Why have I not been blogging the past few weeks?

Lemme see.

Would you believe my dogs (all 12 of them) ate my laptop? I guess not, especially since some of them are not into megabytes.

I could say that my absence was in silent protest over Malu F’s blog. Well, her self-absorption did render me temporarily speechless! But hey, she resigned, right? I think she may have been jolted into contrition so let’s leave her be.

The real reason is work, work, work. I’ve been busy — too busy to even visit my favorite blogs. Too busy to even drop by this year’s international book fair.

I may have failed in my blogging duties but I do have some things to say about the burning issues that confront us. So here goes!
ZTE Broadband – Comelec commissioners should be banned from the golf course especially when they’re supposed to be guarding the election process, not the golf handicaps of Chinese friends. What’s the urgency behind this broadband project anyway? One of the reasons why government’s communications run into billions is the number of personal calls done in hundreds of cubicles in every corner of the bureaucracy. Also, we do have 9-10 million Filipinos overseas and 81 or so foreign posts spread throughout the globe. Unless government makes more effective use of e-mail, YM, VOIP, and video-conferencing tools, those bills will remain sky-high.

Meanwhile, I am puzzled by the DoF and DTI’s assertion that the Chinese Ex-Im Bank loan that the Philippines recently signed was a “blanket loan facility”. Does that mean we signed a loan without even knowing how to spend the money? The broadband project should be deferred or junked. Why take out a loan on a project covered by a stolen contract that no one outside of the DOTC has been allowed to see?

Joma Sison’s Arrest – Let the Netherlands’ justice system try him. I doubt if there’s any local judge who would want to have that case in his sala anyway. I thought that the DFA’s statement that it will look after Joma’s rights underscores the split personality of our foreign policy and migrant workers’ act. Had Joma been arrested here, the DoJ would have pressed hard for his conviction. But because he’s overseas, the government must do what it can to help him out as he falls under the category of an overseas Filipino. Ditto with any overseas national caught smuggling drugs or even killing a fellow Filipino.

Doble Hearings – First hearing is Monday, 1:30 pm. Let’s see if administration officials will show up. The real star will be retired Sgt. Vidal Doble. I think the hearings on this case will be short-lived, primarily because no one in the military will show up. Still, it will cause some people sleepless nights. These hearings will also enable the people to view the new senators and those aiming for the highest position in 2010 up close. Unless there is new information and more credible cast of characters, the people may just decide to tune out and await the next political zarzuela which is ….

Erap’s Conviction or Acquittal? Laban o Bawi? Deal or No Deal? This is the court decision worth the wait because not only is it historic, it could also break a few myths. In case of a conviction, will there be a tidal wave of dissent and disgust? Or will it be stemmed by an immediate statement from the President calling for an amnesty or pardon for all? In case of an acquittal, will pressure be brought upon by the administration to quit? Or will Erap declare the need for political truce and reconciliation, in effect becoming the statesman that the likes of Chavit can only dream of? And what of the President? How will this affect her? Coming soon! The Erap Verdict.