‘Bad politician’ Gloria

Alecks,

There you are again. Heaping all the blame to Gloria and her administration. She become a bad politician because she was besieged by a corrupt Congress or a Congressman whose son was mad that he did not get the multi-million deal on broadband telecommunicaton with the Chinese. Or besieged by an impending impeachement from Congress whose real motive was to extort the President and give them the largesse of the public coffers or some juicy government contracts.

Whom would you like to offer as an alternative to GMA?

De Venecia? Trillanes? Davide? Puno? Villar? Honasan?
Jinggoy? God forbids!!

The Philippines, I think would be better off with Senator Biazon and Senator Miriam Defensor combination.

Senator Biazon is a strong and moral leader and Miriam is the soul of that leadership who despite the normal “transactional politics” in the landscape she is in, could still come up with moments of righteous indignation.

But it should not end there. We Filipinos or the electorate should also educate ourselves and be able see through the demagoguery of our politicians.

And lastly, we should go back to our children and in their tender years inculcate in them the value of honesty, integrity and honor and the concept that public office is a public trust and that government officials are accountable to the people.

Alecks,

After reading all your posts as investigative journalist, I can not in good conscience admit that you’re working for Filipinos in general.

INSTEAD, my impression that you’re working for others, but not for Filipinos. From where do derive your funding?

Like JCC, I am confused. Please enlighten us. If I get the wrong impression, I apologize in advance.

I just hope the writer of this article could have more imagination of writing or highlighting matters that obviously serve one purpose alone.
How unpopular can any exsisting president be at this point of her term?
I think the problem w/ our decadent society is that we are a society of “professional fault finders”.
It’s not unlikely that we will find faults also in the Pope if he was leading this country.
We also seem to have the bad habit of making fantastic conclussions out of impomplete facts or shooting from our emotions.
The administration is corrupt ergo the president is corrupt as if corruption is not an issue that has exsisted for dacades now sad to say.
I hope certain journalist would stop taking of corruption since also the press is just as corrupt & can’t even get their act together.
Sad to say corruption has become a “cultural trait” already in this country.
It’s like the passage in the Gospel here pharasis wanted to stone a prostitute & Jesus said let no one w/o sin throw the first rock. So nobody threw rocks at the end.
Here we are, media people who are obviously w/o sin them selves “throwing rocks” as if.

Alecks,

Below are your words, taken from PCIJ “About Us”

“The Center believes that the media play a crucial role in scrutinizing and strengthening democratic institutions. The media could — and should — be a catalyst for social debate and consensus that would redound to the promotion of public welfare. To do so, the media must provide citizens with the bases for arriving at informed opinions and decisions.”

What do you mean when you stated “..the center…play a crucial role in scrutinizing and strengthening democratic institutions”;

What do you mean when you claim “..be a catalyst for social debate and consensus ….to the promotion of public welfare?”

What do you mean when you aim at “..provide citizens with the bases for arriving at informed opinions and decisions?”

Alecks, these are your words. Your biased investigative reporting doesn’t provide “balance”. Most of it is negative that favors the Anti Gloria factions, and the leftist in UP.

I can’t seem to find negatives about the Anti Gloria; nor could I find positives about what Gloria is doing. The Philippine Peso is appreciating against the dollor.

How could you provide information for Filipinos to help them become “informed electorates” and “make informed decisions?”

How could then accomplish your goal of “promoting public welfare?”

In your desire to help Filipinos, PLEASE, PLEASE put some balance, unbiased, informative, honest and truthful information.

jcc: can you honestly tell your own children that this government exemplifies all these values you mentioned — “honesty, integrity and honor and the concept that public office is a public trust and that government officials are accountable to the people”?

bob malit: if you want to hear that all is well in the philippines and that the appreciating peso embodies that, then go somewhere else. why do you even bother to read this blog when you seem to have accepted malacañang’s spins — hook, line and sinker?

if you actually live here in the philippines then you would know that the truth malacañang wants us to believe is far from reality.

BS & Alecks,

First of all, I’m not for Gloria nor for the Oppositions. I AM FOR THE FILIPINO PEOPLE IN GENERAL and that includes you.

I am for progress and prosperity, and helping each other as “teammates”. So if your intention is to pick an adversarial discourse, I am sorry to disappoint you.

I must admit that I’m a Filipino-American, borne and raise in RP, left in 1964 and living in American since. I know how life is in the barrios, as well as in Alabang, so do not be surprise that I am quite well-informed on what is going on. My brother-in-law and I started mechanical handling equipment business in the early 80s, and has grown it from 5 employees to 650 employees in 6 subsidiary companies using modern technology. We want expand more in the Philippines to help Filipinos.

SO, LET US NOT FIGHT, rather, let us be friends and help each other.

In personal relationships and in business as well, taking the higher moral ground of admitting weaknesses and mistakes is commendable. Gloria has done so, she pardon Estrada, she admitted her weakness, her mistakes. How many of the anti-gloria have chosen the moral high ground?

I would rather do business with that kind of leader, as opposed to others who pretend to be sheep when inside is a roaring lion ready to devour you when vulnerable.

BS,

You misread my post. Please read it again. I said we should inculcate in our children in their tender years the virtue of honesty, honor and integrity…. “so that when they grow up, they will not have the same values as our present politicians” The one in quotation is the logical conclusion of the post had you read the last two paragraphs preceeding it.

Besides, you are making a blog within blog. I think that is being discouraged by PCIJ rules. I hope I am right.

BS,

You do not have to live in the Philippines to find out what is going on in the country. Thanks to the vociferous and fault-finding media and internet blogs all around us.

Bob,

I am not confused. Anyway, have a nice day.

Alecks,

You have already pictured all the bad sides of GMA. What is your solution other than fanning the emotions of the people and lose their trust in their government if they have not lost it yet.

What is your alternative to the tripartite form of government with check-and-balance in place though because of the corrupt bureaucracy, the check and balance principle becomes a grand scheme for extortion?

Whom do you think is the capable of governing a fractious and protracted nation?

I hope you are not advocating for a CPP-NPA takeover.

You know very well what she meant. You can fool yourself but not a well informed citizenry. It is common knowledge in this country what politics is all about. It’s dirty..it’s bad…it’s a disease.

You know what really makes me wonder? Where the heck and what the heck inspires you to be one heck of a loser.

jcc, Bob Malit, joselu,

this goverment blind us, using the word “economics” they always say that our economy are running good kasi bumababa ang palitan ng peso vs. dollar, i am an ofw for 5 years kaya sana wag lokohin ni gma and ng mga kampon nyang mga satanas ang mga taumbayan pati na kami dito sa labas ng bansa na nagtratrabaho na ganoon ang rason….

anong sinasabi nyang magaling syang economista nang dahil sa kanya kaya nagkahirahirap ang bansa natin kaya maraming umaalis ng bansa para magtrabaho, pero sa ganito ka bulok ang sestima ng pangobyerno ni gma kahit magtrabaho ka pa sa labas parang wala na ring worth kasi sa dami ng nagaabroad bumababa tuloy yung palitan ng pero vs dollar kaya apektado ang pampadala ng ofw wala namang strong purchasing value ang peso, yung kinikita ng excess dollar remittance na kinukuha sa mga padala ng ofw napupunta naman kay FG, and his tongressman. see the scandal na kinasasangkutan ni fg, and his allies in congress.

wow, kailan pa ba kikidlat ng malakas na malakas and tamaan sana yung mga tao sa malancanang, para naman makauwi sa pinas and wag nang magsakripisyu malayo sa pamilya namin.

i say she’s not only a bad politican but also a bad bad bad bad economist…..

Flag-Water,

This is the effect of believing every media report you read in PCIJ and other mainstream media.

Corruption in our country dates back in the year when our government was turned over to us by the Americans. Our poverty is an accumulation of mismanagement of the economy by previous regimes from Quezon, Laurel, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal, and yes the grand winner of them all, Mr. Marcos, Cory, Ramos, and Erap. Gloria inherited all these. Though she may have a share of corruption too, the sad state of economy is not entirely her own doing.

Besides the government is not only the executive. You have the corrupt Judiciary and Congress congress as well.

So do not heap all the blame to Gloria. Please read your history.

Corruption is our culture because we, as the electorate or the Filipinos have not raised our level of consciousness. WE clap our hands when Congress tried to smear the President, or sing halleluyah when the Press unleashed the most vicious attack on GMA.

We elect the Marcos clan when they came back after looting and pludering our economy.

So why blame Gloria alone? We have our own share of shortcomings too.

Please leave her alone to govern.

Alecks, All,

If you as advocate against graft and corruption, and want nothing but to promote the best interest of the Filipino people, I suggest that you must investigate the underlying cause of graft and corruption, and then recommend some solutions.

In the Philippine Democracy and 1987 Constitution, there are 3 Branches of the Philippine Gov’t namely:

1. Executive Branch - President GMA, Cabinet Members- tasks/duties: To execute Philippine Laws design to maintain peace and order; the protection of life, liberty, and prosperity; and promotion of general welfare of all Filipinos;

2. Legislative Branch - consisting of 234 Congressmen and 24 Senators: tasks/duties = to draft, pass, legislate, and enact laws design to maintain peace and order; the protection of life, liberty, and prosperity; and promotion of general welfare of Filipinos;

3. Judiciary Branch - consist of the Court Systems of the Philippines - Tasks/duties : to ensure proper, fair execution/implementation of Philippine Laws ( Rule of Law) highest priority is to maintain peace and order; protection of life, liberty, and prosperity; and promotion of general welfare of Filipinos.

ALL these elected officials are “public servants” holding “public office” under the 1987 Constitution, “a public trust - which mandates them that must at all times be accountable to the Filipino people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.

FILIPINOS - as a whole are the “public”, the “employers”, the “boss/master - which include you.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SOURCES OF LEGISLATION?

Sources of ideas for legislation are unlimited and proposed drafts of bills originate in many diverse quarters: members of Congress & Senate, President gma & Cabinet Members; industry leaders, chambers of commerce, ordinary Filipinos, civil society groups, academe and research institutions; multitudes of Problems: graft & corruption, traffic, infrastructure like roadway systems, water & power, sewerage systems and management, financial markets - capital formation, intellectual properties, real estate, human resources, educational systems, etc;

HOW ARE WE GOING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS?

Given: Filipinos couldn’t SOLVE their problems by blaming each other, by always fighting amongst themselves, by easily pointing fingers and identifying problems AND NOT participating as “informed electorates” not willing to sell their votes to the highest bidder.

Filipinos can solve their problems VIA THEIR POWER TO LEGISLATE mandated in the 1987 Constitution as follows:

1. Identify a specific problem (one at a time);

2. Then, identify the “cause & effects; costs & benefits” i.e. feasibility study, utilitization of surveys and research; information and feedback from the Filipino people:
a. Local Level = barangays, LGUs
b. Regional Level = provinces
c. National Level = all Filipinos

3. Obtain Feedback/information; perspectives, opinions polls:
a. Labor, Human Resources - Filipino workers
b. Civil Society Groups;
c. Business/Industry Sectors;
d. Academe & Public Research Institutions;
e. Government & NGOs

4. HOW COULD THE ABOVE BE ACCOMPLISHED?

We, the people, (all Filipinos) must demand that elected public servants who hold public office “public trust” must hold “public hearings” where all stakeholders included in item # 2 & 3 must participate and be counted.

5. OBTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS (Glean from these public hearings that identify the “cause & effects” & “problems”;

6. We as “major stakeholders” - all Filipinos, MUST compell our elected Congressmen & Senators to:

a. Draft Laws = design to address specific “cause & effects”, Costs & Benefits - results of research, feasibility studies, surveys, etc; and recommendations gleaned from public hearings;

b. Create Implementing Rules & Regulations = to mandate exactly how these laws must be implemented, and enforced to their fullest;

c. Establish and set up “Performance Standards or Criteria” for the purpose of:

1. Measuring outcomes - costs and benefits to track down graft and corruption, etc
2. Measure performance and non-performance - to gauge severity and set penalties whereby Philippine Court Systems could properly and justly punish violators.

CURRENTLY, Congressmen & Senators are always blaming and fighting - the bottom line is they are doing their job - Public Office in violation of the 1987 Constitution “public trust”..

IF YOU’RE President GMA, under the present “adversarial culture of the Philippine Legislative Branch” what can you do? IF NO LAWS are being drafted and enacted to solve our problems, the best you can do as President is ISSUE “Executive Orders”…….. Is it not???

So let us stop the blame game, LET US START HELPING EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!he pros and cons, what is the underlying cause and effects, costs and benefits to shed lights= open the eyes of all Filipinos.

What have gone to the Phillipines… why do we become a society of pessimist? Simple, we love all this topic of political bickering fanned by media with it’s raw report of the issue. The misinformed citizen would then voice his or her raw perception of the issue. Sensitive issues that should have been brought to its proper forum to be objectively scrutinize is being feasted and played by the media.

Look at the headlines from major tabloids and broadsheets in this country. Nothing but political scandals and bickering. It simply reflect what most Filipinos want. Won’t you people admit, we love it. We love to discuss this issues and because this issues usually sell… you can have a doze of it every day. News of this type everyday… choose how you want to be updated… hear it from the radio, watch it on T.V. or simply read it from the newspapers. Simple put…. bad news!!!

We are indeed a society of fault finder. We have this fancy of being rightheous and all of this high principled insights. We curse trapos to high heaven but we refuse to take action. Our inactions is more powerful than our actions. We love to talk and express ourselves (like this forum) but refuse to take actions. Is this how low we could get. Change starts from ourselves. You can’t change a person, your family, your community, the nation or bring change to the world without changing your self first. I mean contructive self change for that matter!

[...] Cartoon Courtesy of PCIJ [...]