Author: Ellen

Duterte gets gifts in multi-million pesos

Published by Ellen on August 18, 2019

When President Duterte told members of the police force that it’s okay to accept gifts, he was just preaching what he has been doing. And his harvest has been bountiful, by his own account.

On his 69th birthday, on March 28, 2014, seven deposits totaling P193,705,615.88 were credited to the joint account of then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his daughter Sara Z. Duterte in BPI, Julia Vargas branch in Ortigas Center. The first was in the amount of P55,131,747.32, followed by P41,721,035.62. Then four deposits in the amount of P20,000,000.00 each came in. The last deposit for the day was in the amount of P16,852,832.94.

VERA Files obtained the bank records from the Senate Record where former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV submitted the documents. These are the same documents that were submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman when Trillanes filed a plunder case against Duterte.

It’s doubtful if Duterte will get his way with China

Published by Ellen on August 16, 2019

China’s President Xi Jinping welcomes President Duterte during the latter’s state visit in October 2016.

China is unfazed by President Duterte’s announcement that he will be raising the 2016 ruling of the Arbitral Court nullifying China’s all-encompassing nine dash line that encroaches on the economic exclusive zone of other countries in South East Asia including the Philippines with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in Beijing end of this month before he proceeds to Foshan, Guandong to attend the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

In an interview with reporters Friday, Zhao underscored China’s consistent position before and after the decision of the Arbitral Court that favoured the Philippine position.” We expressed that we will not accept it and we will not recognize it. And that position has not changed, and will not be changed.”

Last week Duterte announced before members of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry that he was going to China. “Did I not tell you before, that before my term ends, I will be talking about the [South] China Sea?”
The announcement is a marked departure from the position of not displeasing China he articulated when the decision came out in July 2016. He justified it as part of his policy to improve relations with China, which was severely damaged during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Media experts recommend transparency in digital campaign spending for 2022 elections

Published by Ellen on August 11, 2019

By Celine Isabelle Samson,VERA Files

To combat new forms of disinformation and election propaganda seen to have circulated on social media during the May midterm polls, a study by three academics who studied the 2019 midterm Philippine elections suggest transparency in various aspects including finance to lessen disinformation in 2022 elections.

In a study titled “Tracking Digital Disinformation in the 2019 Philippine Midterm Elections” released Friday, Aug. 9, media experts Jonathan Ong from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ross Tapsell of Australia National University and Nicole Curato from the University of Canberra, proposed that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) require candidates to “sign off” on online advertisements about them, and come up with more specific guidelines on campaign expenditure disclosures, specifically for online materials.

Their report, which monitored the digital disinformation that flourished from January 2019 leading up to the May 13, 2019 senatorial polls, saw the rise of underground campaigns – both positive and negative – that fly under the radar of the poll body. This, in the face of larger amounts of campaign funds being funneled into online material.

“The digital campaigners we interviewed declared that they now get a more significant chunk of the campaign war chest, with some campaigns allocating up to fifty percent of their ‘air’ budget to social media,” they said.

Ross Tapsell, senior lecturer at Australia National University, one of the authors of the study “Tracking Digital Disinformationin the 2019 Philippine Midterm Elections” explains their research during the launch Aug.9 at Bay Leaf Hotel in Intramuros, Manila. Beside him is his co-author Jonathan Ong. Photo by Celine Samson.

The problem with lying

Published by Ellen on August 6, 2019

Peter Joemel Advicula at IBP, May 6, 2019. From ABS-CBN News

The problem when one concocts a story and put details to impress is that, when he repeats it, there’s the chance that he will mix up or forget some of the details he related. That is what is happening to Peter Joemel Advincula alias Bikoy.

There are four affidavits of Advincula that have been made public including the December 2016 document that he allegedly gave to Senate President Tito Sotto implicating detained Sen. Leila de Lima in the drug syndicate.

The three affidavits – May 6, 2016 executed at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the May 29, 2019 done at the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the July 17 which he submitted to the Department of Justice – are related to what he alleged as the plot to oust Duterte by the opposition. These affidavits are the basis for the sedition case filed by the PNP-CIDG against 38 persons led by Vice President Leni Robredo, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, , seven members of the Religious Community, seven of the eight (Mar Roxas is not included) senatorial candidates of the opposition in the last May elections.
Advincula, who will be the PNP’s star witness, is included among those charged. So is dismissed police officer Senior Superintendent Eduardo Acierto, who was allegedly involved in the 2018 drug smuggling through magnetic filters in 2018.

What will happen to my lotto bet?

Published by Ellen on July 28, 2019

PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde leads the closing of lotto outlets. Screengrab from ABS-CBN video.

After reading Sen. Ping Lacson’s revelation of the billions of pesos collected by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office that do not go to government coffers and are instead diverted to the pockets of PCSO officials., corrupt politicians, policemen and syndicate operators, I feel my lotto problem is minuscule.

But I still want my P576 back.

I buy my lotto tickets in bulk- six draws- to save time and effort in going to lottery outlets.

Last Friday, I went to an SM lotto outlet to place my bets for six draws of 6/42, 6/45,6/49 and 6/55. I paid P576.

‘Possession’ or ‘position’ controversy turns ludicrous

Published by Ellen on July 27, 2019

This is becoming ludicrous.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo’s explanation of the President’s declaration of his helplessness about the situation in the West Philippine Sea because China is “in possession” of disputed geographical features in the area has made the mess messier.

Carpio is now suggesting that the President disown the statement of his spokesman and chief presidential counsel.

This all started when the President said in his State-of-the-Nation address last Monday that “You know, I cannot go there even to bring the Coast Guard to drive them away. China also claims the property and he is in possession. ‘Yan ang problema. Sila ‘yung in possession and claiming all the resources there as an owner. We are claiming the same, but we are not in the position because of that fiasco noong dalawang nag-standoff doon during the time of my predecessor si Albert, ambassador.”

Duterte’s SONA speech on West Philippine Sea made matters worse for PH

Published by Ellen on July 23, 2019

President Duterte delivers his 4th State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 22, 2019. Malacañang photo by Rey Baniquet.

Riding on an 85 percent approval rating, President Duterte probably thought he could convince Filipinos about the wisdom of his much-criticized policy towards China in the matter of the country’s territorial claim in the South China Sea. He devoted a lot of time on the issue of West Philippine Sea in his State of the Nation address Monday.

Now his top two security officials – Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon are doing damage control- issuing clarification about the President’s explanation. They are now blaming the President’s pronunciation of the word “position.” They said it’s not “possession” as everybody heard the President say last Monday.

Here’s the problematic portion of Duterte’s statement on West Philippine Sea:

Banaag blames ‘copy and paste’ re PCOO’s drug 2017 drug figures

Published by Ellen on July 21, 2019

If the objective of the #Real Numbers press conference last Thursday organized by the Presidential Communications Operations Office was to clarify about the conflicting numbers related to President Duterte’s drug war, it left us more confused.

Communication Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag. 2018 file photo.

Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael-Banaag repeated her earlier press statements that Homicide cases under investigation (HCUIs) are “not at all” related to the war on drugs or anti-illegal drug operations.

It’s difficult to believe her assertion because in the Duterte government’s 2017 Accomplishment Report, under the section “Fighting Illegal Drugs,” it listed 3,967 “drug personalities who died in anti-drug operations” from July 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017 and 16,355 “homicides under investigation” from July 1, 2016 – September 30, 2017.

Floy Quintos pays tribute to the quiet courage of Junel Insigne

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2019

The captain and cook of fishing boat Gem-Ver with Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol in a press conference.

Writer Floy Quintos wrote this poem after he watched Junel Insigne, captain of the fishing boat Gem-Ver, which was rammed by a Chinese fishing boat midnight of June 9, beside Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol in a press conference June 19.

Insigne, who had insisted the ramming by the Chinese vessel was intentional and denounced the Chinese for abandoning them in the high seas near Recto Bank at midnight, became unsure of what happened during the press conference with Piñol.

Insigne also apologized to President Duterte for thinking that the ”invitation” which he declined came from Malacañang.

Some ridiculed Insigne. Some pitied him. Some were enraged.

Quintos sensed something deep in the forlorn demeanor of Insigne which inspired him to write this searing piece: