Gen. Lim’s blog is back. Click to:www.dannylim.org At this time when unprincipled pragmatism has become the ticket to success it’s good to be able to…
Making life worth living.
Category: Military
by Victor Reyes
THE chief prosecutor in the court martial of 28 military officers implicated in the supposed plan to overthrow the Arroyo government in February 2006 yesterday said he has recommended to AFP chief Gen. Alexander Yano the dropping of the mutiny charges against almost half of the accused.
At the resumption of the trial against the officers, chief prosecutor Col. Jose Feliciano Loy however said Yano did not approve or deny the recommendation. He did not say when he made the recommendation or exactly how many officers he recommended for “nolle prosequi.”
“I made a lengthy communication to the convening authority (Yano). Had the convening authority approved it, the charges against half of the accused would have been withdrawn at this point. But the recommendation was returned without action,” said Loy.
by Tetch Torres
Inquirer.net
It’s final. Senator Antonio Trillanes cannot attend official functions and receive members of his staff in his detention cell in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, the Supreme Court has ruled.
In its two-page resolution, the high court dismissed the bid by fellow opposition Senators Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Benigno Aquino III, Rodolfo Biazon, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal and Manuel Roxas II to allow him to attend Senate sessions and perform his duties as senator.
The high court said the senators’ petition was moot since the matter was decided on with finality last June 27.
The high court has affirmed the decision of Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati city regional trial court, saying that Trillanes is a flight risk.
Let’s help Lorelei Fajardo, deputy presidential spokes-person, understand where the fear that Gloria Arroyo will ferociously hold on to power even after June 30, 2010 is coming from.
Fajardo said, “The President intends to vacate her office when her term ends in 2010, and does not know where such fear-mongering is coming from.”
Let’s remind Fajardo that on Dec. 30, 2002, Arroyo pledged before the statue of Jose Rizal that she would not run in 2004. Ten months later, on Oct. 5, 2003, she said without blinking an eye, “I will run for President in May 2004.”
As we all know, not only did Arroyo run in 2004; she cheated and stole the presidency.
An officer and a gentleman, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, is courteous to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Last Sept. 3, the detained senator filed a resolution questioning Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita’s meddling in Senate processes by presiding the Senate Technical Working Group on Philippine Baseline Bills on Aug. 14, 2008 in Malacañang.
Trillanes, who is one of the five senators who have filed a bill delineating the country’s archipelagic baseline, said Ermita’s role as presiding officer of a Senate committee meeting is a clear violation of the constitutionally enshrined principle of separation of powers of the three branches of government.
“Secretary Ermita’s actions effectively undermined the independence of the Senate as an institution,” he said.
Last Saturday, as Bicolanos celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Peñafrancia something stirred the curiosity of those who joined the “traslacion”, the procession transferring Ina, as they call image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia , from the basilica to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Naga City.
Around the city, there were several streamers that proclaimed “Viva la Virgen de Peñafrancia”. Below was the name and photo of Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, who is now in detention for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006 following the expose of the Hello Garci tapes and in November 2007 following more scandals the most bewildering of which is the NBN/ZTE deal.
Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Monday President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was aware of the details of the controversial memorandum of agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain that he initialed in Kuala Lumpur early last month.
Esperon, speaking to reporters during the 15th anniversary celebration of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), explained that the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) involved consultations with the Cabinet and guidance from the “top leadership.”
Malacañang backed out of the peace agreement after its constitutionality was questioned before the Supreme Court.
It’s a sumptuous book buffet at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City where the 29th Manila International Book Fair is being held.
Writer Nelson Navarro and I were happy to get “good buys.” With 20 to 30 percent discounts, it made for a satisfying afternoon.
Nelson was able to find a rare copy of Eusebius Julius Halsema’s biography published by New Day Publishing. Yes, he is the Halsema of the highway going to Baguio City. An engineer, Halsema was the pre-war mayor of Baguio City.
I got several items from Anvil that covered the whole political spectrum from “Right” to “Left”. One is a slim (155 pages) book that tackles a heavy topic: “Before Gringo: History of the Philippine Military (1830 to 1972)” by Honolulu-based Donald Berlin, who worked for many years at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington D.C.
Galit na galit si Sen. Rodolfo Biazon sa panukala ni Secretary Ronaldo Puno ng Interior and Local Government na magbibigay sila ng P25 milyon sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front kung isu-surender nila sina Ameril Ombra kato, Abdulla Macapaar alias Kumander Bravo at Aleem Sulaiman.
“Hindi ako papayag na pagsinurender yung dalawang commander binigyan pa natin ng P25 milyon yung MILF. Ibibili nila ng bala at baril yan,” sabi ni Biazon.
Ang P25 milyon at para sa talong kumander. Noong isang linggo kasi, dinoble ang patong sa ulo nina Kumander Ombra kato at Bravo ng tig-P10 milyon. P5 milyon naman ang patong sa ulo ni Kumander Sulaiman.
I have received inquires on what has happened to 1Lt Artemio Raymundo who was charged and detained for giving away CDs at an LRT station in September 2006.
Well, he is still detained. He will mark his second year in prison on Sept. 25.
Not only that. He was arraigned for violations of Articles of War 96 (Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer and Gentleman) last August 18, the day Gloria Arroyo declared a holiday. Last Friday, without the assistance of his chosen counsel, Harry Roque, who had requested for a postponement because he would be in Malaysia, he was arraigned for violations of Articles of War 64 (Disrespect Toward a Superior Officer).