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Legacy written in blood EDITORIAL 06/18/2010

Friday, June 18, 2010

Legacy written in blood



EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
06/18/2010
Among the lasting imprint of the Arroyo administration that hopefully the next generations of Filipinos will not endure but only read in the annals of history, is the culture of impunity that made the Philippines one of the most dangerous places on earth and a no man’s land for journalists.
Last November, 32 journalists were murdered in broad daylight in Maguindanao over a political feud between two warlord families who were instrumental in the elections cheating machinery that stole for Gloria a fresh six-year term in 2004.

The massacre that created a worldwide outrage, however, does not seem to be the last of such senseless assaults on the media, as just the other day two broadcast journalists were killed in separate attacks at opposite ends of the country within the space of 24 hours.

Desidario Camangyan, 52, was shot dead by a lone gunman who walked onstage as the victim hosted a village singing contest in Davao Oriental while Lito Agustin, 37, was ambushed and shot dead as he rode a motorcycle home.

Camangyan was known for being outspoken against illegal logging and mining, while Agustin had been similarly very vocal in exposing corruption in his hometown in Laoag City.

Never in the country’s history have journalists been such easy targets by the moneyed and those that wield power. Even during the supposed darkest years of human rights violations during the martial law years have the lives of media practitioners, if not any Filipino, been so cheapened as to be bought for a sum of money.

The gross inaction, if not tolerance, of Gloria’s administration of such malevolence, particularly if done by a political ally, summarized the way that she ran the government for the past nine years.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com1.html


Media: No longer watchdogs FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 06/18/2010

Media: No longer watchdogs



FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
06/18/2010
Gloria Arroyo and her spouse, Mike Arroyo, will be gone from the corridors of Malacañang in less than two weeks, but they will still be the focus of the media — the yellow media in particular — for sometime — at least until their long, long honeymoon with Noynoy Aquino will have to be over, perhaps after four to five years.

The reason is fairly simple: Noynoy Aquino and his administration will have to focus on the ills of Arroyo and her regime, mainly to cover up Aquino and his government’s inadequacies in governing a nation and their failure to effect changes and reforms as promised.

At the same time, his yellow media will only be too happy to harp on the ills of the Arroyo regime, and expose all the reported corruption, as this too, will be their way of hiding the inadequacies of the Aquino ll regime and protecting him.

This pattern has been noted for decades — in both the administrations and their fawning media.

In 1986, when Cory Aquino was catapulted to power and Malacañang, her yellow media, once the mosquito media that had emerged as the mainstream media, focused on the Marcoses, as Cory did. Whatever she did, including inanities, was praised by the fawning yellow media, so much so that the scandals and yes, even scams under her government, were never played up by her yellow media. Naturally, she came off smelling like a rose.
They called her the icon of democracy, and blasted Marcos for shutting down the press when he declared martial law, but they kept strangely silent when Cory ordered the closure of the only opposition paper then — the Daily Express. But to the yellow media, this was a good thing. For one, there was no more competition. For another, its printing presses were sold by the Aquino l regime for a song to them.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com2.html


Medical phone, vibrating earphone shine at trade show focus 06/18/2010

Medical phone, vibrating earphone shine at trade show



focus

06/18/2010
SINGAPORE — Are you having chest pains and wondering if you should rush to hospital? The EPI Life, one of the gadgets on show at a Singapore trade fair, could be what you need.
At first glance, the 106-gram (3.7-ounce) touch-screen phone looks like any other fancy smartphone, but its tiny frame also holds an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine, which can put your heart reading literally at your fingertips.

An ECG, which can detect abnormal heart rhythms, is usually carried out at a hospital or clinic, but Chow U-Jin, medical director at Ephone International, which developed the EPI Life, said the device is able to condense the whole ECG process onto a mobile platform, making it a life-saving gadget.

And when it’s not on medical duty, EPI Life works just like a normal phone.

“Inside this device there exists an ECG machine, which allows a non-medically trained person to perform an ECG by him or herself just by touching their fingers on the sides of the phone,” he told AFP.

The person’s chart is relayed to a 24-hour center in Singapore and read by doctors and nurses. An assessment is delivered to the user within minutes with a text message, enabling prompt action where necessary.

“Instead of having to run off to a clinic whenever you have chest pains, you do the ECG immediately and that’s where you have the maximum chance of capturing an abnormal rhythm,” Chow said.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com3.html


Resign NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 06/18/2010

Resign



NO HOLDS BARRED
Armida Siguion-Reyna
06/18/2010
Heaven knows the number of times this lola made the call here for the Inglorious One to do so, but she never did, not even after the public release of the “Hello Garci” recordings which indubitably showed numbers were manipulated to make it appear she won in 2004 over Fernando Poe Jr., “So will I still lead by one million?… ‘yung dagdag, ‘yung dagdag!” Wags said the problem there was how to make someone who was never really elected officially leave a post not hers to begin with.
Jokes like these were cracked in the gazillion rallies mounted to make her go but I never thought it funny, not even the one that had her manikurista supposedly complaining “Wala nang kuko si Ma’am, napudpod, kakakapit sa puwesto.” Especially as in real life that manikurista, by the name of Anita Carbon, also constant traveling companion and part of Gloria Arroyo’s sisterhood of the traveling pants to here and there of the globe, got appointed trustee of the government-run Home Development Mutual Fund of the Philippines, or the Pag-ibig Fund, which enables members to acquire suitable housing through an efficient savings system. As trustee, Carbon was to get a monthly compensation of a little over a hundred thousand pesos, for a fixed two-year term. 

Exactly what she was going to do in the board is perhaps what scared her, for in the end she decided not to accept the designation, no matter she was to “represent the poor,” according to her female Bossing. Buti pa si Carbon, at nagdalang-hiya, hindi naniwala sa kanyang supposedly being kinatawan ng mahirap. Hearing that from the woman who looked down on FPJ for being merely an artista must have been a little bit too much for Carbon to believe. I have no love lost for the Pagcor’s Efraim Genuino, or johnny-come-lately at the Cultural Center Carmencita Pedrosa, but they voluntarily gave up their respective offices and for that they must be recognized, no matter the real reasons for their leaving.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com4.html


Another six years of slavery? DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 06/18/2010

Another six years of slavery?



DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
06/18/2010
The 2010 elections had always been about the battle between the forces of 21st century neo-colonial exploitation and oppression — the Yellow movement and the corporatocracy behind it — against the forces striving for national economic development for self-sufficiency and self-sustainability — composed of the nationalistic leadership of President Joseph Estrada and, as in my case, the ideology of “Filipinism.” (I put the term in quotes as I’d rather have the country’s name changed to a more “Rizalian” or “Bonifacian” stature.)

But as fate — together with the powerful manipulation of both global and local oligarchs — would have it, the extension of the neo-colonial regime has been effected once again (but hopefully, not for the next six years). 

The proof is in the Cabinet appointments of this new-yet-old hybrid regime, which the mouthpiece of the neo-colonial foreign chambers of commerce Peter Wallace has lauded in his First 100 Days Bulletin No. 1, which reads: 

“A Cabinet would appear to be coming together. Some of the names mentioned (but not yet confirmed): Executive Secretary — Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa Jr.; Finance — Cesar Purisima; Customs — Guillermo Parayno; DPWH — Jose “Ping” de Jesus; Health — Esperanza “Espie” Cabral; Budget and Management — Alberto “Bertie” Lim; Agrarian Reform — Jejomar Binay (or DILG) or Angel Alcala; Energy — Jose “Nonong” Ibazeta; Department of Social Welfare and Development — Corazon “Dinky” Soliman; Defense — Voltaire Gazmin; Education — Florencio “Butch” Abad or Bro. Armin Luistro of De La Salle Manila; Justice — Avelino “Nonong” Cruz; PMS — Herminio “Sonny” Coloma; Peace Process — Teresita (Ging) Deles; Neda — Cayetano “Don Don” Paderanga… If these are confirmed they are good choices and will be a good start to the Aquino presidency.” 

“Good choices for whom?” one might ask. It will certainly be good for the foreign and local Big Business. Wallace speaks for as the continuation of the pro-globalization and corporatization policies that began with Edsa I then expanded with Edsa II will remain. If the record of the past 24 years were to be the basis, then this kind of governance will spell the continuation of the economic and social disaster of this nation that started with globalization, wiping out almost all import tariff revenues; then the privatization of profitable government assets, which transferred more debts to the people; followed by the systematic dumping (smuggling) of agricultural products that have severely damaged our local production (leading to our being the world’s biggest rice importer in 2008). All these have forced the country into more deficits and debt, resulting in an ever-increasing demand for expanding the VAT and the poverty of Filipinos. 

All the projected appointees in Wallace’s bulletin are nothing but willing and ruthless tools of these foreign exploiters. It was during Paderanga’s Neda stint under Cory Aquino that many of the economic liberalization and globalization policies were initiated. FVR’s Parayno, meanwhile, expanded the powers and revenues of the SGS, an IMF-backed Swiss Customs inspector whose services Erap terminated to save us hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Bertie Lim, as we know, is the executive director of the Makati Business Club while former Aboitiz executive Ibazeta was appointed to privatize the nation’s power assets to the favored oligarchs. Butch Abad, on the other hand, is infamous for his sponsorship of the Omnibus Power Bill which became the Epira that gave RP one of the highest electricity rates in the world. 

Of course, we have written more than enough about Jose “Ping” de Jesus as a gofer of a family of oligarchs while Dinky Soliman admitted to paying “hakot” crowds to fill GMA’s rallies. 

The apparent surprise is the retention of Cabral at the DoH because the early contender for the Health portfolio was Dr. Jimmie Tan, a well-known natural health and herbal medicine advocate. Speculation was rife that Tan was a shoo-in because he supported the Yellow cause; but in the past month or so, the GMA-appointed Cabral had gone on a PR blitz against herbal supplements, requiring producers to label them in Filipino: “Ito ay hindi gamot, at hindi dapat gamitin sa panggagamot.” Such an aggressive attempt to curtail reliance on very affordable herbal supplements that have dramatically eaten away at Big Pharma’s bottom line has no doubt pleased a number of Big Pharma bigwigs who have always had close ties with the Yellows, including the likes of Zuellig’s Roberto Romulo.
As for Nonong Cruz, formerly of The Firm, he is said to be going to the Justice department this time. But when he was still Gloria’s Defense secretary, wasn’t he better known for his alleged surreptitious connivance with the Hyatt 10 to destabilize GMA under the US State Department’s instigation?

Lastly, Gazmin, who has never shown any capacity for patriotic imagination like, for instance, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV or Gen. Danny Lim, will merely become a personal bodyguard to his late master’s son when he gets to be Defense chief. 

In all, the prospective Cabinet of the incoming regime is really an Aquinorroyo II, nothing but a continuation of the governance of the past nine and a half years. There will be no change; just more profits for Big Business and more misery for the people. 

Can we live with this slavery for another six years? 

(Tune in to 1098AM, Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV — Infowars Edition, Tuesday, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)


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


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com5.html


Trapo politics SILVER LINING Dean Ernest Maceda 06/18/2010

Trapo politics



SILVER LINING
Dean Ernest Maceda
06/18/2010
Liberal Party (LP) leaders are opposing Vice President Jojo Binay’s appointment to the Cabinet for purely partisan reasons. They are afraid Vice President Binay will entrench himself as a strong rival for the presidency in 2016. That’s trapo politics to the hilt. That’s six years away. The LPs chances in 2016 will depend on the performance of the P-Noy administration. The only relevant question here is: Will getting VP Binay into the P-Noy Cabinet help him succeed?

The popular Vice President Jojo Binay is ready for any P-Noy decision. He is a very mature, organized person with excellent academic credentials, with a UP Law and National Defense College Masters Degree in National Security Administration. He can live without any Cabinet post. It might be a blessing in disguise for him because he will be free to express his views publicly on any controversial issue. Being a member of the Aquino Cabinet obligates him to toe the P-Noy line.

VP Binay is now deluged with invitations to administer oaths of office. He has been invited by Mayor Ed Hagedorn of Palawan, Rep. Toby Tiangco and Mayor John Rey Tiangco of Navotas, the Marcoses of Ilocos Norte, Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella of Camarines Sur, wife Evelyn who is now mayor of Sangay and reelected son, Arnie as mayor of Tigaon and Mayor Lenlen Almonte of Biñan, among others.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com6.html


Poland’s church favors Conservative Kaczynski FEATURE 06/18/2010

Poland’s church favors Conservative Kaczynski



FEATURE

06/18/2010
WARSAW — Roman Catholic priests in devout Poland have not hesitated to endorse Conservative opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski ahead of Sunday’s snap presidential election.
The twin brother of late President Lech Kaczynski, whose April 10 death in an air crash in Russia forced the early presidential ballot, Jaroslaw has consistently trailed Liberal candidate Bronislaw Komorowski in opinion polls.

But the gap between the two main rivals has narrowed in recent weeks.

“Since President Lech Kaczynski’s plane crash, Poland’s Conservative and openly Eurosceptic bishops and priests have thrown their support behind his twin brother,” political scientist Kazimierz Kik told AFP.

With the church in Poland divided, part of the hierarchy, led by the country’s new primate, Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk, has called on the clergy to remain neutral.

“But on the other hand, there is the fundamentalist Radio Maryja broadcaster and a large section of the episcopate engaged directly in the campaign,” he said.

Five clerics teaching at the John Paul II Catholic University in Poland’s historic southern city of Krakow joined a “support committee” for Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

“Priests must not be active in political parties. But as a citizen, I am entitled to express my opinion,” says one of them, Fr. Krzysztof Koscielniak.

“I gave my support to Kaczynski because he is a patriot, a responsible man, respectful of values that I espouse,” he told Poland’s Rzeczpospolita daily. In a homily delivered in Wroclaw, the southwestern city’s Archbishop Marian Golebiewski called for “law and justice to reign” in Poland, a phrase which coincides with Kaczynski’s Conservative Law and Justice (PiS) opposition party.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100618com7.html


Kris is Noy’s chief lobbyist in LP Senate president bet 06/18/2010 By Angie M. Rosales

Kris is Noy’s chief lobbyist in LP Senate president bet


06/18/2010
By Angie M. Rosales
It’s still all in the Aquino family, it seems.

She may have given up her entertainment talk shows, but she is emerging as the top lobbyist under an Aquino presidency.

Talk is rife that Kris Aquino, TV celebrity and sister of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, has been actively interfering with political arena, and using her influence to the point of meddling in the affairs of the Senate, a co-equal and a supposed independent body, lobbying for her candidate, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, for the Senate presidency.

Kris Aquino’s name cropped up in this issue as sources confirmed she has been making the rounds, calling each senator to “campaign” or solicit support for Pangilinan.

Kris Aquino has reportedly been calling on senators to ensure that Pangilinan gets the top Senate post, sources said.

In much the same way, Noynoy Aquino wants a say in the House committee chairmanships, informing his bet for Speaker, Feliciano Belmonte, that he wants to be “consulted” in this matter, as admitted by Belmonte himself.

Aquino has claimed that he wants to “rebuild” Congress, and bring back independence and integrity in the legislature, yet he and his sisters have been found to be meddling even in the affairs of Congress, which is supposed to be an independent body.

It is said that the Senate presidency is almost in the bag, with just one “vote” short for Pangilinan in sealing the top Senate post, with 11 senators reportedly willing to back up his bid..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100618hed2.html


Comelec wants Noynoy report on excess funds By Marie Surbano 06/18/2010

Comelec wants Noynoy report on excess funds


By Marie Surbano
06/18/2010
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) advised President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino yesterday to submit a supplemental Statement on Election Contributions and Expenditures to detail the manner how P37 million contributions short of his campaign spendings were used.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the Aquino camp should legally declare all of its election-related expenses to preclude questions regarding the funds’ use.

“If people are now saying that they have a surplus but spent it for these things, and these are election-related expenditures, perhaps they might want to submit a supplement to their original submissions,” he said.

Aquino has until June 24 to file the supplemental statement after the deadline has been extended.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100618hed3.html


Bangit wants to leave post by June 22 By Mario J. Mallari 06/18/2010

Bangit wants to leave post by June 22


By Mario J. Mallari
06/18/2010

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Delfin Bangit may not render a snappy salute to President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino as Commander-in-Chief as he has already submitted his formal application for an early retirement to President Arroyo. 

In a chance interview with Camp Aguinaldo reporters during a testimonial parade in his honor at the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio yesterday, Bangit admitted that he has already submitted to the Commander-in-Chief his letter requesting an early retirement.

Bangit said he wanted to formally retire on June 22.

“I can only make official announcement after the approval,” he stressed.

“That’s the date (June 22) I am requesting but… the actual date of retirement has to be decided by the Commander-in-Chief,” Bangit added.

It was gathered that Bangit submitted his letter to the President, through acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, early this week when he started conducting farewell visits to major military camps throughout the country as military tradition calls.

During his exit visits, Bangit urged the troops to remain professional, obey, respect and support the incoming Commander-in-Chief and chief of staff.

Bangit has more than a year left in the active service as he is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 on July 31, 2011 but is “forced” to retire early as Aquino has announced he will not retain Bangit as chief of the 120,000-strong military organization when he assumes office.

Asked if he is not regretting having to leave the military service earlier, Bangit replied “for us in the military, we come and go… I am sure there will be better person to take over. It’s always been progressive, there is no regressive movement.”

If approved, the AFP will have an acting chief of staff until Aquino’s oath-taking on June 30..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100618hed4.html

US dares Noynoy to curb corruption By Michaela P. del Callar 06/18/2010

Additional funding to RP to be granted if Aquino shows political will

US dares Noynoy to curb corruption


By Michaela P. del Callar
06/18/2010

Show political will first in curbing corruption in government.

This was the message conveyed by a United States aid agency that said it may consider granting additional funding to the Philippines this year, but this was followed by a challenge to incoming President Benigno Aquino III to first demonstrate his political will to fight corruption. 

This was the decision of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board, which is headed by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, when it reviewed the agency’s portfolio of investments in low income and lower middle income countries on June 16. 

Following the meeting, the Board said it expects to consider grant agreements with the Philippines, Jordan, and Malawi in calendar year 2010, and Indonesia, Zambia, and Cape Verde in its calendar year 2011.

“The Board received an update on discussions with the incoming Philippine administration on the proposed compact program. The Board reiterated its desire for a commitment by the new administration to the ideals and principles of MCC, including fighting corruption, and to the compact’s objectives and implementation,” the MCC said in a statement.

The Philippines failed to secure a large-scale grant from the MCC last year due to the long-standing problem of corruption in the government.
However, the Philippines was re-selected to apply anew for additional funding under the MCC’s compact program for its development projects.

The results of the MCC’s corruption test, which the Philippines flunked, had a great impact on the decision of MCC Board of Directors when they selected and reviewed eligible developing countries for compact funding.
Manila would have received an additional $500-million poverty-reduction funding from the MCC only if it had passed the MCC’s anti-corruption index in 2009.

Control of Corruption is considered by the MCC as the only pass/fail indicator. No country can receive funding under the Compact program unless it passes at least half of the 17 indicators and the Control of Corruption indicator.

The Philippines , which qualified in 2007 under the MCC’s threshold program initially received $21 million for the government’s anti-corruption projects.

The MCC is a US government corporation designed to work with developing countries on Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-funded programs for economic growth.

Two MCA programs available are the primary “Compact Program” and the secondary “Threshold Program,” which helps countries that are close to qualifying for Compact Program assistance address specific policy weaknesses.
Both programs are based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty, the MCC said.

The Philippines’ compact proposal for 2010-2014 focuses on three (3) high-impact projects - Secondary National Roads Development; Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services and Integrated Revenue Information System.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100618hed1.html

Aquino bares plan to visit US By Charlie V. Manalo 06/18/2010

Aquino bares plan to visit US


By Charlie V. Manalo
06/18/2010

Though vowing not to follow the footsteps of his predecessors in terms of the numbers of foreign trips they had made, President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino yesterday revealed his plan of visiting the United States.

Aquino, at a press briefing after meeting with ambassadors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), said he won’t be making trips to the US as past Philippine presidents had done, but he will make sure he will be visiting the US soon.

“There is of course a need to go to the biggest market we have, which is the United States. We want to have growth as far as European Union is concerned,” Aquino stressed. 

“But if I go there every two months that should be an issue. But if I don’t go there even once, that might also be an issue,” Aquino stressed.

The White House earlier had said Aquino and US President Barack Obama agreed to take the cooperation on security and economic issues between the two countries to a new level and to meeting at a “mutually convenient” time.

Aquino also said there is a strong possibility he would be attending the Asean Summit given its importance and role in the region.

“Most probably I will attend the Asean Summit given its importance. Perhaps we can set the groundwork so the details, the follow-through can be handled in a more expeditious, more efficient and cheaper manner by those who are under me,” he said.

Aquino, however, appeared evasive in giving the details of his meetings with the Asean ambassadors, talking only of generalities.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100618hed5.html

Two more Arroyo books set for launch next week By Aytch S. de la Cruz 06/18/2010

Two more Arroyo books set for launch next week


By Aytch S. de la Cruz
06/18/2010
The First Couple appear to have been bitten by the book bug as two books on President Arroyo will be released next week to follow up the recently issued creation of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo called “The First” that narrated how he spent nine years in Malacañang that was concluded by a chapter defending himself against allegations of several irregularities.

Presidential Spokesman Ricardo Saludo told reporters in a post-briefing interview that the two books will be released in Malacañang next Tuesday, or a week after Mr. Arroyo released his book, as part of the government’s efforts to communicate the legacies of the outgoing president.

The first book entitled Beat the Odds was handled by deputy presidential spokesperson and economic professor Gary Olivar. It supposedly chronicles Mrs. Arroyo’s accomplishments during her administration which lasted for nine and a half years. 

The other book nearly has a similar title which was Beating the Odds and was written by Saludo himself and political science professor Renato Velasco which purportedly documented various crisis points in the Arroyo administration except for the 2005 Hello Garci controversy which, however, was the biggest political crisis that faced Mrs. Arroyo since it nearly resulted in her downfall from the presidency.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100618hed6.html

SC recomposes graft court handling Marcos suits By Benjamin B. Pulta 06/18/2010

SC recomposes graft court handling Marcos suits


By Benjamin B. Pulta
06/18/2010
The Supreme Court (SC) has reorganized the composition of the Special Division of the Sandiganbayan which was put up two years ago by the high tribunal to handle cases in connection with the ill-gotten wealth of the late strongman President Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

In a resolution, the SC designated Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Efren De la Cruz as the new chairman of the three-member special Marcos court replacing Presiding Justice Norberto Geraldez, who died of pancreatic cancer last April.
Associate Justices Teresita Diaz-Baldos and Alex Quiroz were also named regular members and Associate Justice Ma. Cristina Cornejo as alternate member.
Cornejo will sit in the Special Division in the event a regular member is absent, the SC said.

Last month, De la Cruz informed the high tribunal that there are pending incidents in one of the marcos cases which need to be resolved

In December 2008, the SC ordered the creation of a special division in the Sandiganbayan to look into one of the remaining forfeiture cases against the Marcoses. This came after all the chairmen of the anti-graft court’s five divisions inhibited from Civil Case 0141. Among those who refused to handle the case was then Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice and now SC Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta.

Peralta distanced himself from the case because his wife, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta, was Assistant Solicitor General during the Marcos administration. 

The Office of the Solicitor General is the government’s top legal counsel.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100618nat2.html


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