Year: 2010

‘Please let Romulo go’: foreign service corps urges

Published by Ellen on May 27, 2010

The victory of Liberal Party presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino gave the Foreign Service corps a sense of hope that the winds of change he promised during the campaign would revitalize the department that had degenerated under the watch of Gloria Arroyo’s lackey, Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.

But their hopes have been dashed when sources close to Aquino relayed the message that Romulo would be retained.

It’s demoralization time again for the country’s global frontliners.

It’s bad enough that Romulo is incompetent. What is worse is that he has been the face of the Arroyo government to the world throughout these years of corruption and human rights violations. He defended Arroyo in international fora amidst accusations of cheating in the 2004 election, extra-judicial killings, and massive corruption.

Ang batas at ang paninigarilyo ni Aquino

Published by Ellen on May 26, 2010

Kapag manumpa si Noynoy Aquino sa pagka-presidente sa Hunyo 30, ay magsasabi na ipapatupad niya ang lahat na batas . (“ conscientiously fulfill my duties as President, preserve and defend the Constitution, execute its laws…”)

Paano niya ngayon ipatupad itong Memorandum number 17 ng Civil Service Commission na nagbabawal ng paninigarilyo sa mga gusali ng pamahalaan?

Ayun sa Memo 17 ng CSC ay ipinalabas noong May 29, 2009 nang si Ricardo Saludo, spokesperson ni Gloria Arroyo ang SCS chairman, bawal ang paninigarilyo sa loob building at grounds kung saan nag-o-opisina ang mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan.

Kasama diyan ang Malacañang.

Pwede raw maglagay ng smoking area na hindi lalaki sa 10 square meter ang laki ngunit dapat may distansya ito sa gusali na hindi dapat kumulang sa 10 square meters. Hindi rin ito dapat malapit sa entrance or exit kung saan dinadaanan ng maraming tao.

Bawal din manigarilyo sa sasakyan ng pamahalaan. Paano ngayon ang magiging sasakyan ni Noynoy kapag presidente na siya?

Ombudsman re-affirms clearance of Gloria and Mike Arroyo in NBN/ZTE case

Published by Ellen on May 26, 2010

Orders immediate suspension of Neri

by Andreo Calonzo
GMANews.TV

The Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday affirmed the involvement of former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Romulo Neri and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos in the botched multi-million NBN-ZTE deal.

In a 16-page joint order, the Ombudsman upheld its April 21, 2009 resolution recommending the filing of graft charges against Neri and Abalos in connection with the $329-million national broadband network deal (NBN) the Arroyo government entered with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp. in April 2007.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo terminated the contract, which was supposed to improve the communication capabilities of government offices, in September 2007 after news of bribery surrounding the deal came out.

Bare denials

To quit or not to quit

Published by Ellen on May 26, 2010

I only knew now that there’s a law prohibiting smoking in government in government premises. Thanks, Ding.

by Ding Gagelonia
atmidfield.com

This should really be a non-issue – the matter of President-apparent Noynoy Aquino rising to the challenge of giving up smoking.

But it has become one with Mr. Aquino himself expressing annoyance:

“Noong tumakbo ako, alam ng taumbayan [na] naninigarilyo ako. At the appropriate time na hihinto ako, titigil ako. So long as nako-control ako sa mga batas at wala akong naiistorbo baka parte ito ng kalayaan kong natitira (When I ran for the presidency everyone knew I was a smoker. Perhaps I will kick the habit at the appropriate time. But for now, I hope people give me this leeway, as part of my remaining rights).

Here’s what Aquino is up against:

Securing election returns

Published by Ellen on May 25, 2010

Yesterday, under heavy security, ballot boxes containing election returns and certificates of canvass of May 10, 2010 elections were brought to the Batasan Pambansa, where the canvassing for the presidential and vice-presidential contest would be held.

The heavy security, the TV reporter annotated, was because of the reported switching of election returns that happened after 2004 elections.

In July 2008, I did for Vera Files a special report on the 2004 ER switching, which was the last stage of the grand conspiracy set up by Gloria Arroyo to defraud the Filipino people of their choice of president.

The ER switching, carried out starting at around midnight of Jan. 23, 2005, was done by the Special Action Force, the elite unit of the Philippine National Police.

Pakinggan ang reklamo, tuloy ang canvassing

Published by Ellen on May 24, 2010

Huwag tayong masyadong maiinip sa pag-iimbestiga ng mga reklamo tungkol sa mga palpak sa nakaraang eleksyon. Mabuti na hindi lang basta-basta isinasantabi ang mga lumalabas na reklamo tungkol sa mga palpak sa nakaraang automated elections.

Hindi katulad nang nangyari noong 2004 na ibinasura lang ni Sen. Francis Pangilinan at Rep. Raul Gonzales sa basurahang “Noted” ang mga reklamo kasama ang mga ebidensya ng dayaan.

Ngayon, kahit papaano pinapakinggan at hinihingan ng paliwanag ang Comelec at Smartmatic.

Ngayong araw magsisimula ang official canvassing ng mga boto para sa mga kandidato para presidente at bise-presidente. Sinabi ni Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile at iba pang mambabatas na malamang sa Hunyo 15, o bago pa lumampas sa petsa na yun, made-deklara na ang nanalo at magiging susunod na presidente.

Sana naman hindi madaling araw nila gawin yun katulad ng ginawa ni Gloria Arroyo noong 2004 na parang inisahan ang taumbayan.

Kris interviews Noynoy’s girlfriend, Shalani

Published by Ellen on May 24, 2010

From ABS-CBN online:

Valenzuela 2nd District Councilor Shalani Soledad has opened up about her more than a year relationship with winning presidential candidate Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Soledad, 30, was interviewed exclusively by Noynoy’s youngest sister, Kris. During the interview, she shared details about their first meeting as well as her thoughts on her 50-year-old boyfriend’s remarks that marriage is not his priority right now.

The interview was aired on “The Buzz” Sunday.

Below is Kris’s full interview with Soledad.

Kris (K): Umpisahan natin from the very, very beginning. April 27, 1980, ‘yon ang birthday mo. Ano ang type of family ‘yong nakagisnan mo?

Shalani (S): Close ako sa mga relatives ko. Uncle ko, tita ko, cousins ko and lalo na sa brother ko.

K: How many years older sa’yo ang brother mo?
S: Three years. I’m the youngest. Dalawa lang kami.

We should not forget

Published by Ellen on May 24, 2010

Last Sunday, the media community remembered that six months ago, 57 people were brutally killed by members of then ruling Ampatuan family. At least 30…

Rectifying travesty of justice

Published by Ellen on May 23, 2010

The battle cry of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, Jr. during the election campaign was “Kung walang korap, walang mahirap.”

He promised to wage a campaign against corruption, which he said deprives the people of thousands and million of pesos a year which should have gone to education, health, and other social services

Gloria Arroyo is the epitome of corruption and deceit. Fertilizer scam, NBN ZTE, Road Users tax, the list is too long for this space.

An open letter to Noynoy from F Sionil Jose

Published by Ellen on May 23, 2010

From the Philippine Star

Dear Noynoy,

You are now swamped with suggestions and advice, but just the same, I hope you’ll have time to read what this octogenarian has to say.

You were not my choice in the last election but since our people have spoken, we must now support you and pray that you prevail. But first, I must remind you of the stern reality that your drumbeaters ignore: you have no noble legacy from your forbears. It is now your arduous job to create one yourself in the six years that you will be the single most powerful Filipino. Six years is too short a time — the experience in our part of the world is that it takes at least one generation — 25 years — for a sick nation to recover and prosper. But you can begin that happy process of healing.

Bear in mind that the past weighs heavily on all of us because of the many contradictions in it that we have not resolved, whose resolutions would strengthen us as a nation. This past is now your burden, too. Let us start with the fact that your grandfather collaborated with the Japanese. Your father was deeply aware of this, its stigma, its possibilities. He did not leave any legacy because he did not become president. He was a brilliant and courageous politician. He was an enterprising journalist; he had friends in journalism who can attest to his effulgent vision, who did not profit from his friendship, among them Nestor Mata, Gregorio Brillantes — you may consult them. I cannot say I did not profit — he bought many books from my shop and when he was in Marcos’s prison, your mother brought books from my shop to him.