Month: December 2011

Actress’ tweets earned brickbats for PNoy

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2011

Interaksyon’s article by Mark Holandes Ubalde:

While nation mourns Sendong’s dead, Aquino partying with actresses in Palace?

Statement of Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang issued today, Dec. 19, 2011.

Yesterday (Sunday), a decision was made to cancel cabinet Christmas party but PSG decided to push thrpugh with its party since relatives of soldiers had already flown in from the provinces. The President dropped by the PSG party.

Where was President Benigno S. Aquino III on Sunday evening, as the people of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities and several other areas in Visayas and Mindanao grapple with the devastation of tropical storm Sendong? Apparently, drinking with his security personnel in Malacanang, and laughing and exchanging jokes with actresses.

Related article:
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/19918/aquino-to-visit-flood-ravaged-areas-dec–20-not-dec–27

This was according to a post on Twitter by actress Valerie Concepcion on Sunday, the same day the combined death toll in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan climbed to more than 600.

“Done w/ work.. Tnx for having me.. 🙂 It was nice to see Pres. P-Noy laughing at my jokes & enjoying my performance..ü #Malacañang #PSGNight,“ Concepcion said in her tweet that has since been deleted as of posting time.

Sendong triggers review of government disaster plan

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2011

from interaksyon3 — Thanks to www.interaksyon.com for the photo

The disaster that has caused deaths and misery to hundreds of our countrymen in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and other parts of Central Mindanao should give more meaning to Christmas even as we in Metro Manila reduce it to endless shopping and flurry of Christmas parties.

Let’s do our share to lessen the suffering of the victims of storm Sendong.

***

President Benigno Aquino wants the country’s disaster management plan reviewed following the deaths and devastation caused by Sendong.

Sendong: 600 feared dead in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Bukidnon, Negros

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2011

From InterAksyon.com
Photo by Erwin Mascarinas

By Cong Corrales, Erwin Mascarinas, Carlos Conde, Chichi Conde, Abigail Kwok and Lira Dalangin-Fernandez and AFP

(UPDATE 27 – 6:57 a.m. Sunday) MANILA – The death toll in the devastating flash floods in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and other parts of the Philippines has risen dramatically to 440, government and Red Cross officials.

Some of the worst affected areas included Cagayan de Oro City, which reported 215 dead, and nearby Iligan city, which lost 144 residents, Philippine National Red Cross secretary-general Gwen Pang told AFP.

Pang said 21 persons also died in Negros Oriental, five in Compostela Valley, three in Zamboanga del Norte and at least one in Surigao del Sur.

As of 9:30 p.m., 162 people were still missing, 147 of whom are in CDO.

Libre na si Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo?

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2011

Mariano del castillo2 — Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

Ang swerte naman nitong si Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.

Nauna siyang nasampahan ng impeachment complaint sa House of Representatives sa kasalanang plagiarism o pangungupya ng sinulat ng ibang tao na hindi nagpa-alam.

Ang report noong Biyernes, hindi na raw itutuloy. Natabunan na ng impeachment complaint kay Chief Justice Corona.

Kaya nag-post tuloy ng panawagan si Atty. Harry Roque sa Facebook: “House should not abandon Del Castillo impeachment. Can’t change the SC by just changing its head. Need to drastically change its composition!I Impeach more Justices and not just one!” (Hindi dapat i-abandona ng House ang Del Castillo impeachment.
Hindi maaring magkaroon ng pagbabago sa SC kung ang hepe lang ang palitan. Kailangan palitan ang malawakan na pagpalit ng bumubuo nito. I-impeach ang iba pang justices at hindi isa lang!”

Corona won’t do a Gutierrez

Published by Ellen on December 15, 2011

Chief Justice Renato Corona has nixed calls for him to just resign and spare the country from an emotional and divisive exercise.

Chief Justice Renato Corona on Thursday said he had considered resigning to put an end to President Benigno Aquino III’s criticisms and avoid a difficult impeachment trial.

“I know there was an easy way out of this—to inhibit or to resign. If I resign, maybe there would be peace for me and the insults thrown at me would cease,” Corona said in English and Filipino.

“But after a long and deep reflection, I told myself, ‘Is this really how it should be? That if someone wants something, he could easily get it?’” he continued.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/111811/chief-justice-says-he-thought-of-resigning

He has, in fact, decided to fight back warning of a creeping dictatorship by President Aquino.

“Ako’y tumututol sa dahan-dahang binubuong diktadura ni Pangulong Benigno Simeon Aquino
III ,” he said in a speech before court employees and members of his family.

We will miss Sen. Miriam

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2011

There is no truth to the malicious talk that Malacañang ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to work hard for Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago election to the International Criminal Court because they are worried that she would block the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona who was impeached by the House of Representatives last Monday.

Santiago was elected Tuesday as judge in the International Criminal Court, the female judge from a developing Asian country to hold a seat in that international body.

“I will be the first Filipino to sit there. Plus, I will be the first Asian from a developing country. So this is an honor for the Philippines actually and for President Aquino who nominated me,” Santiago said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

Miriam elected as judge to Int’l Criminal Court

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2011

abs-cbnNEWS.com

miriam santiago3 — The Senate will never be the same without Miriam

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has been elected as a judge in the International Criminal Court, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday morning. This marks the first time a female judge from a developing Asian country has been elected to the ICC.

Santiago won as judge in the ICC elections during the 10th session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York on Monday (US time).

“It’s really an achievement of our people there in the UN. It’s really our Department of Foreign Affairs that needs to be congratulated,” she said.

She topped the first round with 79 out of 104 votes, making her the first to be elected out of 18 candidates vying for 6 seats in the ICC Judicial Division.

Chief Justice Corona impeached

Published by Ellen on December 12, 2011

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Maila Ager
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The House majority on Monday virtually impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona after gathering signatures of more than one-third of the 287 members of Congress favoring his ouster.

Click on the link below for the Summary of the Impeachment complaint vs CJ Corona:

Summary of the Corona impeachment complaint

Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali said Corona was virtually impeached with at least 140 members, or almost half of the membership of the House of Representatives, signing the resolution.

Ako Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe said that the impeachment case was laid down in such a way that it would be geared toward a person and not the institution.

There were three grounds cited and eight articles of impeachment cited in the impeachment of Corona.

Blogging is not journalism

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2011

Crystal Cox 2 — The blogger whom the Oregon court said is not a journalist

Last week, a federal judge in Oregon ruled that a Montana blogger is not eligible for the legal protections afforded to journalists ordering her to pay the lawyer who sued her for defamation $2.5 million.

An Associated Press report said “Crystal L. Cox, a blogger from Eureka, Mont., was sued for defamation by attorney Kevin Padrick when she posted online that he was a thug and a thief during the handling of bankruptcy proceedings by him and Obsidian Finance Group LLC.

“U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez found last week that as a blogger, Cox was not a journalist and cannot claim the protections afforded to mainstream reporters and news outlets.”

Although, the ruling is not expected to really tame the free-wheeling environment of digital media which includes blogs (short for “web log”, online sites usually set up by individuals containing their articles which could cover any topic and form), it would be a useful distinction for new media users.

According to news reports, Cox styles herself as an “investigative blogger.” She has created numerous websites with names like “obsidianfinancesucks.com,” “bankruptcytrusteefraud.com,” and “oregonshyster.com,” in which she accused Padrick and Obsidian of misconduct in their handling of a bankruptcy case.

Pwede naman ang makahulugang Pasko kahit walang pera

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2011

Nagsimula na ang Christmas traffic. Ang biyahe na dapat 30 minutes at nagiging dalawang oras.

Lahat yata namimili na para sa Pasko.

Ganyan ang maganda sa mga Pilipino. Kahit mahirap, talagang buhay na buhay ang diwa ng Pasko.

Pilipinas yata ang may pinakamahaba na Christmas season. Pagkatapos ng All Saints at All Souls Day, simula na kaagad ang tugtug ng Jingle Bells sa mga department stores at labasan na ng mga Christmas decors sa mga bahay.

Hindi yan natatapos sa Disyembre 25 o sa New Year. Hanggang Jan.6 yan, ang Three Kings.

At siyempre kapag panahon ng Pasko, kainan. Kaliwa’t-kanan ang Christmas party. Sigurado, pagkatapos ng Pasko, magtatabaan na naman tayo. At ang cholesterol, dios mio.

Nagbigay ng paala-ala si Health Secretary Enrique Ona dahan-dahan lang sa litson at sa alak nitong Kapakuhan dahil yun ang ilang sa sanhi ng atake sa puso.