Antonio Trillanes, failed mutineer turned Senator of the Republic, has decided to play for all the marbles. After holing up in the Manila Peninsula with about 30 soldiers, he has asked the public to choose between him and the President.
I get the sense that this pseudo-mutiny or quasi-coup will not end peacefully.
December 21st, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Eueka:
“Why are you living and working there and not here?”
Well, firstly because I am an OFW. Is that bad? Without the yearly $12 Billion OFW remittances sent to the Philippines where would the Philippines be? You’d probably be stuck playing with penny oil mining stocks being “played” by unethical, albeit, big market players. if it was not for the remittances because there would probably not be much disposable income for businesses to go around. From the movement of commodity prices in the Philippines, it is clear that it is experiencing a major inflation. Without foreign remittances, you’d probably see the U.S. dollar-peso exchange rate go as high as P100. I doubt very much if most Filipinos could afford to pay for basic commodities in that scenario. In that case you’d probably have a real revolution. But the remittances are the sole reason why it is at a manageable P42 and is keeping the economy afloat.
Moreover, I have worked in the Philippines for several years in the public service. I do not like what I saw. Bribery, “padulas,” “palakasan,” “lagay,” and many other forms of corruption are as common as banana cue and fish ball in the market.
So, I refused to work with people (especially government officials who think corruption is a way of life) and moved. I don’t even think children will understand teaching them that stealing is bad but its ok for government officials to do it. I don’t think I would understand that either. In my case it was providential because a couple of days before I left, a preacher confirmed my decision was correct when he preached that for those people who are sick of living in corruption should think of migrating. That’s precisely what I did. But don’t worry, I will definitely be coming back. If God wills me to run for public office in my province, I will do so. But in HIS time, not mine. After all, in the end HIS will will be done not mine or anyone else’s.
Living in another country does not sever one’s Filipino citizenship or the fact that one loves his country. The fact that Rizal, Del Pilar and the Luna brothers were educated, lived and worked in Spain for long periods of time did not stop them from being Filipinos nor from caring about their country. In fact, studying and living in other countries opened their minds and made them realize that corruption and oppression are wrong.
“morally indignant and spout a lot of empty garbage.”
Well, the last time I read the Philippine Constitution speech and the press are still free.
“Why aren’t you here suffering with the rest of us?”
Because I am not a masochist. Only masochists want to suffer even if they don’t have to. Why would I want to suffer if I can help it? Why would I live in a corrupt society if I can live in one that does not tolerate it. But I care for the Philippines because it is the country of my birth and my family is still there. As you mentioned there is value in “widening one’s horizons.” I widened mine. That’s why I live and work in another country. Being a college-educated stock market investor, I find it hard to believe that you are “suffering” like most Filipinos. If there is anything that is “empty” it would probably be your experience of their “suffering.”
“Instead of exhorting us to topple this administration, why don’t you come here and participate in doing so in person?”
First of all I never advocated illegally toppling this government. As a person who believes in the law I do not advocate going outside the law. But I also do not believe stopping other people’s God given right to speak out against abuses. There are a lot of ways of replacing an administration legally. The people or any person for that matter can ask GMA to resign. She is not a President for life you know. That is a very legitimate request. There is nothing illegal about that even if some people incorrectly think otherwise. Even GMA was a product of a technically extra-constitutional exercise.
Here in the U.S., democracy is alive. You can bash President Bush in public or burn the American flag without being arrested by trigger happy and mal-educated police or military men. They are considered as “protected speech” by the U.S. Supreme Court. Because the Philippine Constitution was originally written in 1935 which at that time the Philipines was still a commonwealth of the U.S., the treatment of constitutional rights should exactly be the same. The Philippine Supreme Court follow U.S. Jurisprudence in explaining these rights. Ask Father Joaquin Bernas (former Constituonal Commissioner and Ateneo Law School Dean). So I do not think bashing GMA and her administration should even be discouraged. That is what democracy is all about.
“Moreover, anyone who does and would then proclaim their moral superiority over everyone
If you scroll up, note that I wrote no one is morally superior. Jesus said “No one is good - except God alone.” Luke 18.
“I’d think is a self-deluded chump.”
Name calling is a sign of immaturity, lack of breeding, and a poor substitute for valid points of argument. If I were the “chump” then why am I living in a first world democratic country governed by a fair government and why are you there in a third world “pseudo-democratic” country governed by a corrupt government?
“If a voter is offered money to vote for a particular candidate, what should he/she do? What is the most moral thing to do? What would you do? Give us answers that aren’t hypocritical.”
Well first and foremost, if you are a law abiding citizen you would refuse it because giving (and receiving) of money for electioneering purposes violate the Omnibus Election Code. I don’t think following the law is hypocrytical. Anyone who thinks otherwise has a questionable sense of right and wrong and shouldn’t probably be allowed to vote in the first place (actually the Omnibus Election Code does disqualify election law violators from voting). I don’t think I even need to elaborate more on whether it is immoral or not. Of course engaging in vote buying is not only illegal it is immoral. Do we really need to discuss the morality of vote buying? I think your smart enough to know the answer to that one. Even your former Sen. Tito Soto said, “Kung sino man ang nagbenta nang kanyang boto ay wala nang karapatang humingi pa nang serbisyo mula sa ibinoto dahil nabayaran na ito.”
December 20th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Let’s all pray to unite against corruption and abuses of authority, Merry Christmas to all.
December 19th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Maligayang Pasko sa lahat!
Let’s all pray to unite our country!
Thank you at Mabuhay!
December 18th, 2007 at 12:53 am
i will not anymore write about the role of priests bec. it is controversial. it is enough to say the pope has admonished them to stay out of politics. but if some people would think otherwise, they are entitled to it.
re cleaning up our ranks and not to wait… i don’t suppose you are suggesting toppling a govt? it is easy to say that if you are not here in this country, living someplace else.
do not be an armchair leader, be where the action is…and bear the hardships too, like us.
December 17th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I think in this blog there’s much said thrown on every fort, everyone has every right what he thinks in his heart. If only the voice of the smallest of this society, the poorest, is crying for justice in their lives, I may say if only each could make a prayer to change things in this ruined corrupt country, that justice will be serve right, and thinking of corrupt leaders whether they’ll be in the Judiciary, Executive and Congress (that is majority of the said Branches), the agony of this dying, hopeless race would be uplift. Especially on this Yuletide Season. People who read, critisize and doing the faults, find that we need to patronize patriotism, oneness and upliftment of our society.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Hoping people would be praying for the country. Thank you.