Source: www.midanaoan.com
This controversial picture has been doing the rounds online today (this has been shared and re-shared through Facebook and blogs) but just in case you didn’t get to see this, here’s one major faux pas courtesy of broadsheet Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin “killed” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo! What do you think of this and what do you think will happen to the section editor of Manila Bulletin? Check out the photo found in this entry.
Notice the caption: “With utmost care. Military honor guard carefully moves the coffin of President Arroyo …

by Antonio C. Abaya
from Standard Today
 
In his paper on The 2010 Presidential Elections: Assessments and Analysis, A Year Ahead, political analyst Antonio Gatmaitan presented a traditional and uncontroversial overview of the political scene.
 
Namely, that the contenders will be Joseph Estrada, Noli de Castro, Chiz Escudero, Loren Legarda, Kiko Pangilinan, Mar Roxas, Manny Villar, Jejomar Binay, Bayani Fernando, Gilberto Teodoro, Reynato Puno, Among Ed Panlilio, Eddie Villanueva, and (whom he unaccountably left out) Ping Lacson.
 
That Lakas-Kampi will choose their candidate from among the party members (Teodoro, Fernando), and that consequently the Independent …

by Herman Tiu Laurel
from The Daily Tribune 
 
“It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered.”—Aristotle
 
If we are a topsy-turvy society today, it is because justice has been overtaken by power politics and the use of force and deception.  This is what can be observed in many of our most celebrated crime mysteries, from the Ninoy Aquino, Lean Alejandro, and Popoy Lagman assassinations to the present and highly charged Dacer-Corbito case.  Even though all have been marred by still many unanswered questions, accusers in the present instance do not have …

EDITORIAL
from  Tribune 
 
When it comes to media exposure, First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo definitely hits the headlines more than President Arroyo, his wife, and not for good reasons.
Mrs. Arroyo’s public acceptability is considered to be the worst ever for a president of the country and her poor image is partly the result of her own doing, such as the now infamous conversations she had with a poll commissioner where she told him to make sure her votes would be padded by over a million, for her to win the presidential elections …

No Better Idea
By Antonio C. Abaya
Written on Dec. 17, 2008
 
This should be titled Anachronistic III as it is a sequel to the previous articles  of the same title, and it seeks to answer the question of Can the Arroyo Government defeat the Communist insurgency by the year 2010, as it pompously claims it will.
 
My answer to that question is No.
 
The successful countries around us defeated their Communist insurgencies, in the 60s and 70s, by a combination of a) draconian measures that hounded their Communists without let-up, and b) a broad-based …

Mr. Buencamino submitted his regular column in the Business Mirror but it was not published.  He’s wondering why?  Anyway, here’s his unpublished column. — Perry
 
 “Putangina, ano ba ito!?!”
by Manuel Buencamino
Newspapers mishandled the high point of Senator Mar Roxas’ speech at the recent inter-faith rally against Charter change.
The senator shouted, “Putangina, ano ba ito?!?” after he enumerated the scandals involving Mrs. Arroyo and her government.
Newspapers re-spelled “Putangina” as “P_____ina” and translated it to “SOB!” so the impact and import of the senator’s rhetoric was lost.
Everybody knows s.o.b. in capital letters is an abbreviation for “son …

With Due Respect
Arroyo’s options
By Artemio V. Panganiban
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12/14/2008
THE Charter change (Cha-cha) express via the constituent assembly (Con-ass) is being derailed by a defiant Senate, a delayed test case on the “joint or separate vote” issue, a Supreme Court trying to maintain its heroic place in history and other legal obstacles.
Arroyo’s options. However, the more formidable block is our people’s scorn for term extensions. A recent SWS survey shows that a whopping 64 percent of our voters reject any Cha-cha at this time. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the …

Arroyo’s praetorian guards
by Ellen Tordesillas
Malaya
Dec. 15, 2008
The military’s seniority and merit systems are again being strained to protect the illegitimate presidency of Gloria Arroyo.
One of the military officials whose promotion is awaiting confirmation by the Commission on Appointments is Brig. Gen. John Martir.
Martir is one extremely lucky guy. Despite a pending case of malversation of funds and falsification of documents before the Ombudsman, the Board of Generals recommended him for promotion to two-star rank (major general). This is the Martir’ second promotion in six months. Last June he was confirmed …

MAR ROXAS ON HIS PI SPEECH IN AYALA, 12 DECEMBER 2008
Looking back to the things I said last Friday night, I feel good!
All our lives we are told not to belt out our feelings freely in public. We are told to curse quietly, privately, within the cloister of family or friends. To blurt out anger, or rage, or grief before a crowd, is taboo.
I say that depends a lot on the situation, especially when we look at what is happening in our country today.
We all live in a rotten prison.
Filipinos …

COMMENTARY FROM PERRY DIAZ
In a rare display of unity, the 23 senators of the Philippine Senate signed a resolution against the House resolution to convene a constituent assembly (Con-Ass) for the purpose of amending the constitution. With the Senate and House in conflict on Con-Ass, it is expected that the House leadership with the tacit support of Malacanang will ask the Supreme Court to issue a ruling which they hope will be in their favor.
At this point, it is hard to predict how the Supreme Court will rule on Con-Ass. …