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Duterte: a poor drug user is also a pusher

Published by Ellen on August 2, 2016

Photo by Raffy Lerma of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

A drug user who is rich is not necessarily a pusher because he has the money to buy the illegal substance. But if the drug user is poor, he is also a pusher.

That’s according to President Duterte.

In the President’s meeting with soldiers and policemen in Camp Nakar in Lucena City last July 28, he said “But a user is a pusher. Pwera na lang kung anak ka ni Ayala o ni Consunji o ni Gokongwei, ‘pag nalulong ka sa droga eh maghanap ka ng tao na isusuporta rin ang — sa bisyo mo. Then the other idiot will also contaminate and this must not happen.”

That explains why those killed (465 since Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer) were all wearing rubber slippers. Too poor to even afford shoes .

Duterte does a delicate balancing act

Published by Ellen on July 31, 2016

Duterte announces lifting of unilateral ceasefire July 29. Photo by Rene Lumawag of PPD

Last Monday, July 25, in his first State- of-the- Nation- Address, President Duterte was applauded when he declared a unilateral ceasefire in the armed conflict with the communist rebels.

He said: “To immediately stop violence on the ground, restore peace in the communities and provide enabling environment conducive to the resumption of the peace talks, I am now announcing a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP/NPA/NDF effective immediately. And call on our Filipinos in the National Democratic Front and its forces to respond accordingly.”

Before the week ended, he withdrew that headline grabbing announcement. At 7 p.m. of Saturday, July 30, Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella read the President’s statement:

Photo-journalists debunk doubts on ‘La Pieta’ picture

Published by Ellen on July 28, 2016

Proof of the greatness of a creation is the emotion that it evokes, favorable or unfavorable.

Such is the picture of Jennelyn Olaires cradling the dead body of her partner, Michael Siaron, a 30-year-old pedicab driver, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while he was waiting for passengers past midnight of July 22 in Pasay City.

Inquirer captioned the heart-wrenching photo by Raffy Lerma, “La Pieta,” after the famous sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti of the sorrowful Mary holding the dead body of Jesus.

Like Andanar, I cried listening to the President’s speech

Published by Ellen on July 26, 2016

President Rodrigo R. Duterte delivering his first State of the Nation Address at Batasang Pambansa. Photo by King Rodriguez/PPD

Press Secretary Martin Andanar, who said he cried when he read the draft of President Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address, was not being melodramatic.

I, too, cried listening to the President’s speech.

I don’t know which part made Andanar cry. As for me, it was the part when he lambasted media for likening to Michaelangelo’s “The Pieta”, the heart-wrenching photo of Jennelyn Olaires cradling the dead body of Michael Siaron, a 30-year-old pedicab driver, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while he was waiting for passengers past midnight last Friday in Pasay City.

The unidentified gunmen left a cardboard sign, “I’m a drug pusher, do not emulate me.”

This is the picture (July 24 Inquirer) that Pres. Duterte dismissed as "drama.' — This is the picture (July 24 Inquirer) that Pres. Duterte dismissed as “drama.’

Duterte gives Yasay a graceful exit

Published by Ellen on July 21, 2016

Now I see how astute President Duterte is.

He can appear to be assuring you of his trust and confidence while actually cutting your neck.

That was what his July 19 video statement released by Malacañang on the status of Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr. showed.

In the video, a very formal Duterte in barong tagalog with the emblem of the President of the Republic of the Philippine behind and in front of him, said:

How much did PH pay for foreign lawyers in case vs China?

Published by Ellen on July 21, 2016

(I did this article for VERA Files.)

The government paid $7 million in legal fees to the international team that gave the Philippines its landmark victory against China over the disputed features in the South China Sea, a member of the Philippine delegation to The Hague hearings said.

The source who asked for anonymity said the $7 million was a ceiling in lawyers’ fees the government of President Benigno Aquino III insisted on, having learned a costly lesson from the case against the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (Piatco) where, under an open-ended agreement, the lawyers’ fees reached $65 million.

The Philippines was represented in the two-and-a half year litigation by Foley Hoag LLP. The case against China was filed with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands on January 22, 2013.

Counsel for the Philippines Paul S. Reichler. Photo from Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The $7 million (P328,996,500 at P47 to $1) was the third ceiling set, more than 65 per cent higher than the original contract fee of $4,212,000 agreed upon in December 2012 by then Solicitor General and now Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza and Paul S. Reichler of Foley Hoag.

Questions remain about some senator winners in May election

Published by Ellen on July 20, 2016

Sen. Serge Osmeña. Photo by Josh Lim (Sky Harbor)

When 17th Congress opens on July 25, the Senate will have a new set of 12 legislators -winners of the senatorial race in the recent May 9 elections.

Not all are new faces in the Senate because there were re-electionists like Franklin Drilon, Tito Sotto, and Ralph Recto. There were also the balik-Senado, former senators who ran again like Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Francis Pangilinan, and Miguel Zubiri.

The first timers are boxing champ Manny Pacquiao; Risa Hontiveros, who is dubbed as the Senate’s Pia Wurtzbach because like the 2015 Miss Universe, she made it to the Senate on her third attempt; TESDAman Joel Villanueva; former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima; and former Valenzuela (1st district) Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian.

They join the 12 other senators whose term will be ending in 2019. Four of the last termers ran for vice presidebt last election but lost: Alan Peter Cayetano, Franciz Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, and Antonio Trillanes IV. One, Grace Poe, was not successful in her presidential bid.

The rest of the members of the 17th Senate are Loren Legarda,Aquilino Pimentel III, Cynthia Villar, JV Ejercito ,Sonny Angara,Bam Aquino, and Nancy Binay.

FVR wants to clarify role as special envoy to China

Published by Ellen on July 17, 2016

Former President Fidel V. Ramos with Vietnam Ambassador Truong Trieu Duong and Madame Dinh Thi Thu Huong.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos said there are some things he has to discuss with President Duterte before he agrees to be the latter’s special envoy to China.

Duterte made the announcement during a tribute to him by his fellow Bedans at Club Filipino in Greenhills last Thursday and Ramos said, “It was noisy, there was no time to talk about it.”

Ramos said he is elated by Duterte’s confidence in him for the important job of repairing relations with China especially in the wake of the humiliation that had been rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration to the Asian behemoth in the case filed by the Philippines against its nine-dash lines and other activities in the Spratlys. But he said he is 88 years old.

China avoids criticizing PH, hits Arbitral court

Published by Ellen on July 14, 2016

Take note that in China’s reaction to the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the case filed by the Philippines against its all-encompassing nine-dash-line map and its claim of maritime rights over Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys, it hit the Tribunal, not the Philippine government.

Definitely, not President Rodrigo Duterte.

If this sets the tone for post-Decision Philippine-China relations, there’s a good chance that talks on the disputed waters will achieve something positive.

Duterte had the good sense of letting Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay issue the statement who simply welcomed the decision and called for restraint and sobriety.

Yasay was heavily criticized by not looking happy over the decision that was overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines.

The South China Sea Arbitration: the Philippines’ Nicaraguan moment

Published by Ellen on July 14, 2016

The judges: Thomas A. Mensah (President), Jean-Pierre Cot, Stanislaw Pawlak, Alfred H. Soons, Rüdiger Wolfrum

By Romel Regalado Bagares

And so the Philippines has just had its Nicaraguan moment as it clinched a unanimous decision in most of its 15 arbitral claims against Chinese “Nine-Dash Line” expansionism in the South China Sea.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, in a landmark ruling released July 12 on the case In the Matter of the South China Sea Arbitration (it’s formal name, also referred to here as the Philippine Case), invalidated China’s claims over pretty much of the maritime areas in the region.

The Arbitral Court also clarified in favor of the Philippines the status of many features in the contested Spratly islands and Scarborough Shoal with both scientific and legal criteria, in relation to a resource-rich Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf.

The win recalls an earlier and similar David versus Goliath seminal ruling by an international tribunal, the case filed by Nicaragua against the United States in 1984, which was decided by the International Court of Justice in 1986. Here, the United States was sued by Nicaragua before the World Court over the former’s promotion of Low Intensity Conflict and direct military action in its territory through the mining of its harbors.

Key wins for the Philippines

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