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Unprepared and fishing FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 01/19/2012

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Unprepared and fishing

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
01/19/2012
One of the reasons the prosecutors seem unprepared to prove their charges against the Chief Justice as spelled out in the eight Articles of Impeachment is that the members of the House — at least those congressmen, 188 of them, were, apart from being bribed with the early release of their pork barrel and additional pork, reportedly were told not to worry about signing the complaint, even without reading the Articles of Impeachment because the congressmen were told that with all the humiliation that will be faced prior to the Senate trial, the CJ, like the resigned Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, will be forced to resign and that there would be no trial.

Unfortunately for both Noynoy and the House prosecutors, the CJ decided to face the music and has already said that he has reached the point of no return and is willing to undergo trial.

But because the CJ has opted not to resign, the prosecutors are now unprepared to prove their case..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120119com2.html

Time runs out for effective probe of brutal Gaddafi murder (w/ Video)



Time runs out for effective probe of brutal Gaddafi murder


While Libya has been quick to shake off 40 years of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's legacy, his children are still waiting for justice. The lawyer of the late leader's daughter has been telling RT why his killing in October still hasn't been investigated.

 Aisha Gaddafi has hired Nick Kaufman, an Israeli lawyer, to force the International Criminal Court to investigate the full circumstances of her father’s death.

RT: Why have you agreed to take on the case of Aisha Gaddafi?.... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/gaddafi-murder-trial-icc-145/

NYPD and Pentagon to place mobile scanners on the streets on NYC

NYPD and Pentagon to place mobile scanners on the streets on NYC


New York City’s war on freedom could be adding a new weapon to its arsenal, especially if NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly has his say.

The head of the New York Police Department is working with the Pentagon to secure body scanners to be used throughout the Big Apple.

If Kelly gets his wish, the city will be receiving a whole slew of Terahertz Imagining Detection scanners, a high-tech radiation detector that measures the energy that is emitted from a persons’ body. As CBS News reports, “It measures the energy radiating from a body up to 16 feet away, and can detect anything blocking it, like a gun.”.... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/nypd-scanners-new-york-115/

Web blackout ends: SOPA bleeding, but not dead

Web blackout ends: SOPA bleeding, but not dead


The Internet strike opposing the US anti-piracy bills SOPA/PIPA has ended. The webquake spearheaded by giants like Wikipedia, Reddid and Google led to key sponsors withdrawing their support for the acts. However, they are not dead, activists warn.

Massive opposition to the controversial legislation resulted in Congressmen and Senators swinging against the bills. Up to 18 Senators, of which seven were former co-sponsors, voiced their opposition to PIPA on Wednesday. On the SOPA side, at least two sponsors have dropped out, while Oregon’s Earl Blumenauer blacked out his website in support of the protest..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://rt.com/news/wikipedia-blackout-sopa-waiting-153/

UK admits spying on Russia with the help of a fake rock (w/ Video)



UK admits spying on Russia with the help of a fake rock


The UK has admitted for the first time it was spying on Russia six years ago with the help of a fake rock. The adviser to the then British PM Tony Blair called the incident embarrassing.

“They had us bang to rights,” Jonathan Powell told the BBC in an interview. He added that Russians must have known about the spying hardware for some time and exposed it at a politically opportune moment.

In January 2006, a report on Russian television claimed there was proof British spies used electronic equipment hidden inside a fake rock to exchange information between agents and embassy staff..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/spy-rock-britain-admit-147/

Newspapers in Japan defy West’s media malaise focus 01/19/2012

Newspapers in Japan defy West’s media malaise

focus

01/19/2012
ISHINOMAKI — Printed newspapers may be in crisis in the West but circulations remain enormous in high-tech Japan — and its media will even resort to medieval methods to get copies to readers.

When the March 2011 tsunami struck a great swathe of the northeast coast, leaving 19,000 people dead or missing and triggering the Fukushima nuclear disaster, it also submerged the Ishinomaki Hibi Shimbun’s presses.

The 14,000-circulation paper had the biggest story of its 100-year existence right on its flooded doorstep, but no way of printing it..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120119com6.html

Fun or pun VIEWPOINTS Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz 01/19/2012

Fun or pun

VIEWPOINTS
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz
01/19/2012
\"It’s more fun in the Philippines!” It was supposed to become a big bang. It was meant to be a slam. But sad to say, it immediately caused bad jokes, laughter and ridicule even.

The word “fun” was instantly converted into pun. What was envisioned to stand for joy and delight underwent fast conversion into gloom and tedium. This is not to mention the fact that the supposedly new local tourism sales pitch is nothing more than a poor copy of something the like said of another country in another time. What a pity! And it is precisely intended to sell the Philippines to foreigners over the world. The more cogent questions thus rose so far:

Is it really fun to see a country where fatal criminality regularly happens not only in the streets but also in homes? How could fun be identified with frequent murders and regular robberies, with summary executions accompanied with gross mutilations?.... MORE
SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120119com7.html

SC orders gov’t, farmers to comment on HLI appeal in Luisita case By Benjamin B. Pulta 01/19/2012

SC orders gov’t, farmers to comment on HLI appeal in Luisita case

By Benjamin B. Pulta 01/19/2012

The Supreme Court has tasked the government and Hacienda Luisita farmers to comment on the appeal of its decision last year ordering the breakup of the nearly 5,000-hectare sugar land estate owned by the Cojuangco clan, of which President Aquino is a member

In an order, the high tribunal directed the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC), the De-partment of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and farmers belonging to Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala) and Farm-workers Agrarian Reform Movement (FARM) to submit their comment on the motion filed by petitioner Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) last month.

HLI has filed a motion for reconsideration and clarification of the high tribunal’s decision by a 14-0 vote last November 22, junking a stock distribution option (SDO) and ordering the distribution of the 4,915.75-hectare estate to its 6,296 workers..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120119hed4.html

CJ gives witness green light for SALn disclosure By Benjamin B. Pulta and Angie M. Rosales 01/19/2012

NOY’S SENATE JURORS POUNCE ON DEFENSE

CJ gives witness green light for SALn disclosure

By Benjamin B. Pulta and Angie M. Rosales 01/19/2012

After arguments between the lead defense counsel for impeached Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona and the private prosecutor over the submission of the statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALn) of the head masgistrate, as ordered by the Senate presiding judge, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who, along with his Majority Floor Leader, Sen. Tito Sotto, continued to man a tight ship over the impeachment court proceedings, for Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal yesterday, the Chief Justice gave the go-signal for Vidal to provide the court with his SALn, telling his counsels he had nothing to hide.

Vidal was reluctant to submit the documents as she said there was a rule on such disclosure, over the possibility of her being penalized by the Senate Court and the Supreme Court, under which institution she works for, the CJ was said to have given permission for the submission of his SALn, with the SC itself saying that she will not be penalized for submitting the documents ordered earlier by the impeachment court..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120119hed1.html

AFP confident troops to stay neutral amid CJ trial By Mario J. Mallari 01/19/2012

AFP confident troops to stay neutral amid CJ trial

By Mario J. Mallari 01/19/2012

The Department of National Defense (DND) is confident that the 125,000-strong military organization will remain apolitical amid the ongoing impeachment trial against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

At a press briefing yesterday, DND spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said the DND views the ongoing impeachment trial as “an exercise of our democracy.”

“The military and defense (department) will always reiterate non-partisanship… (we have) apolitical stand… especially now that the Armed Forces is continuously professionalizing,” Galvez said. “We believe in our people.”.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120119nat2.html

Thai Prime Minister visits RP today

Thai Prime Minister visits RP today

01/19/2012
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is visiting the Philippines today to discuss key bilateral and international issues, including the continuing disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea, a potential flashpoint in the region.

President Aquino is receiving the Prime Minister in the morning to exchange views on concerns of mutual interest to both countries, including bolstering economic engagement between the two countries and share perspectives on the Spratlys conflict and the significant developments in the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), of which the Philippines and Thailand are members..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120119nat1.html

Gov’t helpless on oil price hikes — Energy chief 01/19/2012

Gov’t helpless on oil price hikes — Energy chief

01/19/2012
The government cannot control oil prices as these are dictated by market forces, according to Energy Secretary Rene Almedras.

Speaking during a forum at the Philippine Information Agency yesterday, Almendras said the government has no right to tell oil companies at what prices to sell fuel because that will be tantamount to regulation, which is against the law.

While the agency is monitoring whether or not the price increases implemented by the oil companies are justified, Almendras also admitted it cannot impose sanctions on the companies in case overpricing is proven.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/

Winning bidder to sue DILG chief for botched P242-million contract By Arlie O. Calalo 01/19/2012

Winning bidder to sue DILG chief for botched P242-million contract

By Arlie O. Calalo 01/19/2012

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and the chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will be charged with a civil case by a winning bidder of the P242.8-million contract to supply firefighting equipment which was disqualified due to technicalities, a lawyer for the private contractor said yesterday.

Lawyer Harry Roque, who represents the Kolonwel Trading, made good with the firm’s threat to file charges against Robredo and BFP head Chief Supt. Samuel Perez for not awarding the contract.

At a press conference held at a restaurant at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Roque said they will file tomorrow civil charges against Robredo. On the other hand, Perez will be slapped with a separate criminal case before the Office of the Ombudsman, he said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120119met1.html

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