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Author: Ellen

Merceditas Gutierrez impeached

Published by Ellen on March 21, 2011

Click here for Sun Star’s list of Impeachment voting

In a historic vote of 212 “Yes”, 46 “No”, and four abstentions Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez was impeached by the House of Representatives for betrayal of public trust.

After eight hours of deliberation, the House vote was completed at 12:13 a.m of March 22, 2011.

This is the first time in the country’s history that an anti-graft chief has been impeached.

The Articles of Impeachment, which will be transmitted to the Senate for trial, contained in House Bill 1089 cites inaction on the following cases : fertilizer scam; $329.5 million controversial National Broadband Network-ZTE telecommunications deal; Mega Pacific poll automation contract; Euro-Generals cases; 1995 death of Navy Ensign Phillip Pestaño; low conviction rates.

Under Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, the impeachment case against the Ombudsman would have to get a one-third vote of all House members (95 ) before it can be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

Continue readingMerceditas Gutierrez impeached

Lacson manhunt illegal -Court of Appeals

Published by Ellen on March 21, 2011

Click here:Court of Appeals final decision on Lacson

By Jomar Canlas
Manila Times

Expect Lacson at the Senate anytime now?
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is now a free man and could return to the Senate immediately.

This was the ruling of the Court of Appeals (CA), which also declared that the Department of Justice’s standing order for the senator’s arrest and detention could be a ground for a possible criminal charge of arbitrary detention against Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

In a 16-page resolution of the appellate court’s Special 16th Division, a copy of which was obtained by The Manila Times, the court said that the ruling automatically lifted the warrant of arrest issued against Lacson and immediately nullifies his indictment before the Regional Trial Court of Manila in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double-murder case.

The appellate court promulgated the ruling, written by Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr., on March 18, 2011.

It stressed that the lifting of the arrest warrant against Lacson is immediately executory, unless the Supreme Court, through preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order, restrains the appellate court.

Continue readingLacson manhunt illegal -Court of Appeals

An inspiring story behind a disturbing investigative report

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2011

Two weeks ago, VERA Files came out with a story on an abortion-inducing drug, Cytotec, being sold online.

Sitjar
It was shorter version of a investigative report written by Edgardo Sitjar for his Investigative Journalism class at the University of the Philippines Mass Communication under VERA Files trustee Yvonne T. Chua.

It was a well-written piece about a topic that is relevant in the wake of reports that every year, half a million Filipino women induce abortion, which is a crime in the Philippines.The article also brought out the downside of Internet, a revolutionary technology that has made almost everything accessible by just the click of the mouse.

Yvonne told me that there’s an interesting story behind the Cytotec article: the life story of the writer. She said: “Ed started out at the bottom of my IJ class and had major, major writing problems. But when the term ended, he got a grade of 1.0 for his final project: the Cytotec story.”

Yvonne sent me an article about Ed which appeared in the Adamson University website.

Ed, the second of the eight children of a tricycle driver in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, was the first to attend school because the eldest had polio.

Continue readingAn inspiring story behind a disturbing investigative report

Naintindihan ba ni Mayor Lim ang karapatang pantao?

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2011

Nagsalita na rin si Etta Rosales, chairperson ng Commission on Human Rights, tungkol sa order ni Manila Mayor Lim na shoot-to-kill sa limang pulis na nangbulsa daw P12 milyon, mula sa P16 milyon ransom money na ibinayad ng nakidnap na negosyanteng Malaysian.

Sabi ni Rosales para naman “gangland” tayo sa order ni Lim.

Nauna nang binatikos ni Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, na dating chair din ng CHR, sa kanyang order. Sabi ni Lima akala yata ni Lim ay nasa “Wild,wild West” tayo.

Nagsalita na rin si Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Badillo. Sabi niya, kahit nga mga huwes hindi nagbibigay ng ganyang order. May proseso. May warrant of arrest.”Sino si Mayor Lim? May kapangyarihan ba siya magbigay ng ganyang order?”

Sabi ni ng spokesperson ni Lim, kaya naman daw sinabi yun ng mayor dahil armado daw ang limang pulis na mga suspek. Ang sinabi daw na shoot-to-kill ay kung lalaban kapag inaresto.

Continue readingNaintindihan ba ni Mayor Lim ang karapatang pantao?

Ang ibang biktima ng sakuna sa Japan

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2011

Updates:
In Libya: Missiles strike in first wave of allied assault http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42164455/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
In Japan: Situation in Nuke plant stabilizing; radiation found in Japanese milk, spinach http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42165497/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

Click on photo to view it enlarged
Sinabi ni Dennis Garcia sa kanyang Facebook wall na kasama ang mga freedom fighters sa Libya sa mga biktima ng lindol, tsunami at nuclear fallout sa Japan.

Kasi nga, sabi ni Dennis (ng popular na bandang Hotdog noon) dahil sa ang atensyun ay sa Japan, napabayaan ang Libya ng ibang malalaking bansa at unti-unti nang nababawi ni Muamar Gaddafy ang mga teritoryo na sakop ng mga rebelde.

Bago nangyari ang lindol sa Japan, ang atensyun ng mundo ay sa Libya kung saan namimiligro nang mapatalsik si Gaddafi sa kanyang kapangyarihan na hawak niya ng 41 na taon. Lumalapit na ang mga rebelde sa Tripoli, ang capital ng Libya kung saan nandun ang mga pwersa ni Gaddafy.

Ngunit noong Biyernes, habang patuloy na binabantayan ng mundo ang sakuna sa nuclear reactor sa Fukushima, Japan na napektuhan ng lindol, inaprubahan ng United Nations ang no-fly-zone nan nagbabawal kay Gaddafy na magpalipad ng eroplano ng military laban sa mga rebelde.

Continue readingAng ibang biktima ng sakuna sa Japan

Stop giving false hopes

Published by Ellen on March 17, 2011

It’s not surprising that China, after giving in to the request of President Aquino to spare the three Filipinos in the death row for drug trafficking, has decided to push through with the execution.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao said in a press conference the death sentence on Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva and Elizabeth Batain “will be carried out sooner or later, and everything will be done in accordance with Chinese laws.”

The date of the execution will be announced by the Supreme Court of Justice in China,” Liu said.

In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said “we would still try to appeal.”

Was Lacierda serious or was he saying this just for PR purposes? They should stop giving false hope to the public, especially the family.

Continue readingStop giving false hopes

Amazing possibilities

Published by Ellen on March 13, 2011

Click on photo to view it enlarged. From msn.com
I’m fascinated by reports that last Friday’s Japan earth earthquake moved some the location of some cities a bit and that there’s a possibility that million years from now, the world’s geography will not be the same at it is today.

We have been educated that the earth’s crust is made up of dozens of tectonic plates that solidified for billions of years. An article I found in the internet likened the earth’s plates to “giant rafts which often slide next to, collide with, and are forced underneath other plates. There is a tremendous amount of energy created by the movements of these plates. Thus we have volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.”

The most volatile of those tectonic plates is the Pacific Plate which “ covers almost the entire floor of the Pacific Ocean, making it the largest plate on the planet.”

Continue readingAmazing possibilities