Month: February 2011

Gloria’s call to Reyes

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2011

One of early visitors of Reyes l — Photo by Luis Liwanag for VERA Files

Retired Navy Commodore Rex Robles said in his talk with former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes the past weeks, the latter was very worried and felt the walls coming down on him.

His last conversation with Reyes was Monday noon. Reyes told him that Gloria Arroyo called him up recently to inquire about two things: One, she wanted to know who was the mistah of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who delivered his (Reyes) Jan. 14, 2011 letter to the senator asking him to reveal who was “powerful person” behind former military comptroller Carlos Garcia, and two, she wanted to know why Robles was attacking Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez.

It must be noted that Reyes sent Trillanes the letter before former military budget officer, Lt. Col. George Rabusa with his expose on Reyes getting P50 million send-off gift and P10 million allowance every month on Jan. 27. At this time, the issue was limited to the plea bargain agreement between the Ombudsman and Garcia.Does this mean Reyes knew he would be dragged into the controversy?

On Arroyo’s second concern, Robles said he is suspicious of Golez’ motive in attacking Reyes and that it is diverting the issue from Garcia. He said that people protecting Garcia are doing it through Golez.

Former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes commits suicide in front of mother’s grave

Published by Ellen on February 8, 2011

Former AFP Chief Angelo Reyes shot himself in front of his mother’s grave at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina.

He was brought to Quirino Memorial Hospital where he expired. It happened minutes past 7 a.m.

Retired Navy Commodore Rex Robles said he talked with Reyes yesterday noon. He sounded worried. He said Gloria Arroyo called him up recently.

1. She wanted to know who was the mistah of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who delivered his (Reyes) letter to the senator asking him to reveal who was behind former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.

2.Arroyo also wanted to know why Robles was attacking Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez.

Robles said he was with Reyes two nights last week.

Related article by Glenda Gloria in the Comments section.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona who was at the hospital gave the official medical bulletin that Reyes was pronounced dead officially at 8:32 am.

Real men cry

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2011

I like men who cry. It makes them very humane and vulnerable. And manly.

Air Force Col. Antonio Ramon “Sonny” Lim couldn’t hold back his tears when he testified at the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigating the controversial plea bargain agreement of the Ombudsman with the retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.

He said in Pilipino that ever since the news about the corruption in the military broke out, he had been thinking of coming out with what he knew and decided that under Aquino’s reformist administration, “Panahon na na malaman ng sambayanang Pilipino ang katotohanan. (It’s time that people know the truth)”

Lim was the assistant of retired Lt. Col. George Rabusa, former budget officer, who had earlier spilled the beans on three AFP chiefs of staff – Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva, and Roy Cimatu – getting bienvenida and despedida money ranging from P50 million to as high as P150 million and monthly allowances of P10 million.

Ang panig ng abogado ni Zaldy Ampatuan

Published by Ellen on February 6, 2011

Sumulat sa akin si Atty. Howard Calleja, na binabatikos ngayon dahil sa kanyang pagtanggap kay Zaldy Ampatuan bilang kliyente.

Kasama si Zaldy sa nakasuhan ng multiple murder sa masaker ng 58 na tao, 32 doon ay mga journalists, noong Nobyembre 23, 2009. Ang itinurong nagsagawa ng masaker ay ang kanyang kapatid na si dating Mayor Andal Jr. Sabit din ang kanilang ama na si Andal Sr. Sobra isang daang tao ang nakasakdal sa kasong ito.

Pinuna ko si Calleja sa aking kolum noong isang buwan. Nadismaya ako sa kanya dahil kilala ko si Howie bilang ma-prinsipyo na abogado. Abogado siya nang Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, isang organisasyun na ang misyun ay malinis at maayos na eleksyun. Alam naman natin kung anong eleksyun ang pinaiiral ng mga Ampatuan sa Maguindanao. Ang tawag nga doon bangko ng mga boto. Magdeposito ka lang ng cash, makukuha mo ang boto na gusto mo. Tanungin nyo si Gloria Arroyo at si Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Panibagong imbestigasyun ng Dacer-Corbito murder case

Published by Ellen on February 5, 2011

Statement of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson:

Secretary Leila de Lima should stop using brute reason in interpreting the court of appeals ruling dismissing the case against me which she claimed she has not even read.

Let me remind her that in a civil and common law system like ours, the hierarchy of courts places the supreme court at the highest level and is therefore the sole authority to reverse the court of appeals in its ruling and decision. – not any of the lower courts of the land and certainly not the secretary of justice.

The appellate court has ruled that there is no probable cause to indict me for two counts of murder and categorically nullified the warrant of arrest that the Manila RTC branch 18 issued against me. De lima cannot place herself above any court of law. Otherwise, the justice system becomes defective and worse, will self-destruct.

Continue readingPanibagong imbestigasyun ng Dacer-Corbito murder case

Palpak UAVs, and more exploded in Senate hearing

Published by Ellen on February 3, 2011

Miriam Santiago and George Rabusa — Where have you been all these years? Miriam asks Rabusa during last Thursday's Senate hearing. Photo from Malaya.

The AFP, under Chief of Staff Roy Cimatu, bought unmanned aerial vehicles to be used against the Abu Sayyaf for $2 million based only on a board room presentation without bidding and canvassing. “Nagbagsakan yun. Hindi po nagamit. I don’t know how long. Palpak, nagbagsakan,Rabusa said.

Sabi nga namin,na 1-2-3 tayo. We had no more contact with the Israeli company,” he added.

Following is David Dizon’s report at ABS-CBNNEWS online:

Diversions of soldiers’ salaries and United Nations funds, multi-million cash gifts to military chiefs of staffs, and illegal military contracts were just some of the bombshells revealed during Thursday’s resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on military corruption.

Under pressure from senators, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez reluctantly said her office would file a manifestation with the Sandiganbayan seeking to defer action on its plea bargain agreement with former military comptroller Carlos Garcia in light of testimonies of new witnesses that could bolster the plunder case originally filed against Garcia.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/feb04/news1.html
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/212155/ombudsman-to-file-manifestation-on-recommendation-to-withdraw-plea-bargain-deal

Former military budget officer George Rabusa, aided by his former staff Lt. Col. Ramon Antonio “Sonny” Lim, said former military chiefs Diomedio Villanueva, Roy Cimatu and Angelo Reyes received “pabaon” (send-off money) upon their retirements from active service.

Villanueva allegedly received the largest “pabaon” of P164 million, followed by Cimatu with P80 million and Reyes with P50 million.

Ping Lacson cleared

Published by Ellen on February 3, 2011

Sophia M. Dedace, GMANews.TV

The Court of Appeals on Thursday granted the petition of Sen. Panfilo Lacson to dismiss the double murder case lodged against him for the Dacer-Corbito killings a decade ago.

In an 80-page ruling, the appellate court’s Special Sixth Division reversed the two orders from the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 that found probable cause to indict Lacson for the killings of publicist Salvador Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

The CA also revoked the arrest warrant the Manila court issued against Lacson, who has been in hiding since January last year.

We salute Heidi Mendoza

Published by Ellen on February 1, 2011

heidi mendoza at House hearing — Thanks to ABS-CBN for this photo

As long as there is a Heidi Mendoza, there is hope for the Filipino nation.

As astounding as the courage of Heidi Mendoza, former state auditor who investigated the case of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, was the refusal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and the government prosecutors to acknowledge the evidence even if they were staring on their face.

Mendoza’s testimony about the pressures she had to put up in uncovering military corruption was so moving especially when she tearfully appealed to spare her family from harm. “Maawa kayo sa akin. Maawa kayo sa mnga anak ko,” she pleaded adding that in coming out she didn’t want to hurt anybody.

A daughter of a policeman, she said she took on the challenge of investigating corruption in the military “to give honor to the soldiers who risk their lives in defense of the country.”

Mubarak’s Wife and Son Flee to London amid protests with 97 suitcases

Published by Ellen on January 31, 2011

Signs of beginning of the end. This was the scene that preceded the fall of Mohamad Reza Pahlavi,Shah of Iran, Doc Duvalier of Haiti, Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand. In the case of Marcos, he and the family all left together.

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
IsraelNationalNews.com

The wife of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and their son Gamal, considered the successor to his father as president, have fled to London with 97 suitcases after unprecedented massive protests in Egypt, an Arab website reported. Egyptian officials denied the claim.

egypt_protest — Anger in the streets.Photo from http://www.ahmedrehab.com/

The plane also reportedly carried Gamal’s daughter, the Akhbar Arab website reported. It also said a Twitter account was blocked to prevent a social network campaign to urge the ousting of Mubarak, who is over 80 and is reportedly is suffering from cancer.

Mubarak forms cabinet amidst shouts of get out!

Dozens of Twitter messages have been sent saying that Mubarak’s wife Suzanne was identified at Heathrow Airport in London, where she and her son and granddaughter arrived in a private jet.

In Egypt, calm has returned to the streets but authorities have arrested hundreds of protesters. Three people – two of them demonstrators — were killed in Tuesday’s rallies that spread throughout the country.
(IsraelNationalNews.com)

Frantic exodus from Egypt (culled from several news reports)

CAIRO — Cairo’s international airport was a scene of chaos and confusion Monday as thousands of foreigners sought to flee the unrest in Egypt and countries around the world scrambled to send in planes to fly their citizens out.