Reviving the People’s Initiative (a.k.a. No-El)

Just when we thought the country can finally move on after the Supreme Court decided against the People’s Initiative, and after the people resoundingly rejected the conspiracy in the House of Representatives to convene a Constituent Assembly minus the Senate, now comes the motley group of local executives raring to rear the ugly head of the No-Election Movement via the People’s Initiative route.

      Given what the country has witnessed over the past three months, one cannot but conclude that any effort to raise the charter change bogey is aimed at stopping the 2007 national and local elections, and nothing else. The public outcry last month decidedly told the Arroyo government that there is no urgency for a charter change before the 2007 elections, and this was acknowledged by President Gloria Arroyo, the main architect, and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., the executor, no less.

      But perhaps, the public should no longer be surprised by this new attempt to stop the 2007 elections, not after President Arroyo turned back on her own declaration that charter change had divided the country. The quick change in her tone – from a humbled leader to another level of effrontery, declaring to all and sundry after the perceived low turn-out in the Church-led prayer rally, that charter change will remain a priority in her government – should tell us that the war against arrogant power and greed is not over until it is over.
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The political season is here

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

‘Tis the time for political pundits to finally shine and sound important after two years of incubation. For too long, they have been chewing on their political scenarios that they now either have to swallow or choke on their fearless forecasts if they can’t make their views influence others.

      So to give due importance to them, allow me to echo what they have been trying to say the past 12 months.
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Let’s hear JDV once again

By Gerry Garcia

TRADITIONAL politics, as especially played out in our Third World Republic, has been singled out by most political analysts to be behind our dismal failure to catch up with our regional neighbors some of whom were at par with, or even below, us in the early 60s, like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. This is a reflection of the sentiments of the education middle class today.

Our traditional politicians or trapos who are in power today are so . . . because they belong to the economic elite. The few families who are filthy rich naturally get to have political power because they have the means by which a costly election campaign could only be waged — money and power. Read more

Kuya Joe, the ball is in your court!

By Gonzalo Duque

AFTER a couple of weeks’ vacation, your fiery columnist is back.

     Sorry to those who were praying that I go on leave for a longer period. But so many were looking for this column whom I cannot ignore.

      As a democrat, I stand on the majority rule dictum.

       So, here’s a warm and sizzling Happy New Year to you all!
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Linda Magno comes home

By Jun Velasco

IT SHOULD not surprise us that US Marine Lance Corporal Smith is being treated with kid gloves by the authorities.

       What’s surprising is our alacrity to pretend that we can obtain justice against the world’s political industrial complex ruled by the United States.

       Those who thought the much commended Judge Pozon who sent the American rapist to jail has made a mark in the Philippine judicial system, were suffering from premature and narrow judgment. 

       Poor Nicole, if you’ve been reading history, is expected to end up in oblivion. This early, we are predicting a one-sided game in favor of the rapist.
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A lot of super in Baguio

By Al S. Mendoza

I BROUGHT my family up to Baguio on New Year’s Day.  That has been a ritual for years now.  So, from January 1 to January 4, we were at the Baguio Country Club.

       I must say the Baguio Country Club remains super as always.

       Super in facilities.

       Super in service.

       Super in everything.

       It’s a world-class vacation destination. The Philippines, if not our government, must take pride in having such a wonderful place for everyone to stay in the so-called City of Pines.
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