Category: Senate

The sad, dramatic, if redeeming, life of Juan Ponce Enrile

Published by Ellen on October 6, 2012

By Pablo A. Tariman, VERA Files

The 753-page of “Juan Ponce Enrile: A Memoir” has many things going for it.
For one, the simple yet striking cover layout doesn’t call attention to itself and for another, it is well-edited (by Nelson Navarro) which makes for smooth, easy reading. It is, by turn, a no-nonsense book about someone’s life as he lived it and how he survived it.

Divided into two parts ( “With God and Guts” and “Making A difference”), the memoir has a unique voice you can’t mistake for a politician’s. The narrative flows with ease as the subject recalls the poverty-stricken barrio of his birth and ending his joining the government in the first part.
The first part is easily the most engrossing and the most poignant. The author – now well-known and famous — recalls the abject poverty of his past with startling details.

Born February 14, 1924, Juan Ponce Enrile (JPE) admits he was a love child baptized in the Aglipayan Church as Juanito Furagganan. His father, Alfonso Ponce Enrile, was born from parents from Baliwag, Bulacan. He notes that his grandfather, Damaso Ponce, was first cousin to Mariano Ponce of La Soledaridad, the propaganda arm of the Philippine Revolution of 1896.

Word war at the Senate

Published by Ellen on September 19, 2012

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday accused Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile of being a “GMA lackey” for supposedly rushing a bill that would cut…

Mahabaging Dios, patigilin mo na si Sen. Sotto

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2012

Mahabaging Panginoon, ako ay lumuluhod at nagmamakaawa sa iyo na kung maa-ari, patigilin mo na si Sen. Tito Sotto sa kaka-privilege speech laban sa Reproductive Health bill.Hindi ko na ma-take.

Maawa naman kayo sa mamamayang Pilipino. Alam ko maraming nangyayari dito sa bansa na hindi kanais-nais at dapat lang siguro may kaparusahan para mabigyan kami ng leksyun. Ngunit huwag naman itong parusa sa pamamagitan ng pagkakalat ni Sotto.

Kahit ayaw ko panoorin, nasa TV siya. Siya at ang kanyang kapalpakan ang laman ng Facebook at Twitter. Nakaka-stress. Nakapagbitaw tuloy ako ng hindi kanais-nais na salita. Ako pa ngayon ang nagkapag-commit ng kasalanan.

Kapag meron pa siyang isang speech, baka makakarami ako ng kasalanan. Sa impyerno na talaga ang bagsak ko. Huwag naman po, Panginoon.

Mahirap talaga ma-take ang mga pinagsasabi ni Sotto.

Corona faces conviction

Published by Ellen on May 24, 2012

Corona attempting to leave Senate2 — Blocked from leaving the Senate

The walkout by Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona sealed his fate: he will be convicted.

During his three-hour narration, wherein he didn’t mince words against those he perceived were maligning him including President Aquino, whom he scornfully referred to as “hacienderong Pangulo”, he kept on complaining about his detractors undermining the rule law and bastardizing due process.

“Binababoy nila ang proseso ng Saligang Batas para yurakan ang aking mga karapatan,” he said.

As chief justice, Corona should be the embodiment of the rule of law. His office enforces judicial code of conduct and the Code of Professional Responsibility for lawyers. He knows that a witness, which he was on May 22, does not leave the witness stand without being discharged by the Presiding judge.

I don’t own condo units in Twin Oaks – Trillanes

Published by Ellen on May 8, 2012

Trillanes-at-hearing — Victim of malicious reporting

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has issued the following statement regarding the rumor that he owns condo units in Mandaluyong:

“ Last 18 April 2012, Mr. Arnold Clavio alluded to me in his radio program over DZBB as the buyer of two condominium units in Twin Oaks at Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City amounting to seven million pesos each. This was the same subject of the column of Mr. Jojo Robles in Manila Standard on the same day and the radio program of Mr. Deo Macalma on 19 April 2012.

“ In response to these obviously well-orchestrated and malicious reports masquerading as blind items, I hereby categorically deny that I have bought a unit or units at the Twin Oaks Condominium, Mandaluyong City. I further state that I do not have any property not declared in my Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).

A life in the day of Juan Ponce Enrile

Published by Ellen on February 26, 2012

By Bibeth Orteza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

(Editor’s Note: The author set out to observe a day in the life of her husband’s uncle, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, as he presides over what is one of the most important trials in the country’s history—the impeachment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice. Graciously welcomed by her subject into his home and allowed to tag along to the trial, she came away with much more than just the details of a daily routine. The star of the moment obliged her with a sometimes tearful recollection of his life, enough material perhaps for a scriptwriter like the author and a director like her husband Carlitos Siguion-Reyna to turn into a riveting movie.)

8:15 a. m.

The man of the house is still in his bedroom. Sally Moneda, his cook and personal assistant of 26 years, reminds his close-in aide, Julius Gumban, not to take away the newspaper as “he has not read Bernas [constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, SJ, who writes an opinion column in the Inquirer–Ed].”

JPE as we celebrate EDSA 26

Published by Ellen on February 22, 2012

JPE1 — Thanks to Inquirer for this photo.

As we celebrate the 26th anniversary of EDSA One, the Filipinos’ show of People Power, I look at Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile and can’t help but be amazed by how he has participated in the different phases of the Filipino nation’s political life, including one of its darkest, and be regarded with respect and a source of wisdom and stability.

Sitting as the presiding judge in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, Enrile’s competent handling of one of the biggest legal events in the country assures the public that whatever the decision of the senator-judges, whether Corona would be acquitted or convicted, Philippine democracy would be enriched.

Enrile was very much part of the two-decade Marcos regime in various capacities in the department of justice,finance, and defense.

The amazing Ramon Revilla Sr

Published by Ellen on November 3, 2011

Update: Ramona flees to Hongkong

Former actor and senator Ramon Revilla, Jr. is truly an amazing person.

News reports about the quarrel over the P1 million family monthly allowance from the padre de familia as the motive behind the Oct. 28 murder of 23-year old Ramgen Jose Bautista made me more in awe of the 84–year old Revilla Sr, Jose Acuña Bautista in real life.

Results of police investigation, which the Revilla family finds “unbelievable”, reveal that Ramgen was murdered by killers hired by his 18-year brother, Ramon Jose, with his 22-year old sister Ramona as accomplice.

The police said their information came from Ramgen’s girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, who was also shot in the face and is still in critical condition in the hospital and from the hired killers who were arrested two days after Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla (Jose Marie Mortel Bautista in real life) put up a P500,000 reward for the arrest of the killers.

Malaking tulong ni Lapid para maintindihan ang RH bill

Published by Ellen on October 8, 2011

Malaking tulong ni Lapid para maintindihan ang RH bill

Dahil kay Sen. Lito Lapid, na minamaliit ng marami dahil hindi mataas ang pinag-aralan at hindi marunong mag-English, naipa-alam sa marami na walang koneksyun ang pag-inom ng birth control pills sa pagpangank ng pre-mature na mga sanggol, bingot (harelip) at pag-aanak ng marami sabay-sabay katulad ng triplets, quadruplets at ang iba mas marami pa.

Ang nakakatuwa dito, ay hindi naman talaga pro-RH (Reproductive Health) Bill si Lapid. Marami siyang agam-agam tungkol sa paggamit ng contraceptives na sinusulong bill para mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga mag-asawa na maplano ang laki ng kanilang pamilya.

Dahil itinanong ni Lapid kay Sen. Pia Cayetano, ang may-akda ng bill kasama si Sen. Miriam Santiago, naipaliwanag ni Sen. Pia.

Tinanong ni Lapid kay Cayetano kung siya ba ay nakadanas ng side effects nang siya ay gumagamit ng birth control pills dahil sabi niya, hindi maganda ang naranasan ng kanyang asawa. Ikinuwento niya ang kanyang karanasan.

Minsan lumalabas ang katotohanan sa bibig ng sinungaling

Published by Ellen on September 18, 2011

Hindi natuwa si Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile at Sen, Jinggoy Estrada sa pasirko-sirko ni Judge Nagamura Moner ng Shariah Court tungkol sa kanyang papel sa dayaan noong 2004 eleksyun.

Noong 2005 kasi, na-interview ng Probe TV ni Cheche Lazaro si Moner at marami siyang kuwento tungkol sa ginawa niyang pandaraya sa 2004 na eleksyun sa utos ni Mike Arroyo, asawa ni Gloria Arroyo. May mga papeles pa siyang pinakita at ang isa nga doon ay sulat ng pagpapasalamat galing sa chief –of-staff ni Mike na si Juris Soliman.

Nang mag-imbistigasyun na sa Senado, aba, ay sinabi ni Moner na nagsinungaling daw siya sa Probe. Bola lang daw ang sinabi niya sa media. Wala naman daw talagang dayaan.