ellen tordesillas – Page 21 – Making life worth living.

Wasted first two years

Published by Ellen on May 26, 2018

In recent days, President Duterte has been announcing proudly his firing of officials which were rumored to be involved in graft and corruption.

Last Sunday, in his speech during the groundbreaking of Vista Alegre homes for soldiers and policemen in Talisay City, Negros Occidental , he talked about an official who talked with his relative about a government contract:” Humabol sa akin sa Cebu. You go. Both of you, you go. Wala akong, wala kong… I don’t want to work with you. At may isa dito, sinabi ko na. Mabuti kasi may TV. Do not entertain requests or give favors to any of my family. Huwag sa asawa ko, huwag sa akin, huwag sa mga anak ko, huwag sa mga pinsan ko. Now, if you try to say that I asked the help of the first family because you cannot decide on a certain thing, which you think would need, why do you have to consult my sister? Sinabi ko sa inyo — p***** i** ‘wag kayong — if it is a relative of mine, consider it denied”

The next day, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced that the President fired Assistant Transportation Secretary Mark Tolentino for violating his order against talking with his relatives on state contracts or appointments.

Fired Transport Asst. Secretary Mark Tolentino in Malacanang last February. Photo from Tolentino’s FB page.

Is Duterte China’s accomplice in SCS military plans?

Published by Ellen on May 22, 2018

The PLA air force planes conducting training exercises, Nov. 19, 2017. The PLA air force recently conducted a combat air patrol in the South China Sea and conducted training exercises after passing over the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait. Photo by Chen Liang of Xinhua.

Last Sunday, former Solicitor General Florin T. Hilbay tweeted, “12 July 2016 was an interesting day. I, with Justices Carpio & Jardeleza, went to Malacanang to explain to the President the decision in Phils. v. China. I received the decision by email from the tribunal. The President that we briefed was Rodrigo Duterte and his full cabinet.”

July 12, 2016 was the day the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague released the decision on the case the Philippine government filed against China on Jan. 22, 2013, when the president was Benigno Aquino III.

The Philippines asked the Tribunal to rule on three basic issues: the validity of China’s nine-dash line map; low tide elevations (rocks or reefs that can be seen only during low tide and disappear during high tide) where China has built permanent structures should be declared as forming part of the Philippine Continental shelf (200 nautical mile); and the waters outside the 12 nautical miles surrounding the Panatag Island (Scarbourough shoal) should be declared as part of the Philippines 200 nautical mile economic exclusive zone.

Why Duterte coddles Faeldon

Published by Ellen on May 20, 2018

President Duterte’s undiminished confidence on former Customs Chief Nicanor Faeldon even after 604 kilos of shabu worth P6.4 billion got passed his bureau’s watch and ended up in a Bulacan warehouse has been puzzle to many.

Duterte’s lack of outrage over the incompetence of Faeldon and his men rendered his war against drugs which has claimed the lives of some 20,000 suspected drug addicts and pushers a farce.

Not only did he not sanction Faeldon and his associates, he appointed them to other important government positions.

Pres. Duterte at the christeninng of the child of OCD Deputy Administrator Nicanor
Faeldon in April 2018.Photo from DuterteToday

Aside from loans, what support can Xi Jinping give Duterte?

Published by Ellen on May 18, 2018

Pres. Duterte and Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping in Beijing, Oct. 2016.

President Duterte takes pride in his being smart in matters of geopolitics. After all, as he more than once told his captive audience, he is a graduate of Foreign Service at the Lyceum University.

Recently, however, he revised it to just say he took up foreign service after he was exposed not to be in the list of those who graduated from Lyceum with a degree in foreign service.

Last Tuesday he again demonstrated his expertise in geopolitics belittling the United States for having “lost its will to fight.”

Duterte’s achievements

Published by Ellen on May 15, 2018

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced last week that President Duterte’s State of the Nation address on July 23 will follow a new format where he will be talking to the people on matters close to his heart.
He will not be enumerating his achievements, Roque said, adding that that would be done at a separate occasion.

“So iyong mga achievement, siguro may mga ibang pagkakataon nang isa-isahin iyan,” he said.

Critics of Duterte immediately retorted on social media: “What achievements?”

Aba,marami. Plenty, plenty.

Sereno ouster jolts a complacent public

Published by Ellen on May 13, 2018

Democracy in the Philippines did not die last Friday.

It was beaten up and trampled upon by President Rodrigo Duterte through his Solicitor General Jose Calida and executed by the eight justices of the Supreme Court (remember the names: Noel Tijam, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Samuel Martires, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo, Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta and Francis Jardeleza) but we deeply value democratic values we will not let them kill it just like that.

What happened last Friday when the eight justices blatantly violated the Constitution they were sworn to uphold and ousted Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno, whom Duterte publicly tagged as “enemy’” last April and declared that she be “out of the Supreme Court” was not a surprise but it was still traumatic.

Benham Rise trip: Duterte’s latest comedy act

Published by Ellen on April 30, 2018

China builds a monument on Kagitingan Reef that the Philippines claims as part of its territory in South China Sea and President Duterte announces he will sail to Benham Rise, an underwater plateau east of Luzon that has been declared part of the country’s extended continental shelf, to show the world that he will die for a land mass that is not even part of Philippine territory.

In his speech before the Free Masons at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City April 26, Duterte again justified his selling out to China based on mistaken assumptions.

Pres. Duterte shares a light moment with his special assistant Bong Go,House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on the sidelines of the 102nd Annual Communication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Free and Accepted Mason in the Philippines at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City, April 26, 2018.Malacañang photo by Joey Dalumpines.

A lawyer-blogger’s view on the quo warranto petition vs Sereno

Published by Ellen on April 22, 2018

A lawyer-friend who goes by the name of “saxnviolins” in my blog sent me a helpful brief on the petition for quo warranto filed before the Supreme Court by Solicitor General Jose Calida to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno.

Saxnviolins said had he been invited to be amicus curiae (friend of the Court) on quo warranto petition, he would have submitted the following opinion:

Duterte’s threat helps ICC build case against him

Published by Ellen on April 17, 2018

Pres. Duterte threatens to arrest ICC prosecutor Bensouda in his speech at the Davao International Airport upon his arrival from China April 16. Malacañang photo by Arman Baylon.

President Duterte’s incessant rants against Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of the International Criminal Court betray how deeply the communication submitted by lawyer Jude Sabio, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo Partylist) has stung him.

He has reasons to worry about the ICC examination which Bensouda announced last February.

His situation now is like a person having stepped on a quicksand. He is panicking. The more he moves to get out, the deeper he gets stuck.

Last Friday, upon his arrival from Hongkong and Boao, China, he resumed his tirade against Bensouda without being asked about her nor about the ICC. The question was about Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

VERA Files to help fight spread of fake news in Facebook

Published by Ellen on April 13, 2018

Facebook Thursday announced the launch its third-party fact-checking program in the Philippines with VERA Files and Rappler.

(Disclosure: I’m a trustee and writer of VERA Files, a group that takes a a deeper look into current Philippine issues.)

As the Facebook announcement stated, the third-party fact-checking program is aimed at helping combat false news from spreading on Facebook.

“These partners have been certified through a non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network and will review news stories on Facebook, check their facts, and rate their accuracy.

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