UP Hooligans, Part 3

Below is a  statement released today.
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Statement of UP President Alfredo E. Pascual on the incident involving DBM Secretary FlorencioB. Abad in UP Diliman

Posted on September 22, 2014 by upweb_wordpress in Announcements

A few days ago, a disturbing incident happened at the University of the Philippines Diliman.  A group of protesters, consisting of some UP students, confronted Department of Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad outside the UP School of Economics auditorium.  He was then leaving a forum, where he was one of the speakers.  According to media reports, Secretary Abad was subjected to verbal indignities and the protesters hurled “placards, crumpled papers and coins” at him.

The forum was organized by the UP Diliman University Student Council and the UP School of Economics Student Council to discuss the proposed UP budget. Reportedly, the forum also discussed the disbursement acceleration program of the government.

Secretary Abad, as an invited speaker in this UP student forum, should have been accorded the courtesy and respect due to all guests of the University. While UP constituents are free to actively express their views on issues that affect our nation, such as the proper use of public funds, UP does not condone the use of violence in any manner against any person, be it a member of the university community, a visitor, or a government official.

UP Diliman is now investigating the reported incident in accordance with the University’s rules, including the participation of people who are not affiliated with UP.

I have always maintained that as the country’s national university, UP must lead the debate on important issues confronting the country.  UP must also uphold the time-honored tradition of dissent vis-a-vis questionable government policies. But debate and dissent, while articulated with passion, require evidence-based and reasoned arguments, and civility to and respect for those who hold the opposite view.  Abusive words and deeds have no place in the hallowed grounds of the University.

Alfredo E. Pascual

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Meanwhile, I am curious about the stand of the UP Student Council (USC), the co-organizer of the forum.

A friend said that the violent activists are part of the youth being "bold and wild". Maybe, but what do we call the UP students who  listened to the presentation by the Secretary, then form their own opinions to be expressed later as academic papers, tweets, facebook and blog postings, they are not "bold and wild"? I think we can call the latter as "bold, wild and wise" while the latter are "bold, wild and violent".

Put the government scoundrels and DAP architects in  jail, yes, I agree with that. But there is a process; bureaucratic and time consuming, politics tainted process. It can exonerate some people, or it can convict and  imprison them. Two former Presidents have been imprisoned already, Erap and Gloria, although the former was pardoned and set free. Three Senators are in jails already on corruption charges.

It is a bureaucratic but more transparent process, rather than throwing-shouting-body dragging process. If such acts by the activists can be justified, then similar acts by the counter-activists can also be justified. And we can easily go the uncivil mob rule. Whoever has more violent men and women can win an argument and rule.

Meanwhile, Bayaan Mo Na has issued statement. They are saying that he time for non-sober, violence-inspired discourse should be the norm. If you are a speaker in a public forum and they know your position before and they do not like it, they can wait for you outside, throw things and drag and hurt you if they want.

And the student activists involved in violence made this arrogant statement.

Sorry, Not Sorry

"Had we been intent on hurting him and disrupting the event, we would have barged right into the auditorium while he was prattling to students, mauling everyone who got in our way.

But with all the restraint our indignant group could muster, we waited for him outside because inside, in the so-called venue for dialogue, only five minutes were allotted for the open forum and questions from the audience were filtered. Contrary to what Abad would like everyone to believe that he was more than willing to engage with us, he wanted to evade us and even tried getting away through a fire exit and a window!UP President Pascual, instead of apologizing to Abad, should have given him a tip or two on how to dialogue with UP protesters. You stop in front of the crowd, speak, and facilitate a discussion. These, Abad never did or even attempted to do."

No names, no one would own  up to such arrogant statement. Cowards.

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See also:

Emotionalism, Violence and Stupidity: the Attack by UP Student Activists on Sec. Abad, September 20, 2014

UP Hooligans, Part 2, September 20, 2014

Pol. Ideology 47: SONA Rallies, Socialism and Thomas van Beersum

Another big rally by the leftist group Bayan Muna and other nat-dem allies was made last Monday, July 22, to protest the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech of the President at the House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City. The entire north-bound lane of the 10-lanes Commonwealth Avenue was closed by the demonstrators and the big police force blocking them. There was a collision between the two groups that afternoon.

I commented in one friend’s facebook wall that they were “ungas, violent demonstrators.” A certain Paul G. corrected me, posting a news story with video that it was the police who charged first.

http://www.humanrightsphilippines.net/2013/07/sona-2013-police-attack-protesters-scores-injured-arrested/

SONA 2013: Police attack protesters; scores injured, arrested

I apologized to him and other demonstrators who may be reading that thread, for my earlier comment. But I added that I do not support those huge and confrontational mobilization to air grievances. I wrote,

You have the right to demonstrate but you also deprived ordinary motorists and commuters who use Commonwealth ave. of their right to fast and safe travel. Your "right of expression" is not absolute as other people also have the "right to travel" that a large demonstration has curtailed if not limited. Many classes and business transactions in QC were cancelled that day because of such big demos. These people and students also have the "right to education" and "right to economic transactions" that were curtailed that day.

Paul countered that with a SONA, 

the road in the area is definitely a headache ... so they know that one day they have to understand the situation ... mapipigilan ba ang tao lumabas at sa dami nila .. ako mismo nagulat at nalula ... di mo sila pwede ilagay sa bangketa kasi aabot sya sa edsa kung sa bangketa mo ilalagay ... pang unawa naman at sinabi nang maka ilang beses na iwasan ang lugar .. sadyang sinadya lang ng QC govt na di kami payagan at d silai nagbigay ng alternate route para sa demonstrators magalit ang riding public at di sa gobyerno nila ... isang araw lang yun .. sana nakaunawa din kayo ... ako mismo nakipag diskurso ako samga mananakay sa lugar ... sadyang sa dami ng taong nakita ko sumama .. di talaga maiiwasan.

I saw the tv footage last Monday morning, around 6am, the demonstrators already occupied the entire north-bound lane of Commonwealth Ave. as they marched from Philcoa. The demonstrators could have lessened the inconvenience to the public, especially to people who do not share their political demands and pol ideology, if they started their march and demo at noontime, instead of early morning. Kung gusto nilang unawain sila ng publiko, dapat mang unawa din sila.  Hindi komo galit sila sa gobyerno, idamay nila ibang tao the entire day. Even already traffic-congested Marikina experienced extra congestion that day because vehicles that were supposed to take the San Mateo and Montalban roads to Batasan then Commonwealth, took the Marikina route. They caused inconvenience not only to QC residents and motorists that whole day.

He countered that they needed understanding as the neoliberal policies of the Aquino government will hit more poor people.

These guys should hear the other side, people who may respect their political ideology but disrespect their methods to propagate it. I oppose socialism and heavy statism, I engage people in some debates, in fb or other online media, in seminars and conferences. People who do not share my views have the freedom to delete or disregard my comments, they have an option. In the case of demonstrators, the only options they give to other people is more traffic or cancellation of their educational, business or personal transactions for one day. Intolerance breeds resentment from others.

The discussion later shifted to that young European man who was caught on camera shouting at one police officer during the anti-SONA rally. Some people think it was a case of “foreign intervention” in Philippine soil. It is not "foreign intrusion" as it is just an individual's action.

This poster was posted by Paul. See this, that foreigner is struggling "alongside Filipinos" including me? That’s garbage. That young Dutch man is only struggling for himself and his political ideology, and the demonstrators. People have the right to proudly announce their arrogance and intolerance, let it be. If people self destruct, we should not interrupt them. No need to physically harm guys like him. We can broadcast their faces, names and character. There is personal responsibility to each personal action (or inaction).

Paul commented further that “Nonoy… arguing that we should all vanish from the face of the earth because we think differently and act accordingly ... peaceful pa nga kami at practicing what is said in the Consti.”

Intolerant people tend to have poor reading comprehension. Nowhere did I advocate that demonstrators should "all vanish from the face of the earth." I said that they have the "right to demonstrate" but such right is not absolute, it has limit. Anyone can hold plackards and b___t the President or anybody he does not like, in his house. But not in my house or somebody else's house. There are certain limits to the "right to self expression" of people.

Intolerant people cause big disharmony in society. They will force their way, like blocking roads and stop motorists and ordinary passengers, so they can shout what they want to shout. Respect for other people's right to safe and fast mobility is nothing, is useless in their vocabulary.

Then he posted this poster. My simple definition of a socialist are those people who want to socialize everything, from education, healthcare, housing, agriculture, factories, banks, our pockets, our savings. No or little private property and savings allowed, most if not all will be forcibly socialized, forcibly collectivized, by the state and the dictators.

A good reading for believers of confrontational politics to advance the Maoist and socialist ideology, 11 pages long, is this, Pilipinas Forum 19: The CPP-NPA, Sison and Maoism

And for believers of Marxism and class struggle, class war ideology, also 11 pages long, Pilipinas Forum 3: Is Marxism Still Relevant?

These photos of Thomas van Beersum with CPP founder Joma Sison in the Netherlands, have been circulating in facebook and twitter yesterday and today.

The Vincenton Blog has two articles about this guy today,
An Open Letter to Thomas van Beersum, 
Commie Trash-Talker van Beersum and JoMa Sison are Revolutionary Comrades
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See also: 

Pol. Ideology 43: On BIG Government Fetish, June 17, 2013 

Pol Ideology 44: Another Debate With an Anarchist, July 07, 2013

Pol. Ideology 45: Left Intellectualism Means Abandonment of Socialism, July 08, 2013 

Pol. Ideology 46: Misunderstanding Adam Smith, July 14, 2013

Philippine left's website popularity

Leftist and socialist philosophies permeate many societies' public policies. It is easy to spot the groups and individuals who advocate these philosophies. How? Just observe their language and policy pronouncements: Personal and parental responsibility, individual liberty, these are strange concepts for them, you seldom or will never, find such terms in their literature. Instead, you will find these keywords very often -- "more government responsibility and intervention", "more government regulation and taxation", "social equality", and sometimes, "nationalist industrialization."

The most leftist organization in the Philippines of course, is the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA). These groups are fighting for, nothing else but communism in the Philippines (with transition stage in "national democracy" then socialism then communism) via armed struggle and armed revolution.

Both CPP and NPA have no websites of their own. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) handles their online presence with its website, http://www.ndfp.net/joomla/.

I checked its global traffic rank via alexa.com, somehow high: