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Asean summit cancellation fallout

Published by Ellen on December 14, 2006

Dec. 15, 2006, 4 p.m.

Marciano Paynor, head of the 12th Asean summit organizing committee,said today the Asean leaders have responded they will be attending the meeting in January. Click here for full story.

Related story: Malaysia urges leaders to attend reset Asean and Asia summit
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Foreign affairs officials this morning met with ambassadors of Southeast Asian countries and gave them the letter of Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo proposing a new date for the 12th Asean Leaders summit which is Jan. 10 to 15, 2007.

The latter also requested that the answer be given in a week.

Malacañang and DFA officials continue to maintain that it was “weather disturbance” that caused the cancellation of the summit. An Associated Press report said it was the terrorist plot.

Gloria Arroyo backs off from Cha-Cha now

Published by Ellen on December 14, 2006

O, anong say nyo, ayaw na rin ni Gloria Arroyo ang charter change ngayon. Statement of the President On Charter Change I commend the decision…

Court martial against against 30 officers did not push through

Published by Ellen on December 14, 2006

Following is Victor Reyes’ account of the postponed arraigment yesterday for Malaya:

CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – A military tribunal on Thursday failed to arraign dozens of officers linked to the failed February coup after the proceedings were marred by legal wrangling,

Lawyer Vicente Verdadero questioned the constitution of the general court martial as soon as he was introduced by the plot’s alleged leader, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, as his counsel.

Verdadero told the court, headed by Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, that his appearance does not mean that the defense recognizes the validity of the court.

Illegal grandstanding?

Published by Ellen on December 14, 2006

If Senate president Manuel Villar or Sen. Ping Lacson or actor Rez Cortez go on stage during a rally for peace on Sunday, they will be arrested. That’s according to the strange order of Reynaldo Varilla, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office of the Philippine National Police.

For what crime, only Varilla knows.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Varilla as having said,”There will be no political speeches and no movie personalities onstage. The organizers will run the show. If they (movie stars and politicos) will insist and thigs get messy, we will do our thing and arrest them a per request of the organizers.

Balimbingan na

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2006

Sa “Strictly Politics” ni Pia Hontiveros sa ANC noong Martes ng gabi, sinabi ni Ronald Llamas, secretary general ng Akbayan na may natanggap silan “feelers” mula sa ilang kapi kay Gloria Arroyo na gusto nilang sumali sa rally sa linggo na inu-organize ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Sinabi rin ni Ronald na may nagsabi rin na gusto raw sumali ni Gloria Arroyo.

Tinanong ni Pia si Ramon “Boy Blue” del Rosario, Jr. , chairman ng Makati Business Club, na nagsabing pupunta rin sila sa Luneta rally, kung gusto nila makasama doon si GMA, sabi ni Boy Blue, “I don’t think it’s prudent” (Hindi siguro maganda at ligtas).

Comedy of errors

Published by Ellen on December 12, 2006

Last Monday’s session of the House of Representatives was a comedy of errors starring Rep. Emilio Espinosa (NPC, Masbate).

Last Monday’s session was most awaited because the public wanted to see what would happen after last Saturday’s press conference of House Speaker Jose de Venecia and 25 congressmen where they announced they were backing out of the Senate-less Constituent Assembly they brazenly railroaded last week.

Before that surprise but welcome withdrawal, last Monday’s session was supposed to be devoted to election of the presiding officer and formulation of rules for the unconstitutional exercise that was to come the next day because they wanted the amendments to the Constitution by the weekend (Dec. 15) so that a plebiscite could be held on Feb. 12, 2007 to shift to a parliamentary system of government immediately after.

Querubin asks CA to stop AFP ‘kangaroo court’

Published by Ellen on December 12, 2006

From today’s Malaya:

BRANDING the military court as nothing more than a “kangaroo court,” detained Marine Col. Ariel Querubin yesterday asked the Court of Appeals to suspend court martial proceedings on December 14 against him and 29 other officers who were linked to an alleged coup attempt last Feb. 24.

In a 18-page petition for certiorari and prohibition, Querubin asked the appellate court to issue a temporary restraining order on the special general court martial created by Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.

“Petitioner and his co-respondent officers would surely not be afforded fair trial by the respondent court martial, as the person who shall ultimately review and approve the latter’s decision, is no less than their principal accuser-witness and who, in his various pronouncements, already made up his mind about the guilt of herein petitioner and his co-respondent officers that no proofs to the contrary presented by the petitioner shall persuade him to rule otherwise,” he said through counsel Rodrigo Artuz.

Bishop Tobias calls on soldiers

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2006

Following article by Marie A. Surbano is from today’s issue of the Daily Tribune.

A bishop started the political-moral ball rolling as he flung the first challenge to the Philippine soldiery to defend the Constitution that he said is today under attack by the Arroyo government.

Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias, an outspoken senior bishop-critic of President Arroyo and her administration, yesterday openly called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to perform its bounden duty to defend the Constitution and protect the Filipino people from the machinations of Mrs. Arroyo and her allies in the House of Representatives in their multiple immoral plots to amend the Charter and thereby ensure that their selfish vested interests would be protected.

“The soldiers, the Armed Forces, are sworn to protect the people and to defend the Constitution,” the bishop said, justifying his call as legal and constitutional, stressing that “Today, the Constitution is being ravaged in the interest of private individuals. We should be dependent on this (constitutional duty of the AFP to correct this wrong) and I ask them (military) to help the people,” the Novaliches bishop told reporters during a press briefing yesterday after the Mass held at the St. Peter’s Parish in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

Opposition renews call for snap election

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2006

From today’s issue of Malaya:

The United Opposition yesterday renewed its call for a presidential snap election coinciding with the May 14 elections because it said the Arroyo administration no longer enjoys a mandate from the people.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, UNO president, said the postponement of the Asean summit in Cebu and the backing off by the House from its Constitutional Assembly plan were clear indications that President Arroyo and her allies now realize they no longer enjoy support from the majority of the people.

Binay said this should be more than enough reason for the President and the majority in the House to resign.

Nabaon sa sariling hukay

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2006

Nakakatawa panoorin itong zarzuela nina Gloria Arroyo at JDV .

Dapat kahapon nag-miting ang mga majority congressman at sinabi ni House Assistant Majority Leader Abraham “Baham” Mitra na sasabihin daw nila kay House Speaker Jose de Venecia na hindi pwedeng isulong ang Charter Change na wala ang Senado.

Bakit ngayon lang naiisip yan ni Mitra? Bakit hindi niya naiisip yan ng dalawang gabing magdamagan pinaglaban ng mga iilang minority congressman ang Constitution?

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