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Author: Ellen

The ‘exquisitely balanced’ Asean-US statement

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2010

Against the backdrop of US State Secretary Hillary Clinton’s statement in Hanoi last July that it is in the “national interest” of the United States that freedom of navigation be maintained in the South China Sea, diplomatic observers were anticipating a strongly worded reference on that issue in the joint statement that would be released after the 2nd ASEAN-US held at the Waldorf Hotel in New York last Saturday.

The official statement simply said: “We re-affirmed the importance of regional peace and stability, maritime security, unimpeded commerce, and freedom of navigation, in accordance with relevant universally agreed principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international maritime law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”

There was no mention of South China Sea!

Continue readingThe ‘exquisitely balanced’ Asean-US statement

Giving thanks for small blessings

Published by Ellen on September 28, 2010

Y0u have to admire these principled officers for keeping the faith, for looking at the glass as half-full, rather than half-empty, as they take calmly the latest setback in their mutiny case that had its origin in their resistance to the use by Gloria Arroyo of the military to thwart the will of the people in the 2004 elections.

Praying for an enlighted decision at the start of the hearing

Tuesday, the military court headed by Maj. Gen. Josue S. Gaverza Jr. released its much delayed decision on the motion of the accused to dismiss the case as the prosecution has not proven that the accused officers committed mutiny in February 2006.

Cleared of mutiny charges
The court granted the motion of seven officers, four from the Marines – Col. Orlando de Leon, Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon, Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian and the only female officer among the accused Lt. Belinda Ferrer – and three from the Scout Rangers, namely Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero, Capt. William Upano and Homer Estolas.

Continue readingGiving thanks for small blessings

Seven cleared of mutiny charges; Miranda, Lim, Querubin’s motion denied

Published by Ellen on September 28, 2010

by Victor Reyes
Malaya

A jmilitary tribunal yesterday cleared seven military officers of the charge of mutiny filed against them in connection with the alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration in February 2006 but sustained the charge against nine other accused.

Cleared were Col. Orlando de Leon, Lt. Col. Marine Achilles Segumalian, Lt. Col. Custodo Parcon, and 1Lt. Belinda Ferrer of the Marines, and Maj. Leomar Jose Doctolero, Capt. William Victorino Upano, and 1Lt. Homer Estolas of the Army.

The seven, in a second motion for reconsideration for a finding of not guilty, said they did not violate Article of War 67 or mutiny.

The court presided by Maj. Gen. Josue Gaverza said it granted the motion “for being meritorious.”

It denied the motion of the nine others for “lack of merit.”

Continue readingSeven cleared of mutiny charges; Miranda, Lim, Querubin’s motion denied

Verzosa as ambassador to Russia?

Published by Ellen on September 26, 2010

Three days after the Aug. 23 hostage-taking fiasco that left eight tourists from Hongkong dead, the survivors were accompanied by Malacañang officials to the airport for their flight back home.

At that time, tempers were high in Hongkong against the bungling of the Philippine government that turned their compatriot’s holiday into a tragedy. The survivors and their relatives couldn’t help expressing their disgust over the post-tragedy attitude of the Aquino government. They wondered why nobody was taking responsibility. All that they were getting were excuses and justifications for the incompetence that was witnessed live by the whole world.

Despite statements of condolences, the impression that the survivors and their relatives got was, the Aquino government was not serious in making officials be accountable for the debacle. They cited the melamine scandal in China in 2008 when two persons found responsible for the contamination of the infant formula that caused the death of six babies and illness to thousands were executed.

That sentiment was relayed by a Malacañang official to officials involved in the debacle. The official said, then PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa replied, in his typical emotion-devoid manner of speaking, “Okay, I’ll let Magtibay go.”

Continue readingVerzosa as ambassador to Russia?

A whitewash?

Published by Ellen on September 26, 2010

Malaya editorial:

Palace officials said they are “alarmed” over the leak of the withheld portions of the reports of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee but their focus now is on completing a review and submitting their findings to President Aquino when he arrives from the United States tomorrow.

It’s the officials’ necks and Noynoy’s credibility which are on the block so they are free to do as they wish. They should be prepared, however, for some major efforts to contain the firestorm that will sure to erupt when the review assigned to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Eduardo de Mesa is finished.

Ochoa and De Mesa have a limited choice: Affirm the findings and recommendations of the committee chaired by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima or trash them. Selective endorsement of the recommendations will not do because if the committee erred in some, then it conceivably was wrong in all its findings.

The issue boils down to what regulations or laws have been violated and whether there is sufficient evidence to nail down the offenders. If the Palace rules substantially against the recommendations of the panel, then it leaves no room for De Lima but to resign.

Continue readingA whitewash?

Labadahan ng jueteng sa boksing

Published by Ellen on September 26, 2010

Dapat bantayan ng Bureau of Internal review at ng tauhan ng Money Laundering Council ang mga Pilipino na dadagsa na naman sa Texas sa Nobyembre para sa laban ni Saranggani Congressman Manny Pacquiao at ang Mexicano na si Antonio Margarito.

Gambling lords have found “creative methods” of laundering billions of pesos generated by their illegal operations in the country, a lawyer of a late suspected jueteng operator said Sunday.

The methods range from auctioning off paintings in Singapore to moving funds through the underground “Binondo Central Bank,” Ferdinand Topacio said.

Click here:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100927-294494/Jueteng-lords-clean-money-in-Singapore and here :http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100927-294520/Money-laundering-through-artworks

Sinabi ni retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz sa hearing ng jueteng sa Senado na nilalabhan ng mga jueteng operators at ang mga nagpuprotekta sa kanila ang ilegal na pera sa pamamagitan ng pagpusta sa boksing. Kung manalo nga naman sila doon, di legal na ang pera nila.

Sino-sino ba ang mahilig magbuntot kay Pacquiao tuwing may laban siya? Kitang-kita naman.

Nakakalula ang mga numero ng pera na umiikot sa jueteng. Sabi ni Sen. Miriam Santiago, P30 bilyunes (bilyun yan,siyam na sero) ang kita ng mga operator na ilegal na sugal sa isang taon. Kaya naman chicken feed lang sa kanila ang P300 milyun na pyola sa bawat mataas na opisyal.

Continue readingLabadahan ng jueteng sa boksing

Ano ang hawak ni Puno at Verzosa kay Pnoy?

Published by Ellen on September 25, 2010

Huwag sanang magkamali si Pangulong Aquino na balewalain ang rekomendasyun ng Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) na siyang inatasan niyang mag-imbestiga sa nangyaring panghu-hostage ng mga turistang galing Hongkong noong Agosto 23.

Kung mangyari yun, kini-kinita ko, panibagong krisis ang haharapin ni Aquino. Dapat nyang malaman na ang taas na ng frustration level ng maraming sumuporta sa kanya noong eleksyun.

Sa kabila ng maraming palpak ng kanyang halos mag-isang daan araw ng kanyang administrasyon, hindi pa sya iniiwanan ng umaasa ng reporma sa pamahalaan dahil kumakapit pa rin ang marami sa kanyang pangako na matuwid na daan ang tatahakin niya.

Ngunit hindi bulag ang taumbayan na susunod lang sa kanya kahit lumilihis na siya ng daan at mukhang pumupunta sa baku-baku na daan. Baka dumeretso pa ito sa bangin.

Continue readingAno ang hawak ni Puno at Verzosa kay Pnoy?