A resolution soon, inshallah- Foreign affairs, Religious issues -This news item, from Herald newspaper editor Father Lawrence Andrew said the move was part of a series of restrictions put in place by the conservative Muslim government when it renewed the paper’s licence on Tuesday. The Herald, circulated among the country’s 850,000 Catholics, nearly lost its publishing licence last year for using the word “Allah” as a translation for “God,” with authorities saying it should only be used by Muslims. “The Constitution says Malay is the national
language so why can’t we use the national language in He called the ban “unacceptable” and said he intended to take action. By John Nery Reclaiming the Public (anti cha-cha campaign) If nothing fundamental has changed in terms of the aspirations of the ruling coalition (unicameral parliamentalism), I don’t think anything fundamental has changed in terms of the fundamental political preferences of the public (bicameral presidentialism), either. Economics remains a powerful argument, but that argument is weakened by questions over the political motives of the proponents of Charter Change. This is where what helps foster Charter Change within the ruling coalition, harms its prospects when it comes to public opinion. It matters to members of the House, that the President’s sons are so conspicuous and that her pet party, Kampi, is taking such an active role; their prominence, however, leads to public mistrust of the proposals and the proponents. In his blog, Mon Casiple details where the House effort is at and the long ways it has to go: The GMA forces in the House are crowing about a 183-strong signatory to a House resolution for the convening of a Constituent Assembly. This particular resolution–reportedly being passed around by the Arroyo sons directly–has not even been filed and contained no particular provisions to amend. They are publicly proclaiming that the 196 three-fourths vote required to pass a constitutional amendment in a joint-vote Con-Ass will be theirs. Of course, the passage of such a resolution is just the first round in a four-round Cha-cha bout. The second round is the expected Supreme Court battle over the joint-vote Con-Ass. A February 16 retirement by SC justice Adolfo Azcuna is eyed by GMA political strategists as the golden opportunity to appoint a pro-GMA justice in order to firm up the shaky alignment in the current Supreme Court. The third round is the convening of the joint-vote Constituent Assembly to actually pass the necessary amendment or revision of the 1987 constitution by shifting to a parliamentary system, extending the terms of office of elected officials, or by simply allowing the president to run again for reelection. This is where the 196 captive votes will come in handy, ramming through by brute force such an amendment or revision. The fourth round is the conduct of the plebiscite on the GMA extension in power, possibly by corroding and influencing the Commission on Elections. Like the Pacquiao steamroller win over de la Hoya, the GMA strategists imagine doing it over the Cha-cha opposition. The GMA congressmen are raring to do it in the next days to come. The legal issues that have to be sorted out are explored by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ in The ‘ifs’ in Charter change and Speak tenderly to Jerusalem on Cha-cha. Essentially, Bernas (rather glumly) admits the Constitution he helped write, has provisions on amendments written in such a manner as to require some sort of resolution by the Supreme Court to sort out it’s meaning (in marked contrast to Dean Jorge Bocobo’s strong belief the Charter is immune to being interpreted in any but a strictly bicameral way). So what is the opposition to the House proposals up to? On December 10, the hierarchy and the Catholic Schools will mounted a protest at the gates of the House of Representatives, for Land Reform and against Charter Change at the present time. On December 12 there will be an inter-faith rally. Here is a tactical question: both rallies require
a turnout at least as large as the February 2007 In December 2006, the House, lacking the votes to bring the Charter Change case to the brink of a full-blown Constitutional Crisis, blinked and folded in the face of a threatened Church mobilization. But the Church itself, suddenly getting cold feet because it was worried about a People Power situation, and inflexible in its determination to purge the Luneta rally of anything smacking of the “political,” declined to mobilize fully. A lot of finger-pointing and recriminations then took place within the ruling coalition, basically along the lines of “well, what do you know, they weren’t so strong after all”. Although to be sure, this was also meant to enfeeble Jose de Venecia, Jr. The ruling coalition’s ranks already having been purged of JDV and his ilk, and with many more shepherds to guide the ruling coalition (a more effective Speaker, Nograles, the President’s two sons, and Rep. Villafuerte), with a hard-line cabal in the Cabinet composed of durable political operators, the President might just be inclined to see where this will go. Personally, I think the one to watch here is Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. and his empire-building efforts in the power sector. How his efforts prosper will clarify whether an alliance has firmed up with the President, making it more economically rewarding for him to pursue an extension of the current regime rather than embarking -and placing his bets- on influencing the next government. But even as I point this out, something else is bothering me. Both protest activities (December 10 and 12) make me think that we really ought to ponder whether camouflaging political action with the cloak of religion is healthy. A couple of years ago, during a forum held by a foreign chamber of commerce, one Filipino expressed frustration over the timidity of the hierarchy and I responded by saying that perhaps this was a good thing, as reducing the political influence of the Catholic Church was better for the country in the long run. Since then I have become increasingly concerned with preserving the secular nature of our state while ensuring freedom of conscience for practicing Catholics. Making religious observance the central focus of political action dates to martial law, when public gatherings were hampered and regulated by the dictatorship, and when Communists needed to find a way to pursue their United Front tactics while dodging the accusation that they were promoting a Godless ideology. Religious rites helped keep political action focused on peaceful, non-violent resistance and kept the brutality of the martial law regime in check. But the (unintended) consequence of all this has been to make the Catholic Church and in particular, the hierarchy, political players of consequence to an extent that would have been intolerable to past generations. On one hand you have the Catholic Church effectively mobilizing to block the Reproductive Health bill, and on the other, mobilizing to keep Land Reform legislation alive. Tolerating the former because of the need for a force capable of mobilizing to promote the latter is a Faustian bargain. It only serves to underline the inherent contradictions in what’s going on, because it introduces the element of sectarian morality into the political sphere. Yet it may be the wrong place for that: after all, what is the political benefit of organizing around the celebration of the Mass, when the President can organize her own Masses, too? What is the use of one bunch of prelates if another will publicly support the administration? For politicians, partisanship is not only to be expected, but natural; for bishops, the clergy, and their rites, it is, somehow, incongruous. At the very least, marshaling religion for one side only permits marshaling religion for the other; it does not introduce anything new nor does it offer any real opportunity to break the impasse the country’s been in, politically, since 2005. It only fosters the impression both sides are cynically using faith as a camouflage for politics, when the onus should be on those who should be in the dock for using official patronage as a means to court clerical support. What makes me anxious, though, is that I think the President’s camp, if it decides to continue the brinkmanship Charter Change will entail, has latched on the right ingredients for successfully pursuing a campaign, while the opposition to the President and all her works will find the going tougher this time around. But then again, there may be a reason why there is the perception that there is a conventional wisdom: and that is, that the gut instincts of those who believe that brinkmanship over the Constitution will truly mark the point of no return and defeat for the administration, are right. Looking ahead, Congressman Ruffy Biazon thinks amendments are in order, eventually. That is assuming three things. First, that a real consensus concerning the need to amend exists (only within the narrow confines of certain groups does such a consensus exist, methinks). Second, that there are qualified people to ponder on and propose amendments (particularly if convention delegates are chosen by popular election). And third, that the amendments would accomplish some good. The reactionary in me takes a skeptical attitude and would rather ponder what so many of our elders pointed out, which was, the desirability of restoring the 1935 Constitution, which worked without a hitch so that it took a dictator and a craven court to eliminate it, and which proved so difficult to replace an elected Convention bickered and squabbled its way into co-optation and scandal. As was eloquently pointed by the late Teodoro M. Locsin in Farewell, my lovely! in 1986. By mlq3 Blowback and crying havoc- Foreign affairs, Philippine politics, Religious issues, Terrorism - The focus of political attention was first, the Supreme Court and then, after several days’ avoiding the limelight, the return of the telltale sign of presidential tension, a bum stomach on Friday (but by Saturday, the President made an appearance in Pampanga to pitch constitutional amendments while the Deputy Spokesman denied what the Presidential Spokesman had confirmed the day before). Apropos of the Supreme Court, blogging At Midfield, veteran journalist Ding Gagelonia boiled down the high court’s options to three: First: The High Court will lift the TRO and toss out the petitions as premature given that the agreement has not been signed and that no actually illegal act has been committed, thus allowing the signing of the MoA-AD to proceed but with a caveat that it be immediately renegotiated; Second: The Supreme Court will replace the TRO with a preliminary injunction stopping the MoA-AD altogether; Third: The Court will toss the issue back to the Executive Department effectively removing the TRO on the ground that it is a political question, allowing the MoA to be signed after renegotiations. The Inquirer editorial last Sunday pointed out, however, that it
was a mistake to read to much into what some Justices vis a vis other Justices
said during oral arguments. I have heard it said that the high court would rule
as the President wished; and it may be that even as the President and the
Justices wrestled with that dilemma, another presented itself. Which is, that
even as the President was summoning her political troops to pursue another
constitututional amendments offensive, her military troops were chomping at the
bit in fury over the RP-MILF deal (I’ve heard it suggested by a retired senior
officer, that the copies of the agreement obtained by media were leaked from Last Friday (August 15), ABC5 reporter Jove Francisco recounted in his blog, how the President made herself scarce, opting to huddle with officials: The President may have opted to stay mostly inside the palace these past few days, but she’s been quite busy meeting with lawmakers, cabinet officials and LGU officials, too. Their SUVs parked just outside the I had to instruct my team to stake out in The last time we saw PGMA was last Tuesday. The day that she convened her cabinet and when the Timor Leste leader went to Malacanang for a state visit. She was in red and she looked angry, if you ask me. That was the day the Palace went Great Guns in favor of constitutional amendments, and (on that same day) in her blog, veteran reporter Ellen Tordesillas argued, Remember four days before the Sona, the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front pulled out the talks in On the eve of the Sona, former Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon, now presidential adviser on peace process, announced a “breakthrough” that enabled Arroyo to announce in her Sona “Last night, differences on the tough issue of ancestral domain were resolved.” An source close to the peace talks said the “breakthrough” was nothing more than the government agreeing to the demands of the MILF. Which makes one wonder why did they try to backtrack in the first place? The source said the government really had no intention to sign the agreement but they want to maintain the hypocrisy in front of the MILF and other countries involved in the peace talks. The “Supreme Court scenario” was part of the plan. Actually, the source said the government was hoping that the opposition would bring the issue to the Supreme Court. But the opposition was slow in reacting… With the suspension of the signing of the MOA, the government was expecting the MILF to attack communities to justify Arroyo’s declaration of a state of emergency. But the MILF didn’t. The source said the MILF occupation of the barangays in Pikit and Midsayap which was reported by Piñol and the military didn’t happen after the MOA signing was aborted in KL on Aug,. 5. As Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said in the press conference where they issued a 24 hour ultimatum for the MILF to withdraw, the rebels were there some two months before. “The MILF-and the Christians in the area have co-existed peacefully,” the source said. Apparently, the MILF sense Malacañang’s ploy of making them the excuse for inciting hostilities to justify Arroyo’s emergency rule that could lead to her staying in power beyond 2010. They are not taking the bait. Instead of engaging in an all-out war with government forces, they opted for “repositioning” of the forces under one its most loyal commander, Ombra Kato. Without a full-blown war in Mindanao and time running out for her, Arroyo has to crank up her Cha-Cha train. But with Cha-Cha, she may yet cause in a bigger scale, turmoil she has wished in Muslim Mndanao. (The day before, or last Friday, Tony Abaya in his column echoed a similar though not identical line on the government and its Mindanao strategy) Then last Saturday (August 16), blogging At Midfield, Ding Gagelonia revealed that sources had told him that the result of all the Palace huddles was that the deal’s a goner: This writer has just confirmed from several highly placed sources that the deal to give the MILF a sovereignty-clothed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity is off, in the present form that It is configured in the initialed, but unsigned,Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD). This writer’s sources said the move “to renegotiate” the MoA-AD was first admitted during yesterday’s in-chamber meeting of the high tribunal justices with lawyers of the oppositors and the government’s representatives. The Palace let loose a trial balloon to see how the MILF and those emotionally and politically invested in supporting the Palace’s push for the RP-MILF agreement would react: the reaction was lukewarm, to put it positively: MILF silent on ‘NGO-led peace talks’ We have to consider the possibility that at this point, a cleavage might have occurred within the ranks of the MILF, between those still clinging to the hope the Palace would pursue the agreement, and those saying “we told you so, they’ve always been faithless, let us resume hostilities” camp. On that same day, as per Moroland’s Weblog, the theological basis for resistance in case the Supreme Court invalidated the agreement: With the outbreak of hostilities between the AFP-PNP and MILF forces in Cotabato, its impact on the GRP-MILF MOA is still uncertain. Lawyer members of the MILF Negotiating Panel told Luwaran: “The situation created by the outbreak of hostilities does not result from a breach invoked by the parties.” Nor is it because of withdrawal from the MOA or any prior agreements between GRP and MILF. The stumbling block is the so-called “politics of law”. They said that Supreme Court is a “nonmajoritarian institution” for its legitimacy rest elsewhere than to implement the will of the people. Asked if people should be worried they said the specter of instability still haunts Mindanao (and) will not go away so long injustices and serious grievances of the Bangsamoro people are not addressed. Even the moderates will have little reason then to warm up to the mindset of Supreme Court justices. Given that the TRO is set for oral argument before the Supreme Court yesterday August 15, for the MILF and Government negotiators two questions linger. What has sparked the outburst? And what can be done about it? MILF leaders are in no doubt as to the true reasons for the outburst spawned by the abortion of the signing of the MOA-AD. Asked to comment, Muslim religious scholars (ulama) have issued this terse admonition: “Power without an attributable source causes unease. Solons are making a big mistake to rush in only to preempt the collective prerogatives of the Bangsamoro people.” The ulama described the “angry mood” of Senator Mar Roxas seen on TV footage and so, they said, the motive is suspect. Taunting the former senate president, Khaled Musa says Frank Drilon has joined the petition to intervene in the TRO losing his statesman bearing to the call, all of a sudden, of his Ilonggo forebears. The oral argument on MOA-AD before the Supreme Court throws
into question powers not yet derived immediately from the principle of ‘advise
and consent’ of the Senate, warns lawyer Datu Michael O. Mastura. Most serious
still, according to Mastura, a former congressman, Senators Roxas and Drilon
are inclined “to drag the On Saturday, too, the Communist Party of the Philippines, for its part, in a statement, came out foursquare in support of secession, and confirming that indeed, there is an alliance between the MILF and CPP-NPA: The MILF and the Bangsamoro are left with no other choice but to advance their revolutionary armed struggle to realize their right to national self-determination and the return of their homeland. At the same time, there is a need to heighten political work among the people in the affected areas as well as throughout the country in order to advance the understanding of the just and legitimate cause of the Bangsamoro struggle. Aside from struggling against the same basic problems suffered by the rest of the Filipino people, the Bangsamoro revolutionary forces have to struggle against the added particular burden of national oppression and chauvinism imposed on them by the rotten ruling system in the country. To be able to attain genuine full autonomy, they also need a contiguous restoration of their historic homeland snatched from them by oppressors. The Communist Party of the The CPP instructs the New People’s Army throughout the country to intensify tactical offensives against the fascist armed forces as a concrete step to support the resumption of the revolutionary armed struggle of the Bangsamoro as well as to take advantage of the present preoccupation of the enemy forces in fending off the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.
Earlier, on August 17, Blogger Tiklaton, a student at I never realized how serious the situation right now about bomb scares here in my place until I heard a news about the bombing here in our city not so long ago. It was after when me and my sisters came out from the church to go to Gaisano Mall and saw that all people were hurriedly walking away from the mall. We were curious. We want to find answers so we listened to some adults chatting about what happened. We listened and realized that the bomb scare in Iligan was not any more a scare but a reality. Now it’s serious! There were two bombs exploded in the city. Are there dead? HHmmm..I’m not yet sure. But there were hurt. They were rushed to the hospital for medications and safety. I just can’t tell you how many of them were affected or victimized by that bombing. (What mom?.. … more than 10?), ooohh, my mother just told me now that there were more than ten that was hurt. Oh no! Now it’s serious. It’s really serious! God help us! Protect us from harm and keep us away from danger! Bless all those bombers and I hope you will continue touching their hearts! Keep us safe! We believe in you God! On August 18, Tiklaton then blogged, It was this afternoon when our mayor announced
that the classestomorrow for all
levels here in our place is suspended due to the present “unkind” commmotion
happening. The said commotion started yesterday when to bombs exploded in two
lounging houses here in Iligan. In addition, it was early this dawn when some
neighboring municipalities of Right at this very moment, it’s still quiet. I just don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I’ll just hope for the best and safety for everybody through prayers. I think that would be just the simple way I could do now. See doctor-blogger preMEDitated about text messages (bearing rumors and from officials) in Iligan. The Stylus Master, originally from that city, reported on his family members’ situation: We immediately contacted our family, friends, and relatives there. And true enough, the city is in a state of calamity. All the family are huddled together in my grandmother’s house, and they’re calling the other relatives to come over to hide there. My brother’s family is also packing their things to evacuate their area. He then put forward a reaction to the MILF’s arguing hostilities were being undertaken by a “lost command”: The upper heirachy of the MILF explained that the ones causing the trouble are “lost command” MILF groups, and that they have no control over them. That’s just terrible, and a cause for fear. And it’s ONE GOOD REASON to scrap their deal in the first place. Cause if they can’t control their own people, who’s to guarantee that they can control them if the deal is pushed through? The MILF had tried to establish plausible deniability: MILF: Lanao del Sur ambush may be handiwork of 3rd party. (As for the MILF, for its updates and its opinion on what’s going on, see its official website,Luwaran.com) but in terms of public opinion, this may have backfired. Another blogger, smoke puts it this way, in reaction to the “lost command” argument: “Enough talking already.” Blogger Jherskie puts it in stronger terms. In Notes of Marichu C. Lambino, the lawyer-blogger zeroes in on the MILF’s dilemma: the attacks that took place violated the agreement with the government brokered by the Malaysians in 2001. So it has to say subordinates acted without authorization. Danton Remoto reported as follows on Sunday, concerning Lanao del Norte: My campaign team in Lanao del Norte just texted
that they are fleeing because the MILF took over their towns this morning. More
than 20,000 people have fled. Some are taking their bancas to cross over from
Lanao del Norte to Blogger Thoughts Encoded publishes this: Update as of August 18,2008 9:34am 6 Priests and a couple of civilians were taken hostage by the MILF rebels. Their status is still uknown. Arsons and massacres are happening now in Kauswagan, Lanao Del Norte. Blogger nydrad, whose family is from Lanao del Norte, hopes peace will be restored: my trip on lanao with the MILF attacking our province, with my so much surprise, that to i think it was far away from north cotabato… just earlier this morning, i don’t want to think of the worse, but i kept on thinking the “IF’s” oh, pls. pray for the peace in mindanao now, this won’t do any good… And yet, in Katapagan (another town in Lanao del Norte),as recounted by Plan B on Monday morning: well the milf (moro islamic liberation front) forces are inching towards kapatagan this evening. all the male residents were called to a meeting to discuss the events of the day and to prepare them for the coming violence and troubles ahead. in many ways it is good my family is here in manila instead of there. in other ways it is REAL GOOD we didn’t go there last week to visit, otherwise we would be stuck in the south. all modes of transportation have been cut off and discontinued. the concern right now is with family and friends down there, who are unable to leave. this is an uneasy night, no one will be able to sleep well at all. despite the troubling events of this evening, my
aunt and uncles still got together to chat and spend time together. these
events are unfortunately, common, in the town where my family is from (lanao See also, A Girl’s Notebook and fall for you, for a glimpse of how young people both outside and in the area, are reacting to the news. As for the President, Arroyo: ‘Defend every inch of Philippine territory’ came the pronunciamiento, letting slip the dogs of war. The MILF beat a tactical retreat: MILF orders pullout of rebels in Lanao Norte towns (as of today, August 18). Those interested in building a peace constituency are now faced with the reality that a military offensive is popular, nationwide, and with public confidence in the President shaken as it is, she will have to out-do Estrada and not rein in the armed forces. Blogger Blog@AWBHoldings.com, takes to task Bong Montesa’s scenario-building, taking Montesa’s “game tree” which you’ve seen before, and amending it:
And also disagreeing with Montesa’s promotion of the BangsaMoro as a First Nation. Montesa had argued, If the Bangsamoro people is indeed a First Nation, a people unto themselves who are distinct from the rest of the national communities, then it is logical that the Bangsamoro people possess inherent and unequivocal rights which are demandable from the Philippine State, irrespective of whether these rights are found in the Philippine Constitution or not. In fact, it is imperative that if these rights are not found or protected in the Philippine Constitution that the Philippine State should initiate a process to entrench these rights. If the “rules” of the game do not, at present, allow these rights, then “new rules” must be put in place. This, as I have already stated, is the essence of peace talks - negotiating for “new rules”, to change the present “rules”. If one accepts the statement that the Bangsamoro people is a “distinct people” and a “First Nation” then it follows that they have the following basic rights: 1. The right to self-determination. The MOA is nothing but the explicitation, the
articulation, and the enfleshing of the basic rights mentioned above. The MOA
is the operationalization of the Of course, if one does not agree with this first principle and foundation, then we will have divergent opinion on the MOA on AD and more. We should always respect our differences but we must try to understand where we differ and I think most of our disagreements stem from our disagreement with this first principle and foundation. While blogger AWBHoldings.com explained why he’s unimpressed (and possibly, resentful): …how I wish he posted his proofs, not what-ifs. The problem with his First Nation is that many will dispute the notion - some will say the lumads comprise the First Nation, etc. And lastly - he is being pretentious if he thinks the MILF represents the entire people of Mindanao. The fact that there are Mindanaoans who are opposing the MoA AD belies his illusion. He, together with the Arroyo Administration panel, should have first consulted all stakeholders before shoving the country in a corner. The fact that he called most reactions are emotional speaks of his short-sightedness and tunnel vision. His ignorance of the total picture of the Mindanao situation has actually EXACERBATED the tension instead of easing it. I am all for peace, but at what cost? The
comparison between the MoA AD and Chamberlain’s capitulation at This is actually something all-to-familiar, in terms of otherwise sincere proponents of peace and reform, who then get so emotionally engaged in achieving their dream, that they remain blind to the Faustian Bargain that made it possible. Instead, they not only get nothing, but set their own cause back, as they have become identified with the President. Jose Abueva learned this, and bitterly acknowledged it on my show; Bong Montesa and others are experiencing it, now. Meanwhile, from August 19-21, Mindanao, Palawan Lumads to Gather in Oro to Discuss GRP-MILF Ancestral Land Deal. Blogger bits and pieces says that if anyone can claim First Nation status, it’s the lumads; but the proper context is our evolution as present-day Filipinos: For me it’s not a matter of being the Christians or Muslims governing Mindanao. Let us think of our history. Let us trace back our heritage. We were not the Muslim or Christian that branded us today. We were the lumads. we were the same indigenous people. We were the same people long way before Islam and Christianity came into our land. Yes, you are a Muslim or a believer in Christ today, but you were the same people who worshiped the moon yesterday. Mindanao, so to speak, is our ancestral domain whether you are a Christian, a lumad or a Muslim. Christians do not own Mindanao. Muslim too. Even the lumads. It’s all ours. Meanwhile, some responses to my recent column, and the immediate past entry on this blog, concerning foreign interests in Mindanao. First, from Scriptorium: I wish to mention the 2 other geopolitical currents that are relevant to the issue: the present pan-Islamic Reformation, and the accelerating retreat of Western power. (On a note related to the above, David Kaiser,
historian and blogger at History Unfolding, proposes that the world is entering a
period of instability reminiscent of the 1930’s) And from the nutbox, also responding to my putting forward that That this “Greater Malaysian Federation” will make for “a large, extremely wealthy, country” is, I think, an understatement. I believe it would be a dominant regional power in this part of the world. This regional power would control the sea lanes
where oil exports from the Middle East to And this regional power, by the way, would be
against the Of course, as I have said in my previous post,
the Americans have their own designs in Mindanao
too. But these designs stand in the way of and from Miriam Coronel-Ferrer. And on an earlier piece, from Strengtheners Headquarters Domain. With regards to the domestic consequences of all this: the Palace declaration of All Systems Go for constitutional amendments; the President putting herself behind a military offensive in Mindanao, and so on, I don’t know if I can be as optimistic as Mon Casiple: The Malacañang ploy of endorsing the Pimentel resolution on federalism backfired and earned for its pains a resurgent anti-Cha-cha movement. This particular poison called “extension of GMA stay-in-power” has now fatally affected three current major national initiatives, one after the other: political settlement with the MILF through MOA-AD, federalism through the Pimentel resolution, and charter change through a constituent assembly. Whatever the merits of these initiatives, proponents should admit that these are now politically dead where they stand–the killing bolt shot from the bolt of widespread public resistance. It is now time to go back to the drawing board. However, the one lesson learned is that the people will not support nor tolerate any major national initiative or policy that is perceived to be in aid of GMA’s continued occupation of Malacañang beyond 2010. It ain’t over until it’s over. As recently as the
State of the Nation Address, when I immediately pointed out the President had
opened a Pandora’s Box by announcing an Ancestral Domain agreement and giving
the go-ahead for constitutional change, foreign and domestic colleagues were
dismissive, skeptical, or more focused on other things. Her motto could well
be: try, there is no fail. Update, August 19: Bob Martin gives a report from the ground and hopes things
stop inching towards Last week, whenFeyma
and I went to Digos, as I reported in my post about
Pomelo, on our way home to Yesterday (Monday) was a big day, though. Many
attacks happened all around Lanao del Norte Province, including in For their part, the MILF spokesman stated that the attacks were not “sanctioned” by the MILF. At the same time, though, the MILF leadership ordered their people to stop the attacks. By making this order, it would seem that the MILF is admitting that it is their people who are behind these horrid actions. This means that either the MILF sanctioned the attacks, or that they do not have control over their people. No matter which is the reason, should the GRP be negotiating with the MILF if they can’t even control their own people? Giving away part of Mindanao to these people? What is the MILF giving in return. Supposedly, the MILF is giving peace to the government, but what we are seeing right now is not peace, you can be certain of that. I have a lot of very good friends in Iligan, and I wish them nothing but the best. I hope that they and their families remain safe, and that nobody is injured or killed. So far, I consider Blogger Placeholder asks, if it must be war, are those who led us down the path to war, the same ones who should prosecute it? He makes an apt comparison with how the British dispensed with Neville Chamberlain:
By mlq3 | The right fight at the wrong time?- Philippine politics, Religious issues -Of the accounts and commentaries on the Pacquiao-de la Hoya fight, I enjoyed those of The Warrior Lawyer -first on the boxing of the thing (see the links in The Age of Brillig, too), then the economics of the sport and the match- and the broadside against the actual broadcasting of the match, by Bong Austero, the most. Former Socialist rebel and priest Edicio de la Torre ties in the match with the death of a young actor that marred what was otherwise a morning of national rejoicing. No one has pointed out what a remarkable image, and what a remarkable campaign, this was: Here, all the the things that people think matters to people (including themselves): 1. Faith and Hope 2. Perseverance of the Underdog 3. The will to win of the Champion 4. Community & Solidarity 5. Material Success & its Manifestations The website featuring this image, takes it even further. People were given the option of adding their personal “prayers, wishes or dedications” for Pacquiao. In one fell swoop, popular instincts were marshaled and put on display: 1. The Community Spirit 2. Patriotic Feeling (versus Nationalist Chauvinism) 3. Racial Vindication 4. Individual Empowerment 5. Religion’s Role in Everyday Life The secular ideal- Religious issues - (The video “Anti DEATHS” rally mounted by
Catholic Church in Felipe Medalla some months back recounted to me
that whenever President Marcos thought the Catholic hierarchy was becoming too
antagonistic, he would make a big to-do about dusting off a draft Presidential
Decree instituting divorce in the So long as Marcos was at the height of his powers, and there was a Julio Cardinal Rosales to counterbalance Jaime Cardinal Sin, the ploy worked. But as time wore on, and Marcos’ legalism gave way to cruder methods to stay in power, the manner in which he concentrated all power in his hands meant that as his own physical and mental condition decayed, no one beneath him could really do anything except scheme against fellow subordinates. The result was a power vacuum that only the Communists or the Catholic Church could fill -with the hierarchy worried that its clergy were drifting in to the clutches of the Communists. As I wrote twelve years ago, the Catholic hierarchy exorcised the demons of the Philippine Revolution of 1896 by taking a lead in the People Power Revolution of 1986. Just how thoroughly Church has ended up appropriating the functions of the State is best seen in the opposition, with its reliance on mass mobilizations for masses, and how opposition and administration alike fuss over the hierarchy and whether they will order the Catholic studentry into the streets. Both Marcos and Estrada, traditionally contemptuous of and hostile to the hierarchy, paid the political price, not realize how thoroughly eroded the traditional secular reverence for their office had become. Ramos was more clever; Arroyo, cleverer still, in appreciating that the hierarchy can be upwardly mobile, too, in their aspirations, and if flattered and courted and plied with cash, can become pliable, too, and a source of strength and not subversion to the incumbent. And yet, the cozy relationship’s being challenged, and the challenge is in the form of a bill. It is 2008, and in comparison to say, 1938, it seems unclear whether secularism is once more resurgent, or whether the Church Militant is poised to be triumphant and retain the privileged position it secured in our national life in 1986. I like viewing things in cycles so let me explain my approach to the problem. In 1938, Filipino leaders, most of them with memories of the Spanish era still fresh in their minds and themselves heirs to the anticlericalism of both the Propaganda Movement and the Revolution (a shrewd exploration of this can be found in Frederick Marquardt’s 1954 article, Quezon and the Church), debated and ended up defeating the proposal to teach Catholic catechism in the public schools. See The Church, July 2, 1938. Efforts by Catholics to have catechism taught during class hours in public schools, passed by an obliging National Assembly, ended up vetoed; a line was drawn demarcating the separation of Church and State (a line first established by statute in 1898, thoug even the Malolos Republic seemed more inclined to pursue establishing a national church more along the lines of the England of Henry VIII). This line would hold so long as there were Filipinos alive who remembered the Spanish era and bore the anticlerical attitudes of Filipinos of that time. The apogee of that generation and its attitude towards Catholicism was the passage of the Rizal Law: see The Church Under Attack, May 5, 1956. Yet victory in Congress -the law was passed, against the impassioned opposition of the Catholic hierarchy and a new generation of bold Catholic apologists in politics- turned out a pyrrhic victory. You could say the height of the anticlerical era was from 1896 to 1956; and in turn, the Catholic era began in 1956, and peaked in 1986 -with the Edsa Revolution taking on the characteristics of a Marian Deliverance- and, just as the anticlerical era began to wane in 1938 when the National Assembly, indicating how local-minded politicians were willing to take their cues from local prelates, approved religious instruction in the public schools and so showed the sign of political submission to the Catholic hierarchy to come, so did the influence of Catholicism -its naked triumphalism in the wake of Edsa, and its lingering assertion of religious supremacy over the secular, as demonstrated every day by the insistence of Catholic schools in having invocations and prayers come ahead of the national anthem, an act that would have caused a riot fseventy, sixty, even forty or thirty years ago- begin to wane at its point of maximum influence, when patently Catholic principles concerning the family and sexuality were enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. The debate over the Reproductive Health Bill, then, has characteristics both modern and ancient: and aspects that echo the 1890s, the 1930s, the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s, too. But what too many overlook, I think, is how the Catholic Church is now fighting from a position of strength: not just in terms of organization and the enfeebled notions of citizenship and political identity of the electorate, but also, from a position of statutory advantage. From the preamble of the Constitution, which dispensed with invocation of a Deist “Sovereign Legislator of the Universe” of 1899, or of the studiously non-denomenational “Divine Providence” in 1935 and 1973, our present Charter invoked “Almighty God,” and despite retaining the official separation of Church and State in Art. II, Sec. 6 (while providing, in the Bill of Rights, Article III, Sec. 5, from any specific Church being favored over the others, while forbidding any limits on the exercise of religion, as much a limit on the State as it is an encouragement to members of any particular faith), the Constitution moves on to providing for Catholic Doctrine as the core principles of the State: Article II, Section 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the Government. And while Sections 13, 14, and 15 may nominally ordain concern for the youth, gender equality, modern health policies, etc., there follows a provision that subordinates all these, quite clearly, to Section 12: Section 16. The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. Here lies what is arguable a Constitutional exhortation to limit anything related to health, including reproduction, to the Church-sanctioned Rhythm Method, or “natural” family planning. For this reason, I believe that the debates raging in and out of the blogosphere, in the public sphere and wherever people take either their citizenship or religion seriously, when the debate focuses on the duties versus the rights of individual Catholics as pertains to their conscience, is a waste of time. I say this as a non-practicing Catholic who is entirely uninterested in whether or how people reconcile the tenets of their faith with their political and social conscience. It is a question only of interest to practicing Catholics but no one else (and even for the practicing Catholic, I think it’s futile: either have faith, which is beyond science and reason, or exalt science and reason and become an apostate; there can be no compromise between the two if one actually takes seriously the fate of one’s immortal soul). So if the question of whether one can salve one’s conscience and not imperil one’s soul is immaterial and irrelevant for non-Catholics and non-practicing Catholics, how then, should the question of the Reproductive Health Bill be approached? First, the actual provisions of the bill are no longer relevant or material. I say this, because the bill itself has been turned into a litmus test. On the part of the Catholic hierarchy, the only choice is whether the bill can be defeated outright in Congress, or so thoroughly amended as to turn it into a law more fully supportive of Church aims. On the part of supporters of the bill, the provisions are less interesting for what they contain -it is, after all, only a law, liable to be enforced more with talk and less with any real action- than for what they represent: an assertion of a non-Catholic, ideally non-sectarian, morality for the state. The battle lines having been drawn, the battle has been joined and it would be dangerous to prematurely gloat that indications of broad public support for the bill is some sort of death knell for the influence of the Catholic hierarchy in the political sphere. For an entire generation, Filipinos have been allowed to subordinate the state to God, daily seeing sectarian prayers given priority over the national anthem; this underscores, day in, and day out, the subordination of the state to the Church. While this period -the generation since Edsa- only represents a third of the lifetime of our modern-day political institutions, it encompasses the living memory of fully two-thirds of the population. In other words, in the generation since Edsa, where God has day in and day out been demonstrated as superior to flag, anthem, and republic, at least half of present-day Filipinos were born and their attitudes towards Church and State, molded; Filipinos reared in the strict subordination of religion to the State, a subordination demanded by historical experience, are the minority. During this period, when our sense of the proper distinction between God and Country has been literally turned on its head, our civic sense, our political consciousness as a people, has been enfeebled. The weakening of our political institutions and the political culture upon which the proper functioning of those institutions is premised, also means that in the absence of a vibrant civil society, the best-organized, best-motivated, and best-funded sectors can hold state policy, including the formulation of laws, hostage. Those wasting their time sneering at Catholic dogma, who want to debate the superiority of Reason over Faith, and so forth, are wasting their time either preaching to the converted, or egging on the religious to new heights of missionary zeal and fantasies of martyrdom. Public opinion, in this era of apathy and how legalism and naked force trumps all public sentiment, is worthless. As both leaders and the led become increasingly local in their mentality and dismissive of anything that smacks of the romanticism and impracticality of the national, then the political strength of the Catholic hierarchy exponentially increases. The clergy have never elected a president, a senator, even a congresssmen; this is a truism of our politics. But the other truism is what matters: a politician, whether local or national, is asking for trouble if he incurs the displeasure of the bishop. The hierarchy may not be able to get people elected; but they can seriously harm the prospects of a candidate for election. And the hierarchy has brought two presidents to their knees; and they helped make the difference between being down and out, or living to fight another day, for the present chief executive. So let me disagree with Blackshama
and others in terms of how they’re framing the debate on this bill. There is no
reason to frame the issue in terms of what’s going on in the When Stalin sneeringly asked, “how many divisions has the Pope got?” it was a classic case of the pragmatist being unable to recognize the motivational power of faith; he could sneer at Pius XII, yet it was that same Pope who ordered even cloistered nuns to go out and vote and keep Italy from having a Communist government; and it would be one of Pius XII’s successors who was given great credit (exaggeratedly or not) for bringing the Soviet era to a close in Eastern Europe. In a society that has taken to accepting, at face value, the administration argument that all politics is a “numbers game,” then the Catholic Church has the numbers; the supporters of the bill, on the other hand, may have public opinion on their side but it is an opinion that cannot find a practical expression -or one practical enough to negate the negative influence prelates can have on the countless political contests officialdom’s already gearing up for in 2010. As Blackshama tellingly points out -Galileo may have provided inspiration for generations of scientists and freethinkers, but his daughters became saintly nuns. The students who will be mobilized to show their numbers should the debate over the bill reach the point of requiring mobilization, may be attending their chemistry classes today, but they and their parents are already being primed with the incontestible battle cry, “what does it profit a man to gain the world, but lose his immortal soul?” I have been advocating an effort to reeducate people when it comes to their rights and obligations as citizens. Secularism is far from dead, but at no time since the Revolution has it been so feebly understood and unappreciated by the public as now. We are not alone in this, and not just in terms of Catholicism. See an appeal for the secular ideal, in terms of Muslims, for example, on British subjects -not God’s by Ed Husein. If I were a betting man, I’d say the odds are in favor of the bill being defeated, and that the odds are getting better for the Church every day. At the very least, they can water down the law so it becomes meaningless. But even if they fail to derail the bill, let’s not forget what the Catholic Church has done, and continues to do, ever since it lost the showdown over the Rizal Law: it interpreted it as it pleased, and flouted it more than it obeyed it. And the secular schools have not been able to compensate and have even added to the general uselessness and essentially counterproductive results of the passage of that law. By mlq3 Motu Proprio- Religious issues -THAT phrase is being reported around the world, and locally: RP Catholic Church ready to hold Latin masses. As the religion to which most Filipinos, at least statistically, belong, goings-on in the Roman Catholic Church are always interesting -and relevant. What the present Pope, Benedict XVI, has decreed, Motu Proprio, that is, on his own initiative, is that many of the old limitations on celebrating the old Tridentine Rite of the Mass, have been removed. The Weight of Glory has a roundup of Catholic blogger reactions. See also The Byzantine Dominican, and First Things, which calls the Pope’s decree a “liberal document.” Incidentally, in Ad Orientem, there’s an entry from some time back, on why the Eastern Orthodox care about the Latin Mass. Since reunification with the Eastern Churches is a particular interest of the present Pope, his new decree might have fringe benefits not readily seen in terms of Christian unity. Whispers in the
Loggia is a blog I’ve mentioned before, it’s a good guide to
goings-on in the The Pope’s decree is already known as Summorum Pontificum (most Papal documents get their titles from the first few words in the definitive Latin text of those documents): see the English translation and other relevant texts. The Pope also issued a letter to the bishops of the Catholic world, explaining the reasons behind, and the objectives of, his decree. Catholics pining for the old rite will be happy; most Catholics born since the 1960’s have no idea how the Mass used to be celebrated, and probably wouldn’t care for the rituals of the old rite. But around the world, there’s a growing number of young Catholics (including priests) unhappy with the jazz guitar masses and general relaxing of the old discipline of the Catholic church, and they might just be attracted to the old rituals. On the whole, it’s a sign that the Catholic Church, institutionally, is slowly backing away from its 60’s style activism and returning to a more traditional understanding and expression of the faith. Or, as the Pope put it, of “arbitrary deformations of the liturgy.” He was the one, after all, who columnist Maureen Dowd praised on his election, saying, “The cafteria is closed,” referring to the idea of “cafeteria Catholics”. By mlq3 Flag days- Religious issues -May 28 began our flag days, which ends with Independence Day on June 12. Personally, it makes me happy and sad to see so many flags on display. Happy, because it shows how we love our country. Sad, because the end result will be disrespect for the flag. But here’s something that’s bothered me for a long time. Why do people insist on putting invocations before the national anthem? This is a recent thing, and it’s something that the older generation would have found completely wrong. The national anthem should always be first. It’s our country, its constitution, the nation our flag and anthem represents, that guarantees us the freedom to worship or not worship: but whether we worship or not, it’s the country that ties us together. The Pope’s ambassador04/25/07 Posted under Philippine politics, Religious issues, Foreign affairsI see that an old friend of the John Allen writes: Archbishop Antonio Franco, the Avner Shalev, President of Yad Vashem, sent a letter to Franco late in the week stating that the museum will “reconsider the way in which Pius XII is presented.” In response, Franco indicated that he will be present for the events Sunday evening. Apparently, Franco did not only find the caption offensive; he backed it up with one of the more potent weapons in diplomacy’s limited armory: he threatened to stage a boycott. Filipinos may remember Franco, who served in the Philippines for over six years, as the man who allegedly gave the Philippine bishops a tongue-lashing in July 2005 —- a warning against politicized action that allegedly led to the bishops’ tempered statement on the Garcillano crisis. As I have previously written, I do not believe that there was in fact a cause-and-effect relation between the papal nuncio’s traditional address and the CBCP’s measured position. But Franco was also the Pope’s ambassador who received the news about the repeal of the death penalty law last year right in Congress —- his presence was welcomed by Speaker Joe de Venecia and his leaders, but I couldn’t have been the only one to feel a vague unease over his visit. It seems clear, however, that Archbishop Franco “gets things done.” How does he do it? His reaction upon hearing from the Holocaust museum (as reported in Allen’s story) gives us a clue: “Because my action was not intended to disassociate myself from the celebrations, but to call attention to the way in which the pope was presented … my goal has been reached,” Franco said. “I don’t have any reason to keep this tension open” and therefore “I will take part in the ceremonies.” Practical (and clearly stated) expectations; a willingness to risk “tension” and a firm stance; a readiness to please and be pleased. Diplomacy, you might say, in the style of Roncalli, not Pacelli. By John Nery Quest for a common Easter04/02/07 Posted under Religious issuesACTUALLY, this entire week is a light one, as far as most people are concerned. Politicians are looking forward to this week as the last stretch of R&R they’re going to have until the elections in May. The same goes for media and the public. I noticed unusually heavy traffic here in Metro Manila last Friday, so I assume the Holy Week holiday’s begun for many people: it’s a nice stretch of vacation time this year, since the President’s holiday economics (more thoroughly planned in recent years, because of complaints from businessmen) means the Holy Week vacation includes Bataan Day this year. The whole holiday period of course has a religious purpose -the commemoration of Holy Week. Since not much else is going on, I thought I’d focus on some interesting things concerning Easter. This year marks one of the fairly rare occasions when the two oldest branches of Christianity, the Roman Catholic and the Easter Orthodox, will be celebrating Easter on the same date (all of Western Christianity, of course, follows the calendar and the liturgical year, followed by Catholics).
As for Eastern Christendom, when Easter then is based on a Jewish feast, calculated according to what was originally a lunar calendar, but fixed according to a solar, that is, the Roman, calendar, and one which has an old and a newer version in turn adopted by the two oldest branches of Christianity. The whole thing has led to a complicated set of calculations used by various Christian traditions (and even within particular traditions) to determine the date for Easter. And so, different Churches refer to different calendars -“Old” Style, “New Style” and “Revised”. If you read about the debates among
Christians on the proper date for Easter, you’ll notice the eventual
supremacy of One of the titles of the Pope is “Supreme Pontiff,” an inheritance from Ancient Rome, and it’s notable that the Pontiffs in Ancient Rome fixed the dates for official observances (and elections). Just last year, the present Pope dropped one of his titles, that of Patriarch of the West. This is apparently in the hope that dropping the title will foster reconciliation with the Eastern Orthodox (the move was received positively, but cautiously). The Pope’s efforts at reconciling with the Eastern Churches is a major undertaking of his pontificate, but perhaps the first tangible sign for many that things are getting somewhere, would be for the two branches to finally share a common date for Easter. For Filipino Catholics, one of the highlights of Easter is watching the Pope’s Easter Mass, and his Urbi et Orbi “to the city and to the world”) message and blessing (which carries a plenary indulgence and can be received over the airwaves, which means if you watch it on TV or listen to it over the radio, you get the Pope’s blessing as if you were in St. Peter’s square!). The Pope says “Happy Easter” in many languages, and Filipinos look forward to hearing it in Filipino. Some websites to play with calendar dates: The US Naval Observatory’s Julian Date Converter, and Fourmilab’s Calendar Converter. Enjoy. The Inquirer family will be on vacation Wednesday onwards, so I’ll see you next Monday. Happy Easter to all! By mlq3 Quest for a common Easter04/02/07 Posted under Religious issuesACTUALLY, this entire week is a light one, as far as most people are concerned. Politicians are looking forward to this week as the last stretch of R&R they’re going to have until the elections in May. The same goes for media and the public. I noticed unusually heavy traffic here in Metro Manila last Friday, so I assume the Holy Week holiday’s begun for many people: it’s a nice stretch of vacation time this year, since the President’s holiday economics (more thoroughly planned in recent years, because of complaints from businessmen) means the Holy Week vacation includes Bataan Day this year. The whole holiday period of course has a religious purpose -the commemoration of Holy Week. Since not much else is going on, I thought I’d focus on some interesting things concerning Easter. This year marks one of the fairly rare occasions when the two oldest branches of Christianity, the Roman Catholic and the Easter Orthodox, will be celebrating Easter on the same date (all of Western Christianity, of course, follows the calendar and the liturgical year, followed by Catholics).
As for Eastern Christendom, when Easter then is based on a Jewish feast, calculated according to what was originally a lunar calendar, but fixed according to a solar, that is, the Roman, calendar, and one which has an old and a newer version in turn adopted by the two oldest branches of Christianity. The whole thing has led to a complicated set of calculations used by various Christian traditions (and even within particular traditions) to determine the date for Easter. And so, different Churches refer to different calendars -“Old” Style, “New Style” and “Revised”. If you read about the debates among
Christians on the proper date for Easter, you’ll notice the eventual
supremacy of One of the titles of the Pope is “Supreme Pontiff,” an inheritance from Ancient Rome, and it’s notable that the Pontiffs in Ancient Rome fixed the dates for official observances (and elections). Just last year, the present Pope dropped one of his titles, that of Patriarch of the West. This is apparently in the hope that dropping the title will foster reconciliation with the Eastern Orthodox (the move was received positively, but cautiously). The Pope’s efforts at reconciling with the Eastern Churches is a major undertaking of his pontificate, but perhaps the first tangible sign for many that things are getting somewhere, would be for the two branches to finally share a common date for Easter. For Filipino Catholics, one of the highlights of Easter is watching the Pope’s Easter Mass, and his Urbi et Orbi “to the city and to the world”) message and blessing (which carries a plenary indulgence and can be received over the airwaves, which means if you watch it on TV or listen to it over the radio, you get the Pope’s blessing as if you were in St. Peter’s square!). The Pope says “Happy Easter” in many languages, and Filipinos look forward to hearing it in Filipino. Some websites to play with calendar dates: The US Naval Observatory’s Julian Date Converter, and Fourmilab’s Calendar Converter. Enjoy. The Inquirer family will be on vacation Wednesday onwards, so I’ll see you next Monday. Happy Easter to all! By mlq3 |
The 
