April 2008 – Page 2 – ellen tordesillas

Upon Arroyo’s orders

Published by Ellen on April 24, 2008

There are two items in the April 23, 2008 letter of Sen. Miriam Santiago, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,to House Speaker Prospero Nograles unsettling.

The first one is her saying that she was shelving Senate Bill 1467 and House Bill 1202 defining the country’s archipelagic baselines “”Pursuant to President Arroyo’s directive.” The other one is her furnishing a copy of her letter the Chinese Ambassador Song Tao.

Santiago is known as “an administration senator”. It’s not surprising for her to toe the administration line. But she is a member of the Legislative Department, co-equal with the Executive and Judicial branches of government. Senators are not supposed to get orders from the executive department, even from the president.

Biazon testifies Oakwood mutiny not a coup d’etat

Published by Ellen on April 24, 2008

By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

An opposition senator on Thursday told a Makati City court that the so-called Oakwood mutiny in 2003 cannot qualify as a coup d’etat, especially if compared to the 1987 and 1989 coup attempts.

Testifying for the defense, Biazon said there was no attack, even as the members of the so-called Magdalo group of rebel soldiers seized the Oakwood luxury apartments in the Makati financial district, said lawyer Ernesto Francisco, who represents eight of the 22 junior officers accused of leading the mutiny.

Paniningil ng mga magsasaka sa mga Arroyo

Published by Ellen on April 23, 2008

Nagkandarapa ang mga guwardiya sa Malacañang noong Martes nang biglang nagprotesta ang mga magsasaka sa harap ng gate ng Malacañang sa pamamagitan ng mga nakasulat na mensahe sa kanilang katawan.

Mahigpit kasi ang security sa paligid ng Malacañang. Parang pier na nga ang Malacañang sa dami ng cargo vans na nakaharang doon. Takot sa taumbayan si Gloria. Bigla tuloy nag- red alert sa paligid ng Malacañang.

Esperon willing to testify in ‘Hello Garci’ after retirement

Published by Ellen on April 23, 2008

It seems Esperon does not have the defense portfolio in the bag yet. Sources said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro is resisting being moved like a piece in chess to another post (Justice?) just to accommodate Esperon. Is this declaration of willingness to talk about “Hello Garci” a veiled threat to the mastermind and beneficiary of the 2004 election fraud?

By Joel Guinto
Inquirer.net

Armed Forces chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said he is willing to testify at legislative inquiries into the so-called “Hello Garci” election fraud scandal after he retires, but only if the proceedings are “reasonable.”

Looming fertilizer shortage

Published by Ellen on April 22, 2008

In our discussion of the current rice crisis, Commodore (ret) Rex Robles tells us of the three legs of the national security tripod: food, fuel, fertilizer.

We are now burdened with the rising prices of food and fuel. Here comes the information of a looming fertilizer shortage.

The info was shared with us by a businessman who subscribes to assessments of a Hongkong-based risk consultancy firm.

Takot sa imbestigasyon

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2008

Bakit ba kailangan pumila ang mahihirap ng anim na oras para makabili ng dalawa o tatlong kilong bigas?

Hindi ito makatarungan at gusto alamin ng Senado ang ugat ng krisis sa bigas. Ngunit ayaw ng Malacañang. Hindi lang ‘yun. Ang mga senador pa ngayon ang may kasalanan sa krisis ng bigas. Sabi ni Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol, “”Tigilan na nila. Tumulong naman sila. Stop investigating, start helping…Namemerwisyo na ang Senado.
“Pag tumulong sila, wala nang price crisis… Kaso ginugulo nila… Wala na ba silang pagtingin sa bayan?”

What I’ve learned: Getting there my own way

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2008

by Sara O. Siguion-Reyna

(This article appeared in the Learning Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today. Sara is the daughter of filmmaker Carlitos Siguion-Reyna and movie/TV scriptwriter and actress Bibeth Orteza.)

I grew up on Mama’s stories of the anti-Marcos days and her activities: running in her clogs to flee truncheon-wielding Metrocom soldiers, bringing home the red flag of the Diliman Commune after a Makibaka march (she wanted it draped on the window, my grandmother turned it into a pillowcase) and, after Sept. 21, 1972, distributing underground newspapers, attending underground political discussions, doing this and that in the name of democracy.

Papa, light years away from his own “awakening,” got arrested one night for violating curfew. He would not tell the arresting policemen that he was the defense minister’s nephew, so he and his friends weeded the vacant lots of Camp Crame.

Esperon’s last minute press

Published by Ellen on April 20, 2008

Three weeks to the end of his extended term, Gloria Arroyo’s favorite general, AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon is still at it with his “divide and conquer” strategy on the 28 officers he imprisoned for refusing to allow themselves in to be used in thwarting the will of the people in the 2004 elections.

Last week, Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 20 other detained officers were brought back to Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal more than two months after they were brought against their will to the ill-ventilated ISAFP detention quarters in Camp Aguinaldo. (Col. Ariel Querubin and Major Leomar Jose Doctolero are in Camp Aguinaldo hospital. Brig. Gen. Danny Lim is in Camp Crame with the Magdalo officers.)

Dahil utos ng simbahan

Published by Ellen on April 19, 2008

Sobra na sa 88 milyon ang mga Filipino ngayon.

Sa sensus ng National Staistics Office noong isang taon, umabot na sa 88.57 milyon ang ating populasyon. Ikumpara sa sensus nong 2000 na 76.50 milyon, tumaas tayo ng 2.04 percent. Ibig sabihin, nadagdagan tayo ng 12.07 million sa loob ng pitong taon.

Merong iba na natutuwa dahil ibig sabihin noon, mas maraming Filipino. Ngunit mas marami ang nababahala kasi, saan kukuha ng ipapakain para sa lahat na yun? Saan kukuha ng pagpa-aral sa lahat na yun?

Rotten strategy

Published by Ellen on April 17, 2008

“Style mo, bulok.” That’s what we say when we catch someone trying to con us.

That’s what we want to tell AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon and his not so intelligent “intelligence agents” who had someone pose as Capt. Nicanor Faeldon and called up ABS-CBN and GMA-7 to give an interview.

The style was so rotten, it stank. We are wondering what sinister plan they are up to.

Month: April 2008