Need to fix democratic system of the Philippines

[pian]

The main problem is that we have a very illegitimate democratic system. Our voters elect only those people who are popular and not if they are capable. The big dilemma if GMA is ousted, the VP will take over who was elected PURELY because he’s popular with the masses, and not because he’s capable to lead the nation. Our economy has never grown this much, I don’t want to take the chance by entrusting it to someone solely popular with the masses.
To prevent this transfer, no matter how believable Lozada initially is, his credibility is now being questioned. He admitted that a certain level of corruption is acceptable to him. Questions have arisen whether he was kidnapped, because his celphone was not confiscated, he dined in Outback restaurant, and he was able to go to the place he wanted to go all along, that is, La Salle Greenhills. I even read he committed a sin of omission regarding his consultation with the wife of Sen. Joker Arroyo. He didn’t correct the impression in which it appeared the wife invited him to her house to urge him not to testify, when the fact of the matter is (based on what I read) Lozada was the one who contacted the wife around September before Joey de Venecia testified, and he was crying and that he doesn’t want to testify. So the wife invited him to her house, and told him she couldn’t lawyer for him due to conflict of interest since her husband is a Senator, while he was then president of Philforest. She advised him then, since he was so distressed, that he doesn’t have to testify if he didn’t want to. Since this was one of those ordinary free consultations, she didn’t bother to tell Joker about it. So Joker was surprised when his wife was mentioned.
Jun Lozada is no Clarissa Ocampo at all.

[pian]

Below is a transcript of a supposedly wiretapped conversation between Joey and Jun I got from a website. Judge for yourself if Jun Lozada is indeed deserving to be treated a hero, but of course after ascertaining if this is genuine.
usapang udifuta
________________________________________
TRACK 3...

http://www.patriots4truth.blogspot.com

Joey (allegedly, Joey de Venecia): Hey Jun.
Jun (allegedly, Jun Lozada): Hey Joey.
Joey: Jun, can you hear me?
Jun: Yeah. Go ahead.
Joey: Yeah, where are you to put Chair (Abalos)?
Jun: Ang formula ko doon is kuha ako ng points dun sa 130.
Joey: Uh-huh…
Jun: Di ba? Kasi saan ko pa kukunin di ba? (laughs) Itong mga …
Joey: Kaya lang pare, we need to get some… at least from… something from them, di ba?
Jun: Yeah.. from both sides. P*t@ng!na…
Joey: Pare.. start from the thing.. Because he’s the gatekeeper of the votes. P*ta. I can understand, but not that amount.
Jun: Oh yeah. that’s too big, right. That’s too big.
Joey: Pare, let’s develop a plan to talk to him.
Jun: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So…
Joey: And you know what he told me, between you and I. When we were in Hong Kong… in Shenzen. Don’t quote me ha. Sabi niya kasi, marami akong…... Tinanong ko bakit ba ang laki-laki? Singkwenta.. Sabi niya marami ako kelangan bigyan. Pati yung NEDA. He said the word NEDA ha. P*t@ngina. For your information pare.
Jun: Information? I would understand that… He’d like to look at…
Joey: Maybe, wait, you can quote me and say, sabi ni Joey meron daw… sabi mo sa kanya may NEDA dun. (laughs) Di ba? He told me pare. (laughs)
Jun: Sige, sige…
Joey: P*t@ng!na, baka magwala na naman yung… (laughs)
Jun: For some reason, I have this chemistry with him. Sabi ko Chair… In fact, sabi niya, Jun, ikaw na mag-referee bukas ha. Sabi niya, I want you to be there. Ikaw na mag-referee, ikaw na magsabi kung papaano. Sige po Sir, ako na ang mag-aano sa ano… (laughs)
Joey: Well anyway, so that’s where I’m looking at right now. .. ought to get you.. And then, uh, think of a strategy for Ben (Abalos?), and if you need me to back you up, I’ll be there.
Jun: Hey Joey, regarding this Chinese embassy thing. I think I struck a motherload no? I’ll put them in Roxas Boulevard. P*t@ng!na, di ba?
Joey: In the Reformation? (Reclamation)
Jun: No, p*t@ng!na, that’s not prime. We’ll put them in the CCP complex.
Joey: Yup, got it.
Jun: P*t@ng!na. Yeah, that’s, wala.. I can ??? that ??? agreement. (I can swing that gddam deal pare)
Joey: You mean, owned by the Central Bank?
Jun: Yeah! Can you imagine? P*t@ng!na, same stature as the American embassy, better pa, di ba? The Japanese Embassy is in Roxas Boulevard. The American embassy is there. So p*ta, I just arrived that we put the Chinese embassy right in the midst of it all, di ba? Joey: Yes, yes, of course. That’s ??? to hear. That’s foresight. (That’s perfect)
Jun: … don’t mention my name. I think he knows me well.
Joey: Gaano kalaki, pare?
Jun: P*t@ng!na, as much as 15 hectares. (laughs)
Joey: P*t@ng!na. Tapos siguro kumuha rin tayo dun. Pero we need 10 finances. (10 financers)
Jun: No, no, no, no. P*t@ng!na. I cannot just tell you all the things that I’ve been asked to do. But that one I think, I can ??? for ourselves.
Joey: I’ll talk to the…
Jun: Talk to him right away.

[Nbadan]

Sounds like you boys got american-style democracy down to an art...

[Wild Cobra]

It's a good example of what happens when authoritarians are in charge.

Hillary is an authoritarian. Keep that in mind.

When regulations and laws hamper free trade, ideas, communications, etc. Only the authoritarian voice is heard.

Authroitarians are opposite of librertarians.

[pian]

It’s not like GMA is an authoritarian. The media is free to criticize her, too free in fact that these opposition Senators are using media to their advantage, as propaganda for their cause. I would prefer an authoritarian rule like Singapore just to move the Philippine economy forward, so as not to remain 3rd world. In the US, it’s a different case, you’re a 1st world country, and your democracy is valid.

[Nbadan]

Sounds like Venezuela....

[Nbadan]

and your democracy is valid.

U.S. election validity is a matter of opinion....

[SAGambler]

Well, when I lived in the Phillippines back in the late sixties, early seventies, the choice was pretty much Marcos or dire intimidation, which may lead to your demise. Sounds like things may have improved a bit over the past 40 years.

[inconvertible]

send in the US troops we are all about spreading democracy, aren't we?

[whottt]

The Filipinos generally don't need anyone to fight their military battles for them...they do that well and with a great deal of conviction, against all comers.

[whottt]

kind of like the folks in the middle east?


Actually no...

[pian]

Well, when I lived in the Phillippines back in the late sixties, early seventies, the choice was pretty much Marcos or dire intimidation, which may lead to your demise. Sounds like things may have improved a bit over the past 40 years.
Not a bit. Our democratic system has remarkably improved since Marcos. These are the differences I posted on Phil. Websites:

Difference b/w GMA regime and Marcos dictatorship:
Marcos dictatorship –
- controlled media (only 2 TV stations which should be pro-government)
- controlled congress (those who oppose him turned heroes, injured like Jovito Salonga, exiled, or killed like Ninoy)
- controlled judiciary
- Peso was fixed (supported by Central Bank borrowings which bloated our foreign debt, so this is deceptive)
- an environment of FEAR
Arroyo administration
- Free media (TV, radio, newspaper, internet mostly pro-opposition)
- Free congress (where Senators/Congressmen oppose for its own sake)
- Free judiciary (as attested by its loss with its case against the Batasan 5)
- Peso is floating (but getting stronger though – reflects the true state of our economy)
- No environment of FEAR

[Nbadan]

looks like the Philippines has bigger problems cooking..

Already we have riots, hoarding, panic: the sign of things to come?
By Carl Mortished, World Business Editor


07/03/08 "The Times" -- - The spectre of food shortages is casting a shadow across the globe, causing riots in Africa, consumer protests in Europe and panic in food-importing countries. In a world of increasing affluence, the hoarding of rice and wheat has begun. The President of the Philippines made an unprecedented call last week to the Vietnamese Prime Minister, requesting that he promise to supply a quantity of rice.

The personal appeal by Gloria Arroyo to Nguyen Tan Dung for a guarantee was a highly unusual intervention and highlighted the Philippines’ dependence on food imports, rice in particular.

“This is a wake-up call,” said Robert Zeigler, who heads the International Rice Research Institute. “We have a crisis brewing in rice supply.” Half of the planet depends on rice but stocks are at their lowest since the mid1970s when Bangladesh suffered a terrible famine. Rice production will fall this year below the global consumption level of 430 million tonnes.

Street protests and rioting in West Africa towards the end of last year were a harbinger of bigger problems, the World Food Programme said. The global information and early warning system of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has monitored outbreaks of rioting in Mexico, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Guinea, Mauritania and Senegal. There have also been protests in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, over government price increases.Population pressure and increased wealth are mainly to blame for the resurgence of food insecurity. More people are eating meat and dairy products in Asia, which increases the demand on the animal-feed industry. Milk powder prices rose from $2,000 to $4,800 per tonne last year as rising consumption of milk products in Asia coincided with shortages in the Western world. Drought in Australia has worsened the problem as have government policies in Europe and America to increase the use of biofuels.

Link (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19482.htm)

Nothing sparks govt. uprisings like hungry bellies...