Sentimental Basura # 1

Everyday we are falling apart

Everyday it is breaking my heart

And everyday I must try to move on

Put a face that I should be strong.

And though I know there is nothing I could do

It doesn't change the fact on what I feel for you

You would always be a part of me

And only your love could set my heart free.

Not surprising

Why am I, along with most of my colleagues, not surprised by the testimony of Election Commissioner Ressureccion Borra at a recent Senate hearing? It could have made a big impact – with nonetheless a high-ranking official from Comelec admitting ‘massive’ irregularities in the 2004 polls. Yet, as the sound of how things are, it is being shrugged off as another dissenting ‘opinion’ against an already battered Malacañang.

It was the first time that a Commission Elections official acknowledged the fact that cheating had taken place during the balloting. As if adding insult to injury, Borra stressed that, “It was not done by one party or one candidate alone. It was endemic.”

Endemic is a word used to mean a disease that is constantly present to a greater or lesser degree in people of a certain class or in people living in a particular location. Used figuratively, it means the same thing. Fraud, dupery, cheating and sham are undesirable traits in a civilized society. To admit that cheating is endemic, by no less than a commissioner tasked with ensuring a clean and honest election, is and admittance of their failure to safeguard the integrity of the ballot boxes.

"Whether in the Comelec or political parties or candidates, even in our own citizens' arm, there are Judases," Borra further added at the hearing.

With this, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon countered, “If we follow that standard, do we have enough ropes?”

By which Borra retorted, “They can jump from tall buildings and drown themselves in the river.”

By following said line of thought, it seems that both are admitting that running after the culprits would not be that easy. If the perpetrators have some sort of conscience, the advice from the two is to just commit suicide for the arm of the law is not that long.

And these lead us again to the question of legitimacy by the present administration – or of Comelec for that matter. But as events have unfolded, fraud rested not solely at the hands of the commission of Malacañang but involved a web of graft, corruption and subversion. Several members of the armed forces were said to be involved, and so does other dirty hands eager and greedy to have their share of the dagdag-bawas pie.

With this at hand, it is safe to say that electoral reforms are indeed needed. It could be surmised, however, that even with the latest technology we have at hand, this would not prevent cheating. State-of-the-art tools for election is equal to state-of-the-art rigging of electoral results. Reform then, must be centered on the morals of those who are involved.

And why am I also not convinced with the announcement of Department of Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr. stating that one of the changes that would take place would be the non-involvement of the military in the elections? Apolitical is such a common word nowadays. The truth of the matter is, the AFP would always belong to the upper echelons of power. Their influence, no matter how unsolicited, would still be a persuasive force albeit at the point of a gun. The president appoints generals, and allegiance to the republic sometimes runs contrary to the call of conscience and the mandate of the Constitution.

I would have loved to write down here that we are progressing no matter how slowpoke it may be. Comelec admitting its negligence or fault; the AFP training to be apolitical. But one sees all these empty promises of reform all the time. That is the reason why a ‘promising’ political figure is just that, full of promises. Hope is a word for the hoping, while indifference is a word for the tired, for the false expectations, and for false hope even.

Commissioner Borra was right in his rhetoric regarding our society being plagued an endemic. It is a question of honesty. The truth is equivalent to being legitimate and legitimacy equals lawfulness by virtue. Surprise! Surprise! One thing that may shock me at this time is for the truth to come out.

The way things are, and should be

If one is writing a column or simply posting his thoughts on the internet, there are several topics which are readily available. However, the writing part is always the hardest. In fact, the drawing of opinion is not an easy task. It entails a lot of research and data gathering to formulate a decent, if not a sensible conclusion. It is always subjective as journalists would argue. From the opinion itself to the topic chosen – and even on the sources gathered – objectivity is reduced to the factuality of well, facts. If there is one thing which is true about opinion writing, it is the reality that we are bounded by such in formulating our judgment.

Which leads to the fact, the reality and the truth: writing is subjective. No ifs, no buts.

Amongst the hottest topics nowadays is the charter change, the ‘hidden’ martial law, the detention of the Batasan Five, the economy, and even the destabilization plots against the government. Never mind that it all revolves around a central topic which is politics. It has been proven that aside from “tsismis,” politics sells like hotcakes. How we Filipinos love politics. From shows like “Unang Hirit” to the late-night documentaries, the central theme would always be about it.

Having said so, it reminds me of what a friend said over a cup of coffee. He complained of too much politicking on our society, particularly on media. I take it that this is a normal phase on any developing country. Democracy, having been enjoyed by Filipinos for less than a century, we are still “testing” the limits of this ideology. How far could freedom of the press and of speech go? What is exactly the boundary between inciting to sedition and criticizing the administration? The law limits such rights but each circumstance and each case may bring-up a different interpretation as to what the law prescribes.

Because of this, the administration should not be onion-skinned in dealing with the criticism it gets from media. So long as we have not yet attained that amount of political maturity, politics and governance would always be a staple. Sure, there are other aspects of life such as the arts, culture and even fine cuisine. But no matter how we look at it, these things are only secondary. Tell Congress and Malacañang to concentrate more on other matters and the media would follow suit. News organizations are but a reflection of the current system we have.

Which leads me to say that there is no fool-proof way in “controlling” the media. The media owes itself to safeguard its ranks against scalawags and abusive personnel. In fact, no amount of government regulation or standard may be set-up without crossing the line of free speech. It is not the administration’s duty, neither is it mandated by law, to watch over the watchers. In the task of disseminating information, one does not need interference in fulfilling such task.

What’s wrong with the media being responsible? What’s wrong with developmental journalism and promotion of the economy? Media’s responsibility is being true to their calling. It should be unbiased, factual and fair. The concept of being responsible is something that must be left to the news organization itself. The people are not fools when it comes to what they should believe in and what they should not. A fine example would be ABS-CBN and its ties with Meralco. Its rating dropped because of alleged protection of the interests of its owners.

Developmental journalism, on the other hand, is quite a different thing. Remove the “D” and you have “envelopmental” journalism. For those who do not know, these are journalists who are on the list of pay-roll by politicians and by those in power. All praises could be seen on this kind of work, evidently blinded by the glitter of money to portray a good image to his patron. Developmental journalism, in its strictest sense, is watching over the development of a project, of highlighting its importance, and of criticizing – if necessary – of activities and projects of the government. It is still adversarial. The tone may have been cut-down, but the essence still remains the same.

To put things simply, this article is about how politics would continue to be the main topic of media organizations. As said earlier, we have not yet attained that degree of political maturity to concentrate more on other things. This is the reason why Gloria and her staff would remain to be the center of attention. This is also the reason why she must not restrict its movement instead of allowing a free flow of debates and arguments. Presidente kasi ‘sya. Part ‘yun ng job description.

It was Victor Hugo who said, “I may not agree with what you say but I’ll fight to the end your right to say it.” This is the essence of democracy. Would you rather prefer a silent media over a noisy one? Baka patay na o nakakulong na kaya tahimik. The real scary part is: if the government could issue orders against media and its inherent freedom, what more could it do to ordinary citizens? Abusadong media o abusadong gobyerno? Mamili ka.

With or without diploma

As I was looking over some of the things I have written in the past few years, I was reminded again of the reason why I finished college and why I pursued higher education for that matter. In fact, some people I admire were not college graduates. They merely stood above the rest in the chosen fields they have ventured.

But this is not to say that I have any regret on finally having that diploma. In a society that equates such to education – to what a person actually knows – this is an achievement in itself. For one, you are not alone in going through all that college crap. On my case, I knew that it was my parents and my relatives who were gladdened that I finally could be called a graduate. For others, the same thing is a symbol of a better future; a hope and a dream rolled-out on a piece of paper; a chance to increase one’s status and stature in life.

I am compelled to say – by which I am doing this in all humility – that I became speaker for numerous events absent the diploma. Then, I reasoned that I was always the speaker but never the graduate. Having been a media practitioner since I was 16, I could confidently say that my training was enough. Having passed through numerous editors and mentors, real life offered me more than what any journalism class could offer. The actuality of being in the thick of things provided me with the know-how of publication and the inside-and-outs of the profession. But despite of this, there are some people who would not accept me in their academic circle.

I remember distinctly how Vergel Santos of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) argued that a diploma is not necessary in media. All that was needed, he said, is a mastery of the language and a week of training. Or how one engineer from a prestigious company boasted on having trained a mason into becoming an effective construction supervisor. He said, kulang na lang sa diploma, ang piyon niya ay engineer na. The truth of the matter is, given the proper training and exposure, anyone could become what he had always dreamt to be. A grain of truth that escapes us nowadays is that real education and knowledge could not be monopolized by those who went to school.

But as I also experienced, the reality of things would always be such. Undergraduates are found way below the level of those who have a diploma. A quick glance at the resume is already a deciding factor to get hired or to get fired. Never mind what he knows, mind what is written on his bio-data.

It has always been a state policy that education be instilled among its citizens. A sound mind in a strong body; a Greek philosophy emulated by every democratic country. But democracy requires equality. This, I fear, is absent in the educational system we have.

If only education were not capitalized into becoming a gross business venture. Even graduates have problems finding a job because they did not come from a prestigious university. And the trend nowadays is that one must have at least have earned a Master’s degree to be preferred over everyone else. I personally know of stories of smart, young people who have finished college on time – who are responsible and hard-working – but are having problems finding a decent job. Some became policemen while others worked in factories and other odd jobs enduring problems of contractualization and poor working conditions.

The blatant display of inequity inside and outside school is mirrored by the college graduates we produce. A graduate of a small-town college is no match for a university graduate. Enrollment and other school fees are exorbitant to the point that many are forced to quit school. More than this, even the allotment for the gains of the Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT) is grossly laid-out. While 70% would go to debt services, only the remaining 30% would go to infrastructure and education. Even state colleges are hard-pressed for money that they could no longer amply support their students and faculty.

Why inequity? Inequity in its strictest sense means unfairness. It is unfair that some people can’t go to school and it is also unfair that the government should care more for paying debts than educating its youth. Again, should we blame the economy and all the hardships it produces? It’s called priority. Put education down your list of priorities and expect that in the near future, the same problems of the government would crop-up all over again.

But this is not to discourage people from going to school. In fact, I encourage everyone who has a chance to do so. But let us be reminded that real education could not be found only at the four-corners of a classroom. Strive hard to learn everything that you can inside the school and be wary on how time swiftly flies. And when you do get that diploma, do not solely rely on such. It has been proven that though it is quite valuable, the same may not be enough for the real world.

I finished college in order to get that diploma. Now, I know that it is just a piece of paper and a bit of word that I could write on my resume. But I did learn things at college that I would not find elsewhere. It is the realization that education is not education if it is confined, inhibited from learning newer things. It is the knowledge that a diploma is but a small piece on proving your real worth. I also learned that unless we become vigilant with the priorities of the government, college is worthless both before and after graduation.
In the end, education would teach us that it is our duty to constantly remind the government on how lowly our education system had come to be. That education may be found with or without a diploma. For those who have not finished college, do not despair. Those who did also experience the same problems as you do. And for those who did, let us all be reminded that real education does not stop during graduation time. Let society be our teacher and let its lessons be our driving force.

Positively

I am the weakest person I know. I am strong yet I am weak.

Queen’s gambit

As a student of political science, the orientation I have of politics is basically that of “the seizure of power and the preservation thereof,” depending on which side you are on. It also means governance and the elements of the state, but these could be viewed as mere technicalities – coordinately laid-out for compliance in order to complete the bigger picture. Ethics, principles and ideologies are abstract matters that could not be precisely measured nor be evaluated. In the end, a student of politics is left with no other recourse aside from his analytical skills given a set of circumstances.

It is on this context that I somehow admire, no matter how faulty it may sound, the way GMA and her men are handling the issues surrounding her administration. From her ascendancy to the presidency during EDSA II up to the latest display of unrest of the Philippine Marines at Fort Bonifacio, her administration had shown savvy in dealing with the different threats facing her administration.

Up to the present, some people from the legal circle are criticizing the way EDSA II was justified. They say that the Supreme Court’s Decision does not conform with the series events that transpired on January 2000. Simply put, they say that GMA was inaugurated as president way before Erap delivered his supposed resignation speech. This is the same anchor justifying her advancement to power. But needless to say, GMA had passed this legal impediment and given the time that had lapsed, said decision is but another archive in our history.

Then there was the “Hello Garci!” controversy and the “I am sorry for the lapse of judgment” speech which led to the junked impeachment complaint. Lozano’s weak complaint at Congress could not be cured by an amendment and the sheer number of the administration Congressmen ensured its dismissal. Only last January, Lozano again filed another complaint which is expected to be the subject of yet another debate. From my point of view, said complaint is critical to ensure that an impeachment complaint to be filed in June by the opposition would be muddled with issues regarding Lozano’s recent complaint. In short, pampagulo ito sa magulo nang proseso.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had been muddled with controversies and unrest among its officers. The Oakwood mutiny presented the dissatisfaction of the young officers with how the administration is treating its soldiers. The recent custody of Brig. Gen. Danny Lim and other top brass officers for questioning had also shown that amongst the ranks of the military, there are signs of dissent and agitation fermented by alleged corrupt men in uniform.

GMA is facing this threat by showing that she cares for the welfare of the soldiers. In the last few months, she had been rounding different military camps checking on the loyalty of its officers and doling out funds for the shelter, uniform and pay of its members. As always, prevention is better than a pound of cure. The intelligence community had been buzzing with rumors of a coup and the administration did not hesitate in naming names and taking-in custody those who are involved. Needless to say, the fire was extinguished even with only the slightest sign of smoke.

By appointing Gen. Allaga to handle Col. Querubin’s barricade at Fort Bonifacio, she did not let the fire spread out to the other branches of the military. It was the Philippine Marine’s problem so let the Marine’s solve the same using its own rules and regulations. By using as a banner professionalism and loyalty to the Constitution, a soldier is reminded of being apolitical and was warned that they are only being used by politicians who are interested only on their own affairs.

Then there is the announcement of a state of national emergency. Some say that this is a soft-form of martial law. To others, however, this is necessary to prevent lawless violence and to curb any rebellious attempt. But no matter which side we look at it, this is yet another political maneuvering to ensure GMA’s stay in power. Along with the Calibrated Pre-emptive Response (CPR), this is meant to suppress the inherent right of the people to peaceably assemble and redress their grievances. Parallel is EO 141 which intends to suppress information from leaking-out of Malacañang. Even the staunchest of GMA’s allies such as Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago assails its constitutionality. Ang nakakatawa dito, bawal na ngang magpakita sa Kongreso ang mga miyembro ng Gabinete, nagdi-disappearing act pa ang mga ito.

Should I even mention how the fertilizer fund was used? Or how about the proposed charter change, a seemingly change of rules in the middle of the game? Fact is, GMA is facing a battle on quite different levels. The economy is collapsing so she tries to resolve it with additional taxes. People are pouring on the streets so she issued orders to be implemented by the PNP. The media is critical of her administration so she sends out a warning that they must comply with the standards of the government. The Right and Left are conspiring so a warrant of arrest was served to Rep. Crispin Beltran and some military officers are taken into custody. The poor are dissatisfied with their poverty so she lets them be. For hunger, as they say, has no power.

Niccolo Machiavelli once said that, “The end justifies the means.” Sun Tzu’s Art of War suggests that “to know the enemy is equivalent to victory.” GMA learned from the experiences of her predecessors and she is applying the same hard-earned lessons to preserve her administration. Marcos stayed in power for 20 years using the same tactics. Little-by-little, inch-by-inch, she asserts the power of the Executive Branch in its full extent. True enough; a student of history has the advantage of out-maneuvering his opponents.

But there is also a lesson in history that GMA must dare not forget: History has a strange habit of repeating itself.

They say that power begets power and we must not be blinded by its glitter. In a strange sense, I admire GMA and her efforts to preserve and to stay in power. Being a student of political science, I see her maneuvers and tactics as a game of chess, a queen’s gambit in a political sense. It does not help however that the crowd are booing, her pawns are running-out, and her fortress are falling apart. Para hindi ma-checkmate, pwedeng mag-resign.

Suicide run

A police report featured at TV Patrol caught my attention last February 9, 2006, just about the time when dinner was being served. It was a story of an 18-year old who tried to jump-off a billboard at Katipunan Ave., Quezon City. His name is Alvin Sangcalan, a native of Cagayan Valley. He was shivering in front of the camera, lying on the floor, all dirty, half-naked, and he was forcing himself to speak. He looked like a taong grasa.

Policemen later told the reporter that Alvin tried to commit suicide because he was hungry. Presumably lured of a promise of a better life, he left the province and went to Manila to look for a job. The story said that he worked as a kargador for a short period of time but was later fired. Having no relatives and no money for transportation, he wandered the streets looking for a job and for food.

I surmised that he tried to walk his way home, Quezon City being the exit towards the north. Out of desperation and hopelessness, he decided to end his life. What better way than to jump-off a billboard; there is no need for a piece of rope and a tree to hang himself into, or of motorists who could press on the brakes. All there is is the wind beneath one’s feet and that feeling of vertigo.

I always argued that hunger is the reason why there are so many taong grasa. Apart from the fact that they only have the clothes on their back, being exposed to the elements of nature day-in and day-out could have a big effect on the mind of a person. Hunger is a slow form of torture; your insides being eaten by its own emptiness, your spirit being sucked-out of all of its hope. Come to think of it, Alvin was luckier not because he was stopped by authorities from killing himself, but because he had not completely lost his mind. Maybe the taong grasa we see on the streets had already lost their wits before they had lost their courage to live.

But isn’t lining-up among throngs of people for a chance to win an instant million in itself suicidal? Suicide denotes hopelessness, of despair, and of desperation. We buy raffle tickets to test our luck but it is quite different when you line-up for a few days – afraid to leave your space lest others might overtake your turn.

And isn’t it also suicidal the way citizens take-up arms, whether in the military or not, to simply air their grievances. From the members of the Magdalo group to those who go to the mountains to demand for a change in the system, they risk both life and limb for a chance to be heard.

Or of the way the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) spent its fertilizer fund? To deprive someone of his chance to enrich his livelihood is to assist someone in his suicide. It might have meant the survival of the current administration, but it also spelt how graft and corruption could be so blatant.

According to Sen. Franklin Drilon, magaspang na magaspang. To use the words of Bro. Eddie Villanueva, garapal. Purportedly meant to assist small farmers, it allegedly ended up at the hands of administration candidates to boost the campaign of GMA. Isusubo na ng magsasaka, inagaw pa.

Fact is, when we look at the broader side of things, our nation is somehow conducting a suicide run; the way the government are running things; the way we look at ourselves as a people; and the way poverty is increasingly creeping among our midst. And they say that the economy is getting stronger by the day. Tell that to those who could not afford a decent meal.

And yes, let us not blame the government for the Wowowee tragedy. Let us also not put political color in the fertilizer fund. Let us all inculpate fate for our unfortunate existence. We must share the blame and the destiny of being damned. In spite of our jobs and our own contributions to the economy, of us shouldering the Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT), the government should not be falsely accused.

But it was Confucius who said that, “In a country well-governed, poverty is a shame. In a country badly-governed, wealth is a shame.”

A carpenter or a jeepney driver who works from dusk ‘til dawn is far more deserving of a vacation than those who basked in Manny Pacquiao’s glory. Why can’t homeless families have even a quarter of the comforts of the residents at Malacañang? Why do we have to suffer in traffic while government big shots whisk their way using loud sirens and police assistance? And why do public officials, in spite of the small salary that the Constitution allows, have so much money? It is truly mind-boggling.

In Administration Law, Atty. Alfredo del Rio elucidated to us that public office is a public trust and public officers and employees are public servants. Both are mandated by law to perform their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, and lead modest lives.

Ganyan talaga sa Pilipinas pero hindi dapat ganyan sa Pilipinas.
Hunger, poverty, hopelessness. One does need to be covered in dirt in order to live the life of a taong grasa. Figuratively, one does need to jump-off a billboard to commit suicide. For the growing margin of the underprivileged, poverty is a way of life. Hunger and hopelessness is its most trusted companion.