Ellen Tordesillas

Lahore- The governor of Punjab, Lt. Gen. Khalid Maqbool (ret.), in welcoming visiting members of Philippine media, enumerated three features common between Pakistan and the Philippines that should move relations between the two countries from “warm and cordial” to vibrant and gainful.

The first common feature, the governor said, is the two countries’ adherence to democracy “haltingly but successfully.” Second is both governments’ reliance on employment of nationals in other countries. Third is our colonial past.

It is interesting how Pakistan and the Philippines, in their own peculiar ways, have dealt and are still dealing with these realities.
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Lahore –Gusto nyo bang maging chef sa Chinese at Japanese restaurant sa Pakistan?

Magbubukas bago matapos ang taong ito ang Avari hotel sa Islamabad at tumatanggap sila ng applicants para sa posisyon na yan. Tingnan nyo sa www,avari.com.

Itong impormasyon ay sinabi sa amin ng chef ng Avari Lahore na si Bonifacio Chew. Si Boni ay Filipino. Siya ang mag-iinterview ng applicants at magrekomenda sa may-ari ng hotel na isang Iranian.
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Islamabad -At the Jinnah shopping mall, where we made a stop after a series of interviews and a visit to the historic site of Taxila outside the capital city, we heard three young boys horsing around, speaking Tagalog.

We were glad to see Filipinos as we needed tips and directions in our effort to contribute to Philippine –Pakistan economic relations.
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Karachi – Sa unang araw namin dito, natuwa kami nang may nakilala kaming dalawang Filipino seaman na naghihintay ng kanilang barko. Sina Buddy Acub at Jessie Yongco.

Kababayan ko pa si Buddy na galing Antique at si Jessie naman ay galing Tanjay, Negros Oriental.

Naghihintay sina Buddy at Jessie ng kanilang barko na galing Germany. Matagal na silang seaman at naikot na nila ang mundo.

Pangalawang araw, nakilala naman naming si Aristotle Baricuatro, tiga Cebu at Gerry Alas na galing Surigao. Pareho silang engineer at nagta-trabaho sa Ericson Electronics, isang Swedish telecommunication company.
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Karachi - I have always thought of camels as desert animals. It was therefore a surreal sight seeing colorfully bedecked camels strolling on Clifton beach against the backdrop of the Arabian sea.

Camels on the beach is just one of the delightful surprises of Karachi that I and five other Filipino journalists (Gemma Cruz -Araneta of Manila Bulletin, Tals Diaz of Inquirer, Fatima Parel of People Asia, Lyn Resurrection of Business Mirror, and Dante Francis Ang of Manila Times) are discovering about Pakistan this week on the invitation of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute.
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From Tribune:

After 27 hearings, the military court has finally arraigned yesterday 28 officers for mutiny in connection with the alleged February 2006 plot to withdraw support from President Arroyo and the Marines stand-off. But neither a guilty nor a not guilty plea was entered by any of the accused, with their defense counsels entered a special plea contesting the charge against them.
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Marami ang nagtataka ng nabuhay na naman ang usapang charter change noong isang linggo at hindi Malacañang ang may pakana. Si Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel.

Allergic na kasi ang mga tao sa cha-cha dahil malakas ang suspetsa na hindi bababa si Gloria Arroyo sa 2010 at ang paraan lamang na manatili siya sa Malacañang ay martial law o charter change.

Dati si dating House Speaker Jose de Venecia ang promotor nitong cha-cha para mapalitan ang ating presidential system ng parliamentary system. Hindi talaga mabenta sa taumbayan.
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As he prepares for his much-delayed exit from active service, outgoing AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon is frantically trying to negotiate with the officers he has persecuted that they won’t do to him what he did to them.

Esperon’s message was delivered by Maj. Dennis Eclarin to the junior Scout Ranger officers detained in Camp Capinpin two weeks ago.

A member of the Army’s elite Scout Rangers, Eclarin ( West Point ’93), widely- written for his microfinancing initiative, told the detainees that the outgoing chief- of- staff is offering them (junior officers) liberty in exchange for a commitment that they won’t retaliate against him.

Eclarin, who is known to be close Esperon, told the detained officers that in his conversations with the chief of staff, it was discussed that it’s wrong to look at the case of the 28 officers as one, single offense. “Why don’t you look at each case individually,” he reportedly suggested to Esperon. He added that retired Gen. Jose Almonte, national security adviser during the Ramos administration, shares his view.
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Wala na rin lang naman magawa, di daan na lang sa kodakan.

Nahalata nyo rin ba ang mga litrato ni Arroyo nitong mga nakaraang araw. Pose sa gitna ng palayan, pose sa harap ng tambak na sakong bigas. Pangsuporta sa kanyang sinasabi na walang krisis raw ng bigas.

Ang yabang pa niya. Nang sinabi ng Thailand na hindi sila sasali sa bidding sa pagbenta ng bigas sa Pilipinas na gagawin bukas, sabi ni Arroyo, pwede naman raw hindi mag-import. “Take it or leave it,” sabi niya.
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The Constitution gives the President the power to nominate and, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments, appoint the heads of the executive department, ambassadors, other public ministers, consuls, or officers of the armed forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain and other officials provided by law.

It’s clear in this provision that the intervention of the CA, a legislative body, in a primarily executive function is for the purpose of check and balance, an important feature in a democracy.

But like many of the democratic institutions that have been perverted by politicians, the CA has been reduced to an extortion gang with members willing to sell their votes in exchange for favors from the nominee and the nominating authority.
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