Ellen – Page 343 – ellen tordesillas

Ateneo polsci students make a stand

Published by Ellen on December 16, 2007

A call for change

The events that happened last November 29, 2007 marks an important day in these our modern times. It was an event that has been downplayed as another foiled coup attempt or presented as the Manila Pen siege by different sides, but at the basic sense it stands to be called the Manila Peninsula Standoff: a clash between Senator Trillanes et al and the stateâ€™s security forces. A clash that has seen the resounding call for the ouster of the current administration made by the group of Senator Trillanes, the aggressive armed response of the government in neutralizing these dissidents and the highly questionable actions taken by the government with regards to the media and the general populace.

Manila Pen incident – not a case of rebellion or warrantless arrest

Published by Ellen on December 16, 2007

All of the accused are clearly illegally and arbitrarily detained

by Atty. Ernesto B. Francisco, Jr.
Counsel for the Guingonas & some of the Accused

(Probe Team, ABS-CBN did a good documentary on the Nov. 29 incident. You can check it out in their website. It’s titled “Trabaho lang, walang personalan” four parts.

http://www.probetv.com/search_result.php?search_id=manila+pen&search_typ=search_videos)

The complaint for rebellion filed in connection with the Manila Pen incident should be DISMISSED FOR LACK OF PROBABLE CAUSE on the basis of the following grounds:

A perusal of the DOJ Panel Resolution and its supporting evidence clearly shows that they failed to establish probable cause that the crime of rebellion has been committed as would warrant the dismissal of the instant case.

Martial Law na rin yun

Published by Ellen on December 15, 2007

Ngayon tuliro na rin pati si Press Secretary Ignacio “I have two discs” Bunye kung paano umatras dahil pinuputakte sila ng batikos. Umubra na naman denial king. Inquirer update: Arroyo backpedals on anti-subversion law.

Ito talaga si Gloria Arroyo hindi na alam kung ano ang gagawin para ma-protektahan ang inagaw na kapangyarihan. Ngayon binubuhay ang matagal nang nailibing na anti-subversion law.

Ang anti-subversion law ay ginawa noong 1957 (Republic Act 1700) ng panahon ni Pangulong carlos P. Garcia at pinalitan ni Ferdinand Marcos ng Presidential Decree 7636 para panlaban nya sa Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Sa batas na yun, ilegal ang CPP at kapag miyembro ka, ibig sabihin noon nilabag mo ang batas. Kulong ka. Noong panahon ni Fidel Ramos, inalis na niya ang anti-subversion law at legal na ang CPP. Ang bawal ay ang gumamit ng dahas para itumba ang lehitimong pamahalaan. (Emphasis sa “lehitimo”. Si Gloria Arroyo ay hindi lehitimo na presidente.)

Pen civilians to file illegal detention raps

Published by Ellen on December 15, 2007

by Raymond Africa
Malaya

Five of 18 civilians charged in connection with the Manila Peninsula standoff said yesterday they would file charges of contempt of the Supreme Court and arbitrary detention against police and justice department officials following the dismissal by the Makati court of the rebellion case filed against them.

Former Sanlakas Rep. J. V. Bautista said he and former UP president Francisco Nemenzo, “running priest” Robert Reyes, lawyer Argee Guevarra and columnist Herman Tiu Laurel are charging Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and all the members of the DoJ prosecution panel headed by Cavite provincial prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco.

‘What is she up to? Stay beyond ’10?’

Published by Ellen on December 15, 2007

Gloria support for revival of anti-subversion law assailed

Malaya’s editorial: Why the proposed crackdown?

by Wendell Vigilia
Malaya

A move to revive the anti-subversion law is part of President Arroyo’s “ominous plan to extend her stay in power,” Rep. Teodoro Casiño said yesterday as he warned of massive rallies against the plan.

Casiño, of the party list group Bayan Muna, and other Leftist lawmakers said President Arroyo’s support for the move exposes her intolerance of legitimate dissent and her desire to declare martial law.

The November 29 movement

Published by Ellen on December 14, 2007

If Gloria Arroyo and her minions think they have crushed the passion for truth and justice of those who were at the Manila Peninsula on Nov. 29, they are very wrong.

The civilians arrested at the Manila Peninsula hotel at the end of the November 29 Makati standoff have formed a new “movement” after a court dismissed the rebellion charges filed against them.

Former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo told reporters at Camp Crame Thursday evening that they had named their new group the November 29 Movement or N29M.

Maria Ressa’s position paper on media at the Pen

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2007

by Maria A. Ressa
Head, ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs Division

On November 29, 2007, more than 30 journalists were arrested, handcuffed and transported to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan. 12 of the journalists were from ABS-CBN, detained as “witnesses and suspects,” according to the police. Others were told they would be released as soon as their identities were verified.

Head of Newsgathering, Charie Villa, went immediately to the Peninsula Hotel to identify our people; yet, she was told they would still have to be arrested and brought to Bicutan. We believe this move sets a dangerous precedence and erodes our nation’s democracy.

NHK’s Chairmaine Deogracias on Manila Pen incident

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2007

Good morning. I am Charmaine Deogracias a reporter for Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK)/Japan Broadcasting Corp. NHK is Japan’s sole public broadcaster, thus it is independent from any private or governmental organization and doesn’t run its five television and three radio services for the Japanese audience on commercial basis. NHK Manila is just one of its 26 news bureaus around the world, while it maintains 54 stations across Japan. NHK also broadcasts news and general programs for overseas viewers and listeners on both television and radio. Its programs are distributed round-the-clock to foreign cable TV stations, satellite broadcasters, while some can be accessed on the internet. The company prides itself to have pioneered broadcasting in the digital High Definition format, the first in the world, through its recent satellite channel, the Digital Hi-Vision.

Our news broadcast is mainly in Japanese but I do English reports for various news programs for NHK World, the international broadcasting service of NHK. Our news bureau in Manila also covers outside the Philippines whenever and wherever we will be needed when news breaks anywhere in Asia.

Media concerns in Nov. 29 incident

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2007

There are good pictures of the Nov. 29 incident in this site. Please click here.

(This is the statement I read at the hearing of the Senate Committees on Justice and Human Rights and Public Order and Illegal Drugs on the warrantless arrest of members of media after the Manila Peninsula standoff.)

In the November 29 incident at the Manila Peninsula, I see two media -related concerns: The first pertains to the duty of a journalist to inform the public of the unfolding crisis as truthfully as he or she can. The second pertains to the constitutional right of a person—journalist or not—to liberty and due process.

When I decided to stay at the Manila Peninsula despite the evacuation order from authorities (Malaya was never officially informed about the warning from the PNP, but learned about it from TV news), it was in performance of my duty as a journalist, which is to inform the public as truthfully as I can of the unfolding events that I considered—and still consider—of national interest.

Toadies crawling out of the woodwork

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2007

Malaya editorial:

A Marine colonel who headed the military component of the PNP-AFP contingent which assaulted the Manila Peninsula has started looking for “padrinos” at the Commission on Appointments to help swing his nomination to brigadier general.

His confirmation originally was seen as a cinch. There were some derogatory marks on his service record and he was also perceived as a “bata-bata” of AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. Points against him, but not fatal to his career.

Post-Manila Pen, Col. Jonathan Martir is the proverbial camel seeking to pass through the needle’s eye. The opposition is determined to block his confirmation. He is likely to stay a colonel until the AFP rule on attrition catches up with him.

Author: Ellen