January 2009 – Page 3 – ellen tordesillas

Si Obama sa buhay ng mga Pilipino

Published by Ellen on January 19, 2009

Excited ngayon ang mga Amerikano para sa inauguration ni Barack Obama bilang 44th na presidente ng United States of America.

Live mamayang hatinggabi o baka abutin na ng ala-una ng umaga ang Obama inauguration.Makasaysayan ang pagka-presidente ni Obama. Siya ang unang itim na presidente ng America kung saan maraming dekada ang nakaraan, hindi makaboto ang mga itim. Hindi nga sila makakain sa restaurant na kinakainan ng mga puti. Kahit sa pag-ihi, hindi sila maaring gumamit ng palikuran na gamit rin ng mga puti.

Kung isipin mo ang sitwasyon ng mga itim noong unang panahon, talagang hindi kapani-paniwala na ang manunumpa ngayon ay isang batang itim na presidente. Talagang makasaysayan ang araw na ito para sa Amerika.

NBI clears prosecutors, says Marcelino obstructed probe

Published by Ellen on January 19, 2009

Related story: Arroyo gags PDEA regional official

by Evangeline de Vera
Malaya

The National Bureau of Investigation has submitted its report to the Department of Justice clearing state prosecutors implicated in the bribery scandal involving the so-called “Alabang Boys.”

But the NBI, which is under the justice department, found basis to charge Marines Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino with obstruction of justice for refusing to appear before its investigators.

Marcelino, head of the Special Enforcement Services of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, led buy-bust operations in September last year, which resulted in the arrest of Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson and Jorge Joseph.

Not signing on for Puno-for-president

Published by Ellen on January 18, 2009

I’m wary about calls for Chief Justice Reynato Puno to run for president in 2010.

I share the suspicion of Sen. Kiko Pangilinan that “the Arroyo government is quietly encouraging the moves to draft Puno” for president.

Sen. Ping Lacson has endorsed Puno for president saying that he is willing to subordinate his own presidential ambitions to the chief justice. Nilo Tayag, student- activist-turned- religious- preacher has launched a Puno-for-president movement.

Paghahanap ng bayani

Published by Ellen on January 17, 2009

Paborito ko ang eksena sa stage play na “Galileo” na sinulat ng German playwright na si Bertolt Brecht kung saan sinabi ng isang dismayadong karakter (pangalan ay Andrea), “Kawawa naman ang bayan na walang bayani.”

Sagot ni Galileo, “Hindi Andrea, kawawa ang bayan na nangangailangan ng bayani.”

Totoo yun. Ang bayani ay lumalabas sa pakikipaglaban para masugpo ang katiwalian, ang pagmamalabis ng nasa kapangyarihan, at para magkaroon ng hustisya.

Miracle on the Hudson

Published by Ellen on January 17, 2009

I find this amazing.Landing on the wings of prayers.

Photo by Reuters

Fron New York Times: In a split second, a pilot becomes a hero.

From Newsday:

They all got out alive.

The 155 passengers and crew aboard US Airways Flight 1549 scrambled to safety yesterday after the jet’s pilot coolly landed the aircraft in the frigid waters of the Hudson River and a fleet of ferry boats helped pluck the passengers off the wings, where they stood waiting.

Just three minutes after taking off from LaGuardia at 3:24 p.m. and bound for Charlotte, N.C., pilot Chesley Sullenberger radioed the tower that both engines on the twin-engine Airbus A320 had shut down after it apparently flew into a flock of geese. At 3:31 p.m., the pilot landed the craft in the Hudson, avoiding Manhattan’s crowded west side.

Colonel cited for contempt and ejected by court martial

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2009

segumalian

by Victor Reyes

Malaya
Marine Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian, one of 28 officers being tried for their alleged attempt to overthrow President Arroyo in February 2006, was cited for direct contempt, taken out of the court by military custodians, barred from participating in yesterday’s resumption of the court martial proceedings, and brought back to his cell at the Intelligence Service of the AFP inside Camp Aguinaldo.

Prior to that, Segumalian had confronted prosecution lawyer Col. Jose Feliciano Loy who had been engaged in a heated debate with defense lawyer Vicente Verdadero over the summoning of prosecution witnesses.

Segumalian told Loy not to shout at Verdadero and let him finish presenting his point. Loy replied it was Segumalian who should stop shouting. When Loy asked the court to cite Segumalian in contempt of court, Segumalian went to Loy and angrily pointed his finger at him.

Giving ammo to drug syndicates

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2009

CA orders PDEA to present “Alabang Boys”

Drilon: Gonzalez wrong about Marcelino secondment

Marcelino appointment covered by AFP regulation: AFP

Blame Arroyo for Marcelino appointment

Only in the Philippines.

Imagine a justice secretary giving drug syndicates ammunition to use against law enforcers. The drug lords must be rejoicing.

In his anger towards Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, who dared talk back to him at a hearing in the House of Representatives, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the Marine officer’s secondment at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is unconstitutional. Thus, all the operations conducted by Marcelino could be rendered invalid.

RaulGon: No room for soldiers in PDEA

Published by Ellen on January 14, 2009

Sees all Marcelino-led anti-drug operations as illegal

by Evangeline de Vera

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday cast doubt on anti-drug operations conducted by Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, head of the
Special Enforcement Services of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, saying the Marines officer is not authorized to hold any civilian position, being still in active military duty.

Gonzalez said a constitutional provision could in effect invalidate the operations conducted by Marcelino, considering that his appointment to the PDEA is unconstitutional.

Gaza should concern us

Published by Ellen on January 14, 2009

gaza
I plead “guilty” to not having paid attention to atrocities in the Gaza strip in the Middle East.

I know that our own problems here should not be an excuse to be oblivious to the inhumanities being perpetrated on other people in other parts of the world.. We should join hands in condemning lawlessness and injustice, wherever they are committed. They have no place in a civilized world.

Harry Roque, professor of Public International Law at the UP College of Law and at the Philippine Judicial Academy and chairman of the Center for International Law, enlightens us with the following commentary:

Anak ng droga

Published by Ellen on January 14, 2009

Ang pagtatalaga ni Gloria Arroyo sa sarili bilang anti-drugs czar, o pangkalahatang hepe sa laban sa ilegal na droga ay nagpapakita ng pagka-inutil ng kanyang administrasyon.

Halata namang gimik lang para maniobra nila at mawala ang isyu sa media at sa isipan ng mga tao. Wala sa priority ni Gloria na masugpo ang ilegal na droga na sumisira ng buhay ng maraming Filipino, karamihan ay mga kabataan. Ang priority ni Arroyo ngayon ay hindi malaglag sa kanyang nakaw na trono.

Ano ang kanyang utos bilang anti-drug czar? Tumigil sa pagsasalita sa media ang mga opisyal ng Department of Justice sa pangunguna ni Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez at ang mga taga Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency sa pangunguna ni Director General Dionisio Santiago at Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino, hepe ng Special Enforcement Service ng PDEA.

Month: January 2009