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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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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No deal

Published by Ellen on September 18, 2006

Nanginginig na siguro ang tumbong nitong si Gloria at Mike Arroyo sa alok ni Jocjoc Bolante na “kumanta” basta ibalik lang ang kanyang U.S. visa.

Natatakot na rin siguro ang mga opisyal ng pamahalaan at iba pang mga kampon ni Gloria Arroyo na may warrant of arrest sa Senado dahil sa nangyayari ngayon kay Bolante.

Katulad nitong mga opisyal ng PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government). Hindi sila makapagtrabaho dahil ayaw nila mahuli ng mga security officers ng Senado. Tago sila ng tago. Anong klaseng buhay yan?

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Pagwawaldas ng assets ng taumbayan

Published by Ellen on September 16, 2006

Nakakatawa itong si Ricardo Abcede, commissioner ng Presidential Commission on Good Government , na ngayon ay nagtatago dahil katulad ni dating Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, takot siyang humarap sa Senado.

Ini-imbistigahan ng Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises na pinamumunuan ni Sen. Richard Gordon ang napabalitang pagwawaldas ng mga assets ng Philippine Communication Satellite Corporation.

Malaki kasi sa mga shares ng Philcomsat ay sequestered dahil ang suspetsa ay pag-aari raw ni dating Pangulong Marcos. Kaya ilan sa mga director doon ay nominee ng Malacañang katulad ng pinsan ni Mike Arroyo na si Benito “Bomboy”Araneta.

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Suicidal moves

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2006

Malacañang’s two-pronged offensive to change the Constitution – by People’s Initiative and Constituent Assembly – tries to give the impression that Gloria Arroyo is on a roll, especially how her allies in the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments adopted Resolution 1230 convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly after only two hours of debate.

These crass moves – Singaw ng Bayan’s fake People Initiative and the railroading of HR 1230 – however, betray a suicidal administration who knows they have nothing more to lose with what they are doing because the remaining option is much more grim.

That’s Gloria Arroyo being out of power, at the latest, in 2010 and ending up in jail for the numerous crimes she has committed against the Filipino people foremost of which is cheating in the 2004 elections.

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No bail for Bolante

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2006

Here’s the Philippine Daily Inquirer report on the hearing on the petition of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante for bail before a Chicago court:

A petition for bail by embattled former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante has been denied by an immigration court in Chicago, according to a GMA Network “Flash Report,” quoting a Filipino lawyer monitoring the case of the former government official in the US.

Harry Roque was quoted as saying that the court, in a hearing Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time), also dismissed a petition by Bolante to reject an amicus brief, which Roque and other lawyers from the Philippines had submitted to the court.

Continue readingNo bail for Bolante