April 2009 – ellen tordesillas

Making a statement

Published by Ellen on April 30, 2009

Check out Lito Banayo’s column in Malaya: ‘Baligtad na ang mundo’

Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, a star witness in the $329 mil-lion NBN/ZTE deal, could have easily posted P6,000 bail in the perjury case filed by Gloria Arroyo’s former chief of staff, Mike Defensor to avoid arrest.

But he did not, as a sign of protest. “This is the only way I can mount a protest that is not against the law,” he said.

Lozada is now confined in a small room, non-airconditioned at the second floor of the Manila Police headquarters on UN Avenue. Judge Emmanuel Lorredo of the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 26 who issued the arrest warrant suddenly went on leave yesterday so the arraignment was re-scheduled on May 7.

Ang bagong direksyon ng Magdalo

Published by Ellen on April 29, 2009

Sa aking pag-uusap sa marami sa mga batang opisyal ng military na nakasama sa grupong Magdalo, nakikita ko and sinsero nilang pagmamahal sa bayan.

Napansin ko rin na malawak silang mag-isip at matatalino sila. Maari sigurong sabihin natin na nagkulang sila sa aspeto ng operasyon sa kanilang ginawang panindigan laban sa administrasyong Arroyo, ngunit handa silang magsakripisyo para sa ina-akala nilang tama.

Hindi naman lahat. Dahil mayroon din naman mga bumaligtad at mukhang namang ina-alagaan sila ng husto ng pamahalaang Arroyo.

Tale of the absurd

Published by Ellen on April 28, 2009

When the story first came out last week about a group of Magdalo soldiers arrested while on a shooting training in Clark, I had a hunch paranoia got the better of government authorities again and that the activity might have something to do with job in war-torn foreign countries.

I had done some stories on private armies providing security for contractors servicing the United States military and their allies in Iraq and Afghanistan like Blackwater and DynCorp and I know that they have applied for permission to use some parts of the former US bases, Clark and Subic, for training their personnel.

Since the job was security in a hostile environment, those companies prefer applicants with military and police training. It was not a surprise to me the soldiers were Magdalo members.

Swine flu, swine scam

Published by Ellen on April 27, 2009

Iwasan daw muna ang magbeso-beso, sabi ni Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap dahil sa swine flu na umaatake ngayon sa Mexico.

Sa mga report kahapon sobra isang libo na ang natamaan ng swine flu sa Mexico at 81 na ang patay. Dahil sa bago itong virus na galing daw sa mga baboy, wala pang gamot para talaga duon. Mga gamot na gamit dati sa bird flu ang ginagamit ngunit mukhang hindi masyado raw umuubra.

Pinagbawal na muna raw ang pag-angkat ng mga baboy sa Mexico at sa United States. Sabi ni Yap hindi naman daw apektado ang mga baboy natin dito sa Pilipinas at basta lutuin lang daw ng husto, okay lang.

Wanted: Witnesses

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2009

Court martial hearings of the 28 officers charged with mutiny for a non-event in February 2006 are opportunities for Manila-based family members of those detained in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal to meet.

One of those who always goes to Daza Park in Camp Aguinaldo every time there’s a hearing is Renzo Guinolbay, five-year old son of Capt. Ruben Guinolbay, known to many as the “hero of Lamitan” when he and his men battled with the Abu Sayyaf group who were holding the Dos Palmas hostages in 2001.

Renzo does not know that his father is under detention. He thinks that his father is undergoing training in Tanay.

In the hearing last April 17, Renzo came with his cousins, who were curious why there were so many soldiers in the area. Renzo said, “Oh, they are guarding my father’s class.” He thinks that his father and other officers are in a class because the setup in the courtroom is that all the accused are seated at the center of the room, surrounded by steel railings.

Palparan’s ‘legacy’ lives on in Mindanao

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2009

by Germelina Lacorte VERA Files Retired Army general Jovito Palparan will be reinventing himself as a party-list representative in Congress, but his legacy of anti-communist…

Somalian piracy: How to keep Filipino seafarers safe

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2009

A first person account: By Nico Cartalla VERA Files We departed the island of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean on April 6 for a 21-day…

Mga api ba talaga ang pinuprotektahan ng partylist?

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2009

Sa isyu ng mga taong malapit sa mga Arroyo na nakasama sa bagong sectoral representatives katulod ni Maria Lourdes Arroyo at retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, sabi ni Press Undersecretary Anthony Golez na kahit ano pang ngak-gnak ng mga kritiko, yun ay batas at wala na silang magagawa.

Oo nga naman, ano naman ang magagawa ng mga tao kahit alam nilang binabastos na ang diwa ng batas nitong batas sa partylist.

Noong Martes nadagdagan ng 55 ang 22 na partylist representatives sa Kongreso ng inutusan ng Supreme Court and Commission on Elections na sundin ang bagong formula sa pagsunod ng batas para sa partylist.

One day of summer fun for children of detained officers

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2009

It’s summer time and most of children of officers who are facing charges of mutiny in connection with the February 2006 non-event are visiting their fathers in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

Last Wednesday, former President Estrada allowed them to be at his JE camp/resort just across Camp Capinpin. The children had fun swimming.

Share their joy:

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Prosecution wants to change rules in the middle of the game

Published by Ellen on April 25, 2009

Update of the mutiny case against 28 officers in connection with the February 2006 alleged withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo following revelations of the military’s role in the tampering of election results as heard in the “Hello Garci” tapes:

The prosecution asked that the charge sheet, which focused on the Feb. 23, 2006 activities, be amended to include the Feb. 26 Fort Bonifacio standoff because their witnesses can only speak about the Feb. 26 standoff.

The court denied the motion to amend the charges.

More of this on Monday.

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Month: April 2009