Tambuling Batangas Publication January 24-30, 2018 Issue | Página 4

OPINYON Enero 24-30, 2018 Lingguhang Pahayagan ng Lalawigan ng Batangas na inilalathala tuwing Miyerkules / PRINTING PLANT: Sinag Publishing & Printing Services, National Highway, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City, Laguna. Tel nos. [phone] & [phone] / Subscription fee: One year P360.00 Six Months: P180.00 / Commercial Advertising rate: P160 per column cm / MEMBER: Publisher’s Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) / Raia Jennifer E. Dela Peña Managing Editor / P.L. Villa, RC Asa Contributing Editors / Shara Jane Falceso, Rachelle Joy Aquino, Jacquilou Lirio, Maria Carlyn Ureta staff writers / Ruel T. Landicho Lay-out Artist/ Ms. Corazon D.P. Marcial, Amber D.C Vitto Legal Consultant. email add: [email protected] & [email protected] 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. Teo S. Marasigan Sa Interes ng US 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, nag- anunsyo rito ng pagkakaisa’t pagtutulungan, at nagpahayag 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% pag- aari 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 pagsasanay- militar 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