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Gov’t struck deal with Gutierrez over resignation

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2011

(I did this story for VERA Files. It has been released to all media outlets.)

merceditas gutierrez resigns — Resignation came with a price

The government paid a price for getting Merceditas Gutierrez to resign as Ombudsman, a deal one official justified by saying that subjecting her to a drawn-out impeachment trial would have been an emotional and divisive political exercise.

A highly reliable source said President Benigno Aquino III agreed to the two conditions Gutierrez set in exchange for her resignation. One, she would get her full retirement benefits. Two, government would not file charges against her.

The deal, however, does not preclude private individuals from filing cases against the former Ombudsman, who had also served as acting justice secretary during the Arroyo administration, the source said.

An appeal for a 68-year old Fil-American mother in jail in Borongan, Samar

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2011

Yesterday morning, I got a letter from someone who introduced herself as Josie Studer. She is a Filipino-American, based in the United Sates but comes home often to her parent’s hometown in Hernani. Eastern Samar.

She was asking help for the release of her 68-year old mother who was arrested last June 26 as she was coming out of the church in their town. Since then her mother, Josephine Rodriquez Mckee, has been staying in jail in Borongan, Samar.

Part of Ms Studer’s letter:

“My mother suffers from a heart condition that is supervised by her doctor in U.S. At the request of friends and family, Gov. Nicart (Eastern Samar Governor Conrado Nicart Jr) sent a physician and ambulance to assess her. Her blood pressure index was recorded three times to be 170/110. The doctor sent written recommendation for medical attention via the jail warden to Judge Cesar Abit. The judge denied her medical treatment.

“It has now been five days without medical attention. This is an extremely dangerous situation because her condition makes her a candidate for a stroke.”

Tigilan na ang pagpadala ng domestic helpers sa Middle East

Published by Ellen on July 3, 2011

Dapat tingnan ng pamahalaan ang problema ngayon ng ating domestic helpers sa Saudi Arabia na oportunidad para ibahin, o kaya tigilan na ang pagpadala ng domestic helpers sa Middle East.

Marami ngayon sa ating mga mahirap na kababayan na may mga kamag-anak na domestic helper sa Saudi Arabia ang nangangamba na mawalan na hanapbuhay dahil sa hindi pagkasundo ng Saudi at ng Pilipinas sa pasweldo ng katulong.

Maybagong patakaran na kasi ang Philippine Oversean Employment Administration na ang mga sweldo ng mga OFW na mamasukan bilang domestic helper sa labas sa Saudi ay hindi dapat bababa sa $400. Mga P17,000 yan sa peso.

Butangerang mayor ng Davao

Published by Ellen on July 2, 2011

Fist of fury — Thanks to Inquirer for the photo

Ang mas nakakabahala sa akin kaysa yung pambubugbug ni Mayor Sara Duterte sa sheriff na magde-deliver sana ng demolition order sa mga bahay ng mga squatters sa barangay Agdao sa Davao City ay ang mga pumapalakpak sa ginawa niya.

Nasaan na ang ating respeto sa batas?

Siyempre ang mga kakampi ni Duterte, pinagtatanggol ang kanilang butangerang mayor. Maraming nagawang mabuti raw sa Davao.

Hindi naman isyu ang kanyang mabuting ginawa sa Davao. Dapat lang, mayor ka dapat gumawa ng mabuti para sa bayan mo. Ang pinag-usapan dito ay ang pananakit niya kay Sheriff Abe Andres.

Davao City mayor punches sheriff

Published by Ellen on July 1, 2011

abs-cbnNEWS.com

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte was caught on camera punching a sheriff of the Davao Regional Trial Court Branch 15 who was serving a demolition order on Friday.

Duterte said she had asked court sheriff Abe Andres to wait for 2 hours before serving a demolition order that would destroy shanties of 500 families in Barangay Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Suliman, Agdao.

She said Andres ignored the order, causing tension to break out in the area.

Will Spratlys tension pave the way for US troops in PH?

Published by Ellen on June 30, 2011

Anti-submarine helicopterB — An anti-submarine helicopter on the flight deck of USS Howard, a missile-guided destroyer that participated in the PH-US military exercise

To those who got excited with the statement of United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Harry Thomas about supporting the Philippines in the Spratlys issue, read carefully what they said.

Thomas said: “We are allies. We will continue to work with each other in all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys.” This was at the time when the Philippines was protesting the intrusions of Chinese armed vessels in West Philippine Sea.

Thomas got hearty applause when he repeated that assurance during the launching of the National Renewable Energy Program at the Department of Energy in the presence of President Aquino.

Thomas also said that the US stands “by our commitment under Mutual Defense Treaty.”

PH military eyes SEATO-like deal to lease patrol boats from US

Published by Ellen on June 30, 2011

This story is also posted in www.verafiles.org

USS Chung HoonB — USS Chung Hoon approaching Puerto Princesa Bay to participate in PH-US military exercises

By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files

Amid renewed tensions in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine military is batting to revive the concept of an anti-communist collective defense of Southeast Asia to enable the country to enter into a leasing arrangement of patrol boats with the United States.

An operational lease would allow the Philippine Navy to use newer U.S. ships, Navy Vice Commander Rear Admiral Orwen Cortez told a press conference following the opening ceremony of the PH-US Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) in Puerto Princesa on Tuesday.

“We have experience with this during the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) way back in the ‘50s when U.S. ships came to the Philippines, so that was the background and we’re trying to revive that concept,” he said.

Aquino’s first year: The good and the bad

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2011

Pinoy in Malabon — Shortcoming: shooting buddies

One area where the year-old Aquino government has made reforms, slow it may be, is in the fight against graft and corruption through reforms in the justice system.

This is not to say that Aquino has eliminated graft and corruption or there is no graft and corruption being committed by his own appointees. I merely recognize some reforms made in the justice system that could help in the fight against graft and corruption that was the campaign battle cry of Aquino -“Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.”

Number one ‘achievement’ is the removal of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and her subordinates either through dismissal, resignation or suspension. As long as Gutierrez was head of the anti-graft body, her benefactor Gloria Arroyo, her husband and members of her family could feel safe from prosecution.

Hindi pinatawad ni Arroyo at ng mga galamay ang PCSO

Published by Ellen on June 28, 2011

Robredo no longer ‘acting’ DILG secretary, gets regular appointment from Aquino

Published by Ellen on June 27, 2011

After almost a year, President Benigno Aquino III has decided that he can work with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, whom he is…

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