Following are two stories by the Inquirer on the cash and other gifts distributed in Malacañang last Thursday when Gloria Arroyo met congressmen before House Speaker Jose de Venecia was forced to inhibit himself in the impeachment complaint against Arroyo
Cuenco admits getting P200,000 ‘Christmas gift’ from Palace
By Jhunnex Napallacan, Jolene Bulambot
Inquirer Visayas Bureau
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A veteran congressman from Cebu City admitted on Friday that envelopes containing “different amounts of cash” were indeed distributed during the breakfast meeting called by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang on Thursday.
But while Cebu City south district Representative Antonio Cuenco readily admitted he got an envelop containing P200,000 in cash that he described as a “Christmas gift,” other Visayan solons insisted no cash was distributed during the meeting.
Secretary Cerge Remonde, the head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), said he asked Cuenco about the latter’s admission and the congressman had apparently told him it was just a “joke.”
But nowhere in Cuenco’s taped radio telephone interview over dyLA Friday did he say he was just joking.
His tone was serious, and at some point was evasive and irritated when he pressed for details about the “Christmas gift.”
Cuenco, who was interviewed at noon Friday, was first asked to comment on the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s headline about lawmakers each getting P500,000 and were promised P70 million in pork barrel.
But before the question was finished, he cut in by saying: “Way pork barrel. Ang gipanghatag gagmayng amount… pinaskuhan tingale to (There was no pork barrel. What was given was a small amount. Perhaps, it was a Christmas gift),” Cuenco said.
Asked again by correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan to reiterate if he the congressmen received cash, he answered in the affirmative. “O diha, diha…pinaskuhan (Yes, there was… there was… Christmas gift,” he said.
He went on to stress that the amounts were “small” and they varied from one congressman to the other. “Nah gagmay ra, wa magpareha (It was not much… they were not the same),” he said.
Cuenco said he only got “dos sientos” (200) and when he was asked if me meant P200,000, he answered in the affirmative.
He also answered “yes” when asked if the money was placed in an envelope.
Cuenco however sounded irritated when asked why they were getting Christmas gifts this early.
“Sagdi na, ayaw nalang ko og lalisa basta mao na (Let it go. Don’t argue with me. That’s enough),” he snapped.
Cuenco quickly changed tone, and assured his listeners he did not see any malicious intent by the cash distribution, adding it was the “usual” Christmas gift that they have been getting every year.
At the same time, however, Cuenco refused to say who distributed the money, or if he was referring to the President as the source of the Christmas gift that they have “usually” been receiving every year.
“Usual man na… kada pasko manghatag man gyud siya (he/she usually gives every Christmas),” Cuenco said.
He criticized people who connected the giving of “Christmas gift” to the impeachment complaint filed against the President.
Cuenco said he did not know if all the congressmen got the same “gift.” He also said he did not know who distributed the envelopes.
Cuenco then abruptly ended the interview, saying he no longer wanted to be interrogated.
“Don’t interrogate me anymore, Jhunnex. Please. I am telling you what I experienced. Don’t ask me about the experience of other (congressmen),” he said.
Remonde, however, flatly denied allegations that Malacañang gave cash gifts to congressmen as payoffs.
Remonde said the insinuations raised were just part of political intrigue.
He said he had talked with Cuenco and was told that he was just joking when he stated that he received P200,000.
“The congressmen are not for sale,” Remonde said.
“These are nothing but political intrigues. Why should Malacañang be threatened when the impeachment complaint is going to collapse for its own lack of weight,” Remonde said.
Other congressmen in Cebu also denied the allegations that there was a payoff during the meeting called by Arroyo.
Cebu City north district Representative Raul del Mar, the Deputy Speaker for the Visayas, said he did not know of any congressman who received cash.
“If you give cash to more than 150 (congressmen), definitely somebody would talk about it. I don’t think they are that careless to do that, so I don’t think there is any truth to that…,” Del Mar said.
Other Cebuano congressmen who attended Friday’s birthday celebration of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol’ Social Hall, where President Arroyo was the guest of honor, also denied that money was distributed.
Outright denials also came from Representatives Benhur Salimbangon (4th dist), who said congressmen are not cheap; and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (6th dist) who dismissed the report as “so ridiculous.”
Representative Pablo John Garcia (3rd district) asked where his share was if the report was true while Representative Ramon “Red” Durano VI (5th district) said he was not in the meeting because he was in Cebu.
Salimbangon said the meeting didn’t even take up the impeachment but centered on the passage of the budget.
Negros Occidental congressmen also denied they received P500,000 and promises of pork barrel during the meeting.
Representative Jeffrey Ferrer (Negros Occidental , 4th district) said he attended the breakfast with the President at Malacañang, but all he did was shake the hand of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao because he left early.
Representative Alfredo Marañon III (Negros Occidental, 2nd district), who was not at Malacañang, said he called up some congressmen who were there and they denied the allegation that the Palace gave out P500,000 to each of them.
Bacolod City Representative Monico Puentevella said he arrived at Malacañang late Thursday morning with Pacquiao and his group that he accompanied from Las Vegas.
But in his case, he wished the offer of projects were true because roads in Bacolod were in dire need of repairs, Puentevella said.
Representative Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Negros Occidental, 5th district) said he was not feeling well and was not present at the breakfast meeting. But he said he doubted that any money was given out.
“It probably is just a propaganda ploy against the President,” he said.
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“This is when we’ve done something good”
by Maila Ager
Inquirer Online
Legislators at the House of Representatives sometimes receive allowances or incentives whenever they have accomplished something, a leader at the House of Representatives admitted Friday.
In a phone interview with INQUIRER.net, Majority Floor Leader Arthur Defensor said there was nothing unusual if congressmen would receive financial assistance from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whenever there were elections.
“Kahit congressmen o governors tinutulungan naman ng Presidente basta may election [The President helps even congressmen or governors]. Standard naman yun e [That is standard],” he said.
“Pero yung sinabing lahat binigyan. Hindi totoo yun. Nakita mo naman yung picture ko sa Inquirer, may nakita ka bang hawak ko na envelope? Makapal ang P500,000, mahirap itago yun [But the report saying all were given, that is not true. You saw my picture in the Inquirer, did you see me holding an envelope? P500,000 is thick. That’s difficult to hide],” he said.
Defensor was referring to the front page photo of the Philippine Daily Inquirer where he and other legislators were seen walking with the President after their breakfast meeting in Malacañang Thursday.
But if it was true that the President distributed funds for the barangay (village) elections this October 29, Defensor said he had not seen this and has not received anything.
“Kung may binigay mang tulong, hindi naman siguro harap-harapan [If help was given, maybe it was done discreetly],” he said.
Defensor confirmed that congressmen would receive an allowance and sometimes incentive whenever they have done something good.
“May mga allowance yan pero walang aamin diyan. May bonus kung merong ma-accomplish na maganda ang Kongreso pero hindi naman binibigay yun tuwing break [There are allowances, but no one will admit that. There is a bonus if Congress has accomplished something but this is not given during break],” he said.
This was the reason why Defensor said his colleagues repeatedly chanted “bonus” on the floor when they approved the 2008 budget on second reading early Friday.
“Ganun ang congressmen, they always expect kapag nagtrabaho sila ng maayos [Congressmen are like that. They always expect when they work hard],’ the Majority Leader said.
But opposition Representative Rufus Rodriguez is convinced that the money supposedly given to administration allies was meant to kill the impeachment complaint against the President.
Rodriguez said that at least four administration lawmakers have confirmed to him that they had received P500,000 from Malcañang. He refused to identify them.
He said the move was suspect, citing the sequence of events that started with the meeting in Malacañang early Thursday, a press conference by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. in the House announcing that he would inhibit from the proceedings, and the hasty referral of the case to the justice committee.
The opposition claims that the complaint is weak and its hasty referral to the committee will protect the President against another complaint at least for a year.
Related story:
In decent places where their politicians value principles, morals & values, giving cash as gifts is unheard of. I can’t help but think that the Philippines has truly sunk so low that these TONGressmen, particularly Art Defensor says that “cash gifts” is “standard”.
Gloria has desecrated the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines by doing giving this “standard” gift. She has just proven that she has no respect whatsoever for Filipinos. If I recall right, Bunye has said that we should respect at least the Office of the President. My question now is, how can we respect the Office of the President, if the one who represents it has prostituted the Office ?
Some, if not, many, have gone bezerk over a racial slur that was committed in “Desperate Housewives” & even demanded an apology from ABC, & as of late, are filing a class suit against the show. Shouldn’t we show the same disgust over what Gloria & these Congressmen are doing ? What they did is worse than a racilal slur !
In the end, respect is earned. If we don’t do something about this woman who claims to be the President of the Philippines, we will be disrespected & made fun at.
In the final analysis of Gloria & her minions, it is still UP TO THE PEOPLE. We will continue to be an ugly nation unless we do something about it.
Gloria Arroyo has perverted democratic institutions. If not stopped, she will ruin the country. Her sins against the Filipino people is difficult to forgive.
Ms Ellen, you couldn’t have said it better. Agree !
Even when the money came from the pockets of the Pidals, this practice should be considered illegal and punishable as it is meant to earn the support of the recipient for the criminal to remain in office. It is plain and blatant bribery, which is punishable in all progressive societies.
But we all know that the Pidals in fact do not have that much to pay these Congressmen, and whatever they have now come from the national coffers and the money being loaned and contributed by countries like China, Japan, etc. as ODA.
What is obscene is that these activities of the Pidals are now even open “secrets.” Everyone knows for instance the offers of the Fat Guy to governors, et al in the provinces, and even Mayors in cities like Manila as in the case of the former Mayor of Manila who even get the privilege of being invited to trips, official and unofficial of the short woman, to invent projects that they can use to ask for ODA overseas, and they split the commissions as apparently has been the case in the ZTE/NBN deal.
Point is why are these being tolerated by Filipinos? Why are they not putting these people, including the recipients of these bribes, etc. to jail! Over in Japan, this will lead to a mass suicide especially when a lawmaker like this Cuenco admits it is true! 😛
Ang kapal!
Chabeli,
Yan ang malungkot sa atin. When we say the people, sasabihin ni gloria at ng mga kakampi niyang congressmen, sila ang the people. The 189 congressmen represents majority of the people going by the districts. So, ang natitirang tunay na the people ay mga kontra sa kagaspangan at kawalanghiyaan ng administrasyong ito. Ang mga peryodista at kolumnista katulad ni Ma’m Ellen na walang takot at patuloy na nagbu-bulgar ng mga kasamaang nangyayari, ang mga newspapers na hindi nabubusalan. At marahil, ang kakarampot na mga bloggers na buong sidhing sumusubaybay sa mga kaganapan. Pero ang tantya ko, ang the people, ang maliliit, ang mga walang boses, nagpapanting na rin ang tenga sa galit. Bukas makalawa, mayroong magsisimula, may magwawala, may bombang sasabog para wakasan na ang mga kahibangan ni gloria at nang kanyang walang konsensiyang kakutsaba sa pagpapahirap sa bayan.
Ystakei, you say that “Over in Japan, this will lead to a mass suicide especially when a lawmaker like this Cuenco admits it is true! Ang kapal!” (October 13th, 2007 at 1:43 am).
Hindi, kapal, Ystakei, it’s more like, Walang Hiya !
It’s standard, depensa ni Art Defensor.
Ibig sabihin, gawain na nila. Wala nang pasintabi, garapalan na. Business as usual. Kahit anong sabihin, dedma na lang sila basta may datung sa bulsa. Hindi na alintana kung ang ipinakakain nila sa kanilang pamilya ay kwarta ng bayan. Standard na sa kanila yan. Standard na, kalakaran na sa administrasyon ni gloria ang mamigay ng pera ng bayan pero sa kanyang kakampi lamang upang pangalagaan ang sarili sa bantang impeachment. Yan ang kanyang legacy.
These crooks would have been in jail by now or six feet underground if all the journalists in the Philippines have been as brave.
Over in Japan, when we have scandals such as this, none of the newspapers would even take side with the crooks, but would demand for strict adherence to criminal procedures, and their reports even helping policemen and the prosecutors in their investigations that can lead to a conviction. Dapat ganyan sa Pilipinas para umasenso na, hindi iyong kundi pa umalis ang mga pilipino ng Pilipinas, hindi pa bubuti ang buhay nila!
TurningPoint, kung minsan – pero mas madalas na ngayon – out of fustration, iniisip ko na maski ano nalang basta tanggaling na si Gloria. I also know that we must be be patient because the outcome might be worse pa than what we have. Pero, what can be worse than Gloria ? So far, wala pa akong sagot. I, too, was part of EDSA DOS, who believed that Erap should be taken out of office because of corruption. The mistake many of us in EDSA DOS made was impatience, because the result was this Gloria – far worse pa pala than Erap ! I can’t help but regret.
You said that “..ang tantya ko, ang the people, ang maliliit, ang mga walang boses, nagpapanting na rin ang tenga sa galit. Bukas makalawa, mayroong magsisimula, may magwawala, may bombang sasabog para wakasan na ang mga kahibangan ni gloria at nang kanyang walang konsensiyang kakutsaba sa pagpapahirap sa bayan.”
I hope that whatever it is, basta ang makikinabang ay yung tao at bayan. I guess democracy is that way. It’s a constant battle. If we want Democracy, we must keep watch at all times from tyrants like Marcos, like Gloria.
Now there is the SMOKING GUN with 200,000 bullets!
What is ambuswoman waiting for? The mercedes benz is getting rusty. Being a mercedes is not guarantee of excellence. You have to earn it.
Mercedes Benz ha? Over in Japan, iyan ang paborito ng mga Yakuza! 😛
Panahon na talaga para tapusin ang kawalanghiyaang ginagawa ng pekeng pangulo kuno! Kung tutuusin yang Impeach Me thing na pinagsusuhulan nila ng katakot-takot na pera ng bayan ay wala namang saysay dahil hindi naman talaga si Gloria ang nanalong presidente! Daya lang naman siya! Nakakahiya (mga walang-hiya nga) na ang mga ibinotong representatives ng mga tao ay magpapabayad lang pala ng kanilang mga Prinsiyo! Ang cheap nila! Hindi lang sila makakapal ang Apog kundi mga walang Apog! Mga mukhang pera! Mga Ganid! Damn you Impaktang Presidente (kuno) and all your evil minions! SCHEISSE IHR ALLE!
i think there is a prohibition against public officials receiving gifts, isnt there? i think there’s a need to change strategy also. we have all been bent on going after gma and forgo the little minions who do her bidding. i believe that if the corruption by these little minions are pursued, it might force some of them to talk. it can break up her corrupt stranglehold over the philippines. it might divide them, like it has almost divided them in the zte scandal. more of these and you can find that gma power network may have a weakness. go after the accomplices and maybe she will fold.
Yuko, I was not the one who exposed the gift-giving in Malacanang last Thursday. It’s an Inquirer story. I just posted it here.
Kongreso ng Pilipinas:
Palaging walang quorum, minsan lang magpuyat, may kalahating milyong bonus pa. P… Malacañang, pera namin iyan, hoy! Mahiya naman kayong mga hayup kayo.
Buwagin na ang inutil na MABABANG KABULUKAN! Yung Unano sa Malacañang, ano na lang…a…buhusan ng Holy Water!
Gloria’s tongressmen are cheap! Cheap! Cheap! Bastards!
Tongue,
Bakit Holy Water? Si Lucifera Gloria at kanyang mga demonyos/as ay hindi tatablan ng Holy Water. Buhusan ng acido at gasolina and then sindihan! Lintek na mga Korap!
This is plain and simple bribery disguised as a “cash gift”. The amounts given were unconscionably high to be a mere gift. Ordinary government officials receive allowances and occasional bonuses(rarely more than Php 5t), but never in the obscene amount of Php 200t. The Ombudsman supposedly has the power to investigate even without a formal complaint being filed. If the Ombudsman wants to demonstrate her independence, she should investigate this. The same thing goes for the Commission on Audit.
Chabeli: “Shouldn’t we show the same disgust over what Gloria & these Congressmen are doing ? What they did is worse than a racial slur!”
We should, every Filipino and those who care about the Philippines must. Question is, many of us don’t and many Filipinos (including the hyphenateds) in the diaspora care less about what’s happening in the homeland. Can’t blame them. Many don’t see that racism against Filipinos abroad (in Teri’s case) and the brazen lying, cheating and faking in the Philippines are connected to each other. Many more Teris will come, and racism won’t go away just like that after being rebuked by protesters, as long as the lying, cheating, faking and corrupting (esp. by Filipino leaders) continue.
The out-of-season “Christmas gift” of Gloria to the Tongressmen clearly sent out this message: “Stay with with me guys, and it will be business as usual.”
See, even those Tongressmen parroted the usual line: denial of the “Christmas gift.” Some of those pork lovers are not even contented with “200” or “500.” (Mga GANID! Yawa ka Cuenco ug Garcia ug uban pa nga swapang! Peste kamo!)
Syanga naman, “makapal at mahirap itago ang P500,000.” Isa ka pa Defensor, di ba pwede ang tseke? Sabi nga ni MRivera at Tongue, “mga ayup kayo! “T…na niyo!”
Pati ako nahawa na rin yata.
“Yung Unano sa Malacañang, ano na lang…a…buhusan ng Holy Water!”
Hehehe Holy Water sa simbahan Fake na din. Holy Water ng simbahan ay may amoeba na dahil nahawa na sa mga Cardinal, Bishops, Pari na hawak ni Glorya.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit tuwing mag-uumpisa sila Glorya ng meeting e kunyari nagdarasal pa. Ano kaya ang idinadasal nila … na sana magtagal pa sila sa puwesto para marami pa silang makurakot.
Palagay ko wala ng pag-asa pa ang Bansa natin. Halos lahat ay nababayaran na.
HG,
Huwag mo nang i-insist iyong sinabi sa DH kasi totoo naman iyon na dapat matagal nang inaayos. Noong umalis nga kami ng Pilipinas papuntang US, kahit may diploma mill, hindi masama ang reputation ng mga pilipino. Still, we had had our fair share of racial discrimination in the US that actually caused me some cultural shock. Fair skinned pa ako ha lalo na mother ko na may lahing Briton.
Ang masama kasi ngayon, kinakalakal pati mga tao dahil sa kahayupan ng nakaupong bobo. Human trafficking ang binabatikos sa DH sa totoo lang. Iyan ang No. 1 export industry ng Pilipinas sa ngayon. Ang dami pang peke ang mga papel.
Ano sa palagay niyo kung bakit itinigil bigla ni Cayetano yong hearing ng ZTE tapos itutuloy nitong 25 ng October?
Para bigyan niya ng pagkakataon sila Glorya dito sa pekeng Impeachment na ito. O di ba palabas lang lahat kunyari kalaban pero kakampi pala. Yong German Bank Acct. wala na. Kaya palagay ko etong si Villar, Cayetano, Pangilinan, at Escudero ay mga espiya ni Glorya.
Ayaw nilang masapawan sila nila Lacson at Legarda kasi mahigpit na makakalaban ni Villar sa 2010. Ang Glorya Inc. ay buong buo pa at kasama pa dito sila Ramos at deVenecia. Yan yang mga elite ika nga na akala nila sila lang ang dapat magpatakbo sa ating Bansa. Ang may pakana lahat ito ay itong si Ramos. Kaya ganon na lang nila kinawawa si Erap. Di ba si Erap at Lacson ay buddy buddy si Legarda ay malapit kay Erap kaya ayan dapat hindi sila aangat.
Dapat ibagsak itong mga elitista na ito. Gibain ang Glorya Inc. Sila ang kanser sa ating lipunan.
Tulungan natin itong sila Lacson at Legarda na umangat para pagdating sa 2010 may pag-asa tayo. Pag tuloy tuloy na ganito at si Villar ang magiging Pangulo natin, palagay ganito pa rin tayo. Nandito pa rin tayo sa Ellenville at nagpapalitan ng himutok.
“i think there needs to be a change in strategy also. we have all been bent on going after gma and forgo the little minions who do her bidding. i believe that if the corruption by these little minions are pursued, it might force some of them to talk.”
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Agreed macshock. Tirahin din ang mga minions. Swamp the prostituted Ombudsman with cases. Kahit i-dismiss niya, mahirap i-justify ang 190 dismissals.
While we’re at it, i-impeach na rin yang si Merceditas, for sitting on cases – dereliction of duty. I don’t know if her Deputy is any better, pero the heat must be unrelenting, in the same way their greed is unrelenting.
It’s indirect bribe. Whatever they call it- Christmas gift, financial assistance or Malacanang‘s incentives. Pera ng taumbayan parang personal na pondol ni Gloriang Putot. Garapalan na. Tongressmnen kapalmuks!
Amazing really!
Gloria runs government like a mafia godfather runs gangland, with bribes, treachery, double cross and ultimately, murder.
hawaiianguy Says:
October 13th, 2007 at 5:08 am
Syanga naman, “makapal at mahirap itago ang P500,000.” Isa ka pa Defensor, di ba pwede ang tseke? Sabi nga ni MRivera at Tongue, “mga ayup kayo! “T .. niyo!”
Pati ako nahawa na rin yata.
*** Hindi tumatanggap ang mga suwapang na Kotongress ng tseke dahil mahahabol sila at mabibisto lalo. Dahil naka record sa banko. Cash ang gusto ng mga prostitutes na polotiko dahil walang sabit. Wala nga silang hawak na sobre sa pictures taking nila dahil na ipasa na nila sa mga assistant ang pera. Kaya malakas ang loob mag salita na wala silang hawak na sobre. Ganyan kahayup ang mga alagad ni Gloria. Mga Suwapang aattend agad ng meeting sa palasyo kapag alam nila may pagkaka kuwartahan na naman. Kahit saan distrito pa sila ay pupunta agad dahil sa perang makukuha nila. Ang masakit ay pera ng taong bayan iyun.
“Hindi tumatanggap ang mga suwapang na Kotongress ng tseke…” Sinabi mo eh. Pero madali gawan ng paraan ang pandaraya. Di ba pwede sabihin sa voucher na kunwari ay “conversion” (military lingo) o “reimbursement” (standard bureaucrat term)? If the stupid generals can do it their way, why can’t the smart ass in Malacanan do it better?
“i think there needs to be a change in strategy also.” Why not another petition online, denouncing this fake and corrupt regime. Will somebody do a Kevin Nadal here?
Tahimik yata ang mga kabataanat at mga estudyante. Nuong araw na panahon ni Marcos, ang mga estudyante wala yatang araw na hindi nagdedemonstrate, active ang mga leaders nila nuon.
Ang susunod na distribution ng envelopes ay sa eviction ni JDV as speaker. Siempre, ibang kaso ito kaya another round of buying the tongressmen.
If receiving “secret cash gifts” from Malacanang is standard for congressmen who have done good, then only Cuenco had admitted he is the only one good congressman? or the rest are liars? Well, politicians in other “democracies” have to account for every disbursement, even for their travel and meal allowances and they are limited, and here the President can just give out money to her favourite pets….
Ellen,
off topic but very important news. Not sure if the media over there has news about the killing of a Filipino maid in Mississauga, Ontario at her employer’s residence. here is the update, and the community here is thankful to the Philippines consulate who initially at first announced that it can not help with shipment of the victim’s body to her family in the Philippines but now contributed $5000 and the rest was raised by the community…
For update and to read how hard the Police here are working hard to resolve the case you may check today’s Star….
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/266256
If 200 is “standard,” wonder Abalos was able to maintain, with a straight face,”What 200 is he (Neri) talking about?”
Nakakahiya talaga ito.
“Gufts”, “payola”, “Bribes”
nakakatakot!
si gloria yata ang reincarnation ni marcos
tingnan ninyo……
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Payola
The Marcos Constitution of 1973
There was an ongoing Constitutional Convention elected in 1970 and convened in 1971 when then President Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed martial rule in September 1972. He shifted from using the bribery approach (as in the payola scandal exposed by Delegate Eduardo Quintero) to using the “persuasive” effects of his martial law powers (the antiMarcos delegates were simply jailed) controlling that convention in its homestretch work, and presto! The hitherto anti-Marcos (as in “Ban Marcos”) draft charter became an all-Marcos Constitution.
Its ratification was done by the raising of hands in hakot meetings, and its enforcement was based on a legal vicious cycle of legalese, backed up by the sheer force of arms ofthe AFP, that went this way: Proclamation No 1102 (declaring that handraisings amounted to a 99 percent vote of the e]ectorate in favor of ratification) caused the Constitution to be in force, and that document (specifically its Transitory Provisions), in turn, validated all his proclamations (including 1102, of course!) and decrees as part of the law of the land.
Election Cheating (Stealing)
nakakatakot!
si gloria yata ang reincarnation ni marcos
tingnan ninyo……
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In Pimentel’s autobiography “Martial Law in the Philippines: My Story” he launches us into critical reverie by linking us with a past we must not forget simply because it remains with us. Stating why he had been disenchanted with Ferdinand Marcos he says that the displeasure was founded “on the widely held belief that Marcos won re-election through dubious methods that included massive over-spending, the use of goons and outright fraud.” The distant mirror is unfortunately not that distant it seems. There is familiarity even as the reflections are just as grotesque.
Sigaw ng Bayan!
Huwag Matakot! Makibaka!
karugtong mula sa autobiography ni Mr. Pimentel:
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Envelops of Cash
His real fight started in 1970, two years before the proclamation of martial law, when a convention was formed to amend the 1935 Constitution. There was that same attempt to distort the fundamental laws if only to perpetuate the ambition and greed of one person. There were those mysterious envelopes of cash, temptations of thirty pieces brazenly handed out to purchase loyalties from so-believed respectable men who came surprisingly cheap. And then there were the handful of good men.
In detailing the struggle of a valiant few to write a constitution that did not merely perpetuate a tyrant whose controversial term was soon coming to an end, Pimentel tells us the story of betrayals and survival. There is the story of the Eduardo Quintero expose where convention delegates were given envelopes by some “acting as agents of an unnamed principal”. Past is prelude. The new form of government was to be parliamentary. It would have perpetuated the dictatorship. The envelopes contained money and was distributed by delegates closely associated with the dictatorship.
Joining a committee formed to investigate the payola, the expose immediately placed Pimentel on a collision course with the powers behind the bribe. A weak and ailing Quintero would eventually affirm in an affidavit that the source of the payola was the Palace, explicitly identifying moves to control the convention for a personal agenda.
mga kapatid, balikan ang nakaraan para hindi makalimot!
Martial Law- Never again!
http://www.nenepimentel.org/projects/feedback.htm
Ano ba ang pinakalaking denomination ng ating pera? Mayroon bang 1,000 peso bill? Kasi kung sa envelope lang linagay mama mia bundat ang envelope. 200,000? Kailangan sa atatsi kiss na made in China ang pinaglagyan. Kung 1,000 peso bills ang ginamit- hindi ba may limit ang pagimprenta ng kanoong kalaki na pera? Ang more than a 100 received an envelope.
Tongue: Kahit paliguan mo ng Holy Water hindi pa rin maalis ang dumi sa kaluluwa niya. Dump her sa putik..itulak sa ilog.
..magkano naman kaya kay JdV? They say “blood is thicker than water!” yet he did not support his son. His greed for power to be speaker sa tanda na niya is unbelievable. Walang bang force retirement age sa mga lawbreakers na ito? JdV must be 75 years old, so is Death of Justice Secretary siraulo..Angara, Enrile, Brenda, Joker Arroyo,…
..Paano kaya magumpisal si GMA? Bless me padre for I have sinned..etc. Ano kaya ang sabi ng pare (si Rosales ba o si Villegas?) go and sin some more..and for your penance give me more..
Rose,
Si Rosales at Villegas ang nangungumpisal kay Gloria Lucifera lalo kung kailangan ang DAGDAG na pera!
A bribe in whatever name is still a bribe!
House 4 Sale!
DinaPinoy,
“si gloria yata ang reincarnation ni marcos”
Palagay ko ay hindi dahil adult na ang bruha ng panahon ni Marcos. Malamang na si Hitler!
Chi,
I’m not Catholic that is why I would not like to be too critical of these priests and what they do within the bounds of their religion, but I will not hesitate to condemn them when they openly meddle in politics the way Sin did. God knows what to do with them pretending to be His ministers when they are in fact being ministers of Satan and his advocates.
The Assumptionista should not be too sure that these priests are actually patronizing here. Imelda herself was a great contributor to the coffers of the church during the Martial Rule. She said so herself, but when Marcos was deemed no longer good for anybody but his poor loyalists, wala nang basbas ng pari! Sayang iyong pera ng bayan na ibinibigay sa simbahan!
Sa church namin, iyong bintang kay Imelda for instance would be enough to have her excommunicated as a matter of fact.
Ellen,
Whether or not you are the original exposer of these anomalies, the fact that you are not one of those receiving payola to continue promoting the GLORC like that Cunanan, et al, you still endear yourself to many of us who still feel very strongly for the land of our birth.
Mabuhay ka!
No, Chi, hindi rin siya reincarnation ni Hitler. Siya ang female impersonation ni Lucifer, who is the father of lies ad and deceit. Si Gloria ang mother of lies and deceit! Mas matindi iyan. Sunog ang kaluluwa niyan pag nagkataon!
.. patronizing her….
Yuko: I do believe that there should be separation of Church and State. I worked for 7 years as accountant at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind here in JC, a private school run by nuns. Because St. Jo is the only school of the kind in the state of NJ, tuition is paid by the state..kaya we do not have anything religious like cross, displayed in classrooms. At Holy Rosary. where I worked last when the City Board of Education rented one of the buildings, they have to tear down the cross on top of the bldg. I don’t think the state gives grants to churches..kaya dapat kung ano man ang ibinigay ni Imelda or Gloria now, that should be their own personal money and not the gov’t’s money..kaya lang in the Phil. no line of distinction is drawn..the gov’t and the church can work together but no way should the church projects be funded by the gov’t. kaya lang walang audit ..
kaya lang kasi sa atin lalo na ngayon..the first family and
the cardinal, priests, bishops et al are “close” friends..
Ellen,
Vic,
I am stunned actually! I know these things exist but not as thick-faced as this.
Can you imagine the President of France disbursing from his discretionary funds money to pay off, bribe, corrupt members of parliament particularly at a time when impeachment proceedings are taking place?
The people will sack the Elysées Palace. The French are not gonna stand up to such nonsense. A former Prime Minister of France who was accused of having doctored the emploment books of his constituency (for 1 miserable employment contract only) lost in the recent elections when he stood for parliament and had to resign from Sarkozy’s cabinet.
Just look at this:
– The wife of the successor of Jacques Chirac to the mayorship of Paris who was hied to be an analyst was the cause of the downfall of that mayor and to think that it was only because of a job! That former mayor is still under investigation, his career torn to pieces.
– A former member of the regional govt of Paris is now serving time in Prison for having approved contracts in which he is accused of having pocketed 23,000 Euros!
– Prime Minister de Villepin has been summoned to the police headquarters to answer allegations that he knew who was responsible for a recent defence scandal.
– Prime Minister Beregovoy committed suicide after he was accused of having approved some illegal financial transactions. A senior aide to President Mitterand spent time and died in prison for being found guilty of insider trading. Even the son of President Mitterand spent a few years in jail for being involved in some defence transactions during the term of his father.
In the Philippines, politicians do it so brazenly and even when caught in the act have the nerve to deny that they were committing graft and corruption.
Today, Gloria has corrupted every single layer of the government and its institutions. Something has got to give… Believe me, all these things are being recorded by political attachés in various foreign embassies in the Philippines to be transmitted to their home countries for perusal.
The Philippines is being dwarfed by so much corruption that we have literally ZERO moral standing internationally!
OK folks, I won’t be blogging this weekend – am having my breakfast now and then off to a golfing tournament, afterwards, will be busy watching World Rugby Cup 2007 semi finals England v France and South Africa v Argentina…
Keep up the good work folks and see you on Monday, first thing in the morning.
huwag na nating isali sa usapan ang mga naunang sinasabing nangurakot na nauna kay gloria (makoy at erap) dahil wala na silang kinalaman sa lahat ng kababalaghan sa palasyong itim ng usling ngipin na engkantada.
mgayon ay aktibo pang magkakakutsaba sina tabako at gloria!
Magno,
Iyon naman sinabing ninakaw ni Marcos, isinauli na ng Swiss Bank di ba? Kinuha na noong mga ganid na inutusan ni GLORC na kamkamin para sa sila naman ang magtago sa mga bangko di lang sa Switzerland kundi kung saan-saan pa. Sa Tokyo lang yata walang mga pera ang mga ungas na iyan kasi mahigpit ang mga bangko dito.
What is needed now is a CREDIBLE someone who will ignite the fire. It won’t be difficult to keep the fire burning considering all the GRIEVOUS SINS this IMpaktang Unano has committed.
Kailangang matapos na ang kababalaghang ito!
Elvie,
There are lots of CREDIBLE SOMEONE out there who can ignite the fire, but they just don’t have the GUTS.
an 80 year old american friend of mine who spent his life in the philippines since childhood and work as consul in the us embassy had this story to say:” when i was at the us embassy in manila we issued us visas to deserving filipinos whether you are student,professional as long as you have proof that you can afford to travel,and that visa is free and some issued indifinite.that time there are filipino politicians who are lobbying in us congress to be strict in issuance visas to filipinos,we are then wondering why!because of that politicians lobbying we were then became strict and sometimes we are humans to make mistakes and even deserving filipnos sometimes denied..that politicians was then issuing accomodation letter for his constituent to be issued visa..we don`t even know then if he was making money out of it!this politician before and now are no different,they are all the same, fooling innocent filipinos pretending they are service oriented to lead the people to kingdom come..” this is what`s happening now to our country!our politician are not leaders to put this country and the people to progress, this politicians are the cause of all our chaos and mess that we have now..the only last option we have now is to oust GMA and all her evils whether in congress or senate..let us have a meaningful election and select the true leader that will lead us out to all this mess!! it`s now time to unite and be counted!!
I wonder if those fat envelops will reach the barangay level. I’ll file my COC Monday just in case.
# Sampot Says:
October 13th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Elvie,
There are lots of CREDIBLE SOMEONE out there who can ignite the fire, but they just don’t have the GUTS.
***
Merong nag-iisa na may GUTS, kaya ikinulong at ayaw pagsilbihin sa publiko kahit ibinoto. Si Senador Antonio Trillanes 1V!
From the Professional Heckler (the article showing pictures of tongressmen inside Bastusang Pambansa)
“VULTURES IN OUR MIDST. They use different names to hide their real identity: representatives, congressmen, solons, lawmakers. But behind the cameras, they transform into what they actually are – vultures. Vultures have a special eating habit. It is called corruption. They feast on millions of pesos of taxpayers’ money. Together, let’s stop the vultures’ bad eating habit. Fight corruption, fight the vultures.”
cash gift from malacanang standard according to Art Defensor? how lowly it is to think the principles, moral values of our elected officials especially the TONGRESSMAN, the TONGRESSMAN who love nobody but money, money andmore money.
Shocking but true, even Pampanga Gov. Panlilio, a priest, admitted to have received P500,000 at Malacanang during one recent meeting. A Malacanang staff handed to him a brown bag with the money inside. Sabi niya sa paring Governor para daw sa Barangay Polls. No other thing was mentioned. Inamin ito ni Panlilio hindi lang sa pagiging tutoo kundi medyo nagagambala ng conscience if it was morally right for him to receive the money. Sabi niya kailangan daw niya talaga ang pera para sa mga constituents niya. Kung si Cardinal Sin daw tumanggap din ng mga funds for charity works noon. Well, if this is the kind of reasoning Fr. Panlilio gives, then what would stop him from receiving money from gambling lords and other politicians? Gaya ng palusot ni Sin noon…he was even willing to receive money from the devil basta sa mga mahihirap ibibigay. Isn’t Malacanang and the people in Malacanang devils? Paliwanag pa ni Panlilio, hindi naman daw pera ni Arroyo iyon kundi it could be public money. Wala siyang pinirmahan at walang string attached so he received it. If a decent man, a priest, like Panlilio is given such huge amount of money without receipt or accountability, what more other politicians? And why inside Malacanang? That shows almost all politicians and those who Malacanang wanted to silence were given money. Where the money come from is the biggest question. Panlilio could have received the money in clear conscience; but since it came from Malacanang where this present evil corrupt leader stays, then he should have realized that it was dirty money. Matindi itong bagong pag-amin ni Gov. Panlilio. Kung siya at mga kagaya ni Rep. Beltran ay sinuhulan, ano pa kaya ang mga iba?
Alam ba ninyo na kapag uma attend ng meeting ang mga kotongress ay ang suot na damit nila ay special made. Dahil malalaki ang bulsa at may hidden pocket pa para sa sobreng makukuha nila. Kaya pag labas nila ng Malacanang ay parang puwet ng mga Americanang Itim na malalaki ang mga kotongress. Iyung nga lang ay pera ang nasa back pocket ng damit/pantalon nila. At ang masakit ay pera ng bayan. Kahit na ang iba ay may sakit or nasa malayong lugar ay tiyak na aattend dahil pera na naman ang makukuha nila. Si Tenga JDV ay parang tanga na ngayon at isa lang utusan ni gloria. Mas may yagbol talaga ang anak niya. Kahit papaano ay nag sabi ng totoo pero hindi pa rin sapat dahil katulad ni Neri na hindi pa sinasabi ang lahat. Talamak na ang mga naka upo sa gobyerno natin at hindi lang sa gobyerno pati na sa SIMBAHAN natin ay talamak na talaga.
Vonjovi2, ano naman ang suot ni Governor Panlilio nang pumunta siya sa Malacanang?
Baka naka pang Misa siya dahil bago mag umpisa ang meeting ay kailangan ng DASAL ni Lucifer. Kaya naka pang roba ng pare siguro siya at hindi nga kita ang sobre. Ang cross nila ay Sa Ngalan ni Mike, Sa Ngalan ni Gloria, Sa makukuha na naman naming pera ng bayan ngayon . AMEN.
Dapat kay Gov. Panlilo ay agad niyang sinabi na isa siyang nabiyaan ng katas ng nakaw. Hindi iyun ngayon lang na alam niya na masasabit siya (bakit hindi siya nag ingay agad). Kapag pera ay nawawala talaga ang utak ng tao. Kahit na isa ka pang pari.
They should change the welcome sign of the Batasan Pambansa into: WELCOME TO BATASAN PROSTITUTA! These GMA tongressmen deserve it. Puta na tuta pa.
Iyon nga eh, vonjovi2. Ngayon lang nagsalita. Takot siguro na baka pati siya madamay kaya inunahan na niya tayo. What’s the difference between a priest and politician anyway? Both have so many things in common. Both are great talkers…deliver long speeches and sermons. Both oversee their constituents and flock. Both receive money and donation. Both are liars?
Kaya nga ako kapag nag sisimba sa Quiapo ay nag papasamalamat lang ako sa biyaya na nakukuha ko at kapag Sermon na tungkol sa politika ay uma alis na lang ako. Lalo na sinasabi minsan sa misa na ipad dasal ang Carnnibal ay Cardinal ng pilipinas ay gusto kung sigawan sila. Pero nanaig pa rin ang pag catholic ko.
logtu muna ako madaling araw na
Gumising ka ng maaga at ipagpatuloy ang laban. Ang ilan nga sa amin walang tulugan. Have a sweet night. May you dream of GMA.
Pechanco,
Ngayon ko lang nabasa sa inquirer yun tungkol kay Gov. Priest Panlilio…very upset talaga ako kung bakit niya tinanggap ang pera. Mahalaga kasi may Audit kapag nagbibigay ng pera ang gobyerno sa isang mayor or Gov. Sa totoo lang bawal talaga yan pagtanggap ng pera without proper audit…according to the article he was asked by another gov from Bulacan na kung tatangapin niya ay tatangapin din daw ni Gov. Mendoza…siya pa tuloy naging modelo ng isang Governor imbes na siya mag konsensiya siya pa yun nag umpisa…ngayon Gov. Mendoza is denying this kasi nga bawal naman talaga yan.
Ay naku “The love for money is the root of all evil”.
ang tanong, kong si TONGRESSMAN CUENCO ng Cebu ay umamin na tumanggap siya nbg pera at si Among Ed ng Pampanga ay tumanggap din ng pera mula malacanang (nasa kamay na ng provincial administrator for transparency upang magamit ng mga nangangailangan na barangay sa pampanga} paano iyong mga mayor, governors at mga TONGRESSMAN na tumanggap din ngunit hindi umamin na may bigayan? saan mapupunta ang pera?
pechanco: sutil ka talaga..baka magka nightmare pa si vonjo..at sa pagtulog niya makita niya si Panlilio nakasuot ng itim at pula na sutana, at may sungay at hawak yong “fork” at si GMA naman ay dressed in a black & red robe may sungay din at pasayawsayaw paikot-ikot sa malaking “bonfire”..
..BTW- off topic pero nakita ko kanina ang picture ni GMA na somber ang mukha sending her condolences on the death of the PM of Myanmar..somber ang mukha..dahil kaya sa pagkamatay ng PM, or was she thinking of the possibility of her own death…there is always an end to every story…
Sabi nga pala ni Panlilio the money given were in 1,000 peso bills..wala bang limit ang quantity of these bills to be in circulation..may serial number, hindi ba?..di ang dami ngayon ang 1,000 bills in circulation? may pundo kaya sa central bank reserve? DApat magkaroon ng audit..but who will do it? GAO? SGV? ang labo talaga..
Attended a golden birthday of a Pinay last night. The talk of the night was on the early “christmas gifts!” to Tongressmen. The story about these “gifts” and the extreme poverty of most Pinoy families in the country were quite an awakening to some who just didn’t care as long as they could send money to their loved ones there. Towards the end of the party, almost everyone,(about 60 Pinays)were one in saying that the best way to become rich NOW (under the Arroyo’s wicked regime) is to become a politician for as long as one knows how to toe the line to Malakanyang!
Hello Acting elections chief Borra! Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts may have violated election offenses. Barangay election will be held on Oct. 29, 2007. There’s an election ban for the release of public funds. Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco admitted he got an envelop containing P200,000 in cash as a “Christmas gift,” from Malacanang. Pampanga Governor Among Panlillo admitted he received P500,000 in cash for barangay elections or barangay projects. Maliwanag na may election offenses dito.
Omnibus Election Code
ELECTION OFFENSES
(o) Use of public funds, money deposited in trust, equipment, facilities owned or controlled by the government for an election campaign. – Any person who uses under any guise whatsoever, directly or indirectly,
(v) Prohibition against release, disbursement or expenditure of public funds. – Any public official or employee including barangay officials and those of government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries, who, during forty-five days before a regular election and thirty days before a special election, releases, disburses or expends any public funds for:
Diego, this acting Comelec Chairman is I think Borja not Borra. This short dark guy with a thick English accent. Don’t expect too much from his. He’s another idiot.
I will not hesitate to condemn them when they openly meddle in politics the way Sin did. —–ystakei, 13Oct 1057H
* * * * * * *
Pinahanga ako ng mga taga Boca del Rio, Mejico. Hindi lang sila puro boka, umaaksyon din!
Hindi na nila kailangan pa na mag-kudeta, gaya ng ipinakita sa Baghdad noong April 2003 sa Firdos Square — para magpatimbuwang ng istatwa.
Dito sa Pinas, ang daming pwedeng i-nominate sa Cow Award.
mooo mooooooooo…….
anna:
Kaya pa bang magsulat ni JK, he’s 74 already.
Ito na siguro ang The 4th Battle (Agincourt 1415, Waterloo 1815 & Somme 1916). This time in Saint-Denis Paris!
Oct 13 2007, Saint-Denis —– Saturday the 13th.
Sabi nga sa pelikulang Master and Commander, this is for England!
ayan na ang myanmar, as in, ian buruma!
Why is the impakta extending ondolence to the Burmese PM who died, dahil ba sa pareho silang violator ng Human Rights.
Stop using Myanmar, use Burma instead.
Art Defensor is damn right! It is standard or SOP for them to receive ‘commissions’ from benefactors.
What Defensor wants to convey is: Don’t asked where it came from. Just say thank you. Hanggang sa susunod ulit!
Question: What is this ‘commission’ for?
Hint: O, ayan ha? komisyon ‘nyo mula sa kinita ko. Sayang ‘yung NBN(Na Buko Na)mas malaki pa sana ang tinanggap ‘nyo.
Answer anyone? Go figure!
******
House of Representatives – fitting name for a House full of
Sales Representatives.
Honorable Sales Representative, First District of …..
Makapag-meryenda nga muna!
title above: “Cuenco admits getting P200,000; it’s ’standard’- Art Defensor”
tangnan’yo! daming nagugutom pero hindi ninyo mabigyan ng pagkakakitaan samantalang kayong mga ganid ay daang libo at milyon ang hinuhuthot sa kaban ng bayan!