"Blow job"
No, I am not talking about oral sex. In Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) parlance, "blow job" is synonymous with the word "farce" or "travesty." It refers to the act of pulling someone's leg, making things up, and utilizing smooth-talking tactics in order to appease a person or a group of people. (NOTE: In appropriating such a term and re-defining it to fit their context, the inmates of CIW allude to a diablo [Filipino for demon] that speaks untruths. Diablo also sounds like "blow job" when you invert the syllables, which is consistent with the way Pinoys like to invert words, at least in colloquial language. I learned this when I visited CIW when I went home last year.) To borrow this term from CIW jargon, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's actions represent a big bad "blow job." Her blanket denials, insincere apologies, empty promises, "surface reforms," what have you, say it all. And if I may add, she's really screwing the country over."Blow job" number 1: "Hello, Garci" and GMA's "lapse in judgment"
Madam President, you have the nerve to insist that you did not cheat in last year's elections and that you won fair and square, at the same time that you admit to having called Garcillano, supposedly out of anxiety about the results of the elections. Calling a COMELEC official--16 times at that--is not a mere lapse in judgment. It is a criminal act, something that you, the highest official in the country, must be penalized for. Ordinary people realize that. No wonder your credibility and approval ratings are at their lowest right now. Ma'am naman, with all due respect, magsisinungaling na nga lang kayo, di niyo pa magawa nang maayos. Palpak ang drama niyo. Try translating "lapse in judgment" into Tagalog, Bisaya, and other native Filipino languages, and see if the common tao can understand you.
"Blow job" number 2: The First Gentleman and the Spoiled Son on "exile"
Madam President, your husband's and son's voluntary "exile" is a blatant cover-up. What kind of sacrifice is their departure, especially since a trip to the US is a luxury for most Filipinos? It's not like they're gonna work their asses off here. It also implicitly speaks of their guilt. When you're on trial and you do everything in your power to up and leave, it can only mean you're hiding something. Otherwise, you would stay and face your issues squarely.
"Blow job" number 3: The planned mass resignation of the cabinet and the reforms purported by GMA
Again, I can see right through you. This is nothing but a diversionary tactic, as you continue to cling to power like a leech--especially since you still have a few credible members in your cabinet, like Dinky Soliman, Emilia Boncodin, and Teresita Deles. Your request for your Cabinet to resign en masse is nothing but a gimmick. Pray tell, what constitutional amendments do you wish to initiate at this point? The problem is not so much with your Cabinet but with you. You say "'our country is hungry' for a resolution to the political uncertainties that have plagued us these past few weeks." Honey, it's because you helped trigger the political uncertainties in the first place. You are the problem. The buck stops with you. Resign for the good of the country. Or face impeachment.
***
Don't get me wrong. I do not support the members of the opposition, who are trying to use the situation to their advantage and are not the most credible people either. Neither am I a fan of Susan Roces or Rez Cortez (utang na loob!). I do not support the installation of a transitional military/revolutionary government under the likes of Abat. I still believe in the Constitution, even if I have issues with Noli de Castro's capacity to lead the Philippines because if my memory serves me right, he was fawning over Erap on live TV five years ago when the juetengate expose was underway and anti-Erap protests were taking place.
I just wish GMA had the decency to resign because her credibility is a big fat question mark at this point. Well, it was so, even before the May 2004 elections and the Gloriagate hullabaloo took place, anyway. Her only saving grace was that she was considered the "lesser evil." But now, the economy is going to the dogs and the political situation is as volatile as it can get, all because of the presidential crisis. She cannot continue to make "lapses in judgment" at our expense. She benefitted from EDSA Dos as the constitutional successor, even with the concerns that she was simply the lesser evil, but she did not live up to her mandate. And now, she is making like Erap and clinging to power at all costs. (During the impeachment trial, did Erap not propose surface reforms, like rescinding the death penalty?) I feel so disillusioned and helpless and I am inclined to question what another EDSA could do.
One thing's for sure: I did not vote for her.
found herself @ 7:35 PM
4 Comments:
i'm not siding with PGMA or the opposition but i'd rather she did not resign. i don't want either noli or susan to be president. i don't want another snap election or PP3. and who's to say that the opposition did not cheat in the elections? true she's made cheating in the elections public but at least we know. she has plans of changing the gov't from democratic to parliament. it's a big risk but it could work. and for as long as we have politicians who are hungry for power, nothing's really gonna change. it's a sad fact.
i'm listening to the radio and she's not stepping down. hopefully she'll be able to fix this. the chinese and japanese embassies are supporting her on this, giving her a chance to redeem herself.
ako, i just don't want another election. hindi na natin kaya finanncially. mas lalong madaming katuwalian na mangyayari.
peace!
I think eventually she will resign it is just the matter of when. Some people look at it as being defiant because she is supposedly the "lesser evil" but how about if we look at it from a point of view that she is preparing the country for a transitional government. What if she is making sure that the opposition wont have no part in the new govt? I do not like any of the opposition. They shouldnt be called oppostion but opportunists. If we just have a better choice then by all means she should vacate that position but the point is we dont. Sure, she cheated but isnt people selling their votes makes us as good as guilty as cheating as GMA?
I want to share this letter here because I was deeply moved by its sincerity and the truth that it says:
"I look at this piece not as a condemnation of Arroyo but of our social ill.
Centuries ago, our filipino forefathers have warned us of this social cancer called "corruption" and yet here we are today in the 21st century and it's still on going. This cancer is so rooted in the veins of Philippine politics that I don't think anything can be done to cure it. We've seen it in our history, that change of government whether civil or through violence, will mutate to another "New" government and corruption will replicate wildly onto itself all over again. Until perhaps, all resources have been sucked out of our fragile motherland. What then?
So sad - it's a never-ending spiral."
Interesting entry, kapatid. However I would beg to differ in opinion in terms of the validity of the so-called gloriagate tapes. The available technology today can make it so easy for anyone to just "weave" a taped conversation and make it appear she's asking for additional votes. I would rather listen to the ORIGINAL wiretap supposedly held by Atty. Sammy Ong(??) and base my conclusion from there rather than accept an altered material. For all we know GMA only called no more than 3 times but technology made it appear she called 16 times. It is interesting how fast people embraced these altered materials as evidence of cheating when the original tapes hasn't even been produced yet. Iparinig muna yung original as authenticated by an independent entity abroad, then dun tayo mag base ng conclusion natin kung talaga ngang may nandaya sya.
In my opinion, GMA's conversation with a comelec commissioner doesnt constitute to cheating per se. It may be viewed "inappropriate"(and that's open to debate) but does that mean she really cheated??I don't think so. A ballot recount would be the next best course of action to see if there are in fact discrepancies in those areas suspected of cheating. Madali naman malaman kung padded yung mga votes eh. Kailangan bumuo ng independent body for this recount with representatives from all sectors para once and for all, malaman natin kung nandaya nga ba.
Kahit umalis man si GMA sa pwesto ngaun, I'm more than certain the opposition will hurl new issues at Noli enough to call for his resignation..and the resignation of whomever sits on the top once Noli vacates it. This is such a shitty cycle really.
-NV-
Post a Comment
<< Home