GLORIAGATE headlines for July 15

Malaya's frontpage July 15 is jampacked with GLORIAGATE news today.

• Winner-take-all deal dared on Garci tapes
  • If tapes are authentic, Gloria quits, says Mike
  • Call, and if otherwise, we quit, says Ping


• Opposition warming to impeachment


• And now, another tape from Chavit

- FVR offers us false choices: Would you rather have GMA or a new constitution?

- Abante-Tonite: KILL GMA AT FVR, KALOKOHAN LANG!

Ito ang naging paglalarawan ni Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson sa wiretapped taped conversation na inilabas ni Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson na naglalaman ng impormasyon tungkol sa umano’y planong paglikida kina Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at dating Pangulong Fidel Ramos.

Hindi maiwasang matawa ni Lacson matapos idawit ang kanyang pangalan sa wiretapped conversation na hawak ni Singson, partikular sa umano’y usapan nina Estrada at dating Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Joselin Nazareno noong nakaraang eleksyon.

Ayon kay Lacson, hindi man lamang inayos nang mabuti ang recording dahil biglang nabago ang atmosphere sa wiretapped conversation sa pagitan nina Estrada at Nazareno para ikabit ang kanyang pangalan sa planong paglikida kina Ramos at Mrs. Arroyo.

- Estrada dares Chavit: Authenticate fake CD

Detained President Estrada yesterday challenged Malacañang and Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson to submit the illegally tapped conversation allegedly between him and a retired general, who was identified by Singson as former Armed Forces Chief of Staff (retired) Gen. Joselin Nazareno for independent authentication whose results he said, will definitelty prove that the tapes were spliced and fabricated.

“I challenge them to have the tape authenticated for splicing and doctoring. They will be proven to be fabricated —— just as they fabricated the Malacañang-produced Garci tapes and passed off the original as the 'doctored' CD,” Estrada said.

Sources said Malacañang was already panicking after the massive resign Gloria rally staged by the opposition last Wednesday and of her falling trust and approval ratings.

- Pera ng gobyerno sa pro-GMA rally

Mismong si Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago ang kumumpirma kahapon sa suspetsa ng marami na pera ng gobyerno ang ipinantutustos sa pro-GMA rallies.

Sa isang panayam, sinabi ni Santiago, kilalang kaalyado ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, na pagsasayang lamang ng pera ng gobyerno ang idaraos na rally bukas na nagpapakita naman ng suporta sa Pangulo bilang pantapat sa katatapos na anti-GMA rally sa Makati City kamakalawa.

Kahapon ay inilutang ng militanteng grupong Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) ang posibilidad na bumuhos ang taxpayers money sa pro-administration rally bukas kung saan tinatarget na 300,000-katao ang dadalo upang palitawing suportado ng nakakarami ang Pangulo.

Kung matutuloy ang ganito kalaking rally ay wala umanong duda na nagpabaha ng government fund ang mga organizers nito na dili iba’t ang Malacañang.

Ayon naman sa Pamalakaya, P200 umano ang inilalakong presyo ng organizer ng pro-GMA rally bukas sa Quirino Grandstand. Bukod pa sa pera, libreng pagkain at ‘basket of groceries’ ang ibibigay sa sinumang lalahok dito.

Baka pumunta ako sa rally bukas para makakuha ng libreng P200 at groceries. LOL!

NOT!

- Ellen Tordesillas: Storm in DFA’s genteel world

AN on-line war among foreign service officers is raging, sparked by a letter to Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo from a group who called themselves Union of Filipino Foreign Service Officers or UNIFORS where they asked "to put an end to the peregrinations of Undersecretary Jose Brillantes to different countries shamelessly soliciting declarations of support from Filipino communities for Mrs. Arroyo’s fading presidency."

- Public funds are being used to save Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's have joined Fitch Ratings in downgrading the Philippine outlook from stable to negative.

That's exactly the political situation. Pulse Asia surveys had downgraded GMA from stable to very negative with a record 72 percent distrust rating, with 68 percent expressing disapproval of her performance.

The Asian Development Bank has not scheduled any more releases of funds to the GMA government expressing fears it may not be able to pay. That confirms that GMA's economic and financial policies have failed, and that the shadow of another Argentina still looms.

Federal Express (FedEx) has joined the exodus of foreign investors to China by closing its Subic Asian hub and announced plans to build a new one at Guanzhou, China. It said Subic facilities are inadequate.

David Cunningham Jr., FedEx Asia president said “After an exhaustive series of feasibility studies, we have determined that Subic has insufficient capacity to support our inter Asia market development over the next 30 years.”

Politically, it is not only Subic that has insufficient capacity. The GMA administrative infrastructure has clearly demonstrated insufficient capacity to govern, now worsened by the departure of 10 respected officials, and the withdrawal of support by a wide spectrum of former support groups.

With GMA understandably focused on her political survival, it is all downhill on the economic and financial front.

Government funds are hemorrhaging profusely in the save Gloria effort. Congressmen, governors, mayors down to barangay officials are receiving cash payments to keep their loyalty.

At a meeting with barangay officials organized by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza at the San Andres Sports Center. P12 million in cash and rice was distributed. Some P50 million is budgeted for the pro-GMA rally at the Luneta this weekend.

Pork barrel funds, IRA funds and Pagcor intelligence funds are being fast tracked. P.R. funds and payola are flooding the media outlets. Goodbye cost-cutting!

If this stalemate graduates into a six-month impeachment process, expect the deficit targets to fly out of the Palace doors.

In GMA's stubborn refusal to make the supreme sacrifice, she's dragging the country down with her. Absolutely unpatriotic, totally heartless.

- ‘Demoralized,’ GMA out of control–Drilon

A former staunch ally of President Arroyo yesterday debunked Malacañang's posturing of still being in control of the political tension in the country, saying the Chief Executive herself had been greatly affected long before she made the public apology and had not been thinking clearly.

Senate President Franklin Drilon bared this in a television interview, while admitting Mrs. Arroyo's capacity to decide had been impaired by the massive calls for her resignation, the reason he led colleagues in Congress to severe ties with the administration.

The Senate chief, for the first time, revealed that contrary to what Malacañang has been trying to picture before the public until now that Mrs. Arroyo remains “strong” despite the odds threatening her presidency, it is farthest from the truth.

The low morale, Drilon said, was the reason he made a statement last June 30 in Iloilo during Mrs. Arroyo's speaking engagement where he offered her in setting up “Malacañang” in his home province as he was still at the time very supportive of her.