Official crowd estimates placed the number of rally participants at 15,000 at most. The rally organizers quoted a much higher figure, from 80,000 to 100,000. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between.

What is undeniable is that the rally held at the Makati central business district drew a much larger throng than the initial rally of February 15, when the ZTE-national broadband network scandal flared up anew with the Senate testimony of whistle-blower cum repentant sinner Jun Lozada.

The success of the rally owes much to the organizational clout of the Jesus is Lord (JIL) Christian charismatic group, headed by losing presidential aspirant and strident Arroyo critic Eddie Villanueva. The JIL coined the catchy, and non-threatening, designation “inter-faith” rally, although no one can deny that this gathering had more to do with politics than religion. The venue also played a significant part, being where the offices of big major corporations are, which provides a captive audience of thousands of office workers leaving work on a Friday afternoon. Its no accident that large group protests in Makati are timed to peak just after 5:00 p.m, when the rush hour begins. The start of the weekend also assures that they will be inclined to look around and linger.

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Treason in high places is a historical cliché and has been a staple of conspiracy theorists for centuries.

But broadcast journalist and blogger Ricky Carandang has made a recent post that should give us real cause for alarm, as it involves (surprise!) President Gloria Macapagal –Arroyo and our most economically vibrant and militarily powerful neighbor, The People’s Republic of China.

According to Mr. Carandang, the Philippine and Chinese governments, acting through state-owned energy companies, signed an agreement in 2003 to jointly explore the Spratly Islands, which we call the Kalayaan Islands, near Palawan. The area contains significant reserves of oil and natural gas, which is why seven countries (China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines) all claim to own part or all of the Spratlys. Naturally, none of the claims have been resolved and it has been a regional flashpoint for decades. Hence, an uneasy peace prevails over this cluster of tiny islands, hardly more than rocks and reefs, in the South China Sea.

The agreement between the Philippine National Oil Company and China National Offshore Oil Corporation allows the two corporations to jointly undertake seismic studies of the Spratlys and explore for oil and natural gas. Of course, joint exploration should mean subsequent joint exploitation of whatever natural resources lie there. That is, if our far more powerful partner will allow us to sit at the table. What if China decides to keep everything for itself ? But I’m getting ahead of the story. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t like Jun Lozada. The crafty weasel was at it again yesterday, playing to the gallery. His self-effacing, weeping sinner shtick is annoying. Having found religion just in time to save his ass, he has been milking his new-found celebrity status for all it is worth. He has a natural talent for self-promotion and grandstanding, with his pseudo-religious, reformist sound bites, pap for civil society groupies hungry for a “hero”. His self-righteousness is particularly galling, what with his look-what-I’m-doing-for-the-country-I-hope-you-appreciate-it tone. Exactly what my parents used to say when they wanted to put me on a guilt trip.

In the IT industry and certain circles where Jun Lozada is well-known, his character is closer to the foul-mouthed operator/fixer heard in the YouTube posting where he converses with Joey de Venecia. Which is why I find overwrought pieces like the one written by Inquirer columnist Conrado De Quiros, which portrays Lozada as the Second Coming of Christ, particularly hilarious.

But no matter. The messenger is not necessarily the message. I’m ready to acknowledge that the search for the truth is paramount. And in this, Lozada is just the mouthpiece for millions of Filipinos, as he readily acknowledges. Read the rest of this entry »

People Power, circa 1986, is but a fond memory. The outrage at a corrupt and oppressive regime, the feeling of solidarity and collective strength at facing down the machinery of repression and state brutality, the sense of being at the cusp of historical events and of better things to come, are long gone.

The cruel irony is that, 22 long years after the event, the consensus is we are back where we started, or worse, have regressed and are even deeper into our political morass than we were two decades ago. Corruption is just as bad as it was during the Marcos dictatorship, amplified by the duplicity and shamelessness with which it is carried out. Political killings and forced disappearances are commonplace. Crushing poverty, to the point of starvation, is a daily reality for 40% of our countrymen.

And what was supposed to be our saving grace as a people brought us Gloria Arroyo in 2001.

The anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolt has now become just another occasion for rumination and nostalgia, as we shake our collective heads at what might have been. Read the rest of this entry »

Governor Jose Clemente “Joey” Salceda of Albay province was quoted as saying in a public forum at the Ateneo Graduate Schools that while President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo may be a bitch, she may be the luckiest bitch around. Lucky in the sense that despite her unending political woes, events beyond her control have conspired in the economic and other areas to keep her in power.

He meant it in jest, of course, “almost with affection”, in his own words. He later admitted that the joke was tasteless and apologized. Still, the last thing President Arroyo needs now is another person calling her a bitch. And from no less than her former Chief of Staff and trusted adviser. Read the rest of this entry »