Mau’s new hero
I have a cold and its annoying the hell out of me. I’m using up almost one roll of tissue paper a day, and have rubbed my nose raw.
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My friend Mau practically considers Jose de Venecia III a hero for his fearless and eloquent expose on how First Gentleman Mike Arroyo told him to ‘back off, back off, back off, back off, back off!!!" on the controversial NBN contract with China’s ZTE Corp. I gave my assent - it’s the first time that I’ve had respect for de Venecia, because goodness knows that I don’t have the slightest tinge of it for the Speaker.
Here’s hoping that he doesn’t back off at all, and sticks to his story all the way. His coming forward in some minute but important degree make up for some of the countless legislative sins his father has committed in the name of loyalty to Macapagal-Arroyo and his own bank accounts.
One couldn’t help but notice how calm, composed and ultimately confident JDV III was during the senate investigations. Quiet outrage? I suppose it is always easy to give testimony when you’re telling the truth. He reminded me of Clarissa Ocampo.
It’s a genuine soap opera the way the Macapagal-Arroyo administration and its allies are trying to dismiss the investigations: denials, howls of protest and outrage, but no sane arguments to counter and lay to arrest the accusations that the entire process that the ZTE contract went through was anomalous and graft-ridden.
Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos has been reduced to saying that he doesn’t have the energy or the sexual prowess. In the meantime Luli, Dato and Mikey Arroyo have taken to saying that their dad is sick (he’s sick, alright) so it’s so unfair that he’s being implicated again in yet another corruption controversy. Luli has also said that de Venecia III has a drug problem and hence his ‘lies’ about the First Gentleman. Boy, that must be one hell of drug problem because JDV III’s butting heads with the presidential family, and risking the expulsion of his father the House Speaker from his cushy seat in congress.
It’s frustrating how the administration never sticks to the facts - discuss the damn contract, alright? There are already studies by academics and independent anti-corruption groups that the NBN contract is overpriced, would prove inefficient, and that there are much better proposals the Philippine government can entertain.
But then again, gad, what else can be expected from a corrupt administration? An illegitimate president, and her power-greedy family?
It’s so telling how leaders of the CBCP are saying that the Philippines is so helpless and hopeless when it comes to corruption because of how the ZTE contract was forged. They’re throwing in the towel on government officials, so, well, what next?
What next? However corrupt Erap Estrada was and no matter how addicted he was to gambling, gad, what are these sins compared to what GMA, her husband and her trusted officials have committed/continue to commit. The country’s going to hell in a handbasket because of tall their shenanigans. Kahit wala nang gawin ang oposisyon, the Macapagal-Arroyos and government officials like Abalos fuck up so blatantly that it’s almost like they’re begging to be impeached.
So what next?
The weather is vacillating between warm and chilly, but on the whole one could say that the climate is literally conducive to holding big rallies –the sort that fills both lanes of EDSA from Santol to Guadalupe, and then on to Ayala, Taft Avenue, Plaza Miranda and then Malacanang.
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Here are some of the pictures of the KARAPATAN delegation at the Palais de
Nations for the 6th
Regular Session of the UN Human Rights
Council (UNHRC) are Ms. Marie Enriquez, Secretary General of Karapatan and Ms. Susan Cruz of Bayan and
Karapatan-Central
Luzon. With them are missing activist Jonas Burgos’ mother Mrs.
Editha Burgos and Special Legal Consultant of Karapatan for UN Mechanisms
Atty. Edre Olalia.
They will be there until Sept 28. for various meetings with different UN rapporteurs, special representatives and NGOs, lobbying, filing of new complaints and communications and
follow-up of previous complaints filed
on extrajudicial executions, disappearances, torture; and conduct/join parallel activities with other NGOs such as fora, pickets in embassies and consulates and
consultations
.
