June 2019 – ellen tordesillas

Floy Quintos pays tribute to the quiet courage of Junel Insigne

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2019

The captain and cook of fishing boat Gem-Ver with Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol in a press conference.

Writer Floy Quintos wrote this poem after he watched Junel Insigne, captain of the fishing boat Gem-Ver, which was rammed by a Chinese fishing boat midnight of June 9, beside Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol in a press conference June 19.

Insigne, who had insisted the ramming by the Chinese vessel was intentional and denounced the Chinese for abandoning them in the high seas near Recto Bank at midnight, became unsure of what happened during the press conference with Piñol.

Insigne also apologized to President Duterte for thinking that the ”invitation” which he declined came from Malacañang.

Some ridiculed Insigne. Some pitied him. Some were enraged.

Quintos sensed something deep in the forlorn demeanor of Insigne which inspired him to write this searing piece:

A test in finding sanity amid Duterte’s incoherence

Published by Ellen on June 18, 2019

President Duterte talks about the sinking of Filipino fishing boat by Chinese vessel during during the 121st Philippine Navy Anniversary at the Naval Base Heracleo Alano in Cavite City on June 17, 2019. Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi, Jr.

President Duterte dismissed what happened in Reed Bank on June 9 where a Chinese fishing boat “Yuemaobinyu 42212” rammed a Philippine fishing boat, F/B Gimver 1 which threw the 22 Filipino fishermen into the waters in the darkness of the night until they were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing boat, as just a “maritime incident.”

“Banggaan lang ng barko ‘yan,” Duterte said at the121ST anniversary of the Philippine at Sangley Sangley Point in Cavite City, Monday, finally breaking his eight-day silence that has riled up concerned citizens over what many perceive as his subservience to China.

Yet he also said he does not want to issue a statement “because there is no investigation and there is no result.”

I’m reproducing here portions of his speech about the incident. This is a test in finding sanity amid the incoherence:

Why is there a Chinese military vessel in Reed Bank?

Published by Ellen on June 17, 2019

Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio believes that it was not a collision of fishing vessels that happened on June 9 in Reed Bank (Philippine name: Recto Bank; Chinese name: Liyue Tan), 80 nautical miles off Palawan and within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.
It was a Chinese militia ship ramming a Philippine fishing vessel.

“China’s maritime militia vessels have reinforced steel hulls purposely for ramming fishing vessels of other coastal states. No other coastal state has fishing vessels purposely designed for ramming other fishing vessels. Captains of ordinary Chinese fishing vessels do not engage in ramming for fear of inflicting damage to their own vessels. It is thus highly likely that a Chinese maritime militia vessel rammed the Filipino fishing vessel F/B Gimver 1,” Carpio said in a statement.

The statement from Chinese Embassy in Manila insisted that it was “a Chinese fishing boat from Guangdong Province, China” and identified it as “Yuemaobinyu 42212.”

Kinaray-a writing contest

Published by Ellen on June 13, 2019

For those who have roots in Antique or those from the Visayas who can write in Kinaray-a, this should be of interest to you.

Dungug Kinaray-a Inc. is now accepting entries for this year’s Padya Dungug Kinaray-a.

Kinaray-a is the language spoken mostly in West Visayas. It is the language in the province of Antique.

Dungug Kinaray-a Inc. is a non-profit organization composed of Kinaray-a writers, scholars, and advocates ( I am a member) for the preservation and promotion of the Kinaray-a language and literature.

How intelligent is the government’s intelligence report?

Published by Ellen on June 11, 2019

The arrest of Davao-based journalist Margarita Valle last Sunday which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity puts into a question how intelligent is this so-called intelligence report which is the basis for the actions of government authorities including the country’s chief executive, President Duterte.

Valle, 61, a columnist of online publication Davao Today, was arrested at Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro,Misamis Oriental by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Western Mindanao, while waiting for her flight to Davao City at about 10:30 a.m. She just came from a training workshop with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Cagayan de Oro City.

She was released about 10 p.m. after being held incommunicado. A report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Col. Tom Tuzon, director of the CIDG in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) admitting that the arrest of Valles was a mistake.

Sagot ko sa sinabi ni Duterte na may kanser ako at nanghihingi ng pera

Published by Ellen on June 8, 2019

SAGOT NI ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS TUNGKOL SA SINABI NI PANGULONG DUTERTE NA SIYA AY MAY KANSER AT NANGHIHINGI SIYA NG PERA

Nagugulantang ako sa mga maling impormasyun na pinagsasabi Pangulong Duterte tungkol sa akin.

Para sa tamang kaalaman ni Duterte ito ang totoo:

1.Wala na akong kanser. Matagal na akong gumaling sa sakit na kanser. Taong 2003 pa.

2.Kahit noong ginagamot ang aking kanser, hindi ako humingi ng pera sa ibang tao. Ang tumulong sa akin ay si Jake Macasaet, ang yumaong publisher ng Ang Pahayagang Malaya, kung saan ako nagtatrabaho noon at hanggang ngayon ay may kolum.

Cervical cancer-free PH by 2040

Published by Ellen on June 8, 2019

From the presentation of Dr. Clarito Cairo.

The Department of Health is aiming high: By 2040 they want a cervical cancer-free Philippines.

That means there no more new cervical cancer cases that number about 7,000 a year.

That means thousands of husbands would be spared of the grief of losing a wife, of children losing a mother, of parents losing a daughter, of kins losing a sister or aunt.