Expired Antibiotics being used in Army hospital

This is what happens when corrupt generals pocket the money that is supposed to buy military equiptment and new medicines for our soldiers.

From Malaya:

An Army nurse yesterday alleged that the Army General Hospital is injecting battle casualties and post-surgery patients with expired antibiotics.

Malacañang said the defense department should do the investigation.

Myrna David, a former staffer at the Army hospital, told Radio Mindanao Network that she found out about the practice when she saw at the end of March a box of antibiotics with an expiry date of Jan. 30.

David said she refused to use the drug for fear of adverse reactions from her patients but she was told that the same supply was also being used in other wards.
She said she and 10 other nurses came forward as witnesses when they heard that anonymous letters protesting the practice had been sent to then Armed Forces chief Gen. Narciso Abaya.

She said when they brought the case before the Office of the Inspector General, their commanding officer, Col. William Yu, was relieved.

But she said and her fellow whistle-blowers were also penalized by being placed on floating status or reassigned. She said she is now assigned to the Office of the Army Chief Nurse.

She said Yu has filed a libel case against her and her 10 others before the Quezon City regional trial court.

She alleged that then Army chief Lt. Gen. Efren Abu, who is now AFP chief of staff, brushed off their complaints, saying the Army leadership had more important issues to tackle.

Typical reaction by GMA's military -- punish the whistleblowers aka Acsa Ramirez and Carlos Saunar, and sweep the scandal under the rug.

Don't shoot the messenger

Dapat magalit tayo sa mga corrupt na heneral, hindi sa media na messenger lamang.

Is the importance of a free and independent press not in the military curriculum?

House minority leader Francis Escudero (NPC, Sorsogon) yesterday took a dig at Gen. (ret.) Narciso Abaya who said Friday media was resorting to rumor-mongering, sensationalism, and trial by publicity.

Abaya made the remarks in his farewell speech as he handed the reins of the AFP to Lt. Gen. Efren Abu, the former Army chief.

"Coup attempts, like corruption scandal, have a way of catching fire, destroying reputations and destabilizing institutions, especially with the sensationalism that has come to characterize the press and media," he said.

Escudero said: "It is sad that despite being in the military for 38 years, he (Abaya) still does not understand and accept the imperatives of a democracy which among others, demands a strong, independent and free press."

Stop the coverup, Gen. Abaya!

Paredes on Carlos Saunar

Good point by Ducky:

What can we say about our system of justice when Carlos Saunar, the head of the NBI Western Mindanao Regional Office has been sacked? Saunar is currently on the witness stand in the trial of President Joseph Estrada, testifying to the fact that he has found no links that would put the excise tax money stolen by Chavit Singson in the hands of Erap.

The P130 million was taken from the Ilocos Sur government's vaults. Chavit says that he gave the money to Atong Ang to deliver to Erap. It has always been an unlikely story. A Chavit will not trust that amount of money to an Atong.

For someone like Chavit to trust Atong with so much money is not possible, especially that Chavit says that they were in Atong's car on the way to Erap's Polk Street residence when Atong told him that he should disembark since someone might recognize him at the Estrada residence. According to Chavit's fairly tale, he realized this immediately and alighted from the vehicle.

Of course, this is a lie.

But that is not the point. Saunar's relief is apparently a signal to the rest of the government that testifying to the truth will be punished. I can see the point of the government. After all, we cannot encourage whistle-blowers. What will happen to us if someone wants to testify against the Pidals? Imagine if someone will testify against Big Mike. Imagine if someone will testify about Little Mike.

Can this government survive that?

No good deed goes unpunished indeed.

Afghan Terrorists learned their lessons from GMA's weak-kneed response to terrorism

Alam na nila kung sino yung dapat kidnapin (at anong nationality) para mapaluhod nila ang isang bansa.

ANOTHER Angelito has put the Philippines into another situation where we may have to again shed all pretensions to being a proud nation. Terrorists in Afghanistan have kidnapped diplomat Angelito Nayan with two other UN workers.

It is, of course, not Angelito's fault. The thing is, since we gave in to the demands of the terrorists who took a Filipino in Iraq, whoever took Angelito in Afghanistan will take it very hard if we were to not completely give in to their demands. We have written a role for ourselves as the doormat of the world. There is no other way than to accommodate these Afghan terrorists. Imagine how they would feel if we did not kiss their feet considering how easily we caved in to the Iraqis who were holding a truck driver. Angelito is a diplomat!

Nayan, a junior foreign service officer, has been seconded to the Joint Electoral Committee connected with the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan. He must be a protégé of Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo since he was on Bert's Senate staff.
Mullah Ishaq Manzoor, commander of a breakaway Taliban faction known as the Jaish-e-Muslimeen (Army of Muslims), says that he has taken them and that he has taken them out of Kabul.

There have been no kidnappings in Afghanistan. This is the first one. Obviously, the Afghans have learned their terrorist lessons from the Iraqis. Expect that a threat of a beheading will soon follow. And then, what will Gloria Arroyo do? The last time, she groveled at the feet of the terrorists and we were fired from the Coalition of the Willing.

What if they tell us to leave the United Nations or else?

I wouldn't be surprised if "Iron Lady" Gloria surrenders again, Duckster.

GMA rating down to -67% in the Surveys

Nobody trusts this bogus president anymore:

President Arroyo's net satisfaction rating has plummeted to minus 67.9 percent, according to the IBON Foundation's October survey.

Of 1,355 respondents, 76.33 percent said they are not satisfied with her performance, 8.46 percent said they are satisfied while 15.21 percent were undecided.

Last April, Arroyo's net satisfaction rating was at 30 percent, which means that her rating plunged by 37.9 percentage points in six months.

The survey, conducted Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

She'd have a difficult time governing this country kung hindi siya credible sa tao.

NBI man who testified for Estrada sacked

That's what you get for telling the truth, sir. Just like Acsa Ramirez. Ang mga truth-tellers at whistleblowers, napaparusahan. Ang mga tunay na kriminal, nakakalusot.

For committing the cardinal “crime” of testifying truthfully, which cleared detained President Joseph Estrada on charges of having diverted some P170 million in tobacco excise tax funds, National Bureau of Investigation regional chief Carlos Saunar, was yesterday relieved by NBI director Reynaldo Wycoco, reportedly on orders of Malacañang and the Ombudsman.

Saunar is now on floating status.

The sacked NBI regional chief testified before the Sandiganbayan as a witness called in by the defense lawyers of Estrada, who then said in open court that the investigation conducted by the NBI showed that it was Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson who had diverted the tobacco funds, not Estrada, as the paper trail showed that the money was withdrawn, deposited and withdrawn again by persons identified with Singson.

His testimony destroyed the case of the prosecution, as the case for the prosecution hinges on the testimony of Singson, its star witness.

The NBI yesterday ordered the relief of Saunar for his alleged violation of a bureau policy on confidentiality of investigation records and for testifying in favor of the detained leader.

Lead lawyer for the defense, former Sen. Rene Saguisag, slammed the NBI action, saying “it was not enough for the prosecution to harrass the witness. Now it has to even terrorize the defense witnesses.”

More from Malaya:

Carlos Saunar, a defense witness in the plunder trial of President Joseph Estrada, was relieved yesterday as head of the NBI Western Mindanao Regional Office allegedly for violating the agency's policy on "confidentiality and manifestation of partiality."

The relief was seen in NBI circles as "punishment" for his testimony which impugned the accusations of Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Singson that he withdrew P130 million of tobacco excise tax shares for delivery to Estrada.

This was one of the issues raised against Estrada, leading to his impeachment, and when the trial was aborted, his ouster at EDSA 2.

Defense lawyer Jose Flaminiano said the relief of Saunar is tantamount to obstruction of justice.

Flaminiano said Saunar is still on the witness stand undergoing cross-examination. After that, he faces re-direct examination.

With the NBI action, Saunar will be testifying under duress, Flaminiano said. This is tampering with the witness, he added.

He said the defense panel will file contempt charges against NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco and special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio.

"Villa-Ignacio earlier said he would ask the NBI to sanction Saunar. Apparently he did and Wycoco went along with it," Flaminiano said.

Gago talaga itong si Wycoco. Ginago niya dati si Lacson. Now, he's making life miserable for this poor NBI witness.

Like French Kings Part 2

"Sinister forces" are trying to wreck the institution... NOT!

When a big-time corruption scandal blows up on the face of a high-ranking official of a government agency, the style usually adopted by the high official is to get his colleagues to close ranks and attribute all criticisms and exposés as a “sinister” plot to destroy the institution.

This was the stand adopted by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., when being investigated by members of the House of Representatives on the anomalous disbursements of the Judiciary Development Fund (JDF), which led to the move to impeach Davide.

He spoke then of the “dark and sinister forces” out to destroy the institution that is the judiciary, even it was only he who was being investigated for the illegal disbursal of the JDF, where funds allocated for the rank-and-file in the judiciary went elsewhere, with hundreds of millions going missing. And yet Davide has the nerve to speak about the need of eliminating corruption in government, and even has the chutzpah to claim that the rule of law must be upheld — he who broke the law and the Constitution which he has sworn to uphold! And hey, he even now urges whistleblowers to come forward. But when it came to blowing the whistle on him, this was a “sinister force?”

The elite, as well as the high court justices, virtually backing up institutionalized corruption in the judiciary by backing up Davide, killed the process of impeachment by coming up with a hometown decision that protected Davide's, and their hide.

The question that should be asked today is whether, by helping to cover up the massive corruption practiced through the illegal disbursal of the JDF funds, the institution has been “saved.”

Evidently, it was Davide and his justices who were “saved,” not the institution of the Supreme Court, because to this day, the great majority of the Filipino people no longer repose their trust and faith in the high court or the entire judiciary, for that matter, in obtaining true justice as they have become political prostitutes.

Similarly, the corruption scandal which erupted from the discovery of a former military comptroller, Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, funneling military funds into his bank accounts is now being slammed as an affront to the military institution. It was, however, a discovery that led to more corruption practices in the military, linking past and present chiefs of staff and all their J staff.

Now, they, like Davide and his justices before them, scream that the institution is being destroyed and that the enemies of the state are being given by elected officials the ammunition to crush the institution.

That's pure crap. All they want, as Davide and his court wanted then, was to cover up their crime.

It is their hide they want to protect, and keep on protecting, by bringing up this claim of “saving” the institution.

Ironically, they said nothing about saving the institution of the presidency and the civilian Commander-in-Chief, or even of breach of the chain of command, of the military and police engaging in political partisanship and getting out of the barracks, of the Constitution and democracy itself when they pilloried then President Joseph Estrada on mere allegations of corruption and plunder; they said nothing about upholding the law, or even of granting Estrada his right to due process and even gloried at his being convicted by publicity on mere allegations which charges are now being proved to be fabricated.

Yet these are the same people who now cry foul over allegations of corruption in the disbursal of the JDF funds and other anomalies in the budget of the judiciary, handled by Davide, and charges of corruption leveled against the military generals and their accomplices, claiming that the institutions must be saved.

And there was Gloria Arroyo, telling the senators and congressmen to go easy on the generals, just as she did, for the high court justices — yet she vows to clean up the corruption mess in these institutions when she, at the same time, asks for the officials concerned to go easy on them?

It is precisely because Gloria and her allies have been too easy on the military and her generals that they have become much too arrogant and powerful.

Would a mere chief of staff, or a mere department secretary be so arrogant and rude before a congressional panel and tell them they can't touch him, or his mother, or even inquire into his yet to be explained assets, and showing his contempt of members of Congress if he did not think himself so powerful and beyond the pale of the law?

All this talk about the need for toned down political rhetoric to “save” the institution is pure manure.

It is not the institutions that they seek to save, but their corrupt ways and the ill-gotten wealth to be protected.

For how can these generals, as well as the high court justices, expect to save their institutions, since they themselves destroyed them.

Related article here.

Angelo Reyes' Arrogance

Naninigaw, evasive, hostile... I guess Angie's just trying to show who's boss, eh?

Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos was correct when she said it was Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes who actually involved his mother when he claimed that his P4.1 million bank deposit belonged to his mother.

Rep. Marcos is right to complain that Reyes was very discourteous when he shouted at her in full view of the TV audience.

This attitude is not peculiar to Secretary Reyes alone. You have seen it in the different Edsa II personalities whose arrogant behavior projected their thinking that Edsa II “heroes” are a superior race and should not be questioned on their performance.

O baka may personal na away lang between Golez and Reyes?

The hearings on corruption charges against Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia have confirmed the bad blood between Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, former national security adviser, and Secretary Angelo Reyes, former secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND).

Remember the Oakwood mutiny last year when the young officers called for the resignation of Secretary Angelo Reyes on account of incompetence in the Mindanao campaign and corruption? At the time, President Arroyo angrily stated, “they want to remove Reyes to weaken me” and refused to give in.

But shortly after, Mrs. Arroyo asked Reyes to resign as DND chief. Aides of Reyes say they discovered that National Security Council (NSC) head Roilo Golez sent memo after memo to the President that tends to confirm the validity of the Magdalo officers' grievances. (Golez wanted the DND post). Round one to Golez.

At the House hearings the other day, Golez tried to pin down Reyes on the amount of allowances he receives, Reyes answered four times in a loud, angry voice “I receive only authorized allowances.” Congressmen seated close to Golez saw he had a document containing a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) certification that Reyes was receiving an extra allowance of P2 million a month.

But apparently, Reyes' angry tone forced Golez not to confront him with the Pagcor document at the time.

Golez then reported to the House after the hearings that Reyes confronted him with this challenge, “Pare, pinepersonal mo ako, ano bang gusto mong mangyari?”

To whom Golez just smiled and said, “Relax ka lang.”

Before he left the House, Angie was heard to say “I will get back at him (Golez) with a vengeance.”

Among Golez, Imee Marcos and Peter Allan Cayetano, they barely got anything out of Reyes who they correctly described as arrogant and evasive. Round two to Reyes.

One good thing about this — the hot exchanges between Reyes and Golez have caused Golez to state he will see through these hearings to the end, meaning he is not giving in to Malacañang pressure to terminate the hearings.

But still, Angie's attitude in all this is inexcusable.

Like French Kings

JB Baylon notes:

I HAVE once again heard the defense that "attacking" certain individuals is tantamount to "attacking" certain institutions. This was the defense of the Roman Catholic Church when scandals surrounding the actuations of some of its cardinals became public; this is now the defense of the Armed Forces of the Philippines when scandals surrounding the apparently criminal activities of some of its generals have come to light.

So now we are told that "attacks" on generals - actually not so much as attacks as the posing of tough and surely painful questions - are attacks on the AFP as an institution; hence to pursue the line of action against the erring generals is actually to threaten the stability and the integrity of the Republic.

Neat.

Very convenient, indeed. Read it all.

Intimidation tactics by the Military

"Nagpaparinig" na rin sila sa mga Civilian officials natin:

WHAT'S this declaration by the Armed Forces of a nationwide red alert? An early Halloween trick or treat?

The justification, that it is meant to get the soldiers up on their toes for attacks by the New People's Army, doesn't wash. NPA spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal is indeed talking about stepped-up attacks on government forces and installations. But this is nothing new. Ka Roger has been saying the same thing every time a news organization gets in touch with him via cellphone. Giving the impression that the NPA is on the offensive and that the government is on the retreat, after all, summarizes Ka Roger's job description.

Does the military seriously want us to believe that every time Ka Roger says "Boo!" the soldiers hunker down in their camps, outposts and fox holes to repel pre-announced attacks?

The military establishment is being shaken to its foundation by the corruption scandal at the highest level. The red alert is a not so-subtle warning the ongoing investigations had better stick to their narrow course or else...

The goose of Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, the former comptroller who allegedly amassed around P200 million from kickbacks and commissions, is cooked. The evidence against is airtight. He is on his way to becoming a guest of the state - free board and lodging - for the rest of his life.

What concerns the public now is whether the investigation of corruption would stop at Garcia. As Garcia himself testified before a House hearing, every action he made had the approval of his superiors. He could not have stolen a fortune all by his lonesome.

The brass are circling the wagons. No question about it. At the moment they are firing over the heads of the hostiles.

Would they dare shift their aim and open with lethal fire? We don't know and, frankly, we believe the time has passed when the political leadership and the citizenry should not be intimidated by the threat of a coup d'etat.

There's no difference between a coup and succumbing to the threat of a coup. The first means death by musketry; the second is death by strangulation. It's the end of the Republic either way.

Let's see if our elected officials will allow themselves to be intimidated by the Military.

NBI: Erap not guilty on the missing Tobacco Excise Tax case

From Malaya:

A former chief of the NBI anti-graft division yesterday declared there was "absolutely nothing" that would link President Joseph Estrada and his son, Sen. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, to the "missing" P130 million tobacco excise tax funds.

Carlos Saunar, the seventh witness for the defense, headed the team that was tapped by the Department of Justice in October 2000 to look into the disclosures of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson regarding Estrada's alleged involvement in "jueteng" and corruption.

On direct examination by defense lawyer Raymund Fortun, Saunar said he recommended the filing of several criminal complaints against Singson based on the grilling by his team of various persons and the examination of documents on the transactions of the provincial government of Ilocos Sur.

The complaints were later dropped when the Arroyo government granted immunity to Singson after he agreed to be the "star witness" against Estrada.

Hindi ba si Chavit ang dapat ikulong dito, hindi si Erap?

Civilians should not mess with the Military

Under GMA, napaka-influential ng military. Pwede nilang sigaw-sigawan ang mga civilian at gov't officials if these people dare ask questions that they consider hostile.

Instead of giving categorical answers, Reyes was seen as very evasive throughout the hearing and, in many instances, was hostile and war-like.

“He did not answer direct questions like, 'Was he receiving additional allowance?' I asked him if it came from authorized sources but he did not give categorical answers,” the congressman said.

“He merely said 'authorized sources' but who are these authorized sources?” Golez added.

“Reyes has a lot of explaining to do. Does that (answer) mean he did not know what is happening as AFP chief and DND (Department of National Defense) secretary?” Golez asked.

Until his appointment by President Arroyo as Interior chief, Reyes had been a military chief of staff and Defense secretary, among many other jobs offered to him by the incumbent administration.

The congressional investigation was spurred by allegations that Reyes is involved in amassing ill-gotten wealth as supposedly indicated by reports that his statement of assets and liabilities and net worth had shown ownership of only P200,000 in 2002, which soared to P18 million in 2004.

Marcos said she was surprised at how Reyes had reacted to her questions on the allegations against him.

“I did not expect that the highest official of the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) and a former AFP chief of staff would shout at me, despite my legitimate questions on the controversy into which he has been dragged,'' the Ilocos Norte lawmaker added.

Hoy Imee, hindi mo ba alam, Military people have superiority over civilians like us.

Naitakas na ni Garcia ang kayamanan niya

Ang bagal kasing kumilos ng mga authorities eh:

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III said yesterday Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia hauled several boxes containing P38 million in cash from a Makati bank on Oct. 7, a week before his bank accounts were frozen by the Court of Appeals on the prompting of the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

The accounts at the United Coconut Planters Bank branch in Salcedo Village were in the name of Garcia, his wife Clarita and Timothy Mark, Ian Carl, and Juan Paolo.

Osmeña said eight UPCB accounts in all, of which six were peso accounts and two were dollar accounts, were cleaned up by Garcia before the freeze order.

A summary prepared by the government said earlier that the freeze order was able to cover only seven of the 40 accounts of the Garcias in seven banks and other financial institutions. The deposits in 33 others had been withdrawn before the appellate court could act.

At bakit hindi kumikibo itong abogado ni GMA ng miyembro ng "The Firm" na si DefSec Nonong Cruz?

Pimentel said that Cruz, who took over the helm of the Department of National Defense more than two months ago, cannot do a Pilate on the unexplained wealth charges of Garcia and other ranking AFP officers because he is the civilian supervisor of the military establishment.

"Secretary Cruz has been keeping a sphinx-like silence over the scandal and I am wondering why. If he keeps acting that way, he will be marginalized not only in the eyes of the Armed Forces but also in the eyes of the people," he said.

Pimentel said the public has yet to hear from Cruz on what steps he has taken on the prosecution of the charges against Garcia for allegedly amassing ill-gotten wealth and on the rooting out of deep-seated corruption in the military.

"When you are the secretary of national defense, anything that happens in your department is your problem. And it is incumbent upon him to have spoken out and take a position either way - if he wants to defend Garcia, he should have come out and said he was in the right. Or if he thinks Gen. Garcia committed something wrong, he should have acted accordingly. Apparently, he decided to wash his hands of the controversy," he said.

I don't know Sen. Pimentel... could it be that he's part of the coverup? Just Asking.

I doubt Arroyo will last 6 years in office

Especially when we hear reports like this one:

EXECUTIVE Order 367 creating the Office of External Affairs is another indication that President Arroyo lives in a world so remote from majority of the Filipino people.

More than five million working-age Filipinos have no jobs and one out of seven Filipino households experience hunger. People are angry at the corruption in all levels of the government. Then she creates the Office of External Affairs to "liaison with constituency groups and build grassroots support for the government's agenda and legislation." It will have an initial budget of P100 million.

The OEA will have offices all over the country and will have supervision over the presidential advisers and assistants for regional concerns. Fernando Mahusay has been named presidential assistant for Region 9, clearly a political payback for having "rescued" his brother, Eugenio or Udong, from the custody of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, to stop him from creating more damage to Mike Arroyo in the Jose Pidal exposé.

The creation of OEA is a slap in the face of all other departments especially the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

The OEA will also have a "representative ...in the United States with the rank of Attaché." Arroyo said "I may even need two (attachés) because we have three-and-a-half million Filipinos there. We will need one in the East Coast, one in the West Coast.

Has Arroyo forgotten that the Department of Foreign Affairs has an embassy (in Washington D.C.) and five consulates (Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco) in the United States?

If we follow her line of reasoning that OEA representatives are needed in places where there is a big number of Filipinos, she would have to send OEA representatives all over the world. Just like the DFA with 85 embassies and consulates all over the world.

Our corps of foreign service officers manning Philippine embassies and consulates have the responsibility "to protect the interest of Filipinos nationals abroad" by providing them the necessary services and assistance. What would be the functions of OEA representatives that are not being exercised by DFA personnel? And wasn't Vice President Noli de Castro appointed presidential adviser for Overseas Filipino Workers? And how about Roy Cimatu as her special envoy to the Middle East?

Perplexed by GMA's moves like this creation of OEA amidst a fiscal crisis and by the quality of her appointments like Mahusay, Jun Santiago (presidential adviser on revenue enhancement), and Ramon Revilla (chairman of Public Estates Authority), a friend said, "Mapapabilis ang bagsak ni Arroyo nito (This will hasten Arroyo's fall)."

Arroyo's credibility has reached rock-bottom. There is widespread apathy among the masses. Reports like this, creation of another dumping ground for political stooges no longer surprise the people.

It's never GMA's fault

Read it All:

"Kasalanan" ni Erap

Talaga yatang wala tayong maaasahang pagbabago tungo sa kaunlaran kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Ang lakas ng loob. Sa pagkabaon natin sa paghihirap, iba pa ang sinisisi. Kung hindi raw siya nakamana ng problema ng bayan kay Pangulong Estrada, hindi tayo ganito ngayon.

Talaga?

Noong patalsikin si Pangulong Estrada, magkano ba ang utang ng bansa? Tingnan ninyo sa rekord. Mahigit lang P700 billion.

At noong Sabado, Enero 21, 2001 ng umalis si Erap sa Malacañang, may iniwan siyang P78 billion na cash.

Umpisa ng mang-agaw ng poder hanggang ngayon, magkano na ang utang ng naghihirap na bansang Pilipino? Doble na. Halos P1.5 billion.

Kasalanan ba ni Erap iyan?

Nakuha ng mga sundalo ni Erap ang 10,000 ektaryang kampo ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Malaking ani sana ang makukuha rito kung hindi tinumba si Erap.

Ano naman ang ginawa ni GMA matapos mang-agaw ng poder?

Aba, akalain ba naman ninyong ibalik sa MILF ang Kampo Abubakar.

Iyan tuloy. Malaki ang problema sa Mindanao ngayon.

Noong unang buwan ng panunungkulan ni Erap, ang dolyar ay P43 lamang. Magkano na ngayon? Sobra na sa P56. May dagdag na mahigit sa P20 bawat dolyar ngayon.

Kasalanan ba ni Erap iyan?

Bago napatalsik si Erap, halos walang kidnapping for ransom. Nabawasan ang kurakutan ng pulis. Ang mga carnap na kotse na ang iba ay ginagamit ng pulis, ay ibinigay lahat ni Gen. Panfilo Lacson, PNP chief noon, sa mga insurance companies.

Ano ba ngayon ang nangyayari? Dumaan ang panahon na laganap ang kidnapping. Ang isang heneral ng pulis ay gumagamit ng Jaguar na nasamsam daw sa isang drug lord. Anong pakialam ni Erap sa mga iyan. Nakakulong nga iyong tao.

Talaga naman! Pati si Ferdinand Marcos sinisi ni GMA. Di ba bumuti ang kalagayan ng bayan sa panahon nina Pangulong Cory Aquino at Fidel Ramos?

Ibig bang sabihin ni Pangulong Arroyo, ang 12 taon ng "kaunlaran" sa gobyernong Aquino ay giniba ni Erap sa dalawa at kalahating taon lamang?

At hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nakukumpuni ni GMA ang sinira ni Erap. Halos apat na taon ng nakaupo si GMA, kasama na ang tatlo at kalahating taon sa agaw na poder, hindi pa rin tayo nagbabago. Nabubulok pa nga.

Kung hindi haharapin ni Pangulong Arroyo ang maraming problema ng bayan at kung hindi siya magkakaroon ng tibay ng dibdib na magbigay ng solusyon, lalo pa tayong maghihirap.

Wala sino man ang naniniwala na lubog sa kahirapan ang bayan dahil kay Erap. Hindi makakalusot sa paningin ng tao ang hindi tamang pamamaraan ni GMA sa pagsisi kay Erap.

Hanggang ngayon, matapos manalo noong Mayo 10, puro pulitika pa rin ang iniisip ni GMA.

Halos P400 million ang magagastos sa paglipat ng Department of Agrarian Reform sa Iloilo. Mahigit sa 1,400 ang mga empleyado sa Central Office ang mapipilitan ding pumunta sa Iloilo.

Doble parusa. Kung nagbuburnal ng bahay iyong empleyado, magdodoble ang gastos niya dahil sa renta sa Iloilo.

Kung may bahay na bayad na, pipilitin naman ni GMA na magrenta sa Iloilo.

Ganyan din ang aabutin ng mga empleyado sa Central Office ng Department of Tourism. Ililipat ang tourism sa Cebu. Bakit kailangang gawin ito? Dahil nagbabayad si GMA sa utang sa pagkapanalo sa Iloilo at Cebu.

Tingnan ninyo, walang departamento na ililipat sa Mindanao. Bakit nga naman. Si FPJ ang nanalo na malaki sa Mindanao.

Magtipid daw. Gobyerno naman niya ang nagwawaldas.

Ngayon, malaking kurakutan naman ang nabulgar sa AFP. Panahon ba ni Erap nangyari iyan? Tapos si Erap ang sinisisi.

Laganap lalo ngayon ang droga. Wala namang may sentensyang bitay na nabitay nga. Takot si GMA sa Simbahan.

Ang leksyon sa lahat ng ito ay tibay ng paninindigan. Kung wala iyan sa isang Pangulong tulad ni GMA, wala tayong pupuntahan kung mas grabeng pagkabulok.

Wala kahit na katiting na problema ang nalulutas sa paninisi sa iba na wala namang kinalaman sa nangyayari ngayon.

Ano bang kasalanan ang nagawa natin at pinarurusahan tayo ng ganito? Magdasal tayong lahat

Exactly!

"Tense, Worried, Anxious"

That's the atmosphere inside Malacanang these days.

Inside Malacañang. The atmosphere in Malacañang these days is described as “tense,” “worried,” “anxious” by Malacañang reporters.

The President has visitorial powers that allow her to look into bank deposits in spite of the bank secrecy law. She has been advised to submit the names of her top aides to the banks and ask for a report on their deposits.

According to a radio reporter, President Arroyo spent three hours at the Mother Ignacia Healing Center in Novaliches last Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., accompanied by presidential adviser Conrado Limcaoco.

The First Gentleman is very quiet these days. He must be worried the US Customs service has a computer record of his dollar deposits. They are very efficient about that. When I was ambassador to Washington, I was told they (US Custom officials) keep a file on all incoming dollars brought in by foreigners. This is due to their concern with drug money and lately, terrorist money. That is why Mrs. Garcia went overboard explaining her source of dollars — to dispel any suspicion she's bringing in drugs or terrorist funds.

Not surprising, really. Normal reaction from guilty people.

Why high crimes goes unpunished

Good article by Jake Macasaet. Go read it now.

Hindi magiging masaya ang Christmas natin this year.

Tataasan na ng mga buwaya ang buwis natin.

3 tax measures ipapasa bago mag-Christmas

Ito ang tiniyak ni House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. kasabay ng pagsisimula ngayon ng pagsalang sa plenaryo ng panukalang indexation of sin taxes o ang pagbubuwis sa mga sin products tulad ng alak at sigarilyo.

Bukod sa sin taxes, kabilang sa inaasahang ipapasa ng Kamara ay ang panukalang rationalization of fiscal incentives at lateral attrition na siyang magpapabuti at magrereporma sa tax administration.

Ayon kay De Venecia, inaasahang maipapasa ang tatlong panukala nang hindi lalampas sa Nobyembre 17 upang agad itong maipadala sa Senado at mabigyan ng sapat na panahon ang pagtalakay rito upang sa Christmas break ng Kongreso ay pasado na ang mga ito.

Naniniwala si De Venecia na hindi na dapat patagalin ang pagpapatibay sa mga nasabing panukalang pagbubuwis dahil ito’y napakahalaga para sa kinakaharap na fiscal crisis ng bansa.

Sa panig ni majority Leader Prospero Nograles Jr., sinabi nitong inaasahan ng liderato ng Kamara ang pagpasa ng mga panukalang batas ngayong buwang ito upang agad na maisampa sa Senado nang mabigyan ng sapat na panahon ang mataas na kapulungan na pag-usapan ito bago sumapit ang Christmas recess.

Ayon naman kay Rep. Jesli Lapus, chairman ng House ways and means committee, ang krisis ng bansa ay lalong lumulubha kaya ang ways and means panel ay puspusang kumikilos at nakapagsagawa na rin umano ng 17 pagdinig simula noong buwan ng Setyembre dala ang hangaring mapabilis ang pag-apruba sa mga panukala.

So desidido na kayong taasan ang buwis namin. Pero ano na ang nangyari sa promise mo JDV na ia-abolish nyo raw ang "pork barrel" for 2005???

Malakas talaga ang Militar kay GMA

Read this article from Ellen Tordesillas.

"Napaparinig" na rin ang AFP sa US

Kung si Francis Ricciardone ay nagpaparinig sa Malacanang at AFP to get their act together in stamping out corruption, the corrupt AFP generals can play the same game too when they "uncovered" a plot to bomb the US embassy.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday said the Armed Forces, to prevent speculations that it is telling tall tale, must present solid evidence that the two men and a woman arrested last Oct. 6 were planning an attack on the US embassy.

"They (the military) should explain how they uncovered the alleged plot to bomb the US embassy in the face of public skepticism over their claim that the suspects allegedly confessed to the alleged bombing mission during interrogation," Pimentel said.

There were speculations that the arrests in a supposed bombing plot was to divert public attention from the congressional probe into corruption in the military.

It's like the military crooks are saying -- butt out, stop leaking to the press about our unexplained wealth in the US, or else bigla na lang may sasabog sa embassy nyo.