“Still, I am convinced that media and showbiz together actually have more clout that even the Congress of the Philippines.”
by Ducky Paredes
I honestly do not see the logic of the present Comelec. How can it say “no” to Ladlad, as a party-list for the third sex yet approve the Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz or AMS for the fourth fstate and then some.
AMS will “champion the rights and welfare of various workers in both media and show business, including the local movie industry.”
Doesn’t one of the reasons that the Comelec gives for not accrediting Ladlad – that the third sex is already amply represented in both houses of congress — also apply to AMS? We have two senators whose only claim to fame is that they are from Showbiz. There are also several frlom media and showbiz in the Lower House.
Romy Suzara, AMS’ Secretary-General said their group will give “voice” to workers who have not been getting any attention from the government: “Yung mga tao behind the scene. These workers will include the lowly lagaristas, the movie talents and extras, theater employees and stuntmen, aside from the ranks of directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, editors, production designers, sound technicians, actors and actresses.”
AMS president Rolly Gonzalo said writers, editors, cameramen, photographers, production assistants, technical crew, and other employees of the broadcast and print media are also within the ambit of the new alliance.
AMS says that they will see to it that workers from show business and the media get the proper benefits and certain privileges.
Gonzalo said the alliance was initially a joint association of existing groups like the Liga ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, Inc.; the National Press Club of the Philippines, Inc.; and the Asosasyon ng Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino, Inc.
Other movie industry guilds and press clubs have already expressed support to the new alliance, like the Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Kapisanan ng mga Artista sa Pelikula at Telebisyon, the Production Designers Guild of the Philippines.
Rolly “Lakay” Gonzalo asks me to support AMS. Considering what the other party-lists represent, why not? Still, I am convinced that media and showbiz together actually have more clout that even the Congress of the Philippines. But, hey, if the Comelec gives us this extra clout, why not take it?
Two from media (Rey Langit and Alex Tinsay) are candidates for the Senate; Jay Sonza is a candidate for Vice President. Our present vice president will go back to media after his present term. That Noli de Castro chose to return to media instead of running for president or vice president (despite his high survey ratings) tells me that politics may not be all that it is cut up to be.
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Atty. Macabangkit B. Lanto, former ambassador and his brother Atty. Benjamin B. Lanto have filed a petition with the Comelec, asking for earlier elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Besides addressing the issue of electoral violence, citing the mass execution by the Ampatuans, the brothers also note that “holding the election earlier in the ARMM will address the requirements of Republic Act No. 8436, otherwise known as the Automated Election System Law (the “Automated Election Law”), as amended by Republic Act No. 9369, that the machine or Precinct Count Optical Scanner (“PECOS”) shall be tested first in some areas in the country before it is actually used in the May 10, 2010 National Elections. And if successful in the ARMM, it will allay all fears and apprehensions about machine’s capability and viability. And if there are corrective moves that the Honorable Commission has to undertake, it will have enough lead time to do it.”
The problem of the Comelec, however, may be that it has already inexplicably reset the arrival of the machines for the elections from 209 to very close to the May elections in 2010 and even the training of the teachers to as late as April 2010.
Will we actually have fully automated elections in May 2010? Can the Comelec still pull this off?
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We have a letter from M. Dizon: “The focus of journalists’ opinions and rants at the joint session to validate or not GMA declaration of Martial Law in the Ampatuan is how it does not meet the requirements of the 1987 Constitution and therefore has no legal basis. There are those who recommend that the Congress (which did not) and the SC declare it unconstitutional and void.
“Having read a lot of opinion and listened to the broadcast of the Congress proceedings my curiosity still remains unsatisfied.
“My questions related to law are:
“What will happen if the SC rules that the declaration is illegal? Will the SC rule that acts under martial rule are valid until the declaration is declared illegal or if the acts are illegal from the start?
“If acts are illegal, what happens to the evidence secured under such illegal acts? Will the soldiers be made responsible for the illegal acts?
“Is this as scripted? Are they that brilliant?
“Or given this complication will it be better that they declare the case moot and refuse to rule?
“I am also curious about what was the real intention (the motive) for declaring martial law.
“Was it to quell a rebellion looming or in progress?
“Was it a plot as in above to save the Ampatuan?
“To charge them with rebellion for which no one is convicted?
“Was it to scare the Ampatuan with the power of the Presidency and destroy them such that they can not and will not squeal?
“To cordon the area and the Ampatuan such that they are isolated and kept silent?”
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I wish I had the answer to all your questions. My feeling is that Gloria sent up a trial balloon to see how it would play – whether it would rise, fall or be wafted away by the wind. She got her answers that she already knew anyway: “no” in the Senate but very possible in the Lower House. As for the military, the fact that it did not act as the military did in the 1972 martial law but was more careful and even timid says that the military will not give her the full, unwavering and uncritical support that Ferdinand Marcos got in 1972.
Will she still take a chance and declare Martial Law to extend her term? Probably not. If she takes the chance, there is every possibility that the military could take over everything, including Malacanang Palace.
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hvp 12.16.09)
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