Category: Malaya

EDCA minus Gazmin’s illusions

Published by Ellen on December 2, 2014

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador Phillip Goldberg after signing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin had no choice but to say what EDCA, the agreement he signed with the United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg last April 28, really is under strict questioning by Sen. Miriam Santiago, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

EDCA stands for Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which allows the U.S. to set up camps within Philippine military camps despite the Constitutional prohibition that “military bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate and, when the Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State. “

To sell EDCA to the Filipino public, the Aquino government led by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and Gazmin demonized China and said with the agreement, the U.S. will come to the aid of the Philippines in case there will be an armed conflict with China in the Spratlys, where both the Philippines and China have conflicting territorial claims.

Last Monday, Gazmin admitted that there is no such guarantee.

Aquino ignores Bonifacio

Published by Ellen on November 30, 2014

Movie actor Robin Padilla at the Liwasang Bonifacio rally.

Photos courtesy of Renato Reyes, Jr.

Yesterday was the 151st birth anniversary of one of Filipinos’ great heroes, Andres Bonifacio (November 30, 1863 – May 10, 1897).

Today, we are a sovereign nation, independent and free, largely because of Bonifacio.
Bonifacio is considered the “the Father of the Philippine Revolution”. He founded the Katipunan, short for Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, a movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule.

Save for a short message released by Malacañang, there was no other activity led by President Aquino that commemorated the birth of Bonifacio.

Come to think of it, why would Aquino bother with Bonifacio? Remember his reason for not going to the wake of Jennifer Laude, the transgender who was killed by an American serviceman? He doesn’t go to the wake of people he doesn’t know.

Aquino has no affinity with Bonifacio.

Corruption in DOH results in a sickly nation

Published by Ellen on November 27, 2014

Health Secretary Enrique Ona’s one month leave of absence ends today.

The health community is awaiting with bated breath the decision of President Aquino on Ona, who is embroiled in the controversy over the P800 million purchase of a pneumonia vaccine.

The result of the investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation on the issues raised against Ona would be an important consideration in the President’s decision.

If the President decides to retain Ona, that means he is cleared of all the issues against him.

This week, another issue came up: Ona’s authorization of the use for the treatment of dengue and malaria of a drug that did not pass clinical trial.

HK journalists ban betrays Malacañang’s aversion to press freedom

Published by Ellen on November 25, 2014

Aquino being asked by HK journalists on Rizal Park hostage taking. APEC 2013, Bali, Indonesia.

Ager Ontog, director-general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), who showed his lack of intelligence when he ordered the ban of Hongkong journalists who asked questions that displeased President Aquino during the 2013 summit of Asia Pacific Economic Conference in Bali, Indonesia, said he did not regret his order that Malacañang cancelled after it was exposed in media last week.

There are military officers who are enlightened about the role of media in a democracy but it seems that Ontog is not one of them. Which is not really surprising because even President Aquino, whose parents played a big part in Filipino people struggle to regain their freedom, including press freedom, thinks it’s media’s obligation to make him look good in public.

Servants take their cue from the master.

Prayers amid dismay for justice for victims of Ampatuan massacre

Published by Ellen on November 23, 2014

Five years ago, a crime so heinous was perpetrated by persons in authority, in a remote village in Maguindanao in Southwestern Mindanao.

Fifty-eight persons lay dead after Andal Ampatuan, Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay town and his men were through with their shooting spree. He then asked for a backhoe in the office of his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was then governor of the province, to be brought to the crime scene to bury the dead bodies.

Among the dead was Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of the political rival of the Ampatuans, Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband challenging the position of the Ampatuan patriarch.

Of the 58 victims, 32 were members of media, who were supposed to cover the political event.

The reign of the idiots

Published by Ellen on November 20, 2014

Health Acting Secretary Janet Garin and AFP Chief Gregorio Pio Catapang in Caballo island.

I’m staggered by the justifications of Health Acting Secretary Janet Garin and Armed Forces Chief Gregorio Pio Catapang,Jr.of their visit to the quarantined peacekeepers in Caballo Island in Cavite which Malacañang approves.

Garin and Catapang have drawn flak for what many see as violation of the idea of quarantine.

The peacekeepers from Ebola-stricken Liberia are on 21-day quarantine, an international procedure to prevent the deadly virus from spreading.

APEC summit: an opportunity for renewal of PH-China ties

Published by Ellen on November 9, 2014

Pres. Aquino arrives in Beijing. Photo by Xinhua.

President Aquino today is in a lakeside resort in Yanqihu, 50 kilometers from Beijing, for the 22nd summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC.

China's President Xi Jinping — China’s President Xi Jinping

This is the first time that Aquino and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a chance for greetings more than just “hello” and “goodbye”.

Aquino has announced there is no scheduled bilateral meeting between him and Xi during the two-day Beijing summit.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was working on a pull-aside meeting (about 10 to 15 minutes) on the sidelines of the Summit but if even that is not possible they see a chance “to break the ice” in the frosty relations between the two countries during the turnover of the hosting Leaders Meeting towards the end of the meeting on Tuesday.

Manicani in Guiuan, Eastern Samar sets example

Published by Ellen on November 6, 2014

Manicani today. Two of the more than 400 houses built by Nickel Asia Corporation for victims of Yolanda.

GUIUAN, Eastern Samar – It was in this town at the southernmost tip of Samar Island that typhoon Yolanda (international name, Haiyan), packing winds at 380 kilometers per hour, that made its first landfall at wee hours of Nov. 8, one year ago.

After four hours of howling, spine-tingling winds, only a few buildings and houses remained with roofs. Electric posts were toppled. Trees were uprooted. The sturdy coconut trees looked beaten with leaves dangling from the top.

Of the more than 47,000 population of Guiuan, more than two thousand were injured. A hundred perished.

Always be responsible: challenge to media of increased public trust

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2014

The PDAF and DAP scandals have a lot to do with the increase in the trust of the people on media, the decline of the same for the government and continued distrust for non-government organizations.

The 2014 Philippine Trust Index conducted by EON showed that media is third most trusted institution with 33 percent, up from 32 per cent last year. First is the Church, which includes not only Catholic Church but also other denominations, with 75 percent, up from last year’s 68 percent.

Academe comes second with 53 percent, up from last year’s 45 percent.

The least trusted institution is the government with 11 percent, down from 15 per cent last year, followed by NGO with 12 percent, the same as last year’s.

Ex- foreign secretary advice on PH-China relations: avoid harsh rhetoric

Published by Ellen on October 31, 2014

Enriched by having dealt with issues at close range and without the restrictions of toeing the government line, former government officials usually are the voice of wisdom on current issues.

Such was speech of former Foreign Secretary Roberto R. Romulo (Ramos administration) at the Manila Times Business Forum last Wednesday on Philippine –China relations which he described as “at a historic low.”

Romulo said there is no magic solution to the strained relations between the two countries.