Lies the Noynoy gov’t tells you

Lies the Noynoy gov’t tells you

• Written by  Ninez Cacho-Olivares
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

It’s been blunder after blunder after blunder and lies, after lies under the Noynoy administration.

The latest blunder and lie comes from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), that said the other day that all fishing boats of China in the Scarborough Shoal area have already gone.

It turns out that Chinese fishing boats are still there.

As of yesterday, there were some 28 Chinese fishing and government vessels, 23 of which are inside the shoal, according to the aerial surveillance by the Philippine Navy.

The admiral said China has maintained five government vessels, three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels and two Fisheries and Law Enforcement Command vessels outside the shoal, with 23 fishing vessels, 17 small boats and six Chinese fishing boats still remaining inside the lagoon.

Why would the DFA be stupid enough to claim that the Chinese vessels have already left the shoal area when such announcements can well be checked out?.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/item/761-lies-the-noynoy-gov%E2%80%99t-tells-you

A damaged court

With too many constitutional — and non-constitutional — questions cropping up in relation to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC)’s search of candidates for the position of chief justice, and the kind of aspirants who have applied for the post, everything seems to be turning out to be a big but cruel joke being played both on the institutions and the Filipino people.

But as the Constitution appears to be violated as a matter of course under the Noynoy presidency, what else can be expected?

The Charter says that the country does not allow the entry of nuclear weapons, yet there is today, a US nuclear-powered submarine complete with Tomahawk cruise missiles and MK48 torpedoes in our waters for a claimed five-day R and R stay.

There are many more infractions, but returning to the list of applicants and nominees for the high judicial post, what is clear is that too many see this process as a big joke, which does not put the position of chief justice in a good light..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/editorial/item/762-a-damaged-court

Assad: Syria in a state of war, UN: Mission impossible

 

Assad: Syria in a state of war, UN: Mission impossible

Syrian President says his country in a state of war. The UN peacekeeping chief says the UN observer mission in the country will not resume, as it is too dangerous for the monitors to restart their operations at this point.

More clashes broke out in Syria on Wednesday.

The state media reported gunmen raided the headquarters of a pro-government Syrian TV station early in the day, demolishing the building and killing three employees. Officials denounced what they called a rebel "massacre against the freedom of the press."....MORE  


Source:  RT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/un-monitors-syria-mission-828/

Syria: Attack on TV staff 'worst massacre against journalism' (PHOTOS)

Syria: Attack on TV staff 'worst massacre against journalism' (PHOTOS)

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi put the responsibility for killing of seven TV staffers on the EU, Arab and International organizations. He called it “the worst massacre against journalism and the freedom of media.”

­Seven journalists and workers in the Syrian al-Ikhbaryia Satellite Channel were killed on Wednesday morning in an attack by an armed group targeting the headquarters of al-Ikhbaryia. The assault occurred some 20 kilometres south of the capital Damascus.

They planted explosive devices at the headquarters of al-Ikhbaryia following their ransacking, and destroying the Satellite Channel studios, including the newsroom..... MORE
Source:  RT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/syria-tv-massacre-sanctions-858/

Military ops terrorize farmers in South Quezon

Military ops terrorize farmers in South Quezon

 
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Cesar Garganta, 28, merely wanted to earn extra income for the enrolment of his two children. Instead of money, what Garganta got was pain and trauma.

On May 28, Garganta and his two friends went to work on a farm in Vista Hermosa village, Macalelon, Quezon. At around 9 a.m., the three chanced upon more than a dozen men in uniform armed with high-powered rifles. The soldiers shouted at the three farmers and Garganta’s two companions immediately ran away, leaving Garganta behind.

“For five hours, the soldiers beat me up. They pointed their guns at me, pointed a bolo knife on my neck. They squeezed my nose with pliers, pricked my ears with sticks. They blindfolded me and tied me to a tree,” Garganta said in an interview with Bulatlat.com. The soldiers belonging to the Philippine Army’s 85th Infantry Battalion were insisting that he and his fellow farmers were members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Garganta is only one of the 128 victims of harassment, torture and other forms of human rights violations perpetrated by suspected state agents in Quezon, according to human rights alliance Karapatan-Southern Tagalog (Karapatan-ST). Eight battalions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, police and paramilitary are deployed in the 22 towns of the province.

Farmer Cesar Garganta recalls how the soldiers subjected him to physical and psychological torture in a press conference, June 25. (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)

In another town, Eduardo Dela Peña, 37, also suffered harassment from the military.
On June 22, at around 3 p.m., Dela Peña was tending to his farm at sitio Sabang, barangay (village) Pagsangahan, San Francisco, Quezon when nine soldiers of the 59th and 74th IB of the Philippine Army approached him.

Speaking during the kick-off activity of the mercy mission led by the Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement, June 25, Dela Peña said soldiers accused him of being an NPA member. “They asked me names I do not know. Whenever I said I did not know the persons they were asking about, they punched my stomach,” he said in the vernacular.

The soldiers went with Dela Peña to his house. “I heard the commander ordering his men to kill me. Not long, a soldier pointed a 45 caliber gun at me,” he said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/06/25/military-ops-terrorize-farmers-in-south-quezon/

‘Cover up’ in the Davide court?

‘Cover up’ in the Davide court?

• Written by  Jonathan de la Cruz
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

If they are as passionate about reforms and the full and proper implementation of P-Noy’s daang matuwid campaign promise as they claim to be, those who had earlier excoriated ousted Chief Justice (CJ)  Renato Corona for alleged infractions during his term should be as concerned about an earlier impropriety allegedly perpetrated by the Davide Supreme Court (SC) with then Associate Justice now Acting CJ Antonio Carpio as the main proponent.

We refer to the revelations made by Pulupandan Mayor Magsie Peña and former SC stenographer Fe Malou Castelo regarding the various incidents related to a case filed by the former against Urban Bank in 1994 for payment of fees related to services he rendered to the bank.

That case was won by Peña all the way up to the Court of Appeals but was stalled at the SC’s First Division chaired by no less than then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. with Carpio as the designated ponente. Pena’s efforts to collect from Urban Bank and his subsequent pursuits to obtain justice from the Davide court brought him face to face with the suffocating realities of the workings within the offices of the highest dispensers of justice in the land..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/item/759-%E2%80%98cover-up%E2%80%99-in-the-davide-court?

CPP scores Noy welcome of nuke sub

CPP scores Noy welcome of nuke sub

• Written by  Mario J. Mallari
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) yesterday condemned President Aquino’s regime for allowing the docking of another US nuclear-powered submarine in Subic Bay in Zambales.

In allowing USS Louisville to dock within Philippine waters, the CPP averred, “the Aquino regime serves the US government’s objective of using the country as a platform to advance its geo-political objective of establishing its military and political domination in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The party said “the Aquino regime likes to portray the buildup of US military strength in the Asia-Pacific as favorable to Philippine sovereignty claims over the Spratly Islands and other South China Sea features. This is outright deception because, in fact, the biggest violator of Philippine sovereignty is the US government and military itself, with the connivance of its puppet Aquino regime.”

By allowing the US military to use the Philippines as a platform for its hegemonism in the Asia-Pacific region, the CPP claimed, the Aquino government has basically surrendered the Philippines’ prerogative to determine who are its friends or enemies, and has kowtowed to the US government’s geo-political alignments..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/791-cpp-scores-noy-welcome-of-nuke-sub

A+ A A- Ship didn’t ram AXL John—DND

Ship didn’t ram AXL John—DND

• Written by  Mario J. Mallari
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Noy, Defense give contradictory versions of Bolinao tale

Malacañang and its defense chief contradicted each other in explaining the “ramming” by Hong Kong registered M/V Peach Mountain of AXL John in the waters off Bolinao in Pangasinan.

The Defense and military establishments yesterday told reporters that Hong Kong-registered M/V Peach Mountain, earlier tagged  by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as being responsible for ramming a Filipino fishing boat in Pangasinan was not the culprit in the incident, as it is just one among at least 90 vessels being considered as the possible culprit.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also stated that it was not the M/V Peach Mountain that rammed into the Philippine fishing boat, but yet another Hong Kong registered cargo ship that did, but insisted that the Philppine boat was rammed, even as Gazmin insisted that there were at least 90 vessels that transit through that area..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/784-ship-didn%E2%80%99t-ram-axl-john%E2%80%94dnd

Listen to victims of illegal miners, Bishop urges Noy

Listen to victims of illegal miners, Bishop urges Noy

• Written by  Tribune
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

A Catholic bishop has appealed to President Aquino to be considerate of the people opposing mining in their areas, saying that they are the ones who will suffer most of the consequence of mining.

Digos Bishop Guillermo Afable urged Aquino to study the issue carefully before implementing the government’s new mining policy and seriously consider its effects to the communities and the environment.
“At the end of the day, for better and for worse, the local people will face the effects (of mining) and not those in Manila,” Afable said.

Aquino is set to sign on a new mining executive order with which Malacañang hopes to strike a balance between conflicting interests between the mining industry and environment..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/787-listen-to-victims-of-illegal-miners-bishop-urges-noy

Aussie pedophiles may flock to RP if SoVFA OK’d — solons

Aussie pedophiles may flock to RP if SoVFA OK’d — solons

• Written by  Angie M. Rosales
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

The Philippines has primary jurisdiction over all offenses that fall outside the official duty of Australian soldiers under the proposed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SoVFA) with the said country.

Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday made this assurance amid concerns raised by some of her colleagues over the grant of Philippine congressional concurrence on the agreement in the light of recent revelations of the “numerous cases of physical and sexual abuse of minors, supposedly committed by members of the Australian armed forces.”

An article that that came out in The New York Times last June 15 said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the possibility of a high-level public inquiry or convening of a royal commission, a major investigative body occasionally used by some countries of the Commonwealth, to look into sensitive public issues.

“No offender from the visiting forces who commits a crime in the Philippines will escape justice under the SoVFA,” Legarda, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee and sponsor of the said treaty, said.
The agreement, she added, has an existing set of clear cut rules governing the criminal jurisdiction of the Philippines over errting Australian soldiers..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/789-aussie-pedophiles-may-flock-to-rp-if-sovfa-ok%E2%80%99d-%E2%80%94-solons

Prices of basic goods should go down by now, DTI told

Prices of basic goods should go down by now, DTI told

• Written by  Gerry Baldo
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

A lawmaker from Aurora Province yesterday called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to look into the prices of basic commodities following the reduction in the prices of oil and gasoline.

According to Rep. Sonny Angara, there should be a commensurate reduction in the prices of basic commodities like rice, sardines, bread, instant noodles and flour.

“It seems that there is no price reduction in the prices of our basic commodities, I think the DTI should look into this to protect consumers’ interests,” Angara said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/metro-section/item/755-prices-of-basic-goods-should-go-down-by-now-dti-told

Solon says Magna Carta of Poor measure only justifies poverty

Solon says Magna Carta of Poor measure only justifies poverty

• Written by  Charlie V. Manalo
• Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano yesterday said House Bill 4484 or the “Magna Carta of the Poor” approved on second reading by the House of Representatives is a measure that “justifies poverty.”
“The bill conveniently sugarcoats the government’s inefficiency in providing a decent, quality life for the people,” Mariano said.

“All anti-poverty measures that do not include genuine land reform and national industrialization as strategic and long-term solutions to poverty will remain as a tool for the perpetuation of poverty,” the solon said. “HB 4484 is a cosmetic measure that aims to cover the chronic flaws in the social system.”

“The nature of the bill is only to ‘protect the rights’ of the poor and not to resolve and eradicate widespread poverty. HB 4484 does not address or even recognize the root causes of prevailing poverty and social inequality in the country — landlessness, backward agrarian economy, absence of real industries and unequal division of wealth among social classes,” Mariano said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/metro-section/item/754-solon-says-magna-carta-of-poor-measure-only-justifies-poverty

More booboos FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 06/27/2012

More booboos

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

06/27/2012
There really is a problem with this government under Noynoy. It jumps to conclusions much too easily, then later, with a rotten egg on its face, the same government quickly changes its tune, but not before causing diplomatic ties to deteriorate.

In the case of Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani and his two Filipino crew, for over a week, Noynoy, his aides, Jesse Robredo, his military and police along with the Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, insisted that he was neither missing nor abducted by the Abu Sayyaf, while announcing that Atyani is an Abu Sayyaf conduit and that no rescue operations would be launched.

Where they based their conclusion that Atyani is in cahoots with the terrorist group is, as claimed by Noynoy and his aides, due to the fact that Atyani had been to the country at least three times and interviewed the Abu Sayyaf, plus the fact that that he had interviewed Osama bin Laden before the US Seals assassinated the former al-Qaeda leader.

Naturally, after the Jordanian government, through its foreign ministry, confirmed that its national had been kidnapped by the terrorist group, Noynoy and his aides suddenly admitted that Atyani and his crew have been kidnapped, but in trying to save face, they insisted that the journalist went there voluntarily. What crap they spew. Why would a journalist tell, or even ask the government for permission to interview the Abu Sayyaf?.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120627com2.html

Turning yellow EDITORIAL 06/27/2012

Turning yellow

EDITORIAL

Click to enlarge

06/27/2012
Now is Noynoy’s chance to play hardball with China now that a Filipino fisherman has died after a fishing boat was supposedly rammed by what the Filipino boat crew identified as Chinese in an incident that happened very close to Scarborough Shoal where a standoff ensued between Philippine and Chinese vessels over rival territorial claims.
The incident happened well within Philippine territory, off Bolinao, Pangasinan, where there was no reason for a Chinese vessel to be present in the area, much more for it to ram a Filipino vessel.

It seems that without American imprimatur, Noynoy cannot act on his own in defending the country’s boundaries.

The standoff at Scarborough Shoal happened shortly after Noynoy received the Philippine Navy’s first decent warship for ages, a decommissioned cutter of the US Coast Guard, which was named BRP Gregorio del Pilar. As soon as the cutter arrived in the country, it sailed off to the disputed shoal to supposedly arrest Chinese fishermen who have long been using the shoal along with their Filipino counterparts without any trouble.

The sudden appearance of a Navy warship in the disputed area touched off heated diplomatic exchanges between the Philippines and China, with both sides maintaining the presence of government-owned vessels in the area..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120627com1.html

Syrians hopeful for summit convened by Russia

The Syrians are in hopeful expectation of an international meeting convened by Russia, and negotiations are underway to reach a solution to the crisis of this nation that survives in the Levant.

In this sense, the press reflects that the visit that will be carried out in Iran in the morning with Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, to discuss the situation in Syria and preparations for the meeting of the countries of the G-6 around the nuclear program of Iran

The Russian news agency ITAR-TASS indicated in a report that the purpose of the meeting will be mainly to seek actions to support the implementation of the peace plan of the Special Envoy of the UN, Kofi Annan, and to put an end to the problems that impede it..... MORE
Source:  RT.com

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/25-06-2012/121482-summit_russia-0/

Moody's cuts ratings of 28 Spanish banks

Moody's cuts ratings of 28 Spanish banks

Ratings agency Moody's has cut the ratings of 28 Spanish banks following a June 13 downgrade of Spain's sovereign rating by three notches.

The banks' long-term debt and deposit ratings have been downgraded by one to four notches. The rating of Bankia, one the country’s largest banks, has been cut to junk status.

Moody’s cited two main factors behind the move: the agency’s assessment of Spain's reduced creditworthiness, and an “expectation that the banks' exposures to commercial real estate (CRE) will likely cause higher losses, which might increase the likelihood that these banks will require external support.”.... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/business/news/moodys-ratings-spanish-banks-682/

Joseph Estrada, on Dolphy NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 06/27/2012

Joseph Estrada, on Dolphy

NO HOLDS BARRED

Armida Siguion-Reyna

06/27/2012
President Erap’s daughter Jackie Ejercito and husband Beaver Lopez hosted our lunch get-together in their new house last Sunday. We were told the next mayor of Manila would be a little late owing to the mass at San Juan, for it was also “Araw ng San Juan”. Soon enough he was jauntily walking in, attired in trademark orange polo shirt, and matching orange Converse rubber shoes.

And then it was lunch.

Talk naturally drifted to Dolphy, for even those who barely knew him wanted to know how he was doing. Someone volunteered overhearing that Eddie Garcia was not keen on seeing his fellow Sampaguita Pictures contract actor on the sickbed, although later on in the day Garcia ended up dropping by to see the well-loved comedian at the Intensive Care Unit, after the healing mass at the hospital.

“I didn’t want to see Dolphy bed-ridden, too.” Erap said. “But I visited him to stop malicious talk that I didn’t care what was happening to him, kasi raw galit ako at him dahil nag-Villar siya in 2010. That’s not true. Of course I care about him. Puwede bang hindi, e maski matanda siya sa akin, kami halos ang magkakapanahon niyan sa industry. Iba ang pulitika, iba ang long-standing friendship. Mahal ko si Dolphy, tapos.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120627com4.html

‘Red International’ splits AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Ken Fuller 06/27/2012

‘Red International’ splits

AN OUTSIDERS VIEW

Ken Fuller

06/27/2012
Two weeks ago, in the first part of this account, we identified three kinds of splits in the labor movement — the party-political split, the split influenced by employers, and the split engineered by government. Last week, there was the split caused by labor-leader paternalism, or the desire to escape it — for the TUPAS-FSM split might be seen as an example of this. (At the lower levels of the movement there must have been countless undocumented examples of this kind of split over the years, along with those caused by personality differences and the careerism of leaders.)

We might also add that while not necessarily causing splits, foreign funding like that advanced by the Asian-American Free Labor Institute has acted as a means of fencing off conservative organizations from their more progressive brethren. And finally, we have the example of the post-1993 splits, which we might dub the “Red International” type of split. This requires some explanation.

Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, a number of communist-led organizations were established on an international level with the aim of gaining influence in the labor and peasant movements. One such organization was the Red International of Labor Unions (RILU), established in 1921. As the international communist movement entered its most sectarian period (characterized by the slogan “class against class”), the RILU saw the aim of communists as attempting to win the support of the labor movement in their own country for the cause of revolution, and if the existing trade unions could not so be won, to establish “red alternatives.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120627com5.html

Noynoy violates Charter, allows nuclear sub in RP By Mario J. Mallari 06/27/2012

Noynoy violates Charter, allows nuclear sub in RP

By Mario J. Mallari 06/27/2012

Apart from allowing armed foreign troops and bases into the country, on claims that the bases and American servicemen’s “visits” are temporary and on a “rotational’ basis despite the United States bases in Mindanao being virtually permanent, President Aquino has again violated the Constitution when it allowed another United States nuclear-powered vessel to enter Philippine territory.

The nuclear-powered submarine yesterday docked in Subic Bay for a supposed routine port call — the second such “visit” by US attack seacraft since the standoff between the Philippines and China over the disputed Scarborough Shoal erupted last April.

Article ll, Section 8 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, under State policies, mandated by the Filipino people, states that the “Philippines, consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120627hea1.html

Palace warned vs SoVFA push as Aussie military faces abuse probe 06/27/2012

Palace warned vs SoVFA push as Aussie military faces abuse probe

06/27/2012
Malacaang should be cautious in pushing the immediate ratification by the Senate of the proposed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SoVFA) with Australia amid news reports on record of numerous cases of physical and sexual abuse of minors, supposedly committed by members of the Australian armed forces.
An article that came out in the New York Times last June 15 said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised the possibility of a high-level public inquiry or convening a royal commission, a major investigative body occasionally used by some countries of the Commonwealth, to investigate sensitive public issues.

The matter has come to the attention of Senators Gregorio Honasan and Joker Arroyo and both urged the Executive department to exercise caution before having the SoVFA rushed for plenary approval..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120627hea6.html