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Miriam elected as judge to Int’l Criminal Court

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2011

abs-cbnNEWS.com

The Senate will never be the same without Miriam
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has been elected as a judge in the International Criminal Court, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday morning. This marks the first time a female judge from a developing Asian country has been elected to the ICC.

“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.

Santiago won as judge in the ICC elections during the 10th session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York on Monday (US time).

“It’s really an achievement of our people there in the UN. It’s really our Department of Foreign Affairs that needs to be congratulated,” she said.

She topped the first round with 79 out of 104 votes, making her the first to be elected out of 18 candidates vying for 6 seats in the ICC Judicial Division.

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Chief Justice Corona impeached

Published by Ellen on December 12, 2011

Thanks to the Inquirer
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Maila Ager
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The House majority on Monday virtually impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona after gathering signatures of more than one-third of the 287 members of Congress favoring his ouster.

Click on the link below for the Summary of the Impeachment complaint vs CJ Corona:

Summary of the Corona impeachment complaint

Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali said Corona was virtually impeached with at least 140 members, or almost half of the membership of the House of Representatives, signing the resolution.

Ako Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe said that the impeachment case was laid down in such a way that it would be geared toward a person and not the institution.

There were three grounds cited and eight articles of impeachment cited in the impeachment of Corona.

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Blogging is not journalism

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2011

The blogger whom the Oregon court said is not a journalist
Last week, a federal judge in Oregon ruled that a Montana blogger is not eligible for the legal protections afforded to journalists ordering her to pay the lawyer who sued her for defamation $2.5 million.

An Associated Press report said “Crystal L. Cox, a blogger from Eureka, Mont., was sued for defamation by attorney Kevin Padrick when she posted online that he was a thug and a thief during the handling of bankruptcy proceedings by him and Obsidian Finance Group LLC.

“U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez found last week that as a blogger, Cox was not a journalist and cannot claim the protections afforded to mainstream reporters and news outlets.”

Although, the ruling is not expected to really tame the free-wheeling environment of digital media which includes blogs (short for “web log”, online sites usually set up by individuals containing their articles which could cover any topic and form), it would be a useful distinction for new media users.

According to news reports, Cox styles herself as an “investigative blogger.” She has created numerous websites with names like “obsidianfinancesucks.com,” “bankruptcytrusteefraud.com,” and “oregonshyster.com,” in which she accused Padrick and Obsidian of misconduct in their handling of a bankruptcy case.

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Pwede naman ang makahulugang Pasko kahit walang pera

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2011

Everything in moderation
Nagsimula na ang Christmas traffic. Ang biyahe na dapat 30 minutes at nagiging dalawang oras.

Lahat yata namimili na para sa Pasko.

Ganyan ang maganda sa mga Pilipino. Kahit mahirap, talagang buhay na buhay ang diwa ng Pasko.

Pilipinas yata ang may pinakamahaba na Christmas season. Pagkatapos ng All Saints at All Souls Day, simula na kaagad ang tugtug ng Jingle Bells sa mga department stores at labasan na ng mga Christmas decors sa mga bahay.

Hindi yan natatapos sa Disyembre 25 o sa New Year. Hanggang Jan.6 yan, ang Three Kings.

At siyempre kapag panahon ng Pasko, kainan. Kaliwa’t-kanan ang Christmas party. Sigurado, pagkatapos ng Pasko, magtatabaan na naman tayo. At ang cholesterol, dios mio.

Nagbigay ng paala-ala si Health Secretary Enrique Ona dahan-dahan lang sa litson at sa alak nitong Kapakuhan dahil yun ang ilang sa sanhi ng atake sa puso.

Continue readingPwede naman ang makahulugang Pasko kahit walang pera

Legislative joins Executive versus Judiciary

Published by Ellen on December 8, 2011

Just the start of SC cleansing?
The impending impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Mariano de Castillo now brings the Legislative branch of the government on the side of the Executive against the Judiciary.

This is a two-pronged attack and there’s no way that the High Court headed by the Chief Justice Renato Corona, closely identified with Gloria Arroyo, could win.

Of course, Malacañang had a hand in it. If President Aquino frontally attacked Corona in public, it’s easy to imagine what his people are doing behind the scene.

But in Philippine politics, that’s par for the course.

Malacañang must have delivered the message so convincingly that even the chair of the House’s committee on justice, Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. , was surprised by the overwhelming vote of 40-7 finding the long-pending plagiarism complaint accusing Del Castillo of betrayal of public trust sufficient in substance.

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More, Mr. President

Published by Ellen on December 6, 2011

Body language tells it all
Go on, Mr. President. Give the mob what they want. Don’t waste the momentum that you have gained. Take over the Arroyo appointees-dominated Supreme Court. Your popularity will rise higher no Philippine President has ever achieved.

You were right in humiliating Chief Justice Renato Corona. He deserves it for being Gloria Arroyo’s lackey.

Teach him a lesson for conspiring with Arroyo in putting one over the people and assuming the top SC position when the 60-day election ban was in force.

You are right about reminding him, to his face and in public, and the people that he is a “midnight” appointee.

“Hindi ito ang unang beses na gumawa ang Korte Suprema ng mga desisyong napakahirap unawain. Ayon sa article 7, section 15 ng Saligang batas, ‘Ang isang Pangulo ay hindi dapat gumawa ng mga paghirang sa loob ng dalawang buwan bago sumapit ang susunod na halalang pampanguluhan at hanggang sa matapos ang kanyang taning ng panunungkulan, maliban na lamang sa mga pansamantalang paghirang sa mga katungkulang ehekutibo.’

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Pres. Aquino slams Corona at 1st National Criminal Justice summit

Published by Ellen on December 5, 2011

Following is the speech of President Aquino Monday at the 1st National Criminal Justice Summit where he slammed Chief Justice Renato Corona. I’ll make my commentary later today.

In your face Magandang umaga ho. Maupo ho tayong lahat.

Ako na ho pala agad. Sana ho hindi ako late.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Sonny Belmonte; honorable members of the House of Representatives present; Chief Justice Renato Corona and the honorable members of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Sandiganbayan; excellencies of the diplomatic corps; Secretary Leila de Lima; Secretary Jesse Robredo; Secretary Eduardo de Mesa: Secretary Cesar Garcia; Chairman Francis Tolentino; Presiding Justice Villaluz of the Sandiganbayan; men and women of the Philippine National Police, led by Director General Nicanor Bartolome; civil society; nongovernment organizations; fellow workers in government; honored guests; ladies and gentlemen:

Ang pagtitipon natin ngayong umaga ay isang pagkakataon para higit na masuri ang lakas at kahinaan ng ating kasalukuyang criminal justice system, at makalikom ng mga makabago at napapanahong inisyatibang pangkatarungan. Masasabi nating napapanahon ito: dahil sa mga araw-araw na headline sa diyaryo at telebisyon, nasasaksihan din ngayon ng buong bansa kung gaano kasalimuot ang trabaho ng mga clerk of court, abugado, at huwes.

Continue readingPres. Aquino slams Corona at 1st National Criminal Justice summit