tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795987022189257892024-02-08T03:57:15.874+11:00It's simple, really™News commentary from the right perspectivebenign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-3686874077247673842013-11-10T18:33:00.001+11:002013-11-10T18:35:10.361+11:00Devastation and death toll stats in wake of Typhoon Yolanda climb steeply by the hour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFjuh6AUUWxZq0bIS3P7X2lkBRJ3JaBpXK09SDwhjO53G6ff6fNiiW8l3lRMlq_swUs7_IhJNzgQHvVgV1ewdZVksfIockkfw_L1uxduZJW6j2SLt5WGr_NG4w5NZLFmnY6daAEfMRGU/s1600/Tacloban_Yolanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFjuh6AUUWxZq0bIS3P7X2lkBRJ3JaBpXK09SDwhjO53G6ff6fNiiW8l3lRMlq_swUs7_IhJNzgQHvVgV1ewdZVksfIockkfw_L1uxduZJW6j2SLt5WGr_NG4w5NZLFmnY6daAEfMRGU/s200/Tacloban_Yolanda.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Unconfirmed estimates of the death toll in the wake of the destruction wreaked by super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Visayas have <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/world/asia/philippines-typhoon.html?_r=0" target="_blank">reportedly</a> climbed to an "estimated" 10,000.<br />
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Wire reports quoted the city administrator of Tacloban suggesting that the death toll could reach 10,000 in his city alone. A police official gave an identical estimate, citing the governor of the area, who had spoken with officials in villages that had been hit, according to wire reports.</blockquote>
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The government disaster agency said it could confirm only about 150 deaths so far from Typhoon Haiyan, although the president said he expected the number to rise significantly. The Red Cross in Manila said earlier on Saturday that its people on the ground were reporting an estimated 1,000 deaths on Leyte Island, where Tacloban is, and about 200 on the neighboring island of Samar.</blockquote>
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According to NDRRMC executive director Eduardo del Rosario, "Tacloban City is 95% devastated." Tacloban, a city of more than 200,000, is the most populated area within the area hardest hit by Yolanda. President Benigno Simeon "BS" Aquino III was <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/10/13/pnoy-walks-out-disaster-meeting-out-frustration" target="_blank">reportedly</a> "dismayed" by these reports.<br />
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President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday walked out of a disaster council meeting in Tacloban out of frustration.</blockquote>
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According to radio dzMM’s Edwin Sevidal, Aquino was visibly dismayed with reports given to him by officials of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on the state of Leyte, in particular Tacloban, where thousands are now feared dead after the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda.</blockquote>
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Told by a local businessman that looters have started taking over the city and that he (the businessman) had himself been held at gunpoint by some of them, BS Aquino answered, “But you did not die, right?”<br />
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[<i>Photo courtesy</i> <a href="https://twitter.com/sunstarcebu/status/399164832886169600" target="_blank">Sun Star Cebu</a>.]<br />
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<br />benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-26505000486211570872013-04-22T18:55:00.002+10:002013-04-22T18:55:57.996+10:00Teddy Casiño: Leftist but not communist?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EVn-tBGBGyOLHF2NHTYeZr94c3VgWarSfLPjHCnYb2fJY8F3D2u3JZt1fz1rWeLSxirf1cKP2NjMGTxV0KjPdBHJhJuAFcGJIfVkRWsNkSN1LA9cQYUIw9KxeJkc1H5vSyXmFRBmTw8/s1600/teddy_casino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EVn-tBGBGyOLHF2NHTYeZr94c3VgWarSfLPjHCnYb2fJY8F3D2u3JZt1fz1rWeLSxirf1cKP2NjMGTxV0KjPdBHJhJuAFcGJIfVkRWsNkSN1LA9cQYUIw9KxeJkc1H5vSyXmFRBmTw8/s200/teddy_casino.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
According to senatorial candidate Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño (Bayan Muna) it is, <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/395107/teddy-casino-leftist-but-not-communist">swearing</a> that "he’s neither a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) nor a lapdog of Jose Maria Sison."<a name='more'></a><br />
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Casiño said he had publicly denounced the NPA’s alleged atrocities in the past, particularly the bloody purge in the communist movement in the late 1980s.</blockquote>
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“Is there a communist with a teddy bear?” Casiño quipped. “What we do is simply explain that being ‘left’ doesn’t necessarily mean you espouse the armed struggle. You can be ‘left’ and work within the parliamentary constitutional arena.”</blockquote>
But a group called the People’s Advocacy for Collaboration and Empowerment (PEACE) who have <a href="http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/10/27/bayan-muna-cries-harassment-over-disqualification-case-250170" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">filed a complaint</a> with the COMELEC denouncing various party lists as including Bayan Muna as mere fronts of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). PEACE advocates allege that left-leaning members of Congress have been diverting their pork barrel earnings to the funding of the terrorist New People's Army, the armed hand of the Philippines' Communist Party.<br />
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Back in 2002, no less than Jose Maria Sison, leader of the CPP and probable commander-in-chief of the NPA <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/legacy/agr-disagr/16-2-joma.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">issued a press statement</a> describing how the NPA plays a key role in the overall terrorism landscape of the Philippines…<br />
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The revolutionary forces of the Bangsamoro, like the MILF and the progressive section of the MNLF can consolidate their armies and choose the time for launching their own offensives, while the military, police and paramilitary forces of the Manila government are preoccupied with their campaigns of suppression against the revolutionary people and forces in most parts of the archipelago. In the future rounds of revolutionary armed struggle by the Moro people, the reactionary armed forces will fare worse than their continuing failure to destroy a small bandit gang called Abu Sayyaf in the tiny island of Basilan.</blockquote>
The PEACE complaint <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/29/12/now-bayan-muna-et-al-face-disqualification-bid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reportedly</a> cited close affiliates of Bayan Muna as being part of a coalition of several organisations that serve as legal “fronts” to Sison’s communist party…<br />
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[...] no less than Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison identified legal democratic forces that help their cause including the Bagong Alyansyang Makabayan (Bayan), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), the Pambansang Kilusang Magbubukid or the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Gabriela, League of Filipino Students (LFS), Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and KADENA.</blockquote>
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The Communist Party of the Philippines is a leading communist party in the Philippines. It remains an underground political organization since its founding on December 26, 1968 and has been operating in clandestine manner since its founding. It aims to overthrow the Philippine government through armed revolution with its direct leadership over the New People’s Army and National Democratic Front.<br />
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More insight on communists in Philippine Congress at <i>Get Real Post</i> article <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/10/commies-in-the-philippine-senate-open-doors-to-pork-barrel-funding-of-npa-and-other-terrorists/" target="_blank">Commies in the Philippine Senate open doors to pork barrel funding of NPA and other terrorists</a>.<br />
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[<i>NB: Parts of this article were lifted off </i>Wikipedia.org<i> and used in accordance with that site's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License</a> consistent with the same license applied by </i>Get Real Post<i> to its content</i>.]benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-67893800465073163052013-04-22T17:18:00.001+10:002013-04-22T17:18:34.858+10:00Nancy Binay jumps to 3rd place in 'popularity' ranking along with Cynthia Villar<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbHhvidoaPxvfZrFAEx61f5rkFFRokA9gD0P-EWunEjhWls1suMzMZrhGIiypV0WfUKgsl8IAnvr7GNjK6pK98XvmaejQcM77BqW7A9mVlvBdJJYGr8hSX4Sy6KlNhwhb7xSAIjQr2AY/s1600/nancy_binay.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbHhvidoaPxvfZrFAEx61f5rkFFRokA9gD0P-EWunEjhWls1suMzMZrhGIiypV0WfUKgsl8IAnvr7GNjK6pK98XvmaejQcM77BqW7A9mVlvBdJJYGr8hSX4Sy6KlNhwhb7xSAIjQr2AY/s200/nancy_binay.jpeg" width="171" /></a></div>
According to an April "pre-election survey" conducted by research firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) senatorial candidates Cynthia Villar (LP) and Nancy Binay (UNA) now share third place up from ninth and 12th respectively in January. The survey <a href="http://www.philstar.com/election-2013/2013/04/22/933601/binay-villar-gain-big-latest-survey">reportedly</a> covered 1,800 "representative voters" across the nation.<a name='more'></a><br />
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Candidate Nancy Binay's showing is impressive considering the criticism she has been attracting for her lack of an issues-based platform underlying her candidacy. She has also shrinked away from <a href="http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2013/04/05/hontiveros-challenges-binay-debate-276096">a challenge to a debate</a> by LP candidate Risa Hontiveros who has consistently ranked below the Top 12 most popular candidates throughout this campaign.<br />
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"Kung i-call niya yung buyo sa amin (if she accepts my challenge), I would really welcome it because it would give me a chance to talk about my track record," Hontiveros said.</blockquote>
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Hontiveros was a three-term representative of the Akbayan party-list in the House of Representatives before she ran for senator in the 2010 national elections. She ranked 13th.</blockquote>
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Nancy Binay, on the other hand, has no experience in legislation but served as personal assistants to her parents former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay and Vice President Binay, who was also former mayor of Makati City.</blockquote>
UNA candidates <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/394425/una-says-ready-for-debates-schedules-permitting-says-binay">insist</a> they are "prepared for debates" but say it is unlikely that any such could push through due to "tight campaign schedules".<br /><br />
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benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-73070809048527216822013-02-28T10:45:00.001+11:002013-04-22T18:20:46.319+10:00Beijing restaurant bans Filipinos along with dogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyl2tqx7OitEfhCwJiaTx9DcXRyBUbOBGqaY2VNjDaMm5sDhiRZlH743s-aY7dwrJ87hqzteF0Yu9W7ZQ6ZBlCWHVnge_0Ms56ZJuY7J9wLfm-_dL8dXcOStU_GyC9goayYWrC-Y_YyJk/s1600/beijing_restaurant_bans_filipinos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyl2tqx7OitEfhCwJiaTx9DcXRyBUbOBGqaY2VNjDaMm5sDhiRZlH743s-aY7dwrJ87hqzteF0Yu9W7ZQ6ZBlCWHVnge_0Ms56ZJuY7J9wLfm-_dL8dXcOStU_GyC9goayYWrC-Y_YyJk/s200/beijing_restaurant_bans_filipinos.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
A sign displayed in the Beijing Snacks restaurant in Beijing, China announces that "This shop does not receive the Japanese, the Philippines, the Vietnamese and dog(s)". The following photo showing this sign was first posted by New York-based painter Rose Tang on her Facebook account and given the caption "Racism with a national twist."<br />
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The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs in <a href="http://globalnation.inquirer.net/65829/dfa-dismisses-beijing-restaurant-ban-as-isolated-incident">a statement to the media</a> has dismissed the sign saying it is just one "private view" on the on-going territorial dispute between China and the Philippines.
benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-32688992444793186332012-08-28T11:30:00.003+10:002012-08-28T11:32:20.160+10:00Malacañang on all-out damage control over public perception of Sereno bias for Hacienda Luisita interests<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislovb6kAtk2P2yhYj1h-Lx8TtI9l960xUDuxJg-tATwEMWzNRwYlWbi5-9211LgSvBj-NQzMiJv_CsjiVdLzigQFf2I3HuwrRk9zR7gRAJFZTS0WsTGIwju1vcZEUqtqJp7EP-ssultI/s1600/lourdes_sereno.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 148px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislovb6kAtk2P2yhYj1h-Lx8TtI9l960xUDuxJg-tATwEMWzNRwYlWbi5-9211LgSvBj-NQzMiJv_CsjiVdLzigQFf2I3HuwrRk9zR7gRAJFZTS0WsTGIwju1vcZEUqtqJp7EP-ssultI/s200/lourdes_sereno.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5781530409884472226" /></a>Amid widespread cynicism among Filipinos over the ability -- or intentions -- of newly-appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice to run an independent judiciary, Malacañang was recently compelled to issue a <a href="http://ph.news.yahoo.com/sereno-not-puppet-palace-123603514.html">statement</a> insisting that Sereno is "not a puppet"...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Sereno's past decisions in the High Court have showed that she has not been beholden to anyone.<br /><br />Valte also encouraged Sereno's critics to take a look at her SC rulings to dispel their concerns of an alleged biased Chief Justice.<br /><br />''If we will make such conclusion, let us first check the decisions penned by Chief Justice Sereno since she was appointed as member of the Supreme Court and we can see that she has displayed her independence,'' Valte said in Filipino over government radio.</blockquote><br /><br />Philippine President Benigno Simeon "BS" Aquino III also <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/27/12/pnoy-sereno-make-decisions-fair">chimed in</a> to say what under most normal circumstances need not be said to most professional managers and bureacrats...<br /><br /><blockquote>President Aquino urged newly appointed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to make fair decisions as a way to restore the public's confidence in the judiciary.<br /><br />Aquino made the statement during the commemoration of the National Heroes Day at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.</blockquote><br />Much of the dismay expressed by political observers over Sereno's appointment to the office of the Chief Justice stems from her public stand on the fate of the vast Hacienda Luisita estate owned by the President's in-laws.<br /><br />Back in April of this year, the Supreme Court (SC) voted 8 to 6 to value Hacienda Luisita on the basis of a 1989 assessment of Php40,000 per hectare or a total Php200 mllion compensation to the owners of the entire property when it is subject to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Newly-appointed Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno was at the time among the six justices who voted to uphold a counter-proposal she herself put forth to base the value of the property on current fair market value as of January 2006. Under Sereno’s proposal that would make Hacienda Luisita worth Php10 billion — enough money to save the Cojuangcos’ tony lifestyles.<br /><br />Now that Sereno is Chief Justice, some groups have raised the possibility that she may reverse the SC’s late-2011 rulings on the subjection of Hacienda Luisita to the CARP and, in the process, possibly void the April 2012 ruling on its valuation.<br /><br />[<i>NB: Parts of this report lifted from</i> <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/08/how-the-new-chief-justice-lourdes-sereno-might-save-hacienda-luisita-from-the-carp/">Get Real Post</a>. <i>Photo courtesy</i> <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/entertainment-slideshow/newly-appointed-supreme-court-philippines-chief-justice-maria-photo-041010531.html">Yahoo News</a>.]<br /><br />benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-49967667134471117602012-08-07T19:45:00.003+10:002012-08-07T19:50:03.733+10:00Landslide buries roadside shanties - kills nine in Commonwealth, Quezon City<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02S0ab6oKNWTOzYnGo-pbcWArEA3VKn2ArygqSDOiSGGXPE-i_tKMzmA91ltfrbfI7lc2AdCDzX2rc7_VWbEGABFc8yMU0IaNlecokRPANHme_ZzhQkcD9XKzaFpiuQ1AOYhRm3E-zs4/s1600/landslide_commonwealth.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02S0ab6oKNWTOzYnGo-pbcWArEA3VKn2ArygqSDOiSGGXPE-i_tKMzmA91ltfrbfI7lc2AdCDzX2rc7_VWbEGABFc8yMU0IaNlecokRPANHme_ZzhQkcD9XKzaFpiuQ1AOYhRm3E-zs4/s200/landslide_commonwealth.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5773865936623267858" /></a>A one month old baby and eight others are confirmed dead in a landslide that hit Bayanihan Street at Commonwealth in Quezon City. The landslide buried a row of shanties along a road which is home to a community of slum dwellers and squatters. Police and military personnel were on the scene to recover possible survivors.<br /><br />The Department of Environment and Natural Resources had <a href="http://ptvnews.ph/index.php/bottom-ptvnews/16-environment/2964-denr-issues-landslide-warning-pna">issued warnings on the possibility of landslides</a> earlier today..<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje on Tuesday warned of the possibility of landslides after heavy rainfall saturated the country's watersheds.<br /><br />Paje, in a television interview, said the DENR has started monitoring geohazard zones after the southwest monsoon dropped more than 300 mm of rain in Metro Manila and in most parts of Luzon provinces.<br /><br />Among these areas under tight watch by the DENR are parts of the Cordilleras, Cagayan, Bataan, Zambales and the National Capital Region (NCR). </blockquote><br />The warning also includes "parts of Novaliches, Antipolo and barangays near the La Mesa Dam" which are deemed most at risk due to the nature of the soils in those areas.<br /><br />[<i>Photo courtesy</i> <a href="http://yfrog.com/nttmcvmj">Dennis Datu</a>.]benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-74827647356045117362012-08-07T16:17:00.004+10:002012-08-07T19:52:39.585+10:00Manila reportedly 'in chaos' due to flooding brought about by torrential rains in turn brought about by God's wrath<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW8DfZns-v9ctLBFt4DAiWzxI_N7K800MkRUZ5dkW74WiuEN5nlPBGlIYEfpvJIjg4uwhhTm0XLePpttdpLQ3djbsSrKMbxt3SIiAByrBsh5Z3UWt8QFu9C6wwftN8EBanNjkJzOBihY/s1600/manila_flood.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW8DfZns-v9ctLBFt4DAiWzxI_N7K800MkRUZ5dkW74WiuEN5nlPBGlIYEfpvJIjg4uwhhTm0XLePpttdpLQ3djbsSrKMbxt3SIiAByrBsh5Z3UWt8QFu9C6wwftN8EBanNjkJzOBihY/s200/manila_flood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5773811580183977314" /></a>Apparently, Manila by its very nature, is prone to the sort of disaster unfolding today as torrential monsoon rains dump floodwaters all over the city. CNN notes at the end of its <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/07/world/asia/philippines-floods/index.html">report</a> on today's disaster...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>The population of the metropolitan Manila region is nearly 12 million, according to a census taken in 2010. Infrastructure is poor and poverty is widespread in the region. Many people live in crowded neighborhoods full of badly constructed houses.</blockquote><br />Hardly surprising then. As if all that weren't enough, many of Manila's residential areas were developed on the floodplains that lie along the web of river and tributary systems that enmesh much of Metro Manila. As of this writing, Quezon City and Marikina City are <a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/268621/news/metromanila/neck-deep-floods-force-marikina-qc-residents-to-evacuate-flee-to-rooftops">already neck-deep in floods</a> with residents crowding evacuation centres or stranded in rooftops.<br /><br />Many Filipinos have <a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/268644/news/nation/anti-rh-tweeps-see-god-s-hand-in-great-flood?ref=related_stories">taken the opportunity</a> to associate this latest disaster with the on-going debate against the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) currently being "debated" in Congress. Filipinos are renowned for being a superstitious people and many have likened this latest deluge as a manifestation of God's anger over people's support for the bill which contains measures that run counter to Catholic dogma on artificial contraception.<br /><br />According to "Advocates of Life" in <a href="https://twitter.com/AntiRHOfficial/status/232497619358867456">a recent tweet</a>...<br /><blockquote>i wouldnt be surprised if the flooding in #manila is an expression of God's wrath over the #rhbill - #prolife #personhood #tcot #NOTORHBILL</blockquote><br />To most Filipinos, the solutions to flooding are obvious it seems.<br /><br />[<i>Photo coutesy</i> <a href="http://www.wanderingblindly.com/2009/09/my-sympathy-for-manila-flood-victims.html">WanderingBlindly.com</a>.]benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-7156454083422911472012-08-07T13:42:00.004+10:002012-08-07T19:52:59.865+10:00Manila brought to a standstill by floods, financial markets shut down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNw1qYGcf-jG3xQAh_uS0ehA-cc0FNIt4lGyiw4e1yhq3o6ubMSU9zTEIYfORcJXYDVLmUiedUkgxO5T9sApMCxmX5elGbU-HEs4vjCHAmKc9tcqaWnlYLAP7yxfkGBEyGz1rI2-1pBI/s1600/manila_flood_001.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNw1qYGcf-jG3xQAh_uS0ehA-cc0FNIt4lGyiw4e1yhq3o6ubMSU9zTEIYfORcJXYDVLmUiedUkgxO5T9sApMCxmX5elGbU-HEs4vjCHAmKc9tcqaWnlYLAP7yxfkGBEyGz1rI2-1pBI/s200/manila_flood_001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5773771745471852722" /></a>Manila is a virtual standstill as floods continue to pound the Philippines' northern island of Luzon. Dams are close to spill levels and streets have been rendered impassable. As of this writing, "at least 50 percent of Metro Manila is flooded" according to Jean Navarez of PAGASA as <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iz8z9dfciDUfIoO9c1bgT5oTiOWw?docId=CNG.ab5b58870ed1ab2c91fea1c72388eebe.181">quoted by AFP</a> and up to 20,000 people have been relocated to evacuation centres since last night.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Amid Manila's "worst floods in 3 years", trading operations in the country's key bourses have been <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-06/philippines-shuts-financial-markets-offices-after-flooding">suspended</a>. <i>Businessweek</i> further reports...<br /><blockquote>The latest flood in the country regularly battered by cyclones that form over the Pacific Ocean follows criticism of the government’s lack of preparation for such calamities and may add strain on the nation’s economic growth. The damage due to typhoons and other calamities in 2011 reached 59.2 billion pesos ($1.42 billion), Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan told lawmakers yesterday.</blockquote><br />The United States embassy was <a href="http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/08/07/flood-forces-closure-us-embassy-anew-236184">reportedly</a> forced to close again today -- the second time in the last two weeks -- due to the flooding.<br /><blockquote>In an advisory, the US Embassy informed the public of the temporary closure of the Embassy's operations Tuesday.<br /><br />"US Embassy will be closed today, August 7, due to flooding in many areas of Manila," said the Embassy.<br /><br />On Wednesday last week, the massive flooding and torrential rains brought by typhoon Gener also caused the US Embassy to close for the day.</blockquote><br />Up-to-date flood advisory on <a href="https://twitter.com/mmda">@mmda</a>.<br /><br /><br />[<i>Photo of Pedro Gil Station courtesy</i> <a href="http://pic.twitter.com/bQX51kBm">Kristoper Dominguez</a>.]benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-76508420472547697592012-08-07T13:07:00.003+10:002012-08-07T19:53:34.451+10:00Metro Manila flooded as heavy monsoon rains continue to pound Luzon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajyzQ2d7fz0H17hYEqEakoPPbzHMyvyQHM9tPd-Us7LZsvUSLdqBMXyGWDpYpt_9WLhWt8ny6L2zOmdd9ypCdQ1aCjpfcuUkFR6t0tJN5wlTscAw_tODz0GMY6IT76Bay6BVbQEkbbGs/s1600/manila_flood.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajyzQ2d7fz0H17hYEqEakoPPbzHMyvyQHM9tPd-Us7LZsvUSLdqBMXyGWDpYpt_9WLhWt8ny6L2zOmdd9ypCdQ1aCjpfcuUkFR6t0tJN5wlTscAw_tODz0GMY6IT76Bay6BVbQEkbbGs/s200/manila_flood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5773762812698618306" /></a>Manila has been pounded by torrential southwest monsoon rains since yesterday, Monday continuing well into today, Tuesday 7th of August. As of the most recent news <a href="http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=63&articleid=835603">report</a>, much of Metro Manila is already experiencing "massive flooding" and classes at all levels and work at government offices have been suspended.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />The Philippines' weather bureau the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/244147/floods-hit-metro-manila-pagasa-sees-more-rains">forecasts more rains over the next several days</a> despite the monsoon's effects waning by Wednesday...<br /><blockquote>Pagasa weather forecaster Jori Loiz said the effect of the monsoon would continue until Wednesday, but an LPA, spotted 770 kilometers east of northern Luzon as of 4 p.m. Monday, might move closer to the Philippine Area of Responsibility and enhance the habagat.<br /><br />“For now the southwest monsoon is being enhanced by the pull of Tropical Storm ‘Haikui.’ But should the LPA develop more fully, it might enhance the southwest monsoon and bring more rains,” Loiz said.<br /><br />The monsoon is moving northeast toward Haikui, which is moving westward toward southern Japan.</blockquote><br />As of the latest <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/244365/heavy-rains-paralyzeluzon-metro-manila">report</a>, the death toll from this most recent deluge stands at 51.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-87884333330332837612012-07-25T10:22:00.002+10:002012-07-25T10:24:29.366+10:00Prominent rights advocate Katrina Legarda says charges vs Corona 'not impeachable' offenses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fh6HWZp4d965xNvv4zJip3XiPHAPvr2Yycjn9vcWuV8CgCmN_13vzF_BX2xqAfdxl0_tae9ffX_RASCk0XEQ8sWwPcunTyKaJ9zpxokP0ydjhr2G_X-wREn-ZLvzSWz3KtXRELP96pA/s1600/katrina_legarda.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fh6HWZp4d965xNvv4zJip3XiPHAPvr2Yycjn9vcWuV8CgCmN_13vzF_BX2xqAfdxl0_tae9ffX_RASCk0XEQ8sWwPcunTyKaJ9zpxokP0ydjhr2G_X-wREn-ZLvzSWz3KtXRELP96pA/s200/katrina_legarda.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768896209755997090" /></a>Lawyer Katrina Legarda in her interview with the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) as candidate for Supreme Court Chief Justice <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/235669/katrina-legarda-tells-jbc-corona-offense-not-impeachable">reportedly</a> recounted how "morale of the courts plunged" and many judges and justices "were like lost sheep" following the the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona on offenses that she did not think were impeachable.<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>"What they brought up against Corona was not really an impeachable offense. The courts became scared that when they displease a higher authority, they will have problems in the future.."</blockquote><br />The impeachment complaint against Corona was <a href="http://newssimple.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/fury-of-noynoy-fast-tracks-impeachment.html">reportedly</a> fast-tracked through the House of Representatives with no less than Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Racimo Belmonte, Jr recalling how "a 'furious' President Aquino wanted a 'fast' impeachment against Corona after he and seven other Arroyo appointees had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the travel ban against [former President Gloria] Arroyo".<br /><br />Katrina Legarda is a prominent Filipino lawyer who specializes in family law, and is an advocate of the rights of women and children. She graduated from the University of Bristol, England (B.A Hons., History) in 1975, and obtained her degree in law from the University of the Philippines College of Law. She joined the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law offices (ACCRALAW) in 1981 and left a Partner in 1992.<br /><br />She is Founding Chair of the Child Justice League, a foundation dedicated to providing free legal assistance to abused children and children in conflict with the law, and a founding member of the CASA/GAL- Philippines Foundation, Inc. She is a member of the Rotary Club and the Iota Tau Tau International Legal Sorority. She is the President of the U.P. Women Lawyers' Circle (an organization of women lawyers who are graduates of the University of the Philippines that provides free legal assistance to women and children, as well as funding a jail decongestion program for children in conflict with the law). Katrina was a member of the board of Museo Pambata (a museum for children in Manila), and is currently a faculty member of the Child Protection Unit Network, Inc. (CPU-Net). She is a member of the Research Committee of the Philippine Judicial Academy.<br /><br />Under the auspices of the UNICEF, PLAN International, the British Embassy (Manila) and UNIFEM, she trains judges, prosecutors, social workers and police personnel around the country (as well as in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Goa, India and Lahore, Pakistan) on the investigation of crimes involving women and children.<br /><br />She is presently a Professor in the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines teaching Medical Jurisprudence and also a Professor in the College of Law of the [Pamantasan Ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), and Lyceum University, teaching Persons and Family Relations and Legal Writing. She is also a Professor in the College of Law of the University of the Philippines, teaching Persons and Family Relations.<br /><br />[<i>NB: Parts of this article were lifted from the </i>Wikipedia.org<i> article “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katrina_Legarda">Katrina Legarda</a>” in a manner compliant to the terms stipulated in the <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License</a> that governs usage of content made available in this site</i>.]benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-36598191256793733972012-07-24T10:39:00.003+10:002012-07-24T10:41:48.196+10:00Human Rights Watch not impressed by PNoy's 2012 State of the Nation Address (SONA)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHz-M2X3r_cOjNZgv8kaKUa4LZOr6KnfYDmiz6qrAngrYPWeeZTFx1PwyWpzt6zUwlBCwKlJb9TqLIPqX3y2W2zFpVDH6lJekhLi4VeJGmV_1H9dARnWBD99mhyphenhyphen6iIV0B2kaa16sx2NQ/s1600/brad_adams.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHz-M2X3r_cOjNZgv8kaKUa4LZOr6KnfYDmiz6qrAngrYPWeeZTFx1PwyWpzt6zUwlBCwKlJb9TqLIPqX3y2W2zFpVDH6lJekhLi4VeJGmV_1H9dARnWBD99mhyphenhyphen6iIV0B2kaa16sx2NQ/s200/brad_adams.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768529470383396386" /></a>Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called out the recently-concluded State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Philippine President Benigno Simeon "BS" Aquino III for its lack of any mention of the plight of victims of alleged human rights violations perpetrated by state security forces in the Philippines. Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director, in <a href="http://blogwatch.tv/2012/07/statement-from-brad-adams-asia-director-at-human-rights-watch/">a brief statement</a> lamented how Aquino "did not utter one word during his 90 minute speech about the many victims of abuses by these forces". Furthermore...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Human Rights Watch has been calling on Aquino to communicate clearly to state security forces that his administration will hold accountable those who violate human rights. Members and officers of the military and the police have been implicated in large numbers of extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances. Since Aquino took office in 2010, not one perpetrator has been successfully prosecuted even as the abuses continue.</blockquote><br />This follows <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/07/two-years-of-aquino-presidency-fails-to-curb-human-rights-abuses-in-the-philippines/">an even earlier statement</a> released by Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director for HRW...<br /><blockquote>“President Aquino has not lived up to his promises to bring those responsible for serious abuses to justice,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Concrete measures – rather than more promises – are needed now.”</blockquote><br />Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto, and Washington. HRW produces research reports on violations of international human rights norms as set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and what it perceives to be other internationally accepted human rights norms. These reports are used as the basis for drawing international attention to abuses and pressuring governments and international organizations to reform.<br /><br />[<i>NB: Parts of this article were lifted from the </i>Wikipedia.org<i> article “Human Rights Watch” in a manner compliant to the terms stipulated in the <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License</a> that governs usage of content made available in this site</i>.]benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-65961719880270050622012-05-21T16:08:00.000+10:002012-05-21T16:08:01.460+10:00President BS Aquino reportedly schmoozes with INC over pro-Corona lobby<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGKHqmwYIdEdByuspO2uulPb6nvAmOZpv920jOAv4wQT-9trvQt6yLN5XJOWTHJ8eITdoCfR8t-oBQ14D8wbEBGVorQbhcgG_sj-hCUPJ2-6Bc6g_RNu5qcjd-0bsmyQcm6O4E0fxMPo/s1600/iglesia_ni_cristo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="175" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGKHqmwYIdEdByuspO2uulPb6nvAmOZpv920jOAv4wQT-9trvQt6yLN5XJOWTHJ8eITdoCfR8t-oBQ14D8wbEBGVorQbhcgG_sj-hCUPJ2-6Bc6g_RNu5qcjd-0bsmyQcm6O4E0fxMPo/s200/iglesia_ni_cristo.jpg" /></a>Speculation runs high in the wake of what looked liked a courtesy call made by Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Simeon Aquino III (BS Aquino) to Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) head Eduardo Manalo on Monday. According to <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/197351/aquino-meets-with-inc-head-in-qc-headquarters-says-palace-exec">an <i>Inquirer.net</i> report</a>, the meeting was for the President to "talk about the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, among others". And presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda insists that this was really a meeting that was "supposed to have taken place during the Holy week" but was conducted much later owing to a prior lack of a common schedule for this meeting.<a name='more'></a>
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The INC has so far neither confirmed nor denied <a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/258717/news/nation/palace-mum-on-reported-iglesia-lobbying-for-corona-acquittal">reports</a> that have emerged over the last couple of days that it is lobbying the Senate for the acquittal of Chief Justice Renato Corona who is currently undergoing an impeachment trial in a Senate court.
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The INC wields significant influence over the outcome of elections in the Philippines and politicians have a long history of schmoozing with its officers who enjoy near absolute control over what position in politics and on national issues its congregation takes. That no less than the President himself would go out of his way to meet the INC head at the INC temple rather than the other way around -- the President summoning him to Malacañang -- potentially says something about who needs who more.
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Senators Edgardo Angara, Francis Pangilinan, and Juan Ponce Enrile had earlier issued <a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/258908/news/nation/3-senators-deny-being-approached-by-iglesia-ni-cristo-for-corona-acquittal?ref=related_stories">statements</a> denying they had met with INC officials recently...
<blockquote>Angara, however, said it is within the rights of any sect or civilian group to request for an audience with their representatives.
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"I think there is nothing wrong with constituents to talk to their representative government. Hindi ba yun ang konsepto ng ating demokrasya, representative government?" he said.
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"People are represented by representatives and so the people and their organizations can talk to their representative" he added.</blockquote>
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad had <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/196437/iglesia-ni-cristo-lobby-doubted">earlier</a> stated that he is "not bothered" by this alleged INC lobby, "He said he was confident that the senators would see the overwhelming evidence against the Chief Justice and vote to convict him."benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-78602791588615591162012-05-19T11:12:00.002+10:002012-05-19T18:59:32.811+10:00Dean of Ateneo School of Government Tony La Viña defends Harvey Keh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt8UndabLnChZ0O7FzmI7aK43vO6OvYzOp0626RfIsC7RRyrQsm3YRhyphenhyphenOWUJvmQ-24TjijbFlPeKZuyh2MX0O2sfeosYvhXn4inndhuFaAdTIm_B-8iM2bY-M6rkJ6NWRuMUvr7xnIOw/s1600/Tony_La_Vina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="198" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt8UndabLnChZ0O7FzmI7aK43vO6OvYzOp0626RfIsC7RRyrQsm3YRhyphenhyphenOWUJvmQ-24TjijbFlPeKZuyh2MX0O2sfeosYvhXn4inndhuFaAdTIm_B-8iM2bY-M6rkJ6NWRuMUvr7xnIOw/s200/Tony_La_Vina.jpg" /></a>At a time when it may be prudent for the Ateneo de Manila University to distance itself from Harvey Keh, a faculty member and Director of the Youth and Social Entrepreneurship Program of the Ateneo School of Government, the Dean of the Ateneo School of Government Attorney Tony La Viña defended Keh in <a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/258682/opinion/civic-duty-in-the-impeachment-trial">an article published on the GMA Network news site</a>.<a name='more'></a>
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According to La Viña, "Harvey had acted out of a sincere appreciation of his civic duty. His behavior under examination by the Senate reinforces this belief". He then expressed disappointment over the way Keh was questioned during his appearance as a witness in the 16th May session of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato corona.
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While being questioned by Senator-Judge Jinggoy Estrada, Keh was <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/05/kaya-natin-leader-and-ateneo-director-harvey-keh-caught-lying-in-corona-impeachment-trial-session/">caught lying</a> after he had earlier asserted that he had not contacted the media prior to submitting to the office of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, documents supposedly containing "damning" evidence against Corona obtained from an anonymous source. While Keh's lapse in judgment over contacting the media was noted by La Viña in his <i>GMA Network</i> article, he was silent about the bit regarding Keh's attempt to lie his way out of Estrada's questioning..
<blockquote>Still, also in full disclosure, I wasn’t consulted on his decision to send the documents he received to the Senate, or in alerting the media. Had we spoken before the fact, I would have advised greater caution.</blockquote>
La Viña instead cited the fair line of questioning of both Estrada and Senator Judge Miriam Santiago but also lamented the manner with which those questions were delivered which, according to him, "sends a wrong signal to future whistleblowers and other private citizens summoned by the Senate".
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The Senate court, for its part, had long put up with a litany of what had many times been shown to be unethical behaviour on the part of the prosecution camp -- from the time it railroaded a sloppily-written impeachment complaint against Corona through the House of Representatives, many times presented flawed and possibly illegally-obtained evidence, and misled the public and the Senator-Judges themselves in the way they interpreted evidence.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-31232022321850783622012-05-05T14:59:00.002+10:002012-05-05T15:19:39.364+10:00Philippine Senator Tito Sotto slams CNN for negative feature on Philippines, threatens to pull out ad placements<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepSZnpqnHdYUFko7Qq2z7hwrClFxJMx_ChQ30yA4rQmy5m59eRs8vSGzoyqbJQ_yZI64h5caHSSyTkYJEfNPsTP4EkhpJNELiJiFS9l41BNllgnYLu3OUtmpmfJJaJlZj9st6lCxu9K0/s1600/vicente_tito_sotto_iii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepSZnpqnHdYUFko7Qq2z7hwrClFxJMx_ChQ30yA4rQmy5m59eRs8vSGzoyqbJQ_yZI64h5caHSSyTkYJEfNPsTP4EkhpJNELiJiFS9l41BNllgnYLu3OUtmpmfJJaJlZj9st6lCxu9K0/s200/vicente_tito_sotto_iii.jpg" /></a>Apparently failing to distinguish between the necessarily favourable content advertisements display in favour of whoever is funding them, and a <i>news report</i> which is in principle derived from direct observation and facts obtained from as reliable sources as can be possibly engaged by reporters, Philippine Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III <a href="http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120505hea1.html">lashed out</a> at global new channel Cable News Network (CNN) for airing reports on poverty and other "negative" features of the Philippines despite the Philippine government spending millions on ad placements with the network...<a name='more'></a>
<blockquote>“You won’t notice it, but the CNN had an agenda. I will be writing them (CNN) and also the DoT (Department of Tourism). I will tell them. ‘Take what they said back.’ Pull out the ads if they don’t, I will block the DoT budget during budget deliberations,” [Sotto] said.
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Sotto said it cannot be helped but to feel that the country has been “stabbed in the back,” considering that the government poured in its resources on the cable news channel to uplift its image, only to be slapped in return by damaging stories on poverty in the country.
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“We had to place ads in CNN and then that negative feature comes out? Why didnt CNN feature the fishermen who use their catch to feed their families? Why use the leftover food that is being highlighted? There was a bad intention. The ads should be pulled out of CNN.</blockquote>
Referring to a "special feature" which featured a native Philippine dish called <i>pagpag</i> which consists of ingredients obtained from garbage cans, Sotto lamented the way "negative" news dominates news media features about the Philippines when there are, according to him, lots of nice things to feature about the country instead...
<blockquote>“What they featured was about pagpag. There are 90 million Filipinos. Why didn’t CNN feature Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar who came from the poor but rose to become a billionaire? He was so poor then but then became an entrepreneur who became a billionaire. Why feature something like those scrounging for leftovers? There is an agenda.</blockquote>
Rags-to-riches stories are statistically exceptional with the majority of impoverished Filipinos having been products of generations of similarly poor ancestors.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-23453609428415522812012-05-03T15:13:00.002+10:002012-05-03T15:13:39.982+10:00Urban poor kept out of the picture in Asian Development Bank (ADB) convention in Manila<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgdBgLtK8eiV94zijN6pUgnYapNj45IGvjHjnNt57ctNH5dWjv0Mcvuv9gMyozPvSx8ixIT5oyYAE4KuVkDUC-8lBWOk4USBJ06rgw_Wf6Zc2p5A0bqtNBi4KloUIAgNhPnudrhZnSYw/s1600/manila_poor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="144" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgdBgLtK8eiV94zijN6pUgnYapNj45IGvjHjnNt57ctNH5dWjv0Mcvuv9gMyozPvSx8ixIT5oyYAE4KuVkDUC-8lBWOk4USBJ06rgw_Wf6Zc2p5A0bqtNBi4KloUIAgNhPnudrhZnSYw/s200/manila_poor.jpg" /></a>It is reminiscent of the days when former First Lady Imelda Marcos, also then governor of the Philippines' National Capital Region which included Metro Manila and its suburbs in the 1970s built walls and to hide the blight of poverty in her realm from visiting foreign dignitaries. The true character and face of Metro Manila is once again swept under the rug as the government of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III hosts this year's meeting of regional finance officials Asian Development Bank governors.<a name='more'></a>
<blockquote>A makeshift, temporary wall has been erected across a bridge on a road from the airport to downtown Manila that hides a sprawling slum along a garbage-strewn creek.
<br><br>
Presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang defended the wall's installation, saying Thursday "any country will do a little fixing up before a guest comes."
<br><br>
[...]
<br><br>
"We need to show our visitors that Metro Manila is orderly. We owe it to ourselves," said metropolital Manila chief Francis Tolentino.
<br><br>
"I see nothing wrong with beautifying our surroundings. We are not trying to keep the poor out of the picture," he said.</blockquote>
A “<a href="http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/357736/courtesy-lane-for-adb-delegates">courtesy lane</a>” will also be in effect along Roxas Boulevard to ensure that the effects of Manila's renowned traffic management ineptitude does not sap the energies of the meeting participants...
<blockquote>[MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino ] said the designation of the courtesy lanes is part of the country's showing hospitality to the foreign delegates being the host country for this year's meet.</blockquote>benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-49497084586587545672012-04-12T12:07:00.002+10:002012-04-12T12:09:40.899+10:00Noynoy Aquino communications team fields fake letters to editor - Tiglao<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08wcVrtvqX5wpo28CweQ9KgKK0pUMb29tosp02bvAENjZz7w_6IreUYXQ-f5LdXRf-KcmOatxovr88ea7mUsP3wCZfULfg6Msr-nqz4ednSnL5BJi8U1IHjcos5aEKBnbT4l7N0fifj8/s1600/impostor.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08wcVrtvqX5wpo28CweQ9KgKK0pUMb29tosp02bvAENjZz7w_6IreUYXQ-f5LdXRf-KcmOatxovr88ea7mUsP3wCZfULfg6Msr-nqz4ednSnL5BJi8U1IHjcos5aEKBnbT4l7N0fifj8/s200/impostor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730330318951601602" /></a>According to <i>Inquirer.net</i> columnist Rigoberto Tiglao in <a href="http://opinion.inquirer.net/26567/aquino-camp-faking-letters-to-the-editor">his recent column</a>, Malacañang had been fielding fake letters-to-the-editor to malign critics of the the administration of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Mr. Aquino’s PR operatives have hijacked young people’s Facebook names and fabricated e-mail addresses to use as authors of these spurious letters. These bogus e-mail addresses are mostly Yahoo or Hotmail addresses, as these services enable their users ($20 yearly for Yahoo Plus) to use so-called “disposable e-mail addresses” which conceal the senders’ identities.</blockquote><br />Tiglao demonstrated how easy it is to spot fake or hijacked identities being used for such sort of black propaganda...<br /><blockquote>There were nine published letters to the editor bad-mouthing Doronila. Seven are fictitious. There have been 12 letters which were vicious in maligning Corona, and expect more as the trial resumes in May. Google the authors, you get zero results. They don’t exist. Any veteran editor would also easily discern that these letters’ writing style is the same, with certain editorial tics and all with a black-and-white ethos and a vitriolic tone.<br /><br />The color yellow is quite appropriate for Aquino’s propagandists who hide behind pseudonyms when attacking those they dare not cross. A “Norman Yanus” in a letter blasted Sen. Miriam Santiago and the Iglesia ni Cristo for allegedly supporting Corona. A Google search shows no “Norman Yanus” existing anywhere in the world.<br /><br />Messages were e-mailed to the addresses which these bogus writers gave this paper. Either there were no replies at all, or the cyber postmaster replied that the e-mail address was “disabled.”</blockquote><br />The Malacañang of President Noynoy Aquino has a long history of making use of unscrupulous practices in its public relations efforts. Recall an even bigger outrage perpetrated by the Yellow Forces of the Aquino-Cojuangco feudal clan back when the smoke from the infamy of the 2010 presidential elections was just clearing when the privately-owned <i>Facebook.com/Noynoy.Aquino</i> page (owned by Califorinia-based Ben Totanes and Betty Abrantes, but now defunct) that at the time claimed 1.5 million “fans” (now known as “likes”) was seemingly <a href="http://getrealphilippines.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/did-malacanang-hijack-the-original-noynoy-aquino-facebook-fan-page/">hijacked by Malacañang</a>. The page was allegedly shut down by Facebook admins (some say under pressure from the Philippine Government) and its subscribers apparently re-subscribed into the now “official” Noynoy Facebook page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/presidentnoy">Facebook.com/PresidentNoy</a>…<br /><blockquote>According to AllFacebook.com, the number of “likes” on the fan page of the new PresidentNoy Facebook page suddenly jumped in number from about 100,000 as of the 8th of November to almost 1.6 million as of the 11th of November [2010].</blockquote><br />The PresidentNoy Facebook page now boasts about 2.2 million “likes” which, suffice to say does not necessarily mean that the President has that number of supporters on Facebook. Unlike Noynoyist netizens, online activists critical of the President are not ones to shy away from heated debate. As such, many of them subscribe to pro-Aquino forums and online communities in order to directly engage in healthy discussion with their pro-Noynoy counterparts. Indeed, it is well known in the online political community that admins of the PresidentNoy Facebook page have had to disable commenting on the site in many instances when comments critical of the president being posted there got “out of hand”.<br /><br />Tiglao concludes...<br /><blockquote>Never before has any administration undertaken such organized, unethical campaign to subvert the press and even democracy itself, through sham letters to the editors, a most crooked PR tactic. So much for tuwid na daan ethics.</blockquote>benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-25835437748071120222012-01-16T23:22:00.006+11:002012-01-17T01:05:40.941+11:00World Bank denies link to 'leaked' report on Supreme Court Judicial Reform Support Project<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvK8CJMDNq1eDi0JniH75aiB18ZewYrQkh_JxSYyGKSNKV6UA9q3otfKVV3hUYaYDCu95mx3FyeTk0bUc-LmqswUFCY6wW6DJq9lf-DkPsOMWxO-RB837Q19pkj9oXwajICjQ6yL1_N8/s1600/wb_logo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvK8CJMDNq1eDi0JniH75aiB18ZewYrQkh_JxSYyGKSNKV6UA9q3otfKVV3hUYaYDCu95mx3FyeTk0bUc-LmqswUFCY6wW6DJq9lf-DkPsOMWxO-RB837Q19pkj9oXwajICjQ6yL1_N8/s200/wb_logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698204350069032418" /></a>The World Bank (WB) disassociated itself from a so-called report on the Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP). The report <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/01/world-bank-report-on-supreme-court-ineligible-funds-inappropriately-leaked-to-rappler/">supposedly "leaked" to the media</a> was touted as having contained findings showing the Supreme Court's use of WB loaned funds to deliver the intended reforms being "unsatisfactory". An <i>Inquirer.net</i> “<a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/01/and-so-starts-the-circus-of-renato-coronas-trial-by-publicity/">report</a>” went as far as qualifying that rating further as being applicable "under the watch of Chief Justice Renato Corona".<a name='more'></a><br /><br />But according to an <i>mb.com.ph</i> <a href="http://mb.com.ph/articles/348285/world-bank-disowns-jrsp-report">report</a>...<br /><blockquote>Erika Leann Lacson-Esguerra, World Bank program assistant for external relations, said Monday the bank did not release to the media a supposed memo regarding the “unsatisfactory” progress of the high court’s loan.<br /><br />“This email message did not come from the World Bank. Any official statement from the World Bank will be posted online (www.worldbank.org.ph),” Lacson-Esguerra said.</blockquote><br />Furthermore,<br /><blockquote>Data from the World Bank’s website revealed that the pace of implementation has picked up under Corona's leadership, saying more than $1.3 million was disbursed in the first half of 2011 alone.</blockquote><br />While the WB sources revealed that the project was delayed and had to be extended several times, it cited a number of factors that contributed to these delays, including the 2009 Typhoon <i>Ondoy</i> disaster, "coordination issues", "lengthy procurement processes", and "changes in the judiciary leadership". As such there is no hint of any <i>one</i> factor that could be made accountable for the lackluster delivery of the project.<br /><br />Earlier, “<a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/01/the-official-definition-of-social-news-network-rapplerdotcom/">social news network</a>” site <i>Rappler.com</i> published a “<a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/845-return-p8-6-m,-world-bank-tells-sc">report</a>” that interpreted the contents of what now seems to be a bogus report allegedly "leaked" by Malacañang informants. The <i>Rappler.com</i> "report" seems to single out SC spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez who is also head of the Office of the Court Administrator which supposedly accounts for "16 of the ineligible expenditures" outlined in the so-called "leaked" WB report.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-36287360069374585302011-12-13T20:30:00.004+11:002011-12-13T21:10:35.701+11:00House signatories to impeachment vs Chief Justice Corona not allowed to read complaint contents<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrlOw8-mfTHLxyzg3zNZjUTnN1AYmNYwQ8AtHw40CNrVoYaqkli15FsdUWFC6B6KvogJ97D1p1no0Lhf9ZWMOinuV5eC00wpfc-by2bgEs2FHxa25TFIvyhVPeqMh200Zsuj9yUmYMpc/s1600/persuasion.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrlOw8-mfTHLxyzg3zNZjUTnN1AYmNYwQ8AtHw40CNrVoYaqkli15FsdUWFC6B6KvogJ97D1p1no0Lhf9ZWMOinuV5eC00wpfc-by2bgEs2FHxa25TFIvyhVPeqMh200Zsuj9yUmYMpc/s200/persuasion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685543100969023714" /></a>Lawmakers who signed an impeachment complaint against Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/110359/solons-admit-impeach-rap-vs-chief-justice-corona-rushed">reportedly</a> admitted to doing so without being fully informed about the content of the complaint. According to one of them, they were <i>not allowed</i> to read the document articulating the complaint...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Bayan Muna Representative Teodoro Casiño said the majority of the 188 members who signed the impeachment case were clueless of the eight articles used as the basis to kick out Corona when they entered the majority caucus at 2:30 pm Monday.<br /><br />Casiño admitted that they were not allowed to read the 57-page document, which they signed on as both complainant and endorser.</blockquote><br />The speed at which the complaint was signed up to by the House of Representatives is unprecedented. Many observed that the process with which this was done was "rushed".<br /><br />Earlier, it was <a href="http://newssimple.blogspot.com/2011/12/fury-of-noynoy-fast-tracks-impeachment.html">reported</a> that a "furious" Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III pushed for a "fast" impeachment against Corona. This was after Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte went on record to say that Malacañang was "not privy" to what at the time were plans to launch the impeachment bid.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-52279433391735860342011-12-13T12:30:00.007+11:002011-12-13T12:34:47.656+11:00Fury of Noynoy fast-tracks impeachment vs Corona despite claim Malacañang not privy to it<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMThKeKJjVsdQ2pKoxnnCNkqQyWNII1lgStLGSRl78pGJ2YSB7vhKXCYyoG9qAK1xRDODQjmDMJvR9T2xAqTi1p5LOYMbhv3XellLOuAEN4uwrleQXlGUT5eIO4YJ0u6ORdkAlbbvFZvE/s1600/noynoy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMThKeKJjVsdQ2pKoxnnCNkqQyWNII1lgStLGSRl78pGJ2YSB7vhKXCYyoG9qAK1xRDODQjmDMJvR9T2xAqTi1p5LOYMbhv3XellLOuAEN4uwrleQXlGUT5eIO4YJ0u6ORdkAlbbvFZvE/s200/noynoy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685419436635068322" /></a>Earlier, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/12/11/palace-distances-self-oust-corona-calls">was quoted</a> by <i>ABS-CBN News</i> as saying that the Palace was "not privy to the discussions of the Liberal Party in the House" referring to what at the time were preparations being mounted in the House of Representatives to lodge an impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Turns out the impeachment initiative was <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/109793/188-solons-impeach-cj-corona">reportedly</a> an exercise "to appease an angry President Benigno Aquino III"...<br /><blockquote>Belmonte and another Liberal Party stalwart, Cavite Representative Joseph E.A. Abaya, revealed that a “furious” President Aquino wanted a “fast” impeachment against Corona after he and seven other Arroyo appointees had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block the travel ban against Arroyo.</blockquote><br />The Chief Justice is accused of dispensing of his duties in the High Court in a manner allegedly biased towards former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He is also accused of graft and corruption for allegedly failing to reveal the full value of his personal assets.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-15688423264891604242011-12-07T19:26:00.005+11:002011-12-07T19:32:02.794+11:00Philippine President Noynoy Aquino hints at future call on Filipinos to join him in defying the Supreme Court<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN61bPvT5Rli7jl4k23wg5jzYndJrQteCvH-0TqCbdLYhoUJaKiHgmMCdVXzzJQUnnUXNLByK_vIZu-tdtu77pF0vYugXxOVv3Qy_INt_1BJMh86LqXY4NrCtTT7DcI8wvMBJ5axZr7A0/s1600/laban.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN61bPvT5Rli7jl4k23wg5jzYndJrQteCvH-0TqCbdLYhoUJaKiHgmMCdVXzzJQUnnUXNLByK_vIZu-tdtu77pF0vYugXxOVv3Qy_INt_1BJMh86LqXY4NrCtTT7DcI8wvMBJ5axZr7A0/s200/laban.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683300120859788802" /></a>Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III continues to back an emerging 500-day old tradition of defying and vilifying the Philippine Supreme Court when he <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/106417/palace-supreme-court-fight-escalates">issued veiled threats of a "people power" uprising</a> and alluded to some kind of special place in the eyes of God that gives him and his administration a mandate to pursue their goals <i>at all costs</i> -- even, presumably, at the cost of compromising the institutional integrity of the Philippines' governance systems...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Palace officials on Tuesday joined President Benigno Aquino III in stepping up attacks against the Supreme Court, warning magistrates against obstructing a popular reformist agenda and raising the specter of a people power uprising against them.<br /><br />At the Christmas party for the Liberal Party in Malacañang, Mr. Aquino rallied his troops to help him fulfill his campaign promise to prosecute misdeeds allegedly committed during the previous Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.<br /><br />“I’d like to think God is making us instruments of His will and at the end of the day, we have been given an opportunity to really transform so much of our country and especially the lives of our people,” the President said.</blockquote><br />Aquino apparently anointed himself and his staff <i>de facto</i> "instruments" of God's "will" and, in the process, further applies a Roman Catholic slant into the governing of what is supposed to be a <i>secular</i> state.<br /><br />Further to this, Aquino also made a public wish that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is currently under arrest on charges of electoral fraud "confess" for her "wrongdoings", a statement that undermines the presumption of innocence prior to proving of guilt that all citizens are entitled to.<br /><br />Philippine President Noynoy Aquino seems to be embodying everything that is wrong with the Philippines. He consistently exhibits a self-righteous disposition intermeshed with a misguided approach to practicing the Roman Catholic faith and applying it to his manner of serving his role as leader of a secular nation.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-85141394677357730712011-11-29T10:08:00.002+11:002011-11-29T10:10:46.534+11:00Filipino Americans favour re-election of US President Barack Obama because of his perceived racial preferences<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSncccgy5Y1Yv97TDr3R_iwZ-aM4DpGM2TZJxx7jUVfIQhYHzK8CD9fdURcX6kIcQGYF4Wa-soA9JAblRVedKiV0osgxhpk6EkmSjxnspnVOL258WpWjqPfSW9OjkL0pl5LzkdpR2v0Q/s1600/Barack_obama.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSncccgy5Y1Yv97TDr3R_iwZ-aM4DpGM2TZJxx7jUVfIQhYHzK8CD9fdURcX6kIcQGYF4Wa-soA9JAblRVedKiV0osgxhpk6EkmSjxnspnVOL258WpWjqPfSW9OjkL0pl5LzkdpR2v0Q/s200/Barack_obama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680187759197826258" /></a>The multi-million body strong Filipino American community is <a href="http://www.asianweek.com/2011/11/28/daily-dose-112811/">reportedly</a> gearing up for a campaign to re-elect US President Barack Obama on the basis of a "strong" view on the racial composition of America's government offices...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Jason Lagria, national co-chairman of Kaya Filipino Americans for Progress shared his strong opinion of why he chose to work towards the re-election of President Obama.<br /><br />“Look at his record on diversity – he’s nominated 8 Asian-Americans to federal courts when there were just 7 ever before that. He’s basically doubled the number of Asian Americans in the judiciary and he’s done the same thing in his Cabinet and throughout his administration.”</blockquote><br />Filipino-Americans showed strong support for Obama's candidacy in the last US presidential election.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-76090053921546870482011-11-27T14:46:00.001+11:002011-11-27T14:47:58.300+11:00Malacañang PR machine on damage control as 'vindictive' label sticks after Arroyo arrest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZboA948nIJ6x_MXVKlnpQsPs9SftYn9VcqGLGtI7_ABlWFWerhxqsGaOOTs7HAkzWNNG64mRvGTmT-rDv7TKr8Gf1BdKqaF4rqcSMoNK3eyRpNncgaSz658M3uIjv86rsviNij71NE-g/s1600/montoya.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZboA948nIJ6x_MXVKlnpQsPs9SftYn9VcqGLGtI7_ABlWFWerhxqsGaOOTs7HAkzWNNG64mRvGTmT-rDv7TKr8Gf1BdKqaF4rqcSMoNK3eyRpNncgaSz658M3uIjv86rsviNij71NE-g/s200/montoya.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679517121032144210" /></a>Malacañang deputy spokesperson, Abigail Valte in <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/101055/%E2%80%98this-is-not-vindictiveness-this-is-about-accountability%E2%80%99">a recent press statement</a> now makes out the neglect of the Aquino administration to act swiftly to file charges against former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her allegedly numerous "crimes" as proof of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III being "not vindictive".<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Valte reminded Mr. Aquino’s critics that if his actions against Arroyo were borne out of spite, his administration should have filed a string of charges against her starting from “Day One.”</blockquote><br />The irony that flies over Valte's head is in how months of trying to be "not vindictive" (according to her definition) is what ultimately resulted in the <i>rushed</i> effort to charge Arroyo at the eleventh hour, the circumstances around which was what <a href="http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2011/11/the-noynoy-aquino-government-is-turning-the-philippines-into-a-vindictive-society/">earned Malacañang the charge of being vindictive</a> to begin with...<br /><blockquote>With the way some people are celebrating her arrest, you would think that the courts have already found GMA guilty. But in fact, the legal proceedings haven’t even begun. The haste with which the arrest warrant was issued already tells us that the case is not a very solid one and not only that, proceedings will be done with the usual circus-like and operatic acts that always appeal to the gullible.<br /><br />This tells us what kind of mentality some Filipinos have – malicious and vindictive. This despite most having a religious upbringing. Ironically, some people who pass on the said photo are the same people who you will see posting religious or feel good quotes on the said social networking sites. The veneer of “compassion” has been unmasked to reveal the hate in the heart of the “God-fearing” lot as a show of misguided patriotism.</blockquote><br />The spectacularly rushed and sloppy way with which Arroyo was dragged from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) under the orders of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to face charges that haven't been filed yet at the time was also marked by a precedent-setting <a href="http://grpshorts.blogspot.com/2011/11/justice-secretary-leila-de-lima-will.html">defiance of the Supreme Court (SC) by De Lima</a> in her desperate effort to thwart what was determined previously by the SC to be a legal bid on Arroyo's part to travel abroad.<br /><br />The "vindictive" label on the Second Aquino Administration following this circus seems to have stuck since as Malacañang's PR machine starts to crank out damage-control media releases (as is evident in Valte's statement) in the aftermath of <a href="http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=752094&publicationSubCategoryId=63">similar perceptions found to be harboured by a policy think tank based in Europe</a>...<br /><blockquote>BRUSSELS – The Aquino administration is being vindictive in its treatment of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which could result in a damaged democracy, according to an executive of a policy think tank.<br /><br />“It is a question of vindictiveness. It does not pay really to be vindictive against a previous government,” European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) vice chairman Dick Gupwell said when asked recently about his observation of political developments in the Philippines.<br /><br />The EIAS, an independent and non-profit institution, provides information and expertise to European Union institutions, the academic world and business on EU-Asia relations as well as other developments in Asia.<br /><br />“Politics is a dirty business. It was never squeaky clean and sometimes people bend the rules. But being really vindictive and really trying to bring (humiliation on) the other fellow... really makes it dirty. I do not think that is good for democracy in the long run,” he said.</blockquote><br />It's been observed as well that fixation on efforts to stamp out corruption is <a href="http://grpshorts.blogspot.com/2011/11/president-aquinos-anti-corruption.html">distracting the government from more proactive initiatives to grow the economy</a>.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-85766364620833248302011-11-25T07:07:00.004+11:002011-11-25T07:12:31.509+11:00Under SC grilling DOJ Sec Leila De Lima et al stand down from aggressive words used in Arroyo arrest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBMeTKVS5PE_ubHPSdPGGIq0NDiIItqgmKRBp2HbNFArRYkxaUmFzg6Na9p3q-RHY28VCLKuVwnqgd1eEAVX9GQqtWEGqPyVOZQ8_eZjs1FDJCuDg2oC29inqxs_AZG5VbORE4jl658U/s1600/bomb_drop.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBMeTKVS5PE_ubHPSdPGGIq0NDiIItqgmKRBp2HbNFArRYkxaUmFzg6Na9p3q-RHY28VCLKuVwnqgd1eEAVX9GQqtWEGqPyVOZQ8_eZjs1FDJCuDg2oC29inqxs_AZG5VbORE4jl658U/s200/bomb_drop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678656922915660850" /></a>Department of Justice officials are now <a href="http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111125hed1.html">back-pedalling</a> on aggressive and pointed words they had used in describing their recent actions surrounding the arrest of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on charges of "electoral sabotage" allegedly perpetrated in the 2007 senatorial elections...<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>During [oral arguments on the countersuit filed by Arroyo's legal team], Associate Justice Roberto Abad asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in open court to clarify a statement published in the press attributed to her where she apparently vowed that the former president would be behind bars by Christmas.<br /><br />De Lima claimed the statement was made by Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes and claimed they “had been misquoted,” a usual excuse being made by public officials, despite the fact that they had indeed uttered such statements, following Aquino’s statement while he was abroad that the cases against the former president will push through by November this year.</blockquote><br />The proceedings will continue on Thursday (Dec 1) next week.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-74203025828863085252011-11-20T19:15:00.001+11:002011-11-20T19:17:38.852+11:00World continues to watch a restive Philippine Military in the aftermath of a mad rush to charge GMA for alleged electoral fraud<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgMYdAxyVugSYZ7cYD-90E60M9tsMhCYSsD_wQWjWvZ-3vzDrFSgl1SyAOdjS2OxC3CI5evEKBJrFzYJSNyAVZ4RL3AKXyxHtY_8RTjKYtcYsTSrh-K4ErMUP7Z04Ut7NqiIAnM1ZHMw/s1600/philippine_army.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgMYdAxyVugSYZ7cYD-90E60M9tsMhCYSsD_wQWjWvZ-3vzDrFSgl1SyAOdjS2OxC3CI5evEKBJrFzYJSNyAVZ4RL3AKXyxHtY_8RTjKYtcYsTSrh-K4ErMUP7Z04Ut7NqiIAnM1ZHMw/s200/philippine_army.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676988945643911426" /></a>Both foreign and local watchers of Philippine politics have their eyes fixed on the military establishment of that country. Last week Zosimo Paredes, spokesman of the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND), hinted at the possibility that the government of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III might go down the path of <a href="http://newssimple.blogspot.com/2011/11/revolutionary-government-can-restore.html">declaring a "revolutionary government"</a> to mitigate the risk of instability and threats to "national security".<a name='more'></a><br /><blockquote>Paredes cited this option as the "more convenient" one because unlike Martial Law, it does not require congressional approval.</blockquote><br />On the other hand, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/business-as-usual-no-army-unrest-in-philippines-after-dramatic-arrest-of-ex-president/2011/11/20/gIQAiVzMdN_story.html">assured the public today</a> that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) showed "no sign of unrest" within its ranks despite former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo having strong ties within the army. Arroyo was recently placed under arrest following an attempt to leave the country to seek medical treatment abroad. The attempt was foiled by an order from Justice Department Secretary Leila De Lima who defied an order issued by the Supreme Court to suspend a travel ban on Arroyo implemented by De Lima.<br /><br />De Lima's actions invoked the spectre of <a href="http://newssimple.blogspot.com/2011/11/constitutional-crisis-brewing-in.html">constitutional crisis</a> as legal experts cautioned all involved in the various precedents being set by Malacañang in what many see to be a rushed eleventh-hour attempt to make good on campaign promises that are yet to be fulfilled despite more than 500 days already having passed since Aquino's ascent to power in 2010.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479598702218925789.post-50929919436541937202011-11-19T11:07:00.003+11:002011-11-19T11:08:36.859+11:00Revolutionary government can restore order in the Philippines according to top defense official<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FBtVb5wyUTJPJqwzIE-Zxqk-cvjFcxfqvbDEZwVdgUycolukX-p541bWKedkLmNuY5he0LGvry_T2W436HabkPmVCwS7aJhXo804qgGe5-zVPYfKFZU9ehMBQBt4uHxWjeqkt-zM0-c/s1600/riot.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0FBtVb5wyUTJPJqwzIE-Zxqk-cvjFcxfqvbDEZwVdgUycolukX-p541bWKedkLmNuY5he0LGvry_T2W436HabkPmVCwS7aJhXo804qgGe5-zVPYfKFZU9ehMBQBt4uHxWjeqkt-zM0-c/s200/riot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676491922870506658" /></a>According to a <i>Philippine Star</i> <a href="http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=749738&publicationSubCategoryId=63">report</a>, the threat to national security in the Philippines could be grounds for President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to set up a "revolutionary government". Going further, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Zosimo Paredes said that...<br /><blockquote>[...] the President is empowered to declare “his own government.”</blockquote><br />... when said security and order is "at stake".<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Paredes cited this option as the "more convenient" one because unlike Martial Law, it does not require congressional approval.<br /><br />Talk of extraordinary powers for Aquino's government follows talk of constitutional crises and political instability following Justice Secretary Leila De Lima's defiance of a court order issued by the Philippines' Supreme Court against a travel ban slapped by Malacañang on former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who requested that she be allowed to travel for medical treatment abroad.<br /><br />De Lima's actions set a precedent that may result in prolonged damage to the check-and-balance dynamics of the Philippines' system of government which is modeled against that of the United States's.<br /><br />The news site <i>BBC.co.uk</i> describes a situation where a "revolutionary government" may arise <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_2150000/newsid_2151800/2151885.stm">as such</a>:<br /><blockquote>If a government is overthrown by force, the new ruling group is sometimes called a revolutionary government.</blockquote><br />According to the same <i>Philippine Star</i> <a href="http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=749738&publicationSubCategoryId=63">report</a>, further speculation is also rife within the ranks of government and the military as to the loyalties of key military officers despite assurances that the chain of command will be followed.benign0http://www.blogger.com/profile/08022916216097762181noreply@blogger.com1