Last week, The House of Representatives adopted a Resolution that would make it extremely difficult to get a copy of the members’ Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.
House Resolution No. 2467, authored by 10 members of the House led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo set requirements that makes the use of SALN as an anti-corruption almost impossible.
The motive of the of the authors is obvious: they don’t want the public to know increase in their wealth while in public office.
Observing the simmering conflict between Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez III and House Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo, I recall an article in the Sept. 15, 2001 issue of the Philippine Star that featured the narration of Justin R. Phillips, general manager of The Linden Suites located at San Miguel Avenue of the dramatic three days of January 2001 when the self-proclaimed members of the “civil society” succeeded in cutting short the presidency of Joseph Estrada and installed in Malacañang the vice president.
Linden Suites which is owned by Dominguez, served as the war room for the operations to oust Estrada following the breakdown of Estrada impeachment trial in the Senate. The anti-Estrada forces called for “People Power 2” on Edsa.
Here’s the article that confirmed the role of the Dominguez hotel in Arroyo’s power grab: “I just happened to look out my third floor window,” relates Justin R. Phillips, general manager of The Linden Suites which is located at San Miguel Avenue at the Ortigas Center, not far from where all the action was taking place, “and I saw this motorcade coming down San Miguel Ave. That was as much warning as we had and next thing we knew, the vice president and her group were here. Suddenly, we found ourselves catering to at least a hundred in the function rooms which were instantly transformed into a high-level operations center. It just went on all night. Then, at about 7 a.m., she retired to her room. Then, she was back down by about 9 a.m. She couldn’t have had much sleep. By mid-day, she was being sworn in.”
The shaming of Party List ( ACTS OFW) Rep. Aniceto Bertiz, III (which he fully deserves) caught on quickly because of the closed-circuit television video which was circulated in Social Media.
One of media’s public service roles is to hold those in power accountable. In this case Social Media, was a useful tool.
I’m at a loss for words to best describe Bertiz.
I find “bastos,” “trarantado,” “gago,” “walang hiya,” “manloloko” too mild for what he did to the airport personnel last Saturday at the NAIA.
By Ellen T. Tordesillas, VERA Files
In the seven years that Conchita Carpio-Morales was Ombudsman – investigating and prosecuting corruption cases against government officials – the ones that gave her the biggest headaches were those involving former president Gloria Arroyo, who was elected speaker of the House of Representatives last Monday.
In an interview by VERA Files days before she retired on July 26, Carpio-Morales described the cases involving Arroyo as “very, very complicated.”
Among those cases are the misuse of the intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office amounting to more than P300 million; the questionable transfer of P530,382,445 from the OWWA Medicare Fund to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation; the P728 million Fertilizer Fund that was allegedly used in the 2004 elections; and the P16.4 billion ($329 million) NBN/ZTE deal.
I said what Paras did was Kadiri which means disgusting, despicable, contemptible, detestable, abominable.
Paras wrote to explain his side. I’m publishing the full letter:
Hi Ellen,
We’ve known each other way way back, and since then, I have always cherished your gallantry in writing against any government shenanigans. I have very high respect to your person as a writer.
Be that as it may, may I just correct on the facts of the article you wrote:
Kadiri means disgusting, despicable, contemptible, detestable, abominable.
That describes what former congressman and now undersecretary of labor Jacinto “Jing” Paras did to Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan partylist).
In a press interview about the complaint for theft he filed against Paras last Monday at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, Villarin related:
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he will be pushing for a five-year extension of Martial Law in Mindanao declared by President Duterte last May 23 and is supposed to end on July 22, two days before he delivers his second State-of-the Nation address.
Alvarez, who has proven himself valuable to Duterte for shepherding a docile House of Representatives to latter’s bidding, said Saturday, ““If I can convince my colleagues, I will push for an extension until 2022, because two months is too short. Five months or one year or two years is too short.”
Alvarez did not say what is needed that cannot be done in normal times, without the sword of Martial Law hanging over Mindanao.
Duterte himself does not seem so eager to lift martial Law in Mindanao. News reports said when he was asked last week if he would lift it before delivers his second SONA on July 24, he replied, “No”.
Nauna siyang nasampahan ng impeachment complaint sa House of Representatives sa kasalanang plagiarism o pangungupya ng sinulat ng ibang tao na hindi nagpa-alam.
Ang report noong Biyernes, hindi na raw itutuloy. Natabunan na ng impeachment complaint kay Chief Justice Corona.
Kaya nag-post tuloy ng panawagan si Atty. Harry Roque sa Facebook: “House should not abandon Del Castillo impeachment. Can’t change the SC by just changing its head. Need to drastically change its composition!I Impeach more Justices and not just one!” (Hindi dapat i-abandona ng House ang Del Castillo impeachment.
Hindi maaring magkaroon ng pagbabago sa SC kung ang hepe lang ang palitan. Kailangan palitan ang malawakan na pagpalit ng bumubuo nito. I-impeach ang iba pang justices at hindi isa lang!”
The DOJ’s Task Force on Bureau of Internal Revenue Case (TBFBIR) released a resolution today saying it has found probable cause to charge Mikey and Angela with multiple counts of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code.
Section 255 penalizes taxpayers for failure to wilfully pay income taxes and file returns, or supply correct and accurate information, among other offenses. The penalties are imprisonment of between one and 10 years, and a fine of not less than P10,000.
The resolution was the DOJ’s response to the complaint the BIR filed in April 2011, which alleged that the couple underdeclared their income for the years 2004, 2006, and 2007.
Angela allegedly failed to file income tax returns from 2003 to 2009, and Mikey for the years 2005, 2008 and 2009.
By Wendell Vigilia Malaya Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo has dethroned Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma as the congressman with the…