Pinoy Political Issues

What really transpired during the hostage-taking?

2010-08-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Quirino Grandstand Hostage Taking @ Yahoo! Video

Statement read by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim

2008-01-01T06:22:00.000-08:00

Statement read by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim

with Former LtSG and now Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

and Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr.

The Manila Peninsula, Makati City

29 November 2007

"Today, we address all and decent Filipinos, to announce that NOW is the time to end the sufferings and miseries inflicted upon us by the illegitimate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Government and start a new life and a new Philippines.

The die is cast.

Pursuant to our constitutional mandate as “protector of the people and the State,” and by this act, the patriotic officers and men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, supported by the masses of our people and the various political forces, give substance to the constitutional provision which says, “The Philippines is a democratic and republican state. Sovereignty resides in the people, and all government authority emanates from them.” Thus, we take the fateful step of removing Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from the Presidency and undertake the formation of a new government.

Mrs Arroyo had occupied the Presidency under a questionable mandate, publicly disputed by the vast majority of Filipinos. She stole the Presidency from President Joseph Ejercito Estrada through unconstitutional and deceitful means, and later, manipulated the results of the 2004 elections to perpetuate herself in power.

We have individually and collectively tried all means to resolve this legitimacy issue through the normal electoral, judicial and congressional processes. But Mrs Arroyo used naked power through the issuance of EO 464 and other executive proclamations, and the sheer weight of numbers to paralyze the impeachment process—procured at the people’s great expense – to frustrate us at every turn.

After all these had failed, our people tried to air their grievances in peaceful street assemblies. They thought they were exercising a combination of constitutional rights, which no official or agency of government may legally abridge. But they were stopped and dispersed violently with water cannons from firemen and truncheons from the police.

The abuses of her government continue. The deliberate refusal or failure of the dubious leaders to investigate and prosecute the people responsible for the scandalous “Hello Garci” electoral cheating, the Jocjoc Bolante multi million peso fertilizer scam, the IMPSA bribery scandal, the “Jose Pidal” and the jueteng scandals involving billions of public funds, the Northrail Project scandal, the Venable contract scandal, the NBN scandal, wholesale bribery of congressmen and governors in Malacanang, as well as the unabated and resolved extrajudicial killings of citizens, particularly journalists and members of the judiciary, and the use of military and police officers for some unlawful missions, among others, are clear proof her failure of good and decent governance. There are numerous illegal and immoral activities and transactions conducted by this government with impunity that betray the citizens and the State of their pristine right to exist as a people with decency, dignity and integrity.

With all the avenues closed by the use of naked force, no other means remain but for the officers and men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to exercise their constitutional mandate take the side of the sovereign Filipino people against the illegitimate ‘president’.

We beg your indulgence and apologize for any temporary disruptions attendant to fighting this righteous cause. We are confident that the will of the sovereign people will prevail. The end of the corrupt and vicious government and its bogus leaders is long overdue.

We support the political and economic reforms that will be initiated by the new government, regardless of the personal cost it may impose upon each one of us.

We, therefore, call on all our people and all the governments around the world to give the constitutional rescue initiated by our patriotic brothers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police a chance to work.

To the task of organizing a new government, and pursuing a program of total and no-nonsense reform we commit our full support.

We shall do whatever we can do to prevent any backsliding to the corruption and abuse of power of the immediate past, and advance the cause of truth, freedom, justice, peace and progress for all Filipinos.

God bless the Filipino people, Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!"

2008-01-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

“Groups of people resort to armed uprising when all avenues for peaceful reforms have been closed to them. This administration needs many reforms and people have been trying to accomplish them through legal means— through Congress, through the courts, through peaceful marches and demonstrations—but the administration is deaf and refuses to reform…With all the avenues closed, what are we to do? By preventing the people to use peaceful, legal means, the government is actually forcing the people to use violence. By preventing the people to air their grievances through peaceful street marches and demonstrations, it is denying the people an outlet for their resentment and anger. And if it does that, this anger is bound to explode like a volcano.” – NEAL CRUZ, PDI Columnist.

2008-01-01T06:19:00.001-08:00

“For it is hard to believe that the soldiers barricaded their barracks would not care less about what was going on in Makati last Thursday. If they saw what the rest of the nation saw, and they remained silent, I would consider that meaningful silence. In a time like ours, when images from live media packed more power than the most stirring moments, what might the silence of citizens and soldiers possibly indicate? Are there senses stunned and their will paralyzed? Or are their souls shaken and courage awakened in their hearts? Who knows? Who would know what it means for a soldier or a citizen to see a young senator of the republic filled with idealism, being shackled and handled like a sack of potatoes by his captors as he is led to a waiting police bus? Who would know what it means for any viewer to see an 81-year old prince of the church, hobbled by age, his left hand tied to the right hand of another priest, being led to a waiting police bus after having just said a prayer of hope? Who would know what it means for someone to see a whole line of media people, their hands. I only know that one would need to be blind and insensitive to view those snapshots as achievements of the rule of law. You take a look one look at Gen. Lim and Sen. Trillanes side by side Gen. Esperon and Col.Bacarro – and you can tell at once who among these soldiers have their ideals intact. You take one look at Bishop Julio Labayen and former Vice Pres. Teofisto Guingona side by side Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye – and you know at once who the liars are.” – PROF. RANDY DAVID

2008-01-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

“But I can understand the frustrations of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and his fellow Magdalo officers. Their case has dragged on for more than four years with no end in sight. The saying goes that “justice delayed is justice denied.” So much for the rule of law. Let me try to put things in their proper perspective. What Trillanes did may have been wrong but sometimes it is necessary to create situations that focus attention on continuing cases of grave injustice and a growing culture of impunity. Trillanes was elected senator by a large number of our people. He was not allowed to take his place in the Senate. In securing victory, he did not engage in dagdag-bawas operations. He did not engage in massive vote-buying, using taxpayer money. He did not communicate with election officials on how he was doing at the polls. He did not have movie stars and assorted entertainers working on his behalf. He was under detention in Fort Bonifacio during the campaign period.How many of our “elected” officials can claim victory under similar conditions?” – RAMON FAROLAN, PDI Columnist

2008-01-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

“There is a mutiny in the making not just in the camps but in the hearts of the rest of us. We were beginning to forget what social anger is all about, and what it means to take responsibility for the nation our heroes bequeathed to us. Thursday set us on an new path. We are starting to see what Gen. Lim meant when he said: “Dissent without action is consent.” – PROF. RANDY DAVID

2008-01-01T06:14:00.001-08:00

”The government may have crushed the Oakwood mutiny, the Trillanes revolt and another such attempts, but that will not stop the people’s desire for reforms and justice. There will be other “revolts” until one succeeds. Just look at our history…Our history is littered with the bodies of numerous heroes. Maybe history will later list Lim and Trillanes among them. Today, the Arroyo government, the victor, lists them as villains but decades later, with the benefit of hindsight, history will reverse their roles. During the Spanish colonization, the Spaniards looked at the Filipinos who opposed them as “insurrectos” and “bandidos,” but today they are our heroes.” – NEAL D. CRUZ, PDI Columnist

SALUTE TO THE NOVEMBER 29 MOVEMENT

2008-01-01T06:11:00.000-08:00

Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim was a newly promoted colonel then during the July 2003 Oakwood Mutiny when he led the Magdalo soldiers back to barracks after they were promised by the government to face only the military justice system. But to a junior officer then now Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, his continued incarceration proved the broken promises of Oakwood. And on November 29, 2007, Gen. Lim testified in the Magdalo hearing before a civilian court about how the commander in chief broke word of honor made to the Magdalo soldiers. That day left yet another mark in history when Gen. Lim marched with the same soldiers he once convinced to return to camp from their mutiny in Oakwood, this time joining them in Manila Peninsula, for the same grievances and even more detestable ills that tolled up since Oakwood.

Philippines 2006

2007-01-06T22:24:00.001-08:00

Common History of Philippine Political Parties

2007-01-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

Philippine Political Parties are unique; while legislative gridlocks and corruption are nothing new to governments the very impetus for the birth of the first Philippine Parties and the continuation of the same trends is one of the very roots of the problems of that government. Normally political parties are created to represent various interest groups, general examples would be having a conservative party and a labor party. Philippine political parties on the other hand were created by American tutelage, which means that instead of representatives for interests of which each of them are well immersed in the respective sides of political issues proteges of elite families were drawn and educated in America by American Universities, essentially alienating them from their own society, and yet the nature of their education gave credence to their capabilities. Apart from incompetence masked by academic degrees from credible American Universities, their separation from public interest was further compromised by their representation of their clans' interests, resulting in a legislature that is an Arena not for public dialogue but as a elite clique engaged in profiteering and political showmanship. Despite their hilarious antics Filipinos are not laughing, with less than 10% of the population controlling over 80% of the country's wealth, much of which is appropriated to servicing IMF debt that these dynastic congressmen's ancestors squandered and stole in the first place. By the same token the Philippine Parties do not serve the Filipino people, but by their dismal performance, serve the interests of Americans as well, most notably by Philippine politicians' incessant borrowing of funds from international institutions, which they steal and leave the nation to answer for the debt.

Many of the political parties listed below, therefore, are not really parties but clan-based alliances, with many clans having representation in several parties so as to ensure a foothold in formal political power regardless of who was most able to manipulate voters, left uneducated by dismal public education systems, the personal investment of their forebears.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philippine Senate to vote Impeachment Against GMA

2007-01-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Philippines: Political Unrest

2006-10-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Philippines: Political Unrest

To live for the masses

2006-10-07T05:07:00.001-07:00

To live for the masses Part 2-a

2006-10-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

To live for the masses Part 2-b

2006-10-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

To live for the masses Part 3-a

2006-10-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

To live for the masses Part 3-b

2006-10-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

To live for the masses Part 4-a

2006-10-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

To live for the masses Part 4-b

2006-10-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

To live for the masses Part 4-c

2006-10-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

GMA Stole Election in 2004

2006-09-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

Political Killings in the Philippines

2006-09-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

The last three minutes of Mabuhay Para sa Masa

2006-09-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Susan Roces Speech Against GMA (Part 2)

2006-09-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Susan Roces Speech Against GMA (Part 1)

2006-09-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry speech of GMA when she called by phone commissioner Garcillano during 2004 election

2006-09-12T16:20:00.000-07:00