Category: Malaya

An appeal for a 68-year old Fil-American mother in jail in Borongan, Samar

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2011

Yesterday morning, I got a letter from someone who introduced herself as Josie Studer. She is a Filipino-American, based in the United Sates but comes home often to her parent’s hometown in Hernani. Eastern Samar.

She was asking help for the release of her 68-year old mother who was arrested last June 26 as she was coming out of the church in their town. Since then her mother, Josephine Rodriquez Mckee, has been staying in jail in Borongan, Samar.

Part of Ms Studer’s letter:

“My mother suffers from a heart condition that is supervised by her doctor in U.S. At the request of friends and family, Gov. Nicart (Eastern Samar Governor Conrado Nicart Jr) sent a physician and ambulance to assess her. Her blood pressure index was recorded three times to be 170/110. The doctor sent written recommendation for medical attention via the jail warden to Judge Cesar Abit. The judge denied her medical treatment.

“It has now been five days without medical attention. This is an extremely dangerous situation because her condition makes her a candidate for a stroke.”

Tigilan na ang pagpadala ng domestic helpers sa Middle East

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2011

Dapat tingnan ng pamahalaan ang problema ngayon ng ating domestic helpers sa Saudi Arabia na oportunidad para ibahin, o kaya tigilan na ang pagpadala ng domestic helpers sa Middle East.

Marami ngayon sa ating mga mahirap na kababayan na may mga kamag-anak na domestic helper sa Saudi Arabia ang nangangamba na mawalan na hanapbuhay dahil sa hindi pagkasundo ng Saudi at ng Pilipinas sa pasweldo ng katulong.

Maybagong patakaran na kasi ang Philippine Oversean Employment Administration na ang mga sweldo ng mga OFW na mamasukan bilang domestic helper sa labas sa Saudi ay hindi dapat bababa sa $400. Mga P17,000 yan sa peso.

Chit Estella Awards for Journalism: continuing her advocacy for good journalism

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2011

Last Tuesday, June 21, on the 40th day of the death Chit Estella-Simbulan, journalist and teacher, her family and friends brought her ashes to her earthly resting place at the San Agustin church columbarium in Intramuros after a mass officiated by Fr. Joe Dizon and Fr. Robert Reyes.

At the dinner that followed the interment, we launched “The Chit Estella Awards for Journalism.”
The idea of the awards came about in a brainstorming session with Chit’s husband, Roland, and her father in-law, Dante, about two weeks after she passed away.

Chit died early evening of May 13 when the taxi she was riding in was rammed by a Universal Guiding Star bus she was in near on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, near the Ayala Technohub where she was supposed to have dinner with some of her high school (St. Joseph College) classmates.

Chit, aside from fighting for genuine democracy for the Filipino people which includes freedom of the press, has always stood for good journalism. And that means excellent writing.

China’s intrusions are connected to Gloria Arroyo’s deals

Published by Ellen on June 14, 2011

Update: JDV, the architect of JMSU is still at it, pushing for the revival of the JMSU.

http://verafiles.org/main/focus/six-rp-occupied-islands-covered-in-controversial-spratlys-deals/

Seismic survey is exploration-Mañalac

A stinking deal
JMSU weakened PH Spratly claim-Harry Roque

: Part of JMSU

The current word war between the Philippines and China is another proof of the continuing curse of Gloria Arroyo on the Filipino people.

The latest series of diplomatic protests lodged by the Philippines with China and submitted also to the United Nations have its roots to the controversial Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking entered into by the Arroyo government with China in 2005 which allowed China and later on Vietnam to explore not only the Philippine-occupied islands in the disputed mineral-rich Spratlys but areas that are clearly Philippine territory.

The JMSU was initialed during Gloria Arroyo’s 2004 visit to China which paved the way for the signing of at least two graft-riddled deals : North Rail and national broadband network with ZTE agreements.

Justice for Chit Estella is crusade for road safety

Published by Ellen on June 9, 2011

On June 21, a Tuesday, the family and friends of journalist Chit Estella-Simbulan will mark the 40th day of her death in a car accident on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon city last month’s Friday, the 13th.

At 6:30 a.m, there will be a “Run for Road Safety” to be led by running priest Fr. Robert Reyes starting at the College of Mass Communication, where Chit was a member of the faculty. The run will take the route of University Avenue, then Commonwealth towards the site of the accident, in front of the Ayala Techno Hub, which Fr. Reyes will bless. The participants will be escorted by MMDA motorcycle units and traffic will be rerouted briefly for the activity.

(We will never be this complete anymore.Photo is the last of VERA Files trustees together. From left: Booma Cruz, Chit Estella, Ellen Tordesillas, Yvonne Chua, Luz Rimban, Jenny Santillan-Santiago.

(This was taken during the award ceremonies of the 2010 Ninoy and Cory Aquino Fellowship Award for Journalism to Yvonne last Aug. 10,2010 at the Manila Peninsula.)

Everybody concerned of safety in our roads are invited to join.

At 3 p.m. there will be a mass at San Agustin church in Intramuros, Manila. After the mass, at 4 p.m., Chit’s ashes will be interred at the San Agustin columbarium crypt.

Aquino’s choice as envoy to China is a member of Taiwan’s Kuomintang Party

Published by Ellen on June 5, 2011

Click here Lee’s koumintang membership : China expert Aileen Baviera mentioned Lee’s Koumintang membership in her book.

It’s not too late for President Aquino to recall the appointment of Domingo Y. Lee as ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.

Lee’s Taiwan connection is so well-entrenched, it will complicate further the Philippine’s delicate relations with one of the world’s superpowers.

A reliable source in the Chinese community said he knows that Lee, in his 70’s “is a card-carrying member of the Kuomintang.” He said he is not sure if he has resigned but what he understood of the party affiliation is that it’s a “lifetime commitment.”

Lack of disembarkation cards: unnecessary inconvenience

Published by Ellen on May 31, 2011

Suvarnabhum airport, Bangkok — Can't we learn a lesson how others do it efficiently? At Bangkok's Suvarnabhum airport.

Last Sunday, while we were approaching Manila from Bangkok aboard Thai Airways, we realized that we have not been given Disembarkation and Customs Declaration cards for us to fill up for submission to airport authorities upon arrival.
We asked the flight stewardess about it and she said there were no cards.

Upon our arrival, someone distributed the cards as we exited the tube to the NAIA 1 terminal. As expected, we all had to stop and fill out the cards.

A slight delay, actually, but an unnecessary inconvenience.

Rewarding Diokno

Published by Ellen on May 31, 2011

ernesto diokno.Philstar — Freed of accountability

Is President Aquino serious about giving his good friend, just-resigned head of the Bureau of Corrections Ernesto Diokno, another position in government?

What’s the basis for such an appointment? It could not be competence because he has proven as BuCor chief to be clueless about his job.

He said his understanding of his job was just policy-making and he refused to take command responsibility for the violation of his subordinate for allowing former Batangas Governor Antonio Leviste, in prison for the 2007 killing of his business associate Rafael de las Alas, to go out of the jail accompanied by fellow inmates.

Diokno also considered the practice of prisoners living out a “small matter.”

Coca-Cola’s Inspector

Published by Ellen on May 12, 2011

At the Coke museum (The World of Coca-Cola) on Baker st. in Atlanta, Georgia, they show a replica of the process of producing their beverages, which number 3,500 under 500 brands.

What I found fascinating was the “Bottle Inspector”. All the empty bottles pass through the Inspector that takes a picture of the inside of every bottle. Any bottle not meeting the quality standard of Coca-Cola is taken out of the assembly line.

This process not only ensures the high quality of every single product put out by Coca-Cola in the market but also protects them from scammers who claim of finding foreign objects inside Coca-Cola’s bottle of softdrinks, hoping for a hefty settlement fee. In their dreams!

Coca-Cola last week celebrated it’s 125th year anniversary in festivities that intelligently combined fun, business and social relevance.

Michael Ray Aquino in third try to void extradition

Published by Ellen on April 17, 2011

Michael Ray Aquino’s April 11 petition: MRA_petition_for_hearing April 11

Former Police officer Michael Ray Aquino cited the Court of Appeal’s judgment of lack of credibility of his former colleague Cezar Mancao II in his last-ditch appeal to stop his extradition.

In his motion for re-hearing filed last April 11, Aquino, who is currently detained at the Hudson County jail in New Jersey, said he filed his petition for rehearing “on the submission that it is not in accord with the accepted definition of ‘competent evidence’ nor is it in accord with the standards for the finding of probable cause for a murder charge…”

Aquino is facing murder charges in connection with the disappearance in November 2000 of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

In his appeal, Aquino said three facts are clear: