TO DRILON AND LACIERDA: BE TRUTHFUL, AND FAIR!

To Sen. Franklin Drilon and Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda: Be TRUTHFUL and FAIR, please.

Sen. Drilon was quoted in newspaper reports as saying that it was the former president, and not President Aquino, who was guilty of appointing her friends and cronies to key public posts.

Let’s be TRUTHFUL, and FACTUAL, Mr. Drilon.

GMA indeed appointed friends of hers, and even of her husband’s, to key government posts. But Pnoy has his own share of personal friends, and even those of her mother Cory, whom he have placed in key positions.

Don’t tell us, senator, that you’re not aware that Executive Sec. Paquito Ochoa, Interior and Local Governments Undersecretary Rico Puno and Land Transportation Office (LTO) head Virgie Torres are long-time personal friends of President Aquino.

Puno and Torres are even shooting range buddies of the President, senator. Are you saying you didn’t know that? Does it mean that you don’t consider Executive Secretary, DILG undersecretary and LTO chief key government posts?

Let us also not forget Philippne Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) boss Margie Juico, the wife of Philip who was an Agrarian Reform secretary during Cory’s term.

Or resigned Bureau of Corrections chief Ernesto Diokno, whom Pnoy personally acknowledged as a friend.

Except for Diokno, Ochoa, Puno and Juico ARE STILL IN THEIR POSTS. Torres is only on leave. If these people are not friends and appointees of Pnoy, how will you describe them to reconcile with your statement, Mr. Drilon?

fMalacañang instead challenged members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives to produce results rather than try to get media mileage.

Lacierda was quoted in the newspapers as saying it is not the task of the Church to set forth political solutions and to propose a single solution as the acceptable one/

This is NOTHING LESS than putting a LIMITATION on the FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION of the Church. I wonder if Lacierda can produce any law, whether provided for in the Constitution or decreed by the Church itself, which justifies his DICTATORIAL pronouncement.

I’m not a lawyer but I’ll bet a thousand to one, the Church is AS FREE as any other ordinary mortal to say what they want to say.

Anybody correct me if I’m wrong but it’s only under communism or a dictatorship wherein there are limitations to what one can say when it comes to politics and the state.

If Lacierda’s line of thinking will be followed, then the Aquino Government has NO RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING about the Church.

Lacierda also described as lies a supposed ouster move against Pnoy and allegations cited by minority bloc congressmen in asking for a probe of the President’s buddies.

Question: Do you have proof to the contrary regarding the supposed oouster pot, Mr. Lacierda? If the allegations being cited by minority bloc are lies, then let a congressional investigation prove it. Don’t block it.

The Aquino Administration does not have a MONOPOLY OF THE TRUTH.

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Thirteen of our friends on “I never blamed Gov. Vi for the fish kill”:

MARIA CRISOSTOO IBARRA of Manila

Heto lang para mas maikli..yong nangyaring fishkill, dapat ang mga pinunong iyan MAGBITIW. Kasi, bakit nakapagpatayo ng maraming fishpen diyan e kalculado na yan. Di maaaring marami dahil macocongest ang mga isda. Very elementary right?

VIRGILIO PERALES of Bogo, Cebu

Those people are either onion-skinned or paranoid.

ALICE YANQUIN of Quezon City

KSP lang iyan. Mga narrow-minded.

RSAL INVICTUS

Pasalamat ka at may nagagalit sa blog. Ibig sabihin nyan may matinding tinamaan, and YOU HAVE ARRIVED. Well as my friend lij says, hell is empty, the devils are here. Maganda siguro, padala natin sa Kalayaan Islands at maglaro ng sungka sa mga Tsino.

MANUEL ESQUIVIAS

If you’re not sure of their identities, don't bother to answer them. Sayang lang oras mo. Your article was very objective and I can't find anything wrong or accusatory. Perception lang talaga ng reader.

SISINIO JUBAN

Ineffectiveness is when you’re not always around. Human beings are designed for a single task. Only God is everywhere, anytime.

ANDY SANCHEZ

I agree with you. The kind of people defending Gov. Vilma Santos may betray what kind of a person she is.

LEIRAM DIM

Sa nangyaring fish kill sa Batangas, ang dapt sisihin ay ang mga illegal na nagmamay ari ng mga fishpen at ang ibang mamumuhunan. May itinalagang dami ng isda para alagaan sa isang fish cage pero dahil sa gustung kumita ng malaki di sila sumusunod.I n fairness naman sa pamumuno ni Gov Vi, isa ako sa naging saksi kung gaano siya ka-sincere sa kaniyang panunungkulan sa lalawigan.

CHIQUI APE

Being too defensive is a sign of hiding something and feeling guilty.

INDAY ROSE CASTEEL

She is an actress, not a politician. Kaya lang iyan pumasok at nanalo dahil asawa siya ni Recto. How can (illegal) fish cages be there without the Batangas Governor’s knowledge? I don't buy that. It’s all a conspiracy and when the money making pit went haywire, no one can do anything. People are concerned about their livelihood so of course you will hear noises.

DAHLEE LOPEZ JURADO-BABAAN of Bustos, Bulacan

I feel sad that those in power are sometimes (or most of the time) open arms in approving proposals like fish pens in Taal Lake. B,ut when bad effects arise from those projects, they close their eyes to their responsibilities.

ESTHER UY-OCO of Oceanside, California, USA

Gising tayo, mga Batangueno. Bantayan natin ang ating paligid. Bakit kayo napayag ng ganyan? Alangang taga-mindanao pa ang magtiyaga.

REBECCA KOOMANS of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Kahit si Vilma pa siya, she has to be sure na alam niya ang nangyayari.

Two of our friends on “Vilma Santos Recto should be probed fish kill”:

NIQUEKY LAU

There's a Senate inquiry on this issue. Funny because others claimed climate change or over crowded (fish cages), according to a UP scientis. Eh sabi nga ni Sen. Pangilinan, mga GANID -- gusto agad nila kumita ng malaki sa maikling panahon.

BARRON ROLLI

Ganid sa tubo. Gahaman. 30