Skip to content

Category: Governance

Goodbye, Emy

Published by Ellen on March 15, 2010

Notice from Ging Deles:

Emy Boncodin
Emy Boncodin
Dear All,

It is with deep sorrow and pain that I am informing everyone that our very dear Emy Boncodin passed away this afternoon at 1:00 PM at the National Kidney Institute, QC. She had a cardiac arrest after she went into a semi-coma while being prepped for dialysis.

She is survived by her mother and her sister Adel. I learned from Adel that she had been growing weak in the last months. Emy never let on to us her worsening condition, however, as she continued with her meetings and work on her projects.

She was an outstanding public servant, always did her work quietly, always straightforward and truthful about the state of governance. She went as quietly as she had served with dedication, diligence, and amazing competence.

We are awaiting word regarding arrangements for her remains and will let you know.

In deep sorrow and prayers for our friend and colleague,
Ging

Boncodin and Deles are two the Hyatt 10, a group of cabinet members of Gloria Arroyo who resigned from their posts in June 2005 following the expose of the “Hello Garci” tapes where Arroyo was heard directing the manipulation of of the 2004 election results in her favor.

Continue readingGoodbye, Emy

Hindi malinis ang pagka-ayos ni Mikey

Published by Ellen on March 8, 2010

Mula nang inilabas naming ang balita tungkol sa bahay ng magkapatid na Mikey at Dato Arroyo sa San Francisco, marami ang nagtatanong sa amin kung ano ang nangyari.

Marami ang naiinis na parang hanggang diyaryo lang. Wala naming nangyayari. Tuloy naman ang ligaya ng mga nagsasamantala ng kanilang posisyun sa gobyerno para sa kanilang sarili.

Kahapon, nilabas namin ang bagong impormasyun na nakuha mula sa San Francisco. Nilipat nang mga abogado ni Mikey ang bahay sa Foster City na nagkakahalaga ng $1.32 million na nasa pangalan ng kanyang asawa na si Angela Montenegro sa pangalan ng Beachway LLC noong Septyembre 18, 2009.

Continue readingHindi malinis ang pagka-ayos ni Mikey

Ethical and effective

Published by Ellen on March 4, 2010

A visiting expert on citizen participation in governance, Dr. Lyle Wray, said two of the important traits that voters should look for in a leader are “ethical” and “effective.”

Immediately, what came to my mind were the top leading presidential candidates Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Villar.

(I believe the presidential contest will be between the two. Former President Estrada is a far third. Gilbert Teodoro is further down in fourth place. His numbers may be improving but the increase is miniscule, it is doubtful if he would be able to catch up.)

I believe Aquino is honest. He has no record of corruption. But there’s so much to be desired in terms of performance.

Continue readingEthical and effective

The best of Gloria Arroyo’s lot

Published by Ellen on March 4, 2010

Mendoza is now both DOTC and executive secretary

By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Same faces, no surprises.

Heeding the Supreme Court, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday replaced Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and at least five other Cabinet officials running for local posts in the May 10 national elections, Malacañang announced.

Ms Arroyo tapped Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza as her new executive secretary in a Cabinet revamp prompted by the Supreme Court ruling that appointive officials running for election were deemed resigned.

Ermita, 74, is seeking a seat in Congress in his Batangas hometown.

Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. admitted that Ms Arroyo’s moves were prompted by the high court ruling that officials running for election were deemed resigned and should leave their posts effective March 2.

Continue readingThe best of Gloria Arroyo’s lot

Only in Arroyo’s administration: cabinet members as “guests” in a cabinet meeting

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2010

by Regina Bengco
Malaya

Malapascua Island, Cebu. – President Arroyo had an innovative explanation for the presence of Cabinet officials seeking elective positions in May in last Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Palawan when she announced they were only there “as guests.”

Trade Secretary Peter Favila said Arroyo wanted to put on record that the concerned Cabinet officials are just “guests” to prevent any future legal question.

“She wasn’t laughing. Nobody laughed,” Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano said when asked if Arroyo made the announcement in jest.

Continue readingOnly in Arroyo’s administration: cabinet members as “guests” in a cabinet meeting

I left to evade conspiracy: Ping

Published by Ellen on February 2, 2010

Question: Why is former President Joseph Estrada not being charged when he was also named in the case?

by JP Lopez
Malaya

Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday admitted that he left the country early last month to evade what he called an “evil conspiracy” against him.

“As I had correctly suspected, the harassment by the DOJ upon the order of Malacañang will never stop. I am a victim of a conspiracy of whispers between Mrs. (Gloria) Arroyo and her stooge in the Department of Justice,” Lacson said in a statement.

Lacson said the Arroyo administration has employed “even the most tenuous of evidence to justify their own interpretation of probable cause to satisfy their political vendetta against my person.”

Continue readingI left to evade conspiracy: Ping

Sen. Trillanes’ position on ethics case of Sen. Manny Villar

Published by Ellen on February 1, 2010

1. This is NOT my fight and this should not be the people’s fight as well. Our fight should be with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and we should not be distracted from this. She’s about to appoint a new AFP Chief of Staff and a new Chief Justice in March. These appointments and how they will be done (particularly for the CJ) would be indicators of whether she has plans of stepping down or not. Aside from these, the prospect of the failure of elections scenario is still up in the air. In short, anything that deflects attention from her is playing according to her script. We must always remain vigilant and must never underestimate her.

2. It is a graft case and not an ethics case. Bulk of the evidence presented dealt with acts committed as early 1999 when Sen. Villar was still a congressman and during his first term as Senator. I believe that ethics cases should only cover acts committed after the mandate was given which, in this case, is 2007. With that, the only evidence left would be the double insertion in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). The problem is, the draft of the GAA was approved and presented to the plenary by the Finance Committee which was then headed by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. Said GAA was later on approved by the majority in the Senate. Therefore, assuming there were double insertions, it was the responsibility of Sen. Enrile’s staff to scrutinize the GAA and correct all anomalies and typo errors before being approved by Sen. Enrile. When it was approved by Sen. Enrile and presented to the plenary, it now became the responsibility of each Senator to scrutinize it again before approving it. Therefore, all those who voted for the approval of the GAA became equally liable for that double insertion.

Continue readingSen. Trillanes’ position on ethics case of Sen. Manny Villar

Ang 20% ng mga senior citizens

Published by Ellen on January 30, 2010

Kumambyo na ngayon ang Malacañang at pipirmahan na raw ni Gloria Arroyo ang batas na nagbibigay ne exemption sa mga senior citizens sa 12 per cent na Value Added Tax. Pipirmahan na raw ni Arroyo ang btas sa susunod na linggo.

Noong Miyerkoles kasi ng ipinasa ng Kongreso ang batas, sinabi ni Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar na baka raw i-veto ni Arroyo ang batas dahil mga P54.4 million raw ang mawawala sa pamahalaan.

Dios mio, naman walang patawad itong administrasyon ni Arroyo sa huthuthutan. Pati ba naman ang mga matatanda, hindi na pinapalampas. Ano ba naman ang P54.4 milyon sa P1.54 TRILYON (“T”yan ha, hindi Bilyon or Milyon) na kanilang budget.

Continue readingAng 20% ng mga senior citizens