4 OPINYON Enero 22-28 , 2018
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ARNOLD ALAMON
Insecure
FOR a country that calls itself a democracy , it is certainly troubling that government is now waging a thorough crack down against media on all fronts .
The country ’ s major newspaper of national circulation has seen itself placed under extreme pressure by the Duterte administration because of supposed unpaid taxes . The former owners were identified with the previous administration and in order to cut further economic losses , they had to let go of their prized political jewel by selling off the paper to old players in the media circles perceived to be supporters of the administration .
Since then , there has been a palpable shift in the once critical tone of the paper towards a more amiable regard for the current administration . Traditional media such as radio and not just print is also under attack . The application for the renewal of the franchise of the Catholic Bishop ’ s Conference of the Philippines or CBCP to operate radio and TV stations before Congress has been gathering dust at the Lower House since early last year . Remember that Catholic priests have been the most vocal critics of the government ’ s disastrous war on drugs . There are also scores of radio stations in Davao threatened with closure by the National Telecommunications Commission or NTC over a host of technicalities according to recent news reports .
Book ending this comprehensive clamp down on traditional media is the Securities and Exchange Commission order effectively revoking new media giant Rappler ’ s operations on allegations that it has violated constitutional provisions on the prohibition of majority foreign ownership and control over media companies .
Hiding behind legalese double-speak , given what has been a comprehensive attack on media entities that are critical of the administration since Duterte assumed office , is the clear and obvious disdain or paranoia carried by this administration against dissent of any kind . The SEC decision is obviously a form of political pressure that violates the very constitution and its clear provisions in protection of a free press that it also cites in its decision against Rappler .
It seems that there is little room in the small town imaginary of the sitting president and his court of jesters in Malacanang and Congress for an appreciation of what a vibrant and living political democracy entails
– the kind that allowed for dissenting voices and debate which actually paved the way for their cabal to assume power . In a way , the old oligarchic elite was a lot more magnanimous in this regard . The privilege of having control over the country ’ s political and economic resources for a long period of time have allowed them this kind of mental luxury to be somewhat tolerant of dissent .
Not for the new nouveau political monarchs from the South , however . There is a deep paranoia about being dislodged from power or displeasing the assembled political disposition of forces that there was constant need to cozy up to the generals and the military . All who dare challenge authority shall meet the iron hand and then mocked by an approving public empowered by his meteoric rise to power . All pesky irritants should be dealt with accordingly in the same manner that made the fabled death squads in the South so effective . There in his little kingdom in the South he was adored for keeping the streets clean with the elimination of petty addicts and criminal .
Now , he has brought the same kind of small town political leadership , where power and dominance must constantly be displayed , to the national scale resulting in disastrous results . We need only see the drug war , the Marawi siege , and the failed peace talks to see the consequences of this paranoid personalistic leadership . The recent attack against media should be seen from these lenses . For all his vaunted and celebrated high approval ratings , this presidency ’ s attitude towards dissent exposes the flimsy grounds upon which it rests . It actually provides a peek not just on a troubling personal mentality of Duterte himself but also how government regards itself .
It exposes the weak bases of legitimacy the whole Duterte government stands on - such that it must always recourse to clamping down against dissent via a declared or undeclared dictatorial rule . The attack against critical voices reveals the insecurity of Duterte and his administration . He and his cabal know that the old oligarchic elite is just about ready to consolidate their own forces and are always ready to take over power .
Or it may be the case that the Filipino people will finally heed a most important history - that political messiahs like Duterte are not the answer to our complex and historical problems as a nation and that they might just sweep all of them elites away to the dustbin history .
MINSAN nitong mga nagdaang buwan , inakusahan ng Malacañang ang oposisyon ng paglapit sa gobyerno ng Estados Unidos para humingi ng suporta sa pagpapatalsik kay Pang . Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo . Sa tindi ng bangayan ng mga naghaharing uri sa bansa , maging ang gusto nilang ilihim ay ibinubulgar na nila : Na kailangan at mahalaga para makaupo at makatagal ang isang gobyerno sa bansa ang suporta ng gobyerno ng US . Pero hindi ang paggamit ng US sa oposisyon ang kagyat na panganib sa bayan .
Mas kagyat na panganib ang paggamit nito sa gobyernong Arroyo . Dahil desperadong manatili sa kapangyarihan , nagkukumahog ang gobyernong ito na ibigay lahat ng pabor sa gobyernong US , hingiin man o hindi . Nagawa nga nitong gamitin ang pangalan ng Diyos , sa pagsasabing kagustuhan ng Diyos na manalo si Arroyo sa nakaraang halalan . Mainam sana kung ibenta na lamang ni Arroyo at ng kanyang kapaksyon ang kanilang kaluluwa sa demonyo . Pero higit pa rito ang inilulubog nila sa dagat-dagatang apoy .
Noong Hulyo 8 , araw ng pagkalas kay Arroyo ng mga dating alyado niya – sina Dinky Soliman at Hyatt 10 , dating Pang . Cory Aquino at Senate Pres . Franklin Drilon at Partido Liberal – maagap din ang tugon ng kampo ni Arroyo . Nagpatawag ito ng press conference kasama si dating Pang . Fidel Ramos , naganunsyo rito ng pagkakaisa ’ t pagtutulungan , at nagpahayag
Ni Teo S . Marasigan
Sa Interes ng US
ng kahandaang baguhin ang Saligang Batas . Ayon sa mga kakampi ni Arroyo , pangako niya ito noon pang tumakbo siya sa pagkapangulo .
Maraming bagay ito : Panlilito sa taumbayan hinggil sa hinaharap ng bansa at sa sinseridad ng kasalukuyang gobyerno na magpatupad ng mga pagbabago , gayundin ang panlilito sa mga kalaban sa pulitika hinggil sa kahandaan ni Arroyo na bumitaw sa kapangyarihan bago pa man matapos ang kanyang termino sa 2010 . Pero higit sa anupaman , pag-apila ito sa US na ang kanyang kampo ang kampihan , hindi iyung sa kalaban . Dahil siya ang magbibigay ng mas malaking pakinabang sa US mula sa bansa .
Nakatagal pa si Arroyo . At noong hindi rumagasa ang kilos-protesta kahit barubal at bruskong ibinasura ang kasong impeachment sa Kongreso , tumaas ang tiwala ng paksyon nito sa sarili . May indikasyong ginusto nitong talikuran ang pangakong baguhin ang Saligang Batas para makatagal hanggang 2010 . Nagkaroon ng alingasngas sa Kongreso sa pagkalas ng maliit na partido ni Arroyo sa partido ni Speaker Jose de Venecia – tagapagtaguyod ng pagbabagong ito – at pagsabing hindi sila susuporta rito .
Naging tahimik ang gobyernong Arroyo sa pagbago ng Saligang Batas . Pagkatapos ng isang byahe sa ibang bansa , pagbanat sa mga kalaban sa pulitika ang inatupag nito . Sa ganitong kalagayan mauunawaan ang paglutang ng US sa balitang sangkot si Ramos sa pagplano ng isang kudeta para patalsikin si Arroyo . Pangiggipit at panggugulantang ito ng US sa gobyernong Arroyo para tumalima sa naunang napagkaisahan : na baguhin ang Saligang Batas ng bansa . Ngayon , tumatalima na uli si Arroyo at mga kakampi niya .
Ibayong pakinabang sa US ang ganito : 100 % pagaari ng mga negosyo sa bansa , todo-todong pagmimina , at walang-awat na pagpasok ng mga tropang Amerikano . Bukod sa pagbago ng Saligang Batas , napakarami pang pabor ang nakuha ng US : Pagpasa sa Expanded Value Added Tax ( E-VAT ) para may pambayad sa utang panlabas ang bansa , pagbigay ng napakalaking bahagi ng pambansang budget sa pagbayad sa utang panlabas , kabi-kabilang pagsasanaymilitar ng tropa ng US sa bansa , at iba pa .
Sa pagpipilit ng gobyernong Arroyo na kumapit sa kapangyarihan , sa pagpipilit nitong mabuhay , lalo lamang binubuo at binubuyo nito ang galit ng sambayanan , lalo lamang nitong hinuhukay ang sariling libingan . Lalong nagiging sunud-sunuran ito sa US , pero hindi US ang lalasap ng galit at pagkilos ng taumbayan . Nasusubok pang lalo ang pagkatuta ni Arroyo ng napabalitang panggagahasa ng mga sundalong US sa isang Pilipina . Mula pandaraya , lalong lumalalim ang dahilan ng bayan para patalsikin siya .
10 Nobyembre 2005