notes and breaking news on the eve of luneta the rally

some people still think it’s an all-white rally.  in fact peachy rallonza has listened to reason, mabuhay siya: let it be a colorful and inclusive event, where every sector, every group, every individual, of all ideological leanings, and their colors and banners, as long as they’re for scrapping the pork barrel, are welcome.  yes, including the left, why ever not.

epic failure of communications.  very weird how the core group that’s been helping peachy deal with issues like this have not been communicating disseminating such decisions via social media.  almost as though they welcome the inadequately informed news reports, the incessant arguing over small stuff.  almost like trojan horses?   they also refused to be named, which makes you wonder why.  because affiliated too with the yellow admin?  because they’re not really for abolition of pork barrel, reform lang, but the movement has grown so huge they can’t bear to not be part of it, integrity, and rally, be damned?

and, talaga naman, the anti-left campaign, you wonder where it’s coming from.  black ops, obviously, when in fact the militant orgs have been invited to and attending meetings with peachy’s group and engaging in positive discussions with other orgs and unaffiliated individuals about the rally.

the latest “news” via facebook is that paaalisin daw ng citizens ang left?  ganoon?  here’s an exchange between katrina and peque gallaga:

katrina : i personally think that this is feeding on the public’s perception against the Left, and whoever’s doing it is actually taking a stand against the rally itself. it is still smoke and mirrors, and we know who’s really good at THAT.

peque: … they’re trying to frighten the conservative sector of society who are planning to go to Luneta by making it look that the militants are planning to go into violence mode. But apparently, these same militants are talking with all the organizers of the rally and are agreeing on ground rules so that we can have a united stand against all these abuses. It’s Marcos psy-war tricks all over again. It’s ironic that it’s being played now by the Aquino administration. But we’re not surprised, are we?

… there comes a time where you have to put differences aside and work together for the greater good. If we don’t, then all those corrupt politicos deserve everything they steal from us because we’re simply narrow-minded, parochial, selfish, petty and can’t come together as a nation.

on other fb threads, i’ve said this again and again:  being so anti-left on this, when they are as much against the pork barrel as we are, is playing right into the government’s divide-and-rule tactics.

i truly wonder why we aren’t more concerned about the promised police presence, and what about the guardians, a military fraternity said to be associated with senators honasan and trillanes, who got a permit for the place ahead of the group, i hear.  true or false?  what’s going on?  we’re so wary and disapproving of unarmed leftists. we should be more worried and unhappy about armed rightists.

breaking news: Luneta anti-‘pork’ protesters advised by the police: Don’t bring backpacks, valuables, children!  no bags?  saan namin ilalagay ang baong tubig at pagkain, kapote at payong atbp.?   searches?  playing the terrorism card?  takutan blues?  suddenly injecting an element of danger?  but that didn’t stop us from going to EDSA and stopping tanks in ’86.  it won’t stop us now.

MAKIBAKA! HUWAG MATAKOT!

SCRAP ALL PORK BARREL IN ALL ITS INCARNATIONS!

Comments

  1. Bellaflor

    This (s)talking horse, Jego Ragragio, who wrote the malicious article on pocnet, makes his loyalty clear, as seen in his statements: “…PDAF, purportedly the instrument of Malacanang power over Congress…” (purportedly?); and this, malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw:

    “The self-appointed ‘organizers’ facilitated the developments, and things went smoothly – until PNoy launched the front kick to the face they never saw coming. All of a sudden, PDAF was no more.”

    Tarantado (as in confused, nataranta) talaga itong kumag na si Ragragio. The million-people march is precisely aimed against the pork barrel and whatever the administration of PNoy is keeping or setting up in its place. PDAF is no more only in name, but not in essence, not in reality.

    Remember the name: Jego Ragragio. He will figure and loom large in the waning years of this deceptive regime.

    • @bellaflor :-) let’s be civil and avoid name calling, after all it’s BS Pinoy’s words against the massive protests in the making that will decide who will be the winner in this name game. The un-Holy Alliance between executive and legislative leaders can be checked if we are vigilant and the trimedia are not sleeping. These kind of tactical dis-information are filtered thru by our decent and intelligent sector in our urbanized jungle.

    • Jego Ragragio

      On a positive note, you did get the spelling of my surname correctly, despite typing it out three times on a first try. That is far more than my own alma mater could do for me in the 17 years I was there. =)

      See, here’s the thing: What I wrote is an opinion piece, based on my observations of what the people around me have been saying about the Luneta march tomorrow. I could go on indefinitely about all of the deleted tweets and the subsequent edited statements emanating from militant Left netizens, or on the various divisive statements that have come out of the Makabayan camp both online and offline, long before I decided to write my piece. But hey, what do I know, right? I’m just some “tarantado (s)talking horse,” yes? Without a right to call it as I see it, because the way I see things directly contradicts the way you see things, and the way you see things is necessarily the correct way to see them, yes?

      If you or Angela or anyone else is still clueless as to where all this anti-Left sentiment is coming from, then there’s one prop I would suggest that you, Angela, and her Makabayan friends bring tomorrow so you can see the source: a very large mirror.

    • @Gabby,
      For the silent majority, we want to scrap the pork barrel, identify and put the culprits in jail, impeach lawmakers who are involved. its time heads must roll and for govt authorities get down to business of good governance. On the one hand, there are enough important economic laws which cannot be implemented due to lack of funds. The pork barrel fund should be shifted/allocated to such valid purposes as an alternative solution. Daang matuwid should not be only a slogan but the underlying philosophy for good governance and wise policies. BS Pinoy has the leverage to enforce and implement the drastic reforms since he is consistently popular and has effectively placed leaders of Congress behind him because of moral integrity and efforts to restore economic stability.

      • Jego Ragragio

        “The pork barrel fund should be shifted/allocated to such valid purposes as an alternative solution.”

        That’s about as clear a non-answer as you can get.

        What is a “valid purpose?” Who defines it?

        How will the fund be shifted/reallocated?

        How do we minimize/eliminate individual public official influence over the nature and scope of the “purpose?”

        How do we balance separation of powers with checks and balances between the Executive and the Legislative vis-a-vis identification, approval, and implementation of such projects with “valid purposes?”

        GabbyD’s question was very clear. It deserves a clear answer. Not motherhood statements.

        • Sir Jego,
          You are just confusing the issue. I said there are already clearly defined laws which were already debated, prioritized and passed thru legislative-executive oversight committee. You just have to identify those laws covering education, medical and other social services that cannot be delivered to the maximum benefits of the masses because of insuffiency of funds. The mechanism and implementing rules and regulations are inplaced you dont need to invent the wheel of operation. The Aquino govt must heed the judgement call of the masses to have a prudent and disciplined fiscal priorities to match people’s basic need like food,housing, education and livelihood. It takes a little common sense and not motherhood statements as you claimed.

          • “You just have to identify those laws covering education, medical and other social services that cannot be delivered to the maximum benefits of the masses because of insuffiency of funds.”

            actually thats exactly what aquino proposed. he said that all dev work, infra, etc, be done through the normal budget process.

            so whats the problem?

          • Jego Ragragio

            What GabbyD said. If PNoy is already proposing the exact same thing that you’re proposing, what’s the problem? Common sense tells you that if you disapprove of what the admin is doing and assert that he must exercise ” prudent and disciplined fiscal priorities,” then it follows that you have in mind something vastly different from and superior to what the admin wants to implement. So how about it? care to get into the details?

            And to revisit your first response: lawmakers are not impeachable officers. Basa basa din ng Constitution pag may time.

  2. What would happen in the dynamic of local-national politics when you take away the discretionary budget from congressmen and senators. Wouldn’t that improve the feudal aspect of our politics, i.e. increasing the power of mayors and governors?

    • @Jego/Gabby, , I stand corrected on the impeachment of lawmakers, i would rather see them be charged with plunder unfortunately the current lawmakers are immune from prosecution until the end of their term.
      On the alternative to PDAF I have in mind, before I have read an article by Celito Habito last Aug.26 in Inquirer News, wherein Regional and Local Development Councils in the provincial and local govt can be the lead coordinator with various national govt agencies to identify projects whose implementing laws were already approved by Congress.

      • Jego Ragragio

        Parliamentary immunity only applies to offenses punishable by imprisonment of no more than 6 years, and only contemplates arrest. Charges can still be filed, and in the case of plunder charges, they can be arrested.

        Habito merely described the existing function of the LDC, as provided in the Local Government Code. That has nothing to do with the manner by which funds are to be allocated, which is the crux of the matter vis-a-vis replacing the Pork Barrel system. I appreciate that you are engaging me civilly, as opposed to *ahem* some others, but I would also appreciate it if responses aren’t half-baked. Makes it very difficult to move the discussion forward. If you need time to research and maybe even write a full blog entry on it, I think that would be far more conducive to productive discussion. Thanks.