ellen tordesillas – Page 334 – Making life worth living.

Romy and Tom

Published by Ellen on February 3, 2008

Malacañang has Romy Neri by the balls and that’s why the former economic planning secretary is so afraid to face the Senate where he could be compelled to reveal the role of Gloria Arroyo in the scandalously overpriced telecommunications deal with China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Ltd. (ZTE).

A source said before Neri appeared in the Senate, Malacañang emissaries told him that he could talk about the deal up to the level of former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, but he could not implicate Gloria Arroyo and her husband Mike. If he did, details about his “Brokeback Mountain” affair would find their way to media.

The source said the main character in Malacañang’s “Brokeback Mountain” blackmail on Neri is named “Tom.” Some have started talking about a government official’s “La Loma” lover, referring to a district in Manila notorious for its gay bars.

Pare-parehong mga buwaya

Published by Ellen on February 2, 2008

Hopeless talaga itong ating Kongreso. Ang kakapal ng mukha. Pare-pareho bata at matanda.

Lalo pa itong mga anak ni Gloria Arroyo na si Mikey, representative ng Pampanga, at si Dato, representative ng Camarines Sur. Kasama nila ang kanilang tiyo na si Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, representative ng Negros Occidental.

Bakit ba gusto ipatanggal ng mag-anak na Arroyo si Jose de Venecia bilang speaker. Hindi dahil sa prinsipyo. Kungdi dahil sa hindi niya nirendahan ang anak na si Joey de Venecia sa pagbulgar ng papel ng tatay niyang si Mike Arroyo sa kurakutan sa NBN/ZTE deal kung saan ang $129 million (dolyar yan ha) na deal ay naging $329 million.

Accuser and judge

Published by Ellen on February 2, 2008

Straight from Esperon’s mouth: aside from eliminating the New People’s Army, he wants the trial for the 28 officers he accused of mutiny for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006 finished.

Esperon said this in an interview at ANC. Esperon said that the officers should be punished for what they did.

This is precisely what is wrong with the special general court martial no. 2 trying the case of Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 26 other officers for the February 2006 allegations. This is what the officers have been complaining about: it’s a kangaroo court. And Esperon’s interview at ANC confirmed it.

Defiance as tool for justice

Published by Ellen on February 1, 2008

Col. Ariel Querubin was running a high fever this morning but Col. Arnulfo Marcos. commander of the Custodial Management Unit attempted to forcefully bring him to Camp Aguiinaldo to attend hearing. Take note of Querubin’s medal of valor beside him. When an officer wears his medal of Valor, even the President salutes him.

Col Orlando de leon shows his bruises from the scuffle with custodians who also wanted to forcibly being him to Camp Aguinaldo.

Court martial hearing for the 28 officers accused of mutiny in connection with the February 2006 alleged plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo was again cancelled when the seven officers that got notice of hearing refused to attend unless the whole batch of 28 accused would participate in the hearings.

Tension ensued in Camp Capinpin in Tanay ( where four of the seven officers are detained) when custodians tried to forcibly bring the accused to Camp Aguinaldo where the hearing was held. In the end, the accused had their way. (I‘ll write more about this tomorrow. I’m tired!).

The detained officers issued the following statement:

Justice and due process

Para sa malayang pamamahayag

Published by Ellen on January 30, 2008

Sa mga reporter na gustong sumali sa dalawang demanda na isinampa noong isang araw para maprotektahan ang malayang pamamahayag, maari pa kayong sumali. Pwede pang ihabol ang inyong pangalan.

Dalawa ang isinampang kaso noong Lunes. Isa sa Supreme Court at isa sa Makati Regional Trial Court. Magkakaibang mga petitioners pero pareho ang pakay: pangangalagaan ang press freedom na nakasaad sa Constitution.

Isa lang ang pwedeng salian. Hindi pwedeng pumirma sa dalawa kung hindi mababale wala ang kaso dahil sa forum shopping.

Launching a bestseller

Published by Ellen on January 29, 2008

Elmer and Emerson have decided to give 15 per cent of their royalty from the sales of “Pulutan” to Philippine Military Academy Development Fund Inc. (PDFI) and 10 per cent to PMA Class 2000, where they belong.

“Pulutan” in China, courtesy of Jug

If you happen to be in the area of Makati Commercial Center tomorrow early afternoon, drop by at Powerbooks in Greenbelt4. The authors of “Pulutan: from the Soldiers’ Kitchen”, Elmer Cruz and Emerson Rosales, will be meeting editors and columnists and will be available for book signing.

PNP has a new script: Faeldon may have posed as PLDT line man

Published by Ellen on January 29, 2008

Update:PNP admits video can’t pin down PLDY union head

PLDT unionist denies helping Faeldon escape

The PNP has revised its script that a female reporter helped Faeldon escape by giving him a media ID. Now, they are raising a possibility that Faeldon may have posed as a PLDT lineman after they noticed a man in a lineman’s uniform in the Manila Peninsula last Nov. 29.

ABS-CBN story:

PLDT tags union boss in video during siege at The Pen

Huwag talian ang kamay ng mga doktor

Published by Ellen on January 28, 2008

Naintindihan ko ang posisyon ng Philippine Medical Association, ang organisasyon ng mga doctor sa Pilipinas, sa kanilang protesta sa probisyon sa House Bill 2844 , ang bersyon ng mababang kapulungan sa Cheaper Medicines bill kung saan hindi lamang na required ang mga doctor sulatin ang generic name ng gamot kung di pinagbabawal ang pagreseta ng mga doctor ng brand ng gamot.

Ang bersyon ng Senado na sinusulong ni Sen. Mar Roxas ay walang ganoong probisyon.

Sinusuportahan ng Head Alliance for Democracy and posisyon ng mga doctor.

Media fights back

Published by Ellen on January 28, 2008

PROBE TV Banta laban sa malayang pamamahayag: http://www.probetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=f914b95a0fc33c3f33bf

Click here to my MediaMax file to read the full text of the two complaints. Titles are “media complaint filed with Makati RTC” and “Prohibition petition filed with SC” .

More than a hundred journalists and four media organizations today filed two separate suits against officials of the Arroyo administration including the Philippine National Police to be allowed to do their job of informing the people the truth about what is happening in the country.

In the first suit, filed before the Makati Regional Trial Court Court, the petitioners were immediately granted a temporary restraining order against the respondents “to refrain and desist from issuing threats of arrests or from implementing such threats againsts Plaintiffs and/or members of the media who are covering events similar to the Manila Pen standoff and ordering and maintaining the status quo ….until the issues presented inthis instant suit are resolved by teh Court.”

The second suit was filed before the Supreme Court.

Police vs media

Published by Ellen on January 28, 2008

PROBE TV Banta Laban sa malayang pamamahayag :

http://www.probetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=f914b95a0fc33c3f33bf

Today’s Inquirer editorial

The articulate secretary of the cabinet, Ricardo Saludo, has taken the Inquirer to task for allegedly “misreporting” on a statement he issued the other day and perpetrating “occasional but prominent distortions” in our headlines.

His original statement, one of several he issued on Jan. 24, dealt with the current vexed relationship between the police and media; it is short enough to reproduce in full: “The front pages and the airwaves are not the places to resolve the issue of safely covering conflict situations, and any allegations of civilian misconduct during the Manila Peninsula uprising. Both sides should discuss guidelines to ensure public safety in media coverage of dangerous events. And let due process, not trial by publicity, be applied to any evidence and charges of unlawful acts during the uprising.”

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