Radio Pinoy USA

For Philippine President Arroyo, her family and political allies in Congress headed for a "showdown" with the "Noynoy" Aquino administration, challenging the legality of the Truth Commission before the Philippine Supreme Court.

At a forum, members of the Arroyo led minority Lakas-Kampi CMD, the political party of the former President and now a lawmaker, said President "Noynoy" Aquino had usurped the powers of Congress and violated the Philippine Constitution’s equal-protection clause by targeting only the Arroyos through its Truth Commission.

“Why are they being selective? Why only the Arroyos? said Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, who represents a party-list for security guards. “It is good to find out the truth but they should not be selective.”

Negros Occidental lawmaker Ignacio Arroyo, said the Arroyos were willing to cooperate with the truth Commission but they felt they were being digitally targeted.

“Why doesn’t the President include the "Noynoy" Aquino family owned "Hacienda Luisita controversy and massacre of farmers ? Let us all be transparent,” the lawmaker said, referring to a long-standing land dispute between Mr. Aquino’s family-owned farmland and its tenant farmers. “They should prove to us that the Arroyos are not being singled out. Let President Aquino have the Hacienda Luisita case tabled for investigation.”

Veteran Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo also criticized the creation of the Truth Commission led by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide tasked to investigate allegations of corruption in the Arroyo administration.

Senator Joker Arroyo (no blood relation to former president), a close associate of Aquino’s parents, said the Truth Commission was doomed to not succeed, and said it was “toothless” and legally disabled. Fiery Senator Miriam Santiago called it “a gross violation of the Constitution.”

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said executive order 1 creating the Truth Commission violated the Philippine Constitution on three fronts.

“The creation and funding of offices and commissions is a legislative power of Congress and consequently, the Truth Commission cannot be constituted by mere executive fiat,” Lagman said.

“The equal protection clause of the Constitution may be violated by targeting a specific group of officials for investigation; and the Truth Commission duplicates the constitutional mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman as well as the statutory jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.”

The lawmaker said the minority will file a petition with the Philippine Supreme Court.

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"NOYNOY" AQUINO'S FIRST S.O.N.A. A TABLOID

COMMENTARY:

Veteran lawyer-columnist Emil Jurado wrote in Manila standard "this is the first time in the history of the Philippines that there is no Presidential Press Secretary..instead P-Noy installed four (4) individuals from different news organizations who are now battling to be on top of one another..".

News is, 2 press secretaries would be appointed.

Now, was this the reason why the first State-Of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) of P-Noy was a flop ?

Dear Santa Banana, the election campaign is over and done."Noynoy" Aquino sounded like a "baby" wanting for more milk with a drop of infant 'Blue Label".He spent 95 percent of that miserable SONA demeaning the previous administration.Yes,mistakes were done but what happened to where P-Noy wants to bring the Philippines ? to the toilet !I suppose. He zeroid in on having no money, what ? No money ! then tell us how you, P-Noy, would produce ! No mention about foreign investors, debt-reduction, tourism, job creation. No gratefulness to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) yearly dollar remittances in billions of dollars. Absolutely no
substance. P-Noy looked and sounded like a gossip broadcast showbizcaster hitting on his
predecessor.

Before Arroyo exited as President, the IMF- International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have recognized the Philippines' strong $ 49 billion Gross International Reserve (GIF) performance-based. But "Noynoy," instead, sounded exactly like his scandalous sister TV hostess Kris on ABS-CBN ( the [A]quino [B]roadcasting [S]ystem).

Who wrote his pathetic SONA ? A tele-nobela tabloid columist from one of his 4 communications group, I suppose.

"NOYNOY" ATTACKS TOO MUCH RICE ON HAND

Insulting the intelligence of everyone in the plenary, the perceived saint-like 10-year-nothing-done lawmaker read from the tele-prompter his much awaited first State-of-the Nation-Address (SONA) as Philippine president.

Reacting to Noynoy Aquino’s SoNA, recently elected congressman Arthur Yap explained that the agency [Department of Agriculture] he used to head as secretary has given Noynoy Aquino, the new president, wrong information and figures on alleged over-importation of rice.

Now a lawmaker, Yap, former secretary of the Department of Agriculture, said government did not overshoot importation of rice when he was still head of the agency.

The previous Arroyo government resorted to massive importation of the staple in a bid to address the rice shortage problem that hit the Philippines for several years.

PHILIPPINES A PREY TO DRUG CARTEL, "NOYNOY" STAYED AWAY DURING SONA

"Noynoy" Aquino dared not to mention the Philippines' serious drug problem. Why ? The Manila times newspaper reported that there are some 1.45 tons or 1,450 kilos of high-grade cocaine valued at P7.25 billion are believed to be now out in the streets hanging like a “Sword of Damocles” ready to fall anytime to destroy the lives of thousands of people. This would inevitably happen, unless the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies of the government would be fast enough to beat on the draw against the unscrupulous persons, or syndicates possessing the said illegal drugs.

POOR FARMERS WITH MOUTHS OPEN DURING "NOYNOY" AQUINO'S SONA

“Noynoy [Aquino] made no mention of agrarian reform, debt relief, new taxes or even the freedom of information bill,” said Bayan Muna congressman Teodoro Casiño,who had boycotted addresses by Aquino’s predecessor, former President Arroyo. “If the objective is really to be the opposite of [Mrs. Arroyo], this was a very weak presentation.”

POPULATION EXPLOSION IS NO CONCERN TO 'NOYNOY"

Philippine House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman was disappointed that the President did not talk about the reproductive health bill as a way to curb the ballooning population.

“It was important that he talk about the population explosion because there are 94 million mouths to feed, and if we don’t remedy this problem, the literacy rate of Filipinos will remain at an all-time low, the health and nutrition of our people will continue to suffer, and jobs will come slower than the 2.36 percent rapid growth rate annually,” said lawmaker Lagman, principal author of the bill.

"NOYNOY" AQUINO KEPT SILENT ON HIS FAMILY'S CONTROVERSIAL "'HACIENDA LUISITA" DURING THE SONA

Militant group "nakpawis" lawmaker Rafael Mariano said "the President again avoided the topic of Hacienda Luisita, the 6,400-hectare
plantation owned by his family that has managed to sidestep land distribution to farmers under the agrarian reform program."

“Filipino peasants were expecting a clear declaration on land distribution,”Lawmaker Mariano said. “Unfortunately, there was none.”

Corazon Aquino’s speechwriter, former Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., said the President’s speech was “an indictment..there was no vision”
Lawmaker Locsin said.

"NOYNOY" AQUINO, A WEAK LIMPING DUCK

Akbayan lawmaker Walden Bello said the newly-president elect Noynoy Aquino was strong in condemning corruption in the previous Arroyo
administration, but weak in solutions.

Noynoy failed to talk about the need to increase wages, reverse trade liberalization and address the foreign debt.

Except for the misinformed and political allies, "Noynoy" Aquino's SONA was an insult to one's intelligence. I expect "Noynoy" to play the "Blame Game".

THE REASON WHY HE CHOSE TO HAVE A 43-MINUTE SONA, THE SHORTEST IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY, IS TO AVOID WHAT WAS SAID IN PETER'S PRINCIPLE FOR HIS UTMOST LACK OF KNOWLEDGE MAY SHOW BUT IT DID. "NOYNOY" AQUINO'S HEIGHT OF INCOMPETENCY SHOWED ON HIS FIRST S.O.N.A. HE SHOT HIS OWN FOOT.