BY ASHZEL HACHERO
Malaya; February 25, 2010

MANNY Villar, presidential candidate of the Nacionalista Party, and Manuel Roxas, vice presidential bet of the Liberal Party, have gotten the support of the Magdalo group which said it could deliver at least 250,000 votes.

The “price” of the support: He will not enter into an alliance with President Arroyo; and he will pursue the Magdalo advocacy on poverty alleviation, anti-corruption, peace in Mindanao, and reform and modernization of the Armed Forces.

A third condition, according to Acedillo, is for Villar to allow other detained Magdalo members to serve in government.

Asked to explain if the condition — “malayang makapagsilbi ulit sa gobyerno an gaming mga kasamahan sa pamumuno ng aming chairman a si Sen. (Antonio) Trillanes IV” — means they would seek amnesty for the detained Magdalo members, Acedillo noted the Magdalo members are still undergoing trial for coup and rebellion. He said they might move for amnesty in the next administration.

The group also endorsed senatorial candidates from different parties, including former fellow military officers Danilo Lim of LP and Ariel Querubin of NP, who are facing court martial for a plot to overthrow the Aquino government in 2006.

Former Air Force 1st Lt. Ashley Acedillo, Magdalo national spokesman, said his group reached the decision after a nationwide consultation process with 400 national and local chapters which have at least 55,000 members.

Acedillo said Villar got 52 percent of the votes of the members and Aquino, or five more than Aquino.

Asked why the Magdalo chose Villar over Aquino, Acedillo said Villar has the competence, character and vision to lead the country.

“Consider this a personal bias, having come from the military. It goes without saying that there is a premium in leadership. The ability to lead the men under you, I think that played a big role,” he said.

Acedillo said the group’s endorsement of Villar and Roxas does not mean severing friendship with other candidates.

“Sina President Erap Estrada, Sen. Noynoy Aquino, Sen. Loren Legarda at Mayor Jojo Binay ay mga mabubuting tao at sila ay mga kaibigan ng Magdalo at mananatiling kaibigan sa kabila ng pag-endorsong ito,” Acedillo said.

The Magdalo late last year endorsed Sen. Francis Escudero, who later dropped out of the presidential race.

Acedillo dismissed reports that the Magdalo group was offered money by Villar in return for its endorsement.

“Sampal po sa amin yun kung may ganun at siguro naman kilala ninyo kami kahit nakakulong kami hindi kami tumanggap ng ganun. Gusto ko lang pong linawin na walang perang involved dito. Mayroon po tayong advocacy na pinaglalaban dito,” he said.

The Magdalo’s other senatorial candidates are Pia Cayetano (NP), Jinggoy Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Susan “Toots” Ople (NP), Gilbert Remulla (NP), Adel Tamano (NP), Ruffy Biazon (LP), Tito Sotto (NPC), JV Bautista (PMP), Joey De Venecia (PMP) and Bongbong” Marcos (NP).

Villar expressed gratitude to the Magdalo whose endorsement, he said, showed his being a “genuine oppositionist.”

“At inaasahan natin ang paglaya ng ating mga sundalong nagnais at patuloy na nagtutulak ng pagbabago sa bansa,” he also added.

Lim, a former general, thanked the Magdalo.

As to the Magdalo’s choice of presidential bet, he said he respects the choice. Lim is running under the LP and is an adopted candidate of the PMP. – With JP Lopez and Czarina Rufino

Ni Ellen Tordesillas
Pebrero 17, 2010

Ang yabang talaga nitong executive secretary ni Gloria Arroyo.

Minaliit kahapon ni Executive Secretary Ermita ang kandidatura ni Brig. Gen. Danny Lim at ang dalawang Magdalo na oisyal, si James Layug, dating kapitan sa Philippine Navy na ngayon ay tumatakbo para kongresista sa second district ng Taguig, at si Gary Alejano, dating Marine captain na ngayon ay tumatakbo para mayor ng Sipalay sa Negros Occidental.
Tinatanong si Ermita kung ang pagpayag ni Judge Elmo Alameda ng Makati Regional Trial Court na makapagpiyansa sina Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, at ang 16 na Magdalo na opisyal at sundalo kasama na doon sina Layug at Alejano ay makakatulong sa kanilang kandidatura, ang sagot ni Ermita na painsulto “Oh..oh…oh.. Only in the Philippines.”

Nakalimutan na yata ni Ermita na minaliit din nila noong 2007 si Trillanes. Kaya nga nila pinayagan kumandidato kasi akala nila walang pagasang mananalo. Kasi nga naman, walang pera, nakakulong pa.

Kaya malaking sampal sa mukha nila ang pagkapanalo ni Trillanes, ang talagang nanlaban at lumalaban sa pagtraidor at pang-aabuso ni Arroyo sa bayan.

Ito namang pagpayag ni Alameda na ppwede na sila mag-bail sa kasong rebelyon kaugnay ng Nov 2007 na insidente sa Manila Peninsula, ang tuno ni Ermita ay wala rin mangyari dyan kasi dalawang kaso ang hinaharap ng mga Magdalo.

Maliban sa 2007 na rebelyon, nandiyan pa rin ang 2003 na coupd’etat kaugnay ng paninindigan nina Trillanes sa Oakwoon Hotel noong Hulyo 2003.

Sabi ni Ermita, iku-contest dawn ng prosecution ang pagpiyansa nina Trillanes, Lim, Layug, Alejano at 14 pa dahil malakas daw ang kaso nila.

Sinabi kasi ni Alameda sa mga ebidensya na binigay ng prosecution, ang maa-aring kasalanan nina Trillanes ay “contempt of court” at hindi rebelyon.

Sabi ni Alameda, “No direct, material and competent evidence adduced to prove the specific act committed by the accused constituting the crime of rebellion or any of the elements thereof. The walkout from the court, the marching to the Manila Peninsula hotel and the press conference held in the same hotel denouncing the administration of President [Gloria Macapagal-]Arroyo are not sufficient to prove the non-bailable crime of rebellion.”

Ang rebelyon kasi ay kung nag-alsa ang maraming-maraming taong may armas ang umalsa. Sabi ni Alameda hindi yan napatunyan ng prosecution.

Hindi talaga mapatunayan dahil wla naman talagang rebelyon.

Kung maayos ang pagpiyansa ng mga nakakulong na mga opisyal, baka si Trillanes na lang nag maiwan dahil hindi naman siya pinapayagan mag-piyansa sa coup d’etat niyang kaso kaugnaay ng insidente sa Oakwood.
Kahit ganun, nagpapasalamat si Trillanes at mukhang hindi napi-pressure si Alameda.

Posted by Ellen Tordesillas at ellen tordesillas.com (February 1, 2010)

1. This is NOT my fight and this should not be the people’s fight as well. Our fight should be with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and we should not be distracted from this. She’s about to appoint a new AFP Chief of Staff and a new Chief Justice in March. These appointments and how they will be done (particularly for the CJ) would be indicators of whether she has plans of stepping down or not. Aside from these, the prospect of the failure of elections scenario is still up in the air. In short, anything that deflects attention from her is playing according to her script. We must always remain vigilant and must never underestimate her.

2. It is a graft case and not an ethics case. Bulk of the evidence presented dealt with acts committed as early 1999 when Sen. Villar was still a congressman and during his first term as Senator. I believe that ethics cases should only cover acts committed after the mandate was given which, in this case, is 2007. With that, the only evidence left would be the double insertion in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). The problem is, the draft of the GAA was approved and presented to the plenary by the Finance Committee which was then headed by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. Said GAA was later on approved by the majority in the Senate. Therefore, assuming there were double insertions, it was the responsibility of Sen. Enrile’s staff to scrutinize the GAA and correct all anomalies and typo errors before being approved by Sen. Enrile. When it was approved by Sen. Enrile and presented to the plenary, it now became the responsibility of each Senator to scrutinize it again before approving it. Therefore, all those who voted for the approval of the GAA became equally liable for that double insertion.

An ethics case is similar to an honor violation being tried by the Honor Committee in PMA. Regardless, whether you have been caught shoplifting or was expelled for cheating before you became a cadet, only acts or honor violations committed as a cadet are covered or considered by the Honor Committee.
My recommendation, therefore, is to have this case filed before the Ombudsman so that all the evidence can be considered and the appropriate penalties be meted out. If the ulterior motive is to destroy the credibility of Sen. Villar in relation to his candidacy then it should have the same impact since the media can always cover it there. Otherwise, if it’s done in the Senate, it would not only undermine the said institution (which, ironically, everybody claims to protect) but also create a very dangerous precedent.

3. Sen. Noynoy Aquino should have taken the moral high ground by abstaining from the proceedings. Sen. Aquino has been painted as the “moral choice” and one way to affirm this is by publicly stating that in order not to be perceived as being involved in the political harassment of a fellow candidate for president, he would just abstain from the entire proceedings. Sen. Aquino is in a position to take the election campaigning to a higher plane and must do so at every turn.