At a forum sponsored by the Catholic Media Network and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at Ilustrado yesterday Bertie Lim, executive director of the Makati Business Club and Vince Lazatin of the Transparency and Accountability Network expressed concern that despite the damning revelations in the World Bank report, corruption in the Arroyo government is not expected to diminish.
Lim said the public should be vigilant over how the Arroyo government spends the P330 billion stimulus package to alleviate the effects of the global financial crisis on Filipinos.
Lim took note that elections are 15 months away and politicians are known to be brazen in their fund raising for that exercise. In fact, in the investigation that World Bank conducted on the road projects that it was financing, a portion of the report stated, “The winner paid off politicians for election campaign funds.”
That investigation, as we all now know, resulted in the blacklisting of seven construction companies. One of those permanently barred from participating in WB-funded projects is E. C. de Luna Construction Corp. owned by Eduardo C. de Luna, a very close friend of Mike Arroyo, husband of Gloria Arroyo.
A number of persons interviewed by WB investigators spoke of the closeness of De Luna and Mike Arroyo. The report quoted one contractor as saying, “Mr. (Tito) Miranda and Mr. (Boy) Belleza both actively work to manipulate bidding… Mr. De Luna is ‘behind’ Mr. Miranda, and the husband of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo is ‘behind’ Mr. de Luna.
It’s not surprising that Malacañang is defensive about the WB report, dismissing the testimonies as sourgraping by losing bidders.
Anthony Golez, one of Arroyo’s spokesperson, was also at yesterday’s forum and he again raised the fallacy that Malacañang is not responsible for Mike Arroyo because he is a “private” person.
Never mind that Golez is ignorant about a Supreme Court decision in a case filed by lawyer Frank Chavez that Mike Arroyo is a “public” person and as such should not escape public scrutiny. The Constitution prohibits the spouse of a president (even if she is an illegitimate head of government) from engaging in business.
Gloria Arroyo, who is mandated by the Constitution to implement the laws of the land including punishing those who violate the law, has not done anything to address the problems of corruption mentioned in the World Bank report which was given to Finance Secretary Gary Teves and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez two years ago.
The only thing they have done so far is to have the Press Secretary talk to the World Bank country representative and dismiss the testimonies contained in the report as coming from losing contractors.
But the Arroyos and their cohorts cannot be completely be undisturbed because VERA Files reported in its website that World Bank said it has in its possession documents of bribe payments made to politicians.
The report also said a contractor claimed he paid direct bribes to senior DPWH officials. “He provided documentary evidence of some of those payments,” a portion of the report said.
Those documentary evidence would be useful when the Arroyos and their cohorts face trial.
Vigilant? The public has been so vigilant for years under this evil regime. To me, too vigilant equals to cowardice.
As Obama always says in his speech, we can hope but we must also act now.
Here’s the latest from US Embassy about Hilary’s trip to Asia. Who says the Evil Bitch has extended an invitation to Hilary and the latter accepted it?
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will skip the Philippines in her journey to Asia this month due to tight schedule, a US embassy official said yesterday.
US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney said Clinton is scheduled to visit Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and China in her first foreign trip since assuming the post as top US diplomat.
“It looks like at this time she won’t be able to add Manila to the trip,” Kenney told reporters in the Palace.
Public vigilant? Bakit nga ba hindi patalsikin nina Bertie Lim, kasama naman nila palagi ang CBCP, ang korap na si Gloria? Kung nakaya nila si Makoy at Erap, bakit hindi si Gloria? Aba, merong tinititigan!
Ang vigilant lang yata ay ang Ellenville!
What? Those goons in Congress and Malacanang will only stimulate themselves with this colossal funding!
The timing is just perfect for this evil scenario, as Paul F argues.
The President receives 60,000 pesos salary per month. Candidates spend billions for political campaign. It takes ten lifetimes to recover their expenses with 60,000 pesos monthly pay. Gloria’s 330 billion pesos stimulus fund for 2010 presidential election does not make sense. Stimulus fund will go directly to the pockets of politicians and cronies. Are they borrowing or printing more money?
Matindi ang mga galamay nina Gloria at Fat Ganid sa pagtanggol sa kanila laban sa report ng WB. Biro nyo sa ibang bansa na may katulad na kaso ng anomalya sa mga bidding at nagsampa ng complaint ang WB, nag-iimbestiga agad at nakikipag-tulungan ang gobyerno ng mga nasabing bansa. Sa atin daw imbes na makipagtulungan ay bubuweltahan pa:
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/browse.html?mode=WATCHED#uri=channels/48209/339950
DKG:
60,000 pesos per month ang sahod ng magnanakaw? Libre pa lahat pati ang nilalamon ng pamilya niyang sa Malacanang? Wow, sikat! But she does not deserve it. She deserves to be imprisoned for life at hard labor para iyong dapat na ibayad sa kaniya ibigay na lang sa kawanggawa.
Anong pakulo na naman iyan? Ang dapat, and I agree with everybody, the people need to be vigilant to protect their votes.
At least, dito sa Japan, minsan silang nakadaya, di na namin pinaulit. At salamat sa mga pulis ng Tokyo, pag nagpunta kami sa Philippine Embassy, abisado namin sila just in case may tarantadong bataan ang mga Arroyo doon at gawan kami ng kahayupan. Awa ng Diyos, wala naman. Iyong tuta ni Gloria doon na kapareho niyang dugong aso at Atenean, pairap-irap na lang.
Bantay sarado dapat. Ang masagwa nga lang sa Pilipinas, ano nga ba naman ang ilalaban nila doon sa mga pulis at sundalong sa kanila nakaumang ang mga baril at di doon sa mga magnanakaw? Pasalamat nga doon sa mga member ng Bayan at mga militant groups nila, ang tatapang. Kahit na dinudukot na, binabaril, etc., laban pa rin. Saludo ako sa kanila.
Iyong mga nabaril na, kung puede sana magmulto na! 😛
BE, I don’t condone vigilantism.
Being vigilant about abuses is different from being a vigilantes. Let’s not create problems to ourselves.
ellen,
more power to you. i really admire your hardwork. god bless
Tsk, tsk, tsk…it’s only now that I’m able to log in again.
Election stimulus would only stimulate the Evil Bitch.
Wow, this stimulus package is almost 20% of the national budget! Masaya na naman ang mga candidates ni pandak. Nasa DEMOLITION JOB na nga ang mga GALAMAY ni pandak to destroy those who may wish to serve, eliminating those who are against the bansot. Gusto lang ni pandak yung mga macocontrol niya!
Correction, it is more than 20 % of the national budget! But who would audit the use of this money? Will it end up like the fertilizer, swine, north/south rail scam and all the other scams? Will the legislators really implement the policies they have made after all the scam hearings? Or dough will roll again like the 2004 and 2007 elections where the legislators, governors, mayors and even barangay captains allied with the bitch got the choice cuts of funneled government money?
A senator questioned the chances of the the Arroyo administration delivering on the P330 billion proposed funding for the stimulus package purportedly to shield the economy from the current global slowdown, saying all that was legitimately provided in the budget this year was P50 billion. – from The Daily Tribune
The boosting of stimulus package from P50M to P330M is a boasting by GMA to Obama’s economic stimulus package. This was also boasted days before she went to Davos and was highlighted by her in Davos.
The stimulus package is just one of the budget allocations. There are hundreds more where the administration can steal from. A very good example, the DPWH where 10% of the budget goes. The fatso can earn him up to P7B from this department alone which dwarf’s the stimulus package.
be is right. We need to do more than just being vigilant. What we may need to consider is an appropriate reaction to every administration’s evil action.
This stimulus package would always be suspicious because it does not have clear and specific programs, e.g., detailed amount for each identified project.
Without clear programs, this stimulus package will just end up stimulating the oversized greed and pockets of Arroyo’s alligators.
dkg, in 2006, GMA spent almost P60K per hour for one year for her foreign trips only. She never thought of her P60K monthly salary.
When Joc-joc, FG and Paule were invited in the Senate to testify. they all went to St. Lukes instead.
Wala ng pag-asa ! Makapal ang mukhay at wala ng hiya ang magasawang Arroyo kasama ang mga alipores nila. Hindi na nila alam ang HIYA hindi na sila marunong maHIYA kaya dapat ay bantayan ng husto ang Kaban ng bayan na natitira , at tiyak walang iniisip na iba ang mga yan kungdi ang kanilang mananakaw. Gusto nga ni Glueria mamatay nang lahat ang pilipino, hindi ba kayo nakakahalata.! Gising na ! Kilos na ! Habang may barya pang natitira sa kaban !
Tama ka Syria, yabang lang ni Gloria ang P330M stimulus package to impress Obama and Davos audience that she too is ‘concerned’ about her country’s economy. Kung ano ang gawin ni Obama, gagayahin sigurado ni Gloria para makindatan man lang sya.
That amount does not exist and Gloria and her idiot economic advisers do not even know where to get it. I go with Angara’s only P50M lang.
Relaxing daw ang golf sabi ni Enrile. So why don’t they conduct hearings at the golf course? The Pangandamans can serve as bodyguards of the Senators. Lito Lapid will ride shotgun, along with the son of Nardong Putik.
In fact, why don’t they play golf in Xiamen? As side entertainment, we will have the long awaited boxing match between InFidel and Brenda; he finally accepted her challenge. The winner gets elected Prime Sinister after the cha-cha.
St. Luke’s has become the sanctuary of Malacanang criminals.
May pera BE kaya can afford to pay their bills…pera ba naman ng bayan ang pangbayad so kaya sandal sa pader ang mga kurap na yan.
Kung tutuusin e magkano ba ang sweldo ng mga pesteng yan, di ba covered sila ng Philhealth na may quota ang hospitalization or either libre ang mga iyan sa gov’t hospital. Opppsss wala na nga palang libre ngayon except yong mga tongpats at kotong na lapdogs ni gloria.
St. Luke’s has a slogan called “Stop, Luke and Listen”.
Does anyone know where JDV is? This talkative politician has become mute.
Election stimulus ni Gloria means another cheating in the election 2010, at pihadong mas garapalan pa.
Baka pa nga wala nang election because the creep wants to stay permanently in Malacanang.
Tangnanay niya!!! Pag wala pang nangyari sa expose ng WB, talagang gutter na ang patutunguhan ng Pilipinas!!!
Kawawang bansa!
Bahay ni Neri binato ng kamatis – Abante
Yehey to Gabriela Women’s Party!
Sa susunod ay etats na ang ibato ninyo ha. Mantakin na P12.5 billion na pondo ng manggagawa sa pribadong sektor ang itatapon lang kay Gloria para daw sa stimulus package.
Mas okay kung ibibitin ng patiwarik sa Romela pero dun sa ‘kanya’ ang simula ng ikot ng tali. hehehe.
m’reng chi,
kamatis pala ang ibinato kaya nagtititili sa panggalaiti itong si misster neri-sa.
tuwang tuwa siguro ang bruhang hitad kung ang ibabato sa bahay niya ay upo, talong, ampalaya at okra. samahan na rin sana ng hotdog at sausage para kumpleto ang timpla at lasa.
libre na ulam n’ya!
mpr, idagdag mo na rin yung bats and balls para may laruan na rin si misster neri.
bert lim = pula, puti, itim.
suma total = abuhin
naging mental institution na ba ngayon ang St. Luke Hosp.? Akala ko piggery ng Pinas.
Rose:
Hindi mental institution ang St. Luke’s Hospital. Sikat iyan ngayon sa pagbebenta ng kidney sa mga foreigner. Baka nga member of the board na iyong mga Pidal kaya libreng-libre sila sa mga kalokohang pinaggagagawa nila. Kailangang imbestigahan iyan pag nabalik na sa tino ang DOJ at pulis ng Pilipinas. Right now, pare-pareho silang mga kriminal.
Rose,
Korek ka, both mental institution and piggery ang St. Luke’s. Si Dr. Cervantes ay si Dr. Frankenstein. Mga Jekyll and Hyde si Gloria, Mike, Jocjoc, Paule, et al. Multiple personalities ang mga hinayupaks.
VIP criminals in the Philippines only need good lawyers and doctors. Then, they easily avoid prosecution.
St. Luke’s used to be a decent name that provided the best service. Ever since it became the sanctuary of the Malacanang crooks, it’s never the same again. I hope they change the name to St. Lucifer.
The US needs a Stimulus package. The Evil Bitch needs a Stimulate package.