Month: July 2011

SAF commandos confirm 2004 poll fraud coverup

Published by Ellen on July 15, 2011

Former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol, in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Anthony Taberna said that investigation in the 2004 election fraud should look into the supposed ballot box-switching at the House of Representatives.

“Importante masyado iyun to find out whether or not nagkaroon nga tayo ng totoong presidente o hindi,” Bedol said. “Kasi doon, meron movement of ballot boxes. Sa tingin, ko baka switching yan. Pag switching yan, fake naman … ngayon kung mga peke ang dokumento e siguro may pekeng presidente … yan ang gusto kong patunayan.”

I’m reposting here the two-part special report on that subject I did for VERA Files on July 28 and 29, 2008.

SAF commandos confirm 2004 poll fraud coverup

(First of two parts)

When Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivers her eighth State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa session hall today, she will be standing close to where, three years ago, police commandos say they replaced genuine election returns (ERs) with fake ones in ballot boxes that were being readied for a recount of the 2004 presidential election.

The ER switching at the Batasan had been talked about and reported on since 2005, when Arroyo apologized for talking to an election official while the votes were being counted, in what has since been known as the “Hello, Garci” scandal.

Recently, some of those who took part in that clandestine operation have sought legal refuge, executing affidavits and taped testimonies of their involvement. Others told friends in confidence, while a few boasted about it in drinking sessions.

Truth is catching up on Migs Zubiri

Published by Ellen on July 14, 2011

Never have I seen Juan Miguel Zubiri, long referred to as the senator from Maguindanao, looking so harassed than in his press briefing yesterday at the Senate to debunk the very damaging revelations of Zaldy Ampatuan, former governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao and Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol that they were both involved in the shaving of votes from senatorial candidates Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Benigno Aquino III, and Alan Peter Cayetano in favor of Zubiri in the 2007 elections.

The votes that Zubiri got in Maguindanao enabled him to edge out Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III from the number 12 slot.

That’s the reason he is in the Senate and Pimentel is left struggling it out at the Senate Electoral Tribunal which last year upheld the counter-protest of Zubiri based on what he claims were irregularities in Metro Manila which to many are nothing but dilatory tactics to wear out Pimentel and for him to complete the six-year term under a fake mandate.

Mikey unseats Ledesma as top absentee

Published by Ellen on July 14, 2011

By Wendell Vigilia Malaya Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo has dethroned Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma as the congressman with the…

No closure without truth about ‘Hello Garci’

Published by Ellen on July 12, 2011

I don’t know if Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has a hidden agenda in questioning the refusal of Chairman Sixto Brillantes of the Commission on Elections to his call for revival of the investigation on the “Hello Garci” scandal but I see the merits of his proposal because all the anomalies that are now coming out can be traced to Gloria Arroyo’s original sin which was stealing the presidency.

Nothing can be more eloquent than the fiery accusation of Susan Roces, widow of Fernando Poe Jr.: “You stole the presidency not once but twice!”

All that Arroyo could say was, “I am sorry.” To this day, we don’t know what she was sorry about.

FPJ was the second victim of Arroyo’s theft of the people’s mandate. The first was Joseph Estrada, from whom Arroyo grabbed power in 2001 with the help of civil society groups that have since discovered her true colors and have become her critics.

Joint use in Spratlys: ‘What is mine is mine and what is yours, we share’

Published by Ellen on July 11, 2011

JMSU map sent by Golez — The red line is the coverage of the JMSU. The area to the right of the blue line is Philippine-claimed territory.

Retired Philippine diplomat Alberto Encomienda quipped when he delivered his paper “The South China Sea: Back to the Future through Cooperation” that with all meetings and conferences, as many as 20 in one year, being held on the South China Sea, it’s no longer “confidence building.”

We are now experiencing “conference building,” he said.

But as Winston Churchill wisely said, “To jaw-jaw always is better than to war-war.”

The organizers of last week’s Manila Conference on the South China Sea deserve congratulations for a substantial program. They got excellent speakers. Even if many of the papers presented overlapped with each other, which cannot be avoided because they revolved around one subject, they all helped in the deepening of understanding of the issue that keeps on popping up on an otherwise stable region.

China hardliners to teach Spratly intruders ‘a lesson’

Published by Ellen on July 11, 2011

(I did this story for VERA Files. It was sent to all media outlets.)

9-dash line — China's map of its claim in the South China Sea. Take note that it includes waters near the Philippines.

Hardliners in the Chinese Military Academy are raring to teach China’s neighbors “a lesson” for intruding into the South China Sea, which they consider part of their national territory, a Chinese Southeast Asian expert said.

Shen Hong-Fang, professor and senior research fellow at the Center of Southeast Asian studies at Xiamen University, spoke of “a new upsurge” of Chinese nationalism set off by claims made by some Asian countries, including the Philippines, over territory China considers its own.

“Some suggested that it is the right time to adopt necessary measures to teach some countries a lesson,” Shen said, startling participants at the two-day Conference on the South China Sea held in Manila last week.

She added there are those who think it justifiable “for China to launch a war against the invaders.”

The Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia have staked claims over some of the 160 islands that constitute the Spratlys in the South China Sea. These countries, along with Indonesia which is a non-claimant, have filed protests before the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) over the “nine-dash line map” China submitted to prove its claim.

Anong moralidad ang pinapa-iral ng simbahang Katoliko?

Published by Ellen on July 10, 2011

CBCP”s Pastoral statement: A time of pain, a time of grace (Full text is in Comments)

gma with bishops — Gloria Arroyo in good company

Ang pagtanggap ng mga Obispo ng mga sasakyan at pera galing sa Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office ay angkop sa kanilang baluktot na patakaran na okay lang tumanggap ng pera na galing sa sugal basta gagamitin lang sa pagtulong sa mga mahihirap.

Dismayado ako nang unang narinig ko itong patakaran sa yumaong Jaime Cardinal Sin. At noon, dahil mabango si Sin kay Pangulong Cory Aquino tahimik lang tayo.

Jueteng noon ang pinag-usapan. Kung okay lang tumanggap ng pera ng jueteng para itulong sa mga mahihirap, bakit natin ipahinto ang jueteng at ibang klaseng sugal?

Kung okay na tumanggap ng pera galing sa jueteng, anong masama kung galing sa pamahalaan kahit pa korap ang opisyal na nagbibigay?

PCSO intel funds – gawain ng mga tuso

Published by Ellen on July 9, 2011

GMA and Uriarte — Dipping into intel funds

Madalas ginagawang katatawanan ang mga intel reports ng pamahalaan dahil mukhang hindi produkto ng intelihenteng tao.
Kaya nang ginigisa ng mga senador si Rosario Uriarte, dating vice chair ng Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office at general manager tungkol sa napakalaking intelligence fund na ginastos ng ahensya at hindi makasagot, hindi nagtataka ang marami.

Kaya lang sa kasong ito, hindi masabing trabaho ito ng walang alam. Mukhang operasyun ito ng matalinong tao. Tuso nga lang.
Kaya sa halip na gamitin ang pera para sa mahihirap na siyang mandato ng PCSO, mukhang may ibang pinuntahan ang pera.

My favorite photo of William and Kate Canada visit

Published by Ellen on July 9, 2011

I’m a fan of Prince William and his wife,Kate Middleton , who is now Duchess of Cambridge.

I follow closely coverage of them. In their recent trip to Canada my favorite image was the one taken during their visit to Yellowknife, the capital and largest city of Canada’s remote Northwest Territories, last July 5.

It was reported that one of the activities the young newlyweds attended was a game of shinny or street hockey. Prince William participated in the game, report said, and it was observed that “his technique was excellent.”

Kate, on the other hand, declined because she was not wearing appropriate shoes. Here’s a cute photo with a cute caption:Here’s a close up of those high heels that prevented Kate from playing “shinny.” Maybe she should have borrowed the slippers.

More photos:

Reality check in the Spratlys

Published by Ellen on July 7, 2011

spratlys pagasa island — PH-occupied Pag-asa island in Kalayaan Island Group

Heaven forbid, but in case there’s a shooting war in the disputed islands of the Spratlys, don’t expect the United States military to come to the aid of the Philippines, South China Sea experts said.

I asked the question if the United States military would enter the picture in case of an armed conflict in the South China Sea in the light of the excitement of some Philippine officials and media over the statement of U.S. State Secretary Hillary and U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas about continuing to work with the Philippines on all issues including related to the South China Sea conflict and stands by the Philippine “by our commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty.”