Ze ZTE controversy
Second month and counting. This is an issue that will, hopefully, not go away. The controversy generated by the anomalous NBN contract with China’s ZTE Corp. has again exposed the deep-seated corruption of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. This is not like the ‘Hello, Garci’ scam which was easily twisted and manipulated by Arroyo’s supporters as just a mistake and hence should be forgiven. This is corruption documented, signed and sealed, and there are witnesses whose credibility cannot be easily maligned or dismissed. The Senate should continue the investigations and then make recommendations - hopefully administrative and criminal charges against the officials and individuals involved. Need it be mentioned that they include the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, and by inevitable extension, Pres, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Is there no ends to her infamy? PGMA is now asking CHEd secretary Romulo Neri to go with her to the US when she makes an official visit this Wednesday and ditch the senate inquiry. She’s really asking to be impeached, and it boggles the mind why she remains president after so many transgressions, scandals, and abuses, even if we don’t count the extrajudicial killings. The middle class is probably so freaked by the idea of having Noli de Castro for president, hence the grim hesitance to call for GMA’s impeachment, resignation and ouster.
It’s cool, though, how practically everyone is talking about this issue of the ZTE contract. I think that the media has done a very good good of making this issue easy to understand, digestible for the public, and hence, it generates interest and outrage. ‘Bulok at kurakot talaga ang gobyerno," as the driver of the jeepney I rode to morning said to his co-pilot after listening to a radio newsreport. "May utang na loob kasi si Arroyo kay Abalos."
In the meantime, GMA’s approval ratings have also gone down as a direct result of this latest controversy. No one is actually surprised.
It’s so frustrating and infuriating how projects that could do good for the Philippines and help push the economy forward will never really take off because of corruption in government. Everything gets twisted and corrupted and in the end, no one benefits but the unscrupulous crooks in the upper levels of the bureaucracy who broker the project contracts with foreign business partners.
It really isn’t as if any of the DOTC experts need to explain the benefits of the NBN project. Mapapakinabangan naman talaga iyan kung maayos ang kontrata at napag-aralan ng mabuti. At kung sa ilalim ng malinis na gobyerno pinapatupad ang poyekto.The problem is, taxpayers are being made to pay through the nose for a white elephant. And for Abalos’ trips to China’s brothels, the FG’s golf clubs, and God knows what else.
Presidential legal adviser bumbler Sergio Apostol says it will be up to the Supreme Court to decide on the legality and validity of the NBN contract. Gad, we sure hope that the SC doesn’t vacillate on this one and immediately declare the contract illegal and invalid. Baka naman gawin ng SC ang ginawa nito before on the issue of the EVAT — suspended it, and then after six months, gave its implementation the go signal.
TxtPower uploads new ringtone on ZTE controversy.
Agham, Agham Youth and Computer Programmers Union hold forum on same. Eggheads rule!
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Pic
tures taken at the Palais de Wilson office of the UN
Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (UN WGEID).
The Philippine NGO group of
Marie Enriquez, Susan Cruz 
and Atty. Edre U. Olalia (Secretary General of
Karapatan, Bayan and Central Luzon-Karapatan and Karapatan Special Legal
Consultant on UN Mechanisms, respectively) joined the mother of Jonas Burgos,
Mrs. Edith Burgos, to 
personally file and speak with Ms.Claudia De La Fuente,
Associate Human Rights Officer of the UN WGEID at the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights.
Enriquez and Cruz briefed the
WGEID Officer about the 
disappearances in the Philippines. They said that other serious
human rights violations that continue. They highlighted the case of
Sherryln Cadapan and Karen Empeno.
The WGEID will hold its 3rd
Session and take up its annual report on November 21-30, 2007 at the Palais de
Nations in Geneva. On November 21-23, 2007,
family members, relatives and representatives of those disappeared may have a
closed-door session with the WGEID upon arrangements by email.)
Ms. de la Fuente informed the
Philippine NGO delegation that the WGEID had made a request to have a country
visit to the Philippines.
way back May 24, 2006 but the Philippine government has up to now not made any
reply one way or the other.
The group found this odd
considering that the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and
Lawyers, Mr. Leandro Despouy, through his senior human rights officer Valentin
Milano whom the group met in Geneva informed them that the
Philippine government has granted their request for a country visit only a few
months after it submitted its request last September 2006. (No date has been
set yet though.)
Upon query by Olalia, De la
Fuente confirmed that under the mandate of the WGEID, the exhaustion of
domestic remedies does not apply. The case of Jonas remains pending before the
Court of Appeals.
The WGEID can also issue a
"reprisal letter" or prompt intervention as an interim measure in
case of any harassment to relatives or witnesses of the disappeared. Mrs.
Burgos narrated to the WGEID the surveillance and harassment she and her family
are experiencing.
De la Fuente, who comes from
Mexico, encouraged the Philippine group to submit the writ of amparo and
habeas`data that the Supreme Court will issue so that they can make their
comments in the same way the Mr. Martin Scheinin, Special Rapporteur on Human
Rights while Countering Terrorism submitted his views on the then pending bill
on anti-terrorism.
Finally, the WGEID informed
the group that the deadline for new information for pending complaints and for
filing new complaints is on October 1, 2007 so that they may be considered in
its November session.
In a separate discussion afterwards, Atty.
Olalia also followed up, upon the authority of the NDFP-Monitoring Committee
and the NDFP Negotiating Panel, and in his separate capacity as legal
consultant thereto, the status of the complaints filed by the relatives and by
the Negotiating Panel for the
disappearances of its consultants, staff and unarmed civilians accompanying
them.
While already admitted as
valid complaints and while they have been forwarded to the Philippine
government, no new development happened on the cases of Philip Limjoco (filed July 2006 and admitted
November 2006), Rogelio Calubad, Gabriel Calubad, Leopoldo Ancheta (all filed
May 2007 and admitted July 2007).
The complaints filed last
August 2007 of the disappearances of Federico Intise, Nelly Intise, Cesar
Batralo and Leo Velasco will be received by the WGEID and will be considered in
its November 2007 session where it will decide if they are to be admitted and
sent to the Philippine government.
–
Out of his secret garden somewhere in New Jersey comes your newest favorite super
hero!
It is I, Captain Vegetable
With my carrot, and my celery
Eating crunchy vegetables is good for me
And they’re good for you, so eat them too
For teeth so strong, your whole life long
Eat celery and carrots by the bunch
Three cheers for me, Captain Vegetable
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
My name is Andy
I love candy
And I eat it whenever I can
If it’s handy
Gimme some candy
It’s so good and sweet
The perfect treat
It’s such a thrill
To eat my fill
And gobble till there’s nothing on the plate
Candy is great, but wait!
Who are you, some kind of bad dream?
Do I look like a bad dream?
It is I, Captain Vegetable
With my carrot, and my celery
Eating crunchy vegetables is good for me
And they’re good for you, so eat them too
For teeth so strong, your whole life long
Eat celery and carrots by the bunch
Three cheers for me, Captain Vegetable
Crunch, crunch, crunch!
My name is Eddie
I love spaghetti
So I eat it whenever I can
If it’s ready
Gimme spaghetti
It’s a lovely thing
It looks like string
It’s such a thrill
To eat my fill
And gobble till there’s nothing on the plate
Spaghetti is great, but wait!
What are you? Are you some kind of weirdo?
Do I look like a weirdo?
It is I, your newest super hero
It is I, Captain Vegetable
With my carrot, and my celery
Eating crunchy vegetables is good for me
And they’re good for you, so eat them too
For teeth so strong, your whole life long
Eat celery and carrots by the bunch
Three cheers for me, Captain Vegetable
Gee, Captain Vegetable this is the best thing to come around
since meatballs!
Three cheers for Captain Vegetable!
Three cheers for me Captain Vegetable
Crunch crunch crunch!
