A day after Sen. Mar Roxas purportedly gave up his presidential ambitions in favor of the only son of former President Cory Aquino and former Sen. Ninoy Aquino, it was Sen. Noynoy Aquino‘s turn tonight to speak.
Here is a full transcript of the statement made by the younger Sen. Aquino at a press conference at Club Filipino:
PLEASE SEE UPDATES BELOW. Liberal Party President and Senator Mar Roxas II made the following “major and important announcement” tonight at the historic Club Filipino.
After months of being considered LP’s presidential candidate-in-waiting, Roxas formally gave way to partymate Senator Noynoy Aquino, son of former President Cory Aquino and former Sen. Ninoy Aquino. Noynoy and other LP leaders joined Roxas at the press conference.
Roxas could not have chosen a better date to make this announcement as it falls exactly a month after the death of President Aquino who herself took her presidential oath of office at the same venue.
However, Roxas did not directly state that he is open to be Aquino’s runningmate or whether he will abandon plans to run for higher office and instead run for reelection as senator next year.
Following are excerpts of Sen. Roxas’ statement:
The Manila Science High School Faculty and Employees Club has come out with a letter to Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim expressing strong opposition to plans to rename the country’s pilot science high school, even as they request that he verify and clarify the said plan.
“It has come to our knowledge that plans are underway to rename Manila Science High School to President Corazon C. Aquino Science High School as per news article written by Pat C. Santos in The Daily Tribune dated August 11, 2009. The alleged plan was practically validated, to the surprise and dismay of the entire Manila Science High School community, when two DepEd-Manila officials, Asst. Superintendent Mauro de Gulan and retired Asst. Superintendent Isabelita Santos, met with Mrs. Flora A. Valdez, our school head, on August 19 to discuss the matter,” said the group.
The National Geographic Channel held a special screening for media (including bloggers) of “Asia’s Titanic”, the first Filipino-made NatGeo-produced documentary, which tackled the infamous MV Dona Paz tragedy of 1987 — the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
There is no Leonardo di Caprio or Kate Winslet to give star power to “Asia’s Titanic”. But the scarred faces, voices and tears of the survivors who the team of Laranas managed to interview and the simple reenactments are enough to give face to the periodic victims of such preventable tragedies. They are our poorest countrymen and women who travel the country from less prosperous provinces to the cities and vice versa especially during holidays when filial piety demands that they reunited with kith and kin they have left in search for jobs in the cities.
Bloggers read other blogs to be updated and just like ordinary blog readers, also to engage in discussions and to be entertained or enlightened.
We have grown to love some of the new blogs and I really wish they are recognized. Good thing we have the writing project Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2009 which makes giving credit to these noteworthy blogs a community effort.
Here are my top 10 picks for 2009:
Leaders of people’s organizations, including the mother of a UP students whose continued disappearance is blamed on retired Brig. Gen. Jovito Palparan, today filed a quo warranto case against the new Bantay partylist representative before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.
In the cyberspace, scores are joining the anti-Palparan cause on Facebook. Check reports from Bulatlat, Inquirer and Newsbreak.
Full text of the anti-Palparan quo warranto petition follows:
Congratulations to all 1,310 new Filipino lawyers.
Internet use in the Philippines is growing with more and more Filipino using the internet for various purposes.
This post, which I would update regularly, seeks to make available reference materials, studies, researches on the Philippine use of the internet.
Formerly known as simply “Nicole”, the Filipino woman who charged a US Marine with rape and who won a conviction in a local court, has fled to the US and recanted her testimony.
Here is the full text of affidavit:
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
Annex A
CITY OF MAKATII, SUZETTE S. NICOLAS, of legal age. Filipino, a resident of Zamboanga City, after being duly sworn in accordance with law, hereby depose and state:
1. I am a Bachelor of Science graduate, major in Management Accounting, of the Ateneo de Davao University. Soon after my graduation, I took up nursing in 2004 at the Ateneo de Zamboanga City and at the same time assisted in managing our family owned canteen located inside the military base of the Southern Command. My mother was a civilian supervisor of the Philippine Navy for 25 years while my deceased father was a Philippine Navy Officer.
What do the Alabang, Paranaque and Quezon City incidents, the Kuratong Baleleng rubout, the suspicious slays of crusading journalists and the murders of nearly a thousand activists have in common?
They are all arguably extrajudicial or extralegal killings — deliberate murders of individuals by elements or agents of the state, with approval or sanction by superiors, without due process or outside of the law, and most of them are politically-motivated
As the world searches for solutions to the global economic crisis, Prof. Jose Ma. Sison publishes his views on politics and the economy, on democracy and socialism and on the problem that is imperialist globalization. This is another step forward for Prof. Sison and the national democratic movement as they offer help to the country and the world towards understanding and addressing our situation.
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| Invitation to the launch of Prof. Jose Ma. Sison’s new books |
The Simpsons have a new OBB, the intro part that we all loved has been updated and spruced up to reflect the time. In the new intro, the Simpson’s couch “becomes” the star.
Enjoy the full video at the break:
Everyone is invited to attend a public tribute in honor of Medardo “Ka Roda” Roda on Feb. 14, 2009, 4:30 pm at the garden of Bulwagang Bonifacio (SOLAIR), UP Diliman.
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| From Stuff |
At around noon time Tuesday in Washington DC, Barack Obama became President and immediately brought change to America: Obama’s web team swiftly revamped the White House website.
The redesigned website reflects the simplicity of Obama’s campaign portal.
Barack Obama delivered the following inaugural speech on Jan. 20 in Washington DC where a huge crowd witnessed him take his oath as the 44th president of the United States and the country’s first black Chief Executive.
In his first act as president, Obama proclaimed his inaugural day as National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
Barack Obama will be sworn in today as the first black president and as the 44th chief executive of the United States.
Millions are going to watch it live:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Other live-streaming sites:
Everyone’s invited to tomorrow’s rally versus the Charter Change Redux of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo!
Here is the invitation from organizers:
Dear Friends and Concerned Citizens,
Greetings of peace in these turbulent and uncertain times!
Recent moves in the House of Representatives by no less than Speaker Prospero Nograles and other administration allies to railroad their discredited bid to change the Philippine Charter (Chacha) by convening Congress into a Constituent Assembly (Con‐Ass) has raised the alarm among many concerned sectors of our society.
Manny Pacquiao won over Oscar de la Hoya, scoring a TKO in the ninth round in their “dream match”.
How did the media report it?
The “dream match” between Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao unravels today at the MGM Grand Garden Arena — and we’re all looking for commentary, predictions and live coverage!
If you’re looking for a roundup of some compelling articles and predictions as well as a tip on how to get live coverage, this is a good place to start.
Last Saturday, the online newsmagazine Pinoy Weekly and several other groups convened the Pinoy Citizen Journalism Seminar at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
Here is the presentation I shared with the participants:
Recital of Facts on the NBN-ZTE contract and Northrail Project
Presented by Rep. Teddy Casiño
Bayan Muna Representative
Committee on Justice
House of Representatives
November 24, 2008
Mr. Chairman, my distinguished colleagues.
Former speaker Jose de Vencia has given a substantial account of the facts of the President’s knowledge and involvement in the anomalous NBN-ZTE contract. May I just be allowed to add a few more facts.
A few months after the infamous golf game between the former speaker, the President, COMELEC Chair Benjamin Abalos and ZTE officials, the President, through NEDA which she herself chairs, and the DOTC which is under the Executive, approved the ZTE’s proposal for a government to government contract. From a BOT project before the golf game, it became a government to government contract. Wala hong public bidding, lumobo na ang presyo ng ilang beses sa original proposal, at may mga lantarang paglabag sa ating procurement laws.
Pagsusog sa Reklamo Hinggil sa Pagpapatalsik sa Katungkulan ng Gng. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Pananalita ni Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan
Kinatawan ng Gabriela Women’s Party
sa Pulong ng Komite sa Katarungan
Kamara de Representantes
Ika-24 ng Nobyembre, 2008
Mr. Chairman, sa Mindanao, kung saan ang kinatawang ito nagmula, daandaang kaso ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao at Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas ang kinasasangkutan ni Gng. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.