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Agawan sa matatabang magagatasan

Published by Ellen on November 4, 2009

Noong Martes, nabulaga tayo sa balita na nag-resign ang hepe ng Bureau of Internal Revenue na si Sixto Esquivias IV na tinanggap naman kaagad ni Gloria Arroyo.

Ang nakakagulat kasi sa balita ay ang pag-amin ni Esquivas na hindi niya natupad ang target nilang koleksyun ng buwis. Kaya sa pakiramdam diya, bagsak ang performance grade niya.

Desente tao itong si Esquivas. Ang ibang opisyal ng gobyerno kahit palpak, kapit tuko pa rin. Tingnan mo si Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. Nagkalat ang kurap sa gobyerno. Garapalan ang mga anomalya ng mga taga-Malacañang, wala nakukulong na malalaking isda.

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Joining Chiz odyssey

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2009

(This is Lito Banayo’s last column for Malaya as he would be Sen. Chiz Escudero’s campaign manager in the latter’s presidential bid in the 2010 elections.)

by Lito Banayo
Malaya

The surprise decision of Chiz Escudero to resign from the NPC was finalized in his mind and in his heart only on Tuesday morning, the day before he was expected to rally the troops at the Bahay ng Alumni of the University of the Philippines. A simple but emotionally rousing event had been planned to begin at 5:30 on Wednesday afternoon. After a quick lunch at his informal campaign headquarters, the cozy Taste of L.A. along Alejandro Roces St., conveniently two hundred meters away from his small townhouse unit in New Manila, the decision to resign was firmed up with heavy heart.

There was absolutely no rancour in his heart towards anyone in the party hierarchy. But clear positions and personal principles could not be viewed sceptically by the public because of present company. Present company are old and genuine friends — conscientious legislators with their constituents’ interest principal to them, with a loyal voter following brought about by years of good service. But in the larger view of the national interest at a time when public despair and despondency threaten to break the polity up, new solutions and fresh ideas, this amorphously defined cry for “Pagbabago” (Change), needed positing. And solutions offered had to go beyond motherhood statements, but specific stand on various policy issues.

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Trouble in the DFA

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2009

There’s a brewing tension in what is traditionally a sedate world of foreign service that threatens to blow into the face Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.

Last Friday, Assistant Secretary Victoria Bataclan was told that she has been relieved as assistant secretary for European Affairs. No reason was given.

The Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Malaya gave the lame excuse that just like the military foreign service personnel are given different assignments in the course of their careers.

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11 cleared officers walk out of detention

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2009

by Victor Reyes
Malaya

Cleared and free
Cleared and free

The Armed Forces yesterday released from detention 11 Army and Marines officers who were recently cleared of mutiny charges in connection with an alleged plan to overthrow the Arroyo government in February 2006.

The release order was signed on October 30 by Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, AFP vice chief who was acting chief at that time. AFP chief Gen. Victor Ibrado was then in Hawaii attending a meeting of armed forces chiefs in the Pacific.

Maclang consulted Ibrado before signing the order.

Continue reading11 cleared officers walk out of detention

Saradong pag-iisip sa Comelec

Published by Ellen on November 2, 2009

Palagi sinasabi ng mga hindi sang-ayon sa ginawa ng Magdalo na sundalo sa Oakwood noong Hulyo 2003 at sa Manila Peninsula noong Nobiembre 2007 na kung ayaw mo ng palakad ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, tumakbo kayo sa eleksyun.

Ganun nga ang ginawa ni dating Ltsg Antonio Trillanes IV noong 2007 na eleksyun at laking gulat ng lahat na nanalo siya kahit hindi nakakulong siya at hindi siya gumastos ng malaki katulad ng marami sa sa kandidato ng administrasyun na natalo naman.

Talagang gusto ng mga dating sundalo na ito na makilahok sa pagpatakbo ng pamahalaan para maipatupad nila ang pagbabago na kanilang ninanasa para sa bayan kaya sila nag-apply ang kanilang grupo, ang Samahang Magdalo sa Commission on Elections para maisali sa partylist at makatakbo sa eleksyun ang kanilang mga kandidato.

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Ala-ala ng mga sumakabilang buhay

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2009

Bilang Kristiyano, naniniwala tayo sa buhay sa langit kapag namatay tayo dito sa lupa.

Hindi natin alam kung ano klaseng komunidad ang nandun sa langit dahil wala naman tayong nakausap personal na galing doon ngunit ako ay naniniwala na ang paglisan natin dito sa mundo ay hindi katapusan na ng buhay.

Noong necrological services kay Haydee Yorac, ang respetadong abogada na naging commissioner ng Commission on Elections at chairperson ng Presidential Commission on Good Government, sinabi ko na kapag panahon ko na, hahanapin so siya doon sa itaas.

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Palparan, yes; Magdalo, no

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2009

Former Air Force 1st Lt Ashley Acedillo, Magdalo spokesman
Former Air Force 1st Lt Ashley Acedillo, Magdalo spokesman
The Comelec gave accreditation as partylist to dubious groups represented by people close to Malacañang yet they denied the application of Samahang Magdalo based on their paranoia and misconception of the group.

In denying the group’s accreditation, Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said that “the principal founders of the Magdalo Para Sa Pagbabago Party remain unrepentant and that they still harbor the propensity to engage in another illegal adventure similar to the failed 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, should they again fail to achieve their goal — this time with the use of the political party that they are now applying for accreditation and which may very well be used by them to recruit and indoctrinate disciplined followers which may become their blind followers.”

The Magdalo group today assailed the denial of the application as party list as “unfair, defective, myopic and shortsighted”

Continue readingPalparan, yes; Magdalo, no

On his own

Published by Ellen on October 29, 2009

Chiz announcing his resignation from NPC
Chiz announcing his resignation from NPC
The decision of Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero to bolt from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the party that nurtured his political career the past 11 years, has introduced a new moral element in the campaign.

It showed a young candidate, without the logistics – from family treasure chest or from business earnings or from government resources – to subsidize a national campaign which election experts say could cost P3 billion, daring to go direct to the people to bring his message of reforms in governance.

He gave three reasons in his speech but what interested me was the second:”Sinumang tatakbo o magiging Pangulo ng bansa, hindi pwedeng magawa ang mga dapat niyang gawin ng naka-kadena ang aking mga kamay at paa, naka-piring ang aking mga mata at may busal ang aking bibig. At lalong di dapat mag desisyon base sa dinidikta ng interes ng iisang grupo, partido o tao lamang. Kung gusto nating umunlad at guminhawa hindi na pwede ang dating gawi. Kung hindi… papaano niya halimbawa, isusulong ang pagpapanagot sa tiwali; pork barrel; ambassador; contractualization; bodyguard; oil deregulation law; Pagcor.

Continue readingOn his own