Daily 20/20

Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion

2011-01-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

Piolo Pascual, the actor once accused of being a gay by a celebrity manager, admitted over national television that he already got KC Concepcion as girlfriend.

Pascual made the admission last Sunday. He said he is making the announcement so that others who are still hoping to get KC, would, instead, stop from making overtures to her.

Pascual said their relationship has been, what, two to three months old?

I don't know why several people whom I asked, did not quite believe what Pascual said. Maybe they are still affected by the "gay tag"? That they can't seem to erase that tag with Piolo Pascual?

Besides, when Pascual made the announcement, he was like, acting? IT was not as natural as what a madly in love guy would appear like.

I am not saying that Piolo is lying and that this whole thing is just a publicity stunt to promote their latest pairing. All I'm writing is several people remain incredulous, as in, how in hell did he...

Who is using who? I think nobody. If Piolo really is dead serious on KC, then, so be it. The thing is, why is the girl totally silent about it? She even cried when Piolo announced it on the tele. Maybe, just maybe, it was a signal from "somebody" for her to stop entertaining suitors and just settle for someone "safe". We really don't know.

How to be saved from eternal death

2011-01-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, I wrote a book entitled, " The Holy Way Towards the City of the Lord." It was culled from several months of study about the Scriptures and what those immortal words really meant when they say that a person is already "saved."

This is what I found out.

When the universe was created, it was created by a God. This God is described as the holiest of the holies, the Most God Who lived above Everything. God is the holiest of all the Spirits, and in the beginning, there is no other except God.

God created Wisdom upon Whom everything came about. Since God, being Spirit cannot live among the flesh or material, God created Wisdom, an alter-Ego. Wisdom is described as the mirror-image of God, but, not God Himself.

This mirror-image of God created every single one in the heavens. Fact is, God thru Wisdom created the heavens. Wisdom created the Kingdom of God which resides among the firmaments of the heavens. It sits on top of Mount Zion, in the Northernmost point of the Kingdom.

There, a Throne sits in the middle of a dome-shaped structure. From Where the True God lives, life-giving energies flow from above down to the Throne. These energies then flow down to a Spring and onwards to a river that snakes through down the mountain to the plains below.

The plains house mansions of majestic beauty where residents of Heaven live. The heavenly creatures which serve God live in these mansions, and houses.

When iniquity was created through the haughtiness of Lucifer, one of God's perfect creatures, God thru Wisdom has to create another dimension. This dimension, the material universe, was intended to be the place where Goodness and Evil will be seen.

Wisdom then created a point in heaven, where all energies were sucked and their burst outward creating the known universe. From this, God banished Lucifer, until the proper time comes for his eventual destruction.

Inside the known universe, God thru Wisdom created earth, the place where God intended His holy servants would live. God thru Wisdom created Eden, a garden where the first Humans resided.

Adam and Eve were thus created. They mirrored image Holiness, but not the physical features of God. God do not have anthropological features.

Lucifer, who posed himself as Satan, lured these first creatures to sin. God banished Adam and Eve from Eden, to live in the outer fringes of earth.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they were removed from the mercies of God. They have to work and toil the soil to eat, an analogy that they are now outside the protection of God. When they were with God, they don't have anything to worry. They don't eat. They don't need food because their sustenance came from loving God. God is enough for man to exist...forever.

That is why when God finally puts an end to sin in the last day, God will transform the bodies of His Servants, from their fleshly bodies to heavenly bodies. Why? This signals a transformation of their beings, from material to spiritual. For one to live forever, a being must become spiritual.

For a being to become spiritual, it must not be impure. One cannot live in the presence of a Holy God if one is impure.

Purity therefore, is the secret towards attaining salvation. How then can one attain spiritual purity or holiness.

Seek first the kingdom of God and all things shall be added unto you, says Jesus Christ, one of the messengers of God who Himself, struggled for purity. Jesus Christ is the living testament of the possibility of a human attaining spiritual purity and therefore, enjoying the distinction of being the first High Priest of God among His created human beings.

The life of Jesus and of course, other messengers who preached about the Oneness of God, are thus given as case studies or examples of how one is to live in order to attain spiritual purity.

Who is pure in the sight of God but those who live according to His laws. When one lives according to the Laws of God, that man lives towards purity or holiness.

Worship the Lord Your God with all your heart, with your might and with all your soul. When you worship God, you worship the things which God loves, one of them, seeking His Face, meaning His Truth and doing things to your fellow men.

Working diligently and honestly is worshipping God. Giving thanks to him every single day is worshipping God. Loving your fellow men and helping those in need is worshipping God. Taking care of the lands entrusted to you is worshipping God.

Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not commit blasphemy. Honor your Father and Your Mother. Honor the Sabbath.

Do not eat blood. Do not eat unholy sacrifices. Do not swear before heaven. Do not lie. Do not cheat. Do not get involved in usury.

When you commit no sin against God and your fellow men, and follow the precepts that God thru Wisdom have given men as a roadmap towards God's kingdom, it is as if a man is preparing himself as a priest of God. Those who want to be saved should become priests.

Jesus Christ or Yeshu, was a Nazarite, someone who was prepared to become a priest. Only a priest is allowed entry into the Holiest of Holies. Only a priest can bear the sign of the Face of the MOst Holy God.

Therefore, to be saved, one must become a priest, someone who follows the Laws of God to the letter and someone who abstains from material pursuits and follows not the dictates of the flesh, but the dictates of the Most Holy Spirit.

That man, follows the true and holy path towards citizenship in God's kingdom. Amen.

Why did Mayor Lim order the arrest of the hostage takers brother at the height of the Manila hostage crisis?

2010-09-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Why did Mayor Lim order the arrest of the hostage taker's brother at the height of the Manila hostage crisis?

President Noynoy Aquino: " Ang tamang daan ay tungo sa kapayapaan. Payapa sa Tondo. Kaya siguro dun gusto ni Mayor Lim na ilagay muna yung brother. Para tahimik na lahat."

Vice President Jejomar Binay: " Pasensya na ho. No comment na lang kasi dating kagalit ko din yang si Mayor.Condulence na lang sa namatayan."

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile: " Baka Mayor Lim wants the brother to be happy. Tondo is a happy place. Basta happy ka!"

Senator Chiz Escudero: " Maybe Mayor Lim wants the brother to drink Circulan"

Speaker Sonny Belmonte: " Bakit hindi na lang sa Payatas?"

Executive secretary Jojo Ochoa: " Probably, I think, hik, kulang lang sa inom si Mayor."

Vice Mayor Isko Moreno: " Nagawa ni Mayor Lim yun dahil taga Tondo siya. Taga Tondo rin ako. Walang kakilala sa Tondo yung brother ng hostage taker. Hindi makapanghohostage yun dun."

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma: " I doubt it kung hindi nakuha ni Mayor Lim ang cue. Hindi naman inaccessible yung hostage taker ah."

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang: " I confirmed na inutos nga ni Mayor Lim yun kasi nagmamadali siyang pumunta sa Emerald Restaurant for a nice round of drinks with Pnoy."

DILG secretary Jesse Robredo: " Wala akong alam dyan. Local governments lang ako."

DILG undersecretary Rico Puno : " Wala rin akong alam dyan. Pulis lang ako."

DSWD secretary Dingky Soliman: " Wala akong alam dyan. Baka siguro gustong pakainin yung brother. Marami kaming beneficiaries ng lumang NFA rice there. "

Kris Aquino: " Hindi naman magagawa ni Mayor Lim yun. He knows naman na its dirty there."

James Yap: " Hindi naman si Mayor Lim ang nagkasal sa min ni Kris."

General Magtibay: " Wala po akong masabi. Utos po ni Mayor. Yessir!"

General Santiago: " Di naman po masamang itapon, este, ipunta yung brother sa Tondo. Besides, daming maganda dun."

Manay Lolit: " Yokong magcomment. Hindi naman nakasulat sa envelope yan."

a bugged conversation with Pnoy

2010-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Shortly after the Harapan panel interview which was broadcasted live to the detriment of Philippine president Benigno Noynoy Aquino, this conversation was caught by one of our "insiders". Just listen in...

Staffer: " You were great, Mr. President.."
Pnoy: " Thank you, thank you. Sino ka nga pala?"
Staffer: " Sir, I am (tweet). "
Pnoy: " Ah....Samar or Balai? Dami nyo kasi, di ko na ma-remember.."
Staffer: " Balai po...pero, don't mention it out loud po, Mr. President. Baka ma pickup ng media..."
Pnoy: " Ah, oo nga pala, right, right. Wala pa lang paksyon, right. Sorry."
Staffer: " It's alright, Mr. President. Thank you rin po at napagbigyan kami sa request namin na humarap kayo sa media. Di kasi namin ma-convince sila eh."
Pnoy: " Eh, pano ninyong macoconvince, wala naman sa inyo yung dissemination of information. Di ba, Samar ang bahala dun? "
Staffer: " Yun nga po eh. At least, sa broadcast, me laban kami. Sila naman, sa print lang yata."
Pnoy: "Really? Ah, okey, okey."

(another staffer approaches Pnoy)

Staffer 2: " Sir, punta na tayo sa next appointment." (staffer eyes the other from head to toe.)
Pnoy: " Right, right, teka, alisin ko muna itong amerikana ko."
Staffer 2: " Getting hot under the collar ba ho?"
Pnoy: " Come again?"
Staffer 2: "Nothing Mr. President. I really don't agree with this po, Mr. President. Nagmukha kayong..."
Pnoy: : " Okey lang, okey lang. I enjoyed it though. Kahit na madaming questions, okey lang. Did I answered the questions well? Okey naman ba?"
Staffer 2: " As usual Mr. President. I just hope maniwala ang taumbayan..."
Pnoy: " Come again? Staffer ka ba talaga dito? Anong grupo ka ba?"
Staffer 2: " Sir, I was the recommendation of Senator Chiz po."
Pnoy: " Ah, I see....Samar ba?
Staffer 2: " Nope po. Binay group."
Pnoy: " Ah, kaya pala."
Staffer 2: " Come again po, Mr. President?"
Pnoy: "Nothing, nothing. O sige na. let's go to our appointment.."

Staffer 1 intervenes...

Staffer 1: " Excuse me, Mr. President..."
Pnoy: " Yes po..."
Staffer 1: " Let me remind you Mr. President that your next appointment is with sir RC po and sir MQ po later.."
Pnoy: " I thought its a drinking spree with Paquito sa Samar..."
Staffer 2: " Yes, that's in the schedule.."
Pnoy: " I thought so too."
Staffer 1: " Sorry po but it was changed this morning Mr. President. You need to go with us sa Balai to eat merienda."
Pnoy: "Ganun ba? "
Staffer 1: "Yes, Mr. President."
Pnoy: " Who changed the schedule?"
Staffer goes near the President's ear.
Pnoy: "Ganun ba? Okey, okey.Sige...Col. Dizon!"
Col. Dizon: "Yes Mr. President"
Pnoy: " Prepare my toys. I am going to Balai."
Staffer 1 smiles. Staffer 2 frowns.

Staffer 2: But Mr. President...
Pnoy: " Don't say anything. I am just following schedule. Tell Paquito to just drink and wait for me.Wag kamong maglasing nang wala pa ako, okey?"
Staffer 2: (lamely) Ok po Mr. President."

Jobs for Pinoys in Hotel and Restaurant Industry

2010-07-29T01:22:00.001-07:00

More than 15 million jobs await Filipinos who want to work in top-rate hotels and restaurants in the United States, Europe and other countries in Asia, with about 158,000 hospitality and leisure jobs needed in the United States alone.

Labor requirements rose after hotel occupancy levels grew by 3.4% this year, a positive sign that the industry has now recovered from the global recession.

In a report released by the Asian School of Hospitality Arts (ASHA), the premier hotel school in the Philippines, the hospitality industry is expected to grow 11% this year, a strong indication that the industry has now recovered from the global recession.

With this growth, more five-star hotels and restaurants would need additional hotel, food and beverage managers, baristas and hospitality staff. These are supervisorial and skilled positions which Filipinos are qualified to fill in.

ASHA Directress Angie Blanco says Filipinos are most-sought after when it comes to these positions. Top five-star hotels hire more from the Philippines because Filipinos are highly qualified, trust-worthy and hard-working. Filipinos are more qualified because most are HRM (Hotel and Restaurant Management) graduates.

“ We have thousands of Filipinos in the hospitality and leisure industries which can benefit from the recovery of the industry after a slump in 2009. Entry levels in these positions are high. We are in the best position to exploit the hospitality job markets because of our high competency especially as hotel and restaurant managers, baristas and hotel staff, “ says Blanco.

Hospitality-related jobs command competitive pay rates. For hotel managers, the average daily wage is US$ 50 per hour or about 2,300 php (P46=1US$) per hour. In the United States, baristas earn US$ 10 per hour or about US$100 a day. This translates to almost 100,000 pesos per month. Filipino chefs, meanwhile, are being paid more than 150,000 pesos a month.

Blanco reports that hotel occupancy in the United States alone grew by about 1.7% this year after occupancy rates rose in the first quarter of 2010. The growth increased revenues by 57.1%. This is a positive development, says Blanco, since more hotels will require additional hotel and hospitality staff to attend to the needs of guests.

Based on the ASHA report, hotel occupancy rates in the Asia-Pacific rose from 15.3% to 63.1%, the average daily rate increased by 8.6% to US$125.52, and revenue per available room jumped 25.2% to US$79.24. This, says Blanco, is based on the STR Global report.

Shanghai China experienced the largest occupancy increase, rising from 55% to 71.7%, followed by Beijing (65.3%), Hongkong (78.3%) and Osaka Japan (77.3%). Malaysia posted a positive 40.4% to US$ 71.65.

In the Philippines, improvements in the tourism industry generated close to 3 million additional jobs, according to the data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). As of May 2010, a total of 48,048 jobs were generated in Central Philippines, Metro Manila and Tagaytay alone. The hospitality outlook in the Philippines remains bright, says Blanco, as private investors continue to have a bullish attitude in the country.

Blanco says that domestic tourism alone hiked 2009 air traffic by about 25%. OAG, a reputable body monitoring the global air industry, shows that seat capacity increased by 9% or an additional 1.2 million to a total of 15.3 million seats in Asia-Pacific alone. Worldwide, seat capacity increased by 6% and added 20.5 million seats to a total 335.5 million.

Amongst the hotel chains, luxury properties and upscale hotels remain at a very positive growth. Performance of luxury hotels are strongest, while mid-scale properties with food and beverage should lag all property types with only 3.3% growth.

Lodging demands in the first quarter of 2010 increased by 5.3% over the first quarter of 2009. Blanco says if this trend continues, expect the hospitality and leisure-related job market to further improve in the next few years. In fact, Blanco adds, 2011 will see a 7.8% growth in the industry.

“The employment of hotel management staff is expected to grow just as fast as the average managerial position for all sectors through 2014. More opportunities are predicted to be available because many experienced managers will be leaving the industry to pursue other interests or through retirement. The better and higher education that is obtained, the more plentiful the opportunities will be” adds Blanco.

ASHA is a strong partner of The Coffee Beanery (TCB) along West Avenue, Quezon City. ASHA is a strong advocate of spreading Asian Values, World Class-Education.

It is also affiliated with Seven Suites Hotel Observatory, Classic Cuisine (C2), The Orange Place (TOP) and C3 Events Place.

ASHA opens its Certificate of Barista at TCP West Avenue, Quezon City. Classes start August 10, 2010. For inquiries, please call +6325066474, 5067007 or 09175907425. Check their website at http://www.asha.edu.ph.

Aquino administration---doing the same things ala Arroyo?

2010-07-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Columnist and avowed Pinoy supporter Conrado de Quiros wrote in his column today entitled " Mandate", this observation:

"That is the kind of corruption the public sees more than anything else. That is the kind of corruption the public wants something done about more than anything else. The voters made Noynoy Aquino president and Binay vice president because of it: Because Noynoy was the opposite of GMA and because Binay was anti-GMA, and both could be trusted to stop any rule that would extend that kind of corruption. And the public has acclaimed Noynoy by 88 percent and Binay by 77 percent because of it: Because P-noy is the opposite of GMA and because Binay is anti-GMA, and both can be trusted to prosecute GMA and all those who helped her mount that kind of corruption."

For the Inquirer columnist, the mandate is clear: be different from the Arroyo regime and prosecute GMA for her crimes.

Yet, it seems that this mandate is slowly being "corrupted" with the entry of interest groups inside Malacanang. Consider these:

1. People hate the Arroyo administration for appointing close family associates in sensitive posts in the bureaucracy.

Noynoy Aquino appointed at least three families in sensitive posts, one being the Abads. Butch Abad, who served as the campaign manager of the Liberal Party and one of the leading figures in the Hyatt 10 walkout, is now Budget secretary. His daughter, Julia, serves as the president's chief in the Management staff while her brother, Luis, is now the Chief of Staff of Finance secretary Cesar Purisima.

Margie Juico, wife of Philip Juico, an Aquino loyalist, serves as PCSO head while several other close Aquino family associates occupy very sensitive positions in the new administration. One family friend, Odette Ong, formerly Cory Aquino's associate, is also inside Malacanang, doing a very strange "audit".

The Romulos are also occupying sensitive posts. Bert Romulo serves as Foreign affairs while his daughter, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat is now undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture.

2. No brokering nor lobbying. A former Cory Aquino official, Odette Ong is said to be "brokering" for big-time smuggler Lucio Lao Co. Co reportedly offered 200 million pesos before the Aquino administration to "go easy on him".

3. No one with a case of dishonesty occupying sensitive posts in government. Angelito Alvarez, who is now banned for cheating his way in a golf game, is now Customs chief. Rogelio Singson's appointment has a conflict of interest attached to it yet he occupies a post which regulates the business of his former company. Likewise, Kim Henares, a veteran in the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), is also tapped as head of the government's revenue collecting agency. Henares is quite close to Guillermo Parayno who has a company with businesses with government.

These appointments are very controversial.

4. No interference in the workings of the legislative and the judiciary. President Noynoy Aquino recently told a group of journalists what he believes is the case of Senator Antonio Trillianes IV. Aquino says, Trillianes' case was a case of injustice. The new president said Trillianes should not have been indicted since there was no crime of coup d'etat.

Aquino is actually correct. Yet, it is wrong to order the Department of Justice (DoJ) to review the case and possibly have Trillianes cleared of all wrongdoing. This, according to Senator Angara, is a clear case of Executive intervention.

Conrado is correct. The Filipinos are very optimistic that a new administration, a new style of governance will eventually replace the old one.

Noynoy Aquino's Men:

2010-07-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

New DPWH secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson had a sudden attack of "delicadeza" when he purportedly gave up as "chair" of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems or MWSS citing "conflict of interest".

Singson only had this "epiphany" shortly after an interview over DZMM and when he already assumed the post.

Singson, before assuming the DPWH post, is the top executive of Maynilad, a public utilities corporation.

Singson only gave up the chairmanship after media reminded him of a conflict of interest. I don't believe that he did not know that there's a problem prior to assuming the post.

Fact is, his very appointment smacks of the absence of delicadeza.

He's the representative of Big Business in government and we all know that Big Business right now is eye-ing other government businesses and services which the State plans to privatize.

Had we not pointed this out to him, Singson would not have relented and would have taken over the MWSS with impunity. Such is the lack of delicadeza of a few of the President's men.

What is there at the MWSS that is so juicy and so salivating that Singson wants nothing more than its chairmanship?

Water rates. MWSS is now acting as the regulatory body that protects the public's interest in water services of two concessionaires--Maynilad and Manila Water. MWSS is the one who approves water rates. Probably, Singson is so desirous to control it because his backers are salivating on increasing water rates.

Woe is the Filipino consumer! We already have a cartel over oil prices. We have a mammoth and inefficient electricity cartel, likewise in rice cartel. Now, even water is slowly being cartelized and commodified.

China UFO sightings---sophisticated US crafts or Green Men interested in cheap China goods?

2010-07-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

An Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) was seen hovering above China's Xiaoshan airport. The object hovered about for a few minutes. Then, another one, more of a powerful space shuttle was seen as it shot itself towards the sky. This happened at Zhejiang's provincial capital Hangzhou for about 2 minutes at around 8:30pm.
This is just one of the recent UFO sightings in China. In 1942, an alleged UFO was spotted and photographed over the town of Hebei in China. In 2006, another one was seen hovering over Nanjing. Last July 7, 2010, another UFO was spotted above Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport near Hangzhou. After the sighting, the airport was shot down.

UFO sightings have increased since the beginning of the 21st century. Is this part of those apocalytic signs which were predicted millennia ago? Are "aliens" trying to communicate?

There's a possibility that this object is "man-made", not extraterrestrial. Possibly, China has already acquired the technology to develop its own sophisticated hovering aircraft. We all know that the US already developed such a technology.

Anyway, here's the video and judge for yourself what or who engineered this controversial event.

Playboy selling out its legacy? For Christ's sake, not with Penthouse

2010-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

What's this????

Hugh Hefner, the eighti-ish iconoclast trying to sell Playboy to Penthouse? Decades ago, when Hugh is just starting he has this attitude of Playboy being the only one in the world. Penthouse was a far second to this first magazine to get "things going" for real men. The first edition came out in 1955, with the timeless beauty of Marilyn Monroe gracing its covers. Since then, Playboy has become any man's obsession.

Now, the obsession has become old. Nude photos are everywhere and Playboy lost in the curio arena. Penthouse shifted gears and went on with the flow, compromising itself here and there just to survive the highly competitive market. It went online and somewhat dominated the market there.

Not with Playboy. It continues to be fixated with its old business model, which is crumbling against the weight of New Media and New Culture. Playboy failed to communicate with the new age, for one simple reason---it lost its edgy-ness.

Its models look like glamorized Barbie dolls with big, oversized tits. They're still beautiful alright, but none of the classical beauty of a Marilyn Monroe who shot to fame when she posed nude in the first Playboy edition which cost Hugh just $60.

In an era where everyone goes nude, Playboy has to re-discover its edgy-ness and again, shock the world, which it did fifty or so years ago. It has to re-imagine itself, and probably use the advantages of new media to create sensation.

Penthouse made the transition and avoided (or suspended) a fall-out. Playboy, however, is still trying to figure out what to do, and time is not on its side. Hugh is about eighty years old, a few years left in the life of the world's most popular lothario.

Can Hugh save his empire without selling it to Penthouse for US$ 210 million? I believe Playboy still has it, but it must rediscover what "it" means. I mean, Madonna is still relevant, still "in" despite being fifty-ish. Maybe Playboy should find its "inner soul" first before finally giving itself up to Penthouse.

The new Daily 20/20

2010-07-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

Daily 20/20 is now on its new design. I am reviving this site, mainly talking on the latest happenings not just in the political front, but also in entertainment, information technology and a whole lot more.

This site will be more cutting-edge than my other sites, http://newphilrevolution.blogspot.com/ and http://pinoyobserver.wordpress.com/. It will provide advices on search engine optimization (SEO) and other tools that would make your life easier as an online journalist.

Daily 20/20 will also talk about how to modernize and realize the vision of transforming the Philippines into a cosmopolitan one. The vision of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is, undoubtedly, doable. What is most important is for the people to really be united in one goal, and one goal alone---modernization.

For modernization to succeed, we, Filipinos, must always think that we are ahead of the competition. That is the first step. We must always think that we are the best and the brightest out there. And why do I say that we are surely the best and the brightest?

We are almost dominating in every field we focus our minds on. We have Filipinos renowned throughout the world as doctors, engineers, mathematicians, biologists, archeologists, IT experts, businessmen, political analysts, military experts and what have you. What's best about us is we infuse better and highly innovative ideas to old and traditional ways of doing things. We invest our time and efforts finetuning what others have discovered, and making it extremely new and useful to the world.

We, Filipinos, are the world's greatest asset.

Chiz Escudero's resignation: The True Story

2009-10-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Let's face it---the primary reasons behind Chiz Escudero's decision to resign are: he lacks the funds after his big-ticket financiers withdrew and he is being weakened by defections.

Faced with this prospect, what do you think would an astute politician like Escudero will do?

First, he needs to assess the cause of these defections, both organizationally and financially. Admit it---his ratings went down when Senator Noynoy Aquino entered the political fray. His ratings actually plateued and began to nose-dive when Noynoy's name was included in those whom people chose as Gloria's successor. Why the sudden decrease in ratings?

Two things which hurt Escudero: rumours of a merger of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) and the administration and Escudero's association with Marcos crony, Danding Cojuangco. Signs of a merger began to percolate as early as August, after government asked the Supreme Court to convert coco levy shares at SMC from ordinary to preferred shares.

With the prospects of a merger, that, surely will completely turn off progressive groups supportive of Chiz Escudero's. Defections began to hurt Escudero's camp, particularly that of the Osmenas who transferred to Noynoy's camp. Osmena reportedly transferred after getting signs that Danding was half-supportive of Escudero's bid. Osmena also took the cue from Lucio Tan about Escudero being "young" and " still unprepared for the presidency." That intensified defections, especially of financiers from the Filipino-Chinese community.

With his organization hemorrhaging from a series of defections, what was left with Chiz was minority political power brokers. He completely lost his mass base support. With the loss of mass base support, that made an impact below ground, reflecting in the surveys. With ratings showing signs of plateau-ing and even nose-diving, that sent a very bad signal for financiers.

Problems began to take a very serious turn when financiers withdrew. To arrest the further slide down, the NPC opened itself up to more serious negotiations with the administration party. The NPC began dictating terms with the Escudero camp.

Faced with defections and lack of finances, Escudero opened itself up to the Panfilo Ping Lacson group. When NPC learned about this, the party further upped the ante, publicly announcing a Chiz Escudero-Loren Legarda teamup. NPC did that as deference to Escudero not to lose face. Yet, behind the scenes, NPC was actually maneuvering to isolate and delimit Escudero because with him still in the picture, the possible merger between the party and Lakas-KAMPI will not succeed.

Escudero took the cue from Loren Legarda's refusal to name her presidential bet as a sign that the NPC and the administration continues to talk about a coalition. Not to be outmaneuvered, Chiz has no choice but to resign from the party and declare himself a "free agent."

By doing so, Chiz hopes to re-consolidate his mass base support by positioning himself as a non-traditional politician, someone not beholden to any political party nor any big political financier. His resignation can be interpreted as a tactical retreat, a pause so to speak, to arrest further hemorrhaging both in the organizational as well as the financial levels.

Now positioned as a non-trapo presidential bet, Chiz hopes to marshall all progressive groups behind his candidacy, make a movement out of it and get a ratings boost. He needs a shot in the arm, so to speak.

A ratings boost will give his candidacy a fresh start. It will also attract progressives once more, present to them a possibility of forming a third force that would neutralize an Estrada restoration or a Manny Villar win and steal the rug beneath Noynoy's feet. The resignation hopes to encourage groups supportive of Noynoy to abandon the Liberals and shift their support to Chiz Escudero. Doing so would give Chiz a fresh army of volunteers and potential financiers who does not totally support Noynoy's bid, disdain Erap's and fear Villar's camp.

Now, it remains to be seen if this tactical move will benefit Chiz Escudero. His resignation is a veritable clarion call for all progresives to support him. With the prospects still not entirely clear, that is the real reason why Chiz refuses to declare his bid. That signals to everybody that Escudero's organization is really hurting. In the next few days, we will see if Escudero's resignation would even amount to anything.

What if Escudero fails to urge groups to gravitate behind him?

He will probably proceed just to spite, weaken and split Estrada's constituency (that's the reason why Lacson's camp aligned itself with the Escudero camp).

Possible scenarios/results of Escudero's resignation:

1. NPC and admin party will now have full rein for a merger. The possibility of Teodoro-Legarda tandem is now in the works.
2. The Liberal Party will move to convince Chiz to either endorse Noynoy's bid or ask him to join the process of selecting the true People's choice of a non-trapo candidate.
3. Should Chiz proceed as an independent candidate, he will damage Estrada's bid, weaken Noynoy's mass base and eventually allow Manny Villar's victory in the 2010 polls.

Arroyo's SONA color and what it means

2009-07-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Arroyo wore a fushcia colored dress, described a radio reporter who covered the State of the Nation address (SONA) yesterday. There were instances where Mrs. Arroyo wore shades of red or a simple fiery red dress--when she gave that SONA that condemned rebel soldiers who trooped to a posh hotel just to make a statement.

Now, many people, especially those who criticize her, see this as an expression of her fighting stance. Yes, many would definitely give some "color" into this. Though Mrs. Arroyo's color selection is simply out of touch and definitely NOT the fashion color of this year (yellow is 'IN'), observers believe this highlights her main message---fight for the Filipino People.

To her, she's fighting a good fight---improving the economy, giving houses to the poor and enhancing the investor environment. For some though, she failed, and failed miserably.
This is something which I observed. Instead of relaying the right message, Mrs. Arroyo actually showed her tendency to be really out of touch of reality. That summarizes her entire administration.

For example, she gave us a glowing rundown of economic policies, which, are really excellent. Yet, what she probably failed to say is there is still a growing segment of our population that did not see or even felt this. GDP and GNP are two indicators of economic progress. Yet, for those in the lowest rungs of society, these terms mean nothing.

She talked about the vastly improving ICT sector but what she failed to say is, those who belonged to the 600,000 or so people who got jobs from this sector, all belonged to the educated (at least) segment of the society. Of course, there is some spillover effects, like in the construction business. And indirectly, some segments of the lowest of the poorest classes benefited by working as masons and construction workers. Yet, as I said, this is still a work in progress.

Now, if we ask then, should we then conclude that she failed in her performance as president? Not entirely. She was able to weather all these storms that came in her way---political and economic instabilities. It takes a strong willed leader to survive all that. And for that, let's give her credit.

What is important is, Mrs. Arroyo's administration just proved one glaring fact---we need a change in the system. Honestly, our choices to succeed her lack one or two very important leadership qualities. Of course, these people have their own management styles and concepts of governance. But, these are, at best, unproven. They are all abstractions.

If you're a weak leader in a highly fragmented society such as ours, you'll be gobbled up by rapacious weaker political players all waiting in the wings just to resume their posts in the deposed regime. To her credit, Mrs. Arroyo successfully managed to keep the keel of the state under control. Were it not for her effective management, we would have fallen again to the control of the previous regime owners whom we so accused of failing us before.

VP Tito Guingona's Open Letter to Gloria

2009-07-22T23:27:00.001-07:00

This is the open letter of former Vice President Tito Guingona Jr. before the Philippine media today at Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan Metro Manila.

JULY 23, 2009

OPEN LETTER
I ASK – THE PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW !

PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO
MALACANANG, MANILA

MRS. PRESIDENT,

ON MONDAY, JULY 27 YOU DELIVER YOUR STATE OF THE NATION MESSAGE TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.

BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR VALEDICTORY TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO THE NATION – PERMIT ME TO ASK SOME VITAL QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO THE PERIOD OF GOVERNANCE SINCE YOU ASSUMED THE PRESIDENCY OF THE LAND.

1.) WE ALREADY HAVE A DEFICIT OF 154 BILLION PESOS FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR….

HOW DO YOU INTEND TO COVER THIS? WILL YOU BORROW OR IMPOSE NEW TAXES?

2.) THERE ARE OFWS WHO URGENTLY NEED TO BE REPATRIATED FROM THE MIDDLE EAST.

THERE EXISTS 2.7 BILLION PESOS WHICH THE PCGG HAS REPORTEDLY TURNED OVER TO THE PRESIDENT’S SOCIAL FUND COMING FROM THE MERALCO DIVIDENDS.

THE REPATRIATION WILL ONLY COST THREE MILLION PESOS.

WHY CAN YOU NOT BRING THEM HOME?

YOU CLAIM TO BE CREATING JOBS HERE, AND YET YOU ARE MARKETING OUR PEOPLE TO WORK OVERSEAS.

ISN’T THIS A POLICY IN CONTRADICTION?

AND EVERYDAY…YOU ARE SENDING THREE THOUSAND OF OUR CITIZENS ABROAD TO TOIL THERE, JUST TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES.

SEVERAL DAYS AGO, TEN FILIPINOS DIED IN A HELICOPTER CRASH IN AFGHANISTAN…

DOES NOT THAT TRAGEDY SHOW THE IRONY THAT SOME FILIPINOS, IN DESPERATION, HAVE TO GO TO A WAR-TORN COUNTRY LIKE AFGHANISTAN BECAUSE THEY CANNOT FIND GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT IN OUR OWN LAND?

3.) IN THE NATIONAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 2009 THERE EXISTS AN ALLOCATION OF 1.2 BILLION PESOS FOR TWO PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTERS…

YET LAST YEAR, YOU REFUSED TO RELEASE 400 MILLION PESOS FOR AN ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS PROGRAM; A KILLER DISEASE THAT IS RETURNING WITH A VENGEANCE AND IS EXTREMELY DRUG-RESISTANT.

IS THIS AN EQUITABLE WAY TO DISBURSE PUBLIC FUNDS?

4.) IN 2006, YOU ALLOWED PNOC TO ENTER INTO A JOINT VENTURE TO CONDUCT SEISMIC STUDIES WITHIN THE 200-MILE EXCLUSIVE MARITIME ECONOMIC ZONE.

MAY WE KNOW THE RESULTS OF THAT VITAL BUT SECRETIVE AGREEMENT?

IN THE MEANTIME, NOTHING SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN DONE WITHIN THAT ZONE TO BENEFIT THE NATION.

YET THE PEOPLE’S NEED FOR FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC RESOURCES REMAINS UNFULFILLED.

SHOULD GOVERNMENT NOT THEREFORE GALVANIZE CAPITAL AND TECHNOLOGY TO HELP DOMESTIC FIRMS AND FILIPINO FISHERMEN TO DEVELOP MARINE RESOURCES WITHIN THAT VITAL ZONE FOR THE GOOD OF GENERATIONS TO COME?

5.) IN 2007, YOU PROMISED ONE MILLION JOBS EVERY YEAR…

AND YET, OUR UNEMPLOYED SOARED TO 2.9 MILLION IN APRIL 2008, AND THE UNDER-EMPLOYED TO 6.6 MILLION.

WHERE ARE THE JOBS PROMISED?

WHY ARE THE UNEMPLOYED AND THE UNDER-EMPLOYED INCREASING IN NUMBERS?

6.) IN YOUR SONA OF 2006, YOU SAID “HINDI AKO HIHINTO HANGGANG MAGTAGUMPAY ANG ATING LABAN SA KAHIRAPAN…”

YET YOUR RHETORIC SEEMS CONTRARY TO REALITY BECAUSE THE HUNGRY HAVE INCREASED FROM 24 MILLION TO 28 MILLION.

WHY ARE OUR PEOPLE GOING HUNGRY?

WHY IS GOVERNMENT NOT ABLE TO FEED OUR PEOPLE AND BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN RICE?

NASAAN ANG PAGKAIN SA BAWAT LAMESA?

YOU SAY THAT OUR ECONOMY HAS BEEN GROWING…

AND YET OVER THE PAST 29 QUARTERS….IT IS POVERTY THAT IS GROWING.

WE NOW HAVE AT LEAST 28 MILLION POOR PEOPLE WITH ABOUT TWO MILLION OF THEM WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FOOD NEEDED FOR SURVIVAL.

NASAAN ANG PAGKAIN SA BAWAT LAMESA?

WHERE IS THE ECONOMIC GROWTH YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?

SINO ANG NAKARARAMDAM?

TITO GUINGONA, JR.

Who's manning the house?

2009-07-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

The apparent faux pas behind Malacanang's infantile reaction on the alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year old daughter of a PDEA agent is deeper than it looks. First, it just exposed what everybody knew all along---that Malacanang's press office is in a big mess. No one is manning the posts. No one is verifying information going in and out of Malacanang. Maybe many of Arroyo's so-called "friends" have abandoned her already, seeing that she's on her way out? Possibly.

Another question that I would like to ask is this--what was the motivation of PDEA head General Dionisio Santiago on leaking this story out and eventually distancing himself from it? Was Santiago's actions just a ploy for government to again prioritize anti-drugs campaigns? It seems so. Santiago is known as an expert in psywar. He probably thought that the story would be a good one to highlight government's campaign. Or, he probably thought that PDEA needs another boost after that Alabang Boys scandal.

Oh, by the way, what happened to that scandal, Mr. General? Any update?

My sources in Malacanang say the palace is busy with Arroyo's Powerpoint SONA presentation, a variant of which would be presented to US President Barack Obama. I don't make any sense to this since Mrs. Arroyo would just meet Obama for about 20 or 30 minutes or so. What's important is the voluminous briefing papers that Malacanang will submit shortly after that public meeting.

The obvious truth---Malacanang is now a beehive of activity. Its very confusing and chaotic there right now. Time to fly? Yup.

House Resolution 747--The Nograles' Plane

2009-07-19T22:28:00.001-07:00

It seems that formal political hostilities would start on July 27. If people think that these things would come to a definitive end after Mrs. Arroyo's SONA, they better prepare for a surprise.

Why?

This early, Nograles already gave us a sneak peek into what Congress would be discussing after the SONA. Nograles said, he'll be pushing for the passage of his baby, House Resolution 747. Unknown to many, this resolution aims to change one of the most contentious economic provision of the Constitution---on foreign ownership of land. Nograles thinks that even those in the opposition favor this amendment since this would lift the nationalist provision of the 1987 Constitution and opens all lands to

HR 747 is more dangerous than HR 1106 because it would provide two things for those big landlords out there---(1) an escape from the implementation of agrarian reform law and (2) a "big killing" opportunity for real estate developers. Nograles thinks that this law would help us but it's the other way around. Why?

The law would surely deprive us of the chance to enjoy the utilisation and exploitation of our own natural resources. In a fast globalizing world, land is one of the biggest capital and the most sought after commodity. The framers of our Constitution recognize the importance of protecting our natural resources from foreign exploitation. That's why they actually put that provision there in the first place. And here comes Nograles trying to pull a fast one with this.

Imagine the entire reclaimed area fronting Manila Bay under foreign ownership. You really can't call the New Nayong Pilipino, Filipino right, since that would probably be either American or Korean owned. How about those mineral rich mountains and valleys? How would you then exploit them when foreigners own them already? Or those rich oil fields in Mindanao? Or our gold mines?

The way to convince foreign investors to stay is simply give them the best reason to do so and it's through equal protection and application of laws. Give them better governance. Ease some restrictions in terms of business processes. But, giving them land? You wish. They'll not stay just because they own land. They'll stay because it's the best business decision for them to do so.

Jakarta Blasts kills 9, injures 50

2009-07-17T03:16:00.000-07:00

Indonesian militants just attacked two hotels in their capital Jakarta--the Ritz-Carlton and the JW Marriott hotel. CNN said two improvised explosive devices (IED) just went off, killing at least nine people and injuring 50 others. Some of those killed and injured were Westerners. A third bomb was found and immediately detonated.

This is the ninth time that terrorists, possibly belonging to the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiya, have done suicide bombings. Newly elected Indonesian President Bambang Yudyohono condemned the attacks, and vowed to run after the bombers. Since 2000, when the bombings started in Indonesia, the Indonesian police and its anti-terror squads have been quite successful in neutralizing these terror groups. Bombings subsided four years ago with the arrest of the JI's top leaders. Yet, shortly right after the presidential elections a few days ago, bombings started. Were these bombs part of a covert operation to again stress the need for Washington to support Indonesia's anti-terror campaign?

What is more relevant, actually and I think more effective in neutralizing these so called fundamentalist groups is cut them off from the fertile ground where they actually plant their vitriolic ideology. Unlike the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the Jemaah Islamiya thrives on the promotion of the false belief that all non-believers are fair game. That is false. Even in the Qu'ran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), jihadists struggle against armed enemies, not those who are considered civilians or non-combatants.

In fact, what is being held as a pious act in the Holy Qu'ran is fighting or struggling against disbelief through proselytization or "dawah". A Muslim is only allowed to kill or behead the enemies of Islam if there is a practice of extreme disbelief. If there is still a promise of change, then, the true Slave of Allah Subhanahu Ta'Alah is directed to share the promises of salvation by worshipping the One True God. That is the true message of Allah SWT.

Suicide bombings do not have a concrete and exact doctrinal support in the Noble Qu'ran. You cannot find any Sunnah or any passage in the Holy Qu'ran that promotes suicide. In fact, suicide, by itself, is prohibited and considered a grievous sin. So, how do you explain these things? If suicide bombing does not have doctrinal support, then, this can only be considered as haram to be despised and frown upon by all those who truly worship Allah SWT.

Manny Villar--nambabastos ng taumbayan

2009-07-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

Maganda ang ginawang public forum ng PPCRV at COMELEC. Ipinagsabay nila sa iisang entablado ang mga lider Pilipinong nagnanais makupo ang panguluhan sa 2010. Sa kabila ng panaka-nakang pag-ulan, naroroon sina Senator Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Richard Gordon, Governor Ed Panlilio, dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, at Mar Roxas. Wala roon sina Defense secretary Gilbert Gibo Teodoro, Noli de Castro, Bayani Fernando at Manny Villar.

Hindi na kataka-taka na wala roon sina Noli at Villar, sapagkat sa una pa lamang, nagpahayag na ng hindi kahandaan ang mga ito na pumunta sa mga ganitong forum. Ngunit, sa lahat ng presidentiables, tanging si Manny Villar lamang ang hindi nagpapakita, ni anino niya, sa mga forum na ito. Lahat na, mula kay Legarda hanggang kay Fernando, ay nakalahok na.

Malaking pambabastos sa taumbayan ang ginagawang ito ni Manny Villar. Naturingan pa naman kuno siyang "oposisyon", at may pagmamahal sa kapakanan ng taumbayan, ngunit ngayon pa lang, ipinapakita na ni Villar ang pambabastos. Kung ngayon pa lamang ay wala nang hangad na makipag-ugnayan sa taumbayan itong si Villar, paano pa kung pangulo na siya't nasasa palasyo? Mas lalo siguro siyang hindi makikita ng sambayanan.

Naging mahalaga din ang nasabing forum dahil lumagda sa kasunduan ng pagtataguyod ng malinis na halalan ang mga kandidato gayundin naipahayag nila ang kanilang kahandaang labanan ang cha-cha---mga mahalagang usaping may direktang kinalaman sa pagtataguyod ng kapakanan ng karamihan.

Ibig bagang sabihin ni Villar ay hindi siya naniniwala sa malinis na halalan at hangad niyang kunin ang panguluhan sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kayamanan? Ito rin ba ang indikasyon na ibig ni Villar na baguhin ang saligang batas at tumakbo na lamang bilang Congressman sa ilalim ng isang kongresong pamumunuan ng isang Punong Ministrong ang ngalan ay Arroyo?

Bastos at kawalang galang ang pinapakita ni Villar. Bakit? Takot ba siyang batuhin ng taumbayan dahil sa sanlaksang iskandalong kinasangkutan niya?

Malacanang not surprised by Arroyo's low rating

2009-07-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Malacanang said they're not entirely surprised with the low satisfaction rating of Mrs. Arroyo. And, as usual, the palace blamed the opposition and their political enemies for the low rating. Mrs. Arroyo got a negative 31%, with about 56% of the entire Filipino population not satisfied with her government's performance.

One tip though---I think Mrs. Arroyo's rating would definitely increase if and only if the palace admits even once, that it's responsible for some of the problems that we are encountering. Filipinos always warm up to those who admit their mistakes. And I sincerely believe that if the palace starts owning up to these mistakes, they'll be able to at least decrease the number of people that thinks they're still fucking things up.

And if Mrs. Arroyo starts filing criminal and/or civil charges against those whom Filipinos think as making a big buck at their expense, like these oil companies, telecommunications and pharma companies, she'll gain the confidence and trust of the people. Arroyo's rating is really based on people's perception of her inability or her inaction over some issues of critical importance to the masses.

Legarda's announcement and Its Effects in Phil Politics

2009-07-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

Loren Legarda just announced her intention to run for the presidency. However, what is important to know is she's only aligning with former president Joseph Estrada. Now, the question is---will Estrada allow her to be his party's standard bearer?

Estrada, sources say, is psychologically and logistically prepared for the elections. In fact, he already activated his JEEP NI ERAP. Will he allow his supporters to accept Legarda as the party's presidential bet?

Legarda's announcement is actually a tactical move. It secured Loren's position since she's the first one to actually make herself available for the opposition selection process. Now, whether its Estrada-Legarda or Legarda-Estrada, there is now, at least three (3) opposition groups, namely Mar Roxas' Liberal Party and Nacionalista's Manuel Villar. Aside from this, Kaya Natin! Movement also expressed their desire to field their own presidential candidate. There's another one in the wings, the Ang Kapatiran party.

Provided that Ang Kapatiran and Kaya Natin! get at least 1% of total votes, that is still critical in a multi-party election.

Of course, not to mention the Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC whose ranks are slowly swelling with former Lakas-Kampi members, courtesy of former Lakas giant Luis Villafuerte. With Loren's pronouncement, who will then be Chiz Escudero's running mate? Would it now be a merger between Nacionalista and NPC, with Villar just sliding down to V-P? If such a merger does indeed happen, that would be most beneficial for the opposition although not enough to actually defeat a unified administration political force in 2010.

Mar Roxas also suffers from the same dilemma like Chiz. Mar, sources say, is convincing Senator Kiko Pangilinan as running mate, which, for all intents and purposes, is the most logical move since Kiko has his own strong grassroots based organization. That would be a formidable plus factor for Mar. That would propel the Liberal Party to be THE party to beat come 2010 elections.

Now, is it consolation enough to know that even the administration side is being wracked by dissension and a possible breakaway? For one, there's at least four personalities being considered as administration bet---Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Noli de Castro, Richard Gordon and Bayani Fernando. Both Teodoro and de Castro already announced their readiness to launch their individual bids. While Gordon says he's prepared to be included in the Lakas-Kampi coalition while Fernando seems determined to do his own thing just to pursue his ridiculous and psychotic political plan.

Anyway, the Lakas-Kampi faces a prospect of a breakaway party coming from either one of Teodoro's or Noli de Castro's camps. Since the prospect of electing a minority president looms on the horizon, another political party will actually do more good than harm for the administration. That would disperse their chances of winning and breaking more of the opposition bailiwicks.

So, what is now the expected political configuration come 2010 elections?

First, a minority president is sure to be elected, provided that Estrada recovers his old and traditional mass base. That is still very much around. That, however, would only happen IF Erap's group marginalize the grassroots organizers of other parties, like those of the Liberal, NPC and Nacionalista. If that happens, then, victory for Erap is very much assured.

Second, if Erap's party fails to do that, then, that would only give Erap a slim chance of winning the elections. That would open the possibility of either Chiz or Mar Roxas snatching victory from Erap.

Third, if the political grassroots machinery of both Chiz and Mar do nor perform at par with Erap's and Lakas-Kampi, then, the possibility of Gilbert Teodoro emerging from the woodwork is very high. Teodoro could squeak a victory under the opposition rug. Remember that in these elections, if these parties match in terms of grassroots organizing, then, the battlefield will shift from mass base support to how extensive their network of generals is. That would be the definitive advantage of the administration party.

Celso delos Angeles arrested

2009-07-13T04:57:00.000-07:00

I commend the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for arresting Celso delos Angeles. Celso, if you remember, headed the defunct Legacy Group of Companies which defrauded several thousands of Filipinos of their mutual funds and deposits to the tune of 14 billion pesos. Government filed a case of large-scale estafa against delos Angeles and several others.

Celso was arrested by elements of the PNP Criminal Investigation Division. He is expected to be incarcerated very soon.

De los Angeles, if you also remember, is a close friend of Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. and several other politicians. He is also the incumbent mayor of a town in Bicol. He was once hailed as a "financial genius" by his friends, yet villified as a big-time gambling lord. His birthplace is actually Marikina but transfered to Bicol to pursue politics. De los Angeles was twice barred by the Central Bank of the Philippines for alleged banking machinations.

I congratulate the government for this but this is not yet over. Celso delos Angeles should be jailed in Muntinlupa for his crimes against the Filipino People. Aside from him, government should arrest and detain other members of his syndicate. They should not escape the long arm of the law.

Pfizer tried to bribe 100 m to govt, says Enrile

2009-07-13T00:56:00.000-07:00

Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile today disclosed that Pfizer Philippines, a pharmaceutical company, reportedly gave 5 million discount cards worth P 100 million just to skirt the implementation of the Cheap Medicines bill. This surfaced during the Senate probe to investigate a possible collusion between government and pharma companies. Pfizer and Roche Philippines also confirmed the meeting they had with Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Reiner Gloor, executive director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines confirmed that Pfiser allegedly made the Offer to Department of Health secretary Francisco Duque. The offer was made before the publication of the list of the maximum retail price (MRP) for essential medicines last month. The offer, however, was supposedly rejected by Duque.

Enrile described the offer as tantamount to a "bribe".

During the questioning, Gloor also confirmed that it was Pfizer Philippines which initiated the meeting with Mrs. Arroyo. Present during that closed door meeting were Duque, Trade secretary Peter Favila, representatives of Pfizer and Roche Philippines.

The meeting, which was held during the inauguration of the Dr. Eva Macaraeg Macapagal Geriatric Hospital last July 8, was requested by Pfizer. The President was accompanied by Secretary Duque, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Trade Assistant Secretary Ma. Lourdes Baua, Congressman Benny Abante, Congressman Junie Cua and DOH-National Drug Policy Program Manager Dr. Robert Louie So.

The multinational industry, on the other hand, was represented by top management namely Mr. Albert Mateo of Pfizer, Mr. Augusto Villanueva of Roche, Mr. Reiner Gloor of PHAP/Zuellig, Mr. Andrew Santos of Wyeth and Mr. Caloy Realuyo of Sanofi.

Arroyo reportedly remarked that she'll sign the Cheap Medicines bill into a law if " they (pharma companies) can't come up with something commendable and good." Gloor and Augusto Villanueva, Roche Philippines representative, however, did not say what Arroyo meant by "commendable and good."

FG does double security check

2009-07-09T01:47:00.001-07:00

Is the First Gentleman checking if those are "the real things"?

Or maybe, Mike wants to confess something to make a clean breast of things?

Oh, sure.

Where's Ronnie Puno?

2009-07-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Local government secretary Ronnie Puno is supposed to be back from his trip to the States. Malacanang issued a statement saying that Puno went on a medical leave, a clear contradiction with Puno's own statement saying that he'll be there to attend his daughter's wedding. Puno has not been seen in public since a few weeks ago.

What people don't know is Puno was seen hob nobbing with Washington royalty. Who are these men? Members of the former Bush administration and the present one. Where are they connected? They're connected with the State department and the Pentagon. And what are they talking about and what are those things which Puno shared with them? That's a secret.

Is Puno on a secret mission to either (1) negotiate with Washington for and on behalf of Mrs. Arroyo or (2) tell all against his boss? If he's there for Mrs. Arroyo, what is that issue that the palace wants to explain to Washington? Well, nagging tongues say it could be about con-ass. Yes, con-ass. Is that the reason why Washington has been using both diplomatic and non-diplomatic channels to send a clear and unequivocal message that they oppose the plan?

And if it's a "tell all", is Puno repeating the mistake of Ping Lacson on the eve of Estrada's demise when the former PNP chief offered himself as an alternative to his boss? Surely, Puno is not that self-absorbed to think that he'll be an acceptable solution to a problem known as Ate Glo.

For sure, whatever it was, it created a big stir inside Washington that Gates, the US defense chief, made doubly sure that they heard it right by sending his own man, CIA chief Leon Panetta, to see for themselves what's happening in this small republic in South East Asia. Maybe Gates thought that his visit was not clear enough for Mrs. Arroyo to understand. Gates and State department head Hillary Clinton were very emphatic--toe the democratic line or else, we will not hesitate to intervene in case. That's clearly what US ambassador Kristie Kenney said last week.

By the way, what's that question I asked a few entries back? What were the things that Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Mrs. Arroyo talked about in Cartagena that were so important, the entire palace entourage had to spend some time there and cause a diversion of the official itinerary? Was it, as some surmise, a talk, nay a negotiation, between civil society and Mrs. Arroyo? Was it a negotiation for Mrs. Arroyo's exit plan? And was Ayala used as the unofficial emissary of Washington to impress the desire of the Obama government for Mrs. Arroyo to "cut and cut cleanly"? And was the reaction of Mrs. Arroyo adverse? Surely shortly after that, bombs went off and bomb threats spread. Are these things Mrs. Arroyo's answer to Washington's attempts to make her think clearly?

Hyatt 10 issues eviction notice to Mrs. Arroyo

2009-07-08T01:23:00.001-07:00

Hyatt 10, the group of former government officials of the Arroyo regime issued their strongest condemnation against their former boss today. After hearing mass at St. Jude church, the one near Malacanang, seven of the 10 tried to serve their damning statement to Mrs. Arroyo by marching to Malacanang. They were, however, stopped at the sentry gate.

These seven, former Education secretary Florencio Abad, Poverty Commissioner Teresita Deles, Imelda Nicolas, Budget secretary Emilia Boncodin, Cesar Purisima and Rene Villa. All ten signed the manifesto, including three others, Bert Lina, Juan Santos and Guillermo Parayno.

The group accused Mrs. Arroyo of instigating and creating a scenario of instability to perpetuate herself to power. " Dont push your luck", says the group, stating that the people will not anymore tolerate an extension of Mrs. Arroyo's regime.

Hyatt 10 is a group composed of Mrs. Arroyo's closest friends and ex-confidante. They bolted from the regime four years ago, at the height of Hello Garci.

Gilbert Teodoro's replacement and palace moves

2009-07-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Defense secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro has become a political liability, says a very close palace associate of Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

First, he's a professional. Second, he seems to have developed quite a nationalist streak, different from the official yet unwritten ideological platform of fascism of Mrs. Arroyo. And lastly, he already has his own supporters from the military, a very solid one, composed not just active members but also retired generals.

Former Senator Frank Drilon's revelation seems to jibe with information about Gibo's possible "re-assignment" to the justice porfolio. Teodoro has made public his opposition to any declaration of a state of emergency or martial rule. He vowed yesterday to stand up against it, which is quite surprising since this is not the official palace policy. Whenever the issue crops up, palace officials keep or refuse to say anything for or against it, meaning, that the palace is keeping its options open for this.

Aside from this, what caused the silent rumblings inside began when Gibo celebrated his birthday. From the purview of Arroyo's closest advisers, that one was a virtual Munich Putsch. It came a few weeks after the visit of US Defense secretary Robert Gates. Gates, as you know, gave Teodoro a very favorable endorsement, which some palace insiders interpreted as a direct message to the palace to push ahead of the elections. That differs from the previous plan of some of Arroyo's closest advisers who are pushing for a term extension. Remember that that was the time when Arroyo's lieutenants were actively networking for signatures for House Resolution 1109. Gates, the highest Obama official to visit the Philippines first, was quite emphatic when he told the official Washington line, which, a few days ago, was reiterated by US ambassador Kristie Kenney. Some interpreted it as an expression of concern and shows that Washington knows what some palace people are thinking.

Close Arroyo insiders think that if push comes to shove, Washington will endorse Teodoro as an alternative "transition" leader in case Arroyo falls from power. This is a strong possibility, given that Teodoro enjoys the support both of active and retired AFP and PNP generals.

This prospect is not being welcomed inside the palace. Arroyo has this tendency to be "extra jealous" when it comes to "sharing power". In fact, Arroyo always wants to be the center of power. That's why, at the very beginning of her regime, she instituted a policy (unwritten) of appointing close associates to different departments while tolerating political appointees. Arroyo's leadership style is both anachronistic and practical.

People close to Arroyo knows that it would be quite hard to ease Teodoro out of the defense portfolio, because of Danding Cojuangco. There's always a solution though.

Bombings and instability. This solves the problem. Malacanang can use this as a ruse to justify former General Hermogenes Ebdane's transfer from DPWH to the defense department.

With Ebdane at the helm of defense, that would allow more space for the PMA Class of 1978 to move or maneuver to highly sensitive posts within the AFP and the PNP. There's a clincher though---that would open the military establishment to more personal appointments instead of professional ones.

And even fan the flames of more adventurism within.