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Month: November 2006

Gloria’s ten-minute ecstasy

Gloria Arroyo was granted by US President Bush her most ardent desire to have a “one-on-one” meeting with her last Saturday, on the sidelines of the 14th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

That’s a big deal for Arroyo because the schedule released by the White House of Bush’s Vietnam trip did not mention any meeting with her.

The White House mentioned the Nov. 17 luncheon meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard; Nov. 18 morning meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and luncheon meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan; and Nov. 19 meetings with President Hu Jintao of China and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Darating kaya si Gringo sa DOJ bukas?

Bukas ang pangalawang araw ng preliminary investigation ng Department of Justice sa 49 na taong sangkot kuno sa rebellion laban sa pekeng administrasyon ni Gloria Arroyo.

Kasama doon sa 49 si dating Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan na nahuli noong Miyerkoles sa Green Meadows sa Quezon City.

Pupunta kaya si Gringo sa DOJ bukas?

Alas-10 ang simula ng preliminary investigation. Noong Nov. 13, ng unang araw ng preliminary investigation. Mayroon pang pangatlo, sa susunod na Lunes, Nov. 27.

Arroyo under new media challenge

This article by Raissa Robles, is in today’s (Saturday, November 18, 2006 ) issue of Hongkong-based South China Morning Post.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo insists her government is “committed to freedom of media as the bailiwick of Philippine democracy”.

But her claims have failed to convince critics, one of whom received a death threat the day before Mrs Arroyo replied to concerns raised by the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce.

On Wednesday her government was also condemned for its “abject failure” to investigate extra-judicial killings and prosecute those involved, in a report prepared by the Hong Kong Mission for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines.

No dearth of honorable men

Commenting on the arrest of former Sen. Gregorio Honasan, Gloria Arroyo, through her spokesman Ignacio Bunye, said “No one can make a mockery of the law… and get away with it.”

She should tell that to herself. She has been making a mockery of the law, beginning with her power grab in February 2001, to her cheating in the 2004 elections, to her EO 464 destroying the government’s check and balance mechanism; to her Calibrated Pre-emptive Response, to her Proclamation 1017 which was martial law in disguise. We are just mentioning a few because the list is long.

She also said Honasan’s arrest “brings to a close a broad conspiracy to destabilize the government and is a harbinger of growing political stability underlying steady economic growth.”

She is dreaming. She should have been there at Department of Justice during the preliminary investigation of 49 persons charged with rebellion last Monday.

Sabwatang Gloria at Mike laban sa media

Dumistansya si Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye sa mga pulis na na pumunta sa Malacañang Press Working area para mag-aresto kay Mia Gonzales, reporter ng Business Mirror at correspondent ng Newsbreak Magazine noong Lunes.

Sabi ni Bunye na sana hindi nagkaroon ng kontrobersya ang pagpatupad ng batas tungkol sa warrant of arrest ni Gonzales kung nakipag-ugnayan ng maayos ang mga pulis sa kanyang opisina.

Ang opisina ni Bunye ay sa third floor ng New Executive building sa Malacañang compound. Ang press working area ay sa ground floor.

Gringo captured

Former Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, wanted for charges of rebellion against Gloria Arroyo, was captured early this morning (about 2:45 a.m.) at Green Meadows in Quezon City.

Honasan sustained a deep cut in his right foot and a sprain in his left foot after he tried to elude arrest by jumping off from the second floor of the townhouse reportedly owned by a certain Ingrid Ramos in Green Meadows.

Initially detained at the CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, he was later transferred to the PNP General Hospital where he was treated.

Business with conscience puts Arroyo on defensive

Gloria Arroyo practically told the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFC) yesterday that they are listening too much to her critics.

In answer to the letter of executives of seven major US retail giants that source garments from the Philippines expressing concern on the killings of militat labor leaders and critics, Arroyo said through her spokesman Ignacio Bunye,”We are fully aware that there is a continuing, insidious propaganda campaign to undermine public trust in the government.”

“We condemn these killings,” Arroyo said as she admitted that “They are a smear to Philippine democracy and the rule of law.

Here’s the letter that Arroyo was reacting to: