List of Pro-Arroyo congressment who will not sign the impeachment complaint

Here's the list of pro-Arroyo congressmen who will vote against the impeachment complaint. Notice na lahat ng "Spice Boys" ay maka-Arroyo at hindi pipirma, which is something to remember when the next election comes up.

Lakas-CMD/KAMPI
ABALOS, Benjamin Jr. D.C.
ABANTE, Bienvenido Jr. M.
ABLAN, Roque Jr. R.
ARROYO, Ignacio T.
ARROYO, Juan Miguel M.
BARBERS, Robert Ace S.
BATERINA, Salacnib F.
BUHAIN, Elenita Milagros E.
CABILAO, Belma A.
CUENCO, Antonio V.
DANGWA, Samuel M.
DATUMANONG, Simeon A.
DE VENECIA, Jose Jr. C.
DEL MAR, Raul V.
DOMOGAN, Mauricio G.
DUMARPA, Faysah RPM
JALA, Eladio M.
JAVIER, Exequiel B.
LIBANAN, Marcelino C.
PUENTEVELLA, Monico O.
PUNO, Ronaldo
RAMIRO, Herminia D.
RUIZ, Nerissa S.
SALCEDA, Jose Ma. Clemente S.
SOLIS, Jose G.
SUMULONG, Victor R.
VELOSO, Eduardo K.
ZAMORA, Manuel E.
ZIALCITA, Eduardo C.
ZUBIRI, Juan Miguel F.

Liberal Party (LP)
ANDAYA, Rolando Jr. G.
BACANI, Rodolfo C.
BUESER, Danton O.
CUA, Junie E.
DEFENSOR, Matias
DIAZ, Antonio M.
HIZON, Joey D.
NIEVA, Ernesto A.
ROCES, Miles M.
SANDOVAL, Federico II S.
SINGSON, Eric D.
VALENCIA, Rodolfo G.
WACNANG, Lawrence B.

Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC)
CERILLES, Antonio H.
ESTRELLA, Conrado III M.
KINTANAR, Simeon L.
MACARAMBON, Benasing O. Jr.
NEPOMUCENO, Francis L.
ROMUALDO, Jesus Jurdin M.
JOSON, Josefina M.

Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP)
CARREON, Cecilia J.
JALOSJOS, Cesar G.

Party List Groups
CHAVEZ, Nellie — BUTIL
GIDAYA, Ernesto S. — VFP
MADAMBA, Sunny Rose A. — APEC
PABLO, Ernesto G. — APEC
SEÑERES, Hans Christian M. — BUHAY
TOMAWIS, Acmad M. — ALIF
VALDEZ, Edgar L. — APEC
VELARDE, Rene M. — BUHAY

Impeachment doomed to fail from the start?

From JB Baylon:

I DID not get to hear him myself, but House Speaker Jose de Venecia is said to have remarked that he, together with Antipolo Rep. Ronnie Puno, has the commitment of more than enough congressmen to doom the impeachment bid against President GMA "whatever the evidence."

Speaker JDV is said to have made this remark last week not once, but twice, once before the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines and once more in an interview with ANC.

If this remark – made in the usual JDV unguarded moment when the truth somehow slips through all the other hogwash – is accurate, then indeed the impeachment bid is doomed from the beginning. The boast of the President - "Impeach me" - may have been made with the full knowledge that no mater what evidence the pro-impeach group can come up with, they will fail. Perhaps it was the invitation of the Chief Executive to the Chief Clapper and his gang to dance the Cha-Cha with her that helped doom the impeachment bid; or perhaps it simply is the way the majority works, the perverted type of politics the President claims is the reason our country has been going backwards, while she takes advantage of its perversion!

But if the remark of JDV is indeed accurate – disgustingly accurate –then there is far more than just the impeachment bid that is doomed.

Read the whole thing.

This is a bad sign

In yesterday’s ARMM elections, the MILF stuck to its expected boycott. The MNLF-Misuari wing, also as expected, decided on a boycott. But the surprise was the MNLF-Hussin wing, which also decided to withhold participation in the exercise.

The reason? Gloria and Lakas, the party of thieves, decided to support a traditional Muslim politician. Why? Because the pol’s clan helped Gloria steal the elections in Muslim Mindanao.

From today's Malaya Editorial.

Bagong "Witness Prevention Program" ng Arroyo administration

Heh:

Mayroong bagong programang pinagkakaabalahan ngayon ang pamahalaang Arroyo: ang witness prevention program.

Ito ang pambubuska kahapon ng oposisyon bilang panunuya sa WPP o witness protection program ng gobyerno.

Sa ngayon, ayon kay impeachment team spokesman at Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, hindi na umano pinoprotektahan at pinangangalagaan ang mga testigo kundi ‘binibili’ para bumaligtad.

Idinagdag pa ni Cayetano na hindi lang pera ang inaalok sa mga testigong tumatayo laban kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa sanga-sangang eskandalong lumulumpo rito kundi pati trabaho at pabahay. Ang kapalit lang ay ang pag-atras ng mga ito sa pagtestigo laban sa Pangulo.

Kahapon ay isa na namang jueteng witness ang bumaligtad sa katauhan ni Demostenes Abraham Riva. Si Riva na taga-Bgy. Rawis, Legaspi City, ang nagsasangkot noon kay presidential adviser on Bicol Affairs Mario Espinosa na diumano’y tumatanggap ng P150,000 kada buwan mula sa jueteng operators ng Bicol Region.

Tulad ng unang jueteng witness na kumambyo na si Richard Garcia, humingi rin ng tawad si Riva sa Pangulo, "Madam President, I am sorry. Na-mislead po ako. Ako’y humihingi ng dispensa sa taumbayan."

Gaya rin ni Garcia na iniharap din noon ni Pasay City mayoralty candidate Ding Santos, si Sen. Panfilo Lacson din ang idinidiin ni Riva na nagmaniobra sa kanyang testimonya laban kay Espinosa para matumbok ang First Family.

Naniniwala si Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. na malaki ang kinalaman ng malawakang ‘operasyon’ ng tanggapan nina First Gentleman Mike Arroyo at Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno sa pagbabaligtaran ng mga testigo.

Sa gitna ng mga pagbabaligtarang ito ng mga testigo, lilikha ng ‘kontra-balimbing’ na taktika si Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz upang hindi na madagdagan pa sina Garcia at Riva. Ito ay ang masusing pagkilatis sa katapatan at katatagan ng pagkatao ng bawat testigo.

LMAO!

More here:

Itinuturing ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) na pinakamaruming naging presidente ng bansa si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dahil sa paggamit umano ng dirty tricks para maisalba ang kanyang sarili at pamilya mula sa mga kinasasangkutang kontrobersya.

Kasabay nito, sinabi ni Willy Marbella, internal deputy secretary general ng KMP, na mistulang nagtatayo ng "witness for sale industry" ang administrasyon dahil naging eksperto na umano ito sa paghawak ng mga testigo na tulad nina Udong Mahusay, T/Sgt. Vidal Doble at ang pinakahuli ay si Richard Garcia at Demostenes Abraham Riva.

Gayunpaman, sinabi ng KMP na nagkakamali ang Malacañang sa kanilang pag-aakala na makakatapos ng termino si Arroyo sa pamamagitan ng kanyang dirty tricks dahil lalo lamang umanong kamumuhian ang rehimen nito.

Plus, Lito Banayo analyzes the Richard Garcia turnaround. The article is a must read.

What went wrong in the COMELEC?

PCIJ has a must-read article on the huge mess that is the COMELEC entitled "The COMELEC's fall from grace." Here's a sample:

TO DESTROY an institution like the Commission on Elections (Comelec), you must first fill it up with handpicked commissioners with questionable credentials and even more dubious impartiality. Then, let them run the constitutional body as if they were ruling over personal fiefdoms. This would then reduce middle-level bureaucrats to mere vassals doing — or forced to do — their every bidding, including perhaps, as the taped conversations involving President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano suggest, rigging the elections in their political benefactor's favor.

Go check it out now.

"The Jueteng issue is now dead" - Ignacio Bunye

Says so right here.

Parang "mission accomplished" declaration rin ni Bush sa Iraq back in 2003.

Napanice comments.

Crazy prediction on Erap Trial outcome

Erap will be convicted by the partisan Sandiganbayan court, but GMA will pardon Estrada, to show the Filipinos that she finally "gets it" and is willing to reach out to the other side in the "spirit of reconciliation."

The message here from the Arroyo Admin is that "Erap is guilty," (therefore GMA, the military and "civil society" were right to oust him) but Arroyo, ever the "compassionate" fake president, will forgive Estrada's sins and pardon him (kahit na ayaw ni erap tanggapin yung pardon), kasi she wants the "healing process" na to begin -- and at the same time she's hoping that this gesture will appease the masa people who are Estrada's supporters and if she gets lucky, knock the wind off the sails of the impeachment/"oust GMA" drive.

Well, that's my prediction. I could be wrong though...

Archbishop Cruz and Fr. Nacorda

These truth-tellers risked everything by exposing the corruption in the Arroyo administration and the military. Bishop Oscar Cruz was smeared as a "child molester" and Nacorda as a "crazy man."

But did the CBCP lift a finger to help them?

The answer is no, according to Nap.

Previous:

- CBCP: We don't support Archbishop Cruz's Juetengate expose

ARMM election roundup

PCIJ: Some notes on the ARMM elections

Of the voting population, there are 108,000 double registrants discovered during the registration/validation process conducted in the first phase of the modernization program last year. This corresponds to more than 10 percent of the total registered voters, significant enough to influence the outcome of the polls.

Abalos says these double registrants have already been purged from the voters’ lists. But the fact that the lists were only posted on June 27, or 42 days before today’s elections, meant that there was not enough time to challenge the authenticity of the registrations. The law provides that the lists be posted no less than 60 days from the date of the election primarily for that purpose.

Oh lordy.

And this doesn't look good. Yikes.

Abante has this report:

Ayon kay Senate minority floorleader Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., naging bingi at bulag si Mrs. Arroyo sa reklamo ng iba’t ibang sektor, katulad ang panawagang kanselahin ang ARMM election dahil sa kabiguan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) na linisin ang listahan ng mga botante.

Ilan lamang sa umatras bilang kandidato sa pagka-gobernador ng ARMM sina outgoing Governor Parouk Hussin, House Deputy Speaker at Basilan Cong. Gerry Salapudin at ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly Speaker Hattamil Hassan, kaakibat ang reklamo sa liderato ni Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos.

Mismong kaalyado ni Mrs. Arroyo, katulad nina Hussin, Salapudin at Hassan, ayon kay Pimentel ang walang tiwala sa Comelec at ikinatakot nitong magiging marumi ang gaganaping eleksyon ngayong araw.

Samantala, maliban sa National Movement for Free Election (Namfrel) na nagrereklamo sa pagkakaroon ng 100,000 flying voters ay idinaing din ito ng Muslim political leaders, negosyante at iba pang non-government organizations (NGOs) dito.

Maliban sa mga kaalyado ni Mrs. Arroyo, umatras din ang mga kandidatong kumakatawan sa Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) na naunang nagbalik-loob sa pamahalaan at nagbantang iboboykot ang ARMM election.

Ayon kay Pimentel, ang pag-atras ng MNLF sa ARMM election ay dahil sa kawalan ng suporta ni Mrs. Arroyo sa malaking paglabag sa nilagdaang 1996 peace agreement sa pagitan ng gobyerno at maaaring makarating sa Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

"The MNLF disenchantment with the handling of the ARMM election has provided another reason for the rebel group accusation that the government has reneged on its commitment under the peace agreement which it has brought to the attention of the OIC," pangamba ni Pimentel.

Kaugnay nito, aminado naman ang Comelec na isang mabigat na hamon para sa kanila ang halalan matapos ang kontrobersyang kinasasangkutan ni dating Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

Hindi lang buong bansa ang nakatutok sa Comelec sa pangangasiwa nila ng halalan sa ARMM kundi maging ang buong bansa na sasaksi sa eleksyon.(Rey Marfil)

What a disaster. Read this editorial too.

UPDATE: More PCIJ stuff on the wrecked institution that is the COMELEC here...

and here.

TO DESTROY an institution like the Commission on Elections (Comelec), you must first fill it up with handpicked commissioners with questionable credentials and even more dubious impartiality. Then, let them run the constitutional body as if they were ruling over personal fiefdoms. This would then reduce middle-level bureaucrats to mere vassals doing — or forced to do — their every bidding, including perhaps, as the taped conversations involving President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano suggest, rigging the elections in their political benefactor's favor.

It's a marathon, not a sprint

Nobody said this was going to be easy. This is not going to be a cakewalk ala Edsa Dos.

From the Malaya Editorial.

This is why Arroyo’s allies in the House are keeping the option of strangling the impeachment complaint at the House committee on justice. "Creeping" impeachment has been successfully blocked. There will be no automatic transmittal to the Senate even if the magic number of 79 endorsers is reached.

The committee on justice has 60 session days to come out with determination on the sufficiency of form and content of the complaint. That gives the committee time to dribble the ball possibly well into December.

After that, the findings go to the plenary. Whatever the findings, a vote by 79 members of the House is still needed to send the complaint to the Senate for trial. And if Gloria could steal an election wholesale, she could buy House members retail.

The Palace game plan is obviously to stretch out the proceedings in the expectation that the public will in time weary of the whole thing. If her allies can pull this off, Gloria would be in the clear all the way to 2010.

It’s not a bad game plan. But it’s based on the assumption that Gloria can continue fooling all the people all the time, an assumption difficult to make given the widespread perception she is the queen of lies and deceit.

Obviously, gusto nilang maging "endurance match" itong Gloriagate issue. Patagalan. Stretch it out.

Of course, kaya nila yan because they have unlimited resources and taxmoney to do that. Ang problema lang nga, ang pera na kukunin ng admin na pambayad sa mga witnesses at mga "damage control" efforts nila ay manggagaling sa bulsa nating mga taxpayers.

But GMA and her administration don't seem to mind since hindi naman nila pera yan eh.

Dirty tricks from the Arroyo admin

Magingat sa mga ganito.

UPDATE: More here. Can you say buking? Read it all.

Malacañang executive Datu Ahmad Bayam, who was set loose by Palace aides two days ago to destroy the credibility of former Palace functionary Michaelangelo Zuce, the latest whistleblower on the presidential jueteng payoffs and poll rigging, has been exposed as a liar by the persons whom he had claimed tried to buy him off to corroborate Zuce's testimony.

Lawyer Liwayway Vinzons-Chato yesterday showed the Tribune the text messages sent to her by Bayam, from his cell phone number 639277402687, the first one of which was sent on Aug. 2, 2005, at 13:55/13:56 p.m., and stated: “Atty gud pm, ds Ahmad Bayam d one rfrd as Asec Ahmad Bayam who endorsd Garci apptment (2X).”

Chato replied on the same day at 14:14 p.m.: “Nice 2 hir from u. Wat can I do 4 u? or vice-versa.”

At 14:11 p.m .of the same day, Bayam sent another text message: “Ma'm cud we possibly meet at ur plsure n convenience? (2X)”


Chato replied: “S my ofis 8th Flr Strata 2000 ok dis 4pm?”

Bayam answered: “can't catch up wat about 2moro mrng?” to which Chato said: “OK wat time?”

Bayam, in his text message, said Chato could set the time and place of the meeting and he would be there.

A time was set, then rescheduled by Chato, saying she will have to attend a Senate hearing with Zuce.

Bayam texted: “Can I procid der now? Or when do u think possible?”

Chato replied: “Sori so occupied wil c u after Senate hearing f ok w/ u.”

Bayam answered: “f not ok, rgds 2 Louie Zuce.”

On Aug. 3, Bayam at 16:33 p.m. sent Chato another text message: “gud pm, Ma'm, Palace plans 2 weaken Zuce's testimony.”

Chato said she did not reply to this message.

Bayam two days ago appeared before the media escorted by police officers who were reportedly with him earlier in a hotel, denying he had endorsed to Malacañang the appointment of now fugitive former poll commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to the Commission on Elections as commissioner.

He had been working as assistant secretary in the office of presidential adviser on political affairs Jose “Joey” Rufino.

“Michaelangelo Zuce alleged that I issued a memorandum to Secretary Jose Rufino endorsing the appointment of Atty. Virgilio Garcillano. I categorically deny that I ever wrote any such memorandum,” Bayam said in a statement.

He also denied that the signature on the document was his.

Bayam claimed that both Chato and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay had tried to buy him off with P750, 000 to corroborate Zuce's testimony before the Senate.

But the text messages from Chato, emanating from Bayam's cellphone, showed it was he who had asked for this amount, and even warned Chato that the Palace was out to weaken Zuce's testimony.

On Aug. 5, at 15:14 p.m., Chato received another text message from a Sol Bayam, Ahmad's son.

The message read: “Mam dis Sol Bayam, my father would like to talk to you at dis number.”

Chato told the Tribune that she immediately made a call to that number and “Ahmad Bayam talked to me, saying he needed financial assistance for himself and his family. I asked him to text the amount to me through his cellphone.”

To this, Chato said, Ahmad texted her: “700k now, my family must be here on Sunday.”

Chato replied: “Don't hav dis but m koling pipol f dis s possible. Didn't JJ anser 4 dis? Wil tex u bak f ok.”

Contrary to what Bayam said before the press of Chato and Binay having tried to buy him off, pointing to the text messages, it clearly shows that it was Bayam who asked for the P700,000 (P750,000 as reported earlier), and earlier text messages also showed that he was ready to own up to the letter as his, as well as corroborate Zuce's testimony.

Operation ‘Balik-loob’

From Ellen Tordesillas:

WILFREDO "Boy" Mayor, in his appearance in ANC’s "Strictly Politics" last Friday, said something that made a lot of sense.

Mayor, who used to be a jueteng operator, said it was Gloria Arroyo’s announcement that she was determined to eliminate jueteng that encouraged him to come out and join the crusade against the illegal numbers game led by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz.

"Kaya wala sa isip ko na magiging kalaban ng Malacañang. Akala ko nga papanigan pa nila ako dahil gusto kung tumulong para maintindihan nila ang palakad ng jueteng. Ngayon kakasuhan pa ako." (I never thought that I would be considered by Malacañang as an enemy. I thought they would support me because I wanted to help so they would understand better the structure of jueteng. Now they are going to file charges against me.)

Mayor was with Sandra Cam, another witness in the Senate investigation of jueteng, in their first live studio interview. Before, due to security considerations, their interviews had to be taped. The interview took place a day after fellow witness, Richard Garcia, left their camp and apologized to Arroyo.

Cam and Mayor revealed that Malacañang has a project "Balik-loob" to entice witnesses to turn around. In exchange for lots of money and relocation to other countries, they are asked to recant the portions of their testimony implicating members of the Arroyo family. Garcia was their first catch.

But Garcia said he was not retracting his Senate testimony wherein he quoted a police general saying that he was giving jueteng payoffs to "Lion King" identified as presidential son Mikey Arroyo, a member of the House of Representatives. But the spin of Malacañang was that Garcia’s tearful press conference vindicated Arroyo.

Cam and Mayor said also members of their families are being subjected to a lot of pressure.

Mayor said he received a text message saying next week that a report from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation will be made public showing that the "Hello Garci" tapes are fake. The message asked, "Ano ang mangyayari sa iyo?" (What will happen to you?)

But Mayor raised a point that should worry everybody: "Ano ang nangyayari sa gobyerno na ito?" (What is happening to this government?)

What is happening to this government that has to buy off each and every witness to the crimes committed by Gloria Arroyo and members of her family? How long and for how much can they silence the people involved in the 2004 election fraud? How long and for how much can they silence the people involved in the wiretapping of Arroyo’s conversations with former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano which exposed her hand in election cheating?

How long and for how much can they suppress the truth?

Minsan, nakaka-inggit rin ang mga witnesses, dahil kung witness ka sa mga baho at pandaraya ng mga Pidals, babayaran ka ng malaking halaga ng Arroyo admin para tumahimik.

Pero ang delikado ay kung honest ka at hindi mo tinanggap yung bribe money nila -- baka papatayin ka nila o baka ma "soft touch" ang pamilya mo.

Miriam, the new Senate President?

Brenda's taking over?

Malacañang has let the cat out of the bag, finally.

After Palace official for the first time yesterday announced they wanted their staunch supporter, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, to replace Senate President Franklin Drilon should a coup d'etat in Senate leadership occur, which would also change the committee chairmanships.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, during a phone patch interview, when asked on the current standing of Santiago with President Arroyo and her capability to become a Senate chief, said, “Well Sen. Santiago, she's a good senator. She's an administration senator. I don't know why we're not going to be comfortable with her.”

Ermita hinted that a change in Senate leadership is not far-fetched.

"I cannot say if it's still far or near. We don't know what development yet in the Senate but we welcome her as Senate president, because Miriam is really a good senator," Ermita stressed.

"She is a very capable senator and definitely we will be happy if indeed she takes it (Senate presidency)," he added.

Drilon has joined the public clamor for Mrs. Arroyo to resign over the wiretapped "Gloriagate" audiotapes and the "juetengate" scandals.

LOL. This is going to be interesting... hehehehe...

UPDATE: There's a nice Miriam story in the latest de Quiros article.

UPDATE: Ducky Paredes Agrees

It looks so interesting that, out of sheer malice, I would like to see Sen. Miriam Santiago as the Senate president. What a wild ride that will be! Certainly, all our lives will become infinitely more interesting — in a crazy way -- than they are presently with Franklin Drilon as Senate president.

Ricardo Manapat

Dapat isama rin sa impeachment complaint yung dirty trick attempt ni former Arroyo official and National Archives director Ricardo Manapat to forge fake gov't documents in order to disqualify Arroyo's main opponent FPJ in the last election.



A crime had been committed by Ricardo Manapat, and possibly by other officials in the Arroyo admin who may be behind this, including the fake president herself.

Related:

- Ricardo Manapat and the forged Bush Nat'l Guard documents
- More here and here from Dean Jorge Bocobo. (or here)

The pattern of capitalization continues...

Roco must be turning on his grave. From the Tribune:

President Arroyo is not about to kick the habit of capitalizing on the dead to advance her own brand of political necrophilia.

The Chief Executive had told of then Pope John Paul II blessing her power grab in the works, when she was still Vice President, against then sitting President Joseph Estrada.

Now, she is using the death of former senator and twice presidential aspirant Raul Roco as a rallying cry for a political ceasefire.

In an official statement yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo said Roco's death must help foster “unity and oneness,” claiming that, during the late senator's lifetime, he only advocated the people's welfare.

“I hope that his death, sad and untimely as it maybe, will be an opportunity for our people to reflect upon the need for unity and reconciliation behind truth and justice. In his fight for these high principles, Raul Roco never sought to harm or destroy, but to redeem and build up the nation,” she stressed.

“His memory will always remind us to want nothing else but the welfare and interest of the Filipino people, whom we humbly join in mourning his death. Let this be a moment of peace for the people,” Mrs. Arroyo said.

The President, however, kept quiet on reports that even in his last days, Roco was very vocal in supporting calls for her to resign.

During a recent radio interview, Roco's vice presidential candidate in the May 2004 elections, former Rep. Herminio Aquino, revealed that days before his death, the former senator had been outspoken in backing the calls for Mrs. Arroyo to step down, citing the current political crisis.

“Before everyone went to the streets and demanded President Arroyo's resignation, Senator Roco was the first one who demanded her resignation, he aired his concerns on the current political crisis even if his health was deteriorating,” Aquino said.

When asked about this over the weekend, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said they will just stick to their praises for Roco, describing him as a good leader who became an inspiration to all.

Mrs. Arroyo had also used the death of former Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin last June in asking her opponents to stop their alleged “destabilization efforts” against her administration.

UPDATE: Huwag gamitin si Roco

Sa halip na matuwa, tila nasuka pa ang mga kongresista sa party-list group sa tangkang paggamit ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa pagkamatay ni dating Senador Raul Roco para isulong ang reconciliation.

Ayon kay Anak-pawis party-list Rep. Crispin Beltran, sa halip na igalang ni Arroyo ang pagkamatay ni Roco na kanyang nakalaban noong presidential derby, sinusubukan pa umano ng Pangulo na gamitin ito para sa sariling kapakanan.

"President Arroyo has no shame at all and should be castigated for insulting his memory and using his death to issue a self-serving but false call of unity," pahayag ni Beltran.

Good analysis, but...

I disagree with Randy David on one point:

In her last State of the Nation Address, President Macapagal-Arroyo appeared to be guided by some version of this theory when she said that the nation's political system has lagged behind its economic system. She argued that our political problems are the outcomes of an outmoded presidential and unitary system of government. We may change leaders, she says, but if we don't change the system, the outcomes will be the same. She paints herself as a victim, and blames the system for the dysfunctions of her administration. To her, the solution is simple: change the form of government to a federal parliamentary government.

This shift in perspective from persons to systems is not entirely wrong, and indeed, it is time we focused on systemic change. But Ms Arroyo's analysis is flawed in at least two ways. First, she does not really tell us what changes have taken place in our economic life that would support the claim of an impending economic take-off. Second, she explains the crisis of her presidency merely as the result of a stalemate between executive and legislative powers, of the gridlock between the two houses of Congress, and of the tendency to use people power to oust a president who has fallen out of favor.

These gridlocks may be real, but to project them as the causes of Ms Arroyo's failure as a leader is to tax the imagination. What have they got to do with the practices that have become the emblems of her presidency-the massive and organized electoral fraud, the conversion of public funds into campaign largesse, the deployment of the military and the police for partisan politics, and the distribution of choice positions in the public bureaucracy as political rewards?

Uhmmm... what "gridlock"? Hawak at kontrolado ni Arroyo ang Kongreso -- where her allies have the majority in both the House and the Senate.

"Benjamin Abalos"

Yan ang isasagot ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sa tanong na ayaw pa niyang sagutin for now:

Who's the COMELEC official Arroyo admitted talking to during the last election in her "apology"?

Here's a clue:

Enrile, Abalos confirm conversation in 2004 polls
Estrada son, Madrigal also called, says Abalos

First posted 02:04pm (Mla time) July 05, 2005
By Veronica Uy
INQ7.net

(2ND UPDATE) SENATOR Juan Ponce Enrile has admitted to calling Chairman Benjamin Abalos of the Commission on Elections during the canvassing of votes after the May 2004 polls when his candidacy was in danger.

“Sinabi ko sa kanya na bilangin ang boto nang tama...[I told him to count my votes correctly] when I was in 11th during the canvassing and I was receiving reports that there were manipulations in the field and I didn't want to be cheated again,” he said.

Enrile said he did nothing wrong by making the phone call, noting that he was a private citizen at the time and did not ask Abalos to do anything "immoral."

Abalos confirmed Enrile's disclosure and added that there were others who had called him, including Senators Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal.

Madrigal refused to comment while Estrada said he could not remember when INQ7.net tried to get their reactions to Abalos' statement.

In a phone interview with INQ7.net, Abalos said, “Hindi lang siya. Marami sila [It wasn't only him. There were others]. I cannot remember them all. Maaaring hindi sila, maaaring mga tao nila [It's possible that it's not them, it could have been their people], asking that their votes be counted properly."

"Look, bakit hindi umiimik sina Senator Jinggoy and Senator Madrigal. Tumawag din sila pero walang masama sa tumatawag, wala namang hiningi [Look why are Senator Jinggoy and Senator Madrigal not saying anything. They also called but there is nothing wrong with calling. They did not ask for anything].”

He also said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called him up right after he was brought to the hospital on May 9.
“Tumawag din ang Presidente sa akin [The President also called me] to show concern for my health,” he said.

Abalos said the calls to him were not improper. “Siyempre iba naman yung mga phone calls na bilihan ng boto, kung totoo nga ang mga ito [Of course phone calls involving vote-buying are different, if these are true],” he added.

She'll admit to this because others in the opposition like Enrile have talked to Abalos too about their own problems and inquiries with the counting of the votes.

But she'll never admit to the public that she talked to Garcillano about their plans to steal the presidential elections for her.

More public funds to be used to defend the fake president

This is depressing, if true.

While President Arroyo had said critics should bring their concerns to Congress, apparently through the impeachment process, she has also authorized the release of P2.5 billion in road users' tax to fund a campaign that would stop the impeachment complaint lodged against her by the political opposition.

Former Sen. Francisco Tatad over the weekend said the Chief Executive's move to resort to the massive use of pubic funds to stop the impeachment process “threatens to discredit not only the entire process but also the entire House, despite the exceptional efforts of the minority to make sure that no crime against the people goes unpunished.”

“Such blatant abuse of power, which constitutes a continuing impeachable crime, could convince the various militant groups that the only solution left is the extra-constitutional, which could include the outright abolition of Congress,” Tatad warned.

The former senator said reports reaching the Citizens vs Corruption Task Force showed that eight favored congressmen were put in charge of the distribution of the P2.5-billion fund.

Tatad called on the members of the minority bloc in the House to be extremely vigilant in monitoring the misuse of public funds to defeat the ongoing constitutional process.

At least P2.3 billion of the road users' tax was openly used during the 2004 presidential campaign to fund Mrs. Arroyo's “Kalsada Natin, Alagaan Natin” project, which employed at least four workers per kilometer of road, ostensibly to help maintain the road, but who acted as “walking posters” for Mrs. Arroyo and were also ordered to destroy political posters of opposition candidates.

Rep. Eulogio “Amang” Magsaysay of the party-list Alliance of Volunteer Educators earlier said two congressmen and three other private individuals had offered him P500,000.00 in cash in exchange for his refusal to sign the impeachment complaint.

Magsaysay, during a press conference, also accused the Arroyo administration of offering him another congressional seat for his party-list group if he does not endorse the complaint against Mrs. Arroyo.

Those who offered him the bribe, according to him, were people who were close to him and that they were very “diplomatic.”

Gambling lords frequent Malacañang visitors

Top story, front page of the Tribune:

Gambling lords frequent Malacañang visitors
LIST OF JUETENG KINGS GIVEN TO GLORIA; STILL NO ACTION TAKEN

By Gerry Baldo
Sunday, 08 07, 2005

Malacañang need not look too far to charge and arrest gambling lords, as they are frequent visitors of the Palace, and guests of President Arroyo, a reliable source, who is moreover an administration ally, told the Tribune yesterday. The highly-placed source in the Arroyo administration who requested not to be identified yesterday disclosed that gambling lords are often in Malacañang even as he admitted that jueteng, if stopped, could hurt the “rather harmonious relationship” now between Mrs. Arroyo and the local chief executives who have given their all out support for the beleaguered Chief Executive. At the same time, in a media forum held at the Sulo Hotel, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who was appointed head of the government anti-jueteng task force by the President, disclosed that he had already identified some 12 ranking jueteng lords who are behind the jeuteng operations on a national level and had already submitted their names to Mrs. Arroyo, adding it is now up to her to lower the boom on them, so to speak.

The Tribune source also said the Hagedorn list that was handed to the President, included, among others, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, a frequent Palace visitor and a supporter of Mrs. Arroyo, Armand Sanchez of Batangas, as well as Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, who has been pointed to by former Palace functionary Michaelangelo Zuce as having financed the candidacy of Mrs. Arroyo, from her senatorial days.

The Chief Executive and her relatives stand accused of having benefited from jeuteng payoffs, with witness Sandra Cam testifying under oath that she had, at one time, delivered P500,000 to presidential son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, in the congressional session hall, and also personally handed some P400,000 to presidential brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo in his office in Congress.

This was denied by both son and his uncle.

Mrs. Arroyo herself stands accused of having been present at a dinner in her La Vista home in Quezon City with several poll officers to ensure her win in the presidential elections, where money, furnished by Lilia Pineda, wife of Bong Pineda, was alleged to have been distributed to the poll officers.

"Operation Gloria"

Ducky Paredes comments on the damning Newsbreak report on Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's efforts to steal the elections.

UPDATE: Take note na Newsbreak is NOT a pro-opposition magazine. ;)

Poor Richard Garcia

Sigh.

So what was jueteng witness Richard Garcia's press conference all about, since he claimed, between sobs and profuse apologies to Gloria Arroyo, that he wasn't going to retract his statement and testimony made before the Senate, insisting that everything he bared was the truth?

Two things, or so he claimed. One was that he could no longer stand being used by the opposition politicians to destroy Gloria and bring about political chaos to the nation by linking her and her relatives to jueteng payoffs, which he said he knew nothing about; and two, he refuses to be used by the politicians for him to be tapped as an impeachment witness against Gloria Arroyo.

Not surprisingly, Garcia made a lot of claims. He named at least four senators from the minority, chief among them, Ping Lacson, whom Garcia said forced him to link the Arroyo family members to the illegal racket's payola and saying it was Lacson and his lawyers who prepared his affidavit.

But didn't Garcia also say in that press conference that which he said in the Senate is the truth? So whose story was it, Lacson and his lawyers, or his? How could an affidavit be pre-prepared for a witness by any lawyer if the witness doesn't first disclose the facts?

And doesn't his “exposé” at the press conference, with a staunch Gloria supporter and Lakas-Kampi member beside him, dovetail with the Palace claims of a conspiracy to oust Gloria?

Quite frankly, Garcia and his new handlers gave out too many clues, all pointing to Palace control over his “exposé.” Garcia was much too focused on apologizing over and over again to Gloria and her relatives for “falsely” linking them to jueteng payoffs, absolving them of having engaged in jueteng payola operations and for causing her, the Filipino people, the country more problems, while he echoed the Malacañang line of a conspiracy plot by linking the opposition members to his “forced” testimony.

It was not surprising therefore that Malacañang and its allies praised Garcia, saying his exposé is proof of the conspiracy by the opposition forces to topple Gloria and her government though false testimonies and black propaganda linking her and her family to jueteng payoffs and election fraud.

But Gloria and her allies needed Garcia to also scare off potential witnesses and to ensure that jueteng witnesses presented before the Senate would be of no use before an impeachment mini-trial in the House justice committee.

Garcia's charges that the opposition manipulated him and his testimony were also evidently intended to support the Palace's appeal for the Senate to terminate its hearings, as Garcia made certain that the other two witnesses, Sandra Cam and Boy Mayor, would be portrayed as “tools” of the opposition in the claimed “conspiracy.” The two, apparently, haven't bitten the bait, still standing firm on their testimony.

Malacañang and its allies certainly know, that witness Michaelangelo Zuce's exposé was damaging to Gloria, which explains the appearance of “character' witness, former Masbate Mayor Cherry Abajo, who turned out to be a perjurer in the instance of his claim that the murder case against him was dismissed by the Justice department. And Gloria appears to be deathly afraid of former Isabela Gov. Jun Dy's readiness to testify in a proper forum, and only if invited or summoned.

That Garcia's press conference was also meant to get the Senate to stop its jueteng probe was evident.

Shortly after his exposé, the usual Gloria defenders in the House issued press releases, praising Garcia for coming out with the “truth” and calling on the Senate to halt its hearings, claiming that the impeachment complaint has already been filed before the House justice committee.

So why should Gloria and her allies fear the appearance of more witnesses at the Senate probe? And why should the probe be stopped?

In 2000, the Senate was also into probing the jueteng scandal involving against then sitting President, as alleged by a self-confessed crook, Chavit Singson. The probe was stopped only when the railroaded impeachment complaint against Estrada was submitted to the Senate, for trial. So why should the rules be changed now that Gloria sits in Malacañang?

But it is evident that Gloria is deathly scared of having more witnesses come forward, mainly because she, as well as her loyal allies and operators, know that unlike their allegations against Estrada, which they couldn't substantiate, the witnesses being presented today before the Senate probe are much too credible to be dismissed as charlatans or even as paid witnesses of the opposition.

Unfortunately for Gloria and her loyal aides, they have a proven track record of snatching witnesses, abducting their relatives, intimidating all of them to get them under their control and for them to recant their testimonies, which is their recantations aren't taken seriously by the public.

Discovery Suites

Interesting. Totoo kaya ito?

Remembering Raul Roco

Here's the article from the Malaya.

GLORIAGATE news for August 5

- Death threats forced election exec’s relief
Warnings traced to cell phone of Garcillano

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A regional director of the Commission on Elections who exposed an alleged P50-million bribery attempt to rig last year’s elections said Thursday she was removed from her post four days before the polls because of threats to her life.

Helen Aguila-Flores, in charge of the Comelec in Western Mindanao, said her superiors in Manila told her the threats came from a politician in Sulu.

Flores said she was later told the death threats had been traced as coming from the cellular phone of former Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

Nakow!

- Malacañang slips, assures Garci ‘definitely’ still alive

Despite playing innocent on the condition and whereabouts of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio ''Garci'' Garcillano, Malacañang yesterday assured that the poll official remains standing on his own two feet.

Asked if Garcillano is still alive, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in an apparent slip of the tongue, replied, “Definitely.”

Bunye did not elaborate.

Mukhang nadulas ata si spokesperson Bunye ah.

- this is telling:

That Zuce's testimony was credible could easily be gleaned from Malacañang's change in stand. Where before the Palace aides claimed that Zuce's tale was incredible as he was merely a low-level functionary whom Gloria couldn't be expected to know, much less deal with, the Palace now says it is possible for Zuce to have gone to La Vista with his boss, Joey Rufino, and must have memorized the layout of Gloria's Quezon City residence. Triple oops, that, since Zuce, as claimed was a low-level functionary, would be brought to La Vista? What was wrong with Rufino seeing her in her office, or in her home, but without staff?

Good questions.

- Anti Cha-cha dumarami

Richard Garcia another Mahusay and Doble

UPDATED:Somebody from the administration probably got to this guy.

"Pinilit" lang raw si Garcia ni Lacson na idamay ang First Family sa jueteng scandal.

Sure.

Katulad rin ng nangyari dati nung "kinidnap" ni Lacson si Mahusay and he forced Udong to "tell lies" against Mike Arroyo, yes?

Or when former whistleblower Vidal Doble was "kidnapped" and "detained" at the San Carlos Seminary by Samuel Ong and Bishop Bacani?

Can you say "soft touch" before kidnap? ;)

UPDATE: More here and here.

One of my commenters below posted this:

Nagkamali ang opposition diyaan. Di na nabigyan ng sapat na securidad ang mga witness. Bumaligtad na dahil sa takot o sa pera.

I can't really blame the opposition for this since the Arroyo Administration has so much more resources (manpower, our taxmoney, police, military) to hunt down and force the witnesses to reverse their previous positions. Katulad nung nangyari kay Mahusay, when even the security protection Lacson provided wasn't enough because Mike Defensor's "rescue force" outnumbered and outgunned them. Same with Doble, when Soc Villegas backstabed him and "released" Vidal over to the ISAFP force waiting outside the Seminary.

And it doesn't help that most in the mainsteam media tend to look the other way when such things occur or they repeat the admin's B.S. line na they were just "rescuing" the whistleblowers. Kaya nga paulit-ulit yung state-sponsored kidnappings of witnesses eh, because the admin usually gets a free pass from PDI, PHILSTAR or ABS-CBN, and they know they can get away with it without being condemned by mainstream media.

One more point, the longer GLORIAGATE drags on, the more expensive it will be for us taxpayers, since yung pera na ginagamit ng admin para bayaran ang mga witnesses ay galing sa bulsa natin... the way it is looking right now, mukhang marami silang babayaran at gagastusan this year.

Kasi, after Richard Garcia, it looks like the admin is trying to buy off another witness.

UPDATE: Isa pang potential victim.

Raul Roco dead at 63

Here's the news.

I supported his candidacy in 1998, and am deeply saddened by his death. I may have my disagreements with Roco on some issues, but he's a good man and his positives definitely outweigh anything negative thing you can say about him.

We'll miss you, sir.

Previous:

- Roco to GMA: Resign

Rep. Clavel Martinez says evidence vs Arroyo much stronger compared to Erap's

From the Tribune:

She noted that the evidence against the President in the impeachment case is much stronger than former President Joseph Estrada's.

“The evidence against President Arroyo is a lot, lot stronger than Erap's. If I were to compare the evidence we used against him, I feel sorry for Erap… I'm 101 percent sure she (Arroyo) will be impeached if the complaint reaches the Senate. That's why the administration is doing everything to stop the complaint and diverting the people's attention, she added.

IIRC, she's one of the anti-Erap impeachment manager vs. Estrada.

Find Virgilio Garcillano, get a cool P1 Million reward

Get the info here.

Sali ako!

Here's Garci's pic.

Michaelangelo Zuce/GLORIAGATE news roundup

- Zuce: If I was bought, I would have paid off debts

- PCIJ: Looking for Louie

THE PCIJ has been tracking down Michaelangelo “Louie” Zuce since mid-June this year, when two sources, a Moro politician based in Mindanao and a former Commission on Elections (Comelec) employee in Manila, told us to look for a nephew of the controversial Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

The nephew, we were told, was “Garci’s” connection to Malacañang, because he worked in the political office there. We were told to hunt down “Louie” because he was a mother lode of information on election fraud in Mindanao...

Read the whole article.

- GLORIA KNOCKOUT KAY ZUCE

- Poll exec bares P50M offer from Garci aide
She was relieved as regional director 4 day before polls

- Tordesillas: Nakonekta ang jueteng at Garci tapes

Read this too from Ducky Paredes.

- and lastly, from Ninez:

Added problems

Thursday, 08 04, 2005

Michaelangelo Zuce, appearing before the Senate panel hearing the jueteng payola issue, has so far proved himself to be a credible witness, which in turn translates to a more worrisome problem for Gloria Arroyo.

As a witness, or resource person of the Senate panel, Zuce impressed the public as a credible one, unafraid of sketching the layout of the Arroyos' La Vista home, as well as the layout of the conference room of alleged jueteng lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda, and unafraid too, of an ocular visit by the senators. His replies to the senators did not contradict that which he had written in his sworn statement.

But without realizing it, with Malacañang and its demolition team going about their work to destroy Zuce, portraying him not only as a habitual absentee who never did his job efficiently but who was also in financial distress, while concluding that Zuce is a paid witness, they merely made things worse for them.

Yet it must be asked: If he was such incompetent worker, and a habitual absentee, and absolutely unknown to Gloria, he was not only working in Malacañang for some four years, but was even absorbed in another office under the Office of the President, when the office of then presidential political adviser Joey Rufino was abolished.

It is precisely because of this type of demolition job on Zuce that has made the public believe more in the testimony of Zuce than in the Palace aides and all the others — including that former mayor from San Fernando, Masbate, as well as the Rufino statement asking Zuce to retract his testimony.

Before Zuce made his exposé, no one but no one heard of him, and the Palace, to this day, has nothing to show by way of his having been a habitual absentee and can hardly explain why there was no effort to fire him. Not even his lifestyle was placed under check by the presidential anti-graft committee. Yet after his exposé, all too suddenly, there was an undersecretary, who stands as his boss, discrediting him only now and along with Zuce's officemates, all mouthing the same line, stressing of course, that he was in financial distress, all to place importance on his being a paid witness.

And there was the Masbate mayor, a day after Zuce appeared in public, suddenly coming to Manila to hold a press conference, denouncing Zuce for having extorted money from him for his mayoralty win in 2001, which he lost. So why did it take him so long to blurt this out? And why did he not charge Zuce in court then?

Even the statement which Malacañang aides claimed was issued by Rufino from sickbay, was found not just by the media, but also the public as incredible, as it was Gabriel Claudio himself who told the media that Rufino was critically ill. And yet Rufino could prepare such detailed statement, and was even demanding that Zuce retract his testimony.

Would a man who is critically ill even know what is going on in the political front on that very day Zuce came forward with his exposé and was concerned enough for Gloria and Malacañang to issue such statement?

Rufino is no longer working in Malacañang as a political officer. He hasn't been working for Gloria for some time, yet he was concerned enough to issue that statement? And would it have been faxed from a Japanese restaurant on Tomas Morato Street instead of from the hospital where Rufino is confined?

And there was this crap from Malacañang aides claiming they had been speaking, most of the time, through text messages, with Rufino, even days before Zuce came up with his exposé. Gee, what could have been so important to Palace aides to keep in touch with Rufino? If it is because of the Zuce exposé, then it can only mean that Malacañang already knew beforehand that Zuce would come out publicly with his charges, which must have panicked them then.

If not, what then could these Palace aides have by way of business with Rufino, who had been out of the presidential office for some time?

Everything that Gloria and her aides have done to try to discredit all the witnesses who have come forward has only resulted in doing themselves more damage, because the more they try to cover up their crimes, the more the Filipino people get convinced that they are guilty as charged.

They might as well give up. At this point, the people have already made up their minds.

Gloria and her aides have a serious problem.

Ano na ang nangyari dito?

From Ernie Maceda:

Gone. The much vaunted Cabinet revamp has not happened. Even the bypassed Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez is still securely holding on to his office.

The Truth Commission is no longer in the news. The one-strike policy in the jueteng campaign is no longer in effect and we are back to 99 percent jueteng full operations. Corruption is unabated.

All is quiet on the Gen. Carlos Garcia Armed Forces of the Philippines corruption trials. Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane is hardly seen and his ward, Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, is gone.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue campaign against tax evaders has been toned down. Rep. Iggy Arroyo's tax case is swept under the rug. FG Mike Arroyo is back in town.

The Hyatt 10, Vicky Garchitorena and Corazon Guidote are correct. GMA is fully focused on her political survival. She's hostaged, compromised and unable to fire people.

Delikado si Susan at Cory sa bagong "anti-terror bill"

...dahil ang mga "destabilizers" na katulad nila (and any others who are critics or are against the Arroyo admin) can all be identified as "terrorists" under the new Anti-Terrorism bill na ipapasa ni Arroyo admin.

Newsbreak Journalist threatened

Glenda Gloria is right to take the threat seriously. Our country is not labeled "the most dangerous place for journalists" (2nd only to Iraq) for nothing.

And it doesn't help that ISAFP, the intelligence arm of our military, consider media groups like PCIJ and NUJP as "enemies of the state."

Late GLORIAGATE and Zuce news roundup for August 3

Go to Malaya's Front Page today. There's lots of GLORIAGATE stuff there, including Yvonne Chua of PCIJ's article on GMA's 2nd meeting with COMELEC officials at her home in QC and the administration's desperate attempts to discredit whistleblower Michaelangelo Zuce using a comatose Joey Rufino.

OPPOSITION senators yesterday described as "desperate" Malacañang’s attempt to discredit Michael Angelo Zuce who accused President Arroyo of being present when alleged jueteng money was distributed to buy the loyalty of Commission on Elections regional directors before the 2004 presidential polls.

Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said President Arroyo’s effort to cast doubts on Zuce’s allegations by coming out with a supposed statement from former presidential liaison officer Joey Rufino, who is seriously ill with liver cancer, could backfire on her.

A source said Rufino is comatose at the intensive care unit of the Medical City hospital in Pasig City and could not have issued a statement denying the allegations of Zuce, his former staff member.

"He’s very ill, he could not talk. Actually Joey is in coma," the source said.

"How could he have issued that statement if he is in coma?" another source said.

- IMPEACH Gloria 8 Pirmas na lang!

- Ellen Tordesillas says Arroyo was being "clintonian" when she said that "no one gave bribes in her presence."

TAKE a good look at Gloria Arroyo’s replies to questions about the meetings with Comelec officials at her La Vista home before the 2004 elections where sums of money were reportedly distributed.

In an interview with John Susi of ABC-5’s Sentro last Friday, Arroyo said, "Ang masasabi ko, walang nagbibigay ng suhol sa harap ko." (What I can say is, no one gave bribes in front of me.)

She was asked again by Korina Sanchez of ABS-CBN about the same incident and her reply was. "I deny that. People bribing in front of me. I deny that."

Arroyo’s answers are equivocal. As related by Michaelangelo "Louie" S. Zuce, nephew by affinity of former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and aide to Arroyo’s political adviser, Joey Rufino, the white envelopes containing P30,000 each provided by Mrs. Lilia Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng lord, Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda, were distributed to 23 election officials after Arroyo had left.

Zuce said Pineda gave the envelopes to Southern Tagalog regional director Johnny Icaro, who distributed them.

Arroyo was correct. Not in her presence. But it doesn’t mean that she was not a party to the conspiracy to corrupt the election officers to make her win the elections. Inviting employees of a constitutional, independent electoral body to her home for dinner is improper enough. Asking them to help her candidacy and bribing them are violations of the law.

She is being clever. But she is still a liar. (Shades of Clinton saying "I did not have sex with that woman.")

She has more too on Malacanang's reaction to Zuce.

Malacañang officials were apparently caught by surprise by Zuce’s testimony. All that Gabby Claudio, presidential adviser for political affairs could say was Zuce was "a mere functionary" and thus it would have been impossible for him to attend such a sensitive meeting in Arroyo’s home.

Claudio forgot that Zuce is Garcillano’s nephew. Besides, one should not belittle the information that "mere functionaries" know. As a reporter, I have gotten valuable information from "mere functionaries", from gardeners, drivers, waitresses.

When we were covering the foreign affairs beat, Tress Reyes (now with Nikkei Shimbun) found an important document in the trash can.

Truth can be found in the most unlikely places and can come from the most unexpected sources.

So rattled were Malacañang officials that Bobi Tiglao, head of the presidential management staff, told ANC’s David Celdran that Isah Red, entertainment editor of the pro-Arroyo Manila Standard Today, was always seen in press conferences of the opposition.

Tiglao accused Red of being behind the "massive smear campaign" against the Arroyo administration.

While Tiglao was accusing Red, the camera was focused on Ishko Lopez, media officer of the opposition group, Unity for Truth and Justice.

Tiglao, Red and Lopez worked together with the now defunct Manila Chronicle.

While Lopez was laughing, Red was furious. "If Malacañang can’t even get their facts right, what the opposition is saying might be true," he said.

Red said Tiglao’s accusation is serious and he is thinking of taking legal action if he does not apologize to him.

Zuce’s coming out puts another face to the unidentified voices in the wiretapped conversations of Arroyo and Garcillano that showed a conspiracy to rig the 2004 elections.

"Louie", Zuce’s nickname was mentioned in the May 25, 2004 conversation between Garcillano and Icaro.

Zuce/Louie was also caught on the tape talking with his uncle on May 28, 2004. He was with George Goking described by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as "one of the President’s fund-raisers in Cagayan de Oro."

PCIJ said Goking is Chinese-Filipino businessman based in Cagayan de Oro who was appointed by Arroyo as Pagcor director and Cabinet officer for regional development.

The May 28 conversation started with Garcillano talking with Goking who was apparently on his way to their meeting in Silahis Hotel. But they found out that there were FPJ supporters there. They decided to meet instead in Garcillano’s house. Then Goking said " Okey, sandali lang, kakausapin ka ni Louie" (Wait a minute, Louie will talk to you.)

When Louie was on the line, he addressed Garcillano as "’Cle", short for ‘Uncle."

Garcillano instructed him "Pumunta na lang kayo sa bahay para hindi na ako ma-expose." (Just go to the house so I won’t be exposed.)

Garcillano called up Louie, who was at Harrison Plaza, on June 16, 2004 looking for Goking.

- And this is a good one from de Quiros:

For some reason, the bishops discover the practical demands of the here and now when it comes to corrupt presidents they do not like but discover the irresolvable dilemma of evil throughout the ages when it comes to corrupt presidents they like. Jaime Cardinal Sin was like that -- his morality was selective. He rose to heroic eloquence when faced with the corruption of Marcos and Estrada, plucking out the moral imperative from the political retrogression, but lapsed to bovine contentment when faced with the corruption of Cory and Ms Arroyo, taking in the survival of the fittest in moral evolution. What did Sin and Jose Concepcion, chairman of the election watchdog Namfrel, like to quote? All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. They were never more right -- about themselves.

True enough, we may not forget about the sins of the past, notably Marcos'. But if this country forgets the sins of the past, it is also because its moral guardians refuse to see the sins of the present, and protest them. I've always said that what rehabilitated the Marcoses was not so much the policy of reconciliation that Cory took but the practice of thieving the Kamaganak Inc. [Relatives Inc.] took. The same is true of recent times: What has rehabilitated Estrada is not the failure of the courts to prove him guilty, it is the person who succeeded him proving more crooked than he was. Current sins always drown out past ones. No, more than that, they blot out past ones in the eyes of a jaded people. You do not protest what is happening before you, you make people forget what has gone before.

I'm sure natuwa ang MTRCB

sa self-censorship efforts ng ABS-CBN.

But what if in the future yung mga political critics naman ng Arroyo admin ang mabibiktima ng censorship?

Here's the Memo from MTRCB's Laguardia:

Office of the President of the Philippines
MOVIE & TELEVISION REVIEW & CLASSIFICATION BOARD

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 07-05

TO : TELEVISION STATION MANAGERS / BLOCKTIMERS / REPRESENTATIVES
FROM : THE MTRCB CHAIRMAN
SUBJECT : PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMS, NEWS DOCUMENTARIES, SOCIO-POLITICAL EDITORIALS, AND THE LIKE

DATE : MAY 17, 2005

We wish to inform you all of the Decision of the Third Division of the Supreme Court dated January 17, 2005, that public affairs programs, news documentaries, socio-political editorials, and all other programs of the same category, are television programs that are subject to MTRCB review and approval in accordance with Section 3 of Presidential Decree 1986.

In view of this, please be advised to submit materials of the aforementioned television programs to the Board for review and approval prior to telecast, effective immediately.

Failure to comply will result in sanctions as provided for in P.D. 1986 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

Please be guided accordingly.

Signed by:
Ma. Consoliza P. Laguardia
Chairman

Cc: RDG/RVB/JBJ/MBV/DAB/VPV/PMI/Local Prod./File

Tignan mo yung nangyari sa PROBE Team. Napilitang umalis sila sa GMA7 dahil hindi nila nagustuhan ang censorship na ginawa ng GMA7 (a pro-Arroyo TV Station) sa kanilang report on PAGCOR.

GMA7 was forced to censor PROBE team because First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and Efraim Genuino of PAGCOR complained re the PROBE segment, even though it is obvious na buking sila sa expose ng PROBE team and they are just using their "connections" to spike the PROBE report.

(Do you think they would censor a hard-hitting report kung si Erap o si Lacson ang target nito? I think not.)

Ang akin naman, if somebody used words that are inappropriate for TV, then fine them. But don't censor certain speakers in advance because of what the networks think they might say.

UPDATE: More censorship from the MTRCB.

Previous:

- Gov’t bans live airing of TV talk shows
- NUJP: Media gag won't solve govt problems
- ISAFP's "Knowing the Enemy"
- Howls of outrage greet muzzling of TV
- Fine, decent chief censor?
- Armida's take on the MTRCB's Memorandum Circular No. 07-05

New York Times editor's admits newspaper's bias

Sabi ni NYT Executive Editor Bill Keller: "...even sophisticated readers of The New York Times sometimes find it hard to distinguish between news coverage and commentary in our pages."

“Those who have money, they can buy their witnesses."

- Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, responding to allegations of cheating and corruption.

She should know.

Anyway, the truth will out in the end:

Sa kanyang interview sa Sentro-ABC 5, tinanong si Gloria Arroyo tungkol sa napabalitang bigayan ng pera sa mga Comelec officials sa bahay mismo ni Arroyo sa La Vista, Quezon City noong May 2004 elec-tions.

Kasama raw roon sa meeting, na inayos ni dating Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, si Lilia Pineda, asawa ni Rodolfo "Bong Pineda, ang jueteng king. Si Pineda raw ang namigay ng pera.

Hindi nag-deny si Arroyo tungkol sa miting. Sabi lang niya, "Ang masasabi ko, walang nagbigay ng suhol sa harap ko."

Kaya maaaring lumabas siya sa kuwarto na pinagmimitingan nang magbigayan. Ngunit hindi ibig sabihin noon, wala siyang kinalaman.

Ito ay unang nabulgar nang sinabi ni dating Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy Jr. na nandoon din daw sa miting. Kahapon lumabas si Michael Angelo Zuce, empleyado sa opisina ni Presidential assistant for political affairs Joey Rufino. Nandoon din daw siya sa miting at kinumpirma ang miting.

Ito ay nagpapatibay lamang na kahit anong tago ng isang krimen, lalabas at lalabas ang katotohanan.

Read this too from Lito Banayo.

Archbishop Rosales wants the "whole truth", says we have "bigger fish" to fry than GMA

UPDATED: Please scroll down.

Here's the article:

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales said past presidents were also tainted with corruption and scandals that were worst than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Rosales mentioned the late former President Ferdinand Marcos, who allegedly stole public funds, adding that the Marcoses should "give back the money" to the people.

On former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, Rosales said the two former heads of state were not directly linked to corruption but the people around them were.

With regard Estrada, Rosales said cases against him are pending in court.

"I’m not in favor of anyone and I don’t mean to say that I like GMA [Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]. What I’m worried about is the truth. The truth is GMA is not the only president linked to corruption," Rosales said over the weekend.

Rosales added: "There are bigger, bigger fishes. That is why I’m interested in the whole truth. This is only piecemeal."

So, what's your point, Archbishop Rosales? Na asikasuhin muna natin yung kaso ni Marcos, Aquino, Ramos and Estrada bago natin paalisin yung pekeng presidente na iniluklok nyo sa pwesto noong 2001?

"There are bigger fishes to fry?" Who's bigger right now than the corrupt and illegitimate Mrs. Arroyo, currently the most powerful person in the country, Archbishop Rosales? She stole the last elections, diverted our taxmoney to Jose Pidal's bank accounts, misused the rest of it on her expensive election campaign in 2004, and her family took jueteng bribe money from known gambling lords.

Plus, the fake president is still in Malacanang, using all gov't resources for her own political survival, making political decisions that affects us all (not exactly in our best interests.)

So how can you say that there are more urgent things to do than to oust the corrupt and illegitimate Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Mr. Rosales?

("Bigger fish to fry"? Nakakulong na nga si Erap eh. Patay na si Marcos. And Civil society including the Cory admin and GMA admin have only themselves to blame for not being able to deliver justice to the Marcoses' victims and jail Imelda.)

And to your statement that the Cory, Ramos and even the Erap's admin were more corrupt than Arroyo's, I say bullshit to that.

Isa pa ito:

"There are bigger, bigger fishes. That is why I’m interested in the whole truth. This is only piecemeal."

I'm sorry sir, but I don't believe you're really "interested in the whole truth".

If you think calling for Gloria's resignation is only a "piecemeal" solution because there are "bigger, bigger fishes" to fry -- THEN YOU'RE NUCKING FUTS!

Hate to say this, Archbishop Rosales, but you sound like someone who's parroting the Arroyo administration's bullshit line of "he who is without sin cast the first stone" to buy the fake president extra time.

From Lito Banayo:

His Eminence, the lord Archbishop of Manila, tells us now that guilt of corruption must be measured in degrees. That one who is "less corrupt" by his standards should be spared punishment. Perhaps spared from "eternal damnation" likewise, Excellency?

"Two generations ago, there was a man who ruled us and declared martial law. He ran away with so much money. And have we forgotten? How come no one’s talking about it anymore as if it had been solved? His Excellency asks.

And then he judges, "It hurts me. This is the bigger crime."

And so, because in your holy judgment, someone who got away with it, and now lies dead in sepulchral silence somewhere in the Ilocos, is seemingly forgotten, then we should likewise forgive and forget the perfidy of the lady who still lives, the lady who would still lead us?

Is this biblical, Your Excellency? Canonical dogma perhaps?

Then pray tell, Your Excellency , what explains your leader lady’s strange nocturnal tete a tete with the Lady of Marcos, Her Grace, Imelda? Is this how we are to remember the misdeeds of the dead Marcos? Is this how, in your own words, "(you) want to change people’s mentalities and give them a real orientation in life"?

You confuse us, dear shepherd of the flock of Christ. We are thankful that you are not in the mold of your immediate predecessor, or Cardinal Richelieu. We are relieved that you are most unlike Torquemada. But perhaps it would be best for us your flock to be reminded of Thomas Aquinas or Thomas More, the former for his unequivocal logic, the latter for his unyielding faith in right versus wrong.

UPDATE: At kailangan pa ba munang tapusin natin ang kaso laban sa mga Marcoses bago pwede nating patalsikin si pandak? LOL.

He said it hurts him that the people have not learned from the past, “as in the case of the Marcos’ alleged ill-gotten wealth, which after a blazing start is now left in the back­burner.”

“Not that we are not going to do anything about GMA. But start with the world’s biggest con. We started [but] we did not even end. We did not even follow it up,” he said.

Almost 20 years na yung marcos case, forchrissakes (dumaan sa cory, fvr, erap and GMA administrations), pero hindi pa rin tapos. What makes Rosales think na matatapos kaagad ito?

Unless what he really wants is to buy Gloria Macapagal Arroyo some more time...

Meron rin akong problema dito sa statement na ito ni Archbishop:

He emphasized that Aquino and Ramos did not actually steal but the people around them did.

He's right re Aquino, but WRONG on FVR. Nakalimutan na ba niya ang Centennial Expo Scam, ang PEA-Amari scam. Yung mga onerous na overpriced PPA contracts na pinirmahan ni Ramos nung presidente pa siya, kaya sobrang mahal ng kuryente natin compared to other Asian countries? We have the second most expensive electricity in Asia, right behind Japan at No. 1.

FROM GWOT to SAVE

From "Global War on Terror" to "Struggle Against Violent Extrememism." A more "sophisticated" and "nuanced" (heh!) approach to Islamic extremism from Bush's second term.

Mrs. Arroyo, you have the right to remain silent...

From the Malaya Editorial:

By last week the more "accessible, open, caring and empathetic Gloria" was launched. We are supposed to see a "new" Gloria. What we are seeing is nothing of the sort. She is talking about everything that’s wrong with the political system and how this can be addressed by a shift to a parliamentary form of government but her alleged doctoring of the election results. She is, on the contrary, more determined than ever to hide the truth behind the "Hello Garci" tapes.

Extracting the truth from her is like pulling out an impacted molar. As earlier mentioned she talked but once on the "Hello Garci" tapes, and only vaguely at that. She admitted it was her voice on the taped conversations, but did not say which one, the "Gari" or the "Garci" tapes. She admitted talking to an election official, but as to exactly who with and under what circumstances she did not bother to explicate.

Now the "new" Gloria is telling us it was a mistake that she made the "I’m sorry" statement against the advice of her lawyers, and from that from here on she would stick to the narrow legalistic path.

Funny that on the way to openness and accessibility, Gloria is doing a 180 degree turn and retreating to her pre-June 27 position that her lips are sealed as per the advice of her lawyers.

Why is she then talking on every topic under the sun except on the allegations that strike at the heart of her presidency, that she stole the election? It’s all noise meant to distract attention from what the impeachment complaint in the House says are actions that are in culpable violation of the Constitution.

We never thought we’d see the day when the highest official mandated by the Constitution to carry out the laws would hide under the right to remain silent. But that’s Gloria for you, the least trusted political leader this country has ever had.

We see that Mike Arroyo is back home. He could provide a few tips to Gloria on how to invoke the right to remain silent with a straight face.

LMAO!

Pahabol na Gloriagate articles

- Conrad de Quiros advocates "civil disobedience" to pressure the fake president to leave office.

- Jake Macasaet (Publisher of Malaya) got the inside story on the Arroyo's "press conference" a week ago.

What happened to all the secession talk?

Previous:

- GMA gave her blessings to Chavit-Duterte Secession stunt
- Reckless stunt by Duterte, Singson et al

Here's the latest from Rudy Romero on that Chavit-Duterte stunt:

I don't know if the mayor of Davao City and the governor of Ilocos Sur are poker players of any caliber or play that card game at all. I am, and over the years I have developed skill sufficient to determine (1) whether a person I am playing with is bluffing and (2) whether he intends to maintain the bluff.

At the height of the frenzy for Gloria Arroyo's resignation, the mayor of this country's third-largest metropolis, Rodrigo Duterte, and the governor of Ilocos Sur, Luis “Chavit” Singson, aired a joint threat that any first-year law student recognizes as threatened rebellion. If the members of the Gloria-resign movement were able to attain their objective they would, they thundered, pull their territorial jurisdictions out of the Republic of the Philippines and set up their own republics. He and Chavit were not joking, tough guy Rodrigo Duterte said. He would set up a Republic of Davao City, and his friend the jueteng lord of Ilocos Sur would set his own republic up north.

I don't know if Mr. Duterte and Mr. Singson think that they shook this already-much-shaken nation by making their joint threat. If they do, they've got another think coming. No one in the upper reaches of Philippine society was shaken. Indeed, most sensible Filipinos, who already know Mr. Duterte and Mr. Singson to be administrators with penchants for taking legal shortcuts, did not take their threat seriously.

They quietly attributed their outburst to political partisanship of the most impulsive kind.

Why sensible Filipinos did not accord any seriousness to the Duterte-Singson secessionist threat has to do with the realities of local politics. The assumption underlying the bravado of Messrs. Duterte and Singson is that they can bring their entire provinces - that is to say, all the people of Davao City and Ilocos Sur out with them when they march out of the Republic of the Philippines. They would have the rest of the Filipinos believe that all they have to do is blow a whistle and 100 percent of the Davao City and Ilocos Sur folk will follow them, Pied Piper-like, out of the clutches of so-called imperial Manila.

Is this a fact? Absolutely not. Many Davaoeños and Ilocos Sur residents - as I write this I don't have the 2004 election figures with me - don't like Rodrigo Duterte and Chavit Singson. They would not go anywhere with these two tough guys. Certainly, they wouldn't want to follow them out of the republic. In the case of Mr. Singson, some Ilocos Sur residents who voted for the confessed drug lord in 2004 and in earlier elections did so out of fear for Mr. Singson and his trigger-happy henchmen.

Nor can it be assumed that the Davao City and Ilocos Sur folk who like Rodrigo Duterte and Chavit Singson and voted for them last year will go along with a plan for secession and establishment of a separate republic. More to the point, their support for the candidacies of the two men cannot be taken to be cartes blanches for their territorial jurisdictions' secession from the Republic of the Philippines.

Messrs. Duterte and Singson are bound to get the shocks of their lives when they go to their constituents and ask them the monumental question, “Mag-secede ba tayo?” They will be drowned out with the “Dili” and “Hindi” responses.

Secession from the Republic of the Philippines will not be like declaring independence from Spain of the US or Japan. Nor would it be like the East Timor episode, for the inhabitants of Davao City and Ilocos Sur are not the objects of a systematic campaign of oppression by the central government.

The almost certain lack of support from their constituents is going to be fatal to the foolish threat of Duterte and Singson. But even assuming that the people of two subdivisions of this country decide to follow their leaders and secede from the republic, the task of setting up a new national administration would be enormous - to say the least - from any aspect. Establishing a civil service and a diplomatic service will be very difficult. And how about the economics of an independent existence? Will there be enough revenue to support a government? Will there be sufficient energy source? What about a financial system?

Back to the poker analogy. Are Rodrigo Duterte and Chavit Singson bluffing? Of course they are. They hold no good cards whatsoever.

Are they likely to maintain their bluff? I don't think so. These two men are simply full of hot air.

Their bluff must be called. It will be shortly.

Go ahead punks, make my day!

Mercy Abad of Trends and exit polling manipulation

From Ellen Tordesillas.

POOR Gloria Arroyo. Despite Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano as her election operator, she was still cheated by Fernando Poe, Jr. in the 2004 elections.

That was what she told DZRH's Joe Taruc last Friday.

Laugh. Or else you will cry.

Arroyo made such astounding claim as her parting shot in the interview with Taruc. It's a pity that she didn't finish the sentence although the message she tried to convey was clear enough.

She said, "Nagpapasalamat ako sa DZRH. Gumawa kayo ng exit survey, hindi ba? Noong halalan, noon natapos na 'yung halalan, sabi ng exit survey ng DZRH, 8 per cent ang aking panalo. Although, I won only finally by 3 percent. So ang ibig sabihin noon, baka ako pa ang…..(That means I was the one who was…) So in other words, whatever is the percentage, lahat ng exit surveys, sinabi ako ang nanalo, Joe. Kaya ako ang Pangulo at iyan ang panindigan ko." (All exit surveys said I was the winner, Joe. That means I'm the president and that's my stand.)

Pathetic that she has to reiterate every day that she won the election, according to exit polls.

Arroyo, of course, did not mention that the 2004 elections exit survey turned out to be to be a traumatic experience for the prestigious Social Weather Stations because it was proven wrong in Metro Manila, where FPJ won, contrary to the exit poll.

Arroyo's repeated mention of exit polls as basis of her election adds to the suspicion that it was infiltrated by her election operators without the knowledge of the survey firms' executives. It was part of a grand, sophisticated, well-oiled strategy to thwart the will of the people.

You mean people like Mercy Abad of Trends, who is pro-Arroyo?

- SWS, Pulse Asia and Mercy Abad
- Mercy Abad Again
- A look back at the SWS Exit Poll fiasco

Anyway, it doesn't really matter because sabi ni Bill Luz of NAMFREL na "absolutely credible" raw ang last election!

More from Tordesillas:

Sources said, long before election day, Arroyo and her operatives had decided by how much she should win. They couldn’t make it too big because it would be unbelievable. But it had to be over a million votes.

A source close to the Arroyo campaign said they had in mind the doubt that had haunted Fidel Ramos because of his unconvincing margin of a little more than 850,000 over Miriam Santiago in 1992. It’s interesting to note that the person who operated for Ramos in 1992 was with Arroyo in 2004.

After Arroyo’s operatives had taken care of the surveys, which helped condition the public’s mind to an Arroyo victory, it was then the job of former Comelec Commissioner and his gang to make sure that the election results supported the exit poll figures. The problem was, in Manila, where party representatives and media watched closely, Arroyo’s co-conspirators couldn’t do much. They had to get the needed numbers in other areas.

Former Senator John Osmeña, who ran under Arroyo’s ticket in the 2004 elections, is now saying that she could not have won by over one million votes in Cebu, his province. He said based on the study he commissioned in connection with his electoral protest, Arroyo won only by about 621,000 over FPJ.

Mindanao was Arroyo’s hope to get the numbers she wanted, never mind if actual votes cast didn’t support them or if the figures reflected in the certificate of canvass were more than the number of registered voters.

That’s the meaning of her famous conversation with Garcillano in the morning of May 29, 2004 where she asked "I will still lead by more than one M overall? … It cannot be less than one M?" To which Garcillano replied, "Pipilitin Ma’am natin yan. (We will force that ma’am.)

Garcillano’s operations were once again recalled last week with the revelations of Archbishop Oscar Cruz and jueteng witness Sandra Cam of Arroyo’s meeting in her La Vista residence with Comelec regional directors and Lilia Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng Lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda. There were reports that former Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy Jr. was also present in the meeting. Cam claimed that Pineda handed out P2 million to each Comelec official.

A number of Comelec regional directors have issued statements about those La Vista meetings. Comelec National Capital region director Ferdinand Rafanan said he was not invited. There were also others who said they were invited but they didn’t go.

But other details of those meetings are slowly coming out. A source said Arroyo met with Comelec officials twice. The meetings were reportedly arranged by Southern Tagalog regional director Juanito "Johnny" Icaro.

Inquirer had a statement from Icaro who said that if he did receive P2 million, then Mrs. Arroyo would not have lost heavily in all 10 provinces of the region.

Or was it a case of despite their dagdag-bawas FPJ’s lead remained overwhelming?

But Icaro has a lot of explaining to do about his conversations with Garcillano on May 25 and 26, 2005. In both conversations, he was talking about Cotabato City, way way out of his official jurisdiction. They also referred to Lintang Bedol, provincial election supervisor for Maguindanao, assigned to Sultan Kudarat for May 2004 and chairman of the Cotabato City board of canvassers. There were allegations of massive dagdag-bawas in the two areas under Bedol.

Part of the conversation between Icaro and Garcillano on May 25, 2004::

Icaro: Sir, good evening. Sir, Johnny po ito. Sir, tapos na po ang Cotabato City?

Garcillano: Hinihintay ko yung i-fax ni Bedol.

Icaro: Ano kaya, nagawan kaya ng paraan sir?

Garcillano: Oo. Ang akin, sabi ko, kwarenta mahigit ang kailangan para um-over siya. As of this afternoon, 39.

Icaro: Ang hinihintay lang po ay Cotabato City, ano po sir?

Garcillano: Oo, pero may konti pa sa Lanao Sur.

Icaro: Ah yung anim na municipalities. Panalo daw siya dun eh.

Garcillano: Mananalo siya talaga. Nandun si Louie, Macarambon eh. Pababantayan ko.

Icaro: Opo, opo.

Garcillano: Kaya nga sabi kung makapanalo siya ng 20 to 25,000, mag-celebrate na tayo.

Icaro: San po ba kayo, nasan kayo sir?

Garcillano: Nandito ako sa kwan, Westin Plaza.

Icaro: Hayaan nyo, ipapahanda ko yung mga kwan sir, basta’t nakwan eh aking ipapahanda yung para sa ating mga bata.

Icaro followed up again with Garcillano on the Cotabato City votes the next day:

Icaro: Ano pong balita sa Cotabato City?

Garcillano: Wala pa.

Icaro: Wala pa po? Sir, ano kaya, nagawan kaya ng paraan ni Bedol?

Garcillano: Kung talagang ano yan, sa akin basta ayos na kami. Yun lang kung hindi makakaya dun sa Calami. Pero wag nilang zero-hin kasi mahirap yung...

If Arroyo and her operators think that by keeping Garcillano from the public, the truth about the 2004 election fraud would be forgotten, she is wrong. People talk. And as Chavit Singson showed, there is no honor among thieves.

Tama.

Previous:

- Conrado de Quiros on NAMFREL and "Civil Society"
- More on COMELEC Commissioner Ben Abalos
- CBCP: We don't support Archbishop Cruz's Juetengate expose

Gloria-Garci links go a long way

They go a long way indeed. From the tribune:

While President Arroyo has denied she had engaged the “services” of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to ensure her victory in the last presidential elections, documents gathered from Malacañang show otherwise.

Former Sen. Francisco Tatad yesterday revealed Garcillano actually started working for Mrs. Arroyo since she ran for senator in 1992.

Malacañang documents disclosed that since November 2002, the President has engaged the services of Garcillano to conduct a series of “consultations” with Comelec officials in Mindanao.

In his Jan. 8, 2003 report to Mrs. Arroyo, Garcillano, through presidential liaison officer for political affairs Jose Ma. Rufino, said “the (survey) or (consultations were) undertaken for the purpose of getting the pulse of the electorate at this early.”

The documents also showed the Mindanao “consultations” had been funded by Malacañang in the amount of P875,150.

Funds were also allotted for “consultations” in Luzon amounting to P986,700 and the Visayas (P566,950).

Both consultations, however, were aborted due to the December announcement of Mrs. Arroyo that she will not run for the presidential elections in May 2004.

In previous memorandum for Mrs. Arroyo on Oct. 10, 2002, Rufino confirmed the “consultations' were indeed sanctioned by Malacañang.

“As per instructions of Her Excellency during her visit in Iligan City last Sept. 26, 2002, and the need to precisely approximate the electoral pulse and secure a workable game plan for the 2004 elections, our office shall undertake the aforementioned consultations,” he said.

Another memorandum from one Assistant Secretary Ahmad Bayam showed Garcillano, as an election officer in Mindanao, has been serving the interest of the ruling Lakas-NUCD (National Union of Christian Democrats) and that his services in the 2004 presidential elections are again needed.

“Since the 1992 elections, Director Garcillano has been extensively serving and protecting the interest of Lakas-NUCD-UMDP (United Muslim Democrats in the Philippines), particularly in Mindanao and delivered almost every electoral pleasure of the administration,” Bayam said in his memorandum to Rufino.

“In view of our need to continue enlisting Director Garcillano's expertise and services on election matters, especially with the 2004 elections, it would be beneficial if we could assist in appointing him to another position of prominence, such as member of the board of directors in Public Estates Authority or any government agency in order to sustain his resources and authority,” the memorandum added.

Tatad said Garcillano lobbied extensively for his appointment to the Comelec post.

“I hope I am not taxing your patience for repeatedly reminding you of my application for the position of commissioner of the Commission on Elections. Although you have given me the hope of being appointed to that exalted position in case of any vacancy, I still feel the need to remind you of my desire,” Garcillano's letter to Mrs. Arroyo showed.

“If given the chance, I will not let Your Excellency down,” Garcillano stated.

Tatad said the appointment of Garcillano is questionable because it had no prospect of being confirmed before or after the elections, during the administration ending on June 30, 2004.

According to the former lawmaker, under the Constitution no Comelec commissioner may be appointed in a temporary capacity.

"New" Gloria invokes right to remain silent

No surprise here. Hindi ba yan rin ang tactic nina Jose Pidal, Iggy Arroyo at General Carlos Garcia? LOL.