BY Erwin Mascariñas, VERA Files
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Floodwaters brought by storm “Sendong” swept Cagayan de Oro and Iligan city and other parts of Central Mindanao while people were sleeping Friday night last week.
Power went out. In the darkness of the night, people panicked as they tried to flee from the rampaging mud and debris.
It was chaos. Heartrending cries for help filled the air. Mothers and fathers watched in horror as they lost hold of their children, carried away by floodwaters.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) appeals to colleagues and the public to extend help to media workers including NUJP members who…
I remember that speech to be most obscene.
In her sixth State-of-the-Nation address on July 24, 2006, Gloria Arroyo, amidst cries of parents of University of the Philippines Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño and relatives of Manuel Merino, a farmer, Gloria Arroyo lavished praises on one of the most feared and hated generals – then Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, commander of the 7th Infantry Division in central Luzon, where many of the extra-judicial killings happened.
Arroyo said: “Sa ganitong mga proyekto, palalakasin natin ang ekonomiya ng mga barangay at lalawigan. And we will end the long oppression of barangays by rebel terrorists who kill without qualms, even their own. Sa mga lalawigang sakop ng 7th Division, nakikibaka sa kalaban si Jovito Palparan. Hindi siya aatras hanggang makawala sa gabi ng kilabot ang mga pamayanan at maka-ahon sa bukang-liwayway ng hustisya at kalayaan.”
Text and photos by Froilan Gallardo, Mindanews
I am a professional photojournalist and I am not in a habit of showing bloated bodies unless there is a compelling reason. This is an exception. The city government of Cagayan de Oro transferred 30 bodies from Bollozos Funeral Homes in Barangay Bulua to the garbage landfill in Zayas, Barangay Carmen Sunday night. The reson is the bodies have bloated and smelled a lot. Since no one came forward to claim the bodies, the city government said the bodies would be better in the landfill where it could still be viewed by relatives.
I am shocked by this decision. The city government has made countless of mistakes since tropical storm Sendong struck but this decision TOPS THEM ALL. Why transfer the bodies to a garbage landfill? The dead are not garbage no matter how bloated they are. Yet the city government left the bodies lying on the ground under the sun. The dead is always handled with respect. It only showed how insensitive the city government. Grabeh.
Interaksyon’s article by Mark Holandes Ubalde:
While nation mourns Sendong’s dead, Aquino partying with actresses in Palace?
Statement of Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang issued today, Dec. 19, 2011.
Yesterday (Sunday), a decision was made to cancel cabinet Christmas party but PSG decided to push thrpugh with its party since relatives of soldiers had already flown in from the provinces. The President dropped by the PSG party.
Where was President Benigno S. Aquino III on Sunday evening, as the people of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities and several other areas in Visayas and Mindanao grapple with the devastation of tropical storm Sendong? Apparently, drinking with his security personnel in Malacanang, and laughing and exchanging jokes with actresses.
Related article:
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/19918/aquino-to-visit-flood-ravaged-areas-dec–20-not-dec–27
This was according to a post on Twitter by actress Valerie Concepcion on Sunday, the same day the combined death toll in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan climbed to more than 600.
“Done w/ work.. Tnx for having me.. 🙂 It was nice to see Pres. P-Noy laughing at my jokes & enjoying my performance..ü #Malacañang #PSGNight,“ Concepcion said in her tweet that has since been deleted as of posting time.
Let’s do our share to lessen the suffering of the victims of storm Sendong.
***
President Benigno Aquino wants the country’s disaster management plan reviewed following the deaths and devastation caused by Sendong.
From InterAksyon.com
Photo by Erwin Mascarinas
By Cong Corrales, Erwin Mascarinas, Carlos Conde, Chichi Conde, Abigail Kwok and Lira Dalangin-Fernandez and AFP
(UPDATE 27 – 6:57 a.m. Sunday) MANILA – The death toll in the devastating flash floods in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and other parts of the Philippines has risen dramatically to 440, government and Red Cross officials.
Some of the worst affected areas included Cagayan de Oro City, which reported 215 dead, and nearby Iligan city, which lost 144 residents, Philippine National Red Cross secretary-general Gwen Pang told AFP.
Pang said 21 persons also died in Negros Oriental, five in Compostela Valley, three in Zamboanga del Norte and at least one in Surigao del Sur.
As of 9:30 p.m., 162 people were still missing, 147 of whom are in CDO.
Nauna siyang nasampahan ng impeachment complaint sa House of Representatives sa kasalanang plagiarism o pangungupya ng sinulat ng ibang tao na hindi nagpa-alam.
Ang report noong Biyernes, hindi na raw itutuloy. Natabunan na ng impeachment complaint kay Chief Justice Corona.
Kaya nag-post tuloy ng panawagan si Atty. Harry Roque sa Facebook: “House should not abandon Del Castillo impeachment. Can’t change the SC by just changing its head. Need to drastically change its composition!I Impeach more Justices and not just one!” (Hindi dapat i-abandona ng House ang Del Castillo impeachment.
Hindi maaring magkaroon ng pagbabago sa SC kung ang hepe lang ang palitan. Kailangan palitan ang malawakan na pagpalit ng bumubuo nito. I-impeach ang iba pang justices at hindi isa lang!”
Chief Justice Renato Corona has nixed calls for him to just resign and spare the country from an emotional and divisive exercise.
Chief Justice Renato Corona on Thursday said he had considered resigning to put an end to President Benigno Aquino III’s criticisms and avoid a difficult impeachment trial.
“I know there was an easy way out of this—to inhibit or to resign. If I resign, maybe there would be peace for me and the insults thrown at me would cease,” Corona said in English and Filipino.
“But after a long and deep reflection, I told myself, ‘Is this really how it should be? That if someone wants something, he could easily get it?’” he continued.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/111811/chief-justice-says-he-thought-of-resigning
He has, in fact, decided to fight back warning of a creeping dictatorship by President Aquino.
“Ako’y tumututol sa dahan-dahang binubuong diktadura ni Pangulong Benigno Simeon Aquino
III ,” he said in a speech before court employees and members of his family.
There is no truth to the malicious talk that Malacañang ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to work hard for Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago election to the International Criminal Court because they are worried that she would block the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona who was impeached by the House of Representatives last Monday.
Santiago was elected Tuesday as judge in the International Criminal Court, the female judge from a developing Asian country to hold a seat in that international body.
“I will be the first Filipino to sit there. Plus, I will be the first Asian from a developing country. So this is an honor for the Philippines actually and for President Aquino who nominated me,” Santiago said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.