Ang Talumpati ni Pnoy Aquino sa Mamasapano Massacre Anniversary (25 January 2016)

Ang Talumpati ni Pnoy Aquino sa

Mamasapano Massacre Anniversary (25 January 2016)

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Sa pagsalita ni Pnoy Aquino sa anibersaryo ng pagpatay sa SAF44 ngayong araw, 25 ng Enero, ay kung ano-ano na namang matulaing kataga ang binitwan niya. Kaylan kaya titigil ang presidente sa ganitong gawain na bistado namang puro buladas lang? Hindi makakalimutan ang mga binitiwan niyang mga pangako lalo na ang “tuwid na daan”, noong nangangampanya pa lang siya, hanggang sa siya ay umupo na. Pati ang mga “pangako” para sa mga pamilya ng mga pinatay na SAF44 ay hindi pinatawad ni Pnoy dahil sa mga bulilyaso na naman.

 

Ayon sa tatay ng isang pinatay na SAF, iilan lang sa mga pinangakong benepisyo ang kanilang natanggap. Ang pabahay ay maliit at nasa isang liblib na panig ng Laguna at hindi mararating kung walang sariling sasakyan. Ang isang benepisyo para sa dependent ay tahasang sinabi ng pamunuan ng PNP na hindi pwedeng ibigay dahil lampas na sa minimum na gulang ang tinutukoy na dependent, subalit sana ito ay ginawang exemption na lang, dahil gagamitin sa isang hindi pangkaraniwang sitwasyon…subalit hindi nangyari, sa kabila ng pangako ni Pnoy.

 

Hindi makalimutan ang hindi niya pagsalubong nang dumating ang mga labi ng SAF44, pagkatapos ay sasabihin niyang dadalhin daw niya hanggang sa hukay ang sakit na dulot ng nangyari na gusto pa niyang ituring na isang “insidente” lamang, at hindi “masaker”? Dahil sa kasanayan na niyang magbigkas ng mga kasinungalingan, akala niya lahat ng mga sinasabi niya ay totoo….napaniwala niya ang sarili sa ganito. Subalit hindi tanga ang taong bayan upang paniwalaan ang mga sinasabi niya.

 

Upang mabawasan ang bigat ng kanyang mga pagkukulang bilang presidente ay panay paninisi ang ginagawa sa nakaraan administrasyon ni Gloria Arroyo na nagpamana daw sa kanya ng mga kapalpakan. Bakit hindi na lang niya ituwid kung may mali at punan kung may kakulangan, sa halip na siya ay magdadakdak na hindi gawain ng isang lalaking tao, lalo pa at ayon sa kanya ay  “ama” siya ng sambayanang Pilipino? Ang salitang “ama” ay nanggaling din sa kanya dahil sa kahiligan yata niya sa tula, subalit hanggang turing na lang ito, dahil hindi nga niya pinapakinggan ang kanyang mga “boss” na taong bayan, ang bago na namang turing na “ama” pa kaya? Hindi lang tahasang pagbibingi-bingihan ang kanyang ginagawa, kundi pati na rin ang pagbubulag-bulagan, at lalo pa ang pagmamaang-maangan kaya marami tuloy ang nagtatanong kung may presidente ba ngayon ang Pilipinas.

 

Ang pinakamagandang magagawa ni Pnoy upang makabawi sa mga kahihiyan ay huwag nang mangako at bawasan ang paggamit ng mga matalinghagang salita sa kanyang mga talumpati. May panahon pa naman siya upang mabago kahit kapiraso ang pagtingin sa kanya ng sambayanang Pilipino at makakuha uli ng respeto…yan ay kung pakikinggan niya ang mga matitino niyang taga-payo, lalo na ang mga “boss” niya.

A Closer Look at the Filipino “Nationalistic” Groups

A Closer Look at the Filipino “Nationalistic” Groups

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Even during the administration of Ferdinand Marcos, there were already problems with China as regards the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, separatist movements and kidnapping in Mindanao, as well as, with Malaysia as regards Sabah, and most especially, corruption in the government. The same problems were inherited by subsequent administrations. But the “nationalistic” groups were more concerned in shouting invectives against America in front of the US Embassy and in burning effigies of American and Filipino presidents. They did not lift a finger in helping the government in its effort to recover Sabah, and not a single rally was held in front of the Chinese Embassy to express their revulsion over the issue on West Philippine Sea. Not even a question was raised as regards the effectiveness of the military against the separatist movement and kidnappings in Mindanao because of its inadequate facilities due to misused funds intended for its modernization. These groups cannot even lay claim on the success in deposing Marcos, because the religious groups and ordinary citizens were the ones responsible for such success.

 

Despite the open reclamations of China in the West Philippine Sea, these groups were silent, although, belatedly, they somehow held a lightning rally or two, after such, nothing was heard from them again. Despite the ongoing activities of the Abu Sayyaf and separatist groups in Mindanao, they remained silent. The overly grisly Maguindanao and Mamasapano massacres did not entice them a bit to make a move to show their support to the victims. Despite the moving of justice system at a snail’s pace and unabated proliferation of foreign “investors” who are exploiting the natural resources around the country, nothing is heard from them, too.  And despite the blatant control of domestic medium-scale trading in the country by these foreign “investors”, still nothing is heard from these groups.

 

After the announcement of the Supreme Court’ decision favoring the legality of the US military presence in the country, these groups suddenly came to life. They maintain their claim that such decision shall lead to the construction of the permanent US bases in the country when in fact, nothing of that sort is mentioned in the agreement.

 

They claim that the continued presence of the American soldiers in the country will lead to the revival of sex- related industry which is not true. Even without the presence of US bases, there is uncontrolled proliferation of the sex trade via the internet, bars and massage parlors, even in the decent districts of Metro Manila.  But still, if they want, they can knock at the doors of Congress and Senate for laws that shall control this kind of industry, and which should be appropriate for the time. On the other hand, they are supposed to know that even the local government can control such industry. And, just what have they done on the issue of poverty that contributed to the fast growth of such industry in the country? They should caution the sex workers if they are really bent on helping their countrymen involved in sex trade which needs to be treated as a separate issue, instead of using this alibi in pursuing their “nationalistic” objective. They seem to be blind to the fact that various sex deals are flourishing even without the issue on the US military presence in the Philippines due to weak national laws and LGU regulations that reek with corrupt motives.

 

What dedication to advocacy are they talking about when some of them are even holding passports stamped with US visa?  If these groups are really serious in their advocacy, why don’t they hold rallies against the ongoing corruption in the country and the vote-buying, a political tradition that got deeply-entrenched in the Filipino culture? Why don’t they consistently hold rallies for the removal of department secretaries who are being questioned on the issues of smuggling, ghost NGOs, drug trafficking, illegal recruitment, and deplorable state of mass transit facilities such as LRT and MRT, etc. Why don’t they consistently hold rallies for the removal of the president, if they find him to be ineffective just like what was done during the time of Marcos? Why don’t they hold rallies against the unfulfilled promise of the government to modernize the military facilities after prime public properties were sold to foreign investors? Why don’t they picket outside the detention facilities where the Ampatuans are, to show their disgust over the hideous crime that they purportedly committed? These are what the Filipinos want to see and expect from them, as they claim to be “nationalistic” and pro-Filipino.

 

Obviously, the Philippines has been under a long-tested democracy which unfortunately proved ineffective due to its loop-holed system that led to the propagation of various forms of corruption. And, this is what the left-wing groups want to be changed to a more “nationalistic” system. But what do they mean by “nationalistic”?…a communism-inspired system?

 

By the way, I just want to make myself clear that not all nationalistic Filipinos have a communistic mentality.

 

 

Though how Progressive a Country is, there will always be Poverty because of Corruption

Though how Progressive a Country is, there will always be

Poverty because of Corruption

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Perfection should be ruled out in the reckoning of a progressive country, because there will always be poverty due to corruption somewhere in the system of governance. In other words, the glitter of progress cannot hide poverty. For ultra-progressive countries, the signs may be insignificant as they try to blend with the glamour of urbanity. But in other countries, especially, the third-world, the signs are very prevalent, so that there is always a massive effort to cover them up occasionally, literally, as it is done every time there are special occasions such as visits of foreign dignitaries. This practice is successful in the Philippines.

 

Practically, poverty is the shadow of progress, and literally, too, as where there are looming high-rise buildings that are pockmarks of progress, not far from them are slums or homeless citizens who huddle together under bridges and nooks. These are misguided citizens who flock to the cities after selling their homestead, that have been farmed for several generations, to deceitful land developers, at a measly price. These are the urban squatters willing to be relocated but found out that the promised “paradise” do not even have a deep well so they go back to their sidewalk “homes”. These are contractual workers who have no job securities as they earn only for five to six months, after which they leave their fate to luck while looking for another job.

 

How does corruption ever be involved in the sad fate of the exploited? Simply, by the government’s negligence  in providing decent relocation sites with job opportunities and basic facilities to those uprooted from their city abodes for more than so many years; by its cuddling of the spurious contractualization perpetrated by greedy employers; by its failure to guide and protect the rights of farmers who sell their rice fields to subdivision developers at measly prices that are not even enough to sustain them for six months; by its failure to provide the citizens with the basic necessities as funds are allowed to be pocketed by corrupt officials; and practically by looking the other way despite the availability of laws against vote buying.

 

Third- world country leaders should stop using the word “progressive”, but instead they should use “surviving” to describe their respective economy. If a country’s economy cannot sustain, much less, provide a “comfortable life” to majority of its citizens, then it is still “ailing”…hence, expect poverty to be trailing behind, just a few steps away from the pretentious allegations!

 

 

 

Dapat mag-spot check sa massacre site ang mga imbestigador…pati mga opisyal ng gobyerno na resource persons

Dapat mag-spot check sa massacre site ang mga imbestigador
… pati mga opisyal ng gobyerno na resource persons
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Upang maging kapani-paniwala ang resulta ng imbestigasyon nila sa Mamasapano massacre, dapat ay pumunta sa Mamasapano ang mga senador. Sa imbestigasyon kay Binay ay nag-spot check ang mga imbestigador, kaya dapat ay pumunta din sila sa Mamasapano dahil may narinig sa ibang senador na wala silang kaalam-alam sa kung ano ba ang hitsura ng lugar na pinangyarihan ng massacre. Baka kapag nakita na nila ang kapatagang tinamnan ng mais na tinakbuhan ng mga minasaker, kaya animo ay naging mga practice target sa shooting gallery ay mababawasan na ang mga walang katurya-turyang mga tanong nila na nagpapatagal lang ng imbestigasyon.

Dapat ay sumabay na rin ang mga nagmamagaling na mga kongresista, na todo ang self-introduction bago magtanong. Dahil sa ginawang self-introduction na kumain ng maraming minuto, kaunting panahon na lang ang natira para sa pagtatanong. Nang sitahin na ng moderator, nakipag-away pa. Doon sa Mamasapano, magsawa sila sa kaiimbistiga at sa katatanong…kung gusto nila, mag-overnight pa sila…magtayo ng tents sa gitna ng maisan kung saan ay minasaker ang mga bayaning SAF 44, para ma-feel nila ang ginagawang pag-imbistiga. Sana ma-meet din nila ang mga BIFF upang maimbistigahan din dahil namatayan din daw.

Dapat sumama ang hepe ng BIR upang ma-asses din ang bahay na tinirhan ni Marwan, kung may buwis bang maipapataw, at baka may makita rin siyang iba pa lalo na yong mga nagtitinda ng tilapia, daing na dalag, pastil at tinagtag. Isama si Dinky Soliman kung may dapat bigyan ng mga pinakatago-tagong relief goods na hindi “inubos” (bakit?) ipamigay sa mga biktima ng bagyong Yolanda – kung may natira pa dahil sa nangyaring nakawan na “parang wala lang”.

Sumama na rin dapat si Mar Roxas dahil may mga nagtatanong kung may mga ongoing projects ang gobyerno sa Mamasapano, huwag lang siyang umiyak sa site. May nagtanong din kasi na kung maayos naman ang mga proyekto bakit may mga sumama sa grupo ng terorista (wow!!!). Kailangan ding sumama si de Lima bilang kalihim ng Hustisya for obvious reason. Sumama din ang namumuno ng Human Rights dahil maraming mga taga-roon sa Mamasapano ang namatay, pati na mga MILF at BIFF, at may mga taniman din ng mais na napinsala…kawawa naman ang mga magsasakang kababayan natin na nanginginig pa siguro dahil sa takot. At lalong dapat sumama si Purisima, upang ma-feel niya ang epekto ng “pagpayo” niya kay Napeῆas na huwag makipag-coordinate sa AFP at OIC ng PNP….dahil siya na daw ang bahala sa dalawa!…baka si presidente gusto ring sumama bilang “guest”…pagbigyan!

Huwag na palang isama si senadora Miriam dahil may sakit siya, lalo na at dumadanas ng cancer pain. Dapat siyang alagaan dahil sa hanay ng mga senador, siya lang ang may common sense at tapang na bumato ng mga nararapat na tanong sa mga resource persons. Sapat na yong ginawa niyang matapang na pambabara sa mga taong pakialamero maski suspendido, mga sinungaling at may sakit na kalimot sa Senate hearing na dinaluhan niya. Sana ay gawin niya uli ang pambabara sa susunod na hearing at baka sakaling may bumigay sa mga sinungaling, pagkalipas ng ilang gabing hindi pagkatulog dahil sa bangungot at kurot ng konsiyensiya!

Baka gusto ng mga pumunta sa Mamasapano na umupa ng eroplano ng Cebu Pacific nang makapag-avail ng murang pamasahe, siguraduhin lang nilang hindi sila mapagsarhan ng check-in counter…sigurado magmumura sila! Kailangan pala nilang mag-load sa cellphone dahil baka kailangan nilang mag-text…epektibo “yata” ito kaya may pagtitiwalang ginagamit na komunikasyon pati ng military at PNP….maski sa gitna ng barilan.

Suggestion o payo lang po ito…take it or leave it!