vonjobi: wow, congratulations! kelan ang trip? i hope i'll be around when you come. had a good time with diosa last...
Keith Bacongco: Knowing Nograles and his Big Boss...garapalan na lang talaga.
Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.

Latest Message 5 months ago

hopeless_race : Lets not just focus sa mga malversation of funds, sa mga overpricing..ating pagtuunan ng atensyon ang diskarte ng mga politiko na umuutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno."Small time" ang ibang pamamaraan ng pangungurakot kumpara sa pag-utang sa gobyerno ng bilyon na tunay ngang masasabing "pinaka big-time" at wala pang sabit.
hopeless_race : Mukhang tikom ang bibig ng lahat pagdating sa diskarte ng mga politiko sa pagutang ng mga bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno na tinatakbuhan. Itong pamamaraan na ito ang tunay na kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng ating national budget batay na din sa sinasabi ng world bank.
hopeless_race : Pakisilip naman po ang mga utang ni Villar sa BSP, ang mga utang nila RAMON JACINTO, RONNIE ZAMORA, JOE DE VENECIA at madami pang ibang mga pulitiko. Iilan lamang yan sa mga nababanggit sa balita na may mga malalaking utang sa gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Nagmimistulang "small time" lamang ang malversation of funds kumpara sa laki ng kinakamal ng mga umuutang sa gobyerno. At ito ay malinaw na natatakbuhan dahil hindi nga naman pwede makulong ang may-ari ng kumpanya sa pagkaka-utang lamang. Tunay na mga tuso at magagaling sa batas itong mga politiko natin. Masasabi ko na malamang lahat ng mga politiko ganito ang diskarte...wala pang kulong.
hopeless_race : PCIJ pkitingnan naman po ang mga gaya ni Villar na my malaking utang sa Gobyerno pero tinatakbuhan. Magtatayo ng kumpanya at uutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno ng walang balak bayaran. Tunay ngang walang nakukulong sa utang...ito ang prinsipyo ginagamit ng mga politiko ntin kaya nakakapagtaka kung san napupunta ang daang bilyong pera ng gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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Fil-Am community dismayed by ambassador’s ouster

Posted by: Alecks P. Pabico | June 24, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Filed under: Governance, In the News

THE Filipino-American community in Metro Washington, D.C. has written an open letter to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressing its dismay and disappointment over the recent unceremonious dismissal of Albert del Rosario, Philippine ambassador to the United States.

The group said Del Rosario’s untimely removal came as a shock as it happened at the height of the celebration of the Filipino-American Centennial. It also acknowledged del Rosario’s “highly visible role in projecting a positive image of Filipinos in America and in nurturing the historic friendship between the U.S. and the Philippines.”

Arroyo announced del Rosario’s termination last June 13, saying that he had “asked to be allowed to return home and resume his life in the private sector after five very fruitful and meaningful years as the Philippine ambassador to the United States.”

But in her June 16 column at the Malaya, Ellen Tordesillas confirmed from her Palace sources that del Rosario was indeed fired after a tantrum-throwing Arroyo asked for his resignation a few weeks ago. Arroyo, she said, did not even bother to notify del Rosario about his termination.

Tordesillas traced the reasons for del Rosario’s removal to his rejection of the hiring of Venable LLP as another lobby group for the Philippine government, aside from the ones Malacañang maintains, including Burson Marsteller.

Arroyo, she said, also blamed del Rosario for the American conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation’s scathing criticism of her and the April 5 New York Times editorial that said Arroyo is “reviving bad memories of crony corruption, presidential vote-rigging and intimidation of critical journalists.”

What further incensed Arroyo, she added, was when del Rosario refused to tender his resignation upon learning of the circumstances for which it was asked.

Arroyo’s actions, the Fil-Am community said, only serve to heighten cynicism and mistrust “at a time when we are being asked to give your leadership the benefit of the doubt.”

Below is the full text of the letter of the Fil-Am community of Metro Washington, D.C. to Arroyo (A more scathing version, with the names of the signatories, can be acessed from Tordesillas’s blog.):

An Open Letter to Her Excellency,
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
President of the Republic of the Philippines

June 21, 2006

Dear President Arroyo,

We are deeply saddened that Ambassador Albert del Rosario has been unceremoniously dismissed from his post as the official representative of the Philippine Government to the United States. The news of his untimely removal was particularly shocking to us, coming as it did at the height of our Filipino American Centennial Celebration. He has played a highly visible role in projecting a positive image of Filipinos in America and in nurturing the historic friendship between the U.S. and the Philippines.

But what is more dismaying is the unprincipled manner in which his exemplary service has been abruptly terminated. Common decency and respect require that a head of state treat her official representative with high professional standards befitting his stature. Ambassador del Rosario has certainly upheld those standards throughout his five years in Washington, D.C., even to the extent of defending your administration’s integrity in the face of withering criticism.

We are utterly disappointed that despite his loyalty and dedication you chose to treat him so shabbily. It’s simply beneath the dignity of your office, Madam President. How could you stoop so low as to not even give him the courtesy of a personal call informing him of your action. This is truly disheartening given the ambassador’s abiding faith in your administration’s mandate to represent the best interest of the Filipino people. Your actions fuel even more cynicism and mistrust at a time when we are being asked to give your leadership the benefit of the doubt.

Ambassador del Rosario has served his country in many extraordinary ways and we will always remember him with much affection and respect.

The Filipino American Community of Metro Washington, D.C.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 24th, 2006 and is filed under Governance, In the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 people have left comments

Aside from the media and militant killings and the desaperisidos, do we have a list of victims of summary dismissals andd forced resignations and those who resigned in protest but none the less suffer an aborted carreer?

Hyatt 10, Gudani, Balutan, de Leon, Gen Domingo(?), Gen D.Lim, Col Querubin, Bill Luz, Atty Luz Marcos (Omb), Dr. Grace Gorospe-Jamon, acting dean of the DAP’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (GSPDM),

Ambassador del Rosario is not the first, he won’t be the last. If GMA stays as much as she wants to, with much help from her allies and others in government service who tolerate her, there will be a long list of casualties — of wasted lives and wrecked carreers.

Juan Makabayan wrote on June 24, 2006 - 1:25 pm | Visit Link

Whatever the background of changing the RP’s ambassador to the US, I think 5 year stint as ambassador is too long! In the long history of public service, it is admitted that the Foreign Service of the Philippines is one of the best entities of government. However, there are numerous occassions that they are not effective instrument in portraying the image of the country, and at times even a disservice to the Filipino living in their hosts countries.

Take for example Singapore (and I hope PCIJ will investigate this). Our domestic helpers there only earns as a beginner around 350 to 400 Singaporean dollars. This is not much since they still have to spend for their personal needs. But anyway, this is not what this all about. Our poor kababayan, yes domestic helpers, the lowest among the “so called” heroes of our present times, are being short-changed by the Embassy staff in Singapore. Despite some of them are college graduates and knowledgeable enough to follow-up and fill up forms, they were told that they could not secure copies of their “contracts” and other documents unless they use “accredited agents”. How much they pay? A whooping amoung of at least 350 Singaporean dollars (or equal to a month’s wage of our poor DH). Either the Ambassador, or whoever are the next in ranks know this or would deny this is not the point, they are suppose to police their ranks and perhaps they are part of this inhuman scams. Most of our DH have at least high school diplomas and would easily understand what takes to fill up simple forms but still Embassy staff would still insist they use the so called “accredited agents” for their papers to be processed. The forms, as were described to me by a friend who is also a DH, were very simple. In short, the agents’ role is merely to hand the form to the Embassy staff for the to process and perhaps, you know what’s next.

How do we respect our foreign services staff in foreign land when they are the one who are squeezing the hard-earned money of our DH as in the example in Singapore. The complaint was verbally given to a noted Filipino community group but because as usual Filipino groups in foreign lands wanted to outsmart one another, they don’t want to bring bad news or disrepute to their hosts Embassy staff or ambassador eventhough their role is to protect the welfare of their “so called heroes or the DH”.

Why charge these so called heroes $350 for simple processing of their documents or contracts? Why force the DH to use the so called “accredited agents” when our DH are not that dumb people who could easily follow the filing of forms. For heaven’s sake, the acts of the Embassy staff in Singapore should be condemned in the highest order because this is not the type of service we want to give to our so called “heroes”. We are killing the “heroes” that lay the golden eggs. I wonder what is happening in Saudi Arabia, in other parts of the ME and coutnries where our DH work. They are not plain stupid people. They are our blood sisters and brothers who wanted to earn good and honest money and therefore it is ironic that our Embassy staff (with or without the knowledge of their Ambassadors) would try to squeeze them dry because of simple forms.

I waited for long to have a feedack and change at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore but the practice as I heard continues unabated.

I hope through this espose, the DFA will replace (I mean replace) who ever is the Ambassador there. They are hopeless public servant and I mean that.

aus_phil wrote on June 25, 2006 - 5:28 pm | Visit Link

[...] Filipinos in Washington have already expressed their sentiments about how they felt dismayed by the ambassador’s shabby treatment. PCIJ reports based on a column by Ellen Tordesillas that he was fired after a tantrum-throwing incident by the president: Tordesillas traced the reasons for del Rosario’s removal to his rejection of the hiring of Venable LLP as another lobby group for the Philippine government, aside from the ones Malacañang maintains, including Burson Marsteller. Arroyo, she said, also blamed del Rosario for the American conservative think-tank Heritage Foundation’s scathing criticism of her and the April 5 New York Times editorial that said Arroyo is “reviving bad memories of crony corruption, presidential vote-rigging and intimidation of critical journalists.” [...]

Coffee With Amee » Blog Archive » Gaa to sub for del Rosario (in the meantime) wrote on July 9, 2006 - 4:40 pm | Visit Link