Sunday, January 24, 2010

GMA's game for May 2010

While a lot of people are rallying, blogging, ranting & pulling their hair out, GMA has been laying down the groundwork for her goals for years now.

She got incompetent speakers so people will get distracted by them and it frees her to move in the back ground.

She has been courting international powers like China & the US through trade concessions and visiting forces agreements. They will support her or at least look the other way when she makes her move.

In an unprecedented move, she's running for Congress. The guesswork is that she'll make moves within the Congress to create a constitutional amendment to change the form of government in the Philippines which would consequently allow her to become Prime Minister.

She's fielding a lame candidate for President, Gibo and even lamer vice-president Edu. If they win the elections using her machinery, she can easily unseat them as she performs a coup within the Congress.

Nuisance candidates like Erap has been allowed to run again to dilute the votes further from the front runner Noynoy Aquino.

It is rumored that she also has back door dealings with second runner up, Manny Villar.

It's being set-up as early as now that with Noynoy's overwhelming popularity it's impossible for him to lose and that only cheating can prevent his ascendancy as the next President. When that happens, there could be a failure of elections and an ensuing civilian agitation, necessitating her to remain as interim President.

She's allowing agitation in Mindanao which would eventually require American intervention and consequently a US Military Base in Mindanao.

She's all over the nation, in the fields, solidifying her power base in the provinces.

She's all over the world, positioning herself as a power figure in this country whether in an elected position or not.

Whoever wins or loses, she has her foot in the door. VERY SMART. I applaud her mind games & effort.

But it won't work.

This country's nature is chaotic and contrary. It can also be aggravatingly stubborn in a passive aggressive manner. Anyone who seeks to control it's people with an iron fist or manipulative schemes is in for a huge disappointment.

So GMA, go forth and do what you think is right. But you are just being used by fate to move this country forward. Do not be surprised when within the grasp of total victory, you will lose it all.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Presidential Elections 2010: Manalo, Matalo, sila-sila pa rin

At this point, I can deal with either Noynoy, Gibo, Villar or Gordon becoming president.

At the end of the day, they're all one and the same to me. They are members of the oligarchs who may be enemies now, but ultimately will stand together first before standing with the masses.

Noynoy & Gibo are cousins. Conjuanco cousins. One of the biggest and oldest landed elites of the Philippines.

Villar is a member of the elite business sector: The billionaire club. You can say that he's a prodigious urban-mountaineer who married someone from a wealthy and landed family.

Gordon is a member of the political elite: a wily politician who can outmaneuver & outwit the best of them. To his credit, amongst all the other candidates mentioned here, he has clear and concrete accomplishments. But he comes across as desperate arrogant asshole. No surprise that in this race he's not even in the top three.

There are talks of GMA (this is getting old) being the real power behind the throne. She's backing Gibo, but she's also in talks with Villar, even Gordon. The way it's being said, it seems that the only way GMA can be shut out is by voting Noynoy. (Please see previous blog entry why I think this is not so.)

Gibo has the political machinery of the present administration to boost his numbers. The present administration is famous for having 'magical powers' when it comes to 'arranging for favorable election results'.

Villar has billions to burn to augment his popularity with votes bought.

Noynoy has the extremely long shadow of his legendary parents and infamous sister to boost his popularity.

Gordon is well, not a threat and is just there, struggling.

But at this point, knowing how things work in this country, I am not that concerned who officially gets crowned in the end.

What matters is whoever gets elected will not sell out my country to the US, or China or anyone else.

What matters is that everything remains as stable as possible.

What matters is that civil liberties will not be curtailed or mandated.

What matters is that the rest of us can get on with our lives and can concentrate on making each of our little lives better.

This way, the rest of the population can gather their strength. Even slowly. BUT surely.

Then in time, the political playing field in this country would be more level.

Then the game becomes more interesting...

Monday, January 18, 2010

Why I cannot vote for Noynoy Aquino

I cannot, in good conscience, vote for Noynoy Aquino.

For a long time, I really considered him because at first it seemed he was a symbol of a return to decency.

I turned a blind eye to the way he took advantage of his mother Cory Aquino's death, to launch his presidential bid. I brushed away his choice of a younger mate who's motives seem to be questionable. I tried to ignore the way he vacillated when there was a clamor to have him run for President--even if I really found it laughable that he still had to consult with his sisters & went on a retreat to 'accept his destiny'. It was charming when Cory did it, but with him it just felt choreographed. I didn't mind that his achievements personal or as senator were neither noteworthy nor relevant.

We were tired of savvy trapos (traditional politicians) who manipulate and fool us to our faces. Noynoy was the messiah against these evils the same way his mother was against the most infamous dictator of all--Marcos.

Then he started cavorting and dealing with the very politicians we were trying to reject.

Then he made this statement:


That made me sit up. How can he be that thoughtless and tactless?! The unconsciousness of the implication of his public statement is what alarmed me the most. It's not just because he's threatening the balance of power of the branches of government. It's a bad signal as to his general attitude.

His popularity right now is directly pinned on how most people hate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. They're marketing him as the anti-Gloria. How he will be everything she is not. That would mean that he's going to be forthright, 'good' and not power hungry.

But that's his marketing. And to me it's largely untested. An honest man is not someone who has never lied. An honest man is someone who, being given the opportunity to lie, did not. At this point, I am becoming certain that it's just the image they're projecting on him.

It also came to mind that this incident is the sign of a petty man bent on vendetta more than on good governance. Just like his mother was. I am afraid of history repeating itself: That instead of using the people's rallying support to manage this country better, he would spend his time undoing and going after everything GMA-related. This is exactly what Cory exhausted her efforts on when she was President: getting back at the Marcoses and their cronies. Here is a man who could believe that popular support would give him a free hand to re shape the governmental structure as he pleases. Screw the repercussions (if he knows what they are.)

It is with a heavy heart that I came to this conclusion. I really wanted to vote for him.

But as the way things are, I have deduced for myself that Noynoy does not have the savvy, backbone nor compassion (malasakit) for this country.

You do not trash the system just because your predecessor is closely identified with it. There are ways of managing that personal directive without publicly challenging a pillar of this society.

If he lacked the foresight and tact to avoid saying inflammatory statements this early in the game, then he lost my vote.

I cannot in good conscience vote for some clueless individual as President. The margin for error is much much smaller at that high level.


Monday, January 4, 2010

Maguindanao Massacre: A different perspective

When news of this massacre first broke out, the first thing that went through my head was "F#$%@! American Business Interests."

I was horrified by the event. I still am. But something about it just did not add up.

Infighting amongst warlords in the Philippines especially in that region is common, especially now that the May 2010 presidential elections is just looming around the corner.

What made me stop and think was that this was too vicious and too blatant. They usually try to keep it within them so as not to attract attention.

This was different: It involved women and journalists and they were murdered in the most heinous fashion. It almost feels engineered to spark riots or a rebellion.

Then it occurred to me, of all 'coincidences', after years of being ignored by Washington, wasn't Hillary Clinton, the current Secretary of State of the United States of America, just here for a visit about 10 days before the massacre? One of her main agenda for coming here: 'peace talks' in Mindanao.

And didn't Gloria just visit Hillary in Washington before that?

Then I remembered, aren't Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Hillary Clinton also related? Gloria was Bill Clinton's classmate at Georgetown University and Hillary's the wife of Bill.

It got me into thinking. It's too much of a coincidence.

Arroyo is the wiliest living politician I have ever come across. You just have to admire her from that point of view, despite wanting to crucify her from a moralistic standpoint. I just know she's hedging to become the next Prime Minister by entering the Congress and manipulating things from there. But she knows that you need US support for that. Or at least non-interference.

GMA must be dangling something for the US, and it's somehow related to American Business Interests in the area, but what?

What does Maguindanao have to offer anyway?

Where is Maguindanao? Courtesy of Google Maps, I was able to center it in perspective to the world. It's right smack in the middle of the Asia Pacific Region. If there will be some sort of military base there, it would provide good access points to US, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as great jump off point for mainland Asia (i.e. China).














Had the perpetrator's plans worked perfectly, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would have been blamed. The local terrorists. Terrorists. Terrorist who trained with Al-Queda. Al-Queda: founded by Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden, the US' most wanted terrorist.

Currently the US & Philippines have a Visiting Forces Agreement. Basically this allows the US to have US base-like privileges here without having a US Military base in the country. US Military personnel are present here and conduct 'military exercises' in this country. (Note that these exercises are done in Mindanao).

If the 'guilt' of these terrorists have been established, the US would have swarmed all over Maguindanao to 'help'. They already have the forces in place. And if they succeeded, whooopteedo, grateful Philippines would be more than willing to host another military base in Maguindanao.

It's a good thing the whole thing was marred by a comedy of errors: the yellow backhoe left on the scene being a prominent clue. How this case will end still remains to be seen.




What else could make Maguindanao appealing? What is that thing that US went to war for again? Oh, yeah, OIL. I'm sure the wealth of other natural resources like minerals and timbre in the area isn't something to scoff at either. And oh, wasn't there another APEC summit before this all went down?




TIMELINE
  • February 1, 1996: Drilling for Oil in Maguindanao goes full blast
  • November 22-26, 2009: APEC 1996 Summit - Subic, Philippines (First time Hillary Clinton came to the Philippines with Bill Clinton. Gloria was Senator back then.)
  • July 2, 2009: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo meets Hillary Clinton in Washington
  • November 11, 2009: Hillary Clinton Arrives in Manila
  • November 13-14, 2009: APEC 2009 Summit - Singapore
  • November 23, 2009: News about the Maguindanao 'Ampatuan' Massacre broke out.
  • May 10, 2010: Philippine National Elections

Sources:

The Ampatuan Massacre: a map and timeline: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/177821/the-ampatuan-massacre-a-map-and-timeline


Philippines 'poll-related' deaths reach 57: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8377875.stm




Clinton vows Philippines support: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8356092.stm

Arroyo meets Hillary Clinton: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090207-187990/Arroyo-meets-Hillary-Clinton


Profile: Gloria Arroyo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2614607.stm

DFA bares agenda for Clinton visit http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20091107-234828/DFA-bares-agenda-for-Clinton-visit

APEC 1996 Summit - Subic, Philippines: http://www.international.gc.ca/apec/summit-sommet_1996.aspx?lang=eng

APEC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia-Pacific_Economic_Cooperation