The same noises but will it be done?
FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star) Updated February 27, 2011 12:00 AM
I will believe we can change the Constitution in this country when it has been done. For the moment, with all due respect to the former justices, we have heard the same noises before.
I am beginning to think that these noises for constitutional reform today is what it has always been — noises. Periodic declarations of support for constitutional reform from the Establishment are meant to mollify advocates (growing in number, by the way) to give them the illusion that change is being seriously considered. There have been too many false alarms in the past with all due respect to the former justices.
Just before May 10, I talked to some well-meaning individuals who told me that perhaps we should put the issue aside for the time being. Constitutional reform was building up to a crescendo, approved on committee level in the Lower House and waiting for the plenary debate.
My colleague said more and more see the wisdom of it but the timing is wrong. He had talked to the movers and shakers of this country (some of the richest Filipinos) and the presidential candidates and the consensus was after…after the May 10 elections. Sorry, I said, that will not happen if we wait after the elections.
The winners will not allow any change that would deny them the “benefits” of the power they had just bought with huge campaign funds in the first place. It is simple common sense. Yet it is an excuse that never fails to fool Filipinos, even the most educated to wait after an election. It is ominous that the same reasoning is being used “to lessen expenses the election of members of the Constitutional Convention will be held simultaneously with the 2013 national and local elections.” Here we go again.
Well, my colleague will say, you cannot say we are not talking about it again. Isn’t that enough? Isn’t that proof our leaders will restructure our society through constitutional reform?
I am afraid not. I am not the only one seeing through machinations to raise hopes for reform then scuttle them at the last minute after exhaustive, wearing down debates. There are others.
I am not a Marxist but it is beginning to look like Karl Marx had it right — it is the class war that looms large in the picture of how to bring change in society. The Constitution is the basic law governing the structures of government and the contract between government and its citizens.
The 1987 Constitution favors the rich — the oligarchs — so they hold the key to its reforms. But if they refuse to budge from the status quo, then — as many are already saying — it may take a violent revolution to make it happen.
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It is true that most of the witnesses led by Mayor Alfredo Lim invited to the Hong Kong inquest on the hostage tragedy did not want to go. They were afraid of being detained if they refused to answer questions.
But Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza wants to go yet he is being held back from leaving.
Unlike the others he was anxious to testify in Hong Kong where he felt he would get a better hearing than he would in Manila’s justice system. Instead, I am told that he is being prevented from leaving by authorities. They slapped him with several cases so he could not leave for the inquest.
SPO2 Mendoza was charged with serious illegal detention by the Department of Justice that found “probable” cause that he was an accomplice of his brother. He was also charged with illegal possession of firearms.
By all means file charges and prove it but what others decry is that they are using this to block him from leaving for Hong Kong. He would be too busy fighting his cases.
Indeed it was his face that became the poster for the tragedy of the hostage taking. When I watched the television coverage the cameras zeroed on him as he was forcibly being pushed into a car.
Fiscal Vimar Barcellano accused him (without proof) for convincing his brother not to release the hostages. Such a vicious accusation but he adds “he was not sure.”
“Of course, sensitive of the critical situation obtaining then, the actions of respondent must likewise be properly addressed by the Crisis Management Committee,” read the resolution. Ergo, respondent must be taken in for investigation. “
That is the catch. If he is to be investigated then he is disabled from leaving for the Hong Kong where he will have a far bigger audience than local television. The authorities were incensed when he asked local media help because he thought he would be killed. His brother, the hostage taker saw his frantic attempts to escape the inhumane clutches of arresting officers.
As a witness in the Hong Kong inquest Mendoza will be able to talk about the heart of the tragedy. True there were unfortunate deaths and the hostage drama. But more importantly, it will be shown that in this country, the poor have no rights and are often victimized by the justice system itself. If you disagree with this, Messrs. Authorities, please let him go to Hong Kong.
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While in Kuala Lumpur, I met an old friend with whom I was able to broach the idea that perhaps we should do more work together in returning to our common ethnic roots. Jose Rizal, for instance is called the Pride of the Malay Race. He was told by Ambassador Dato Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad, an academic, he was surprised to find that the Philippines had 90 percent Malay ethnicity. Yet we know so little of each other as such. I think it would help Malaysian-Philippine relations especially with the ongoing peace talks with MILF if we were to anchor our diplomatic relations on our common origins.
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Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the cultural arm of the Spanish Embassy, will present the book of Filipino mixed media artist Santiago Bose (1949-2002) titled “Baguio Graffiti — Gatos Callejeros (Baguio Graffiti – Stray Cat)” on Tuesday, March 1, 7 p.m. at Instituto Cervantes’ Salon de Actos.
The bilingual book includes two original texts by Bose himself Baguio Graffiti, an essay on Bose’s childhood memories in an American army bay in Baguio; and Stray Cats, a dialogue on contemporary art. Entrance is free.
For me BOTH. First we need Violent Revolt to eliminate the hazard politician TRAPOS, then we need to change the constitution to president to parliament in unicameral/federal republic NOT DEMOCRACY.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Lookit, FILIPINOS ARE NOT VIOLENT! :) FILIPINOS ARE NOT REVOLUTIONARY! Filipinos ONLY GRAB CREDIT! Like their God, Jesus Christ, that grab credits of successes of Filipinos. Ejemplo: June 12 “independence” was given by Americans on a silver platter 25 days after Americans routed the Spanish galleons. 8 months later Filipinos stabbed Americasn behind their back. Of course, Americans won!
Gen Aguinaldo was bribed in Mexican Pesos to live in Hong-Kong in Pact of Broken Stone. Came back became hero just like Lozada. Oh, Gen Aguinaldo was fetched by Admiral Perry in Hong-Kong in US Frigate to Manila. And Gen Aguinaldo declared “independence” on June 12. Admiral Perry said to me, “Nagpasi-aw jud si Gen Aguinaldo parang sino” HA!H!AHA!HA! Siaw jud ni ang mga Filipinos
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For me BOTH. First we need Violent Revolt to eliminate the hazard politician TRAPOS and Chaotolic Frails, then we need to change the constitution to president to parliament in unicameral/federal republic NOT DEMOCRACY.
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American novelist Jonathan Franzen said “To have convictions is to give up certain amount of freedom…and further surrendering of more freedom takes place when you act upon on those convictions.” Many filipinos do not have strong convictions. Usually convictions derived from watching gameshows or telenovelas…And they do love freedom I can tell you that!
They are easily swayed by the media into believing in ideologies they themselves have no ample knowledge of. This is why it is hard to get support for charter change because the media does not encourage it.
I got disappointed with Lourd De vera for criticizing charter change for the wrong reason. He had a good show (Word of the Lourd) where he exposes the current situation of the country with sarcasm and his signature humor. I thought he was the real deal. Thing is, he doesnt offer any solution at all. Makes you think he just used his exposition pieces just to look cool.
I am hoping that support for charter change will increase its pace.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Philippine media should be eliminated and replaced with american media. To keep it simple and short, OUTSOURCE THE MEDIA!!!! If all things fail, OUTSOURCE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT. !!!!!! filipinos are not democratically and religiously responsible. WELL, IT IS IN THEIR DNA!!!!!
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I studied Marxism, as an Elective Subject in Graduate School. I found out, it was a Philosophy; that went to become a Political Ideology. I don’t believe in the efficacy of the ideology.
However, if the Oligarchs and Powerful will not budge to restructure our society. We are going for a violent confrontation, in our country. Same cases, as the French Aristocracy and the Feudal Aristocrat Nobles in Russia; the Feudal Lords and Warlords in China…It is a tragedy waiting to happen in our country. Poor People are subsisting from the garbage dumps, for food. While the Oligarchs live in wasteful luxury and exceeding wealth. It is a Witch Brew…
People who don’t want to let the truth come out. Will prevent witnesses, like Mendoza , from testifying…This is the tragedy and deception of the Aquino EDSA regime. They advertise Freedom and Democracy. However, they are the First to prevent people from telling the truth. If their political interest is at stake….A Double Faced Imbecile is now in Malacanang Palace…
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Hyden Toro Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
Perhaps, the “PANIG SA KATOTOHANAN…PANIG SA BAYAN!!!”, subliminal disinformation messages directed toward the Subconscious Minds of the unsuspecting Filipinos…they think, this will prevent people from revolting…by turning them into Zombies…
Subliminal Messges can easily be turned-off, by turning-off the station; or going to other stations…
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
The advertised Freedom and Democracy is just an advertisement.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Subliminal Messages are different…it turns people into Zombies…look at how the children dancing to: Wowoowee….Giling-Giling…Igiling Mo, Baby…Buntis na naman si Missis…or another Kabit for Kris Aquino…it can work reversely on them also…
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
The advertised Freedom and Democracy is just an advertisement. Like Lister with his 2008 reprint rehashed garbage blog who is a serial ex-communicator and deleter. Where is that freedom? He should be blogging in FilipinoVoices.com that is now selling bitchy 3-incher high-heel shoes and Filipina pen-pals for mail-order bride packaged and delivered fresh as a rose FeDexed 24-hour Visa, MasterCard and AmEx accepted.
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Lookit, Filipinos are not violently revolutionary. The EDSA “revolution” were billed by the idiotic dumb stupid peryodistas. It was not a “revolution” in my dictionary. The people went to EDSA to witness and entertained who’d be the victor of the squabbles between corrupt camps: Marcos versus Honasan-Ramos-Enrile. These Los Trios were instrumental in keeping Marcos in power. What It is still “never will be told story” of EDSA why both corrupt camps fought. I read celebratory columns from the idiot peryodiko run by idiot peryodistas it made my skin crawl. I scream, “Ewwwww!” “Ewww!”. I can imagine how these idiot peryodistas are totally misinforming and dumbing the Filipinos.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
The idiotic dumb stupid peryodistas still has not answered my question: “Who were they revolting about?” Who, what made the fake-accidental revolution possible? Who were the first-responders of these so-called “revolution”, the unsung heroes, who were never acknowledged. Like Philippine history, this EDSA revolution is another misinforming the Filipinos.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
The 1987 constitution is an acknowledgement of the help of the oligarchs to topple down and cry and cry Marcos. The 1987 constitution is the rewards of the oligarchs. The very oligarchs that supported Marcos. HA!HA!HA!HA! This story, too, cannot be found by idiot peryodistas. If ever there was a story it cannot be published. See, idiot dumb stupid englischtzes-speaking peryodistas are only goot in POLITICAL ANALYSIS! They can see the future of the politicians but cannot see what is wrong with Filipinos justice system. Either the idiot ‘toopid peryodistas are bought, allowed themselves to be boughted or just plain dumb or maybe they spent so much time perpefecting their englsichtzes that they lost touch of their content. SEE IN THE PHILIPPINES GOOT ENGLISCHTZES MAKES WRONG RIGHT! RIGHT?
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:08 pm
The oligarchs were rewarded the 1987 Constitution … BUT THE FIRST-RESPONDERS, the balut vendors, iced-water vendors, Bar-B-Q vendors, candy vendors, chorizo vendors, tsismosos, tsismosas, unemployed and unemployable the pango, pyanga WERE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED. They were never rewarded. Their rewards were enslavement by the oligarchs and the idiot stupid dumb child molesting Padre Damasos. The vendors never were given a commemoration of estatwa in EDSA. Saint Cory Aquino who was very far far away from ground zero has estatwa. DUH! STUPID IDIOT PERYODISTAS.
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LOOKIT, THERE WILL NEVER BE REVOLUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES. There will be the usual failed coup-de-t’at which is seasonal depending on the phase of the moon. Whenever there is a coup-de-t’at, Filipinos go out of their home and witness the even. They mill around in EDSAic proprtion. They giggle, gaggle, google. They do Bar-B-Q, they drink, watch live telecast of the event to witness. They don’t go out like the ones in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen. NEVER. I am the only one who sees it. But idiot peryodistas with their intelligence DON’T SEEM TO SEE. THEY SEEM TO BE BLIND. OR THEY ARE JUST NATURALLY STUPID AND IDIOTIC.
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I must be Nostradamus re-incarnate. Lookit, justice on Chinese Bus Massacre is not outsourced in Hong-Kong. Justice in Hong-Kong run by non-englischtzes-speaking-attrocious-spellengers justices are better in justice than our englsichtzes-speaking-impecabbly spelling ivy-school-foreign-graduate justices. See, in Flippngland, filipinos can be found guilty by mere affidavit. It is guilty-by-affidavit, guilty-by-association, guilty-by-brown-skin, guilty-by-the-looks. If someone is a tisoy tisay they never be found guilty. Because Filipinos believe in “white is right”.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Flippers do not need CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE. Why not friggin’ vote first on allowing 100% ownership on these idiotic peryodiko run by idiot peryodistas. Keep it simple. Lookit the PHilippine constitution is more violated than followed. So, why the need to make it look that Philippinos are civilized. Once there is 100% ownership of this idiotic peryodiko, it is the only time that Filipinos will be informed. And that is the only time the Filipino will be educated by 100% owned civilized professional foreign peryodistas that 60/40 cannot work. Then again, Filipinos don’t need to do charter change. Just friggin’ freakin’ change it by polls. Cheaper that way. But, oh, please not by SWS.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Filipinos have funny constitution run by justices that can be bought big time (see Vizconde) and ombudswomen can be boughted, too. EVERY FILIPINOS CAN BE BOUGHTED! So what is this constitutional change when constitution and justice system is not working and it is more of a decoration than civility.
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Enrile was instrumental in making Marcos declare Martial Law…he did the Fake Assasination attempt by the NPA. Enrile was also the Manager of the Torture Chambers of Marcos. Enrile oversaw that the Concentration Camp in Camp Crame, was full of dissidents and subversives. Ramos was the Director of Camp Crame Concentration Camp. Honasan was just the Rat who transferred looted Money to Foreign Banks…
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
… and? … and? ENRILE BECAME A H-E-R-O!!!!!!! So, who were the vendors revolutionizing about? They were only there to witness the implosion of the crime families !!!!!!!! This is the story that cannot be told !!!!! THIS IS THE NEVER-WILL-BE-TOLD STORY BY THE IDIOT PERYODISTAS!!!! Because idiot stupid peryodistas are bunch of patronizing jerks.!11.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Ramos became the president. Honsan became a senator and serial-failed-coup-de-t’ater.
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
That makes me truly furious. I AM GLAD AMPATUAN GOT RID OF THOSE 50 IDIOT PERYODISTAS BEFORE THEY SHOW THEIR FANGS OF ENGLSICHTZES-SNOBBERY.
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ANOTHER HUGE REASON why there will not be a violent revolution. Flippers’ hero is Jose Rizal. It is inculcated in Flipping minds that two books did the Spanish colonizers. That is why Filipinos, like Lister, and others to name one prefer to perpefectkt their englsichtzes because their minds are still colonized by Jose Rizal’s two books!!! Does anyone believe in that? Because whatever Zaide says so Filipinos believe so. HA!HA!HA!HA!HA! That is why wrong spelling and syntax errors sends you to kingdom come because wrong spelling and syntax errors cannot make a revolution!!!! ha!ha!ha!ha! HOW COLONIZED CAN THEY GET!!!! HA!HA!HA!HA!
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Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
That is why the accidental vendors uprising in EDSA were never acknowledged by the idiot peryodistas because vendors got no class. Vendors cannot spell. Vendors cannot speakengese goot englsichtzes. The idiot peryodistas, since they are Filipinos, are thoughting to market, advertise EDSA as a revolution of intellectuals!!! HA!HA!HA!HA! STUPID FILIPINOS IDIOT PERYODISTAS!!!!!
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i’d say we need a violent revolution. only by forging this can the classes in the society be seriously challenged. look, all vices in our society emerge from the private interests of certain social classes — the ruling classes, the elites. we have corruption because wealthy people who get elected into office (to begin with, they are the only ones who have the ability to fund an electoral campaign) are too greedy to maintain their social statuses instead of doing public service. crime is rampant because of poverty. people steal because they don’t have money for food, and don’t have jobs for livelihood. the ruling elites who occupy most of the seats in the government hardly pass legislations that are for the welfare of the entire nation; they are always after protecting their interests.
next, we must first recognize that the philippines is an agricultural country before we can ever start talking about change. we must first clarify to ourselves what is the situation of the country which we are seeking to change. change will never be pioneered by intellectuals. it is the masses, the peasants and the workers (the people who comprise majority of the population) who are going to spur and lead the true revolution and genuine change. we must stop the illusion that we are an urbanized country, despite the massive rate of urban migration in the country, despite the towering buildings in Makati or Edsa, despite the legions of call center agents and OFWs who get to work abroad. We remain as a semi-colonial, semi-feudal third world country which remain depended to and subjugated by America. The semi-feudal relations that exists in rural communities remains pointed. Our farmers do not yet own the land they till and they do not yet benefit completely from the products of their labor. This is bigger part of the country’s situation that needs to be changed, not just the apathy of the citizens, corruption, crime and others. Poverty is the root of all the vices, I repeat and this poverty is rooted in these semi-feudal relations, and the fact that private properties still exist. And to change this situation, we need a bloody revolution, not merely a constitutional reform. We need to wage an armed struggle because those who are presently in power will not just relinquish their power and wealth. Lastly, do not be too shocked, I am a Marxist.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
February 28th, 2011 at 11:58 am
Feudalism must go. I have not seen an Industrialized country, with Feudalism intact…
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My title Constitutional Reform or Violent Revolution is not new. It has been said by other constitutionalists in the past that constitution making occurs after a revolution – it is a pact on how the country must be run if it is avoid a recurrence of confrontation. Although all that was absent in Edsa, the people had hoped that change would come with all the rhetoric of change that flowed out of the events. But as a friend later was to say to me – it was not a revolution, it was a putsch. I meant by the title the urgency of the job because without reform revolution is inevitable. So I am not recommending revolution I am saying it can and wiil happen if we do not restructure our society. I remain fearful that “revolution devours its own c
hildren.”
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HA!HA!HA! Pedroza, c’mon. Filipinos are not revolutionary. The leaders of Spanish revolution were boughted with mexican pesos, went to Hong-Kong came back a hero. A revolution handed in a silver platter. Thanks to American government. Marcos turned jelly when Americans swooped their F-16 over Malacanang. Even New Peoples Army leadership has retired and getting social security pension. HA!HA!HA! See in revolution Philippine style is more an advertisement for their candidacy. Lookit, Honasan, Ramos, Enrile, Trillanes and others. HA!HA!HA! Lacson !!! ha!ha!ha! Biazon !!! HA!HA!HA! Get real !!!! HA!HA!HA!
Filipinos revolution is blogging with perpeecktft englsichtzes and impeecable spelling because they got it from Jose Rizal’s two impeccably spanished books that sparked the rebolusyon !!!! So people blog and made sure they have perpefect englischtzes and spelling. Because doing so means intelligence. Those whgo cannot carry on with englischtzes are heavily corrected and if they are lucky they get to be published and contents and thoughts totally mangled.
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ivan labayne Reply:
March 1st, 2011 at 9:46 pm
first, the revolution i am talking about does not have ramos, enrile, honasan and the like as its faces. those people are not revolutionaries, they are mere army people-turned-traditional-politicians. next. it remains arguable that rizal’s two novels sparked the 1896 revolutions. for me, both novel did only motivate the revolution to happen but they were not the main catalytic agents. not all people are still enchanted with rizal and his ‘heroism.”
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The revolution that Philippines need is hire foreign journalists or give foreign journalists 100% ownership because our idiot peryodistas are just too dumb for my comfort. THE NEVER WILL BE TOLD STORY ABOUT EDSA IS WHAT SPARKED THE FAKE-ACCIDENTAL REVOLUTION. Why Marcos went after his three puppets. All the idiot peryodistas talked about in celebratory EDSA column is just the revolution. UNLIKE IN AMERICA when they have president’s day they rip open, analyze their lives and what made them do it. In Philippines they are only goot in political analysis. PERIOD. THAT IS ALL !!!! They cannot even analyze Ces Drilon kidnapping news blackout. Not one idiot peryodistas came out with a column in the stupidity of Ces Drilon news blackout. More so of Failon Trining murder/suicide !!! They cannot analyze it. THEIR MIND IS HARDWIRED FOR POLITICAL ANALYSIS. NOTHING MORE. Because political analysis are all based on innuendoes not logic.
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