Palace concern of 2010 election security

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Zarsuela 2010 election

The grand zarsuela play in Philippine politics of deception and corruption never comes to an end.

National Security Adviser Norberto "Bert" Gonzales, showing his political prowess and clout over Mrs. Arroyo, continues his defiant action, ignoring Palace advice by his statement on the upcoming 2010 elections as a "national security concern".

After all the much reported Palace call for Gonzales to refrain, cease and desist from inciting any further the House of Representatives on proposition's schemes for a transition government to be elected simultaneous in 2010 to pave the way for Charter change

A truly political deception player, Gonzales said the issues regarding the 2010 presidential elections constitute national security concerns, because, according to him, "For a long time now, our country has been drifting to nowhere because of our dysfunctional politics. It was about time the nation, as one people who believe they deserve better, fully addressed the issue."

Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio on the other hand played along with Gonzales by stopping him from making any public proposals to elect a transition government in 2010, which, Claudio said, were being attributed as official statements from Malacanang.

The incumbent administration's political proposal involved convincing the winner of the 2010 presidential elections to push for political reforms (?) through Charter change Cha-cha) during his first three years in office, then voluntarily{?} step down after Cha-cha had been effected.

Gonzales even suggested that, "I can see that beyond the traditional politicians, we have leaders who are presenting themselves as reform candidate or are being pushed to be so in 2010. Perhaps, Brother Mike Velarde can be this transition president. Even Mr. Joseph Estrada, if he really wants to seek again the presidency, can consider becoming this transition president.”

Claudio played that the proposal to cut short the term of the winning president in 2010 would not be agreeable to the winner because "nobody is foolish enough to accept that."

Gonzales said that though his proposal for a transition government in 2010 may seem a foolish idea to most people, the supreme sacrifice of voluntarily stepping down from the presidency is the most effective way of effecting political reforms through Cha-cha.

"Are we saying that our country is bereft of leaders who are stupid enough to offer their selves to make this sacrifice?" Gonzales said.

What a political play we have here.


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Assisstant Provincial Prosecutor dismissed and disbarred for extortion

Cavite fiscal sacked for alleged extortion

A Cavite fiscal was removed from his post Thursday after he allegedly extorted money from a complainant in an estafa case.

Provincial Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco dismissed Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Leonuel Mas after he allegedly demanded more than P50,000 from Annabelle and Lauro Sarte, both complainants of an estafa case involving P1 million pending before Mas.

The Sartes alleged that during the preliminary investigation of their case, Mas had asked them to pay more than P100,000 for a docket fee, much more than was required in court. Mas purportedly told the complainants that the money would help move the case forward since the defendant was very powerful and had connections with Cavite fiscals.

The complainants, however, allegedly haggled with Mas and reportedly ended up paying P58,000. Velasco said Mas immediately pocketed the money without issuing an official receipt.

Upon learning that a criminal case was filed against him, Mas tendered his resignation Wednesday evening.

Velasco, however, said that the resignation of any government official does not prevent proceedings from continuing based on administrative or criminal complaints filed against him or her. Report from Marieton Pacheco, ABS-CBN News & abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/26/2009 9:59 PM.

US President-elect Barack Obama snubbed Gloria Arroyo

Philippines, November 13, 2008

Malacañang has dismissed as a "naughty spin" reports that United States President-elect Barack Obama had snubbed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's congratulatory phone call.
As of this time, Obama had not returned Arroyo's phone message, which she left at the State Department, shortly after his historic win as America's first black president on November 4. He has returned the calls of 10 world leaders, according to reports.
As usual, Malacañang spin-master Press Sec. Jesus Dureza said over DZMM radio interview, "These are very naughty spins. The effort is normal, normally you send a congratulatory message... He's not available on the line, doesn't mean that we were snubbed."

Dureza added that Arroyo had no plans of meeting Obama during her junket trip this week to Chicago in Illinois, Obama's home state, where she would only use her meeting with the Filipino community and the United Nations in New York for an inter-faith dialogue to find ways on how to get an appointment with Obama.
In hiding the date of their departure to US, Mr. Dureza said, "There is no schedule."

Arroyo is a staunch supporter of incumbent US President George W. Bush, a Republican, and his global war against terrorism.
Obama, a Democrat, beat Republican bet John McCain.
During herUS visit in June, Arroyo met with McCain to give him her campaign donation worth million of dollars, but not Obama.

Zubiri Inhibited Self From Fertilizer Scam HearingI

Philippines, November 13, 2008


Former 2004 Bukidnon congressman and senator under protes Juan Miguel Zubiri a known Arroyo political ally, out of "delicadeza", inhibited himself from the senate blue ribbon committee hearings after his name was included in the long list of the alleged recipients of the fertilizer fund.
Zubiri admitted that he was indeed offered P5 million worth of fertilizer. However, he said he declined the offer and instead asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to convert the said fund for him into road and bridge construction fund.
Ang palusot ni Zubiri, "Being an agriculturist, a trained and educated agriculturist, I knew for a fact that fertilizer was not needed by the farmers of Bukidnon. The fertilizers [being offered] were more for ornamental application."

JOCJOC BOLANTE TRIES TO CLEAR MRS. ARROYO ON FERTILIZER SCANDAL

Philippines, November 13, 2008

As expected former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante on Thursday morning, November 13, 2008 at the senate hearing belied suspicions that President Arroyo was directly involved in the alleged misuse of the P728-million fertilizer fund.
In replying to Sen. Manuel Roxas II's query if the Chief Executive was in any way involved in the alleged malversation of the multi-million peso fund scam he answere, "President Arroyo has never been involved and is not involved in this particular project of the Department of Agriculture," .
According to Bolante, Mrs. Arroyo could not have been involved in the scam or in the multi-million fertilizer project because it only went as high as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The project involves are referred to as the P728-million farm inputs and farm implements processed by DA-DBM only and according to Bolante did not require the approval of Mrs. Arroyo.
Before Bolante was grilled by Sen. Roxas, the former undersecretary broke his almost two and a half years of silence in the fertilizer fund scam by apologizing to the Senate for his failure to attend its hearings in 2005.
He apologizes for the inconvenience of his non-appearance and Bolante assured that it was not out of disrespect nor was it because he had something to hide.
Bolante explained that his failure to attend the 2005-2006 hearings was because the Senate declined to provide him enough consideration. He said there were times he was invited by the Senate a day before the actual hearing.
He added that the Senate's hearings ran counter to his prior appointments abroad in 2005.
The former agriculture undersecretary also denied the accusations of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, then headed by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., that he masterminded the fertilizer fund scam.