PDI Editorial against the first family

A very strong and quite outright statement from the PDI. I must insist that we all reflect and stand for truth and the accountability of our officials.

Editorial
‘Hacenderos’


Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:04:00 02/10/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- We’ve heard that President Macapagal-Arroyo and her family like to feast on cocido on Sundays. They like to think of their family as one of the last bastions of Castilian heritage, exponents of old-world urbanidad.


But theirs is a superficial urbanity. For all their Old Society pretensions, they are proving themselves irredeemably politically uncouth and old-fashioned. The so-called First Family is first, indeed: first in immodesty, first in political dynasty and first in its contempt for their countrymen, a feeling returned in equal and perhaps even greater measure by the public.


They run the government as if the country is their hacienda, with all the stereotypical impunity, brashness and brutality of the hacenderos of film, novel and stage. They are not paragons of finesse and good breeding. They act in a feudal manner, while remaining uncomprehending about what upholding it in political life actually entails.


Sociologist Randy David said it best, yesterday: “The old values that used to mitigate the oppressiveness of feudal power—self-restraint , the value of friendship, loyalty, word of honor, etc.—are fading away. What is replacing the grip of Old World politics, however, is not the ethical professionalism of modern politics but the sheer rapaciousness of the parvenus of present-day Philippine politics.”


And as the First Family is, so are its henchmen. Sergio Apostol, to name just one noxious example, earned his keep as chief presidential legal counsel by acting macho—calling Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. a “crying lady”—and then slandering everyone of Chinese extraction. “They say he’s a Chinese from the province. Bagay sa iyo i-deport ka. Magulo ka dito (You should be deported because you’re troublesome) ,” Apostol said. He surely pleased his presidential patron; he surely outraged the rest of society.


The problem with the First Family is that even as it twiddles its silver cutlery while grousing about the servants, those who serve it are reaching the point where servility is giving way to resentment. Guns, goons and gold have three profound limitations: guns can be seized from those who wield them; goons do not, and cannot, by their very nature, think; and gold will bedazzle some for a time but will never be capable of subduing everyone, or always.


Which is why, last Friday, as a week of administration bungling brought forth a new star witness in the controversial NBN-ZTE deal, administration senators made themselves scarce. Among those pleading the political equivalent of diplomatic illness was Sen. Joker Arroyo, who once upon a time thundered, “We cannot have a nation run by a thief”—and who probably did not want to be reminded of what he said in the face of testimony pointing to even grander larceny.


Instead, the only ones who dared to stand by the administration were Juan Ponce Enrile, whose wife wants to be ambassador to the Vatican, and whose former law partner connived to have Lozada sign a false affidavit; and Miriam Defensor-Santiago whose husband is a Malacañang official, whose brother is currently an ambassador-at- large, who has two cousins sitting as administration allies in the mercenary House of Representatives, and whose nephew, Michael Defensor, acts as secret liaison officer with Catholic prelates, and who tried to organize a press conference of lies until it was foiled in the early morning hours of Wednesday.


And so, as one senator put it on Friday, we have a government that undertakes kidnapping, coercion, violations of the anti-wiretapping law, obstruction of justice and engages in conspiracy to hinder the work of the legislature in full public view. One that takes its cue from the First Family that behaves as if the rule of law is what it says it is. Not to mention all the previous catalogues of sins of commission and omission that range from perverting the law to liquidating opponents, from electoral fraud to plundering the state.

And which has the gall to keep demanding of us, the people, “Where is your evidence?” To which we say, look around—look at yourselves. You are the evidence, all of you.


Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. www.inquirer. net

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Scholarships and student conferences newsletter, February 4, 2008 edition

Hello,

here are the latest updates from eastchance.com:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

If you wish to add an event on eastchance.com, please visit http://www.eastchance.com/addEvent.asp and submit your information.

Scholarships - European Union

Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Ireland
Finaid: funds available for 165 Masters or Doctorate level researchers
Date: three years-Doctorate level; one year-Masters level
Deadline: 20th February 2008
Opento: Masters or Doctorate level researchers in the sciences, engineering or technology
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International events - no fee events

Youth and Transition in Central Asia
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Finaid: accomondation help maybe done
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Open to: Graduate anf undergraduate students
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South American Business Forum
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Finaid: All cost are covered, but transportation to and from Buenos Aires is not included.
Date: August 08-10th 2008
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BCC 2008 International Case Study Competition
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Date: 6th - 11th of July 2008
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Summer courses - United States

Integrating Multidisciplinary Perspectives
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US
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Summer courses - European Union

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METRO GWAPO SA ATENEO!!!

The School of Social Sciences Sanggunian, the Political Science Department, and the Assembly

bring to you

February 8, 2008
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Leong Auditorium, Leong Hall

Speaker:
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Chairman, Metro Manila Development Authority
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Brought to you by the Sanggunian School of Social Sciences, the Office of the SOSS Dean, the SOSS Departments, and the SOSS Home Organizations.

Celebrate Pinoy Pride! PINOY KALYE: SOSS Culminating Night (Feb9 at the Cubao Expo)

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Institute for Foreign Study, NEWS & INFO - January 2008

Institute for Foreign Study, NEWS & INFO - January 2008

1. IFS Exchange Student currently in Jerez dela Frontera, Spain, PATRICIA ESPINO is doing fine though having some difficulty with the language. We have no doubt that with Patricia’s bubbly and determined personality, (she was captain of the soccer team!) she will overcome the challenge to have one great exchange experience. She wrote us a few weeks ago and we're happy that she's happy! Patricia attended De la Salle Zobel before going on the program. Exchange Students, DIDI PARLADE( Miriam High School ) and AIEX MANAHAN(PAREF Northfield) in the United States are also doing great.

2. We are now screening applications to the HIGH SCHOOL YEAR in the USA , NETHERLANDS , SPAIN . Popularly known as the Exchange Program, students aged 15 to 18years old are invited to consider this once-in-a- lifetime experience that opens up the world to teenagers, provide them with the opportunities to mature, acquire life skills and helps them decide what to take up in college. Application deadline: 1 April. For school year beginning September 2008.

Basic requirements: Applicants must be adaptable, in good health, academically- motivated with parents who are financially capable of sending and maintaining them on the program. Graduating high school seniors are especially encouraged to take a Gap year and be an Exchange Student.

3. NEW GUIDELINES for the Internship in Australia program! There are two types of internships: professional and hospitality. Professional internships are unpaid and participants are allowed a maximum of 3 months internship duration. Students are allowed up to 6 months. Graduates must file an application within one year of graduation.

Hospitality internships are paid and graduates are given up to 12 months internship duration with applications being filed within 2 years of graduation. Only for ages 18 to 24 years old. Important: this program is not for employment. There will be strict screening of applicants who must provide the appropriate financial documents. Six-month lead time for application and visa processing.

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5. SALAMANCA in JULY! Studying at an international school? You,too, can experience an IFS summer on our Four-Week Group Program in Salamanca, Spain. Only for students from 14 and above. Slots available: 16 only. IFS will provide a group leader First come, first serve.

6. OFF TO AUSTRALIA! Hardip Dhutti is off to Melbourne, Australia on a packagedcourse – English + Advanced Diploma in Business. Interested in Commercial Cookeryor Information Technology? We have partner institutions in Melbourne and Sydney withmonthly start dates. For ages 18 and above.

7. SEMBREAK IN BARCELONA,OCTOBER 2008! A good number of students are whining because they are going to be busy this summer and cannot participate in our Salamanca + Seville or our Valencia + Barcelona program. No worries! Register now for the Two-Week October 2008 Group Program in Barcelona. Eligible participants are those 16 and above. Only 20 slots available on a first come, first serve basis. Note that with the volume of visa applicants increasing in basically all Embassies, we are targeting mid-June to close the application period (or earlier) to enable us to get timely visa schedules.

8. GERMANY THIS SUMMER! Beautiful Germany awaits high schoolers from ages 15 to 18 years old on our Four-Week Summer program which includes a week's tour of the major cities. Want to join the group? Complete the Pre-application form before slots run out.

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Hello everyone! You might be interested in these great summer programs! Please let me know if you need more information. Thanks!

Katrina Baraquiel

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