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Name: mong palatino
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Anti-terror law takes effect, my blog entry for Global Voices.
There is already water scarcity in the archipelago. According to the World Health Organization, population with access to improved drinking water decreased from 87 to 85 percent in the period 1990-2002. Last year, individuals without access to safe and sustainable water reached 17.3 million. There is an estimated 212 waterless municipalities with a total population of 9 million.
That this is actually happening in a country surrounded by bodies of water is as puzzling as the prevalence of hunger in a land described as ‘pearl of the orient’. Decades of water resource mismanagement and lack of infrastructure investment may be the major reasons why water is inaccessible to many households. But why is everybody blaming the weather? Global warming should not be made as convenient excuse to obscure our faults.
The country has 18 major river basins, 343 principal river basins and 12 water resources regions. But only 1/3 of the river systems is used as source of drinking water. Coliform has been found in 58 percent of the country’s groundwater. Visayas islands face water insecurity mainly due to aquaculture malpractices and mangrove conversions. Unregulated extraction of groundwater has aggravated the sinking of land in coastal communities in Northern Manila Bay, disproving claims that this is due to climate change. Land in north of Manila is sinking at a rate of 5-9 cm/year or 100 cm or 1 meter from 1991 to 2003.
In 1998, the National Water Resources Board reported that there are potential water shortages in Regions 2, 3, 4 and 7. What has been done to avert a possible water crisis? Aside from blaming the lack of rains, we should be probing what projects were implemented (or not implemented) to guarantee water balance in the country.
Water rationing is pathetic and reflects the short-sightedness of government. Exhorting the public to conserve water may be reasonable but unnecessary. Majority of the poor are using water prudently. Why not appeal to golf clubs to stop wasting precious water resources? Besides, government should be informed that almost 3 million households are sharing faucets and 2.4 million families are using community piped deep wells. Let us assume that these households have little opportunity to squander limited water supply.
Government should continue focusing on “sustainable aquaculture, regulation of water extraction, water sanitation, ecological sanitation and comprehensive land use”. Community participation is also needed in the management and development of water resources. We also need competent and functioning water management institutions.
Can we not maximize our coastlines by using modern technology to transform salt water into drinking water? We should revive polluted rivers. We should enhance protection of watershed areas. What will be the impact of the expansion of mining areas in the sustainability of groundwater supply?
Congress can investigate the implementation of the Clean Water Act of 2004 and the 1976 Water Code (which was used as model for other Southeast Asian countries). There are proposals to amend the 1974 Provincial Water Utilities Act to provide more water subsidiaries in communities.
Government officials warn of power blackouts because of depleted water supply. Actually, power shortage is just one of our problems. We need to realize the catastrophic impact of dwindling clean water resources on domestic water supply, irrigation, fishery, commercial sector, industry, tourism, environment and hydropower.
The other problem is the government’s response to the energy and water crisis: privatization. Because these are extraordinary times, the public might be forced to accept emergency measures which would prove more damning in the future. Remember the PPA in your electricity bills?
Related entries:
Water runs dry
Tudaya falls.
Preserve mineral wealth
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) delivered her seventh State of the Nation Address (Sona) last Monday. The speech lasted 56 minutes which was interrupted 106 times by loud and sometimes mechanical cheers and applause from the hakot crowd. At the Commonwealth Avenue where 7,000 protesters held an alternative Sona, the speech received seven major boos from the agitated crowd. Around 9,000 police forces guarded the Batasan Complex.
PGMA gave an update on construction projects involving road networks, power plants, disaster mitigation measures, transport hubs and environment programs. She cited the cost of these projects, number of beneficiaries and magnitude of local investments. Statistics on foreign investments, business ventures, education funding, health care, housing, corruption and job generation were also enumerated. PGMA even mentioned that the anti-terror law was first filed “3 years after the first World Trade Center bombing, 4 years before the Rizal Day bombing and 5 years before 9/11.”
Repetition of numbers could easily confound inattentive audience and impress naive listeners. PGMA, the economist, loaded her speech with numerical figures to confuse people into thinking that her government is doing more than enough and deserves to remain in power until and maybe even beyond 2010. She used only the ‘safe’ numbers that could stupefy the crowd. She failed to cite damning but accurate and relevant statistics.
For example, what is the extent of child malnutrition, school drop-outs, math and science national proficiency, quality of health care, access to medical practitioners? How many houses were demolished to give way for mega projects? How many communities were affected by the Petron oil spill in Guimaras? How big was the bribe money collected from investors? How profitable is smuggling and illegal drug trade these days? How much is the jueteng kickback? How many were victims of torture, illegal arrest, forced disappearances, violent dispersals and impunity killings? How much was paid to Lintang Bedol and company? How many died in the recent elections? For every figure cited by PGMA, there is a corresponding shameful statistic which the President refused to admit.
PGMA devoted a section of her speech on ‘terrorism and human rights.’ But she didn’t mention a single numerical figure to boast her government’s record to uphold human rights. How many killers were convicted and punished? How many military officials were suspended for failure to stop extrajudicial killings? How many witnesses were given protection? PGMA identified the tiniest roads and bridges her government is building throughout the archipelago yet she could not identify nor boast a single case of victory in solving extrajudicial killings in the country which she described as a stain on democracy. Critics may point out that the President has done nothing to prevent political killings.
Many waited to hear the President expound on the P125 wage hike proposal, P3,000 salary increase for government workers, oil price rollback, tuition regulation, debt audit. These are some of the numbers and issues which PGMA could have discussed in the recent Sona.
For the past two years, the President displayed her knowledge on Philippine geography, numerical proficiency and adeptness in name recall. But a Sona should be more than just a report card of government’s achievements. As a citizen, I could always refer to government agencies if I want to be briefed on public projects. The Sona is a good occasion to inspire the people, arouse their interest in governance and mobilize them for political goals. PGMA is setting a bad trend which should be discontinued starting next year.
Related entries:
Numbers and politics
Sona overdose
My column for UPI-Asia this week.
Depletion of human resources was once referred to as "brain drain." In the Philippines, it is now described as "brain haemorrhage" or "brain waste" to underscore the huge exodus of highly skilled and experienced Filipino workers and professionals.
There are more than 8 million overseas Filipino workers scattered in different parts of the world. Almost 1 million are leaving each year, most of them young and skilled professionals. Overseas workers are hailed as "new heroes" because of the huge remittances they send back home. The Philippine economy is surviving because of two things: the government keeps borrowing from foreign banks and overseas workers are remitting more than US$1 billion each month to local banks.
The migration of Filipino workers is not a new phenomenon. A hundred years ago, workers from the Philippines were hired to work in the sugar plantations of Hawaii. Massive migration started in the 1970s. The Marcos government adopted a temporary economic policy encouraging local workers to take advantage of the high demand for construction workers, engineers and doctors in the Middle East and United States. From that moment, exporting labor became a permanent economic program of the government.
Filipino workers started leaving the country in droves. Teachers became domestic helpers in Hong Kong and Singapore. College graduates became janitors in Dubai. Countries in need of low-cost but skilled labor accommodated Filipino workers who were desperately looking for better living and working conditions.
The government did not discourage workers from leaving the country. In fact, the government continued to rely on overseas remittances to keep the economy afloat. Besides, a landless peasant working in a factory in Taiwan meant one less peasant who could be recruited to join the revolutionary movement in the Philippine countryside.
Academicians are more concerned with the exodus of workers. They blame the failure of the local economy to produce enough jobs for young and old workers. Career promotions, opportunities and work incentives in the country are disappointing. Overseas workers also cite the peace and order situation and the perceived hopelessness of Philippine politics as among the reasons they have chosen to live in other countries.
It seems that almost everybody has left or is planning to leave the country in the near future. Doctors, nurses, weather specialists, pilots, geologists, engineers and marine officers are now working abroad. In short, the Philippines is losing its "brains, brawn and beauties."
A perfect example of the negative impact of unrestrained emigration of workers is the current status of the country's health care sector. The Philippines is now the number one exporter of nurses and second highest exporter of doctors in the world. Nursing schools mushroomed because of the extraordinary high demand for nurses. Even practicing doctors and other professionals are going back to school to study nursing. The top qualifier in the 2004 medicine board examinations opted to become a nurse in New York.
Because of the exodus of nurses and doctors, hospitals are closing down. The quality of health care has deteriorated. Health personnel who remain are given heavier hospital duties. Hospitals are forced to reduce standards in hiring health workers. Rural communities have no access to modern medical practitioners. Enrolment in medicine is down. Nursing education has become popular, but quality has been sacrificed.
The negative consequences of the emigration of health personnel prove that the Philippines will stand to lose more as its best and brightest workers continue to leave by the thousands every day. Overseas remittances may provide short-term relief but the loss of skilled professionals will hurt the economy more in the long run. There is already a shortage of supply of highly qualified workers in many sectors. Professionals who will manage industries and spur economic growth are to be found in foreign lands. It will take another three to four years to educate young people and train more workers before domestic industries can meet their manpower requirements.
The Philippine experience clarifies the limitations of concepts like "brain exchange" or "brain gain," which highlight the dynamism of labor migration and the benefits it contributes to developing countries. Some scholars argue that overseas workers can bring more than just investments in the country. They can share knowledge, skills and new technologies they learned abroad to energize the domestic economy. This theory may be valid for certain industries, like the Information Technology sector, but this is not wholly applicable to other aspects of Philippine life and economy, especially the health sector.
Three decades of unimpeded labor migration did not produce spectacular economic gains for the Philippines. Perhaps it's time to review the labor export policy of the government. Perhaps it's best to review other options to generate high revenues without making it necessary for workers to leave the country.
Related entries:
Labor as export
Indian doctors in RP hospitals
The doctor is out
Exporting nurses
Exporting the working class
It’s not personal hatred but I’m always motivated to write something unpleasant about the President every time she delivers her State of the Nation address. Below are the articles I wrote during the years when I was not yet a blogger.
Sona 2001: Students to Boycott Classes during Sona
(published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
There are many reasons why we students will choose to hold our classes in the streets come State of the Nation Address (Sona). It is our modest way of reminding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) on her first Sona that the youth who was instrumental in her assuming the presidency continue to wait for substantial reforms in the governance of our country and the delivery of basic demands of our people.
We are deeply disappointed that she has yet to act on our demands we presented to her during her first week in power. The situation of the youth under Estrada has not changed under the GMA administration. We regret to see the anti-student and anti-people policies we decried just a year ago are the same policies implemented by the current administration.
We believe it is not difficult for a President who admits her allegiance to the ideals of People Power to grant the demands of the youth for a freeze in tuition increases, additional funding for education sector and the abolition of the ROTC program. She has already promised a Php10 billion modernization program for the military. She has taken a soft stand regarding the case against Estrada for the sake of national security. What about for our education and our future?
We refuse to believe at first that GMA is of the same mold as her predecessor. But with the way things are happening right now, it would be very easy to conclude but painful to admit that she is.
Armed with books, convictions and our demands, we will make our presence felt during the Sona of GMA. Together with our parents who are fighting for a legitimate wage increase, we will prove our perseverance to unite with all sectors in our society in fighting for what we think is our right. The streets leading to Batasan will be occupied by students, out-of-school-youth and ROTC cadets who are all agitated to get back at GMA and her promises which are after all, empty rhetoric.
It is best for GMA to learn from the lessons of history. When students held a mammoth demonstration during the first Sona of Marcos on his second term as President, it ignited a series of student and peoples’ protests nationwide which we call now as the first quarter storm of 1970. When students united with the people’s organizations in calling for the ouster of President Estrada during his SonaA last year, it led all the way to EDSA People Power II.
If there are many reasons why students will participate in the mass protest during Sona, it is because GMA is giving us all the reasons to protest against her administration.
Sona 2003: GMA’s State of the Nation Address should be her last
The students of People Power II are firm on our stand that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must step down in 2004. We are eagerly awaiting her State of the Nation Address because we expect her to affirm her earlier decision not to run in the elections.
The students are warning Ms. Arroyo that turning back on her word about withdrawing from the elections is a betrayal of the ideals of People Power. It is no different from President Estrada’s wanton abuse of power for the benefit of his cronies despite an earlier oath that no friends or family member will be given special treatment in his government.
President Arroyo does not deserve another chance to run since she failed to live up even to the minimum ideals of the movement which led to the ouster of her predecessor. The past two years was exceedingly disappointing for those who believed that President Arroyo would usher in a new era of progress and meaningful change in the country. The promise of good governance and new politics was simply forgotten as we continue to bear witness to rampant corruption and cheap politicking in the government.
It is not easy to ignore how she continue to abandon the students at the mercy of greedy private school owners and how she relegated the public school system to tatters due to cuts in the education budget. It is very insulting for teachers to see the People Power President pampering the restive military junior officers when after approving salary increases for the military during her term has led to the situation today where a Teacher I, who is a college graduate receives the same pay as a Private, who has just graduated from High School in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The President’s priorities are skewed in favor of sectors and powerful groups which contributed to the success of People Power only when victory was already secured. She has abandoned the basic demands for better education and decent livelihood of students, teachers and the people who were the major force in her assuming of the presidency.
Come State of the Nation Address, we will be just outside of the Batasan Complex to remind the public about how and why the President and her Strong Republic must decisively end on or before May 2004.
Sona 2004: GMA is a friend of the rich
(published by the Manila Times)
“You have a government – indeed, you have a country – that cares. Your life is held more dearly than international acclaim. And you have a president who is your friend …” – Excerpt from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 2004 State of the Nation Address.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was right when she boasted in her state of the nation address that she is a friend of the people. But she could be referring to the people who donated in her campaign kitty and not the Filipino everyman.
She is friendly to the poor every election season or when tragedy befalls on them such as during the captivity of Angelo dela Cruz. But throughout the year, she is more than friendly to the nation’s elite.
Urban poor villages must be razed down by fire or remote towns must be washed down by landslides before Ms. Arroyo remembers to befriend the people in these communities. Her real friends are business moguls, landlords, top military officials and the ruling dynasties in provinces. Her best friend is her husband and his golfing buddies.
It could be a typographical error when she read from her speech the ‘Mamamayan Muna’ policy. What she really meant was ‘Mayayaman Muna’.
She is quick to respond to every whim of the rich but she is insensitive to the basic problems of the poor such as low salaries and rising costs of commodities. She lavish praise on the contributions of big business to the economy while she plead the poor to sacrifice more for the country. Her husband recently hosted a party which was attended by Mr. Lucio Tan, a suspected big tax evader, yet now the President wants the people to pay more taxes.
There is a painful irony when Ms. Arroyo said we are a country that cares and that she is a friendly president. Indeed, because she is too busy maintaining her friendship with the privileged few that we have become a country that cares, a country of caregivers.
Related entries:
Sona 2006
Sona preview
Sona 2005
A week before the official opening of the 14th Congress, politicians are squabbling over the leadership positions in both chambers. This is unfortunate since there are more important national concerns that need to be addressed by Congress. It is better if politicians are debating on appropriate legislative solutions to key social problems. Party caucuses should not only tackle official nominations for Congress leadership; they should also forge consensus in identifying the priority bills required to improve lives of millions of Filipinos.
The output of the past two Congresses was dismal in terms of number and quality of laws enacted. They made little impact in uplifting social conditions of the poor. It is hoped that the 14th Congress will veer away from the embarrassing record of its predecessors by focusing on human development legislation. Advocates (or lobbyists) base their expectations to the entry of 106 first termers who are more open to progressive proposals than their elder counterparts.
What should be the priority of the 14th Congress? Eradicating poverty is a sweeping goal. I have a proposal: focus on children.
There are 34.6 million children in the country or those living below 18 years old. Almost ten million are under 5 years old. Children belong to the 4.3 million families who are at-risk or live below the poverty threshold. If there is a sector which remains vulnerable to economic difficulties and in dire need of effective poverty-alleviation programs, I would immediately cite the children.
Promoting children’s welfare should begin by protecting women’s health. The cycle of malnutrition begins with the mother. About 300,000 Filipino babies are born each year with intellectual impairment due to iodine deficiency. Leading causes of infant deaths are preventable diseases like poor respiratory conditions, malnutrition and diarrhea. It is distressing to note that 3 of 10 children, especially in rural villages and urban slums, are underweight. A child’s health and development from infancy to early childhood determine the success of an individual in his/her adult years.
Children’s access to schooling is not improving. Only 21 percent of 6.5 million 3-5 year olds go to day care centers. More children drop-out during first three years of schooling. Studies show 4 of 10 elementary graduates do not move on to high school. Of those who enroll in high school, 5 of 10 eventually drop out. Those who finish high school acquire skills and competencies that are below international and even national standards.
Children who need special protection are those engaged in hazardous and exploitative labor, street children, victims of sexual abuse and commercial exploitation, victims of family violence and neglect, those separated from or have lost their parents, children displaced by disasters, armed conflict and aggressive urban development, children in conflict with the law, children with various forms of disability, those living in ethnic/cultural communities and children living with HIV/AIDS.
There are 4 million child laborers working in hazardous and exploitative conditions (like deep-sea fishing, pyrotechnic industry, mining and quarrying, sugar cane plantation). These children are deprived of education opportunities.
Street children are categorized as the highly visible children who remain for more than 4 hours in the streets. The national estimate is 45,000, although I think this is a conservative figure. Natural and man-made disasters affected 12,857 barangays in 2004 according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. More than 5 million children were displaced by these calamities.
We should all commit ourselves to build a child-friendly and child-sensitive society. The Philippines is signatory to Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), there are many laws on children but they are not implemented and funded by government. Policy initiatives are also done more at the national level.
The CWC is proposing the following legislative measures for the 14th Congress: Instituting Foster Care, law against child pornography, legitimation of Children Born to Underage Parents and amendments RA 7610 (Child Special Protection Act). The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is also proposing the prohibition of torture and corporal punishment
Children are not voters but they deserve special attention from politicians. The 2010 presidential election is just three years away and it is feared that socially-relevant bills will be sidestepped by too much politicking.
Related entries:
13 going 14.
A father’s lament
Modest proposals
I was invited to write a weekly column for UPI-Asia (United Press International). Below is my first article. By the way, my column's name is Peripheries.
Various groups are apprehensive over the composition of the Philippines' new Anti-terrorism Council. Most of the members of this council are accused of being architects of repressive policies of the government. With the implementation of the Anti-terror Law, what will stop them from accusing anyone, especially critics of the government, as terrorists?
Before 9/11, terrorism in the Philippines was equated with the small bandit group Abu Sayyaf. Their nefarious activities were invoked by the military to justify bloated funding for armaments. After 9/11, the Philippine government committed itself to the U.S. and British-led War on Terror. The state began to identify groups with links to the al-Qaida network. Communist groups were labeled as terrorists. The political opposition was accused of destabilization.The Philippines suddenly became a haven of terrorists.
The government exagerrated threats of terrorism to impose repressive security measures. The public was conditioned to believe that terrorists were planning bigger attacks, at any time. Nowadays, people expect and accept the frisking of bodies and bags by security personnel in almost all places: shopping malls, schools, train stations, bus terminals, government offices and hospitals.
Now, here comes the anti-terrorism law known as the Human Security Act. The law contains provisions that will curtail civil liberties. It will also empower a committee tasked with overseeing the implementation of the law. The Anti-terrorism Council will be composed of the executive secretary, secretaries of justice, interior and local government, national defense, foreign affairs and finance, as well as the national security adviser. The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency serves as the Council's secretariat.
The Council's functions include: directing the arrest of suspected terrorists, recommending the proscription of suspected terrorist organizations, speedy investigation and prosecution of all persons accused or detained for the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism; freezing bank accounts and funds of suspected terrorists; and establishing and maintaining a database on terrorism.
Most of the members of this Council are aligned with repressive governmental policies; they are not really known as defenders of civil liberties. They are notorious for maligning and badmouthing the political enemies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Anti-terror Law opens the way for them to accuse even such critics as terrorists.
Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales recently deployed soldiers in a province where his daughter lost in the congressional elections. He invoked national security, but others accused him of using his position to harass political rivals. Two weeks ago, he admitted that the Anti-terror Law would be used to target the Reds. Gonzales' lifelong crusade is to eliminate communists in the country. His personal enmity against the radical left is publicly known. He makes no distinction between terrorists and communists.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita is part of the notorious Cabinet Oversight Committee for Internal Security, which is allegedly the core group directing extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Ermita is among the numerous former military officials in the president's Cabinet, which is seen by many as proof of the military's huge influence in managing the affairs of the country.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales is the most hated Cabinet official because of his rude, irresponsible and nasty remarks against anyone who tries to criticize the president. He intimidates the opposition by threatening to file rebellion cases against groups and personalities who call for the president's resignation. He is credited with masterminding repressive measures such as the Calibrated Preemptive Response for the violent dispersal of protest rallies, Proclamation 1017 on declaring a State of National Emergency, and Executive Order 464 which requires Cabinet members to seek the president's permission before testifying in the Senate. All these measures were later identified by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
Before the passage of the Anti-terror Law, there were already cases of illegal wiretapping -- even the president's phonecalls were recorded. There were warrantless arrests -- a warrant issued 21 years ago was used to detain a leftist lawmaker -- illegal detentions and wrongful prosecution of activists. The Anti-terror Law will merely provide legal justification for 'terroristic' activities committed by the state.
Rarely has a new law, even before its implementation, caused so much widespread fear in the country. It shows that many Filipinos have not yet forgotten the horrors of Martial Law. It also confirms the low credibility of the government when it comes to the protection of individual freedoms.
The Anti-terrorism Council will be the all-powerful committee that will decide who are the terrorists that should be punished. Can we trust the Anti-terrorism Council? Can we trust the devil?
Related entries:
Terror in the city
Raul siraulo
Real meddlers
A few days ago, I persuaded educator Fr. Edicio dela Torre to set up his own blog. He followed my suggestion. Let me also endorse the blog of social critic Teo Marasigan. Milk wars in the Philippines: Breastmilk versus Infant Formula, my blog entry for Global Voices.
Protesters need not thank Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim for allowing rallies in Mendiola every weekend. Mendiola is the country’s historic freedom park. Rallies should be allowed there even without city hall permit. Malacañang has no reason to panic that an angry mob will storm the Palace again through Mendiola. Gate 7 is already closed and electric fences were constructed to ward off protesters. Allowing rallies in Mendiola will ease traffic in Morayta, Recto, España and Legarda where rallies are usually blocked these days.
The job of the mayor is to secure the safety of protesters, motorists, pedestrians and the general public. Mayor Lim did more; he ordered that freedom of expression and freedom of assembly will be respected on Saturdays and Sundays. For the rest of the week, protesters should ‘evaporate’.
His reason seems logical: classes should not be disturbed since schools proliferate around Mendiola. But there are also classes during weekends. And there are religious ceremonies during Sundays. If it’s acceptable for Mayor Lim to disturb classes and church activities during weekends, why not allow peaceful rallies in Mendiola during weekdays?
Why also the sudden concern for noise pollution generated by rallies? Mendiola is no longer a clean, desirable and peaceful university belt. Mayor Lim should be more alarmed that Mendiola is infiltrated by drug pushers, snatchers, kotong cops, pyramid scammers and abortion potion vendors. There is also no worse pollution than the stench coming from nearby Pasig River and Malacañang Palace.
Mayor Lim’s order is worse than his predecessor’s. At least Mayor Lito Atienza honored the protesters by absolutely banning rallies in Mendiola since he acknowledged them as enemies of his boss in Malacañang. Mayor Lim claims to be an Opposition politician yet he disrespects the Opposition forces by commanding that rallies are allowed only during weekends in Mendiola. He boasts his affinity with the Opposition yet he also professes unsolicited loyalty to the President in Malacañang. He is neither here nor there. He is resolute in most things like destroying the physical legacies of his predecessor yet he is wishy-washy when it comes to his prior commitment of opening Mendiola to protesters.
Protesters should march to Mendiola whenever they feel they have legitimate advocacies that need to be articulated in Don Chino Roces bridge. Mendiola should be open to the protesting public everyday. Its better that protesters attempted to reach Mendiola but failed since they were blocked by police forces than succeeding in reaching Mendiola just because they have a polite agreement with the Mayor of Manila that they will behave and follow orders while conducting the rally. My right to dissent is not something for Mayor Lim to decide when I should be free to express it.
(Last Monday, city hall called informing me that we have permit to rally in Mendiola on July 22, Sunday. I was polite to the civil servant because I know she was just following instructions. But I was mad. Ano akala nila sa amin, nagrarali lang ng basta-basta; mekanikal lang na pipili ng araw at sasabihan ang aming mga miyembro na magrali sa July 22 kasi may permit kami?)
Related entries:
12th day of December.
Street tactics.
National roads.
The controversial Human Security Act (read: anti-terrorism law) will take effect this month. Should we have any valid reason to fear the implementation of this new law? Is it really a draconian measure or martial law in disguise as described by the Opposition? Well, if it is harmless as insisted by its proponents, why was it not immediately implemented last February after it was signed into law?
There were only two senators who rejected the HSA: Mar Roxas and Jamby Madrigal. Roxas argued that “the passage of a law that curtails civil liberties is (not) what we need to be able to address terrorism.” Madrigal believes the new law “creates a shadow criminal justice system and can be used as an instrument of greater terror perpetrated by people in power against their critics and political opponents.”
Addressing university students in a graduation ceremony last summer, the Chief Justice of the coutntry hinted his views on the anti-terror law. He said “to put constitutional cosmetics to the military-police muscular efforts, lawmakers usually enact laws using security of the state to justify the dimunition of human rights by allowing arrests without warrants; surveillance of suspects; interception and recording of communications; seizure or freezing of bank deposits, assets and records of suspects. They also redefine terrorism as a crime against humanity and the redefinition is broadly drawn to constrict and shrink further the zone of individual rights.”
Various human rights groups have voiced concern over the setting up of an Anti-Terrorism Council (as mandated by law) whose composition includes personalities accused of abetting human rights violations in the country. The government has low credibility when it comes to matters involving the protection and upholding of human rights. Peace advocates are also worried that the HSA will scuttle peace negotiations with different rebel groups. The legal Left could be easily labeled as terrorists. HSA could provide legal cover to justify state terrorism.
Terrorism, aside from global warming, is hyped in mainstream media and popular culture as the number one threat to the stability of the world. Since 9/11, the war on terror has been invoked by various governments to push for stronger (read: repressive) security measures. The United States was the first to enact an anti-terror law known as the Patriot Act. The recent terror plot in London has renewed talks for tougher anti-terror laws in the United Kingdom. China is now drafting an anti-terror legislation.
The Philippines has been one of the most consistent and ardent supporters of the US-UK initiatives against terrorism. It is not surprising that the HSA has been certified as priority legislation by Malacanang. But not all countries have deemed it necessary to pass an anti-terror law. There were countries which vowed to defeat terrorism through a holistic approach different from the US-UK framework.
Indeed, terrorism is a complex issue demanding complex solutions. An anti-terror law will not only fail to deter terrorists, it will also put the whole country under police and military surveillance. Lahat tayo ay parang nasa bahay ni kuya. Yet, for many governments (including ours), controlling and monitoring the movements of individuals is really their aim.
I made a brief survey of countries which decided to implement an anti-terror law or are planning to legislate a similar measure. I found out the following from the Global Voices website:
In El Salvador, terrorism is also not well-defined in the law. Some writers believe measures to improve the judicial system is of paramount importance to defeat terrorism. They think the crimes covered by the anti-terror law are already crimes under the existing criminal code.
In Egypt, anti-terror measures led to numerous arrests of dissident bloggers and journalists. In Indonesia, government is asked to match rhetoric with action against terrorists not through another anti-terrorism law but by maximizing authority provided in their Civic Code. A Chinese blogger describes anti-terror law as “just wrap a coat of legality around naked aggression, a kind of brazen, rain-or-shine terrorism in itself.”
“Autocracy is being enshrined in law,” as expressed by a writer from Bahrain. A leader of Uganda was accused of “playing the card” against terrorism as an election strategy. In Trinidad and Tobago, an activist was charged and detained under an anti-terrorism act. In Chile, implementing the anti-terror law is characterized by human rights abuses.
Everybody agrees that terrorists should be punished and terrorist acts need to be prevented. The government names the HSA as a powerful weapon to undermine terrorist activities. Like in other countries, I fear the anti-terror law will be used to harass and eliminate political opponents of the Administration.
Related entries:
Terror in the city
Bombing spree
Total war
New pictures in my photoblog.
There are three British novelists I really admire: Iris Murdoch, Jeffrey Archer and Anthony Trollope. I started reading Archer during my high school years (1992-1996). Kane and Abel and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less are my favourite books of his. I became an avid reader of Murdoch in 2002. I personally liked The Black Prince and Nuns and Soldiers. Last year, while searching free e-books authored by D.H. Lawrence (Sons and Lovers), I ‘discovered’ Anthony Trollope.
There was no boring moment throughout the campaign period because I always have a Trollope novel in my bag. I found time to read while waiting for delayed flights at airport terminals, lunch breaks during motorcades and every evening before I sleep. My wife once complained that I spent more time reading a Trollope novel during the Holy Week break than doing my household chores.
I could not find a Trollope novel in bookstores but many websites offer free downloads. Fortunately, my five-year old Sony Clie is still reliable.
Last week, I finished the 6th and last novel of the Chronicles of Barsetshire, Trollope’s most famous work. I enjoyed every book of the series: The Warden, Barchester Towers, Doctor Thorne, Framley Parsonage, Small House of Allington (my personal favourite) and the Last Chronicles of Barset.
Trollope’s depiction of rural clerical life is very amusing. In every novel, Trollope succeeded in sustaining the readers’ interest through colourful and incisive narration of country politics, clerical affairs, British elections, elite social life and media bias. The main characters of the novels imbibe the folly and strength of human nature. Readers will stumble upon characters who are pious, vengeful, meek, vicious and holy. I was transported to the imaginary world of Barchester where chivalrous love was still a dominant ethic.
Trollope’s novels reflect 19th century British life. How do young people make love during that time? How much is the salary of civil servants? How do country squires behave? What are the common duties of vicars, bishops, archdeacons and other clergymen? What is the extent of wealth and influence of the Church? How do newspapers affect or distort ecclesiastical and political affairs?
For me, the most memorable part of the series is the saga of John Eames and Lily Dale. In particular, the unrequited love of John for Lily. Despite being honourable, heroic and pleasant, John could not persuade his childhood friend, Lily, to marry him. Every year, John renews his offer of marriage to Lily to prove his earnestness but our heroine could not learn to love John as her husband. Lily defied the pleading of family and friends to marry John since she continues to think of a man who once jilted her. After some years, John finally decided that he shall no more ask Lily to be his wife. Lily, in honor of John, has vowed to be an old maid. John’s constancy and Lily’s obstinacy produced a sad romance and a sweet story of genuine friendship. That Lily never became Mrs. Lily Eames contributed to the allure of Trollope’s novel. Maybe John is still contemplating of getting Lily’s approval in the future. Perhaps Lily will finally agree to marry John. We will never know. We can only use our imagination to surmise their fates.
Yesterday, I started reading the first book (Can you forgive her?) of Trollope’s Palliser novels. Is it a better series than the Chronicles of Barsetshire? I will tell you soon.
(A reader inquired the non-fiction books I’m reading today. I just finished a book written by Marxist geographer and social scientist David Harvey on the uneven geographical development of capitalism. I’m now reading A Brief History of Neoliberalism, also by the same author).
Related entries:
Once upon a time
Da Vinci code
Inventing a hero
Talumpating binigay sa De La Salle-Greenhills, Hunyo 27,2007....
Naikot ko ang kalakhan ng ating bansa. Nakilala ko ang maraming tao. Nakausap ko ang maraming kabataan. Marami akong napatunayan. Lubhang nakapakayaman ng ating bansa. Tunay na natatangi ang ating yamang-likas. Napakabuti ng ating mga kababayan. Kaya nakakahinayang at sa kabila ng ating angking yaman, mayorya ng mga Pilipino ay naghihirap.
Kung dito lang tayo maglalagi sa Maynila, maaari nating isipin na napakadumi, mabaho, masikip at wala ng pag-asa ang bansa. Pero higit na makabuluhan, ngunit di pinapansin, ang mga nagaganap sa ating mga probinsiya. Sila ang higit na pinagkakaitan ng biyaya sa ating lipunan.
Maaaring marami sa atin ang problema ay mabigat na trapik, mabagal na internet connection, ang nakakadisappoint na Playstation 3; pero marami sa ating mga kababayan ang kanilang iniisip araw-araw, oras-oras, ay kung saan sila maghahanap ng pagkain para sa kanilang mga anak. Habang tayo ay inaaliw nina Ruffa Guittierez, Gretchen Barreto at Paris Hilton, ang pinagkakaabalahan ng marami sa ating bansa ay paghahanap ng pera para pambili ng mahal na gamot, upa sa bahay at damit para sa mga bata.
Sa aking paglilibot, nasaksihan ko ang mukha ng kahirapan: kagutuman. Hindi ba’t ito’y lubhang nakakalungkot? Perlas ng silangan pero walang makain ang mga tao. Nag-iisang Kristiyanong bansa sa Asya, at di ba’t ang turo sa atin ay love thy neighbor, pero marami tayong mga kapitbahay na pinagkakaitan natin ng tulong.
Masaya ang marami noong eleksiyon. Lahat ng pulitiko ay namimigay ng pera. Kahit ako, isang hamak na partylist candidate, ay hinihingian ng limos. Ganyan kalala ang kahirapan sa bansa. Ganyan kababa ang pagtingin ng mga tao sa ating mga lider.
Mula Luzon hanggang Mindanao, ang daming kuwento ng korupsiyon, pandaraya, karahasan at pang-aabuso. Si Mayor nagpatayo ng palengke pero binulsa ang pera. Si Governor nagpatayo ng kalsada pero kalahati lamang ang tapos. Kandidato para sa konsehal pinaslang. Asawa ng kandidato dinukot. Guro sinunog. Mga nawawalang COCs. Hello Garci noon. Hello Bedol ngayon.
Kahit ang militar ay nakialam sa halalan. Nagdeploy ng sundalo sa mga komunidad dito sa Metro Manila. Ginawa nila ito upang takutin ang mga taong sumusuporta sa mga progresibong grupo. Dalawa sa aming pollwatcher sa Camarines Norte ang dinukot, saka pinaslang.
Marahas, madumi, mabangis ang halalang nagdaan. Hindi nakapagtataka’t marami sa mga Pilipino, lalo na ang mga kabataan ang di aktibong lumahok sa halalan.
Kaso marami sa atin ang hindi nakuhang magalit sa halalang naganap. Ang pandaraya at karahasan ay pambabastos sa esensiya ng demokrasya. Nakakabahala ang pahayag ng ilan na natural lang naman daw ang korupsiyon, pandaraya, karahasan tuwing halalan. Ganito na ba kalabnaw ang ating pagpapahalaga sa ating demokrasya?
Ayaw ko sumali sa korus na pinapalutang sa mas midya na matured na raw ang ating mga botante. Hindi na raw tradisyunal ang eleksiyon. Hindi na raw uubra ang pagtakbo ng mga artista. Oo, may nanalong pari, sundalo at pilay sa eleksiyon. Pero kalakhan pa rin ng mga pulitiko ay mga tradisyunal o warlord. Marami pa ring asawa, anak, kapatid, kamag-anak ng mga magreretirong pulitiko ang nanaig sa halalan. Limang G pa rin ang kailangan para manalo: guns, goons, gold, garci and generals. (isama ang pang-anim, si Gloria).
Tapos na ang halalan. May nanalo, natalo, nandaya at nadaya. Ibig sabihin, tuloy ang buhay sa enchanted kingdom. Tuloy na ang mga demolisyon (lalo na sa Maynila), pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, jueteng at kalakalan sa droga. Masaya na ulit ang mga nangogotong: sa kalsada man yan o sa Commission on Appointments.
Ngayon na ang panahon para maghanda sa halalang 2010. Gawing moderno ang halalan. Palitan ang namumuno sa Comelec. Ipagbawal ang mga dinastiya. Patatagin ang political party system. Higit sa lahat, kailangan natin ng pagpapanibagong-hubog sa kultura, gawi, at praktika sa usaping pampulitika sa bansa.
Sa inyong lahat, mga susunod na lider ng ating bansa, matuto kayo sa mga kamalian namin ngayon. Sana’y higit ninyong bigyang pansin ang poblema ng ating lipunan.
Related entries:
Candidate survey
Politics is local.
