Watch the Weather

Gorgeous weather yesterday and today. Just the right amount of chilly. I wish every day in Manila could be like this. I truly believe that if our weather was always like this we would be a more productive country. I’d always held the theory that there is a relation between weather and productivity – the hotter, the less productive people are because you just want to lie down and sleep while the colder, the more productive because you need to move about. Anyway.

Although this is great weather, I cannot help but believe that this is an effect of alterations in world climate caused by damage to the environment – therefore not good. Now is the time to step up the urgency bar and think about what we in this country, no matter how small we are, can do to help save the earth. Of note would be Al Gore’s suggestions:

Al Gore presented four warning signs and ten suggestions at today’s Joint Climate Change Hearings. Here are his four top warning signs (his suggestions are below):

1. New evidence that’s come out shows that this may be worse than described. Arctic ice cap is melting more rapidly than predicted. Could disappear in summertime in 34 years. This problem is burning a hole at the top of the world.
2. Earth is shaking because of Greenland – glacial earthquakes – 1993 there were 7, 1999, 14, last year, 32.
3. Frozen methane in the tundra, billions of tons, 23 times more powerful than C02, need to turn the thermostat down before that melts.
4. Fires in the west, Russia, Australia (1000 year drought) correlates with warming temps and earlier spring.

Here are his ten suggestions:

1. Immediately freeze C02 emissions in US, reach 90% reductions by 2050.
2. Start using the tax code to reduce taxes on employment and make up the difference with pollution taxes. We’re discouraging work and encouraging the destruction of the planet. Carbon pollution not presently priced into the marketplace. Air and water are part of that, must be revenue neutral tax shift.
3. Portion of those revenues must be earmarked for lower income groups who will have a hard time making shift.
4. Strong global treaty. Kyoto has been demonized. Work for defacto compliance. We ought to move forward the starting date of the next treaty from 2012 to 2010 so whoever is sworn in in 2009 can use political mandate to work toward defacto compliance and then ratify a new, tougher treaty. Build more confidence with China, India to bring them to participate.
5. Congress should issue moratorium on any new coal plant not compliant with carbon capture
6. Like the initiative to build the Internet, this congress should develop an Electranet, a smart grid. A law that allows homeowners and businesspeople to put up their own generators, sell electricity into the grid without caps at a rate that is not determined by the utility, but as a tariff.
7. Raise CAFE standards, cars, coal and buildings.
8. Along with tax system and treaty, use regulatory power. Set a date for ban on incandescent light bulbs.
9. Buildings: pass a law – Connie Mae, carbon neutral mortgage association.
10. SEC should require disclosure of carbon emission in corporate reporting.

On Cory’s Apology To Erap

Comment of Margaux Salcedo
Spokesperson of former President Joseph Estrada
On Inquirer Editorial 26 December 2008 “Betrayed”

NOT BETRAYAL BUT BRAVERY

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, in its editorial on 26 December, called former President Corazon Aquino’s apology to former President Joseph Estrada for Edsa Dos, “a betrayal of the highest aspirations of the democracy she helped restore in 1986.” The harsh words come from the Inquirer’s belief that Mrs. Aquino “got it completely wrong”: the Inquirer maintains that Edsa Dos was not a mistake because it was “a direct political action triggered by evidence of grave presidential wrongdoing” in order to “(rid) the country’s highest office of the cancer of corruption” and later it was “(justified by) the Sandiganbayan decision finding Estrada guilty of two of four counts of plunder”.

But contrary to the Inquirer’s analysis, Mrs. Aquino does get it right.

It Isn’t About Mrs. Arroyo  – It’s About the Rule of Law

Edsa Dos was not a mistake because it brought us Mrs. Arroyo, on this point the Inquirer is right. Edsa Dos was a mistake because it disregarded the foundation on which our democracy stands: the rule of law. Mrs. Arroyo is merely the consequence that we suffer for having thwarted this pillar of democracy.

Edsa Dos was a mistake because it went beyond being an exercise of democracy; it was an abuse of our liberties and a failure of our commitment to democratic processes. Given that every people would desire a ruler with the utmost of morals, a democracy must nevertheless maintain a modicum of order: as John Adams put it, a democracy connotes a government of laws and not of men.

That is why Edsa Dos was a mistake. As Cecilia Munoz Palma, former Justice of the Supreme Court and Chairman of the 1986 Constitutional Commission so aptly stated re Edsa Dos: “The 1987 Constitution suffered … when the ongoing impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada was unceremoniously disrupted and discontinued and the issues on hand were brought to the parliament of the streets. The Rule of Law was set aside and the Rule of Force prevailed.”

And democracies the world over observed that Edsa Dos was “an elitist backlash against a president who had overwhelmingly been elected by the poor. This time, it appears, ”people power” was used not to restore democracy but, momentarily, to supplant it.” (New York Times)

It Isn’t About Mr. Estrada – It’s About the Rule of Law

Neither does the Sandiganbayan ruling convicting former President Joseph Estrada of two counts of plunder justify the thwarting of constitutional processes in 2001. Remember that Mr. Estrada, unlike Mrs. Arroyo today, willingly subjected himself to the impeachment proceedings and was willing to step down had he been found guilty. But instead of following due process, due process was set aside. As the New York Times observed, “The popular uprising took place when it became clear that due process — his impeachment trial in the Senate — would not produce the result many people hoped for: his removal by constitutional means.” The Herald Times even warned of anarchy: “This only confirms the fragility of the political institutions in the Philippines and the likelihood that the streets will become a regular location for political action.”

President Aquino Gets It

Mrs. Aquino’s exact words of apology at the book launch of Congressman Jose de Venecia that has stirred all this controversy were: “I am one of those who plead guilty for the 2001 uprising. Lahat naman tayo nagkakamali. Patawarin mo na lang ako.(We all make mistakes. Please forgive me.)”

Her spokeswoman insists she was joking but at the same time concedes that the statement was sincere, confusing everyone in an attempt to alter the depth and gravity of the statement by the country’s living icon of democracy. The spokesman, to the chagrin of anti-Erap forces, could not take Mrs. Aquino’s words back.

Why? Because Mrs. Aquino knew what she was saying and can confidently stand by her statement. Because Mrs. Aquino was right and had the courage and humility to admit the errors of Edsa Dos.

And that is what what makes Mrs. Aquino a true icon of democracy. While in 2001 she joined the Edsa Dos forces, caught in the string of emotions of the day against then-President Estrada, today she has gained the wisdom to think further of the event and the courage and humility to admit that it was a mistake. Mrs. Aquino has been brave enough to admit that Edsa Dos was a failure of our democratic processes and unlike Edsa I, not an event in Philippine history that we can be proud of.

Mrs. Aquino did not betray the highest aspirations of the democracy she helped restore in 1986 when she apologized to Mr. Estrada for her participation in Edsa Dos. On the contrary, Mrs. Aquino is bravely continuing to fight for the highest aspirations of the democracy she helped restore in 1986: a democracy where constitutional processes are observed as the voice of the people is heard.

Achieving Peace in Mindanao: More Apparent than Real

In the Next Generation’s language, this government is acting like a “jerk”, i.e., they tell you what you want to hear while pursuing their own agenda, never mind if it hurts you. It is hypocrisy at its finest, politics at its damndest.

Take the current Mindanao conflict. For a reason that is withheld from the public, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) decided that it’s ok to agree to increasing the territory, jurisdiction, control, management and representative rights of the MILF. What is apparent: the GRP is doing everything it can to achieve peace in Mindanao. What is real: the creation of an MILF Republic that will cede control from the GRP to the “Bangsamoro Juridical Entity”, practically removing them from the Republic.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court issued a TRO; and the MOA (more like a Deed of Sale, really) signing was stopped or at least temporarily suspended. In the meantime, Commanders Kato, Bravo and Pangalian started raising hell in Mindanao, orders for which were denied by the MILF higher ups, death count now going at almost 50 heads, and forcing Arrovo to order the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to pursue those involved in the attacks. The past four days have seen a massive air and ground assault, the GRP even capturing a rebel training camp in Maguindanao.

Yet listen to this statement by Mrs. Arrovo: “There is no all-out war, only all-out peace in Mindanao.”

What is apparent: “All out peace.” What is real: All out war.

Former President Estrada got into trouble because he called a spade a spade. The wily incumbent obviously knows better: That you will more likely get away with it if you tell people what they want to hear.

Giuliani’s 6 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders

Ex New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani Visits Manila

I was privileged to watch the Binay Foundation’s Leadership in Crisis conference with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as guest speaker.

I wasn’t as interested in the introductory speech by Oscar Lopez as much as I was in watching Giuliani speak. A thirty-something Sex and the City fan (I am, after all, a girl in the 21st century), I was ready to listen to his stories about New York and how he overcame the 9/11 situation.

I was quite disappointed to hear what seemed to me like a digested Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Guiliani gave six tips:

1. Have a sense of GOAL.

2. Be an OPTIMIST.

3. Have COURAGE.

4. Build a good TEAM.

5. COMMUNICATE.

6. Have a SENSE OF HUMOR.

These are nuggets of wisdom that Stephen Covey has in his books and that La Sallites are indoctrinated in before every schoolyear (if you’re a student leader or officer of an org).

Fortunately, he did share briefly about the 9/11 experience. He says that although he sent his team home the night of the tragedy to get some sleep and be ready for the events the following day, he went to Ground Zero that night and stayed there another two hours til maybe 3 in the morning. He couldn’t sleep. He also shared how he handled the media; that he was just honest with them although he did not announce the number of casualties immediately, telling the public they would not be able to handle it. Fortunately, he didn’t, because the initial number of deaths reported to him was 12,000 when it fact it was much less at around 3,000.

Cheche Lazaro moderated/hosted the show and asked the participants’ questions for us. The questions asked before lunch (I left at noon and didn’t finish the conference) did not discuss Philippine politics at all; I was waiting for Lazaro to read a question on Giuliani’s suggestion to help us solve our current crises: on the economy and even morally. I only read the answer in the papers today: that on Philippine politics, Giuliani suggested that we should choose a leader we can trust.

That’s a very good answer but politics is deeper and trickier than it appears. His answer only scratched the surface of the problem. It’s textbook and does not take into consideration the wiliness of Philippine politicians.

One thing to note here is the class divide. In Philippine politics, the leader that the AB Upper C trust is not the same leader that the lower C DE trust. AB would trust Mar Roxas, Manny Villar. CDE would trust Noli de Castro, Joseph Estrada.

Classic case in point: 1998. AB trusted JDV. But the majority chose to trust Joseph Estrada. Estrada could never be trusted by the upper and middle class. They hated him, reviled him, made fun of him. Meanwhile, the exact opposite can be said of the lower class: they love him and practically worship him.

So Giuliani’s message is incomplete in that along with the trust should come respect. American politics portrays this when a defeated candidate in the presidential nomination respects the decision of the majority. Giuliani himself graciously exited from the presidential race and is now being a sport and showing full support for Mc Cain. Same with Hillary to Obama. That never happens in this country. When de Villa lost to JDV, he started his own party. Same with Lacson.

The reason why trust and respect must come hand in hand is that when the few make their voices louder than the majority, the national direction moves toward the objectives of the few instead of the objectives of the majority. The concerns of the few are prioritized over the concerns of the majority. Then the majority becomes miserable because the few insisted on their way, instead of respecting the decision of the lot.

But that’s Philippine politics for you. It’s my way or the highway. What can we do? We can only pray for a leader who will cut across classes and lead us to our deliverance. That or move abroad. Contradicts Giulani’s second tip but it’s the truth.