Remember Gloria Arroyo's Famous Promise On Rizal Day (2002)?

GLORIA ARROYO:Fool us once,shame on you.Fool us twice (and more) shame on us!

RIZAL DAY RITES--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo salutes after offering a wreath before the monument of the country's national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal during the commemoration of the 109th anniversary of his martyrdom in fitting ceremonies  (Dec. 30) at the Burnham Park in Baguio City.
On a speech given on Rizal Day, December 30, 2002, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared that she would not run in the 2004 elections. Arroyo claimed that withdrawing from the race would relieve her of the burden of politics and allow her administration to devote the last year and half to the following:
First, strengthening the economy to create more jobs and to encourage business activities that are unhampered by corruption and red tape in government.
Second, healing the deep divisions within Philippine society.
Third, working for clean and honest elections in 2004.
This was hailed as a welcome development by many people, especially those in the business and economic sectors.
Nine months later, on October 4, 2003, Arroyo completely changed her mind. Arroyo stated that her change of heart was for a higher cause and that she cannot ignore the call to further serve the country. Many people, especially those who held on to her commitment, were dismayed by her turnabout, though most were unsurprised since there had been clues months before that she would probably not stand by her earlier decision. Others welcomed this development, saying that she needs more time to implement her projects, and that she would be the strongest contender against a likely candidacy by Fernando Poe, Jr.Wikipedia

Why Gloria Has Such High Credibility :

1)"I Will Not Run in 2004 Elections!"
Dec.30 2002:” The woman who once described her presidency as "made in heaven" said Monday, December 30, that God has told her not to seek another term as the Philippines' President.
Speaking on local radio, 55-year old Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced she had decided to drop out of the presidential race in 2004. "It is God who puts ideas in my heart," explained Arroyo.
"In fact, in my attendance at Mass, it felt to me like He was telling me that He chose me to become president because He also knows that when He tells me not to run, then I would not run," she said.
2) "I Will Run In 2004!"
(October 2003): Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she will seek a fresh six-year term by running in the presidential elections next May, reneging on her promise last year not to stand for election.
''I will run for president in the May 2004 elections,'' Arroyo said in a speech before about 50,000 people in her hometown in the Clark Economic Zone in Angeles City about 83 kilometers northwest of Manila.
''Thus, I have deferred my retirement. I will sacrifice my yearnings for personal quiet and release from presidential strain and anxiety. And I will offer myself to the electorate in 2004,''
" I shall stay married to my country.''
3) "I AM SORRY"
(June 2005): Gloria Arroyo in televised national address said, "I recognize that making any such call was a lapse in judgment. I am sorry. I also regret taking so long to speak before you on this matter. I take full responsibility for my actions and to you and to all those good citizens who may have had their faith shaken by these events. I want to assure you that I have redoubled my efforts to serve the nation and earn your trust."
4) "I WILL BE TRUE TO THE CONSTITUTION"
(March 2008) : Gloria Arroyo declared, "I will be true to the constitution and to myself who had been mandated to leave the post when my term ends in 2010!"
5)No To Charter Change: 
"Going to a constitutional debate is really only going to distract us from what we need to do to survive and meet the challenges of the global uncertainty."
6)"ConCon is the least divisive way!"
Jan. 16, 2003:"Considering the divisiveness in our country, this issue is bringing about even more divisiveness. Perhaps the constitutional convention will be the least divisive way of bringing about fundamental changes in the political system."

A Report Card On Gloria Arroyo's Performance In 2009

Gloria Arroyo is nearing her tenth year in power. Her approval ratings have dramatically fallen and many Filipinos think she is the "worst president" in recent history. 
How did the nation's 14th president and 2nd female (after Cory) and second longest serving (after Marcos ) president perform in 2009?

Backgrounder:Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born April 5, 1947)^[1] is the fourteenth and current president of the Philippines. Arroyo is the country's second female (after Aquino) and second longest serving (after Marcos) president, she is also the daughter of late former Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal and is of the royal blood due to ancestral lineage tracing her to Don Juan Macapagal, a great-grandson of Lakandula the last reigning Rajah (King) of Saludung.^[2] Wikipedia

The Gloria Arroyo 2009 Report Card

The Five Things Gloria Is Doing Better Than You Realize:

 1) She continues to burn the midnight oil. In sharp contrast to Erap, she is a confirmed workaholic despite her age (62). Gloria maintains a rigid work schedule and works more than 40 hours a week(i.e., the ocular inspections of projects, cutting ribbons, kissing babies etc.in the 2nd district of Pampanga.)

 2) She takes a very active role in the nation's foreign policy. The crafting and execution of the country's foreign policy are anchored on building strong ties with the U.S. China and other influential countries through her personal diplomacy efforts. Her frequent foreign trips are legendary. 

3) She lets a co-equal branch of government do the heavy lifting. The House of Representatives swiftly passed the Con Ass resolution (HR 1109) without the seeming intervention of Malacanang according to her political advisers.

4) She managed to control her controversial spouse. Jose Miguel Arroyo steered clear of scandals in 2009. 

5) She endorsed a good presidential candidate. Gibo Teodoro of the PaLaKa Party has the best academic credentials among the presidentiables. However, his platform revolves around the continuation of  Arroyo's policies.

The Five Things Arroyo Is Doing Worse Than You Realize:

1) She declared martial law to quell the rebellion of her friends, the Ampatuans. Or was she testing the waters for martial law nationally?

 2) She has been accused of spending extravagantly in junkets and expensive dinners abroad. Remember her famous call to action for frugality :"I ask our people to spend on the basics before the luxuries so our children will have enough to eat.” Enough said.

 3) Her response to the Typhoon Ondoy calamity was not impressive. "The objective is to have zero casualties, death or injury in case a calamity strikes."Gilbert Teodoro 

 4) She wants to cling to power. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself justifies her decision to run as representative in Pampanga in this wise, or unwise: “Public service is emblazoned on my DNA.”

 5) She was insensitive. Gloria Arroyo dined out at Le Cirque while the nation mourned for Cory Aquino!

NESTLE: "The Contradictions"

Nestlé: the world's biggest food company and one of the 'most boycotted'.

He fed his formula to a premature baby boy whose mother was dangerously ill and unable to feed the child. The boy survived, sending sales soaring at a time of high infant mortality.

Since then the Geneva-based firm has grown into a corporate colossus with worldwide sales totalling £67 billion in 2008.

Nescafé coffee can be found in almost every country on the planet and the company owns scores of other household names.

In the UK, these include confectionary such as Kit Kat, Smarties, Yorkie and Aero along with Perrier water.
Elsewhere, Hot Pockets is the number one "frozen stuffed sandwich brand" in the US, Mucilon is the best-selling infant cereal in Brazil, Baeren Marke is a well-known dairy brand in Germany and Orion chocolate is "much loved" by Czechs and Slovaks.
Mövenpick ice cream is found in 35 countries, Pure Life bottled water is sold in 21 and Purina Dog Chow is the world's fourth largest dry dog food brand.

However the company is far from universally popular. In 2005, it was described as "one of the world's most boycotted companies" – along with Nike, Coca Cola and McDonald's – after an online poll of more than 15,000 people in 17 different countries.
The main reason for the boycott is the sale of the modern version of Henri's life-saving invention in the Third World. The campaign group Baby Milk Action claims that a bottle-fed child is up to 25 times more likely to die as a result of diarrhea in areas with unsafe drinking water, while breast-fed children are less likely to suffer a range of illnesses.
The group is part of a worldwide movement, the International Baby Food Action Network which involves 200 citizens' groups in more than 100 countries, and which will hold its annual "Nestlé-Free Week" at the end of October.
In May, Nestlé said it believeds "breast feeding is the best way to feed a baby", but added: "When mothers cannot, or choose not to, breast feed, infant formula is the only product recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a suitable alternative. Nestlé universally follows all countries' implementation of the WHO code." From The Telegraph, U..K.

EQ POLL:Your opinion matters.What's your image of NESTLE?

	Answer Text		%
	Nestle is a trade and distributor bully in the Philippines.		59%
	Milk powders produced in China by Nestlé contained traces of melamine.		26%
	The world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company.		4%
	Nestle attracts global criticism for its infant-formula marketing policies, especially those conducted in developing countries.		4%
	Nestle has been criticized for outsourcing and price-fixing.		7%
	Manufacturer of quality baby food, coffee, dairy products, breakfast cereals, confectionery, bottled water, ice cream, pet foods, more...		0%
	Nestlé is conscious of its social responsibility, which is inherent in its long-term orientation.		0%
	Members of Nestlé Management at all levels are professional.		0%

A Wasted Decade For The Philippines

This decade was bad for the Philippines.The decline of the country took many forms.

1) Dubious Titles:

RP ‘most corrupt’ in Asia -- PERC Despite the much-publicized efforts by the Arroyo administration to curb corruption, foreign businessmen perceive the Philippines to be the most corrupt economy among 13 countries and territories across Asia.
The Philippines replaced Indonesia as the country with “the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year” according to the survey of the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy.

World's Most Dangerous Country For Journalists

(CNN) -- The Philippines this year has been the world's most dangerous country for journalists, an official of the advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists told CNN's "Amanpour" program.
The killing of at least 18 reporters in a massacre that claimed the lives of almost 60 people this week means the Philippines is now even more hazardous than Iraq for journalists, said Bob Dietz, CPJ Asia Program coordinator
The massacre in the Philippines is the single worst mass killing of journalists in history, according to the CPJ.

2) Rapid Population Growth:In year 2000, the Philippines was number 14 in the list of countries with population of 50 million or more.The total population of the country then was 76 million. It is estimated that the Philippine population will grow to more than 128 million in 2050!

3) Extreme Poverty :Millions of Filipinos are dirt poor. About one third of the population live in abject poverty.

4) Natural Tragedies:In Manila, millions of residents now live in a world of mud. Torrential rain brought by Typhoon Ondoy triggered the worst flooding the Philippines’ capital has seen in over four decades, submerging more than 80% of the city, killing at least 246 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more.

 5) The Little Girl In The Palace :9 years of misrule.

She has disrespected all of us. Just look at the "alphabet soup" of scandals associated with her administration:IMPSA Deal Macapagal Blvd. Fertilizer Scam OWWA Funds PhilHealth Cards NorthRail Anomaly SouthRail Anomaly NBN-ZTE Scam CyberEd Scam EO 464/MC 108 Hello Garci Scandal 2004 Presidential Elections  Bastardization of InstitutionsBribery of Local Officials Bribery of Church Officials Extra-judicial Killings Enforced Disappearances Immoderate Greed Treason Cronyism Obstruction of Justice Indiscriminate Use of Public Funds Spratlys Deal Venable Contract PSC Horse Importation Road User's Tax TRANSCO Bidding Swine Scam,etc.

She has made terrible mistakes:

•  Making friends with The Rebel (?) Ampatuans. She is widely believed to have benefited in the 2004 presidential election from votes controlled by the Ampatuans, leaving a hefty political debt. Indeed, her main rival Fernando Poe Jr., a hugely popular movie star, reportedly failed to get a single vote in three Maguindanao towns.
• Orchestrating HR 1109. Members of the opposition had warned of a possible proclamation of martial law and possible “Arroyo dictatorship”, following the approval of House Resolution 1109, which empowers a Senate-Less Congress to convene itself into a Constitutional Assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution.
  

• Lifting the phone and calling Garci. This infamous phone call raised very serious doubts about her electoral victory in 2004.

• Blocking all impeachment attempts against her. The House of Representatives, which is dominated by Arroyo’s coalition allies, blocked all attempts for an impeachment trial. No trial has taken place thus far to clear her of all the serious allegations against her and her accomplices in government. 

• Pardoning Erap so quickly. Estrada, 70, was convicted on charges he took bribes and kickbacks while in office. He was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit a mansion and more than US$15.5 million (€11 million).As it turned out, Arroyo pardoned Erap almost immediately after his conviction in September 2007.

•  Promising not to to run in the 2004 elections. In front of the Jose Rizal monument in Baguio,Arroyo announced on Rizal Day 2002 that she had to decided to drop out of the presidential race in 2004.”It is God who puts ideas in my heart,”explained Arroyo.
  

• Changing her mind about not running in 2004. ”I will run for president in the May 2004 elections,Arroyo said in a speech in Clark .”I remain married to the country.Thus,I have deferred my retirement.”

• Issuing EO 464.In September 2005. Gloria Arroyo clipped the powers of Congress to conduct hearings and to summon officials of the executive department to testify before congressional inquiries.
  

• Invoking executive privilege on the scandal-tainted ZTE-NBN deal. Did Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo follow up the national broadband network (NBN) project with then socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri? Was Neri dictated to prioritize the Chinese firm ZTE Corporation? Did Arroyo tell him to go ahead and approve the project despite being told about the alleged bribe? We will never know the answers to these three all-important questions of the Senate.

• Spending extravagantly in junkets and expensive dinners abroad. Remember her famous call to action for frugality :"I ask our people to spend on the basics before the luxuries so our children will have enough to eat.” Enough said.

The 2010 Political Scenarios In The Philippines

The Year of The Tiger: 1986, 2010

• 1986: People Power Revolution of 1986 toppled the administration of Ferdinand Marcos after allegations of widespread cheating in the 1986 presidential elections. 

• 2010: Presidential Elections or People Power? 

Can President Nonoy Aquino Deliver?

Will The New Opposition Congressmen Cooperate With The New President?

Can A President Noynoy Aquino Really Fight Corruption?

Answer Text	Votes	%
	Yes,he will have the political will to fight corruption.	118	49%
	Possible but not probable.	49	20%
	I doubt it.	37	15%
	No,he will be like Cory who could not contain the Kamag-Anak Inc.	25	10%
	No way! He will be no different from Gloria Arroyo when he is in office.	12	5%
		241