2007. I turned 34 on March 20. By next year, I'll be 35 and that means that based on the current mortality rate of 60-65, I have only 25 to 30 years remaining before I pass on. But it all depends on a lot of factors still. I could go earlier or probably (which I hope I won't) later. Who wants to live forever? Or who wants to outlive one's loved ones? people might find it repugnant that when I reached 30 years ago, I started counting back. Yes. back to the future. I am counting back to the future. The countdown was my own idea. And I have never felt so satisfied than being prepared to face my own demise- natural or man-made. And that thought alone pushes me to the limits. It's like I want to do more with less. More things to do with very little and continuously dwindling time. Who's afraid to die anyway? You? Well, I always thought living was more cruel than dying. Life maybe fun. Life maybe exciting. Life maybe precious. But have you ever accepted that all these would die out? Eventually they will. But no matter how happy or sad one's life was, IT SHOULD NOT MATTER FOR AS LONG AS YOU ENJOYED THE RIDE. Life's a journey remember? And journeys have endings. Happy or sad.
As for me, I have done enough. and if my Creator would call me anytime, I would gladly go with Him. As I have said before, Life Must Go On. And I know deep inside me that there is life after this life and hence.
Oh No! THis is not a farewell message ok. But it's somehow fulfilling to conquer the fear of death. By being NOT afraid of death, nothing can scare you, right?
And so, have you asked yourself what your greatest fear is? Find out and try counting back to the future.
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE. I'LL BE BACK NEXT YEAR (and that's next week!)
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
I'm Proud of My NPC
Despite the wrong accusations hurled at us by those Angono fools, the National Press Club has risen up and answered the call of duty to protect its brethren some of whom were unduly detained in the aftermath of the Peninsula Manila siege. I was supposed to be there. My friend and kumpare Atty Argee Guevarra called me up that day and asked me to join them at the PEN. I yielded, thinking that being with the core group would allow me to access the freshest of news that I could deliver to the people. I sought the permission of my president Roy Mabasa who warned me against making political statements once there. As he said, sedition is not a journalist's "province." And I assured him yes, I will join the group not as a participant but as a mere observer. But before I left my computer, Argee asked me to clarify to all people that the movement was spontaneous. It was never prepared (and look at what happened after!). So I pounded my keyboard and started writing a statement for Argee. It wasn't me who was talking but him. As a friend, he dictated to me everything and I just wrote it and sent it to other people.
But I didn't condone their acts. As a journalist, I should not. However, who would not be drawn into such an interesting opportunity? REAL journalists know how and when to get relevant stories. Stories that are BOLD. Stories that happens once in a blue moon.
To me, the Manila Pen incident was among those rarest of moments. I regret that I failed to arrive sooner there. I was late because of the statement of Argee which I had to write for him.
On the way, I heard on radio that the place had been cordoned off. I called Argee up and said I was sorry. That story was not for me.
On Monday we filed a case against officials who arrested our colleagues. I posted the story that I submitted to my newspaper that day below. Please refer to it.
But I didn't condone their acts. As a journalist, I should not. However, who would not be drawn into such an interesting opportunity? REAL journalists know how and when to get relevant stories. Stories that are BOLD. Stories that happens once in a blue moon.
To me, the Manila Pen incident was among those rarest of moments. I regret that I failed to arrive sooner there. I was late because of the statement of Argee which I had to write for him.
On the way, I heard on radio that the place had been cordoned off. I called Argee up and said I was sorry. That story was not for me.
On Monday we filed a case against officials who arrested our colleagues. I posted the story that I submitted to my newspaper that day below. Please refer to it.
Media Arrests
Before I make my own points about the arrests f my fellow journalists, I would like to share the story that I submitted to the Manila Standard on Monday. Just after we filed the case against Puno, Razon etc. before the Commission on Human Rights.
MST
By joel m. sy egco
Dec. 3, 2007 for Tuesday
#1
The Commission on Human Rights (NPC) will hear en banc on Thursday the
case filed by the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) against
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Ronaldo Puno
and top Philippine National Police (PNP) officials who allegedly
ordered the "arrest" and "detention" of journalists who covered the
Manila Peninsula siege on November 29.
Acting on the complaint filed by the NPC through its president, Roy
Mabasa, a group of three CHR commissioners- Wilhelm Soriano, Dominador
Clamba and Eligio Mallare- said they will summon Puno, PNP chief
Avelino Razon and National Capital Region POLice Office (NCRPO) chief
Dir. Geary Barias and "those who effected the handcuffing of mediamen"
before bringing them to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.
Mabasa, assisted by NPC Vice pres. Benny Antiporda and Dirs. Joel Sy
Egco and Samuel Julian trooped to the CHR main office yesterday to
formally file the Club's three-page complaint.
"This complaint is filed on behalf of the 50 or so print and broadcast
reporters and cameramen/photographers who were handcuffed, tied,
loaded into a bus and detained for no legal and valid reason at the
(NCRPO) in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City on the evening of the date
aforementioned," the complaint which Mabasa signed said.
The NPC cited six glaring violations committed by the police, namely:
arbitrary arrest and detention; abusive and inhumane manner in which
the arrests were carried out; violation of Republic Act 7438
concernign the Miranda rights; violation of press freedom under
Article 32 of the Civil Code and Sec. 4 of Article II, or the bills of
rights, of the Constitution: illegal confiscation of videotapes and
cameras in violation of the right against unreasonable searches and
seizures; and grave misconduct and grave abuse of authority and
discretion.
A team of lawyers provided by the NPC headed by its legal counsel
Berteni Causing were expected to meet with the "victims" to secure
their affidavits.
Commissioners Soriano, Calamba and Mallare welcomed the filing of the
charges and vowed to act promptly on it. They said they will wait for
the submission of the affidavits from the so-called Manila Pen media.
"We just hope that they can identify the policemen who tied them up
and hauled them onto the bus. That will make our job easier. All they
have to do is to remember the nameplates of the policemen," Calamba
told newsmen.
Even CHR chairman Purificacion Quisimbing, who is abroad, agreed that
the incident was "embarrassing" for the journalists.
Mabasa and the other NPC officers likewise assured that no political
color will be added to the move, stressing that the Club's only
concern is that "such thing should not happen again."
"It is the hope of the NPC that the resolution of this matter shall
help avoid similar incidents in the future and protect not only
journalists but all citizens against abuse and violation of their
rights," the complaint added.
The CHR officials said they would recommend the filing of charges
against those who would be found to have committed abuse.
"If they would be found to have violated human rights, these policemen
will have a hard time dealing with their promotion or retirement
because they will have to secure clearance from us. If they have a
pending case, how can they be cleared?" one of the CHR commissioners
explained.
END
MST
By joel m. sy egco
Dec. 3, 2007 for Tuesday
#1
The Commission on Human Rights (NPC) will hear en banc on Thursday the
case filed by the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) against
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Ronaldo Puno
and top Philippine National Police (PNP) officials who allegedly
ordered the "arrest" and "detention" of journalists who covered the
Manila Peninsula siege on November 29.
Acting on the complaint filed by the NPC through its president, Roy
Mabasa, a group of three CHR commissioners- Wilhelm Soriano, Dominador
Clamba and Eligio Mallare- said they will summon Puno, PNP chief
Avelino Razon and National Capital Region POLice Office (NCRPO) chief
Dir. Geary Barias and "those who effected the handcuffing of mediamen"
before bringing them to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.
Mabasa, assisted by NPC Vice pres. Benny Antiporda and Dirs. Joel Sy
Egco and Samuel Julian trooped to the CHR main office yesterday to
formally file the Club's three-page complaint.
"This complaint is filed on behalf of the 50 or so print and broadcast
reporters and cameramen/photographers who were handcuffed, tied,
loaded into a bus and detained for no legal and valid reason at the
(NCRPO) in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City on the evening of the date
aforementioned," the complaint which Mabasa signed said.
The NPC cited six glaring violations committed by the police, namely:
arbitrary arrest and detention; abusive and inhumane manner in which
the arrests were carried out; violation of Republic Act 7438
concernign the Miranda rights; violation of press freedom under
Article 32 of the Civil Code and Sec. 4 of Article II, or the bills of
rights, of the Constitution: illegal confiscation of videotapes and
cameras in violation of the right against unreasonable searches and
seizures; and grave misconduct and grave abuse of authority and
discretion.
A team of lawyers provided by the NPC headed by its legal counsel
Berteni Causing were expected to meet with the "victims" to secure
their affidavits.
Commissioners Soriano, Calamba and Mallare welcomed the filing of the
charges and vowed to act promptly on it. They said they will wait for
the submission of the affidavits from the so-called Manila Pen media.
"We just hope that they can identify the policemen who tied them up
and hauled them onto the bus. That will make our job easier. All they
have to do is to remember the nameplates of the policemen," Calamba
told newsmen.
Even CHR chairman Purificacion Quisimbing, who is abroad, agreed that
the incident was "embarrassing" for the journalists.
Mabasa and the other NPC officers likewise assured that no political
color will be added to the move, stressing that the Club's only
concern is that "such thing should not happen again."
"It is the hope of the NPC that the resolution of this matter shall
help avoid similar incidents in the future and protect not only
journalists but all citizens against abuse and violation of their
rights," the complaint added.
The CHR officials said they would recommend the filing of charges
against those who would be found to have committed abuse.
"If they would be found to have violated human rights, these policemen
will have a hard time dealing with their promotion or retirement
because they will have to secure clearance from us. If they have a
pending case, how can they be cleared?" one of the CHR commissioners
explained.
END
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Strength in Weakness
Felicitas Unidad Roan, Mami Fely, or simply, Mami, is the epitome of real strength. Downed by a serious illness, she fought and struggled to rise up again and to remain standing. She never faltered. Never surrendered. Though not my biological mother, my umbilical cord stretched out to her womb during my younger days. Daddy Jim died in my arms as I, as a young teenager, tried to keep the life in him when he had a heart attack in 1992. I guess that was the time when I was officially "adopted" by Mami. As my best friend Jasper's elder (but younger in terms of looks) brother. The Roan Reyes household survived the ordeal. We survived the ordeal and as Mami repeatedly reminded me during those dark hours, "Life MUst Go On." And her words seemed to have a strong impact on me. Upon hearing the words, it kinda got absorbed in my bloodstream and got stuck in my mind forever. IN times of sorrow and deep regret, indeed, LIFE MUST GO ON!
No so long after the death of Dadi JIm, Mam Fely was diagnosed with the BIG C. Yes, she underwent a series of operation in the mid-90s. They said hers was a terminal case but her illness or weakness somehow mutated into an energy that gave birth to another strong-willed person. She, again, survived. Life Must Go On.
Just recently, however, she contracted another dreaded disease. Still related to the BIG C. IN fact, I guess, the Big Brother of the BIG C.
Despite her ordeal, Mami remains a picture of strength. Never heard her feeling sorry for the test she is now into. There was a bad news in December last year. That she would not survive another three months. The doctor who diagnosed her, however, was felled by a liver ailment. That was the only time she told me she was sorry. Not for herself but for her doctor. More serious than hers I guess her doctor's illness was. Eleven months after, Mami still enjoys the gift of life. Still going out with friends. Enjoying the fruits of seniorhood. Last time we met, she gained weight. And gained wisdom as the days moved along. LIFE MUST GO ON.
Indeed, LIFE MUST GO ON. When she first uttered those words to me, I never really realized the true meaning of it. It just sank in to me that LIFE continues even after DEATH. She died when Dady died. She died when first diagnosed with cancer. She died when she was dignosed again with yet another case of cancer. Yet she stood up and lived again, and again, and again. For LIFE MUST GO ON, AND ON, AND ON, AND ON... And even as we reached that place of ETERNAL BLISS. I believe we would continue to live in the hearts and minds of people we loved and those who loved us when we were still AT THE FIRST PHASE OF LIFE HERE ON EARTH.
Years from now, all of us must pass to the next level of life. And then to the next level again. But it is quite helpful to share with you that very powerful phrase that made Joel Egco what he is now. Let us share the same words to people we love and cherish. People who we want to find STRENGTH in WEAKNESS.
LIFE MUST GO ON ;)
No so long after the death of Dadi JIm, Mam Fely was diagnosed with the BIG C. Yes, she underwent a series of operation in the mid-90s. They said hers was a terminal case but her illness or weakness somehow mutated into an energy that gave birth to another strong-willed person. She, again, survived. Life Must Go On.
Just recently, however, she contracted another dreaded disease. Still related to the BIG C. IN fact, I guess, the Big Brother of the BIG C.
Despite her ordeal, Mami remains a picture of strength. Never heard her feeling sorry for the test she is now into. There was a bad news in December last year. That she would not survive another three months. The doctor who diagnosed her, however, was felled by a liver ailment. That was the only time she told me she was sorry. Not for herself but for her doctor. More serious than hers I guess her doctor's illness was. Eleven months after, Mami still enjoys the gift of life. Still going out with friends. Enjoying the fruits of seniorhood. Last time we met, she gained weight. And gained wisdom as the days moved along. LIFE MUST GO ON.
Indeed, LIFE MUST GO ON. When she first uttered those words to me, I never really realized the true meaning of it. It just sank in to me that LIFE continues even after DEATH. She died when Dady died. She died when first diagnosed with cancer. She died when she was dignosed again with yet another case of cancer. Yet she stood up and lived again, and again, and again. For LIFE MUST GO ON, AND ON, AND ON, AND ON... And even as we reached that place of ETERNAL BLISS. I believe we would continue to live in the hearts and minds of people we loved and those who loved us when we were still AT THE FIRST PHASE OF LIFE HERE ON EARTH.
Years from now, all of us must pass to the next level of life. And then to the next level again. But it is quite helpful to share with you that very powerful phrase that made Joel Egco what he is now. Let us share the same words to people we love and cherish. People who we want to find STRENGTH in WEAKNESS.
LIFE MUST GO ON ;)
Thursday, November 22, 2007
PINABILI LANG NG SUKA YOUR ASS!
The controversy stemming from the National Press Club’s decision to alter the Neo Angono artists’ Press Freedom mural has unleashed one of the most ferocious attacks against a group of supposed media practitioners. I say “supposed” because the working media in general are not familiar with personalities identified with the Manila-based NPC. Whether Roy Mabasa and Joel Sy Egco, NPC president and director, respectively, belong to the print or broadcast media is not clear. Tagalogs have a funny way of describing how pseudo-journalists are made: “Pinabili lang ng suka, pagbalik peryodista na.”
+++++++++
This was among the many intriguing stories written about my involvement in the MURAL issue. Intriguing and funny. I find it intriguing because up to now, I still don't know who the hell this writer is. I tried to look her up on GOOGLE but found almost nil information about her. IMagine the GALL! Roy Mabasa and Joel Sy Egco “Pinabili lang ng suka, pagbalik peryodista na.” Tickle me more! Hahahahaha! I find this statement very, very funny! Who is she, anyway!? PINABILI LANG NG DANGIT SA CEBU PORT, PAGBALIK COLUMNIST NA?
I would advice her to search for Roy's or my name on google before she speaks. For everyone's information, Roy Mabasa was Manila Bulletin chief of reporters. He came from a family of journalists too. Me, on the other hand, well, just GOOGLE me. Whew!
In April 2000, I, as then president of the Defense Press Corps, experienced what war was really like. For hours, we got caught in the crossfire between the MILF and the 1st Marine Company in Munai, Lanao Del Sur. We were the first batch of journalists (with me were Raffy Tima, Badet Tamayo and several other TV crews) who tripped on that near-death predicament. I experienced being bombed at, shot at, rolled under the dirt as bullets, rockets and bombs horrifyingly zoomed over us. ALL FOR THE LOVE OF JOURNALISM. Then, there was the Abu Sayyaf coverage and when the Sipadan hostage crisis erupted, Sulu was declared NO MAN'S LAND for journalists by the government.
In my hotel room in Zamboanga City that night, I wrote a strongly-worded statement against the media blackout in Sulu. The following morning, during a press conference arranged by the DND chief (Orlando Mercado) and AFP chief (Angelo Reyes), I RUDELY interrupted the briefing and read the protest letter that was signed by 80 foreign and local journalists covering the Sipadan hostage crisis. Jessica Soho was there. Dindo Amparo and Howie Severino, among other respected names in the industry supported the move I initiated. That same day, we were allowed to travel to Sulu aboard a Navy boat. Doon sa SULU ako "Pinabili lang ng suka."
When everybody was silent on the cases of journalist killed in action, I was the first to stand up and declare that we should fight back! That was after Philip Agustin in Aurora was killed. Thenafter, the Association of Responsible Media (ARMED) was formed. Thousands of journalists followed my lead and began practicing their shooting skills from Batanes to JOLO. That's still on record. June 2005. Simultaneous nationwide gun safety and training seminar for mediamen. "Pinabili lang nga suka!"
When Arroyo issued Proclamation 1017 last year, ARMED, Alyansa ng Filipinong Mamamahayag and NUJP gathered at the NPC grounds one morning and SHAVED OUR HEADS in dire protest of the proclamation. Sa totoo lang ayaw na tumubo ng buhok ko dahil dun. We did that when the previous NPC leadership was silent on the issue of PP1017. And when everybody felt the chill of an imminent declaration of Martial Law, the people whom this HOLIER THAN THOU columnist tagged as "Pinabili lang ng suka," rose up and declared PP 1017 their enemy!
The question is: NASAN KAYA ANG PINABILI NG DANGIT NG MGA PANAHONG YON?
As my former editor-in-chief Jullie Yap Daza puts it:
"CHECK YOUR FACTS AND STUDY YOUR BACKGROUND... READ! READ! READ!" DAMNIT!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
FOUL LANGUAGE
My bestfriend, Jas, asked me why I had to use FOUL language on this blog. Told him that as a genuine Novo Ecijano, (http://www.anaknggapan.blogspot.com/), I usually have PUTANG INA for breakfast, TANG INA NIYO for lunch and for dinner, PUTANG INA also. I don't want to pretend. What you see is what you will get. When Joel Egco says PUTANG INA, that means I'm excited (or mad). It depends on my mood. And when I say good things about some issues or people, that means I really feel good about them. No pretensions. THis is my goddamn world and this is the only place on this god damn planet where I can be who I really am. Where I can speak my mind. Where I can say what I want to say to my heart's delight.
If you have a problem with that (use of foul language), you should grow up! Or better yet, get out of this blog and visit others that are only being used to display the authors' grammatical prowess or their silly views about silly subjects. Pa-cute lang. Me, on the other hand, I don't care about what my visitors think. I don't give a damn about what others may think. That's freedom. In this free market of ideas, some are fresh while some are stale... It depends on one's unique perceptions.. Whatever the case, whatever the language used (or unused), it's getting the message across great lenghts that matters the most..
TANG INA NIYO :)
If you have a problem with that (use of foul language), you should grow up! Or better yet, get out of this blog and visit others that are only being used to display the authors' grammatical prowess or their silly views about silly subjects. Pa-cute lang. Me, on the other hand, I don't care about what my visitors think. I don't give a damn about what others may think. That's freedom. In this free market of ideas, some are fresh while some are stale... It depends on one's unique perceptions.. Whatever the case, whatever the language used (or unused), it's getting the message across great lenghts that matters the most..
TANG INA NIYO :)
Friday, November 16, 2007
THEN SILENCE FELL...
The silence is deafening... I miss the noise, especially when the sorry artists from Angono trained their sights on me last week. They created damning issues against me. Even conspired with a PDI columnist (babaeng wala naman epekto kung magsulat) in putting the heat on me. The lady reporter, or should I say correspondent (whatever!) thought I didn't know where she was trying to put me. Sorry, iha. journalist opisina ka lang. YOu wanna see REAL journalists? Nandun hinahabol ng bala. Kinakasuhan ng libel. Binabaril at kung anu ano pang dangers ang hinaharap. Di tulad mo, SYOTA ka lang yata kasi ng isang artist. Ikaw kaya ang tirahin namin? Hehehe. But you're lucky I'm not like you. I've been a journalist for so many years. And Im glad I did not earn my reputation the way you sadly did. As journalists, we are not in
the business of dragging other private individuals in any controversy, unless your motives are driven by malice. So hard you tried to put words into my mouth, So sorry you got nothing. Because we, as REAL journalists, (not you paid hack!) know our limitations. We know how to respect other people's rights. We may have our own biases and all that, but we never put that in writing, especially if it would serve our own interest. And you, whose name I will never mention because you lack dignity, should remind yourself always that in every issue, there are things that should never be dignified.
Anyway, I was informed that the artists, five days after I came out and exposed them, went to UP and distributed copies of my supposed text messages to them to defend themselves. I never really knew the contents of the SANITIZED text messages they had printed and I never really had the interest to know. Number one, they lost the moral argument. NUmber two, they ran out of issues to debate on. Number three, personal attacks are the worst in debate. Pathetic.
Ito naman kasing tarantadong si Gappi, kung anu ano na naisip para makaganti.
Kupal, hindi mo ba alam na maraming nakasave sa inbox ko na text messages ng chairman of the board niyo?
Wire Tuazon and I had exchanged a lot of messages before I awarded the contract to you. The oldest on my cellphone were those he sent on JUly 14, where he assured the NPC of a lot of things, including "expected and revisions along the way. Manganganak pa ang concept...." We chose not to reveal the damning contents of the text messages because I didn't want wire to be humiliated! Kung si Gappi at Chitoy lang kahit ipakulong puwede sana e. But not Wire. He's a friend. The last text messages I saved were those that say: "BUUIN MO MUNA PERA BAGO TAYO MAG-USAP." O, naalala niyo na? Saved it last week of September. But of course, we decided not to do what you did because MAGMUMUKHA KAMI TANGA! Ayaw naman naming magmukhang desperado sa atensiyon. The saved messages were photographed, transcribed and analyzed. NPC officials and our lawyers have copies of those. Saan man gamitin, up to them.
Unfortunately, ayaw na namin pahabain ito. As Roy puts it, everything has been ventilated. Sabi nga ng kumpare kong si Arnold Clavio, bakit naman sa media ninyo pa ipinaraan? Oo nga naman. Halata tuloy e. Napasikat na sana namin kayo ngayon. Glory giveth, glory taketh away...
Only the obscure and exploited painters of the group deserve to be honored. There's time to leave the group. Wake up, men. You are being used and manipulated to the hilt! Di niyo ba napansin walang ibang Angono group ang sumuporta sa inyo? Because the local folks there know about your leaders...
They're damned.
the business of dragging other private individuals in any controversy, unless your motives are driven by malice. So hard you tried to put words into my mouth, So sorry you got nothing. Because we, as REAL journalists, (not you paid hack!) know our limitations. We know how to respect other people's rights. We may have our own biases and all that, but we never put that in writing, especially if it would serve our own interest. And you, whose name I will never mention because you lack dignity, should remind yourself always that in every issue, there are things that should never be dignified.
Anyway, I was informed that the artists, five days after I came out and exposed them, went to UP and distributed copies of my supposed text messages to them to defend themselves. I never really knew the contents of the SANITIZED text messages they had printed and I never really had the interest to know. Number one, they lost the moral argument. NUmber two, they ran out of issues to debate on. Number three, personal attacks are the worst in debate. Pathetic.
Ito naman kasing tarantadong si Gappi, kung anu ano na naisip para makaganti.
Kupal, hindi mo ba alam na maraming nakasave sa inbox ko na text messages ng chairman of the board niyo?
Wire Tuazon and I had exchanged a lot of messages before I awarded the contract to you. The oldest on my cellphone were those he sent on JUly 14, where he assured the NPC of a lot of things, including "expected and revisions along the way. Manganganak pa ang concept...." We chose not to reveal the damning contents of the text messages because I didn't want wire to be humiliated! Kung si Gappi at Chitoy lang kahit ipakulong puwede sana e. But not Wire. He's a friend. The last text messages I saved were those that say: "BUUIN MO MUNA PERA BAGO TAYO MAG-USAP." O, naalala niyo na? Saved it last week of September. But of course, we decided not to do what you did because MAGMUMUKHA KAMI TANGA! Ayaw naman naming magmukhang desperado sa atensiyon. The saved messages were photographed, transcribed and analyzed. NPC officials and our lawyers have copies of those. Saan man gamitin, up to them.
Unfortunately, ayaw na namin pahabain ito. As Roy puts it, everything has been ventilated. Sabi nga ng kumpare kong si Arnold Clavio, bakit naman sa media ninyo pa ipinaraan? Oo nga naman. Halata tuloy e. Napasikat na sana namin kayo ngayon. Glory giveth, glory taketh away...
Only the obscure and exploited painters of the group deserve to be honored. There's time to leave the group. Wake up, men. You are being used and manipulated to the hilt! Di niyo ba napansin walang ibang Angono group ang sumuporta sa inyo? Because the local folks there know about your leaders...
They're damned.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
RAISE YOUR AXES!!
Picked from Louie Logarta's Column, Blurbal Thrusts, NOv. 8, 2007 issue
...In 1932, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller convinced her husband to commission the famous left-wing Mexican artist Diego Rivera to do a mural for the lobby of the soon-to-be-completed Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan in New York City.
...In 1932, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller convinced her husband to commission the famous left-wing Mexican artist Diego Rivera to do a mural for the lobby of the soon-to-be-completed Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan in New York City.
Unfortunately, Rivera made the fatal mistake of placing at the center of the 63’ x 17’ mural that depicted “workers at the crossroads of industry, science, socialism and capitalism” the portrait of Soviet leader Lenin without first consulting his patrons. It turned out to be his undoing.
After being severely bashed by the New York media for sponsoring a great piece of art espousing the anti-capitalist ideology, Rockefeller politely asked Rivera to erase the face of Lenin and replace it with someone less controversial.
Rivera suggested Abraham Lincoln, but refused to expunge Lenin.
The story goes that Rivera was then summoned by Rockefeller building people while he was still working on his unfinished mural, handed a check for $14,000 representing the balance of his talent fee, informed that his services were no longer needed and unceremoniously barred him from the site. Shortly after, Rivera’s mural was covered with a drape and a wooden screen to keep it out of public view.
Because he had formally accepted full payment for his services, Rivera was unable to pressure the Rockefellers to exhibit or at least keep his work. The episode ended on a tragic note, because despite efforts by art conservationists to have it transferred to the Museum of Modern Art and furious demonstrations by Rivera supporters, Rockefeller’s workers literally destroyed the valuable artwork using axes and machetes on the night of Feb. 10, 1934.
FREEDOM ABOVE ALL
Thursday morning, a group of activists trooped to the NPC Building in Intramuros to air their grievances. We opened up our gates, welcomed them with open arms and hearts. As the bastion of press freedom and freedom of expression, the NPC encourages all who may have more grievances to air to please come over and do so.
For decades, the NPC had been ignored by the free masses it sworn to protect and whose rights the Club swore to uphold. We longed for you. We have long dreamt of the time when your voices will again resonate around and on every corner of the NPC. The NPC was made for that purpose and with the issues at hand, we can declare that democracy is alive!
For so long, the NPC has been an empty space reserved only for journalists. Help us fulfill our dream of making it serve its rightful purpose. To be the voice of the people and sanctuary of history’s talekeepers. We welcome you and beg you to please come over and express your rights for it would be a dream come true for the NPC. With open arms and brotherly love, we will join you.
For the NPC to serve its noble purpose, we must unite and share our ideals about freedom. Let us preserve the NPC as a venue where we can all express ourselves, regardless of our leanings or inclinations. And for God’s sake help us preserve its hallowed grounds. Let us stand fast and declare that no one, nothing, not even the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) could take away this revered venue of freedom of expression. We can never afford to lose this God-given possession that our forefathers fought for. We cannot let their dreams and aspirations die out once the NPC is taken away from its real owner- the Filipino people and all freedom-loving citizens of the world.
We hungered for your return, our dear fellow Filipinos. We craved to hear your minds and read your hearts once again. Help us fight for this bastion of freedom. Help us in the fight against those who eagered to take and break it and those who threaten to evict the very souls of press freedom fighters whose names are written with their own sweat and blood in the four walls of the NPC.
Help us bring back the NPC’s long lost glory. Help us save the NPC.
For decades, the NPC had been ignored by the free masses it sworn to protect and whose rights the Club swore to uphold. We longed for you. We have long dreamt of the time when your voices will again resonate around and on every corner of the NPC. The NPC was made for that purpose and with the issues at hand, we can declare that democracy is alive!
For so long, the NPC has been an empty space reserved only for journalists. Help us fulfill our dream of making it serve its rightful purpose. To be the voice of the people and sanctuary of history’s talekeepers. We welcome you and beg you to please come over and express your rights for it would be a dream come true for the NPC. With open arms and brotherly love, we will join you.
For the NPC to serve its noble purpose, we must unite and share our ideals about freedom. Let us preserve the NPC as a venue where we can all express ourselves, regardless of our leanings or inclinations. And for God’s sake help us preserve its hallowed grounds. Let us stand fast and declare that no one, nothing, not even the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) could take away this revered venue of freedom of expression. We can never afford to lose this God-given possession that our forefathers fought for. We cannot let their dreams and aspirations die out once the NPC is taken away from its real owner- the Filipino people and all freedom-loving citizens of the world.
We hungered for your return, our dear fellow Filipinos. We craved to hear your minds and read your hearts once again. Help us fight for this bastion of freedom. Help us in the fight against those who eagered to take and break it and those who threaten to evict the very souls of press freedom fighters whose names are written with their own sweat and blood in the four walls of the NPC.
Help us bring back the NPC’s long lost glory. Help us save the NPC.
STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE NPC MURAL
The brouhaha where my beloved organization, the National Press Club, is now neck-deep into would have been avoided had my FORMER friends in Angono, Rizal to whom I gave the rarest opportunity of painting two major artworks- the Armed Forces of the Philippines Mural and the now world-renowned NPC mural- only followed what was agreed on.
Among all the people whose names were dragged into this mess, I can say that I am the only person and the one in the best position to talk about the TRUTH on what really happened on October 25, the day before the unveiling of my "BABY."
The problem started when facts got mixed up due to the pressures of the day. My mind that day became a virtual freeway, a major highway to a traffic jam of words. Despite that, I was so careful in choosing the words I passed from Roy Mabasa and others at the NPC to Neo Angono Artists and vice versa. I became a virtual cable that transmitted valuable information from one line to the other.
Now the facts: First, I NEVER said that the any Palace rep ordered the alterations. What I told the artists was that I WAS TOLD that the president's men are coming over AGAIN to inspect the mural. BY president's men, I clarified that people from the Protocol and some security inspectors were included. NOT ONLY THE PSG. I said "AGAIN" because for your information I was the CHAIRMAN OF THE SECURITY COMMITTEE FOR THE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. Mr. Mabasa and I already met with "THE PRESIDENT'S MEN" to discuss security matters and the anniversary program as early as October 22. In that meeting, which transpired inside the NPC Board Room, I showed the PSG officers and protocol staff photos of the mural to be unveiled. I possessed complete photos of the artwork because I AM THE PROJECT DIRECTOR.
And to set the record straight. And I swear this to the high heavens . I bet my family's name on this in the name of TRUTH: THOSE WHO SAW THE PICTURES LIKED THE ARTWORK! Shock and awe! Roy instructed me to place my laptop on top of the table and showed the photos of the mural to each person present. I assure you, NAGUSTUHAN NILA ANG MURAL. Just that. Hindi na pinagusapan ulit.
After that security meeting, I immediately called up Neo Artists to push through with the scheduled delivery the following day, October 23. At one point, I guess I even happily informed them that the president's staff liked the mural. I could not recall if it was them or if I told other people about it.
If you wanna know what happened between that meeting and until the mural has been delivered, JUST READ MY EARLIER POST BELOW.
Let's jump: October 25, 10:00 a.m.
I just woke up after a night's drink at NPC when I received a call from Roy. Although we inspected the mural the night before, Roy was not there. Naturally, all officers who were not present during the delivery wuld make a separate inspection the next day. Eh pambihira naman kasi ang mga DATI kong kaibigan. Dalawang buwan nila kasama ang mural samantalang kami ay dalawang oras lang yata nung gabing iyon. We set October 23 as the original delivery date to allow for enough room for possible changes or improvments. That fateful day. DAY OF INFAMY FOR THOSE ARTISTS, nagsilayas sila dahil kulang pa daw ang Isandaanlibong pisong hawak ko. kUMPLETUHIN DAW BEFORE NOON OR AALIS SILA. But they took off 10:30 a.m... well, just read the post below. Anyway, so Roy called and said he found some disturbing marks on the mural (the triangle enclosed ALIBATA "K" which may be perceived as the symbol of the NDF, the alibata on red and white background which may be perceived as rightist, the INVERTED FLAG on the newspaper at the centerpiece, the AWKWARD Npc Digest that carried a political matter instead of an internal issue being an internal publication, among other things. Please take note that the Headline PRESS FREEDOM FIGHTER'S SON ABDUCTED originally appeared on the newspaper held by Rizal entitled THE PHILIPPINES TODAY. The night of the delivery. Jerry Yap requested that the name of the paper be changed to NPC DIGEST. Since the artists were all tired, they went home a little past 8. It was only when they left that we realized the NPC Digest should not carry a political issue since it is just an internal publication. But seeing the NPC Digest carrying such a story would be awkward. Far from reality. So we decided to have it corrected. And to avoid major damage, we opted to have only a few letters deleted. Thus came the planned headline PRESS FREEDOM FIGHT IS ON. This title on the NPC DIGEST? Nothing fits better!
On the deletion of the International Federation of Journalists' statement about the HUman Security Act, there was no offense meant against the group. IN FACT, THE IFJ BANNER IS STILL UP TO NOW INCLUDED AMONG THE STREAMERS OF RALLYISTS IN THE RALLY SCENE ON THE MURAL. The reason for the planned change in the IFJ statement was that we have to place there a statement instead of the Confederation of Asean JOurnalist where the NPC is affiliated. It was sad that the CAJ was not placed anywhere there.
Roy said, and I quote: "BAKA MAPAHIYA TAYO AT YONG MGA ARTISTS KASI MAY LEFT AND RIGHT POLITICAL SYMBOLS KAMING NAKITA." I never knew what he meant by KAMI. But he continued, "A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING OVER, DIRECTOR. WE NEED TO CALL THE ARTISTS AND MAKE A FEW MORE IMPROVEMENTS. AYAW NATING MAY LEFT OR RIGHT DITO KASI MAGSASUFFER ANG INTEGRITY NG MURAL NATIN BEING A NEUTRAL ARTWORK. PLEASE TELL THEM TO PLACE ALL ALIBATA INSIDE A SUN FIGURE."
Then it struck me: THE NPC SEAL ITSELF HAS AN ALIBATA INSIDE AN 8-RAY SUN. So, enclosing all alibatas on the mural in 8-rayed suns would put the NPC everywhere on the mural. What an intelligent idea, I thought. The mix up occurred when he told me that even the PSG are making a final security inspection at the NPC (Just that). So I told the artists that. Iba na pala ang impression at dating. At first I had a negative impression about the final security inspection too. But the mural was not at all a security issue. Napansin man ang mga symbols, LAHAT NAMAN NG TAO DUN NAPANSIN ANG MGA IYON. Kung mayroong ayaw mapahiya si Roy, it's the artists, the NPC and the mural.
Upon his instructions, I called up the artists and HUMBLY requested for them to come back or just send a couple of artists to do the MINOR ALTERATIONS. Ang magaling na si Richard Gappi, na siyang may pakana ng pulitika sa grupo nila pero hindi naman pintor ay tinanong ako: Bakit daw? So I relayed Roy's message: "Natatakot si Roy na baka sa unveiling pa lang may masama ng critique. Ayaw ng may political symbols. Maraming taong pupunta at DADATING DIN ANG PSG at iba pa. Baka DAW mapansin ayusin na natin. Then goes gappi's usual response: "ITATANONG KO SA GRUPO!" I begged him to come over. Or just send two artists at the most. "Huwag mo ng itanong. Kung kailangang sunduin ko kayo gagawin ko or mag rent na lang diyan. Well pay here for everything."
"Magtatawagan daw sila."
Then another call from Roy came in: "Egco asan na mga artists mo?" Sabi ko: "Hahanap pa ng pupunta." He said "Ok" then hang up.
Then I received a text message from Mr. Gappi ( Di ba sa English Gapi means TALO? Just asking). Malabo daw at wala mga tao! Despite the LAME excuse, I tried to contact the other leaders of the group and finally got connected with Carlos Totong Francisco II (I admire this fellow). I told him "TOTONG PLEASE NAMAN O. TAPUSIN NA NATIN LAHAT NG PROBLEMA SA MURAL. MAY KAUNTING CORRECTIONS LANG. KASI NATATAKOT SI ROY NA BAKA PANGIT NGA ANG MAGING KRITIKO SA MURAL. MADAMI DADATING NA TAO. SI PRESIDENTE, MAYOR LIM ETC. MAY NAKAPANSIN DAW NUNG MGA SIMBOLO. ITATAYA KO NA PAGKAKAIBIGAN NATIN DITO PLEASE. NAKIKIUSAP AKO. AYOKO KAUSAP ANG IBANG KAGRUPO MO. MAGUGULO SILA. IN FACT, KUNDI DAHIL SA YO AT KAY WIRE DI KO IBIBIGAY SA INYO YAN PROJECT. SI GAPPI AND CHITOY I DONT TRUST THEM. AYAW NA NILA MAGPAPUNTA NG TAO. KUNG PWEDE SANA IKAW AT SI EBOK OR KAHIT SINO"
Totong asured me: "Sige pare. Punta ko kina wire ngayon. Sabihin ko lahat ng concerns niyo. Text kita gaad."
Then Roy called me up again: "EGCO, NASAN NA SILA? ANO SABI?" I replied: "PARA SIGURADO PUPUNTAHAN KO NA LANG. SUSUNDUIN KO SA ANGONO." hE SAID: "GOOD. PUNTAHAN MO NA. KAMI NA BAHAL DITO NI JERRY (YAP)."
So, even without taking a bath. I got my car keys and went straight to my car in my shortpants. Started the van and went off. A kilometer away, I received a text mesasge from TOTONG FRANCISCO. "PARE, PASENCYA KA NA TALAGA. DI RAW MAKAKAPUNTA GRUPO. YON ANG NAGING DESISYON. GUSTUHIN KO MAN SUMAMA, SUMUSUNOD LANG KAMI SA DESISYON NG GRUPO." He offered no other explanation. I turned the car back toward the house.
Once there, I told Roy about the bad news. "PARE AYAW NA PUMUNTA." He said: "pilitin mo, direktor. Sila din mapupulaan dito. Mahirap na. ALLOWED NAMAN TAYO TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS E."
So for the last time, I tried to call up the artists again. I told them: "Ayoko rin munang galawin ang mural. Im just following orders. Ayoko naman parang may ipiplease kaming tao. Mahirap namang parang ipiplease namin si presidente. Pag ganun di maganda yon para kay GMA at sa lahat sa ating involved. Nagaaway na kami ni Roy. Nabubwisit na ko." I also told Roy that.
Kako: "PARE. PARA NAMANG IPIPLEASE LANG NATIN SI GMA NIYAN E. MAPUPULAAN TAYO. HINDI KAYA?" He retorted: "HINDI SA GANON DIREKTOR. DI LANG SI PRESIDENTE PUPUNTA DITO. THERE WILL ALSO BE ART CRITICS, ART CONNOSIEURS, LOCAL POLITICIANS AND MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC COMUNITY. AYAW NATING MAGMUKANG KAHIYA HIYA LAHAT TAYO DAHIL BAKA MAKITA YONG SYMBOLS. AYAW NATIN NG MAY KALIWA O KANAN O KAHIT ANONG MAY BAHID PULITIKA. NPC LANG."
And I believed him. He sounded really, really sincere. He was.
At that moment, a lot of things have been going inside my mind. A call, text message from Roy etc. A call, text message fromt he artists. What a predicament! I know it was somewhere along that way that the facts got mixed up. OR DID SOMEONE FROM THE OTHER LINE DELIBERATELY MIX IT UP. NOW, IM LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE ARTISTS WANTED THE SYMBOLS TO REMAIN. TO BE SEEN. FOR WHATEVER REASON, ONLY THEY (AND PROBABLY ROY MABASA) KNEW.
Nonetheless, a heated argument ensued between me and the then panicking poor Roy. I was also having an argument with the great Gapi (English: LOSER?). I asked him why they are refusing to come over and do the REQUESTED IMPROVEMENTS. He said again. And this I tell you has been his classic line: "NAGDESISYON NA ANG GRUPO." Paano naman ang desisyon namin?
Then since, I knew they were cooking up something. They saw an opportunity to fan a flame for it to burst out into a fiery furnace. COLLECTIVE. GRUPO. COLLECTIVE. I remember my days as a young activist also fooled into believing the falsehearted principles of a passe ideology.
When the Inquirer story came out with the following quotes: "NPC director Joel Sy Egco said members of the Presidential Security Group had inspected the mural and noted certain “leftist marks.” Twas right because everybody did notice those marks. We noticed.. Other visitors noticed. Other journalists did- everyone.
AND NEVER DID I SAY TO ANYONE THAT THE PSG ORDERED THE ALTERATIONS. THEY NEVER DID! JUST AN UNFORTUNATE MIXING UP OF A LOT OF DETAILS THAT ENDED UP INTO A CRUCIAL (OR DELIBERATE) MISUNDERSTANDING- THAT THE PSG INFLUENCED US INTO CHANGING PORTIONS OF THE MURAL. WALA SILANG IBANG SINABI KUNDI MAGANDA ANG MURAL. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SET THAT RECORD STRAIGHT.
IT WAS MY PRESIDENT, ROY, WHO JUST GOT WORRIED OVER WHAT CRITICS MIGHT SAY ABOUT THE MURAL. AND BY GOD, HE HAD JUST BEEN HONEST AND CAREFUL. THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME FOR THE ARTISTS TO RESPECT HIS SUGGESTIONS. I DONT KNOW UNTIL NOW WHY THE ARTISTS SEEMED SO AFRAID WHENEVER THEY WERE INSIDE THE NPC. PARANG SINISILABAN ANG MGA PUWET.
So when I realized the artists will no longer make the corrections, I told Roy it was hopeless. NAGMAMATIGAS SILA PARE. I could feel his disappointment and rage. 'ATIN NAMAN ANG MURAL. WE CAN DO ANYTHING. WALANG KUWENTANG KAUSAP MGA ARTISTS NA YAN. SIMPLENG PAKIUSAP HINDI MAGAWA. PAMBIHIRA SILA."
That night, I was informed that an unknown artist was making very few and minor changes on the artwork. So I rushed to the NPC and when I got there late in the evening, I saw the changes. To my dismay. I called Roy for an explanation. "PARE BAKIT GANITO ITO? PARANG PINTOR NG NITSO GUMAWA!" He replied: "ANO BA NANGYARI? UMALIS NA KASI AKO DI KO NA NAKITA GINAWA." I answered: 'NAGLAGAY NG IBONG ADARNA NA WALANG BALAHIBO AT NAKAKULONG SA HAWLA TAPOS MAY MGA BIGOTE NA SI POPOY LAGMAN AT JOHN LLOYD CRUZ." (Said this in jest)
That time we never really knew to whom the images belonged. I was informed later by the artists that it was Jose Lacaba "NA PWEDE DING MAGING SI ARMANDO MALAY" according to Gapi. (HA? Richard, ikaw nagsabi sa kin nun! Mas malala pala interprestasyon niyo. Nagiiba ang identity. Parang Dr. Jekyl and Mr Hyde! Whew!) Then he said the guy near the truck wearing what appears to be a hardhat was Randy David. I said "Ok."
Nonetheless, I was enraged by the changes. Roy wasnt there when it was done. I arrived late. I even told the waiters in the restaurant: "NASAN BA UNG GUMAWA NITO? PAKIKUHA YONG BARIL KO SA VAN AT BABARILIN KO LANG!" Many witnessed how infuriated I was. Yet Roy told me: "OK LANG YAN BROD. NEO CAN COME IN ANYTIME TO MAKE THE CORRECTIONS. DI NAMAN SADYA E. THOSE ARE ONLY TEMPORARY. IN GOOD FAITH NAMAN. IPAAAYOS NATIN SA ARTISTS."
I told him: "PUTANG INA NAMAN EH. ALAM MO NAMAN MAHIRAP KAUSAP MGA YUN. MASAYADONG BANGUNGOT NA INABOT KO SA MGA YON."
Later, I informed the NPC Board that I was boycotting the unveiling NOT BECUASE THE PRESIDENT WAS ATTENDING but because "EH PUTANG INA NAMAN NANGYARI DUN SA BABY KO (MURAL) NAGKAROON NG IBONG HUBAD. AYOKO UMATEND NABUBUWISIT AKO."
So, although I was voted CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY, I did not attend. Upon Roy's instructions, I called up the artists again to make the necessary corrections in the morning of the day of unveiling. AYAW LALO NILA! So, I told them WAG NA TAYO PUMUNTA. I decided not to attend the rites because I wanted to prevent a disaster. Working with the artists for a long time familiarized me with their behaviors. I knew something bad (or worse) would happen if they were there.
Nevertheless, I proposed to the Board that we arrange a night of thanksgiving and celebration with the artists. We scheduled it for the following Wednesday. I told Roy to prepare a bash! Night of music! Beer, food and liquor. A party! I told Jerry Yap to prepare somekind of a "BONUS" for the artists. And as we celebrate, I suggested that the final touches be made at the same time. Roy and Jerry immediately approved of my proposal, which include presenting the artists with an NPC resolution expressing its PROFOUND GRATITUDE and to give each participatign artist a PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION. Shit! Ganyan Pala Kasama ang NPC!
"KAYANG KAYA NG NEO AYUSIN YAN BAGO PA TAYO MALASING," I told Roy. I even told Mr. Gappi about the planned celebration for them. Alam niyo ba ang sagot niya? He uttered his INFAMOUS line again: "DISCUSS NAMIN YAN SA GRUPO. PAG-UUSAPAN NG GRUPO."
The nightmare happened three days later, Monday. While I was in Nueva Ecija, Roy called me: "PINAPUNTA MO BA ANG NEO SA NPC?" I answered: "BAKIT KO NAMAN SILA PAPUNTAHIN E MIYERKULES ANG USAPAN?" "EH, NANDUN DAW NAGKUKUHA PICTURES," he replied.
I even assured him: "DON'T WORRY. SIGURO SINILIP LANG YUNG MGA AAYUSIN NILA."
"oK." Roy hang up.
On Tuesday evening, while I was driving back to Manila and upon reaching the Bocaue exit, I received a message from the LOSER. It read: "BINABOY NIYO ANG MURAL NAMIN! MGA BERDUGO KAYO NG SINING! ETC. ETC. ETC."
I asked him: "Bakit pare" What happened ba?"
Gappi sent this reply: "Joel, binaboy niyo ang mural namin. Tangina niyo. Mga berdugo kayo." At ito na ang mga sumunod: "binaboy ng mga berdugo ng sining ang mural namin na nasa 4th floor, headline restaurant, sa loob ng npc building sa intramuros." OH MY! THEY FORGOT THE ZIP CODE!
Was that a press release?
Then I told Richard Gapi: "Pare wag kayo ganiyan. Kung galit kayo sa isang tao, wag naman idadamay ang buong institution. UnfaIr sa aming mga inosenteng members yan. Tulad ko. I fought for you to win the contract. I fought for you til the end. I even fought with Roy last time. The NPC officers sided with me. Id like to assure you, HINDI NPC ANG KALABAN."
AT HETO NA! ALAM NINYO BA ANG SAGOT NI GAPI? ANO PA? (TO THIS EFFECT)
"Joel NAPAGDESISYUNAN NG GRUPO (!) na irekalmo ang ginawa ninyo. Kausap na namin ngayoN si Adrian Cristobal ng IPO. Ikinalat na namin sa lahat ng mga kaibigan namin sa media at artist community ang ginawa ninyo. naemail na namin sa lahat."
At one point, I received probably a missent message from Gapi that reads "Ate Weng (Paraan of NUJP?), binaboy ng NPC ang mural namin. blah! blah! blah!..."
Then It came to me: THESE MONSTERS WANTED TO CREATE A SCENE. IMAGINE MONDAY THEY WENT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE PORTIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED. THE NEXT DAY IBA NA. ANAK NG TOKWA! THEY WERE HURLING INVECTIVES AT US. CURSING US. ACCUSING US OF DEFILING "THEIR" MURAL.
I suspected that a bright boy, the head of the COLLECTIVE, could have seen an opening. "THE MURAL WAS BASTARDIZED TO PLEASE GMA! THE NPC DEFILED THE MURAL UPON PSG'S ORDERS!" instead of "I-PERFECT NA NATIN YUNG MURAL THEN LET'S HAVE A PARTY." Unfortunate.
MINURA PA KAMI NG MGA TARANTADO! MATAGAL NA MAY NAGSABI SA AMIN NA ANG NAAC AY HINDI NEO ANGONO ARTISTS COLLECTIVE KUNDI... NAAC- NARCISO ANTAZO ARAMIL COMMAND. WHATEVER AND WHOEVER THAT NARCISO IS, i dont give a damn.
But we refused to believe they are leftists. I myself refused to believe until now out of respect and admiration.
OUR EXPERIENCE SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO OTHERS. I feel bad about what happened. Kung hindi sana inuna ang pagiging arogante ng mga lider ng grupong ito, hindi sana umabot sa ganito. Gappi and Zapata, I never really trusted them. My concern goes for the other members of the group who, up to now, I still admire. YOU SHOULD BETTER CONSIDER A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP MY FRIENDS. And if you happen to get close to Mayor Au Villamayor, warn her, tell her her administration's been I-N-F-I-L-T-R-A-T-E-D.
CONCLUSION: The NPC mural we commissioned does not reflect the interests of the Club. It veered away from what was agreed upon. There was a clear-cut policy against putting living persons on it or at least they should have given us due courtesy to introduce us to their friends on the mural. The sons of bitches who lead (and exploit!) the sorry group of painters wanted a mural that would please the Philippine Daily Inquirer because this group is so HUNGRY for publicity. TAKAW NA TAKAW AT UHAW NA UHAW SA KATANYAGAN. Sa bandang huli ang bagsak ay sa KAHIHIYAN! What we wanted was an INDEPENDENT mural. Timeless. NEUTRAL.
WE DO NOT LIKE IT.
Among all the people whose names were dragged into this mess, I can say that I am the only person and the one in the best position to talk about the TRUTH on what really happened on October 25, the day before the unveiling of my "BABY."
The problem started when facts got mixed up due to the pressures of the day. My mind that day became a virtual freeway, a major highway to a traffic jam of words. Despite that, I was so careful in choosing the words I passed from Roy Mabasa and others at the NPC to Neo Angono Artists and vice versa. I became a virtual cable that transmitted valuable information from one line to the other.
Now the facts: First, I NEVER said that the any Palace rep ordered the alterations. What I told the artists was that I WAS TOLD that the president's men are coming over AGAIN to inspect the mural. BY president's men, I clarified that people from the Protocol and some security inspectors were included. NOT ONLY THE PSG. I said "AGAIN" because for your information I was the CHAIRMAN OF THE SECURITY COMMITTEE FOR THE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. Mr. Mabasa and I already met with "THE PRESIDENT'S MEN" to discuss security matters and the anniversary program as early as October 22. In that meeting, which transpired inside the NPC Board Room, I showed the PSG officers and protocol staff photos of the mural to be unveiled. I possessed complete photos of the artwork because I AM THE PROJECT DIRECTOR.
And to set the record straight. And I swear this to the high heavens . I bet my family's name on this in the name of TRUTH: THOSE WHO SAW THE PICTURES LIKED THE ARTWORK! Shock and awe! Roy instructed me to place my laptop on top of the table and showed the photos of the mural to each person present. I assure you, NAGUSTUHAN NILA ANG MURAL. Just that. Hindi na pinagusapan ulit.
After that security meeting, I immediately called up Neo Artists to push through with the scheduled delivery the following day, October 23. At one point, I guess I even happily informed them that the president's staff liked the mural. I could not recall if it was them or if I told other people about it.
If you wanna know what happened between that meeting and until the mural has been delivered, JUST READ MY EARLIER POST BELOW.
Let's jump: October 25, 10:00 a.m.
I just woke up after a night's drink at NPC when I received a call from Roy. Although we inspected the mural the night before, Roy was not there. Naturally, all officers who were not present during the delivery wuld make a separate inspection the next day. Eh pambihira naman kasi ang mga DATI kong kaibigan. Dalawang buwan nila kasama ang mural samantalang kami ay dalawang oras lang yata nung gabing iyon. We set October 23 as the original delivery date to allow for enough room for possible changes or improvments. That fateful day. DAY OF INFAMY FOR THOSE ARTISTS, nagsilayas sila dahil kulang pa daw ang Isandaanlibong pisong hawak ko. kUMPLETUHIN DAW BEFORE NOON OR AALIS SILA. But they took off 10:30 a.m... well, just read the post below. Anyway, so Roy called and said he found some disturbing marks on the mural (the triangle enclosed ALIBATA "K" which may be perceived as the symbol of the NDF, the alibata on red and white background which may be perceived as rightist, the INVERTED FLAG on the newspaper at the centerpiece, the AWKWARD Npc Digest that carried a political matter instead of an internal issue being an internal publication, among other things. Please take note that the Headline PRESS FREEDOM FIGHTER'S SON ABDUCTED originally appeared on the newspaper held by Rizal entitled THE PHILIPPINES TODAY. The night of the delivery. Jerry Yap requested that the name of the paper be changed to NPC DIGEST. Since the artists were all tired, they went home a little past 8. It was only when they left that we realized the NPC Digest should not carry a political issue since it is just an internal publication. But seeing the NPC Digest carrying such a story would be awkward. Far from reality. So we decided to have it corrected. And to avoid major damage, we opted to have only a few letters deleted. Thus came the planned headline PRESS FREEDOM FIGHT IS ON. This title on the NPC DIGEST? Nothing fits better!
On the deletion of the International Federation of Journalists' statement about the HUman Security Act, there was no offense meant against the group. IN FACT, THE IFJ BANNER IS STILL UP TO NOW INCLUDED AMONG THE STREAMERS OF RALLYISTS IN THE RALLY SCENE ON THE MURAL. The reason for the planned change in the IFJ statement was that we have to place there a statement instead of the Confederation of Asean JOurnalist where the NPC is affiliated. It was sad that the CAJ was not placed anywhere there.
Roy said, and I quote: "BAKA MAPAHIYA TAYO AT YONG MGA ARTISTS KASI MAY LEFT AND RIGHT POLITICAL SYMBOLS KAMING NAKITA." I never knew what he meant by KAMI. But he continued, "A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING OVER, DIRECTOR. WE NEED TO CALL THE ARTISTS AND MAKE A FEW MORE IMPROVEMENTS. AYAW NATING MAY LEFT OR RIGHT DITO KASI MAGSASUFFER ANG INTEGRITY NG MURAL NATIN BEING A NEUTRAL ARTWORK. PLEASE TELL THEM TO PLACE ALL ALIBATA INSIDE A SUN FIGURE."
Then it struck me: THE NPC SEAL ITSELF HAS AN ALIBATA INSIDE AN 8-RAY SUN. So, enclosing all alibatas on the mural in 8-rayed suns would put the NPC everywhere on the mural. What an intelligent idea, I thought. The mix up occurred when he told me that even the PSG are making a final security inspection at the NPC (Just that). So I told the artists that. Iba na pala ang impression at dating. At first I had a negative impression about the final security inspection too. But the mural was not at all a security issue. Napansin man ang mga symbols, LAHAT NAMAN NG TAO DUN NAPANSIN ANG MGA IYON. Kung mayroong ayaw mapahiya si Roy, it's the artists, the NPC and the mural.
Upon his instructions, I called up the artists and HUMBLY requested for them to come back or just send a couple of artists to do the MINOR ALTERATIONS. Ang magaling na si Richard Gappi, na siyang may pakana ng pulitika sa grupo nila pero hindi naman pintor ay tinanong ako: Bakit daw? So I relayed Roy's message: "Natatakot si Roy na baka sa unveiling pa lang may masama ng critique. Ayaw ng may political symbols. Maraming taong pupunta at DADATING DIN ANG PSG at iba pa. Baka DAW mapansin ayusin na natin. Then goes gappi's usual response: "ITATANONG KO SA GRUPO!" I begged him to come over. Or just send two artists at the most. "Huwag mo ng itanong. Kung kailangang sunduin ko kayo gagawin ko or mag rent na lang diyan. Well pay here for everything."
"Magtatawagan daw sila."
Then another call from Roy came in: "Egco asan na mga artists mo?" Sabi ko: "Hahanap pa ng pupunta." He said "Ok" then hang up.
Then I received a text message from Mr. Gappi ( Di ba sa English Gapi means TALO? Just asking). Malabo daw at wala mga tao! Despite the LAME excuse, I tried to contact the other leaders of the group and finally got connected with Carlos Totong Francisco II (I admire this fellow). I told him "TOTONG PLEASE NAMAN O. TAPUSIN NA NATIN LAHAT NG PROBLEMA SA MURAL. MAY KAUNTING CORRECTIONS LANG. KASI NATATAKOT SI ROY NA BAKA PANGIT NGA ANG MAGING KRITIKO SA MURAL. MADAMI DADATING NA TAO. SI PRESIDENTE, MAYOR LIM ETC. MAY NAKAPANSIN DAW NUNG MGA SIMBOLO. ITATAYA KO NA PAGKAKAIBIGAN NATIN DITO PLEASE. NAKIKIUSAP AKO. AYOKO KAUSAP ANG IBANG KAGRUPO MO. MAGUGULO SILA. IN FACT, KUNDI DAHIL SA YO AT KAY WIRE DI KO IBIBIGAY SA INYO YAN PROJECT. SI GAPPI AND CHITOY I DONT TRUST THEM. AYAW NA NILA MAGPAPUNTA NG TAO. KUNG PWEDE SANA IKAW AT SI EBOK OR KAHIT SINO"
Totong asured me: "Sige pare. Punta ko kina wire ngayon. Sabihin ko lahat ng concerns niyo. Text kita gaad."
Then Roy called me up again: "EGCO, NASAN NA SILA? ANO SABI?" I replied: "PARA SIGURADO PUPUNTAHAN KO NA LANG. SUSUNDUIN KO SA ANGONO." hE SAID: "GOOD. PUNTAHAN MO NA. KAMI NA BAHAL DITO NI JERRY (YAP)."
So, even without taking a bath. I got my car keys and went straight to my car in my shortpants. Started the van and went off. A kilometer away, I received a text mesasge from TOTONG FRANCISCO. "PARE, PASENCYA KA NA TALAGA. DI RAW MAKAKAPUNTA GRUPO. YON ANG NAGING DESISYON. GUSTUHIN KO MAN SUMAMA, SUMUSUNOD LANG KAMI SA DESISYON NG GRUPO." He offered no other explanation. I turned the car back toward the house.
Once there, I told Roy about the bad news. "PARE AYAW NA PUMUNTA." He said: "pilitin mo, direktor. Sila din mapupulaan dito. Mahirap na. ALLOWED NAMAN TAYO TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS E."
So for the last time, I tried to call up the artists again. I told them: "Ayoko rin munang galawin ang mural. Im just following orders. Ayoko naman parang may ipiplease kaming tao. Mahirap namang parang ipiplease namin si presidente. Pag ganun di maganda yon para kay GMA at sa lahat sa ating involved. Nagaaway na kami ni Roy. Nabubwisit na ko." I also told Roy that.
Kako: "PARE. PARA NAMANG IPIPLEASE LANG NATIN SI GMA NIYAN E. MAPUPULAAN TAYO. HINDI KAYA?" He retorted: "HINDI SA GANON DIREKTOR. DI LANG SI PRESIDENTE PUPUNTA DITO. THERE WILL ALSO BE ART CRITICS, ART CONNOSIEURS, LOCAL POLITICIANS AND MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC COMUNITY. AYAW NATING MAGMUKANG KAHIYA HIYA LAHAT TAYO DAHIL BAKA MAKITA YONG SYMBOLS. AYAW NATIN NG MAY KALIWA O KANAN O KAHIT ANONG MAY BAHID PULITIKA. NPC LANG."
And I believed him. He sounded really, really sincere. He was.
At that moment, a lot of things have been going inside my mind. A call, text message from Roy etc. A call, text message fromt he artists. What a predicament! I know it was somewhere along that way that the facts got mixed up. OR DID SOMEONE FROM THE OTHER LINE DELIBERATELY MIX IT UP. NOW, IM LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE ARTISTS WANTED THE SYMBOLS TO REMAIN. TO BE SEEN. FOR WHATEVER REASON, ONLY THEY (AND PROBABLY ROY MABASA) KNEW.
Nonetheless, a heated argument ensued between me and the then panicking poor Roy. I was also having an argument with the great Gapi (English: LOSER?). I asked him why they are refusing to come over and do the REQUESTED IMPROVEMENTS. He said again. And this I tell you has been his classic line: "NAGDESISYON NA ANG GRUPO." Paano naman ang desisyon namin?
Then since, I knew they were cooking up something. They saw an opportunity to fan a flame for it to burst out into a fiery furnace. COLLECTIVE. GRUPO. COLLECTIVE. I remember my days as a young activist also fooled into believing the falsehearted principles of a passe ideology.
When the Inquirer story came out with the following quotes: "NPC director Joel Sy Egco said members of the Presidential Security Group had inspected the mural and noted certain “leftist marks.” Twas right because everybody did notice those marks. We noticed.. Other visitors noticed. Other journalists did- everyone.
AND NEVER DID I SAY TO ANYONE THAT THE PSG ORDERED THE ALTERATIONS. THEY NEVER DID! JUST AN UNFORTUNATE MIXING UP OF A LOT OF DETAILS THAT ENDED UP INTO A CRUCIAL (OR DELIBERATE) MISUNDERSTANDING- THAT THE PSG INFLUENCED US INTO CHANGING PORTIONS OF THE MURAL. WALA SILANG IBANG SINABI KUNDI MAGANDA ANG MURAL. I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SET THAT RECORD STRAIGHT.
IT WAS MY PRESIDENT, ROY, WHO JUST GOT WORRIED OVER WHAT CRITICS MIGHT SAY ABOUT THE MURAL. AND BY GOD, HE HAD JUST BEEN HONEST AND CAREFUL. THERE WAS ENOUGH TIME FOR THE ARTISTS TO RESPECT HIS SUGGESTIONS. I DONT KNOW UNTIL NOW WHY THE ARTISTS SEEMED SO AFRAID WHENEVER THEY WERE INSIDE THE NPC. PARANG SINISILABAN ANG MGA PUWET.
So when I realized the artists will no longer make the corrections, I told Roy it was hopeless. NAGMAMATIGAS SILA PARE. I could feel his disappointment and rage. 'ATIN NAMAN ANG MURAL. WE CAN DO ANYTHING. WALANG KUWENTANG KAUSAP MGA ARTISTS NA YAN. SIMPLENG PAKIUSAP HINDI MAGAWA. PAMBIHIRA SILA."
That night, I was informed that an unknown artist was making very few and minor changes on the artwork. So I rushed to the NPC and when I got there late in the evening, I saw the changes. To my dismay. I called Roy for an explanation. "PARE BAKIT GANITO ITO? PARANG PINTOR NG NITSO GUMAWA!" He replied: "ANO BA NANGYARI? UMALIS NA KASI AKO DI KO NA NAKITA GINAWA." I answered: 'NAGLAGAY NG IBONG ADARNA NA WALANG BALAHIBO AT NAKAKULONG SA HAWLA TAPOS MAY MGA BIGOTE NA SI POPOY LAGMAN AT JOHN LLOYD CRUZ." (Said this in jest)
That time we never really knew to whom the images belonged. I was informed later by the artists that it was Jose Lacaba "NA PWEDE DING MAGING SI ARMANDO MALAY" according to Gapi. (HA? Richard, ikaw nagsabi sa kin nun! Mas malala pala interprestasyon niyo. Nagiiba ang identity. Parang Dr. Jekyl and Mr Hyde! Whew!) Then he said the guy near the truck wearing what appears to be a hardhat was Randy David. I said "Ok."
Nonetheless, I was enraged by the changes. Roy wasnt there when it was done. I arrived late. I even told the waiters in the restaurant: "NASAN BA UNG GUMAWA NITO? PAKIKUHA YONG BARIL KO SA VAN AT BABARILIN KO LANG!" Many witnessed how infuriated I was. Yet Roy told me: "OK LANG YAN BROD. NEO CAN COME IN ANYTIME TO MAKE THE CORRECTIONS. DI NAMAN SADYA E. THOSE ARE ONLY TEMPORARY. IN GOOD FAITH NAMAN. IPAAAYOS NATIN SA ARTISTS."
I told him: "PUTANG INA NAMAN EH. ALAM MO NAMAN MAHIRAP KAUSAP MGA YUN. MASAYADONG BANGUNGOT NA INABOT KO SA MGA YON."
Later, I informed the NPC Board that I was boycotting the unveiling NOT BECUASE THE PRESIDENT WAS ATTENDING but because "EH PUTANG INA NAMAN NANGYARI DUN SA BABY KO (MURAL) NAGKAROON NG IBONG HUBAD. AYOKO UMATEND NABUBUWISIT AKO."
So, although I was voted CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY, I did not attend. Upon Roy's instructions, I called up the artists again to make the necessary corrections in the morning of the day of unveiling. AYAW LALO NILA! So, I told them WAG NA TAYO PUMUNTA. I decided not to attend the rites because I wanted to prevent a disaster. Working with the artists for a long time familiarized me with their behaviors. I knew something bad (or worse) would happen if they were there.
Nevertheless, I proposed to the Board that we arrange a night of thanksgiving and celebration with the artists. We scheduled it for the following Wednesday. I told Roy to prepare a bash! Night of music! Beer, food and liquor. A party! I told Jerry Yap to prepare somekind of a "BONUS" for the artists. And as we celebrate, I suggested that the final touches be made at the same time. Roy and Jerry immediately approved of my proposal, which include presenting the artists with an NPC resolution expressing its PROFOUND GRATITUDE and to give each participatign artist a PLAQUE OF APPRECIATION. Shit! Ganyan Pala Kasama ang NPC!
"KAYANG KAYA NG NEO AYUSIN YAN BAGO PA TAYO MALASING," I told Roy. I even told Mr. Gappi about the planned celebration for them. Alam niyo ba ang sagot niya? He uttered his INFAMOUS line again: "DISCUSS NAMIN YAN SA GRUPO. PAG-UUSAPAN NG GRUPO."
The nightmare happened three days later, Monday. While I was in Nueva Ecija, Roy called me: "PINAPUNTA MO BA ANG NEO SA NPC?" I answered: "BAKIT KO NAMAN SILA PAPUNTAHIN E MIYERKULES ANG USAPAN?" "EH, NANDUN DAW NAGKUKUHA PICTURES," he replied.
I even assured him: "DON'T WORRY. SIGURO SINILIP LANG YUNG MGA AAYUSIN NILA."
"oK." Roy hang up.
On Tuesday evening, while I was driving back to Manila and upon reaching the Bocaue exit, I received a message from the LOSER. It read: "BINABOY NIYO ANG MURAL NAMIN! MGA BERDUGO KAYO NG SINING! ETC. ETC. ETC."
I asked him: "Bakit pare" What happened ba?"
Gappi sent this reply: "Joel, binaboy niyo ang mural namin. Tangina niyo. Mga berdugo kayo." At ito na ang mga sumunod: "binaboy ng mga berdugo ng sining ang mural namin na nasa 4th floor, headline restaurant, sa loob ng npc building sa intramuros." OH MY! THEY FORGOT THE ZIP CODE!
Was that a press release?
Then I told Richard Gapi: "Pare wag kayo ganiyan. Kung galit kayo sa isang tao, wag naman idadamay ang buong institution. UnfaIr sa aming mga inosenteng members yan. Tulad ko. I fought for you to win the contract. I fought for you til the end. I even fought with Roy last time. The NPC officers sided with me. Id like to assure you, HINDI NPC ANG KALABAN."
AT HETO NA! ALAM NINYO BA ANG SAGOT NI GAPI? ANO PA? (TO THIS EFFECT)
"Joel NAPAGDESISYUNAN NG GRUPO (!) na irekalmo ang ginawa ninyo. Kausap na namin ngayoN si Adrian Cristobal ng IPO. Ikinalat na namin sa lahat ng mga kaibigan namin sa media at artist community ang ginawa ninyo. naemail na namin sa lahat."
At one point, I received probably a missent message from Gapi that reads "Ate Weng (Paraan of NUJP?), binaboy ng NPC ang mural namin. blah! blah! blah!..."
Then It came to me: THESE MONSTERS WANTED TO CREATE A SCENE. IMAGINE MONDAY THEY WENT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE PORTIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED. THE NEXT DAY IBA NA. ANAK NG TOKWA! THEY WERE HURLING INVECTIVES AT US. CURSING US. ACCUSING US OF DEFILING "THEIR" MURAL.
I suspected that a bright boy, the head of the COLLECTIVE, could have seen an opening. "THE MURAL WAS BASTARDIZED TO PLEASE GMA! THE NPC DEFILED THE MURAL UPON PSG'S ORDERS!" instead of "I-PERFECT NA NATIN YUNG MURAL THEN LET'S HAVE A PARTY." Unfortunate.
MINURA PA KAMI NG MGA TARANTADO! MATAGAL NA MAY NAGSABI SA AMIN NA ANG NAAC AY HINDI NEO ANGONO ARTISTS COLLECTIVE KUNDI... NAAC- NARCISO ANTAZO ARAMIL COMMAND. WHATEVER AND WHOEVER THAT NARCISO IS, i dont give a damn.
But we refused to believe they are leftists. I myself refused to believe until now out of respect and admiration.
OUR EXPERIENCE SHOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO OTHERS. I feel bad about what happened. Kung hindi sana inuna ang pagiging arogante ng mga lider ng grupong ito, hindi sana umabot sa ganito. Gappi and Zapata, I never really trusted them. My concern goes for the other members of the group who, up to now, I still admire. YOU SHOULD BETTER CONSIDER A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP MY FRIENDS. And if you happen to get close to Mayor Au Villamayor, warn her, tell her her administration's been I-N-F-I-L-T-R-A-T-E-D.
CONCLUSION: The NPC mural we commissioned does not reflect the interests of the Club. It veered away from what was agreed upon. There was a clear-cut policy against putting living persons on it or at least they should have given us due courtesy to introduce us to their friends on the mural. The sons of bitches who lead (and exploit!) the sorry group of painters wanted a mural that would please the Philippine Daily Inquirer because this group is so HUNGRY for publicity. TAKAW NA TAKAW AT UHAW NA UHAW SA KATANYAGAN. Sa bandang huli ang bagsak ay sa KAHIHIYAN! What we wanted was an INDEPENDENT mural. Timeless. NEUTRAL.
WE DO NOT LIKE IT.
NEO-ANGONO ARTISTS COLLECTED!!!
This was the statement I released on November 6, when I finally could not take the attacks on the NPC by my FORMER friends in Angono.
"For days I kept silent and listened as to how a group of opportunists
vilified and demonized my revered organization. These ingrates muddled
and manipulated all issues in their favor with well-rehearsed rhetoric
and dramatics. Now, it's time that I talk and set the record straight.
Neo-Angono Artists Collective: You are the real enemies of press
freedom and I am declaring you persona non grata. Never set foot on
the hallowed grounds of the NPC until you have apologized!"
This as his opening statement, National Press Club Director Joel Sy
Egco, the project director for the NPC Mural Project, yesterday told
reporters that he would ask the NPC Board to pursue appropriate
charges, including Estafa, against members of the artists group. His
actions,he said, would still be subject to the decision of the NPC.
"I, representing NPC, had suffered two harrowing and hellish months of
dealing with some unprofessional and rude members of the group. The
NPC, throughout the production phase of the project, had done its part
to the letter. There were delays in payments, yes, because NPC
officials had to dole out funds from their own pockets. Yet, in every
delay, Neo members cursed us. They never listened to reason. They
never got to understand the rarest glory that was at hand for them,"
Egco said.
He added: "What we expected as a harmonious relationship with them
turned out into our worst nightmare. We paid them religiously to do
the job. But when they finally got the last payment, they ran away and
left the job undone. The NPC gave them enough time and room to make
the final improvements but they refused and arrogantly turned the
invitation down. Para po sa kaalaman ng lahat, ako po ay nagmakaawa sa
kanila, nagsumamo at naglumuhod para lamang magpadala sila ng isa o
dalawang pintor na mag aayos sana sa mural. Sinabihan ko pa sila na
kung maari sila ay aming susunduin kung hindi man sila'y maaring
umarkila ng sasakyan at babayaran naming lahat. Hindi po sila sumunod
at sinabing tapos na ang trabaho."
Based on their agreement, Egco said the decision to declare the mural
"finish" should be mutually agreed upon by both parties. He stressed
that the artist group erred when they failed to respect their
agreement. Saying his next moves will be "his personal quest for
justice," Egco shared NPC President Roy Mabasa's observation that the
mural was tainted with "political issues and symbols."
"Kami po ay nagkomisyon ng isang mural upang ipakita ang kasalukuyang
lagay ng kalayaan sa pamamahayag sa bansa. It was a very noble
intention. Nararapat lamang po na expression din namin ang Makita sa
mural hindi lamang expression nila. Ang Neo ang tunay na kalaban ng
malayang pamamahayag. When we tried to talk, they refused to listen.
They silenced us. They censored us. Nilagyan po nila ng mga simbolong
pulitikal ang mural tulad ng sa isyu ng Human Security Act at ang
pagkawala ni Jonas Burgos at kung ano-ano pa. Yung lang maliliit na
bagay na iyon ang ninais naming maituwid ngunit hanggang sa huli po ay
winalangya nila kami. Hindi po nila kami pinakinggan at iginalang
bilang mga taong nagkomisyon sa kanila. To me, that was the height of
ingratitude and arrogance. Kung tumupad lamang po sila sa usapan hindi
sana nagkaganito. In the end, they should be the ones to blame and for
that they should be the punished," the NPC official stressed.
He recalled that when the mural was first delivered on October 23, the
artists "hostaged" the mural. Egco said the simple hostage situation
ended a "kidnapping."
"Dumating po kami noong umagang iyon. Ang sabi po nila sa akin,
kaliwaan tayo dahil iyon ang usapan. Sinabi po nila na sa bangko kami
magkitakita bago ibaba ang mural. I told them sarado pa ang bangko.
Mayron kami dito P100,000 mamaya ko bibigay ang kulang dahil
naghahanap pa ng pera. Ang sabi po nila sa akin, sige hanggang alas
dose lang kami kundi aalis na kami at di niyo makikita mural hanggat
di kayo bayad. Pumayag po ako dahil parating na ang pera mula sa isang
NPC director."
"Laking gulat na lamang po namin ng bandang alas 10:30 a.m. isinakay
po nila ang mural sa kanilang trak at nagsimulang umalis. Napahiya po
ako sa lahat ng taong nakasaksi. Tinawagan ko po sila at nagmakaawa na
bumalik dahil padating na ang pera at wala pang alas dose tulad ng
usapan. Nagimbal po ako sa isinagot sa akin, 'Hindi ninyo makukuha ang
mural hanggat di bayad. Ideposito ninyo ang kwarta sa bangko namin
bago kami bumalik diyan. At dagdagan ninyo ng P20,000 pa dahil inabala
niyo kami. Para pong kidnapping ang nangyari. At noon ngang dumaang
araw naverify po nila ang deposito kaya dinala na nila ang mural. Ang
halagang P20,000 ay bumaba sa P15,000," Egco narrated.
"They themselves knew that the agreement was cash on delivery. By
hostaging the mural and demanding that we make the deposit first, they
violated it," Egco said.
He stressed that NPC had been religious in its dealings with the group
up to the last moment. Despite the humiliation the NPC suffered, its
officers decided to address the issue with diplomacy.
"Mayron po kaming mother contract. Paano nila masasabing tapos na ang
trabaho eh wala sila ni isang kopya ng kontrata. Naramdaman ko na po
ang kawalanghiyaan nila noong Agosto. They tricked me into signing an
addendum to the contract which favored them. Lest I signed, they will
not start the job. And so I did even without referring the same to the
NPC Board," Egco further narrated.
Egco claimed the contract was overpriced upon the insistence of Neo-Angono artists.
Being long known friends and because the NPC needed to have the job
done in time for the anniversary celebration, he yielded.
"Pumayag po ako sa halagang P900,000 dahil sa isang noble intention ng
grupo na tumulong sa isang kaibigan na ang ina ay may malubhang
karamdaman. Natulungan po nila ang taong iyon at malaki ang pasalamat
sa kanila. Pangalawa, pumayag ako sa malaking halaga sapagkat sabi
nila kailangan ng pera para sa kanilang Public Art Festival ngayong
Nobyembre at maraming utang na dapat bayaran. Lahat po ng hiniling nila ay pinagbigyan namin sa pamamagitan ko. Diretsahan ko pong sinasabi na overpriced ang mural
kung ibabase sa halaga ng Armed Forces of the Philippines mural na nakasabit sa AFP
Medical center sa V Luna na sila rin ang gumawa at may sukat na 10
feet by 20 feet ay nagkahalaga lamang ng P130,000. I am very much sure
of it because I was the one who commissioned them. Doblehin man natin
ang halaga noon ngayon ay aabot lamang sa kulang P300,000," Egco
disclosed.
"I tell Neo Angono now. You have nothing on me and asked nothing from
you for my own profit and you know it. I warn you against maligning my
person for I will not hesitate to slap you with more charges. I had
sided with you before out of respect for your rights. Now it is time
for us your victims to speak and to let everyone know about your
devious character which led to the controversy that you are now
harping on at our expense. We regret that we gave you the contract. I
know there are better artists in Angono to whom the contract should
have been awarded. Sobrang kagarapalan at kakapalan ng mukha na iyan.
You have done so many violations. You attacked us. You maligned us.
The very institution that fed you for two months. And what did you do?
You did not only bite but ravaged the hand that fed you. And for all
the sins you have committed against us, you will have to pay and I
shall surely see you in court."
"Lastly, like an architect paid to design a house, you have no right
to complain. The right to suggest you have but the NPC being the owner
of the house- the owner of the mural- you have no right to claim
ownership over it. The mural is ours. We have every right over it. It
was supposed to contain our expression of press freedom. But you
stepped over us and even maligned us. You are the worst kind of
ingrates the world has ever seen," Egco said.
END
"For days I kept silent and listened as to how a group of opportunists
vilified and demonized my revered organization. These ingrates muddled
and manipulated all issues in their favor with well-rehearsed rhetoric
and dramatics. Now, it's time that I talk and set the record straight.
Neo-Angono Artists Collective: You are the real enemies of press
freedom and I am declaring you persona non grata. Never set foot on
the hallowed grounds of the NPC until you have apologized!"
This as his opening statement, National Press Club Director Joel Sy
Egco, the project director for the NPC Mural Project, yesterday told
reporters that he would ask the NPC Board to pursue appropriate
charges, including Estafa, against members of the artists group. His
actions,he said, would still be subject to the decision of the NPC.
"I, representing NPC, had suffered two harrowing and hellish months of
dealing with some unprofessional and rude members of the group. The
NPC, throughout the production phase of the project, had done its part
to the letter. There were delays in payments, yes, because NPC
officials had to dole out funds from their own pockets. Yet, in every
delay, Neo members cursed us. They never listened to reason. They
never got to understand the rarest glory that was at hand for them,"
Egco said.
He added: "What we expected as a harmonious relationship with them
turned out into our worst nightmare. We paid them religiously to do
the job. But when they finally got the last payment, they ran away and
left the job undone. The NPC gave them enough time and room to make
the final improvements but they refused and arrogantly turned the
invitation down. Para po sa kaalaman ng lahat, ako po ay nagmakaawa sa
kanila, nagsumamo at naglumuhod para lamang magpadala sila ng isa o
dalawang pintor na mag aayos sana sa mural. Sinabihan ko pa sila na
kung maari sila ay aming susunduin kung hindi man sila'y maaring
umarkila ng sasakyan at babayaran naming lahat. Hindi po sila sumunod
at sinabing tapos na ang trabaho."
Based on their agreement, Egco said the decision to declare the mural
"finish" should be mutually agreed upon by both parties. He stressed
that the artist group erred when they failed to respect their
agreement. Saying his next moves will be "his personal quest for
justice," Egco shared NPC President Roy Mabasa's observation that the
mural was tainted with "political issues and symbols."
"Kami po ay nagkomisyon ng isang mural upang ipakita ang kasalukuyang
lagay ng kalayaan sa pamamahayag sa bansa. It was a very noble
intention. Nararapat lamang po na expression din namin ang Makita sa
mural hindi lamang expression nila. Ang Neo ang tunay na kalaban ng
malayang pamamahayag. When we tried to talk, they refused to listen.
They silenced us. They censored us. Nilagyan po nila ng mga simbolong
pulitikal ang mural tulad ng sa isyu ng Human Security Act at ang
pagkawala ni Jonas Burgos at kung ano-ano pa. Yung lang maliliit na
bagay na iyon ang ninais naming maituwid ngunit hanggang sa huli po ay
winalangya nila kami. Hindi po nila kami pinakinggan at iginalang
bilang mga taong nagkomisyon sa kanila. To me, that was the height of
ingratitude and arrogance. Kung tumupad lamang po sila sa usapan hindi
sana nagkaganito. In the end, they should be the ones to blame and for
that they should be the punished," the NPC official stressed.
He recalled that when the mural was first delivered on October 23, the
artists "hostaged" the mural. Egco said the simple hostage situation
ended a "kidnapping."
"Dumating po kami noong umagang iyon. Ang sabi po nila sa akin,
kaliwaan tayo dahil iyon ang usapan. Sinabi po nila na sa bangko kami
magkitakita bago ibaba ang mural. I told them sarado pa ang bangko.
Mayron kami dito P100,000 mamaya ko bibigay ang kulang dahil
naghahanap pa ng pera. Ang sabi po nila sa akin, sige hanggang alas
dose lang kami kundi aalis na kami at di niyo makikita mural hanggat
di kayo bayad. Pumayag po ako dahil parating na ang pera mula sa isang
NPC director."
"Laking gulat na lamang po namin ng bandang alas 10:30 a.m. isinakay
po nila ang mural sa kanilang trak at nagsimulang umalis. Napahiya po
ako sa lahat ng taong nakasaksi. Tinawagan ko po sila at nagmakaawa na
bumalik dahil padating na ang pera at wala pang alas dose tulad ng
usapan. Nagimbal po ako sa isinagot sa akin, 'Hindi ninyo makukuha ang
mural hanggat di bayad. Ideposito ninyo ang kwarta sa bangko namin
bago kami bumalik diyan. At dagdagan ninyo ng P20,000 pa dahil inabala
niyo kami. Para pong kidnapping ang nangyari. At noon ngang dumaang
araw naverify po nila ang deposito kaya dinala na nila ang mural. Ang
halagang P20,000 ay bumaba sa P15,000," Egco narrated.
"They themselves knew that the agreement was cash on delivery. By
hostaging the mural and demanding that we make the deposit first, they
violated it," Egco said.
He stressed that NPC had been religious in its dealings with the group
up to the last moment. Despite the humiliation the NPC suffered, its
officers decided to address the issue with diplomacy.
"Mayron po kaming mother contract. Paano nila masasabing tapos na ang
trabaho eh wala sila ni isang kopya ng kontrata. Naramdaman ko na po
ang kawalanghiyaan nila noong Agosto. They tricked me into signing an
addendum to the contract which favored them. Lest I signed, they will
not start the job. And so I did even without referring the same to the
NPC Board," Egco further narrated.
Egco claimed the contract was overpriced upon the insistence of Neo-Angono artists.
Being long known friends and because the NPC needed to have the job
done in time for the anniversary celebration, he yielded.
"Pumayag po ako sa halagang P900,000 dahil sa isang noble intention ng
grupo na tumulong sa isang kaibigan na ang ina ay may malubhang
karamdaman. Natulungan po nila ang taong iyon at malaki ang pasalamat
sa kanila. Pangalawa, pumayag ako sa malaking halaga sapagkat sabi
nila kailangan ng pera para sa kanilang Public Art Festival ngayong
Nobyembre at maraming utang na dapat bayaran. Lahat po ng hiniling nila ay pinagbigyan namin sa pamamagitan ko. Diretsahan ko pong sinasabi na overpriced ang mural
kung ibabase sa halaga ng Armed Forces of the Philippines mural na nakasabit sa AFP
Medical center sa V Luna na sila rin ang gumawa at may sukat na 10
feet by 20 feet ay nagkahalaga lamang ng P130,000. I am very much sure
of it because I was the one who commissioned them. Doblehin man natin
ang halaga noon ngayon ay aabot lamang sa kulang P300,000," Egco
disclosed.
"I tell Neo Angono now. You have nothing on me and asked nothing from
you for my own profit and you know it. I warn you against maligning my
person for I will not hesitate to slap you with more charges. I had
sided with you before out of respect for your rights. Now it is time
for us your victims to speak and to let everyone know about your
devious character which led to the controversy that you are now
harping on at our expense. We regret that we gave you the contract. I
know there are better artists in Angono to whom the contract should
have been awarded. Sobrang kagarapalan at kakapalan ng mukha na iyan.
You have done so many violations. You attacked us. You maligned us.
The very institution that fed you for two months. And what did you do?
You did not only bite but ravaged the hand that fed you. And for all
the sins you have committed against us, you will have to pay and I
shall surely see you in court."
"Lastly, like an architect paid to design a house, you have no right
to complain. The right to suggest you have but the NPC being the owner
of the house- the owner of the mural- you have no right to claim
ownership over it. The mural is ours. We have every right over it. It
was supposed to contain our expression of press freedom. But you
stepped over us and even maligned us. You are the worst kind of
ingrates the world has ever seen," Egco said.
END
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
SONA-vagan, SONA-vabitch!
July 23, 2007, another day of infamy. PGMA delivered her SONA. She delivered just that, nothing more. Delivering justice? Economic gains? Nah! It's only the speech she could deliver. PERIOD. For an hour, Filipinos are again subjected to this annual torture. That is poisoning ison their lives, minds and beliefs that the lies told were actually true. Come to think of it. PGMA delivered the STATE OF THE PRESIDENCY ADDRESS! With the real state of the nation on the backdrop. BY STATING THE PRESIDENT IS AS STRONG AS SHE WANTS TO BE is the height of arrogance. This diminutive president has an arrogance far higher than her actual height. Frankly, I din't like her SONA. Whoelse did? Guess none except those Malacanang bright boys who wrote the stupid speech. Instead of stating the NATION IS AS STRONG AS IT WANTS IT TOBE, She did the opposite. And she wrongly thought that the strength of her office is proportional to the state of the nation? SHIT! And it doesn't quite follow that when the opposition is weak, she is strong. But ooops! Neither did I say that I prefer the present political opposition over her. The truth is, I don't trust any of them. Cumon, PGMA's color is the same as that of her opponents. They're all covered with the same stuff and stain.
Their not at all interested in making this Goddamn country strong but are only concerned about their own selves. And, hey! Did your president mention the 2010 elections? She actualy gave the cue for her opponents to "You fuck get off my ass and get busy campaigning for the next fucking polls!" Am I right or am I not wrong? And look at those monkeys in cahoots with this ever cursed government. They clapped like millions of pesos are dangled in their faces. Bull. And so what's the real state of the nation? Look at yourself, then stare at your loved ones. They're the real state of the nation. Cause we are the nation. Those thieves and their minions who project strength are just a miniscule part of this nation. And the opposition and their communist partners? Well, they just wanna be the next thieves, that's all, I guess. hehehehe.
Teka muna sino sino nga ba tatakbo sa 2010? here are my guesses:
FOR PRESIDENT FOR VICE PRESIDENT
VILLAR ROXAS
LEGARDA ESCUDERO
PING LEGARDA
VILLAR ESCUDERO
ROXAS VILLAR
ROXAS VILMA SANTOS
kayo na magdagdag ng iba. Putang ina wala na ba talagang iba?
Their not at all interested in making this Goddamn country strong but are only concerned about their own selves. And, hey! Did your president mention the 2010 elections? She actualy gave the cue for her opponents to "You fuck get off my ass and get busy campaigning for the next fucking polls!" Am I right or am I not wrong? And look at those monkeys in cahoots with this ever cursed government. They clapped like millions of pesos are dangled in their faces. Bull. And so what's the real state of the nation? Look at yourself, then stare at your loved ones. They're the real state of the nation. Cause we are the nation. Those thieves and their minions who project strength are just a miniscule part of this nation. And the opposition and their communist partners? Well, they just wanna be the next thieves, that's all, I guess. hehehehe.
Teka muna sino sino nga ba tatakbo sa 2010? here are my guesses:
FOR PRESIDENT FOR VICE PRESIDENT
VILLAR ROXAS
LEGARDA ESCUDERO
PING LEGARDA
VILLAR ESCUDERO
ROXAS VILLAR
ROXAS VILMA SANTOS
kayo na magdagdag ng iba. Putang ina wala na ba talagang iba?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
at war against the enemies of press freedom
Thursday last week, I accompanied our lawyer, Toto Causing, in filing graft charges against GSIS officials before the Ombudsman. The National Press Club, where I presently sit as one of the directors, supports the move of Toto in seeking just punishment against Winston Garcia and his minions (who include, by the way, CORRUPT journalists). But the cases were filed only against the GSIS officials. It involves the question on who really owned the National Press Club lot and building at the foot of Jones Bridge in Manila. The Greedy Service and Insurance System claims they owned it through an auction in 1975 when the NPC then failed to pay its tax arrears. But they refused to acknowledge the fact that then President Marcos issued Letter of INsturction 500, a law, which conveyed the property to the NPC. Half of the property was given tot he GSIS as payment for the NC's debts. Yet, the GSIS wanted more. In fact, it wanted everything. Whew! Typical Winston Garcia. How much did this guy earn from the Parisian Life rebates? Ask Atty. Causing.
We are now at the frontline of a war. We are goping to fight this monster to the last drop of our blood and sweat. We cannot allow them to take away what is ours. The symbol that has perenially served as the beacon of liberty in this part of the world. The NPC building is not just a building. It is an institution. The very institution that guarantees that, indeed, press freedom exists in this country. If we cared less for the next generation, why would we waste time fighting this legal battle?
GSIS, so blatant in its sinister efforts to claim the NPC properties, even charged us for qualified theft over the sale of the Manansala Mural. Yes, we sold the mural for ten million pesos so we can save the Club. Pay its gargantuan debts. Improve its age-old facilities etc. But most of the money remain intact in the bank. GSIS' Garcia is living in denial. If there was a thief among us, it'S ONLY HIM. The NPC owns what it owns. Anyway, I'll just leave the rest of the story to the courts. I'm sure a lot will be written about the case. I'd just copoy and paste them sometime.. Till then...
We are now at the frontline of a war. We are goping to fight this monster to the last drop of our blood and sweat. We cannot allow them to take away what is ours. The symbol that has perenially served as the beacon of liberty in this part of the world. The NPC building is not just a building. It is an institution. The very institution that guarantees that, indeed, press freedom exists in this country. If we cared less for the next generation, why would we waste time fighting this legal battle?
GSIS, so blatant in its sinister efforts to claim the NPC properties, even charged us for qualified theft over the sale of the Manansala Mural. Yes, we sold the mural for ten million pesos so we can save the Club. Pay its gargantuan debts. Improve its age-old facilities etc. But most of the money remain intact in the bank. GSIS' Garcia is living in denial. If there was a thief among us, it'S ONLY HIM. The NPC owns what it owns. Anyway, I'll just leave the rest of the story to the courts. I'm sure a lot will be written about the case. I'd just copoy and paste them sometime.. Till then...
TRAGIC JUNE
June was a tragic month for me- then and now. On June 7, 2000, I lost my brother to a rookie policeman who shot him from behind. The case is still ongoing. Then on JUne 2 this year, I lost a very close friend- Inspector Virgilio Acabal. He was my vice chairman in one of the organizations that I handle. He was more than a friend. Buboy was like a family to me. I dedicated some of my write ups for him. That morning was fateful for him. He was with his wife in their garage when an assassin came in and pumped six bullets in him. Four hit him on the head and two penetrated his chest. I visited Buboy at the hospital where he fought for life. He died two days after the attack, albeit, with the approval of the wife. It was a very sad ending for my friend. We raised P100,000 as bounty for the capture of the suspect. How I wished I could kill the gunman myself. Buboy's case was quite complicated. At least a member of the family was a suspect... I don't want to preempt the outcome of the investigation so I'd skip on that issue. And so you think the grief ended there? No!
On July 18, I was informed of the death- TRAGIC DEATH- of my newphew's step dad. Remember my slain brother? His wife remarried. Then sadly she became a widow- AGAIN. My heart broke the day I heard the news. I thought of my nephew whom I love so much as my own kid. What happens to him now? I have children of my own yet my nephews and nieces are fond of calling me DADDY. So I'm practically DAD to all of my and my siblings' kids.
All these awful deaths...Bad luck? Guess not. That's life. And life, no matter how fun it is, has its cruelties. In fact, and I know anyone would agree, LIVING IS THE ONLY ASSURANCE THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! PERIOD. It's just a matter of who goes first, or last. Nonetheless, life is a journey, as I kept saying. And until there's a road to travel in life. Until we can keep rolling. UNtil the Divine STOPLIGHT flashed its red light, WE SHOULD, MUST AND TRY TO ENJOY THE RIDE.
On July 18, I was informed of the death- TRAGIC DEATH- of my newphew's step dad. Remember my slain brother? His wife remarried. Then sadly she became a widow- AGAIN. My heart broke the day I heard the news. I thought of my nephew whom I love so much as my own kid. What happens to him now? I have children of my own yet my nephews and nieces are fond of calling me DADDY. So I'm practically DAD to all of my and my siblings' kids.
All these awful deaths...Bad luck? Guess not. That's life. And life, no matter how fun it is, has its cruelties. In fact, and I know anyone would agree, LIVING IS THE ONLY ASSURANCE THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! PERIOD. It's just a matter of who goes first, or last. Nonetheless, life is a journey, as I kept saying. And until there's a road to travel in life. Until we can keep rolling. UNtil the Divine STOPLIGHT flashed its red light, WE SHOULD, MUST AND TRY TO ENJOY THE RIDE.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Telling Signs
The results of the previous polls were quite telling. This was what I told Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday when we chanced upon each other at the newsroom of ANC channel where I guested. Quite telling, he agreed. Although it's still of my own opinion that the entire electoral process cannot be trusted, the results of the just concluded elections were somewhat enlightening. Generally speaking, the HUMILIATING DEFEAT suffered by the Team Unity bets spoke of the overwhelming public disapproval of the Arroyo administration. Spare the House of Representatives, high profile candidates of the administration lost (BUTI NGA!). Isama na si Fuckquiao.
Pinoys now are better voters. We cannot blame them for selling their votes. Most see the process as a means to boost one's income. But unlike before when selling was proportionate to the one buying, voters now take the money and vote for whoever they believe should be elected. Kudos to my people. Still, we're being used by them. Let's clear out the system first and have as many AMONG ED PANLILIO as possible in government.
Elections, just like everything else in the corrupt democratic environment the country has, (lahat dito corruptd na. The LEFT, the RIGHT and the government, and even the private sector ha!) should be reformed. It should be computerized or be patterened after the US election system. E ang mga putang inang mga ganid sa kapangyarihan kasi gusto sila maupo. Gusto ng karamihan sila lang ang magaling. Mga ULOL! The two-party system can hardly be pushed in a country such as ours where everyone is above the other. Ang kultura ng kayabangan at kahibangan ay wakasan na. I tell all , and I tell all good. The PHilippines will be never better inthe hands of fellow Filipinos. If only Marcos had lived long enough... Quoting Mel Gibson's dialoge in the movie The Patriot: I'd rather be ruled by one tyrant who is a thousand miles away than a thousand tyrants who are just a mile away!
BUT, AREN'T WE THE TYRANTS OURSELVES?
Pinoys now are better voters. We cannot blame them for selling their votes. Most see the process as a means to boost one's income. But unlike before when selling was proportionate to the one buying, voters now take the money and vote for whoever they believe should be elected. Kudos to my people. Still, we're being used by them. Let's clear out the system first and have as many AMONG ED PANLILIO as possible in government.
Elections, just like everything else in the corrupt democratic environment the country has, (lahat dito corruptd na. The LEFT, the RIGHT and the government, and even the private sector ha!) should be reformed. It should be computerized or be patterened after the US election system. E ang mga putang inang mga ganid sa kapangyarihan kasi gusto sila maupo. Gusto ng karamihan sila lang ang magaling. Mga ULOL! The two-party system can hardly be pushed in a country such as ours where everyone is above the other. Ang kultura ng kayabangan at kahibangan ay wakasan na. I tell all , and I tell all good. The PHilippines will be never better inthe hands of fellow Filipinos. If only Marcos had lived long enough... Quoting Mel Gibson's dialoge in the movie The Patriot: I'd rather be ruled by one tyrant who is a thousand miles away than a thousand tyrants who are just a mile away!
BUT, AREN'T WE THE TYRANTS OURSELVES?
Sunday, May 20, 2007
the polls as i saw it
it's been a week after the recent polls. i was right about most of my forecasts. the elections came in dirty, disorderly, dishonest and hopeless, at least with a few exceptions such as the knock out vistory of darlene custodio over manny pacquiao whose victory, if fate had sadly permitted it, could have forced me to look for a 'SANER" place abroad. Despite all the filths, however, one sector proved to be the only winner in this just ended contest- the EVER FREE PHILIPPINE MEDIA. No mater how uttering "free" sends shivers down my spine.
I do not know how others see it but for me, these political advertisements only contribute immensely to the proliferation of corruption not only in government but in the media industrty itself where, I unfortunately belong. Can you imagine how pictures and images of the some of the most corrupt (read: EVIL) figures in the country were sent in every home for a few million bucks? And the profit- my god!- one network announced the tripling of income in just a few months. Even the least watched, least heard and least read media outfit all profited from this ever corrupt electoral process. And we expect change!? FUCK!
I know a lot of deskmen and reporters who were on the take over and above what their companies earned from ads. Some intimated to me that they got at least P5,000 a day- A DAY! and for the fucking deskmen?--- multiply that amount tenfolds!!! and some even had the gall to openly make collectors out of their reporters. I'LL BE DAMNED. I may not be pure, i may not be THAT clean, but I swear to God I am not as filthy as these idiots who make a killing out of our sorry free press- or PAID press?
May our dead colleagues' spirits haunt these sonavagans for the rest of their fucking life.
NEWSFLASH!
PACQUIAO KNOCKED OUT IN HOMETOWN
Buti nga sa yo, kupal ka kase! I idolize this idiot whenever he's inside the ring. Tough, determined, sturdy, a picture of a true fighter. But when this idot decided to go inside the political arena, I realized he was just a plain and simple idiot. JUst THAT.
And thinking that he would win insults the intelligence of his folks there. Gen San and Cotabato proved they were not as lunatic as their idol- at least not all of them were.
have to go now... next time
I do not know how others see it but for me, these political advertisements only contribute immensely to the proliferation of corruption not only in government but in the media industrty itself where, I unfortunately belong. Can you imagine how pictures and images of the some of the most corrupt (read: EVIL) figures in the country were sent in every home for a few million bucks? And the profit- my god!- one network announced the tripling of income in just a few months. Even the least watched, least heard and least read media outfit all profited from this ever corrupt electoral process. And we expect change!? FUCK!
I know a lot of deskmen and reporters who were on the take over and above what their companies earned from ads. Some intimated to me that they got at least P5,000 a day- A DAY! and for the fucking deskmen?--- multiply that amount tenfolds!!! and some even had the gall to openly make collectors out of their reporters. I'LL BE DAMNED. I may not be pure, i may not be THAT clean, but I swear to God I am not as filthy as these idiots who make a killing out of our sorry free press- or PAID press?
May our dead colleagues' spirits haunt these sonavagans for the rest of their fucking life.
NEWSFLASH!
PACQUIAO KNOCKED OUT IN HOMETOWN
Buti nga sa yo, kupal ka kase! I idolize this idiot whenever he's inside the ring. Tough, determined, sturdy, a picture of a true fighter. But when this idot decided to go inside the political arena, I realized he was just a plain and simple idiot. JUst THAT.
And thinking that he would win insults the intelligence of his folks there. Gen San and Cotabato proved they were not as lunatic as their idol- at least not all of them were.
have to go now... next time
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
the election curse
no longer a right nor a privilege but elections are a curse. in the free market of ideas this one is the most expensive (or cheapest!) for a measly P500 , and in some cases, as high as P1,000 per voter, voila! done. over. you get the money. run to the poll precinct, write down the buyer's name and SUFFER FOR THREE AGONIZING YEARS! what the heck! we suffered for three centuries in the hands of the conquistadores, the zobels, the ayalas and those other not so familiar hispanic-sounding names. three centuries. three years. nah. no difference at all. elections are a curse. and i blame our elders for this mess. they started this bullshit. would have been better. would have been best. reality is... it's not.
if there's one right that I would never fight for till death. it's this fuckin' right to suffrage, or SUFFERAGE? no. Not under these circumstances. not under this kind of the country's leadership. not under this mediocre and corrupt political system. not under them...
two more weeks before we reach one of democracy's pitfalls, where all of us are preyed upon by political predators- all for their own self-preservation.
political abstinence that maybe it. but i will defend my right to choose not to vote to death. coz i never did, never do and never will believe in them. history definitely has something better to offer. more people best fit to lead the country to groom. it's only then will i give my vote its five cents worth.
if there's one right that I would never fight for till death. it's this fuckin' right to suffrage, or SUFFERAGE? no. Not under these circumstances. not under this kind of the country's leadership. not under this mediocre and corrupt political system. not under them...
two more weeks before we reach one of democracy's pitfalls, where all of us are preyed upon by political predators- all for their own self-preservation.
political abstinence that maybe it. but i will defend my right to choose not to vote to death. coz i never did, never do and never will believe in them. history definitely has something better to offer. more people best fit to lead the country to groom. it's only then will i give my vote its five cents worth.
Monday, February 26, 2007
decriminalize libel NOW!
i was talking with my lawyer over a bottle of carlos primero last night when we discussed our planned campaign to have libel decriminalized when we came up with this theorem (mind you, guys, this one's original): WHEN A STRANGER TELLS WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE, HE IS FREER THAN YOU
the theorem was based on one ultimately classic example... The foreign press was the one telling the local press that the phillipines is the most corrupt country in asia (or is it government?). Right under our noses things happen and we couldn't even dare whisper something about them. Conclusion: We did not fail to see. it didn't escape our sights. we knew about it all along. but we are NOT as free as our colleagues abroad. PERIOD.
philippine media is suppressed! exclamation point! there are, as me and atty. toto causing agreed, only two classifications of the press: the free press and the o-press. the second being the one that is suppressed either by law (libel), harm or even death.
Why couldn't we see what others can? Or maybe the owners of our publications are contributors to the suppression? our hands are eager to write. our computers are ready for work. but our publisher would not allow our article to see print. The boss in Malacanang might call him up the next day and berate him. he may just be trying to save us from losing our jobs. for the axe would fall on us if the boss reprimands him. LONG LIVE THE PHILIPPINE MEDIA! Die motherfuckers!
But before we go on cursing other people for these ills, maybe we should start from within us. why do we allow ourselves to become instruments of democracy's dark forces? why do we allow journalism to become subject to the law of supply and demand? how come philippine journalism has been relegated to bunks? it has definitely gone to the dogs. and before we lose it all, let's start saving what's left of it. press freedom in the philippines is ailing and there has been no sign that it would do better in the near future. however, we can start by working for the decriminalization of libel.
The constitution, under article 3, section 4, explicitly states that no law should be passed abridging press freedom. heroes shed their blood to have this included in the bill of rights. how come, therefore, that the criminal libel law is being used to persecute journalists? it casts a suppressive effect on press freedom. It deters the rights listed under article three to even be FREELY Practiced.
Since when has writing about a corrupt government official been a crime against the people? we write about them to serve public interest. We expose their sins not as an act to offend the people but protect them from the corrupt, inept and the inefficient.
I say again, decriminalize libel, or... (feel free to supply the last word).
the theorem was based on one ultimately classic example... The foreign press was the one telling the local press that the phillipines is the most corrupt country in asia (or is it government?). Right under our noses things happen and we couldn't even dare whisper something about them. Conclusion: We did not fail to see. it didn't escape our sights. we knew about it all along. but we are NOT as free as our colleagues abroad. PERIOD.
philippine media is suppressed! exclamation point! there are, as me and atty. toto causing agreed, only two classifications of the press: the free press and the o-press. the second being the one that is suppressed either by law (libel), harm or even death.
Why couldn't we see what others can? Or maybe the owners of our publications are contributors to the suppression? our hands are eager to write. our computers are ready for work. but our publisher would not allow our article to see print. The boss in Malacanang might call him up the next day and berate him. he may just be trying to save us from losing our jobs. for the axe would fall on us if the boss reprimands him. LONG LIVE THE PHILIPPINE MEDIA! Die motherfuckers!
But before we go on cursing other people for these ills, maybe we should start from within us. why do we allow ourselves to become instruments of democracy's dark forces? why do we allow journalism to become subject to the law of supply and demand? how come philippine journalism has been relegated to bunks? it has definitely gone to the dogs. and before we lose it all, let's start saving what's left of it. press freedom in the philippines is ailing and there has been no sign that it would do better in the near future. however, we can start by working for the decriminalization of libel.
The constitution, under article 3, section 4, explicitly states that no law should be passed abridging press freedom. heroes shed their blood to have this included in the bill of rights. how come, therefore, that the criminal libel law is being used to persecute journalists? it casts a suppressive effect on press freedom. It deters the rights listed under article three to even be FREELY Practiced.
Since when has writing about a corrupt government official been a crime against the people? we write about them to serve public interest. We expose their sins not as an act to offend the people but protect them from the corrupt, inept and the inefficient.
I say again, decriminalize libel, or... (feel free to supply the last word).
some of the articles written about the advocacy
AMERICAN JOURNALISM REVIEW
| From AJR, October/November 2005 | |||
Gun-Toting JournalistsIt’s long been taboo for reporters to carry weapons. But what do you do when you’re in constant danger, your colleagues are being gunned down and the authorities can’t protect you?
By Sherry Ricchiardi Wispy gray clouds floated over rain-soaked A Filipino soldier coached from the sidelines as members of the Fourth Estate lined up, feet apart, leaning slightly forward, arms outstretched, taking aim: one, two, three, fire! Shell casings flew in all directions as Esperas emptied his custom-made, high-powered pistol. "If that was an assassin, he would be dead," said Esperas, peering through a haze of gunsmoke to survey his marksmanship. The journalists clicked on safety catches, jammed guns into holsters and headed to an adjacent field to observe Army recruits practicing combat maneuvers. Instead of scribbling notes for a story, they watched techniques that might help them evade attacks by motorcycle-riding gunmen who speed out of the shadows to kill them. Earlier that morning, the reporters gathered in a pressroom at Camp Aguinaldo to explain the dire circumstances that drove them to start ARMED, a grassroots self-defense movement that has drawn worldwide attention, mostly because it so clearly breaks with the entrenched taboo against journalists carrying Рand using Рguns. Faced with seemingly intractable safety problems and the lack of government protection, the Filipino journalists have decided that they simply have to protect themselves. What is happening here could set a precedent in places like But nowhere is as deadly as the Twenty-two have been slain since 2000, the majority radio broadcasters from rural provinces where local warlords, drug traffickers and rebel factions reign. Dozens more have been wounded by gunfire during attacks; some have had bombs thrown into their homes. Masked gunmen have burst into newsrooms, tying up employees and splashing acid on equipment. In one case, a police chief seeking revenge challenged a radio reporter to a duel. Then came an infamous week in May. The Filipino press corps was stunned when two provincial journalists were murdered within seven days. On May 4, gunmen opened fire on Klein Cantoneros, a radio broadcaster from the Clearly, something had to change. A group of Over the next 48 hours, cellular phones buzzed as plans for ARMED РAssociation of Responsible Media Рtook shape. "When we finally met and agreed to protect ourselves, we sent a very strong message to potential killers: 'You should be careful the next time you come for us. We are going to fight back,'" says Egco, who owns four guns and grew up shooting for sport. From the beginning, ARMED had the support of the Philippine National Police and Armed Services, which have offered advice on personal security and helped with weapons training. The scene that I watched at the firing range was jarring: a soldier training journalists to be combatants. But it's simply the practical thing to do, says Col. Carlos B. Holganza, who supports the idea of armed journalists. "We know we cannot secure everyone, so we decided to help [journalists] secure themselves," he says. On May 18, Pablo Hernandez, a popular columnist with the tabloid Bulgar (which translates to Expos̩), provided the opening salvo for ARMED when he returned fire with his Uzi submachine gun to ward off motorcycle-riding assassins in a During an August visit, I interviewed victims' families, media experts and reporters who continue to file stories despite the never-ending cycle of attacks. One of them, Mei Magsino, has been on the run since July 7, when trusted sources warned that convicted murderers had been released from a provincial jail with orders to kill her. (See "Forced into Hiding.") The journalists talked about surviving in an environment of corruption and conflict where hit men can be hired for as little as $100. "It's changing for the worse," says Rachel Khan, deputy director of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility in The violence, says Khan, has spread beyond small media outlets in the provinces to the capital city. Two prominent journalists in None of this surprises Egco, the founder and president of ARMED and the father of four, who packs a .45-caliber pistol and a box of bullets when he heads to work each day. "If someone is firing at us and we can't escape," he says, "we should fire back." American editors have traditionally enforced strict rules against newsroom personnel arming themselves. A gun-toting journalist in a war zone could be confused with a soldier or spy. And carrying a weapon seems to violate the notion that a journalist should be a neutral observer, not part of the story. "We just don't pack" guns, says Jim Cox, senior assignment editor for world news at USA Today. "If one of our reporters felt he or she was in such jeopardy that a personal weapon was required, we'd basically say, 'It's time to leave the zone.'" But what if "the zone" is the journalist's own backyard? In the hills and jungles of the Should Filipino reporters be pilloried for sidestepping the journalistic commandment "thou shall not bear arms" when members of the media clearly are being stalked? Two dramatic episodes played out earlier this year, further muddying the waters. On May 4, Cantoneros fired back at his attackers and still was gunned down. Police found his .45-caliber pistol in his hand, casings scattered nearby. On the other hand, Hernandez saved his life by carrying his Uzi and being ready to respond when attacked. "I believe it is wrong to carry weapons, but I have never been targeted the way Philippine journalists have been," says Donatella Lorch, who has reported on combat for Newsweek, the New York Times and NBC News. "Philippine journalists are faced by a whole different set of rules than American journalists in terms of danger. Nothing is black and white anymore." But Lorch, director of the Knight International Press Fellowships, also sees pitfalls: "Once you are armed, do you put people around you in danger? What if you shoot someone who is innocent? How are you going to live with that for the rest of your life? Pulling out a gun makes you more of a target." A controversy over the issue flared in late December 2003 when the Wall Street Journal reported that New York Times correspondent Dexter Filkins carried a pistol while on assignment in Gary Hill, ethics committee chair for the Society of Professional Journalists, isn't prepared to issue a sweeping condemnation of Filipino journalists for their defensive posture. "Trying to look at it dispassionately, it's difficult when life and death is at stake," says Hill, news manager at KSTP-TV in "When you take up arms, are you able to maintain an independent posture? Is it purely a defensive move or are you literally taking up arms against one side or the other? Reasonable people are going to disagree about this." The National Union of Journalists of the After a July trip, Wright concluded, "This is such a complex issue. I don't think we are in a position to make recommendations to journalists in the Some of the murders have focused an international spotlight on the bloodletting. One of the most sensational was the assassination on Before signing off on his Saturday night program in a station in the northernmost The crusading broadcaster wore his trademark belt bag, which contained a disk with information about irregularities at a local electric company. According to police reports, three assailants in a white van ambushed Mariano as he drove down a lonely stretch of road. Spent shells from an M-16 automatic rifle were found at the crime scene. His motorcycle flipped into a rice paddy; his bullet-riddled body lay crumpled under an acacia tree. In August, Mariano's niece Lauren Gail Polintang sat in a fast-food eatery fighting tears and describing what happened that night. "The killers removed my uncle's helmet to make sure they had the right man. Then they fired bullets into his head," said Polintang, who acts as the family spokeswoman. "When I saw his body I couldn't believe it was my uncle." Mariano's wristwatch and wallet were untouched. Only the belt bag, containing a cellular phone, tape recorder, tapes and the disk, was missing. Despite a string of death threats that often alarmed his wife, her uncle never carried a gun, Polintang said. She spoke lovingly of a man who, although the youngest of six siblings, was the patriarch of the family and a second father to her. While many cases have been virtually ignored, authorities made a public show of tracking Mariano's killers. Polintang attributes that to her uncle's standing in the journalism community and pressure from global media organizations that lodged a barrage of protests with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's office. Two suspects are in custody, but the case is on hold as the Mariano family awaits a ruling on a change of venue. Polintang is convinced the proceedings will be rigged and the killers exonerated if the trial is held in Laoag. Roger Mariano was the first of two journalists to die during a five-day span in 2004. The second was Arnell Manalo, a reporter and a radio announcer shot on August 5 by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Batangas province. By year's end, the toll stood at 13. In some cases, even eyewitnesses to the killings have been marked for death. Edgar Domalerio, 32, an award-winning broadcast journalist who reported on corruption and crime in the port city of The Domalerio case proved that speaking out can be a death sentence. Jury Lovitana was killed in an ambush three months after he volunteered to testify. Schoolteacher Edgar Amoro was gunned down in February of this year despite being in a witness protection program. Only one of the eyewitnesses, Edgar Ongue, has survived; he is in hiding under 24-hour guard. That a police officer was identified as the killer did not come as a surprise. "In half of the cases, mayors and local government officials were mentioned as masterminds, and police officers were actually hired to commit the crimes," CPJ's Wright wrote in an August report. That was the case in the murder of broadcaster Elpidio Binoya of Binoya built his broadcasting career siding with the underdog, particularly in labor disputes. His stinging radio commentaries earned him a long list of political enemies, his wife says. At times, he shoved neutrality aside to support politicians who championed his causes. At a seaside resort outside of The widow recalled her husband as an accomplished cook, arriving home from his small radio station and heading to the kitchen to simmer cow's knuckles into a rich soup. "Now there is nobody to wait for in the afternoon; nobody to tell my problems to. I have lost my hope," she said as her son, 15, stood stoically at her side. The two exist on a pension of less than $50 a month and receive some help for the boy's education through the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists. Binoya begged her husband to back off attacking local officials, but "he always was addicted to his work. He would not stop," she said. The staggering toll on loved ones took center stage when Marlene Esperat, 45, was murdered on March 24 in Tacurong, Esperat's husband believes her murder was linked to her story accusing a police official of involvement in illegal logging activities. All four suspects arrested, including an army intelligence operative, have pleaded not guilty. Esperat's family has been placed in a witness protection program; the case remains bogged down in legal wrangling. Esperat's name now appears among the 69 journalists who have been killed in the line of duty since 1986, when democracy was restored to the Some regions of this expansive country of 82 million, an archipelago consisting of more than 7,000 islands, are particularly lethal for the media. The deadliest is the poverty-plagued, crime-rife The siege mentality begins at the squalid airport, where arrivals are greeted by men in black uniforms with "bomb squad" emblazoned across their backs, restraining snarling dogs on leashes. Outside, soldiers flank the walkway, cradling massive guns that look straight out of a Star Wars movie. Rommel Rebollido, vice chair of the local chapter of the journalists' union, set up meetings for me with veteran newsmen, who talked about how they have survived the hostile environment. Three brothers who run the Mindanao Bulletin and several colleagues drove to a firing range on the outskirts of town, alongside rice paddies and thick tropical greenery. Like their counterparts in Rebollido, who reports for the Philippines News Agency, a state-run wire service, is against carrying a weapon and declined an invitation to attend a media-sponsored target practice earlier this year. He fears that when the journalists start firing pistols, thugs will simply turn to bigger guns. The others, however, eagerly teamed up with a trainer from the Philippine Practical Shooting Association to hone their skills that afternoon. In July, a photo of 30 journalists who had participated in marksmanship training was featured on the front of the Bulletin, putting would-be assassins on notice. Members of the local media talked about what it is like to live under a threat of brutality that, like the volcanoes around them, could erupt at any time. One of the brothers, Joseph Tubelag, remembers when hired killers stalked him. Police offered bodyguards, but he refused. "I could not move freely with a police escort; I could not do my job. That's when I requested I be given a permit to carry a handgun in my own protection." It is not uncommon to flip open a cell phone here, click on text message and find "You're dead" or "I know where to find you" sent from an unknown number. Evaluating the seriousness of threats has become an art; survival techniques are woven into the fabric of daily existence. Rebollido, who had just returned from covering provincial elections, and Andy Cruz, a radio announcer for a Catholic Church-owned station, described techniques that include varying routes to and from the newsroom and creating buddy systems to "watch each other's backs," as Cruz put it. Cell phone text messaging has become the main warning system for journalists, who check on each other by tapping in messages such as "R U OK?" If there is no response, an alert goes out to other journalists. When Cruz leaves a meeting, he doesn't say goodbye, he just disappears, in case he is being stalked or monitored by cell phone users who might relay his location. If he is invited to dinner and someone asks what time he will arrive, the pat answer is, "Oh, I'll just be there." He advises providing only the minimum amount of information. Some maintain two phones, one for business, the other unlisted and solely for private conversations. If a mysterious number pops up on caller ID, Cruz might opt not to answer or remain silent until the person offers identification. Rebollido opened his cell phone and clicked to a number under the label "death threat." After a friend received an ominous message from that number, it was circulated among the group for tracking purposes. That way, if it shows up again they will have a better chance of figuring out what triggered the caller's anger and who might be making the threat. Does operating in a survival mode ever wear thin? "You get used to it. You have to or you will have a nervous breakdown. I'd rather be shot; it's more honorable," jokes Cruz, who maintains safe houses where he can disappear when circumstances warrant. Like many Filipinos, the radio commentator grew up shooting for sport. As for carrying a weapon on the job, "I decide this on a case-by-case basis. I do not love to carry guns. If the threat is serious enough, yes, I might." During interviews, reporters were quick to point out that corruption exists within their own ranks. Some accept bribes for killing stories or ushering them into prime-time slots. In some instances, they play a dual role, functioning as public relations agents for the political candidates they cover. Poor working conditions, paltry salaries and a lack of professional standards contribute to the dubious behavior. Loudmouth radio commentators Рthe Filipino version of "shock jocks" Рbang brass gongs and spew venom against public officials without evidence to justify the outrageous charges. "The amount of rage and bile on the air is dangerous," Carlos Conde, the secretary-general of the journalists' union, told CPJ. What hope do the Filipino media have? Many believe that relief will come only when greater pressure is exerted on the Arroyo government to enforce get-tough policies for arresting, convicting and imprisoning those who target the media. Filipino journalists have turned to global watchdogs for solidarity and support. Many, like CPJ and the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists, have sent fact-finding teams and lodged protests. In June 2004, Arroyo launched Task Force Newsmen, an investigative unit of the Philippine National Police dedicated to solving the murders of journalists. Earlier this year, she contributed 5 million pesos, around $92,500, to a press freedom fund to help fight attacks against the press and reward those who turn in killers. Still, there has not been a single conviction. Attacks and threats continue, most suspects remain at large and ringleaders are left untouched. Filipino journalists themselves may have to combat this peculiar brand of terrorism. The NUJP organizes protest marches to draw attention to the killings and maintains a "threat hotline" for journalists in trouble. Some news managers are turning to professional security companies. In August, after she received a black funeral wreath and an ominous note, Glenda Gloria, managing editor of the investigative magazine Newsbreak, hired experts to sweep the office for bugs and advise her employees on security techniques. "We felt the threat was serious enough that we had to take action," she said in an interview at Joel Sy Egco views the fledgling Association for Responsible Media as a rallying point to raise morale and help build confidence in the embattled Filipino press corps. The group is planning more gun safety seminars and training in threat analysis and countersurveillance techniques. "We need to know when we are being followed and when our communications are being tapped," says Egco, who disavows any notion of journalists turning into gun-slinging vigilantes. A "shootfest" on May 26 drew about 100 journalists to a firing range near And, he adds, he will know prospects for his profession have brightened when "we can lay our guns down, when we are not stalked or killed anymore."
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