Sunday, May 31, 2009

Momoy Palaboy!

Just discovered the joys of Momoy Palaboy

VICTORINA: Looking forward to the 2010 elections?

This is just a short reaction to VICTORINA: Looking forward to the 2010 elections?

As far as Presidential candidates are concerned, I think the range of our choices are narrowing as May 2010 comes closer.

Villar

Will Senator Manny Villar's Presidential candidacy survive the onslaught of the Senate investigation into the C-5 double insertion controversy?

It might seem that there is a stalemate, or at least that is what Villar's camp is hoping it will appear. The countless airings of his staged interview with Boy Abunda may actually be doing some good for Villar, if it is at all possible to win the perception battle. Then again, knowing how political kingmakers and local political kingpins really think, there is a chance that they'll toe the line in front of Villar but secretly start establishing connections with other viable Presidential candidates.

While most poltical kingmakers and local political kingpins all agree that corruption is something that is usual for most politicians, they normally shy away from supporting those who are charged openly with corruption. I don't know if there are true loyalists in the ranks of Villar's camp and if there are, I don't know if they are all from Las Pinas or Cavite or Pateros.


Roxas

Mar Roxas tried to make a joke about the merger of Lakas and Kampi. He borrowed the joke that is going around that the merged party is actually named PArtido LAKas KAmpi and taking the first syllables together, it would spell PALAKA or frog. Asked about what he thought of the merger, Mar let out a croak and said 'Kokak'.

But his own party, the Liberal Party is still split into two factions. The Drilon wing and the Atienza wing. So far, Mar's party is the only one with wings and this is quite apt for the Capiznon candidate who also jokes about being able to fly anywhere in the country being an Aswang -- a mythical vampiric creature for which Capiz is widely known for.

Mar is still lagging behind the leaders in most Presidential surveys and it is said that he might be deciding by July if he'll really make a run for President or not. Having a background as a banker, he prefers to have the numbers behind him on any decision he makes.

Escudero

Better Philippines has already explored the idea of a Chiz Escudero Presidency and has so far found his first OUTing at the ANC Leadership Forum to be devoid of substance. He pandered to the mostly collegiala crowd, revising his usual Anti-GMA rants and amplifying his cuteness with witty quips that you'd normally find as responses to Facebook surveys.

One thing that jarred me about his interview during the ANC Leadership Forum was that he admitted to having raked in over P490 Million in pork barrel allocations for his district within a span of 7 years. He said that the funds went to building roads in his district (a patently corruption ridden type of project) and street lighting projects. Just after saying that, he quickly pointed out that all of the projects passed muster with the Commission on Audit -- which is supposed to be the first line of defense against corruption in government. Chances are, Escudero may turn out to be just as corrupt as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is reputed to be.

He leads in surveys and that's a good thing. So did Erap, until he got elected -- it was all downhill from that point.

De Castro

Hmmm... So far, he is the current favorite. Even if he become's the Administration's Presidential bet (which some say will be a kiss of death), I think he'll make for a pretty good juggernaut. But then again, he'll be another Erap and he'll be worse.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the Lopezes get full rein over the country?

Others

Who are they?

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Senator Richard Gordon, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, Olongapo City Councilor JC Delos Reyes...

What about them?

Gordon is a well seasoned politician and a well accomplished leader, but it seems not enough people are taking his candidacy seriously.

Teodoro is just like Chiz Escudero, although he has more substance but he can still bide his time. He shouldn't risk losing a Presidential race or Vice Presidential race.

Panlilio. Hmmm... A priest President is a novel idea but that's it.

JC De Los Reyes, official presidential candidate of Ang Kapatiran Party, is an intriguing choice but may just end up like Panlilio.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Who is Hayden Kho's drug dealer?

I thought Patricio Mangubat's New Philippine Revolution had the bead on this one but, apparently, he has fallen short of naming the drug dealer.

After scouring references to the drug dealer, I stumbled on one entry asking "Who is Mikey Ablan?"

Read it and make up your mind about it.

Hayden Kho's drug dealer FOUND!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Katrina Halili's opening statement during today's senate hearing

(Care of Badette Tamayo)

"Artista po ako. Trabaho ko ang maghatid ng tuwa. Pantasya ng telebisyon at pelikula. Pero tulad ng iba may pribado ring buhay din ako gaya ng lahat. Sa pagkakataong ito. dangal ko at dangal ng pamilya ang pinag uusapan dito. Minahal ko si Hayden. bata ako kaya madaling nalagyan ng piring ang aking mga mata para isisping ako lang ang nagmamay ari ng puso niya. pero gaya ng lahat ng relasyong nagsimula sa kasinunagalingan wala itong pinatunguhan. 

Wala akong malay na ang bawat yakap at halik ay scripted. Buong-buo kong binigay yung puso at ang kaluluwa ko sa isang lalaking gumagawa pala ng sariling pelikula. Ang tanga ko. Imbes na doktor, direktor pala. Inaamin ko ang pagkakamali ko. Ang pagkakamali ko ay minahal ko siya. At naniwala ako na minahal nya rin ako ng lubusan.

Ako raw ang prinsesa niya sa ikalawa niyang mundo. Bata po ako madali niya ako napaniwala. Ako ang biktima rito. Araw-araw biktima ako habang pinapanood ang nasabing video. Hangad ko po ang hustisya at hukuman kahit alam kong habang buhay ko nang dadalhin ang ginawa sa akin.

Patay na ako pero may video pa rin at may Internet. Dalawa lang kasong sinampa ko sa pambababoy na ginawa sa akin sa pagkatao ko. Gusto ko siyang matanggalan ng lisensiya bilang doktor. Wala siyang karapatan maging doktor. Gusto ko rin siyang makulong at pagdusahan niya ang ginawa niya sa akin. 

Pero ano pong iginanti nila. Kasama ni Hayden ang kanyang ina. Sari-saring paninira ang binato nila sa akin at sa mga taong tumutulong sa akin. Inabuso na ako at binaboy ako pa ang may sala. Inabuso na nga ako sa sex video. Inaabuso pa rin ako sa sex video, inaabuso pa ako muli sa publiko. 

And issue dito ay pang-aabuso sa kababaihan. Ang pambababoy sa akin at sa iba pang biktima ni Hayden. Sa kultura po natin habang buhay na latay sa pagkatao ko ang ginawa sa akin. May ina din po ako na nasasaktan. Araw-araw na nagdurusa. May anak o kapatid din po kayo na babae. Ayaw din nyo mangyari sa kanila ang sinapit ko. 

Sana ipagpatuloy ng Senado at madaliin ang pagsusulong ng mga batas na may layuning itaguyod ang karapatan at proteksyon para sa aming kababaihan dahil iba na ang ginagamit na panggagahasa at pambababoy sa karapatan ng kababaihan. Sa Intenet, sa blogs, DVDs at iba pa. 

Nabiktima ako. Isa ako sa maraming babaeng naloko at niloko ni Hayden Kho. Pero may hangganan ang katangahan. At sa araw na ito buong loob na humaharap sa inyo na puno ng respeto sa sarili. Ilalaban ko ang aking karapatan ng mabuhay ng marangal, ng walang takot at malayo sa karanasang inabot ko dahil sa sex video. 

Sana po sa publiko itigil na po natin ang pagtangkilik sa mga sex videos at malalaswang panoorin. Kung walang tumatangkilik wala rin din pong gagawa ng mga sex video. Sana po ang pangalang Katrina Halili na lang ang huling sa mga sex videos. Sana po wala ng susunod pa. Salamat po.

Senators Jamby, Jinggoy, and Bong bring in the Hayden-Katrina circus

It was a circus.


First, former Pagsanjan Mayor and ex-policeman Abner Afuang poured water on Dr. Hayden Kho. Senator Jamby Madrigal asked 'Seargent'
Balajadia to arrest him.

Upon his arrest, Afuang was asked why he poured water on Kho and Afuang replied that he was a former policeman who also had a daughter.

What?!


The whole hearing was supposedly held in aid of legislation, but some questions tended to confound me.

Senator Jamby

-- Saan mo tinago ang camera? (Hayden Kho answered: Hindi ko po tinago. Nasa tabi ng TV. We were both high on drugs.)

-- Bakit ayaw mong makipag closed door session nang tayong dalawa lang -- esteh, kasama pala natin ang ibang senators... (She really didn't say that, but then again, wouldn't that have been more interesting?)

-- -- --

Senator Estrada

-- Ano ang ibig sabihin ng jologs?

-- Anong
feeling mo nung naka-drugs ka? Apparently hindi umepekto sa iyo ang drugs kasi nakapag-perform ka.

-- Kho: ecstasy affects behaviour po.
Jinggoy: so pano ka nagbehave?

-- Sa totoo lang, di ko pa napapanood. (In reference to whether he has seen the Hayden-Katrina sex tapes.)
-- -- --

Senator Bong

-- Ano ang nararamdaman mo na kaharap mo ngayon si Katrina? Ang babaeng pinagsamantalahan mo at
binaboy ang pagkatao? Hah! Magsalita ka!!! (Oh well, not exactly like that but you have to admit, it would have sounded better.)

-- Kayo pa ba ni Doctora Vicky Belo?

-- Paano mo in-upload ang video sa laptop?
Other quotable quotes could be:
Hayden Kho
-- Sometimes the lure of sex is even stronger.
-- Katrina influenced me to take Ecstacy.
Katrina Halili
-- It is not true I gave him drugs. Matagal na nya akong crush. Meron daw syang jologs notebook ko.
-- Pinaikot-ikot niya ako. (Whether she was referring to their sex acts or not, I am not too sure.)
-- may doctor-patient relationship po kami.
-- Mayroon na pala siyang ginagawang pelikula. Imbes na duktor, dapat director siya.

Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili face off at senate hearing

Drugs could be behind all the Hayden Kho sex videos, says Senator Jamby Madrigal.

This is apparently the story that is developing after Dr. Hayden Kho showed up at the Senate for its investigation into the sex videos featuring himself and several women.

Prior to the hearing, Hayden was literally doused with cold water by former Pagsangjan Mayor Abner Afuang. Jamby asked for him to be arrested.

Anyway, I managed to catch the beginning of Katrina Halili's opening statement. As could be expected, she laid the emotional drama heavy.

She painted herself as a victim of love betrayed. She said that she thought Hayden had loved her and believed him when he said that she was his princess in his second life.

The lines couldn't have been better scripted.

In Senator Jingoy Estrada's interview with Hayden Kho, the doctor said that Katrina had taught him to use drugs -- ecstacy.

Katrina, for her part, denied this and said she had never taken drugs in her entire life.

Jamby asked Hayden said that a big time and powerful drug syndicate could have also possibly supplied him drugs and also caused the distribution of his sex tapes.

Senator Bong Revilla stepped in to ask Hayden how he feels that now he is facing Katrina Halili.

Also asked Hayden if he believes he should be punished and Hayden said he should be. There is an attempt to look remorseful.

For some reason, I was expecting he'd say: Naninigas po. Ang dami kasing camera!

Most of the hearing sounded like a radio drama.

Hayden has so far refused to divulge those whom he suspects of having stolen the videos he recorded and distributed it. He repeated several times that he could not name his drug dealer and that his life was under threat.

Even when Jamby asked for him to reveal the name of the drug dealer in a closed door session, Hayden. Just what this had to do with making laws against cyber sex crimes is beyond me.

Revilla asked questions which did not have anything to do with the making of laws. Like when he asked if Hayden and Vicky Belo were still together.

What the...?!

Sen. Manny Villar's new radio ad: where's truth in advertising?

It may be a historical first as Senator Manny Villar has now taken to advertising his defense against the corruption charges leveled against him in the senate's ethics committee.

I heard part of the ad this morning and it is basically a reiteration of the statements he has already made in so many press conferences.

This is indicative of how he sees the ethics complaint filed against him, it is a PR and advertising problem.  And I would surmise that his PR team had calculated and estimated the amount of negative publicity that will be generated by the ethics complaint against him, then proposed to spend equal or more than the equal amount to counteract the negative publicity.

Villar's money is spreading and being pumped into what must a huge damage control team.  I don't think I have to explain how PR damage control teams work in the Philippines and it doesn't require the sophistication that one would imagine PR firms in the US have.

Villar's view of the C-5 double budget insertion scandal is so far removed from the concepts of integrity and principle so sorely lacking in Philippine political affairs.

Instead of facing the issues against himself squarely in a forum created just for him by his peers in the senate, he has sought to find a forum in the Supreme Court and yes, in the media.

The only thing he really has to answer is did he or did he not receive money from the building of the C-5 highway extension?

But then again, he really doesn't have to answer that because evidence has already been presented that shows that his companies received hundreds of millions if not billions from the construction of the C-5 extension.

He should face the ethics hearing and if it renders an unfavorable decision, he should take that decision to court.  

However, pre-empting the body even before it can formally hold a hearing on his case, smacks of defying the institution he belongs to.

Ang Kapatiran to field JC de los Reyes as Presidential Candidate

Today comes with the merger of Lakas and Kampi, but in the periphery there is talk that key members of both parties might bolt from the merging parties.

Tarlac Rep. Monica “Nikki” Prieto-Teodoro said that if her husband Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro is not declared the standard-bearer for the 2010 presidential election  by the administration coalition,  certain members of the soon-to-be-merged Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), civil society and big business would support his independent run for the presidency.

Beneath this is all the talk of power and money that seems to be the pre-condition to considering winnability.  There is, again, a lack of discussion of the merits of the Presidential candidacy being
 propped up.

Whether the standard bearer for Lakas and Kampi is Gibo or Noli de Castro, the resulting discussion will still be about the power and money that will back the Presidential bid.

What people perhaps should hear is what good will such a Presidency give?

Some would answer that once you hold the reins of power, all manner of good things can be given out and it wouldn't matter who that person is as long as you're in cahoots with them.

This is the typical answer that, while reflecting the truth about Philippine politics, is also a truth I will try to subvert and overthrow -- no matter how puny my attempts may look.

In sharp contrast, the Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) has boldly announced that it will field a lesser known candidate sans big time political hoopla and fanfare.

I received a text message a couple days ago from AKP's Eric Manalang that his group will throw its support behind Olongapo City Councilor John Carlos "JC" de los Reyes as its presidential candidate for 2010.  

I've already told Eric about who I think ought to be supported as President in 2010, but I am giving him and AKP some space in my blog because I still think that their group has a lot to say about selecting candidates based on merits -- in terms of vision for the country, experience, and track record.

As far as Presidential candidates are concerned, I'd rather discuss what they intend to do for the country and scrutinize their ability to deliver on what they say they'll do. 

Here's an excerpt of the article announcing AKP's Presidential candidate:

JC, who will turn 40 on February 14 next year, was unanimously selected by the Party’s national electoral committee from among 37 names/personalities nominated by both Party members and the general public.

JC delos Reyes has a degree in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, USA, a master’s degree in Public Administration from the
 University of the Philippines, and a Law degree from St. Louis University in Baguio City. He obtained his primary and secondary education from the Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle – Zobel, respectively. He is married to Dunia Valenzuela. They have three children.

He is lead animator of Solidarity Philippines , a movement that pro-actively advances the social justice agenda of the Church. He is also executive director of Breaking the Yoke of Poverty Foundation, which oversees the Jubilee Homes for the Poor, a housing project for 60 families in Olongapo City.

As human rights advocate, he has raised issues on extrajudicial killings. He has openly criticized Hanjin in Subic over worker’s rights violations, urging government to prioritize the dignity of the Filipino worker.

He has opposed the reproductive health code, saying it is a dictated and imperialist law that muddles women’s rights. He is also against the establishment of Ocean 9 Casino in Subic and the commissioning of the Bataan Nuclear Plant.

He has been an organizer of Kapatiran sa Pangkalahatang Kabutihan (KPK) as early as 1998 and worked for the Comelec accreditation of AKP in 2004. He was the lone winner of AKP in 2007 when the Party fielded 30 candidates for national and local positions.

AKP is confident that principle- and platform-based politics, personified by JC de los Reyes, will destroy the paradigm of big-money and popularity politics. The nation, with the youth at the forefront, will experience a new and promising beginning - asserting the Party’s call for prophetic politics of personal and social transformation.

The open nomination system will also be adopted for the Party’s subsequent search for candidates for vice president, senators, and other local elective positions, details of which will be announced soon.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Dumb ass trades shorts for bikini bottoms

Dork trades his board shorts for bikini bottoms.

A new way for Philippine senators to settle differences

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Aquilino Pimentel ought to settle their differences this way.

Watch the video.


Second Hayden Kho-Maricar Reyes video

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Noli de Castro for President, Ronnie Puno for Vice

As things are shaping up, it looks like the emerging Lakas-Kampi super party might field DILG Secretary Ronaldo "Ronnie" Puno as its Vice Presidential candidate and current Vice President Noli De Castro as its Presidential candidate.

Following the route of incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,would be a great tact for Puno if he's aiming to succeed Noli WHEN his Presidency flails and his term gets cut short.  Puno would then take over the Presidency and, still following President Gloria's steps, rule the country for about 10 years.


Then again, just think about it and you'll see that there is a real possibility that Vice President Noli De Castro may just win.

But what has Vice President Noli really shown the people in terms of real leadership?

Appearing on television in the Pag-IBIG TV commercials (bought and paid for by the members of Pag-IBIG Fund, most of whom still do not have their own homes) is one thing, but leading a country is a whole other thing.

And would we really want to have the fair haired boy of the Lopezes to have full control over the highest office in the land?

Think about it.  It's not Noli Boy who will hold reign over the power of Malacanang, it will be the Lopezes.

They already own Meralco which supplies electricity and Maynilad which supplies water.  Just try to imagine what they'll own next.

Your mind?  You may not be aware of it, but they already do.  Wowowee, endless melodramas, and  showbiz talk showsl have all but completely addled the already atrophied intellect of the masses that partonize their TV shows.

I wonder if we really have a choice in the 2010 elections.  I wonder if what the Merovingian in Matrix says is true: Choice is an illusion created between those with power and those without.




Comelec to test Smartmatic-TIM machines, automated election naysayers dared to witness

A couple of noisy groups, one from the University of the Philippines, has been trying to raise issues against the automation of the 2010 elections.  

They have gained adherents among bloggers and among them was Tonyo Cruz.

One point they've raised is the possibility that automated elections could lead to automated cheating.  Without proof of concept and without showing that any automated election system could be hacked, the group has insisted on its position to bar automated election until they have scrutinized the automated election system to be implemented.

They have asked for the public distribution and scrutiny of the source code of the automated election machines that will be used.  They have also come out saying that the ballots (machine readable as it is) be manually counted at the precincts and that the canvassing be the only part of the election process to be automated.  At least one former Comelec Commissioner, not known to have conducted elections free of fraud, has even espoused the use of the same manual counting process and the use of indelible ink in lieu of the biometric system.

At every momentous turn of our nation's history, we have often found naysayers who raise every bogey imaginable in an effort to keep us from discovering what lies ahead just beyond the horizon.  And yet, when dared to look and discover for themselves, they become scarce and make up all manner of reasons why they shouldn't even look.

Some of these people even claim expertise in a field of science that demands rigorous examination and yet they become squeamish at the sight of the possibility of their favored hypothesis being proven wrong.

The Philippine's Commission on Election has just declared Smartmatic and Total Information Management Corporation as having the single complying bid for the contract to automate the 2010 polls.

The next step will be to test their automated election system to make sure that it complies with the requirements for accuracy and security demanded by the Amended Automated Election Law or RA 9369 which was authored by Senator Richard Gordon.

We are closer to doing away with Hello Garci and this perhaps, if anything, should salve the wounds left by the controversy as we have a very real possibility to doing away with wholesale election fraud that happens every three years.

The challenge for these groups who are against poll automation is to witness the Comelec's testing of the automated election machines that will be used in the 2010 polls and then raise their objections if the machines do not comply with the requirements set forth in RA 9369.

Here is an excerpt of the Philippine Daily Inquirer report:


MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections’ bidding committee Tuesday announced that the consortium of Smartmatic International and Total Information Management Corp. (Smartmatic-TIM) had “the single complying bid” for the contract to automate the 2010 polls.

This paves the way for a demonstration of the company’s election machines on Wednesday.

At the same time, the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) stressed that the announcement was made without prejudice to the consortium of AMA Group Holdings and Elections Systems and Software International (AMA-ES&S), which is expected to file a motion for reconsideration of its bid.

“Wherefore without prejudice to the motion that AMA-ES&S will file, the SBAC now declares Smartmatic-TIM the bidder that submitted the single complying calculated bid,” the four-page resolution said.

“We therefore order that Smartmatic-TIM undergo post-qualification proceedings immediately and that its machines be forthwith tested to determine compliance with the criteria set for one worthy of this historic leap in Philippine elections,” the SBAC said.

SBAC chair Ferdinand Rafanan said declaring the firms with the complying bids would hasten the bidding process that has been delayed by two weeks.

Smartmatic-TIM, which submitted a bid of P7.2 billion, was the only bidder out of seven that hurdled the eligibility, technical, and financial screenings.

The bid of AMA-ES&S was reconsidered last weekend when the SBAC ruled that documents it filed in lieu of a certificate of acceptance from its United States client would be acceptable. The company was given up to Thursday to complete its documentation and file an appeal.

Junked with finality

The SBAC, however, junked with finality the appeals of the consortia led by Sequoia Voting Systems and Gilat Satellite Network to reconsider their bids.

According to SBAC, Sequoia failed to produce an import permit while Gilat’s technical bid lacked material on ballot security, among others.

“No further motions or requests or clarifications shall be entertained,” the bidding team said.

The SBAC said it would proceed with the testing of Smartmatic-TIM’s voting and counting machines.

Rafanan said information technology and software experts from the Comelec, Department of Science and Technology, and other agencies would check the machines against 26 criteria, including its accuracy, power capacity, and security features.

Meanwhile, various groups continued to air doubts and criticism of the counting technology chosen by the Comelec.

At a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), a software expert from the Ateneo de Manila University said it was not impossible for the voting and counting machines to be “corrupted by malicious software or a virus.”

Retired computer science professor Pablo Manalastas raised fears that “a goon from a party” could insert a flash disk into the Comelec’s Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) system and “replace the running program.”

He urged the poll body to check the program a day before election day. He said this was a vital step that takes only “a few seconds.”

CenPEG, a policy think-tank based in the University of the Philippines, issued a statement saying the Comelec’s chosen technology “does not fully comply with the principle of secret voting and public counting.” It said the system lacked transparency and deprived voters their right to observe and check the counting.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

MMDA signs of frustration



If this sign is not a hoax, the Metro Manila Development Authority under chairman Bayani Fernando has obviously taken to using cuss words as a way to make itself more understandable to the unruly masses it wants to discipline.

The sign literally says, "Hey you SOB! Just try crossing this street!"

It would appear that stern warnings of "BAWAL TUMAWID. NAKAKAMATAY." (Crossing prohibited. Fatal.) on large metal signs installed on high metal railings have failed to keep people from crossing streets.  In response to this, Chairman Fernando must have authorized the use of such signs to shock people into following traffic laws.

What else can we expect from Chairman Fernando?

Because after forcibly and violently demolishing squatter colonies and the shops of sidewalk vendors as well as building U-turns almost every major street in Metro Manila, we have already have a sign of how Fernando will choose to inflict his brand of leadership.

If given a chance, it will be a short lived one. Filipinos can tolerate corruption, but never cruelty.

Hayden Kho's Mom speaks out against Lolit Solis and Sen. Bong Revilla

Hayden Kho's mother came out on TV Patrol last night to in an interview where she accused Katrina Halili, Lolit Solis, and Senator Bong Revilla of orchestrating what amounts to a 'demolition job' against her child.





Kho's mother used the word 'scripted' several times in alleging that Revilla had contacted Solis in order for Halili to come out on television and accuse Kho of secretly taking video of them having sex.


Granted that Hayden's mother appeared to be quite ridiculous and dazed as she kept on repeating that she didn't want to say anything but kept on talking, it would be quite interesting to find out to what level had the 'scripting' had been done.

There is, of course, the idea or rumors that Katrina had indeed known that Hayden was taking video of their sex act. Coming out on television admitting that she had known video footage was being taken wouldn't be nearly as explosive as her saying that she didn't know she was being video taped. If she came out saying that she didn't know she was being video taped, the claim that she had been victimized by Hayden would be more titillating -- and that, perhaps is the key word here.


In any case, this morning I just heard Senator Bong Revilla denying that the Hayden Kho sex tapes had been revealed on the senate floor as a way for him to get publicity. Revilla was elected in 2004 as one of the senatorial candidates of then also running President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. His term is ending in 2010 and some say that he orchestrated this media blitz to boost his popularity as the elections draw near.

On Thursday, the senate will be taking up the Hayden-Katrina sex video scandal in a hearing and definitely, he will be figuring in it. He'll share the limelight with Senators Jamby Madrigal and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, of course. Revilla, this morning said that that hearing on Hayden Kho wouldn't be an investigation in aid of RE-ELECTION.

What is funny, it seems, is the proliferation of press releases that one senator or another has an Anti-Pornography law. Really?! And they had to wait for this controversy to make this known?!

I still remember the day when he stole the world's attention during the Manila Hostage taking crisis where Jun Ducat held several school children hostage in a bus. Revilla strode into the scene, being the godfather or some kind of relation to Ducat, and made pleas with him to release the children.

Here's an excerpt about the Manila hostage taking incident in March 2007.

The socalled hostage crisis started at about 8 am, afterwhich, he was surrounded by the Philippine SWAT and police teams. He however called the media to ask for coverage and demanded that a Philippine Senator, Bong Revilla be the hostage negotiator.

Revilla, who is running for re-election acceded to Ducat's request and made sure that the kids were alright.The senator admitted that he knew the hostage-taker and said, "I think he really cares about the kids, I know him but I am a little weary because he's holding a grenade and a gun and he could get nervy."

Revilla also told the police authorities that Ducat wanted to "address the people" and demanded that he be given airtime on the radios and TV. He was granted that request and spoke about so-called government corruption and his demand for better education for the children he kidnapped and took as hostage.


He failed to talk sense to Ducat apparently and handed the negotiations over to then administration Senatorial Candidate Chavit Singson.

Oddly, enough, Singson was able to persuade Ducat to surrender peacefully. But then, merely hours after the whole drama transpired, some newspapers came out with articles saying that the whole hostage had been a set up.

An aide of Jun Ducat, Cesar Carbonell, has a relation (an uncle, I think) who had been spotted several times at the Chavit Singson for Senator Headquarters at the Partas Bus terminal in Cubao.



If Hayden's mom is telling the truth in saying that the whole Hayden-Katrina expose is a set up for publicity, I think this fits into my theory that the whole thing was sprung on the public to distract people from the C-5 Double Insertion ethics complaint agains Senator Manny Villar.


Depending on how long the interest in the Hayden Kho sex video scandals will last, it will definitely muddle the focus on issues being deliberated upon in the Philippine Senate.

Yesterday, and I think hardly anyone noticed it again, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Aquilino Pimentel engaged in a bitter word war over the rules governing the proceedings against Senator Manny Villar in connection with the C-5 double insertion controversy.

Enrile called Pimentel a hypocrite and rebutted insinuations that he had been despotic about the proceedings against Villar. Pimentel shot back and said that the height of hypocrisy was Enrile's orchestration of an attack on himself to justify Marcos' declaration of Martial Law.

What is significant about the verbal wrangling was that Enrile was said to have resigned as Chairman of the senate Committee of the whole that will preside over the hearing of the ethics complaint against Senator Manny Villar.

This may eventually lead to someone taking over the post who may favor Villar and thence, steer the hearing to a conclusion favoring Villar.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Katrina Halili got swined but it's not the second case of H1N1 Virus in the Philippines: Symptoms, prevention, cure

There's a joke going around that Katrina Halili got swined or in Filipino, "nababoy".  But it definitely isn't second case of A(H1N1) virus detected in the Philippines.

Media organizations are making a big fuss over the second case of the swine flu or A(H1N1) virus being detected.  And I am wondering why?

This report from gmanews.tv says a bit about it:

The Department of Health (DOH) announced this a day after a 30-year-old Taiwanese woman and her five-year-old daughter who traveled in the Philippines for five days have tested positive for H1N1 virus in Taiwan.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the second index case of A(H1N1) is a 50-year-old Filipina who arrived in the country from Chicago in the United States last May 20.


I understand that untreated, having A(H1N1) could be fatal. But then again, the viral infection can be detection and treated with Tamiflu. Moreover, with simple but proper hygiene, the spread of the disease can be prevented.

I'd think TV news reports, particularly those of ABS-CBN and GMA should be wary of the way they present reports about the virus. The typical staccato pitch gives the report an alarmist tone that one would equate with someone screaming help in the middle of a street as a house is burning down.

Just to put things into perspective, last year there was a massive outbreak of typhoid fever in Laguna and some islands of the Southern Tagalog region. GMA7 and ABS-CBN didn't make a lot of noise about it.

I'd be tempted to say that maybe it's because it didn't project a connection with a global event and both Philippine TV stations are branding themselves as regional/international TV networks.

If you want more information about the A(H1N1) virus, I suggest you go to the CDC website or you can click here for the relevant page.

And in case you guys are too busy to actually follow the link to the CDC website, here are a couple of excerpts from the CDC web page on A(H1N1) virus:

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in people?

The symptoms of this new H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

How does this new H1N1 virus spread? 

Spread of this H1N1 virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

There is no vaccine available right now to protect against this new H1N1 virus. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Other important actions that you can take are:

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items might could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing

Bluish or gray skin color

Not drinking enough fluids

Severe or persistent vomiting

Not waking up or not interacting

Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

Sudden dizziness

Confusion

Severe or persistent vomiting

Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Are there medicines to treat infection with this new virus?

Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with the new H1N1 flu virus. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. During the current outbreak, the priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during is to treat severe influenza illness.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Hayden Kho and Maricar Reyes

In this video, Katrina Halili dances with glowing balls.




If you are looking for Maricar Reyes, look here.

New Hayden Kho sex video!

I was scouring the internet for the rest of Hayden Kho's sex videos and there is said to be about forty of them.

Just this morning, I finally found one more apart from the ones featuring Katrina Halili, the Brazilian Girl, and Maricar Reyes.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Hayden Kho's sex video with Vicky Belo and 40 other videos

A friend described Dr. Hayden Kho as the little prick who made it big on the internet and the sidewalks of Quiapo by taking hidden videos of himself having sex with several women.

The banner story of the Philippine Daily Inquirer carries the subtitle "Doc has 40 sex videos, Revilla says" and this announcement from a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines is definitely enough to drive up the demand for more videos of Dr. Hayden Kho.

There are even juicy bits that Dr. Kho even has hidden cam sex videos of himself and Dr. Vicky Belo.

There is even a juicier bit that Senator Revilla exposed the spread of the Hayden-Katrina tapes so that he could protect a rumored girlfiend who also has a sex video with Hayden.

This makes me think that the whole hoopla is not really about bringing people to justice for an alleged violation of Philippine laws or a test case to expose the loopholes in Philippine laws that have to do with the proliferation of pornography on the internet.

Senator Bong Revilla's privilege speech started with a diatribe against Alec Baldwin who he said flung a slur against Filipinos for saying that he'd get a Filipina mail order bride so that he could have more children. Then, at some point, he began talking about the Katrina Halili-Hayden Kho video.

Then, after which, came a succession of interviews with Revilla on AM radio.

The next day, Katrina Halili was seen at the Senate with Senator Revilla. All media was there to cover Halili's walk from the elevator to Senator Revilla's office.

Of course I was there to document, not Halili, but the media frenzy surrounding it.

What I'd like to point out here is not that media chooses hype up the Hayden-Katrina video, but the impact of the actions taken by the Senator and the media.

I don't believe that the media plays a passive role all the time in the creation of news stories. Some stories actually become top stories because of the mere attention given to it by top rating news media.

I can imagine reporters asking Senator Revilla these questions:

Reporter: Senator, are there more videos of Hayden Kho?

Revilla: (after some thinking) Yes, I've heard there may be more.

Reporter: Will Katrina Halili come to the senate?

Revilla: (after some thinking) Perhaps she will, I have invited her.

And what reporters so far haven't figured out is why Bong Revilla has suddenly come out with this expose of sorts?

Is there any truth to the rumors that Senator Revilla has a girlfriend who also has a sex video with Hayden Kho? If so, Revilla's actions might be more understandable.

Do you see what's going on here?

In the case of the Hayden-Katrina video, the story is actually driven by the personalities involved and not really the story itself.

Actresses or actors in sex videos are nothing new. Since the days of betamax tapes, such videos have been surfacing again and again.

Hidden camera videos of people having sex are nothing new either.

Even the purported video of Hayden and Katrina was not new by the time Senator Bong Revilla made his privilege speech. In fact other blogs have had entries about it for weeks now.

But, perhaps, Senator Bong Revilla delivering a speech against the proliferation of the Katrina-Hayden video on a slow day in the Philippine senate was enough to spark a frenzy.

What is funny is that instead of stopping the proliferation of the sex video and preventing further damage to whatever reputation Katrina Halili has, it created an even bigger demand for the video and in the process made it spread even further.

People who were not ordinarily interested in sex videos began looking for, finding, and buying copies of the Hayden Kho video.

Perhaps Senator Bong would have been better advised to just have pursued the arrest and capture of the one who spread the video. That would have made for a much more decent media blitz.

With that said, you might want to watch this video.

VICTORINA: We Agree to Disagree in Victorina

VICTORINA: We Agree to Disagree in Victorina

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Katrina Halili media frenzy at the Senate

I arrived at the Senate to find the media staking out the elevator corridor on the fifth floor. Curious as to why, I asked around and found out that Katrina Halili was coming to Senator Bong Revilla's office.

As if she hasn't been exposed enough, the tv cameramen and photographers swarmed all around her.

The pictures depicted her show the frenzy over Katrina.



Frenzy...



Frenzy...



Frenzy...



Frenzy...



And here's the money shot!



She's the one with the reddish black hair at the bottom of the frame near the bald headed guy.

That's all I got, but you can click this and this.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Fish tofu in black bean sauce, salt and pepper squid, yang chow fried rice

If there was a North Park restaurant at the Mall of Asia, I'd probably try to eat lunch there every chance I get.

I live near Banawe Street in Quezon City and North Park is one of the restaurants there where my wife, my kid, and I eat at during weekends whenever we have some extra cash.

Our orders usually include fish and tofu in black bean sauce, salt and pepper squid, yang chow fried rice, and fruit juices.



Their brewed coffee is pretty good too.

We also order take outs for those people at home who may have not been able to go with us on our food trip. I never fail to buy their taipao, which has four kinds of fillings inside a delicious bun. The diameter of the taipao is about 5 inches and makes for a pretty good meal, by itself.

Alleged conversations between Jun and Joey regarding NBN ZTE

These videos have been around for some time. I don't know who they are, but their voices sound very familiar.

Jun Lozada was one a main mover in the NBN ZTE deal.

Dividing the loot.



Tito Benj Burjer.



We need an ATM.

NBN ZTE Deal was about a corruption deal gone wrong.

What was the NBN ZTE deal all about?

Say what you want about her, but Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago may be right that it was just a public squabble about who gets to steal the most money from the government.

Kawawa ba talaga si Jun Lozada?

We seem to be forgetting this bit of information about Jun Lozada.

It seems he has gotten scot free after his own admission of pilfering millions of pesos from the Philforest corporation.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Alien vs. Predator: Madrigal vs. Villar showdown moved to Thursday,May 21

The hearing following the preliminary inquiry into Senator Jamby Madrigal's ethics complaint against Senator Manny Villar opened and closed without much fireworks.

The report of the committee of the whole's legal team on the evidence submitted by Madrigal's counsel was deemed confidential.

Copies of the report, however, will be distributed to all the senators to study in private.

Another hearing is scheduled on Thursday and that is perhaps when the sparks will fly.

I expect this will be the hearing where the senators in the committee of the whole will vote to either try the ethics complaint against villar or not.

The number of votes needed to go into trial will be a majority of the quorum -- the specific number of the quorum will depend on how the quorum will be defined, nevertheless, a majority will mean at least half the number constituting the quorum plus 1.

If the quorum is defined as 23 senators, a majority vote will need 12 senators. If it is 22 (minus trillanes), a majority vote will need 12 senators. If the quorum is 13, a majority vote will need 7 senators.

However they will vote, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was apparently well enough to give her opinion on the proceedings.

In gmanew.tv's story, Senator Santiago described the ethics probe as running on a flawed system and the explanation closely cleaves to that of Senator Vilar's own assertions that he won't get a fair hearing.

At this point, I can imagine Senator Jamby Madrigal clucking with contentment as she excitedly points out that this is proof that Senator Manny Villar and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo talked.

"See! See! Senator Miriam is casting doubt on the senate ethics probe to defend Villar! That's because Malacanang talked her into it."

Then again, what may perhaps really bolster this idea is Senator Alan Peter Cayetano's opinion that it is the Office of the Ombudsman who ought to investigate the charge against Villar.

“Senator Madrigal, therefore, should file a case with the Ombudsman if graft and corruption was there indeed, and there are proper courts and quasi-judicial bodies wherein she could also file a case if there were violations, committed by companies allegedly owned by Senator Villar.”


Certainly, if the case does land in the lap of the Ombudsman, we can expect Merceditas Gutierrez to either dismiss the case outright or just sit on the case.

Anti-President Gloria movers, not necessarily pro-people

"Patas ako sa lahat. I don't trust them all"
-- LPGD, www.betterphilippines.com when asked about his concept of fair and balanced treatment of politicians in blogs.

This will just be a short entry to make an appeal to my fellow Filipinos to be more discerning about people claiming to be Anti-Gloria but are really using this to serve their self-interest.

There are people claiming to be members of the opposition but what they really mean is that they are against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself. Their objective, really, may be just to replace Gloria with someone who will help them pursue their self-interests or be the one to replace Gloria herself so that they can have full reign in pursuing their self-interests.

Perhaps, one way of differentiating the real opposition from those who are merely Anti-Gloria is to look at what they are doing as elected government officials and see if it is the opposite of the negative traits attributed to President Macapagal Arroyo. More importantly, it would be good to scrutinize their actions to see if they've really worked for the people's interest.

Perhaps, to be a real member of the opposition, an elected official does not have to subscribe to an ideological system or philosophy that is diametrically opposed to the ideological system or philosophy of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

One just really ought to be more effective in helping the people rise out of poverty -- a situation which gives rise to all the problems that the country faces.

If it is said that Gloria is corrupt, the real opposition would be one that is not corrupt and will not abet corruption.

If it is said that Gloria circumvents the law, the real opposition would be one that follows the letter and spirit of the law.

One can probably list all the attributes assigned to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and then find the opposite value that would be beneficial to the common interest.

That would be the real opposition.

Don't trust any politician, let them prove every claim they make.

Chiz Escudero is like Barack Obama

Being brown Americans at heart and because most of us have at least one relative in the United States, we Filipinos couldn't help but celebrate with America when Barack Obama won the 2009 elections.

Perhaps not a few Filipinos in the Philippines had hoped to have a President like Barack Obama.

Just recently, I discovered that at least two people (le Reine and venntro) skyscraper city forum made references to a post I made about the ANC Leadership Forum. The entry of mine that was reposted on the Skyscraper forum basically dealt with the lies pandered by Senator Francis Chiz Escudero and I had originally intended to critique all the other candidates -- which I haven't gotten around to doing just yet.

Anyway, somewhere after their references to my post, I stumbled upon a post by Loredepico which basically compared Escudero with Barack Obama.

He wrote:

Based on legislative achievements, we can indeed compare Chiz with Barack. Both are great speakers and both were unproductive legislators. But we all know what happened to Obama and with the Filipino electorates being easily swayed by rhetorics, who knows how Chiz will fare. Right now, he is really placing high on the various presidentiable surveys. All I am hoping is for the voters to be more discerning.


And I share Loredepico's hope that Filipinos will be more discerning about who they will vote for and lap up the crud some Presidential candidates are feeding the public right now.

First of all, there are big differences between Obama and Chiz.

Obama really came from a working class background. Chiz did not. Obama proved himself as leader in his own district first before eventually rising to become senator. Chiz spent three terms as Congressman in Sorsogon and I am not really aware about what he has to show for it. The cop out answer would be that he was a congressman, therefore not responsible for stuff that the mayors and governors ought to do.

What bills did Chiz Escudero author or sponsor? If someone can tell me, please do because I don't want to get the idea that he did nothing before gaining popularity as a vocal Anti-GMA solon.

Chiz is great at talking up a storm against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo but he is silent on what he can actually DO to turn things around. He knows what he doesn't want, but he can't say what he does want.

Or perhaps, it would be better stated to say that Chiz wants Gloria out as President. Well, that's something that can easily be achieved and he really doesn't have to do anything to make it happen. All he has to do is keep being noisy and while waiting for the 2010 elections. Thereafter, by June 30, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will step down as President and he can even hold a victory party to claim credit for getting the President to step down.

Once Gloria Macapagal Arroyo steps down as President, Chiz (if he doesn't get elected as President) will probably have to pick on the next Philippine President and try to act up a storm as the shallow opposition firebrand that he is again.

It is actually to the best interest of Senator Escudero that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo remains in power, because railing at Arroyo is the only thing he can do and without the President, he'd actually have to face up to the task of actually doing something that might be called work.

Anyway, this comparison between Barack and Chiz got me thinking.

Let's suspend reality for a moment and ask "What if Barack Obama ran for President in the Philippines?"

My first answer would be that he would lose.

Why?

It is for the simple reason that most Filipinos who are taken by Chiz's empty rhetoric will not be able to understand the implications of Barack's message of Hope and Change.

Huwag maging uto-uto!

Hindi Ako Uto-Uto Movement Hindi Ako Uto-Uto Movement laurence a filipino's guide on how to be a wise voter
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