The Original in Pilipino (MP3)President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Proclaiming Exec. Order No. 1017
24 February 2006
1125 am GMT+8
Manila, Philippines
I have translated the President's remarks into English for non-speakers of Pilipino national language. But I would appreciate suggestions for improving its fidelity to the letter and spirit, or should I say, the sound and the sense of the above original from Readers in the Comment Thread. Salamat in advance.
PRES. ARROYO: "My Countrymen, I have declared a state of emergency because of a clear and present danger to the Republic which we detected and foiled. There are several who attempted to deviate from the chain of command, in violation of civilian government, and to establish an unconstitutional regime. We defeated this plot. Part of our action was to capture the military and civilian conspirators. We shall also not let pass the financial and political support for the rebellion. The govt has stopped this illetgal action. Aside from the few who who broke away, all officers of the military are properly in line down to batallion level. As Commanderj-in-Chief I have full control of the situation. I just finished meeting with my Cabinet, who are united in the public service inspite of the security calamity. I am calling on all local govts to continue to serve. The people's safety and security should not be endangered. Meantime, I am leaving to the Chief of the AFP and the Chief of the Police, all required actions. They will report to media about what will happen next. The Foreign Affairs Secretary will brief the diplomatic embassies. But here is my warning to those plotting against the nation, the full force of the law will fall on your treachery. You are harming the poor in dragging us down from our proper level in the world (senseless phrase here she read the prompter wrong!) You are unmooring the economy from its strengthening fundamentals. My countrymen I ask you all to stay calm. I ask the Media to report events according to public duty, and don't allow harmful rumor and wrong news. Thank you for believing in our naton and our bright future. May God bless the Filipino nation."YOU CAN HELP BY SUGGESTING IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS TRANSLATION AFTER LISTENING TO THE MP3. THANKS
RELATED: Full Text of Proclamation 1017 (at PCIJ)
15 comments:
The puzzling sentence is: Ipinahahamak ninyo ang mga mahihirap sa inyong paghatak ng bansa na palayo sa ating nararapat na antas sa daigdig, bilang kuta ng pagkakaisa, pagsasakripisyo, pagmamalasakit, at kahusayan sa mundo..
Literally: "You are harming the poor by dragging the country down from our proper level in the world, as a bastion of unity, sacrifice, concern, and excellence in the world." (Hard to translate malasakit by the way.)
"Nararapat na antas sa mundo" is possibly a mistake or a wrong choice of words. Should simply edit thus: "wastong kalalagyan, bilang kuta..."
Great! didn't know the Econblogger's also got great linguistics. I'll take all the best suggestions and incorporate them in a final publication version...
Am headed out for the evening ... back later..
DJB,
This is on altogether different matter although you may very well say that it is linked to one's freedom of speech.
Am watching BBC and caught a report that David Irving, a British historian has been sentenced to 3 years by an Austrian court for expressing his views that he believed the WWII Jewish Holocaust did not exist.
Irving, who earlier on had apologized for his views, said in an ambush interview outside the court said that he didn't know if there were 6 million jews who died in the holocaust.
While it may run against the general freedom of speech, Austrian law states clearly that it is UNLAWFUL to state that the WWII jewish holocaust did not exist.
That's Austria's Rule of Law - harsh but it is the Rule of Law!
DJB,
For info:
BGen Danilo Lim was a member of PMA Class ‘77 but graduated from West Point in 1978.
Lim, who was then a Philippine Army major, was also the leader of the military group that stormed Atrium during the 1989 coup d’etat against Cory Aquino.
Lim is the first of his class to earn a star to become brigadier general. It was Gloria who approved the AFP Generals recommendation for him to have that star.
It’s been confirmed by a reliable source that BGen Lim tried to persuade Gen Senga CSAFP to withdraw his support but that the latter refused.
Lim is kept in his quarters for the moment and not detained in prison.
There are still a few generals whose identity are not known to the public today who have seriously expressed their sympathy for Lim’s ideals.
DJB,
Am a bit puzzled here. The State of Emergency apparently was declared on the basis of a foiled coup d'état?
If that's the case, then Palace spin that they foiled a coup d'état was preposterous and technically wrong!
By tradition, a coup d'état is the violent overthrow of the government launched by the military but which could be aided and abetted by civilian components of the Republic. To say that they foiled a coup d'etat means that a VIOLENT overthrow had been initiated by the military or a component of the military.
Contrary to Palace spin and innuendoes, BGen Danilo Lim, when he approached CSAFP Senga to persuade him to withdraw his support was technically espousing mutiny and not a coup d'état in the same manner when Gloria and her husband had persuaded Gen Angie Reyes to commit mutiny by withdrawing their support for the Erap government.
That the mutiny might have later on generated into a coup d'état is another matter but at the time Lim was arrested, technically, the act being committed by Lim was inciting to mutiny and not a coup d'état.
Palace spin therefor that they FOILED A COUP D'ETAT is absolute nonsense! There was no physical evidence that Lim had launched a violent assault on Gloria's government so, how could they foil something that had not even started?
That there may be grounds to believe that a coup d'état might have been launched by Lim remains to be seen - Gloria's government and her spin masters have to prove that Lim had sequestered military logistics and ammos for the purpose of a violent overthrow. Until then, the only threat to Gloria's goverment was a general who tried to incite his superior to commit mutiny.
Incidentally, two of the most well-known proponents of a coup d'état was Gloria and her husband when they encouraged and gave firm backing to a military general to launch the violent overthrow of the Erap government.
It was Gloria's favorite general BGen Espinoza, former Marines chief and the supplier of the infamous Marines' helmets (that got Admiral Wong, former FOIC later into trouble with the Marines for denouncing the Espinoza helmets) who would have led a violent coup d'état against Erap had Angie Reyes not been able to persuade Major Service Commaders to agree to withdraw support.
HB--Regarding the Irving case, when I posted on Ralph Peters article a few weeks back on this matter, he stood up for Irving's free speech rights and against Austria's law. I tend to agree with him, but I would have to add that I would impose on such a person the same restrictions on free speech as I would scientists, since he is making claims of fact and history, not religious beliefs, which ARE allowed to be fantastic,or even ridiculous. So for example, I would stand up for his right to say his piece, but challenge him to explain the millions of Jews with serial number tatoos on their forearms. I guess it would be if a whole town of women were raped, their rapists tried and convicted, but later one of their friends try to publish scholarly books claiming the rapes did not happen.
Perhaps what the Austrians are trying to outlaw is LYING about a fact about as well known to be true as any scientific fact. And a fact whose simple denial carries deadly political consequences in that such denials could actually create the conditions for its repeat. Six million human lives was 10% of the WW2 dead. That's a lot for a people that accounted for far less that 0.1% of the global population.
About Danilo Lim, do you think they will claim he was going to assassinate the President?
DJB,
Re Irving: I agree he went overbaord there.
Re: Austria Law: It is quite specific - unlawful to speak publicly, let alone claim in writing that holocaust never exsited; NAZI salute in public and swastika display in cartoons for publication, etc.
Re Gen. Lim: that they should accuse him of "going to assasinate Gloria" WILL NOT and CANNOT stand at all! C'mon, Lim, a general of sterling field combat record, a West Point graduate, a Marine to boot had a lot of occasions to have done it and didn't do it.
For all his faults - the biggest one having banked on being able to carry out a simple mutiny, i.e., withdrawal of support to bring down Gloria - Lim is not an assasin, he's much too West Pointer for that sort of thing: respect for chain of military command (MILITARY COMMAND)!
Here's the particular provision that got Irving jailed for three years:
whoever denies, grossly plays down, approves or tries to excuse the National Socialist genocide or other National Socialist crimes against humanity in a print publication, in broadcast or other media.
Granted that the Holocaust was really a grand disaster for Europe, still one is making an exception and opening the gates for more exceptions.
Just suppose the Rwandans now claim that the death of millions during their genocide is also a big thing for them. This would be another possibility for an exception to the freedom of expression.
There is still a group here in the US that believes the world is flat and that the moon landings were staged. Facts alone will not deter people from believing otherwise. Others are just plain loco.
BTW, When in Mindanao and other Visayan provinces, GMA speaks in bisaya, her family having roots in Iligan City in Lanao.
Malasakit could also be used in bisaya and could mean "to feel another's pain".
Amadeo, thanks for that citation on Austrian law. Regarding Bisayan, I notice a very jarring Bisayan accent in GMA when she intones, "...At ito naman ang babala ko..." very jarring for pure tagalog speaker like me.
But u know what, a funny impression strikes me listening to it. The thing was first written in English and translated into Tagalog! I wonder if we could just ask for the original?! As Fleetwood Mac said,"Don't you find that weird???"
Duh! You belong to the Fleetwood Mac generation, DJB?
By the way, had a Pinoy dog sitter at home this morning; he saw my comp screen focused on philippine commentary - asked me what it was and told him.
Well, surprise, surprise! He said he used to train the dog/dogs of a Dean J Bocobo some 25 years or so in the Philippines!
Could it be you?
Rizalist,
My suspicion as well. But then neither the President nor most of the Cabinet have Tagalog as their mother tongue. Still the Filipino version has a certain dating to it. The kataksilan part is malutong - to Filipinos of all languages.
Amadeo,
"Empathy" is one way to render "malasakit". Good.
Wretchard of The Belmont Club has a nice post on the Philippines: Second Day I was just over there having a nice comment conversationwith "desert rat" -- They could use help from Philippine experts--leads a lot of traffic to your site...Wretchard links to Ricky Carandangand UnLawyer...their sitemeters are ticking ticking tonight1. Wretchard is Filipino by the way and a Editorial Board member of Pajamas Media.
HB--That's an incredible story, but I've never owned a dog except for Stogie, who was murdered by a collie in Ohio. And I wasn't in the Philippines 25 years ago. haha And there are several Jorge Bocobos--none of them own dogs. Is he pulling your leg? Tomorrow let him see you perusing MLQ3 see what he says!
Amadeo, nice word that: malasakit.
Yes, the advice to visit the Belmont Club is sound. And he does devote an entry regarding the present political unrest in the old homeland. Am a bit surprised our more popular compatriot, Michelle Malkin, has yet to devote space for the same issue. Maybe too busy jousting with the radical Islam dragons. But I admire her spunk, wit, and facility with words. She is a one-woman wrecking crew when it comes to dealing with contrary issues.
Anyway, while continuing to monitor the more visible sites emanating from the Visayas and Mindanao, I also polled a couple of egroups I belong to regarding the political unrest. It appears unanimous that it is mostly business as usual in the southern areas and the alerted people, mostly young, speak of one mind, the novelty and relevance of an EDSA “thing” do not strike a chord with them anymore. They actually think it is counter-productive and advise to just go on with life as usual.
DJB,
Re: Sounding board!
Thought I should "telegraph" reactions of friends.
Reactions are coming from two groups: one which we may consider rabidly anti-Gloria and the other which may be-considered NOT ANTI-GLORIA. While the reaction of the first group is "extreme" compared to the second one which is more of a disappointment in Gloria, both groups have similar concern: Gloria's SOE may take the Philippines to more dangerous direction.
E-mail groups including a group of Fil-Ams based in US (know two of them personally) are very active in cyberspace. E-mails flying all; not at all taking this SOE crap sitting down; pretty organized too.
Have got a circle of friends in Manila too and not at all the leftist type who've sent me e-mails declaring outrage; overall their concern is that Gloria is over-reacting.
While a couple of friends of mine in the Philippines think that this SOE should calm down things a bit and leave it at that, most say that they believe Gloria's SOE will be harmful to business. A girlfriend of mine who's into Makati real-estate dealing with expats is saying business was already bad and now complains that this is gonna make things worse.
Many of these girls (a few may be considered Manila or Makati socialites) were rather pro-Gloria or better put, rabidly anti-Erap, however, they are now disappointed and convinced that Gloria's over-reacted.
Gotta hit the sack now. Hope will find blog tomorrow and that blogging in the Philippines won't fall under General Order no. 5.
Post a Comment