• 6 AUGUST - *1907 - Gen. Macario Sakay, one of the Filipino military leaders who had continued fighting the imperialist United States invaders eight years into the Ph...
    11 years ago

......................................................................................

The Daily Tribune

(Without Fear or Favor)

Specials:

Bulatlat.com

World Wildlife Fund for Nature-Philippines

The Philippines Matrix Project

After the big show DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 06/04/2012

Monday, June 4, 2012

After the big show

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
06/04/2012
The people, especially the younger generations, should be taught how their minds are being shaped by staged cathartic events, such as the five-and-a-half-month-long impeachment and conviction of Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Renato Corona.

From all angles, the just concluded drama is no different from Edsa I or Edsa II, where powerful forces behind the scenes — through their manipulation of key political, economic and media factors — produced, directed and marketed a crisis large enough to create a particular state-of-mind in the public. In Edsa I (circa 1986), after years of demonizing Ferdinand Marcos, coupled with that staged election computer operators’ walkout, the Yellows laid the basis for military mutiny and the mobilization of Catholic-led middle class mass actions — the same script that was followed in Edsa II with the impeachment prosecutors’ walkout.

It is fairly clear that, for such moves to have been a success, these elite forces have had to repeatedly appeal to the mass ego with such myths as “a return of democracy” in Edsa I, or of it being our “Handog sa Mundo” (“Gift to the World”), or even an Edsa II utopian hope for an “end to corruption” — all of which were never realized.

Undeniably, this formula has been replicated by the global power elite through their social engineers all over the world, in such cases as the “Arab Spring” as well as the “Right-to-Protect” campaign in Libya. Both were produced with trained and funded in-country NGOs and “civil society” groups which opened the way for “regime change.”

In Egypt, the Sunni-based Muslim Brotherhood that came to power has called for military intervention by the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) into non-Sunni Syria, which will obviously lead to an encirclement of Iran.

In Libya, with the way the country is now disintegrating, the objective was to deconstruct the nation-building infrastructure of Muammar Kadhafi and lay that nation to waste.

In a post-Gloria Arroyo Philippines, the design is for the US to continually prop up a totally dependent and dependable puppet regime that will exercise authoritarian power to push vital US interests, such as a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) “substate” and a restoration of US military bases throughout the archipelago. Of course, an important goal is to ensure a re-colonization of the economy through transnational corporations and the local oligarchy, unhampered by any obstacles. This is most probably the reason for the push for a pliant judiciary that will, for instance, acquiesce to the billions being sought by a feudal family as just compensation for the land that is to be returned to the farmers.

The impact of the cathartic Corona impeachment on another generation of Filipinos is clear. My GNN program guest Christine Conti, UP student regent and law student who was part of an impeachment monitoring initiative, believes the exercise of convicting Corona was good despite her misgivings about the many violations of law by the prosecution, Malacañang, and the Senate court.

The contradiction (hence, invalidation) in her conflicting views is pretty clear: A law student now justifies the violation of the Rule of Law by the “new standard of transparency” supposedly established for public officers. Question is, would that still hold after most senators and BS Aquino III himself finally decline to sign the waivers to their bank accounts?

In addition, despite Conti’s fiery conviction that Mrs. Arroyo is “unforgivably corrupt” and that the country was run aground after Edsa II, she still justifies her generation’s pride for the Edsa II coup as if it were “the defining moment for (her) generation,” inasmuch as Edsa I was supposedly the Philippines’ “Handog sa Mundo.” Hopefully, she will soon get to see such contradictions.

All told, the participation of mainstream media in the mind manipulation vs CJ Corona has been blatant. They have gone all out to sustain the “legality” of his conviction, with a case in point being the powerful front-page story about a lowly court interpreter being sacked for not declaring one small asset, which was intended for the public to draw a parallel between the small fry and Corona. The only problem is, the former court employee was sanctioned not for the non-declaration but for double compensation.

This outright misinformation and disinformation are part of what is called “manufacturing consent” for the illegal removal of Corona. Anyone desiring to study the mind control techniques of the powerful, especially of establishment media, can watch two documentaries entitled, “A Century of Self” about Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud and the father of modern propaganda, marketing and advertising) and “Manufacturing Consent” by Noam Chomsky, both available on the Web.

Meanwhile, the propagandists of BS Aquino III did not spare any means to prop up their “feel good” campaign after the Corona conviction. To lull the masses into an unthinking stupor, they tried to create a positive economic mood via the National Economic Development Authority (Neda)’s announcement of a “surprising” economic growth rate that “surpasses (the) Asian growth average of 3.7 percent” (even better than Singapore!), as well as other headlines that proclaim, “investors hail Corona conviction.” Even the American Chamber of Commerce through its local gofer got into the act at the last minute with its “strategic analysis” of how inevitable and good the conviction is. But as Ado Paglinawan in the US e-mailed us, “the verdict on Corona came toward the end of May (that) it perked the economic growth during the first quarter (January to March)??? Ano ito, hook shot?”

Interestingly, those prevaricators will not highlight the fact that the first quarter saw surveys reporting increases in unemployment (with adult unemployment at a record high of 34.4 percent and with 13 percent jobs lost), as well as hunger at a record high of 23.8 percent of families (with families that rated themselves poor also rising to 55 percent). As such, we can expect Neda and mainstream media to announce a hushed “recalibrating” of data a month from now.

After the big show, reality seeps back in.

(Tune in to 1098AM, dwAD, Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m.; watch Destiny Cable GNN’s HTL edition of Talk News TV, Saturdays, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11:15 p.m.; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)

(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu Laurel)


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120604com5.html

Clashing figures EDITORIAL 06/04/2012

Clashing figures

EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
06/04/2012
Despite all the chest beating on good governance and reforms as Noynoy’s lynchpin for economic growth, the view from outside continues to be that the country is a laggard in fast-developing Asia in terms of competitiveness.

The latest World Competitiveness Report of the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management and Development (IMD) had the Philippines’ ranking slipping a considerable two notches to 43rd this year from 41st a year ago.

The annual survey, which is conducted among mostly expatriates in the country, also indicated the competence of the government as among the major issues confronting the goal of the country to improve its ability to compete with other countries in the increasingly open global market..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120604com1.html

Willful violation of the Charter FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 06/04/2012

Willful violation of the Charter

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
06/04/2012
Noynoy has created more problems for himself and his presidency by persecuting and convicting the ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Now that he has ensured a vacancy in the highest judicial post, he and his allies willfully violate the Constitution by having the Judicial Bar and Council convene itself despite the constitutional proviso clearly stating that it is only the chief justice — not even an acting justice — who can convene the JBC.

Now the JBC, mostly populated by Noynoy allies and appointees, by itself, decides to convene to open up the selection process of candidates for the top judicial post. What happens now to those yellow allies’ applause for their having abided by the rule of law and the Charter as they convicted Corona? He was convicted as they claimed he had willfully violated the Constitution, yet they now are the very ones willfully violating the Charter on the JBC rules..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120604com2.html

Joining voices and efforts for the dissolution of NATO

Joining voices and efforts for the dissolution of NATO

The global movement for peace has to join forces against the united effort of capital and monopolies expressed for example by the G8. Imperialism is not all-powerful and is certainly not invincible.

Dear friends and comrades:

Let me thank the U.S. Peace Council for the invitation to be here with you in Chicago, which marked the history of the labor movement. We welcome the millions of people who love peace in the U.S., workers and all the poor and oppressed in this center of imperialism.

At the NATO Summit in Chicago, the CMP would like to denounce once again the largest war machine in human history, responsible for crimes against humanity since its founding in 1949 until today..... MORE

SourcePravda.ru

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/europe/02-06-2012/121294-dissolution_nato-0/

U.S. behind the crash of Russian plane

U.S. behind the crash of Russian plane


 
U.S. behind the crash of Russian plane. 47245.jpeg
A principal Director of Russian Intelligence (GRU, English translation of the Russian acronym ГРУ), believes that America is behind the crash of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft that occurred in Indonesia, earlier this May.

"We know they have equipment that allows them to cut communications between the aircraft and the control tower or to interfere with the parameters on board," says the international newspaper Christian Science Monitor, citing a GRU general, without mentioning his name..... MORE

SourcePravda.Ru

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/01-06-2012/121296-russian_plane_sukhoi-0/

Syndicated hypocrisy CROSSROADS Jonathan De la Cruz 06/04/2012

Syndicated hypocrisy

CROSSROADS
Jonathan De la Cruz
06/04/2012
Syndicated hypocrisy. This is all that we can say after the President’s men hemmed and hewed and mouthed all those evasive non-sequiturs when challenged by the press to do a Corona, i.e., fully disclose their SALns for the past five years and issue an unconditional waiver on the opening of their bank accounts for proper public scrutiny.

It is regrettable if not laughable that these honorable men and ladies should be issuing out almost the same arguments to evade the issue, leading some observers to note that just as they practiced syndicated relegation of the Rule of Law in their anti-Corona campaign they have now morphed into syndicated hypocrites unworthy of public servants.

“We are not the ones on trial here,” lead House prosecutor and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said adding that anyway his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALn) has been deposited with the House secretary general acting as custodian of all such documents for the members. When told that the secretariat needed his approval of such a disclosure he just walked away as if hearing nothing at all. Why, the guy even had the temerity to insist that he and his colleagues would not “dignify” Corona’s challenge and dismissed it as “grandstanding.” Is that not hypocrisy of the highest order? Which is precisely what his colleague, Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino said after releasing his own SALn and signing an unconditional waiver on his bank records..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120604com4.html

Defense pact up in senior RP military, civilian officials meet with US top general By Mario J. Mallari 06/04/2012

Defense pact up in senior RP military, civilian officials meet with US top general

By Mario J. Mallari 06/04/2012

Amid warning from China against United States’ planned shift of naval power in the Pacific by 2020, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martine Dempsey will meet with top Philippine military and civilian officials today as part of his two-day stop in Manila.

In a statement released yesterday, the US Embassy said Dempsey will be in Manila June 3-4 to meet with top civilian and military officials in the country after attending the recently-concluded Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

“General Dempsey’s travel includes a stop in the Republic of the Philippines to meet with senior military and civilian leadership,” the US Embassy said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120604hea3.html

Shortages woes, K+12 to greet school opening By Jason Faustino and Gerry Baldo 06/04/2012

Shortages woes, K+12 to greet school opening

By Jason Faustino and Gerry Baldo 06/04/2012

Perennial problems plague the opening of classes for school year 2012-2013, as the shortages of teachers, facilities and infrastructure greet the 21.49 million students in public schools today.

The opening of classes this school year will also be marked by the pilot implementation of the K+12 Basic Education Program.

Last year, the actual enrolment for public schools was 20.48 million.

“As we implement the new K+12 curriculum for Grade 1 and Grade 7 this school year, we made sure that public elementary and secondary schools across the country are ready for school opening,” Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120604hea2.html

Fight for transparency only just begun — Corona By Benjamin B. Pulta 06/04/2012

Fight for transparency only just begun — Corona

By Benjamin B. Pulta 06/04/2012

Ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona said he has no regrets on any of his actions in seeing the impeachment proceedings against him before the Senate court to its logical end.

In a statement, Corona added he believed his lawyers led by retired associate justice Serafin Cuevas did all they could for his defense under the circumstances.

Corona said his call for a greater transparency in government is a common and popular undertaking that deserves to continue.

“The quest for transparency in government service does not end with my leaving ... It has in fact only just begun. A growing number of dedicated Filipinos have now taken the clarion call and, with the help of our friends in the media, many have taken up the cudgels of demanding higher levels of transparency through the outright waiver of confidentiality. This is the new standard for public trust in government service,” he said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune
 
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120604hea1.html

Palace admits waiver clause in SALn ‘not unconditional’ By Fernan J. Angeles 06/04/2012

Palace admits waiver clause in SALn ‘not unconditional’

By Fernan J. Angeles 06/04/2012

The waiver clause in the statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALn) required on public officials, which President Aquino said was enough to fulfill his transparency pledge during the campaign period, does not give absolute authority, not even to the Ombudsman, to directly go to the bank and look into his deposits and transactional records.

The Aquino commitment to bare his bank records was highlighted after ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona signed an unconditional waiver on all his bank accounts during his impeachment trial.

Aquino’s deputy spokesman Abigail Valte admitted on radio that unless concurred and accompanied by representations from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), not even the Office of the Ombudsman would be able to sneak into the bank deposits and other financial transactions of the President..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120604hea4.html

Estrada seeks cuts to labor chief’s power over disputes 06/04/2012

Estrada seeks cuts to labor chief’s power over disputes

06/04/2012
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has sponsored a measure which seeks to establish a clearcut policy and guidelines on the power of the secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) to assume jurisdiction over labor disputes, which he felt has often been “indiscriminately used and abusively expanded.”

In his sponsorship speech for committee report 158, Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human-resource development, noted that the Constitution guarantees the right of all workers to self-organization, collective bargaining and peaceful concerted activities, including the right to strike in accordance with law but gives the DoLE secretary powers to automatically prohibit imminent strikes or lockouts and order employees to return to work or face dismissal from employment..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120604nat2.html

BI adopts stricter rules in registering, issuing visas to kids of resident foreigners By Conrado Ching 06/04/2012

BI adopts stricter rules in registering, issuing visas to kids of resident foreigners

By Conrado Ching 06/04/2012


The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has adopted stricter rules in registering and issuing visas to dependent-children of resident foreigners in the country.

A memorandum circular issued by Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. last May 24 prescribes new guidelines for registering dependents of foreigners who are holders of immigrant and non-immigrant visas.

The circular, approved by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, provides for the cancellation of the visas of non-immigrant alien dependents who were improvidently registered as native-born foreigners even if they are not qualified under the immigration law..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120604met5.html

Cops, troops deployed on opening of classes By Mario J. Mallari 06/04/2012

Cops, troops deployed on opening of classes

By Mario J. Mallari 06/04/2012
Police and military units will be deployed today to ensure safety and order during the opening of the school year 2012-2013 and as part of the nationwide implementation of the operation plan “Balik Eskwela.”

Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome instructed all PNP commanders throughout the country to personally supervise the implementation of Balik Eskwela.

“In a strongly worded directive, the CPNP (Bartolome) has ordered all PNP commanders at all levels to personally supervise on the ground the strict and proper implementation of Balik Eskwela 2012, especially on enhancing police visibility at school areas, foot and mobile patrols, active anti-crime campaign, particularly against street crimes and setting up of police assistance desks in selected areas,” said PNP Public Information Office chief Senior Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120604met1.html

Blog Archive