MIRON

Tipping Point

If the wiretap scandal had happened earlier, we'd be in the streets by now demanding for snap elections, or in front of our television sets watching another impeachment trial. But the fact that many of us are in the malls instead getting a bizarre satisfaction out of alien attack in War of the Worlds definitely means this wiretapping controversy has yet to "tip" or, according the influential book, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, become infectious enough to sweep the nation into another people power movement.

According to The Tipping Point, for an idea to create a groundswell of support, you'll need three things:

First, you'll need a few influential people with the ability to start/spread/sell the idea of a people power movement against Gloria. (Susan Roces's mass following + Civil Society's intellectuals and middle class + Church and FVR for the proverbial cross and sword)

Second, a message "so memorable that it sticks in someone's mind and compels them to action." (I've got "Hello, Garci" coming out of my ears.)

Third, the right environment. In other words, the time should be ripe and the ground should be fertile for the idea to take root and grow.

Now, this last one -- the environmental tipping point -- is the problem. I think Gloriagate is taking long to "tip" because our people are tired, politically depressed, and cynical of both gloria and the opposition. Very few people still have the energy to still go marching about in the streets, after having been there and done that, TWICE.

Aside from that, here's a word that can make a hardcore rallyist stop dead in his tracks: NOLI

Yup. This environment is ripe only for one thing: the Fantaserye.

Texts, Lies, and Audiotape

In 1986, Cardinal Sin used the power of Radio to call for People Power.
In 2001, Erap's presidency crumbled Live on TV, his nationally televised impeachment trial our first taste of reality tv.

Today, in 2005, news of Pres. Gloria Arroyo's alleged cheating during the elections spread fast and wide, not because of traditional media, but because of the ubiquitous Gloria/Garci ringtone.

Times have definitely changed.

TV news insiders were surprised to see ratings drop on just the second day of the much hyped congressional hearing into the wiretap scandal. But it's not surprising really. The public would have no patience for grandstanding congressmen arguing rules and procedures and whether or not they can play the alleged wiretaps, when practically everyone has a copy of the CD and has heard "Hello, Garci?"

This time, traditional media can barely keep up with the public. And with no time to create spin, even the old pros are simply dissembling, making things up as they go along. (I mean -- Iggy's chief of staff coming out to claim he's Gary? Doble tracing money to Laarni?")

In lieu of great tactics, just throw things at the wall and see what sticks!

Considering what the public already knows, and how much more damaging information is out there --- most likely already being mass produced and turned into a catchy song and ring tone, as we speak --- Gloria Arroyo's response to all this does make sense: Total and Absolute Silence.

Tape of the Nation

Here's the law against wire tapping (see below). If it were actually enforced today, Allan Paguia, who first leaked the tape to the media would have to share a bunk with Ignacio Bunye, who in retaliation, released two versions, one "original" and one "altered".

Prison would have two more warring gangs, the Kapuso (GMA News) and the Kapamilya (ABS CBN News), both airing transcripts and actual soundbites night after night, as well as PCIJ which has dutifully transcribed the two tapes and published the two versions side by side on their website.

ABS CBN News, currently mounting the most aggressive of all coverages, will have to go on two counts after airing another exclusive tonight -- a taped conversation between two generals, one recruiting the other in a destabilization plot.

But I can't imagine anyone going to jail over this. An ill-informed public in the middle of another political power struggle would easily fall prey to partisan plots and propaganda. Whatever evil motives we can ascribe to the Press, truth is, I don't think the country has ever needed the Press more to forge ahead and get to the bottom of this.

I know most of us don't want things stirred up. But it's a little too late to put a lid on this story. Let's just hope that when media digs, it's not to find dirt, but to unearth the truth.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4200

AN ACT TO PROHIBIT AND PENALIZE WIRE TAPPING AND
OTHER RELATED VIOLATIONS OF THE PRIVACY OF COMMUNICATION, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.

Sec. 1 It shall be unlawful for any person, not
being authorized by all the parties to any private communication or spoken word,
to tap any wire or cable, or by using any other device or arrangement, to
secretly overhear, intercept, or record such communication or spoken word by
using a device commonly known as a dictaphone or dictagraph or dectaphone or
walkie-talkie or tape recorder....

It shall also be unlawful for any person, be he a participant or not in the act or acts penalized in the
next preceding sentence, to knowingly possess any tape record, wire record,
disc record, or any other such record, or copies thereof, of any communication
or spoken word secured either before or after the effective date of this Act in
the manner prohibited by this law; or to replay the same for any other person
or persons; or to communicate the contents thereof, either verbally or in
writing, or to furnish transcriptions thereof, whether complete or partial, to
any other person....

Photo Oops!

Link: Philstar.com - The Filipino Global Community.

BY THE WAY By Max V. Soliven The Philippine Star 06/08/2005 ? Now I feel like Ma Mon Luk. Yesterday morning?s frontpage photograph of this publisher paying my "last respects" at the bier of our friend and colleague, Teddy Man Benigno, was EMBARRASSING to say the least. Our editors meant well, but it appeared too much of a conceited propaganda gimmick, as if proclaiming, "see, how pious I am publicly praying (like the biblical Pharisee)". And so, apologies to our readers.

It looks like I might have to call off my "What in the World is Max up to?" watch. Just a day after posting about Max's all too frequent photo ops, the man apologizes. Damn smart, too. Reminds of something I read from political strategist James Carville. How to fight your enemy? Take away his spear. In other words, admit your mistake before someone uses it against you.

Of course, that prompt apology may not have anything to do with Miron, in which case we can expect Max to make another frontpage appearance soon. Time will tell. Meantime, we'll be watching... even more diligently from now on. If he's smart, he'd stay low, maybe show up in the inside pages, possibly in the world or the provincial or the sports news...

Where in the World is Max Soliven?

Link: La Viuda Loca - Ulirang Ina Mo!.

Did you notice that the only person who appears with more press releases than anyone else who makes press releases in the entire journalism industry is Max Soliven? I never saw Chino Roces appear in any Manila Times edition. He saw to that. This other guy sees to the opposite.

When I saw the Philippine Star's frontpage photo of Max Soliven standing solemnly beside the coffin of Teddyman Benigno, I almost gagged on my eggs and sausage -- the man is incorrigible! There it was... the public's last glimpse of beloved Teddyman, and Max manages to get into the picture.

He's like Forrest Gump and the ubiquitous face of cartoonist Larry Alcala. He turns up everywhere! I wonder what the staff of The Philippine Star feel about their publisher getting, ahem, maximum exposure on his own paper?

From now on, miron will be keeping tabs on max's frontpage appearances. It'll be fun, like Carmen San Diego, except we'll call it What in the world is max up to now...

Flop Sided

An open letter to Nestor Torre, Emmie Velarde, Edmund Sicam, Ricky Lo, and Metro Manila's entertainment editors:

Can you guys watch what your writers and contributors are calling flops? You decry exploitative, purely commercial, technically substandard films and constantly appeal for quality movies. Yet your very own writers and contributors are too quick to label quality films that don't make a certain amount of money as "flops".

It's dismissive, unenlightened, and fixes the value of all films upon the bottomline.

If we sincerely want to uplift the quality of Filipino movies, we've got to create an environment where producers and filmmakers can take risks and make movies that can go global, go regional, or go even for just that one guy sitting in the back.

In other words, we've got to push the agenda beyond the local Takilya.

Hindi lahat ng pelikula dapat patok sa takilya. In today's borderless cinema, a filmmaker can aim for Asia or America or go straight to the viewer's sala (like the irrepressible Jon Red's "Boso" and "Astig"). There are many ways to feed a world that is always hungry for great content. And certainly more ways to measure a movie's success other than its ticket sales.

What about its potential for foreign distribution? Its VCD and DVD sales? Its ability to draw a new audience to the theaters? Its contribution to the craft of filmmaking? Not to mention, its impact on the people who watched it? A big but forgettable hit is surely less impressive than a small movie that built a strong cult following.

Such values are lost on a lazy and narrowminded media with a limited view of the filmmaking industry and an even more limited vocabulary. Writers who, as film critics, (if I may just borrow their word) flop!