Do you see the look on Gloria’s face as she swears in her chief justice? She seems to be saying “Bwahaha! Naisahan ko kayo! Jejeje!”

The people have spoken, loudly and clearly. They have put their trust on Noynoy Aquino.

Now, it’s our turn to say, ala-Bunye: Let’s move on.

(Image from Noynoy Aquino’s Flickr)

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said the finances to be raised by the Justice Fund will be used in projects such as:

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• a trauma counseling program for the families and members of local media community
• Mindanao media practitioners’ trainings on risk awareness and safety, election reporting, and reporting on culturally and politically sensitive places
• litigation support
• public awareness campaigns
• documentation of other incidents of harassment and attacks on the press in Mindanao.

We, democracy and freedom-loving Filipinos, fully stand by Isabela Governor Grace Padaca who we believe is the legitimate winner of the 2007 gubernatorial elections in the said province amid an unfair ruling by the Commission on Elections Second Division composed of Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph.

As fellow Filipinos, we believe that this resolution to unseat Governor Padaca in favor of former Governor Benjamin Dy is highly questionable and the evidence raised forth against Padaca raises significant doubt as to the validity of Dy’s claims of electoral fraud resulting to his loss.

The May 2007 elections saw Governor Padaca win by 17,007 votes over Benjamin Dy. Had Governor Padaca used dishonest means, this kind of margin will be next to impossible to pull off given that Padaca’s resources are scant and her political machinery nonexistent. If there is a candidate with a vast campaign fund and an organized machinery, it would most certainly be the Dy family who have been in power in Isabela for over forty years, until Padaca defeated them in the 2004 elections.

Governor Padaca has shown integrity as the highest government official of the province, not to mention efficiency and strong political will, all without dubious, illegal transactions. Her campaign against illegal logging in the Sierra Madre mountains has so far proven successful especially after Typhoon Pepeng hit Northern Luzon late this year. Her other programs have greatly benefited the people of Isabela, including health, education, good governance and electoral reforms.

In the past five and a half years that Governor Padaca has served as the local chief executive of Isabela, she has encountered numerous unnecessary problems, among them flagrant non-cooperation by some government offices with the provincial government leading to conflicts. These particular offices are not known to support Governor Padaca; however that does not give them an excuse to disregard common courtesy and protocol and fulfill their duties as required by law.

This should not be the case for any government official. Padaca won in 2007 via a clean and honest election and deserves to be treated as such. The Comelec’s resolution ousting Padaca is not the first attempt of her opponents at regaining control of Isabela. However, the people of Isabela themselves have shown that they have chosen Padaca to govern them for another term, and they, along with the rest of the Filipinos who believe in her and in justice, will not rest until the truth prevails.

We call on all supporters of Governor Padaca as well as Filipinos who believe in good governance to fight against corruption and injustice being done to a good Filipino leader. We believe that this issue is not confined solely to the borders of Isabela, but concerns all Filipinos. We cannot let this happen in Isabela inasmuch as we refuse to let it happen in our own provinces, cities, and municipalities. The fight here is between right and wrong, between good governance and corruption, between truth and falsehood. If we let this injustice happen, we will continue to be at the mercy of a corrupt system that seeks to destroy democratic institutions which were established to serve the needs of the people, not the interests of a selfish few. As citizens of the Philippines, we have the duty to preserve the integrity of our democratic institutions and hold accountable officials who fail to uphold the truth.

Let us not allow evil to triumph and together let us take a stand for the truth, for justice, and for good governance. The fight of Isabela is a fight of the entire Philippines.

(If you wish to contribute to have the statement published, you may send your donations to:

Please fax the deposit slip to 02-4265657 or email a scanned copy to kai.pastores@yahoo.com for proper accounting. Thank you very much and we hope you can help disseminate this!:)

Gov. Grace Padaca listens to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's speech during the International Women's Day celebration on March 6, 2009 at Malacanang's Heroes' Hall. (Edited from original by Edwin Paril/OPS-NIB)

The Commission on Elections has reportedly declared former Gov. Benjamin Dy as winner of the 2007 gubernatorial race in Isabela and ordered Gov. Grace Padaca to immediately vacate the provincial capitol. Comelec announced the decision on the recount petition days after it unseated Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza. Both Padaca and Mendoza are members of the Liberal Party.

The poll body is also expected to decide this week on the electoral protest filed versus Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio by an ally of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  Like Padaca, Panlilio withdrew from the presidential race to support LP standard bearer Noynoy Aquino. We will see if Comelec’s decision in Panlilio’s case will fit the pattern that we are seeing.

Aren’t you amazed at the things that Comelec can do even without Virgilio Garcillano?

We are reposting AGHAM’s urgent appeal for support for the victims of typhoon Pepeng in Cordillera and Central Luzon.

Dear Friends,

In behalf of the affected people of typhoon Pepeng in the Cordilleras and Central Luzon, we humbly appeal for any form of relief assistance from you, your school, office, neighborhood, institution or organization.

We are attaching in this email some photos* which can give a glimpse of what happened to our fellow brethren in Pangasinan and a letter of appeal from the Cordillera People’s Alliance.

As an immediate response, AGHAM, together with CPU, Agham Youth, BAYAN, Kalikasan, the Center for Environmental Concerns and the National Councl of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) formed a taskforce called BALSA (Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan) to campaign for immediate relief and rehabilitation operations.

As such we are opening our respective offices as drop-off centers for any help, in cash or kind, that you can extend.

• CEC – 26 Matulungin St. Brgy. Central, Quezon City (Look for Baby, T#9209099; Nats, T#4343173, open from 9am to 9pm)
• CPU – 4th Floor Victoria 1 Bldg. 1670 Quezon Ave. Quezon City (Look for Mabel at T#4134196, open from 9am to 5pm)
• BALSA – c/o BAYAN, Erythrina Bldg. #1 Maaralin St. corner Matatag St. Brgy Central Quezon City
• NCCP – 879 EDSA Quezon City (Look for Minnie Anne at T#9228141, available to receive goods at any time of the day)

For cash donations, you may deposit at any of the following accounts. Please don’t forget to email us at relief@agham.org for any deposit made.

1. Center for Environmental Concerns Inc. (Account Name)

• US Dollar Account Number: 3640033382
• Phil. Peso Account Number: 3640008876
• Banco de Oro Matalino Branch
• Swift Code: BNORPHMM

2.  National Council of Churches in the Philppines (Account Name)

• US Dollar Account Number: 3054-0162-89
• Phil. Peso Account Number: 3051-0063-04
• Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) West Triangle Branch
• Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

or

3.  AGHAM (Account Name)

• US Dollar Account Number: 262-710388-6
• Phil. Peso Account Number: 262-562522-2
• Philippine National Bank (PNB) Quezon City Circle Branch
• Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

Please visit http://www.cp-union.com/balsa/ for more details.

Thank you and we hope to hear from you.

Yours sincerely,
Natalie Pulvinar (0922-8490850, 0917-5827917)
Co-coordinator for Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan for the Cordilleras and central Luzon

* gratitude to Adrian Ayalin

“She was the only true queen our people have ever had, and she was queen because we knew she truly held our hearts in the greatness and the gentleness of her own.” – Catalino Arevalo, SJ

Photo from RebelPixel.com

Priest-turned-governor Among Ed Panlilio of Pampanga is now considering running for president in 2010 with Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca as his running mate, says an Inquirer report.

Both Panlilio and Padaca are non-trapos who defeated powerful politicians in their respective provinces.

Panlilio and Padaca, with other reform-oriented public servants, have been practicing and preaching good governance.

Are they the change that the Philippines needs?

коли под наеммебели
“President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday gave the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) 15 days to complete its investigation report on the capsizing of MV Princess of the Stars off Romblon at the height of typhoon ‘Frank.’”
- GMANews.TV report, July 1, 2008

See more of Gloria’s deadlines here and check out the bloggers’ blogswarm against Sulpicio Lines.

Ignacio Bunye ended his term as press secretary last June 16 with a rendition of his favorite song, “My Way.” But he left an unfinished business.

In June 2005, Bunye “revealed” a supposed plot of the opposition to “destabilize” the Arroyo government. Here’s INQUIRER.net’s account:

Preempting the political opposition, Bunye on June 6, 2005 played two CDs of supposed telephone conversations between Arroyo and then election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, about an alleged attempt to rig the May 2004 elections, which came to be known as the “Hello Garci” tapes.

Bunye told the nation then that he had evidence that the President’s alleged wiretapped conversation[s] with Garcillano were a fabrication, because the conversation was actually between Arroyo and a certain political aide named “Gary.”

Arroyo subsequently admitted talking to a Comelec commissioner — not to a certain Gary — and apologized to the people for doing so. The middle class and the bishops forgave her, and Bunye’s version of the “Hello Garci” story was never brought up again.

In 2005, Arroyo said she just wanted to “protect [her] votes” when she cheated with Virgilio “Hello Garci” Garcillano.

In her 2006 SONA, Arroyo condemned political killings “in the harshest possible terms” by recognizing the efforts of Jovito Palparan.

And of course, Raul Gonzalez has just been confirmed as “justice” secretary.

We were unable to write about a number of events including the death of Rep. Crispin Beltran, Comelec Commissioner Romeo Brawner, and actor Rudy Fernandez, the dismissal of Joc-joc Bolante’s appeal for asylum in the US, and the kidnapping of Ces Drilon and her crew. We’ll be back to “regular programming” soon.

Ka Bay passes away

Bayani Abadilla, writer, professor and journalist, passed away last May 14 after a long battle with lymphoma.

Son of pioneering Filipino modernist poet Alejandro G. Abadilla, Bayani was a veteran of the First Quarter Storm. He was one of the founders of the progressive writers group Paksa or Panulat Para sa Kaunlaran ng Sambayanan and wrote for various underground and opposition newspapers and publications during Martial Law.

After the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, Bayani taught at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines upon PUP Pres. Nemesio Prudente’s return to the university in 1986.

He continued to write for progressive publications like Ang Masa. He also wrote for the Filipino broadsheet Diario Uno during the Estrada administration.

He was a well-loved Literature professor in PUP and scholar of the Filipino language until his retirement in 2003.

In 2006, he published his first collection of poems, Sigliwa Kamao.

At the time of his death, he was associate editor for Pinoy Weekly, a progressive newsmagazine in the Filipino language.

He is survived by wife Patricia, son Magtanggol and daughters Lualhati, Malaya and Filipinas. He was 67 years old.

He is interred at Funeraria Paz at Araneta Avenue, Quezon City. A tribute for Ka Bay will be given by friends and colleagues will be held on May 17, Saturday, 7pm. He will be laid to rest on May 18, Sunday.

Emano had ordered Hanjin to stop the construction for lack of required documents such as environmental compliance certificate and municipal building permit. When Mrs. Arroyo visited his province, Emano said he told Arroyo about the offer, but she said nothing about it. She even reportedly scolded him for stopping the project.

On the night that Emano’s interview was shown on TV, Malacanang — in an apparent attempt to prevent another ZTE bribery scandal — issued a statement saying that Arroyo would never violate any law. The next day, the secretary of interior appeared on TV, saying the Palace has received reports that Emano attempted to extort money from Hanjin, and he will face investigation.

Emano, an Arroyo ally, has since recanted his claim.

This was what Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez reportedly said in reaction to Archbishop Oscar Cruz’s statement that the Arroyo government suffers from “shortages in honesty and integrity plus consequent shortages in credibility and acceptability.”

The archbishop reacted by saying minding him is not good for Gonzalez’ health.

In the past, Gonzalez had also verbally attacked other critics of President Arroyo such the two widows of the anti-Arroyo movement: Susan Roces-Poe and President Corazon Aquino.

Senator Pia Cayetano, reacting to reports that President Arroyo wants to allocate P43.7 billion pesos for food security, computed the total amount of money involved in recent scams:

“We’re talking about P43 billion that the President wants to allocate. I computed the figures involved in the past scams: P750 million for the fertilizer scam, P2.25 [billion] for the swine fund, P3.1 billion for the irrigation fund, that’s already P6 billion that’s questionable. Then the administration will refuse to explain, will refuse to attend hearings, will go to court and have a case that says they will not go to the Senate?” (Senate.gov.ph)

He told CBCPNews that all he stated was, according to the teachings of the Church, a public sinner should not be given communion.

He had earlier wrote on his blog:

“This is why as a matter of doctrinal principle and moral norm, someone known to the public as reasonably perceived or actually known guilty not simply of one, neither only three nor merely five but more grave or mortal sins of such as gross stealing, flagrant graft and corrupt practices, and other glaring big moral misdeeds with extensive and intensive adverse effects to society, fits the reality of a public sinner. To conclude otherwise, i.e., that the person concerned is holy or saintly, is not only irrational but also futile. And to give the Most Sacred Body and Blood of Christ to the same, is not simply highly offensive to the sensitivity of the simple Christian faithful in general but also—and primarily so—means a big contempt of inherent divinity and intrinsic sanctity of Christ Himself. That is why giving Holy Communion in public to a public sinner is a public scandal.

Romulo Macalintal, Arroyo’s election lawyer, said the archbishop’s statement was judgmental. He said a lay minister does not have the right to refuse the Holy Communion to anyone.

“Walang karapatan ang lay minister na tanggihan ang pagbibigay ng Holy Communion sa taong ‘yan. Kahit sa paningin ng isang pari o lay minister na ‘yan ay makasalanan, hindi niya problema ‘yan.Problema na noong kumukuha ng komunyon at ng kanyang Diyos,” Macalintal said in a GMA-7 report.

But Archbishop Cruz, a canon lawyer and former president of the Catholic Bishops’ of the Philippines, also wrote:

It is the responsibility and accountability of the Minister of Holy Communion to decide whom to give Holy Communion due to presumption of the worthiness of the recipient, and whom to deny it on account of sound conviction of unworthiness by reason of publicly known serious objective moral offenses—particularly those with wide and intensive adverse social impacts.

I think a canon lawyer, more than an election lawyer, would know the rules governing an issue of faith.

Meanwhile, Fr. Bel San Luis, in his column for the administration-friendly Manila Bulletin, wrote: “In Jesus’ parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and publican (public sinner), Archbishop Cruz, by his judgmental stance, would be the epitome of the Pharisee who condemned the poor publican.”

“But the Lord said: It was the tax collector, the self-accused sinner who “went down to his house justified rather than the other” (Lk 18:14).”

Fr. San Luis missed something. The tax collector, as he wrote, was a “self-accused sinner.” That is the reason the Lord defended him. But the public sinner Archbishop Cruz was probably referring to would rather lie than admit her sins against the people.

San Luis further wrote:

Archbishop Cruz should be more careful in judging “known” sinners. In the first place, how can he be sure they are sinners? Does he have a third eye to discern what’s inside the heart of a person? What if a particular sinner is trying hard to make peace with the Lord unknown to the prelate and others?

Duh?! Where you live, Father? In Enchanted Kingdom?

That is why it is disappointing to hear its possible standard bearer in 2010, Mar Roxas, say that they are “open to talking with everyone” when asked about former president and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada’s multi-party opposition nomination process.

I hope that LP Chair Francis Pangilinan is sincere when he said his party should veer away from such a multi-party arrangement.

“The LP should consider going it alone as an option if aligning with other groups or parties only serves to perpetuate the bankrupt and hopelessly inutile ‘politics as usual,” Pangilinan was quoted as saying by GMANews.tv.

Why would a real party even negotiate with the trapos?

If the LP really wants to coalesce with other groups, it should instead approach alternative ang reform-oriented opposition groups such as Black and White Movement, Aksyon Demokratiko/Alyansa ng Pag-asa, Bayan Muna, Akbayan, Sanlakas, Laban ng Masa, Bangon Pilipinas/Cibac, Ang Kapatiran and even Magdalo.

Many of the individuals in these organizations and parties were the same people who supported Bangon! nationalist movement, the “third force” group which Vice President Teofisto Guingona–also former LP member–founded and later abandoned when he joined Fernando Poe Jr’s camp.

LP should redeem its mistake of supporting Gloria Arroyo instead of Raul Roco in 2004. It should avoid Estrada’s UNO and Gloria’s Lakas, Lakas-Pala, and Kampi bloc.

It’s time for their disruption and violation of human rights to be put to rest so that the nation can move ahead. They impede the progress and development of a number of rural areas. They’re responsible for a wide range of human rights abuses.

I did not include the first and last sentence in the paragraph above. Kind of confusing, di ba? I guess you didn’t know that it’s Arroyo who’s talking, you’d have a hard time guessing if she’s referring to the military or the rebels.

And I’m very happy to hear the report that the insurgents’ strength has been brought down to about 6,000 from 12,000 in 2001 and 7,000 a year ago. In other words, you have brought down their strength to one-half of what they used to be. And I am very happy to hear that from a high of a 107 NPA guerrilla fronts in 2005, continuing dismantling of their structures in barangay has eliminated 20 fronts. At the rate we are going, I feel we are on track to put an end to the insurgency by 2010. Congratulations!

Familiar words. I heard these years before, except that at that time, her subject was the Abu Sayyaf Group. Her exact words then were: “I’ve given the military a deadline for the ASG, 90 days.”

However, recent news reports say the Marines are still fighting ASG in Mindanao.

It must be just one of Gloria’s deadlines.

Alert
December 24, 2007

Murder of Davao broadcaster is fifth media killing this year

Fernando “Batman” Lintuan, the first president of the Davao Sportswriters Association and broadcaster of DXGO Aksyon Radyo, was gunned down at close range at around 10 am this morning in front of the station.

His death brought to five the number of journalists killed in 2007 and to 54 the number of journalists killed under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.

Reports from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Davao Chapter stated that a gunman riding on a motorcycle shot Lintuan while on board a car, about to leave the station. Lintuan was hit in the head.

Two other broadcasters, Louie Ceniza and Edgar Banzon were with him in the car. It is unknown if the two were hurt in the incident.

Lintuan is the fifth Davao journalist to be killed since 1986. Broadcaster Jun Porras Pala was killed Sept. 6, 2003, while Narciso Balani, Rogie Zagado and Leo Palo were all killed on August 27, 1987. All were with dxRA Aksyon Radyo. Davao photojournalist Gene Boyd Lumawag, on the other hand, was in assignment in Jolo, Sulu when shot on November 12, 2004.

The other journalists killed this year were Hernani Pastolero (Sultan Kudarat), Carmelito Palacios (Nueva Ecija), Dodie Nunez (Cavite) and Vicente Sumalpong (Tawi-Tawi).

Lintuan left behind four children.

(IFJ-NUJP Media Safety Office)

Pulse Asia’s “most corrupt” President was not a survey, it was a grand plan of Sergio Osme a III & Rafa Lopa to discredit PGMAà

I think Osmena and Lopa do not need a grand plan to discredit a fake president. Besides, she’s been doing that herself since 2001.

As of this writing, Trillanes Lim is reading a statement calling for the people’s solidarity in their call for Arroyo’s removal from the presidency.

7:20 pm update: Ellen Tordesillas on media arrests after the mutiny

Read additional info from the rebel soldiers at Sundalo Tagapagtanggol ng Pilipino.

Let’s hope the state security agents will not attempt to harm them. We don’t need dead heroes like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Ninoy Aquino. We need living leaders like them.

The media announcements must be bola lang. Why should Lakas Pala members be invited to a Liberal Party meeting? They should just join Lakas and Kampi and form a new party called “Lakas Pala Kampi Kay Gloria”.

Interviewed on television about the forfeiture of his assets, Estrada said he’s ready get jailed in Munti if proven guilty of violating anything in connection with this forfeiture issue.

Funny how he seems to have chosen to forget how he eventually gave in to the executive pardon offer that was so excitedly given to him by the Palace people. To think he had spent most of the past six years in his rest house and in a hospital. And now he’s saying that he’s ready to go to a real prison. Bagay nga sila ni Arroyo!

Could it be that the powerful will use this as an excuse to repress the people some more? GMANews.tv quoted Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros as saying: “We cannot help but fear that this would lead to the declaration of Martial Law or a state of emergency to give way to repressive acts. We caution the government against using the bombing to institute repressive measures.”

Or is blaming You-Know-Who getting for every tragedy in the country just becoming a bad habit?

It could also be a protest, ala-Light A Fire Movement, against the kakapalan of the bribees in Batasan.

De Venecia reportedly described the bombing as “a terror attack on the House.”

Hopefully, our questions will be answered in the coming days. Meanwhile, here are other entries from the Philippine blogosphere:

• Blast rocks Batasan complex
  
• Pagsabog sa Batasan
• Flash Report: Bomb Explode at House of Representatives
  
• Breaking news: Congress Bombed!
• Batasan blast injures Gabriela solon, scores of others

More than 800 activists and journalists have been killed since the start of the Arroyo administration in 2001. The killers have also targeted lawyers and judges–and now, even civil servants like Dalaig. As long as the culture of impunity remains, this series of violence will most likely not be broken.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) – Cite This Source – Share This im·pu·ni·ty Audio Help /ɪmˈpyunɪti/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[im-pyoo-ni-tee] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1.	exemption from punishment.

2.	immunity from detrimental effects, as of an action.

---

[Origin: 1525–35; < L impūnitās, equiv. to im- im-² + pūnitās punishment (pūn- (s. of punīre to punish) + -itās -ity); see punitive]

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez wrote a personal tribute for Dalaig on his blog. Here’s an excerpt:

He was one of the last of his breed – a COMELEC warrior who dealt with politicians fiercely and firmly, had only snarling patience for those who gratuitously bad-mouthed the COMELEC and its personnel, but who was gentler than strangers imagined, and who was every COMELEC employee’s friend.

Jun Macarambon, son of newly appointed Comelec Comissioner Moslemen Macarambon, said the “news is kinda scary“. They learned of Dalaig’s killing while celebrating his father’s appointment.

What review is the BuCor talking about? I say bring the elder prisoners’ documents to the Palace and have President Arroyo sign their release papers.

If she could grant executive clemency to a former president and convicted plunder only a few weeks after promulgation of judgment, why can’t she do the same to ordinary inmates? Estrada never stepped foot in Bilibid even for a minute while these oldies have been in prison for many years. Their papers say they are over 70. That’s the same supposed reason Gloria freed Erap. If she believes in justice for all, she should also free these old inmates without delay!

The Glorietta bombing, the bribery in Malacañang, the bishops’ call for her resignation, the ZTE broadband deal, and the Estrada pardon were among the recent issues touched by the article. It also mentioned the Hello Garci controversy to substantiate its statement that almost since Arroyo became president, “her administration has been buffeted by allegations of corruption every bit as audacious as Estrada’s.”

The article also quoted fellow blogger and Inquirer columnist Manolo Quezon as saying Arroyo may be able to finish her term due to people’s apathy.

Read the article here: “Crisis — Again — for the Philippines’ Arroyo”

Moslemen T. Macarambon Sr. has been appointed a new Commission on Elections Commissioner.

Not much is known about him at this time, except that he is a former RTC Judge in Iligan City and father of fellow blogger Moslemen Macarambon Jr , a.k.a. WyzeMoro.

There are reports linking Macarambon to former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio “Hello Garci” Garcillano. We asked Wyzemoro if his father is the same person as a certain Renault or Lou Macarambon, who was mentioned in the “Hello Garci” tapes.

This is his reply:

NO! Renault or Lou is different. My dad is not in the hello garci tape. I hope this clarify. Thanks for asking.

In an interview with Macarambonon ANC, he said he knows Garci, but Arroyo’s phonepal probably does not know him.

More on Macarambon’s appointment at the PCIJ blog.

Photo Credit: http://moslemenjr.macarambon.com