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Rejecting waivers FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/29/2012

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Rejecting waivers

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
05/29/2012
Looks like the ones who have something to hide are Noynoy, his Cabinet officials plus some holier-than-thou senator-judges and prosecutors, and not Chief Justice Renato Corona, who certainly wasn’t afraid to lead the way to ushering true transparency in government.

After Corona bared all during his second testimony and submitted an unconditional waiver of his bank accounts, a spontaneous movement appears to have suddenly sprouted, with people now calling on Noynoy and other government officials to bare open their bank accounts through a waiver, in the same way Corona did.

Groups are demanding that Noynoy should now fulfill his campaign pledge to waive his bank secrecy rights, but Malacañang quickly rejected this demand, even coming up with a non-sequitur reason for Noynoy not to do so..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120529com2.html

Deliver transparency, Noynoy EDITORIAL 05/29/2012

Deliver transparency, Noynoy

EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
05/29/2012
The impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona based on the closing arguments presented by the contending counsels of the defense and the prosecution boils down to the contents of his bank accounts and whether these were intentionally withheld from public scrutiny by Corona’s failure to include these in his statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALn), a conundrum that should be addressed to all government officials.

Yet Noynoy and his yellow cabal cling to the argument that it is only Corona who is on trial and only his financial records should be turned inside out in full view of the public.

Consequently, the challenge of Corona in executing an unconditional waiver on the confidentiality of his bank accounts that other government officials should follow suit, for Noynoy and his allies, is optional and that there is no obligation to accept the dare..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120529com1.html

Oops, BBC: Iraq photo to illustrate Houla massacre?

Oops, BBC: Iraq photo to illustrate Houla massacre?


With the shock of the Houla tragedy ringing across the world, the BBC has released a story with a harrowing picture of rows and rows of children's bodies awaiting burial… But isn’t that post-Saddam Iraq?

­Photographer Marco di Lauro who took the shot grabbed by the BBC says he nearly “fell off his chair” after finding the picture on the network’s website with a caption reading: “Photo from Activist. This image – which cannot be independently verified – is believed to show bodies of children in Houla awaiting funeral.

The picture was actually taken on March 27, 2003; it depicts an Iraqi boy jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad..... MORE
SourceRT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/bbc-iraq-syria-houla-400/

Both parties guilty in Houla massacre – Lavrov



Both parties guilty in Houla massacre – Lavrov


Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said some political players are undermining the UN-brokered ceasefire in Syria. He also said both opposition groups and regime troops “had a hand” in the Houla massacre.

“It is clear that both sides had a hand in the Houla incident that left civilians dead, including women and children,” he said following bilateral talks with his English counterpart William Hague.

He went on to state that artillery and tank shells were found in Houla and that many of the bodies showed evidence of a violent death, including some that had been shot in the head at close-range..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/peace-plan-syria-regime-374/

War machine smoke: Nearly half new US vets seek disability benefits

War machine smoke: Nearly half new US vets seek disability benefits


More US soldiers than ever are surviving oversees deployments, but the injuries sustained in Afghanistan and Iraq mean 45 per cent of the new vets are seeking disability benefits. In the long run the compensation may cost Americans up to $1 trillion.

­The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced some 1.6 million veterans – 720,000 of them (45 per cent) are now seeking service-related compensation. Each one of them claims an average of eight to nine ailments.

By comparison, only 21 per cent of Gulf War veterans who were deployed to battlefields in the early 1990s claimed disability, while the average Vietnam veteran receives compensation for fewer than four ailments. .... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/us-disability-benefits-veterans-404/

The drama, and still, JPE NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 05/29/2012

The drama, and still, JPE

NO HOLDS BARRED
Armida Siguion-Reyna
05/29/2012
Killing time while waiting for this late afternoon’s vote on the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, we talk about how the defendant in his last two outings went highly on what we in the entertainment business refer to as “performance level” — mahihiya ang mga dramaturgo, pati na si Shakespeare.

For even when the mode was strictly legalistic, my goodness, the guy tried his best to shift back to paiyak and paawa. Look at this excerpt from the transcript of Day 42, May 25, 2012:
“Senator Defensor Santiago: Second question: In your experience as Chief Justice, and insofar as you know of the opinion or of the sentiments of your colleagues in the Supreme Court, what is the effect of this impeachment trial on the following principles of our tripartite democracy?.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120529com4.html

Lies, lies and more lies INSIDE CONGRESS Charlie Manalo 05/29/2012

Lies, lies and more lies

INSIDE CONGRESS
Charlie Manalo
05/29/2012
It started with lies and it has to end with lies.

The Corona impeachment trial opened up with volleys of lies founded on the alleged 45 properties owned by Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice (CJ) Renato Corona along with his tons of peso and dollar deposits.

The prosecution ploy was so effective its impact reverberated throughout the four corners of the country with even those who were less interested in the trial convinced of the prosecution’s bombshell.

But as the trial progressed, the defense ably parried the prosecution blows, disproving their allegations regarding the 45 properties and instead proving on the contrary CJ Corona maintains only five real estate properties..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120529com7.html

Reprimand a possibility?, Miriam wants to know By Angie M. Rosales and Fernan J. Angeles 05/29/2012

Reprimand a possibility?, Miriam wants to know

By Angie M. Rosales and Fernan J. Angeles 05/29/2012

A Senator judge wanted members of the impeachment court to settle among themselves the possibility of embattled Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona being meted with a much “lower” penalty other than removal from his post if a conviction on one of the remaining three impeachment charges are meted on Corona in today’s verdict.

“The Constitution provides that ‘judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than, shall not extend further than, removal from office and disqualification to hold office under the
Republic of the Philippines.’ Thus the Senate to impose a letter of penalty, like censure, reprimand, fine, suspension from office or the like. My question is, in case of conviction, how should the penalty be determined. I humbly present this question both to the presiding officer and to our colleagues, not necessarily to be answered immediately, but to be disposed of at the discretion of this court,” Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said in open court, on the eve of the so-called “promulgation” of the impeachment case of Corona..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120529hea5.html

ROTC alumni, PNP retirees decry pension irregularities By Mario J. Mallari and Gina Peralta-Elorde 05/29/2012

ROTC alumni, PNP retirees decry pension irregularities

By Mario J. Mallari and Gina Peralta-Elorde 05/29/2012

The National ROTC Alumni Association (NARAA) Inc. is rejecting the new military pension system being pushed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Retirement and Separation Benefit System (AFP-RSBS), branding the move as a possible cause of demoralization in the organization.

In a manifesto, the NARAA said the proposal of the AFP-RSBS to reform the military pension system was “economically untenable, patently unjust and prejudicial to the welfare of the Filipino soldiers.”

The group added that “such a pension legislative initiative is grossly irresponsible. A cause for serious concern since we think that such a proposal would certainly create demoralization in the entire military organization.”.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120529nat1.html

UPLB coed’s case elevated to rape with homicide By Fernan J. Angeles 05/29/2012

UPLB coed’s case elevated to rape with homicide

By Fernan J. Angeles 05/29/2012

After dragging for some time, the case of slain University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) coed Given Grace Cebanico made a breakthrough after the counsels of the victim’s family succeeded in elevating the case from robbery with homicide to rape with homicide.

In an order penned by judge Alberto Serrano of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 92 in Calamba City, Laguna, an instant motion of the public prosecutor was granted to replace the case of robbery with homicide with the non-bailable offense of rape with homicide.

The arraignment of accused-respondents Percival de Guzman and Lester Ivan Rivera was set on May 23 this year in Calamba City..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120529nat2.html

Pasig judge wants to give The Tribune reporter’s assailant “another chance” 05/29/2012

Pasig judge wants to give The Tribune reporter’s assailant “another chance”

05/29/2012
The Daily Tribune reporter Fernan Angeles has decried the apparent leniency shown by the Pasig Regional Trial Court towards drug personality Faisal Sangcopan and two other suspects in a murder attempt on him.

In a statement, Angeles said “I am deeply disturbed with the ‘leniency’ that is being displayed by Pasig RTC Judge Antonio Reyes, which handles the frustrated murder case I filed against drug personality (Sangcopan) and two other suspects at large, in connection with the March 11 slay try on me.”.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120529met5.html

JV seeks rationalization of college tuition fee increase By Charlie V. Manalo 05/29/2012

JV seeks rationalization of college tuition fee increase

By Charlie V. Manalo 05/29/2012

With 300 more colleges seeking to increase their tuition fees this year, San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito proposed that a rationalization of tuition fees be strictly implemented in all educational institutions to ease the burden of parents from additional expenses.

Ejercito has filed House Bill 4598, also known as the Tuition Fee Rationalization Act, which seeks to impose that all colleges and universities be only permitted a tuition fee hike ceiling of 15 percent

“Public and private colleges and universities should bear in mind the ongoing and simultaneous price increase of basic commodities,” said the solon, a member of the House committee on youth and sports..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120529met6.html

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