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Month: November 2010

China spurns three times Aquino’s request for one-on-one meeting

Published by Ellen on November 28, 2010

Update from ABS-CBN: Hong Kong will hold a public inquest into the Manila bus hijacking crisis which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead in August, a spokeswoman for the coroner’s court said Wednesday.

The inquest is scheduled to last 25 days starting from February 14, she told AFP, less than a month after Hong Kong police concluded their probe into the poorly-handled fiasco which dented relations between Manila and Hong Kong.

East Asian leaders meeting in Hanoi. China's Wen Jiabao was there but no one-on-one meeting with Aquino
Malacañang last Friday said the planned high-level Philippine delegation to Hongkong and Beijing to present and discuss the Aug 23 tragedy will no longer push through.

The announcement, made by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda confirmed what had been talked about in the diplomatic circle : the Philippines had been told by China unofficially that they would not welcome the delegation as long as they don’t see anybody being made accountable for the tragedy that killed eight of their people.

Lacierda, who was supposed to be part of the delegation together with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, said, “The Chinese foreign ministry could not schedule us.”

Continue readingChina spurns three times Aquino’s request for one-on-one meeting

Hinihintay ang paglaya ni Trillanes

Published by Ellen on November 28, 2010

Pinakita sa akin ng aking kaibigang si Pamsy Tioseco, public relations officer ni Sen. Loren Legarda, ang magandang Christmas decoration sa pintuan ng opisina ni Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV sa Senado.

“Talagang excited na sila sa pagdating ng kanilang boss,”sabi ni Pamsy tungkol sa mga staff ni Trillanes.

Talaga naman. Sa paglabas ng panibagong amnesty proclamation (Proclamation no.75), kung saan isinama ang mga suhestyun galing sa mga senador at congressman, inaasahan na makalabas na si Trillanes sa kulungan bago mag-Pasko.

Sana nga bago Disyembre 15, bago mag-Christmas break ang Senado para makita naman niya ang kanyang opisina.
Pitong taon nang nakakulong si Trillanes as kanyang panindigan sa paglapastangan ni Gloria Arroyo ng batas at pagtiwala ng taumbayan. Unang nilang ginawa ng kanyang mga kasamahang opsiyalk at sundalo ang pagkondena sa korapsyun sa pamahalaang Arroyo sa Oakwood Hotel noong Hulyo 27, 2003.

Nanindigan sila ulit noong Nobyembre 29, 2007, tatlong taon na ngayong araw, nang sila ay nag-walkout sa hearing sa Makati Regional Trial Court at pumunta sa Manila Peninsula.

Continue readingHinihintay ang paglaya ni Trillanes

Ang misyun ni Grace Capistrano

Published by Ellen on November 27, 2010

Thanks to Inquirer for photo
Kapag hindi mo pa talaga panahon, kahit anong gawin sa iyo, sagasa-an ka man ng tren, itapon ka man sa mataas na gusali, mabubuhay ka pa rin. Samantalang kung oras mo na rin talaga, kahit gaanong pera ang gagastusin o kahit natutulog ka lang, mawawala ka na sa mundo.

Hindi tayo dito mananatili sa mundo kahit isang minuto na sobra o kulang sa itinakda sa atin.

Ganun ang nangyari kay Grace Capistrano, ang pulis-informer sa Laguna na binaril, sinaksak ng 24 beses, itinapon sa bangin, nabuhay pa rin!

Ayon sa report ng pulis noong Miyerkules, mga ika-pito ng gabi, kinuha ng dalawang pulis na sina PO2 Mario Natividad at PO1 Antenor Mariquit si Capistrano sa kanyang bahay sa Angono, Rizal. Itinulak siya sa loob ng sasakyan , tinalian ang mga kamay at linagyan ng duct tape ang bunganga.

Pagdating sa Pagsangjan, Laguna, hinulog siya sa bangin at binaril. Natamaan siya sa paa.

Continue readingAng misyun ni Grace Capistrano

Never forgetting is weapon against tyranny

Published by Ellen on November 23, 2010

The latest Pulse Asia survey showed that the Maguindanao massacre, where 58 persons were massacred by Andal Ampatuan, Jr. and his companions, one year ago, is in the consciousness of 98 percent of the Filipinos.

However, Pulse Asia said, less than half (48 percent) of those they surveyed last month said that they are following the developments of the trial.

Click here (VERA Files) for Carol Arguillas’ coverage of the commemoration in Mindanao. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was there.

Click here (VERA Files) for pictorial of the commemoration in Metro Manila.

Pulse Asia’s findings make the request of news organizations and relatives of the victims to allow live coverage of the trial compelling.

As the days wear on, with so many issues and problems cropping up, interest on the carnage that earned for the Philippines the dubious distinction of the world’s most dangerous place for journalists (32 of the victims were members of media), would wane. That would be a cause of concern because tyranny thrives when the people are not vigilant.

Continue readingNever forgetting is weapon against tyranny

Romano, ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ architect, resigns

Published by Ellen on November 23, 2010

By Jojo Malig, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Related article by Business Mirror’s Stella Arnaldo: DOT’s Romano quits over branding

Had the decency to admit fault and resign
Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Vicente Romano resigned Tuesday over the botched “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” branding campaign.

He admitted that he was the one responsible for the controversial branding scheme.

Romano defended his decision to spend P4.8 million in state funds for the launching which he and Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said was just a preview of the concept and logo.

“Palagay ko po para maipakita rin natin ‘yung ganda nung brand na aming gustong i-propose. ‘Yun ang inakala naming paraan na inaasahan namin na ‘yung mga dumalo roon ay matuwa po sa aming inilulunsad. Ang DOT naman ho ay nagi-stage sa iba’t ibang events na hindi naman po kalayuan ang ginagastos sa mga ganyang uri ng event dahil talaga naman pong kailangan mayroon talagang ipe-present ng maganda,” he said.

President Benigno Aquino III immediately accepted the resignation of Romano.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said: “Enteng offered his resignation, he admitted his mistake, it was honorable of him to offer his resignation and the president respects him for his act. And it is with reluctance that the president accepted his resignation.”

Continue readingRomano, ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ architect, resigns

Never forget

Published by Ellen on November 21, 2010

Update: Today at 2pm, photo-journalists will have their head shaved in front of the Department of Justice on Padre Faura st., to commemorate the darkest day not only in Philippine journalism one year ago.

The day of impunity
Nov. 23 last year, Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr of the town named after him,Datu Unsay in the province of Maguindanao, accompanied by relatives and hired goons waylaid a convoy led by the wife of his political opponent, Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of the town of Buluan to a secluded, hilly interior and massacred them.

Mangudadatu’s wife was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband against Ampatuan Jr for the position of governor.
From Ateneo School of Government:

From the Ateneo School of Government:To give way to the event in Maguindanao commemorating the Ampatuan Massacre where key policy actors will be attending, the public presentation of the PODER study on government response to election-related violence scheduled on 23 November 2010, 8:00am – 1:00pm, is postponed to a later date, which will soon be announced.

Fifty-seven bodies were recovered from the area which was turned into a mammoth graveyard by a backhoe that belonged to the provincial government. Of the 57, 31 were journalists, who were supposed to cover Mangudadatu’s filing of certificate of candidacy.

Fifty-eight actually were killed, 32 of them journalists. The body of Midland Review staff Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay , who was with the convoy, remains missing up to this day. Only his dentures were recovered from the killing site.

Continue readingNever forget

Ang kahalagahan ng ginagawa ni Professor Leonardo Co

Published by Ellen on November 20, 2010

Thanks to Arnoldi blogspot
Ang rafflesia ay ang pinakamalaking bulaklak sa mundo na naitala ngayon. Maaring merong mas malaki pa ngunit hindi pa nadidiskubre.

Ang rafflesia ay sobra isang metro ang laki kaya nasa lupa lang siya nakalatag. Parang red-orange ang kulay. Hindi maganda ang amoy dahil kumakain ng mga kung ano-anong mga insekto o mali-liit na hayop. Matatagpuan ito sa kabundukan ng Antique,ang aking probinsya, at Mindanao dito sa Pilipinas. Meron din daw sa Malaysia, sa gubat ng Sarawak.

Ang rafflesia ay isa sa ipinag-mamalaki ng Antique. Ngunit hindi pa ako nakakita ang aktuwal na rafflesia dahil sa gubat ng Sibalom at San Remigio yun matatagpuan. Sinabi sa akin na sa kabundukan yun at aabutin daw kalahating araw na paglalakad bago makarating doon. At medyo delikado daw pumunta doon basta-basta dahil may mga nakatira doon na mga kababayan nating No Permanent Address. Alam nyo na.

Ngayon ko lang nalaman na si Prof, Leonardo Co pala ang nakadiskubre ng rafflesia dito sa Pilipinas kaya nakapunta na sya doon sa kabundukan ng Antique. Ang pang-apat na Rafflesia na nadiskubre ay ipinangalan sa kanya: Rafflesia Leonensis.

Noong Lunes, Nobyembre 15, napatay si Co at ang kanyang dalawang kasama na sina Sofronio G. Cortez, forest guard day of ng EDC-Environmental Management Division a pag-aari ng pamilyang Lopez at Julius Borromeo, miyembro ng Tongonan Farmers Association (Tofa) sa Kananga, Leyte .Nakalibre ang isa nilang kasama na si Policarpio Balute.

Continue readingAng kahalagahan ng ginagawa ni Professor Leonardo Co