Belarus is to Russia, as RP is to the US

Ganyan yan eh. Ninakaw ni Arroyo at Garci ang presidential elections sa Pilipinas noong 2004. Ninakaw rin ng current "president" Lukashenko ang presidential elections sa Belarus noong 2006.

The difference though is that sinuportahan ng US si Arroyo kahit na nandaya siya, while the US supported the Belarusian Opposition vs. Lukashenko.

Bakit ganon?

Kasi, naging pro-US ulit si Arroyo after the hello garci tapes surfaced. tinigil na niya ang china card.

Sa Belarus naman, pro-Russia at anti-western si Belarusian president Lukashenko, kaya in-encourage ng US na mag-people power ang Opposition, pero pumalpak ito.

Mahirap matanggal si Lukashenko ay dahil maganda ang relasyon niya sa Russia dati. Russia was propping him up and aiding Belarus with cheap oil and gas, and this has helped the Belarusian "miracle" economy. But that may end soon.

More from the Washington Post:

For years, Russia and Belarus have been bound together by Moscow's provision of cheap energy in return for political loyalty. But the Kremlin appears to have tired of subsidizing Lukashenko, whose government could face an economic crisis brought on by higher energy costs.

The two countries have flirted with the idea of forming a political union, but Russia is interested in absorbing Belarus as a province, while Lukashenko has insisted on a union of equal states, an idea the Kremlin finds ludicrous.

Yan ang istorya ng Belarus at Russia.

Sa atin naman, may konting pagkakaiba. Arroyo needs US aid, support and recognition of her legitimacy to prop up her regime. After screwing the US once in Iraq and playing the china card, arroyo is once again pro-US. Dahil nagkaroon siya ng legitimacy crisis nung lumabas ang hello garci tapes. So the US is back to it's old realist foreign policy, last used during the Marcos era. Support arroyo as long as she protects US interest in the region. Even if her admin's corrupt and abusive, her elections are a farce, and the admin main crooks remain unaccountable. Just like in the old Marcos days.

I think what the US is doing to rebuild Mindanao singlehandedly is great, but the republican foreign policy of "looking the other way" and coddling corrupt and illegitimate rulers like Arroyo is not. can't believe i'm saying this, but thank god for the dems. thank you sen. boxer.

The neocon policy is now dead, djb. the republicans are back to propping up corrupt and illegitimate "pro-US" heads (like arroyo, although i don't know how pro-US would she have become kung hindi lumabas ang garci tapes).

Anyway, tignan nyo ang sinabi ng isang commenter ko na nakatira sa Belarus, commenting on this post.

Ok, I understand the point of all of these articles. You are making a simple point. But I would like to remind you that 83% of Belarus voted AGAINST the opposition. This is not a close race; it is an almost completely unanimous decision. And at most, Milinkevich only received 6% of the vote. And what is more, the reason for this is that the Belarusian opposition doesn't do anything for the country but to complain. In the last two years the president of Belarus has been working to find contracts for Belarusian goods which are not allowed on the open markets do to western sanctions. How many tractors has Milinkevich sold? With all his time in the European hierarchy, why couldn't he sell some potatoes, some potash fertilizer, some manufacturing contracts for Belarusian firms?

You make these wonderful, over simplistic statements, it's all very popular. But really, why must you side blindly with the opposition?

why, doesn't THAT rhetoric sound familiar, eh?

And wasn't that election in 2006 that you were referring to not acceptable to the opposition, the US and the EU dahil nga may dayaan?

Oliver Lozano is the Ricardo Manapat of this year's election

Remember former national archives director Ricardo Manapat? The guy who forged the birth certificate and other documents of FPJ to make it look like he's not a Filipino citizen--to damage Poe's candidacy? And got away with it? Because arroyo's justice dept. whitewashed the Manapat case.

Well, Oliver Lozano's pulling a similar Manapat-ish like stunt with his "marine biologist" nuisane candidate Joselito juju Cayetano.

From Federico Pascual:

The other Cayetano calims he is a marine engineer but a certification from the Professional Regulation Commission said he is not. Rep. Cayetano added that his election lawyer, Leila de Lima, is studying whether they could include Oliver Lozano, another KBL candidate, as an accomplice in the falsification case.

pero small fish lang si lozano/juju, just like ricardo manapat. yung mga pidal talaga ang mastermind nito, at sila ang dapat parusahan.

More from Ernesto Herrera on whether the COMELEC has any credibility left after accepting mike Arroyo's stooge candidate Joselito juju.

Bakit tahimik lang ang CBCP at simbahan...

pagdating sa mga extra-judicial killings? Makes you go hmmmmmm....

Arroyo's Magic Unemployment Numbers

This from a person who made the ridiculous zero unemployment rate claim during the 2004 campaign.

From the PDI:

Drop in unemployment proves admin in focus -- Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines -- The country’s employment statistics are a testimony that he has not lost her focus on giving Filipinos job opportunities, notwithstanding incessant attacks by her critics, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Friday.

In a statement, Arroyo said her decisions and policies, even the unpopular ones, are all geared towards strengthening the economy and job creation.

"This administration has been attacked on various fronts and issues, but let it not be said that we failed to give Juan de la Cruz a chance to land a good job and bring home the bacon to a healthy and adequately schooled family," she said....

Data from the National Statistics Office shows the unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 % of the labor force in January this year from 8.1 % a year ago while the underemployment rate registered 21.5 % as against 21.1 % in January last year.

Wow, 7.8%. How did they do it? From double digit unemployment in 2004 to single digit unemployment in 2005-2006? How did arroyo's mathematicians/magicians do it?

Let's hear it from Ducky Paredes, the pro-arroyo columnist for the Malaya:

according to the Ibon Foundation, the government is cheating as to the number of unemployed, What it has done is to erase from the number of unemployed those who say that, although they are actually unemployed, they have been looking for a job for more than six months. Also wiped out from the number are those who say that they do not believe that they can ever find a job.

The whole point of treating these unemployed as if they were invisible is to, again (as this administration has been doing in practically everything) to keep the truth from the rest of the world.

It even seems to me that this is the only thing that this government does with any consistency. It keeps the truth – the whole truth, part of the truth, pieces of the truth – from us. It can show that it is successful only by telling us things that are untrue and keeping what is true as far away from us as it can. Such is the nature of our present government.

kaya pala nila kayang gawin yung ganitong magic:



Not convinced? Here's Jojo Robles from the MST:

It was shortly after Neri assumed his position that the government drew a lot of flak for window-dressing the number of jobs created by no longer including those “not actively seeking work.” By pulling this rabbit out of his hat, Neri and the rest of the government’s economic team were able to show that the unemployment rate declined from 11.4 percent to 10.7 percent from 2004 to 2005.

Neri also made the outrageous claim that poverty actually declined during his watch—but only because of the absurdly low poverty treshold of per capita income. Currently, according to the National Statistics Coordinating Board, a family of five needs an annual income of P65,565. This translates to P1,092 monthly per person, which breaks down to P36 daily. No wonder the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed that despite Neri’s claims of poverty alleviation, unemployment and hunger are still rampant, with more than half of all Filipinos actually believing that life has become more difficult in recent years.

They've also put misleading population rate numbers, education numbers (students/classroom numbers). If this corrupt admin can rig elections, what makes you think it can't cook up numbers and statistics for PR and propaganda purposes?

The only survey or statistic they don't like are those that are negative against them. Like the corruption survey of PERC and Transparency International.

They can't manipulate the TI corruption survey, so they want out of the TI corruption survey rankings.

To solve the utterly dismal corruption perceptions rating of the country under President Arroyo’s administration, the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) had proposed to the global corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) to drop the Philippines from its annual listing.

read the whole thing.

Then when the PERC corruption survay came, which listed the RP as the most corrupt country in Asia, maam arroyo blamed the opposition for cooking the PERC surveys.

No, maam arroyo, hindi ang opposition ang nagluluto ng surveys. the admin should look at itself in the mirror and see some of the window dressed statistics they've been using.

The Idiots at the COMELEC

When Oliver Lozano's and his protege, Joselito juju Cayetano, failed to show up at the COMELEC hearing on March 7, 2007, they should have disqualified Lozano's nuisance candidate right then and there:

Senatorial candidate Joselito Pepito “Peter" Cayetano did not show up on Wednesday’s hearing on his disqualification case at the Commission on Elections (Comelec), QTV’s Balitanghali reported.

Genuine Opposition (GO) senatorial candidate Alan Peter Cayetano filed a disqualification case against his namesake, after the Comelec last week, included Joselito in the list of 37 candidates given “due course" to run for senator.

Only the daughter of lawyer Oliver Lozano, Evangeline showed up at the hearing.
...
Evangeline said Joselito and his father could not make it to the hearing as they were campaigning in Roxas City....

Allan was with the opposition’s spokesperson Adel Tamano, campaign manager San Juan Mayor Jose Victor ‘JV’ Ejercito, senatorial candidate Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III and Florencio Abad.

Campaigning my ass.

You know what i think, papatagalin ito ng COMELEC for as long as possible. This BULLSHIT dirty tactic by pidal and the fools at the COMELEC is meant to damage and slow down Cayetano like what arroyo's forger manapat did to FPJ on the citizenship issue.

I do think GO should have a united stand against the COMELEC on the cayetano nuisance candidate issue. Everybody, nonyoy, ping, loren, villar, roco, everybody should be condemning the COMELEC for their partisan fealty to the Arroyos. You can't let Pidal and abalos get away with this nonsense. Boycott the elections if need be. Look, if the mike arroyo and his COMELEC cronies are allowed to get away with this nonsense. tapos na ang boksing. might as well pack up and concede defeat.

that's my opinion.

this IS a test on how much the administration can get away with their dirty tricks this election. katulad rin ito ng nangyari dati kay mayor binay (where the oppo and the anti-gma groups succeeded in thwarting pidal and arroyo's plans to cripple binay's candidacy.)

And now, we are faced with another test, where one popular member of the opposition is being screwed by the COMELEC. I fear the Opposition is failing the test on Cayetano. If they don't put pressure on the COMELEC to overturn their idiotic decision, well tapos na ang laban. I'm not going to support the opposition anymore. Because I'm not going to support a group of spineless people who can't even fight for one of their own.

if GO fails this one, if they don't fight for Cayetano, then they don't deserve to be elected. period.

Previous: The Nuisance Candidate Strategy Works!

The Nuisance candidate strategy works!

UPDATE: I got this post mixed up with this one. Fixed na.

Joselito "juju" Cayetano is earning his pay. From Ellen Tordesillas:

The latest Pulse Asia survey conducted early this month showed that if the May 2007 elections were held today, 17 senatorial candidates would have a statistical chance of winning a seat in the Philippine Senate. Of those in this group, eight belong to the “Genuine Opposition” while another one is a guest candidate of this political coalition, six are running under “Team Unity”, and two are independent candidates.

Pulse Asia explained that for this particular survey, respondents were asked to write down the names of their preferred candidates on a “ballot” and to drop this in a “ballot box” to simulate the act of voting. Additionally, some “spoiled ballots” were counted involving senatorial candidates with namesakes who are also running for the Philippines Senate, namely, Tarlac Representative Aquino (2%) and Taguig-Pateros Representative Cayetano (5%).

Strangely, Joselito Cayetano, the administration’s candidate to destroy Alan Cayetano’s senatorial bid got 7.1 %, higher than Chavit Singson’s 6.5 %. If you add that 7.1 %t and the spoiled 5 % to Alan’s he would shoot up to no. 2.

Also, if the spoiled two percent Aquino votes were credited to Noynoy, he would be in number 5.

This proves that the nuisance candidates can thwart the true will of the people.

But what can you do? The COMELEC is run by crooked and partisan officials. How else to explain Joselito "Juju" Cayetano's spoiler candidacy being accepted by the COMELEC? How can James Jimenez and the the partisan ang Garci-defending ComelecAko look at people straight in the eye and defend the COMELEC's action on allowing Mike Arroyo's nuisance candidate to run?

I guess the only explanations for COMELEC's actions are: they're either stupid or corrupt in a sick Garci way.

Dapat talaga may housecleaning sa loob ng COMELEC after Hello garci, cuz many of the dagdag bawas operators are still there. But it never happened. Hindi naparusahan ang dapat maparusahan. Na-promote pa yung iba. And then there are those who covered up for the guilty operators, the people who stonewalled and protected the corrupt COMELEC officials. In my book, the coverup is worse than the crime. And they should be taken out too.

If they refuse to disqualify the "marine biologist" juju Cayetano, then the opposition should boycott the elections. If the opposition let's the Mike Arroyo and the COMELEC get away with this, ngayon pa lang, tapos na ang boksing sa opposition.

UPDATE: Ah, but people will make excuses, saying that Cayetano deserves this for going up against Mike Arroyo and not presenting enough evidence on the German bank accounts.

But if Cayetano really did screw up, then the admin had the numbers to punish and expel Cayetano. Pero bakit ayaw nila gawin ito? I believe it is because there is some truth to what Cayetano is saying. And also because they don't want to set a precedent. Baka balang araw, sila rin ang ma-expel.

If Cayetano did wrong, then let the people decide his senatorial candidacy in an honest and clean election. But by using dirty tricks and rigging the elections, Mike Arroyo lost whatever moral high ground he may have had with Cayetano... and he never had much moral high ground to begin with.

And the reason why many people were willing to believe Cayetano's accusation was because Mike Arroyo was once caught with his pants down in the Jose Pidal accounts.

But Mike Arroyo got away with it because Joker Arroyo and Sen. Barbers and the other lapdog defenders of arroyo stonewalled for him and shut down Lacson's expose, kahit na sangkatutak na ebidensiya ang ilinabas. The arroyo defensers gave this BS excuse na bawal raw gamitin ang xeroxed or "authenticated" na docus. Original lang raw ang dapat. Well, yung original ay either na kay Pidal o nasa bangko. Siguro hindi nila willingly na ibibigay yon kay lacson.

And then Joker and his gang accepted Iggy "I invoke my right to privacy" Arroyo as the "real" pidal. which only shows na biased at stupid si joker arroyo dati.

And who can forget Mike Defensor's "rescue" of udong mahusay from the kidnapper Ping Lacson? lol.

UPDATED: Suggestions pa...

UPDATE: Sorry, nagkaroon ng problema. Nabura ko yung original post ko. Fixed now.

Para sa GO (siguro applicable rin ito sa TU):

1) Bakit walang official website ang GO (at TU)? Hindi ba basic yan?

Now sila Villar, Chiz, Kiko, at si Ping may sariling website. Pero yung mga ibang kandidato mukhang wala eh.

Hindi naman mahirap gumawa ng official website para sa Opposition (o Administration) hindi ba?

Kasi sa website na yan, pwede mong ilalagay at pagsamasamahin doon ang:

a) information, bio, achievements at platforms ng GO or individual senators.
b) websites at blogs ng mga individual senators
c) updates, schedules, appearances, at announcements ng GO team.
d) youtube videos (easy to do), photos of events and candidates.
e) information on who the GO candidates are for all the local races (e.g. sino yung kandidato ng Opposition sa Manila mayor's elections? Sino ang kandidato ng GO for congressman sa 3rd district of Manila? O sa Negros Occidental?) Siyempre, importante yan diba, para informed ang tao kung sino yung dapat nilang supportahan.
f) Newspaper articles on the GO national (and local) candidates.

Let the official GO website be the place where you can find all the information you need to know about GO. With webmasters, volunteers and bloggers updating the site daily.

Use the website to give exposure to some deserving candidates in the local race. It's important also to have a mailing list where people can subscribe to GO for email updates (on announcments, skeds). Or they can also subscribe via text messaging (an even better idea i think, since everybody has a cellphone anyways, lol)

Tignan nyo yung DailyKos site (Democrats) at RedState (Republicans) on how to do this. During the last election campaign, these blogs helped monitor, gave updates, and helped their repubs and dems candidates get elected.

2) Include GO's website address in the TV political ads or posters/banners.

Duh! I've been looking at the tv ads of both GO and TU, at napansin kong hindi nila binabanggit ang websites nila sa TV commercials! Same with their banners and posters. Alam natin si Villar, si Alan Cayetano at Chiz may website, pero wala yung website address nila sa tv ads o mga posters. Tignan nyo naman yung mga hawak na placards ng mga hillary supporters dito, ano yung nakalagay sa ilalim ng "Hillary for President" sign?

Maganda ang TV ads because you can reach many potential voters that way. Pero 30 seconds lang ito, at soundbites lang ang maibibigay nyo sa mga viewers. But if you invite people to visit your website or to the GO official website at the end of every TV political ad, then mas mai-inform ang mga viewers sa detalya ng mga platforms at positions mo by going to your site, diba? It's cheaper that way, no? You can also invite potential GO voters to register and subscribe to GO's email listing or text message service to get regular updates/alerts.

Here's some articles na binabasa ko on the email listing thing. Eto, eto, eto, eto at eto.

Now replace email listing with text messaging and... oops, i think i've said enough! ;)

3) I like this idea, which ellen posted:

Lacson has adopted Trillanes in his campaign.

GO has devised a positive side of big brother, big sister concept. The “strong” ones are helping the “weaker” canidates. So lacson, aside from helping Cayetano, is helping Trillanes. Loren is helping Coseteng and Villar is helping Roco.

I hope they expand that to local candidates too. Meaning, tulungan ng mga senators ang mga local opposition candidates (via endorsements) kung napadaan sila sa lugar nila. and vice versa. Yung mga sikat na local oppo candidates, dapat tulungan rin nila ang mga senatorial bets sa distrito nila and campaign for them.

I hope Tita Cory, or Susan, Kris or the "graduating senators" like jun magsaysay, drilon, serge osmena, will help campaign for oppo bets too. Isama na rin natin ang mga incumbents like Pia Cayetano, Biazon, Jinggoy etc. everybody should do their share in helping the opposition candidates.

UPDATE: Since every Filipino man, woman and child has a cellphone nowadays, I think there's plenty of potential of what text messaging can do in our elections to get people updated and more involved.

All GO has to do is--via TV, print or radio commercials--to encourage people to use their cellphones to subscribe to GO alerts and announcements by texting a join message to a designated short code, and they'll get updates and text alerts on GO news, announcements and skeds/appearances from the GO team.

Or they could go to GO's official website and invite people to register and subscribe to GO's email or text msg list to get daily updates, announcements and skeds of GO activities via email (or text messaging.)

And 3 days before election day, GO subscribers will get a text message reminding them kung sino yung 12 candidates na iboboto nila, and encourage others to vote for GO too. It's like getting a sample ballot, but in text message form. It's also about reminding you to convince a friend to get out and vote for GO. And telling your friend to convince another friend to get out and vote. And for his friend's friend to convince another friend to do the same.

And these text alerts can also be used to remind people to vote for GO affiliated local candidates (and to check the website on who the candidates are and their positions).

The ideal of course is to blanket the tv airwaves with 30-sec. GO ads. but that's too expensive. I think having a presence on the web is good (and cheaper), but i believe if we encourage people to subscribe to GO's text messaging updates and alerts, that could be a huge factor in turning out voters.

=====

the republicans had a huge database of emails adrs from GOP supporters, same with the Dems.

This was the email i got from the GOP (i subscribed to their email listing) for a "Get out and Vote" campaign 5 days before the 2006 midterms.

Yes, they lost in 2006 (because of Iraq), but they won big in 2004, did they not? because they got more people to turn out and vote republican. because they got more people to turn out and vote republican in 04.

Now, the effects of emails in our RP elections may be marginal at best, because most pinoys don't have a computer. But replace emails with text messaging, where every filipino has a cellphone, at iba na ang usapan.

Here's some of the things that the US political parties have been doing recently:

Cell Phones and Politics: Republican Mobile Activism in the 2006 Elections
February 1st, 2007

January’s Mobile Monday meeting in D.C. featured a fascinating presentation on Republican employment of cell phones and SMS text messaging in the 2006 elections, with a lot more detail than we’re usually able to get about on-the-ground use of this new (to the U.S.) political tool. Patrick Ruffini of the RNC discussed the committee’s use of text and mobile video to inform and motivate supporters, and Mike Connell of Connell Donatelli went into great depth about the DeVos campaign for Michigan governor’s foray into the world of mobile advocacy.

Patrick began the presentation with the RNC, which gathered “a few thousand” mobile activists as a start to building a 2008 election list by encouraging them to text a join message to a designated short code. The committee saw cell phones as a new channel to reach supporters with timely, topical messages, particularly as a supplement to more traditional email campaigns. The RNC could boost email open rates, for instance, by texting supporters that they had a particularly important note waiting for them while at the same time reinforcing the communications theme of the day. They found that they got more bang for the buck with SMS than with emails, since recipients were much less likely to ignore a text message (an effect that may diminish as text messages’ novelty fades). Not surprisingly, text messages were particularly useful for day-before and day-of Get Out The Vote efforts.

Eto pa:

How Text Messaging could change US politics

Opening paragraph:

Aug. 2, 2006 - Lollapalooza, the alternative music festival, conjures up all sorts of associations. Oil policy is probably not among them. But one energy nonprofit is looking to use this year's festival to lobby its cause—and is hoping to connect with music lovers using a very Gen-X technology: the text message.

As bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform on stage this month, representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund will peddle their policy, encouraging people in the crowd to use their cell phones to send the text message "MABO"—for Move America Beyond Oil—to a special number, or short code. The phone numbers of text-messagers will be compiled with specialized software, and NRDC Action Fund will follow up with those enthusiastic texters to enlist support for its MABO petition, which lobbies for specific policies aimed at reducing American oil dependence.

While NRDC Action Fund is ahead of the tech game here in the United States, text messaging, or SMS (for Short Message Service), in politics is hardly new elsewhere in the world. Opponents of Philippine President Joseph Estrada mobilized their supporters via text message as early as 2001, and a massive texting campaign was credited with boosting youth turnout in Spain's 2004 presidential elections. More recently, Mexico's president-elect Felipe Calderón launched millions of text messages in the days immediately preceding his narrow win over Andres Manuel Lopez Obradór.

Eto, the last 2 paragraphs of the article:

Furthermore, there's the issue of cost. Blogging, of course, is free to anyone with Internet access. Text messaging is not. "Most vendors charge a setup fee and then a monthly maintenance fee," explains Jordan Kessler, the Web-site manager for the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, which has also contracted with Alpert. These fees have come down significantly over the past year, Kessler notes, but they aren't nominal. IFAW paid POLITXT $15,000 to license its software, and $500 to $1,000 a month in maintenance fees.

"The economics is still being worked out, particularly here in the States," says Trippi. The most successful SMS campaigns abroad, including the ones in the Philippines and Spain, were essentially word of mouth, person-to-person messaging campaigns. That is, they were not coordinated by messages blasted from a central source. It remains unclear how well a blast model will translate, particularly given the fees.

Three Million John Kerry Supporters

As we look forward to the 2008 campaign, just how important is John Kerry's email list of three million supporters? According to The Hill newspaper, it's pretty damn valuable.

“Kerry has the best infrastructure that a Democrat has ever had, and it’s sitting in a Zip drive that he can carry around in his breast pocket.” [says Wade Randlett, his national finance chairman in 2004.]
“There is a zero marginal cost to communicate with them,” Randlett said of voters in Kerry’s database. “He can wait much longer [to decide to run for president] and suffer a much lower degradation of his base.”

"Only the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and MoveOn.org can boast of contact lists as large, say Democrats familiar with Kerry’s database."

The virtual John Kerry

With an e-mail list 3 million strong, the newly reformed liberal is primed for another White House run. But strategists warn against relying on the Internet to win in 2008.

And this: How Bush-Cheney 2004 made better use of its email list

RP tagged as most corrupt Asian economy

This is so sad. From the Malaya:

RP tagged as most corrupt Asian economy
Gloria belittles HK firm’s survey

BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

FOREIGN businessmen perceive the Philippines as the most corrupt economy in Asia, a survey conducted by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) showed.

President Arroyo shrugged off the results of the survey that said the Philippines "has the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year," edging out perennial bottom dweller Indonesia.

The survey was conducted in January and February covering 1,476 foreign business executives from 13 countries and territories.

The Philippines got a score of 9.40 under a grading system which has zero as the best possible score and 10 as the worst. The Philippines scored 7.80 last year.

Indonesia and Thailand, both with a grade of 8.03, shared the spot as Asia’s second most corrupt nations.

Additional thoughts on Satur's case

1) How can Satur be involved in these killings when he was in jail at the time these murders were committed?

2) And even if Satur was guilty (and i don't think he is), hindi ba may amnesty na para sa mga dating communista back in the 80s, where they get a fresh start and a clean slate, as long as they lay down their arms and participate in the political process? As long as they don't commit any acts of terrorism or murders after receiving the amnesty, they shouldn't be persecuted for some of the things they may have done in the past.

So, has the admin provided any evidence to show na these party listers were involved in the current extrajudicial killings that are still taking place today (or are involved in NPA-like or Al Queda-like terroristic plots)? Sa nakikita ko, wala eh.

3) Why not file charges vs. Fidel Ramos and Enrile too? Weren't they the implementors of Marcos' Martial law? Maraming human rights abuses rin ang nangyari nung panahon na yon. I'm sure they-- as the left and right hand man of Marcos-- ordered the abductions, arrests, the killings and tortures of many anti-Marcos dissidents during the 70s and 80s too. Why not arrest them too? Oh! because they were finally part of Edsa 1986, kaya wiped clean na rin ang slate nila?

UPDATED: Cayetano visits the Cayetanos

Buking na naman sila Lozano at ang protege niya. From Lito Banayo:

Res ipsa loquitor. The thing speaks for itself.

Oliver Lozano fumes at Alan Peter Cayetano for visiting his protégé Joselito’s family in Davao City. Nabisto na si Oliver, humihirit pa.

He even let the cat out of the bag. Oliver doubts if his Joselito will be disqualified by the Comelec. Otherwise, said Oliver, "First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo will get angry" at the Comelec.

Actually, it was Bongbong Marcos who made the comment about Mike Arroyo getting angry at the COMELEC kung na disqualify si Peter "juju" Cayetano.

JB Baylon: Pepito on a String

Depending on where you stand politically, the lightning visit of GO senatorial candidate Alan Peter Cayetano to the Davao residence of KBL senatorial candidate Joselito Pepito Cayetano is either a stroke of genius or one that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

The latter is how KBL senatorial candidate Oliver Lozano – whom I call "Oliver Twist" – sees it; Lozano seems to view the move by the GO Cayetano as a cheap trick designed to pressure the KBL Cayetano’s family into convincing Joselito to back off.

Of course, Alan Peter and his partisans see it otherwise – and so do many other Filipinos who either texted me about it or gave me their opinions about it, including the listeners of the daily public affairs radio program "Pananaw sa DWWW 774 kHz" which airs from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. Mondays to Saturdays.

You can understand why Lozano reacted the way he reacted. The short visit of Alan revealed a lot about the other Cayetano senatoriable – including such details as his family having been taken away from where they live in Davao, and the Cayetano matriarch actually expressing fears for her son’s well-being.

And if it is true that all that Joselito wanted to find in Manila was a job, what a successful job hunt he has had! Win or lose, we should expect Joselito’s life to improve for the better, much better, in fact, if suspicions about who is behind his candidacy are proven correct. Think about it: a man goes to Manila to find a job; he is drafted to run for senator and his whole family is uprooted and moved to parts unknown.

Contrast that to stories about movie actor Cesar Montano wanting to give up campaigning because he is running out of funds. It seems that Joselito Pepito doesn’t have Cesar’s problem, to think that Cesar is the successful actor and Joselito Pepito is, or at least claims to be, a marine engineer.

Cesar has no money and Joselito Pepito has no money problems at all.

Hmmm.

Double hmmm if, as is being reported, KBL titular head and FM namesake Ilocos Norte Governor Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denies having even endorsed the candidacy of Joselito Pepito, which should imply that Marcos Jr. is not funding the latter’s campaign. So if the Marcoses, with their vaunted wealth, are not funding the campaign of the KBL or of Joselito Pepito, then who is?

Maybe Oliver Lozano would know who is truly pulling Joselito Pepito’s strings? Then again, do we expect Lozano to tell? Or, should I ask, need we still wait for him to tell?

LOL.

Plus: Alston witness on extra judicial killings shot dead

From the Tribune:

The political murders are not likely to stop, and neither is the Armed Forces of the Philippines likely to change its ways in “salvaging” more and more activists, despite a United States Senate panel announcing a probe on these extra-judicial killings in the Philippines that have not abated but continue to increase in number under the Arroyo regime.

A ranking Foreign Affairs official yesterday warned of a possible reduction of US aid to the Philippine government if the extra-judicial killings will remain unsolved.

And it is likely to remain unsolved, with yet another member of the leftist group Bayan Muna party-list who testified during the recent investigation by United Nations special rapporteur Philip Alston shot and killed in cold blood with her family members witnessing the murder.

The latest salvaging victim, Cheche Bustamante-Gandinao, stood as Alston’s witness during his visit to Mindanao. She was witness to the killing last month of her father-in-law, Dalmacio, then the provincial Bayan Muna chairman. She had earlier told media she feared for her life.

Cesar Montano hindi nabayaran? Kaya aalis sa TU? Naman!

From the Philstar:

As persistent rumors have it, actor-director Cesar Montano is reportedly contemplating on pulling out as senatorial candidate of President Arroyo’s Team Unity due to the failure of Malacañang to make true its P200-million campaign fund promise.

A very reliable source revealed that a Cabinet member, who takes charge of distributing campaign kitties of national and local candidates, has been withholding the amount, jeopardizing the actor’s candidacy, who was the last to declare his bid among his colleagues.

.....
Montano’s camp said the actor was not closing his door on the possibility of running for governor, but denied it was because the administration failed to give him campaign funds.

The question is, how can the admin bets have "problems with money"? Hindi ba sagut ng taxpayers ang campaign money ng TU? Binabarat ba ng malacanang si Kuya Cesar?

More from Ellen Tordesillas:

Ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit medyo nanlalamig si Cesar Montano sa kanyang kandidatura sa pagka-senador sa ilalim ng team GMA ay hindi pala nabibigay ang P200 milyon na ipinangako ng Malacañang sa kanya hanggang ngayon.

Ito ay nanggaling sa isang malapit na tao kay Montano.

Itong mga nakaraang araw, napabalita na hindi sumisipot si Montano sa mga rally ng Team GMA at umu-ugong na baka mag-withdraw siya. Siyempre ang press relase ni Gabby Claudio, ang political operator ni Glori Arroyo, ay nag-aadjust pa raw si Montano sa kultura ng pulitika.

Maala-ala natin na si Montano ay biglaang isinama sa tiket ng Team GMA nang mag-withdraw si Leyte Gov. Jericho Petilla. Di ba nasa shooting siya at pinatawag siya sa Malacañang. Sabi ni Montano na si Gloria Arroyo mismo ang kumausap sa kanya.

Nang tanungin si Montano kung sino ang gagastos sa kanyang kampanya na sabi ng mga beterano sa politika ay aabot sa P250 milyon, sinabi niya “administrasyon” raw. Kasi nga naman raw, nagkakahalagang P30 milyon na kontrata sa advertisement ang nawala sa kanya dahil sa pagpasok sa pulitika.

Maliban sa P200 milyon na cash, ang pagka-intindi namin walang problema si Montano sa eroplano at helicopter, TV ads at organisasyon niya. Sagot lahat ng Malacañang. Kailangan kasi ng Team GMA panghatak ng mga tao sa kanilang mga rally.

Team "Unity" pa ba ito? Naku naman! Bakit nyo naman binabarat si Kuya Cesar!

Kaya nga Mr. Montano decided to run for the Senate, kasi pangako nyo na sagot nyo ang lahat ng gastusin, diba maam? He gave up his TV shows at advertisements, na malaking pera rin naman.

More from the Inquirer: TEAM Unity studying Montano’s ‘additional needs’--spokesman

Money Quote:

Over the weekend, reports said that Montano had been absent in some sorties because of lack of campaign funds.

"To run a good campaign, there are three things you need -- money, money, money," a source from Montano’s camp told INQUIRER.net.

Another source said it was good thing that the actor’s gripes about money came out so that the administration could be aware of it and act on it.

Tongue Twisted's insightful comment about Kuya Cesar Montano's tactic is worth reading too.

More from Lito Banayo on Cesar and Richard Gomez:

What every survey in town confirms though is that Cesar Montano and Richard Gomez made a serious mistake in thinking their star appeal will buy them a seat in the Senate.

Mukhang hindi na sila uso.

Theirs is a personal financial debacle after the elections rule that people do not find their star appeal lustrous enough. Talo na, mawawalan pa ng sine. Worse, their multi-million income from product endorsements and television commercials would go phfft, like a punctured balloon.

Siguro natatauhan na si Buboy. Kaya nagmukmok ng ilang araw. So Team GMA had to ante up more money, or else its one and only crowd-drawer becomes a recluse. Friendly advice to Buboy, and his personal handler Romy Chong: Take whatever money there is and disappear from the political scene.

As for friend Goma, that’s what you get for "selling" yourself to all sides. Had you just stayed the course, and shown loyalty to your ninong Erap and pal JV, you would have made it to the GO Team, where your chances of winning would have been more enhanced. Drop out now, show some remorse, join the campaign sorties of GO, and perhaps go for it in 2010.

The Anti Hillary video everybody's talking about

from Instapundit:

THE APPLE-THEMED ANTI-HILLARY VIDEO that people were talking about last week is still of uncertain authorship. But it's been viewed over 100,000 times because -- as one of the commenters notes -- it's funny.

kinda reminded me of this youtube video re Maam Arroyo with the "V for Vendetta" theme.

Aside from Satur, three more party listers face possible arrest

From the PHILSTAR:

Three more party-list lawmakers may be arrested after murder charges are filed against them before the Nueva Ecija prosecutor’s office, a human rights lawyer said yesterday.

Lawyer Nere Colmenares of the Council for Defense for Civil Liberties (CODAL) said Reps. Liza Maza, Rafael Mariano and Teddy Casiño, along with Rep. Satur Ocampo, are accused of involvement in the murders of Bayan Muna supporters in Bongabong, Nueva Ecija.

Speaking to reporters in Quezon City, Colmenares said the series of arrests and filing of cases against party-list lawmakers could be part of a crackdown against the opposition in preparation for the implementation of the anti-terror law, which takes effect after the May 14 elections.

Ocampo is now the subject of a police manhunt after the Leyte regional trial court ordered his arrest in connection with a New People’s Army purge in Inopacan town in Leyte more than 20 years ago.

Police raided the Quezon City home yesterday of Ocampo, but failed to find the lawmaker, who authorities believe is still in Metro Manila.

If this is true, then I too question the timing of this, just like I question the timing of the arrest warrant on Satur Ocampo delivered just a few weeks before election day.

Ah... But maybe this is the admin's way of showing Phillip Alston and the UN that they are wrong! WRONG! re their report -- by "exposing" party listers like Satur, Lisa and Teddy as the true masterminds of the extrajudicial killings!

Ganyan rin ang sinabi ni Conrad de Quiros sa latest article nya ngayon:

LET ME BE CLEAR: I PERSONALLY WELCOME the authors of the “killing fields,” or communist purges, being prosecuted and punished severely where they are found guilty. I’ve held that position from the very beginning. Some of my friends are either survivors of those purges or the kin of the dead, and I am an ardent supporter of their quest for justice. We can no more turn a blind eye to those killings, or dismiss them as just the internal, if lethal, intramurals of the enemy, and which probably do the community a service, than we can to the killings that have been happening plentifully in our midst over the last several years.

Having said that, I protest most vehemently the arrest warrant on Satur Ocampo. That is an abomination that has no right to exist in a country pretending to be a democracy. Indeed, in a country pretending to have elections.

What’s wrong with it is everything.

At the very least its timing sucks.

The arrest warrant comes at a time when the international community has been loudly condemning the killings in the Philippines. Philip Alston and the Melo Commission have directly attributed those killings to military elements - the Melo Commission has expressly named Jovito Palparan. They have further raised the issue of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s culpability in them.

The arrest warrant against Ocampo is clearly an attempt by the government to hijack the public’s attention away from it. While at the same time selling that idiotic idea, which it has maintained throughout the Alston and Melo investigations, that it’s the NPA and not the military that is responsible for the killings, presumably in continuation of the purges. Whether or not the police actually serve the warrant against Ocampo, the mere fact of issuing it allows the government to press this point, or at least - since it cannot seriously expect to persuade a cynical public to buy it - to muddle the issue and take some of the sting out of the global opprobrium over the killings.

Exactly.

Or maybe it's just the admin's attempt to preempt and cast doubt on Satur Ocampo before leaves for the US to testify before the US Senate committee on foreign relations?

Meanwhile, embattled Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, also yesterday vowed to participate through whatever means in the upcoming United States Senate hearing on the continued extra-judicial killings in the Philippines.

Although still unsure as to how he would participate in the March 14 US Senate committee on foreign relations hearing, Ocampo said he would not allow government harassment to prevent him from doing so.

In an announcement posted on the US government’s Web site, the subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs will hold a hearing to “examine strategies to end the violence relating to extra-judicial killings in the Philippines.”

Ocampo said he intends to participate in the investigation in whatever manner, claiming the right to do so as he is the president of Bayan Muna, many members of which had fallen victim to extra-judicial killings.

Militant group Karapatan has recorded more than 830 cases of political killing from the time Mrs. Arroyo assumed the presidency in January 2001.

Ocampo, now the subject of a manhunt after an arrest warrant was issued against him by a Leyte judge over a revived multiple murder case, is now in hiding but vowed to surface in due time.

The congressman extended his gratitude to US Sen. Barbara Boxer, chief deputy Democratic whip in the US Senate and a senior member of the foreign relations committee, for accommodating requests from various organizations and churches in the Philippines.

These groups have asked the US Senate to investigate the continued extrajudicial killings in the country.

The hearing will be followed by the convening of the second session on the Philippines of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal on March 21 to 25 in The Hague, The Netherlands.

And from the PDI Editorial: What a difference a legitimacy crisis makes

Six years ago, the Arroyo administration welcomed Bayan Muna’s lead nominee, Satur Ocampo, to its miting de avance. Today, the Arroyo administration, still in the throes of a crisis of legitimacy it likes to pretend has already been resolved, is maneuvering to put Ocampo behind bars.

Ocampo, a former communist rebel who has become the face of the legal, militant opposition, may surface today to file a petition with the Supreme Court. But we are certain that, even if he successfully extricates himself from the new charge filed against him, more charges lie in wait for him and his colleagues in leftist party-list groups.

Kiko Pangilinan was the first senatorial candidate to condemn the raid on Satur's house.

Ping Lacson also questioned the timing of Satur's arrest warrant since lamang ang Bayan Muna sa polls:

In Laguna, meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson questioned the timing of the arrest warrant on Ocampo, saying it came out at a time Bayan Muna was among the leading parties in a survey.

While he declined to "advise" Ocampo on whether to submit himself to the courts, he recalled that in May 2001 he and then Sen. Gregorio Honasan refused to turn themselves in when Malacañang declared a state of rebellion and ordered their arrest.

But he pointed out that in his and Honasan's case in 2001, it was a unilateral order by Malacañang. In Ocampo's case, he said the order for his arrest stemmed from a court order.

"Maraming legal remedies. Dapat exhaust niya lahat (There are many legal remedies and he should exhaust them all first)," he said.

MLQ3 says na Ocampo must face the charges squarely and under whatever circumstances, unfair or not, so that a trial may play out.

Amando Doronila: Police raid reenacts repressive methods of Marcos regime

Erap also condemned the troop deployments in Metro Manila.

According to the detained leader, “the AFP had first tried to justify this urban troop deployment on the pretext of ‘responding to requests from barangay officials for help in maintaining peace and order.’ When told that this was a usurpation of the function of the PNP (Philippine National Police), the AFP was forced to admit that this was really part of its “counterinsurgency operations.”

Estrada said, “In the light of a recent SWS (Social Weather Stations) survey result that leftist party-list organizations like Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis and Gabriela are the top preferences of voters, it has become very obvious to me that this urban troop deployment is a very partisan electoral psy-war operation designed by GMA (Mrs. Arroyo’s intiials) and her generals to prevent the leaders of Bayan Muna and other anti-GMA party-list organizations from being elected to the House of Representatives and added to the pro-impeachment bloc.”

He called on officers and soldiers of the AFP to stand by their constitutional role as protectors of the Filipino people and to oppose any further attempts by their commanders to use them for partisan electoral activities like what allegedly happened during the 2004 elections.

More on the same article:

Ocampo is apparently not alone in his fight against what many see as political harassment as law enforcers also yesterday continued to be under fire from the political opposition in connection with the the issuance of the arrest warrant against the congressman, which authorized a raid on the lawmaker’s Quezon City residence over the weekend, an incident they claimed further highlighted the charges against him as only aimed at crippling his bid for another term in the House.

Reelectionist Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Genuine Opposition senatorial bet Francis “Chiz” Escudero also yesterday slammed those who effected the raid, saying it is undeniable that an abuse of authority was committed this time.

Both rallied behind Ocampo, with Pangilinan noting the party-list representative is being singled out by the government, to the extent of resorting to strong-arm tactics.

Escudero, in chiding the government, said while the Anti-terrorism law, of 2007, the Human Security Act, is yet to be implemented, it is now practically being enforced.

“Clearly, this is harassment and bullying tactics against a member of the minority, a member of the opposition. Just because they don’t share the same opinion (with the administration), they should be subjected to arrest, issuance of arrest warrant or filing of charges,” he said.

Escudero urged Ocampo to seek all possible legal remedies in defending his rights even as he is entitled under the law to be protected by the government amid the charges hurled at him.

Read this too from Ninez Cacho Olivarez.

Last year, her cops arrested another leftist party-lister, Crispin Beltran, on charges of rebellion, claiming later that they had a warrant of arrest for him for the crime of rebellion — which was a 20-year-old arrest warrant. Beltran has been languishing in detention for over a year and the courts don’t seem to be moving a finger to right whatever wrong there is.

This will happen to Ocampo too. All Gloria and her partisan generals want is to clamp these leftists in jail, to get them out of Congress and put their party-listers in the House of Representatives — naturally with the full assistance of their obedient Comelec.

Didn’t the Comelec already say it can’t demand that the military pull out its troops in Metro Manila since what they do is not a political activity? This is Comelec’s claim, despite the photos, videos and affidavits from party-list groups that the soldiers have been harassing and intimidating voters into rejecting the leftist party-list groups.

Here's a sign na magkakaroon ng MALAKING dayaan sa eleksyon 07

It's about COMELEC's bloated voters list. I have to thank Sen. Drilon for noticing this last year.

After reading the linked post above. REad this one. Then connect the dots.

Hey, I'm just sayin... ;)

UDPATE: Hard to believe this, but James Jimenez once defended COMELEC's crazy 49 Mil voter projection.

Now, where did this 310 ++ thousand established precincts projection come from? This number comes from the projected increase in the number of registered voters from about 43 million in 2004 to about 48.6 million (49 million if you round up) in 2007; that's only an approximately 6 million increase in voters.

He used the NSO "projections" (but didn't this admin failed to collect data for it's 2005 census?) And you're using their fuzzy data to push your crazy estimate?

NSO Projections

Speaking of projections, I might as well tell you that our voter projections are based on the National Statistics Office's "medium assumption population projection." Under this model, the NSO predicts that there will be 88,706,300 Filipinos by 2007, and that 61% of that number will be of voting age: 54,110,843. However, taking into account that not all people of voting age are interested in voting, the COMELEC estimates the number of registered voters to only be 90% of that number, or 48,699,759; rounded up to 49 million.

So, can we register 6 million new registrants between end of Q2 and the 31st of December 2006? We could, but we don't expect all 6 million to come register.

The "estimate" itself is ridiculous, James. 49 Million?

The 49 million registered voters in 2007 is an estimate. It is not graven in stone. As a matter of fact, the number of registered voters eventually included in the 2007 list of voters can be more or can be less than that number; probably less. The point is, such a projection does not indicate fraud and it was incredibly irresponsible for the Tribune to frame its story in that manner.

"Can be more"??? What were you smoking, James?

This doesn't look good for COMELEC too:

Gloria was hoping against hope that her Charter change (Cha-cha) train will reach its no-elections (No-el) station and so she purposely jumbled, to her advantage of course, the timetable of her Comelec’s printing of ballots and other election paraphernalia for the May 2007 mid-term polls.

Now, her stooges at the election body are telling us that they may have to tap outside printers to print the ballots, as well as election returns (ERs), certificates of canvass (CoC) and statements of votes (SoVs) for the mid-term polls a little more than two months away.

A Gloria boy at the Comelec the other day claimed that they will need at least three to four months to produce a total of 45 million ballots, presumably for as many voters and a number that defies demographics.

Then, this agency made more infamous by “Garci” and his clones should have begun printing the election paraphernalia at the start of 2007, at the latest, to beat their deadline, as it was clear at the time that the Cha-cha train was doomed.

But Gloria and her Sigaw ng Bayan and Ulap clique were incurable optimists, for the wrong political reasons, in that they were already clutching at straws and yet thinking they were clinging to bungee ropes that will safely bring them down to No-el land, which scenario they had conjured up for Gloria to rule until she is really old and really gray.

Thus, the printing of the poll materials was conveniently delayed at the behest of Malacañang.

Worse, the Comelec executive director also claimed that “circumstances we cannot determine right now” had not been considered to fall within the three to four months’ completion of the printing of the poll paraphernalia.

If Gloria’s gofers in the Comelec do not think ahead for them to be able to take control of these “circumstances,” the reason behind such “excuse” is that Garci’s favorite textmate does the thinking for them.

With outside printers being mulled to save the mid-term elections, expect a repeat of the cramming by the Comelec in 2004 when Abalos was reported to have jobbed out printing of ERs, CoC and SoVs to private groups, paving the way for excess printing of such documents and eventually the massive fraud in the presidential elections that saw Gloria “win.”

More on Joker

From tito DJB:

JOker is acting not as a human rights lawyer now, but a pure politician pandering to the Left because he is in danger of getting knocked out of the Magic 12…by Edgardo Angara and Mike Defensor or Sonia Roco.

Actually, Joker doesn't care if he loses or wins, DJB. In fact, he secretly will feel relieved if he loses. He's just there to help TU win vs. GO, NOT do another 6 years in the Senate.

Here's what I think the deal is re joker. The guy never intended to run for reelection again in the first place--probably because of his age (80 years old), and because being a senator again means another 6 years (dats a long time) in office. Kaya hindi siya nakasali sa unang release ng mga GO senatoriables last year that the UNO and villar has negotiated with.

But Mike Defensor, JOker's protege, was able to convince joker to help Team Arroyo one last time by running in it's slate, on the condition tha the admin drop it's CHA CHA push, for now. TU sorely lacks credibility among the voters and jOker's reputation as an "independent" and a "maverick" will help TU's chances. Kaya siya na ang madalas na gamiting spokesperson ng TU, at hindi na masyado si defensor.

Si Joker ang dahilan kung bakit na delay ang composition ng GO Senate slate. The reason why 8 lang ang slots na na-fill up ng GO sa simula ay dahil hindi sigurado ang opposition kung IN or OUT si Joker (at Recto).

I believe Villar and Kiko intially refused to be included in GO slate because LP-NP's plan was for GO to include all four of the Wednesday group members in its slate, or none of them will join GO.

Walang Iwanan.

But lacson was confident then na siguradong pasok si joker at recto sa GO:

There was, however, no confirmation of this information, but an UNO candidate said yesterday that reelectionist senators who are members of the administration bloc in the upper chamber – Villar, Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, Senators Ralph Recto and Joker Arroyo – will definitely run under the opposition ticket and these are the remaining four who will be filling up the remaining four UNO senatorial slots.

Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday put “himself” at stake, effectively bolstering an earlier Tribune report on the complete UNO senatorial slate as disclosed by sources after leaders of the opposition coalition party named eight of its candidates who will vie for the upper chamber race this year.
.....
Lacson maintained, based on the assurances given him by Recto and Arroyo, “there’s no way for them to join the administration ticket or the so-called unity ticket or the so-called third force,” dismissing reports that the two are not among those chosen by UNO.

As was Ernie Maceda of GO.

Pero false hope lang pala ang inclusion ni Joker ARroyo sa GO. At nagmukhang tanga si Lacson. Pati si Villar at ang Liberal Party, the people that were pushing the hardest for his inclusion in GO, was fooled by Joker.

Joker was only bluffing, and the Oppo called him on it. Sabi ni Lito Banayo kay Joker:

Only Ralph Recto and Joker Arroyo fulfilled their previous commitment to shack up with the GMA corral, after kunwari hemming and hawing and keeping the opposition bitin. Was that part of the plot too? Hindi naman siguro. At least Manny Villar does not think so.

Villar and the Liberal party were trying to get Joker in the GO slate (and the Oppo had no problems with Joker's inclusion), but joker failed to inform LP and NP na he never wanted to join GO all along--dahil matagal na siyang naka-reserba sa slate ng TU.

UPDATE: Sabi ni Conrad de Quiros:

One would imagine with the elections shaping up that way, the “opposition” would put up a united front and make the contrast between them and GMA a lot starker. Or put the distance between them and her a lot longer. Or one would imagine that they’d get their act together and register their opposition to GMA’s illegitimacy and dictatorship a lot more stridently.

But no, the opposite is happening. Instead of creating a broad united front, the opposition has divided itself into the Erap people and the non-Erap people, with the Erap people getting favored treatment in UNO. JV Ejercito’s decision to make way for Sonia Roco is far too little and probably far too late. The rest of the pack, disgusted by that turn of events, but with their own political ambitions flailing at them like a whip to a horse, have gone their separate ways, many of them making their own pacts with the devil. Or joining the administration camp or groups allied with GMA.

You're wrong Conrad. The opposition tried to get all four Wed. groupers included. You say the oppo favored erap? maybe at the beginning. Pero sa huli, bumigay rin sila. If Wed. group accepted the final four slots of GO, ganito ang magiging itsura.

Civil Society/non-Erap GO bets:
1) Joker
2) Kiko
3) Villar
4) Recto
5) Legarda
6) Noynoy
7) Alan Cayetano
8) Roco

Erap GO bets:
1) John Osmena
2) Koko Pimentel
3) Lacson
4) Escudero

Joker finally breaks his silence (kinda)

From Dean Jorge Bocobo:

Joker Arroyo is the “index species” of Team Unity. He’s already pandering to the Leftists as his poll numbers drop along with his chances of victory.

Hehe... tahimik kasi si joker dati eh.

At least he's now criticizing the plans of this admin to arrest Satur Ocampo, ano?

Siguro "nagising" ng konti si mr. human rights lawyer nung binabatikos siya ng mga dating kaalyado niya sa kaliwa for his deafening silence on the extra-judicial killings issue:

Filipino Leftist Groups Question Silence Of Human Rights Lawyer -Senator On Political Killings

March 6, 2007 7:16 a.m. EST

Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Correspondent
Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Left-leaning organizations in the Philippines on Tuesday called the attention of human rights lawyer and maverick Senator Joker Arroyo. The groups are pushing for Arroyo to break his silence on the controversial political killings in the country, which were being blamed on the military. Arroyo is running under the pro-administration Team Unity for the upcoming senatorial polls in May.

In separate statements, the party-list group Anakpawis and fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya said, "What happened to this self-confessed human rights advocate? It is time to open his big mouth and speak out against this state-sponsored terrorism and military-imposed de facto martial law in Metro Manila."

Fernando Hicap, Anakpawis nominee for the congressional elections and national chairman of Pamalakaya adds, "Definitely he is missing the action."

The groups also challenged the reelectionist senator to take a formal stand on the issue of urban militarization.

Hicap said, "Senator Arroyo chose to remain silent despite the fact that the situation merits his involvement as a staunch defender of the 1987 Constitution and the people's human rights and civil liberties."

"Didn't he say that 'If you're bad, Joker Arroyo will get you'? This political advertisement will remain a rhetoric electoral campaign piece unless Senator Arroyo breathes life to it through concrete actions," he adds.

The group said they hope the senator was "not joking," in his campaign slogan.

Despite Arroyo's "deafening silence" on urban militarization, Anakpawis and Pamalakaya still appealed to candidates of Team Unity and Genuine Opposition to cross party lines and denounce the militarization of Metro Manila.

The military ordered the deployment of soldiers in urban poor communities, particularly in areas where people's based organizations have strong followings, despite the absence of lawless violence, foreign invasion and armed rebellion.

Yeah, what about the Extra-judicial Killings, Joker? And the attempts by the military to intimidate the party listers (and the voters to vote a certain way) in Metro Manila and other universities?

Hello Garci issue a "cheap shot" to muddle elections - admin solons

From the People's Tonight:

MEMBERS of the House majority yesterday slammed lawyer Alan Paguia’s petition for the Commission on Elections to investigate the alleged poll fraud involving ex-Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, calling it as another opposition’s cheap shot to muddle the election process using the “Hello Garci” case.

Nationalist People’s Coalition Representatives Benasing Macarambon of Lanao del Sur, vice chair of the House committee on national defense and security, and Eduardo Veloso of Leyte, member of the Commission on Appointments, said Paguia’s petition was also out of order since the Comelec was not the right venue to charge the President of any alleged wrongdoing.

Macarambon said the filing of Paguia’s petition was suspect considering that he or any interested individual for that matter could have filed the case against Garcillano since the “Hello Garci” tape became an issue in 2004.

“They had all the chances to file the case against Garcillano since 2004 yet they opted to use the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal for trial by publicity against President Arroyo. Obviously, they are now trying to revive the issue as part of the opposition’s black propaganda against the administration during the campaign to mar the credibility of the administration coalition’s candidates,” said Macarambon.

In the first place, wala pa ang Hello Garci tapes noong 2004. And I'm pretty sure there were numerous cases filed against Garci already on the electoral fraud, including his lying about not leaving the country to hide from authorities and presenting a fake passport before the House, only to be dismissed and whitewashed by the admin and from it's allies.

Maceda on the House Garci report:

Garci report. Once again, the House of Representatives has reaffirmed that it is under Malacañang’s control with the way the final report of five House committees on the Garcillano tapes came out. It did not hold GMA or any official of her administration liable for poll fraud, violation of the Anti-Wiretapping law, perjury, obstruction of justice and the Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards for public officers.

Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla who headed most of the joint hearings before being replaced by Rep. Emmy Lou Taino Santos, commented that GMA, former Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Subic Air should have been held liable for violation of several laws.

UPDATE: More from Dean Bocobo. It was a challenge issued by Commissioner Borra pala:

Talking on ABSCBN News Mornings on ANC, lawyer and teacher Alan Paguia continues the good fight to bring to light the true nature and provenance of the Garci recordings. Against all odds he has filed a verified complaint with the Comelec to investigate the matter, inspired he says by Commissioner Resurreccion Borra's challenge that some one do so.

And now, someone has taken up Borra's challenge.

Naisipan ni Paguia na muling buhayin ang isyu ng pandaraya nang mapanood niya sa balita si COMELEC Commissioner Ressureccion Borra.

Sinabi ni Borra na hindi magawang imbestigahan ng COMELEC ang isyu dahil wala naman umanong nagsasampa ng reklamo sa kanilang tanggapan.

"It struck me na, 'Oo nga! Wala pang nagpa-file ng complaint sa COMELEC para mag-imbestiga.' Kasi iba 'yong investigation sa House na in aid of legislation. So I took up the challenge," ani Paguia.

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Tito Sotto: Alliance with TU, "God's Will"

From the People's Journal:

COMEBACKING Sen. Vicente Sotto III is now attributing his alliance with the administration’s Team Unity to “God’s will.”

“Ako (ay) naniniwala na ‘di ka mapupunta sa isang lugar na hindi ka dinala ng Diyos duon eh. Ako (ay) naniniwala na dinala kami ng Diyos dito, ng tandhana dito,” he said in an interview.

He also once claimed that FPJ would have supported his decision to join Team Arroyo if he were alive today. lol.

Sotto, however, said he and fellow former opposition stalwart Tessie Aquino-Oreta have only allied with Team Unity and not with President Arroyo and her administration.

“Hindi kami sumama sa admin eh, kami ay sumama sa Team Unity,” he said.

Huh? But isn't TU the administration ticket? And wasn't reconciliation with the Arroyo admin (the people who cheated your bet) one of the main goals you are pushing for if you become senator?

Kiko Pangilinan

Before, nagtataka tayo kung bakit ipinagpipilit ng GO na isama si Kiko sa lineup nito even though mukhang ayaw naman ni Pangilinan. Now we know the background story. It's because of "The Agreement."

Pangilinan said that the reason why he doesn't want join GO was because he doesn't want to campaign with people associated with Erap. But wasn't he they guy who floated the idea of a "third farce" that included the names of Lacson, Loi Estrada and Angara?

Pangilinan also said na GO did not seek his consent when they adopted him:

A case of an orphan reluctant to be adopted.

Senatorial candidate Francis “Kiko" Pangilinan has set the record straight that he will remain as an independent candidate and will not carry the opposition slate in his campaign.

Pangilinan, in an interview with a television station Monday, said that though he was adopted by the Genuine Opposition (GO), the adoption was made without his consent.

“I did not ask to be included in the ticket (of the opposition)", Pangilinan said.

“I didn’t seek to speak with anyone (from) UNO (United Opposition)…There are people in UNO who are vocal on their opposition (to my inclusion in the opposition slate)," he said.

Actually, it was Manny Villar who tried to get you included in the Opposition slate as early as last year pa.

And the Opposition did try to get your "consent" to join GO. But when it failed to get a response from you, it included you anyway because of the "The Agreement", where Drilon's Liberal Party batted for your inclusion (probably without your consent and knowledge too?). That was the condition that the Drilon camp gave if there was going to be any "Grand Coalition" with the Oppo. You have to admire Drilon and Liberal's loyalty to Pangilinan. They were looking out for you, Kiko. And they got you in.

So the opposition can't replace you even if it wanted to, because that would be violating the gentleman's Agreement. So 11 candidates na lang sila. Not the ideal, but we can live with it.

But if you really didn't want to join the Opposition, you could have just told Drilon or Abad na you don't want to be a part of GO, since sila naman ang nag-push para sa inclusion mo. That will free GO to pick a replacement. But i doubt you'd do that.

You kept saying na it's GO's decision whether to keep you or not. Not true. If it were that simple, it would have replaced you a long time ago.

Pero an agreement is an agreement. Maybe in hindsight the agreement over Kiko was a mistake, but that's all water under the bridge na. Maybe the opposition panicked into agreeing to take kiko in because the Opposition felt that the anti-GMA movement needed a united front vs. Arroyo, at kung maghiwalay ang Liberal Party at UNO, that would only benefit arroyo.

Again, all water under the bridge, and the opposition will honor the Kiko agreement their LP partners.

You're right na there were some in the opposition who were against your inclusion, like Tito Sotto, but he's gone now, probably because of you. But there were people who fought to get you included too like lito banayo.

Si Manuel Buencamino naiinis rin sa iyo:

Francis Pangilinan is another matter. He bragged, “I have not asked to be included on the UNO list so I am not sure what that means. If they adopt me that’s their decision.”

Pangilinan shouldn’t be talking that way. The UNO had reservations about taking him in because of his role in the congressional canvass that railroaded Mrs. Arroyo’s proclamation, and the administration was divided over him because he joined Sen. Franklin Drilon’s call for Mrs. Arroyo to resign. Besides, Gabby Concepcion would be senator and he would be running for barangay council if Gabby had stayed married to Sharon. Francis Pangilinan CUNETA needs to remember who he is.

He's right of course. Kaya medyo nagka-watak watak ng konti ang Opposition sa umpisa (with Sotto and Oreta leaving) was because UNO was trying to get all four of the Wednesday Groupers included (you, Villar, Joker, REcto) at nagkaroon ng konting away dahil sa inyo. If any of you made it crystal clear from the beginning na ayaw nyong sumali sa Opposition, then GO wouldn't even have this crazy notion of leaving four slots for the Wednesday Group.

False Hope lang pala yon.

Hindi ba Joker "Ubusin ang mga Corrupt" Arroyo?

Tama si Lito Banayo:

Only Ralph Recto and Joker Arroyo fulfilled their previous commitment to shack up with the GMA corral, after kunwari hemming and hawing and keeping the opposition bitin. Was that part of the plot too? Hindi naman siguro. At least Manny Villar does not think so.

I believe Manny Villar is the only member of the Wednesday group that was dealing with the Opposition in good faith.

Villar, Joker will not join the debates

From People's Taliba:

UMATRAS sa panukalang debate sa pagitan ng Team Unity at Genuine Opposition sina re-electionists Manuel Villar Jr., at Joker Arroyo dahil na rin sa paniniwala na wala itong patutunguhan.

Sinabi ni Villar na hindi siya masyadong naniniwala dito dahil walang malinaw kung ano ang pag-uusapan at ikalawa, kung hindi rin lang naman daw ito isasahimpapawid ng media ay wala itong patutunguhan.

Ganoon pa man, sinabi ni Villar na kung talagang ma-plantsa na ito ay pwede naman siyang dumalo at makipag-debatehan sa ibang kandidato.

“Hindi ako masyadong naniniwala diyan, kasi ang problema ay yung makikinig, unless na may live broadcast iyan,” paliwanag ni Villar.

Sa bahagi naman ni Arroyo, sinabi nito na hangga’t walang malinaw na alituntunin, paksa, lugar anong lengwahe ang gagamitin na kailangan ay inayunan ng magkatunggaling partido hindi rin siya dadalo.

Chicken! But Villar doesn't really need the debates, because he's going to win. And I think TV coverage shouldn't be a problem. If I were GO, i'd demand the debates be on TV too.

But Joker on the other hand I believe would rather limit the topics to a few issues because he'd rather not be seen on TV defending Arroyo legitimacy, corruption, abuse of power and his own hypocrisy and inconsistencies.

The TV can make you look really good, or really bad. And Joker will look really bad on TV to his supporters (who still think of him as "independent-minded"). It will certainly burst their fantasy about Joker's ehem "independence." It exposes him for what he truly is. Supporters who are undecided about Joker because of his association with Team Arroyo will find it easier NOT to vote for him this time.

So I predict joker will only join the debates if it's in english (para hindi masyadong maintindihan ng masa) at limited ang scope ng topics to a few issues that he thinks are beneficial to him and the arroyo administration.

=====

In other news, Conrad de Quiros recently met with the Ang Kapatiran candidates and finds the meeting "not an unpleasant one."

Why, what was Conrad expecting? lol. Anyway, he says the Kapatiran candidates are just regular people like you and me who enjoy life and likes to have a good time once in a while, and "as resolutely secular as the next fellow".

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Joker "Ubusin ang mga Corrupt" Arroyo says the Opposition is only attacking Philip Evardone because he is the brother of Ben Evardone, TU media director.

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jinggoy Estrada urged President Arroyo to now “execute” the pending recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) to dismiss him from his post, on the grounds of the two pending alleged graft cases.

Evardone is the brother of Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone and newly appointed Team Unity’s (TU) media director and the agency he belongs to, NPO, is responsible in the printing of all election paraphernalia, from ballots to election returns and certificates of canvass — all of which were allegedly not spared in the supposed massive cheating during the 2004 presidential polls.

Reelectionist Sen. Joker Arroyo, who is running under the administration ticket, however, came to Evardone’s defense, saying the charges against the two, especially the matter alluding Gov. Evardone’s family ties with the NPO chief in poll fraud are malicious.

“Because it’s election time, there will always be some malice in the way news is projected. Suddenly, (NPO’s) Evardone is now in the media, whatever his position is. If they cannot hit him, they’ll hit the brother,” Senator Arroyo said. “But a candidate saying that the brother of the media TU…that Malacañang is sitting on it, well there’s a malice there,” he said in reacting to the statement made by Lacson.

“Now (that the cheating issue) is being resuscitated, let the people judge. But for me, if I join a team, (that means) I believe in the team, that’s all there is to it. Otherwise, why should I join the team if I don’t believe in it? I am saying that there should be no cheating. I’m not a guarantor of the cheating,” Arroyo said.

Whatever.