Archive for March 7th, 2007
Arroyo ally backs opposition bet Aquino
MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE) Quezon City Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, a staunch ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is supporting the senatorial bid of Tarlac Representative Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who is running in the opposition ticket.
At a dinner party he hosted, Belmonte raised the hands of the Tarlac solon and his mother, former president Corazon Aquino, as the crowd composed of city officials cheered.
“Yeah, on a personal level, I support him,” Belmonte told reporters.
Asked if he would campaign for Aquino to his constituents, Belmonte said, “They can make up their own minds… The campaign period has not started.”
“Napakalaking bagay po iyan [That's a big deal],” Representative Aquino told reporters when asked what Belmonte’s endorsement meant to him.
“I am really grateful to him. I appreciate what he has done for Noynoy,” Mrs Aquino said.
Belmonte and his late wife, newspaper publisher Betty Go-Belmonte, are known supporters of Mrs Aquino, who led a popular revolt in 1986 that ended the Marcos dictatorship and restored democracy in the country.
“During the martial law years, Tita Betty was among the first to give us media exposure,” the solon said.
Referring to Belmonte, a former Quezon City representative, he said, “He has been an ally since [we were] in the 11th Congress.
The dining hall was awash in yellow, the signature color of the Aquinos, but the former president was in a coffee-colored dress.
“When Mrs Aquino is your guest, you don’t drive her away,” said Belmonte when asked how his endorsement of Representative Aquino would be seen by his partymates.
Tarpaulin posters of Representative Aquino and his sister, popular television host Kris Aquino, were displayed.
Representative Aquino said her pregnant sister would no longer join his upcoming campaign sorties after doctors advised her to go on bed rest.
“But she’s been showing her support. She’s been praying [for me],” he said.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
94 extrajudicial killings may involve state forces — AFP
MANILA, Philippines — The military’s newly-formed human rights office is investigating 94 cases of extrajudicial killings in which security forces “may have been involved,” a defense official said Wednesday.
Defense undersecretary Ernesto Carolina said the investigation took off from the recommendations of the Palace-formed Melo Commission, which is tasked to investigate the continued killings of activists and journalists.
“[In] 94 of the cases, probably security forces may have been involved…we are looking at 94 cases,” Carolina told a security forum in Mandaluyong City.
Although Carolina stressed there was “no probable cause” yet to indict soldiers, their probable involvement in the killings “can be investigated.”
After the human rights office goes over the cases, the Department of Justice and Commission on Human Rights will step in and determine if cases will be filed in court.
Reminded of Armed Force chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.’s earlier pronouncement that only four cases involved soldiers, Carolina said: “Those are the cases that were filed in court.”
Esperon was quoting from data culled by the police Task Force Usig, which also formed part of the Melo Commision’s findings.
The human rights group Karapatan counts more than 830 extrajudicial killings since January 2001, when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power. However, Task Force Usig’s tally is just little over 100.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Newsbreak editor arrested in Singson libel suit
2 others talk way out
MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE) An editor of the online newsmagazine Newsbreak was arrested Wednesday afternoon by policemen on a P100-million libel case filed by Ilocos Sur Governor and administration senatorial candidate Luis “Chavit” Singson.
Newsbreak managing editor Glenda Gloria confirmed that Pasig policemen armed with a warrant of arrest nabbed Gemma Bagayaua Mendoza, the magazine’s online editor.
As of this posting, Mendoza had yet to post bail of P10,000, contrary to earlier reports, because by the time her papers had been readied, there was no judge at the night court of the Quezon City regional trial court where the case had been filed.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJP) denounced the arrest and is organizing a vigil at the Pasig police station if Mendoza is not released by 9 p.m. Wednesday night.
Rowena Paraan, NUJP secretary-general, said “the incident demonstrates the vulnerability of journalists to harassment by politicians who can afford to throw away money for the enormous filing fees simply to threaten media.”
“It is a sad irony that a country that prides itself of having the ‘freest’ media in Asia has journalists being harassed by government officials themselves for simply doing their job,” she said.
Jose Torres Jr., NUJP chairman, said: “The use of an outdated libel law to harass media, coupled with the killings and threats against journalists, point to a deteriorating press freedom situation.”
Gloria said she and Newsbreak editor-in-chef Marites, who are also charged in the Singon suit, were themselves almost arrested by policemen who camped outside their Pasig City office waiting to arrest them.
However, Gloria said she and Vitug, who were scheduled to go to a forum sponsored by Newsbreak, managed to convince the policemen to let them go on the promise they would post bail Thursday morning.
Gloria said they were “no informed that the warrant was coming. We were caught flatfooted.”
“This is part of harassment against media,” she said.
At the forum, Vitug joking said: “We’re happy we’re here.”
Gloria said the case stems from an article published last year titled, “The Second Gentleman.”
Vitug and Gloria are also among Newsbreak editors accused of libel by presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo, who has filed multiple suits against at least 46 journalists.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Arroyo okayed Metro troop deployment — defense official
Carolina: President not involved in implementation
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sanctioned the deployment of soldiers to depressed communities in Metro Manila a defense official said Wednesday.
“It is always from the President,” defense undersecretary and spokesman Ernesto Carolina said, when asked who ordered the sending of troops to communities in the capital region.
However, Carolina said “the matter of implementing that [deployment] is well within the authority of the NCR [National Capital Region] commander,” Carolina said, referring to Major General Ben Mohammad Dolorfino.
But in a phone call to INQUIRER.net later in the day, Carolina clarified that the President did not directly sanction the deployment.
“The President has nothing to do with the deployment,” Carolina said.
“The deployment is well within the authority of the NCRCom. We do not inform the President on tactical deployment,” he maintained.
The deployments have led to accusations from activist groups that the troops have been threatening and harassing their members and warning residents in the communities not to vote for leftist party-list groups.
Interviewed on the sidelines of a security forum in Mandaluyong City, Carolina said the deployment was also part of Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.’s “defense for development” program, which involves soldiers in humanitarian efforts aside from combat operations, like in Mindanao where troops are battling Muslim rebels and extremists.
“The accomplishment in Mindanao is a combination of [hard] and soft approaches…This is a soft approach,” Carolina said.
“We are changing the paradigm. It is a [holistic] government approach,” he added.
Reminded that outreach programs should be done by local government officials, Carolina said: “That’s a [local government] function and we are helping.”
Carolina said the duration of the deployment is indefinite, and would depend on the “training requirements” of the troops, who are awaiting deployment abroad as peacekeepers.
“It’s going to be a continuing program,” he said.
Carolina also maintained that soldiers in the metropolis were not campaigning against left-wing party-list groups.
“Suspetsa lang nila yun [That's just their suspicion],” he said.
The defense official said soldiers were conducting “social surveys,” asking residents about their problems in the communities.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Court junks Trillanes’ appeal for media interviews
GO slams ‘oppressive’ decision
MANILA, Philippines — A Makati City court has denied detained Navy Lieutenant Antonio Trillanes IV’s petition to grant media interviews during his senatorial campaign for the May midterm elections, according to a court official.
The Genuine Opposition (GO), under which Trillanes is running, immediately slammed the decision as “oppressive.”
“This is a violation of his constitutional right,” GO spokesman, Adel Tamano, told reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Noli Tagalicud, clerk of court, quoted a four-page ruling by Judge Oscar Pimentel of Branch 148 of the Makati regional trial court, which said that Trillanes could give statements that could prejudice his coup d’etat case if he would be allowed media access.
Trillanes is charged for his part in a short-lived military mutiny in 2003.
Pimentel also said that the court “could not encroach” on the security policy of the Philippine Marines brig in Fort Bonifacio, where Trillanes was being detained, Tagalicud told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
Although detained, Trillanes has been campaigning through the Internet while his supporters have been joining opposition sorties.
Tamano said despite being locked up, Trillanes is still in the lead in the senatorial race.
“He is still leading. What more if he could campaign outside?” Tamano said. “We will show everyone that we are a real team unlike the Arroyo team because we (GO) have the same objective.”
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
NPA provincial chief slain in clash with troops
MANILA, Philippines — A provincial communist guerilla commander was killed, while three other rebels, including a regional finance officer, were captured in separate incidents, the Philippine Army said Wednesday.
Elmer Arevalo alias Ryan, commander of the Albay Probinsyang Yunit Gerilya (provincial guerilla unit), was killed in a firefight with troops of the 65th Infantry Battalion in sitio (sub-village) Bayang, Tastas village, Ligao City at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Army spokesman Major Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement.
Troops recovered one M16 rifle, one M653 rifle, two bandoleers, and two backpacks containing personal effects and documents after the 30-minute encounter, Torres said.
Also on Tuesday, at around 4:30 a.m., Army troops apprehended two NPA fighters in sitio Syndicate, Siwayan village, Aroroy town, he said.
Monday, at around 6:50 a.m., the finance officer of the NPA’s Regional Operational Command (ROC), Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC), Bergelia Baran, was captured in San Isidro village, Kapatagan town, Lanao del Norte province.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
