The Luisita Swindle

Posted on | April 21, 2010 | No Comments

The Hacienda Luisita case is a continuing swindle — the word seems appropriate — of the Filipino people. It began when the Cojuangco family used the people’s money to acquire the hacienda, but then turned its back on a loan covenant to distribute the land to farm workers after 10 years. It continues with the use of the people’s money to build an interchange and overpay the Cojuangco family for the right-of-way to connect the Subic-Clark expressway to Luisita, although this connection was for their private benefit. Will it end if family member Noynoy Cojuangco-Aquino becomes president?



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Category: MBV, News

‘Tomcat’ recalls Noynoy

Posted on | April 20, 2010 | 1 Comment

Readers of this column know that I rarely surrender my space to others in the form of extensive passages quoted verbatim. But today I willingly cede my allotted quota of words, editing only for style considerations, to someone who calls himself “Tomcat,” who recently wrote the following open letter (via Facebook) to leading presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino:

Dear Noynoy:



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Category: News, Opinions Column

VILLAR AND THE LEFT

Posted on | April 19, 2010 | 1 Comment

This is a reaction to Bong Wenceslao’s April 16th column questioning the logic of the Left (represented by Bayan Muna’s Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza) joining Manny Villar and the Nacionalista Party (NP). Frankly, I was not a bit surprised when Ocampo and Maza teamed up with the NP because among the presidentiables, only Villar can truly claim to have “masa” roots and more importantly, to offer a program of government that aims primarily to reduce if not eradicate poverty. Villar is not “big bourgeois” as Mr. Wenceslao carelessly claims. Consider the following. Villar graduated from the College of Business Administration in UP Diliman in 1970 (I went to the same college and university but graduated a year ahead). Marcos was starting his second term then and the ferment and protests were already a-brewing in Diliman. It was difficult for us not to be caught up in the nationalist and pro-masa fervor of the times. To be “burgis” was practically a crime. These nationalist and pro-masa stirrings left an imprint in our young minds and hearts that stayed with us no matter how far we may have gone in the world. To further debunk the “big bourgeois” label, here is a bit of trivia. Most of us, including Manny, went to classes using public transport, oftentimes standing up in a crowded bus (“nagsinardinas”) while holding on precariously to the railing. It was not your typical “burgis” experience. When Manny Villar says he understands what it feels to be a common Filipino, it is because he has been there. Running after and riding in crowded buses during rush hour surely cannot be considered elitist.



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Category: News, Opinions Column

Real Stories by Real People about Manny Villar

Posted on | April 18, 2010 | No Comments

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Category: Activism, Interviews, MBV, News, Speeches, Videos

Political Sideline Slants 2 – by Oscar Contreras, Jr.

Posted on | April 16, 2010 | 1 Comment

1. The dust refuses to settle down on the poor boy from Tondo. Even the candidate in green blouse with a decimal point always preceding her rating has joined the saber rattling frenzy to cut down the  man who once swam in garbage. This time, she has swung up the ante to billions!  First it was the man who still swears to the high heavens that he had an immaculately clean record of governance during his shortived term who came out with a supposed bribe offer provided he retires his (Orange or red jersey?) from the presidential race.  Not to be outdone, the glib saviour from Subic came next and in his  usual Formula 4 way of talking, outdid the speed of Mike Enriquez when he announced he was also offered a fabulous amount. One wonders if there is a programmed schedule of themes to make sure the man who rose from penury finally goes down with a slew of Nigerian razor-sharp machetes. After the spate of alleged real estate scams which apparently did little to weaken his ratings, it is now bribing time. Alas, the charges have fallen short of expectations because all candidates have not revealed the names of emissaries supposedly sent to offer what now amounts to a grand and hefty sum a usually frugal Carlos Slim (the world’s richest man)  would think twice about.Time for the poor boy to stuff the money into where the mouths are.



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Category: News, Opinions Column

Political Sideline Slants 1 – written by Oscar Contreras Jr.

Posted on | April 15, 2010 | 1 Comment

1.It befuddles the mind and heart to hear Villar detractors having their heyday of digging up all his properties and annexing either innuendoes or alleged fact sheets that he unduly benefited from these transactions because he used his political clout and influence. The sheer absurdity of this oversimplification misses the fact that the fellow was already wealthy even before he decided to be involved in politics. It also sorely lacks the use of common sense when people expect property owners and developers not to make profit. If the Ayalas and the rich taipans decided to run for public office, they ought to be forewarned that endless dredgings and unearthing of their properties  will end up portrayed as scams simply because they made profit.

2. It all started when Jamby Madrigal created a furor over the C-5 extension, perfectly timed when Villar was shown topping the ratings of presidentiables. The Senators who voted for censure, true to form, were themselves either Presidential wannabees or hewed to party lines . We expected no less from this once respected forum now headed by a Senator  who staged his own ambush to reenforce the need for the imposition of martial law in 1972. What added some credibility was an article by Ms. Solita Monsod allegedly exposing the faults and inaccuracries of Villar’s defense of the C-5 extension issue. However, in a recent article of Mr. Ricardo Barcelona (www.mbv.ph dated Feb. 2, 2010) , the sheer fallacy of Monsod’s claims were all found to be all sound and fury, exposing the fact that the respected columnist is not painting the full and bigger picture. Likewise, a closer look would show the C-5 extension project pales in comparison with claims made that the SCTEX project was made to cut at the middle of Hacienda Luisita (more than 6K hectares) benefitting the clan whose claim to the land’s deed was a promise to the farmers that  the prized piece of land will be redistributed  among them at a future time. In this world, time is relative. In the vernacular, “kamaganak.”

3. How does one find rationality in another brickbat thrown Villar’s way that since he is outspending everyone in political ads  and media coverage , he will surely see to it that he recoups said expenses if he makes it to the Presidency? It does not end in this fallacious rash judgment even if Villar replies that he is spending his own money anyway— implying quite rightly that while others depend on the patronage of others and can be beholden to these benefactors, spending his own funds would then make him free of owing these benefactors a debt of gratitude. The detractors pursue their endless flights of imagination that Villar’s war chest came from his Vista Land IPO which he himself funded and bought out to make billions in the process. That is indeed the height of sheer folly for someone to go on an international roadshow among respected financial investors  and claim that Villar stage-managed the whole show. It is also an insult to the intelligence and sense of judgment among the financial investors abroad.

4. In the final analysis, one cannot miss the fact that when a self-made billionaire claims he experienced swimming in a sea of garbage, missed some of his meals, was orphaned by the death of a father at an early age, sold shrimps in the market  and made it to the list of the rich and famous, others stand in disbelief that ” nothing good can come out of ” a poor Tondo boy unless he stole, double-crossed his partners, land-grabbed, schemed and was just about ready even to sell his own mother. The unfortunate point here is the ones raising quizzical eyebrows and pedantic eyelashes are those  whose supporters are well-heeled, the business clubs which boast about their corporate social responsibility programs yet do not fail to claim tax incentives for their  “philanthropic” endeavors and whose members are not exactly above board in their business dealings, the gullible caught up by the romanticization of a tagline which talks about the destiny of a priceless legacy left to a son bereft of credentials. Quite unwittingly, these supporters resurrect the issue of the proverbial class struggle between rich and poor  and shake in their boots when someone who comes from the great unwashed and a plebian’s background becomes a worthy challenger .It is also good the soundbyte of “good vs. evil” was quicly abandoned by the heir’s drumbeaters because they realized that he does not have the monopoly of neither good and particularly evil. Only God is spotlessly clean and immaculately white.

5. In fairness, however, to the heir, he has acquitted himself well in latest fora featuring the Presidentiables after chiding a Moderator for being biased, although one can’t also help notice his ocassional glancing at his fact book when faced with a duo of knowledgeable people management experts in one meeting. Too bad Villar did not show up in this program although the invitation   was written 1 1/2 months in advance , received by his campaign headquarters and his office at the Senate, followed up by a phalanx of supporters ostensibly within his inner circle. The excuses given were he had a previous engagement in Mindanao while the official line given at the last minute  was he did not want to be in a program where Jamby will be present. It was clear in the invite it was Noynoy, Villar and Bro. Eddie in the first batch while Gibo and Gordon have been invited for the March forum. No mention of Jamby being invited at all. And yet, Manny did not know he was seen and heard in an earlier meeting at a posh Makati hotel by the President of the association itself an hour away from the venue of the organization’s meeting on the same day. Talk about a cordon-sanitaire acting like Praetorian guards to their favorite candidate this early.

6. As the polls near, the neck-to-neck battle between the heir and the poor boy promises to be a classic clash. But it is very noticeable that one side may be panicking , coming at the heels of a well-publicized blast about a so-called opulent mansion owned by the boy from Tondo in Salt Lake City—only to be blunted by the truth that the often publicized palace has been attributed to so many celebrities and politicians, Robert Mugabe included. Well, it might be good for the Villars to make us see their places of residence here and abroad for us to compare if they are that opulent as their detractors  would want us to believe.

7. The latest piece of news comes from two Archbishops, one whose claim to fame is banning the presence of a religious organization in his archdiocese because it was reportedly at odds with another faith cum socially oriented group  where his elder brother sits as one of the leaders. As Santino would say, “sabi kasi ni Bro.” To be fair, their backing should be analyzed on its own merits  and quite true, this political party has well-intentioned candidates and leaders with a ready platform worthy of close scrutiny. In the future, people might see the light but sadly, not yet and too early for mindsets to change, paradigms to tilt in their favor.

8. The other candidates also come from gilded backgrounds. One is gifted with a rich trove of ready answers in his fingertips, to the point and quite concrete in his examples but sadly lacking in experience and ”napabarkada” in the wrong company and whose sense of loyalty to his unpopular boss is admirable  albeit pathetic. The other is true to his claims of creating value-laden fruitful results and the exercise of political will. Alas, his entry into the presidential derby comes at a stage where he does not have the pull of inanities coming from TV and cinema celebrities at his beck and call. Let’s face it. The stage of political maturity has to pass the test of time. The consolation is all candidates point to good education as the common denominator that would propel this country out of the mess.

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Category: News, Opinions Column

Hypocrisy at its grandest – LP biggest sanctuary of Gloria allies, ex-cabinet, hacienderos

Posted on | April 15, 2010 | No Comments

Nothing could be more hypocritical than the Liberal Party’s (LP’s) motto, “noon at ngayon marangal.”

There is nothing “marangal” about being the biggest sanctuary of hardcore Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo allies-turned-critics and former cabinet apologists-turned-traitors. There is nothing “marangal” when the Liberals made GMA bashing a national hobby yet at the same time welcome with open arms GMA loyalists who want to ride the Noynoy bandwagon.

History would show this.



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Category: MBV, News, Speeches

Beyond the Bounds of Decency: The Indecent Exposures

Posted on | April 14, 2010 | 2 Comments

Those who have not experienced poverty cannot arrogate upon themselves the over self-righteous claim that they have successfully debunked themes of a presidential candidate who has claimed a birthright to it because he lived to tell his rags to riches story. This makes Ms. Monsod’s latest tirade on the poor boy candidate spurious and is exacerbated by the AIM President’s braggadocio to applaud her warped belief that the mother’ s feat of raising 9 children is a violation of the nobility and integrity of her sacrifice. For what simple reason? Just because her values (and that of the AIM President’s) do not agree with the way the poor boy candidate described their family’s plight through amazing detail on his humble beginnings—-from literally swimming in a sea of garbage and being dirt poor to save a brother from a disease which could have been treated and prevented if only they had the money to pay for his earlier treatment and hospitalization.



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Category: News, Opinions Column

Group urges OFWs to Guard Votes

Posted on | April 12, 2010 | No Comments

Members and supporters of a multisectoral group today urges overseas Filipino workers in various Filipino communities abroad to help guard OFW votes to ensure the sanctity of their votes as the overseas absentee voting is set to start on April 10, a Saturday.

The Movement for Better Values (MBV), a multisectoral group of small entrepreneurs, students and urban poor, said Filipinos in various communities have an important and crucial role to play by actively participating in the periodic elections through the overseas absentee voting by electing principled and responsible officials whom they think capable of effecting the desired change in governance and to society in general.



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Manny Villar on DZXL

Posted on | April 12, 2010 | No Comments

Click here to listen to Manny Villar’s Interview on DZXL on April 8, 2010 in response to the mudslinging / smearing being cultivated by the opposition party regarding his family roots, businesses, and his rags-to-riches story.

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Category: Interviews, MBV, News
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