Ellen – Page 372 – ellen tordesillas

Stop using soldiers as cannon fodder! Uphold the peace in Mindanao!

Published by Ellen on August 12, 2007

Tirad Pass Brigade
August 12, 2007

The members of the Tirad Pass Brigade, the officers and rank and file soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police extend their condolences to the families and friends of the scores of foot soldiers and young officers who have been killed in action in Mindanao the past several weeks.

We also express our sympathy with the tens of thousands of people who are being displaced by the widespread military operations in Basilan and Sulu.

As a movement upholding the democratic aspirations and desires of the common soldier, the TPB denounces the Arroyo administration and the AFP top brass for deceiving our men, using them as cannon fodder in carrying out a reckless war in Basilan and Sulu, ordering attacks against those who are not our real enemies and with whom we have been trying to work out peace. The attacks have also caused undue hardships among tens of thousands of innocent people in the area.

A senseless war

Published by Ellen on August 12, 2007

Gloria Arroyo thinks talking tough is the way to win the war.Can you make sense out of these official pronouncements? Two more battalions beef up…

Pink Kitchen

Published by Ellen on August 12, 2007

Better late than never. I’ve been pre-ocupied with many other things plus I was out of town yesterday. Anyway, there is still today (up to…

Hinagpis sa likod ng mga numero

Published by Ellen on August 11, 2007

Nakabalandra ngayon sa ating mga pahayagan ang mga numero ng mga namamatay sa Sulu kung saan nag-oopensiba ang military laban sa Abu Sayyaf: “57 patay”. “25 patay sa isang araw.”

Nangyari itong opensiba isang buwan mangyari ang trahedya sa Basilan kung saan 14 na Marines ang namatay, 10 sa kanila ang napugutan ng ulo sa encounter sa mga miyembro ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front noong July 10.

Ngunit sa likod nitong mga numero ay mga taong tumatangis dahil sa mga nawala sa kanilang buhay. Mga taong ngayon ay hindi malaman kung papaano mabuhay sa gitna ng putukan at barilan.

Plastikan galore

Published by Ellen on August 10, 2007

Gloria Arroyo and Loren Legarda kiss in a meeting at at the 44th National Defense College of the Philippines Foundation and Alumni Homecoming Day.

Gloria told Loren: You are the “she” I referred to in my Sona who will succeed me.”

More of this in this link to the Inquirer.

57 killed, 42 hurt in Sulu clashes

Published by Ellen on August 10, 2007

These numbers are persons. Tao. Human beings. Filipinos.
What has Gloria Arroyo done to this country?

Update: 25 more killed- biggest casualty in a day

By Joel Guinto
Inquirer

Three days of fighting between government forces and al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern island province of Sulu has left 57 combatants killed and 42 others wounded, a military spokesman said Friday.

A nine-year-old boy was killed in one of four engagements. He was caught in the crossfire when Abu Sayyaf members, assisted by rogue Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels, ambushed Army troopers in Maimbung town on Thursday morning, said Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro.

Who’s afraid of Adel Tamano?

Published by Ellen on August 9, 2007

Adel writes about Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila in the Manila Times.

The Senate grapevine says that immediately after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano got the very important Blue Ribbon committee, Senate majority floor leader Francis Pangilinan approached Senate President Manny Villar and made known his intention to block the appointment of Adel Tamano as general counsel of the committee. Pangilinan’s message was dutifully relayed by Villar to Cayetano, who acceded to Pangilinan’s wish.

Another version was that Pangilinan approached Cayetano and told the latter straightforward: “Alan, I want to inform you that if you appoint Adel as general counsel, I will exercise my right to oppose his appointment.”

Fernando to push plan to arm traffic enforcers with bolos

Published by Ellen on August 9, 2007

Back to the wild, primitive days!

Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday reiterated that he will push through with his plan to arm his traffic enforcers with jungle bolos despite strong opposition from several sectors, including the police.

Fernando, in an ambush interview during President Arroyo’s barangay and police station visit in Caloocan City, said he will just coordinate closely with the police to ensure the plan’s smooth implementation.

Fernando had earlier resisted calls to withdraw the plan, saying he had tried the same tack when he was still mayor of Marikina and it worked in taming illegal vendors and traffic violators in his city.

Tamano blocked in Senate,tapped for PLM presidency

Published by Ellen on August 8, 2007

Former Genuine Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano’s appointment as general counsel of the Senate blue ribbon committee was allegedly blocked by majority leader Francis Pangilinan at around the same time the latter was nominated by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to chair the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Senate sources said the animosity between Pangilinan and Tamano which started during the campaign for the May elections was the reason for Pangilinan’s move. The source said the senator, who does not want to see Tamano in the Senate, went to Senate President Manuel Villar when he learned about Tamano’s impending appointment to the BRC.

It was Tamano who reportedly gave Pangilinan an ultimatum to attend the GO proclamation rally and its sorties if he wanted to be drafted into the GO senatorial lineup. Pangilinan stuck to his independent stance and was subsequently dropped from the opposition slate. He won his senatorial bid just the same.

Penitensya sa Iraq

Published by Ellen on August 8, 2007

May mga sumulat sa akin tungkol sa kolum ko noong Martes, “Aliping Filipino” tungkol sa mga Pinoy na ni-smuggle sa Iraq para mag-trabaho sa konstruksyon ng U.S. Embassy.

Ang isa ay galing kay Joel Pineda ng Pampanga. Sabi ni Joel:

“Sa tingin ko po ang agency na dapat po ninyong ipatutok ay ang GFI Manpower International Specialist Inc sa FSE Bldg, 3671-3676 Bautista Avenue, Palanan, Makati City. Tel.(63 2)7293342; (63 2) 7572477 at (63 2) 5511860 sa kadahilanan na sila po ang nagpalagay ng advertisement sa Manila Bulletin sa trabaho papuntang Kuwait.

Author: Ellen