Philippines – Page 3 – ellen tordesillas

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 .

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.

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.

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.

Join Truthfest

Published by Ellen on August 21, 2008

Tomorrow, Aug. 22, an “Evening Gathering for Truth” will be held at Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard. It’s planned tob e a twelve-hour marathon, from 3…

Ang pagtataray ni Gloria Arroyo

Published by Ellen on August 20, 2008

Napanood nyo siguro sa ABS-CBN ang pagtataray ni Gloria Arroyo noong Lunes nang nagtaping siya ng kanyang mensahe tungkol sa pag-atake ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front sa Lanao del Norte?

Gloriang-gloria. Nag nagtitili siya na “But they are not here! But they are not here!” Lumabas ang kanyang pagka- spoiled brat.

Maririnig mo pa na may natapon. Mukha ngang nagtapon pa siya. Maririnig ang sabi ng isang Malacañang staff, “Mukhang tinapon ang laptop.”

Sabi ni Joe Capadocia sa Office of the Press Secretary hindi raw laptop ang tinapon ng kanyang pekeng presidente. Siguro nga, baka cellphone. O baka ash tray.

Blood in Gloria Arroyo’s hands

Published by Ellen on August 19, 2008

After throwing a tantrum because the teleprompter was not ready, Gloria Arroyo told the Filipino people Monday, “Because of this sneaky and treacherous attack , as your commander-in-chief, I have ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to defend every inch of Philippine territory against MILF forces, and Immediately restore peace in the affected areas in Lanao de Norte.”

It would have been funny if not for the more than 30 lives that were lost and more than 60,000 people who have been rendered homeless.

It would have been funny because if not for the temporary restraining order by the Supreme Court, Arroyo would have given away more than 700 barangays in addition to Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and Marawi city that compose the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao to the MILF.

A military officer said Arroyo’s statement on the MILF attacks is a “classic example of the arsonist who acted as fireman at the expense of poor household owners.”

A country not even his own

Published by Ellen on August 17, 2008

Last month,Meralco chair Oscar Lopez said in a forum that with what is happening now to his family in relation to the ruling power, it’s as though Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship had not ended.

Lopez said this following attempts by Gloria Arroyo’s avid supporter, Winston Garcia, president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System, to takeover Meralco, the Lopez family’s flagship firm.

The Cha-cha option

Published by Ellen on August 14, 2008

We all knew that Gloria Arroyo has no plans of giving up her stolen presidency but her temerity last Monday pushing for a shift to federal system of government, followed up by her press secretary, Jesus Dureza, left us flabbergasted.

A friend pointed out to us that Arroyo actually announced it last July 29 in her state- of -the -nation address but we were too busy with VAT and the 50 centavos text (which turned out to be a big lie).

Tag: Philippines