In a few parties that I attended where Vice President Jejomar Binay was a guest, I noticed that he was always accompanied by a photographer. The VP gives out the website where one can view the photos.
But with the Janet Lim Napoles, alleged pork barrel scam queen exploding and dragging with her known political personalities, just being seen with her is a nightmare.
Malacañang is downplaying the importance of the picture of the luxury-loving Jeane Napoles with President Aquino which Malacañang has confirmed to be authentic.It was taken after the national thanksgiving mass for the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod in Cebu November last year.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said,“I understand the photo was taken at an event last November in Cebu. She had her photo taken with the President, as did a dozen other people who lined up to have their photo taken with him.”
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang also said, “I can confirm that there was an event that the President attended and there were 100 to 200 people there and at least a dozen people had their picture taken with him.Now we looked at the record, it seems Jeane Napoles was there and had her picture taken.”
Carandang said, “It’s no big deal.”
Drilon has issued a statement that can thus be summarized: “A picture does not make a story.”
Drilon’s statement:”There is a clear effort to implicate me as guilty by association with the picture shown last night on television. Let me make it very clear that none of my PDAF allocations was ever assigned or given to any project of this Napoles or any of her NGOs. You can go through the DBM and COA websites and you can go through it with a fine comb and you will not see a single peso of my PDAF being assigned to any of the Napoles NGOs.
“The NGO that I work with is the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry where I have assigned a substantial portion of the PDAF to build classrooms all over the country at half the cost of government contractors and this is to fill in the gap at that time of the classroom shortage.
“ So, I have dealt with the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this is the NGO that I am working with to build classrooms all over the country. A substantial portion of my PDAF also goes to the indigent patients in National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Children’s Hospital and other government services where indigents would avail of this PDAF, none of the Napoles NGOs.
“Insofar as that picture is concerned, Mrs. Drilon and I were invited to a dinner. Mrs. Drilon, being an active church worker, was invited because the guests were seminarians from China who were here on a study tour. I repeat, these were Chinese seminarians who were here on a study tour. And, there were also orphans and street children who were beneficiaries of a church-led feeding program. Yes, we were there. Pictures were taken.
“But ang importante po ay walang piso ng aking PDAF ay nagpunta sa mga NGOs ni Jenny Napoles. Puwedeng mayroon pang lalabas ng ibang pictures kasi nakikita ko rin siya sa ibang social gatherings, there can be other pictures because I had seen her in other gatherings but you know, kami naman mga politico ay marami nag papapicture sa amin at hindi naman naming tinatanong kung “sino ka ba.” And I did not know the business of Ms. Napoles when all of these were happening. So, this is the situation. As I said, there is a clear effort to implicated me and make me appear as guilty by association. I reject such implication.”
Delikado pala mag-posing posing baka ang mga kasama mo ay “questionable” character. Masangkot ka pa sa gulo.
Problema talaga yan for public figures. Hindi ka naman pwedeng mamili ng taong magpakuha ng picture sa iyo.
PM Harper just did not pose with the Principal suspect in the Current swept of Corruption in Quebec, he even got hooked line and sinker and Appointed Dr. Arthur Porter as a spy agency watchdog and in turned got him a Job as Chief of McGill University (one of the world’s top rated Us) Health Centre to arranged the Construction of its SuperHospital where he reportedly received over $22 millions in Secret commission…this allegation prompted the current Province Wide Criminal Prove which already Netted 106 Politicians, Business Leaders and Crimes Bosses with very SERIOUS Criminal charges, Including Mayors of major Quebec Cities. And in no way that the Scandal has any Implication to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Nasaan ang kamay ng Penoy? Sa puwet? Nakakurot?
Totoo pala, nasa kamay ni Napoles ang Pinas. Pati si Santo Calungsod gustong bilhin. 😀
Baka sinabihan lang ni Jojo Ochoa si Pnoy na mag-pose kasama ang pamilya ni Napoles. =D
Hmmmm!! birds of the same feathers flock together. For Pnoy and Drillon, simply means that people with common traits, interests and tastes tend to associate and congregate with each other, similar to how birds of the same species flock together.
But here is something ironic, bakit sila pa na may common interest sa pagwaldas ng PDAF?? Here, we are much aware of this, “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
That is Jesus’ wisdom. Correct!! So to me it is not a mere coincidence that they gravitated to each other!!!
Baka something is really hidden in their moral fibers???
Tama ka diyan, Ellen. Ang pulitiko hindi pwedeng tumanggi o mamili pag may magrequest ng photo op sa isang public gathering.
Buti na lang sa dami ng piktyur ko sa internet wala ni isang nakakakilala sa mukha ko, hehehe. Kaya ako, hindi ako nakikipag-kodakan diyan sa mga public figures maliban kung natiyempuhan ako ng photog sa relief work at local-politics ekek ko. Mahirap mamarkahan ng magkakalabang partido lalo kung parehong malapit sa ‘yo.
Pero meron akong litrato kasama si Wally Bayola at si Chito Miranda. What does that make me?
Wow! Mr. Drilons photo with the Napoleses doesnt look like just a regular photo op. Looks like they knew each other a long time. Saya ni Mr. Noted 1st. Parang kakaabot lang ng bag sa photo.