vonjobi: wow, congratulations! kelan ang trip? i hope i'll be around when you come. had a good time with diosa last...
Keith Bacongco: Knowing Nograles and his Big Boss...garapalan na lang talaga.
Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.

Latest Message 5 months ago

hopeless_race : Lets not just focus sa mga malversation of funds, sa mga overpricing..ating pagtuunan ng atensyon ang diskarte ng mga politiko na umuutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno."Small time" ang ibang pamamaraan ng pangungurakot kumpara sa pag-utang sa gobyerno ng bilyon na tunay ngang masasabing "pinaka big-time" at wala pang sabit.
hopeless_race : Mukhang tikom ang bibig ng lahat pagdating sa diskarte ng mga politiko sa pagutang ng mga bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno na tinatakbuhan. Itong pamamaraan na ito ang tunay na kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng ating national budget batay na din sa sinasabi ng world bank.
hopeless_race : Pakisilip naman po ang mga utang ni Villar sa BSP, ang mga utang nila RAMON JACINTO, RONNIE ZAMORA, JOE DE VENECIA at madami pang ibang mga pulitiko. Iilan lamang yan sa mga nababanggit sa balita na may mga malalaking utang sa gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Nagmimistulang "small time" lamang ang malversation of funds kumpara sa laki ng kinakamal ng mga umuutang sa gobyerno. At ito ay malinaw na natatakbuhan dahil hindi nga naman pwede makulong ang may-ari ng kumpanya sa pagkaka-utang lamang. Tunay na mga tuso at magagaling sa batas itong mga politiko natin. Masasabi ko na malamang lahat ng mga politiko ganito ang diskarte...wala pang kulong.
hopeless_race : PCIJ pkitingnan naman po ang mga gaya ni Villar na my malaking utang sa Gobyerno pero tinatakbuhan. Magtatayo ng kumpanya at uutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno ng walang balak bayaran. Tunay ngang walang nakukulong sa utang...ito ang prinsipyo ginagamit ng mga politiko ntin kaya nakakapagtaka kung san napupunta ang daang bilyong pera ng gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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Defying dynastic rule in Camarines Sur

Posted by: Alecks P. Pabico | April 9, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Filed under: 2007 Elections, Congress Watch

SABAS “Abang” Mabulo did acknowledge it himself when he formally announced his candidacy for the congressional seat of the first district of Camarines Sur last month. He was running “against all odds,” he wrote, in vying for the position also being eyed by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s youngest son, Diosdado, more known as “Dato.” The young Arroyo enjoys no less the backing of a formidable alliance recently forged among the political kingpins of the province — Rep. Luis Villafuerte, Rep. Felix Alfelor Jr., and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr.

Mayor Sabas 'Abang' Mabulo “Any decision to battle them,” Mabulo added, “was like banging one’s head against a brick wall — in short, committing a political suicide.”

The Villafuerte-Alfelor-Andaya alliance already means that nine of the 10 mayors of Camarines Sur’s first district are arrayed against Mabulo in his congressional bid. The outgoing mayor of the municipality of San Fernando cannot also rely on the opposition as it has virtually no network of political leaders at the municipal and district level.

Sans the blessings of Bicol’s big political patrons and an extensive political machinery, the political equation is clearly not in Mabulo’s favor. Still, he remains unfazed, banking on the support of allies of the nontraditional kind — nongovernment organizations, people’s organizations, the academe, Church-based organizations (not just Catholics), and business groups.

Mabulo is also motivated by what he views of Dato’s candidacy, which he claims is “pagmamaliit sa Bicolano” (a low regard for Bicolanos). “How can a non-Bicolano truly represent the interests of Bicolanos?” he asks.

It’s the same question asked by not a few residents of the province’s first district who see Dato’s intention to run for congressman in their district as serving more the interests of his family than the constituents of Camarines Sur. The Arroyos, after all hail from Pampanga, with Dato only establishing residence in Naga City in 2004 and building his own house in Barangay Potot, Libmanan in 2005.

And while the political kingpins may think of Dato as the “hope” of the district because his being the president’s son will ensure the unimpeded flow of resources to his constituency, Mabulo believes Bicolanos don’t think only in those terms. And by entrusting him with the role of representing them in Congress, Mabulo is both elated and humbled, raring to face the challenge of proving that having the advantage of a political machinery does not always assure victory in elections.

Since he made public his decision to run for Congress, Mabulo says he is heartened by the outpouring of support from people to help in his campaign ranging from volunteers to donors spending for his campaign materials.

Mabulo is likewise confident that his qualifications as a public official would bear him out, having served for three consecutive terms as mayor, and previously as a municipal kagawad (councilor) for three years.

Many in Camarines Sur, in fact, look up to Mabulo as a local chief executive in the mold of Naga City’s Jesse Robredo as he has also championed a participatory approach to local governance — an achievement though not as celebrated as Robredo’s in the media. Mabulo’s administration has institutionalized people participation by making it a policy to involve citizens in the planning and implementation of the municipal government’s programs and projects.

This has been demonstrated in projects like the People’s Road, which has extended San Fernando’s road network by 50 kilometers in all the barangays through the help of citizens. With meager local government resources, the labor of residents was tapped — for free — to gather stones and pound them to gravel for use in the road construction.

Under Mabulo’s watch, San Fernando has also been able to set up a potable water system that is now servicing seven barangays. Remarkably, the local government relied only on its own resources and did not have to secure loans to fund the P40-million water project.

Mabulo’s term has also done much to provide livelihood to San Fernando residents. His administration’s focus is on agricultural productivity for which the local government unit has purchased farm equipment that are made available to farmers and distributed seedlings for high-value crops (citrus fruits, coffee, cacao, pepper and pili nuts) and fast-growing crops (root crops, mongo, peanuts, mushroom, and yellow corn).

Mabulo says these programs have given the people of San Fernando hope, allowing them to believe that things can be done if the government and the people work hand in hand.

If elected congressman, Mabulo has made known his legislative agenda focused on the following:

Poverty alleviation through enterprise development

Mabulo says people should not be made dependent on dole-outs and that the government should instead create an enabling environment for them to become self-reliant. An economist by profession, he is batting for the development of indigenous enterprise by providing people with infrastructure and greater access to capital.

Education

Mabulo believes that vocational and technical schools should be given national priority and proposes that laws be enacted to promote partnership between these schools and industries to gear education towards employability.

Agriculture development

Given the slow pace of agrarian reform, Mabulo proposes greater institutional support for vulnerable sectors in agriculture, particularly farmer-tenants. He also advocates for policies that support sustainable agriculture.

Health and nutrition

Mabulo will push for legislation providing greater access to health services and medicines, allow importation of cheaper medicines from other countries, and provide greater incentives for health care professionals to stay in their localities.

On top of his legislative agenda, Mabulo is committed to support moves to impeach Arroyo, saying that the country is moving towards a “dangerous scenario” in terms of public accountability that needs to be checked.

He is also for abolishing the pork barrel, whose allocations, he believes, have generally not reflected the needs of the people but the whims of those in power. “While (it) is a mechanism for the equitable distribution of public funds, in practice it’s been used more for corruption and to ensure that officials stay in power,” he says.

Acknowledging the need for political and electoral reforms, Mabulo says he supports moves to have the 1987 Constitution amended but only via the mode of a constitutional convention. The Senate, he adds, remains important as an institution in providing check and balance to the Executive, which has displayed dictatorial tendencies under Arroyo.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 9th, 2007 and is filed under 2007 Elections, Congress Watch. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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[...] Saturday was spent in a blitz in Camarines Sur, to express support for the candidacies of Jess Robredo, Cholo Roco, and Abang Mabulo. We spent most of the day with Sabas “Abang” Mabulo. He is the kind of candidate we need more of in this country. I got to talk to him during the hours we spent, first for a press conference in Naga City with Mayor Jess Robredo and congressional candidate Cholo Roco, and the over lunch, and after Abang’s miting de avance and during a 5-hour caravan that wound its way (getting longer and longer) through the first district of the province. The day ended a few hours later with a radio program in which we helped him make his final appeal to the voters. This is a man who proves a candidate doesn’t have to spend a fortune to seek (and win) office, who can serve without terrorizing his constituents or appealing to their worst instincts, and who has mobilized others to serve their communities. [...]