January 2009 – ellen tordesillas

The sordid mess which is The Legacy

Published by Ellen on January 31, 2009

Daxim Lucas of the Philippine Daily Inquirer has come out with a good investigative report on the sordid mess that is The Legacy.

Lucas’ story implicates House Speaker Prospero Nograles. In the second part of the four-part series, the Inquirer said,

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) started investigating what is now known as the Legacy Group rural banks four years ago during the term of then PDIC president Ricardo Tan.

Together with the central bank, PDIC initiated the probe of several Visayas-based rural banks that had aroused suspicion due to the rapid increase in their deposit levels and to reports of “sky-high” returns being promised to depositors or investors.

In the course of the probe, Tan recalled that he was asked out to dinner in 2005 by then House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles, through his “subaltern” George Regalado.

“To my surprise, when I got there [to Edsa Plaza Shangi-La Hotel], we were joined by Celso de los Angeles,” Tan said, referring to the alleged owner of several rural banks that PDIC was investigating for unsafe and unsound banking practices.

Continue readingThe sordid mess which is The Legacy

Falling apart

Published by Ellen on January 29, 2009

by Lito Banayo
Malaya

The signs are all around us. The agencies and institutions which form the polity of this nation are falling apart.

The regulatory agencies which are supposed to ensure that the public is protected from the excesses and abuses committed by private business in its pursuit of profit and market objectives are negligent, and in many instances, even collusive.

Of late, we have been shocked that the World Bank blacklisted three of the biggest public works contractors in the country, whose accounts with the DPWH run into the billions of pesos each. What became more shocking is that the House of Representatives, or at least its public works committee headed by a contractor, the gentleman from Southern Leyte, and whose vice-chair is another contractor, the gentleman from Pampanga, circled the wagons to protect their fellow contractors, and damned the World Bank for its effrontery in investigating three of their kind. Funny how these guys wrapped the Philippine flag around the blacklisted contractors.

Ang tindi ng mga bata ni Mike Arroyo

Published by Ellen on January 28, 2009

Sagot ni Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane kay Sen. Miriam Santiago: “Hindi ikaw ang magpapa-alis sa akin. Ang presidente ko.”

Sinabi kasi ni Miriam na dapat i-fire ni Arroyo sina Ebdane, Finance Secretary Gary Teves at Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez dahil pabaya sila sa anomalya sa mga kontruksyun ng mga proyekto sa ginagastusan ng World Bank. Malaking kahihiyan ang nangyari na kailangan pa World Bank ang mga blacklist ng E.C. De Luna Corp., Cavite Ideal International Construction at Development Corp., and C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.

Maliban sa walang kasong naisampa sa tatlong blacklisted na kumpanya, patuloy pa silang sumasama sa ibang bidding.

Signing official documents on a holiday

Published by Ellen on January 27, 2009

Prosecutor John Resado sinks himself deeper . The more he talked the more that his story becomes incredible.He admitted to making a P800,000 deposit on the day he finalized the resolution dismissing the case against Brodett, Tecson and Joseph and ordering their release,

The date of the resolution was Dec. 2, 2008. Information tipped to the National Bureau of Investigation said Resado and his wife deposited separately two P800,000 in a bank in Bacoor, Cavite. He admitted only to one P800,000 which he said came from their money-lending business. He said the deposit had nothing to do with the resolution.

To stress the disconnect between the Dec. 2 resolution and the Dec. 2 deposit, Resado said he actually signed the resolution on Dec. 1.

Resado forgot to check his calendar. Dec. 1, a Monday, was declared by Gloria Arroyo a non-working holiday to observe Andres Bonifacio day which fell on a Sunday.

Magsabi na lang kasi ng totoo, ano.

Prosecutor declines to open bank accounts

Owner of blacklisted construction firm met Mike Arroyo at least 20 times

Published by Ellen on January 27, 2009

by Maila Ager
Inquirer Online

First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo met with one of the owners of the three construction firms that had been blacklisted by the World Bank for alleged corruption in government road projects.

E.C. De Luna Corp., Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp., and C.M. Pancho Construction Inc. had been blacklisted and penalized by the World Bank, along with four other Chinese firms.

Eduardo de Luna of the E.C. De Luna Construction Corp. told the Senate committees on economic affairs and public works and highways on Tuesday that he met the First Gentleman at least “three times.”

De Luna was responding to a query by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson who asked him how long he knew the First Gentleman and how well he knew him.

Blancaflor deposits P2.6 million on the day he talked with Marcelino re Alabang Boys

Published by Ellen on January 26, 2009

Update: Blancaflor waves right to bank secrecy;allows his bank account to be examined.

Secretary Blancaflor’s statement on the alleged P2.6 million deposit:

Feb 26 2008 Applied loan as co-borrowers, Ricardo Alejandro Blancaflor and Mercedes Kathryn Yap (then fiancée). Paid Php 2.1M as downpayment which is 30% of Php 7M.

April 30 2008 Two loan documents were made when the loan was approved. One loan was covered by PN No 174514000507803 in the amount of Php 3,220,232.00. Monthly amortization is P36,195.31 starting June 1, 2008.

Madyik na balota na naman sa 2010

Published by Ellen on January 26, 2009

Kaduda-duda daw ang appointment ni retired General Tirso Danga bilang hepe ng National Printing , sabi ni Sen. Mar Roxas.

Si Danga kasi ang hepe ng ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) nang mangyari ang pag-tape ng usapan ni Gloria Arroyo at Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Ngunit nang mag-imbistigas ang Senado, hindi sumipot si Danga.

“Hindi pa nga nasasagot ni Admiral Danga ang mga tanong sa kanyang naging papel sa kaso ng Hello Garci ay eto at siya pa ang ilalagay sa ahensyang gagawa ng mga balota para sa eleksyon. Talagang garapalan na ang ginagawa ng Malacañang,” sabi ni Mar.

Sabotaging anti-illegal drugs campaign

Published by Ellen on January 25, 2009

Updates:
Arroyo called up Santiago on Palparan.

Golez wants Resado probed.

I would not be surprised if the idea to appoint retired general Jovito Palparan, known as the “butcher”, to an anti-illegal drugs body, came from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

That would be the surest way to discredit the anti-illegal drugs campaign and lose the cooperation of the civilian community. It’s a stroke of genius that only one with a mind so malevolent could think of.

That it was apparently accepted by Gloria Arroyo, who crowned herself anti-drug czar for two weeks, raises questions if she is still in control of the government.

‘Favored’ general seen to succeed Yano as AFP chief

Published by Ellen on January 25, 2009

Related article: Solons warn versus militarization

by Victor Reyes
Malaya

Five months before the retirement of Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano, there are already talks on whether President Arroyo’s perceived favorite officer, Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit, would make it to the top military post.

Some military officers are wary of Bangit’s possible appointment as the military chief, citing the fact that he would be overtaking more senior officers and upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy.

Bangit, chief of the Southern Luzon Command, belongs to PMA Class ‘78 that has adopted President Arroyo as an honorary member. He served as chief of the Presidential Security Group and had been with the President since she was vice president. After his stint at the PSG, Bangit was named head the Intelligence Service of the AFP and later on commander of the 2nd Infantry Division. He has been a three-star general for more than a year.

Latest Danny Lim video

Published by Ellen on January 24, 2009

Month: January 2009