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Month: November 2009

‘Political prostitution’

Published by Ellen on November 17, 2009

Loren Legarda
Loren Legarda
The sordid description was supposed to refer to the votes of the 12 senators who cleared Sen. Manny Villar wrongdoing in the C-5 road extension project but Senator Jamby Villar zeroed in on colleague Loren Legarda who announced today her team-up with Villar for the 2010 elections.

“I congratulate Mr. Villar for his fantastic lobbying in turning someone like Senator [Loren] Legarda, who was rabidly against him into his girl Friday. As they say, Manny talks and money talk louder,” said Madrigal in a statement sent from Europe.

Added Madrigal: “I will not subscribe to political prostitution when the country’s interest is at stake. Public service is not a numbers game.”

Legarda was among the 12 senators (Aquilino Pimentel, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Gregoriio Honasan, Joker Arroyo, Miriam Santiago, Ramon Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan and Villar) who signed the resolution, expressing the sense of the Senate to dismiss the complaint and clear Villar of alleged acts of disorderly behavior.

Continue reading‘Political prostitution’

Mga paru-paru sa senatoriables

Published by Ellen on November 16, 2009

Ito muna ang mga kandidato para senador ng Liberal Party:Dating Senate President Franklin Drilon, dating senador Serge Osmeña III, Brig. Gen. Danny Lim na hanggang ngayon ay nakakulong, Rep. Ruffy Biazon, Rep. Teofisto Guingona, Jr.,. Akbayan Rep. Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel, dating Rep. Neric Acosta, dating senador Ralph Recto, na dating ring NEDA director general as administrasyun ni Gloria Arroyo at Sonia Roco.

Siyam lang yan. Pupunuin rin nila yan bago Disyembre 1, ang deadline ng filing ng certificate of candidacy para sa mga kakandidato sa mga posisyun pang-nasyunal.

Hindi pa pinapalabas ng Nacionalista Party na pinamumunuan ni dating Senate President Many Villar ngunit may nagsabi sa akin na kasama raw doon sina Sen. Miriam Santiago, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Col. Ariel Querubin na nakakulong hanggang ngayon, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza at Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.

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Latest Pulse Asia survey:Noynoy maintains big lead

Published by Ellen on November 16, 2009

With less than six months to go before Election Day, Liberal party’s Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, Jr. leads the presidential race by a big margin with 44 per cent, the October 2009 survey of Pulse Asia showed.

Number two is Nacionalista candidate Manuel Villar with 19 per cent followed by party less Francis Escudero, who has yet to decide whether to push through with his presidential plan, with 13 per cent.

Former President Joseph Estrada of the Patido ng Masang Pilipino got 11 per cent, Vice President Noli de Castro who has shown no interest in joining the race with four per cent, and the Arroyo administration bet, Gilbert Teodoro of Lakas-Kampi with two per cent.

Click below for the complete survey including senatorial aspirants.

October 2009 Pulse Asia survey on 2010 candidates

Continue readingLatest Pulse Asia survey:Noynoy maintains big lead

Remnants of the Dark Ages

Published by Ellen on November 15, 2009

Leila de Lima, chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights said reasons cited by the Commission on Elections in denying the application of Ang Ladlad for accreditation as sectoral party illustrates that gays are objects of ridicule, contempt and violence which renders them marginalized.

It’s good that de Lima has taken up the cudgels for Ang Ladlad, a nationwide organization of lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

De Lima read to the Comelec commissioners Article 7 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, to which the Philippines is a signatory, that states, “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”

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Ano ang niluluto nina Ebdane?

Published by Ellen on November 14, 2009

Noong unang sinabi ni dating Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane na tatakbo siya bilang presidente hindi ko sineryoso. Sabi ko “maglalaba” lang yan.

Alam naman natin na ang problema ngayon ni Gloria Arroyo, ng mga miyembro ng kanyang pamilya, at ang mga alagad na kasabwat sa kanilang pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan ay kung paano i-secure ang mga bilyunes na kanilang nanakaw sa kaban ng bayan.

Isip kasi natin sa galit ng taumbayan, sigurado na ang susunod na pangulo ay galing sa oposisyun at i-imbestigahan ang mga anomalya na nangyari sa administrasyong Arroyo. Marami sa anomalya na yan ay sa DPWH, na nasa pamumuno ni Ebdane.

Continue readingAno ang niluluto nina Ebdane?

Behind the Fighter Manny Pacquiao, the Fight for His Favor

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2009

by Greg Bishop
New York Times

Team Pacquiao. NY Times photo by Miguel Salazar
Team Pacquiao. NY Times photo by Miguel Salazar

LOS ANGELES — The condominium looks like a fraternity house, not the resting place for boxing royalty. Stained carpets cover the floor. Dartboards hang from the wall. Bowls of food, half-eaten leftovers, line the kitchen

Manny Pacquiao, one of the best boxers in the world, sleeps here. But he does not sleep alone.

Pacquiao, who faces Miguel Cotto in a welterweight title fight Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, does not do anything alone.

Continue readingBehind the Fighter Manny Pacquiao, the Fight for His Favor

Edu Manzano is Teodoro’s running mate

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2009

Edu Manzano
Edu Manzano
Movie and TV actor Eduardo “Edu Manzano” is the Lakas-Kampi vice presidential candidate.

In a press conference this morning at the Makati Shangrila, Manzano, 54, was presented by Teodoro and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who had earlier withdrawn from his declared vice presidential bid.

Manzano said the qualities of Teodoro, who has been trailing behind other candidates in the surveys, that had appealed to him are “credibility, integrity,hardwork.”

“I believe that we can lead this country forward,” said Manzano, who is a Lakas-Kampi member. He was chairman of the Optical Media Board until a few months ago.

The announcement surprised many political observers who were expecting Manzano to take his oath as Liberal Party member so he could be in LP’s senatorial ticket.

Manzano has rated within the top 15 among the senatorial aspirants in a number of credible surveys.

Continue readingEdu Manzano is Teodoro’s running mate

The perils of exposing anomalies

Published by Ellen on November 12, 2009

It’s very difficult for me to accept the recommendation of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon to include Jose “Joey” de Venecia III and Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. among those who should be charged in connection with anomalous $329 million contract to build a national broadband network in the country with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

The recommendation to impeach Gloria Arroyo is fine. Although I’m sure Gordon knows that recommendation will just stay as recommendation given the time constraints. It’s also good that Mike Arroyo was not spared.
But why charge Joey de Venecia and Jun Lozada? Gordon said Joey cannot be considered a whistleblower because, “There were many times in this scandal that he could have blown the whistle but did not. He only started complaining when he did not get his way.”

So what if he did it when he didn’t win the contract? Did that make the information he gave useless? It maybe a case of sour grapping but the bottom line is because he squealed we learned how the Arroyos, through former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos, tried to make Filipino taxpayers pay $200 million (P9.2 billion) more than the real cost of the project.

Continue readingThe perils of exposing anomalies