Late last night, the story broke: Arroyo decides ‘not to continue’ with ZTE deal–Bunye. Today, the story got to be clarified further: GMA explains ZTE fiasco to Hu (as another story put it, Arroyo ‘stops’ deal with ZTE; China prexy accepts decision).
Obviously, that was the main objective of the President, with specific, domestic political considerations on her mind. As her people put it, ‘Political instinct’ made Arroyo scrap ZTE deal — Palace.
Having achieved that, she can then attend to other things.
Contrary to speculations to the contrary, the President has a serious reason for visiting China. She’s there in support of Philippine investments overseas, a legitimate and praiseweworthy thing for any president to do, and which explains why she’d go to China when the Chinese themselves are enjoying one of the major holidays in their culture.
As the news has it, Arroyo inaugurates Razon container terminal in Shandong. After all, Razon now most powerful businessman, says De Venecia son. Those interested in the maritime ports industry might be interested in the blog Maritime Watchkeeper.
The main thing is that prior to the electrifying news arriving late in the evening from China, the Palace faithful had been mobilized to propose the party line: Palace wants Senate to stop NBN deal investigation. This was expressed by the Executive Secretary when the President left; in addition, after the President left, her husband returned: obviously well-briefed on what he, in turn, should be saying: Mike Arroyo: I never said ‘Back off’.
What I found very curious last night was that a couple of hours before the news of the President’s statement was released, the distinct possibility that the scheduled ZTE hearing for Thursday would end up being either canceled outright, or postponed, began to circulate. Obviously, coming at the heels of official Palace expressions of desire -for the hearings to end- this is what made the scuttlebutt take on the Wow factor.
Consider, first, that resuming the hearings would further add scrutiny to an already open can of worms: Probe of PDI, 4 solons sought over leak on secret meeting (for its part, the paper I write for says, PDI stands by story on Joker’s intervention in Neri’s testimony). The Senate, then, having already spent yesterday arguing its case before the Supreme Court (see No TRO on ‘Hello Garci’ probe; SC grills petitioners) and earning a minor victory (no TRO to stop the Hello Garci hearings) and faced with that probe called by an angry Joker Arroyo, and headed for a justifiable confrontation with Romulo Neri on his invocation of executive privilege, seemed poised for, well, a home run.
As the Inquirer editorial for today put it, in The battle resumes:
This returns us to the Senate, which is due to resume its joint committee hearings on the ZTE deal. There will be two issues immediately confronting the chamber. First, allegations concerning the conduct of the executive session last Thursday. This was meant to allow senators the opportunity to understand why Chair Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education invoked executive privilege just as he had tantalizingly came close to revealing that the President had said more about Abalos’ bribe than just advising Neri not to accept the bribe.
Conflicting suggestions of improper behavior, either by senators or members of the Cabinet, in that executive session, have been made. One senator has asked whether these suggestions of improper, even scandalous, conduct justified the unprecedented move of some senators to reveal what took place. We say unprecedented, because the allegations of what happened during that executive session are unparalleled in the history of our Congress and perhaps any legislature in the modern era.
The second issue is whether or not to compel Neri to reveal what he knows but won’t say. Senators must decide if they will detain Neri and trigger, in turn, a case in the Supreme Court to settle, once and for all, whether the Cabinet member is right in invoking executive privilege. This is a confrontation that seems not only inevitable, but necessary. We cannot agree with Sen. Joker Arroyo that the Senate should quit while it is ahead.
It is by settling these two questions, which all hinge on Neri’s possessing information as to what the President knew, and when — and what she did or did not do, knowing what she knew — that checks and balances are asserted and the parameters of democracy are more clearly established. At stake is the ability of Congress to exercise oversight, of witnesses to use legitimate legal shields or hide behind legal barriers erected to cover up official wrongdoing. There is even the possibility that Neri’s value as a witness has been compromised, because he no longer has free will, and has been subjected to official intimidation — whether from the Senate, or the executive branch.
Except, the battle has been… well, to put it charitably, postponed. And this brings me to what got reporters scrambling back into action last night, even prior to the announcement by the Palace, that the President had ordered the ZTE deal “stopped”. Here’s the report by Malaya: Senate freezes probe into broadband deal. As their report puts it,
The freeze was a result of the decision to scrap an all-member caucus last night where a proposed hearing tomorrow was to be taken up.
The caucus was called to discuss how the Senate would pursue the inquiry after the resignation on Monday of Election Chairman Benjamin Abalos, the alleged broker of what was suspected as an overpriced supply contract with the Chinese company ZTE.
Earlier in the day, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the Senate investigation might not be relevant anymore after Abalos’ resignation.
“Ngayong wala na yung object ng kanilang investigation, ano’ng relevance noon?” he asked.
He added that President Arroyo “is very confident that things will somehow simmer down.”
Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Blue Ribbon, the lead committee, said the failure to hold a caucus only means that no hearing has been scheduled.
He said the inquiry will definitely continue.
He said the committee has subpoenaed the NEDA Investment Coordinating Committee for all documents relating to the ZTE contract. He said the transportation department has already submitted the documents in its hands upon receipt of a similar subpoena duces tecum.
Congress was originally scheduled to start its All Saints’ Day break on Oct. 13. On Monday, it was announced at the Senate that the recess would be advanced by a week.
As of last night, when the buzz about either a cancellation or a postponement began, Senators were contacted and immediately responded vigorously: Senate to continue with ZTE hearings–Cayetano. The rhetoric from all the chairmen was all right: we will continue, never fear, etc., etc., although the views of some colleagues, such as Francis Escudero, was noticeably temperate while other senators complained they never got the memo: Senator puzzled over lull in hearings on broadband deal:
He said no hearings were scheduled this week because his committee needed to assess the status of the investigation, which led to the resignation of Benjamin Abalos Sr. as Elections chief following allegations of bribery.
Before he took the floor, Cayetano told reporters in a press conference that the hearings would be scheduled some 10 to 14 days from now, during the four-week congressional break.
He also gave as reasons the impending absence of senators, who are about to go on a break, and the absence of resource persons willing to speak about the deal.
Actually, the whole country didn’t get the memo.
So I can’t help but wonder at the confluence of events.
A newspaper finishes layout pretty early, and there’s no indication, for example, Malaya held the presses, which makes it reasonable to consider that its story on a cancellation (outright) of the ZTE hearings was, at one point yesterday evening, in the cards. On the same day the Palace expressed the desire the whole thing should be stopped -and knowing, as we do now, that Ermita spoke knowing full well what the President would later on announce, after the formality of her meeting with the Chinese president was concluded.
The Senate had the chance to have two more weeks of hearings, but decided to knock off work early, and all the vows of pursuing the hearings after their vacation, doesn’t explain the thing that puzzles me. Politics is about timing. It requires seizing the initiative, and doggedly refusing to relinquish it. But then, with things going in its favor, the Senate decides to, well, how else can I put it?
Back off.
And just when there were more questions raised, than settled, by the President’s statement from China. As Manuel Buencamino puts it,
Once upon a time Gloria Arroyo rightly laid out clear policy guidelines for the broadband network: build, operate and transfer; no loans; no sovereign guarantees; use and pay, rather than take or pay. Then one day, suddenly and without any explanation, she reversed those guidelines.
Can she tell us why the ZTE deal was so hastily approved that her Cabinet cannot even make up its mind whether it’s a supply contract or an executive agreement?
Can Mrs. Arroyo tell us why she allowed a contract of this magnitude to be signed even if it did not follow the proper sequence of steps as dictated by laws and regulations?
Can she explain why a concessionary loan is better than no loan at all?
Can she explain why it’s better to spend billions of pesos to own and operate an exclusive network that taxpayers will pay for whether the government uses it or not, rather than a network whose services taxpayers will pay for only when the government uses it?
Can she tell us how, and why, the Department of Justice (DOJ) rendered an opinion on a contract it never even saw?
Can she tell us why the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) did not furnish a copy of the contract to the DOJ when DOTC chief Leandro Mendoza admitted to the Senate that his department had finished reconstituting the contract on May 24, weeks before the DOJ rendered its opinion?
Can she tell us why she allowed Mendoza to keep the departments of Justice, Trade, Finance, Budget, the Executive Secretary, the Palace legal counsel and the public in the dark?
Is pushing through with the deal only a legal matter to be settled by the Supreme Court, or more important, is it a taxpayer expense that must be justified?
Meanwhile, the Palace suddenly has the means (and most definitely, the motive) to then pursue its prey (just when it seemed businessmen were beginning to start showing signs of increasing uneasiness about the Palace: see Tongue In. Anew, who has an interesting take on things).
After the primary prey of the opposition, the now ex-Comelec Chairman, has quit (entrusting his fate into the hands of our deeply respected Ombudsman, which, as this report indicates, is overflowing with the milk of human kindness: Ombudsman Gutierrez logs a record of going easy on Abalos, Comelec), taking him out of the game, the Senate takes itself out of the game, too, for a month.
And there’s also wiggle room in the Supreme Court: Motion to junk NBN-ZTE deal not yet moot – Supreme Court, by which I mean, there’s time to further buttress the Palace arguments by means of filing appropriate motions…
As Uniffors puts it,
Anyway, Gloria and Mike are on the ropes, to use a boxing term… The whole nation is waiting for the Senate to go in for the knockout… But what does the Senate do?… It decides to go on its All Saints Day vacation a week early.
Gloria and Mike will now have until Nov 5, at the earliest, to gather their wits, marshall their strength, and work their way back into the fight.
To be fair, the Senate’s decision to suddenly advance their vacation and to postpone the ZTE hearings indefinitely was not entirely Alan Peter Cayetano’s to make. It was a collective decision. (Maybe everyone collected. 200 each maybe?)
But here’s why we take Alan Peter Cayetano to task.
Remember those two impeachment hearings in the House? Remember how he and Chiz Escudero, led the charge for truth and all that against overwhelming odds?
Well, where the fuck is that crusader now? He didn’t even put up a fight.
I don’t know if this is the same Alan Peter Cayetano that we elected to the Senate so we would have someone to look out for us. Maybe the man we think is Alan Pater Cayetano is really Juju Cayetano, the fake candidate who ran for senator last May. That’s the kindest thought I can have for him right now.
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Juju and Alan Peter in a picture together. Maybe because they’re one and the same now. Peke.
With breathing room the Palace, intends to make permanent: Spare First Gentleman, Neri from future NBN hearings–Palace, it now only has to face one: a potentially bruising battle for the first time ever, over the budget. House begins plenary debates on 2008 budget.
We all know that the greatest power of the House, is the power of the purse. A House inclined to be unpleasant to a President can go over the budget with fine-toothed comb, subject cabinet officials and presidential appointees to an inquisition, and unlike the Senate, it can do so without anyone really noticing -or with everyone watching if the House tells reporters to expect fireworks.
But instead of facing a battle on two fronts, the President, knowing Senators are off to attend the Interparliamentary Union gabfest, and so she can instead focus on, well, this story tells it all: ‘I have nothing to fear,’ says De Venecia on ouster rumors.
The antidote to threats of a House with a sudden zest for taking budget-writing seriously, is to say: look, for a whole month, JDV3 is going to get hammered by the Palace. And daddy, too.
Anyway, good news: Senate approves cheaper medicines bill.
And cool news: Super jet to touch down in RP next week.
And I think Sassy Lawyer is spot on why people should cut “Desperate Housewives” some slack.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, impeachment, journalism, philippines, politics, Senate, society
I am just simply – frustrated at the senate, to say the least. can i curse here? i mean t*!g i*a nyo mga h*@!p kayo! the whole country wants too see this through, not to let up on it! amp. now i can truly say none among the senate is deserving of being the next president.
can we move now to including them on the guys to be lynched?
Nagsabwatan na po sila. Sayang lang ang kuryente sa panonood ng TV nung hearing. Dapat MLQ III ikaw na tumakbo sa susunod na election, tiyak hindi ka nila kayang bilhin, hehehe! Para naman hindi na masabing sayang ang kuryente sa panonood sa senado.
Di bale yung big business, pwede yang umalis, maraming pera yan. Paano naman yung ordinaryong Pinoy na gaya ko? Tsk!Tsk!Tsk! Paano na kaya yung mga nasa squatter’s area?
(1) The CANCELLATION of the ZTE-NBN deal is the most logical way out for GMA (and those under her that are involved). The issue has gathered so much “controversy and scandal” that pushing thru with it might just be the “last straw” for GMA and her streak of successfully “escaping scandals” in the nick of time. The said move might not end all these “whispers and speculations” but it would somehow shut some doors for some opportunistic political maneuver by the Opposition.
2) Whether the Chinese received the bad news well or not remains to be seen. After all, China might have other bigger plans in line with reference to “Projects in the Philippines.” I don’t think there would be some dire diplomatic consequences. USD 329M might be USD329M but it’s peanuts for the Chinese.
(3) If a Senate Hearing would push thru, needless to say, there would be some standoff that would happen. As you’ve said: THE LEAK on what transpired during the EXECUTIVE SESSION is a matter that some Senators might not pass up. ADDING INSULT TO INJURY is the fact that the PDI (Philippine Daily Inquirer) stood by its Report. The Sotto Law would again be revisited. The question is, would the Senate Hearing be about the NBN-ZTE deal or some other matters – a possible infighting among the Senators in National TV.
(4) The move of ABALOS to resign is a SMART MOVE however we see it. Fighting out an IMPEACHMENT would have put him in a situation wherein it would better for him to DIG HIS OWN GRAVE rather than submit himself to the Impeachment Court (the Senate). Now being a Private Citizens, a lot of thorns were pulled from his neck. Although he’s not off the hook yet, we know too well who would handle his cases – the OMBUDSMAN. If the speculation is true that Abalos has the blessing of the Palace (on brokering the ZTE deal) then he’s as good as free. Let the issue die down, to thru the motions and he’ll retire RICH and COMFY.
(5) What we see in here are BREATHERS for Abalos and Neri, for Malacanang, for the Senate, and a respite for the Public from all these tv broadcasts. I have heard that some Government Offices and even Private Offices put a halt to their work just to watch Senate proceedings. This is to the advantage of the ones who are being accused in all these. A setback to the Senate perhaps.
(6) Finally, the CHEAPER MEDICINES BILL passed the Senate amidst much opposition. I have been waiting for this particular bill to be passed because it would benefit a lot of people – the Filipino people. I hope that more than the LAW itself, the IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations) would be implemented. It would be a waste if this LAW would become another USELESS just because people doesn’t have the balls to implement it. Surely, the Pharmaceutical Companies still have some “tricks” reserved in their bags.
Nice Article MLQ3. Lots of issues that could be ramified and discussed in-depth. Interesting indeed.
“Finally, the CHEAPER MEDICINES BILL passed the Senate amidst much opposition.”
before we celebrate, if i remember correctly, it was the House that derailed this bill, after Teddy Locsin cried foul at the presence of pharma lobbyist in the gallery. and correct me if im wrong, this bill would again pass in the House before it is transmitted for the President to sign, right?
so what makes us think, the House will again give us small blessings?
nowadays, it’s either the House or the Senate that lets us down. and i can’t take this crap anymore but to call for everyone to pester these useless officials to death!
and we can’t wait for the catholic church to rally us with her own battlecry as its quite obvious the church has now been co-opted under the leadership of the devil. we can only pray that the true priests under this church realize this, and exorcise that demon lording over them all.
dyos na mahabagin, kelan pa, kung wala na kaming luha, tigang na ang lupa, at nangangatog na ang aming mga tuhod?
I think it’s about time the Senate introduce a resolution calling on the NBI to take over the investigations. Since the Senators are to eager to find out the “facts” of the case, I believe the NBI is the only body capable of investigating the complex tangled web of the now famous NBN mystery. And I also believe it is one of the remaining impartial and independent agencies remaining.
karah, i think hu jintao has many other things on his mind. apparently, an interesting repositioning of the chinese leadership is ongoing:
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=734&Itemid=31
Vic,
I reckon NBI will move alright if asked by Senators but getting to the bottom and bringing out what’s in that bottom, doubt it very very much.
I know that you commended the La Salle Brothers in the previous thread for being ‘gutsy’ (compared to their Jesuit counterparts). However, the Brothers should realize that they also share the blame for failing to teach some of their students the right values. If they don’t want to be responsible for further transforming our society into one that is hospitable only to rich people and their thugs, they should take stronger action. They can start by abandoning use of the Enrique M. Razon Sports Center.
NBI?
o_0
cjv, i think most of the christian brothers are good people, and they went the extra mile when most other schools wouldn’t. and for their (and their students’) trouble, they got beaten up by a mob of angry pro gma alumni. meanwhile they’re also trying to reorient the la salle system from what i understand, towards a more mass-based approach (i.e. what the la salle schools are in other countries, schools aimed primarily at helping educate the poor) but again, they’re up against the alumni who would have to fund those endeavors so, i don’t know, my personal sympathies are still for them and their students (and to think i’m not a lasallite but my dad was).
MLQ3 What does this “o_0” mean?
mlq3, i think even Mother Theresa accepted money without asking any questions for the sake of those under her care. However, the Brothers have to recognize that they are in a unique opportunity to educate their currently powerful alumnus, something they apparently failed to do when he was still enrolled in the school. They have to reflect and consider what would the God they promised to serve tell them to do at this moment in our history, in a society where selling out is becoming the norm?
karah, it’s an emoticon of sorts.
there’s 🙂
and 😛
and 😉
and versions like:
>_
Devils It’s a case of a “partial victory.” Yes, the House version did not pass their version yet then if there are still disagreements, they will tackle it in the BICAMERAL Committee. JDV promised he would pass this bill and as far as I can say, JDV would see this through (fingers crossed). Afther all has been said and done in the Legislature, the President would sign it into LAW and there we have it.
One interesing thing to note re Cheaper Medicine Bill in the House is that this BILL is being sponsored by some Congresspeople that have “political clout” in their districts. Take for example, Rep. Janette Garin from Iloilo. The Garins are considered a political clan having a political dynasty that spans several towns in Iloilo. But then again, all we have to do is be vigilant and put pressure to pass this bill thru the different Districts of the Representatives.
MLQ3 Now I get it. @_@ (too much blogging). Look at the eyebags of that emoticon. 😀
Karah, if you hang around this blog long enough (or if you back read earlier posts), you’ll eventually notice one commenter who compulsively uses smileys as a substitute for wit. 😉
karah, i think this will be killed again when it passes through the house. methinks even that show by Locsin was part of the plan to have the bill killed, since it was tackled at the tail end of the House’s calendar.
i’d take JDV’s word if he’d prioritize this bill to be tackled instead of some other lesser bills.
cvj Will try to observe who you’re referring to . 😛
cvj,
The LaSalle Sports Center was built not out of Razon’s donation but mostly out of alumni donations, named after Razon because of donations to the U’s sports programs. I suggest that LaSallians petition for a change of name. Poll alumni for suggestions on more appropriate name.
MBW, then call the RCMP, they always get their man, but one time they made a booboo an Arar and cost the Commissioner his job..
and $12 millions of our tax-dollar to compensate mr. arar..
MLQ3: I would surmise that President Hu has some people that handles things maybe on a “regional basis.” A point man for each region in the globe. Besides, the Philippines is but one of the countries that China is eyeing to gain its support. (In my own inference, China sees the Philippines in terms of its TACTICAL and STRATEGIC advantage not only in Southeast Asia but Asia on the whole – just a hunch).
Although CHINA is still a Communist Country, it has gone a long way in introducing and injecting Capitalism upon itself. China is enjoying really really prosperous times. Even the Americans and Europeans are trying to outrun each other on how gains the first foothold on certain industries. After all 1.3 Billion consumers is still 1.3B consumers in terms of Business.
cjv, i think that means that maybe the person the sports center was named after was a deceased alumnus and not someone still living. in which case, the name should be left alone.
Devils PPHI (Philippine Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Industry) still has a “bag of tricks” up its sleeve. There were rumors of a 1 Billion peso “lobby kitty” just to kill this piece of Legislation.
The last time I heard JDV on National TV, I think he specifically singled out 2 pending bills that he said he would prioritize and see through – the General Appropriations Act and the Cheaper Medicines Bill. Hey, JDV might be a lot of things but he can get things done down the line.
It might be a good thing that I didn’t come from La Salle or Ateneo. At least, I don’t need to take sides. 😀
Just read that Malacanang has asked the Desperate Housewives people to apologize. When Malacanang starts battling with TV soap opera producers at a time when there are corruption charges being levied at their doors, I become deeply suspicious.
There is to my mind something more than just reacting because Ermita felt culturally slighted. Ermita is from the military and not a lil strategist. To my mind, Ermita’s stepping in to defend the honour of our medical people is because Malacanang is trying hard to position Filipino guns away from the corruption controversy.
It’s an old, very old political technique. National leaders turn to a perceived foreign enemy to distract your people away from more pressing and extremely hot issues at home. When there is a foreign enemy, perceived or not, the tendency for people is to unite even against a most despicable leader!
Argentina did that by invading the Falklands. Argentina’s economy was so bad so their president did the only thing to do – he threw the country into a frenzy by training the nation’s guns against a foreign enemy to unite his nation behind him thus was born one of the most haphazard military adventures in modern history: the invasion of the Falklands!
It could have been a politically astute maneuver if Argentina wasn’t near economic collapse. What happened? He had a few weeks respite but in the end, his govt was brought down.
OK, we are not in the same economic situation that Argentian was faced then but you see, all of us agree that Malacanang needs a breather to maneuver without getting interrupted so are trying to focus people onto another direction – the US and against a soap opera on TV! Geez…
Filipinos mustn’t get all excited by this latest Malacanang trick!
Pete, thanks for that information. I think your suggestion of changing the name of the building is a good one. The Brothers went overboard by renaming the entire building given that it was a joint effort by DLSU alumni.
mlq3, sorry but i have to disagree with you on that one.
karah, in matters involving society as a whole everyone has to take sides. even not taking sides is taking sides.
mbw, that email is circulating in my high school yahoo group. you know what gets the elite crowd going.
cvj,
Considering mlq3’s advice that the name of beloved alumnus be left alone, maybe an option to be included in a survey among alumni is a petition to Ricky who has opened a port terminal in Shandong to change his name to its Chinese equivalent, many Chinoy Lasallians can suggest many good names, Leeky Lasong Sua Pang,
cvj Count me in to the side that “does not take any sides” on the La Salle-Ateneo issue. 😛
MBW, The desperate housewife show may been alluding to the Medical Graduates not with Pilipino frofiles that may have fake Diplomas made in Recto…A townmate of mine, who had undergone two years engineering undergraduate, needed an Engineering Diploma to avail the program offered by his employer, the Hydro co. for training in Nuclear Engineering and he was able to procure one from Recto school of everything and now a retired consultant for his employer making $70 an hour, plus his company pension and government pension. That Recto Diploma did him good…
cjv, here’s the distinction: you said it’s the Enrique M. Razon sports center. the businessman you mentioned and in the news these days is Enrique K. Razon Jr. So, a change in name is irrelevant to the point you’d like dlsu alumni to make. a group of alumni donating to build a sports center in EMR’s name makes sense, then, he must’ve been a famous sports figure in the school’s past.
karah, point taken. it skipped my mind that “ateneo vs. la salle” does not involve society as a whole. (must be because i’m from La Salle).
karah,
re national security implications of China investments
necessitates the creation of the Philippine-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
To monitor, investigate, and submit to congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the Phillippines and the People’s Republic of China, and to provide recommendations, where appropriate, to Congress for legislative and administrative action.
Manolo, the building was built in 1998 and originally named “Br. Athanasius Sports Complex”. The name change occured in February 2003, after Enrique K. Razon Jr’s 50 million peso donation in January 2003.
cjv: oh! as charlie chan supposedly said, “the clot thickens.”
MBW I don’t watch Desperate Housewives and the only time I have heard about this was thru your comment. I took it upon myself to browse the Online News re: Desperate Housewives incident. I think this was the line that made news: “Can I check those diplomas again? Because I would just like to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”
Tried to do some digging up some more until I arrived at the ABC Message Boards of Desperate Housewives. As usual, I saw comments mostly from Filipinos. It’s quite common that Filipinos easily band together when statements to that effect are hurled again Filipinos.
I think the right term there is DIVERSIONARY TACTICS. I imagine, Sec. Ermita talking in front of the Malacanang Press Corpts about the demand of the Gov’t that Producers of the Desperate Housewives issue an apology. Very bizaare. 😀
The Falkland War experience was a bitter loss by Argentina. Their internal problems alone is creating civil unrest and they covered this “national dilemma” with another problem by going to war with BRITAIN. Isn’t that suicide? What’s more humiliating is the fact that Britain at that time had a Women Prime Minister. 😀
I wonder who are the RESIDENT SPIN DOCTORS in Malacanang at the moment. I hope they didn’t get their diploma from Recto.
Hah! I saw it probably twice in my hotel room in the UK for want of nothing else to do. Not popular I think over in mainland Eurpe.
But you are absolutely spot on, Karah! Ed Ermita’s trick is no more no less a DIVERSIONARY TACTIC.
Fake diplomas are not possible in the United States especially for professions where practice needs the passing of the US examination.
The authorities that give the permit to test, get the original copies directly from universities and the Professional Regulation Commission for the license.
For those who wish to pursue higher education, the school requires from the local universities, the course description and if the translation of transcripts in English if they are written in the language other than English. Some requires accreditation especially those who come from new universities and they don’t have previous reords of the curricular programs.
As I have commented in my blog, the writer is the moron who thought that line was funny.
First, before you can practice in the US, you have to undergo residency. The credentials are subjected to scrutiny. Then you have also to pass their local examinations or reciprocity recognition. All these entail
hard verifiable documents.
So the issue of the diploma mill in Recto is not acceptable.
But I am not advocating for boycott of a TV series, I do not even watch.
A letter demanding for apology is just in order to inform them hey, that’s wrong.
Constructive criticism is different from a remark that is meant to insult.
My late father-in-law used to be invited by University of Sto. Tomas to lecture on pathology. He had respect and admiration for Filipino doctors. His staff in one of the SF hospital came from diverse ethnicity.
The whole family has nothing but good words for Filipino nurses.
Yup a military general at the head of Argentinian govt given a beating by a civilian woman prime minister – love Maggie for that. (You know that she too was having political problems at home then? Her victory in the Falklands gave her much needed lease to go on…)
Pete It’s a good idea but a lot of things are good in paper but on paper alone. Could you give a more details on this suggestion of yours.
What will be formed is a mere Advisory Panel. Is there a need for a counterpart Congressional Oversight or Senate Oversight regarding this matter?
Re Diversionary tactics: Edong Ermita, ever the general and no lil political strategist, is adopting same old, tired, military tactic: train national guns against a perceived FOREIGN enemy to unite nation behind leader.
MBW I have heard of that Soap Opera but never got interested. I’d rather watch Alias and 24. 😀
MBW I don’t think the Spin Doctors in Malacanang are doing well their jobs. Let’s ask MLQ3 who’s the Resident Spin Doctor at the Palace at the moment, sure he’s got some ideas. 😀
enrique m razon also managed ports. he was a well known business figure during the marcos years. so 200 says, he could be the father or uncle of enrique k.
cvj, you can tell us about bro. athanasius and why his contributions to La Salle had less value than 50M pesos.
Of course I know a little about Pinoy Doctors Practicing in u.s.. My youngest sis and her husband are both medical doctors in new york, but their diplomas are good, one from U.E. and one from west visayas state university (my sis had a little trouble explaining because she has in hers a “college” before the school was designated a university).
But anyways, even with all the checks and verifications, some could still go through with conspiracy from school officials. What Im reffering here is that somebody with enough backgroud to pass the evaluation exams., expecially from those that come from countries with reputable educational institutions. The college of physician and surgeon had caught a few after their lack of compentency were exposed later…
MBW Yeah, the British victory in the Falkland War not only bolstered Thatcher’s Political position but he gained a lot of support from the Public and Parliament after showing her mettle against those “machismo Argentinian generals.”
I think, Thatcher won another Elections because of the Falkland War victory . 😀
the palace has always been so compartmentalized that just when you think you know who is doing the spinning, it turns out someone else is spinning the spin… it’s spin a win!
Karah, yes, she did on the strength of her victory over the Falklands.
Which leads us to this: if Gloria invades Sabah and wins, she just might get the nation to forget all about the corruption scandals besetting her. Heh! Dunno thought if her Richelieu (the original was a also general), Ed Ermita has the guts to do go and charge Badawi’s generals in Sabah.
mlq3,
‘Political instinct’ made Arroyo scrap ZTE deal — Palace.
Isn’t it more like ‘survival instinct’ that made Arroyo back off from the deal? The same instinct that also made her ‘kapit sa patalim’ to the Chinese as her ally to finance the economy’s take-off to justify her stay in office? The more the oppositionists push her to the wall
and the more vague and suspicious the US deals with her
the more she’ll rely on the Chinese. Her playing the China card is an instinctive reaction to both domestic and international political threats on her political survival.
GMA’s instinctive reaction to threats on her political survival makes her the most serious threat to national security. What poses the more serious threat the local communist insurgency or Red China’s investments in strategic infrastructure? Ka Roger roaming in the mountains or ZTE NBN controlling gov’t communications and information systems?
The Senate should summon National Security advisers and seat in an executive session on this matter.