baratillo @ cubao

Recently joined up with a few other bloggers to form … Bare Naked Media. Its tag “Ripping Philippine Media a new one”. The blog takes a look at Philippine Mass Media - newspapers, news programs, television shows, films etc etc … the whole kaboodle - through eyes bereft of rose-tinted glasses, with big gulp of lambanog, and some wit. A Sancho Panza-like citizen of the blogosphere like myself could not resist the offer to join such an endeavor.

Meanwhile in the world of Pinoy politics…

Here we go again. Its time to play the Yakety Sax music.

The Opposition has endorsed a second impeachment complaint against the President and based on the news another one is being contemplated by another opposition figure. The said complaint is signed by a a mix assemblage of three hundred individuals - concerned citizens, widows and orphans of those assasinated under Arroyo’s watch, and the usual gang of Anti-Arroyo personalities.

Unfortunately, the three hundred strong complaint is political make-up at best. The real meat is in the complaint itself and the support it gets. What a difference it would make if the group had 75 Congressman backing the bill. They say this new impeachment has more teeth than the last one … we shall see. It may turn out to be impeachment with Benny Hill again. And one of the people behind this impeachment case did say they were filing this case without any illusions. I still believe that this second impeachment bid is a strategy to shore up support for the Opposition in preparation for the 2007 elections.

Has the Opposition learned it lessons? Has there been a re-thinking of strategies? We will know in the days to come. As for I would check the developments from time to time, one lesson I learned from last year’s impeachment there is such a thing as political news overdose also known as ANCnitis. Reading news and opinions from the main stream press with an equal amount of blog reading seem to be the right balance.

By the way …

Bayan Muna is already announcing it will field Satur Ocampo in the 2007 Senate race. It would be a welcome development. Akbayan, Bayan Muna, and the other parties Left of Center would probably be better off if they migrated from the PARTY LIST system to LOCAL and NATIONAL POLITICS. Socialists and Communist Parties that have succesfully captured the leadership of their countries were engaged in local politics. There are of course big exceptions: the Russian Communists gained power through a coup, although they did participate in the Russian Duma, while the Chinese and Vietnamese Communist Parties triumphed came about through armed conflictm, they won their respective wars. The maxim its only treason if you fail is valid in such situation.

And for what it’s worth …

To be honest I do not know what to call the people party left of center. If I call them c-o-m-u-n-i-s-t because it would be lumping them with Joma Sison,Ka Roger, NPA, NDF, and other parties. Who are now consider enemies of the state. I would prefer to call them socialists and they have also nationalist agendas … thus a quandry for I could never call them National Socialists. Leftist or Socialist would probably be a better sobriquet or would they prefer National Democrat?

Back to the party list system …

Come to think of it … A number of religious parties should also leave the PARTY LIST system as well. Leave the party list system to those who deserve and not use it as a stalking horse for the political interests of religious groups.