by JP Lopez
Malaya
The Local Water Utilities Administration, a government-controlled corporation, held a “lavish” feast for its 36th anniversary Wednesday night, a virtual slap on the face of half a million Filipinos victimized by storm “Ondoy” who are scrounging for relief goods.
President Arroyo arrived at 9 p.m.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said that while most celebrations have been cancelled to donate to victims of Ondoy, the move of LWUA to proceed with its anniversary is the “height of insensitivity.”
“Kawalanghiyaan na ito,” Cayetano said
A source said LWUA ordered 500 reservations for cocktails and 250 reservations for a seven-course dinner buffet from Henry’s Catering Service.
A check with menu showed the catering cost about P200,000 (at P510++, P530++ to P610++ per head).
The celebration, complete with a live band, was held at the LWUA main office on Katipunan avenue, Balara, Quezon City, which was one of the worst hit by Ondoy floods.
The menu consisted of baked mussels with olive oil and garlic as appetizer, “sinigang” soup, and roast pig.
The main course included “kare-kare,” chicken barbeque, squid “salpicado,” spinach with chicken and garlic, “pancit” sotanghon (or canton guisado) and steamed jasmine rice.
Desserts included fresh seasonal fruit platter and “buko pandan” salad.
Assorted sodas, “guinumis” and home-brewed iced tea were also served.
It was not yet known if Prospero Pichay, LWUA chairman and administration ally, shouldered the expenses.
A source said the celebration was prepared not actually to celebrate the anniversary but to impress President Arroyo.
The source said Cabinet Secretary Silveste Bello arrived at around 8:20 p.m.
The source said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and political adviser Gabriel Claudio were also in attendance.
The source said the highlight of the event was the signing of watershed development memorandum of agreement between LWUA, DENR and Philippine Association of Water Districts.
The MoA was signed since they could no longer wait for President Arroyo.
The source said packed meals of “pakbet,” pork or fish, with rice were distributed to some 400 LWUA employees.
The LWUA covered court was also covered with tarpaulins of President Arroyo and Pichay.
LWUA also placed a two-full-page advertisement in a major newspaper yesterday.
Cayetano also said he has been informed that the National Disaster Coordinating Council has also used Henry’s Catering Service for its meetings in connection with relief operations for victims of Ondoy.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago urged private individuals and organizations to file a petition in court for damages against Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chief Prospero Pichay and other officials for the “extravagant” celebration of the agency’s 36th anniversary Wednesday night.
Santiago said the celebration “should be considered an extravagance during a time of calamity.”
She said that under the Civil Code it could be prevented through a court injunction.
“The Civil Code frowns upon excessive or conspicuous consumption in times of national emergency or calamity. If it falls within that category, anyone can go to court and obtain an injunction to stop it,” she said.
“If it has already happened, then a petition can be filed in court for damages against those who held the celebrations because of a violation of a provision in our Civil Code. If we do not enforce it by means of court injunction, then it becomes a dead law.”
Santiago said those who hosted the celebration would have to pay in their individual capacities and refund the national treasury “because I’m sure that the COA will not allow that as a necessary expense.”
LWUA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation, held a “lavish” feast Wednesday night, a virtual slap on the face of half a million Filipinos victimized by storm “Ondoy” who are scrounging for relief goods.
President Arroyo joined the celebration from 9 p.m. to around 11 p.m. and feasted on a seven-course buffet and wine courtesy of Henry’s Catering Services.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said the move of LWUA to proceed with its anniversary was the “height of insensitivity.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said it was “unethical and immoral” to hold such celebration in times of calamity.
mga walanghiya talaga. at walang pakikiramay.
At dumating pa ang animal na Gloria? Kasuhan una ang bitch.
Susmaryahosep! Gloria Arroyo is callous! May kalyo sa puso, may kalyo sa tuktok, may kalyo sa dede, may kalyo dun. Lahat ng parte ng katawan inside and out ay sobra ang kapal ng kalyo.
At si Pechay, tadtarin na at ipakain sa buwaya na gumagala sa Cainta.
The millions who were affected by this disaster should not only remember how they are badly treated during this despair, they MUST remember it when they go to the polls.
Brenda should lead the way to file petition in court for damages. Unahin niya si Gloriang Tiyanak at pagkatapos si porno tabloid king Pechay. Baka may palusot ang buwaya: sariling gastos niya kuno.
This is really kawalanghiyaan at its most scum level.
And these people, led no less than by her most scum midget, are beggoing for foreign aid to the victims?
Gloria and Pichay must have shoved their delicadeza up their anuses that they cannot even feel shame anymore.
I am so disgusted! These shameless individuals’s warped sense of values is remarkable!
And to think that my children are selling their personal stuff at a car boot sale this Sunday with some of their friends in order to collect money for the victims!
Can you imagine how they will feel if they read this news?
I am so ashamed!
Putanginang mga hayop na Gloria at Pichay na yan… I hope they all die a terrible death!
These people are the scums of the Philippines — they have no sense of values, they are shameless, they are pataygutom (and think with their bellies), they beg money from others, they steal, they cheat, they have no classe and yet they are arrogant.
How despicably low these individuals truly are! I’d be ashamed to be remotely related to these scumbags!
Allowed na ba kong magmura?! ~!@#$%^&*(! GRRRR! Pure ~!@#$%!! talaga ever ever!
Eduardo Ermita and Silvestre Bello were also in attendance. After Gloria and her men were all stunned by Ondoy they probably thought to weather it away by eating a seven-course dinner buffet costing about P200,000 (at P510++, P530++ to P610++ per head).
Puta! Walang natutunan ang mga walanghiya sa $35,000 na dinner sa NY at DC. Mas masahol pa ito dahil nagsasaya sila habang namamatay, sisinghap-singhap at nagugutom ang milyunes na pinoy sanhi ni Ondoy.
Walanghiya na inutil pa ang mga hinayupaks na ito!
chi,
wala ng katiting na pag-asa ang mga hayop na yan. hndi lang manhid, talagang sobra n ang kalyo pati kaluluwa nila. Bka hndi na rin yan pwede sunugin sa palasyo no taning.
I’m not at all surprised, it’s expected of someone like Gloria and her friends of thieves.
hawaiianguy,
malamang, siya ang papalit kay taning. aagawan niya ng pwesto, kagaya ng ginawa niya kay erap at fpj. 😀
mike, nge! baka nga takot dn si taning s buwayang may nunal. 😆
Talagang galit na galit na si AdeBrux (October 2, 2009 1:46 am) kay Pechay at Panduck, at mga kabarkada nilang … 👿 hehehehe!
HW,
Oy tama ka, pati mga kaluluwa nina Gloria ay kinalyo na, mahihiya si Taning sa kawalanghiyaan nila.
Flavor of the month yang Henry’s Catering na yan. Iyan din yung nag-cater sa NDCC. Paki tanong naman kay Mikey kung kilala niya yan.
Hindi yata nila alam ang tama o mali. Para bang nangiinis sila …. at para nila sinasabing … inggit lang kayo!!!
i would rather see the philippines run like hell by filipinos…. than run like heaven`s by the american`s.
**manuel l quezon – spanish descent – not a filipino blood**
ayan na nga..!!!
Habang ang karamihan sa atin ay kandarapa sa pagtulong sa mga nasalanta ni Ondoy …. ito namang putang-inang Glorya at ang kanyang mga unggoy ay nagsasaya at nagpapabundat. Anong klaseng mga tao ang mga ito …..
Ang kakapal ng mukha….
Mga P#############ng ina.Baka pwedi ng magmura dito ngayon lang…
pareng cocoy, kung nakakamatay lang sana ang magmura, tagal ng dedbol ang mga buwayang masiba na yan. kaya lang ay HINDI! 😥
Pareng Hawaiian,
Ang mabuting gawin ng mga iyan ay mag-donate ng tig-iisang milyon tulong para sa sinalanta ng bagyo,From President,VP,Cabinet members,lahat ng senador at lahat ng mga Tongressman tutal kinurakot lang naman nila ang kanilang pera.
approve pare! huwag na silang manghinayang dun. yung 2 months salary na naipangako nila at peanuts lang kumpara sa mga kinulimbat nila sa taong bayan. kung si willie r. ng wowowee ay nagbigay ng 1M, sila pa na ubod ng yaman?
Cocoy and HW,
Hindi ako nila mapapaniwala na totohanan ang 2 months salary na ibibigay nila sa Ondoy’s victims. It’s just another bribe, a lip service, so the people would see them in a different light. E kaso puro dark light ang nakikita sa kanila.
Nasisira na ang beauty ko sa kamumura sa nga hinayupaks na yan ay walang epek kahit kanino sa mga animal na yan!
baka ma high blood ka lang chi sa kamumura dyan. ako, isa lang ang panalangin ko: lord, kunin na po ninyo sila para mabawasan ang salot dito sa mundo, please!
169,000 pesos lang, samantalang 70 milyong dolyar ang tongpats sa NBN-ZTE scam. Pakitang tao.
HW, e and daming lords na kumukupkop sa kanila pero yung tunay na lord ay tinatanggihan sila. Ayaw rin ni taning sa kanila dahil mananakaw rin ang pwesto niya, papano ba yan?
Kaya tingnan mo alis ng alis si Gloria pero balik din naman ng balik, hehehe. (Nabasa ko lang yan sa isang dyokdyok)
All the overseas travels of GMA has not resulted in so-called benefits at all..except for the token aid from the usual “providers” the Rest of Her Foreign Leader Friends are nowhere to lend her a helping hand, she was left to beg from the Richer Cities to help out with their calamities funds..so all those junkets benefits claimed by the three Palace mouthpieces, le Cerge Remonde, sleepy eyes Lorelei and mr. benefits Olivar just all for naught…she better stay by the Palace the rest of her term.
How much more of this charade can we really take?
Poor prosperous Pichay. He celebrated the answer to his prayers to the water god Ondoy and gets condemnation instead of thanks from ingrate MManilans. Can these ingrates be blamed for such a crass and raw offering of blissful water?
The blame game has induced some drum-beating architects to point at private greed and government incompetence as the culprits in the Ondoy floods. They may be partly correct, but the primary cause is still mother nature’s fury — the volume of water dumped suddenly is much too great. Mind, man has the capacity to keep water at bay, the Netherlands being an illustration.
Finally, we have news of politicians engaging in Ondoy relief activity, the first since the calamity struck. (I habitually browse online eight national dailies early each day.): http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091002-227963/Palace-hopefuls-race-to-help-flood-victims
Ang nakakangitngit, yung i-overule ni Putot yung Tax Code on donations. Kung hindi daw dadaan sa DSWD ay isa-subject sa tax. Kundi ba naman kulang sa utak at pansin. Yung institutional donors, ginagawa ang donations para direct ang tulong sa tao, at ang halaga ng donation ay tax deductible mula sa gross income.
Sino pa ngayon ang gustong mag-donate? Pareho sanang makikinabang ang mga biktima at malalaking donors sa ganitong sistema, pilit binabaluktot ang batas para masabing may nag-donate sa kanya. Ang katotohanan ay walang gustong magtiwala sa kanya na makakarating ang donations sa dapat makatanggap.
Ang kapal!
@neonate..bwahahahahah. lame excuse .. blame mother nature for the rain my ass.
@neonate.
1. who depleted the calamity and contingency fund ? mother nature?
2. who feasted while survivors of ondoy are starving ? mother nature ?.
3. who offered malacanang to the survivors then closed it then open it again this time for less than a handfull of survivors obviously for media mileage purpose? mother nature ?
4. who berated the homeless and landless farm workers as tamad and patay-gutom? mother nature?
need i say more?
02 October 2009
The height of HYPOCRISY!
Pwede namang ipagpaliban ang anibersaryo ng LWUA o kaya yung ginastos nila ibinigay na lang nila bilang donasyon sa mga nasalanta malamang lalo lumago ang “petsay”, kaso mo nagsasaya pa sila habang karamihan sa ating mga kababayan ay nagdadalamhati dahil sa sakuna.
Hindi man lang pinagbawalan o kaya sinabihan ni gloria leprechaun si pichay para mag-donate, anu ba yun? tama ba naman yun?
mga inutil!
prans
Dito sa amin, mayroon sanang maghahanda para sa kanyang ika 80 kaarawan sa may Max’s restaurant sa may Roces Ave.
Kinansela nya na lang dahil sa kalamidad na nangyari at naki-usap sa amin na inimbitahan niya na unawain siya dahil mas maraming nangangailangan ngayon ng tulong. Hindi niya maatim na makapag diwang habang may mga nagugutom at nawalan ng mahal sa buhay ng dahil sa bagyo na may ubod ng lakas na ulan.
Samantalang itong mga buwayang ito na nagkukubling mga tao, nagawang pang ipagdiwang yung anibersaryo ng LWUA. Di magandang magsulat ng di magandang salita dito pero sana makarating sa kanila ito:
Mga hijo de puta at hija de puta kayo!
Nandiyan pa pala si Pichay. Akala ko naisahog na sa kare kare.
This is fuming and interestingly touching, too:
Nasaan ang mga politiko?
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/oct0209/sports_jm.htm
The whole country been under Calamities for nine long years, cause by Queen Pandakekak and her admin.so nothing new for the majorities,if they dine or spent the taxpayers monies extravagantly,thats the weakness of Pilipino majorities attitude,as long as they met the need of the day,or survived never mine if they won’t see sunrise of the next day.Thats why our country can’t achieved the dream of progress and prosperities..
this reminds me of an emperor in rome who played while rome burns.signal for last hurrah.
Pichay and other officials could be charged for extravagance during a time of calamity
I’ll believe it when I see it… let’s see who among those senators and congressman have the moral courage to do it…
“could be charged”…
palagi na lang “could”, sampolan na!
With due respect I submit that the quality of arguments by those inclined to debate would improve if fallacies such as Reductio Ad Absurdum is not used.
Agree, neonate. What that means na nga ba? Joke only, I understood, hehehe.
LWUA. Local Water Utilities Administration. A celebration because of Ondoy’s bountiful water supply. Such callousness and disrespect knows no bounds now. These people are mad. Raving mad. Lunatics.
May they pass from this world in a watery death.
This administration is slapping us around with impunity!
From Malaya, Oct. 7, 2009 issue:
Pichay defends LWUA party
Local Water Utilities Administration chairman Prospero Pichay Jr. yesterday denied that the agency held a “lavish” anniversary party that showed “insensitivity” to the sad plight of the Typhoon Ondoy victims.
“It was a significant occasion and not a celebratory one because of three important reasons: first was the signing of the memorandum of agreement between our office and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the planting of 30 million trees within the next three to four years; second was the distribution of the biggest relief aid of P1.5 million from LWUA savings and from the Davao City Water District, and third, the turnover of 5,000 packages of relief good to the President as part of the ongoing relief operations of the office since Sept. 27,” Pichay explained in a press statement.
Pichay further said that LWUA has already distributed more than 20,000 relief packages and thousands of gallons of potable water to tropical storm Ondoy’s victims, particularly those in Marikina, San Mateo and Montalban in Rizal, and in Marilao and Calumpit in Bulacan.
Pichay and President Arroyo attended the anniversary party to witness the signing of the MOA which had assumed greater urgency and significance with the threat of the looming climate change.
“Those who are criticizing without doing anything are worse because their criticism cannot be eaten,” Pichay said. “Insensitivity belongs to those who give out critical words instead of helping out the victims of the calamity.”
He said LWUA will continue with its relief operations in the next two weeks. “We are not hypocrites to deny that we prepared good food for our important guests led by the President herself when she came to grace the occasion which, incidentally, was not held in any lavish hotel but simply in our own basketball court,” Pichay said.
“Those who are criticizing without doing anything are worse because their criticism cannot be eaten,” Pichay said.
Oo nga naman mabuti pa yung pechay nakakain. Kaya lang isinusuka din pag dating ng eleksiyon!