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The disappointing state of debate in the Philippines

200px-Lorenz_attractor_ybQuite recently I published several articles, “Is Gibo Teodoro ready to lead?” and  “Mendiola Massacre Facts” as well as “The Economic Vision and Platform of Noynoy Aquino.”  In those articles, I backed up my assertion with data either with videos and interviews or with historically verifiable information from books or blogs.  In those cases, I found that comments for those articles amount to the something.

They called me biased.

It isn't a bad nomenclature.  But I found it disappointing that that was the best people could muster. Why do you think I’ve drawn lines?

To be neutral is to be indifferent.

In fact it is good that there is the AntiPinoy crowd as well as the ProPinoy to balance it out.

I’m glad Schumey is letting us know about Manny Villar and answers the question, should Villar drop off the race.

So let me spell it out for you: of course I won’t hide my bias.  The problem with most Filipinos is that they fail to choose.  And when they do choose: they’re afraid to offend.

Why do you fear?

What are we so afraid of?

I turn to watch the so-called open forums, can’t help but be disgusted. The questions are so teevee-ish, so diluted as to respond to the lightest of minds. I’ve learned more about the candidates from Blog Watch than from watching TV. And yes, I’m biased towards blogwatch because the data is candid; the questions are from ordinary people whom I trust.

Back to the big open forums. I can’t help but think: this is our state of affairs? Our presidential candidates who play to the crowd?

Let’s take Mr. Teodoro. As I mentioned in my post, really smart and articulate kind of guy and whether it is Villar, Teodoro, Perlas, Gordon, Arroyo they all point out that that they’ve had enough experience to be able to run the country.

Isn’t it a fair assessment that Mr. Teodoro failed in his job as Department of National Defense (DND) chief and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Chair?

I wrote that it isn’t fair for the guy to take on more than 3 decades of mismanagement, true. And yet, he started his job more than 20 months before Ondoy and given that amount of time, given how smart the guy is, given that he knows about climate change and Katrina and how the Philippines is always a victim of typhoons, why didn’t he cover his behind and tell his boss and congress, we need better rescue and relief system?

Then he goes on to say to Al Jazeera, and passes the blame.

Do I have to spell out the conclusion?

I wrote “Mendiola Massacre Facts,” because it is that time of year when the Militant Left ‘honors’ their heroes.  The assertion is that they’ve become irrelevant. I gave you the step- by-step account leading up to the day of the massacre.  I gave you the root cause and I wrote down what the independent commission determined who was at fault.

All the left could muster in its defense is that: “bias,” and “kawawa naman mga farmers.”

Everyone keeps saying we need to raise the discourse of our election.  We need to tackle real issues of the day. We need a serious and hard look at ourselves and decide where we proceed from here.

Yes, we lol’d when Erap made us laugh in those forums.

When Mr. Aquino stood before the Makati Business Club and announced his policy, how many of you stood and asked, “low taxes? How can we have low taxes when our revenues are falling?” Did you stand and say his ideas on Truth Commission were a mistake?  Did you stand and asked what does he mean by a through review of the Department of Agriculture?

And what do people come up with instead? “He’s walang alam.  He has no data. He rides on his dead parents.”

Tell us why his economic vision is wrong beyond words that say, “Where is he going to get money”.

It is either we start talking about real issues or we don’t.  It is either when presented with information, you think and say, crap, this bastard is wrong and here’s why.  You can’t simply say, for example, the Cult of Noynoy drives the candidacy of Mr. Aquino.  You can’t for example stand and say, Manny Villar is evil and not cite the controversy of C5 at Tiaga.  You cannot call Gibo Teodoro all sound and fury, signifying nothing without telling us how inept government was under his leadership during Ondoy.

You cannot stand before us and say Dick Gordon and Bayani Fernando are transformers and not cite what they’ve done for Subic and Marikina.  You cannot cite that they are transformers without letting us know of Gordon’s Red Cross work, and Fernando’s MMDA tenure.

Can you stand before a crowd and say, how utterly disgusted you are at both that while their expertise could be used in the next administration they are now, nuisances? Or stand that the changes they advocate are old now that time has passed them by?  Can you stand before a crowd and say, “no, they are not and they deserve to be heard, like Perlas deserves to be heard.”

Are you willing to talk about issues, raise the conversation and the debate and the discourse that advances our people’s interest or are you merely playing lip service?  If you need pointers, might I suggest you go checkout Hitler reacting to the RH Bill.  I urge you, speak now, or forever hold your peace.

______

Image is the Lorenz attractor is used under Creative Commons.



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Disclaimer: Comments posted here reflect our readers’ views and not the opinion of The Philippine Online Chronicles.

n_dado 25 January 10, 09:14 PM
if not bias, a paid hack of so-so presidential candidate. You can't please everyone.

People need to discuss and deliberate instead of using "bias" as an excuse for further discussion.
cocoy 25 January 10, 09:22 PM
Exactly!

i was hoping that by writing things negatively, they could at least come out and say, "cocoy you're wrong and here's why... step one and step two...."

i mean, i give people an opening. there was one guy who wrote in Roch's blog post about Gibo and RH Bill who was intelligent enough to argue points.

we've got an opportunity here to discuss the issues, like civilized people. and people complain a lot about how our election isn't about issues but when blogwatch or filipino voices or other blogs for that matter raise issues, too few come out and argue like civilized people. i'm just disappointed.
ramil joaquin 25 January 10, 10:12 PM
Like this post... :)
Zalds 25 January 10, 10:38 PM
Again, I would like to reiterate my suggestion for a share-thru-email option or "email this article" button.

Nice views expressed here to be shared so far thru copy and paste link in emails only.
n_dado 25 January 10, 11:50 PM
will let admin work on this request. thanks for the suggestion
ninja 26 January 10, 04:18 AM
No one wants to debate with you because you are closed minded, wittingly or not. It would be an exercise in futility.

As one who is studying the candidates, I think as many agree, that Gilbert did excellently in that Al Jazeera interview. He did say, "I take responsibility." Did you miss that? Of course he has to explain the difficulties he faced, which he did very eloquently and very effectively. But that needs an open mind to see it.

Of course he also had to explain the difficulties he faced. Why would we take that against him?

Let's take an analogy. If you were caught with someone else by your partner, would it be a crime to explain what really happened, whether or not you were innocent? Won't you look like you were ducking from the responsibility too, whatever your explanation was?

I have many answers for you, because I watch all the videos and read a lot too, but of course this will just fall on deaf ears. You have to start with humility and childlike eagerness to learn, which evidently is not there.

Peace!
cocoy 26 January 10, 09:22 AM
Ninja, i am not closed minded.

re: i take responsibility

he says one thing but he actually means another.
Anonymous 27 January 10, 01:53 AM
this is bs. and you're so full of it
GabbyD 27 January 10, 03:18 AM
what is bs exactly?
thepoc.net 27 January 10, 08:23 AM
It's not a good word, one our filters shall censor if used.

Thank you very much for reading, we encourage healthy debate in our comments section.
GabbyD 27 January 10, 11:38 AM
hahaha...:)

no i KNOW what BS stands for. i wanted to ask him what, for him, is BS in the article?
thepoc.net 27 January 10, 01:51 PM
Ok. haha Let's hope "Anonymous" answers you ASAP.
DodoGab 30 January 10, 01:04 PM
Of course you know what BS stands for, Gabby Angel Domingo, it means the excrement that comes out of male cattle's arses.

Did you think BS meant "Benigno Simeon?"
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