The Arroyo-controlled House will restrict and control media coverage of the Impeachment proceedings. I don't recall any restrictions of setups like this during Erap's impeachment or when corpus and the senate investigated Lacson for alleged Billion dollar accounts. MLQ3 explains why.
The Admin claims that the OWWA funds are intact. Senators were not convinced.
Sen. Joker Arroyo said: "If indeed OWWA has funds, why has it been parsimonious in releasing funds for repatriation?"
Arroyo said despite the staggering amount of cash in bank, the best OWWA could do was to shell out $19,000 for the government’s repatriation efforts in Lebanon.
"Roughly P7 billion are accounted for regardless whether they were used rightly or wrongly," Arroyo said. "Kung may pera, bakit sila nagtitipid?" he added.
More questions on the OWWA funds:
“This investigation occurred because during the height of the Lebanon crisis , the (Philippine) embassy (in Beirut) complained that there are no funds available…the rumors again on this issue that there’s no money came about recently and then here it shows that there is over P7 billion in funds. So OWWA has funds. Then why is it (it is) so parsimonious in giving funds?” asked Sen. Joker Arroyo.
Senators were told by Maloles that government actually can dip its fingers into these funds, if need be, but it would get a lesser amount because the account will be rendered pre-terminated.
“If they have such funds, why is Malacanang asking for a supplementary budget (for workers’ evacuation)?” Estrada commented before reporters during a briefing that proceeded after the hearing.
Some of the OWWA money were also transferred to PHILHEALTH.
I don't know why the PDI Editorial would make fun of Sen. Jinggoy's snubbing, when this administration has done the same thing to the Sen. Magsaysay's Fertilizer funds investigation and Sen. Biazon's investigation on the 2004 Election fraud scandal.
Tama ang Tribune Editorial na hindi dapat sundin ng Senado yung demands ng Malacanang na i-submit muna nila yung mga questions nila in advance:
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the panel tasked to hold hearings on the issue of the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers in Lebanon as well as the status of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) funds, is correct in not giving in to the conditions set by Malacañang for the appearances of the officials from the executive department.
In justifying the boycott by these executives of the hearings, Malacañang claims that, on the basis of the Supreme Court (SC) ruling, Palace officials and their executives have the choice of attending these hearings, which they reject, insisting that these are in aid of destabilization. It stressed that in summoning its executives, the Senate must first point out in writing, what law is being adverted to, to justify these hearings and that written questions must be submitted in advance by the Senate, to prepare the officials for the hearings.
This is yet another example of how Malacañang twists the law and the ruling of the high court in reference to the decision on Executive Order 464, or the presidential gag rule.
It was made very clear by the SC in its ruling, which is final and executory, that Congress’ power to summon any and all to its hearings, in matters related to legislation and oversight powers, has been upheld. The only time officials can seek approval of the President for their appearances, and have questions submitted to Cabinet officials in advance is during Question Hour, which is hardly being called by the Senate or the House.
The Senate cannot give in to the conditions set by Malacañang vis a vis its executives’ appearance before the Senate — at least on the matter of submitting questions to these officials. For the Senate to do so would necessarily translate to its bowing before the executive power’s version of the law, not before the high court’s ruling.
If the Senate gives in to Malacañang on the matter of providing its officials an advance questionnaire, then it will now be the Palace that will determine, on the basis of the questions, whether their officials should appear before the Senate during legislative hearings, in which case, there would then be no distinction between rules on appearances during the Question Hour and hearings in aid of legislation.
REad the whole thing.
Lito Banayo says election fever has begun.
The Malaya Editorial exposes Fr. Romeo Intengan. More Intengan/Gonzalez from MLQ3 (and scroll down to read the comments section).
Roco's wife, Sonia Malasarte, will run for the Senate in 2007.
Nasa panganib pa rin ang mga OFWs natin sa Lebanon. From Dan Mariano:
“The Israelis granted our request for safe passage,” recalled Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos. “They even proposed the route that we should take, but the IDF later bombed it.”
Malacañang is reportedly considering chartering cruise ships to ferry the remaining OFWs out of Lebanon and bring them to safe ports in other parts of the Mediterranean. With Lebanon under Israeli naval blockade, the Philippine government will again need Israel’s permission to carry out this operation safely.
The cruise ships may be the OFWs’ last option out of Lebanon. But going by Conejos’s unfortunate experience in seeking safe passage from the Israelis on land routes out of Beirut, the sea operation could turn out to be just as perilous.
Sabi naman ni Ernie Maceda:
In the first week of the Lebanon war, the United States government evacuated close to 10,000 American citizens. It immediately chartered ships to bring the evacuees to Cyprus. The US government brought in a Marine contingent to assist the evacuees at the port of Beirut. France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and other European countries did the same.
What did we do? After seven days, we sent special envoy Roy Cimatu and Undersecretary Rafael Seguis to organize the evacuation by land.
On the 25th day, the land route to Damascus was closed by Israeli bombs. Now GMA decides to evacuate all the 28,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) left. How? Still not by hiring a ship in the area but by sending two old Coast Guard vessels that will reach Beirut in 15-16 days. This is to be done by a government that is boasting of projects costing trillions of pesos.
-- Yeah. i think it's about time.
-- The hunt for fugitive Joc Joc Bolante continues.
PCIJ: A fugitive from justice, bolante not eligible for asylum - UP law experts
more updates later.
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