-- From Ducky Paredes:
By using EO 464, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is identifying itself and its agency, the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) as the greatest threat to national security. It is not terrorism, the New People’s Army or the separatists of the Bangsa Moro Republic or any other group that endangers our national security but the AFP and the ISAFP itself that are the greatest dangers to the country!
Imagine that we have an agency that can tap any phone in the country without being responsible to anyone. They can tap the phone conversations of the presumptive president and are apparently not beholden to explain to anyone why they did this or why the record of this conversation has been sold to the public in exchange for a sum of money.
They are the greatest danger to our national security and no one can do anything about it. The Commander-in-Chief (the presumptive President) is apparently unable to act on this. She, apparently, does not want to get to the bottom of this mess. She does not want anyone to look into this.
She is the only one who could order the military to probe the breach. She is the only power that, under her own EO 464, can tell the military to allow the Senate to probe their wiretap of her conversation with an election commissioner. Apparently, she would rather not know who ordered that she and her phone pal be wiretapped.
According to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, her reluctance to get to the bottom of this is proof enough that Gloria herself ordered the wiretap and unwittingly caught herself talking to Garci on matters that a candidate (especially not a president) should be caught talking about: kidnapping, cheating, bribery and so on.
To me, this is further proof of her incompetence. To Sen. Lacson, it is proof that the ISAFP was only following orders from the commander-in-chief. (In truth, in her shoes, having been caught in a web of her own making, anyone would not want anyone else to know just how incompetent she really is. Else, how could any of her soldiers have any respect for Gloria?)
The military command is, itself, seemingly unconcerned about all these? It is not investigating the matter, nor does the military seem to have any interest at all in doing so. While the military would, of course, have investigated the matter if the disclosure of the ISAFP role in the wiretapping had come as a surprise, the military does not seem the least bit interested in conducting and investigation into the matter.
This can only mean that the military will not waste time and energy in investigating what is already known to the military. After all, they are not politicians who will do investigations for show. What the military already knows does not have to still be investigated by the military itself.
Thus, the wiretap was perfectly legitimate, as far as the military goes, in that it was ordered done, according to the chain of command that starts with the commander-in-chief. That much is pretty clear.
From Ernie Maceda:
Presumption of truth. The First Gentleman's response to Ahmare Lucman's testimony at the Senate is the usual "a set of lies." He challenged Lucman to show proof that he masterminded and funded the cheating in Lanao del Sur.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines through spokesman Col. Tristan Kison also challenged Marietta Santos, T/Sgt. Vidal Doble's third "wife," to prove her allegations at the Senate that he did the wiretapping of the GMA-Garcillano conversations. The challenge was hurled instead at the AFP brass, which calls for their proper reaction by ordering an investigation of Santos' charges made publicly under oath.
Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye has also repeatedly reacted to charges of cheating and corruption by demanding proof from the accusers.
They are all missing the point. The point is that ordinary citizens such as Ahmare Lucman, Marietta Santos, Sandra Cam and Louie Zuce will not dare come out to accuse the President, the First Gentleman or even only a general if they don't have the truth on their side. It takes a lot of courage and soul-searching to accuse the very powerful. When they testify under oath in full view of TV cameras in a congressional inquiry, they have the presumption of truth on their side. They are testifying at the risk of their personal and family safety.
Simple denials by FG, Bunye or Kison are not enough to overcome that presumption of truthfulness. The all-knowing sovereign public can see through these routine denials. And the people have said so in all the opinion surveys.
Malaya Editorial: AFP conducting an "open-ended" "investigation" on ISAFP's wiretapping?
-- It's GMA and Garci's voice on tape, sound expert Jim Sarthou says.
-- Another Garci-type "election operator" being groomed for COMELEC post? Para saan ito, sa Cha-cha referendum at 2007 elections?
-- Arroyo Admin to Businessmen: Don't blame us for slow sales.
Yeah, and don't blame E-VAT too.
More: Lies Unveiled
-- Oh how times have changed for PCGG.
SENATORS yesterday assailed the Presidential Commission on Good Government for mismanaging sequestered companies.
Sen. Joker Arroyo said directorships in sequestered companies were apparently reserved for favorites.
PCGG chairman Camilo Sabio is an officer of 29 corporations. He is either chairman, vice chairman or officer-in-charge of nine United Coconut Planters Bank subsidiaries and 20 affiliated Coconut Industry Investment Fund firms.
Danilo Coronacion is president and chief executive officer of 25 companies while Jose Barcelon is corporate secretary of 35 companies.
At least 150 directorships were farmed out to other favored nominees.
Arroyo disclosed the list of directors during deliberations on the P67.58-million budget of the PCGG for 2006.
Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said the PCGG has turned into a "commission on good corruption."
"I am asking you to review the companies handled by the PCGG, which should be preserved. These were lucrative operating companies before they went bankrupt. They went down because of the capacity of the people you sent there," Enrile said.
Enrile particularly cited UCPB and Philcomsat which he said were among the most profitable companies in the country before PCGG-appointed officials made them milking cows, "earning fabulous commissions and allowances."
"Now they’re almost bankrupt. The PCGG cannot escape responsibility. PCGG appoints the presidents, directors, supposed guardians, and executives," Enrile said.
Bravo, PCGG, Bravo!
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