Saturday, March 20, 2010

Monsod's Musings

I got this from my inbox. Although some sectors claimed Monsod did not wrote this article, I still posted it because even if our presidential preference differs, our sentiments towards Villar are alike. Please read the entirety of this post. It contains facts and personal opinions (who ever the writer may be) that, in someway, will help us in our decision in choosing our next leaders. - BlogusVox

Villar still refuses to attend the Senate to face questions, and it only reminds me of how GMA used the privilege of her office to avoid questioning. What will happen if Villar wins and more corruption scandals surface? With Villar catching up to Noynoy in the polls, I am honestly quite terrified of the prospect of him winning. There is a clear case of graft in this instance, and instead of delving into the issues, his allies in the legislative are simply brushing off the allegations as "politically motivated". As a citizen, we should not accept this. If there is smoke, we must see if there is a fire that needs to be put out. Yes, the timing of the allegations seem a bit off. ( Joker Arroyo was pushing these issues as early as 1998). A known crook and political opportunist, Juan Ponce Enrile, is the person leading the censure. However, when the facts are presented, it is clear as day that something is amiss. It just further builds on my strong suspicions that Villar is a businessman simply looking to control the political arena to make a boat load of money.

I have never trusted Villar since day one. I never trust businessmen who enter politics, because in the end, their core value is and always will be profit maximization. It is well documented that Villar's real estate empire ran into some serious financial problems when his overexposure to the real estate market and the Asian Financial Crisis made him unable to pay debts he took out to expand his real estate business in the early 1990s. After the Asian Crisis hit, Capitol Bank, owned by Villar and heavily exposed to his real estate investments was essentially ran to the ground and needed to be bailed out. In 2005, Villar tried to solve his debt problems by hiring a group of investment banks to advise him on how he can consolidate all his assets into one company ( Vista Land ). With the local and foreign investment bankers, Villar came up with a growth story for investors: "Invest in my company because we need it to fund all these wonderful project!" However, what was downplayed during the IPO roadshow was that instead of financing growth, resources from the offering would be used to finance his debt. To appease creditors, Villar even had his investment bankers pitch some form of a debt-to-equity conversion that raised skeptical eyebrows of many. In 2007, the IPO of Vista Land did not do as well as planned, in part because many investors and brokers were the same people who were burned by Villar's inability to pay back his loans.

Now, as part of a corporate growth (or should I say corporate restructuring) plan, Villar is lusting for the highest position in the land. This scares me because Villar already has a track record of using his political position to gain the upper hand for his businesses. To save his empire and increase shareholder value of his business, Villar used his influence as Senate Finance Chair to shrewdly derail a Cavite road project that was supposed to be BUILD, OPERATE, and TRANSFER. Villar built a longer and more expensive road, the C-5 extension, adjacent to it; subsequently forcing the private investor in the initial project to pull out. The fishy thing is that this new road, longer and more expensive than the previously planned project, passed through all of Villar's land in Cavite . It is a clear case of graft, pointing to Villar use of influence and government funds to substantially improve the values of his real estate properties. To add insult to injury the right of way the government would have to pay in order to complete the project was substantially higher for the land that Villar owned. These funds could have easily been used to build needed schools.

This scandal should be a red flag for all voters. However, the scary part is that Villar is spending billions to keep this out of the picture as he continues his attempt to brainwash our masses that he is their saviour. He convinces the masses that he is one of them. A poor boy from the slums of Tondo. In actuality, he is more like the 5-6 and syndicates, slum dwellers themselves who make a profit out of their poor brethren. Villar's ad agencies are doing an excellent job of maintaining this image as well as doing damage control. TV and radio continues to churn out Parokya Ni Edgaresque jingles that compete with "Nobody, Nobody." Dolphy is Villar's new spokesperson and Wowowee is one giant ad for him. In this process of brainwashing, the masses are not cognizant of how Villar conducts business as a politician. What they do not see is a man hell bent on turning our archipelago into his own personal piece of real estate.

It is sad that the efforts of Juan Ponce Enrile, who is leading the censure for Villar, is actually giving Villar more sympathy votes. People do no trust Enrile, and when Enrile pounces on someone, it is usually met with a high degree of skepticism. I do not blame people for feeling this way. I also think Enrile is a crook who should be jailed for conspiring to implement Martial Law, for coup attempts, and for the human rights abuses during the Marcos regime. If someone with a more respectable reputation were to level these charges on Villar, I am sure the surveys would tell a different story.

I also fear from some credible reports that Malacanang has actually made a deal with Villar (under the table). Essentially, GMA's goons said, "We will help you, in return, leave us alone when you win". Villar's behaviour in recent forums further adds credence to these reports as Villar has been very tame and quiet when it comes to how he will treat GMA after the elections. Appealing to common sense, it makes ALL THE SENSE for GMA to support someone who has a chance of winning, not a person rating at 4% in the surveys. GMA tried to reach out to Noynoy after Tita Cory died. All she got was rejection.

Who can stop Villar in his quest for the presidency?

I am known to be a Noynoy supporter, but to those skeptics and to those who are still undecided, I do concede that he is not perfect. His record as a politician is average and unspectacular at best. He does not have the charisma of his father. Before the death of his mother, he did not get much mileage. But I am going all out in support for Noynoy in 2010 because he stands for clean governance and appear willing to accomplish this. In addition, he has the best chance of preventing a opportunistic businessman, the assured next President of our country before Cory died, from using the Office of the President as a personal growth asset to his business empire.

Noynoy's clean record is a big plus for me. It is a trait that I think should be the most important quality that we should look for in our next president. His appeal is that his track record is not tarnished by corruption scandals and his political debts are minimal. I know that many critics are trying to make an issue over his involvement in Hacienda Luisita, but Noynoy is not even heavily involved in the company. As a shareholder, Noynoy only owns .04% of Hacienda Luisita, a drop in the ocean and hardly in any position to do something about it. The case of the Hacienda does not have the substance that the C-5 extension controversy has a lot of.

In addition, Nonoy also has an incredible legacy to live up to. All the pressure is on him to be clean and stay clean. He can't afford to tarnish the Aquino name and the immense legacy that his parents left behind. Cory and Ninoy practically sacrificed their family for their dream of a better Philippines . For Noynoy, to know that your father and mother went through so much hardship to improve our country is a heavy burden to think about if you do decide to become a crook and destroy everything that they fought for.

We all have to make a choice. In my opinion, it has to go to the presidentiable who has an independent mind, stands up for what he believes in, is clean, and has the legacy his parents to live up to and maintain. For me, Nonoy, with all his flaws, is that candidate. For what this country needs is a clean president who can set an example top-down for the entire state; it needs a president with the will to change things and stamp out corruption; it needs a President who can set an example and is willing to perfect our dysfunctional democracy.

I want someone who stands for being clean. He does not need a degree from Harvard. He does not need to have a multi-million peso business to show me he can make us all rich. He does not have to speak well. He just has to be clean. Nothing else should matter. He has to prioritize a platform of clean and effective governance and make sure that it delivers on that promise. Policies on the economy, education, energy, environment and health can all follow after the fundamentals are taken cared of. So far, the only candidate who promotes my vision with a clean record to back it up is Noynoy.

Our urban landscape is replete with political slogans that attempt to convince people of certain candidate's ability to lead our nation.

Galing at Talino? Sorry Gibo, those were the supposed qualities of GMA, rubber stamped with a Phd in Economics. And what happened? She only worsened our economy. To GMA's credit she did balance our budget at one point, but it has again ballooned to the level where the next president will have to deal with the same economic issues she faced in 2005. During GMA's watch investment in infrastructure was insufficient, poverty incidence worsened, public education deteriorated, our nautical highway is still incomplete, goons like the Ampatuan's flourished in the south, and a culture of corruption flourished in our institutions. Instead of creating jobs, GMA focused on a policy of exporting labor without measuring the social costs of such a policy- thousands of broken OFW families and children of OFW's who do not have the proper parental supervision to teach them the differences between right and wrong. In effect, our next generation is left on their own to figure out how to become empowered patriots who love their country and will fight to defend it. In effect, whatever statistics in GDP growth GMA and her allies love to advertise, non of it trickled down and benefitted the poor..and none of it accounts for the social costs to her policies.

Good speaker? Sorry Gibo, Marcos had that quality and he did nothing good for our contry. In fact, Marcos squandered the opportunity to be our Lee Kuan Yew and Dr. Mahatir. If I want a good, charismatic, and eloquent speaker, let's just run down the list of effective public speakers and vote them in.

Para sa mahirap? Sorry Erap, you had your chance and failed miserably. Your only accomplishment is in convincing our masses that movie roles do not carry over into the political area.

My only concern with Noynoy is how deep he might be in the Liberal Party and whether he has accumulate political debts to Liberal trapos. The Liberal PArty, like any party, has its own share of crooks (including those bandwagon trapos who jumped off GMA"s boat to ride on Aquino's popularity). How much will Nonoy have to give back to the Liberal trapos (and bandwagon Liberals who jumped GMA's ship) if elected? We will never know. However, I am willing to live with that unanswered question if it means preventing someone like Villar from turning the Philippines into Vista Land 's next subdivision development. I am also reassured by the fact that he has that "Aquino" name and the ghosts of his parents to answer to if does decide to go down the immoral path.

Nonoy will not solve all our problems. One person can't. But we need a start somewhere and it should be with someone who pushes honesty, reform, and good governance. It will be a tough battle, but I want to give Noynoy the chance to build on what his mother tried to accomplish. And I hope that if Noynoy wins, he will have the courage to make tough decisions and go after crooks, even if it means hurting a lot of friends and colleagues in government.

To give you a better sense on how Villar conducts business, here is also a link to Joker Arroyo's 1998 privilege speech: Read it here and here.

I guess "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck.." Well, as the saying goes......

Vote wisely Philippines . And continue to work towards uplifting the masses and freeing them from their state of hopelessness. Defend them from opportunists. DEVELOP THEM (FIRST) SPIRITUALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY; THEN ECONOMICALLY! When we lift up the poor and ween them off the mentality of hopelessness, our country will become first world. Only then will we have the powerful middle class that our young democracy is screaming for.

(signed) Winnie Monsod (?)

17 comments:

  1. The best thing to teach these politicians is not to give them power by NOT Voting anybody. Then they know the sentiments of the people.
    " VOTERS do not trust them anymore"
    But then a country needs someone to rule them, kaya, boto na lang.

    Whoever runs the country , will be bound for corruption even if they are as clean as Noynoy.

    Lets us all realistic on this.

    The galamays will make it sure, he will go their wishes, or they "plant" a case to have him out.

    Ay oo, thats politics.So dirty, they do the best they could, TO SURVIVE!

    In France, only 48% voted last Sunday for the regional election of the political party to run the country with the President.
    It could be declared the election as void.

    But there's a second round of voting tomorrow March 21.
    Hopefully, (they wish) it reached 51% to make it legal.

    And oh about Villar's case that he was not prosecuted? Who's fault is it?
    The judicial system.They could have put him in jail.But, hey, I scratch your back, you scratch mine, Villar,please????

    Noynoy not a corrupt future President on the Phils?
    We will see, as only the future can tell,
    Not Monsod.

    The fact is the political system is like that all over the world.
    Bow.

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  2. Francesca, show me a politician who aspires power and didn’t succumb to it and I’ll show you Cory. The rest, even her son, is a big question mark.

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  3. Hi! Sorry po, my comment is off-topic and not about politics.. I just found your blog and I figured you were in Saudi Arabia.

    We're working on a project, to encourage Jeddah (and Saudi Arabia in general) to participate in the Earth Hour event.

    Kung interesado po kayo, more information may be found at

    http://www.earthhourjeddah.blogspot.com

    If you know anyone who is willing to participate po, it would be nice if you could spread the word. Thank you!

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  4. Yeah, I read this sometime last week.

    A pro-Noynoy propaganda. (Anything that is anti-Villar is pro-Noynoy; anything anti-Noynoy is pro-Villar.

    It's like there are only two choices come election time! O baka nga dalawa na lang ang pinagpipilian natin dahil sigurado talo na yong walo pang kandidato?

    This saddens me. Nakondisyon na ng survey ang isip ng mga tao.

    I guess I will have another bout of Roco. I elected him even if I know that he's not going to win.

    This 2010, I plan to elect another Roco who has no way of winning, but I'm electing him anyway because I know he'll do better than Villar and Noynoy.

    But my greatest of fears is that if I don't vote for Noynoy, maybe Villar will win.

    It's crazy. I am now more certain of those I'm not going to vote than those who I am voting for.

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  5. Filipinos should be very responsible... or else we'll fall altogether. we too need to do our part.

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  6. I got this in my email too, and to think, She has got point, sensible points at that!

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  7. diana, I'm not from Jeddah. Does that means kami kasali? But for camaraderie's sake I'll join. : )

    Nebz, Roco din ako nung nakaraang election. And just like you, I'll vote another Roco.

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  8. donG, the majority, however responsible they maybe, still doesn't know what election is all about or how to choose the best candidate. Education is still the key.

    sheng, who ever the writer, may his/her intention is to discredit Villar, still the article have some credibility.

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  9. I am not a Villar supporter either especially knowing he has spent a billion for his campaign already. MAsyadong malaki ang ROI na hahanapin nyan siguro.

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  10. Hindi ako nakapag-monitor sa news and current affairs for the past 14 days sapagkat busy, kaya hindi ko alam na umaangat na si Villar sa survey. Ayaw ko rin sa kanya, kay Aquino nalang, agree ako sa article na ito.

    I have been sending SMS to my relatives in the Philippines to vote for Noynoy A., pero kapag mauunahan siya ni Manny V sa survey 2 weeks before ang election, handa akong mag-file ng leave at umuwi para bumoto- kay Noynoy Aquino. Wala kasi ako sa OAV list.

    Pero kung magbago ang isip n'yo at si Noynoy na ang iboboto niyo, hindi na ako uuwi. Please let me know. o",) Sino kaya ang 'another Roco' na nais niyong iboto?

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  11. Ka Rolly, true, first and foremost, his a businessman. He'll always think in terms of "capital gain".

    RJ, when it comes to "biting the bullet", I may favor Noynoy. But let's wait and see.

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  12. I find Gibo so eloquent and intelligent. It's just that there's something stopping me to vote for him. There's also a part of me that wants to vote for Noynoy. But nothing for Villar.

    Well, I am still so undecided.

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  13. Ms.Jo, same summation for Gibo but what holds me back is his "connection" with the present administration. But what impress me is his guts to part ways with his uncle (who happens to have a lot of skeleton in his closet).

    Maybe in another time, I'll vote for him.

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  14. okay lang ang bumoto kahit kanino. ang hinihingi ko lang sa mga botante sa panahong ito, sabihin ang kondisyunes nila sa mga kandidato, at kunin ang pangako nila, bago isulat ang pangalan ng mga napupusuan sa balota. that way, we have their commitment, and we have something to hold them accountable for. dapat singilan na talaga.

    bow.

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  15. atticus, ang lupit. permahan mo na ng kontrata bago isulat ang pangalan sa balota! >: D

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  16. This email is fake. Winnie Monsod herself denied it.

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  17. How will someone recoup the boatloads of money spent for campaining in the election ? Isn't there a law that limits the campaign expenses of a political party ? Other countries have it but unfortunately in Pinas, campaign money is like a blank check. So now we wonder what happens when a politicain wins ;(

    Agree with you. Conspiracy theories abound. For all we know, these so called political parties are one unholy alliance doing a show to rip the country apart :(

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