Skip to content

Month: October 2016

Wow, Agot Isidro!

Published by Ellen on October 9, 2016

Agot Isidro
Agot Isidro
I have always liked Agot Isidro – her lovely face, her intelligent acting and the dignified manner she conducts herself in showbusiness.

Her Facebook post last Friday – the 100th day of the Duterte presidency- made me admire her more.
This post by Agot has gone viral liked by 24,000 and shared by 7,836:

“ Unang-una, walang umaaway sa iyo. As a matter of fact, ikaw ang nang-aaway.

“Pangalawa, yung bansa Kung saan ka inuluklok ng 16 million out of 100+ million people ay Third World. Kung makapagsalita ka parang superpower and pilipinas eh. At excuse me, ayaw namin magutom. Mag-isa ka na Lang. wag kang mandamay. Hindi na nga nakakain ang nakararami, gugutumin mo pa lalo.

“ Pangatlo, may kilala akong psychiatrist. Patingin ka. Hindi ka bipolar. You are a psychopath. “

Continue readingWow, Agot Isidro!

Threatening reporters, not journalism, is a crime

Published by Ellen on October 4, 2016

The perils of journalism
The perils of journalism

Once again, warped thinking was on full display when a Yolly Reyes Junto posted on Facebook her rant against Reuters reporters Manny Mogato and Karen Lerma over the story of President Duterte comparing himself with Adolf Hitler.

Junto’s Oct. 1 post started with a purported disclaimer: “I am no Duterte fanatic. I criticize him more scathingly than anyone when his mouth is out of line. But this time, Duterte really didn’t say anything wrong. ‘

Continue readingThreatening reporters, not journalism, is a crime

Must read: Bobi Tiglao’s ‘Colossal Deception’

Published by Ellen on October 2, 2016

colossal-deception-book-coverGet yourself a copy of Rigoberto Tiglao’s book, “Colossal Deception- How foreigners control our telecoms sector.”

The book, as its front cover states, is “a case study of corruption, cronyism and regulatory capture in the Philippines.”

The book benefits from Tiglao’s experience as journalist (Business Day and Far Eastern Economic Review) as he pierced through the corporate layers to see who is really behind what we think is Manuel V. Pangilinan’s expanding empire.

Tiglao said, his book, “ tells how an Indonesian magnate built up a new business empire outside his country in just 18 years – dwarfing others owned by Filipino magnates – and why a foreigner has been allowed to do so by Philippine authorities despite the clear constitutional restrictions on foreign control.”

The Indonesian is Anthoni Salim – a name that most Filipinos have not heard of.

Tiglao said Salim “ has never been seen in public here, if ever he had stepped on Philippine soil.”

“ Yet his conglomerate in the country consists of public utility enterprises in which the Constitution bars foreigners from controlling,” the author said.

Continue readingMust read: Bobi Tiglao’s ‘Colossal Deception’

161 names for 31 ambassadorial positions

Published by Ellen on October 1, 2016

dfa-symbol

The Department of Foreign Affairs is at a loss how to accommodate the 161 names they have received from Malacañang for ambassadorial positions.

The list, sources say, includes names of retired military officers.

There are only 60 Philippines embassies all over the world, four permanent missions and 20 consulates general.

The 1991 Foreign Service Act provides that “the President shall be guided, as much as possible, by the principle that a majority of diplomatic and permanent missions shall be headed by career ambassadors.”

The four Permanent Philippine missions are to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations headquarters based in Jakarta which is currently headed by Elizabeth P. Buensuceso; to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland headed by Cecilia B. Rebong; to the United Nations in New York headed by Lourdes O. Yparraguirre, and to the World Trade Organization, also based in Geneva and headed by Ryan Francis D. Gener.

By simple mathematics, 60 embassies and four permanent mission equals 64. Simple majority of 64 is 33. That leaves 31 posts for retired military officers, campaign contributors and friends whom Duterte may want to reward with an ambassadorial post.

Continue reading161 names for 31 ambassadorial positions