Taken off or taken for a ride?

GNP accelerates. The exchange rate is up. Better credit ratings ahead. The economy, again, is poised for a take-off. So what's wrong with all the good news?

We have taken off several times already. GMA said so several times in the past. If her past pronouncements were true, we should be cruising right now. Pero flight delayed yata. Are we in the runway yet? Most are not excited about the flight anymore, having lost confidence in the pilot and crew. The collective mood now, after last year's indignation and exasperation, is mild acceptance - 'if we take off, fine; if we don't, still fine; we're better off with a new pilot anyway.'

The trouble with GMA's chest-thumping news is again their credibility. The government believes in the dictum that lies repeated often enough starts to sound true. They may sound true but still they are lies. And they certainly sound true only to them. The economy is doing well, the government boasts. The people shout, 'show me the money!'.

Maybe the Philippines is really doing well. They surely mean the economic situation of GMA and crew. Government statisticians should measure the growth of this administration's personal economies, then GMA would boast of triple digit growth rates. The trouble with government statistics is they try to spread the rate to the entire nation, thus diluting the growth which in reality accrues only to a select few. This gives the impression that the rest of the nation also enjoys growth. How do we account for the growing hunger despite the purported growth?

How can we believe the economics of GMA and her students? She berates one of her former students in broadcast TV; another student cleverly evades taxes; another looks like an X-Men morphed with Ben David. But kidding aside, the X-Men/Ben David-look alike say the economy is getting better and in the same breath say that 30% is lost to corruption. But they are in control, they should control corruption. They should control themselves from further corrupting this nation. Does this mean they improve their economy so they can skim off more?

Gloria basking in other's glory

What's wrong with GMA wringing out all political mileage out of the PacMan euphoria? Here's what's wrong. It shows that we have sunk so low because no good news have come to us for months. So, the administration has to use Manny's feat to remind us that Filipino are capable of being great. And because the politicians want to bask in the glory, they imposed hours long traffic jam on us last Friday. Hindi nga maliit na bagay ang panalo, pero pinalaki na yatang masyado para ma-picture lahat ng kaalyado.

That GMA took the opportunity to have herself on the same stage with PacMan, the honest little girl, and the beauty queen, is also wrong. She clearly does not belong to the same stage as those exemplary Filipinos. PacMan won in a fair and clean fight. The little girl is honest. The beauty queen is, of course, beautiful. Does GMA belong to the group? She thinks that by association with these model citizens, the people would think that she also has their qualities and achievments. But we know better.

Hail PacMan!!

Manny's convincing win will be discussed for several days to come. The euphoria will rise again when he comes home to a hero's welcome. His feat once more proves that positive things can still come from this country. Unfortunately, the long wait for the fight to start made some of us turn to our favorite past-time - rumor mongering. I received several text and phone messages saying either Pacquiao won in 3, lost in 6, KOd Erik in 9, etc. All were untrue, of course, as the fight was yet to start. This rumor mongering even reached a message board dedicated to boxing discussions. It was embarassing and annoying to know that fellow Pinoys flooded the message board with nonsensical comments, and in Tagalog at that, when all members should just be waiting for the round-by-round updates. Ang Pinoy talaga!!

I have way too much time!

Win-win ruse?

REMEMBER, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo fast-tracked the creation of the Consultative Commission because of the “Hello Garci” scandal. Its real objective was to mollify a nation who wanted to oust her. Precisely, the ConCom was meant to accommodate former President Ramos and Speaker Jose de Venecia—who both saw on that critical night of July 8, when the Arroyo regime was about to fall, an excellent opportunity to dangle Charter change as a way of providing GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) a graceful exit by cutting short her term of office to 2007—so they would not join the ouster calls.

Many fell for the ruse. Now, the ConCom has this very unpalatable “extension” proposal for all elective public officials whose terms are expiring in 2007.

For GMA, her political lackeys and media apologists, the proposal is a win-win strategy. If the people don’t agree to the proposal, then GMA stays. If the people approve it, then GMA can stay longer in power, as prime minister, of course. (Politicians are most likely to go all-out for its approval since their terms will be extended.) Either way, GMA’s term is not cut short. Tuloy ang ligaya. (Let the good times roll.)

I may be cynical, but I think we’re better off with the present Constitution. We don’t need a new constitution to pull us forward. We just need to get rid of the politicians who are dragging us down.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 2, 2006, page A12