July 08, 2005

Resign all iginiit; GMA, De Castro et al dapat maunang magbitiw

Matapos unahan ng nagpapanik na si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang deklarasyon ng pagbibitiw ng mga miyembro ng kanyang gabinete, binigyang buhay muli ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) ang panawagang mag-resign lahat ng opisyales ng gubyerno lalu na ang pekeng pangulo kasama sina De Castro at Drilon.

Ayon kay Gerry Rivera, Vice-Chariman ng PM at presidente ng Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), kung sinsensero at hindi gimmick ang pagsibak ni Gloria sa gabinete, dapat daw ay sya ang nanguna sa pagbibitiw.

“Bilang puno’t dulo ng problema, si Gloria dapat ay mag-set ng magandang ehemplo sa pamamagitan ng pangunguna sa pagbibitiw kasama ang buong gabinete,” dag-dag pa ni Rivera.

Mas mabuti pa daw ang miyembro ng gabinete na duminig sa panawagang resign all, samantalang si Gloria na numero unong gustong paalisin ng mamamayan ay nagpapakaipokrita at tengang kawali.

Nagpahayag din si Rivera na tutol sya sa mga panukala ni Gloria tulad ng Federalism at two-party system spagkat di ito ang magreresolba ng mga problema ng mamamayang Pilipino sa kasalukuyan, samantalang hindi naman daw interesado ang mga civil societies na maging miyembro ng gabinete hanggat nananatili sa pwesto si Arroyo.

“Matagal na naming iginigiit na bulok ang sistemang pampulitika at pang-ekonomiya ng bansa. Pero hindi solusyon sa problema ang mga proposal ni Arroyo. An tanging sagot ay ang kanyang pagbaba sa pwesto kasama ang iba pang trapo at ang pagbabago sa buong sistema,” pagbabanggit ni Rivera.

Samantala, binanggit ni Rivera na ang paglulunsad ng tutoong reporma ang sagot sa black propaganda ni Gloria na magiging banana republic ang bansa sakaling magkaroon ng panibagong people power.

“Ang kailangan ng tao ay isang bagung people power na kaiba sa Edsa 1 and 2, people power na magtataguyod ng  trasitional revolutionary government na tunay na kakalinga sa interes ng mamamayan,” pagpapatuloy ni Rivera.###

Posted by PMBlog at 07:41:51 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Resign All!

We are calling for the resignation of the entire regime starting with president GMA and Vice President de Castro down to all the constitutional successors in order to pave the way for a transitional revolutionary government as the first step in instituting real reforms in our society. "Resign All" is our response to the forced resignation of GMA's cabinet, and Purisima and company's move for de Castro's takeover.

We do not demand this from the regime but address the "Resign All" call to the Filipino people. It is only the Filipino people thru a new people power who can install the transitional revolutionary government. With the resignation of all officials, the people will have the freedom to choose the new leaders of the transitional revolutionary government. "Resign All" and the transitional revolutionary government are the crucial steps to pave the way for political, electoral and economic reforms.

Purisima, et al's scheme for De Castro's succession is an abortive palace coup pre-empted by the GMA's post-haste forced resignation of her cabinet. De Castro's succession will be a merry-go-round of elite faces in power. The tandem of de Castro and Drilon will mean business as usual for vested interests that have reaped the windfall profits from the privatization of electricity and water, the deregulation of oil, and other pro-globalization policies.

The forced resignation of the entire cabinet and GMA's endorsement of cha-cha are desperate maneuvers to stay in power and a pre-emptive strike against coup of Purisima, et al. Only cosmetic reforms can be instituted by a fake president in power and with the rotten system in place. We appeal to all well-meaning groups and individuals not to take GMA's gambit and fall into the trap of supporting an illegitimate regime and prolonging a decayed system. Constitutional change under a trapo Congress and underwritten by a fake president is a caricature of real reform.

The formula of Ramos for GMA as caretaker president and for convening Congress as a constituent assembly is a first cousin to GMA's gambit and his own ploy for political resurrection. His proposal for a "high commission of national leaders" will be a de facto junta with GMA as a window dressing.

Real reforms can only be codified in a new constitution under conditions guaranteed by a transitional revolutionary government. These conditions, among others, include the abolition of Congress and the Comelec. For example, only then can proportional representation for the masses be ensured in the election of delegates for constitutional convention, and can clean and credible referendum for the new constitution be held.

Instituting real reforms in society is the answer to GMA's black propaganda that the country will become a banana republic with another people power uprising. It is the failure of Edsa 1 under Aquino and Edsa 2 under GMA to implement reforms that continues to provide fertile ground for mass discontent. Thus the country needs a new type of people power, one that will not be hijacked by elite interests and will install a revolutionary government mandated to introduce reforms.###

Posted by PMBlog at 07:40:10 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Let us move towards fundamental change!

Even while the resignation of the 11 Cabinet members and their calling for the succession of Kabayan Noli to the presidency may be tinged with perceptions of just making virtue out of necessity, especially in as much as GMA had already previously asked for their resignation, Partido ng Manggagawa’s Renato “Ka Rene” Magtubo today welcomed such development as favorable for the eventual ouster of the already lameduck president.

Ka Rene, however, tagged as “too little, too late” their resignations even as he deplored as “anti-people” what the resigned Cabinet members advocated as the Constitutional process of transition with Kabayan Noli taking over. In a previous statement, Ka Rene already declared that the seating Vice-President was also a beneficiary of the same fraudulent elections that contingently installed GMA.

“The point,” Ka Rene stressed, “is that it is the system which is rotten to the core, even as it is hand-in-glove with the US-engineered globalization, deregulation and liberalization – the current characteristics of old-day imperialism.”

“The resignation of Cabinet members and their changeovers, alongside even the succession of Noli into the presidency would not be enough. The pulse of the streets and the fields is for a radical transformation of the whole infrastructure, including the alignment of the government along the democratic interest of the broad populace.”

“The Constitutionally-defined process which prescribes a Noli succession is not pro-people. It would only be no more than a changing of horses for the foreign interests which dominate the Philippine scene.  What is needed is a politico-economic shake-up for collective, sustainable development; and not one of the same rotten system which will just further the continuance of foreign and elite dominance.

“That is why we have long been pushing for a Transitional Revolutionary Government (TRG) because that is the hard lesson of both EDSA 1 and EDSA 2. When we only effect change at the top, the bottom remain as powerless as ever, even worse off than where they were before such EDSAs.

“Like GMA, Noli has no credibility and trust with the populace, especially in so far as his skills for governance are concerned. Only the elite favor a GMA to Noli hand-over because that would be least disruptive to the dominance of the elite. Because with Noli at the helm, the same policies of subservience to global interests will surely be perpetuated. There would not be any change in the neo-liberal mold of governance which has brought unprecedented damage to the domestic economies but also untold miseries to the people.

“It is, however, good enough for the resigned Cabinet members that they have gotten out of the ever-shrinking orbit of authoritative rule by GMA. On the other hand, they have not yet gone beyond the habits of thought of neo-liberalism which have been fundamentally responsible for the state of continuing stagnation of our economic life,” Ka Rene opined even as he invited them to join the ranks of civil society calling for fundamental change.###

Posted by PMBlog at 07:36:50 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

June 21, 2005

Voice Expert's Report on the Alleged PGMAs

 A NEW Jersey-based voice expert tapped by former Sen. Francisco Tatad to evaluate the supposedly wiretapped conversations between Elections Commissioner Virgilio O. Garcillano and President Arroyo has found similarities in their voices in the controversial recordings and the voice samples Tatad’s group had collected and sent to the U.S.

Ernst F. S. Alexanderson, president of Voice Identification Inc., also said certain recorded segments of the telephone conversations are “contiguous, uninterrupted and unaltered” and “appear to be legitimate reproductions of the original telephone calls.”

Alexanderson’s findings are contained in two letters dated last June 3 and 9 and addressed to lawyer Felix Carao of the Saguisag Carao Law Office.

The American voice expert said he needed to do more comparisons “to find enough evidence to be convincing and conclusive.”  But Tatad said a Filipino voice expert told his group that Alexanderson’s findings are sufficient to conclude that the voices in the recordings are those of the President and Garcillano.

On Mrs. Arroyo, Alexanderson said in his June 3 letter, “An aural comparison to the cassette recording of Macapagal-Arroyo indicated a strong similarity in the sounds of the voices, suggesting it was the same speaker.”

On Garcillano, he said in his June 9 communication, “Our aural comparison indicated a similarity in the voices. Of particular interest to us was the ‘s’ sounds, in which both known and unknown ‘Gary’ spoke with a lisp (a speech impediment).”

Alexanderson, a certified voiceprint examiner, is said to have analyzed about 250 cases involving voiceprint comparison and trained about 100 law enforcement personnel in voice identification.  He is also said to have taken part in research studies involving aspects of identification such as limited frequency response, disguised voices, electronically altered voices, mimics and family members.
 
As a voice identification expert, Alexanderson is regularly tapped as a court witness in the District of Columbia. He is listed in expertpages.com, the leading Internet directory on expert witnesses and consultants. His company, Voice Identification Inc., produces sound spectographs for use in forensic voice identification and for use in the speech field.

Posted by PMBlog at 11:10:01 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

June 20, 2005

State Repression

Printing press raided for anti-Arroyo posters

THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Monday afternoon raided a printing press in Quezon City found to be reproducing posters depicting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as popular cartoon villain "Valentina."

NBI agents conducted the raid on Always Graphic and Printing Services at 74-A Molave St., Project 3, Quezon City based on a search warrant issued by a Quezon City regional trial court.

Interpol chief Ricardo Diaz said the press was also printing high-quality posters showing the President clad in a "Darna" costume.

Darna is a popular Filipino superhero character while Valentina, whose head is full of snakes, is one of her enemies.

Diaz said two workers, identified as Efren Orfelia and Rommel Gasit, were arrested during the raid.
Posted by PMBlog at 18:13:49 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |

"Hello Garci?" Ringtone

Here, we're posting another 'Hello Garci' ringtone version made available via RapidShare and a set of jokes we've compiled so far as a rejoinder to Uniquely Pinoy Humor.

You may visit the following mirror site to download "Hello Garci?" Ringtone:

Mirror 1:
"Hello Garci" ringtone, MP3 format (352 KB)
"Hello Garci" ringtone, WAV format (193 KB)
"Hello Garci" ringtone, MP3 format (124.1 KB)
"Hello Garci" ringtone, MP3 format (72.1 KB)

Mirror 2:
"Hello Garci" ringtone, MP3 format (360KB)
"Hello Garci" ringtone, WAV format (197KB)

Mirror 3:
"Hello Garci" ringtone, MP3 format (360KB)
"Hello Garci" ringtone, WAV format (197KB)

Mirror 4:
"Hello Garci" ringtone, MP3 format (360KB)
"Hello Garci" ringtone, WAV format (197KB)

To save, right-click on the file and click save as.

Courtesy of Computer Professionals' Union, Yuga, PinoyBlog, Ploghost and Gazette Philippines.

Links to the entire tape are at the PCIJ blog.

How do I put it in my phone?

1. Download your choice by clicking any or all of the files.

2. Transfer the downloaded file(s) from the computer to your phone using either an infrared connection, parallel cellphone cable or a USB-to-phone cable.

3. Once transferred to your phone, the sound file may be used as ringtone for calls or text messages.

Posted by PMBlog at 12:14:22 | Permanent Link | Comments (4) |

Palace’s 1 million jobs belittled

Palace's 1 million jobs belittled

Saying that the quality of jobs created by Malacañang was not sustainable as the jobs were mere contractual or casual, Rep. Renato Magtubo belittled the 1 million jobs generated under the President's administration.

According to Magtubo, "It is nice to hear that the President generated 1 million in five month's time, but the question is; What kind of jobs those are? They are  contractual or casual, and by the time Tiglao's report was made public, the 1 million individuals should have lost their jobs already and are now looking for another."

He added that beneath the boastful job generation report by Malacañang, quality stands to be an issue.

"The number of jobs created matters but what is more important for those who are looking forward to the job generation program of the government is its quality. Sustainability, security of tenure, wages and benefits are the parameters of the quality of the jobs," Magtubo said.

For him, It is improper to boast about an employment report that is not sustainable and is anchored on contractualization.

Magtubo then said that the report was intended to make the President look good, since it came in a time when Ms. Arroyo has been preoccupied by negative popularity rating and was in a midst of controversies.

"She still looks ridiculous to workers despite all her efforts. The 1 million contractual or casual jobs she created was not something that the working people were expecting from her," he added.

Magtubo said that if Ms. Arroyo is sincere of job creation she will produce millions of jobs that are well-compensating and lasting.

Posted by PMBlog at 11:53:07 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

On Gloriagate Scandal

The Alleged Audio Tape of PGMA.

THIS post contains the 67-page transcript in PDF format of the full three-hour recording of the conversations that allegedly took place between Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and various individuals, among them President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel, senatorial candidate Robert Barbers, and Rep. Gerry Espina. The recording also includes conversations with as yet unidentified individuals, including one who is addressed as "attorney," and another, as "superintendent."

Due to heavy internet traffic, we have no choice but to disable the link on our server. However, you may continue to download the files in .mp3 format below. Courtesy of Ploghost

Since we are unable to host the full three-hour recording, you may now be able to download the three-hour tape in .mp3 format. Courtesy of Pinoybloggers PCIJ and Yuga.

Mirror Server 1:
Complete Recordings:
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]

Mirror Server 2:
Complete Recordings:
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]

Mirror Server 3:
Complete Recordings:
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]

You may still download the full three-hour tape by clicking the following link: Again, Courtesy of PCIJ.

Posted by PMBlog at 10:05:11 | Permanent Link | Comments (44) |