Save us from the Dementors
Riddikulus! or rather, Expecto Patronum!
From February 24, 2006 to March 3, 2006, I put to halt any plans to go out with friends and have fun. Why? The President has declared a State of Emergency that's why, and whatever thoughts I might have on the plausibility and probabilities of the stories afloat during that time, I did not take a chance at exposing myself to harm. There was danger indeed but the possible danger is not only from what the government had identified as dangerous. The danger is from dangerous minds.
Towards the end of last year, I posted Table 25 about my thoughts on what to do with Gloria. Essentially, I said nothing. Nothing should be done about Gloria. Something had to be done with ourselves. That post was overtaken by recent events last week. Let me clearly state on the outset that I am not pro-Gloria. In fact, I abhor her. Nonetheless, I do not want her ousted through a military coup but I will certainly not hate military coup plotters if they succeed in doing so, especially if their reasons are out of sheer frustration due to the ignominy of being in complicity with election rigging that she has inflicted on them.
Gloria Arroyo's acts and the acts of her minions the past week was taken by me as, borrowing from Teddy Te's words, a personal insult and an insult to the legal institution to which I belong. I hate the way she harassed and has been harassing the media, specifically ABS-CBN (the nerve of Mike Defensor to ask Henry Omaga Diaz to stop covering the Marines standoff), and I hate the way she, and once indefinitely suspended from the practice of law (in)Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez refers to party list solons as subversive, as if being subversive was a crime when in fact, it is no longer a crime as the anti-subversion law has been repealed. I hate the greed and thirst for power I see in her eyes. I did not like what happened last week.
But let me stop there. Last week's events elicited not only feelings of contempt and one sleepless, dreamful night (Sunday night, it was); it also elicited amusement and yes, I'd say some were outright hilarious. These are a few notable comic reliefs from last week's brouhaha:
1. Martial Law na ba?
AFP Chief of Staff Generoso Senga, on several occasions during interview, referred to Presidential Proclamation No. 1017 as "Proclamation 1081".
Now that's what you call an honest to goodness slip of the tongue.
2. "Madame President, you're a second rate, trying hard copy cat!" - Imee Marcos
As in, "Whhat?!" I never thought I'd live the day to hear Imee Marcos say something like that. Considering her known antogonism towards GMA and her declaration of State of Emergency, saying GMA is a copy cat of her dad, in whatever way she meant that (if indeed she had actually put some thought before saying it) , is outright laughable. Well, truth is GMA seems to be "Marcosian" these days and the word Marcosian has been used by so many people before Imee blurted her "copy cat" line but the impact is just so different, the words coming from her.
All I can say is, napanood nya din ang Bituing Walang Ningning?!
3. Ang mga Langaw - BOW!
(Subtitled, Ang Queribin na Walang Langit)
My Sunday habit of watching The Buzz was interrupted just as Boy Abunda was interviewing Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas to give way to Ricky Carandang's live report from the Marines Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio where Col. Arnel Querubin with a batallion of in full battle gear Marines accompanied by Simbas and other military vehicles that those who cannot distinguish generically call "tanks". Col. Querubin was obviously upset about his commandant's being relieved but it was also clear that he was annoyed at the swarm of, not flies, but reporters hounding him wherever he goes. At one point he asked them to clear because he was supposed to give orders to his men who were in formation. Expectedly, none of the reporters heeded his plea, as if falling on deaf ears. And so Querubin turned to the left and his entourage of reporters moved along with him. Para talaga silang mga bangaw! I say, GMA should thank the media for if not for them, Querubin could have commaned them to aim their guns at her and fire away.
4. Mikee and the coup-plotters
When my friend Oli first told me about it, I thought it was a joke but indeed, in a matter of hours, it seems everyone else is talking about the alleged coup-plotting.
In a Time Magazine article by Brian Walsh dated February 24, 2006, he narrates the account of Nelly Sindayen, Time Magazine correspondent since 1971, who claims to be have been present at the house of Peping Cojuangco who was plotting to overthrow the government along with Boy Saycon, both of which Sindayen heard conversing with Capt. Danny Lim and a U.S. Embassy Official. The story was so detailed as to mention that chicken sandwiches were served by none other than Peping's daughter Mikee. I do not know which is more ridiculous, the thought of a Time Magazine reported concocting a story to implicate the Cojuangcos and Saycon (both camps have strongly denied the veracity of Sindayen's story) or the idea that coup plotters actually invited a reporter to witness their plotting. Either way, truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
5. The Starbucks lightning rallies
A few days before March 3, 2006, I got in touch with friends and acquaintances from alternative law groups to obtain a copy of the petition filed by them in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Presidential Proclamation 1017. Naturally, aside from forwarding me the petitons, I also received emails regarding the planned rally by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Edsa Shrine. I also got emails from the mailing list of my undergrad org about the BlackFridayProtest movement which plans to hold lightning railles beginning on Friday, the same day as the IBP rally. The BlackFridayProtest is organized by the Black and White Movement which turns out to be the led by Enteng Romano, the e-mandirigma who led email info drive against Erap from the time of the scandals which started surfacing mid-2000, the impeachment which began November 2000, until it culminated in Edsa Dos in January 2001. Being part of the e-mandirigma mailing list of Enteng before, I decided to subscribe to the BlackFridayProtest mailing list which promised to give update where and when these lightning protests are.
Come Thursday, I got an email from the BlackFridayProtest mailing list. Lightning protests for Friday are to be held at any Starbucks cafe near you. Hmnn... my impression is this:
Gosh, it's so coño!
In fairness to them, who has access to email and would be ready to heed the call of an e-mandirigma? The yuppies of course. And what is the favorite hang-out of yuppies? Starbucks of course. Nothing wrong I suppose, it's just that they are indirectly enriching the Tantocos in the process (okay lang guwapo naman si Donnie) as the instructions were to order coffee in a straight line and linger for 30 minutes. Take note that Starbucks goers usually do not stay in Starbucks for just 30 minutes. I wonder if they ran out of coffee beans for the day?
Okay, okay! To silence critics, next time sa Jollibee dapat mag lightning protest ang BlackFridayProtest movement. Tapos sa palengke, at lahat sila bibili ng tig-iisang tingi na itlog... tapos ibabato nila sa picture ni GMA. Oops! Baka sabihin inciting to sedition ito. I better stop here.
6. GMA for GMA
I do not know what the hell she was thinking, having a one-on-one interview with Mike Enriquez and praising his ugly face, saying that GMA's credibility and veering away from seditious reporting is what makes them number one and far ahead of the number two. Nakakasuka. GMA better think twice before embracing GMA's praise lest they diminish the piercing effect of their walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan, walang kasinungalingan, serbisyong totoo lamang spiel. Well, maybe they can even lend it to her and maybe that will make her number one too.
Ang pikon ay laging talo.
--------------
Endnotes:
Bituing Walang Ningning was shown in theaters in 1985, so Imee must have sneaked away from her dad's presidential campaign just to see the movie.
The BlackFridayProtest movement should have required protesters to order black coffee only. Afterall, it's lent.
Tingting Cojuangco claimed that what Mikee actually served were tuna sandwiches and not chicken and they were not in abundance as they were China's left overs. Geesh. They serve leftovers to guests?!
From February 24, 2006 to March 3, 2006, I put to halt any plans to go out with friends and have fun. Why? The President has declared a State of Emergency that's why, and whatever thoughts I might have on the plausibility and probabilities of the stories afloat during that time, I did not take a chance at exposing myself to harm. There was danger indeed but the possible danger is not only from what the government had identified as dangerous. The danger is from dangerous minds.
Towards the end of last year, I posted Table 25 about my thoughts on what to do with Gloria. Essentially, I said nothing. Nothing should be done about Gloria. Something had to be done with ourselves. That post was overtaken by recent events last week. Let me clearly state on the outset that I am not pro-Gloria. In fact, I abhor her. Nonetheless, I do not want her ousted through a military coup but I will certainly not hate military coup plotters if they succeed in doing so, especially if their reasons are out of sheer frustration due to the ignominy of being in complicity with election rigging that she has inflicted on them.
Gloria Arroyo's acts and the acts of her minions the past week was taken by me as, borrowing from Teddy Te's words, a personal insult and an insult to the legal institution to which I belong. I hate the way she harassed and has been harassing the media, specifically ABS-CBN (the nerve of Mike Defensor to ask Henry Omaga Diaz to stop covering the Marines standoff), and I hate the way she, and once indefinitely suspended from the practice of law (in)Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez refers to party list solons as subversive, as if being subversive was a crime when in fact, it is no longer a crime as the anti-subversion law has been repealed. I hate the greed and thirst for power I see in her eyes. I did not like what happened last week.
But let me stop there. Last week's events elicited not only feelings of contempt and one sleepless, dreamful night (Sunday night, it was); it also elicited amusement and yes, I'd say some were outright hilarious. These are a few notable comic reliefs from last week's brouhaha:
1. Martial Law na ba?
AFP Chief of Staff Generoso Senga, on several occasions during interview, referred to Presidential Proclamation No. 1017 as "Proclamation 1081".
Now that's what you call an honest to goodness slip of the tongue.
2. "Madame President, you're a second rate, trying hard copy cat!" - Imee Marcos
As in, "Whhat?!" I never thought I'd live the day to hear Imee Marcos say something like that. Considering her known antogonism towards GMA and her declaration of State of Emergency, saying GMA is a copy cat of her dad, in whatever way she meant that (if indeed she had actually put some thought before saying it) , is outright laughable. Well, truth is GMA seems to be "Marcosian" these days and the word Marcosian has been used by so many people before Imee blurted her "copy cat" line but the impact is just so different, the words coming from her.
All I can say is, napanood nya din ang Bituing Walang Ningning?!
3. Ang mga Langaw - BOW!
(Subtitled, Ang Queribin na Walang Langit)
My Sunday habit of watching The Buzz was interrupted just as Boy Abunda was interviewing Ruffa Gutierrez-Bektas to give way to Ricky Carandang's live report from the Marines Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio where Col. Arnel Querubin with a batallion of in full battle gear Marines accompanied by Simbas and other military vehicles that those who cannot distinguish generically call "tanks". Col. Querubin was obviously upset about his commandant's being relieved but it was also clear that he was annoyed at the swarm of, not flies, but reporters hounding him wherever he goes. At one point he asked them to clear because he was supposed to give orders to his men who were in formation. Expectedly, none of the reporters heeded his plea, as if falling on deaf ears. And so Querubin turned to the left and his entourage of reporters moved along with him. Para talaga silang mga bangaw! I say, GMA should thank the media for if not for them, Querubin could have commaned them to aim their guns at her and fire away.
4. Mikee and the coup-plotters
When my friend Oli first told me about it, I thought it was a joke but indeed, in a matter of hours, it seems everyone else is talking about the alleged coup-plotting.
In a Time Magazine article by Brian Walsh dated February 24, 2006, he narrates the account of Nelly Sindayen, Time Magazine correspondent since 1971, who claims to be have been present at the house of Peping Cojuangco who was plotting to overthrow the government along with Boy Saycon, both of which Sindayen heard conversing with Capt. Danny Lim and a U.S. Embassy Official. The story was so detailed as to mention that chicken sandwiches were served by none other than Peping's daughter Mikee. I do not know which is more ridiculous, the thought of a Time Magazine reported concocting a story to implicate the Cojuangcos and Saycon (both camps have strongly denied the veracity of Sindayen's story) or the idea that coup plotters actually invited a reporter to witness their plotting. Either way, truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
5. The Starbucks lightning rallies
A few days before March 3, 2006, I got in touch with friends and acquaintances from alternative law groups to obtain a copy of the petition filed by them in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Presidential Proclamation 1017. Naturally, aside from forwarding me the petitons, I also received emails regarding the planned rally by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Edsa Shrine. I also got emails from the mailing list of my undergrad org about the BlackFridayProtest movement which plans to hold lightning railles beginning on Friday, the same day as the IBP rally. The BlackFridayProtest is organized by the Black and White Movement which turns out to be the led by Enteng Romano, the e-mandirigma who led email info drive against Erap from the time of the scandals which started surfacing mid-2000, the impeachment which began November 2000, until it culminated in Edsa Dos in January 2001. Being part of the e-mandirigma mailing list of Enteng before, I decided to subscribe to the BlackFridayProtest mailing list which promised to give update where and when these lightning protests are.
Come Thursday, I got an email from the BlackFridayProtest mailing list. Lightning protests for Friday are to be held at any Starbucks cafe near you. Hmnn... my impression is this:
Gosh, it's so coño!
In fairness to them, who has access to email and would be ready to heed the call of an e-mandirigma? The yuppies of course. And what is the favorite hang-out of yuppies? Starbucks of course. Nothing wrong I suppose, it's just that they are indirectly enriching the Tantocos in the process (okay lang guwapo naman si Donnie) as the instructions were to order coffee in a straight line and linger for 30 minutes. Take note that Starbucks goers usually do not stay in Starbucks for just 30 minutes. I wonder if they ran out of coffee beans for the day?
Okay, okay! To silence critics, next time sa Jollibee dapat mag lightning protest ang BlackFridayProtest movement. Tapos sa palengke, at lahat sila bibili ng tig-iisang tingi na itlog... tapos ibabato nila sa picture ni GMA. Oops! Baka sabihin inciting to sedition ito. I better stop here.
6. GMA for GMA
I do not know what the hell she was thinking, having a one-on-one interview with Mike Enriquez and praising his ugly face, saying that GMA's credibility and veering away from seditious reporting is what makes them number one and far ahead of the number two. Nakakasuka. GMA better think twice before embracing GMA's praise lest they diminish the piercing effect of their walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan, walang kasinungalingan, serbisyong totoo lamang spiel. Well, maybe they can even lend it to her and maybe that will make her number one too.
Ang pikon ay laging talo.
--------------
Endnotes:
Bituing Walang Ningning was shown in theaters in 1985, so Imee must have sneaked away from her dad's presidential campaign just to see the movie.
The BlackFridayProtest movement should have required protesters to order black coffee only. Afterall, it's lent.
Tingting Cojuangco claimed that what Mikee actually served were tuna sandwiches and not chicken and they were not in abundance as they were China's left overs. Geesh. They serve leftovers to guests?!
Labels: Current Events, Politics
posted by wernicke @ 6:49:00 PM
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