I just need to get this off my chest... I am really disgusted by the Philippine Senate. But I am not sure which one disgusts me the most:
1. That people like Haydee Yorac, Winnie Monsod, Perfecto Yasay and Bobby de Ocampo were denied membership to this exclusive club called the Philippine Senate.
2. That people like Jawo, Freddie Webb, Lito Lapid, Gringo, Ramon Revilla Sr., Ramon Revilla Jr. were granted membership.
2.a. That Jamby Madrigal was granted membership after recruiting Judy Anne Santos (during the campaign, she constantly reminded people to vote for Jamby and not Juday).
3. That the Senate is willing to remove one of its members just to minimize his chances of becoming President of the Philippines even if the accusations were absurd (as Joker said, they all approved the Appropriations Bill, then they are all liable. It means that they sign laws even without reading it.).
4. That the former Senate President, who is under threat to become expelled-Senator, launched a 5minute- radio campaign ad featuring Boy Abunda to denounce the charges (what a statesman).
5. That Senator Sipag at Tiyaga dragged his daughter to a press conference to attest to his innocence in the Sentae mess (and then they ask for privacy when their children are questioned???) (what a family man)
6. That presidentiable-senators seem to be happy that the country will enter recession because it will be a good campaign piece against the administration.
7. That the Senate is spending more time doing investigations-in-aid-of-reelection instead of passing laws while we are about to enter recession.
8. That the Senate has Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate President.
9. That the Senate has Jinggoy Estrada as Senate President Pro-Tempore.
10. That the Senate has Juan Miguel Zubiri as Majority Leader.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
5 disgusting things in Philippine politics (no. 4: Rape)
Coming in no. 4 for my list of 5 disgusting things in Philippine politics is the case of "Filipina "Nicole", American US Soldier Daniel Smith and whatever happened before and after that incident in Subic.
Rape is typically defined as forced, unwanted sexual intercourse or sex without mutual consent. We may never really know what really happened that fateful day. According to a Makati judge, it was rape. But according to our Court of Appeals, it was not rape, it was a romantic encounter.
But more than just sex, rape is about power. The act involves the desire of individuals to dominate over others. Hence, rape is found in almost all societies, regardless of economic or income class and regardless of political or social structure. It is used a weapon in wars and conflicts. We also see rape used against vulnerable members of the society, like children and women. Because rape is more about power, it should not be a mystery why most rape cases were perpetrated by people whom the victims knew.
Looking at the Subic incident at a bigger context, both Nicole and Smith can be seen as victims. They may have been used as pawns in an international chess game played by the US and the Philippines. You may look at it this way, Bush felt betrayed by GMA's decision to pull out of Iraq. But GMA found a bargaining chip, a US soldier that can be jailed in a Philippine prison. This is a huge embarrassment for Bush's global war on terror. A bargain was struck, Smith is convicted but jailed inside the US Embassy.
Then, here comes the Obama Administration with less focus on war but more on the economy. Nobody really knows what GMA and Obama talked about when he called, but a lot of things happened after that phone call. Smith's conviction was reversed and he was immediately whisked back to the US.
Obama could have say any of the two
1. "okay, jail Smith, we don't care"
2. "okay... I don't know what is the deal between you and Bush, but please free him now and we will include Filipino veterans in our recovery package"
Whatever really happened, what we know is that Nicole is in the US right now with her American groom-to-be who is also a soldier. Smith is also in the US with no military career and a dishonorable discharge.
While in the Philippines, we are at odds on how to deal with this issue. When economic, political and social realities clash with the quest for truth, justice and the rule of law, where do we draw the line? In other countries, debate ensues regarding principles, laws and direction the country will go to. Here, we focus on the drama of the individuals involved. (too much telenovela is bad for our country's future)
There is a very thin line dividing "blaming the victim" and "asking people to take precautions, so that they will not be a victim." It is true that nobody wakes up in the morning hoping to be raped. But you cannot also blame people when they say that "if she were not in that bar, drinking and dancing as if there is no tomorrow, she would not end up in that situation." This thin line, our Justice Secretary always carelessly crosses.
But what can we do, as long as his remarks can add up to the drama, then we can comfortably watch our evening news and our primetime telenovelas even if there are no clear distinctions between them.
Rape is typically defined as forced, unwanted sexual intercourse or sex without mutual consent. We may never really know what really happened that fateful day. According to a Makati judge, it was rape. But according to our Court of Appeals, it was not rape, it was a romantic encounter.
But more than just sex, rape is about power. The act involves the desire of individuals to dominate over others. Hence, rape is found in almost all societies, regardless of economic or income class and regardless of political or social structure. It is used a weapon in wars and conflicts. We also see rape used against vulnerable members of the society, like children and women. Because rape is more about power, it should not be a mystery why most rape cases were perpetrated by people whom the victims knew.
Looking at the Subic incident at a bigger context, both Nicole and Smith can be seen as victims. They may have been used as pawns in an international chess game played by the US and the Philippines. You may look at it this way, Bush felt betrayed by GMA's decision to pull out of Iraq. But GMA found a bargaining chip, a US soldier that can be jailed in a Philippine prison. This is a huge embarrassment for Bush's global war on terror. A bargain was struck, Smith is convicted but jailed inside the US Embassy.
Then, here comes the Obama Administration with less focus on war but more on the economy. Nobody really knows what GMA and Obama talked about when he called, but a lot of things happened after that phone call. Smith's conviction was reversed and he was immediately whisked back to the US.
Obama could have say any of the two
1. "okay, jail Smith, we don't care"
2. "okay... I don't know what is the deal between you and Bush, but please free him now and we will include Filipino veterans in our recovery package"
Whatever really happened, what we know is that Nicole is in the US right now with her American groom-to-be who is also a soldier. Smith is also in the US with no military career and a dishonorable discharge.
While in the Philippines, we are at odds on how to deal with this issue. When economic, political and social realities clash with the quest for truth, justice and the rule of law, where do we draw the line? In other countries, debate ensues regarding principles, laws and direction the country will go to. Here, we focus on the drama of the individuals involved. (too much telenovela is bad for our country's future)
There is a very thin line dividing "blaming the victim" and "asking people to take precautions, so that they will not be a victim." It is true that nobody wakes up in the morning hoping to be raped. But you cannot also blame people when they say that "if she were not in that bar, drinking and dancing as if there is no tomorrow, she would not end up in that situation." This thin line, our Justice Secretary always carelessly crosses.
But what can we do, as long as his remarks can add up to the drama, then we can comfortably watch our evening news and our primetime telenovelas even if there are no clear distinctions between them.
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