Ellen Tordesillas

Hindi ako nagulat sa balita na may mga opisyal si Gloria Arroyo na sangkot sa pagpalaya ng mga personalidad na dawit sa paglalako ng droga.

Ipinangalanan ni Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, hepe ng Special Enforcement Service ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, si Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor na siyang tumawag sa kanya para i-release sina Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, at Joseph Tecson na nahulihan na may dalang marijuana, Ecstasy at cocaine noong Septiembre.

May resolusyon na kasi ang Department of Justice na napirmahan ni State Prosecutor John Resado na inirekomenda naman ni Senior State Prosecutor Philip I. Kimpo na aprubahan at inaprubahan naman ni Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño.
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Although not yet in the scale that blogs in the United States and South Korea influence national issues, the emerging power of blogs in the Philippines got affirmation in the appeal of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman to the public, “especially the bloggers” to stop vilifying his family over the Valley Golf Glub.

A blog, by the way, is short for “web log”. It’s a personal website. The owner of the blog can write anything that he wants to express in his cyber space.

Last December 26, golfer Bambee de la Paz wrote in her blog that earlier in the day, his 56-year old father, Delfin, and 14-year old brother,Bino were beaten “to a pulp” by Mayor Nasser Pangandaman,Jr and his bodyguards while the father, who was re-appointed by Gloria Arroyo three days earlier as member of the peace panel in the negotiation with Muslim rebels, looked on.
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This story shows how desperate Gloria Arroyo and her drumbeaters are.

On Jan. 2, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza issued this statement:

“It’s encouraging to note that we have been cited in Bloomberg today, as one of the resilient economies in Asia, along with China. Amidst global financial downturn, we continue to post strong currency and fiscal position. Undeniably, this is the result of the economic reforms instituted by the President early on.

While difficult days are expected ahead, we are in a better position to weather them as long as we keep the course and resist the temptation of divisive politics.

The Philippines and China were being cited as the two Asian economies that fared the best in 2008 and that will do well in 2009.

The following story by TJ Burgonio and Maxim Lucas is in the Inquirer today:

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I read this in the Facebook wall of my friend Jojo Terencio. I called up the number listed in the entry and talked with Aiko’s mother, Amie. She said Aiko, 24, works at Techno Park.

She is appealing to those who might be able to help them find Aiko. This is Aiko’s picture.

Following is the family’s appeal:

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Col. Ariel Querubin, who has been in detention for almost three years, was allowed to be with his 87-year old mother on her birthday on New Year’s day in their place in La Union. A friend who was there wrote to me the heartwarming reunion of the Medal of Valor awardee with his mother.

I had a very good reflection about hope and family this New Year. For the first time, I celebrated New Year out of town with a very special family. And the experience gave me a chance to reflect about how my mother had been spending Christmasses away from us for 10 years now. How she must have longed to come home. Oh how I missed her now. Let me then share with you, a new year’s story about a mother and son that I will never forget…
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