Ang galing ng timing ni Gloria Arroyo.
Kaya ayan, habang nakikipag-bolahan siya doon sa Amerika kay George Bush at kung sino pang grupong mabobola niya, ang headlines sa buong mundo ay ang paglubog ng MV Princess of Stars na sobra 800 katao ang sakay.
Sr Estrella Casteleone forwarded to me this text from Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, star witness in the NBN/ZTE scandal:
A warrant of arrest was issued for Violet from the Regional Trial Court in connection with the complaint filed by the PNP and Mascariñas.
We are posting bail. Violet is down.
They are trying to break me by hitting Violet.
Statement from AFP Spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres:
1.We recognize the wisdom of the court and respect its decision. The decision is neither a victory for the defense nor the prosecution. It was a triumph of the rules as upheld by the court;
2.It should be noted that the decision to prescribe some of the charges was reached not based on the merits of the case but on mere legal technicalities. Hence it will not in any way affect the conduct and outcome of a separate trial for a graver charge of mutiny;
3. We will consistently allow the due process of law to take its course. And with the current development, we are optimistic that we will soon finally get to know the truth surrounding the events that took place in February 2006.
Marine lieutenant Belinda Ferrer said she was praying all the while that Col. Marian Aleido was reading the decision on whether the minor charges against them have prescribed and therefore,dropped.
It was the longest ten minutes of her young military career, she said adding that her fellow detainees were in the same nervous state as she was. After two years of being on the receiving end of unfavorable decisions by the court, the only female detainee in the whole armed forces said she prepared herself for the worst.
Dead bodies were found floating in the waters of Sibuyan island in Romblon. They were believed to be passengers of “MV Princess of Stars” that sank at the height of typhoon Frank’s onslaught. The ship was carrying more than 700 passengers and 120 crew members.
Update: Mayor Isnaji’s new lawyer confirms additional P15 million ransom. Also, P3 million of the first P5 million came from ABS-CBN.
Mabuti lang karamihan sa publiko hindi naniniwala sa pinagsasabi ng Malacañang kaya sa mga lumalabas na balita tungkol sa P20 milyon na ransom kina Ces Drilon, wala masyadong nagulat.
Ang narinig kong sinasabi ng marami: “Sabi ko na nga ba e.”
Naintindihan ko kung bakit kailangan magkaroon ng “No ransom policy” ang pamahalaan. Kapag normal kasi ang pagbigay ng ransom, lalo magiging malala ang kidnapping. Negosyo na nga yun hindi lamang ng Abu Sayyaf kungdi dito rin sa kalakhang Maynila.
by Raymond Africa
Malaya
The police yesterday confirmed that the family of ABS-CBN news anchor Ces Drilon paid P5 million ransom to a bandit group that held her, two cameramen, and a professor for 10 days in Sulu.
You can see and feel the joy in their happy faces.
Applause and jubilation erupted when law member Marian Aleido declared, “Therefore, the motions of the accused are hereby granted and the questioned charges are dismissed.”
Despite mosquito bites and a damaged toenail, Ces Drilon was her usual perky self upon coming out of a nine-day ordeal in a bandits’ lair in the jungle of Sulu. It was good to see her smiling.
It was touching seeing her crying and sharing her reflections of her harrowing experience. I was touched with that part when Ces said something like”You don’t realize how important something is until you are on the verse of losing it.” She said many times during their captivity, they were on the verge of being killed.
Sa Silangan Elementary School sa Taguig Rizal, isang kubeta lamang sa 2,031 na estudyante.Buhos-buhos pa. At kadalasan, wala pang tubig.
Dahil sa ganitong sitwasyon, maraming estudyante ang napa-ihi na sa kanilang pants. Ang iba kung saan na lang. Kaya daw ang baho-baho na ng kubeta at ng paaralan.
Update: In today’s hearing, Atty. Bagares challenged Gen. Martir because he was the one who approved (even ordered according to militarynsources) of Lt. Raymundo’s detention and filing of charges against him.
Martir said he had inhibited, three days earlier. (Then why was he there presiding?) Then he left. Another member, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Salamat, also inhibited himself from the panel because he was the one who prepared the report on Lt. Raymundo’s case.