Thursday, November 01, 2007

Trillanes, liar or just gulllible?

When the Glorietta blast happened, Senator elect Trillanes immediately put out a press release accusing National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon as the people behind the act.

On another press release the next day he writes
“As a person, and now as an elected lawmaker, I do not just make statements out of pique, or without anything to stand on, or to grandstand. I have information obtained from my own network of informants in the AFP and the intelligence community.”
When the Philippine National Police (PNP) presented their findings that the blast was actually an accident and not deliberate he still insisted that his version of the story is the true one
"Insisting that he knows certain information that would point to National Security adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon as possible authors of the Glorietta 2 blast, and brushing aside criticisms of his accusation as being irresponsible and without basis, opposition senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV today said he will prove his accusations in a Senate investigation."
They even wrote to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) protesting an editorial cartoon
"The Inquirer editorial cartoon showing Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV thinking aloud that he needs to “rework” his “strategy of speaking without thinking” (Inquirer, 10/24/07) may be an expression of opinion, but it is also a presumption of the senator’s frame of mind toward his work. It has completely no basis.

It is flatly false because Trillanes did not whip out of thin air his charge that Norberto Gonzales and Hermogenes Esperon have something to do with the Glorietta 2 explosion. He has received credible and reliable information about this and is prepared to tell all that he knows and is ready to present his witnesses in an investigation to be conducted by an independent, impartial and credible body. He has, in fact, made a step further. He will present his witnesses in a Senate probe and has filed a resolution to this effect."
To be fair, not a lot of Filipinos immediately believed the PNP report that the blast was an accident. Filipinos are a cynical bunch when it comes to their government. The PDI itself urged the PNP not to rush to any conclusion. A corroborating agency was required to support the PNP.

Today, the PDI itself obtained a copy of the report of the Australian Forensic Police (AFP), that concluded that
“there was no evidence to suggest that the explosion had been caused and/or initiated by an improvised explosive device.”
I think, that settles the question. The Australian Forensic Police has backed up the conclusion of the Philippine National Police.

Where then did Senator Trillanes find his witnesses against National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon? Did he make them up to get himself in the front pages of the papers or were they real and he was just a dupe for people who wanted to destabilize the Philippine government and replace the sitting President? Are there other explanations that does not make him look crazy or stupid?

Whatever the truth is, this proves that he should not have been elected Senator of the Philippines. It proves that he's almost as out of control as Senator Santiago.

Update:

I just saw the poll that they are running on the blog asking their readers
"What do you think caused the Glorietta 4 explosion?"
88% believes that "A bomb planted by State Sponsored Operatives" was the cause of the explosion.

I am not sure if any corroborating evidence, even by the FBI will convince these people that the explosion was an accident. I may be witnessing my first ever Philippine conspiracy theory akin to the 9/11 truthers in the United States.

9 comments:

Danny Boy, FCD said...

Trillanes is a crackpot. It's shameful that he was voted into office for being "principled." We now see that his principles are tinged with conspiratorial thinking and delusions.

Roy C. Choco, FCD said...

I think Filipinos like to vote into office known critics of Presidents

The Nashman said...

may pagka-sado masochist kasi tayong mga pinoy....

ewan ba why they prefer this to be the work of a bomber.

aba, hindi ba sila kinikilabutan, kung bomber ito, super galing nya....matakot na ang buong mundo...

hmmm, buti nalang pala na ang ebak ng mga poor ay sa ilog pasig ang bagsak...

Roy C. Choco, FCD said...

Hindi naman siguro sado-masochist ang mga pinoy. critical lang tayo sa ating mga presidente. Bago kay Marcos at Gloria, walang presidente ng Pilipinas ang nanalo ng re-election. At itong dalawang na re-elect ay nanalo lamang dahil... alam mo na.

Kaya gusto ng mga tao na maglagay ng kontra-pelo sa mga Presidente natin, at usually yung mga mai-ingay at headline friendly, yung nakikilala, at sila yung naboboto.

Danny Boy, FCD said...

GMA wasn't "reelected," she usurped the presidential post in a moment of public unrest. Our constitution, for what it's worth, does not allow presidents to be voted for two terms. She was merely savvy enough to exploit a loophole, and stealing the election in 04, to have a pretty long stay in office.

Roy C. Choco, FCD said...

Hi Heathen Dan

Your right, GMA was not re-elected.

I can't agree with you however that she usurped the Presidency in a moment of public unrest. The presidency was thrust upon her by the public, yes she wanted it, but saying that she usurped the Presidency makes the efforts of civil society in deposing President Estrada seem insignificant.

Danny Boy, FCD said...

You misunderstood my post. I am not belittling the overthrow of Erap. I was there at the rallies (hey, it had great bands playing!). The people that gathered there (reports say between 200-500k) were unified in opposition to Erap's regime.

But the people were not unified on who should take over. Why would GMA have to be it? If what was happening was a coup or revolution, then the constitution would be suspended and her position as VP doesn't mean anything. Some were going for CJ Hilario Davide to take over. Others want a military junta. Still others would want the dissolution of the government and a new charter.

Out of nowhere, this lady would usurp the crowd to her own advantage. Thrust upon? I don't think so. EDSA 2 is about Erap's ouster, not Gloria's take-over. One can appreciate the former without agreeing with the latter.

Roy C. Choco, FCD said...

Sorry if I misunderstood your position. I was also there and with the Erap pardon, some people seem to be belittling its significance.

I will also agree that there were groups within Edsa 2 that did not want GMA to take over. I will argue however that they were in the minority. The majority consensus, I maintain is for GMA to take over. Not because they like her to take over, she was a already a trapo back then, but because her taking over will be the least disruptive to Philippine society because she was next in-line for the Presidency.

That is why the call then was for Erap to resign, so that GMA can take over.

And even then our country is still divided over her taking over the Presidency.

For the record, I supported her taking over, our democracy is flawed, but it is fixable. Any other proposal back then would have created a dictatorship of some kind, and I still remember Marcos. And I still maintain - Never Again!

p.s.

As proof that our democracy is fixable I offer the experiences of Naga City and Mayor Robredo, Marikina City and the Fernandos, Quezon City and Mayor Sonny Belmonte, Pampanga and Father Ed, Biliran and Congressman Chong, Isabela and Gov. Padaca. The first three prove that good governance can be done in the Philippines. The last three that entrenched and moneyed political dynasties can be overcome.

jc smith said...

Gullible with a messianic complex.