THAT’S what former Senate president Jovito Salonga fears.
Here’s an excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer story:
MANILA, Philippines–President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s decision to call out the military to help police disband private armies, man 24-hour checkpoints and stop political killings has prompted ex-Senate President Jovito Salonga to warn that the May 14 elections could turn out to be as “violent and fraudulent” as the Marcos-era polls.
In an open letter sent Tuesday to the President through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Salonga called on Ms Arroyo to ensure the peace and the credibility of the midterm elections so as not to worsen current problems, including the continuing killings.
Salonga said Ms Arroyo’s order for more checkpoints nationwide was “what [the dictator Ferdinand] Marcos also ordered in the 1969 elections, described by Newsweek (Nov. 24, 1969) and Time (Feb. 16, 1970) as the dirtiest, most violent and most corrupt in modern Filipino history.”
May 28th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Arroyo defends rights record during New Zealand visit (1:30 p.m.)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — President Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo defended her record on human rights during a visit Monday to New Zealand, as a lone activist in a steel cage outside Parliament called her the “worst dictator” in the troubled nation’s history.
Arroyo, speaking after talks with Prime Minister Helen Clark, said her country was in “a fight to turn around a history of political violence and retribution.”
She said recent convictions and arrests of people accused of extra-judicial killings and upcoming courts-martial for military officers were signs of progress.
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Fr: Salina.
She lie again! When she said that there is arrest of people who’s doing the killing. Capt. Trillanes, Didn’t kill anybody but he’s getting rotten in jail because he speak up about the corruption under her bugos regime.
May 28th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Emmanuel
Reading other people’s posts kinda reminds me how the pessimism continues to grow no matter how little the country improves, politically or economically. Is it just me or are we filipinos become so negative towards the future of the country?
Plus the fact that the candidates also have relations to past politicans kinda reminds me of something called a “monarchy.� We need to infuse new people in our political system, hence, a new way of thinking. Voting for them would be a waste since were pretty much voting for them to continue with their family’s self interests, which some could include corruption…
None of these current politicians would get my vote, TU or go otherwise. They’re all talk but no action. Do I sound pessimistic yet? Hardly. Just giving my 2 cents…
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Fr: Salina.
Nothing wrong on what you said. In fact you’re only speaking the truth. Lets face it we need to overhaul the entire corrupt justice system in order for the Philippines to move forward.
May 28th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
simple pinoy
Reading the comments here, nothing tops what this Salina is writing. Oh well, the country is what it is right now not because of GMA but because of people like Salina. Come on gal. What have you done for your country other than gripe?
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Fr: Salina.
simply pinoy: I’m not the one squatting in Malacanyang Palace. Don’t blame me with all her failures….She fail because she don’t know what the hell she’s doing. She fail because she keep lying to the filipino people. She fail because they keep robbing the country coffer.
May 28th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
simple pinoy
Hello Lanz,
I am an ordinary Filipino and I don’t feel that my rights are being curtailed by GMA. I enjoy free speech, earn my living decently, go to places I want to visit, travel anywhere I want, easily obtain my passport, buy anything legal without hassles, exercise my faith without interference, throw parties without fear, even talk freely about GMA in the most pejorative way and still I am alive, enjoying my life. What rights of ordinary Filipinos are curtailed?
Only those who want to grab power illegally or have sinister motives deserved to be worried. They are using democracy to do their undemocratic plans. Come on man, use just an iota of your common sense. Don’t be jarred by your visceral hatred for GMA.
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Fr: Salina.
Funny you say that only the people who try to grab power from her the one have problem. what do you think Gloria Arroyo, Did. She grab power from the duly elected President Joseph Estrada. And she stole it again from Fernando Poe, Jr. In May 10, 2004. Presidenti election.
She should be in jail where she belong, Not in malacanyang palace. You were saying that you can do whatever you want to do, Going out the country, Go places you want to do, Throw parties, among other thing. You have a good life. Good for you, You must have plenty of money.
May 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
ESR
If GMA had failed, its is plainly for the reason that Filipinos eat POLITICS for breakfast,lunch and dinner..Look at the japanese and chinese, look at the Americans how they build their countries??
And to all Marcos and ERAP supporters, whatever you will say and do ..HISTORY already marked MARCOS as the biggest Thief and ERAP as the worst Immoral womanizer, gambler and Dumb president the Philippines ever had. and yOU CANNOT CHANGED THAT forever!
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Fr: Salina.
Esr: Don’t blame anybody except. Gloria Arroyo. Because she’s the one running the country. Not me, Not Erap, Not even the filipino people. But, Everytime she fail she blame it to Erap and the filipino people. She must be really out of her mind.