ellen tordesillas – Page 11 – Making life worth living.

‘Ang Probinsyano’ emerges as top kingmaker

Published by Ellen on May 22, 2019

The single most formidable political force in the country today as shown by the results of the May 13 elections is not President Duterte nor his daughter, Sara, who made her debut in the national political scene with her newly-formed party Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
It is ABS-CBN’s top-rating soap opera “Ang Probinsyano. “

It also affirms what surveys have been showing that television, not social media, is still the number one source of information by the electorate.

Just to show how much the Filipino people believe in the longest running soap opera in the country, two partylist groups bearing the name “Probinsyano” – Ang Probinsyano and Probinsyano Ako – are in the top ten, assured of seats in the House of Representatives.

‘I’ve made mistakes, corruption is not one of them’– Jinggoy Estrada

Published by Ellen on May 19, 2019

Pres. Duterte greets former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada who is free on bail for his pending plunder charges. Birthday of former President Joseph Estrada in April 2017.

Former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who failed in his bid to return to the Senate in the just- concluded elections, called me up yesterday complaining of my description of him as “corruption-tainted.”

Accusing me of being “mean”, Estrada said, “I’ve committed mistakes, corruption is not one of them.”

He reminded me that he was cleared by the court of the charges of plunder and graft.

I didn’t have time to clarify with him which case he was referring to.

In 2001, immediately after his father , President Estrada, was ousted, both father and son were charged with plunder in connection with the multi million collection from jueteng, an illegal numbers game, and other anomalies. He was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan but his father was convicted. The older Estrada was pardoned by then President Gloria Arroyo which paved the way for his running for president again in 2010 and Manila mayor in 2016.

For wanting to have it all, Erap lost everything

Published by Ellen on May 18, 2019

Former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada accompanies son Jinggoy for the latter’s filing of certificate of candidacy. Oct.15, 2018 . Photo from ABS-CBN.

A report by ABS-CBN’s Christian Esguerra said former President and former Manila mayor Joseph Estrada cannot understand why he lost the mayoralty race to Isko Moreno, whom he once promised to hand over the reins of the city after one term but later reneged.

Esguerra quoted the 82- year old politician as, “Di ko alam paano nangyari, hanggang ngayon iniisip ko… sobrang bigat,” he said.

It’s a crushing defeat for a former movie actor turned politician, who for a time was winning easily all political contest he entered into: San Juan mayor, senator, vice president and the presidency.

One wonders which is harder for Estrada to take: this election’s defeat or his ouster from the presidency in January 2001 and his imprisonment for plunder for seven years.

Trust and elections

Published by Ellen on May 12, 2019

Trust is supposed to be an essential element in an election.

You vote for a candidate that you trust will serve the country well. You vote for a candidate that you trust will not steal the people’s money. You vote for a candidate that you trust will help stop abuse and violations of the law.
You vote for a candidate that you trust will fulfill the promises they made during the elections.

Trust is what you have when you go to the polling place and cast your vote.

You trust that your vote will be counted.

Bakit ginawang problema ang foreign funding?

Published by Ellen on May 5, 2019

Nag-iba ng diskarte ang mga galamay ng Malacañang nang hindi kumagat ang kanilang palpak na “Oust Duterte plot” na may kasama pang katawa-tawa na matrix. Ang pinagdidiskitahan nila ngayon ay ang tulong na bigay ng mga mayayamang bansa o pribadong institusyon sa mga organisasyun sa mga bansa na hindi masyadong mayaman katulad ng Pilipinas.

Pinapalabas nila na masama ang magtanggap ng grants o pondo sa mga organisasyun sa ibang bansa. Nagpu-focus sila sa mga independent media organization katulad ng VERA Files, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, at Rappler. Itong argumento ay mali at panloloko sa mamamayang Pilipino.

Ilan sa mga foreign funders ng VERA Files

Ano ba ang sinasasabi ng ating Saligang Batas tungkol sa media at foreign grants?

Loren wants to Antiqueños to feel proud about Antique

Published by Ellen on May 5, 2019

Senator Loren Legarda is running for representative of the lone district of Antique, my province.

Loren, who comes from Gella family from Pandan is offering her experience and expertise for the province. It’s my fervent hope that my province mates appreciate Loren and vote for her.

Sen. Loren Legarda teams up with Antique Gov. Rhodora Cadiao to give Antiquenos the province they can be proud of.

In her 18 years as senator, Loren has never been involved in graft and corruption. She has undertaken not so popular causes like protection of environment and promotion of arts and culture.

Ipe Salvosa and Bobi Tiglao

Published by Ellen on April 28, 2019

As long as we have journalists like Felipe Salvosa II, the likes of Bobi Tiglao don’t matter.

Salvosa provided a much-needed silver lining last week at the time when dark clouds of lies threatened to overwhelm the public pre-occupied with the business of surviving.

Until last week, Salvosa was Manila Times managing editor. He was fired for voicing his reservations about the story his newspaper was putting out.

Salvosa’s tweet that cost him his Manila Times’ job

I’m using the word “fired” because he himself admitted that he was asked to resign by management over his tweet posted early afternoon of April 22 which said: “A diagram is by no means an evidence of ‘destabilization’ or an ‘ouster plot.’ It is a very huge stretch for anyone to accuse PCIJ, Vera Files and Rappler of actively plotting to unseat the President. I know people there and they are not coup plotters.”

A conference on how disinformation erodes democracy

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2019

Almost every day, from my place of work to my residence is almost three-hour energy-sappy travel, one way.

In those three hours, I witness scenes that re-affirm my admiration to the suffering Filipinos — from the kilometer-long queues for a ride to the sardine-like situation in the MRT and many more.

In the three years of the country under Rodrigo Duterte, 27,000 have been reported killed in drug-related incidents, more than 4,000 of them during police operations, most of them small-time drug runners. None of the big-time suppliers have been arrested.

Until last week, when more than 300 Chinese vessels surrounded Philippine –occupied Pag-asa Island, the government didn’t complain about China’s aggressive activities in the disputed areas in South China Sea.

Every day we read about misgovernance, incompetence and mis-use of funds.

Yet, the Filipinos are satisfied with him as leader.

Duterte regains upper hand in the battle of Narco Lists

Published by Ellen on April 16, 2019

After Bong Go, President Duterte’s former special assistant who is now one of the frontrunners in the senatorial race, did the humiliating act of undressing in front of the media and under the glare of TV cameras, to show his tattoo-less back, the question of those who were initially impressed with the first three episodes of “Ang totoong Narco list” is, what’s Bikoy going to say about this?

Bong Go undresses to show his back without a tattoo.

Bikoy, for those who did not follow his video series, claims to be a former member of a drug syndicate operating in Southern Luzon and Visayas region. He said he was involved in the recording of transactions and showed copies of the documents in the video where he appeared as hooded figure.

For many days after Go debunked his claim about having personally seen a tattoo with dragon figure on the back of Duterte’s aide, he was silent which was not surprising. As Terry Ridon, former urban poor chief of the Duterte administration, in his opinion piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer said, “ Wala na, finish na.”
The title of Ridon’s article was “The ‘Bikoy’ who cried wolf”

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