What happened to the ‘Hello Garci’ protagonists?

What happened to the ‘Hello Garci’ protagonists?

They have all been rewarded and chances are, they would be able to get away with it.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – For the main cast of the “Hello Garci” election scandal, life has so far been as nearly happily-ever-after as it could be. The main protagonist and beneficiary, the former president, or the disputed president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, plus her immediate family, had grown wealthier based on both their official declaration and other reports coming out about the increased family net worth and properties.

They have also held on to political power – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is currently a Pampanga representative. She reportedly has supportive and powerful allies in congress who continue to shield her and tell critics to give her “parliamentary courtesy,” and, many suspect, she likely has influence too over the judiciary whose justices she has largely appointed. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s two sons and brother-in-law have also remained as congressmen.

Despite the lingering questions about the legitimacy of her presidency and the numerous attempts to unseat her, Arroyo went on to finish her term as the second longest sitting president. The only problem, it seemed, is the seeming continuous need for further cover-up operations of what a mutinous soldier has described as “the original sin”— her stealing the presidency in the 2004 elections.

Rotten tomatoes for a rotten president – from protesters in Iligan City in 2008.(Photo courtesy of arkibongbayan.org / bulatlat.com)

What became of the other cast of Hello Garci

The Ampatuans -Unlike the Arroyos who mainly benefited from the election rigging, life has not turned out as sweetly for some of their trusted operators in the crime. The Ampatuans, for example, who used to lord over Maguindanao and ARMM, have found themselves in jail after allegedly massacring 58 people, mostly media workers, in Ampatuan, Maguindanao on November 2009. These areas largely figured in vote-padding and vote-shaving in 2004, according to Hello Garci tapes.

Some of the Ampatuan’s are still in jail and one of them, Zaldy Ampatuan, former governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), was aired on at least three TV networks last month angling for freedom in exchange for revealing who masterminded the massacre and later on, exposed Arroyo’s election fraud..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/08/07/what-happened-to-the-hello-garci-protagonists/

Special Report: Philippines- The unhealthiest of poor countries

Special Report: Philippines- The unhealthiest of poor countries

Despite the promises of devolution, funding for health services is unable to keep up with local needs
Sidebar: Not enough doctors, and nurses, in
Sidebar: Where do the sick go?
SECOND PART: LGUs try enterprise to cure shortage in health funding
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com and Maggie De Pano Fellow
Surigao del Sur was not proud of their health figures six years ago: for every dozen mothers who died of pregnancy complications or while giving birth in the country in a year, one came from this province. It was the highest maternal mortality rate among provinces—269 in every 100,000—even higher than the national average of 230.

The provincial government moved quickly. It clustered adjacent municipalities and assigned a team of woman health workers to monitor pregnant women in each area. Their duty was to make sure these mothers went to skilled health professionals for regular check-ups, and delivered in birthing clinics or hospitals. The province also allocated more funds for the improvement of these health facilities, and enrolled almost all the declared indigents in the state’s health insurance system or Philhealth.

By 2009, Surigao del Sur had brought down maternal deaths to 99 in every 100,000. The following year, Malacañang noticed and gave it the Galing Pook award, which recognizes innovative programs by local governments.

But the good news ends there. Other priorities had been competing for the limited provincial budget, that sustaining the program became difficult. Starting 2009, the yearly decline in maternal deaths stopped. This year, the province will start paying the World Bank loans it incurred for the construction of additional birthing clinics and the upgrade of hospitals, even though these didn’t turn into financially viable facilities..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/08/11/philippines-the-unhealthiest-of-poor-countries/

Noy: Bangsamoro substate will include non-Muslim communities By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan and Mario J. Mallari 08/13/2011

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Big Mike to SC: Strike down DoJ travel ban By Benjamin B. Pulta and Charlie V. Manalo 08/13/2011

Big Mike to SC: Strike down DoJ travel ban

By Benjamin B. Pulta and Charlie V. Manalo 08/13/2011
Former First Gentleman Juan Miguel “Mike” Arroyo isn’t taking the watch list order on him, issued by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, sitting down as he asked the high court yesterday to void this order against him.

At the same time, his son, Rep. Juan Miguel (Mikey) Arroyo, currently in the United States, has reportedly cut his trip short over a watch list order that is also being dangled by De Lima, who has also ordered former President, now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo placed on a watch list despite the fact that the former President is currently being hospitalized after a botched second surgery on her cervical spine arising from an infection.

Mike Arroyo asked the Supreme Court yesterday to stop the the Department of Justice (DoJ) from placing him on the immigration watchlist, saying the order violated his constitutional rights to travel, due process and equal protection under the law.

In his petition filed through his lawyers Inocencio Ferrer and Ateneo law professor Poncevic Ceballos, the elder Arroyo said DoJ Department Circular No. 41 ordering that he be placed on the Bureau of Immigration (BI) watch list was issued with “grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110813hed1.html

Controversial tourism chief announces resignation By Virgilio Bugaoisan and Michaela P. del Callar 08/13/2011

Controversial tourism chief announces resignation

By Virgilio Bugaoisan and Michaela P. del Callar 08/13/2011

One supposed headache of President Aquino is gone.

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim announced his resignation yesterday following a bruising term in which he oversaw a marketing disaster and quarrelled with the travel industry.

Lim, 61, said he was stepping down to spend more time with his family after just 13 months in the job, but he also conceded that frequent criticism of him may have impacted his ability to carry out his duties.

His resignation came amid lingering speculations that he was the Cabinet official being pointed to by Aquino as his “headache,” although it is more likely that Lim was asked to resign by the President.

At a press briefing shortly after personally tendering his courtesy resignation to the President yesterday, Lim told media he could no longer take the stress that comes along with his job as Tourism secretary and had grown tired of being separated from his family for long periods of time because he is required to travel a lot..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110813hed2.html

Delays in renewable energy too costly — solon 08/13/2011

Delays in renewable energy too costly — solon

08/13/2011
Sen. Edgardo Angara reiterated his call on government to hasten efforts in implementing mechanisms for the promotion of a Renewable Energy (RE) industry in the Philippines.

Angara, chairman of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), made the statement after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) suspended its public hearing on the feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates petitioned by the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB), after it was discovered that NREB failed to publish the full proposal due to a lack of funds.

NREB Chairman Pedro Maniego, however, hinted that the deficiency may be resolved soon saying: “It’s good that the Department of Energy (DoE) will help us, as NREB itself does not have any budget.”

“With these delays, the window becomes narrower for our country to capitalize on the business opportunities presented by the global shift to renewables. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of renewable energy, the government should also consider the large number of green jobs the industry could generate,” Angara said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20110813nat6.html

Koko could have been proclaimed senator 2 years ago — Cayetano By Angie M. Rosales 08/13/2011

Koko could have been proclaimed senator 2 years ago — Cayetano

By Angie M. Rosales 08/13/2011

Proclamation of Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III should have taken place as early as two years ago, one of the members of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) said yesterday, pointing out that his lead over then rival in the poll protest case, Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, was estasblished at over 258,000 votes.

“At that time when the evidence of the counter-protest already showed that after the 25% of the counter-protest (of Zubiri) had been counted, that even if we (SET) proceeded in counting the remaining 75 percent (of his supposed spurious ballots), it can no longer overcome the lead of the protest (Pimentel). At that point, we could have already declared (the winner in the protest cast) based on my understanding and interpretation of our rules,” said Sen. Pia Cayetano.

The senator was referring to the tabulations made in the recount proceedings sometime in 2009 where the spurious ballots deducted from Pimentel was 88,561 while those deducted from Zubiri was at 365,246.

After revision and appreciation, the difference in the total number of votes of Pimentel against Zubiri was 258,166..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20110813nat1.html

Motorcycle owners urged to install security devices on their units to prevent theft 08/13/2011

Motorcycle owners urged to install security devices on their units to prevent theft

08/13/2011
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has urged owners of motorcycles to install security devices on their units to prevent robbers from stealing them while parked or left unattended.

QCPD director Chief Supt. George Regis issued the call yesterday after he met with the city government officials led by Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista at the city hall where they assessed security measures being undertaken by the former in connection with the city’s peace and order campaign.

Regis admitted due to a series of apprehensions of suspects and groups involved in stealing four-wheeled vehicles, thieves have shifted to stealing motorcycles instead of four-wheeled units.

Owners of motorcycles should cooperate with police authorities so that the latter can effectively act on the problem and lessen if not totally stop this new trend of motorcycle theft, the QCPD chief said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20110813met2.html

‘Mikey’ told: Arroyos no longer infallible, face charges now By Gerry Baldo 08/13/2011

‘Mikey’ told: Arroyos no longer infallible, face charges now

By Gerry Baldo 08/13/2011

San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito yesterday told Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo to be man enough to face the consequences of their actions during the nine-year incumbency of his mother, former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“Just face the music,” Ejercito said yesterday, in reaction to a statement issued by Mikey that his family is being persecuted by the Aquino administration.

Mikey Arroyo claimed this is the first time in Philippine history that a political family is being persecuted.
“It’s not persecution. It’s just that justice is being served now after nine long years,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito, son of former President Joseph Estrada who was ousted by an elite coup led by then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2001, noted that when the Arroyos were in power they were infallible..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20110813met1.html

CCP imbroglio, a distraction DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 08/12/2011

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Flogging a dead horse EDITORIAL 08/12/2011

Flogging a dead horse

EDITORIAL

Click to enlarge

08/12/2011
What was there about the Bangsamoro substate to talk about when the Supreme Court (SC) has already ruled in 2008 that creating such an entity would be a violation of the Constitution?

Noynoy and the spokesman of Al Haj Murad who cannot even claim to speak in behalf of the entire fractious group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front met in Japan recently to discuss what is lately emerging as a modification of the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain that brought so much misery to residents in Mindanao after some of the MILF commanders took it upon themselves to take over areas that would have been included in the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) had the MoA-AD pulled through.

The SC, however, ruled that the BJE, which was practically a Muslim substate, would have required amending of the Constitution.

The effort to form the BJE was dropped and the treasonous act of those who sought to create it wormed their way out saying they were unaware of the contents of the agreement including the giving away of portions of the country’s territory..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110812com1.html

A skunk is a skunk is a skunk FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 08/12/2011

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BlackBerry helps Britain’s rioters organize focus 08/12/2011

BlackBerry helps Britain’s rioters organize

focus

08/12/2011
LONDON — The rioters causing havoc on British streets have eschewed traditional social networking sites as a way of organizing, instead using the encrypted instant chat service on their BlackBerry handsets.

Although BlackBerrys are normally associated with white-collar workers keeping up with their emails, they are used by 37 percent of young adults and children in Britain, according to recent industry figures.

They are popular because the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service offers a free alternative to texting and can send messages to many people at once. It is also encrypted, unlike Twitter which was used by protesters in Iran and Egypt.

“If you use Blackberry Messenger it’s usually just you or your local group of contacts you’ve personally approved who can see your messages. That’s why they’ve been preferring to use it,” said Alastair Paterson, chief executive of cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110812com3.html

Picking up the cudgels NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 08/12/2011

Picking up the cudgels

NO HOLDS BARRED

Armida Siguion-Reyna

08/12/2011
\"Those angry at Mideo Cruz’s works, can they be as angry for every stolen ballot, for every centavo filched from government, for every student unable to enroll because of the budget cuts given SUCs, for every desaparacido, for every slain activist and community worker, and the unjustly and illegally detained?”

I didn’t write that, my daughter-in-law did, in Facebook. I hear there’s been a good number of responses to it, including one from London-based theater actor/director Monique Wilson, “and why are these same people not OUTRAGED at how many Filipina women, girls, children are sex trafficked everyday, are incested, are abused by their husbands, fathers, uncles, are sold like commodities. why are they not OUTRAGED at that? Why do they not rush to the streets to protest against that and in defense of women’s rights?”

There’s a huge base of qualitative support for the artist-of-the hour, even as “Christian groups” have proclaimed their intention to file charges against the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Cruz, himself, because, as lawyer Jo Imbong puts it, “the Christian nation has been offended.”

It’s quite clear Imbong has a specific set of organizations and people in mind that make up her “Christian nation.” And these are those who kept quiet in the face of massive electoral fraud in 2004 and 2007, one of them an election lawyer who worked to keep the Unelected President in place, hello. As in, “Hello, Garci.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110812com4.html

Where are the containers now? C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 08/12/2011

Where are the containers now?

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S

Jonathan De la Cruz

08/12/2011
It has been more than a month since Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez triumphantly told the public that his office has been able to uncover the contemptuous practice of unscrupulous importers and their cohorts at the bureau of “diverting’ cargoes on transhipment” from one port to the other to avoid the payment of the correct duties and taxes. This scandalous practice which Alvarez apparently had an inkling of even when he was still in the private sector came to fore yet again when Batangas Port Collector Juan Tan reported during a recent congressional inquiry that out of 2219 container vans which were supposed to have been transhipped from the Port of Manila (PoM) and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) to their final destination, that is, the Batangas Port, only 309 actually arrived. Meaning, 1910 container vans containing highly dutiable goods got lost in transit and nowhere to be found..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110812com5.html

Mayuga Report now a ‘top secret’ document By Gerry Baldo 08/12/2011

Mayuga Report now a ‘top secret’ document

By Gerry Baldo 08/12/2011

The Mayuga Report which contains the results of the investigation into the alleged massive fraud in the 2004 presidential elections is now a “top secret” document by the Department of National Defense (DND).

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, during the budget hearing for the defense department, lamented that the Mayuga Report, which was done by former Navy Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga on orders of then President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is still being kept from the public eye.

“I am shocked that is now a secret document, that the Mayuga report that former President Arroyo said should be opened to the public for public interest has now been translated into top secret document,” Colmenares said.

Colmenares, during the hearing, asked for a copy of the report from officials of the DND led by Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

Gazmin, when asked about the Mayuga Report said: “Top secret, your honor.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110812hed4.html

‘Koko’ Pimentel proclaimed as 12th senator in 2007 polls 08/12/2011

‘Koko’ Pimentel proclaimed as 12th senator in 2007 polls

08/12/2011
The Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) yesterday proclaimed lawyer Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel the 12th winning senator in the 2007 elections, ending his almost five-year and tedious protest against resigned Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Based on Pimentel’s protest, the SET proved that Pimentel actually garnered a total of 258,166-vote lead over Zubiri after the recounting of ballots from 26,587 precincts in 44 municipalities in seven Mindanao provinces namely: Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte, Sharrif Kabunsan, Basilan, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur and Sulu.

The SET tally showed that Pimentel garnered a total of 10,898,786 votes as compared to Zubiri’s 10,640,620 votes.

“The decision is immediately executory,” lawyer Irene Guevarra, the SET secretary, said in the proclamation held at Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110812hed3.html

MILF warring factions escalate; 14 dead By Mario J Mallari 08/12/2011

MILF warring factions escalate; 14 dead

By Mario J Mallari 08/12/2011

Violence between warring forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) escalated yesterday as the firefight, which has already resulted in the killing of 14 fighters, started to spill over to another town in Maguindanao province with reinforcements for both sides joining the conflict.

Army 6th Infantry Division (ID) spokesman Col. Prudencio Asto said that fighting between the forces of MILF’s 106th Base Command chief Adzmie Kasim and Carialan Indong, alias commander Abunawas, of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has shifted to nearby Guindulungan town from Datu Piang.

Asto said that gun battles were monitored at around 12 noon yesterday.

“It escalated again there, it seems it started again,” said Asto of the sporadic clashes between Adzmie’s and Abunawas’ groups. “We are still checking if there are any casualties there,” said Asto..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20110812nat1.html

AFP claims foiled bomb plot by NPAs By Mario J. Mallari 08/12/2011

AFP claims foiled bomb plot by NPAs

By Mario J. Mallari 08/12/2011
The military foiled a possible bombing plot by the New People’s Army (NPA) following the arrest of a notorious communist bomber in Quezon province on Wednesday.

Military Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) spokesman Col. Generoso Bolina identified the captured NPA bomber as Alberto Macasinag, alias JY, tagged as squad leader of a communist group operating in Quezon province.

Bolina said Macasinag was arrested by combined elements of the Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion (IB), led by Lt. Col. Rodolfo Labadia, and Lopez Municipal Police Station (MPS) during an operation in Barangay Danlagan in Lopez town at around 11 a.m.

Macasinag, 45, was captured by virtue of a standing warrant for his arrest issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 61 in Gumaca for charges of frustrated murder, among others. He is now under custody of the Lopez MPS..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20110812nat4.html

DFA warns public on passport ‘fixers’ By Michaela P. del Callar 08/12/2011

DFA warns public on passport ‘fixers’

By Michaela P. del Callar 08/12/2011

Passport fixers continue to thrive and victimize Filipino applicants despite increased government efforts to curtail this illegal trade, the Department of Foreign Affairs admitted yesterday.

Even if the passport section has moved to a new building along Macapagal Avenue in Paranaque City from the DFA’s head office in Pasay City, the DFA said there are still fixers who have been capitalizing on their knowledge of the application procedures to lure first-time applicants to take an easier and hassle-free route in filing their applications but for an exorbitant fee.

Victims are mostly first-timers from the provinces or newly arrived overseas Filipino workers. Fixers usually charge between P2,500 and P15,000 with a promise of expediting the application procedure. The DFA charges P950 for regular processing and P1,200 for rush processing of e-passports.

“In view of these illegal activities carried out by these unscrupulous individuals, the DFA strongly advises the public not to deal or transact any business with these people,” a department notice said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20110812met1.html