SOME FRIDAY THOUGHTS

UPDATE: The man who gives info on piecemeal basis is also admitting things inch by inch, and only when confronted by evidence. Last night, he finally admitted his mistress, saying "Nagkasala ako ng minsan (I committed a mistake, once)".

Once? -- Three illegitimate kids?

Today, as Cory Aquino walks side by side Jun Lozada in a rally in front of the Ninoy statue, I suggest that the former president ask Lozada the following questions:

1. Why were you evasive when asked about your mistress and three illegitimate children?
2. Why are they living in a house in a poor part of Metro Manila?
3. How can you afford to spend P400,000 a year in golf fees when they are living close to slum levels?
4. Where are the illegitimate kids studying?
5. Why are your other kids in LaSalle keeping up with the pedigreed Abalos grandchildren while the others are in______ ?
6. How many other mistresses do you have?
7. How many other illegitimate children do you have?
8. How are your other mistresses and illegitimate children dealing with life? Are they also in LaSalle?

She should be able to ask him that. Mayor Binay, faced with rumors about widespread wrongdoings, was confronted be her, some years ago. According to Mayor Binay, Cory asked,

“Jojo, anu ba yung kung ano-ano na naririnig ko tungkol sayo? (Jojo, what are all these things that I keep on hearing about you?)”

To which Binay was said to have replied, “Ma’am, hinding-hindi ko kayo ipapahiya (Ma’am, I will never smear your good name)”.

I wonder if in the face of Cory, Lozada will still be able to reply as arrogantly as he replied to the same question (in LaSalle, last night). Last night, in an arrogant tone, he said “Kung ikaw nasa sitwasyon ko, ano ang isasagot mo (if you are in my shoes, what will your reply be)?”

Before I continue, let me digress a bit by recounting the following: If I remember it accurately, Lozada has made popular the phrase “Hindi ko pino protektahan ang kaotohanan. Ang katotohanan and pumopritekta sa akin. (I am not protecting the truth. It is the truth that is protecting me).” He also said, “Wala akong mga dokumentong dala. Ang katotohanan lamang ang kakampi ko (I do not have documents supporting me. It is only the truth that is helping me)”

For a person who is preaching the truth, the answer should be very simple.

Yes, if yes. No, if no!

Lozada, you miserably failed the first test.. Is it the truth?

Kids playing in WackWack and LaSalle Greenhills. Perhaps, also with the world as their annual playground. But hidden mistresses and illegitimate kids in poor neighborhoods...

Just like JocJoc.. You too are causing great shame to a lot of of us, your buddies.

You know what I am talking about.

And the battle rages...

A lie, repeated often enough, will end up as truth.

- Dr Paul Joseph Goebbels
Hitler's Minister of Propaganda (1933-1945)

I am very busy these days but I can’t help but dish out some thoughts regarding the brouhaha called the NBN Scandal. An assortment of witnesses is coming out one by one and seems to be dishing out bombs distributed over time in order keep the public talking about it. Looking at it in terms of warfare, what we are seeing here is a prolonged bombing strategy intended to soften the targets before launching the final assault. This campaign is reminiscent of the last two wars in Iraq.

In the Dessert Storm, General Norman Schwarzkopf ran a month long bombing campaign while flanking his forces deep into Iraq in a final strategy called the “Hail Mary” that lasted only for 100 hours. During the campaign to oust Saddam, the US rained hell on Iraq before sending in the troops using a basically the same strategy now very popularly known as “Shock and awe”.

In the Philippines today, what is happening is a variation of the two campaigns except that the public is only seeing the propaganda aspect of it. Like an audience in a stage play, they are only seeing what the directors are showing. The bigger play is happening in the back stage.

In one side of this campaign, witnesses are lined up, dates are set, bombs timed and things are being set into motion. With Durano’s revelation that Lacson’s chief of staff is a close friend of Lozada’s brother and that they have been planning this since August, I am not at all surprised that this things are happening. And if that is the case, the street protests, withdrawal of support and possible military component is probably being worked on.

Of course, there may be truth to the allegations against GMA and corruption may actually be taking place. But one thing that we should never forget is that stalwarts of the Estrada led opposition, Escudero, Lacson and now Cayetano et al. are the ones leading the charge in the senate, the others are in the streets and one of the godfather’s, Erap has started to come out to lead the attack.

Let us remember that in contrast to GMA, Erap has been convicted of widespread corruption. Having spent only 880 days in Malacanang, he was he was proven guilty of having amassed P4,097,804,173.17 or P4.6 million per day. That is discounting the other charges that the prosecutors decided not to pursue, being so confident of winning a conviction in the first two cases.

Last weekend, the opposition Godfather Erap, bragged that none of the government dealings of his regime was ever tainted of corruption. With the media replaying this statement again and again, the public is being made to believe that this is true. This part of the strategy is nothing new, it was a theory so effectively used by Hitler, through Joseph Goebbels.

But what are the facts? Isn’t it that Erap was guilty of:

1. misappropriating, converting and misusing for his gain and benefit public fund in the amount of ONE HUNDRRED THIRTY MILLION PESOS (P130,000,000.00), more or less, representing a portion of the One Hundred Seventy Million Pesos (P170,000,000.00) tobacco excise tax share allocated for the Province of Ilocos Sur under R.A. No. 7171, in conspiracy with co-accused Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang, Alma Alfaro, Eleuterio Tan a.k.a Eleuterio Ramos Tan or Mr. Uy, and Jane Doe a.k.a. Delia Rajas, as witnessed by Gov. Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson, among other witnesses; and
2. (c) directing, ordering and compelling the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) to purchase and buy a combined total of 681,733,000 shares of stock of the Belle Corporation in the aggregate gross value of One Billion Eight Hundred Forty-Seven Million Five Hundred Seventy Eight Thousand Fifty Seven Pesos and Fifty Centavos (P1,847,578,057.50), for the purpose of collecting for his personal gain and benefit, as in fact he did collect and receive the sum of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (P 189,700,000.00), as commission from said stock purchase; and

What do the two statements mean?

a) He took P150 million out of the P180 M of tobacco taxes.

b) He used the SSS/GSIS money for gambling purposes in the stock market. In Pilipino- “Ipinang sugal ang pera ng gobyerno”

There are so many other things that Erap is guilty of, here’s the court decision to enlighten us all. That is one big problem. If GMA is a plunderer, the opposition which is trying to oust her, is by itself led by a confirmed and unrepentant plunderer.

Isn’t it strange that they are also asking for the ouster of the mandated successor, the Vice President (VP)? They allege that since he is not lifting a hand against her, he should be taken out, as well.

Logic dictates that the VP’s silence is the most proper thing to do. With him about to benefit from the president’s downfall, any attempt for him to lead the opposition will make him look like a power grabber. One thing should always be remembered. Even if we have doubts to the VP’s ability to lead the government, he is and should be the successor, should anything happen. That is a truth that is as clear as the sun, which the opposition is trying to shield our eyes from.

The opposition is taking out the VP because he is no puppet of theirs. What they are doing is nothing but an attempt to bring back the old days. When the first order of the day was to persecute political opponents and reward friends, pardon convicted criminal friends, a hero’s burial for the Apo at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, etc, etc...

The best strategy for the people is to be vigilant and keep on sending crooks to jail, while awaiting the likes of Mar Roxas and the younger ones to become ripe. Hopefully, by 2010, they will be. Let us be careful in believing the opposition, they’re as tainted as the people they are trying to depose.

One thing for GMA, though… Take heed! The people is running out of patience. The end is near… As Shaekespeare once wrote,

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances.."

You will only be remembered only for your exit, for your entrance happened a long time ago.

Lozada, please come clean

I'm really pressed for time and I never had the chance to read and edit my posts. Here it is. better late than never. Post Edited.

In an episode of the apprentice, Donald Trump said something like,

“In my books, there’s nothing that ranks higher than a comeback”.

In the Philippines, a former president of a government corporation and whistle blower Jun Lozada is trying to present himself as a person out to come clean while admitting ONLY to SOME guilt. That, for me, falls short of a real conversion. And with the way his exposes are coming on piece meal basis makes me start to have serious doubts on his credibility. Should he fail to completely admit to his guilt, it won’t be long and he will end as one discarded puppet in a stage play entitled “The world”.

Lozada baby, with your "Probinsyanong Intsik", "Moderate your greed" and other quotable quotes. I have a few quotes that aptly describes you.

"Putang Ina, Pare!" "Tang Ina" and Kabig "from both sides, pare!"

That's you, Jun Lozada. Listen to the tapes that you admitted was you on the phone.

Moderate pala, ha?

The City Hall fights back

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

-Shakespeare

Yesterday, Jun Lozada got another taste of man's evil. After having testified, he is now being tossed by people playing the role of a manipulative god. Whether they're from the government or the opposition, the people responsible for the release of the audio clip tries to show him as loudmouth, vulgar, corrupt and a scheming gangster. Is it the enemy discrediting him? or is it his colleagues dumping him after he has served his purpose?

I'm sure that he is starting to realize it by now. That when one fights against the city hall, the repercussions are very dire. One's public record will be scrutinized and used, all charges will be made, and even the sink will be thrown. Lucky he is, if he escapes a jail term.

Isn't it very convenient that multiple allegations against him all came one after the other and within 24 hours?

• GMA's classmates held a press conference to speak about how righteous she is til now. I wonder where they were when GMA was on TV to say, "I am sorry".
• Lozada's former subordinate tearfully spoke on TV to enumerate his boss' alleged corruption. He alleges that his subordinates didn't know what to say whenever farmers complain why lands for Jathropa use were being awarded not to them. --I almost believed him save for that statement. Why? Lozada's company controls the biggest lands in the country since the government is the biggest land owner in the Philippines. At this point, only a small portion of its land inventory has been awarded and therefore, there is still a lot more to be awarded. Now, tell me, why will there be complaints? Are we to believe that there are that many poor farmers interested in Jatropha? They don't even know what the !@#$% Jatropha is. The subordinate also said that nobody asked him to speak. Then why and how did he land into the primetime TV?
• The supposed wiretapped conversation came out and it was trying to picture Lozada as a bad person, something that he has at the very least partly acknowledged.

I am no Lozada fan but the way he is being hit makes me start to give more credit to his testimony. Some people are playing God and Jun Lozada is just starting to feel how does it feel to smash into a solid brick wall.

COMPLETE TEXT OF THE ALLEGED YOUTUBE CONVERSATION BETWEEN JUN LOZADA AND JOEY DEVENECIA

This is the text of the alleged You Tube conversation between Jun Lozada and Joey Devenecia. I completed transcribing the entire clip. For those who also wants the voice clip, here it is.

JUN: Hey Joey…

JOEY: Jun, can you hear me?

JUN: Yeah, go ahead.

JOEY: Wait a sec… ahhh, Ang formula ko dun, kuha ko ng pts dun sa saaaa 130.

JUN: Ahhhh, hahaha

JOEY: Kasi saan ko pa kukunin, diba

JUN: Ahhh hahahaha…

JOEY: …putcha >>>> Gago, kaya lang pare, you, need to get some.. at least something from Ben, dib a?

JUN: Yeah, from all sides!... Pucha, hahahahaha!

JOEY: Pucha, si Ben pare… is on top of this thing and ahhh… because he’s the gatekeeper of the votes, puta , ehh…

JUN: Hahaha!

JOEY:I can understand but not that amount

JUN: Oh yeah, that’s too big, man. That’s too big..

JOEY: Pare, why don’t we develop a plan to talk to him.

JUN: Ahhh… so…

JOEY: You know what he told me between you and I, when we were in Hongkong, when we were in Shenzen. Don’t, don’t quote me ha..

JUN: Okey..

JOEY: sabi nya, kasi marami akong… Sabi ko Bakit ba ang laki laki singkwen.. Sabi nya, marami akong kailangang bigyan pati na ang NEDA. He said, he said the word NEDA haa..

JUN: Oh, Hehehe!

JOEY: Putang Ina,

JUN: naman..

JOEY: For your working information, pare.

JUN: Sitempre, I would understand that. He’d like to look at the…

JOEY: Wait, maybe you can quote me and say, sabi ni Joey, SInabi mo daw sa kanya meron daw ang NEDA, diba!

JUN: Sige, sige.. Hahaha!

JOEY: Puta, kaya lang baka magwala na naman yun…

JUN: Oh Hahahahahaha! For some reason, I have this chemistry with him.(unintelligible) Sabi nya, Ikaw na mag referee bukas, ha.. Sabi nya, I want you to be there, ikaw na mag referee, ikaw na magsabi kung papano. ..

JUN: Sige po, sir. Ako na mag aano dyan.. hahaha!

JOEY: Hahaha! Anyway, so ahh.. that’s where I am looking at right now… ought to get you.. and then, ahhh, think of a strategy for Ben and me.

JUN: Okay.

JOEY: If you need me to back you up, I’ll be there..

JUN: Hey, Joey..

JOEY: OK,

JUN: Regarding this Chinese embassy thing, think I struck a motherload, no. I’ll put them on Roxas boulevard. Putang ina, di ba..

JOEY: In the reclama… reclamation?

JUN: No, Putang Ina, that’s not prime. I’ll put them in the CCP Complex.

JOEY: Yep, got it!

JUN: Putan ina.. I think, I can swing that goddam deal, man!

JOEY: Isn’t that owned by the central Bank?

JUN: Yeah, yeah yeah Yeah! Can you imagine, same stature as the American embassy, better pa, diba?

JOEY: (slowly) Yeah yeah

JUN: The Japanese embassy is in Roxas boulevard, the American Embassy is there. (unintelligible) so it’s just right that you put the Chinese Embassy in the midst of it all, di ba?

JOEY: Yes, yes, of course that’s perfect.

JUN: Di ba? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) mention my name pare..

JOEY: Gaano kalaki, pare?

JUN: Putang ina, as much as __ hectares man

JOEY: Putang ina, tapos siguro, kumuha rin tayo dun. We need Ben’s finances.

JUN: No, no, no.. I just cant tell you all the things I’m being asked to do but that one I think, I can >>> for ourselves.

JOEY: OK, I’ll talk to the guy.

JUN: Talk to him right away. Talk to him right away.

JOEY: Sige pare.

Youtube clip of the Lozada and DeVenecia You tube clip

NOTE: The complete transcript of this tape is in this link.

Here's the youtube clip of a supposed conversation between Jun Lozada and Joey Devenecia. I got this from the Inquirer. The question remains if the tape is authentic. I am in the process of transcribing the audio and will post the transcript here. This is a 3 minute recording. Please stay tuned.