UP Diliman's Statement on the "Gloriagate" Scandal

The President Must Resign Now

Statement of the University Council (UC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City on the political crisis facing the Arroyo administration.



13 July 2005


The pursuit of the truth and the quest for a democratic society are integral to the university's mission in society. In the conduct of its work, the University of the Philippines is strictly guided by the paramount values of honesty, personal integrity, and responsibility.

We have strong reason to believe that the recent actions of the Arroyo administration in relation to the so-called "Gloriagate" tapes – the initial attempt at a cover-up, the use of threat and intimidation to prevent public access to these tapes, and the clever admission of half-truths to conceal a serious offense, among others – constitute a direct assault on nearly all the values we hold sacred in academe.

A careful analysis of the content and context of the recorded conversations between the President and Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano clearly shows that there has been a betrayal of public trust, if not a subversion of the people's will in the last presidential election.

Grave economic problems confront the nation today. At no other time have we needed a leader who can heal the divisions in our society and inspire hope especially among our young people. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has done enough damage to our public institutions and to the country's self-esteem. We cannot afford to be led any further by a dishonest president who has shown no qualms about using the awesome powers of her office for purely personal interests.

The University Council (UC) of UP Diliman, Quezon City - composed of professors, associate professors and assistant professors and chaired by the Chancellor - calls on the people to guard against foreign meddling and military takeover in charting the nation's future in the event of her removal from office. UP Diliman faculty members will join the people in their struggle to build a progressive society and a responsible government and in their commitment to uphold civilian supremacy in government and governance. We thus call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately resign.


Source: League of Filipino Students' website

Hello, Garci?

First She Said "Hello, Garci?"

First she said "Hello, Garci?" and then there was The Tape. She was gifted with a distinctively "her" voice, so she decided not to speak about it for several days. Maybe she thought that if she spoke again, people would recognize the voice in the wiretapped tape to be really hers.

Those silent days seemed strange. She did not say anything about The Tape as if she didn't know about it or even watched the news. Even the kids on the streets knew about that certain Garci thing. I mean, it's all over the country, in fact, it was even all over Asia. Everyday, before "The Simpsons", Star News Asia headlines the Philippines about her. And so there were Garci, and Bunye, and Gonzales, and Vidol, and Concepcion. Then there were Fidel, and Cory, and the CBCP. There was even Kris Aquino.

First she said "Hello, Garci?" but she never hunted Garci to disprove that hers was the voice in The Tape. First she said "Hello, Garci?" and then there were "Hello, Garci?" ringtones, songs and dance steps. Radio stations played "Hello, Garci?" teasers in between segments. Major networks and newspapers nationwide headlined "Hello, Garci?" Everyone knew about it. I'm sure you've heard co-commuters answered their phones with "Hello, Garci?" I'm sure you've heard teenagers exclaimed "Hello, Garci?" in sarcasm instead of the usual "Hello, Okay ka lang?!"

"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?"
"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?"
"Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?" "Hello, Garci?""Hello, Garci?"

First she said "Hello, Garci?" and two weeks after, she said "I am sorry." And we were sorry too.
Lastly She Said "Hello, Garci?"


She supported the US government as far as she thought was right. But a lot of things turned up wrong. "Laban nga natin sa sarili nating Bayan, hindi natin maipanalo, nakilaban pa tayo sa ibang bansa."

She supported and funded the military instead of the education sector and other basic social services. There was VAT but she was not contented, there must be an E-VAT. More journalists were killed during her term than Fidel, Cory and Erap's terms combined. Let's not start comparing her term to Marcos' term. We will take forever, especially if we will compare her to Marcos. Marcos had the decency to declare Martial Law.

Honestly, I don't read the papers so much now like before. I don't have the time to watch the news. But I definitely experienced the transportation fare hiking steep. Sometime like only a year ago, my 5-peso coin was enough to take me from Quezon Avenue-EDSA to UP, until it wasn't. Then suddenly one day, the fare that I always paid the jeepney driver was 2 pesos short. I never availed the Student Fare before. This was the very first time that I felt the need to avail it, but too late, I have already graduated college. On the brighter side of it, buti nga grumaduate pa ako, sa hirap ng buhay.

I don't wonder why different groups call for her ouster, some for her resignation, and some for her impeachment. Bottom line is that it's not only the opposition that would want her out of the presidency, may it be through constitutional, or extra-constitutional, even unconstitutional means. She's done a lot of things to annoy these groups. And she's definitely done a lot of things to antagonize the people.

I know that nobody can be perfect. She cannot possibly light all highways, restore all cultural buildings, clean all bays and rivers. She cannot possibly trap all thieves, gamblers, drug lords, illegal loggers. She cannot possibly give every man a job, every woman a shelter, every kid an education, every family a dish on the table. I know nobody can do or has done those things before. But nobody has thought of the EVAT before. Or funding the military real big time. And though others before her time have family-incorporated government corruption already, or neglected civil liberty rights, nobody has done it as good (or bad) and blatant as she did this time. She might be forgetting that we learn from experience and that the people will not be fooled again. Okay, I might be repeating myself. Or just repeating what you might have probably heard and known before. You see, she wasn't able to do a lot of right things and maybe, just maybe, we can forgive that. But she's done an awful lot of bad things.

And lastly, she said "Hello, Garci?"


11 July 2005 | 11:44 PM

Irony (Hacienda Luisita Inc. vs. Pampanga's Red Light District)

As the basic masses integration (BMI) part of the 3rd UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers' Organizations (SOLIDARIDAD) Congress, the delegation went to Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac to visit the people in the picket line. The workers and farmers of the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI) are still standing, despite the food and financial crises brought to the picketers' families by the months-long strike that they held. They are still standing despite the violent dispersals that they have encountered. They are still standing despite the carnages and tears. They are still standing, by their principles. Yet what they ask for is plain and simple, and just just, the Cojuangcos ignobly would not give. All protests fall on deaf ears, as we say.

We all know the story. The farmers earn an average of P9.50 a week. It's not even enough to buy a pack of sugar that they produce right there in HLI, not mentioning all the deception that the HLI has done to them all these years. And sure we do not want to go to the topic of land use, land conversion, land grants, land grabs, land ownership, or just land. The most of what the workers and farmers ask for is a fair pay, and maybe a fair game. But the game in HLI has not been fair for three decades now. Like any other slave-master game, the masters win.

There's another game that's been cooking up there in Pampanga. This time, I guess, everyone thinks they all win. That's what they think.

We all know the story here, too. We've heard all about the flesh market in Clark. Back in 2001 when we went to Clark, I've seen Joes with Magdalenas. All colors of Joes, while some were Kims and Nakamuras. And of course, just one shade of Magdalena.

I have been to red light districts before -- Where girls were literally ordered.

I have been to red light districts before. There's even a small red-light "district" here in Caloocan that I pass by when I go home from any place Quezon City. I have even been inside a beer house where the girls only wore skimpy bikinis and thongs. Where girls dance around almost butt-naked. Where girls were literally ordered.

"I'll have one SMB, one sisig and one girl."

"SMB, sisig and girl on table 4!"

But this one in Clark is unlike any other red light district that I've been to all my life. No sir! It was thered light district, it is in Fields Avenue. Or should I say, it is Fields Avenue? It was blocks after blocks of red lights, and blue and green and yellow too. It's like the ones that we see in the movies. The clubs are averaging two floors each. But the fa§ades are massive. I've seen Las Vegas-themed clubs, Mexican-themed, Roman, Greek, complete with columns and ornamentations, at least two gold-painted concrete cement pharaohs and maybe a sphinx. Neon lights, loud sounds, all colors of Joes, Kims, Nakamuras, Chans, and even Juans.

It was a sight to see, really. I was in awe for the first few strides. Then another attraction that I only see in the movies (again) caught my attention -- the girls. In uniform pink bikinis, in rainbow-colored tube tops, and micro-mini skirts. In all kinds of undershirts and underwears. Suddenly, I thought I was in Florida and not in Nevada anymore. But there was no white sand, no water. And the girls were wearing go-go boots, platform shoes, stilettos.

This was definitely a flesh market. It was out of control. Oh no, actually, it was under control -- it's legal. The girls had IDs pinned on their bras. There were police bikes to see if everything's in order. Well, how could a business this loud and vulgar that occupied two, three blocks of Clark be illegal? It's so legal, it even had this street sign-like post in one corner that pointed where a certain club was located.

We went inside one club. I was dumbfounded to see around 10 girls wearing printed bikinis in a small rounded stage in front. The stage was ledged with a bar table where customers could sit down while watching the fish swim. And they could even touch it if they wanted. We asked the Mama San if we could talk to one of the dancers. She gave us Joy. I remembered her name perfectly. Joy.

Joy said all girls who work in the clubs of Fields Avenue were legal, otherwise, the police would get them, and they could not enter the bars. There were two types of jobs for the girls -- a dancer, or a waitress. But both could be ordered.

"I'll have one SMB, one sisig and one girl."
"SMB, sisig and girl on table 4!"

This is how it all works there: Most clubs are owned by foreigners, mostly Joes than Kims and Nakamuras, which explains why most customers are Joes -- they are friends with the owners. Some clubs do not allow Filipinos inside. Though it's a blatant bigotry, Juan would have a smaller selection of where he could waste his money and support this legal prostitution. So that's okay, I guess. But being the hardheaded Pinoys that we have always been, selection would not matter to answer earthly calls. Anyway, all clubs do not impose entrance fees. The girls and the clubs get 50-50 share of a customer's fee to a "take-home". That's the difference when what you take home is alive, the Chickenjoy never asked for a 50% commission from Jollibee. You get the girl tonight and you pay Mama San tonight, 1 kilo peso down, man. The girl has the option to go back to the club, or stay with the customer. The customer has the option to give "tip", or not. With tip or without, one customer equals P500. One customer every night in a week, excluding Sunday gives the girl 3K! And she still gets her monthly salary from the club for simply being a dancer, or a waitress. That explains why the girls sell flesh. And it's legal, remember?

To be a legal prostitute here, oops sorry, female sex worker (FSW), rather, to be a legal FSW, one should be 18 years old who has the guts to go to one club and apply for the position carrying an original or photocopy of her Birth Certificate. No educational background required. One must pass a short interview regarding a few bits on family background and a little English. If one has passed the interview and has a "pleasing personality", she would have to go to, guess where! The NSO! To register, of course. Then some 600 pesos and one gets her ID which I guess contains a picture, a name of employee and club, and a control number, probably pretty much like the ones in the back of limited edition Barbie Dolls issued by Mattel. Then she is ready to go.

And oh, if that's not enough, girls get this regular "hygiene check up" to see if they have acquired some disease. That's fair. And to see if they have been good girls the past week and still have their virginity. We know that story too. Virgins are more "sellable".

You got the irony there? In Hacienda Luisita, what the protesters are asking is that to give them what is due to them. Give them what they earn. It's not even illegal or wrong. But they never got it. While in Fields Avenue, the businessmen asked for something and they got it -- a big red light district, street signs to make sure customers get to The Haven, police for security, and legalized prostitution. And its legality makes it look right. What an irony.


June 01, 2005 | 9:21 PM

Balanced gender focus

you're 37% masculine

This is based on how you scored on a variety of traits that, founded on classic research and our own studies, are typically associated with men.

You're also 63% feminine, which is based on how you scored on traits that are typically associated with women. When we compare your results with other women it shows that you are somewhat more masculine than other women.

But what is gender identity exactly? A person's gender identity is defined by the extent to which they see themselves as masculine or feminine. Every person possesses both masculine and feminine qualities to some degree, however the extent to which each person has these qualities differs widely. While you were taking the test, we calculated your scores in 6 areas typically defined as masculine and 6 areas typically defined as feminine.