By Raïssa Robles
Now that it’s officially summer, what better time to revive “Halo-Halo”, my gossip column about everything and anything.
First off, the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) had an unexpected invitation from US Ambassador Philip Goldberg to see him and his embassy staff for cocktails last Thursday.
I must say, I did not expect Goldberg to place everything off-the-record. I guess I had been spoiled by previous invites from the ambassadors of France and even from China before (notably Ambassador Liu Jianchiao) who has long been transferred to Indonesia.
Since I can’t talk about what Ambassador Goldberg told us, let me share my first impression of him. He’s a thin, wiry man, shorter than the average white male American. I mean, he’s just a few inches taller than I am and I’m shorter than the average Filipino.
While he was talking I was wondering why he reminded me of someone else. And then it hit me. He looked like one of my dad’s favorite TV characters – Eliot Ness in the Untouchables, played by actor Robert Stack.
Here’s the ambassador, together with FOCAP colleague Aricel Saludo-Garcia of Fuji Television.
And here’s Robert Stack.
From what he told us about his activities in the Philippines, Goldberg seems to pack a lot of energy.
I wished though that I had done more homework on the ambassador before the cocktails since he has such an interesting background, as pointed out to me by Joshua Young @josh4everyoung on Twitter. I could have asked him some naughty questions.
In 2008, Goldberg was sent packing by Bolivian President Evo Morales for allegedly “fomenting civil unrest” there. Goldberg is fluent in Spanish.
Then for two years, the career envoy sat it out in Washington as the Department of State Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Research before being sent to Manila.
Now, he’s in Manila in the middle of a noisy political transition from one administration to the next. Good timing.
Here’s a short video I took of our cocktails just as Goldberg announced he was placing everything off-the-record. The tall man beside him is Kurt Hoyer, the US embassy information officer.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
I am fascinatedly watching the deadlock in Makati between the acting Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña and the elected but suspended Mayor Erwin “Junjun” Binay. The latest news is that the employees of Makati donned black shirts last Friday to protest the situation.
If the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court does not come to Binay’s rescue, in 11 days’ time the loyalty of the Makati city hall employees will be sorely tested.
A long public holiday is coming up and employees will need to get their salaries to enjoy the long Holy Week break. If the former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado is right, city hall employees’ salaries are still disbursed in cash and not sent electronically to their ATMs.
Unfortunately for Mayor Binay, the Department of Interior and Local Governments is trying to make sure he won’t have access to cash. The DILG has already told the Land Bank not to honor Binay’s signature for any disbursements.
If the acting Mayor Kid Peña announces that the salaries would be made available at the old Makati City Hall where he is now holding office, what would the protesting employees do? Troop to where Pena is holding office?
Or mark Holy Week in the new city hall?
And if the courts don’t come to Binay’s rescue, the young mayor faces the prospect of spending Holy Week in his office.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
As for Mayor Binay showing the media that he sleeps on a sofa inside his office, reporters, please ask him to show you the secret bedroom of his office inside the new Makati City Hall building.
His father, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, told me in a 2010 interview he had a bedroom installed there, too.
Here is the pertinent excerpt from my interview with the elder Binay:
Me: Sir, tatanugnin ko sa inyo, a. Huwag kayong magagalit. A long time ago actually, you showed me the room of Yabut (the mayor of Makati just before VP Binay).
Binay: Ah, when we had that new building so I had to leave that place.
Me: So yung office nyo ba, Sir, may nagtatanong, meron pa bang bedroom sa office nyo?
Binay: Meron siyempre.
Me: Meron pa?
Binay: Hanggang ngayon yung bago kong opisina may bedroom.
Me: Doon kayo natutulog?
Binay: Pagka nandoon ako. Tanghalian. The only time I think I slept there nighttime was when we were under siege. 2006.
Me: 87?
Binay: No. 2006 yata.
You can listen to that excerpt of the interview by clicking here.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
What also intrigues me about the Makati City Hall standoff is the total absence of protesters waving red banners of, you know, the left-wing affiliates.
It would seem that even they have distanced themselves from the Binay family.
karl garcia says
Is ambassador Goldberg former CIA? parang me nabasa ako ganun dati. What is the reason for being quiet about American presence duting Mamasapano? Lalo tuloy dumamii ang tanong.
I should look for an old dvd of The Untouchables, to compare Stack and Costner.
Kalahari says
Ambassador Phillip Goldberg was a former US State Department official specializing in intelligence. Prior to his posting in the Philippines, he was assigned in Bolivia from 2006 to 2008 when he was asked to leave the country by the Bolivian government following accusations that the US has been funding opposition leaders against Bolivian President Evo Morales (Philstar 7/31/13)
kalakala says
MANILA – Should the Supreme Court (SC) issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop all proceedings before the Court of Appeals (CA) involving the preventive suspension of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, including the appellate court’s halt order on the implementation of the suspension order?
Did the appellate court undermine the “constitutionally guaranteed” independence of the Office of the Ombudsman when it handed down the 60-day TRO?
In a 4-page advisory on the conduct of the oral arguments, the high court enumerated the following questions and points which shall cover the scope of the hearing:
– Whether or not the CA committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it issued the TRO, dated March 16, considering the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the Ombudsman and a prohibition, under Section 14 of the Ombudsman Act, on the issuance of any restraining or injunctive order by courts, other than the SC, on any decision or findings of the Ombudsman.
– Whether or not the Ombudsman, as an impeachable officer, can be subject of contempt proceedings before the CA.
– Whether or not the Ombudsman petition for certiorari under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court raises errors or judgment and not errors of jurisdiction as provided for in the said rule.
– Whether or not Section 14 of the Ombudsman Act defeats the power of the SC and the CA to exercise original jurisdiction over petitions for certiorari and prohibition against acts of the Ombudsman.
– Whether or not Section 14 of the Ombudsman Act bars the SC and CA, in the exercise of original jurisdiction over petitions for certiorari and prohibition, from determining any grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Ombudsman in the issuance of preventive suspension orders, including the latter’s appreciation of the strength of evidence against public servants under investigation, the duration of the suspension, and the applicability of defenses on the part of the public servants during the investigation stage.
– Whether or not Section 14 of the Ombudsman Act completely removes the SC and/or the CA’s power to issue injunctive writs over investigations conducted by the Ombudsman.
– Whether or not the Ombudsman’s determination that a preventive suspension of a public servant in an administrative disciplinary case is “timely, proper and necessary,” a finding of fact, or of law, or both.
– Whether or not the above-described determination by the Ombudsman is conclusive on the courts, such that any contrary view from the courts will only “delay and interfere” with an ongoing investigation.
– Whether or not the CA should be allowed to first address challenges to a preventive suspension order, on grounds of errors of jurisdiction, issued by the Ombudsman before such challenges are raised before the SC.
– Whether the nature (certiorari and prohibition) of the petition of the Ombudsman is the most appropriate remedy to challenge the contempt proceedings before the CA.
– Whether the SC should issue the TRO sought by the Ombudsman against the CA.
Kalahari says
I’m banking in a 2010 en banc SC decision on ombudsman v samaniego that rules “the ombudsman’s power to suspend is encompassing and that not even the CA can stop its implementation.”
In this ruling, the SC said that Section 7, Rule III of the Rules of Procedure of the Ombudsman, which states that “an appeal shall not stop the decision from being executory,” reigns supreme over Section 12, Rule 43 of the Rules of Court, which grants the CA the power to stay a judgment or decision on appeal.
Parekoy says
Ongoing Political Battles
Are you really surprised when CA sided with the Binays?
I’m not!
I would like to share with you why it is expected.
Politics and control of government is the main cause.
Ang judiciary dati tuta ni Marcos at si Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee lang ang may yagbols na maging independent sa SC at saka si Cecilia Munoz-Palma na mas malaki pa ang virtual balls sa mga lalaking SC justices. Karamihan eh mga playing justice lang dahil nga they really play with justice, oopsie…injustice pala is the proper term.
Noong makaupo si Cory, one of her really good decisions was to appoint Claudio Teehankee as Chief Justice. Pero short lived lang, mga two years lang, then a year later namatay na…
In fact, yung appointments eh nagkaron ng pagbabago after ousting Marcos
Parekoy says
Parekoy says
Judicial and Bar Council
a. Chief justice
b. Secretary of Justice
c. Representatives of Congress
d. Representative of the Integrated Bar
e. A professor of law
f. A retired member of the Supreme Court
g. A representative of the private sector
Parekoy says
Representative of the Integrated Bar
Parekoy says
Parekoy says
I posted above so that we have an understanding on the appointments of judges and justices. As you can see, from one man appointment of Marcos, now there is a group consensus! That is the ideal setup, but since Filipinos are deviously creative, those who wanted to remain in power and use the influence of the Judiciary to advance their political and business interests devised the master plan on how to control the Judiciary. It is by politicization of the IBP and JBC and whoever controls those two, controls the appointments of the Judiciary, therefore controls or has more influence on the judges and justices trough the virtue of quid pro quo!
Then as expected of Filipino ingenuity, after just a few years of ousting Marcos, yung gobyerno naman at mga alipores ni Cory ang namamayagpag. Meaning meron na namang mga bagong amo na gustong gamitin ang Judiciary sa mga political power games. Then Estrada and Arroyo continued the politicization of the Judicial Branch.
Judges and Justices are humans. They also have their needs. Financial needs as well, egos, and political affiliations. Doctrine be damned! Personal interest trumps! Since most of our judges and justices are not grounded, unpatriotic and act as servants of the powerful and the corrupt, they are enablers as well as abusers and thereby abdicated their sworn duty to dispense proper justice. They are eaten by the system, our broken system, and they gorged on the fruits of the rewards of the newfound market of trading decisions as commodity.
They sold out the Filipino People and the blatant display of the insult and degradation of our justice system needs to be checked, or I may be liberal to say we need to start contemplating what punishments fit their crime of treason!
Parekoy says
I suggest we start with these three CA Justices. Is it okay if we start with their families?
Parekoy
04-07-15
NHerrera says
Inguirer.net — SC to hear Ombudsman petition vs CA in Binay case
(Updated 3:47 AM, Wednesday, April 8th, 2015)
Court spokesperson Theodore Te said the oral arguments will be held at 2 p.m. on April 14 in Baguio City, where the high court magistrates are holding their annual summer sessions. The proceedings will be livestreamed through the high court’s website.
In the paragraph I excerpted above, I noted that the proceedings will be livestreamed. This is good news. It shows that the SC wants the proceedings shown to the public. It will be nice to hear the CA Justices do their thing as against that of the the Ombudsman.
It will perk up this sluggish old man’s heart to observe the fireworks.
raissa says
Ang layo. Hindi bale, makakapag-excursion ang mga justice reporters :)
Parekoy says
My comment, Ongoing Political Battles, is under moderation since midnight Ph time.
Maybe in the spam. Pls release when u get a chance. Tnx.
Pedro says
Nice to hear that do you happen to have the web link to the live stream. Thanks
kalakala says
sana, i’m hoping against hope that these ca justices PeRA ( peralta, reyes & acosta) ay malamigan ang kanilang utak habang umaakyat ng baguio city, sa layo ng biyahe habang naaalog ang kanilang katawan at siguro pati utak ay makapag-isip sila na mag SISI sa kanilang mga ginagawa. it reminds of the movie entitled: The Encounter wwwdotyoutube.com/watch?v=f588kk_VMHA . this is a christian movie.
vander says
good development indeed.
Phl will see the body language of our magistrates.
let us all focus on them!!!
leona says
Will vulgar arguments be allowed besides oral arguments? Like one vulgar: How much did each of you get for the TRO order?
Too vulgar: Is that amount each of you got the final amount or initial vulgar amount pa lang yan?
Three vulgar: ‘Mayroon pa ba kayo pag kaka hiya?
:-)
NHerrera says
Inquirer.net — Trillanes: I will expose Binay paid for TRO
(1:30 AM, Wednesday, April 8th, 2015)
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday alleged that Vice President Jejomar Binay’s family had bought a crucial injunction from the Court of Appeals as he denounced the appellate court ruling that stopped the preventive suspension of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.
“One of these days, we will expose them: who had fronted for them, who they had talked to, how much they paid. Eventually, we will bring that all out,” said Trillanes, who initiated the Senate investigation into corrupt practices in Makati which has been ruled by a succession of Binay family members for almost 30 years.
“That is proof that our justice system is corrupt,” Trillanes told reporters in a phone patch interview.
According to the senator, he had received “information” that the Binays had spent “big money” to secure the injunction.
This comes as good news for us at CPM along with the news of the scheduled April 14 appearance of the Ombudsman before the SC in Baguio city on the Binay case; and the news item by CPM’s @duquemarino in Post 200 — Court orders suspension of Oriental Mindoro lawmaker Leachon.
If Binay’s case gets through the SC, the SC will have similar cases aplenty in their hands in the coming months and years. These coming as the SC — through its CJ Sereno — waving its move for Judicial Reform, one of which is unclogging their dockets. Well, let us wait and see.
YOUR MOVE, SUPREME COURT.
NHerrera says
If I may add:
We have to thank Senator Trillanes for his relentless pursuit of the Binay family — particularly the Vice President — from the initiation of the Senate Resolution resulting in the investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of Sen Pimentel of the overpricing of the Makati Parking Building; and now the news above.
It has resulted in several benefits to the country:
– exposing the corrupt practices of Binay;
– giving impetus to Judicial Reform associated with such corrupt practices;
– specifically, zeroing in again on the authority of the Ombudsman to suspend government officials and the associated granting of TRO by the CA on weak grounds.
THANK YOU Senators Pimentel, Trillanes and Cayetano
waray waray says
yes its good that Sen. Trillanes came out with this statement, it will put the CA justices on notice that they will eventually be exposed.
Joe America says
I thought Cayetano was the leader of the trio, but Trillanes is stepping up. He has a calm power to him unlike the spitting match he had with Enrile on the Senate floor. Maybe he has matured. At any rate, more power to him. I hope he has the means to follow through. It for sure is a wake-up call to the SC. Can you imagine upholding the CA, then finding out it was a purchased judgment.
Bye bye credibility.
Are all Supreme Court members impeachable, or just the Chief? It is untenable when you have a decent executive and a decent legislature (for the most part), but the courts simply unravel everything decent because of personal spite.
Joe America says
Or money.
NHerrera says
Raissa,
I hope you have enough hard facts or documents with which to weave a Blog topic along the lines of or related to the SC, the Ombudsman, the CA on the Binay suspension case — this suggestion was originally broached by Caliphman. Such Blog topic continues to be relevant, important and timely.
The continuing discussions will help the netizens to focus on this important Judicial milestone, IMHO.
raissa says
I will need all your help here, guys.
My deadlines are bumping into each other.
NHerrera says
caliphman, baycas, Rene-Ipil, yvonne, and others in CPM:
Can we help Raissa on this? I must confess I don’t have the facilities that you have. I tend more to reading and making comments of what you write here. Thanks.
kalakala says
hi manong nherrera, i think one of the regular commenters here is very close to the personality of Perfecto Tagalog, secretary-general of the The Coalition of Filipino Consumers.
JoeC says
Great news! Thanks NHerrera you made my day. I can’t wait to hear what Trillanes will expose about the alleged TRO for sale. Hopefully Chief Justice Soreno will take note. I think the VP will come to regret leaving Trillanes “hanging out to dry” during the siege at the Penn.
NHerrera says
:-)
yvonne says
I’m thinking that the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) is on top of recent suspicious movement of relatively large sums of money.
NHerrera says
Hi yvonne! Haven’t seen a note from you here lately until now. Took some vacation away from the laptop, tablet or smartphone?
yvonne says
@NHerrera,
To borrow from Raissa’s words, my deadlines are also bumping into each other these past few days – end of 1st quarter company reports and assessment, income tax filing, family spring season activities, etc.
I have an interesting thought to share about our judiciary, in light of recent events, but I’m not sure if I should post it here or on the new blog topic that Raissa just posted about Congressman Nograles. I’ll play it by ear in the next few hours.
karl garcia says
This is the answer to my question, on the other post.
NHerrera says
Probably better on the Nograles topic. Its a “Halo-halo”anyway. Of course, CPMers will have to come back here for Parekoy’s post above — also on the subject of Judiciary.
kalakala says
“According to the senator, he had received “information” that the Binays had spent “big money” to secure the injunction”.
from inquirer dated 28march 2015 group hits decision for sale at court of appeals.
“Tagalog said they received reports that at least two CA justices have received bribe money in exchange for his issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction”.
Tagalog admitted that a CA justice approached him to expose this because he cannot tolerate the unethical acts of some of his colleagues.
He cited an instance wherein a corrupt colleague even waited for him to go on leave before he issued a Writ of Preliminary Injunction of a highly controversial case. When he got the chance, he immediately issued the WPI despite knowing that his decision was illegal.
Tagalog said the justice since then has refused to associate with any official acts of his corrupt colleague lest he be accused of corruption.
duquemarino says
Court orders suspension of Oriental Mindoro lawmaker Leachon
rapplerdotcom
April 7, 2015
The anti-graft court has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension on Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Paul I no Sa!vador “Doy” Leachon over a graft case filed when he was still mayor of Calapan City.
Leachon was charged with graft for allegedly allowing the delivery of sand to a property owned by private respondent Juan Vinas using 5 city-owned dump truck and their drivers withoutnthe corresponding payments.
Leachon has argued that the Sandiganbayan should put the suspension order on hold pending the final decision of the Supreme Court on his petition for certiorari.
Ano kaya kakahinatnan ng kaso ni Leachon?
Yung Kay Binay saan din kaya hahantong?
leona says
. . . baka ang ‘offer’ nya ay tag i-isang leachon lamang! Gneekkk! Badoy! No puede. Suspendido kang leachon!
:-)
Parekoy says
Ongoing Political Battles
Are you really surprised when CA sided with the Binays?
I’m not!
I would like to share with you why it is expected.
Politics and control of government is the main cause.
Ang judiciary dati tuta ni Marcos at si Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee lang ang may yagbols na maging independent sa SC at saka si Cecilia Munoz-Palma na mas malaki pa ang virtual balls sa mga lalaking SC justices. Karamihan eh mga playing justice lang dahil nga they really play with justice, oopsie…injustice pala is the proper term.
Noong makaupo si Cory, one of her really good decisions was to appoint Claudio Teehankee as Chief Justice. Pero short lived lang, mga two years lang, then a year later namatay na…
In fact, yung appointments eh nagkaron ng pagbabago after ousting Marcos
Judicial and Bar Council
a. Chief justice
b. Secretary of Justice
c. Representatives of Congress
d. Representative of the Integrated Bar
e. A professor of law
f. A retired member of the Supreme Court
g. A representative of the private sector
Representative of the Integrated Bar
Then see if IBP’s “Mission” should be changed instead of “Mission Impossible”
I posted above so that we have an understanding on the appointments of judges and justices. As you can see, from one man appointment of Marcos, now there is a group consensus! That is the ideal setup, but since Filipinos are deviously creative, those who wanted to remain in power and use the influence of the Judiciary to advance their political and business interests devised the master plan on how to control the Judiciary. It is by politicization of the IBP and JBC and whoever controls those two, controls the appointments of the Judiciary, therefore controls or has more influence on the judges and justices trough the virtue of quid pro quo!
Then as expected of Filipino ingenuity, after just a few years of ousting Marcos, yung gobyerno naman at mga alipores ni Cory ang namamayagpag. Meaning meron na namang mga bagong amo na gustong gamitin ang Judiciary sa mga political power games. Then Estrada and Arroyo continued the politicization of the Judicial Branch.
Judges and Justices are humans. They also have their needs. Financial needs as well, egos, and political affiliations. Doctrine be damned! Personal interest trumps! Since most of our judges and justices are not grounded, unpatriotic and act as servants of the powerful and the corrupt, they are enablers as well as abusers and thereby abdicated their sworn duty to dispense proper justice. They are eaten by the system, our broken system, and they gorged on the fruits of the rewards of the newfound market of trading decisions as commodity.
They sold out the Filipino People and the blatant display of the insult and degradation of our justice system needs to be checked, or I may be liberal to say we need to start contemplating what punishments fit their crime of treason!
I suggest we start with these three CA Justices. Is it okay if we start with their families?
Parekoy
04-07-15
canadadry says
CA’S BINAY JUSTICE SMELL SO BAD,IT REACHES EVEN NORTH AMERICA
Ang sama ng amoy ng CA Binay Justice, hangagng dito sa North America amoy pa rin..ang baho….
Ang hindi magbigay ng hustiyang tama, mahigit sa hayop at malansang CA…
kawawang PInas, walang humpay na nilalatigo ng korapsyon at mga walang konsiyensyang hukom..
makalaya pa kaya sa korapsyon ang bayang ito?
kalakala says
CA – cash agad, cash advance, cashunduan agad, etc… CASH is the common denaminator
CA justices = PERA (PEralta, Reyes and Acosta)
sykes says
maybe it’s high time to post the pics of these CA judges sa internet. then urge the citizens to take pics of these judges in compromising situations para makapag-file ng kaso at matanggal sila sa pwesto.
kahit picture na nakasando lang sa labas. pwede na silang maparusahan dun.
strict kasi ang rules on how they should behave and present themselves in public.
T2 MAC says
It’s time to call for the resignation of these three despicable CA justices on charges that they are guilty of ABUSE OF POWER and JUDICIAL MISCONDUCT which if not acted upon may unduly erode the public trust and confidence in the judiciary branch.
JoeC says
Makati City Hall call to arms:
Shred And Burn, Shred And Burn
So The Ombudsman Cannot Learn.
sykes says
yung iba tinago lang ng mga minion nina jejemon b-anay ;)