the philippines right now
Saturday, February 25, 2006
yesterday i met some friends from manila over brunch and contrary to what i thought where they would be swo0ning over baguio’s flower festival.. they were still so engrossed with what was happening to the city that they left.. they hardly even mentioned the “panagbenga” i dunno if it was juz their typical manila style but i kinda envy their passion and feist as they trashed the government and pgma. dont get me wrong.. i have always been assertive myself when it comes to things i believed in.. but as far as i can remember, i have always been apolitical when it comes to anything related to the country. i juz dont see the point of shouting to the top of your lungs for someone to step down from office.. surely its not as easy as that.. and i dont think even a mass of 20k people can persuade pgma to juz step down and give everything up either..
the way i see it.. if i were to choose who i would want to be president from the brood of wannabes consiting of ramos, susan roces, noli, cory and estrada.. well i defnitly would rather choose gloria.. lesser evil!
however yesterday was a different case.. PGMA declared that we were in a state of national emergency due to the rallies that the police have intervened with yesterday. Arroyo, citing “clear and present danger” to the elected government, invoked her constitutional powers to call on the armed forces to crush the military rebellion and to take over public utilities if the national interest so required.
in addition to that, i also heard about the attempted plan of the government to “silence” PDI.. hhmm…here’s the story which you can check out at inq7.net
Feb. 25, 02:23am
Cops enter Tribune office, get copies of mock-up issue
Inquirer
(UPDATE) POLICE officers from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group entered the editorial office of the oppositionist newspaper Daily Tribune in Manila around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
There were no more editorial staff members present when the policemen arrived.
A radio report said the policemen numbered about 15.
They took copies of the mock-up copy of the paper’s Saturday issue and copies of photographs before leaving the office on T.M. Kalaw Street.
A few of the policemen stayed outside the editorial office, saying they wanted to “secure” the place and make sure that everything inside would remain intact.
Tribune publisher Ninez Cacho-Olivarez said in a television interview that she tried to ask the policemen where the materials would be taken.
“Is there no freedom of the press? Is there martial law?” she said.
The publisher said she would file a suit at the Supreme Court. With reports from Boy Cabrido and INQ7.net
