US chief spy Panetta personally receives Gloria's Philippine report

I was a bit surprised when I learned that Leon Panetta, CIA head and chief US spy was received by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, RP's head of state, for an hour-long "social call."

It all sounds a bit fishy to me.

I grant that the US has a very "special relationship" with the Philippines but for a US spy, never mind that he's chief spy (who's not even officially a member of Obama's cabinet), to be received by no less than the nation's head of state (and never mind that she's bogus too), argues the subservience of the nation to every whim of Uncle Sam. If you don't know, part of America's spy chief's job is under the table wheeling and dealing and making threats to lil presidents, eg., "We'll bomb you to kingdom come..."

You see, such social call on a head of state or head of Government, not even if the American is the head of the Central Intelligence Agency of the world's biggest super power, would have never been allowed in Europe. Not in the UK, not in France, not in Germany, and not even in buffoon Berlusconi's Italy.

Panetta going straight to Gordon Brown? Not a chance. The man he would have been allowed to make a social call on would have been the chief of MI6. Full stop. Panetta received for an hour social call by Nicolas Sarkozy? Gimme a break. He would have been directed illico to the chief of the DGSE even before he could say, "S'il vous plaît."

Why, I doubt that PM Najib of Malaysia would have given Panetta that kind of importance! I don't think that sort of thing would have happened in Thailand either, at least not officially and definitely not publicly...

We don't know what they talked about and we'll never know... could be a number of things... could be that Gloria is being told that she should not even dream of extending her term, etc., etc.

But we do know that US Chief Spy Panetta praised Gloria for her "efforts to rout terrorists" and we do know that to earn that praise and to ensure that Panetta would go home satisfied, reported that "her government rejected an Abu Sayyaf demand that Philippine troops pull out from most of southern Jolo Island in exchange for the freedom of three International Committee of the Red Cross aid workers, who were abducted last Jan. 15 and threatened with beheading."

Oh wow! A Philippine head of state reporting to a US civil servant?

To camouflage the indignity of groveling before the US via Panetta, Malacanang is now trumpeting the news that Panetta handed an invitation to Gloria, i.e., that she has finally obtained her ardent wish, that she be allowed to call on Pres. Barack Obama. But isn't that sort of job done by the State Department through the US Embassy in Manila? Fishy, fishy, fishy...

Filipinos and their government leaders may feel thoroughly elated that the chief US spy deigned come over to personally receive Gloria's Philippine report for an hour but believe me, it also argues one simple truth: the Philippines is an American doormat in that part of the world. Where's Philippine dignity? Gone to the sewers? There's nothing to be proud nor to be happy about there, nothing at all.

I'm in no way "criticising" Panetta's initiative. But it's Gloria groveling in front of a US spy on behalf of the Filipino nation that's frankly disgusting. Panetta is merely doing his job when he finds the opportunity, i.e., kicking butts (especially's Gloria's big butt), wiping the sole of his feet on an available doormat which in this case is RP... unfortunately, I fear the indignity of it all is lost on Pinoys.

Spending "Le Quatorze Juillet" in Port Saint Louis

In Port Saint Louis, Brittany for a few days - will be spending "Le Quatorze Juillet", the 220th anniversary of the French Republic, doing a bit of sailing and watching the fireworks from the port...

Automated voting system and business modus operandi in the Philippines

The election computerization project of the Philippine Commission on Elections seems to have hit a snag according to Ellen Tordesillas who has just blogged about it.

The contrary would have surprised me! From the very start, I had thought the smooth-sailing deal appeared just too good to be true.

Congressman Ruffy Biazon, son of former AFP chief-of-staff-turned Philippine senator, Pong Biazon, said in his Facebook page two days ago that he was suspicious, i.e., why the winning bidder-local partners to Smartmatic backed out from a hefty deal involving 11.3 billion pesos.

I posted the following comment re his post:

I suspect they decided the asking price for pay-offs was much too high. Seen it happen a few times when I was working in the Philippines — too many “ganids”. Absolutely anarchic. In Malaysia, there is a ceiling for “backshish” but in the Philippines, there is absolutely no ceiling; every one that knows someone who knows someone who is related to someone “important” peddles influence, wants a piece of the backshish action and demands, demands, demands cash privileges, i.e., upfront money. Just is bloody difficult doing business with RP.

And when you think the project is a go after all the hassles, some member of Congress threatens to take the floor and use his/her privilege speech period “to denounce” the contract (because he/she’s been forgotten”. You try to make sense of the entire situation but whoa, your travails aren’t over. Somebody else “blows” the whistle …. At the end of the day, not worth it… Might as well take your investment, your technology elsewhere.

Of course, after reading a bit more on the issue, I reckon, they -- the local partners -- were told to back off by another local business warlord who had been waiting in the sidelines, a similar scenario I’ve witnessed happen a couple of times.

This is but another one of RP’s endless important national projects gone bad just when the going was almost good.

Tongue Ferrum said in the same comment, “doesn’t make business sense”. But I’m not surprised. The whole modus operandi is consistent with how you do business with the Philippines.

RP will find it more and more difficult to attract foreign investors, joint venture proponents, technology transfer proponents, etc… This latest business fiasco will only serve to reinforce belief in the international business community that the Philippines is one of those horrible countries you avoid if you want to do legit business.

Unreliability, greed, crab mentality, extreme corruption, etc., these are some of the major hurdles international business need to overcome or to face if they want to do legit business with RP.

Actually, the best way to try to reap “profit” from a legit deal with RP is if you do straightforward sales but with a caveat: you accept to top up your offer with an incredible amount of “backshish” to land the deal. Just the same, it's important to remember that a contract signature by both parties, eg., RP and foreign business, does not guarantee that the offeror is paid. The best is "cash and carry"... Cory Aquino’s govt was good at that… When her govt bought missiles, it was “cash and carry”. That was one good deal — it worked because it was a “straightforward” deal.

Related topics:

• Automation firms may face legal action for contract breach
• Fishy deal

Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

Have just tuned in on CNN virtually this instant. Shocking news... Michael Jackson, iconic pop star has died.

The Jackson 5 was the first LP album I owned , a gift from my older sister, as a pre-teen and I remember being absolutely awed by the boy -- literally a young boy, barely older than me, who was the lead singer of the band. I've been a fan of Michael Jackson since then. His haunting rendition of the movie soundtrack "Ben" was virtuoso performance!

My children knew about him even before they learned to read or write as they discovered his music over the years via my "walkman" and his video clips on TV... They too became fans of Michael Jackson.

Sad to learn that an amazing entertainer of your generation, an extraordinary singer and dazzling performer, someone who you practically "grew up" with, has died..

Link: "Thriller" on YouTube

Post lifted from: Hillblogger 3

Philippines and Filipinos: A paradox!

There's a lot of incredible news about the state of affairs in the Philippines, many of which, in my view, are gruesome. The continuing shameless way Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ruthlessly bandies about her grotesquely greedy person at home and abroad makes me puke. But what to do? And what to say?

Well, I thought I'd already said plentiful about the Malacanang's wanton hussy during the more than 8 years the Filipino people have allowed her to squat in Malacanang and so, there's nothing really more to add since they are basically still valid today unless of course, I go into a cussing rampage which I've been inclined to do lately in other blogs.

The temptation to write graphic expletives in the direction of Arroyo or writing ad nauseum about what's wrong with the Philippines is strong but why repeat the same words in this same space when re-cycling a past post would do the job?

A recent blog entry by Ellen Tordesillas which I believe describes best the Philippines and the Filipinos -- and the paradox, including the comments prompted me to re-publish a post which appeared in this space more than a year ago.

But first, let's visit what Ellen says of Filipinos:

"Kaya lang sa sobrang kabaitan ng Pilipino, parang nagiging doormat na tayo. Tinatapakan na hindi pa rin uma-alma. Ayaw kasi nating ng gulo. Kahit harap-harapan na tayo niloloko, okay lang basta walang gulo. Hindi natin naiisip ang mas malaking gulong idinudulot ng isang ilegal na administrasyon."

And here's what I said last year:

Philippines and Filipinos: What a bloody mess!

A few facts about the Philippines and why Filipino society is in a bloody mess.

• The nation's executive branch is absolutely inutile.
• The country's legislature is downright useless.
• RP judiciary is virtually inexistent.
• Nation's armed forces are muzzled into cowardice.
• Religious institutions are in fact institutions of superstitions deep in Medieval practices of the faith.

With that for a backdrop, what realistically can Filipinos do in the face of the de facto inexistence and inutility of republican institutions? Where can Filipinos go to seek redress and obtain justice? Who can they count on to rectify the wrongs that are inflicted on them day in day out?

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There are more than 80 million Filipinos, half of whom are possibly able-bodied who should do something about the humiliation they are suffering from the hands of a few in society. There are only what, less than 200 members of the legislature and 15 members of the SC? But we see only a few thousands actively doing what should be done to rectify the wrongs and to take the frigging Pidal family and cronies to task.
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In my book, Filipinos, at least those who want real change, i.e., for the better, must rise to the challenge, should muster their courage and bring down their current crop of rulers without a moment's hesitation — show no mercy because unless they do so, they can expect no respect from the few who have made it their lives' motto to humiliate them, aggress them and keep them in abject servitude and poverty.
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Filipinos have yet to learn to demand and exact transparency and accountability of their so-called elected "rulers"; if these rulers fail to do it, bring them down! Punish the erring rulers, elected or not and rewad those who are honest. If a civil servant is corrupt, bring him down -- do not abet his petty crimes.

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Democracy is learned and not mimicked, it cannot be aped. Sadly, I believe Filipinos have not got beyond the aping period yet of nationhood. They have not learned that democracy must be harnessed and must be lived -- it is earned and not given.
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But Filipinos have admirable traits: they believe in the “rule of law” even if there is NO rule of law as such in the Philippines. They are to be envied for their patience, their resilience, their optimism, their unflinching faith in the Almighty as they depend on Him and His saints for little mercies, but shit, even a cowardly dog has self-respect, it bites when cornered!
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I reckon, Filipinos will wait for 2010 and use the election, hoping they can thrash the jerks out of office — but unless they guard the ballots and protect their votes with their lives, the exercise will be futile for they are bound to have the same bloody jerks and unscrupulous men and women ruling their lives. It will be the same story all over again. Who was it who said, you deserve the people you elect!
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Today's Filipino society is akin to a grumbling and furious Mount Pinatubo (shown erupting in 1991), that's still containing itself and can do so for generations just as Filipinos bore Spanish abuse for over three centuries and when they did decide to rebel, they first killed each other instead of turning all of their guns and their fury against the enemies.

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Meanwhile they bear the degradation, the humiliation and the poverty with cleched fists and gritted teeth, with great aplomb even, as they fiesta their way to forgetting. I feel sorry for Filipinos but at the same time I don't. My sympathy is reserved for the person who respects himself by fighting his oppressor!

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What a bloody mess the Philippines is in!

(First posted on Saturday, 29 March 2008)

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(NB: This will be the beginning of my self-imposed apathy. I will not be posting regularly anymore as much as I did in the past. Sadly, I am convinced that the Philippine mess will last for quite sometime for such is the Philippine culture of "resilience." Filipinos will take the misrule of law, the abuse, the humiliation and the savagery with a grin so whether I blog day in, day out or join a worthwhile cause to oust Gloria today or tomorrow will make no difference; majority of Filipinos will not budge, hence my presence in this space will not make an iota of difference.)

International Paris Air Show 2009 at Le Bourget

Will be off for a few days beginning tomorrow Monday to attend the Paris-Le Bourget Air Show.

Air show links here and here.

Last air show's pic gallery here -- to view last show's video library, click here .

'Kel konas!' ce Con-Ass!

This “con-ass” phrase is so gross! I didn't want to point it out but everytime I read it, it jolts me — so quirky that the phrase happens to have an awful translation in French…

Simply extraordinary!

The word “CONNASSE” (silent ‘e’) is a French word and pronounced exactly “con-ass” (or more phonetically, ‘konas’). It is a cuss word or a gross insult in the French language and literally means “dirty, ugly cunt!”

The phrase "NO TO CON-ASS!" is like telling those members of Congress who voted for the resolution that people don't want their "“DIRTY or UGLY CXXT!) So very appropriate...

Sometimes, when I read a nasty piece of news, I cuss Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo under my breath and I say, “Quelle connasse!” (Pronounced phonetically “Kel Conass! = "What a dirty, ugly cxxt!")

To put it more bluntly, "NO TO CON-ASS!" is like saying, "NO TO CXXTS!" while ANTI CON ASS (rally) means just that; anti-whatever... Heheheh!

(Apologies, but there's no other way to write about it, much less, define it!)

Poster pic lifted from Ding Gagelonia's At Midfield