Poll chief and poll commissioner are ninongs
Just My Opinion
By Raïssa Robles
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Muslim Autonomous Region Governor Zaldy Ampatuan share a meal in happier times
After nearly nine years in jail while on trial for mass slaughter, former Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan gave his daughter’s hand in marriage in a glittering ceremony studded with top Philippine officials.
Sixty of them were not merely guests at the wedding held at Manila’s Hotel Sofitel last Tuesday. They were principal wedding sponsors or – in Filipino, they were ninongs and ninangs.
In the Catholic religion, ninongs and ninangs are meant to guide and help a newly-married couple build a family life together.
In Philippine politics, the tradition has been warped into something else. Ninongs and ninangs extend political connections beyond family.
This is great for dynasty building and re-election.
This is downright terrible for democracy.
The list of “Principal Sponsors” in the wedding of Zaldy Ampatuan’s daughter to the son of a town vice mayor shows just how cynical our officials and politicians are.
The ninongs and ninangs do not mind being associated with the worst crime of political violence in our history. This is why I call the list of wedding sponsors the “horror list”.
It’s nothing to them, that this man they are honoring, by becoming principal sponsors at his daughter’s wedding, still stands accused of plotting a mass murder.
The famous backhoe used to bury Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre victims – PHOTO by Rolivel Elusfa
Unless, they think Zaldy Ampatuan is not guilty. If they think that, they should say so out loud and let the electorate judge them this May.
Among the list of ninangs is President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao City mayor Sara.
I tweeted to Mayor Sara this afternoon to ask why she was a ninang. No reply yet.
Incidentally, I wrote a separate piece on this for South China Morning Post. The digital version is entitled:
Victims’ families ‘exploding with rage’ after accused mastermind of Philippine massacre leaves jail to attend his daughter’s wedding
In 2009, the Maguindanao massacre claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 journalists, making it the deadliest attack on members of the media anywhere in the world
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 23 August, 2018, 7:30pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 23 August, 2018, 9:10pmRaissa Robles
Relatives of 32 murdered journalists expressed outrage on Thursday after Zaldy Ampatuan, a prime suspect in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, briefly left prison to attend his daughter’s wedding.
“Our hearts are bleeding profusely and our feelings are exploding with rage by the court’s careless neglect of our feelings,” the relatives said in a statement. “For nearly nine years, [we] have been grieving over the brutal slaying of our spouses, children, siblings and relatives.”
They called Ampatuan’s three-hour pass from jail on Tuesday “an unforgivable insult”. They were not told of the request but had they known, they “would have vigorously opposed it”.
The 2009 massacre claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 journalists, making it the deadliest attack on members of the media anywhere in the world. Some were shot in their genitals before being buried in a hilltop grave that was dug with a mechanical excavator.
The massacre shocked the world and reinforced perceptions of a culture of impunity in the Philippines. In 2015, the Philippine police force sacked 21 officers for failing to prevent the massacre.
The murders were provoked by a quarrel between two political clans allied with then-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who used local forces as a buffer against Muslim insurgents. Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Snr wanted his son, Andal Jnr, to succeed him but Esmail Mangudadatu decided to run for governor.
Esmail’s wife and relatives, along with lawyers and journalists, were on their way to file Esmail’s certificate of candidacy when they were ambushed and murdered, reportedly by Andal Jnr, civilian militia and members of the clan’s private army. Zaldy Ampatuan, older brother of Andal Jnr, was also accused of planning the massacre.
According to Nena Santos, a lawyer for 25 members of the Mangudadatu family, at least two witnesses, including a servant in the Ampatuan household, have testified in court that Zaldy Ampatuan was “part of the planning”.
Santos said Zaldy was being charged as “the principal by inducement” because the former governor of the Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region was present during the three stages of planning of the massacre.
Since the charge is “conspiracy to commit murders”, she said Zaldy faces 58 counts of murder. Murder charges were dropped against Zaldy in 2010 but the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 he should be among those charged.
To read the rest, please click on this link.
While my SCMP piece centers on the Ampatuan massacre, this opinion piece is about the implications of the list of wedding sponsors on next year’s elections.
I found it alarming that two of the ninongs were Commission on Elections chairman Sheriff Abas and Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo.
Casquejo was recently appointed operations chief of the 2019 mid-term elections.
Central Mindanao, where the massacre occurred in the town of Ampatuan, Maguindanao, has historically been ground zero for election cheating.
The massacre was also an election-related violence.
Will the two poll officials’ relations with the Ampatuan family help them rein in cheating in that area? Or will their relations compromise their ability to stop any cheating?
Zaldy knows a lot about cheating. In 2011, Zaldy leaked an unsigned affidavit offering to turn state witness in former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s electoral sabotage case. The affidavit stated that Zaldy personally knew that Mrs Arroyo padded the votes for Miguel Zubiri so he could win as senator in 2007.
Zaldy also offered to turn state witness against his father and younger brother in the massacre case. His offers were rejected by then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. Who incidentally was not allowed to take a pass from jail to attend her son’s graduation.
I know I have turned cynical when it comes to Philippine politics. All these politicians agreeing to become ninongs and ninangs of Zaldy’s daughter. My guess is, Zaldy still has something to give them. Or Zaldy knows something about them. Or friendship trumps everything.
This also gives us an inkling why the late President Ferdinand Marcos is still popular to a section of the population to this day. After 20 years in power, think of how many weddings Marcos and his wife Imelda attended as ninong and ninang.
arc says
araw ng mga bayani! so where are our bayanis? they cannot all be dead!
pagmamahal sa ating bayan ang tanging dahilan . . . and so goes the song of abs-cbn’s bandila news.
medyo tahimik dito sa blog, pardon po if I make noise, he, he, he.
if those mga matatanda at mga retiradong kapolisan at military na sasama sana sa trip ni digong sa israel comes september, kung may konting pagmamahal sa bayan silang natira, they ought to stop and think, and start asserting their love of country. love of country! not love of money, he, he, he, love of country not love of travel.
pagmamahal sa ating bayan . . . at sabihin nila kay digong, thanks sir, but no thanks.
stay in the country sir, and solve problems, help our kababayans na makaahon. sobrang taas na ang presyo ng mga bibilhin, halos equivalent na sa isang US dollar ang halaga ng isang kilong bigas! already pinas is importing galungong from china, galunggong that china stole from our waters and then sold back to us! preposterous!
stand up to china, sir! and we’ll stand together with you, side by side with you. you tell the chinese president, sir! what you’ve been telling the filipino people that china should not intimidate them.
o baka sinasabi lang ni digong what the filipino people want to hear, and to china he say nothing!
stay in pinas, sir! and solve problems, solve the sinking economy, solve crimes and lessen corruptions, make life better for us all, sir! love of country, sir!
but if you run away to israel and dodge problems, enjoy life while pinas rot, then you run alone, sir!
we’re not coming with you, sir!
leona says
retiradong ka pulisan at military baka
also they’ll act as body guards for PDutz.
Gastos rin yan? !
arc says
wouldn’t it be nice if the retirados escort digong to the tarmac and wave him off, saying this is as far as we can go, sir. go, and cont come back, sir!
he, he, he.
arc says
ano ba ito? justice sour puss de casto, the castrated, he, he, he, got to sit bilang chief justice for around 43 days only! shocking. so after that, jbc has to look for panibagong candidates para sa pwesto soon to be vacated by the retiring the castrated, her terms finishing quite soon. back to square one uli choosing a new chief justice na naman.
panibagong botohan na naman, candidates to be vetted again, itong si digong talaga, there is no economy in his movements, going up and down the mountains, his face burned kuno kaya umitim, he, he, he. so many natives at katutubo aetas included, all going up and down the mountains, their faces hindi nangitim.
ang face ko po, nangitim sa galit! he, he, he, not climbing up and down mountains ako, just looking around and seeing dastardly things happening and being committed by the buang in situ. then out of pinas na naman and buang, going to israel kuno on september, kasama ang mga matatandang at retiring kapolisan at military maybe just as buang as him, again spending money pinas can ill afford.
in israel, they’d be seeing the same blue skies that can be seen in pinas, the same hustle and bustle of city life, the same polluted air thick with gun fire and gun powder, israel closer to the war front than pinas.
arc says
so, what’s happening in september po that digong has to get out of the country? pet ni bong marcos, quo warranto vs de castro and cohorts, more floods, more rain, money down the drain!
going up and down the mountains, going in and out of pinas, baka after the israel trip, umitim ng husto not only the face but the whole body of digong, he, he, he, got zapped by radiation, courtesy of russian missiles.
and he’ll be bokbok free, weevil free, preparing uli to appoint panibagong chief justice.
arc says
seniority rules! any bet who’s the next chief justice after the castrated? seniority rules! digong will keep appointing the seniors and is prepared to keep on appointing them as often as need, dahil seniority rules! he, he, he.
leona says
SPARE US! the tedious
efforts and expenses in chief justice
appointments.
Since newly appointed CJ De Castro
is the most senior why did it have
a selection who to appoint when
SENIORITY is the rule?
Every ‘three candidates’ are equals
except who is the most senior?
40 days to be senior. I am reminded
of this famous ’40’ ALITITA AND THE 40 > > > > > > >?
Open Sesame! . . .
arc says
move on! sabi ni the castrated, of course she’ll be moving on, retiring na siya in 40 days! moving on, gone and leaving na, destabilizing supreme court further.
dapat there is rule that full benefits can only be gotten if the incumbent dies in office, or been working for at least 3months. since the castrated will be working full time for only 40 days (less than 3 mos) dapat her chief justice benefits is computed only for the 40 days that she officiated. the rest of her benefits computed when she was justice associate. I think fair lang yan, she was not chief justice the whole time she in supreme court.
move on, yes the castrated will soon be moving on . . .
Andre Leonard says
Fact is, the Philippines has always rewarded, protected and found a way for those crooks in government and their family members to skirt the laws. All the while claiming to embrace the rule of law. If we look at Marcos, Duterte, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and their ilk. All have committed grave miscarriages of justice. Yet we the people continue to elect and reelect them. Go figure.
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/09/07/antonio-trillanes-paolo-duterte-chinese-drug-triad-member.html
arc says
maybe they cheated at election, that’s why they won po! duterte was cambridged and helped by paid trolls! the honest politicians, the ones that refused to compromise their morals and stayed honest and true, lost po, but retained their dignity. arroyo got hello garci tape forever around her batok, he, he, he, kaya na-hospital arrest tuloy.
bong marcos lost sa election, by the sheer act of god yan, tapos sore loser bong marcos tried to overturn election result and budded with duterte, hoping yata to influence electoral protest. asking for recount is bong marcos, pero conditional yong recount, wants those votes with 25% shading not counted! so in all, bong is not really asking for recount, but asking pet to rig the votes for him! and right in front of everybody pa, harap-harapan, bawasan ang votes! disregard those 25% shaded so he will win.
bong marcos is asking pet to rig the votes!
not asking for recount is bong marcos! rigging the votes is what he is doing, is asking, is paying, is wanting. the new chief justice, the castrated, she whose voice is sobrang shaky na, trembling voice kasi matanda na, over use na masyado yong vocal cords niya sa kakasira kay sereno. the castrated ay dapat na talagang magpahinga at magretiro, o ayan put in place tuloy siya and right in the thick of it, made chief justice mayhap to help bong marcos win electoral protest! help him cheat! chief justice for hirey! UP diliman for hirey! the marcoses doing all the hirey!
cheating, that’s how bad politicians won elections. the people are just scapegoats, fingers pointed at them for choosing kuno the wrong leaders. fingers are barely pointed at cheating politicians, celebrated instead sila. the cheaters got to rule, the bastards!
and bong marcos is taking cheating to a new level, got pet to do it for him, he, he, he.
dont do it, pet! dont shave off votes just so bong marcos can win, dont rig the votes for him, dont help him cheat. po.
leona says
Dealing with dead dictators
What’s the guarantee about Marcosoleum?
https://ph.yahoo.com/news/dealing-dead-dictators-142112584.html
arc says
1st po, exhumation of makoy would be in order, see what kinds of drugs he had in his system, the diseases that he had, maybe syphilis, he, he, he, it would show in his bones in the pitting and the protuberances. then we would know whether his arthritis was severe and crippling, the state of his nutrition whether he was starved and not fed, the porosity of his bones extreme, had been ‘pushed’ to death and got several broken bones pre mortem. and his gall stone would be highly priced, taken as amulet, he, he, he.
drill down says
Church scandal proves power concentrated is power abused
http://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/402849-Church-scandal-proves-power-concentrated-is-power-abused?amp
————————-
History and our own experiences teach us that the concentration of too much power for too long, in too few hands, will always lead to the abuse of that power. Sexual predation and child abuse are perhaps the most heinous forms of power abuse, but there are others: corruption, larceny, fraud, the manipulation of people and processes to achieve an outcome. Over time, concentrated and unchecked power rewards itself, enriches itself, strengthens itself, and feeds on itself.
———————-
A parish priest, a winning coach, a successful boss, a military, political or business figure, a celebrity – and all the systems that support and reward these people – all can become consumed by power. As has been said for centuries, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Only transparency and accountability can prevent the abuse of concentrated power.
———————–
arc says
we have checks and balances, the opposition that checks the powers that may, the vigilant taumbayan that sees, and saw all. then, we have the legal system that give justice to those who can afford it, like the ampatuans and their furloughs, lol!
power not only corrupts but emboldens, and likewise, those that dont have power, the marginalized and the oppressed, there’s nothing stopping them from having the loudest mouths that scream and holler and rallies and wait for this – equalize! stealing from the rich, from neighbors, and from anyone within sight, sick. undermining the corrupts they did, maybe inadvertently, but undermined they did. stealing electricity, their illegal connections caused power surge and failures, and eventually the engulfing fire, the sunog that ensued, the collapsed of infrastructures that the govt must repair and rebuild, allocating extra resources and funding.
absolute power corrupts, but doesnt have all its own way, for the marginalized and the very poor could join forces with rebels and insurgents, then the all powerful govt got itself a much bigger problem.
as said, “Over time, concentrated and unchecked power rewards itself, enriches itself, strengthens itself, and feeds on itself.” may I add that within the power base, cannibalism is rife, there’s power struggles among the members, faces changed, only to be challenged anew.
drill down says
Church scandal proves power concentrated is power abused
http://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/402849-Church-scandal-proves-power-concentrated-is-power-abused?amp
————————-
History and our own experiences teach us that the concentration of too much power for too long, in too few hands, will always lead to the abuse of that power. Sexual predation and child abuse are perhaps the most heinous forms of power abuse, but there are others: corruption, larceny, fraud, the manipulation of people and processes to achieve an outcome. Over time, concentrated and unchecked power rewards itself, enriches itself, strengthens itself, and feeds on itself.
———————-
A parish priest, a winning coach, a successful boss, a military, political or business figure, a celebrity – and all the systems that support and reward these people – all can become consumed by power. As has been said for centuries, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Only transparency and accountability can prevent the abuse of concentrated power.
———————–
Alfredo says
Off topic:
Spain Will Dig Up Dictator Franco’s Remains and Remove Them From Memorial to Civil War Dead
http://time.com/5377269/spain-dig-dictator-franco-remains-remove-them-from-memorial/?
There’s our precedent to our president.
Paolo says
Unless I misread it, there are Mangudadatus who are sponsors as well, are they related to Esmail?
raissa says
yes.
Kalahari says
Being listed as ninongs and ninangs do not necessarily mean they actually attended and stood as such. Raissa should have named the ninongs and ninangs that graced the fabulous wedding at Sofitel
leona says
Ulit about spoonsorries
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1023776/zaldy-ampatuan-attends-daughters-wedding
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/08/23/1844941/zaldy-ampatuan-leaves-detention-daughters-wedding
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/22/prosecutors-tried-stopping-ampatuan-from-attending-daughters-wedding-guevarra/
http://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/273713/massacre-suspect-allowed-to-join-daughter-s-wedding.html
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has sought “credible explanation” on the furlough granted to Zaldy Ampatuan, one of the principal accused in the 2009 massacre in Maguindanao.
Incredible spoonsorries!
leona says
About spoonsorries
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/665227/palace-gov-t-officials-as-sponsors-at-zaldy-ampatuan-daughter-s-wedding-won-t-affect-case/story/
leona says
Arrraayyy!
‘Spokesman Chief Inspector Xavier Solda of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology confirmed in a text message to reporters that Ampatuan has managed to secure a court order allowing him to attend his daughter’s wedding at Sofitel Manila from 4 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening.’
Arrraaayyy! Who is that JUDGE ordering Zaldy’s attending the wedding?
‘In the order released by the Justice department Wednesday, the judge cited humanitarian considerations in granting Ampatuan’s plea.
“The court is of the view that despite being a… prisoner having certain restrictions, accused-movant may be allowed to attend his eldest daughter’s wedding, which, in our culture, is a significant milestone to be cherished and remembered,” the court ruled.
“It is a momentous family occasion which must be witnessed and attended by the couple’s loved ones, especially the accused-movant who will personally bring his eldest daughter to the altar,” it said.’
EJO: ‘humanitarian’; culture; significant milestone to be cherished
and remembered; MOMENTOUS family occasion to be witnessed;
bla bla & BLAs! Phew! What is this JUDGE judging about?
‘Malacañang said Thursday it was dismayed by the decision of a Quezon City court to allow the primary accused in the Maguindanao massacre case, Zaldy Ampatuan, to attend his daughter’s wedding, which reportedly included ranking government officials among the sponsors.’ DISMAYED daw. He he he SINO? Si Roque’s?
PDutz?
Malaki na SPOONyeta ‘to!
Some SPOONyeta names: ‘Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza were among those said to have been tapped as sponsors in the wedding of Bai Nor Aila Kristina Ampatuan to lawyer Mohammad Omar Somama on Tuesday.’ Wowww! No wonder bow-wa-wow
si Judge Reyes.
Malaki na SPOONS ‘to!
EJO = extrajudicial order ‘yan. Malaki na SPOON yan.
‘Ampatuan attended the wedding of Bay Nor Aila Kristina at a five-star hotel in Pasay City after Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 gave him a three-hour furlough.’ Aaahhha! Itong yung JUDGE!
‘Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said government prosecutors did what they could to stop detained former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan from leaving detention to attend his daughter’s wedding.’
‘Did what they could’. . . what did they do for the ‘could’? Can gov’t
prosecs move heaven & earth to for JUDGE’s INHIBITION on the
case? They COULD! Malaki na Spoon ‘yan.
Do not ask anything: Our leaders and this ADM has shame?
Just ask about SPOONS. Hugpong Pagbabago ng Spoons?
Any defenses of the Spoons? Isa: ‘My name was used without my consent!’
Duha: ‘I did NOT attend that wedding.’ Tulo: ‘I did NOT ever know anything about it.’
Upat: ‘Critics are ‘nalilipat’ [misled].’ Lima: ‘De Lima ‘di kasama?’
What a spooned wedding!
Below are the news papers on this wedding spooned!
spooonsorries. . .
arc says
did what they could, the govt prosecutors, what exactly did they do to stop the furlough? shrug off their shoulders? look the other way and say something long after the fact?
did what they could, apparently what the prosecutors did was not enough, hindi kayang habulin ang three hrs forlough ni ampy! from quezon city to sofitel manila, hindi kayang habulin, heavy traffic e, kahit text hindi pwede, the kapolisan are busy arresting tambays, so naturally, lusot si ampy.
the score: ampy one, doj, zero: ampy won, doj lost.
leona says
Arrraayyy!
‘Spokesman Chief Inspector Xavier Solda of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology confirmed in a text message to reporters that Ampatuan has managed to secure a court order allowing him to attend his daughter’s wedding at Sofitel Manila from 4 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening.’
Arrraaayyy! Who is that JUDGE ordering Zaldy’s attending the wedding?
‘In the order released by the Justice department Wednesday, the judge cited humanitarian considerations in granting Ampatuan’s plea.
“The court is of the view that despite being a… prisoner having certain restrictions, accused-movant may be allowed to attend his eldest daughter’s wedding, which, in our culture, is a significant milestone to be cherished and remembered,” the court ruled.
“It is a momentous family occasion which must be witnessed and attended by the couple’s loved ones, especially the accused-movant who will personally bring his eldest daughter to the altar,” it said.’
EJO: ‘humanitarian’; culture; significant milestone to be cherished
and remembered; MOMENTOUS family occasion to be witnessed;
bla bla & BLAs! Phew! What is this JUDGE judging about?
‘Malacañang said Thursday it was dismayed by the decision of a Quezon City court to allow the primary accused in the Maguindanao massacre case, Zaldy Ampatuan, to attend his daughter’s wedding, which reportedly included ranking government officials among the sponsors.’ DISMAYED daw. He he he SINO? Si Roque’s?
PDutz?
Malaki na SPOONyeta ‘to!
Some SPOONyeta names: ‘Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza were among those said to have been tapped as sponsors in the wedding of Bai Nor Aila Kristina Ampatuan to lawyer Mohammad Omar Somama on Tuesday.’ Wowww! No wonder bow-wa-wow
si Judge Reyes.
Malaki na SPOONS ‘to!
EJO = extrajudicial order ‘yan. Malaki na SPOON yan.
‘Ampatuan attended the wedding of Bay Nor Aila Kristina at a five-star hotel in Pasay City after Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 gave him a three-hour furlough.’ Aaahhha! Itong yung JUDGE!
‘Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said government prosecutors did what they could to stop detained former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan from leaving detention to attend his daughter’s wedding.’
‘Did what they could’. . . what did they do for the ‘could’? Can gov’t
prosecs move heaven & earth to for JUDGE’s INHIBITION on the
case? They COULD! Malaki na Spoon ‘yan.
Do not ask anything: Our leaders and this ADM has shame?
Just ask about SPOONS. Hugpong Pagbabago ng Spoons?
Any defenses of the Spoons? Isa: ‘My name was used without my consent!’
Duha: ‘I did NOT attend that wedding.’ Tulo: ‘I did NOT ever know anything about it.’
Upat: ‘Critics are ‘nalilipat’ [misled].’ Lima: ‘De Lima ‘di kasama?’
What a spooned wedding!
Below are the news papers on this wedding spooned!
andrewlim8 says
MANY FILIPINOS ARE STILL TRIBAL
It’s an indictment of a part of Filipino culture (for some, not all) that is very disgusting and revolting.
It’s a primitive cultural trait, one that disregards a sense of right and wrong in favor of tribalism; one that favors who’s the tribal chieftain, the defender, protector, the savior.
A backward cultural trait that fails to learn and fails to remember.
What distinguishes the Phils from other countries is the utter lack of ability to learn and remember from the past. Every country makes mistakes, but boy, look at how others exert effort to learn and remember from their past. Filipinos do not have that capability!
It’s two thousand plus years since Christ died, and many Filipinos are still demonstrating tribal characteristics!
So next time you hear someone use that tired cliche of Filipinos being eternally cheerful, smiling and ” resilient” think again- it could be mindlessness and amorality.
Many Filipinos are simply too dumb, too ignorant and too amoral to bring themselves into the modern world.
andrewlim8 says
Federalism will actually strengthen this tribal culture.
andrewlim8 says
The Ampatuans will become even more powerful, more above the law under federalism -look at all the political and economic power they can consolidate under federalism!
raissa says
You are correct!
Edgar Lores says
*******
There are no permanent friends or enemies. There are only permanent interests.
*****
arc says
sabi po ni edgar lores, There are no permanent friends or enemies. There are only permanent interests. baka po, changeable din yong interests, he, he, he. the weather changes, people changes, priorities change too as well as alliances.
still, our society has standards and measurements put in place, code of ethics to adhere to and semblance of law and order to observe. step over the line, and you’ll be sorry. even if you buy yourself out of trouble, it could cost you more than a pretty penny. and sometimes, humiliation.
andrewlim8 says
SA PEDERALISMO, DADAMI ANG BERDUGO.
SA PEDERALISMO, DADAMI ANG TRAPO.
NO TO PEDERALISMO.
arc says
uhm, andrewlim8, had meself been invited, I’d go, go, go! makikain dahil mahal ang mga pagkain ngayon, bigas, isda, manok, pamasahe, etc. I’d eat a ton for free! I’d bring home balot, maybe isang sakong pagkain, and then, isang sako pa more. I dont care about the bride whether she’s dripping in fake virginal blood, o the groom bathed in highly charged testosterone, basta I got my more than enough share of food, and maybe, steal some kubyertos, table cothes, plates, etc na pwedeng ipagbenta, I’d be more than happy! he, he, he.
but politicos are not like meself, sa mga politikong sangkot at sponsors sa kasal, ubod ng yaman at napaka walang delikadesa ang mga ito. it’s not that they received sample bags full of goodies, money, gift vouchers, chocolates, scarves, eau de parfums, after shaves, etc, thanking them for their attendance. ang mga hayup celebrating and dancing on the graves of the massacred dead not yet given justice, ika! equally giving wedding gifts to bridal party who already got so much! their excesses and the largess, legendary. some maybe proceeds of shabu sale, he, he, he.
the ampatuans talaga, kulang ng modesty and did not go for quiet wedding celebration, no remorse. and the sponsors and politicos that attended, equally no conscience, seen and be seen.
one thing I agree mucho with andrewlim8, the wedding attendees are not the people to be trusted with federalism. they’re all hoaxers and fakers enjoying in the company of election cheaters and killers.
hugpong ng mga recycleds, same old, same old, same old corrupted selves.
duquemarino says
What else is new? In our country, it’s whom you know.
raissa says
#ChangeIsScamming