Ellen – Page 293 – ellen tordesillas

Arroyo knew MOA details — Esperon

Published by Ellen on September 16, 2008

Presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Monday President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was aware of the details of the controversial memorandum of agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain that he initialed in Kuala Lumpur early last month.

Esperon, speaking to reporters during the 15th anniversary celebration of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), explained that the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) involved consultations with the Cabinet and guidance from the “top leadership.”

Malacañang backed out of the peace agreement after its constitutionality was questioned before the Supreme Court.

Hindi nakapagtataka

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2008

Talaga namang nakakadismaya ang pagbasura ng Court of Appeals ng petisyon ni Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada, ang star witness sa NBN/ZTE deal, na mabigyan ng lunas ang kanayng seguridad na nanganib at patuloy na naganganib nang siya at tangkain na kidnapin ng mga galamay ng pmahalaan noog Feb. 5.

Hindi naman daw kinidnap si Lozada, sabi ni Justice Celia Librea-Leagogo na sinang-ayunan ni Justices Regalado Maambong at Sixto Marella, Jr.

Ngunit hindi nasorpresa si Lozada. Kami rin hindi nasopresa. Ang eskandalo na nangyari sa Court of Appeals tungkol sa GSIS at Meralco kung saan naglabasan ng baho ang ilan sa mga justices sa kasong bilyon-bilyon ang nakasalalay, ay katiting lang yun sa katiwalian na nagyayari sa ating hustisya.

Kaban ng bayan, bantayan

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2008

by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson

Distinguished colleagues, members of the Senate of the 14th Congress of this once proud and great Republic, ladies and gentlemen:

I stand on a matter of personal and collective privilege.

In a press conference called by the Senate President inside his office last Tuesday, he virtually declared war against some of his colleagues, this representation included.

Mr. Senate President, if you are telling us to bring it on, just like a confident poker player with winning cards would say – and I now say to you – All in.

There is an Indian proverb that goes like this:

Tell me a fact and I will learn.
Tell me the truth and I will believe.
Tell me a story and it will live forever in my heart

Ladies and gentlemen of this august chamber, These are the facts:

Moves For Term Extension Will Not Die:Filipino Citizens Should Prepare For Action

Published by Ellen on September 14, 2008

The organisation of FSGO (Former Senior Government Officials) is circulating this petition for signature:

We, the organizations and individuals who have signed this statement, are citizens of this Republic alarmed by current political developments. We note that in spite of various protestations by political leaders from the administration and the opposition, the talk of a brazen attempt to extend the term of Mrs. Arroyo simply will not die.

Charter change to be initiated in Congress through a constituent assembly has seemingly been stopped in its tracks by the vocal opposition of many members of the Senate, whose two-thirds approval would logically seem necessary to convene a constituent assembly.

Yet the House of Representatives, through the Speaker, and the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments, has announced that it will be holding “public consultations” to elicit public opinion on charter change, whether for federalism, shift to a parliamentary system or such other excuse/justificatio n as may later dawn on the proponents.

Book finds

Published by Ellen on September 14, 2008

It’s a sumptuous book buffet at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City where the 29th Manila International Book Fair is being held.

Writer Nelson Navarro and I were happy to get “good buys.” With 20 to 30 percent discounts, it made for a satisfying afternoon.

Nelson was able to find a rare copy of Eusebius Julius Halsema’s biography published by New Day Publishing. Yes, he is the Halsema of the highway going to Baguio City. An engineer, Halsema was the pre-war mayor of Baguio City.

I got several items from Anvil that covered the whole political spectrum from “Right” to “Left”. One is a slim (155 pages) book that tackles a heavy topic: “Before Gringo: History of the Philippine Military (1830 to 1972)” by Honolulu-based Donald Berlin, who worked for many years at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington D.C.

Leksyon sa nangyari sa Thailand

Published by Ellen on September 13, 2008

Noong una nainggit ako mga taga-Thailand na napa-talsik nila ang kanilang bagong prime minister na si Samak Sundaravej na ang kasalanan lamang ay tumanggap siya ng bayad sa kanyang televised cooking show habang siya’y prime minister.

Sinabi ng Constitutional Court ng Thailand na lumabag si Samak ng batas na nagbabawal sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan na tumanggap ng pera sa pribadong kumpanya. Wow! Ganoon sila ka istrikto.
Kung dito sa Pilipinas yan baka wala ni isang opisyal ang matira sa gobyerno.

Si Justice Jose Sabio Jr. umamin na tumanggap ng P300,000 kay Francis de Borja bilang pasalamat sa isang kasong nadesisyunan niya pabor sa pamilya ni de Borja, hindi tinangal.

‘Take advantage of the corrupt system’

Published by Ellen on September 13, 2008

The image is that of Winston Garcia, GSIS General manager. I’m not so sure about the voice. The talk is that it was said in a Meralco board meeting last year. Take time to view it. Interesting.

Some of the sentences are disjointed but this is what I have put together:

The Maldanas incident

Published by Ellen on September 13, 2008

Under the topic, “Ermita’s Sabah memo”, one of our regulars here, Sulbatz, recalled the story of the Maldanas incident which happened on Sept 26, 1985. I tried to google the Maldanas incident but I only found one line in http://www.usssatyr.com/now.htm

I found two items in yahoo.com. One was a 1994 Inquirer article after the Abu Sayyaf first made its existence public in the Ipil massacre. The article stressed the sensitivity of the Maldanas incident. “Ramos warned against issuing statements blaming the Lahad Datu- Maldanas (Siluag) incident on the Malaysian Armed Forces. Without high-level diplomatic talks on the incident, it could have become a full-blown conflict.” (http://www.nisat.org/blackmarket/asia/Southeast_Asia/Philippines/94.07.31-Abu%20Sayyaf%20Weapons%20Capabilities-%20Foreign%20Supporters%20Listed.html)

The other item is a comment in http://timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=9598.0. It said “On Sept 26, 1985, 4 foreign gunboats and 3 helicopters attacked the Maldanas islet in Sibutu islands. Initially, Malaysia was blamed it being suggested the attack was in retaliation for a Moro pirate raid on Lahad Datu in Sabah. The Malaysians protested their innocence and subsequently it was felt that the raid came from Vietnam or China in an attempt to spoil relations between the 2 countries.” ( source : Air Wars and Aircraft, 1990)”

I’m glad that Sulbatz shared with us this inside story from an officer’s first hand account:

Ermita’s Sabah memo

Published by Ellen on September 11, 2008

When Gloria Arroyo’s “special envoys” to Malaysia, minus National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, met with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, did they also discuss Sabah?

I’m curious because last Aug. 20, two weeks after the aborted signing of the Malaysian-brokered Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita issued Memorandum Circular 612 titled “Guidelines on Matters Pertaining to North Borneo (Sabah)”

The memo gives four instructions:

Pera-pera lang

Published by Ellen on September 10, 2008

Galit na galit si Sen. Rodolfo Biazon sa panukala ni Secretary Ronaldo Puno ng Interior and Local Government na magbibigay sila ng P25 milyon sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front kung isu-surender nila sina Ameril Ombra kato, Abdulla Macapaar alias Kumander Bravo at Aleem Sulaiman.

“Hindi ako papayag na pagsinurender yung dalawang commander binigyan pa natin ng P25 milyon yung MILF. Ibibili nila ng bala at baril yan,” sabi ni Biazon.

Ang P25 milyon at para sa talong kumander. Noong isang linggo kasi, dinoble ang patong sa ulo nina Kumander Ombra kato at Bravo ng tig-P10 milyon. P5 milyon naman ang patong sa ulo ni Kumander Sulaiman.

Author: Ellen