GLORIAGATE Roundup for Sept. 16

- From the Malaya Editorial: Enough of the palusot, make list of cha-cha contributors public

NATIONAL Security adviser Norberto Gonzales’ claim the P50 million contract for a US law firm to lobby for grants for the proposed charter change will be funded from private donations is utter hogwash.

The contract with Venable LLP listed "Maria Gloria Macapagal Arroyo" and the "Republic of the Philippines" as the client. Gonzales signed the agreement as the "authorized representative of the President of the Philippines."

Payment to Venable, thus, is a contractual obligation of the Republic. Gonzales now wants us to believe some Tan Fulano will actually be picking up the tab? There must be a slew of laws and regulations violated by such an arrangement.

Anyway, we’ve heard this the-private-sector-is-paying line for lobbying efforts in the United States before. So could the Palace make public the list of those civic-minded private citizens who generously donated money to push Philippine interests in Washington, presumably without seeking favors from the government in turn?

Sen. Ralph Recto has a partial list of the contracts filed with the US Department of Justice. The list goes:

* January-July 2001: Fasturn Inc. ($29,285.73 for six months ending Feb. 9, 2001); Icon Group, no reported amount; Patton Boggs LLP ($384,999.96 for six months ending June 30, 2001).

*.July-December 2001: Bannerman and Associates ($21,486.46 for six months ending October 28, 2001); Burson-Marsteller (no reported amount paid); Crowell & Moring International ($90,328.32 for six months ending November 28, 2001); Fasturn Inc. $24,190.27 for six months ending August 9, 2001); Maria Luisa M. Haley (no finances reported); and Icon Group;

* January to June 2002: Bannerman and Associates ($65,457.67 for a six-month period ending April 28,2002); Burson-Marsteller ($446,541.25 for six months ending April 30,2002); Crowell & Moring International ($90,337.00 for six months ending May 28, 2002); Fasturn ($24,460.08 for six months ending February 9,2002); Maria Luisa M. Haley ($141,756.56 for six months ending April 30, 2002); Icon Group (no activities and finances reported); Rhoads-Weber Shandwick Government Relations (no amount reported);

* July-December 2002: Bannerman and Associates ($554.96 for six months ending October 28,2002); Burson-Marsteller ($565,037.18 for six months ending October 31,2002); Fasturn ($12,034.08 for six months period ending August 9,2002); Icon Group (no activity and finances reported); Rhoads-Weber Shandwick Government Relations ($64,056.65 for six months ending Oct. 31,2002);

* July-December 2003: Bannerman and Associates ($20,000 for six months ending October 2003); Burson-Marsteller ($234,249.90 for six months ending Oct. 31, 2003); Fasturn ($28,036.72 for six months ending Aug. 9, 2003); Icon Group (no activity and finances reported); Rhoads-Weber Shandwick Government Relations ($40,000 for six months ending Oct. 31, 2003).

And while the Palace is at it, can it not update the list, say, up to the end of 2004?

This is not difficult as asking Gloria Arroyo about the truth of the "Hello Garci" recording. Or where he is. Or is it?

I Agree. Read this too.

It's pretty obvious na ini-implement ng Arroyo administration yung advice ng Heritage Foundation on how to divert people's attention from GLORIAGATE by forcing Cha-cha on us Filipinos.

Neal Cruz has further comments on the secret deals.

- US di bilib kay GMA. "Menu at recipe" ang pinagusapan ni Bush at GMA sa UN. LMAO!

- Dep-Ed memo, amoy-pulitika

May motibong pulitikal sa ipinalabas na memoramdum ng Department of Education (DepED) na nag-aatas sa mga school administrators at guro na maging non-partisan at pagbabawal sa mga estudyante na makilahok sa anumang pagkilos na inilulunsad laban sa administrasyong Arroyo.

Ayon kay Sarah Katrina Maramag ng Anakbayan Youth, hindi maiiwasan na bigyan ng kulay ang memo ni DepED Officer-in-Charge Fe Hidalgo dahil posibleng naghahangad ito na magpalakas kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo para makuha ang permanenteng puwesto sa kagawaran.

Aniya, walang masama sa paglahok ng mga estudyante sa protestang inilulunsad ng iba’t ibang student groups at isa lamang itong pagpapakita ng sentimyento ng kabataan sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon ng bansa.

Bukod dito, ginagawa umano ito ng mga estudyante nang kusa at walang dikta mula sa ilang pulitiko o ibang mga organisasyon.

- Aquino arrest panakip sa GLORIAGATE scandal

- Manong Ernie says Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is daydreaming again:

GMA proudly declared at a lunch at the St. Regis Hotel in New York:

“I arrived here in New York with the wind at my back after weeks and weeks of political turmoil and terrible problems with oil. I believe I am politically stronger today.”

Yes the wind is at her back coming from 79 percent of the population who want her impeached, yes they want to blow her away. They are huffing and puffing in the streets.

Politically stronger? How when 67 percent of the people want her to resign. How? When she gets a negative 23 percent approval rating. How? When the opposition has strengthened and she has lost the Senate?

GMA is daydreaming again. The reality is the winds of change are blowing her head off. When she comes back on Sept. 17, she will be politically weaker. The political turmoil is still there. The price of oil is still rising.

He has a point too about the Aragoncillo case:

Illogical. Some GMA bright boys are saying the Michael Ray Aquino - Lean Aragoncillo spy charges are a conspiracy involving the opposition. They are even claiming this is proof the opposition is engaged in a destabilization effort against the GMA administration.

Where's the logic here? Apparently what was downloaded from State Department/FBI files are political reports analyzing the deteriorating political position of GMA and the direction of her downfall.

Aquino, Aragoncillo and the three opposition figures did not make those reports. They were made by the US Embassy Manila, State Department analysts and US and CIA-funded think tanks. If they are destabilizing to the GMA government, it is the US officials, not the Philippine opposition that should be credited.

Mga bobo talaga! Anyway, it is compliment paid to President Erap and Sen. Ping Lacson that they have the ingenuity to get hold of State Department/FBI documents that are derogatory to GMA. Maybe, Raul Gonzalez's hurry to extradite Erap to the US is part of a reconciliation deal. Ha ha ha.

Heh.