Erap men lead Palace list for Comelec posts. But there’s a subplot: Ermita suspected to sending list to Comelec
From Malaya online:
by Gerard Naval
A spokesman and a lawyer of former President Joseph Estrada in his plunder case head the list of Malacañang’s choices to replace former Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos and Commissioner Mehol Sadain, acting Comelec chair Resurreccion Borra yesterday said.
They are Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro) and Rene Saguisag, a former senator.
Abalos resigned last Oct. 1 at the height of a Senate probe into his role in the alleged bribery that attended the $329 million national broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp.
Sadain retired April 2006.
Also in the list are former Sen. Wigberto Tañada; Alioden Dalaig, head of the Comelec law department; Howard Calleja, legal counsel of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting; Amado Valdez, a former dean of the University of the East College of Law; and Severo Maluenda Jr., an agriculturist who ran for the Senate as an independent in the last May elections.
Borra said the list was sent to two weeks ago in a letter signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
“They sent it here only to ask for our comment. The process is still dynamic until there is a formal announcement of the Office of the President,” Borra said.
Borra and Commissioner Florentino Tuason are also set to retire in February 2008.
Borra said they would deliberate on the list after the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
“We may recommend (someone from the list), we may recommend someone else, or we can just shut up,” he said.
Borra said he is looking for an expert in hands-on information technology management.
Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said he would like someone from the academe or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and possibly a woman.
Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said he is not against the idea of having a politician as a nominee as long as they have first-hand experience in election laws and procedures.
Commissioner Romeo Brawner said he would like former judges as judicial duty is also one of the commission’s primary functions.
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From Inquirer online:
Ermita denies sending list of nominees to Comelec
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:27pm (Mla time) 10/30/2007
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on Tuesday denied sending a list of nominees for vacant positions in the Commission on Election (Comelec) to the poll body..
Ermita said he has spoken with acting Comelec chairman Resurreccion Borra and clarified that the list, which includes names of opposition politicians, did not come from his office.
Sought for reaction, Borra said the actual communication on the list had been signed by Undersecretary Enrique Perez of the Office of the Presidential Search Committee but carried the endorsement of Ermita.
He said Perez had sent a similar letter, also endorsed by Ermita, to then Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, who has since resigned.
Earlier in the day, before Ermita’s denial, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno also said the list was sent to the Comelec by the Office of the Executive Secretary. Puno said the list was drawn up by a search committee and approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
There are currently two vacancies in the Comelec — the seat vacated by resigned chairman Benjamin Abalos and another position that has not been filled up since well before the May elections.
The retirement of Borra and election commissioner Florentino Tuason early next year will bring the total vacancies in the Comelec to four by February.
Former senators Wigberto Tañada and Rene Saguisag top the list of nominees that Borra said they had received two weeks ago. The other nominees are lawyer Amado Valdez, former executive director of the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement; Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, Comelec law chief Alioden Dalaig, lawyer Howard Calleja of the lawyers’ group Lente, and Severo Maluenda.
Puno said all the nominees are qualified and were not chosen for political accommodation.
And yet, he also said that the inclusion of opposition personalities in the list was in response to the clamor to make the selection process transparent and allow even administration critics the chance to sit in the poll body.
He said this shows the administration was sincere in its goal to unite all political forces and keep politics aside.
Notwithstanding his explanation about the list and how it was drawn up, when asked to comment on Ermita’s denial, Puno later said: “I don’t know. I just read that also in the news reports. Maybe you can verify where the list came from.”
But Ermita said it was “unlikely” the Palace would come up with a list and sound off the Comelec on its possible choices to become election commissioners.
“It should be the other way around. People submit names to us then the Office of the President acts on the recommendations,” he told reporters at a news conference in Malacañang.
Ermita said this was the same process followed in the choice of justices of the Supreme Court, Armed Forces chief of staff, or Philippine National Police chief.
Ermita arrived in the country Tuesday morning from New York where he met with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights.
One of Erap’s favorite movies was “Blood Compact”.Very appropiate for co-opting with Aling Gloria.”Machonurin” na si ERAP kay Gloria Labandera!
Happy Halloween ELLEN,Take care!
This is like a striptease. Titillate the audience, then leave them hanging. Saguisag’s nomination will titillate the opposition. But will he be appointed?
Rufus’ appointment, if ever, results in one less impeachment vote. Nice master stroke there. Her Karl Rove has not lost his /her touch.
this is another psywar tactic of the administration, to make it appear that the nomination was part of the deal forged between arroyo and estrada. it is designed to sow confusion and create distrust among anti-arroyo groups. magaling talaga mag-spin alipores in arroyo.
by the way ellen, i’ve transferred to a new blogsite at sikwati.wordpress.com
hope you change the links.
Wonder why Rene Sarmiento said he’d prefer a woman…
Just read this in the inquirer: “Ermita said he was certain efforts were now being made to talk to Singson to explain to him the reason behind the decision to grant pardon to his nemesis, Estrada.”
Blimey! Singson now deserves special emissaries to calm him down? Didn’t think dealing with criminals warranted special treatment. Gloria and Ermita are really running this country to the ground, aren’t they. I am so disappointed in Ermita (and that’s an understatement.)
My nominee is Wigberto Tanada.
Atty and The Bystander are absolutely right! “Titillate the audience, then leave them hanging. Saguisag’s nomination will titillate the opposition. But will he be appointed?”
Amazing really how Gloria’s built-in sensors work to ‘perfection’ (wonder who “supplied her” with the sensors — heh! ).
question is, will saguisag accept the appointment? i don’t think he would.
no matter how upright and corruption-proof these nominees are, the comelec under this rotten administration will never change for the better. look at rene sarmiento. he has succumbed to the dark side.
The Bystander,
I think we’ve got Saguisag’s answer already.
According to the Inquirer, “Thanks but no thanks. The lawyer of deposed president Joseph Estrada, former Senator Rene Saguisag, is not too keen on accepting a post at the Commission on Elections or any government job offered by an “illegitimate administration.”
Good on Saguisag!
Inquirer also quoted Saguisag saying, “It’s difficult to accept it from a lying, cheating and thieving President.”
Bravo!
The problem is, if no morally upright individual is appointed to the Commission on Cheating in Election, it will continue to be run by the same rascals and good-for-nothing arses.
If the midget in the palace by the stinking river is really serious in cleaning up the commission, then she should ask for the resignation of all the commissioners and start from scratch. I wonder who among the power-hungry boneheads will agree to resign their post.
Ellen,
Also just read “GLORIA TO VISIT QUEEN. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will go to London in December to meet with the Queen of England and British investors, according to British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham.”
Blimey! I bet UK’s Kinetic has something to do with this visit as well as MabeyJohnson bridges. They must have lobbied with British Ambassador so hard for Foreign Affairs Minister Miliband (that UK Labour Party jerk!) to have Gloria sip tea with the Queen. The Brits are hoping to win more defence contracts with PN and Philippine Army too.
With regard MabeyJohnson bridges and allegations that they paid off Arroyo family with real estate properties in London for bribes, I believe if true, these properties are in the name of Iggy Arroyo (based on what his beleaguered wife said that they have a property in London.)
Time to get the NGOs in London cracking to follow the trail!!!!
Londoners, unite! Bring out those placards and show the Brits that you abhor the midget.
The overpriced deal with Kinetic was signed by Angie Reyes while he was Defence secretary — that contract has been in force and all sea tests are supposed to be over this year (thereby completing contract) but there are follow-on projects with the Navy and I’m pretty certain that there is a question of these projects for Gloria’s sipping tea with the Queen.
I will try to find out more.
Is there anyway we can petition the British government or the Queen herself to cancel this meeting?
Philippine Army contract will be with Royal Ordnance!
Broadbandido,
Send fax, e-mail to British Ambassador in Manila and to DESO in London.
Use google to find numbers and e-mail.
British family firm accused of getting rich by building bridges to nowhere
· Philippines ‘squandering’ aid on pointless structures
· UK government criticised for supporting company
· Read the documents here
David Leigh and Rob Evans
Tuesday December 20, 2005
The Guardian
A little-known family who became one of the richest in Britain have been accused of making excessive profits in an aid project, by building what their critics call “bridges to nowhere”.
A Guardian investigation has discovered that steel bridges costing more than £400m have been sold to the Philippines by the Mabey family, all secured with UK government-backed loans and grants. But many of the crossings, which were supposed to open up the flood-prone jungle terrain, have no roads to go with them.
http://www.politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/story/0,9061,1671092,00.html
DESO stands for Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and is part of the UK Ministry of Defence.
Mabey & Johnson Subject of Bribery Allegations in the Philippines
http://www.againstcorruption.org/briberycase.asp?id=854
But when asked what he thought would be the signs that an Erap deal had been reached with GMA, former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo remarked: “When you start seeing the opposition dividing, when the impeachment complaint (against the President) fails to gain support from those identified with Estrada, that’s when you can have a basis to insinuate (that there was a conspiracy).Inquirer.net”
What do you expect in the “Blood Compact” between a convicted plunderer and a lying cheating and thieving Gloria Pidal?
In December 2005 the UK’s Guardian newspaper reported that the Serious Fraud Office was examining allegations of possible corruption involving the British bridge-building firm Mabey and Johnson in the Philippines.
¤¤¤¤¤
Serious Fraud Office seriously needs help from people in the Philippines to be able to pin down Mabey and Johnson. They cannot do much more unless some good souls in Manila begin to cooperate. If they find enough evidence to warrant indicting Mabey and Johnson, then I believe, this could have a reverberating effect on the Arroyo family and provide the snowball effect for Filipinos to move against the Arroyos for corruption!
SFO studies corruption claims against UK bridge builders
David Leigh and Rob Evans
Wednesday December 21, 2005
The Guardian
The Serious Fraud Office is examining allegations of possible corruption involving the British bridge-building firm Mabey and Johnson in both the Philippines and Iraq, it has emerged.
The Guardian yesterday revealed that the firm, controlled by the Mabey family, has been accused of over-charging to build £400m worth of Philippines bridges which critics say “go nowhere” and have no roads connected to them.
http://www.politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/story/0,9061,1671721,00.html#article_continue
The SFO (Serious Fraud Office) is looking at allegations of graft levelled by local campaigners against Philippine officials and “private persons”.
With regard to the Philippine Navy contracts signed with the QuinetiQ, I have no compunction saying that the contracts were overpriced!
QuinetiQ is the prime contractor for the PN contracts.
With regard to the Royal Ordnance projects with the Philippine Army, I have no compunction saying that the offered goods and services are overpriced!
With regard to UK’s Marshall proposed contract (refurbishing and complete overhaul of C130s including other PAF aircraft) with the Philippine Air Force, I have no compunction saying that it is overpriced.
Marshall has already signed an earlier contract and still has to collect.
Philippine Army needs new radios too and no doubt, DESO will manage to squeeze in a proposal for radio supply.
Para sa akin No.1 na katanggap tanggap para sa position sa comelec ay si Atty.Rene Saguisag..ito ang isang tao na di mo kayang mabili o masuhulan ang prinsipyo, maski na miyembro siya ng opposition ngayon, pag-upo niyan sa comelec ay maiiba na siya, susundin niya ang tamang desisyon at tiyak na walang papanigan…
Ang dapat sa mga miyembro ng comelec ay mag-resign nang lahat , dahil tinggin sa inyo nang lahat nang tao ay mandaraya..Resign na kayo, Sarmiento, Jimenez,Borra,Brawner,..kaka-hiya kayo, sayang lang ang mga pwesto niyo dapat sa inyo palitan lahat…
Bakit nga pala natin di isama sa listahan o recommendation si dating comelec chairman Monsod ?
Dapat ang bagong chairman ay hindi politician or walang anak, kamag-anak na politician…kaya nga against ako kay Abalos noon pa dahil may anak siyang mayor at karamihan sa kanyang kaibigan ay politician.
The Dots are getting connected veryFAST…
-Jarius writes expose…
-Mike goes abroad(day before Senate hearing on ZTE)…
-Joey DV reveals details of ZTE mega scandal…
-Neri confirms Abalos bribe attempt…
-Abalos resigns…
-Impeach me filed…
-ZTE deal suspended/junked…
-Congressmen received bribes…
-Governors received bribes…
-GMA immunized…
-JDV under ouster threat…
-Ayala mall “big fart”…
-Erap pardoned …
-The realignment of political forces:Gloria and Erap versus the emerging Real Opposition
What’s NEXT to divert our attention from HER scandals(note:one headline-grabbing event per week now!)
my guess for the coming week:goodbye speaker of the house,WELCOME ,Speaker For the People
Bob,
Tinangihan na yata ni Saguisag ang offer…
Equalizer:
Dont be surprised to see 2010, Erap – Gloria Tandem. Erap wins he gets exonerated, serve for 2 to 3 years, Gloria takes over, President once again.
Another part of the deal: Drop FVR and Singson.
Effect on FVR: Some opposition alligning with FVR, what a bunch of Hypocrites, makes you puke. Black and White Movement is fast showing their true colors. There will be clamor for the unfinished and un-answered questions with regards to FVR’s shady deals. Who knows, it may resurface again.
Effect on Singson: He will eventually be thrown into the Lions Den to satisfy the Eraps Masa. Singson is no longer the opposition darling as evidenced by his shamefull performance in the last election. Tobacco Excise Tax issue!
Who knows, the Jueteng may become his achilles heal. Erap convicted of Jueteng payoffs said to be received and delivered by Singson and yet none of those so called Jueteng operators were put in a slammer. What a freaking travesty.
Totie,
Oo nga ano! “Effect on Singson: He will eventually be thrown into the Lions Den to satisfy the Eraps Masa.”
That’s food for thought and part of what Atty calls “Lintik lang ang walang ganti!”
AdeBrux: Good Morning! I will be there in Belgium this coming month, nice to have some cup of java or better yet some brewski.
AdeBrux, Gloria will never have the support of masa that he hopes to get from any of the combinations of personalities in her bag. Catholic Bishops, FVR, Cory, Singson, Honasa, Myriam the rest. None of them can deliver the masa, but she must be dreaming thinking that masa will heed her call, it will never happen.
The inclusion of those identified with the Opposition in for COMELEC post is, once again, Gloria’s CONFUSE-DIVIDE-CONQUER tactic. Only a political whore would resort to this. Gloria just keeps selling her body left & right – to anyone who would care to use it, as long as she gets what she wants. In the Erap pardon, I would surmise that she gave her body for free! Tsk..a cheap political slut indeed !
Chabeli: For all its worth, Gloria is a politician and what she did was a political move. Politicians are made from the same molded in which one of inherent attributes is to stay alive and in power at all cost.
As I have said before: They are all suffering from the leverage virus. Majority of the politicians used leverage so much without knowing its long term effect.
Leverage works wonders on the way up but can be brutal on the way down.
I meant, “same mold”
You kidding Totie, are you visiting lil old cranky Belgium? Yeah, let’s have tea, coffee and cherry beer… Please request Ellen to transmit your e-mail to me so we can establish contact.
(Btw, I won’t be in Belgium until 11 November — out of the country.)
Ellen,
Btw, my husband’s comment on Gloria’s meeting with the Queen: “Must be some big UK deal then…”
I’m pretty sure there’s some big UK deal for the Queen to be prevailed upon to receive little Gloria. Don’t know what it is but I do know there are several deals in the offing — not quite sure which one though.
Ooops, “not quite sure which one though IS BIG ENOUGH to warrant an audience with the Queen.” — Heheh!
AdeBrux:
Yeah, I will be spending more time now in Europe due to our business positions in Norway, Switzerland and the good old UK. Cardington Area. At least 2 weeks a month will be spent there for the first I would say 6-7 months.
Visit to the Queen, I can smell something that I will need to double check. I will whisper in your ears what it is, I think I know what she is cooking. This may have something to do with Pidals recent visit in Europe. He he heh
AdeBrux: Did these thoughts ever creeps in your head. Why did Gloria went to US and then to China? Same with FVR, Why after the US stint he also went to China? Who’s next, Chavit to China? Or Ermita to China? Intsik na buhay to, ano bang talaga. Cheers to the Cherry Beer.
Totie,
Will be great indeed if we could have a chat over cherry beer or a cup of coffee… Let me know (through Ellen’s kindness…)
I will, there are so many things that we cant discuss here. Lets do it 3rd week of November, I will be meeting with our friend from Sorsogon the second week. So we call it “Skall” is that right? The Viking’s Cheer
Ok! Skoll!
Skoll….
I cant believed an ex general (Err-mita) can be so bitchy in his comments about Estrada’s potential who knows who all of a sudden bites Arroyo as an act of “ingratitude”. What the ????? this mfckr is talking about. Just like your Boss FVR, dont feel to comfortable, youre next.
Dang! They ARE apointing opposition for the Comelec post/s. For what, to lend credence to that syndicate?
Why don’t they put Lintang Bedol in Abalos’ post? I’m sure he will find it cozy there. Deadly beasts belong in their natural habitats.
Eye Ball sa Engkantasya.
Anna, yes , Amb. Beckingham said the audience with the Queen is being worked out but it’s almost sure. Sometime dec. 8 or 9.
Ambassador Beckingham had lunch with women journalists last Monday. That’s what he told us.
It was Belinda Cunanan who supplied the info about prince Andrew having a hand in GMA getting an audience with the Queen because they sat together in a dinner hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Badawi a few months back.
You are right, Anna. It has something to do with the prospect of more UK business coming here in the Philippines because as the ambassador said, Prince Andrew is very upbeat about the Philippines.
Where are you going my little maid? To London to visit the Queen! Imelda’s time it was Prince Charles..now it is Prince Andrew…lollipop, lollipop! trick or treat?
bob, i agree with you, rene saguisag should be the one running the comelec.
Yep, this is another divide and conquer tactic by gloria’s team….
Is this part of a deal?
Of course it is.In politics,politician always has a choreograph battle royal.Politicians are the craftiest and most cunning of all con artists and salesmen.They can manipulate even the most cherished beliefs and intellectual arguments to convince you to give them immense coercive power over other people and eventually,even over you.They’re so good at it that they can even convince many to become fanatic supporters,and themselves to believe their own bullshit.A politician is just like a pickpocket;it’s almost impossible to get him to reform.The difference between a politician and a pickpocket is that a pickpocket doesn’t always get indignant when you tell him to keep his hands to himself.Politicians are predisposed not to see spending other people’s money as a problem,because spending other people’s money is what politicians do for a living.If politicians thought there were something wrong with it,they would be in a different line of work.God has no role to play in politics except to make sure politicians go where they belong.To hell.I don’t have any right choices among the nominee for the COMELEC.Looking for an honest person is like looking for an ethical burglar.Their experience combined is like experience to a prostitute — not much to recommend them.They are by nature a bunch of liars.They are notoriously economically illiterate.And even when they know what would be the right thing,we don’t really expect them to do it.Abalos,Garci and Bedol are the prime example, the story of how this tres diablos have squandered the blood and treasure of the human race, they are the serpent in the Garden of Eden who forsook in order to gain financial well being and has imputed great purity of motive. Hope we won’t have another serpent in COMELEC.
Can she also be addressed as HER HIGHNESS?
10/31/07
The Equalizer,
How can you address Her Highness when she is so short.
Sen. Jinggoy estrada said he won’t join calls for Arroyo’s resignation.
Good. You are not with us. That’s clear.
That’s clearly the deal they had with Arroyo. Magsama silang plunderer.
Tama yan, Ellen. Mas malinaw pa sa sabaw ng pusit, sabi nga ni Ka Enchong, heheh.
Agree Ellen: “Magsama silang plunderer.”