Category: Benigno Aquino III

Aquino’s DAP: lethal mix of ignorance and arrogance

Published by Ellen on July 15, 2014

President Aquino takes on the Supreme Court.

President Aquino’s belligerent stand against the Supreme Court’s decision declaring his pet initiative, the Disbursement Acceleration Program, unconstitutional was not at all surprising considering his defense of Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Jr. last Friday.

Reading and listening to his speech was not only appalling. It was disturbing.

It showed the lethal combination of ignorance and arrogance.

The issue is his usurpation of Congress’ power of the purse which is a violation of the Constitution and he talked about parking zones!

Obama shatters delusions of many Filipinos

Published by Ellen on April 29, 2014

U.S. President Barack Obama’s candid answers to the two questions from Filipinos reporters whether the United States will come to the defense of the Philippines in case of an armed conflict with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea disappointed a lot of Filipinos who expected him to say that the American soldiers who will be coming under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will be side-by-side Filipinos in blocking China’s expansion in South China Sea.

Obama didn’t say that in his joint presscon with President Aquino in Malacañang Monday. Instead he reminded the public that the United States and China have a “constructive relationship.”

“ There is enormous trade; enormous business that is done between the United States and China; a whole range of issues on the international stage in which cooperation between the US and China are balanced,” he said.

He said: “ So our goal is not to counter China.Our goal is not to contain China” but “ to make sure that international rules and norms are respected, and that includes in the area of maritime disputes.”

Lost letters in Palace hint deeper leadership problem

Published by Ellen on February 21, 2014

Now we know there is a problem with Malacanang’s communication system. Whether Malacanang knows that is a completely different matter.

Two letters that later on became of national, even international, importance did not reach President Aquino. The first one was a letter from the late Jamalul Kiram III sent in 2010 in the first few months of the Aquino presidency and the other one was just last year from Maria Teresa Martinez, mother of Michael Christian Martinez, the 17-year old who, for the first time, enabled the Philippine flag to fly proudly in the Winter Olympics by making it to the finals of the 2014 Winter Olympics figure skating competition in Sochi, Russia. This, despite lack of financial support from the government.

Liars all

Published by Ellen on January 22, 2014

He is not the epitome of intelligence and good public service but his story about the breakfast meeting is revealing of Malacañang's methods under Aquino. — He is not the epitome of intelligence and good public service but his story about the breakfast meeting is revealing of Malacañang’s methods under Aquino.

Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., one of the three senators charged with plunder before the Ombudsman in connection with alleged anomalous use of Priority Development Assistance Fund, related Monday an incident that took place in December 2012, a few days before the conclusion of the impeachment of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Revilla said Roxas, who was then secretary of Transportation and Communication, invited him to a morning meeting at his residence in Cubao. From there, they went to Malacañang’s Bahay Pangarap, Aquino’s residence, with Roxas driving the SUV and he was seated at the back seat.

Revilla said Roxas had the license plate of the SUV removed.

A celibate Kris Aquino as president will eradicate poverty in PH

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2014

Kris shares with Boy Abunda her theory about her success.

I cannot imagine the Philippines without Kris Aquino. It would be boring.

I want Kris Aquino for President.

Everybody talks about the need for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of poverty that is the lot of almost a third of the country’s 99 million population. Kris Aquino has found the solution: don’t have sex and you will be blessed with money beyond your dreams.

In an interview last Tuesday with best friend Boy Abunda in her classy all-white house, Aquino couldn’t contain her joy for all the blessings coming her way: the box-office success of the movie of her son, Bimby, even if critics said it was inane (one critic said it was “contempt for the audience”); a hefty new contract with ABS-CBN after she floated the rumor that she was considering the job offer of businessman Manny V. Pangilinan to head TV5; plus many more.

Burnout

Published by Ellen on January 9, 2014

Regaling highschool students. — Regaling Miriam College highschool students.

President Aquino told an impressionable bunch of highschool students from Miriam College that he will not be putting on more pressure on his cabinet members concerned that they would suffer burnout.

This is what he said last Tuesday:

“The Cabinet is very hardworking, they’re very dedicated. You can’t ask anything more of them and perhaps I should learn to give them a little bit more breathing room. Baka naman ma-burn out lahat itong mga kasamahan natin sa gobyerno who actually do everything out of love of country. “

Burnout?

Aquino and the beetle experiment

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2013

"Hindi tayo pareho. Hindi kami nagnakaw, at hindi kami magnanakaw." — “Hindi tayo pareho. Hindi kami nagnakaw, at hindi kami magnanakaw.”

President Aquino wants the public to believe that he and his team are God’s gift to democracy. That they can do no wrong. Corruption in government is confined to some members of the political opposition. His men are like him : upright, honest and candidates for sainthood.

That’s the essense of Aquino’s televised ranting last Wednesday.

Apparently, Aquino and his team have sensed the public indignation over misuse of pork barrel funds, intended in principle for the poor but ended up in public officials pockets. If everything is going well, why would he make changes in his communication setup. He enjoyed high approval ratings with the condescending Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda (aligned with Mar Roxas faction) assisted by Abigail Valte and Communications strategist Ricky Carandang as his mouthpieces. Why then the need to bring in the unassuming Press Secretary Sonny Coloma, aligned with the 2010 election Samar group that supported Vice President Jojo Binay?

Aquino to visit China Sept. 3

Published by Ellen on August 13, 2013

By Tessa Jamandre,VERA Files

Presidet Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2011.

President Aquino is going on a one-day trip to China on Sept. 3 in what is seen as an effort to end strained relations with China triggered by the standoff in Bajo de Masinloc in April last year.

The President has accepted China’s invitation to attend the 10th ASEAN-China Expo (CAEXPO) to be held in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 3 to 6, Malacañang and Department of Foreign Affairs sources said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will receive Aquino and the special envoys of the other nine ASEAN countries. Aquino will also attend a forum with Chinese businessmen.

PNoy forgot the law he signed on PWD?

Published by Ellen on July 26, 2013

President Aquino delivering his fourth SONA. Thanks to Interaksyon.

Before we completely forget President Aquino’s forgettable 2013 State of the Nation address, there’s one item there that caught my attention different from the angle that the Chief Executive underscored.

At the beginning of his self-congratulatory address he cited the case of Niño Aguirre:

“Paano ba naman pong hindi lalakas ang aking loob, kung pati ang mga tulad ni Ginoong Niño Aguirre ay nakikihubog sa ating kinabukasan? Isipin po ninyo, hindi na nga makalakad dahil sa kapansanan, pilit pa rin niyang inakyat ang presintong nasa ikaapat na palapag ng gusali, para lang makaboto at makiambag sa tunay na pagbabago ng lipunan. Salamat, Ginoong Aguirre. “

Preparing media for the 2013 elections

Published by Ellen on December 2, 2012

In six months, we will have the midterm national elections.

The May 13, 2013 elections will be the first national, automated, and synchronized (including the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao) elections under the Aquino administration.

VERA Files, a group composed of veteran journalists that produces in-depth articles on current issues and conducts training for journalists, last week held a training-seminar for 18 journalists from different parts of the country.

The training seminar was supported by the Embassy of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. Benoit Girouard, second secretary in the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Section of the Canadian Embassy, stressed the importance of a free, honest, responsible and independent media in a democracy.