The Un-Reported Is...

Consider this news item from Philippine Star, February 23 2008:

2 soldiers dead, 8 hurt in Mindoro encounters (The Philippine Star)

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – Two Army soldiers were killed while eight others were wounded in separate encounters with the New People’s Army in the towns of San Jose and Magsaysay in Mindoro Occidental this week, an Army official said.

Maj. Randolf Cabangbang, of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command, identified one of the two slain soldiers as Pfc. Gonzalo Muyco of the 23rd Division Reconnaissance Company of the Philippine Army.

Eight men of the same Army unit were wounded. They were identified as 2Lt. Julius Daog, Sgt. Julito Cosgata, and Pfcs. Allan Curangcurang, Jerry Imalay, Herbert Lindog, Erwin Desinggano, Erwin Gomez, and Guillermo Reduca.

Cabangbang said the Army personnel were on a combat mission in Sitio Bantulaw, Barangay Paclolo in Magsaysay town last Tuesday when they chanced upon at least 30 rebels, resulting in a 30-minute firefight that led to Muyco’s death.

The following day, a member of the Charlie Company of the 80th Infantry Battalion was killed in an encounter in Sitio Quintal, Barangay Murtha in San Jose town. – Arnell Ozaeta

-------------------------------------

Life is important, of course. Thus, the strongest counter argument against the continuing insurgency in the Philippines is the toll that it exacts on the lives of people.
Soldiers and rebels -- and even civilians -- are victimized by this internal strife.
Yes, I emphasize civilians. Specifically, as in the military encounters mentioned in the news item, the Mangyans of Occidental Mindoro.
And to think that they were not even mentioned in the news item.
The reporter made mentioned of two soldiers who were killed and eight who were injured. But no mention was made about the hundreds of Mangyans who were displaced from at least three communities in San Jose.
What to expect from people who do not even regard the existence of the Mangyans, by the way?
Malungkot ito...

Ex-Solon: Ex-Gov Does Not Look Sick To Me

(cf. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080218-119557/Doesnt-look-sick-to-me-ex-gov-says-of-ex-solon)

MANILA, Philippines -- If former Occidental Mindoro Representative and murder convict Jose Villarosa underwent surgery for lung cancer at the Makati Medical Center, he did not look it, former provincial governor Ricardo Quintos said, basing his statement on photographs purportedly taken in the former’s hospital room.

Instead of a hospital gown, Villarosa in the pictures was wearing a polo shirt. He also had on a necklace but no tubes -- such as for dextrose, for instance -- in his arms, Quintos told the Court of Appeals which is hearing Villarosa’s appeal of his murder conviction for the killing of two of Quintos’ sons.

The photos showed Villarosa lying on a bed sheet and pillow with the MMC logo on them. He had a copy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer of Jan. 16, 2008, lying across his chest. The photos were taken by a Malacañang photographer who accompanied Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye to the MMC the day an Inquirer story came out saying Villarosa could not be found at any of the hospitals he was supposed to have sought treatment at.

Villarosa was sentenced to death for the killing of Paul and Michael Quintos in 1997. He had been incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. The Villarosas and Quintoses were political rivals.

Villarosa’s wife, Amelita, is the incumbent representative of Occidental Mindoro and is an ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Villarosa denied he had gone missing, saying he was at the MMC -- where he remains to this day -- and underwent surgery on Jan. 5.

“As a matter of fact, the appellant Villarosa, after his alleged surgery, was wearing a necklace, a polo shirt and not a hospital gown and without any IV fluid being introduced to him as shown in the newspapers that circulated two weeks ago after he was reported to be missing,” Quintos said in his Feb. 5 reply to the Court of Appeals in response to Villarosa’s comment to the court that he had had surgery for lung cancer and had to be confined at the MMC.

Villarosa was originally taken to the MMC on Dec. 7, 2007, with chest pains secondary to pneumonia, hypertension and type-2 diabetes. The Court of Appeals sought his comment after Quintos complained about his hospital stay.

Quintos said Villarosa had failed to present to the court the records of his operation as well as the pathology report on his illness that would justify his continued hospital confinement.

He said Villarosa could recover from his surgery at the NBP since its medical facilities were more than adequate for his needs.

“As of the moment, appellant Villarosa is a free man and not in prison inside the MMC considering that he is receiving special and unwarranted benefits above that of the ordinary convicted felon. The appellant Villarosa is being allowed to receive guests and is staying in a luxurious suite of the MMC, which is a hundred-fold better than the cells of the NBP where he is supposed to stay for his reformation and rehabilitation,” Quintos said.

He said the NBP violated the Bureau of Corrections’ operating manual when it allowed Villarosa to go to MMC.

If I May Say Something About the IP's...

February 13, 2008 was rather historic for the indigenous peoples -- or aborigines -- of Australia. It was on this date that the Prime Minister of the Aussies, in behalf of the government that he leads at present, has apologized to the IP's of the Down Under because of the First Step. TV footages showed manicured green lawn with lighted bulbs aligned to form the message: Sorry for the First Step.
What is/was the First Step?
It refers to the intervention of the Aussies, intending to bring about what was perceived then -- i.e., during such historical point -- as beneficial to the aborigines. On account of the abject conditions of the IP's of Australia, the government moved -- or authorized the move -- to "confiscate" the children of the natives of Australia from their families, place them in separate communes where it was thought they could be reared better and educated better.
Studies about the effect or results of the so-called First Step pointed to social trauma of different sorts that have been endured by generations of the Australian IP's.
In any case, what matters now is that the government has acknowledged its wrong in the past. And the confession of its sins is done, according to PM Rudd, in view of achieving the healing of the past as together the Australian society moves on -- the IP's and the non-IP's together.
This to me is extraordinary opus coming from a government.
As of this posting, I cannot but think of the Mangyans of Occidental Mindoro.
Well, at present, there is an impending -- or it must be on-going now -- military operations in the bondocks of San Jose, right in the ancestral domain of the Mangyans. Hundreds of NPA cadres are reportedly seen in the area, thus provoking the Philippine Army to prepare for a possible clash.
Obviously, we in Mindoro are still far from acknowledging the wrongs that we have inflicted against the IP's. For until now, we are still in the process of inflicting them with harm..
Masasabi ko na kahit hindi na muna sana mag-sorry dahil sa mga nagawang hindi maganda sa mga Mangyan; sana man lang matigilan na ang kasalukuyang pagkakamali laban sa kanila...

Write Up On OSG for Villarosa

SolGen under fire
(http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=felMaragay_jan25_2007)

Solicitor General Antonio Nachura has made it to the short list of five nominees to the vacant slot in the Supreme Court. He probably has a pretty good change of inheriting the coveted position, considering that he is the chief government lawyer and there is a need to beef up the number of justices in the bench who are “friendly” to Malacañang.

Nachura’s bid for a seat in the highest tribunal is bound to provoke objections from people who are unimpressed by his handling of government cases before the courts. With him as solicitor general, the government suffered successive losses in major political cases before the Supreme Court, such as those pertaining to Executive Order 464 banning Cabinet members from appearing in congressional inquiries without presidential clearance, the Calibrated Preemptive Response dealing with street protests, Proclamation 1017 placing the country under a state of national emergency and the petition for people’s initiative to amend the Constitution.

Now here comes a private citizen, Ricardo Quintos, who believes that Nachura does not in any way deserve a seat in the high tribunal. Quintos, a former congressman of Mindoro Occidental, is the father of Paul and Michael Quintos, who were murdered by gunmen in a neighbor’s house in Mamburao town on Dec. 13, 1997.

Seven persons, led by former Mindoro Occidental Rep. Jose Villarosa, Quintos’ political archrival, were found guilty in the twin murder case and meted out a death sentence by Judge Ma. Theresa Yadao of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court-Branch 81 in March 2006. The decision came after more than eight years of trial.

The others who were sentenced to death by execution—who came to be known as “Mamburao Six”—included Josue Ungsod, Manolito Matriciio, Mario Tobias, Ruben Balaguer, and Gelito Bautista. Villarosa and his fellow accused were convicted on the strength of the confession of Eduardo Heromoso, one of the gunmen, who was caught by the police two weeks after the murder.

But there is a possibility that the guilty verdict on Villarosa, Balaguer, Bautista and Tobias handed down by Judge Yadao may be reversed by the Court of Appeals. The Office of the Solicitor General has filed a manifestation with the CA recommending the acquittal of the four. The OSG cited a supposed retraction by Hermoso on his sworn statement.

The OSG said the statement made by Hermoso “was not voluntary,” and cited his allegation that he was subjected to torture and coercion by his police handlers. It said Hermoso’s extra-judicial confession was “inadmissible as evidence,” and could not be used against his other co-accused.

Naturally, Quintos was outraged by the action taken by Nachura in recommending the acquittal of Villarosa and the overturning the lower court’s verdict. Quintos and his lawyer contended that the position adopted by Nachura on the case “is a clear breach of its legally mandated duty to act as counsel of the People of the Philippines in call criminal proceedings before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.”

“It should be borne in mind that a criminal offense against the People of the Philippines and the State, by reason of its inherent duty to protect its people, acts as prosecutor in all criminal cases. This duty to prosecute criminal case is delegated by the state upon the Office of the Public Prosecutor in the lower court, and in the Office of the Solicitor General in the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court,” the complainant said.

The complainant also presented the following arguments:

The law specifically mandates the OSG to act as the lawyer of the government or state in all criminal proceedings before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Thus, the law created a system for the prosecution of criminal cases in the higher courts. It therefore leaves no discretion to the OSG to act in any other capacity than to stand for the cause of the government or the state, which is to prosecute the accused in the case.

“With the OSG taking the side of the accused, the People of the Philippines was effectively left without any counsel to advance and/or argue its position with the Court of Appeals. The proceedings before the Court of Appeals would center both on questions of facts and law. In the absence of counsel then, the people would have nobody to explain to the Court the factual antecedents of the case, as well as the legal implications of the same, and would be left totally at the mercy of the defense.”

With the manifestation, the OSG was attempting to substitute its judgment with that of the lower court judge. This is improper, considering its duties and responsibilities as defined under the law.

The complainant pointed out that Matricio and Hermoso were acknowledged political followers of Villarosa. He said the execution of the sworn statement by Hermoso was voluntary, as shown by the records of the case, and was taken with the assistance of a counsel. He said no proof was offered by the defense to show that Hermoso was tortured coerced into giving his testimony that incriminated Villarosa and his co-accused.

Former Rep. Villarosa’s wife is the incumbent congresswoman of Mindoro Occidental. Amelita Villarosa, a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, is perceived to be very close to Malacañang. Quintos, also a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, suspects that the congresswoman flexed her influence with the powers-that-be so that the OSG would take a position favorable to her husband. Quintos, by the way, has no plans of running for any public office in the May polls.

Quintos and Amelita Villarosa faced each other during the 1998 congressional race in Mindoro Occidental. Villarosa was proclaimed winner by the Commission on Elections, but Quintos claimed he was cheated and filed his protest before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. The tribunal in 2000 ruled that Quintos was the legitimate winner over Villarosa. Villarosa appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which subsequently upheld the tribunal’s ruling.

Money and Power Dethroned JDV -- and Girlie Villarosa Lent her Hand!

(http://news.ph.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1230125)

The ouster of the leader of the Philippine congress has once again highlighted how a small group of political elites here use their power to sway colleagues and enrich their loved ones, analysts say.

Jose de Venecia -- who accused President Gloria Arroyo, her government and her family of corruption -- was voted out of his seat after a marathon session that started on Monday, and replaced with close Arroyo ally Prospero Nograles.

Experts said the move showed how lawmakers, whose monthly salary is a mere 35,000 pesos (850 dollars), are easily swayed by more powerful members with lots of cash and influence in the worlds of politics and business.

"It is not like other democracies where you have a solid party system," political analyst Antonio Abaya, of the Foundation for Transparency and Public Accountability, told AFP.

"Here it is all about money and power. We call it the politics of patronage."

Edmund Tayao, a political scientist with the University of Santo Tomas, agreed, saying: "Politics in this country is dominated by a small group of rich and very powerful families."

One of the most sought-after jobs in the country is Speaker of the House, a position that wields enormous power -- especially when it comes to dividing up the yearly congressional budget for local spending.

This year the financial allotment totals around 16.7 billion pesos (481 million dollars) for just 239 lawmakers to be used in their constituencies for projects such as roads and schools.

For some lawmakers, "pork-barrel" allocations for their congressional districts can be upwards of 70 million pesos -- which, along with all the other perks of holding public office, are not audited.

"With all that largesse at his fingertips, the speaker of the House has one of the most influential positions in the Philippines," said Clarita Carlos, a political scientist with the University of the Philippines.

"This is the taxpayer's money and we have no idea how it is spent or where it is spent. Why should these clowns be allowed to have all that money without any accountability?"

De Venecia -- who served as speaker for 12 years -- was the fall guy in a classic dispute between two powerful political families over money, Tayao explained.

The 72-year-old veteran had been an ardent supporter of Arroyo for years, guiding her through the fallout following the disputed 2004 presidential election and deflecting repeated congressional attempts to impeach her.

He rewarded those lawmakers who fell in line with generous financial support for their constituencies.

But on Monday, he turned on her, delivering a stinging speech against her on the House floor, accusing her of corruption and cheating to win re-election.

According to Tayao, De Venecia lost faith in Arroyo when his son Joey lost a controversial broadband contract last year to a Chinese company -- a deal Joey says was tainted by massive corruption at the highest levels.

Joey de Venecia also accused the president's husband, lawyer Jose Miguel Arroyo, of trying to silence him over the deal.

During a Senate investigation, it was alleged the 330-million-dollar project was overpriced by 200 million dollars.

"That was the straw that broke the camel's back," Tayao said.

Arroyo's two lawmaker sons, Juan Miguel and Diosdado, eventually led the campaign to remove the speaker.

Amando Doronila, a columnist for the Philippine Daily Enquirer, described De Venecia's ouster as "a vendetta between the Arroyos and the De Venecias over the spoils of office -- an issue basically concerned with corruption."

Another commentator, Jarius Bondoc, wrote in the Philippine Star that with Nograles as speaker, control over the congressional pork-barrel "would land in the hands of the Arroyos -- including First Gentleman Mike."

"That would make their family truly the most powerful in the land -- with Mrs Arroyo in charge of the executive and the other Arroyos lording over the House."

Tayao said Arroyo had taken a "big gamble" in dumping De Venecia.

"He has been around for a long time and knows where the skeletons are buried," he said.

-----------------------

This is already the degree of rotten-ness of our politics, as practised even at the national level...

And, lest we forget, may I add that to this political quagmire, we have seen how Girlie Villarosa participated..

Anyone wondering why her district is still backward?

When Our Representation Votes...

As of this posting, the House of Representatives has a new Speaker. JDV, the personification of traditional politics in the Congress, lost the Palace-initiated and -backed mutiny against his unprecedented -- in almost all respect -- speakership.
Amado Doronila, in his commentary (PDI, 4 February 2008), warns the Palace about the possible negative political effects of dethroning JDV.
But, well, as matter-of-factly said by one of the representatives in explaining his vote, the exercise is nothing but a number game.
But, to me, the significant thing in the nominal voting of the representatives for or against the motion to declare the position of speaker vacant was how the Representative of Occidental Mindoro.
Well, her YES vote is not surprising. I expected her to vote for or in favor of the Malacanan resident. For, it is PGMA who's going to grant what her heart truly desires -- the eventual clemency for her husband.
The more interesting occurrence was when she voted. Her family name was called: "Villarosa..." Despite the quality sound system of the Congress and the good coverage of DZMM TeleDyaryo, I did not hear her vote. Actually, the presider of the nominal voting even had to ask: "What's the vote of the Representative of Mindoro?" And then he quickly quipped: "PLEASE USE YOUR MIC..."
Of course it is not naive to think that our representative did not only know how to vote... for a baser thing is that she did not even know how to use the Congress' microphone...