Pres. Duterte at the 120th Anniversary of DFA, June 18, 2018. Delia Albert is sixth from right.Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante.
In the photo of President Duterte with diplomats at the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, distinguished diplomat Delia Albert stood out because she was the only one who was not doing the idiotic fist pump which has become the signature gesture of Duterte and his sycophants.
Albert, who was foreign secretary in 2003 under the Arroyo administration (she was at the helm of the foreign affairs department when truck driver Angelo de la Cruz was kidnapped by Islamist group in Iraq forcing the Philippines to withdraw from the US-led coalition) has served the country with distinction. A career diplomat she was ambassador to Australia and Germany, among the posts that she had held.
Albert is currently senior advisor at the Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co.
Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez wants social media promotion of candidates included in campaign fi8nance.At the seminar workshop conducted by the Legal Network for Truthful Elections last month James Jimenez, spokesperson of the Commission on Elections proposed something that makes a lot of sense and like many sensible things, may not sit well with some people who would be directly affected by it.
Jimenez wants expenses by the candidates in promoting their candidacy in social media be included in the Comelec’s regulation of campaign expenses.
Jimenez said all those running for elected positions should be required to submit to Comelec their Facebook, Google and other social media accounts.
In his one hour and 20-minute speech at the oath-taking of the newly-elected barangay captains of Region VII in Cebu last June 7, President Duterte mentioned “kill” and “killing” and its equivalent Visayan word 30 times.
That is not unusual for a Duterte speech.
Three days after, a 44-year old priest lay dead beside the church altar killed by an unidentified gunman while preparing to say the 6 p.m. Mass at Barangay Mayamot in Nueva Ecija.
The third phase of the Road Safety Fellowship being conducted by VERA Files in cooperation with the World Health Organization is now open for application.
Just like in the first and second phases, we are inviting members of print, broadcast and online media including freelance writers based in Metro Manila and Luzon to participate in this project which aims to improve quality of life by producing stories that would make the public be conscious of making our roads safe.
Rich or poor, we are all road users. Road safety should be everybody’s concern.
Not all those who were in the meeting of the Filipino community with President Duterte in Seoul cheered when he did his DOM act on a Filipina married to a Korean on stage last Sunday.
Cil Borlaza, a Filipina studying in South Korea, was in that gathering and this is her post in Facebook:
Cil Borlaza at the Filipino Community meeting with President Duterte in Seoul.Photo from her FB page.
Screengrab from ABS-CBN video. RTVM Malacanang has removed this part from its video of the event.
I have a question to those who think that there was nothing wrong in President Duterte kissing Bea Kim, a Filipina married to a Korean during his meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea in Seoul last Sunday: Is it still okay with you if Duterte would do the same to your wife or daughter?
I was scandalized by what Duterte did. I felt sad listening to Kim saying, “Iyung kiss, parang twist lang iyun, pampakilig sa mga audience.(That kiss, that was just to tease the audience.) “
I found offensive Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque justification: “That is very accepted in the culture of Filipinos.”
Actress Mae Paner pointed out, “In the Filipino culture, women are held with respect. What he did to Kim showed his low regard of women, even the way he gestured her to kiss him.”
Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras. Photo from his Facebook page.Last Friday, I wrote about the complaint filed by Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan partylist) at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s office against Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras for allegedly stealing his cellphone during a hearing at the House of Representatives last March.
I said what Paras did was Kadiri which means disgusting, despicable, contemptible, detestable, abominable.
Paras wrote to explain his side. I’m publishing the full letter:
Hi Ellen,
We’ve known each other way way back, and since then, I have always cherished your gallantry in writing against any government shenanigans. I have very high respect to your person as a writer.
Be that as it may, may I just correct on the facts of the article you wrote:
Mischief Reef – lost under Ramos presidency
Scarborough Shoal – lost under Benigno Aquino III presidency
Spratlys including Sandy Cay- surrendered to China under Duterte presidency
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano was being smart the other day when he challenged critics of the Duterte’s complacent attitude in the face of China aggressive moves in South China Sea.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano
At the flag-raising ceremony at the Department of Foreign Affairs, he said: “I challenge anyone of them, whatever their profession – justice, politician, newsman, journalist – if we lost a single island during Duterte’s time, I will pack my bags, go home.”
It is a smart strategy because if we go deep into the history of the South China Sea conflict, we will be reminded that it was during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos that we lost Mischief Reef (Philippine name: Panganiban Reef) in 1995 and Scarborough Shoal under President Benigno Aquino’s watch in 2012.
Others may argue that we have not lost Scarborough Shoal. But the fact that Filipinos, government personnel and fishermen can only go there with the permission of Chinese Coast Guard whose ships (at least two) are permanently guarding the shoal means that we have lost control over that feature 124 nautical miles from the shores of Zambales.
In the July 2016 decision of the Arbitral Tribunal in the case filed by the Philippines against China, it was noted that the shoal also known by its Philippine name as Panatag and Bajo de Masinloc is a traditional fishing ground of Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese fishermen and it should remain so.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. Photo from Ombudsman Facebook page.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales will not see the conclusion of the plunder case against President Duterte, his daughter Sara and son, Paolo before she steps down in July from the investigative body that she has presided with professionalism and integrity the past seven years.
But the fact that she has taken up the case and pursued the probe despite heavy pressure from Malacanang is her legacy to the Filipino people.
Morales has stood up to Duterte, whom she is related by affinity (her brother is the father-in-law of Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio) in the plunder case filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in May 2016 citing the 2015 report of the Commission on Audit of questionable disbursement of some P708 million to contractual employees, many of whom were not identified.
