Reaction to Trillanes

The tragic death of Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes continues to draw varied reactions from many Filipinos all over the world, with many convinced that the humiliating treatment Reyes received from Senator Trillanes became his undoing. Apparently, the conduct of Congressional inquiries and how so-called “resource persons” have been “abused and maltreated” has become a source of displeasure, if not outrage, among ordinary Filipinos who likewise lament the grandstanding that they perceive whenever such hearings get covered and televised live nationwide.

One such reaction came from reader Rene Moral (whose partial comments we are printing below), who decried “the way we choose our senators and congressmen which is based more on their popularity and notoriety rather than their statesmanship. The TV coverage of these Congressional inquiries must stop as they only bring out the worst in our grandstanding legislators. What law was crafted by previous Congressional inquiries into the ZTE and fertilizer scandals? Has anyone been sent to jail?

“There must be a way to educate and enlighten voters about what a legislator’s (both Senator and Congressman) job is, as well as the kind of educational attainment that those aspiring to craft laws of the land must possess to eliminate the clowns in Congress.”

A lot of people are also beginning to regret President Noynoy Aquino’s decision to grant amnesty to Trillanes (leader of the Oakwood mutiny and the Manila Peninsula hotel stand-off) whose case was already up for promulgation in the Courts. People should be reminded, according to one reader, that the Oakwood mutiny and the Manila Pen incident came at a tremendous cost to the government and the economy. While it may be true that the President has the prerogative to grant amnesty or clemency, people believe P-Noy should have at least waited for the judge to render a decision to affirm Trillanes’ guilt. As they say, wisdom comes from hindsight and unfortunately in some instances, it can come at a very high cost like in the case of Angie Reyes.

Temporary relief

Ordinary Filipinos are heaving a sigh of relief – albeit temporary – at news that local oil companies will roll back the prices of gasoline by 50 centavos per liter. This announcement came on the heels of an earlier rollback on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices by one peso per kilogram – the third in a row this February. Not surprising considering that the international contract price of LPG went down to $810 per metric ton at the end of January, or $125 lower than the previous level of $935 per metric ton.

While Egypt is not a large oil producer (with an output of about 740,000 barrels a day), the unrest in the past few weeks has contributed to uncertainty in the global market, with oil prices topping more than $100 a barrel two weeks ago – the first time it happened since 2008. And despite the ouster of Hosni Mubarak as president, oil and gas companies in Egypt and the Middle East are still concerned at the volatile political atmosphere in the region, remembering the 1979 revolution in Iraq when the industry was virtually in limbo as the new government cancelled all contracts with foreign companies – bringing down oil production as a result.   

Although people welcome the 50-centavo rollback, the more jaded ones are certain this “good news” will not last long, likening it to be the calm before the storm as they foresee another round of price hikes not lower than 75 centavos as has often happened in the past.

ABS-CBN continues to dominate

Despite getting stiff competition from GMA 7 and the fast-rising TV5, ABS-CBN continues to dominate judging from Facebook’s statistics portal Social Bakers which disclosed that the giant TV network is the only Philippine multimedia company in the Top 25 list of “most liked” media companies. More than a million online users “like” ABS-CBN’s page on Facebook – way ahead compared to other local networks’ Facebook pages. ABS-CBN followed 24th placer The New York Times, joining the rank of global media names in the Top 25 list which includes CNN, HBO, Cartoon Network, Fox News, ESPN, YouTube, Google and others.

The statistical report also reveals that Filipinos from all over the world are receiving the latest news and updates from the local network’s programs and other services, with 306,466 total users (according to data from ABS-CBN Interactive) who actively participate by sharing posted links on the page and commenting on topics at the discussion board.

Incidentally, Spy Bits was informed that the PBA games will soon be telecast on Studio 23 following the approval of both Solar Entertainment and the PBA Board of Governors. That should be welcome news indeed to basketball aficionados.

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