Tag Archives: Philippine Senate

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MERYL STREEP TO PLAY LEILA DE LIMA IN NEW HOLLYWOOD FILM, ‘THE DE LIMA LIST’

May 12, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Hollywood, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Hollywood Productions announced today that it has begun filming its latest blockbuster movie, ‘The De Lima List,’ based on the true story of Philippine Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima, considered the country’s ‘Iron Lady.’

De Lima is known to be holding a signed affidavit from suspected pork barrel scandal mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, containing a list of Philippine senators and other high-ranking politicians who have participated in the ten billion-peso scheme to divert taxpayer money to ghost projects and unsuspecting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Allegedly, the funds eventually went into the pockets of the politicians. To this day, de Lima has refused to make the list public and many suspect that more than half of the sitting senators are on that list.

The Hollywood film is directed by Steven Spielberg, the same Academy Award winning director responsible for the 1993 film ‘The Schindler’s List.’ Multi Oscar Award winner Meryl Streep, best known for her role as Margaret Thatcher in ‘Iron Lady,’ will play de Lima.

Streep, Spielberg and the production crew arrived in Manila Sunday.

International, Law Enforcement, Politics, The Media, Travel

FEISTY PHILIPPINE SENATOR CALLS OBAMA AND AQUINO ‘MODERN-DAY PONTIUS PILATES’

April 28, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the feisty chair of the senate foreign relations committee, slammed the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and called Presidents Barack Obama and Noynoy Aquino the modern-day ‘Pontius Pilates.’

EDCA provides for increased U.S. military presence in the Philippines. The 10-year agreement was signed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg. The senator asked: “Obama was coming to the Philippines anyway, so why was the agreement not signed by him and Aquino? I suspect both presidents wanted to wash their hands over this controversial agreement so that if things take a turn for the worse, neither of them would be held responsible.”

Defensor-Santiago also protested the fact that the Senate wasn’t given the courtesy of being furnished a copy of the draft agreement, as would be proper in a democratic government with three branches.

“Pontius Pilate washed his hands because he wanted no part in crucifying Jesus Christ. Well, I think the Filipino people should crucify Aquino and Obama,” Defensor-Santiago said.

Aquino’s presidential press office, reacting to Defensor-Santiago’s tirade, said, “it’s sour grapes on her part; she’s mad because she was not given a seat next to Obama during the state dinner honoring the American president. She wanted the opportunity to take a ‘selfie’ with Obama.”

The senator countered: “Had I known that they were going to serve lapu-lapu (grouper) at the state dinner, I would have politely declined the invitation. I hate fish!”

And so it looks like the battle moves on to the third branch of government, all the way to the Supreme Court.

Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Politics, Science and Environment, The Media

CROCODILE, PIG ARE FILIPINOS’ TOP CHOICES TO REPLACE THEIR NATIONAL SYMBOL

March 13, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Buwaya (crocodile), left; pig a.k.a. pork barrel

Manila, Philippines – Last month, The Adobo Chronicles reported that Philippine Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III proposed to replace the country’s national symbol from the Philippine Eagle to the Tiger, consistent with economic forecasts that the Philippines is now considered the new “Asian Tiger.” Well, it turned out that Sotto’s proposal received lukewarm reception among his colleagues in the Senate as well as from the Filipino people.

Consequently, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chair of the Senate’s Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes asked the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to send out a survey to all registered voters in the Philippines to find out what their preference is for the country’s new national symbol. Santiago said that she wanted input from the Filipinos on the most appropriate symbol that would represent the country and its system of government.

The Philippine Eagle, left, and the tiger

Here are the results of the survey, with 98% of registered voters accounted for:

1. Pig – 48%

2. Crocodile – 46%

3. Tiger – 3%

4. Philippine Eagle – 2%

5. Mermaid – 1%

Dyesebel (mermaid) Photo credit: markednicdao — Dyesebel (mermaid)
Photo credit: markednicdao

In reporting the survey results, the COMELEC noted that Filipinos who suggested the pig were convinced that it best represents the pork barrel scam that has rocked the country and the political system in recent years. The crocodile, according to its proponents, represents the greed that seems to be a consistent characteristic of most politicians and government officials. As far as the mermaid is concerned, the COMELEC said Filipinos thought it best represents the marine and fisheries industry that is the prime source of livelihood for majority of the population. Observers, however, think that the choice of the mermaid was prompted by a new television series on the mythical creature that is about to make its debut in the Philippines. The TV series is titled “Dyesebel.”