Category: Governance

PNoy, Ramon Ang and Zenaida Ducut

Published by Ellen on January 26, 2014

ERC Chair Ducut has a very influential patron.

Two lawmakers who are allies of President Aquino last week filed with the Office of the President a complaint against Chairperson Zenaida Ducut of the Energy Regulatory Commisssion accusing her of failure to protect the interest of the consumers when it approved last December Meralco’s application for a staggering P4.15/kilowatt-hour increase.

“Respondent is guilty of gross neglect of duty by tacitly approving, without the barest hint of due process, the unprecedented generation charges Meralco sought to pass on to consumers in the months of December 2013, February 2014 and March 2014,” Akbayan Partylist Representatives Walden Bello and Ibarra Gutierrez said in their complaint.

It would be interesting to see how Malacañang will handle the complaint considering that last December in Tokyo, Aquino confessed being powerless about the unconscionable increase because he said, “ERC does not report to us, they are independent of us.”

Liars all

Published by Ellen on January 22, 2014

He is not the epitome of intelligence and good public service but his story about the breakfast meeting is revealing of Malacañang's methods under Aquino. — He is not the epitome of intelligence and good public service but his story about the breakfast meeting is revealing of Malacañang’s methods under Aquino.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., one of the three senators charged with plunder before the Ombudsman in connection with alleged anomalous use of Priority Development Assistance Fund, related Monday an incident that took place in December 2012, a few days before the conclusion of the impeachment of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Revilla said Roxas, who was then secretary of Transportation and Communication, invited him to a morning meeting at his residence in Cubao. From there, they went to Malacañang’s Bahay Pangarap, Aquino’s residence, with Roxas driving the SUV and he was seated at the back seat.

Revilla said Roxas had the license plate of the SUV removed.

Burnout

Published by Ellen on January 9, 2014

Regaling highschool students. — Regaling Miriam College highschool students.

President Aquino told an impressionable bunch of highschool students from Miriam College that he will not be putting on more pressure on his cabinet members concerned that they would suffer burnout.

This is what he said last Tuesday:

“The Cabinet is very hardworking, they’re very dedicated. You can’t ask anything more of them and perhaps I should learn to give them a little bit more breathing room. Baka naman ma-burn out lahat itong mga kasamahan natin sa gobyerno who actually do everything out of love of country. “

Burnout?

Aquino and the beetle experiment

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2013

"Hindi tayo pareho. Hindi kami nagnakaw, at hindi kami magnanakaw." — “Hindi tayo pareho. Hindi kami nagnakaw, at hindi kami magnanakaw.”

President Aquino wants the public to believe that he and his team are God’s gift to democracy. That they can do no wrong. Corruption in government is confined to some members of the political opposition. His men are like him : upright, honest and candidates for sainthood.

That’s the essense of Aquino’s televised ranting last Wednesday.

Apparently, Aquino and his team have sensed the public indignation over misuse of pork barrel funds, intended in principle for the poor but ended up in public officials pockets. If everything is going well, why would he make changes in his communication setup. He enjoyed high approval ratings with the condescending Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda (aligned with Mar Roxas faction) assisted by Abigail Valte and Communications strategist Ricky Carandang as his mouthpieces. Why then the need to bring in the unassuming Press Secretary Sonny Coloma, aligned with the 2010 election Samar group that supported Vice President Jojo Binay?

Why should the burden of truth on MRT-3 be on Czech envoy?

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2013

What if Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar refuses to cooperate in the investigation of alleged $30 million shakedown by officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication in connection with the Metro Rail Transit expansion project? Is that the end of it?

Under the Vienna Convention, the international treaty that governs diplomatic relations, ambassadors cannot be compelled to appear in any investigation conducted by the host country.

The National Bureau of Investigation under orders of the President is investigating the reported shakedown which even dragged the name of presidential sister Ballsy Cruz and her husband, Eldon.

“I wish to state that the allegations that members of your family were involved with discussions with Inekon on any projects in the Philippines are simply untrue and malicious,” Rychtar said in a letter to the President last June 29.

The Cruz couple visited Prague in 2011 upon the invitation of Rytchar. They reportedly met with Czech businessmen during their visit.

Magdalo: 10 years after Oakwood

Published by Ellen on July 28, 2013

July 27, 2003. Ltsg Antonio Trillanes IV and Capt. Gerry Gambala led the protest against Gloria Arroyo at Oakwood Hotel.

No doubt, the Magdalo group of military officers and soldiers has come a long way from that early morning of July 27, 2003 when they jolted the nation with the protest they staged against Gloria Arroyo at Oakwood Hotel in the heart of Makati’s business district.

So many things have happened. Even the name of the hotel has changed. It’s now Ascott Hotel and Oakwood has moved to Pasig City.

Last Monday, after the traditional State of the Nation Address by the president at the opening of Congress, new members of the House of Representatives Gary Alejano and Ashley Acedillo invited relatives and close friends to a thanksgiving dinner at Lexington Gardens in Pasig.

Alejano and Acedillo belong to the Magdalo partylist which represents some 200,000 former and retired military and police personnel, urban poor, and the youth from all over the country.

Re-elected senator Antonio Trillanes IV was there.

How to keep your sanity when stuck in Metro Manila traffic

Published by Ellen on July 12, 2013

Metro Manilans' daily calvary. Thanks to Inquirer for photo. — Metro Manilan’s daily calvary. Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

Surviving traffic in Metro Manila is a test of patience, an exercise in anger management.

Here are some tips I’d like to share with my fellow sufferers:

1. Text and call.

It’s the time to send text messages or make calls that you should have done earlier but were not able to do because you were attending to some other things.

After an hour,you would have accomplished a lot. Time not wasted.

Robredo probing Puno on arms deal before crash

Published by Ellen on September 7, 2012

Update: PNoy saves Rico Puno again. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/08/12/pnoy-ordered-robredos-office-lockdown

By Anthony Taberna, ABS-CBN News

Prior to his fatal plane crash last August 18, Jesse Robredo was investigating the procurement of high-powered rifles which involved Interior and Local Government Secretary Rico Puno.

ABS-CBN News was able to secure a copy of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) report on the planned purchase of assault rifles by the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force that involved two procurements of nearly P178 million and P213 million.

The documents show that Robredo received the report on August 8, less than two weeks before the fatal plane crash off Masbate.

ABS-CBN News sources said this report is among the sensitive documents that were in Robredo’s condominium unit at the time of his death.

This is the same condo unit that Puno and some police officials allegedly tried to access on August 19,a day after the plane crash.

Click here for the documents on the arms deal:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1VpCrVjCGhrXrYGtgiAuSS3ABaPtCEB4W3IeWL8qgKjxWznDwEb4H21sOl2ez/edit

Robredo’s condo

Mar Roxas is new DILG chief

Published by Ellen on August 31, 2012

ABS-CBNnews.com

President Aquino on Friday appointed Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas as the new chief of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Roxas, 55, an economist and president of the Liberal Party (LP), will take over the position vacated by the late DILG chief Jesse Robredo who died in a plane crash last August 18.

Speaking to reporters, Aquino said Roxas was on top of a short list of candidates as Robredo’s replacement even before they had confirmed that he had died in the crash.

“When Secretary Robredo was missing, we had to entertain the possibility [of a replacement]. I told Mar that he was first on my shortlist in case we had to replace Jesse,” the President said.

“Hindi naman pwedeng patagalin ang pagtakbo ng gobyerno. Kailangan siguraduhin natin yung functions na hindi nagawa ng naitalaga ay ipasa na kaagad sa isang tao na magpapatuloy sa magandang naumpisahan ni Jesse,” he added.

Canadian Embassy welcomes proposals for funding small-grants projects

Published by Ellen on August 30, 2012

The Embassy of Canada announced that its small-grants facility is now accepting proposals for funding small development projects in the country.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) will provide direct funding assistance to community groups, non-government organizations, people’s organizations and in exceptional cases, international NGOs, and government institutions for small projects addressing governance, democracy, capacity-building, economic, and other social development issues.

The CFLI or Canada Fund invites applications for short-term (maximum of 6 months, October, 2012 to March 31, 2013 implementation period) development projects that will have a positive impact on the proposed project’s target sector and participants.