Ka-Blog!

"Rude awakening"

I was rudely awakened by a worried call from my aunt this morning. My name's on the papers again, she said. 
       I was one of those charged by the Manila Police District for having violated Batas Pambansa 880 in connection with last Friday’s rally at the corner of Recto Avenue and Morayta Street.        
       I wish to thank MPD chief Supt. Arthur Paglinawan’s idiocy for ensuring that my name is on record to have done something for the ouster of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Mas nakakahiya kasi ang masabing wala kang ginawa laban sa peke, peste at magnanakaw na nakaupong pangulong ito.
        But I also wish to say that I was not there as a “left-wing leader of last Friday’s rally.” I was there as a legitimate member of the press.  Suot-suot ko pa ang aking Kodao ID habang andun ako simula alas dos ng hapon hanggang matapos ang rali lagpas alas-kwatro. Moreover, I have not participated in the four-day march from either Central Luzon or Southern Tagalog.
       But I am not surprised really. I was also one of those charged in the violent dispersal of the December 10, 2003 rally even when I joined the rally after Pedro “Pete Bull” Bulaong’s dogs were done with their truncheon-swinging fix that Human Rights Day. That charge was subsequently dropped.
       Which brings me to the points I wish to make about this front page story:

1. This regime is so violently shaking in its boots that it has to think up ways to dissuade the “left-wing leaders” to stop organizing rallies (as if gagawin naman nila iyon); and

2. Arroyo and her dogs would do anything to keep power, even preventing people to peaceably assemble and air grievances. Wala nang human rights—human rights sa kanila.

   And that is how tyrants orchestrate their own downfall.

Weird F1 season

Weird season, this year for F1 was.
     But not for Ferrari and Schumacher-haters. (My wife loves the Ferrari team and Reubens Barrichelo but hates Michael.) Many think that this year has been the best F1 season in years. Yesterday, Renault bagged the constructor’s championship. A couple of weeks back, Renault’s Fernando Alonso became the youngest F1 World Champion.
      I agree that it is good some new faces are being touted as the next Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumy. Heck, they may even have cult followings like Jacques Villanueve (a French-Canadian relative? Not!).
      But some would have agreed with me this is really a weird season.
      Last year, it was a given than a Ferrari driver would be at the podium. Every other team was trying their best to prevent Schumy from copping his seventh title. But at the middle of the season, everyone was ready to admit he will have it, with the help of his long-suffering partner Reubens.
      So what did the F1 bigwigs do? Change the rules, they did. They made the teams use the same engines for two races and the tires for the entire race, including time trials. I firmly believe these rule changes were made to cripple the formidable Ferrari formula—change engines every race and tires up to three or four times in a race.
      I am willing to admit that Renault, Maclaren-Mercedes, BMW-Williams. Toyota and BAR-Honda made huge leaps in engine development. Still, I kinda think that Ferrari got the raw end of the deal.
     As a result, the only Ferrari one-two win this season is the bizarre American Grand Prix in Indianapolis where only four Bridgestone-shod teams participated. That’s right. An F1 race with only four teams running.
     To make matters worse, Barrichelo announced mid-season that he’s driving for BAR Honda next season, breaking up a team up that is as legendary as Jordan-Pippen and Malone-Stockton, even Paras-Magsanoc in basketball.
     I did not like this season nor do I look forward to next year. I still prefer the “fastest engine/tire/team/driver” formula. That, for me, is Formula 1.

Kaming mga taong lansangan

It may seem to my benefit that I only get to hear about violent dispersals of rallies these days.

     It is not that I do not want to attend rallies. I remain an activist and although I am no longer as swift on my feet or as stupid to buddy up with Tonchi Tinio in rallies, I long for the days when I could attend them regularly like I used to.

     Radio work keeps me from the streets nowadays, however. It was my regular boardwork at DZRJ-AM today. I only got to hear about the dispersal from a news report by Ruth Cervantes during the program—they were violently dispersed at Mendiola. Again.

     Kodao people were reviewing their tapes when I got to the office after the program. They told me not to see them or I might get too agitated and say things I shouldn’t say when I do boardwork again tomorrow. But I can’t help myself.

     There were three scenes and persons that struck me most:

a. RC Constantino on the front line, being struck by police shields which are being used more as weapons now than for defense. He braved the goons, linked arms with comrades and plowed on to Mendiola. He is his father’s son today.

b. Fr. Joe Dizon, getting a bit physically infirm but still ideologically solid. Wearing his immaculate habit, he was not spared from police brutality. But Christ himself was persecuted by Roman soldiers, di ba?

c. Rep. Satur Ocampo, whose shirt got torn by the police goons. While his bodyguards protected him, Ka Satur himself was embracing a comrade to keep him from being carted off and mauled further by the police. Sinong Congressman ang hindi man lamang nagmura sa mga hamak na pulis kahit na siya ay dinadahas?

     As I was viewing the tape, I vowed to attend the next rally in Manila. I wanted to be at the forefront again and use my considerable bulk to push back the goons and sneak in a few punch if I could.

     But come to think of it, I have other tasks to perform. And if I ever attend rallies regularly again, will I be like those policemen or will I be like Red, Joe or Satur?

     No brainer, the latter. Isa pa rin akong taong lansangan at hindi namin ka-level ang impostor sa Malakanyang.