By YVONNE T. CHUA, VERA Files Chief Justice Renato C. Corona has reported a net worth of P22.9 million and five pieces of property, including…
Making life worth living.
Month: January 2012
It was the second day and the prosecution was expected to start the presentation of evidence. It was
Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr (Cavite, 2nd dist) who was the lead prosecutor and he started with saying that it
was in the public interest that they start with Article 2 of the Impeachment complaint which was“culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betrayed the public trust when he failed disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and networth statement of assets,
liabilities, and net worth as required unders Sec. 17, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution.”
The defense, as expected, opposed the re-arranging of the order of presentation of evidence. Barzaga said the prosecution was not ready with the evidence for Article 1 which was “betrayal of the public trust through his track record marked by partiality and subservience in cases involving the Arroyo administration from the time of his appointment as supreme court justice which continued to his dubious appointment as a midnight chief justice and up to the present. “
Statement of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on the World Bank report on the Judiciary Contrary to the excitable—but utterly wrong—conclusions of an opposition lawmaker, the…
Philippine media has a term for it: kuryente
It looks like a number of Philippine media organizations were victims of a hoax World BanK Report regarding Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project criticizing Chief Justice Renato Corona and Court Aministrator Midas Marquez.
Manila Bulletin came out with a report on WB disowning the so-called JRSP report. Here it is:
World Bank disowns JRSP report
By CHINO S. LEYCO
January 16, 2012, 5:38pm
MANILA, Philippines — The World Bank denied on Monday it released a report on the Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) that noted its dissatisfaction with the way the project was being implemented.
Erika Leann Lacson-Esguerra, World Bank program assistant for external relations, said Monday the bank did not release to the media a supposed memo regarding the “unsatisfactory” progress of the high court’s loan.
“This email message did not come from the World Bank. Any official statement from the World Bank will be posted online (www.worldbank.org.ph),” Lacson-Esguerra said.
The trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona has started.
It is expected that like the Estrada impeachment trial, the Corona impeachment would also be a blockbuster telenovela that will be followed by the Filipino nation. Afternoons will now be prime TV hours, Mondays through Thursdays.
It is appropriate to ponder how we got into this situation that viewed from the Aquino administration’s perspective would result in reforms in the judiciary and better government for the people. From the political opposition’s perspective, however, it’s trampling on the Constitutional guarantee of separation of powers and bastardizing democracy.
I think it’s good to know how we got into this situation in the first place. We must ask why, after one-and-a-half-years in office, Aquino finally decided to move for the ouster of Corona.
VERA Files has created a page on the Corona Trial. I encourage you to visit it. We will try to help readers understand the proceedings…
This is so beautiful!
By Amer R. Amor, VERA Files
When world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell played at the Washington DC Metro Station in 2007 as part of The Washington Post’s social experiment on how people perceive and appreciate art and beauty, very few noticed and applauded. But when a 63-year-old man played the piano at the LRT 2 Cubao Station on Jan. 12, Filipino commuters stopped, paid attention, took videos, applauded, and at some point, swayed and sang along with his music.
Perhaps as a testament to British award-winning author Neil Gaiman’s tweet on Friday that it is indeed more fun in the Philippines since Filipinos applaud loudly, at least 300 commuters alternately took delight in the impromptu “concert” of pianist performer Vidalito Infante in a music retail stall at the Cubao Station from 4 to 6 p.m.
Hindi nga naman masyadong malayo ang mukha. Maayos ang trabaho ni Vicki Belo.
Nag-uusap kami ng aking mga kaibigan tungkol sa report kung paano pinaganda ni Belo si Jinkee at naawa kami kay Janet.
Di ba ibang-iba na ang mukha ni Jinkee. Sexy at glamorosa. Kailangan daw gawin ito ni Jinkee dahil malikot daw ang mata ng boxing champ sa mga sexy na artista na nakakasalamuha sa showbusiness. Di ba showbiz na rin si Pacquiao?
Sabi ni Jinkee dati, ng tanungin siya tungkol sa mga balita sa mga babaeng nauugnay sa asawa niya, “Ayaw kong magalit. Magpaganda na lang ako.”
At sa tulong ni Belo, talaga namang gumanda.
Roque & Butuyan Law Offices
I finally had time to sit down and write the percolating thoughts in my mind as I read and watch the impeachment drama. This debate has brought our nation at a crossroads. Which of the two roads should our nation take? The road to impeachment or the road where every person you meet is karaoke-singing the song “Let It Be.” The decision and direction our nation takes hold huge potentials in transforming our society for better or for worse.
Some of our fellow Justices in the 90 million-member Sovereign Court of Public Opinion raise the alarm that the impeachment of the Chief Justice will destroy the essence of the Supreme Court as the sole institution that can decide constitutional issues. This is pointed out because the impeachment complaint accuses the Chief Justice of liability on constitutional issues that were decided by the Supreme Court as a collegial body.
Tama siguro ang sinabi ni Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle na para maintindihan, kailangan magiging ‘devotee’ ka ng Nazareno.
Ang prosisyun kahapon ay ang pinakamahaba sa buong kasaysayan ng Itim na Nazareno sa Quiapo. Biruin mo, nagsimula ng mga alas-otso ng umaga ng Lunes, Enero 9 sa Luneta pagkatapos ng misa at dumating sa Quiapo church alas-sais ng umaga ng Enero 10.
Maigsi lang ang distansya na yan. Kung lalakarin mo yan (palagi naming nilalakad ang ruta nay an nang nagra-rali kami ng panahon ni Marcos), hindi ka siguro aabutin ng isang oras.
Mga walong milyon daw ang dumalo sa prosesyun at katulad ng nangyari taon-taon, marami na naman ang nasaktan.
Ito ay sa gitna ng babala ni Pangulong Aquino mismo na may banta ang mga terorista na maghasik ng lagim habang hagang nagpu-prosisyun. Mabuti naman at walang nangyari. Alerto ang buong kapulisan at mga sangay ng gobyerno na may kinalaman sa seguridad.