Beware and Overcome [YELLOW] Media Manipulation

by Nicanor Perlas


READERS beware! If you want to get the truth regarding the recent national elections, go beyond what you get from the mainstream media. Do your own research. Check the facts on the ground. Ask what your friends experienced. Connect the dots yourself. Come to your own conclusion. In this way, you will protect your mind from being manipulated by unseen powers that lurk behind the country’s media establishment.

Immediately after the May 10, 2010 elections, the Filipino public was brainwashed with stories about a stunningly successful election. “ ‘Birth pains’ of poll automation over”. “Fast count stuns nation”. “Stocks surge as markets cheer successful elections”. “ ‘Villar conceding proves Comelec credible’ “. “Take a bow, Filipino voters”. “US, EU praise RP for elections; peso, markets buoyed”. “Comelec proves critics wrong”. “Filipinos carry on love affair with PCOS machines”.

The “Good job” editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) captures the euphoria over the rapid success of the elections. In its May 12, 2012 editorial, two days after the elections, PDI wrote the following:

“Contrary to the most dismal expectations, . . . the country’s first nationwide automated elections have turned out to be a success. . . . the May 10 vote marked a true rite of passage. Our electoral system has finally caught up with the 21st century. . . . . For now, and while taking into consideration the remaining uncertainties in the election, our civic duty is to commend the many people who helped turn the first computerized polls into a success.”

PDI then thanked the presidential candidates for conceding to apparent winner Benigno Aquino III. PDI had special words for Manny Villar. PDI called his “gracious” concession a “class act”.

Understandably, amidst this sudden euphoria, when I did not concede victory to Aquino due to evidence of massive fraud in the elections, the gatekeepers in media started framing my decision as “sour grapes” or “sour loser”. They also distorted the facts in my press release or media interviews. And, if I did come out in the media, they would often attach “losing” presidential candidate to my name, to implicitly emphasize that I was a “sour loser”. They did not want to bring out that I was questioning the outcome of the elections, not for myself, but because it was the product of a fraudulent process and thereby endangered our democracy. (See my press statement, “I am not conceding”) Oftentimes, they would simply censor my comments and give a one-sided account of subsequent events that followed.

However, no one can suppress the truth. No one can overcome the truth. And indeed the truth regarding massive fraud in the elections started to surface all over, despite media bias against incidents of fraud.

News surfaced about 60 PCOS machines stored illegally at the private house of one Smartmatic technician. Irregular transmission dates were found in one of these PCOS machines. Reports also came out about flash cards found in the garbage dump in Cagayan de Oro City, implying an attempt to remove evidence of fraud. Alert citizens and IT experts also discovered that all election returns (ERs) were transmitted without the required digital signatures, a clear violation of RA9369, the law that authorized the establishment of the automated election system. Canvassing of votes cannot take place because the ERs are not valid. Further research by various groups has also revealed that COMELEC has violated more than 50% of the provisions of RA9369. This meant that the recent national elections were fraudulent, thereby also making the election results illegal. Then recently, several whistle blowers surfaced claiming massive fraud in the recent 2010 elections.

With these developments, media headlines started to slowly change, albeit begrudgingly and reluctantly and even antagonistically. They started carrying stories of fraud. “Erap focuses on ‘hocus PCOS’, an ‘electronic Garci’ system”. “Watchdogs call for probe of ‘poll irregularities’”. “Three losing pres’l bets troop to SC”. And so on.

Until finally, on 18 May 2012, PDI writes an editorial: “Reviewing the polls”. PDI wrote:

“Now, some people are having second thoughts: the automated elections system may have its faults, after all. . . . . The most prominent of the critics is deposed President Joseph Estrada . . . Estrada is refusing to concede saying that he is gathering evidence showing discrepancies in the transmitted results and other alleged irregularities. Three other presidential candidates, Senator Maria Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas, and JC de los Reyes, have not conceded either saying that, while they may not win the presidency, they want to know the whole truth about the results of the presidential elections. . . . .

“That the new automated election system is being subjected to a thorough examination and critique by various sectors of society is a healthy sign for our democracy. It shows that voters are not content with just voting and receiving fast results; they want to be assured that the entire process is fair, accurate and credible. Elections are the instrument by which the will of the people is expressed. If the electoral system can be subverted, then we will not know how the people really decided.”

The PDI editorial marked the passage of the country from misinformed and naïve euphoria of a “stunning” “successful” election, to the messy reality that massive fraud may have been perpetuated in the recent national elections.

No matter what happens to the fate of the whistleblowers who have recently surfaced and the increasing number of impossible results being uncovered, one thing is clear. Mainstream media is not neutral. They have their preferences and interests to protect. They wield massive cultural power to convince millions that their interests and preferences are the truth, are the reality.

Do not yield to their mind games, to their mind manipulation. Stand firm. Make your own independent decisions. The emergence of truth about the national elections will depend on our collective deprogramming from the frontal mental attacks of media. And this truth will determine the future of our country.


(Reposted with permission from Mr. Nicanor Perlas)

____________

Source: 

Perlas, Nicanor. Beware and Overcome Media Manipulation. 21 May 2010. http://www.nicanor-perlas.com/News/beware-and-overcome-media-manipulation.html

Joseph "Erap" Estrada Answers Plunder Conviction & Food Security Issues Head-On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ2cYE8NxMQ

Excerpts of the GMA-7 November 2009 Presidential forum (Tagalog parts translated into English):

PRETTY smart and very straightforward answers from former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada. Herein, he confronts the perpetually hot issue of his Plunder conviction with an un-trapo-like honesty. The comebacking politician also defends his performance during his unfinished first term with regards food security.


On his claim of innocence re theft of government money:

Estrada: Nothing was proven. Nothing was proved with regards [the issue] of my supposed theft of government money, not a single centavo... My conviction pertains to jueteng. That jueteng [money] ....was deposited in the Muslim Youth Foundation, of which I was not a beneficiary. Its Board of Trustees were ...UP professors. So that was clean.

They needed to convict me. That is why they created  that court to convict me. That special court--the first time a special court was created. And that court was created to convict me.  In fact, when I was convicted, two [Sandiganbayan] justices were immediately promoted to the Supreme Court.

So that was my only conviction. And that I supposedly received commission from one corporation, the BW. But the [one who stood as] witness said I wasn't given the money, it was given to Jaime Dichavez, not to me.

Assuming... that the jueteng and the commission to me, they are called private money, ... not goverment money. That's the two counts I was convicted [for]. Those citing the 7171, re government money--none, I'm cleared.

So [if that were true], I wouldn't have the courage to face the Filipino people and run [for president] again if I did steal, if I were guilty.

Look at the conviction, just the two counts. But with regards graft and corruption, every contract I approved was scrutinized. A Task Force was established by the Department of Justice consisting of six lawyers...who scrutinized everything ... but they didn't see any contract tainted with anomaly.  If there were even just one [anomaly] seen, it would have made headlines....

On poverty level during his first term:

Erap: In 1997, just please recall that there was an Asian Economic Crisis.... when i assumed office, our agricultural growth rate was zero-zero. I was able to raise that [agri growth rate level] to 6.6%. Such is documented. And inflation rate was 12%, I reduced it by 3.0%.

 And our GNP, I was able to increase it up to 3.6%. This is documented, professor. You can check it with the Department of Finance.

So what are you claiming that.. .... and I concentrated on food security. Re agriculture, from 0-0 growth, raised to 6.6 [percent].

[My administration] just came from the Asian crisis. And I was able to turn the tide. We were able to overcome the [effects of] the Asian crisis. That is on record, Prof. Monsod if you can go out of your way to find out from the Department of Finance.

On Bro. Eddie Villanueva's question re dealing with"perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and of massive gargantuan, unabated corruption":

There should be intense investigation and after the...[conclusion] of the investigation, there should be...  "certainty of punishment," which is what's important. There are many people in government that escape prosecution because their cases are [allowed to be]  fixed... even extrajudicial killings....

On the part of GMA-7, including Mel Tiangco, the TV station seemed much more civil and less biased here than during the interview they conducted right after Estrada's announcement of his renewed bid to seek the presidency.  I discussed this issue in my article Erap's renewed bid for the Presidency: Can he overcome the media bias? Excerpts of  that BIASED interview here:

Mike Enriquez: Magandang gabi po Mr. President. Si Mike Enriquez po ito at Mel Tiangco.

Ex-President Joseph Estrada: Magandang gabi sa iyo din kaibigang Mike.

Enriquez: Mayroon pong mga nagsasabi na hindi daw po kayo pinapayagan ng Konstitusyon na tumakbo ulit sa pagka-Pangulo. Ano pong masasabi ninyo diyan Mr. President.

Estrada: Wala. Na-konsulta na natin iyan sa mga retired justices ng Supreme Court at mga dean ng UP law school. Sila ay... masusi nilang pinag-aralan iyan at nagkaisa sila na qualified na qualified daw akong tumakbo bilang Pangulo.

Enriquez: ok, Mr. President. Ang payo nila sa inyo hindi nyo rin nilabag iyong kondisyon noong pagpapatawad na binigay sa inyo ni, o iyong tinatawag na pardon na binigay sa inyo ni Pangulong Arroyo na hindi na kayo kakandidato sa anumang posisyon na tinatawag na elective, Mr. President.

Estrada: Wala pong nakalagay dun sa dispositive portion ng pardon. Yun pong nakalagay po doon: "restoring all civil and political rights." Ang ibig pong sabihin noon, kung pwede akong bumoto, pwede rin akong butohin.

Enriquez: Opo, Mr. President. Isang tanong na lang po ako bago po si Mel Tiangco. Bukod po kay Mayor Jejomar Binay na katambal ninyo sa pagiging kandidato sa pagiging bise-presidente, mayroon ding senatorial line up na, na buo na?

Estrada: Ah, hindi pa. Siguro mayroon na kaming walo hanggang sampu.

Enriquez: Ok, Mr. President. Salamat po. Eto po si Mel Tiangco.

Tiangco: "Sir, hindi maganda ang karanasan ninyo sa Malacanang, bakit gusto n'yo pang bumalik doon?

Estrada: Ano?

Tiangco: Bakit ho gusto nyo pang bumalik sa Malacanang, eh kayo na rin ang nagkwekwento kanina na napakapangit ng experience nyo … minsang kayo ay Pangulo ng ating bansa.

Estrada: Napakapangit dahil nagsabwatan sila at ako ay napilitang bumaba. Ang katotohanan nga ay si dating Pangulong Cory Aquino ang nagssisisi kung bakit sumali siya sa EDSA 2. At ako naman ay, iyong mga programa ko para sa kapakanan ng mga mahihirap ay hindi ko nagawa kaya gusto kong ipagpatuloy.

Tiangco: Palagi ninyong nababanggit na kayo ay inosente, hindi totoo ang ang mga pinaratang sa inyo. Eh bakit po tumagal ng anim na taon Sir. Anim na taon kayong nilitis sir, di ba?

Estrada: Anim na taon nga at anim na buwan. Wala silang napatunayan na nagnakaw ako kahit na isang kusing sa kaban ng bayan. Ang totoo nga niyan ay nagtayo ng Task Force ang DOJ--lahat ng kontrata na naaprobahan sa aking administrayon ay hinimay. Himay nila at wala silang nakita na isa mang kontrata na may halong anumalya, sa ano mang kontrata.

Tiangco: Eh bakit po pardon ang naibigay sa inyo

Estrada: Ha?

Tiangco: Bakit po pardon?

Estrada: Ewan ko sa kanila?

Tiangco: Hindi po kaya sabi ng ilang diyan ay kaya nais nyo lang tumakbong muli ay para daw balikan iyong mga nagpatalsik sa inyo?

Estrada: Alam mo Mel, sa aking anim na taong ako ay nakakulong ay nalapit tayo sa panginoon. at laging pinaaalala sa akin ng panginoon iyong Lord's Prayer. Iyong ama namin. iyon mga nagkasala sa iyo ay dapat mo ring patatawarin : "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sins against us." Kaya iyan po ang malapit na malapit na parang laging pinararamdam sa atin ng ating panginoon.

Tiangco: Maraming maraming salamat po sa oras na binigay ninyo sa 24 oras. Magandang gabi po.

Estrada: Salamat, salamat Mel.