Foot-(in-the)-Mouth Disease

(Freudian and not-so-Freudian slips from the powers that be which made me raise my eyebrow a meter and a half high)


“We expect patients from every class and political spectrum.” (patients who can afford your world-class standards.)

-Jose F.G. Ledesma, SLMC president and CEO
On SLMC’s 2nd branch in the Global City


“They are all brand new and state of the art, but I think the charges are also state of the art.” (Excactly.)

-Noli De Castro, Vice President
On SLMC’s 2nd branch in the Global City


“In spirit and in substance, what I have done for my district cannot be denied,” (Uh-uh)

-Jules Ledesma, Congressman
On being “most notorious chronic absentee” in Congress

“It’s not about President Macapagal-Arroyo making the appointment.” (I argree, it’s about fairness and delicadeza which PGMA has nothing of.)

-Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera
On PGMA appointing CJ Puno’s successor.



“We should be thankful that Gloria Arroyo is the president, otherwise the economy would be in an even worse situation.” (Tell that to millions who are jobless and can’t even afford a decent meal save for noodles and sardines.)

Jose Salceda, Albay Gov. and Presidential adviser on economic affairs.
On the Philippine economy

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EDSA DOS : Part 2 OF JANUARIES

The closest I’ve come to the First Quarter Storm is my experience in EDSA 2.

You can say EDSA 2 is my political maturation. It came on my third year in college, more than a year after my very first, and rather innocent, taste of political activism.

I remember that months before January 16, the very first day of almost a week long EDSA 2, there has been a steady rise of political activities inside the campus. More and more students are signing up in signatures drives to petition the government to allot more budget for education instead of the All-Out War in Mindanao. “BOOKS NOT BULLETS!” the studentry said. Each day, teachers became more accomodating to activists who knock on their doors during class to ask for a short audience with her/his class, to shortly discuss some issues and invite the class to a mass meeting, a discussion group or a forthcoming rally.

By the second semester, when the campaign is heating up, I had to make the difficult choice of dropping my Bio 11. I thought, better to drop it than receive a 5. However, when January came and students and teachers, non-academic personnel and others were pouring out of the campus and into the streets, towards the EDSA Shrine, teachers were assuring the students that everyone would receive a passing grade if the campaign drags on.

On that fateful night of January 16, when the impeachment court voted against opening the 2nd envelop, I wasn’t part of the people who launched instant noise barrages. I had just come home from school when I received the message from the text brigade to converge at EDSA. I opted to stay in, turn on the television and be part of the growing text brigade.

The following morning, I am ready to go out by 6 am. Before I was out of the door, my parents gave their blessing for the first time for my political activism. It was a very good feeling.

On the trip to the school, I proudly wore my “OUST ERAP!” pin. In Quezon Hall, students and their teachers were already there. We cannot possibly fit into the jeepneys we can readily hire. We made the decision to march from Quezon Hall to EDSA Shrine. We were approximately 5,000 all in all.

The next day, our numbers swelled to 15,000. And everyday, our numbers keep on rising.

Under the sweltering heat of the tropical sun magnified by the concrete jungle, we marched the length of EDSA chanting “Erap, Resign!” and “Sumama na Kayo!” to the cheering crowd along the highway. People lined up along the streets and cheered us on. They honked their cars and buses to the tune of our chants. It was a very heartwarming feeling when you see that you and the people are one in this historical fight.

I spent most of my days in EDSA, going home only before the sun rose to take a refreshing bathm, then it’s off to school once again to march with the students.

On the fourth night of the EDSA vigil, the closest allies of Erap have withdrawn their support. Confetti poured. The jubilitation is high. Onstage, the speaker relatedly that the anti-Erap united front is still deciding on whether to push through with the march to Malacanang or just stay in EDSA. We were consolidating our ranks by the SEC building, talking about the day, about the march, about the plans. Just across us, a church group, Youth for Christ, is having a street party. But the fight is far from over. Talks were rife that Erap is getting ready to escape the people’s wrath. If people slip into complacency, Erap might very well do another Marcos and escape to another country, far from the reaches of the popular masses. I nearly cried in frustration. As certain as they’re having a party, Erap is maneuvering to freedom. This is no time to party, it is time to be vigilant and firm.

At about 3 am, word reached us that while most leaders decided to stay in EDSA Shrine and await Erap’s final moment there. The ND forces, however, decided to bring the fight and the people closer to the proverbial seat of power. By 5 am, we were organising our forces and our fellow students who stayed overnight. We started marching towards Malacanang at 7 am. I don’t know our exact number but we were one long line of militant marchers, waving red banners and chanting slogans. We arrived in Malacanang at about 12 noon.

And the rest they say is history.

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Of Januaries

First of three parts




For most people, Januaries are off to a slow start which can be attributed to the lingering scent of Christmas in the cold amihan. There are also enterprising individuals, mostly politicians, use this general public lethargy to slip in resolutions and what have that would have reaped loud protestations if done in ordinary times. Still there are also explosive Januaries in our recent history.

By explosive Januaries, I mean circumstances that have gained a prominent space in our history. I can recall only three, though there can be many others, the first quarter storm in the 1970’s, the mendiola massacre in the 1980’s and the Edsa 2 in 2001. Of the three, I can give a personal account only about Edsa 2, of which I am a part of. For the other two, I have only read and heard about it.




THE FIRST QUARTER STORM

On January 26 1970, more than 50,000 demonstrators converged in Congress. This was after Marcos delivered his “State of the Nation Address” which was found wanting by the people. The 50,000 throng, composed mainly of students, is a fitting rebuff to Marcos’ SONA and US Vice President Agnew. Of course, just like EDSA 1 and 2, a demonstration this big did not happen overnight.

For years militants have clamored for social justice and reforms that consistently fall on deaf ears and lying mouths. The Laurel-Langley Agreement which is essentially the same as the Bell Trade Act is scheduled to be terminated come 1974. It was renewed and the trade policies heavily favoring US cntinued to be implemented. The Marcos’ regime has already approved the Investment Incentives Act ang the Magna Carta of Social Justice and Economic Freedom which is deliberately cloaked with “nationalist” propaganda but which grant US monopolies all the legal phrases they can use to impose their economic and political domination. Marcos, having begun his Bagong Lipunan vision, has already incurred extremely huge budgetary deficit and foreign debt.

That day, 7,000 policemen and troops were unleashed on the demonstrators. These state forces used brutal “anti-riot” methods against the protesters. They were trained by the AID Public Safety Division and by special “counterinsurgency”agents of the JUSMAG. The mass of students retaliated in self-defense.

It was clear as day that the January 26 protest of 50,000 people is merely the pening salvo of a bigger struggle.

True enough, a bigger mass protest which was participated in by more than 76 universities, colleges and highschools in and around Manila, was held on January 30 until the wee hours of January 31. This time, the protesters converged in fron of Malacanang, the seat of power, albeit local, itself.

The militant students commandeered a firetruck to break through Malacanang’s main gate. They also commandeered a bus to break the line of Metrocom men. Army and police vehicles did not escape their tit of tat response to the police’s brutal dispersal tactics.

All the while, the patriotic demonstrators shouted slogans condemining the brutality of the state and called on the workers, peasants, students ang progressive intellectuals to unite against US imperialism among others.

Many wounded demonstrators were taken in and treated by the residents in the area who sympathized and were inspired by the courageous upheaval of the students.

The protests didn’t die down when January ended. On the contrary, it continued well into February and March. As the protests grew in number and zeroed in on the its chief targets, the Malacanang and the US Embassy, so did the police ranks which consequently meant a rise in human rights violations not only against the protesters but against innocent bystanders and residents. In the course of this fiery actions, five students have given their lives, countless others have sustained heavy beating and other wounds.

The First Quarter Storm went down in history as proof of what our national hero, Jose Rizal, said about the youth being the hope of the nation, as it was led mostly by students. Militants however are careful to claim that the students are the key to genuine social change. The FQS, although composed mainly of students, saw the participation of a significant number of workers and peasants. The humble origins of the FQS participants belie the depth of their understanding and rage against US imperialism which is ultimately the root of all evil.

Eman Lacaba’s Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage details this fateful event. If your are interested in knowing more about this, you can ask about it from your Tibak friends, scour the Popular Bookstore at Tomas Morato, or your friendly mainstream bookstore might just carry it. I think it has been reprinted, meaning it gained more following, so it might be a little pricier now.

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Foot-(in-the)-Mouth Disease

(Freudian and not-so-Freudian slips from the powers that be which made me raise my eyebrow a meter and a half high)




“We will surely have automated elections.”

-Jose Melo, Comelec Chairman
On the recent hacking of government websites, backlogged teachers’ training and the delayed arrival of counting machines.


“This meeting is being convened so there will be a national consensus …. on the importance of ensuring 2010 elections will be held as scheduled and that they be transparent and credible (emphasis mine).”
-Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, “President”
On the upcoming elections


“That’s destiny.”

-Joseph Estrada, Deposed President
On retuning to Malacanang in six months time


“She is definitely an example of a strong, independent woman.”

-Jessica Cox, Fil-Am pilot
On GMA


“When you go against Malacañang, you have to be tough and steel yourself because the President is vengeful.”
-Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson, Nueva Ecija
On double murder charges against Lacson

“The state must give priority to education, science and technology, arts and culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development. (Emphasis mine.)”
-Republic Act No. 9850 declaring Arnis as National Martial Art

“That’s what you get when you are in power.”
-Rep. Danilo Suarez, Quezon
On GMA’s almost half a billion peso expenditure on her district


“How can you be a good president if you cannot take care of the needs of even your own district?”

-Rep. Mikey Arroyo, Pampanga
On her mother’s almost half a billion peso expendture on her district.


‘I want to be king again’

- Joseph Estrada, Deposed President
On the upcoming elections

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Foot-(in-the)-Mouth Disease

(Freudian and not-so-Freudian slips from the powers that be which made me raise my eyebrow a meter and a half high)

Whatever is the title of the song that starts with “It’s now time to make a change….” A song that is a kind of discussion between a father and a son, where the son goes “from the moment I could talk, I was ordered to listen…” which is very true.

There are so many things that people want to talk about but cannot. Workers want to talk about how they lost their jobs, maybe even their limbs. Mothers want to talk about how creative they are to make do P50 for a family of five. Drivers want to talk about how little net income they get to take home after the paying for the gasoline and daily boundary of the jeepney, cab or bus they’re taking out. Students want to talk about how they weren’t allowed to take the final exams beacause of an outstanding balance. People want to know why they keep on getting short end of the stick when they were assured time and again that everything is fair and just.

But they don’t get to do this sometimes, or even at all. Because are being pushed to silence by their upbringing, beliefs and often times by the state. Since 2001 almost a hundred journalists have been killed. There have been 1,118 extrajudicical killings, 204 enforced dissapearances and numerous others tortured.

The State, however, has and uses every means to perpetuate itself and the things it believes in no matter how wrong or skewed it may be. It has many image consultants, advisers and what have you whose main goal is to make the State look lovable, caring, compassionate, which it is not. It has access to the tri-media and can impose a news black out on any issue it deems too harsh to its image. And when the dam of lies could not be contained anymore, send in the spin doctors to lie about the dam of lies.

This fact made me want to compile the long list of “quotable quotes” by those from the government which could be a Freudian slip or a calculated move on their part. And so, this Friday and every Friday thereafter (I promise, I’ll try to be religious about this), I will post some of these quips that I found amusing during the week. I encourage you, dear readers, to add to this roster of fine politicism.

**********

“We keep coming back to the same principle—equal application of the law, equal application of regulations for everyone in this particular case.” (This principle seems selective of its application, if Olivar has not yet noticed.)

-Gary Olivar, Presidential Spokesperson

On the Ampatuan’s VIP treatment in jail

“I will give it (Comelec) an 8 [out of 10]. I’m very confident that there will be automated elections.” (That’s it, positive thinking, come on now.)

-Jose Melo, Comelec Chairman

On Comelec “level of readiness” even as the Commission is months behind it’s election calendar.

“We leave it up to Congress to proceed on this issue as best as they see fit in their collective wisdom as legislators.” (That is, if wisdom resides in them.)

-Gary Olivar, Presidential Spokesperson

On Congress making final Con-Con push

“Not guilty.” (And his nose grew a thousand mile-long.)

-Andal Ampatuan Jr.

On his arraignment for 41 counts of murder

“The President is not popular, but this doesn’t mean that she’s a failure.” (Hahahahahahahaha!)

-Gary Olivar, Presidential Spokesperson

On GMA’s sinking popularity

“She governs for posterity.” (Two meanings: for ALL future generations and for all of SOMEBODY’S generations, which is which?)

-Gary Olivar, Presidential Spokesperson

On GMA’s sinking popularity

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Tragedies : GMA's Silverlining for CHACHA

Right smack in the middle of preparations for the Yuletide Season, when the nation has been struck by news of the Maguindanao Massacre and the sinking of two vessels MV Baleno 9 MV Catalyn B after the back-to-back typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, GMA saw a
golden oppurtunity to exploit.




First, these issues have conveniently redirected the people's attention and wrath away from the exposed urban planning disaster in Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces of Rizal and Laguna, and the bane of Pangasinan that is the San Roque Dam. Second, it provided a
testing ground for the public's tolerance of and the administration's experimentations with Martial law. Third, it resurrected the ghost of Cha-cha past.

The first two have been rebounded back to the administration. Just when the public's outcry of the justice and compensation for the damages brought by natural disasters which were aggravated by poor urban planning, liberal policies on the environment and the drive to
rack up profits was gaining its momentum, The Maguindanao Massacre happened. For a few weeks, it transfixed the nation with highly graphic stories and accounts of how the bodies were found, what condition they were in and who the victims were. The massacre took home the record for the most victims of killings at any one time, and placed the Philippines ahead of Iraq and Afghanistan as the most dangerous place for journalists. The public turned their sights on the most probable perpetrators of the crime, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan. Soon, under the watchful eyes of the media and the public, after highly dubious evidences start to surface, the truth was revealed. The road of impunity has not stopped at the Ampatuans' door, and instead have led right up to the doorsteps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for being their "force multipliers", and lastly, to that of the "President" herself, for issuing Executive Order 546 which sanctioned the formation of Civilian Volunteer Organizations and for the ties that bind them come election time. So indeed, just as
the San Roque Dam became operational despite its structural flaws and ethical issues, and winning the 2004 and 2007 elections for herself and her cohorts, "the President has never been distracted" just as Gary Olivar has said.

The Martial Law Experiment or Presidential Procalamation No. 1959, was a calculated flop. It came thundering in the wake of the Maguindanao Massacre. Maybe, GMA thought that with the people so enraged by this unspeakable crime, the Martial Law declaration can ease itself comfortably without so much of a fight from the people. And boy, was she wrong! It sent the Senate, the constitutionalists and everyone who suffered during Marcos' Martial Law into uproar. After a week and a day of localized Martial Law, and with the disunited House still debating on the rules, GMA pulled out the proclamation, the plan is to "maintain it only as long as required, and to work to lift it once crucial objectives had been met” according to Olivar. Well, and what "crucial objectives might this be, kind sir? To ensure that the
Ampatuans keep their dirty secrets to themselves, especially after burnt election paraphernalia was found buried (disposed, taken cared of, eliminated, cleaned) within one for their compounds? To hoodwink the people that the Iron-fisted lady who governs the Strong
Republic does not tolerate any hanky-panky in her government, when she herself built this monster up to serve her purposes?

Maybe. Maybe not. Not when we remember Lore-Liar Fajardo's very candid statement, “I don’t think the President’s friendship with the Ampatuans will be severed. Just because they’re in this situation doesn’t mean we will already turn our backs on them.”


And that was the year that was. We welcome the New Year with bright eyes full of lingering Christmas cheer and spirit and revitalized with all the goodness that people reserve especially for this season and we were welcomed by the ghost of Cha-cha past.

Can you believe that the Lower House led by Speaker Prospero Nograles which dillydallied to convene when the Martial Law proclamation was made, can move faster than that and has actually managed to pass the new version of the Charter Change bill into its second reading before taking their Christmas break? The recent tragedy the administration is milking to push their Charter Change agenda is the marina disasters last December.

Once again, the floating coffins brought into fore the problem that plagues this industry. Most ships, both cargo and commercial, are second-hand ships with an average age of 35 years. Most of these are Japanese ships which they have deemed unfit for further voyages
after 10-15 years of sailing, which we, in turn, purchase and use to ferry products and people from one island to another.

The administration, meanwhile, took the upsweep of emotions for these maritime disasters to remind us of the need to liberalize our economic policies (read: Charter Change) claiming that “we need constitutional amendment to address the matter." One major point in
the 1987 Constitution that the Charter Change will adress is the premise that limits foreign-ownership of corporations to 60%.

Mr. Olivar said that relaxing "the more people there are who are "investing, competing to provide service, the better services will become." But Olivar also claimed that the local oil industry that had deliberalized years ago is different because it has a "natural oligopoly"
from the “huge investments required to look for oil.” Oil prices have more than doubled since the ceiling price was taken off. So with all the other basic services that were opened up to "competitors" or privatized, like electricity, water, telecommunication, even education.
Doesn't this trend already say something about the current economic policies which leans towards deregularization, privatization and liberalization? Olivar simply cannot conclude that amending the constitution and implementing economic reforms that will substantially put foreign-owned companies before our local companies, will and can transform into "better services and ... affordable fare" for the maritime industry.

Charter Change is truly a politically-charged issue. It cannot be done without people questioning the intent, motive and purpose of its proponents. When former Pres. Ramos proposed this, the people stumped it. When ousted Pres. Estrada revived this measure, the people made history again via EDSA 2. Now, a president widely believed to have commited electoral fraud is staunchly, bullheadedly leading its passage, Charter Change becomes even murkier.

It is not Charter Change per se that people are against, because surely the Constitution can do with some more improvement. Con-Con or Con-Ass won't spell much difference when the Charter Change is used to disempower the contituency the Constitution is supposed to protect.

So I say NO to CHARTER CHANGE!

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A poem in three languages

I
Kabunian's breath
embraces the unforgiving hills
silver moonshine
glistening over towering pine trees
Rest your weary bones for the night,
brave fighter
with crickets and nightowls
humming the nighttime salidummay
Ardently, patiently,
wait for the breaking dawn
the sun shines the brightest
after the darkest night

II
Niyakap ng hiniga ni Kabunian
ang mga bundok na humahalik sa langit
kumikislap sa gagahiganteng saleng
ang pinilakang sinag ng buwan
Ipahinga muna ang hapong katawan,
magiting na mandirigma
habang inuugoy ng mga kuliglig at koop
sa indayog ng salidummay
maalab ngunit mahinahon
hintayin ang pagsambulat ng bagong umaga
Pinakamaliwanag ang araw
pagkalipas ng napakadilim na gabi.

III
Inarakup ti anges ni Kabunian
dagiti bambantay nga umag-agek iti langit
sumilsilap iti dadakkel a saleng
ti duyaw a raniag ti bulan
Inanaam pay ti nabannog a bagi,
natured a mannakigubat
bayat nga inindayon
dagiti kuriat jen koop
iti ayog ti salidummay
Napinget ngem natalinaay
namnamaem ti panagsingising
ti baro nga agsapa
Nakalawlawag ti aldaw
kalpasan ti nakasipsipnget a rabii.

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ATTENTION: SAHMs and WAHMs (and everybody else interested in a writing job)

Would you like to receive updates on upcoming writing opportunities? Some projects are purely PER PROJECT basis only while some offer more stable earning opportunities. Projects range from, but it not limited to, forum posting, blog updates, and website contributions. If you are interested, simply email homebasedwriterjobs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to receive regular updates. Also, please leave a note or email me if you have done so. I would need 5 refferals so I can get a crack at a beautiful writing project I'm aiming for, so please don't forget to update me if you have already joined the mailing group.

more (economic) power to us SAHMs and WAHMs!

Picture from http://www.emich.edu/english/gsp/writing.gif

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Alice Walker, Barack Obama and Torture

I must say I love cheap mines. These are what I call gems that I found at very cheap prices. One such find is Alice Walker's Meridian which I bought at a discounted price of P100, and was paid for by the gift certificates I won from National Bookstore. So i got it basically for free. But recently, I found an earlier print of the same book being sold for P9 at Trinoma! Now that a cheap mine.

I fel in love with Meridian and have even blogged about it. . I have tried to get hold of her other books by rummaging through second hand bookstores but I have yet to find one that is at least below P50.

I have not done my research on Alice Walker herself, except that she strikes me as an activist because few writers write about activism, which she did in Meridian. Just the other day, I stumbled across her blog (not personally maintained though, not that I'm complaining) and saw that she has sent a letter to US President Barack Obama himself discussing a very sensitive topic, torture. It was one of ten letters sent by Amnesty International to Pres. Obama.

The use of torture is against all laws which provide for the security of one's being. It has been denounced countless times and condemned at the Geneva Conventions which provided gound rules for conducting war. Sadly, torture is also considered by the state, albeit covertly, to be one of the most effective means to obtain information they deem important to the interest of "national security".

The US has come under fire for using torture, both physical and psychological, when the Abu Ghraib prison camp was exposed to the world. It was claimed that the US, via the CIA also has numerous other secret detention areas scattered across the globe.

The Philippines too is notorious for its utter disregard for human rights and committing torture against its enemies. Who can forget Raymond Manalo, a farmer, who was abducted by the military and lived to tell the gory tale of virtual slavery in the hands of his captors. He also claimed to have seen the two missing UP students, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, in one of their holding areas. Raymond Manalo has also tagged Bantay Partylist Rep. Jovito Palparan as the boss his captors were referring to. General Jovito Palparan is widely believed to be the man behind innumerable extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of people critical of the Arroyo Regime. He was even commended by Arroyo herself for "a job well done" in her 2008 State of the Nation Address.

The nationwide outrage against these extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, most of whom were members of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Anakbayan, gained international sympathy and prompted the United Nations to send Special Rapporteur Philip Alston to investigate it and make a report. Likewise, the Arroyo government assigned the Melo Commission, built especially for this inquiry, to make a parallel investigation on the matter. Mr. Alston, in his final report, upheld the popular belief that a culture of impunity has established itself in the country and no less than the government is blame for this. Meanwhile, the Melo Commission acknowledged the cases but did not offer any real solutions.

Anyway, this is one letter that I would like to share with everyone and hope inspires someone (or everyone!) to initiate a similar move and write a similar letter to the president. I remember one clip I saw which covered a rally outside Ever Gotesco Mall, Mrs. Edith Burgos, mother of Jonas Burgos who was forcibly taken away from the same mall while he was dining, was being interviewed. Her message to GMA was one of a mother to another mother, wishing her not to experience the same grief she is experiencing because it is hard for a mother to lose her child.




Dear President Obama,

If word reached me that you were being tortured, I would instantly feel tortured myself, because I would be. Torture is something an entire society feels, whether we are within earshot of the screaming or not. People don't like to believe this, but there is no way human beings can remain unaffected by what is done to other human beings, or even to animals who are not human. If I heard this about you, I would do everything in my power to come to your aid, not simply because I know you to be rare and necessary to our planetary survival, but because you are simply a person, with feelings, aspirations, sorrows and dreams. And you have children. If I were a child and knew my parent was being tortured, day after day, what would I myself become?

It has already been recognized that "confessions" obtained by torture are useless. It is easy to see why. If someone is water boarding you and you think you will never see your little ones again, you would say anything. So would I. It is only in movies, I think, where the "hero" tells the torturer nothing as various body parts are cut, burned, frozen, electro-shocked or pulled out.

If one keeps company with cruel people, one loses, bit by bit, one's own compassion. This is one of the reasons living in Washington, in the White House, as leader of the United States, is so treacherous. And why I said to you when we met briefly prior to my introducing you to my community in San Francisco, that failure to win the presidency had not insignificant value: you could have a fine life living as a writer, doing and saying what you want, and traveling the world incognito and free. Leadership has its down side, and one of them is who one has to associate with in order to "get things done." When we look at the destruction, around the globe, caused by prior leaders of our country, and the terrible choices of how to behave, and we look at the White House today and see some of those folks still coming and going; what can I say? It gives us pause.

Ringing in my ears is something I thought I heard you say: America does not torture. And if this is true, now, under your watch, this letter is unnecessary. I also thought I heard you say Indefinite Detention Without Charge was gone with the wind of George Bush's administration. Was I wrong? Writers, and especially poets, don't always keep their ears to the political ground, and so we are likely to miss the daily dramas that keep others informed. I hope you are holding steady on these points, because if you are, you are right. The cruelty and injustice of holding anyone indefinitely without charge will not lead to carefree days and guilt-free nights for you or for any citizen of the U.S., and we want those days and nights in order to convince the youth of the world that there are basic human laws protecting their right to grow up without fear of endless detention.

I think about people in prison, being tortured, being bombed, being frightened and starved and humiliated, every single day. Voting for you was one way I felt I could reach out to them, fiction and poetry writing, even protests and arrests, having their limitations. You are the world's hope for a better, a fairer, day. You have what few leaders of this country ever had: genuine affection and love from the people who elected you. We are good people, too, for the most part. And even if we weren't, we can be improved by a leadership of compassion, a leadership whose basic human instincts of fairness and decency we can trust to look at the whole story, the entire state of affairs, and not close off any portion of it. A leadership unafraid to hold accountable those responsible for torture and abuse. This is our only hope, actually, to begin to soothe a little of the sorrow in the world. It isn’t a desire for vengeance, because we know vengeance, a karma, is created by Itself; it is instead a need to make right, to make whole again, by demonstrating to an injured and insulted world that we, as Americans, care about the harm other Americans, in our name, have done. We must show above all that we wish to understand our own madness in order not to continue growing and exporting it.

We know your plate is full. And I am always happy to hear of you and Michelle going off somewhere out of town for dinner. (No pun!) Any complaint about the cost is ridiculous: what your time away from your desk does for the world is priceless. You are a Leo/Ox and only someone with your combination of strengths could handle the presidency, which you do with grace. (What can I say? I love astrology!) Even so, it’s too much for one person, or two; I myself favor a council for leading the country, but that is far in the future. Maybe not too far! So, delegate. We need the world to know we don’t accept the behavior as usual of American presidents and others who do horrible things to people, and then retire, wealthy, into memoir writing and golf; as if the disasters inflicted on a vulnerable world never happened. I applaud and deeply appreciate all the good work you are, in fact, doing. It is huge. And beautiful, which I personally resonate with in world leadership. It has a beat. It has a heart.

In closing, I send this poem about torture that I wrote a few weeks ago and posted on my blog, http://www.alicewalkersblog.com

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All I want for Christmas......

Christmas remains by far the most celebrated holiday of all time. Although its roots are pagan and Jesus' actual birthday is debatable, which I'll leave to the experts, Christmas is thoroughly and joyfully celebrated.

To my memory, I have never had a Christmas I didn't enjoy. It is so much fun than birthdays. Perhaps because everyone is in a happy mood, and everywhere you go to is all dolled-up. Christmas serves as our oasis in the middle of nowhere.

Yes, it is an escape. Traditionally, enmities between political rivals halt momentarily. Issues that hogged the headlines year-long winds down. And the mood changes from combative to loving.

Except maybe this year.

As 2009 takes its last breath, we are left in the ruins of a Strong Republic gone very, very, very bad. This last quarter alone has left us with little hope for the future. And this is where Christmas plays its historical role of giving hope amidst hopelessness.




I am not so jaded as to not have my own wishlist to send to Santa.

Now, all I want for Christmas is....

.....that the Philippine economy recover faster than a speeding bullet or a ray of light so that it may help Filipinos lead better lives here, not abroad. The Greater Depression of the first world has depressed us even more.

.....My family has only been recovering from the great flood that is Ondoy. I know how hard it is start over again and I wish that the victims of natural disasters, especially Ondoy and Pepeng, find peace and hope in their hearts, while striving to make the government accountable for their very grave mistakes.

.....The Copenhagen Climate Change Forum touted as the culmination of at least two years worth of effort to curb gas emissions has just ended with a mere pfffft as the US remain bullish on its stand not to monitor its gas emissions. I wish that people realize Climate Change is irreversible and a fact of nature, but that it can be slowed down by holding accountable the industrialized (read: imperialist) countries that emit the most toxic fumes


......I am abhorred by the crime/s that this powerful clan can/will do and has done all because it has enjoyed the close ties with that woman in Malacanang. I wish that the Ampatuans squeal like a pig roating in a pyre on the vote-rigging that happened in their hometown last two elections and for once, be at the right and moral side of the fence, and take that *%$#@!@#$%^&%$&* woman down with them!

.....Inline with this I wish that the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre find justice and gain support from the government in pursuing the case against its primary perpetrator.

..... I just hate hearing, even seeing, Remonde and Fajardo on the radio and TV, knowing that they're goona be spewing out nothing but rubbish. So I wish that the Palace SpokesPEOPLE's noses grow one meter for each lie they tell the people.




.... After the infamous Proclamation 1959 that served as a test case and was pulled out even before the check and balance part of a democracy set kick in, has sent both Houses into disarray, one asking for a legitimate explanation for it and the other doing the explaining In times to come, I wish that the Senate remain oppositionist and that Congress, especially Prospero Nograles, be able to look farther than their own noses and hides in making policies and political stands on national issues.

.... The Supreme Court has approved the petition for an ectended voter's registration to heed the call of the electorate but Comelec Chairman Melo seems to be doing everything in his power to make this exercise annoying and futile. I hate him. I wish that the Comelec will not be an instrument by the state itself to disenfranchise its constituents all for the glory of the status quo

.... Due precisely to the efforts of the state itself to render the electoral exercise as futile as possible, floating various scenarios like No-el, hybrid elections etc., that people should realize the importance of their votes as part of a democratic exercise and fight to be counted, to fight for a change.

and lastly,

.... Nine years is enough, more than half of it is even a contested, if not illegal, stay in power, it is because of this that I wish GMA grows some delicadeza this holiday season and in the spirit of giving, give everyone piece of mind and bow out of the public eye for once and for all. Plus, she should also be indicted for every crime she has tried to evade during her de-facto presidency.

I think I have said enough. Santa must be impatient to read other people's letters.

Oh, one last wish... I wish for world peace. : )

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How, how de carabao? (suspeced rebels charged with common crimes)

Last November 12, there are was a clash between the police forces in Ifugao and suspected NPA rebels. Four, two women and two men, were arrested while the rest of the group, presumably, managed to live (and fight ) for another day.

On research, their charge sheets (if that’s what you call them) contain a collection of sworn statements from police officials who related the events leading up to the eventual arrest of the four and an inventory of items that were confiscated at the scene. The inventory included personal items such as t-shirts, underwears, beddings and toiletries. It also has a list of food items like noodles, salt, dried fish, and some sort of a first aid kit which included a first-aid handbook, gauze bandages, betadine solution and cotton. Most importantly, it contained numerous plastics with revolutionary writings probably used as a teaching aid, a notebook with revolutionary songs and poems, and other subversive documents, as well as high-powered firearms like a baby armalight and carbine.

With these pieces of evidence obtained from the backpacks that were in the site where the early morning clash happened, the four are most probably the rebels the Consitution was referring to. But their charge sheet contains no conclusion that they are indeed rebels inspite of very incriminating pieces of evidence, and instead they were treated as common criminals and were charged as such.

Instead of a REBELLION charge which is a political crime, these four suspected NPA rebels were charged with ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS with no recommended bail. For thoses not entirely familiar with the NPA or New People’s Army, it is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines which has been waging a protracted war, as per its Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology, for over 40 years to overthrow the government. They are far from the sinister warlords of the Ampatuan Clan who perpetrated the day-time murder of no less than 57 people, including women, journalists and human rights advocates, devoid of any obvious ideology, making the crime a criminal, not political, one. The Ampatuans are currently being packaged as “rebels” and the Arroyo government is bending over backwards to make sure they get what they deserve as such.

Once again, my feeble mind cannot grasp , or rather, does not find acceptable, the logic behind this move. How, how de carabao, indeed?!

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The devil’s advocate

This might be a tad late but I just have to say my piece on Neal H. Cruz’ column last December 7. It was titled “Maguindanao folk welcome martial law?”
Mr. Cruz started by commemorating the Pearl Harbor bombing on 1941 and the bombing of Manila a day after it. He further said that today we “have been hit by another sneak attack” that is “homegrown this time”, referring to the recent highly-criticized Martial Law declaration in the province of Maguindanao. He clearly states that he is against this proclamation, saying it is an “overkill,” even going as far as reminding the readers that a previous edition of his column has already “predicted it, quoting a Muslim leader Amina Rasul.”

Then, Mr. Cruz proceeds to share the views of “several friends and relatives living in Maguindanao” which incidentally are the opposite of the prevalent animosity to the proclamation.

Mr. Neal H. Cruz plays the devil’s advocate when he posed the question which “people on the receiving end fo the terrorism of the warlords”, would prefer “between a rock or stone wall.” He then proceeds to echo the reasons the administration made to justify Proclamation No. 1959 and taking a stab at the High Court’s statement disproving allegations that the local court has not been functioning and is one of the reasons why Martial Law had to be declared. As an afterthought, Mr. Cruz said that Congress will convene “anyway” to decide whether or not to revoke the declaration. Even more lamely, he ended that “in any case, Martial law lapses in 60 days.”

This is the kind of defeatist logic that we do not need today. A state of emergency in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and Cotabato City was announced a day after the murder-massacre. Was that not enough? Day after day, arms caches are being unearthed almost everywhere. The Ampatuan arsenal is enough to arm a battalion or two. Is the AFP inferior to that force that they cannot handle it without having granted extraordinary powers to them?

Could Mr. Cruz not see that this Martial Law is part and parcel of a grand design of the devious sort to cover-up a huge can of worms that stinks to heaven? I understand that it was done all for the sake of journalism and fair play, to tickle our senses, jumpstart our brain cells, to present another angle of the biggest story of the year. I even understand the sentiments of his friends and relative, who after being scared to death of “fully armed goons” which has “the police and military… in their employ,” now are living in the midst of a “war zone” were countless uniformed men roam the place, replacing the goons. What I cannot understand is that apart from warning his friends and relatives to “be wary” because “in time, soldiers will also commit abuses”, reminiscent to Marcos’ version of Martial Law, Mr. Cruz, seems to be taking this matter sitting down.

I only found appeasement when I saw that his was a voice in the wilderness in that December 7 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, his column being fenced in by others very critical of the proclamation.

One such column is Kris-Crossing Mindanao which Ms. Noralyn Mustafa authors. The columnist of Kris-Crossing Mindanao, in her column that day paid tribute to the 57 victims of the brutal killings by “making sense out of the senselessness” after it apparently pushed the president to declare Martial Law therefore “generating more fear and uncertainty among the long-suffering and long-oppressed people.” Unlike Mr. Neal H. Cruz, Ms. Noralyn Mustafa ended her prose with a clenched fist thrust in the air, appealing to everyone who ‘do not wish to live under a continuing reign of eveil, of slavery, hunger, oppression and fear’ to ‘stand up NOW’ (emphasis mine) because ‘we may never have this chance again.’

THIS is what I, and possibly, most people, want to hear. The voice of action and inner strength, of trust in the power to change things deemed unchanging. I remember a part in the movie SAKADA *insert Hyperlink to old entry* where a farmer was trying to organize a union, he said “Mahirap talagang kumilos kung nakaluhod, pero kung nakatayo, lahat magagawa. (It is indeed hard to move when on your knees, but when you’re on your feet, everything is possible)”

Whereas Ms. Mustafa translated herself to be one of the many movers of change, Mr. Neal H. Cruz is an agent of the status-quo. With Ms. Mustafa calling the Maguindanao Massacre the “metaphor of Ms. Arroyo’s reign of evil,” Mr. Neal H. Cruz might also very well be playing the part of a devil’s advocate literally.

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Remembering our HUMAN RIGHTS

"We can assure the civilians that there will be no curtailment of rights as long as they are not part of uncontrollable private armies," Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone.

I am in no way coming to the aid of those who belonged to the Ampatuans' private army and carried out his murderous command. But I am for the express observation of human rights, even for those presumed, but not proven, to be part of the private army.

So this is how the men in uniform think. It comes as no surprise then why presumed members of armed groups such as the New People's Army and activists branded as enemies of the state receive the most vile treatment, encroachment, on their human rights. It cannot be denied that more than private armies, activists have borne the brunt of the state's war on terror, patterned after US' own. The problem it seems is that, the men in uniform cannot restrain themselves strongly enough to realize that though they are dissidents, they are still human and therefore have rights inherent to their being.

As of August this year there are 284 political prisoners in the Philippines, many of which are National Democratic Front Consultants which should have been covered by JASIG (Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees) Roughly 300 media killings have been recorded, including the 31 dead from the recent massacre. According to KARAPATAN, a human rights organization, more than 800 HRVs have been committed since GMA took office in 2001. Most of these cases remain unsolved to this day. This may not be the exact figure of HRVs in the Philippines.

Whatever made HRVs legal everyday fare? Let me count the ways.

The CPR or calibrated preemptive response was put into action in the face of mounting popular dissent which takes the from of mass actions, inclusing rallies and protest marches. It allows for the police to disperse the congregation even with no threat emanating from the latter. One popular dispersal happened in the streets of Manila where no less than the former Vice President Guingona and Senator Madrigal, along with priests, nuns, professionals and students, were among those dispersed with water canons.

The Executive Order 464 meanwhile, in an unprecedented move that undermines the check and balance in a democratic republic, prohibited members of the Cabinet from testifying in inquiries without prior consent from the President herself. This came in the wake of Norberto Gonzalez' banana-eating drama in the Senate halls for almost spilling the beans on his boss.

And of course, the crowning glory of the Arroyo Regime, the Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2 (Oplan Freedom Watch) which gave the greenlight on more HRVs as it casts as enemies of the state even people deemed guilty by mere association.

(I have listed only three, please feel free to add what laws, orders or decisions you can recall through which HRVs was institutionalized.)



Today, there is a seeming downtrend of HRVs as tales of abuse rarely make the frontpage of the papers. They are often relegated to the back pages and mentioned only in passing. After UN Special Rappourteur Philip Alston's report on the extrajudicial killings and the culture of impunity the government itself propagates made the global round of news, the GMA Regime can no longer afford to dismiss the UN's "muchacho". Did you not realize that motorcycle-riding men blazing the guns of impunity and bestowing judgement on every subject it deemed sinful has not been seen as often as before? But this abscence does not mean the blatant killings and human rights violations have stopped entirely. This lull could also mean a shift in strategy.

Then the Maguindanao Massacre came along which has been making the headlines for more than a week now. The issue of Human Rights Violations has gained ears and hearts again.

But human rights violations do not come in all-in-one packages such as brutal murders, enforced disappearances, and such. It comes in different forms. It may be wrapped in perfumed tissue paper or in colorful gift baskets. Sometimes, it is even sealed with a kiss. We cannot afford NOT to be vigilant even for a moment. Human rights violations know no race, no age, not even gender or religion. Nothing is sacred for hardened transgressors, not even our human rights, own humanity.

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