The Lakas-CMD national directorate meeting in Malacañang last Saturday was nothing but another show of force by Gloria Arroyo, who continues to struggle about her lack of mandate five years into her stay in Malacañang. It turned out to be more show than force.
Before Lakas-CMD leaders, the master trapos, Arroyo, the supreme trapo, talked about preserving their “coalitions on the pedestals of principles and ideals, and never on the shaky floors of expediency.” It was laughable.
Mistaking bombast with strength, Arroyo was combative, mixing up conflicting terms and images: “With our heavy armory of democracy and legitimacy, we shall fight the squads of destabilizers and spoilers in the opposition… Together, and to the last man and woman standing, we must fight and win for the Filipino people.”
The problem is, majority of Filipinos do not agree with her imposing herself on the nation “until 2110 and for the next generation.” Fifty-four percent of Filipinos want her out of Malacañang before 2010, according to the latest SWS survey. Of that 54 percent, more than half wanted her out last year and 30 percent this year. Very few said they can still tolerate her until next year (8%) and fewer still (6%) for two or three more years.
Arroyo expressed her wish to her dependable allies against truth and justice about writing “finis to the 2004 poll controversy and all this political grandstanding on alleged poll cheating will die a natural death.”
It is killing of the 2004 election rigging issue that Arroyo and company are up to. All their feverish efforts are towards preventing another impeachment trial that is expected to start in July this year.
We can see that they are covering all fronts, with alternatives ready in case one initiative does not fly like the Con-Com’s recommendation of no-election in 2007. Arroyo is riding on JDV’s obsession to be prime minister through Cha-Cha hoping that with a Constituent Assembly in place by March this year, the impeachment trial would in her own words, “die a natural death.”
But she is having problems with the Senate, where her stooges are a minority. That’s why her local government lackey, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, spokesperson for the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, is working on perverting the People’s Initiative provision of the Constitution.
Section 2, Article XVII of the Constitution states that “Amendments to the Constitution may likewise be directly proposed by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least twelve per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district much be represented by at least three per centum of the registered votes therein.”
This will surely be a lucrative undertaking for Evardone. Malacañang will have to set aside a huge budget for this because a recent Pulse Asia survey showed that majority of the people oppose charter change. A lot of manipulation would have to be done, and it would cost a lot to rig a petition for charter amendments by 12 percent of registered voters.
There are also legal obstacles that Evardone would have to hurdle. One, there is no enabling law for the People’s Initiative. Two, the Constitution specified “amendments”. What Arroyo and JDV want are revisions, an overhaul of the Constitution.
Malacañang, we are sure, has thought of that. Arroyo has enough members of the Supreme Court to help her survive.
If, despite all these efforts, JDV’s Cha-Cha won’t move forward to save Arroyo, there is Oliver Lozano, who is all ready to file his impeachment complaint the minute the House of Representatives opens its doors on July 1. Members of Congress, especially those whose votes would be needed by Malacañang, would welcome that.
Business is good, indeed.
It is just the same old dirty politics playing the same old dirty games of deceptions and frauds. Our political system is not progressing as it is retrogressing. Not productive but always counter-productive. Not unified to collaborate for improving and enhancement of our lives but as always divided and split to individualistic partisans for their own individual agendas.
Kahit sino na mailagay dyan mula mapatalsik si Marcos. silang lahat ay BUWAYA. Mayron pa nga dyan tapos na ang termino pero pilit sinisiksik ang sarili nya na ano dapat gawin sa ating systema ng pamamahala.
Hoy, FVR, malapit ka na rin ang termino ng buhay mo. Kaya dapat magdasal ka na lang at magpakabait. Ang pag-uubo mo ang senyales nito. Malapit na maubos ang lakas at ang hininga mo. Di mo na ito mamanipula o mababayaran.
This Ben Evardone was a former newsman. Wasn’t he your colleague in Malaya? He was brought into Malacañang by Oscar Orbos in the latter’s short and ampaw (in the words of then Press Secretary Buddy Gomez) stint in Malacañang as executive secretary during Cory’s time.
In the early months of Arroyo’s administration, he was with Dante Ang. If I remember right, he was placed as director in a government corporations and he facilitated the placement of other journalists in other government corporations like Julius Fortuna, etc.
Now, he is trapo to the bones.
Yes, Evardone was with Malaya way back in 1985 when we were fighting Marcos.
You are in the wrong business, my friend.
hak hak hak.. kakaiba rin ‘tong nangyayari sa pinas.. talagang garapalan na. ang tingin ng mga politiko gold rush.. parang sila-sila lang ang tao dito sa pilipinas. kanya-kanyang diskarte ang ginagawa upang makapanatili sa pwesto. heto at palitan daw ang uri ng gobyerno. pambihira! di nila nakikita sila mismong mga trapo ang problema! hak hak hak.. PILIPINO MAGPAKATATAG KA!
Tsk tsk tsk tingnan mo nga naman ang mga estratihiya ng mga nakaupo sa gobyerno ang tawag dyan sa kanto” STLYE MO BULOK” Ang akala nila kaya pa nilang paikutin ang taong bayan. To namang si tabako panay ang papoge pilit na laging sama sa usapin ano kaya ang ibig palabasin nito Natatandaan ko noon na nagpagapang ng perma system tong si tabako para palawigin ang kanyang termino sa pagkapresidente pero parang kinapitan din ng delecadeza kaya un di na di rin nagtagumpay. Kung sakaling maaalis kaya tong si mrs labandera sino naman kaya ang uupo sa malacanang ” Kakatakot pa rin kc sa ngayon wala akong nakikita na magiging sensero sa bayan. bakit kaya di pa naging kingdom ang ating bansa para iisa lang ang hari iisang utos lang ang pinagmumulan. Kung papalitan ang uri ng gobyerno gastos na naman ang tanong gaano ka sigurado na magiging maayos na ang takbo??? Kung kung meron lang silang mga delecaDEZA malalaman nilang sila ang problema. Sana po Dyos ko maiisip sana nilang sila ang problema ng sa gayoy sila na mismo ang magkusang umalis sa pwesto. Alam kong mahirap marinig ang panalangin ko kc mga kampon ng kadiliman ang naka upo ngayon mga wala silang diyos kundi ang pera.
Anchet, you are right. Looks like I’m really in the wrong business. But I can say I’m in the right profession.
ELLEN, Why should GMA even care what happens to Chacha, as long as chacha happens for a long time? For example, the resistance of the Senate is actually JDV’s problem! But as he told ANC last week, he’s confident the plain reading of the Constitution says “three fourths of all the members of Congress shall…etc.” What JDV probably means is: “I’ve been told by the Supreme Court what the interpretation would be in a real suit.”
I don’t think GMA needs Chacha longer than it takes to bury the second impeachment in the House. The quid pro quo with Joe is: “Make sure I don’t get impeached in 2006 and I will let you play with parliament (after 2010). And if you can’t deliver, I can find someone else who can!”
The sooner JDV sees that he is actually in the same boat as FVR, or will be, the better. For now, he thinks he can wait for 2010 to be Prime Minister.
Even NO-EL is not necessary for GMA’s survival. In fact it is inimical if it implies some kind of PLEBISCITE which implies a new charter that could only endanger her own term.
I think GMA is or will shortly be, against Chacha and for regular elections in 2007. Under the 1987 Constitution!
INERTIA, CONSERVATISM, even CONSTITUTIONAL NITPICKING, are on her side now.
There’s one battleground left: DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS (Whether plebiscite or regular elections, the next one better be CREDIBLE or we deserve to drop into the UNFREE states of the world.)
You are right. What is most important for GMA now is not to be impeached in July. So, she is willing to go with JDV’s agenda, as of now. She is taking it one at a time, just what she did with Ramos. Meanwhile, she finds other means to destroy her “partners” when the right time comes. There’s Ronaldo Puno and Prospero Pichay, to shake JDV when his moves endangers her hold on power.
The shadow boxing between GMA and JDV (can we count FVR out at this point?) is interesting and disgusting. Quarrel among thieves. It’s all for survival. Principles have been thrown out of the window.
In a way, it’s good. Let them destroy each other. We have a saying, when thieves quarrel, the farmer gets back his cow.
I hope and pray that’s what is going to happen because we can’t expect anything from the opposition.
I’m in the same page with DJB reading that GMA has covered all the bases. Whatever happens to all the issues that are going on right now, GMA will come out the winner as she manages to stay in power. If they succeed in the changes they are pushing, it will just be a bonus for her and her team.
For those against GMA and her “reforms”, I think prayers would help for what else can we do?
SUPILIN NATIN MULI ANG MGA MANLULUPIG!!! PAALISIN ANG MGA SAKIM AT MGA GAHAMAN SA ATING GOBYERNO! MGA KABATAAN ANG TUNAY NA MAYORYA NG LIPUNAN… TAYO NA, LINISIN NATIN ANG GOBYERNO AT TAYO ANG MAMUNO LABAN SA MGA UGAT NG KASAMAAN!!!
Kahit ano ang sabihin ninuman, ala-palos talaga si Gloria. Walang makakahawak sa kaniya pagsamahin mo pa si FVR, JVD, Hyatt10, Drilon, CBCP at bahagi ng militar. Huhulagpos at huhulagpos siya sa sinumang magtatangkang hawakan siya.
Dalawang paraan lamang ang paghuli sa palos: Sa pamamagitan ng salok o ng bingwit. Nguni’t ang pinakamabisa ay ang bingwit sapagkat wala na itong paraan upang makapuslit. Ang bingwit ay kailangang me pain upang ikubli ang sima ng bingwit. At pagkagat ng palos ay hatak agad upang kumabit sa ngala-ngala nito ang bingwit. HULI! WALANG KAWALA.
di ninyo ba nahahalata na ang pekeng administrasyon ni pandak ay nagpapalabas ng iba’t ibang issues upang paktakpan ang tunay na issue… tulad ng pandaraya, pagsisinungaling, panloloko at pag divert ng mga pondo sa kaban ng ating gobyerno… ngayon biglang tumahimik ang usaping “garci tapes scandal” o “gloriagate scandal”, ang P720 Million scandal at iba pang previous issues na walang malinaw na resulta… puro ningas-kugon lang sila… puro urong-sulong ang pinakikita ng mga oposisyon kaya wala tayong makitang magandang resulta. kaya naniniwala ako na sa people power pa rin ang makakapag patalsik kay pandak at sa kanyang mga alipores na walang ginawa kundi himudin ang dumi ni pandak! tama si arthos kabataan ang kailangan ng kumilos dahil sila ang mayorya sa ating lipunan!
First, we must have a face to unite behind.
Then we can forget about ousting Gloria constitutionally because she and her band of outlaws have it in their possession.
Thus, we may have to step outside the constitution in order to take it back.
We must restore the rule of law by any means necessary.
I think a leader will emerge later when Gloria falls. Gloria will fall not because of the political opposition but because of herself. She and her gang will destroy each other.
When it’s going to happen? I’d be happy if it happened in my lifetime.
Kung titingnan isa-isa ang mga nasa larawan sa itaas, pwedeng magkaroon ng caption competition si Ellen. 🙂
For a start, siguro sabi ni Tabako, “alanghiya, naisahan pa rin ako ni bansot!”.
Iniisip naman ni Bansot, “dapat dagdagan ko pa pa-charming ko, nasa likod ko si Nani Pogito!”
Si de Venecia naman: “Malapit na ang pinakakahintay kong araw. Di ko nakuha nung kumandidato ako bilang Presidente, this time…I will succeed!”
O say niyo? More often than not, we just have to resort to humour, otherwise, magkaka-alta presyon na lang lahat dahil sa pagka ganid ng mga nasa administrasyon.
Tsk tsk tsk, kawawang Juan de la Cruz!!!
BUHAY NA BUHAY SI HUDAS SA PICTURE! PURO MANLOLOKO AT PAKITANG TAO LANG YANG MGA PULITIKO NA YAN! LAHAT MANGGAGAMIT! NILALAHAT KO NA PARA MALAMAN NILA NA KAYA SILA NANDYAN SA POSITION NA YAN DAHIL SA ATIN NA DAPAT NILA TAYONG PINAGLILIKURAN AT HINDI PINAAASA SA MGA PURO PANGAKO NILA! HABANG D NAGBABAGO ANG TAKBO NG PAMUMUHAY NATIN SA ATING BANSA, PARE-PAREHO SILANG MGA BUWISIT SA BUHAY NATIN!!!
sabi nga ni JB Baylon, kapwa ko kolumnista sa Malaya, dapat raw ang caption ng picture na ‘yun ay “rogues gallery”. Di ba sa police station naka-paskel sa dingding ang mga litrato ng mga wanted na kriminal. Yun ang rogues gallery.
There, I enlarged the picture. Myrna is right, let’s treat this as comedy.
cute ang ina, cutang ina!!! talaga yang lider na yan, masarap sampal-sampalin. Dapat ang lahat ng oposisyon maglagay na lang sa pisngi ng malaking nunal na sin laki ng bangaw o bubuyog tanda ng protesta, dahil mukhang di umuubra mga black & white o anumang simbolo ng protesta.
Ellen, salamat sa pag enlarge ng photo. Isa pa sa napansin ko, si Nani Perez pala, may similarity kay Mike Arroyo noh!? Di kaya related sila? Ay oo nga pala, related, they have one thing in common: si Pandak!
magalit ang magalit kung tamaan, they deserve it. masyado na silang garapal sa pagka ganid!!!
yung iba na nasa picture, di ko naman kilala, but i know what they are: cheats, liars, and thieves!!!!!
LAHAT SILA IISA ANG PINAKIKITA NG KANILANG MGA MUKHA!!! SILANG LAHAT AY MANLOLOKO!
HANGGAT HINDI GUMAGANDA ANG ATING EKONOMIYA AT HINDI GUMAGANDA ANG PAMUMUHAY NG BAWAT PILIPINO SA ATING BANSA! ANG TINGIN KO SA KANILANG LAHAT… MAPA-ADMINISTRASYON MAN O OPOSISYON… LAHAT SILA MANDARAMBONG, MANDARAYA, MANLOLOKO, SINUNGALING! MGA HALIMAW SILA SA AKING PANINGIN!!! YANG MGA NGITING PINAKIKITA NILA SA LARAWAN AY MGA NGITING MANLOLOKO!!! MGA BWISIT SILA!!!
MGA PLASTIK!!!
off topic… may tanong lang ako. how is impeachment “initiated”? when an ordinary citizen files a verified impeachment complaint in the House? Or by a vote of one third of the House members? since mr. oliver lozano has already filed his second impeachment complaint, i think this is worth taking a look back again.
http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:osEtjpwDUMMJ:deanjorgebocobo.blogspot.com/2003_10_31_DJB.html+site:deanjorgebocobo.blogspot.com+impeachment+davide+initiate+congress&hl=en
Here are the Impeachment Provisions under the 1987 Philippine Constitution:
Now hold on here, Para 1) said House of Reps have the exclusive power to initiate impeachment.
Now surely, Mr. Oliver Lozano cannot “initiate” impeachment by filing a “verified complaint” because that is the exclusive power of the House of Reps.
Don’t believe me? Ito kasi ang sinabi ni Hilario Davide at Christian Monsod sa CON COM deliberations nila nung 1986.
The thumbs up gesture reminds me more of a gladiator fight.
Di ba, pag umasta ang LAKAS parang si Ceasar, thumbs up or down para kay Juan Dela Cruz.
This phrase really made my day:
“With our heavy armory of democracy and legitimacy, we shall fight the squads of destabilizers and spoilers in the opposition… Together, and to the last man and woman standing, we must fight and win for the Filipino people.”
My friend can’t stop laughing. I have to calm him down coz he has a history of asthma. But really this one is for the books! It must have been a lot of work trying to pass this phrase out of her system. But then again, she had a lot of practice. Lousy work from her writers, though, she should fire them!
More from Dean Jorge Bocobo on when impeachment is initiated:
Oppppssss .. Natatawa talaga ako sa mga pakulo nitong si ate glo Dati nagpakuha ng aroyo and the men & black ngayon naman may thumbs up pa parang nasasabing nakayari na naman.
Pero pakapansinin ninyo lahat ng tawa hilaw na hilaw parang hi halos maibuka ang mga bibig parang nakikita ko bago magshot ang litratista nagsabi pa ng CHEESE para makitang maganda ng kuha. Dyan kayo magagaling mga tinamaan kayo ng lintik walang ginawa kundi ang iniisip ay kagandaang panlabas pero ang mga budhi puro panlalamang sa kapwa ang iniisip. tandaan ninyo ang mga mukhang yan paglumabas pa ulit sa susunod na election yan iisa lang ang ibig sabihn tayong mamamayan ang may problema kaya sila nagkakaganyan .
Nakakatawa pa sila kc nga naman sa tanang buhay ko wala pa akong nakitang nabitay dahil naglustay ng pera ng bayan.. iisa lang ang dapat isulong na batas ng iboboto natin TAMANG HUSTISYA KAMATAYAN SA PAMAMAGITAN NG PAGPUGOT NG ULO SA PLASA AT LAGYAN NG PLACARD SA DIBDIB “WAG AKONG PAMARISAN TRAYDOR AKO SA BAYAN AT MAGNANAKAW NG PERA.
TAMA KA DYAN KASAMANG KULIGLIG! PUGUTAN ANG LAHAT NG MANLOLOKO SA ATING GOBYERNO! ANG MGA WALANG HABAS NA NAGLULUSTAY NG KABAN NI JUAN DELA CRUZ PARA SA KANILANG SARILING INTEREST LAMANG! MGA BWISIT SILANG LAHAT! PWE!
GISING KABATAAN… LIPULIN ANG MGA MANLILINLANG! KALAYAAN PARA SA ATING LAHAT!
A battlecry comes from Conrad de Quiroz in today’s column: CHANGE THE PRESIDENT, NOT THE CHARTER!
Tama siya. Hindi muna dapat pakialaman ang Konstitustyon, si Gloria ang pakialaman upang umusad na ang bansa. Ang mga taong nasa larawan ang mga pumipigil sa pag-unlad ng bayan at kung sila ang masusunod ay wala munang eleksiyon upang sila na rin ang magpapalit ng konstitusyon upang mapag-isanggalang nila ang sariling kapakanan at ihanda ang kanilang kinabukasan.
Kung umasta sila ay parang papayagan sila ng sambayanang Pilipino. Kung umasta sila ay parang kapag napagkayarian na nila ay YARI NA NGA at iyon ang mangyari anuman ang gusto ng bayan. Dito sa amin ay wala akong nakikitang pakikipagkonsultasyon ng Meyor at kongresman sa mamamayan ukol sa cha-cha, pero kung umasta sila ay parang gustong-gusto namin ito at ito ang inirereport nila ke GMA.
At iyon namang isa ayaw maniwala sa survey kasi ang gusto niyang marinig ay iyong gusto lamang niyang marinig.
Nagluluksong-tinik sa mga military camps si Faeldon. Labas-masok siya ng walang pakialam. Ang sabi ng AFP ay digitally-altered daw ang larawan at video. Ow, alam ba ninyo ang pinagsasabi ninyo? Ang sagot ng kanilang tagapagsalita e wala naman siyang alam sa digital technology. Pero kiniliti ni Faeldon ang isip ng tao.
E kung sabihin ko ngayon na digitally-altered ang larawan sa itaas at ang tutuo ay kalahati sa kanila ay naka-thumbs down at nakasimangot? At ang huli ay ito: The thumbs-up or thumbs-down sign is a PAGAN RITUAL! It is a judgement of life or death for Christians thrown into the Roman Coliseum. The Lakas-CMD thumbs-up is LIFE for Gloria and DEATH for Filipino people.
saan magkapareho si jdv at si tabako? tingnan nyo ang tenga. parang star wars ah. parang nag-aagawan ng force, parehong gustong maging master jedi. sino kaya sa kanila si ooopss hindi si yoda, mabuti si yoda.. si darth vader! nani at mike arroyo at si nunal. parang chocolate ah.. n m n..
di bale pilipino, ang sawikaing ‘kapag kapag naghasik ka ng hangin, bagyo ang iyong aaninhin’ “kung ano ang iyong ihihasik sya mong aanihin”, di pa rin nagbabago, babagyuhin pa rin yang mga yan.
Carefully look up the picture.. tawa ng mga demonyo. Even Jesus Christ tempted by Lucifer and show the wealth offered to Jesus.. but Jesus answered “man live not only in bread but in every of words of God.” Kaya sa pamamagitan ng pen and word is sharp than any swords. Kudos to you Ellen. Stay health and strong. TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS.
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To be free is to be empowered!