Friday, May 12, 2006

Consuelo de bobo

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO is on a roll. Last month, at the height of growing opposition to the people's initiative and chacha, she commuted the sentences of Philippine death row convicts to life in prison without the legally required premises for the exercise of the Presidential power of clemency. This she did in order to give a sop to the Catholic Bishops and the anti-capital punishment crowd, who are naturally titillated by her sudden dangling of such an ideological prize.

It paid off big time with this duly sycophantic editorial from PDI, which today is full of hosannas for the liberator of Saudi Arabia's biggest Filipino headaches: several hundred Filipino Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs) who are in Saudi jails for a variety of alleged crimes. Now I am sure not all these people were in jail for just causes, but I also doubt that out of the millions of Filipinos working the Middle East, that they were the best behaved. PDI says,
Still, the President was received by the new Saudi king. She got to meet and greet Filipino workers, and following her home was the first batch among hundreds of Filipinos languishing in Saudi jails. On that score alone, her trip was worth it, and deserves the nation’s appreciation. Still, the President’s efforts placed a spotlight on the tragic side of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) experience. And the question is what sort of follow-through there will be.
I have no admiration whatsoever for the Saudi system of justice, but it seems to me the Saudis just emptied out their jails of certain Filipinos that are now suddenly back here on the people's peso, courtesy of the triumphantly returning liberator. How many of these OFWs actually deserve to have their hands or heads cut-off under Saudi justice and yet are now magically free? Are they all the rape victims of evil Saudi predators unjustly accused of stealing the Maharani's jewels to escape? Some likely are. As many, likely are not. I suppose the President will now present these returning OFWs as the trophies of her magnificent conquest of the Saudi Prince, heroes of the Great Filipino Diaspora and give them all house-and-lot packages as she did Angelo de la Cruz? But the only "follow-through" we can expect is for the people to pay for GMA's publicity coup.

PDI also likes this turn of events because, as the voice of political correctness in the Philippines, it has been their contention that the OFW phenomenon does not really benefit the country. Note the phrase the "tragic side of the OFW experience" -- by which they really mean a characterization often seen in those paper's pages: "OFWs are just the toilet-bowl cleaners of the world."

Reporting to her Cabinet about her voyage to Arabia in glowing terms aimed straight at the camera, and with her cronies arranging for the warm hosannas of the Press, Mrs. Arroyo also announced how admiring the Saudi royalty is of her "political will" -- a thing about which their own tenacity is legendarily infamous. So admiring that the Saudi Prince was said to have promised her "his first investment in Philippine tourism." What? Another seaside tropical brothel far from the prying eyes of Muslim chastity for Arab potentates with a taste for the sultry pulchritude first glimpsed in an imported FilipiNA or FilipiNO domestic helper?

As for the purported real objective of the visit, to lobby for a seat on the Organization of Islamic Conference and to secure "guarantees" on the price of oil from Saudi Arabia, -- ha ha! -- we can only guess at the polite response, from the utter silence of the President on that score, and her ballyhooing, preening and smiling at herself on winning the release of not 80, not 100, not even 200 OFWs "languishing in Saudi jails." So they sent her home with a bunch of her countrymen and women, saved themselves a great expense in food, shelter and clothing for their Filipino headaches, and won themselves some brownie points.

What does the Philippines get? Look at the title.

I like far better, the consolations of Pablo Neruda, such as --

The Beggars

By the cathedrals, clotting
the walls they deploy
with their bundles, their black looks, their limbs,
ripped tins of provender,
the livid increase of the gargoyles;
beyond on the obdurate
unction of stone
they nurture a gutter-flower
of legitimized plague, in migrations.

The park has its paupers
like its trees of extortionate
foliage and root forms:
at the garden's margin, the slave,
like a sink at the verge of humanity,
content with his tainted disymmetry
supine by the broom of his dying.

Though charity bury them
in the pit of their pestilence,
they suffice for the human condition: they prefigure us.
Our wisdom is this: to trample them under,
to harry the breed in the sties of contempt,
servility's creatures, wearing servility's livery--
we may show them our bootsoles
or interpret their lack in the order of nature.
American panhandlers, '48's offsprings,
grandsons of church doors,
I do not commend you.
I will not invest you with ivory usages,
the rhetorist's figure, monarchical beards,
or explain you away with a book, like the others.

I efface you, and hope--
who never will enter my discipline's love,
neither you nor your pieties, nor pass to my pity.
I exile your dust from the earth
and those who contrived you to soil
a contemptible image--
till metals remake you
and you issue and blaze like a blade!


UPDATE: The Hillblogger, a Filipino based in Belgium, has many interesting comments on this, the Aragoncillo matter, and the great battle of the Fork and Spoon in Canada. She is fresh from a voyage into Eastern Europe and adds a valuable voice to the discourses on many, many blogs in the Philippine blogosphere, including Philippine Commentary. I am sure we all appreciate her substantive and incisive comments. Her blog is a regular read for me. It should be yours too!

Glenn Omanio of Newsroom Barkada has a post describing the profile of the returning, Filipinos, for whom, according to the report, the Saudi King paid "blood money" to give them freedom.

Jon Mariano at the Hong Kong Big Mind has a nice take on Ed Ermita wearing a cilice on his head, oops, I mean getting into Yahoo!News for his remarks (also an obvious sop to the Catholic Bishops) suggesting that the movie, The Da Vinci Code be banned in the Philippines. Well Mr. Ermita apparently has the Lucena City Board agreeing with him, with many more to follow in an irresistable two-step that will demonstrate how devout and holy Their Honors truly are. The commentary of Jester-in-Exile: "And I thought the Inquisition ended all those years ago. Apparently it's still ongoing here in Timog Katagalugan."

Oh well, as in past attempts to impose the Official Morality in a country where the Evil Reality is easily ignored by the sanctimonious paragons in Media and Govt, such a ban and boycott led by the Opus Dei is sure to generate a huge box office for the heresies of historical fiction.

But here is the Director of the movie, Ron Howard with his own remarks about the movie to be released on 18 May, starring Tom Hanks.

Update: ED ERMITA SHOULD WEAR A CILICE ON HIS HEAD AND THROAT I just realized that the statements of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on the movie, The Da Vinci Code, are an excellent opportunity to explain the principle of the Separation of Church and State, or Religious Liberty, because what he is calling for is a culpable violation of that cherished Constitutional principle--
"I think we should do everything not to allow it to be shown," he said. "I don’t see how we as a Catholic nation or as practicing Catholics would tolerate such a plot to be propagated in the name of freedom of expression."
This is a clear violation of the following provision in the Constitution:
Section 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.
Most people are mistaken when they apply the Principle to the actions of Church men, which this provision does not limit in any way. Separation of church and state addresses itself to the government and the State itself, enjoining it from either promoting Religion or prohibiting it.

But Ermita claims we are "a Catholic Nation." It's like when Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban exposed his own religious bigotry when he claimed the Philippines is Monotheistic Republic. Both men are amazingly oblivious to their transgression. Or are they?

ZAMBOANGA JOURNAL has this wrenching story about a little girl kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf. Grrrr!

28 comments:

the jester-in-exile said...

rizalist,

here's the Click the City comment about the lucena ban.

torquemada lives!

Jon Mariano said...

At least the admin is being consistent(just a projection?) at putting premium on Filipinos' lives (remember Angelo dela Cruz?). Those who were languishing on Saudi jails and now back home are "free", and it should bring joy to their loved ones.

Free from Saudi jails, but back to reality. We should track each one of them and make a study(who has the resources to do just that? Maybe the media?). How many will be back abroad(even in Saudi again) after some time?

Deany Bocobo said...

am not as optimnistic jon. remember the mariel boat lift in the u.s.? Cuba sent them all their convicts. not saying these pinoys are like that, but let's not treat them as saints, heroes or even victims. what i wonder did gma give in exchange?

Jon Mariano said...

Dean,

If you look at it as though one of those who were able to come home yesterday was a loved one, you'll be happy too, right?

GMA's trip, if it indeed was the reason for the immediate release of these fellow Filipinos (OFWs), then it was an achievement.

But looking at the details, those who were pardoned might be the ones who are really about to be released, or accusers who have dropped their complaints, or those who have been accused of frivolous crimes. Your description is right on, it's just consuelo de bobo. But of course, the admin will milk the story to the last drop.

Deany Bocobo said...

Jon,
I guess it would be inhuman not to rejoice for the innocents just released. So you are right Jon.

But I guess I am just amazed at what happened. Just think, under what conditions would we release say all Muslims presently in the prisons? Doing so would seem to be tacit admission that they had been detained unjustly. Is that the implication for the Saudis?

But listening to GMA's statement yesterday to her cabinet, I clearly heard her say that the releases were for "blood money"! Hope I misheard her and she said "no blood money" because otherwise she paid for the releases (out of a PR budget?!)

Try watching telecast of her arrival statement and see if you catch this bit.

the jester-in-exile said...

"But Ermita claims we are "a Catholic Nation."

fact is, anyone who uses the phrases "the only Christian nation in Asia" and analogs to that as arguments for the creation/execution of government policy are guilty of three things:

1. as above, the constitutional bar between church and state
2. tacitly marginalizing muslims, buddhists, lumads, et al
3. subversion of the republican democracy (one that holds no favor for race, creed or color) in favor of a christian fundamentalist state (in the same manner as iran is an islamic fundamentalist state)

okay, maybe there's a fourth:

4. incurable bigotry/ stupidity.

if this is what christianity's all about, the devolution back to the inquisition days, i'm turning buddhist.

Deany Bocobo said...

jester,
notice however that this is a civilian official we are talking about. My own position is that churchmen are not bound by rules that are any different than for the common citizen. They can promote religion all they want, they can participate in politics if they wish, even as, let us say, a Catholic Church Party. IN other words, as the constitution says, no religious test may be imposed for the exercise of civil or political rights.

But the State is absolutely forbidden from being anything but neutral on Religion: neither promoting ("establishment of Religion") or prohibiting it.

If I were a Muslim, I certainly would not therefore consider the Philiippines my country at all. For here we have the Executive Secretary excluding me from it. Am nominally a "Catholic-Protestant" but there is certainly nothing Christian about such statements as Ermita has made.

He doesn't understand democracy. He quotes freedom of expression, without realizing it is freedom of religion he has denigrated.

Deany Bocobo said...

Welcome to Philippine Commentary, Mabuhay!

I bet lots of them actually go back to work as OFWs, though not to Saudi! I do admire all OFWs--they are the most adventurous and the bravest of Filipinos. Especially those who go to the Middle East it's really kapit sa patalim.

But I shall never forget the explanation of one who was among those waiting to get into Iraq even after OFW were banned from going there.

Asked WHY he was doing that, he said this. If he doesn't go, he and his family will surely starve. But if he does go, one of two things will happen, he will either die or he will live. But in EITHER case, he reasoned, at least his family would survive a lil longer. If he lived, obviously he could sustain them economically. And if he died, the death benefits would at least stave of starvation for a while!

Unknown said...

Hi Dean and Jon,

Sure, those OFWs who were saved from further langushing in those Saudi prisons should be happy and as I said earlier, Gloria can count on their eternal gratitude. Gloria is one Punggok who absolutely can read into the minds of Pinoys. She knows how to buy into a Pinoy's body and soul.

On the other hand, we've got Dean here who thankfully could read through her every move. Gloria's moves are not gratis et amore - she needed some hyping in the media back home to take the some of the heat off.

In the first place, why do Filipinos have to kapit sa patalim abroad? Answer: coz this government here has not done anything to lift their standard of life. Moreover, this government of Punggok and her morally punggok minions are exorting our Pinoys to go abroad in the service of our beloved (ugh) Pinas and work as domestic helpers and busboys (ok, among others) to send home 13 billon dollars annually so that she, the punggok, can continue claiming and announcing to the world (who's not listening to her) that the economy is booming.

Hasn't this Punggok institutionalized the export of human Pinoy chattel to the level of legalized international human traficking that you now find at least one Pinoy OFW cleaning toilettes in every posh residence block abroad (and perhaps even in the sleazy residence blocks)?

What a load of crap this Punggok is trying to sell to us. Really! How can one go so low!

I read somewhere too that following Gloria's tale of heroic pledoirie in Saudi Arabia (for the release of OFW 'criminals'), she managed to obtain investment promises worth 1 billion dollars... Sure, I believe the promises were made. I would even go as far as to believe that they signed MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) to seal the promises but I refuse to believe that they will happen, save perhaps for a couple of investment in brother projects (kudos Dean, spot on!).

Tell you what, when these politicos go abroad on a roadshow to sell the homeland, they do obtain promises of investments from potential investors (that's why Punggok has so many businessmen aboard her gravy plane accompanying her on her foreign trips) but they really mean NOTHING because most of the time, those promises DON'T MATERIALIZE! What happens is that her PR men, her henchmen in cabinet flaunt the MOUs to media which buy them hook, line and sinker.

Punggok's not new to this methodology. Can't and won't believe her now or in the future.

Like Dean, am absolutely NO fan of the government of Saudi Arabia nor of governments in a few Middle Eastern countries. Many of those guys in thei government are absolute scoundrels. But Gloria is one scoundrel too so between scoundrels, things are easy!

Deany Bocobo said...

HB -- I think I shall start using the lovely term you are now suggesting. The Philippines has become a Scoundrel State! I like it better than "Rogue State" which kinda implies at least an independent streak of twistedness and a kind of directionality. A scoundred state however perfectly captures the quality of stasis that GMA projects, of defensiveness and nonprogressive conservatism. She just wants to tread water for her own sake and survival. She has no vision, doesn't want to bring the country anywhere, isn't trying to bring the country anywhere. It's like all her life she's been preparing a script of policies, ideas and pronouncements she would make as president, but nothing unites these disparate things but their media value. A scoundrel state exists merely for the scoundrels that happen to be running it.

Unknown said...

Oh, by the by Dean (hmmm, "by the by") thanks for the plug.

Re Ermita - Ed's beautiful wife might have a strong influence over him in matters of the Church.

I like Ed Ermita personally but really, I'm finding that he's getting all so confused and to think that he's not even 71 yet! That's probably due to the confusions sown no less than by Punggok which started during her menopausal years...

Unknown said...

Dean

Off topic - I read an Inquirer news flash that the "Military vows to punish philandering soldiers", "THE MILITARY warned soldiers who cheat on their wives that they would be punished for their infidelity."

Hahahah! They will punish SOLDIERS who in military parlance are mere NCOs but what will the military DO to OFFICERS who are philandering? Heheheh!

This country is getting loonier by the minute. I've never seen double standards flaunted so brazenly and openly as in Pinas. Sure, double standards exist every friggin where but from Gloria, her minions in the SC down to the blasted stevedore in the docks, double standard whammies are just so brazenly practised. Equality, fraternity? Nah, never heard in Pinas!

Anyway, that bit of comic news by the Inquirer is gonna be good news to old military hogs. Hehehe...Good thing Rex Robles is out of the military. Ok, he ain't a mere soldier, he actually managed to get a star even if he was a sea cat (meow, meow) but boy, oh boy, had this policy been sort of in force (for officers that is) while he was still in active service, he would've been one of 'em officers who would've gotten PUNISHED with ten push-ups...

Deany Bocobo said...

Rex Robles??? I know him personally and see him frequently at Carmen Guerrero Nakpil's Wednesday lunch group. We're great friends. He's such a gentleman and an officer!

Hey HB, what about Vidal Doble? I wonder if they will have to pass a new law against TRIGAMY?

Unknown said...

Hahah!

Really? You know Rex Robles? Yeah, sure he's an officer and a gentleman when he's probably asleep.

Hihihi! Pray tell me, which wife does he take to these lunches? The real and therefore the older one or the younger one who should be in her early 30s today? Perhaps, you could ask him whatever happened to the VERY young girl, a teen-ager he used to take to his office regularly at PN Hqs and whom he used to pass off as his "cousin" back in the 90s when he was N5 (Asst Chief of Naval Staff for Plans and Programs) under Vice-Admiral Dumancas, another philandering military officer of the first category (his wife and his girlfriend then slapped each other in church causing a REAL cause celebre in the AFP earning Dumancas the ire of DND Sec Rene de Villa)...

Dean, I understand that a naval officer may look good, feel good and seem good even when he's not in uniform but don't let his naval officer tone deceive you...heheheh!

Rex, a gentleman? Bah... Technical Sgt Juan Palikero is probably more of a gentleman than Rex, a Johnny Enrile crony of the dubious kind.

Unknown said...

Hahah!

Really? You know Rex Robles? Yeah, sure he's an officer and a gentleman when he's probably asleep.

Hihihi! Pray tell me, which wife does he take to these lunches? The real and therefore the older one or the younger one who should be in her early 30s today? Perhaps, you could ask him whatever happened to the VERY young girl, a teen-ager he used to take to his office regularly at PN Hqs and whom he used to pass off as his "cousin" back in the 90s when he was N5 (Asst Chief of Naval Staff for Plans and Programs) under Vice-Admiral Dumancas, another philandering military officer of the first category (his wife and his girlfriend then slapped each other in church causing a REAL cause celebre in the AFP earning Dumancas the ire of DND Sec Rene de Villa)...

Dean, I understand that a naval officer may look good, feel good and seem good even when he's not in uniform but don't let his naval officer tone deceive you...heheheh!

Rex, a gentleman? Bah... Technical Sgt Juan Palikero is probably more of a gentleman than Rex, a Johnny Enrile crony of the dubious kind.

Vidal Doble should perhaps be charged with octogamy... hihihi!

Unknown said...

Dean, I'm tickled pink here because imagine if the military were to slap a kind of punishment on philandering officers, boy, more than two thirds of the officers corps would be doing push-ups in front of privates and corporals... hahah!

Why even, good old Rene de Villa, a heavy proponent of the Couples for Christ crusade would feel so relieved that there wasn't such a policy during his time.

Think of good, aulde TABAKO too... Heheh!

Now, that's what I call typical double standard brand of morality in Gloria's military today - punish em foor soldiering folks but not the ones with the sun or the stars on their epaulettes. Shucks!

Deany Bocobo said...

MB--Yup that's the perfect analogy!

baycas-- thanks for that link I just read it must be for some special ops this coming Impeachment Season.

HB--I wonder there is some brewing sex or mistress scandal that this announcement -- completely out of left field -- may be trying to pre-empt.

Deany Bocobo said...

Where
is your
blog Baycas?
Someone has to do
Fibonacci poems for us.
Telescoping like our hearts and minds for each other...

Jon Mariano said...

There's a good piece by Rasheed from inq7.net that mentioned something regarding blood money being waved by the Saudi King.

It looks like many are giving GMA some credit for the released Pinoys from Saudi jails, albeit begrudgingly. It's something expected of a president, she can't take pogi points out of it, but still good for the families of those released.

Jon Mariano said...

A reason why GMA can't take credit for the release of Pinoy prisoners is that it was all an act of goodwill from the King. Credit goes to King Abdullah.

If really it was GMA's presence that secured the release, we should ask her to go visit the King Every week. By the end of the year, all the prisoners should be released, right? Funny!

Deany Bocobo said...

Jon,
Rene Saguisag relates how the Palace said before her trip that "the President will bring home the BACON."

Not exactly the most culturally sensitive thing, but maybe the Saudis weren't monitoring the Palace statements.

He said that instead however, she brought home many a CON.

But, I'm really nonplussed by the matter because it makes you wonder...what kind of Justice are we dealing with. I know she just sort of did the same thing with our death row convicts. Should she actually release any Muslims (like say the Abu Sayyaf prisoners that are still alive) in EXCHANGE for Prince Abdullah's generous and forgiving soul?

Deany Bocobo said...

POSTED AT UNIFORS:
#
Rizalist said,

on May 13th, 2006 at 2:59 pm

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC,

But I am suddenly upset and angry at this Saudi Prisoner release that GMA was just one big self-congratulatory smile over. I’ve come to Unifors for diplomatic relief!

I mean, what is this? The 13 th Century?

Who is this Prince Abdullah? He who would fling out of his Kingdom, like so many coppers out of a large pot of gold, Filipinos they say violated their laws and have been imprisoned?

I hear GMA say, the Arab King paid blood money for the release of the prisoners.

What system of Justice is this that the Philippine President would ACCEPT such a medieval and autocratic gesture?

Is this not in fact a way for the great Arab potentate floating on Allah’s oil, to say to the little GMA, the tinpot Snowpake Queen of an archipelagic land once ruled by the Empire of the Ottoman: you are still our minor tributary, here take back some of your kin (our headaches, now yours!).

And is she — are WE — expected to respond in some equal measure to this Prince Abdullah Bullah? Does our DEMOCRACY now have a quid pro quo with the most evil empire on Earth — the one that gave OBL his birth, his demiurge?

Are we now expected to reply in kind and release Abu Sayyaf prisoners or Muslims that are in OUR jails?

I’ve come to UNIFORS for diplomatic relief!

I demand that you GUYZ do something about this atrocious spitoon upended upon our Constitution, and everything we stand for.

No sir. This is not generosity from the Arab KIng.

It is a towering and dastardly insult to the people of Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, Quezon, Osmena, Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay,Garcia, Macapagal, Marcos, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo and every Batungbakal and Buencamino from Aparri to Jolo, who loves democracy and liberty and Rule of Law!

Awake ye blind men!

Hear me ye deaf
that are not dumb,

I know now
What sort of Thing
Did make bin Laden!

Anonymous said...

Verry off topic...

I have been reading this prequel to the daVinci code entitled Angels and Demons alos by Dan Brown with the same protagonist Robert Langdon...

You might want to read this Dean because it discussed a group of physicists which was experimenting on anti matter and said to have simulated creation

If the Davinci code caused a brouhaha wait till this novel gets a movie version..where it directly attacked Vatican......


Hey Ana,

I sort of know that slapping incident you were talking about...

Anonymous said...

Dean,

I just read my blog and e-mail and saw your comment...

My dad retired last 1993.
He was a vice commander of the officer mentioned by Hill Blogger above.

Hillblogger knows my dad personally.

speaking of which, i posted them because I was reminded of them(the articles) by Hill Blogger.

Dom Cimafranca said...

Inquiring minds want to know: are the seven principal suspects in the Saudi "chop-chop" case part of the entourage of 138 that came home with Madame President? Or will they be part of the next batch?

Just asking.

Dom Cimafranca said...

From Sun.Star

The "minor offenses" are usually violations against Saudi Arabia's conservative religious laws such as talking in public with a person of the opposite sex with whom one is not married.

Unknown said...

Hi Dean,

Thanks for dropping by.

Yep, will tell you more about French politics next time you drop in, oh and perhaps, you should stay a bit longer and have a cup of coffee...teeheeh!

Yep, Karl! Your Dad being a brilliant man always had great ideas and boy, he worked and wasn't a lazy bum like a lot of generals who spent half or more than half of their time on the golf courses. Vice Admiral Marcelo respected him and trusted him a great deal.

Your Dad was always diplomatic enough not to ruffle feathers the wrong way but still managed to say things as they should be said. I never had a real row with him which I had with lots.

Your Dad wintnessed one such row once: Chief of Naval Staff serving during your Dad's term (won't mention his name) and I had a head on collision over some stupid technicalities concerning air to sea attack, ship speed and impact; although he had lots of sea time with PN, he was not quite well versed with the latest naval warfare and technologies so we ended up arguing heatedly in front of the entire PN board (I almost challenged him to a fistfight outside the conference room and get it over with but your Dad's cool prevailed) - many younger members came to see me after that horrible scene confirming that the CNS was beyond his depth. (Unfortunately, this CNS has never seen a real missile launch either sea skimming, sea to air, or air to sea, etc. nor ever handled a real missile at all in his lifetime but I have.)

Quite sad really that this CNS made a huge career mistake when he refused not only to abide by a PN command decision but also, quite importantly, to abide by an AFP command decision so he lost all chances of making it to FOIC and spent the remaining days of his career in Zamboanga (but that's another story!).

Anonymous said...

DJB,
forgot to mention it here (although I did say it in my blog)
that your vist was an honor...
I remember pati nung nagstart pa lang ako mag blog you visited din kahit medyo diary type ang blog ko.
again ,Many thanks!

going back to my dad's articles:
I found a couplke of more articles which I posted.