by Gerard Naval
Malaya
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines yesterday backed a Senate investigation on the Palace “payoffs” as contained in Resolution 172 filed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday.
MANILA, October 16, 2007—The Catholic bishops’ leadership has backed calls for an official investigation into allegations of bribery by the Malacañang.
Noong panahon ni Marcos, may isang Amerikanong manunulat na nagsabi na ang Pilipinas ay bayan ng ng mag-asawang diktador at 50 milyon na mga duwag.
Naiba ang mga yun ng mapatalsik si Marcos sa isang “People Power” na akala naman natin ang magbabago ng palakad dito. Akala natin mawawala ang panghuhuthut sa kaban ng bayan at ang pagmamalabis ng military.
Dalawang dekada ang nakalipas, parang walang pinagbago. Lalo nga nagiging garapal ang nasa kapangyarihan. At iyon ay nangyayari dahil hinahayaan ng taumbayan.
From ABS-CBN online:
President Arroyo on Monday revived plans to change the 1987 Constitution including a proposal to shift to a federal form of government by 2012.
In a speech at the regional workshop on the Establishment of National Human Rights Institutions, the President said she is forming a group that would draft a roadmap to federalism by 2012.
The group will include various government executives including the justice and interior and local government secretaries, the Presidential Management Staff, officials of the National Economic Development Authority, local government executives, congressional allies and opposition leaders who support the move to federalism.
The first item in our Constitution’s Bill of Rights states: “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.”
AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon must think he is above the law and that he is not covered by the Constitution.
For almost one and a half years, 40 soldiers have been languishing in detention in Camp Capinpin, without having been told of their offense nor charged with any violation of the law. This is an “open secret” in Camp Capinpin in Tanay where 28 officers led by Maj. Gen. Miranda and Brig. Gen. Danny Lim are also detained. The 28 officers are accused by Esperon of mutiny for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006.
by Victor Reyes
Military officers detained for a supposed power grab attempt in February last year have called Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. a “liar” for saying they kept secret a video tape recording in which they announced withdrawal of support from President Arroyo.
Esperon raised the issue of the videotape Friday in response to the officers’ challenge for him to tell the truth on allegations that he and other military officers helped rig the 2004 elections to ensure President Arroyo’s victory.
Let’s focus discussion in this thread to two questions:
1.What would you have done if you were in Fr. Ed’s position?
2. Now that the gift-giving has been tied to the bastardization of the impeachment process, what are you going to do with the money?
Umamin na si Rep. Antonio Cuenco na nabigyan siya ng P200,000 (Ano yan, Tony may P200 ka dito?) noong Huwebes sa Malacañang ngunit itong si Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye ay nasa-alapaap pa rin. Tsismis raw.
Ito naman si House Majority Arthur Defensor, “standard” o pangkaraniwan raw yung bigayan kapag may nagawa silang nagustuhan ni Madam.
Kaya pala kung anong pangungurakot ang ginagawa ni Gloria Arroyo. Kailangan niyang bususgin itong mga buwaya niyang alagad. Kung sabagay siya ang Inang buwaya.
Following are two stories by the Inquirer on the cash and other gifts distributed in Malacañang last Thursday when Gloria Arroyo met congressmen before House Speaker Jose de Venecia was forced to inhibit himself in the impeachment complaint against Arroyo
Cuenco admits getting P200,000 ‘Christmas gift’ from Palace
By Jhunnex Napallacan, Jolene Bulambot
Inquirer Visayas Bureau
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A veteran congressman from Cebu City admitted on Friday that envelopes containing “different amounts of cash” were indeed distributed during the breakfast meeting called by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang on Thursday.
by Victor Reyes
Malaya
Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has made a counter-dare to 28 officers who have challenged him to “tell the truth” on allegations that the military participated in the rigging of the 2004 elections to ensure President Arroyo’s victory.
“Why don’t they tell the truth in court?” Esperon said, referring to the officers’ plan to withdraw support from President Arroyo in February 2006, for which the officers are now facing court martial for mutiny and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, among other charges.
Pro-Arroyo lawmakers given gifts, pork pledge
By Christian V. Esguerra, Norman Bordadora, Michael Lim Ubac
Battling for political survival for the third time in as many years, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday summoned loyal congressmen to Malacañang and, in a show of strength using “sendoff gifts,” forced Speaker Jose de Venecia to back off from an impeachment move.
Envelopes containing cash amounting to between P200,000 and P500,000 were handed out to congressmen at the meeting, along with promises of pork barrel amounting to millions of pesos, hours before administration lawmakers took action in the House of Representatives to protect Ms Arroyo from being impeached, several lawmakers present at the meeting told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.