There were two news items involving Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita last week that I’m concerned about.
No, it’s not because he suggested the banning of the movie The Da Vinci Code because it was blasphemous. He was just sucking up to the Catholic Church hierarchy, thinking probably that the bishops and the priests would forget Gloria Arroyo’s lying, cheating and thieving if Malacañang took their stand on the controversial movie.
The movie executives distributing “The Da Vinci Code” can very well take care of Malacañang to have the movie shown. In fact, Ermita’s comments are good publicity for them.
The news items that bothered me are the return of the cash -cow Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to the Office of the President, from the Department of Finance, and the propaganda blitz on charter change by Malacañang allies among members of the military.
The report on the return of Pagcor under the Office of the President said Ermita has been tasked to screen all purchases costing more than one million pesos. In the pro cha-cha blitz at Camp Aguinaldo last Thursday, it was Ermita himself who led the group conveniently forgetting his very own admonition to the opposition just a few weeks ago about “politicizing the military.”
Malacañang has ignored investigations on the diversion of hundreds of billions of pesos in agriculture and public works funds and Marcos money for Arroyo’s 2004 election campaign and here’s Arroyo again consolidating control, with Ermita as screener, of billions of pesos from Pagcor.
No doubt Ermita is a competent executive given his military background but I can’t shake off my mind the first person account of Mei Magsino-Lubis, Inquirer correspondent in Batangas, when Ermita tried to bribe her to keep quiet about his being an alleged recipient of jueteng money from Batangas Gov. Armand Sanchez.
In the Nov. 2005 issue of the Philippine Journalism Review, Magsino-Lubis related her interview with Ermita in Malacañang July last year after Sanchez was reportedly heard bragging that “Malacañang could not afford to let him down on the jueteng and corruption charges because he has already given millions to Ermita and his wife.”
Magsino-Lubis said Ermita insisted that it was unfair to link him to the jueteng controversy in Batangas. “Why would Sanchez do that to me and my wife? We have nothing to do with jueteng in Batangas. And my wife rarely visits Batangas. When she goes there, she only stays in our house in Balayan,” Ermita was quoted to have said.
Magsino-Lubis continued her narration of the Malacañang interview: “The interview with Ermita over, what followed stunned me. Ermita handed me a short brown envelope and walked away. I tried to catch up with him and, thinking that the envelope contained press releases, I told him that I couldn’t possibly assure their publication since I was covering only Batangas. I nearly told him to give the envelope instead to the reporters covering Malacañang but one of his aides stopped me.
“‘That’s not a press release, ma’am. That’s for you,’” he said, with emphasis on ‘That’s for you,’ and left.
“Once outside the door, I became curious and opened the short brown envelope. Inside was a white letter envelope half an inch thick. My companion raised the envelope against the light and we saw what was inside: P1,000 bills.
“I was so humiliated. I felt duped and taken for a fool. I think the pain was made worse by the fact that it was the executive secretary, the little president to the little President, and the most honored Batangueño, who tried to pay me like he would a prostitute.
“At that point, all the respect I had for Ermita went up in smoke. I put the white envelope back into the bigger envelope and ran back to the Guest House. I told the guard to return the envelope to Ermita but he wouldn’t take it, saying I should be the one to do that.
“And so I went back inside. There I saw Ermita with some guests. He stood up when he saw me and approached me. I returned the envelope to him and told him I couldn’t take the money. I told him I had hoped that he was serious when he denied the jueteng connection.
“But he pushed back the envelope into my hands, and said, “Para sa iyo ’yan, tumahimik ka na lang (That is for you, just keep quiet).” I repeated to him that I couldn’t accept it. I placed the envelope back in his hands, walked hurriedly to the door and said goodbye.”
In his talk with reporters about “The Da Vinci Code,” Ermita said they should not be talking about the storyline (Mary Magdalene becoming the wife of Jesus Christ) because “We might get struck by lightning.”
With Magsino-Lubis story, we know that there are other things Ermita doesn’t want to discuss that could attract a lightning strike.
Ermita is a good politician – he flops and flips anyway the wind blows. If one is a stiff politico, one won’t last long. Same with Defensor-Santiago. She did not jump off Gloria’s plane to Saudi. Instead she brown-nosed Gloria. Perhap MS (malacanang squatter) promised her the post of premier on chacha – away with deVenecia.
Miriam is really amazing. But who takes her seriously, anyway? Only Gloria Arroyo. They deserve each other.
15 May 2006,
Off-topic
Heard what happened to the palarong pambansa??? it is/was reported that there was cheating,lying and stealing, particularly the entry of the age/s atheletes. What is happening to our country, why cant we have decent event, sports for example. As I told before before in your previous blog ms. ellen, this is the product of the lying, cheating and stealing occupant by the pasig river. Why cheating??? why is it they allow over-aged athlete/s to join the palaro, why stealing?? when you fielded an over-aged athelete/s, that athlete/s already stole the very reason why we have to cancel the palaro, why lying?? for goodness sake, that athelete has already lied of his/her age just to win the tournament.
My gosh, is this people the product of the “I AM SORRY”, meaning when someone/somebody, stole,lied and cheated all they have to do is say “I AM SORRY”??? This is the sad state of our sport, why do we have to live with a liar, a cheater and a thief???, if others can do that in a sporting activity, that involves camaraderie and sportmanship, what more to other activities.
LAstly, if the occupant in malacanang can do that, its goodbye Philippines, gone were the days were Filipinos were courteous, honest and pleasant. Gone were the days that we Filipinos can walk in the street with our chin/s up and can look straight to the eye/s of anyone knowing that we Filipinos are honest. As long as the occupant by the stinking (like gloria) pasig river, we Filipinos will be having difficulty in getting back the honesty, courtesy and pleasantry that our fore fathers have given us.
In order for us to save our future generations, we must now unite for a snap election.
Going back to the topic, again in your previous blog, I mentioned that I have proof that ermita lead in briefing the diplomatic corps that gloria won the election, way ahead of the COMELEC and the NAtional Board of Canvassers. Why should anyone believe in him, as long as they are in good terms with gloria all is lost, they lost their morality to be our leader. Just like raul gonzales, he’s way over his head, his to old and should resign and rest, baka atakihin pa yan sa puso, bert gonzales naman, I thought he needs a surgery??? why is it up to now no surgery was conducted, sabi nga ni drilon, “ginagao mo ang buong bansa. As long as gloria is the president (???) nothing will happen to us.
jinx
15 May 2006
continuation…..
With miriam defensor-santiago, ay talaga namang may topak siguro yan e, parang amo rin nyang si gloria, flip-flopping, dati sabi nya he will jump from a plane (without parachute), and then, when FPJ filed his candidacy, she will fought for him in any debate, and then she said she will shoot herself in the head???my nangyari ba??? WALA!!!! maga-amo nga sila.
Anyhow, did anyone remember when she said she is retiring from politics??? parang si gloria din diba, both of them announced that they will not run for any public office anymore, and now, they are still here, holding key positions in the government. Both of them are liars.
jinx
dalawang beses ko lang nakita at narinig si miriam defensor-santiago at alam ko nuon pa na ang tao ito ay masyado matalino at iyon ay ginagamit lang nya para sa sariling kapakanan.. sayang na sayang..
Jinx, sorry that you are labeled “anonymous” here. There are still a number of things to be fixed in this blog. Please sign your name while we are still working on it. Thanks.
15 May 2006
No problem ellen, as long as i can enter your blog site its ok, I’ll just sign my name.
Thanks
jinx
Ellen,
I’ve known Ed Ermita for many many years now – he’s very affable and hardworking to boot. Arlene, his daughter who’s taken over his Congress seat is hardworking too (her husband, however, is listed in my book as not much of a person and that’s an understatment).
While I like Ermita and his family on a personal level, I’m no dupe and realize that he received a great deal of “help” to win a seat in Congress (those gigantic campaign billboards (as some form of a “hero’s welcome” which tickled him greatly, by the way)on the way to his hometown particularly when he was being convinced to run for Congress saying “Welcome Lt General Eduardo Ermita (Ret), Undersecretary of National Defence, etc!, etc. cost money…) – I have always half suspected that jueteng money which was there for the taking in Batangas could have provided some of the funds (Ermita used to quip that I was a constituent of his because I owned a property in his constituency).
I don’t want to accuse Ermita of being a beneficiary of jueteng money donation for his campaign then or now but the first person account of Mei Magsino-Lubis is so very shocking. The fact that he tried to bribe the reporter to keep quiet is absolutely gobsmacking. How could Ermita have been so unthinking and so reckless? Has power gone over his head? He could have simply ignored the whole thing.
Gloria’s government has become a complete pigsty kept by scalawag pigs to practice swine politics.
Oooops, I cam out as anonymous here ! Heheh!
Ellen,
My heartfelt congratulations to Mei Magsino-Lubis. She must look after herself with more care now and that of her family.
I wonder if she is related to the Magsinos of Calatagan?
Great story Ellen. Talagang madumi ang paligid ni Pangit.
I thought Miriam took a leave from the Senate yun pala she extended her leave from her senses.
We still have problems. I was told the data base of my old blog has not been retrieved completely. Please sign your name for identification while we are fixing the problem.
Thanks.
Manuel, chairman of the committee on foreign relations ‘yan ha.
Dear Ellen: I guess, you should thank your lucky star. Since, Ermita could’ve easily use other method other than the brown envelope to shut you up like the many journalists mysteriously expired. And, the killer(s) yet to be found nor prosecuted. As you well aware, Philippines is 2nd to Iraq in the killing of Journalist. Furthermore, life in the Philippines is equivalent only to a brown envelope, as you know. You could’ve been one of the has been by unknown killer(s). Just imagine, how many journalist has been killed in the Philippines? Yeap! You could’ve been one. Ermita got the power and the source. Be cautious, Ms Ellen!
Don’t put too much faith on anyone very close to Gloria Arroyo as my personal advice to you. They don’t believe in morality and fair play. Justice to them doesn’t exist. Those people can’t differentiate the right from wrong, and as far as they’re concern, we, the people are nothing but a number. Gloria Arroyo and her followers are at war with the people to keep Gloria in power, matter not the cost. They’re shameless and will do anything, use everything at their disposal so Gloria can remain illegitimately head of the State. I never realize how bad it’s in the Philippines until I start educating myself politically. Gloria ever since she grabbed power in 2001, has been lying, cheating and stealing. Gloria has used and haven’t spared no one for her own self-benefit. Surely, Gloria doesn’t care about the Philippines and the people or else she would’ve resign a long time ago, and if she has any kind of integrity. Self-respect and honor are not in Gloria’s vocabulary.
For Da Vinci Code, I will leave it up to an individual to make the choice. My belief, it’s a form of expression protected under the article in the constitution, and must be shown. Ermita should know better to make a statement of banning the Da Vinci Code. We, the people were given the mentality to think for ourselves. The rule of law must always be paramount. However, to survive in the Philippines – “Don’t see nothing, don’t hear nothing and don’t say nothing.” Of course, I’m contradicting myself to make a point, since there is no such thing as the rule of law while Gloria Arroyo is in power, Only, the law of Gloria Arroyo.
Si ERMITA-nyo ay latak noong kapanahunan ni Pres. Marcos. Kaya ingat kayo lalo na sa iyo Ellen. Walang sinasanto ang mga yan … kita niyo naman doon sa Garci Tape kahit alam ni Punggok na may kinidnap oks lang sa kanya. Sabi nga ni Toney “GLORIA AND HER FOLLOWERS ARE AT WAR WITH THE PEOPLE TO KEEP HER IN POWER. THEY’RE SHAMELESS AND WILL DO ANYTHING, USE EVERYTHING AT THEIR DISPOSAL SO GLORYA CAN REMAIN ILLEGITIMATE HEAD OF STATE.” ARRAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!! KAPAL TALAGA ANG MUKHA!!!!!!
Ellen sorry wala sa topic to natatawa lang ako … SI LAPID DAW LALABAN KAY BINAY SA MAKATI ….. SABI NG KUMARE NI GLORYA NA SI MAY-TUPAK DEFENSOR NA KAILANGAN DAW COLLEGE GRADUATE KAHIT ANONG MAJOR O GENERAL BASTA’T GRADUWEYT TAPOOOOSSSSSS.
KAYA NGA NINAKAW NILA ANG PUWESTO KAY ERAP AT DINAYA NILA SI FPJ DAHIL HINDI SILA COLLEGE GRADUATE … TAPOS IKAW NA ELEMENTARY LANG ANG NATAPOS ILALABAN NILA SA ISANG LAW GRADUATE. DI BA DYOK TO????
Etnad,
I identified you as such from your email. I have to change one by one the “Anonymous” labeled visitors because it seems weired discussing with “Anonymous”.
I’m requesting you all to please put your name on your comments so i can change it when it comes out as “Anonymous”.
Marami pa ang dapat ayusin sa blog na ito. Thank you.
E-mail from Ed Reyes:
Wowie! Incredible! In honesty, you got me by a surprise reading your article. You’ve returned the envelope with P1000 bills in it? Amazing! I guess, people such as you still giving us hope. I’m losing faith pretty fast on everyone in the Philippines considering what I’ve been reading and what I know of our culture. My error, and my sincere apology. I got you peg with the rest as corrupt as Gloria Arroyo and her immoral minions. Perhaps, Im stroking with a wide brush, and generalizing everyone being contaminated by Gloria’s dishonesty. My perception of the Philippines is that you can’t trust anyone when it comes to money, most especially those officials in the govt. They think they got their own private bank accounts at the expense of the Philippines treasury and the tax payers.
I think you’re just being kind hearted when you labeled Ermita as competent executive. You got to be kidding, that guy is a crook (period). His kind doesn’t belong at any capacity in the govt. Anyone will think of nothing handing you an envelope as a bribe to shut you up, in anyone’s book is incompetent and evildoer. Of course, filing bribery charges against him will be out of the question. People like him and Gloria Arroyo know how to handle permanently those don’t agree with their corrupt mentality. With their thinking either get on board with their choo-choo train or get run over. It’s sad of what become of us. Their is just no hope for the better especially those in poverty as long as Gloria and her kind running the country. Just too blind to see what they’re doing to our country. They’re sightless with greed!
Keep up the good work, and you take care of yourself. People like you is rare in the Philippines.
Ed, the accolade should go to Mei Magsino-Lubis.
Ermita is using his competence for things that are not good for the country. What a waste!
16 May 2006
Off-Topic ulit:
According to brenda santiago, the government can save up to 1billion a year incase the senate is abolished. My question here is, how many members of the parliament is there in the proposed shift to parliament??? All I know (correct me if I’m wrong) in most parliamentary system, parliamentrians number to about more or less 500 members. If that’s the case how can we save 1 billion a year if we have to add more that 200 members of the parliament.
It talagang si brenda, bakit kaya hindi na lang nya barilin ang sarili nya sa ulo, anyway sinabi naman nya yun e.
jinx
16 May 2006
Continuation…..
Now it can be told, perhaps, gloria promised a seat at the supreme court to brenda, este miriam santiago. Myabe this is the reason why santiago made a sudden u-turn to support the charter change. If you will remember, Chief Justice panganiban is retiring this year, its easy to see the deception that gloria and her clowns are employing.
Kawawa naman tayo, people should alarmed, if santiago becomes member of the SC and worst becomed the chief justice. What does it mean??? It means only one thing, we have a president and chief justice who are “PROFESSIONAL LIARS”.
Think of it???????????????
jinx
Oh oh!!! so disgusting!! Ever since Ermita joined the ship of the liar, the cheater, and the thief, I no longer respect him. And now the envelope scam? Wow!! The pigs of the same tails……..mess together.
isn’t Mei Magsino-Lubis a reporter who was forced into hiding? i read a story of that sort in the PCIJ blog some time ago.
the jester-in-exile
Ellen,
Pardon this plug – I’m usually not in the habit of linking my blog posts here or in any other blogs but just to tell Jinxies how feel about mad maid Miriam…
http://hillblogger.blogspot.com/2006/05/miriam-defensor-santiago-must-do_13.html
Thanks…
Yes. She’s the one.
Thanks for the link, Anna.
Let’s treat Miriam as an object of amusement. para masaya tayo.
mrng ellen,
sayang kung ang MAKATI ay hawakan lang ng BOBO (lapid) bilang mayor na isang nag papagamit kay GMA sayanggggg MAKATI…………
That’s up to the people of Makati. Di, huwag nilang payagan.
back to the Da Vinci and Ermita Codes:
well, medyo iba ang sensibilities ni Manong Ed sa Da Vinci Code. As Ellen correctly pointed out, “He was just sucking up to the Catholic Church hierarchy, thinking probably that the bishops and the priests would forget Gloria Arroyo’s lying, cheating and thieving if Malacañang took their stand on the controversial movie.”
But if Ermita is serious with his advocacy, my suggestion is that he review the constitution at least Article 3. At para mas may dating, he should also start to ban Gloria Arroyo from the Palace for she was also blasphemous and imprints wrong ideas on Catholics — just like her thinking of the Da Vinci Code.
my take on the Ermita Code and the Da Vinci Code was elucidated on my blog: http://philippinepage.blogspot.com/2006/05/wrong-impression-and-da-vinci-code.html