Category Archives: Human Interest

Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Politics, Religion

AQUINO PROPOSES CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO LIFT TERM LIMIT, CREATE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

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CBCP President Archbishop Socrates Villegas
CBCP President Archbishop Socrates Villegas

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) –  Contrary to  widespread public perception, Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino has a Ferdinand E. Marcos-like brilliant mind, capable of authoring a grand design that could lead to his becoming a lifetime head of state.

Under the constitution, Aquino is limited to a six-year term as president, ending in 2016.  But he has come to  enjoy his presidency so much and the power that comes with the office.

So, he has urged his allies in the Philippine Congress to immediately convene a constitutional convention, the only legitimate process to amend the law of the land.

Aquino is proposing two major amendments to the Philippine Constitution:

  • Lift the term limit for the president, suggesting that an elected president can run for as many reelections, six-year terms at a time.
  • Create a fourth branch of government in addition to the Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The fourth branch would be the Catholic Church, to be headed by the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Aquino said that creating a fourth branch would prevent potential clashes among the existing three branches. “The fourth branch will act as mediator, and who is in a better position to do that than the CBCP,” he added.

Back to Aquino’s brilliant mind, the head of the CBCP, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, is known to be a very close ally and adviser to the president. In other words, Aquino can be assured that CBCP will always align with him in all conflict. His continued reelection will also be assured, considering the great influence of the Church among voters in this predominantly Catholic country.

 

Human Interest, International, Politics

FILIPINOS SNUB PRESIDENT AQUINO BY WEARING RED, WHITE & BLUE RIBBON

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The yellow ribbon has become a national symbol of the political opposition in the Philippines. It began during the final years of Ferdinand E. Marcos’ dictatorial rule, when Cory Aquino and her allies wore the yellow ribbon as a public display of the movement to oust Marcos. It is the same symbol that Cory’s son, President NoyNoy Aquino uses as the battle cry for his beleaguered administration.

For the first time since he assumed the presidency in 2010, Aquino appeared unsure about public support for him. Results of the latest surveys conducted by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia Incorporated showed the lowest satisfaction and approval ratings of Aquino.

Aquino has been in hot water since the Supreme Court declared parts of his fund disbursements under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as unconstitutional, prompting calls for his impeachment. He also upset many Filipinos by snubbing actress Nora Aunor when he named this year’s National Artists.

“We will come up with perhaps the manifestation of the support – if I still have the support – of our people, and concrete examples of this, perhaps wearing a yellow ribbon, among other things, just to demonstrate exactly in a quick manner where the sentiments of our people lie,” he said.

Soon after Aquino made the statement, millions of Filipinos started wearing red, white and blue ribbons (the colors of the Philippine flag) to let their leader know of their sentiments.

Another Aquino administration gimmick gone awry?

Health & Medicine, Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Politics, Technology, The Media

PHILIPPINES TO IMPORT 24K GOLD WHEELCHAIRS FOR ITS HIGH-PROFILE JAIL INMATES

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lady_gagas_gold_wheelchair_p12l7Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – First, it was designer jail cells, now it’s gold wheelchairs. The Philippine government can’t seem to settle down on how to treat its high-profile inmates, namely, ex-presidents, senators and wealthy business persons charged and detained for crimes ranging from plunder to graft & corruption.

There appears to be a consistent pattern in which famous inmates — from former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla, Jr. to  businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles — suddenly become ill upon their arrest, requiring them to be hospitalized and treated for their ailment. Arroyo is under hospital arrest for corruption and plunder while she was in office, while Enrile, Revilla and Napoles have all been named in the pork barrel scandal currently being prosecuted by the Philippine Ombudsman. Also arrested in the pork barrel scam was Gigi Reyes, Enrile’s former chief of staff.  Reyes immediately fell ill after her arrest and was transferred to a local hospital.

To cope with the increasing need for mobility among these famous inmates, the government of President NoyNoy Aquino has entered into an import agreement with a foreign manufacturer of wheelchairs.  Not just ordinary wheelchairs, but gold wheelchairs.

The 24-karat-gold wheelchairs were designed by Ken Borochov (see photo), the same artist who designed the gold wheelchair of Lady Gaga when the famous singer had a hip surgery earlier this year.  Borochov says that  1.5 ounces of gold were plated on each chair and that his idea was to make them look like thrones. Certainly fit for queens, divas and privileged politicians.

The wheelchairs will be paid for from left over pork barrel funds now in the custody of Malacanang, the presidential palace.