Circus, Circus!

Well, I guess today's score goes to the Palace spinners. They just managed to make fools out of every single one of those that are a threat to them:
1. the thinking military
2. the media
3. civil society and opposition politicians
4. (Except for the cunning FVR) all notorious ex-presidents and/or their brood including the marcos group, the estrada/ejercito group, and the cory group.


Col. Querubin was duped into admitting publicly that there was in fact a plan by them to march along with the protest crowds last friday, the 24th (which happens to conveniently support the supposed reasons for PP1017). Well, official story makes the col. a stupid uninformed soldier who didnt know what he was talking about. Of course, Maj. Gen. Miranda will really be the one who will have the real story at this point. It is good though that the Marines have sorted this whole thing out themselves and kept their ranks in line, and that Querubin has decided that now is not the time. Hopefully, they live to fight another day.

As for the media, the Palace has always asserted that the media is sensationalizing things, and todays events have really made that point, with no less than the ANC providing minute by minute accounts and footage of practically everything that happened on site. Their anchors being reduced to reporting on rumors, scuttlebutt, speculation, and hearsay, for lack of anything better --and nothing much coming out of the soldiers' lips. They were practically putting words into the mouths of the people they were interviewing, and they end it with, "is this what you're saying?"!
(por ehemplo: "So Querubin is lying, is this what you're saying?")

Well, civilians were duped into going there to "defend" the supposedly renegade soldiers, somewhat akin to the edsa1 defense of Ramos and Enrile. (Media actually dubbed the human ring around Querubin something like Civilian Security Volunteers, perhaps wanting to coin terms for future history books, had this been the turning point so painfully awaited. it would have proven to be a good one for the books though, the words being carefully picked. well, would have.) Suddenly the Marine HQ was the place to be, with personality upon personality arriving, wanting to be there when the next people power happens. Tito Sotto, the LaSalle Brother, nuns, Sen. Biazon, Sen. Jun Magsaysay to name a few...

And lastly, the ex-presidents' gang. Cory was there, to pray she says, along with her whole minion of zerglings. Imee Marcos, eeeww (for lack of anything better to say about her.) JV Ejercito was making statements on national tv.

(i would be even more impressed with Palace spinners if this whole show was in their planning. seems like everything somehow conveniently worked to their advantage)

Well, i guess everyone thought that this was going to be it! But it didnt prove to be so. And they ended up the idiots. But, like i said, hopefully they cut their losses now to fight another day. We fight another day.

I have said it before somewhere in the blogosphere:
I dont find Arroyo to be a worthy antagonist. But neither are those genuinely and honestly opposed to her rule proving to be worthy adversaries. The opposition needs to clean its ranks. Imee, JV, Jinggoy and their cronies have no place in a real people power. All they want is payback. Thats not what I want. Gusto ko ng mas mabuting Pilipinas. At wala akong balak gumawa ng mga panandaliang alyansa para lang matupad ang mga maliliit na pagsulog. Kelangan nating maghanap ng mga maprinsipyong kasama sa ating paglalakbay. The enemy of my enemy will not necessarily be a friend.

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On Ricky Carandang's blog, Dean Jorge Bocobo urges us to openly debate about our situation, especially with the international community. It does seem like the official government line is making more rounds on the international scene, especially with the then-Filipinos. (read this as an example) I know it would be unfair to criticize the opinions of the Filipinos abroad by arguing that they aren't getting their facts straight or that they aren't able to feel the sentiments on the ground. But I would be lying if I said it doesnt feel that way. Let's try to openly discuss our sentiments with them and with the international community as well. We dont expect the international press to give this much coverage, (the Philippines not exactly being more than just a blip on international radar) which is why the need to debate becomes all the more important. We all have a lot to learn.