Related stories:
Statement of former DOE and PNOC heads
GMANewsTV: Seismic study showed 3 trillion cubic meters of oil in agreement area
GMANewsTV: Senate to start Spratlys probe
ABS-CBN:Political noise endangers Spratlys deal
How important is the JMSU (Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking) in the Spratly islands to China can be seen by how the Asia-Pacific superpower broke its traditional practice of spacing state visits to accommodate Gloria Arroyo in September 2004.
By VERA Files*
Six islands occupied by the Philippines in the disputed Spratly Islands Groups are covered by two controversial joint seismic monitoring agreements among the Philippines, China and Vietnam that have come under fire for purportedly “sacrificing” Philippine interests in exchange for huge loans from Beijing.
Sheryl Martinez is a working mother with two very young girls.
She has put up an online Gloria- resign petition:http://www.petitiononline.com/gmaout/petition.html. Her blog address: http://gloriaresign.wordpress.com/
Sheryl said she is not aware that there are already two Resign-GMA online peitition. One initiated by imprisoned senator Antonio Trillanes IV (http://www.petitiononline.com/snap08/) which includes Vice President Noli de Castro and the calling for a snap election within 60 days, and another by the Black and White Movement (http://www.pinoybigbriber.com/index.php).
Sellout of territory seen as ‘greed without moderation’
The United Opposition yesterday asked the Senate to act on a resolution filed by detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV calling for an inquiry into the “Spratly Deal” allegedly entered into by the Arroyo administration with China “in exchange for dirty loans.”
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, UNO president, said if Arroyo has indeed signed the deal allowing China to explore Philippine territorial waters, “she has given away our sovereignty to a foreign power in exchange for loans that are the source of multi-million-peso kickbacks and a campaign war chest for the 2010 elections.”
Related article by JB Baylon: The unnoticed betrayal
As the political storm brought about by allegations of massive corruption continues to slam Gloria Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro stays by her side to provide her the option of a graceful exit by resignation, an adviser to De Castro told a member of the opposition.
The source said the expectation of De Castro, as relayed by his advisers who have started talking with different opposition groups like the United Opposition, Makati Business Club, and the Black and White Movement, the end of the Arroyo presidency is a matter of time and he (De Castro) expects to take over as the Constitution mandates.
Esperon refuses to be among the “upright” members of the military and police that Jun Lozada called on to make a stand for truth and justice.
by Victor Reyes
Malaya
CLARK FIELD, Pampanga. – Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano on Monday rejected the call of NBN-ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada for the military and the PNP to make a stand on the issue of corruption in the Arroyo government.
The corruption allegations are fuelling calls for President Arroyo’s resignation or removal from office.
“It’s futile asking GMA to resign’
Caption:Lozada, Charmaine Deogracias of NHK TV, and myself
ZTE star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. yesterday called on upright members of the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police to make a stand on the issue of corruption hounding the Arroyo administration.
In an interview at La Salle Greenhills, Lozada said the opposition should abandon its call for President Arroyo to resign. “She has to be ousted.”
Senators are taking with caution the testimony last Tuesday of ZTE technical consultant Dante Madriaga that President Arroyo and her husband Mike received “advances” from China’s ZTE Corp for the national broadband project.
Senate President Manuel Villar said they are double checking Madriaga’s testimony amid fears that he could be a “red herring.”
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Madriaga’s statements would have to be corroborated by other evidence and testimonies.
Last Saturday, we were busy burning the lines trying to confirm reports that Malacañang was sounding our foreign embassies of the possibility of Gloria Arroyo declaring a state of emergency.
The information we got was, she will do it today to pre-empt the brewing unrest in the military. With the snowballing protest in almost all sectors of society, the missing ingredient is the military.
AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon and Philippine National Chief last Monday staged a unity walk to prove to the world that men in uniform are solid behind Arroyo.
I had to leave the Senate investigation on the NBN/ZTE early for other meetings so I missed the testimony of Dante Madriaga who designed the telecommunication project for ZTE. Madriaga belonged to the “Filipino Consultants Group” headed by former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos and allegedly included Mike Arroyo,the husband of Gloria Arroyo.
My friends told me that Madriaga mentioned me in relation to reports that he was peddling his testimony for a price ranging from P5 million to P10 million.
At the time I got the copy of the initial draft of his affidavit, I had not met Madriaga but I had counterchecked the information contained there. When I learned that someone was trying to sell the Madriaga affidavit, I decided to publish it precisely to stop them from making money out of it.