Malaya – Page 47 – ellen tordesillas

Making sure 2010 elections work

Published by Ellen on August 25, 2009

In a democracy, which the Philippines is, leaders are chosen through elections.

Elections must reflect the will of the people. A rigged election, like what happened in 2004, is an assault on democracy and a crime against the Filipino people. Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts must be made to answer some day.

It is for our concern for democracy in this country that we want to make sure that the will of the people is reflected in the 2010 elections. It is our outrage over what happened in the 2004 elections that we raise questions about how the Commission on Elections would conduct the first nationwide automated elections in 2010.

Ike Zaldivar, a gentleman and politician

Published by Ellen on August 23, 2009

Last Thursday, when I was writing my column about “Ninoy, Cory and Evelio” I called up Antique Governor Sally Perez to check on some dates about the role of the late Evelio Javier in the Cory Aquino for President Movement, she mentioned to me that she and her sisters were at the Makati Medical Center because her brother, Ike, was “not well”.

Ike was Enrique Zaldivar, also former governor and representative of Antique. He served as ambassador to Brunei during the Estrada administration.

Ike was one of the accomplished children of the late Supreme Court Justice Calixto Zaldivar, the executive secretary of President Diosdado Macapagal.

People blame Arroyo for Basilan tragedy

Published by Ellen on August 18, 2009

In the latest tragedy in Basilan where more than 40 lost their lives, 22 of them members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and one from the Philippine National Police, the public’s heart goes out for the soldiers and the police.

But they are angry at Gloria Arroyo, the fake commander-in-chief.

Read and feel the rage of the people:

The folly of a schizo policy

Published by Ellen on August 16, 2009

Here we go again.

Gloria Arroyo orders: “ Annihilate Abu Sayyaf.”

Is anybody taking her seriously?

We are not sure if the Abu Sayyaf, who’s capacity for terror has remained undiminished eight years after Arroyo boasted “Isang bala ka lang” is cowering in fear.

Composer dropped by Arroyo from National Artist Awards underwent surgery

Published by Ellen on August 13, 2009

Update on Dr. Ramon P. Santos, National Artist Nominee

Extremely delicate 11-hour surgery of Dr. Ramon P. Santos is over. He is still in the recovery room in the Philippine Heart Center. His family members appeal for your prayers. Supporters are seeking more volunteers to donate Type O blood. Donations to help cover the cost of hospitalization, operation and medicines will be truly appreciated. Money may be sent through his daughter Waya (contact 09178438432). Or perhaps through the Office of Chair Emily Abrera, Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Members of the artists community who denounce Gloria Arroyo’s denigration of the National Artist Awards dub what she did as “Dagdag-Bawas” in reference to her rigging of the 2004 elections with the help of then Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

The name that she removed from the original list of four was that of Ramon Santos, described by fellow artists as “excellent musician and mentor of musicians.”

Santos, 68, underwent surgery yesterday at the Philippine Heart Center for aneurysm.

Family friend Anna Leah Sarabia said Santos experienced severe headache the other day and the CT scan revealed something very serious. Her daughter’s text message to friends said, “I just talked to the doctor. May intramural hematoma si Dad. Mas rare daw yun sa aneurysm. Namumuo ang blood sa ‘wall’ ng ugat o heart.

The spectre of failure of elections

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2009

In the 10-hour oral arguments at the Supreme Court last Wednesday on the motion of the Concerned Citizens Movement to stop the Smartmatic-Total Information Management agreement with the Commission on Election for the automation of the 2010 elections, counsel Harry Roque anchored his argument on the provision of the Republic Act 8436 which requires pilot testing of the system before it is implemented.

RA 8436 authorized the Comelec “to use an automated election system or systems in the same election in different provinces, whether paper-based or a direct recording electronic election system as it may deem appropriate and practical for the process of voting, counting of votes and canvassing/consolidation and transmittal of results of electoral exercises:

“Provided, that for the regular national and local election, which shall be held immediately after effectivity of this Act, the AES shall be used in at least two highly urbanized cities and two provinces each in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, to be chosen by the Commission: Provided, further, x x x. In succeeding regular national or local elections, the AES shall be implemented nationwide.”

The gall of Gloria

Published by Ellen on July 28, 2009

Riddle of the day: What’s the difference between a fairytale and a state- of- the- nation address?

Answer, according a text message: A fairytale is fiction with dwarfs as characters.SONA has a dwarf relating fiction.

Gloria Arroyo was not even an engaging storyteller. Bitchy, catty and spiteful, she looked so ugly.

‘Oakwood’ and GMA Sona

Published by Ellen on July 26, 2009

July 27, six years ago was a Sunday, the day before the last Monday of July when the president delivers the State-of-the Nation’s address.

That was the day when some 300 soldiers took a stand against Gloria Arroyo’s misgovernance at the Oakwood Premier Hotel (now Ascott) in Makati.

The group didn’t have a name but a TV producer saw in the image of the sun in their red armbands a resemblance to the symbol of the Emilio Aguinaldo’s Magdalo faction in the revolutionary Katipunan. He called them “Magdalo” and the name stuck.

This year, July 27 is a Monday. As the Magdalo group marks six years of the ‘Oakwood incident’, Gloria Arroyo delivers her SONA, supposedly her last.

Interesting Taguig politics

Published by Ellen on July 23, 2009

But the battle for the congressional seat of the second district of Taguig City will not be just between Reyes and Tinga because there’s another candidate that will make it interesting: 39-years old former Navy Lieutenant senior grade James Layug.

The other day, there were two stories on reversals of results of the 2004 elections. One was the case of Angelito “Jett” Reyes against incumbent Henry Duenas of the second district of Taguig City and the other one is the protest of Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel versus Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, notoriously known as the senator from Maguindanao.

Pimentel said in the recount by the Senate Electoral Tribunal of the questioned votes of the 2007 elections, he is already ahead of Zubiri by 96,400. This is the reason why he has declined the invitation of former President Estrada to join his senatorial slate.

The press release from Reyes, son of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, said he was ecstatic over the decision of the Supreme Court, by a 7-5 vote to deny a petition for certiorari filed by Henry Duenas to stop the recounting of the 2007 election results in second district of Taguig City.

A night of Japanese Harmony

Published by Ellen on July 19, 2009

When the poignant sound of “Amazing Grace” in violin and flute wafted through the darkened Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino theater at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, I knew we were going to have an unforgettable evening.

When the lights were on, Risa Kataoka performed John Newton’s inspiring song in koto, a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument.

Kataoka was a member of the J-Classics quartet who were flown in by the Japanese government as part of the celebration of Philippine-Japan friendship this month. The three others were violinist Ayako Ishikawa, flutist Takako Hagiwara and pianist Susumu Aoyagi.

Category: Malaya