Category: General

By Yvonne T. Chua
INQ7.net

IS PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in danger of being ousted in a military coup the way Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was last Tuesday?

It’s unlikely for now for at least two reasons. Filipinos are strongly attached to democratic values and traditions. Plus, they’re more scared of the military than of Arroyo.

That’s the prognosis of University of the Philippines-based political scientist Jorge Tigno who co-authored with Social Weather Stations’ Linda Luz Guerrero a recent study that looked into the staying power of three highly unpopular heads of state: Arroyo, Thaksin and US President George Bush.

There are those who asked where lawyer Harry Roque, Jr., who submitted an amicus brief with the U.S. court hearing the case of former Agriculture…

This is the latest from Harry Roque:

A status hearing was held yesterday, 20 September 2006 in Milwaukee on Bolante’s Habeas corpus petition. Bolantes lawyer insisted on a hearing, while the US OSG maintained that no hearing was necessary since the pleadings contain all relevant factual and legal issues. We are awaiting word on what happened to that hearing.

We have, however, been furnished copies of the latest pleadings consisting of the response of Condelizza Rice and the reply thereto of Bolante. The salient points are:

In Condi’s answer, she said that the detention of an arriving alien without a visa is a lawful basis for detention. Likewise, she asserted that Bolante is not entitled to bail as an arriving alien subject to exclusion proceeding.

The following article by Carlos Conde first appeared in Davao Today.

Conde says: “The similarities of the atrocities during martial law and today are chilling. Hooded men knocking down doors and dragging out victims in the dead of night. Assassins on motorcycles. Killers shooting victims in cold blood, often in close range. Anguished relatives looking for answers and, most important of all, justice.”

I just came in from Cebu where I participated in the Cebu Press Freedom Week celebration. I’ll report about it later.

I woke up this morning to a CNN report about a coup in Thailand. Everybody I talked with in the Cebu forum remarked, “Nakakainggit naman ang Thailand.”

Malacañang and the military officials’ protestations that a similar coup won’t happen here betray their nervousness. As Shakespeare said, “The lady protests too much.”

Anyway, here’s Malaya’s report on reactions in Manila:

Th latest victim of Mike Arroyo’s crusade against those who tell the truth is Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano whom he has brought to court with a P32 million libel suit, three weeks ago.

Before that Arroyo has filed libel charges against 43 journalists. Here’s the list:

Here’s the Philippine Daily Inquirer report on the hearing on the petition of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante for bail before a Chicago court:

A petition for bail by embattled former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante has been denied by an immigration court in Chicago, according to a GMA Network “Flash Report,” quoting a Filipino lawyer monitoring the case of the former government official in the US.

Harry Roque was quoted as saying that the court, in a hearing Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time), also dismissed a petition by Bolante to reject an amicus brief, which Roque and other lawyers from the Philippines had submitted to the court.

Continue readingNo bail for Bolante

Here are more pictures from Anna of the rally in Brussels during the visit of Gloria Arroyo:

Protest that met Gloria Arroyo in Brussels. Photo from Arkibo.

This is the speech of Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano last Sept. 5. For your reference:

“Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven”
Psalms 85:11
Madam President, Atty. Mike Arroyo I am not sorry! It is not because I cannot humble myself if I made a mistake, but because the administration refused to allow us to present evidence in the committee on justice, you refuse to sign the waiver and so far the bank certification has not proven the impeachment team wrong.

Continue readingTruth shall spring out of the earth