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Nearing the end-game

I think we are nearing the end-game of the political crisis rooted in the cheating by Gloria Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

The Luneta rally yesterday, whether it was attended by 150,000 as estimated by participants or 15,000 as counted by the police,was a ringing political statement that the people have not forgiven Gloria Arroyo despite the cancellation of the abominable “House-only” Con-Ass and her retreat from her Charter Change advocacy.

All sectors of society were represented in yesterday’s Luneta gathering. The Erap’s “masa” were there wearing orange headbands with a “No to Cha-Cha” message.

I joined the civil society group that assembled at the Ramon Magsaysay Center on Roxas Boulevard. There were former Transportation Secretary Josie Lichauco; Precy Psinakis, daughter of ABS-CBN and Meralco’s grand old man Eugenio Lopez; the Khan sisters – Bettina Legarda with sister, Marilou Magsaysay, wife of Sen. Ramon Magsaysay; Marily Orosa..

We joined the Black and White group of Dinky Soliman, Meldy Nicolas and Leah Navarro.

At the intersection of Roxas Blvd. and Pedro Gil, we were stopped by a policemen who told us we couldn’t pass in front of the US Embassy. Sen. Frank Drilon (with wife, Mila) talked with the policemen who readily allowed us to proceed. Other senators I saw marching were Jun Magsaysay and Serge Osmeña III with wife, Bettina. They were joined by congressmen Neric Acosta and Erin Tañada.

As we marched along, the crowd was getting bigger and bigger and there were chants of “Gloria Arroyo, alis na!” and “Cha-Cha, ibasura.” In front of the US Embassy, the chant became, “VFA, ibasura!”

Under the afternoon heat at the rally were Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, with wife Bing; Sen. Mar Roxas; Sen. Panfilo “Ping Lacson; Sen. Alfredo Lim; the Ejercito mother and son, Loi and Jinggoy, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, and Rep. Roilo Golez.

Business was represented by Ramon del Rosario Jr., Ricardo Romulo, Jose Cuisia. There were more but they were the only ones I recognized. I saw many lawyers , among them Harry Roque, Joel Butuyan, Joel Cadiz, Neri Colmenares and other members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Other personalities were former Sen. Francisco Tatad and wife Fenny, former Sen. Ernesto Maceda and beauty queen Aurora Pijuan.

There’s no other way for Arroyo to go but down. Her credibility is sub zero. Nobody believes her.

Take the case of the murder of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin last Saturday and the explosion of the car of Pasig Rep. Robert “Dodot” Jaworski last week. Also the alleged threat on Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles. Those acts of violence may not be related to the current political crisis but people believe that those are part of her preparation for a martial law declaration. People readily believe the worst of her.

She cannot govern anymore.

Take this Subic rape case. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo agree with the Americans that under the US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement, custody for the convicted Lance Corporal Daniel Smith still belongs to the United States while the case is being appealed but they are helpless in implementing their agreement in the face of Judge Benjamin Pozon’s insistence that under the Philippine Constitution, custody should be with the Philippines.

Much as Arroyo would like to please George Bush, who has made it clear to Ambassador Willy Gaa that they want custody of Smith, she cannot afford to take up another unpopular issue with her shaky political standing.

Having ceased to be an asset to the US, Arroyo cannot count on the Americans for help when the people finally move against her.

We asked a military officer what if AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon orders the tanks to roll down the angry throng. The officer said, “That would be a re-enactment of Gen. (Fabian) Ver’s order to shoot the Edsa I crowd. No one obeyed.”

Published inMalaya

506 Comments

  1. From Jay Cynikho:

    Dear ellen

    I have been quiet for sometime now but boiling inside unable to participate in your blog. I feel I have been shut out and will need a new email address.

    Here’s my reaction to the rally at the Luneta.

    How many people, maybe hundred of thousands are so angry with the rape just done to their country that they were willing to attend the rally to show their anger WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY WERE TOLD
    THEY ARE GOING THERE TO PRAY TO SAY THANK YOU because the
    rapists stopped the rape before their ejaculation. THEY ARE TO PRAY
    INSTEAD FOR A CHANGE OF A CHARACTER OF THE RAPISTS. Who
    the hell would want to do that except those indirect beneficiaries of past
    rapes. I will never say thank you for the coitus interruptus of de venicia
    and his Tongress who’s using gloria’s Viagra to make the rape more
    prolonged and bloody. May be the bishops are happy that the country
    is still spread eagled and bleeding and in tears for the next assault.

    FRANK AND OUTSPOKEN CARDINAL SIN WERE HE ALIVE WOULD HAVE
    TOLD THEM THAT EXCEPT FOR A FEW, ALL THE BISHOPS REALLY NEED
    TO PRAY FOR CHANGE IN THEIR CHARACTER. THEY SHOULD HAVE AGAIN
    GONE TO MALACANANG INSTEAD FOR A PRAYER LUNCHEON WITH GLORIA.
    THOSE WHO ASKED FOR PRAYERS INSTEAD OF PUNISHMENTS FOR THE RAPE
    OF THEIR COUNTRY ARE THE SAME FACES ON TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
    Kawawang bansa.

    The unexpectedly small turn out is also indicative of the lack of
    credibility
    of the bishops and other political leaders who by their past actions the
    people know had gradually prepared their country for the assault of
    rapists.

    Gloria is right. Nobody would like to throw the first stone.
    Would you ask for punishment of those of your kind?
    Would you asked for the blood of
    your friends and relatives? You are not a Filipino
    if you do. That explains why some bloggers
    are afraid of a revolution. KAWAWANG BANSA.

    The problem of the country is genetic. Someway,
    somehow, sometime, one’s parents or grandparents
    are politicians, corrupt businessmen, or thieves, or
    corrupt bureaucrats. What else one is to do but be
    like them? Mikey, Luli and Dato have no choice.
    Bongbong and Imee seemed happy and content
    about it. KAWAWANG BANSA.

    jay cynikho

  2. As I have stated in the other loop, Ellen, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to aget, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Eccl 3:1-8)

    The game has just started as a matter of fact. We’ll see how Heaven will respond. Out there, I believe are a lot of real leaders now ready to be tapped to take over the reins of government from the crooks who have caused the people’s misery and pain, and contributed more to the already sad state of graft and corruption since 1986.

    Mabuhay ka, Ellen! God bless you for what you do. I know God has been preserving you because your country and people need you.

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! As the song says, “We shall overcome!”

  3. npongco npongco

    Whatever language we use and color we describe about the Sunday rally, it was a flop. I regret to say that…but that’s it. A flop.

  4. mike_dlc mike_dlc

    The only end game I can see for Gloria in the near future is the mid-term elections. Rallies and people power is no longer feasible. Case in point is the rally that happened Sunday afternoon. Even if the pro Gloria congressmen win more seats in the lower house (which I doubt, unless a Garci clone is resurrected in the Comelec), at least 2/3 of the congressmen will vote yes for her impeachment. Many of her allies who felt betrayed by Gloria’s dumping them during the anti-cha cha hoo-hah will likely take revenge.

  5. Phil Cruz Phil Cruz

    I already had my doubts about the success of the rally when the Church preferred to call it a Prayer Rally, a Thanksgiving Rally instead. But I kept it to myself so as not to discourage people from attending the rally. Sure enough, it was a letdown. The second time the CBCP let us down.

    But then I tried to console myself with this thought. What can I really expect from the Church leaders these days? Do I really expect them to lead the Charge of the Light Brigade against the Despicable One’s fortress? I guess not. I think I would prefer them to just play a supporting role – from the pulpits.

    I would much rather prefer that another sector sound the clarion call and take the lead next time with the Church just in the background. I know that next time the Church calls for a rally, not too many will come.

    Besides, maybe Ellen is right. Our concept of EDSA rallies may already be outmoded. We need to come up with something different and novel.

  6. cvj cvj

    Ellen, i did not realize that you were also marching with the BnW group. Sayang, i did not get a chance to meet you since we were just probably a few steps apart. Anyway, i agree that Arroyo has exhausted her credibility here as well as in the international community. I hope you’re right as far that we are nearing the end-game as far as Arroyo is concerned as there is still so much to do afterwards. In any case, marching to Luneta was definitely worth going home for:-)

  7. So what if rally participants were less than 500,000? The message of disapproval of Arroyo is clearly conveyed by the 150,000 people who were there.

  8. nelbar nelbar

     
    Marami pa rin na umaasa sa Amerika.

    Maski ang pagpapalit ng liderato ng bansa ay inaasa pa rin sa Amerika.

    Mas nakakataas ng moral kung iiwasan natin ang pagiging “too much dependent” sa North America at sa halip ay lalo tayong mapalapit sa mga bansa sa South East Asia.

     
    Hindi ba’t ito ang gusto ng Simbahang Katoliko? Ang mapalaganap ang evangelism sa mga kalapit bansa natin sa S.E. Asia?

     

  9. Phil Cruz Phil Cruz

    Sayang nawala ang momentum.

    It would take another super blunder from the House ConMen and their boss to whip up the same level of outrage that was attained last week. When do I see it forthcoming? Oh, there are still quite a few. Considering how desperate they are, blunders and arrogance galore can still be expected from this Gang Without Shame.

    Let’s just keep up the pressure and do battle at every wrong step they make. They’re sure to trip.

  10. NPongco, by your gloating, you have unmasked yourself.

  11. ocayvalle ocayvalle

    the end game is to far yet so near!the people are fed up! the country had enough of this thievery,corruption,cheating and killings!to far because the church leaders is not getting the real issue! the issue here is the immediate ousting of GMA who up to now illegally sitting and usurping as president elect of the republic..so near that people of different sectors united just for common cause is to let GMA heard that she resign or be ousted the hard way! the church leader led by cardinal rosales pray for a change of character without mentioning GMA..mike velarde and the inc are not there..this only shows that this so called leaders is not serious in the campaign for reform..to stop corruption to stop the political killings! they are only serious for there own survival and thats is for money.. money from GMA for a promise that they control their people!!this coming election expect this group inc and el shadai will be again supporting GMA`s candidate..after this thanksgiving rally as dubbed by cardinal rosales..GMA and her evil group are again laughing in malacanang and planning to con the filipinos again!!if we don`t unite now and oust GMA..this political killing and cheating this coming election will never stop!!the people is the goverment and without us there will be no goverment,let the filipino people govern for what is good for this country!!

  12. Ocayvalle,Mike Velarde was there.

    I think, we should forget the church and go on with our crusade for truth and justice. What is important is we fight for what we believe in. If we win, that’s a bonus.

  13. Chabeli Chabeli

    Like many who have felt discouraged from the Luneta rally, a group of friends and I thought of analyzing the rally. The conclusion we came up with is that the Sunday event is only part of the whole picture. To focus only on that event would be to look at it from a micro point of view. As Ms. Ellen said previously, ““Let’s see how this almost universal outrage for Gloria will take shape in the coming days.””

    It is NOT TO GLORIAs advantage to see a cross section of people coming together; a crowd that she cannot claim was “hakot”. Whether the CBCP came out with their official line that the Luneta gathering was a “Thanksgivbing Prayer”, many who were there know why they were there. THEY DO NOT LIKE GLORIA. To quote Ms. Ellen, “The message of disapproval of Arroyo is clearly conveyed by the 150,000 people who were there.”

    It’s not over until the fat lady sings. Events will still unfold..With this, I continue to HOPE and PRAY that indeed, “…we are nearing the end-game of the political crisis rooted in the cheating by Gloria Arroyo in the 2004 elections.”

    Let’s hang in there.

  14. norpil norpil

    an end game can drag on and simply end in remis in chess parlance.
    maybe we have too high expectation before this prayer rally.

  15. Chabeli Chabeli

    Let us all bear in mind that NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY.

  16. Chabeli Chabeli

    Norpil,
    You say that “maybe we have too high expectation before this prayer rally.” I must admit, I did. But I hold on to that HOPE that an integral part of success in anything is a virtue called PATIENCE.

    GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO THOSE WHO WAIT.

  17. Chabeli Chabeli

    I remember in EDSA 2, the people at the EDSA Shrine was at the 500,000 level. A far cry from EDSA 1. Yet, as long as the military saw a cross section come together, they moved in.

  18. I continue to believe in divine justice that good triumphs over evil. In the case of Gloria Arroyo, if that happens in my lifetime, i’ll take that as a bonus. What is important to me is that I fought for what I believe is right. And that’s with the end view of making this country take the path of truth and justice.

  19. artsee artsee

    Mike Velarde? Doble cara din iyan. At eh ano kung kaunti lang ang dumalo sa rally? Mas marami ang may ayaw kay tiyanak mula Luzon hanggang Mindanao.

  20. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    The political end game will be the result of May 2007 midterm elections. I hope the Filipino electorate will dump those shameless lawmakers who junked the two impeachment complaints and fraudulent constituent assembly. We don’t expect copycats of 1986 EDSA Uprising and Kudeta 2001. It’s no longer the game of generals. The people will decide the fate of illegitimate Arroyo regime. The power to the people at the polls is the best move in the end game.

  21. parasabayan parasabayan

    This very low turnout in Luneta was expected when the church announced that the rally was a “thanksgiving” event. The people do not have to thank GOD for what is happening to the Filipino people. The sad aftermath of this low turn out would be the encouragement of the lower house to continue with their assaults to the constitution when the sessions start again. They will tell the whole country that they are still popular. But wait a minute! Backtracking what has happened, there are reasons for the peoples’ turn off to join the rally. First, the church had softened their stand on the issues. Second, there were repeated warnings of the infiltration of bad elements in the rally( who knows if the tiyanak would have planted one if the number of people was overwhelming). Thirdly, there were checkpoints all over the city (Assperon’s specialty-he did this at the Fort Bonifacio stand off). Lastly, tiyanak repeatedly annmounced that she had dumped the Con-ass.

    But, tiyanak should not be confident at this time. Just like she is re-grouping( trying to start a reason to announce martial law-political killings are starting), her opponents are also re-grouping. If she has majority numbers in the House, the people will have majority numbers on the streets. it will be a matter of time. Matalino man dam and matsin, napaglalamangan din(I hope I said that right!). Keep on scheming evil woman and the people will outsmart you one of these days. Evil will have no victory!

  22. alitaptap alitaptap

    Reality CHECK muna. If glue will step down today, the constitutional successor the vice president.Noli Castro is living under a rock. He is glue’s secret weapon – he will never get out under a rock.

  23. goldenlion goldenlion

    I don’t think the Luneta rally is a flop. The number of people gathered there is not important. What matters most is what are the sentiments of the people, the kind of gloria’s governance. I believe, gloria will soon leave malacanang, God makes all things fall in their proper places, in perfect timing and in perfect mood. Let’s wait for bansot’s farewell song………….soon!!!

  24. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Reality check: Gloria Arroyo will not resign unless physically kick-out in Malacanang. The undeclared military-civilian junta is the running the affairs of the government. IMPOTENT Vice President Noli De Castro will crumble in a quick period of time upon power take over. He has no charisma to unite the Filipino people. He is closely identified with cheating and stealing Arroyo regime. Snap election will decide leadership issue.

  25. noypi noypi

    Guys dont be discourage by the rally’s attendance turnout. I say for those that will try to measure the success of the rally based on the attendance that; “Okay, if that is your point, let the tongressmen do a marathon session again to pass a resolution for conASS, con-con or whatever similar stuff, lets see what will happen. You wanna bet? Subukan lang nila.”

  26. cocoy cocoy

    Ellen;
    you’re right the numbers don’t count.We conveyed the message to the bogus president.we are not defeated,we only suffered a setback and need to regroup and fight another day.As long as you are there and RC who cares.I’m away from home I wish I’m home and spend some of my personal resource to transport some supporters to the rally.As I said fight another day.

  27. adawning adawning

    It is true that the turnout in the Luneta rally was far less than we expected and hoped for. But whoever said that it was going to be a “walk in the park”? There would be many more set backs along the way. As the Israelites wandered in the desert for years before they got to the promise land, so we’re seemingly lost in the “desert” of Luneta. Let’s not get discouraged. We soldier on despite the difficulties. If our banner is for Truth and Justice and we abide by God’s will and His commandments, victory will eventually be ours. And that victory will sweeter the harder the struggle…We shall overcome We will get THERE!

  28. artsee artsee

    Goldenlion, ano pa nga ba ang tawag mo sa rally? Tagumpay o hindi? Maghihintay ka ba mangitlog ng golden eggs para aminin na palpak ang rally? Ang akin lang ay ganito…basta ba lahat ng tao sa buong bansa ay galit at ayaw kay tiyanak, iyan ang mas importante. Darating at darating din ang kanyang katapusan!

  29. joeseg joeseg

    Hello, ET-friends, I’m back!

    Like a game of chess, somehow, the end-game will come and it’s near for GMA. Konting tiyaga sa paghihintay, mga kaibigan. There’s another day, there’s another time. Darating din yon, tama si Artsee.

    I was not able to reach Luneta on Dec. 17. It was really frustating not to be allowed to proceed because what my group, being promdi and poor, can only afford was two passenger jeepneys but tagged as out of line. We acknowledged the military men who confronted us for being apologetic, they’re just doing their duties as ordered. Hindi naman sila nang-harass and we could sense na labag sa kalooban nila ang kanilang ginagawa. Some hotheads in our group would like to challenge the soldiers but cooler heads prevailed. Uwian na lang kami kahit wika nga ay luhaan.

    It’s understandable that you are similarly frustrated for not seeing the expected toppling down of GMA. Kung kayo ay sobra ang pangigigil, lalong na ang mga nandito at handang sumagupa. Lalong nagpainit yong hindi man lamang natanaw ang Luneta. Pero kung sasamain, because the enforcers of GMA are no longer exercising maximum tolerance on the rallyists, posibleng maraming karahasang mangyayari. Magpapasko pa naman. Maybe, God, in His misterious way, prevented things to happen for it could mean, mayhem and death especially to the poor rallyists. Sila naman palagi yong nasa gitna ng laban. You will certainly agree that we don’t want anyone to suffer any incovenience at this time of the year. It could mean a real silent night.

    Like Ate Ellen, in the aftermath of the Sunday not so big event, opinion makers will be busy writing with a question. what happened, why no people power? In my assessment and many may have their opinion, the much vaunted People Power is no longer like what transpired in the mass action creating EDSA 1 & 2. This time, it is how they will vote and decide in the May 7 election, kung magkakaroon. It’s the new people power. It’s what I think.

    But what made the December 17 prayer-rally short of the expectation in terms of crowd attendance?

    Allow me to have my own 10 REASONS WHY FEW PEOPLE WENT TO THE PRAYER RALLY:

    1. Many were turned-off with the softening of the bishops. It is aside from the fact that few people really go to hear mass on Sunday nowadays.
    2. The result of a massive disinformation campaign by Malacanang’s phone & text brigades.
    3. The news that GMA may attend the prayer rally.
    4. The threat of the military that politicians and celebrities will be arrested if they will be on stage.
    5. The fear that the military and policemen mobilized by Malacanang will not hesitate to kill and maim any rallyist.
    6. The prohibition of any speeches touching on politics, displaying of streamers, placards and flags.
    7. The threat issued by Malacanang that terrorists or NPA may set off explosives in the crowd.
    8. The blockade imposed by the military from all entry points leading to Luneta.
    9. The chilling effect of the cold blooded murder of Abra Cong. Bersamin
    10. GMA early pronouncement that she’s backing off from pursuing cha-cha and con-ass halted the momentum.
    ==
    WEIRD Meaning for Today:

    1. POLITICS – The art of obtaining money from the rich and votes from the poor on the pretext of protecting each from the other.

    2. POLITICIAN – A goon with the wind.

  30. pandawan pandawan

    Tama nga na ang lahat ng bagay sa ilalim ng langit ay mayroong kani-kaniyang panahon pero me kasabihan tayong mga Pilipino “Nasa Dios ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.” Pinagpapala ng Dios yaong mga hindi nakatunganga habang niyuyurakan ng ilan ang demokrasya – katulad nang patalsikin nila ang pangulong inihalal ng taumbayan sa pinakamaraming boto sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas.

    Kumita na ang People Power. Ang una ay spontaneous at nangyari nang walang nagplano. Basta pumutok na lang at biglang nasa lansangan na ang masang Pilipino. Pero ang ikalawang People ay pilit-pilit at hindi tutuong sinuportahan ng milyon-milyong mga tao. It was a media-hype creation that hoodwinked people that the whole nation was against Erap. Ito ay isang kasinungalingan sapagkat mas milyon-milyon pa ang pumunta sa EDSA tres upang ipagtanggol si Erap. Pero sa puwersa ay nailuklok pa rin nila si Gloria.

    Na nagsisi sila sa kanilang pagkakamali at ngayon ay sumisigaw na umalis si Gloria nang kusa ay mukhang hindi pinapansin ng tao dahil sa kanilang ginawa ke Erap at ke FPJ na kanilang dinusta.

    Me karapatan ba silang humiling ng awa ng Dios ngayon? Ang Gloriang kanilang iniluklok sa Malacanang ay hindi aalis dahil sumisigaw sila. Kung anupaman, si Gloria ay mapapatalsik sa pamamagitan ng paraang hindi inaasahan, sa pamamagitan ng mga taong hindi inaasahan, at sa panahong hindi inaasahan, in God’s own time.

  31. Atty CCastilloJr Atty CCastilloJr

    Dear Ellen,

    It’s good news that the Filipinos are finally getting their act together against the despicable regime of Gloria Arroyo. I was disappointed by the silence of the church specially during the Garci scandal. But now, at least, the church people are joining the clamor against the machinations of Gloria and JDV to keep themselves in power.

    Many others are still out there, but wouldn’t want to be identified with the same group of the Estradas, who are no worse than the Arroyos and Marcoses. And then, there are the communist-leaning groups, who, once in power, shall no doubt, be the worst violators of human rights (hello, communism has been discredited long ago, look at ats birthplace, Russia, which has long abandoned it).

    I hope we can have a more credible group of people, and not those hi-jacking the people for their own selfish interests.

  32. iraya iraya

    So the rally was used as photo ops by the trapos on the other side. No wonder its a big turn off. Tatad? Maceda? All those incumbent oppositions but trapos just the same? These politicians will really take advantage of anything just to advance their personal agenda. These people are no different from those who railroaded the con ass. It they were in the administration, they might have done the same.

    GMA is just a reflection of the problem. These opposition trapos are also part of the problem. If trapos continue to reign our land, nothing will ever change. We may be able to oust Gloria out of Malacanang but I doubt if anything will change.

    We are the problem and we are the solution. We will never be able to gather that critical mass (yesterday’s rally was a far cry from the minimum 1M needed) unless we can mobilize the masses. But to be able to mobilize them, we need to capture their imagination. Unfortunately, we only think and view things from the point of view of the middle class.

    When Erap was ousted, the masses felf they were robbed of their president. We need to bring back the masses’ trust on the political system. Yes, there is a universal disgust over GMA. Unfortunately this disgust cannot be translated into warm bodies as the masses are truly skeptical of the opposition. Can’t blame the masses. The opposition only sees their own point of view. May 2007 is when we will see the outrage. But I hope the masses will junk all trapos, be it admin or opposition.

  33. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    Not again! When hello Garci was at the height of investigation, bogus Gloria’s lapse of judgement, it was also “Nearing the End-Game”. It ain’t over ’till that dwarf singing her tune behind rusted steel bars, then I might just believe it. But not now while the dwarf still much in control of Pilipinos lives. How many times have we heard this before, yet we keep under estimating bogus Gloria. All we got to show for effort is 801 activists and journalists dead. and lots of dissapointment. The people, if I may generalized, always coming up short of expectation, only because the determination to go all the way just ain’t there. Bogus Gloria has beaten the opposition to the punch all the times, most obvious. It doesn’t matter if 500,000 or 150,000 thousands attended the prayer rally, the point being, bogus Gloria at the end of the day still stinking the House of the People.

    Of course, we can’t surrender our sovereign rights and it’s a must that we not give in to bogus Gloria. We must be more adamant now more than ever in making sure bogus Gloria stay in Malacanang is cut short, very short.

  34. zenzennai zenzennai

    Ellen;

    A lump developed in my throat after reading your comment above at 1:39 am, “…what is important is we fight for what we believe in. if we win, that’s a bonus”.

    I could not agree less.

  35. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    I’m a bit surprised to read all the emotional dissapointment when the prayer rally was just what it is supposedly a prayer rally. If I recalled, it has been billed way ahead that it will be just a prayer rally and nothing more, no political speeches or they’ll be charged with sedition and destabilization of bogus Gloria’s empire, or enchanted kingdom. So, why be dissapointed? Maybe, next major gathering of the people call it for what it’s for, why even pretend. If it’s for a political demonstration against bogus Gloria’s government, so be it, and have a real showdown. The sooner we have the showdown the better and we can all have peace to ourselves. Another option, lets just give up to bogus Gloria, let bogus Gloria have her way, she has been doing it anyway. Then, there won’t be no more killing of activists and journalist, only the lying stealing of bogus Gloria. At least, we solve the killing, the way I see it, a gain.

  36. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    If we are quite serious of fighting back for extra bonus, lets make sure we are prepare for consequences. Lets not get on the battle with only one foot in and the other foot ready to surrender. It’s no glory, in my opinion, to be on the losing side. Fight all the way with intent to win, it’s the only way we can resolve the miseries of the country it’s now facing. Bogus Gloria and her dogs are not going to give up all their stolen benefits, their lifestyle without a fight. Surely they’ve the resources and the means. I’d think they’ve the advantage. But, choice is in front of the people’s face, with determination, who knows what could happen.

  37. npongco npongco

    There was no People Power because there was no signal yet from Uncle Sam. AFP rebels would only move only upon Uncle Sam’s approval. Everything was ripe for GMA’s ouster. But whether you like it or not or whether you agree or not, the missing factor is still the US-CIA. What America wants, America gets. And if America wants Gloria out, she will be out.

  38. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    Ellen:

    The deck is stacked against your divine justice, most obviously. Bogus Gloria got the control and upper hand. I also used to believe in the truth and justice, but after over six years of hoping and wishing, starting to question it, especially in the Philippines and while bogus Gloria are calling all the shot, I believe. As far as I’m concern, no such thing as truth and justice, not now, not in the Philippines while bogus Gloria still at the helm. And we can never have truth and divine justice when the sovereign rights are being denied, not only by bogus Gloria, yet by Supreme Court and useless Congress.

  39. acpiccio acpiccio

    It looks like the CBCP has managed to steal Christmas this year. Me, I have given up on the CBCP as led by Archbishop Lagdameo. I grew up believing the distinction between good and evil. I grew up believing that Jesus did the right thing when He kicked butt in driving the money changers away from the temple. Obviously some bishops would find fault with this doctrine, but I’m too old to change nor to even try to understand them.
    In one fell swoop they have managed to trivialize themselves. These shepherds are so out of touch with their flock.

  40. acpiccio,

    that’s very nice way to describe things as they stand today.

  41. joeseg joeseg

    Toney Cuevas, you maybe right to say the people, as generalized, always coming up short of expectation. I’m one of them. I’m on the ground, many of us. We personally participate, instead of rhetorics, we’re in the thick of some activities because we are not under estimating GMA. We may have been beaten to the punch so many times, sometimes the barrel of the gun staring at us, humiliated, humbled and frustrated at that, but we keep on going and keeping our hopes alive, One day her end will come and we believe it’s nearing the end-game.

    But if after all, everything fails, woe unto us. But we did something. All of us here did something.

  42. npongco npongco

    Toney, please do us a favor by asking Bush to withdraw his support from Gloria. Only then can we get rid of her…

  43. Joeseg,

    I would like to thank you and people like you for making a difference in the scheme of things.

    Ellen, you and the others like you who ‘personally participate, instead of rhetorics,’ who are ‘in the thick of some activities,’ because you ‘are not under estimating GMA’ have prevented Gloria from being triumphant several times over.

    Without people like you, the country would have long gone to the dogs.

    Keep the fire burning, good people win in the end.

  44. joeseg joeseg

    Thanks, Anna!

    But it’s the people like you and all members of this blog contributed a lot to keep the fire burning.

  45. joeseg joeseg

    This maybe one indication why it’s nearing the end-game.

    GMA went to St. Luke’s to see her husband Mike Arroyo
    who recently underwent angioplasty procedure.

    On her way to the room, she passes by an old man who doesn’t seem to notice her.

    Sensing this, GMA backtracks to the man and asks,
    “Do you know who I am?”

    The old man looks up from his walker and says, “No, but if
    you go to the information desk at the lobby, they will tell you your name.”

  46. npongco npongco

    I got a couple of questions: First, one reason given by CBCP to the low turn out of rally attendees was the gathering was just a prayer rally or “Thanksgiving”. If this was the reason, why was the Makati rally two days earlier (Friday) also a flop even if it was clearly a political rally? Second question, during the Luneta rally, it was reported that GMA left Malacanang and went to an undisclosed place. Where did she hide? It reminds us of then Cory who was hiding in a Cebu convent at the height of Edsa Revolt.

  47. tong_gress tong_gress

    sabihin ba naman prayer rally eh, ang gusto ng nakararami eh action na kaagad. kung layunin talaga ng pagtitipong iyon ay upang ipahayag nag damdamin ng taumbayan, maaaring maaabot ang inaasahang bilang ng dadalo. EH IKAW BA NAMAN ANG MAGPAPAHAYAG NG GALIT NA DAMDAMIN SA TROPANG NI GLORIA ‘TAPOS SILA RIN NAMAN ANG MAGDIDIKTA KUNG PAANO KA KIKILOS, KUNG SINO ANG MAGSASALITA AT ANO ANG DAPAT AT DI DAPAT MONG SABIHIN AT SINANG-AYUNAN NAMAN NG MGA ORGANIZERS, ANO PA ANG AASAHAN NATIN?

    HE HE HE sa eleksyon magkakaalaman yan. baka in BOLD letters pa isulat ng mga botante kung sino ang gusto nila,

    NAGSASAWA NA ANG NAKARARAMI SA MGA CHARACTER NG PEOPLE POWER, SILA-sila rin naman eh, NAWALAN NA NG TIWALA, LAGING MAY AGAM-AGAM sa mga nangunguna.

    MALIBAN KUNG MULING IINSULTUHIN NILA ANG INTELEKTWAL NA KAKAYAHAN ng taumbayan!

    pero at least may nalaman ni glue-ria at ng kanyang alipores na may nagbabantay sa bawat kilos nila.

  48. zenzennai zenzennai

    kung ang huling EDSA 1 ang indikasyon, makialam lamang ang sinasabing ‘Merika (madalas hindi rin iisa ang boses nila; meron NSA, state and defense departments), kung nasa hibla na lang buhok ang pagitan ng pagbagsak at ng pananaliti ng puwesto ng isang pamunuan.

    tingin ko, namamangka sa 2 ilog ang Amb. Keeney, atbp: sa ilog ng masangsang na Pasig at ng sa kabila, partidong pulitikal/civil society/ people’s organizations ng oposisyon , kaya hindi tuwirang tama na maliitin ang raling nangyari kahapon. asahan mong papalit-palit ng bangka ang mga ito, depende kung saan ang matibay.

    at sino ang magsasabi kung sino ang matibay? walang iba, kundi ang sambayanang Pilipino. kung nasaan ang tibok ng mayorya, batay sa pinaglalabang hustisya, kapayapaan at kasaganaan anduon ang matibay na bangka.

    sangayon ako sa opinyon na marami na masyadong problema ang ‘Merika para makialam na ala-walang modo at hindi sinasa-alang-alang ang puntos ng mga nagnanais ng pagbabago at reporma, maliban na lang kung gustuhin nating bastusin tayo ng mga ito.

    respect is earned, ‘ika nga. kung kada galaw natin, at titingala tayo at magtatanong sa kanila, ‘Tama po ba itong gawa namin?’, o dili kaya’y, ‘ Tulungan naman po ninyo kami!’; sa palagay ko, kailanma’y hindi natin pagkakakitaan ng respeto hindi lang mula sa ‘Merika, kundi na rin sa ating mga kapitbahay. Lalo higit pa sa ating mga sarili.

    kaya ba ng sambayanang Pilipino na kumilos mag-isa na hindi naghihintay ng hineteng dayuhan?

    malaking OO ang sagot! ang kung sino man ang naniniwalang wala tayong kakayahan, Pinoy ka pa rin–tipong atrasado nga lang… at talunan.

  49. zenzennai zenzennai

    corrections…

    1.)…masyado ng MARAMI ang problema ng ‘Merika…
    2.)…malaking OO ang sagot! at kung sino man ang naniniwalang wala tayong kakayahan…

  50. tong_gress tong_gress

    Arroyo to join Catholic Church in changing nation’s values:

    patay na! arroyo + catholic church = ______________

    what a joke! bwa ha ha ha

  51. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    npongco:

    Don’t be confused! Philippines is a sovereign nation last time I checked. And most certainly it belong to the Pilipinos not the United States of America and Great President George Bush has no claim to how the government of the Philippines should be governed. The Americans and Great President Bush has enough problems to be worrying of bogus Gloria or who should rule the Pilipinos. I truly believe, it’s all up to the Pilipinos and not the Americans. It’s just taking a while for the Pilipinos to wake up to reality. Most importantly for your info, what’s going on within the shores of the Philippines are the Pilipinos concern. Stop looking across the mighty Pacific Ocean, help ain’t coming from that side of the Ocean. If the Pilipinos couldn’t free themselves from bogus Gloria’s dictatorial regime, perhaps the Pilipinos doesn’t deserve to be free. Freedom is not given, but earned.

  52. THE LONG VIEW
    Parameters
    By Manuel L. Quezon III
    Published on page A15 of the December 18, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
    GARRY WILLS WROTE: “THE LEADER IS ONE who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leader and followers. In that brief definition, all these elements are present, and indispensable …. Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership …. The goal must be shared, no matter how many other motives are present that are not shared.”
    Continued on UNIFFORS Blog it may help us to understand.

  53. npongco npongco

    America sure has her own problems and lots of them. But, they will never abandon the Philippines. The Philippines is America’s first line of defense in the Pacific. America has huge business interest in the Philippines with multi-national companies around including oil companies. America gets many of her raw materials from the Philippines at a very low price including cheap labor. Then, they sell these finished products to us at a much higher price. America doesn’t care about RP because she has her own problems? That’s what some of you think. In fact, RP is one of America’s problems. With China and North Korea’s threat increasing, America needs the Philippines badly to continue her superpower role. America has interest everywhere including the Philippines. To say that America doesn’t care and doesn’t need the Philippines is not facing reality. America wants one RP leader who will be obedient and submissive to her. Marcos was submissive and cooperative for many years until the last few years when he started to go against America’s dictate. One example was the decrease of the period of the US Base Treaty Agreement. That decision by Marcos irked the US. Marcos also became stubborn and began to do his ways without America’s approval. From a very obedient boy, the spoiled brat became a headache to the US. It was at this time when Ninoy was assassinated. Some even guessed that Ninoy could have been eliminated by the CIA or at least CIA’s local operatives in the Philippines. That’s why the real mastermind has never been caught up to this day. Marcos’ role has long been disregarded. He really had no role and nothing to do with it. FVR became President because he has always been an Amboy always bowing to America’s wishes. Remember he was a West Pointer. Erap was disliked by America and attempts to dump him even before the election failed because the people truly loved Erap. Had it not for Erap’s millions of votes, he would have been cheated too. They tried to cheat him but his winning margin was just too wide. And it wasn’t long Erap was also ousted. The US was directly or indirectly involved in his ouster. How could they like this man who voted for the closure of the US bases and even made an anti-US movie?

  54. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    joeseg:

    You and others should be commended for at least doing something. Great! I can’t wait for the end-game, it surely be a welcome relief. But, in a meantime, I guess we just have to wait and see.

  55. cocoy cocoy

    we all need to stop bickering and disgusted about what happened to the rally.The numbers does’nt count.The missing links in the purpose in ousting Arroyo is that,the opposition doesn’t have a difinite leader to take over if she’s ousted.Every certain opposition has a personal interest and agenda.
    We were able to toppled Marcos on Edsa because we have Cory who is determined to lead.Estrada was not ousted nor resign,he just temporarily take a leave to doused the boiling wrath of the people.
    Unless,the opposition will get thier act together,we will have to wait until Gloria’s term expired.The opposition must
    pull out all thier aces this coming May election.They need numbers in the Congress for the impeachment of Gloria to push thru.That’s only a pipe dreams.Those Administration solons who’s term expired will only dance rigodon in thier district.They will field their kins,spouse & children on thier vacated post.
    Right now,the Filipino people is waiting for Moses to take them to promise land.

  56. I can’t seem to buy the story that the Philippines needs the USA so much, and to include the CIA makes it all the more incredible. James Bond movies were that, just movies.

  57. b2win-marikit b2win-marikit

    Nasaan na kayo mga Edgar Jopson, Gary Olivar, Portia Ilagan, Lacaba brothers, Bonifacio Ilagan, Dolores Feria, Bien Lumbera, Orly Castillo atbp. Nasaan kayo mga kapatid na handang magbuwis ng buhay alang-alang sa inang bayan. Remember MENDIOLA dekada sitenta!

  58. npongco npongco

    You’re not watching James Bond movie but reality show. When can you ever learn? There are so many things you don’t know about the US and the CIA’s notoriety. Even the late President Magsaysay was reported to be a CIA agent. The US placed him as President. No one disputes that. Magsaysay died in a plane crash…but then, I’m not saying it was a CIA hit. But until this day, there was no closure as to the cause of the plane crash. Experts even those days claimed it was caused by a bomb.

    If ever there’s a weakening of US role in the world and some decline in the CIA’s activities; it’s because the US under this Bush has become the laughing stock of her enemies. The US has never been so hated as it is today. Her influence and power in the world is declining. Pretty soon, China shall replace the US as the world’s superpower. Even today, China has already invaded the US economically. China is even America’s supplier of military hardware and parts. Things have changed. That’s why the US continues to focus on third world countries like the Philippines to somewhat balance whatever disadvantage she has with larger and similarly powerful nations.

  59. npongco:
    Suffice to say you know nothing on how the CIA operate. Trust me I’m a doctor

  60. npongco npongco

    Doctor saves life but CIA kills. Let’s dicuss this topic once you get to learn some history and intelligence work. Otherwise, I prefer to communicate with someone who’s more knowledgeble and not one who never learns.

  61. my blog profile reads, still standing & don’t take fools gladly

  62. parasabayan parasabayan

    LET US JUST FACE IT, MONEY TALKS AND IT DID SO LOUDLY. I wonder how much was promised to the churches guised as “donations”. Assperon did what he was good at, blocked all enries to Luneta. IT IS PURE DISGUSTING! If rallies are to always be permitted, there will never be an critical mass unless the people will camp out close to the rally site way before the AFP had set up their check points. If the people will simply convene witjout any notice and do in MASSIVELY, maybe that is a better tactic.

    With the May 2007 elections as the closest hope to show tiyanak that WE HATE HER SOOOOOO MUCHHHHHHHH, unless we sleep in the voting areas and really closely watch the counting of the votes, we might again see the repeat of the 2004 elections. REMEMBER THAT ALL THE CHEATING COMELEC OFFICERS ARE STILL THEIR POSITIONS. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF GARCIS in the upcoming elections! There will also be a lot of vote buying in the upcoming elections. Since over 50 million Filipinos are on the poverty line, a Health pass and a cavan of rice per voter may not be too much to shoulder by the Tiyanak who seem to know where to tap the money from. Afterall,dollar remittances coming into the country had increased tremendously( shame on her selling our labor to other countries like she is selling peanuts!)

  63. zenzennai zenzennai

    bright star:

    martial law baby, ako. ang alam ko sa mga nabanggit mo:

    EdJop- order sa kanya, likidahin. kaya kinitil ang buhay habang ni-reyd ang bahay sa Davao City, early ’80s.

    Pete Lacaba- mahusay at may saysay pa rin na manunulat.

    Boni Ilagan-kung hindi bumubuo ng isang dula, busy sa pag-oorganisa kahit saan napapadpad, mapa-ibayong dagat.

    Bien Lumbera- nakabase sa Ateneo de Manila bilang guro. National Artist for Literature. kaibigang dakila ng masang Pinoy, hanggang sa ngayon.

    Ang ibang pangalan hindi ako sigurado. Yung iba katulad ni Bobby Tiglao na nakausap ko saglit sa Kyoto noon, nagpa-ampon sa Pekeng Presidente.

  64. parasabayan parasabayan

    We will also see a lot of balimbings. How many of the popular opposition candidates will try to be bribed with money to fuel their campaign? Then after the elections when the impeachment votes are needed, we will again be surprised because the impeachment will not materialize. IT IS THE GREED FOR MONEY AND POWER THAT SEEM TO DOMINATE OUR POLITICS! Unless we change our ways, we will never have the reforms we would need to turn our ship to sail to a destination.

    Although it is true that the US will have to bless us with the choice of the next leader, we have to have someone in mind at this time. Uncle Sam wants to know who it is that we will replace Tiyanak with. If we can not present alternatives, the status quo will prevail and we will be stuck with TIYANAK UNTIL SHE SUCKS US DRY!

  65. nelbar nelbar

     

    >AFP rebels would only move only upon Uncle Sam’s approval.

    >there was no signal yet from Uncle Sam.
     

    para mo naman na sinabi na nasa bansa natin ang may pinakamalaking grupo ng mga MERSENARYO.

    Kung magkaroon kaya ng “baliktaran” este balikatan exercises sa loob mismo ng palace grounds?

    panahon na para rebyuhin ang VFA at ipanukala ang pagkakaroon ng military exercises sa loob mismo ng US Embassy compound.

    Naniniwala ako na isang katulad ng sa “Teheran ng 1979” ang makapagpapabago ng sistemang politikal sa “KAMAYNILAAN”.

    At sa loob ng 444 days ay mapagtatanto ng taga BISAYAS at MINDANAO ang tunay na kahulugan ng freedom and self determination!

     

    >RP is one of America’s problems.
     

    ang problema ng RP ay kung papaano mapapasunod nito ang mga kalapit bansa sa S.E.A. para humalik sa tumbong ng Amerika.

    Bakit ang mga muslim, sinasabing nagkalat sa Europe at Amerika ay sinasabing problema???

    Samantalang ang mga Pinoy na nagkalat sa Europe, N.Amerika at ibang dako ng M.E ay walang pumapansin?

    HINDI ANG PELIKULANG JAMES BOND ang makakapagpabago sa socio,political,economic at cultural landsape ng Pilipinas.

    Isang “Amazing Race” para sa mga nagnanais na mapatalksik si GMA!

     
    Hindi pa rin ma-gets ng mga PINOY ang ibig sabihin ng TP-AJAX o baka naman playing ‘hard to get’ pa rin?

    US ang may pakana ng dalawang “EDSA”.

    SINO SA INYO DITO ANG NAKAKAKILALA KAY EPIFANIO DELOS SANTOS?

    –ang kilala ko lang na Epifanio ay iyong player ng España noong 1992 sa Barcelona

     

    LONG LIVE THE SPIRIT OF MANILA 1996-1998!!!

     

  66. parasabayan:
    Thats a positive idea to convene in advance of the road blocks its better not to wait until the May elections.

  67. nelbar nelbar

     
    mga taong dedicated at committed ang makapagpapabago ng bansa!

    kaya’t tigilan na ang pagsasabi na ang “US Ass” ang magsisilbing gabay o hudyat na baguhin ang tinatahak ng bansa!

     

  68. Para sa Kanto Mama Para sa Kanto Mama

    Time is of the essence. Pumutok ang isang mainit na isyu. Nag-schedule ka ng rally one week after pa. The administration has all the resources to preempt all your moves and to decimate your ranks. It’s very very hard to dispose of an opponent whom you have given all the opportunities to be on the offensive.

  69. parasabayan parasabayan

    WOW, TIYANAK WILL BE JOINING THE CHURCH TO CHANGE THE VALUES OF THE FILIPINOS!!!! WILL SHE TEACH US HOW TO KILL,LIE,CHEAT,BRIBE,CORRUPT AND A LOT MORE DESPICABLE EVIL TRAITS.WHY DOESN’T SHE JUST SHUT UP???? SHE IS JUST SPOILING OUR HOLIDAYS!!!

  70. miron miron

    Ok lang na sabihing malapit na ang end game. Pero walang katuturan yung mga salitang patapos–“huling baraha na niya” type statements. Nung planning stage pa lang itong rally, para bang sigurado na ang marami na milyon katao ang dadalo at tuloy-tuloy na ang martsa sa palasyo at aarestuhin na si GMA, etc, etc. Kailangang ipagpatuloy ang laban pero huwag na lang sana mag-predict kung anong round mana-knockout ang kalaban. On the other hand, siguro wishful thinking lang ang ginagawa ng iba. Sabi nga ng awit ng Carpenters, “I can dream, can’t I?”

  71. miron miron

    PsKM: I’m with you. Alam ko na hindi basta-basta mag-organize ng rally. Pero ang hindi ko maintindihan ay bakit ina-announce well in advance ang mga plano ng mga contra-GMA. Ang administration naman, nagpa-plano in secret, tapos execute ang plano. Walang magawa ang opposition kundi mag-react na lang. Sa dinami-dami ba naman ng may cellphone, hindi ba magamit ang technology na yan para makapag-lunsad ang opposition ng blitzkrieg?

  72. cocoy cocoy

    b2win-marikit:
    I was an student at PCC during that time,Those names you mentioned has principles.I was also at Mendiola.I was also,arrested together with Nemesio Prudente.Maybe,it rings the bell.Hello.

  73. Mrivera Mrivera

    bakit natin hahayaang lumamig ang silakbo ng damdaming kaytagal nang nag-uumalpas sa ating mga dibdib dahil lamang sa sinasabi ninyong kawalang sigla ng ginanap na prayer rally kahapon? kung gagawin itong batayan, lalo’t alam naman natin na mahilig gumamit ng kung ano anong taktika ang baliw na babae sa malakanyang, para na nating isinusuko ang laban!

    naumpisahan na, ituloy tuloy na. kung anong taktika ang ginagawa ng baliw at kanyang mga kaalyado, mas paalabin natin ang ningas ng pagkakaisa at magbantay. huwag nating hayaang mamayani ang palaging ginagawa ng mga sukab na taktikang “bira-takbo-palamig-sanib-muli-plano-atake”. palagi nating isipin na ang pagpapakitang lambot at saglit na pagkalingat sa pagmamatyag ay sapat na upang muling gumapang ang salot!

    sa mga magigiting at kagalang galang na miyembro ng oposisyon, ito ang sandali upang isa isantabi ninyo ang personal na ambisyon (huwag ninyong sabihing wala, matagal na kayong nahuling nangakababa ang mga salawal) alang alang sa sinasabi ninyong kapakanan ng nakararaming siyang magiging bunga ng tunay na pagbabagong ipinaglalaban ngayon ng taong bayan. kung hindi rin ninyo kayang magkaisa sa inyong hanay, huwag na kayong sumakay sa bangkang iginagaod ng mamamayan dahil magiging pabigat lamang kayo! marami pang mas karapat dapat na mamuno, hindi lamang ang sinuman sa grupo ng mga oposisyunistang pulitiko.

  74. npongco npongco

    My take on the whole thing is that the reason why we don’t succeed is because of people who never learn or will never learn. We never learn from past history. We never learn from past mistakes. We will never learn unless we are humble enough to admit our limitation and not assert our stupid opinion.

  75. npongco npongco

    Okay Nelbar, go ahead and see what you and the Filipino people could do without America’s help and America’s meddling. It’s that kind of false patriotism and nationalism that make our nation backward. I for one would like to see a free Philippines. When I say free, I mean FREE in the truest meaning of the word. We were granted independence by Uncle Sam; but what are we and where are we now? Look around you…the foods that you eat…the clothes that you wear…the movies that you watch…the language that you speak…the books and papers that you read…the music that you listen…the kind of mentality you possess. Aren’t all Americanized and Westernized? Decades later, we are still dependent on them…we’re still at their mercy. It’s time to wake up from our bad dream. I’m not anti-American. I’m just pro-Filipino. When will you guys accept the painful fact that the US continues to meddle in our economic and political affairs? That what America wants, America gets? That to America, there are no permanent friends and enemies, only permanent interest.

  76. npongco npongco

    Better go to sleep.

  77. Mrivera Mrivera

    from tribune:

    AFP, PNP veterans lambast Arroyo for unpaid pensions

    By Sherwin C. Olaes

    12/18/2006

    Reformists in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police yesterday lambasted President Arroyo for “duping” the people in pushing Charter change (Cha-cha) for personal interests, allotting a budget close to P8 billion and yet veterans, most of them had already died and aged in miserable conditions, have yet to receive their retirement pensions which ballooned to close to P40 billion.

    In an interview, Young Enlisted Soldiers Active and Retired Military-Police for Solidarity (Yes Arms) spokesman retired Cmdr. Ismael Aparri said “while thousands of our veterans were dying for want of their pension pay as provided for under our law, Mrs. Arroyo has earmarked around P8 billion to finance her Constitutional Convention (Con-con) to enact a special law and amend the 1987 Constitution.”

    Aparri said Mrs. Arroyo is afraid for the third impeachment complaint against her, expected to be filed next year in Congress by the opposition, reason she is pushing Cha-cha which consequently would result in her absolution on string of impeachable offenses prepared against her.

    Arroyo survived last year’s and this year’s impeachment in Congress due to the opposition’s failure to muster the needed 79 signatures of the 230 lawmakers, to be able to elevate the case to the Senate for trial.

    The accusations against her ranged from engaging in an election fraud, massive graft and corruption and human rights abuses.

    Aparri expressed optimism the political opposition will dominate the House of Representatives in next year’s polls.

    He said their distrust of Mrs. Arroyo was the reason they brought to the Supreme Court the veterans’ complaint — for the high tribunal body to execute a writ of mandamus — on the refusal of Malacañang to release the P35- billion retirement benefits the veterans are supposed to receive as granted under existing laws.

    The Yes Arms spokesman said their group along with the Federation of retired Commissioned and Enlisted Soldiers Inc. has exhausted all administrative remedies but they all fell on deaf ears.

    “Mrs. Arroyo’s inaction to pay the veterans their dues is a clear proof that she really doesn’t care about her soldiers and the police but rather about her political survival. She is the Commander-in- Chief and with a flick of her finger she could assert her moral leadership to appropriate funds for our veterans but there was no action taken,” he said.

    On Jan. 18, 2005, Aparri said veterans of more than 286,000 petitioned the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City for a mandamus to direct the Arroyo administration to immediately settle the pension differentials due the retirees.

    Aparri said with Mrs. Arroyo in power, the Philippines is in a clear and distinct danger.

    “The Philippines is in more danger today than she has ever been. Worse than the ravages of World War II,” he said.

    Aparri likened the House of Representatives under House Speaker Jose de Venecia to a terrorist organization in railroading Charter amendment recently, to his and Mrs. Arroyo’s personal satisfactions.

    “Speaker De Venecia and his House allies show how far these terrorist groups have gone at the length in recomplete destruction of our laws, thru willful machinery and patently immoral acts. We believe only God can foretell events, but here and now Mrs. Arroyo and De Venecia’s causes of action can be said that they wanted the Philippines Charter change written in blood,” he said.

  78. zenzennai zenzennai

    which is…?

    ousting a despotic regime is always a confluence of many factors. attributing it to a singular cause does render a picture incomplete, besides, it does not give justice to different sectors working for its fruition.

  79. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Re: Reality show-James Bond CIA activities in Philippine politics. What America wants, America gets?

    Why the CIA and the US State Department had failed miserably to check/stop the rise of leftist governments in South America? Maybe CIA operatives spent a lot of their time in bars, sex live shows, brothels and illegal drugs business. The United States poured million$ for decades to counteract the spread of socialist governments in South America to protect its national interests. Venezuela is the SA biggest oil producer and supplier to the United States. Sandanista leader Daniel Ortega is the newly elected president of Nicaragua. Mexico’s Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, leftist leader of the Democratic Revolution Party almost captured the presidency in a closely contested election. Mexico borders the United States. The leftist revolution is spreading like a bushfire without the help of Cuba’s Fidel Castro. South America is the home of about 350 million people. The Philippines is halfway around the globe. Why should the CIA give importance to corrupt Gloria Arroyo?

  80. npongco npongco

    Diego, your version was better and makes more sense than the others whose only intention was to rebuke me. After the Cold War, CIA performed badly. It was not the same like it used to be. Then, CIA was in tick to tick fight with Russia’s KGB. Now, CIA has nowhere to operate except third world and some Middle Eastern countries. CIA cannot even do a good job internally. We read and heard of foreign spies/agents stealing US secrets.

  81. vic vic

    Like in the Game of Chess, the end game should be either checkmate or resign. Gloria refused to resign, she needs to be checkmated. By whom? By the collective desire of all, not just the opposition politicians whose motives can not be ascertain, neither by the Church, who has problems running their own affairs in perpetum, but by the masses. It may take a little while to get the momemtum, because at present there are no credible leaders to led the way. But I believe that one day there will be one or few who will rise up among the “oppressed” and that’s all that is needed to spark the fire. Checkmate..

  82. vic:
    I’m of the same opinion that there needs to be a credible opposition leader, one that the people in general feel that they are prepared to follow. There are many likely candidates, lets hope one comes forward soon.

  83. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    A possible checkmate for Grandliar Gloria Arroyo will be the total rebuke by the electorate all her candidates, impeached and convicted by the Senate for her cheating and stealing regime. Our best move is to protect our ballots on May 2007 midterm elections. Mate in three moves.

  84. norpil norpil

    the 2007 may election could be the move for the people to check mate gma before 2010.in that connection, the senate which together with the people checkmated the chacha must also be with the people.without the senate and a new congress it seems to me that gma can sit till 2010.if gma is not impeached, she could end like pinochet who did not pay for any of his sins against the people.of course some may argue that he is in hell right now but that is being too spiritual.
    some of my brothers were saying that another people’s power can only prolong the situation we are now in,i.e., another leader whose position can be questioned.snap elections is also a problem because the opposition does not have a standard bearer. when polls show that opposition candidates can win quite big, it will be difficult for gma and co. to cheat.

  85. I think thats a good assessment of the situation because nothing will happen before the May election, and the poor rally turnout hopefully gives a false sense of security.

  86. cocoy cocoy

    npongco;
    Are you in Fantasy island,or to much atenolol for your hypertension.My friend,rightnow the interest of America in the Philippines is to gain custody of Smith.What CIA you’re talking about?And a sign to oust Arroyo?You must be reading a book written by Hitler.

  87. _Ellen says, “So what if rally participants were less than 500,000? The message of disapproval of Arroyo is clearly conveyed by the 150,000 people who were there.”

    You bet, Ellen, the 150,000 people, who braved the threats, intimidation and hassle by the police and military who are themselves threatened and intimidated by the Great Switik, who has shamed Filipinos internationally with her stupidity, and as you say, incapacity to govern because she is herself a fraud, have spoken for all sane and decent Filipinos who want this crook out together with her Rasputins, including her fatso of a husband.

    The rally is not a flop despite the flip-flopping of the Great Switik. It is a preview of what is to come, a cleaning up even of the system sans any foreign interference.

    I’ll continue to pray that the end game will be something more permanent and a real honest to goodness Filipino undertaking because they know what is good for them.

    It is in fact about time that Filipinos rise up from being the forever white man’s burden. 60 years have passed since the Philippines obtained its independence from the USA although for me real independence came when Mt. Pinatubo buried the remaining US strangleholds on the Philippines even when there are still a lot many people who would not be willing to give their countrymen the opportunity to prove their worth sans US interference in all kinds of disguises.

    When they revise the system, I pray that lawmakers there would make such patronage of Americans as the kind of patronage the Great Switik and her justice secretary want to grant the US felon who raped a Filipina, who has courageously fought for her honor and dignity, an act of treason.

    I, too, have gained more faith in the Filipinos for what they have shown they are capable of doing, even organizing 150,000 warm bodies ready to battle with the police and military who would dare stop them, especially because we know that there have been efforts to stop the flow of participants to Manila from the provinces.

    I know for a fact, for example, that a lot many members of our church stayed away from the Luneta because they prefered to pray for the removal of the Great Switik in our church. Sunday is a day for worship of the Lord for us, and we cannot afford to lose that opportunity to be there at church and feel the Spirit of God there, and implore Him for Divine help, etc. in having the Great Switik removed even by the Will of God!

    Prayers have been said, and it would be wiser to believe that whether they are said by Catholics or El Shaddai members who are praying to the same God despite the fact that they have forgotten that to make their prayers more effective, they have to pray ONLY in the Name of Jesus Christ, God will HEAR their prayers if said with a contrite and humble hearts.

    Thanks Ellen for your endurance. God willing, we shall overcome. I have faith that the game is over in due time, soon I hope and pray!

  88. From Uniffors:

    The Luneta rally did not get the 500,000 warm bodies the organizers had hoped. Some of them will cite myriad reasons for falling short of their goal. But that would be self-destructive. There’s an old political maxim that says, “in politics when you’re explaining, you’re losing.”

    There is no need for explanations. The only thing that matters is that there are people who are willing to stand up for what’s right. They deserve our gratitude.

    Thank you to all who came to the rally

    . Without you we lose completely

  89. Ellen:

    Let me remind Filipinos that number is not important as a matter of fact as when God told Abraham that if there would be just 10 willing souls to pray for God’s mercy, He would spare Sodom and Gomorrah. Unfortunately, there was none, not even the wife of Lot who was turned into a pillar of salt.

    At least, there were 150,000 praying for Divine Intervention to remove the Great Switik and her cohorts. But look at how the legions of Satan try to even confuse the 150,000 by insinuating that their rally was a flop. Far from it!

    I saw the picture of the crowd at Luneta. It was more than good enough to tell the world that Filipinos are fed up of the Great Switik. They should have the same number of people to protest when they reset the ASEAN meet even just to let the leaders of other ASEAN countries that Filipinos do not recognize the Great Switik as their president because she is NOT in fact. She is just a de facto president trying hard to legitimize her regime by all kinds of tricks even at great cost with the country’s coffers depleted of funds paid to her lackeys.

    Frankly, I doubt if she can get ahold of the yagba-less Congressmen, who vie for her attention, if not for the big pork barrels she generously gives them from the national coffers plus the 5M pesos per game being collected from gambling lords.

    I also don’t go for the propaganda that the Great Switik is indispensible because the Opposition does not have a leader of the same caliber of Ninoy Aquino. To agree to this fallacious claim is a great insult to the capacity of the Filipinos to produce good leaders, many of whom in fact are either in jail or 6 feet underground.

    Aba e talagang gago na ang mga pilipino kapag sumang-ayon sila sa mga sinasabi ni Great Switik at ng mga switik na galamay niya na hindi siya matatanggal dahil magaling siya. Yup, magaling siya sa kaswitikan but as we all know, “Evil will not triumph over good.” May araw din siya! And soon I guess.

    I would rather advise all to continue to pray instead of belittling the efforts of those who have braved threats and intimidation and stayed in the heat of the sun last Sunday regardless of whether or not the Catholic priests did the right prayers. At least, the Great Switik now knows that she cannot get her way that easy.

    Hopefully, matatakot na siya. Kailangan lang palagi na siyang takutin from now until the game is over!!!

    Tuloy ang laban! PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! KONTING DASAL PA. REMEMBER, “PERSEVERANCE IS GENIUS IN DISGUISE!”

  90. If we take the CBCP out of the picture, what we witnessed yesterday was a union of all sectors of society. Virtually every segment was represented. From the poor to the elite. I agree with Ellen, its the quality not the quantity. There is no such thing as a flop when we talk of rallies. Its all about getting the message across. While the CBCP took a “safe” stance, the people however came. Its the representation that counts.

    Sadly, I did not stick around long enough to see the crowd swell. My group is still trying to collect donations for Bicol and we need to get the goods to Bicol before Christmas. I hope the unity the people showed yesterday will snowball in the days to come.

  91. nelbar nelbar

     
    Youth leader killed in Cagayan
     

    By Blanche Rivera

    Inquirer

    Last updated 01:06am (Mla time) 12/18/2006
     

    CAGAYAN has become a valley of death for activists as a 19-year-old youth leader became the third militant in a month to be killed in the province.

    Sangguniang Kabataan chair Nelson Asocena, a member of the youth group Anakbayan and the peasant group Kagimungan, was shot dead in an attack allegedly by six men in military uniform on Dec. 13 in Rizal, Cagayan.

    Asocena was the third militant leader to be killed in Cagayan within a month and the 802nd in the Philippines since 2001, based on records of the human rights group Karapatan. (The Inquirer count is 262.)

    (Click here for full story.)

  92. Ellen Hi,
    No need for you to moderate comments against me, I got thick skin and I intend to wake up tomorrow just not to please him (smile).

  93. You bet, Schumey, Filipinos should not listen to attempts by the Great Switik and her lackeys to undermine the efforts of 150,000 rallyists who represented all those who want to see the last of these shenanigans.

    Dasal lang! Huwag mawalan ng pag-asa lalo na ngayon pang nagbubuklod na ang marami para mapatalsik na si Great Switik!

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! Just talked to a friend in the State Department. Hindi daw nakikialam ang America sa problema ni Great Switik. Ngayon pang ang dami din nilang problema.

    Christmas looks bleak over here. Konti ang namimili. Puro window shopping lang. Ang daming gifts, hindi mabili! Last year, when I came over, halos wala nang maganda. The prices also are not as cheap now as it is in Japan. Mas marami pang magandang mabibili sa Japan at the same price. Puro made in China, huwag na lang!

  94. Who says that there are no credible leader to oppose the Great Switik? 150,000 Filipinos have proved that this is a lie being propagated by the Great Switik and her lackeys. In short, it’s all propaganda. Marami sila as a matter of fact! Iyong iba nakakulong o nakalibing na!

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! PATUNAYAN NA MATATAPANG ANG MGA PINOY!

  95. ” Arroyo to join Church in changing RP values,” says a n Inquirer banner. Wow! Ang galing! May naniniwala pa ba sa demonyang ito? Gosh, she’s the reason for the total deterioration of Filipino values, so what is this crook talking about?

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! MALAKI NA ANG SIRA NG ULO NG TAONG ITO! THE CBCP CANNOT CONTINUE TO MOCK THE LORD AS A MATTER OF FACT! THE 150,000 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! GOD WILLING SHE WILL BE OUT AS PER THE LORD’S TIMETABLE. I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES, YOU KNOW!

  96. The Luneta rally may not have removed the Great Switik, but it must have scared her for her to order her Internet Brigade, et al to get busy to show that the rally was a failure, and that the 150,000 rallyists who went there just wasted their time. But I say, why listen to these crooks who try their dumbest to dampen the spirits of those who have tried their best to gather the 150,000 amidst the confusion, threats and intimidations? Tuloy ang laban, for tomorrow is another day!

    Did you see the picture of the Great Switik at the NAIA distributing “sorbetes” daw to the children of the OFWs? Pilit na pilit but she could not do anything but try to “plastik.” Apparently, the OFWs are the only ones left that she hopes no doubt she can still fool and spin around that she is willing to heed the counsel of the CBCP to change her attitude even when in fact she is missing the point, for she should step down and take legal responsibility for the crimes she has committed against the Filipino people, including those she pimps and deceives that she provides with jobs stolen from natives of the countries she sends the OFWs to!

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! TAMA NA ANG MGA KABULASTUGAN! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! TAMA NA, SOBRA NA!

  97. Much as I would like to contradict Npongco in his post under:

    “npongco Says:

    December 18th, 2006 at 11:41 am ”

    I am hard put not to admit that there are things that he says in that post about US-RP relations that are true although not quite in the same degree as he enunciates them.

    But I would also like to call Npongco’s attention to the fact that all nations depend on each other, some to a point, others to a lot lesser point.

    For instance, that’s what NATO is all about. Even with its much vaunted power, the UK is heavily dependent on the US for its defence technologies. Its nuclear deterrent is in the hands of the US and even if the UK pays for that deterrent, the US can say no to selling it to the Brits if Uncle Sam says so. This is one of the reasons why de Gaulle kicked out NATO from Paris – so that France could be somehow “independent” of America.

    Anyway, let’s pass up that one before I get too carried away with Europe’s geopolitics.

    We may all dislike the Philippines being called an antennae of sorts of America but it is a reality. Nothing really wrong if things were alright in Pinas but things aren’t alright so America or Bush for that matter is morally not right to prop up Gloria in the way he does.

    Having said that, I don’t believe however that the US has a direct hand in the so-called election of Gloria in 2004. Her massive cheating made that possible. America didn’t need to tinker with the Philippine polls of 2004 to make Gloria win; it might have occurred to them to do that had she been a leftist or a die-hard Communist but Gloria, on her own, of course with the help of the generals, did the cheating.

    What one may find fault in is that the US is helping prop up Gloria by overtly supporting her on the world stage and by acting as her geopolitical adviser in the regioun but really, that’s what is expected of the US. Otherwise what kind of ally would the US be if she didn’t do that.

    The US role in the Philippines reminiscent of the cold war era 50s, 60s is much limited today. Even when Erap’s tenure started to become wobbly, America’s true overt support for his opponents was more in the guise of “we will not send fighter aircraft” reminiscent of the coup d’etat attempts during Cory’s term. Obviously, the US had been consulted by Erap’s opponents long before the fatidic day and sometime in the Summer of 2000, the US “gave” its blessings.

    While Gloria is playing up to Uncle Sam (that 10 min tête-a-tête with Bush for instance), and by retreating whenever things came to a head, there is no chance for any of her opponents to be able to convince Unlce Sam to accord them the same “blessings” they accorded the opponents of Erap to topple Gloria as in 2001.

    America will say, do what you can do and we’ll see…But since the opposition cannot do anything much, America stays on the sideline.

    I believe America’s direct intervention in the Philippine politics is more subtle than what we accuse her of.

    She uses the Philippines as a hub of all sorts for her operations worldwide, that’s a given; the CIA center for operations in that part of the region is in the Philippines and of course, their nuclear weapons carrying ships use our waters too (which is in violation of RP Constitution), they use our sea lanes of communications to reach the Gulf and the other way around, etc. but really, it’s up to us to negotiate the use of the country as a jumpstart for their operations and if we fail to do so, it’s our fault or rather, Gloria’s decision.

    If Gloria or our leaders fail to get more for the country from Uncle Sam (if they believe the use of our services warrant more payment) despite all the Philippine services to the US, it could be for two reasons: 1) either she’s dumb which I think she isn’t or 2) she wants to be able to count on America for her person when things come to a head.

    In other words, America is simply doing what it does best… trying to remain a lone superpower although she’s finding it difficult to remain so because it is being eroded every day now.

    But if I were to choose between the Chinese and America, I would choose the latter, better to play with the devil you know than to play with the devil you don’t know.

  98. Oh I forgot that it’s true that Uncle Sam flexes his military muscle up to a point in the direction of the Philippine military, i.e., US “military consultants” make the rounds of the military REGULARLY, not so much as to say “hello” to the military officers but to discreetly obtain info and of course, to establish the necessary PR with the officers in different major service headquarters, a way of telling them but ever so discreetly, “Uncle Sam is around and don’t you forget it!”

    The American military attachés, naval, air force or whatever are the MOST FREQUENT visitors to these headquarters and beat the Brits, the French, the Germans, etc. by miles and miles and miles…

    Who knows, their constant presence in the major service hqs is what forces our good officers and men shy about grouping and toppling Gloria…

  99. And last but not the least, they have 2 mainstayers in Malacanang who are Filipinos, directly liasing between the US embassy and Gloria and paid by Uncle Sam.

    Again, we can’t fault Uncle Sam for doing all that really. Up to Pinoys to say, the buck stops here if ever…

  100. Anna:

    In a way, you’re right. The first EDSA actually succeeded because Marcos and his family were taken by the Americans groggy after they tear-gas gunned the palace according to a reliable source interviewed by some friends of mine in the Japanese media, put on a helicopter and changed planes at Clark.

    EDSA 2 was a completely Philippine affair with very little US help as a matter of fact, but to show that it was backed up by Uncle Sam, the inauguration of the Great Switik was timed on the same day Bush was taking his oath. If there was any US backing up, it was really actually very nil, and thus, we read those unpalatable remarks of US media about EDSA 2 being a bad Philippine habit!

    In short, there is really no such thing as a Filipino People’s Power. It is something that we have yet to witness as a matter of fact. The Luneta rally though gathered by double-dealing priests of the CBCP is a good start of a people’s power sans US interference, and if Filipinos eventually succeed in removing the Great Switik, then, we can say, they are free at last as they are able to do things by themselves without being the proverbial “white man’s burden” any longer!

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!

  101. nelbar nelbar

     

    Welcome to the Philippines, USA
    ©2000 Gilles Gabriel

    Welcome to the Philippines.
    The only American State in Asia.

    See Alternate History Travel Guides
     

  102. Gotta go to bed now. It’s past 9 p.m.in Japan but it’s past 4 a.m. here. I still am not adjusted to US time. I’m not attempting to, for in two weeks’ time, I’ll be back in Tokyo.

    BASTA PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! HINDI PA LIGTAS ANG CONSTITUTION. PAPALITAN PA IYAN NI GREAT SWITIK SO SHE CAN BE A QUEEN! HINDI MAGBABAGO IYAN. MATAGAL NA IYANG SWITIK!!!

  103. nelbar nelbar

     
    The Republic of Philippine, The Islamic Kingdom of Mindanao, and the Panay Islands

    ©1998 Christian Manacmul

     
    From Alternate History Travel Guides

  104. In other words, what you are saying Yuko, correct me if I’m wrong, is that the bottom line is that American influence or intervention is more in the mind of the Filipinos, a kind of emotional umbilical cord that we like to capitalize on.

    Quite true to a point, i.e., if only Pinas is not being used as a jumpstart point for US intel operations and the other blahs.

    In the same manner they capitalized on that US-RP umbilical cord as when Gloria’s allies and Erap’s opponents “made sure” by consulting the US Embassy officials first and got assurance that America wouldn’t send fighter aircraft to scare the would be mutineers or to save Erap when Gloria and her generals had finetuned their Erap toppling operations…

    Unfortunately, emotional ties are sometimes stronger and more subjugating than any real physical ties. But again, that ain’t America’s fault if we want to be technical about it.

  105. Nelbar, that Welcome to the Philippines, USA ©2000 Gilles Gabriel – that guy is frankly speaking out of his backside.

    His overall perception of Pinas is a donkey’s stench.

  106. Npongco,

    Just a friendly advice, take it or leave it: it won’t do for any of us to insult people gratuitously.

    No need to be Einstein to know what your AH meant. You’re lucky it passed censoring.

  107. vic vic

    The serious problem the U.S. is facing right now is her diminishing Economic power as China and India are both encroaching in that sphere. The European Union if it can keep their acts together could make the U.S. isolated and soon will find itself with only few allies in Australia and Canada among the steadfast. So the U.S. foreign policy is now geared toward different angle as it was a decade or so ago when she and her close allies were pre-occupied with the Cold War.
    And where does the Philippines get in? As much as the Philippines troubles are internal and among the traditional Politicians, the U.S. will just grin it out. Unless her very interests are trampled upon like the mutual visiting force agreement , where Sir Raul Gonzalez trying to play lobbyist for Uncle Sam, and if the treaties and agreements it has with the country are unilaterally subjugated then, expect uncle Sam to flex her muscles, no matter if it is democrats or republicans. It is established that when it comes to her interest, it is permanent, the party in government is temporary.

  108. Vic,

    Even if it were true that the EU couldn’t get its act together (which, by the way it does, bit on a roller coaster mode but the EU IS together and there’s no turning back), EU would not isolate America, economically or even militarily if the issue is all that is very legal, i.e., Afghanistan.

    There are many things they share, not least of all shared values. America was also peopled by migrants from Europe and that is already a common and strong denominator. The other being the US market. The US is still one of the biggest and most important trading partners for EU member states.

    There are other common grounds that will make EU member nations support America if it came to the crunch.

    Independence doesn’t mean isolating America. It means dealing with America on equal footing, nothing more nothing less.

    There is also a strong belief here that EU member nations would rather play with the devil they know than play with the devil they do not know.

  109. b2win-marikit b2win-marikit

    Maraming salamat zenzennai at cocoy. Napansin kong kulang sa elemento ng rally ay ang mga kabataan at mga estudyante. Noon kasing dekada 70, iisa ito kung kumilos. Mula sa UP hanggang sa university belt. Walang humpay ang kanilang pagpapakita ng lakas para ibuwag ang dikdadurya. Araw-araw iyan na sa isang linggo masuwerte na ang isang araw na may klase. Kapag imumpisahan na ng UP mula Welcome Rotonda tuloy tuloy na iyan sa España, Lerma at Morayta hanggang makarating ng Plaza Miranda. Si Portia Ilagan noon ang presidente ng NUSP kung saan nagpunta kami sa congress, at nasaksihan ko ng binato ng kartong ataul ang sasakyan ni Imelda. Nasaksihan ko rin ang kalupitan ng metrocom sa mga estudyante. Sino ang makakalimot kay Prudente, kay Chino Roces, kay Lean Alejandro at sa mga street parliamentarians na kaakibat ng mga kabataan. Natatandaan pa rin ba ninyo ang First Quarter Storm? Nasaan na kayong mga tag-UP na laging nangunguna sa himagsikan noon? Nasaan na ang mga kabataang galing sa uring manggagawa. Puro elitista na ba kayo ngayon at dedma na lang sa panggagahasa na ginagawa sa ating bayan? Remember MENDIOLA dekada Sitenta – “Mabuhay ay langit sa sariling bayan / Kung ang sambayanan ay may kalayaan / Umaga ay tula ng kaliga­yahan / At ang dapit hapo’y awit kung pakinggan. / Inang bayan bakit may piring ang mata? / May busal ang bibig, may takip ang taenga / May galos ang kamay ng lumang kadena / Hanap ang paglaya sa daang Mendiola. / Taas ang kamao tanda ng paglaban / Daan libong anak pagtutol ang sigaw / Putok ng armalite sagot ng kaaway / Ang akala yata’y uurong ang bayan. / Nagliliwayway na’t mapula ang langit / Ang bayan inapi ngayo’y makatindig / Pakiki­baka ay lalong sumigasig / Sa daang Mendiola, tagumpay ang awit.” – Bien Lumbera

  110. vic vic

    anna,
    you are right, but the US has already anticipated the effect of strong EU and acted accordingly by somewhat adjusted her foreign and econonic policy towards Europe, equal footing, which before a few of European countries not so happy because of the U.S. always on top of most agreements and treaties. Even with Canada, the U.S. has learned to adjust its economic and trade policies and agreement when former PM Martin hinted that we could bring our business with China and India, and maybe better for Canada. Just a hint, but the U.S. now knows that Military intervention is not bringing the goods, so too has now to look out some adjustments on that regards too. The world a changing and lest the U.S. changes, the soon be back to isolation, which was not very long ago…

  111. FranknaGay FranknaGay

    Hi Ms. Anna de Brux, I’m Franky, (frankyanoyan@yahoo.com.sg)bagong miembro ng federacion, proud to be gay, OFW in Singapore. Very near lang.

    Tameme ako sa brains ng members d2, lahat magaling mga poste. Wa ako ma-say. Buti may dala ako from Pinas na English-Tagalog dictionary. Nakaka-aliw magbasa. Pero like ko letter nyo sa Daily Tribune, ang ganda po. Anti-Glo kc ako. Antay ko sya go here Singapore, sasabunutan ko yan.

  112. True Vic.

    The problem is actually not America and on a larger scale, the Americans themselves if you boil down to the harsh realities of life, i.e., desire to live in peace and with some kind of economic prosperity, but the problem is with the current POTUS.

    Amercia was more respected and perhaps loved during the time of Clinton but today, as you say, America needs to adjust to the changing times and clearly, its POTUS must not be so idiotic to think that even America’s 13 trillion dollars worth of GDP and its more than 1 million troops and Marines could not achieve respectability easily.

  113. FranknaGay,

    Thank you very much. An honor for me to read such nice comment from a compatriot from Singapore.

    Hope everything is well with you in Singapore… merry christmas to you and to your co-gays.

  114. Oops, Vic… what I meant was:

    “America needs to adjust to the changing times and clearly, its POTUS must not be so idiotic to think that even America’s 13 trillion dollars worth of GDP and its more than 1 million troops and Marines could ACHIEVE respectability easily.”

  115. FranknaGay FranknaGay

    Read ko at very beautiful editoryal ng Abante. Parang ganun ang feelings ng all bloggers d2:

    WATCH AND PRAY

    Nagbabantay ang tao at handa itong kumilos kung kinakailangan.

    Iyan ang pinatunayan ng sambayanan sa isinagawang prayer rally sa Quirino Grandstand sa Luneta.

    Ngunit ang pinakamahalagang napatunayan kahapon ay ang matibay na pananampalataya ng sambayanan sa Lumikha. Na maaari tayong hatiin ng mga ideolohiya, ng pulitika, ng personal na mga kagustuhan at opinyon, ng pamamaraan o kahit ng relihiyon ngunit sa huli, sa pagtawag sa Kanya at paghingi ng gabay ay dumudulog tayo bilang iisang sambayanan na nilikha ng Diyos Ama.

    Nakakatuwang tingnan kung paano tayo binubuong muli ng ating pananampalataya at sa panalangin. Tunay na makapangyarihan ang Nasa Itaas.

    Batid Niya ang kahinaan at kalakasan ng lahat at kahit sa mga pagsubok na pinapayagan Niyang dumaan sa atin ay kalkulado Niyang sa huli ay tayo rin ang mabibiyayaan sa pamamagitan ng lalo pang lumakas at lumalim nating pananampalataya.

    Tunay na dapat tayong maging mapagmatyag at mapagmasid. Maraming mga pangyayari sa ating buhay at sa ating lipunan ang nangangailangan ng matuwid na desisyon. At hindi porke’t tayo’y mga pangkaraniwang mamamayan o simpleng tao lamang ay hindi na tayo makikisangkot at ipapaubaya na lamang natin ang mga pagpapasya sa ating mga lider.

    Tayo, bilang mamamayan ng bansang ito at bilang mga tagahalal ng ating mga lider, ay may mabigat na obligasyong maging ‘vigilant’ upang matiyak na nasa tamang direksyon ang pamamahala ng mga nasa gobyerno.

    Ngunit higit sa pananalig sa ating sariling kaisipan at kakayahan ay mangangailangan tayo ng gabay mula sa Maykapal dahil Siya ang higit na nakapangyayari.

    Hindi kailangang maging ‘huling baraha’ ang pananalangin. Maaari itong gawin sa ating pang-araw-araw na aktibidad at saanmang dako tayo naroroon. Ang prayer rally kahapon sa Luneta ay simbolo lamang. Ipagpatuloy natin ang pananalangin kailanman at saanman, may kasama man tayo o wala sa pagdarasal.

    Kahit ang kinukondena nating mga lider ay nangangailangan din ng ating panalangin. Gawin natin ito bilang isang tunay na mga anak ng Lumikha

  116. artsee artsee

    Panalangin? Ano ba ang tamang salita, panalangin o dasal? Kung pareho lang ang ibig sabihin, bakit iba-iba pa ang salita?

  117. Robert V. Maich Robert V. Maich

    HEY LOOK and READ

    Philipines Now a PROVINCE of Mexico:
    from INQUIRER:

    OAXACA, MEXICO – Around a thousand women supporters of Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) took the streets of Oaxaca City on Sunday (December 17). They demanded the resignation of Oaxaca’s governor, Ulises Ruiz and called for the release of several APPO leaders and other political detainees.

    Police have snatched hundreds of protesters from the streets in recent weeks, leading to accusations by rights groups of illegal arrests and torture.

    The protesters accuse Ruiz, who they say is corrupt and stole an election, of being behind at least a dozen deaths, mainly of activists, since the conflict began in June.

    Meanwhile, a total of 43 prisoners were released on Sunday. They were part of the scores of protesters detained over the weekend of November 25 on accusations of burning cars and buildings.

    Family members of the released prisoners awaited at the designated reunion place –for many the emotion was almost unbearable. Jesus Bolanos, charged with vandalism, said he was innocent. “Our innocence is proven. We were never around the places where they say we were participating in acts,” he claimed.

    The almost 200 prisoners arrested in late November were transferred to a federal penitentiary in a different state.

    Teacher Aurelia Juarez reported being abused. “Yes, we were beaten, pulled by the hair. They punched us and kicked us in our stomachs. We were lucky to get out of there,” she said.

    Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s cultural gems but is surrounded by rural areas of extreme poverty that years of corrupt government has failed to significantly reduce.

    Since taking office on Dec. 1, Calderon has taken a tough line on Mexico’s security problems, sending thousands of troops to his home state of Michoacan, where a turf war between drug cartels has led to soaring violence.

    Federal riot police ended their weeks-long occupation of the centre of the Mexican tourist city Oaxaca on Saturday (December 16). The force will be relocated in Michoacan to try beef-up the offensive.

    Tourism, one of Oaxaca’s main income sources, collapsed during the protests, and visitors are still staying away.
    ========================

    Ellen – why do more women in mexico
    and Pinas have balls than men?

    why do more of your angry, committed,
    dispassionate, and fearless bloggers
    are women? Why do menouposal women
    develop steel balls and ED men
    develop marshmallow balls?

    bobvoymaik, that’s me.

  118. vic vic

    artsee, may kaibahan siguro ang panalangin at dasal. ang panalangin kong sa english ma-ari noun or prayers, ang dasal naman ma-ari classify na verb (i translate mo nga sa tagalog) or praying. pero kong gusto puede naman na interchangeable yon…

  119. Robert V. Maich Robert V. Maich

    OAXACA NEWS PHILIPPINE VERSION:

    Ayala Blvd, Makati – Around a thousand women supporters of Gabriela (GARP) took the streets of Makati City on Sunday (December 17). They demanded the resignation of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and called for the release of several PINOY leaders and other political detainees.

    Police have snatched hundreds of protesters from the streets in recent weeks, leading to accusations by rights groups of illegal arrests and torture.

    The protesters accuse Arroyo, who they say is corrupt and stole an election, of being behind at least a dozen deaths, mainly of activists, since the conflict began in 2001.

    Meanwhile, a total of 2 prisoners were released on Sunday. They were part of the scores of protesters detained over the weekend of November 25 on accusations of burning cars and buildings.

    Family members of the released prisoners awaited at the designated reunion place –for many the emotion was almost unbearable. Juan de la Cruze, charged with vandalism, said he was innocent. “Our innocence is proven. We were never around the places where they say we were participating in acts,” he claimed.

    The almost 200 prisoners arrested in late November were transferred to a federal penitentiary in a different state.

    Teacher Maria Payatas was reported being abused. “Yes, we were beaten, pulled by the hair. They punched us and kicked us in our stomachs. We were lucky to get out of there,” she said.

    Makati is one of Philippines’ economic gems but is surrounded by cities of extreme poverty that years of corrupt government has failed to significantly reduce.

    Since taking office on 2001 Arroyo has taken a tough line on Philippines’ security problems, keeping thousands of troops to guard her Malacanang Palace, where her sychopants and bootlickers among Congressmen and the Catholic hierarchy come to wine and dine.

  120. Robert V. Maich Robert V. Maich

    Ellen

    may I offer an answer to my question
    why there seems to be more women with
    balls of steel against corruption than men
    in the Philippines?

    in the Philippines, men is the breadwinner.
    to make more bread, one needs to be corrupt
    in both business and government. So men
    needs to be quiet about corruption. they
    still have that sense of guilt. So few of them
    blogs with vehemence like your Ystakei and
    Anna, etc.

    wives of big breadmakers like wives of Generals,
    Cabinet Members, Congressmen, influence peddlers
    don’t develop balls and remain quiet as their husbands. Often it is a case of Marshmallows
    over fruitcakes to get the desired orgasm.

    But there are very few women who developed from birth their balls of Satan’s fire – a slow process available only for the political class
    where the woman turned out more if not as greedy than their piggy-backing husbands.

    bobvoymaik

  121. Mike Uliling Mike Uliling

    Ano ba to? Gumising ako at pagbukas ko bukas ko ng browser ko, ganon pa din sa Pilipinas. Siguro nagtatawanan at naghahalkhakan ang mga kampon ng mga demonyo sa Malakanyang dahil nasuhulan na naman ulit nila yung mga naka abito. Kahit asar ako kay Cardinal Sin noon dahil sa sobrang pakikialam, mas gugustuhin ko na sana kung siya ang namumuno ngayon ng simbahan sa atin. Sa panahong ito, mas kailangan nating ang tulad ni Cardinal Sin at di tulad ngayon na sing hinhin ng mga mongha kung magdasal. Tama ang nabasa ko sa isang diyaryo, nawawalan na din ng credibility ang mga pari.

  122. npongco npongco

    Vic, while I admit that I’m weak in Tagalog, I think I know the difference between the word “panalangin” and “dasal”. Dasal is usually used by Catholics while Protestants use panalangin. I was told that “dasal” came from the word “dalas” meaning repetitious. Indeed, Catholic prayers are mostly long and repetitious isn’t it?

  123. Anna: In other words, what you are saying Yuko, correct me if I’m wrong, is that the bottom line is that American influence or intervention is more in the mind of the Filipinos, a kind of emotional umbilical cord that we like to capitalize on.

    *****

    Exactly, it is all in their head, Anna. They want to still think that Americans love them even when they are in fact treated as second class citizens by Americans, or even the Chinese for that matter in their own country!

  124. npongco npongco

    Once again, I agree with your above statement, ystakei or yuko or whatever. We Filipinos think and behave like Americans. We still believe Americans love us. America only loves herself. Sometimes, I’m tempted to say that there’s no one and no country to blame but our people themselves.

  125. artsee artsee

    Uyyy…bati na ang dalawa! Mabuhay sina Ponga at Japayuko !

  126. artsee artsee

    Ate Anna, pangit ang tawa mo…hindi he, he, he. Dapat ay ho, ho, ho na parang tawa ni Santa Klaus dahil Pasko na.

  127. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Pakiusap lang sa bloggers ni Ellen, kung wala naman kayong mai-contribute sa mass movements na gaya ng Sunday rally, puwede bang iwasang sabihin na “flop” o “failure”? 150,000 na tao, failure? Subukan ng ng mga maka-Gloria na magrally ng walang bayad, walang hakot kung makakaabot ng 5,000!

    Bakeet, kailan ba naging obligasyon ng mga grupong aktibong lumalaban na tuwing may rally, may mag-reresign? O may napapalayas na presidente? Hindi na nga kayo nakakatulong, sinisiraan nyo pa ng loob ng mga participants.

    Flop ba ang rally dahil hindi lumabas ang mga sundalo sa mga kampo? Flop ba ang rally dahil walang isang milyon ang dumating sa Luneta o sa Makati? Flop ba dahil nakaupo pa si Gloria? Flop bang masasabi na sa ang isang prayer rally, nagdasal lang?

    Puro lang kayo satsat habang ang mga nandoon, isinakripisyo ang kanilang oras sa ilalim ng mainit na araw, ipinusta ang buhay nila at ng kanilang pamilya, na kung sakali mang totohanin ng mga letseng mga alipores ng Donya ang pag-sabotahe sa mga tao at mga samahang naninidigan, pero kung sakali namang magtagumpay, kasama rin kayong makikinabang?

    Nakakangitngit, pasensiya na, lalo na sa iyo Ellen, pero hindi ko kayang palampasin ang mga gunggong (they know who they are) dito na nagmamarunong sa kung ano ang dapat gawin pero hindi naman sumasama sa aksiyon. Nagpapanggap pa kayong kalaban ni Gloria pero tuwing makakasilip ng pagkakataon, sisiraan ninyo ang bawat grupong aktibo laban sa iskwater sa Malakanyang. Kayo ang naghahati-hati sa Pilipinas, hindi lang si Gloria!

    Kung inisip lang sana namin ang kaginhawaan ng buhay naming pamilya na kahit magkagiyera pa sa Pilipinas, kaya naman naming manirahan ng masagana sa ibang bansa, e di hindi na sana kami nakikipaglaban ngayon. Iyan ang hirap sa mga Pilipino, kasali sa plano, pag dating ng laban, mga bahag ang buntot! Pero pag dating ng grasya, una-unahan pang nagtataas ng kamay at sasabihing panalo sila.

    Sa labang ito, walang ibang inaasahan. Hindi lang ang simbahan, hindi lang ang kasundaluhan. Hindi ang mga makakaliwa, hindi ang mga makakanan. Hindi ang politiko, hindi ang negosyo. At lalong hindi ang mga dayuhan o Amerikano. Ang kailangan, ang taumbayan mismo!

    Ang tanging pumipigil sa pagiging matagumpay ng labang ito ay ang mga taong pilit na pinaghihiwalay ang mga ngayon ay nagsasama-sama na. Na alam nilang ang papaboran lang naman ay si Gloria. Itigil na ang mga labels na Erap, Marcos, Cory, Komunista, FVR, Elitista, etc. Iisa lang ang hangarin, ano mang kulay ang dala ng bawat isa. Ang patalsikin si Gloria. Ang patuloy na gumagawa ng paninira sa mga kakampi ay di tunay na kakampi. Isa siyang pakawala ng kalaban!

    If you have nothing good to say, put tongue in, anew!

  128. miron miron

    artsee: Nagpapakabait siguro si npongco dahil binanatan siya ni Ellen.

    Ellen Says:
    December 18th, 2006 at 1:09 am
    NPongco, by your gloating, you have unmasked yourself.

    Mabuti hindi sinabi sa kanya ni ET: “Go home!”

  129. npongco npongco

    Miron, if I’ve unmasked myself, Ellen was unmasked by me. Many of my messages were deliberately deleted for unknown reason or on flimsy ground. On the other hand, comments of those like yours against me are being allowed to remain without even a word of deletion. In fact, this reply to your comment just now might be deleted by Ellen again. I’ve not unmasked myself. I’ve always been myself from day one. And at this point, there’s no denying that I’m Ellen’s least favorite. Why I’m still allowed to remain in this blog…well, sometimes one’s conscience prevails. Even this evil woman in the Palace keeps her least favorite cabinet member to show she’s fair.

  130. nelbar nelbar

     

    >Ate Anna, pangit ang tawa mo…hindi he, he, he. Dapat ay
    >ho, ho, ho na parang tawa ni Santa Klaus dahil Pasko na.

     
    Joyous noel ang tawag ko sa tawa ni adb

     

  131. npongco npongco

    Tongue, please define success and failure (flop). Do you consider Sunday’s rally a success or flop? Some would say it depends on who’s talking…meaning if you’re pro-GMA or anti-GMA. Latest report has it that Sunday’s rally only reached less than 100,000 from the predicted 500,000. Nothing was wrong with the very low turnout except that the church and opposition bragged about huge number. They might have over estimated. The unexpected decline in number could be mainly attributed to the church change of call from anti-GMA to mere prayer rally or Thanksgiving. Since it was a prayer rally by the Catholic Church, the non-Catholics could have changed their minds not to attend. Protestants and other non-Catholics usually avoid mass and Catholic rituals because such would be in conflict with their faith. Many failed to consider the abovementioned factor.

  132. npongco npongco

    And here’s what should make us worry: There’s now a report that JDV’s group would resurrect Cha-Cha or Con-Ass after Christmas or December 25. This decision could have been made before the rally; but chances are it was made after the rally when Malacanang saw the poor turnout and not so successful rally. The flop (I can’t think of any other term) has given this Malacanang crooks another hope to push Cha-Cha again…after everyone is done with their merry making.

  133. cocoy cocoy

    b2win-marikit:
    Affirmative statement;
    more info;please

  134. joeseg joeseg

    Good morning, TonGuE-tWisTeD! Bow ako sa mga sinabi mo.

    Ako nga ay hiyang hiya dahil hindi kami nakarating sa rally dahil hinarang kami. Yong mga pinalad makarating, iniumang ang sarili sa banta na may sasabog na bomba o anumang karahasang mangyayari. Hindi “flop” komo konti lang sila. Ang “flop” ay ang isipan ng mga nagmamasid lamang, ng mga nanonood lamang, ang magagaling mag-analisa ng bagay-bagay ngunit walang muwang sa tunay na pakikihamok.

    Kaya nga sa kabilang thread, ang sabi ko, huwag nang magmaktol kung konti lang ang dumating sa rally. Kung hindi dapat asahan ang simbahan, siyang gawin. Pero ang dapat asahan ay ang sariling pagkilos. Kung gustong makihamok, gawa, gawa, gawa, tumuntong sa lupa, makihalo, makibaka, huwag puro sa salita.

    Yong mga nasa abroad, bagaman at hindi pwedeng personal na makihalo, malaki ang maitutulong sa pagpapalawak ng tunay na larawan ng mga kaganapan.

    Para sa akin, habang ako’y nasa blog na ito, gagawin kong basehan ang pilantik ng panulat ni Ate Ellen at kung ano ang kanyang pinupunto. Kung inaakala kong taliwas na ang aming landas na tinatahak, aalis na lamang ako.

  135. lokal vocal II lokal vocal II

    tongue

    Pagpaumanhin lang. Isa ako sa hindi satisfied sa naging turnout. Ang punto ko lang eh sana gumawa ang mga organizers ng paraan na ma encourage yung umatend. Ang ginawa kasi nila ay parang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig ang nag aapoy na damdamin ng mga tao. Kaya tuloy marami ang na discourage sa rally na yun.

    Anyway, di dapat tayo masiraan ng loob. Ako’y nagpapasalamat sa yo dahil somehow ini encourage mo akong magpatuloy ang laban. Salamat sa hope na binigay mo sa amin. Medyo nabuhay na naman ang loob ko nang malaman ko ang mga taong katulad mo na buo ang paninindigan.

    Kasama mo ako sa pakikibakang ito.

  136. Mrivera Mrivera

    kung merong binabalak i-organize na malawakan at malaking kilos protesta, huwag munang isapubliko dahil makagagawa ng hakbang pananakot ang mga aso ng baliw na babae sa malakanyang.

    nangyari na naman na naisahan tayo ng grand marauder at kanyang mga tagasalag na heneral (daw), kaya sa susunod ay huwag nang hayaan pang madenggoy uli!

    #%@&%*^&$## !!

  137. Mrivera Mrivera

    tongue, pabayaan mo na lang ang mga dismayado sa nangyaring wala naman silang nai-ambag. kaming mga kasama ninyo (bagama’t narito sa malayong lupain) ay hindi magsasawa sa pagbibigay suporta (kahit pampalakas loob lang) at hindi tatalikod sa pakikibakang alam natin na para sa mas nakararami at hindi pansarili. tandaan mo lang, HINDI NASAYANG ANG PAGPUPUNYAGI NINYO DIYAN SA PILIPINAS

    mabuhay kayo!

  138. Thanks, Tongue.

  139. isabel isabel

    hi, ellen!
    matagal na rin akong bumibisita sa blog mo pero ngayon lang ako nag attempt mag log in. katulad ng marami dito, isa rin akong exile sa lupaing malayo sa bayan natin, at itong blog mo ang isa sa pinagkukuhanan ko ng sariwang balita mula sa atin.
    sari-saring emosyon ang dumarating sa akin tuwing ako’y nagbabasa ng mga entry dito. minsan may lungkot, minsan din naman ay may tuwa, pero nangingibabaw palagi ang galit sa pekeng presidente na Gloria daw ang pangalan ngunit puro pahirap ang binibigay sa bayan at mamamayan.
    tama ka, malapit na nga ang wakas ng malagim at madugong pamumuno ng tiyanak na ito na nag rereyna-reynahan sa palasyo by the murky pasig river.
    mabuhay ka at ang iba pang may diwang di nagagapi.
    sa iyo tongue, keep the fire burning. isang araw, magkakasama din tayo sa lansangan.

  140. norpil norpil

    flop or failure? to me it depends on your expectation and therefore i understand npongco’s calling it flop. many hoped for while others expected much more. i just hope for the best results, being very far out i could not make any judgement on the field, so i can only hope. others on the other hand even tried to come but were not able.one thing we should not do here is to alienate those who were disappointed, we have only one common objective and that is to alienate gma.

  141. Norpil,

    Flop? No it wasn’t a flop. Definitely far from being a flop. Even if only 500 had come to attend a prayer rally, it would still have been a success because people came to heed the call of their religious leaders to pray.

  142. Sinabi mo pa Tongue T. Kung suya ka lalo na ako dahil sa totoo lang ngayon pa lang mukhang talagang nagigising ang mga pilipino. You bet, kahit pa anong sabihin ng mga pari, nagpunta ang mga tao doon sa Luneta para ipaalam na sawang-sawa na sila sa Great Switik na ang kapal talaga ng mukha.

    No, I don’t think it is a flop. Ngayon pa lang nagsisimula ang laban, and this time, hopefully, no foreign government should be allowed to take any credit for an ALL FILIPINO effort to remove a crook who has been trying hard to make the Americans support her bid to be queen. Laking tupak sa ulo talaga!

    Mabuhay kayong mga nakikibaka diyan. Hindi kayo nag-iisa sa totoo lang!

    HUWAG HIHINTO! TULOY ANG LABAN! PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! Iyong mga paring duwag, puede ba tumahimik na lang sila sa mga kumbento nila. Dapat sa kanila patawan ng parusa sa paglabag ng alituntunin tungkol sa “Separation of Church and State.”

    edit for the

  143. Wala raw strong opposition. Sinong may sabi? Si Mr. Gabi. Ay Gago pala! Ngayon pa nga lang nagre-reconcile talaga ang mga pilipino sa totoo lang. Trick lang ni Great Switik ang pagkakalat ng kaniyang brigada na walang strong opposition. Sa totoo lang takot na takot na siya kaya nga pinapapatay niya ang mga leader nila. Puede ba!

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! HUWAG MANIWALA SA MGA PROPAGANDA! BEST THING IS SUNDIN NINYO ANG ITINITIBOK NG MGA PUSO NINYO! I bet you that God has heard the prayers of 150,000 Filipinos who have dared the threats and intimidation from the palace by the murky river. Sino ba si Great Switik kundi isa lang switik who is trying hard to be royalty pero lalo lang lumalabas na dugong aso lamang! Pwe!

  144. Toney Cuevas Toney Cuevas

    Here’s my two cents worth. First it must be determined what type of event was held last Sunday, if it was a prayer rally or political demonstration. Prior to Sunday event, with much advertisement, it was billed with plenty of warning to everyone’s concern, supposedly, a thanksgiving prayer promoted by CBCP. If it was, then, how can anybody in their right mind can call it a flop. As we now know the prayer rally was held and it appeared without any problem, the thanksgiving prayer was held succesfully. However, if we’ve to question the intent, if the Sunday event was to deceive bogus Gloria and her supporters, the promoters of the event didn’t do a darn good job. Or, I’d assumed many people took it for granted that the prayer rally will turn into political rally instead. But, CBCP stuck to its intended planned, thansksgiving prayer, so it was. I can only conclude the Sunday (Prayer Rally) event was a success for what it was designed. If others went into thanksgiving rally thinking of political demonstrarions, they were surely being misled. But, how can they be misled when it was announced that the event was supposed to be a Prayer Rally.

    Was it a flop, certainly not. Perhaps, a missed communication, it happen all the time. Not getting the proper message to its flocks.

  145. artsee artsee

    Ako naman…here’s my three cents worth: Ang ibig sabihin ng Thankgsgiving rally ay “thank you” and “give”. Kadalasan bigay muna bago salamat. Pero sa nangyari, nagpasalamat muna ang mga obispo at tinanggap nila ang pera kinabukasan. Puwede din hindi ba? Kaya nga may salitang “thank you in advance”.

  146. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Call a spade a spade? Ok then. I’ll call you insensitive, callous, phlegmatic, assuming, ________(place adjective here).

    You cannot describe the feeling of satisfaction if you are not among the multiples gallantly gathered in serious prayer. You do not judge success by mere headcount. Not when truckloads of attendees were harrassed by checkpoints. Not when you are theatened with bodily harm or even death.

    I think what made the prayers more solemn was the fact that we went there, children in tow, despite reports of terrorist sabotage and warnings of arrest. While you, Mr. Armchair Revolutionary, sat there in the comfort of your gaslift, pounding away at your keyboard without being sensitive to the sacrifices we had to make or to the difficulties we had to endure to carry this fight not only for our families’ interests but also for the interests of cowards like you which I now doubt as similar to those of us here. Ellen is probably right, your gloating has unmasked your true purpose in this blog.

    I had kept my peace as I read your annoyingly repetitive, scurrilous vilifications against women in this blog, like Yuko, Anna, Chi, the others, and worse, at your constant immature sniping on blog host Ellen herself, which acts, as those from the other blogs already know, The Tongue normally would not tolerate but I did so just because these women are no pushovers they can handle it by themselves.

    Not satisfied, eh? Okay, less than 100,000 you say, we don’t care. Tomorrow you can blog and say there was only a few hundreds. But we believe Bishop Lagdameo when he said that the turnout was overwhelming. Does it matter to God how many people genuinely pray just so He could have them answered? I pity your soul.

  147. npongco npongco

    Anna, if you’re not interested, then I expect you to take a brief vacation while we here are discussing about the recent event. Any further comment from you about the rally would just go back to the issue of whether it was a flop or not. Fair enough?

  148. no not fair enough npongco!

    you have said your piece here and i doubt very much your rants produce anything better than what they are… rants.

    i suggest you read Tongue’s piece. He’s been always level headed but you’re pushing everyone’s patience here to the limit.

    i suggest that you take your tablets as WWNL said.

  149. you need character change as the bishops say and not chat-chat change!

  150. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Joseg,
    Salamat sa pakikiisa. Hindi lang kayo ang naharang. Ang mahalaga, nabilang kayo sa mga gumawa ng aksiyon para ipakita ang tunay na damdamin ng taumbayan. Hindi kasi binibilang yung hindi na nga kumikilos, nangangantiyaw pa. Sigurado, irereport ng mga sundalong humarang sa inyo kung ilan kayo. Pagsasamasamahin ang lahat bilang at marahil, sila mismo ang makakapagsabing hindi FLOP ang pagtawag ng mga obispo ng pananalangin.

    Ipagpatuloy ang init ng pagmamahal sa bayan. Huwag kang padadala sa mga paninira, ano mang anyo, gaano man kalaki. Kailanman hindi matatalo ng kasinungalingan ang katotohanan. Mabuhay ka.
    ——
    Lokal Vokal II,
    Hindi mo kailangang madismaya sa bilang ng mga dumating. Iba ang pakiramdam kung nandoon ka. Kung dati, ang mga walang-sawang dumadalo lang ay ang mga militante, iba noong Linggo. Ngayon ko lang nakita ang ganoon kadaming kilalang personalidad sa isang pagtitipon laban sa pambababoy ng gobyernong ito. Kahit na noong galit ang mga tao sa Hello Garci noong 2005, hindi mo nakita ang ganoon karaming mga makikinis at matatangos ang ilong na nagsamasama sa isang okasyon.

    Bagamat dumalo ang mga taga-CEAP hindi naman nila inobliga ang mga estudyante ng Catholic schools na pumunta sa Luneta gaya ng ginawa noon kay Erap sa EDSA, dahil nga sa banta ng pambobomba. Kung noong EDSA2 nag-checheck pa ng attendance sa EDSA dahil malinaw na di sila pipigilan ni Erap, wala niyan sa Luneta.

    Salamat rin at di nagbabago ang inyong paninindigan. Di man kayo makakasama aasahan na lang namin ang inyong pagsuporta. Hindi ang pang-aasar.
    —–
    Mrivera,
    Maraming salamat sa suporta. Mahirap lang kasi, karamihan ng mga nadismaya, yung mga hindi pumunta na puwede namang pumunta. Doon mismo, meron ring umasa na mas matindi ang naging aksiyon ng mga tao, pero kung ang layunin ay magdasal at ipaabot ang saloobin sa Panginoong Diyos (hindi sa diyos ni Gloria) isang tagumpay ang ginanap na rally.

    Marahil, maganda na rin ang kinahinatnan nito, dahil muling nahubaran ang mapagpaimbabaw na Demonyang Donya at umamin sa ADB na itutuloy nila ang chacha, diba?
    —–
    Ellen,
    Salamat rin. At pasensiya na uli. Huwag ka sanang masisiraan ng loob dahil marami dito ay sa iyo lang humuhugot ng lakas. Hindi ako makapaniwala na sa kundisyon mo, at sa mga sagabal na ihinaharang sa iyo, di ka tumutupi. Kasama mo kami sa laban mo.
    —–
    isabel,
    Di na mamamatay ang apoy. Malayo na rin naman at kuntento na ako ang aking narating, ang tanging ipinaglalaban ko na lang ay ang mga anak ko na maliliit pa lang, ganitong uri ng mga lider ang nakikitang baka kanilang gagayahin paglaki nila. Huwag naman sana. Dapat sana’y sila ang maging magandang halimbawa sa kabataan.

    Hindi na maaari pang pabayaan na ganito na lang ng ganito, kailan pa magbabago ang Pilipinas? Kung hindi tayo ang kikilos, sino? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan? See you soon!
    —–
    Norphil,
    Some bloggers, wittingly or unwittingly, want us to look like we are alienating the “dismayed” when in fact, they are the ones who are doing so. They sound like they are educated, but terribly fail kindergarten logic. They may even call. “sama-sama nating ibagsak si Gloria” pero they also say, “di nyo magagawa kasi ayaw ng Amerika” or chanting the official Malacañang lines. Even the technique of constant repetition is being employed for its subliminal purpose. Go figure.
    —–
    Anna,
    The figures don’t matter really, you’re right. We’ve seen governments toppled by less than that which attended the Luneta activity. It’s the leaderhip character that spells the big difference.
    —–
    Yuko (sana lumusot ito ngayon),
    I cannot complain about the courageous efforts that you, Anna, and many others overseas have exerted in this fight. We owe it to you for taking the cudgels for those who can only offer excuses, worse, potshots and curses at every opportunity, when they have not even contributed anything.

    Especially those who want you blocked out if this blog.
    —–
    Toney,
    I’ll take your two cents, the purpose is what determines success of the outcome. It was foolish to think that Gloria will step down the moment the crowd reached half a million, the bishops know that, too. The fact that the rally pushed through, despite the administration’s pronouncements was victory already.

    I’ve been very uneasy about setting targets using warm bods as measure ‘cuz the evil minds don’t work that way. What guarantee do we have that one million people, no, five million, will make Gloria want to give up her throne and face the consequences of her lying, stealing, cheating, and killing?

    There are no clear-cut solutions and that’s why we need Divine Guidance. The prayer rally could have achieved that, too. We can’t know the answer just yet. We just need to keep praying. And moving.

  151. Oh and by the way, I said, “I think I will heed Ellen’s advice”, that wasn’t quite definitive yet but I will pretty soon… your whining, whimpering, moaning over this and that – really exasperating in the extreme.

    You fight with Ellen, your comments about her have bordered on the indecent, the uncivilized and that just won’t do. You do the same with other commenters here for reasons that are of your own making.

    Recently, I tried to be as civilized as I can to you by indulging you in a civilized exchange thinking you could perhaps be civilized but a leopard will always have the same spots, no matter what and you’re even more of a jerk than the person you’ve gratuitously branded as one.

    You shoot cheap shots and if you think you are being unique, sad to say, you’ve become nothing but an old BORING FART!

  152. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Still don’t get it, don’t you? When everyone is against you, there must be something terribly wrong with you. Man, I’ve seen bad bloggers, but none as stupid as you. You’ve said your goodbyes many times, be a man! Bong Austero and Sassy Lawyer is waiting for you.

    Well, you can have you last say. I hate long goodbyes. Especially to snut-nosed adolescents who are in the middle of a gender crisis.

    Leave us alone in this 150-posts-per-topic blog that has “reached its level of usefulness” a long time ago. Check your idioms, kid!

    The evil woman won’t get eliminated or terminated if you stay here. G’wan, scram!

  153. Mrivera Mrivera

    tongue, salamat sa pag-uukol mo ng halaga sa munti kong naiaambag sa ating ipinaglalaban.

    isa lamang akong karaniwang tao na ang tinig ay hindi papansinin at pakikinggan kaya natutuwa ako na sa blog na ito ni ellen, kahit paano ay nagkakaroon ako ng silbi. silbing nagiging bunga ng pakikiisa ko sa inyong lahat upang maihanap ng solusyon upang mapapalaya ang ating bayan sa kuko ng halimaw na naghahari’t naghahasik ng lagim sa kasalukuyan!

  154. norpil norpil

    tongue: i felt like saying something about my post on alienating some dismayed since you took notice. i can only agree with you in your reply.i have been trying to figure out most of the bloggers here because for me understanding the other’s point of view is almost a necessity in solving our common problem. i admire a lot of people in this blog because of the civility of their arguments though sometimes are too heated.some people i respect due to the strength of their arguments.some due to their command of english and some due to their command of our national language.somehow everybody has something to say but often as in all manner of communication, it is not what one say which is important but how one say it, specially when talking directly to an individual.

  155. Robert V. Maich Robert V. Maich

    ellen
    Those fiery exchanges among your
    ardent bloggers make ME search my
    inner self – introspection some
    may call it.

    I think almost all bloggers have
    hidden agenda, have their hang-ups
    and axes to grind, or chips on
    their shoulders. NOBODY is free
    from them. UNLESS ONE IS A
    NOBODY, A NOBODY FROM YOUTH
    TO OLD AGE.

    TO ME, WHO IS AN ALMOST NOBODY IT’S
    SIMPLE AND AS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT.
    WHAT I WRITE IN YOUR BLOG IS
    AFFECTED BY WHO AM I. HINDI
    AKO KAMAG ANAK MALAPIT MAN O
    MALAYO NG MGA HINAYUPAK NA SINA:

    CARDINAL SIN O SINUMANG OBISPO O PARI
    NI FERDINAND MARCOS OR FIDEL RAMOS
    NG MGA COJUANGCO O AQUINO
    NG SINUMANG CONGRESSMAN O SENADOR
    NG SINUMANG MAYOR O KUNSEHAL
    NG SINUMANG NEGOSYANTE NAGBIBIGAY NG
    SUHOL AT KICKBACK
    NG SINUMAN SA BIR, CUSTOMS OR DPWH
    NG SINUMAN SA PNP OR AFP.

    WALA PO AKONG SABIT. KAHIT ISANG
    KUSING HINDI PO AKO NAGNANAKAW SA
    GOBIERNO.

    SA MGA BLOGGERS NA NAKINABANG SA
    KABAN NG BAYAN. NAGPARAL SA MGA
    ANAK AT APO, NAKA IMMIGRATE DAHIL
    SA KURAKOT. HINDI AKO MAKIKIPAGTALO
    SA TULAD KO. MAARING BYSTANDER LANG
    AKO, NAGMAMASID, NAKIKINIG SA IBANG
    TAO. SAGAD ANG PAGKAMUHI SA MASAMANG
    fILIPINO. PERO KAHIT PAPAANO ANG PAG IBIG
    KO SA AKING BAYAN AY DALISAY AT HINDI
    NA NABABAHIRAN NG PAGKUKUNWARI.

    SANA MALAMPASAN KO ANG ANUMANG BAHID
    NG PAGKATAO KO PARA MAPANUTO ANG BAYAN
    KO. PAG OKEY ANG BAYAN KO, MARAMI
    SEFURONG KABABAYAN KO OKEY DIN.

  156. Robert V. Maich Robert V. Maich

    AND I WILL SHOUT TO THE WHOLE
    WORLD HINDI AKO KAMAGANAK
    O KABABAYAN NI GLORIA AT
    ASWANG NIYANG SI MIKE ARROYO.

    SA BORADCASTERS ISA LANG ANG
    IDOLO KO, HINDI YATA SIYA
    MAGNANAKAW PERO KAAWAY SIYA
    NG MASASAMANG FILIPINO. SI
    DAMIAN SOTO.

    KUNG BUHAY SI DAMIAN SOTO,
    PANAHON PA LANG NI TABAKO
    PATAY NA SIYA.

  157. Robert V. Maich Robert V. Maich

    Jesus said: Tell me who
    your companion and I will
    tell you who you are.

    Sabihin nyo sa akin:
    TELL ME WHO YOU ADMIRE AND
    I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE.

    Well aside from Damian Soto
    I admire Andres Bonifacio,
    Apolinario Mabini,
    Monching Magsaysay, Abe Lincoln,
    Tato Constantino, Claro Recto,
    Lorenzo Tanada, Tagamolila,
    Lean Alejandro, Ellen Tordesillas
    at mga Gabriela.

    Mga walang silbi sa akin yan,
    wala akong pakinabang sa mga yan
    pero hanga ako sa kanila. Kasi
    sa kanila, wala silbi ang kanilang
    bayan, wala silang nakuhang
    pakinabang. MATERIAL po ang
    ibig kong sabihin.

  158. norpil norpil

    robert v.m.:i can also shout as you do and have no hidden agenda.i am a nobody and is probably older than most people here.i don’t think i can shout as damian sotto nor paeng yabut.i donot have to like any of the bloggers’ personality but i can agree or disagree with them and as i said just above i certainly can admire some for what they write.

  159. Robert, thanks for participating in the discussion.I had to delete the curses of Damian Soto. We don’t need that here. We can express our opinions strongly without resorting to foul language.

  160. Welcome, Isabel. I encourage you to express you views so we can learn from each other.

  161. artsee artsee

    Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng “call a spade a spade”? Espadahan? Espada sa espada? Pasensiya na kayo at mahina ako sa Ingles. Kung Intsik ang usapan dito, tatalunin ko kayo…

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