Politics – Page 10 – ellen tordesillas

Arroyo’s military chief says Al Qaeda wants to kill her

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2008

May death threat din daw si Gloria Arroyo.

By Oliver Teves
Associated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines – Militants linked to al-Qaida plotted to assassinate the Philippine president.

Military chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said the assassination plot allegedly was hatched by the extremist Abu Sayyaf group and its Indonesia-based ally, Jemaah Islamiyah.

Opposition groups dismissed the allegation as government scare tactics to prevent people from joining protests Friday to demand Arroyo’s resignation over corruption charges.

Enough of the “moro-moro”

Published by Ellen on January 14, 2008

Malaya editorial:

If Gen. Hermogenes Esperon is obsessed with staying as AFP chief after his scheduled retirement next month and if Gloria Arroyo is inclined to grant his wish as payment for services rendered, why don’t the two of them get it done away with?

It’s not the first time an AFP chief wants to stick to his post like a leech (think Fabian Ver). It’s also not the first time a widely discredited president wants to keep a trusted man at the AFP helm (think Ferdinand Marcos). So there’s a precedent.

Gonzalez to international media watchdog: go jump in the lake

Published by Ellen on January 14, 2008

by Evangeline de vera
Malaya

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday said only President Arroyo could make him withdraw an advisory he issued last week in which he told media practitioners not to interfere in legitimate police and military operations on the pain of sanctions.

He dismissed the call of a New York-based media group Committee to Protect Journalists to withdraw his advisory on the ground that it poses a threat to press freedom and democracy.

He said he takes orders only from the President, and the foreign media group can “go jump in the lake.”

Jan. 22 plot?

Published by Ellen on January 12, 2008

Take note of this news item from the Philippine News Agency, the government’s news agency. Gonzalez is talking about a Jan. 22 plot.

On Jan. 22, 2001, Gloria Arroyo was installed into the presidency without election by a military-backed group of civil society members.

Take this news item in consideration with the other reports that have been coming out in the past few days: the ‘floats’ of Teodoro, Esperon, and Razon on a new destabilization plot involving Magdalo officers, revival of national ID, charter change,the report about plan to assassinate Erap, the tension in Tanay last Friday,Gonzalez’ warning to media….

Let’s be alert.

Update: Wala naman pala e. Military, police say “plot” unconfirmed.

Deparment of Justice (DOJ) secretary Raul Gonzalez warned the alleged brains behind the attempt to topple goverment this Jan. 22 not to belittle the Arroyo government’s staying power.

3 government websites hacked, redirected to Enchanted Kingdom

Published by Ellen on January 3, 2008

Ha! Ha! ha!

Click to Tonyo Cruz website (here) for full story.

Malaya’s story:

Ermita backs Charter change to accommodate Moro homeland

Published by Ellen on January 1, 2008

by Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A new proposal that will see the government resorting to constitutional amendments possibly in 2008 to push the stalled peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would likely have the backing of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

“If this will help peace talks and governance in Mindanao, why not?” Ermita said in expressing his possible support for the proposal that government officials were expected to present to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her security officials to move forward the negotiations.

Writers under martial law

Published by Ellen on December 30, 2007

by F Sionil Jose

Last November, when we were finalizing plans for the 50th anniversary conference of the Philippine Center of International PEN, I thought of convening the founding members particularly those who were at the PEN National Writers Conference in Baguio in 1958. I did not have to consult the list; when I told Virgie Moreno, the first treasurer of PEN, she said I may have to count Adrian Cristobal out because at that very moment, he was at the Makati Medical Center and very ill.

I have known Adrian since the ‘50s when I was with the old Manila Times. He used to drop by at Florentino Torres and we would have coffee or pancit bijon at those greasy Chinese restaurants in Santa Cruz.

Erap pardon fails to lift Gloria satisfaction rating, says SWS survey

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2007

by Regina Bengco

President Arroyo’s grant of conditional pardon to former president Joseph Estrada in October did not improve her satisfaction rating, even among those who believed that the pardon was “good for the country,” the November 30-December 3 survey of the Social Weather Stations showed.

Estrada was granted conditional pardon on October 25 for the crime of plunder.

The survey, which had 1,200 respondents, found that 54 percent agreed that the grant of pardon to Estrada was good for the country compared to 23 percent who disagreed.

Rigodon ng mga kapit tuko

Published by Ellen on December 17, 2007

Sinulat kamakailan ni Lito Banayo, kolumnista ng Malaya, ang nasagap niyang balita sa kanyang mga kaibigan sa Malacañang na magkakaroon ng rigodon sa gabinete ni Gloria Arroyo sa bagong taon.

Sinabi ni Banayo, at kumakalat na ngayon sa text, papalitan ni DILG Secetary Ronnie Puno si Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. Bibigyan daw ng ambassadorial si Ermita o isang position sa isang malaking korporasyon na lumalangaoy sa pera katulad ng san Miguel Corporation.

Si Environment Secretary Lito Atienza daw ang papalit kay Puno sa Department of Interior and Local Government. Papalitan naman si Atienza ni dating congressman Prospero Pichay. Maala-ala natin si Pichay ay tumakbo ng senador. Gumastos ng malaki sa advertisements ngunit natalo pa rin. Ngunit maaari lamang maging DENR secretary si Pichay sa Hunyo pa dahil mayroong isang taong ban na hindi maa-aring manungkulan sa pamahalan ng isang taon ang mga tumakbo at natalo sa isang eleksyon.

Manila Pen incident – not a case of rebellion or warrantless arrest

Published by Ellen on December 16, 2007

All of the accused are clearly illegally and arbitrarily detained

by Atty. Ernesto B. Francisco, Jr.
Counsel for the Guingonas & some of the Accused

(Probe Team, ABS-CBN did a good documentary on the Nov. 29 incident. You can check it out in their website. It’s titled “Trabaho lang, walang personalan” four parts.

http://www.probetv.com/search_result.php?search_id=manila+pen&search_typ=search_videos)

The complaint for rebellion filed in connection with the Manila Pen incident should be DISMISSED FOR LACK OF PROBABLE CAUSE on the basis of the following grounds:

A perusal of the DOJ Panel Resolution and its supporting evidence clearly shows that they failed to establish probable cause that the crime of rebellion has been committed as would warrant the dismissal of the instant case.

Category: Politics