June 2007 – ellen tordesillas

Gringo won’t join Cavaliers’ Club at Senate

Published by Ellen on June 30, 2007

by Christina Mendez
The Philippine Star

Sen. Gregorio Honasan has rejected the invitation of his Philippine Military Academy classmate, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, to form the so-called Cavaliers’ Club composed of four PMA alumni who were elected senators.

Honasan said that as an independent senator, he would work for a Senate that would push for measures that are good for the country rather than push for the personal interests of some people.

“We cannot afford to chop up a small chamber like the Senate into smaller groupings. The Cavaliers Club existed even before it was called a Cavaliers Club,” he said in an interview.

Trillanes: Zubiri a cheat

Published by Ellen on June 29, 2007

This is what I like about Sen. Antonio Trillanes- he calls a spade a spade. If Zubiri makes it to the Senate courtesy of the manufactured votes of Maguindanao, he will just like Gloria Arroyo – got his position by cheating. We will forever regard him as Sen. Daya na Zubiri.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday accused Team Unity senatorial candidate Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri of benefiting from cheating in the May mid-term elections.

Trillanes, who had just taken his oath of office, wasted no time in making his thoughts about Zubiri known.

Command responsibility

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2007

“We will end the long oppression of barangays by rebel terrorists who kill without qualms, even their own. Sa mga lalawigang sakop ng 7th Division, nakikibaka sa kalaban si Jovito Palparan. Hindi siya aatras hanggang makawala sa gabi ng kilabot ang mga pamayanan at maka-ahon sa bukang-liwayway ng hustisya at kalayaan.”

These words were spoken by Gloria Arroyo in her state-of-the nation address, July 24 last year.

This is one proof that all killings allegedly perpetrated under Maj. Gen.(ret.) Jovito Palparan’s command was encouraged and approved by Gloria Arroyo. Under the principle of command responsibility, Arroyo should be held liable for those killings.

Supreme Court junks Pimentel’s petition for TRO

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2007

The High Court’s decision will pave the way for the canvassing of the manufactured votes of Maguindanao. Zubiri will then become a senator by virtue of the votes manufactured by Lintang Bedol and company.

ABS-CBN’s report:

The Supreme Court en banc has dismissed the petition of the Genuine Opposition to stop the recanvassing of certificates of canvass from Maguindanao.

In a 12-0 decision, the high court said it has dismissed a portion of the petition filed by GO senatorial candidate Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

Edith Burgos accuses Esperon of cover-up

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2007

by JP Lopez

Dr. Edita Burgos, mother of missing activist Jonas Burgos, yesterday accused AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon of covering up for Army soldiers suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of her son almost two months ago.

“I accuse the Army of the crime of kidnapping my son Jonas… I strongly suspect that either or both of the commanding officers of the 56th Infantry Battalion, Lt. Col. Noel Clement and Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano, are participants in that crime,” Dr. Burgos, widow of press freedom icon and former Malaya publisher Jose “Joe” Burgos Jr., said at a press conference in Quezon City.

Responsibilidad ni Gloria Arroyo

Published by Ellen on June 27, 2007

Ermita: Arroyo not liable for killings

Maganda itong sinabi ni Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr na pwedeng gamitin ang doktrina ng command responsibility sa mga extra-judicial killings na nangyayari dito sa bansa.

Sa prinsipyo ng command responsibility, responsibilidad ng nakakataas na opisyal ang ano mang palpak o kasalanan na gianwa ng kanyang mga nakakababang tauhan.

Paliwanag ni Judge Pampilo ng Manila Regional Trial Court (siya ang judge sa libel case naming na isinampa ni Mike Arroyo) sa criminal law, ang isang commander ay hindi maa-aring idawit sa isang krimen na ginawa ng kanyang tauhan kung hindi naman talaga siya kasamang mastermind o kasabwat.

Wife sues Iggy Arroyo over depletion of P127M in assets

Published by Ellen on June 27, 2007

The following story simply underscores that money does not necessarily translate to happiness.Another issue here is, how did Iggy Arroyo acquire those assets in so short a time when before his brother got to Malacañang, he was said to be unable to pay his electric bills?

By Margaux Ortiz, Kristine L. Alave
Inquirer

The estranged wife of Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo has filed a petition for support and the dissolution of their conjugal property, accusing him of depleting their assets of close to P127 million “in a span of only one year” as shown in his latest statement of assets and liabilities (SAL).

Alicia “Aleli” Arroyo, accompanied by her lawyer Lorna Kapunan, filed the petition in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Tuesday afternoon. The case will be raffled off to the court that would hear it Thursday, according to the court staff.

Opposition lawyers quit; Comelec continues canvassing

Published by Ellen on June 26, 2007

By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao — Lawyers of the Genuine Opposition (GO) Tuesday quit the scandal-ridden Maguindanao vote canvassing and Bayan Muna’s chief legal counsel staged a walkout, charging the proceedings were meant to “legitimize” fraudulent vote tallies.

A special board of canvassers is retabulating the tallies — or municipal certificates of canvass (CoCs) — from 22 towns to determine who between the administration’s Team Unity (TU) candidate Juan Miguel Zubiri and GO’s Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III would take the 12th Senate slot in the midterm elections.

As of Tuesday, partial results of the retabulation of tallies from five towns showed Zubiri with 56,865 votes and Pimentel III with 23,466.

Concerned citizens rally vs Comelec

Published by Ellen on June 26, 2007

Comelec orders arrest of Bedol

The Concerned Citizens Group and Kontra Daya led a motorcade in Manila yesterday to denounce the Commission on Elections countenouncing electoral fraud .

Former vice-president Teofisto Guingona Jr.; former Transportation Secretary Josie Lichauco,former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Fr. Joe Dizon, and some 20 car riding rallyists held a motorcade from Liwasang Bonifacio to the Comelec office at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros.

Trillanes defies tradition, to take oath before village chief

Published by Ellen on June 25, 2007

Just when his fellow senators-elect had Chief Justice Reynato Puno administer their oaths of office, Senator-elect Antonio Trillanes IV will defy tradition by tapping a village chief in Caloocan City for the same ceremony.

An ABS-CBN News report said Ruben Gatchalian, barangay captain of Barangay 169, will administer the oath-taking of Trillanes at the Christ the King Parish on Friday.

Trillanes, in jail for charges related to the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, is expected to be given a one-day furlough by the court for the ceremony.

Month: June 2007