ellen tordesillas – Page 65 – Making life worth living.

Nagdurugo ang puso ni Aquino sa pagbitaw kay Purisima

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2015

Aquino announces he accepted resignation of suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima last Friday, Feb. 6.

Noong Biyernes ng gabi, lumabas si Pangulong Aquino (mga isang linggo din siyang hindi nakikita at naririnig mula nang pumunta siya sa lamay ng 44 na miyembro ng Special Action Force sa Camp Bagong Diwa) at nagsalita sa telebisyon tungkol sa trahedya sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao noong Enero 25.

Pangalawang pagsalita niya ito tungkol sa trahedya na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa natutukoy ng opisyal kung sino tala ang may responsibilidad. Ngunit sa unit-unting lumalabas na balita, kahit mag-kakaiba nagkakaroon ng ideya ang publiko kung sino-sino ang may pananagutan.

Maliban kay Pangulong Aquino mismo, bilang commander-in-chief at nag-amin na alam niya ang tungkol sa operasyon at ang hepe ng SAF na si Chief Director Getulio Napeñas, may kinalaman din and suspendido na hepe ng Philippine National Police na si Alan Purisima.

Let him finish his term

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2015

Militant group renews call for Aquino to step down.

I hold President Aquino accountable for the death of 44 Special Action Force commandos but I don’t want him forced to shorten his term which is due to end on June 30 next year.

I’m not joining calls for him to resign. I’m against a coup de’etat.

I want him to finish his mandate which the Filipino electorate bestowed on him when they elected him five years ago.

But he should shape up and take seriously his responsibilities as President.

He owes it to the Filipino people even to those who didn’t vote for him.

Celebrities show conscience and heart for the 44 SAF heroes

Published by Ellen on February 3, 2015

apl.de.ap leads a rousing tribute to the 44 SAF heroes.

Wearing black arm bands emblazoned with “44”, apl.de.ap of the international hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas and one of the judges of The Voice PH, led the performance of one the group’s hits, “Where is the Love?” in last Sunday’s episode of the singing competition.

The lyrics were sharply apt: “Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism/But we still got terrorists here livin’….

“Madness is what you demonstrate/And that’s exactly how anger works and operates/…
“Father, Father, Father help us/Send some guidance from above/’Cause people got me, got me questionin’/Where is the love (Love)…

“Makin’ wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends/Not respectin’ each other, deny thy brother/
A war is goin’ on but the reason’s undercover…

“The truth is kept secret, it’s swept under the rug/If you never know truth then you never know love/
Where’s the love, y’all, come on (I don’t know)”

PBA star Arwind Santos condoles with family of SAF fan

Published by Ellen on February 1, 2015

Police Inspector Joey Sacristan Gamutan, 33, of the elite Special Action Force, was a fan of the San Miguel Beermen.

He won a bet in the championship game for 2015 Philippine Cup title between the San Miguel Beermen and Alaska Aces last Jan. 21. He was so happy he told his wife, Merilyn, that he will treat her and their five-year old daughter Megan (they have a one year old child) at Jollibee when he comes home after the very important operation he is part of is accomplished.

It would be a triple celebration aside from his favorite PBA team’s victory: Jan. 26 is the birthday of Megan and Jan. 24 is their 6th wedding anniversary.

Joey never made it for the celebration he promised Merilyn and Megan.

On Jan. 25, he was part of the select group who went into Tukanalipao village in Mamasapano, Maguindanao to capture Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias ”Marwan” and Basit Usman, a bomb-making expert, high up in the terrorists list of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The nation mourns

Published by Ellen on January 29, 2015

A laughing Aquino at the Mitsubishi plant inauguration at Sta. Rosa, Laguna while bodies of 42 the fallen SAF arrive in Villamor Air Base.

It took him four days to say something about the worst tragedy in the history of the country’s police force and when the bodies of the fallen police officers arrived at Villamor Air Base yesterday, President Aquino was at Mitsubishi plant Sta Rosa, Laguna inspecting and enjoying the classic cars on display.

What kind of a leader do we have?

Social media was raging over Aquino’s callousness.

Confronted with brutal realities, what do Filipinos do?

Published by Ellen on January 27, 2015

A most painful task: Retrieving your dead comrades

Forty-four members of the Special Action Force, the elite group of the Philippine National Police, were killed by the rebel Muslim group the Aquino government has signed a peace agreement with. Yet, social media denizens are in an impassioned discussion over Philippine Miss Universe pageant candidate MJ Lastimosa’s “cake gown.”

Last Monday, Direk Joey Reyes posted this in his Facebook wall: “Dear Janet, Now you can be at ease. There is another woman more hated than you in the Philippines.Take care.”

Janet, of course, is Janet Napoles, the pork barrel queen through whom senators and congressmen robbed billions of the people’s money.

Thinking it was Social Services Secretary Dinky Soliman, who rounded up almost 500 destitute families in Pasay and Manila and brought them away from the sight of Pope Francis and the foreign press during the Papal visit two weeks ago, I commented, “Korek, Direk.”

Dinky’s family camping: Senseless and hypocritical

Published by Ellen on January 25, 2015

Back to the streets Tibigar family after six days in a Batangas resort. Photo from ABS-CBN.

President Aquino has not yet spoken on reports, confirmed by Social Services Secretary Dinky Soliman, about the government banishing 490 homeless persons to a Batangas resort during the five-day visit of Pope Francis.

But his deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said, “Wala naman hong ganoon. Parang insulto din sa bisita kapag sinabi mong ‘pag tinago niyo, hindi na niya malalaman’.Hindi naman natin din tinatago ang estado… Makikita naman ‘yan sa official statistics.”

Insulto talaga.

A journalist friend thinks it was not for Pope Francis that the government removed the destitute from Metro Manila’s streets. It was the foreign press that were coming to cover the Papal visit that they were more concerned about.

State Dept official: U.S. takes no position on South China Sea conflict

Published by Ellen on January 23, 2015

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel in a pre-departure interview. With him is U.S. Embassy Press Attache Kurt Hoyer.

China’s activities in the South China Sea, not surprisingly, figured prominently in the fifth Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue held Tuesday and Wednesday in Manila.

The joint statement on the meeting, co-chaired by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Evan P. Garcia and Undersecretary of National Defense Pio Lorenzo F. Batino for the Philippines and by Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel and Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear for the United States, stated that “ The two sides expressed concern over developments in the South China Sea that are inconsistent with the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and international law and emphasized the importance of upholding peace and stability, respect for international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and freedom of navigation and over flight. “

The joint statement further said, “ The two sides reiterated that international disputes in the South China Sea should be settled in accordance with international law, and through diplomatic and other peaceful means, including the use of international arbitration.

Hacking negates convenience credit card offers

Published by Ellen on January 20, 2015

I don’t do online purchases for fear that information about my credit card would be mis-used.

That’s why I was surprised and outraged when I got a notice by email the other night that I was being charged two purchases, $39.99 each totalling $79.98 almost $80.00 or P3,600.00.

The items downloaded were both Disney story time from ITunes.

I don’t do business with I Tunes and definitely not with my credit card.

My BDO visa was hacked!

Heed Pope Francis’ appeal to end culture of waste

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2015

Arrival photos.

This visit of Pope Francis is heartwarming as it is awesome.

To those who will brave the heat (hopefully it doesn’t rain), the long walk, the long wait, hunger and thirst, bless your courage and your determination.

I hope and pray that our love for Pope Francis will include taking care of our environment. I hope that as we try to cleanse our soul, we will make sure that we don’t dirty our surroundings.

The EcoWaste Coalition said last year, during the celebration of the World Environment Day on June 5, Pope Francis urged everyone “to make a serious commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity and of encounter.”
“The Pope’s visit is an opportune time to roll out a campaign that will show our people’s unity and determination to switch to a ‘Zero Waste Pilipinas’ where waste prevention and reduction is the norm of life,” said Aileen Lucero, coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

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