ellen tordesillas – Page 98 – Making life worth living.

Grace Poe wants electorate to learn from 2004 cheating in Cebu

Published by Ellen on February 22, 2013

It’s good that Grace Poe, daughter of the late Fernando Poe, Jr and Susan Roces, brought up the issue of cheating during the 2004 elections in Cebu in the meeting of Team PNoy in that province last Wednesday.

The people should be reminded of that again and again because no one has been punished for that crime against the Filipino electorate.

Gloria Arroyo is out on bail for the crime of electoral fraud but it’s in connection with the 2007 elections, when she was not a candidate. That case is so weak, it would not be a surprise if Arroyo gets acquitted in that case.

Arroyo cheated big time in 2004 but the crime of electoral fraud was enacted only in 2007. She can be charged with the lesser crime (it’s bailable) graft but even that, it has not been done.

Poe, who is a senatorial candidate, said “This is the reason I didn’t stand on another stage in Cebu City, because it still hurts,” referring most probably to Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia and the rest of the Garcia political clan who were die-hard supporters of Gloria Arroyo.

The Cebuanos took pride in 2004 that they gave Arroyo over one million lead over FPJ which defied logic and normal practice.

‘ Bizarre’ standoff in Sabah

Published by Ellen on February 19, 2013

Jamalul Kiram III. AP photo by Aaron Favila.

One report described the current standoff in Sabah as “bizarre”.

Bizarre indeed. The Philippines claims ownership of Sabah based on the title of the Sultan of Sulu on the territory. The heirs of Sultan of Sulu who obtained the land are taking possession of a portion of the area. The Philippine government said it has nothing to with the the action of the heirs.

The reaction of the Philippine government is bizarre if one takes it from the presumption that the Philippines is not abandoning its claim over Sabah.

But if there’s one thing that this “bizarre” incident has made clear, the Philippines is no longer interested to pursue its claim over Sabah.

China returns Philippine notice on U.N. suit

Published by Ellen on February 19, 2013

Hong Lei feb. 19 — Hong Lei in a press briefing Feb. 19, 2013

China today announced that it returned the Philippine notification of its suit filed at a United Nations arbitral handed to the Chinese ambassador in Manila last Jan 22, a Xinhua report said.

The report carried by China.org.cn said “The Chinese government has rejected a Philippine move to take their dispute regarding sovereignty issues in the South China Sea to the United Nations for arbitration, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.”

It quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei saying,”Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing had an appointment with officials from the Philippines’ Foreign Ministry on Tuesday and returned a note and related notice after expressing China’s rejection.”

Reacting to the Chinese rejection,the Department of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement: “The Department received this afternoon from Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing a Note Verbale stating that China rejects and returns the Philippines’ Notification and Statement of Claim.

“The Department stresses that China’s action will not interfere with the process of Arbitration initiated by the Philippines on January 22, 2013. The Arbitration will proceed under Annex VII of UNCLOS and the 5-member arbitration panel will be formed with or without China.”

“In its Note Verbale, China reiterated its often stated position that it has indisputable sovereignty over the entire South China Sea encompassed by its 9-dash line claim. This excessive claim is the core issue of the Philippines’ arbitration case against China.”

“The Philippines remains committed to Arbitration which is a friendly, peaceful and durable form of dispute settlement that should be welcomed by all.”

Six ways to keep fit during election campaign

Published by Ellen on February 17, 2013

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

Photos and video by Mario Ignacio and Mario Espinosa

More important than winning the election, candidates should make sure they are able to survive the grueling 90-day campaign.

The same reminder applies to the staff of political parties and members of media who are covering the campaign.

An election campaign is exciting and exhausting. Candidates try to maximize their provincial trips by meeting as many groups as they can squeeze in their waking hours. Rallies last up to midnight even early morning.The next day, members of the campaign caravan rush to the airport for the next destination.

Almost always after election, many of those involved in the campaign end up overweight due to irregular and unhealthy meals and lack of exercise.

Concerns about mammoth complex in Boracay

Published by Ellen on February 14, 2013

It’s only February and we are now feeling the beginning of summer.

It’s now time to look for budget offers from airlines and out-of-town hotels.

Boracay island — Boracay. From Korea News Online

Boracay is a logical destination for us because our place in Antique is just three hours away by bus to the popular island.

A recent Facebook post by the peripatetic Teddy Montelibano on Boracay on the plan of San Miguel Corporation to develop Boracay makes it compelling for us enjoy Boracay now.

Teddy’s post was from the FB page of the province of Aklan boasting of the “Country’s biggest hotel and coliseum to rise at Boracay Airport Complex.”

The project which had no less than President Aquino as guest when the renovated Caticlan airport was inaugurated in June last year is to be undertaken by TransAire Development Holdings Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp.

‘The Pope with a lower- case p’

Published by Ellen on February 13, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the faithful as he leads the weekly audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican — A leader who is not in control of the institution he heads.Thanks to Der Spiegel.

Pope Benedict XVI may not have gained admirers for his conservatism but his decision to resign from the Papacy, a position for life, shows humility, even nobility.

His resignation letter mentioned of him having repeatedly examined his conscience before making the decision.

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” he said.

If only our aging politicians would have even a fraction of that conscience and cease imposing themselves on the people!

Made for TV campaign rallies

Published by Ellen on February 10, 2013

Benigno Aquino III in Mindoro — Aquino campaigning in Mindoro 2010

Election campaign is non-stop, all-season in the Philippines. But officially, for the May election, it starts tomorrow, Feb. 12.

For the opening salvo, the administration’s Team PNoy will have its proclamation rally at the Plaza Miranda while the United Nationalist Alliance will have theirs in Cebu.

Although campaign rallies have lessened their importance as a vote- getting vehicle with the dominance of television and radio as sources of information on elections, barrio folks still look forward to them more as an entertainment show.

Campaign rallies usually feature entertainers. A rally of candidates for national positions (senators in this mid-term election) usually have movie and TV stars to attract a crowd. The masses enjoy free shows. It’s a balm to their weary body after a whole day of toil in the rice fields.

On the part of campaign organizers, campaign rallies are more of photo opportunities for them to show a big crowd on national TV hoping to create a bandwagon.

Arthur Espiritu soars in ‘The Poet Speaks’

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2013

Text and photos by Elizabeth Lolarga, VERA Files The sixth of this month will linger long in the head and hearts, like the “last song…

Why is Aquino not helping Jun Lozada

Published by Ellen on February 7, 2013

Lozada’s friends wonder if Aquino’s attitude could have something to do with Lozada not consenting to his request in February 2008 for him (Aquino, who was then senator) to fetch the former in Hongkong, where he was told by then Environment Secretary Lito Atienza to hide so he could not testify in the Senate investigation of the NBN/ZTE deal.

It would have been a chance for Aquino, who had a lackluster record as senator, to shine.

Jun Lozada, Cory Aquino and the nuns — President Cory Aquino spearheaded the “Mass for Truth and Accountability” in support of Jun Lozada in 2008.

While waiting for the arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division to be served to Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the government’s star witness in the NBN/ZTE plunder case against Gloria Arroyo, members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines wrote Police Chief Alan Purisima requesting, among others,to make sure that “no untoward incident” would happen.

The nuns must be thinking of last month’s incident in Batangas when Fernando Morales , allegedly linked with Vic Siman who was among those killed in the Atimonan massacre, was killed while policemen were serving his arrest warrant for illegal possession of firearms.

Morales was in his underwear and was dragged out of his house at 1:30 a.m.

The arrest warrant for Lozada had nothing to do with NBN/ZTE. It’s for his alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly awarding the leasehold right of a 6,599 hectare land to his brother Jose Orlando Lozada when he was still president of the Philippine Forest Corporation, a government-owned corporation.

The weakest link in the Megamall heist

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2013

By Ace Esmeralda,VERA Files

A shop in Megamall after the robbery. Photo by Rio Ribaya from Yahoo.

Many things don’t fit in the statements of the police on the Jan. 26 Megamall robbery.

As of this writing, the Mandaluyong police have claimed to have “identified” two of the six suspects in the robbery. But in reality, they don’t have the two suspects’ names and addresses yet. What they have are cartographic sketches that matched the images captured by the CCTV and confirmed by the sales ladies of The Jeweler and F&C Jewelry stores. Ironically, the police were quick to tag the Martilyo (Hammer) Gang as suspects without knowing that pipe wrenches were used to smash the glass displays and that they haven’t identified by name and other personal details any of the robbers.

How did it happen?

At around 6:56 p.m. of that Saturday, the first of the six suspects entered the mall thru a supermarket entrance where the security guards on duty were performing their mandatory and required bag check and frisking. Five others were seen thru CCTV review to have entered the same door, seconds apart each other.

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