Category: Malaya

Even MILF joins ‘Thrilla in NAIA’

Published by Ellen on May 13, 2012

Even the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has a statement on the May 6 Thrilla in Naia where columnist/broadcaster Ramon Tulfo and showbiz couple Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago figured in a brawl at the international airport.

In its website, side by side with reports on the peacetalks that the Muslim rebel group is pursuing with the government and the death of its vice chairman for Military Affairs, Aleem Abdul Aziz S. Mimbantas, MILF deputy chairman of the MILF Committee on Information Khaled Musa said they are not taking sides on the ugly incident but commented that Tulfo, “has been given the dose of his own medicine.”

“Hurting is not only when one is attacked but the more stinging it is when the offended party is the whole community like the Moros. I wish he will stop insulting people now that he has been given the dose of his own medicine,” Musa said.

He added: “‘Truth is truth and it is not fair to say Ramon Tulfo or the Santiagos are guilty of starting the brawl. Let the facts of the incident come out soon.”

Luwaran described Tulfo as ,” an incorrigible critic of Moros in Mindanao.”

The news item further said that in his column in the Philippine Inquirer, Tulfo treat the Moros in Mindanao as “made of sub-race.”

Run for road safety in memory of Chit Estella

Published by Ellen on May 10, 2012

Friday the 13th last year, at about 6 p.m., fellow VERA Files writer and trustee, Chit Estella was riding in a taxi for a reunion dinner with high school classmates at UP Ayala TechnoHub .

A rampaging Universal Guiding Star bus rammed the taxi along Commonwealth Avenue. Chit never made it to the dinner.

On Sunday, on the first anniversary of her passing, Chit’s family will hold a Metro-Manila wide Run for Road Safety for all victims of road crashes.

Making consumption of sin products expensive

Published by Ellen on May 1, 2012

If you have not yet signed the manifesto for HB 5727, it’s time you take a look at it.

There’s one in Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=260011474082380

HB 5727, authored by Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, calls for the restructuring of the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products. The rationale is that, if prices for what we refer to as sin products were to be increased, it would become less affordable to many people, especially the poor. They would then be saved from the ill effects of alcohol and cigarettes. We would then become a healthier nation.

The manifesto explains the financial advantage to the government and to the Filipino of higher taxes for alcohol and cigarettes. It says, “ On the first year of implementation, the government is expected to raise additional revenues worth P60 billion, of which, P30 billion is from cigarettes, P11 from distilled spirits and P19 billion is from beer.”

No such thing as strange bedfellows in politics

Published by Ellen on April 29, 2012

Who was it who said,” In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests?”

That is evident in the alliances that are being formed in preparation for the 2013 and 2016 elections.
The early bird is the United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President Joseph Estrada, which includes Gloria Arroyo loyalists Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay and Candaba mayor in Pampanga Jerry Pelayo.

Reports said while Estrada is okay with Arroyo’s allies, he is not keen on an alliance with Manny Villar’s Nacionalista Party.

It is understandable if one recalls that it was Villar who railroaded the impeachment complaint against Estrada in 2000 which eventually led to his ouster in January 2001 and the installation of Arroyo in as unelected president.

But then, if Estrada can embrace the loyalists of Arroyo, who put him in jail (although she eventually pardoned him) it’s intriguing why he remains antagonistic to the NP.

Anyway, reports said NP is talking with the administration party, the Liberal Party for a 2013 alliance.

This one really makes me laugh.

How are the proponents of “Villaroyo” and all the operators of the Aquino campaign who came up with those C-5 and Daang Hari extension expose now going to promote the senatorial lineup that would most probably include NP’s Alan Peter Cayetano and Cynthia Villar?

5 years of search, 5 years of hope

Published by Ellen on April 26, 2012

Edith Burgos 2 — Edith Burgos: today's Mater Dolorosa

On April 28, 2007, past noon, Jonas Burgos was at Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City waiting for friends. Before his friends came three military agents, one was a woman, approached him and forcibly brought him out to a waiting vehicle. Jonas was never seen after that.

Jonas’ mother, Edita, wife of press freedom fighter Jose Burgos, Jr. (founder of Malaya) issued the following statement yesterday:

“April 28, 2012 marks the fifth year of the disappearance of my son, Jonas Burgos. Jonas’ family commemorates this day by looking back at the five years of search. We recall how we have exhausted every possible peaceful means available to us within the limitations of resources and information.

“We have encountered numerous attempts at individual and institutional cover up and confronted these with more determination to uncover the truth. The denials, the stone-walling, the labeling, all the lies and even the indifference have only encouraged us to pray some more and to look at others with the eyes of a Christian heart. Undeterred, our search must go on.

“At every turn of the uphill path of the search, something and someone would somehow turn out to be His Providence supplying what was needed for the moment. The particular grace would always be on time… just enough, and would, in spite of the pain and seeming helplessness… fuel a renewed vigor to search for the lost son, the lost brother, the lost husband, the lost father.

Crab talk

Published by Ellen on April 24, 2012

Aquino at PPI 2012 — Aquino whining about media. PPI chair Jake Macasaet and Press Secretary Heminio Coloma listen.

It was crab talk at the two-day 16th National Press Forum of the Philippine Press Institute at the Traders Hotel. President Aquino, who was the keynote speaker, was the one who started it when he began his talk with a childhood anecdote about Filipino crabs:

“Ayon po sa kuwento, narinig ko po sa aking ama, sa loob daw po ng isang bar, umiinom ang isang Amerikano. Pumasok ang isang mangingisdang Pilipino na may dalang timba na puno ng alimango. Ibinaba niya ito, at ang sabi po ng Amerikano: “Buddy, your crabs are about to escape.” Tiningnan lang po ng Pilipino. Ang sagot ng Pilipino, “Don’t bother and don’t fret; they’re Filipino crabs. Before they get out, they’ll be pulled back in.” Walang raw pong makakaangat, kasi lahat sila naghahatakan pababa.Habang pinipilit ng ilang kababayan nating makaahon, siya namang sipag ng ilan na hilain siyang pababa.”

Under the Stacks*

Published by Ellen on April 10, 2012

In last Monday’s commemoration of Bataan day, Japanese Ambassador Toshinao Urabe once again expressed his country’s “heartfelt apologies and deep sense of remorse of the tragedy” that occurred 70 years ago.

It’s good that we commemorate what happened on April 9, 1942 so the younger generation would be told what our forefathers sacrificed for us to enjoy the freedom that we have today.

Time heals wounds but it is something to be concerned about when history is revised and mistakes are justified.The book “Under the Stacks” by Saul Hofileña, Jr. tackled a number of those historical distortions.

There is a chapter “The Yasukuni Shrine and the Japanese War Monuments in the Philippines” where he talked about his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo which pays homage to the millions of Japanese war dead.

Hofileña said, “In the Yasukuni Shrine, the spirits of Japan’s war dead are enshrined as deities. They are their country’s guardians. The guardians or protectors of the Japanese nation who sacrificied their lives for their country.”

Hofileña said 11 of the enshrined heroes have been classified by the International War Crimes Tribunal as Class “A” war criminals. They include Hideki Tojo, Tomoyuki Yamashita, and Masaharu Homma.

Who follows court orders these days?

Published by Ellen on April 1, 2012

Take a look at these headlines the past days:

CEBU SCHOOL DEFIES COURT ORDER ON BIKINI GRADUATES

DE LIMA DEFIES COURT

The first headline was about officials of St. Theresa’s College in Cebu defying the temporary restraining order issued by Cebu City Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Navarro directing the school to cease and desist from enforcing the penalties on five students graduating from highschool for posting in Facebook photos in a bikini and in poses which school authorities considered “lewd.”

STC Cebu decided not to allow the five students to join the graduation rites although they can get their diploma.

Ruthell Moreno’s inspiring story

Published by Ellen on March 29, 2012

Ruthell Moreno2 — Another Antiqueña excells

During graduation season, inspirational stories of triumph over adversity are in abundance. Which is very good.

Iloilo writers Hazel Villa and John Kevin Arevalo submitted to VERA Files and Yahoo the story of Ruthell Moreno, who is graduating summa cum laude, Bachelor of Special Education,major in Teaching Children with Mental Retardation from the West Visayas State University.

Ruthell, who is from Antique, is only the fourth summa cum laude of the College of Education (COE) after its founding as a Normal College more than a hundred years ago. The COE is a Center of Teaching Excellence and consistent placer in the Licensure Exam for Teachers.

In last Tuesday’s WVSU recognition day Ruthell, with a Grade Point Average of 1.23, received more receive university level awards: Most outstanding student teacher, Student of the year, Proficiency in SPED Award, Academic excellence award, an award from the Philippine Association for Teacher Education, Journalism Award, Rotary Award, Abelardo Alegre Ledesma award for excellence in culture and arts, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr Academic Excellence Award and two awards from Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

She also delivered the valedictory address in behalf of the graduates of 2012.

Hazel and John Kevin said, the story of Ruthell, 24, known to friends as “Che” could have been any regular story of an intelligent young woman making the most of her resources and abilities, except for the fact that she has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or lupus, an autoimmune disease characterized by acute and chronic inflammation of various tissues of the body.

Summer talk

Published by Ellen on March 25, 2012

Fantastic view from our bedroom — The green and the sea.

Summer is here.

It’s travel time and we have 7,107 choices in the country. For those who have more disposable income, Southeast Asia destinations are tantalizing.

Vacation is time for relaxation and merriment. For some it’s adventure. But we should be careful not be too relaxed that we forget caution. The last thing that we would want is to turn vacation into nightmare.

Here are some simple, practical vacation and travel tips.