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China accuses PH of ‘invasion’

Published by Ellen on April 19, 2011

By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files

Philippine-occupied Pag-asa island in the Spratlys

China has accused the Philippines of “invading” the South China Sea which it claims as wholly its own, the first time it has ever done so.

“Since 1970’s, the Republic of the Philippines started to invade and occupy some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Islands and made relevant territorial claims, to which China objects strongly,” China said in a note verbale submitted April 14 to the United Nations in reply to the protest lodged by the Philippines on April 5.

“The Republic of the Philippines’ occupation of some islands and reefs of China’s Nansha islands as well as other related acts constitutes infringement upon China’s territorial sovereignty,” according to the note verbale.

Early this month, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China’s 9-dash line territorial claim over the whole of South China Sea, including the Spratlys group, a cluster of oil-rich islands disputed by the Philippines, China,three other countries, and Taiwan.

We will sorely miss Joe Pavia

Published by Ellen on April 19, 2011

Our condolence to the family of Joe Pavia, a fellow advocate of press freedom.

Jose has been sick for quite some time but he was always with us, even in rallies, calling for justice for journalists who were killed in the Nov 2009 Ampatuan massacre.

Joe, as everybody calls him, passed away early morning of April 18 of complications from lung at the UERM Hospital. He was 72 years old.

His remains lay at the Arlington Chapel on Araneta Avenue. Necrological service will be on Thursday, 6 p.m. to be led by the Philippine Press Institute, where Joe served as executive director until his death.

In a tribute to Joe, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said “His death leaves a gnawing void in the community of press freedom.”

Michael Ray Aquino in third try to void extradition

Published by Ellen on April 17, 2011

Michael Ray Aquino’s April 11 petition: MRA_petition_for_hearing April 11

Former Police officer Michael Ray Aquino cited the Court of Appeal’s judgment of lack of credibility of his former colleague Cezar Mancao II in his last-ditch appeal to stop his extradition.

In his motion for re-hearing filed last April 11, Aquino, who is currently detained at the Hudson County jail in New Jersey, said he filed his petition for rehearing “on the submission that it is not in accord with the accepted definition of ‘competent evidence’ nor is it in accord with the standards for the finding of probable cause for a murder charge…”

Aquino is facing murder charges in connection with the disappearance in November 2000 of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

In his appeal, Aquino said three facts are clear:

Cagayan de Oro City farmers regret planting jathropa

Published by Ellen on April 17, 2011

By Liezl P. Bugtay and Venus P. Betita AFRIM and VERA Files A promise of prosperity turned into a bitter cautionary tale for a community…

Hindi baril ang solusyon sa lumalaganap na krimen

Published by Ellen on April 16, 2011

Sa halip na magbigay siya ng panahon sa pagtuturo sa mga prosecutor o piskal kung paano maging asintado sa pagbabaril, dapat siguro ang asikasuhin ni Pangulo Aquino ay ang solusyon sa nakakabahalang sitwasyun ng peace and order sa bansa.

Sa kanyang talumpati sa National Convention ng Prosecutors League of the Philippines sa General Santos City, nagboluntaryo si Aquino na maging instructor ng prosecutors sa pagbabaril. Ang isang hilig kasi ng Pangulo maiban sa mamahalin at mabibilis na kotse at maglaro ng computer games at mag-baril.

Maganda naman sana ang kanyang speech. Sinabi niya na alam niya ang panganib na sinusu-ong ng mga prosecutor na siyang tagapagtanggol ng pamahalaan at mamamayan sa mga kasong criminal. Merong public prosecutors na empleyado ng pamahalaan at merong private prosecutors, mga abogado na kinukuha ng mga biktima.

Please, not Domingo Lee to China

Published by Ellen on April 14, 2011

Early this week, President Aquino signed the appointment of 17 career ambassadors to different foreign posts.

Foreign service veterans said they haven’t seen this big a bunch of appointments of career officers in the history of Philippine service. Needless to say, the career officers are very, very happy.

“This would not have been possible under (former Foreign Secretary) Alberto Romulo,” a career officer said adding that morale is high in the department with Secretary Albert del Rosario whom they describe as “conscientious and hands-on.”

I don’t have the complete list of the 17. But here are some of them: Ricky Manalo to London; Cristy Ortega to Paris;Vicky Bataclan to Belgium; Leslie Baja to Switzerland; Maynard Montealegre to Greece; Lourdes Morales to Netherlands; Leslie Gatan to Canada; Ellen Jaucian to Hungary;

Harry Roque and Vic Agustin exchanges

Published by Ellen on April 14, 2011

Following are two columns, Cocktail Perks at BSP by lawyer Harry Roque and P200,000 to attack Tetangco by journalist Vic Agustin of Manila Standard.

Harry Roque is being criticized for charging Bancco Filipino, who recently was taken over by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for alleged insolvency, P1.28 lawyers fee plus other fees. What’s wrong with a lawyer charging clients fees for services rendered?

I personally know that Atty. Roque is doing a lot of pro bono cases.

Here’s Roque’s column answering Agustin’s criticism against him. Agustin’s column is also reproduced in this post

Cocktail Perks at BSP

By Harry Roque

Cocktales writer Victor Agustin tried to malign my law firm in his column last Monday. No effort at all was made to hear the other side, my side, which genuine journalists always do to differentiate themselves from paid hacks.

In past press releases, the BSP falsely linked me to a supposed P245 million payment made by Banco Filipino (BF) for legal services. In his smear column, however, Agustin unconsciously exposed BSP’s malice because, all along, it turns out that the BSP had records showing that my firm merely got paid one-half of 1% of the alleged P245 million amount. In fact, with P400,000 in still unpaid legal fees, my firm is a victim of the BF closure.

PH protests China’s 9-dash line claim over Spratlys

Published by Ellen on April 13, 2011

China’s reaction to PH protest: In a regular briefing in Beijing today, spokesman of China’s foreign ministry Hong Lei said: “China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and adjacent waters.”

“China owns sovereignty and jurisdiction over the related sea area, seabed and subsoil,” Hong pointed out.

By Tessa Jamandre
VERA FILES

The Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest against China’s 9-dash line territorial claim over the whole of South China Sea, a month before President Aquino’s planned state visit to Beijing.

The Philippine protest, dated April 5, was posted by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) as document No. 000228 on April 8.

But the Philippine government tarried in filing the protest, doing so two years after Vietnam and Malaysia, and a year after Indonesia. Vietnam and Malaysia filed their protest a day after China submitted its 9-dash line map to the UN on May 7, 2009. Indonesia registered its protest a year ago, even if it did not have a claim on the South China Sea.

The map is called “9-dash line” or “9-dotted line” because it shows a series of nine dashes or dotted lines forming a ring around the South China Sea area, which China claims is part of its territory. The area includes the Spratlys group, a cluster of oil-rich islands disputed by five other countries, including the Philippines.

China has been using the map with nine dashes in asserting its territorial claim over the whole of the South Sea. But the map first made its way to the UN body, when China used it to challenge the claim made by Vietnam and Malaysia over their extended continental shelves in the South China Sea.

Mikey’s LLC protection

Published by Ellen on April 12, 2011

Related article in ABS-CBN online:Mickey committed fraud to purchase beachfront house?

Raissa Robles: FBI aware of Mikey and Angela’s suspicious transactions

Ang Galing Party Rep. Mikey Arroyo should rest assured that the story of VERA Files, of which I’m a trustee, on the sale of his Foster City house is a factual report of a real estate transaction which he himself confirmed.

The “an ongoing vilification campaign against me and my family” angle is all in his mind.

As we say, trabaho lang ito.

The article on the $1.125 million sale Beachway LLC, a company that Mikey says he is a part-owner, to Mary Grace Apolinario and Jerome Ngo, owners of the popular chain of restaurant, Gerry’s Grill, is the latest in the series of reports on his beachfront property by VERA Files.

Our first story, published on Aug. 30, 2009, was the real estate purchases of Mikey and his brother, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo, in the United States after they were elected to Congress.

Si Politician at si Sexy Star

Published by Ellen on April 12, 2011

Maganda itong kwento ng aking kaibigan. Hindi ko na sasabihin ang pangalan. Alam nyo siguro kung sino-sino sila:

Nangyari daw ito sobra isang taon na. May girlfriend na seksing artista ang isang pulitiko na anak din ng isang makapangyarihang opisyal ng bansa.

Mahilig sa kabayo itong pulitiko at may rantso sa Batangas. Maganda raw ang bahay niya doon sa rantso. Mahilig daw kasi ang kanyang asawa sa interior designing.

Minsan, dinala ng pulitko ang girlfriend doon sa bahay sa rantso. Hanga-hanga raw siya sa ganda ng bahay.

“Ang ganda naman,” sabi daw ni Sexy star. Sabi daw ng caretaker, “Oo. Talagang pinaganda ni Ma’am ,” at sinabi ang pangalan ng asawa. Sinabi pa na talagang pina-order ang mga mamahaling gamit sa bahay.

Medyo nasira daw ang mood ni Sexy star. Bigla niyang sinabing pupunta siya sa pinakamalapit na SM. Pumunta nga at namili ng mga furniture para sa bahay at pinadeliver doon sa rantso kaagad-agad. Pinalitan ang furniture at mga mamahaling décor ni Misis ng pinamili niya sa SM.

Naglagay pa siya ng mga negligee or mga seksing damit pantulog sa cabinet sa kuwarto.

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