Di dapat pangambahan ang pagpiyansa ni GMA

Walang dapat pangambahan ang taumbayan sa pagpiyansa ng dating Pangulo na si Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, lalo pa sa ipinapakita ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino na mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga tiwali sa gobyerno.

Kailangang respetuhin ang ang pasiya ng Korte. Ang mahalaga ay may hold departure order ang Sandiganbayan laban sa akusado at hindi ito makakaalis nang basta-basta. Ang mahalaga ay haharap ang akusado sa mga paratang laban sa kanya.”

Nahaharap sa maraming kaso ang dating pangulo, kabilang na dito ang graft and corruption, taumbayan na mismo ang tututol sakaling magpumilit si GMA na makaalis ng bansa.

Iba na ang panahon ngayon. Taumbayan na mismo ang masigasig na nakaabang at nagmamasid laban sa katiwalian at pagpataw ng hustisya. Natuto na tayo sa nakaraan.

My statement on arrest warrant vs GMA

We welcome this latest development. The Supreme Court TRO for all intent and purposes becomes ineffectual because of the latest turn of events. This is clearly a victory for justice and public accountability.

It is ironic that it had to take a lower court rather than the Supreme Court to ensure that the pursuit of justice and public accountability would not be frustrated.

Gloria Arroyo should face the music. This is not persecution. This is not a mockery of justice. This is a former President being held to account for her alleged involvement in electoral sabotage. In Taiwan, in South Korea, former presidents have been jailed and held to account for their acts.

Regardless of our status in society, no one is above the law—not even a former President.

Mike Arroyo, Pres. Aquino is not your butler

Mike Arroyo's challenge to President Aquino to accompany them as GMA seeks treatment abroad is ridiculous. The former first couple must be reminded that they are no longer in power.

This corrupted sense of entitlement speaks volumes of how this couple treats high public office. How dare they view the office of the President as some sort of butler service they can avail of to attend to their personal needs. The President has infinitely more important things to attend to than act as 'alalay' to the Arroyos. Enough is enough. Their abusive and corrupted ways should be exposed and opposed.

We support the decision of the Department of Justice not to allow GMA to travel abroad, saying there were too many inconsistencies in the statements coming from the former president's camp.Perhaps the former first couple think that they are still in power, and that their whims would still be met unconditionally as they had been when they were in power.

Kalokohan ang hamon ni Mike Arroyo. Ano'ng akala niya sa Pangulo? Isang dakilang alalay o utusan nila na dapat samahan sila sa ibang bansa? Mas maraming mahahalagang bagay ang dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin ng ating Pangulo. Palibhasa matagal na nilang tinutulak ang kanilang makasarili at personal na interes nung sila ang nakaupo kaya pati ang Pangulo gusto nilang gamitin para itulak ang personal nilang mga interes. Tama na sila. Tapos na ang kanilang mapang-abuso't mapanlinlang na paghahari. Itigil na nila ang kalokohan.



Image Source: Ellen Tordesillas' blog

My statement on DOJ's decision Re: GMA

We support the decision of Secretary Leila De Lima. Both Mike and Gloria Arroyo are facing a string of criminal cases now being investigated by the Ombudsman. Clearly, the temptation for them to flee and evade criminal prosecution cannot simply be ignored.

Should the Arroyos leave the country, never to return, it would be a big blow to the anti-corruption efforts of this administration. The decision is consistent with the anti-corruption campaign of this government. They have other legal remedies that they may avail of should they disagree with this decision, but this decision has to be made to send a signal to our people that this administration is serious in its anti-corruption efforts.

Travel would be a non-issue if former President were more truthful about state of health

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo brought upon herself her current predicament and should not blame the Department of Justice for not allowing her to travel.

She should have been forthright about her health status from the very beginning. She can hardly blame DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima on the decision not to allow her to travel as there are discrepancies in her camp’s statements on her medical needs, there are those questionable itineraries, and differing numbers of her entourage. DOH Secretary Enrique Ona’s assessment of GMA is that she is fine. What is the real score?

The former President is hardly known for being transparent and that any doubts cast upon her has basis considering her history. If she has been untruthful to us in the past about major issues affecting our country, from governance to the state of our coffers, what’s to stop her from being less than truthful about her own health?

If the DOJ requires a lot more from her camp as assurance that she will not flee the country from prosecution, then GMA’s camp will have to bear with the orders of the Justice Secretary.

No one is asking them to beg. Going through the legal process is not begging. It appears they have been used to taking legal shortcut that they now consider going through these proceedings as an act begging. Until it is set aside, it is the rule. They should respect our rules, and acting as the process is beneath them by likening it to begging is a display of arrogance. If they do not agree with the position taken by the DOJ, they are free to bring the case to court.


Image Source: My Pinoy TV

Unmask the masterminds behind the P7.5B bogus farm-market roads

We ask our committee to investigate the enormous amount released from the Department of Agriculture during 2010’s election period supposedly to be used in constructing farm to market roads. The amount of P7.5B was released, however, without a work program.

If found true that no farm-to-market road was constructed when this amount was released from January to June 2010, then those responsible for this anomaly must be held accountable and must explain themselves to those who toil their farms relentlessly yet remain below the poverty line.

We will file a resolution calling for an investigation into the anomaly, especially considering COA reports that funds to be used in constructing farm-to-market roads in Maguindanao were mostly spent for gas purchases from service stations owned by former President Arroyo’s known allies the Ampatuans.

This is plunder. Our people were deprived of the opportunity to improve their lives with the help of these much-needed roads. Tapos na ang panahon ng garapal na pagnanakaw. Panahon na para makamtan ng ating mga kababayan, partikular ang mga magsasaka, ang matagal na nilang hinihingi na hustisya. Kailangan nating matunton kung saan napunta ang napakalaking pondong ito at pagbayarin ang mga kasabwat sa anomalyang ito.

Leave no stones unturned in the 2004 elections investigation

In the interest of the truth and of justice, I welcome the latest developments wherein new witnesses are now surfacing to tell us what they know about the 2004 elections. I too am interested in the whole truth because it will be a chance for those involved in cheating to be unmasked.

Our role in the canvassing committee in 2004 mandated us to decide on the basis of the evidence available, the rules and the law. All the evidence now surfacing seven years later was not available then. In 2004 we did not know about ‘hello garci’, but when we learned about the taped conversations in 2005, out of principle, we did not hesitate to condemn the acts of PGMA then and called for her immediate resignation. In keeping with this principled position, we refused a slot in the admin ticket in 2007 and opted to run as an independent.

We encourage the DOJ and the COMELEC to dig deep and leave no stones unturned in the investigation as the public deserve no less than the whole truth. Walang sinuman ang dapat santuhin dito. In a democratic process, it is through an election that the citizens are given a voice in governance. To make a mockery of this process is to make a mockery of democracy. The public deserve no less than the whole truth.

Yes, "nobody home" in Malacanang passing off pay-offs and diverting funds

Yes, GMA is right that nobody is home. Nobody is home in Malacanang passing hundreds of thousands of cash to pay off political allies in exchange for votes--or calling COMELEC commissioners on the cellphone for election fraud. Nobody is home receiving calls from cabinet secretaries who report about P200M bribe offers for government contracts, or instructing undersecretaries to divert funds meant for fertilizers to election campaign funds.

Malacanang has been exorcised of all these with GMA stepping down and as such we are truly grateful that nobody's home who's willing and capable of doing all that.

Desisyon sa Truth Commission, si GMA lang ang masaya

We lament the Supreme Court’s declaration of the Aquino administration’s Truth Commission as unconstitutional.

We fear the ruling may unwittingly create the public perception that the former president cannot be investigated and cannot be held liable for her actions, and may further harm the image and reputation of the Supreme Court.

Malungkot isipin na ganito ang naging desisyon. Di man ito sinasadya ng Korte Suprema, ang mensahe ng desisyon na ito na ipinapamalas sa taumbayan ay yung mga pang-aabuso at katiwalian sa ilalim ng gobyernong Arroyo ay di dapat ma-imbestigahan. Ang epekto nito sa isipan ng publiko ay pinapawalang-sala si Ginang Arroyo sa mga eskandalo at pagiging sangkot nito sa katiwalian at pang-aabuso sa gobyerno. Makakasama ito sa imahe ng korte. Nawa’y magbago pa ang pasya ng ating mahistrado sa pamamagitan ng isang motion for reconsideration. Tiyak ang pinakamasaya sa nasabing desisyon ay walang iba kundi si GMA.

We hope that by way of a motion for reconsideration on this adverse ruling, the Supreme Court will reconsider its position and “allow the President to fulfill his campaign promises.”

With all due respect, the Supreme Court should be a partner and not a stumbling block in the Aquino administration’s anti-corruption efforts.

Maagang pamasko ito kay GMA. Pero ika nga e, di naman araw-araw ay pasko. Naniniwala ako na sa bandang huli, mananagot din si GMA sa mga kasalanan niya sa bayan.