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The Truth Commission

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2010

Highlights:
• Truth Commission will just investigate, not prosecute
• Powers limited to recommendation for prosecution
• It will have a life-span of two and half years. Up to Dec. 2012
• Scope of work: reports of graft and corruption during the previous administration . Meaning the administration of Gloria Arroyo.
• The Commission will decide which cases to investigate

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman of the Arroyo-led Lakas-Kampi-CMD party said in a statement on Saturday that their bloc is “seriously considering” challenging the constitutionality of Executive Order No. 1 before the courts.

Lagman said that the creation of the commission may have been unconstitutional, since only Congress can create new offices and commissions based on the 1987 Constitution.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/197479/house-minority-questions-aquinos-eo-on-truth-commission

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 1

CREATING THE PHILIPPINE TRUTH COMMISSION OF 2010

WHEREAS, Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines solemnly enshrines the principle that a public office is a public trust and mandates that public officers and employees, who are servants of the people, must at all times be accountable to the latter, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives;

Continue readingThe Truth Commission

Very satisfied

Published by Ellen on July 29, 2010

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, Tita de Villa, national chair of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and Smartmatic people were all beaming with pride in last Friday’s presentation by Mahar Mangahas of the Social Weather Stations findings on the people’s evaluation of the May 2010 election.

Sponsored by the The Asia Foundation, it was an extensive poll, consisting of five separate surveys – four before the elections and one after – among voters and members of the Board of Election Inspectors.

The result was an overwhelming satisfaction (three out of four Filipinos) over the results of the first automated nationwide elections in the country.

The survey compared the satisfaction of voters and workers to the 2007 elections, which was not automated.

Continue readingVery satisfied

Not disappointed

Published by Ellen on July 27, 2010

Unlike others who were underwhelmed by President Aquino’s first State-of –the Nation address because they were expecting revelations more shocking than those he had leaked while he was still finalizing his speech, I found it just okay.

Sure, a large part of his speech was a litany of Gloria Arroyo’s sins. One cannot and should never be jaded about anomalies and abuse of power. Even if you know it’s happening all the time, who would not be shocked over the gargantuan salaries of the members of the board of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

He said, “Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos. Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon. Beinte-kuwatro porsyento lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta’y sais porsyento ang dagdag….

Continue readingNot disappointed

Walang pagtataguan si Gloria Arroyo

Published by Ellen on July 27, 2010

Arroyo inspected
Tama naman pala na hindi dumalo si Gloria Arroyo sa unang state-of-the nation address ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino noong Lunes.

Kasi kung dumalo di parang siyang sinampal-sampal. Sayang at hindi na-focus sa camera ang mukha ng anak niyang si Mikey Arroyo, ang nang-agaw ng puwesto ng mga security guards at tricyle drivers, habang isinawalat ni PNoy ang tungkol sa calamity fund sa Pampanga.
Si Mike ang dating kinatawan ng pangalawang distrito ng Pampanga na ngayon ay hawak na ng nanay niya.

Ito ang sinabi ni P-Noy tungkol sa Pampanga: “Naglaan ng dalawang bilyong piso na Calamity Fund bilang paghahanda para sa mga kalamidad na hindi pa nangyayari. Napakaliit na nga po ng pondong ito, ngunit kapapasok pa lang natin sa panahon ng baha at bagyo, 1.4 billion pesos o sitenta porsyento na ang nagastos.

“Sa kabuuan ng 108 million pesos para sa lalawigan ng Pampanga, 105 million pesos nito ay napunta sa iisang distrito lamang. Samantala, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na sinalanta ng Pepeng ay nakatanggap ng limang milyong piso lamang para sa pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Cosme, na nangyari noong 2008 pa.

Continue readingWalang pagtataguan si Gloria Arroyo

Aquino’s state- of- the-nation address (with English translation)

Published by Ellen on July 26, 2010


By His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III
President of the Philippines to the Congress of the Philippines
Session Hall of the House of Representatives

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;

Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.

Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; ang pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.

Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Continue readingAquino’s state- of- the-nation address (with English translation)