Makati City, Philippines

[Tonchi]

Well, Slang, the Philippines is on lockdown today because of the latest coup attempt. Brought you these links so you can follow the ballgame, you can't really tell what is happening by reading the politicians' speaches but it will give you a pretty good idea of who's on top right now.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=30832
http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index....story_id=67303
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=30832
http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index....story_id=67278

Constitutional issues aside, President Aroyo could put an end to this constant plotting if they would just shoot a few of the people who want to shoot her and be done with it. But Noooooo. That's not the way they handle things there. Because the backers of the plotters are always very well placed, from prominent families or with lots of money stashed outside the country, the government rounds up a few army officers and just sweep them under the rug and so nothing ever comes to an end. The deposed president, a former action-movies star and notorious drunk, who stole practically the entire Treasury and wrecked the economy before he was removed by a coup, has never even been brought to trial and remains in his mansion, enjoying his booze and women, while his supporters in the Senate prevent any judgment from happening. So the Philippines is always in a state of limbo, neither the "good guys" or the "bad guys" actually win and the citizens lose instead.

[slang]

Anytime the Philippines is in the news now there is a constant stream of people stopping by my desk to talk about it.

Several people have said that they have seen something on the news about the coup. We dont understand the whole situation and generally dont have a great interest here.

It seemed to me while I was there that these anti-Arroyo people sound a lot like the anti-Bush people here and I tuned them out after asking more than a few people about their thoughts on the subject.

There were some that were sympathetic to the ouster movement but most had little interest or thought that these people had little influence.

The most disturbing thoughts expressed was by a man lamenting the "good ol' days of Marcos".

He was serious too. At that point I just accepted the fact that I dont understand their politics and stuck to wandering around (drunk) in wild fascination there.

Not that I dont care but it's just not my fight and I dont understand the history.

Some of the photos from Quezon city were interesting to see in the net news but only because that setting looks so familiar.

Hopefully things iron out there. That's unlikely though.

Thanks for the links.

[wolf]

I'm near Philadelphia, not in it. There's a reason for that, too.

[Tonchi]

SOME people in the Philippines actually were better off under Marcos. That is why they would welcome a return of that family to power. Of course, Ferdinand is now dead and buried, but Imelda is still rabble-rousing around the country and there are plenty of people willing to support a take-over similar to the old Marcos regime. The common people, i.e. 99% of the inhabitants, forget that the reason things were so great during the Marcos days was the USA was still in charge of security and OUR money was the engine which drove the economy there. At this point our "occupation" is a distant memory and they could bring back 500 Marcoses and nothing would change. But Filipinos are not strong on logic, unfortunately, the great unwashed electorate there is not capable of figuring that out. They just want ANY change, they are easily influenced by promises and to this day have not been able to figure out that the last person who promised them a Cadillac in every hovel (deposed president Estrada) never gave them anything and instead stole the entire Treasury and sent it abroad with his buddy crooks. President Arroyo is a disgrace but she is the best of the worst and she is our firm ally. She will continue to see attempted coups for as long as she remains in the Philippines, simply because others there want to sit in her chair and pocket the money that SHE is pocketing now.

[slang]

Luisa for Pres!(?)

umm......maybe not, ok.

[Tonchi]

Why? Are you and your contacts willing to finance the coup?

[Tonchi]

We can schedule it for next Wednesday if somebody else isn't already having one.

[slang]

If we can make that happen with 5000 PHP, then yer on!

[Luisa]

It's not easy to be living in the Philippines right now. The government has been doing warrantless arrests and everyone is living in fear. Former president Ramos called the events "Marcosian" after the deceased dictator whom he served under as well. He can see the handwriting on the walls. Former president Cory Aquino also said we deserve an explanation and clarification. Is this undeclared Martial Rule?

In the meantime, I am cautioning everyone I know of to not be too vocal about being anti-government and taxes in public right now. It is a dangerous and tension filled time. You never know who might try to turn you in on a trumped up charge. 100 people have been hauled in for questioning since Friday and some have not been released yet. Others have escaped arrest or gone into hiding. A newspaper office was raided midnight of Saturday and all the copies of the issue of the day were confiscated. After that, the police have been keeping a tight watch on their office as well.

I hope this all blows over soon.

[slang]

Big typhoon damage there in Luzon ( may-nee-lah, Makati..etc, etc ).

Has there been a relief effort set up yet ( That I can send money and "stuff" to)?

[Tonchi]

I'll post what I wrote to Slang in a PM before realizing he had also posted on the thread here.


Thanks for your good thoughts, Slang. At this point the destruction of the communications network in Manila is so extreme that they haven't even been able to assess the damages. Only 28 deaths reported so far seems way short, in a good winter storm they usually lose a hundred squatters to garbage slides at the landfills so I expect the toll will rise. All electricity for 40 million people went out and I lost contact with Luisa's house at the height of the storm (we were texting each other while the typhoon was shaking their house so badly that they thought the roof would go any second). At the time her cellphone failed they still had the roof but lots of water leaking in on the top floor and the air outside was swirling with debris from all the shacks which 50% of the population lives in.

Last night Luisa and her aunt went out and bought a phone card so that we could speak for 15 minutes and they could tell me they survived and the house is still standing. Fortunately they built on one of the highest areas and the floods did not reach them. Their street is knee-deep in debris but they have electricity again, one of the few areas of the city that has, but all the phone lines and therefore the internet is down. She may not be back online for a week, but at least they have food and a way to cook it. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day outside, she says. It was her birthday when the typhoon hit.

As always, the government will be unable to do anything meaningful. The mayor of Manila is mostly upset because all the trees he planted in the parks are now blown away. There is no word yet how to send aid to the people who didn't fare so well. Even the papers online, like the link I sent you for the Philippines Star, had very little information when I checked last night. I suppose there is a Philippines Red Cross, but right now all offices and schools are closed or have no phones or electricity. If I hear anything else, I will let you know.


Luisa did tell me last night that there is a brisk business in the streets where squatters are gathering up the roofs or furniture of their former neighbors in order to reconstruct their own hovels.

I'd like to again remind anybody that sending "stuff" of any kind to the Phils is futile, they will either steal it or "tax" it to the point that your recipient would be better off with the cash. But you can't send cash through the mail either under their latest "laws". What I do is send a Western Union remittance in $US which can be deposited directly into accounts at several banks, making it impossible for the agency who retrieves your WU from charging you "fees" for the privilege. I'll also remind you that most agencies in the Philippines are as corrupt as any other part of the society there and money sent to them will not necessarily go any farther than the pockets of the officials.

[slang]

Originally Posted by Tonchi

Luisa did tell me last night that there is a brisk business in the streets where squatters are gathering up the roofs or furniture of their former neighbors in order to reconstruct their own hovels.

Mostly roof and window damage from what I'm hearing.

Most of the requests for recovery items and supplies that I've recieved have been passed on to Santa Claus.

How does one re-roof a house with a projection TV?

Those that I know personally have not been severly affected.

[Tonchi]

The projection TV request is because squatters who use a newspaper placed on the street for their toilet are more likely to have televisions and other toys which they operate on stolen electricity. More than 50% of the electricity generated by the national utility is channeled off to the hovels of the enterprising or tapped from the line of a neighbor who IS paying. Being out of commission for a month will probably SAVE money for Meralco, since all the thieves will have nothing to take from them and their honest clients.

[Tonchi]

Don't worry, we never thought he was But if he DID have one and he had to evacuate the house during the storm, you can be sure some squatter has his tv NOW.

[Luisa]

Well, a week after the storm and still no sign of any fund drives. Still some areas without electricity but there doesn't seem to be a real need for fund raising as those who were severly affected (the squatters) simply rebuilt from the debris on the street. Rampant electrical, telephone, television cable stealing though. Junk shops are being searched for stolen items. Electricity restored in 90% of the city, cellphone are aso 90% functional. This is going to be a long rebuilding road ahead for the city. I'll keep you posted!