Malaya – Page 50 – ellen tordesillas

Making a statement

Published by Ellen on April 30, 2009

Check out Lito Banayo’s column in Malaya: ‘Baligtad na ang mundo’

Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, a star witness in the $329 mil-lion NBN/ZTE deal, could have easily posted P6,000 bail in the perjury case filed by Gloria Arroyo’s former chief of staff, Mike Defensor to avoid arrest.

But he did not, as a sign of protest. “This is the only way I can mount a protest that is not against the law,” he said.

Lozada is now confined in a small room, non-airconditioned at the second floor of the Manila Police headquarters on UN Avenue. Judge Emmanuel Lorredo of the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 26 who issued the arrest warrant suddenly went on leave yesterday so the arraignment was re-scheduled on May 7.

Prepare for ‘Gloria Forever’

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2009

If the real purpose in the charter change resolutions pending in the Malacañang -controlled House of Representatives is not to prolong the hold on power of Gloria Arroyo, why are her minions desperately pushing for charter change less than a year away from the 2010 elections when they know very well that two out of three Filipinos do not want charter change now?

No amount of public assurance by House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Camarines Sur Luis Villafuerte, authors of separate resolutions calling for amendments to the Constitution, will make the people believe that all these frantic moves have nothing to do with making sure that Arroyo continues to be in power, in whatever form or position, so that they also can continue enjoying the protection and privileges of being aligned with with her.

Last Monday, Nograles pushed for the approval of his House Bill 737 which seeks to amend the economic provisions which limits foreign ownership of corporations involved in exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources to 40 per cent.

Ted Failon’s multiple tragedy

Published by Ellen on April 19, 2009

I pray that nobody, especially lesser mortals like me, will go through the multiple tragedy that happened to Ted Failon, one of the country’s top broadcasters.

It was tragic enough that a suicide has happened to the Failon family. It was double tragedy that a number of them became suspects and worse, they became victims of police arrogance and cruelty.

Many who witnessed the policemen’s rough treatment of Max Arteche and Pamela Arteche-Trincheta, siblings of Trina, Ted’s wife, who passed away Thursday, as well as that of their driver and household help lament that if that can happen in a case involving a broadcast celebrity under the glaring lights of live TV, how much more to ordinary citizens.

‘What lures Arroyo to Dubai?’

Published by Ellen on April 15, 2009

Opposition says reasons for frequent visits ‘flimsy’
Malaya

WHY the frequent trips to Dubai?

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday said Dubai should be one of the last countries in President Arroyo’s Middle East travels if her aim, as Malacañang claims, is to secure jobs for Filipinos.

“Recruitment agencies are saying that there are no jobs available in Dubai, which has been one of the hardest hit by the financial crisis. But why insist on flying to Dubai at every opportunity?” said Binay, president of the United Opposition (UNO).

San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito, chairman of UNO-National Capital Region, said Malacañang should come clean on reports of Arroyo’s “personal side trips” to attend to her personal finances.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde dismissed the reports.

The other war in Mindanao

Published by Ellen on April 14, 2009

Related story in the Inquirer: From Oakwood rebel to anti-drug hero

Since last Monday, the flag at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency office has been flying at half-staff in honor of Intelligence Officer Pablo June Jala and a confidential agent known only as “Tho”, who were killed in an ambush in Maguindanao earlier that day.

Two of the victims’ companions, Intelligence Officers Brian Babang and Mark Anthony Viray were seriously wounded.

The PDEA team was on its way to serve a warrant of arrest on a certain Piad Buaya Abdula Piad in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao when they were attacked by heavily armed men.

Why Arroyo frequents Dubai

Published by Ellen on April 12, 2009

Gloria Arroyo is becoming a frequent visitor of Dubai in recent months, especially since the financial crisis in the United States that hit hard her family’s favorite investment firms, Lehman Brothers and Merryl Lynch.

Serge Remonde’s spin is that Arroyo is on a two-day visit to Dubai to “ seek more job employment for the country’s expatriate workers.” What has become of her labor officials that taxpayers are subsidizing with billion of pesos in salaries and allowances?

After fleeing Thailand’s protesters, Malacañang said Arroyo went to Dubai accompanied by “ Press Secretary Serge Remonde, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, among other Cabinet members, and some congressmen.”

Coming full circle in one year

Published by Ellen on April 5, 2009

VERA Files started with Spratlys, baseline and extended continental shelf. One year after, it’s again Spratlys, baseline and extended continental shelf.

On March 25 last year VERA Files came out with a two-part special report on the government’s scrambling to meet the deadline set by the United Nations for the submission of the Philippine claim of its extended continental shelf, the underwater extension of the land.

The deadline set by the Convention of the Law of the Sea, which the Philippines ratified 24 years ago, for coastal states to declare their extended continental shelf is May 13, 2009.

Norberto Gonzales’ “transition president”

Published by Ellen on April 3, 2009

Could this be what Shakespeare calls “method in madness”?

Following the admission of Mike Arroyo, son of Gloria and Mike Aroyo, that he met with former House Speaker Jose de Venecia for the passage of the charter change resolution introduced by Camarines Sur Luis Villafuerte, here comes National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales Jr. and his bright idea of a “transition government.”

In a statement last week, Gonzales echoed the line of his principal, Gloria Arroyo, blaming “politics” for what we are now – “a nation of servants”, as told to our face by a Hongkong bastard.

Mikey, truly the son of Gloria and Mike

Published by Ellen on March 29, 2009

Related article in Inquirer: Directed by Mikey

Mikey Arroyo, son of Gloria and Mike Arroyo, who represents the second district of Pampanga in the House of Representatives, must really take all Filipinos to be stupid.

He thinks we could not see through the deception in the still- to- be filed resolution of Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte “calling upon all members of Congress to convene for the purpose of considering proposals to amend or revise the Constitution, upon a vote of three-fourths of all the members of Congress.”

In all his interviews about his having approached former Speaker Jose de Venecia, together with Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, for help in getting more signatures for the Villafuerte resolution, Arroyo keeps on saying that nowhere in the resolution does it state that his mother’s term will be extended. He says that if they succeed in having the resolution passed and upheld by the Supreme Court, charter change will be after 2010.

Arroyo’s ‘consuelo de bobo’ to Gonzalez

Published by Ellen on March 24, 2009

Update: PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago disapproves Marcelino’s leave request due to operational commitments. But Santiago gave him clearance to help in Sulu operation to get back the ICRC hostages from the Abu Sayaff.

See PDEA statement in Comments.

Maj Marcelino, PDEA

When Marine Major Ferdinand Marcelino saw his mother last Saturday upon his arrival from Vienna where he attended an international conference on combatting illegal drugs, she expressed concern over reports that Gloria Arroyo has ordered that he be investigated.

In Mrs. Marcelino’s pure understanding of the way things should be in this world, her son did his job despite odds and pressure, why should he be the one to be investigated?

The order for the investigation of Marcelino, who is detailed with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, was one among the several orders issued by Arroyo based on the recommendation of the three-man fact-finding commission headed by former Supreme Court Justice Carolina Griño-Aquino.

Category: Malaya