I waited for the Senate hearing on the ZTE SCAM last Wednesday with mixed expectations – being hopeful on the one hand and a bit pessimistic on the other. I was hopeful the former NEDA Chairman (now CHED) Sec. Romulo Neri would bare everything he knows about the fiasco. I was also expecting, on the other hand, that Malacanang would play its game plan. Sa aking pagtingin kasi imposibleng pumayag ang Malakanyang na sumipot sa hearings na ito ang kanyang mga tauhan na walang set play kung baga pa sa basketball.
May teorya na ako sa set play ng Malakanyang kaya alam kong malakas ang kanilang kaba noong Wednesday. Bakit? Dahil sa araw na iyon isinalang ang kanilang “weakest link” kumbaga, si Sec. Romy Neri. Kung ang Malakanyang ang masusunod, wala si Sec. Romy Neri hearing na iyon sa Senado kundi nasa piling ni GMA. Noong inimbita kasi si Romy Neri ng Senado, biglang namiss ni Glori sa Romy Neri at inanyayahan syang sumabay sa biyahe nya papuntang New York. Kinailangan pang magkaroon ng vigil ang mga tao sa labas ng bahay nina Neri para masigurong di ito itatanan ni GMA para di makapagtestigo sa Senado.
Tsarannnn!!!! eto po ang itsura ng aking desktop dahil tinag ako ni Rhapsody. Yin and yang ang tema nito na may Dragon at Tiger na akmang maglalambingan ng slight. Lately naglinis ako ng aking mga proggies kaya medyo malinis pa ang itsura nito. Dati kasi maraming mga shortcuts ng kung anu-anong boot programs ang nasa desktop ko nung panahong mahilig ako makipag-gyera sa chatrooms at nagmumukha itong cyber armory.
Kamakailan ay nag eksperimento ako sa styles sa tulong ng tune-up utilities kaya ayan sa ngayon ay kulay graphite muna ang aking mga backgrounds. Masarap sa mata… maliban na sa paborito ko ang kulay na gray at black. Ayan hehehe may pagka wholesome na ang aking desktop.
A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by:
[1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).
[2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).
[3] If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.
B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that.
C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.
D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.
Eto po ang Youtube entry ng AB-ZTE-FG na bagong alphabet song mula sa sikat mabahong ZTE Scam.
Hay lord of the rings ano na lang mangyayari sa ating bansa. Magbabayad na naman tayo ng utang na di natin napapakinabangan. Medyo tinamaan na rin ang Malakanyang, nagkusa raw silang itigil muna ang pagpapatupad ng ZTE project kasi nga daw i-rereview pa. Ayan kinabahan at kumurap din ang mga buwaya…. pero wag masyado umasa… ang ibig sabihin lang nito ay masyado nang mainit ang issue at kung masyado nang mainit tumataas ang presyo ng mga taong sangkot kapalit ng pananahinik. Ibig sabihin lang ng suspension ng project ay kailangan ng Malakanyang ng konti time out para itago ang mga dapat itago, burahin ang mga dapat burahin, patahimikin ang mga dapat patahimik. Sa gitna nitong lahat wag nating kalimutan na di pa natin nakikita ang KONTRATA na pinirmahan ni Sec. Mendoza at ng ZTE na sinaksihan ng ating Mahal na Presidente. Sa pagmamadali daw kasi nila pagkatapos ang pirmahan, ay na-MISPLACE diumano ang kopya ng Pilipinas ng kontrata kaya hanggang ngayon ni anino ng pinirmahang kontrata at di pa natin nakikita…
Lakas ng loob nilang mag-announce na isususpend muna nila ang ZTE Deal na parang utang pa ng taong bayan sa kanila ang suspension na ito. Haller, di ba nauna nang mag-issue ng Temporary Restraining Order ang Supreme Court sa ZTE Deal? E ano pa ang silbi ng suspension nyo mga hitad? Sabagay, mas lalong nahalata na PAGPAPALAMIG ang habol nyo para maikubli ang di dapat masilip ng mga tao.
Hay lord!!! Only in the GOVERNMENT of the Philippines nangyayari ito.
Whooaaaa time really flies… Christmas is just around the corner and I didn’t even realize it until I was reminded (read: tagged) by Tintin Sendy that it was time to make my Christmas wishes. Christmas has always been the happiest season during my childhood. It was a season of abundance, of new clothes and toys, of candies, sweets and food, of visiting relatives and friends. Christmas was a time for seemingly endless celebrations and parties. Christmas was indeed merry when I was a kid.
But Christmas gradually lost its magic as I begin to grow up. Times have become more difficult for my family.Food, clothes, toys and candies have gradually slipped beyond our reach. Then I realized that we were not alone, that other families too are facing hard times and some have even more difficulties than my family. Stripped of funfare and other external and material manisfestations of the Christmas season, one is left pondering the real meaning of Christmas. The more hardships we face, the more we realize the need to SHARE. Stripped of all the fancy celebrations of the season and faced with the direness of the lives of those around us, we realize that we need to share HOPE to each other. The less material gifts we can give, the more we realize the LOVE is a more meaningful gift for Christmas. Stripped of the commercial and material colors of Christmas, we come face to face with the meaning of Christ’s birth — that of Sharing, Hope and Love.
And among us, who would know the truest meanings of the words Sharing, Hope and Love but the children amidst us. For them i dedicate this song from Noel Cabangon – Children of Tomorrow:
At the end of each week this blog will feature two (2) individuals who has made it big in the news during the week. The PALABAN Award will be awarded to an individual or group who has made a courageous stand for a cause. Ang award na ito ay para sa mga naninindigan para sa ikabubuti ng ating bayan, mga tao at grupong maari nating ipagmalaki at huwarang tularan.
On the other hand, the MALABANAN Award will be given to an individual or group who has gained notoriety in the news for actions that will put the Filipino nation to shame or committed acts that are detrimental to us as a people and nation. Tinatawag itong Malabanan Award dahil ang mga tao o grupong makakatanggap ng award na itoay bagay na bagay isama sa hinigigop ng mga truck ng poso negro.
FOR MAKING A GALLANT STAND AGAINST FRATERNITY HAZING AND FOR RESIGNING FROM SIGMA RHO IN PROTEST OF THE VIOLENT DEATH OF CRIS ANTHONY MENDEZ
THE PALABAN AWARD OF THE WEEK
IS AWARDED TO:
JOVITO R. SALONGA
Jovi Salonga has made his mark in Philippine politics as a progressive, nationalist and Statesman. He valiantly fought against the Marcos dictatorship and against the US Military Bases. He became the Senate President after EDSA I. Against all odds, he ran for President in 1992 and although he lost, he will always be MY PRESIDENT. For more on Jovi Salonga follow this LINK.
FOR BEING EXPOSED AS THE MYSTERY MAN IN THE ZTE SCAM AND FOR TRYING TO INTIMIDATE JOEY DE VENECIA TO “BACK OFF!!!” FROM THEIR STINKING NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK SCAM AND FOR COWARDLY LEAVING THE COUNTRY IN THE EVE OF THE SENATE INVESTIGATION,
THE MALABANAN AWARD OF THE WEEK
IS AWARDED TO:
“FIRST GENTLEMAN” MIKE ARROYO
Ito na yata ang bagong denial king sa panahong ito. Wala na itong ginawa kundi deny ng deny. Di daw sya sangkot sa mga kababalaghang ginagawa nila ng asawa nya sa gobiyerno. Maalang noong naipit na sila sa isa pang scandal – the Josel Pidal Scandal – binuyo nila ang kanyang kapatid na si Iggy Arroyo na umamin na sya si Jose Pidal. For more on the Mystery Man who turned out to be the “Mister ni Ma’am” click this LINK.
On September 21, 1972, then President Ferdinand Marcos issued Proclamation 1081 declaring the imposition of Martial Law over the entire country. According to Marcos, Martial Law was declared after the failed attempt of the Communist rebels to assassinate then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile. According to Marcos Martial Law is:
With the imposition of martial law, Marcos usurped all the powers of the State and our country came under dictatorial rule. Martial law was lifted on January 17, 1981 with the issuance of Proclamation 2045. By then, the lifting of Marital Law was already meaningless for the democratic institutions and process were already damaged and co-opted.
Paano ko ba ipaliwanag ang Martial Law at ang mga taon ng mga Marcos sa kapangyarihan sa mga kabataang di man lang inabot ang Edsa People Power I noong February1986? Kahit ako mismo medyo blurry ang memory ko sa martial law years. Well let me describe that period na lang as I remember it:
1. Use of the coercive arm of the State – the military, the police and paramilitary groups – to silence, intimidate and neutralize the opposition. Napakaraming naaresto noon, lubhang maraming natorture, mga bigla na lang nawala. Marami ditonatatagpuan na lang na patay at marami naman ang hanggang ngayon ay di pa natatagpuan. Hindi sila kumukurap sa paglabag ng mga human at civil and political rights. Kaliwa’t-kanan ang violent dispersals ng mga pickets at mga rallies.
2. Cronies, corruption, onerous deals – Dito nagpayaman ang mga kakonchaba nilang mga negosyante at politiko. Talamak ang pangungurakot sa pera ng Bayan. Gumagawa ng kontrata sa mga dayuhan at lokal ng mga korporasyon na handang magbigay ng milyong-milyon suhol sa mga pulitiko at syempre sa mga Marcoses at kanilang mga cronies. Mangungutang ang kakosa nilang negosyante at ang gobiyerno nagbigay ng sovereign guarantees. Ito yung tipong nagbigay ang gobiyerno ng assurance sa mga dayuhang nagpapautang na kung sakali di magbayad ang nagkautang, sasaluhin ito ng gobiyerno ng Pilipinas at ito na ang magbabayad sa utang. dito tayo nabaon sa utang sa foreign creditors. Nagbabayad ang mamamayan ng utang na wala tayong kinalaman at di natin napakinabangan. Bilyon-bilyon ang kanilang nakulimbat sa kaban ng bayan.
3. Election Fraud and violence – para masabing demokrasya pa rin ang umiiral sa Pilipinas nagdadaos din ng mga eleksyon noon. Kaya lang kung di man sila-sila lang ang tumatakbo, grabe yung pandaraya sa eleksyon, kung natalo sa botohan ay dinodoktor nila ang bilangan. Kung nanalo pa rin ang kalaban, well, pinapatay na lang nila o kinukulong. Yung Batasang Pambansa (katumbas ng Congress ngayon) ay tinawag na rubber stamp ni Marcos, aprub without thinking na lang lagi, basta kung ano ang gusto ni Marcos noon sunod lang sila ng sunod. Hinayaan naman na may mga oposisyon para magmukha nga demokrasya pero konting-konti lang at wala halos magawa kundi mag-ingay tungkol sa mga kababalaghan ng pamahalaan.
Ilan lang to sa mga characteristics ng panahon ng diktadurya ni Marcos. Mahirap bang maimagine kung ano ang sitwasyon noon? or do you have this feeling na parang familiar yang mga pangyayari at kalagayan na ganyan?
Tomorrow, we commemorate the 35th Anniversary of the imposition of martial law. Ask yourself, 35 years hence, have we gone far as a nation or have we made a u-turn somewhere and thus we get this feeling of dejavu.
Ilang araw na rin naging matunog sa media ang isang “MYSTERY MAN” na naging kasama nina COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, DOT Sec. Leandro Mendoza na magkipag meeting sa ilang pagkakataon sa mga representatives ng ZTE Corporation patungkol sa controversial na National Broadband Network deal dito sa Pilipinas at sa China. Naging miseryoso dahil is daw itong makapangyarihang tao, napakamakangyarihan na sa lahat ng mga naging sangkot sa NBN deal siya pa lamang ang hindi pinangalanan.
Just a few minutes ago, Joey de Venecia testified under oath to the Senate inquiry on the ZTE broadband deal, that the “Mystery Man” he was referring to is no less than :
Joey de Venecia testified that the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo in a meeting in Wack-wack angrily pointed at him and shouted “Back off!”. He said that he believed that Abalos may have asked the first gentleman to force de Venecia no to meddle with the deal.
They first tried to involve de Venecia and the AHI in the deal but he refused. But when they lures did not work, the NBN Gang tried to use threats and intimidation to silence de Venecia.
And by the way is it by coincidence that first gentleman Mike Arroyo left the country? Well, we are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg on the ZTE Scam. Will this eventually lead to the involvement of the Top Man / Woman in this stinkingly corrupt deal?
I believe, the involvement of the first gentleman signifies the involvement of Gloria in this multi-billion peso scam. Remember it was Gloria who convinced Sec. Neri to approve the deal despite his objection.
Nagtataka ba kayong lumalabas na kasangkot ang babaeng ito sa pangungurakot na ito?
Pinagkaisahan ako ng aking mga katropa sa WordPress Pinoys nitong nakaraang linggo. May bagong thread sa WPP kung saan every week ay mag feature ng blog ng isang member. Nagulat ako na ako na pala ang pinaka-unang featured blogger. Tawag nila doon ay “hot seat” dahil pwedeng magcomment at magbigay ng critique ang mga kapwa members sa WPP.
To express my gratitude to WordPress Pinoys and to those who generously share their observations an comments about my blog, I am posting their comments here:
i read selvo’s blogs to keep me updated on what’s happening in pinas esp yung mga nakakakiliting chismis. ang violent reaction ko: minsan sulat pa lang nya na-aasar na ko sa mga kakabanas na pangyayari sa atin. sana may magawa tayo para magbago patungong ikagaganda ng mas marami…will you take on that challenge, dear selvo?
i subscribed to selvo’s feeds because i find his political views easy to understand. i’ve never been able to appreciate political blogs because i’m not what you would call a political thinker. hindi ako concerned sa mga ganyang bagay, hindi ako nagbablog tungkol sa mga ganyang bagay. mas interesado ako sa technology. yan ang dahilan kaya hindi ako nagsa-subscribe sa mga blogs na may content about politics. but i made an exception kay selvo kasi madali intindihin yung mga sinusulat niya about politics. besides, his blog entries aren’t always about politics. kaya hindi nakakasuya.
oh yeah, i’ve read about selvo’s other posts. i regularly read blogs if: 1) i find them easy to read and understand; 2) they’re funny and witty; 3) there are short stories to read; 3) they’re informative. selvo’s been a great read!
Like most of them, I find Selvo’s blog very informative. I can say it’s a “social awareness” blog. His words are all easy to understand, unlike other blogs… you have to keep a dictionary with you just in case you’ve encountered a not so familiar word.
wowowee! congrats kuya selvs *wink* sana ako din mafeature dito *lols*
Taroogs Si selvo? tinatalukuran ko lagi yan! kasi nasa likod ko yung workspace niya sa office… hehehehe…
pero seriously, idol ko sa blogging ito gusto ko maging katulad niya pagpayat ko
hindi na ako nagbabasa ng blog ni langga ko. kasi bago nya i-post ang entry nya… sinasabi na nya sa akin sa yahoo chat ang tungkol sa entry. lolz! pero natuwa talaga ako nung nag blog si langga ko kasi bukod sa malibog ‘to eh matalino talaga ang kumag na ‘to. nyahaha!
naalala ko pa eh, excited ako nung pinaayos nya sa akin ang layout ng blog nya nung umpisa kasi nangangapa pa sya sa wordpress. tapos, tingnan mo naman kung saan na sya ngayon. napanood na sa tv at naka you tube na sya! whoa!
When I started my blog in mid-July this year, it was a solitary quest to create a space for myself in the seemingly boundless universe of cyberspace. My idea of blogging was just a little over the zero-mark – start from scratch so to speak. My WordPress blog was put up with plenty of help from my long time chat idol and buddy, the gorgeous, sweet and imaginative MARU. I guess my ignorance had tested her patience to the hilt that finally she asked for my password to layout my blog herself. Siguro mas madali yun kesa sagutin ang mga tanong ko maya’t-maya.
As I learned the basics of blogging, I also began to widen my contacts among WP bloggers. My blogroll began to really roll. Paikot-ikot lang ako nun sa mga blogs, nagkiclick ng mga bloggers sa blogroll ng iba, comment dito, comment doon. Nakakolekta din ako ng ilang mga friends that way and when I posted the Malu Fernandez thingy, sila ang mga una kong nahawa sa pagkainis.
Kasabay ng pagputok ng Mahaderang Matapobre issue nabuo ang isang pagsasama ng bloggers sa WordPress na pinangunguhan ng artistahing si Chuckie Dreyfuss. Nagsimula yata sya sa pag-imbita sa mga bloggers na mga fans nya dati sa That’s Entertainment at yung mga fans nya nag-imbita rin ng mga fans nila hanggang sa kumalat at dumami. Nagtaka pa nga ako nung makita ko na lahat ng mga blogs ng mga kaibigan ko ay merong ganitong tatak:
xxx WHEREFORE, in view of all the foregoing, judgment is hereby rendered in Criminal Case No. 26558 finding the accused, Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of PLUNDER defined in and penalized by Republic Act No. 7080, as amended. On the other hand, for failure of the prosecution to prove and establish their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the Court finds the accused Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Atty. Edward S. Serapio NOT GUILTY of the crime of plunder, and accordingly, the Court hereby orders their ACQUITTAL.
The penalty imposable for the crime of plunder under Republic Act No. 7080, as amended by Republic Act No. 7659, is Reclusion Perpetua to Death. There being no aggravating or mitigating circumstances, however, the lesser penalty shall be applied in accordance with Article 63 of the Revised Penal Code. Accordingly, accused Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada is hereby sentenced to suffer the penalty of Reclusion Perpetua and the accessory penalties of civil interdiction during the period of sentence and perpetual absolute disqualification. xxx
The GUILTY verdict, I think, is the logical conclusion to the dramatic struggle that divided our nation in the years 2000 and 2001. The majority in the Senate denied us this conclusion in January 2001 by refusing to open the second envelop. Where the Senate as an Impeachment Court failed, the people converging in EDSA in January 2001, succeeded. Erap was ousted.
gusto ko maging katulad niya pagpayat ko 
Nomadic Thoughts 