Malaya – Page 67 – ellen tordesillas

Arraignment by batches

Published by Ellen on November 25, 2007

There are many things not right about the special general court-martial of Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danny Lim and 26 other officers allegedly involved in the plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo’s bogus presidency in February 2006.

But last Friday, there was a feeling among the accused, their lawyers and their relatives that there was something more sinister but they just couldn’t put their hands on it.

One, they didn’t get a notice for the Nov. 23 hearing except for five lawyers who had not been attending the hearings for various reasons, one of them distance. Not surprisingly none of those lawyers notified showed up.

Better in Afghanistan

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2007

Three years ago, Angelio Nayan, a young Filipino diplomat working for a United Nations agency, was kidnapped by a Taliban group in Afghanistan. The whole Filipino nation stormed heaven with prayers for his safe return.

Nayan is now safely doing his diplomatic work in a foreign posting.

Since Nayan’s kidnapping, the government has imposed a ban on the deployment of Filipinos in Afghanistan. Despite the ban, however, there are more than a thousand Filipinos there.

Walkout for justice

Published by Ellen on November 11, 2007

Update: Army Scout Ranger and Marine officers who walked out of their hearing before a military court last week could be held liable for “breach of discipline,” Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Monday.

Click photos above to enlarge.Officers pay tribute to Maj. Basilio Pooten, military defense lawyer, (next to Gen. Miranda)who refused to be used by the court to trample upon the rights of the accused officers.

Last Friday, the officers accused of planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006 led by Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and their lawyers walked out of the court martial hearing in Camp Capinpin, Tanay Rizal.

It was an occasion where officers and lawyers were called upon to make a stand. Many courageously responded.One man stood out: Maj. Basilio Pooten, the military defense counsel.

Weeping with Rene

Published by Ellen on November 8, 2007

My condolence to former senator Rene Saguisag and his family for the loss of Dulce in a tragic vehicular accident in the early hours of yesterday.

My most memorable coverage of Rene and Dulce was the downfall of President Joseph Estrada in January 20, 2001. We were there since afternoon of January 19 and we were monitoring, how one by one, starting with then Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, Estrada’s cabinet members and friends were abandoning him.

Late morning of Jan. 20, Rene and Dulce came out of Malacañang Palace compound. It was obvious they had had a long night. Rene said they had to go home because Dulce, a cancer survivor, needed rest.

Bastardized mural reflects dark side of journalism

Published by Ellen on November 6, 2007

I’m glad I’m no longer a member of the National Press Club.

I used to be a member of NPC in the late 80’s when the likes of Tony Nieva were trying to assert their leadership in the club. But eventually they were eased one by the more entrepreneurial kind of journalists.

I got out of the NPC even before the Rolito Go scandal in 1991. One of its directors, Bobby Capco, then of the Philippine Star, was exposed to have served as public relations guy of the convicted criminal. (Go shot to death La Salle student Eldon Maguan over a traffic incident). In a press conference by the lawyers of Go at the NPC, a reporter revealed that Capco handed her money to “kill” a story not favorable to Go.

2 ex-Magdalos as “counselors”

Published by Ellen on November 4, 2007

Update:

At the investigation of the nine enlisted men today, they were given a charge sheet for violations of of Articles of War No. 67 (mutiny) and 96 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman) without supporting evidence.

In their own handwriting, at the back of the charge sheet, the soldiers denied the charges and explained their whereabouts on Feb. 23, 2006. many of them were at home in their provinces on administrative break pending the transfer to other units aftert eh the Anti-Crime task Force where they were assigned was dissolved.

When the nine of the 40 enlisted men of the Philippine Army’s Scout Rangers detained in Camp Capinpin for 18 months without charges were brought to the compound of the Army’s Intelligence Service last Wednesday night, their custodians didn’t waste time working on them.

And who did they use to try to break the nine? Capt. Milo Maestrocampo and Lt. Lawrence San Juan.

Countdown to Arroyo’s downfall

Published by Ellen on October 28, 2007

There are a number of things that I don’t like about the politics of former President Fidel Ramos, foremost of which was his coming to the rescue of the beleaguered Gloria Arroyo in June 2006 following the expose of the “Hello Garci” tapes that showed she actively manipulated the result of the 2004 elections in her favor.

But you have to credit him for his sharp political instincts. That’s why his warning last week that “Arroyo’s days are numbered” is both intriguing and disturbing.

Ramos gave his grim assessment of Arroyo’s presidency as he expressed his disgust over the absolute pardon given to former President Estrada who was convicted last September of plunder, a crime punishable with life imprisonment.

Esperon dishonors soldiers

Published by Ellen on October 25, 2007

Above photos show the 26 soldiers at the Transient Quarters waiting for their ride out of the Philippine Army they had once served with dedication and loyalty.

Amid hastily packed boxes and plastic pails containing their meager belongings, 26 enlisted personnel of the elite Scout Rangers waiting for their ride home at the at the Transient Quarters of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio,couldn’t help but blurt out their disgust at the shabby treatment they got from the institution they served so well.

Stripping Arroyo of immunity from suit

Published by Ellen on October 23, 2007

We have always been made to believe that a sitting president is immune from suits.

Gloria Arroyo has never been elected to the presidency and is therefore an illegitimate president. Nevertheless, she sits in Malacañang and she is afforded presidential privileges including immunity from suits.

But lawyer Harry Roque thinks otherwise. Together with former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Ma. Dominga Padilla, Roel Garcia, Bebu Bulchand, and Fr. Jose Dizon, he filed a case before the Ombudsman against Arroyo for violating Republic Act No. 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) as well as provisions of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

Danger signs

Published by Ellen on October 21, 2007

Gloria Arroyo is in big, big, big trouble.

The society matron, the businessman, a police officer, a taxi driver, a sidewalk vendor – almost everybody believes that Arroyo and her officials are behind the bombing of the Glorietta mall that has claimed the lives of 11 persons and injured some 120.

It didn’t help that her strongest words were directed at “those who seek to destabilize our government … for their selfish political motives” rather than to perpetrators of the crime.

Category: Malaya