ellen tordesillas – Page 87 – Making life worth living.

The lawmaker’s offer

Published by Ellen on September 19, 2013

One of the lawmakers implicated in the pork barrel scam operated by Janet Lim Napoles sent feelers to Malacañang about three weeks ago.

The offer: “I will return the money I got from my PDAF fund plus interest. I will make a public apology. I will resign and will not run for elective office again.”

The requested reward: “Please don’t file plunder charges against me.”

Reason for the offer: “One, I want to spare my grandchildren the stigma of having a grandparent convicted of plunder. Two, I am currently ‘down.’ This is not the best time of my life.”

My source declined to identify the lawmaker and the branch of legislature. I can only guess the identity based on the demands: he or she is old enough to have grandchildren and is eligible for election in 2016.

Last Monday, a total of 37 persons were charged in connection with the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund. Three senators were charged with plunder: Ramon “Bong” Revilla; Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile.

NBI files plunder raps vs Enrile, Revilla, Estrada, Napoles

Published by Ellen on September 16, 2013

By VERA Files THE National Bureau of Investigation filed on Monday afternoon plunder and malversation of public funds charges against Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.,…

“Ano ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap?”

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2013

Watching Yaya Teresa (played movingly by actress Rustica Carpio) in Joey Reyes’“Ano ang Kulay ng mga Nakalimutang Pangarap?”, I saw my grade school classmate Antonia.

After elementary school, Antonia, a farmer’s daughter, didn’t go to high school. She worked as a helper in the Gomez family. She was more than just a helper to the wife of the master of the manor. She was a friend, a shoulder to cry on. In the quarrels of the mistress of the manor with in-laws, Antonia was also a combatant.

She was a surrogate mother to the two children of the Gomezes.

Focus on the (PDAF) ball

Published by Ellen on September 12, 2013

Para hindi na mapagod. Malacañang releases photos of the Queen of the Pork Barrel scam and the President — Para hindi mapagod. Malacañang releases photos of the Queen of the Pork Barrel scam and the President

Today, photos of the President with Janet Napoles, the alleged brains of the mindboggling pork barrel scam, made the rounds in Facebook and Twitter. They were taken at the same occasion where Napoles daughter, Jeane, had her photo with President Aquino- after the national thanksgiving mass for the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod in Cebu November last year.

Jeane’s picture with the President was sent to broadcaster Anthony Taberna Wednesday afternoon and made the rounds of social media immediately after it was posted.

Today’s photos came from Malacañang. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang said after checking Malacañang’s photo files of that Cebu event, they found more photos of the President with Janet herself and her husband, Jaime. He said in that event, a lot of people were having their pictures taken with the President.
He said they decided to release the pictures “so people would not speculate.” The President had earlier said he does not remember having met Napoles until her surrender last week in Malacañang.

But we doubt if we have seen the end of photo releases from different sources. Last Monday photos of Senate President Franklin Drilon with the Napoles couple were passed around in social media. Drilon said it was taken during an event at the Heritage Park in Taguig City where seminarians from China were guests.

A picture does not make a story

Published by Ellen on September 11, 2013

Damay-damay na. Jeane Napoles releases photo with PNoy.

There’s a politician I know who welcomes people having a picture taken with him marking them perhaps as a potential vote come Election Day.

In a few parties that I attended where Vice President Jejomar Binay was a guest, I noticed that he was always accompanied by a photographer. The VP gives out the website where one can view the photos.

But with the Janet Lim Napoles, alleged pork barrel scam queen exploding and dragging with her known political personalities, just being seen with her is a nightmare.

Malacañang is downplaying the importance of the picture of the luxury-loving Jeane Napoles with President Aquino which Malacañang has confirmed to be authentic.It was taken after the national thanksgiving mass for the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod in Cebu November last year.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said,“I understand the photo was taken at an event last November in Cebu. She had her photo taken with the President, as did a dozen other people who lined up to have their photo taken with him.”

‘Beyond tears and borders’

Published by Ellen on September 5, 2013

Messages of faith and hope marked the observance of the International Day of the Disappeared in the Philippines.

At the launching of the book, “Beyond Tears and Borders” at the office of the Commission on Human Rights, Edith Burgos, mother of farmer/activist Jonas Burgos who disappeared on April 28, 2007, said in the six-year search for her son, the emotions “vacillate between hope and despair.”

She said, “no matter what you do, there will always be indifferent people. “

She said families of the disappeared have to contend with labeling. “The moment you speak about the disappeared, you become labeled.”

But she said in the agony of the search, she has found “examples of selflessness.” She said it was her son’s love for others that made him devote his life for the farmers and caused him to be disappeared.

DFA’s badly-written script

Published by Ellen on September 3, 2013

DFA Spokesma Raul Hernandez: His is not an enviable chore — DFA Spokesman Raul Hernandez: His is not an enviable job.

If the reason for the cancellation of the supposedly Sept. 3 visit of President Aquino to China was because the Chinese government set conditions that would be inimical to Philippine interest, and Aquino rejected it, why wasn’t he the one who cancelled the visit?

Remember, it was China who gave notice to the Philippines that they didn’t find this time “conducive” for Aquino to visit China.
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Raul Hernandez released Monday a Q&A briefer and like all badly written script, it raised more questions.

Four of the five questions (The first one was about the invitation.):

Were there any concerns and conditions from China for the President’s attendance?

DFA skips issue on cancellation of China visit

Published by Ellen on September 2, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

The Department of Foreign Affairs issued Monday a media briefer on the China-Asean Expo (CAEXPO) but skipped the issue that President Aquino was not informed that China had canceled as early as Aug. 23 his planned attendance at the event on Sept. 3.

DFA’s failure to relay China’s message to Malacañang that Aquino visit “at a more conducive time” and send instead Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo had put the President in an embarrassing situation as he announced on Aug. 28 his trip to Nanning, Guangxi, site of this year’s Expo.

In a media briefing, Foreign Affairs Spokesman Raul Hernandez read a five-point Question and Answer and did not entertain questions.

The Q &A insisted that Aquino was invited by China, belying a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that “China never extended an invitation to the Philippine president.”

Hernandez referred reporters to China’s note verbale to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations sent through this year’s coordinator, Thailand, saying “it is our sincere hope that the leaders of the 10 ASEAN members states would make their presence at the 10th CAEXPO.”

Aquino last to know about canceled China trip

Published by Ellen on September 1, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas,VERA Files

President Benigno S. Aquino III at the 27th Apolinario Mabini Awardees on Aug. 28 during which he said he was visiting China on Sept. 3.

Early last week, President Aquino was telling everybody—from the Vietnamese defense minister to guests at the 2013 Apolinario Mabini Awards in Malacanang—that he was pushing through with his Sept. 3 visit to China.

The media reported the trip on Wednesday, and quoted the President saying, “Bibiyahe ho tayo next week. Mahaba hong biyahe sa China. Alis akong ala-singko ng umaga; balik ho nang ala-singko ng hapon. Ayaw nating ma-overstay ang welcome natin doon (We are traveling next week. It will be a long trip to China. I will leave 5 a.m., back 5 p.m. We don’t want to wear out their welcome).”

What Aquino did not know then that he was really not welcome at this time in China, which had already canceled the visit the previous week.

Sources say the President could have been spared the diplomatic embarrassment—or “loss of face,” as the Chinese would say—had officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Malacañang only acted fast enough and followed up Chinese efforts to arrange the visit, plans for which began more than a month ago.

Carpio:MDT does not cover islands, reefs,rocks; update on UN case vs China

Published by Ellen on September 1, 2013

PH can learn lesson how U.S. handling Syrian crisis

The decision of U.S President Barack Obama to get the approval of Congress before he orders a missile attack on Syria should shatter the illusion of those who believe that America will immediately come to the rescue of the Philippines in the unlikely event of an armed conflict between the Philippines and China in the Scarborough Shoal and in the Spratlys.

Obama’s decision to involve Congress in the planned retribution against Syria for it’s unleashing of chemical weapons last week that allegedly killed 1,429 people will delay the airstrikes because Congress is on recess and the senators and congressmen will resume session on Sept. 9 yet.

There is no assurance that Congress will come on board just like what happened with British Prime David Cameron who was rebuffed by the British Parliament in his decision to get involved in the Syrian turmoil.

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