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Taguba in no position to clear Paolo and Mans

Published by Ellen on September 3, 2017

26-year old customs broker Mark Taguba at the Senate hearing Aug. 31.

Last Friday, 26-year old customs broker Mark Taguba, through lawyer Raymond Fortun, released the following statement:

“I have been informed of the circulation of fake news that have been deviously spread on social media relative to my testimony at the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing of the Philippine Senate yesterday (31st august 2017).

“I wish to categorically make it clear that:

1) I had never testified, nor will I ever testify that Vice-Mayor Paolo Dterte and/or Atty. Manse Crpio were involved in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country. Neither have i testified, nor will I ever testify that the aforementioned individuals were involved in the “tara system” that was in-place at the Bureau of Customs.

2) The names of Vice-Mayor Duterte and/or Atty. Manases Carpio were merely mentioned by the “Davao group” whose direct contacts to me were ‘Tita nannie’ and ‘Jack’. As I had repeatedly stated before Congress and the Senate, the alleged involvement of the aforementioned individuals are hearsay in nature.

3) At no time have I met either Vice-Mayor Dterte or Atty. Carpio in person, much less discuss any illegal transaction at the bureau of customs with them.

4) To this day, I contest that the container that my company caused to be released on May 24,2017 contained the 605 kilograms of shabu. As I have repeatedly testified, the contents of the container (otherwise known as the “packing list”) which was duly certified to be correct by the port of Xiamen under the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement will reflect that it only contained general household items and not the five (5) cylinders where the shabu was discovered.

“I am making this statement to clear Vice-mayor Paolo Duterte and Atty. Manse Carpio from any involvement in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country, and any anomalies in the Bureau of Customs. I also hereby apologize to Vice-Mayor Duterte, Atty. Carpio and to the first family for the proliferation of fake news arising out of my testimony at the senate yesterday.”

Blue Ribbon committee becomes ‘Comite de absuelto’- Trillanes

Published by Ellen on August 31, 2017

It was obvious in Thursday’s Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on the 604 kilos of shabu that slipped through the watch of the Bureau of Customs under then Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, that Committee Chair Sen. Richard Gordon does not want the truth to come out since the trail was leading to the direction of the Davao Group which allegedly involves not only presidential son and Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte but also presidential son-in-law lawyer Mans Carpio.

During the hearing, it was very noticeable that Gordon was soft on Davao Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera, a very good friend of Paolo, who admitted having met Customs broker Mark Taguba and a certain Jack in a restaurant in Davao City.

Taguba claimed that in the Davao meeting, he gave P5 million to Abellera as “enrolment fee” for the Davao group that facilitates release of shipment at the Bureau of Customs. He gave the money in Abellera’s car after they had lunch. They again met in the evening at a restobar.

Taguba said Abellera complained about another customs broker who reneged on their agreement. The councilor denied Taguba’s narration of the meeting saying they met only in the evening.He also denied receiving money from Taguba.

The reason for the Davao meeting of Customs broker Mark Taguba Davao City Councilor Noli “Small” Abellera.

Who the Filipinos trust most

Published by Ellen on August 30, 2017

Filipinos’ trust in the government dramatically increased in the past two years as church and media, two institutions often lambasted by President Duterte, continued to be regarded highly by the public.

These were part of the findings of the survey conducted by the EON Group from March to April 2017 on the levels and drivers of trust among 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above.

The PTI survey, which EON started in 2012, covered six institutions- Academe, Business, Church, Government, Media, and Non-Government Organizations. All institutions improved its trust ratings with government posting a record leap of 30 percent from 2015’s low trust rating of 50 percent to a high of 80 percent this year.

The Charlie Tan- Paolo Duterte connection

Published by Ellen on August 28, 2017

Once again, we are seeing proof of the saying that truth will find its way out, however one tries to block it.

We are referring to the Paolo Duterte- Charlie Tan drug connection.

Paolo is the son of President Duterte and is the vice mayor of Davao City. Charlie Tan, according to news reports, is a Taiwanese businessman who does a lot of business in Davao.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s privilege speech last Wednesday on the corruption at the Bureau of Customs was indeed explosive. As Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said, Lacson’s speech “has exposed more actionable information regarding corruption in BOC compared to Sen. Richard Gordon’s endless hours of monologue and one-man show hearings.”

Sen. Ping Lacson delivering his expose of corruption in the Bureau of Customs. Photo from pinglacson.net

Nami-miss ko ang yumaong Sen. Miriam Santiago

Published by Ellen on August 26, 2017

Naala-ala nyo ang litrato na ito na siyang nagpasikat kay Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre? Kuha noon impeachment trial ni noon ay Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona noong Pebrero. 2012.

Tanong ni Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II sa hearing ng Senado noong Huwebes tungkol sa pagpatay sa 17-taong gulang na si Kian Delos Santos sa Caloocan noong Agosto 17:“Anong difference ng mga batang pinatay ng adik sa pinatay na bata ng mga pulis?”

Kung yung hindi malalim ang pag-intindi ng batas ang nagtanong niyan, mapagpasensyahan natin. Ngunit si Aguirre ay hindi basta-basta abogado lang. Justice Secretary siya. Siya ang adviser ng Pangulo para mapatupad ang hustisya sa bansa.

Sa salaysay ng mga nakakita ng pangyayari noong gabi ng Agosto 17 at sa resulta ng autopsy, kinaladkad ng tatlong pulis si Kian, grade 11 sa Our Lady of Lourdes Senior Highschool sa Valenzuela, mga pasado alas-otso ng gabi pagkatapos niya magsara ng tindahan.

Text messages bring P6.4 billion shabu scandal closer to Paolo Duterte

Published by Ellen on August 23, 2017

Screeshot of ext messages between Tita Nani and Marc Taguba from Taguba’s mobile phone presented at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

Paolo Duterte’s name cropped up once again in Tuesday’s Senate hearing on the 604 kilos of shabu worth P6.4 billion that slipped through the watch of the Bureau of Customs last May.

Paolo Duterte,vice mayor of Davao City is the son of President Duterte. His name appeared in a text message between customs broker Mark Taguba and a certain “Tita Nani”, said to be also “brokering” between brokers and the powerful groups that make things happen at the BOC. Taguba mentioned also the name of Davao City councillor Nilo “Small” Abellera, known to very close to Paolo.

Here are the relevant portions of the transcript of yesterday’s hearing:

Outrage at Kian’s wake: Lawmakers, rights activists denounce Duterte’s war on drugs

Published by Ellen on August 22, 2017

Please click here for VERA Files’ photo essay

By Arianne Christian Tapao and Ellen T. Tordesillas, VERA Files
Photos by Arianne Christian Tapao

A neighbor of the de los Santos family lights a candle as the protest march passes by.

Usually on opposing sides, supporters and critics of President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs have joined the chorus of condemnation over the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos and called for an investigation of police abuse that has resulted in “unnecessary deaths” in the anti-narcotics campaign.

As rain poured on Barangay 160, Caloocan City on Aug. 21, groups led by ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio and BAYAN Secretary General Renato Reyes condemned during a candle-lighting ceremony the killing by police of the Grade 11 student.

Justice Carpio sounds alarm on latest Chinese seizure of PH territory

Published by Ellen on August 20, 2017

South China Sea features. Encircled ffeatures show Pag-asa (Thitu) and Sandy Cay

While the public was engrossed with the scandal of how 605 kilos of shabu from China worth P6.5 billion slipped through the Bureau of Custom and being entertained with the Bautista vs Bautista family feud with a cameo role by President Duterte, a chunk of Philippine territory was being taken over by China.

China occupied Mischief Reef in 1995, took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. This time it’s Sandy Cay, 2.5 nautical miles from Pagasa, the largest of the eight features occupied by the Philippines.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio has sounded the alarm on the presence of Chinese frigates in the area of Sandy Cay and laid out its implications:

‘Tama na po! May test pa ako bukas!’

Published by Ellen on August 19, 2017

Kolumn ko ito sa Abante.

Screen grab of CCTV image. From ABS-CBN.

Anong klaseng tao itong mga pulis na walang habag na pinagbabaril ang 17-taong gulang na si Kian de los Santos habang nagmamakaawa, “Tama na po! May test pa ako bukas!”

Ito ba talaga ang sinasabing kailangan maka-quota and mga pulis kaya kahit sino na lang bibitbitin nila at pagpapatayin at sabihing drug pusher?

Gustong kung magmura ng “Putang Ina mo Duterte” ngunit hindi ko gagawin yun dahil ayaw kung maging katulad niya na wala nang lumalabas sa bunganga niya kungdi mura. Ibig sabihin noon ganun din lang ang laman ng utak niya at puro lason ang nasa puso niya.

Ayaw ko rin na idamay pa ang nanay niya sa kahindik-hindik na pinag-gagawa niya sa bansa. Hindi naman tama yun.

The tragedy of a numbed citizenry

Published by Ellen on August 19, 2017

Senator Grace Poe at the hearing of LTFRB’s suspension of UBER operations.

I seriously doubt if this bill by Angat Tayo Party List Rep. Neil Abayon will prosper into law and if it could be implemented. But it’s good enough because it is a recognition of government officials’ incompetence and ignorance of the situation on the ground.

House Bill 6195 authored by Abayon requires elected and appointed public officials with the rank or equivalent of division chief to department secretary to ride public land transport to and from work and for official business at least once every calendar month during weekday rush hours.

The purpose of the bill is in order for government officials to gain “personal, first-hand experience “and “real world perspective” about riding in public transport in this country.

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