Category: Malaya

Real men cry

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2011

I like men who cry. It makes them very humane and vulnerable. And manly.

Air Force Col. Antonio Ramon “Sonny” Lim couldn’t hold back his tears when he testified at the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigating the controversial plea bargain agreement of the Ombudsman with the retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

He said in Pilipino that ever since the news about the corruption in the military broke out, he had been thinking of coming out with what he knew and decided that under Aquino’s reformist administration, “Panahon na na malaman ng sambayanang Pilipino ang katotohanan. (It’s time that people know the truth)”

Lim was the assistant of retired Lt. Col. George Rabusa, former budget officer, who had earlier spilled the beans on three AFP chiefs of staff – Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva, and Roy Cimatu – getting bienvenida and despedida money ranging from P50 million to as high as P150 million and monthly allowances of P10 million.

Garcia’s letter

Published by Ellen on January 30, 2011

I don’t know if retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia will confirm this if asked in a Senate hearing but I learned that when he was in detention, he wrote a letter addressed to three persons detailing his version of the multi-million (even billion) mess in the military that he was embroiled in.

The letters, I learned, were placed in the safekeeping of those three persons with the instruction that in case something happens to him, the contents of the letter would be divulged.

This should give sleepless nights to all those involved in grand theft of the money intended for the soldiers, who lay down their lives, for the country’s peace, stability and security and for the upgrading of military equipment, that have become a laughing stock in the region.

Harry Roque links COA report to Ortega murder

Published by Ellen on January 25, 2011

I did not have the privilege of knowing Dr Gerry Ortega but I join all those who condemn his murder Monday.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has added Ortega’s name to the long list of journalists of have been killed in a country that prides itself as a democracy but at the same is one of the most dangerous working place for journalists.

Ortega was a veterinarian and environmentalist who was also a radio commentator. He was shot at close range while he was shopping in an ukay-ukay store. The gunman, Marlon Dicamata, has been apprehended.

Police has traced the gun used in the killing of Ortega to former Provincial Administrator Romeo Seratubias, who reports said claimed to have sold the gun to someone else.

Political strategist learns a few lessons

Published by Ellen on January 20, 2011

Last month, Malou Tiquia, president of Publicus, which is into political management and strategizing, went to her veterinary clinic in Quezon City to pick up her beagle.

She parked her car, a Ford Fiesta, in front of her vet’s clinic located between Ferino’s Bibingka and Tapa King and Pizza Hut. “The place is well lighted and guarded,” Malou underscored.

It didn’t take her five minutes to pick up her beagle and when she came back, she found her car burglarized.

“Tinangay lahat my whole bag with wallet, cards and everything, two laptops because we just came from a briefing of a client. My make-up kit,” Malou related.

Toy museum transforms a place of grief to a house of joy

Published by Ellen on January 18, 2011

Balay ni Datu Lubay 1 — Click on photo to view it enlarged

Where once there were only cries of anguish and despair, the voices heard from “Balay ni Datu Lubay” these days are expressions of fun and admiration.

Balay ni Datu Lubay (House of Datu Lubay) in San Jose, Antique houses Alex de los Santos’ collection of more than 1,000 dolls and figurines, some of them made by potters in the province.

The toy museum is run by the Datu Lubay Center, chaired by de los Santos who also serves as artistic director. Organized in 2008, the Center aims to promote culture and arts education among Antiqueños as a tool for empowerment and social change.

Required reading for policy makers

Published by Ellen on January 13, 2011

Another article on the book: http://ph.yfittopostblog.com/2011/01/13/diplomat-rodolfo-c-severinos-book-takes-on-national-territory-debate/

Severino signing books2 — Severino signing his book. Tress Reyes of Nikkei Shimbun and Charmaine Deogracias of NHK TV wait for their turn.

I have yet to meet a reporter who has covered the diplomatic beat seriously who is not in awe of former Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rodolfo Severino.

Severino unselfishly shares his vast knowledge about foreign relations in an engaging way that makes what is generally regarded as an esoteric and intimidating topic easily understandable.This enviable skill of his is again evident in his latest book, “Where in the world is the Philippines?”

The book, published by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore is about the ambiguity of the country’s territorial boundaries which he said has far reaching effects on people’s lives and communities.

The ambiguity is ironic because, he said, the Philippines is the only country that defines its national territory in its Constitution.

Beware of Cha-Cha as Arroyo’s Trojan horse

Published by Ellen on January 11, 2011

Related article: ex CJ Puno: It’s time for charter change

Cha-cha tune is being played again and we should be wary and alert.

Last Sunday, a friend working in the House of Representatives alerted us that Gloria Arroyo and her allies are ready with the charter-change operation and they are just waiting for the right time to start it. She said Arroyo has the “budget” for it.

Arroyo has already made the first step when she filed on her first day as Pampanga 2nd District representative last July 1 a set of bills including House Resolution 8 calling for charter change through a Constitutional Convention. It was co-authored by her son, Camarines Sur. Rep. Dato Arroyo.

Gen.Garcia case: a test of Aquino’s anti-corruption drive

Published by Ellen on January 4, 2011

Update: Sandiganbayan okayed Garcia plea bargain last May (during the Arroyo administration)

A briefer on the Carlos Garcia case

Update: Tax case filed vs Garcia

Ma. Gen. Carlos Garcia — Getting away with plunder

The Office of the Solicitor General is set to file an intervention to the plea bargain deal of Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Ombudsman that allowed him to get away with plunder of taxpayers’ money allotted for the soldiers who are asked to lay their life to keep peace and security for the people.

Tuesday, staff members of the OSG were reportedly busy copying the nine volumes of documents that gave a glimpse of the massive corruption in the military.

That’s a welcome news because many are wondering why the Aquino government seemed not to be moving while Garcia, his wife and children were securing their ill-gotten wealth and freedom.

Expect more of the same incompetence in foreign relations

Published by Ellen on January 2, 2011

sepsep — This is what earned Romulo the retention to the foreign secretary post.

By now, after six months in Malacañang, we have to say that there is so much more that President Aquino will have to do to earn our admiration as the country’s chief executive.

We don’t expect him to master all issues but it is important that he knows how to choose people to help him run the country. He should have an eye for , to borrow a phrase from what American journalist David Halberstam , the best and the brightest.

The late President Marcos was gifted with such talent even as he himself was brilliant. There were executives who were not intellectually heavyweights but were honest enough to admit their inadequacies and did the smart thing of hiring the “best and the brightest.” The one that comes to mind is former Ambassador to the US Benjamin Romualdez who tapped the brains and skill of the bright boys in the Department of Foreign Affairs namely Pacifico Castro,Rodolfo Severino and others.

President Aquino and his Malacanang team are weak in the area of foreign affairs. And the worrisome thing about this is, they don’t seem to realize it. They do not know that they do not know about foreign affairs.

Caregiver of caregivers’ kids

Published by Ellen on December 26, 2010

Nina Simon receiving award — Nina Simon receiving the award from Nokia Marketing Manager,Nikka S. Abes

The phenomenon of Overseas Filipino Workers, OFW in short, which disperses more than 10 million Filipinos all over the world, most of them away from their families, has created another phenomenon: children growing up without the care of their mothers who are taking care of other people’s children.

This sad situation has created also another kind of job in the Philippines : mothers taking care of children of mothers who go abroad to take care of other people’s children.

One of the outstanding entries in the this year’s Philippine Expat/OFW Blog awards was Niña Simon’s “My Mom’s Quasi-orphanage” . It won the Nokia award for Philippine-based blogs that also deal with overseas Filipino workers.
Simon’s blog is http://pinaywriteroraldiarrhea2.blogspot.com.

Here’s her winning article which PEBA has allowed me to reprint here: