ellen tordesillas – Page 140 – Making life worth living.

Cash-challenged Philippine Dragon Boat team strikes two golds

Published by Ellen on August 5, 2011

Final score: 5 golds and 2 silver. Mabuhay ang magigiting na Dragon Boat team ng Pilipinas!

I had the pleasure of watching this team, composed of Army men, win the International Dragon Boat race in Boracay last summer. Their dedication to the sport and determination to win honors for the country is so admirable considering that they do not get adequate support from the government.

Congratulations!

In Boracay, while participants from other countries were billeted in resort hotels, the Army team (who was the champion) as well as the Navy team (if I’m correct, it came second) were billeted in public school buildings and were content with economy meals.

Thanks to Philippine Daily Inquirer for the photo by John Bedaure.

PH Dragon Boat team wins 2nd gold medal
abs-cbnNEWS.com

The Philippine Dragon Boat team bagged another gold medal in the ongoing International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) 10th World Championships in Tampa Bay, Florida.

This time, the Filipino paddlers won first place in the Premier 200-meter mixed event with a time of 57.07 seconds.

Ebdane denies ordering Batasan break-in; turns emotional in presscon

Published by Ellen on August 5, 2011

ebdane Aug 5, 2011 — Thanks to GMA News online for photo

Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. turned emotional during a press conference Friday as he denied masterminding the switching of the genuine 2004 elections returns with manufactured ERs by a team composed of members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police.

Speaking at a news conference held in Iba, Zambales which started with his tribute to former Zambales Rep. Antonio Diaz who passed away Wednesday, Ebdane said his main concern now is his province. “I never thought of my family. Nag-retire ako, pumunta ako rito sa probinsiya with nothing less but the interest of my province.” He choked and quickly left the press con.

Ebdane tried to turn the table against his accuser, Senior Supt. Rafael Santiago by mentioning the electronic bikes and explosives that are allegedly in the position of the former Zambales provincial police director.

Pres. Aquino meets with MILF chair Murad

Published by Ellen on August 5, 2011

By Carolyn O. Arguillas
Mindanews

Aquino wd Murad — Aquino and Murad in a Tokyo Hotel Thursday evening. Photo by OPPAP

GENERAL SANTOS CITY- Now the silence can be explained.

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim shook hands and talked peace for two hours in a hotel in Japan with their respective panel chairs taking down notes, the President’s Cabinet members and the MILF’s peace panel and Central Committee members as well as the Malaysian facilitator waiting outside the meeting room.

The President and the MILF chair agreed to move the negotiations forward to ensure that whatever agreement is forged can be implemented within the Aquino administration whose term ends on June 30, 2016, the chairs of both panels told MindaNews in separate telephone interviews. How the talks can move forward, the panels will discuss when they meet within the month, they said.

Gloria loses voice; no immigration record of Mike leaving for HK

Published by Ellen on August 4, 2011

Update: Mike Arroyo, misspelled name in BI Departure card; De Lima apologized for wrong info to public

By Ashzel Hachero
Malaya

Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo is undergoing therapy due to loss of voice following cervical spine surgery last week at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

GMA leaves hospital
ABS-CBN
Doctors said Arroyo has been told to rest at her house for a month. She also was told to rest her voice. Doctors said there are no complications from her cervical spine surgery. However, she lost her voice after her vocal cords got swollen after she started to receive visitors last Wednesday.

“Her vocal chords were swollen and until now are swollen not because of complication in the surgery but they were strained because of use of cellphones,” Cervantes said.

Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba, Pampanga, a close Arroyo ally, Arroyo is prohibited from talking, reading newspapers and watching television.

Mike Arroyo flies to Hongkong; may face contempt charges

Published by Ellen on August 3, 2011

From ABS-CBN and Malaya

Former first gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, who left for Hong Kong last Sunday, may face contempt charges if he fails to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Senator Franklin Drilon said.

“Kung nasa labas siya ng bansa, admittedly, hindi mo masu-subpoena. But I don’t think he should do that because, as we say, flight is evidence of guilt,” Drilon said.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee said putting Arroyo on the immigration watch list would be pointless since he has already left the country.

This was in response to reports that the Department of Justice is drafting an order to place Arroyo under the immigration watch list.

“I instructed Chief [Justice Ricardo] Paras first to confirm officially if there is really a request from the Senate because it was reported in the media na there’s a request from certain senators to put him on watch list. So once that is verified, then I am inclined to issue a WLO (watch list order),” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said.

Zubiri resigns

Published by Ellen on August 3, 2011

Says cheating allegation has taken toll on family, nation

Zubiri speech Honor and Integrity

By JP Lopez
Malaya

Amid allegations he benefited from the supposed cheating in the 2007 elections, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday announced his resignation, a move seen by colleagues and even his opponents as an act of statesmanship.

“Without admitting any fault and with my vehement denial of the alleged electoral fraud hurled against me, I am submitting my resignation as a duly elected senator of the Republic of the Philippines in the election for which I am falsely accused without mercy and compassion,” Zubiri said in an emotional privilege speech.

Aquilino “Koko “ Pimentel III I: I commend him for the rare act of resigning but na-disappoint lang ako na parang may denial pa siya na nagkaroon ng dayaan sa Maguindanao which was the reason why he got proclaimed in the first place. Hindi po baseless and unfounded ang charges of election fraud in Maguindanao. Proven na po iyon.”

“I am resigning, not because I am exhausted from the demands of my calling as a legislator. . I am resigning, not because I wish to evade the decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Handa kong tanggapin ang anumang hatol mula sa nasabing hukuman,” he said.

Kiko vs Tito

Published by Ellen on August 2, 2011

I’m enjoying the Kiko-Tito exchanges.

Following the coming out of Police Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago of his primary role in the switching of genuine 2004 election returns stored at the Batasan Pambansa with manufactured ERs, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan called on the Commission on Elections and the Department of Justice to ferret out the truth no matter who gets hurt.

Pangilinan, who earned the pejorative tag “Mr. Noted” for dismissing protestations of the Minority in the canvassing every time questionable returns would be canvassed with “Noted,” is on the defensive because many accuse him of being instrumental in allowing Arroyo to get away with her electoral cheating.

‘Jose Miguel Arroyo owned helicopters’

Published by Ellen on August 1, 2011

Businessman to testify in Senate probe
By Cathy Yamsuan
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Two five-year old helicopters sold as brand new to the Philippine National Police in 2009 were among the five choppers that then First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo acquired for the campaign of his wife, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in the 2004 presidential election.

This was disclosed by a businessman, who was privy to the sale of the helicopters to Mike Arroyo in late 2003. The businessman is scheduled to appear as a witness at a hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee on Tuesday.

The Inquirer tried to contact Sunday night Raul Lambino, lawyer and spokesperson of the Arroyos, to get his side but did not get any response.

Questions nobody asked ‘Garci’

Published by Ellen on July 31, 2011

Who is Maj. Jason Aquino and who was he representing?

The press conference of former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano raised more questions which the reporters didn’t ask.

It seemed that reporters in that press conference held in Bukidnon wanted only to hear Garci say “I was ordered by Gloria Arroyo to cheat” and when they didn’t hear that, they didn’t know any more what questions to ask.

They didn’t question when Garci said that there was no point for them to cheat because it was ten days after elections.

The reporters didn’t point out to Garcillano that in 2004, it was still manual elections and counting and canvassing took even more than a month. They were still tampering with election results in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao to make up for the unexpected avalanche of votes for Fernando Poe Jr that came from the vote-rich Lingayen-Lucena corridor.

‘We switched ERs for Gloria Arroyo’

Published by Ellen on July 29, 2011

First of a series

PNP team admits breaking into Batasan building

By Nancy C. Carvajal
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A police officer and his “boys” have come forward saying they stole original election returns (ERs) then kept at the Batasang Pambansa building and replaced these with fake ones to make sure Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would still emerge the winner of the 2004 presidential election in the event of a recount.

Senior Supt. Rafael Santiago, now assigned at the Philippine National Police Directorate for Operations in Camp Crame, presented to the Inquirer envelopes bearing the seal of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and containing what he said were original ERs from various areas in Mindanao.

Prior to his appointment in Camp Crame, Santiago was relieved as police director of Zambales province.

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