“(T)he 1987 Constitution is made to allow an extended President’s term of 10 years maximum even as it discarded the maximum 8 years term in the previous 1973 Constitution.”

by Ducky Paredes

We have a letter from Roman Rama Guerrero:  “Forty-three (43) days before the proverbial ‘Sword of Damocles’ starts hanging over PNoy’s head 24/7 simultaneous with the opening of the door for a possible 10-year Binay presidency.

“This shall happen when the clock strikes 12:01pm; June 30, 2012 on the basis of Sec. 4(3); Art. VII; 1987 Constitution – the same provision which allowed the extended close to 9 ½ years GMA Presidency from 1/20/01 to 6/30/10 – that presently reads:

 “’No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at anytime.’”

“The above provision is erroneous as it permits the absolute no-reelection restriction of the higher office to yield and bow down to the re-election qualification of the lower office (VP) by the onset of the sitting president’s 25th month in office, which in the case of PNoy is to happen at the precise time stated above!

“A minor corrective amendment of the above-cited provision is imperative if we are to:

“1. Protect PNoy’s person and the 4-year remainder of his term from undue risk and danger as well as from being ‘constitutionally’ shortened;

“2. Prevent the repeat of having a Supreme Court populated with majority magistrates appointed only by a single President due to that president’s extended term as preceded by GMA;

“3. Even the playing field in the 2016 elections as the then successor-President shall be barred from running for another 6-year term as President while sitting in office also as preceded by GMA in 2004 versus FPJ;

“4. Stop the 66.6% disenfranchisement or shortchange of every voter’s direct vote for the President because 4 out of the 6 years term of office is ‘constitutionally’ waylaid and purloined;

“5. Set free the Presidency from possible scarcity of good presidential aspirants after knowing fully well that only 2 out of the 6-year President’s term is safe and secure upon realization that said shortened 2-year term is grossly disproportionate with the rigors and demands of undertaking a national election campaign for the Presidency;

“6. Establish the incontrovertible fact that the same provision is ab initio null and void (null and void from the beginning) as it violates the Power of History Rule – in doing Constitutional exegesis -  when the 1987 Constitution is made to allow an extended President’s term of 10 years maximum even as it discarded the maximum 8 years term in the previous 1973 Constitution.

“What the 1987 Constitution ‘vomited’ appears to have been ‘eaten back’ with all its toxic dirt the potency of which is strong enough to send our ‘Democracy now on a stretcher’ – per CJ Puno – straight into the morgue.

“Other than that, we emphasize that a collateral outcome of the minor corrective amendment No. 6  shall make possible for the recall and invalidation of the 6-year GMA Presidency – from June 30, 2004 to June 30, 2010. Along with the said term recall and invalidation shall be the basis for the subsequent recall and invalidation of all the GMA Executive Agreements (EAs), MOUs and other forms or instruments of conveyances concluded by GMA – notably with China – as well as with other countries, corporations, company or individual, foreign or domestic found disadvantageous and inimical to the interests and welfare of the Filipino people. One example of this, though now moot and academic, was the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) she concluded with China – opposed by Vietnam which was the reason why it became a tripartite agreement – that now appears to prefigure the on-going tension-filled stand off between the Philippines and China.

“All the above enumerated beneficial effects to our 26year old EDSA People Power-restored Democracy shall happen if once more a ‘new form and new expression’ of EDSA People Power Nationwide shall be undertaken through RA 6735 - the People’s Initiative and Referendum Act of 1988 - the implementing law to do minor amendments to the 1987 Constitution per its Sec. 2; Art. XVII as ruled by the Panganiban Court in October, 2006.

“The corrected version of the provision should then read:

 “’No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for any length of time shall immediately be qualified for election to the same office.’

“With those six valid reasons on why we need to undertake the minor correction for Sec. 4(3), Art. VII of the Constitution, we end with this note: ‘We have everything to gain and nothing to lose if we do it, but we have everything to lose and nothing to gain if we don’t do it’.”

         * * *

            I must agree with the letter-writer not because of any suspicion that our present VP will develop designs on PNoy’s presidency (Jojo Binay’s good relations with Cory and her children would probably preclude that possibility) but only to set things right. I suppose that the framers of the present constitution may have had Doy Laurel in mind in the event that their enemies had plans of getting rid of Cory Aquino.

            Beyond that possibility, the provision does encourages plots by the VP and/or his backers and/or the sitting President’s enemies to destabilize the President’s government  specially after his 25th month in office.

            Remember, too, that we have more often had presidents and vice president from separate political parties.

            Clearly, to keep that provision in our Constitution only plays into the hands of plotters who cannot be thinking of what is best for this country and the rest of us.

            Besides, what is the logic of giving someone we elected vice president  a shot at a longer term than  what we allowed for the president? If a re-election is forbidden for one we elected as president, why would someone originally elected as vice-president be allowed re-election after he has only succeeded to the presidency?

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hvp 05.17.12

 “(T)he NGO intruded the worship place and converted the area into Bantay Kalikasan ECO-ACADEMY Project without first securing the CP and FPIC which are required under RA 8371 otherwise known as Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA).”

by Ducky Paredes

This is a news report from Brooke’s Point in Palawan. It is a follow-up on what is happening at Sabsaban Falls, which has been taken over by environmentalists. One would think that they would be more careful about what they to the natural resource that they find in an area.

Here is the report: “The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP)  has ordered an environment advocate group to stop making further improvement on the worship place which it earlier intruded and converted into a resort early this year in Palawan.

“In a letter to the  ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Bantay Kalikasan, the NCIP asked the NGO headed by Gina Lopez ‘to temporarily cease from further improving the subject area.’

“The letter dated Apiril 11, 2012 addressed to James Adrian Bicaldo, Officer-In-Charge of the Bantay Kalikasan in Palawan  said the NGO should secure first the certificate of  pre-condition (CP) from the NCIP and the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) from the ancestral domain owners.

“NCIP Field Officer Ricardo Sanga who issued the cease and decease order was acting on complaints of IP leaders on the illegal entry of the Bantay Kalikasan into the Sabsaban Falls in Sitio Sabsaban, Brgy. Aribungos on Mrch 25, 2012.

“The complaint said the NGO intruded the worship place and converted the area into Bantay Kalikasan ECO-ACADEMY Project without first securing the CP and FPIC which are required under RA 8371 otherwise known as Indigenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA) which prove that the affected IP communities  have recommended the implementation of the project.

“Sanga issued the cease order after conducting an ocular inspection on the area on April 10, 2012 accompanied by IP leaders “results of which disclosed probable cause.”

“The IP leaders said Bantay Kalikasan, in converting the place into a resort, illegally cut grown trees earlier planted as river bank protection in the downstream of the falls. The NGO used the lumber from the felled trees in building houses and  cottages.

“Gina Lopez, on the other hand, said  their presence aims to  save the place from mining because the mountain is sacred.  Rather than put to mining, the area will be converted  to a bio-diversity school,   Lopez said.

“Lopez adds that the foundation is helping the indigenous people make money from forest products because  they have medicinal herbs.

“The indigenous complained that because of  the illegal occupation of the Sabsaban Falls,  the tribal communities have been prevented from their usual practices including religious rituals,  use of water from the falls and free access to the bridge for which, they are now being charged P5.00 per person every time they use the bridge which they themselves constructed funded by the local government.

“The Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources  (CENRO-DENR) allowed the cutting of the trees without first seeking clearance from the NCIP and the ancestral landowners in violation of the IPRA.

“The IP leaders through the Brooke’s Point Federation of Tribal Councils  (BPFTC) represented by Fabio Lagan have charged Lopez, Bacaldo and and 20 others including Brooke’s Point Mayor Narciso Leoncio, CENRO-DENR officer Emelina Cojamco, Bgy. Chairmen Jonathan Lagrada of Ipilan and Ratib Milosin of Aribungos and members of their Sangguniang Barangay and Sister Xenia Mae Juanitas of the Agustinian Missionaries of the Philippines.

“The tribal leaders have asked the NCIP to order the respondents to pay P2,3000,000.00 in damages and litigation fees for illegally occupying and converting into a resort Sabsaban Falls, illegally cutting  trees and constructing houses and cottages, and for other related activities in violation of the IPRA Law and rights of the indigenous people. “

* * *

What the heck is going on here? Bantay Kalikasan claims that it is saving Sabsaban Falls from the miners. Is it also saving Sabsaban Falls from the indigenous people who have long been using these falls and its water for decades and who eve regard the falls as a sacred area?

And, who gave these environmentalists-capitalists the authority to charge these poor tribesmen P5.00 for using a bridge built with government funds and with the help of the native folk of the area?

Is it possible that having the miners coming into the area may be more beneficial than environmentalists taking Sabsaban Falls by force? They seem to me to be worse than mining companies who, at least, pay for what they use and would not dare charge the locals for doing the things that they had always been doing for centuries before the newcomers invaded the natives’ natural habitat.

Better watch out! You may be giving environmentalism a bad name in Brooke’s Point!

* * *

Incidental Intelligence. Conchita Carpio-Morales was born in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, the daughter of Lucas D. Carpio, an RTC  judge. Judge Lucas’ younger brother, Bernardo Carpio, was the father of SC Associate Justice Bernardo Carpio. Bernardo was a director in the Bureau of Internal Revenue who had, in his staff, the father of Renato Corona.

* * *

The 8th and final leg of Rotary International District 3800 will be held at Orchard Golf and Country Club on Wednesday,  June 6, 2012 with RC Pasig as the host club. The last tournament is also known as the Governor’s Cup since it is the last tournament of the Rotary year, RI District Governor Raffy Garcia of RC Pasig ends his term at the end of June.

Al RI 3800 Rotarians and their guests are invited to play, Tournament fee: P2,500.00

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hvp 05.16.12

Deretsahan

ni Horacio Paredes

Madalas nating nadidinig na ang isang impeachment ay hindi kagaya ng pagsusuri sa mga nakalabag na batas. Hindi ito criminal trial. Naiiba ang impeachment dahil hindi naman ito tungkol sa danyos o batas na nilabag. Kahit na mapatunayan ang mga bintang, walang makukulong at wala ring magbabayad ng multa,

Isa lamang ang sinusuri: Kung dapat bang magpatuloy pa ang taong naiimpeach sa kaniyang tungkulin. Kaya, sa totoo lamang, hindi kinakailangang nagiging napaka-istrikto na sinusunod ang mga rules of court o ang mga iba pang proseso na sinusunod sa pangkaraniwang mga kaso.

Kung sabagay, hindi naman ako abugado, kaya maaaring nagkakamali ako. Ngunit, meron akong katanungan: Baket ba na si Pangulong Bill Clinton ng America ay na-impeach. Ano ba ang kaniyang nilabag na batas? Ang akusasyon kay Clinton ay ang nakipagtalik siya sa isang job trainee sa White House.

Sa totoo, walang aspetong kriminal ito kahit na mapatunayang nangyari. Nasa edad na rin ang babae at kung hindi naman nagrereklama ang asawa ni Clinton, wala naman segurong ba pang maaaring magreklamo.

Ngunit, baket pa rin humarap si Clinton sa impeachment?

Sapagka’t sa sinasabing nangyari, ang sinuri nila sa impeachment ay kung nararapat pa bang magpatuloy si Clinton bilang Pangulo ng kanilang bansa.

Kaya, sa atin ring impeachment trial sa ating Chief Justice, ang sinusuri ng mga senador ay ganito rin: Nararapat bang magpatuloy pa si Renato Corona na ating Chief Justice?

Ang mga pinuno natin na mga impeachable ay hindi maaaring kasuhan habang nakaupo pa sila. Ang isang pangulo at ang ibang mga impeachable na mga opisyal ay hindi maaaring ihabla sa mga pagkakamali o kahit na sinasadya nilang gawaing maaaring lumalabag sa batas; ang maaari lamang na mangyari sa kanila ay ang ma-impeach sila at kapag sila’y napabitiw na sa pwesto, doon lamang sila maaaring ihabla sa mga ginawa nila habang nasa pwesto. Kaya naman na kahit sa mga maliliit na bagay lamang, gaya nga kapag sila’y nasangkot lamang sa isang iskandalo, maaari na silang ma-impeach.

Sa aking pananaw, dahil sa lahat nang nabunyag na tungkol sa ating CJ, kung hindi man siya magbibitiw, dapat nang palayasin siya ng ating impeachment court. Hindi na siya nararapat pang magpatuloy bilang punong mahistrado ng ating Korte Suprema at ng ating bansa. Kinahihiya na siya ng Pinas. 

Sa huli niyang sinagot sa mga sinabi ng Ombudsman, lumilitaw na hindi niya tinatanggi ang napakarami niyang mga bank account sa napakaraming bangko; ang kaniya lamang sinabi ay ang hindi tama ang mga amount na ginamit ng Ombudsman sa kaniyang inilathala sa impeachment court. Di ba’t para na ring sinabi niya na meron nga siyang mga napakaraming account kung kaya alam niyang mali-mali ang mga amount na sinasabi ng Ombudsman na nilalaman ng kaniyang mga bank account!  

# # # #

hvp (05.16.12)

“Note that nowhere does Corona deny the existence of his numerous dollar accounts in various banks!  In fact, by his saying that that the Ombudsman has bloated the amounts in his dollar deposits, is itself an unintended admission that the accounts do exist.”

by Ducky Paredes

As impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona himself says with conviction that it’s an outright lie that he has $10 million stashed away in a bank.

It’s a proven lie because Corona has more than that—$12 million, in fact (and in several banks), according to the Ombudsman.

In her testimony before the Impeachment Court when Defense lawyers invited her via subpoena as a hostile witness, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales notes (quoting reports by the banks to the Anti-Money Laundering Council) that Corona’s loot is not just in one humongous bank account, but scattered in 82 accounts spread out over five separate banks.

 It should be pointed out that none of these 82 accounts were declared in Corona’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

If that’s so, then he is guilty of betrayal of public trust and the Senate impeachment court has no choice but to convict him and remove him from office.

In his defense, Corona says: “We will debunk all her bloated numbers.

 “I don’t know how she came up with her own mathematical equation. She made a hodgepodge out of the accounts, making her numbers chaotic. The number of accounts alone is at best ridiculous. Her PowerPoint diagram is a lantern of lies which only messed up her presentation, contrary to what some believe now as damning evidence.”

 “Either she does not know what she is talking about, or is purposely misleading the impeachment court and the public.”

Note that nowhere does Corona deny the existence of his numerous dollar accounts in various banks!

 In fact, by his saying that that the Ombudsman has bloated the amounts in his dollar deposits, is itself an unintended admission that the accounts do exist. 

 And just as the senator-judges voted unanimously to allow the PowerPoint presentation of the Ombudsman, then their likely verdict on Corona could well be “guilty as charged.”

Notes an entry in a Facebook account: “The Avengers: Ironman, Captain America, the Hulk, Black Widow, Hawk Eye, Thor and CARPIO-MORALES!” Amen!

* * *

The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 (AMLA) was intended to keep the country from being used as a money-laundering site for the proceeds of any unlawful activity.

Under the AMLA, covered transactions could be a single, series, or combination of transactions involving a total amount in excess of P4M or an equivalent amount in foreign currency, especially cash deposits and
investments having no credible purpose or origin. Any single transaction over P500,000 is automatically reported by the banks directly to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) —composed of the Governor of the Central Bank as chairman and the chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Insurance Commission as members— to determine whether any of these transactions are the fruit of any illegal activity. 

What our AMLC needs that would put our AMLA Law at par with those of other countries is a provision that allows the AMLC to investigate suspicious transaction without having to ask a court for permission to do so.

* * *

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales deserves kudos as well for initiating the fact-finding investigation that led to the disclosure of Corona’s dollar stash, which he did not declare in his SALNs.

The AMLC report is very detailed. Of the 82 foreign currency accounts, 8 are in the BPI Acropolis branch; 18 in BPI Tandang Sora; 34 in BPI San Francisco del Monte (SFDM); 1 in BPI Management Investment Corp; 8 in PSBank Cainta; 6 in PSBank Katipunan; 4 in Allied Bank Corp. in Kamias; 2 in Deutsche Bank; and 1 in Citibank.

More damaging is the discernible pattern in Corona’s secret dollar loot.

Multiple accounts were created for a similar purpose and spread over various branches of the five banks.

The transactions had “circuitous fund movements”, with funds drawn from one account and distributed to others.

There were numerous instances when funds were deposited and withdrawn on the same day.

There were significant movements on significant dates, including periods during the 2004 and 2007 elections and in the week that Corona was impeached in the House of Representatives in December last year.

And how can Corona dispute the finding of the AMLC investigation, that he had only one dollar account in 2003 in his first year as associate justice of the Supreme Court, yet two years later, in 2005, this had ballooned to 23 accounts; 35 at the start of 2007; 49 at the beginning of 2008; 63 by January 2009; 75 by 2010; and 81 by 2011?

A new account was opened this year, bringing the total number of dollar accounts to 82.

All this shows a clear pattern of big-time money laundering by Corona.

The question is: where did Renato Corona get his dollar hoard that amounts to more than half a billion pesos?

But that’s not the end of it.

According to COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, their accounting of Corona’s peso deposits showed a total of P242 million.

Contrast this with Corona’s declaration of a net worth of P22.9 million in his SALN for 2010.  At the very least he is guilty of perjury or lying in his SALN. Certainly, those dollar accounts’ not being in his SALNs is all one needs to prove beyond any shadow of doubt that our CJ is in violation of our SALN Law — the one and only charge in his impeachment trial that really matters!

The obvious conclusion at this point is that we have a billionaire Chief Justice whose assets very likely came from dubious and illegal sources and are grossly disproportionate to his legitimate income as an Associate Justice and as Chief Justice.

Faced with this avalanche of damaging evidence, of course, can we expect Corona to do the right thing which would obviously be that of bowing his head in shame and resigning? Of course not. Sadly for us, if Corona were of such a sterling character, he would not have so much money to hide.

 Thus, we are left with no choice than to continue with this impeachment to its bitter, bitter end!

# # # #

hvp 05.15.12

 “’We cannot give you accommodations. If only I could, I would’, she continued. ‘It is not our company’s policy to provide accommodations in situations like this.’”

by Ducky Paredes

We have a letter from an irate reader who will remain anonymous. I have edited the letter for length. At any rate, it tells a story that has a bearing on tourism and it’s being “more fun in the Philippines”:

“On April 27, I had a confirmed ticket on Cebu Pacific from Dumaguete City to Manila. Check-in time was at 2:45 pm, and since being in front of the line in the compact departure area meant that there was still a chance to get choice seats, I was there at 2:30. They started the check-in process at 2:45 and everything went on smoothly.

“A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight was also scheduled that afternoon and we lazily watched as it boarded their passengers at 4:30pm. Our own boarding schedule was at 4:15 and characteristically, no one was in the slight bit concerned because these flights are usually late. The PAL plane stayed at the runway another 10 minutes before it finally took off for Manila.

“It was then that Cebu Pacific announced thru the public address system that our flight was cancelled.

“I have travelled extensively worldwide and have experienced situations when flights were cancelled. Invariably those flights were cancelled because of bad weather and it was quite decent of the respective airlines to issue us vouchers for transportation from and back to the airport, hotel accommodations, and food.

“It was in that mood that I went to see the Cebu Pacific front desk. The place was congested. It was full of people with a common expression in their faces. Everybody was frustrated, and mad. We were all frustrated because the flight was cancelled. There were people who had connecting flights that they will not make because ours was the last flight out of Dumaguete that day. There were people from the far-flung areas of Negros Oriental and there were no more transportation available to take them to the safety of their own homes. These people never experienced how to survive in hotels. Some people had job interviews, family commitments, and business meetings to attend to early the next day. These things beget frustration. It is an understandable human reaction.

When the officer-in-charge (incidentally, the manager was on leave) spoke to me, her face was full of determination. When I asked her what the reason was for cancelling the flight, she said it was force majeure. I said “alright, so what is the plan? Where will we all be accommodated tonight?” In a way, I was egging her to move on, and that things like these happen and all we can do is make the experience as painless as possible for everybody.

Her answer was very stoic. I was dumbfounded. It was definitely asinine. I suddenly realized why the people who were there before me were both frustrated and mad. Very mad. “I am very sorry”, she started, now avoiding my eyes. “We cannot give you accommodations. If only I could, I would”, she continued. “It is not our company’s policy to provide accommodations in situations like this.”

“So what happens now?” I asked. She coldly said “I don’t know. Until your special flight tomorrow at 10:45am, you are on your own. And you cannot stay here either. You have to leave the building”.

“To make my point clear and unmistakable, I recited “WE DEMAND ACCOMMODATIONS TONIGHT” aloud. As I turned around, people started to chant the same phrase repeatedly.

“As if on cue, the OIC disappeared from the front desk and was replaced by uniformed security guards. Other people started asking questions in louder voices, standing firm yet with no forward movement nor any sign of pushing.

“It was then that a young gentleman asked for a ticket refund because he would risk a land trip to Cebu, late as it is, and try to catch a plane there for Manila. He said he simply could not miss a job interview early on April 28. One of the ladies at the counter attempted to help him. After the helpful lady made computations, she handed them to the young gentlemen. It was as if a force majeure materialized on the young man’s face. It turns out that he would be refunded only a fraction of what he originally paid for the ticket.

“When he asked why that was, the lady told him that it was company policy. “So you already delayed me here unnecessarily, and as a result, I will lose my shot at the job I have been applying for, and now you will even steal my money”.  He was creating such a commotion that one of the guards called the OIC from the comforts of the office facade. Once again I spied those devilish eyes as she addressed the young man who started weeping at his misfortune. “Sir, I cannot do anything. It is company policy.”

“The commotion shifted to the left side as a German national with a Filipina wife asked another unanswerable question: ”I paid 240 thousand pesos for our ticket that leaves for Europe at 11pm tonight. Who is going to reimburse me?”

“Then there was a group of young and elderly ladies who work in Manila as housekeepers. One of them called her employer who appeared to really be very mad at her. She tried to explain and asked one of the ladies behind the counter to talk to her employer. Unfortunately, the security guard brushed her away and the lady behind the counter gave her the evil eye.

“Case after heartbreaking case and sad stories of passengers were laid before the front desk, with nary a sympathetic ear to listen. There was a group of four matured tourists from Chicago who simply watched from a distance and patiently held their temper. I had a strange feeling that I will never see them again. At least not in the Philippines. There was another group of foreigners who had to catch a connecting flight to Puerto Princesa. Another Austrian couple simply watched. (This couple would eventually have to pay another Four Thousand Dollars to replace their ticket home).

“One reply fit all questions and admonitions that night: Company Policy.

“The crowd was getting impatient. There were three different groups who were shouting at the employees. One group was saying that the true reason our flight was cancelled was because there were not enough passengers for Dumaguete on that flight and Cebu Pacific did not want to lose money.

“The complete lack of concern of Cebu Pacific of the welfare of its riding public is very disturbing. Their business conduct is inhumane. It is no secret that cancellations and tardiness are the hallmarks of the airline industry. Who regulates the business practices of the likes of Cebu Pacific? Do they even get reprimanded or sanctioned when they leave late of schedule? Are they even aware of the implications of flight tardiness/cancellations to their passengers, especially in far-flung airports? Does anybody even care? The ability to mitigate the adverse effects of their decisions to the passengers was an opportunity to serve that they simply missed.

“The whole episode is marked by lies upon lies by Cebu Pacific to their passenger/patrons. Their commitment to common welfare and a humane business responsibility is seriously lacking. This episode demonstrates unequivocally that Cebu Pacific regards its passengers only as a means for profit and nothing else. Their decision to cancel the flight and the time they made the decision is evidence to their greed.

“Cebu Pacific is a ruthless business that goes after your money and nothing else. It is their company policy not to worry about stranded passengers even if they decide to cancel your flight for whatever reason. Their employees’ kind demeanor cannot compensate for a world of inconvenience that company policies can wreak upon you.

“The ownership of Cebu Pacific conducts bad business. They are uncaring, callous, and insensitive to their passenger’s needs. They will throw you out of their office if you get caught with a flight delay/cancellation whether you are a child, an adult, or a senior citizen with special needs. They will charge you for whatever they can for whatever reason but will not be responsible for their flight delays and cancellations. They are a direct result of the Philippine government’s incompetence and inability to enforce whatever laws there are that protects the riding public. They do what they do with apparent impunity because they are allowed to, and because they can.”

Perhaps, our Civil Aviation regulators must also regulate our airlines’ company policies.

# # # #

hvp 05.14.12

Deretsahan

ni Horacio Paredes

            Tila merong lumalaking alingasngas sa Lungsod ng Dagupan sa Pangasinan, ukol sa  balak ng pamunuan ng gobyernong lokal na ibenta ang dalawang real estate properties ng siyudad.

            Ang mga ito’y ang dating MC Adore International Palace at isa pang pag-aari na nasa bayan naman ng Calasiao.

            Dahil sa masusing pagtutok dito ng pahayagang Sunday Punch kung saan ang editor nito ay isang iginagalang at pinagpipitaganang kapatid sa pamamahayag – si Ermin F. Garcia Jr. Anak siya ng journalist-martyr na si Ermin E. Garcia, ang nagtatag ng pahayagang ito na pinaslang noong 1966 dahil pinanindigan niya ang kalayaan ng pamamahayag.

             Sa himig ng mga balitang nalathala doon ukol sa planong bentahan, tila may alingasaw na umabot sa matalas na pang-amoy ng mga taga-Sunday Punch, at ng mga taga-Dagupan na rin.

Sinasabing ang halaga ng MC Adore property ay di bababa sa P400 milyon. Ngunit bakit daw ba ang ibinabalandrang highest bid offer para dito ay umaabot lamang sa P75 milyon? Ang offer ay galing umano sa Managen Realty Corporation nitong nakaraang taon.  

Ngunit tila daw may naganap na milagrong kinatatampukan ng siyam na miyembro ng nasabing Sanggunian. Naganap daw ito nang tumawag si Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim ng isang emergency session ng Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP), na sadyang itinaon sa panahong umalis si Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez papuntang US para tanggapin ang isang award.

 Tinawag umano ni Mayor Lim ang emergency session upang aprubahan ang isang Resolution na nagpapahintulot sa alkalde na pumasok sa isang negosasyon para sa pagbebenta ng nasabing mga ari-arian.

Ayon kay Vice Mayor Fernandez, may iregularidad sa naganap na pulong. Unang-una aniya, ang isang emergency session ay dapat lang ginaanap kung may mahigpit na pangangailangan para dito, o kung nalalagay sa peligro ang kaligtasan o buhay ng mga mamamayan ng Dagupan.

Ikalawa, hindi umano inabisuhan ang Acting Vice Mayor at Acting Presiding Officer na si Maybelyn Fernandez, kaya ni wala itong pirma sa Notice for Emergency Session. At hindi rin siya ang nag-preside dito. Ikatlo, ang namuno umano sa pulong ay si Konsehal Jesus Canto, gayong nandoon ang SP Presiding Pro-Tempore, si Konsehal Librada M. Reyna, na siyang dapat nag-preside sa pulong.

Ang sesyon ay tumagal umano ng limang minuto lamang matapos basahin ni Konsehal Luis Samson Jr. ang resolusyon. Wala umanong naganap na diskusyon at ni walang nagtanong ukol dito.

Nais daw ibenta ni Mayor Lim ang dalawang propriedad na ito para magkaroon ng pondo ang siyudad na gagamitin para sa mga programa at proyekto ng pamahalaang lungsod.

Ngunit ayon kay Fernandez, wala namang agarang pangangailangan sa pondo ang siyudad dahil kailan lang nila pinagtibay ang P581 milyon budget nito at ang P10 milyon karagdagang supplemental budget.

Tanong din ng mga Dagupeno ay kung bakit nga naman kailangang apurahin at ora-oradang aprubahan ang nasabing resolusyon na nagpapaghintulot ibenta ang MC Adore International Palace at ang ari-arian sa Calasiao. Nagtataka din sila kung bakit hindi na lamang hinintay ang pagbabalik ni Vice Mayor at SP Presiding Officer Belen Fernandez.

Ang emergency session kuno ay naganap noong Abril 20, Biyernes, samantalang si Fernandez naman ay bumalik sa Dagupan mula US nang sumunod na Lunes, Abril 23, o dalawang araw lang ang naging pagitan.    

Ani Fernandez, ang MC Adore ay halos katabi lamang ng Malimgas Public Market na ang halaga ay tinatayang aabot sa P517 milyon para sa lote at sa gusali ng palengke. Kasama na aniya dito ang interes na ibinayad sa P282 milyong inutang ng pamahalaang lungsod ni Mayor Lim na ginamit sa pagpapatayo ng palengke. Kaya ani Fernandez, hindi dapat bumaba sa P400 milyon ang value ng MC Adore.

May isa pa ring tanong na ibinabato sa mga konsehal na nag-apruba sa resolusyon: Totoo daw bang may malaking salaping sangkot sa pangyayaring ito, kung kaya sing-bilis ng kidlat ang naging aksyon ninyo? Hindi po sa amin galing ang tanong na ito. Inuulit lang po namin ang isang bahagi ng Sunday Punch report ukol dito sa Page 15, April 22 issue nito:

 “There are reports that money changed hands for the approval of the resolution, allegedly funded by an interested buyer of the MC Adore building who is offering P68 million as against the property’s assessed value of at least P128 million to as much as P300 million.”                                     

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hvp (05.14.12)

 “By offering to testify, according to Pimentel, Corona would also be considered as having waived his right to the confidentiality of his dollar accounts with Philippine Savings Bank.”

by Ducky Paredes

Obviously, when impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona faces the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, the CJ thinks that he can get away with testifying only on the $10 million in bank deposits that have been the subject of media reports and a letter from the Ombudsman asking for his explanation,

According to the Benjamin of the Senate, who is also a bar topnotcher, if the CJ is thinking that, then he is grievously mistaken.

As far as Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, once Corona takes the witness stand in the Senate as promised by his lawyers, he becomes fair game for any and all questions from the senator-judges. Of course, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has promised that the CJ will be treated with respect but what could be disrespectful with wanting to know the truth. Certainly, the CJ himself knows well that in presenting himself himself as a witness, there is every possibility that he will be asked embarrassing questions.

This is, in fact, probably why he asked (as a condition to his testimony) that his accusers before the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman she must testify before the CJ will himself testify.

A lawyer posits that the Ombudsman and his accusers will probably have nothing that would stand up in court. Having proved that fact, would the CJ then excuse himself by saying that he, after all, has nothing to refute. If that is the play, clearly, lawyers among the Senators (Pimentel, for one) will not be denied their chance to cross-examine a CJ.

Besides, Corona does have a lot of explaining to do, starting with the millions of pesos worth of plush housing and condominium units, as well as the millions more in peso deposits, which he did not declare in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

That Corona fudged his SALNs through the years is already a fact admitted by his lawyers, who have been reduced to citing flimsy excuses to justify the undervaluation or non-declaration of his cash or real property assets.

The senator-judges and the public are just waiting how Corona will deftly try a tinkling dance avoiding the clashing bamboo poles. Can he explain why, for instance, he only declared his P9-million condo unit in Bonifacio Ridge in 2010 when he bought it in 2006.

By offering to testify, according to Pimentel, Corona would also be considered as having waived his right to the confidentiality of his dollar accounts with Philippine Savings Bank.

The PSBank accounts are covered by a TRO from the Supreme Court that bars their opening because doing so would violate the secrecy of foreign currency deposits.

 Koko says that while he was with the 13 senator-judges who voted last Feb. 13 for the Senate to respect the SC TRO, the time has come for the Senate to insist on the opening of Corona’s foreign currency accounts even without the SC lifting their TRO.

The secrecy of foreign currency deposits was never intended to hide the fruits of graft and corruption, money laundering and other shenanigans, thus it cannot be used as a monkey wrench that would disrupt the impeachment trial of Corona.

There is a higher call that must be served in impeachments and that is for the truth to surface to satisfy the people’s hunger for public accountability.  It is on truth that an impeachment must be decided.

With the false bravado exuded by his defense lawyers in trumpeting the much-awaited Corona testimony of Corona, a number of senators put things in their proper context when they said that it matters little how much the foreign currency accounts of Corona contain, the only point that matters is whether he disclosed those accounts in his SALN.

Corona’s SALNs are now of public record. Even if you peruse them with a magnifying glass, nowhere can you find entries of his dollar accounts. There’s no escaping that fact; that this is something that Corona cannot explain.

Add to this the deep and dark revelations that came up when the Coronas explained how they came to be the sole owners of the Basa-Guidote family corporation (BGEI). If they can double-cross their own relatives and use the lower courts to do their black deeds, what can such a CJ do to the rest of us?

He is wrong in that he equates everything to the SC’s ruling against the President’s family on Hacienda Luisita. That hardly matters. What does matter is a CJ who is on a path that leads away from the Daang Matuwid.

How can such a CJ do justice to his exalted post?

* * *

We have a letter: “Interesting development at impeachment trial after the defense (& maybe CJ) sensed that they have reached a dead end when the details of that BGEI takeover showed the greed, the shrewdness, the deceptive strategy of winning a case and manipulating the implementation of the court to capture a company worth at least P34.7 million (the money is already at the hands of Cristina that time) at a price of P28,000.00.

“The public formally were shown for the first time the character of this couple, betraying the trust of their relatives. If they can do that to them, they can do it to anyone. Now they are into getting sympathy and again using the name of God for their cause.

“This reminds me of the acts of Migs Zubiri when cornered, opting to resign to recover whatever is left to his credibility, if there is any.

“The news says there was tears from the family according to Atty. Esguerra who earlier said the ‘CJ is dying’ because of this recent development. Knowing the softhearted Filipinos might extend such sympathy, their last gambit might just get some dividends. But surely this was done not because of a sudden change of heart by the CJ, not because of the CJ ’seeing the light at the end of the tunnel’ but because the road has already ended and there is nowhere to go. May God truly be merciful on him and bless him to make amends. That would be good for him.” — El Flores, Las Pinas

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hvp 05.13.12

Deretsahan

ni Horacio Paredes

Ang korporasyong “Basa-GuidoteEnterprises, Inc.”  (BGEI) ay tinayo ng lola ni Mrs. Cristina Corona para sa kaniyang mga anak upang hindi mahati-hati ang kaisa-isang lupain ng pamilya sa Bustillos.

Noong 2002, nanalo si Mrs. Corona sa kaniyang kaso ng libelo kalaban ang kaniyang tiyuhin na si Jose Maria Basa na merong 4,729 shares ng BGEI. Ang dapat bayaran ni Jose Ma. Basa kay Mrs. Corona ay danyos na P500.000.

Ang 4,729 shares ni Basa ay nagkakahalaga noon ng halos P30 milyon dahil noong lamang 2001 ay binayaran ng Lunsod ng Maynila ang BGEI ng P34.7 millyon at ang hawak ni Basa ay halos 90 porsiyento ng BGEI (kasama na rito nag mga share of stock ng dalawang madre at ng isa pang kapatid.

Ngunit, ano ang ginawa ng mga Corona?  Pinuntahan nila ang Sheriff ng RTC ng Lunsod ng Quezon na si Joseph Bisnar at sinabing walang kwarta si Basa kung kaya dapat na ibenta ang kaniyang 4,729 shares na  hindi naman sinabi ni Mrs. Corona at hindi rin naman inalam ni Bisnar kung magkano nagkakahalaga ang mga share of stock ni Basa. Hindi lamang yon. Dahil sa patay na rin si Basa, hindi na dapat pang pinapabayad pa ng danyos ang mga matagal ng patay.

Ngunit, wala namang sinabi si Mrs. Corona kung buhay pa ba o patay na ang kaniyang tiyuhin at hindi rin naman nagtanong si Sherrif kung ano ba ang BGEI at kung magkano nga ba ang halaga ng mga share of stock ni Basa.

Dahil nagpakilala si Mrs. Corona kay Bisnar na siya ang Assistant Corporate Secretary ng BGEI, ayon kay Bisnar, kung ano ang ginusto ni Mrs. Corona’y pinabayaan lamang niya si Mrs. Corona na gawain kung anuman ang gusto nitong mangyari.

Kaya nga, ang nangyari ay sinubasta ng Sheriff ang lahat ng mga share ni Basa at dahil isa lamang ang naroroon na nagka-interes na sumali sa bidding ng 4,729 na mga share ni Basa na, sa totoo, ay nagkakahalaga ng halos P30 milyon, tinanggap ni Bisnar ang gustong ibayad ng kaisa-isang bidder na hindi naman raw alam ni Bisnar na anak pala ni Mrs. Corona.

Ang nanalong bid para sa mga share ni Basa na nagkakhalaga ng halos P30 milyon ay P28,000 lamang. Sa totoo kung isang daang share lamang ang kinuha ni Mrs. Corona sobra na ito sa dapat ibayad sa kanya na P500,000.

At ,iyan ang panlolokong ginawa ng mga Corona upang mapasakanila ang BGEI at ang kwartang binayad sa BGEI ng Lunsod ng Maynila na P34.7 milyon.

Sa tingin mo ba, dakilang reader ng kolum na ito, na ang isang kagaya ni Renato Corona ay dapat na manatili bilang Punong Mahistrado ng ating Korte Suprema?

Ayon nga pala kay Sheriff Bisnar, hindi raw niya nakikilala si Renato Corona at hindi rin daw niya alam kung ito nga ba ay isang Associate Justice (noong 2002) ng Korte Suprema. Kahit maaari namang totoo na natutulog sa pansitan ang Sheriff, ewan ko ba kung baket parang hindi ko siya gaanong pinaniniwalaan.

Marahil na sobra lamang akong mapaghinala. Tama?

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hvp (05.11.12)

 “Corona epitomizes the crooked path that is the exact opposite of the daang matuwid that the Aquino administration wants to pursue.”

by Ducky Paredes

Day 36 of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona last May 8 was, in my mind, a total fiasco for the CJ. His lawyers, obviously acting under his direct guidance, sought to prove that the Roco-Coronas owned Basa-Guidote Enterprises, Inc. (BGEI), and had every right to sell its property to the City of Manila and take the money for themselves.

However, by putting the sheriff of the Quezon City RTC on the witness stand, Corona may well have proved his ownership, he also revealed how manipulative he is and how he deals with a stacked deck. That hearing actually worked against him. I doubt if that hearing, in any way, improved his credibility. In fact, that episode only managed to further muddle the issue and leave both the impeachment court, as well as the public, with great big doubts on the true extent of his assets and his evil ways.

Corona insists that his purchases of luxury condominiums and his bank accounts came from his salaries and allowances as a member of the Supreme Court, and from other sources, including the P11 million loan from BGEI, which he declared in one of his SALNs. He also claims that the more than P30 million he withdrew from the Katipunan branch of PSBank on December 12, 2012, when he was impeached by 188 congressmen, was money held in trust for BGEI, or the proceeds of the sale for P34.7 million to the City of Manila of a BGEI property in Bustillos, Manila in 2001. The fact revealed on Day 36 is that he borrowed the P11 million from his daughter, not BGEI since there was no BGEI board resolution approving the loan.

The impeachment court allowed the last hearing to focus on BGEI because of that Corona’s claim that he borrowed from BGEI!

What came out of the hearing, however, only served to reinforce the view that Corona may simply be using BGEI as a convenient prop to hide wealth grossly disproportionate to his legitimate income.

During the hearing, it was revealed that Corona’s daughter, Carla Corona Castillo, now owns BGEI, having paid a mere P28,000 at an auction conducted by the QC RTC as part of the writ of execution on a libel case against Jose Ma. Basa III that the court had ruled in favor of Cristina Corona in October 2002, awarding her P500,000 in damages.

But the auction (incidentally, held several years later, and only when Corona was already a Justice in the Supreme Court) was tainted with irregularity as it was held after the death of Basa. Death extinguishes civil and criminal liabilities. Besides, Carla was the only bidder in that auction. How she became the majority owner of the firm with only P28,000 as payment for 91 percent of BGEI shares is an anomaly since a year earlier, Cristina received an overpriced P34.7 million from the city of Manila for the sale of the Bustillos property. The check was made out to Cristina Corona for and in behalf of BGEI!

Impeachment court presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile was himself perplexed as to why the 4,839 BGEI shares of Jose Ma. Basa III and his wife, which had a par value of P100 each or P483,900, were sold for only P28,000. “Given the value of the [BGEI] property [in Manila], which was sold at P34.7 million, the fair market of the share is a lot, lot, lot more than the par value,” Enrile noted. Enrile even asked the witness, sheriff Joseph Bisnar (who one suspects was doing everything that he did on instructions of Corona despite the fact that the sheriff swore that he did not know who Corona was), why he did not even bother to urge Carla to increase her bid of P28,000 for the 4,839 BGEI shares.

Prosecution spokesperson Rep. Romero Quimbo called the sale of BGEI stocks to Castillo “extremely and highly irregular, illegal and void.”

He also said Bisnar should be liable for ignoring his functions as sheriff when he allowed the sale of BGEI shares to Castillo at such a measly price.

What the last hearing showed is the apparent deviousness of Corona in using BGEI as his shield against allegations of hidden wealth.

 More than this, he has obviously been manipulating the judicial system, including the lower courts, and his own children to hide his assets.

If the Chief Justice can manipulate the judicial system and his own children to serve his personal purposes, what can we expect of him as our Chief Magistrate?

The Senate impeachment court is clearly aware that Corona is a scheming and manipulative individual who will stop at nothing to accumulate wealth. Nothing will stop him!

Corona has been caught lying as to the source of the money he used to purchase pricey condominium properties and again lying about his various peso and dollar accounts.

 Confronted with reports that he owned two properties in the U.S., Corona initially claimed he had only rented two properties for his daughters. But later he made an abrupt turn-around and admitted that a daughter had bought a house in California at a “dirt-cheap” price. He even explained that his daughter was married to a very rich man. This looked believable until it was discovered that the husband had signed a waiver on any rights to the property. (What else could this mean but that he was not a party to the purchase!) 

Corona has been caught lying again and again. There’s no way he can regain his shattered credibility. Well, there is a way but it would mean giving up his throne as CJ. He cannot keep his credibility and his position which should never be given to a man who does not know right from wrong and lies from the truth,

At the conclusion of the May 8 hearing, Corona’s defense team said the Chief Justice had agreed to testify this coming week. But why did he set a condition for his appearance, that those who have accused him of owning dollar accounts should be subpoenaed to substantiate their charges? Even if he is the Chief Justice, he should not be setting conditions for his appearance. An honest man would only need to speak the truth with honesty, and he will be believed.

By bringing in his accusers to be grilled by his lawyers, Corona is obviously out to discredit them. So, suppose they are also lying, what does that prove? It certainly does not prove that Corona is not lying himself or that he has no dollar accounts — whether $10 million worth or less, does it?

Corona epitomizes the crooked path that is the exact opposite of the daang matuwid that the Aquino administration wants to pursue. He has no business staying on as Chief Justice and dragging the whole judiciary down to his gutter with him.

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hvp 05.10.12

“I cannot believe that suddenly, Renato Corona wants to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but.”

by Ducky Paredes

As a non-lawyer, my take on the Corona offer to bare all is that this is not what it seems. He wants to have all of his accusers (Harvey Keh, Ruperto Alerosa, former Akbayan Rep Risa Hontiveros, Albert Concepcion, and Akbayan Rep Walden Bello) and the Ombudsman herself subpoenaed and when at the impeachment, will be asked by his lawyers for proof of what they have told the Ombusdsman of Corona’s dollar stash.

He is expecting that they have nothing that will stand up in court. Or, even if they did, his lawyers will use every trick in the book to give Corona’s Supreme Court gang cause enough to later rule that this impeachment was unfair or illegal.  This takes a leaf from the Estrada impeachment where eventually the SC ruled that no matter what, Gloria was now President. Remember?

Thus, after the accusers come up empty, he will not even have to testify at all. After all, if his accusers had nothing, what is there on which Renato Corona will need to testify?

We know that they are tricksters.

Tuesday’s hearing showed how they illegally transferred shares of the BGEI  to Mrs. Corona using a CFI Sheriff who was obviously in awe of a sitting Associate Justice of the Supreme Court even as he constantly denied that he knew who Renato Corona was or that he was a sitting magistrate. The sheriff was very unconvincing and eventually admitted that he just followed whatever the Justice’s wife told him to do!

I cannot believe that suddenly, Renato Corona wants to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but. What he expects is that when the impeachment reconvenes after a two-day continuance on Monday, Renato Corona will have the last laugh.

If you ever read a Perry Mason story, Tuesday’s session comes right out of a Perry Mason book. Monday’s trial will surely be a game-changer — the last chapter!

And it will not be because Corona will finally tell the truth; instead, what he expects is that the people accusing him will come up empty. Then, having proven them to have nothing, what is there for the Chief Justice to refute?

The defense rests!

This is the plan. In the end, the Supreme Court rules!

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We have a letter from someone with something to report about Palawan: “Executive Director Regina Paz (Gina)  Lopez of ABS-CBN Bantay Kalikasan  together with  20 others ‘invaded”  Sabsaban Falls,  a sacred place among the tribesmen in Barangay Aribungos in Brooke’s Point.

“They are now facing various complaints before the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).

“Brooke’s Point Federation of Tribal Councils (BPFTC) represented by Chieftain Fabio Lagan, owner of the land area, has asked the NCIP to order the defendants to pay  P100,000.00 each for a total of P2,330,000.00 for  damages and litigation fees.

“Lagan said the BPFTC’s ownership and peaceful occupation of the ancestral domain was disturbed when the NGO in connivance with the municipal and   barangay  officials  illegally entered and occupied the Sabsaban Falls area.

“Artiso Mandawa, a barangay kagawad who claims to be a tribal leader and a leading figure in the Save Palawan Movement, together with Bantay Kalikasan and 19 others representing various non-government organizations and government entities put up an Eco-Academy and Resort in the area without permit from its owner and the NCIP — in violation of tribal tradition and practices and the NCIP Law.

“Mandawa, the self-proclaimed chairman of the Ancestral Land Domain Watch Network (ALDAW) and the leading oppositor of mining operations  among tribal leaders is one of those who now face a complaint for illegal entry in the area owned by Lagan.

“Lagan said the environmental NGO with the help of Brooke’s Point Mayor Narciso Leoncio, Barangay Chairmen Jonathan Lagrada and Ratibe Milosin and members of their Sanggunian, the environment officer and the members of the Augustinian Missionaries felled some 25 trees, built houses and put up tents within the perimeter of the Sabsaban Falls which they converted into a eco-tourism resort.

“The felled trees were converted into lumber which they used to build houses and cottages and fabricate furniture.

“Sabsaban Falls is now occupied by foreign and local tourists, members of various non-government organizations and secured by uniformed police and military personnel. It is like in a war zone.

“The indigenous people in the area are also complaining that they are prevented from smoking, taking baths, washing their clothes and fetching water from the falls.

“NCIP field officer Ricardo Sanga has formally notified the environmental NGO to answer charges of illegal intrusion into the Sabsaban Falls and of converting the same into eco-tourism project without securing the free prior and informed consent.

“Sanga also directed the NGO to cease from further improving the subject area until an FPIC and certificate of precondition (CP) have been secured from the NCIP.

“An FPIC and CP are documents which prove that affected indigenous communities within the area recommend the operations and related activities of the proposed projects.

“Gina Lopez and her foundation earlier tried to stop a firm from operating its mining claim in the municipality allegedly due to question on the integrity of the FPIC which prevented the NCIP from issuing the corresponding CP.

“Lopez, the operator of the eco-tourism resort which area they occupied sans FPIC and CP earlier questioned the integrity of the FPIC of a mining project in the area that prevented the NCIP from issuing a CP to the business firm.

“The business firm had already spent some P200 million to meet all the requisites for the proposed project including the social and economic services it rendered to the affected indigenous communities since the exploration stage in the area for their proposed project has yet to start their operation.

“The delay was caused by the opposition of the environment NGO questioning the process of FPIC, and yet it converted a sacred place into an eco-tourism resort without even a semblance of FPIC, CP and permit from the landowner and NCIP.”

“Please help Palawan.” — Agustin Bacos, Brooke’s Point

* * *

All I have in Palawan is a small bank — the Palawan Development Bank, of which I have been the Chairman for more than a decade now - and memories of summer vacations in Iwahig when my grandfather — Eriberto Misa — was the Bureau of Prisons director. This is the second letter from a reader asking me to help Palawan. The only help I can give is a mention in this column.

Too bad about Gina if all this is true. One thing for sure, the indigenous folk have rights, too, and no one has the right to ignore this fact, even if they mean well or are well-heeled NGOs and have financial backing, they really should pay heed to the original people of Palawan.

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hvp 05.09.12