Diaper politics

I was watching Man of the Year which stars Robin Williams on HBO last night. It’s a political satire of sorts. He delivers political messages done in comedy.

Tom Dobbs, Willam’s character, said:

Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason.

I couldn’t agree more. That’s why, probably, the current move to ammend the Philippine constitution before the 2010 elections can never get the nod of the people. They want the “diapers” changed. You don’t want to develop “diaper rash”, don’t you?

Shot in the head, and willing.

I was thinking about my feelings towards the latest failed attempt to impeach the president in the house of representatives. I’m speechless, actually. Disgusted, hopeless and speechless. I’ll let Ricky Carandang do the talking in this cross post from his blog.

We all knew the fourth attempt to impeach President Arroyo would not prosper regardless of what kind of arguments or facts the minority congressmen presented at the Justice Committee hearings.

Its never been a question of evidence or eloquence but where your bread is buttered. And for most congressmen, the butter comes from the general direction of the Pasig river.

Many–including sometimes myself–asked “Why do they bother?” It was an exercise in futility so why try? Watching the proceedings today I got my answer. Because they have to.

I have no illusions that minority congressmen are doing this for a number of motivations, including self interest. But none of us is pure and anyone who requires that an accuser must be free from any kind of taint in order to be believed is simply justifying turning a blind eye.

But given the “tainted” motivations of the minority, let me at least say this. The alternative would be a coup. Taking the law into your own hands to extract accountability from the president. The other alternative is indifference. Like most people in this country, we can shrug our shoulders and resign ourselves to the inevitability of defeat, and just let them get away with it.

But Risa, Ronnie, Teddy, TG, Satur, Liza, Rufus, Rafael, and yes even Joe, as well as all the others who made the effort chose to work within the system no matter how dysfunctional it is. Instead of giving up or taking up arms, they went to Congress and did what the law required, thus keeping alive the hope, however slender, that the process can still work.

Are they fools? Maybe, but I take my hat off to those fools.

Open letter to JocJoc

Jocjoc Bolante, the one perceived to be the man behind the P700 million fertilizer scam is coming today. Expect for some fun for the next coming weeks. In the meantime, here’s an open letter from Jun Lozada for our enjoyment.

October 24, 2008

Dear Joc-Joc,

Allow me to call you Joc-Joc as you have been known in the media and by many Filipinos too. As of this morning of the 24^th of October, 2008, news about your lawyer petitioning the Supreme Court to issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the implementation of the arrest warrant issued by the Senate upon your arrival, hugs the headline of the major dailies together with the radio and TV news broadcast. The whole country seems to be anxiously awaiting your return, I am sure your family is also eager to see you back as well.

It is about your family that I am writing you about, because of what my own family went through when I was in a similar situation that you are in now. Being a father myself, I know that the welfare and safety of your family is your foremost concern in the middle of all the controversy and the uncertainty that you are facing.

There is so much fear right now that pervades your life along with your loved ones. Questions such as: how safe are you in Manila? Is there a possibility that someone may attempt to harm you or your family? How are the people that you are covering for, going to help you? How are you going to answer questions from media? How can the people you are covering be trusted with their dilatory tactics to get you off the hook, away from the prying questions of the opposition senators?

We get caught up in all of these questions of “us versus them” way of  thinking, that we almost forget to ask the right questions anymore– right questions such as: how are my children hurt with the truth that I am generally perceived as a corrupt criminal by the Filipino nation? How are my children going to explain my involvement in this fertilizer scam to their friends? How is my wife going to face our friends and still be seen as a person with integrity? What legacy am I leaving my children? Is leaving them with millions of money and big houses in Ayala Alabang better than leaving them with a good name?

I am sharing these with you, because if there is one thing that I did regret in telling the truth about how this Arroyo administration has been stealing from the very people it is supposed to serve, it is that I was not able to prepare my wife and my children well enough against the backlash of this government’s wrath against me for telling the people about their crimes. You still have time to discern your next move, whether or not you are going to tell the people the truth about the fertilizer scam or bring the secret to your grave, just like Romy Neri. As a father, I am asking you to please think about your children, please consider the legacy you are going to leave to them. Are you going to forever leave them as pariahs branded as children of a thief–or as children of someone who did wrong and yet chose to serve his country at the end, rather than to be a captive forever of the dark forces he used to serve? And please prepare your family whatever way you may wish to choose. Discuss this together with them because at the end of it all, they will suffer or be affected more as a consequence of your decision.

Secondly as a fellow Rotarian, how about asking the Four Way test as part of your discernment process? Is it the Truth? Is it fair to everyone concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendship? Will it be beneficial to everyone concerned? You have been a good Rotarian for many good years of your life. Will you now turn your back on these ideals in the biggest test of your Rotarian values?

Lastly, let me share with you one of the most profound lessons I have learned in my own journey towards the truth, a truth not as a goal to be reached but rather as a way of life to be lived. I have found that the opposite of all the fears I am confronted with is not courage but faith. It is faith in a God who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”, a just God who will judge us not in terms of the wealth we have on earth but in terms of what we did to our fellow human beings. It is my faith in this God that allowed me to face all the fears that I am confronted with when I decided to tell the truth that I know about the NBN-ZTE scam. May you find the faith to lead you to the Light of God’s love that no darkness can ever defeat, not even a President of the Republic of the Philippines.

May God bless you with the wisdom to choose your path.

Jun Lozada

The presidents

If you will describe in a few words our presidents in the last 30 years, what would it be like?

Ferdinand Marcos -martial law

Cory Aquino – failed coup attempts

Fidel Ramos – economic growth?

Erap Estrada -� corruption

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo - martial law-like rule, failed coup attempts, economic growth?, corruption

“Pag bad ka, lagot ka”. Really?

I like Joker Arroyo. No, I love Joker Arroyo. I love his style. I love his wisdom. I simply love this senator. I voted for him every time. I voted for him last Senatorial election.

His last election’s campaign slogan: “Pag bad ka, lagot ka“.� He is anti-corruption. He hates corrupt personalities in the government. Or until his alies got involved.

Senator Arroyo is aligned with the administration, lead by the president whose last name is the same as his. Who is in the spotlight nowadays in the midst of the revelations of ZTE-NBN scandal witness Jun Lozada.

During the senate investigation, I hoped that Sen. Arroyo will interogate the policemen and the cabinet officials who allegedly kidnapped Lozada to provent him from testifying.

Instead, he interogated Lozada, called him acting in bad faith and tried to impeach him as a witness. In another interview, he discredit him saying he is “no Clarisa Ocampo”, pertaining to the star witness that helped in the downfall of then President Estrada.

Fine. Lozada is no Ocampo. But if he is true with his slogan, shouldn’t he be running after the corrupt and not the witnessess of corruption?

Joker is a joke. He’s not a real deal. I regret idolizing him. I regret voting for him.