Out of the blue, Fe Zamora texted me last Sunday.
Philippine Daily Inquirer editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc wanted me to write a piece on the Marcoses. Could I make the tight deadline?
Sure, I said. Because it was a chance to share with the non-digital audience my research and interviews on the Marcos era.
She also asked that the piece be confined strictly on the Marcoses, not on the cronies.
The result was a 2,487-word piece that appeared today in the newspaper edition and on the Inquirer website.
Because the print edition is very tight on space, portions had to be edited. However, the digital edition retains the piece.
At the end of the piece, I pointed out that the Supreme Court has remained silent about its dark history during the dictatorship. Here below is my proof. I downloaded on February 2012 this “history” of the Supreme Court from its website. This has since been pulled out of the website and there is no more “history” to speak of. As of today, October 1.
Commentary
The Marcoses never really left home
By Raissa Robles
When the Marcoses fled Malacañang in 1986, many Filipinos heaved a sigh of relief, thinking they were gone for good.
Now 28 years later, the Marcoses are parked at the very doorstep of Malacañang, with the dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ only son and namesake being groomed to retake the Palace come 2016.
Ferdinand Jr. (Bongbong) is a senator eyeing the presidency; his sister Imelda Jr. (Imee) is governor of their northern stronghold; their mother Imelda is a congresswoman; and their late dictator-dad turned into a saintly-looking icon like the dead Pope that is miraculously preserved inside St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican.
Religious cults like the Alpha-Omega have sprung to await Marcos’ resurrection. As cult member Teresita Maglahus said in 1993: “We are waiting for a miracle in the Philippines, the new Jerusalem. It will be revealed to our countrymen and other nations that … President Marcos is God.”
How do you account for such a stunning reversal from ill fortune?
Simple.
They never really left.
Political roots intact
The 1986 People Power Revolution did chop down the Marcos political tree. But its intricate roots that spread far and wide across the state bureaucracy and Philippine society remained intact. All the Marcoses had to do was nurture the roots and wait for the tree to grow back.
In 1998, by Imee Marcos’ own reckoning, “we waited 12 years to be on the right side of the fence.” Right side meant a political alliance with then victorious President-elect Joseph Estrada, velvet seats in Congress for Imee and her mother, and a governorship for Bongbong.
An ecstatic Imee spilled the family’s secret to success: “Many professionals were appointed by my father. So you have this immense bedrock of Marcos appointees who keep moving up.”
Like secret stay-behind units, this vast army of professionals scattered in all sectors of society have defended the Marcoses and helped erase the dark legacy of their regime.
To read the rest, pls click on this link.
drill down says
It’s wrong if they do it, but not when it’s us
http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2014/10/03/1375878/its-wrong-if-they-do-it-not-when-its-us
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drill down says
excerpts from above link:
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Like, budget impounding. Florencio Abad used to flay President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s habitual withholding of billion-peso chunks of Congress appropriations. That was in 2006-2010, after he jumped from GMA’s Cabinet to the Opposition. He egged Liberal lawmakers Noynoy Aquino and TG Guingona then to file bills against misappropriating.
But as Secretary of the Budget, Abad about-faced. Concocting the hated DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program), he got P-Noy to impound P158 billion in Congress allocations in 2011-2012. He even had him reallot it to projects that Congress had nixed or never heard of.
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Government service is Florencio’s career. So much so that he can’t find gainful work outside it. He paid only P8,150 income tax, less than a state clerk’s, in the four years after leaving GMA’s Cabinet and before joining P-Noy’s.
Why? Because he earned only P63,000 in 2006, P53,000 in 2007, P42,000 in 2008, and P16,000 in 2009.
For that he was assessed income tax of P6,400 in 2006, P1,500 in 2007, P250 in 2008, and exempted in 2009. Jobless, he depended on honorariums from lawyering.
Fortune smiled on him in P-Noy’s Cabinet. In 2013 his net worth was P32 million.
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baycas says
1. “Weder, weder lang” syndrome.
2. “To the victors, the spoils.”
3. Patronage politics.
The cycle of corruption must end.
baycas says
In the same link in Comment No. 36,
By now, Sec. Abaya must realize the root cause and contributory factors in the recent MRT3 accident.
leona says
MRT cars most probably were already BURIED in the GRAVE YARDS before pinoys negotiated to buy them. hahaha
Now, those train-cars are showing their UNFITNESS. Painting them was one FACTOR to look NEW.
MRT = means Made to Resurrect Trains.
hahaha
drill down says
Authenticity deconstructed
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/381858/opinion/blogs/authenticity-deconstructed?ref=related_stories
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“Never again” suggests that there is no exception to the rule, that there is no privileged context that exempts, and that there is no excuse for anyone to do away with the rule of law, or to make shortcuts in the constitutional processes.
“Never again” applies to Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and Napoles as it applied to Gloria. But it must and should apply as well to PNoy.
“Never again” is about stopping a new Marcos from emerging. And an Aquino, definitely, could not and should not be placed outside its reach.
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drill down says
Authenticity deconstructed
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/381858/opinion/blogs/authenticity-deconstructed?ref=related_stories
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“Never again” implies a closure of any possibility to allow anyone to even dare appropriate as one’s monopoly the task of cleaning the stables of our polity. After all, the rise of the dictatorship was not just because Marcos appropriated all the powers of the state to himself. More importantly, its legitimacy was forced on people on the basis of making us accept that such is necessary, as it is the only way to address the threats which the political community faced at the time. Hence, “never again” is an utterance against someone who would even dare think that he is the only one that has a right to straighten this crooked land, and in doing so, would move heaven and earth to defy, abolish or change the constitution.
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drill down says
more …
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“Never again” suggests that there is no exception to the rule, that there is no privileged context that exempts, and that there is no excuse for anyone to do away with the rule of law, or to make shortcuts in the constitutional processes.
“Never again” applies to Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and Napoles as it applied to Gloria. But it must and should apply as well to PNoy.
“Never again” is about stopping a new Marcos from emerging. And an Aquino, definitely, could not and should not be placed outside its reach.
—————————-
drill down says
Authenticity deconstructed
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/381858/opinion/blogs/authenticity-deconstructed?ref=related_stories
—————————-
“Never again” implies a closure of any possibility to allow anyone to even dare appropriate as one’s monopoly the task of cleaning the stables of our polity. After all, the rise of the dictatorship was not just because Marcos appropriated all the powers of the state to himself. More importantly, its legitimacy was forced on people on the basis of making us accept that such is necessary, as it is the only way to address the threats which the political community faced at the time. Hence, “never again” is an utterance against someone who would even dare think that he is the only one that has a right to straighten this crooked land, and in doing so, would move heaven and earth to defy, abolish or change the constitution.
“Never again” suggests that there is no exception to the rule, that there is no privileged context that exempts, and that there is no excuse for anyone to do away with the rule of law, or to make shortcuts in the constitutional processes.
“Never again” applies to Enrile, Estrada, Revilla and Napoles as it applied to Gloria. But it must and should apply as well to PNoy.
“Never again” is about stopping a new Marcos from emerging. And an Aquino, definitely, could not and should not be placed outside its reach.
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drill down says
pls. delete duplicates of this. had difficulty posting. thx.
kalahari says
TIDBITS:
1. Napoles lawyer asked why abad is not included in the plunder case (PDI online today)
2. Palace rejects call by bishops for Aquino to resign (Sun Star today)
The National Transformation Council (NTC) headed by one of its organizers, Cardinal Vidal of Cebu, said that “Aquino has damaged the moral fabric of the society, thus he lost the moral right to lead the nation.”
Why is the Church meddling in the affairs of the government? Section 6, Art. II of the 1987 Constitution clearly provides that “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.”
In the Philstar opinion column today by Carmen Pedrosa entitled “The National Transformation Council and Bayanko,” it said , in part,
“There is a core group of progressive bishops and laity. The group has been meeting for a while putting together how the Philippines can achieve good governance.”
baycas says
“Separation of Chuch and State” is directed on the State.
The Catholics enjoy “freedom of expression.”
Btw, Catholic religion does not represent the whole Church.
Kalahari says
“Kulang yata cla sa pansin ni PNoy”. During gma’s reign, all was quiet in the religious front – due to the ubiquitous pajero.
baycas says
The Catholic bishops freely expressed their alliance with gloria.
gloria, on the other hand, favored the Catholic bishops in clear unconstitional terms.
baycas says
“Unconstitutional.”
Edgar Lores says
As “trapo” is to corrupt politicians, “kapre” is to Mitsubishops.
“Kapre” is derived from the first syllables of “ka-ching” and “prelate”.
– “Ka-ching”, of course, is the sound a cash register makes.
– “Prelate” refers to “a bishop or higher ecclesiastical dignitary.”
“Kapre” is formed and re-juggled from the word “pari”, misspelled as “pare” and prefixed with the letter “k”.
Kapre is the Filipino Bigfoot. From Wikipedia: “Kapres are not necessarily considered to be evil, unlike the manananggal. Kapres may make contact with people to offer friendship, or if it is attracted to a woman.”
The woman in question is GMA. ;-)
leona says
…retired na yun kardinal, ‘di ba? He denied having said to PNoy to resign, ‘di ba? ULyanin na yun!
‘kala mo hari
hahaha
Parekoy says
What if we don’t believe in established religions?
It is a controversial proposal but look at its advantages:
1. We only believe in our capabilities and don’t rely on superficial being.
2. We don’t have to believe in heaven and hell, then we have to live our life to make the most out of our existence in this earth. We don’t need to deceive ourselves that the meek will inherit heaven and we don’t have to dupe ourselves that we have salvation. Then we will work harder to better ourselves and not tolerate abuse by others. Poverty will be reduced.
3. Tithing and other church expenses will be better saved and maybe use for charity of our own choosing.
4. We will be more peaceful people and we will save millions of lives by not killing ourselves because of religion.
5. Justice will prevail because crime will be punished accordingly without the influence of religion.
6. Marcoses might have been wiped out because we will not be dupped by our government by allowing them back without any punishment. If Imelda and family are really religious then we can help her meet her god by eradicating them from this earth.
7. Men and women will be treated equal around the world.
8. Politicians will not be seen in churches for a show to manipulate the flock on their show of righteousness.
9. We will not be hypocrites.
I have more but fertile minds can add on this mental exercise.
Parekoy
10/04/2014
Posting after questioning the effects of religion
kalahari says
Then, the israelis will no longer be the chosen people of God who, incidentally, do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Then again, if we are all non-believers, the ISIS won’t find any more infidels’ head to cut-off.
Then again, finally, Pope Francis scheduled visit on January 15 next year may be postponed indefinitely
OH MY GULAY – THE WORLD IS GETTING WILDER AND WEIRDER EVERYDAY
kalahari says
Addition – Then again, with finality, that the Bible should be revised containing only the recorded history excluding mythological or oral traditions, coinciding with the invention of writing about 4th millennium BC.
JoeC says
RE. Isis….. But of course, you can only keep your head if you convert to their brand of Islam.
drill down says
imo, religion is a double-edged sword, can be used to do good or bad.
JoeC says
RE. Item 6. Above.
Even though the Marcoses claim to be Christians they will probably never see God for JESUS said: ” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God ” (Mark 10:25). Sorry Bill Gates.
leona says
… actually, the so many millions and millions of human kind do not believe in HELL. They correctly believe there is HEAVEN….parekoy@
If HELL is there, who will be in HEAVEN? The Church teaches that God is SO DEEPLY MERCIFUL without limit.
There is PURGA for all of us, the good and the bad. Wipe your feet, shoes and sandals before entering HEAVEN. Once you or one is made clean into HEAVEN he/she goes.
Once you SIN when in HEAVEN to HELL you GO! Only Lucy and sinning angels went to HELL.
But being in PURGA, is also liken to some HELL but not for ETERNITY. One will not see oneself there as it is so BLACK and DARK. This is for contemplation and mediation. To FOCUS if not to concentrate to SEE GOD.
It may take one a year or a million year in God’s time. PURGA it is!
Leona
10/06/2014
Posting after eating Talaba from red tide shores.