Author: Ellen

It’s stomach upset, not jet lag; latest version why Duterte missed APEC dinner

Published by Ellen on November 25, 2016

Pres. Duterte is welcomed by AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda upon his arrival at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City from Peru. Nov. 23, 2016. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.

So it was not jet lag that was the reason why President Duterte was absent in the gala dinner heads of state attending the 2017 Leaders Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima, Peru last Saturday as he earlier told reporters. It’s stomach upset.

In his interview at the Wireless Catholic Cemetery in Davao City Wednesday, he was asked for his reaction to the criticism of former President Fidel Ramos about his absence in two APEC events in Peru: one was the dinner Saturday and the other was the traditional group photo on Sunday.

Ramos said the gala night could have been an opportunity for Duterte to exchange ideas with world leaders and sickness is an unacceptable alibi to skip such an important gathering. Besides, a doctor is always part of the presidential delegation if the President was not feeling well.

Gems from Amanpour speech Filipino journalists can identify with

Published by Ellen on November 24, 2016

CNN's Christiane Amanpour — CNN’s Christiane Amanpour

CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has been awarded the Committee to Project Journalists’ Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for “extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom.” In her acceptance speech Tuesday night, she urged media to hold firm to the basic values of journalism: “As a profession, let’s fight for what is right. Let’s fight for our values. Bad things do happen when good people do nothing.”

Here are some more of the gems from her speech which Filipino journalists can identify with:

Stop banalizing the Truth

“I believe in being truthful, not neutral. And I believe we must stop banalizing the truth.
And we have to be prepared to fight especially hard for the truth in a world where the Oxford English Dictionary just announced its word of 2016: “post-truth.”

The public’s right to know about the President’s health

Published by Ellen on November 22, 2016

Pres. Duterte boards the plane at Jorge Chavez International Airport, in Lima Peru at the end of the 2016 APEC Leaders meeting. Malacanang photo by Simeon Celi, Jr.

President Duterte’s absence in two traditional events in the 2017 summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC once again raises the need for Malacañang to inform the public of the health of the 71-year old chief executive.

We know it’s a sensitive subject for Duterte but the public’s concern is valid and recognized by the Constitutional provision of “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.”

Section 12 of Art. VII states that, “In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health. “

SEC policy disallowing reverse search a blow to transparency

Published by Ellen on November 21, 2016

Panelists in the forum on Media Ownership in the Philippines. (L-R) Prof. Clarissa David of the Philippine Competition Commission and University of the Philippines; Maria Regina Reyes, head of Integrated News and Current Affairs, ABS-CBN; John Nery, editor in chief, Inquirer.net and Rigoberto Tiglao, Manila Times columnist and author of the book,”Colossal Deception.” — Panelists in the forum on Media Ownership in the Philippines. (L-R)
Prof. Clarissa David of the Philippine Competition Commission and University of the Philippines; Maria Regina Reyes, head of Integrated News and Current Affairs, ABS-CBN; John Nery, editor in chief, Inquirer.net and Rigoberto Tiglao, Manila Times columnist and author of the book,”Colossal Deception.”

First things first: I’d like to thank each and every one who took time to attend the whole day launch and conference of the Media Ownership Monitor Philippines (http://philippines.mom-rsf.org/ ) last Thursday.

My special thanks to Press Undersecretary Enrique Tandan who delivered the keynote address in behalf of Press Secretary Martin Andanar, who was in Lima, Peru with President Duterte for the APEC summit; Atty Romel Bagares, who did the legal assessment of media ownership in the Philippines; and the four panelists – Ging Reyes, head of Integrated News and Current Affairs, ABS-CBN Corporation; John Nery, editor in chief, Inquirer.net and opinion columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer; Prof. Clarissa David of the Philippine Competition Commission and the Graduate Studies Department, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines; and Bobi Tiglao, Manila Times columnist and author of the book, Colossal Deception- How Foreigners Control our Telecoms Sector.

The participants enjoyed the lively exchanges among the panelists –especially between Tiglao and Nery- which happens only in a gathering of learned and strong- minded personalities.

MOM is a joint project of Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) Germany and VERA Files (disclosure: I’m a trustee of VERA Files) which both believe that media ownership matters in the quality and credibility of the news that the public gets.

The powers behind media in the Philippines

Published by Ellen on November 15, 2016

Oftentimes, many people including government officials blame media for the many problems that they face in their governance.

Media-bashing was a standard fare in many of the speeches of former President Aquino. President Duterte has followed the same line.

Although the media-bashing reflects a warped appreciation of the role of media, it is also a recognition of the power of media- in its role as a vehicle of information to the public.

Trump, Duterte share stance on key US-Asia issues

Published by Ellen on November 14, 2016

Duterte to Trump: Pareho tayo nagmumura. Mabuhay ka!

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files

IF newly elected US President Donald Trump makes good his campaign threat to pull the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he might also pull the plug on the its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines.

Trump has called the international security alliance “obsolete,” saying it “is costing US a fortune.” He said as much about America’s other alliances in Asia.

These observations were contained in a pre-election research by the East West Center in Washington, D.C. that examined Trump’s pronouncements before the Nov. 8 election, focusing on key Asian issues as part of the “Asia Matters for America and America Matters for Asia” project.

Lack of public outrage emboldens Duterte to float writ suspension

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2016

"Ayaw ko..ayaw ko...but.." Duterte floats suspension of writ of habeas corpus. — “Ayaw ko..ayaw ko…but..” Duterte floats suspension of writ of habeas corpus.

Two things came to our mind when we read about President Duterte’s threat of suspending the writ of habeas corpus if lawlessness in Mindanao worsens.

Number one, his “Kill, Kill” strategy in eradicating the illegal drug problem is not solving the problem despite 4,000 killed.

Number two, the public has been desensitized by all these killings. Duterte knows the public won’t might if he takes his violation of human rights a notch higher.

In a speech at the launching of the Pilipinong May Puso Foundation in Davao City on Friday, he made his usual narration of the gravity of the illegal drug problem in the country. This time, he added the “rebellion” in Mindanao (“Grabe ang bakbakan…”).

“At kung magkalat itong still lawlessness, I might be forced to..” he paused saying it is not something he likes; “Ayaw ko, ayaw ko. Warning ko lang sa kanila ‘yan, ayaw ko kasi hindi maganda.”

SC decision on Marcos burial preview of Bongbong’s election protest vs Leni?

Published by Ellen on November 8, 2016

How the Supreme Court voted. Infographic from ABS-CBN online.

Is the voting in the Supreme Court decision allowing the burial of Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani reflective of the sentiments of the justices towards the Marcoses?

Will that be the same alignment in the election protest of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr against the election of Vice President Leni Robredo?

That is what Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV expects.

In his statement, Trillanes said: “The Supreme Court effectively rewrote history. In their purely legalistic eyes, the EDSA People Power which was emulated globally and which we celebrate yearly, never happened. We should now expect Bongbong Marcos to be the Vice President of the country soon.”

Retired envoys take up cudgels for demoralized active foreign service officers

Published by Ellen on November 6, 2016

Retired ambassador Jaime J. Yambao wrote in his column in Manila Times that the Board of Governors the Philippine Ambassadors Foundation Inc. (PAFI) at its last meeting agreed to “express its alarm and concern over the demoralization in the ranks of career ambassadors caused by the announced and probable appointment of political ambassadors to the country’s diplomatic and consular posts abroad.”

One cannot expect the active foreign service officers to come out about their misgivings with the way things are in foreign service so their “elders”, the retired ambassadors are taking up the cudgels for them because they are all “committed to promoting and upholding the professionalization of the (foreign) service for the effective pursuit of the interests of the country and its people. “

Yambao said, “The board therefore deplores the appointment of non-career ambassadors on the basis of contributions the prospective appointee made to the election campaign kitty of the appointing power or powers, or upon the recommendation of campaign contributors and supporters.

“One such appointment that has not escaped the notice of the PAFI board involves yanking a career ambassador, a former undersecretary of foreign affairs for policy no less and a topnotcher of the Foreign Service Officers examination, from a post at which he is newly arrived and has just presented his credentials. This is almost unheard of, even in the Philippines. Political appointments have always been to vacant or about-to-be-vacant posts.”

Paynor’s ambassadorial assignment to the U.S. on hold

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2016

Marciano Paynor, head or the 2017 Asean Organizing Committee.Photo from ABS-CBN online.

President Duterte has decided that his choice to be ambassador to the United States, Marciano “Jun” Paynor will not go to Washington States this year.

It has nothing to do with the uncertain state of PH-US relations.

Duterte feels that Paynor is needed here for the preparations of the 2017 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting which will be hosted by the Philippines. There will be two summits, one for the 10 ASEAN leaders that will be held mid- 2017 and what is called ASEAN plus –plus meeting involving leaders of other dialogue countries namely Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and United States sometime in the later part of next year.

Paynor confirmed this: “I’m making sure that all the preparations for our hosting of ASEAN 2017 from January to November next year are on stream. I serve at the pleasure of the President and wherever he thinks I can be of help, that’s where I’ll be. “

Paynor said, “That I’m not going to DC till the end of the year is sure, but, that I’ll not be going anymore remains to be seen. “