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Lim reiterates Oakwood agreement

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2007

Update: Agreement not binding: Esperon

That’s the big difference between an honorable officer and a dishonorable one. Click here for full story in Inquirer.

In his 30 minute testimony at the hearing this morning, Brig. Gen. Lim reiterated that the agreement forged between representatives of the government and the Magdalo officers was binding because it was approved by Gloria Arroyo.

The agreement was soldiers would surrender but only five of the core leaders would be charged in a military and for the rest to return to barracks. The five are Ltsg Antonio Trillanes IV, Ltsg James Layug, Capt. Gerardo Gambala, Capt. Milo Maestrocampo and Capt. Gary Alejano.

There were also reforms in the military that the rebel junior officers wanted to be investigated. Those were never done.

Pimentel to keep media out of courtoom till case promulgation

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2007

Journalists will be banned from covering the trial of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and 25 other Magdalo soldiers on mutiny charges inside the sala of Makati Judge Oscar Pimentel until the case has been promulgated.

Capt. Carlo Ferrer, public information officer of the Armed Forces’ National Capital Command, relayed Pimentel’s directive to journalists gathered at the corridor of the 14th floor of the Makati courthouse to cover the resumption of the trial this morning. He said the case may be promulgated before the end of December.

Ferrer, who has allowed journalists to move a few meters closer to Pimentel’s sala, would not say how many soldiers have been fielded to secure today’s proceedings. Two armored personnel carriers have been stationed at the Makati City Hall premises.

Lim testimony resumes today; security tight

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2007

The trial of the 26 Magdalo soldiers led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for their participation in the so-called Oakwood mutiny in 2003 resumes in about an hour.

Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, whose testimony last Nov. 29 was abruptly cut short when the accused walked out of Makati Judge Oscar Pimentel’s courtroom and proceeded to the Manila Peninsula Hotel to call for the withdrawal of support for the Arroyo administration, will be back at the witness stand.

The government is not taking any chances, fielding more than a thousand soldiers from the Army and Air Force in addition to police personnel to make sure there will be no Manila Peninsula standoff redux. Soldiers are posted as far as Buendia Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, a good distance from the courthouse on J. P. Rizal Road.

Pimentel’s report on Trillanes, Lim et al

Published by Ellen on December 10, 2007

This is a must see! Click on highlighted line below. trillanes_presentation.ppt Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr’s report on his visit to the Crame Custodial Center where…

A People on Standby

Published by Ellen on December 10, 2007

by Enteng Romano
Convenor, Black and White Movement

As soon as the Manila Pen siege was over, there was a flurry of pronouncements from just about every political group as well as personalities from both sides of the political divide. Invariably, the statements depicted Trillanes and Lim as misguided, military adventurists, rebels, criminals, or arrogant fools for repeating the same mistakes in Oakwood and in 2006. At best, some would say they sympathized with Trillanes’ and Lim’s cause, but did not agree with their methods.

But why did they have to wait until the standoff was over before they spoke their minds? Simple. They weren’t really sure about how the incident would turn out and they didn’t want to be caught with their feet in their mouths just in case Trillanes et al prevailed.

Ang laban ng Sumilao farmers

Published by Ellen on December 10, 2007

Dapat tutukan natin itong kaso ng mga magsasaka ng Sumilao, Bukidnon na ngayon ay nasa labas ng opisina ng Department of Agrarian Reform.

Dalawang buwan naglakad ang 55 na Higaonon na magsasaka (1,700 kilomenters) mula Bukidnon hanggang Manila para lamang maipaglaban ang kanilang karapatan sa lupa na dapat nasa kanila at ngayon ay nasa San Miguel Foods Inc.

Ang kuwento ng mga Sumilao farmers ay nangyayari sa maraming bahagi ng Pilipinas. Hindi lang ito nangyayari sa Bukidnon. Ito ang kuwento ng pagkaganid ng tao. Ito ang kuwento ng mga sakim na gusto pang dagdagan ang kanilang yaman.

Reminiscing with Rene

Published by Ellen on December 9, 2007

His voice, hoarse and not yet fully recovered, Rene Saguisag’s eyes sparkled as he reminisced Dec. 7, 1982 when Marcos’ military raided the office of We Forum, the sister company of Malaya, and the subsequent legal battle for press freedom.

He shook his head sadly when the conversation touched on the Nov. 29, 2007 incident at the Manila Pen and the arrest and handcuffing of media who covered the crisis.

On the eve of his checkout from the Makati Medical Center where he was confined after surviving a vehicular accident (his wife, Dulce, died) last Nov. 8; we visited Rene to mark the 25th anniversary of the raid and closure of We Forum.

Medalla de berdugo

Published by Ellen on December 9, 2007

Sa English, may expression na “adding insult to injury”. Sinaktan na, ininsulto pa.

Yan ang dating ng Medalla de oro na binigay ng Universidad de Alcala kay Gloria Arroyo noong isang linggo sa kanyang pagiging champion raw ng human rights o karapatang pantao.

Mukhang naloko ng Philippine Ambassador to Spain na si Lani Bernardo itong Universidad de Alcala. At mukhang kulang itong universidad sa international research. Nakakapagtataka dahil madali lang naman malaman ang nakakabahalang record ni Gloria Arroyo pagdating sa karapatang pantao. Pumunta ka lang sa internet, makukuha mo na doon ang mga pangalan ng mga taong walang pakundangang pinatay, kasama na doon ang mga journalists, sa rehimen ni Gloria Arroyo.

Ex-DAR chief: “Sumilao is one case I’m certain farmers are right’

Published by Ellen on December 9, 2007

(I have neglected the Sumilao case due to other important issues. I’m catching up)

By Jerome Aning
Inquirer

The call on the government to heed the Higaonon farmers who marched for two months to dramatize their claim to a 144-hectare property in Sumilao, Bukidnon, is ringing louder, with more Church leaders and a former agrarian reform secretary joining in.

The Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines cosponsored a Mass Saturday afternoon at the farmers’ picket line at the Department of Agrarian Reform central office in Quezon City, in an effort to continue demonstrating Church support.

Shaken but not deterred

Published by Ellen on December 7, 2007

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has survived a series of scandals to hold onto her presidency

by Alan Robles
South China Morning Post

In 1997, the influential Catholic prelate, Jaime Cardinal Sin, belittled the ambition of then-senator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to run for president. He asked her disparagingly: “What would you do when there is a coup d’etat? Cry?” The cardinal, who died two years ago, couldn’t have been more wrong about the diminutive leader’s personality.

Far from being a faint-hearted, delicate creature, Mrs Arroyo has proven to be as tough as nails. And she’s needed the grit because she’s also turned out to be one of the troubled nation’s most contentious and beleaguered leaders.

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