Faeldon and our political stability

To make it easier for you to read and comment from now on, I will be making a separate blog for each topic instead of the usual three in one. Our first blog will be online by 5 a.m., the next by 12 noon and the last by 10:30 p.m. onwards seven days a week.

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It’s time to think of our social and political stability, guys, following the temporary release of Nick Faeldon.

I’m not worried about a possible coup.

With Faeldon and his other fellow military adventurists like Sen. Antonio Trillanes now free, they have NO REASON to rally their boys again to another gimmick and destroy themselves in the public eye.

But there are other factions, especially the Communists or the Left, who are also asking for the freedom of their detained comrades, temporary like that of Faeldon or otherwise.

So what concerns me is what will happen if they are turned down? What will they do? Remember, guys, the Left has ARMED comrades in their ranks.

Comrades who have NO PROBLEM KILLING OTHER PEOPLE, be they innocent civilians or soldiers. Fighters who don’t lose sleep after every ambush, who plant landmines and other types of bombs and detonate them like toys.

The Left also has the logistics, the CONNECTIONS and most of all the MONEY. I came across a news item several days ago wherein Communist leaders revealed that the movement had already collected several BILLIONS in revolutionary taxes.

Like Faeldon, Trillanes and others, they stood up against the Government. Twenty to one, the Left will definitely argue that if Trillanes, Faeldon and company can be released, why not their jailed comrades?

And I’m only citing the Left as an example. Don’t forget the Muslim separatists who also have the connections, the arms, and the money.

So if requests for freedom of their comrades by these two groups are rejected, how safe are we from whatever they’ll think of next? How prepared is the military to deal with them?

I would appreciate any immediate reply from anybody.

***

From our blogmates:

MARIBEL NIALA of Quezon City on the planned sale of camps Crame and Aguinaldo:

Show the Filipinos (first) where the money earned from selling government properties go! In the end, what we should see should be concrete. Let’s cease the cycle of making fat pockets in the government grow bigger.

Where is the rest of the 2010 national budget?

To make it easier for you to read and comment from now on, I will be making a separate blog for each topic instead of the usual three in one. Our first blog will be online by 5 a.m., the next by 12 noon and the last by 10:30 p.m. onwards seven days a week. My apologies for my shortcomings in our initial blogs.

VIVA, Jesus Nazareno!

***

A fund-raising epidemic is sweeping the government.

How to make money, or what government properties can be sold, is on everyone’s mind.

Pati Camps Crame at Aguinaldo, balak ipagbili. Pero teka muna. Saan na napunta ang natira sa national budget bago bumaba sa puwesto si dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?

No less than Budget Sec. Butch Abad himself had admitted that approximately 60 percent of the national budget was still available when President Noynoy assumed office.

That’s several tens of billions of pesos. But up to now, WE DON’T KNOW exactly what has happened to that money.

We have yet to see a detailed or itemized accounting, or audit, of who got funds and for what purpose. Not even one major infrastructure project, or pro-poor program, has been launched in the six months of the Aquino Administration.

And take note, Malacanang or any other government agency has NOT YET VOLUNTEERED to release any information on how was the rest of the national budget utilized by this Administration.

Kaya saan na ginastos ang pera? Magkano ang napunta saan o kanino? May natitira pa ba? Ano ang garantiya ng Aquino Government na WALANG NAKAWANG naganap sa natira sa national budget na naiwan ni Mrs. Arroyo?

We, the people, have all the right to know.

The national budget is our taxes, our HARD-EARNED TAXES. We worked for it. We just didn’t pick it up on the road. We just didn’t ask it from somebody else.

So together, guys, let’s ask Malacanang for the answers.

Let’s bombard the Palace with letters. If necessary, let’s approach our congressmen and senators for help so that they can do the talking for us.

Every government expenditure is supposed to be fully documented.

So if there’s nothing to hide, then Malacanang won’t find it tough to IMMEDIATELY answer our questions.

***

From our blogmates:

LEE ANN ABELLAR of Ronda town, Cebu on the rape of a woman inside the Manila Police Headquarters:

How scary to think that those whom we thought would protect us are those who'll rob us of our trust, money and dignity. Well-dressed in uniform but with unkempt manners, deep inside is a beast. There are cases of murders, robbery, rape etc. involving policemen almost every day. If we can no longer trust these men, who else? 30

Illogical to sell Crame and Aguinaldo

To make it easier for you to read and comment from now on, I will be making a separate blog for each topic instead of the usual three in one. Our first blog will be online by 5 a.m., the next by 12 noon and the last by 10:30 p.m. seven days a week. My apologies for my shortcomings in our initial blogs.

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Before anything else, don’t forget to offer a prayer for the Black Nazarene tomorrow, his feast day. He will hear you even if you’re not in his home in Quiapo.

***

Even if I’m not a military official, I dare say that it would be ILLOGICAL to sell camps Crame and Aguinaldo.

The two camps are the GENERAL HEADQUARTERS of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), respectively. The central command, the ONE-STOP SHOP for everything that is the PNP and AFP.

Why dismantle them and scatter them like bits of broken glass to other camps? Why disrupt their operations and series with an unnecessary relocation?

I say UNNECESSARY because Crame and Aguinaldo ARE NOT UNDER ATTACK.

There is no known threat of armed assault against them. They DON’T CAUSE TRAFFIC jams. They don’t pollute the air or their surroundings with anything. They DON’T TERRORIZE their neighbors or motorists and passersby on EDSA.

On the contrary, they give IMMEDIATE PROTECTION , not only in the area but more importantly to Metro Manila, home to the SEAT OF POWER that is Malacanang and to the biggest companies in the country.

There are other camps in Metro Manila, yes. But NONE is as big as Crame and Aguinaldo which can accommodate what they’re hosting, from troops to equipment to offices, everything.

WALA BANG IBANG ALAM, WALA BANG IBANG KAYANG GAWIN, si Finance Sec. Cesar Purisima kundi maghanap ng mabebentang ari-arian ng Gobyerno para magkapondo ang Aquino Administration?

Will Purisima ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY in case operations and services of Crame and Aguinaldo are delayed, especially in the processing and release of salaries and other funds?

Secondly, WHERE will the proceeds of the two camps be spent in case they’re sold? Purisima did not mention any SPECIFIC purpose of the money.

Ano ito, KUWARTA MUNA, saka na ang paggagamitan? Ano ang garantiya na HINDI MANANAKAW ang pera bago magkaroon ng paglalaanan?

***

From our blogmates:

MARIBEL NIALA of Quezon City on the MRT/LRT fare increase:

One way the government can appease the public on the "extra" payment for the MRT and LRT would be a concrete plan to improve services, e.g. adding more trains and lines or routes. It’s the infrastructure fhat should be improved.

No basis for forecast of a brighter 2011

To make it easier for you to read and comment from now on, I will be making a separate blog for each topic instead of the usual three in one.

Our first blog will be online by 5 a.m., the next by 12 noon and the last by 10:30 p.m. seven days a week. My apologies for my shortcomings in our initial blogs.

***

I do not see any logical basis for Malacanang’s fearless forecast of a better life for Filipinos this year.

If President Noynoy isn’t simply OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY, then he is being MISLED by advisers with an agenda to DESTROY him.

Look, guys, we all know that:

Tolls on the expressways have increased. LRT and MRT tickets will go up. Bus and jeepney drivers are set to ask, or are already asking, for higher fares. Riding a taxi will cost more starting Jan. 15. Bakers have warned that they will have to raise prices of their bread products.

Lahat ito, DAGDAG GASTOS. Pero walang anumang agad na REMEDYO na masabi ang Malacanang para hindi mahirapan ang mga maaapektuhan.

No immediate livelihood or income-generating opportunities for the poor. No known MASSIVE JOB OPENINGS by any big company to coincide with the effectivity of these added costs of living.

NOTHING now. NOTHING in the near future. CORRECT ME if I’m wrong, please.

When all these added expenses are in place, belt-tightening will have to follow. The budget for food will have to be realigned, if not reduced. The same thing for clothes and utilities. Even outdoor family bonding moments will have to take a back seat.

And in a worst-case scenario, sacrifices may have to be made on the schooling of the kids. I dare air this particular warning because when fares and transport costs go up, 20 to 1 so will the prices of basic good and commodities.

So HOW can there be a BETTER LIFE ahead for us?

As I’ve said, I will immediately stand corrected if there will be any clarification from anybody.

If none, it would be wise for Noynoy to first check his facts a thousand and one times before making any rosy promises He must realize that IT’S HIM who will be destroyed, not anybody else.

***

From our blogmates:

VENUS AMORANTO of Binan, Laguna on our blog “Not good enough for Noynoy”:

I agree! Why stay if you can't TACKLE the JOB?

Not good enough for Noynoy

To make it easier for you to read and comment from now on, I will be making a separate blog for each topic instead of the usual three in one. Our first blog will be online by 5 a.m., the next by 12 noon and the last by 10:30 p.m. seven days a week. My apologies for my shortcomings in our initial blogs

***

President Aquino’s plan to tap former running mate Mar Roxas as chief troubleshooter could only mean one thing.

He finds some, IF NOT ALL, of his top advisers INCOMPETENT.

Reports quoted Noynoy as saying that Roxas’ job would be to look at the “more intensive issues” that his administration was having difficulty resolving.

Tanggapin man o hindi ng mga tatamaan, INSULTO ito sa kanila.

It’s just like Noynoy telling them that they are NOT GOOD ENOUGH for the job as far as he’s concerned. No wonder this administration is having more losses than victories, and more attacks than praises, that it could handle.

If I were Noynoy, I’d go one to two steps further immediately. Not only to settle those “intensive issues” but also to prove to the people that he’s the boss, he’s in charge and he means business.

Pangalanan niya kung sinuman ang hindi maka-resolba ng mga issue na sinasabi niya at bigyan niya ng ultimatum. O kaya, TANGGALIN na niya agad at palitan ng mas magaling.

Why retain an incompetent and continue WASTING our hard-earned taxes on that person’s salary, allowances and other perks? There is NO EXCUSE, and there SHOULD NEVER BE any excuse, for incompetence.

It’s either you can do the job or not, no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts.’

Whoever tolerates incompetence is either MENTALLY UNBALANCED or is a RUTHLESS USER preying on the weakness of others for PERSONAL GAIN.

Mga WALANG KONSYENSIYANG OPORTUNISTA na kunin na sana ni Lord.

Now I’m 100 percent convinced that a revamp is up in the Aquino Administration. 30

Do this now, Mr. Vizconde

Malacanang had better have a READY answer to exactly where will the earnings, and savings, go once MRT and LRT fares are raised and government subsidy is reduced on the two train services.

It will be THE ONLY WAY to appease the passengers who will definitely complain once they start paying a lot more in going to their destinations.

Unless the passengers are enlightened at once on the benefits of the fare increase, they may eventually join groups protesting the South Luzon Expressway toll hike and other current issues.

Which, in turn, could lead to UNREST and a BIGGER HEADACHE for President Noynoy.

Nobody can deny that times are hard and everybody, even the rich, wants to know first where their extra expenses will go before they shell out a peso.

Malacanang says the funds will go to development projects outside Metro Manila. Good answer but don’t expect LRT and MRT passengers to swallow it just like that.

What they want to know is what and where are these projects.

How long will it take before the projects are finished” Who will be the beneficiaries? How much will each project cost?

If the passengers will be informed of these details as soon as possible, I bet you MRT and LRT stations will not be as noisy and chaotic as expected once the higher fares take effect.

Let me just disagree to the argument by some that only Metro Manila residents are serviced by the MRT and LRT.

There are scores of residents of Bulacan who ride the MRT daily in going to their jobs along EDSA and in Makati. Personally, I know of at least two, one from Balagtas town and the other from Meycauayan who both work in Makati.

***

To Mang Lauro Vizconde: Better have the best LAWYER, HANDWRITING EXPERT and RESEARCHER you can find in your quest for justice.

Since Jessica Alfaro is denying claims by former NBI officials that she was an agent of the bureau when she testified against Hubert Webb and company, this could be the break you need.

Your lawyer and researcher can go through NBI records, whether through a subpoena or on the spot, for records showing that Jessica was indeed an NBI agent that time.

If there are none, then you have an ace. If the NBI produces documents to the contrary like pay slips, you’ll need a handwriting expert to examine these.

Do it now, Mr. Vizconde. Remember, time is not on your side.

***

I don’t know the woman who claimed she was raped by a policeman inside the Manila Police Headquarters. But let me make an appeal for her.

Let’s join her and everybody else in LOOKING FOR THE SUSPECT. The photo of the suspect has been aired on television so let’s keep our eyes and ears wide open for him when we’re on the road.

Isipin na lang nating proteksiyon rin ito para sa ating mga anak o kapatid na babae, asawa, nanay o girlfriend.

I tend to believe the woman because the policeman has gone on absence without official leave (AWOL). Otherwise, he would have readily come out and denied the supposed crime to safeguard his honor.

If the Manila Police will post copies of the policeman on the Internet, or on walls in malls and other busy, strategic areas, catching that maniac in uniform would be a lot easier

***

From our blogmates:

ROMY SOLINA of Makati on Hubert Webb:

Bilib pa rin ako na talagang si Hubert ang salarin. At saka, bakit walang kibo ang kanyang mga kasama? Suspetsa ko isa sa mga wanted (si Filart o si Ventura) sana ang magpapatutoo sa salaysay ni (Jessica) Alfaro, pero hindi makasalita. Kasi, parang may Mafia code of silence ang barkada. Anyway, kung mapatunayan na hindi si Hubert ang salarin, dapat parusahan lahat ng nagdiin sa kaniya.

LEE ANN ABELLAR of Ronda town, Cebu:

There is no way or any chance to solve the economic crisis if (some) greedy, public servants still reap the bounty from people's taxes to live high end lifestyles while the rest of us wonder when will our misery end. To amend what is crooked is like reaching for the stars. That's the fact. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that this administration can simply make a difference.

***

This is OUR CORNER. Not just mine, OURS. Your views and reactions, will be most welcome everyday of the week. Just be sure to include your complete name and email address, and contact number if possible. I will be online starting at 6 a.m. 30

INVESTIGATE THE PROSECUTORS

It’s time to INVESTIGATE the Ombudsman prosecutors behind the Carlos Garcia plea bargain deal.

It’s time to find out what made Garcia VERY, VERY SPECIAL to them that as early as February last year, they had already agreed to a plea bargain for him

So special in fact that the plea bargain was signed JUST A MONTH after Garcia’s bid for bail was denied by the Sandiganbayan on Jan. 7, the evidence against him being strong.

GANOON KABILIS KUMILOS ang mga prosecutors, mga kababayan. Pagkilos na PUMABOR KAY GARCIA, hindi para sa bansa na siyang kliyente nila

Of greater importance to find out is the basis for the Ombudsman prosecutors in allowing Garcia to keep almost half of his questionable wealth, and the formula used in arriving at the amount to be returned to the Government.

This despite the fact that Garcia’s wife, Clarita, had declared in writing that he had accepted gifts, monies and cash for travel expenses from companies that were awarded military contracts. The travel expenses included shopping money for her from $10,000 to $20,000.

Suddenly, I wonder if it’s really just P300 million plus which was amassed by Garcia. I have a feeling it’s a lot, lot more.

***

The plan of MMDA boss Francis Tolentino to build rotundas in various areas to ease traffic is good. But the problem is that will take time and a considerable portion of the drastically reduced MMDA budget.

You might want to consider the following, sir:

First, open up key intersections and turns which triggered massive traffic jams after they were closed by your predecessor.

Examples of these are the EDSA-Roosevelt Ave. intersection and the left turn to North Ave. in Quezon City, coming from EDSA, both in Quezon City and the left turn to Buendia coming from Taft Ave.

It would be best for you, sir, to observe these areas yourself. It won’t take you 10 minutes to grasp the situation.

Second, work for the immediate return of the 12 midnight to 6 a.m. only travel time for container or trailer trucks.

Third, immediately FIRE traffic enforcers who ignore traffic lights and instead give undue priority to vehicles going into or coming out from villages of the super-rich.

Good examples of this, Mr. Tolentino, are the approaches to the subdivisions of the rich along the Alabang-Zapote Road in Muntinlupa.

Please find time for my observations and suggestions, sir. I KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING. THANKS and God Bless!

***

Congratulations to the House of Representatives for adopting a code of conduct that stops ABUSES commonly committed by some congressmen since God knows when.

Not only is the code TIMELY, it is also comprehensive and SPECIFIC that the PASAWAY will find it difficult to go around its provisions to escape punishment in case they violate it.

Among the code’s vital provisions are:

Congressmen cannot receive compensation from private individuals.

Congressmen cannot accept a position in government or in a state-owned corporation , including those created by Congress during his term, and will lose his House seat if he does.

House members cannot appear as lawyers for or take any financial interest in a contract or franchise granted during his term.

And most of all, congressmen cannot intervene in any manner before any office of the government for personal benefit or where the member may be called upon to act on account of the member’s office.

This code will rekindle FAITH and HOPE for a truly IMPARTIAL Congress that will work for the people’s welfare, and not for the members’ own concerns or those of vested-interest groups

Hats off to Speaker Sonny Belmonte and the entire House. Please implement this code TO THE LETTER.

***

From our blogmates:

NENITA SALAO of Paranaque on all our blogs:

I have read them all. I’m just curious, how in the world did the concerned people not think about it? i suppose they are all educated enough to analyze everything and think of what they should be doing.

ROMY SOLINA of Makati on Jessica Alfaro:

Kung ako si Alfaro, bakit pa ako babalik? Tapos na ang ginawa ko. Sino ba ang mga SC na hindi naniwala sa akin, samantalang lahat ng nakarinig at nakakita sa akin ay naniwala. Gusto lang ng SC na humanap ng palusot.

FIL ELEFANTE of Quezon City on the Carlos Garcia case: I don’t agree with what happened with Garcia’s trial with the Sandiganbayan. Personally, I prefer to criticize a person's action but refrain from villifying his character or the institution he represents, in this case, the Sandiganbayan or the Ombudsman. Keep it up. It's an interesting read and I always welcome a differing opinion or view because that's one way to remind myself to keep an open mind. I don't have a monopoly on the truth. MARIBEL NIALA of Quezon City on the South Luzon Expressway toll increase: I agree that we should have more credible plans and visible infrastructure to justify the toll hike and all. In the end, we want results and not just lip service from the government. Unless the system changes, we cannot move on and be where we want our country to be. We should be vigilant and become good citizens to make all these happen. *** This is OUR CORNER. Not just mine, OURS. Your views and reactions will be most welcome everyday of the week. Just be sure to include your complete name and email address, and contact number if possible. I will be online starting at 6 a.m.

Who's in charge, or will be in charge?

I’m getting WORRIED over the toll hikes on the expressways and the incoming increases in transport fares.

Not that I don’t have any money.

It’s because there seems to be NO PLAN in place on how to help the people cope up with the added financial burden. There’s no clear picture either on what will be done once the public sentiment heats up and approaches the boiling point.

Anyway you put it, the fare increases are ADDITIONAL EXPENSES.

Added costs of living which could have been otherwise spent by the family on basic necessities like food and school needs. And not everybody can afford these added costs of living.

Having the money now to pay for them is one thing.

Losing or depriving yourself, or your loved ones, of something equally important is an entirely different story.

So who’s to blame if protest actions start breaking out left and right? Who will be responsible for maintaining peace and order? Where can the people go to earn extra money to pay these increases?

WHO’S IN CHARGE, OR WILL BE IN CHARGE?

***

WANTED: A warrior of a senator or congressman with BALLS OF STEEL and the HEART OF A PEASANT.

For what? To author a bill that will LIMIT the number of times, and REASONS, oil companies can raise prices, and fight for it all the way, THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER, until it becomes law.

Para mabawasan, kundi man magwakas, ang KASUWAPANGAN at PANLOLOKO ng mga oil companies sa atin.

As we all know, oil companies use every reason they can think of in raising prices – from the slightest increase in the world market to movements in the foreign exchange rate to armed conflicts in oil producing nations.

They can do so LEGALLY, meaning the law allows them to.

Never mind if they had bought their existing stocks at prices BEFORE they jacked up the costs of their products,

But take note, the oil companies NEVER PRESENT any hard data to justify their price increases. All we have is their VERBAL, SELF-SERVING explanations.

So bakit ko naman sinabing panloloko?

Oil companies complain to high heavens of LOSSES everytime they increase prices. But take a look at their declaration of income every year-end and you will see that their profits never fall below the BILLION-PESO MARK.

Sa P1 bilyon na lang, tubo ang mga oil companies ng halos P3 milyon ISANG ARAW. LUGI PA SILA NUNG LAGAY NA IYON.

Only a law can stop, or minimize, all these GREED, Wriiting laws is the job of senators and congressmen. Kaya kung sinuman ang magmamalasakit, iyon ang dapat maging presidente sa 2016.

***

From our blogmates:

MARIBEL NIALA of Quezon City on the Carlos Garcia ‘miracle’:

Money always talks. This is always true in the Philippine setting. When can we ever have a graft and corruption-free government?

LEE ANN ABELLAR of Ronda town, Cebu on Gov. Chavit Singson:

When i read earlier that Gov. Chavit Singson asked that Sen. Ping Lacson be expelled from the Senate first before the same is done to his congressman-son Ronald, natawa ako. What was he thinking? He’s like a 7-year-old boy caught by his mother doing something fishy. When his mother is about to discipline him, he appeals to his mother to punish his other brother first for being naughty. too. Sen. Lacson and Rep. Ronald are facing DIFFERENT charges. Kaya..wag niyang pangunahan.

LEAH SALVADOR of Las PInas on Sen. Ping Lacson:

I had admired Sen. Ping's battlecry before against corruption. Do you remember-- BE NOT AFRAID! But it seems he has since eaten those words by hiding rather than facing murder charges against him.

EDWIN GALVEZ of Makati on my New Year’s wish for a special fund for those who want to become priests:

I agree that more people should support priestly vocations.

I'm a servant at Greenbelt Chapel and I've seen personal efforts from my co-servants to support seminarians. I wish I could do more than (just) pursue an advocacy to this end.

Perhaps, being the editor of our newsletter, (I can) invite individuals and companies to do a PR campaign supporting priestly vocations. Hmmm. Something I'd probably do in 2011. God bless.

JOSEPH CARPIO of Las PInas:

Have started reading your daily blog. Where do you get all those info? Congratulations and keep it up.

***

This is OUR CORNER. Not just mine, OURS. Your views and reactions, for or against mine, will be most welcome everyday of the week. Just be sure to include your complete name and email address, and contact number if possible. I will be online starting at 6 a.m. 30

INTERESTING, SICKENING

The Carlos Garcia ‘miracle’ is getting to be more INTERESTING and SICKENING.

For those who don’t know, Garcia’s motion for bail was filed on Dec. 16 before the Sandiganbayan 2^nd Division. Motions for bail are usually heard three days after the filing.

Pero MALAKAS pa pala sa bagyong Ondoy si Garcia sa Sandiganbayan dahil dininig at inaprobahan ang motion niya, at agad ding niutos na palayain siya, NOON DING ARAW NA IYON.

Bets are now being accepted guys, on WHAT did it take for the Sandiganbayan 2^nd Division to act FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF SOUND in approving Garcia’s bail bid and ordering his release.

An advanced Christmas gift to Garcia?

As the bagets would say: HALERR, ARE YOU WITH US? To which I will add: WHAT YEAR WERE YOU BORN?

NAKAKAKILABOT na KARAGAPALAN ito.

And you know what could be the CHILLING truth behind all these guys? The Garcia ‘miracle’ could very well be one big collusion, or sabwatan.

I dare say so because Ombudsman prosecutors first pull off a plea bargain with Garcia despite OVERWHELMING proof of his CORRUPT practices.

Comes the Sandiganbayan 2^nd Division next with lightning-speed action in granting bail to Garcia following the plea bargain.

***

That’s why to Ombudsman prosecutors, MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO SA BALAT NINYO for claiming that insufficient evidence against Garcia was the justification for the plea bargain.

How dare you INSULT the people’s intelligence.

In case you’re unaware, guys, Garcia’s wife Clarita had declared in writing that he had accepted gifts, monies and cash for travel expenses from companies that were awarded military contracts for roads, bridges and housing projects.

Clarita also admitted that the travel expenses included shopping money for her from $10,000 to $20,000.

UMAMIN na nga iyong kasabwat sa krimen, mahina pa rin ang ebidensiya?

What about these assets which Garcia has agreed to turn over to the governmentt, in effect admitting that he’s the owner: a Trump Park Avenue condominium in New York, USA worth P43.155 million; real estate in Iloilo (P10.69 million), Batangas (P7.60 million), Baguio (P2.8 million) and Guimaras (P165,372); seven vehicles worth P4.42 million; cash and money in Philippine banks, P52.51 million; cash in US banks worth P13.85 million; 20,000 shares of stocks in IJT Caregiver and 3,000 shares of stock in Katamnan Corp.?

Garcia had FAILED to present proof that he had acquired these riches LEGALLY or LEGITIMATELY.

If these UNEXPLAINED WEALTH is still INSUFFICIENT PROOF, then how do Ombudsman prosecutors describe them -- corporate giveaways, raffle prizes from the local carnival? SHAME ON YOU!

***

I see two reasons behind Malacanang’s insistence on the legalization of the Truth Commission.

First and foremost, the Truth Commission is the only BLACK PROPAGANDA machine they can use with a semblance of legitimacy in attacking political enemies of President Noynoy,

If they want to hit, or should I say malign, anybody without looking like the oppressor, all that the Palace has to say is the information came from a complaint before the Truth Commission.

Second, the Truth Commission is the best COVER FOR THE INCOMPETENCE of Malacanang’s legal boys,

The Palace’s determination to have the Truth Commission only proves that it doesn’t have ENOUGH evidence to charge and successfully prosecute former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in court for alleged fraud.

Otherwise, Mrs. Arroyo and members of her Administration WOULD HAVE BEEN BUSY BY NOW ATTENDING hearings or court trials for various anomalies they consistently link her too.

Without the Truth Commission, Malacanang knows they won’t have anything to use in attacking the Arroyo Administration, and could very well find themselves on the defensive before they know it.

Which may eventually translate to being the BEGINNING OF THE END for them.

***

From our blogmates:

MARIBEL NIALA of Quezon City on Rep. Ronald Singson:

I perfectly agree that Singson should resign out of "delicadeza" so to speak.

As the saying goes, no matter how well you have done, once you have broken the trust, it’s hard to even recall the good. This is obviously a "one time, big time" blow for Singson but i think this is the consequence he would have to face.

On wishes for 2011:

If I can also have one wish, i would ask for poverty to cease and corruption to end.

LEE ANN ABELLAR of Ronda tpwn, Cebu on Sen. Ping Lacson:

It doesn't take a genius to get the real score why Sen. Ping Lacson is hiding like a street. If he still insists that he's innocent, then patunayan niya.... and come. After all, any charges against him shall pass through due process..if found guilty, then he must pay the price.

***

This is OUR CORNER. Not just mine, OURS. Your views and reactions, for or against mine, will be most welcome everyday of the week. Just be sure to include your complete name and email address, and contact number if possible. I will be online starting at 6 a.m. 30

Why don't you go to Jessica instead?

To Mang Lauro Vizconde and his supporters: If Jessica Alfaro won’t come home, then WHY DON’T YOU GO TO HER instead?

There are other ways to get Jessica’s testimony again if you’re really dead sure that she can boost the chances of your appeal for a reversal of the acquittal of Hubert Webb and his gang.

You and Justice department guys can go to her wherever she is and record, both on audio and video tape, her answers to questions that will be asked by investigators.

The government knows you don’t have the money, Mang Lauro.

But President Noynoy himself had said he wanted a closure to the massacre of your family.

You still have loyal supporters, as what he had seen on television when the acquittal of Webb’s group was broadcast. Various individuals are now filing legal actions in support of your quest for justice.

Financial support, therefore, should not be a big problem.

But if it will be, a TELECONFERENCE among Jessica, you and Justice Sec. Leila de Lima with her handpicked team can be a lot cheaper alternative.

Don’t get me wrong, guys, but it’s a BIG WASTE OF TIME and EFFORT to repeatedly ask Jessica to come home and talk again on the massacre.

She has a BIGGER REASON now to fear for her safety.

The boys she had helped put in jail are FREE, with their families’ wealth and influence intact. FREE TO DO ANYTHING they want.

Secondly, it’s back to a LIFE OF HIDING and CONTROLLED, LIMITED MOVEMENTS for her if she returns home just to again narrate what she had already declared in court.

She will have to GIVE UP EVERYTHING she now enjoys – a new life, her job, a family if she already has one, FREEDOM to do whatever she likes or to go wherever she wants to anytime, you name it.

It will be a HALLUCINATION to think that Jessica will again risk everything she has while Webb and his tribe FREELY rebuild their lives.

Keep an open mind in your quest for justice, Mang Lauro. Save your strength. You’ll need it.

***

The House of Representatives CANNOT DECIDE for the Senate.

locos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson must keep this in mind before he again calls for the expulsion of fugitive Sen. Ping Lacson first before his congressman-son Ronald.

Governor, Ping is a senator. Ronald is a congressman.

Even if Lacson has already been in hiding for murder charges months before Ronald was arrested in Hong Kong for possessing cocaine, the senator is not answerable to the House of Representatives.

Neither can the House discipline Ping. Your demand, governor Chavit, is SENSIBLE ONLY if Lacson is also a congressman.

It’s perfectly understandable, governor, for you to defend Ronald against any and all attacks to his personality because of the drug raps he is facing.

But please, STAY IN TOUCH with reality and don’t destroy yourself in the process.

Instead of giving Ronald the benefit of the doubt, show to the Filipino people the gentleman and the Christian in you by asking your son to resign from the House.

As I had stated in my blog yesterday, the bottom line is cocaine is an UNLAWFUL stuff which should not be used or possessed by anybody.

But Ronald, governor, was CAUGHT IN THE ACT of bringing it with him to Hong Kong. He was a lawmaker who DELIBERATELY broke the law.

It would be BEST for you, governor, to just keep quiet and wait for the fate of Ronald.

Believe me, YOU WILL LOSE whatever respect your constituents and the rest of the Filipino people still have on you If you won’t. I’m sure you would not want that to happen.

***

On second thought, the Senate owes the people an explanation on why it has practically DONE NOTHING in the case of Sen. Ping.

We have not heard of any manhunt or similar effort by the Senate to find Lacson since he began hiding almost a year ago. There has also been no known assistance by the chamber to the forces looking for their fugitive colleague.

Not even an investigation on the charges against Lacson has been initiated to find out the truth about his supposed role in the Dacer-Corbito murders.

And except for stopping all the monetary releases due Lacson’s office, there has been no known disciplinary action of any kind by the Senate against Ping for his continued refusal to surrender.

It would be interesting to find out the reason behind this kid glove treatment of Lacson by his colleague, despite the gravity of the criminal charges he is facing.

***

This is OUR CORNER. Not just mine, OURS. Your views and reactions, for or against mine, will be most welcome everyday of the week. Just be sure to include your complete name and email address, and contact number if possible. I will be online starting at 6 a.m. 30

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