Maki Baka, Wag Kabayo

I rarely engage myself into listening or watching political shit on the tv/radio. Last night was one of those rare moments. I was painting my miniatures and chose the hubbub inside the then ongoing "vote of no confidence" (as how the Starwars' Galactic Senate called it) inside the House of Congress as ambient sound.

Normally, I would choose one of those primetime telenovelas or just switch on the music (if the telenovela fan's club in our house would permit) but the talks in the Lower House were outright entertaining (sadly) to pass. Speaker de Venecia was on the hot seat. Will he stay or will he not?

Some Representatives would ought to explain their votes and these have been the segments where it got amusing.

One congresswoman, who kept on shouting her speech adamantly (trying hardly to fashion an impact through voice pitching?), forgot to state her vote as she was carried away with her oration (which frankly din't make sense to me, no matter how much vigor she exerted on it) and strode off the rostrum as soon as she was done with it. The House was laughing their arse off as the acting Speaker called her back for her vote (which she still yelled, "YES I WANT CHANGE MISTER ISPEKER!"). Wahaha. Bloopers.

Another one intently made a joke about his vote though. He voted, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"...but count that as a single "Yes", Mister Speaker," he continued.

But an overwhelming LOT was soooo disappointing (still in an entertaining way). They invoked their rights to have a three minute explanation of their votes just to waste on:
1. recounting their political memoirs and/or achievements and attempted (unsuccessfully) to connect it with the issue at hand (parang yung teacher ko dati sa Filipino na ang buong lesson sa isang araw ay nauubos sa kwento niya ng buhay nya noong 19-forgotten)
2. enumerating their constituents' grievances (so they said) and blamed it to the ruling body (or any convenient scapegoat that eventually still pointed down to the Speaker et al.)
3. describing (metaphorically and/or circuitously) the meaning of "political change" and "moral revolution", which every single soul inside the Congress (should) knew anyway (gusto lang ipamukha sa lahat na may naiintindihan sila sa nangyayari - kuno, OR na marunong silang magsalita ng English - kahit binabasa lang naman nila yung script na ginawa ng writer nila)
4. telling (rather, proudly) to the Lower House that their votes went to the mandate of their political party (as if they were lapdogs who could not think for themselves... so saaaad)

Syempre, kung merong binoto ang sambayanang Pinoy na mga patabaing-tiyan at pakyut-lang-sa-kamera na mga Representante, meron pa din namang nangingilang nai-boto na nararapat sa kanilang kinalalagyan.

One of my personal favorite was this discourse delivered by Party-List Representative Teddy Casiño. He told that he was NOT voting "NO" just because he was in favor of Speaker de Venecia appointed on his seat but because it was not for the general benefit to have a change in leadership at this moment of political struggle. He added (and it was obvious anyway) that this entire drama was just another plot by the administration to establish control over the Congress (since JDV just denounced his support to GMA).

Saludo din ako sa isa sa mga Representanteng nag-abstain. He said his political party had a meeting prior to the (then) ongoing ruckus and proposed an advocacy towards a unanimous "YES" vote for the group. But at the last minute, he wished to abstain for the fact that he followed his own reasoning and has chosen not to be swayed by any external machination. I can just imagine the scorn in the faces of his party mates but this Representative is what a political man should be made of... a reason why no matter how bullcrap the government was, there were still sparks of hope for real democracy.

Mali si JDV dahil ngayon lang siya "kumanta" sa mga nalalaman niya pero mas mali na patalsikin siya dahil "kalaban" na siya ng administrasyon.

Haha... now I sound like a broken AM radio slash radical activist leader, yes?

*****

Addendum: Natatawa din ako kapag naiisip ko yung mga dating bumoto ke Gloria dahil "no choice" naman daw sila among the candidates.

Kung tatakbong presidente ng Pilipinas si Taning, Lucifer, at Satanas sa dadating na halalan... boboto ka ba ng isa sa kanila dahil "no choice" ka na?

Maki Baka, Wag Kabayo

I rarely engage myself into listening or watching political shit on the tv/radio. Last night was one of those rare moments. I was painting my miniatures and chose the hubbub inside the then ongoing "vote of no confidence" (as how the Starwars' Galactic Senate called it) inside the House of Congress as ambient sound.

Normally, I would choose one of those primetime telenovelas or just switch on the music (if the telenovela fan's club in our house would permit) but the talks in the Lower House were outright entertaining (sadly) to pass. Speaker de Venecia was on the hot seat. Will he stay or will he not?

Some Representatives would ought to explain their votes and these have been the segments where it got amusing.

One congresswoman, who kept on shouting her speech adamantly (trying hardly to fashion an impact through voice pitching?), forgot to state her vote as she was carried away with her oration (which frankly din't make sense to me, no matter how much vigor she exerted on it) and strode off the rostrum as soon as she was done with it. The House was laughing their arse off as the acting Speaker called her back for her vote (which she still yelled, "YES I WANT CHANGE MISTER ISPEKER!"). Wahaha. Bloopers.

Another one intently made a joke about his vote though. He voted, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"...but count that as a single "Yes", Mister Speaker," he continued.

But an overwhelming LOT was soooo disappointing (still in an entertaining way). They invoked their rights to have a three minute explanation of their votes just to waste on:
1. recounting their political memoirs and/or achievements and attempted (unsuccessfully) to connect it with the issue at hand (parang yung teacher ko dati sa Filipino na ang buong lesson sa isang araw ay nauubos sa kwento niya ng buhay nya noong 19-forgotten)
2. enumerating their constituents' grievances (so they said) and blamed it to the ruling body (or any convenient scapegoat that eventually still pointed down to the Speaker et al.)
3. describing (metaphorically and/or circuitously) the meaning of "political change" and "moral revolution", which every single soul inside the Congress (should) knew anyway (gusto lang ipamukha sa lahat na may naiintindihan sila sa nangyayari - kuno, OR na marunong silang magsalita ng English - kahit binabasa lang naman nila yung script na ginawa ng writer nila)
4. telling (rather, proudly) to the Lower House that their votes went to the mandate of their political party (as if they were lapdogs who could not think for themselves... so saaaad)

Syempre, kung merong binoto ang sambayanang Pinoy na mga patabaing-tiyan at pakyut-lang-sa-kamera na mga Representante, meron pa din namang nangingilang nai-boto na nararapat sa kanilang kinalalagyan.

One of my personal favorite was this discourse delivered by Party-List Representative Teddy Casiño. He told that he was NOT voting "NO" just because he was in favor of Speaker de Venecia appointed on his seat but because it was not for the general benefit to have a change in leadership at this moment of political struggle. He added (and it was obvious anyway) that this entire drama was just another plot by the administration to establish control over the Congress (since JDV just denounced his support to GMA).

Saludo din ako sa isa sa mga Representanteng nag-abstain. He said his political party had a meeting prior to the (then) ongoing ruckus and proposed an advocacy towards a unanimous "YES" vote for the group. But at the last minute, he wished to abstain for the fact that he followed his own reasoning and has chosen not to be swayed by any external machination. I can just imagine the scorn in the faces of his party mates but this Representative is what a political man should be made of... a reason why no matter how bullcrap the government was, there were still sparks of hope for real democracy.

Mali si JDV dahil ngayon lang siya "kumanta" sa mga nalalaman niya pero mas mali na patalsikin siya dahil "kalaban" na siya ng administrasyon.

Haha... now I sound like a broken AM radio slash radical activist leader, yes?

*****

Addendum: Natatawa din ako kapag naiisip ko yung mga dating bumoto ke Gloria dahil "no choice" naman daw sila among the candidates.

Kung tatakbong presidente ng Pilipinas si Taning, Lucifer, at Satanas sa dadating na halalan... boboto ka ba ng isa sa kanila dahil "no choice" ka na?