Category: Malaya

Great job by LRA’s Diaz

Published by Ellen on March 22, 2012

miriam and diaz — Miriam taking Diaz to the cleaners

To those who follow the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, Eulalio Diaz III, a classmate of President Aquino whom he appointed administrator of the Land Registration Authority, bungled his job, big time, in releasing a list of 45 properties credited to Corona.

But if you look at it from the point of view of the Aquino administration’s crusade against Corona and his benefactor, Gloria Arroyo, Diaz did a great job.

Imagine, with a phone call from Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupaz, head of the prosecution panel, he produced the list as his Jan 10, 2012 letter to Tupaz indicated: “Pursuant to your official request for the information relative to real estate properties registered in the name of Renato Corona et al, please find enclosed herewith certified true copies of titles registered in their names.”

Diaz related that he employed a “name search” in the LRA data base. He said that it was not only Renato Corona’s name that he punched in. He also searched for real estate properties with the name of Cristina Roco Corona, Francis Vincent Corona, Charina Corona, Maria Carla Corona Castillo and Constantino Castillo III.

No People Power seen whatever the Senate verdict on Corona

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2012

Corona rally — Pro and anti Corona rallies at the SC. Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

There will not be a repeat of EDSA DOS, the “civil society”-induced activity in 2001 that led to the ouster of elected president Joseph Estrada and the installation of Gloria Arroyo in Malacañang, whatever would be the decision of the senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

It is worthy to note that many of the people that helped Arroyo assume the presidency without election in 2001 are now with the Aquino administration, which is pursuing the impeachment of Corona, Arroyo’s midnight appointee as chief justice.

The expectation of public acceptance of the senator-judges’ verdict on Corona is once again affirmed in a survey, this time by Pulse Asia.

Still unexplained: The gap between Corona’s wealth and SALN

Published by Ellen on March 15, 2012

Demetrio Vicente inside an SC car — Corona cousin in an SC car

It’s perfectly understandable for Chief Justice to take care of his cousin, Demetrio Vicente, who testified in his favor Tuesday at his impeachment trial.

The 70-year old Vicente is not in the best of health having suffered two strokes and Marikina is quite a distance from the Senate in Pasay City.

But he should have used his personal car, not the vehicle belonging to the Supreme Court,

Solar News reporter Albert Alicer and his crew caught on video Vicente riding in a beige Toyota Camry 1996 model with a red plate SEJ.953 after the impeachment hearings Tuesday evening. The vehicle turned out to be registered with the Supreme Court.

Corona’s latest offer: I’ll resign but I keep everything I have

Published by Ellen on March 11, 2012

Benigno Aquino III, Renato Corona, Juan Ponce Enrile — Unfriendly meeting

I find the revelations of Chief Justice Renato Corona of the meetings that he had with President Aquino and other administration stalwarts very interesting. I just wish that he tells the complete story and not just be selective in his sharing with the public.

I also expect the same from Malacañang.

Corona disclosed the proposal of administration ally Sen. Teofisto Guingona for a term sharing with Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, which Guingona denies.

He should also disclose his counter-offers especially the latest ,made through a retired associate justice , that he was willing to resign on condition that he would keep everything that he owns now.
What Corona has only disclosed were his meetings with President Aquino and the Guingonas, father and son.

The Aquino-Corona meeting has been confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. It took place in July 2010, a few weeks after the latter was sworn into office by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, in the house of the President’s sister, Pinky Abellada.

Romela Bengzon, ambassador for international trade?

Published by Ellen on March 8, 2012

The March 7, 2012 issue of Sydney Morning Herald carried a news item, “Defence firm faces bribe probe “by Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker.

The firm involved is Tenix Defence, Australia’s biggest military contractor, which is under investigation by federal police investigation for allegedly bribing officials and politicians across Asia including the Philippines to win massive contracts.

The article said “A director of Tenix’s Philippines subsidiary, lawyer Romela Bengzon, this week confirmed a police investigation into company contracts. She declined to comment further, citing her ongoing role with Tenix.”

The article further said, “Ms Bengzon is well known to the Australian embassy in Manila and is corporate secretary of the Australian New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. In 2005, she was made a commissioner to advise on changes to the Philippine constitution. She is now the Philippines ambassador for international trade.”

The last sentence was a shock to me because Bengzon was an ardent supporter of Gloria Arroyo. How did she get the position of “ambassador for international trade” under the Aquino administration?

Corona rattles the closet

Published by Ellen on March 8, 2012

Corona on the offensive — On the offensive

Talks of meeting Aquino on TruthCom

By Evangeline de Vera,Malaya

Chief Justice Renato Corona yesterday accused a senator-judge in the impeachment trial of lobbying for a term-sharing agreement between him and Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

On Day 2 of his media blitz, Corona said Sen. Teofisto Guingona III called him up sometime in March 2011 to propose that he retire early so that Carpio could take over, being the next most senior magistrate in the high court.

Corona also talked of a lunch meeting with President Aquino sometime in July 2010, or shortly after the President was sworn into office by retired Justice Conchita Carpio Morales.

Aquino continues to play blind to Naguiat’s culpability

Published by Ellen on February 28, 2012

Aquino swears in NaguiatB — Aquino swears in trusted friend and classmate

President Aquino misses the point in the Wynn Resorts controversy when he reduced it into just losing one prospective investor.

Aquino said he won’t lose sleep if Wynn, whose intra-corporate fight with his partner, Kazuo Okada, exposed the bribes showered by the latter to officials of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation including the current chair, Cristino Naguiat, Jr., does not invest in the Philippines because there’s a long list of foreign investors interested to come.

Aquino preferred to play blind to the issue of unabated corruption raised in the investigation report made by former Federal Bureau of Investigation Louis Freeh commissioned by Wynn Resorts such as, despite his anti-corruption agenda, “Official corruption in the Philippine gaming industry is ‘deeply ingrained.’

Questions on Aquino’s clearance of Naguiat

Published by Ellen on February 26, 2012

President Aquino immediately cleared his classmate and friend Cristino Naguiat Jr of allegations by Wynn Resorts that he was the recipient of of the generosity of his former friend and partner Kazuo Okada.

Click here for Wynn’ suit vs Okada

Of course, Aquino later asked Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to investigate allegations of breathtaking gifts showered by Okada, whose Universal Entertainment Corp is building a casino at the reclaimed Manila Bay area, to Naguiat whom Aquino has appointed chairman ang chief operating officer of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

PAGCOR regulates and operates casinos in the country.

JPE as we celebrate EDSA 26

Published by Ellen on February 22, 2012

JPE1 — Thanks to Inquirer for this photo.

As we celebrate the 26th anniversary of EDSA One, the Filipinos’ show of People Power, I look at Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile and can’t help but be amazed by how he has participated in the different phases of the Filipino nation’s political life, including one of its darkest, and be regarded with respect and a source of wisdom and stability.

Sitting as the presiding judge in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, Enrile’s competent handling of one of the biggest legal events in the country assures the public that whatever the decision of the senator-judges, whether Corona would be acquitted or convicted, Philippine democracy would be enriched.

Enrile was very much part of the two-decade Marcos regime in various capacities in the department of justice,finance, and defense.

Missing

Published by Ellen on February 20, 2012

The fact that retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan has not been arrested two months after the Malolos Regional Trial Court issued a warrant of arrest for him for the 2006 disappearance of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno and farmer Manuel Merino should have made us realize that there are forces in the government who have remained unenlightened despite President Aquino’s much-vaunted reform agenda.

There’s also the disappointing lack of action by the Aquino administration on the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance which has been signed by 92 countries , 31 of which have ratified the Convention.

The Aquino government also never replied to the annual requests by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for official invitation to visit the country.