Land of the Morning

The Napolist Revealed

2014-05-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

JUST IN TIME, before the Senate ordered Secretary Leila De Lima to hand over the lost of government officials involved in the PDAF scam, former senator Panfilo Lacson revealed to media his copy of the Napolist that he received in the earlier part of the pork barrel controversy. Now that the Lacson copy is out, the Filipino people will have means to safeguard indirectly the contents of the De Lima copy.

The Lacson Copy

Senators

Ramon Revilla Jr. - current

Jose Jinggoy Estrada - current

Juan Ponce Enrile - current

Vicente Sotto III - current

Loren Legarda - current

Aquilino Koko Pimentel - former

Manuel Manny Villar - former

Allan Peter Cayetano - current

Gregorio Gringo Honasan II- current

Robert Barbers - former

Francis Joseph Chiz Escudero - current

Representatives

Jesus Judin Romualdo - former

Florencio Abad - former

Banzai Nieva - former

Maite Defensor - former

Joel Villanueva - former

Isidro Ungab - current (Davao City, 3rd District)

Reynaldo Umali - current (Oriental Mindoro, 2nd District)

Salacnib Baterina - former

Conrado Estrella III - Parti List ABONO

Raymond Estrella - former

Victor Ortega - current (La Union, 1st District)

Neil Benedict Montejo - current (Party List AN WARAY)

Arthur Pinggoy - former

Samuel Dangwa - former

Florencio Flores Jr MD - current (Bataan, 2nd District)

Erwin Chiongbian - former

Erico Fabian - former

Florencio Miraflores - former

Napoleon Beration - former

Ricky Sandoval - former

Maximo Rodriguez Jr - current (Party List ABAMIN)

Rufus Rodriguez - current (Cagayan De Oro City, 2nd District)

Rizalina Seachon Lanete - former

JV Ejercito - former (now, senator of 16th Congress)

Edgar Valdez - former

Scott Davies Lanete MD - current (Masbate, 3rd District)

Rafael Nantes - former

Sunny Rose Madamba - former

Ruffy Biazon - former

Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr - current (Cebu, 1st District)

Carlos Padilla - current (Nueva Viscaya, Lone District)

Rodolfo Plaza - former

Arnulfo Fuentebella - former

Raul Del Mar - current (Cebu City, 1st District)

Rommel Amatong - current (Compostela Valley, 2nd District)

Marc Douglas Cagas - former

Digaden Dilangalen - former

Iggy Arroyo - former

Rodolfo Valencia - former

Eduardo Zialcita - former

Nanette Costalo Daza - former

Constantino Jaraula - former

Clavel Martinez - former

Francisco EmManuel Ortega - current (Sarangani, Lone District)

Peter Falcon - former

Isidro Real - former

Corazon Malanyaon - former

Narciso Monfort - former

Uliran Joaquin - former

Juaquin Chipeco Jr - current (Laguna, 2nd District)

Abdullah Dimaporo - current (Lanao Del Norte, 2nd District)

Ernesto Pablo - former

Marcelino Libanan - former

Rolex Suplico - former

Benasing Macambon Jr - former

Jesnar Falcon - former

Nasser Pangandaman - former

Hussein Pangandaman - former

Reynaldo Boy Umali - current (Oriental Mindoro, 2nd District)

Amado Bagatsing - current (Manila, 5th District)

Malapitan - former

Ecleo - former

Olano - former

Jesli Lapuz - former

Oscar Oca Rodriguez - current (Pampanga, 3rd District)

Alvarado - former

Tulagan - former

Nograles - former

Agency Employees

Ofelia Agawin (DA)

Allan Umali (DA)

Procy Alcala (DA)

Teresita Panlilio (DAR)

Narciso Nieto (DAR)

Alexis Sevidal (NLDC)

Antonio Ortiz (TRC)

Deniss Cunanan (TRC)

Rhodora Mendoza (NABCOR)

Napoles Agents

Ruby Tuazon

Bryan Yasmuan

Jen Corpuz

Mat Ranillo

Pauline Labayen

Catherine Mae "Maya" Santos

Patricia "Gay" Agana Tan

Alen Ruste

Mon Arcenas

Sources

Ramos, Matikas: "Lacson's Napoles list leaks; Where's Santiago" Philippine Daily Inquirer 13 May 2014 [link]

The Bangsamoro Comprehensive Peace Agreement

2014-03-25T00:02:00.001-07:00

THE BANGSAMORO BASIC LAW

The 1996 ARMM Law. This law, which created the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), will be incorporated in the to-be enacted Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Transition Commission. The Bangsamoro Transition Commission will draft the Bangsamoro Basic Law under a deadline set on March 31 to allow President Benigno S. Aquino III time to review the law and submit it to Congress in June for enactment. The Congress is set to pass the law on December 31, 2014.

Regional Plebiscite. Once passed, a plebiscite will be held within the first quarter of 2015 in areas identified to form the Bangsamoro, namely the current cities and provinces of the ARMM, the cities of Isabela and Cotabato, six munificipalities in Lanao Del Norte, and 39 barangays in six municipalities in Cotabato province.

SIGNING

Finally, the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro is set on March 27 at the Malacañang Palace.

MNLF Factions Invited

Presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles announced the invitation sent to at least 20 representatives of the three MNLF factions. These factions are the MNLF Freedom Fighters 90 (consists of the original founders of MNLF and pioneers of the Bangsamoro struggle), Those invited include:

Freedom Fighters 90 (FF90)

Hadji Abdul Kahyr Alonto - chairman

Council of 15

Muslimin Sema - chairman

Nur Misuari Faction

Jimmy Labawan - vice chairman

Sources

San Pedro, Dexter: "MNLF factions invited to witness signing of pact with MILF - Deles," InterAksyon.com 25 March 2014

Moody's Analytics: PH Likely to Grow Fastest in Asia in 2014

2014-03-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Moody's Analytics, the economic forecasting unit of rater Moody's Corporation, predicts that the Philippines will grow between 5.3 to 6.5 percent in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014. It is lower than the government's target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent; but higher than the expected regional growth of 5.0 percent.

Source

Burgonio, Maricel E: "Philippines to lead Asian economic growth in 2014--Moody's Analytics," InterAksyon.com 25 March 2014

The Rehabilitation of the Yolanda-Devastated Land

2014-03-24T22:32:00.002-07:00

On 8 November 2013 the country faced the most devastating typhoon the world has ever recorded at landfall. The eye of the storm made its first landfall in Guiuan, Easern Samar. With a one-minute sustained winds of 315 km/h, it easily surpassed the old record of 305 km/h of the Atlantic Hurricane Camille in 1969.

Super-typhoon Yolanda [international name: HAIYAN] devastated 171 municipalities, around 4,971 barangays (villages), covering an area of 25,000 square kilometers, and affecting 6.6 million Filipinos. Confirmed deaths ran at 6,308 while 1,061 people remained missing.

REHABILITATION

On 2 December 2013, former Senator Panfilo Lacson accepted his appointment as the helmsman of the government effort to rehabilitate the areas devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda. The 2013 General Appropriations Act set aside P40.9 billion with Senate supplementation of P14.5 billion. And it will be his department that will manage this money to effect a complete rehabilitation of those places.

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

Australia - The Australian government committed on 25 March 2014 an additional aid of A$30 million (PHP403 million) plus A$20 million (PHP808 million) specifically to build classrooms. In November 2013, it provided A$40 million (PHP1.6 million) for emergency relief, logistical support and classroom rehabilitation.

Japan - The Japanese government provided additional US$3.5 million on 24 March 2014 through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), bringing its total donations to US$7.0 million. It also provided US$34.39 million to various international organizations directly involved in providing reliefs of food, shelter, early recovery, livelihood, water and sanitation, nutrition, health, education and coordination.

Sources

______: "Australia, Japan Intensifies Post-Yolanda Aid' 2014 March 25 InterAksyon.com

President Quezon Rescrued 1,300 Jews

2013-01-20T06:31:00.001-08:00

IN A VIDEO documentary, "An Open Door: Jewish Rescue in the Philippines," author Sharon Delmedo worked with award-winning filmmaker Noel M. Izon in producing the video that tells of how President Manuel L. Quezon rescued around 1,300 Jewish refugees running away from Nazi repression in Germany and Austria opened the door of the Philippines for their refuge. On 1938 December 5, President Quezon announced that opened the Philippines for the "entrance of such Jewish people as we could absorb and who would not be a burden."

Please check the Open Door website for more information.

Unemployment in its All-Time Low

2013-01-10T03:05:00.000-08:00

Deutsche Bank says that the unmployment level has reached its all-time low in the Philippine history. At the same time, underemployment has been going down in the last four years into its low levels based on Philippine standards.

Kudos to President Benigno Simeon C Aquino III and his team for a very impressive performance in managing the Philippine economy so far.

Source
Cuevas-Miel, Likha: "Philippine economy at risk of overheating, says Deutsche Bank," InterAksyon.com 2013 January 10 [read]

PH Now Creditor Status With IMF

2012-02-22T00:37:00.000-08:00

MANILA

WITH ITS CONTRIBUTION of $251.5 million as of December 2011, the Philippines attained a creditor status with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). [Report]

A Lot of Cleaning Needed

2012-02-21T23:45:00.001-08:00

MANILA

With sacking of NBI chief Gatdula, Manila mayor Alfredo Lim recently dismantled the Manila Police District antidrug units with the uncovered extortion activity of its Sta. Cruz unit from four illegally detailed Korean nationals. So much corruption has seeped into the system of government from many years of unabated tango with corruption of leaders. Even the law enforcers turned to be tainted in many ways. Thanks to the current national and local administrations who fought to restore accountability and clean public service in the country.

Philippine National Police

MPD Station 3 (Sta. Cruz) extorted money from four Korean nationals. [Report]

National Bureau of Investigation

Chief Gatdula sacked in the aftermath of P 15 million extortion of NBI operatives from a Japanese national. [Report]

The Impeachment Trial of AJ Castillo

2012-02-20T23:23:00.000-08:00

MANILA

The Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives voted 38:10 (0 abstention), finding probable cause to impeach Supreme Court Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo on the charge of betrayal of public trust. One of the major ground for the impeachment complaint was his alleged plagiarism of his sources work without attribution.

When this process reach the Senate for trial, Del Castillo will become the second Supreme Court Justice to face impeachment trial in Philippine history.

Sources

____: "House Committee Votes 38-10 to Impeach Justice Del Castillo," The Philippine Daily Inquirer 21 February 2012 [Read]
____: "Probable Cause," House of the Representative 12 February 2012 [Read]

LTFRB Issues First Green Pasada Franchise

2012-02-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

MANILA

THE LAND TRANSPORTATION and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) finally issued on 20 February 2012 the first franchise for environment-friendly eJeepneys to the eJeepney Transport Corporation with the opening of a third route that covers the Heritage Route. The commercial run begins on March 1.

The company launched in 2007 with international acclaim the first eJeepney fleet, which initially covered two routes--the Salcedo Village loop and the Legaspi Village loop. [Source]

DMIA Reverts to Original Name

2012-02-19T21:50:00.000-08:00

PAMPANGA

CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Corp. (CIAC), the legal owner and manager of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at Clark Freeport recently conducted a survey among pilots and players in the aviation industry. And the prevailing sentiment continued to be in favor of the original name--Clark International Airport--in how they refer to DMIA. In fact, ever since the time of the Clark Air Base of the United States Air Force, the airport continues to be referred to in its three-letter code: CRK.

On 27 July 1994, then president Fidel V. Ramos issued Executive Order No. 192, creating the CIAC to manage the Clark Aviation Complex (CAC), and naming the international airport as CIA. The Senate ordered in 1991 the closure of the airbase.

The switch to DMIA happened in 2003 when local politicians made a resolution to rename the international airport to bear the name of the father of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Effective February 2012, the airport will revert to its original name, Clark International Airpor. [Source]

The Jose Velarde Assets

2012-02-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

MANILA

The Makati Regional Trial Court ruled on 15 February 2012 not to issue an injunction on against the Philippine government on the sale of some P90-million worth of forfeited assets of the so-called Jose Velarde which later businessman William Gatchalian of Wellex Group of Companies claimed to be his. The assets consist of shares of stocks of Waterfront Philippines.

Background

After the conviction of former president Joseph Estrada for plunder, the Sandiganbayan ordered in September 2007 the forfeiture of P146 million in assets from Banco De Oro. Gatchalian filed a motion for reconsideration, which the Sandiganbayan denied in April 2009.

The following month, Gatchalian filed a complaint before the Makati court. He wanted to stop the sale of the assets arguing that these do not form part of the Jose Velarde accounts, which supposedly belong to Estrada.

Forfeited include other Jose Velarde assets such as the P215 million funds donated to the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation and the Boracay Mansion in New Manila, Quezon City.

Sources

Michael Punongbayan: "Sandiganbayan lauds court ruling on forteiture of Jose Velarde assets," The Philippine Star 16 February 2012 [Read Report]

Devastating Quake Hit Negros Occidental

2012-02-07T23:24:00.000-08:00

NEGROS ORIENTAL

On 6 February 2012 (Monday), a 6.9-magnitude quake [Philvocs; USGS 6.7] hit the city of Guiholngan, leaving a spate of destruction on properties, at least 45 people confirmed dead, and still 92 more missing.

Deaths and missing people are also reported in the towns of La Libertad.

Roads coming in and going out of Guiholngan are badly damaged rendering the city inaccessible through the lands, causing problems in potable water supplies, fuel, and food. Relief goods can only be flown in or through the sea.

Aftershock

Post-quack tremors around noon caused panic in Central Visayas particularly the city of Cebu as false reports on a tsunami happening circulated an hour or two later.

DBM Phases Out SARO and ABM in 2013 Budget

2012-01-26T16:40:00.001-08:00

MANILA

THE DEPARTMENT OF Budget and Management under Secretary Florencio Abad will phase out the requirements of special allotment release order (SARO) and agency budget matrix (ABM) for the release of finds in the 2013 National Budget.

The agency observed that only a few budgetary items require its approval before the corresponding allocation is released. In its proposed budget next year, the approve national budget will become a comprehensive release order, which provides direct release of the budgets for government agencies. Abad said that this approach will cut on the long release gap that aforementioned documents are known to require.

All appropriations have a one-year validity, afterwhich it cannot be carried over to the following year.

Source

_____: "DBM to phase out SAROs, ABMs from 2013 national budget," InterAksyon 26 January 2012 [Read]

DOE Creates IRC

2012-01-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

MANILA

ON THE HEEL of accusations that the oil companies have conspired to overprice liquid fuel in the country, the Department of Energy under Secretary Jose Rene Almendras formed the independent review committee (IRC) tasked to review the books of oil companies doing business here.

The members of the committee are sector nominees that their colleagues in their respective industries put forward to DOE on the basis of their "credibility, competence, integrity, commitment, and leadership."

Nominees for the IRC include Raul Concepcion (Consumer and Oil Price Watch), former economic planning secretary Solita Monsod, former budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, professor Rene Azurin (University of the Philippines), economist Vic Abola (University of Asia and the Pacific), accountant Tammy Lipana, and partylist representative Vigor Mendoza.

The nominees first met on 26 January 2012 in order to discuss how IRC will review the books of the aforesaid oil firms.

Source

Elgin Ros: "Committee tasked to audit oil firms' books meets on Monday," InterAksyon 26 January 2012 [Read]

Supreme Court Under Chief Justice Corona

2012-01-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

MANILA

For Filipinos who are not privy to going-ons inside the highest Court of the land, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Renato Corona find itself wanting vis-a-vis the judicial leaderships in the recent past. The growing concern did not come so much on any political attack on the High Court, but her behavior in the dispensation of justice. It got embroiled in controversies of its own making; and where specific justices got involved, its action smacked of self-preservation even on the cost of twisting the commonsensical character of the law.

Problems in Handling of Money

Here is the full report from The Philippine Daily Inquirer, on 15 January 2012:

The Supreme Court under the watch of Chief Justice Renato Corona has been weighed and found wanting.
The World Bank has uncovered questionable procurements and disbursements in the high court in connection with the Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP). The project, partly funded by a World Bank loan of $21.9 million (P930.75 million at an exchange rate of P42.50 to $1), was designed to restore efficiency in the dispensation of justice in the country.

In an aide memoire, the World Bank said that since Corona assumed his post in mid-2010, progress in reforming the judiciary “has been rated unsatisfactory,” with “implementation delays and additional work required for smooth project closing.”

The document detailed the results of a fiduciary review conducted by a World Bank task team on Oct. 24-Nov. 11, 2011, through discussions with justices of the high court and field visits to courts all over the country.

“The review discloses that the fiduciary environment pertaining to JRSP implementation has so deteriorated that the task team now rates the JRSP as a ‘high risk’ and ‘unsatisfactory’ on project management, project procurement and financial management dimensions, and observes that project financial statements can no longer be relied upon,” the World Bank said.

The review uncovered, among others, “inaccurate/incomplete information” on the project’s financial management report, “diminished existing internal check-and-balance mechanism,” purchase of information technology equipment outside of the agreed procurement plan, and the practice of borrowing funds from the loan for the justices’ foreign travels, paid to a travel agency owned by lawyer Estelito Mendoza.

The World Bank is now demanding a refund of $199,900, covering “70 payments” deemed “ineligible” or unauthorized under the terms of the JRSP, by Jan. 31.

Review trigger

The World Bank initiated the fiduciary review when Corona was already appointed Chief Justice by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo despite an election ban.

It said the review was “triggered by several withdrawal applications” presented to the World Bank by the tribunal’s Program Management Office (PMO), “which seemed to signal a sudden and significant increase in the disbursement in the latter half of 2011.”

“The project result indicators depict achievements in several areas, but significant missed opportunities due to capacity and coordination constraints and delays in decision-making, procurement and contracting,” it said.

Included in the “ineligible” purchases were the printing supply of the Court Reporter’s Case Index, purchase of laptop computers, speaker’s fee for seminars, registration fee of justices attending international conferences, and foreign travels of justices and their staff (including airfare, hotel accommodations and meal allowances).

‘Black prop’

Asked to comment, Ramon Esguerra, a spokesperson of Corona’s legal team, on Saturday said the accusation was “not in any way connected to any of the articles of impeachment” against the Chief Justice.

He said it was the high court as a whole, and not Corona alone, that should respond to the accusation.

“Two days before the opening of the trial and there’s this story?” Esguerra told the Inquirer by phone. “The barrage of black propaganda has not ceased. In fact, it’s now coming out with greater intensity.”

Esguerra said media reports on Corona’s alleged ill-gotten wealth, as well as the latest on the supposed fund mismanagement at the high court, were all part of “a pattern of harassment intended to demonize the Chief Justice in the eyes of the public.”

“It’s very unfair,” he protested.

Corona himself said “it’s hard to answer that [accusation]” because he had yet to read the World Bank aide memoire.

The Inquirer sought his comment after a Tridentine Mass held late Saturday afternoon at the Supreme Court grounds, the last of novena Masses for the embattled Chief Justice.

Corona attended the Mass with his wife and more than 100 sympathizers, including former Philippine Commission on Good Government Chair Camilo Sabio.

The Chief Justice also said he had yet to decide whether he would attend the opening of his impeachment trial on Monday, contradicting Esguerra’s statement that he would show up.

One-man show

According to the World Bank, the diminished internal auditing mechanism in the high court was exemplified by Corona’s appointment of one man as court administrator, head of the Public Information Office, and chair of the Bids and Awards Committee.

The court administrator was authorized to approve, on Corona’s behalf, payments of up to P200,000 which was later increased to P500,000, the World Bank said.

“Lack of appropriate segregation of duties of key officials involved in the JRSP has created a breakdown of the control environment, increased fiduciary and reputation risks, and led to irregular/inappropriate procurement and expenditure decisions,” it said.

Without naming Jose Midas Marquez, the World Bank said “this senior official, due to the combination of his appointments and functions, was the requestor of the services, the approver of the terms of reference, the end-user of the services provided by the firm, the authorizer of contract extensions, and the authorizer of payments to the firm.”

It said this arrangement, among others, “present[ed] a conflict of interest and eliminate[d] internal checks and balances applicable to the procurement and disbursement functions.”

4 project components

The World Bank approved the loan in 2003 (Loan No. 7191-PH) “to assist the borrower in developing a more effective and accessible judiciary that would foster public trust and confidence through the implementation of the Supreme Court’s Action Program for Judicial Reform (APJR).”

The JRSP is the World Bank’s term for its financial support for the APJR, the brainchild of then Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., who envisioned the much-needed judicial reforms to be bankrolled by combined resources from the national budget, the judiciary’s own funds and financing from development partners.

The four project components involved improving case adjudication and access to justice (i.e., mobile courts); enhancing institutional integrity (i.e., Code of Ethics and related training of judges and judicial personnel); strengthening the institutional capacity of the judiciary (i.e., e-Library); and support for the reform of the judicial system and for the high court’s PMO.

The judicial reform covered six key areas: judicial system procedures, institutional development, human resources development, integrity infrastructure development, access to justice by the poor, and reform support systems.

The World Bank has participated in all six areas; six other development partners have varying degrees of exposure to the APJR.

The loan was to expire on Dec. 31, 2009, during the incumbency of Chief Justice Reynato Puno. But the World Bank extended the closing date twice—first by 18 months (until June 30, 2011), and then by 12 months (until June 30, 2012).

But due to questions over the fiscal discipline of the tribunal in adhering to loan stipulations, the World Bank canceled the final tranche of the loan amounting to $0.5 million.

Thus far, the tribunal has spent $16.3 million (76 percent of the revised loan amount of $21.4 million, after deducting the $0.5 million). With reports from Christian V. Esguerra and Philip C. Tubeza

First posted 12:08 am | Sunday, January 15th, 2012

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES

The ineligible expenses amounting to P8.9 million ($199,000) of the $21.9 million World Bank loan include the following expenses:

Goodwill Games (P9,080)

Conference Registrations (P63,857)

Hotel Accomodations (P104,327)

Restaurant Bills (P127,010)

Airfare (P212,339)

Conferences and Seminar Resource Person Fees (P227,906)

Reimbursed Travel Expenses (P564,450)

Printing Services (P965,620)

Computer Equipment (P8,602,504)

[Source: Annex 4 of the Judicial Reform Support Project (World Bank Memo)

DECISION ON DAY 44

Guilty: 20 votes

Not Guilty: 3 votes (Arroyo, Santiago and Marcos)

Sources

Amita Legaspi: "Lacierda: Supreme Court spent nearly P9M of WB loan on 'ineligible expenses'," GMA News 18 January 2012 [Read Report]

Jason Bourne 4th Installment Shoots in January

2012-01-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

MANILA

THE THRILLER movie series Jason Bourne shoots in Manila and Marikina late January this year. The fourth installment, which succeeds the trilogy starring Matt Damon will introduce a new Central Intelligence Operative, Aaron Cross (Jeremey Renner).

Sources

Clara Masinag: "MMDA gung-ho about Bourne shoot, but police cautious," InterAksyon 5 January 2012

Year 2011 Closed Below Inflation Limit

2012-01-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

MANILA

The country, under the new Aquino administration, closed the year 2011 with a 4.4 percent inflation, 0.6 percent below the target limit of five percent set at the beginning of the year. This came as the consumption-driven Philippine economy slowed down on the heel of the American and European economic crises and government underspending as it continued to cleanse the system from fiscal rot.

Sources
Joseph Villanueva: "4.4-pct inflation in 2011 well below target limit," InterAksyon 05 January 2012

The Fury of Sendong

2011-12-21T00:47:00.000-08:00

MISAMIS ORIENTAL

THE RAGE OF nature took Mindanao apparently by surprise.

For the first time in its history as a province, Misamis Oriental succumbed to the fury of Sendong that even Mindanao never faced before. It faced storms only at a rate of one every 12 years. And devastation fell mostly at the city of Cagayan De Oro. But deaths also occur in the nearby Iligan City. As of the latest count (December 21), official death toll runs at 1,002 people, 650 coming from Cagayan De Oro City, and 283 from the nearby Iligan City.

American meteorologist, Jeff Masters, considered the tropical stormed, nicknamed internationally as Washi, as the world's deadliest storm in 2011, surpassing Brazil and Thailand in casualties (902 and 657, respectively).

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) noted that Sendong already packed 50 millimeters of rainwater a day before it struck on December 16 (Friday). The amount almost equalled that of Ondoy in 2009, but much deadlier to the lives for many factors still under investigation.

So Much Outpour

Reports indicated that the flood rose to 181 meters only in an hour. Thae flashfloods that unleashed along the riversides caught the victims in a sleep they would no longer wake from.

Aftermath

CDO Archbishop Antonio Ledesma called on President Benigno S. Aquino III to create the River Basin Management Council to implement the River Basin Plan to prevent the present scale of devastation to life and property from happening again.

Sources

Jojo Malig: "'Sendon,' world's deadliest storm in 2011," ABS-CBN News 20 December 2011
______: "Church call for creation of Oro basin management council," SunStar CDO 20 December 2011

Statement of Retired CJ Hilario Davide Jr on Fate of the Truth Commission

2011-12-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

Republic of the Philippines

The Philippine Truth Commission of 2010

(Pursuant to Executive Order No. 1)

I am deeply saddened and pained by the Resolution of the Supreme Court denying with finality the Motion to Reconsider its decision declaring unconstitutional Executive Order No. 1 creating the Philippine Truth Commission of 2010.

It perpetuates its patently wrong and erroneous application of the doctrine of equal protection of the law.

The Resolution could cause the loss of my faith, trust and confidence in the Supreme Court which I had faithfully served for nearly fifteen years; more than seven of which as its Chief Justice.

By its decision and resolution the Supreme Court has made itself an instrument to suppress or prevent the discovery of the truth.

The timing of its promulgation— barely 20 hours after the President delivered his State of the Nation Address where he solemnly declared that the fight against graft and corruption is a personal one for himself and for all the Filipinos who are its victims, and announced the appointment of newly retired SC Justice Conchita Carpio Morales as Ombudsman— clearly proves beyond doubt that the Court has become a protector of some people.

It delayed for several months, and only after the retirement of two Justices who wrote strong dissenting opinions, the release of the resolution which was expected anyway.

But the Supreme Court will not succeed.

For the truth will triumph and prevail despite and inspite of the Supreme Court.

The Administration and the new Ombudsman, Justice Carpio Morales will see to it that it will triumph and prevail.

I only pray to God, the Supreme Judge, that He will help the Supreme Court redeem its honor and integrity.

HILARIO G. DAVIDE JR.

Supreme Court Chife Justice (Ret.)

Chairman, Philippine Truth Commission of 2010

Source

Senator Santiago Elected First ICC Judge from Developing Nation

2011-12-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

MANILA

SENATOR MIRIAM Santiago has a lot of tricks on her sleeves to stop bringing surprises to the Filipino people. This time she aced contenders for a Judge seat in the International Criminal Court (ICC), making her the first woman judge for ICC who came from a developing nation in Asia.

On 12 December 2011, the ICC overwhelmingly elected Santiaugo in New York as a new Judge for the international court, topping the first round of elections with 79 votes out of 104 valid votes. She bested other 18 candidates from various regions.

Sources

[InterAksyon]

The Ongpin Investigation

2011-12-12T04:06:00.000-08:00

MANILA

Former Marcos trade minister Roberto V. Ongpin found himself in hot waters lately after an alleged behest loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) got blown out to the public. The loan was used to buy shares of Philex Mining Corporation, where he used to be its chairman. He is #21 in Forbes' 40 Richest in the Philippines in 2010 with a net worth of $300 million.

The point of investigation centered on the sale of 50 million shares of Philex Mining Corp. that DBP owned. Through DVRI, Ongpin acquired a loan from DBP. Using this loan, another Ongpin company Golden Media purchased the shares from DBP, which it later sold to Twin Rivers of Manuel Pangilinan.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan managed to corner 20.6 percent of Philex shares from other sources on 28 November 2008. With the acquisition of additional shares from DBP, Pangilinan gained control of Philex.

SENATE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEES

Blue Ribbon Committee. Senator Teofisto Guingona III (head)
Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies. Senator Sergio Osmeña III (head)

COMPANIES INVOLVED

Global Air Services (GAS). A British Virgin Islands-based company, GAS only had an authorized capital stock of $2. But despite that normally suspicious financial standing, LBP president Gilda Pico admitted that the two banks extended the $180-million loan on 14 December 2008. This gives away an influential hand involved in the approval of this loan, which overrides the expected caution for discretion.

Delta Ventures Resources Inc. (DVRI). Long-time personal secretary Josephine Manalo admitted before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that she fronts for businessman Roberto V. Ongpin in obtaining loans from two government financial institutions (GFIs), namely the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines. Officially, Manalo owned 24,996 shares of DVRI out of the 25,000 shares available, a virtual single proprietorship. On 12 December 2011, she admitted she assumed ownership of record of the shares obtained from the GFIs as far as SEC records are concerned. However, in fact, all these shares have been endorsed to Ongpin.

Golden Media. A company of Ongpin.

GF INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED

Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). Former DBP president Reynaldo David who led the bank when it extended the loans to Ongpin became a member of the board of an Ongpin-led bank, Philippine Bank of Commerce. After testifying before the Senate, he however resigned from the board on December 9.

BEHEST LOAN

INSIDER TRADING

Instead of dumping the DBP shares of Philex Mining to the market, the government-owned bank sold its 50 million shares to a ready buyer in Ongpin at the prevailing market price of P12.75 per share. This comprises 50 percent of DBP holdings in Philex.

In order to purchase these shares, DBP granted Ongpin the first credit accommodation to his DVRI (amounting to P660-million) and Two Rivers of the First Pacific group. This made for DBP a total of P1.397 billion.

Evidence indicated that Ongpin accumulated a block of shares from DBP and others in order to sell it to Pangilinan. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, whose law firm had been involved in the setting up of Philex, said on record that the transaction between Pangilinan and Ogpin to corner the Philex shares from DBP was already a done deal even before the actual sale of shares to Ongpin’s DVRI. The transactions concluded in Shangri-La Hotel in Makati where he shook hands with Pangilinan for the price of P21 before he was able to accumulate and he never shared this information to DBP, and to the other stock holders.

David testified that even Social Security System president Romulo Neri wanted to sell SSS shares in Philex for the same price. Neri knew that Ongpin sold a block of shares at P21. But that’s too late, Ongpin cornered the market using insider information, Enrile said.

Ongpin’s name however did not appear in documents of DVRI submitted to the joint hearing. Instead, it was Josephine Manalo.

Sources

Karl John Reyes: "Ongpin secretary admits fronting for behest loans, Osmeña says," InterAksyon 12 December 2011 [read report]
Christian Mendez: "Insider trading in DBP deal?" The Philippine Star pp. 1, 13, 16

Impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona

2011-12-12T03:04:00.000-08:00

MANILA

IT IS FINAL. A total of 188 members of the House of Representative signed today the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The complaint centers on eight articles: (1) betrayal of public trust through a track record of marked of marked partiality and subservience involving the Arroyo administration; (2) culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betrayed public trust arising from failure to disclose to the public the statement of assets, liabilities, and networth; (3) culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betrayed public trust by failing to prove competence, integrity, probity, and independence; (4) betrayal of public trust and/or culpable violation of the Constitution arising from the disregard of the principle of separation of powers on the issuance of status quote ante order against the House over the impeachment of resigned Ombudsman Gutierrez; (5) culpable violation of the Constitution through wanton arbitrariness and partiality in consistently disregarding the principle of res judicata and deciding in favor of gerry-mandering in the cases of 16 newly-created citiies and the promotion of Dinagat into a province; (6) betrayal of public trust by arrogating the authority and jurisdiction of the House in investigating an alleged erring member of the Supreme Court; (7) betrayal of public trust through partiality in granting a TRO in favor of FPGMA, and distorting the SC decision on the effectivity of the TRO, and; (8) betrayal of public trust and/or commission of graft and corruption over failure and refusal to account for the judiciary development fund (JDF) and special allowance for the judiciary (SAJ) collections.

While pro-Arroyo supporters may view this exercise as an assault to the integrity of the Supreme Court, most Filipinos view this as a healthy democracy at work where the House performed its Constitution-mandated role in putting a check on the performance of the other two independent branches of government: the Executive and the Judiciary. And the Congressmen who supported this move deserve a strong applause for doing something to resolve the growing problem in the Supreme Court.

Related Documents

Summary of the Impeachment Complain v. Chief Justice Corona

Verified Complaint for Impeachment v. Chief Justice Corona

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT

Article II: Non-Disclosure of, and of properties in, SALN

Bonifacio Ridge Property
Fully paid on April 2004 with total payments of P9.3 million
Disclosed in Corona 2009 SALN with value of P2.3 million
Undisclosed value = P7 million [Read Report]

The Bellagio Tower I Property
Fully paid in 2009 with total payments of P9.5 million
Not disclosed in Corona 2009 SALN [Read Report]

PS Bank Accounts
On 12 December 2011, the day the House of Representatives voted to impeach Corona, closure in three of his time deposit accounts closed through a credit memoranda representing a total amount of P 37 million--P7,397,566.36; P12,988,951.36; and, P17,270,654.97. And this amount was transferred into a newly opened checking account. [Read Report]

DEVELOPMENTS

The lawyers of Chief Justice Corona sought Supreme Court for TRO on the Impeachment Court order to banks to submit Corona account documents [Philippine Daily Inquirer 8 February 2012]
On Day 6 of the Impeachment Trial the discrepancy between the SALNs of Corona and his annual income becomes apparent. For an income of P600,000 annually, his net worth grew more than a million pesos. And in 2010, his net worth jumped by more than P10 million. [InterAksyon 26 January 2012]
Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile nixed Corona team's bid for pretrial. [Philippine Daily Inquirer 13 January 2012]
Senator Josed Estrada find some Corona SALN unusual. SALN 2002-2004 and 2008-2011 were electronically imprinted, and received by a "Juliet." While the SALN 2005-2007 were manually imprinted, and received by a "Berna." [Philippine Daily Inquirer]

Sources

Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, "Latest updates from Congress: 178 solons sign to impeach Corona; 'It's all over but the shouting'" Interaksyon 12 December 2011 [read report]

Former President GMA Faces Corruption Raps

2011-12-07T07:21:00.001-08:00

MANILA

FORMER PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (FPGMA) became the second president who will formally face a day in court for alleged corruption during their administration. The first president to experience this was former President Joseph Ejercity Estrada, ironically under the administration of FPGMA.

The cases filed to-date (from the latest to the earliest) are as follow:

Plunder of P391.9 million in PCSO funds [Second Case]

Filed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office on 7 December 2011

Electoral sabotage in Maguindanao during the 2007 senatorial election [First Case]

Filed by the Commission on Election on 18 November 2011

[READ DETAILS]

The "Wayward Judiciary"

2011-11-20T22:06:00.001-08:00

MANILA

SENATOR FRANCIS "Kiko" Pangilinan makes a call on the legislative and executive branches of government to "stand and oppose" the Supreme Court, which he considers a "wayward judiciary."

"No, this is not anarchy," he said on Monday, November 21. "This is democracy at work. This is checks and balances at work. It is the sworn duty of the executive and the legislative departments to act as a check on a wayward judiciary."

Reflecting the minds of many, if not most, Filipinos, Pangilinan noted how the high court has failed to restore the public confidence of the judiciary, failed to support the government effort to strike down graft and corruption and government, and "courted insubordination and disrespect for its almost-whimsical and arbitrary exercise of judicial authority in a number of recent cases."

Many Filipinos cannot remember a time when the Supreme Court has so lost the confidence of Filipinos for any show of wisdom in its many decisions, not even during the time of the Marcos dictatorship.

Today, the Supreme Court under the leadership of CJ Renato Corona has shown nothing but symptoms of a bastion of high justice that lost its way. Its actuations tinged of politicism; its decisions display its favorable hands towards those powers that put most of its associate justices in position. The blind lady liberty has lost the blinders in her eyes, and now has brandished its powers not to serve true justice and the Filipino people but what political patronage dictates.

In a time when fight for graft and corruption becomes the byword of government, the executive and legislative branches have awakened and grew in their task of joining the fight. And the branch expected to support the fight now puts its political weight to obstruct this fight.

It seems to be that, in order for the fight against graft and corruption succeed, the present Supreme Court must be "destroyed" in the hope that, like the fabled phoenix of old, it will rise again from the ashes into a new creature that sees nothing but to serve the Filipino people, the genuine cause for justice, and free from the contaminants of corrupt values coming from the Old Politics.