By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 December 2011
Some of them live in quarters in what is socially known as informal settlement sites. And still many of them live in shanties constructed along riversides, creeks, coastlines and dumpsites. Technically, the areas do not belong to them but to some rich businessmen, - some maybe Chinese, politicos or the government.
In short, they are illegal dwellers, or, roughly, “squatters” in their own land.
I have seen many of them occupy some spots of the Boulevard during lazy afternoon, creepy evening and sleepy hour of the morning. They sell a variant of commodities: from cigarettes to junk foods, stuff toys to souvenirs, and entertainment to flesh. Nope, they don’t live there; they simply work to live!
They live in areas where angels fear to tread but only politicos do. Most often, they work closely with the sweet-tongued “champions of the masses” who promise them heaven and earth, half of the moon and half of the stars. And very often than not, they gamble their lives with these tyrants who promise them some kingdoms on earth made in heaven.
In short, they allow these mentally-dehydrated and selfish dramatis personae to flap with their wings to land at some privileged spots of the arena. Take note, their wings are far more precious than these politicos’, at least for some time. Their wings are far greater than these politicos’, heaven knows that.
They thrive in areas where “bread and butter” can be available. Having been the victims of economic imbalance, they endure the heat of the sun and the chilling evening to take control of the consumerstic streets and highways and vend for life. Yes, they can vend more than anything and even everything and again, it can include what gods condemned in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Their shanties and quarters become the haven of politicos. These political marauders shake hands with them, dine with them, and play with them. And still some of them sleep with someone’s wife or daughter disguised as assistance, or sleep with enemies disguised as reconciliation.
At the end of the day, these people are winners for having made to believe that they are for having won for themselves these politicians that thrive in the porticos of Peoples’ Hall. They are always made to believe that without them their “heros” couldn’t have won the eyes of the great mass, that they are what these politicos have become, that they are these politicians’ command, that they are these politicians’ bosses. Sadly though, only a few ever realized that these politicians are connoisseurs of classical form of political art called mouth-synch.
In short, they become victims of the game only these champions dare to believe as fair play.
To Tom, Dick, and Harry, these people could have been more than what they have: untitled piece of land and contractual jobs. Most of them possess considerable sizes of agricultural lands to till in their provinces that can consequently earn for them their living and yet don’t leave, and cannot leave the metropolis due to what is known as politically decorated economic assistance in the guise of political game called “ballots.”
At the height of the disaster, they are the last to be heard or attended to. When disasters are gone, they are very well cared for and given reliefs behind thirty-second spotlights and paparazzi.
They have come in a variant of names: informal settlers, illegal dwellers, and squatters. Yet to a political wisdom, they have come only in one name even The Devil and Daniel Webster could not believe: Victims!
Sadly, they are victims of “Sendong,” the worst atmospheric disturbance to have battered the country. Yet, there is more to it than being victims: they are the used items, stuff toys, and canned foods of these classic Santa Clauses called politicos in the guise of political stuff called “ballots in Christmas.”
Please, don’t double kill the Filipinos; Beware!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Gloria et Santa
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
4 December 2011
It has finally arrived. And they have finally arrived at one point. Adding fuel to the fire, the Tribunal has finally arrived at a unanimous verdict. Yes, accountability and reckoning have come, at least for one little girl and one big man. This time, accountability and reckoning have gotten into everybody’s nerves, not just into one’s spine.
After the exchange of speculative hullabaloos from both camps, the government, through the court, has finally ordered the hospital arrest of former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. To my own understanding, this is more fitting for a former leader sans the conviction, at least to save the face not just of the President but of the Filipinos as well from external humiliation.
Juxtaposed with Estrada’s plunder case, Arroyo’s shouldn’t be any different. Upon commission, whether in millions or in hundreds of pesos, plunder is plunder and shouldn’t be defined as Estrada or Arroyo plunder. The only difference I know of, and this has already taken precedence over presumption of innocence, is the twist and turns called Corona and Luisita.
First off, Chief Justice Renato Corona is a midnight appointee of Gloria along with the host of justices less three. He was her former legal adviser.
In their minds, it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who declared Aquino’s Truth Commission unconstitutional; it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who issued the TRO against the travel ban of Arroyo. Unwittingly though, it was Chief Justice Corona and his magistrates of the High Tribunal who did all those in the absence “utang na loob.” It was only Aquino and his allies who are saying that it was “utang na loob” that did it all, an allegation that undermines the integrity of the Supreme Court as a democratic institution sans the insults on the credibility of the magistrates composing it, whether appointees of Arroyo or Aquino.
If “utang na loob” dictates those magistrates, the three justices appointed by Aquino would have dissented, thus, leaving the decision on the Hacienda Luisita case questionable. Conclusively, the three therefore did not intend to repay Aquino in this respect.
Secondly, the complexity of the decision of the High Tribunal against Hacienda Luisita, the hacienda of Aquino’s family added fuel to the fire.
In 1958, Pres. Aquino’s maternal grandfather Jose Cojuangco acquired what is now known as Hacienda Luisita from Spanish firm Tabacalera through a loan from the Government Service Insurance System and the Central Bank of the Philippines. The condition of the loans was that the hacienda’s agricultural lands would be sold to its tenants at “reasonable” costs.
And the Cojuangco’s did not comply and continued to fail compliance of such condition. During the time of Cory, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted and the Hacienda subjected to comply with distributing the lands to its tenant-farmers. “Stock certificates” were distributed, instead.
In November 2004, seven farm workers drew their ire at the picket fence that cost their lives and seven others were murdered one after the other by unknown assassins. Due to this, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accelerated its investigation over a complaint by the hacienda union that the stock distribution scheme was a pretense.
In December 2005, the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council created in 1987 by Cory Administration, made up of 15 Cabinet members and chaired by President Arroyo, ordered the fraudulent land reform ended, and to distribute the land to the farmer-workers. The clans legally contested.
Finally last month, the High Tribunal upheld the 2005 decision of the Court and not only ordered the Cojuangcos to immediately distribute 4,915 hectares to the haciendas’ farmer-workers. It also ordered them to pay the farmer-workers P1.33 billion, the proceeds of the sale of hacienda lands that became the industrial and business parks. Agrarian reform laws peg “just compensation” at 1989 levels, or just about P200 million.
The Court’s decision could mean the Cojuangco-Aquino clans’ bankruptcy.
Now it makes sense why they hate Chief Justice Renato Corona so much, why they’re asking him to inhibit from Arroyo’s cases. Arguably though, Gloria’s critics should also believe and understand that in doing so, all the three appointees of Aquino should also inhibit. This leaves the High Tribunal with three justices to squabble on the cases against Arroyo.
At this point, Gloria should stop acting like a little girl wanting for more; P-Noy should stop acting like superman dominating more and more. But they can do one thing: make a wish list this Christmas and post it in a chimney wall.
After all, even justices believe that Santa exists!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
4 December 2011
It has finally arrived. And they have finally arrived at one point. Adding fuel to the fire, the Tribunal has finally arrived at a unanimous verdict. Yes, accountability and reckoning have come, at least for one little girl and one big man. This time, accountability and reckoning have gotten into everybody’s nerves, not just into one’s spine.
After the exchange of speculative hullabaloos from both camps, the government, through the court, has finally ordered the hospital arrest of former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. To my own understanding, this is more fitting for a former leader sans the conviction, at least to save the face not just of the President but of the Filipinos as well from external humiliation.
Juxtaposed with Estrada’s plunder case, Arroyo’s shouldn’t be any different. Upon commission, whether in millions or in hundreds of pesos, plunder is plunder and shouldn’t be defined as Estrada or Arroyo plunder. The only difference I know of, and this has already taken precedence over presumption of innocence, is the twist and turns called Corona and Luisita.
First off, Chief Justice Renato Corona is a midnight appointee of Gloria along with the host of justices less three. He was her former legal adviser.
In their minds, it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who declared Aquino’s Truth Commission unconstitutional; it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who issued the TRO against the travel ban of Arroyo. Unwittingly though, it was Chief Justice Corona and his magistrates of the High Tribunal who did all those in the absence “utang na loob.” It was only Aquino and his allies who are saying that it was “utang na loob” that did it all, an allegation that undermines the integrity of the Supreme Court as a democratic institution sans the insults on the credibility of the magistrates composing it, whether appointees of Arroyo or Aquino.
If “utang na loob” dictates those magistrates, the three justices appointed by Aquino would have dissented, thus, leaving the decision on the Hacienda Luisita case questionable. Conclusively, the three therefore did not intend to repay Aquino in this respect.
Secondly, the complexity of the decision of the High Tribunal against Hacienda Luisita, the hacienda of Aquino’s family added fuel to the fire.
In 1958, Pres. Aquino’s maternal grandfather Jose Cojuangco acquired what is now known as Hacienda Luisita from Spanish firm Tabacalera through a loan from the Government Service Insurance System and the Central Bank of the Philippines. The condition of the loans was that the hacienda’s agricultural lands would be sold to its tenants at “reasonable” costs.
And the Cojuangco’s did not comply and continued to fail compliance of such condition. During the time of Cory, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted and the Hacienda subjected to comply with distributing the lands to its tenant-farmers. “Stock certificates” were distributed, instead.
In November 2004, seven farm workers drew their ire at the picket fence that cost their lives and seven others were murdered one after the other by unknown assassins. Due to this, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accelerated its investigation over a complaint by the hacienda union that the stock distribution scheme was a pretense.
In December 2005, the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council created in 1987 by Cory Administration, made up of 15 Cabinet members and chaired by President Arroyo, ordered the fraudulent land reform ended, and to distribute the land to the farmer-workers. The clans legally contested.
Finally last month, the High Tribunal upheld the 2005 decision of the Court and not only ordered the Cojuangcos to immediately distribute 4,915 hectares to the haciendas’ farmer-workers. It also ordered them to pay the farmer-workers P1.33 billion, the proceeds of the sale of hacienda lands that became the industrial and business parks. Agrarian reform laws peg “just compensation” at 1989 levels, or just about P200 million.
The Court’s decision could mean the Cojuangco-Aquino clans’ bankruptcy.
Now it makes sense why they hate Chief Justice Renato Corona so much, why they’re asking him to inhibit from Arroyo’s cases. Arguably though, Gloria’s critics should also believe and understand that in doing so, all the three appointees of Aquino should also inhibit. This leaves the High Tribunal with three justices to squabble on the cases against Arroyo.
At this point, Gloria should stop acting like a little girl wanting for more; P-Noy should stop acting like superman dominating more and more. But they can do one thing: make a wish list this Christmas and post it in a chimney wall.
After all, even justices believe that Santa exists!
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