I am reposting this article because I believe that the over 12M OFWs around the globe is a big voting bloc to reckon with which will definitely reshape the landscape of Philippine Politics. Whether or not the OFW is registered as an Overseas Absentee Voter (OAV), he can still participate by convincing members of his immediate families and relatives to actively participate in the election processes and to vote for the right candidates, especially those who look after the welfare and protection of the OFWs.
Thoughts, reflections, insights, anecdotes, and experiences of a Filipino expatriate at the desert coast by the Red Sea. What else? Oh yes, it includes the faces, places, food, sounds, culture, and the everyday life!
Showing posts with label Election 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Election 2010. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
OFWs Vote to Make a Big Difference!
I am reposting this article because I believe that the over 12M OFWs around the globe is a big voting bloc to reckon with which will definitely reshape the landscape of Philippine Politics. Whether or not the OFW is registered as an Overseas Absentee Voter (OAV), he can still participate by convincing members of his immediate families and relatives to actively participate in the election processes and to vote for the right candidates, especially those who look after the welfare and protection of the OFWs.
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Jason Aguilar Ivler – Jason Aguilar Story Rhymes: Mistaken Identity or Sheer Stupidity?
One does not need to be a genius or to be in the intelligence service to figure out the identity because it is obviously very clear! [redundance intended]
Yet another thing evident in this incident should make us OFWs wary and to start thinking twice of our safety.
Nope... we should not fear becoming the next victim of Jason Aguilar Ivler. He's not that interested in us unless we fit into the conditions required for his carnage: (1) traffic altercation, and (not an or) (2) a Malacanang official/member of the official's immediate family. Interesting luck of the draw if the traffic incidents were just plain coincidental. He was guilty of the death of Malacanang Undersecretary Nestor Ponce, Jr. in 2004 in a traffic accident and in November 2009 is again wanted for allegedly shooting the only son of Presidential Chief of Staff Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr. in another traffic altercation.
No, we should not worry of another mistaken identity unless we are a namesake of Jason Aquino who are scattered out there in hundreds. I'm glad my name is the only one in this entire world... a name I previously had an aversion to.
What sends chills to my spines is our 'protectors' competence and capability to safeguard and keep from harm the millions of Filipino diaspora workers...
If OWWA and the Philippine Embassy in Qatar failed to provide the much needed legal assistance and representation to one innocent soul what else could we expect from our so called 'protectors'?
What will then happen to around 3,000 OFWs in the Middle East who are detained for crimes ranging from petty misdeameanors to capital crimes and all the other OFWs in the other continents languishing in jail?
To be put in jail for a crime he did not actually commit is an injustice; staying in jail for an uncertain time without any legal representation is an additional injustice; and being repatriated because of mistaken identity, that shattered the OFW's hopes and dreams, is sheer stupidity to the highest degree by the government officials who are responsible for this.
Who are responsible for this blooper? The NBI... OWWA... POEA... Philippine Embassy in Qatar... the Qatari authorities?
Now, can anyone please assure the OFWs that this trepidation and frightening thought is not true and the Jason Aguilar mistaken identity does not happen again?
A good read:
Soy Negrense's I Call It Plain Stupidity!
Soy Negrense's I Call It Plain Stupidity!
For additional references:
GMA News TV Gov't blunder shatters dreams of OFW mistaken for a fugitive
Philstar.com Ivler namesake deported from Qatar
GMA News TV Gov't blunder shatters dreams of OFW mistaken for a fugitive
Philstar.com Ivler namesake deported from Qatar
Inquirer.net's Namesake of road rage suspect deported to Manila
ABS-CBNNews.Com Mistaken identity destroys OFW's dreams
ABS-CBNNews.Com Mistaken identity destroys OFW's dreams
This corner appreciates the help and support of the staunch OFW supporter and senatorial candidate Ms. Susan "Toots" Ople of the Blas Ople Policy Center for spearheading the inquiry and the demand for explanation from the Philippine authorities of the failure in providing assistance and legal representation to Jason Aguilar while he was detained in Doha, Qatar. Thank you very much Ms. Toots.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Justice for the Victims of the Maguindanao Massacre
It is a tragic thing that something like this happened within a few months before GMA finally winds up her term of office. After the celebration of victories of Manny Pacquiao and Efren Penaflorida’s win, which made every Pinoy anywhere in the world proud, the Philippines was once again put on the world map. This time not for something that every Juan will be proud of but for something atrocious and horrifying that even the UN had to issue a statement about it. What a shame!Indeed, it is something shameful, a moment of defeat, the triumph of superciliousness, the party of the wicked politicos that leaves us walking down here in the streets of a foreign land bowing down our heads in dismay and shame. The once proud Pinoys have nothing more to say but to accept the failure of our government to build a nation where peace prevails and for the citizenry to be protected by a government that is administered by the rules of law and not by the rules of guns and goons.
I was born in Cotabato City and lived the first 17 years of my life in the valley surrounded by mountain ranges in Upi, Maguindanao. I had my share of the arms conflict – evacuating from place to place, jumping and hiding in foxholes surrounded by sandbags, and coming back to our home that has been fully ransacked and looted by the hypothetically protectors and implementers of peace. I thought that such savage and barbaric acts were already things of the past until it is displayed once again before our very eyes. This horrendous crime brings pain and anguish to a once upon a time a Maguindanaoan-lad.
Do we care for the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre or are we pensive and engrossed with just the extras and supplementary?
Here are links for your further readings:
How Maguindanao massacre will affect 2010 polls
Join FaceBook Pages:
Friday, October 30, 2009
An Open Letter to FVR as written by his niece...
It's Friday today and supposedly a weekend here at the desert but I found myself and the rest of my staff at the office trying to beat the deadline of our Department's 2010 Business Plan. Browsing through my Facebook's Live Feed to break the monotony of numbers in the Capex and Opex, I saw a link to the blog that attracted my attention. I felt it appropriate to spend some few minutes of my limited time to post it in my blog so some readers who are within my reach would also know about it.
Here is a re-post "An Open Letter to FVR" from Notes from an Insomniac... forays into things elliptical by Lila R. Shahani.
Lila is the youngest daughter of Senator Letecia Ramos-Shahani and the sister of Ranjit, who was a friend at UP Diliman when we were still students some few years (many many years) ago. Lila is currently working on her doctorate at Oxford and is doing editorial work for the UN in NY on the side.
I am impressed and touched by her posts of which i am sure, comes with sincerity from her heart.
Luckily, as I re-post this, a sequel to Lila's open letter has been posted in her blog. It might also interest you to read Descending into Bathos...
--------------------------------------------------
Breaking my silence finally. My new blog, which begins with an open letter -- a letter conveying a lifetime of admiration, bewilderment and the occasional sense of dismay -- to a beloved uncle.
14 October 2009
Dear Uncle Ed,
I was very relieved to hear that you were all safe and sound in the wake of Ondoy and Pepeng. But how devastating that our people had to go through two such onslaughts (particularly in Pangasinan, Ilocos and Manila -- all of which remain very close to our hearts) one after the other! I hope and pray that the flooding eventually subsides and people are rehabilitated safely. And if Napocor and the San Roque people are in fact partially responsible for the terrible flooding in Pangasinan, I sincerely hope that they are made to face their day in court.
I thought I would write you because I’m concerned about some things that have been happening at home. I am not sure who you will endorse for president but I know that it will most likely tip the balance again, much in the way that your endorsements have done in the past. I have never felt the need to write you before, although I have always carefully observed your decisions through the years.
And I certainly had questions -- questions about human rights during the martial law years, military logging under the Marcos administration, the signing of IPP contracts after the power crisis (and the high cost of electricity for consumers), the San Roque dam, PEA/Amari, the Fort Bonifacio conversion/privatization program, the VFA, the Centennial celebration, the endorsement of Joe de V and the continued support of GMA until the bitter end. I was relieved to learn that you had been cleared of any wrongdoing in the PEA/Amari case, but always wondered whether your decision to endorse Joe de V (which was after all a party decision as well) was inextricably linked to it.
Why am I bringing all this up now? Only to say that, as your niece, I have had many questions about your decisions through the years, but none that ever made me feel the need to engage with you at length. To begin with, ours was not a particularly discursive relationship. More importantly, I always felt the need to give you the benefit of the doubt, and trusted that you had the best interests of the Filipino people at heart.
And there was certainly ample evidence that you had done tremendous things in your lifetime. Not only were you a hero of EDSA 1: you had had a brilliant military career and were arguably one of the best presidents the country has ever had. Winning by only a small margin, you turned what might have been a costly liability into the success of pluralism. With liberalization and deregulation during your term, FDI increased and the economy as a whole remained strong, even throughout the Asian financial crisis. In fact, privatization, revenue generation through a VAT on luxury goods and services, working with the communist and Muslim insurgency, and focusing on OFW rights (particularly in the case of Flor Contemplacion) -- were all hallmarks of your administration, and certainly the kind of decisions my Fletcher professors would have applauded. Indeed, the suggestions of corruption were minimal, seen in the context of all your positive contributions and in comparison with preceding and succeeding presidents. Without a doubt.
But I finally had to break my silence after having watched the Ondoy aftermath with horror, realizing that our government was as much to blame for the colossal loss of life and habitation in the country as was climate change. As an engineer, you know that the flooding was also due to poor civil engineering, urban planning and zoning; lack of waste management; lack of education and corruption.
The thought of your supporting Gibo (or even a Villar/Escudero tandem, for that matter, in the event that Gibo has become too unpopular since Ondoy) was finally enough to make me put pen to paper. Without a doubt, Gibo is “incomparably competent,” but then so were Joe de V and GMA, Uncle Ed -- and look what happened. I understand that you supported GMA because you wanted macroeconomic stability in the country above all, particularly in the apparent absence of any viable alternatives.
But I think the sweep of history speaks for itself: competent candidates with strong party affiliations are not necessarily going to be good leaders, nor will they necessarily be what the people want. Because they lack a certain basic honesty, and I suspect the people sense that. If Gibo were sincere, why would he stay with Lakas-CMD, particularly now that the merger with Kampi has been honored by the Supreme Court? Surely the ruling party has been discredited at this point, in view of everything GMA has done? There really is no need to enumerate anymore: I think, by now, we’re all pretty familiar with what those things are.
Even Obama was reluctant to have an audience with her, and overseas Filipinos continue to refuse to send money to the Ondoy victims through their embassies and consulates, so deep indeed is their distrust of the government! Moreover, his performance in the post-Ondoy relief effort has hardly been stellar, as you must have already noted. Gibo is also undoubtedly backed by Danding (despite the alleged rift), which suggests that the two things that very much impede progress in our country -- monopolies and oligarchy itself -- will ultimately remain unchanged. This is ostensibly the reason why many young people remain wary of Chiz/Loren or Villar/Escudero. As for Manny V, his meteoric rise to power is nothing short of impressive, to be sure, but his proclivity for engaging in back-room deals has certainly not gone unnoticed. In short, what we see in these candidates appears to be more of the same -- a position, I might add, we can no longer afford, and certainly not at this critical moment in our nation’s history.
Of course Erap’s decision to run will split up the opposition even further, which certainly strengthens the ruling party’s hand. But perhaps my biggest fear about Gibo (apart from the very real possibility that, in subtle ways, the ruling party might cheat) has to do with the fact that charter change appears to be imminent, in which case, if GMA runs for Congress in the meantime, it is not entirely inconceivable that she could become our next Prime Minister. To be sure, you would be granted the same type of soft power you’ve been granted during GMA’s administration, but is it really worth it in the end, Uncle Ed? Do you really want to go down in history as the guy who saved GMA after “Hello, Garci” and who continued to hand the country down to its unscrupulous elite from one administration to another? Isn’t the respect of the young -- and of history itself -- the most important thing, at the end of the day? In my humble opinion, the best way to refurbish the fading Eddie brand now is to do the right thing and heed the will of the people.
Noynoy, of course, is less than perfect: we all know that. His record is remarkable only in its lack of remarkable achievements, and he certainly isn’t a particularly brilliant thinker or charismatic speaker. But he has never been tainted by any suggestions of corruption and does not appear to have the propensity to throw his weight around. He is apparently thoughtful, respectful and humble, and we can only hope that his lineage will encourage him to sacrifice for the country the way his extraordinary parents did. Because of this inimitable heritage, he is now the one candidate with the potential to unite the opposition against the ruling party. For his part, Mar is no slouch, moreover, and the Liberal Party appears to have some progressive elements.
The point is: the people are clearly tired, not just of the “bickering,” as you say, but of the trapos themselves, and are willing to bet on someone who falls very far outside the standard mold (Noynoy is, if you will, a reluctant Cojuangco, something many respect and appreciate). At any rate, I sincerely hope you will consider my thoughts -- the thoughts of a young Filipina who loves her country immeasurably -- when you make your decision.
But none of this changes my love and respect for you, Uncle Ed. I’m just sorely disappointed and hope that, for once in my life, you might actually recognize that I'm old enough to make my own assessments. Nor does this mean that I’m not a “team player.” Because my definition of teamwork is not that you command the team and everyone is thereby obligated to obey you. Instead, team members should be able to have different view points, while still working together for the greater good of the collective whole. In fact, democratic exchange within the team can often enhance the quality of its collective decisions on the whole.
I sincerely hope that you place the country over any other considerations and choose the candidate who is really best for the country, and not in terms of who might further consolidate the tremendous power you already wield.
I hope you won’t be offended by what I have written (and hope you understand if I decide to include some of these ideas in my new blog) but, at 42, I think I’m finally entitled to my own opinion, Uncle Ed. You are after all the only father figure I have ever had (although you may not know it) and I’m writing you the way I would have written my own father, had I just been given a chance.
Please take care of yourself.
Love always,
Lil
Dear Uncle Ed,
I was very relieved to hear that you were all safe and sound in the wake of Ondoy and Pepeng. But how devastating that our people had to go through two such onslaughts (particularly in Pangasinan, Ilocos and Manila -- all of which remain very close to our hearts) one after the other! I hope and pray that the flooding eventually subsides and people are rehabilitated safely. And if Napocor and the San Roque people are in fact partially responsible for the terrible flooding in Pangasinan, I sincerely hope that they are made to face their day in court.
I thought I would write you because I’m concerned about some things that have been happening at home. I am not sure who you will endorse for president but I know that it will most likely tip the balance again, much in the way that your endorsements have done in the past. I have never felt the need to write you before, although I have always carefully observed your decisions through the years.
And I certainly had questions -- questions about human rights during the martial law years, military logging under the Marcos administration, the signing of IPP contracts after the power crisis (and the high cost of electricity for consumers), the San Roque dam, PEA/Amari, the Fort Bonifacio conversion/privatization program, the VFA, the Centennial celebration, the endorsement of Joe de V and the continued support of GMA until the bitter end. I was relieved to learn that you had been cleared of any wrongdoing in the PEA/Amari case, but always wondered whether your decision to endorse Joe de V (which was after all a party decision as well) was inextricably linked to it.
Why am I bringing all this up now? Only to say that, as your niece, I have had many questions about your decisions through the years, but none that ever made me feel the need to engage with you at length. To begin with, ours was not a particularly discursive relationship. More importantly, I always felt the need to give you the benefit of the doubt, and trusted that you had the best interests of the Filipino people at heart.
And there was certainly ample evidence that you had done tremendous things in your lifetime. Not only were you a hero of EDSA 1: you had had a brilliant military career and were arguably one of the best presidents the country has ever had. Winning by only a small margin, you turned what might have been a costly liability into the success of pluralism. With liberalization and deregulation during your term, FDI increased and the economy as a whole remained strong, even throughout the Asian financial crisis. In fact, privatization, revenue generation through a VAT on luxury goods and services, working with the communist and Muslim insurgency, and focusing on OFW rights (particularly in the case of Flor Contemplacion) -- were all hallmarks of your administration, and certainly the kind of decisions my Fletcher professors would have applauded. Indeed, the suggestions of corruption were minimal, seen in the context of all your positive contributions and in comparison with preceding and succeeding presidents. Without a doubt.
But I finally had to break my silence after having watched the Ondoy aftermath with horror, realizing that our government was as much to blame for the colossal loss of life and habitation in the country as was climate change. As an engineer, you know that the flooding was also due to poor civil engineering, urban planning and zoning; lack of waste management; lack of education and corruption.
The thought of your supporting Gibo (or even a Villar/Escudero tandem, for that matter, in the event that Gibo has become too unpopular since Ondoy) was finally enough to make me put pen to paper. Without a doubt, Gibo is “incomparably competent,” but then so were Joe de V and GMA, Uncle Ed -- and look what happened. I understand that you supported GMA because you wanted macroeconomic stability in the country above all, particularly in the apparent absence of any viable alternatives.
But I think the sweep of history speaks for itself: competent candidates with strong party affiliations are not necessarily going to be good leaders, nor will they necessarily be what the people want. Because they lack a certain basic honesty, and I suspect the people sense that. If Gibo were sincere, why would he stay with Lakas-CMD, particularly now that the merger with Kampi has been honored by the Supreme Court? Surely the ruling party has been discredited at this point, in view of everything GMA has done? There really is no need to enumerate anymore: I think, by now, we’re all pretty familiar with what those things are.
Even Obama was reluctant to have an audience with her, and overseas Filipinos continue to refuse to send money to the Ondoy victims through their embassies and consulates, so deep indeed is their distrust of the government! Moreover, his performance in the post-Ondoy relief effort has hardly been stellar, as you must have already noted. Gibo is also undoubtedly backed by Danding (despite the alleged rift), which suggests that the two things that very much impede progress in our country -- monopolies and oligarchy itself -- will ultimately remain unchanged. This is ostensibly the reason why many young people remain wary of Chiz/Loren or Villar/Escudero. As for Manny V, his meteoric rise to power is nothing short of impressive, to be sure, but his proclivity for engaging in back-room deals has certainly not gone unnoticed. In short, what we see in these candidates appears to be more of the same -- a position, I might add, we can no longer afford, and certainly not at this critical moment in our nation’s history.
Of course Erap’s decision to run will split up the opposition even further, which certainly strengthens the ruling party’s hand. But perhaps my biggest fear about Gibo (apart from the very real possibility that, in subtle ways, the ruling party might cheat) has to do with the fact that charter change appears to be imminent, in which case, if GMA runs for Congress in the meantime, it is not entirely inconceivable that she could become our next Prime Minister. To be sure, you would be granted the same type of soft power you’ve been granted during GMA’s administration, but is it really worth it in the end, Uncle Ed? Do you really want to go down in history as the guy who saved GMA after “Hello, Garci” and who continued to hand the country down to its unscrupulous elite from one administration to another? Isn’t the respect of the young -- and of history itself -- the most important thing, at the end of the day? In my humble opinion, the best way to refurbish the fading Eddie brand now is to do the right thing and heed the will of the people.
Noynoy, of course, is less than perfect: we all know that. His record is remarkable only in its lack of remarkable achievements, and he certainly isn’t a particularly brilliant thinker or charismatic speaker. But he has never been tainted by any suggestions of corruption and does not appear to have the propensity to throw his weight around. He is apparently thoughtful, respectful and humble, and we can only hope that his lineage will encourage him to sacrifice for the country the way his extraordinary parents did. Because of this inimitable heritage, he is now the one candidate with the potential to unite the opposition against the ruling party. For his part, Mar is no slouch, moreover, and the Liberal Party appears to have some progressive elements.
The point is: the people are clearly tired, not just of the “bickering,” as you say, but of the trapos themselves, and are willing to bet on someone who falls very far outside the standard mold (Noynoy is, if you will, a reluctant Cojuangco, something many respect and appreciate). At any rate, I sincerely hope you will consider my thoughts -- the thoughts of a young Filipina who loves her country immeasurably -- when you make your decision.
But none of this changes my love and respect for you, Uncle Ed. I’m just sorely disappointed and hope that, for once in my life, you might actually recognize that I'm old enough to make my own assessments. Nor does this mean that I’m not a “team player.” Because my definition of teamwork is not that you command the team and everyone is thereby obligated to obey you. Instead, team members should be able to have different view points, while still working together for the greater good of the collective whole. In fact, democratic exchange within the team can often enhance the quality of its collective decisions on the whole.
I sincerely hope that you place the country over any other considerations and choose the candidate who is really best for the country, and not in terms of who might further consolidate the tremendous power you already wield.
I hope you won’t be offended by what I have written (and hope you understand if I decide to include some of these ideas in my new blog) but, at 42, I think I’m finally entitled to my own opinion, Uncle Ed. You are after all the only father figure I have ever had (although you may not know it) and I’m writing you the way I would have written my own father, had I just been given a chance.
Please take care of yourself.
Love always,
Lil
Friday, September 4, 2009
Mikey Arroyo Under Fire on YouTube
yesterday. I cannot imagine how an Atenean could give such illogical answers . He's just so dumb!
It is annoying and exasperating to the hardworking Filipinos who have been honestly doing their jobs in government service only to find out that the very leaders are amassing wealth beyond imagination of which they cannot even track anymore.
The two clips from You Tube have been posted here for you to see and judge for yourself!
MANILA, Philippines—Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo may have found himself in deeper trouble following an early morning TV interview about his ballooning net worth and P63.7-million beachfront property in the United States.
Clips of his Tuesday interview with GMA 7’s “Unang Hirit” were uploaded to the video-sharing website YouTube, triggering nasty comments—many of them apparently not fit for newspaper publication—from angry Web users.
One viewer described the lawmaker as “the world’s dum... criminal.”
“(Mikey) sucks at defending himself. If he is in court, he’ll be (cited) for contempt for utter stu...,” another commented.
Another viewer said Mikey “hanged himself on national TV” with the way he explained how his net worth jumped from P5 million in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) in 2002 to P99 million last year.
“Take note of (his) facial expressions and the tone of his voice. Talagang sinu. . . (He’s really a li...),” one viewer said.
“Another stu... son of a corrupt politician. This is exactly what happens when you have a big f_ _ _ing ego to go on air to show everyone how much assets you try to hide,” said another. “Mikey, isa kang ... (you’re st...)!”
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita Wednesday said the Palace was confident that the eldest son of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, herself under scrutiny for her growing wealth while in office, could answer the issue “adequately to the satisfaction of everybody.”
How to earn millions
But Web users were not satisfied with his explanation when they saw the two-part video clip, titled “Mikey Arroyo on Media Suicide with Igan & Winnie Monsod—How Do You Earn Millions?”
The clips were viewed 8,888 times as of Wednesday afternoon and solicited a total of 258 comments.
In the interview, broadcaster and economist Winnie Monsod, armed with copies of Mikey’s SALNs, confronted the congressman on how he accumulated all his wealth given his salary as a government employee.
YouTube viewers noticed how the lawmaker repeatedly tried to “dodge” the question only to be cornered by Monsod each time.
Gifts, campaign contributions
Finally in the second clip, a seemingly exasperated Mikey said: “Let’s put it this way. Alam nyo kasi, syempre unang-una, kinasal tayo. Medyo nagkaroon tayo ng maraming regalo. Tapos pag kampanya, eh syempre, kahit paano, maraming tumutulong sa atin (You know, first of all, I got married. I received lots of gifts. Then in the election campaign, somehow, many people helped me).”
Mikey, a Pampanga representative since 2004, said this was how his net worth increased from P76.9 million in 2005 to P99 million in 2008.
He said his P5-million net worth in his 2002 SALN was inaccurate and had been corrected the following year.
“So is it legal to pocket the money intended as campaign donation? Magna...!” commented one Web user.
Earlier in the interview, Mikey acknowledged that he owned the property at 1655 Beach Park Boulevard in Foster City, San Mateo County, in the San Francisco bay area in California.
Limited liability company
Mikey said it was owned by a company called Beach Way Park LLC (limited liability company) of which he and his family owned some 40 percent in shares.
In the United States, LLCs are small businesses similar to single proprietorships in the Philippines. They can be set up with just one person as shareholder.
Mikey refused to identify the other shareholders in the company even to dispel speculations that they were merely acting as “dummies.”
“Stop saying it’s my house. It’s a house owned by Beach Way which I’m a shareholder of,” the lawmaker, appearing incensed and uneasy, told Monsod and co-anchor Arnold Clavio.
Burden of proof on Mikey
“You know what, the law is very clear,” Monsod told Mikey. “If there is a problem, when there is a question of unexplained wealth here, the burden of proof is with you, with the government employee.”
Monsod added: “It can’t be that (we) have to prove that (you) are guilty. No, the government employee should prove that he is innocent. That’s precisely the whole objective of having a statement of assets and liabilities.”
Mikey’s appearance on the TV show stemmed from a report of Vera Files, a group of investigative reporters, that the eldest son of the President did not report in his SALN for the last two years the $1.32-million (P63.7-million) house in Foster City that he bought and transferred to his wife Angela in 2006. They got married in 2002.
Vera Files also reported that Mikey’s brother, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo, also acquired a house in the United States after he won a seat in Congress in 2007.
But unlike Mikey, Dato declared ownership of a 70-square-meter unit at the luxury full-service Gramercy Towers in San Francisco in his SALN for 2008. Dato and his wife, Victoria Celina Manotok, bought the property for P26.7 million.
Mikey said Tuesday that his family could afford to buy real estate in the United States.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
My Right to Election 2010: The Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) Registration
After all the blahblahblah... have we registered for the 2010 election?
Funny at how many of us join in discussions about the Philippine political scenario, giving strategies on how a politician could win the election, etcetera... up to the point of fighting out with our last breath up to the last drop of our blood in defense of a lucky clown who does not even know who the hell we are, then when the million dollar question is asked, we coyly answer on the negative.
When I posted the blog Gearing Up for Election 2010: Will Overseas Absentee Voting Make a Difference? last February 8, I was all set to register within a few weeks after that blogpost but the Filipinos’ infamous "hasta mañana" habit almost cost my ticket to choose the next leader in the 2010 Election.
If I was not scheduled for my vacation on the 22nd of August to the first day of September, I could have extended that enlistment up to the last day of the OAV registration on August 31. I bet you, without that vacation schedule, I would probably have forgotten all about OAV. So to put my hand where my mouth was in that blogpost, I had to do it even when the sandstorm was raging mad along the Al-Laith - Jeddah Super Highway that Thursday afternoon of August 13. I braved the very low-visibility highway to be able to reach the Philippine Consulate Office in Jeddah.
Here are some of the snapshots taken from my mobile phone that afternoon:
When I posted the blog Gearing Up for Election 2010: Will Overseas Absentee Voting Make a Difference? last February 8, I was all set to register within a few weeks after that blogpost but the Filipinos’ infamous "hasta mañana" habit almost cost my ticket to choose the next leader in the 2010 Election.
If I was not scheduled for my vacation on the 22nd of August to the first day of September, I could have extended that enlistment up to the last day of the OAV registration on August 31. I bet you, without that vacation schedule, I would probably have forgotten all about OAV. So to put my hand where my mouth was in that blogpost, I had to do it even when the sandstorm was raging mad along the Al-Laith - Jeddah Super Highway that Thursday afternoon of August 13. I braved the very low-visibility highway to be able to reach the Philippine Consulate Office in Jeddah.
Here are some of the snapshots taken from my mobile phone that afternoon:
The famous Giant Bicycle Square which is known as the world's largest bicycle according to the Guinness Book of Records. This is the landmark that I always look at to know that I am near the Philippine Consular Office in Jeddah. The Bicycle or “Darrajah” in Arabic is located at the center of Siteen Road and Amir Abdullah Street.
This is the facade of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah. It is located in Al-Sayeddah Kaddija Street, Al Faisaliyah District.
Took the chance to pose in whatever place I can especially that there was no one who will call my attention and say, "Lalalalala" (Arabic for saying No! No! No! No picture taking here!)
Here I was with my finger print taking, signature and ID picture taking.
Here is the acknowledgment receipt of my OAV registration. (A proof that I'm temporarily registered)
I still have to wait for my ID which will be mailed by COMELEC after a few months
I still have to wait for my ID which will be mailed by COMELEC after a few months
My OAV registration calls for a simple celebration at Jeddah's La Paz Batchoy Restaurant. I tried their Batchoy, Bulalo and Grilled Beef but i will reserve my comments after they will sponsor PEBA 2009...hahaha
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sen. Mar Roxas Supports Noynoy for 2010
Sept. 1, 2009, Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines - The Liberal Party President and the supposed Standard bearer Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas has pledged his support for Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino to be become the standard bearer of the Liberal Party.Noynoy was suddenly catapulted to such popularity when calls for him to seek a higher post in 2010 emerged after the death of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino.
Yet, despite the backing and preference of Former Senate president and LP chairman Franklin Drilon and former Senate President Jovito Salonga for a Mar-Noynoy tandem, with Noynoy as the vice presidential candidate (That was my combination-preference too). Mar humbly backed-out of his dream to become the President of the Republic of the Philippines.
During in an impromptu speech at Club Filipino, Mar Roxas said that he is giving his support to the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino.
"Let us not remain a country of dreamers," Roxas said in his speech. "Today I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy as the president of the Philippines."
Here's the full transcript of that speech courtesy of abs-cbnnews.com. It was very well said and I have to admit that it brought a lump to my throat.
Country above self. Bayan bago ang sarili.
Iyan ang habilin ng aking lolo, President Manuel Roxas.
Our nation is in trouble. Leadership is bankrupt. Institutions are in disarray. People are hungry.
Noynoy Aquino and I share the same outrage over the mess we are all in, the same way we share the solution-clean, honest, selfless public service.
Marami at matindi ang mga problema ng bansa. Kailangan nating ayusin. Matindi ang kalaban. We need a determined force for good far stronger than the festering evil around us.
We need to fight just as our own fathers fought dictatorship, and just as both died believing that good will conquer evil.
Noynoy and I want to make a difference, but we also know that we need to unite to achieve what we want.
I am the President of the Liberal Party.
It is within my power to preside over a potentially divisive process or to make the party a bridge for the forces of change. I choose to lead unity, not division. Bilang pinuno ng aking Partido, magdedesisyon ako.
Mahal ko ang Partido Liberal. My grandfather founded it. My father led it during the most difficult times of Martial Law. Sa harap ng peligro, sa kabila ng napakaraming tukso-hindi siya sumuko.
He inspired me-to stay the course, to fight the good fight, to pass the test of true character. To believe.
Over the weekend, Noynoy and I had many long conversations... Masinsinang usapan. We agreed: Let us forget about ourselves for a moment. This is not about us, this is about our people and our country. This is about our common dream. The dream of our parents.
But let us not remain a country of dreamers. Tama na ang pangarap. Gawin na natin, ngayon.
Today, I am announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino for President in 2010.
Noy has made it clear to me that he wants to carry the torch of leadership.
The passing of our beloved former President Aquino has reawakened a passion among us. I acknowledge this as fuel to bring us to the realization of our dream: Good will triumph over evil.
Ito na ang pinakamabigat na desisyon sa buhay ko. Maniwala man kayo o hindi, ginagawa ko ito para sa bayan, para sa inyo. I do this for unity in support of change. And if that means that somebody must make the sacrifice, it must be me. Ako na.
To you Noy, I say: I began the campaign to sow the seeds para sa pagbabago at reporma. You must now be the one to grow them in the arena of leadership.
Hindi kami maghihiwalay ni Noy. I will stand with him.
At sa aking mga kababayan, sa mga nagtiwala sa akin: Mahal na mahal ko po kayo. Mahal na mahal ko po ang ating bayan. Hindi rin tayo maghihiwalay. Itutuloy natin ang pagbabago sa ating bansa. Itutuloy natin ang laban para sa reporma!
Kay Noy, at sa aking mga kababayan: Country above self! Bayan bago sarili!
Hindi ko kayo pababayaan! Lalaban tayo!
May God bless you and may you find favor for that promotion at the right time!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
NO TO CONASS!
02 June 2009 - The passing of Resolution 1109 is a classic example of legislative privilege. It is written in the wall - their motives are already exposed and known!
The House of Congress has spoken when 170 Representatives sponsored and passed Resolution 1109 which calls for the members of the House of Congress to convene as a "CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY" or CONASS to propose amendments to the Constitution. The marching orders allegedly came from the President herself!
We should not be surprised to see dissent and disagreement, as well as anger at that turn of events at the House of Congress.
Was the rammed through, railroaded, and passed resolution a dress rehearsal for Martial Law?
As OFWs, what should be our stand on this? All we can do now is to stop this travesty from happening by displaying these badges on our blogs. Grab the badge and display on your sidebars!
We need to be informed and be updated!
Other reading materials on Charter Change!
Matrix House Proposed Charter Amendments
House Resolution No. 1109
Have You No Shame? - An Open Letter to the House of Representatives
More of the Links at A Filipina Mom Blogger's Oppose Constituent Assembly
Was the rammed through, railroaded, and passed resolution a dress rehearsal for Martial Law?
As OFWs, what should be our stand on this? All we can do now is to stop this travesty from happening by displaying these badges on our blogs. Grab the badge and display on your sidebars!
We need to be informed and be updated!
Other reading materials on Charter Change!
Matrix House Proposed Charter Amendments
House Resolution No. 1109
Have You No Shame? - An Open Letter to the House of Representatives
More of the Links at A Filipina Mom Blogger's Oppose Constituent Assembly
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Gearing Up for Election 2010: Will Overseas Absentee Voting Make a Difference?
Isla de Nebz's Blog on Infodrive-Let's Register for 2010 Elections inspired me to reinforce his call for OFW's to register for the 2010 Elections. Will the OFW vote really make a difference in this election?
A little more than two and a half decades ago, I was one of those young students who called for boycotts during elections. We would march from the State U to Mendiola in kapit-bisig fashion shouting anti-government slogans and the call to boycott plebiscites, referendum, and elections. To boycott was a call that we can no longer tolerate the political system! If we vote, we just reinforce the idea for the politicians that we tolerate the Circus where they play the clowns. To boycott was to show our care for the country by letting the politicians know that the citizenry has awakened from their political slumber, and that we're no longer traditional voters. To boycott was to let them know that they don't deserve any of our votes. I would often say that yes it’s my “right” to vote but why should I exercise such right when I know that the political system stinks. So the best alternative was to BOYCOTT!
What made me sing a different tune? "Balimbing" as how others would put it. But bahala na kahit balimbing I realized that boycotting the elections was like tolerating these clowns to continue on with their stage shows. To boycott means that I lose a chance to cast a vote to whom I believe is the better candidate. I have realized that a vote cast to a loser, will be a message to the winner that a voter did not like him to be there and it is for him to prove that he deserved it. In the case where the vote is cast to the winner, that vote will send the message that voter trusted him and that he should not disappoint the trust given by his supporter... Call it wishful thinking but I believe that I need to exercise my right to suffrage. I don't live just for myself now as when I was a young student. i also live now for my children and my children's children. I cannot imagine a country continuously run by clowns from the Election Circus.
Also, I could have probably matured and awakened to the reality that a cornerstone principle and the bedrock of our Philippine Constitution is our being a republican and democratic society (Yes, I got that from my Consti Law Class). And one of the hallmarks for our country to be truly democratic is the people’s right to suffrage or right to vote. When we vote, we exercise our political right to suffrage and our power to choose our leaders; When we vote, we send a message to the world that democracy and republicanism are not just concepts but a reality in the Philippines; When we vote, we voice out sensitive issues that we face as a nation; When we vote, we cleanse the misfits out from public service; and When we vote, we vote for life, freedom, liberty, democracy, prosperity and progress!The old proverb Vox populi, vox Dei “the voice of the people is the voice of God” does not refer to infallibility but is an acknowledgement that the choice of the people during elections is verdict equivalent to mandate. But if the voice of the people is the voice of God in that sense, it must be heard, and the condition that is possible only if all those who are qualified and registered to vote, or at least a majority, participates in the election. And for us who are approximately 7M OFW's all over the globe (even excluding the undocumented ones, it's a big bloc to reckon), the only way for us to vote is to register. I often hear excuses for not registering for the OAV. I don't want to be influenced by the lame excuses as I have not registered yet but I have resolved that I will because I believe my one vote will make a difference in the 2010 Election. (Deadline is 31-August-2009).
We can no longer afford political upheavals and rumors of coup d etat. We should not look at elections as just personal “beauty contests” or popularity contests among the candidates. We should look at it as a sacred exercise of our right. It is not even the losing candidate who loses in a manipulated, fraudulent and rigged election but the Filipino people who embodies the republicanism and democracy of our Constitution.
Other Related & Useful Links:
OFWs in Saudi Arabia find OAV registration schedule impractical
Araw ng pagpaparehistro ng mga OFW sa Saudi para sa OAV ipinapalipat
Saudi Gazette: Filipino absentee voting registration opens Feb.1
Philippine Embassy Seeks Saudi Approval for Mobile Registration
OAV Downloadable Forms (COMELEC)
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