audacious intervention

intervene – to become a party to a legal proceeding begun by others in order to protect an alleged interest in the subject matter of the proceeding [merriam-webster’s dictionary of law]

intervene – Law. to interpose and become a party to a suit pending between other parties  [dictionary.com_unabridged]

i’m not sure it will work, i’m not sure the house of representatives is capable of rising to the challenge posed by bloggers manuel l. quezon III, marck ronald rimorin, richard rivera, arbet w. bernardo, edwin lacierda, jeremy gatdula and maria abella jose et al, but yes the current impeachment complaint is certainly made more substantial by the inclusion of the MOA-AD.   unlike the rest of gma’s alleged impeachable crimes, the MOA-AD has already been found unconstitutional on multiple grounds by no less than the supreme court, and how can the house of representatives ignore that and remain credible in the eyes of the nation and the world.

i love the audacity and the creativity of the move — the bloggers are not “amending” but “intervening” — in the hope that a different attitude will beget a different response.  why not indeed!

changing times

i am glad that barack obama hasn’t taken or returned gma’s phonecalls.   i am glad becauseit pops the illusion that we are special to america.  i am glad because it puts us in our place.  we are a poor relation, that’s all, and america takes our support for granted.

maybe the inquirer editorial is right:

It is not difficult to speculate why Obama has been avoiding Ms Arroyo. Aside from the fact that the Philippines does not figure importantly in the US’ geopolitical scheme of things, Ms Arroyo is not exactly a political figure that Obama, who ran on a platform of change and would like to project a good, clean image, would want to be seen with. The nation’s experience with Ms Arroyo the past eight years shows that she is the quintessence of the traditional politician.”

quite possibly obama has a different take on the spratleys, mindanao, and the visiting forces agreement — maybe he wants to bring the u.s. soldiershome (would that include corporaldaniel smith, convicted rapist of nicole?) and quite possibly the uncertainty is what’s really freaking out gma — ang hirap magplano,  lol– thus the stop in chicago?  one last attempt to get to the guy?

samantala metromanila is abuzz with talk of a paranoid palace hearing midnight mass, and ding g. gagelonia wonders if the regime is in trouble:

. . . there are wagging tongues asking why Mrs. Arroyo is out of the country just as Joc Joc Bolante is set to face the Senate and amid the persistent talk of a new plot to bring doiwn her government.

A clear indication of that danger is the appearance of a web site purportedly authored by rebellious soldiers with the site prominently featuring the call of 5 ranking Catholic bishops for “radical reformsagainst massive corruption,”

Pundits are juxtaposing this angle with last Friday’s surprise midnight mass in Malacanang where churchmen, politicians, and civic leaders supporting Mrs. Arroyo where in attendance.

Is the ground shifting from under the embattled leader or will she, like before, be able to stare down the threat which her security people are closely watching?”

interesting times. obama’s triumph was no freak event.  up in the heavens jupiter saturn and uranus are configuring a rare triangle, and pluto, associated with upheavals and transformation, is changing signs this month of november.  as above, so below.

noli, loren, manny & the RH bill

congress reconvening today.   sana matuloy ang promised testimony of scam & escape artist jocjoc bolante sa senado.  lalo pa, lalo na, sana matuloy ang long-delayed showdown on the reproductive health bill sa konggreso.

kung magkasabay, which one kaya will ANC air: bolante or RH?   sana pareho, one on ANC, the other on channel 2.  and if, by chance or circumstance, isa lang ang puwede i-cover, then let it be RH, parang awa niyo na.   i want to see, we need to see, the world needs to see, which congressmen and congresswomen dare defy the wishes of 7 of 10 filipinos who want, need, deserve, a reproductive health law like the rest of the civilized world.

dr. quasi romualdez, once doh secretary, counts heads in his malaya column:

In the House of Representatives, 114 members have signed up as sponsors of HB 5043 which mandates a government-supported reproductive health program that includes making available to the poor all the possible legal methods of family planning.

Given these numbers, opponents of the measure will likely resort to dilatory tactics that substitute parliamentary tricks for rational discussion.

Working in favor of these tactics is the fact that there are a number of legislative issues that will be competing for congressional attention during the six weeks that remain before the Christmas break.

Among these are agrarian reform extension and the impeachment complaint filed recently. Proponents of HB 5043 are confident however that when it comes to a vote, the RH bill will finally pass.

If the House approves the measure, the situation in the Senate appears to be similar in the sense that the minority members who oppose RH legislation will use all sorts of parliamentary tricks.

By their past statements and recent actuations, advocates of the bill count 14 senators: Angara, Biazon, Pia Cayetano, Enrile, Escudero, Estrada, Gordon, Honasan, Lacson, Madrigal, Pangilinan, Revilla, Santiago, and Zubiri.

Senators Aquino, Arroyo, Alan Cayetano, Legarda, Roxas, and Trillanes are listed as undecided. It is noteworthy that of these six senators, two (Legarda and Roxas) are among those invariably included in surveys for presidentiables, indicating the possibility that Church power may be a consideration in some senators’ decision. The neutral position of Senator Arroyo is noteworthy only becausehe is the only one among the six identified with the administration.

Listed as opposed to reproductive health legislation are Senators Lapid, Pimentel, and Villar. Senator Lapid’s position is clear – he opposes the measure because he perceives Malacañang to be against it. Senator Pimentel’s opposition to any population management or family planning proposals has been consistent for many years – he has always supported the position of the Roman Catholic Church on this issue.

Senate President Villar’s position that is somewhat of a mystery.

As a presidentiable who seems to be sympathetic to the plight of the poor Filipino majority, Senator Villar, more than the other aspirants for higher office, might have been expected to support what is clearly pro-poor legislation. After all, the proposed law is designed to help those who cannot now afford them to use the family planning methods of their choice in order to fulfill their responsible parenthood obligations.

Here again, the factor of Church power in national politics may again be a decisive influence. There are unconfirmed reports that the Senate President has promised a Catholic bishop that he would block reproductive health proposals. Advocates hope that this is just a rumor and that Mr. Villar, just like his political rivals, will in the end decide on the basis the people’s interest rather than political expediency.”

how dismaying that loren legarda, no. 2 presidentiable in the latest SWS survey, is undecided.  and manny villar, no. 3, is unequivocally committedly anti-RH pala.  alam kaya ito ng 7 out of 10 pinoys who want an RH law?   iboto kaya nilang pangulo sa 2010 ang isang indecisive, ehe, undecided?   iboto kaya nilang pangulo sa 2010 ang isang anti-RH/anti-women?  eh si no.1 presidentiable noli de castro kaya — malamang whatever gloria wants, noli wants, ‘no?

suddenly i’m not sure the RH bill is coming to a vote soon.  maybe not until there’s a public outcry for an end to the debates and other delaying tactics.   i hope i’m wrong.

hallelujah america

gave me goose pimples, brought tears to my eyes, the sight and sound and substance of black and beautiful barack’s first speech as president-elect of the united states of america.  what a man.  what a feat.  what a winner.  i am so awed by his audacity and so excited by the change he promises — hopefully, somehow, at the very least, deep-seated change that would narrow the gap between the rich and the poor of america, and which could become the template for monkey-see-monkey-do “democracies” like ours.