Governance – Page 34 – ellen tordesillas

Gonzalez says bishops’ call for new government now “seditious”

Published by Ellen on October 29, 2008

Gonzalez: Lagdameo’s ‘seditious’ call not the stand of CBCP

by Evangeline de Vera
Malaya

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday hit back at the leaders of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines who on Tuesday called for a change in government for what they said was rampant corruption in government.

Gonzalez said Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, treaded on thin ice with his utterance of “seditious” statements calling on the laity to take communal action in preparing for a new government.

“Strictly speaking, those are seditious (statements),” Gonzalez said.

Bishops call for GMA’s ouster

Published by Ellen on October 28, 2008

That was one great statement that the Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, released yesterday. He practically called for the ouster of Gloria Arroyo.

Not in 2010 but now.

In a statement he read flanked by four other progressive-thinking bishops namely, Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz, Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon, and Legazpi Bishop Emeritus Jose Sorra, Lagdameo said: “The time to start radical reforms is now. The time for moral regeneration is now. The time to conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy and to prove that we matured from our political disappointments is now. The time to prepare a new government is now. ”

Kanino natatakot si Bolante?

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2008

ABS-CBN photo of Bolante upon arrival at the NAIA1 Oct. 28, 2008

Click here for more of Bolante photos and ABS-CBN’s account of Bolante’s arrival

Click here for Inquirer’s account on Bolante’s arrival

GMA-7’s report

Maintriga ang mga tanong ng abogadong si Harry Roque kung bakit ayaw na ayaw ni Joc-joc Bolante, dating undersecretary ng agriculture, na umuwi dito sa Pilipinas.

Biruin mong minabuti niyang magpakulong sa Amerika kaysa umuwi dito sa Pilipinas samantalang kaibigan naman niya ang mga nakaupo sa Malacañang. Sabi ni Harry, na siya talagang nagpursige na maibalik si Bolante sito sa Pilipinas, kung tungkol sa paggamit ng P728 million sa kampanya ni Arroyo noong 2004 na eleksyon na dapat ay pambili ng abono na gagamiting ng mga magsasaka sa patanim ng palay, alam naman ng lahat yan.

Kung si dating Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano nga hindi nagalaw dahil sa lakas ng prutekta ng Malacañang, hindi ba kampante si Bolante na prutektahan din siya ng kanyang mga kaibigan sa Malacañang? Bakit takot siya umuwi dito? Kung hindi pa siya idiniport ng Amerika, ayqaw niya talaga bumalik sa Pilipinas.

Villar orders arrest of Bolante

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2008

Breaking news:

Senate President Manuel Villar has ordered the arrest of former Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He is expected to arrive tomorrow late evening, Northwest Airlines flight 71.

Villar’s statement:

I issued an instruction to Gen. Jose Balajadia Jr., the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, to implement the arrest warrant issued by the Senate in December 2005 against former Agriculture Usec. Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante for the failure to attend the public hearings of the Committees on Agriculture and Food and Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) on the P728 million Fertlizer Fund Scam.

The arrest order, which I signed as vice chairman of the Agriculture Committee, is still valid. To argue that the citation for contempt or arrest order approved by the Senate had lapsed automatically with the adjournment sine die of the 13th Congress would result in an absurd situation where a person held in contempt would just ignore and evade the Senate order until the adjournment of the session.

Personnel from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms will be dispatched at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal I. They have a specific instruction to arrest Bolante on sight and bring him to the Senate.

Rotarian to Rotarian

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2008

Please find in comments the statement of Prof. Harry Roque on Bolante’s return. .

When former Agriculture Secretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” comes back this week, he will have the rare opportunity to help in the cause of truth, justice and democracy in the country.

He can take up the challenge and tell the truth how he executed the crime of stealing from the poor farmers at least P728 million alloted to buy fertilizer and using the money to underwrite the vote buying and cheating of Gloria Arroyo in the 2004 elections. By doing so, he will help in cleansing the system of corrupt elements. He would be doing the Filipino people great service.

Or he can continue hiding in the darkness of the crime. In so doing, he will always be living in fear because as long as he is there, he will always be a threat to the masterminds and their accomplices.

Paano kung kumanta si De la Paz?

Published by Ellen on October 25, 2008

Sa hearing tungkol sa Euro generals na isinagawa ng Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs na pinangungunahan ni Sen. Miriam Santiago, maraming binanggit na batas at order ni Gloria Arroyo na nilabag raw ng Philippine National Police sa kanilang delegasyon sa Interpol conference sa Russia.

Isa na doon ang order ni Arroyo na tigilan na ang pagaaral, training of pagdalo sa mga conference sa ibang bansa maliban lamang kung ito ay hindi gastos ng pamahalaan.

Sa 77th Interpol conference sa Russia 17 ang dumalo galing sa Pilipinas. Tatlo galing sa Bureu of Immigration, lima galing sa National Bureau of Investigation, at siyam ang galing sa PNP. Gastos lahat ng sambayanang Pilipino.

De la Paz says sorry for “lapse”

Published by Ellen on October 21, 2008

by Raymond Africa
Malaya

Former comptroller Director Eliseo dela Paz arrived yesterday from Moscow, saying he will take full responsibility for failing to declare 107,000 euros (around P6.9 million) to Russian customs authorities.

Dela Paz offered no excuses.

“I regret having been remiss in my obligations as a departing visitor in Russia in inadvertently failing to report to airport authorities the amount of cash in my possession at that time,” he said.

Dela Paz clarified the money “was the cash advance for the use of the PNP delegation to the 77th Interpol General Assembly in Saint Petersburg.”

Nasilaw ang Ombudsman sa Cebu lamppost

Published by Ellen on October 20, 2008

Nagpapatawa itong Ombudsman.

Imbestigahan daw nila itong mga Euro generals lalo pa si Gen. Eliseo de la Paz na nahulihan sa Moscow na may dalang 105,000 euros (P6.9 million), lampas sa limit na pwedeng dalhin (mga 7,300 euros o $10,000) palabas ng bawat taong umaalis papuntang ibang bayan.

Sabi ni Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni, aalamin daw nila kung pera ng gobyerno o sariling pera ni De la Paz. Kung sarili raw pera ni De la Paz, imbestigahan raw kung saan galing ang ganyang napakalaking pera.

The return of Joc-joc

Published by Ellen on October 19, 2008

Last Friday. I got this text from a friend: “NAIA manager Al Cusi, Dureza and Atty. Tony Zulueta here now in Manila Pen bar brainstorming on how to shield Jocko when he arrives. Pabalik na Jocjoc. Overheard sila by a friend. Media should be alerted.”

Dureza, of course, refers to Press Secretary Jesus Dureza and Zulueta is the lawyer of former Agriculture Secretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante.

The next day, I got another text from the same friend: “From embassy source:Jocjoc next week to be escorted by US Marshall. Jocjoc wife already here. Maybe media should start making noise to pre-empt government attempt to silence him.”

Lalong nababaon sa kasinungalingan

Published by Ellen on October 18, 2008

Habang nagpapaliwang itong mga opisyal ng Phililippine National Police at Department of Interior and Local Government tungkol sa kahihiyan na nangyari sa kanilang mga opisyal sa Moscow, lalong lumalabas na hindi sila nagsasabi ng totoo.

Kaya kawawa naman si Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, ang spokesman ng PNP. Mukhang siyang matino na opisyal. Napipilitan siyang mag-depensa sa mga opisyal na palpak.

Sabi ni Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, legal daw ang dala na ni Gen. Eliseo de la Paz na 105,000 euros (P6.9 milyon) na bitbit ng kanyang asawang si Maria Fe nang paalis na sila sa Moscow pagkatapos dumalo ng 77th Interpol Conference kasama ng pito pang opisyal kasama ang ilang mga asawa.

Category: Governance