by Ducky Paredes
from MALAYA
“One can say that corruption in its more extreme manifestations is a symptom of poverty, both a result and a cause of poverty.” – Ducky Paredes
Ambassador Alistair MacDonald of the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines, in speaking before the 2nd Bisyon 2020 Integrity and Human Rights Conference, said about the Ampatuan massacre: “I want to underline that for public opinion around the world, this was not a massacre in Maguindanao, nor was it a massacre in Mindanao. It was a barbaric act in the Philippines, …

The Concept of Corruption: Ideology of Thieving Conservatives
Rawlein G. Soberano, Ph.D. 
         Conservative anti-corruption outfits have never been and are not models of right conduct and stellar decency because they have been involved in many corrupt cases that benefited them. They are the smoothest hypocrites, a breed apart. Their moral compass always points to free markets; the closer they get to that utopia, the more virtuous they become. They lack intellectual integrity. They don’t even know what it means, understandable when 36% of the GOP think “Forrest Gump” (starring Tom Hanks …

GLIMPSES
by Jose Ma. Montelibano
I cheered when former Miss International, Aurora Pijuan, joyfully and tearfully called me to share the good news of Efren Penaflorida winning the CNN Hero of the Year. Aurora’s son, TJ Manotoc, had introduced Efren to her after TJ himself became an inspired volunteer of Efren’s advocacy. With Aurora’s constant campaigning, and persistent reminders about voting online for Efren, I had spent many hours in the last few months entering Efren’s name to vote for him. Truly, Efren is a model of an ordinary Filipino becoming extraordinary …

Frankly Speaking
Frank Wenceslao
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian was handed an unexpectedly stiff sentence of life in prison at the end of a corruption trial. The 58-year-old politician didn’t appear for the sentencing in Taipei protesting the charges and conviction were to placate Beijing because of his push for independence while in office.
The above story isn’t unique anymore. Convictions for corruption of former leaders, close associates and family members have happened in South Korea, Nicaragua, Chile, Ukraine, Thailand, Peru and, of course, to Joseph Estrada under each country’s judicial system.
However, Ukraine’s former …

ANTI-GRAFT LEAGUE OF THE PHILIPPINES AND PHILIPPINE     ANTICORRUPTION MOVEMENT USA, INC. JOINING HANDS AGAINST GRAFT AND CORRUPTION
 
September 03, 2009
 
Gen. Guillermo Picache, AFP (Ret.)
Chairman, Anti-Graft League of the Philippines
Metro Manila, Philippines
 
Dear General Picache:
 
Thank you very much for the AGLP’s feedbacks. You’d recall we’ve met at gatherings hosted by Celso and Sally Santiago. I remember you’re a member of PMA Class 51 and a lawyer.
 
I’m glad to note your directory of email addresses of the House of Representatives members. I’ll continue to send the AGLP Pamusa’s actions like the consolidated charges of …

by Patricio Mangubat
from www.newphilrevolution.blogspot.com
True—the Antunez clan is not close with the family of the Arroyos. Yet, what it failed to disclose is, their closeness with the Aboitizes, their business associate and close family friends. But, does this really matter? Yes, because that’ll be the key in unlocking the links of the First family into this deal.
We all know how close the Aboitizes are with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and of Mr. Winston Garcia. These personalities have histories of business deals, one of which is the billion-peso GSIS card contract. …

by JEAN H. LEE 
from Associated Press 
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Embattled former President Roh Moo-hyun — a reformist shamed by a corruption scandal that tarnished his image as a “clean” politician — jumped to his death while hiking in the mountains behind his rural home in South Korea, his lawyer said. He was 62.
Roh was hiking in Bongha village when he threw himself off a steep cliff around 6:40 a.m. Saturday, lawyer Moon Jae-in told reporters in the southern city of Busan. He said Roh left a suicide note.
“Too many …

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
by William M. Esposo
from Philstar

After watching with keen interest the ANC forum with five 2010 presidential wannabes that was held last Monday, your Chair Wrecker felt that here we go again going after the misdiagnosed national problems.
Once again, Filipinos have been suckered into believing that corrupt public officials are the evil dragons that we must slay in order to reach the Pinoy Promised Land. Most of the ANC man-on-street and persons on the scene taped interviews expressed belief that all evil and problems in the land …

by Lito Banayo
from MALAYA
Now I believe Dona Gloria when she described the country as an “enchanted kingdom”. Truly, baligtad na ang mundo, as the Tagalogs would say.
Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada was arrested because he “perjured” himself in describing Miguelito el Defensor as a liar who tried to convince him to lie about the circumstances of his abduction from the international airport, to prevent him from telling the truth he knew about that sleaze deal called the NBN-ZTE.
A judge of the regional trial court of Manila, the same RTC’s that are …

by Artemio A. Dumlao

Itogon, Benguet (April 30, 2009) – Virtually a can of worms opened, millions-worth of  ghost reforestation projects  stinks along the San Roque Multipurpose Dam-associated projects here.
Payment of ghost reforestation projects  and other livelihood program since 2006 had accordingly highlighted the “social engineering” packages of the controversial dam project.
Itogon residents, most of whom in the past had second thoughts of approving the dam because of reported social, cultural, environmental and livelihood effects of the 345 mega watt dam project, claim that their complaints of the ghost projects had …