When integrity means protecting GMA, et al.

Political analysts, pundits, spin doctors, and social network whores can argue all they want whether or not former AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes' suicide is an act of honor, befitting a "man of integrity", but the more they involve themselves in circuitous discussions, the more it becomes apparent that the issue will die a natural death soon, like many scandals that rocked the nation. After all, dead men tell no tales.

Reyes' "unfinished letter" sent to PCIJ reveals his thoughts prior to the suicide. Readers are expected to read between the lines and draw up their own conclusions. But what is evident is Reyes' unwavering loyalty to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA). This kind of loyalty is akin to that being pledged by Cosa Nostra bosses and henchmen. If an alleged "man of integrity" can pledge allegiance to a woman of questionable character, then the sense of right and wrong becomes dubious.

The ultimate sacrifice is to give up one's life for someone else but it would be such a waste if it meant burying dirty little secrets; secrets that can shake the political and military landscape to its core.

No clear opinion on Hubert Webb, et al. acquittal

By now, the news about the acquittal of Hubert Webb and 6 others involved (and convicted) in the Vizconde massacre has made the rounds in various social media platforms. The clear-cut opinion of the general public is that the Supreme Court's decision is an outrage.

If I have a clear opinion on this matter, I'd probably say the acquittal is an even more cruel act than the crime itself. But this does not bode well with me because despite the courts finding Webb, et al. guilty beyond reasonable doubt in 2000, the evidence seem to suggest otherwise -- evidence that Judge Tolentino seemed to have deliberately suppressed (DNA, passport, etc.).

Ironically, this willful suppression of evidence that sent Webb, et al. to prison is the same evidence that set the acquittal procedure in motion.

Fifteen years is too long a sentence for an innocent man; and too short a punishment for a guilty one.

There's injustice rearing its ugly head both ways.

The Philippine Hostage Crisis: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

Every blogger in the Philippines will have his/her opinion of the Philippine hostage situation that tragically ended with 8 deaths. I could put in my 2 cents worth of righteous litany on how the PNP bungled the rescue efforts, but I’d rather not. Local media has that covered. What I am painfully curious about is the defeaning silence of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Vice-President Binay, and President Noynoy Aquino during the 12-hour ordeal.

Mayor Lim, who once spray-painted houses and hideouts of alleged criminals with messages that violate human rights, was not in his “Dirty Harry” self. Age must have mellowed him down so much that he could not even muster enough courage to give an official statement to appease the public.

Vice-President Binay, who always figured prominently in hostage situations back when he was Mayor of Makati, was nowhere to be found. Oh how he looked awkward in Boy Scout uniform.

President Noynoy, who was so bold and brazen in his State of the Nation address, only managed to find his voice after lives have already been sacrificed. Obviously, his spin doctors held him back. I may be alone in saying this, but I expected much more from Manuel L. Quezon III and the rest of the president’s communications group

Who did we get instead? A fumbling former actor-turned-Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno. And in CNN too. He was the inarticulate representative of the Philippines in a time when we needed someone who can make sense of the madness that had transpired. Perhaps he deserves credit for just “being there”, bad publicity notwithstanding.

The only lesson learned from this crisis is that when the chips are down, we cannot rely on our leaders to save the day because they disappear like the thieves that they truly are – robbed us of our money and our dignity as a nation.

Outrageous MERALCO Bills! We are so screwed!

OMG! WE ARE SCREWED BIG TIME!

Filipinos have been warned of the "inevitable" increase in power rates. This is not shocking. Let's face it, we're used to price hikes. Big companies have this notion that we should shoulder the bulk of the taxes that are imposed upon them. They have this warped view that any unfavorable result of a disruption in the market should be shouldered by the consumer. And what do we do, as consumers? We adjust like hell.

There's a food price hike. We eat less.

There's a gas price hike. We walk more.

There's a power hike. We grope in the dark.

Chuvaness shared her outrage when MERALCO billed her Php 41, 902 for March 2010. This is a stroke-inducing report considering her household's average bill is only around Php 21,000. It is NOT a remote case because most of the 251 commenters seem to have been slapped with the same oppressive increase in bills, albeit in varying values. The rich and the poor finally have something in common. This is MERALCO's warped way of forcing equality up our ass.

Upon reading many reports of skyrocketing bills, I knew that I will be facing the same fate. I just wasn't sure what the final numbers will be. The wait is over. Earlier today, I received our Meralco bill and as expected, there was a substantial increase in the total bill.

Summary:

JAN - 2339.80 (274 kwh)

FEB - 2467.70 (264 kwh)

MAR - 2748.20 (266 kwh)

APR - 3867.45 (307 kwh)

I have come to accept that a power hike is inevitable, but what I don't understand is the sharp increase in consumption. MERALCO says it's SUMMER and power consumption is usually high in summer months. This is total bullshit. So, how would they explain the increase in consumption for households whose residents were on vacation for weeks? How would they explain the increase in consumption for households whose residents are at work for at least 10 hours each day and only come home to sleep with lights off and no aircon?

What hurts the most is that we will shoulder additional cost for an increased consumption that we never really enjoyed. You see, we don't use our aircon. I don't have TV. We rarely iron our clothes and laundry is just once a week. I even bring mine to the laundromat. Essentially, we'll be paying 3,867.45 for usage of (3) 12-watts Philips light bulbs, 3 stand fans, and 2 laptops. This is a dagger through my heart.

MERALCO's PR spin is that they are just power distributors and not generators. That doesn't mean anything. That does not take away the fact that their rates are oppressive.

Our theory is that the increase in power rate is accompanied by an increase in consumption REGARDLESS of the actual consumption. According to my dad, "Niyari tayo sa consumption".

This is not just a case of one disgruntled household, we are looking at 4.7 million MERALCO customers who got screwed in the past, are being screwed today, and will be screwed in the future.

Is Noynoy Aquino losing his magic?

If the results of the recent survey conducted by Issues and Advocacy Center are indicative of the the current pulse of the public, then it would seem that Noynoy Aquino is losing his grip on the segment that made him a household name. Thirty one percent said that they would vote for Noynoy and 24% prefer Manny Villar. Noynoy is still ahead, but it is clear that his campaign is losing steam very early in the game. It makes the contention that his campaign is nothing but a marketing gimmick all the more substantiated.

Cory Aquino's death is a huge factor in the Noynoy campaign, but what happens when it all starts to wane? The problem here is that many people have this notion that Noynoy has no other thing going on for him apart from his link to the former president and to the greatest president that the Philippines never had. To break this notion, Noynoy has to work harder. MUCH harder than, say Gibo or Dick Gordon. Noynoy is standing on political quicksand and he has to get out of it before Manny Villar's well-oiled machinery starts to go on full swing.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - Congress Bid Not Necessarily a Lower Position

Months ago, if you were telling me that Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was running for Congress, I would look you in the eye and laugh at you. But now that the incumbent president has actually filed her Certificate of Candidacy to represent the second district of her home province Pampanga, I am nothing less than hysterical. No, I am not appalled nor angry. Just hysterical. Mrs. Arroyo’s decision only proves that her detractors were right all along, that she has become addicted to power after 10 years as president.

Well, people can whine all they want. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has all the right to run for Congress. Legally speaking, there are no impediments to Mrs. Arroyo’s lower house ambition. So now, her critics are turning on moral ascendency and good old fashioned delikadeza to dissuade her from seeking another public office. The only problem is that such characteristics have evaporated from Mrs. Arroyo a long time ago. Besides, if her Cabalens in Pampanga want her to be their Representative, then the rest of us living in Manila, GenSan, Sulu or anywhere that does not speak Kapampangan can all shut up.

At any rate, before everyone becomes hysterical like me, there is one issue here that really bothers me. Well, I do not think that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is running for a lower position. On the contrary, I think she is going up the political ladder. Ask yourself - Is Congress really lower than the Office of the President? If I remember things correctly, Philippine presidents after Ferdinand Marcos have all become hostage to grandstanding members of the legislative branch of the government, from budget issues and impeachments to appointment of cabinet secretaries. So, I think Congress is actually the higher office.

In the same vein, we have always thought of our presidents as scapegoats for what has happened to our country. Thanks to the Marcos regime, we have become so paranoid to a point that we all distrust any sitting president. At least, for our congressmen, we always imagined them as crocodiles waiting to gobble up the public coffers and suffer nothing more than free airtime in radio and television. Now ask yourself again which one sits higher in the food chain, goats or crocodiles?

Today, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has singlehandedly grabbed the spotlight in the 2010 Presidential Election, even if she is not running for president. Her decision has been described as historical, in the sense that she is the first ever Philippine President to run for Congress (Excepting Jose P. Laurel who ran for Senate after serving as President of the puppet government during the Japanese Occupation). But let us not forget that having a seat in the House of Representatives is not necessarily a lower position compared to that of the president. If there is something that we can do about Mrs. Arroyo’s latest move, it is that we should be very scared right now. She can open the legislative Pandora’s Box that could ruin us all.

Maguindanao Massacre: Ampatuan is The New Face of Evil

What happened in Maguindanao was reprehensible. With at least 57 deaths reported, alleged mastermind Andal Ampatuan, Jr. is now the new face of evil. But then again, that's two notches below of what he truly is, because to us he is BEYOND EVIL. It is so difficult to comprehend how such acts of violence can be concocted; and for what reason? Initial pieces of evidence point to Ampatuan as the diabolical entity (he doesn't even deserve to be called human) who ordered the massacre of at least 57 people, majority of which are media men and women.

Moral outrage may not be enough to tip the scale in favor of the victims but it can at least shake the Arroyo administration vigrorously until it is forced to act swiftly without protecting the accused. We believe in letting justice take its proper course but when blatant and incessant misuse and abuse of power lead to deaths of the innocent, we wish that dark justice is served as cold as the heart of the diabolical creature that is Ampatuan.