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Let the trial begin

Published by Ellen on August 26, 2008

Former AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon will be the first to take the witness stand when the court martial of 28 officers accused of mutiny in connection with the February 2006 alleged coup attempt starts.

At the pre-trial conference yesterday, Col. Feliciano Loy, head of the prosecution panel, told the court that he will be presenting 20 witnesses who executed affidavits on the alleged plan of the officers to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo following the” Hello Garci” expose that showed her masterminding the manipulation of the results of the 2004 election in Mindanao in her favor.

Esperon was then army chief. His affidavit submitted to the panel that investigated the incident related the meeting with then AFP chief Generoso Senga the night of Feb. 23 where the accused officers talked about the restlessness in the military over the loss of confidence on Arroyo.

Continue readingLet the trial begin

Matinong artista, may katuturang palabas

Published by Ellen on August 25, 2008

Noong isang linggo napanood ko na umiiyak si Pokwang sa “Wowowie” ng ABS-CBN. Dinedepensahan siya ni Willie Revillame sa panlalait na ginawa sa kanya ni Joey de Leon sa “Eat Bulaga” ng GMA-7.

Sinabi ni Willie na sa isang show raw ng “Eat Bulaga” sa United States, tinawag ni Joey si Pokwang na “aswang”.

Kahit naman sinong tao, hindi dapat tawagin na aswang. Lalo pa si Pokwang na isang magaling at kagalang-galang na entertainer. Ikinuwento ni Willie na may namatay na anak si Pokwang at ngayon ay may isa siyang anak na yan ang rason kaya talagang kayod si Pokwang.

Continue readingMatinong artista, may katuturang palabas

MILF press con

Published by Ellen on August 25, 2008

Last Saturday, Al Haj Murad Ibrahim,chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Central Committee, held a press conference in Camp Darapanan, part of what they consider their Bangsamoro homeland. Murad reiterated the MILF’s position that the MOA-AD is a done deal and suggested that Comanders Ombra kato and Bravo are not subject to Philippine laws because they are a revolutionary government.

For the complete MILF report on the presscon, click to:http://www.luwaran.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=862
Excerpts:

MILF position is firm

As we had said and manifested in the press and official statement I had earlier read, the MILF position is firm. “As far as we are concerned, the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA – AD) is a final document, a done deal.”

Continue readingMILF press con

Is Ermita taking charge?

Published by Ellen on August 24, 2008

Amidst the disarray in Malacañang, it looks like Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita is asserting authority which had almost slipped out of his hands sometime ago.

Consider these confusion in Malacanang:

Last Thursday, Gloria Arroyo, in her speech at the 2nd Philippine International Motor Show at the World Trade Center, announced a policy shift towards the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, with whom her administration had forged an agreement for the creation of a Bangsamoro homeland that would include the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao and more than 700 barangays from North Cotabato, Zamboanga City and Palawan.

She announced this supposed policy shift a few days after hostilities in North Cotabaro and Lanao del Norte that left more than 30 dead and some 70,000 homeless .

Continue readingIs Ermita taking charge?

Fiesta ng katotohanan

Published by Ellen on August 23, 2008

Masaya ang Truth Festival na ginanap sa Raha Sulayman Park sa Roxas Boulevard, sa Baywalk, noong Biyernes ng gabi.

Pasensya na po sa mga naperwisyo sa heavy traffic dahil isinara ang Roxas Blvd simula ng mga 3 p.m. Mga bandang 7 p.m na binuksan ang kalahati ng Roxas Blvd.

Ako na-traffic din mula Vito Cruz ngunit nakarating din mga bandang 6 p.m. na. Dahil kasama ang mga Catholic schools sa mga organizers, ang daming mga estudyante. Ito ang pinakamalaking rally mula noong Feb. 29 sa Makati. Si Jun Lozada, kasama ang mga civil society groups, ang tumulong magbuo nito.

Maganda at masaya. Mabuti naman at maganda ang panahon kaya rally kasama na rin pasyal ang ginawa ng mga tao. Iba talaga kapag kaalyado ang mayor. Nandoon ang mga pulis para magprotekta, hindi para mangharang. Nagsalita si Mayor Fred Lim.

Continue readingFiesta ng katotohanan

7 senators ask SC to allow Trillanes to attend sessions

Published by Ellen on August 23, 2008

From Manila Bulletin:

Seven opposition senators petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to allow their colleague, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, to attend Senate session even under guard.

The seven senators are Senators Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., Benigno Aquino III, Rodolfo G. Biazon, Panfilo M. Lacson, Loren B. Legarda, Jamby Madrigal, and Mar Roxas.

They filed a motion to intervene in Senator Trillanes’ petition in GR No. 79817.

Continue reading7 senators ask SC to allow Trillanes to attend sessions

The road map to war

Published by Ellen on August 22, 2008

Malaya editorial:

What the hell is going on?

At the Supreme Court hearing yesterday on the petition to permanently stop the government from signing the memorandum agreement on ancestral domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said he had no authority from President Arroyo to sign an agreement on behalf of the government.

All he had, he said, was his original authority to negotiate.

What was he doing then in Kuala Lumpur for the scheduled signing ceremony on August 5 (the signing was TROed by the Supreme Court on August 4)? The Malaysian hosts had prepared an elaborate stage where Garcia and his MILF counterparts were supposed to sign the document. Set to stand as witnesses were a Malaysian cabinet official, representatives of the Organization of Islamic Conference and ambassadors of a number of Islamic countries. Even US Ambassador Kristie Kenney was there for what was touted as a “historic” milestone in the march toward lasting peace in Mindanao.

Continue readingThe road map to war

Nobody’s listening to Arroyo

Published by Ellen on August 21, 2008

Gloria Arroyo has lost control. She should re-sign.

She has lost control not only of herself (look up her throwing tantrum video last Monday in YouTube) but also of the government.

She should resign to spare the country further destruction, not only in terms of loss of lives but damage to democratic institutions.

Calls for Arroyo to resign are nothing new ever since the “Hello Garci” tapes surfaced which exposed her to have masterminded cheating in the 2004 elections. But she has effectively placated her political adversaries. This time, however, she has expended her political capital. Derided by majority of Filipinos, Arroyo’s words have no value.

Even MILF spokesman Mohagher Iqbal is not taking her seriously.

Continue readingNobody’s listening to Arroyo