Better Philippines

Sticky Fingers For Noynoy

A rabid Noynoyista recently ribbed me for not updating this blog. His/her comment would have been innocent enough had it not been for his/her amateur attempt at black propaganda. This commenter basically wanted to tell the other readers of this blog who happen to support other candidates to just accept what he/she thinks is the inevitable victory of Senator Noynoy Aquino.

I don’t know about everyone else, but as far as I’m concerned it ain’t over till it’s over. And, no Mr./Ms. Commenter, Noynoy’s victory is not yet a certainty. It is just one of many possibilities.

Speaking of the Aquino campaign, I’m really wondering what his supporters expect from him in case he does bcome our President. As far those people in his inner circle, well, that should be obvious. They’re in it for the juicy government portfolios and other perks. How about the ordinary folks who profess to love him like he was some kind of messiah? It seems to me they’re in it for the fantasy. A better Philippines under an Aquino administration? That makes the Lord of the Rings more real to me.

incidentally, I was at one of the BIR offices last week and I got to talk to one of the examiners there. Out of the blue he mentioned that he and most of his co-workers are for Aquino. I asked why. He gave me a cryptic response.

“Basta,” he said.

I wondered about that piece of information. I tried to imagine what possible reason a BIR examiner could possibly have to support Noynoy who has been playing the role of an anti-corruption crusader. Hmmm. BIR personnel supporting a candidate who claims he will put a stop to government corruption… it just doesn’t match up. Is the end of the world upon us?

I reflected on his cryptic response. After about 10 seconds of deep thought, it came to me. I realized what should have been obvious to me from the very start.

Those BIR personnel aren’t supporting Noynoy because of what he claim he can and will do to ensure corruption-free governance. They’re going for Noynoy because they know he will not be able to do anything to stop the shenanigans going on at this esteemed government agency. In short, they’re putting their faith on Noynoy’s incompetence.

I don’t know about you but I think this is a sign of things to come should the greater number of Filipino voters think it wise to put Noynoy at the helm of our already troubled nation.

Ganito Ba Tayo Ka-Tanga?

Hindi naman siguro ganito ka-tanga ang Filipino.

Sa pinakabagong survey ng Pulse Asia lumabas na tabla na sina Senador Manny Villar at dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada. Sa aking palagay hindi naman siguro totoong tumataas pa ang rating ng dating pangulo. Hindi naman siguro ganoon ka-bobo ang mga Pinoy para pagkatiwalaan pa si Estrada sa kabila ng nangyari sa kanyang administrasyon noon.

Sa mga nag-iisip, palagay ko bistadong bistado naman kung ano na naman ang panibagong gimik na ito.  Pero para sa mga hindi makasunod, ganito yan. Posibleng sadyang pinalalabas ng survey na ito na umaabante si Estrada para lalo pang mahikayat ang mga uto-uto nating mga kababayan na bumoto ayon sa baluktot na konseptong “lesser evil.” Napuna siguro ng mga nasa likod ng sarswelang ito na hindi pa rin tiyak ang tagumpay ni Senador Noynoy Aquino kung itatapat siya kay Senador Manny Villar kahit pa sabihing marami ang bumibili sa ideyang “lesser evil.” Ako man kung talagang si Aquino at Villar lang ang pagpipilian, si Villar na ang aking iboboto. Di hamak namang mas kakayanin siguro ni Villar na tumayo sa sarili niyang kakayahan at manindigan sa harap ng mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya. Duda ako kung kaya iyon ni Aquino.

Kung miyembro ako ng makinarya ni Aquino, ganito rin ang aking irerekomendang istratehiya. Imbis na si Villar, si Estrada na lang ang palalabasin kong pinaka-mahigpit na kalaban ni Aquino. Kung tutuusin nga naman kung sa ganitong tapatan mas madali sigurong ma-uuto ang mga tao na si Aquino na lang ang iboto. Sino nga ba naman ang boboto pa kay Estrada sa panahong ito kung hindi ang mga talagang kulang sa tamang pagiisip. Hindi naman siguro kulang ang pagiisip ng mas marami sa atin? Ewan ko lang baka mali rin ang tantya ko.

Pero sa totoo lang bakit nga ba tayo magpapaniwala sa mga survey na ito? Kitang kita naman na may sinusundang script ang mga ito. Mas maniniwala pa ako sa mga survey na isinagawa sa iba’t ibang paaralan kung saan ang kadalasang nanguna ay sina Senador Richard Gordon at dating Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. Bakit nga ba mas naniniwala ako sa mga naturang survey? Unang una, harapan itong ginawa at agad na nalaman ang resulta,. Malinaw na malinaw na may mga tinatawag na respondent. Sa mga isinagawa (daw) na survey ng Pulse Asia at Social Weather Station meron nga kayang respondent? Duda ako dahil sa tagal kong ito sa mundong ibabaw wala pa talaga akong nakikilalang taong na-survey ng dalawang kumpanyang ito. Kahit pa kakilala na may kakilala na may kakilalang na-survey noon o ngayon wala rin.

Kung ako sa inyo, tingnan nyo na lang ang mga survey na ito na parang libangan. Para bang yung mga paborito ninyong teleserye o yung mga noontime game show kung saan kailangan magmukha ka munang tanga bago ka ma-premyuhan. Nakakalibang naman kasi talaga di ba kung papaano nila nilalaro o binabago ang kanilang script. Kung dati Aquino vs. Villar ngayon naman Aquino vs. Estrada.

Uunahan ko na ang mga survey company na ito at baka sakaling makita nila na bistado na ang kanilang sarswela at maisip nilang tigilan na lang ang pinaggagagawa nila.

Sa aking palagay sa mga susunod nilang survey si Estrada na ang number 2 at number 3 na lang si Villar. Posible pa nga na palabasin nila na nauungusan na ng dating pangulo si Aquino. Siempre nga naman para mas maging malakas ang hatak ng ideyang “lesser evil.” Sa totoo lang hindi ako magugulat sakaling gawin nila ito lalo na’t mukhang dumarami na ang nagigising sa katotohanan na marami pang mas karapat dapat kaysa kay Aquino para sa panguluhan ng  ating bansa.

Panalangin ko huwag naman sanang mag-tanga-tangahan ang mga Pinoy.

Noynoy’s Lies and Crazy Suggestions

It’s becoming all to clear if there’s anyone who’s clearly planning to manipulate the outcome of this election it is none other than that paragon of pseudo-goodness Noynoy Aquino and his allies. The following email message from a friend of mine lays down the whole yellow scheme quite succinctly.

There is war going on. Aquino, using the MBC leadership and some supposed “farmers” are pushing for manual count parallel to the automated count. AS I type this, they are having very long speeches pushing the manual count and is being covered in whole by the ANC.

Amazingly, the ANC is now covering it for hours now as if a very important event. Funny though, the MBC seems not ready to finance the manual count..

In any case, the manual count is quite dangerous. There will surely be an error in the manual account, and it will surely not jibe with the automated count. So in case there is disparity, which one is to be believed? The manual count can easily be rigged as we know from past counting of votes, so why are the MBC pushing for it?

The MBC is saying we should count each precinct votes and compare with PCOS count for each precinct. They say if there is 1 percent difference in the count nationwide, then we should use only the manual count. In short, they are saying, if there is discrepancy, the manual count is the more credible count! Amazingly, they now believe that the manual count is more credible!

I am not sure if the LP REALLY WANTS THE MANUAL COUNT. I THINK THEY “MAY” JUST WANT TO FOCUS THE ATTENTION OF THE PEOPLE TO THIS SUBJECT… But in any case, the Philippines is going bonkers if we are going to have a parallel manual count!

Clearly, there is a challenge here for those who truly love this country and want to see it transform into a better one. For me that challenge is to make sure Noynoy will not succeed in undermining this country’s first ever automated elections. We should expose this yellow propaganda for what it really is which is another attempt to condition the people’s mind that should Noynoy lose there can be no explanation other than that he was cheated.

It’s actually ironic that Noynoy believes automation will ensure his defeat when in fact it is what will give him a better chance of getting elected. As a friend of mine pointed out the manual system is what will allow tried and tested cheating methods to influence the outcome of the elections. Guess who will have the upper-hand under such a set-up, the “poor” or the moneyed candidate?

If you think of yourself as a patriot here’s your chance to prove it. Help stop the Yellow Plague from bringing this country down. Be informed and help inform. Oppose the lies and misleading suggestions raised by Noynoy. Most importantly, don’t waste your vote on him. Noynoy has never been and never will be the best person for the presidency. If you truly care about the Philippines and you want real change reject Noynoy and the interests he represents. Don’t vote for the “lesser evil” for that is still evil. Instead, vote for the best.

The Wasted Ones

I have come to the conclusion that there are three types of Noynoy supporters. The first one is the typical fan who got into this yellow fever thing because of the bandwagon effect. These supporters include those who fall for anything considered in fashion. It won’t be surprising to know that most of them were involved in showbiz displays of righteous indignation like that one against Adam Carolla.

The second one is the Noynoy supporter who, at least, tries to think things through. They support Noynoy not necessarily because it is the fashionable thing to do but because they really thought hard about it. Their only problem is they think more with their “heart” instead of their brain. Most of them also have a child-like belief in elves, dwarves and orcs.

The third one is the supporter who have been fooled into believing that a vote for any other candidate other than Noynoy is a wasted vote. Let’s call this supporter the Wasted One. This type of Noynoy supporter claims that he does not necessarily believe Noynoy is the best choice but because he has been brainwashed into thinking that a Noynoy defeat equates to a Villar victory he will just go for the Yellow One, their so-called lesser evil.

I no longer want to focus on the first two types because for all intents and purposes they are  already a lost cause. There’s no point in trying to sway them unless you believe trying to get a cult member to give up his beliefs is worth it.

I want to pay more attention to the third type, but before anything else I’d like to get one thing out of the way. I’d like to say that those who fall in this category are worse than the first two. Many of them are liars pretending to be new converts when in fact they are paid hacks long involved in the Yellow Propaganda Campaign. As for the few genuine new converts, well, the same thing but only because they have it in their heads that by rooting for Noynoy they’re being patriotic.

Voting for Noynoy as a means to prevent a Villar victory is a foolish idea based on a number of stupid assumptions — that this election is a two-way race between Noynoy and Villar and that the survey results churned out by Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations can be trusted.

The third type of Noynoy supporter should be made to realize that this is not a fight between good and evil and that Noynoy is nowhere near being the “good” he and his followers make him out to be.So what if Noynoy promises he will not steal? What about the other thieves in the government? What about the opportunists-in-waiting?

Obviously, followers of the yellow plague think corruption happens only at the high levels of government. Let’s be realistic. Clean politician is still an oxymoronic concept.

The Wasted Ones should realize that they’re not doing the country any favor by supporting a candidate who has no real track record and solid plan for the country. It would be better for them to just choose among the candidates with the best qualifications. That should not be difficult at all. Just exclude the real nuisance candidates namely Joseph Estrada, Villar and of course Noynoy.

Partylist System: Choose Carefully

There’s much talk about the existing partylist system. Many are saying the system is flawed in that it has become a backdoor of sorts for some politicians to get into Congress. There’s now even a list of partylist groups believed to be associated with members of the Arroyo family making the rounds on the net.

I think the partylist system needs to be improved if not dismissed altogether. Remember that attempt by a group of cockfighters to be recognized as a partylist? Manong Sabungero marginalized? What were they thinking? Good thing the Comelec had the good sense to dismiss their request for accreditation.

And what’s with those groups with names starting with the letter A or the number 1? While not really a big deal, this tactic to get top listing on the ballot certainly does nothing to boost the partylist system’s credibility.

Some people are suggesting that it would be better to just forgo voting for any partylist group. The alternative of course is to still vote for a group but only after careful study. As with choosing our next president, vice president, senator, congressman etcetera, etcetera, it would help to check the partylist groups’ respective platforms.

Careful examination of platforms should help us determine which groups are real and which are fake. Watch out for plagiarized platforms though.

Related to this, one partylist group has the following suggestion posted on their website:

Iba iba ang pamamaraan ng tao sa pagpili. Isang magandang suhestiyon ay ang pagtutok sa plataporma ng mga partylist. Pansinin ninyo kung ang plataporma ba ay puro pambobola lamang ang laman. Sabi nga ng ilang pilosopo, bilangin daw kung ilang beses nabanggit sa plataporma ang mga salitang “mahirap”, “kahirapan” at iba pang katagang patungkol dito. Kapag mas marami daw senyales na iyan nang walang pakundangang pambobola.

Magandang batayan din ang lebel ng lalim ng mga plataporma. masyado ba itong generalized. Tandaan kung ang partylist ay tila tumutugon sa lahat ng hinahanap ng mga tao malabong tunay na partylist ito na kumakatawan sa isang marginalized sector. Walang tunay na partylist na makakatugon sa lahat ng hinahanap ng tao. Marginalized sector nga ang kanilang kinakatawan kaya dapat ang mga plano rin nila ay limitado lamang sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa napili nilang sektor.

(I know I should translate this to English but I’m a little pressed for time. You can try using Google Translate instead but don’t expect the result to be any good. It’s funny at best.)

There is one other suggestion we definitely should take: Don’t vote for partylist groups with links to armed groups.

ABS-CBN Attempts Mind Control With EDSA Movie

Media’s role in the dumbing down of Filipinos was again made obvious by the recent programming decision of TV network ABS-CBN. During the Holy Week, the media giant decided to air the movie “A Dangerous Life” which depicts the events leading to the EDSA People Power Revolution.

Yellow-infected Pinoys will surely balk at my claim that the airing of that movie is contributory to the “stupidification” of an entire nation. But here is direct evidence of that. For how else would we describe ABS-CBN’s deliberate attempt to stir nostalgia over a ‘miraculous’ event such as EDSA 1? By itself it would mean nothing at all, but, considering the obvious bias of this network for Senator Noynoy Aquino, the attempt at mind control is quite clear.

What ABS-CBN fails to realize though is that they cannot trick people all the time. I watched the movie while having a meal at a restaurant and I overheard two waiters talking about it. One of them pointed out the obvious that “nanguuto na naman ang Kapamilya network” to which the other replied with the rather speculative remark “eh paano stockholder ang mga Aquino.”

I swear I almost approached them to express my admiration for their ability to detect bullshit. Good thing I hesitated because the middle-aged coño-looking man seated on the table next to me butted in and said with a stern tone, “Hindi ninyo mahal ang bayan.”

I’m sure those two waiters didn’t get any tip from that customer.

Anyway, that wasn’t the end of it. Immediately, after the man with the yellow plan spoke out and the waiters had retreated into the kitchen, the man’s companion who looked like his son gave him a minor admonition. I didn’t hear the exact words because unlike the older dude this guy was polite enough to speak in a whispering tone. What he said went something like this:

“Sobra naman kayo. Porke ayaw kay Noynoy hindi na mahal ang bayan. Kaibigan niyo lang kasi si (name not clear) kaya kayo Noynoy. Tsaka bakit niyo ginanun yung waiter mamaya duraan yung pagkain natin.”

Bwahahaha.

I sure hope that fashionista-patriot enjoyed his soup with a generous serving of sputum. Sanctimonious prick.

For Da Pinoy Voter

Now this is a big surprise.

ABS-CBN’s Harapan: The Tandem Presidential Debate has been canceled. The surprising and unexpected reason: several candidates for president and vice president have either backed out or declined to participate.

This is shocking news. Who would have thought that the likes of Senators Noynoy Aquino, Manny Villar and their equally esteemed running mates would find it not worth their while to join a no holds barred debate? Well, to be fair to Villar’s running mate Senator Loren Legarda, her reluctance to participate is understandable considering the beating she got  last time.

(excerpts from a newsbreak.com.ph report)

• In a surprise result, Sen. Loren Legarda did poorly in ABS-CBN’s Harapan: The Vice-Presidential Debate, based on feedback from citizens who participated in the debate.
• Legarda failed to get 50% or more in most of feedback from the audience through the WARS.  She was asked about her experience in governance, her plans on improving the state of education, as well as on her pet themes, environment and climate change.
• Aside from doing poorly in the WARS, she also did badly in the on-line poll through abs-cbnNEWS.com chat with netizens, http://abs-cbnnews.com/harapan. The poll asked the question: Who is the most believable among the candidates in the Harapan debate?

It’s just too bad the debate scheduled for this Sunday will no longer push through. It would have given us yet another glimpse into what these people are really made of. I would have enjoyed watching Villar deflect questions about the C-5 controversy. And, of course, who would want to miss the Great Yellow Hope in action. I wonder how he would have fared against his cousin former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro or Senator Richard Gordon.

By the way Teodoro was among those who backed out. He claims he has already saturated forums and debates. Well, at least he wasn’t being a jackass about it not like Villar who gave an excuse that can only be described as pamimilosopo.

(excerpt from an abs-cbnnews.com report)

Villar and Legarda said they already committed to visit their supporters in Bicol on the same date.

Villar added they did not back out because they never confirmed their participation.

Now, to be fair , I should also identify those who were all too willing to attend the debate. In no particular order, the Walang Pakisama (sa mga naduwag) are former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr., evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva, former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Senator Richard Gordon.

The gall of those 4 candidates for trying to re-invent the wheel. Don’t they know most Pinoy voters respond better to song and dance routines than speeches on the economy, population growth and other serious stuff? They should ask Senator Aquino. Better yet they should get lessons from him on the finer points of campaigning without really trying. After that they could also ask him to provide tips on how to cover all the bases. 

Oh, I almost forgot. Gordon is now part of that elite group of candidates who think they’re cute. He now has a music video of his own.  Before you watch it be sure to prepare yourself to be disappointed because Gordon didn’t really sing or dance on this video.

I’m sure you were also surprised the first time you watched that. I too  never imagined Moymoy Palaboy as celebrity political endorsers. But that shouldn’t really surprise anyone anymore. Ater all we’re talking about Pinoy-style elections.

Bastos!

Hiram muna ako ng linya sa kolumnistang si Conrado de Quiros.

Tatagalugin ko na lang nang makuha n’yo.

Bastos si Senator Noynoy Aquino. Oo, bastos siya with a capital B as in bwiset. Saan ka naman nakakita ng kumakandidato para sa pagka-pangulo pero ayaw humarap sa mga debate o forum. Ang dami pang palusot kesyo ganito o ganyan.

Magisip isip naman sana tayo. Harap harapan nang bastusan to. Hindi niyo ba nahahalata? Imbis na pagsikapan niyang kumbinsihin tayo na kaya niya talagang pamunuan ang bansa natin sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita sa atin ng kanyang mga plano para sa bansa heto’t dadaanin na lang niya sa papuluridad o kasikatan. (Hindi pa niya sariling kasikatan ang gagamitin. Ang kapal ng mukha.)

Bastos talaga. Akala ata ni Senador Noynoy Aquino bobo ang lahat ng Pilipino. Palibhasa kitang kita kasi niya na marami pa ring Pilipino ang bulag na sumasamba kina dating Senador Ninoy Aquino at dating Pangulong Corazon Aquino kaya hayun dun na lang siya tututok. Ika nga ng maraming iba na nabibwisit na rin sa kanyang estilo, “Mama at Papa na lang. Bakit pa nga ba magpapakahirap sa mga plataporma plataporma na iyan.”

Mama at Papa. Garapal talaga. O heto sa mga uto utong galunggong, magpakasawa kayo kay Mama at Papa.

Sa totoo lang ayoko na sana magsulat ng tungkol kay Noynoy kaso nababastusan talaga ako sa estilo nito. Hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit hindi rin magawa ng mga taga-suporta niya na impluwensyahan naman ang kanilang idolo na ayus ayusin naman ang pangangampanya. Mas gusto pa ng mga uto utong ito na ipagbunyi pa lang ang lantarang kabastusan ni Noynoy.

Gut Feel All Over Again

Now this is strange. A new survey by Pulse Asia shows that of all the presidential candidates Senator Manny Villar enjoys the trust of more Filipinos. It shows Senator Noynoy Aquino only at second place. Here’s an excerpt from an abs-cbnnews.com report.

The January 22-26 survey showed that 70% of Filipinos had much trust for Villar, compared to 64% for Aquino.  Eighteen percent of voters said they were undecided about Villar while 23% said the same for Aquino. Both candidates had the same percentage of voters  (12%)  saying that they had little trust for the two candidates.

Aquino and Villar were statistically tied in the last presidential survey conducted by Pulse Asia last January 22 -26. Thirty-seven percent of Filipino voters said they would vote for Aquino in the presidential election while 35% said they chose Villar.

I do not hide the fact that I’m not a fan of election surveys. I strongly believe they are manipulated in one way or the other. However, I’m making an exception with this survey because I like how it takes away from the Aquino camp’s apparent claim that their candidate is the only trustworthy candidate. I wonder how the yellow horde will react to this.

By the way, if I were a believer of SWS and Pulse Asia surveys I’d probably say this is a development for the simple reason that it shows that not all Filipinos are buying Noynoy’s honesty schtick.

But then again, I am an anti-election survey kind of guy so I’ll stick to my stand that this or any other election survey out there are not to be believed. More importantly, they should not in any way serve as a basis for how we should vote.

In the first place, how can anyone really tell that this or that candidate is trustworthy? Do Noynoyistas and Villaristas have intimate knowledge of the real character of their favored candidates? Are they possessed with extra-sensory powers they are able to see into the hearts and minds of these politicians both of whom refuse to articulate exactly how they will fulfill their respective campaign promises of ridding the government of corruption and putting an end to poverty.

The truth is the respondents of this Pulse Asia survey (if indeed they do exist) just followed their gut feel. Nanghula lang sila. In all likelihood they will do the same come May 10. Good luck with that.

“Platform” Is Not Just A Buzzword

We can now hear more people talking about platforms. Unfortunately, it’s quite obvious most people still can’t differentiate between a real platform and the usual motherhood statement. When a candidate says he plans to fight corruption or implement reforms on education many would simply accept it as a platform statement. The fact is our candidates are merely mouthing off platitudes.

What’s really troubling is that a number of supposedly enlightened personalities are also guilty of the same stupidity. Perhaps, they’re just taking the position that such pandering statements already constitute a platform because saying otherwise would only expose their candidates’ vacuity. One of them even insists that the so-called “social contract” of Senator Noynoy Aquino is a platform.

Contrary to what these pseudo-enlightened people are saying, a platform is supposed to be made up of specific plans. Analyzing the type of political discussions we currently have, it’s easy to conclude that there is hardly any specificity. Our candidates are basically saying the same general statements, a fact highlighted at a recent forum organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

(excerpt from a gmanews.tv report; bold highlight mine)

Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on Tuesday cried foul over a perceived bias against him by the moderator of a forum hosted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Industry (PCCI). “Napaghahalataan yata masyado, manong Tony (It’s becoming too obvious, brother Tony),” Aquino told moderator Tony Lopez after he was bypassed in the sequence of questioning. Aquino was referring to what he felt was Lopez’s preference for his closest rival Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party. Lopez, for his part, apologized and quipped: “Ah sorry, kasi bawat tanong pare-pareho lang kayo ng sagot (Oh, I’m sorry, that’s because for each question you all give the same answer).”

This lack of specificity does not help the voter make out exactly who among the candidates has the better solution to a particular problem. The following sentence from an article featured in The Economist should give us an idea why this is  not a good thing.

On campaign platforms, policy is nearly absent, though the country’s problems are clear.

While it is good more people are now aware that the word “platform” exists, it would be better if they actually know what it refers to.