He called Arroyo, Evil

video is embedded from GMANews.TV

Hope Springs Eternal

"Much to do about nothing," I said about this whole second act of the National Broadband scandal. After all, these scandals, the extent, the greed, the treachery, the depth of it all no longer surprises me. Another whistleblower, no matter the drama or how engaging the story is would not bring Arroyo's government down. It will turn into a farce, and Mr. Lozada will not bring Arroyo down, no matter how disgusted everyone is with her government, with how she and family exercises power.

Our People remember what happened to Estrada, and Gloria was what we got. The standing argument is a huge sign flashing, "dangerous to walk that same path".

I find it fitting that on the ground, in a school that teaches its students to be "men for others", Lozada took shelter and hide behind "a shield of green and white". No matter how this all goes, Lozada is something else. In every quarter, in every turn I hear the same thing. Jim Paredes summed it best when he wrote of Lozada as an Everyman:

It was disarming to hear Jun Lozada readily admitting to his own shortcomings when it was insinuated that he wasn’t quite a pure knight in shining armor but a man whose armor may have a few dishonorable chinks and scratches. To me, it showed his total surrender to the truth at that very moment. He was not using it to vilify others or protect himself. He was setting the truth free, and allowing it do what it must, regardless of who got hurt, including himself.

To me, this entire saga is a watershed in our political and psychological journey as a nation. The tolerance of corruption is one of our worst dysfunctions as a people and it may prove to be the fatal flaw that will sink the GMA administration. In the light of this, I daresay that a new radical template for character, a new paradigm, has emerged from the muck of our political life which may just be what we need to save us from perdition. And all it is is the concept of simple truth-telling.

A new type of hero may have been born, coming not from the usual places — not from showbiz, politics, the Church, the academe, sports or the military. Jun Lozada does not look the part at all. In fact, he is your average, ordinary kind of person, a regular guy who, like all of us, is flawed and compromised. But what sets him apart is his courage to shore up what remains of his self-respect and draw the line in order to preserve it. This ordinary little man, in the eyes of his countrymen, is 10 feet tall.

Everyone acknowledges and knows the extent, the depth of this nation's problem is great.

On one hand, our people need justice. we need to resolve these shenanigans. We need to send a message that is loud and true: "As a people, we no longer tolerate corruption. We no longer expect anything less than service, and truth and honor, even at the expense of national stability. We are no longer a party to it."

On the other hand there is an equally pressing need for civic involvement that says: "what can I do". It may be through civic duty--- enter government and serve as civil servants. It maybe through entrepreneurial zeal. Start a business, grow it for your employees and for your family and watch it echo like a pebble thrown in a pond. There must be a mechanism to unleash a singleminded and parallel desire in every Filipino, in every age, in every demographic to rise up and say "I will do my part, no matter how simple my role is". Put it simply, "true nation building".

US Democratic Presidential Candidate hopeful Obama had this to say when he won the Iowa Caucus:

"...we always knew that hope is not blind optimism. It's not ignoring the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path.

It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it."

All logic says that at the end of the day, this whole battle led by unlikely hero Jun Lozada maybe "much to do about nothing." I still hold hope that it isn't and that our people will have Justice.

This hope isn't blind optimism, but a cautious one. It isn't ignoring the undeniable slow but methodical truth that to transform, to build this nation, it must be done slowly through civic duty and through entrepreneurial zeal of which every Filipino must be a part of. It is after all, also true that to press the fight on such public forum as Lozada is doing, if only to inform, to bring to light the modus operandi of politicians everywhere is important.

All this brings hope, which is in short supply these days: hope for a better tomorrow. To borrow words from Obama, "Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it and to work for it and to fight for it."

Filipinos are Sith

How does one wrap their mind around the insanity that is the Philippines? On one hand you have a society demanding the right to simply just get it on. Make money, send kids to school--- be better. On the other hand, even for those who are unsurprised at multimillion dollar deals and how they work, are quietly disgusted at those in power, with their sheer arrogance and hubris.

I find Ricky Carandang's Bizarro World analogy to be apt, just as I find Lozada's analogy of light and dark sides likewise is. In the same way one can liken the Philippines with Apokolips. In the Bizarro World analogy, Ricky Carandang asked a very good question, "why is it so hard to do the right thing in this country?"

The long answer I think is because Filipinos are Sith. "WTF, read in your mind, I see."

When people talk Sith, they remember Palaptine and Vader. In Star Wars canon long before The Order of the Sith Lords and the Rule of Two, there was a Sith Empire.

The Sith had a culture of their own. They had a language and a civilization. Filipinos have a rich culture. The Sith were always in a constant state of war, but considered it an aspect of their lives. Filipinos are in a constant state of war with themselves. In every aspect of the Filipino is always conflict, always bickering always going. Heck, gossip and intrigue always brings in attention, just ask those in show business or government for that matter.

The Sith had a strong caste system: religious, engineering/intellectual class and a military class. Filipinos have somewhat of an analogous caste system with intellectuals, business people, OFWs, Religious caste and not to mention our Military is somewhat of a class of its own.

Exiled Dark Jedi mated with the Sith and their offspring gave rise to the Dark Lords of the Sith. We can draw parallels to it for the Filipino Political class.

A lot of people describe Sith Lords as treacherous, greedy and filled with lust for power. For the Dark Lords, for the Sith Order, Treachery is their way. If you are not with them, then you are against them. If you do not bow to their will, say good bye to any chance of doing anything.

That's not the sad part. What is even more troubling is that, this is mirrored in our society, across different strata, across different class. How can it not be when it is such an effective tool?

In every corner of this Archipelago, our people are asking and justly so, "what to do?"

What can be done?

Have you ever wondered why Yoda didn't finish Palpatine during their Duel, why at that crucial moment, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order simply called it a stalemate when he could have fought on?

In Those who sit on the Throne, I wrote that this is all game over before any "rebellion" could form. The Dark Lords of Sith command the allegiance of the Stormtroopers and Congress is lame duck enough not to oppose the Palace. And there is no charismatic leadership like Obama who can say, "Yes, we can" or even a Clinton to say, "I have the experience to get us to where we need to be" to rally the Sith out of their apathy. Outflanked and outmaneuvered and outclassed in a political game of chess, there is no Rebel Alliance to Restore the Republic.

The Arroyos have their people in play to avert any danger to their rule. Of course they would and in their position, why wouldn't you? They're no idiots to roll over and play dead simply because people would rally in the streets. There is nothing those in opposition to them can offer that's better than having power.

"What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own knowledge against them."

The Dark Lords of Sith have inadvertently learned how to counter any "People Power." By corrupting it, by turning it, bending it to their will as their own instrument for rising to power, good people will abandon it. It is why people everywhere are apathetic. Just as Yoda and hence the Jedi had to abandon war as their instrument to peace: good Filipinos everywhere must innovate.

What was Yoda to do if he won his contest against Palpatine? Palpatine and his Sith Order had adapted. Yoda knew at that moment that Palpatine's Sith Order had turned war into a weapon and that the Jedi still fought the Sith Order as if they were an army to be destroyed. It was why the Jedi failed. People didn't want the Jedi. They wanted the Sith Order to rule. They wanted "peace, order, security."

Yoda could have "won" that contest against Palpatine and in the processes would have become the very thing he fought against. He would have had to become Emperor himself and the turn the Republic into a Jedi Empire. How would that theocracy be better than a Sith one? Theocracy, Yoda knew was not the way.

People who wanted change had to fight for what they believed in and the Jedi should not be above them--- but along side of them. In many ways those who want change and I count myself amongst that rank, we need to reinvent the way we strive for change. Reinvent how to fight war, just as the Jedi did. The romantic notion of street protests alone as a path to change is no longer enough. What must accompany it is a groundswell of effort.

A lot of people are asking why Congressmen who side with Arroyo still hold their jobs. The short answer is because good men and women don't rise up to challenge them.

In Star Wars lore, the Sith people went extinct. not just because of constant war, but because the Dark Lords had interbred with the Sith. As our country is constantly led by people who value treachery, greed and lust for power, so too will most people adapt to those concepts as being the norm. The values of civility will fade into obscurity as our nation becomes a Bizarro World where the upright are the outcasts. It becomes a nation where people cower in fear, a land like Apokolips, where if it would adapt liberty, its people would find freedom as crippling as fascism.

In every district, in every town, in every city of this country, people who want change should run. Not everyone is gifted to talk, to inspire and for those of us who are not so inclined--- we need to help those who they believe can do a better job to run for public office or to establish better businesses. we too can simply be upright citizens who refuse to bribe for instance.

Just as War can be won not just by Lightsaber alone, so too is liberating our Society.

The battle for our Nation is not just in clamoring for change in the streets. It is not simply a matter of a Theocracy (of simply morality over legality) ruling over our Republic. Our Republic can be won, when everyone challenges not personality like the Arroyos--- but the Way our Politicians represent--- treachery, greed, lust for power.

The Battle for our Society begins in our heart, in our soul, in that simple powerful determination that we must change and we do something about it. We must transform our country to a meritocracy! The good must "run", not away, but towards the future. It's the only way to stop being Sith.

Those Who Sit on the Throne

As a boy, I was told that "where there is smoke, there is fire". You might have been told the same thing as well. This little kernel of truth came to mind today, amidst this whole hoopla about ZTE, and the alleged involvement of the First Gentleman and several high ranking officials of the Arroyo Government. 

Before anybody get bright ideas on "rebellion talk" or "goodbye PGMA", and least you get all excited about the possibility with these revelations about ZTE being the "beginning of the end" for the Arroyos. We've all been down that road before.  

This is just round one. Again.

My guess is this whole thing is over even before the hearings even began.

When you really, really think about it, there's nothing new is there? Same old allegations come to light.  Different branding, sure. but at it's heart, it still is one's word over another. No incriminating paper trail, at least not yet has come to light. And amidst all this, the common folk in the street grumble at the sheer blatant way those in power exercise their power.  

Take those moves made on Congressman de Venecia a few days ago.  If one looks at it as a test of loyalty and as benchmark for a possible new wave of impeachment attempt, you'd know any such attempt would be futile. The Arroyos have covered their bases. 

For all the years the Arroyos have been in power, nothing seem to stick. One would at least suspect there was a fire amidst all this smoke.  There must be some kernel of truth. Still nothing. None of these scandals, these attempts at power grab have had any dire effect on the First Family. Nothing, at least, so far. It's as if the Arroyos were made of Teflon. Truth be told, one can not help but admire such successful batting average.  

One would think, if only such skills could be translated to providing better opportunities for our people, it would be a better world. wouldn't it?

Oh don't get me wrong, I suspect most of our people would want nothing more than for the Arroyos to leave, but what good would that do, five, ten steps down the road? 

These days, our people's willingness to perform any extra-constitutional action is in such low numbers, save perhaps so dire, so severe as nearing the end of the world proportions. It is highly unlikely a rebellion could spring up. I'd like to think that this maturity from our people comes from wisdom. Nothing good can be gained by going down to the level of those in government who subvert civility. 

Our people are not idiots.

Our people may not voice it out but somehow, I suspect they prefer to invest into their own future. In plain speak: they have better things to do, more pressing matter to attend to like feeding their kids and sending them to school than rebellion that gives nothing back save more headache and more pain and only profit for those who sit on the throne.