Year: 2010

De Lima won’t make it easy for those who want her position

Published by Ellen on October 12, 2010

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has admitted she thought of resigning.

That would have meant surrender to those who want her position to those who are lusting for it. De Lima has decided she will not grant those people their wish.

She has been persuaded not to resign even as the decision of the President to disregard the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee on the Aug. 23 hostage debacle that she headed was something that was not easy for her to take.

De Lima said IIRC members knew that they were a recommendatory body but she could not help commenting that she did not agree with the exoneration of recently retired chief of the Philippine National Police Jesus Verzosa.

“Although he has retired already and even if it’s not in the [hostage crisis] manual, the IIRC believes that as chief PNP he should have monitored the hostage crisis continually and intervened when the situation became problematic,” de Lima said in a TV interview.

Aquino grants amnesty to Trillanes and other soldiers who rebelled against Arroyo

Published by Ellen on October 12, 2010

President Aquino grants amnesty to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and all the other soldiers charged for standing up to Gloria Arroyo.

Concurrence of both houses of Congress is expected to follow in the coming days. Some 160 members of the House of Representatives and 17 senators have earlier signed separate resolutions urging the President to grant amnesty to the rebel soldiers. They are expected to concur with the proclamation.

The proclamation also approves the re-integration of the service of enlisted men. Officers are not covered by the re-integration.

Proclamation No. 50:

Pinoy protesters in Greece demand ouster of Amb. Tiglao

Published by Ellen on October 11, 2010

Funny. Tiglao said he is on leave. How can he be on leave when his appointment by Gloria Arroyo expired on June 31, 2010. PNoy was fooled by Romulo to extend services of Arroyo’s 21 political ambassadors including Tiglao up to Sept. 30, 2010. The Union of Foreign Service Officers said the extension was illegal because a non-existent appointment can’t be extended.

While most of the 21 political ambassadors of Arroyo have finally returned Sept. 30, Tiglao remains in Athens, continuing to occupy the ambassador’s residence. What his legal personality in Greece now? I am told Romulo is lobbying with Malacañang to extend services of Tiglao, who is one of Gloria Arroyo’s most trusted men.

From GMA News online:

Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Greece staged a protest in front of the Philippine Embassy in Athens Sunday to demand the removal of Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao, whom they accused of dismal performance and a lavish lifestyle.

In a news release, Athens-based Filipino organization Kasapi Hellas urged President Benigno Aquino III not to re-appoint Tiglao, saying he has not done much to assist Filipinos in Greece.

“(Tiglao) has nothing to show in terms of performance after more than four years… (He) has overstayed his ‘tourist visa’ in Greece and must go home immediately,” the group said.

Reached by phone in Athens, Tiglao declined to comment on the allegations and demands of the protesters, saying he was on leave and the matter was “sensitive.”

In the brief telephone interview with GMANews.TV, Tiglao dismissed the protesters as a “small group” that had no permit to stage a picket in front of the Embassy.

Comparison of IIRC recommendations and the President’s decision

Published by Ellen on October 11, 2010

Please click here (VERA Files) to view in full the matrix comping the IIRC’s recommendations and the Palace action—or inaction—on the Aug. 23 tragedy.

Maria Ressa leaves ABS-CBN

Published by Ellen on October 11, 2010

Statement of Maria Ressa on her leaving ABS-CBN released by Bong R. Osorio, ABS-CBN Corporate Communication

There is a time and place for everything in our lives. My time and place as head of ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs is nearing its end.

My contract ends on Jan. 3, 2011, and I will not be renewing. I have nearly six months of accumulated leaves so I will go on terminal leave beginning Nov. 15.

It’s time for me to move on, but it’s important we transition properly and prepare our organization – and its new leader – for the challenges ahead.

Ging Reyes will be taking over as news head. She will be arriving in Manila on Oct. 18 to begin our transition. Home-grown ABS-CBN, she has more than twenty years experience as a journalist, the last eight years as North America bureau chief.

Please give her your full support as she takes the helm of our multi-platform operations.

I want to thank you for six amazing, incredible years where we took risks together to help define the future of journalism and our nation.

Transcript of Q & A on Aquino’s decision on IIRC recommendation

Published by Ellen on October 11, 2010

Q: Sir, considering that Malacañang put a lot of time and effort in the piece decisions, do you expect the public, the people of Hongkong, the victims and the Chinese government to accept them?

PNOY: I’m hoping that, that will be the case. Again, we want to be fair to all parties concerned, processes were religiously observed and at the end of the day, there was an evaluation as to what can be preferred in terms of corrective action. I will ask them to also provide with you. Well, it will be posted in the gazette, but you can get and secure copies. There was a very lengthy explanation of all the legal concepts. The bottom line is, ….would not want to file charges, that one knows from the get go, will not prosper. That will just taking much of the courts time, which can be utilized to effect a better conviction rate for cases that can prosper.

Q: Doon po sa case ni Mr. Rogas saka ni Mr., Tulfo, you made a statement that you would be compelled to support a measures in Congress that restrict coverage. Can this be taken as a warning?

Aquino’s decision on IIRC recommendation: Puno, Verzosa cleared

Published by Ellen on October 11, 2010

Summary: Puno, Verzosa cleared. Mayor Lim, just administrative sanction care of the DILG

Statement of President Benigno S. Aquino III on the recommended actions to be taken after reviewing the report of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee on the August 23rd Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident

The Executive Secretary (ES) and the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (CPLC) have completed their review of the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC).

The review was undertaken within three basic parameters:

First, the facts enumerated in the IIRC report; second, the possible criminal, and administrative sanctions that could be imposed under the law; third, whether the cases to be filed will prosper.

The Review also defines concepts such as reckless imprudence, simple imprudence, criminal negligence, neglect of duty, simple neglect of duty, gross incompetence, mistake in judgment, that are offenses under the law and punishable, if proven.

This having been done, I am ordering that the following actions be taken:

PNoy gusto talagang isabit si Robredo

Published by Ellen on October 9, 2010

Why it would be difficult for President Aquino to let go of Rico E. Puno – Inquirer

Lalong lumalala ang relasyon ni Pagulong Aquino at Secretary Jesse Robredo,secretary ng Department of Interior and Local Government.

Nakahanap ng dahilan si Aquino na tanggalin si Robredo at ito ay ang Aug. 23 na trahedya. Inutusan niya ang kanyang legal panel na nagreview ng report ng Incident Investigation and Review Committee IIRC) na kung hindi malibre si DILG Undersecretary Rico E. Puno, kailangang isabit rin si Robredo.

Pinapa-alis na rin daw niya sa listahan ng may pananagutan ang kare-retire lang na Philippine National Police chief na si Jesus Versoza.

Inalis na rin daw sa pinakahuling draft ang rekomendasyun na kakasuhan si Michael Rogas, ang reporter ng RMN na nag-interbyu sa hostage taker na si Rolando Mendoza. Sa rekomendasyun kasi ng IIRC, hindi pinakakasuhan ang mga miyembro ng media. Sinabi lang na dapat tingnan ng Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas at ng organisasyun na nagbabantay sa media ang kanilang pglabag sa Code of Ethics.

Saguisag, still in fighting form

Published by Ellen on October 9, 2010

An accident three years ago that claimed the life of his wife, Dulce, and injured him severely has not diminished Rene Saguisag’s passion for the…

Ostrich syndrome

Published by Ellen on October 8, 2010

by Amando Doronila
Philippine Daily Inquirer

President Aquino reported to the nation yesterday the “significant” accomplishments of his first 100 days in office, diminished by a 23-point slump in the satisfaction rating for his administration.

The Social Weather Stations had published on Wednesday the results of a survey conducted from September 24 to 27, a month after the August 23 hostage-taking debacle. The results showed that the President’s net approval rating dipped to +60 percent from +83 percent net trust rating just before his inauguration on June 30. The net satisfaction rating is the difference between the percentage of the satisfied and dissatisfied. The survey showed 71 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the President’s performance, while 11 percent were dissatisfied.

The survey came as a rude wake-up call and confirmed observations that the hostage fiasco has eroded the administration’s popularity more deeply than it would admit. The survey was the first taken within 90 days of the Aquino presidency. Although SWS described the net satisfaction rating as “very good,” it also discounted it, saying that President Aquino’s score is not the highest initial rating for a Philippine president.