It was quite surprising to hear staunch GMA hater Manuel Buencamino try to convince his "daughter" to vote for Gilbert Teodoro in this article. Being pro Gibo myself, I thought it was nice for him to try and explain to his daughter that there is more behind the man than what is expected. Unfortunately, his brilliant daughter seems to be smarter than him (or so he portrayed), so perhaps we need a mother's point of view to iron things out here with such a cynical daughter. Hay nako.Once you've read the original, read this new version with Mommy CARLOS butting in...
CARLOS PLAYS MOMMY TO MANUEL BUENCAMINO'S DAUGHTER...
I (Manuel Buencamino) tried to sell Gilbert Teodoro to my daughter.
“I am impressed by Gibo Teodoro’s quick and decisive reaction to the Maguindanao massacre. He displayed courageous leadership,” I said.
“Why, what did he do?”
“Plenty. He visited Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu right after the massacre, went with him when he filed his certificate of candidacy for governor, and appointed him new provincial chairman of Lakas-Kampi after the Ampatuans were expelled.”
“You’re impressed that a presidential candidate took sides in a power struggle between warlords?”
OH, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE HIJA? I KNOW YOU ARE SCHOOLED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SINCE YOU HAVE SUCH EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE ON AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN KEPT DORMANT FOR DECADES IN THE RP.
HIJA. A SIDE HAD TO BE TAKEN. ONE SIDE WAS OBVIOUSLY HIDEOUSLY ABUSED AND TO WAIT LONGER AND NOT HELP A PERSON (THAT YOU KNEW BEFORE THE MASSACRE) WOULD ALSO BE A TERRIBLE SITUATION, DON'T YOU THINK? TIME IS OF THE ELEMENT.
“Why, what did the other candidates do?” I challenged her.
“The other candidates immediately called for justice for the victims and the immediate arrest of suspects. Isn’t that better than taking sides in a clan war?”
BUT HIJA, THE SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED (PERHAPS THIS CONVERSATION BETWEEN MARTIAL LAW) AND THE OPPOSING CAMP HAD TO BE PROTECTED. MR. TEODORO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE, HE TRIED TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THE TWO FAMILIES BEFORE THE MASSACRE HAPPENED. HIJA, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU THINK. IT REALLY... REALLY... IS NOT. AND I REALLY DON'T SEE HOW CALLING FOR JUSTICE WOULD BE EFFECTIVE EXCEPT FOR WELL, CALLING FOR JUSTICE. ACTIONS ARE BETTER THAN WORDS NO? LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.
“But isn’t it admirable that Gibo expelled the Ampatuans from Lakas-Kampi?” I asked.
“That was just a facial!”
A FACIAL? A TREATMENT TO EXFOLIATE?
“What!!!”
I was outraged by her cynicism. I decided to set the record straight.
“Lakas-Kampi said the expulsion of the Ampatuans was part of the coalition party’s cleansing process,” I said.
“Ayun, eh di facial nga!” she exclaimed.
THAT IS CALLED A COLONIC, HIJA. AND IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WAY BEFORE THE MASSACRE. LOOK AT ALL THE OPPORTUNISTS FROM LAKAS THAT DITCHED KNOWING THAT THEY CAN'T GET THE SAME FAVORS UNDER GIBO AS THEY DID WITH GLORIA.
“He expelled the Ampatuans but kept Gloria Arroyo, her children and in-laws as party members of good standing along with other well-known crooks, warlords and human-rights violators. They are not included in the cleansing process, why?” she asked.
AH. SO GLORIA ALSO MASSACRED 56 PEOPLE? IS THE CRIME DIRECTLY RELATED TO HER NOW, HIJA? TRUE. SHE DID KEEP THEM IN POWER. BUT THEIR CODDLING CAN BE TRACED ALL THE WAY BACK TO CORY, NO? GLORIA WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARTY. GIBO RESPECTS THE INSTITUTION AND PARTY RULES. HE IS STRENGTHENING THE LAKAS PARTY. NOT BLOATING IT, LIKE WELL, A FEW OTHER OPPOSING CAMPS.
“Don’t draw conclusions too quickly, maybe he will expel them all.”
“And who’s going to be left in the coalition if he does that?” She laughed.
“Ramos said Gibo’s decision to expel the Ampatuans ‘seemed like withdrawal of support’ for Gloria,” I said.
“Gibo, the man who said, ‘For me now to say I will turn my back and bite the person who gave me a break will be the height of ingratitude,’ has gone rogue? C’mon….”
GRATITUDE IS A BETTER VALUE IN MY EYES, THAN BEING BALIMBING, HIJA. AND MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE SERVED WELL UNDER QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. LIKE HOW NINOY'S DAD WAS VICE PRESIDENT UNDER THE JAPANESE. DID YOU KNOW THAT? NOW, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BLAME ALL THE ABUSES WE EXPERIENCED IN WW2 ON HIM EVEN IF HE DID KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING. WOULD YOU? WOULD YOU?
“He did it on his own,” I insisted.
“What was his position on Proclamation 1959?”
“He said he would wait for the justifications and reasons for it,” I replied.
“He was waiting for instructions,” she said.
“That’s not fair.”
“Well, Gloria already lifted martial law and he still has not told the country whether he was for or against it.”
WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHAT HIS STATEMENTS ARE ABOUT A SITUATION THAT HE HAS NO RIGHT TO CONTROL? HE IS NO LONGER DND SECRETARY. WHY ARE WORDS ONCE AGAIN MORE IMPORTANT THAN ACTIONS, HIJA?
“He has a mind of his own,” I repeated.
“Huh? What is his platform?”
GIBO.PH. CLICK ON HIS PLAN FOR EACH REGION OF THE PHILIPPINES
I shrugged.
She recited his platform from memory, “Ang policy ko ay ituloy ang mga programa ng administrasyon at ang pinakamalaking policy ko ay, oras na manalo ako, hihikayatin ko ang Kongreso mag-Charter change tayo—sa con-con [My policy is to continue the administration’s programs and, as soon as I win, my biggest policy will be to ask Congress for Charter change through a constitutional convention].”
BUT HIJA THE CHARTER NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. NOT JUST THE PRESIDENTIAL VIS A VIS FEDERAL BUT ALSO IN MANY OF THE OTHER ASPECTS LIKE IT'S ECONOMIC PARTS. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT CORY'S CONSTITUTION IS FLAWED AND SET THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHY WE ARE IN THE MESS WE ARE IN TODAY. AND ONCE GLORIA STEPS DOWN, YOU THINK SHE WILL GET THE NUMBERS IN HER PARTY TO MAKE HER PRIME MINISTER, ESPECIALLY SINCE A LOT OF LAKAS FOLK HAVE GRAVITATED TOWARDS OTHER PARTIES. SHE IS TOXIC EVEN WITHIN HER OWN PARTY. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED GLORIA HAVE NOW FLED TO OTHER PARTIES TOO, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THEM AND THE PARTY THAT ACCEPTED THEM? HMM? HIJA?
“So are you saying Gibo is Gloria’s stunt double?”
“He said it, I didn’t.”
“I’m sure he meant that he would continue the good programs of Gloria but not her shenanigans,” I explained.
“He’s going to fight corruption and hold crooks accountable?”
“Why not?”
“He is the standard-bearer of the party of corruption and impunity, doesn’t that tell you anything?”
“But he’s a nice guy,” I said.
“Yes, he’s a nice guy. Unfortunately, he fell in with a bad crowd,” she lamented. “He should have resigned from the coalition instead of expelling the Ampatuans.”
UM BAD CROWD?? MORE LIKE WHAT CROWD?? IF YOU WANT SCARY, LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER BLOATED POLITICAL PARTIES OUT THERE, HIJA. RESIGNING ONLY WOULD HAVE CREATED USELESS DRAMA AND NOT HELPED ANY SITUATION. IT'S SAD THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT CHANGES CAN HAPPEN FROM WITHIN. WHAT WOULD RESIGNING HAVE DONE? WOULD THAT ONE DRAMATIC MOVE MAKE YOU VOTE FOR HIM? HIJA. LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE. IF AN ACTION NEEDS TO BE DONE, IT HAS TO BE MORE THAN SYMBOLIC, HIJA.
“Why?”
“Because expelling the Ampatuans is a ruse if no action is taken against the little girl who created, armed and coddled them. If he does not leave the party, then he is an accomplice to the machinations to clear Gloria of any responsibility for the Ampatuans….”
THE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST HER SHOULD BE DONE BY THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM NOT MALACANANG. THE PRESIDENCY SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS A TOOL FOR REVENGE. HIJA, I'D BE MORE AFRAID OF ANY PARTY THAT PROMISES REVENGE OUTSIDE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM BECAUSE THAT WAY, NOBODY WOULD BE SAFE.
ONCE AGAIN, HIJA. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
“But….”
“I’m not done yet….”
“Sorry, go on.”
“As I was about to say…if he sticks with Gloria, then he validates nine years of impunity, corruption, human-rights violations and the destruction of institutions.”
“That’s harsh,” I said
“No,” she replied. “He has to be clear about Gloria. He’s either with her or against her.”
“But she is not a candidate for president.”
“All the more reason he has to prove he is not her stunt double.”
“Is there no a middle ground for him?” I asked.
“Sure, there is one. And he’s already there. It’s called limbo.”
AND LIMBO STILL HAS A CHANCE. BETTER THAN BEING IN A PARTY THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO HELL, HIJA.
O COME NA. DINNERTIME.
“I am impressed by Gibo Teodoro’s quick and decisive reaction to the Maguindanao massacre. He displayed courageous leadership,” I said.
“Why, what did he do?”
“Plenty. He visited Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu right after the massacre, went with him when he filed his certificate of candidacy for governor, and appointed him new provincial chairman of Lakas-Kampi after the Ampatuans were expelled.”
“You’re impressed that a presidential candidate took sides in a power struggle between warlords?”
OH, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE HIJA? I KNOW YOU ARE SCHOOLED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SINCE YOU HAVE SUCH EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE ON AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN KEPT DORMANT FOR DECADES IN THE RP.
HIJA. A SIDE HAD TO BE TAKEN. ONE SIDE WAS OBVIOUSLY HIDEOUSLY ABUSED AND TO WAIT LONGER AND NOT HELP A PERSON (THAT YOU KNEW BEFORE THE MASSACRE) WOULD ALSO BE A TERRIBLE SITUATION, DON'T YOU THINK? TIME IS OF THE ELEMENT.
“Why, what did the other candidates do?” I challenged her.
“The other candidates immediately called for justice for the victims and the immediate arrest of suspects. Isn’t that better than taking sides in a clan war?”
BUT HIJA, THE SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED (PERHAPS THIS CONVERSATION BETWEEN MARTIAL LAW) AND THE OPPOSING CAMP HAD TO BE PROTECTED. MR. TEODORO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE, HE TRIED TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THE TWO FAMILIES BEFORE THE MASSACRE HAPPENED. HIJA, IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU THINK. IT REALLY... REALLY... IS NOT. AND I REALLY DON'T SEE HOW CALLING FOR JUSTICE WOULD BE EFFECTIVE EXCEPT FOR WELL, CALLING FOR JUSTICE. ACTIONS ARE BETTER THAN WORDS NO? LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.
“But isn’t it admirable that Gibo expelled the Ampatuans from Lakas-Kampi?” I asked.
“That was just a facial!”
A FACIAL? A TREATMENT TO EXFOLIATE?
“What!!!”
I was outraged by her cynicism. I decided to set the record straight.
“Lakas-Kampi said the expulsion of the Ampatuans was part of the coalition party’s cleansing process,” I said.
“Ayun, eh di facial nga!” she exclaimed.
THAT IS CALLED A COLONIC, HIJA. AND IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WAY BEFORE THE MASSACRE. LOOK AT ALL THE OPPORTUNISTS FROM LAKAS THAT DITCHED KNOWING THAT THEY CAN'T GET THE SAME FAVORS UNDER GIBO AS THEY DID WITH GLORIA.
“He expelled the Ampatuans but kept Gloria Arroyo, her children and in-laws as party members of good standing along with other well-known crooks, warlords and human-rights violators. They are not included in the cleansing process, why?” she asked.
AH. SO GLORIA ALSO MASSACRED 56 PEOPLE? IS THE CRIME DIRECTLY RELATED TO HER NOW, HIJA? TRUE. SHE DID KEEP THEM IN POWER. BUT THEIR CODDLING CAN BE TRACED ALL THE WAY BACK TO CORY, NO? GLORIA WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARTY. GIBO RESPECTS THE INSTITUTION AND PARTY RULES. HE IS STRENGTHENING THE LAKAS PARTY. NOT BLOATING IT, LIKE WELL, A FEW OTHER OPPOSING CAMPS.
“Don’t draw conclusions too quickly, maybe he will expel them all.”
“And who’s going to be left in the coalition if he does that?” She laughed.
“Ramos said Gibo’s decision to expel the Ampatuans ‘seemed like withdrawal of support’ for Gloria,” I said.
“Gibo, the man who said, ‘For me now to say I will turn my back and bite the person who gave me a break will be the height of ingratitude,’ has gone rogue? C’mon….”
GRATITUDE IS A BETTER VALUE IN MY EYES, THAN BEING BALIMBING, HIJA. AND MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE SERVED WELL UNDER QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. LIKE HOW NINOY'S DAD WAS VICE PRESIDENT UNDER THE JAPANESE. DID YOU KNOW THAT? NOW, I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BLAME ALL THE ABUSES WE EXPERIENCED IN WW2 ON HIM EVEN IF HE DID KNOW IT WAS HAPPENING. WOULD YOU? WOULD YOU?
“He did it on his own,” I insisted.
“What was his position on Proclamation 1959?”
“He said he would wait for the justifications and reasons for it,” I replied.
“He was waiting for instructions,” she said.
“That’s not fair.”
“Well, Gloria already lifted martial law and he still has not told the country whether he was for or against it.”
WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHAT HIS STATEMENTS ARE ABOUT A SITUATION THAT HE HAS NO RIGHT TO CONTROL? HE IS NO LONGER DND SECRETARY. WHY ARE WORDS ONCE AGAIN MORE IMPORTANT THAN ACTIONS, HIJA?
“He has a mind of his own,” I repeated.
“Huh? What is his platform?”
GIBO.PH. CLICK ON HIS PLAN FOR EACH REGION OF THE PHILIPPINES
I shrugged.
She recited his platform from memory, “Ang policy ko ay ituloy ang mga programa ng administrasyon at ang pinakamalaking policy ko ay, oras na manalo ako, hihikayatin ko ang Kongreso mag-Charter change tayo—sa con-con [My policy is to continue the administration’s programs and, as soon as I win, my biggest policy will be to ask Congress for Charter change through a constitutional convention].”
BUT HIJA THE CHARTER NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. NOT JUST THE PRESIDENTIAL VIS A VIS FEDERAL BUT ALSO IN MANY OF THE OTHER ASPECTS LIKE IT'S ECONOMIC PARTS. IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT CORY'S CONSTITUTION IS FLAWED AND SET THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHY WE ARE IN THE MESS WE ARE IN TODAY. AND ONCE GLORIA STEPS DOWN, YOU THINK SHE WILL GET THE NUMBERS IN HER PARTY TO MAKE HER PRIME MINISTER, ESPECIALLY SINCE A LOT OF LAKAS FOLK HAVE GRAVITATED TOWARDS OTHER PARTIES. SHE IS TOXIC EVEN WITHIN HER OWN PARTY. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED GLORIA HAVE NOW FLED TO OTHER PARTIES TOO, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THEM AND THE PARTY THAT ACCEPTED THEM? HMM? HIJA?
“So are you saying Gibo is Gloria’s stunt double?”
“He said it, I didn’t.”
“I’m sure he meant that he would continue the good programs of Gloria but not her shenanigans,” I explained.
“He’s going to fight corruption and hold crooks accountable?”
“Why not?”
“He is the standard-bearer of the party of corruption and impunity, doesn’t that tell you anything?”
“But he’s a nice guy,” I said.
“Yes, he’s a nice guy. Unfortunately, he fell in with a bad crowd,” she lamented. “He should have resigned from the coalition instead of expelling the Ampatuans.”
UM BAD CROWD?? MORE LIKE WHAT CROWD?? IF YOU WANT SCARY, LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER BLOATED POLITICAL PARTIES OUT THERE, HIJA. RESIGNING ONLY WOULD HAVE CREATED USELESS DRAMA AND NOT HELPED ANY SITUATION. IT'S SAD THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THAT CHANGES CAN HAPPEN FROM WITHIN. WHAT WOULD RESIGNING HAVE DONE? WOULD THAT ONE DRAMATIC MOVE MAKE YOU VOTE FOR HIM? HIJA. LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE. IF AN ACTION NEEDS TO BE DONE, IT HAS TO BE MORE THAN SYMBOLIC, HIJA.
“Why?”
“Because expelling the Ampatuans is a ruse if no action is taken against the little girl who created, armed and coddled them. If he does not leave the party, then he is an accomplice to the machinations to clear Gloria of any responsibility for the Ampatuans….”
THE ACTION TAKEN AGAINST HER SHOULD BE DONE BY THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM NOT MALACANANG. THE PRESIDENCY SHOULD NEVER BE USED AS A TOOL FOR REVENGE. HIJA, I'D BE MORE AFRAID OF ANY PARTY THAT PROMISES REVENGE OUTSIDE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM BECAUSE THAT WAY, NOBODY WOULD BE SAFE.
ONCE AGAIN, HIJA. SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
“But….”
“I’m not done yet….”
“Sorry, go on.”
“As I was about to say…if he sticks with Gloria, then he validates nine years of impunity, corruption, human-rights violations and the destruction of institutions.”
“That’s harsh,” I said
“No,” she replied. “He has to be clear about Gloria. He’s either with her or against her.”
“But she is not a candidate for president.”
“All the more reason he has to prove he is not her stunt double.”
“Is there no a middle ground for him?” I asked.
“Sure, there is one. And he’s already there. It’s called limbo.”
AND LIMBO STILL HAS A CHANCE. BETTER THAN BEING IN A PARTY THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO HELL, HIJA.
O COME NA. DINNERTIME.
