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Wikileaks releases a feast for Filipinos and the whole wide world

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Series of cables confirm Malaysia’s meddling in the 1970s Mindanao wars 

By Raïssa Robles

WikileaksThe whistleblower site Wikileaks released barely an hour ago a veritable feast for Filipinos and all of mankind.

These are over two million diplomatic cables and “Kissinger cables” going all the way back to 1966 and to the present.

Just click on this link and you can start looking for what you want.

For starters, type ‘MARCOS”. You can also type “AQUINO.”

Ordinarily, it takes the United States around 50 years to declassify such materials or to bury those marked “SECRET”, maybe forever.

The cables will confirm to you what the Marcoses claimed were just hearsay about them.

The cables will help the Filipino people and the nation fill the gaps in our collective historical memory.

A series of cables in 1973 are especially revealing. They talk of how the United States tried to get the dictator Ferdinand Marcos and Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak to resolve the Sabah issue.

Here’s the link to the cables.

Just type “Marcos” and click on all the cables that have to do with the Muslim conflict, even if the cables originate from Indonesia.

Before I close, I would like to ask fellow Filipinos the world over to please contribute to Wikileaks so that it can maintain the site. 

Comments

  2. Off topic….Chinese vessel and 12 Chines caught inside Tubbatatuba reefs. The news report says “The vessel was reportedly on its way back from Malaysia to its homeport in Fujin City in China when it got stuck in a coral shelf in Tubbataha.” Are these 12 known as fishermen in Fujin City or PLA Navy personnel? No doubt they’re not the omega 12.

    • Most probably , they are PLA Navy personnel/ spies wanting to unearth the real reason for the US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian got stuck in the Tubbataha reef – is it accidental, intentional or a disguise accidental (palabas lang)? They have ( a must) to go to Tubbataha themselves to investigate and satisfy their deep-seated instincts/distrusts that it is a palabas lang – that the real reason is that USS Guardian had planted mines under the water to protect Philippines against China. The Chinese fully know that Tubbataha reef is not suitable for fishing expedition as they exactly know the best Philippine islands for fishing expedition, so that they are saying they were in Tubbataha for fishing expedition is palabas lang nila. 1001%, they are spies..

    • In Gulfnews, that stranded vessel contains 400 boxes of frozen anteaters. Tsk! These are 400 boxes of endangered species! i don’t want to sound discriminating to the Chinese population in general, but to those who patronize these “exotics”, their appetite for traditional medicines and elixirs and potions and what not are wiping away the entire species of some animals in the planet! Shark fins, rhino horns, elephant tusks, corals, snakes, anteaters, etc…why, you are insatiable for almost everything that the news of powdered fetus should not surprise anyone anymore!

  3. Re: Comment No. 24.2…

    @Cha,

    Jojo Malig is at it again and tries to keep up to you expectation…

    2. IN CASE ANY DOUBT OF HIS ULTIMATE GOOD WILL HAD BEEN CREATED AMONG THE UNIFORMED AUDIENCE, MARCOS CHOSE TO DECORATE THE TWELVE MEN OF DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENT WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS INSTRUMENTAL IN DECIDING AND IMPLEMENTING MARTIAL LAW. THIS MARKED THE FIRST TIME WHEN THESE INDI- VIDUALS (JUAN PONCE ENRILE, GENERAL ROMEO ESPINO, MG
    RAFAEL ZAGALA, MG FIDEL RAMOS, MG JOSE RANCUDO, REAR
    ADM. H.M. RUIZ, MG FAVIAN VER, BG TOMAS DIZA, BG ALFREDO MONTOYA, BG IGNACIO PAZ, COL. R.G. GATAN AND LTC. EDUARDO COJUANGCO) HAD BEEN PUBLICLY SINGLED OUT AND THANKED
    FOR THEIR ROLE. COMMENT: THE TWELVE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REWARDED AND IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALLY IN PRIVATE DURING SEPTEMBER 1973 MALACANANG CEREMONIES WHEN MARCOS PRESENTED EACH OF THEM WITH A PERSONALLY INSCRIBED GOLD WATCH LEAD-
    ING THEM SUBSEQUENTLY TO TITLE THEMSELVES “THE OMEGA BAND.” HE REFERRED TO THEM EN GROS DURING HIS 1973 AFP ADDRESS
    BUT WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION. THERE IS NO QUESTION NOW
    THAT THEIR FORTUNES ARE EVEN MORE TIGHTLY TIED TO THOSE
    OF THE NEW SOCIETY.

    http://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=190377&dt=2474&dl=1345

    • Thanks @baycas.

      It is an improvement from his previous pieces. :) (And I didn’t know that Danding Cojuangco had military ranking until now! )

      So far, I’ve found most fascinating a series of cables related to Ninoy’s 1975 hunger strike as it reveals not only the efforts of US congressmen and senators to ensure his wellbeing but also reflects the state of mind of Marcos and his men as well as Ninoy himself at the time.

      And then there are those about the detention and deportation of American priests which showed how even the US government seemed unable to defend their own citizens and thwart Marcos’ determination to persecute those he considered enemies of his regime.

      And so many more.

      • Thanks also, @Cha.

        I’d easily go for your readings of the cables and your personal account of them. Kudos.

    • Again, thanks @baycas…

      “WHOM HE DESCRIBED AS INSTRUMENTAL IN DECIDING AND IMPLEMENTING MARTIAL LAW. ”

      …the OMEGA BAND. I’m sure not one of them had read their copy of the 1935 Constitution and a good book on the history of the Filipino people.

      …the ‘implementors and instruments as ‘judges’ (“in deciding’) of Marcos’ Martial Law.

      O – Ordered
      M -Mentored
      E – Entrusted
      G – Groomed, and
      A – Attuned.

      …the dark days followed thereafter for 20+ long years. The seeds or grains are still so much around like barnacles in the sea. If Titanic lost 1,900 passengers; Dona Paz 4000 passengers, here millions lost their moorings in life. Na OMEGA tayong lahat.

      I like CITIZEN’S or SEIKO na lang!

        • worst than hudas, I reckoned. unlike hudas, they did not hang themselves and repent their sins in the end, but enjoyed their 30 pieces of silver. and let’s not forget the mary magdalene, the putita, not lurking in the background but very much on the front, ingratiating and insinuating herself anywhere and everywhere from libya to the white house, etc, etc, etc.

    • let me guess, the dead among them were buried in the libingan ng mga bayani. too bad, the master-tasker could not be buriend among them. motion denied. yay! yay! yay!

  5. The whistleblower site Wikileaks released barely an hour ago a veritable feast for Filipinos and all of mankind.

    These are over two million diplomatic cables and “Kissinger cables” going all the way back to 1966 and to the present.

    Just click on this link (http://wikileaks.org/plusd/ ) and you can start looking for what you want.

    – Raissa Robles

    Point of clarification

    In Wikileaks’ latest “leakage installment” in the link provided by @raissa there are only two DOCUMENT SETS at a given period of time that readers may search through:

    Document sets to search:

    The Kissinger Cables (1,707,500 diplomatic documents from 1973 to 1976.)

    Cablegate (251,287 diplomatic cables, nearly all from 2003 to 2010.)

    Each Document Set has its own ‘tick box’ to click on if a reader wants 1 or 2 of the data sets to research on.

    • Example keyword search: marcos

      In relation to Comment No. 10.2…

      Both the US National Archives and the Wikileaks’ “The Kissinger Cables” will yield the same result.

      They both contain 3,349 records.

      Here’s the link from the US National Archives: http://goo.gl/m1tB2

      • If one will click on the ‘tick boxes’ of both Document Sets (“The Kissinger Cables” and “Cablegate”), the records result will certainly be different and will yield 4,179 documents.

        The link, which was also given in the blog article above, is here: http://goo.gl/Hq5Xp

      • Oops, in both the US National Archives and “The Kissinger Cables”, that will be…

        3,439 records each for the search query “marcos“.

    • The point is that the US National Archives offer the same documents as that of the Wikileaks’ “The Kissinger Cables”.

      Abscbnnewsdotcom’s JOJO MALIG is one Filipino who loves to feast (to borrow @raissa’s word) on the work of Wikileaks. I don’t actually know his motivation but let’s just say he’s doing his job.

      While both archives (US National Archives and Wikileaks’ “The Kissinger Cables) are practically the same with documents from the US National Archives readily available several years ago, the main difference between the two archives is that Wikileaks boasts of the CORRECTIVE WORK they did on the documents, that is, they edited or corrected the ERRORS the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the State Department or its diplomats had committed.

      Perhaps, Jojo Malig supports Wikileaks insofar as the investigative work of the organization made the documents easily searchable in a CORRECT manner.

      However, “easily searchable in a correct manner” may also prove that searching from the US National Archives, even without the corrections, is just the same as searching from Wikileaks’ “The Kissinger Cables”.

      Thus, no hurrahs will probably be merited to Wikileaks other than pointing to a resurrected “corrected” history that is already in the public domain. The old 2010 “Cablegate” data set probably is an added feature to the new offering.

  6. Here’s the headlined Nuke fallout can reach PH, with minimal effect: scientist
    By David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com
    Posted at 04/11/2013 11:48 AM | Updated as of 04/11/2013 11:48 AM

    MANILA – A local physics expert believes fallout from a nuclear blast in the Korean peninsula can reach the Philippines but will have minimal effect.news -”

    Yes, the minimal effects will only BE:

    Pimples

    Botlegs

    Thick hairs or thinning hairs, afro for some and baldness for others

    Dermatiis

    70/40 eyesight

    Stammering in speech

    Don’t remember who you are

    Remember what you are not

    and lastly but the not last – walking in public without clothes on! Or STREAKING!

  7. “Political Dancing”…it seems or appear many candidates are imparting falsely that they are good for the posts they are running for….by dancing!

    So, let’s hope any host or hosts for wikileaking these candidates dancing prowes, be made on top of all emtablados to DANCE….at LEAST 8 HOURS OF DANCING…the minimum working hours in gov’t offices under our laws…

    EIGHT HOURS of dancing: Slow Drag, Cha-Cha, BOOGIE-WOOGIE, Samba, NANGWAM, Tango, Paso Doble, RUMBA, atbpa! Real active dancing. Those who gets to quit or pretends to dance but isn’t moving, is thrown out…AND a loudspeaker announcement is made

    DO NOT VOTE FOR THIS DANCER candidate!

    Let’s demand for this false imparting dancing of our candidates.

    • Thanks @Alan…am reading/writing on this blog-site ‘side-by-side’ with the highlighted site of ‘drones-us-al-qaed-militants-649/’ here.

      The leaked article is ‘Wikileak’ as I understand it. I read some many from “its’ leaks as reported in news items in many Internet news reportings but I have not encountered a ‘Wikileak’ reporting “What is the justification, legal or moral, why AL QAEDA group can kill innocent civilians, like 9/11 incident where many Nationalities and not only Americans were killed (assassinated if we call it also) done on America soil, NYC, Washington D.C. and in the ‘air over Pennsylvania of that hijacked civilian airliner.

      It seems without doubt, we are into an age where, among others, fighting terrorism. Why all this started, how and by whom, and where its seed originated, etc. has not been satisfactorily explained to everyone. USA is also called by those who do not like it as “terrorists.” USA and other countries call its enemies also as ‘terrorists.”

      Who is a terrorist? Are ‘they’ following laws? Are they observing the Geneva Convention Agreement? Constitutions? Simple moral values not to sacrifice ordinary human lives, innocent or what?

      Wikileaks reveals USA is not giving ‘justifications’ for its counter-actions against its enemies who likewise are not giving same ‘justifications’ why it hates and kills Americans being its hated enemy. Other nationalities are also involved in this killings, without being told “Why?”

      In and as everybody goes to engage its own warfare, no rules, no laws, no Constitutions, etc. are observed. Why should these warring entities observed undefined conduct of war when both or all sides are not ready to?

      On the side of governments and States, protecting their populace, will they give ‘due process of law’ to their enemies who it calls ‘terrorists?’ This ‘enemy-terrorists’ does not also have any law, no Constitution, etc. when it kills the populace of their enemies.

      Tortures are applied. Beheadings are applied. Or other forms of heinous killings are applied. So, if this ‘new warfare’ is now ongoing, why such each side be complaining of what each is doing against the other? Maybe, it is answered “O.K. Let’s do our fighting then. No complaints. May the winner and loser be declared, etc.”

      Is it fair to ask or demand that this warfare be observed by States and Governments to give due process to its enemies while the latter does not at all think of doing the same? That will ‘weaken’ each side to fight each other.

      The poor innocent populace is caught in between the fights.

      Drones are used against the other. Kidnapping and bombings are used against the populace in States and Governments’ territories. Renditions are done. Covert and Overt plannings by both sides are done, carrying out killings, targeted killings, killing innocents and the targets at the same time, locations and for all or no reasons (as always claimed).

      This warfare is a fight for survival. Do not complain if you fight. Do not complain about following rules, laws or Constitutions. Populace, guilty or not, wants to survive.

      Nothing is fair and square in this kind of warfare. Let’s us fight then. Leak ’em or lick them! When all gets tired of it, let’s all live in peace.

      Have a nice day everyone. Thank you for reading.

    • Copies of the top-secret U.S. intelligence reports reviewed by McClatchy, however, show that drone strikes in Pakistan over a four-year period didn’t adhere to those standards.

      The intelligence reports list killings of alleged Afghan insurgents whose organization wasn’t on the U.S. list of terrorist groups at the time of the 9/11 strikes; of suspected members of a Pakistani extremist group that didn’t exist at the time of 9/11; and of unidentified individuals described as “other militants” and “foreign fighters.”

      In a response to questions from McClatchy, the White House defended its targeting policies, pointing to previous public statements by senior administration officials that the missile strikes are aimed at al Qaida and associated forces.

      Micah Zenko, an expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, a bipartisan foreign policy think tank, who closely follows the target killing program, said McClatchy’s findings indicate that the administration is “misleading the public about the scope of who can legitimately be targeted.”

      The documents also show that drone operators weren’t always certain who they were killing despite the administration’s guarantees of the accuracy of the CIA’s targeting intelligence and its assertions that civilian casualties have been “exceedingly rare.”

      Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/09/188062/obamas-drone-war-kills-others.html#storylink=cpy

      • Copies of top-secret U.S. intelligence reports reviewed by McClatchy provide the first official confirmation of joint operations involving drones between the U.S. spy agency and Pakistan’s powerful army-run Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, or ISI, as well as previously unknown details of that cooperation. The review takes on important significance as the administration reportedly is preparing to expand the use of drones in Afghanistan and North Africa amid a widespread debate over the legality of the strikes in Pakistan.

        The documents show that while the ISI helped the CIA target al Qaida, the United States used drone strikes to aid the Pakistani military in its battle against the Taliban Movement of Pakistan, or TTP – assistance that the Obama and Bush administrations never explicitly acknowledged or legally justified.

        The White House did not respond immediately to a request for a comment on McClatchy’s findings. The Pakistani government denied there was ever any cooperation on drone strikes.

        The partnership was so extensive during the Bush administration that the Pakistani intelligence agency selected its own targets for drone strikes. Until mid-2008, the CIA had to obtain advanced approval before each attack, and under both administrations, the Pakistanis received briefings and videos of the strikes.

        Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/09/188063/us-secret-cia-collaborated-with.html#storylink=cpy

  9. Jemima Khan (Associate Editor of The New Statesman) on Julian Assange: how the wikileaks founder alienated his allies

    Wikileaks – whose mission statement was to produce a more just society based on truth – has been guilty of the same obfuscation and misinformation as those it sought to expose, while its supporters, are expected to follow, unquestioningly, in blinkered, cultish devotion, according to former close supporter, Jemima Khan ( daughter of a British billionaire).

    Khan, who stood bail for him while he fought extradition to Sweden over a rape and sexual assault allegations against 2 women, says she is losing faith in Assange, She has come to believe that he is undermining himself and his own transparency agenda in Sweden. Assange, who is confined to Ecuadorian embassy in London, fears that if he was remanded in Sweden ,he would be at greater risk of extradition to US to face prosecution for espionage relating to wikileaks cable releases.

    Khan says that when she told Assange she was involved in the film WE STEAL SECRETS she suggested that he view it of being not pro- or anti- him but rather see film that would be fair and would represent the truth. He replied “If it’s fair film, it will be pro- Assange”. Beware the celebrity who refers to himself in third person.

  10. Jemima Khan ( Associate Editor of the New Stateman) on Julian Assange: how the wikileaks founder alienated his allies

    Wikileaks – whose mission statements was to ” produce a more just society based on truth – has been guilty of the same obfuscation and misinformation as those it sought to expose, while its supporters, are expected to follow, unquestiongly, in blinkered, cultish devotion” according to Jemima Khan ( daughter of a British billionaire).

    Jemima who stood bail for him while he fought extradition to Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations against 2 women. Khan, who is losing faith in Assange, says she has come to believe that he is undermining himself and his own transparency agenda by refusing to answer questions in Sweden. Assange is confined to Ecuadorian embassy in London fearing that if he was remanded in Sweden he would be at greater risk of extradition to US to face prosecution for espionage relating to Wilileaks cable releases.

    Khan says that when she told Assange she was involved in the film WE STEAL SECRETS, she suggested that he view the film of being pro- or anti- him but rather as a film that would be fair and would represent truth…… He replied ” if it’s a fair film, it will be pro- Assange “, Beware of the celebrity who refers to himself in the third person.

    links: Julian Assange/Media/Guardian
    http://www.guardian.co.uk>media

  11. I am shocked! –

    “Sandiganbayan upholds Garcia plea bargain deal
    By Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News
    Posted at 04/10/2013 4:44 PM | Updated as of 04/10/2013 4:51 PM

    MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has junked government’s plea to have the plea bargain deal between former military comptroller Carlos Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman nullified in connection with a plunder case against Garcia before the anti-graft court.

    In a 73-page joint resolution promulgated today by the Special Second Division, penned by Associate Justice Samuel Martirez, the anti-graft court, by a vote of 4-1, upheld the plea bargain deal between Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman. The ruling denied the motion for intervention of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

    Under the deal, Garcia entered a ‘guilty’ plea on the lesser offense of direct bribery and agreed to return over P135 million. The plunder case alleged that Garcia amassed over P300 million in unexplained wealth during his stint in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

    “Wherefore, for utter paucity of merit, the motion for reconsideration to allow the Office of the Solicitor General to intervene is hereby denied.

    “Correspondingly, for lack of legal personality/authority to intervene in this case and considering further that the plea bargaining agreement is in accord with law and jurisprudence and is for the best interest of the government, the prayer of the Office of the Solicitor General to set aside the plea bargaining agreement is also denied,” the joint resolution read.

    The plea bargain deal was entered into by the Ombudsman under the term of Merceditas Gutierrez.

    In ruling in favor of the deal in 2011, the anti-graft court held that “[i]nasmuch as the provisions of the Plea Bargaining Agreement and the concerns of this court about the protection of the government has been already fully addressed, there is no reason why this Court should withhold approval of the plea bargaining agreement in these cases.”

    The OSG, under the term of Pres. Aqunio, filed a plea to have the deal nullified.”

    I see that the Court grounded it on “no standing” on the OSG. What is the Office of the Solicitor General? It represents also the Republic of the Philippines. Why no standing?

    Even if there is no precedent on allowing the OSG in Sandiganbayan cases as the Ombudsman is the one legally entrusted to represent the “complainant” (which is the Republic of the Philippines or The People of the Philippines) the OSG has proper standing for all lawful purposes. The ruling of the Court is too strictly legalese to my honest opinion.

    Crime does pay indeed: P300M looted, pay back only P150M! So the guy-general is richer still by P150M! Is this correct justice? No.

    Let’s …People via OSG and Ombudsman bring an appeal to this ruling for justice’s sake.

    • Talagang walanghiyaan na , mga kababayan !! Kaya lalong dadami ang corrupt sa ating bayan, dahil they can get away with it easily. Tuwid na daan ? Eto, example, spit to your face!!

        • Nang sinabi kong “tuwid na daan”, hindi ito patungkol lkay P-Noy, kundi para sa lahat ng miyembro ng burukrasya na nasa ilalim ngayon ng kasalukuyang rehimen. We expect everybody to observe the essentials of “tuwid na daan”. If somebody believes that my comment is directed only against P-Noy, then something is wrong here. But of course, P-Noy is partly to be blamed here ’cause he is our leader and he should prove that our nation is a land of courageous and honest people. Subsequent events proves otherwise.

    • @mam leona, tama ba ang pagkaintindi ko na sa plea bargaining agreement eh ibabalik ni garcia P150M sa nakuha nyang P300M? aba eh talaga naman kaya daming nagnanakaw eh kasi pagnahuli kalahati na lang ang ibabalik at tapos na ang kaso? hehehehsobra ang suerte ng mga HINAYUPAK.

      samantalang yung maliliit na kawani pagka nagkasla TANGGAL NA WALA PANG BENEFITS. eh bakit di ba PUEDE KALAHATI LANG NG BENEFITS ANG TANGGALIN?

      wala talagang NAKAPIRING NGA ANG BABAENG KATARUNGAN. HINDI NAKIKITA ANG TAMA!!

      ay ewan sa klase ng hustisya natin.
      dapat nga walang bisa ang agreement na yan dahil di ba PEKE YUNG OMBUDSMAN?

      KAWAAWAANG BAYAN NATIN. NANAKAWAN TAPOS ANG MAIBABALIK EH KALAHATI LANG? MAY ISIP BA ANG MGA HUMAHATOL DITO SA MGA KASONG ITO? MAMATAY NA SANA KAYONG MGA HINAYUPAK NA MAGNANAKAW!!

      kung ganun pareho din ang magiging hatol sa mga LIGOT.

      • nakakainis di ba?
        samantalang tayong mga ordinaryong pilipino, nagbabayad ng tamang buwis, sumusunod sa batas. takot na gumawa ng mali kasi tanggal agad sa trabaho.
        samantalang itong mga mandarambong na ito. nakakulimbat na ng milyon-milyon, napakinabangan na ang marami sa pera, di pa nakulong.
        may hinala ako kung bakit… kasi sa laki ng nanakaw nilang pera, kaya nilang magbayad ng “magaling kasi mahal” na abogado. na pwede paikutin ang batas, patagalin ang kaso habang silang nasasaktadal, may “sakit” at kailangan magamot sa magandang ospital.
        ang nahuli pero alang pera? diretso sa presinto, kulong kasi alang pyansa.
        kaya sana magising na ang ibang kababayan natin. iboto ang may magandang puso at hangarin para sa ating lahat.
        pakirandan ko parang suntok sa buwan ito. pero di ako nawawalan ng pagasa.

        • Ang aral sa nangyari kay General Garcia ay kapag magnakaw ay lakihan mo na at baka sakali makalusot…

        • @curveball,

          What happened?

          Based on court records and interviews with people privy to the case and Ombudsman insiders, we discovered that:

          • The real estate properties and deposits that Garcia supposedly surrendered in the deal were already the subject of two forfeiture cases in the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division, which was not even informed about the plea bargain deal.

          • Gutierrez only showed token interest in the case. She hardly supported the team that prosecuted Garcia.

          • Despite the importance and complexity of the case, it was a former Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyer, who had indigents as former clients, who was assigned to handle it. From a mere “coordinator” of the team, this prosecutor assumed the burden of a lead prosecutor when the original prosecutors got promoted or refrained from further handling the case.

          • The prosecution rested its case only on two pieces of evidence: the written statement of Garcia’s wife, Clarita, and the testimony of Heidi Mendoza on the supposed missing P50-million fund from the United Nations’ reimbursements to the Philippine military.

          • Witnesses called to buttress Mendoza’s testimony debunked the former auditor’s court statements. Mendoza’s testimony also crumbled during cross-examination by Garcia’s lawyer.

          • Despite its vast powers, the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Ombudsman failed to persuade a single military supplier that supposedly provided bribes to Garcia to testify.

          “We were beaten to the draw by the defense in talking to those suppliers,” one prosecutor admitted.

          Thus, this is a classic story of how the big fish got away without trying too hard.

          – Rapplerdotcom

          http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/26027-garcia-military-corruption-deal

        • Thanks @baycas for the ‘explanations’ of the details how it came about in this Garcia case.

          Question: Are we or the Executive Dept now NOT GOING to file malpractice cases against those LAWYERS in the gov’t who caused this injustice?

          Question: Should our Integrated bar of the Phil. not open their eyes on this for malpractice actions?

          Question: Is this Garcia case NOT A GLARING SAMPLE of how cover-ups and conspiracies to defeat justice and RIPE to warn government lawyers to do their job acc to their oath and public trust?

          So, will they all just SLEEP on this now and FORGET the whole thing?

          This is a nightmare in our people’s dreams for correct justice..

        • I think crime pays. The hours are good, you meet a lot of interesting people, you travel a lot.

          – Woody Allen, “Take the Money and Run” (1969)

        • Where was Aling Conching, the heroine of Noynoy?

          She could have filed a motion to vacate the plea bargain agreement, because the former official acted ultra vires (in excess of her authority). The act is ultra vires, because there really was no benefit to the government. The government was being offered property that was already in the custody of the court, by way of the forfeiture case.

          Also, sSince it was in the custody of the court, it could not have been the subject of negotiations, without the approval of the court (the other branch of the Sandiganbayan).

          What happened Madam Conching? Too busy with Corona?

        • INDECISIVE OMBUDSMAN

          In affirming the Garcia deal, the court emphasized that it gave then newly-appointed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales an opportunity to argue her position against the agreement that was endorsed by her predecessor, resigned Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez.

          But it noted that rather than submit a motion opposing the deal, Morales simply submitted a “position paper” which her representatives made clear should not be taken as a motion.

          “In the interest of justice and in order to give the new Ombudsman the opportunity to explain her position paper and for the accused to comment, if necessary, the Court set the same for clarificatory hearing. The Ombudsman, for reasons which the Court cannot fathom, was not willing to have its position paper converted into a motion so that the nullification of the plea bargaining agreement, among others, could be passed upon,” the court said.

          This, the Second Division said, left it with no recourse but to simply declare the position paper “Noted.”

          “We are really puzzled with the indecisive posture of the new Ombudsman. While in one breath she claims that the challenged plea bargaining agreement “partakes the nature of a compromise agreement” yet, in another breath, she refused to repudiate the acts of the previous Ombudsman,” it added.

          And yet, the court called attention to a paragraph in Morales’ position paper where the Ombudsman asked, “was there any earnest effort to pursue the extradition cases in the United States against Mrs. Garcia and her three sons co-accused in the case at bar?”

          “The Ombudsman must have forgotten that the Sandiganbayan is a Court and has nothing to do with the extradition cases filed before the US Courts against Clarita Garcia and her three sons,” the Sandiganbayan said.

          http://www.malaya.com.ph/~malayaco/index.php/news/nation/28601-graft-court-upholds-garcia-plea-bargain

        • It keeps on attempting to justify the plea bargain with this quoted news –

          “The Ombudsman defended its decision to accept the plea bargain, saying that the plunder case filed against the discharged general is weak.”

          If the plunder case is weak, do they not know by “Asking how the general can agree to RETURN P150M” if he did not PLUNDER the money of P300M+?

          I am not confused! I see the inconsistency clearly of such flimsy reasoning. If the cattle rustler stole the tied CARABAO and was caught with it, the culprit agrees with the prosecution to RETURN THE ROPE without the CARABAO and he is guilty of stealing THE ROPE only? What are these lawyers and judges…with legal minds or not?

          Diyos Ko Po!

        • “Morales simply submitted a “position paper” which her representatives made clear should not be taken as a motion.”

          A ‘position paper.’ Why this kind of paper…position of what? The issue was critically grave or very important. And not an “Opposition ‘ paper to the plea bargain agreement, with a MOTION to set aside the plea bargain agreement. (for being highly prejudicial to the Govt’ and unconstitutional, etc etc etc.)

          Did she really ‘read’ it or just signed it?

        • [email protected]

          IMO the main consideration is the conviction of Garcia for plunder while the pecuniary aspect took a backseat. Maybe OMB. Morales thought that such conviction would be highly improbable due to the weakness of the prosecution evidence already presented and the unavailabitly of strong evidence thus far. So that a conviction for a lesser offense would be the next best thing. And 130M is something better than nothing.

          And maybe OMB. Morales knew that nothing more than 130M could be wrung out of Garcia. Pigain mo man nang todo-todo ay wala ng katas. “No Mas”. Ubos na.

          Of course, the prosecution of inept and corrupt prosecutors would be another story.

        • If “Morales thought that such conviction would be highly improbable due to the weakness of the prosecution evidence already presented” how come “asking ex-general Garcia to return the P150M” is not also highly improbable (though he admits and is wlling to return it) then the prosecution’s evidence is not weak!

          Where is ex-gen. Garcia “getting P150M” to return it? Isn’t it from the P300M+ he stole? So, is it weak evidence? I’m sure it is so strong that the ROPE tying the CARABAO!

          It looks like some unthinkable technicality is being applied in such situation of the facts: HE DID STEAL THE MONEY!

          He admits it by plea bargaining: O.k. I stole it. I return only P150M I plead guilty but if you don’t want to accept my plea, then prove that I did steal it – the P300M+.

          Ano ito…lokohan ng mga accused at prosecutors at judges?

          UNTHINKABLE!

        • [email protected]

          To my understanding, it appears that no sufficient evidence had been presented in court to prove that Garcia stole 300M. That Garcia was willing to return 130M means that he admitted receiving through direct bribery said amount – not more. Cases are won by facts proven or admitted in court – not by the unproved “true” facts.

        • @Rene…the facts were really infront of them but because something happened, the facts are covered up, so NO FACTS!

          When ‘something’ happened, it really did happen during ex-pres. Arroyo and ex-OMB Gutierrez tenures.

          As I have said…sobra ang PAKIKISAMA…a bad Filipino trait or character.

        • [email protected]

          It was more than pakikisama. Gloria, Renato, Merciditas, some Supreme Court justices, some AFP generals, some cabinet members, etc. were actually a syndicate headed by Mikey Arroyo. Nothing personal, purely business.

        • “…we were beaten to the draw by the defence in talking to those suppliers,” one prosecutor admitted”. Weeee, what kind of living things those prosecutors are? Umasa sa “suppliers” to win the case? Kapag ganito ng ganito ang mga procecutors o government lawyers, wala talaga tayong pagasa na makaka-prosecute ng mga walanghiya sa gobyerno! Konting gamit naman ng utak kahit maliit ito, hindi naman ito mauubos kung gagamitin!!!! Grrrr!!!

      • @pinay710…tama! Ang moda ay DIVISORIA tawaran!

        Ang hayup na tawaran ay dating na sa mga hukuman. Kawat ng kasing MALAKI, tawad ibalik ang kalahati…!

        Ang ‘plea bargain’ na ‘rules’ ay hindi ganyan ang pasimula. Mali…! Bakit i-sinali pati ang nakawan, lalo na sa mga heneral ‘o public officials…MALI…!

        I-wang ko kung may Batas dito, subalit “plea bargain’ ay “rules’ lamang ng Korte Suprema sa mga “criminal cases’. Baka labag sa Batas ‘o Constitution ang ‘rules.’

        Dapat pag-aralan ng OSG at nitong naka upo ngayun na Ombudsman.

        • @mam leona, tama ka po styel DIVISORIA ANG HUSTISYA NG PILIPINAS. kahit bobong tao ang makakaalam nito. BAKIT KA MAGTAWAD NA P150 MILLIONES NA LANG ANG IBABALIK SAMANTALANG P300 M ANG NATUKLASAN NA NINAKAW? sa pakiusap ng may sala na MAGBABALIK NG BAGAY patunay na MERON SYANG NINAKAW.

          MAGAGALING ANG MGA ABOGAADO NG GARCIA NA ITO NA MAALAM PAIKUTIN AT GAWAN NG PARAANG BALUKTOT ANG HUSTISYA. ABA EH HARAPAN NA AT LANTARANG LOKOHAN ITON.

          NAPATUNAYAN NA MAY NINAKAW TAPOS KALAHATI LANG ANG IBABALIK? PAYAG NAMAN ANG GOBYERNO? TANGA ANG GOBYERNO NG PILIPINAS. NAKAKAHIYA!!! NILOKO NA PAYAG PANG PALOKO ULIT???????????

          PANGULONG NOYNOY NASAAN ANG (BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB…Y) MO PAG PINAYAGAN MO ITO.

          SIGURADO MATATAPOS ANG TERMINO NI NOYNOY YANG MGA HINAYUPAK NA MAGNANAKAW NA YAN MAKAKALAYA NA DIN AT SAGANA SILA SA MGA NINAKAW NILANG PINAGHIRAPAN GN MGA PANGKARANIWANG MAMAMAYAN NA IBAYAD SA BUWIS.

          PARA LANG GULONG NA PAIKOT IKOT LANG ANG GINAGAWANG PAGNANAKAW KAYA HINDI UMAASENSO ANG PILIPINAS. BUONG TIWALA NA NAGBABAYAD NG BUWIS ANG MAMAMAYAN, PERO NINANAKAW LANG NG MGA HINAYUPAK NA MGA NASA PAMAHALAAN.

          WLA KAYONG AWA SA INYONG KAPWA!!!!!!

        • @pinay710 uli….”MAGAGALING ANG MGA ABOGAADO NG GARCIA” …No, hindi magaling….kundi sinadya ng mga prosekutars mag palokoloko…bakit kaya ginawa nila yan?

          ere…may p…a?

    • @ leona,

      Kahit pala hanggang ngayon ay may mga TUTA pang BUHAY na nagmamanipula nang desisyon pabor sa mga Mandarambong at Magnanakaw? Nagnakaw nang 300 milyon tapos nang MAHULI ay ibabalik lang ang kalahati ay OK na ang Sandigang Bayan… Ano ba naman klasing desisyon ito na parang ninakawan nang lantaran ang kaban nang BAYAN pero ok lang pala at ibinalik ang kalahati? Tanungin nga natin ang Sandigan Bayan, Special Second Divission kong pabor sa bayan ang desisyon nila? Parang nagkabayaran at nagkalokohan na naman ah?

      Magkano kaya napagkasunduan nila??? tse. tse. tse…???

      • Ang ‘dating’ Ombudsman noon umpisa ng case ni Garcia ay sa ilalim ng dating pres. Arroyo. Ngayun ibang ang Ombudsman at hindi mangyayari na itong klaseng ‘plea bargaining’ sa bagong criminal cases.

        Wag na tanungin ang Sandiganbayan dyan…alam nila ‘di pabor ang desisyon, kaya lang ang intyende nila ay sa ilalim ng ‘plea bargain’ rule daw yan. Sa akin, MALi…!

    • @ leona,

      PAKILAGAY NGA PANGALAN NANG APAT NA JUSTICES NANG SANDIGANBAYAN NA NAGPABOR SA BARGAINING PLEA NI GARCIA AT NANG MALAMAN NANG LAHAT ANG KAGAGAWAN NILANG PAGKAMPI SA CORRUPT??? DADAMI MGA MAGNANAKAW NITO KAPAG GANITO MGA DESISYON NANG MGA TUTANG JUSTICES??? PWEEHHHH….

      • Ang mga NAMES ng justices, acc to RAPPLER news, are as follows –

        “n its its 73-page Joint Resolution on Wednesday, the graft court junked with finality the petition of the OSG.

        The resolution had to be submitted to a special division of five justices after the 3 regular members of the Second Division failed to reach unanimity as Associate Justice Oscar C. Herrera Jr. dissented from the majority opinion penned by Associate Justice Samuel R. Martires, which was concurred in by Associate Justice Teresita V. Diaz-Baldos.

        As required under the Sandiganbayan rules, Associate Justices Roland B. Jurado and Alex L. Quiroz were appointed to sit with the regular members and both agreed with the majority opinion.

        The court has not yet set a date for Garcia’s sentencing on the lesser charges.”

        We, it seems, are moving back in the darkness of injustice in this Garcia case. How in the world can a thief be excused for his acts a general at that and be made richer for P150M, and then to be sentenced on “the lesser charges?” Ms. Merceditas Gutierrez you conscience is now surely bothering you here for the rest of your life…to the people and country.

        Na benta ang Bayan sa ilog. Let’s hope the SC will, if and when appeal is made,will rectify this error.

        • @vander anievas…In other places, their official lawyers’ association investigate and becomes complainant vs. erring lawyers even if no private party files a complaint.
          That should be the goal of lawyers organization.

          Like our IBP here, got apathy or lukewarmness. Maybe not totally sleeping but napping. The organization is just satisfied if one lawyer ‘resigns,’ “quits” from the post, or “convicted” for acts, but never disbarred furthermore to protect the public and potential clients, etc.

          Cleaning the ranks is the intention but never done. Sobra rin PAKIKISAMA, a Filipino defect …trait or character?

      • @sir jorge bernas, hindi na kailangan malaman kugn sino sino ang mga justices na yan. MAKAKAPAL ANG MUKHA ng mga nasa departamentong yan na alam nilang mali PILIT na itinatama dahil alam nilang PAIKUTIN ANG BATAS. sabi nga mga LOOPHOLES para itama ang mali. kahit saang departmaento ng pamahalaan ng PILIPINAS MARAMI ANG MGA MAKAKAPAL AT MUKHANG PERANG NAMAMAHALA. ALAM NG MGA MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO YAN KAYA KUNG AALUKIN SILA NG PERA TINATANGGAP NILA DAHIL ALAM NILA NA MGA NINAKW YUN AT PERA NILA ANG NINANAKAW. KAYA TANGGAP KUNG MAY MAGBIBIGAY!!

  12. I never came across, only now, two students who flunk would commit suicide –

    “MANILA, Philippines – Barely three weeks after a student of the University of the Philippines-Manila took her life over failure to pay tuition, two students in Batangas shot themselves dead after receiving failing grades in separate incidents Friday afternoon.”

    I sure hope no teacher of ’em would come around and say “Oh! they were not failing! They were just “inc.” …incomplete in something.”

    A funny retort of a son: Son always getting 75s in all subjects in college. His Mom couldnl’t take it anymore and wrote him a letter from the province to him in Manila. She said “Son, what is the use of keep handsome all the time when your grades always looks like the figure of an AX….7 really looks one!

    Son wrote his Mom: “Mom, do you not know it is very difficult to maintain grades? At least I don’t flunk but I maintain my grades!” hahaha…

  13. By the way, can anyone tell me why there are no embassy cables for 1972?

    Where are they?