Piercing Pens

I just noticed that the controversy on the supposedly wiretapped conversations between President Arroyo and Comelec Commissioner Garcillano is now called Gloriagate scandal. I have yet to find out who coined the term; most probably those from the pro-Erap media.

Even Michelle Malkin used the term in her blog. (Malkin is a conservative columnist who declared she was “deeply, mortifyingly ashamed of her parent’s native land” when our government pulled out its troops in Iraq to save Angelo de la Cruz).

Blogger L E T T E, in an entry referring to Juetengate 2 and the wiretapped conversations scandal, cites my post “Funny Time Cover” and says “it’s a wonder how we as a nation are taking it all in with a smile (still).”

I say we Filipinos are a happy people. In tough times like this, many of us–the jolly ones–could only laugh. The more serious ones pray. But note that the jokes, even the prayers, could sometimes be a form of dissent.

L E T T E further says:

I for one am getting tired of the same old schtick. We did this in Erap’s time, we did this every other damn president we elected. Every time we get an offical elected, there will always be scandal and opposition, which leads me to wonder why the HELL do we still elect these bad politicians anyway.

Saw this at Paul’s blog:

Kala n’yo totoo, no?

What really amuses me about this whole voice recording scandal is that it is teeming with booboos from the very start. Press Sec. Ignacio Bunye denying everything before it even came out in the public. Akin to saying “Whatever you hear about the president doing anything bad is not true.” In this case, instead of damage control, the public became more curious about these recordings and spewed text messages and more damaging rumors. Haven’t these people heard of the second envelope? Now that’s what you call bad PR.

Opposition spokesperson Chiz Escudero yesterday said he wanted to know who Gary was. Was it Gary Lising?, he teased.

You must have heard about those controversial tapes already.

Transcripts are available at the PCIJ blog while INQ7 has just posted downloadable copies in MP3 format.

(June 14, 2005 update: INQ7 removed the page earlier but it was again posted after a legal review. Meanwhile, Inside PCIJ has posted new download links to the three-hour tape of the controversial wiretapped conversations.)

And since this whole thing is about the administration’s alleged cheating during last year’s election, you might want to look for a copy of Center for People Empowerment in Governance’s Subverting the People’s Will: The May 10, 2004 Elections.

Quoted below are excerpts from Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, statement on the passing of veteran journalist Teodoro “Teddy” Benigno. Casiño is a former BusinessWorld columnist and former president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines.

My family and my party join the nation in mourning press freedom fighter Teddy Benigno. The people mourn because a torch-bearer of truth has retired amid the gloom and doom that is the Arroyo regime.

Continue reading “Rep. Teddy on Teddyman”

After getting what she wants–VAT and other bills–the President is now looking forward to a charter change (cha-cha).

“Next year, when Congress opens, I plan to propose the holding of a constitutional convention where we will propose to change the form of government to a parliamentary system and the transition to a federal form of government,” Arroyo was quoted by abs-cbnNEWS.com as saying.