Sen. Antonio Trillanes delivering his privilege speech on the revocation of his amnesty.
If Pres. Duterte thought that Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV would cower in fear and hide when he ordered the revocation of the amnesty granted to him and other officials who took a stand against the presidency of Gloria Arroyo on July 27, 2003 at then Oakwood Hotel (now Ascott) at the Makati Commercial Center and on November 29, 2007 at The Peninsula Manila hotel in Makati.
No, the 47-year old senator, who was imprisoned for more than seven years (he won his senatorial seat in 2007 while he was in detention) called Duterte a coward.
“Mr. Duterte, duwag ka. Inantay mo pang makaalis ka bago mo nilabas itong proclamation mo. (Mr. Duterte, you are a coward. You waited until you have left before your released this proclamation.)
President Duterte was in his elements again – spewing expletives, spreading lies, concocting fake news -when he was in Cebu Thursday last week for Mandaue city’s 49th Charter Day celebration.
And as usual, the audience lapped up everything : his cursing of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, his Leni Robredo bashing, his lack of respect for the Constitution, his preference for dictatorship and worse, his joke about rape.
Duterte seems to have an obsession about rape. He relishes relating incidents of rape to justify his sweeping, bloody war on drugs.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explains Pres. Duterte rape jokes.
Irma J. Locasia, mother of Salvador J. Locasia, Jr. killed in a police operation on August 31, 2016;
Dennise B. David, father of John Jezreel T. David killed in a police operation on January 20, 2017; Maria C. B. Lozano, sister of Crisanto and Juan Carlos B. Lozano both killed in a police operation on May 12, 2017; Mariel F. Sabangan, sister of Bernabe F. Sabangan killed alongside Arnold S. Vitales in a police operation on May 15, 2017; Normita B. Lopez, mother of Djastin B. Lopez killed in a police operation on May, 18, 2017; Purisima B. Dacumos, wife of Danilo G. Dacumos killed in a police operation on August 3, 2017.
Last Tuesday, as the Supreme Court started hearing oral arguments on the legality of the withdrawal by the Duterte government from the International Criminal Court, the names mentioned in the first paragraph, held a press conference announcing their decision to go to the ICC in The Hague because they do not expect to get justice for their kin killed in Duterte’s bloody and indiscriminating war against drugs. Families of victims of Duterte’s war on drugs go to the International Court of Justice.
There are two items in my mail , also posted in Facebook, which I feel should be shared: One is the clarification by the family of the late Sen. Ambrosio Padilla that Arnold Padilla, the guy who was seen in a video abusing a law enforcer is not the grandson of the respected senator and the other is about the attempt to liquidate Catholic priest Fr. Amado Picardal.
Human rights lawyer Alex Padilla, son of the late Sen. Ambrosio Padilla.“For the record, Arnold Padilla is not a direct grandson of Ambrosio Padilla, although he is a part of the wider Padilla clan. Ambrosio Padilla – lawyer, law professor, author, Olympian, senator, and family man – was known most of all for being that rare man of high moral character in private life and in public office. He had a passion for justice, a deep love of truth, and an abiding belief in personal responsibility. While family, upbringing, and education were important to him, he knew and taught that the content of one’s character was determined by the sum of one’s choices and actions…
“The actions of Arnold Padilla are his responsibility and are not sanctioned, protected, or encouraged by the family of Ambrosio Padilla. We condemn the connections being made to our father, Ambrosio Padilla, and our brothers, Frank and Alexander Padilla, which have no relevance here. The implications have no basis whatsoever, and are outrightly malicious. For those who have spread false news out of ignorance, truth and fairness require a correction and a stop to the spread of this misinformation. To those who, despite knowing the truth, insist on advancing such a malicious connection, know that the family of Ambrosio Padilla will not stand idly by while our family’s good name is sullied by association or implication.Thank you and God bless,” the Padilla family said in a statement.
Do you experience days when you don’t want to watch TV, read newspapers, or go online because you are afraid that you would be assaulted by bad news which you feel you have had enough and don’t want any more of it or at least you want a respite from it?
I had that feeling the past days and I found comfort in “The Book of Joy” a conversation between two revered personalities, The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso and the Archbishop Emeritus of Southern Africa Desmond Tutu assisted by writer Douglas Abrams.
The book exudes a light hearted feeling. Yet the conversation is profound.
Pres. Duterte arrives in Cebu Aug. 21 the conference of League of Municipalities of the Philippines Visayas cluster a few days after rumors circulated that he was in coma. Malacanang photo by Richard Madelo.
President Duterte showed up in Cebu last Tuesday at the conference of the League of municipalities Visayas island cluster walking and as usual, blustering, effectively squelching rumors that he was gravely ill and in coma, as shared by Netherlands-based Communist Party of the Philippines founding Chairman Jose Maria Sison.
Duterte was in his element blasting at Sison: “Comatose-comatose ka diyan. “
He said he is pushing his trip to Israel next month and threatened to slap Sison if he saw the CPP leader.
He said: “Ah sige, tingnan natin. Pag magpunta ako diyan, turista lang. Galing ako Israel. Tignan natin kung sinong — comatose. Hindi ka naman lalaki. You are not a man. Wala ka na. You are spent, you cannot… You are talking nonsense. “
He also said: “Pag nakita kita sa impyerno, p***** i** mo, sampalin kita. Really. Don’t expect to go to heaven. Pero pag nagkita tayo isang kanto sa impyerno… Totoo ‘yan ‘no, pag hindi kita sinampal… “
So, okay, the President is not in coma as spread by Communist Party of the Philippines founding Chairman Jose Maria Sison in social media Aug. 19.
From Netherlands, Sison said his source who was at the national convention of the San Beda Law fraternity Lex Talionis Fraternitas on Saturday said “the darkness of his (Duterte) face had become aggravated from its appearance the other day and that his walk and handshake had become more unstable.”
In the latest still-to-be-verified update from his source, Sison said, “Duterte has gone into coma since the afternoon or evening of today, Sunday, August 19. “
Twice last week, President Duterte complained about China’s activities in the South China Sea- a stark departure from his pandering stand since the start of his presidency.
Always, he was all praises for China’s President Xi Jinping, who will be coming here for a state visit in November, for the military equipment that he said was used in the war against Muslim extremists in Marawi and for the multi-billion infrastructure projects that it is undertaking in the country.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in October 2016. Malacanang photo.
Then President-elect Rody Duterte met with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., who lost in the vice-presidential race, in Davao City June 11, 2016.. Photo by Kiwi Bulaclac of Davao City Mayor’s Office.
It’s easy to believe that President Duterte is tired and weary.He is 73 years old and not the healthiest person on earth. The two years as chief executive of the country showed that he does not have what it takes to be a national leader.
But he will not resign. For the simple reason that he has to make sure that he doesn’t end up in jail for all the crimes that he would be charged with once he is out of power.
That’s why he wants to make sure that his successor is someone who will protect him. And that’s former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos or Sen. Francis Escudero for him.
I don’t know what is more galling: the grossly anomalous contract between the Department of Tourism and PTV4 with the Tulfo Brothers’ Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. or the insolence of the Tulfo brothers. Especially Erwin Tulfo smirking when Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was speaking.
Broadcaster Erwin Tulfo smirks as Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was speaking. Screengrab from CNNPhilippines
At yesterday’s Senate hearing conducted by the Sen. Richard Gordon’s Blue Ribbon Committee, the multi-million transaction between the allegedly cash-strapped PTV and Ben Tulfo’s BMUI defies logic and common sense. It’s impunity of another kind.
The Filipino language has the perfect word for it: garapal.
