Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Of Ineptocrats and Precariats (I'd rather be with the latter than the former)
I'm back to nitpick again.
A lot of political antics have taken place since I last wrote about ineptocrats in the local scene. Cha-Cha - no, not the dance move but the constitutional reform called Charter Change - was initiated by the clowns in the Congress led by then House Speaker "The Joker" Alvarez and now by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whose ascendancy to the speakership was nothing short of dramatic. And GMA, I'm certain, is more motivated than Alvarez in pushing for the shift as this will make her the prime minister. GMA still has a pending plunder case at the office of the Ombudsman, and if she becomes the PM we can definitely say ta-ta to that case.
Pro-admin lawmakers are eagerly finding ways to please Duterte, top of which is the changing of the Constitution mainly to adopt the federal form of government. Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno has been assigned by Duterte to head the consultative commission tasked to change the highest laws of the land. Apparently, Puno accepted it with a heavy heart because he knows how the shift to federalism can further spur political dynasties and their corrupt practices. In fact, Puno had recently threatened to withdraw his support for federalism should the anti-dynasty provision in the commission's draft is taken out by Congress.
As I've said in one of my previous posts, federalism is not the answer to our nation's woes. You put a new system of government to be run by the old timers - the trapos - and you're not going to improve things but derail everything instead. It's like buying a new bus but never replacing the people at the helm - people who never follow the rules of the land, who never care about the people they sideswipe, and who jump out of the window and abandon the passengers when the bus heads into a ditch.
As many critics of the system shift say, we do not need a new set of laws but strict enforcement of what we have at the moment. Strengthen the systems we have, especially the check and balance aspect of political governance, and punish those in the government who use their positions to empower and enrich themselves. A weak penal code - or the weak implementation of crime and punishment in the country - is the root of what debilitates us all. When politicians and criminals alike go unpunished or are only imposed with just a slap on the wrist for severe crimes such as bribery and corruption, we send out a wrong signal that it's okay to steal and abuse power. What we really need is a drastic paradigm shift.
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We're seeing it now and we've seen it before. Political vindictiveness has once again come to the fore magnified by the impeachment of Chief Justice Sereno. This is one of the main reasons why everything that we try to gain in one incumbency is quickly lost when a new leadership takes over. Appointees by previous administration are usually replaced by the incumbent and it usually doesn't matter if that appointee is doing a great work or not. I'm not saying the Sereno was the most competent for that position but it's obvious she was impeached by the House primarily because she's appointed by Benigno "PNoy" Aquino.
Almost every House and Senate inquiry and/or impeachment proceeding is endorsed by the ruling party. The former Chief Justice Corona and the subsequent hospital arrest of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during PNoy presidency was motivated by politics. Granted that there were indeed plunder and corruption committed, there was never any doubt that had it not been by the arm swing of PNoy, their cases would have been thrown out of the window because both Corona (who died in 2016) and GMA did have strong political clout. But such clout easily disengaged when the president of the land came a-calling.
But if ever there's one true role model of political and personal vindictiveness, I'd say Duterte would be It. The horrors our president has committed easily surpass Pennywise's predatory and maniacal tactics. Duterte's favorite letter is V, as in V for Vendetta. There's Sen. Leila De Lima, one of Duterte's most vocal critics, whose cases had been railroaded (and possibly invented) to put her behind bars and effectively gag her. Then there is the impeachment of CJ Sereno as well as the inquiry on the Mamasapano and the Dengvaxia fiascos. The last two, in my opinion, are being blown out of proportions and are being spun and slanted by Duterte et al to have some issues thrown against PNoy. I didn't vote for PNoy and I thought him to be a very indecisive and uncharismatic leader but I consider him (but not all of his Cabinet, please take note) to be one of the most incorruptible of our politicians, past and present. Duterte has read enough of Machiavelli to decide that "an injury has to be done" and that "it should be so severe" to avoid retaliation so he's dumping all these issues on PNoy with the intent of shackling the former president.
Of course, retaliatory attacks against Duterte will not happen during his presidency - that's not how things work around here. Wait until his term is up (provided he's unable to extend it through Cha-Cha), and then the issues that would confront him are the EJKs (extra-judicial killings), his family's alleged involvement in rice and drug smuggling, and the Marawi Siege (a riposte to Mamasapano). What goes around, comes around.
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I went to SM a few weeks ago, and I noticed these two chairs. They may just be ordinary plastic chairs but what caught my attention was the writing in them: "For Resting Employees".
SM employees are the poster people of unfair labor practices belonging to the social group called precariats. Precariats, I just learned, are individuals whose lives are "precarious" because their employment status provides them with so little security, financially and/or ethically speaking.
SM is notorious for the "endo" (short for end of contract) employment scheme, which basically relates to contractualization wherein employees are hired on a short-term basis (usually six months) so that companies can avoid paying for health and other insurance benefits. SM employees, especially the sales ladies, are one of the most abused groups of local precariats - working long hours and were previously not allowed to sit down during their shift while wearing high heeled shoes. These chairs are signs that the giant retail company is finally taking notice of the complaints voiced out by their own employees and concerned citizens. And there has been news that SM plans to regularize 10,000 employees this year, and I hope this will push through.
A lot of political antics have taken place since I last wrote about ineptocrats in the local scene. Cha-Cha - no, not the dance move but the constitutional reform called Charter Change - was initiated by the clowns in the Congress led by then House Speaker "The Joker" Alvarez and now by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whose ascendancy to the speakership was nothing short of dramatic. And GMA, I'm certain, is more motivated than Alvarez in pushing for the shift as this will make her the prime minister. GMA still has a pending plunder case at the office of the Ombudsman, and if she becomes the PM we can definitely say ta-ta to that case.
Pro-admin lawmakers are eagerly finding ways to please Duterte, top of which is the changing of the Constitution mainly to adopt the federal form of government. Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno has been assigned by Duterte to head the consultative commission tasked to change the highest laws of the land. Apparently, Puno accepted it with a heavy heart because he knows how the shift to federalism can further spur political dynasties and their corrupt practices. In fact, Puno had recently threatened to withdraw his support for federalism should the anti-dynasty provision in the commission's draft is taken out by Congress.
As I've said in one of my previous posts, federalism is not the answer to our nation's woes. You put a new system of government to be run by the old timers - the trapos - and you're not going to improve things but derail everything instead. It's like buying a new bus but never replacing the people at the helm - people who never follow the rules of the land, who never care about the people they sideswipe, and who jump out of the window and abandon the passengers when the bus heads into a ditch.
As many critics of the system shift say, we do not need a new set of laws but strict enforcement of what we have at the moment. Strengthen the systems we have, especially the check and balance aspect of political governance, and punish those in the government who use their positions to empower and enrich themselves. A weak penal code - or the weak implementation of crime and punishment in the country - is the root of what debilitates us all. When politicians and criminals alike go unpunished or are only imposed with just a slap on the wrist for severe crimes such as bribery and corruption, we send out a wrong signal that it's okay to steal and abuse power. What we really need is a drastic paradigm shift.
--------------------------
We're seeing it now and we've seen it before. Political vindictiveness has once again come to the fore magnified by the impeachment of Chief Justice Sereno. This is one of the main reasons why everything that we try to gain in one incumbency is quickly lost when a new leadership takes over. Appointees by previous administration are usually replaced by the incumbent and it usually doesn't matter if that appointee is doing a great work or not. I'm not saying the Sereno was the most competent for that position but it's obvious she was impeached by the House primarily because she's appointed by Benigno "PNoy" Aquino.
Almost every House and Senate inquiry and/or impeachment proceeding is endorsed by the ruling party. The former Chief Justice Corona and the subsequent hospital arrest of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during PNoy presidency was motivated by politics. Granted that there were indeed plunder and corruption committed, there was never any doubt that had it not been by the arm swing of PNoy, their cases would have been thrown out of the window because both Corona (who died in 2016) and GMA did have strong political clout. But such clout easily disengaged when the president of the land came a-calling.
But if ever there's one true role model of political and personal vindictiveness, I'd say Duterte would be It. The horrors our president has committed easily surpass Pennywise's predatory and maniacal tactics. Duterte's favorite letter is V, as in V for Vendetta. There's Sen. Leila De Lima, one of Duterte's most vocal critics, whose cases had been railroaded (and possibly invented) to put her behind bars and effectively gag her. Then there is the impeachment of CJ Sereno as well as the inquiry on the Mamasapano and the Dengvaxia fiascos. The last two, in my opinion, are being blown out of proportions and are being spun and slanted by Duterte et al to have some issues thrown against PNoy. I didn't vote for PNoy and I thought him to be a very indecisive and uncharismatic leader but I consider him (but not all of his Cabinet, please take note) to be one of the most incorruptible of our politicians, past and present. Duterte has read enough of Machiavelli to decide that "an injury has to be done" and that "it should be so severe" to avoid retaliation so he's dumping all these issues on PNoy with the intent of shackling the former president.
Of course, retaliatory attacks against Duterte will not happen during his presidency - that's not how things work around here. Wait until his term is up (provided he's unable to extend it through Cha-Cha), and then the issues that would confront him are the EJKs (extra-judicial killings), his family's alleged involvement in rice and drug smuggling, and the Marawi Siege (a riposte to Mamasapano). What goes around, comes around.
--------------------------
I went to SM a few weeks ago, and I noticed these two chairs. They may just be ordinary plastic chairs but what caught my attention was the writing in them: "For Resting Employees".
SM is notorious for the "endo" (short for end of contract) employment scheme, which basically relates to contractualization wherein employees are hired on a short-term basis (usually six months) so that companies can avoid paying for health and other insurance benefits. SM employees, especially the sales ladies, are one of the most abused groups of local precariats - working long hours and were previously not allowed to sit down during their shift while wearing high heeled shoes. These chairs are signs that the giant retail company is finally taking notice of the complaints voiced out by their own employees and concerned citizens. And there has been news that SM plans to regularize 10,000 employees this year, and I hope this will push through.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
10 English Words That Have Alternative Meanings in the Philippines
Every language has its own special quirks. Take for example Tuyuca, an indigenous language spoken by merely 1,000 people in Colombia and Northwestern Brazil. One noteworthy quirk of this language is that it has up to 140 genders! Talk about gender confusion. In the Philippines, we do have peculiar ways of messing up with our mother tongue and other languages such as, in this particular list, the English language. This is a must-read for those who want to vacation in the country and, please, make a special note of the last word because it could mean life or death for you. Serious.
9. Double Deck
A double deck is not a bus in the Philippines but a bunk bed.
8. High Blood
This term must not necessarily be taken as a medical emergency when you're in the Philippines. Filipinos use this both as an adjective and a verb, which could mean "super irritated or angry" or "going ballistic".
7. Racket
This word refers to a sports implement or "ruckus" in English, but we Pinoys use it to refer to a "sideline" or a scheme/plan to earn extra income.
6. Bedspace
Bedspace is defined as "a portion of a shared bed where one person sleeps" or "a space in which an individual bed is or is intended to be placed". In the Philippines, it means a single room rented out to at least two people. A bedspacer usually occupies and/or shares a bunk bed for cheaper rent.
5. Adidas/Betamax/Helmet
If your Filipino host tells you that he's going to buy you Adidas, it doesn't necessarily mean he's buying you a new pair of kicks. He'd probably take you down the street to treat you with a fave Filipino street food called "adidas" which is actually chicken feet BBQ. And usually alongside adidas are betamax (curdled and cubed chicken blood) and helmet (chicken head), both are also barbecued then dunk by customers in a soy sauce + vinegar dip. Palamig (coconut juice) is optional.
4. Dirty Ice Cream
Please, don't take this literally. This doesn't mean that you're licking on a really dirty ice cream when you try to cool down in the Philippines. What you're actually eating is not the commercial ice cream that you get from the supermarkets or groceries but the homemade kind peddled by the sorbetero on the streets.
3. Comfort Room (CR)
When you're in the Philippines and you really, really need to use the toilet, just ask for the comfort room or (better yet) the CR. Do not use "bathroom" or "washroom" to avoid confusion and to prevent you from dumping something (yikes!) in inappropriate places.
2. Chancing
Chance means "by accident", but in the Philippine context "chancing" means quite the opposite. It means one (usually a guy) has the intent to touch someone playfully or inappropriately. This could be a play on the phrase "grabbing the chance" to touch a girl. This term (this is just my theory) could be a blend word for chance and dancing. Chancing became part of Pinoys' vocabulary around 1980's (maybe even earlier), a period when girls were considered to be more conservative and parents more strict and that the only chance a guy could touch his girl then would be during dances.
1. Salvage
This word gets the most twisted twist in the Philippines. Salvage is defined as "to save or to rescue". Shockingly, in the Philippines, this word could mean to kill or murder. This term and its macabre meaning came into use during the Marcos regime referring to victims of summary executions (now called extrajudicial killings or EJKs). There are quite a few theories of how this word gained a gruesome meaning in the country. One theory says the term came from the pseudo-anglicism of the Spanish word "salvaje" which translates to "wild, feral, or barbaric". Another theory is that it came from the English word "savage", which aptly describes how the victims are killed as they are usually bound and tortured. Or it could have evolved from media reports, i.e. "the victim's body was salvaged from a river", as victims are sometimes dumped into rivers and roadsides. The phrase "salvage victim/s" is still widely used by mainstream media in the Philippines.
10. Napkin
In the Philippines, this word is associated with the feminine hygiene pad. So if you're in a restaurant, it is better to specifically request for a "table napkin" or a "tissue" from your waitress.
9. Double Deck
A double deck is not a bus in the Philippines but a bunk bed.
8. High Blood
This term must not necessarily be taken as a medical emergency when you're in the Philippines. Filipinos use this both as an adjective and a verb, which could mean "super irritated or angry" or "going ballistic".
7. Racket
This word refers to a sports implement or "ruckus" in English, but we Pinoys use it to refer to a "sideline" or a scheme/plan to earn extra income.
6. Bedspace
Bedspace is defined as "a portion of a shared bed where one person sleeps" or "a space in which an individual bed is or is intended to be placed". In the Philippines, it means a single room rented out to at least two people. A bedspacer usually occupies and/or shares a bunk bed for cheaper rent.
5. Adidas/Betamax/Helmet
If your Filipino host tells you that he's going to buy you Adidas, it doesn't necessarily mean he's buying you a new pair of kicks. He'd probably take you down the street to treat you with a fave Filipino street food called "adidas" which is actually chicken feet BBQ. And usually alongside adidas are betamax (curdled and cubed chicken blood) and helmet (chicken head), both are also barbecued then dunk by customers in a soy sauce + vinegar dip. Palamig (coconut juice) is optional.
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Pinoys' helmets offer no protection at all for your head. (Image source: https://mygreatplates.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/exotic-street-food-chicken-head-helmet-ibaan-batangas-lutong-ibaan-taga-ibaan-ako-dennis-toreja-perez-1.jpg?w=470&h=313) |
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Adidas: These shoes are not fit for your feet.
(Image source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEY-s-lzTdwbsEiX4eJMYJRY3apUKOiLgaBV0gook02gpBSEffD4pTqWxHvsv18ZhD7tJVARKkBWEGdsx2XUisdz-6UhRPy9DRa28kmGdzBULIkPK8A4y-qWAzhiD3hv1YBA5wr363YnY/s1600/20027.jpg)
 (Image source: http://www.toursnfoods.com/7-must-try-street-food-philippines) |
4. Dirty Ice Cream
Please, don't take this literally. This doesn't mean that you're licking on a really dirty ice cream when you try to cool down in the Philippines. What you're actually eating is not the commercial ice cream that you get from the supermarkets or groceries but the homemade kind peddled by the sorbetero on the streets.
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| (Image source: http://sundatess.blogspot.com/2013/07/eats-sorbetes-ice-cream.html) |
3. Comfort Room (CR)
When you're in the Philippines and you really, really need to use the toilet, just ask for the comfort room or (better yet) the CR. Do not use "bathroom" or "washroom" to avoid confusion and to prevent you from dumping something (yikes!) in inappropriate places.
2. Chancing
Chance means "by accident", but in the Philippine context "chancing" means quite the opposite. It means one (usually a guy) has the intent to touch someone playfully or inappropriately. This could be a play on the phrase "grabbing the chance" to touch a girl. This term (this is just my theory) could be a blend word for chance and dancing. Chancing became part of Pinoys' vocabulary around 1980's (maybe even earlier), a period when girls were considered to be more conservative and parents more strict and that the only chance a guy could touch his girl then would be during dances.
1. Salvage
This word gets the most twisted twist in the Philippines. Salvage is defined as "to save or to rescue". Shockingly, in the Philippines, this word could mean to kill or murder. This term and its macabre meaning came into use during the Marcos regime referring to victims of summary executions (now called extrajudicial killings or EJKs). There are quite a few theories of how this word gained a gruesome meaning in the country. One theory says the term came from the pseudo-anglicism of the Spanish word "salvaje" which translates to "wild, feral, or barbaric". Another theory is that it came from the English word "savage", which aptly describes how the victims are killed as they are usually bound and tortured. Or it could have evolved from media reports, i.e. "the victim's body was salvaged from a river", as victims are sometimes dumped into rivers and roadsides. The phrase "salvage victim/s" is still widely used by mainstream media in the Philippines.
Sunday, July 30, 2017
SONA or Later - Duterte's Roadmap or Highway to Hell?
Yes, I watched Duterte's speech for two grueling hours last Monday. And I was not disappointed to see and hear our president to once again ad lib, punctuate his points with expletives, launch personal attacks against whom he perceived to be enemies of the State, as well as advertise philandering.
He was able to stick to his written speech for the first 25 minutes or so, reading from the teleprompter. Then, as expected, he started going off-script. Duterte is obviously more at ease and more effective when he does impromptu. And, without failure, he displayed this charisma during his second state of the nation address, going rouge in selling his views (popular and unpopular) to his audience at Batasan Pambansa and TV sets across the country. He stood there in the rostrum like an angry rooster as he spewed his usual rhetoric about the war on drugs, how he would "hound to hell" those who would harm the nation's youth, etcetera. He also made disparaging comments against the US and the white race and resumed mimicking and mocking Obama (who is black BTW).
And not surprising (but still was able to raise my hackles) was the fact that most of those in the plenary were laughing and clapping with our bad-mouthed president. I noticed though, as Brillante Mendoza's panned through the gallery, that members of the diplomatic corps were sober and solemn. And of course, the opposition senators were not laughing most especially Risa Hontiveros. Vice-President Leni Robredo, when the camera angled towards her, likewise displayed a serious demeanor.
And not surprising (but still was able to raise my hackles) was the fact that most of those in the plenary were laughing and clapping with our bad-mouthed president. I noticed though, as Brillante Mendoza's panned through the gallery, that members of the diplomatic corps were sober and solemn. And of course, the opposition senators were not laughing most especially Risa Hontiveros. Vice-President Leni Robredo, when the camera angled towards her, likewise displayed a serious demeanor.
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| (Photo credit:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8j5PtBsXJ8w/maxresdefault.jpg) |
Duterte, in my opinion, failed to present a roadmap for our country to take until the next time he addresses the nation next year. His big announcement was probably the 2018 budget, the tax reform bill, and his threat against mining companies. He also failed to mention the accomplishments or the "changes" he had promised during his first SONA, except for Mighty Corp's Php25-B tax settlement. What he did was used that rostrum and his privilege speech to attack his critics - from the media to Jose Maria Sison. What he did was appealed to the emotions of the Filipinos, trying to awaken our sense of pride and patriotism. He mentioned the Balangiga Bells, the three church bells which the US army have taken as war loot in the battle of Balangiga in Eastern Samar way back in 1901.
"Give us back those Balangiga bells," Duterte said. "They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage."
I was hoping that those words should be directed to China. "Give us back those islands," he should have said. I don't want to undermine the importance of those bells to our history and our fight for independence; however, the present is more important to me than the past. If Duterte has wanted to gain respect and admiration of the world and be considered as a strong leader, he should have made a firmer stance on the West Philippine Sea issue, not just mentioned it in passing in his SONA. His stance on WPS would have created a more resounding noise, much louder than those three bells clanging together.
Those islands are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage. They are not mere inanimate symbols. Ang mga isla ay sumasagisag ng ating kasarinlan, karapatan at kayamanan. I am hoping Duterte, the ever charismatic and populist demagogue, would have this epiphany sooner than later.
Those islands are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage. They are not mere inanimate symbols. Ang mga isla ay sumasagisag ng ating kasarinlan, karapatan at kayamanan. I am hoping Duterte, the ever charismatic and populist demagogue, would have this epiphany sooner than later.
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Erap Is A Joke!
I never like Erap. And the recent news about his Manila Bay photo-op fiasco made me dislike him even more. To see Erap Estrada now, running Manila as its mayor is so beyond belief. He's been kicked out of Malacanang in 2001 due to corruption charges, allegedly receiving Php400M from jueteng payola plus Php180M more from tobacco excise funds. Are we Filipinos really that forgetful and forgiving to re-elect people like Erap, over and over again? Or are we just a brown bunch of ignoramuses who get afflicted with dementia every election period? Maybe some of us hallucinate or hear voices that convince us politicians like Erap can be reformed.
So now here he is, fulfilling his sworn duties and responsibilities (that's sarcasm), participating in a clean-up drive in Manila Bay. But what's wrong with the picture? Or more precisely, what's wrong with the video? Watch and you judge.
Back in 2013, as a newly elected mayor, Erap said he was not Superman but he will rebuild Manila. I doubted him then, I doubt him more now. I remember one of my professors in college expressing her disgust when she interviewed Erap for Newsweek during his presidency. She said she was ushered into a room full of Erap's bodyguards and barkada, and they were apparently chugging down beers. So she interviewed Erap in such an informal setting, drunk and slurring his words.
There's one thing though that I like about Erap - his jokes and the jokes about him. He could be considered as a national treasure for those. There are a handful of social media sites dedicated to his wisdom (sarcasm again) and comic timing (that is not sarcasm because he does really have good timing, thanks to his acting background). There are even books paying homage to this guy - Eraption: How to Speak English Without Really Trial (which tackles his "carabao" English) and Jokes Ni Erap. Below are some of his quotable quotes. Enjoy!
Some of my fave made up jokes from Eraption:
- According to Erap, a pronoun is a noun that's "no longer an amateur."
- Erap says Joan of Arc is the wife of Noah.
- At a restaurant, after motioning with his hands several times to a waitress to get her attention, Erap complains to the manager. "I've been fingering your waitress for a long time, but she does not come."
- Interviewer to Erap : Mr. President, I understand that when you were young you were asthmatic. Erap: No, that's not true... I've always been a Catholic.
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| (Image from http://vp021.deviantart.com/art/X-president-210494160) |
Actual lines from ex-prez Joseph "Erap" Estrada.
When asked how he would rate his one-year-old presidency back in 1999:
"On a scale of 1-10, I'm between 75 and 80."
When asked if he's willing to kiss and make up with his nemesis Manoling Morato (who's rumored to be gay):
"Maybe I will be willing to make up, not kiss."
On the naysayers of his Cabinet members:
"Why should I revamp my cabinet that has been performing well? I think we should instead revamp those who are making criticisms."
On countering Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines allegation that reviving jai alai was anti-poor:
"Sa aking pananaw, walang masasabi na huhut-hutan ang mga mahihirap diro. Kung mahirap ka, e di wala kang pansugal (In my view, one cannot say that we are profiteering from the poor. Because the poor don't have betting money)."
Monday, February 20, 2017
The Duterte Series: Tongues Wagging, Tables Turning
Back in September 2016, I wrote about the Davao Death Squad or DDS at the height of Edgar Matobato's testimony before the Senate's Justice and Human Rights Committee. I said back then "when there's smoke, there's fire" and right now the DDS rumor is fuelled some more by the recent revelation of retired SPO3 Arthur Lascanas, the alleged team leader of DDS. And by the looks of it, Lascanas is ready to talk not only to the media but also to any investigative body.
I fear that like Matobato, Lascanas will have bashers and detractors from all sides - Malacanang, Senate, Congress and Duterte's troll brigade. However, I'm very optimistic that their numbers - members and victims of DDS - will rise to show just how maniacal our president is. Yes, he's still got staunch supporters (how blind can they be?!) but soon more cracks will be found until Malacanang becomes a humungous sinkhole for Duterte and company to fall into. I would love to see the day when tables are turned, when Duterte sits before an inquiry and is being cussed by many while Radiohead's "Karma Police" plays in the background.
For more on Lascanas' confession, including his role in his brothers' killings, please click this link http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/20/17/i-had-my-two-brothers-killed-says-self-confessed-dds-man.
I fear that like Matobato, Lascanas will have bashers and detractors from all sides - Malacanang, Senate, Congress and Duterte's troll brigade. However, I'm very optimistic that their numbers - members and victims of DDS - will rise to show just how maniacal our president is. Yes, he's still got staunch supporters (how blind can they be?!) but soon more cracks will be found until Malacanang becomes a humungous sinkhole for Duterte and company to fall into. I would love to see the day when tables are turned, when Duterte sits before an inquiry and is being cussed by many while Radiohead's "Karma Police" plays in the background.
For more on Lascanas' confession, including his role in his brothers' killings, please click this link http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/20/17/i-had-my-two-brothers-killed-says-self-confessed-dds-man.
Friday, November 11, 2016
The Marcoses' Mind-Boggling Loot (Nasaan ang Hustisyaaaa?!)
For the millennials who don't understand why there is so much brouhaha about Ferdinand Marcos' burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, here's just one facet of the Marcoses that's raising hackles in some quarters - their thievery. The former dictator and his family plus cronies raked in Philippines' wealth in cash and in kind while they're ruling and ruining the country for decades.
Marcos never officially won the record as the world's greatest thief (just like he never legitimately earned his Medal of Valor), but he could have gotten the Guinness title hands down. The list below, divulged by author Caroline Kennedy (not JFK daughter) in 1987, will give you an idea of the corruption and plunder of the Marcoses.
The following items appeared in the official custom list when Marcos and entourage arrived in Hawaii upon their exile. These were simply described as "household effects". Take note that the estimated amounts were made in 1986 so by now their loot is at much higher value.
Marcos never officially won the record as the world's greatest thief (just like he never legitimately earned his Medal of Valor), but he could have gotten the Guinness title hands down. The list below, divulged by author Caroline Kennedy (not JFK daughter) in 1987, will give you an idea of the corruption and plunder of the Marcoses.
The following items appeared in the official custom list when Marcos and entourage arrived in Hawaii upon their exile. These were simply described as "household effects". Take note that the estimated amounts were made in 1986 so by now their loot is at much higher value.
- 22 Crates of Cash valued at $717 million dollars
- 300 crates of assorted jewellery Value undetermined
- $4 million dollars worth of unset precious gems contained in Pampers diaper boxes.
- $7.7 million dollars worth of jewellery, including a gold crown encrusted with diamonds, three tiaras, 65 Seiko and Cartier watches
- A box, measuring 12 feet by 4 feet, crammed full of real pearls.
- A 3 foot solid gold statue covered in diamonds and other precious stones.
- $200,000 dollars in gold bullion and nearly $1 million dollars in Philippine pesos
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Just a few of Imeda's trinkets up for auction: Bili na po kayo(Photo from http://www.azgem.com/newsletters/newsletter-03-16.html) |
"A week ahead of their departure 2000 tons of gold, worth $22 billion dollars, had been dispatched to Australia but, on a tip off, was intercepted by the vigilant Australian Customs. Weekly shuttle flights, transporting crates containing money, period furniture, antiques and Old Master paintings were reported to have flown to Hong Kong during the six months prior to their downfall in February 1986.
A further $250 million dollars worth of jewellery was also confiscated from a friend of Imelda’s who was caught smuggling them out of the country for her.
And this was probably just the beginning. Over two decades later the Philippines government is still trying to locate all the Marcos assets. Imelda has not helped them. She has claimed the Fifth Amendment. She has obfuscated. She has bribed. And she has lied. She told the Philippines commission charged with retrieving the stolen funds:
“If you know how rich you are, you aren’t rich. I have no idea how rich I
am!”
Truly imeldific: Walang kupas, panay kumpas!
Following a request from the Philippines government, the Swiss government, for the first time ever in its history of secret banking, froze all assets they suspected of belonging to any member of the Marcos family. In the past five years the Swiss government revealed the existence of yet another Marcos account, holding almost $20 billion! And so it seems quite possible that one day we might actually find out just how rich the Marcoses were."
While in exile, the Marcoses continued their lavish lifestyle living in a multi-million dollar estate in Makiki Heights and regularly hosted parties and dinners to the rich and famous. The Marcoses also amassed stocks and real property assets abroad including at least four properties in New York. In 2012, US authorities discovered "a fresh cache of dollars, prime New York properties and paintings worth as much as P1 billion", according to a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. For full text of Ms Kennedy's report and to learn the full extent of the Marcoses' insatiable greed , you can visit https://anywhereiwander.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/%E2%80%9Cthe-marcoses-the-missing-filipino-millions%E2%80%9D/.
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| Truly imeldific: Walang kupas, panay kumpas! |
Following a request from the Philippines government, the Swiss government, for the first time ever in its history of secret banking, froze all assets they suspected of belonging to any member of the Marcos family. In the past five years the Swiss government revealed the existence of yet another Marcos account, holding almost $20 billion! And so it seems quite possible that one day we might actually find out just how rich the Marcoses were."
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