The CBCP spoke but people might not notice

In case people do not notice, the CBCP said something yesterday (CBCP Statement). Most notably though is that they DID NOT ask PGMA to resign. Instead they ask her to lead the anti-corruption crusade.

And in case people do not notice, the CBCP also said:

..."Condemn... corruption from top to bottom of our political and social ladder." Obviously, the bishops does not emphasize ONLY corruption in the office of the President, but everywhere it is. This is in direct contrast to current protestations focused only on the highest position.

..."Appeal to our senators and the ombudsman to use their distinct and different powers of inquiry into alleged corruption cases not for their own interests but for the common good" Obviously, the bishops thought that the senators are not doing this for the common good. On the other hand, they fear that the Ombudsman might do an investigation only in behalf of PGMA.

..."Call on media to be a positive resource of seeking the truth and combating corruption by objective reporting without bias and partiality, selective and tendentious reporting of facts" Obviously, the bishops thought that our mass media is bias and selective.

Now, is there anything clearer than that?

I am sure though that everyone will notice the Bishops' call for the repeal of EO464 and their urging of PGMA to allow her people to tell all. But again, not anyone might notice the little hesitation of the bishops when they refer to "the "appropriate" investigating bodies" meaning there are some questions on the appropriateness of the senate hearing.

But of course, I am talking about the mass media and the senators who would naturally say that the bishops "rebuke" PGMA but would not say they received some words from the bishops too.

Some people deeply misses Cardinal Sin. I am sure they miss only the part when the Cardinal ask the people to go to the streets. However, I am also sure that people will forget the reasons the CBCP issues statements in the first place.

Sadly, it is but easy not to hear when the good Cardinal is speaking.

Sadly, the truth

These days, truth has become such a depleted word. Everyone is practically calling for the truth to come out - the mass media, the senators, everyone… But can we not notice that among those that are shouting for truth are the people whom we all know live and breath lies?

I remember Jun Lozada, when asked by Sen. Santiago, said that he himself is not entirely clean, which is a milder way of saying he himself is corrupt. Now, people say that that is proof Lozada is telling the truth. He is willing to tell all, even to the extent of incriminating himself about his own sins. It takes courage to admit one’s own guilt. Or did he, did he really incriminate himself? How much did he say is he bound to earn from this ZTE deal? How much he say did he receive from the railway project? How much did he say he received from all the projects and contracts of the Phil. Forest agency which he served? Or is he still really just that “Probinsyanong Intsik”?

Lozada said that in government, there is this SOP for every project. We all understand what he meant: that for every government project, there is a standard kick-back. Lozada said something like 10% as the going rate. But didn’t we all believe that the standard is 20%? To this, the senators did not react. They did not agree nor disagree. Their silence obviously mean they believe Lozada. But they cannot agree openly. They themselves have their own projects and are also influential in many other government projects. Surely, and we all believe, these senators gain from all the projects where they exert influence. Now, are the senators – the same senators who demand for truth – also ready to tell the truth about kickbacks of their own?

I am sure Lozada knows more than what he is saying. I am sure he knows all the inner workings of corruption (I am sure he doesn’t need Neri to tell him those). I am also sure that the Senators know how it is to get a kickback from a project. I am sure they know who among them profit from projects and even laws that they pass. I am sure even the mass media knows who among them are paid hacks. Indeed, they all really know the truth.

Indeed, the truth that is being demanded now is only that truth that will bring the President down. If the truth will border on one’s own interests, those truths are impertinent. And that is the reason why PGMA is still around, she is assured of her lifeline. Not anyone can really tell all without pointing to himself as well.

This is much the same way as in the Hello Garci scandal. We all heard (and we all believe that it is her) PGMA talk to Commissioner Garcillano. But the only way to really verify those recordings is to get to the original uncut version. Of course no one can come open with that uncut version lest everyone will fall with her. We can only conclude that perhaps all politicians, both in the administration and the opposition, will be heard to have talked to Garci over the same phone in a not very honorable manner.

So now, while everyone is shouting for truth, the poorest still die little by little of hunger. Sadly for them, many other well meaning people who use to think even only of small steps to help got distracted into joining the lively chorus, which could make the weakest among us die faster.

Careful What to Wish For

With so much noise about corruption in the executive branch, many people now wish for PGMA to resign. Still more would like to see PGMA go, even by force of people power if she would not resign.

I am sure people power alone will not make the President resign. From past examples, we can conclude that a President may be forced to go only when he/she does not anymore have the support of the chain of command of the military. Erap ran when Angelo Reyes and the rest of the military jumped shipped. Marcos went away when his General Ver is not anymore obeyed by anyone.

Is this really what we wish for? Do we really like to go through that process, again, and again? And, do we really like the military establishment be the ultimate judge as to who should or should not go?

Imagine the scenario after PGMA is forced out. Should we let Noli De Castro be President? Shouldn’t he go, too? Or, let us say that Noli became President, does it mean that we succeeded in killing corruption? And in case we got Noli to go too, should Senate President Villar be our President, or Speaker Nograles, or Chief Justice Puno? Do we really want to overhaul the whole government, when surely the same brand of politics will eventually run it?

We have been through this path too much already, and we are not nearer our dream of having a better country. In fact this time, it is really like we are wishing to jump from the pan into the fire. Just look at the people who are waiting in to grab whatever is left of our country, the communists, the jihadists, and worst, the political opportunists.

“But it is the right and only thing to do”, some may argue. “PGMA is corrupt and should resign! We cannot let a President go away with what is wrong. This has got to stop. It is our moral obligation to act!

Oh yeah? Tell me, what have we done to rid our country of corruption? Have you and I not paid that policeman to get away with our petty violation? Have you and I not turned that blind eye to that small time public official who won the elections only by cheating? Haven’t you and I turned that same blind eye to that doctor who wouldn’t issue you a receipt? Have you and I not bought that pirated DVD or that fake shirt from greenhills?

And now that we think that the President is robbing us in a grand scale (we do not even have enough proof that could stand in court), we want our country to turn upside down, hell break loose, come what may?

It is so easy for anyone to be self-righteous when surely one have food to eat tomorrow, not thinking that even the smallest economic step-back we take has deadly consequence to the most vulnerable – the poor. No I am not referring to that Erap type of masa who wait for dole-outs from their favorite politicians, but the really poor who may die tonight from hunger. They are there, old people and children alike, under that bridge which we do not even notice. They could be just a few meters away from Ayala Blvd. for all we know.

A Dud

With much media fanfare and excitement over Jun Lozada’s arrival, “abduction” and press conference, his senate testimony bomb that is supposed to bring down the President, is turning out to be another dud. With everybody failing to ask the right questions, the testimony is reduced into something like a rehash but less exciting version of the JDV2 and Neri testimonies.

Everybody now knows that Jun Lozada went to HK to avoid making a testimony. But no one knows why he went back. Everyone knows that Lozada doesn’t want to be arrested by the senate while he has direct contacts with Neri, Atienza and Defensor, but he feels threatened by the military/police escorts provided him, escorts that let him text and call all he want while he is being “kidnapped” (also the same escorts that brought him to his family who was at the DLSU).

Everyone now knows that he is President of an agency that has something to do with forests and everyone is also surprised to learn that he is actually a telecommunications expert (as what the Inquirer and other news organizations want everyone to believe) advising Neri on the NBN contract. Yet now we learn that he could also be a railways transportation adviser to Neri. If he is a telecom expert then, what the heck is he doing as head of a forests agency and how can he be adviser to Neri on railways transport too?

Everyone saw the poor Chinese “probinsyano” guy who is also a member of Wack wack golf club and who self-admittedly say that he is indeed one of the boys who gain from government contracts but no one can understand why he turned in on the boys this time, unless one can believe that he suddenly felt a deep love for his country.

There are just too many questions Lozada was not made to answer, questions that should have been asked him before he could even utter a word, yet our mass media put him all over the headlines, and the senate made him into their main agenda.

And with Lozada’s testimony proving to be useless and the excitement will surely wane, what the Inquirer can only do is to add pizzazz by putting in exaggerations and their own opinions disguised as news into their headlines today:

The Inquirer bannered: “Palace tied to the abduction”, obviously trying to insinuate that that is the only conclusion when they have not established the “abduction” part yet. The Inquirer said as a subtitle to the headline: “Exec feared testimony could bring GMA down” even if the news itself did not say who is the Exec who feared that the Testimony could bring GMA down (the only closest reference to the subtitle is Atienza’s words warning Lozada that his testimony could be like handing GMA to the opposition, which is by the way part of his testimony). The Inquirer also said that “GMA men gang up on Lozada: Crying Lady”, when within the article only one person referred to Lozada’s tears. The same paper also said “Senate told funds for AFP, PNP diverted” and the reader will be awestruck by what gall the Inquirer have when the same news said that this is still a part of a comment made by Lozada which he is not even “sure” and which he has not a place as a “telecommunications expert” to comment on.

There is also a frontpage piece saying “How nuns outwitted Lozada’s cop escorts” obviously trying to put a heroic twist on the nuns in the face of danger, without even saying why there are still cop escorts there when they are not doing anything to avoid media from coming in. Lastly, there is a piece about “Guava Lesson”, giving a soft heart behind the sordid face of Lozada which is purely propaganda and has not anything to do with the expose.

Sadly, this is the Inquirer we used to look up to. The Inquirer now is nothing much more than the people who distributed text messages yesterday saying there are bombs planted around the Metro meant to divert attention.

Sadly, we are all controlled by people with vicious self interests and they were not even putting GMA down. I am sure, even knowingly, they were putting the whole country down.