to come. One day we will have enough strength. One day we will have enough numbers. One day we will make her pay.

I am but a voice among the multitude. I am but a single face in the ocean of faces. I am but one will. I am just one of the many. One day our voices will sound like thunder. One day our will will be as one.

 

Kasama rin ang mga Obispo (at Santo Papa?)!

People Power is Alive!

(sino kaya tong nagbubugaw ng pick-up ng SWAT na balak pumosisyon sa harap ng martsa? )

When the State tries to control protest actions on the anniversary of People Power, what does that tell us?

photo credits: koya TAROOGS! (ang photographer na madulas, di napipigilan ng bobocops)

Look who’s talking (again)

Palace: ‘Respect institution of presidency’. In this Inquirer article the palace is calling its supporters and detractors to respect the presidency and stop calling names like “evil woman” and “bitch.” I find the recent pronouncements of Malacanang funny. It is as if they are grasping at straws to ward off the attacks that it has been getting.

In elementary we were all taught that RESPECT is something you earn and not demand nor buy. Real respect is won by your deeds and actions not by demanding it.

All this noise against Gloria is borne out of deep respect for the “institution of the presidency.” We respect the institution of the presidency so much that we won’t allow someone who cheated her way to victory to occupy that position one more second. We respect the institution of the presidency so much that we do not want it to be used to steal money from the public coffers. We respect it so much that we don’t want that position to be used to trample on the people’s human, civil and democratic rights.

May I ask then if Gloria and her administration respect the institution of the presidency as much as those who are calling for the TRUTH to be bared and those who are calling for her resignation and ouster? If they do then why don’t they stop hiding behind their EO 464 and bare the truth to clean the image of the institution of the presidency?

Again they should be careful what they ask for. People might just heed their call and out of respect for the institution of the presidency decide to remove the gang that pollutes it. To Gloria and her ilk: Respect the institution of the presidency! Vacate it NOW! (when you all go, please take Kabayan Noli with you okey? please please please)

Look who’s talking

Palace: Search for truth must involve justice, fair play. I am not sure what I felt when I read that statement. I felt like laughing out loud and grab the nearest object and throw it against the wall in disgust. Am I going crazy? All of a sudden, the very people who are too quick to hide behind the “executive privilege” (EO 464) to hide the truth are asking for fair play and justice. They kept hiding behind “executive privilege” despite it being declare unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. They will only keep on exhorting EO 464 and challenge the senators to question it in the Supreme Court at every instance. Now is that what they call justice and fair play?

Last night I also watched in utter disgust at the interview of the grandson of Benjamin “Bukol” Abalos, who in a letter reportedly expressed his hurt feelings over the way De La Salle handled the Lozada issue. The Grade VII boy and his younger sister were interviewed by the media accompanied by their parents. Is Abalos so bereft of defense that he now has to USE his grandchildren for his counter-attack? I respect the feelings of the little children and they have every right to feel the way they do. But to drag them and display them to the media is a different thing. The kid can express his feelings in a letter and make the La Salle brothers know how he feels. But please don’t use the kids for your PR campaign. The kids’ grandfather and their parents are the ones violating their rights. But well. what could you expect from a man who asked for a $130M bribe? Or the man who let Gloria, Mike Arroyo, Garci and their cohorts steal the Presidential Election in 2004 under his guard. Now is this what they call justice and fair play?

The whole top-level government machinery has been used to hide the involvement of the Arroyo family in the ZTE-NBN scam. Cabinet members, the high ranking police officers are lying through their teeth. Now they have the gall to ask for justice and fair play as if they get none. Look who is talking now. You cannot lie and hide and ask for justice and foreplay at the same time guys. When you utter the words justice and fair play, you only succeed in making them sound like COVER UP.

And guys be careful what you ask for because if JUSTICE and FAIR PLAY were the rules of the game you will be out of office and in prison.

I lied…

When you lie to your parents, you get scolded. When you lie under oath, you commit perjury and you may be imprisoned. When you lie to the public what happens to you? errrr let me rephrase When the police chief chief lies to the public what happens? He just scratches his head and smiles. No reddened cheeks of shame. No lowered eyes of humility. No apologies.

Director General Avelino Razon in a press conference together with Sec. Ignacio Bunye and Sec. Lito Atienza in Malakanyang said that prior to Jun Lozada’s arrival last February 5, they have received a written request from Lozada’s sister, Carmen, for security detail. He said that the Lozada’s fear for his life, thus they asked for police protection IN WRITING. Hence, Razon argued then, how can that be called an abduction? Of course, before the Malakanyang presscon, Jun Lozada laready warned the public that while in police custody he was asked to sign documents and he did. Among these documents was the request for police protection and he also said that his sis Carmen was asked to sign a separate request by the Mascarinas.

Last night Razon was singing a different tune. He is now saying that he ordered the security detail for Lozada upon the request of Sec. Atienza and that they had no written request from Jun Lozada nor his Sister Carmen at that time. He said they only asked for the written request when Jun Lozada WAS ALREADY IN THEIR CUSTODY. He said Jun’s request was signed on Feb. 6 though it was ANTE-dated Feb. 5 and Carmen’s letter was signed Feb. 7 though it too was ante-dated Feb. 5.

What is the significance of this simple lie by the highest officer of the Philippine National Police? It shows that there indeed is a grand cover-up and that all those involved are willing to LIE to the public to tow the “official” cover story – that Lozada feared for his life and wanted to evade being hauled to the senate investigation, and that he asked for security and that the PNP (and the PSG?) only granted his and his sister’s requests and therefore there was no abduction nor kidnapping.

If Sec. Atienza asked for Lozada to be protected isn’t that a valid reason top provide police protection? I know it is. So why then would the police go through all the trouble of getting ante-dated requests from Lozada and his sister? Why would the PNP Chief need to lie in a press conference in Malakanyang? Why Gen. Razon?

Courage, Integrity, Loyalty. These are the values that your Alma Mater – the Philippine Military Academy taught you. Well you indeed had the COURAGE to lie to the public and sell your INTEGRITY to show your LOYALTY to the family of grand thieves residing in Malakanyang. What a waste! Where is your honor General?

Missing people’s dragon

Matanda na ako. Naabutan ko pa ang buntot ng martial law years. I have seen how one lawyer (among many) fought the Marcos dictatorship, championed the rights of the persecuted and spoke boldly against corruption and against. He championed and lawyered for those being targeted by the dictatorship then. I admired him a lot.

After the fall of the Marcos regime, he became executive secretary to Cory Aquino. He was a sort of disappointment for he argued in favor of the retentiion of the US military bases and he opposed the passage of the agrarian reform law under the Revolutionary Constitution. I was disappointed but my admiration for him did not waver.

He ran as Senator as an independent. And independent he was. He refused to use his pork barrel and ran after the corrupt in government. When he used the People’s Dragon as his campaign tag, it appeared so natural. PAG BAD KA LAGOT KA, UBUSIN ANG MGA CORRUPT! yan ang mga campaign lines that really depicted his character and record as a stateman. He caught the imagination of the people and captured their hearts. In a government where corruption is considered normal and standard, where human rights and democratic freedom is treated as mere decorations that can be discarded and sacrificed for the sake of political survival, the people need their PEOPLE’s DRAGON.

I thought the ZTE scam, one of the biggest if not the worst scam ever, was one of the causes that the People’s Dragon will actively and aggressively pursue. UUBUSIN daw ANG MGA CORRUPT eh. But sadly the People’s Dragon is nowhere to be found in the Senate. I wondered where he went. I missed his fire, I missed his intelligence. I missed his fiery passion against the corrupt and the abusers of power.

I miss thePeople’s Dragon in the Senate hearings, we only see the JOKER.

KAPAG BINUKO MO SI GMA LAGOT KA!

Is it worth it Mr. Jun Lozada?

I had been following the developments in the NBN scandal ever since it exploded in the face of Malakanyang last year. I was hopeful that Romy Neri would bare what he knows. I was frustrated when he chose to hide beneath GMA’s protective shield. I was almost ready to give up the NBN scam as one of the scandals GMA survived and was convincing myself that the mothballing of the deal was good enough. But that was before Jun Lozada came out.

Dear Jun Lozada,

You thought that you could fool the system, didn’t you? You thought that a decent man can survive and find enough room to remain decent in a corrupt system that is highly contagious. You thought that there are levels of corruption that you can accept. And you underestimated the greed of your superiors.

You found out you were flatly wrong didn’t you? The system that you thought you can fool by your intelligence sucked you in inch by inch. You even got involved in some of the “acceptable level” thievery didn’t you? You found yourself suddenly having justifications for corruption that you thought were petty. You found out that its the system that fooled you after all. You were willing to compromise your decency and you were even willing to keep quiet about the scandalous greed that you let pass.

You were wrong Mr. Lozada. In a country like ours, greed knows no bounds. In a country like ours, the greedy do not let witnesses live. And they can get away with murder. You almost perished sir. The goons who were out to silence you almost succeeded. When will they ever learn that scaring a person to death will not keep him silent. Scaring a person to death will only make him desperate and willing to tell the truth and seek the protection of the decent. They always forget that absolute fear sometimes begets courage. They forget that in the face of death a person finds his own decency.

You took the risk Mr. Lozada. You will be praised and admired for that. People will protect you. But for how long? The collective memory of the Filipino people is much shorter than the memories of the vengeful and the corrupt. Soon enough the attention on your revelations will die down. People will stop caring. They will cease to be shocked at the enormity of the corruption that you have spilled out. Sooner or later the people will go back to their normal lives. But would your life be ever normal again? Not while the greedy remain free. Not while the greedy remain in power.

It would have been easy to remain silent. Wrestling with your conscience for life would have been easier that looking behind your back for life. The enormous wealth of the greedy would have given you the protection you need. Yet you chose to be decent, you chose the protection of the truth and the haven of the flimsy public.

Thank you Mr. Jun Lozada. While there are persons like you who will make the difficult choices that you did, there is hope. I just hope that your revelations will feed the fire in the hearts of the people. I just hope that your courage will inspire them to resist and fight. Then it will be all worth it.

All fingers point to Abalos

I waited for the Senate hearing on the ZTE SCAM last Wednesday with mixed expectations – being hopeful on the one hand and a bit pessimistic on the other. I was hopeful the former NEDA Chairman (now CHED) Sec. Romulo Neri would bare everything he knows about the fiasco. I was also expecting, on the other hand, that Malacanang would play its game plan. Sa aking pagtingin kasi imposibleng pumayag ang Malakanyang na sumipot sa hearings na ito ang kanyang mga tauhan na walang set play kung baga pa sa basketball.

 

May teorya na ako sa set play ng Malakanyang kaya alam kong malakas ang kanilang kaba noong Wednesday. Bakit? Dahil sa araw na iyon isinalang ang kanilang “weakest link” kumbaga, si Sec. Romy Neri. Kung ang Malakanyang ang masusunod, wala si Sec. Romy Neri hearing na iyon sa Senado kundi nasa piling ni GMA. Noong inimbita kasi si Romy Neri ng Senado, biglang namiss ni Glori sa Romy Neri at inanyayahan syang sumabay sa biyahe nya papuntang New York. Kinailangan pang magkaroon ng vigil ang mga tao sa labas ng bahay nina Neri para masigurong di ito itatanan ni GMA para di makapagtestigo sa Senado.