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Corona: The perfect red herring DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 01/06/2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

Corona: The perfect red herring

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
01/06/2012
“Like Saguisag, I still recall Corona’s sneer and derision of poor people in Edsa Tres,” said a texter — adding that the current Chief Justice (CJ) “represents the worst of his class…” Another called the chief magistrate “matapobre” (someone who looks down on the poor), since he also “called the pro-Erap masses… at the Edsa-Ortigas April 2001 (uprising) as toothless, pant-less hordes…”

They were, of course, referring to a recent column by former senator, Estrada counsel, and anti-Marcos human rights lawyers’ group icon, Rene Saguisag, who holds the view that the forthcoming Corona impeachment trial is a crusade against a knave and a lowlife. Those messages, coming from my radio listeners and column readers, expressed surprise at my linking arms with former Gov. Homobono Adaza and lawyer Alan Paguia in our petition against the impeachment of the chief magistrate of the Supreme Court (SC).

Probably perplexed at my apparent siding with the CJ, these texters confronted me with his past that ran contrary to my long-standing pro-Edsa III and anti-elitist position. So I replied that although Saguisag is entirely correct about Corona being a knave, he is absolutely wrong if he believes that the CJ (or his impeachment) is the real issue here.

This move against Corona was initiated by Malacañang mid-December last year. While I maintain that the whole scenario is part of the Aquinorroyo moro-moro, my analysis has expanded as other events have fallen into place.

With the many things transpiring around Syria and Iran, along with the angry exchanges between the US and Russia over missile defense, coupled with Obama’s refocusing of his country’s presence in the Asia-Pacific through his buildup of 2,500 US Marines in Australia (incurring the ire of China and Indonesia), I saw a number of things that fit into the jigsaw puzzle.

First, we have the moves of BS Aquino III in assaulting the SC (with veiled threats that the Senate and Vice President would follow). Second, there is this recent shift in his national military policy from “counter-insurgency” to “territorial defense.” Third, there is this order by BS Aquino of a squadron of F-16s, which Hillary Clinton seems all too willing to provide. All these amount to none other than a US-BSA III dictatorship in the making — no different from that of Cory’s revolutionary government.

For sure, Gloria Arroyo is merely a scapegoat. The rest of her cohorts, who are now in cahoots with the BS Aquino regime, are allowed to run free. We need to name only a few to establish this point: Speaker of the House Sonny Belmonte, who is an erstwhile Arroyo enforcer; his protégé Jojo Ochoa, who sits at the right hand of BS Aquino lording over all today; the corporatist gofers in various Cabinet and regulatory agency posts (such as Rene Almendras in Energy) protecting their corporate bosses in the privatized public utilities, who have successfully kept all the anomalous profit-gouging under cover. Oh, should we forget Arroyo veteran and even bigger “corporat” Cesar Purisima, who enforces the diktats of the US and the multilateral finance mafia? Of course, he’s just part of the Hyatt 10 caboodle, all Arroyo veterans now serving under the new “useful idiot.”

Enter Corona, a specimen of the old regime and what do we have? A perfect “red herring,” that’s what.
The term, which originated in Britain, was coined when “British fugitives in the 1800s would rub a herring across their trail, thereby diverting the bloodhounds that were hot in pursuit…” In this case, Corona is an ideal “red herring,” especially after he was appointed by Arroyo under the controversial but arguably legal “midnight” clock. As for those comments of his against the masses of Edsa III, well, they are now ready ammunition against him.

But come to think of it, how many in the coterie of BS Aquino today are not exactly like Corona? The Hyatt 10, for one, sneered upon Edsa III; the SC justices seemingly favored by the current dispensation, such as Carpio or Sereno, moved against the populist causes being espoused by the masses, with the latter even expressing her contempt for “consumers” and its advocates in her ponente favoring Meralco and the Energy Regulatory Commission. Now that they are raising issues left and right against Corona, beginning with his plush condo, let’s see if they or their boss are faultless in that department!

Bono Adaza likes to quote this Arab saying: “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” The tactics and strategies in building up this new dictatorship in the country under the guise of an “incorruptible” has been sold to the Filipino once before and left a bitter legacy.

Cory Aquino was given revolutionary powers that allowed her to wipe out all elected officials, erase economic and public protection provisions, and ensure the potential of successful US-backed coups by enshrining the Praetorian principle in the Constitution.

This time around, the US wants a dictator to push this nation to become a bait for a conflict in the South China Sea against a large nation that has never conquered any lands outside its coasts in millenniums past — a neighbor that, moreover, has only offered trade, roads, bridges, trains, and other infrastructure loans in a hand of friendship in recent times. These facts, notwithstanding, the US will again have its “useful idiot” acquire dictatorial powers to destroy this country for the nth time.

These are the reasons that should compel us to see this “red herring” of Malacañang and oppose its goosesteps toward the Second Yellow Reich (and a Reichstag fire-burning of the Batasan). We should shake out of their hypnotized state those “sheeple” mesmerized by mainstream media and the ruling class’ survey outfits. We should take action now to stop this useful idiot’s drive toward autocracy.
(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)


(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)



SourceThe Daily Tribune


URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120106com6.html

FoI: Noy and KKK protection FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 01/06/2012

FoI: Noy and KKK protection

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
01/06/2012
Even as they in the Palace, especially Noynoy and his aides, speak of transparency and accountability, these two elements are never honored by them.

This is shown in the manner by which Noynoy has given the go signal for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FoI) bill.

The Malacaang version is of course a watered-down version and worse, it has created a shield of sorts for Noynoy and his official family from being scrutinized through an FoI law..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120106com2.html

Thousands of US troops deploying to Israel

Thousands of US troops deploying to Israel


Without much media attention, thousands of American troops are being deployed to Israel, and Iranian officials believe that this is the latest and most blatant warning that the US will soon be attacking Tehran.

Tensions between nations have been high in recent months and have only worsened in the weeks since early December when Iran hijacked and recovered an American drone aircraft. Many have speculated that a back-and-forth between the two countries will soon escalate Iran and the US into an all-out war, and that event might occur sooner than thought..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/us-troops-israel-iran-257/

Black church awarded KKK shop

Black church awarded KKK shop


If you find yourself outside of Columbia, South Carolina and need to purchase any neo-Nazi memorabilia, you better act fast. The future of Laurens, SC’s Redneck Shop — and its inventory of KKK robes and even its backroom “Klan Museum” is in doubt.

That’s assuming, of course, that the owner of the building will follow through with plans to pull the plug on the mid-Atlantic’s number-one destination for confederate flag woven patches and “Racial Purity is America’s Security” bumper stickers. Given that ownership is now officially in the name of Rev. David Kennedy, a civil rights hero that leads the predominantly black New Beginnings Baptist Church, chances of walking into his building and purchasing a Robert E. Lee switchblade might soon be slim to none..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/church-shop-kennedy-rev-171/

Political theatre: Currents behind Iranian-Western standoff (w/ Video)



Political theatre: Currents behind Iranian-Western standoff

If the EU puts its plan to sanction Iranian oil exports into practice, there will be hard consequences on the European economy. But experts say the West's sanction policy is motivated purely by politics.

The sanctions could come into effect by the end of January, unless Iran backs down on its alleged nuclear weapons program.

Tehran has responded to the sanctions with its own threats to block oil trade through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, leading to a continued deadlock in the Persian Gulf..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/iran-west-sanctions-politics-265/

The Estrada playbook C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 01/06/2012

The Estrada playbook

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S
Jonathan De la Cruz
01/06/2012
It is good that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has advised one and all that only a military action can prevent the Upper Chamber from proceeding and concluding the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. Saying he will not countenance any delaying tactics by any party including those hell bent on shaming Corona through pickets in his house, “occupy” operations and similar actions or even a walk-out by any of the parties such as what the prosecutors did during the aborted trial of then President Erap Estrada, Enrile advised all concerned to behave, as it were, and work within the rules as prescribed under the Constitution. Meaning, not to trifle with the processes meant to ensure that impeachment as an accountability measure under the basic law is not trivialized as a game of numbers or a political tool..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120106com5.html

25 dead, 150 missing in Compostela Valley gold mine landslide By Mario J. Mallari 01/06/2012

25 dead, 150 missing in Compostela Valley gold mine landslide

By Mario J. Mallari 01/06/2012

At least 25 persons were killed while up to 150 others went missing after a landslide tore through a small-scale gold mining site in Compostela Valley province yesterday.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Undersecretary Benito Ramos, at a press briefing, said the landslip hit two communities in Pantukan town around 3 a.m., burying 30 to 40 houses.

According to Ramos, rescuers using hand-held tools pulled 25 bodies and 15 injured residents from the area, a mining site for small-scale gold miners declared off-limits last April by the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) due to the danger of landslides..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120106hed6.html

Luisita workers want DAR to revoke order, call for distribution of land By Benjamin B. Pulta 01/06/2012

Luisita workers want DAR to revoke order, call for distribution of land

By Benjamin B. Pulta 01/06/2012
Hacienda Luisita farm workers petitioned the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to revoke a 15-year-old land-use conversion order it issued to Hacienda Luisita Inc. and called for the distribution of the lands to farmworkers.

In the petition filed by the Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), counsel for the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), the farmworkers insisted that the Cojuangcos, President Aquino’s family, violated the terms and conditions of the order and that the 500-hectare lands covered remain undeveloped..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120106hed3.html

Pinoys in Syria continue to defy deployment ban, pass through illegal channels By Michaela P. del Callar 01/06/2012

Pinoys in Syria continue to defy deployment ban, pass through illegal channels

By Michaela P. del Callar 01/06/2012

Despite the heightened tensions in Syria, the Philippine government admitted that many Filipinos defy the deployment ban to the strife-torn Middle East state by going through illegal channels and the Syrian government can not guarantee that it would prevent the trafficking of Philippine nationals to their country.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said his counterpart Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, whom he met early this week in Damascus, told him that it is quite difficult to monitor the illegal entry of foreign nationals to the country due to Syria’s porous borders..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120106nat4.html

DoJ ups bounty for Palparan to P1M By Benjamin B. Pulta 01/06/2012

DoJ ups bounty for Palparan to P1M

By Benjamin B. Pulta 01/06/2012

The Justice department has decided to double the reward to P 1 million for information on the whereabouts of fugitive former Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan who is wanted for his part in the abduction of student activists.

“Secretary Jess Robredo and I agreed that we are increasing the reward money or the informant’s reward money for any info any significant information that will lead to the arrest of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, we’ll be increasing it effective today from 500 thousand to one million,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120106nat5.html

Solon dares Aquino: Stop oil price, power rate hikes By Charlie V. Manalo 01/06/2012

Solon dares Aquino: Stop oil price, power rate hikes

By Charlie V. Manalo 01/06/2012

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano yesterday dared Malacaang to impose and iron-hand will and determination to stop the whammy of oil and power rate hikes that welcomed the new year or prepare to face the outrage of impoverished sectors and even the middle class fed up with unending price hikes.

Mariano said profit-greedy private corporations and the Aquino government are courting massive public unrest with these successive increase in prices of petroleum products and water rates.

Starting Jan. 1, 2012, West Zone water concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. owned by business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan increased rates by P3.92 per cubic meter and East Zone water concessionaire Manila Water Co. Inc. owned by the Ayala Cor. raised rates by P3.91 per cubic meter..... MORE
SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120106met1.html

Caloocan vice mayor calls for sobriety following suspension of Echiverri By Arlie O. Calalo 01/06/2012

Caloocan vice mayor calls for sobriety following suspension of Echiverri

By Arlie O. Calalo 01/06/2012

Caloocan City Vice Mayor Edgar “Egay” Erice yesterday appealed to Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri to respect the law following the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) affirming its earlier ruling that preventively suspended the latter over alleged misuse of government pension funds.

This as the camp of Echiverri insisted that it could not yet issue any statement as to its reaction to the CA decision explaining that it has yet to receive an official communication from the appellate court..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120106met2.html

P20-M ‘ukay-ukay’ to benefit ‘Sendong’ victims 01/06/2012

P20-M ‘ukay-ukay’ to benefit ‘Sendong’ victims

01/06/2012
Some P20 million worth of seized imported used clothing or “ukay-ukay” will be donated to victims of tropical storm “Sendong,” Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said yesterday.

The Customs chief added the confiscated items from Hong Kong were seized last Dec. 7 by operatives of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) Operations and Intelligence Office of the Enforcement Group at the Port of Manila.

Biazon said the importers and brokers of the used clothing, Heritage Asia International Products Trading Corp. and Global Welltrade Trading Co., will be slapped with the appropriate charges in court..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120106met5.html

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