Wednesday, February 20, 2008

NBN investigation tops Pinoy karaoke music charts

Political observers looking at the Philippine situation right now might as well gauge how seriously affected the country is by the Senate investigation into the anomalous NBN ZTE just by listening to the songs being sung by national figures and politicians.

Perhaps this can give birth to the rise of a blockbuster musicale of epidemic proportions.

During his first appearance at the Senate NBN investigations, Engr. Jun Lozada was memorably quoted as saying he had been given instructions by former NEDA Secretary Romulo Neri to 'moderate their greed' or moderate the greed of Benjamin Abalos and Joey De Venecia. Senate Press Corps reporters were quite inventive in singing the popular phrase 'moderate their greed' to the tune of Billy Ray Cyrus' popular line dance song 'Achy Breaky Heart'.

Last week, while Lozada was at the Senate telling how he was forced by law enforcers to take a tour of Laguna after he arrived from Hongkong, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo broke out into song with no less than Richard Carpenter on the keyboards.

The President, who even as Undersecretary at the DTI, was known for her singing prowess sang the refrain of “I Have You” -- one of the more memorable Carpenters songs. She went solo with the memorable refrain: “Sometimes/ When I’m almost to surrender/ Then I stop/ And I remember/ I have you/ To save my day.”

She says that the song was dedicated to the First Gentleman. Really?

Over the weekend, on Sunday, Lozada was at a Catholic mass in La Salle Greenhills together with EDSA 86 icons former President Corazon Aquino et al and together they sang one of the favorite songs of sandal clad patriots, 'Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas' with lyrics penned by Jose Corazon de Jesus Melody by Constancio de Guzman. With fists clenched and arms raised, they sang 'Ang bayan kong Pilipinas, Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak, Pag-ibig ang sa kanyang palad, Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag. At sa kanyang yumi at ganda, Dayuhan ay nahalina, Bayan ko, binihag ka, Nasadlak sa dusa. Ibon mang may layang lumipad, Kulungin mo at umiiyak, Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag, Ang di magnasang makaalpas! Pilipinas kong minumutya, Pugad ng luha ko't dalita Aking adhika, Makita kang sakdal laya!'

I don't know when this song was first sung but there are some references to it being sung by nationalists in the thousands of struggles and uprisings Filipinos had to fight in order to gain freedom. I remember hearing Freddie Aguilar singing this song in the heady days after the assasination of former Senator Ninoy Aquino, I was just in Grade 7 then. (Having heard it sung again under current circumstances sends shivers through my very core.)

Anyway, one sentiment in the song refers to the Philippines being pillaged by foreigners. If you think about it and maybe loosely apply the idea to the NBN deal mess, you can probably say that Abalos et al are selling off our people to penury through the NBN loan. It is, apparently, no longer necessary to attack and subdue a nation through military might in order to compel it to give up its resources to the invading country. All you have to do is to bribe Filipino government officials and they'll hand over the lives of 80 million Filipinos to you.

The other day, one her former Tourism Secretary and now Senator Richard Gordon raised a poignant point with regard to the NBN investigation.

Gordon said "We want something to happen in this investigation and I am afraid that we are headed towards nowhere again." and reminded everyone that other investigations launched in the Senate had gone nowhere quickly, even after making recommendations to prosecute people involved in other anomalies.

Senator Gordon could have also burst out into song (and he has a pretty good singing voice), this time with a Diana Ross classic, the Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?) composed by M. Masser and G. Goffin. The first two stanzas may as well be dedicated to the Filipino people, 'Do you know where you're going to?/ Do you like the things that life is showing you /Where are you going to?/ Do you know...?/ Do you get/ What you're hoping for/ When you look behind you/ There's no open door/ What are you hoping for?/ Do you know...?'

Which brings me to the point of this latest entry in my blog and allow me to address my countrymen in Tagalog.

Mga Kabayan, saan ba tayo patungo nito?

Ayoko nang pumunta sa EDSA ulit, kabayan. Tama na iyong original na EDSA nung 1986. Nung ikalawang beses nating ginawa ito, eh klarong klaro na mali ang pinaupo natin -- mas masahol pa dun sa pinatalsik natin.

Heto ako ngayon kabayan, nagsimula na akong mag-proseso ng papeles para sa Seaman's Book ko at nagdesisyon na akong sumampa ng barko bilang Broadcast Operator sa isang cruise ship. Wala na akong makitang pag-asa para umasenso sa sarili kong bayan.

Kapag natuloy ako, walong buwan akong mawawala sa piling ng kaisa-isa kong anak. Walong buwan sa buhay ng anak ko ang ipapagpalit ko sa dolyares na kikitain ko. Mukhang wala na yata akong ibang pagpipilian kasi, sa tingin ko, kung gusto natin ng pagbabago eh dapat ngayon pa lang lumilitaw na ang magagandang options.

Tignan mo na lang ang mga pangalan na lumilitaw bilang Presidentiable sa 2010, ayon sa pinakahuling survey ng SWS.

"Thirty percent of Filipino adults named Vice-President Noli de Castro, 27% named Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., 23% named Senator Loren Legarda, and 20% named Senator Manuel Roxas II as recommended successors to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to the November 30 - December 3, 2007 Social Weather Survey which asked for up to three names they recommend."

Okay lang sana kung parang pagpapatakbo ng isang palabas sa TV ang pagpapatakbo sa bansa. Ano ba ang alam ni Ka Noli sa pagiging Pangulo? Mayroon ba tayong nakitang batayan o track record niya bilang isang government executive? Nag-iisip kaya ang 1,200 na tinanong para sa survey na ito? Malamang, hindi.

Sige, kung hindi okay si Noli, paano naman kaya si Villar? Sinasabi niyang yumaman siya sa Sipag at Tiyaga, ang nakalimutan niyang mabanggit eh iyong parte na yumaman siya sa Sipag at Tiyaga ng ibang tao. Tandaan niyo sana na si Villar ang nagpasa ng impeachment case laban kay Estrada nuong 2001 bilang House Speaker. Nuong 2007 bilang Senate President, siya naman ang humingi na patawarin na si Estrada - kahit pa convicted si Estrada sa salang plunder at ni isang araw ay hindi nakatikim ng buhay kulungan. Tapos nitong 2008, umikot pa sila ni Estrada sa Bataan para ibandera ang kanilang mistulang samahan.

Hindi ba, ayaw natin sa balimbing at higit sa lahat, ayaw natin ng oportunista? Anong paninindigan ang pinapakita ni Villar? Sunod lang ng sunod sa agos ang mamang iyan at kapag ganyan ang naging Presidente natin, ang papanigan niya ay hindi iyong mga kababayan natin -- ang papanigan niya ay ang interes ng mga malalakas, mayayaman at may kapangyarihan. Sabihin na natin ang tutoo, maraming pumapanig kay Villar kasi may nakukuhang grasya at ang grasya na ito ay galing sa kabang bayan -- galing sa bulsa ng taong kinakaltasan ng witholding tax, sa taong nagbabayad ng EVAT, at sa lahat ng taong nagbibigay ng pera sa pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng samu't saring mga sinisingil sa bawat transaction.

Ano ba alam ni Villar sa pagpapalakad ng bansa? Senado nga eh walang direksyon at walang prayoridad. Basta may magandang sakyan na isyu, yun ang pagtutuonan.

Eto namang si Loren Loren Sinta... Ewan. Halo halo na ang pronounciation (hindi malaman kung British o American), mali-mali pa ang mga idiomatic expressions... Umiyak nuong impeachment laban kay Estrada, tumakbo na katambal si FPJ, at kelan lang nasabing babasbasan naman ni Presidente Gloria para sa 2010. Tingin ko, bopols din ito pag naupo bilang Presidente.

Si Mar Roxas naman na hindi talaga namamalengke sa tutuong buhay, kwelang kwela talaga. Iyon lang. Gaya naman din ni Villar, parang hipong tulog at tinatangay lang ng agos. Dating DTI Secretary ni Erap, tapos nung nawala si Erap eh naging DTI Secretary naman ni Gloria. Tumakbo bilang Senador, ka-linya ni Gloria. Tapos, nung makapwesto na bilang Senador, binanatan na si Gloria at nagdeklara na miyembro na siya ng oposisyon dahil sa 'Hello Garci'... Hello, Mr. Palengke, huwag mong sabihin na wala kang alam tungkol sa 'Hello Garci' nung mga panahong nangangampanya kayo ng Ma'am mo na si Gloria. Iyong tinatawag na integrity, ginagawa at pinapakita iyan sa oras na nakita mong may pagkakamaling naganap sa kapaligiran mo.

I know a lot about integrity because I have suffered for it countless of times in my youth and there are many instances in my life today that I have stood up for what is right and what is true.

Dalawa lang ang itinuro sa akin ng buhay:

Una, ang huwag magsinungaling at tratuhin ng patas ang lahat ng makakasalamuha ko.

Ikalawa, ang manindigan ng walang takot o pag-aalala sa sarili para sa tama at para sa katotohanan.

O siya, kabayan. Hanggang dito muna. Sana lagi mong tignan ang blog ko kasi magiging madalas na ang pagsulat ko dito. Sana mag-comment ka din at para maramdaman ko na hindi ako nag-iisa.

1 comment:

centrix5 said...

saan po b pwede mag-apply as broadcast operator sa barko? pa email naman po sa akin..

mouricemercado@gmail.com

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...