Too sad legislative reforms that will help the economy float are affected by this premature campaign. Individuals who had declared their intention to run for the highest office in the land are more likely entrenched on how they could be made more appealing rather than focusing on the responsibilities that the electorate had entrusted to them.

Media should also play a greater responsible role towards preventing a premature campaigning; by not asking any direct inquiry that would effect a public attention to 2010 election. This would by far lessen any exposure of the individuals that might gain from premature campaigning.

What is the undercurrent for keeping 2008 “politics-free” is actually another way of saying, “Don’t count Gloria out yet for possible term extension through manipulation of Charter Change and other means come 2010.”

In other words, “Sigurado ba kayong hindi si Gloria and susunod na President o Prime Minister sa 2010 pataas?”

Well, it’s a good suggestion. One may actually ask if there is any aspect of any Filipino’s life that isn’t in anyway political or politicized?

Let’s ask Angara if he’s for Charter Change. Considering he’s a Gloria guy I think he is. Therefore, in effect, what he’s saying is that we should forget politics, forget the 2010 presidential election because it’s not going to happen, GMA is going to rule forever, and he with her. It’s a spin, a diversionary suggestion. Nice and easy. IF, on the other hand he says he is against the Cha-Cha, then my apology to the good senator, I’m sure he means well.

I don’t know what the hell they’re thinking they better make sure there is an election in 2010. As we all can see it Gloria Arroyo/cronies doing everything in their power to change the constitution law; If they’re not going to succeed Gloria Arroyo, Going to declare Martial law; In order for her to stay into her stolen power.

God forbid.

To all the Presidential wannabes,

Malayo pa ang 2010. Unahin muna ninyo ang bansa!
Puro personal ambition nyo lang ang inuuna ninyo.

Ano ba nag ginawa ninyo to increase the wages of workers and correct abuses in government.

POLITICS FREE PHILIPPINES?!?!?
It’s easier said than done. You cannot keep politics out of the Pinoy psyche. Pardon the comparison but an election is almost the same as an erection. There is much similarity to sex and politics, the only time one stop thinking about it is just right after it.

Yes those hopefuls are realizing now that they are unwanted by the people.
Our country needs a change and we want a Hero !!!
A hero who can instilled discipline on the people to follow laws of the land.
The hero is there and we are the ones craving for him to run because we know he can deliver.
He is not campaigning but it is us who needs to see change in our system are the wants campaigning to thwart those wannabees who dont have political will to make the necessay changes to make a better philippines.
Go Bayani Go !!!
SA ikauunlad ng Bayan
Isang Bayani ang kailangan !!!!

How to cure a sick culture

One aspect of my job as an Engineering & Manufacturing Technology Specialist is to find ways to improve the process. When a negative trend occurs, a root cause analysis is required to prevent reoccurrence, inform the workforce, and improve the culture. With this in mind, I decided to write this article after witnessing a number of incidents that showed a negative cultural trend. These incidents happened in the Los Angeles area in the early 1990s, but similar situations occurred among Filipino organizations in other cities in the U.S.
The events concerned three local organizations: the alumni associations of the University of the Philippines and Ateneo University, as well as Radyo Pinoy (a CB radio hobby group). These groups had similar experiences. They had normal disagreements, but what followed wasn’t. Instead of making up by finding common ground, some members decided to quit and form rival groups. In one case, the feud was serious enough that it ended in court! In Radyo Pinoy’s situation, new chapters sprung up as a result of internal conflicts. In a five-mile radius, there were 5 chapters. This was extraordinary because distance or communications were non-factors. CB’s range thousands of miles and every member owned cars. Yet they couldn’t find common ground to unite. This wasn’t normal for educated people for education teaches unity based on common goals. This spurred me to do a root cause analysis for such odd behavior and take appropriate action to reverse the trend.
I was disappointed when the cause led to the second most popular national hero, Andres Bonifacio, my idol since Philippine Science High. If heroes were meant to be role models, then the members of these fractious organizations were consciously or subconsciously imitating the infamous act that led to Bonifacio’s execution. In that incident, Bonifacio attempted to split the revolutionary movement by forming a rival group after loosing the leadership. With its possible impact on Filipinos, I decided to research whether Bonifacio deserved to be a national hero or villain. The results were more disappointments. What Bonifacio did reflects the modern ills of Philippine society. Here are some of the results in timeline.
- July 7, 1892, Katipunan, the secret organization that will eventually lead the fight for Philippine independence was founded in Manila by a group of natives. The first president or supremo was Deodato Arellano. Bonifacio was the first comptroller.
- Feb. 1893, Roman Basa replaced Deodato Arellano for being ineffective.
- 1894, Tomas Remigio accused Andres Bonifacio of mismanaging Katipunan funds.
- Early 1895, Andres Bonifacio deposed Roman Basa as supremo due to disagreements over the management of Katipunan funds and personal issues.
- Aug. 19, 1896, Teodoro Patino exposed the Katipunan to Father Jil of Tondo. It was Bonifacio’s idea to implicate innocent Filipinos who wished to remain neutral by drafting fake documents against them. More than 500 were imprisoned, tortured, or executed based on pretext.
- Aug. 29, 1896 – Bonifacio failed to give the signal for a coordinated uprising at midnight. He overslept. Bonifacio’s tardiness was partially blamed for their defeat.
- Early Dec. 1896, 2,000 soldiers and 6,000 rifles arrived from Spain. On Dec. 17, Bonifacio went to Cavite in order to settle the feud between the two dominant Katipunan factions, the Magdalo and the Magdiwang. It was written that Bonifacio already lost the fight in his areas of Manila and Morong. According to two Jesuit historians, Andres lost all twenty-seven (27) of his battles. The last province left able to fight was Cavite. Andres would be welcomed at the border by Emilio Aguinaldo and Edilberto Evangelista. Emilio would later get elected as the first president of the republic. Edilberto, a native of Manila with an engineering degree from Belgium, would later die from a sniper’s bullet. Edilberto was responsible for training the natives in trench warfare. Emilio Aguinaldo and other prominent Magdalo’s wished for Edilberto the presidency because he was educated and effective. It was reported after that meeting that Aguinaldo & Evangelista had the same impression. That Bonifacio acted like “parang Diyos” one who suffers from god complex. The 27 defeats weren’t enough to humble the supremo.
- Dec. 29, 1896 – the first attempt (the 2nd would be Tejeros Convention) to consolidate the Katipunan factions through an election was held in the house of Baldomero Aguinaldo (then leader of Magdalo) in Imus. The event quickly fell apart thanks to Andres Bonifacio’s lack of decorum, divisive action and arrogance. From the onset, Andres invited himself to the presidential table, as well as his Magdiwang allies, to sit with him (the Magdiwang’s was led by Mariano Alvarez, a relative of Bonifacio’s wife). Andres then proceeded to preside over the occasion without allowing the homeowner and leader of the rival Magdalo faction to say anything. It was total insult. The meeting was called off without resolution.
- Feb. 16, 1897, Edilberto Evangelista, who was supposedly out of range from the ongoing battle in Binakayan, was killed by a sniper’s bullet. It was suspected to be an assassin hired by Bonifacio, because Edilberto was the biggest threat to Bonifacio’s leadership at this point.
- March 1897, Bonifacio prevented Magdiwang fighters from reinforcing the Magdalo’s who were fighting a major battle. Bonifacio went to the extent of threatening bodily harm to whoever disobeyed him. In another incident, Bonifacio handed out cash like it was his, to the Magdiwang forces that won a battle. The money came from Katipunan funds because Bonifacio was poor.
- March 22, 1897, Tejeros convention/election was held. A great majority of voters were Bonifacio’s men and his Magdiwang allies. The result, all elected officers except the presidency were Magdiwang’s. Emilio Aguinaldo, the only Magdalo and president-elect, was absent during this event; he was leading his men in the battle of Salitran. Bonifacio didn’t win any post because even his own men knew he was incapable of leading. This was an example of democracy that worked because it was able to expel the ineffective without bloodshed.
- March 24, 1897 Gen. Crispulo Aguinaldo (Emilio’s brother), who assumed command in order for Emilio to take his oath of office, was killed in the battle of Salitran.
- April 29-30, 1897, during the trial of the Bonifacio brothers in Naic, it was divulged that Andres refused to honor the result of the Tejeros Convention. That Andres tried to form a splinter group and paid an assassin to kill Emilio Aguinaldo.
- May 10, 1897, the Bonifacio brothers were executed for treason.
- Early 20th century, the Bonifacio letters were touched up, improved, or forged.
- 1932, Philippine Congress declared Nov. 30 Bonifacio Day, one of only two national holidays named after individuals (the other was Jose Rizal).
Before passing judgement, I’d like to share this story for perspective. It happened to a country with better unity and loyalty. Thanks to farsighted founding fathers that understood their choice of heroes and villains will likely become the blueprint for the national conscience.
It involved the most brilliant general of the American Revolution. A man who won so many battles that if not for a bullet to the leg that ended his military career, he could have taken Canada for the US. In one victory, they were outnumbered 20-to-1. Yet, this man turned traitor for he tried to set the capture of George Washington to the British. His name was Benedict Arnold. There’s a statue of his likeness in New York State without his name. For even today, the name Benedict Arnold stands for treachery, the biggest obstacle to nation building. The Americans anticipated the consequences if Arnold got a favorable verdict; his bad example would be copied. I believe the negative cultural pattern in the Philippines was the result of Bonifacio being declared a national hero. Comparing outcomes, it’s obvious the American founding fathers made the right call. They had the foresight to anticipate that elevating a man guilty of treason to hero status was like poisoning the mind or injecting virus to a computer. The result will be total system failure. By branding Arnold a traitor, American founding fathers started a positive cultural pattern for future generations to follow. Comparing Arnold’s plan to sell Washington to the British and Bonifacio’s idea of starting a civil war in the midst of revolution would be like surgical cut to major depopulation. Yet as bloody as Bonifacio’s plan was compared to Arnold, Bonifacio became a Philippine national hero while Arnold the unofficial “national villain” of America! The Americans knew the importance of setting high standards for their heroes.
It’s worth noting Bonifacio’s character traits, for his mirrors the worst in modern Philippine society. I’m referring to the pride, divisiveness, corruption, crab-mentality, and last but not least, selfishness. For it was said that all sins stem’s from selfishness. Bonifacio deserved to be called the most selfish revolutionary of his generation. He chose self-interest over greater the good. For this, he shouldn’t be considered a true warrior. With these in mind, it could be said that the congressional act of 1932 was the catalyst for the corruption of modern Filipino psyche (pilipit na katwiran). For that irresponsible stroke of legislative pen pried the pegs of reason and virtue off the cultural foundation, plunging the country into dysfunction. For morality and critical thinking was replaced by what could be termed the Andres Bonifacio complex. These are splitting the organization to form a rival group, showing extreme pride after committing shameful acts and refusing to relinquish power. His elevation to heroism condemned future generations to unjust suffering by holding on to wrongful or superficial values. Isn’t it amazing how a talented hard-working people, with solid basics at hand by the middle of the 20th century, managed to squander everything? It’s like inheriting a bad habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
In case this article offends any one, please accept my apologies. I felt this obligation to reverse the trend for the sons and daughters of the Philippines to have a better future. On the other hand, if you see its merit, please contact your legislators: the senators, congressmen and women, to undo what the Philippine Congress did in 1932. It is time to cast the name Andres Bonifacio from the roster of Philippine national heroes. A decent country deserves a better role model than a “hero” with a legacy of conceit, deceit and defeat.

Dante G. Balacanao, Los Angeles, Ca.

Look who’s talking!
Coming from someone who ran but lost in the presidential elections, Angara’s advice will hardly merit the presidentiables’ attention. As any politician will agree, it’s never too early to campaign. The campaign period starts right after every election, both for the winner but more so for the loser.

It is better that we as electorates, get to know who will be in the running so that we can gauge them better in how they are performing in their current positions, i.e. initiating reforms.

Eat your heart out, you had your chance but lost it.

Rzaid

Ang media ang may kasakanan ng pagsadlak natin sa kangkungan. Wala silang binabalita kundi yaong mga walaang kuwentang politiko na wala naman nagawa kundi nagpuna gayong noong sila ay may kapangyarihan ay wala silang nagawa para magbsgo ang bansa, panay batikos at sa batikos sila namuhunan na sinag ayunan naman ng media. magbasa ka ng mga balita panay basura ang laman kaya basura din ang napupulot ng masa kaya ngayon basura pa rin tayo. Sana ay matuto na tayo at magkaisa sa isang Bayani para magbago ang ating bansa. Yan ang taong may nagawa at subok na di paris ng iba dada lang ng dada. Mabuhay ka Bayani volunteer kami sa iyo.!!!

Great historical analysis by Dante B.
A deeper dig at Pinoy divisiveness would be more psycho-social, since very few actually know about Bonifacio’s toxic innards.
Somehow, our geography and economic history has shaped our values such that we as a people work to play instead of rest to work. In a clear departure from “magpanibago tayo ng lakas, para sa araw ng bukas”, we splurge the very day after we receive our wages. On what? Games, amusements, recreation, eating and drinking. That’s what it’s all about … at least for the dominant malay side of us. The industrious opposite facet of our psyche is chinese, but that is recessive. The pompous aspect is iberian, represented by measly demographics, but surprisingly significant in its impact on our culture. Our politics are marked by the “Bonifacio Syndrome”, but our mass-culture is best represented by “gamers” and Rizal’s De Espadaña couple.
We are a playful, pretentious people. Just look at our obsession with betting, horse races, gameboy, barbie, pokemon, nintendo, Game KNB, etc, that we never really outgrow! As an escape from misery,
Filipinos have developed a penchant for dialectics, competition, gaming, contention.
At whatever level of social interaction, Pinoys will find a way to locate the protagonists and taunt them into a cockfight.
That’s it: Our work ethic is a game, and our politics no more than a cockfight.
The same disastrous result is too much competition, and very little co-operation.
[Aw, alright. GK could be an exception. But that's not us. It's rather how we ought to be.]

In response to Dante G. Balacanao’s post.

Well said sir and very well researched. I’m one of those who’s really sick and tired of all the Bonifacio propaganda - while he of course deserves the honour due him as founder of the Katipunan he certainly wasn’t a great thinker and definitely NOT a great general - if anything he was little more than a jumped up clerk with delusions of grandeur. It was Aguinaldo whose leadership held the revolution together from the first victories at Imus to the truce of Biak Na Bato yet today Aguinaldo is damned by an utterly ignorant and miseducated people as a traitor and murderer. It’s really unfair to the man who, like it or not, was most responsible for ensuring that this particular uprising would not go the way of most of the other uprisings against Spain in the past.

It’s interesting that you bring up Benedict Arnold in the article. It’s a strange and sad twist of fate that one of America’s best generals of the period would become her synonym for Judas Iscariot. Ultimately he was very badly treated by the Continental Congress and he felt that he didn’t get the honours due to him. Yet for all that he did a heck of a lot better than Bonifacio - he led the attack on Ticonderoga along with Ethan Allen, he fought at Valcour Bay and burned his ships to the waterline rather than surrender and was, more than the otherwise talentless Horatio Gates, responsible for America’s first strategic victory at Saratoga - where he lost his leg. Bonifacio on the other hand lost every engagement he led - it’s really a travesty that the GMA Film epic JOSE RIZAL showed him winning the fiasco of San Juan del Monte. Dream on Bonifacionistas dream on.

Mabuhay po kayo!
Tom

I guess that all of us, including those politicians, should start become an example to the children and children’s children of the Philippines for our future’s sake.

Balacanao: read some books before you blather. You’ve been bamboozled by the Magdalo gang.

What the Magdalo brigade, who on this very page exhibit elitism at its worst, has kept from the public eye is that Aguinaldo repeatedly negotiated with the Spanish and claimed leadership of the revolution even then.

Vested interests, all there is. Aguinaldo’s descendants are prominent in local government or beyond. Bonifacio’s relatives, where are they now?

Alam na halos lahat ng Pilipino ang sistema ng election sa bansa, isa ako sa may kaunting kaalaman kung ano ang mangyayari sa darating na election sa 2010, masakit man sabihin ay nakalalamang na ito ang mangyayari, ang ihahalal ng taong bayan na nakararami ay iyong kandidato na may magbibigay sa kanila ng pangtawid gutom sa kanilang sarili at sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay, kung nabubuhay si Rizal at si Ninoy Aquino at walang ibibigay sa mga tao para sila iboto ay hindi sila mananalo, sabi nga nila ay ” makakain ba ika ang salamat” hindi ko sila masisisi, may mga kakaibang katangian ang isang kandidato ngayon,kaysa panahon namin noon, sa ngayon bago ka kumandidato ay isipin mo muna kung gaano karami ang salapi mo at kung kaya mong gastusin ito, pangalawa, anong klaseng pandaraya ang gagawin mo para ka manalo, pangatlo ay kaya mo bang iligpit lahat ang mga katungali mo sa ano man klaseng paraan, kung mayroon kang ganitong plataforma ay maari ka ng sumabak sa darating na election, ganito ng kalala ang politika sa atin.