Category: Malaya

Mikey’s LLC protection

Published by Ellen on April 12, 2011

Related article in ABS-CBN online:Mickey committed fraud to purchase beachfront house?

Raissa Robles: FBI aware of Mikey and Angela’s suspicious transactions

Ang Galing Party Rep. Mikey Arroyo should rest assured that the story of VERA Files, of which I’m a trustee, on the sale of his Foster City house is a factual report of a real estate transaction which he himself confirmed.

The “an ongoing vilification campaign against me and my family” angle is all in his mind.

As we say, trabaho lang ito.

The article on the $1.125 million sale Beachway LLC, a company that Mikey says he is a part-owner, to Mary Grace Apolinario and Jerome Ngo, owners of the popular chain of restaurant, Gerry’s Grill, is the latest in the series of reports on his beachfront property by VERA Files.

Our first story, published on Aug. 30, 2009, was the real estate purchases of Mikey and his brother, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo, in the United States after they were elected to Congress.

It’s Mikey Arroyo’s turn to be shocked

Published by Ellen on April 8, 2011

Inquirer report: No one is untouchable

VERA Files stories on the Mikey Arroyo’s San Francisco properties:

1.Arroyo sons acquire U.S. homes, businesses after election to Congress
2. Mikey:Not hiding houses, just listing them under company’s name
3. Following the trail: 2004, 2007 declarations show no campaign contributions
4. No record of Mikey’s SALN in Ombudsman, Pampanga capitol
5. Mikey fixes Foster City problem- but not quite

Now, it’s the turn of the Arroyos to be shocked.

ABS-CBN online reported Thursday that Gloria Arroyo’s son, Mikey, who shocked the Filipino people with his claim that he represents the tricycle drivers and the security guards in the House of Representatives, was “shocked” upon hearing of the P73.85 million suit filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue against him and his wife, Angela.

The news report, quoting BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, said the Arroyos were charged with attempting to evade taxes and failing to file income tax returns.

Pertinent documents:

7April2011_BIR files Tax Raps Against Mikey Arroyo and Wife Angela
Henares letter to de Lima
7April2011_BIR RATE Case Transcript
7April2011_Statement of Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima on Mikey Arroyo RATE case
Mikey Arroyo’s statement

Henares said Arroyo did not file ITRs for the years 2005, 2008 and 2009, while his wife had no tax returns from 2003 to 2009.

She also said the spouses failed to pay taxes even as the lawmaker declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) millions of pesos worth of real and other properties acquired from 2004 to 2009. One of those properties was his $1.32 million beachfront house on Park Boulevard, Foster City in the San Francisco Bay Area in California which was exposed by VERA Files in 2009.

How Aquino can regain lost ground

Published by Ellen on April 5, 2011

Reacting to the latest Social Weather Station survey results that showed his satisfaction rating dipping 13 points, the biggest so far in his 10-month presidency, President Aquino blamed media for not reporting about the good things his administration has accomplished and that from now, his media office would be more aggressive in its propaganda blitz.

Aquino’s deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said, “P-Noy said that sometimes we are too shy because baka sabihin nagbubuhat kami ng sariling bangko. So bear with us kung kakapal ang mukha namin.”

Malacanang’s misreading of the message of the survey results reminds me of the story of the “Moron and the Beetle”. The moron was conducting an experiment what would happen to the bettle if his legs were cut. With all the six legs of the beetle intact, he ordered “Move” while tapping the table. The beetle moved quickly.

Accountability in the Aug 23 hostage tragedy

Published by Ellen on April 3, 2011

The bus 2 — If only the deputy ombudsman did his job honestly

The order of the Office of the President to dismiss Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez from the service for “gross neglect of duty, gross inefficiency and misconduct in office (that) amounted to a betrayal of the public trust reposed in him” in connection with the case of former Manila Police District Police Senior Inspector (Captain) Rolando del Rosario Mendoza gave credence to the latter’s claim that he was a victim of injustice.

Of course, no one condones how Mendoza demanded justice which was to hijack a tourist bus full of Hong Kong nationals on a holiday visit. At the end of a 10-hour crisis that showed bungling by authorities, eight of the Hong Kong nationals were killed.

The actions of President Aquino during and after the grim incident had set a chain of diplomatic bunglings that have lasting effect on relations with China.

Whistleblowers welcome Lacson’s return

Published by Ellen on March 27, 2011

Ping Lacson family reunion — Lacson with the family Sunday

Not surprisingly, Sandra Cam, president of the Whistleblowers Association, is so happy that Sen. Ping Lacson is back.

Lacson arrived in Cebu from Hong Kong last Saturday. He proceeded to Manila. His media officer, Gerry de Belen, said the senator, who left the country 14 months ago to evade the warrant of arrest issued against him in connection with the murders of public relations practitioner Bubby Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, will hold a presscon Monday (March 28) at the Senate at 11 a.m.

Cam said with the return of Lacson, members of their organization who will be called to the witness stand during the impeachment trial, feel more secure. She added that Lacson is the only one who is consistent with his help for the whistleblowers. (A whistleblower is one who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it) who testified in congressional investigation at great risk to their person and family.)

Even before the Court of Appeals came out with its final decision last March 18 saying that its earlier ruling nullifying the indictment of Regional Trial Court of Manila in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case automatically lifted the warrant of arrest issued against Lacson, the Whistleblowers Association had issued a statement giving him support warning the public that those who are protecting Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez are “hell-bent” in preventing Lacson from coming back.

UP study: BNPP is on a volcano

Published by Ellen on March 22, 2011

Justifying the Activation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant: More Official Abuse of Scientific Data by Dr. Kevin Rodolfo

No distinct evidence of geological structures like fault and fractures are identified BNPP -Geologist

Advocates for the rehabilitation of the long- mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant led by former Rep. Mark Cojuangco and his wife, Kimi, the incumbent representative of the 5th district of Tarlac have been quoted as undaunted by what happened to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant which is now beleaguered after its stability was shaken by the 8.9 intensity earthquake and tsunami that followed the tremor that hit Japan last March 11.

Mark Cojuangco was quoted by Kyodo News as saying, “The design for BNPP is more earthquake resistant than Fukushima. What I’m telling you is that the Bataan plant is a better power plant (design) than Fukushima, although we really need to look at Fukushima as a benchmark.”

An inspiring story behind a disturbing investigative report

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2011

Two weeks ago, VERA Files came out with a story on an abortion-inducing drug, Cytotec, being sold online.

It was shorter version of a investigative report written by Edgardo Sitjar for his Investigative Journalism class at the University of the Philippines Mass Communication under VERA Files trustee Yvonne T. Chua.

It was a well-written piece about a topic that is relevant in the wake of reports that every year, half a million Filipino women induce abortion, which is a crime in the Philippines.The article also brought out the downside of Internet, a revolutionary technology that has made almost everything accessible by just the click of the mouse.

Yvonne told me that there’s an interesting story behind the Cytotec article: the life story of the writer. She said: “Ed started out at the bottom of my IJ class and had major, major writing problems. But when the term ended, he got a grade of 1.0 for his final project: the Cytotec story.”

Yvonne sent me an article about Ed which appeared in the Adamson University website.

Ed, the second of the eight children of a tricycle driver in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, was the first to attend school because the eldest had polio.

Stop giving false hopes

Published by Ellen on March 17, 2011

It’s not surprising that China, after giving in to the request of President Aquino to spare the three Filipinos in the death row for drug trafficking, has decided to push through with the execution.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao said in a press conference the death sentence on Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva and Elizabeth Batain “will be carried out sooner or later, and everything will be done in accordance with Chinese laws.”

The date of the execution will be announced by the Supreme Court of Justice in China,” Liu said.

In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said “we would still try to appeal.”

Was Lacierda serious or was he saying this just for PR purposes? They should stop giving false hope to the public, especially the family.

Amazing possibilities

Published by Ellen on March 13, 2011

Click on photo to view it enlarged. From msn.com
I’m fascinated by reports that last Friday’s Japan earth earthquake moved some the location of some cities a bit and that there’s a possibility that million years from now, the world’s geography will not be the same at it is today.

We have been educated that the earth’s crust is made up of dozens of tectonic plates that solidified for billions of years. An article I found in the internet likened the earth’s plates to “giant rafts which often slide next to, collide with, and are forced underneath other plates. There is a tremendous amount of energy created by the movements of these plates. Thus we have volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.”

The most volatile of those tectonic plates is the Pacific Plate which “ covers almost the entire floor of the Pacific Ocean, making it the largest plate on the planet.”