Much has already been said about the incident involving Budget Secretary Butch Abad and a score of student protesters at the University of the Philippines the other week. Inquirer reporter Erika Sauler’s summary sentence, in a report she filed a few days after the incident, can serve as a helpful wrap-up: “As he exited the auditorium [and made his way] to his vehicle, a group of protesters from Stand UP (Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP) ganged up on him, calling him a thief as they threw crumpled pieces of paper, placards and coins in his direction.” Other reports described one protester grabbing Abad by the collar.
Regardless of where one stands on the issue, whether the students were justified in their violent protest or not, the incident seems to me to demonstrate that words in fact have consequences in the real world.
When the Supreme Court released its decision finding parts of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program unconstitutional, the following two paragraphs were immediately taken as justification for the anti-DAP position.
“Nonetheless, as Justice [Arturo] Brion has pointed out during the deliberations, the doctrine of operative fact does not always apply, and is not always the consequence of every declaration of constitutional invalidity. It can be invoked only in situations where the nullification of the effects of what used to be a valid law would result in inequity and injustice; but where no such result would ensue, the general rule that an unconstitutional law is totally ineffective should apply.
“In that context, as Justice Brion has clarified, the doctrine of operative fact can apply only to the PAPs that can no longer be undone, and whose beneficiaries relied in good faith on the validity of the DAP, but cannot apply to the authors, proponents and implementors of the DAP, unless there are concrete findings of good faith in their favor by the proper tribunals determining their criminal, civil, administrative and other liabilities.”
In other words, President Aquino, Abad and other officials were deemed guilty until proven innocent (or possessing good faith). I think there is a straight line from this extraordinary inversion, from Justice Brion’s hand, to Abad’s collar.
“OMG! Hooligans in the State U!” http://www.manilatimes.net/omg-hooligans-state-u/130065/
“Not a dinner party” http://opinion.inquirer.net/78789/not-a-dinner-party
Re link to Katrina’s article :
Bisita si Abad ng UP student council. Dumating ang Stand Up at binastos yung bisita ng student council. Magsorry ang student council kay Abad dahil hindi nila napanagutan ang security ni Abad; mag sorry ang Stand Up sa student council dahil binastos nila at pinahiya nila ang kapwa nilang mga taga UP. Si Abad ay nag magandang loob lang na tumanggap ng imbitasyon at magsalita tungkol doon sa topic na hiniling ng student council na pag usapan niya.
Anyway at the end of the day ang talo sa mata ng publiko ay ang Stand Up. Embes na sisishin nila ang mas nakararami, bilang isang organization na nagsasabi na sila ay tigapagsalita ng nakararami, bakit hindi nila tignan bakit hindi bumenta ang kanilang aksyon?
Kung natalo sila sa tinatawag ni Katrina na spin e siguro dapat pag aralan nila kung papaano nila ma-iimprove ang kanilang propaganda. Baka naman mahina ang kanilang mga spinmeisters. Siguro dapat palitan na ang mga iyan ng mga mas marunong sa larong spin.
Mahirap maglaro ng good vs evil, kami ang tama vs kayo ang mali sa mga panahon na ito kasi laganap na ang sources of information at disinformation. Kahit nga ang iglesia katolika na sa pagkatagaltagal na panahon ay kumbaga “last word” sa mga kwestion over good and evil at moralidad ay nahihirapan na din protektahan ang kanilang preeminence. Bakit? Kasi hindi pa din nila tinatanggap na iba na ang lay of the land as far as dissemination and appreciation of information and opinion is concerned. Ganyan din ang nangyayari sa mga organization tulad ng Stand Up.
Pinagpipilitan nilang gamitin ang mga laos na paraan para i-advance ang argumento nila. Yung ginamit natin nung bata tayo nung 70’s ay nag work nung panahon natin pero hindi na pepwede yun ngayon kasi parang isang 40 year old car na yan na itatapat at ipang kakarera mo sa isang bagong kotse. Bulok na yan. Kung sine yan e ilang beses na yan napanood. Mag adjust sila kung gusto nilang dumami ang susunod sa kanila.
Tignan na lang nila. Bakit yun karumaldumal na PDAF, nung nagrally sa Luneta e ni 20K hindi nakuha? Bakit dung sa SONA wala pa silang 10K? Kumpara nila ang mga rally ngayon sa lawak ng mga rally nung 1st quarter storm. Lehitimong pareho ang mga isyu nung at ngayon, nandun din ang galit ng taumbayan, pero bakit ngayon linalangaw ang mga rally? Bakit ngayon hindi binibigyan ng pansin ang mga student leaders? Siguro dapat manalamin sila embes magtuturo at manisi kung bakit nawala ang atraksyon nila.
Nag imbita sila ng tao, pumunta ang tao sa bahay nila bilang visita, tapos binastos nila ang kanilang bisita sa sarili nilang bahay.
Iyan ang mga UP students ngayon, mga bastos at walang modo. Palagay ko kulang sa turo ng mga magulang nila tubgkol sa tama at magandang asal.
Hindi ito magandang palatandaan para sa kinabukasan ng ating bansa kung iaasa natin sa ganitong mga bastos na kabataan na maging future leaders natin.
pahabol ni john nery http://opinion.inquirer.net/79091/tuwid-na-daan-requires-standards-higher-than-purisimas