CCTAZZZZZZZZZZ

Just finished reading RG Cruz’s report on the CCTA (Citizens’ Congress for Truth and Accountability.). It is balanced report or summary of what transpired for day four of the event.

A few things come to mind:

1) I had a hard time to remember what CCTA stands for and I had to google it just to find out. Is it me or is the name not too catchy? At least they did not name it People’s Congress … it would have been a dead giveaway.

2) Some people call it Kangaroo Court. How can it be one if it is not even a proper court? It cannot summon witnesses, indict people, or punish people. All they can do is present a paper of what they think is right and wrong. Plus, I do think there are any marsupials in the Philippines. Crocodiles and monkeys maybe.

3) RG Cruz also noted that the attendance seem to be getting sparser. I think the people know when a show is a hit or a dud.

4) Dinky Soliman said sorry for what she termed her betrayal of public trust. Wait, I think I have seen this before a few months ago. There is a bit irony in the use of the word sorry. The word sorry seems to be a much-abused word as of late.

The non-court event seemed to be slowly tiring itself out. The alleged Subic Rape Case is getting more attention and perhaps rightly so. Unfortunately, the CCTA is beginning to sound like another set letters, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Tricks of the Trade

If you look carefully at events this year a lot parties with agendas and advocacies have been desperately attempting to gain attention of the public eye or in certain cases the world eye. Why do they do this? Well in the era of public relation and spin this one sure way of getting recognition, getting power, and destroying an institution or someone – which is in itself a means to get into power.

So what are the strategies that have been employed?

Rallies for and against someone is always useful. Occupy a stretch or two of roads and one can claim that there is a popular uproar or in certain cases popular support.

Instigate proceeding against an incumbent power or close to power, regardless of the legal validity. This is extremely popular if the target enemy is unpopular and in power. To the innocent the people engaging in such action might look like the often cited but in truth purely fictional knight in shining armor. Also, The way things land in the popular press is as soon as there are allegations then it must be true. Woe, it is if someone goes against popular opinion or opinion held to be true for those who believe in absolutes. Fortunately, for the critical thinkers lynch mobs are only used against the powerful and the perceived immoral people.

If the fails, conduct more rallies and prayers, nothing makes a campaign more effective than wrapping oneself with morality, it is even more effective than wrapping the national flag around one’s cause. Claim the upperhand and paint the enemy black. Better yet launch a people’s court. A venue for the truth, your truth, to be heard. Remember, the objective here is to be remembered not justice. In fact your assembly has as much legal authority as a US Circuit Judge in China during the time of Shi Huang Di,

Also it is effective in your cause if you have a symbol of oppression. It could be a concerned stranger from a foreign land. Who gets beaten up. Or better a old Grandmother or mother who fights for the principle remember Rosa Parks or Don Chino Roces. Or better yet a dead political leader, if he were assassinated the better remember the success of the Sandanistas or of Benigno Aquino.

If you are in power what can you do. Wrap nationalism around your clause. Resort to name-calling, effective words include power hungry , terrorists and adventurists. To counter the call for change cite progress and stability. Employ every legal trick in the book. And do not cave in.

The Romans had a phrase for this and it was Breads and Circuses.

Time for the Opposition to Change Tactics

I had an on-line discussion with a friend a few minutes ago. Amazing thing with today's technology is that you can have a discussion with someone instantaneously even if the Pacific Ocean and a couple of US States stand between you and him.

The discussion was your usual cabbages and kings and from time to time the thread went askew with the question, what was happening in the Philippines? The discussion noted that aside from the rape case of six American soldiers and GMA bashing of media, things seemed to have quiet down.

Things do seem to have quiet down for the moment. Despite attempts of the opposition and anti-government forces to drum things up, the interest does not seem to be there. The running priest's crusade against corruption seems to have floundered on his own self-righteousness. Even attempts to hold a people's court seemed to have lost the sparkle it once had. The mauling incident of a Green Peace member at Masinloc, Zambales and the alleged rape case in Subic, Zamabales easily replaced whatever news worthy value of the moves of the political opposition. Rallies, people's court and even political masses serve not to pressure someone from power, nor to educate people about the truth, these things are done to generate media attention and public interest. And when a rape case and the beating up of a green peace volunteer in Masinloc steal the thunder from your cause, you better rethink your stratagems.

The political opposition has to consider that, contrary to what GMA and Malacanang has stated, media in the Philippines is neither a bad boy nor a bully. Rather a fair number of the media are enterprising individuals not guilty of giving a bad picture of the Philippines but of sensationalizing things for their own end and agenda. How would you explain the predilection of a number of programs for showing manslaughter in the neighbourhood, rape or molestation as fillers for the news? A number of media only report stuff that is news worthy or exciting.

For the political opposition well its time to rethink your tactics. The old stratagems will not work. For one thing no one was assassinated.

And for us readers and punters of the news it pays to be critical of everything one reads, hears and watches.