• 6 AUGUST - *1907 - Gen. Macario Sakay, one of the Filipino military leaders who had continued fighting the imperialist United States invaders eight years into the Ph...
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Noynoy in clandestine talks with PMAyers; AFP denies meet By Mario J. Mallari 04/21/2010

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Noynoy in clandestine talks with PMAyers; AFP denies meet


By Mario J. Mallari
04/21/2010

Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino confirmed he has been holding several separate meetings with various classes of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and its officers on the probability of a failure of elections and electoral fraud, and what kind of role these elite military officers will be playing.

Aquino, in a statement issued to the media, confirmed that indeed he met with various classes, said to be Class 1977 and younger, but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied that there were such meetings held with Aquino.

But even as the AFP officers denied that such meetings were held with Aquino, military Chief of Staff Gen. Delfin Bangit yesterday admitted there are ongoing investigations of the supposed meetings and consultations between the LP standard-bearer and some active military officials.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100421hed2.html

Dropping of massacre raps prelude to fraud, says Erap By Charlie V. Manalo 04/21/2010

Dropping of massacre raps prelude to fraud, says Erap


By Charlie V. Manalo
04/21/2010

TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite — Former President and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer Joseph “Erap” Estrada said yesterday he has reasons to believe the release of the Ampatuans, primary suspects in the infamous Maguindano massacre, have something to do with the forthcoming elections as the Ampatuan patriarch had once been involved in the Hello Garci scandal in 2004 that proved massive cheating which gave President Arroyo a fresh six year term.

In an interview, Estrada said indications are strong the administration might be using the Ampatuans to execute massive cheating in the May 10 polls aside from silencing them from spilling the beans on the Hello Garci scandal wherein President Arroyo was caught on tape talking to a Commission on Elections com-missioner inquiring on the status of her votes in Maguindanao.

Re-electionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada also directly accused his former Ateneo classmate Justice Secretary Alberto Agra of blindly following an order from Malacañang and allowing himself to be used as a “willing tool of the administration” in repaying its political gratitude to the powerful Ampatuan clan.

“While I know Secretary Agra personally because we used to attend the same school, I cannot in conscience agree with what he just did. I feel sorry for him because he allowed himself to be used as a tool by the administration in repaying a debt which was not his,” Estrada said..... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100421hed5.html


Ampatuans to support Noynoy, says Andal Jr. By Angie M. Rosales 04/21/2010

Ampatuans to support Noynoy, says Andal Jr.


By Angie M. Rosales
04/21/2010

Main Maguindanao massacre suspect Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. had a change of heart yesterday, saying he now supports the presidential bid of Liberal Party (LP) bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, and this is a family decision, a few days after he declared that he will vote for NP standard bearer Manuel Villar Jr.

Ampatuan Jr. stated his endorsement for Aquino at the same time that he insisted he was innocent of the multiple murder cases at a bizarre jailhouse press conference.

Ampatuan, wearing a yellow prison T-shirt but was not cuffed, was relaxed and smiled as he gave his most expansive comments to the media since being arrested last year for the slaughter of 57 people.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100421hed4.html


Birds of same feather EDITORIAL 04/21/2010

Birds of same feather



EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
04/21/2010

Joey Salceda, Albay governor who defected to the Liberal Party (LP) a few days ago, won’t be able to live down his “no palabra de honor” reputation.
He may not know it, but he has lost more than what he believes he gained by joining the LP and pledging his loyalty and support to Noynoy Aquino.

Not even when he claims he turned his back on Gloria Arroyo and Lakas for “love of country” will repair the damage done to his reputation.

What his jumping over the LP fence is seen, by most, is hardly love for country, but political opportunism, because he believes it will be Noynoy and Mar who will be in Malacañang in June, and he expects to be with what he believes is the “winning side” and thus, still be in power and position under a new regime.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com1.html


Setting the stage for a yellow coup FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/21/2010

Setting the stage for a yellow coup



FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
04/21/2010

he Supreme Court (SC) has ruled with finality. Gloria Arroyo can appoint the next Chief Justice (CJ), and the Judicial and Bar Council will have to submit a list to her, as ordered by the high court, within this time up till May 17, 2010.

So what do Noynoy and his yellows do now? Refuse to recognize the decision of the majority of the high court justices and refuse too, to recognize the Gloria-appointed CJ? Stage a street protest to oust the new CJ? Fire the CJ and all the other justices who will recognize the next CJ? Have the CJ impeached because, as claimed by Noynoy and his yellows, the high court erred in granting Gloria the power to appoint the next CJ?

Noynoy and the yellows are now looking like fools, since none of these threats they issued earlier can be applied.
They look foolish because, in the first place, the frigging yellows and their bet haven’t even won the presidential race for Noynoy to even threaten not to recognize the Gloria-appointed CJ. Neither does he have the power to fire any of them, nor for that matter, threaten impeachment.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com2.html


Pacific fight against AIDS hampered by shame, ignorance focus 04/21/2010

Pacific fight against AIDS hampered by shame, ignorance



focus

04/21/2010

MAJURO — In the staunchly Christian Pacific islands, the battle to combat HIV/AIDS is struggling to overcome shame surrounding the disease, which results in many patients being ostracized by their families.

An AIDS conference bringing together representatives from US-affiliated Pacific island nations and territories in the Marshall Islands capital of Majuro last week heard of the discrimination faced by those living with HIV/AIDS.
“People think everyone with HIV is a sinner and that God will not forgive them,” said Cathy Samuel from the atoll of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Samuel’s family was forced to move to another island to get away from what she described as the “embarrassment” of having a family member who died from AIDS.

Another woman from Chuuk, who did not want to be named, said she was forced to move to Guam when her husband died after infecting her with HIV.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com3.html

Time’s up. Almost HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 04/21/2010

Time’s up. Almost



HE SAYS
Aldrin Cardon
04/21/2010

We’re almost in the homestretch, and anomie, that feeling of anxiety and isolation, is fast catching up on some candidates, whose campaign did not catch fire or whose pitches have been razed to the ground along the way.

The next few days before the May 10 exercise would reveal much of some candidates’ personalities, through exposures of their lies and deceit, either by design or accident, that bandwagons may crumble and personal idolatries may wane.

Philippine electoral history, however, would prove right that money would still play a big part in this process of selection, with local support hinging on how much a candidate may have promised or given, proof that we have yet to reach political maturity on which most democracies lean.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com4.html

Election nearing (again) SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 04/21/2010

Election nearing (again)



SHE SAYS
Dinah S. Ventura
04/21/2010

As the days pass too quickly for comfort, the election hubbub rises and the resounding echo seems to be that a failure of elections is “highly” possible.

Administration Sen. Edgardo Angara warned last Friday that “there’s a 70 percent chance that elections will fail” come May 10. In a recent newspaper report, he told the press that this scenario was “possible given the Commission on Elections’ admission that there was a 30 to 40 percent chance it would revert to manual elections, and that would disenfranchise many voters.” If such a case happens, Angara added that “a military-instigated power grab could ensue, which could result in a widespread chaos…,” the April 17 article said.

The senator pointed out the country’s general lack of readiness for automated polls, as well as the power interruptions in key areas in the Philippines.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com5.html

Pope says he leads a ‘wounded and sinner’ church FEATURE 04/21/2010

Pope says he leads a ‘wounded and sinner’ church



FEATURE

04/21/2010

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI admitted to world cardinals that he led a “wounded and sinner” Church, as he marked five tumultuous years in charge, most recently mired in pedophile priest scandals.

The pontiff “evoked the sins of the Church,” describing it as “wounded and sinner” to some 50 cardinals gathered for his anniversary, the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano said Monday.

He “feels very strongly that he is not alone,” the paper reported the pontiff as saying, he “has at his sides the whole college of cardinals who are sharing with him vicissitudes and reassurance.”

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi defended the embattled Pope, telling Radio Vatican the priorities Benedict had defined after his election were being “pursued with coherence and courage” despite “tensions” and “obstacles.”
Waves of allegations sweeping the Church in Europe and the Americas had also been the backdrop to a tearful meeting between the Pope and abuse victims on Sunday in Malta, one of the latest countries to be hit by sex abuse scandals.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com6.html

Fight al-Qaeda with satire, ridicule — researchers FEATURE 04/21/2010

Fight al-Qaeda with satire, ridicule — researchers



FEATURE

04/21/2010
LONDON — Satire and ridicule can help win the fight against al-Qaeda by stripping it of its glamor and mystique, a team of British researchers argue in a report released in London and in comments to AFP.

Beating the Islamist movement is as much about winning the battle of ideas and undermining al-Qaeda’s counter-culture cachet as it is about conventional anti-terrorism operations, said the report.

“Terrorism must be defeated through the deliberate ‘toxification’ of the al-Qaeda brand; not by making it seem dangerous, but by exposing it as dumb,” Jamie Bartlett, one of the report’s authors, told AFP.

“Al-Qaeda has to be ridiculed as the equivalent of a middle-aged dad at a school disco: Enthusiastic, incompetent and excruciatingly uncool.”... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100421com7.html

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