what Neri is afraid to say and why

a co-worker emailed me a statement explaining what Neri is afraid to say and why regarding the zte-nbn scandal. of course i can't verify the correctness of these statements, but with the kind of governance our president has shown, i can't say i'm surpised.

i've read so many hasty, self-righteous and irresponsible anti-administration-but-not-necessarily-pro-opposition opinions on several national issues. but regardless of the truth in the allegations, this statement gives a considerably justified take on the issue and raises valid concerns on the fate of the filipino people as it questions the sincerity and patriotism of both the administration and the opposition.

read on...
(all emphases are mine)

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Here's the secret testimony of Jun Lozada on what Neri is afraid to tell the public. Lozada wrote this in Oct. 2007 and gave a co-IT Engr. Vicente Romano III leaving it to Romano when to divulge as he deems right.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Vicente R. Romano III, 0920.9615610
Leah Navarro, 0917.898.1957


Dear Friends,

Here's a short write-up that Jun Lozada wrote sometime in October. He wanted me to disseminate it without attribution. I believe he was motivated both by his genuine concern for a beleaguered friend who was being maligned no end, and his desire, even then, for the truth to somehow surface. He left it up to me as to how and when to disseminate it.

I did not find any compelling reason to get it out then. But now that Jun has told it all, and Neri is being invited back to testify, I believe the public deserves to know what was (and maybe still is) in the mind of Neri –- at least from the point of view of a friend. I'm sure Jun will not mind.

Let's get this out in the open.

God bless,
Enteng



What Is Neri Afraid to Say and Why

Many speculations have been made as to what Neri knows about the ZTE-NBN most particularly the direct involvement of Pres. Gloria Arroyo in this abominable affair. After his damaging "Sec. May 200 ka dito" demolition of Abalos, the discredited former Comelec Chairman, many were left disappointed when Neri suddenly clamped up when the Senators started asking him about the nature of his conversation with Arroyo, no amount of coaxing, cajoling and threats was enough to break his Code of Omerta. The question on many people's mind was, What was Neri trying to protect when he repeatedly invoked "Executive Priviledge" during that gruelling 12 hour Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on live television?

We have known the Truth all along as one of the few people that Neri confided his predicament during those fateful days of April 2006, and how he wanted to resign his post of NEDA Director General and Secretary for Socio-Economic Planning over this incident where he lost all his moral respect for Pres. Gloria Arroyo.

We are doing this document to give the public an understanding of this predicament.

What is Neri afraid to tell the public? He is afraid to tell the public that after he reported the Abalos P200 million peso bribe offer, Arroyo casually told him to ignore it and work for its recommendation for approval anyway. That when he protested that it is too controversial and may attract the wrong kind of attention from media, Arroyo retorted back "Pakulo lang ni Joey yan and his father". When he tried to reason that it may not be accommodated in the Chinese ODA package because it has been filled up with a list of projects already, Arroyo again ordered him to remove the low cost housing project and some water project to accommodate the ZTE-NBN deal in the ODA loan. That when he attempted to reason that it may not be approved in time for the Boao Forum which was only two days to go from that fateful April day, Arroyo with raised voice told him to include the ZTE-NBN project in the agenda of the following day's meeting of a combined NEDA Board and Cabinet Committee, who as expected promptly approved the project paving the way for the contract signing between ZTE and DOTC in China the next day. Neri is afraid to tell the public that this conversation took place between him and Arroyo because it might spark another impeachment complaint against Arroyo.

Why is Neri afraid to tell the public about this conversation with Arroyo? He is afraid that another impeachment will simply result to more expenses of public funds similar to the Hyatt 10 impeachment crisis, because as DBM Secretary who replaced Boncodin, he was entrusted with the large scale DBM payola operation of Arroyo to Congressmen, Senators and Governors not quite similar to the crude Panlilio incident that the public is witnessing now. He is afraid with a more partisan Andaya at the helm of DBM, more public funds will be spent to buy the silence and favour of these greedy legislators and local executives.

He is afraid that with Arroyo's firm control of public funds she can buy all the necessary support from most sectors of society to keep her in power.

He is afraid that even if the opposition knows about this conversation with Arroyo, he is afraid that the opposition will not pursue a serious impeachment proceedings against Arroyo, because it is not to their political interest that Noli de Castro becomes President in case Arroyo is impeached and becomes a more formidable political opponent in 2010. This insincere and unpatriotic goal of the opposition is already being manifested by the malicious speed that the Erap pardon is being cooked by Ronnie Puno together with the Erap camp to hastily put a united front of "Birds of the same corrupt feather" coalition against the emerging JDV led political opposition.

He is afraid that even if the Church knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, the Church will still not call for her resignation due to the closeness of Arroyo's trusted lady liason to the Cardinal of Manila who was very effective during the "Hello Garci" crisis. That Arroyo's Religious Affairs Operators have the Bishops firmly in their "donation" graces, as again manifested by the quick rebuttal of the Mindanao Bishops' of the call of their fellow bishops in Luzon who where calling for the resignation of Arroyo just after Arroyo gave them a visit in Mindanao.

He is afraid that even if the military knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the fraudulent ZTE-NBN deal, the AFP brass is much too indebted to Arroyo for their position and the perks that goes with their position, that they have demonstrated this twisted loyalty with their willingness to detain, remove from the service and even shoot their own men for voicing out their legitimate concerns regarding the corruption and moral authority of their Commander in Chief. It is a sad spectacle to see the respected warriors of the Marines & Special Forces rot in jail with their ideals, while their men are dying even without receiving the measly P150 per day combat pay that was promised to them by Arroyo due to lack of funds & generals get a gift bag similar to those given to the governors and congressmen just for having dinner with Arroyo the day after that infamous breakfast & lunch meeting where bribe money flowed scandalously free.

He is afraid that even if the Media knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN scam, Media will simply wither in the torrents of cash and favors similar to how the Hyatt 10, Hello Garci crisis were killed in the media headlines and Radio& TV coverages. Although he believes in the integrity of a handful of Journalist, he believes that a handful of these mavericks cannot withstand the hordes of paid lackeys of Malacanang. Especially that the Arroyo crisis team is now being handled by the best mercenary money can buy, from Ramos Sulo Operation, Erap's DILG and now Arroyo's troubleshooter, Ronnie Puno. Ably supported by the Media and PR money from PAGCOR being handled by Cerge Remonte to buy positive airtime, headlines and editorials.

He is afraid that even if the Business Sector knows about the truth of Arroyo's direct involvement to defraud the coffers of the taxes they are paying, the businessmen will be reluctant to rock the boat of the current economic uptrend, especially with the very close personal and business relationship of the so called leaders of the big business like Ricky Razon of ICTSI, Donald Dee of PCCI and Francis Chua of the Filipino-Chinese Federation to Arroyo herself. He is afraid that the hard earned remittances of Filipino OFWs that is keeping the economy booming and that can keep the economy afloat even under any administration is being wasted under this unholy alliance of Arroyo and her favoured businessmen.

He is afraid that even if the Civil Society knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, that the Civil Society is now tired of mass actions after witnessing two failed EDSA revolutions, that Civil Society is now afflicted with a "Rally Fatigue" and cannot muster enough public outrage to denounce Arroyo's "corruption with impunity". He is afraid that the middle class is now indifferent to the corruption that goes around them, not realising that the middle class are the ones mainly carrying the burden of the loan payments for these corrupt deals. He is afraid that the middle class are more interested to become an OFW & to leave this country leaving their family and children behind, and may not care anymore about the crimes being committed against their country by its own President.

He is afraid that even if the Masa, the students, the workers knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal to steal precious resources from public funds, that they are now too poor and impoverished to be able to afford the time to join mass actions against the abuses of the Arroyo administration, that these former vanguards of mass actions in the country are now completely dependent on financial resources of professional organizers and have turned themselves into a "Rally for hire" groups rather than a true and genuine political gathering shouting for reforms.

He is afraid that the public may not know the extent of corruption in this country and may wrongly believe that they can cure corruption by simply replacing Arroyo with another person. He is afraid that the public may overlook the systemic and institutionalized nature of the source of corruption in this country, he is afraid that the people will again opt for a regime change without concern or a plan to correct the root causes of corruption in the country. He is afraid that people may not realize that it is not bringing Arroyo down that is difficult, it is establishing a new order that is the difficult task.

This is the predicament of Neri which I want people to realize especially to those who are asking Neri to tell the truth.


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cross-posted at ynseng.multiply.com

Dove Evolution

My apologies for the recent storm of video uploads in my blog. I just can't resist posting this awesome video from the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. It's quite old, actually. I think it's the first video in support of their campaign, and now they have two more. Check the Campaign for Real Beauty website to show your support or watch other videos.

Self-Esteem Is Worth Sharing

Biodiversity is LIFE itself

i found an old CD disseminated by the ASEAN Regional Center for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC) in 2005. The video is old, considering that ARCBC is now called ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). But the issues are still the same: we need to conserve our biodiversity. I hope that through these videos, I could somehow help get the message across.


Coral reefs need your help now!


The environment needs your help now!


Money can't be eaten


Extinction is FOREVER!

ynseng highly recommends

when you're aching to tell somebody, anybody,
but you can't...

PostSecret.

October 15 is Blog Action Day!

2 more days...

don't hate me

"don't hate me because i'm beautiful...

hate me because i dug up your misplaced dink, passed a perfect ball to my multi-talented setter, jumped my usual 39 inches and swung so sweetly that for one split second... even you became a fan.

hate me because i'm good."

what we REALLY need to know

unfortunately, as Stephen Downes argues, schools (or even workplaces) do not directly teach us the most important things we need to learn in life. in his article “Things You Really Need to Learn,” he enumerated 10 things we all need to learn in order to be successful. here, i’m listing all ten and giving my take on each.


1. How to predict consequences
i have often referred to this as foresight. more than thinking ahead, or observing patterns and generalities, or focusing on what you want to happen rather than what might happen instead, i’d say that this could also refer to focusing on overall consequences of even small actions, rather than aiming for short-term and short-lived benefits.


2. How to read
i absolutely agree on Downes that everyone should master the skill of critical thinking. “reading” should not be limited to simply being able to make sense of letters and words, but also being able to understand deeply what is being asserted and “being able to cut through the crap and get straight to what is actually being said, without being distracted.”


3. How to distinguish truth from fiction
it sounds all too simple. Yet, i have several times encountered people, profound as they may think they are, who can’t tell when they are being fed with total BS. everything is not exactly what it seems. words, actions, and even facial expressions are so limited as to be able to express a whole plethora of emotions that any human being can feel. everything that happens in this world could be directly or indirectly associated to a lifetime of history and a universe of other occurrences. there is no limit to understanding yourself or others.


4. How to empathize
even if you’re learning this skill only now, be glad. it took me a while to understand how important empathy is and now its one of the few skills i truly am proud of, thanks to my great experiences outside of my comfort zone and to the gift of empathy that my husband rubbed on me). i can’t explain this any better than Downes did so here’s what he said:

It is important to at least recognize that there are other people, and that they live in their own world as well. This will save you from the error of assuming that everyone else is like you. And even more importantly, this will allow other people to become a surprising source of new knowledge and insight.

When you are empathetic you will begin to seek out and understand ways that help bridge the gap between you and other people. Being polite and considerate, for example, will become more important to you. You will be able to feel someone's hurt if you are rude to them. In the same way, it will become more important to be honest, because you will begin to see how transparent your lies are, and how offensive it feels to be thought of as someone who is that easily fooled. Empathy is a genuine feeling in yourself that operates in synch with the other person, a way of accessing their inner mental states through the sympathetic operation of your own mental states.

You need to learn how to have this feeling, but once you have it, you will understand how empty your life was before you had it.

5. How to be creative
i believe i am creative not because i can spring ideas out of nothing, but because, as Downes explains, i can respond to things/occurrences/problems by using or manipulating my knowledge in certain ways. difficult as it is, i do attempt to extract some creative juices when i do my work, recite in class, blog, or even when i communicate with my husband!


6. How to communicate clearly
i understand Downes here as saying that it is not enough to say what we mean and mean what we say. it is “a matter of knowing what you want to say, and then employing some simple tools in order to say it.” i believe that this is one very important challenge to everyone because everyday, every minute, we are faced with the need to look at ourselves and be able to show someone else what is actually inside.


7. How to learn
Downes explains that “when you learn, you are trying to create patterns of connectivity in your brain. you are trying to connect neurons together, and to strengthen that connection. this is accomplished by repeating sets of behaviours or experiences.” in a nutshell, he is encouraging readers to constantly make attempts to learn, learn, learn! i guess that’s why i enjoy blogging --- i always learn something about myself and about every topic i blog about. in my work, however, i tend to painstakingly try to make sure i understand every little aspect of what i’m doing. (hint: google is my favorite thing in the world!)


8. How to stay healthy
this, i guess, is obvious: we must all learn to minimize exposure to diseases and toxins, and maintain our physical body. Downes also reminds us that “you never have to justify protecting your own life and health. If you do not want to do something because you think it is unsafe, then it is your absolute right to refuse to do it.” check.


9. How to Value Yourself
notice how crappy people tend to be constantly validating their own insecurities? i believe that people who have a real sense of self-worth (and self-awareness, if i may add) are free from the burden of unsuccessfully trying to prove themselves to othersall the time, thereby making their own and others’ lives miserable.

IMO, Downes explains it in a very simplistic way, but i agree on the need to believe. believe that you are good enough to have an opinion, have a voice, and have a say, that your contributions do matter. the caveat, i guess, is that you must be careful not to put someone else down just so you could raise yourself up.

10. How to live meaningfully
have you read the quote at bottom of this blog site? it’s a quote from the same ancient philosopher who said that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” (or was it Socrates? oh well.) Downes says it’s the hardest thing to learn and i have to agree. while i pride myself for attempting to live a virtuous life, life is not all that easy or simple, is it?

here are Downes’ recommendations: be dedicated to some purpose or goal, have sense of appreciation to the here and now, realize that your meaningfulness in this world is something you must create for yourself, decide what is worth doing and guide yourself to do it, and most importantly, realize that you have the power to control what you are doing and that consequences (even the bad ones) are, for the most part, a matter choice.



whew! i think i just wrote the most consuming self-help piece i’ll ever write! there’s nothing much left to say, i guess, except that we should all go and reflect, learn and live. now.


photos from deviantART.com.

best college pranks

here are a set of five videos (in no particular order) documenting the best college pranks in youtube, as collected by Thomas Bartlett in his article College Prank as Viral Video.

i recommend that you see all of them and be ready to laugh your heads off! and as i'm sure you'll be mighty thankful for this post, i'll demand that in return, you must post your comments and tell me which is your favorite!

...oh by the way, let this be my challenge to all current members of the UP Volleyball Club:
i think it's time that UP uploaded its own college prank in youtube, courtesy of the very dynamic UPVC! happy 10th anniversary!



Drinkin' Time
--a bit long but worth it!



Start-Up Sound



Upside-Down Room



Fun With Yellow Books



A Lecture Musical
--my personal favorite!

ynseng achieves new balance

i got new rubber shoes! my New Balance 708 was bought on sale – 50% off!!! hubby wanted to buy himself a pair and then decided to also buy me one as a birthday gift! it’s actually a women's running, all-terrain shoes but it looked good enough for both of us to use indoors – for volleyball and table tennis.

(i would’ve loved to buy new mizuno volleyball/indoor court shoes but they were much more expensive and not all that pretty. in fact i don't think i ever found a pair of mizuno rubber shoes that i liked more for aesthetics than function.)

this is what the New Balance website has to say about the M/W708:

A supportive trail shoe, the M/W708 will debut in the All-Terrain segment of the trail running category for August 2006. The 708 features Abzorb® cushioning in the heel and forefoot for exceptional shock absorption and medial and lateral posts for stability. Motion Core, an outsole feature that improves traction on rough terrain combines with the AT Tread® Outsole design to make the 708 appropriate for on- and off-road use. An N-Durance® Outsole ensures maximum durability and 3M® Reflective details provide an additional safety feature. MSRP = $75.00

my NB W708 will debut on sunday for UPVC’s vnight. and here's to hoping that i'll get back to improving my pingpong skills soon!

this blog is best viewed in any browser

if you have visited this blog prior to this post, you would have immediately noticed the changes in my title bar. here's the story...

i was recently pointed towards the website of the Viewable With Any Browser Campaign and realized that this is exactly what i was referring to when i blogged about the html problems in my title bar.

here's the idea:

"Anyone who slaps a 'this page is best viewed with Browser X' label on a Web page appears to be yearning for the bad old days, before the Web, when you had very little chance of reading a document written on another computer, another word processor, or another network."

so i joined the anybrowser forum and consulted with a subject-matter expert. his/her take on the matter (basically):

"The problem stems from your use of the marquee: it's a Microsoft-only tag, i.e it's NOT approved HTML - so Internet Exploiter is (I think) the only browser that fully supports it. It doesn't look that great in FF... it almost works... but not quite. It looks ok in Opera. In IE it looks great!

I think that simply deleting the marquee section would ADD to (rather than detract from) the overall quality of your blog - and free you up to concentrate on the content, rather than the presentation."

--Daily Llama

i therefore opted to drop the marquee. i'd rather work hard on presenting my blog in a way that adds interest to the content itself, rather than detract from it. so now i can (i hope) place the proud little button in my sidebar links, declaring this blog as viewable with any browser!


oh, and by the way, i also recently revamped the sidebar to update my blogroll and links. i'm also in the process of organizing my multiply account as my online photo/music/video album. my next project: conquering blogger beta.