Justice Secretary Leila de Lima now comes to the aid of the DFA.
De Lima has been quoted in several reports as having said that VERA Files’ March 30 story “PH offers Sabah to win Malaysia’s support for UN case vs China” is a “misinterpretation.”
De Lima’s quotes: “I think it’s a misinterpretation to say that the Philippines is giving up on its claim on Sabah in exchange for Malaysia’s support against China. I didn’t read anything to that effect in the note verbale…
“It is only the DFA which can really confirm the content of the note verbale. So the motive of this misinformation is really puzzling…
“It’s a diplomatic matter. It concerns diplomatic relations and diplomatic relations are covered by confidentiality.”
I’m one of the trustees and writers of VERA Files and I resent De Lima’s labeling our story as a “misinformation” and for casting aspersion on our reason for writing the story.
I’d like to borrow a quote from the eminent Salvador P. Lopez, writer, journalist, educator, diplomat, and statesman to answer De Lima: “ Basically, the journalist is required to inform the people – and to inform them correctly and consistently and (as is often demanded) courageously with the end in view of enabling the people to properly understand what goes on and impelling them to act on situations and problems more than as mere individuals but as a nation, a people in their behalf.”
Public interest was foremost in our mind when we decided to release the story despite an appeal from a high-ranking official not to.
For the information of De Lima, the Note Verbale was not classified as “confidential.”
Lawyer Romel Bagares, a former journalist, said public interest overrides whatever classification the DFA has stamped on the document. “ No easy and breathless assertion by government that the Note Verbale pertains to national security can cancel out its grave implications to the integrity of the national territory,” he said.
As to the De Lima’s statement that she read the Note Verbale in VERA Files website and “didn’t read anything to that effect,” I’m not really surprised.
She will not see what she doesn’t want to see.
It’s the DFA and the DOJ that are engaging in misinformation. Hence, I’m reprinting VERA Files statement released last week:
“The Department of Foreign Affairs is misleading the public when it says “Sabah is not in any way part of the note” verbale the Phililippine government sent recently to Malaysia in denying VERA Files’s story “PH offers Sabah to win Malaysia’s support for UN case vs China.”
“Note Verbale No. 15-1979 sent to Malaysia, the basis of VERA Files’ story, stated that it is reviewing the Aug. 4, 2009 protest (No. 000819) it filed with the United Nations. The Philippines’ August 2009 protest, contained in two pages, singles out North Borneo or the old name of Sabah.
“The Philippines took issue with an earlier joint submission by Vietnam and Malaysia for the extended continental shelf because it “lays claims on areas that are disputed not only because they overlap with that of the Philippines, but also because of the controversy arising from the territorial claims on some of the islands in the area including North Borneo.”
“Contrary to what DFA’s comment that putting out the story was a disservice to the country, VERA Files released the story in the interest of the public to help it fully understand the issues involved. “
De lima has never shown any integrity or morality, so her pathetic response is only to be expected, and should accordingly be ignored.
“It is the role of good journalism to take on
powerful abusers, and when powerful
abusers are taken on, there’s always a bad
reaction. It only confirms that the journalist is on the right track”
Julian Assange
ang nangyayari sa pilipinas ay nagkakaroon ng pagwasak mula sa gitna – courtesy ng ating mga matatalino at matatapat na pinuno.
mabuhay sila at marapat lamang na bigyang pugay at gantimpalaan ng malutong na PWE sa kanilang MAKAKAPAL na mukha!
ang tingin natin noon sa hyatt 10 ay mga huwaran sa pagmamahal sa bayan noong sila ay tumalikod kay gloria arroyo sa kasangsangan ng singaw ng baho mula sa dagdag bawas operation kung saan dinaya si da king. subalit meron pala sa kanila na KATULAD din ng kanilang isinuka o baka nga mas masahol pa dahil sa panlalansi sa ating paniniwala.
delima, abad, soliman. mga hunyango at lobong nagtatago sa likod ng anyong maamong tupa!
tsk. tsk. tsk. KKKK nga!
^ Hyatt 10 was NEVER about Gloria Dorobo’s Hello Garci or her many crimes against the nation. It was only made a pretext by the Hayup 10 and their sponsors to completely wrest power from Mike Arroyo and his boys. The sheer hypocrisy of these witches was ably demonstrated by their pre-volte face ‘If We Hold on Together’ song number.
‘De Lima will not see what she doesn’t want to see’
Hmm… Hindi pa ba obvious yan sa simula pa lang ng kanyang panunungkulan bilang inJustice Sec ni AbNoy? Di ba’t nangako siyang magbibitiw kapag binago ni AbNoy ang mga rekomendasyon ng kanyang fact-finding body patungkol sa mga may pagkukulang sa naganap na Aug 2010 Luneta massacre–na kahit na binago’y dinaan pa rin niya sa tigas ng mukha sa pagsasabing hindi?
nakuha na nila ang lahat nang kanilang gusto, LALO na si delima at upang hindi na makawala pa sa kanyang kamay ang tinatamasa niya ngayong ISA sa mga pinakamakapangyarihan sa gobyernong abnoy, tulad ng mga sipsip na tangapagsalita ng asal-paslit na pangulo AY ipagpipilitang bilog ang kuwadrado at parisukat ang triyanggulo.
teka, sapul mula ba, sino sa kanila ang nagsalita nang totoo?
Alias ang pinang-pirma sa Bad Blood Law (BBL).They justify by saying that revolutionaries always use aliases. Maybe. But to sign an agreement? Name me one.
Yasser Arafat used his real name when he signed the Peace Accord.
Thomas Murphy of the IRA uses his real name.
Fidel Castro is the real name of that old communist fart.
Ernesto “Che” Guevarra was the real name of the physician guerrilla.
Among the Muslim revolutionaries, Yasser Arafat and Hamid Karzai used their real names.
I know of one who uses an alias. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of ISIS. He was born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri.
sa pilipinas HINDI na baleng MANANAKAW basta’t kayang magtapal ng salapi sa mukha ng mga nasa poder, ABSWELTO sa anumang akusasyon at pag-uusig.
sa pilipinas, HINDI na baleng sinungaling, BASTA’T kadikit sa KKKK, walang anumang kasong maaaring ipataw, PRESIDENTE pa ang abogado’t tagapagtanggol.
sa pilipinas lamang makikita ang sinasabing gumagandang ekonomiya NA ang ebidensiya ay mga pamilyang natutulog sa bangketa, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo, lindol, naipit sa bakbakan NA nagsisiksikan sa mga evacuation centers, mga batang lansangang sa halip na nasa loob ng silid aralan ay NAMAMALIMOS sa lansangan, mga maysakit na namamatay nang hindi man lamang nakakatikim ng gamot o natitingnan ng doktor SUBALIT ang mga nasa gobyerno ay HALOS SUMABOG ang mga bank accounts dahil paglobo halos araw araw.
ganyan kami sa aming bayan – MASUWERTE, MASAGANA, MASAYA.
salamat sa MATUWID na DAAN. salamat sa aming presidenteng walang sawa sa PAG-IWAS sa pananagutan!
teka, naglaban na ba sina pacquiao at mayweather? di ba sa mayo pa? bakit parang bangas na ang mukha ni delima sa kodak sa itaas? siya ba ang pinagpapraktisang punching bag ng dalawa?