Month: June 2011

Aquino’s first year: The good and the bad

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2011

Pinoy in Malabon — Shortcoming: shooting buddies

One area where the year-old Aquino government has made reforms, slow it may be, is in the fight against graft and corruption through reforms in the justice system.

This is not to say that Aquino has eliminated graft and corruption or there is no graft and corruption being committed by his own appointees. I merely recognize some reforms made in the justice system that could help in the fight against graft and corruption that was the campaign battle cry of Aquino -“Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”

Number one ‘achievement’ is the removal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and her subordinates either through dismissal, resignation or suspension. As long as Gutierrez was head of the anti-graft body, her benefactor Gloria Arroyo, her husband and members of her family could feel safe from prosecution.

Hindi pinatawad ni Arroyo at ng mga galamay ang PCSO

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2011

Robredo no longer ‘acting’ DILG secretary, gets regular appointment from Aquino

Published by Ellen on June 27, 2011

After almost a year, President Benigno Aquino III has decided that he can work with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, whom he is…

Cooling the tempers over Spratlys

Published by Ellen on June 26, 2011

ADR meets Robert Gates — Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates at Pentagon.

With the ongoing positioning by claimant parties in the contested waters of the South China Sea as backdrop, the Foreign Service Institute of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs is holding a two-day conference on the South China Sea that should temper the tension among affected parties.

The conference to be held on July 5 and 6 at the Dusit Hotel in Makati will have as its theme, “The South China Sea: Toward a Region of Peace, Cooperation, and Progress.”

The FSI is partnering with the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the National Defense College of the Philippines in this conference that will bring in experts on the South China Sea.

Walang akong ituturo -Michael Ray Aquino

Published by Ellen on June 26, 2011

MRA Inquirer — Thanks to Inquirer for the photo.

Sa kanyang statement pagdating niya dito kahapon ng umaga mula sa sampung taong paninirahan sa Amerika, klarong sinabi ni dating Police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino na hindi siya inutusan ni dating Pangulong Joseph Estrad o si Sen. Panfilo Lacson na kidnapin, saktan o patayin si Salvador ‘Bubby” Dacer, isang publicist, at ang kanyang driver na si Emmanuel Corbito.

Sinabi ni Aquino na nang ininterbyu siya ng media noong 2001, sinabi niya na wala siyang kinalaman sa pagkamatay ng dalawa at hanggang ngayon, ganun din ang sasabihin niya. “ That’s the truth and nothing has changed since then. Then and now, I still maintain my innocence.”

Dagdag pa ni Aquino,”Gusto ko pong malaman ng sambayanang Pilipino na wala pong utos sa akin si President Joseph Ejercito Estrada o si Senator Panfilo M. Lacson to kidnap, harm and/or murder anyone specifically Mr. Salvador Dacer and Mr. Emmanuel Corbito. Wala na po akong maidaragdag, dahil wala po akong karagdagang kaalaman.”

Walang “K” bumanat ang magnanakaw

Published by Ellen on June 25, 2011

at the renewal of rites of the santiagos — Photo taken at the renewal of wedding rites of the Santiagos.

Ang isang rason bakit pinupuna ko ang mga palpak ni Pangulong Aquino at ng kanyang mga tauhan ay dahil ayaw kong magkakaroon ng oportunidad si Gloria Arroyo na tatawa at magsabing, “Ayan, banat kayo ng banat sa akin. Ano ngayun ang nakuha nyong pumalit sa akin?”

At tama nga. Lumabas lang ang survey na bumababa ang satisfaction, approval at trust ratings ni Pnoy, bumalandra na si Arroyo.

Noong Huwebes, nagpa-press conference si Arroyo. Yan ang unang-una niyang press conference mula nang bumaba siya sa Malacañang, mag-isang taon na ang nakalipas. Sa Kongreso kung saan kinatawan siya ng pangalawang distrito ng Pampanga, mailap siya sa media. Makikita mo sa TV, Taas noo na parang emperatris yan kapag pumasok sa session hall.

Ayun sa mga report, nagbabala daw si Arroyo sa mga panganib sa ekonomiya dahil sa palpak na pamamahala ni Aquino ng bayan. Ginamit niya ang sinabi ng isang columnist tungkol kay Aquino: “nobody’s home.”

Alam naman natin na ang “nobody’s home” ay sinasabi sa isang taong bobo.

Precision journalism

Published by Ellen on June 25, 2011

There’s a lot I have to learn writing about survey results.

By Mahar Mangahas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The June 3-6, 2011 Social Weather Survey, reported through (but not commissioned by) BusinessWorld last Tuesday, has 64 percent satisfied and 18 percent dissatisfied with President Aquino, implying a 64 – 18 = +46 net satisfaction rating. SWS classifies net ratings in the range of +30 to +49 as Good.

The previous SWS survey of March 4-7, 2011 had found 69 percent satisfied and 18 percent dissatisfied, for a 69 – 18 = +51 net satisfaction rating, which SWS calls Very Good (from +50 to +69).

Between March and June, therefore, gross satisfaction fell by 5 points. Since dissatisfaction was unchanged, net satisfaction fell by 5 points also, by simple arithmetic.

3 Cabinet men giving P-Noy headaches

Published by Ellen on June 24, 2011

DPwh june 23 — Aquino with Singson, not one of the 'dreaded' 3

By Delon Porcalla
The Philippine Star

President Aquino dreads seeing two or three members of his Cabinet he considers harbingers of bad news.

Aquino’s candid admission was made before dozens of officials and employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways gathered for the department’s 113th anniversary celebrations yesterday. He made it clear Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson was not among the three.

“Sa totoo lang, meron akong na-obserbahan na mga miyembro ng gabinete, mga dalawa o tatlo – kada makita ko agad iniisip ko, ano kayang bad news ang dala-dala nito (In truth, I have observed Cabinet members, about two or three – each time I see them I wonder what bad news they bring),” he said.

Chit Estella Awards for Journalism: continuing her advocacy for good journalism

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2011

Last Tuesday, June 21, on the 40th day of the death Chit Estella-Simbulan, journalist and teacher, her family and friends brought her ashes to her earthly resting place at the San Agustin church columbarium in Intramuros after a mass officiated by Fr. Joe Dizon and Fr. Robert Reyes.

At the dinner that followed the interment, we launched “The Chit Estella Awards for Journalism.”
The idea of the awards came about in a brainstorming session with Chit’s husband, Roland, and her father in-law, Dante, about two weeks after she passed away.

Chit died early evening of May 13 when the taxi she was riding in was rammed by a Universal Guiding Star bus she was in near on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, near the Ayala Technohub where she was supposed to have dinner with some of her high school (St. Joseph College) classmates.

Chit, aside from fighting for genuine democracy for the Filipino people which includes freedom of the press, has always stood for good journalism. And that means excellent writing.

South China Sea issue

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2011

CPR's son, Roberto Romulo, former foreign secretary

By Roberto R. Romulo
Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs

It seems that the situation in the South China Sea is taking a turn for the worse. The increasingly harsh rhetoric is now being backed by a display of muscle. China sent one of its most modern surveillance vessels on a run through the South China Sea from Guangzhou to Singapore. The Philippines sent its largest – and apparently only – warship, a WWII vintage destroyer, on patrol through waters it now calls the West Philippine Sea. Vietnam and China have each conducted live-fire exercises while the U.S. and ASEAN navies have just completed their annual joint naval exercise. This war of words and saber-rattling, if not handled properly, can lead to a situation that would complicate and even make it impossible for a diplomatic solution to be reached.

(With these developments, now I am terrified at the prospect at having him (Domingo Lee) represent our interest during these crucial times. I do not mean to denigrate the nominee’s intellect or age. I just think his abilities and past experience are not suited for this particular post)