ellen tordesillas – Page 360 – Making life worth living.

Nothing more to say on broadband – Neri

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2007

Senators who hope that Commission on Higher Education Chairman Romulo Neri could provide the missing piece in the story that would “directly link” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the controversial National Broadband Network (NBN) deal are in for a big disappointment.

Neri indicated on Sunday that he had nothing more to say to the Senate committees investigating the $329-million contract for the NBN project that was awarded to China’s ZTE Corp.

“The Senate grilled me for 12 hours. Did they miss on any significant question?’’ he said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) when asked if he had said everything he needed to say to the senators.

Neri sore at media – Palace

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2007

By Jocelyn Montemayor

Higher Education Chairman Romulo Neri is sore with media for seeking to drive a wedge between him and President Arroyo, Cerge Remonde, presidential management staff chief, said yesterday.

Remonde said Neri called him up around 8 a.m. yesterday to complain about the reporting on his testimony last Wednesday before the Senate that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos offered him P200 million when he was director general of the National Economic and Development Authority to approve the $329 million national broadband contract with Chinese firm Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE) Corp.

Playing God

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2007

Never have I seen Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim as upset as in last Friday’s hearing of the special general court martial trying the 28 officers accused of planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo’s bogus presidency in February 2006.

In the past 10 months of tedious and frustrating trial, Lim has always been a picture of calm demeanor, never complaining even as younger officers would sometimes express annoyance openly over what they perceive is the blatant railroading by the court created by AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon.

But last Friday, Gen. Lim stood up when the panel was asking the whereabouts of Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda who was absent. An officer, apparently in charge of the detainees, said that Miranda was in bed when he checked him before the hearing.

The crime goes back to 2001

Published by Ellen on September 30, 2007

Malaya editorial: Scratch my back

Administration members of the House reportedly are wary of impeaching Election Chairman Benjamin Abalos because Senate trial on alleged graft in the $3290 million national broadband could show that the corruption trail leads all the way to Malacañang.

We are no long surprised by such a display of utter lack of principles. Gloria Arroyo’s allies, relying on sheer numbers, threw out the past impeachment complaints against Arroyo. They said impeachment is more a political process than a judicial determination on whether the impeachable official is indeed guilty of the complaint filed.

Utak barbed-wire

Published by Ellen on September 29, 2007

Madugo ang reaksyon ng mga lider ng Myanmar sa mga rally na palayain si Aung San Suu Kyi,ang lider ng grupo na gusto ang demokrasya sa bansa na ang dating pangalan ay Burma.

Maraming patay, kasama na ang isang photographer na Hapon sa mga protest rally na pinangungunahan ng mga Buddhist na monghe, ng pinagbabaril sila ng mga sundalo. Ang pamahalaan ng Myanmar ay pinapalakad ng isang military junta na 45 na taon nang nasa kapangyarihan.

Sinabi sa report na kumunti na ang mga tao noong Biyernes. Binarikadahan ng mga sundalo at pinalibutan ng barbed wire and mga kumbento ng mga monghe. Ganoon din ang mga malaking kalsada sa Yangoon, ang kapital ng Myanmar.

A few good men

Published by Ellen on September 29, 2007

The families of detained officers in Camp Capinpin, Tanay unveiled their own efforts to bring out the truth behind the incarceration of the officers whose sterling records put to shame that of their jailors.

“It’s all in Esperon’s mind” – Miranda et al

Published by Ellen on September 28, 2007

Photos of yesterday’s hearing in Camp Capinpin in Tanay. Captions below. Take note of the barbed wire that surrounds the court building. Akala mo Myanmar!

By Victor Reyes

Officers linked to last year’s failed power grab yesterday said the recent reports of attempts to destabilize the Arroyo government were concocted by the military leadership to justify the coup rumors they themselves floated.

In a statement, the officers said the revelation of Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. about the supposed plan is nothing but a psychological strategy to suppress what they said were the “voices of truth.”

Gen. Miranda seriously ill, AFP denies request for hospitalization

Published by Ellen on September 28, 2007

Update: We got Esperon and Bacarro’s reply on Gen. Miranda this evening, Sept. 29:

Result of follow-up check up conducted afternoon of Sept. 28 on Maj. Gen. Miranda: patient is not admissible. He can be managed as an out-patient. Condition (benign positional vertigo) has improved from that of last check-up (18 Sept) tho the patient still complains of occassional dizzines but hearing in affected ear as well as otoscopic finding showed improvement.

Patient has enlarged tonsils. medication has been prescribed.

Sept. 19 lab test (blood chem) results FBS and ALAT slightly elevated. Considered normal and controlled as patient is taking meds.

There are no life-threatening findings.

Update: As of now, 11:53 a.m. of Sept. 29, one day after the court was informed about the Gen. Renato Miranda’s illness,his custodians are still waiting for clearance from Esperon to bring him to the hospital.

By Victor Reyes

Former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, the alleged leader of last year’s failed power grab, has been seriously sick the past two weeks but the military would not allow him to get out of his detention cell to go to hospital because he is a “security risk.”

An irked former Scout Ranger commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, another leader of the plot, specifically lashed at Brig. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, the former commander of the AFP’s Headquarters and Headquarters Support Command, for denying Miranda of the needed medical attention.

“He wants to go to the hospital but they would not let him. His (request for treatment for his )serious medical needs are not granted,” said Lim, addressing the court.

Myanmar crowd taunts soldiers and police

Published by Ellen on September 28, 2007

We salute the brave people of Myanmar fighting for freedom and democracy! We admire the monks who are leading the fight, risking their lives, against tyranny. What a far cry from our bishops, whose reaction to the Gloria Arroyo’s assault to democractic institutions is a defeaning silence.

Authorities sealing-off central Yangon behind barbed-wire barricades

Update:Myanmar cuts internet access; fires at crowd

From MSNBC:

YANGON, Myanmar – Crowds taunted soldiers and police sealing off central Yangon behind barbed-wire barricades on Friday in anticipation of fresh protests against 45 years of military rule in Myanmar and deepening economic hardship.

Biazon barred from holding committee hearing in Trillanes’ cell

Published by Ellen on September 27, 2007

Update: Esperon thinks a Senate hearing on civil service is political

Custodians of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday prevented Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and some 34 other people from entering Trillanes’ detention cell inside the Marine headquarters to conduct a Senate hearing.

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