Contrary to what Dana Dillon wrote, "People power" demonstrations don't break out regularly in Manila, because the Arroyo admin has implemented the Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR) rule to disperse/ban any major anti-Arroyo rallies from forming in the streets.
Just look at how this admin tried to disperse the Feb. 24 Edsa 1986 celebration. Pati yan gusto pang i-ban. Those who organized the event were called "coup-plotters", tapos Arroyo declared a "state of emergency".
And if you want to know how effective CPR is Dana, tignan mo yung nangyayari sa Iran at sa mga ibang middle east countries ngayon. Or look at how effective the CPR strategy was in Belarus.
Yes, the killing of many journalists in the Philippines is a problem. Although I don't think na may kinalaman naman dito si Arroyo sa mga murders na ito, the admin's foot-dragging when it comes to solving these murders is indeed unacceptable. But the admin's attitude didn't help either.
Read this article re Arroyo's husband Mike Arroyo and former NBI director Wycoco on the media deaths:
WHEN the First Gentleman tells the Bacolod Press Club that the reason those who are killing journalists have killed no member of the BPC is that the members of the BPC are responsible journalists who are well behaved, Mike Arroyo is telling the world that the killers of journalists are in the right.
In effect, he is telling us that he agrees that those who, in his mind or in the mind of those ordering the killings, are irresponsible journalists, ought to die. It is only right. After all, what purpose do these irresponsible journalists serve if not to "destabilize" his wife’s government? They make themselves the enemy when they act irresponsibly. And, who are acting responsibly? Those who agree that Gloria Arroyo is the greatest thing that has ever happened to this country.
This is how dangerous journalism has become in this country. All that has to happen is for someone like Mike Arroyo or some local satrap such as a governor or a mayor to identify some writer or broadcaster as a "destabilizer" and that journalist’s goose will soon be cooked. In other words, he’s dead! That is the reality.
The sad part is that if even Mike Arroyo, the husband of Her Excellency feels this way, why would anyone – policeman or government functionary — go out of his way to protect journalists or to find out who killed them?
Imagine, too, that the head of the NBI also came up with advice to journalists to the effect that because these are dangerous times, journalists ought to go easy in what they write or broadcast and how they write or speak. The onus for the killings is, in the mind of NBI director Reynaldo Wycoco, on the journalists, rather than on the killers.
The victim is at fault. If he did not write or talk about the corruption, the cheating, the mistakes of those who govern and their profligate ways, then, he would not have been killed. It is as simple as that. It is as though he willed himself to be killed. Because he did all those forbidden things, then, naturally, he has to be killed. Do we actually expect the crooks in government to allow just about anyone to write any which way about them?
Who gave journalists the right to write or talk about these irregularities? Who told them that they could do those things that they do that make the powerful uncomfortable and that shame them before the people that they are supposed to be serving but whom they are victimizing by their incompetence and avarice?
How can anyone be doing a good job of reporting when he does not support Gloria Arroyo with the devotion of a lapdog?
But that is not the reason why Arroyo is despised has lost the trust of Filipinos. (The latest survey is consistent the previous surveys). Mrs. Arroyo is unpopular because everybody (yes everybody, including her supporters) believe that Arroyo stole the elections. The person has legitimacy and credibility problems. Pero hindi lang yan ang problema ni Arroyo. Her admin also was wracked by scandals and corruption issues, at lahat na ng mga gov't institutions ay na-corrupt niya, including the COMELEC, AFP, SC, CONGRESS, PNP, DOJ etc.
And yes, the reason why arroyo is trying to crack down on the media is because the GLORIAGATE reports and other corruption exposes have seriously damaged arroyo's credibility and legitimacy. The arroyo admin is slowly but surely beginning to mimic China and other middle east countries in experimenting with different ways to control and intimidate the media.
(Arroyo's chief of police Lomibao even recommended that the gov't take over and run an opposition newspaper critical of arroyo:
Daily Tribune Publisher Niñez Cacho-Olivares vowed Saturday to resist the government's plan to take over the newspaper after police late Friday night raided and shut down the publication.
"Simula pa lang sa amin ito, sabi nila (This is just the beginning for us, the police said) they would take over [the paper] but I will fight it out," Cacho-Olivares told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a telephone interview...
Olivares denied the claims by PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao that the Tribune was raided because it has been publishing baseless stories that abet coup plotters.
Lomibao told reporters Saturday in Camp Crame that the PNP will recommend that the government run the operations of Tribune.
Plus this:
IN A BALD WARNING, the Philippine National Police yesterday said it would take over any media organization that would not follow "standards set by the government" during the state of national emergency.
A government team will examine the editorial contents of newspapers and the news or views aired by broadcast stations to see if these conform to the standards, according to PNP Director General Arturo Lomibao.
"We will recommend [action] based on our evaluation," Lomibao said in a press conference, adding that the PNP would work in cooperation with other government agencies which he did not name.
He appointed the PNP spokesperson, Sr. Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, to serve as "liaison officer" between the media and the police.
"If they (the news groups) do not follow the standards-and the standards are if they would contribute to instability in the government, [or] if they do not subscribe to what is in General Order No. 5 and Presidential Proclamation No. 1017--we will recommend [a takeover)," Lomibao said.
And this:
Director General Arturo Lomibao of the Philippine National Police (PNP) candidly admitted at the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) that the decision to take over The Daily Tribune was a unanimous decision of the security cluster of the Cabinet. The security cluster is headed by the little President, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, a former general. It has as members Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Armed Forces chief of staff Generoso Senga and Lomibao.
Galing, ano?)
The last part of Dana Dillon's article is interesting too:
Meanwhile, the United States continues to prop up the Arroyo regime. Indeed, it bestowed more aid on the Philippines in 2006 than the year before.
But as a close observer of foreign policy on Capitol Hill said recently, there is a “growing awareness in Congress about the deterioration of the rule of law in the Philippines.” That awareness extends to the White House, where debate continues over whether President Bush should meet with President Arroyo.
In a stunning display of Orwellian “doublethink,” Arroyo wants to convince policymakers that her illegal and unconstitutional suppression of journalists actually serves to preserve the constitution and rule of law.
Congress and President Bush must show her that this “logic” doesn’t fly here, and that this goes for all allies in the global war on terror.
Instead, Congress and President Bush should review the security assistance provided to the Philippines and ensure that accountability procedures are followed and American-provided equipment and aid is used properly.
We have a carrot to offer. Arroyo desperately wants a visit with President Bush to shore up her shaky political situation at home. We should tell her to get serious about apprehending those who kill journalists and about preventing intimidation of the press. If she does, we can discuss a presidential visit. But not before.
Interesting. Mr. Dillon is setting the bar low enough to allow Arroyo to get her state visit with Bush. All arroyo has to do lang pala is to just apprehend the killers of the journalists (or make a show of it by apprehending a few suspects) and don't harass the media anymore, and she will get what she wanted all along: A presidential visit at the White House to get "bush's endorsement" and help improve her sagging image at home.
And the fact that the Bush administration seems to be propping up this illegitimate and corrupt administration of Arroyo shows that the Bush admin has reverted back to the old US policy of supporting dictators (like mubarak) and illegitimate corrupt rulers for "stability's sake". And we know how well that turned out in the mideast, ano?
the US may think that it is better to tolerate such a character as Arroyo because she's a "strong US ally" in the "War on Terror", just like Marcos was a "strong US ally" against the "War on Communism" in Asia back in the 70s and 80s, for "stability's sake." but we know the damage marcos did during his time as Philippine president/dictator while the US looked the other way and abetted the old fool, because the US believed then the nonsense that that marcos was "the key to fighting the communists."
And of course, we can't let Arroyo lose power too because we don't want a "military junta" or a "communist takeover". LMAO!
(But Arroyo legitimacy problem is precisely the reason why were vulnerable to a military coup.)
Of course, having Arroyo resign and we do this special elections is the way to go, but arroyo's friends keep saying na "wala raw credible alternative" among 80 million filipinos na pwedeng pumalit kay arroyo, so mabuti pa tiisin na lang natin si arroyo, katulad nung tiniis rin natin si marcos. LOL.
Btw, this is not the first time i've commented on Dana Dillon's "proposals." Ito ang mga previous posts ko on Mr. Dillon.
- Heritage Foundation: Crisis in the Philippines
- More on Dana Dillon's dumb suggestions
- Does this remind you of Dana Dillon's proposal?
Reading the his article and my old posts, mapapansin nyo na walang pakialam si Dana Dillon kung nandaya si Arroyo o hindi. Ang importante lang sa kanya ay ang interes ng U.S., ang War on Terror at ang China problem. He is also pushing for the Charter Change, which is interesting because yan rin ang gusto ng Arroyo admin.
He wants the US to fund the Charter Change. But Dana, have you seen how this admin is ramming Charter Change down our throats via the "People's initiative"? Dyan nyo ba talaga gusto mapunta ang pera nyo, sa isang questionable at isang BS na initiative ni Arroyo to help prop her up?
UPDATE: I forgot one more thing, Dana...
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