NP-NPC coalition bogus
Mar 2nd
The LP has filed an opposition to a pending application with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) seeking to establish a coalition between the Nacionalista Party (NP) and the National People’s Coalition (NPC) in the May elections.
The August 17, 2009 Comelec deadline for filing certificates of coalitions has already lapsed with only the LP as having submitted a petition for coalition with the Kapayapaan, Katarungan, Kaunlaran (KKK) political party of Manila.
There is no such party as the NP-NPC Coalition. That is a bogus coalition. As per COMELEC approval, only the LP was granted a Certificate of Coalition as the party was More >
SC row not about Carpio or Corona
Mar 2nd
I hope the raging controversy on whether President Arroyo can appoint the next Supreme Court Chief Justice would not deteriorate into a clash of personalities between SC Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Renato Corona.
I hope that we can bring back the debate, not on the personalities of these two senior justices, but of the concept and legal issues of whether or not the President violates the Constitution if she appoints the next chief justices despite the constitutional ban against midnight appointments.
While Carpio and Corona were the top contenders to succeed incumbent Chief Justice Reynato Puno who retires on May 17, More >
Review witness protection program
Mar 2nd
There is a need to revisit the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) following the jueteng-scandal witness Wilfredo “Boy” Mayor who was shot dead in Paranaque City Sunday.
When I was a senator, I came across reports that the funds for the WPP were being used for purchases other than protecting witnesses. We should review the effectiveness of the WPP being implemented by the Arroyo government.
We condemn the killing of Mayor and we urged the police to leave no stone unturned in investigating this case and bring the perpetrators before the bar of justice.
The WPP has become utterly useless under the Arroyo More >
Greed, corruption nullified gains of EDSA I
Feb 23rd
The culture of corruption and greed that has prevailed over the government with impunity is the main reason why the promise of the 1986 EDSA Revolution has remained unfulfilled.
The spirit of the People Power Revolution that deposed a dictator and brought back democracy to the country was nullified because of the culture of corruption and greed that prevailed over the country with impunity during the Arroyo administration.
Worse, public cynicism and disdain for the country’s political leaders had reversed the gains of EDSA I due to persistent allegations of corruption that have reached scandalous proportions and mind-boggling figures.
These cases of widespread More >
Lack of concern hurting fishing industry
Feb 22nd
Today, I want to assure the people of Gen San that I will vigorously and relentlessly pursue efforts toward boosting our local fisheries industry and at the same time work on achieving peace and development in Southern Philippines.
I feel for the fishery sector as much as I share the peace and development aspirations for Mindanao. The South Cotabato area alone is rich in natural resources and has enormous potential for eco-tourism. I encourage the people of Gen San to explore all possibilities and pursue opportunities.
We need to renegotiate the bilateral Fishing Agreement with Indonesia that will allow Filipino fishermen to More >
No need to reconcile with GMA
Feb 21st
Our conflict with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was never personal. We just differed vastly in our definitions of good governance.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had said the President was open to reconciling with her political detractors before she leaves office on June 30. Ermita made the statement after former House Speaker Jose de Venecia was seen shaking hands with the President in a public event, a gesture that indicated that the two political figures might have buried the hatchet.
To this I say there is no need for me or the members of the Liberal Party (LP) to reconcile with the President. Our More >
Leave task of finding peace in Mindanao to next president
Feb 19th
Having failed in its efforts to deliver lasting peace to Southern Philippines, President Arroyo should leave the task of forging a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to the country’s next president.
While we can fairly say that her government tried its best to reach a peace agreement in Mindanao, we have to accept the fact that President Arroyo lost all her credibility with the Filipino people and the international community when her negotiators bungled the handling of the so-called GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2008.
President More >
The SC has spoken: LP leadership is legitimate
Feb 19th
I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court affirming the LP leadership under party president Sen. Mar Roxas and dismissing the petition of expelled pro-Arroyo administration LP members led by former environment secretary Lito Atienza Jr.
With finality, the Supreme Court has spoken and has upheld the legitimate leadership of the Liberal Party. This decision closes the book on this illicit attempt of the President Arroyo’s cronies to hijack the LP through unprincipled, underhanded and unscrupulous means.
The Supreme Court has spoken and we hope Malacanang and the other allies of President Arroyo led by Atienza will respect the decision and submit More >
Arrest of Morong 43 illegal
Feb 16th
The recent arrest of 43 health workers in Morong, Rizal by members of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division was baseless and illegal.
What was the motive of the military?
Mere membership in the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) is no longer a crime. You must have performed covert acts of your political belief to overthrow the government before you can be accused of violating the law.
Media reports said Philippine National Police Senior Inspector Rex Cuntapay, a former NPA captive, supposedly identified some of the detained health workers as members of the New People’s Army and said that at least two More >
The C-5 and-a-Half Land Conversion Scandal
Feb 13th
I challenge Senator Manuel Villar to open the books of his real estate companies and reveal to the Filipino people how many favorable land conversion orders he was able to secure from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) ever since he became a high government official.
At the Kapihan sa Sulo breakfast forum Saturday morning, I reiterated the disclosure I made in Iloilo Friday that Villar illegally converted prime rice lands in Pavia town in Iloilo City into a residential subdivision despite lack of a permit from the DAR.
I called this land conversion the C-5 and-a-Half scandal.
Villar’s company, Crown Communities, bought about More >
