Seeing ghosts

While I “trust” President Noynoy to do the right things, I have to confess that recent events were very disturbing for this survivor of Martial Law.

When the President came out with select members of his cabinet and the Armed Forces and the PNP on TV and front pages of newspapers, the first thing that came to mind was when Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law.

Even after the President clarified that he was emphasizing the serious threat of a terrorist attack during the annual feast of the Black Nazarene, I still could not shake memories and flashbacks of a time when Ferdinand Marcos suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus and eventually declared Martial Law.

You have to excuse my paranoia but my short term memory reminds me of a former spokesperson of the AFP who was forced to resign when he theoretically suggested that anything is possible including P-Noy setting up a revolutionary government just like the one his mother set up right after the EDSA People Power revolt.

Considering his unceremonious resignation, I could not help but wonder if that was because of loose lips or because he slipped something hush hush. Sometimes having the memory of an elephant is not all that pleasant.

To add to my stress, I just glanced through a couple of netizen posts on Facebook, suggesting what we need in our “Pasaway” or hard headed society is a “Benevolent Dictator”. Sorry but before we start talking about benevolent dictators, I suggest that people should first interview the victims and enemies of so-called benevolent dictators.

Given the fact that P-Noy is surrounded by many of the same old EDSA revolutionaries and knowing the frustrations the President has trying to get things done, forgive me if I would not put it past him to, at the very least, entertain dress rehearsals if not suggest extreme Executive action.

Perhaps it would be a good idea if the Communications group exerted a little effort to avoid “firing squad” portraits and if cabinet members spent a little time on grooming before coming out for photo-ops or video grabs. I’ve never seen a more haggard and aged looking group than the people behind the President last Monday.

In spite of all that, I personally appreciate that the Executive department exercised all its powers to the extent of disrupting mobile phone services in critical areas to prevent any IEDs or improvised explosive devices from being triggered via cellphones. I certainly compliment all those involved for showing what government is capable of doing when it chooses to do so. After the unfortunate incident we call the Luneta Massacre, it is good to know that the P-Noy administration has learned well from the past.

Having passed the test of a terrorist threat, I hope the President and his team will now be more “positively” encouraged to be pro-active and “public” in handling events, whether they are natural disasters or political issues. This “new” style for P-Noy makes him look more business like and professional compared to his combative, argumentative posturing when he went on the attack against the Chief justice.

As for the ghosts of Martial Law, they are there to remind us to be vigilant and to be on guard so that the folly of a few will not so easily ruin our nation once again.

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A second wave of help and volunteers will soon be launching off for Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, this time to bring in much needed medicines, doctors and even all terrain vehicles.

Members of Land Rover Club of the Philippines will be sending several of their vehicles with the assistance of the Philippine Navy to Iligan where they will help transport medicines and doctors to far flung barangays only accessible to four-wheel vehicles. As an organization that has consistently participated in the International Rainforest Challenge, the LRCP will soon be putting all their skills and experience into real life relief work.

I don’t know who will be in the final list but my godson Marc Soong who represents Land Rover in the Philippines has offered me a seat on this trip for a good cause. Thanks to the efforts of the over-staying president of LRCP Atty. Robbie Consunji, the Land Rovers will soon be to the rescue!

The only person who will not be smiling will be my friend Willie Soong who was excluded from the list because someone has to mind the store.

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Who needs a complete campaign when were having so much fun creating our own.

I don’t know who exactly are the party poopers people are referring to when they mention “critics” or those against the new DOT Slogan, “It’s More Fun In The Philippines”.

From what I’ve seen and read on social media, everybody has gotten into the act that whoever won the contract for the campaign may find themselves obsolete or acting as implementors more than creative service providers.

Instead of being blown to bits by critics, people have carried the slogan to new heights and have contributed more and more material practically making any further “creative” work almost unnecessary. While the DOT may not have shelled out any money yet, Secretary Mon Jimenez and the winning agency should be careful about any potential arguments or claims concerning intellectual properties or reactive concepts once they piece together a “formal campaign”.

The question now is whether or not the wining agency will have the smarts to simply help put things together and render their services as their contribution in line with Corporate Social Responsibility, the same way several artists gave their talents free for the DOT MTV Tara Na! that promotes domestic tourism.

That amount of prestige and honor would be very hard to quantify!