Reasons why Filipinos would remain poor for the rest of their lives.
Political turmoil, scarcity, revolutionary attacks, felony, transgression..- Philippines.
Have you asked yourself “Are these the price of being a Filipino?”
It was an afternoon of November 29, I was on my way to home in an evening shuttle bus. The driver turned on the television. It was a local news program but its as if I am watching a hollywood action flick. Outside broadcast vans and reporters of local media outfits swamped around the Manila Penninsula Makati. Members of the PNP and AFP hoarded the hotel where General Antonio Trillanes and his allies checked-in for an alleged rebellion. There’s a war tank -armoured vehicle- forcibly positioned right in front of Manila Penn. The entire lobby of the hotel was dusted by tear gas.
I gathered some reasons below why Filipinos like Gen Antonio Trillanes, CPP NPA, and the Magdalo groups engaged to some desperate moves for the ouster of the President. The very same reasons why Filipinos would remain poor for the rest of their lives.
BRIBES AND CORRUPTION.
While millions of Filipinos are living in dearth and millions are homeless, hundreds of millions of pesos are being thrown outside Malacanang Palace as bribe for the government officials.
In a meeting at the Palace last October 11, 2007, the bribe money which is estimated to amount to P 95 ($2,142,000) million were given to congressional representatives. Also an amount of P 24 ($540,000) million were given to governors.
No matter where the money was sourced, giving or accepting the bribe clearly shows that these officials are dire, dismal, and awful.
Isn’t it unjust for a meager Juan dela Cruz who earns just a minimum wage (around 6 USD a day) but is burdened by taxes and high prices? Is it fair for millions of squatters struggling against demolition from a land that is said to be government properties? Is it fair for millions of Filipinos toiling abroad hurdled at the risk of slavery and death? Is this fair to a million of homeless Filipino children wandering at the busy streets of the Metro, clothes mucky and has nothing to eat?
Government exists to protect and take care of its people most especially the needy and the poor. These corrupt government officials just raze the true meaning of it.
That’s the root of all evils. But here’s MORE…..
2004 ELECTORAL FRAUD.
Integrity of presidency is probably the most controversial issues facing the GMA Administration and the Philippines as well. There have been reports and evidences from all over the nation regarding the electoral fraud of May 2004 election.
Election returns were clearly manipulated. Evidence existed showing an overprinting of 32, 000 of ERs that could have possibly manipulate the election by as much as three million votes.
Proofs were clear violation of human rights of the Filipino people. Names dates, places and circumstances accountable for the electoral fraud were clearly identified. There have been numbers of outright use of violence, harrasment and political repression throughout the country but no perpetrators get caught or jailed.
GLORIAGATE SCANDAL- “Hello Garci?…”
Would there be anything shameful than a President speak in front of the world admitting she did talk to Garcillano (former Commission on Election Commissioner) on the eve of the election poll?
The scandal and crisis started in June 2005. The full recording of conversation which took place between the COMELEC Commissioner Garcillano and various inviduals- including President Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel, senatorial candidate Robert Barbers and Rep. Gerry Espina were wire-tapped. The recording also includes conversations with as yet unidentified individuals including one of those who is addressed as “attorney” and another as “superintendent”. After the release of the tape, Garcillano was missing for a few months
There was an attempt of Arroyo’s impeachment from the lower house of the Congress but is blocked by Arroyo’s coalition in September 2005. Up to this day, no trial has taken place yet despite the fact that recordings were neutrally authenticated by foreign companies UNIQUEST(Australia) and VOICE IDENTIFICATION (US) that indeed it was Arroyo’s voice.
GLORIETTA 2 BOMBING. BATASAN BOMBING
It was most horrible. The government is now allegedly engaged in systematic campaigns to cover up the scandal-ridden Arroyo government. The timing of the Batasan bombing comes at a crucial moment when the House of Representatives is deliberating on the impeachment complaint against Arroyo.
The Glorietta 2 explosion is again said to be a mean to divert media from the daily coverage of the ZTE-NBN Broadband deal.
There are evidences that these are a primed diversionary tactics to diffuse and to divert public outrage for the corrupt government. But the government is suppressing and obliterating the proofs.
From all of these, the sufferers are US, Filipinos which lives are said to be treated as collateral damage
ZTE-NBN BROADBAND DEAL.
The Zhong Xing Telecommunications Limited (ZTE) National Broadband Network Deal is a highly controversial, $329 million contract signed by the Philippine and the Chinese government, and was personnaly witnessed by Pres. Arroyo last April 2007 in China. This was a proposal of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) aiming to establish an internet broadband connection to local government units and government agencies nationwide.
Then why is the contract said to be very controversial?
Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, son of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., which is known ally of the Administration, divulge his knowledge of the huge overpricing and kickbacks involve in the deal in an affidavit and afterwards, in the Senate inquiry. Joey de Venecia is the owner of Amsterdam Holdings Inc. (AHI), which lost the bid for the NBN project to ZTE.
It is also said that resigned Comelec Chair Benjamin “The broker” Abalos Sr., offered 200 million ( around $4,500,000) bribe to former NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) Chairman Romulo Neri to aprove the deal and offered another $10 million to Jose de Venecia III to withdraw his bid.
De Venecia asserted on the merits of his proposal, he gets “terrorized” in a “reconciliatory meeting” by Abalos, Mendoza, Mike Arroyo and four other men.
De Venecia said that Mike Arroyo, whom he first called “the mystery man” approached him in his meeting and with a finger that was about “two inches away from his nose” told him to “back off” and leave the deal.
The first gentlemen fled out of the country a day before the senate hearing, raising the suspicion that he’s avoiding the scandal.
This project was overpriced by about $130 million (P6 B). An amount enough to build countless of home for the homeless Filipinos.This is as if what they call moral impoverishment. Abuse and ill-treatment to the Filipino people.
JOSE PIDAL ACCOUNTS.
GMA is accused of concealing her assets under the spurious “Jose Pidal Account”. Senator Panfilo Lacson pointed out that FG Mike Arroyo is keeping more or less P110 million in various bank accounts that came from contributions to Macapagal Arroyo’s campaign funds. Although GMA had received Php321 million as per Lacsons allegations, the President reported Php50.2 million only in the COMELEC.
AND MUCH MUCH MORE…
Illegal Government Contracts- PIATCO Bribery, North Rail Project, Witholding of Internal Revenue Allotment, Over Pricing of the Macapagal Avenue, Fertilizer Scams, Philhealth Card.
IMPSA (Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona Sociedad Anonima) Hydro-Electric Power Plant $14 million kick back, divulged by Mark Jimenez.
Hidden Wealth in San Francisco worth $7.1million.
Mikey Arroyo’s imported horses worth millions.
PAGCOR cash cow expose’.
Jancom Environment Contract Anomaly and Overpricing
Agri Fund worth P728million in Ginintuang Masaganang Ani used for election campaign funds.
Manny Pacquiao Las Vegas Suite worth $20,000 per night used by Mike Arroyo
Comelec Automated Machine Scandal.
PIATCO BRIBERY
This is an alleged fraud, bribery and corruption by Philippine International Airport Terminals Corp and its German partner, Fraport
The Philippine panel is questionaing the amount $425 million to FRAPORT and PIATCO, the builders of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. A US fraud examineer however said on its analysis that only $33million can be traced to ultimate use on Terminal 3 and only $144 million was documented. Fraport and Piatco refuse to produce documents indicating the use of $425 million investment in Terminal 3.
There has been no explanation so far on where or how the remaining $396 million was spent and the Philippine government paid it.
Bunye said that Arroyo’s administration policy is to “put every centavo of the public coffers into good governance and clean, prudent investments that build the nation, maintain business confidence, create job and serve the poor.” So, why is it that until now TERMINAL 3 is unutilized?
OVERPRICING OF DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL AVENUE.
The cost of the construction of the President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City ballooned from P731.44million to P1.1billion. Critics claimed that it was overpriced by as much as P532.92 million at the very least. The controversy was brought again by the Public Estates Authority(PEA), the very same government agency that negotiated the controversial reclamation with Amari Corporation during Ramos Administration.
Here, the PEA officials were accused of entering into a contract with JD Legaspi Construction through simplified bidding despite inadequate funds
Prior to the Senate investigation of the issue, President announced in 2002 that she would abolish PEA, but she never did the promise. Instead of abolishing the agency, Arroyo transformed it into Philippine Reclamation Authority to focus on reclamation activities.
What can you say about that huh?
JUETENG.
There have been rumors that GMA’s senatorial and vice-presidential campaigns have been financed partly by her fellow, jeuteng lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda. But it was on the height of “Hello Garci” scandal that three self-confessed bagmen and a former aide of the disgraced poll commissioner gave explosive testimonies connecting the members of the first family to jueteng money. It was Sandra Cam, Richard Garcia, Demosthenes Abraham that told upon a Senate hearing that FG Mike Arroyo, son Mikey regularly collect jueteng money.
EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS, VIOLATION OF HUMAN AND POLITICAL RIGHTS.
Great numbers of human rights violation reported. As of Oct. 22, 2006 there are
• 186 enforced disappearances (29 of whom are women)
• 778 summarily executed members of the organizations, workers of the urban poor, indigenous people, members of the Moros, the women, the minors, the clergy and the lay workers, the members of Bayan Muna and Anak- pawis.
These are the victims of violent dispersal of rallies, false labelling, forced mass evacuation, illegal arrests and tortures.
VIOLATION OF ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS.
The government does nothing but continue to worsen the miserable condition of the Filipino people. The neo-liberal policies of deregulation, liberalization, privatization and de- nationalization is bringing transgression to the economy and yield even high profit to multi-national companies. These companies is said to have granted by the government with special privileges and tax exemptions and thereby sacrificing the basic social services for the Filipinos.
The government is but doing nothing to alter, to improve or to increase the cheap and docile labor policy to attract foreign investment but sacrificing us Filipinos.
The entry of cheap, substandard, surplus merchandise and agricultural products has destroyed the livelihood of small Filipino entrepreneurs and agricultural producers.
CONSPIRING AND COLLABORATING WITH THE US GOVERNMENT.
What has been given to us by that so-called “Bush and Arroyo’s War on Terror?”
Or by that “increased military and economic aids”?
Those were said to have violated the Filipino people’s national sovereignty and Philippine territorial integrity because of the unjust military agreement and committed various crimes against the Filipinos such as killings and rape upon Filipinas during the conduct of war exercises.
It is also said that these bogus “counter terrorism” has violated even the rights of the minorities by clearing the area of indigenous people in order to give way for the pillage of their land for foreign investment in mining and development of aggression projects</p
The government called that Manila Penn incident a “MAKATI SCANDAL” and thus condemned. But those issues that are being charged to the government are far more of disgrace to the Philippines and to the Filipino people.
dishonor.. humiliation.. indignity.. igominy.. infamy..SHAME..
All Rights Reserved 2007
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very interesting.
i’m adding in RSS Reader
By: music on January 8, 2008
at 11:17 pm