Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Justice Cuevas took part in a coup attempt against Pres. Cory Aquino

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By Raïssa Robles

Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas played a key role in a coup attempt against then President Corazon Aquino shortly after being ejected from the Marcos-appointed  Supreme Court in the wake of the 1986 Edsa People Power uprising, .

[UPDATE, March1: Former Supreme Court Justice Serafine Cuevas admitted today that he once lawyered for Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile in the most important case of Enrile’s life. But Cuevas said their past lawyer-client relationship was “no big deal” and would not affect the judgment of Enrile as presiding officer of the Senate Impeachment Court.

This confirms my story. To read sacked Supreme Court Justice Cuevas’ explanation, click on this link.]

Cuevas defied the Rule of Law by swearing in Arturo Tolentino as the “Acting President”. The game plan was for Tolentino to pave the way for the return of the ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos to Manila.

The ceremony led by ex-Supreme Court Justice Cuevas on the Manila Hotel driveway was a fiasco: It was one of the more comical coup attempts staged by Marcos loyalists, who took over the hotel and  occupied it for a few days. In the process they ate most of the food and trashed the establishment.

Cuevas-and-Tolentino-MANILA

Supreme Court Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas (lower left in white suit) swears in Arturo Tolentino as "Acting President" during a failed coup attempt against then President Corazon Aquino

A year later in August 1987, the sacked Supreme Court justice came to the rescue of then Senator Juan Ponce Enrile who was accused of instigating another coup attempt against Cory Aquino. Enrile was arrested for the crime of “rebellion complexed with murder”. Cuevas was one of the lawyers who forcefully argued for the dropping of this charge against the former defense secretary.

While the Manila Hotel coup attempt was a farce, the August 27 to 28, 1987 coup attempt that implicated Enrile was tragic – resulting in the deaths of 53 mostly unarmed civilians and the wounding of over 200.

Among those seriously wounded in the August coup was President Aquino’s son, Benigno III.

OUR Plaza Miranda members research Supreme Court Justice Cuevas

I am very proud to say that it wasn’t I who found out about Supreme Court Justice Cuevas’ participation in the 1986 coup attempt, nor Cuevas’ lawyering for Enrile in 1987.

Both incidents were shared with me by readers and commenters to this blog. This indicates that this blog is indeed becoming OUR Plaza Miranda – where insights are shared and ideas are vigorously debated on.

It was @Andrew Lim who first sent me the link to the United Press International Report below on the Manila Hotel fiasco:

C2uevas-news2

C3uevas-news-3

C4uevas-news-4

C5uevas-news-5

The report named the person who swore in Tolentino as “ousted Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Serapin (sic) Cuevas.”

C7uevas-7

 

The original file can be accessed here.

A commenter named @Baycas sent the same UPI report, entitled MARCOS ALLY LEADS CHALLENGE NEW ‘PRESIDENT’ HOLED UP IN HOTEL, but published by Albany Press.

A commenter named @Odasoid separately sent a Philippines Free Press report on the same incident:

Violence and Farce

What started out as a weekend show of Marcos “loyalists” turned into a weekly politically rally, then into violent Sunday demos, that eventually culminated in an open rebellion on July 6, exactly the 14th Sunday from Easter on the seventh month of the year. On that day, Tolentino took his oath as Vice-President of the Philippines and, in the absence of Marcos, proclaimed himself “acting President” under the l973 Constitution. The moment of Tolentino’s “last hurrah” had finally come, testing the four-month old Aquino revolutionary government.

In a ceremony at the driveway of the luxurious Manila Hotel, covered by both local and foreign media, the former running-mate of Dictator Marcos, flanked and backdropped by former members of the discredited defunct Batasan, was sworn into office by former Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas. After naming his new “cabinet members”, the 75-year old “acting President” promptly directed former Speaker Nicanor Yñiguez to convene the Batasan, whose first order of business was to pass a law that would call for national elections at the earliest opportunity.

Members of the “Tolentino cabinet” included Rafael Recto as Justice Minister, Manuel Collantes as Foreign Affairs Minister, Isidro Rodriguez as Local Governments Minister and Manuel Alba as Budget Minister. Tolentino also appointed Juan Ponce Enrile Jr., Defense Minister, for whom the position of Prime Minister was reserved in concurrent capacity. Without the benefit of appointment, former assemblyman Gerardo Espina of Manila served as Acting Information Minister. Except for Enrile, who was “in the suburbs attending to private business”, all members of the “Tolentino cabinet” were present.

Before the oath -taking, Tolentino lowered the boom on President Aquino, describing her government as “illegal”. He claimed that Marcos and he were the country’s legitimate leaders, having been proclaimed “winners” in the last presidential and vice-presidential election by the Batasan, Characterizing both Cory Aquino and “Doy” Laurel as power grabbers, Tolentino produced a letter from Marcos authorizing him to assume as “legitimate head of the country until such time that I return to the Philippines.”

Another commenter named @Maria said:

We have mystified Cuevas but in fact he was only SC justice for 2 years and was ousted by people power. Arturo Tolentino took his “oath of office” before him as Acting President.

I tried to look for more info about this but there’s very little material available on the web

CUEVAS 3 pics

CUEVAS through the years - First photo on the left was taken from the Supreme Court archives; middle photo was from the 1986 Manila Hotel coup attempt; and right photo is taken from the current impeachment trial of SC Chief Justice Renato Corona

@Tomas Gomez III, the Philippine Consul General in Hawaii when Marcos was exiled there, also wrote in to say:

Lest we forget….Serafin Cuevas was the one who administered the oath of office to Arturo Tolentino as acting President designated by deposed dictator Marcos (from Honolulu) during the Manila Hotel coup d etat of July 6, 1986. What was Cuevas thinking then? That he may become Chief Justice presiding over Manila Hotel’s Food & Beverage operations? Remember also the 30 push ups as punishment for the participating soldiers

According to the Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission chaired by Hilario Davide on the series of coup attempts against Mrs Aquino,  when Filipinos ignored the farcical “government”, the 490 fully-armed soldiers and 5,000 Marcos loyalists dispersed from  Manila Hotel and their leaders – including Tolentino and Cuevas – slunk away. But not before they had eaten most of the food and trashed the hotel, inflicting P10 million worth of damage.

That was Cuevas’ assertion of the Rule of Law.

Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas

CUEVAS1-SC-archive

Write-up on Serafin Cuevas in the Supreme Court website

Separately, a lawyer who personally knows Enrile told me Cuevas was one of the lawyers who had defended Enrile in court in his rebellion-complexed-with-murder case.

Why am I unearthing these facts regarding events that happened almost a quarter of a century ago?

I want to drive home the point that when Justice Cuevas insists before the Senate Impeachment Court on the “Rule of Law”, it’s a very relevant and material question to ask him – what rule of law?

Comments

  3. So what are you trying to drive at? That Corona is guilty because he is being defended by Serafin Cuevas who was once a member of the Marcos regime? What a leap of logic!

    • No.

      That when Serafin Cuevas talks of the rule of law,his statements should be placed in the context of what he considers the rule of law.

      that’s all.

      In other words, he is not consistent.

      • I still don’t get it. Is it not possible for Cuevas to defend anybody just because once upon a time, he was a “violator” of the rule of law?

        • Or is it morally or legally wrong for Cuevas to defend anybody just because once upon a time, he was a “violator” of the rule of law?

          Or is it impossible or is one prohibited for a “violator” of the rule of law before to be a “defender” of the rule of law now?

        • I was not judging him in terms of morality.

          I was only pointing out his contradiction.

        • @Frank Sumalpong:
          From this and his arguments in defending the CJ Cuevas is just showing some selective applications of the Rule of Law. That’s all. Consistency is important with the law, because then what would be the point?

        • Therefore, one who was once a “lawbreaker” should not change and had no chance of becoming a “law abiding” citizen because that would constitute “contradiction”, “inconsistency” and “show selective application of the Rule of Law”?

        • Frank, utak lang… Yung rule of law nya sablay.. sinasabi nyang sumusunod sya sa rule of law, per noon sumuway sya, ok lang kung nagbago sya.. ang problema pinagtatanggol nya si Corona sa BALUKTOT NA PARAAN DIN… dinadaan sa technicality( takbo sa SC, tago ang dollar acct) kung talagang hindi GUILTY walang tinatago dapat…

        • Cuevas was actually following the rule of law then because the Vice President naturally takes over in the absence of the President of the Republic. Since no court has proven the allegation that the election win of Marcos-Tolentino was fraudulent, it means that it was the Cory Aquino government that was illegitimate.

        • @risa robles: kung hindi ka kaya supporter ni pinoy, gagawin mo pa kaya ito? bias ka kasi…

        • I believe when people are habitually inconsistent, though it is still possible for him to change, we must be extra careful then of his doings, judgments and decorum and hence see if he truly has change. By far we have seen that he has been inconsistent even until now. Hoping he will really change. I believe even the twenty Senators saw their (including his client Corona) inconsistencies. The likes of Lapid who said he was only a high school grad can even see the difference, I wonder why Miriam and Marcos in their intelligence did not see it. No problem though with Joker because not only is he pro gloria arroyo he is also true to his name a Joker and an Arroyo!

  4. Maam Raissa,
    I saw this on one of the comments under (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/163565/enrile-tells-defense-explain-corona-deposits) under user “Alwayslate”.
    Under RA 910, Sec. 1, as amended, a retired justice or judge receiving a pension from the government, cannot act as counsel in any civil case in which the Government, or any of its subdivision or agencies in the adverse party or in criminal case wherein an officer or employee of the Government is accused of an offense in relation to his office.
    If this is true, therefore Cuevas is illegally defending Corona and should also lose his pension from the Govt if proved guilty.

    • True.

      But I guess the prosecution does not want to go this route because it wants CJ Corona to have the BEST DEFENSE so he cannot cry foul in the end.

      Para patas (or more than patas) ang laban.

      • In other words, the prosecution does not want to go down in a personal attack resulting to maligning the person whether it’s from defense or not. They want to do it in a professional way. I think the way you go down in a personal attack only proved that you are the opposite of them. It seems that you’re trying hard to get their attention. Also, your expose’ is not in any way related to ongoing trial. So, what is your point in exposing the person’s past?

        • The timing is very obvious. You can ask yourself about it. Are you really searching for truth madam? Actually madam, ang ginagawa nyo ay hindi isang matatawag na searching for truth. Ang tunay na naghahanap ng katotohanan ang hahanapin nya yung nakatago. Yung pwedeng maexpose sa tao balang araw. Sa segment na to ng blog nyo, para lang kayong nagkukwento ng nakalipas na kasaysayan. Hindi naman sekreto ang pangyayaring yun n para bang pagnilathala nyo ay marami ang mabibigla. Bahagi na yun ng political history natin. Wala ng bago don. Kaya lumalabas na ang ginawa nyo ang personal attack na lamang sa tao.

        • Kung wala ng bago, bakit ka galit na galit?

          You’re not denying that it never happened. You’re saying, bury the past.

          And that is what has terribly gone wrong with our nation. We keep burying the past, and the past keeps resurrecting. It’s time we remember what really happened and vow to let it NEVER happen again.
          .

        • If not because of your blog I wouldn’t know that Mr. defense guy – Serafin Cuevas has a very bright colorful history. Now, I am more interested of what else he has done in his earlier life.

          You know, just a thought, these people, Cuevas, Enrile and Corona are an inch. away from the grave I hope they would make it right this time. Mamatay din naman yan sila, even tayo lahat. So sana man lang mag-iwan naman sila na mabuting ginawa sa buhay nila para sa bayan. Makamtan man lahat ng yaman o popularity and power sa mundo but it’s still futile as Solomon says, kasi mamamatay din tayong lahat, I hope they’ll think about it.

        • ay bakit lahat ng isinusulat mo laban sa kampo ni gloria… siya lang ba ang magnanakaw? diba personal attack na ang ginagawa mo? pantay-pantayin mo naman ang mga isinusulat mo!

        • mahal namni si Raissa sapagkat mula sa nakaraan at sa mga nangyayari sa kasalukuyan, mapagtatagni, tagni ang katotohanan… Sinusunod lang nya ang prinsipyo ng mga bayani, ANG DI MARUNONG LUMINGON SA PINANGGALINGAN AY DI MAKAKARATING SA PAROROONAN. apektado ka at ayaw mong malaman namin ang madilim n\a nakaraan ng idol mo… malamang para ka rin sa dilim,,, sawa na kami sa dilim, kayong mga kampon ng kasamaan, ayaw ng katotohanan at liwanag . wag nyo kami idamay ha.

      • Raissa,

        First, kudos to you for a terrific job of exposing the charlatans who enjoy celebrity status in the current case, such as our Mr. Cuevas. I’ve been away from the Philippines for a good 40 years and have now recently looked back to see “How Things Are in Glocca Morra,” to paraphrase one of my favorite songs. I’m appalled at the hypocrisy of some of the actors in this case, be they judges, prosecutors, or members of the defense, including the accused himself. For one, our brilliant and articulate Mr. Cuevas (no need to address him as The Honorable Justice Cuevas, he doesn’t deserve it, judging by his checkered past), needs to explain to the public why, despite his claim to intimate knowledge of the law, is so ignorant of the application of RA 910 to himself. Is this his way of selectively applying the law? If it was true that the prosecution wanted to play “patas” with the defense or whatever the prosecution’s rationale was, did they really have the option to also selectively apply the law by not raising the issue of RA 910 with Mr. Cuevas? No one wants to fully enforce the law, that’s why justice is hard to come by in the Philippines.

  5. Thanks for this information. You are a big help to a broader understanding of things.

  6. first time to visit this site but this info is an eye-opener. now i am a fan of raissa, and will consistently be a visitor in order to expand my horizon. more power to you, raissa.

    • Thank you, Raymond.

      Do join in Our Plaza Miranda.

      And please tell your friends and relatives about my site.

      • congrats raissa for a very interesting site as well as the OPM. RA 910 might not be applicable since it speaks of civil case, while the impeachment of CJ is sui generis.

  7. Raissa Robles? Sensya na pero di kita kilala. I know gusto mong sumikat kasi you’re trying hard sa mga articles mo. Ang iba naman pinulot lang sa mga past events. Saka kung gusto mong maging respectful writer, huwag mong sasagutin yung mga comments dito na para kang batang nakikipag-away. Hindi magandang tignan. Nakakababa ng respeto. Dapat maging mature ka sa pagsagot. Yun lang po.

      • Hindi po ako blogger. In case, maging blogger ako, sasagutin ko ng maayos ang mga comments sa akin kahit negatibo pa yun.

      • hi raissa, narinig ko lang dzrh na mayroon kang blog at sinulat ko ito para pag uwi ko ng bahay ay aking matingnan ito. i was amazed. thanks for sharing your talents in writing. hindi ko mapigilang mag-comment sa umaatake sayo. sakit talaga ng tao ang mainggitin. di naman sana masama ang mainggit pero dapat huwag naman crab mentality ang pairalin. libre naman ang gumawa ng blog tulad ng ginagawa mo. bakit ka niya pipigalan mag reply sa mga followers mo. wala akong makitang valid na dahilan para siya mainggit sayo.

    • @nanditoako – halatang mangmang ka sa mga nangyayari sa kapaligiran mo. ang mga katulad mo ang dahilan kung bakit hindi umaasenso ang bansa. mga katulad mo ang madaling ma uto nang matatamis na salita at sunod-sunuran sa kinaaaniban mong samahan. ang mga gaya mo ang dapat isuka ng lipunan, mga nagbubulag-bulagan sa katotohanan, mga walang kakayahang maintindihan ang pagkakaiba ng tama sa mali. isa kang pakshet!

      • Ganyan ba kayong mga Noynoy defenders? Kaya hindi kayo nakakakuha ng simpatya sa mga tao sa pagsasalita pa lang hindi na kayo karesperespeto. Katulad nyan may mura pa kayo. Sino ngayon ang lumalabas na mangmang? Isa lang akong karaniwang mamamayan na naglalahad ng aking opinyon. Kung di nyo matanggap yun, problema nyo na yan. Yan ang pinupunto ko kay Bb./Ginang Raissa. Dapat maging maingat sya sa pagsagot sa pumupuna sa kanya. Kung tinging nya mababa ang pagkatao ng mga yun, huwag niyang ibaba ang pagkatao nya. Sa totoo lang, by chance ko lang nabasa ang article na to kasi nakita ko lang sa isang link. Inihayag ko lang ang impression ko base sa mga sagutan dito. Talagang di sya (Raissa Robles) pamilyar sa kin.

        • pag nanindigan ba sa katotohanan, Noynoy defender na? bulag ka ba sa 9 na taon na kaliwa’t kanang pagnanakaw ni GMA at ng mga alipores nya? kailan man ay hindi simpatiya ang hinihingi ng mga naghahanap at umaasam sa katotohanan. sa paglalahad nang katotohanan, hindi respeto ang tunay na pakay kundi mapukaw ang mga nagmama-angmangan sa tunay na kalagayan ng bayan. nasaan ang mga katulad mo nang walang natanggap na fertilizer ang mga magsasaka, bagkos ay naibulsa pa ang perang dapat ay inilaan para sa kanila? nasaan ang mga katulad mo ng nagbulag bulagan si GMA sa katiwalian sa AFP, DPWH at iba pang ahensya? nagpuputok ang butsi mo dahil naninindigan si raissa laban sa mga katulad mong bulag, pipi at bingi?

        • Salamat naman at napigil mo ang sarili mong magmura. Alam mo ginoo, pareho tayong laban sa mga ginawa ni GMA. Ang totoo, gusto kong iboto ang kandidatong suportado nya pero dahil sa inis ko sa kasalukuyang pamahalaan noon, iba ang ibinoto ko. OO aminado ako na di ko binoto si Noynoy. Pero sya ang nanalo kaya tanggap ko yon. Ang gusto ko nga magtagumpay sya. Pero di mo ko masisisi kung sa aking pagmamasid ay may napapansin ako na hindi na nakakatuwa na ginagawa ng kasalukuyang administrasyon. Ang tunay na nagmamalasakit sa bayan alam nya kung kailan dapat umoo at humindi. Samakatuwid alam nya kung saan sya dapat lumagay. Hindi yung isang panig lang ang nakikita. Sana hindi ka ganon. At sana wag na din magputok ang butsi mo dahil sa inilahad kong opinyon.

        • “pareho tayong laban sa mga ginawa ni GMA. ”

          “Ang totoo, gusto kong iboto ang kandidatong suportado nya pero dahil sa inis ko sa kasalukuyang pamahalaan noon, iba ang ibinoto ko.”

          YAN ANG BUOD NG BUONG BUHAY MO. SABOG.

          laban ka sa ginawa pero gusto mo pa ring iboto ang suportadong kandidato? ang ganda ng logic mo. hindi nakapagtatakang kaanib ka sa samahan ng mga uto uto katulad ni kapatid na cuevas.

        • Mukhang ang lohiko mo papuntang North Poll. Maliwanag naman yung sinabi ko. Siya ang gusto ko sanang iboto kasi i believe na performance and qualification wise, he was qualified enough. But since he was connected to the former president then, I preferred to vote other candidate. But definitely it’s not Noynoy. At ano po ang connection nyon kay justice cuevas ng desisyon ko noon? Kawawa naman yung tao. Dahil sa akin nahusgahan pa tuloy. To tell you one thing, I’m a catholic and graduated from a catholic school. So lalabas mga pari at madre natin na sinusunod namin ay mga lider ng mga utu-uto. Naghuhusga ka kasi kagad he.

        • @thiefjustice: mas magaling kaba kay cuevas o insecure kalang… haha… d ba halatang defender ka ng kasalukuyang administrasyon… sabihan mo naman si maam raissa mo na pag nagsulat kailangang patas at walang kinkilingan…

        • @nandito ako … naku naman meron ka bang sariling pag-iisip … ang nakalagay sa mga blogs ni Ms. Raissa Robles ay puro mga katotohanan at supported by facts and events.

          naku di po kami yellow army or kung ano ano pa ang tawag niyo sa amin …kami po ay para sa katotohanan at katotohanan lamang. Punta tayo sa usapan ng SALN ng inyong idol na corona .. magtugma ba? punta tayo sa kita nila at ang suma total ng aknilang ari-arian, mag tugma ba????? punta tayo sa resume niya at sa totoong marka niya sa mga eskwelahan na pinag-aralan niya … magtugma ba????? iyan ba ang taong nararapat na chief justice???

          maawa ka naman sa sarili mo at sa kapwa mo Pilipino … we do not deserve a person like corona occupying any position in government or any corporation….

          naku naman buksan mo ang inyong isispan …

        • Di naman po ako nakikisali sa iba na nagbabansag ng kung anu-ano sa mga di sang-ayon sa kanila tulad ng paratang mo. Saka lahat ng sinasabi mo pawang paratang pa lamang. Ano kayang masasabi mo kung biglang mapawalang sala ang tao? Magrarally kayo? Sasabihin niyong luto and desisyon. Huwag muna tayong manghusga. Baka sa bandang huli kainin natin ang sinabi natin.

        • @nanditoako…pagnag comment ka pala dito noynoy defender ka na???!!!…ano ba yan!!!…pagmag comment ka dito dapat open ka rin sa kritisismo!

        • We have only two sides of fence here. If you criticize a comment, definitely you’re on the other side of the fence. Don’t be hypocrite.

          One thing is for sure:

          ONE PLAZA MIRANDA. Definitely this words speak on which side is this.

        • We have only two sides of fence here. If you criticize a comment, definitely you’re on the other side of the fence. Don’t be hypocrite.

          One thing is for sure:

          OUR PLAZA MIRANDA. Definitely this words speak on which side is this.

        • As opposed to. ‘pasibista’ na walang silbi? Dapat lahat tayo maging aktibista one way or another.

        • Hindi ata aktibista, mga mercenary sa media. Kitang kita na binayaran. Kawawa ang mga taong to?

      • Imbecile. Hinusgahan na agad ako. Anyway, tawanan ko na lang. Di pa ko magkakasakit sa puso.

        • Siguro hindi nga pwede pang husgahan formally sa impeachment court, pero sa lumalabas na baho, pwede na sa court of public opinion. Pwera na lang sa nagbibingihan at nagbubulagan.

        • In our system, we have three branches of government. Executive, Legislative and judiciary. And court of public opinion is not one of them. Kahit na majority of the people show the same opinion, ang mananaig pa rin sa bandang huli ay ang batas. Pag ang pinairal natin ay ang opinion at sentimyento natin, wala na tayong gagawin kundi magpeople power o magrebolusyon. Lalo tayong magiging kahiya-hiya sa ibang bansa nyan. Hintayin na lang natin ang magiging pasya ng hukuman. At anuman ang maging hatol, sundin igalang na lang nating lahat.

        • Yan nga ang problema, three branches of government pero etong Judiciary hindi binoboto ng taong bayan, appointed ito ng executive branch kung saan ang pekeng presidente ang nag-aapoint dito, so natural magrereact dito ang taong bayan kasi wala silang position para mapatalsik itong mga buwayang iniluklok ng kapwa buwaya sa gobyerno. Kaya peoples power ang katapat nito….

        • Ano nga yong agree mo Veiz? Ang Sipsip mo naman. Share your thoughts and not sunod ka lang nang sunod. If the blind leads another blind, shall they not fall into the ditch?

        • Nanditoako,

          Leave. It’s Raissa’s blog. She can post whatever she likes. Freedom of speech and of the press. Put up your own blog.

          How mature.

        • You’re right. I enjoy that freedom of speech and of the press too. But it seems you want to suppress that right from me.

  8. the old man is a total ‘asshole’. when asked by sen. enrile as to the degree of proof the impeachment proceeding must take, he said “proof beyond reasonable doubt”.

    its not that he’s a defense lawyer, but for godsake, one must also show a semblance of being a principled individual. it should always be the ‘majesty and supremacy of the law’ and not what is good for his own cause.

  9. Kaja –

    Tatlong beses ka nag ba “byers” Eh bakit nandito ka pa? Panindigan mo naman salita mo.

  10. @ t kaja kin kya kta

    Dedicated lines to you and grp
    1
    “Envy me, Hate me, Rate me
    Face me, You’re not gonna be me”

    2
    “Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of abandonement”

    3 From johnny lin personally
    “raissa’s blog is so successfulll
    It’s okay, like you I’d be jealous too”

    He he he

  11. To Sir Allan:

    Two lines for you:
    “When money talks, people change.”
    ” You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.”

    …but I still think you need to have a refresher course. On second thought, just do whatever you want because you’re a God. I hope you’re both happy in posting only those you can attack. I didn’t know you’re both cowards, too.

    Breathe in…breathe out.

    Byers! ^^

    • Iiyak ka na? There there, I’m sure mommy will be back to pick you up soon. Wait, who was that woman driving off at high speed laughing maniacally? Shouting “FREE AT LAST”?

      • Immature…no wonder you’re never given a chance to teach. Where are my other posts sir? I bet you can’t really handle the truth. Why don’t you let your readers decide if there’s truth in all my “unposted” comments?
        Btw, why would I cry? I didn’t read your brainwashed followers’ comments? It’s just a waste of brain cells to read them when they haven’t read all my posts in this so called “investigative journalism”?

        What a lousy response from a Manila Chronicle’s Editor.

        Now, this is for real. Byers! ^^ (hehehehe)

        • Umiiyak ka na nga ano? there there, twisted little baby, there’s no point crying over the idea that somebody stole your brain. The truth is, you never had any. For that matter you never had credibility, expertise, trust, believability or grammatical skill.
          Other than that you’re well rounded. Zeroes always are.

  12. COWARD… I thought I’m the only coward here. God bless you and your hubby.
    Oh…let me remind you that you’re just a contributor of PCIJ. Not so impressive. Now, I know why my professor told us to read your articles way back. It is just to know “What Not to do” in journalism.

    You just couldn’t post them, right? They’re really toxic for your brain and your zombie followers.

    Sorry to disappoint you, but I have a noble job unlike yours. You’re just a kiss-ass writer.

    Byers! ^^

    • awww you’re breaking my heart. Actually, no. Listen, don’t blame us if you’re such a loser. Blame your upbringing. Or your parents. You DO have parents, right? Just checking

    • Sige lang, bira lang ng bira, tira lang ng tira, ngakngak lang ng ngakngak.. Ilan na ang lumipat sa panig mo? Wala pa!!! Kaya ineffective ka troll. Sayang lang pagod mo. Mag-log in ka gamit ibang username tapos kampihan mo sarili mo para may kakampi ka naman.

  13. To your lovey dovey:

    Alan C. Robles: professional print journalist in the Philippines for more than 28 years now (as of 2005, but who’s counting?). Was an editor and reporter at the Manila Chronicle, where I wrote on politics, science and the environment and computers. Was a business/financial/computer journalist and foreign correspondent before that. Wrote a computer column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Did a stint as training director for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, then became the editor-in-chief of Link, the Philippines’ first ever Internet lifestyle print magazine. Five years ago, set up Hot Manila, which attracted a lot of attention for its coverage of the “I LOVE YOU” virus as well as its stories on then President Joseph Estrada.

    (keywords: was, did & stint) You were never an editor-in -chief of a broad sheet nor PCIJ, but only an editor-in -chief of an Internet lifestyle print magazine. Can you get a libel suit here when the country doesn’t impose a strict law about libelous write-ups on-line? We all know the privilege we get from writing-on-line, right? Don’t think highly of yourself, sir. My professor has more credibility than you.

    • Wait, do you mean to tell me you HAVE a professor? And that this could possibly mean you were accepted by the educational system? A staggering concept. I knew our educational standards have been slipping, I didn’t realize they’d reached rock bottom

      Tell me, did acquiring a professor mean skipping preliminary subjects such as logic, english, history, social studies, philosophy, kitchen sciences and homeroom cleaning?

      Are you sure you mean “professor”? not “attendant”? Can losers afford attendants?

    • Kaja, it’s alright dahlin. You can rant and rave to your heart’s content, degrade the character of Raissa and her husband. But you will never be able to sway us to your side of the argument because you do not substantiate your allegations with proof. Because we are not as shallow as you. Typical troll ka nga.
      You say one-sided. Now then, tell us your version (you can then gain our respect). Not just say read this, read that. If you read the comments here, we want answers to simple questions. Kasi malayo sa common sense ang sagot ni corona. Inunahan na nya ang presentation of the defense. nag-media blitz siya. Mga sagot niya puro malabo kahit obvious nanch scripted ang mga tanong. Akala niya, ganun kasinglabo ng mga isipan namin. Parang kapag tatanungin ko siya kung maganda ako, ang sagot niya, mabait ka. Napapautot ako.

  14. THE PROFILE OF A TOXIC TROLL

    This is what happens when you don’t have proper parental upbringing. I can imagine Kaja loved beating up smaller children than he before he was thrown out of elementary.

    He now unleashes his pent-up aggression on the web.
    He just posted the following:

    Submitted on 2012/03/08 at 6:57 pm
    Just as I thought. You didn’t have the guts to post my other comments because they make sense, right? I’m sad that you ended up like this. I’m sure it was never part of your plan, wasn’t it?

    Well a piece of advice…write for the people. Give both sides coz only few journalists do that in these times.

    Always remember this…
    ”I’ve made numerous mistakes in journalism – which I had to learn on the fly”
    = Raisa Robles

    Earlier, he had posted this:

    Submitted on 2012/03/08 at 11:24 am
    Yup, your back in the days with PCIJ thingy…are you the only writer in PCIJ? Do you write the same way as you write your own blogs here? YES, people should read your articles in PCIJ and other articles of other writers. Since this is your site, you have every chance to be biased.No one will question that.

    In conclusion, Filipinos should learn to go to other sites and read some facts. Go to PCIJ and read facts. Go to other >sites and read as many information as possible and not just >stick on your blogs. TEACH FILIPINOS to decide! Not make them robots.

    Post it if you have the balls.

    Thanks

    Of course I don’t have balls. But I doubt Kaja does, hiding behind an assumed name.

    Obviously, he has nothing to do, probably because he has no job except to troll.

    What should we do with a person like this?

    I am open to suggestions.

      • @Kaja escaped from the GMA Psychiatric ward.
        It’s Chief Steward Corona had @Kara loosed to sow trouble and misery.
        @Kaja got accessed to an online computer.

        I move to censure @Kaja’s IP address and dud email address(es).

        We don’t need @Kaja’s menacing trolls.
        Please dear moderator, spare us, including yourself, the agony of even browsing his trolls.

        End of troll from my end for @Kaja err @Faye.

        (Period)

    • One thing I learned about bullies and would be bullies (because they and the trolls are cut from the same mold, IMO), is just to ignore them. Of course, i can speak thus, this not being my blog and all. And I do recognize that sometimes people just get on your nerves and you find it hard to ignore them. But from what I see from Kaja’s comments, there are no facts at all. Just empty rhetoric, lots of anger, insults and fallacies. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he can be misinformed, or he can be a direct beneficiary of the parties thus mentioned in your blog. At worst, he is merely trolling here to provoke a reaction and get some much wanted attention. It’s sad, I know, but giving him even more attention will just fuel his desire for more.

      So, short answer: Ignore.

      • Nursery kids don’t deserve that creepy crawley. He/she must be sent to Siberia or let him/her live with the cockroaches or bed bugs.

        We’ll for now I second the motion to censure this creep.

    • ma’am Raissa ano po ba ang PCIJ? Brand ba to ng pabango ni Corona? mukhang hinde mabili. he he he

  15. Oh I forgot…

    Filipinos should learn how to scrutinize information. In that way, Filipinos can give logic in their stance whenever asked and not say “YES” because somebody said so. I’ve read some blogs of other journalists and you should learn from them how to respond to your readers.

    I hope you don’t teach “Journalism” because you’re one of the reasons why the new pool of journalists don’t pursue writing anymore. Partisanship helps you stay where you are, right? Well, my posts will never last in this page anyway or you’ll just pick some of my lines that you can dispute on. Sorry that I DECIDED to reach out to Filipinos on how to be an educated reader and responsible citizen of this nation. A Filipino who decides to be pro or anti PNoy , Corona, GMA, et al. can be justified as long as he can say that he did his assignment and read different articles and opinions of brilliant gems of this country.

    Ahmmm, that wouldn’t be good, right? It won’t fit your agenda to control the mind of the masses. What happened to you, Ms. Raisa? You, Sir Conrado De Quiros, etc. had changed so BAAAD. My professor even let us read some of your articles way back college. Now, looking back, I guess I shouldn’t have.

    Call me coward for not posting my name because I’m just one of the coward Filipinos who won’t stand a chance to fight the rotten people of media you now obviously belong.

    (* sigh*)
    Thanks for posting …if it will be posted

    • I know why you’re writing this.

      What you want me to do is just write a who, when, where what and a little why story – in short, just a traditional news story.

      You don’t want me to interpret events and connect the dots. Or analyze events.

      Just a question You said your prof let you read some of my articles way back in college. I don’t think your prof could have. I was writing for foreign publications than.

      And I’m not into mind control as you claim I am.

      Hmmm. Lemme analyse that for a sec. The fact that you think I’m into mind control leads me to conclude that my articles are persuasive.

      Thanks, Kaja. You have made me realize how powerful words are, even without guns.