by Yvonne T. Chua VERA Files Outgoing President Gloria Arroyo has issued an executive order that would turn most government lawyers in the executive branch…
Making life worth living.
Category: Gloria Arroyo and family
by Luz Rimban VERA Files President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s family expects the Department of Agrarian Reform to approve within the next seven days or before…
Mabuti naman at nagresign raw si Efraim Genuino bilang chairman ng Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation o PAGCOR na magiging epektibo sa Hunyo 30.
Natablan na rin.
Nagulat ang sambayanang Pilipino ng madiskubre pagkatapos ng eleksyun na itinalaga pala ni Gloria Arroyo si Genuino noong Marso 9 na
chairman hanggang 2011 kasama ang apat pa na miyembro ng board.
Marami ang naniniwala na lampas ng Marso 10 ang pagtalaga kina Genuino ngunit pineke lang ang petsa ng appointment para maka-iwas sa pagbabawal ng batas.
Mukhang may problema pala para isapag-katuparan ang pangako ng nanalong kandidato sa pagka-presidente na si Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III tungkol sa kumisyon na kanyang itatatag para imbestigahan si Gloria Arroyo.
Pinalakpakan pa naman natin ang magaling na ideya na ito ni Aquino at isa ito sa mga rason na binoto siya ng taumbayan. Siya lang sa mga kandidato ang nagsabing papanagutin niya si Arroyo ng kanyang mga kasalanan sa taumbayan.
Sinabi ni Atty. Harry Roque, isa sa mga abogadong masugid sa pag-imbestiga ng mga anomalya na sangkot si Gloria Arroyo at ang kanyang asawang si Mike, na kung sa pamamagitan lamang ng executive order ang pagtatag ng kumisyon na magi-imbestiga kay Arroyo, hanggang rekomendasyun lang ito.
By Wilson Lee Flores
The Philippine Star
SSS president Romulo Neri recently made news headlines again along with former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, with both pinned twice by the Ombudsman for a graft case, while President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo were cleared by the same Ombudsman of alleged wrongdoing in the controversial and allegedly overpriced US$329.48 million National Broadband Network (NBN) project with ZTE.
As former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief, Neri was in 2007 invited by the Senate to testify on the alleged NBN anomalies where he revealed that ZTE broker Abalos had offered him a P200 million bribe at Wack Wack Golf & Country Club for him to approve the NBN project. Neri narrated that he informed GMA about this bribery attempt and that she instructed him not to accept the bribe. However, when the Senate probed further on whether GMA herself had followed up the project, directed him to prioritize or approve it, Neri refused to answer the Senate, invoking “executive privilege.” The Supreme Court in 2008 affirmed Neri’s right as a cabinet official to invoke “executive privilege.” Neri has since declined to discuss at length this controversy with the media, but this writer recently convinced him to grant The Philippine STAR an exclusive no-holds-barred interview. Here are excerpts:
Enrile: Bangit bypassed by CA, must vacate office
by Christine O. Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Bad news for AFP chief of staff Gen. Delfin Bangit.
Because Congress adjourned on Friday without him getting the nod of the Commission on Appointments, Bangit is deemed bypassed and thus he has to vacate his position and be replaced by his vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen.Rodrigo Maclang, according to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Enrile said President Macapagal-Arroyo can no longer re-appoint Bangit because of the ban on appointments that is effective until her term ends on June 30.
by Lito Banayo
Malaya
A friend sent me a partial listing of supposed “midnight” appointees of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Some had to be filled up simply because the offices were vacated, and therefore an appointment in “acting” capacity was required by law. The better option was to name an officer-in-charge (OIC) from any of the undersecretaries or those of lower management rank.
Jesli Lapus was moved from DECS to DTI on March 8, 2010, because Peter Favila who used to be Trade secretary wanted a cushy retirement job as member of the Monetary Board. GMA had to press my good friend Raul Boncan to retire earlier, “for reasons of health”, so as to give way to the desires of Peter.
To replace Jesli at DECS, she resurrected Mona Valisno from retirement and gave her cherished dream of being a line cabinet secretary, at last.
Last week, my friends and I were talking about how the grim predictions about the May 10 elections were proven wrong.
I asked, “Were we wrong about Gloria Arroyo? ”
I asked that because we all believed that she would do everything to hold on to power beyond June 2010 including cause a failure of election.
Our paranoia was not unfounded. We have seen Malacañang’s efforts to change the Constitution to remove the term limit that prohibits Arroyo from staying on to power. There was an attempt to change the form of government from presidential to parliamentary that would have qualified Arroyo to stay on as prime minister.
Update:
1. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/29/10/palace-defends-midnight-reappointments-pagcor
2. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/05/29/10/bernas-hits-midnight-appointments-pagcor-officers
Itong midnight appointment ni Efraim Genuino sa Pagcor ay nagpapahiwatig na hindi talaga bibitaw si Gloria Arroyo sa kapangyarihan. May binabalak siyang hindi maganda.
Kung akala natin ang appointment ni Renato Corona bilang Supreme Court chief justice ay ang malaking problema na kailangan resolbahin ng susunod na pangulo na si Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, mas madugo itong sa Pagcor. Bilyunes yata ang nakataya dito.
Ang ibig sabihin ng Pagcor ay Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation na siyang nangangasiwa ng lahat na pasugalan sa buong bansa. Ang malaking parte ng kita ng Pagcor ay pumupunta sa Presidential Social Fund kung saan malawak ang kalayaan ng isang pangulo kung paano gamiting ang pera.
Another past-midnight appointment
From ABS-CBN:
President Gloria Macapagal has re-appointed her close ally Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Efraim Genuino as well as 4 members of its board of directors.
Genuino said he accepted his re-appointment, confirming a document obtained by ABS-CBN News that he had been re-appointed for another 1-year term.
Others who were re-appointed, based on the document from the Office of the Executive Secretary dated March 9, were Rafael Francisco, Philip Lo, Manuel C. Roxas and Ester Alano Laconico-Feria.