GLORIA DEVILITA

Evil. Lucky Bitch. Duwende. Tsunami. Pandak.

No other woman president in this country has been called by so many derogatory names in public. I do not know if this would hold true for all women presidents globally, but in my book, its certainly Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

It could happen to you…

It was something I never imagined I would do: rise in standing ovation at a speech delivered by (as I write this still) Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose De Venecia.

Tonight, JDV delivered a very impassioned speech that reminded me of the powerful “I accuse…” speech of then Senator Teofisto Guingona. That speech led to the ouster of then President Joseph Estrada.

JDV, in his speech virtually enumerated one deadly sin after another committed by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

He started with telling everyone how he, as kingmaker or perhaps queenmaker, built up Arroyo to where she is right now. He had been, as he said “right by the President’s side” through all political turmoil, one impeachment complaint after another and seen her through.

But now we see a beleaguered JDV. Under attack by the Arroyos after his son, Joey De Venecia chose to speak on the ZTE contract.

And so, despite all he has done for the Arroyos, and as a warning to those about to unseat him he said, “it could happen to you.”

And so he went on to enumerate one anomaly after another– the overpriced ZTE contract, the Transco deal that went to yet another Arroyo ally, and the 2AM proclamation of GMA as president in 2004 questionable election results, to which the House of Representatives under his leadership, was party to.

Honestly calls for moral revolution, for unity seems so well, unbelievable, coming from a politician like JDV. He is, admittedly so, “a sinner” and not the ideal person to lead such a revolution.

Will his speech, like that of VP Guingona, lead to snowballing protests that could oust GMA? Will JDV be consistent with what he has said and reveal more of the anomalies under the Arroyo administration that he had been a party to? That remains to be seen.

And so now for GMA, after JDV’s speech, should do well to remember Erap after the Guingona speech. It could happen to you!

P*NYETANG PULIS PLAKARDS YAN!

Jusme, kilabutan nga kayo.

It was all I could say as thousands of peasants marching for land towards the historic Mendiola bridge were met by placard-bearing police women.

The messages ranged from unbelievable to hilarious.

“Kami ay kaagapay ninyo sa kaayusan at katahimikan ng bayan”

“Mapayapang magpahayag ng damdamin para kapayapaan ay mapasaatin”

What d f**k???

Does General Razon’s PNP and his Mamang Pulis spinmasters seriously think they could pull off such insincere messages of peace while peasants are marching to commemorate the day when 13 of them were gunned down by policemen in a rally for genuine land reform 21 years ago?

Stupid.

PNP rally antics have been done before: police women facing a composite of women rallyists, police women giving white roses and now the placards. This is the worst yet.

For one, its always the women. Why the women? This macho institution always resorts to using the women in their ranks for such tasks of facing rallyists in attempts to make protesters appear anti-women in spite of the justness of the calls. Moreover, these tasks are regarded as well, weak and therefore feminine. For the PNP, avoiding confrontation is a woman’s job.

Secondly,do they really think the public is stupid? The PNP along with the AFP are long time record holders of being the number 1 human rights violators in the country. This is a record that cannot be erased with generic messages of peace on tarpaulin placards. This is a record that was attained and sustained year after year after year with the deaths and disappearance of countless of activists, human rights volunteers, journalists and leaders, most of the victims coming from the ranks of peasants.

Winning the propaganda war and hearts and minds of the people goes beyond placards and lip service. Mamang Pulis would do well to rethink its strategy. The same goes for the AFP.

Doing December with the Grinch

I cannot do December. But then again, I cannot not do December.

Year after year after year I tell that to myself, with a feeling of dread at the pit of my stomach knowing I have to face the inevitable: Christmas.

It starts with the countdowns, blahblah days to go before Christmas. Then you hear this dingdongding melody on the radio when Halloween hasn’t even gotten there yet. Then as September becomes October and so on, the next thing you know panic, sets in. Schedules become cramped with reunions and Christmas parties, traffic, year-end deadlines and reports and things you feel you need to get over and done with before the year ends. And I tell myself, I cannot do December and survive with my sanity intact.

Its not my favorite season of the year, obviously. But not to be the grinch for my nieces and nephews, I go along (with much effort) with the ceremonial gift-giving, cooking for the noche buena and media noche pot lucks, going to mass, singing carols and eating more than what I usually eat.

That really isn’t so bad if only the season does not magnify the reality that slaps you in the face everyday.

For an entire year you learn to live with just passing by the candy and yosi vendor; or looking out the jeepney window when a street child wipes your shoes along Quezon Avenue for coins; or not notice the tired face of the cleaning lady at the MRT; ignore the gaping holes on the soles of the slippers of a young boy pushing the trolly along railroad tracks lined with cardboard homes and accept all of these as a part of the f*cking Phillipine society you were born into. It gets frustrating in December. How the hell can you do December? Its different in December.

But it really can be different in December. People seem more charitable, donations pour, telethons for this cause and that institution, concerts for a cause etcetera.

Or is it just the media hype? Because then you see the news.

Vendors who, no different from myself, are trying to beat their deadlines– that of making enough off their wares before the 24th to give their families a decent noche buena– being demolished. All in the name of easing the Christmas traffic.

Then there are the Sumilao farmers who did make the deadline on foot arriving in Manila to ask for land. But then there is the government who wants to beat its own deadline by getting rid of the farmers before Christmas, offering them a ride home along with a stinky land reform deal that supposedly overturns a land-conversion decision to favor Cojuangco’s San Miguel but compels the farmers to still pay for the land.

And then there’s a great December promotion for rapists to go scot free. An honest mistake, Malacanang says, but who trusts Gloria Arroyo enough, believing her to be honest even with mistakes? Phoooey. Ex-Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, convicted rapist of an 11-year old girl is being rewarded by Mrs. Arroyo for his province’ remarkable performance in delivering the votes for her in 2004 and for her senatorial slate in 2007. Honestly no mistake.

And finally you see Mrs. Arroyo kissing the AFP brass ass on their 70th anniversary thanking them for their loyalty, and swearing to high heavens insurgency will be wiped out by 2010. What has been wiped out are communities after communities of peasants. Some have fled and become internal refugees, and some have added to the ranks of the insurgents this regime boasts to get rid of but cultivates instead.

I swear cannot do December. To prove it, I’ve had fever for three straight days and migraine to boot but I am writing this blog with hopes that it will release whatever that needs to be released to survive this season.

It shouldn’t be so bad but doing December has become such an effort especially when the Gloria Grinch makes the lights blink and not glitter. They just blink. And like many of us, pundi na.

Doing your job in Arroyo’s country

At the Manila Peninsula, police rounded up 30 or so members of the press who were but doing their job of covering an unfolding political event.

Arroyo’s police probably do no know, but that’s what you do when you’re a journalist. You get into the thick of the action, scramble for the front seat so you can get a complete view of the show and have a complete story to tell the public.

It was therefore a hardworking journalist’s job to stay at the Peninsula that fateful Thursday afternoon amid tear gas and tanks.

That’s what happens in this country when you do your job and you do it well. You get arrested.

Look at those whose job is to give us clean and orderly elections. They do a horrendous job then they get kickback opportunities plus the chance to run for public office. On the contrary, those who try to count the ballots properly, get stuck in burning classrooms and die.

And look at that woman who cheated, stole and lied so that she could run this country. She’s still there isn’t she? She must be doing a hell of job.