Ellen – Page 445 – ellen tordesillas

Highlights of CBCP pastoral statement on social concerns

Published by Ellen on July 10, 2006

(Highlights of the Pastoral Letter by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Social Concerns read in a press conference July 10, 2006.For the full text, click here.)

In the light of the social doctrine of the church, we state the CBCP position on the following burning social issues:

The Family under siege:

We are deeply troubled by attempts of legislate or make a state policy ideas that tend to weaken or even destroy cherished religious values regarding the nature of life, the nature of marriage as union of man and woman, child bearing, the values formation of children, etc.

Power of might over right

Published by Ellen on July 9, 2006

The latest launching tests by North Korea of shortrange and intercontinental missiles last week has renewed concern of an arms race in Asia.

In 2003, Thomas Omestad, in an article in US News, painted this scenario: “Faced with a nuclear breakout by a hostile regime, Japan reconsiders its antinuclear taboos, fields a larger missile force of its own, and plunges into developing a shield against incoming missiles with the United States. South Korea, with one eye on the North and the other on Japan, follows suit. China reacts with more nukes and missiles of its own. Taiwan, outgunned, opts for more missiles and, perhaps, nuclear bombs. A nervous Russia shifts nuclear and conventional forces for defense against its old rivals, China and Japan. India, a foe of China, expands its nuclear forces, a step that causes Pakistan to do likewise. An Asian arms race snaps into high gear.”

Hideaki Kaneda, a retired vice admiral of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and director of the Okazaki Institute in Tokyo, said in an article the arms race across Asia is already underway and North Korea’s testing last week confirmed it.

Lahat biktima

Published by Ellen on July 8, 2006

Kahapon ay isang taon ng pagkalas ng tinaguriang Hyatt 10, ang sampung miyembro ng cabinet ni Gloria Arroyo, na nag-resign at nanawagan kay Arroyo na mag-resign rin.

Noong July 8, 2005, mga alas 10 ng umaga, nag-press conference sa Hyatt Hotel sa Roxas Boulevard sina Social Services Dinky Soliman; Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima; Trade Secretary and Industry Secretary Juan Santos; Education Secretary Florencio Abad; Budget and Management Secretary Emilia Boncodin; Peace Adviser Ging Deles; Agrarian Reform Secretary Rene Villa; Imelda Nicolas, National Anti-Poverty Commission; Alberto Lina ng Bureau of Customs; at Guillermo Parayno ng Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Ito ay isang buwan pagkatapos lumabas ang “Hello Garci” tapes na winagayway ni “I- have- two- discs” Ignacio Bunye”.

The Value of Legacy – Why the President Should Support a Credible Impeachment Proceeding

Published by Ellen on July 8, 2006

by Atty. Adel A. Tamano

(The author is partner in Kapunan Tamano Villadolid & Associates law office and assistant lecturer at the Institute of Law, Far Eastern University in Manila)

Essentially, the political opposition has branded the President, in their words, as a “cheater”, “thief”, and “liar” on the basis of allegations of unlawful use of public money for the 2004 elections, vote-rigging, and the subsequent cover-up by the executive. Moreover, critics argue that the killing of the members of the political left, the silencing of dissent, and the rush to amend the Fundamental Law are merely the logical consequences of the failure to obtain a genuine mandate. These are the bases for the filing of the impeachment complaint against the President on June 26, 2006, a year after the filing of the first impeachment complaint.

From the actions of the President’s counsel, by raising the pendency of a petition with the Supreme Court related to last year’s impeachment, as well as statements by the President’s official family prophesying an imminent defeat of the second impeachment proceeding, it appears that the Executive is, once again, bent on “killing” the current impeachment. However, it may not be in the President’s best interests, in the long-run, to oppose the impeachment. On the contrary, there are reasons, which are sound, valid, and serve not only the President’s interests but those of the country as well, that demand her support for having a credible impeachment proceeding, namely:

The mouse roars

Published by Ellen on July 8, 2006

(This piece by Malaya columnist JB Baylon first appeared in the July 7, 2006 issue of Malaya.)

The President of the Philippines yesterday condemned the missile testing by North Korea.

I am not exactly sure what else our president said beyond aping the remarks of US President George W. Bush, but effectively telling North Korea to behave are tough words from a Philippine president.

I wonder what we will say should North Korea decide to lob one missile or two our way in response.

Backfire

Published by Ellen on July 6, 2006

Retired Commodore Rex Robles said the release of the tape showing Brig. Gen. Danny Lim announcing withdrawal of support from a “bogus president” is a “knife that can cut both ways.”

Malacañang may use it to support its claim that there was a planned attempt against Gloria Arroyo’s presidency, which is what presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales have been crowing about since Monday when ABS-CBN first showed it in their reformatted late evening news, “Bandila”.

On the other hand, Robles said, it can also backfire because it allows Lim to disseminate his message publicly which is close to the hearts of military officers who have not lost their idealism. He noted that Lim and the officers implicated with him, like Col. Ariel Querubin, are bemedalled and respected. “They are credible,” he said.

Ang mas malaking kasalanan

Published by Ellen on July 6, 2006

Tuwang-tuwa ang Malacañang sa nilabas ng ABS-CBN na video tape kung saan nakikita si Brig. Gen. Danny Lim na nagwi-withdraw ng support sa pamahalaan ni Gloria Arroyo.

Ito ay kuha daw ng Feb. 23, 2006 at dapat ngang ipinalabas kung natuloy ang pag-martsa ng mga sundalo palabas sa kanilang kampo kasalubong ng mga sibilyan na mga lider sa Edsa.

Sabi ni Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales ito raw ang smoking gun na ebidensya na magdidiin kina Lim. Sabi naman ni Presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor ang video raw ay nagpapatunay na tama ang ginawa ni Arroyo na magdeklara ng Proclamation 1017, manghuli ng mga kritiko at magbusal ng media.

Back to the original sin

Published by Ellen on July 5, 2006

There’s no doubt, at this point, that the classroom hours spent by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and Mike Arroyo together have produced a special relation worth sacrificing national interests and risking damage of institutions.

It is clear that Malacañang is protecting Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos. Malaya yesterday carried a story by Peter Tabingo exposing a 45-page findings by the Ombudsman’s panel of investigators dated June 23, 2005 on the P1.3 billion stink that was the Comelec-Mega Pacific Solutions poll automation deal.

Tabingo reported the 2005 resolution categorically stated that “With regard to the liability of the Comelec Chairman and the Commissioners, this Office finds that probable cause exists for charging them with a violation of Section 3 (e) (of RA 3019) except (Commissioner) Rufino SB Javier (who) has not participated in the award of the project as he was then on official business trip.”

Caregiver ng mundo

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2006

Ipinagmamalaki ni Gloria Arroyo na ang isang achievement ng kanyang biyahe sa Vatican, Italy at Spain noong isang linggo ay ang pirmahan ng kontrata para makapasok and 100,000 na Filipino health workers sa Espanya.

Sinabi ni Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas na siyang pumirma ng kontrata kasama ni Spanish Minister for Labor and Immigration Jose Caldera na dumating na ang 40 na caregiver sa Madrid at mga 60 pa ang darating sa Septiembre.

Marami raw ng mga Filipino ang makikinabang sa kontrata dahil marami nga ang gusto mag-apply noon pa kaya lang mahigpit ang Espanya at mga domestic helper lang noon ang pinapayagan.

A different kind of pilgrimage

Published by Ellen on July 2, 2006

Isn’t this interesting?

Juris Soliman, Mike Arroyo’s chief of staff, told reporters covering the Arroyo’s sojourn to the Vatican, Italy, and Spain, what a lovely sight it was seeing the Arroyo couple holding hands while shopping last June 27.

“There were no politicians, no meetings and no cellular phones. They were just there for family bonding and for spiritual upliftment,” the devoted Soliman said.

Author: Ellen