trillanes does it again

Antonio Trillanes and I share something in common: we dislike Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Our commonality ends here. 

He takes his hatred to the streets (today, inside the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati) in an attempt to convince Arroyo to step down. But Arroyo is an intellectual bully who will not concede just because Trillanes demands it. He must have forgotten that he failed in 2003—the coup attempt that put him behind bars.

But I couldn’t blame him. More than 11 million Filipinos voted him to be Senator (I didn’t), landing in the 11th spot in the recent Senatorial elections. Such vote of confidence must have drowned him into the delusion that more than 11 million Filipinos will join him today. He is so wrong.

A bad news like this is the last thing we need at this time.  I’m sick of the Arroyo government, of poor governance, of dirty politics, but I’m also sick and tired of political and military adventurism for self-seeking reasons. Even if Trillanes denies the selfish motive, he still fails in wanting to get quick results for short-term gains.

At the end of this day, Trillanes can claim half the prize of victory: he has gained international attention for his clamor and stirred up people’s confusion, impatience, and restlessness. But who really wins? And then what?

13 Responses

  1. What has he gain?
    Nothing but contempt. He caved in so much for principles. He knew he had no support. He had to pay tondo folks to rally to his camp.
    And he wants to lead? Please, he should go back to whatever military school he came from and learn how to use strategy.
    This event underlines two things: Arroyo is a brilliant politician and the people are fed up. For once, just wait for the elections.

    thatie - November 29, 2007 at 1:44 pm
  2. thanks for dropping by, thatie. I’m not sure if Arroyo is indeed a brilliant politician; she doesn’t seem to me from where i am. But between hers and Trillanes’s guts, I hate his guts more.

    barrycade - December 1, 2007 at 4:11 am
  3. I sometimes think that we as a people are too immature to survive as a nation. We elect incompetent, self-serving bastards to Congress, we listen to each and every demented demagogue who has a microphone or loud enough voice, we exchange our principles for cash during elections, we can’t separate fantasy from reality, we have short-term memory loss - easily forgiving atrocities done to us, we criticize everything without submitting solutions resulting in nothing getting done.

    This latest caper by the SOB Trillanes only reinforces this hypothesis.

    Marvin - December 1, 2007 at 7:40 am
  4. Trillanes has a nice platform that’s why a lot of people voted for him. But what he did was plain stupid and impulsive. He should have used his position as a senator and planned his move, instead he goes out shouting in the streets.

    Ferdz - December 1, 2007 at 3:49 pm
  5. what i don’t understand is that why the hell they let Trillanes, who obviously has a hero complex, and co. walk out of the court? what the hell they were thinking? the authorities? these people? he should be stopped the moment he and his friends were about to step out from the room.
    GMA as a brilliant president? in the first place, Gloria should not be there. why is she still there i don’t know.
    she is not brilliant she’s a liar and a thief.
    there are some things i appreciate being out of the country but I pity my family who’s left back home because they have to bear someone else’s stupidity.

    melancolia - December 1, 2007 at 7:55 pm
  6. I share your sentiments–a coup is the last thing we need right now. The economy suffers the most, and then of course the people in the bottomline.

    Major Tom - December 3, 2007 at 8:37 am
  7. marvin: in all of these, i wonder where the learned, intelligent middle class is. our problem is not only how fragmented we are as a people, but also how indifferent many of us are.

    ferdz: i’m disappointed that Trillanes chose the easier, noisier path; though to begin with, i did not have high expectations of him as a senator.

    melancolia: you’re fortunate to be far away from all these; i’m not giving up on my country though. at least not yet.

    major tom: indeed, if a coup is the answer to our poverty, we should be a rich country by now.

    barrycade - December 3, 2007 at 10:51 am
  8. you have great points there, b. i so agree with you.

    that was some drama they came up with, really. but while it happened or was all over the news, a lot of us down here were not even aware it happened. i didn’t even know what went on until i read news online! i don’t know if we’ve just grown “manhid” or are just peaceful people, i don’t know…

    it makes me sad that our country is stuck where we are right now, maybe because of our leaders. i really hope that some1 rises up to change things around. maybe some1 who’s not after power and wealth, some1 who is truly god-fearing and who really cares about those who are poor.

    aCey - December 3, 2007 at 4:16 pm
  9. aCey: i had the same hope some few years back, but now I’m convinced it would be hard to find a new leader who won’t be drowned in power and wealth. if i take the other side, i can also say that these times is the worst times to be a leader.

    it might interest you to read (after you finish your thesis, hehe) Ronald Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers. It’s my all-time favorite leadership book which I would gladly read over and over again if only to remind myself of things that truly matter.

    barrycade - December 4, 2007 at 3:02 am
  10. sounds like an interesting book.

    aCey - December 6, 2007 at 4:56 am
  11. i share the same sentiments with trillanes but i don’t agree with the method…. wala lang… gusto ko lang sabihin yan. :)

    ifoundme - April 27, 2008 at 10:33 am
  12. ifoundme: better late than never :) let’s hope we don’t have another military adventurism like this. thanks for dropping by!

    barrycade - April 27, 2008 at 2:58 pm
  13. hmmm…. i think i’ll frequent this blog. LOL! let me share with you what happens to the family if an officer decides to rebel against the government…

    http://ifoundme.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/military-adventurism/

    ifoundme - April 28, 2008 at 12:51 am

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