MAYAMAN KA BA? BAKA AKALA MO LANG? | Fr. Joseph Fidel Roura

The Not-So-Funny Anecdotes in the OVP Hearing

The first time the VP attended the Quadcom hearing ... she did not take the oath., She refused to take an oath promising that any statement she made during the inquiry was TRUE.

Tumaas ang kilay ng isang miron. TRUTH ... or her own version of LIES?

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Is the Vice President a bratinella? If she is not ... why would she have the delusions that her 32 million votes in 2022 are equated to unquestioned loyalty? Tanong nga ng is a pang miron ... kahit mali na ang ginagawa mo ... babasbasan at ikonsinti na lang ng kanyang rabid followers?

She can’t seem to fathom that she has been ENTRUSTED with power by the people ... but she HOLDS that power in trust ... to be used only for the benefit of the people, never for herself or a few of her followers.

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Everybody was surprised the VP refused to take an oath.  It was quite eerie when I saw a snapshot of all the resource persons raising their hands ... while the VP remained seated ... her facial expression was deadpan and poker-faced.

Inday's interpretation was: "Only WITNESSES should take an oath ... and she considered herself a RESOURCE PERSON."

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What is the difference between a witness and a resource person?

A witness is a person who saw the event firsthand as in a crime an accident or in this case, what is happening in the OVP. A resource person is someone who knows a lot about a particular subject; her task is to provide information.

In my opinion ... she is both a witness and a resource speaker. And she needs to take an oath ... pronto!

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A friend in need ... is a friend indeed. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (A.K.A. Aling LIIT) came to her rescue.

Feeling ko ang LAKI ni Gloria especially when she said: " “The constitution provides that no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself” even in legislative inquiries."

Rep. Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd District) responded with a more deeper and profound response, saying that “no one is technically accused of any wrongdoing” in a legislative inquiry."

Sino sa kanila ang tama? The battle of who's who in the Congress is shaping up. 

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The VP has only two allies in the hearing. Aside from Aling Liit she is also a reliable friend to Cong Rodante Marcoleta ... the chief architect of the demise of ABS CBN.

I can't forget the VP's long strides on the floors of Congress as she sashayed her way to her two pals. PAPALIT-PALIT at PALIPAT-LIPAT siya sa dalawa at wala silang pakialam na nagbulong-nulongan pa ... kahit nakapako ang lahat ng mga mata sa kanila. May mga sarili silang mundo.

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Who can forget Rodante Marcoleta? Lahat ng mga tao noon ay nagmamakaawa sa kanya na huwag nang ituloy ang kanilang vendetta sa ABS CBN ... dahil kung masara ito kaawaawa ang buong bunsa at walang mapanood sa TV at the middle of COVID lockdowns. Everybody was battling with boredom and depression ... but everything fall on deaf ears.

Pero sadyang bingi talaga ang matandang ito and he has a heart of steel. This SAGIP representative ay wala man lang NASAGIP sa buong kataohan ... at buong giting silang nagpakabingi at sumamba sa kanilang Poon.

Ngayon buong ningning siyang naghingi ng inter-parliamentary courtesy para sa anak ng kanyang amo ... the same courtesy na hinihingi ng mga tao sa kanya noong kasagsagan ng COVID. Ito na nga ang karma dahil kahit among paliwanag niya ... his plea was like a voice crying in the wilderness ... it was completely ignored.

                                           

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It is just a shame na ang talino niya bilang abogado ay nagamit sa ibang paraan. And he has that proclivity to shade fellow congressmen as he show some bias especialy when the colleague giving opinion is a non-lawyer. KAilangan bang maging lawyer ka para may kabulohan ka sa House of Representatives?

Ngayon hindi na siya makaporma sa mga bagong lawyers in the House namely Atty Gerville Luistro and Atty Rodge Gutierrez whose intelligence has exceeded my expectation.

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Marcoleta said the other day that the congressional probe on allegations of fund misuse in the OVP in aid of legislation does not intend to come up with new laws that will strengthen the protection of people's money.

Acop and Garin diasgrees. Acop reiterates that even if it will not result in new legislation, the probe will help gather information for better lawmaking.

In contrast, Rep Janet Garin of Iloilo makes a compelling performance when she showed vividly with his line of questioning to the disbursing officer, the Land Bank manager, and COA, that the House should make stronger laws that promote accountability, the process of disbursement, the cavalier attitude ng mga tauhan sa OVP na para bang wala ng lang halaga ang 125 million na pera ng taong bayan (hindi nila pera yon ha ... pero kung umasta parang sila ang may-ari ng pera), and the handling of huge volumes of money (na para bang wala silang kinakatakutang panganib o may masamang mangyari). Maliwanag ang presentasyon at nakuha yon ng mga tao. Bakit si Marcoleta hindi?

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I have nothing against Rep. Marcoleta ... but his demeanor and disposition had completely turned 360 degrees when he was after the bad guys ABSCBN who have problems with tax evasion even though government agencies had cleared them. He was relentless ... implacable ... and unforgiving like a ferocious dog baring his teeth with the cat.

Now he is on the other side of the fence (like an apple in the basket of oranges). Hindi ba siya naiilang na sa dami nila sa lower house is a lang siya sa konti na nalihis ng paniwala. But he has to say his piece to show his devotion to the Dutertes.

The problem now is that voters are becoming politically savvy ... and they know what his motivations are now ... as compared to the time when they encouraged euthanasia to the TV station that provided entertainment at the time when the public was locked in their homes during COVID.

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Again I was laughing hard ... because I was right.  The VP has eaten her words that she doesn't need to take an oath to be a resource person.

What was going on in the quadcom hearings has turned into a snag on her side. Kung wala ka doon ... you will be surprised marami na pala ang nangyayari.  She wants to know what is going on in the House ... and the only way to do that is ...  to attend the hearings. So she did!

Watching the proceedings ... she wanted to participate in the discussion ... but how could she do that if she would not take the oath that she hates and despises?

With heavy heart ... napilitan na rin siya magtaas ng kanyang kamay ... to tell the truth ... and nothing but.

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Pageant Result: Mister Pampanga 2024

The winners of Mister Pampanga 2024 from left to right: Kenneth Cruz - Arayat - Face of Mister Pampanga 2024, John Eric Bonifacio - Macabebe - Fourth Runner Up, Jomari Pabalan - Guagua - Second Runner Up, Raven Lansangan - Mabalacat - Mr. Pampanga 2024 - Winner, Yasser Rodriguez - Angeles City - First Runner Up, and Christian Paul Rivera - Santa Rita - Third Runner Up. The pageant was held at Bren Z Guiao Convention Center in Pampanga Philippines.

MJ Macalintal - Man HOT Star First Runner Up

A back-to-back-to-back scenario was supposed to be the surprise outcome. But before our neighbors cried foul ... we were not that ungenerous or close-fisted ... since we also believed in giving a chance to others.

However, this just proved one thing .... no matter how others tried their damnest to belittle us or put us in the bad light ... there is no denying you just can't ignore our representatives.

Discounting them ... or brushing them aside ... and you look the other way as if they don't exist ... they will surely bounce back like the proverbial rubber ball.

Pageant Result: Man Hot Star 2024

The winners of Man Hot Star 2024 from left to right: Mark Joseph Macalintal - Philippines - First Runner Up, Patrick Bevis - Thailand - Man Hot Star 2024 - Winner, and Vuong Quoc Khanh - Vietnam _ Second Runner Up. The pageant was held in Thailand last December 5, 2024.

I’ve Decided...

Impeachment and Disbarment

TThe outcome of the VP's meltdown triggered and brought strings of reactions from every sector. One group plans to IMPEACH the second highest government official in the land.

Impeachment, per se, is a process of charging a government official with either a crime or misconduct before a tribunal such as the Senate. It is a process of bringing charges of wrongdoing. Impeachment is a stepping stone in removing a government official from office.

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It looked like napabilis pa nga ang proseso. A group of 16 or so civilians filed impeachment complaints against the VP --advocacy groups including civil society organizations, religious leaders, sectoral representatives, and families of victims of extrajudicial killings. We saw former Senator Leila de Lima ... but she was not one of those who signed the articles of impeachment.

She can not be the ACCUSER and the PLAINTIFF and act as PROSECUTOR at the same time.

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The COMPLAINANTS are the SIGNATORIES. And since they asked Leila to be their lawyer, she could not simultaneously be the COMPLAINANT and the COUNSEL.

To avoid technicalities ... the former senator settled just to be their spokesperson.

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Some netizens were asking if they could join the group. A lawyer friend commented the first batch of complainants does not preclude any citizen or organization from filing.

As they say ... the MORE ... the MERRIER.

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Like a typical soap opera ... the story will not be juicer and intriguing if there are no twists and turns. Who else provided these much-needed plot twists... other than the President himself.

Can you imagine the ship is almost smoothly sailing as the first batch of disgruntled citizens filed much-needed articles of impeachment and here he comes with his pronouncement that he disagrees with the plan ... because it is not important.

Ano ba siya DINAGA? Or wala lang siya talagang bayag sumalungat sa ating spoiled brat na prinsesa?

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Did his pronouncements give credence and sterling evidence to PRRD's observation that he was a WEAK leader? He almost said that with negative undertones - wimpy and spineless!

Or does his STRENGTH was evident when he distance himself sa mga naguumpugang bato? "Sigi mag-file kayo ng inyong mga reklamo ... pero wala along kinalaman diyan ha?"

BRILLIANT MOVE ... if not a SHREWED PLOY or SCHEME!

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If you were to ask me ... I think what the president said and did was the BRILLIANT idea.

Umpisa ngayon ... MANANAHIMIK na siya sa isyung impeachment. He will let others do the dirty job of filing the articles of impeachment. Pag sumampa yan sa Kongreso, maghugas kamay na lang yan: "Huwag ninyo along sisihin. Desisyon nila yan ... Alangan namang pigilan ko?" O kitam?

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Marcos's pronouncements did not convince the seemingly determined civilian sectors who were getting tired of the VP's antics, pranks, and horseplays. It doesn't mean that because the President said so ... they will just follow him blindly.

The coalition of complainants said otherwise" We can't be held HOSTAGE just because the president feels that way ... we came here at our own VOLITION and nobody can't dictate what we need to do."

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Kompleto rekado ang mga grounds nila for impeachment ... Culpable violation of Constitution ... graft and corruption ... bribery... betrayal of public trust ... other high crimes ... isa na lang ground ang kulang ... and that is treason ... at grand slam na sana siya.

"Yong pagpanig niya sa mga Intsik ... hindi ba treason yon?" tanong ng isang kibitzer. Hindi pa ... hindi pa napagusapan yan sa Quadcom. Wait until somebody opens the pandora box ... at baka maihabol pa yan.

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On Tuesday ... the Makabayan bloc is on the same warpath. News has it that about 50 representatives will lead the filing of impeachment complaints.

Various sectors and groups want to get involved. Pursigido sila lahat. The 50 original complainants even blossomed to 70 according to Teddy Casino.

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If others want impeachment ... Larry Gadon, Presidential adviser to Poverty Alleviation Secretary ... wants VP Sara disbarred. The final draft has been made and he is on his way to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

“Such statements coming from the second highest official of the land, seen and heard by millions of Filipinos are undoubtedly illegal, immoral, and condemnable. As a lawyer herself, she should be disbarred,” he said.

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Following the Vice President’s controversial online rant, National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año said on Sunday that all threats to the life of President Marcos will be thoroughly investigated and “deemed a matter of national security.”

Lawmakers, led by the House Speaker, described Duterte's statement as criminal, destabilizing, and a direct threat to democracy.