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Cebu media experience

Published by Ellen on September 24, 2006

Media in Manila should learn from Cebu media a thing or two on cooperation.

This I saw as participant in a forum “Challenges of New Media in Governance” sponsored by the Embassy of Canada, which was part of the activities in Cebu’s Press Freedom Week last week.

On its 12th year, this year’s Press Freedom Week had for its lead convenor Cebu Daily News, an affiliate of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. CDN Publisher Eileen Mangubat was on top of the activities with the active cooperation of all Cebu journalists. There was the eminent Juan L. Mercado, founding director of the Philippine Press Institute and who now writes columns for the Inquirer, CDN and Sun Star Cebu. We met Pachico A. Seares, editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Cebu, Valeriano “Bobit” Avila, who writes a column for The Freeman, and many more.

As Mangubat extolled, “Nowhere in the country can you see media competitors cooperating for a worthy project.”

Ang dapat paghandaan ni Esperon

Published by Ellen on September 23, 2006

Medyo mahina talaga pa lang umintindi itong mga opisyal ng militar na nasa pwesto.

Sabi ni Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, spokesman ng Armed Forces of the Philippines, na pagkatapos batuhin siya ng itlog at putik sa University of the Philippines noong Biyernes, sinabi raw ni AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon, “Siguro yung mga nambato galit sa akin dahil hindi ako nagku-coup at ang AFP.”

Hindi ba niya narinig ang sigaw ng mga estudyante na “Pasistang militar, singilin, singilin!?” O nagbibingi-bingihan lang siya.

As public figure, Mike Arroyo is fair game

Published by Ellen on September 23, 2006

This is the release of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on the forum on libel it organized last Thursday:

Contrary to what his lawyers are saying, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is a public figure and will have to prove actual malice in order for his numerous libel suits against journalists to prosper.

This is what human rights lawyer Theodore Te said during a roundtable discussion this morning held at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City. Agreeing with him were more than 35 journalists, some of whom are defendants in Arroyo’s libel suits, as well several UP journalism students.

Continue readingAs public figure, Mike Arroyo is fair game

Esperon pelted with eggs at UP

Published by Ellen on September 23, 2006

This is Malaya’s account of the egg-and- mud-pelting of AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon at UP Friday.

What happened to Esperon is a form of “social boycott” that the citizens of this country, outraged by Gloria Arroyo and her minion’s blatant trampling of our democracy, are resorting to. It happened to Gloria Arroyo at the Cavite State University when Maria Theresa Pangilinan booed her during the commencement exercises. It happened again at the UP-PGH when students unfurled “Oust Gloria” banner when she inaugurated the Opthalmologic Center.

Esperon, like his master, Gloria Arroyo, must must grown callous or have become out-of-touch of the people that they thought with their powers they can run roughshod on the people’s sensitivities.

Thaksin’s fate unlikely to befall Arroyo

Published by Ellen on September 22, 2006

By Yvonne T. Chua
INQ7.net

IS PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in danger of being ousted in a military coup the way Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was last Tuesday?

It’s unlikely for now for at least two reasons. Filipinos are strongly attached to democratic values and traditions. Plus, they’re more scared of the military than of Arroyo.

That’s the prognosis of University of the Philippines-based political scientist Jorge Tigno who co-authored with Social Weather Stations’ Linda Luz Guerrero a recent study that looked into the staying power of three highly unpopular heads of state: Arroyo, Thaksin and US President George Bush.

Harry Roque’s reply

Published by Ellen on September 22, 2006

There are those who asked where lawyer Harry Roque, Jr., who submitted an amicus brief with the U.S. court hearing the case of former Agriculture…

Envious of Thais

Published by Ellen on September 21, 2006

There was a part of the account of the first hours of the coup in Thailand in the wee hours of Sept. 20 that reminded me of the 1986 coup staged by then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce-Enrile and then AFP vice-chief of staff Fidel Ramos.

Reuters account of the coup staged by Thai Army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said, “Thaksin, who was in New York at the UN General Assembly, apparently tried to head off the putsch by phoning a Thai television station to announce a state of emergency but was cut off after 10 minutes.”

Thaksin was never put on the air.

Bolante update

Published by Ellen on September 21, 2006

This is the latest from Harry Roque:

A status hearing was held yesterday, 20 September 2006 in Milwaukee on Bolante’s Habeas corpus petition. Bolantes lawyer insisted on a hearing, while the US OSG maintained that no hearing was necessary since the pleadings contain all relevant factual and legal issues. We are awaiting word on what happened to that hearing.

We have, however, been furnished copies of the latest pleadings consisting of the response of Condelizza Rice and the reply thereto of Bolante. The salient points are:

In Condi’s answer, she said that the detention of an arriving alien without a visa is a lawful basis for detention. Likewise, she asserted that Bolante is not entitled to bail as an arriving alien subject to exclusion proceeding.

34 Years Since Martial Law, Despotism Still Reigns

Published by Ellen on September 21, 2006

The following article by Carlos Conde first appeared in Davao Today.

Conde says: “The similarities of the atrocities during martial law and today are chilling. Hooded men knocking down doors and dragging out victims in the dead of night. Assassins on motorcycles. Killers shooting victims in cold blood, often in close range. Anguished relatives looking for answers and, most important of all, justice.”

Coup jitters

Published by Ellen on September 20, 2006

I just came in from Cebu where I participated in the Cebu Press Freedom Week celebration. I’ll report about it later.

I woke up this morning to a CNN report about a coup in Thailand. Everybody I talked with in the Cebu forum remarked, “Nakakainggit naman ang Thailand.”

Malacañang and the military officials’ protestations that a similar coup won’t happen here betray their nervousness. As Shakespeare said, “The lady protests too much.”

Anyway, here’s Malaya’s report on reactions in Manila:

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