February 2008 – Page 6 – ellen tordesillas

Make a stand today

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

Updates from ABS-CBN online:

Government ups security in Manila for rally

From a friend: Just passed by Villamor Air Base, helicopters unloading sacks on two planes ready to seed clouds for rain to stop rally.

Mga kapatid, magpakabasa tayo!

Patriots who are detained in Camp Crame led by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV are sending their greetings to those who are making a stand against the immoral Arroyo administration in today’s ‘communal action’ in Makati.

Joining them in their message are Capt. Gary Alejano (PN-M), Capt. Segundino Orfiano (PAF), LTSG Manuel G. Cabochan (PN), LTSG Eugene Louie Gonzales (PN), LTSG James Layug, LTSG Andy Torrato (PN), Ltjg Arturo Pascua, Jr. (PN), 1Lt Billy Pascua, 2ndLT Jonnell Sangalang (PN), and Ens Armand Pontejos (PN).

They said even if they cannot be physically with the people today, “we are with you in spirit and sentiments.”

Arroyo’s military chief says Al Qaeda wants to kill her

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

May death threat din daw si Gloria Arroyo.

By Oliver Teves
Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines – Militants linked to al-Qaida plotted to assassinate the Philippine president.

Military chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said the assassination plot allegedly was hatched by the extremist Abu Sayyaf group and its Indonesia-based ally, Jemaah Islamiyah.

Opposition groups dismissed the allegation as government scare tactics to prevent people from joining protests Friday to demand Arroyo’s resignation over corruption charges.

MBC says it received a threat from Arroyo Cabinet member

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

From Abs-Cbn online:

The Makati Business Club (MBC) reportedly received a threat from a member of President Arroyo’s Cabinet to stop speaking about the ZTE-national broadband network deal.

MBC Chairman Ramon del Rosario said the threat came in the form of a text message from a cabinet secretary to an MBC board member.

“One cabinet member sent a message through one of our trustees to tell us that if we want a fight….in Tagalog they said, ‘kung gusto ninyo ng laban, di laban’. We will unleash the BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] against you,” said del Rosario.

Nov.29 Movement: dissent in action

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

This article is by a friend who requested not to be given a byline:

With a slogan “Dissent without action is consent,” part of the statement read by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim at Manila Peninsula stand off last year, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona led a group yesterday that gave a face to the November 29 Movement. They vowed to flood the streets of Manila with a “sea of humanity” to show the world that people power once popularized by the Filipinos cannot only be in Edsa.

Arroyo security men with Lozada at airport, logbook shows

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

Update from ABS-CBN Online:

Airport camera shows PSG guy (Master Sergeat Bong Fantillanan) part of team that met Lozada.

By Veronica Uy
Inquirer.net

The logbook at the Dignitaries Lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport showed that members of the Presidential Security Group were in a car that picked up Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., witness in the Senate investigation into the national broadband network controversy, last week.

The same logbook also belied the statement of NAIA assistant general manager Angel Atutubo who claimed that he was in one of the service vehicles that had escorted Lozada out of the airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong.

Makati court denies media petition for TRO vs arrests

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

This is a setback for us but this will not deter us from doing our job of bringing to the public the truth.

By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Makati City court Thursday denied a media petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) barring officials from arresting journalists during crisis situations such as last November’s standoff at the Manila Peninsula hotel.

Journalists from various news organizations filed last month separate petitions seeking to restrain the government from arresting or threatening journalists with arrest.

Sama-samang pagkilos

Published by Ellen on February 13, 2008

Update: At the court martial hearing yesterday the other officers expressed support for Lozada. Brig. Gen. Renato Miranda said:”The reason we are incarcerated is because we fought for the truth, the same thing that Lozada is fighting for. Without truth, we are nothing.”

Col. Ariel Querubin: We admire him (Lozada). Pare-pareho kaming pinaglalaban- ang katotohanan.

To Neri, Querubin said, “Magpaka-Lozada ka.”

Spy camera found inside AFP court room

Published by Ellen on February 13, 2008

by Victor Reyes

A supposed surveillance TV camera was found to have been installed in a room in Camp Aguinaldo where a military general court martial is trying 28 Marines and Army officers implicated in the alleged power grab attempt in February 2006.

The court’s president, Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas, had the camera dismantled shortly after Vicente Caoile, lawyer of accused Marine Col. Armando Bañez, informed the court of the camera pointed at the table of the defense panel.

Caoile said the camera, positioned at the top of a window and hidden behind a Christmas decor, could prejudice the defense strategy. He also noted that before the camera , about as big as a clenched fist,was silver. Yesterday it had been painted green obviously as a camouflage.

The ‘liberation’ of Romy Neri

Published by Ellen on February 12, 2008

I talked with Romy Neri, one of the main characters in the scandalously overpriced NBN/ZTE deal Monday night at a US Embassy reception.

The affair was to welcome the new faces in the embassy public affairs section namely Martha Buckley, cultural attaché; Rebecca Thompson, press attaché, and Karen Schinerer, deputy press attaché.

I asked Neri, former director general of National Economic and Development Authority and now chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, about the notes of his friend Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada written October last year on “What is Neri afraid to say and why?” after his Senate testimony last year where he clammed up when the involvement of Gloria Arroyo in the $329 million telecommunications contract was asked. I carried Lozada’s notes in my column last Monday.

Lim and Trillanes on Lozada

Published by Ellen on February 12, 2008

Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV issued the following handwritten joint statement: We praise the courage and patriotism displayed by Engr Jun…

Month: February 2008