Dead bodies were found floating in the waters of Sibuyan island in Romblon. They were believed to be passengers of “MV Princess of Stars” that sank at the height of typhoon Frank’s onslaught. The ship was carrying more than 700 passengers and 120 crew members.
Former President Estrada yesterday commended the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for admitting that their supporting a power grab against him in January 2001 that installed Gloria Arroyo in Malacañang was a mistake.
“I commend the CBCP in displaying humility and admitting their error in supporting my ouster. At least now people are beginning to admit the truth that Edsa Dos was a conspiracy, a power grab. Former Chief Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma was right when she said that Edsa Dos was an instance when the rule of law was thrown out and the rule of force prevailed.”
Presidential Adviser Jesus Dureza is going to Malacañang as press secretary to replace Ignacio Bunye has been rewarded a lucrative position as member of the Monetary Board.
Dureza will be replaced by former Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon under whose term reports of extra-judicial killings by the military increased.
Sen. Jamby Madrigal, chair of the Senate Committee on Peace, issued the following statement:
Ang pinakagusto ko sa Baguio ay ang mga bulaklak. Ang gaganda.
Dahil siguro sa lamig kaya nagbu-bloom talaga ng mga bulaklak. Ang lalaki ng mga petals ng milflores. Parang giant repolyo. Ang gaganda ng mga petunia. Ganoon din ang trumpet and candle flowers. Nakaka-enjoy tingnan.
Kaya lang doon lang yun sa Baguio. Kapag tinamim mo ang ganoong tanim rin sa lugar na maiinit, hindi ganun kaganda ang mga bulaklak.
Senate majority leader Francis Pangilinan said if the Supreme Court’s ruling on Romulo Neri’s taking refuge under the cloak of executive privilege to hide the involvement of Gloria Arroyo in a scandalously overpriced telecommunications deal, becomes final and executory, “the Blue Ribbon committee will henceforth be powerless to conduct its inquiries on alleged wrongdoing involving high ranking government officials. All the executive secretary has to do is send a similar letter he sent in the Neri case by giving a general reason for invoking the privilege, then we in the Senate can no longer ask questions on the issue.”
Isang matalinong ginoo sa Europa na nangangalang Edmund Burke ang nagsabi na “All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Sa Tagalog, “Ang kailangan lang ng demonyo na manalo ay ang mga taong mabuti na magsawalang kibo.”
Namamayagpag ngayon si Gloria Arroyo dahil marami sa mga taong akala natin mabuti at nagsasawalangkibo.
Invokes SC on lack of Congress rules
by Jocelyn Montemayor
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday said Cabinet members would invoke the Supreme Court ruling requiring the publication of rules of procedures before appearing in any of the congressional inquiries particularly in the Senate.
Ermita, in a press briefing at the Aplaya Resort in Calatagan in Batangas, said the Supreme Court, voting 10-5, last Friday ruled that Section 21 of Article VI of the Constitution requires the publication of the ground rules or rules of procedures that would be observed in the conduct of inquiries.
Sa isang demokrasya, mahalaga ang eleksyon bilang paraan para mamili ang taumbayan ng mga opisyal na gusto nilang mamuno sa kanila.
Sa paraan ng eleksyon, naisapagkatuparan ang sinasabi ni Abraham Lincoln, presidente ng Estados Unidos na ang demokrasya ay gobierno ng mga tao, na pinapalakad ng mga tao, para sa mga tao.
From GMA News Online:
by Associated Press
Philippine activists warn about possible riots. Aid agencies across Asia worry how they will feed the hungry. Governments dig deeper every day to fund subsidies.
A sharp rise in the price of rice is hitting consumer pocketbooks and raising fears of public turmoil in the many parts of Asia where rice is a staple.
This part of Associate Justice Antonio Carpio’s dissenting opinion is the whole point of the issue whether Romulo Neri’s invocation of executive privilege upholds or hampers the search for truth and rule of law:
“Executive privilege must be exercised by the President in pursuance of official powers and functions. Executive privilege cannot be invoked to hide a crime because the President is neither empowered nor tasked to conceal a crime. On the contrary, the President has the constitutional duty to enforce criminal laws and cause the prosecution of crimes.