Archive for March 14th, 2007
Cesar Montano won’t drop senatorial bid
MANILA, Philippines — Movie actor Cesar Montano is not dropping his senatorial bid in the May midterm elections.
Montano, who is running under the administration’s TEAM Unity slate, made the announcement Wednesday at a news conference in Quezon City where he was accompanied by his wife and actress Sunshine Cruz.
At the same time, Montano said that he was also assured of financial support by fellow candidates in the administration ticket amid reports that the actor had complained of the lack of funds for his campaign.
But Montano stressed on Wednesday that with or without funds, he would pursue his candidacy.
“May pera man o wala, tuloy ang pagkandidato ni Montano sa Senado [With or without funds, Montano will still run for the Senate],” the actor said, adding, “Tuloy ang laban ni Cesar Montano para sa bayan [Cesar Montano’s fight for the country will continue].”
Asked if he had considered backing out of the senatorial race, Montano said: “Di ko idedeny yan, napagisip-isip ako. Nagpalakas ng loob ko ang TEAM Unity [I will not deny that. I thought about it. But TEAM Unity had encouraged me].”
Montano lamented that he had lost “a huge sum of money” after his candidacy forced the cancellation of his commercial endorsements and movie projects, including one that would have been shot abroad.
“Pero ito ay hindi ko pinagsisisihan [But I don't regret this],” he said.
Montano acknowledged that television commercials were “very important” in a national campaign and that he “couldn’t imagine” where to find the money to produce one.
But Montano said he would rather spend the money intended for the political advertisement, which could cost up to P500 million, on the country’s “pressing problems.”
“It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, knowing that a child dies at the PGH [Philippine General Hospital] due to lack of medicine,” he said.
Asked about his absence on the campaign trail, Montano said: “After two weeks, I had to think hard about what I should do.”
He also belied reports that Secretary Gabriel Claudio, presidential political adviser, had promised him up to P200 million to bankroll his campaign.
“The administration did not promise to give me P200 million, P100 million, P50 million or whatever amount and I have not received and I have not been receiving [money],” he said.
“Ang suporta ng TEAM Unity, hindi nasusukat sa ganyan [The support of TEAM Unity cannot be measured in those terms],” he said.
Montano said the party had been helping mostly in logistics for his campaign sorties.
Montano said Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, who is seeking reelection in May, had also asked him to seek the gubernatorial post in the 2010 elections.
Montano was a last-minute replacement for Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, who withdrew his candidacy for senator after deciding to seek reelection in his province.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Here is another video clip of the movie star couple talking about how the campaign was talking its toll on their family life. Visit INQUIRER.net on YouTube for more video.
Oakwood officers seek plea bargain
MANILA, Philippines — Between 15 to 20 junior officers facing court martial on several charges, including mutiny, for a short-lived mutiny in July 2003 have reiterated their intention to strike a plea bargain, the lead military prosecutor in the case said Wednesday.
“Fifteen or 20 of the accused are now decided to reverse their plea from not guilty to guilty,” Colonel Pedro Herrera-Davila of the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAGO) told the military court.
The officers who have offered the plea bargain are among 59 being tried for mutiny and other charges including disrespect to the president and insubordination in connection with their takeover of the Oakwood luxury apartments in the Makati business district, Davila said.
“The other two-thirds [of the accused officers] have not made up their minds definitely, but are considering… reversing their plea from not guilty to guilty,” Davila told the court.
The case is different from that of the 29 officers who allegedly led the botched uprising, dubbed the Oakwood mutiny.
He said the officers have decided to change earlier demands which the court rejected but did not say what these demands were.
“The [officers'] decision has been communicated to higher authority and we have reason to adopt a position on the probability of approval of the proposed reversal of plea,” he added.
Davila is also the concurrent Staff Judge Advocate of chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
“Medyo nag-iba ang ihip ng hangin [The wind has shifted]…Before they were asking for the moon,” Davila told reporters in a later interview, again without elaborating.
“They are like San Juan; they don’t care what the others [accused officers] think,” Davila said, referring to Army First Lieutenant Lawrence San Juan, a member of the so-called Magdalo group who has reaffirmed allegiance to government.
In 2005, 184 enlisted men co-accused in the case were freed after they struck a plea bargain with military prosecutors.
Their close to two years’ detention was charged against their jail sentence and they were also penalized with up to two-step rank demotions and forfeiture of a portion of their salaries.
Lawyer Edgardo Abaya, who represents the officers undecided over whether to strike a plea bargain, talked with his clients for an hour after the hearing.
Meanwhile, two of the 59 officers, Navy Ensigns Ronald Paras and Cesar Pangan Jr. were inexplicably transferred to the Navy Intelligence and Security Force in Fort Bonifacio from Fort San Felipe in Cavite City, Davila and Abaya told the court.
“This move was not explained to this representation. I’m sure there must be a valid security reason for this,” Davila said.
Paras and Pangan did not attend the hearing. Nor was a spokesman for the Navy available for comment on the transfer.
Four others waived their appearance for Wednesday’s proceedings, including senatorial candidate Antonio Trillanes IV and Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon.
Trillanes and Faeldon are among the 29 alleged mutiny leaders. They were only charged for violation of Article of War 96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman) before the court martial since they have been charged with coup d’etat before a Makati City court.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
