And the Underground goes, Chooo-Choooo!! (updated)

The Administration is still at it!

In keeping with its usual policy of appearing to be confident about its position, whilst launching an off-the-record battle to "win" or convert its detractors with who-knows-what juicy offers (or maybe, for some, just blatant threats), they have now quite successfully gotten a host of personalities to "see the light" (see things their way; speak things their way); in order of relative recency:


[update 1-DEC-05]-----
Archbishop Rosales received a 1Million Peso donation from President Arroyo less than a month after the CBCP issued its Sobriety stand in July. Sorry i couldnt find the story posted on inq7.net, but its on the front page of today's (Dec.1,2005) Inquirer.
[end of update]-------

1. Pimentel - The Senate Minority Leader is now backing the administration in its bid for Charter Change through a Constituent Assembly. Malacanang is even hoping that more senators do the same.

2. Juan Ponce Enrile - Switched sides. Got a deal with the Environment Bureau where he got a permit to restart logging operations in Samar.

3. The Administration/ConCom has also been dangling offers to the business sector, as well as political leaders in Visayas and Mindanao, to get their support for the change in charter. Something for everyone! yum!

4. T.Sgt.Doble

5. Just learned from this article that Archbishops Vidal and Capalla - current and former leaders of the CBCP, were summoned for dinner at Malacanang just a few nights before the CBCP issued its July statement. That statement, calling for "sobriety", was widely believed to have taken a lot of heat off the administration.

With the opposition being threatened with a tell-all from the newly resurrected Garci, lets see if Pimentel will hold on to that #1 spot for long. I get the feeling I'll have to update this particular entry sometime soon. [personally, i think we should put all cheats, administration and opposition, in a boiling cauldron and have them fed to the poor and the hungry. but thats just me...]

I'm sure to have missed out on a lot of names. Just picking these from my memory. Pls post a comment so these can be more complete.
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I have to wonder what the AFP supposedly "found out" as a result of its internal investigation (which has just been concluded) on the contents of the Hello Garci tapes, which tagged some high ranking military officials in aiding the cheating operations during the May 2004 elections. I have to doubt if they can come up with anything relevant or even minutely resembling the truth.
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The Black & White Movement today put out an ad for some gathering on the 30th of November. I just hope this movement succeeds where the Opposition has failed--cleaning up its own ranks. I dont know much about the convenors of the movement. But I sure hope they dont have their own Jinggoy's or Imee's.
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On the lighter side of the news, Mozilla's internet brower, Firefox, is getting an overhaul! Not that I'm unhappy with the current one. (I'm not!) But improvement is always good. Best features it currently has are the built in customizable search engines (much better than any IE toolbar you can get), tabbed browsing, and the built-in RSS feed catcher! What will they think about next?

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The Return of the Peso, The Garci, and The Brenda

Looks like the Philippine Peso is making some headway after months of taking a beating. Its good, although not unexpected, especially with regard to the number of OFW's the Philippines is fielding. With Christmas just around the corner, they will be remitting more in the coming weeks. The highs that the dollar reached against the peso in the previous months have been an added incentive too. With the improved remittance services being offered by the financial sector, more and more of them are coursing their money through the formal channels, which in turn makes the banks awash with cash. so yay! interest rates are down and the bsp sees no need to borrow further (and is even contemplating not pushing through with the remaining scheduled tbill auctions!) GMA seems to be having a field day with the developments though, but I dont give her credit. The OFW's are doing the work. [update:Go Figure doesn't give credit to the Government either. Read his entry: The Peso's Recent Surge]
But look who's trumpeting the success of the RVAT now? Anyone remember how she tried to backtrack on the implementation of the RVAT when she was threatened? Trying to put herself in between she could claim "i told you so" whichever way the economy goes.

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I was apalled to read a newspaper article that Miriam might become a Chief Justice. I didnt know that the Chief Justice is himself a nominate. Thought you get nominated to become a justice, but who becomes chief is settled by the justices. But anyway, pardon my ignorance. Worse, Sen. Pangilinan, himself a member of the JBC, planned to extend the nomination deadline just to accommodate Santiago. (The JBC has today published those to be interviewed for the position: Quisimbing, Panganiban, & Puno. Try watching the interviews Dec1&2 if you can. Its supposedly public.) I do have serious concerns as to what Wisdom and Justice this woman will bring to the land's highest court. But *sigh of relief*, the JBC has voted against accommodating her late nomination.

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Archbishop Rosales basically tells us to wait until Jesus comes to judge GMA. Well, we've been waiting for more than two thousand years. A lot of evil has happened, great evils indeed, and i doubt Christ will come just to unleash lighting upon those who do injustice. At least not anytime soon. The archbishop's words:

I'm not taking sides. To me, whether or not there is a problem, a war, or someone lied, cheated or stole, let's put that aside.

Now, is this our archbishop speaking? Seems like more and more religious are keeping their eyes and ears closed (like Capalla). The church has, since the start of this crisis, never unanimously and conclusively provided any guidance. Only sporadic declarations here and there. Prudence, or vested interests? Its anyone's guess.

Lets be positive; let us stress what good the people do

No doubt we need to keep a balanced eye nowadays on practically everything thrown at us. But what concerns me is that the quote above sounds too much like the "winner" mantra of some lady who was lecturing the media a few weeks back.

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I dont like the way some people are turning the Subic rape case into a battle of female against male, with the prosecution fielding an all-female team and the defense fielding the opposite. I am sure men find rape just as oppressive as women find it. Maybe its just me, maybe it's just a coincidence.

Newsweek has an article about the growing changes towards global feminine empowerment. (sorry, I can't remember the title nor the author.) It had practically every recent development from Merkel to Johnson-Sirleaf to support its thesis. No Arroyo.

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And now.... To the all-important issue of:
The Return of the Garci

The administration is once again poised to bring upon us its favorite mantra of "following the rule of law." The stage has been set for Garci's reappearance. Just a week more of waiting for the administration to iron out the creases. And as usual, to make sure it doesnt create too big a stir, they have the Speaker-in-Waiting Rep. Pitchay to announce his return, ala trial balloon. If things get too bad before the big show, Garci could always keep hiding "because of safety concerns." But anyway, when he does reappear, there will be a congressional inquiry since they have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. But wait, just when you thought you might be getting the truth out of this, you remember that the sharp and jagged committee heads have all been "filed" so that it wont hurt too much when the inquiry pretends to "bite". I can just imagine when the smirking Garcilliano reads out his line: "Ouch!" Oh, Pitchay says that Garci has come up with a book too. Anyway, lets just watch the show the administration puts on for all of us. Manolo Quezon sees perfect timing in the development of these events. Especially with Christmas very close and the impending change in CBCP leadership.

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Venecian Pitchay Pie

Looks like something's brewing in congress!

Here's Ricky Carandang's take on Speaker Pitchay.

Well, here's my take on the looming fight between now Speaker JDV and Rep. Prospero Pitchay:
There's nothing like watching a bout of two people you are BOTH NOT routing for. If only this thing wouldn't affect us all eventually, I'd actually be happy these two calculating opportunists were fighting.

But alas! If only.

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Oldies but NOT Goodies

Today's Inquirer banner reads:
'Hello Garci' scandal closed book - Palace

Yeah, right! Hell no! She did wrong, and everyone knows it. But whats interesting is this: my mom reads the same article and quips: "Dapat lang na isara na yan, ang gulo-gulo lang nila!" (roughly translates to: "Hell, yeah! It's about time! Them good for nothings have created nothing but a huge mess!")

I find it very hard to accept things like this, but I noticed it is mostly the older people who think like this. I say we raise hell just to find out what really happened. All the oldies want is to live out the rest of their life in peace, just enjoy it. But as for me, I have practically my entire life still ahead of me (granting this political episode doesn't substantially shorten my life expectancy). I think it will be very hard NOW, but in the long run fighting it out will reap better rewards. The problem is that the oldies simply have nothing to gain by fighting it out, so they see no point in doing so. Let's face it, the oldies may not be around for the "long run."

If only they can look past their own generation.

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