TH E O. J.

O P P O S I T I O N F I L E S






THE BATTLE

FOR THE

PRESIDENCY

2004








The Philippines is the richest country on earth
pretending to be poor Imelda R. Marcos





























- page 3 -







I dedicate this booklet to Elsa and Nolly,
without whose help
this would never have been possible









The pseudo name O.J. was created in the house
of Atty. Oliver Lozano who is running for Senator
on the KBL ticket. A true Marcos loyalist.
He awarded the 16-year-dito German with the
nickname Oscar the title national hero,
with reference to Oscar Jaena Lopez.






- page 4 -



An old saying goes like this:
It is better to ask the right questions then to know all the answers.

This book is certainly going to ask a lot of questions.
Hopefully, all the right ones.

Still the biggest question in recent history of the Philippines,
that was never asked, goes like this:

Many people remember the phrase: Marcos has fled.
Not many people know how he fled.

He was lifted out of Malacanang in a U.S. Military helicopter.
The helicopter brought him to a U.S. Military Air Base, to a C-130.

The C-130 carried him to a U.S. Military Air Base in Guam.
From there, they brought him to a U.S. Air Base in Hawaii.

There, Marcos and his entourage had to wait 48 hours, no bed.
Then, three other C-130 arrived with what Marcos had carried.

In police language, they call that planted evidence. The CIA did.
It was shown on TV and the public believed them.

Question No. 1: How could he have carried that?
Question No. 2: WHERE IS IT NOW? Can anyone explain?





- page 5



I want the Filipino people to suffer,
so that they will hate Marcos.
- President Corazon C. Aquino, in front of a.o.
Senator Francisco Kit Tatad





Corys first presidential order was the immediate release of communist
leader Jomari Sison from jail. Best friend of Ninoy, Jomari was charged with
killing or ordering the killings of tens of thousands of Filipinos, in
cleansing, Pol Pot style. Cory blamed Marcos for the killings

Corys first Executive Order was the creation of the Presidential
Commission for Good Government (PCGG) to get the Marcos wealth.
Separately, her nephew, Conrado Dodie Limcauco of PTV 4, headed the
Marcos Wealth Recovery Program to comb, and comb clean, the Central
Bank. It was certainly not Marcos, who looted the Central Bank, ask Dodie!

On the other hand, first PCGG Chairman Jovito Salonga, close friend of
Ninoy and Jomari, headed and bungled OPLAN BIG BIRD. Swiss Bank
Corporation in Zuerich, Switzerland, showed him the Marcos Instructions
for some few trillions of dollars in accounts with Citibank, Chase
Manhattan, and Bank of America, all in New York. Ayaw nila.

I dont want Marcos to look good. That was what Cory told him on the
phone. Filipino people? Bahala sila! So, Salonga came home empty-
handed. The 21 accounts are still there, close to $7Trillion now. 20% are
reserved for the Filipino people, but the Filipino people dont know, dont
believe. They believe in the lord and the virgin, courtesy of our foreign
colonizers. Kasi, sabi ni Cory. Blessed are the poor. Hallelujah!


- page 6 -






GLRO 0105
S-7-3-1941

Reported in this office and inscribed in this Land
Title OCT No. T-01-4, that Spratley and Turtle Islands,
explored by Dr. H. F. Bain, Mining Affair Adviser to the
Philippine Commonwealth and after conducting oil drilling
activities over the area which are part of this archipelago, large
deposits of high grade oils were discovered suitable for
commercial use, while in the area at 75 kilometers Southeast of
Mindanao, a large undeterminable volume of Deuterium was
found within the area of the archipelago.

Date of Inscription: July 4, 1941

(Sgd) Teodoro Gonzales
Register of Deeds




From the current files in COURT OF APPEALS, FORMER SECOND DI VI SI ON, -
G.R. SP No. 70014 -, under HON. CANCI O C. GARCI A, Presiding J ustice
(Chairman), HON. MARI NA L. BUZON, Associate J ustice (Ponente), HON.
ELI EZER R. DE LOS SANTOS, Associate J ustice in Re: REPUBLI C OF THE
PHI LI PPI NES versus REGI ONAL TRI AL COURT OF PASAY CITY, Branch 111
et al. re. LRC/Civil Case 3957-P Respondents.





- page 7


PROLOGUE


This book is written in the assumption that something is terribly
wrong in this country, that something is terribly wrong in our
history, that the present is filled with lies and gimmicks, and that
the future will hold true the old saying that the rich will get richer
and the poor will get poorer.

Actually, this book is not a book in the real sense; it rather is a
compilation of manuscripts, which try to deal with our daily
problems, with observation, analysis, and personal judgments with
the end to find solutions to lighten or better the worsening plight of
the Filipino people.

Whatever, this book has a lot to do with our true history and the
true situation anywhere in our land. It also has a lot to do with
personalities, but mostly with what they dont want other people to
know. No, this is not about tsismis, even if Filipinos love tsismis
so much.

This is more about unmasking false images and revealing true facts
that the Filipino people may never have known, and it is certainly
about drawing the battle-line and showing the deep rift between the
Marcos and the anti-Marcos forces in our country.

The intention behind this book is to awaken the Filipino people,
impossible as that may sound or be, as the sovereign master of its
own fate and, yet, as the virtual victims in the ongoing, biggest
betrayal in history, as the innocent victims in the grand conspiracy
involving the defamation, discrediting, and demolition of the
greatest president this country ever had and ever will have.
- page 8

If that appears useless or impossible, it is still a matter of concern,
or at least should be a matter of concern for the majority of poor
Filipinos, forget the rich, because of the huge accounts in Pesos
and Dollars plus gold deposits, which Ferdinand E. Marcos has left
for the benefit of the Filipino people.

If any one else has a recipe how to pay for the national debt, local
and foreign, around and above Pesos 3 (three!) Trillion for the
Filipino people to pay, then we should elect that person right away
to be the President 2004.

If no one among the candidates has an idea, or a plataforma, as
they love to call it, on how to pay and not to borrow, then they
should not be the next president of this country, because they
would only make matters worse for the Filipino people.

President in 2004 should be the one who would welcome the idea
to un-freeze the hidden (hidden by government, mind you)
Marcos accounts and implement the LOIs (Letter of Instruction)
that go with every Marcos account, whether in local banks or in
foreign banks.

All the clean-up operators, clean up government from graft and
corruption, should shut up; we have had that in every election for
the last how many years. Also, tulong-tulong tayo sounds like
band-aid medicine. Forget it! The poor are paying for everything
already, why ask them for help?! Because they are stupid anyhow?






- page 9

The playing field for this first presidential election in the New
Millennium is definitely prepared by mass media on command.
Who owns the mass media? Not the poor people in the Philippines!
There are a handful of super rich families in this country, they own
what they consider worth owning and what they consider gives
cash flow. The rest? They dont care, the rest is for the Filipinos.
Filipinos pay cash, everywhere, for every thing, day and night.

This book is definitely based on a lot of knowledge, not the least
knowledge about what really happened to this country and its
people. Its a shame, really! Even more so, that the Filipino people
dont know any more, dont care any more, and dont want to
know any more. They have lost, with very few exceptions, their
dignity, their honor, and their morals.

When there is no livelihood in many residential areas for so-called
informal settlers, then selling shabu, more or less openly, becomes
hanap buhay. Thats how deep we have sunk, we dont know
shame any more when it comes to petty crimes. What about real
crimes? Ask young people and they will shrug their shoulders.

So, here we know where the Marcos money is and how to get it.
All we need is a President for the People, a Peoples President or a
People Power President. What ever! He has to realize that Marcos
was the past, the present, and is the future. Without that, dear
countrymen and dear next President, there is no future. And that is
the truth and nothing but the truth






- page 10-

CLRO 10
S-475
This land evidenced by OCT No. T-01-4 has been placed for
adjustment under appropriate court proceeding in accordance with
LRA 496 of 1902 to find the permissibility of the area and it has
been recorded under Court Land Registration Case 475. Decree No.
297 of October 3, 1904 per Record Book of Decree, Book No. 1,
embracing the entire archipelago up to Turtle Islands, Spratley and
Islands of Sabah (North Borneo), which ended appropriately in
favor of the original owner, Prince Lacan Acuna Tagean (Tallano),
married to Princess Rowena Ma. Elizabeth Overbeck Macleod, the
predecessor of Prince Julian Macleod Tallano for a period of two (2)
years court battles, to wit:

In view thereof, the Court of Land Registration found in due
course with probative value said Land Title OCT No. T-01-4
embracing the subject archipelago for and in the name of Prince
Lacan Acuna Tagean, married to Princess Rowena Ma. Elizabeth
Overbeck Macleod of Austria, who was naturalized under the laws
of the Philippine Commission as Filipino Citizen.

Now therefore, by virtue of the Public Land Laws of the
country dismissing the appeal of the Government in his Highest
Tribunal, a corresponding Decree 297, October 3, 1904, embracing
the whole archipelago has been granted and be appended to the said
OCT No. T-01-4 as a matter of proprietary rights of the said
registered landowner that should embrace to be title to the land
forever, adapted thereto, the Torrens System of the Royal Kingdom
of Switzerland to establish social peace and order in every island
and hacienda like Philipines.

Date of Inscription: October 10, 1904
(sgd) H.K. Sleeper
Land Registration Officer


(From the same COURT OF APPEALS Case No. CA-G.R. SP NO. 70014)

- page 11



GLRO-079
S-4-7-1946

Letter of Declaration respecting Private Rights of
Don Esteban Benitez Tallano, heir of late Prince Julian
Macleod Tallano over the 7,169 Islands of the Archipelago
including the Freedom Islands, Turtle Islands and the Sabah
Islands as evidenced by OCT No. T-01-4 in consonance with
the Declaration of U.S. President Harry S. Truman with the
U.S. Congress Joint Resolution No. 93 of June 29, 1946 and the
December 10, 1898 Treaty of Paris, that United States
withdraws and surrenders all rights of possession including
lands and supervision, jurisdiction, control of sovereignty and
recognized the independence of the Philippines.


Date of Inscription : July 5, 1946


(Sgd) MANUEL A. ROXAS
Philippine President



Honestly, did anybody ask the obvious question why the Americans
would be so stupid and give us independence, for the first time in
history, right after the much-ballyhooed LI BERATI ON? Hindsight
estimates show that about one million Filipinos (1,000,000) lost their
lives during that short period of the war. The J apanese were already on
the run to the North, yet the Americans blamed them for all the
atrocities. Living eyewitnesses, though, blame the Americans, who
desperately and mercilessly, wanted to find the Yamashita Gold for
General Douglas McArthur



- page 12















We have no problem to cooperate in the recovery
of the Marcos wealth, but we cannot and we will not
cooperate in the recovery of the alleged
ill-gotten Marcos wealth,
because, by Swiss law, we have to protect our clients
from fraud and false claims and until now
any allegation of ill-gotten is unproven and therefore a false
claim, even if it is made by the Philippine Government.
Swiss Federal Court and Swiss Banks, 1998, in a repeat letter
to PCGG Commissioner Alexander Gesmundo. First letter to that
effect in 1996 to PCGG Chairman Gunigundo.








- page 13

PERCEPTIONS

The lifelong process of acquiring skills, information, or knowledge
is called learning. All knowledge comes through observation and
experience. Observation and experience come to a person through
his or her personal perception by way of the senses of seeing,
hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting.

Perception is every persons own mental image created by his or
her own sensations. Every person has his or her own perception as
nobody can be in somebody elses place, nobody can see exactly
what you see, however close the other person is to you.

For example, you ask any person to close his/her eyes and you say
bird, then every person has his/her own version of a bird from
his/her own subconscious, stored, mind. One sees a small bird
sitting, one sees a big bird flying, one may think of a Philippine
eagle, one may think of a vulture sitting on the fence, another one
may think of a beautiful bluish kingfisher, and yet another one sees
a bird he wants to shoot. There is no limit to imagination.

On a higher level, every person has his/her own perception of
good or bad, good or evil, nice or ugly, exciting or boring.
That is OK, as long as nobody wants to influence and form a
general perception for his own interest, be it for political or
commercial interest, many call that vested interests.

Unfortunately, the latter has become general practice with the
advent of new technologies like radio and television, the media of
mass communication or mass media. Perceptions are no longer
left to the experience of a private person; perceptions are created
by repetitions of pictures and sounds. This can be done for the
- page 14 -

benefit of a producer of a toothpaste, for a certain beer, for TIDE
ULTRA, or for a certain food chain. In simple terms, the more
often the picture appears on TV the more it will stick to the senses
of the viewer, until it becomes a conditioned reflex like in the case
of the famous Pavlovs dogs.

Pavlov, a famous Russian scientist, paired a buzzer with the dog
food. The dog saw the food and heard the buzzer, and started
salivating. This happened for a few times, then the dog needed to
hear the buzzer only and he started to salivate already, even if the
food was not there yet. That is called mind conditioning, nothing
more than an induced illusion or an artificial perception.

Prime examples are the Coca Cola bottle, the Marlboro horses, the
Mercedes star, or, here, the jollibee. A very good example for an
induced illusion good for nothing is, on radio, for life or 101.9,
for life, best described as name recall but in effect not better than
the old Hitler doctrine which says that, if you repeat a lie often
enough it will soon be perceived as the truth.

In the Philippines, we may have the cruelest example of such
induced perception ever created in the world. That is the case of
the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, but also the case of the
duly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines. In both
cases, the powers that control the mass media, especially TV, have
created a picture of plunder and the general perception is that
Marcos was a dictator and Erap a bad president.

This is in stark contrast to the truth that has never been heard;
actually, Erap should be in the Guinness Book of Records as the
only true President who was deposed without due process, without
the chance to say his version to the unfounded charges, not even in
the impeachment case. It was trial by publicity, kangaroo court.
- page 15-

It is very unfortunate that perception has become more important
than the truth. It can be said that the Philippines is a very special
case in the world. Only in da Pilipines is widely accepted, albeit
sarcastically, with a slight negative taste. The reason for all this is
the long rule of Spanish colonizers. They used, to their distinctive
advantage, the almighty Roman Catholic Church with their foreign
friars and priests, not the least with a church leader with the name
of Sin, who stands, arguably, for the greatest lie ever swallowed
by a whole nation, when he said over Radio Veritas on that fateful
day in February 1986: Marcos has fled!

Here is a note for innocent young people: Marcos was held up in
Malacanang Palace and then kidnapped in a U.S. military
helicopter by the U.S. Marines. They brought him first to Clark
Airbase and from there to Guam in a C-130, while a few hundred
thousand Filipinos lined EDSA from Ortigas to Cubao, miles away
from the palace. Only after the Cardinal had delivered the biggest
lie on radio, more and more people left EDSA and rushed to the
Palace to ransack and bring home whatever they could grab.

That was maybe the worst case of U.S. foreign intervention,
officially recorded on May 6, 1986 in the U.S. House of
Representatives under Costs of removing President Ferdinand
Marcos from office. General Singlaub was the one who
presented the budget and it was approved! Among others, millions
and millions of dollars for envelopmental journalism, distributed
daily in Hobbit House, in Malate. That was the start of news for
sale, something that is daily practice in mass media now.

That, of course, might be too much of a personal perception
against the general perception that our known and established
opinion writers are all good guys. Personal perceptions are better

- page 16 -

kept secret in our society of hypocrites that abhors controversy or
open discussions. We say what we think the other party wants to
hear, we dont say straight what we think. We have become
cowards in our own country, we have no backbone; we dont dare
to defend what is just or good. We accept everything as is, like
god-given, and we pray ten times a day. Lord, give me .

Just to complete perceptions, all business is about perception,
about image, about prestige. Its no longer to be or not to be, its
all about look good, smell good, and have the winning message.
Soon we will all look the same, smell the same, buy the same, and,
oh yes, eat the same. We can see that trend already in any of the
big malls. They all look the same, offer the same, but inside it is a
matter of perception.

Its like this: Some restaurants are empty, nobody wants to enter.
Jollibee is crowded already, people are lining up. Not because the
food today is so much better, but the perception is created, by TV,
in the heads of the kids. They cry out in delight as soon as they see
the sign of Jollibee. So, mother has no choice.

Back to politics, politicians are masters of false perceptions.
People Power, Alleviation of poverty are as false as the myth
of freedom of the press, self-serving. Cory coined these to gain
popularity, when in effect she destroyed all power and everything
else, because she wanted to destroy the image of her predecessor.

She feared and avoided any comparison with FM, she became the
widow of hatred and revenge. Good for her that she could hide
behind a Cardinal and his prayers and that she was lifted by the
CIA to become Woman of the year in TIME and allowed to
speak in full Congress. Image, perception, instead of truth for the
Filipino people. And they paid dearly for that make-over.
- page 17














AN INTRODUCTION

First Letter to the President















- page 18 -


November 10, 2003

Mr. FERNANDO POE Jr.
7, Narcissus Drive
Beverly Hills, Antipolo City

Dear Mr. President, dear First Lady,

As you read the newspapers these days, you get the feeling that the
bandwagon is unstoppable. Better to get used to the idea. It is not
so bad anyway as you will see. You have already millions of
friends, diehard friends like the Ginebra fans. You will have
millions more. You will see that also. We are just two of your
friends, but we hope to become real friends soon. We like to write
an intelligent letter, but we dont want you to fall asleep while
reading. Lets try. Maybe well be your speechwriters later, who
knows? Here we go.

Following the POSTSCRIPT in the PHILIPPINE STAR, last
Sunday, FPJ is a good man, but is he ready? What a question! Of
course, he is not ready! How can he? He has never held a public
office. FPJ will tell you hindi marunong ako mag-presidente
pero. Stop! Hold it! Right there! We dont have to talk about FPJ
being a good man. But, we have to talk about that p e r o.

First, lets make it clear to everybody, FPJ does not need
the presidency to make himself rich. He does not need anybody to
buy him a drink. FPJ also does not need the presidency to prove to
everybody that he would have been a brilliant politician.

Certainly Susan does not care about that. She would prefer
a private life, if you ask her.

- page 19 -

P e r o, the Filipino people need FPJ to be the king of the Filipino
people. Da King in da Palace! We need beautiful people in the
palace to represent us. Filipino people love beauty and they love
heroes. The housewife and the labandera were not the choice of the
Filipino people, neither was FVR. He had a beautiful socialite
somewhere out there but a pangit wife in the palace. Erap brought
new flair, but he was not allowed to stay for long. Actually, he
himself gave up his strong position with the people, when he
danced in the EDSA Celebration 1999, arm-in-arm with the
housewife and FVR. Against his old pare FM! Can you beat that?

Talking about Eraps mistakes, he said he wanted to bury Marcos.
He said but then he got afraid. He wanted to please everybody.
Nobody can please everybody. The truth is that in this country
there is one real issue and that issue divides the country as long as
the issue is not solved: Pro or against Marcos. The other truth is
that the one who will bury Marcos will be the true hero of the
Filipino people. Even if for 20 years now, the anti-Marcos
conspiracy has controlled the mass media, TV, Radio, and
newspapers, and spread lies over lies about our late President.

FPJ and Erap know first hand that FM did not steal a penny from
any Filipino. But what can you do against the most powerful
conspiracy of the powers of the world, the USA, the G7, and the
CIA together with the local oligarchs of rich land grabbers led by
Ayala, Ortigas, and Tuazon Arroyo? They could not control
Marcos, so they decided to destroy him. The majority of the
Filipino could not see the evil intention behind the sacrifice fly of
someone who was dying in Boston already but got himself killed
in plain daylight on the Manila airport by the enemies of FM, who
then blamed it on him.

- page 20-

For 20 years now, the housewife wants the Filipino people to
suffer so they will hate Marcos. They suffer, yes, but they dont
hate Marcos. They still hope silently that FM has left something
for them. As long as this government is anti-Marcos, the Filipino
people will keep quiet. What else can they do? They can only
watch the sacrifice fly, the one who was declared a national hero
by the housewife, his housewife.

So, here now comes FPJ! He who was meant by FM to be his
successor one day! But Erap came ahead, first Senator then Vice
President. Erap is a good guy, but he did not listen to his best
friends who warned him of a giant demolition job led by FVR. He
just did not see it coming.

So what with FPJ? Will he be the same as Erap or will he be
luckier with his advisors? Will he listen to his conscience? Will he
have the guts? Will he remember what FM told him? And what, if
they start accusing him of being an old friend of FM, actually a
very close friend, who was with FM to the end, there in forced
exile in Hawaii?

This is, by all means, the making of a president. You cant please
them all. Make your stand. Stand firm with your old pare. What
else is there, Mr. President? You dont want to make another
GMA, do you? Its useless to think that anyone can turn around
government, fan the economy, and set a stop to graft and
corruption. For example only, what will the newly elected
president do with a Supreme Court that is filled with political
appointees of the enemy, so that the enemy cannot be prosecuted
for plunder?

Look, who is coming to the defense of the Chief Justice! The
housewife, praying, praying, praying, the labandera, and old, senile
page 21 -

Jovito Salonga, Mister Oplan Big Bird from the early PCCG, the
traitor of the Filipino people! They must have millions of reasons.

It is more realistic to think that what they did to Erap in Makati,
they will do again to FPJ. Those poor innocente filling the offices
of Ayala have mortgaged their houses and their souls for the rest of
their lives. They have to follow the Business Club. At least until
they hear the new FPJ slogans. Life will change with FPJ. For
every Filipino!

What? With FPJ there will be P10,000 every month for every
Filipino 50 years and older? WOW! Who will pay for that? That
will be the big question. And the answer is: That is not your
business. Its not government. We have a bank guarantee from one
of the top banks in the world. We dont have to mention a name.
Everybody will know.

Finally to us, we have been working silently for years for the
vindication of Marcos. We wanted to find the deposits and the
accounts and we did. We are known to the family and we dont
think that we can cheat the CIA or the U.S. Treasury.

So we are working out something together with those poor
remnants of a lost generation that were entrusted by FM to be
holders of certificates and/or be signatories. Of course, we cannot
do anything openly under a government that condemns and
confiscates anything and everything that smells Marcos.

We are waiting, hoping for a different political environment. That
has to be pro-Marcos. We are dreaming of a National
Reconciliation Council of Seven. That could be the ideal vehicle to
distribute the Marcos money. Not government! The incoming
president could be, would be, hopefully, presiding over that
- page 22

Council of Seven including such persons as the Former First Lady
and the duly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines.
That Council could also pay off the coco levy victims. Imagine;
that alone would be more than 10 million voters. Not only voters,
friends for life! Then let government and Danding Cojuangco keep
the money, public funds or private funds, and stick it up their
noses. They would look pathetic.

On the day of reckoning, when all the cameras are there when FPJ
registers in the COMELEC, FPJ could say one more thing: Now
the mudslinging can begin in earnest. To all my enemies and
accusers I have this to say: The day I will start my work as
President, I will seriously consider and call the best lawyers to file
the biggest court case on earth, Filipino people against the
Guinness Book Of Records for $100Billion. For lying to the world
about our late President and for destroying the credibility of a
whole nation! At least they will have to show us where they got the
information that Marcos was the biggest robber of all times, from
which court and when. Maybe they can tell us how much he stole.
If not, well, that I leave to the lawyers.

Of course, we could give that to the big boys and focus on illegal
sequestration by the PCGG. The PCGG law provides that FM had
to be tried in court in a criminal case for diverting, stealing, money
from public funds. And convicted! Thats what the law says. As no
such thing ever happened, the next President is free to file charges
against some former administrations, after Marcos, for stealing the
sequestered assets from the people.

Yes, we can, Mr. President! Give justice a chance, justice for the
great man and his people! His people will be grateful forever.

With kindest regards, O.J.
- page 23










AN EXPLANATION (or two)




Have you heard about the Vatican Gold?


A letter to someone who knows


THE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE








- page 24 -

Have you heard of the Vatican gold?

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
October 29, 1999 Page 1

DAVAO CITY--A former Catholic priest here claims to have
evidence that the alleged Marcos gold horde is composed of World
War II Yamashita gold and Vatican gold.''

Ex-priest Marcelino Tagle of Bataan, a former director of Caritas
Manila and one of the nation's Ten Outstanding Young Men'' in
1967, said in a recent interview that the nation should benefit''
from the Marcos gold, which he estimated at 10 trillion dollars.''
Ten trillion dollars is 10 times more than the gross national product
of China in 1998; around 127 times more than the GNP of the
Philippines last year; and almost 10 times the combined worth of
the world's 200 richest known billionaires in 1999.

I am ready to substantiate and defend my claims for the benefit of
the Filipino people,'' Tagle said when told that his claims were
preposterous. The former priest said he once served as an adviser
of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and administrator for the
estate of another man whom he claimed was the source of the
Marcos gold.

But because Marcos was allegedly able to gain control of the gold
certificates and cover the paper trail, according to Tagle, it is
almost impossible to recover them without piecing the various
pieces like a mosaic.'' Tagle said the gold certificates and bullion
were deposited in at least 15 countries. How the Vatican and
Yamashita treasure reached the Philippines is a story that, he

- page 25 -

claims, involves two of the century's most influential personalities-
-Adolf Hitler and Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Royal gold

Tagle said the Vatican gold included gold bars captured by Hitler.
The gold bars belonged to the royalties of Europe, of which the
Vatican was trustee.'' It also included royal gold'', which the
British reportedly shipped to Singapore for safekeeping in the
event that Hitler would conquer all of Europe.

Tagle said that the Vatican entrusted the treasure to a certain
Father Jose Antonio Diaz, who assumed several names when he
moved to the Philippines. One of his aliases, according to Tagle,
was Col. Severino Sto. Romana.'' Tagle said Sto. Romana hired
the young Marcos as his lawyer and trustee. He said the Sto.
Romana gold was actually more than the Marcos gold, about $50
trillion, but this treasure is tied up with the Marcos gold.''

Tagle, co-administrator of the Sto. Romana estates, said the
Yamashita treasure was recovered through the help of MacArthur
and Yamashita's wife. But an estimated 400,000 metric tons from
both the Marcos and Sto. Romana gold, he said, are still in the
country, hidden in caves.''

For lack of documents

The heirs of Sto. Romana were unable to recover the assets for
lack of original documents and (because of the) nature of the
accounts (which required) full cooperation of nominees and
trustees constituted by the late President Marcos.'' Appearing
before the Senate blue ribbon committee on October 14, 1997,
Tagle said Marcos, as lawyer and chief trustee of Sto. Romana,
- page 26 -

succeeded in isolating the nominees or trustees of the gold
certificates from the physical assets--so much so that it is almost
impossible to recover them without piecing the various pieces like
a mosaic.''

Tagle said the Marcos gold was not stolen from the Philippine
government.'' Instead, said the former priest, Marcos abused his
authority by using the Central Bank to transact the gold. Tagle,
who is presently in Davao City as consultant of gold prospectors,
said he was ready to substantiate his claims.

He allegedly went into exile in the United States in September
1969 because the Marcoses were displeased about his leading a
protest against graft and corruption in the Bureau of Customs. He
resigned from the priesthood and married. He is now chair and
chief executive officer of International Consultex Inc., a New
York-based mining, consultancy and engineering firm.

A lot of money

The Senate is conducting public hearings on the Marcos wealth,
revolving around a $13.2-billion Swiss bank account once
allegedly kept by Irene Marcos Araneta. Former Solicitor General
Francisco Chavez is presenting the evidence. Chavez knows what
he is talking about,'' said Tagle, adding that the Marcos wealth was
so huge that even Marcos' widow Imelda did not know its exact
worth.

If Tagle's $10-trillion estimate of the Marcos wealth were true, the
Marcoses would be around 111 times richer than the richest man
in the world,'' Microsoft chief Bill Gates. Forbes Magazine in June
estimated Gates' fortune at $90 billion. Ten trillion dollars is also
56 times more than the combined net worth of the top 50
- page 27 -

billionaires in Asia, and almost 1,111 times the combined net
worth of four Filipino billionaires who made it to the 1999 list. The
Marcos family was not on that list.

The amount is also equivalent to almost half of the combined GNP
of the world's top 10 economies in 1998. It would take
approximately 4500 people--counting uninterrupted at a rate of one
dollar per second--70 years to count $10 trillion.

Seven-point solution

Tagle said among the first things government should do to recover
the wealth is to abolish the Presidential Commission on Good
Government which has spent millions of dollars'' but has failed
to produce the desirable results in bringing back the gold assets for
the benefit of the Filipino people.''

Tagle proposed a seven-point solution'' to the problem of
recovering the Marcos wealth:

* Create a Global Trust Fund to secure, recover and distribute the
assets of Marcos in an out-of-court settlement.''

* Have banking groups lend money to the Trust using the gold
certificates and physical assets deposited in the lending banks, for
a period of 15-20 years.''

* The proceeds should be used to pay the Philippine debt'' and
fund education, social services, medical needs, and generate jobs
by building new plants, roads, transport facilities, communication,
irrigation, energy development, etc.''

* Probate courts should assist in determining the rightful heirs and
- page 28 -

beneficiaries (of the wealth) and effect compromise agreements
with primary and secondary beneficiaries.''

* Government and all beneficiaries should agree on their
respective shares.

* Adequate compensation should be given to human rights
victims.''

* Put a major portion of the funds into the development of
Mindanao and other depressed areas of the Philippines by creating
new centers of industrial development and free trading zones.''

* Establish an Asia-Pacific gold trading house in Subic backed up
by a gold refinery, jointly operated by the Central Bank and private
gold hallmark companies.''

* Call a general and sectoral conference on the Marcos gold.
World banking officials and lawyers involved in recovering the
wealth must be invited.''

Carolyn O. Arguillas, Chief, PDI Mindanao Bureau; with a
report from PDI Research










- page 29 -

To: David Silb.. , Esq.
New York, N.Y.
(Name withheld for security reasons)

Dec 15, 2003

Dear David,

How are you doing? Do you know that it is 10 years now that we
have been exchanging notes, views, and ideas regarding the
greatest secret on earth? Surely, it is not Victorias secret.
Seriously, I have to take it as my destiny that I spend the most
important years of my life here at the end of the world. History will
tell that I was not an idiot. I hope. I am collecting bits and pieces
and trying to connect them to a giant puzzle. Most parts are now
covered and it is easier to fit in any new parts.

What makes the whole story so scary is the involvement of the
most powerful people and institutions, especially some of the
biggest banks in this world. They rule the world. Silently. Secretly.
Cunningly. Untouchably. It does not make things easier that the
Pope is involved as well as the Queen or the President of the
United States of America.

The Pope does not need anybody to find out that the Vatican
financed the army of one Adolf Hitler. The Queen does not need
anybody to show the true original crown jewels. The what? She
would hate that. And she will tell the President of the U.S. of A to
make bloody sure that any information coming from the
Philippines has to be suppressed or ridiculed. So that nobody will
believe.


- page 30

Believe what? David, but please bear with me when I try to give a
complete picture. That might help, so I hope, even in the higher
echelons, with your good friends, your best contacts, to enlighten
each and everyone a bit more. As is, this country harbors numerous
armies of foreign intelligence agencies sneaking around in sting
operations, confiscating, arresting, misleading. CIA, Mossad, G9,
MI5, name it, they are all here to stay, fishing for information.

The world out there is bankrupt; all the wealth of the nations is
hidden here. This is and has always been the richest country of the
world, silently, secretly, so nobody will ever find out. Until Marcos
came and some other small events in history, not always recorded
and transmitted to the full extent of the truth. I heard it from you
that you were apprentice in Schroeder Bank in London in 1946,
assigned to the London Metal Exchange.

You were there to list the lost gold, lost in different warehouses.
946,000 metric tons of gold had disappeared during or maybe even
before World War II. You were there when the claims were filed,
the claims of the Original Claimants of World War II Loot as
they are called officially, in the International Court in Den Haag.
That was some 60 years ago. The world does still not know who,
what, and why. The owners or their countries never got it back.

Does anybody care? Hitler's SS had stolen it, brought it to
Singapore where DEGUSSA had re-melted and re-barred the stuff.
The Japanese Imperial Army picked it up and brought it to the
Philippines. They were very good in hiding it. Forever Japanese,
sounds like the 1,000 year Reich.

And then there was another 350,000 tons, which Yamashita
brought over from his bloody rape of China. So the whole Imperial
Army knew. Does anybody think that the Yakuza does not know?
- page 31 -

Sure they know, so do others. They will not go away and they will
not show. Covert operation. Anyhow, Manila is a friendly mega
city; some call it Sodom and Gomorra, its absolutely safe for any
criminal elements of whatever caliber.

The irony is that even they dont know. They dont want to know
or believe even that 60 ships brought still another 485,000 tons
secretly from the Vatican to Manila in 1949. With that the Royal
Family of the Philippines created the Central Bank of the
Philippines, leasing the gold per contract to the Philippine
government for 50 years. That has passed and there is now an
existing court order wherein the Governor of the Central Bank is
ordered to relocate the remaining balance of 400,000 tons in the
vaults of the Central Bank.

Thousands of people pass by there every day. They might see the
fortress-like structures but they have no idea what is in there. By
the way, the undersigned is as much authorized representative for
the Royal Family as anybody else. For your reference: Regional
Trial Court of Pasay City, Branch 111, Case Number LRC/Case
3957-P, Presiding Judge Ernesto Reyes.

Marcos re-smelted some of that gold to create RP-CB gold. He
re-buried most of it, even in Manila. One of the nicest hotels here
is the Philippine Plaza Hotel. It has a beautiful swimming pool by
the bay. Yakuza people like to swim there and have a drink at
sunset time at the bar called Treasure Island. The beauty is hard
to beat but down there, deep down under their chairs are 172,000
metric tons of RP-CB gold.

Nobody wants to believe. Nobody wants to believe anything that is
connected to Marcos. The demolition job done by the highest

- page 32 -

powers after Marcos had fallen out of grace in 1983 was the most
perfect job ever done in this business.

For the last 20 years any Indio boy in the jungle of Peru or any
hottentot in South Africa, and of course everybody else in this
world can open the Guinness Book of records and read that
Ferdinand Marcos was the biggest robber of all times.

Fact is that they have no fact but who cares? Nobody will doubt,
nobody will argue that the highest court in New York has acquitted
Marcos in 1991. The verdict is very clear and final: In the case of
Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos there was no fraud and no
malversation of public funds. Nobody wants to hear the truth
anymore.

So, why will the Guinness Book of records go so far as to create a
blatant lie? Your guess is as good as mine, but too many people
knew about some massive deposits of gold and cash in many banks
in many countries all over the world. Marcos did it. Marcos was in
control. But he had created too many enemies. He had gotten too
big. Greed is an enemy. Envy is an enemy.

Everybody hated the people close to him. Maybe he overestimated
himself; maybe he underestimated the power of media. Certainly
he did not see it coming, when Ninoy Aquino got killed on the
airport in a clear premeditated media campaign to blame Marcos
and instill the idea of a dictator in the minds of the people.

The rest is history and the new powers in this country needed
help to get going without the support of the people. A lot of that is
patchwork, amateurishly done, and might still become a problem


- page 33 -

one day if not checked properly. Who can check, though, if there is
hardly anyone who knows the facts?

Anyhow, the crucial point here is this: We assume that there is a
super power, Committee of the 300, or whatever we might call
them. By all means, they must be in control now where Marcos
was in control before. Let me believe that he was an absolute
genius, the Uebermensch in Nietsches German dictum. Let me
also believe that the old guard of the top bankers of the world
salute to a great man, until today.

It would follow that they always wanted to go the Marcos line with
officially IMF- and World Bank-approved plans and projects, but
certain political developments took center stage for the meantime.
Politics have proven futile or negative over the years and four post-
Marcos administrations must have been very disappointing to those
who have a real interest in the welfare of country and people. It has
been a plain disaster ever since Marcos left and there is no hope.

This country is going to vote for a new President in May 2004. Its
going to be more of the same or even worse. Except, there is a new
star on the horizon, a movie actor but also a personal friend of
Marcos. In just a few days he has emerged as the favorite of the
people and he is widely predicted to win even without a political
party.

For me, the idea is so tempting that there might be the opening for
a general reconciliation on a grand scale. He would finally bury
Marcos and he would invite the Pope, Bush and the Queen, and the
Japanese Emperor and everybody else would come.

A unique window of opportunity! In plain view of the world, the
leaders of the world embrace each other! And the top bankers of
- page 34 -

the world, especially those from the BIS in Basel (Bank for
International Settlement), offer their help in the settlement of the
Marcos accounts. Peace on earth is to follow and no one will
doubt. No one will argue anymore about this and that, provided
that we get that movie actor interested and convinced.

Here now I meet a group of people, British, ABC-Group (names
withheld for security reasons) with their general manager who also
is the general manager of BENOIT INTERNATIONAL SWISS
DESK, the long arm of UBS, now solely and exclusively in charge
of the Marcos accounts. Jim So-and-so is a nice guy to talk to but
very low key, very cautious. He explained to me, in full detail and
in no uncertain terms, about the plan of the Luminati to make the
Philippines a first-world country by the year 2011.

I saw the schedule with Alan Greenspan leading the Philippine
Commission from 2006 on. I like to work with him but he is wary
of my open style of just do it, with reverse psychology as risk
management. He realizes that I know too many people and he
might be afraid that I leak. He prefers his status as covert and he
wants to do humanitarian projects only to help the poor.

Nice and good but if you really want to help the Filipino people by
the millions, you have to think big and do something big also. At
least that is my opinion and I tell him. Well, I have been here for
more than 15 years, I have well adapted including the language,
and I know the pitfalls. I sometimes have to agree with others that
many Filipino men tend to be a disgrace to mankind but they are
handsome and smell good. You dont trust them or most of them.
Logic? Hardly anyone knows how to spell it.

Bottom line: I am talking to (or writing to) a man who is up there,
who can buy 70,000 tons of gold, not for himself but for his group.
- page 35 -

So you, David, must know the people who are really up there, the
decision makers of the grand plan. We cannot ask them a favor, but
maybe we can tell them that nobody can really know what is going
on in this country from a distance of thousands of miles. I could be
a useful tool and I am willing to be because the time is right and
the playing field is for the taking.

Why do I tell you all of this? A few weeks ago, the day that the
actor announced to the world that he would be available to pass the
election process, I saw him on CNN, every half hour. As if he had
been declared the new President. Nothing comes from nothing, I
thought, certainly not on CNN. So he has the big support.

Wonderful, I thought. I had just given him a letter of my own,
passed also to Madame Imelda Marcos and to the duly elected
President of this country, Joseph Estrada.

I attach it also and then I beg your pardon for giving you all this
without asking you. I just feel it, that this is right. You have known
my way of thinking for a long time. I am certainly not pushing
myself forward and I am not limited to the Philippines. I think I
told you that I see myself as the German Chancellor one day. But
here and now, I can be of great help. Please check it out with the
ABC Group. I will have no problem working with them.

With kindest regards,


O.J.
(Signed real name)



- page 36












Cory Aquino always denied the existence of any gold.
CIA authors wrote books like ASIAN LOOT and
HOW MARCOS LOOTED THE CENTRAL BANK,
ably joined by local authors of the macabre caliber of
a Jovito Salonga and Erick San Juan who have to cover up.
Ex-President Ramos always said: Gold?
I dont know what you are talking about.


Question is: Why do they have to lie to us?
And the answer is: Read the following live report!











- page 37 -


SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE

We were there; we dug up gold

SPECIAL REPORT, PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

By Donna S. Cueto, January 02, 1998, Page 1, (First of Two Parts)


THEY were just in their early 20s in September 1972, when
first recruited into the reactivated 16th Infantry Battalion, with the
mysterious'' task of digging tons of gold and gemstones for
President Ferdinand Marcos.

Twenty-five years later, the soldiers now in their 40s and 50s have
surfaced to file a claim in California and Zurich against the Marcos
estate for their labors from 1973 to the second quarter of 1985
when they dug--what to their estimate--were 60,000 tons of gold
and other precious metals and gemstones.

They have written a joint affidavit signed by at least 96 of the
original diggers. Roberto B. Caoile, 45, the group's
spokesperson, said their members number more than 115. They
are still looking for other comrades--members of the 51st Army
Engineering Brigade and the AFP Logistics Command who helped
them in the diggings, classified as ``top secret'' by Marcos and Ver.

The soldiers, some of them retired, others still in active service,
represent the Forgotten Claimants of Yamashita--World War II
Treasures Versus Marcos Estate Incorporated. They were part of
the Task Force Restoration, organized by Armed Forces Chief of
- page 38

Staff Fabian Ver, whose main task was to conduct ``massive
diggings and excavations'' under the cover of fighting the
communist insurgency in the countryside during the martial law
years.

Not fantasies

These are not mere legendary fantasies out of Arabian
nights as claimed by ignorant, unknowledgeable or pseudo-
pretenders/impostors who ought to deceive, conceal, cover,
camouflage and confuse the real truth about this matter for their
very own personal pursuits and vested interests alone,'' states the
soldiers' affidavit.

This was apparently a shot at an earlier statement of
Magtanggol Gunigundo, chair of the Presidential Commission
on Good Government who had denied the existence of the
Marcos gold hoard. They said the statements of Ferdinand
``Bongbong'' Marcos Jr., denying the Marcos gold, were also
``pure lies, deception and greediness to conceal, cover and
camouflage the selfishness of the Marcoses.''

``We were there. We dug the gold. Why would they deny this
now?'' Caoile said. The soldiers' group said it is only ``appropriate''
that the Marcoses pay the human rights victims a specific amount
based on the just and fair computation of each victim's ``factual
predicament during Marcos' rule.''

The human rights claimants had been awarded a $2-billion
judgment against the Marcos estate. But the soldiers said they, too,
should be given their just share for digging the gold and other
treasures.

- page 39 -

``We want the truth to come out and we want to be recognized for
our role in digging the gold. This has been kept from the public far
too long,'' Caoile said.

Missing link?

Theirs is a story that may be considered the missing link in
the mystery of the Marcos gold. According to the soldiers, the
Marcos generals and officers close to the late president knew about
the operation, including President Ramos who was in the so-
called ``Rolex 12'' circle and was chief of the Philippine
Constabulary.

Ver's elite Presidential Guard Battalion watched and guarded the
young soldiers with hawk-like attention while they conducted the
digging operations at night, claimed Reynaldo Dominguez, one of
the ``gold soldiers'' in Task Force Restoration, who recently retired
with the rank of second lieutenant.

During the day, they slept or did their ``standard'' work of
``restoration'' or infrastructure development and other ``field
operations.'' They did not question their orders, Dominguez said.
When they were sent on ``field training'' they obeyed to serve the
country. Dominguez and Caoile were among those newly recruited
in the reactivated 16th Infantry Battalion which was one of the first
troops sent to the ``digging fields'' in 1972. Caoile was then only
20; Dominguez, 25.

172 sites

Throughout the 13 years that the members of the Task
Force Restoration did their work, only some 30 treasure sites out of
172 were dug up, they claimed. The rest where members of the
- page 40 -

Japanese Imperial Army buried their looted treasures from some
10 countries as identified by Marcos and Ver with the help of
some Japanese men,'' who had the maps, were untouched or may
have been dug up by those in the know.''

The young men, some 300 of them, who became members of the
reactivated 16
th
Infantry Battalion, were recruited in September
1972. On Oct. 16, 1972, they took oath as new recruits with the
rank of ``private,'' of the battalion under the 2nd Infantry Brigade
of the Philippine Army in Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal. Lt. Col.
Javier was their battalion commander. Their group was under then
Col. Ramon L. Cannu, commanding officer of the 2nd Infantry
Brigade.

First digging

Their first digging operation was in March 1973 near Lake
Caliraya in Lumban, Laguna, according to the retired soldiers.
``Sometime on early morning of the first week of March 1973, we
were secretly tasked to provide manpower for digging operations
and security to a huge part of the infamous and legendary
Yamashita WWII treasures consisting of gold bars and
gemstones buried by Japanese soldiers within the plateau in the
vicinity of Lake Caliraya Resort, in Cavinti, Laguna,'' their
affidavit states.

Their unit stayed in the area up to the last week of April 1973, but
a platoon-sized detachment remained to ``ward off New People's
Army elements operating there.'' They started the preliminary
worksetting up steel sheets around the area and constructing the
makeshift field barracks--and then dug the area as instructed.


- page 41 -

Ver's PGB and high-ranking officers inspected the construction of
the makeshift field barracks and the ``pounding of long flat steel
bars, which served as perimeter fence at the treasure site about to
be dug up . . .''

Dominguez, who was in the first group, recalled how they prepared
to dig a hole in the ground 30 feet wide and 35 feet deep, as
instructed by their superior officers. Their stay of several months
extended to a year.

Animal offerings

They were even told to make offerings--pigs or chickens
which were killed at the site to appease ``enkantos'' who were
supposedly guarding the treasures. Otherwise, they could
encounter severe difficulty at the digging site. The ground would
mysteriously swell with water or some of their things would get
lost. Even the soldiers themselves were told to have no ``dark
intentions'' and to be ``pure in heart'' so they could accomplish
their objective, Dominguez said.

President Marcos himself came to visit them at the site whenever
there was a glimpse of success. He also made ``random visits''
aboard a helicopter during the diggings, they said. ``During these
operations, members of our unit saw four Japanese nationals
together with ex-president Ferdinand E. Marcos, Generals Fabian
Ver and Ramon Cannu, Lt. Colonels Lachica and Javier D.
Carbonnel, and Capt. Renato Jamora and some members of the
elite Presidential Guard Battalion,'' the soldiers' sworn statement
says.



- page 42 -

Eureka

But it was only on the evening of April 27, 1973, at around
11 p.m., that the ``treasure digging activity finally reached its
objective.'' They had been using two bulldozers, two backhoe
``Kato'' and a heavy-duty crane when they struck something, the
first of the group's find. ``Several steel cylindrical drums
measuring approximately three feet long and 1.5 feet in diameter,
and an undetermined number of rectangular copper boxes (three
feet long, one foot wide and two feet high) entombed in several
thick concrete vaults were unearthed at an estimated depth of 35 to
40 feet,'' they claim in their joint affidavit.

One of the concrete vaults was accidentally hit by the Kato
backhoe while the vaults were being dug up. Until that time, the
soldiers didn't know what they were sent down there to dig.
Because of repeated strikes, the teeth of the backhoe broke the
body of the vault, hitting a steel drum inside it. The soldiers saw
``heavy yellow metal gold which gleamed amidst the floodlights
concentrated on the big digging area.'' One of the bars which they
saw was a foot long, three inches wide and almost two inches
thick.

Marcos elated

After more than 30 minutes, three helicopters arrived. Two
Huey military-type helicopters came escorting a presidential
chopper ferrying Marcos, Ver, Cannu, Felix and some PGB close-
in security personnel. They came to inspect the treasure find.

Marcos could not contain his excitement, the soldiers said. ``When
the ex-PFM saw the successful operation, he was very much elated
and very happy with the group numbering about 60 soldiers who
- page 43

were there at that time. The others (soldiers) were away manning
the second and third layer perimeter security of the digging area,''
their affidavit says. Marcos allegedly told them in Tagalog: You
will all share in everything that's here but you have to wait for the
right time.

The concrete vaults (approximately six feet long, five feet wide
and five feet high) were lifted one by one through the use of a
heavy crane and were placed aboard three six by six military trucks
which were on a 24-hour stand-by near the battalion headquarters
command post at the area. ``Before the former President and (his)
party left the place, we overheard him instructing General Ver
apparently on where to transport and hide the gold bars which
(task) was carried out by PGB elements,'' the soldiers' sworn
statement says.

``Sometime in the fourth week of April 1973, we were pulled out
from the area, but a platoon-sized detachment was left and stayed
there for almost a year after the site was further improved as new
tourist spot into what is called now as Japanese Shrine Sunken
Garden,'' they said. After the digging at Lake Caliraya in Laguna,
the other company elements of the reactivated 16th Infantry
Battalion were utilized to provide the same security detail services
and conduct treasure-digging operations separately in the areas of
Montalban, Antipolo, Baras and Teresa all in Rizal province from
1974 to 1981.

This led to the activation of the ``Task Force Restoration'' under
Lt. Col. Porferio Gemoto sometime in 1977 and 1978. To justify
the continuous service of these soldiers in the treasure-digging
operations, some company elements of the 16
th
Infantry Battalion
were placed under the operational control of the Presidential
Security Command in Malacanang with provisional headquarters
- page 44 -

at an old incinerator plant located in front of Munoz, EDSA,
Quezon City, the soldiers' affidavit said. Task Force Restoration
had then extended its operations to the Intramuros-Manila
Cathedral area near where the Palacio del Gobernador was built.

Discovery of tunnels

In 1972, before the diggings happened, Marcos' men discovered a
vast tunnel ``within the Pasig River'' along what is now the
Napindan flood control project, underground tunnels from the Fort
Bonifacio military reservation up to Villamor Air Base and
Bicutan-Taguig via Fort Bonifacio Army General Hospital. These
secret tunnels preceded all the other treasure hunting and digging
operations.

The soldiers said the gold discoveries made by Marcos, as well as
their operations, were the real reasons why he started his
strongman rule ``in the guise of a threatening rebellion by the
alleged newly revitalized CPP/NPA (Communist Party of the
Philippines, New People's Army) and Muslim secessionism in
Mindanao.'' In fact, Marcos allegedly had to create the conditions
for this to justify martial law and allow the secret diggings done by
newly recruited soldiers sent to the countryside allegedly for ``field
training.'' (To be concluded tomorrow)









- page 45 -


SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE

Forgotten claimants say they dug 60,000 MT
of gold, precious stones

By Donna Cueto, January 03, 1998 Page 1, (Last of 2 parts)


THERE was a different group who dug, another group in
charge of transporting the boxes containing the treasures, and
another group who took care of securing these before they were
transported outside the country. This is according to Roberto
Caoile, spokesperson of the Forgotten Claimants of Yamashita-
World War II Treasures Versus Marcos Estate Inc.

The trucks, which transported the crates of gold bars and other
treasures, were large six by six trucks heavily covered and boarded
up, Caoile said. Some of the WW II gold bars were coated in black
hardened tar and asphalt to ``discourage innocent finders during
these treasure-hunting operations,'' Caoile said. The gold bars dug
by the soldiers were stored in the vaults of the old Central Bank in
Intramuros.

Later, in the mid-1970s, Marcos ``ordered the construction of a
new and modern coin and gold minting and refining plant of the
Central Bank along East Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City.''
According to the soldiers, this was to ``further accommodate
voluminous bulk of Yamashita gold bars and bullions for
remelting''-to change their original forms and markings which
included the countries where the gold came from.

- page 46 -

There were orders from Marcos to erase the marks from the gold
bars, which the soldiers had dug up, Caoile said. This was to
prevent the government of the countries, which the Japanese had
looted from discovering these. At that time in the '70s, only 30
years after the last World War, these countries still had the right to
ask for the return of their treasures.

The different gold bars which the soldiers dug up had inscriptions
such as ``Cambodia'' with five star markings; ``Sumatra'' with four
stars; ``Burma'' with three stars, and other marks identical to the
countries of their origin. The Cambodia gold bars weighed 6.3
kilograms each; the Sumatra gold bars weighed 6.2 kg each; and
the Burma bars weighed around 6 kg each. Upon orders from
Marcos, the original size and weight of the gold bars were
modified to make it appear that these did not come from the
Japanese treasure loot; thus, the need to re-melt these at the Central
Bank, the soldiers claimed.

Shipped out

The soldiers' affidavit says ``crates by crates'' of gold bars
were shipped out of the country via the Manila International
Airport (now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport) using C-130
military aircraft after martial law was proclaimed. This was
witnessed by perimeter security personnel of the airport. ``During
those years of diggings and excavations, frequent electric power
brownouts occurred (in) the Greater Manila area intentionally done
to cover up the series of transport of gold bars from treasure sites
to the Central Bank or secret warehouse vaults pre-designated by
ex-PFM thru General Ver,'' a document prepared by the new
claimant group of soldiers says. The group said even before martial
rule in 1972, Marcos had already successfully excavated gold
bullions and

- page 47

gemstones at the Manila Railroad Company (MRRCO, now PNR)
yard complex at Tutuban terminal.

This was at the start of his first term as president from 1965 to
1969. He started treasure digging when elected president in 1965
but could not finish it in four years; thus the need to employ
soldiers to continue the work under Task Force Restoration when
he was reelected, the forgotten Claimants said.

60,000 metric tons

The soldiers claimed that in all, they excavated and
retrieved more than 60,000 metric tons of gold bars, bullions, and
other precious metals such as palladium, platinum, chrome, nickel,
zinc and little Babbitt bars. There were precious gems such as
diamonds, both cut and uncut.

Among the ``major'' treasure sites which the soldiers, who now
formed the ``Forgotten Claimants of Yamashita,'' had dug up were
in Caliraya in Cavinti-Lumban, Laguna; Baras and Teresa in Rizal
province; Montalban caves in Montalban, Rizal; Montalban
Mascat; Sitio Mayagay, Sampaloc in Tanay, Rizal; Fort Bonifacio
Tunnel; Fort Bonifacio hospital; the area of the Manpower and
Youth building; Bastion de San Lorenzo in Fort Santiago; Munoz
in Nueva Ecija; Balok bridge, also in Nueva Ecija; site of the
Central Luzon State University statue in Muoz; Sta. Fe in Nueva
Vizcaya; Campo 4 in San Jose, Nueva Vizcaya; and San Mateo in
Rizal province.

According to them, the Japanese army units had subdivided the
treasures they brought into the country and buried them in places

- page 48 -

classified as major and minor treasure sites. The Japanese allegedly
used the Manila Railroad Co. to transport the treasures.

Major or minor treasure sites depended on the ``suitability,
concealment, permanency and location of man-made, built-up
areas, mountainous and/ or rolling hills, terrain with creeks, rivers,
dams, big acacia, mango, camachile or duhat trees that serve as
references for future retrieval of said treasure deposits,'' the
soldiers' said. This excludes the four, six, eight or more pieces of
gold bars usually found underneath big acacia or mango trees
where they had been stashed by low-ranking Japanese soldiers
while their superior officers were not looking.

In some of the major treasure sites, the soldiers even found
skeletons still wearing their tattered uniforms and helmets, and
with their swords beside them. In Fort Santiago alone, there were
more than 100 boxes of treasures, which the soldiers found buried
under the old torture chamber, Bastion de San Lorenzo, which is
just near the Pasig River. The gold treasures were buried at or
below sea level where the ground temperature is cooler to prevent
melting.

Too poor to file

Their lawyer, Benjamin Rosario, said the soldiers have all
the right to file a claims suit against the Marcoses because they had
a ``direct hand and knowledge about the treasure digging activities
of the Marcoses.'' In fact, they directly participated in these
activities. Most of the soldiers are poor. Not much has changed
since they were young recruits digging for gold.

Much as they wanted to file a suit directly to the Zurich tribunal as
instructed by Swiss Ambassador Kurt Hoechner, they could not do
- page 49

so because of the monumental lawyer's fees they have to pay. A
Swiss lawyer's asking price is 500 to 600 francs per hour. ``Where
will we get the money?'' said the group's spokesperson, Caoile.
They have already written Hoechner, about their plight and their
plan to file a suit in Zurich.

Swiss envoy regrets

On April 29, 1996, they sent most of their vital documents
to Hoechner to seek help from the Swiss Embassy in filing their
claim. On Sept. 5, 1996, Hoechner wrote back: ``I regret to inform
you that the Swiss Embassy is not in a position to forward those
documents to a court in Zurich. Indeed, the Embassy cannot be
considered as legal place of service for a civil suit pending before a
Swiss court. You are obliged to serve these papers by other means
directly to the Tribunal in Zurich.''

Hoechner said that as far as the so-called ``Marcos case'' is
concerned, the Swiss government is limited to the request for
judicial assistance in criminal matters under the pertinent Swiss
law made by the Philippine government through the PCGG.

``The Swiss Embassy in Manila has no role in these proceedings.
A discussion with the private claimants on this matter can therefore
not take place and would be to no avail,'' he added. When they
wrote the US District Court in California, they were given an
option for a ``pauper trial'' since they had no money. There was a
list of lawyers to choose from.

But the old ``gold soldiers'' were apprehensive about a ``pauper
trial'' since, according to them, they would ``lose for sure.'' In late
1995, around December, they wrote Credit Suisse and Swiss

- page 50 -

Banking Corp., two of the Swiss banks, which hold the frozen
$500 million Marcos accounts.

They did not receive any answer. Shortly after that, the two Swiss
banks initiated a mediation with the Philippine government and the
lawyers of the 10,000 human rights victims to settle the conflicting
claims on the Marcos deposits. This came to nothing as no
settlement was agreed upon without the Marcoses' consent. ``The
banks probably got scared with the appearance of a new claimant
group which knew a lot about the Marcos treasures,'' Caoile said.

`Loyal, confidential'

The more than 100 major treasure sites of Mr. Marcos
including minor ones could not just be excavated by himself alone
without utilizing the trusted, loyal and confidential services of a
big number of diggers composed of the Task Force Restoration
members,'' their document states. Even in President Ramos' time,
there have been secret diggings, they add.

No talk

Caoile said Marcoses and other government officials
including President Ramos would ``never talk about the gold.''
``Instead, they will deny and torture the minds and belief of the
people by telling them that these Marcos gold is nothing but a mere
hoax, fiction, fantasies of a fertile and speculative mind,'' he said.
``They do not want to expose the truth about the Marcos gold
because they are expecting to benefit out of it in collaboration and
connivance with foreign conspirators both here and abroad,'' he
added.


- page 51 -













SCENARIOS OF BETRAYAL


What they did not tell you .
















- page 52

What they did not tell you about Marcos

The greatest hero during the PEOPLES REVOLUTION 1986
was Ferdinand E. Marcos himself. When General Fabian Ver
wanted to have the allowance to shoot warning shots over the
heads of the thousands along EDSA, the answer was a resounding
NO! and the explanation was very simple. A warning shot could
be misinterpreted and answered. That would demand more fire and
escalate. Marcos did not want any Filipino to get hurt. If they
really want to change all this, then so be it, Marcos said.

First reaction from that: Cardinal Sin told his nuns to go out and
sit in front of the tanks for picture taking. Those pictures went
around the world, totally misrepresenting the whole story. They
did not stop the tanks with their bodies. They were merely used as
tools in the psy-war against Marcos. Marcos had given the orders
and Sin knew it. He also knew that he could trust Marcos 100%.
How else could he have risked the lives of his nuns?!

Second reaction: Knowing that there was no way Marcos would
allow guns, some colonels came up with what they thought was a
great idea. Proudly they proposed to unleash tanks loaded with
human waste from five helicopters over the crowds outside the
gates of Camp Crame. That would make them run and isolate
Ramos and Enrile. Upon hearing that, Marcos exploded. What he
had tried to build for almost 20 years would go to sht? Who do
you think you are to make us look ridiculous? He fumed.

Now, what is the lesson from that? That sh-t, not unleashed but
returned to barracks, saved Ramos and Enrile. Maybe, only an
idea, the sh-t unleashed, then and there, would have been better in
the long run for the fate of the Filipino people.
- page 53 -

TALLANO,
the O.C.T. 01-4,
and the PHILIPPINES


The Spanish stole the land from the Filipinos. Then, 100 years
ago, the Americans got the Philippine Islands as their only
colony in history, but when they discovered the true legal status
of the archipelago, they stuttered, gave us a Commonwealth
Republic, where they owned practically everything, until the
Japanese Imperial Army stole it during World War II.

Surprisingly, after the longest and cruelest of all wars, which
ended after the first nuclear bomb in mans history, in
Hiroshima, Japan, and with liberation and recovery of the so
seemingly valuable more than 7,100 islands, which had cost
thousands and thousands of lives of American soldiers, the
Americans gave independence to the Philippines in 1946.

Filipinos were still fighting each other, what side they were on,
and nobody was there to hear the news of independence or ask
why they did that. Except for the old families, shall we call
them illustrados, kastilas, oligarchs, or feudal land lords? They
were in charge with the Osmena clan and the Roxas clan.

What ever, 20 years later, 40 years ago, the administration of
then President Diosdado Macapagal was seeking an end to
legal chaos after the Great War by filing, in court, a petition for
a decision with compromise agreement with the owners/holders
of O.C.T. 01-4 based on the following terms and conditions:

- page 54 -

1. Government recognizes the court in Land Registration
LRC/Civil Case 3957-P up-holding O.C.T. 01-4
2. Government waives its rights over all public lands
3. Government accepts fair prices set by the court to pay for
lands in every region
4. Creation of a 50-year Central Bank lease agreement
(until the year 2005) for the fabled gold from the Vatican
as reserves for a stable currency

On February 4, 1972, a brilliant judge in Pasay, Judge Enrique
Agana of RTC Branch 111, had combined the best intents and
purposes of both President Diosdado Macapagal and his
successor in office, Ferdinand E. Marcos, in a landmark
DECISION WITH COMPROMISE AGREEMENT.

This decision was a land registration decision, not a heirship
decision, to create or re-create the Torrens title system of 1902
decreeing that all land titles have their origin in O.C.T. 01-4 or the
two titles derived therefrom, the T.C.T.- 408 and the T.C.T.- 498.

Two other judges, Ret. Judge Sofronio G. Sayo and Presiding
Judge Ernesto. A. Reyes of Branch 111, RTC Pasay City, have
vehemently up-held that original decision and made orders,
clarificatory orders and clarificatory decisions, writs of execution,
and final orders in LRC/CIVIL CASE 3957-P. To no avail. The
sheriffs came back with their reports. They have never been able to
execute the law against the will and the power of the rich. Not even
in the few cases where they brought military assistance.

The final order in case 3957-P came after the new administration
of GMA, through the Office of the Solicitor General, at that time
Atty. Simeon Marcelo, tried to re-open the case with a Motion for
Reconsideration of the Order of July 11, 2001. That motion for
- page 55 -

reconsideration was denied with Order of October 8, 2001. So the
Presiding Judge expected the follow-through of the Order of July
11, 2001. As nothing seemed to move, the Presiding Judge
released the following (quote):

ORDER

Perspicuously moved by the Manifestation and Reply filed
by the Office of the Register of Deeds of Rizal to the counter-
manifestation of the intervenors, as regards the continuing
resistance by the said Office to comply with the decretal
pronouncements of the final and executory Order of July 11, 2001,
this court is compelled to stress, once more, that:

1. The Order of July 11, 2001 has attained finality or
conclusiveness as to the matter competently litigated
therein;
2. The judicial pronouncements made therein became
immutable;
3. The court cannot decide the case anew;

Hence, it would be improper to tackle the merits of the
contentions considering that the order has already attained
finality.. The court has authority to inquire whether its
judgment has been executed and will remove obstructions to the
enforcement thereof.

Otherwise, the judicial proceedings that were had could be
rendered virtually a farce, the court a stooge, a marionette subject
to the manipulation of the other parties.



- page 56 -

In view of the foregoing, compliance with the decretal
pronouncement of the final Order of July 11, 2001, is hereby
enjoined. SO ORDERED, PASAY CITY, DECEMBER 12, 2001.

On December 19, 2001, the Office of the Register of Deeds for
Rizal in Capitolyo, Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City, issued a new land
title, T.C.T. - 408, covering the southern part of the Greater Metro
Manila Area including Manila, Makati, Paranaque, Las Pinas,
Taguig, Alabang, Muntinlupa, and the whole of Cavite.

Then, within weeks, the registrar of Deeds was removed from
office, all pertaining records in that office have disappeared, and
the Solicitor General was transferred to another government
position. The new Solicitor General ordered the Court of Appeals
to issue a TRO and then a Preliminary Injunction. That is justice
with the big hammer!

Regarding the lifting of the injunction, on March 3, 2004, the
Court of Appeals, in Paras Hall, held a hearing, which focused on
the issue of the identity of Prince Julian Morden Tallano. Present
were Hon. Cancio C. Garcia, Presiding Justice (Chairman), Hon.
Marina L. Buzon, Associate Justice (Ponente), and Hon. Eliezer R.
de los Santos, Associate Justice.

After 2 and hours of ridiculous, fruitless debate, Justice Garcia
closed the hearing like this: The Court is coming out with the
resolution along the lines expressed here by the Division. If there is
a party who is in disagreement with the resolution, then they can
file their opposition. And we will come out with the necessary
resolution on the motion for reconsideration. If you still disagree,
this is not the last Court, anyway. Alright, session adjourned.


- page 57 -

In the beginning, all parties agreed in the DECISION WITH
COMPROMISE AGREEMENT that no appeal should ever stall
the course of justice. For 40 years, no appeal was registered. All
motions, since 1962, were filed by the Office of the Solicitor
General. They have everything on record. And they cannot accept
the verdict of the court?! What drives them? Who drives them?

The process of the law and justice may be slow, but the law must
prevail. It is time for the Philippines to recognize and honor what
has long become the law of the land, even if most people have
never heard of it. For example, it is a fateful error for many
Filipinos to believe that, if they faithfully and religiously pay their
monthly payments to the bank for 25 years, they will be the owners
of the land, where they have resided for so many years.

That is an error created by the land developers or land grabbers
starting with BF Homes, Bel Air, Forbes Park, Urdaneta Village
and many, many more after that. The developers give you a
Certificate of the Home Owners Association and, vaguely, make it
appear that they will provide a true title, as they also make it
appear that they are the true owners of the land.

As could be seen from many title disputes, many of them made it
to the Supreme Court, most prominently the mothers of all scams,
the Fort Bonifacio scam or the PEA-AMARI deal in the
reclamation area which includes also the famous-infamous
Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, the most expensive boulevard on
earth, Ayala does not own, the PEA does not own. The Global City
might just go down the drain, if not Ayala Land, the biggest and
most daring of all land grabbers makes a giant financial effort to
save the man-made disaster looming between Makati and Taguig.


- page 58



GLRO 01107
S-5-9-1956

The National Treasury of the Philippines under
Carlos P. Garcia Administration submitted a promissory note of
the National Government to undertake the payment of
P700,000,000.00 in favor of Don Esteban Benitez Tallano as
payment of the Balara Reservoir, the La Mesa Dam and at least
300 hectares of Lands utilized by the National/Local
Government into roads, highways and other infrastructures, that
the owner is committed to release the corresponding Titles of
the lands upon payment of said amount which will be derived
from the Reparation Agreement signed at Malacanang between
Philippines and Japan amounting to U.S. Dollars 2,000,000.00.


Date of Document: May 10, 1956
Date of Inscription: May 11, 1956

(Sgd. JOSE D. SANTOS
Register of Deeds




Entry No. 01107 has been cancelled upon full payment of the
National Government obligation which was reduced to P 300 M
to Don Esteban Benitez Tallano on May 7, 1956.

(Sgd. JOSE D. SANTOS)




- page 59 -

A quick look at our history, as Filipinos might not know it:
Magellan came here and found a blooming, if not the richest,
country with a Royal Family and nice people, most of them
catholic of the Apostolic Catholic Church of the East. The problem
was, that the Church of the East did not and does not recognize the
Pope in Rome. When the Spanish colonizers had conquered the
archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, with evil intention, and
subjugated the people, with the help of a foreign Pope, they also
arrogantly claimed the land as their own as friars land.

Then, in the year 1762, the British Royal Navy came here and
ended that claim and the claim of the King of Spain. In 1764, the
Royal Crown of England, Great Britain, decided case No. 571 in
the Escribania de Cabildo and ordered the creation of the Hacienda
of the Philippine Islands pursuant to the Decree of 01-4 Protocol,
by virtue of the Supreme Order of the Royal Crown of England (at
that time the police of the known world).

Decree 01-4 Protocol was in favor of PRINCE LACAN ACUNA
TALLANO married to Princess Rowena Ma. Elisabeth Overbeck
Mcleod of Austria, the owner in fee simple of certain lands
known as Hacienda Filipina embracing four major islands
consisting of 169,972,500 hectares of plains, mountains, forests,
and seas, specifically the island of Luzon 31,804,624 hectares, the
islands of Palawan 3,652,875 hectares, Visayan Islands 45,996,215
hectares, and Mindanao with 83,518,786 hectares more or less.

Witness His Highness King George III of the Royal Crown of
England, January 17, 1764, issued at Manila at 10.45 a.m. attested
by Governor General Downsone Drake, British Governor, P.I.,
signed Governor Jose Raon, Office of the Escribania de Cabildo,
Proprietary Governor.

- page 60 -

It has been a long time since then. In the Treaty of Paris in 1898,
the Hacienda Filipinas was traded to the new colonial masters, the
United States of America, because their President McKinley
wanted a colony also. Not true, though, is the story of America
paying 20 Million Dollars to Spain. The Magnificent Seven of
freedom loving Filipinos did. The who?

They mortgaged part of the O.C.T. 01-4, a portion of land in
Pampanga and Tarlac to Banco Espanol Pilipino in Binondo. The
Bank required additional guarantees, so the Magnificent Seven
put their names as guarantors. They were non other than Don Juan
Ejercito, yes, grandfather of Erap, Don Servilliano Aquino, yes,
grandfather of Ninoy, General Antonio Luna, General Miguel
Malvar, Don Mariano Tayag, Don Francisco Macabulos, and
Don Esteban Benitez Tallano, for a total of Dollars 20 Million.

We understand that President McKinley then wanted a colony, not
national heroes of the real kind. So, he ordered the magnificent
seven defamed and dishonored and those other shady characters
who stole the money that was entrusted to them, like Emilio
Aguinaldo, to become national hero. And the Filipino people
believed that! Well, what did they know?

What they should know is this: The Supreme Court has finally
spoken, with finality, on December 18, 1996, Decision in cases
G.R.103727 and G.R. 106496, promulgated by Justice
Hermosissima Jr. and signed by Chief Justice Andres Narvasa.

There it reads like this, on page 21: It is settled that by virtue of
Presidential Decree 892, which took effect on February 16, 1976,
the system of registration under the Spanish Mortgage Law was
abolished and all holders of Spanish titles or grants should cause
their lands covered thereby to be registered under Land
- page 61 -

Registration Act No. 496 within six (6) months from the date of
effectivity of said Decree or until August 15, 1976. Otherwise,
non-compliance therewith will result in a re-classification of their
lands. Spanish titles can no longer be evidence of land ownership.

Originally, that Presidential Decree No. 892 was made by Marcos
to stop the most abusive fraudulent O.C.T. 4136 in the name of
the heirs of one Don Mariano San Pedro y Esteban, perpetrated
on the basis of a Real Estate Tax Declaration #4136 of Don
Esteban Benitez Tallano in Quezon City for the year 1963.

Incidentally, that O.C.T. 4136 is the mother title of the
dubiously prevailing fraudulent land titles that cover the whole of
Quezon City until today, most prominent among those are the
O.C.T. 994 (Tala Estate), the O.C.T.- 333 (Payatas Estate), the
O.C.T. 614 (Piedad Estate), the O.C.T. 730 (Marikina Estate),
and the O.C.T. 735 (Tatalon Estate).

O.C.T. 4136 did not comply with P.D. 892 but O.C.T. 01-4 did
and so did T.C.T.- 404 and T.C.T.- 498, which covers the northern
part of the Greater Manila Area up to the boundaries of Bulacan
and Nueva Ecija. These two T.C.T.s are part of O.C.T.- 01-4, for
which part the O.C.T.-01-4 is cancelled in accordance with
Republic Act No. 2259, Cadastral Act of March 14, 1914, and
evidenced in Decree No. 297 issued in 1904.

In the above mentioned Decision, the Supreme Court declares
the O.C.T.- 4136 and all titles derived from it as null and void
and no rights can be derived therefrom. Eight years have
passed and the officials in the LAND REGISTRATION
AUTHORITY have not heard or seen anything. The LRA is, by
far, the greatest scum in our country that is not short of corrupt
agencies. The LRA is under The Office of The President.
- page 62 -

In a vain attempt to follow that up, the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Office at Congressional Avenue, came out
with a version of RECLASSIFICATION OF LAND TITLES IN
QUEZON CITY, but actually, that booklet still has to be seen by
the public. Chances are, though, the public will never see it. So
strong are the so-called vested interests in this country!

Once upon a time, Land Registration Commissioner Atty. Antonio
Noblejas testified in court, in the year 1964, under oath, under
subpoena duces tecum ordered by Blue Ribbon Committee
Chairman, Senate President Gil Puyat, during a long-time hearing
in the Senate caused by the well-known land scams, with an
abundance of fake land titles at that time already. The number of
fake land titles is more than 22 million according to former LRA
Commissioner Alfredo Enriquez. That was then!

As we may all know today, all laws created under or during the
Marcos Regime are now trampled upon. Not only are we now the
only country in the world with a stupid Squatter Law that allows
illegal squatting on private property. We also allow wheeling and
dealing in fake land titles, we pay lagay to the Register of Deeds,
we pay lagay everywhere to the Mayors Office.

Maybe now we understand why the dynasty families cling to their
posts, with wives and sons, nephews and nieces running for office.
There is so much money in fake titles and fake permits! All the
while, Congress conveniently overlooks that they have made
holding a fake title a heinous crime. They themselves are the
criminals! It should be to nobodys surprise that never ever has
anyone been charged with the crime of land grabbing or holding a
fake title. Only the rich can buy a fake title or pay for a fencing
permit, for that matter. And only the poor will go to jail. Noh?

- page 63 -

Nonetheless, the courts have spoken. The law must take its due
course and the Filipino people must regain sovereignty over their
own lands. Someone has to be the administrator. The courts have
decided that that should be PRINCE JULIAN MORDEN
TALLANO. Let us all accept that. Then the rightful President of
the Filipino People will find a way for every Filipino to cooperate
and do the best for the people and the country.

The late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, supposedly the merciless
dictator, tried to do his best to solve the historical malaise. In
Presidential Decree No. 1143 of the year 1977, he decreed that
legitimate occupants of lands shall coordinate with the true holders
of O.C.T.-01-4, but maybe not surprisingly, that very important
Presidential Decree No. 1143 is no longer to be found in the
National Archives. In the Library of Malacanang it is listed as
Reserved for Malacanang. Whatever that means.

It just becomes too obvious that the real, unlimited power of the
invisible oligarchs, the rich old families in this country, who
control traditions and the almighty mass media, was even too
much for the dictator. We all remember the wife of Jaime Ayala
de Zobel, Bea Zobel, running with and driving Cory. They are
Christians? Christians are supposed to forgive. Those two ladies
will never forgive. They have too much to lose. And they are afraid
of the Filipino people. Like all the rich. They hire guards with
guns. Not against foreigners. Against Filipinos. God bless the
Philippines!

Prepared by:

Wolfgang Struck
Authorized Representative
PRINCE JULIAN MORDEN TALLANO
- page 64


OFFICIAL LIES OR JUST STUPID?

The MANILA BULLETIN is the leading newspaper of the nation.
That is what they say. Going by an article on February 5, 2004 on
BUSINESS BULLETIN, page B1, Govt to use Marcos fund
for debt, they should first hire proof readers who know their
English or at least hire financial experts to do damage control
when the writer does not know what he is writing about. The writer
is just doing what other newspaper writers are doing also, quoting
accredited sources without thinking.

Let us start with the interesting quote coming from no less than our
Finance Secretary Juanita D. Amatong that government plans
to take advantage of the Marcos Dollars that have been remitted to
the National Treasury. Obviously, the lady is referring to the
$683M in escrow with PNB that the Presidential Good for
Nothing Commission (PCGG) is egging the Supreme Court (SC)
to confiscate and ordering the Sandiganbayan to execute from
the Philippine National Bank (PNB).

Sorry, Ms. Finance Secretary! There are no Dollars transferred
to the National Treasury and there will be no Dollars coming as
long as you are Finance Secretary, because PNB is a bank and a
bank has to follow banking rules. One of the most honored rules in
banking is concerning escrow agreements and any honorable bank
has to follow those rules of escrow, otherwise they will no longer
be in business.

The funds in escrow in PNB are Swiss funds, until a Philippine
court has convicted Marcos of stealing exactly that amount of
money from the Filipino people while in office as the President of
- page 65 -

the Republic of the Philippines or else PNB will have to send it
back to Swiss Credit, the bank that extended help so far only.

Many people will be utterly shocked to learn this: No court has
any criminal case against Marcos, never had and never will
have; not in the Philippines and not in any other country of this
world. Maybe in another world, but here in this world, after the
RACKETEERING case in New York in 1990, which cleared
Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos, no court will ever try Marcos
again for any crime.

Not guilty! No fraud, no stealing, no malversation of public funds!
That is the final answer. Only in da Pilipines, certain people are
still trying, desperately so, to get that stamp ill-gotten on
accounts that Marcos donated to the Filipino people long ago by
way of Letter of Instruction (LOI). Of course, all those who love to
hate Marcos will keep on trying hard until the people will get mad
and stage their own version of French Revolution. And heads will
roll, literally.

As for the not so honorable Supreme Court, no respect is given for
the application of an obsolete law, the Republic Act 1379 of 1955,
which has long been relegated to the dustbin by the 1987
Constitution and no respect is deserved. On the contrary, Art
XVIII, Sec. 26 of our 1987 Constitution would order the Supreme
Court to order the PCGG to return all sequestered assets to the
Marcoses. But then again, who really cares about the Constitution
when, indeed, nobody cares to read it? So why should the Supreme
Court justices?

How we wish we had a President who would understand the
truth of the matter, who would care to find out who this guy
Ferdinand Marcos really was, how he was able to control the gold
- page 66 -

of the world even after his death, and who could have
masterminded the Grand Conspiracy against Marcos and his
people.

We are the richest country on earth pretending to be poor. Imelda
said it and everybody was laughing. Millions and millions of poor
Filipinos are not laughing any more. They are hoping and praying
for a new political environment. If that does not happen now, guess
what!
























- page 67 -

THE DEVILS GAME PLAN

2004, the dirtiest of all presidential elections! The dirtiest before
was 1965, when Diosdado Macapagal, the most corrupt of all
Philippine presidents, tried to hang on to power but lost to Marcos.
He is surpassed now as the most corrupt of all presidents by his
daughter, the incumbent President, who was elected Vice President
but not President. She is the illegitimate President. That is the
reason why she can run for office while in office.

Like Marcos in 1965, there is an overwhelming favorite to win the
presidency this time. The choice of the sovereign people is FPJ.
But like father like daughter, she is trying all dirty tricks to
eliminate the enemy.

Mind you, the favorite son of the people is the enemy! Because she
was heaved into position by the rich oligarchs, she has it all,
money, media support, lawyer liars, a Supreme Court totally at her
fingertip, and the demolition team of Almonte/Ramos that did in
Marcos and Erap already.

They are more sophisticated now than ever before. Their schemes
are not direct, they are crooked; you have to be wise to see through
their doings. They are not stupid; they know that they cannot win.
So therefore, Ramos the demolition man of the old CIA, makes his
sneaky approach to the FPJ camp to make the people believe that
he is the good guy on the right side. In the meantime, they plan the
terror acts following the decision of the Supreme Court to
disqualify the enemy.

The Supreme Court will rule that FPJ, who was born 65 years ago
in the Philippines, with Philippine father and American mother, a
- page 68 -

Filipino ever since, equipped with a valid Philippine passport, who
has never said that he is American citizen, but who has been Da
King of the Philippine film industry, as actor, director, and
producer, multi-awarded and acclaimed as the best in the business,
is not a natural born Filipino.

Not a what? Ask Susan Roces whether she married a Filipino or an
American in that famous, celebrated wedding sponsored by the
Marcoses ages ago! Of course, he is Filipino! Every Filipino
knows him and loves him as da King. Now they want da King
in the Palace. Whats wrong with that? Very simple: She, PGMA,
does not want to get out. She wants to stay for another 6 years,
minimum. She must have millions of reasons.

So, she orders her own Supreme Court to find a way to destroy the
enemy. Totally! Not only FPJ, no, she wants total power. No
Martial Law, oh no, who wants that! Emergency powers only,
when the enraged masses stream to the streets to bring out their
grievances, then private bands of paid mercenaries will sow terror
among them, so that she will have the right to protect herself from
terrorism. The War on Terrorism has not yet started; she will
start it. She can kill, arrest, detain without evidence.

All along, they find a way to assassinate FPJ. No, they are not
involved in that! The assassin escaped from the mental hospital,
that is uncontrollable according to the Chief of the NBI, which is
ordered to conduct an immediate investigation, whitewash
guaranteed. Tide Ultra!

They will then hope that the outrage of the people will get really
serious. That will give them the chance to hit maximum
tolerance with their newest anti-riot equipment and kill by the
thousands. Addicts, squatters, rebels, they will find all sorts of
- page 69 -

names for the poor massacred, but that will be the last time that
people will storm the streets. For peace!

Never ever again EDSA 4 or EDSA 5 or EDSA 6 or whatever
EDSA. Never again! She promised. The rain of terror from then on
comes from within and is under total control. By the Office of the
President, courtesy of His Highness Angie Reyes. I feel safe,
when Angie is around. How cute. And FVR is always behind
her. So nobody will dare. Hallelujah!
























- page 70 -

THEY DID IT AGAIN!

Yes, they did it again. 10,000 policemen in full battle gear, with
the newest in anti-riot equipment, smashed thousands of hapless
people who had gathered in two public places in Manila last
Thursday. Many were injured, one or more died, but who cares?
The established media, including the foreign press, REUTERS and
AP, had more important things to report the day after.

In other countries, they call that news blackout. Here, only the
DAILY TRIBUNE dared to show pictures of the violent end of a
peaceful rally for FPJ. There was shouting F P J, yes, but the
impression they want to convey is of unruly FPJ supporters,
stubborn Marcos loyalists, and uncontrollable ERAP supporters.
Many believe that, because that is what they see and hear on TV.
Fact is that those on the streets have one thing in common, or
actually two: They are mostly poor Filipinos, jobless, hopeless, no
shoes, only slippers, but Filipino citizens, and FPJ is their only
hope that they will ever have a better life again.

Unfortunately for them, they, the Filipinos, are the enemy in their
own country and their idol, FPJ, is the enemy of the state. The
state, called GMA or Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, will do anything
and everything to eliminate him. From the race. At least the
presidential race. Maybe also from the human race. But that will be
officially denied, of course, like everything is and will be denied.

WE THE PEOPLE, that is how the Constitution starts. WE THE
PEOPLE elect a president and allow a Supreme Court to do certain
things like guarantee justice for every Filipino. That sounds like a
fairy tale, but its the 1987 Constitution that upholds the sovereign
Filipino people as the masters of their own destiny. The Supreme
- page 71 -

Court is only supreme not sovereign. Chief Justice Davide is only a
servant of the Filipino people and can be held responsible.

Therefore, the judgment of the people is higher than the decision of
the Supreme Court to disqualify FPJ. It is profoundly argued that
the Supreme Court has no business disqualifying FPJ. The
COMELEC is the proper forum and they have decided 5:0 long
ago that FPJ can be a bona fide candidate for president. Mind you,
this is about candidate not president.

Whatever the Supreme Court will decide now is moot and
academic, null and void. We will just disregard and look a little
bit closer at the not so honorable Institution SC and what those 13
not so honorable SC gentlemen have done en banc lately, after
their dubious involvement in the ouster of the duly elected
President of the Filipino people, to make life miserable for
Filipinos and foreign investors alike.

Among others, the SC nullified the rightful claims for about
$4ooMillion of German FRAPORT that had built the NAIA III.
The SC also nullified the claim of Thai AMARI to recover
P1.7Billion in bribe money from the Ramos Administration.
Actually, they legalized the big-time corruption for Ramos, our
beloved former President. They should have put him in jail for
plunder.

More, the SC nullified the Fort Bonifacio land scam worth
P79Billion but did not follow up. One-half of the P79B
disappeared in Landbank with Ramos; the other half of the
P79B remains unpaid to government for lack of legal title to the
land. Government has no right to sell or commercialize any of the
military reservations that serve the safety and security of the
Filipino people. That is true also for Subic or Clark Air Base and
- page 72 -

the Centennial Expo where Ramos made some P9Billion in
coffee-money and blamed the late Doy Laurel.

Manny Pangilinan, by the way, chose to leave PLDT, Metro
Pacific, and the Bases Conversion To Ramos Commission. He is
now enjoying life in Hong Kong, celebrated as a manager genius.
Well, well, that is justice in the Philippines. Everything has its
price and those gentlemen in robes know very well why they want
to be SC justices.

So, what shall we do now? There is only one thing to do. We will
vote FPJ and if the votes are not counted, as we expect, then we
will come together and raise our hands as living witness and for
validation that we voted FPJ. Then let us declare FPJ as the
President of the sovereign people of the Philippines. Raise your
hands! Anybody against it? No? Approved! FPJ is our new
President and he will solemnly swear his oath.

Then 80 million Filipinos all over the country can celebrate and
maybe some people will now understand what that means:
PEOPLE POWER. The real People Power. Not that bad joke of
EDSA I in the year 1986 or that EDSA DOS 2000, both courtesy
of Cory Aquino and Cardinal Sin.

Just imagine the real people power. We will be 5 million people in
Luneta Park. We carry candle and we dress in white. How can the
police be against us? They are also Filipinos. We will ask them to
join us and we will read the bible, all together, DEUTERONOMY
Chapter 28, verses 12 and 13: Thou shall now lend unto other
nations, and thou shall not borrow. The Lord shall make thee the
head and not the tail. Thou shall be above only, and thou shall not
be beneath. Its there in the bible! Black on white. We just have to
follow. God bless the Philippines and relieve us from the evil.
- page 73 -


ANYBODY LISTENING? Part I


If a giant corporation registers a yearly loss of more than P250
Billion then, of course, the President will be fired, investigated,
and punished, if proven in court. No shareholder will oppose that.
They will elect a new one, the one who has the best plan to rescue
the company. In some of the most celebrated cases in international
business the incoming new president unleashed dormant assets and
made them cash cows. Ever heard that word before, cash cow?
Want to hear more about it?

Oh, sorry, Sir, wrong number! The candidates dont want to talk
about cash cows. This election is about people, spelled pipol in the
local language. Those are celebrities who are only interested in
pork, actually pork barrel. That has only slightly to do with pigs.
When they grow rich, they get fat and look like pigs. So, nobody
wants to be a pig and nobody wants to talk about cows.

In this country there is no divorce and no bankruptcy law. That is
no issue for politicians. Its the opposite, the more our government
is bankrupt the more candidates are running, spending money by
the billions. The going number is P10 Billion. Of course, that
investment has to be recovered, hopefully in the first few months,
after that there is ROI (Return on Investment). Yes, Sir, only in da
Pilipines!

Nobody wants to know where the money comes from and where it
will go. The election campaign is only about who will win,
meaning who is the blessed one who will make ROI. Of course,
everybody wants to make ROI. Who is the blessed one? Look,
its like a beauty contest. Loren Legarda is the most beautiful, they
- page 74 -

say. They dont see anything else. They dont see the sponsors
behind the curtain, laughing; the old boys club of the rich and
shameless. Funny, they sponsor the one who made the P250B loss.
Weird, no? Maybe not! They must have millions of reasons.

We see kisses and insinuations, hear about the glory of Cory, eh
democracy, about unity and reconciliation, and the great
satisfaction from helping the poorest of the poor. That is what
people want to hear, whisper the shadowy advisers behind the
curtain; show them what they want to see. That is what Filipino
people want to see, right? So nobody will talk about the national
debt of P3Trillion and counting; that is not an issue. Actually its
negative, controversial. And we want smiles, all smiles.

At least, that is what the advisers tell their candidates. Anyhow,
what is important according to them is that FPJ is Filipino. Or is he
Kano? Or Spanish? My God, maybe Chinese!? What is important
also is how he looks with Loren Legarda. Or is it the other way
round, how Loren Legarda looks with him? If Miriam Defensor
Santiago can kiss GMA (bastos!), why then can Loren not kiss FPJ
and Noli de Castro at the same time? Cute naman! Or? Will
Angara get jealous? No, of course not! He will smile from one ear
to the left.

Yes, Sir, that is politics in da Pilipines. We have bamboos and
balimbing; we also have Talakitok. That is all accepted. That is
business as usual. No, Sir, not what you mean, no accounting for
debts or payments. That will be for the next President or the one
after the next. And sorry for the cash cows, Sir. We dont have.




- page 75


ANYBODY LISTENING Part II

The Enrile Law Office lost the case regarding the $683M in
escrow in PNB to the Supreme Court. Also, their Motion for
Reconsideration was denied by the Supreme Court. And the
Supreme Court said that that decision was final. All newspapers
trumpeted that out as the Big News not long ago.

Imelda Marcos asked another lawyer for help, her old ally Atty.
Oliver Lozano who had successfully fought the Marcos
Government represented by Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza.
That was way back in 1971 and 1978 when Marcos was at the
height of his power and that was the first time that the Supreme
Court ordered a rollback on prices for oil and other prime
commodities. Marcos applauded the daring winner and since that
time Atty. Oliver Lozano is in the inner circle.

The same Oliver Lozano now takes on a final decision of the
Supreme Court and his legal grounds are simple and crushing.
Under time-honored doctrine, the final decision of the Supreme
Court is binding unless, and that has been practiced before, in a
case where the final decision runs contrary to the supremacy of the
constitution or contrary to the higher interest of Justice:

SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION

Following Art. XVIII, Sec. 26 of the 1987 Constitution the escrow
account can no longer be confiscated. On the contrary, all Marcos
assets that were sequestered by the PCGG long time ago should be
returned to the Marcos family. That is what the Constitution of
1987 says.
- page 76 -

ESSENCE OF THE ESCROW AGREEMENT

Conviction of Marcos in a bona fide court, in a criminal case, not a
forfeiture case, and proof beyond reasonable doubt that Marcos
stole exactly that amount of money from the Filipino people while
in office. The burden of proof lies clearly with the PCGG but they
dont have a criminal case there, never had, and never will have.

GLOBAL INJUNCTION

As the Supreme Court of the Philippines has chosen the short-cut
solution, the legal basis of R.A. 1379 from 1955 which has since
been relegated to the dustbin by higher laws, our Supreme Court is
now facing stern opposition from other international institutions.
Years ago, Judge Manuel Real from Hawaii was celebrated in the
Philippines, and only in the Philippines it is fair to say, as a hero
when he ruled that some 10,000 unknown human rights victims
should have compensation to the tune of $2B.

Nowhere in that famous judgment was there a mention of ill-
gotten or stolen. The $2B were to be deducted from the Marcos
Estate which at that time was estimated to be in the hundreds of
billions. Now the same judge is called a certain Judge Real in
Hawaii by the PCGG because he is insisting on due process.

Unfortunately this is not business as usual for the PCGG and the
Supreme Court. This is international in all aspects and the Swiss
High Court will rule what is correct and acceptable before it will
allow transfer of ownership.

In the meantime, Judge Real has enjoined all banks with Marcos
accounts, whether here or abroad, not to release any money to the
Philippine Government unless and until due process is proven to
- page 77 -

the Swiss High Court. So far, there is no proof and nowhere is a
conviction of Marcos in sight, as all high courts in this world found
Marcos not guilty.

Those are the legal weapons of Atty. Oliver Lozano. And now, for
laymen, questions over questions. Following the renewed order
of the PCGG to execute the final decision, the Supreme Court is
looking at a blank wall. Where is it? In PNB? No? Oh, it is in
Singapore? How interesting! What is it doing there? Who did that?
Stupid questions maybe, but seemingly leading to one common
denominator: Where exactly is the escrow agreement? What does
it say? Why are Filipino people not properly informed?

Well, it looks like someone does not like us to know. We might
find out the truth and we might find the cash cows. Dormant
accounts. Frozen accounts: $88B in the PCGG, $13,2B in UBS.
Thats only for starters. Yes, Sir, billions! What are we waiting
for? Actually, we are waiting for the Supreme Court to declare the
Marcos wealth ill-gotten.

For what? We dont know. Marcos has donated all his wealth to
the Filipino people. Imelda has vowed to fulfill his will and to
distribute the money to the Filipino people. What seems to be the
problem? Oh, the problem is the PCGG, the bogus Presidential
Good for Nothing Commission of greedy people like that not so
honorable Commissioner Ruben Carranza. No more comment.

Thanks anyway, Atty. Lozano, for taking up the battle for justice
on behalf of the Filipino people. May God in his eternal wisdom be
with you all the way.



- page 78 -


ANYBODY LISTENING Part III

Since the last days of Marcos in Malacanang we had four (4)
administrations, starting with Cory. Only one was not anti-Marcos
and he did not last long, as the anti-Marcos forces removed him
from office with the same dirty-tricks-demolition job as Marcos
long before. Even the lead players were the same: Cory, Cardinal
Sin, Ramos and Almonte together with the paid media hecklers led
by Teodoro Benigno and Max Soliven.

Tragedy of all tragedies was that the Filipino people got
themselves entangled with their favorite pastime, jueteng. The
jueteng lords are laughing while Erap is rotting in jail, abandoned
by 11 million enthusiastic voters in the only clean election this
country has ever witnessed. They looked at the first results and
gave up on the idea of cheating. So overwhelming the landslide
victory!

And now? Good question, no? The prosecution had 3 years to find
evidence. First in the impeachment disaster, then in dubious cases
in Special Courts, spell them kangeroo. Wake up, Filipino, there
is no plunder, not with Erap, not with Marcos! Others did.

We were all taken for a ride. That comes out now. There is a short
lady now, the shortest president on earth, the only one who did not
get one vote for President, but she is riding high on us. She has no
opposition, she can do what she wants as all those election
candidates are kissing and holding hands. Better we understand its
our own fault. We dont dare to ask questions. For some dark
reason we want to believe that that is not our business.

- page 79

Ayala made that very clear, by the way, on their billboards. In case
you have not noticed: While you keep dreaming, Filipino people,
we keep stealing the land from under your noses. Thats also a
reality. Sta. Lucia, Filinvest, the Manny Villar companies, they are
all the same caboodle. You see them all over the country.

Back to serious business, does anybody remember the $13.2B in
UBS, Irene Araneta account? What does the PCGG do? What the
Supreme Court? A flat zero! Seems we all have forgotten but out
of the $683M we are creating a real elephant.

Of course, we all have forgotten the Big Bird. Thats too long ago.
Why do we not ask Cory and Jovito Salonga about Oplan Big
Bird? Trillions of dollars in 3 big banks in New York, all recorded
and originating in Swiss Bank Corporation of Zurich, Switzerland.
Cory did send her first Chairman of the bogus PCGG to Zurich to
find the money. For whom? Your guess is as good as mine.

You dont believe? Why dont we ask them to explain? The money
is still there. The bankers are still waiting for us to come and claim
it. Marcos did not take it with him to his grave. He left an LOI
(Letter of Instruction) with that Swiss bank. But they dont like.
They dont want Marcos to look good. My God, they must have
billions of reasons!

How we wish we had someone who could unite the opposition
against the anti-Marcos forces, who could be like a president of a
giant corporation and look for dormant assets to make cash cows
out of them!




- page 80 -

How we wish we had someone who dared to oppose those who
claim, he stole, and to un-freeze those accounts for the benefit of
the Filipino people!

How we wish we had someone who makes true FMs Peoples
Pension Plan that will give P10,000 every month to every Filipino
over age 50 at the place where they were registered in 1983!

How we wish we had someone who could pay out all the coco levy
victims and modernize the biggest industry of the country!

How we wish we had someone who would brave the anti-Marcos
dynasties and solve the disaster in the energy sector and bring
down the exorbitant prices for electricity and basic commodities!

How we wish we had someone who would build roads all over the
country to save us from choking traffic, to create millions of jobs,
and create tax income for government at the same time!

How we wish we had someone who could streamline the irrigation
authorities and make planting worth our while, while providing
post-harvest facilities so that the farmers are no longer at the mercy
of the Chinese middlemen.

How we wish we had someone who would understand the simple
truth in rebellion and uprising! All they need is food on the table, a
job, and hope for a better future. Dont ever come to them with
walang fondo, they might just blow you into pieces.

Is anybody listening? Or can anybody make suggestions where to
find the money to pay for our ever-growing local and foreign
debt plus for the gaping deficits in RSBS, the Veterans Bank, in
SSS, GSIS, and all other government agencies supposed to be
- page 81 -

serving the Filipino people? If not, we are in deep trouble, we will
suffer more than ever, and this country will go to the dogs.
Hallelujah!

Final note: The rich and shameless dont need change; they are just
fine. Actually, they would hate change. Its us, the Filipino people,
who need change. Now!


























- page 82 -

SMEAR CAMPAIGN TIME. AGAIN.

Its the time of EDSA again, time for smear campaigns against
anyone with the name Marcos, preferably Imelda (Look at
IMELDAS NEW DEMANDS, Front page INQUIRER 3 days
from Feb 22-24). Well, the only reason of being for some people
here is their hatred of anything Marcos. All administrations after
Marcos, with the exception of the interrupted Estrada
administration, keep fighting even the ghost of Marcos and yet it
will not disappear.

In hindsight, wondering what has happened to this once so
beautiful country, we have to ask how they could forget, in their
ritual hate campaign, to include the two gentlemen who did
martial law for 14 years. One is running for senator again, the
other one, our beloved former President Tabako, who was the
chief of the dreaded Constabulary for those 14 years, looks like
sitting in jail again somewhere out there because of his insatiable
greed. Do we have to mention the two ladies in the role of
Philippine president? What a disaster for this nation!

We dont imagine in our wildest dreams that we will ever change
the mind of anyone in the Marcos hate brigade. They are
closed for any arguments. Well, nobody has to believe, but the
truth will come out, the Marcos truth, not the Cory truth. This
nation will be great again and, for some people, the lights will go
out. That is not our fault. That is karma.

What is important to note here is that some people striving to be
OPPOSITION leaders would make a decision to oppose the
regime of Marcos haters and to make a clear distinction between
the MARCOS WEALTH and the Marcos loot. The Marcos
- page 83 -

Wealth is for the people and can be recovered, if and when the
people finally decide, after so many years, to elect a pro-Marcos
president. The Marcos loot is hidden by the PCGG, frozen, and
can never be recovered.

If ever it will be recovered, it will go to the Marcos Family, so
better forget. That is what the people have accepted to believe but
that is bitterly wrong. The Marcos wealth has nothing to do with
the Marcos family, actually, Imelda does not know where it is or
how much it is.

In one simple formula, Ferdinand Marcos was the chosen one for
the original gold treasure of the Royal Family of the Philippines
and got his due share in kind, when he brought the gold back from
the Vatican in the year 1949 to open the Central Bank of the
Philippines. That alone made him the richest man on earth. His
share is in Swiss Bank Corp., Zuerich.

He also had his hand on the Yamashita Gold with his mentor
Antonio Diaz a.k.a. Col. Severino Sta. Romana. And that is
something like 1,250,000 MT (metric tons) of gold, mostly from
Europe, stolen by Hitlers SS from the London banks in
Casablanca, Dubai, Rangoon a.o., re-melted in Singapore by
DEGUSSA, handed over to the Japanese Imperial Army to be
buried in the Philippines mostly under or near churches or in
Japanese Garrisons. Who said there is no gold?

When Ferdinand Marcos became President in 1965, he thought that
all claims of the Original Claimants of World War II Loot as
listed in the International Court of Justice would end after 30
years, in 1976. No gold bar will leave this country as long as I am
President of this country. It would all be under his control.

- page 84 -

But shock, the Queen of England got an extension for 10 years
until 1986 and Marcos knew that that was it! Frame-up!
International, on highest level, by the highest powers on earth! The
rest is history, as they say. Maybe not.

False impressions have been going around about Gold Bullion
Certificates, giving Filipino people the belief that Marcos brought
the gold to Switzerland and stashed away his billions. That is
absolutely false. UBS issued GBCs against the gold in the
Central Bank of the Philippines, where it is insured by Lloyds of
London, until today.

The court in LRC/Civil Case 3957-P of the RTC Pasay City
orders the Governor of the CB to relocate the remaining balance of
400,000 MT in the vaults of the CB. The court order though was
blocked through preliminary injunction by the Court of Appeals.
Total abuse of power by GMAs men in black.

Now, look who is talking. Look who is talking about the Marcos
loot. They must have reasons to do that. For example INQUIRER
or STAR. The reason is envelopmental journalism. Others call it
free press. That is most disgusting when it damages the will and
the interest of the Filipino people. It should be treated as treason
with death penalty and some people are now ready, willing, and
able to debate the whole issue in public. The question is only, who
will go to death row in Muntinlupa, the reporter or the publisher?
Maybe Max Soliven, the man of THE STAR, has a suggestion.

Anyhow, before the new millennium is over, that was a real
gimmick, wasnt it, Max Soliven and The STAR, even Cory and
Tabako, and all of us will have to bow to the word of GOD and the
bible and the scriptures about curses and blessings. Deuteronomy,

- page 85 -

Chapter 28, Verse 12 (King James Version): The Lord shall
open unto thee his good treasure and thou shall lend unto many
nations, and thou shall not borrow. In Verse 13: And the Lord
shall make thee the head and not the tail; and thou shall be above
and though shall not be beneath. Amen.

Of all the candidates, may FPJ be the chosen one this time. He
does not need convincing; he has always been on the right side, the
side of the people. Maybe it is destiny for him to fulfill what the
greatest President was not allowed to fulfill. Prepare for your big
moment, Mr. President!






















- page 86 -

DOUBLESPEAK OR OUTRIGHT LIES

This is a funny world we live in. Actually, it is not so funny,
nobody understands it any more. Some seriously call it the End of
the World. Scientists call it The Era of Unreason. The Bee
Gees were singing Words Are Only Words but it is now worse
than then. They are all untrue. All! Just a simple example from our
daily lives: Sharon Cuneta, the megastar, has a TV audience that
runs into the millions. She looks at the camera and says: I love
you. And how she says it! My goodness, she does not know you,
she does not even know who is watching.

Another one. You see that sign We are open to serve you. You
might ask: Serve me? How nice, I will go there. But there is a
guard in uniform with a gun. He sees to it that you dont go in
unless you look like money. Its open only for those with money,
those who want to buy something. Ah yes, I will never forget that
scene in Pretty Woman where Richard Gere tells Julia Roberts
they dont like you, dear, they like your credit card. Meaning,
dont believe what they say. Its all doublespeak.

Now we have a President who is running kalsada natin, in English
our own street. According to that sign 5 times in every one of our
42,000 barangays, she has a program that will make all Filipinos
street sweepers and the street sweepers will all wear PGMA like a
walking billboard. Isnt that cute?

Maybe that is cute, but actually they, the MMDA, are driving all
vendors and others from kalsada natin into nowhere. They forbid
us to cross kalsada natin. They teach us discipline and make fences
where we walk like pigs on the way to the slaughterhouse, over
new overpasses (someone big makes big business), but all that is
- page 87 -

nothing compared to the supremacy of the law. The law provides
that the president is elected for 6 years. No re-election and
nobody should be above the law. Our Constitution has no
provision for a case where the incumbent president uses all
government resources (spell that peoples money) to stay in office.

All nice smiles and empty promises come down to one question: If
it is illegitimate for any president to stay in office beyond his term,
is it legally possible for a president who is not the legitimate
president to run? And the answer is yes, GMA can run because
she is not the elected president.

The duly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines,
Joseph Ejercito Estrada, popularly known as Erap, and elected with
the biggest margin of victory ever in Philippine history, is a
political prisoner in Tanay, Province of Rizal, until his time as
president is over. Then the courts will release him for lack of
evidence.

In the meantime, the incumbent president can prepare all
government agencies and greedy politicos for the big cheat in the
coming elections. She will smile down and rule over all those nice
Filipinos who did not vote for her but for FPJ and the timid
Filipinos will not say anything again because there was no leader,
no opposition in the first place.

Maybe the over-intelligent advisers of the opposition candidates
were too ashamed to even mention the name of Erap during the
long campaign of 2004, nor did they ever raise the issue of the
Marcos wealth, the only way to deal with our galloping local and
foreign debts as a nation. What a waste! What a shame! God
bless the Philippines!

- page 88 -

EDSA 2004 CANCELLED!

This is EDSA week, or should be EDSA in celebration of the
Marcos ouster in February 1986. Is there anybody who will
celebrate? Looks like the people are too busy with the upcoming
election, in particular hanging in animated suspension while
waiting for the decision of the Corte Suprema.

There are other people also, we should not forget, even few, who
are waiting for the final step of the Supreme Court to cross the
Rubicon of Truth. If really this Supreme Court will disqualify FPJ,
then they have quashed all doubts that this system is a system of
injustice, a Supreme Court filled with justices of injustice, a
political system of dirty tricks and dirty politics. There is no more
justice in this country. Justice here is only for the rich.

If birth certificate, why not for all candidates? Why only FPJ?
Maybe we find something very exciting in another birth
certificate? There are rumors of an illegitimate daughter of a
lavandera, laundry woman in English, with a President. The
laundry woman lived-in with the President who signed off a few
years ago before his daughter could grab power.

Laundry woman and President were commonly believed to be
husband and wife. Truth to tell, they were not. They had very
influential friends, though, who are all known land grabbers-
turned-billionaires. Those are her friends now. Not exactly what
they had in mind when they sang Thats what friends are for.
Those friends were behind the orchestrated ouster of Marcos and
Estrada, the Presidents of the people. In case you wonder who they
are, they have something to do with Ayala and the few others who
own Metro Manila.
- page 89 -


HUMAN RIGHTS VICTIMS?

MEMORY LANE

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Referring to the big picture on your front page (INQUIRER
Feb.27, entitled LIFE OF MEMORY), is it allowed to ask a few
questions? Like why are there only white guys, why are there no
Filipinos? Is it true that Filipinos were not invited to that
spectacle? Who did that and what is the intention behind the whole
thing; is that maybe part of the FPJ demolition job?

That is an old soup, so why do you make a top story out of it?
Lets assume the Supreme Court will approve and accept in full
legal terms that dubious verdict of Judge Manuel L. Real in
Hawaii, USA. He rewarded some 10,000 people with a lump
sum of $2Billion in a class suit. He did not see anyone, did not
hear any case, does not know anyone.

Chances are near zero that the Supreme Court will ever rule on that
issue, it is just too sticky and too politically loaded. But assuming,
then the 10,000 alleged human rights victims will have to go to
court, to their own Regional Trial Court, and prove beyond
reasonable doubt that they are actually the victims of Marcos and
not the victims of the other side, the CCP under Jomari Sison and
our national hero, Ninoy Aquino.

In our rotten judicial system with those hoodlums in robe, that
might take 100 years. The alleged victims are not FPJ and GMA
has only interest in FPJ. For all those people who love to hate
- page 90 -

Marcos, the year 2004 will be a year full of surprises. They will
hate it. At least one book will soon appear in the market that will
expose the grand conspiracy against Marcos and his people. And if
FPJ does not win the election for the Filipino people against the
people from Ayala and the Makati Business Club, then God have
mercy on us!



























- page 91 -

To MANILA BULLETIN
www.mb.com.ph

Attn.: NAPOLEON RAMA, PUBLISHER

Dear Napoleon Rama,

We think we know why MB has chosen the line of playing along
with the official line of government but Napoleon Rama has not
always been like that. There was an article, not too long ago, in
PANORAMA about government inefficiency. By Napoleon Rama.

One quote from that article is about schools, rather lack of schools:
In 1972, the President asked, how many schools do we need? The
answer was 12,000 and in that same year 12,000 schools were built
at a cost of P20,000 each. That was the quote from Napolean
Rama himself and we all know whom he is referring to.

There was no graft and corruption at that time. Some politicians
and their media call that time Martial Law and they make us
believe that life was like hell than. No, that is not true. Life was
like heaven then, the Philippines were the Pearl of the Orient. Say,
we are wrong, Napoleon Rama! You cannot, because you are
witness of the good old days.

In celebration of EDSA and People Power that ousted Marcos,
forget it and read our gift to the nation. We know as well as you
that it is hard to even be heard by people who are brainwashed by
Cory and the Cardinal. We dont argue with that. We just think that
someone should light a candle, so it can be seen by others That is
what we are doing and GOD forgive us if we are wrong.

With kind respect, O.J.
- page 92

To the DAILY TRIBUNE
letters@tribune.net.ph

Attn.: NINEZ CACHO OLIVAREZ, PUBLISHER

Dear Ninez Cacho Olivarez,

We have always been avid readers of the DAILY TRIBUNE, with
that little reservation, when there is/was anything negative about
Marcos. Now, we are not your normal kind of readers. We are the
longest ranging lawyer of the Marcos family, the campaign
manager of Ping Lacson 2001 and me, officially, the consultant for
the LAWYERS LEAGUE FOR A BETTER PHILIPPINES.

We know what we are talking about and we are obstinate enough
to think that this is our chance in life and our time to straighten out
a few things in the bitter life for most Filipinos. The most
important task is to get the advisors out of the way who hate
controversial topics, who hate debates because they dont know.

The 2004 presidential election should not be about the nicest smile
or the biggest promises; it should be about the state of our nation.
We are bankrupt by all means, financially, economically, morally,
and our officials are liars. Just imagine FPJ will take office and
find all coffers empty. SSS, GSIS, RSBS, Veterans Bank, all gone,
deficit wherever you look. Welcome to the Palace, FPJ!

Our officials are celebrating the ouster of Marcos. They blame
Marcos for everything. Fact is, too many people dont know. Too
many people, even on that celebrated EDSA 1986, did not know
and do still not know what was going on. All they remember is that
suddenly there was a stampede from EDSA to the palace by the
murky river. Those who arrived first, ransacked the place and got
- page 93-

drunk with joy. Was that a revolution? Cory was still in that
convent in Cebu, Ramos and Enrile kept hiding in Camp Crame.
To be sure. They were so afraid. People Power Revolution? No,
dear Filipino people, the revolution was staged by Cardinal Sin
and his nuns and the people were mere usizeros, bystanders!
The famous placard with black letters on yellow shiny plastic,
FREE AGAIN, was ordered made 3 days before that glorious
happening by the Cardinal. It was all planned.

Sorry to destroy the great dream of so many Filipinos. They gave
you democracy. How does it taste? Can you feed your children
with that? Of course not! Only the rich got richer and the poor got
poorer. So, can we please give up that yearly spectacle that cost
Erap his presidency in 1999 and concentrate on better things to do?

Now, first step first. You printed our DEVILS GAME PLAN.
Very nice, but of course, we dont think that that will happen. FPJ
will really be the next President. Even if it has to be via WE THE
PEOPLE declaring him the president in Luneta Park. Again and
again, that is not a kudeta, we will all wear white and carry a
candle. And we will not believe the polls of Pulse Asia, we let the
people manifest in person that they voted for FPJ.

You in your exposed position, you are facing all sorts of cases
already from the big gentlemen, you should know what we are
doing. We want to spread the news but we have to be careful. We
want you to understand and join in. Silently, we are not on a
suicidal expedition. If we send you something, you use it as you
like, for your own writing or a letter to the editor. We are not
interested to get our name into the newspaper.

With kindest regards, O.J.

- page 94 -

TO THE PHILIPPPINE STAR
feedback@philstar.net.ph

Attn.: MAX SOLIVEN

Dear Max Soliven,

The motto of the STAR is the truth shall prevail. There are
many ways to look at the truth and, certainly, you look at the truth
as a matter of business. Your business! What sells is the truth. You
would not be the first one to say that and we are not here to blame
you, if you put business higher than anything else. In fact, we
admit that the STAR is doing just fine and Max Soliven has
shown some serious signs of becoming a better person. That is no
joke. We mean it.

Therefore, and only therefore, we will make you part of some
serious soul searching in the coming months, if you like, and give
you something to read which, hopefully, will enlighten you. Its all
a matter of the mind. If you set your mind on it, you can do it. The
future of this country is at stake. The 2004 presidential elections
are by far the biggest decision this country will ever have to make
and the people do not know. We cannot demand from them to
make the right decision. They will follow their heart and their
hopes. And my God, whats wrong with that!

The hopes are no longer with this government. It was over in 1998
already. That was not so much an election of Erap, it was more an
election against the establishment. Same now, six more years of
the same, that would be just too much! They claimed they would
be so much better than Erap and look what happened! We dont
have to tell you, you make it clear yourself.

- page 95

Therefore, we should not harp so much on stupid birth certificates;
we should look at what is at stake. Too much is at stake and the
world is watching us from a distance. Actually, the world is
waiting for us to find a president who will bury Marcos. The Pope
will come, the Queen, the Emperor, and Dubya and they will salute
the moment we will make peace with our own past.

If the Germans could do that after millions and millions lost their
life and everything else in World War II all over the world, we
should be able to do that even against the declared will of Cory
Aquino and the Cardinal. Oh sorry, we forgot 10,000 of those fake
human rights Seldas. They want money.

You know what we mean. You are too intelligent to be one-sided.
Even though, we are never too old to learn and to change our mind.
We seriously hope that you will enjoy reading. We may not be on
the same political side but we are beyond personal interests. We
mean it when we say that this is for the nation. And dont forget,
we happen to think that this is the richest nation on earth. But read
first and, if ever you feel for it, let us know what you feel.

With best regards,

O.J.









- page 96 -


LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Referring to the picture on your front page (INQUIRER Feb.27,
entitled LIFE OF MEMORY), is it allowed to ask questions? Like
why are there only white guys, no Filipinos? Were Filipinos not
invited to the spectacle? Who did it and whats the intention
behind the whole thing; is it maybe part of the FPJ demolition job?

That is an old soup, so why do you make a top story out of it?
Lets assume the Supreme Court will approve and accept in full
legal terms that dubious verdict of Judge Manuel L. Real in
Hawaii, USA. He rewarded some 10,000 people with a lump
sum of $2Billion in a class suit, he did not see anyone, did not
hear any case, does not know anyone.

Chances are the Supreme Court will never rule on that issue. It is
just too sticky. But assuming it will, then the alleged human rights
victims will have to go to court, to their own Regional Trial Court,
and prove beyond reasonable doubt that they are actually the
victims of Marcos and not the victims of the other side, the CCP
under Jomari Sison and our national hero, Ninoy Aquino.

In our rotten judicial system with those hoodlums in robe, that
might take 100 years. For all the people who love to hate Marcos,
the year 2004 will be a year full of surprises. They will hate it. At
least one book will soon appear in the market that will expose the
grand conspiracy against Marcos and his people. And if FPJ does
not win the election for the Filipino people against the people from
Ayala and the Makati Business Club, then God have mercy on us!



- page 97

THE PHILIPPINE STAR
Attn.: MAX SOLIVEN, PUBLISHER
feedback@philstar.net


March 1, 2004

Ref. IMPACT 2004, Your Column STAR, Feb 29, 2004


Dear Mr. Soliven,

That was nice! Not so much what you said about FPJ after the first
airing of IMPACT 2004, your new show on ABS-CBN, but how
you said it!

It is always hard for someone to be the first. He did not know, but
you did not know also. Now you know. FPJ is a man of few
words. He wants to be known as a man of action. You are one of
the few who can attest to it that this man is special, very
determined, very sincere. He knows what he is doing and he seems
to know what he is up against.

Your last word in your column is quite intriguing. He may be
good for a real surprise. You are not saying it for yourself; you
are saying that for your readers who, as you know, are mostly from
the A-B classes and very prejudiced, very outspoken against FPJ
as they were against Erap.

We dont have to be clear-voyant to predict that none of the GMA
believers or of the Roco fans will change to FPJ, so it does not
matter to them what he does or what he says. GMA believers are

- page 98 -

the rich and their dependents, including their employees, or those
who have something to lose in the stock market.

Roco fans are those who love to rate themselves as intelligent and
believe that to be a Roco fan is good for their image. They
conveniently forget that Roco was fired by GMA from the juicy
position of Secretary of Education because of proven cases of graft
and corruption.

These groups are interested to talk about platform. They want
to hear from the opposition whether there is reason to close shop,
or to buy dollars, or to prepare for emigration.

The C, D, E have nothing to lose, they can only hope that the status
quo will end, that someone will give them hope. They do not listen
to promises like alleviation of poverty any more; they call that
alleviation of property and they laugh at PGMAs program to
make all Filipinos street sweepers via KALSADA NATIN.

Before we forget, in 1998 there were 11 million Filipinos of the
silent majority who voted for the only majority president this
country ever had and, guess what, none of them will vote for GMA
or Roco. So, in a way, it does not matter what the A and B read in
the STAR, that never reaches the C, D, E classes. Sad for you and,
admittedly, for the nation!

In future, that has to change. You are one of the people who can
effect change. TV is the most important media branch. It reaches
everywhere and every one. It is widely abused, though, and
thirsting for good ideas and good people.

We wish you luck with IMPACT 2004 and, hoping against hope,
you will find someone among the candidates one day who will be
- page 99 -

able to tell you how to pay for all the lofty promises without
borrowing by the billions of dollars for the Filipino people to pay.
Nearing 5 Trillion na!

If not, maybe you invite FPJ again, just before election. He will
have the surprise. He will tell you what is in there for the Filipino
people and how he will pay. Now, in 2004! Of course, this is also a
promise today, but at least it is in writing, black on white.

With kind regards,

O.J.







IN MEMORIAM

If we can really free the small man from the chains of poverty that
has shackled his ancestors to the land they tilled with others, if we
can locate the same small man at the center of increasing
opportunity for himself, to his family, if we can produce enough
and pay our workers enough, so that their labor can assure
them of a better quality of life, if we can provide the proper
machinery of government, so that one does not want of an efficient
administration of justice, then we can remain firm in our basis for
building a new society . Ferdinand Emmanuel E. Marcos, J uly 1, 1981, in
signing YU- 745201O of the ANG BAGONG LIPUNAN, the currency of the Republic
of the Philippines, every set backed up by 2,500 M.T. of gold, insured with Lloyds of
London, secured by Bank of England Note Bond and I nternational Certificate Deposit
- page 100 -

THE - first quarter - SCORE

If it is true that 8 out of ten Hong Kong people are into horseracing
and that 9 out of 10 Aussies are into gambling, then it must be true
that eleven out of ten Filipinos are into talking elections. Basically,
repeating what they saw and heard on TV. TV is so important. But
still, truth to tell, many Filipinos are betting all, even their life
savings, unabashedly, unwaveringly, unmindfully of what the
outside world is thinking or doing. They are running for the sake of
running and running is a never-ending fiesta from place to place,
province to province.

In fact, it is fair to say that the Philippine electorate is unique in the
sense that it has nothing to do with issues, at least political issues.
They are up and running, or rather singing and dancing. Here it is
all about people, celebrities, and smiles. The rest is entertainment
big time.

Where there are no issues, there are also no principles. Money
talks and the poor people along the streets are waiting for dole-
outs. People who will stay and wait for the big moment, never on
time, can make P400 or more. That is more than they can earn
from regular business. They will then applaud on command for
anyone, whatever side he or she is on.

Every rule has an exception. So also here. There is an absolute
crowd favorite. He does not have to pay. He does not have to talk.
He just has to be there and all hands, all arms will be stretched out
to reach him or his wife. By all stretches of your imagination, there
is no more need for campaigning. The people have spoken. It is
just a matter of going from place to place, province to province,

- page 101 -

but the scenes will not change. The people will swarm around FPJ
and take the money from GMA.

Having said that, it is amazing that there are so-called polls,
surveys on public opinion, who claim that there is an even race
among the candidates. It is true, though, that one of the presidential
candidates, the leader of a charismatic religious organization, was
able to gather several hundred thousand people for a mass in
Luneta Park. But remember, they went there to seek for their own
salvation and they pay for it. To call that campaign funding is a
little bit far fetched and the poll results of 1.2% put him in line
with the Great Pretender, the wigged Eddie Gil, who claims he has
the Marcos accounts.

In the middle bracket, Lacson and Roco should consider throwing
in the towel, but we fear that they will never surrender. So, on the
top, it is a one-on-one, FPJ vs. PGMA, with some 33% each, a
newcomer against the incumbent. After round one, the newcomer
has not shown anything yet, the incumbent is already throwing
everything she has.

It is interesting to note that Filipinos who see themselves as fence
sitters of the finest order can endure the theater of election
gimmicks, jumping from one conclusion to the other, in the end
unable to see what is right or wrong.

The incumbent president has certainly a big advantage with all
government resources in her hand, all media on her side, and the
COMELEC, Congress, Senate and the complete House of
Representatives, and the Supreme Court dancing to her tunes in
order to protect her, to protect her cabal, surely to protect them
selves from impeachment or criminal action. They will do anything
to stay in power. For fence sitters it may be an interesting Round 2.
- page 102 -












HERITAGE AND CULTURE

THE BITTER TRUTHS














- page 103 -

GENERAL ORDER NO. 13


WHEREAS, martial law has been declared under
Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and is now
under effect throughout the entire country;
WHEREAS, one of the objectives of the proclamation of
martial law is to effect social, economic, and political reforms, and
thus bring about the transformation of a New Society in our
country, a Society infused with a profound sense of discipline and
order;
WHEREAS, every citizen and resident of the Philippines
should participate in bringing about these changes;
WHEREAS, it is also the duty of every citizen and resident
of the Philippines to keep his environment or surroundings clean
and wholesome;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS,
President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me
by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed
Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081,
dated September 21, 1972, do hereby call upon every resident and
citizen of the Philippines, all universities, colleges and schools and
other similar institutions, private as well as public; all commercial
and industrial establishments, hotels, restaurants, hospitals,
cinemahouses, public markets, transportation companies, and all
establishments of all kinds, to undertake the cleaning of their own
surroundings, their yards and gardens, as well as the canals, roads
or streets in their immediate premises.
Towards this end, it is hereby prohibited for anyone to throw
garbage in public places, such as roads, canals, esteros or parks.



- page 104 -

I expect everyone to cooperate in this project to clean our
surroundings.
I hold everyone responsible for his own surroundings, and
should anyone fail to comply with his obligation under this
General Order, the Government will undertake the cleaning of his
premises at his own expense.
The owners of idle lots in the Greater Manila Area are
expected to keep these idle lots clean. In the event of their failure
or inability to comply with this obligation, the Government will
undertake the cleaning of the lot at the owners expense, and the
Government may further utilize the land for its food production
program.
I order the Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and
Communication to supervise the implementation of this campaign.
Done in the City of Manila, this 30
th
day of September, in the
year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-two.


Sgd. FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines




- QUOTE FROM VI TAL DOCUMENTS ON PROCLAMATI ON
NO. 1081 DECLARI NG A STATE OF MARTI AL LAW
I N THE PHI LI PPI NES





- page 105 -













Filipinos are probably the only people in the world
who are ashamed of their country, who show contempt
for anything if that is their own.
They take a perverse delight in devaluating the Philippines.
If it is Filipino, it is no good. PHI LI PPI NE FREE PRESS,
Nov.1, 1958 A New Look at the Philippines.















- page 106


OUR UNFINSHED TASK . . . .

By Judge Juan Nabong
(direct quotations)


The institution in the Philippines that has always been against true
nationalism is the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. This
ecclesiastical power was instrumental in the execution of our
martyrs Fathers Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora, and our national
hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The oppressions and the persecutions were
always due to its influence and power over the state.


With great wisdom and spiritual power, Martin Luther exposed
the errors of the church and declared them to be contrary to the
words of the gospel. The challenge of Martin Luther came like the
explosion of an atomic bomb to all Christendom. It demolished
and pulverized the false doctrines of the Pope.


Up to the present, those countries that broke away from the power
of Rome are the most progressive, prosperous, and peaceful in
Europe. The light of truth has freed them from darkness,
superstition, and fanaticism so characteristic of those countries
where the Pope holds ecclesiastical power.


In the Philippines, however, because of the rigid control of the
church, the Reformation movement of Martin Luther was not

- page 107 -

introduced. Although the power of Spain is forever broken in the
Philippines, the power and influence of the Roman Catholic
Church remained, becoming even stronger. They were able to do
this, when they placed patron saints in every town during the three
centuries that the friars ruled our religion here.


Every municipality was given a patron saint who happened to be
an alien priest or religious woman. The people, although ignorant
of the life of their alien patron saints, were required to celebrate
their anniversaries in the form of a big town fiesta, when their
wooden images were pulled in a long procession lighted with
candles and profusely smoked with incense.


Our people, instead of holding celebrations to commemorate the
anniversaries of our own heroes or martyrs, held an annual town
fiesta in honor of the foreign patron saints, which resulted in the
total bankruptcy of values. There is not a single Filipino saint,
notwithstanding the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has been
here for 400 years now.


The Philippines is the only place in the world today where
nationals in the Catholic Church occupy inferior and lower
positions to the alien friars. In Spain the heads are Spanish, In
America Americans, in Canada Canadiens, in France French, but
in the Philippines the heads have always been aliens.


For 400 years, the friar priests have taught us to have a colonial
mentality. This is especially true in religion where we are very
submissive and obedient and are taught to fear pastoral letters,
- page 108 -

excommunication, or sermons of the priest. For this reason our
religion has always been colonial, our education is colonial, and
even our economy is colonial. The colonial mentality is so strong
among parochial-minded Filipinos that they even have a History of
the Philippines for Catholics. The major theme of that book is
fulsome praise for the Spanish missionaries who allegedly came
here to bring us the cross. We were crucified, all right, while the
said missionaries have always been living in luxury, comfort, and
wealth among us up to the present. The friars are made to appear as
angels of light and salvation while Filipino patriots who resist them
and who fought for freedom and liberty are made to appear as anti
Catholic, misguided rebels.


In the last election, the Roman hierarchy participated actively
in the campaign and often times candidates for national office,
in their extreme desire to win, set aside their self-respect and
honor as Filipinos by passing at convents and churches in
order to kiss the hands of the priest or the bishop and secure
his help in the election, as if the votes depended upon the
choice of the church and not upon the will of the people.


We have been taught by this hierarchy to belittle ourselves so
that we will always prefer the alien friars or priests to our own
countrymen. So long as we are not absolutely free from
religious alien control, fanaticism, bigotry, and intolerance, we
cannot develop our God-given faculties.



WE NEED A PRESIDENT WHO WILL GO TO THE
UNITED NATIONS IN N.Y. AND TALK IN FILIPINO.
- page 109 -

THE DAILY TRIBUNE
letters@tribune.net.ph

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor:

March 4, 2004, was really a day to remember. Every newspaper in
the land had the same headline on its front page: FPJ CAN RUN.
Interestingly, your newspaper had also two contradicting but very
good opinions on the famous question: What now, pussycat?

DIEHARD Hermann Tiu Laurel goes mainline thanking the SC
profusely for its show of justice and believing that from now on
everything is smooth sailing including justice for Erap. That that
may very well be wishful thinking comes out on a very unlikely
place, on page 10 of the business section, where Jesse Bacon, the
man at the market, develops the theory that GMA conceded to the
scenario of FPJ not being disqualified, because her advisers told
her that she is winning anyhow as seen in the latest SWS survey.

Indeed, the decision of the SC is a very dubious decision. GMAs
political appointees voted for disqualification. Davide and Azcuna
may have changed their mind in the last minute, maybe out of fear,
maybe following instructions from the Palace. This has little to do
with justice and should not restore respect in a high institution that
was created long time ago as an independent institution to
safeguard the balance of power against a usurper president. We
still have a usurper president who can only run because she never
ran as president and because the legitimate President of this
country is a political prisoner. In the same sense, we still have to
contend with the fact that this usurper president will do anything to
stay in power.
- page 110

THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Many people think that the root of all evil is money, so you would
wonder why they are all crying for money. Other people say the
root of all evil is the love of money. Well, no doubt, everybody
would love to count his blessings like the rich are doing, even if,
according to the bible, Jesus Christ never counted his blessings. He
never had any and is telling every true believer Blessed are the
poor; but that is only for Sunday Church.

To tell you the truth, you have a problem, when you dont have
money, but you have a big problem when you have big money.
You need a security guard at the door, you need a driver to bring
your kids to school, and, basically, you live in constant fear of
being kidnapped or scammed.

In this country, where the rich are getting richer and the poor are
getting poorer and more in numbers by the day, it is debatable
whether or not the government is the root of all evil. Certainly, the
government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her
MMDA under Bayani Fernando are the biggest dividers, cleaning
up the streets for the rich from the poor. Literally, on a daily basis
courtesy of Kalsada Natin.

We have reached a state of total class division between the haves
and the have-nots. Everything is done for the rich. Where it was
before sidewalks are for people it is now clear that sidewalks are
for peoples cars. Not only that! Everything for the poor is illegal:
Illegal gambling, illegal vendors, illegal loading a bus even, illegal
drugs even. And they are made for the poor by the rich! Diba, only
rich people have the capital for a shabu lab. Only the rich have the

- page 111

money to buy dollars, so please dont blame the poor Filipinos for
the losses of the Peso.

For reasons only the President and her men in black may know,
Filipinos are forced to walk longer and longer stretches to reach a
place where their bus is allowed to slow down, so that daring
people may jump the bus. It is a miracle that no accidents are
happening yet, or maybe they are just not reported. We have to pity
the elderly, everything is made so difficult for them. How can they
jump a bus, while they all blow their horn?

Also not reported are the many buses and jeepneys that are
impounded by the well-oiled machinery of police and MMDA for
reasons only the President and her men in black will know. Come
to think of it, why is the FG not among them? The black men, I
mean! To get your jeep back you have to shell out P1,500 plus-
plus with the police, miles out of town, or P5,000 with the
MMDA on a stolen property with high fence. That is their daily
money-making or milking machine. Its really time we get Lacson
back to clean up the police!

Not reported or toned down, suppressed even, was another little
event that happened at night March 3-4 out there in Molino Drive,
Bacoor, Cavite, where two cops and four security guards lost their
lives fighting it out for land grabbers. There is a huge property of
875 hectares that has been claimed for ages by the heirs of
Hermogenes Rodriguez but was encroached by some well-known
land grabbers of the highest caliber.

The modus operandi of the land grabbers is always the same and
very visible for everyone with eyes open. PRIVATE
PROPERTY! NO TRESSPASSING! You see, only the rich can
buy a Fencing Permit from the mayor who, of course, wants his
- page 112 -

share. After the Fencing Permit they buy a Building Permit.
Then they wait for some time for an eventual complaint from
another owner of the property.

Most properties in the Philippines have more than one owner, so
most properties have over-lapping claims. That is how they call
it in the snake pit of the worst kind, the LRA or the Land
Registration Authority. The land grabbers are the best friends of
those shameless bandits who are working in the LRA for a
minimal official salary.

But dont worry, be happy! The land grabbers pay! Yes, they pay
big money to get a title and pertaining documents and they
work it out with the mayor and his lackeys. In the case of Las
Pinas and Bacoor it is actually family business. Its all Camelia,
Manuela, Crown, Brittany, yes all in the family! 85% of Las Pinas
for sure is owned by them!

They have their own private armies distributed by their own
agencies, and they have the order to shoot. They have the hottest
firearms and they are ready to shoot Filipinos. Always Filipinos,
what else, do you think Germans will steal land here? Chinese
maybe, but they steal land everywhere, even in Malaysia, Sabah, or
South Africa.

Its not only the Speaker of the House, actually he is in good
company with the Ramos family, the Ayalas, the Ortigases and
their Hong Kong conglomerates, and not to forget the Tuazon
Arroyos and the heirs of Gregorio Araneta. That is why Cubao is
so beautiful; it stinks because it is rat-infested! And the nicest
property, prime prime, at the corner of EDSA and Aurora is empty
while in court for the next 100 years.

- page 113 -

Long time ago, during the good old days of Presidente Garcia and
Macapagal Father, they discovered that all the lands in the
Philippines were never really owned by anyone except stolen by
the Spanish Friars who gave it as reward for the not so honorable
families of those who killed Filipinos who did not want to go to
church. That is what salvaging stands for. The Spanish claimed
but did never own land, so they could also not transfer
ownership of something they did not own.

The Spanish, by the way, did not like at all that the British Crown
who were the real police of the world at that time came here in
1762 and put things in order. Among others, they decreed in
Protocol 01-4 of 1764 that the whole archipelago of 7,100
islands does not belong to the Spanish King but to the Royal
Family of the Philippines, at that time represented by King
Luisons heirs. That was also the basis of the Treaty of Paris in
1898, which, on paper, ruled the official transfer from Spain to the
United States of America and up-held the private rights of the
Royal Family Tagean-Tallano.

In 1902, under the control of the Governor to the Philippines,
Howard Taft, who became U.S. President in 1908, and Registrar
Sleeper, Land Registration Act 496 up-graded the Protocol 01-4
to OCT 01-4 and to mother title for all other titles like TCT - 408
and TCT 498, which cover the Greater Manila Area. That is the
Torrens Title System.

Unfortunately, for most Filipinos, the bandits in the LRA have
forgotten the origin of the Torrens Title System; they use the
Torrens System of Money Talks and they talk only to the richest of
the rich who have no names, corporate offices only, like B.F.
Homes, Greenfields, Philinvest, Sta. Lucia Realty, Fil Estate, all of
them! They promise or peddle land titles but can never deliver,
- page 114 -

only Certificate of Home Ownership or a Certificate from the
Home Owners Association.

Poor Filipinos who buy from them in the belief that they will own
their property, at least one day, after paying for 25 years. Nope!
Thomas Aguirre could not, V.V. Soliven could not, Manny Villar
and Fernando Zobel de Ayala cannot deliver a proper title. In P.D.
1143 President Marcos decreed all legitimate occupants of land
shall consult with the true owner of the true title, before they
register their new title under the Torrens Title System. As simple
as that. Ask who did not like!

All wealth starts with a crime. A wise word of U.S. President
Roosevelt and he did not know yet the root of all evil in the
Philippines.


















- page 115





The International Court of Justice of The Hague, Holland,
has ruled on several occasions Dictators Allende, Pinochet,
Idi Amin, Ceaucescu that accusations of human rights violations
cannot be invoked directly against the President of a country but
against the highest officer in the Police.

- The Million Dollar Question of the Philippines: Why did nobody file a
case of human rights violation against Fidel V. Ramos, the Head of the dreaded
Constabulary Police during 14 years of Martial Law?




From: LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 1

In carrying out the foregoing order you are hereby also
directed to see to it that reasonable means are employed by you
and your men and that injury to persons and property must be
carefully avoided.
Done in the City of Manila, this 22
nd
day of September, in the
year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-two.


Sgd. FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines



- page 116

PANEM ET CIRCENSES

In the old Rome at the time of Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago, the
emperors discovered a simple trick to perpetuate their power:
Make the people happy, give them entertainment, bread and
games, bloody games, violence and sex, and they will leave you in
peace, they will not ask stupid questions and you can do as you
wish. Good or bad, good or evil; who cares? Well, in the end,
Conan the Barbar from the North came and cared and that was the
end of the Roman Empire.

Since then, the game plans of the world leaders have become a
little bit more sophisticated. Wow! I am just watching Kris
Aquinos boobs in a Saturday afternoon show on ABS-CBN for
children, No, they are all sobbing and crying. That is a real good
show, very selling! I understand Joey Marquez now. Not so bad!
But that is not the topic.

The world will maybe never know what the ouster of the Shah of
Persia has to do with the murder of John F. Kennedy and his
brother Robert Kennedy, then Justice Secretary and a good man, or
what Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein have to do with the bankrupt
Enron Empire where the old Bush was an executive VP. Some
people may have heard something about Ramos with Bin Laden in
Afghanistan during the 1980s, where they created the Abu Sayyaf.

Most people now know that the Abu Sayyaf is very bad. They
bomb and they behead people, they even sabotage the Superferry
14. And their head is Kumander Robot. At least that is what people
read in the newspapers. Of course, people do not talk to Kumander,
they dont know him. What? He is in a hospital in Manila? No
more legs? So how can he sabotage a superferry? Exactly, how can
- page 117 -

he? He cannot! He is dying in that Veterans Hospital or they help
him to die, whatever, so he cannot talk.

Robot is Chairman of the Sabah Recovery Project and that is very
hot to handle. Too hot. That is why. Remember when Erap became
President, then suddenly there was a hostage drama with so many
foreign hostages. They came from Sipadan, Sabah. Sabah belongs
to Malaysia now, since Malaysia was created in 1963, when Dado
Macapagal was President. Dado asked Esmael Kiram and Esmael,
no, not e-mail!, said yes.

Question remains, of course, how can something that belonged to
us since Adam and Eve suddenly be part of something that did not
even exist before 1963? Well, only Dado and Esmail could tell but
Dado is no longer available for comment. Maybe his daughter
knows but she is too busy running against FPJ.

In the meantime, Sabah oil produces $88Billion every year for
Malaysia instead for us in the Philippines. We should ask the
naughty question what Ramos and Mahathir are doing with all that
money. They must be very busy, both retired generals and
presidents, in the prime of their glory. At least that is what
everybody is made to believe.

As to poor Robot, he has written a post mortem statement, which
will be read after he is dead already. There is a court hearing on
March 12 in Sulu where Nur Misuari and Robot will be charged
with rebellion and hundreds of more charges. Thats ridiculous!
Its like charging the driver of Halina Perez car for illegal parking
in Bicol. Only in the Philippines!

GMA is correct, as long as she is in power, she can do what she
likes to do. Power is very important. But what if?! Exactly, people
- page 118 -

should not forget that what if. Under President Poe Jr. this
Kumander Robot can tell in a fair trial, maybe in a double
whammy with Erap, what really happened there and then. Maybe
he will also tell that the grand master of all flagships, Mr.
Aventejado, was a big traitor who kept the money.

So, therefore, it is safe to say that he will not. Talk, I mean. He will
also not talk about Ramos and Mahathir, the Head of the Pakistani
Mafia in Malaysia. Who said that he was such a great Prime
Minister? Erap snubbed him and visited Anwar in jail instead. Erap
could smell a rat there. That is why he is kept in a freezer here, so
he cannot invite the wife of Anwar again like a head of State.

Mahathir got very angry with Erap and told his generals to give
him a nice present. He told the generals to get the hostages and
bring them to Robot in Basilan. They also told Angie Reyes to
bombard the area from the air, so Robot had to run and hide while
hundreds of civilians were killed during the air raids every day.
Good thinking, Mr. Prime. Nobody knows that there is a criminal
case pending in court against Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes for
genocide. For the time being, Angie is safe, but what if

The only hope for Robot is his legal counsel, Mr. Due Process.
Atty. Oliver Lozano should really become Senator. He is one of
the few who really know whats going on. The media, of course,
call him Marcos lawyer and right they are. At least there is one!
Mr. Due Process will go to Sulu, embrace Nur Misuari, and see to
it that there will be due process. Then they will talk peace. Simple
under FPJ!

What a difference to the policies of Ramos and GMA! They talk
only. They preach total war or all-out war. Always talks!
Those are piss talks, not peace talks. Mama Mary, give peace to
- page 119 -

this country. What a bull! Who is Mama Mary anyhow? Is she
God? And what peace are they talking about? The peace of Gloria?
Or the peace of Cardinal Sin? Or the peace of the Catholic Bishops
Conference? Oh, they mean status quo, where the rich get richer
and the poor get poorer. Ah, ganon! Thank you but no thank you!

That is what I mean with media. They preach the bull. They dont
cover Atty. Lozano in Sulu on a peace mission, because good
media coverage is expensive. Only Ramos has that kind of money.
Good for him! Therefore, he always looks good in all media. He is
smart. Smarter than his old friend Bin Laden. He looks dreadful
with that unwashed beard. And they claim that he is a billionaire!





















- page 120 -

THE DAILY TRIBUNE
NINEZ CACHO OLIVAREZ, Publisher

March 8, 2004

Dear Publisher,

Your issue of today is such a disappointment! It reveals in one shot
where the TRIBUNE, that started so well only a few years ago, has
landed: In the garbage can of stupidity. Two things are totally
unacceptable, the DIEHARD and the letter to the editor. Your
writings are already known and discounted, always the same
anyhow.

Look, we live in a democracy and everybody has the right to be
wrong, even crazy, so also a guy from Cubao who has the temerity
to write such a stupid lie in his letter to the editor about the greatest
president this country ever had and the U.S. ! We dont blame the
guy that he has that weird idea about the U.S. and the IMF-World
Bank ruling the Philippine elite through EDSA I and EDSA Dos,
but it is a different thing, if you find it worth printing and to give it
to the world.

That makes you part of the demolition job on Marcos. Dont you
see that they fight Erap and FPJ because of Marcos and with the
Marcos issue? No, you dont, because you do not see also who
they are. The people who think they ousted Marcos (the CIA
did it), the people who ousted Erap, are the same people who will
also oust FPJ and replace him with one of their choice, Loren
Legarda.

Filipino people do not see that anymore. Loren is so beautiful!
Thats what they see. They forgot already that she was so happy
- page 121 -

when they ousted Erap. And Erap? Look at that, special
treatment! Nobody wants someone else to have special treatment,
right? For himself, yes, why not, but for somebody else? No way!
So be ready to hear on the news nothing but the rest house. It fits
to our crab mentality.

A good trick to make Erap look bad. Poor guy! He is a victim of
the system, cannot hit back. Whether it is his knee operation or the
house arrest, they will always make him look bad. They are
professionals in the dirty tricks department and they can count on
the Filipino people, they will swallow hook line and sinker what
they see on TV.

If ever someone wants to say something bad about the IMF, then
please, tell the people that the IMF is here (in the BSP) to account
for and replace what our leaders are stealing from the people.
Those leaders include our beloved Cory, Ramos, GMA, the
Cardinal, and a Speaker of the House of Representatives, who
received $5Billion for Land Oil in Iraq some 30 years ago, made it
disappear, and then accuses Marcos of giving behest loans. And he
is Speaker now? What a country!

In the case of DIEHARD Herman Tiu Laurel, he is getting senile
now. Or he was drunk when he wrote this thing pitting Manang
Maceda for senator together with Mr. Nightclub, Mayor Lim,
who has never been tried in court for killing 87 farmers on Plaza
Miranda on Corys order and who single-handedly destroyed the
cash cow of Manila, Ermita, where all foreigners loved to spend
their money.

The foreigners do not come here anymore. They go to Thailand
and spend their money there, where they feel welcome. Thailand is
sprouting and we are going down the drain. In style! Here, we have
- page 122 -

Chinese guests who go to their guest relation officers (GROs) in
the nightclubs owned or controlled by Mayor Lim. So much about
that wonderful prostitution drive! They do those things on TV
now, Mayor, daytime shows! This is only the beginning. It is only
a question of time before we go naked on TV also. You can
already order your chicks from the TV shows.

You see, publisher, you made me angry on a beautiful Monday
morning. I feel I should never buy the TRIBUNE again.

O.J.






















- page 123 -












ROUND TWO

















- page 124

GMAs 1-2 BLOW : VERY DAMAGING!


While the troops of FPJ are running, smiling, singing, dancing,
shaking hands, and raising arms high into the air of Mindanao,
GMA raises the arm of Manny Pacquiao in the Palace to make him
a formidable billboard for her, but that is nothing against the new
issue of The Resthouse and the debt repudiation.

The advisers of GMA, THE FIRM and other professional groups
of the highest caliber, are reading the O.I.As of FPJ very well and
poor FPJ does not even see it coming. The O.I.As? Ah yes, the o
is for over, the i is for intelligent, and the A for Adviser, so we are
talking about the over-intelligent advisers of FPJ, who are around
him, so he will not forget them later, when it is time to distribute
juicy positions.

They advise him among others not to talk about Erap and never say
MARCOS. They consider that taboo issues. They hate controversy,
they want to avoid confrontation, they dont want to argue, they
just want to win. And they are hired just for that.

We are, of course, talking about the presidential campaign of the
formerly top-running candidate for the presidency 2004. Its so
typical Filipino that one could cry. It is all about running,
nothing about knowing, nothing about planning ahead, nothing
about real issues, nothing that would look like a platform. All
about da Kings popularity. Now they are asking FPJ in public,
what will he do with the ballooning debt of the country. Wow!

That is, by all means, a reasonable question, nothing wrong with
that! It becomes wrong, when the impression is given that either

- page 125 -

FPJ does not know or does not know how to pay the interest. That
is again very Filipino because the Filipinos out there will only pay
what the bumbay is telling them to pay, otherwise

No, that might be unfair to the Filipinos out there. They pay and
FPJ gives the impression that he is not ready to pay. That makes
the Governor of the BSP a very concerned citizen. He comes out
with a press statement warning the public against a president who
will not pay the foreign debt. He can do that even if the Filipino
people do not know in the first place that any president is paying
the foreign debt, because how can the foreign debt be ballooning
if someone is paying the foreign debt?

By the way, how sure are we that the I.M.F. really wants us to pay
the foreign debt? The two Presidents who were about to pay did
not make it too long in office after that. They were none other than
John F. Kennedy and Ferdinand E. Marcos. Of course, our younger
generations know these two greatest presidents only from the
history books, and who wrote the history books? Ask Tita Cory!

So, nobody is paying? Exactly! The opposite is true: The Monetary
Board, just the other day, gave green light again to GMA to borrow
another $9.6Billion (billiones in dolares and some five hundred
sixty billiones in Aquino Pesos) from the foreign nice guys. We
should really ask who they are, these people in the Monetary
Board, where they come from, or who put them there, and how can
they give green light? Will they pay the bill?

No, they will not and we should make it very clear to the Filipino
people: The foreign debt is not at all foreign; it is very Filipino, for
the Filipino people to pay. So every time the Monetary Board gives
green light to GMA to borrow more billions of dolares, it is for the
Filipino people to pay, not now, because they have no money;
- page 126 -

later, when they have money. You see that, Filipino people, when
you have money later, they will take it away, because then we have
to pay the foreign debt! How nice, noh?

Oh yes, the honorable Governor is one of the nice guys and he is
also a member of the Monetary Board! He knows very well also
that our currency, the Aquino Peso, is not a currency, not even
listed as a currency in the Internet.

That story of Cory C. Aquino demonetizing the ANG BAGONG
LIPUNAN is only for da Pilipines. They stole our money and
they gave us a peke. To make that very clear for everybody: We
cannot pay in pesos outside the country, we have to buy dolares
first and pay in dolares. That is the trouble and that is why the
peso/dollar rate will soon go to 60,70,80,90,100 per dollar. And
that has nothing to do with FPJ.

A peke is a peke, false, a fraud. Same as the BSP. Peke also. That
is not a Central Bank. The BSP is a private corporation with an
authorized capital of $1Billion, not listed even in the SEC. We
should ask Fidel The Great V. Ramos why he did that and what he
got from it. That is the truth and nothing but the truth!

Maybe we can now reason that the spokesman of FPJ, the young
congressman from Sorsogon, one of the spice boys, was also very
concerned, when he explained that FPJ would not r-e-p-u-d-i-a-t-e
the foreign debt, he would just extend the time period for the
payment of the interest. In banking terms out there, they call that
m-o-r-a-t-o-r-i-u-m and they hate it, because it means that the
country is bankrupt.

The young spokesman was just not prepared. Thats all. If he had
been prepared, he would have made his own knockout punch.
- page 127 -

Something like this: We did not create this foreign debt. They did
it. So they should answer the question. They should also explain
what they did with the money. We would be very happy to hear
their answer. Please dont ask us what we would do with their
foreign debt. We will show them, when we are in office and accept
the foreign debt as ours.
That would have been a nice answer, putting things in the right
perspective. Indeed, nobody should ask FPJ or Ping Lacson about
the foreign debt. It is nothing god-given, it is nothing inherently
Philippine. It is solely the problem of the incumbent and her
predecessors, except Erap. Erap Bobo was not quick enough, not
smart enough, to borrow foreign debt. Even if traitors Pardo and
Aventejado were begging him.

Now, honestly, did anyone think about this: We are paying
P500Million everyday in interest for our national debt and we
dont have money. Certainly not now! GMA needs all the money
to spend for her campaign! Peoples money that is! And you know
what? How can we imagine the FG, the fat man behind PGMA, he
will look at P500Million every day and not take at least 20% in
service fee? No, I do not believe he can say no! He is a reputable
father of a family and Family first! First Family! Of course, he will
take..

But again, that is not the issue. The truth is not the issue. The truth
is never the issue. In this country, everybody hates the truth. If the
FG is really in everything from Customs to DPWH, from Pagcor to
Philhealth, then that is not the issue, no newspaper will pick this
up, unless a lawyer of ill repute will file a complaint.

Even if Ping Lacson comes up with an expose, then that is doomed
as politically motivated and consequently discounted, as we have
seen with the fertilizer issue. Imagine this and Ping is absolutely
- page 128 -

right: The DBM gives out a list for a total of P3B, payable in
February 2004, with so-called beneficiaries for agri-prods. On the
list are only friends of GMA, Nonoy Aquino with P5M, which is,
of course, understandable because Tarlac is such a poor dry
country, but Maite Defensor with P5M also, and that for Quezon
City, which is already plastered with those blue-yellow PGMA
kalsada natin brigades! Where will she fertilize? Her pocket?

You see, the fertilizer is a gimmick and we are fed gimmicks,
especially gimmicks with people who cannot defend themselves.
Remember, this is not about singing and dancing, this is serious
business and at stake are 11 million votes for Erap. Therefore, they
make gimmicks to make Erap look bad or stupid or bad and stupid,
if possible, while GMA has to look good. Always.

This is the score of the Gimmicks: They were already able to
convict Erap in a kangaroo court of public stupidity. At this time, it
seems, nobody among 87 Million Filipinos wants Erap Bobo back
as duly elected President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Nobody knows, but everybody thinks he was corrupt. Everybody
knows plunder and jueteng but not what or how much, like
that does not matter. The real plunderer of the jueteng is running
for Senator. Watch out!

They did a great job. We have to give it to them. They fooled the
whole nation. Even the o.i.As of FPJ, including his young
spokesman, are clearly in line with their boss, the 40-year padre-
compadre in film business and social life, now dumbfounded and
stupefied, so he cannot greet his old friend any more. Maybe he
does not know anymore where to find him, in jail or in hospital, or
in detention camp or in The Resthouse. Thats what friends are
for! Philippine style.

- page 129 -

Nobody cares about the case of Erap. There is no case. There is
only PLUNDER blablabla, charges or rumors. All hot air! And the
makers of the gimmick are laughing. He is behind bars forever.
They have bought the justices, they bought the lawyers except the
one, Alan Paguia. They got him disbarred. So, no more problem!

They can play games now. PGMA is so nice, she allows him to go
to The Resthouse. For show. She hires some lawyers who file a
case against her. That is NEWS! Raps filed against PGMA!
PGMA impeach! For contempt of court! That is headline stuff!

But really: What contempt? She owns them. She hires and fires
them. Cory comes to say that she supports PGMA. That is NEWS
also! Here come the paid hecklers: Special treatment. That is a bad
word. Schmacks Marcos! Yeah! People will hate someone who
enjoys special treatment. Special treatment in the Resthouse! Yes,
Erap will look very bad with that! They know the people and crab
mentality. They must be celebrating already in the Palace.

The truth is, Mr. Wannabee President, that your old pare is still the
duly elected President of this godforsaken country. GMA is in
power, but she is illigit. That is why she can run again, against the
provisions of the 1987 Constitution given to us by her Excellency
President Corazon C. Aquino. No President, no Cory, no FVR, was
allowed to run a second time. Why can she run again? Where is the
COMELEC? Where is the Supreme Court? Where are all the
lawyers in this country? They must all be very busy running.

The Constitution is very clear: No elected President can run again.
So, what seems to be the problem? There is no problem. Nobody
elected her as President. She was elected Vice President. She
became President only later, in 2000, through People Power.
That is the combined power of Cory, the Cardinal, and Ramos
- page 130 -

Generals plus Money Talks for the hoodlums in robes. Ask
Davide, how much did he get?

Oh, yes, and dont forget the magic of the SHRINE! That is the
symbol of the evil machinations of the Roman Catholic Church,
the Creator and Conspirator of the Oligarchy (the Ayalas, Ortigas,
Tuazons, Aranetas, and Manny Villar not to forget), which, silently
and secretly, rules this country of medieval religiosity. They call it
catholic and call you to pray the rosary a hundred times per hour.
Foreigners who come to these shores keep quiet. They have never
seen anything like this.

The SHRINE will be guarded by 10,000 police in anti-riot gear,
newly imported by GMA, for maximum tolerance, that is when
they hit old crying ladies in the head. In other countries, they call
that intimidation. One thing is for sure; those paid idiots in police
uniform who hit old women in the head and kill young rebels will
never go to heaven. God forbid!

But that, again, is besides the point. The point is that GMA is
really starting to look good, at least on TV. She is our last best
hope a hundred times a day. She is the only one doing something
for Erap. She allows him to go to The Resthouse. People are
conditioned with a daily overdose of GMA PR and it will come to
the people: Erap should endorse her!

In Philippine setting, impossible as it may sound for thinking
human beings in cooler climates, it is possible to think that Erap
will, indeed, embrace and kiss his biggest enemy, his tormentor,
and ask the people from El Shaddai and the Iglesia to vote for
GMA. That is something so Nobody knows where that comes
from. Must be colonial mentality.Filipino.

- page 131 -

The question remains: What is FPJ doing for Erap? NOTHING!
What does Ping Lacson do for Erap? NOTHING! Nobody on the
opposition side is doing anything for Erap. They seem ashamed or
guilty. Only GMA is helping Erap. That is what people see.

And GMA is also helping the poor. She is giving P50,000 to every
family in the Visayas. At least that is what my maid told me, when
I asked her why she has to go to Masbate tomorrow. According to
her, she also wants to get P50,000 for her family. That is why she
is asking me for advance pamasahe.

That is reality, reality that nobody wants to see! The troops of FPJ
in Mindanao are so exhausted. They cannot see. They are drunk
from so many hands to shake and lips to kiss. Even the friends of
Eddie Gil dont see reality. Nor do the friends of Eddie Villanueva.
Nobody wants to see the truth. What truth? What reality?

There is no reality. There is perception only. Everybodys
perception. Reality is what appears as reality in your head,
anybodys head. Everybody in this world perceives reality for
himself. Nobody the same, but if you are enough mis-educated,
then you will even believe that Raul Roco will become the next
President. And Aquino the Vice.

Again, that is beside the point. The point is that GMA did land a
terrific 1-2 combination and the opponent in the blue corner is
unable to respond. If no miracle will happen, the election is over.
One month ago, it was finished also, FPJ was the supreme winner.
No more! GMA appears now as the overwhelming force in every
angle of a business that the o.i.As are unable to fathom. FPJ will
lose by default. He will look utterly stupid. Without his doing. He
never knew maybe that this is business. Real business. Nasty
business. Dirty Business.
- page 132 -

If you thought that this is a game only, then sorry, Mr. Poe Jr.,
game over! Sayang, Philippines! This beautiful country with so
many fiestas, even more Santos and Ninos is going to the dogs.
There is no more hope! Except for PGMA.

PGMA is going to borrow $10Billion every month. She will have a
lot of money to spend. Not her money but she will spend it
anyhow. She will re-name Malacanang Palace to be the
MACAPAGAL PALACE and, by all limitations of the mind, we
have to face the end of the line; the people who are now fighting
for FPJ will all join hands with the winner by TKO. Right or
wrong, that does not matter. Good or bad, that is beside the point.
Be real!

Welcome to the Philippines!














- page 133 -

FROM MINDANAO WITH LOVE

Back from 14 days on an odyssey on the Land of Promise.
Actually, if you listen to the people down there, it is the land of
empty promises. For someone like me who had known Mindanao
only from reading newspapers in Manila, I found nothing like what
I had expected. Number one, it is so peaceful and the people are
nice, hospitable, modest, and silent. It is the silence of the lambs.

Number 2, the wielded power of the dynasty families is disgusting
to say the least. Let no one tell me anything nice anymore about
the Zubiris, the Plazas, and the other feudal lords down there. If
ever they are down there, as they prefer the dolce vita of Makati
and leave the dirty work to willing goons down there. Shameful,
that we Filipinos allow that!

Number three, Gloria has covered every square meter down there
with her barangay-wide kalsada natin program. They are very
quick to clean any attempt to post a poster for any of the other
candidates. You hardly see a poster of FPJ. In the whole of
Mindanao, maybe we saw three. In our view, the campaign is over
and, by all means, Gloria won it.

Ah yeah, I have to explain, we were three who had followed an
invitation or order from Tatay to oversee the situation of the so-
called commodities. The commodities, that is maybe the widest
underground business, if we can call it that, in the country. In
Manila, you can see people hang around in Glorietta, in Starmall,
in Shangri la Plaza Food Court, and in many other places like that
peddling accounts, deposits, Wells Fargo, Uncut Dollars, Victory
Notes, Jap Notes, American Dream, Federal Reserve Bonds,
Treaty of Versailles, and so on and so on. From time to time, you

- page 134 -

find sting operations in the newspapers about sellers of fake gold
bars arrested or similar stories.

Nobody was ever successful in selling. It was always confiscated.
That has to do with a funny side of the whole. As it is all sting and
con, the poor believing, or rather gullible, agents, brokers,
negotiators involved in the transactions always fall for the con
artist, the big talkers, and the rich looking, big spending CIA
agents. There are not only poor guys involved in this, oh no, every
level of our society is part of it, at least from time to time, secretly
of course, not even the wife is allowed to know. What about the
public, Mr. Senator and Mr. Congressman?

There are Buyers, mostly CIA agents, in every 5-star hotel one,
and owners, called Holders, mostly dubious syndicates peddling
samples. What started maybe as Marcos Money is now free
from any taint, because Ferdinand Marcos is long dead. The only
thing that has not changed is the treasure hunt. Thousands of
Filipinos are digging, silently and secretly, for Yamashita treasure
or Marcos treasure every day. All over the country.

All over the country, the poor Filipinos keep dreaming and hoping
for a miracle. The promises of AAA, Alvin Amirante, with 20
million followers countrywide, are heard because of wishful
thinking. If you dig a little deeper, it is the faint and silent hope
that, one day, the Marcos Money will come out and will be
distributed to the Filipino people. Even presidential candidate
Eddie Gil, by now disqualified as nuisance candidate, is singing
the same tune.

Now back in Manila, we are welcomed by the headline that GMA
made P15B in the Maynilad Water deal. That is plunder, outright
open plunder but nothing will happen, because the Filipino people
- page 135 -

are too busy. They have other priorities. The field is open for
someone evil enough to take everything and GMA is just doing
that. Of course, the newspapers will say that the deal will be re-
negotiated, and she will make sure that that will never come out in
the press again.

And look, there is the 2004 GLOBAL CORRUPTION REPORT of
the United Kingdom-based Transparency International: FM and
Erap made it to the top ten of worlds most corrupt. What a nice
gimmick and how timely! That is good work, demolition job,
against FPJ. Filipinos should be very happy. There is now clear
evidence, by a top international agency, that FM stole and that
Erap plundered.

In its Global Corruption Report 2004, Transparency International
charted the flow of stolen assets and recommended ways to recover
money looted by despots. Thanks to this report on the front page
of THE PHILIPPINE STAR on Friday, March 26, 2004, we will
now know how much FM stole and how he stashed the money
away in Swiss banks. Right?

In the case of Erap, Transparency International can now help the
Philippine courts to find out what Erap really did, because they
have no clue and no clear evidence against Erap yet. After more
than 3 years, imagine! And Heidee Yorac will be very happy,
because as the not so honorable Chairman of the PCCG she got
cancer in her evil job to cover up for Cory Aquino. Or is this all a
bad joke? Of course, it is! This is black propaganda of the worst
kind, because the perpetrators bet on the stupidity of the local
public that they will just swallow the lies hook, line, and sinker.
And they are our gobierno! Hallelujah!


- page 136 -

So, in the end, did we miss anything? Maybe the build-up for the
jeepney strike, maybe the start of the below-the-belt operations,
see Dolphy bastos and judas or is that kabayan Noli de Castro?
You do not know any more, because the whole thing called
election is getting bastos. There is nothing to discuss, it seems.
Its all show and entertainment. Gloria is everywhere, promising
the moon and the stars and she will keep up with FPJ. If ever FPJ
will be ahead by 10 percent or less, that can easily be ironed out.
Actually, following the grape vine, the list of winners is out
already.

We can go to sleep now. GMA will take care of business; the fat
gentleman will be whitewashed while more and more squatters,
vendors, beggars, and street children will sleep on our kalsada
natin. No more programa, PGMA will be tired also. Until next
election. You bet!















- page 137 -


FRONTLINE
NINEZ CACHO-OLIVARES
Confident of fraudulent victory
Thursday, 04 01, 2004
Gloria says she is confident the disqualification cases filed against
her at the Comelec and the Supreme Court will not prosper, as the
election body and the high court will dismiss them. Of course the
cases against her, despite an overabundance of evidence, will be
dismissed by both bodies, since she obviously controls them.
But even as these two constitutional bodies (that can hardly be
called independent or imbued with integrity) dismiss these cases,
as all indications show that these will be dismissed, with the
Comelec chairman already prejudging the case even before it was
formally filed, the suspicion that yet another injustice has been
heaped on the Filipino people will remain.
On the charge that Gloria had exceeded the limits on TV
advertising, the Comelec chairman quickly said Gloria is not to be
blamed. Instead, the Comelec should be blamed, since it had ruled
that the 120 minutes was not the total ad time exposures, but per
TV station, even when the Comelec was aware that it could not,
but itself, amend the Fair Elections Act.
What else can be expected from the Comelec that already clears
Gloria's transgressions even before a disqualification case is filed
against her? In the case of Gloria misusing government funds and
resources as a vote-buying scheme,
- page 138 -
it was the Comelec commissioners who were coming out in
defense of Gloria, saying she is President and an incumbent, and
that this is part of her governance. Again, she is being absolved of
any violations even before judgment is rendered. There is clear
evidence that Gloria has been utilizing government funds to prop
up her candidacy.
Just check on the amount spent by certain government agencies
last year, first quarter, as against this election year's first quarter.
From a low advertising-wise of some P15 million spent in
2003 first quarter, the same government agencies, this first quarter
spent some P98 million. Why the jump, and why that high an
advertising jump?
Simple. Last year was not an election year. This year is, and all
resources are being utilized for Gloria's election. And what about
the other telling evidence of Gloria getting her Cabinet officials to
campaign for her, by writing official letters and telling people to
vote for Gloria?
There is, too, that presidential address that Gloria wants read to
graduating students, approved by her Education secretary and the
Ched officials. Isn't that electioneering? Not to the Comelec, it
isn't. All signs point to the Comelec protecting Gloria and even
ensuring her win in May.
With the opposition baring that rolls of water-marked security
paper that would be used for the printing of two million ballots are
missing didn't get the Comelec alarmed. Instead of conducting an
investigation into the matter, the Comelec took the side of the
National Printing Office (NPO) chief, whose explanations on the
missing rolls, as well as his math were all shot.

- page 139 -
Surely if the Comelec and the NPO chief were certain that no
hanky-panky in ballot printing exists, a probe would have been the
best step to take, if only to prove to the public that the opposition
was coming up with unsubstantiated charges on electoral fraud.
The same tack was taken by the Comelec in the case of a Cavite
official who caught some six contractual Comelec employees
hacking away at computers connected to the Comelec. The official
called in the police because the employees could not explain what
they were doing and why they were hacking a Comelec program,
which had something to do with the voters' registration files.
Immediately, the Comelec commissioners came to the hackers'
defense, saying they were working late but were authorized to
clean up the voters' registration list. What? Contractual employees
are given this sensitive job of cleaning up the voters' registration
files? No wonder Gloria is confident all charges against her will
be dismissed by the Comelec.
As for the Davide Court, Gloria can be super-confident that any
disqualification case lodged against her before this court is not
going to prosper. She is, after all, the Davide Court's anointed, and
even if blood will be spilled owing to the massive electoral fraud
that is expected, Hilario Davide and Artemio Panganiban won't
deem her to have constructively resigned, or even disqualified
from running in the presidential race.
Both are frauds, and frauds have to stick together. Always.




- page 140 -

A N A L Y S I S
BY ALEJANDRO LICHAUCO
Two national security questions for the presidentiables
Excerpts:
Question: Do the presidential aspirants have any contingency plan
in the event of a nuclear 9/11 (nuclear attack) in the US and/or
the explosion of a dirty bomb (radioactive bomb) in this
country?
The reason for this question is that national security studies in the
US both in the private and government sectors, anticipate the
possibility of such nuclear attack in the US before the November
presidential elections. On the private sector side, the Kennedy
School of Government of Harvard University and the Federation of
American Scientists have already anticipated the scenario in
officially released studies (See article Nuclear 9/11 by Nicolas
Kristof published in a local daily last March 12).
But to bring this particular point home, there are strong but as yet
unconfirmed reports that al-Qaeda has slipped in 30 of its suicide
agents into this country armed with a dirty bomb scheduled for
detonation at the opportune time. Nothing surprising, of course,
considering that the Philippines has been included in al-Qaeda's
terror targets, along with Australia and Japan, in view of our
government's insistence to remain actively involved with the US in
the latter's war on Iraq.
As the still officially unconfirmed reports goes, the bomb will be
detonated in front of the US Embassy in traffic-heavy Roxas
Boulevard where it would be extremely difficult to conduct a
security check because that would involve
- page 141 -
stopping and inspecting every vehicle coasting along both sides of
the boulevard. Such a scenario, considering the pattern of suicide
bombings in Iraq, can only be described as most logical and the
most conservative of security planning should at the very least
assume that more likely than not that is precisely what would
happen, or what we should expect to happen and prepare for.
Given all these, the most disturbing feature of this year's
presidential campaign is that not a single once of the
presidentiables appears to have given thought to these two national
security questions at all, which makes you wonder how on earth
any of them proposes to tackle the two ballooning problems of
poverty and national security.
That's why in an earlier piece written for a local daily last March
16, this writer suggested that the AFP should prepare for a
nuclear 9/11 in the US and the National Defense College of the
Philippines (NDCP) should be tasked to draw up a comprehensive
emergency program in anticipation of that possible event, which
certainly would have traumatic consequences for us.
To that suggestion, this piece will now add and add pressingly
that the AFP, through the NDCP, undertake forward and
emergency planning in anticipation of the strongly rumored dirty
bomb attack on the US Embassy here. If it doesn't happen, then at
least we shall have prepared for it and the exercise would have
been worthwhile. But should it happen, and we are caught literally
flatfooted, the AFP as an institution will never be able to forgive
itself for its unpreparedness and neither will the public be able to
forgive it. The AFP will never be able to live down the
embarrassment and the humiliation and it wouldn't even be in any
moral position to assume command in the event that chaos breaks
loose, as it certainly would. That
- page 142 -
command will be reserved for, and can only be assumed by an
organized armed force that is bound to emerge from the chaos and
which would identify itself with the people as their protector.
The AFP will be completely finished as an institution and its
ranking members might even have to shed off their uniforms and
flee for their lives. For they have been given the opportunity to
prepare for the role of protector of the people and the state, and
simply flubbed it because of sheer incompetence and corruption.
As for the presidentiables, and the trapos behind them, you and I
can let our imagination run wild as to the fate that awaits them, as
marauding bands of desperate, hungry masses scour for food and
scour as well for those who should hang and be made to pay for the
criminal state of un-preparedness toward which this nation shall
have been allowed to drift by the criminal incompetence of those
who aspire to lead it.
As this writer has asked only too often, who is the nut who
wants to be President in these times?










- page 143

NO PLATFORM, NO BRAINS!

After April fools day, it is the preacher Eddie Villanueva, who is
the one among the presidential candidates who coins and starts the
term count down. As a politician, he is a greenhorn, a neophyte.
As businessperson, he is in the business of selling salvation. As a
scientist, he is a nut spreading the news of Adam and Eve. As a
religious man, he is at best a tribal medicine man, a shaman of
forgotten primitive cultures, but in Philippine politics, he has
millions of followers in neat yellow uniform who may, God forbid,
carry him to the highest post of the land.

By the way, a count down is a specified interval of time, measured
in a descending order of units, usually seconds, to zero, at which
an intended action is to occur. We know it for NASAs launch of a
spacecraft, for example. That is as scientific as scientific can be.
On the contrary, the 2004 election campaign scene seems to be a
comedy of errors. Even comedy king Dolphy got himself caught in
the act, obviously not knowing what he is doing.

Now, Dolphy reminds us that there once was a triumphirate of
Erap, FPJ, and Dolphy as the kings of Philippine filmmaking.
Close friends, they campaigned together in 1998 for Erap and won
him the presidency. Erap became arguably the most bobo president
in history who had himself untimely removed from office, in a
rather rude manner, though, from the highest office by way of what
the Supreme Court ruled as constructive resignation leaving the
palace by the murky river through the backdoor.

Mind you, this is not a fairy tale story; this is modern Philippine
history! Someone else took over the reigns of absolute power and
put him in jail. Actually, it is not jail, because jailing someone
- page 144 -

requires certain legal grounds like finding him guilty of something,
anything. They did not, at least not yet, after 3 years, but they
denied him bail, so the duly elected bobo President of the Republic
of the Philippines is kept in a freezer of sorts, somewhere out there,
sometimes in a Veterans Hospital, sometimes in a military camp
in the provinces, sometimes in a rest house, who knows?

Well, certainly, Gloria knows, she is playing with him as long as
he is the duly elected President. She is occupying his post,
illegally. That is why she can bypass the provisions of the
Constitution. Our 1987 Constitution, to be sure, forbids an
incumbent president to run again for office. The obvious reason
being that the incumbent can use the government machinery, the
peoples money called public funds, and the power-wielding
position as concurrent Chief Commander of the Army, de-facto
police chief, and sole commander of the finances of the whole
nation.

Gloria is all that plus she controls the COMELEC and the Supreme
Court. She is, indeed, in a super position that practically guarantees
her victory. Lately, she decorates herself with doctor hats. That
looks cute on her and makes her look a little intelligent, at least for
a while. Maybe it is correct to say, though, that in the eyes of the
viewing public, not the blinded Ayala employees but the silent
majority out there, nothing will change the general disenchantment
of the viewers in their modest homes.

They dont like her, they dont like her political gimmickry, and
they dont believe her any more. Except that more than the
absolute majority of Filipino people believe that she is using public
funds to finance her gigantic presidential campaign and that she is
ready, willing, and able to cheat in the elections. Big time even!

- page 145 -

There lies the tragedy of this election, the tragedy of the Filipino
people. Here are millions and millions of poor Filipinos, desperate
for a brighter future, and there is dagdag bawas, the brazen power
grabbing of the rich oligarchy. And the real tragedy is that the so-
called opposition does not see it, does not see the great opportunity
of unifying the opposition for the benefit of the Filipino people
against the establishment. Five weeks before May 10, the day of
reckoning, FPJ is wasting his chances in political no nos, making
himself a sad picture of a spoiled brat with no manners, and worse,
a picture of a hapless puppet in the hands of some ambitious-over-
ambitious traditional politicians.

Is that what we want as the next president? No, thank you! More
and more former admirers of the king are getting disillusioned and
fall off. Surprisingly or not, a lonely candidate is plying his ways,
presenting himself as presidential caliber but without a party.

This is Senator Ping Lacson, looking good, looking straight,
serious, and strongly determined. Not only that, he sounds
intelligent, shows political experience that FPJ definitely does not
have, and is brave enough and eloquent enough to stand up to any
task and any question on his own.

Brains? Senator Ping Lacson has. Maybe Roco also has but that
guy is not straight, not serious, and not strongly determined. Thats
for sure. He is a hang-on, playing the role of hero for a stupid
intelligencia, mostly miss-educated students who polish their
own image. In those educated circles, it is in to be for someone
who, in reality, was dismissed as super corrupt while in office as
Secretary of Education. Is that we want as the next president? Ha?

What ever, who ever, someone will take the position of president
very soon and rule this banana republic with a strong hand until it
- page 146 -

bleeds to death. Glorias platform for that, and that is most likely
the winning platform, is borrowing more money and not care who
will pay for it, as long as she and her beloved fat gentleman have
enough. And some are saying that there is no enough. Tough times
ahead, Philippines!

The unlikely, more unlikely by the day, though, alternative is that
FPJ will win with either Noli or Loren, both courtesy of ABS-
CBN-Meralco-Lopez Family, as Bise. That might be just too
tempting for certain powers in this country to just blow off FPJ
with a bullet and, one breath away, Meralco-Lopez has its own
President. Not so bad also! For them. What about us? Will we then
pay double for the electricity?

Well, at least as long as it lasts, we would have our president of our
own choice, a president who does not know how to talk without a
script. The script would, of course, come from the trusted handlers
and look, who are they! Angara, Sotto, Maceda, Enrile! Oh noh,
please! Have mercy on us!

So, Filipino people, vote wisely! Your vote will not be counted
anyhow. If Gloria will buy your vote, take the P5,000, what else
can you do? They have just too nuch to lose, too much to protect.
They might be investigated and that includes Cory and the
Cardinal, Ramos and his generals, and Gloria with her spice boys.
The FG? Munti is next! But NO, they will never allow that to
happen. They will go dagdag bawas.

WE, THE PEOPLE! Where are they? They are everywhere.
Everyone too busy doing his own business. But always remember,
mga kaibigan, in 1986 we had a snap election. President Marcos
won, was declared president by Congress, and took his oath of
office. A few weeks later, Cory Aquino said she was cheated and
- page 147 -

that she won. She abolished Congress and took her own oath of
office in a funny place like Club Filipino. Like welga kami. But
she became President because Marcos was kidnapped already by
the Kanos and brought to Hawaii.

What is important here is that the Supreme Court then up-held the
legitimacy of the People Power President Cory Aquino. We all
know what happened. Six kudetas shattered the economy because
many people then thought that Cory had no right to call herself
President and that she totally abused her powers. Time can heal
wounds but injustice remains injustice.

Problem then was, by the way, that all those friends of Cory who
were nobodies before, mostly leftists and activists, became
government officials under Cory, and they were greedy, very
greedy. They are very greedy until today. Mike Defensor is one
such a leftist with unstoppable appetite for more. Just for example.

Anyhow, the Supreme Court has spoken. People Power is the
sovereign power in this country. If there is only one candidate who
declares himself the candidate of the people and readies himself to
become the next People Power President, the Supreme Court
cannot prevent that from happening. What is allowed for Cory
must be allowed for FPJ. Or Lacson for that matter.

If, yes If. If we the people can come together under one leader, we
can do a lot of changes which they will never do or never allow
to happen. They stole the land from the Filipino people and
they claim now that they are the owners. They also claim
that they follow the law and that is not true. They make the
law, they pay, they bribe people in office. They are the root
of all evil, of systematic graft and corruption. They are the
enemies of the people, as simple as that.
- page 148 -

They are, of course, also the enemy of the late President
Ferdinand E. Marcos, they charge him with anything and
everything, but they were never able to prove any of their
allegations in court, in any court, not even their own courts.

Now, who is ready to jump? Who is ready to be crowned the
Peoples President, to un-freeze the Marcos accounts and make
this country great again?




















- page 149


BACKBENCHER
ROD P. KAPUNAN
TIs opaque assessment
Saturday, 04 03, 2004
It is only in this country where organizations probably funded and
working as fronts of foreign intelligence agencies publicly parade
themselves as watchdogs or crusaders on the management of
Filipinos in their affairs. Releasing for media dissemination names
of leaders and former leaders, and depicting them as notoriously
corrupt, thieves or plunderers who looted their countrys national
treasury would be more then enough to convict these hirelings at
the least for the crime of libel. Yet these anti-Filipino organizations
are accorded prestige and traitors are hailed as heroes.
For the talent of these modern-day mercenaries to manipulate facts,
not one of them ask why their organization is engaged in vilifying
local leaders, yet their handlers would not do the same to know if
US President Bush and UK Prime Minister Toby Blair are also into
the same shenanigan of looting the coffers of the governments.
Such is truly a mystery for clearly these people are engaged in
subversive activities, and such is serious because they are working
for the interest of a foreign power. In the case of Transparency
International (TI), it particularizes in destroying the image and
reputation of foreign leaders by depicting them negatively that
would believe this would be an insiders act of interfering in the
internal affairs of another state.
There are several organizations suspected as fronts of the US CIA
or simply allow their legitimate organization to be used as conduits
to carry out subversive activities. Each of these front organizations
- page 150 -
makes use their claimed expertise to assert lies. We have the
Namfrel. Its accreditation makes us the only country in the world
to admit that our own Commission on Elections cannot be trusted.
There is the US-funded AGILE, with its members acting as
consultants in legislating laws that have resulted in the depredation
of the countrys economy.
They also have their media pipeline represented by the PCIJ. This
organization operated as a propaganda machine and at the height of
the Estrada oust campaign it came out with 14-US directed articles,
13 of which were derogatory to the ousted President. There is also
the Makati Business Club, an association of a fraction of the
countrys businessmen closely identified with the US interest.
Other organizations like the Social Weather Stations and the
Philippine Center for Policy Studies are also tapped and people
cannot be wrong because they always present apologetic stand on
many crucial issues.
Lately, that which hogs the headlines is TI. There is now a big
question how it managed to freely operate here, and who are the
foreign handlers behind this seemingly self-righteous organization.
The forte of course of TI is to list down names of heads of state it
considers as most corrupt. Surprisingly many of them were leaders
whose ouster was principally engineered by the US. TI casually
goes around by feeding information from what Estrada calls the
wild, wild press.
Their job is not really to present the truth, but to present a
malicious slant against Marcos and Estrada just to make sure they,
members of their family or their followers can no longer regain
political power. They set aside the truth that the greater number of
our people still idolize them. As ousted President Estrada would
say, It cannot rely on gossip, hearsay and scuttlebutt to destroy
- page 151 -
me. That I continue to be a factor in our political life indicates that
our people know better.
Any Filipino who still has his sense of dignity and honor would
not stand happy to see two of his Presidents who after being ousted
would be listed by TI as among the list of 10 most corrupt leaders
in recent history. It cited in the following order President
Mohamed Suharto of Indonesia to have allegedly plundered
between $15 to $35 billion during his 32 year reign; Ferdinand
Marcos between $5 to $10 billion; Mobuto Sese Seko of Zaire $5
billion; Sani Abacha of Nigeria $2-3 billion; Slovodan Milosevic
of Serbia $1 billion; Jean Claude Duvalier of Haiti between $300
to $800; Alberto Fujimori of Peru $600 million; Pavlo Lazarenko
of Ukraine between $114 million to $200 million; Arnoldo Aleman
of Nicaragua $100 million; and Estrada between $78 to $80
million.
In the case of former President Marcos, the presidential good-
for-nothing commission and those aging anti-Marcos bashers
have not been able to make a good case of the charges they
have filed against him and his family. Rather, what the public saw
is that those who took charge of sequestering those properties
became multimillionaires with some even trotted as crusading
politicians. No less than the local chairman of TI Dolores Espanol
was quoted saying, Estimates of funds allegedly embezzled is
very disputable considering that in the case of Ferdinand Marcos,
who was deposed about 18 years ago, no case has ever
established the amount that was allegedly embezzled, except for
the $658 million that was administratively returned to the
Philippines under an escrow account by a Swiss bank. In the case
of Estrada, the $78-$80 million has not been ruled to be a clear
case of plunder, thus, the special court, Sandiganbayan is on.

- page 152 -
But on the business of destroying the reputation of our duly elected
leaders, our people are now coming to know the truth that the
government of Mrs. Aquino hired 16 American public relations
firms and spent millions of dollars in government funds just to
destroy the reputation of a man who did well to serve his
country as a soldier and as a statesman.
It was inconceivable to many of us because her government was
hailed by her trumpeters as God-given. These US PR firms include
International Business Communications; TKC International Inc.
(TKCII); Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton; S.K.C. Associates;
Chaplin Drysdale, Chartered, One Thomas Circle; Sawyer Miller
Group (SMG); The Fontayne Group; Robert Werner Group; Paul,
Hastings, Janofsky and Walker; Reichler, Applebaum &
Wippman; Galland, Kharagoh, Morse & Garfinkle (Morris R.
Garfinkle); Patton Boggs & Blow; Ralph R. Heading; Warren &
Associates; B. Grame & Bannerman and Associates
For the constant propaganda waged by these front organizations to
weaken our political will, our people now realize that there is no
truth to what they say. The latest intervention by TI is by no
means an accident for it came at a time when Mrs. Arroyo is direly
in need of a life raft to keep her government afloat. In fact, as the
chances of her being able to hurdle the election, her desperate
followers who made good under her regime are now floating the
idea of pre-empting the election or of preventing the elected
President from holding office.
They have become bold because they enjoy the patronage of the
hypocrites, although noticeably that circle of canine devotees has
been shrinking just as fast as the sinking economy.


- page 153 -

Blast from the past: Poe, Marcoses seal alliance
Posted: 0:48 AM (Manila Time) | Apr. 15, 2004
By Carlito Pablo

Inquirer News Service
Reminder of 2 ousted rulers

LAOAG CITY -- Fireworks lit the evening sky on Tuesday here in
the heartland of Ilocandia to herald the unabashed political alliance
between opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and the
Marcoses.

Like a blast from the past, the personalities who occupied the stage
at the grand rally of the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang
Pilipino (Coalition of the United Filipino, KNP) party were a
reminder of two administrations that were booted out by the people
power of 1986 and 2001.
On stage were Imelda, widow of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, in
resplendent red with children Representative Imee Marcos and
Ilocos Norte Governor Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Also on
stage were former Marcos ministers Ernesto Maceda, Juan Ponce
Enrile and Salvador Escudero, and former police general Alfredo
Lim -- all seeking Senate seats under the Poe-led KNP banner.

At a pit stop here, Enrile, the defense minister who staged a failed
coup against Marcos in February 1986 that led to the people power
revolt, apologized to the Ilocano for his role in the ouster of
Marcos. "Agbabawi ak (I regret)," he reportedly told a crowd.


- page 154

Likewise present was Jinggoy Estrada, son of deposed President
Joseph Estrada and a wedding godson of Poe.
The main star was Poe, himself a wedding godson of the Marcos
couple, who had raised the hand of Marcos and running mate
Arturo Tolentino for the 1986 snap presidential election.
Marcos legacy
Imelda told reporters that Poe would resurrect and continue the
legacy of Marcos, which is to give to the people the proceeds of
Marcos "foundations and wealth and assets."
"That is where the Marcos legacy lies. I'm sure FPJ (Poe's initials)
will do this because this is the last will of Ferdinand Marcos,
which is to help the people even if he is already gone," Imelda
said.

The Marcoses have been claiming that the former strongman had
intended to use the millions of dollars stashed in foreign bank
accounts and foundations to help the country.
"But these assets are being used by the government for their
personal selves and this is what makes me cry," Imelda said.

She said that if Poe won, the Marcoses would willingly give these
assets to the government so he could use it for the people.

Imelda described the Marcos assets as her late husband's "heritage
(pamana) for the Filipino people."

- page 155

Macapagal's approval rating
rises in latest SWS survey
Posted: 2:21 PM (Manila Time) | Apr. 17, 2004
Agence France-Presse
(As expected, this falls under mind conditioning
or brain washing. If the people buy this, they have only
themselves to blame. But they will not. This smells a good,
actual case of NEWS FOR SALE in STAR and INQUIRER)
Agence France-Press? Do we need foreigners for that, ha? Or feke?
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's public satisfaction rating
has risen as she campaigns for a six-year term in the May 10
presidential election, an independent polling outfit said Saturday.

Social Weather Stations said 55 percent of those it surveyed
between March 21 and 29 were satisfied and 25 percent
dissatisfied with Ms Macapagal's performance. This was an
improvement from the 40 percent satisfied and 43 percent
dissatisfied in a November survey, it said.
Ms Macapagal has a slim three-percentage point lead over her
main rival in the polls, movie star Fernando Poe.
The Social Weather survey found Filipinos were generally satisfied
with the government's efforts to prepare a free and peaceful
elections, "fighting terrorism" and fighting crime. However they
were dissatisfied with government efforts at fighting corruption
and controlling inflation.
Social Weather its survey was based on face-to-face interviews
with a national sample of 1,400 statistically representative
registered voters.
- page 156


































- page 157 -

















HAPPY END?















- page 158 -

PROF. FELIPE MIRANDA in Philippine STAR

Excerpts from his column:

The now much-ballyhooed opposition unification looking and
sounding more and more like a macho search for some unholy
grail may be equally feckless. Political unification has never
worked in the fashion of grade school arithmetic where one plus
one equals two or five plus ten makes for fifteen. Particularly
during elections, voter preferences for two candidates add up to
much less than the simple sum of their two support levels.

Unifying the opposition may be an absolutely necessary condition
for thwarting President Arroyo in the forthcoming elections.
However, oppositionists who mistake it to be a sufficient condition
for winning the elections deceive themselves and should not run
competitive political campaigns.

Since the lazy route to the presidency is no longer a credible
option, the opposition requires a dynamic, willful and simultaneous
pursuit of alternatives that could effect a synergistic victory over
the administrations standard bearer. Much attention perforce must
be given the arithmetic of vote diffusion and even more care
might be devoted to grasping the dynamics of political unification.

Both concerns now require focused and extremely quick
resolution. For candidate unification, it is criminal to allow this
issue to remain unresolved yet another minute. Neither Senator
Lacson nor FPJ serve the opposition interest well by continuing
their endless, witless and increasingly useless palavers.
However, in addition to these considerations, more intensive
analysis must focus on where the unified opposition and its
- page 159 -

standard bearer could gain enough voter support to eventually
overcome the administrations presidential bet. The critical lodes
of voters waiting to be mined by hardworking political workers are
not difficult to spot. About 10 percent of all registered voters
nationwide remain unpledged to any presidential candidate.

Over three and a half million votes are therefore ready for
political activation if the right mix of approaches, messages and
indicative projects could be put together and addressed to those
still mulling their presidential choices.

Another huge reservoir of oppositionist capital are voters who
are uncompromisingly hostile to the Arroyo administration.
They comprise about 36 percent of the electorate, able to cast as
many as ten and a half million votes. This critically large group
has been ritualistically recognized but had not been worked on at
all by the opposition. Pursuing their fragmentative politics for an
overly long time, opposition presidentiables surely have
engaged in nothing less than folly in failing to develop this
resource as a potent political bloc.

Political unification may enable the unified oppositions candidate
to gain the support of those who may be hostile to other opposition
presidentiables but are not intractably against him. His
competitiveness against the administrations own standard bearer
is obviously improved by soliciting these voters endorsement.

The final target of an intelligent, resourceful and absolutely
hardworking opposition candidate is no less than President
Arroyos soft supporters, those who say there is a big possibility
that they may still change their mind about her as their presidential
choice. This group accounts for slightly over four million votes.

- page 160 -

Find them, woo them and keep them this is the singular task of
the unified oppositions campaign team and its presidentiable.

Gaining support of even half these identified groups ensures an
opposition victory for whoever might be the oppositions
unified standard bearer. Even for someone who might not do so
well in the surveys, someone like Senator Lacson, the analysis
offered here makes it possible to consider winning the 2004
presidential contest. The opposition need not abandon hope yet.

They still can make it. All they have to do is unify, focus their
campaign, work truly collaboratively and be diverted by no
considerations of personal turf, personal gain and personal
animosity. Everything for the unified opposition, everything
against a unifying administration!

They have a full week to start making this miracle possible. They
have three weeks to make it come to pass.

Ample time. Ample enough for miracle workers.


(Thank you, Professor)










- page 161

OPINION by MAX SOLIVEN, Philippine STAR

This is a great time for columnists, opinion writers, political
pundits and putas (not to be confused with each other), poll survey
groups, power brokers, deal-makers, KSPs (kulang sa pansin, now
being given undue attention), and posturers.

But it is a situation which is bad for the nation.

Lying, blackmailing, extortion, bribery, dishing out of black
propaganda, bad-mouthing and countless intrigues seem to have
become the order of the day. The result of these evil doings is that
cynicism, already chronic in our disappointed society, is being
reinforced. All the worst things we observed or imagined about
ourselves are being demonstrated.

The prospect of any "unity" being forged between FPJ and Senator
Panfilo "Ping" Lacson grows bleaker and bleaker by the day. One
of the main reasons is the fact, increasingly apparent, that many in
their respective pangkat dont want this to happen.

Ping Lacsons boys tell me that a meeting had been scheduled for
last Monday. Then a phone call came direct to Lacson from an
emissary that FPJs schedule couldnt permit a meeting that
afternoon or evening. Is this true? So there

The FPJ sides subalterns, in turn, have been letting it be known
that Lacson wont "slide down", and that he had said this was not
negotiable. Members of the media, of course, exacerbate matters
by reporting "leaks", guided missives, and disruptive statements
(real or manufactured) from both sides. Is there still hope of a face-

- page 162 -

to-face dialogue? Perhaps Monday? Perhaps Tuesday. Well know
when it happens if it happens. GMA is obviously lapping it up,
taunting the two to "unite". Dont discount the possibility that
the intriguers in both camps, or in the media, or among the
kibitzers, belong to her, or to "Jose Pidal", and, dont forget,
The Firm.

One of the Hawi boys, for instance, is an Angara boy from
ACCRA, a certified Sigma Rhoan, and, at 28, aspires to become
the youngest Secretary of the Presidential Management Staff
(PMS), if FPJ despite his efforts comes into his Kingdom. Da
King, alas, may be headed in the opposite direction, thanks to the
Hawis, and their bosses. The ASO Gang what did we say,
Angara-Sotto-Oreta? is alive and well, and operating fulltime.

The pity of it is that the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino
(KNP) and, indeed, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)
are only "shell" organizations the latter badly sapped of the
strength it once had when it collided with the former President,
Joseph Ejercito Estrada. FPJs nationwide network comprises the
volunteers who originally propelled him into the race, and are the
only apparatus he has to bring in the voters on election day.
Presently, however, the volunteers feel themselves left "outside",
while the ASOs and the concentric rings of the cordon sanitaire
make the "decisions" and hug the limelight.

It turns out that even Senator Greg "Gringo" Honasan is out of the
loop, handling only security (hes almost never seen himself), and
is supposed to become "operations chief" only on election day.

Is FPJ leading his "army", or is he being led? Thats the
pregnant question which festers. Dont believe for a moment,

- page 163 -

that clever GMAs agents arent fanning the flames of
demoralization and dissent. Panday, its well known, is the only
challenger capable of giving GMA a fight, and even of
overpowering her increasingly well-oiled machine. But his strength
is ebbing, and even his capacity to lead is beginning to be
questioned by those who love him. Snap out of it, Ronnie, unless
you want to be dethroned ignominously by those who profess to be
your most loyal "knights".

Imagine Da King surrounded by gorilla King Kongs, beasts of the
political jungle and you can spot the dilemma. FPJs sincerity is
never in doubt. Its his ability which must be demonstrated along
with his intestinal fortitude, and his charisma in real life, not the
deceptive "reel life" of film.

As an experienced actor, why isnt he acting the part of a slambang
candidate many are asking, a righter of wrongs, a determined
crusader wielding the Excalibur of Light?

"Hes not only acting according to a bad script, it seems that hes
without a script," a perceptive critic told this writer yesterday. The
word on the street remains the same: Unite or perish. But first,
FPJ has to unite his own party.

As for Ping Lacson, I repeat, is it a choice between feng shui and
chop suey? Ping is one of the smartest, and best-qualified in the
race. However, its mystifying how he can hope to make it without
a vice presidential team-mate, a Senatorial slate, a congressional
line-up, a network of provincial and municipal candidates, and a
bring-in-the-votes organization.

This weve got to see.

- page 164 -


B A C K B E N C H E R
ROD P. KAPUNAN
Voting against the usurper is patriotism
Tuesday, 04 27, 2004
Nowadays, it is not enough for every Filipino to say he or she is against Mrs.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The patriotic duty now is to see to it that his or
her vote would contribute to the removal of the usurper.
The coming to power of the usurper is now an infamous political landmark
in our history that forever will haunt us. There, we saw how these insolent
hypocrites insulted us, and are again insulting us for our choice by calling
him inexperienced and does not have the intellectual capacity to resurrect
this country from the bankruptcy caused by the usurper and her so-called
dream team's own economic bungling. These hypocrites are not even
remorseful about their globalist economic programs, virtually turning this
country into a desolate wasteland.
It is in this regard why it is not enough for Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson to say
he is running because he wants to challenge Mrs. Arroyo. Rather, he should
take into account how he, as a candidate could translate his current poll
rating to effectively defeat the power grabber who now styles herself as the
most qualified and competent among the presidential hopefuls.
It is Lacson's patriotic duty, more so as a senator, to objectively assess his
chances against one whose reign was made legal by those miserable justices
of the Supreme Court who equally failed to exercise their patriotic duty to
defend the Constitution.
There is need for him to exhibit his zeal of patriotism because the dimension
now of the election is not in letting the world know that our freewheeling
democracy is still alive, but on how to crowbar out of office the de facto
leader.
For Lacson to insist despite his nil chance of winning is to feed the ugly
suspicion that he is the Trojan horse. This could now be the case because he
- page 165 -
is chopping the chances of unity within the opposition, with the sad part that
a divided opposition could greatly boost the chances of the power grabber.
As the race moves closer to the finish line, people notice that he is exactly
doing the fine job as seen by his mule-like obstinacy coupled by the
regularity of his attacks on KNP candidate Fernando Poe Jr. than on GMA.
Only by giving value to patriotism can Lacson resolve the dilemma that now
confronts him. He should not view it as a compromising defeat, but a
compromise to give the opposition that much-needed political boost, and to
view the victory of FPJ not as something personal, but a signal to the
hypocrites that the Filipino people can not forget just how they were
swindled of the leader they elected. He cannot even go on with his
sloganeering of "buo ang loob" and "walang atrasan" because they only
excite passion than rationality on how to overcome that distinct possibility of
languishing for another six years with the lackey doubly arrogant that she
now has the mandate that possibly could be contributed by him.
In fact, it would not be too much for Lacson to know that the economy that
has been lorded over by the power grabber is now in a state of
decomposition that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its regional
assessment report, said the Philippines could only register a 4.5 percent
economic growth rate, the lowest in the region where the average is at 7
percent. The significance is not that we are at the bottom, but that it debunks
her claim that being surrounded by a number of balderdash economic
experts she can run the country well and soundly.
For that matter, asking our people about the economy is already a burden
because their pre-occupation is on how to hold on to their employment if
they are still lucky to be employed, or to find one if they are already out of
job. The 11 percent unemployment rate or the equivalent to 3.9 million
Filipinos out of job is of staggering proportion. This, not to mention the 35.2
percent or roughly 5.5 million underemployed or people working less than
40 hours a week.
More than that, while Lacson's ambition may only affect his future political
career, our crisis involves all of us, and we have no choice but to unite for
the sake of survival. Since the usurper assumed power in January 2001, the
debt of the national government has soared to P1.2 trillion or an increase by
- page 166 -
more than 50 percent from the Estrada administration. In 2003, the national
government incurred a total debt of about P3,325 billion. The government of
Mrs. Arroyo incurred a P214 billion budget deficit in 2002 or equivalent to 5
percent of the country's gross national product (GNP). On foreign direct
investment (FDI), the unofficial ledger on measuring confidence in our
economy by foreign businessmen, FDI for almost the entire tenure of the
power grabber, from January 2001 to September 2003, only managed to
register $2.2 billion, and practically dropping to zero in 2003. This is in
contrast to the $3.4 billion that came in during the last 24 months of the
Estrada administration.
Taking all these into account, Lacson should by now wake up to the fact that
he can not for long cling on to that taipan and to some rogue Filipino-
Chinese businessmen who are committed to keeping their political pipeline
open with the power grabber. The taipan is more interested in keeping his
empire intact that after playing the role of political kingmaker he now finds
himself deeply mired to a point that he is now being blackmailed for his own
clumsiness. In fact, many of his fellow taipans have lost their respect for
kabise after knowing that he had a hand in discrediting the Piatco deal to the
detriment of the Cheng Yong group, which he should have inhibited from
because he was a part of the consortium that offered to build the Naia III
terminal, but was out bidded by Piatco. As it now appears, after abandoning
his taipan partners in that failed New Emerging Dragons Consortium, the
kabise now wants to come in solo, which is an unethical business practice.
Finally, there are many things that Lacson has yet to learn because political
decisions are different from military and business decisions. In politics, to
compromise is not equivalent to capitulationism. Rather, it is sometimes
needed when exigencies demand that one has to give in order to make a
democracy work for the common and for higher political goals closer to
what the people have in mind, not in what one has in mind. Amor propio has
no place in politics because it is obstructive to unity that right now could
give the political usurper another opening to give us six years of economic
nightmare.


- page 167
HERMANN TIU LAUREL DAILY TRIBUNE (Excerpts)
OPERATION CHECKMATE
Operation Checkmate is the Gloria regime's systematic plan for the
wholesale hijack of the May 10 elections, including the use of JJ
Soriano's NFO Trends as the fountainhead of corrupted polling
interviews, which will end in the hard approach using
intimidation and large-scale destruction of election documents.
The PNP is instrumental in this operation, establishing intimidating
presence in urban poor areas known to be overwhelming
bailiwicks of Poe to keep voters away from the voting centers.
This is helped along by Operation Cheque-mate giving millions
to the police generals.
The amounts said to be given to key PNP generals for the
operation range from P2 to P5 million, for participation in special
ops of PNP SWAT teams and other operating units in election
hot spots which the operation in the Comelec will identify. At
this writing, there are reports that the Poe bailiwicks like Smokey
Mountain, Parola, Temporary Housing, Isla Puting Bato, Happy
Land and Balut (all very peaceful in previous elections) in Tondo
are being declared election hot spots. If the Comelec obfuscation
of voters' lists is not enough, they'll use force in these areas.
The Trends trending is all part of the civil society cabal's
operations to maintain the status quo, i.e. the rule of the
Independent Board of Advisers (Mirant, AIG, Bosworth and
Co.) and its local gofers like Bobby Romulo. JJ Soriano who
heads Trends is the son of Noel Soriano, Cory Aquino's
national security adviser who dug up Intramuros for
Yamashita's gold, but instead, buried a number of workers there.
Trends is the cesspool from which SWS and Pulse Asia draw their
data, polluted and poisoned at the very source.
- page 168 -
Many things will happen on May 10 that will enrage the nation,
but as the majority of Filipinos have said so, FPJ will win the
elections but the counting and the proclamation are another
matter. Many people look forward with anticipation that after May
10, they will be relieved of the tension and anxiety. I am afraid
they will be in for a surprise. That's when the real tension and
anxiety will begin, and after that, Philippine life may totally be
different for the worse. Gloria, Ramos, Almonte, the Firm et al
will have a scorched earth policy; if they don't survive this, no one
will.
A lot will depend on our military and police forces' young officers,
for their higher officials have already been cheque-mated by
Arroyo. Only the young officers, particularly from the military,
remain strong and pure as a note to us by one of them said. The
battle between FPJ and Arroyo, between the broad masses of the
Filipino people and the oligarchs, is a battle between truth and lies,
honesty and deceit, between corruption and purity, between
humanism and Hitlerian cynicism. These are battles in a war to
pull our dying society from the edge of the grave.
If Arroyo's electoral treachery is not stopped, then power rates will
rise first by seven centavos, then by 33 centavos and another 12
centavos the sky's the limit. Maynilad stopped paying its
concession fees only two months after Edsa II. Arroyo will
reprivatize it to the Lopezes again and we won't hear anymore of
the 500 percent overpriced P220 million per kilometer North
Expressway scam. They'll attempt to institute fascism, worse than
martial law, but in the end Arroyo will fall because the people
can only take so much oppression.
Even if 100 American election observers give their blessings to
Arroyo's cheating, the Filipino people will know the truth and
with their heart, mind and body they will demand justice.
- page 169












PAPANO?

HOW DO WE DO IT?














- page 170

PRIVATE FUNDING
FOR HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS
IN THE PHILIPPINES


INITIAL AMOUNT $200Million
AVAILABILITY approx. April 20, 2004
ORIGIN New York, London
PRIME BANKS Deutsche, ABN-AMRO


SPECIFICS

The funds are privately owned and are clean, clear, and
approved by the United States Treasury. Allocation not
allowed for political purposes except for the unification of
opposition candidates under the general term: For the
greater benefit of the People.

EXPLANATION

Extreme Poverty is a continuous human rights violation.
An undetermined number of millions of Filipinos live in
abject poverty. Therefore, THE FUNDS have approved a
Pesos 10,000 monthly payment to every Filipino above 50
years, like a People Pension Plan, to be paid through
special NGOs under condition of a new administration for
the benefit of the Filipino people to end the
Aquino/Ramos/GMA hegemony.
- page 171 -

For the united opposition to make use of this opportunity,
certain funding for the FPJ/Lacson tandem is approved,
specifically for application in mass-media.

Generous funding programs are being readied under the
same terms and conditions for all soldiers and all teachers
with the purpose of substantial upgrading and alignment
under a new administration.

GENERAL REMARKS

The owner of the funds, obviously not limited to $200
Million, prefers to remain unknown to the general public
and to give all credit to FPJ/Lacson, even long-term. The
owner has a sole administrator who is soon ready to publish
a book with the title THE BATTLE FOR THE
PRESIDENCY 2004. That book will reveal most of the
distortions in our history and the betrayals against the
Filipino people.

In its positive and factual aspects, it could even be used
outright as a plan or platform for the new administration.
Everything black on white, not far from the New Society.

For the funding, our prime banks abroad will confirm for
and on behalf of one of our most valuable clients. This is
not a one-time but a continuous funding through the next
nine years.

- page 172 -

STATEMENT BY FERNANDO POE JR.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you all for coming. We have a brief statement to read to
you. We do this, so that there will be no confusion later or
misinterpretation for our friends in media:

Today we present to you the unified opposition under the
FPJ/Lacson ticket. Presidential candidate Ping Lacson has been
able to present himself to the whole world as true presidential
caliber. He is a future President of this country.

But for the time being, he has chosen to serve the greater benefit
of the Filipino people and to help the winning candidate fill in
the one visible gap that is the perceived and admitted lack of
professionalism and seriosity. In other words, the unified
opposition now has one presidential candidate, FPJ, and a new
vice presidential candidate, Ping Lacson. To do what?

To make this very clear, it is our opinion that the rich in this
country, in Makati or in the plush subdivisions, will do as they
like, who ever is the president, but the poor majority in this
country, those who dont have money to buy what they like,
those who dont have money to travel, those who have no hope
to ever get a job, those Filipinos need us, need our help, and we
will give it to them.

You will ask, how will you pay for all that, and we tell you here
and now that we will un-freeze the Marcos accounts and that we
will use the Marcos money that is listed but held in the PCGG to
pay for all our programs and projects to help the poor.
- page 173 -

Yes, we have a clear understanding with the Marcos Family,
call it alliance, if you want, and we guarantee that the Marcos
Family is friend and helper to the Filipino people, all the way.

When Im president, I will forge a constitutional, legal, just, and
honorable settlement with the Marcos family to use the Marcos
wealth to pay for our national debt of more than P 5 Trillion. In
our opinion that is the only way to prevent riots later like they
happened in Argentina.

There will be no special treatment for the Marcoses. Neither
will there be injustice against them. This includes the burial of
the late President according to law and military traditions. Then
I will support to the fullest land reform, housing, and livelihood
programs for the poor and cause the early settlement of the
human rights claims according to our laws.

Now, our friends on the other side claim that we have no
experience in governing and politics. That may be a blessing in
disguise. We will not interfere in local politics, therefore you
voters out there look very well, who you vote for as mayor or
governor. They will be in charge for you, not us. We will make
sure that your taxes will be used properly in your places, not in
Manila.

Did I make this very clear for everybody? We will stop graft
and corruption right here, leading by example. Nobody will ever
find a case of graft and corruption, nor plunder, against us, we
swear this to GOD the Almighty in Heaven. Amen.

Did anybody say we have no platform? You, Filipino people,
you decide, you vote wisely. It is up to you now, the sovereign
People of the Republic of the Philippines. Thank You.
- page 174

MENSAHENG BABASAHIN NI GINOONG
FERNANDO POE, JR.

Mayo Uno, 2004

Mga Kababayan,

Maraming maraming salamat sa inyong pagdalo sa pagtitipong ito. May
maikling pahayag lang akong gustong basahin para sa inyo ngayon dahil
ayokong mag-karoon ng mali o ibatibang isipin ang bawat isa lalong lalo
na ang mga kaibigan natin na nasa hanap buhay ng pagbabalita.

Ngayong oras na ito ay nais kong ipahayag sa buong Pilipinas na
NAGKAISA NA! Uulitin ko NAGKAISA NA ANG OPOSISYON
FPJ/LACSON NAGSANIB NA!

Si Ping Lacson na tumatakbo sa pagka pangulo ng Pilipinas ay naiparating
na hindi lang sa buong Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo na siya ay may
katangian ng isang kandidato sa pagka pangulo ng Pilipinas. Siya ay
magiging pangulo ng ating mahal na bansang Pilipinas sa malapit na
hinaharap.

Pero dahil sa ipinahayag kong si FPJ AT PING LACSON AY NAGSANIB
NA si Ginoong Ping Lacson ay pansamantalang nagbigay daan para
pagsilbihang talaga ang higit na nakakarami ng ating mamamayan at higit sa
lahat ay ang napakalaking tulong na maiibibigay ni Ping sa inyong lingkod
bilang kanya at inyong PANGULO, ang kanyang pagiging magaling na taga
pagpasunod at taga pamahala sa tumpak na pamamaraan. Sa madaling salita
ang NAGKASANIB NA OPOSISYON ngayon ay may isa ng kandidato sa
pangulo - ang inyong lingkod si FPJ at ang bago nating bise presidente si
PING LACSON. Ano ang aming gagawin?

Para maging maliwanag sa lahat ng mamamayang Pilipino, lalung-lalo na sa
nakakaraming dahop-palad, sa nakakaraming walang pera pambili man lang
ng kanilang kailangan sa pang araw-araw na pamumuhay, sa nakakaraming
wala man lang pamasahe para mag hanap ng trabaho kaya nawawala na ang
pagasa sa buhay at sa lahat ng mamamayang Pilipino na naniniwala pa na
- page 175 -

mas makatotohan na ang NAGKASANIB NA OPOSISYON ay ang
tambalan na makakalutas sa napakalaking problema ng Pilipinas!
KAHIRAPAN!

Matagal ng tinatanong sa akin o sa amin kung paano naming malulutas ang
problema ng kahirapan ng Pilipino? NAGKASANIB NA SI FPJ AT PING
kaya ngayon palang bago ang pagkapanalo ng inyong lingkod FPJ bilang
Presidente at ni PING LACSON bilang bise presidente ng Pilipinas ina
anunsiyo ko na sa lahat ng pilipinong naghihirap na BUBUKSAN NATING
MULI ANG YAMAN NG ATING DATING PANGULONG FERDINAND
MARCOS!

Gagamitin natin ang yaman ni dating Presidente Marcos - na ang ilan sa
buong listahan ni APO ay iniipit pa ng PCGG hanggang sa ngayon - para
pondohan ang aming mga programa at proyekto para tulungan lahat ng
naghihirap na masang Pilipino.

Mayroon na kaming malinaw na pakikipagunawaan sa pamilya ng mga
Marcos at paniwalaan ninyong tunay na kasama ang pamilya Marcos at lahat
ng kanilang tagasunod sa Pagsasanib ng oposisyon at silang lahat ay
kaibigan at handang tumulong sa muling pag-unlad ng ating bansang
Pilipinas!

Pag si FPJ ay Pangulo na, ako ay magpapalabas ng isang Kasulatang may
Unawaan na ayon sa Konstitusyon, legal at makataong pakikipagayos sa
pamilya Marcos para ang yaman na naiwan ng dating Pangulo ay magamit
ng ating gobyerno para bayaran natin ang pagkakautang na umaabot na sa
P5 Trilyon sa ngayon. Ito ang napakalaking tulong na magagawa namin sa
paguumpisa ng aming panunungkulan bilang inyong Pangulo at
Pangalawang Pangulo.

Sinisigurado ko na walang magiging natatanging pagtingin sa mga Marcoses
at wala ding magiging di mga makatarungang pagtatrato na mangyayari sa
kanila. Kasama dito ang paglilibing sa dating pangulo na naayon sa batas at
sa tradisyon ng Hukbong Sandatahan ng Pilipinas.



- page 176 -

Kasunod nito sa tulong ng ating Bise Presidente, ng mga Senador,
kongresman at ang aking mga magiging Sekretaryo sa Kabinete ay
susuportahan kong lubusan ang buong pwersang pagpapatupad ng reforma
sa lupa, pabahay at programang may kitang pang-kabuhayan para sa
nakakaraming mahihirap, pagpapatupad ng tamang pasuweldo sa maliliit na
manggagawa at malaki ang aking paniniwala na ito ang mga makakalutas ng
maaga sa mga naghahabol ng kanilang mga kaso na may kaugnayan sa
karapatang pangtao na naaayon sa ating saligang batas.

Ngayon, sa aming mga kaibigan sa kabilang kampo na nag papahayag na si
FPJ ay walang karanasan sa pagpapalakad ng gobyerno at politika. Blessing
in disguise kasi hindi talaga ako makialam sa pamamalakad ng mga lokal na
opisyales. Kaya mga botante - iboto ang mga local na opisyales na inaakala
ninyo na talagang makakatulong. Sila ang mamahala ng pagunlad ng inyong
lugar hindi si FPJ. Si FPJ sisiguraduhin lang na ang mga buwis na binabayad
ninyo ay talagang nagagamit ng tama sa inyong lugar at hindi dito sa
Manila.

Maliwanag ba ang aking pinahayag ngayon dito para sa lahat? Putulin na
natin ngayon palang - umpisa ngayon - dito ang GRAFT AND
CORRUPTION! Ako ang mangunguna sa tulong ng aking GRAFT
BUSTER ANG ATING BISE PRESIDENTE PING LACSON. Lagot sa
amin ni Ping ang sino man na mag kakaso ng graft and corruption o kaya
plunder! sa termino namin. We swear this to GOD the Almighty in Heaven.
Amen.

Sino nagsasabing wala daw kami plataforma? Kayo ba mga mahal kong
naghihirap na kababayan? Kayo na po ang humusga? Bumoto po tayo ng
naayon sa ating konsensiya? Kayo na po ang bahalang magpanalo kay FPJ
ang inyong bagong Pangulo at kay PING LACSON ang ating Pangalawang
Pangulo. Maraming Salamat Bansang Pilipinas!






- page 177 -

A N A L Y S I S
BY ALEJANDRO LICHAUCO
The dying gasp of Philippine democracy
If a system were judged by its results, what does one say about the
representative system of government installed by Edsa I? To call it
a democracy as the thinning devotees of the first people power
insist it is taxes even an uncontrolled imagination; and if it is
indeed democracy, then democracy isn't only the most difficult
political system to administer, as someone like Winston Churchill
is said to have said, but also catastrophically absurd.
The truth is that democracy as a system by which a people
govern themselves can't possibly work and can't possibly be a
democracy in the honest meaning of the term when the mass of
those who vote are immersed in acute poverty and in the mass
ignorance that comes with mass poverty. You can have democracy
if 70 percent of the voters haven't gone past grade school and are
economically desperate, desperate enough to sell their votes.
Democracy simply can't co-exist with mass poverty. As a
system of governance, it can function and thrive only when those
who vote governments to existence are economically free to vote
as they please and this is most important are informed of
what is at stake when they cast their votes.
In a democracy, elections are primarily a battle about public
issues and between public philosophies, not only about private
personalities. And when you don't have that, then, elections are
reduced essentially to a process of personal calumny and outright
entertainment. And that's exactly what we are having. That's
essentially what we shall continue to have as long as the mass of
- page 178 -
the electorate is economically deprived and ignorant and you will
agree that can't possibly be democracy.
The great democracies in the world today didn't come to being as
democracies. They came to being after having passed through
decades, if not centuries, of political authoritarianism and even
despotism, during which the governing elite established the
foundations of self-sustaining and flourishing economies.
England, France, Germany and Japan, for example, became
political democracies only after having engineered their respective
industrial revolutions under authoritarian governments. South
Korea is now a democracy, the foundations of its economic
vibrancy and stability were laid down by the dictatorship of Park
Chung-hee. The same may be said of Taiwan. If democracy there
is flourishing and vibrant, it is because of the economic stability
and even prosperity made possible by decades of political
authoritarianism.
Of course, it took more than just political authoritarianism to bring
about economic prosperity. It took politically authoritarian
governments that perceived the first order of business for any poor
and undeveloped country is to catapult itself to the age of industry,
science and technology. In brief, it took politically authoritarian
governments to make industrial revolution the first order of their
business. That was what the political dictatorships of Park Chung-
hee, Chiang Kai-shek, Suharto and Nasser were about. And that's
what the political dictatorship of the communist parties of China
and Vietnam are about.
That, unfortunately, was what the dictatorship of Marcos realized
too late in the day. The larger part of the Marcos dictatorship was
squandered on programs and policies designed precisely to keep
the economy from graduating to the industrial age and it was only
- page 179 -
in the last years of his dictatorship that Marcos realized the nation
must industrialize if it is to survive. Hence, the 11 major industrial
projects which he launched in 1979. But by the time, poverty and
underdevelopment were already exacting their price and, with
Ninoy's assassination, Marcos became as dead as a dead duck and
with him the vision of an industrialized Philippines died.
But back to the title of this piece. It shouldn't take much to realize
democracy as we have known and have practiced it over the last 17
years is on the way out simply because it has been reduced to a
catastrophic absurdity. No system of political governance can
possibly endure when it co-exists with a poverty problem as acute
and extensive as what we have now. Elections have even ceased to
be the entertainment they have always been because there's a point
when the hungry can no longer be entertained. One suspects that
point has now been reached.
If the ignorant masa are going for FPJ, it isn't because they wish to
be entertained but because they have given up on the educados and
the politicos of Philippine society and now look to the non-
educados and the non-politicos for their economic liberation and
you can't blame them for that.
What next after the elections or even before that? Whatever it
is, we know the picnic is over because hunger has taken over and
we are now ready, for a Park Chung-Hee, a Nasser, a Suharto, a
Chiang Kai-shek or even a Franco. Because democracy is done
for, discredited and dead and if you don't believe that then take a
close look at the nature of these elections and the players in them.
Lincoln, who gave democracy its modern definition as a
government of the people, by the people and for the people
must be rolling in his grave and wondering what kind of people
Filipinos are. But, are they people? (end of quote)
- page 180 -










(Before I forget:

If anybody will ask, where do we get the money
to finance the Annual National Budget,
which is some P780B last year,
we will just say that we will not pocket the money
from oil, diesel, gasoline, and LPG.
That is a minimum of P600B. Expose?
Next time na lang!)











- page 181 -

A last one, because of the heat and because
I am angry:
Most informal settlers in the beautiful city of Antipolo dont have
water, not even from deep well. They have to wait for the truck to
deliver. And they pay. This is not Nawasa or Maynilad. This is
courtesy of the Brgy. Chairman, or the Counselor, or the Board
Member, or the Mayor. Water is big business in Antipolo City. No
other city in the world has a worse system of government but,
surprise, surprise, the Mayor is able to accumulate the highest
honors and awards. ACG is plastered all over Antipolo, forever,
forever; paid with peoples money, of course, what do you think?
What are we in office for? And who pays for it? The poor. Only
the poor do not have water. The rich have no problem, they have
the nicest houses, over-looking, along Sumulong (uncle of Cory)
and along the ridge: The nicest properties are reserved for the guys
in the LRA, the nicest lot for the guy who issues the fake land titles
and makes it legit, so that no guy, not even O.J., can prove it is
fake. That is how good they are now, they have perfected the
system that makes them rich. And they have the President and the
Secretary of Justice with them, they all profit. And the poor ... ?
Remember? Bahala sila! So, who owns the water that GOD
created, when He created the world? There is no life without water.
Who? Ah, yes, the land grabbers! Not one of them has a true title
to the land, where they make their water business. They are just
there because they have the money. Its dog-eat-dog or a question
who has the money for a private army. Welcome to Antipolo City!

P.S.

- What? You call me Robin Hood?
- Ok, I will be proud to be Robin Hood.
- page 182

PERVERTED POLITICS

So, it comes down to the polarization between the rich and the
poor, the haves and the have-nots. Gloria is the savior of the haves
and FPJ is the savior of the have-nots, the only hope of the poor.

The playing field among candidates for president should be level
even and fair. It is not. Gloria claims to be the President, but she is
now candidate for president. Any opposition from any candidate
smells rebellion, sedition, mutiny, but of course, it is not.

Gloria has the resources of the nation at her fingertip. She is
using it ruthlessly, not minding what will happen to the nation after
this. We may have no water, no rice come Election Day, she does
not care. She cares about winning this presidency 2004. She hates
anything that has to do with the poor and the poor hate her. The
only question there is whom they hate more, her or her MMDA
boss; I wouldnt like to be in the shoes of Bayani Fernando.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines are the protectors of the
sovereign people. That is what the 1987 Constitution provides.
Reality is that the incumbent president is using the Armed Forces,
and that includes the police forces and SWAT, to protect Her
Excellency and the Malacanang Palace against any intrusion from
or dissenting opinion on the part of the people, especially the
poorest of the poor.

Actually, the poorest of the poor have become the enemy of the
haves and the haves are hiring more and more guards with guns.
Poor guards, they come from the ranks of the poorest of the poor
and the have to shoot the poor, if they come too close. What a
tragedy of poverty! We cannot blame the guards; they have no
other choice, if they want to earn money.
- page 183





'Those 19th century
long, acrimonious wars
of words... are the
direct antecedents of
the harsh and
interminable polemics
we see today...'


THE ROOTS OF OUR ELECTIONS


DURING the Spanish centuries, the Philippine colony was ruled
by decrees from Madrid or Mexico which took anywhere from
several months to a year to cross the seas, orders and the policies
which varied according to the different reigns and crises in the
Spanish crown.

Therefore, Spanish Manila and the archipelago of native Malays
wavered between extreme tyranny, fabulous wealth (during the
Galleon Trade or the Tobacco Monopoly) and sudden reform with
the accession of new dynasties.

However, elections were held for gobernadorcillos (or mayors) but
they were not popular elections. The gobernadorcillos were elected
for a term of one year, "by superior approbation" of the 12 oldest
men in the town (or their substitutes), plus the outgoing mayor, in a
formal, secret balloting held in the Casa Real (or hall of justice).
That was done in the presence of the parish priest, who could
- page 184 -

"express what opinions he may consider fitting, but for no other
purpose." The cabezas de barangay were also elected, as were the
heads of the Chinese community.

The officials' compensation, a certain percentage of the taxes and
contributions they collected, was "so small and they were subject
to annoyances, fines and imprisonment that their office was
considered honorary." But, wondered Sinibaldo de Mas, a political
analyst, why "the Indians covet it with a desire that is astonishing,
and avail themselves of all possible means to obtain it."

In fact those officials got their houses built free of cost by the men
on forced-labor duty, with materials from the forest and sums from
public works funds, and took "innumerable bribes and illegal
exactions that they impose and taxes that they collect through
numberless separate judgments." In other words, power and pelf.
During their appearances, they were preceded by an attendant
carrying a wand. A great fiesta celebrated their oath-taking and, on
holidays, they were accompanied by musicians playing a double-
quick march and fancifully-dressed guards on their way to and
from the church where they sat in special seats of honor.

The ordinary Indios escaped from the petty tyrannies of their
cabezas and gobernadorcillos and other officials, as well as the
larger autocracy and bigotry of the Spanish government, in the
person of the gobernador, the Archbishop of Manila and the clergy,
who also held actual political power by a masterstroke of evasion.

They manifested an outward show of obedience and loyalty,
bowing, kneeling and kissing the gesturing hand, then deliberately
forgot or ignored the recent orders and instructions. This quality of
intransigence, of disobeying the law and bending the rules, is still
the main characteristic of the Filipino political animal.
- page 185 -

At the end of the Spanish regime, resistance to Spain took another
form and became another national characteristic. The first educated
young natives, the ilustrados, whether in Manila, Cebu, or Madrid
became immersed in chaotic disputes and controversies, endless
debates between liberals, republicans and clericals on one hand,
and conservatives, monarchists and atheists on the other.

Those 19th century long, acrimonious wars of words among the
ilustrados and revolucionarios are the direct antecedents of the
harsh and interminable polemics we see today in our coffeeshops,
the media and on the floor of our beloved Congress.























- page 186















THINKING AHEAD


THE DEVILS ADVOCATE


















- page 187 -










Sarcasm is the wrath of the powerless.
Filipinos are very sarcastic these days.
Have you heard this one from a lady from the market?
If I could vote a dog for president, this time I would vote the dog.




Apart from sarcasm, there is also nostalgia.
There are more people than ever who smile and say: Marcos




And today is May 6, 2004, in Metro Manila










- page 188


WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE ARE


As the sun rushes through space at a speed of 150 miles per
second, it takes many smaller bodies with it, like Mother Earth and
the Moon, Mars, and other planets, around our galaxy. In exactly
225 million years, we will be back here in this area again but, of
course, we will no longer be around. Mind you, our galaxy is about
100,000 light-years across; our nearest neighbor is 4.3 light-years
away. One light-year is the distance light can travel in a year and
that is just short of 6 trillion miles. Therefore, our nearest neighbor
is some 25 trillion miles away from us, too far to throw a stone.

By the way, in our galaxy, called the Milky Way, we are in a
distant corner, one lonely sun among 100 billion suns nearer to the
center. Our galaxy is one among billions of other galaxies, some
more than 10 billion light-years away from us. Compared to those
distances, our solar system occupies a tiny part of space through
which we rush, or shall we say shoot, with a speed of 150 miles per
second or 9,000 miles per minute or 540,000 miles per hour. Dont
forget, we are also spiraling around the sun and turning around
ourselves once a day. We should all be dizzy.

Of course, this took billions of years to develop and will take more
billions of years to unravel. All we know is that the sun will get
bigger and hotter, until all matter is burnt. Then it will end up as a
black hole. No more sun, no more life. But life will end much
earlier because of the heat. One day, our Planet Earth will be
melted, but we will no longer be there for our cremation. Life is
only possible, if there is water, at a very crucial temperature, which
depends solely on the exact distance to the sun. Too near, too hot;
too far away, too cold.
- page 189


Water allows the nitrogen cycle to produce oxygen, by the plants,
for the animals to breathe. Along that line, totally accepted by
serious scientists all over the world, and the evolution of millions
of life forms, here comes the human race at the end of the line, the
proud homo sapiens, and everything goes wrong.

Actually, it did not go wrong from the beginning. Our ancestors
lived a simple life, following the laws of nature and natural
instincts and they were fine. But then, some 6,000 years ago,
which is just tics in terms of our universe, in the beautiful or not so
beautiful desert of Egypt, they discovered the sweet pleasures of
power over other men. The pharaohs dressed themselves in gold
and ordered their slaves to build the pyramids for them.

Once addicted to the pleasures of power and ensuing wealth, they
declared their power as God-given. Whatever gods they had at that
time, they declared that it had to stay in the family. That was the
beginning of dynasties. We know the end, dont we? Binay in
Makati, Abalos in Mandaluyong, Eusebio in Pasig, Barbers in
Surigoa, Plaza in Agusan, Zubiri in Bukidnon, just to name a few.

Lets just mention the worst period in the history of mankind. That
was when the Pope established himself as the highest secular
leader on earth, higher than kings and emperors at that time, 1000
to 1300. What followed were the Dark Ages, some few hundred
years of evil triumph of religious doctrine over the ideals of the
human mind. That was before they even had a print of the Bible!

Fortunately, for all of us, the invention of the printing press
happened in Germany, Gutenberg in the year 1498. There was
already a movement called the Enlightenment, which in turn
triggered the Renaissance, the recollection of the great minds of
- page 190 -

Greek and Roman culture before the religious bulldozer, called
Christianity, destroyed human thinking. And there was, thank God,
Martin Luther who led the restoration of the sound mind and the
dismantling of evil rituals in the churches.

We should not forget those historical facts, when our leaders are
practically leaving the outcome of this election 2004 to the
religious leaders. Woo! Religion is for eternity. The President is
for earthly matters. The Constitution demands that Church and
State are separate entities. Here the candidates for president are
wooing one after the other of those leaders of religious groups of
the charismatic kind. The hard question can only be this: Who is
the prostitute in this case?

Are we going back to the Dark Ages? Only in the Philippines do
we have so many blind followers of religious leaders, so many
devout followers of religious statues, so many followers of anyone
and anything that promises salvation. Well, we have to be honest
and add: Followers of anyone who gives them money. This is even
true for those who do not exactly belong to the poorest of the poor.

Undeniably, the great majority of Filipinos dont know where we
are and who we are. They dont care about our galaxy, they are
even afraid of extra-terrestrial visitors. Well, even if those extra-
terrestrial visitors can ride on the beam of light, can they do it for
4.3 years? No food, no drink, no bed?

Come on, Filipino, get ready for education for everybody, that is
the only thing that will change this country. Not today but in the
long run. There must be something like a human drive for better
and more beautiful. There must be a human drive to know more,
or? Well, listen to this; some men close their eyes, when they ride
the train or bus. They hate to see a woman standing.
- page 191

Back to the religious leaders, in this election, we actually talk
about three, His Excellency Erdie Manalo, leader of the Iglesia Ni
Kristo, Mr. Mike Velarde or El Shaddai, and Eddie Villanueva, the
leader of The Jesus is Lord Movement.

Of them, only Eddie Villanueva is directly involved in running for
president. Chances are that he is very clever, with his own hidden
agenda: Make it appear that he is winning and, thereby, making his
Movement the strongest among all charismatic movements in this
benighted country, well, and make a nice side agreement with
Gloria for a juicy position later.

No less clever is Mike Velarde, the businessman who is proud to
tell that he went bankrupt twice before he engaged in the business
of selling salvation. He plays both sides, as he was backing Erap
Estrada in the 1998 election, but he made a juicy deal with the new
president in 2001 that practically guaranteed Ate Glo (that was
how we called her then) the vote of El Shaddai.

That deal was the shady C5-deal in San Dionisio, Paranaque,
where the joint land grabbers Manny Villar, SM Prime, and the
company of Mike Velarde cashed in big. Manny Villar bigger than
Mike in the ratio of 25,000 per square to 15,000 per square but,
hey, Manny Villar was already in the Senate and his beautiful wife
Cyntia in Congress. SM? They got it for free and build the new SM
Center there, along Sucat/Ninoy Aquino Avenue.

So, what about the third one? There is probably only one reason
why He could side with Gloria, or actually two: Human vanity and
the great enemy of Philippine culture, self-centeredness. Reason
No. 1 could be that FPJ does not bow deep enough and long
enough before His Excellency. Reason No. 2: Gloria keeps kissing
his feet, until He gives in.
- page 192

What these three gentlemen, wonder what Cardinal Sin is doing
these days, have in common with that shortest president of the
world is that they dont spend their own money. The spend O.P.M.
money, other peoples money or Oh-Promise-Me money.

I might be a little bit too harsh in my judgment, but maybe not. A
friend is just showing me a text message that reads that PGMA has
now withdrawn from GSIS the total of Pesos 49,000,000,000.00
(in words: forty nine billion). Yan si Gloria! So determined. And
that is only from GSIS! What about SSS?

Poor Filipinos, those mabuting tao of FPJ, there will be nothing
left for them. But what the heck, the religious leaders are on her
side, all the way! Do you get my point? Right or left, right or
wrong, that does not matter for them. They have other priorities.
What those are, here comes a bright analyst, Rod Kapunan to back
me up right on time:


BACKBENCHER
ROD P. KAPUNAN
Religious endorsement is interference
Saturday, 05 08, 2004 (DAILY TRIBUNE)
When religious leaders mix their dogma with politics, they not
only violate the freedom of worship and abuse the privilege of tax-
exemption given them by this wayward republic, but invariably
open themselves to severe public criticism.
Unless the dominant Catholic Church or the minority sects such as
the Iglesia ni Cristo, El Shaddai, Jesus is Lord, and other religions
would put to an end to their penchant of mixing spiritual beliefs
- page 193 -
with political convictions, they would always be accused of
demagoguery, their religion branded as cults, and even insinuations
of corruption and bribery won't stop.
Such would always be the case because these self-anointed
messiahs have the notion that it is their religion that liberates their
followers from this cruel earthly world, and not their faith to
enlighten them of the evil done by the man-made vices that have
enslaved us.
Take the Supreme Court decision overruling Manila RTC Branch
49 Judge Concepcion Alarcon-Vergara. Instead of the Davide
Court dissecting the substantive meaning of religious endorsement,
it dealt on its usual legal platitudes it claims to understand. To
quote that infamous ruling that threatens to administratively hold
liable Judge Alarcon-Vergara for allegedly violating the now
vandalized Constitution, The constitutionality of the statute or act
will be passed upon only if and to the extent that, it is directly and
necessarily involved in a justiciable (not justifiable) controversy
and essential to the protection of the rights of the parties
concerned.
For all that legal extrapolation of what a justiciable controversy is,
the justices failed to grasp why in the first place religious leaders
persist in endorsing certain candidates, especially if they are
perceived to win. Yet for this subtle form of political blackmail,
comprehension has never dawned on the justices on why most
candidates troop to the residence of the executive ministers and the
evangelical pastors. It is not to foolishly exchange pleasantries
with these religious kingpins, but to strike a bargain with them. In
exchange for their support, the politician would see to it that their
brethrens are appointed or promoted to public office ahead of the
ordinary taxpayers.
- page 194 -
If the justices just exerted extra efforts to visualize the meaning of
justiciable controversy outside of the rigidities of that the
vandalized Constitution provides, it should be easy to see that
people measure their freedom of religion on a personal basis as
pursued by these religious organizations. This, the politicking
Davide Court failed to see because it wrongly assumed that in all
democratic governments, religious freedom is pretty much the
same as the freedom of religious organizations.
For the State to allow religious organizations to define and mangle
the freedom of the individual, such as how he should exercise his
political rights in the guise of testing his faith, is to recognize that
they are co-equal in authority to define their concept of religious
freedom on top of that heaping insult that they do not pay their
taxes to a government they would often slander.
But if an individual affiliates himself with a political party, the
relation between the State and the individual is not altered because
the objective of these legal or surfacing political organizations is
always to compliment to its furthest limits the meaning and
substance of the individual freedoms given in the Constitution.
Legitimate political organizations do not deal with religious
morality that is often shaded with bigotry. They only promote and
harmonize the relations of the State with the individual, and not the
relations of the State with a particular political organization. If an
individual would cling to his political organization, it is because he
believes the organization could advance his rights, and not the
interest of the organization.
This is the reason the early justices of the Supreme Court were able
to delineate the ideological belief of the individual from his
political party affiliation, with the State responding only if that
political party would advocate violence to overthrow the
- page 195 -
government. In which case, the State applies the principle of self-
defense. The same ought to be true to religious organizations.
While none of them advocates the overthrow of the government,
nobody doubts that once they succeed in controlling it, they would
be very intolerant to heresy, agnosticism, and atheism, or would
easily condemn anybody disagreeing with their beliefs.
We can cite the fratricidal wars that were fought in the name of
Christianity that decimated almost half of the population of
Medieval Europe, and how Torquemada elevated torture and
brutality to a form of art. Since we now live in a pretended
civilized society, religion has instead become a big and lucrative
business that works well within the dimension of free enterprise
where desperate people pay their tithing as they await a miracle.
As we continue to allow religious charlatanism to proliferate, we
are as equally guilty in contributing to the erosion of our
democracy. We cannot fool ourselves for our betrayal because no
well-meaning democracy can operate in any country if what
prevails is the arbitrariness of these religious zealots that would not
hesitate to shed off their intolerance once they succeed in capturing
political power.
This we can say because their avowed objective is to convert all
the people to their faith. Their pretensions of humility, charity and
patience could easily turn savage as any tyrant once they are in
power because the history of religious organizations has shown us
how dangerous they can be to heretics. Political ideologies only
rank second in the commission of genocide, the latest of which was
the religious, not ethnic, cleansing in Serbia.
Right now, we are witnessing the vitriolic verbal tussle between
the members of Iglesia ni Cristo and that of Dating Daan that
occasionally erupts into a violent confrontation. As both deliver
- page 196 -
insults at each other on radio and television, people who tune in to
them are amused at their antics and on how each childishly claims
to correctly interpret the bible. Due to the intensity of their rivalry,
whoever is the candidate endorsed by Erano Manalo's group will
definitely be opposed by Ely Soriano's followers not really to spite,
but to lessen the increasing influence of the other. The lurking
danger is that both have rabid fanatical followers, and their rivalry
today is not just on who is credible, but a question of survival that
could only be sustained by their political leverage of wanting to
make it appear that winning candidates owe their victory to them.
Let's go all out for FPJ and Loren Legarda, and for senators: J.P.
Enrile, Kit Tatad, Jinggoy Estrada, Digs Dilangalen, Boots Anson
Roa, and Jamby Madrigal. For party-list, vote for the pro-poor
People's Movement Against Poverty (PMAP).


















- page 197 -

OUR LAST HOPE: FPJ, Hermann Tiu Laurel, TRIBUNE

Picture the Philippine one month after next Monday, May 10, and
the political forces of the usurper of power and constitutional
transgressors Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hang on by the treacheries
and travesties of our laws they have been committing since the
Manapat forgeries to disqualify Fernando Poe Jr. to the present
disbursement of billions of government funds for electioneering. A
senator gave his informed view about the prospects:
The consolidated public sector deficit will hit P350-billion, P200-
billion deficit in our national budget and P150 billion in Napocor.
Electricity rates will have to be raised by P1/kWh, taxes to pay for
the deficit will have to be raised from oil products, alcoholic and
other beverages, tobacco, cellphone texting etc. If Arroyo stays on
there will be no moral credibility for the government to ask for
sacrifices from the people. With a new leadership there is hope.
This was narrated to us by a banker, and the senator is Serge
Osmea III. It depicts the situation our nation faces after the May
10 elections accurately. Except for the sacrifice to be asked of
the people I can agree with him entirely, but in my view the
sacrifice must be made by the elite in our society consisting of
the big business interests. That change of political leadership is
imperative. I am, however, in full solidarity with him; and if what I
hear is correct, we are agreed that FPJ is the man of the hour to
help our nation shape up the crew and steer the course in these
dangerous times.
The picture Serge Osmea paints does not evoke even half of the
dread that we should feel in the situation facing us after May 10.
- page 198 -
The private schools have already notified authorities they will raise
tuition fees by 15 to 20 percent; tens of thousands more will be
out-of-school as students of all levels try to jam the gates to the
public schools and state colleges and universities only to be turned
away because there will be no room anymore for them.
With so much economic and financial resources to be diverted to
taxes for debt servicing, public infrastructure will deteriorate
further which will turn away more and more domestic and
international enterprises; unemployment and underemployment are
now at 11 percent and roughly 30 percent respectively. Former
national treasurer Liling Briones has warned that a financial
collapse is imminent within a year. Argentina here we come!,
and no one disputes this anymore with the 20 percent of P5.3-
trillion new debt Arroyo has put on our shoulders in her three years
in Malacaang.
Add to all these economic and social factors the political tension
that will continue to grow because everyone knows: Gloria's
February 2001 power grab destabilized all our institutions and
obligated her government to the local and foreign oligarchs that
supported her usurpation hence the Lopezes stopped Maynilad
concession payments in March 2001, Epira was rammed through a
lame duck Congress that gave us the PPA and doubled energy
prices, the International Board of Advisers came to rule our
economic management solely for their own benefit, and now we're
just ahead of Cambodia and Laos in development growth.
Against all these crises that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo symbolizes,
including the crisis of trust, stands FPJ. Representing independence
from all vested interest blocs with his principles of honesty and
transparency, of the nation as the hero and not the power brokers,
and symbolic of a 180 degree turnaround of leadership philosophy
and style FPJ offers the only hope for averting an Argentina
- page 199 -
situation. FPJ embodies a chance for what can be aptly likened to
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal; a reshuffling of the deck
that is presently stacked against the Filipino common man rich and
poor alike.
Ranged against FPJ are Gloria and all her surrogate candidates
arranged by Ramos and company to confuse and split the people
from voting for change. They have repeatedly used this flaw in our
political system, its lack of a run off or elimination round to allow
a clear polarization of issues and final mandate between only two
choices. They field Eddie Villanueva who was gifted before with
the Zoe Channel, and the real lameduck Roco who helped foreign
bankers to take our country; most insidiously, they now sustain
Lacson who has done everything to sabotage the consolidation of
the opposition vote.
The vast majority of voters have long made their decision that they
want change and have given their vote to FPJ, which explains why
he continues to lead in all honest surveys and why they're all
ganging up on No. 1.
Lacson has sought to ensure that the groundswell for FPJ does not
materialize, but even his sabotage of the Iglesia ni Cristo support
for the opposition will be for naught as we have talked to many
faithful and they have said they shall vote by their conscience and
leave the judgment of their act to God.
We are like Ceasar, Moses or Joshua at the river or sea crossing.
Crossing that barrier is the way to hope, the Promised Land, the
new beginning and new day a new vision and fresh approach to
the crisis at hand, that will deal the Filipino a new hand by an
honest and trustworthy leader.

- page 200

AT THE END, THE MAN: FPJ

You have to see it to believe it. They are making it so
hard for FPJ. It is a shame for the Filipino people.
Many times, they cut the light for his rally; many
times he does not even get a permit for his rally.
Manila? Njet! Eddie Villanueva, yes, one million
yellow idiots there in Luneta Grandstand. They all
want to go to heaven. God forbid that he becomes the
president. Then we are really banana, we all have to
wear yellow uniform, become born again, and cry:
Eddie!

Here on Saturday, May 8, 2004, on Ayala Avenue, in
enemy territory, all Ayala buildings were dark, very
dark. All Ayala employees spelled s-l-a-v-e-s were
home watching TV, ABS-CBN entertainment, no FPJ
there, guaranteed. The sky got dark also and started
crying. Seeded clouds produced some very heavy
showers, in summer, dry season, mind you, but oh
wonder, where was the wind?

That was a very ominous sight for so many who ran
for cover. Big raindrops, straight down, no wind, no
movement of the clouds. Glorias monsoon! She

- page 201 -

must be very afraid that she has to go so far to even
change Gods weather pattern! Yes, she won, OK,
she disturbed FPJs miting de avanse. But for those
who stood their ground and waited for FPJ, a moment
came that they will never forget in their life. They
saw and heard a new FPJ, the real FPJ.

What he said was not learned, was not scripted. The
way he said it, it was what he felt, truly, deeply in his
heart. For the Filipino people, for the downtrodden.
The millions who do not know how to feed their
children, how to enroll them in school. The millions
who do not count, who have no rights, because all the
rights are with those few who have it all.

And how he said it! How he correlated with the
masses in front of him. Maybe only Adolf Hitler did
it better. But Adolf Hitler had a clear common
enemy. FPJ is not there yet. Our culture is not there
yet. We still have to learn to call a spade a spade and
an enemy an enemy.

But anyhow, thank you, FPJ, you showed us the way!
Those of us who were lucky to be there will follow
you all the way.

- page 202 -

THE DAY AFTER

A nation is holding its breath. The election exercise is done. Now
we are waiting for the judges to tell us who won. It is like in
boxing. You saw the fight. You think that Manny Pacquiao won.
But he did not. Marquez is still the world champion. They found a
way and there is nothing you can do. Maybe there will be a next
time. Maybe.

Maybe FPJ won the election. Maybe the overwhelming majority of
the Filipino people want him to win, maybe the overwhelming
majority of the Filipino people hate Gloria, like they hate the world
champion who stole the title from their hero. But what can we do?

There was a difference in showing, though. The Manny Pacquiao
fight took hours and hours because of the overload of TV
commercials. Filipino boxing aficionados want to see the fight, not
what they want us to see. But thats how it is. That is how they
treat the Filipino. They decide, not you.

In the election, ABS-CBN gives us complete coverage. That is
how they call that gimmickry of showing us how they vote in
Saudi or in Abra or in Hong Kong or in Sultan Kudarat. That is
like the magician who diverts your attention from the main thing
and, out of a sudden, he pulls out the dove from nowhere.

To believe that the complete coverage by ABS-CBN is not part of
the election machinery of Gloria is, at best, innocente. They leave
nothing to chance. She will not even have to pay for the favor, the
owners of ABS-CBN have an inherent interest to keep her in
power. She is with the rich, by the rich, and for the rich. So it
comes gratis and amore as the most visible part of the greatest and,
- page 203 -

by far, most expensive, campaign this country has ever seen. The
TV coverage will show her in all her glory but it will never tell that
she borrowed P 49 Billion from GSIS for her election campaign.

They will also, and let us include all those intelligent-sounding
gentlemen, who get interviewed in her favor as time passes by, not
explain to you how Gloria will fill that hole of P49B in GSIS. That
is not her money! Same with the money that the ill-fated lady from
the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office had to borrow for her.
She got a heart attack. Poor lady!

Coming to her rescue is the phony argument that Gloria did not
just spend the money; she made an investment. She made a what?
Well, you have to understand the logic behind this. By spending
huge amounts in vote-buying, she actually gives the economy a
boost and money, trickle-trickle, into the hands of poor Filipinos,
who then spend the money to buy more San Miguel beer. The
profits of San Miguel will go up and the price for San Miguel
shares in the stock market will go up, which will pull up the
indexes and make the stock market analysts bullish about the
future of the economy. Did you get it?

They say that the water in Pampanga is best for San Miguel beer.
They make the famous Grande there, the big bottle for real beer
drinkers. That is maybe why Gloria spent P 1,000 per vote there.
Good thinking! For P1,000 per vote or per head, she got all the
votes, here, there, and everywhere.

By the looks of it and by the sounds of the spokespersons for her,
she won and she will be proclaimed President soonest. Then she
can start filling the holes she has created. How does she do it? She
will borrow from our foreign lenders who are waiting and only too
eager to lend her more. You, the readers of 200 earlier pages, you
- page 204 -

know very well why they are so eager to lend more to the
Philippine President. But beware, it is not the President, it is not
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who will borrow, it is the Republic of
the Philippines. That is you, and me, and every Filipino, even the
unborn, all of us, rich or poor.

One day we will have to pay for what she borrowed for and on our
behalf. Thank you, but no thank you. How do we deserve that?
Well, we can always say we did not know but that does not help us
any later. Someone has to pay and that is nobody else but us.

At least, for now, we can always hope that she will clean up the
mess she has created in GSIS, SSS, PAGCOR, Charity
Sweepstakes, and wherever else she was able to borrow money.
Nice of her, noh?

Now all Filipinos can go back to what they do best, watch Paloma,
Love Storm, Bubble Gum, Star Talk. Thats exciting. Hopefully
there will be more programs with more big boobs. Now that the
sex train has started rolling, there is no way to stop it. In our mid-
day shows you see already our young daughters learning how to
look seductive. Like hookers. They make more money on TV than
in the cabaret. Some people call that University of Pegasus.

Morals? Ethics? Real values, anyone? All talk, no action. Sex is a
selling argument that nobody can deny. You may like it or hate it;
that is up to you. But selling is money and money talks. Bullshit
walks, you know that. Now I will ask you a question and please be
honest to yourself: Imagine, Jesus Christ comes back to earth and
he lands in Makati Avenue. He has no money, no cellphone, no
ATM card. No money to eat, walang pamasahe! Will anybody
believe him? He does not even have a clean haircut. Chances are,
mga kaibigan, that you will not believe him. You know the tricks
- page 205 -

of beggars. He says he is Jesus. Jesus Christ! Come on! And
believe me, everybody will do like you. Because of money or, in
this case, because of no money.

No, seriously and honestly speaking, the whole election exercise is
an exercise in futility. We might as well vote one President for the
rich and one President for the Filipino people. We could call him
the Peoples President. The rich will get richer anyhow and the
poor will get poorer. So, at least, let them have a President.

It depends on how you look at it. For me, the worst of it all is the
constant cheating. Of course, it is worst during election, when they
become so nice, come to your door and shake your hand and
everybodys hand, so promising, and they pay you to run for them
or to paste the posters at night.

Cheating is the other side of look down upon, despise, abhor (the
unwashed, you remember?), treat as undeserving of respect (illegal
vendors and everything illegal). Not enough with that. It gets
worse. They think that Filipinos are stupid, that they eat everything
and know nothing. That they want to be fooled, so lets fool them.
Therefore, they can smuggle in thrown-away chicken from other
countries, maybe even poisonous, and sell it here in the markets.
They can smuggle in half the need for diesel, make a nice cut for
themselves, and go and raise the price for diesel anyhow with the
connivance of the big three. Of course, not election time.

You think they have an interest in educating the Filipino, so that he
will find out what they are doing? You must be joking. This whole
scenario is a self-serving mechanism in the hands of the rich and
the poor are picking from their hands. Like chicken. They love to
have Halalan every six years, because every six years they get
richer and the poor get poorer. As the poor get poorer, there will be
- page 206 -

more criminality. The answer of the rich to more criminality is
more rigid action from the strong Republic: Show of force,
clamp-down action, intimidation, and liquidation of the fall guys.
The small fry will get caught and shown big on TV. The big fish
will swim freely, related to and protected by you know who. And
Halalan gives them the right, the license to steal. Wonderful!

What did the Filipino people get out of Halalan 2004? Some
money? Yes. Some excitement? Sure. And then what? Tomorrow
it will be business as usual. Gloria will smile triumphantly from
her media. And with her but not so openly, all the crocodiles of
greed who did everything to stay in power.

You will not see your candidate any more. His office will be
protected from now on until next Halalan. So he will not be
molested while doing his own little business. Thats what we are in
office for! That Filipino who coined the beautiful phrase: Better
by Filipinos like hell, than by Americans like heaven, did not
know what he was talking about. May he rest in peace!

So, what is in there for Filipinos from the middle class down to the
poorest of the poor? A good advice may be to look for jobs in
Afghanistan or in Iraq and send home money, so your relatives can
spend the money in the malls to up-hold the economy here. Or go
as jappayukki to Japan or Taiwan where the guys have money to
spend. At least, you are no longer prosti or prostitute. You are now
certified care-giver, courtesy of Gloria and the fat gentleman.
Anyhow, your younger brother does not care how you make the
money, as long as there is money.

Grave as that may sound, what else is there to wait for in a country
that, after the smoke screen of the Halanan has settled, is bankrupt
by all standards, with the rich owning everything and every one of
- page 207 -

the cash-cows, but getting scot-free from not paying their due
taxes. Indeed, you will never find an Ayala or a Henry Sy or any of
his Chinese sounding name friends in the list of tax payers. They
make billions, but the top tax payer in this country barely cracks
the P10M mark. Pesos, not dolyares.

Did I say anything against foreign sounding names? There are not
too many Filipinos in the business clubs, not even as hang-ons.
Filipinos dont own anything. They serve. Chinese kids in our
country learn how to run a business. Filipino kids learn how to get
a diploma. Then they look for a job. Who told them that? God
question, no?

Let me ask another question, while we keep waiting for trickle-in
results. Who were the first overseas contract workers? The answer
is this: In the early 70s, Riyad, the capital city of the Saudi
Arabian Kingdom needed a new airport. The plans were to build a
great airport, the biggest airport on earth. They needed workers,
many workers.

Filipinos, by that time, had a good reputation in other countries as
architects, designers, construction workers. Many Filipinos were
working already in other countries as professionals, on their own
merits. They had a job already. In those days, there was no big
problem with visa and border control. Surely, not for Filipinos. But
those were few and not available. They had work to do.

So, the Arabs asked officially for Filipinos and many applied. But
they did not pass. The Arabs wanted Muslims only. Where do you
find Muslims in the Philippines? In Zamboanga. So, then President
Marcos ordered and arranged for the first batch of Muslim
overseas contract workers from Zamboanga, with proper training
in Manila. From Manila, they were flown to Riyad and they
- page 208 -

worked there. They were so good that the Saudi King asked
Marcos to send more and Marcos made Blas Ople the first
Secretary for Overseas Contract Workers. Such were the days.
Nowadays, Filipino contract workers do not enjoy that privilege
any more. Filipina is a bad word now. In Europe, in the dictionary,
Filipina stands for hooker. Indeed, so many things have changed
from the days there was a President Marcos.

Talking about hookers, there is another one. There are many ways
of looking at prostitutes or prostitution. No country, no ruler has
ever been able to eradicate it or them. On the other hand, in some
countries like in Germany, Switzerland, France, or England,
imagine, some prostitutes are in the highest circles of society.
Certainly, the owners of the finest and most expensive restaurants
count them as their privileged guests. Guess why.

That is not the case in the Philippines. Since Cory Aquino and
Mayor Lim cleaned up and that includes the killing of 87
farmers on Recto/Mendiola Bridge, prostis are garbage and on the
lowest end of society. That has not always been the case.

In 1981, my first visit to Asia, we were enjoying life in Patpong,
Bangkok, Thailand. We knew Hamburg with 100,000 or more
licensed hookers but Patpong was different. Easy. Not so
professional. So we were sitting together and they tell me that only
Ermita is better. I ask: Ermita? Where is that? And they: What?
You dont know Ermita?

The next day we were in the airplane and landed in Manila. It was
hard to find a hotel room. All hotels fully booked. Remember, in
those days Manila Hotel was ranked the No.1 hotel in the world.
Foreign tourists came in the millions, imagine! And then they
brought me to Firehouse on M.H. del Pilar. Wow! That was it! The
- page 209 -

girls looked great and everyone speaks English! Drinks were cheap
and we learned to eat Filipino. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
We had the fun time of our lives. Year in, year out, until 1986.
That was the time the Philippines was No.1 for us. Whenever we
had time, we would come together in Ermita. I think we spent a lot
of money. But that was not the problem.

The problem was in 1986. No more! No more Ermita! There was a
new President, a lady. Everything had changed. No more fun, so
we went back to Bangkok. Now, nobody talks about the
Philippines anymore. Manila? Who needs that? Who needs the
Abu Sayyaf, or kidnap or holdup? We do not care about the rich in
any country. They are the same anywhere. We pity the poor. But
the more you give, the more they come. No good any more. So
better next time, Ermita!

Now, that was then, and we are here, and we have to live with
what we have now. Yet, it is a pity, really, it is a shame, no, it is a
crime, a patriotic crime that the Filipino people have forgotten how
life was before, when we had a President Marcos. It is like it was
erased, deleted, with snow fake, from every bodys mind.

Instead, we have this mental anomaly that people, generally, feel
that life is getting poorer and poorer, but when you ask them, yes,
we had good presidents. Cory was a good president, they say,
Ramos was a good president, they think, well, and that Gloria is a
good president. Ah yeah? Are you sure? Please, repeat, Gloria is a
good president? How come we are going bankrupt?

They dont see anymore that that is all perception. They dont
know anymore the truth. They dont care. Unfortunately, in the
process we have become a stupid nation, lets face it. Everything
has to look stupid, so they can laugh. If that is not enough, bring in
- page 210 -

the bakla, the gays, they are so cute! Or Eddie Gil. Last night, he
had his first show. It is so stupid that even the monkeys cannot
laugh anymore. But dont worry, Filipinos can.

I always say, the Filipinos may be stupid but it is not their choice.
They have no choice. They have to be happy with what they get
and what we see, as the early results are coming in.

As predicted by many, the trending shows from the beginning a
slim lead by Gloria. That is easy. Take Pampanga and Davao
where she bought the entire opposition, but let it appear like a
close race, so the people will not doubt her clean victory. That is
very important: Make it appear like clean elections, no cheating.

As there is no perfect crime, there is no sure victory for Gloria, not
yet. Depending on the numbers for Lacson, a close win by Gloria
could be just not enough for a clear mandate against the combined
numbers of FPJ and Lacson.

We are in the Philippines, but still the idea of an amicable
settlement between FPJ and Lacson for a coalition must be in the
minds of some people up there. That is how election works in other
countries. OK, we know, here it is all personal, all about people
and celebrities, not issues.

Anyhow, assuming a win by Gloria in the region of 5%, then it
does not matter whether through cheating or not. People are more
or less expecting that from her anyhow, even if they vow together
to wish for clean election.

Easy for her! Only one can cheat, the incumbent, and it would be a
miracle, if she would not. It is, of course, not Gloria herself who

- page 211 -

does it. It is also not her spokesman, Mike Defensor. Others are
doing it, for her. But that is the same. Game over, Philippines!

They might still tease us with some nice numbers for FPJ, but lets
all go to bed in the assurance that, one of the next days, ABS-CBN
will greet us a good morning and introduce us to our new
President: Gloria Macapal Arroyo.

God bless the Philippines!
























- page 212


Election can end like Pacquiao-Marquez fight
Neal Cruz, INQUIRER
JUDGING by the initial election returns, the presidential fight
could very well end up like the Pacquiao-Marquez fight -- a draw,
if that is at all possible in a presidential race. And like the boxing
bout, the real winner can be robbed of his victory by the real loser
who, alas, happens to control the government, the same way
Manny Pacquiao was robbed of his victory by the promoters who
control boxing in Nevada.
The voting is over but the counting has just begun. And as
everyone knows, a candidate can win in the voting but still lose in
the counting. Everyone, from candidate to voter, fears and expects
cheating. It is not far-fetched to believe that almost every candidate
and political group has a special operation or arm tasked to cheat
or to foil any attempt to cheat by the enemy. A popular election
joke is about cheating, purloined from the title of an action flick:

Panfilo Lacson: Cavite province is mine. Raul Roco: The Bicol
region is mine. Eduardo Villanueva: The pious are mine. Fernando
Poe Jr.: Mindanao is mine. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: The
Commission on Elections is mine!
That is why everyone should not relax and let his guard down. A
lot of mysterious things can still happen between now and the time
the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaims the winners.
Cheating in the precincts is now small-time and useful only to
local area candidates.
Big-time cheating now happens in the provincial certificates of
canvass where the No. 3 mysteriously becomes No. 8, No. 1


- page 213 -
becomes No. 7, 9 or 11, and the totals get either additional or lesser
zeroes. Such is "dagdag-bawas" [vote-padding and vote-shaving],
an invention perfected by Filipino politicians.
I am almost certain that special operatives of some candidates are
already dispersed in far-flung areas to cheat for them. That was
what happened in previous elections, with operatives even chasing
each other in airplanes from place to place. That was how certain
senators had won and others lost. That was how Miriam Defensor-
Santiago claimed she lost the presidency to Fidel V. Ramos.

It happened before; it can happen again.

AN indication of the firm grip the Christian denomination Iglesia
ni Cristo (INC) has on its members is that in the voting precincts in
Barangay New Era, the communities behind its main church in
Quezon City, candidates who were not on the INC sample ballot
got zero. The counting was finished very early since all the ballots
were like carbon copies of the INC sample ballot.

It is easy to understand why INC members vote like sheep. In
communities where only INC members reside, a few votes that
stray from the INC sample ballot would cause a big scandal. An
investigation could easily ferret out the disobedient members, who
could be expelled from their church and their communities.

Some members I talked with said they were not happy with the
choices their leaders made and would have preferred to vote for
other candidates, but they were afraid to disobey orders. For
example, they had been taught earlier on not to vote for women as
leaders, but this time they were told to vote for a woman for
President.

- page 214 -

And do you know that INC members actually spy on their
neighbors to find out how they voted? One housewife said her
husband accompanied her inside the polling booth to make sure
she voted for the candidates on the INC sample ballot.

In other words, there is no democracy within the INC. The
members don't have the free will that God gave to all human
beings. There is only dictation from the leaders, a virtual martial-
law regime. I have no quarrel with their leaders dictating the
religious teachings of their church, but voting for leaders of
government is something else. That is no longer religion. That is
already meddling in politics and government, acts that are
prohibited by the Constitution because they have been abused
before and may still be abused now.

If we don't watch out, we may become another Iran with Filipino
ayatollahs having the power of life and death over citizens, like the
priests during the Inquisition having the power of life and death
over the people or the friars having the power of life and death
over Filipinos during the Spanish regime.

Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, the propagandists and the
Katipuneros, as well as the other earlier revolutionaries, saw this
danger more than 100 years ago. But like most of the Filipino
"ilustrado" elite during the Spanish regime, the present ilustrados
don't recognize its return, not in the person of Spanish friars but in
the person of Filipino religious leaders.






- page 215 -

PRESS STATEMENT
MAY 13, 2004

STOP POWER GRAB OF POLL
CHEATER COALITION OF PEOPLE
EMPOWERMENT (COPE)


THE POLL CHEATER IS SET TO BE PROCLAIMED AS
THE ELECTED PRESIDENT UNDER A GRAND CONSPIRACY TO
SUBVERT THE SOVEREIGN WILL AND, THUS, PRESERVE
VESTED INTERESTS OF THE OLIGARCHS.

THE ONLY WAY TO INSTALL THE RIGHTFUL
PRESIDENT IS PEACEFUL, SOVEREIGN, CONSTITUTIONAL
PEOPLE POWER PURSUANT TO ARTICLE VIII, SECTIONS 15-16,
1987 CONSTITUTION.

THE MODUS OPERANDI OF THE POLITICAL
SWINDLER NOW IS TRENDING BY PAID SURVEYS, PAID
SERIES OF POLITICAL ANALYSTS ADVERSE TO FPJ AND PAID
CONCILIATORY STATEMENTS LIKE HEADLINE IN TEMPO:
TIME TO UNITE & RECONCILE.

HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWERS OF THE
OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAVE
ORGANIZED A COALITION OF PEOPLE
EMPOWERMENT (COPE) TO DETER FRAUDULENT
CANVASSING AND TO PROCLAIM THE TRUE CHOICE
OF THE SOVEREIGN FILIPINO PEOPLE.

OPLAN-SAGIP BANSA IS ON!

- page 216 -

To: FERNANDO POE JR.
Thru: A close friend

May 17, 2004

Dear Mr. President,

I am referring to and reverting to my letter to you dated November
10, 2003. I was advised then to give it to Butch Catsawan, which I
did in the Studios. I would not know whether you ever read it or
whether your entourage kept it as not important. They, of course,
have other priorities. It is easy to criticize or point the finger on
what went wrong, I will not elaborate, but the campaign is lost
because it missed the issues. I will attach copy of my original letter
now, even if that may be water under the bridge.

Why do I say so? Whatever good I have said and written about FPJ
seems to be for naught going with yesterdays headline in
PHILIPPINE STAR that FPJ has urged his supporters to shun
street protests amid allegations of fraud over last Mondays
elections. That same article makes a remarkable statement, it reads:
Opposition leader Sen. Edgardo Angara, the executive chairman
of KNP, said they will wait for the final result.

Is it now fair to say, after all, that is was and is Mr. Angara who
calls the shots? With all due respect, we cannot wait for them to
declare that Gloria lost. That will never happen. Now, I am surely
not the only one who thinks that Mr. Angara is not only the traitor
of Erap in the past but also the one who split Erap and FPJ now.
He is said by many to be the mole of Ramos in FPJs entourage to
minimize the chances of any opposition. Beware of diaries!
- page 217 -

Please forgive me my candidness. This is not the time for
pleasantries. We better tell you now whats coming. Imagine, you
lose and you decide to go back to private life. You think you can?
You are the last hope of the Filipino people. You cannot desert
them now. History will remember you as the loser of the last free
elections in this country. At best for you. More probable is that
history will have you as the most cheated loser ever and that you
asked your supporters to reconcile with the enemy of the people.

You can, of course, say that you dont see it like this. That is your
prerogative and maybe the worst. It would show to the world that
you are mis-led. Do we assume then that they will call the shots, if
and when People Power makes you President? God forbid!

To make a long story short, we have joined forces with some of
your oldest and most loyal friends. We feel it is our patriotic duty
to help the Filipino people see the truth of the matter. If the
incumbent, also your opponent as presidential candidate, will win
this one, they have no reason in the world, not to keep the well-
oiled machinery for the next election.

And we give it to them on a silver platter? FPJ maybe, because he
loves Loren, but not us! We seriously appeal to your remaining
senses of dignity and honesty to open your eyes to reality and
make true your commitment to the Filipino people. Your true
friends are here, not there. It is not too late, actually, it is never too
late to repent and do the right thing. But, please, dont throw in the
towel now, you are burying the Filipino people alive. For ever.

With all due respect and a great deal of hope,

Truly yours, O.J. and friends

- page 218

ONE WEEK AFTER



B A C K B E N C H E R
ROD P. KAPUNAN
Danger of a questionable mandate
Tuesday, 05 18, 2004
At the rate the election results mysteriously come out in trickles
and delayed for inexplicable reasons, the focus is no longer on who
won in the May 10 presidential election, but on its jarring
consequence with the people having second thoughts that this
might ultimately affect the integrity of the electoral process, which
is the cornerstone of our freewheeling democracy. There is now a
consensus that our wobbly democracy is about to collapse due to
loss of credibility. Political analysts see the blinking signal that the
presidential election was a sham, and what is being shown by the
National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) is the
manipulative result on the candidates it wants to win in the
recently concluded election.
This is now the fear of many because negative perception is fast
building up on Mrs. Arroyo. At stake is not just a question of who
won, but on whether the tampering and manipulation of the results
done through that dirty business called trending to mold the
public mind that she won might end up with the democracy being
the ultimate casualty. The symptoms are evident that once this de
facto government fails to sustain the credibility of the election
results, an extra constitutional government would emerge to
replace one that has been rendered inoperative by Mrs. Arroyo.
- page 219 -
At this point, the question is on how far we can make our carbon-
copied democracy work because we overlooked the aspect of this
involving not just a question of winning, but also the existence of a
substantial degree of credibility on the win of the candidates. The
actuality of having been voted should tally with public perception
that she won in that election. It is on this aspect of convincing them
that is most difficult since once the perception of cheating is
imprinted in the mind of the public, this would be very hard to
dispel.
These factors, which are indelible to the dynamics of democracy,
should be present because winning requires that the candidate
should first and foremost be believed to have won the vote. In its
absence, her government would be rocked by civil unrest and
massive protests. This explains why despite instances where
government has its firm control of the media, public cynicism
continues to prevail, and the people persist in patronizing the
alternative media, including the underground papers, because the
issue boils down to credibility.
Mrs. Arroyo cannot toss back the issue to the now galvanizing
opposition to prove its allegation of massive electoral cheating for
as always the question of disproving electoral fraud is on the
administration which is in control of the government. Even if some
crackpots in the opposition come out with a statement that Mrs.
Arroyo won, such would not suffice because cheating is an issue
between this corrupt government and the public at large. No
political leader would summarily demand from the people to prove
their charges because the holding of an honest, clean, and orderly
election is the duty of the government. If that credibility is
shattered, that becomes the liability of Mrs. Arroyo, and from
thereon her de facto government would be saddled with the serious
problem of divisiveness, and that would require an artificial
- page 220 -
respirator of resorting to strong arms tactic to contain political
unrest to keep her government alive.
By then she would have to rely on her emergency powers, which
would be an open-ended invitation for disaster for by then her de
facto term of office had already ended. Added is the fact that
members of the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police
cannot be segregated from what constitutes the general public's
nurturing the belief she never won in that election. She would have
difficulty exacting from them loyalty as there are doubts cast over
her electoral victory. Neither can Mrs. Arroyo and her elite
supporters continue to delude themselves on the political swindling
they love to call people power for behind that infamy in the shift
of loyalty by the AFP was the betrayal of some overtly ambitious
generals to their Commander-in-Chief and to the Constitution.
This is why Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino senatorial
candidate Francisco Kit Tatad was right in saying there is no
candidate or official in the opposition who can announce that no
street protests will occur over the perceived nationwide electoral
fraud because the vote belongs to the people. It is the electorate
whose votes were stolen that would decide whether they want to
fight for their rights in the streets, or passively accept the fraud,
and not us, not even Fernando Poe Jr. who has been voted by the
people and whose votes have been stolen. Such statement by
Tatad serves to stress the point that charges of election fraud are
not an issue to be resolved by the cheated against the cheater, but
by the cheater with the people because it was their votes that were
stolen that would give rise to a bogus mandate.
Even on the bleak apprehension by some that FPJ might
unexpectedly concede to Mrs. Arroyo without awaiting the result
of the counting to be finished, such would not serve to resolve the
political impasse. It would not even result in the automatic
- page 221 -
suspension in verifying the charges of massive electoral fraud.
Rather, it would only result in FPJ's forfeiture to any future claim
of having been elected President. The lackey would have nothing
to rejoice about because the failure of the candidate to claim he
was elected would automatically go to the Vice President-elect,
and not to one who ran but was not elected by the people. It is
succession to office and not refusal to accept the office that would
operate.
With all these grim possibilities brewing, it can be surmised that
we are veering toward a more catastrophic political crisis.
We are now on the crossroad on whether to resign to our faith of
being ruled by one we never elected or to take a drastic action that
as Mao Zedong succinctly said, destroying the old system in order
to build a new one. This is now the dilemma that confronts many
Filipinos today because what would happen in the next few days
would be crucial in determining whether the brand of democracy
we have been patronizing since our imperialist colonizer set us free
is still alive and kicking.
One can only guess about the lurking danger should the lackey
decide to push her luck too far for it might just be an altogether
self-defeating enterprise as the people would be having their
serious thoughts on being governed for another six years by one
who is perceived to have stolen the elections.







- page 222

Taking out a giant
Tuesday, 05 18, 2004
Elections where an incumbent is seeking a fresh mandate is never
one that makes for a level playing field. We have experienced this
first-hand, which is why the 1987 constitutional convention
painstakingly emphasized that elected Presidents are forbidden
from running again for the presidency.
There is always the danger and iniquitous advantage of
appropriating public funds and resources and the entire
government machinery for personal campaign purposes, especially
where an unpopular incumbent is among the main contenders in
the electoral contest.
Facing such an incumbent when you know you have no money or
machinery to match the government's resources that are available
at the fingertips of the sitting President is not only foolish but a
complete waste of time and energy.
Candidates who cannot even guard their votes against fraud or
manipulation are disappointments to their electorate and do not
deserve to win, and candidates who lose elections because of
alleged cheating and fraud deserve no sympathy and deserve to
lose. Candidates who chose to run in such an election are expected
to be aware of the fact the playing field is heavily tilted against
their favor and the incumbent would rather sell his or her children's
souls to the devil than lose. Therefore, a candidate's cry of foul
over cheating is a poor and an unacceptable excuse for defeat.
Candidates who are up against an abusive and remorseless
incumbent must compensate for their limited resources and
capability by being creative. If the playing field originally intended
- page 223 -
for the battle was never level and equal to begin with, they should
not expect a smooth victory, or better yet, should expect no victory
at all. If faced with such a situation, a smart candidate will try to
level the playing field by infusing his campaign and election
strategies with more money and resources to approximate the
government arsenal of the incumbent. But as experience has taught
many, the incumbent will always have an edge. The wise and
strategic candidate, on the other hand, will take the battle
elsewhere, to another playing field where the incumbent will be
put on the defensive instead.
When Jack faced the giant, he did not try to fight the giant head on.
He chopped off the giant beanstalk, causing the giant to fall and
die. When David faced Goliath, he did not try to fight him head on
with a sword. He slung a piece of rock at Goliath's head, hit him at
his most vulnerable spot, and killed him.
Incumbents may be giants and may appear invincible, but they too
have vulnerabilities. If fairy tales and the Old Testament have
taught us anything, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. It is up
to the candidates who challenge the mandate or lack thereof of
incumbents to discover these weaknesses and exploit this
discovery to their advantage.
The only question is, are the challengers up to the challenge?








page 224

PHILIPPINE PHENOMENON

India with more than 350 Million voters is finished in 3 days, three
days after Election Day, and they have a President. They have
electronic vote-counting machines in all strategic places, same as
Germany. In Germany, by the way, people expect to know who
won on the evening of Election Day.

Here in the Philippines, we are going into the third week and we do
not have as much as a clue even, who won in the election. Things
are not going better with FPJ announcing, in Zamboanga, in
Muslim country, that he won the election and that GMA is trying
to cheat him. Actually, he said, she is cheating, she is trending, she
is making people believe she won.

That closes the door to conceding to GMA. He cannot, not now
and not next month, say, Congratulations, Gloria, you won. And,
believe it or not, she will not, not now and not next month, say,
Congratulations, FPJ, you won.

Well, you could ask how we know. Actually, we do not know, it is
just one of those things that have developed over time, that it
appears as a given that she wants to be the President at all cost and
by all means, by hook or by crook, with legal or illegal means.
There should be no more doubt for any one in this country that this
has been the most expensive election campaign ever, from kalsada
natin walking billboards (where are they now?) to millions per day
in TV commercials, from a weekly P1M in cash for her personal
generals to a generous P10B to the head of Iglesia Ni Kristo.

There should also be no doubt for any one in this country that she
did not spend her own money. She spent government money, your

- page 225 -

money, our money. And to do that she borrowed money. Big time!
With so much money involved, we still have the most backward,
the most ridiculous vote-counting system in the world. There is
nobody else to blame for that than the President. Call it political
will. Call it intentional. Everything else she wanted, it appears she
got. Is it now correct to say that, also with the vote-counting
system, she got what she wanted?

All that is debatable; mostly facts or hard questions, but the media,
so proud and loud, when it was Erap-resign-time, are quiet,
awkwardly quiet. The supposedly educated people in this country,
the A, B, and some from the C classes are awkwardly quiet. To be
honest, they support the one who cheats the system, who cheats the
democratic system. They want her to be their president.

That is something uniquely Filipino. Gloria has chosen the haves,
the good people. FPJ is whether he likes it or not, the idol of the
poor. In a country that prouds itself to be the only Christian
country in Asia, the divisiveness between the rich and the poor is
so deep, so entrenched, the rich detest the poor so much, that there
is no way that the rich will give in only a little to the poor.

All Christian values are mere lip service. Politicians who love to
show themselves as god-fearing, prayers of the Rosary maybe, are
outright liars. The rich, the blessed, who love picture taking with
politicians, are the incarnation of hypocrites, as anti-Christ as anti-
Christ can be. They, of course, confirm themselves every time they
give five Pesos to a beggar. But they fully endorse Glorias line to
show the full force of the law to the poor, while they take the
law in their own hands as soon as they are sitting behind the wheel
or when they can blow their horn in case a jeepney stops suddenly
in front of them and unloads the passengers.
- page 226 -
A CALL TO ARMS by Herman Tiu Laurel
By this time, the number of Filipinos waking up to the fascist
intentions of the Arroyo cabal should be growing fast. Monday
afternoon a blatant act to suppress the people's right to free and
unhampered expression and public information was committed by
the Comelec. It issued a gag order on ABC Channel 5 on its
broadcast of its election quick count that challenged the official
slow quick count of the other TV stations.
The obvious difference between ABC 5's count and the others
shows the count as it comes in, which shows FPJ leading
significantly over Arroyo. ABC 5 has several hundred employees
who now know the truth that the Arroyo cabal will do everything
to suppress the true results of the elections. They have families,
relatives and friends who will hear the story of how their station is
being suppressed.
There are about 15 million voters of FPJ out there who will now
receive further confirmation that their vote is being systematically
suppressed and replaced by spurious ones being manufactured now
and announced through the National Citizens Movement for Free
Elections (Namfrel) and the mainstream media. There will be an
explosion of indignation at the end of this electoral outrage!
Not only Filipino-FPJ voters are confounded. At the monthly
diplomatic Kapihan at the Mandarin, organized by diplomatic
circuit journalist Deewai Caparas, the Indian diplomat asked,
What is this Namfrel? Why do you have such a body aside from
the official government electoral institution? It confuses. Doesn't it
create instability? I whispered to her later, Namfrel was
organized by CIA Edward Lansdale while pointing to the
American diplomat at our table. I reminded the diplomatic
community, after congratulating the Indian representative for her
- page 227 -
country's most successful conduct of elections, that Namfrel
leaders Joecon and Bill Luz had already declared FPJ an enemy six
months earlier.
Thus far, Namfrel counted 10 percent of the 16-million NCR and
Luzon votes where FPJ commandingly leads while prioritizing
Visayas and some parts of Mindanao to show GMA leading. We
found this out even as Namfrel refused to bare to the public the
precincts where they got their votes to count nor the certificate of
canvass (CoCs) used even after ending its count at 77 percent of
the precinct votes. That is intended to leave out the balance that
they are hard put to change and where the FPJ lead would overtake
Namfrel's. Mainstream media's credibility will collapse, however,
as The People's Tally electoral watchdog took out full-page ads
Tuesday showing the CoC-based election results all over the
country.
All these election venalities are not lost on active police and
military officers, who have the integrity to appreciate that the most
sacred institution, enshrined in the Constitution that they vowed to
uphold the elections is being raped right before their eyes.
Several officers have already been unjustly persecuted for refusing
to obey orders to allow tampering with of the elections in their
areas of responsibility, such as Gen. Gudani, Capt. Felix Aungge
and now a Col. Gamus is being persecuted for allegedly
campaigning for Poe but most likely another recalcitrant in the
election-fixing game of Arroyo's generals.
As I write this column, opposition supporters are being called
through cell phone texts to send people to Channel 5 to express
moral support. I am going there myself after writing this column.
As I prepare, I remember to give credit to the indefatigable spirit of
tens of thousands of FPJ volunteers whose spirit has not flagged
through these days of intimidation, disinformation and
- page 228 -
suppression, digging into their own pockets, thriving on stale
cookies and water at the HQs and the Makati Coliseum, its media
bureau slaving away in the dugouts these are true soldiers of
freedom in the spirit of the Katipunan.
Yes, it is a call to arms, bare arms raised against the oppression
from the Arroyo regime. We are probably being led into a dark
night by this power-obsessed cabal now holding the reins of
government, but it won't be long before the dawn rises from this.
Summer nights are short and the new dawn never fails to rise, that
is the law of history and human nature truth will come out in the
open and shall reign supreme.
Our call to arms today is to continue with the struggle to bring this
truth out to the public by publishing them; airing them through
texts, manifestos and seminars and even other limited media
opportunities.
While some are willing to be fooled by Arroyo's suppression and
manipulation, they cannot erase from the face of this country the
millions who cannot be fooled and the tens of thousands who are
eager to go out onto the streets to start expressing disgust over the
travesty of our elections. There will be no peace in this society so
long as the truth is suppressed and the genuine will of the people is
suppressed. No gimmick, such as Roco's preemption of the total
count and conceding to GMA, can fool the people. All this is
enlightenment for the people that leads to more freedom and
action.
Let us offer all our resources and labors now at the altar of genuine
democracy. The next days and weeks shall bring a close to the
cheating Arroyo regime and see the beginning of a just, open and
trustworthy government.
- page 229
COOL ANALYSIS: MILITARY?
Thursday, 05 20, 2004
The singular characteristic of the recent elections, one that sets it
apart from all proceeding elections, is the devastating impact it has
had on the credibility of every institution that has anything to do
with the elections, from the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
and National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel)
down to the polling organizations, media and religious sects.
The entire electoral exercise has been totally partisan and agencies
which are supposed to have maintained a conspicuous degree of
aloofness and objectivity, such as the poll organizations and
Comelec, for example, today stand perceived as having abjured
that aloofness and objectivity in favor of political partisanship.
Comelec, Namfrel and the polling organizations are now widely,
and even wildly, seen to have massaged not only public
opinion but the actual outcome of the elections, while prominent
elements of the media community as well as religious sects and
leaders are just as widely perceived to have abandoned all
objectivity expected of them and to have plunged, flagrantly and
recklessly, into the political battle, including the cheating and
bribing side of it.
Only months ago, for example, Namfrel, the Social Weather
Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia were deemed bastions of
objectivity and non-partisanship, which could be expected to
function as a counterweight to the partisanship that had enveloped
the entire electoral process. The Comelec long ago had been
assumed to have lost its objectivity but there were still Namfrel
and the polling organizations that could be counted on to serve as a
counterweight
- page 230 -
to a Comelec that just about every one assumed would rig the
elections in favor of the administration.
But not so now. Namfrel, Pulse Asia and the SWS stand literally
accused of having conspired with Comelec to rig the elections.
Insisting, as administration supporters do, that such accusations
will have to be proven in court is about as meaningless as insisting
that allegations accusing the fallen Estrada of plunder first be
proven and established in court before the public render judgment
against him.
The truth is we are here dealing with politics and in politics it isn't
the truth that matters so much as perception of the truth. Estrada
was felled by people power on the basis of the perception that he
plundered as charged rather than on actual proof that he did
plunder, a point which still has to be established in the courts.
That is precisely what has happened to the Comelec, Namfrel and
the polling organizations. Nothing they can do or say now can
disabuse their large and still growing number of accusers of the
impression that they colluded to help GMA steal the elections.
How this has come about is, of course, a long long and even
complicated story, which need not concern us at this time. We deal
only with what appears to be, at least to this piece, an
incontrovertible fact. The fact is Comelec, Namfrel and the polling
organizations are perceived, repeat, perceived, by a large portion of
the voting public to have functioned as an arm of the GMA
administration in its bid and effort to win these elections and win
them at all cost.
Whether that perception is correct, whether it is founded on reality,
is something else. As said earlier, this is politics and in politics it
- page 231 -
isn't the truth that matters so much as the perception of the truth,
and the two can be two separate and opposing worlds.
If the credibility of Namfrel and the polling organizations has
broken down, one can only take it as part and parcel of the
breakdown of the entire political system, which had long been in
process. After all, by the time the elections started the three
branches of government the legislative, the executive and
judiciary were already bereft of credibility and same may even
be said of media as such and, of course, the Comelec.
It would seem then just a question of time private agencies like
Namfrel and the political polling organizations should be dragged
down by the process and that's exactly what has happened.
But that isn't the darkest aspect of the process. The darkest aspect
of the system's breakdown is the fact it is breaking down, or that it
has already broken down, at a time when the overwhelming
number of Filipinos are experiencing acute economic and financial
difficulties and have obviously become deeply and irrevocably
disillusioned with the political and electoral system as a vehicle for
improving their lives and getting them out of their miserable state.
Which brings us to the subject of this piece.
With the breakdown, at a time of acute economic crisis, of the
credibility of just about every agency and institution that has to do
with political governance directly, as in the case of government
agencies and indirectly as in the case of private agencies like
Namfrel, the poll organizations and media the road has been
thrown wide open not only for military intervention but for
military intervention of the total and absolute kind.

- page 232 -
There isn't a single civilian institution left standing that could with
credibility function as a restraining force on a military government
should such a government materialize. And such a government is
bound to materialize simply because civilian institution, and that
include political parties and the politicians they produce, have lost
political as well as moral credibility significantly if not completely.
Even the media as an institution have lost credibility and a military
government would have no compelling reason to listen to them in
conducting the business of governance.
So, it is a complete political void we are looking at, and we can
only hope that the military force that would step into that void
would have the good sense and judgment to govern in the way the
military regime of Park Chung-hee of South Korea or that of
Nasser of Egypt or even of Suharto of Indonesia governed their
respective nations.
These regimes at least brought their countries to the age of science
and industry, and dramatically rolled back the poverty that had
plagued those countries through the most part of their modern
history.











- page 233

THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM?

Eleven days after Election Day, we see the lull, but a storm?
Nowhere in sight! There is another taifun coming but that is not it.
The lull is on ABS-CBN, they make us believe everything is fine,
everybody loves soap, sex bombs, and Gloria. And romance!

She is making herself rare; she had a visitor from the U.S. of A.
with the name of Bosworth, same as the one who told Marcos that
is was time to leave. Instead of playing it out big in her news, there
is silence, like no visitor had been there from the U.S. of A. who
brought her the news that the Philippines, indeed, looks very bad in
the world with respect to its human rights record.

We have known that all the time but, funny, the kanos are coming
with that now. Is it then true also that the U.S. embassy told her
that they could no longer guarantee for her personal safety and the
safety or her family? That would be a real blow to her strategy.
Maybe she is thinking of what to do now.

Maybe she is thinking about Presidente Bush who needs to show to
the world that America is rightfully the police of the world. That
Iraqi prisoner thing with those nasty pictures forces him to show
force somewhere else. Strongly and now. What else is there, than
to show to the world that America cannot allow cheating to go on,
big time, in their only colony, eh, eh, former colony?

In the meantime, sa mantala, we, the Filipino people, unmindful of
what is really important in the world, go about our own business,
in the old habit of taking the path of least resistance and showing a
superficial, hyperactive facade to our neighbors who mean so
much to us. Around us, the very concept of government has
- page 234 -

become a mockery from the clerk who fixes a traffic ticket or sells
an undeserved permit or license, to the palace favorites who treat
laws and agreements as their own personal fiefdom. The traffic
mess cannot be fixed because the generals run the buses and the
protection rackets. The garbage problem cannot be solved because
the mayors own the garbage trucks and the law enforcers are
themselves the culprits. All faith in government is lost and we
adjust and pay.

On TV, big businessmen whine about the climate of public gloom
and pessimism, but it is they who buy the elections. Corruption
makes reforms impossible because too many criminal fortunes are
at stake. That is not only true for shabu labs, that includes also
illegal logging, illegal smuggling of cell phones and cell cards, and
widespread land grabbing, even on highest level.

Education cannot be improved because bribery makes everything
so expensive that there is only one schoolbook for every 8
schoolchildren and the teachers are nannies in Hong Kong. The
power of illegal money is such that everything is overturned,
goodness is turned on its ear and nothing works anymore. Wrong
has become right and evil, good.

The members of this envied club of the blessed and the
wannabe-rich have been classified as morally upright, as
morality now is bestowed on those that have been blessed, and
only the blessed have the moral direction for our people. Thanks
to our misguided church leaders and, of course, our misguided
selves, the churchgoers, who look up to the blessed.

In the case of a populist Joseph Estrada who was voted into office
by a landslide victory, this class of the morally upright, calling
themselves the civil society, went into overkill to drive out the
- page 235 -

advocate of the filthy democracy of the masa. Now, the same
civil society is quiet, awfully quiet, silently praying that Gloria will
win and that nothing will come out of the claim by an actor that he
won the election but got cheated. They will silently accept
everything and anything, our worst sickness as a nation, if only the
hero of the filthy masa will be stopped.

How many are they, 20 percent? 30 percent of the total population?
They have a car; they may have a house that they pay mortgage for
for the rest of their lives. There are those who have more than one
car, even those who have more than 10 cars in their garage, but
they are less than 10 percent of all Filipinos.

So what? There are 70 percent of have-nots stacked against 30
percent of the have it all? That is it? But the 70 percent cannot win
because they have no leader, is that it? And as long as there is no
leader, there is, also, no storm, right? Correct!

So, what about FPJ? Truth or not, FPJ is perceived to be the drop-
out from school. True or not, that perception is now deep-seated
and will not change. FPJ will never convince anyone on the other
side, the 30 percent upright. He might as well drop the idea of
ever trying anything to please the upright, the good people. He
would better do what Joseph did so successfully 6 years ago. Go
the masa way, all the way. What stops him from doing that?

Lets be honest. Nobody is perfect. We were talking about
unification of the opposition before and thought that that was the
only solution. The problem was that Lacson wanted FPJ to slide
down to VP. That seems outlandish now, like long time ago. The
people have chosen FPJ and dropped Lacson but it is very possible
that many enthusiastic votes got lost in the process over the
stalemate and bickering in the opposition. What counts is that the
- page 236 -

people have chosen the school drop-out with zero experience over
the more polished, more professional senator who, maybe, was
banking on his superior contacts in the military. Now, FPJ is in,
Lacson is out. Still, there is the question, why not a landslide
victory like Erap?

Give it to the Filipino people. Many of them may be uneducated
but they are not stupid. They loved Erap. That love is still there;
maybe withheld as long as they claim that there was a plunder.
The courts have not spoken yet. But they will never forget how
Loren danced in Congress, when they ousted Erap. No
proclamation of Loren, no beautiful smile, can erase that memory.
No proclamation of FPJ can erase the question in the minds of the
poorest of the poor who will always love Erap, are you serious?

Indeed, at 5 minutes before 12, the question arises: Are you
serious, FPJ? You are saying, there in Zamboanga, that you won
the election but you got cheated in the counting. You know what?
That will end in nowhere land. We will squabble over that question
long after Joe de Venecia has proclaimed Gloria as new President.

Did your statement do any good? Maybe it did. It makes it hard for
you, or impossible, to concede. You will be a loser, a querulant, a
complainant, a whiner. Maybe they will find a new word for you.

But did it raise a storm? No! Not even a whiff of a storm. It created
some headlines like FPJ claims, so what? The big media actually
bring the news to accentuate the futility of the effort. Bunye
already compares FPJ to Eddie Gil. They can claim anything.

Why is it like this, FPJ? Are you not claiming that you make your
own decisions? Are you? Can you please show us? We are waiting
for you but we know you are busy-busy checking election results
- page 237 -

in Mindanao to find proof of fraud. With all due respect, that is
useless. Fraud is all over the place, you dont have to look for it.
What if you find something real? Will you give it to your
lawyers and then wait for the COMELEC to tell you that your
complaint is baseless? That is a waste of time and energy.

The problem is here. We know that you cannot proclaim yourself
President. Gloria and her cabal will never allow you to be
crowned. What then? Can you please look at the Constitution and
the rights of the people, the sovereign will of the Filipino people?
It says there that We the people elect our leaders and We crown
our President.

But how can we do that, if we dont have anyone to crown? The
electoral process of Mr. Bunye will ask us to sit back and relax
and wait for that ugly man Borra to tell us who won. Only by
looking at this ugly man, we know already.

We the sovereign People, we decide. By doing nothing or by
doing something. Something like this maybe: For example, FPJ
makes a press statement, this time on the occasion of the victory of
Jinggoy in the senatorial race, in San Juan, and FPJ will say:

Your father is proud of you, but he cannot be here with us
because the powers that be have taken his freedom and his dignity.
May I represent your father in this occasion and from here on. This
is a very emotional moment and I am forced to admit that only
now do I see the full impact of your fathers situation, which
reflects the situation of the Filipino people at large. As long as
your father is incarcerated and bereft of his freedom and dignity, so
is also the majority of those who voted for him. I will take this
opportunity and this moment of truth to declare myself as one with
your father in spirit and heart and that I will take up the fight for
- page 238 -

the rights of the vast majority of under-privileged Filipinos.
Nobody has given more respect to the rights of the poor than your
father. I will do the same by declaring myself as the successor and
President of the poor. I cannot proclaim myself as President of the
Republic; only the sovereign will of the people can do that. If you
so decide and proclaim me President of the Republic of the
Philippines, I will abide by the Constitution and swear to God
the Almighty that we will make this nation great again!

IGNITION! Yes! That is what the people want to hear. That is
what the people deserve. They dont deserve that someone tells
them that they are too stupid to vote for their own President. They
deserve to be heard and to be counted. This will end all squabbling
and create a storm of enthusiasm for a peaceful, constitutional,
and justified change that this country so urgently needs.

To justify, for all the poor, listen, the electoral process may be
moving in a snails pace but the oil price is going up, minimum
fare is already raised, and approved, by almost 45%, and
everybody is going to adjust, meaning to raise prices. Only the
poor cannot adjust, they have to pay. Always. This time and every
time hereafter, if there is no change in government.

To justify for the haves, you please listen also, the NHMFC sells
P13.4B Housing NPLs. Ah, you dont know what that means? Let
me help you. The National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation
sold P13.4Billion worth of non-performing residential mortgage
loans to a foreign investment company. The foreign investment
company shells out P13.4Billion to Gloria and Mike D., so that
they can take over your mortgages and your property. You get it?

Instead of protecting you, Gloria and Mike Defensor, the housing
czar, will add a few billions to their private accounts and you get
- page 239 -

your homes foreclosed and foreigners will then own your home.
That is forbidden by the Constitution, but who cares about the
Constitution anyway? You get out of your house, Glorias police
will see to it, but you still have to pay on your mortgage.
Wonderful, noh? Well, if you have a rich auntie. If not, welcome to
the squatters club! The syndicates in Fairview are waiting.

Oh, wait, someone is really egging me about proof of election
fraud. Excuse me, you mean, how we are going to prove
widespread election fraud? We not going to prove it. It is
proven. The verdict is guilty. Listen, man, every stupid judge in
our beautiful justice system knows that when you have a crime,
you look for a motive first. Next question is who has the means?
Only the administration has and the administration is Gloria and
she has a motive, she wants a 6-year mandate from the people.

Well, yes, FPJ also wants a 6-year mandate from the people but he
does not have the means, he cannot cheat. Third then is evidence.
Here we go! Here is the ebidensiya for every stupid judge. In the
beginning, there was an exit poll. It was all over the media, spread
in headlines even all over the tabloids that Gloria had won the exit
polls by 7-8% over FPJ. Boom! It was a lie. First, how did they
know it was FPJ, when Lacson was still dreaming and Eddie
Villanueva. Second, in those 19 precincts in the Greater Metro
Manila area, it turns out that there was only one winner, FPJ.

Will the media now retract and tell the people it was a lie? Of
course not! It was not their report, not their findings. They were
paid to print that. Evidence enough to prove that the whole action
was well hecked-out, well orchestrated, and long planned. With
the evil intention to lie to the Filipino people.


- page 240 -

Neal Cruz, INQUIRER, makes mention of the evil plot but
somewhat in passing. He does not have the bright mind to connect
and look at the whole tedious and nebulous exercise called
electoral process as what it is. The institutions, mandated to do
the job, have totally lost credibility. The Senate looks ridiculous
with extra forms of Certificates of Canvas in the comfort rooms
and new entrances created to kitchens and bathrooms. For whom?
We dont even have to guess.

Amazing to see that the civil society is still on Glorias side,
frigging and fearful of an eventual FPJ victory. They are so afraid
of the poor, the unwashed, the uneducated. What are they then?
Look at our youth, nobody and really nobody is known as activist
any more, our students are too busy doing fucking business on the
internet. What a degenerated new generation are we creating here!

There was, and this one for the most ardent supporters of the
greatest cheater in Philippine history, at the height of 48 at that,
an independent TV station ABC5. They made their own counting,
on the basis of counting what came in and in that order. They had
FPJ winning to the tune of 9 million to Glorias 8 million and
they announced it. Not any more! They are forbidden to do that.

What do we learn from that? Under this administration of Gloria
and, God forbid, the next administration of Gloria, there will be no
more freedom of expression, freedom of speech, there is no
freedom to assemble, no more freedom of the press. We now have
a strong Republic and many of us understand what that means.

But are we all clear about, do we all understand the impact of what
we are saying here? We are saying that FPJ is representing 70% of
the Filipino people. Gloria then is representing 30% of the good
people, the morally upright, which includes the blessed and
- page 241 -

the rich and the super-rich, the Corys and the Cardinals, the FVRs
and Almontes, the Ayalas and the Ortigases, the Tuazons and the
Pidals. Yet the 30% claim that they are the people like in Peoples
Power. They are not. The people are the 70%.

We have not seen People Power yet; we have only seen the bogus
People Power of the rich and the morally upright, courtesy of
Cardinal Sin and his stupid nuns. God forgive me for saying this,
but it is true, they dont know anything in life, they just follow and
do what they are told to do. In the end, they were abused to take
pictures in front of the tanks to prove to the world, WHAT?

So, what we are saying is that FPJ will, that is the best case
scenario, as we dont know yet, call in the 70% of Filipinos to
make People Power or stage a rally to show the sovereign will of
the Filipino people. Will it look like EDSA III?

We have to ask the question why they lied to the Filipino people,
when they called it People Power to oust the presidents of the
poor like Erap and Marcos. The answer is clear but many do not
want to see it. The poor dont know but they go for the candidate
who smells Marcos. Roco may be intelligent but he does not smell
Marcos. Neither does Eddie Villanueva. Look at Lacson.

Erap made no qualms about his relationship to Marcos and he
landed a landslide victory. FPJ does not yet. Will he? Good
question and the future of this nation is hanging on it.

Remains one innocent question of a concerned lady: What will
that be good for? Will this country not go down the drain then,
if the poor people will reign this country? Truth to tell, the
opposite will happen, FPJ can, and probably will, make this
nation great again. Not for himself. For the people.
- page 242

LETTER TO THE EDITOR (quote)

This is to show that not everyone among Filipinos is sleeping.
Please let this be known to the public also. It is interesting to note
that the current leadership of the COMELEC was acting like mere
amateurs. They failed to get the exact number of polling precincts
in our country, thus having such two (2) figures 288,000 and
295,000 precincts and NAMFREL has 216,000.

It seems to me that they dont know what business they are into in
the COMELEC office. Dont tell me that the towns/
cities/provincial COMELEC offices dont give them the right
figures of polling precincts we have in the entire country. Thus,
they have come up with that figures. What! They just have to make
an estimate? They are fooling our people. Was that figures made
for cheating and to make sure GMA (would) win the elections?

If the actual number of polling precincts is 288,000 all over the
country, then why they have that 295,000 figure? One (1) vote
makes a difference. How much more, if they have that 7,000
excess number of precincts? Look, there are 200 votes per precinct.
If out of that number, GMA would get only 100 votes per precinct,
then that would clearly give GMA 700,000 votes. What a great
contribution made by the COMELEC to GMA! A shame on her!

And what if the actual number is only 216,000 like what they have
given to NAMFREL. GMA would surely get the 5 Million plus
votes as predicted by GMAs housing csar, Mike Defensor. Now
the people want to know why the COMELEC has the two figures
and NAMFREL another figure. Which is which and which is the
right number of polling precincts in the entire country?

- page 243 -

The COMELEC shall be liable for the mess and NAMFREL too as
an accessory. There is no washing of hands. They are all liable to
the Filipino people who paid them billions of Pesos to do their job.
On the part of NAMFREL, which was commissioned by the
COMELEC to do the slow count not quick count, how could they
come up with the right number of votes delivered in the recently
concluded National Elections to match the votes counted by the
COMELEC if they have only 216,000 polling precincts in their
hands? The people will only be puzzled of the would be differing
numbers of votes counted in the national elections.

They blamed the COMELEC for that. But are they not part of the
grand design of the current administration (of GMA) to cheat FPJ
and deprive the latter of his seat in Malacanang? If NAMFREL
cant do their homework well, they should stop doing the slow
count and desist from participating in the future national and local
elections. They were paid millions of Pesos to do their job
impartial of who may be the winning candidate. But sad to say, the
NAMFREL people led by Jose Conception and Guillermo Bill
Luz are now favoring GMA in their own making.

The trending going on to condition the minds of the people that it
is GMA leading by a wide margin over FPJ, supported by the
surveys by Pulse Asia and Social Weather Station who were paid
by the GMA administration to do their job. They have eaten up the
peoples money without delivering the right election results.

Well, anyway, it is public knowledge that Conception and Luz,
both wealthy oligarchs, were pro GMA. Why should they favor
FPJ who, they think, will not do good to the elite nor be a good
president to them. GMA will surely give them great favor
particularly in government projects, while FPJ will only serve the
masses (rich and poor) transparent of what it is for the good of the
- page 244 -

country and people. No great favor to the wealthy but give real
service by putting an end to graft and corruption in government to
establish a genuine government of the people, for the people, and
to the people as what Jose Rizal had once said and dreamed of.

Talking of GMAs recent Cabinet meeting where she laid down
her six (6) year program as a follow through of her campaign
slogans in the currently held elections, she asked her Cabinet
secretaries to submit their courtesy resignations. To her. She has
over-reacted as a truly elected President of the Republic. Her
action would tell us that she already has assumed to have won the
national elections as president. What a great pretension! Very
assuming! She doesnt have yet the mandate of the people and she
shouldnt have acted like that.

The people know that the normal practice for a Cabinet Secretary
his/her courtesy resignation is after the elected president of the
Republic is proclaimed by the COMELEC. Thus, giving the newly
elected president the right to chose/appoint his/her new set of
Cabinet Secretaries. A shame for her to do that! She showed us her
true lusts of power. Thereby, she has shown us, then and now, her
true color and to prove to us that she is ready to grab the power
from FPJ whom the people have chosen to lead the country for six
(6) years. She spent billions of the peoples money during the
campaign period, just for her to remain in power.

Gloria! Maawa ka naman sa ating naghihingalong bayan. Tama na!
Sobra na!

Eddie Jarina, ret. Col. AFP, Brgy Inarawan, Antipolo City



- page 245

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

The National Press Club last May 20 issued a statement of
concern signed by its president, Tony Antonio, regarding the
Channel 5 issue, but for some reason or another, it hasn't come out
in any of the newspapers around.
We are putting it out in its entirety lest the club be accused of
being silent regarding the matter:
"The National Press Club condemns in the strongest possible
terms the naked attempt of the Commission on Elections and the
Department of J ustice to suppress the people's right to know a
most sacred and cherished right in any democratic setting in
their order stopping ABC Channel 5 from continuing with its
Bilang Bayan on the flimsiest of excuses.
The NPC views the joint actions of the Comelec and DoJ as both
selective and arbitrary and without any legal and moral basis.
The NPC maintains that Channel 5 has every right to conduct its
own quick count, no matter how meager the resources it has
allotted for the purpose.
The NPC therefore strongly urges the Comelec and the DoJ to
recall their respective orders stopping the Bilang Bayan of
Channel 5 because such orders not only constitute a clear and
present danger against press freedom but a dangerous precedent
and any democracy-loving individual and institution must
denounce."
- page 246 -

LULLABY OF PHILIPPINES

It is Sunday again, Sunday May 23, and every Filipino will go to
church. Maybe not everybody. They will pray to the Lord and ask
for guidance. Many will ask to be blessed, others will just ask for a
miracle. For themselves, of course. They have done it every
Sunday before and they will do it every Sunday ever after.

Such is life in one of the mostly catholic denominated countries
that form the tail end in developing among the worlds poorest
countries that are falsely called developing countries. They do
not develop. They remain stuck in their own traditions. Well,
that is only true for the vast majority of the poor.

It is not true for the blessed few who own everything here and have
their houses in California and New York. Maybe they need their
houses for their kids who go to school there and couldnt care less
about the desolate school system in the Philippines. Some of them
are so rich, that they can house the NAMFREL in their living
room. The world has created a law to control them, the anti money
laundering law. Now the drug lords, the pirates, and the smugglers
of this world need more than just good tax lawyers, they need a
friendly banker here, there, and everywhere.

Thank God, FVR and Mahathir were able to create their own tax
haven, in Sabah, City of Labuan. So Gloria and the fat gentleman
have no problem to wash their money clean. Anyhow, Gloria has
experience as lavandera. She may have an unforeseen problem
with FVR, though. No respect for old age maybe. Or maybe she
thinks she is too clever, at least cleverer than FVR. FVR does not
like that. Thats why he tells the public about that stupid idea to
have Gloria ambushed and shot at and then blame FPJ and the
- page 247 -

KNP. That was good enough maybe 20 years ago, not now. Now
every teenager who has some experience with games on the
internet will yawn at that stupid idea of Gloria. If she wants to kill
herself, wonderful, go ahead and make my day.

We should not celebrate yet. She is too evil to die for us. She is not
dying as Ninoy was when he came here to be killed. Actually, with
all the results coming in now, she has only one way out. Get
proclaimed right away tomorrow, Monday, before the canvassing
can start. The Speaker of the House is only too willing to be her
stepping stone and the congressmen are too stupid and too greedy,
they will just nod, if ever they will make it to their seats.

How the counting will go then is still a mystery. On all counts and
evidence, FPJ got 70% of the votes, even in places that they call
Gordon country. How will they hide it? To shave that off, they will
need several weeks. Borra and Abalos may be corrupt but not
intelligent. How will they solve that, now that even the U.S.
Embassy has officially taken notice of the cheating?

By the way, text messages are going around telling that Bosworth
has brought the message from Bush to Gloria to step down. Is that
the reason why she is so quiet suddenly? Step down or face civil
war? If it is either or, then it is easy for Gloria, she wants civil war,
she has the generals waiting, exited and ready (for the right amount
of money, of course). But Bush cannot allow that to happen. He
cannot afford that the world is looking at him asking whether he is
blind or his thousands of CIA agents in this god-forsaken country
suddenly have gone on holiday. Boracay maybe? Or Basilan?

Wonder what they are saying in the military, those who do not
receive one million every week, I mean. There are now two
battalions around or in front of the Palace, in full battle gear, nicely
- page 248 -

pictured behind huge walls of barbwire. They are preparing for
war, it seems. Are the Chinese coming? Or the Malaysians? No?
Then who are they fighting? What? Filipinos? Come on!

One of the first things you learn, when you start your career in the
military is this: We are the protectors of the people. That is the
only reason why we are allowed to carry arms. The freedom of
the people is our responsibility. You can read it along the wall
of Camp Aguinaldo. You see it from the bus or from the MRT.

Marcos never had it. Erap never had it. But Gloria needs protection
from the Filipino people. Who else is she waiting for, if not for the
Filipino masa, for the Erap supporters, the Marcos loyalists, or
the friends of FPJ? Eh, supporters, loyalists, or friends do not carry
guns or bring their arms. They my have demands, may utter their
grievances, whats wrong with that?

Not allowed? Are you sure? Stay away? Because Gloria is afraid?
Maybe she is paranoid already. She wants to stay there. She loves
it so much. You must understand, she lived there already, when she
was still a child and her dad was the president. That is why.

Yes, OK, we wanted to know what they are thinking in the
military. How do those soldiers feel there in the Palace? Nobody
there, nobody coming. They are there alone. Only on the C.R. its
always crowded. Big job! To protect the Palace. The protectors of
the Filipino people are now protectors of one short lady only.
Against her own people. Against their own people. Their own
kababayan! How does it feel, man?

By the way, what Constitution is that you are swearing to? Do we
have a new Constitution? OK, we dont ask questions like that.
Soldiers dont know, soldiers follow orders. They dont think, they
- page 249 -

are not trained to think. Even the generals do not know how to
think. They only know how to receive money under the table. The
more they receive, the higher is their rank and the lower rank must
follow the higher rank. If Gloria gives you one million a week
from PAGCOR, then the lower ranks must follow the leader, in
this case the one million Peso man. Thats how it is in the military.

So, dont ask how they think. They dont. If one will start thinking,
the whole system will collapse. Ask Gloria. That is why she is the
Commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. She is the
actual commander of all those who carry arms in this country.

The people cannot. Carry arms. If anyone gets caught carrying
gun, you risk going to jail. Remember all the checkpoints? And
you dont get out of jail, if you are not Robin Padilla or have a one
million Peso man as your uncle. So, if nobody is allowed to carry
gun or arms, what can we do against the military? Carry knives or
sling shots? Thats useless. Lets forget it. They will kill us.

Dont make a mistake here. Gloria is not stupid. She has learned
from Marcos and Erap. They were stupid. They had all the power
and did not use it. Look, what they did. Marcos said, no fire, not
even warning shots. Erap went out the back door; he did not want
to create trouble for the people. Look, what they got! Look, where
they are now! Gloria will not make the same mistake. No way!

She will order to shoot and shoot to kill. They are my enemies, so,
no mercy, take no prisoners! Yan si Gloria! O o, that is why the
morally upright love her, because she will shoot the Filipinos.
She will even call for more American soldiers to kill more
terroristas, more Abu Sayyafs, more NPAs, or more
militanteng rebelde, as long as they are Filipinos. If they shoot
only one Malaysian, they will end up in court, in the World Court.
- page 250 -

But Filipinos? Who cares? GMA cares, remember that one?
Bullsht! The Constitution forbids that any foreigner carries a
gun in our country, but who cares about our constitution, diba?
Yan si Gloria! She is not bothered, not limited by our Constitution.
She will have her own constitution soon.

They will not call that Cha Cha anymore, because the Filipinos do
not like to dance the Cha Cha. They will call it otso otso, because
Filipinos love otso otso and when they do the otso otso, they forget
everything, they are so happy that they do not mind how they get
cheated in life or cheated with the constitution.

And we will have a new habeas corpus law. If there is one living
witness that any Filipino said anything derogatory to criticize or
destabilize the government as it is called then, anyone like Chavit
Singson or the Tulfo Brothers, then the police, either in uniform or
under cover, has the right to shoot and kill the destabilizer.
Foreigners will be blacklisted and deported immediately.

That will guarantee stability, as Joe de V. said, and a friendly
climate in our Glory country. And from now on, Filipino people,
be nice to the rich and shameless. They are not only your padrinos,
they own everything we do and eat. They might even cut off the
light and we cannot watch TV anymore. No, that will never
happen. They will never stop showing us their commercials, so we
buy more of their stuff.

Come on, do we really want that to happen? Who needs that? So,
why are we so afraid of FPJ? It can only be better with FPJ.
Mabuhay Filipinas! Not you, Ramos, you take care of her! Then
you can sing, I did it my way.


- page 251


ZOOMINGIN
RUDY ROMERO
FPJ, President-elect
Monday, 05 24, 2004
With the passing of the days, it has become virtually certain that
Fernando Poe Jr., won the May 10 presidential elections and it is
only a matter of time before this fact is validated by the
Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the National Citizens
Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).
Malacaang is doing everything to prevent the Filipino people
from beginning to believe that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lost the
elections to FPJ. Two things provide support for the increasingly
firm belief that FPJ was the victor on May 10. Ironically, the first
of these partook of the nature of a self-inflicted wound.
In previous presidential elections, the newspapers and television
networks maintained running tallies of votes cast for national-
position candidates for up to two weeks after election day. But in
2004, they curiously stopped maintaining such tallies barely thee
days after May 10. This was a sharp departure from the practice of
these media institutions in times past.
Many Filipinos more Filipinos than Malacaang cares to admit
interpreted that departure from practice to mean that
Malacaang could no longer cope with a torrent of vote totals
indicating a tide of national support for the man whom GMA and
her followers derided as "that high school dropout." Since the
newspapers and TV networks in question would not be able to
keep up with the pro-FPJ victories up and down the country, they
decided to stop featuring vote tabulations altogether.
- page 252 -
From the Malacaang war room, the order went out: Limit the
Comelec and sad to say Namfrel tabulations to the votes
from areas where GMA is known to have beaten FPJ. These were
Western Visayas, Central Visayas and parts of Central and
Western Mindanao. And keep the count slow, the order added. In
that way did the absurd situation arise where the votes from FPJ-
partial areas such as Metro Manila remain only partially tabulated
two weeks after election day?
The other basis for the belief that FPJ won, and GMA lost, in the
May 10 elections is the increasing outflow of data evidencing FPJ
victories in most of the regions and provinces of this country.
According to the data, KNP's standard-bearer took practically all
of Luzon, which in the Comelec's estimate accounts for close to 55
percent of the national vote. In addition, FPJ beat GMA in Eastern
Visayas and most of Mindanao, which was known all along to be
an FPJ bailiwick. It is now known that "Da King" won in all the
component cities and municipalities of Metro Manila except Las
Pias City and he lost only by some 5,000 votes.
Considering that the KNP and Namfrel each have a copy of every
precinct's certificate of votes cast, the Comelec and Namfrel can no
longer ignore the flood of FPJ pluralities from around the country
and with the results from Da King's bailiwicks now coming in,
GMA's edge over FPJ has progressively been reduced. As the
votes from Luzon's various subdivisions have to begin to be
tabulated, FPJ's running vote total should steadily pull away from
that of GMA.
Even at this point, with the percentage-of-votes-tabulated at around
the 50 percent mark, it is, I believe, already possible to speak of an
impending FPJ victory. That being the case, FPJ may now be
safely referred to as the President-elect of the Philippines.
- page 253


THIS IS TO RECORD AN ANOMALY:

ADMISSION OF GUILT?

While counting of votes is stil ongoing, NAMFREL moved from
Las Salle, Ortigas, San Juan, to the RFM Building, Pioneer Street,
Mandaluyong. Mandaluyong is ABALOS country.
The mayor of San Juan is J.V. Ejercito, son of former President
Joseph Estrada, and half-brother of Senator-elect Jingoy Estrada.
Loi Estrada, wife of Joseph Estrada is going into her second 3-year
term as Senator. Therefore, San Juan is ESTRADA country.
The RFM Building in Mandaluyong is the private property of Jose
Conception, Chairman of NAMFREL since 1985/86, when he
rigged the Snap Election results together with Cardinal Jaime Sin.
Joe Joe Con Conception has since been the undisputed No.1
crony of Cory Aquino, controlling the Board of Investments.
Ironically, for the Filipino people, Joe Cons brother Raul heads
Consumer Watch, the only case in the world where a
capitalist/oligarch/producer/entrepreneur and co-leader of the
Makati Business Club dictates what is good for the poor people.


- page 254


COALITION FOR
PEOPLE
EMPOWERMENT



PEACEFUL

PEOPLE POWER

OR

PEOPLE WITHOUT

PEACE & POWER


- page 255

PEOPLES PROTECTORS
OF THE SOVEREIGN WILL (PPSW)

An aggregation of 30 freedom-based organizations met recently
at the Bay View Hotel where, after the meeting, all attendants
passed a resolution condemning GMA for gross and blatant
robbery of the Filipino peoples sovereign will.

The PPSW also issued a warning to the nation to put a stop to the
dictatorial tendencies of GMA, which has sown fear in the minds
of many. In particular, the PPSW accused GMA of the following:

- Failure to administer justice with regards to the IMPSA, the
PIATCO/NAIA III, and the PEA AMARI scandals
- Her impervious behavior regarding the Jose Pidal scandal
- The massive cheating and electoral fraud she has orchestrated
and ther state-inflicted aggression against other candidates,
her opponents, in the recently concluded elections
- Her wanton plunder of peoples money which, in the end,
will cause the dismantlement of the democratic process
- Her utter disregard for press freedom, freedom of assembly,
and freedom of speech (Bill of Rights Article IV Sec.IX and
Article XIII Sec XV and XVI
- Abuse of power and authority in the case of cease and
desisit order to known responsible media organizations
- Her stubbornness to not refrain from threatening FPJ, who
earlier announced he had won in the South

Thus, the Peoples Protectors of the Soverein Will issues a clarion
call to all freedom loving citizens to oppose authoritarianism to
secure freedom, peace, and justice in our country.
- page 256


B A C K B E N C H E R
ROD P. KAPUNAN
Military could break impasse
Tuesday, 05 25, 2004
Part of our political upbringing is the belief that in a democracy the
people are always supreme, and supremacy is determined by a
political mechanism called rule of the majority. Thus, believing
ourselves to be sovereign, we adhere that all political decisions
approved by the majority are always democratic. Because this
belief stems from our passionate, but blind acceptance of that
mythical ideology, demagogues and political opportunists often
invoke the slogan that the voice of the people is the voice of God.
This has now become the hallmark of our limping democracy such
that when the rules are violated all the institutions it represents
appear to crumble as this is thought to encompass the meaning of
justice.
Nonetheless, seldom is it realized that our democracy is more of a
passive than an active factor in the dynamic relations between the
ruler and the governed. In reality, there is only one instance where
democracy plays an active role, and this takes place only during
elections. Once that crucial process of allowing the majority to
speak, democracy then reverts to its passive state, while the people
return to their role of rendering obedience to the leader, on the
assumption of his having obtained the mandate by virtue of having
been elected by the people.
The problem, however, with this Platonic idealism is that
democracy despite its being active only during election day is often
violated such that the whole electoral exercise has become a
- page 257 -
lopsided social contract because the questionable mandate is now
brazenly being utilized to exact obedience. More than that, the
commission of electoral fraud that has become systemic is
gradually developing into a class war owing to the fact that the
masa feel that the elite, which have the political machinery and
capability to manipulate the election results, are into cheating.
The consequence is serious as there is no way for the people to
defy a leader who can be proclaimed under that situation over who
would be exercising their right to question the proceedings of the
election.
Notably, when the mechanism in democratically selecting a leader
is violated, such would automatically trigger a polarizing reaction
from the people. As the issue about the questionable leadership
hangs high on the mind of the public, the contradiction on its own
would intensify, which now becomes the responsibility of the AFP
and the PNP because the exaction of obedience from the people is
a tedious process. It could in that instance transform the image of
the AFP and the PNP from being the protector of the people to one
of acting as their oppressors all because of that single factor of
allowing the will of the people to be derailed. The reasons Mrs.
Arroyo was not voted in can ramify them beginning with her
vandalization of the Constitution and the wholesale graft and
corruption that characterizes her stay in power.
More than that, it is now an admitted fact that the members of the
AFP and the PNP are far more politically conscious than the
people taken collectively. They have a much keener understanding
of politics because they are made to understand that their role is
confined to enforcing law, but on condition that the leader must
possess the basic credential of having been elected by the people.
The trouble, however, with that limited role is when the
mechanism of democracy is tampered with, such would
- page 258 -
automatically result in the alteration of their role because
allegiance to their Commander-in-Chief is assumed to work only
when there are no visible cracks in the relations between the
people and the ruler. Obeying an order from one bereft of a
mandate is nothing more than a naked act of oppression.
Such is right now building up into a tinderbox situation. The Army
and the police are becoming preoccupied over how to live up to
their role as the protector of the people than in sustaining an
isolated leader that would in the end alienate them from the people
they want to protect. It has become extremely difficult for the AFP
and the PNP to maintain their allegiance to one whose leadership
began by grabbing political power, and now wants to extend that
for another six years through an election marred by massive
electoral fraud. There is now the likely possibility that the military
would play the Machiavellian game of getting rid of an unpopular
leader just to get the rousing support of the people that to some
political scientists is equivalent to an implied mandate. Should they
succeed in restoring political sanity and honesty in government,
their success would be an effective substitute to democracy for
ultimately the reckoning is not on how a leader was catapulted to
power, but on how the leader was able to improve the economy,
and bring forth prosperity and employment to the people. All
military dictatorships realize it is not the form of government that
the people are concerned with, but the substance in which that
government would allow the prospering to reinforce their stakes
for public support of their government. The industrialization and
prosperity that the military governments have brought to the
people of South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand give us a living memory
just how people are willing to exchange their political freedom in
favor of economic prosperity.

- page 259 -
Such is now crucial because the residual consequence of wanting
to maintain her leadership means that Mrs. Arroyo would have to
rely more on the AFP and PNP. As the people go on with their
civil disobedience, it will be the AFP and the PNP that would be
taking the brunt of confronting an agitated population. In that
instance, the Army and the police would be tempted to break that
impasse by eliminating the leader that has become totally isolated.
The removal of the leader under that extra-constitutional process in
modern politics is often interpreted as a preparatory step to
restoring democracy itself.
For that matter, political theoreticians would even argue that if
street protests turn violent, there could be no demarcation to what
is legal and illegal because the act is not on what the people are
doing, but on what the leader has done to defraud them of their
right to elect a leader. It is on this consideration why at times
people tend to take the role of the military as a better option
because they understand well the meaning of discipline, than in
being duped by one pretending to have the will of the majority.











- page 260 -


C O U C H P O T A T O E S
JENNY MANUEL AND GAI OLIVARES
The good, the bad and the ugly
Tuesday, 05 25, 2004
Amid all the talk and accusations about GMA supposedly cheating
her way to possible victory my mother and sister were having an
interesting conversation built around a single question. What
would be worse having GMA cheat her way back into office
or having FPJ as President?
Tough call. Very tough.
Talk about the choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea.
What fantastic options! It's like being offered to choose to date
either a mass murderer or a mass rapist (not that I'm suggesting
that either presidential candidate has ever murdered or raped
anyone). I just offer up the example to illustrate what a lousy set of
options we seem to have before us.
The thought of yet another inexperienced actor running the country
turns my blood cold. But the thought of someone cheating her way
into office makes my blood boil. And one has to question just how
many promises GMA has made to take her this far. Some people
estimate that she has mortgaged the country to such an extent that
our children's grandchildren will still be paying the price.
I honestly can't say which scenario is the lesser of the two evils.
From where I'm standing both options are pretty damn nasty.

- page 261
Why can't the leaders of our country follow the example of Sonia
Gandhi in India? After her party unexpectedly won the latest
elections she stood on the threshold of becoming India's first
foreign-born Prime Minister. Think about it, from pretty Italian girl
to the leader of the world's biggest democracy in ten easy steps.
Yet she decided she was not the best person to lead the country,
stating that her inner voice told her to decline. Did she realize that
it was too big a task to take on? Does she accept that she isn't the
best person for the job? Perhaps she just wants a quiet life. Or
maybe she realized that Indian leaders named Gandhi have a habit
of meeting rather untimely ends. Whatever the reason one has to
wonder how many Filipino politicians in the same position would
have done the same thing.
I know how many. NONE.
Our country is run by the most shameless, self-serving, greedy and
corrupt group of bozos I have ever seen. And for as long as we
keep voting them into office we are going to continue to be faced
with such unappealing options.













- page 262


F R O N T L I N E
NINEZ CACHO-OLIVARES
A matter of time
Tuesday, 05 25, 2004
Despite her threats against the opposition and her claims of
military loyalty to the incumbent government, Gloria Arroyo can't
be too sure of the loyalty of the Armed Forces to the chain of
command.
The reason is simple. It has been proved, in 2001, that the AFP
does not uphold the chain of command, thanks to Gloria and her
elite mob who encouraged the military leadership to break the
command chain. After all, there was that constitutional President
and Commander-in-chief, Joseph Estrada, from whom the then
AFP chief of staff, Angelo Reyes and his service commanders,
withdraw support, with the claim yet of this withdrawal being a
constitutional duty of the Armed Forces.
Withdrawing support from Gloria would be even easier, as she is
not seen as being the legitimate President and Commander-in-
Chief. Besides, if the act of withdrawing support from the
Commander-in-Chief, legitimate or not, is deemed constitutional
by the AFP top brass, owing to the bogus claim of being defenders
and protectors of the state and of the people, it stands to reason that
withdrawing support from her would be regarded as a
constitutional obligation of the Armed Forces.
How then can the military now guarantee the chain of command
will remain firm and strong in supporting Gloria, a certified
usurper?
- page 263 -
Even more worrisome for Gloria is that she has been directing her
loyal generals to get their uniformed men to cheat for her through
altered vote counts and certificates of canvass (CoC) as well as
electoral results while at the same time, getting those who refuse to
cheat for her pulled out of their command, and sometimes getting
them charged on bogus charges of the violation of the articles of
war and electioneering.
The military rank and file are not unaware of the widespread
electoral fraud that their superiors have a hand in. They know there
have been directives from their superiors to cheat for Gloria and
also know, from the pictures and copies of CoC that cheating has
been performed by the soldiery for Gloria's victory. Even more
telling is that they know it is wrong to do this as this is the direct
thwarting of the will of the Filipino people.
It is no surprise then that military officers have been giving out the
word that they are fast losing faith in the chain of command,
having seen for themselves the way some of their superiors have
campaigned for Gloria, knowing they will be rewarded by her once
she is proclaimed.
The truth is, given the divided and disgruntled state of the military,
even the scenarios being bandied about by the Palace, of
destabilization attempts by the opposition, the so-called no
proclamation scenario, and the warnings aired by Gloria of getting
the police and military to bear down on the protesters, aren't likely
to work in Gloria's favor, as she and her aides have already lost
credibility.
Like it or not, the Filipino people see all these threats and scenarios
as a ploy of Malacaang to instill fear in the public and force the
populace to accept the victory of Gloria.
- page 264 -
The fact alone that the elite allies of Gloria, among whom are the
Namfrel officials, the survey outfits, the businessmen, the
matronas of Makati and Alabang suburbs and the Palace officials
can't get their messages of the conduct of elections being clean,
orderly and credible, across, is already a telling point of their lack
of credibility. No one, save for the pro-Gloria media, which have
also been discredited, are carrying their message, but without any
success, as the public knows their credibility, as well as their
principals' credibility is shot. The military is aware of this loss of
credibility of Gloria and her government, as well as being aware of
the loss of credibility of the elite forces allied with Gloria.
They are just as aware that, given the situation today, Gloria, even
if proclaimed by her rubber stamp Congress as the President-elect,
will not be able to keep the country and the nation together;
knowing she has no control of the masses who see her as a grand
cheat who will commit every illegal and unconstitutional act to
keep herself in Malacaang.
The military also knows there is nowhere for the Filipino people to
seek redress of their grievances, as all the institutions have broken
down, having allowed themselves to be prostituted by a scheming
power-grabber. Where can the people turn to, to air their
grievance of having been cheated out of their sovereign will? To
the Comelec that is clearly pro-Gloria and has aided in getting her
elected fraudulently, as it does not even sanction its officers in the
regions who do not submit the CoC two weeks after the polls? To
the Congress whom they already suspect of railroading the canvass
by gagging the opposition and its complaints? To the Supreme
Court that is known to rule favorably for Gloria, even when clearly
unconstitutional? To the military and police that keep on barring
them from staging their protest at their will being thwarted? It's
just a matter of time when all hell will break loose.
- page 265
Dear Ninez Cacho Olivares,

Now, at last, Rusty Salazar introduced me to you and to your
Editor-in-Chief, kahit briefly. I guess you will have no more
doubts now where I belong. I gave copy of my last days work to
your Editor-in-Chef. I hope I am right to predict that he liked very
much what he read, both in matter and in style. Therefore, I attach
my book up-dated to today. You will see that you are very much
part of it, especially towards the end, the days after Election Day.

I am writing a book, yes, but I am not writing it to show what a
great person I am. I do this to help the Filipino people who need
help against formidable forces from the right. My book is, dont be
surprised, meant to be a vindication of Marcos and I draw a very
sharp line between the Marcos forces and the anti-Marcos forces.
As we see in the distortion of facts and history in the case of Erap
and FPJ now, it was the same with Marcos, but at that time,
nobody had the experience and the knowledge to see what was
going on, so everybody believed and, sadly, believes until today.

The Marcos issue is very important, because the anti-Marcos
forces are desperately trying to put the label of ill-gotten on
anything that smells Marcos, whereas the Constitution demands
return of all sequestered assets. The public is not aware and not
knowledgeable to see through the evil scheme. The public is also
unaware that the cases known to the PCGG are in the trillions of
dollars. Those assets are for the people, not for the powers that
are in power today and desperately clinging to power.

It is not clear whether FPJ is aware and fighting over the same
issue. Would he fight to become President of a bankrupt country?
Same question as - everything is relative - would a Lucio Tan fight
for a bankrupt bank? Answer: He is not so stupid. He knows but he
- page 266 -

will not tell us. Come to think of it, Angara was Chairman of PNB
once, he must know, but he, also, will not tell us.

Lets make it very simple. In case GMA will be the President with
a fresh, dubious mandate from the people, she will probably put
down the foot on Imelda, nastily, badly, and mercilessly destroying
everything ever after, like torched lands. She thinks that will do her
good. Maybe she needs some stature. Well, thats for sure.

On the other hand, there are certain moves that the public cannot
see and will never see even, to make available some of the Marcos
assets that are definitely legitimate, known to bankers, and known
to be for the benefit of the Filipino people. These assets are not
related to or known to the Marcos Family. The danger, though, is
that this kind of evil government will not make the fine distinction.
They will blame Imelda for 3,000 shoes, for stolen jewelries, and
what have you, and they will always try to file cases against her in
the belief that GMA (and even Cory) will look good with that.

Therefore, it is adamant that a pro-Marcos government open the
door to a new millennium of opportunities. This is not Eddie Gil.
This is reality! A reality that is as glaring as a comparison between
Madame Auring and Madame Imelda Marcos. A reality that would
allow FPJ to apply new funds, such as this country has never seen,
to reconstruct and rebuild this nation.

Without that, sorry to say, it does not matter who is the president
of the country from here on, intelligent or classmate of Clinton,
this country will go to the dogs. The closest friends of GMA will
be the first ones to pull out their money and invest it in greener
pastures and leave this country dry to hunger and starvation.

Lets keep this line open. You can count on me. O.J.
- page 267
SPECIAL ATTENTION (Felipe Miranda)
Language among Filipinos often reduces to meaninglessness the
chatter of empty talk that, at best, the technically inclined might
describe as "white noise". It obliterates anything meaningful and,
despite occasional stridency, leaves mostly everyone with a feeling
that, in the end, nothing really matters. A Dali painting the scene
would have a multitude of open mouths framed by a company of
glazed eyes, folded ears and recumbent, somnolent bodies.
Elections deserve special attention. Among nations with the
slightest pretension to harboring democratizing regimes, no
political process is more sacred than that which enables the people
to elect their authorities. Those who undermine this process of
popular elections are guilty of a most heinous crime. Where
they happen to be the very authorities tasked with securing the
integrity of elections, impeachment must be considered a
grossly inadequate penalty. Something more appropriate to the
crime has to be considered.

Whether they are predatory politicians, corrupt judicial officials,
dynastic oligarchs, power-hungry military men, or opportunistic
representatives of crony enterprises, hypocritical civil society
groups or pseudo-academic polling organizations make little
difference. All of these felons deserve no less than capital
punishment for conspiring to corrupt democratic elections.
After all, if raping an individual is a capital offense, how can the
rape of a fledgling democracy, the deliberate violation of an entire
nations expressed choice be less than a heinous crime? (Actually,
in societies that suffer little civilization even as they exact much
justice, these criminals will not merit a lethal injection; public
quartering would be the runaway penalty of choice.)
- page 268
As one returns from a brief sojourn abroad, having lectured at the
US State Department and Johns Hopkins Universitys School for
Advanced Studies on contemporary Philippine elections and their
implications for this countrys long-delayed democratization, these
re-entry concerns glow white-hot. And one perhaps should be
forgiven a rather undemocratic thought that Philippine
democracy could be birthed only when Filipinos elect to
summarily do away with incompetent COMELEC, partisan
electoral tribunals and feckless election laws.
When that time comes, Filipinos will not suffer the embarrassment
of political clowns and record slow counts in their elections. Even
as India may be able to count close to four hundred million votes
in a week, the Philippines may then serve notice that it too can
quietly, reliably and effectively tally up to forty million votes
within the same week. A tenth as fast for something just as good is
good enough for a start.
Up to forty million votes counted within a week of elections! With
only the certifiably demented screaming their heads off about
having been cheated. With those winning the tally able to believe
that they honestly won the nations trust if only provisionally.
What a heartwarming performance!
Truly a great day, if it ever comes to pass. There are some who say
every birth is attended with some violence, with blood and a
vibrant scream. An increasing number of Filipinos some of them
senior columnists believe that Philippine elections cannot birth a
democracy any more. This particular columnist used to think that
these people were dangerously impatient and absolutely wrong.
The recent elections incline him to review this earlier verdict
and give these analysts at least the benefit of the doubt. They
could be right, really, and this columnist could be absolutely
wrong.
- page 269

MAX SOLIVENS RETURN

Even in a country known for Grand Guignol, would you ever have
believed that the "canvass" of votes for President and Vice
President would begin just now more than 17 days after the
elections? We have been an independent Republic since 1946
(remember?) and they are haggling in Congress over the "rules".

I am sorry, but we are giving the term "democracy" a rather bad
name. Some people, I am sure, may even long for the bad old days
of the Marcos dictatorship when everybody already knew who had
won before the first votes were cast.

As for me, my bet paid off: When friends were aghast when they
learned I was leaving for Shanghai last week "in the middle of all
the excitement", I told them that nothing would happen while I was
away for six days.

And so it was. I flew back Wednesday night a smooth three-hour
flight on PALs PR 337 (an economy-sized Airbus, by the way)
to discover the House of Representatives still in a furor, with the
canvass suspended, while Maguindanao "Opposition" Rep.
Didagen Dilangalen fumed and filibustered over a nasty note that
was passed on to him by a former Coryite in the gallery, who wrote
that he should "shut up".

The note-writer turned out to be a Ms. Suzette Pido, who I recall
was working in Malacaang when former President Corazon C.
Aquino was in office, and, when interviewed by GMA-7 yesterday,
declared herself unrepentant, asserting she voted for GMA but was
not employed by GMA, etc.

- page 270

She refused to apologize to Didagen-Baby, and dramatically
vowed that even if she went to "prison" for what she had done, she
would continue to stand by her word, etc. Gee whiz.

What a country we are for over-dramatics and huffing and puffing,
and this, of course, includes, in spades, Dilangalen who had roared
that the note had been an "insult" to Congress and had demanded
that Pido be declared "in contempt", etc. None of these outbursts,
alas, are going to bring us closer to officially discovering who was
elected President of our land, or Veep.

Didagen didnt shut up, and Pido isnt in any danger of going to
prison, or whatever. So why all the useless fuss, fury, and
fulminating? Lets get on with the show.


Authors note: For all righteous, morally up-right, good people
of the Philippines, including Max Soliven and his staff, beware of
the now following article which will show an alternative view of
things as they have appeared rather awkward and happazard, to say
it diplomatically, in the media. We accept your apology that you
did not see the development personally, as your schedule did not
allow you to just sit and watch TV. We accept that.