Piercing Pens

Impeach Gloria? Why not?

In a speech before the Philippine Constitution Association on Constitution Day, February 8 at the Manila Polo Club in Forbes Park, Makati City, Senator Aquilino Pimentel charged Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust and suggested that Philconsa consider “filing necessary impeachment papers against the President.”

His charges were:

1. Illegal use of the trust funds raised through the road users tax and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for her own purposes during the last presidential election.

2. The President’s illegal authorization of the payment of $68 million or P3.762 billion for the purchase of six search and rescue vessels for the use of the Coast Guard without congressional authority.

3. The President’s willful and blatant abuse of her appointing power. (more…)

While I agree that the human rights victims during the Marcos dictatorship deserves justice, I view as correct recent decision by a US court which declared cannot overturn a foreign country’s Supreme Court. The Philippine Supreme Court earlier ruled that the recovered $683 million, a portion of the estimated $5 to 10 billion Marcos ill gotten wealth, belongs to the government.

Since Marcos used the state mechanism in suppressing citizens and violating their rights, I think it is the current government’s duty to see to it that the victims will get justice–part of which is getting compensated. (more…)

Some religions are truly the opium of the masses.

While the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines expressed its opposition to the increase in VAT (as well as Charter change), and members of other Christian denominations are protesting in the streets against the VAT bill, the Iglesia ni Manalo–errr, Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)– is reportedly supporting it. (more…)

Before posing for the camera, check first if you’d want yourself seen with the group you’re having a photo with.

Akbayan Rep. Etta Rosales in a press release decried “malicious news spreading through text messages falsely accusing her and other legislators like Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada of voting in favor of the value added tax bill.” (more…)