Ellen – Page 239 – ellen tordesillas

Tim Garcia: under arrest in designers’ garb

Published by Ellen on September 13, 2009

This is another world!

Fashion’s night on probation
by Peter Davis

Timothy Mark Depakakibo Garcia, a 25-year-old publicist for Marc by Marc Jacobs, has a court-ordered Fashion Week curfew.

Perched on a sleek white Armani Casa chair in his apartment in the modern, gilded Trump Plaza at 502 Park Avenue, Garcia is decked in head-to-toe designer: a supple caramel leather Alessandro dell’Acqua jacket, Alexander McQueen jeans, a thin white LnA tee shirt and YSL boots. His wrists are adorned with a big Cartier gold and silver Tank watch, a Cartier Love bracelet, a white enamel Hermes bangle and a $1000 dollar large gold plated spiked Hermes cuff called the Collier de Chien.

Then Garcia daintily rolls up his jeans to reveal one accessory he’d rather not be wearing: an electronic monitoring house arrest ankle bracelet, code number “HGM94472.” The thick plastic black box, the size of a pack of cigarettes, is snug up against his tiny ankle. Garcia’s movements are recorded by Homeguard 200, a big black machine connected to his angular, futuristic Bang and Olufsen phone.

Ang papel ni Kris sa pulitika ni Noynoy

Published by Ellen on September 12, 2009

Naabutan ko sa TV noong Huwebes ang pasasalamat ni Kris Aquino kay Sharon Cuneta tungkol daw sa suporta na ibibigay nila ng kanyang asawang si Sen. Francis Pangilinan sa kandidatura ng kanyang kapatid na si Sen. Noynoy Aquino sa pagka-presidente.

Bago ko nakita ang newscast na yun, may nag-text sa akin na reporter, “Sablay kaagad si Noynoy. Biro mo naman, kinuha si Kiko na spokesman.”

Ang reaksyun ko naman, “Hindi yata nagka-ayos sina Noynoy at Mar Roxas.” Sabi nga ng isang reporter din, “Doble sampal naman itong ginawa ni Noynoy kay Mar. Alam naman niya may isyu sina Mar at Kiko.”

Mikey’s assets before getting elected: P50,000

Published by Ellen on September 11, 2009

Miriam Grace A. Go
Newsbreak

President Arroyo’s oldest child, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, has lately been under scrutiny not only for allegedly misdeclaring his properties but also for being unable to explain satisfactorily how his net worth grew by more than 1,600% in the 7 years that he was an elected official.

Now, he may have to explain, too, the wealth that he acquired before getting elected as vice governor of Pampanga in 2001.

Newsbreak research shows that the rate by which Mikey’s net worth increased from the time he first served as his mother’s executive assistant in the Senate, to his election as provincial vice governor—an 8-year period—was far more dramatic.

Noynoy Aquino sets the pace

Published by Ellen on September 10, 2009

No doubt about it. With his declaration of his presidential bid in the 2010 elections, Sen. Noynoy Aquino, is dictating the agenda and pace of the campaign.

The issue has become character versus competence. This simplification, unfair it may be, reflects the people’s frustration with Gloria Arroyo. People are willing to take the risk with someone without a track record of leadership as long as he is not corrupt.

It was the death of former President Cory Aquino which triggered the interest for Noynoy and advanced the timetable of the campaign.

Graft charges filed vs Mikey Arroyo; Ombudsman tightens rules on access to officials’ SALN

Published by Ellen on September 10, 2009

By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star

Following a series of negative reports on the First Family’s wealth based partly on their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, the Office of the Ombudsman has tightened rules in giving out copies of government officials’ SALN “to protect the integrity of the document.”

Graft rap filed vs Mikey Arroyo

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Militant government workers have filed with the Ombudsman a graft complaint against Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo for not declaring his P63.7-million property in California in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

“With the small salary he gets, it is unacceptable that his assets more than tripled,” said Ferdinand Gaite, president of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), which filed the complaint at 12 noon Thursday

Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni said the Ombudsman field investigation unit has already been looking into Arroyo’s assets after receiving an anonymous online complaint against him weeks ago.

Instead of a simple letter-request, requirements now include a sworn statement before a prosecutor of the anti-graft body stating the reasons for the request.

Painit na ang election fever

Published by Ellen on September 9, 2009

Mukhang tuloy na tuloy na ang eleksyon sa 2010. Noong Martes, nagdesisyon ang Supreme Court sa na ituloy and election automation kahit hindi pa nagkaroon ng testing sa dalawang syudad at probinsya sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao ayun sa batas.

Sa botong 3 (No) – 11 (Yes) at 1(hindi bomoto), sinabi ng mataas na hukuman na “waived” o hindi na naga-apply ang batas na yan.

Ay ewan. Magdasal na lang tayo na hindi magkakalat ang Comelec at Smartmatic-TIM sa 2010 eleksyun at ang kagustuhan ng taumbayan ay lalabas.

Nonoy declares presidential bid

Published by Ellen on September 9, 2009

Tinatanggap ko ang hiling ng sambayanan.
Tinatanggap ko rin po ang tagubilin ng aking mga magulang.
Tinatanggap ko ang responsibilidad na ituloy ang laban para sa bayan.
Tinatanggap ko ang hamon na mamuno sa laban na ito.
Bayang Pilipinas, tatakbo ako sa pagka-pangulo sa darating na halalan.
Tutuloy po natin ang laban. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

With those words, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, declared his presidential bid for the 2010 elections in an morning press conference on the 40th day of the passing of his mother, President Corazon Aquino, at Club Filipino, the same venue where she took her historic oath on Feb. 25, 1986 after the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos.

FBI asked to investigate Mikey Arroyo

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2009

After Vera Files released the story on the property of the Arroyo brothers, Mikey and Dato, congressman sons of Gloria and Mike Arroyo, I received a lot of letters giving additional information on the family’s alleged hidden wealth.

By the way, I am a trustee of Vera Files, a group of journalists that undertakes a deeper look at current issues. I am one of the four writers of the articles “Arroyo sons acquire U.S. homes, businesses after election to Congress” and “Following the Mikey trail: 2004, 2007 declarations show no campaign contributions”.

One of the letters I got came from an American who is in the finance business. He asked that his identity be withheld. I’ll call him “Jay”.

‘I should have let my lawyer do the talking’

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2009

by Wendell Vigilia
Malaya

REP. Mikey Arroyo (Lakas-Kampi, Pampanga) yesterday said no one is to blame but himself for his failure to credibly explain the issues surrounding his multimillion wealth, particularly his P63.7-million beach front property in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

President Arroyo’s eldest son said he looked bad in front of the public because he could not cope with Solita “Winnie” Monsod’s style of questioning when she interviewed him on GMA-7’s “Unang Hirit” Tuesday last week.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Arroyo said his wife was the richer one but he quickly added in jest, “I’m not a gold digger.’’

“If my answers to those questions seem a little confused, ako lang po ang dapat sisihin. It’s my mistake alone. Sana po I passed on this issue to my accountant, to my lawyer, because they are the ones who actually prepare these documents,” he told dzRH.

SC okays poll automation

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2009

From ABS-CBN Online:

It’s full steam ahead to automate next year’s elections.

Voting 11-3-1, the Supreme Court junked the petition filed by University of the Philippines law professor Harry Roque to declare as invalid the P7.2 billion automation contract between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and winning consortium Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM).

The ruling, penned by Justice Presbitero Velasco, is expected to be promulgated this week. Justices Antonio Carpio, Conchita Carpio-Morales, and Arturo Brion dissented. Justice Leonardo Quisumbing, who is on leave, took no part.

Author: Ellen