I caught only a small part of yesterday afternoon’s Senate Blue Ribbon probe into the Venable contract, but judging from the news clips I saw later at night, it may well have been the most revealing moment. Inadvertently revealing, that is.
At one point in the hearing, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales Jr. tried to divert the senators’ attention away from the controversial contract and toward the even more controversial FBI files, the ones allegedly downloaded from the computer network on a US military base. Some of the confidential documents included detailed US embassy readings of the Philippine political situation.
Sen. Joker Arroyo, the committee chair, chided Gonzales for bringing the matter up, and out of context as it were. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. would know this, Arroyo said, but when we were in the anti-Marcos struggle, in the opposition, we also got assurances from the US embassy that they would help us. But those were during the Martial Law days, Arroyo continued. The conditions (for needing US support) have changed.
Then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile butted in. May I just state for the record, said the administrator of Martial Law and (towards the end of Marcos rule) the guiding spirit of the military reform movement, that we never talked to the Americans. We (meaning the military reformists who finally launched a coup against the dictator) never asked for US support.
From what I understand, Enrile was being stingy with the truth. Or perhaps he was referring to later coup attempts by military reformists, not the first, failed, one that led to Edsa I. Who knows? But the reality is: 33 years to the day Martial Law was declared, its legacy continues to haunt us.
In yesterday’s hearing, Enrile, Arroyo, and Pimentel — members of Cory Aquino’s first Cabinet, in their own way and in varying degrees responsible for the fall of Marcos — sat on one side. Gonzales, another leading member of the original anti-Marcos opposition, sat on the other. Between them the elephant in the room slumbered; I mean the still troubling, troubled issue of Marcos’s real legacy: a fractious, maybe ultimately ungovernable, polity.
He had corrupted Philippine society to such an unimaginable degree that we continue today to labor under the burden he placed on us: a crippling debt, a military that has had a taste of life outside the barracks, scorched-earth politics. Worse, he has shown us, even in death, that crime does pay, that the real purpose of Goebbels’ Big Lie (at which he was a past master) is in fact Big Crime. (The rule of law is for petty criminals, and those with insufficient connections.)
That particular exchange in the Senate yesterday, between the administrator of Martial Law and the first lawyer to question the legal basis of military rule, turned out, inadvertently, to be a moment of truth. The truth why our politics continues to be rancorous and divisive is the lack of resolution in, and clear responsibility for, our recent history. We have yet to fully come to terms with the dictatorship and its life-denying legacy.
John Nery | Newsstand 
You got it right. Marcos worsened the corrupt system and this was continued by the others, though less in velocity. The present one is trying to outdo Marcos in corrupting the system by accelerating the pace. How much more the system can take? Your guess is as good as mine.
As for the 33 years of martial law, a very interesting note–there are 33 “puppies” named for the charter change commission.
Here is the additional irony: as one of the leaders of the social democrats, Norberto Gonzales helped in forming the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) whose stalwarts included Aquilino Pimentel. Now Pimentel is cozy with Enrile (who was his prison overseer by virtue of being Marcos’ defense chief) and Estrada (a Marcos loyalist), while Gonzales plays wise guy to Gloria Arroyo who once had ties with the CPP’s united front body, and which hated the soc-dems for their “clerico fascism.” What a wacky world the political spectrum has become!
One thing that appears steady though: Jinggoy has never deviated from his role as class clown.
To the question of whether Bert Gonzales is qualified to be national security adviser let me add this input.
Sometime in 2002, three suspected Indonesian terrorists, including the late Fathur Roman al Ghozi were arrested by authorities for suspicion of terrorism.
Gonzales, who has extensive contacts in the Muslim community in Southeast Asia, was lobbying strenuosly for the release of one of the suspects, Agus Dwikarna.
If you do the research on Dwikarna, you’ll see that there was ample reason to detain him. Despite this Gonzales was actually pressuring GMA to release him at the behest of some of his militant friends in Indonesia.
jojo, i think you got it wrong. nene is not cozing up with enrile. he may have personal ties with erap but he showed his objectivity in the erap trial by voting for the envelope opening.
as for what is happening, you can see that the whole system is rotten. everyone is in there for their own self-enrichment. that is why you have strange alliances.
adding to your list: tiglao (cpp) with gloria (trapo family) with jdv (marcos loyalist), the list goes on and on. weird groupings to say the least.
that is why our country will eventually collapse.
RT, you’re right: Johnny has indeed distanced himself from Nene. The latter does continue to play footsies with Ping, Loi, Jinggoy and Jambi. The wacky poltical marriages (and divorces) do continue although I am not sure if Pilipinas will “eventually collapse.” I doubt this can happen since migrant workers and professionals like myself continue to send money home.
I hate it when fellow filipinos say this country will collapse. For sure it will survive all of us writing comments on John’s blogs. Get your story right – it’s the president, the system, and the people who are both actively engaging in maintaining and dismantling it that are ROTTEN and BLOATED TO THE CORE.
That’s where you should be concentrating on righting the wrong. Not making patently pessimistic and disrespectful opinions about the rest of the country. What do you know nga ba?
I have done work in the country side for a lot of poor people. I can honestly say, malayong malayo ang mahihirap ng Maynila sa Mindanao or Visayas. We have a lot of third class municipalities.
Do you know how hard life is for them?
Only so much money for two kilos of rice and sugar? How do they get it? by doing a two day trek up and down two mountains and then back. Most of them have never seen a doctor or dentist in their lives, they have no running water unless you count the rivers or seas where they defecate and destroy our marine life.
Dont’- it’s disrespectful, its demeaning and it shows your ignorance. The Philippines will survive Arroyo as it did Marcos.
The only question you should be busy answering instead of grandstanding like our politicians on ANC. is : what part will you play? Instead of dishing out clever but misguided comments like that. Country collapse?
Mylene has a right to be angry. Unfortunately, some of her comments are misplaced. Simply because she has “done work in the country side for a lot of poor people” does not place her in a higher moral and political pedestal from where she then to scold people. In the first place, she knows nothing of the other discussants and their fortunes. As our Pinoy Maoists are wont to remind us (alas an advise they are also the first to violate): no investigation, no right to speak. Or to revise it a bit: no investigation, no right to scold. Perhaps Mylene can delve more on who these purveyors of our dark future are and what do they do. She might be in for some suprise. Heck some of them may be members of the poor she’s worked for.
Last I heard we are still a democracy and people have the right to express their opinions and assessments of life, institutions, leaders. What I enjoy the most in John’s blog is that many of these evaluations are intelligent and educational, albeit sometimes pointed.
Hence to accuse people of grandstanding is not only a mark of laziness (prefering ad hominem to argument; mistaking people’s opinion with politicians’ bombasts and lies). It also borders dangerously on the autocratic.
I implore Mylene to continue directing her anger and self-righteousness on those in power (presidential and opposition), but spend her intellectual energies and smart insights in discussions groups like this.
I do not place myself in a higher moral and political pedestal. I simply stated my experiences to let you know that life as we know it is vastly different for each and every filipino, mostly those in the mountains who number 80million.
Nor do I imply – I state what I mean exactly as it is. You took what little there was and twisted it.
I state things as I see them. I do not use latin phrases, outmoded literacy devices or terms suited to the early 80s’, when its’ unnecessary to do so.
I like John’s blog for several reasons. he knows what he’s talking about and he stands by it. In the event, mali sya, he apologizes. Lastly, any foreign word,phrase, or term he has used is never extraneous. They’ve captured the thought and brought better clarity.
The same can not be said of what you’ve written.
I’m sorry – John. It’s just I’m really tired of a lot of blogs saying the Pilipino People are pathetic.
I’m not. But I will not settle for a caretaker gov’t.
I will struggle along with Noli De CAstro or whoever is constitutionally next in line as president.
Here’s the thing – just because the opposition hasn’t gotten their act together – that’s no reason to call the rest of us, who are waiting for our politicians to grow up ‘pathetic’ or predict this country will collapse.
Unfortunately, Mylene, you do think of yourself as being in a superior position because of your place of work — the countryside. Let me reprint what you said above — and note the order of the paragraphs to underscore our failings and your strength:
(“That’s where you should be concentrating on righting the wrong. Not making patently pessimistic and disrespectful opinions about the rest of the country. What do you know nga ba?…I have done work in the country side for a lot of poor people. I can honestly say, malayong malayo ang mahihirap ng Maynila sa Mindanao or Visayas. We have a lot of third class municipalities.”
Note that the irritated question “What do you know nga ba?” is then followed by your presentation of your work vita (“I have done work in the countryside…”). If that is not showing superiority, then Elvis has not really left the building yet.
I applaud your work with the poor, but I was hoping this act of communing with them also allows you some patience with us who choose to sympathize with the poor by criticizing the rich and powerful (I will assume here that you’re middle class since your statement says you “work with the poor” and are not “of the poor”).
And I if did commit a factual or analytical mistake regarding the country’s state of affairs, I’d appreciate if you point these out. Same with the stylistics: although I might contest you on that. Last I heard, young people still use phrases like “ad hominem” and at UP, Mao Tse Tung — as explained by the followers of Joema Sison — is still hip. All the best.
Read what you’ve just written Jojo – you are a product of your environment.
“Last I heard, young people still use phrases like “ad hominem” and at UP, Mao Tse Tung — as explained by the followers of Joema Sison — is still hip. ”
Anything spoken of as hip and cool in UP is therefore something the entire youth of the Phils. understands? It won’t confuse other young college students living in Batanes, Zamboanga? Cagayan de Oro? Davao?
Jojo – wash off those pretentious words you have bubbling up and talk like the rest of us.
Those very sentences you wrote are asinine observations. Very much in the vein of what you have concluded about me.
Here’s my simple point – which you keep insisting makes me superior. No one, not the president or her advisors, or the opposition or those who wonder when we will march again – should write the silent majority off. Like I said, find a viable set of alternatives,proofs and a leader to take over. present these to us. e But don’t count us out of the game.
and my last piece of advice to you psuedo psychologist, cum detective. you would have fared better if you had asked me. NOT ASSUME.
isn’t that irritating? Also when you talk to me – talk to me. Don’t patronize me. State your case and point.
All you’ve done is imply, call me names, conclude i’m this or that. Ah – middle class (sleuth ka pa ngayon?) and obfuscating tactics.
Simply talk.
Well, Mylene, if you go around the pro-Sison lefwting circles in Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and Davao (I doubt about Batanes, too small), you will notice that the LFS grouplets and their fraternal allies devour Joema and Mao a lot. So imagine the kind of illusions/myths these vanguards of the proletariat spread once they move to the countryside and discuss life with the poor.
Again, please point out where I was mistaken as regards analyses and evaluations. And I want to know which words and phrases are “asinine,” “pretentious,” pseudo-psychological and detective. More importantly, I’d like to know why you chose such puzzling adjectives.
I do find interesting you now making claims of being part of a silent majority and wonder what “you” (in the generic sense) of the silent majority want to do. Also I want to know how to join the silent majority — your majority. For it seems to be a huge group composed of people who will surprise everyone — including themselves — by “march[ing] again.” Although it may be wise to also say that this is the same group that, if given the opportunity, will fly out of the country (some, again).
The question of “a viable set of alternatives,proofs and a leader to take over,” as you put it is not my purview. It’s the specialty of political organizers, politicians, revolutionaries, technocrats, etc. So you — as spokesperson of the silent majority — will have to demand that from them.
Finalmente: I reiterate my suggestion. Refocus your “silent” anger and sense of moral superiority to those in power and their opponents. Not to hapless denizens of the web like us who think under these folks the country will not prosper. Best regards pa rin…
This has all been about you:). It really wasn’t anything that I said that set you off, it was just a chance for you to show off.
All I have asked you to do – is ask me: Why did you said that Mylene?
But you continue to run on and on and on.
I have learned nothing from this discourse with you, which just proves an empty tin can makes the most noise:).
Do carry on Jojo. But I can not continue to dialogue with an empty tin can. It does me no good.
You’ve veered far from the topic:).
I agree, Mylene. Let’s go back to the topic at hand: the wacky reconfiguration of political affiliations by those who were first politicized under martial law (which you seem to know nothing about, going by your post).
Let me make this slight correction to your prose, though: “Why did you said that Mylene” is grammatically wrong. It should be “Why did you SAY that Mylene.”
All the best 🙂
Oh, boy. I am sorry this comment thread got all tangled up. Like I said, I keep this blog in part to think through ideas with close readers like you, Jojo and Mylene. To write for an intelligent and engaged audience: what more can a writer ask for?
My, I think I do understand what you’re saying. Your sense of frustration is almost palpable; your anger at those who blithely predict the country will collapse is thick, almost viscuous. But it was an anonymous commenter by the name of RT who made that prediction. Unfortunately, when the going got tough, he was nowhere to be seen.
Mylene, i think this is the only way i can reach you, what a place to post a message huh?!, hahahha hope this message reaches you .. if you still remember me, pls write junquinio@hotmail.com …