Malacañang yesterday backed Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno on arresting media persons who violate the law next time a crisis such as the Manila Peninsula standoff takes place.
“Everybody should follow the law,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
Ermita said the media persons who were brought to the headquarters of the Metro Manila police after the standoff Thursday last week also could not complain of having been handcuffed because it is part of police procedure.
by Raul Pangalangan
Inquirer
Had Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV succeeded last Thursday, would we be hearing today from all the naysayers? Indeed, success has many fathers and defeat is an orphan. But to the Monday morning quarterbacks out there, I ask: Would you rather have celebrated a tainted victory?
Sure it would have helped to have some prominent opposition politicians around. But in all candor, wouldn’t you have been more wary to see the likes of House Speaker Jose de Venecia at The Peninsula Manila? Wasn’t it the best endorsement that the new “Peninsulares” were absent and nowhere to be found?
The Philippines has been ranked 10th among 60 countries where bribery is most prevalent this year, a Global Corruption Barometer survey showed.
Over 63,000 people in 60 countries worldwide were surveyed about their experiences of bribery over the past year.
In the Philippines, 32 percent of respondents admitted that they had paid bribes.
Classical music impresario Pablo Tariman gave Metro Manilans an early Christmas gift in the person of Alvaro Pierri, guitarist par excellence last Tuesday. On Saturday, he will be presenting Russian pianist Ilya Rashkovskiy at the Philamlife Theater on United Nation’s Avenue at 8 p.m.
Pierri’s performance was simply awesome, an exhilarating experience. Just what we needed in these troubled times. He started with Nicolo Paganini’s Grande Sonata, followed by Miguel Llobet’s Preludio y Mazurca, and Federico Moreno Torroba’s Sonatina.
For the second part of the program, he dispensed with William Walton’s Five Bagatelles that was in the program and instead did Two Pieces by Vila-Lobos.
Related story:
Senators Lacson and Pimentel visit Trillanes. Advised him to stay out of trouble.
by Tetch Torres
Inquirer
Government lawyers asked the Supreme Court not to allow Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to attend Senate sessions or be visited by his staff in detention because he “is more dangerous than a person accused of rape.”
“The information for coup d’etat contains allegations that petitioner led the seizing of Oakwood through violence, intimidation, threat and stealth for the purpose of seizing state power. This is definitely more dangerous than a person accused of rape,” Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera said in a 49-page comment.
by Raymond Africa
Malaya
Government has deferred its plan to transfer Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other personalities accused in the Manila Peninsula hotel standoff to the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.
They are now detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame. Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said the plan would have to wait until Makati RTC Judge Elmo Alameda comes out with a resolution on the charges of rebellion and inciting to rebellion filed against Trillanes and 35 others.
“We will defer any action or planned motion to transfer out of judicial courtesy,” Velasco said.
The court martial hearing of the 28 officers allegedly involved in the February 2006 attempted withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo scheduled for today was postponed. Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, chief of the AFP public information office, said it was requested by lawyers of Brig. Gen. Danny Lim.
Vicente Verdadero, lawyer of Lim, said he never requested for a postponement.
Who is telling the truth?
by Victor Reyes
Malaya
A military court trying Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 27 other Army and Marines officers for the attempt to oust government in February last year reset to December 14 the trial scheduled for today because Lim would not be able to show up as he is still under police custody.
by Ashzel and Regina Bengco
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno yesterday justified the police arrest of media men covering last week’s occupation by Magdalo officers and soldiers of the Manila Peninsula and warned they would be treated the same in future occasions if found “obstructing justice.”
Puno gave the warning during a dialogue at the Manila Peninsula with representatives of the media who have assailed the arrest and handcuffing of journalists covering the six-hour stand off between the Magdalo group led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and security forces.
Puno said in future police operations, journalists who fail to comply with an order to leave a crime scene would be arrested and possibly handcuffed.
Sa ilalim ng ating batas, ang Muntinlupa ay kulungan sa mga nahatulan na may kasalanan. Klaro yan: mga nahatulan.
Sina Sen. Antonio Trillanes, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim at ang 34 pa ay kinakasuhan pa lamang. Hindi pa nahatulan.
Kaya lang mukha talagang hindi na umu-obra ang batas dito sa Pilipinas sa pamahalaan ng pekeng presidente.
Former UP President Francisco “Dodong” Nemenzo, released last Saturday from two nights detention in Camp Crame, is waiting for a warrant of arrest that will put him back in prison with 34 others who were at the Manila Peninsula last Thursday with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim.
Nemenzo is among those charged with rebellion, together with Trillanes, Lim, Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Bishop Julio Labayen, scriptwriter Bibeth Orteza, and a number of Magdalo officers.
I met Nemenzo last Tuesday at GMA-7 when we guested together in Jessica Soho’s “Hot Seat.” In that two-night stay in Camp Crame, Nemenzo was in the same cell with six others including Air Force Capt. Danny Orpiano, and lawyer JV Bautista. He said the officers seem to be in “high spirits” despite what happened.