ellen tordesillas – Page 107 – Making life worth living.

Campaign lies?

Published by Ellen on October 2, 2012

Admin senatorial lineup — President Aquino and the administration’s senatorial bets witness the signing of coalition for 2013 election agreement among LP,NP,NPC,PDP-Laban,Akbayan,NUP. Photo by Mario Ignacio of VERA Files.

Thanks, Secretary Lacierda for this statement: “Campaigning is campaigning. There were words that were exchanged during that time but we move on for the sake of the country.”

At least now, we know how to take your words, the words of President Aquino and all politicians in the coming campaign for the May 2013 elections.

Many of us were not wise enough to have taken your and your partymates’ words seriously in the 2010 elections. That’s a valuable lesson learned.

Lacierda made the above statement when asked about the inclusion of Cynthia Villar, wife of Senator Manny Villar, in the administration 2013 senatorial ticket.

An appeal to the SC to stop Cybercrime law

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2012

Last Friday, I joined five other persons in asking the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the implementation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
We asked the High Court to declare Sections 4 (c) [4], 5, 6, 7 and 19 of the Act unconstitutional.

Harry Roque — Thanks to Inquirer for Harry’s photo.

My fellow petitioners are Davao-based radio broadcaster radio broadcaster Alexander Adonis, my VERA Files colleague Ma. Gisela Ordenes-Cascolan, lawyers/bloggers Harry Roque, Romel Bagares, and Gilbert Andres, legal officer of Media Defense Southeast Asia.

Alexander Adonis photo by Barry Ohaylan of Davao Today — Alexander Adonis in blue during hearing of his libel suit in 2004. Photo by Barry Ohaylan of Davao Today

Named respondents because they are the ones who will be implementing the law which President Aquino signed last Sept. 12 and took effect Sept. 27 are: Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas III, National Bureau of Investigation director Nonnatus Caesar Rojas, Philippine National Police chief Nicanor Bartolome, and acting Director-General Denis Villorente of the Information and Communications Technology Office-Department of Science and Technology.

PPP- Partnership para sa Pepe

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2012

join the fight vs cervical cancer — Photo from Dr. Gerry Wain presentation

Iba and kahulugan ng PPP sa pangalawang pagtitipon tungkol Human papillomavirus (HPV) na isinagawa sa Sofitel Hotel kamakailan.

Kung sa pamahalaan ang PPP ay Public-Private Partnership, naisip ng mga dumalo sa miting na tawagin ang kanilang pagtutulungan na Partnership para sa Pepe.

Mukhang hindi masyadong natuwa si Health Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag.

Ang HPV ang sanhi ng cervical cancer. Sa Pilipinas walong babae ang namamatay ng cervical cancer araw-araw. Isipin mo na lang kung ilang pamilya ang nawawalan ng nanay, asawa,anak at kapatid dahil sa cervical cancer. Ang HPV ay kadalasan naililipat sa tao sa pamamagitan gn pakipagtalik.

Three people you should meet in Siem Reap

Published by Ellen on September 27, 2012

Angkor Wat image from Wikipedia — Photo from Wikipedia

I never cease to be awed by Angkor Wat.

The first time I stepped on the once- sacred grounds of the sprawling (covers an area of almost two hectares), 2,000- year old temple was an overwhelming experience. That was in 1987. I was with a group of journalists of different nationalities covering Southeast Asia. It was a side trip from our main coverage which was an interview in Phnom Penh with Cambodian officials led by Hun Sen, the former Khmer Rouge commander who abandoned the genocidal regime in 1977 and emerged as the leader of the Vietnamese-backed government. He is currently the prime minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Last week, I went back to Siem Reap with my friend, Marilyn Robles. For three days, we went temple-hopping – total of 23 temples in three days. In the process of being enthralled by the distinct features of each temple, we met interesting persons.

One was Muk Moon, former monk and a resident of Angkor Wat.

The back channels: Trillanes, US and Pangilinan

Published by Ellen on September 20, 2012

By Ellen Tordesillas, VERA Files

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV acted as the Philippines’ backdoor negotiator with China from April to July this year, communicating with Chinese foreign affairs officials in a role, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said, in which he won “minor successes.”

Lacierda, though, did not give details.

Trillanes said President Benigno S. Aquino III gave him the assignment verbally and could not produce any documents to prove he was acting in an official capacity. The role was fraught with deniability, with Malacanang even saying it was Trillanes who sought the job.

Based on various interviews with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, senior foreign affairs officials, military officials, Chinese sources and with Trillanes himself, VERA Files assembled the following timeline of Trillanes’ involvement in the dispute between the Philippines and China over Panatag, also called Scarborough Shoal:

April 8, 2012

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…

China reaches out thru Mar Roxas

Published by Ellen on September 18, 2012

An opportunity for newly-appointed Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas to help in the healing of bruised ties with China has been presented by the Chinese government with its invitation for him to attend the 9th ASEAN- China expo in Nanning, the capital of China’s Guangxizhuang Autonomous Region starting this weekend (Sept 21 to 25).

There is no word yet if Roxas has accepted the invitation.

Sept. 20 -Secretary del Rosario recommends Secretary Roxas as special envoy to the 9th China-Asean Expo

Read story in comments.

ASEAN leaders expected to attend the Expo include Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra , Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Myanmar President U Thein Sein.

President Aquino is going to Brunei on Sunday to attend the wedding of a daughter of Sultan Bolkiah.

China is being politically astute in inviting Roxas.

If PNoy believes Puno’s Israel trip story, pity the Filipino people

Published by Ellen on September 16, 2012

Puno at Sept 14 Senate hearing. Thanks to Inquirer for photo. — Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

I wish President Aquino would stop talking about “tuwid na daan” anymore.

It’s adding insult to injury with the way he protected Rico Puno, his shooting buddy whom he appointed undersecretary in the Department of Interior and Local Government. He accepted Puno’s resignation last Sept. 11.

Santiago Sept 14 hearing — “You are testing my level of belief ..”

The House of Representatives spared the public another farce by dropping the planned investigation on the alleged overpriced purchase of firearms for the Philippine National Police and the conflicting versions of Puno’s role in securing the documents on the deal, which included a report questioning his trip to Israel to visit the manufacturing plant of one of the bidders, the Israeli Military Industries.

If Puno was able to get away with stonewalling Sen. Miriam Santiago, chair of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Laws, who conducted hearing, the congressmen are not expected to fare better when it comes to ferreting out the truth. They won’t dare antagonize Malacañang.

Takot ang mga Marzan gawin sa kanila ang ginawa nila sa kanilang katulong

Published by Ellen on September 16, 2012

Bonita Baraan and Marzan couple — The maid, Bonita Baran, and her tormentors, Reynold and Anna Liza Marzan face each other at the Senate. Thanks to Interaksyun for photo.

Takot na takot daw si Anna Liza Marzan, ang amo na nagplantsa ng mukha ng katulong nang dumating siya sa Quezon City jail dahil may sumigaw sa mga nakakulong doon, ““Handa na ang plantsa namin!”

Napanood kasi ng mga inmates sa Q.C jail ang balita nang pagmaltrato ni Marzan sa kanyang katulong na si Bonita Baran.

Sabi ng mga guwardiya sa QC jail na huwag daw matakot si Marzan dahil hindi raw nila pinapayagan ang plantsa sa kulungan.

Sayang.

Ano kaya ang dapat na parusa sa mag-asawang Reynold at Annaliza Marzan sa ginawa nila kay Baran? Nabulag si Baran sa sobrang pananakit ni Anna Liza.

Chit Estella Journalism Awards

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2012

Nominations to the 1st Chit Estella Journalism Awards are now open.

The family of Chit (Chit Estella-Simbulan), who died in a vehicle accident May 13, 2011, has set up the Journalism Awards in cooperation with VERA Files and the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communications.

Chit, at the time of her death was a journalism professor at UP-Diliman and trustee of VERA Files, a group that we, together with four other media colleagues – Yvonne Chua, Booma Cruz, Luz Rimban and Jennifer Santiago, set up in March 2008. VERA Files undertakes in-depth reporting on current issues and conducts journalism training.

The Chit Estella Journalism Awards, which are intended to keep alive Chit’s ideals of excellent and principled journalism, will honor the best journalistic report in print and on-line media.

The theme for this year’s contest is human rights as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

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