And things are already heating even before President Benigno Aquino officially takes power.
Rumors abound that there is a rift between the President-elect and his Vice-President-elect Jejomar Binay.
Seemingly the rationale for this rift is the fact that Binay won and Roxas, Aquino's running mate lost.
This despite the fact that Binay has been a long running Aquino family friend and supporter.
Now there are added allegations that Roxas and his group is out to sabotage further Binay's relationship with Aquino.
Hopefully this would not turn out to be true but if it was then I will say this is one major case of being a sore loser.
But then again politics is everything but clean here in the Philippines so something like this is par for the course.
The same can be said about the Ampatuan Clan's denial that they had nothing to do with the murder of a key witness against them - Suwaib Upham, also known as Jesse.
Of course they will deny it but then again who is most likely to gain if a witness against them is killed.
Hmmmmm . . . who I wonder?
It's not like you would need a crystal ball to figure this out. But then again with the way our police and justice system are so incompetent maybe they do need that crystal ball.
Which finally brings me to the not so surprising news that Aquino's government would be facing the burden of a huge public deficit.
Again it doesn't take a crystal ball to figure out who is to blame for all this right?
I mean come on people if you can't even figure it out then our country deserves what we are getting right now.
And he is still planning to go ahead with adding an extra 2 years to the elementary and high school programs.
Where will the money come from. Yes education is important but you need to fund it.
Also, I think the first order of business is to add more classrooms and more teachers before we can even think about adding extra years.
I remember that before my classes took the whole day. Now it's not even half a day.
WTF will anyone learn in such a short time.
President-elect Aquino should set priorities straight first before pushing for something grand but impossible to accomplish under current condition.
Until then we will continue to be stuck where we are.
But knowing Filipinos that will be par for the course.
What a hectic week as the elections finally winds down to the last 5 days or so.
Will we see a new president? Will it be Aquino?
A lot of pundits are saying more than likely what with the endorsement of the Iglesia Ni Cristo of presidentiable Benigno Aquino III. After all that between 5 to 8 million votes right there since the INC tend to vote as a block.
Hmmm I wonder whatever happened to free will? But I won't delve any deeper because I won't want to offend anyone.
So there, that's the situation when it comes to endorsements. Of course it's not a sure thing yet because now the rumors of failed elections are getting stronger and stronger especially after that failure of mock elections using the PCOS machines.
Give me a break - corrupted memory disks? Can't even read the ballots? Not all candidates are on file?
My first question is why only now, when there's only a few days left until election day did the Comelec, in all its intelligence (or lack thereof), test the machines?
Why did they not do it a few weeks ago when things could have been taken cared of? Without rushing? Are they so looking forward to failed elections?
At the same time why do they have a problem with the logical and proper call from concerned sectors to move back elections a week or two?
I see nothing wrong with such a plan of action and it is the proper thing to do considering the circumstances. If the Comelec really wants to show the people here and around the world that we have credible elections then they should agree to moving back elections if only to make sure things are working properly.
As it is the potential of failed elections looms larger than before. And so will the potential resulting disarray should that event happen.
Is it because of pride that the Comelec doesn't want to move back the elections even if it is the proper thing to do?
It's hard enough that they are not being trusted but this is not helping them one bit. In fact now it's adding to the distrust that the people have against them.
To continue is just plain "hubris" and has no place when the future of our nation is at stake.
They should just cop to their mistake and move back in order for the elections to not only succeed but also have credibility.
At least Justice Secretary Alberto Agra was "man" enough to reverse his resolution clearing two members of the Ampatuan clan of multiple murder charges. If only he had looked at all the evidence and the witnesses he wouldn't have had to reverse himself.
But at least he did before it was too late.
As for our May 10 elections . . . we can only hope.
So screw it I'm not putting anything substantial up tonight.
Besides what will be the point at the moment.
I mean the campaigns will still be there.
Villar will still keep on claiming he did not break any law concerning his sale of Vista Land shares.
Arroyo will still keep on doing those midnight appointments which seems to be contagious because now the Department of Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzalez has just confirmed that he's engaged in last minute groundwork to acquire new weapons for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
He claims that it is imperative to modernize the AFP and besides which "Aren’t we, Filipinos, known to be good in the last two minutes?”
Erm no Mr. Secretary sir we're not known to be good in the last two minutes or any minutes of anything for that matter.
Those of us who have succeeded did not do it in the last two minutes. They worked hard to get where they are and it certainly did not take them only the last two minutes.
That just demeans hard and sincere work and give credence to those who only won because of the work of others.
Wait why am I reacting - I said I wasn't going to say anything tonight so I won't.
And to be the most sought after man like Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. Unfortunately he is being sought only because of the number of potential votes he can bring as head of the sect The Kingdom Of Jesus Christ.
I wonder what Jesus Christ would say if he found out his name was being used to select the next president of the Philippines.
And Agra is still sticking to his guns BUT will potentially convene a fact finding panel to investigate himself.
Of course it makes sense. Because self convened panels to investigate one's self is unbiased and will "always" uncover the truth.
Yes because we believe in Agra's integrity and honesty and unbiased character that we will believe his panel, that he convened to investigate his decision, will "actually" find him of any wrong doing.
And I'm sure we will believe that Malacañang will not have a say in this panel.
The same way we believe that Arroyo is only doing all this for the good of the Filipino people.
. . . No wonder I did not feel like saying anything tonight
And it never should. Just because someone is silent does not mean he or she accepts a wrong decision.
You should know that Justice Secretary Alberto Agra.
How big headed of you to claim that just because Malacañang hasn't said anything means that they accept your decision.
That's just hubris, Mr. Secretary.
And for former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to defend Agra just goes to show you that people who make stupid decisions do tend to stick together.
OK admittedly he did say that only the release of suspended Governor Zaldy Ampatuan was the correct and that the elder Andal Ampatuan Sr. should still be prosecuted.
In the case of Zaldy, Gonzalez said that there was lack of proof of a conspiracy because he saw the governor in Malacañang on the day of the massacre.
Erm . . . just because Zaldy was in Malacañang on the day of the event does not excuse him from being a conspirator. You can still be a conspirator even if you did not actually partake in the event, especially if you did it to have an alibi.
And yes I do agree that just because you belong to the same family or group or were present at a meeting, you cannot be automatically considered a conspirator (to a crime).
That being said isn't it up to the court to decide whether the evidence presented is enough to show guilt or not. Isn't that what the court is for. Let the court decide based on the totality of the evidence whether or not Zaldy was a conspirator or not.
To just summarily dismiss charges smells of bias despite strong arguments to the contrary.
Mr. Gonzalez stick to your losing campaign in Iloilo. You're already out of it. You've had your share of making stupid decisions, let Agra have his own.
At least Agra is making himself the scapegoat - taking all the blame for the decision, in his words, "(It’s) my name, my decision, my responsibility."
It certainly is Mr. Justice Secretary.
That you are offended by what the media has been saying against you does show you have feelings when it comes to you but apparently not when it comes to the victim's families.
You couldn't care less about them.
Proof?
When told that the victims’ families as well as the prosecutors feared for their lives once Zaldy Ampatuan is be released, Agra replied: “Then they have to face that.”
Wow how humane of you. The epitome of Justice indeed.
At least Malacañang has now ordered Agra to review his decision with the prosecutors handling the case - something he did not do before he handed his earlier decision.
Ah another had washing by the Arroyo regime. By saying review they are pretending to be on the side of the families so if Agra does not change his mind they can say they tried and move on.
What a tactic.
Will Agra change his mind. Depends. To do so would make him a fool, not after he bragged that he did the right thing and no political pressure was put to bear against him for him to make that decision.
We'll see but at least you're right about one thing Mr. Agra sir - you are indeed the scapegoat.
Pun intended, Justice Secretary Alberto Agra has already aggravated many with his controversial decision to drop murder charges against two members of the Ampatuan clan - Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Maguindanao Vice Gov. Akmad Ampatuan Sr.
Rumors and speculation abounds that it is all because of political pressure to release one of the best if not the best election rigging entities to assure a win for a certain Presidentiable - rumors say it's Villar but that remains to be seen.
How true? Well there have been hints and innuendos but no concrete proof as of yet. As to the political pressure there is no doubt that it has been brought to bear.
That the decision is disappointing is an understatement to say the least. After all, what was the need for Agra to intervene when the case against the two Ampatuans had already been filed in court.
The best body to determine whether there is probably cause to continue with the case should have been the courts since the ball was already on their court (this time no pun intended).
Witness or no witness, weak case or no weak case shouldn't it be up to the courts to decide the merits of the case not someone who hasn't even been a year on the job and wouldn't have had time to go over the records of the case against all of the accused.
That the family of those killed in the massacre are outrage is of no surprise. With that one decision their pain and anguish and calls for justice has been rudely cast aside.
As for the prosecutors who dared to stand up against their superior I say more power to them. Just because the top said this is how it should doesn't necessarily mean that they are correct.
That's why it is such a stupid thing to allow review all the way up to the secretary of justice. That's just moronic, a waste of time and resources, and circumvents due process of law.
The court in this case should stand firm and overturn the decision of Agra and continue on with the case against the Ampatuans.
If only to give a glimmer of hope of justice prevailing against all odds - politics or otherwise.
And things are already heating even before President Benigno Aquino officially takes power.
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