WHY GMA MUST GO

By Yoly Ong:

Like the rest of the ABC+ ECO classes, I figured we should just ignore
GMA and go about our life. After all there's no acceptable alternative
on the horizon. Better the devil we know than the one we don't, right?

I even said she was most likely the real winner in the 2004 elections.
After all she had the incumbent's advantage. She spent billions of
pesos for her campaign. The P800M fertilizer fund and P500M health
insurance budgets were diverted to buy votes. Then to ensure a convincing
victory she topped it off with Garci. You see the little woman vowed she
would get a lead of at least 1M votes over FPJ. That way, even if
Opposition cheats, she would have a buffer. Her other ambition was to get
more votes than Erap, partly to thumb her nose up at him and his
loyalists. Mostly so she would feel the love of the people because in truth
everything she did was really for love.

She wasn't always a cheat and a liar. In fact there was one moment of
epiphany when she actually had the decency to say she wasn't going to
run because she was such a polarizing and divisive personality. Alas the
Holy Spirit left so soon. And her broken promise became yet another one
of many more to come.

Since the Hyatt 10 resigned, the dark side has completely taken over.
Like the votes she bought, she systematically bribed cronies and critics
alike. When position and money didn't work, fear and intimidation was
the alternative mode of persuasion. Instead of capable men and women,
she filled up critical government positions with loyalists whose
self-interest hinged on preserving her own.

And so she has slowly corrupted everyone and everything she touched.
The military. The judiciary. The businessmen. The church. The police. If
the soldiers were restless--- give them a house and an increase. If
media cannot be co-opted, threaten them with PP 1017. Its actually1081
all over again. Arrest all who speak out against her. Commies or
Professors, it doesn't matter. You're invited for questioning if you're not
for her.

Now she wants the charter changed in order to perpetuate herself.
Using tried and tested methods she tried to use No-EL to suborn Congress.

Can you imagine the damage she can wreak till 2010 and beyond? All this
while the First Gentleman amasses a fortune from all government deals
and the son smuggles racehorses and God knows what else.

But who will replace her? Even Noli has been persuaded to remain
loyally supportive. All trapos are the same. We replaced an incompetent
plunderer with a diabolical one. What's to assure us it won't be from
"the pot to the fire" again?

And with this unanswered question we go about our own business.
Irritated for the inconvenience caused by street protests. Disdainful of
Cory, Hyatt 10, Civil Society and the whole sanctimonious lot for trying
to get us back to the streets and pricking our conscience. We couldn't
possibly link arms with Ping Lacson and Jinggoy and God help us, the
Reds! Why even Winnie Monsod said so! And she's credible isn't she?
She even wonders what the fuss is about a state of emergency!

Hold on a second. We are now questioning even the basis of democracy.
Has the little despot insidiously corrupted us without our knowing it?
We are actually making excuses to help her stay in power, even if we
don't really like her and we all know she and her husband are corrupt
beyond belief.

We close our eyes to the horde that surrounds her. One adviser
operates big time illegal logging. Another "owns" the entire pier and the
multi-million smuggling operations that go with it.

Now with PP1017, we have another reason to pay no heed to politics.
After all we don't want to be invited for questioning do we? In fact, we
don't want to be questioned by anyone. We've put our conscience on
sleep mode.

What is the life span of a tyrant? History will tell us that they will
reign while good men do nothing. But one thing is sure: A leader who
does not possess the "friendship" of the people CANNOT lead. Even
Machiavelli knew that. Well Madam, you will go down in history as the most
UNLOVED president this country ever had. Poor Little Rich President!

I am going back to the streets and anywhere else where I can shout my
disgust in the most powerful way I know how. GMA has to know that there
are some Filipinos who cannot be bought or frightened.