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  kay
so she's George Clooney's wife, she's got great looks, a law degree and
ambitious enough to make a name for herself apart from that of her
superstar husband. Fair enough. So Amal Alamuddin Clooney decides to take on
high profile cases of injustice around the world. Even better. But filing a
complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Council on behalf of former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? What's up with that? Better do your
homework Mrs. Clooney. It won't take long for you to realize that Arroyo is
getting exactly what she deserves.
In late January 2001, a
people power uprising known as EDSA Dos removed then President Joseph
Estrada from office. Estrada, a former B-grade movie actor—whose sole
ambition, his detractors point out, was to get drunk and hit on young
women—had neither of the requisite qualifications or the "smarts" for the
office he held. EDSA Dos booted out Estrada and elevated Gloria Arroyo, then
the vice president, to the presidency. Unlike Estrada, Arroyo, the daughter
of former President Diosdado Macapagal, had sterling credentials. She went
to the best schools and taught college-level economics at the Ateneo. She
served as senator from 1992, and moved up to become vice president in 1998.
Her husband Mike Arroyo, was a lawyer, and belonged to the wealthy Tuason
clan.
In 2001 Arroyo it seemed
was Heaven's answer to the Filipino people's prayers. But after nine years
as president, Arroyo turned out to be the angel of darkness rather than the
angel of light. Corruption which for decades was already hitting
ever-increasing highs, went way off the scale.
 Many
allege that Arroyo herself along with her husband Mike were in on
multi-billion peso illegal deals. Arroyo lackeys in business and government
made tons of money at the expense of the vast majority of Filipinos who even
today have to make do with less than $2 a day.
While we in some ways admire
Amal Clooney's efforts despite the obvious quest for publicity, we ask that
she carefully look into the case before jumping in to defend Arroyo.
The former president now under hospital arrest has the right to her day in
court and the best defense she can get. But to paint her with the help of
the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention as an innocent victim of
injustice would itself be an even greater injustice to every
Filipino who has suffered or is still suffering because of her horrible and
cruel administration. We're sure the good lawyer can find other high-profile causes more deserving of her time than this one.
Published 3/12/2015
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 Philippines and China dispute to continue despite UN Tribunal case
MANILA - Despite the presence of a high-level Philippine team at the hearing of the Philippines’ case against China before the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) this week, the issue of who owns the contested islands in the South China Sea will remain unresolved.
Gov’t branches unite to present arbitration case in The Hague
MANILA, July 6 -- The three branches of government have come together to present before the Arbitral Tribunal in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands the Philippine’s case against China’s excessive claims in the West Philippine Sea.
 Beijing lobbies hard ahead of South China Sea hearing despite snubbing UN tribunal
HONG KONG/MANILA - China's claims to the disputed South China Sea will come under international legal scrutiny for the first time this week, but while Beijing has officially refused to take part in the case filed by the Philippines at a UN tribunal, it has made its presence felt.
Malacanang warns public against fake rice
MANILA, July 5 (PNA) -- Malacañang warned the public on from buying fake rice which reportedly had found its way in Davao City. "Nananawagan po tayo sa mga mamamayan na maging maingat at bumili lamang ng bigas mula sa mga accredited at reliable na nagbebenta nito ...
Mindanao peace and security in upswing due to peace process, says Gen. Pangilinan
COTABATO CITY, July 6 -- The peace process and the signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Moro forces) continues to positively impact the peace and order in Bangsamoro communities ...
 Palace: All avenues being used to find Binay's 'aides'
MANILA - Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the government will exhaust all processes to determine the whereabouts of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s alleged aides Eduviges “Ebeng” Baloloy and Gerardo Limlingan.
DOLE to recruitment agencies: Become recruitment centers of care and excellence
The Department of Labor and Employment called on recruitment agencies to also be centers for care and excellence for overseas Filipino workers. DOLE said that just as the DOLE and the Department of Foreign Affairs are doing their utmost to transform Philippine Overseas Labor Offices ...
ASEAN, EU discuss future direction of partnership
Senior officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) have gathered in Brussels for their 23rd Senior Officials' Meeting to review the two sides' enhanced partnership and discuss future direction, reports Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
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 Roxas to Mayor Binay: You’re not special, you don’t own Makati
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas urged Makati Mayor Junjun Binay to step aside. “This is not a telenovela or a drama about your family lording it over Makati
City. This is about the rule of law which says you are suspended by the
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
House eyes ‘super body’ to prevent repeat of Torre de Manila issue
The House Committee on Metro Manila Development is looking at the creation of a “super body” that would help prevent issues similar to the Torre
de Manila construction. The super body would integrate and synchronize
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
 Junjun steps down
MANILA, Philippines - Saying he could not bear to see more people get hurt, suspended Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay
yesterday stepped down “temporarily,” ending a standoff that began
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
Global carriers tag NAIA as ‘high-risk’ airport
MANILA, Philippines - Global airlines have tagged the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)
as one of the high-risk airports in the Asia-Pacific region due to
unresolved safety concerns as well as poor infrastructure
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
 Ombudsman orders filing of PDAF charges against 5 more former solons
Five more former congressmen, including members of the Liberal Party (LP), are facing graft and corruption charges in connection with the alleged illegal disbursement of their Priority Development Assistance
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
Aquino blames previous admins for poor state of military
CLARK, Philippines — With about a year before he bows out of Malacañang, President Benigno Aquino
III scored the previous administrations once more during his keynote
speech at the Philippine Air Force’s 68th anniversary
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
 Veep Binay describes Aquino gov’t: Lazy, slow, indecisive
Where is the government? Vice President Jejomar Binay repeated this sentence throughout the 15-minute speech in Filipino as he delivered his sharpest words yet against the Aquino administration at launch
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
ERC chief, ex-BOC head indicted for ‘pork’ misuse
MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has trained its guns on administration allies by ordering the filing of criminal charges against former Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner Ruffy Biazon ...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
 Erap skips party launch: ‘I'm not part of UNA’
Former President and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada was absent during the launch of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political party because he was too busy with other matters, GMA
News
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES
Binay's defiance creates instability: Makati Business Club
MANILA – The Makati Business Club has expressed concern over developments involving the suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. In a statement, the group said Binay's
"defiance of the suspension order" up until he vacated
...
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IT AT PHILIPPINES NEWS HEADLINES |
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Who Should be the Next President of the Philippines?
 Make no mistake, the next elections will be one of the most important—if not the most important—elections the country will ever have. Never since the Philippines gained self-determination in 1946 has it faced such an existential threat from a hostile foreign country as it now faces from China.
Published 6/23/2015
Pope’s Encyclical May Finally Get Filipinos to Change their Evil Environmental Ways
 Pope Francis is about to issue an encyclical on climate change. The 200-page papal letter to Catholic bishops worldwide warns of "unprecedented destruction of the ecosystem" by the end of this century unless drastic changes are made to avert it. This encyclical could not have come any sooner for the Philippines.
Published 6/12/2015
Congress Wants Gloria Arroyo on House Arrest, Seriously?
 When President Benigno Aquino III, wasn’t looking (he was in Japan), the House of Representatives quickly passed a resolution urging the Sandiganbayan court to allow house arrest for detained Pampanga Representative and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Published 6/12/2015
Grace Poe for Philippine President? Not So Fast!
 She is photogenic, carries herself well, and Filipinos all seem to love her. The question to ask though is whether the well-liked lady senator is ready to be the next president? Filipinos it seems have a penchant for electing young “celebrities” with zero experience into positions of power, then simply hope for the best with “bahala na ang Dios.”
Published 6/7/2015
Filipinos Need to Stand Tall In the Face of Chinese Aggression
 President Aquino made the right move by going to Japan to bolster Philippine-Japanese cooperation. While he might be “preaching to the choir” as far as the Japanese are concerned, he nonetheless needs to communicate the graveness of the situation the Philippines currently faces.
Published 6/2/2015
Rodrigo Duterte Must Never Become President of the Philippines
 After consistently maintaining that he had no intentions to seek higher office, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte hinted that he might actually make a run for the presidency. There was no mention of those lofty intentions that most candidates for president parrot when they make that fateful announcement.
Published 5/29/2015
How Filipinos Can Stop China Now
 The future of Filipinos will be nothing like their past. Each and every Filipino must realize this. The proverbial lackadaisical “Juan Tamad” lying under a guava tree in an idyllic Amorsolo painting-like setting will no longer exist. Instead a new reality like that of ancient Sparta or modern-day Israel will pervade. China is growing stronger every day and they are quickly turning into an aggressive, tyrannical power.
Published 5/23/2015
Pacman's Gamble
 The world now knows that while training for his May 2 “Fight of the Century” with undefeated world welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao suffered a shoulder injury. According to his trainer, Freddie Roach, this mishap occurred on April 4 in a sparring session when he threw a right hook and his arm “got entangled with those of his sparring partner”.
Published 5/17/2015
Chinese Military Bases Under Construction on Philippine Reefs Must be Destroyed Now!
 This
is the reality: China’s military leaders are rushing the construction of
military bases in six different reef areas inside the Philippines’
exclusive 200 mile economic zone. The Philippines is doing nothing to
immediately stop it.
Published 5/10/2015
Is Vice President Jejomar Binay the Manchurian Candidate?
 It was made into two classic films, the first with Frank Sinatra in 1962 and the second with Denzel Washington in 2004. “The Manchurian Candidate”, the 1959 best-selling novel by Richard Condon, told the tale of a group of American soldiers captured during the Korean War who were taken to Manchuria, China where they were brainwashed by Chinese officials.
Published 5/3/2015
Pacmania Sweeps the World
 Walk down any big city in the Philippines and you feel the excitement gripping everyone; men and women, boxing aficionados or not. Sunday’s match (Manila-time) between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather
will have the country, glued to screens, large and small in major
metropolitan areas as well as far-flung rural barrios.
Published 4/29/2015
Mary Jane Veloso’s Execution Will Only Highlight the Dysfunction of Filipino Society
 On the 28th of April, the Indonesian government will execute Filipina Mary Jane Veloso by firing squad. For this luckless young woman, it will be the culmination of a life that from the beginning, had been dealt a losing hand.
Published 4/25/2015
There Will Never be Lasting Peace with the Bangasamoro Basic Law
 It is incomprehensible to many that despite all the negatives piling up against it, the Aquino administration is still pushing for Congress to ratify the Bangasamoro Basic Law (BBL). First and foremost, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front with whom the Philippine government entered into an agreement with, massacred 44 Special Action Force (SAF)
policemen who were serving an arrest warrant on an international
terrorist.
Published 4/18/2015
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