Category: General

Shades of Bedol!

A ranking official of the Department of Transportation and Communications yesterday said that the original contracts to set up a national broadband infrastructure between the Philippine government and the Chinese government corporation, ZTE for $365 million were lost in Hainan the night after it was signed last April 20 in the presence of President Arroyo.

DOTC Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Formoso, who was one of the two Filipino signatories of the contract (the other was DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza), said the theft was reported by Emmanuel Ang, DTI commercial attaché, who said the papers were stolen from the hotel where the DTI personnel were billeted.

Ping: Joker holds no title to Blue Ribbon committee

by JP Lopez
Malaya

Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said nobody holds a “Torrens title” to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee as he assailed Sen. Joker Arroyo for saying he was lusting after the powerful panel.

Lacson said he was just stating his wish to head the committee in pursuit of his advocacy to stop corruption and promote public accountability.

“May I remind him that no one has a Torrens title over the chairmanship of any committee in the Senate and it is not up to him to decide to whom he shall pass his chairmanship,” Lacson said.

Prosecution: We proved our case

Defense: Prosecution had no case

by Peter Tabingo

The six-year trial on perjury and plunder charges against President Joseph Estrada formally ended yesterday with the conclusion of the oral summation by the prosecution and the defense.

Presiding Justice and Special Division chair Teresita Leonardo-De Castro declared the cases submitted for resolution. The decision, under the law, must be promulgated within 90 days.

This is the picture that Skip said ruined his breakfast: Photo borrowed from Inquirer without JV Rufino’s permission. Sorry JV, ang cute ng picture.

Gloria Arroyo’a administration slapped again by the Supreme Court.

Today, the High Court ordered the Department of Justice (DoJ) to dismiss the rebellion case against six militant lawmakers and their co-accused for lack of sufficient evidence.

The partylist legislators are Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, Joel Virador; Anakpawis Representatives Rafael Mariano and Crispin Beltran; and Gabriela Representative Liza Maza.

Kampi clique eyes powerful committees

A clique in the pro-administration Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) has put Speaker Jose de Venecia’s leadership to a test in a move to gain control over powerful and prestigious committees.

It is in these committees where proposed laws are first discussed, deliberated upon and are either passed or shelved by lawmakers, depending on who wields the greater influence.

Lawmakers, driven by the desire to get hold of several important committees, therefore devise game plans to win the juicy seats.

I’m sharing this article because I like the message that Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Don Cheadle is trying to bring which is care for others.

Pitt, Clooney, Cheadle move spotlight to Darfur

CANNES, France (Reuters) – Hollywood celebrities Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Don Cheadle have more than just acting in common — they share a passion for trying to help people from the troubled Darfur region of Sudan.

Contrary to earlier reports that Grace Padaca is losing the governorship of Isabela to Benjamin Dy, she is maintaining her lead. Inquirer reports that “With…

Sinusulat ko ang kolum na ito, kakaboto ko lang. Maayos naman.

Ngunit marami akong natatanggap na report ng violations katulad na lamang ng mga watchers at supporters ng Team Unity na namimigay ng mga sample ballot sa loob ng presinto.

Sabi ni Comelec Chairman Bejmain Abalos normal lang daw na may confusion dahil marami naman talaga ang hindi kabisado ang batas.

If Gloria Arroyo had some shred of conscience left in her, she should have learned from her stealing of the 2004 elections that no crime will remain hidden forever.

But Arroyo and her cohorts are a rare breed. They are using the lessons learned from the 2004 elections to perfect a more vicious crime against the Filipino people.

Luz Rimban, formerly with the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and who now teaches broadcast journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University, took note that today’s election is the third under Arroyo’s presidency. The first was the mid-term election in 2001, the second was the presidential election in 2004.