“The testimony of vice-mayor Toto Magundadato at the bail hearing of Andal Ampatuan Jr. showed that Gloria Arroyo was derelict in her duty to keep the peace in Maguindanao,” I told my balikbayan friend.
“Derelict?”
“You haven’t heard of Toto’s testimony on the events that led up to the massacre?” I asked.
“I just arrived, my friend,” he replied.
“Then I’ll update you.”
“Shoot.”
“Shooting came at the end, buddy. Anyway, the feud started in 2006 when Toto decided to run for governor against Ampatuan Sr.”
“The killings started in 2006?”
“No, Ampatuan was able to dissuade Toto from running.”
“How?”
“He told Toto three new provinces would be created and one would be for him.”
“Great.”
“Unfortunately, Toto’s province never materialized.”
“And that’s when the killings started.”
“No, because Shariff Kabunsuan province was created and Toto’s brother, Freddie, would, by law, become vice-governor.”
“And Freddie lived happily ever after,” he smiled.
“No, Freddie was not allowed to assume office because Ampatuan preferred Toto.”
“And that’s when the killings started.”
“No, because two new municipalities were created specially for brothers Freddie and Sajib.”
“And peace reigned.”
“No, because in 2007, Toto was again thinking about running for governor.”
“And that’s when the killings started.”
“No, because Ampatuan, accompanied by Toto’s uncle, Congressman Pax Mangundadato, called on Toto. Uncle asked nephew not to challenge Ampatuan and nephew told uncle he wouldn’t.”
“And Ampatuan lived happily ever after.”
“No, because Toto changed his mind again.”
“What happened next?”
“Soon after Toto reneged on his word, the provincial police director of Maguindanao confiscated the guns of Toto’s municipal police, for inventory purposes.”
“Inventory as a precautionary measure, clever,” he said.
“Another precautionary measure followed. This time the Maguindanao police chief, backed by the 76th and 601st infantry battalions disarmed the police force of Pandan where Toto’s brother was mayor.”
“And that’s when the killings started.”
“No, because the next day, July 9, 2009, Toto went to Pampanga to personally report the incident to Gloria Arroyo. She immediately phoned AFP chief Ibrado and ordered the guns returned.”
“So she believes in a level playing field.”
“In a strange way, yes. But Gloria worried the situation would get out of hand. So 11 days after Toto’s visit to Pampanga, Gabby Claudio, her chief political adviser, tried to reconcile the feuding clans. But no ‘kissy-kissy’ took place. A second meeting on Aug.11 also failed.”
“And that’s when the killings started.”
“Not yet, because Toto asked then defense secretary Gibo Teodoro to relieve Maguindanao police chief Dikay and Col. Medardo Geslani, head of the 601st IB, and Teodoro said he would look into it.”
“And Toto lived happily ever after.”
“No, because nothing happened. But Teodoro met with Toto again on Oct.10 and told Toto, “Don’t run for governor. I care for you a lot, Toto. You know those people (Ampatuans) are prone to violence.’”
“That’s all Teodoro did?”
“Yes. But in early November, the month of the massacre, former congressman Prospero Pichay of Lakas-Kampi phoned Toto and repeated Teodoro’s warning.”
“So Toto was warned but he didn’t back off and so…”
“You’re blaming the victim.”
“Am I?” he taunted.
“Yes, like Gloria’s mouthpiece Gary Olivar.”
“Really?”
I quoted Olivar, “In terms of fair warning and due notice, it seems that we were not negligent. I’m not sure what else ought to have been done. At the end of the day, it was the decision of the candidate if he would proceed with his candidacy based on the information he had received.”
“He’s right,” my friend insisted.
“Gloria could do nothing beyond warning Toto?”
“What else could she do?”
“Plenty, read the riot act to both factions, replace the police and military units assigned there, disarm both sides …”
And that’s when my supposedly clueless friend suddenly quoted Teodoro.
“When I became defense secretary, there were threats from the MILF, a possibility that war could erupt, Christians were fighting, and kidnappings were happening all over the country, so we cannot disarm. We couldn’t sustain it and it could have lead to more trouble,”
“Well, Gloria found the political will to disarm Maguindanao after the massacre, didn’t she?” I shot back.
“Obviously her newborn political will was the stepchild of her political won’t.” He laughed.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I trust the narrative is factually and chronologically accurate. This is the image I will have in my mind from now on.
My comment: are we to accept that in some or many parts of our country, the election process goes on this way? Where I come from, rivals sometimes buy one another. The person to be bought decides how much he really wants the position, if money in hand (50 million) isn’t better than money later (100 million upwards).
Calling Mirriam. Are you still for Gibo?
Of course, I am still for Gibo, we have already established that he is not a revolutionary, he is certainly remiss in his duties, thinking that disarming a powerful political clan would cause chaos in the region. He is in a way supporting the status quo, but now he realizes this is faulty, without corresponding increases in defense budget, the private armies could not be disarmed. Now, going back to the massacre and Gibo’s failure to prevent it, you have to understand that the senior Amapatuan, a mere grade 4 political warlord was appointed by Cory as OIC, an uneducated lout like that given all that power, of assigning political posts to various people under his influence will certainly turn monstrous like he did, imagine the brazenness of the violence, and yet, he was a political power broker not only to the Arroyo administration but also to previous administrations, and even before the massacre, the NP was courting his political support. Gibo saw that if he went for disarming both warlords, without justification for it, imagine how the whole country cried foul when martial law was declared to arrest the Ampatuans, you see what I mean that if Gibo had opted for a radical solution to the rivalry, without the massacre as a basis, would he be able to declare martial law in the area, without the being accused by all sides of promoting Gloria’s continuing stay in power? You see how weak our state is, that even a defense chief who has integrity could not do anything radical and swift to go down to Maguindanao and challenge the Ampatuans who are the ARMM officials? To me, this failure does not discredit Gibo’s candidacy, for I will have to ask the other presidential candidates, if they would have had the guts to challenge this violent warlord without clear basis like the massacre to disarm him. And yet, a martial law had to be declared to get them arrested in the face of very clear evidence against the clan. Gibo’s reaction to the massacre though was significant, he went over there and expelled the suspects from the party and accompanied Mangudadatu to file for his candidacy. Mangudadatu understands the subtleties of the politics of the ARMM for he is part of it and he understands Teodoro’s helplessness somehow and that is why he is still supporting him even though LP also tried to get his support. And this is a man who lost a wife, a sister, and many other close relatives to the massacre, he is staying with the party and is supporting Teodoro. Who am I to question his stand when it is him who has suffered the most from the massacre!
brianb
the narrative is based on the testimony of Mangundadato
If this is accurate, then Gibo was most certainly remiss.
I want to find out the veracity of Gibo’s statement during the La Salle forum that no weapon from the DND was acquired by the Ampatuans during his stint as Defense Secretary because I seem to recall (I think this happened when Congress tackled the legality of martial law) Sen. Biazon mentioning the lot number and the year 2009 of the arms cache found in Ampatuans’ territory.
Wasn’t he still the DND Secretary during that time? Or were those particular weapons acquired just when Sec. Norberto Gonzales was warming up on his seat?
He was DND Sec at the time, sykes…
Thanks Lila…
Just wanted to make sure. After all, I also recall Gibo’s explanation in another youth forum that lack of resources in NDCC was the cause of the lack of materials which in turn hampered the Ondoy rescue efforts.
This statement being made days (or was it weeks?) after the Newsbreak article that P50M was earmarked for the purchase of rigid hull inflatable boats before the typhoon season began. And we all know that the rescue boats were the most important thing lacking during the Ondoy disaster.
I think Gibo said only a few weapons registered during his terms were found in the possession of the Ampatuans. I also read somewhere, that besides government issued weapons, the Ampatuans were buying weapons from the black market, from the Israelis and that is why his weaponry is even higher in caliber than the Armed Forces. The government has a reason to charge him with rebellion, what with ARMM funds used to acquire high grade weapons without authorization, what for? He must have anticipated a crack down from the government in the event that his wishes would be thwarted by the national government. Don’t you see guys that the government is doing all it could to promote law and order given the weakness of our state apparatus? If this were China or Russia, the Ampatuans would have been dealt with accordingly with brazen disregard of the rule of law, and would you prefer that? What about the human rights advocates? Even Duterte in Davao City could not prosecute one of the sons when he killed a Davaoenio at a bar, this was to stop a possible all out war between Davao and Maguindanao. Now, you see how dysfunctional our system is, now, how could we be a constructive voice to our government? By demanding that candidates present their platform of governance and then let the electorate led by the media debate which policy is the most feasible and viable. As a nation of critics, it will serve our government well if we debate issues rather than support the politics of vindictiveness!
I agree about being constructive, Miriam, but the campaign period has yet to officially start, so let’s wait to hear what they have all have to say. Of course, Villar has already been on a spending spree, as we all know.
Being critical of GMA and her lackeys is not vindictive, Miriam — it can be highly constructive. The point is we never want it to happen again, so we need to assess where she/we went wrong. It can also be borne of love of country…
I agree, we need to see if the policies of the next administration will solve the pestering problems posed by private armies, what is the candidates’ concrete vision on this? To me, only Teodoro offers a clear policy proposal on solving this problem, probably from his firsthand experience as part of the DND. What is Noynoy’s solution, what is Villar’s solution, what is Gordon’s solution, I mean, beyond rhetoric, we need to be engaged with details and possibilities, this should be the focus of the debate, GMA and her lackeys come and go, but we need to have permanent solutions to these intractable problems, but if we focus to much on associational politics, where is the substance of viable solutions to our problems, the debate on these issues should be long and sustained, and should not end with a few lines given by candidates, they need to be pressed for details and held accountable finally when they are elected. Villar is beyond disgust, even if he justifies his mind-boggling spending on Aquino’s edge with celebrities and favored treatment of ABS-CBN, I will campaign hard that not one of these candidates will get elected even if in the end, my efforts will prove in vain.
Political positions in Maguindanao Province seems to be a CASH COW
for the political families. Why would they kill people who oppose
them in their position?
I see the leaders lived in large Mansions. With several bodyguards.
While their constituents live in dire poverty and marginal existence.
I dont see good roads, agricultural projects and well establish businesses. Yet, the leaders fight tooth and nails; even to the extent
of killing people just for the sake of remaining in the position.
Unless these people learn that the government is not a CASH COW. No
progress will come to the Province of Maguindanao.
Reading the Riot Act is almost the same as verbal warning. Didn’t GIBO warn toto? To the present time many countries who have followed the English Common Law still employs statutes that require authuroties, ploie forces or other executive agents to deliver an ORAL warning before an unlawful public assembly may be forcibly dispersed or disarm.
so where’s negligent there MB? What is riot? if there was, was it visible? If it was a threat, what is imminent? ( imminent threat -overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation)
After the murder of 57 innocent people, many agreed Martial law was constitutional at that time it was executed. The law gives power to the President to issue a proclamation to command the unlawful assembly to disperse, disarm and withdraw peaceably to their respective duties, within a limited time. It also authorized the president to use the militia if the unlawful assembly failed to do so. The hiding of the ammunitions was very unlawful.
think about it…
Can we please the use the rule of law to at least educate the public. I would welcome Atty JCC to verify my opinion. I trust him because of his expertise in the Law just like I trust GIBO. ( wink)
step child? what a myth…
On December 5th, 2009, Patricio Mangubat wrote “We should unite and oust Mrs. Arroyo NOW! ”
I had a question of which Atty JCC patiently answered.
Leytenian, I very much appreciate JCC’s very erudite take on Mangudadatu, but the issue here was the constitutionality of martial law and the rebellion charges against the rest of the Ampatuans. So let’s not try to pass the buck here, ok? I mean, the guy’s family was just killed in broad daylight, for Chrissakes. And you’re asking JCC about making HIM responsible?? Of course it’s of anecdotal interest but let’s not forget the main point here, please.
Warning Mangudadatu was not enough. He should have alerted GMA that the CVOs were out of control (and being used indiscriminately in clan wars) and couldn’t provide a serious defense against the MILF anyway. He should have been aware of the illegal arms trade among his men and put a stop to it.
About constitutionality, kindly read this:
http://cjpanganiban.ph/columns/dress-her-down-anyway
Thanks! :-)
Lila,
Of course I understand your point but what do you mean by ” CVO’s were out of control”? The filipinos in general are out of control. lol.
Out of control? in what way that it will cause a warrant of arrest to disarm the CVO’s. Was it imminent in nature? What was the probable cause of the “out of control ” thingy? The region has its own Local legislative units responsible to investigate and prosecute. A mere threat is not a probable cause unless physical evidence were present…( wink)
Did u actually read the Panganiban piece, tho? Anyway, some of your points r addressed there.
Check out the date of this PCIJ piece on CVOs in Maguindanao. As u will find, it’s well over a year before the massacre, which confirms my point:
http://pcij.org/stories/amid-the-fighting-the-clan-rules-in-maguindanao/
And check out Amnesty International:
http://www.amnesty.nl/voor_de_pers_artikel/57066
As AI’s head for Asia-Pacific said: “The CVOs in Maguindanao have engaged in systematic attacks on civilians, arson, and even murder, often with the knowledge and involvement of provincial authorities and the military. Powerful clans have used the CVOs against their political opponents, while the central government has often turned a blind eye. In return, the clans have helped the government in winning votes and fighting the MILF and the New People’s Army (NPA)…”
Lawyers. This insane. You’re scratching itches when there’s a big gash. The Magundadatus have a right to run for office. Government is responsible for protecting their right. My thinking is, whether they know or nor that the Ampatuans are capable of killing, they are in no way negligent in trying to submit their candidacy. Are you freaking mad? Do you honestly think that you’re erudite views of murder and manslaughter are at all applicable in the normal lives of man. They don’t even sound humane to me. You’re like vegans trying to ban meat and rationalizing the idea by pulling out a nutritional scientific calculator.
brianb,
you sound very mad yourself. it was a question brianb. something to think about. here’s what i wrote after. just think about it for a sec.
FYI, i’m no lawyer.
MB,
Your brain is bent. Which is the highest compliment I can offer a writer.
I’m a step or two away from your point, but not to worry. Villar is a crook in my book.
Anyhow, yesterday I had an epiphany. I am wrong about Mr. Aquino’s commercials. I had complained about those smarmy yellow candles and his marching about appealing to people’s emotions, rather than dealing with issues. My epiphany is that I am not the audience.
Let me explain how I got there, because it was roundabout.
Amadeo noted her on FV that Mr. Obama’s ratings have fallen lower than other first-year US presidents, implying that he is therefore not such a good president. My response was that his environment is different than other first year presidents. Others did not arrive to a crashing economy, the ripping of wealth from Americans with the collapse of the housing bubble, and the unrealistic expectation that the housing bubble would be put back in place and full employment arrived at within one year. He also operates in a world of intense sound-bite criticism where every perceived mistake is taken by others and whipped into a character flaw. So he may, indeed, be a one-term president, but not because he is not a capable president, but because it is impossible to manage the environment.
From that, I migrated my commentary to the Philippines and observed that, in the Philippines, the man elected president may not be the best man for the job, just the one who slots himself best into the Philippine social context, which is not particularly politically sophisticated, and indeed is rather star-struck. Fact is, the next president might be a crook; that would keep the established trend in place.
So people can vote for a good guy with a strong platform but have to settle for what the less rigorously analytical, easily influenced masses want. Until the social context changes – something that is unlikely to happen any time soon – you get what you get . . . the man who appeals best to those who are not politically sophisticated, and indeed are rather star-struck.
Therein, my epiphany. Mr. Aquino would make a mistake to aim his commercials at me. He should continue to go for the jugular of the emotional, politically unsophisticated, star-struck crowd. I do think his media buys could be more targeted, however. ABS-CBN should be the star-struck variety, but CNN should probably be more platform based. I get the yellow candles about once an hour on CNN. Thereupon, I switch channels.
Joe
Well, there u have it, folks! God bless epiphanies, Mac. Just what I have been trying to say all this time: these ads r not meant for US anyway. The demographic we represent is much too small for anyone to focus on it.
There r bigger issues we all need to be thinking about, like the fact that Villar is a crook who flouts the rule of law.
And what about Aquino, don’t you think he is being a crook for taking 2 million pesos from the sale of property to the government, overpriced at 100 per sq. meter when the going price in Tarlac was only 8 per sq. meter, and that the rightful owners of the Hacienda Luisita, the farmers only got 1 peso each. Don’t you think there is something very corrupt about the guy who is being promoted as a saint when he did nothing to improve life in the country and even voted against the extension of CARP so his family interests in keeping the Hacienda theirs won’t be compromised?
@miriam
where did u get the info that he, personally, took 2 million?
Miriam,
I think there is a vast difference between a guy who undervalues his property for tax benefit(P8/sq meter) as the rest of the Philippines does, then sells it at market value, and the guy who manages his businesses to suck off the public’s wealth for his own greedy gain.
The property valuation cheating is so common, it is really the ethic that most attorneys and government officials go by.
It is a big big big stretch to put Mr. Aquino in the same camp as Mr. Villar on cheating.
Joe
You are right, Villar is a cheat and a crook, this is evident in his non-performance as a legislator for the poor when he is in fact promoting himself as the champion of the poor. Well, since you have been digging up all these legal issues against a corrupt businessman, why not dig up all the legal issues against a corrupt haciendero who has not done anything good for the poor farmers and has only been promoting his family interests. Have you been keeping yourselves abreast of the legal claims of the farmers on Hacienda Luisita and how Aquino has used his position as a legislator to protect the interests of his family claims on the estate? Between Villar and Aguino, there is no viable presidential choice, that is why Gibo looks a lot more a wise choice despite his failings to avert the Maguindanao massacre!
@miriam
how is noynoy using his election position to do injustice to the farmers?
It’s like saying that Mangudadatu is also culpable for the Ampatuan massacre. It doesn’t necessarily follow. And, as Mac says, there r ENORMOUS differences between the two either way.
I understand u don’t favor Noynoy, leytenian, but what exactly r your views on Villar? I ask because your last comment was apparently to this (“There r bigger issues we all need to be thinking about, like the fact that Villar is a crook who flouts the rule of law”). If u think Noynoy and Villar r equally corrupt and dishonest, then I have to wonder if the assertion that Villar is another GMA candidate should be given more credence. Otherwise, why would a supporter of Gibo’s inadvertently support Villar by deflecting my question on him and focusing instead on Noynoy once again? We’ve already had several Noynoy blogs; now the topic above is Gibo and the reference here was Villar; so why the shift? Or is that the party line now? Just as Villar doesn’t critique GMA (as Gary Olivar has so warmly praised), does this mean Gibo and his people won’t question Villar in turn? Is it because they have the same political parent? if that’s not the case, then why not share your own views on Villar? Dunno: just wondering. But, as Alice would say, it sure is getting curiouser and curiouser.
Lila,
Villar cannot gain my family’s support nor mine. I have to find the previous blog containing my opinion on Villar. It was more focus on conflict of interest. will find it soon
Well, believe it or not, my disgust with Noynoy over the hacienda issue stems from the fact that if you look at the rice shortage problem in our country since way back, scholars clearly point to the hacienda system as the reason for it, that’s why despite being an agricultural country, we are the biggest rice importer in Asia. I did some more research about Hacienda Luisita and found that this hacienda was obtained from GSIS loans on condition that it be redistributed to the farmers after ten years, and that is why the farmers there are restive, cause the hacienda was obtained on govt. loans but the hacienda administrators have reneged on their obligation for decades. If you look at the insurgency problem in the Philippines, it also clearly originates in the Hacienda Luisita form of injustice. There are legal battles on Hacienda Luisita and I will not go into details here, one clear indication that Noynoy promotes his family interest is the fact that he voted against the renewal of CARP. And what is more, I read in a column yesterday that he took 2 million pesos from the land sale to the govt. and the farmers who own 33% of stocks on Hacienda Luisista were given only 1 peso each. To add insult to injury, the sister hinted that the reason why farmers on the hacienda are poor is because they have a lot of children, what a shameless thing to say. In addition, since the hacienda which rightfully belongs to the farmers was converted into an estate which is exempted from CARP in 1991, only once did the farmers receive dividends! This is clearly an unjust social system and what does Noynoy have to say on the issue, nothing, he avoids it and if pressed all he has to say is that he only owns 4% of the stocks, but he is obviously a favored stockholder compared to the farmers. This is a big issue for a do-nothing senator and an ex-congressman that the LP is promoting to be the wellspring of solutions for all our problems!
Leytenian,
What I’d like to know is what Gibo and GMA told the Ampatuans. Why were their efforts focused on getting Mangundadato to back-off?
Reading the Riot Act is a common phrase that means a serious threat as in “don’t you dare do anything if you know what’s good for you” and it is usually delivered by someone who can actually make good the threat.
Now if you are saying that the warning to Mangundadato was tantamount to reading him the Riot Act then you don’t understand the phrase. Ampatuan had the capacity to hurt, Mangundadato the vulnerability to hurt. So it is senseless to read the riot act to the one you are duty bound to protect. You read it to the potential trouble maker.
“so where’s negligent there MB? What is riot? if there was, was it visible? If it was a threat, what is imminent? ( imminent threat -overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation)”
Nothing was visible to me until the massacre happened but it was certainly visible to Gloria, Gibo, Claudio, and Pichay. Otherwise why would Claudio mediate, why would Gibo and Pichay warn Mangundadato that the Amapatuans were prone to violence.
They were negligent because they knew what could happen and they didn’t do anything real about even if they had the capability to do so. NO political will to rein in the Ampatuans. That’s why the massacre. That’s why martial law after the massacre. That’s why political will is the stepchild of political won’t.
I want to know what they told the Ampatuans after the reconciliation meetings failed. And stop blaming the victim
MB,
To disarm the army could also mean reduced protection against the existing muslim insurgents. What if the extremists will take advantage of the situation? Try putting yourself at GIBO’s or Gloria’s place? Assuming GIBO disarmed the CVO without solid evidence of riot or even credible witnesses then later on war escalated between ARMM and the muslim extremists or let’s say war against toto and the ampatuan for some reason, what do you imagine would have been the crime of GIBO, GMA or Pichay.
well, you have to demonstrate it in court that it was visible to Gloria, Gibo, Claudio, and Pichay. Warning means that a possible violence will occur. Possibility can be 50/50. Meaning it was not imminent , not measurable nor visible before the fact. It was uncertain. Who would have thought that the Ampatuan’s were capable of murdering 57 innocent people? The mental state of the crime cannot be divorced from its act. Being capable or even visible is only the mental state but without the act, it is not enough evidence to disarm or even remove a public official in office.
Warning was the only remedy at that time before the fact.
MB,
On Claudio, mediation is another remedy to solve a dispute between two parties. To mediate just because of political rivalry without filing a formal complaint at the local court house is more like a Philippine setting to me. Mag-usap usap tayo…
If mediation doesn’t work, court hearing would be the appropriate action but first one must file a complaint. Toto should have filed a case against the ampatuan at the local court. This could have been used as visible/ evidence or even material witness before the fact. But did he? Toto totally ignored the warnings and disregard the threat from his political rival. Instead he pursued and sent innocent people to their death.
Very well argued leytenian, this is exactly my side of the issue on the massacre in Maguindanao. Thanks for the elucidation and I will campaign for Gibo when I go home in March, Toto’s confession has not in any way diminished my support for the only presidentiable I think deserves the voters’ support, of course there is Gordon, but what do you think will his stand be vis-a-vis political warlords, turn them all into tourist guides?
Yes, leytenian, but u r also ignoring the cultural reality of rido in such contexts. Many Muslims have been brought up to resolve things in ways that r more in keeping with shari’a law than national law. According to my Muslim friends, an eye for an eye (or worse) would be much more in keeping with their cultural background. So, while it is impressive that Mangudadatu didn’t retaliate with violence, u can’t erase the fact that he might prefer to deal with things verbally, the way many Muslims in such contexts do. That would be the anthropological view.
As for staying with Lakas, he didn’t stay with the party because he approved of Gibo’s handling of the situation in the aftermath! He stayed because, despite scheduled talks with Frankie Drilon, the reality is that the LP machinery is in no way comparable in Mindanao. So it was a calculated decision in the interests of preserving his own candidacy…
Lila,
On RIDO? its hostility has been well recorded since the 1930′s. This cannot be submitted as visible evidence to disarm the CVO’s like what MB is TRYING HARD to defend. If we take RIDO’s existing conflict ( which is historical) as the basis for the neglectful act by the current administration , it may not hold strong in court. It may also implicate and put the previous administrations as contributory and neglectful during their terms.
cut and paste from ” at the starting gate”
Miriam,
smart women like smart men, eh? I definitely don’t like a shy and introverted type of personality running this country. I can’t find facts that HE will do good for my fellow countrymen. But this is a wowowee country…lol, will see. But I am still 50% GIBO. zero for Noynoy and Villar… unless one can convince me . So far… nah.
Ladies, I strongly recommend u read this piece by Pat Evangelista of Inquirer:
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20100206-251687/The-guns-of-Gibo
Pat has also been critical of Noynoy, Chiz, etc, so she’s not particularly partisan, as far as I know.
Leytenian, sino yung isang 50% mo? Just wondering.
P.S. And honest women prefer honest men… Of course it helps if they’re smart too. :D
Lila, I did read this moralistic article by P. Evangelista, Gibo obviously failed in averting the massacre, he failed to act but to discredit the entire candidacy of Gibo on this one failure is fallacious. Miss Evangelista is entitled to her moralistic opinion, Gibo has done more to clean up the DND during his two-year stint there than any minister before him. I already mentioned his management system in curbing corrupt procurement practices, stopped a 3 million dollar helicopter deal for rigged bidding, jailed a corrupt general and systematized the issuance of weapons. Gibo dared the military to reveal the results of their investigations, I don’t think Gibo is trying to hide skeletons in the closet, he is aware of the corrupt military institution and that is why he put in place a system so that corruption could be reduced. Miss Evangelista is blaming the whole system of cooperation with private armies to make up for our budget deficiency in defence on Gibo. You know this journalist sounds to me very partisan, cause she does not look at the bigger picture and is bent on blaming Gibo for the whole debacle, and not only that she doesn’t mention Gibo’s actual accomplishments as a congressman and as Defense Chief, she magnifies the failures, if you have to judge the candidate on his accomplishments and failures in public service, I believe you have to put your argument in context not in a vacuum of a perfectly run world. And her opinion of the Taliban, we don’t see eye to eye on it either, the Talibans while a despicable lot had brought peace and stability to the lives of the Afghans and what is Afghanistan now? The fault of the international community was to marginalize it precisely to moralize and force its leaders to rely on Bin Laden for financial support, see how moralizing sometimes could prove fatal to national interest and yet, the Americans there are just as horrible as the Talibans for killing innocent civilians, calling these casualties as collateral damage, wow, it is convenient to moralize and then turn something totally evil as inevitable and good! P. Evangelista will do good to research more and read more about private armies and perhaps, recommend increases in defense budget so that as Gibo recommends, law enforcement could be sustained in areas where a power vacuum is left by the removal of private armies. A Thai scholar friend is doing research in Thailand too about the role of these informal power brokers in keeping the countryside safe and orderly. Their situation is of course different as a landlocked country free of proliferation of guns. Lila, as you can see, I am a Gibo supporter and a realist, I do not for a minute doubt Gibo’s sincerity and I do not of course consider him a saint either.
Joe,
Good messaging and accurate targeting are important but they don’t amount to anything if they are not seen and heard enough. I must admit that Noynoy’s ads are not only sporadic but they don’t have a very clear message.
But here’s what I mean about saturation and target.
Below are the stats on Villar’s ads:
1. From Jan 1 – 9, 2010. Villar placed 296 TV ads at the cost of P68.2M. Gibo spent P20+M and Noynoy about P7M.
2. Target : DE, males/females, 18+ years
3. Percentage of viewers who came in contact with the ads at least once, twice or three times a day.
Once- 100%/twice -99.8%/thrice-99.63%
In short, the ads are practically impossible to miss if your TV is on.
4. Opportunity to see the ads was 336 times.
5. Percentage for daytime/primetime spots
Daytime – 54.69%
Primetime – 45.39%
5. Kinds of spot : 5 secs/15secs/30 secs/30secs/40secs/60secs/90secs/180secs
5 secs -35
15 sec- 42
30 sec – 3,994
45 sec – 546
60 sec – 87
90 sec – 2
180 sec – 54
In short, Villar has a very loud voice among. And in politics, it’s not what you say but how loud and how often you say it. And as far as that is concerned, Villar beats all the other candidates hands down.
Now starting February 8 or 9 the official campaign period begins. Candidates will have an equal voice. 120 mins each for the entire 90 day campaign period and another 120 mins for the party. That’s a total of 240 mins. Everyone will be given a chance to be heard at equal volume unless, of course, there are loopholes in the Comelec rules that will allow the unscrupulous and moneyed candidate to get extra time.
Joe,
OOOOPS. Sorry the number of the ads placed in the per 5/10/15/45/60/90/180 seconds length were for the entire 2009.
The correct figures for Jan 1 – 9 2010 are:
5 sec – 1
10 sec – 1
30 sec – 1
45 sec – 293
Joe,
OOPS again. I keep getting the full year 2009 stats with the Jan 1 – 9, 2010 stats.
Here are the Jan1-9,2010 stats as corrected
1. Percentage of viewers who came in contact with the ads at least once, twice or three times a day. during the Jan 1-9, 2010 period
Once- 90.24%
Twice -87.03%
Thrice-84.56%
2. Opportunity to see the ads – 29
3. Percentage for daytime/primetime spots
Daytime – 49.66%
Primetime – 50.34%.
4. Number of ads – 296
5. Kinds of spot : 5 secs/15secs/30 secs/30secs/40secs/60secs/90secs/180secs
5 sec – 1
10 sec – 1
30 sec – 1
45 sec – 293
MB,
I appreciate the details. Villar is competent, I think. Just his values are warped.
Joe
Joe,
Villar has excellent organizational skills. And that’s a dangerous asset in a crooked businessman/politician
Agree with this. Scarier even than Marcos.