DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Done with the briefers kaya I had the chance to attend the ZTE hearing today. I wasn’t exactly there the entire time but I was able to catch most of the deliberations and their substance.

Ang daming mga bagong testimony at sa mga sumusubaybay, masyado nang nagiging intricate ang istorya nitong NBN ZTE controversy.

Mr. Lito Banayo, Senator Lacson’s staff who attended a meeting with Secretary Neri and Jun Lozada, corroborated the latter’s testimony that Secretary Neri (in that December 7, 2007 meeting at Shangri la) called President Arroyo evil.

The testimony has weight in the sense that it supports Lozada’s previous statements about Neri’s disclosures to him.

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>>My own impression is, higit sa pagtawag sa pangulo as “evil,” mas mabigat ang pag-characterize ni Sec. Neri sa Philippine political economy. Pinapatunayan nito ang akusasyon at analysis ng national democratic movement tungkol sa katangian ng lipunang Pilipino. Ito rin ang dahilan ng pagkadismaya ng magdalo group / restive military sa pamahalaan. (Sa ganitong konteksto, mahirap na hindi makabig)

>>The meeting was confirmed by Secretary Neri himself when he had a press conference belying Lozada’s deposition that Neri called the president evil. Neri likewise affirmed his discussion of the “oligarchic Philippine society” except that Neri selectively denied calling the president evil in the meeting.

>>Sabi ni Banayo, nagbigay si Neri sa kanila (kasama si Atty. Gary Jimenez-we call him GTJ, certain Vic, and Lozada’s brother) ng handout na nagpapakita ng relasyon ng mga “movers” sa pulitika at kung papaano ini-impluwensyahan ng national oligarchy ang policy at implementation nito.

>>I must scan the diagram and post it here. Gagawin ko ‘yan kapag nakakuha ako ng kopya. For everyone’s consumption na rin.-- big if

>>May mga binanggit si Banayo na mga pangalan ng prominenteng tao. Kabilang ditto si TOM ALCANTARA na involved sa pag-smuggle ng langis that costs the government about P3 billion in revenue losses!

>>Manny Pangilinan is outside of the circle because he just toes the line. He’s really not close to the president. He is outside of their (oligarchs) league.

>>Neri said this is the problem of the economy because they (oligarchs) influence policy and implementation.

>>After the Hello Garci scandal, PGMA’s been only concerned with her political survival. She controls the House of Representatives through election campaign finance which are provided by the national oligarchs and the release of pork barrel funds.

>>The year 2005, “impeachment season,” was harrowing according to Neri. He was then Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management. There were plenty of calls. (kani-kanino kaya galing?)

>>Speaker Jose de Venecia is outside of the circle since he’s no longer consulted / not “chummy- chummy” with PGMA.

>>The Senate is either opposed to or independent of the president. Senators are either adversaries or independent.

>>The congressmen are in the president’s pocket.

>>The media, civil society and the church are also either adversarial or independent.

>>The church’s concerns are mainly anti-birth control or anti-mining. She doesn’t have to worry about the church since she has most of the bishops with her.

>>The president’s survival is dependent on local government units and local oligarchs.

>>Japan and China have 2 trillion dollars in reserve and therefore very generous in concessional loans to the country.

>>The US has not much to offer except military assistance.

>>All projects have to be assessed by the NEDA. DBM, which is in charge of releases of the budget through IRA and pork barrel funds.

>>The concern of businesses is purely stability.

>>The middle class and the poor are calm because of the OFW phenomenon.

>>As far as the president is concerned, she is so beholden to the national oligarchs.

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“I don’t see how we can achieve a consensus given the present situation. Nothing will happen between now and 2010. Nothing can dismantle the oligarchy. She is merely concerned with her survival. She can do and will do anything to survive. She is evil. She is evil…”

-Secretary Romulo Neri,
As recounted by Mr. Lito Banayo in his testimony in the ZTE investigation in the Senate