Are the media asking pertinent questions or happy to be spoon fed by allege MWSS pillagers?

There is no doubt that media plays a vital role in nation building, or in the case of the Philippines, it is more of reconstructing it from the ruins of a pillaged and plundered nation. The abuse and endemic corruption are so prevalent that it does not surprise us anymore when it has become the norm all the way to the top, as shown by Gloria Arroyo and her running dogs.

We were ecstatic when P-Noy acknowledges the problem by urging the media to police their own ranks in his first SONA, but is it really enough that they police their own rank? The irony is some of them really do come up with slogans that turns out to be just an empty rhetoric when they proudly displays slogans such as “No Fear or Favor,” and I dare add Flavor. Why flavor? Well, some if not most of the news are oftentimes really more flavored with some slants here and there and the facts get lost as the press rolls. How exactly will policing their own rank succeed when the media is not exactly independent except for a few that dared to print the truth but whose existence does not depend on advertisers to survive. But that topic will be discussed on some other post and let us just focus on the immediate attempt to confuse the issue on the so-called “Midnight Deal” of Rogelio Singson.

No fear probably applies, but not the kind of fear attributed to telling the truth at the risk of getting the ire of those affected by the daring story. Our sense is that it was more of denseness  or tapang ng hiya in telling a story telling a lie when they come up with stories full of holes or simply ignoring material facts. The allege “Midnight Deals” of Rogelio Singson during his stint with Maynilad, before his appointment by Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at DPWH makes for a good headline news that hovers on sensationalism. No doubt that sensationalized news sells but the problem with this, is that they stretch facts to suit some people’s agenda.

Gil Cabacungan, Jr. of Inquirer writes from the reports of Jerry Esplanada about a “Midnight Deal” when clearly no deal transpired as no contract was executed between Pagcor and Maynilad because it was just a planned development, as reported by Christian V. Esguerra of the same outfit. Now that is odd, do they even compare notes before they go to press or are there different agendas here?

The problem is if we jump to conclusion right away and condemns Rogelio Singson which  is unfair and not exactly accurate but misleading to say the least. Although we question or put into question the vetting process of P-Noy on what turns out to be a very misleading inaccurate report,  the response was immediate at our Facebook community . Proof tthat supporters of change are not exactly blind partisan followers but will speak out instantly should some questionable incidents arise.

Worst is when Cabacungan writes about the fear of retaliation by his sources thus they want to remain anonymous at the MWSS that lends his story telling a lie a semblance of legitimacy. Is it really fear or something else? His source as it turned out were two of the directors at the MWSS so this makes me wonder if Cabacungan’s reporter were asking relevant question or just being spoon fed by their source who obviously had an agenda or an axe to grind. Did these journalists forget or were they not paying attention that these very same directors are being accused by P-Noy, exposed by Rogelio Singson of pillaging MWSS lavishing themselves with scandalously exorbitant remunerations? If the intent was to create a ruse and direct the anger at Rogelio Singson, well it worked for a day but did not exactly last as people are not that dumb to catch on to this hideous agenda of the pillagers.

It seems that the pillagers belonging to Arroyo’s camp are underestimating people who tirelessly work for change, desperately resorting to dirty tricks trying to turn the table at the agents of change on unsupported allegations is just so pathetic. Sooner or later the bogus lies will get discovered no matter how they try to twist or create a spin to the story. Magkano ba este, how come they never ask their source why they are coming up with wild unsupported accusations? Your guess is as good as mine but when some people divert the focus on the accuser with unsupported allegations instead of those accused of pillaging the agency then we become suspicious of the motivations behind the article.

Vigilance indeed is alive and well, a sign that people tirelessly working and hoping for change will not be easily discouraged by bogus scandals coming from people refusing to take responsibility for their misdeeds. The need for vigilance indeed is very apparent and we have to pay really close attention to who are the real culprits lest some unscrupulous reporting sidelines the issue that turns out to be nothing but bogus like the past cheat errr chief executive Gloria Arroyo.

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The Furor over Marc Jacobs' Publisher Timothy Mark Depakakibo Garcia

What was Marc Jacobs' personnel thinking when they hired the son of a former Philippine military official as their publicist just after he was released from detention in connection with his family’s plunder case? Obviously they never checked his background and Tim Garcia never told them about his case until Page Six (yes, the same column that broke the news on Gloria Arroyo and her free loading shameless entourage on the gluttonous US$20K Le Cirque dinner) broke the news on his case. In a society where no one questions the veracity of what you say and people in general assume in good faith it is the truth, liars will have a field day through omission or outright lies working their sleazy way into the system.

While Major General Carlos F. Garcia, former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is spending his time in Philippine jail accused of amassing ill-gotten wealth to the tune of P303M (US$6.2M) his son Tim Garcia an American citizen after spending 95 days at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center now wears a house arrest ankle bracelet. The ankle bracelet is reserved for individuals who are flight risk with pending criminal cases whose movement are restricted and monitored.

While millions of people in the Philippines are living in subhuman conditions in congested make shift quarters in squatter colonies, some are even reduced to living under the bridge, sidewalks or any available space in the urban jungles of the cities in contrast the son of an accused plunderer is living in style in an all white one bedroom apartment at the expensive high end Trump Plaza. In these hard times of economic uncertainty where people are losing jobs by the thousands, firms going bankrupt, to see one enjoying an expensive decadent lifestyle in an apartment purchased by Clarita Garcia the wife/partner of an accused plunderer in 2004 for $765,000 the mother of Tim Garcia is truly the height of callous insensitivity, to quote Fashions night on probation by Peter Davis:

In April, Garcia says he was asked to hand over his “apartment and bank accounts.” He protested. “I knew that it was all bullshit. I was like, ‘No! I will never waver in the conviction of my father’s innocence and doing that would just hurt my father’s case.” The government still contends that some of that $6.2 million dollars went into purchasing the Trump Plaza apartment. The government also says the Garcias transferred $2 million from the Philippines to the United States.

Tim Garcia can act clueless but coming from a third world country where corruption is so endemic did he even bother to inquire where and how exactly can her mother Clarita Garcia afford or get the funds to purchase the Trump Plaza unit? Out of the millions of Filipinos who are aware of the plunder case he tries to pull a fast one as the only clueless person around when he should know better being the son would have noticed the sudden change of affluence. Who the heck really falls for it except him creating or worse suffering from altered reality when he professed that his father is not guilty is truly baffling.

As a publicist he should not have attracted attention to himself but that is how self-indulgent self-centered sorry ass of an individual they are thinking the world revolves around them. If the intent was to elicit sympathy then he is wrong and the only one who can understand his predicament is perhaps his kind like clueless Mikey Arroyo.

This wannabe Paris Hilton is wallowing in his collection of signature clothes and accessories that will make Imelda Marcos excesses pale in comparison and definitely will squeeze the fat out of fashionista pretender Malu Fernandez. Tim Garcia is no Paris Hilton (aside from being a trust fund baby Paris earns a lot of money being a celebrity on endorsements, appearances and TV shows), not even by any stretch of imagination will he even come close, so acting like a brat spoiled “rich” kid is not going to cut it. There is nothing wrong with being rich and it is not a sin after all we are in a capitalist society. The problem is when it comes from unexplained wealth and the whole family is facing criminal charges, only a dumb fool of moronic proportion will have the impudence to flaunt it. Who does he think he is anyway, the Teflon Mafiosi boss? But then again corrupt government officials act and operate like Mafiosi crime syndicates, so this one has the potential of a comedic crime material for the silver screen. Imagine a gay signature label fixated version of Don Vito Corleoni, hanging out in fashion shows dressed and accessorized to the hilt with designer labels on the prowl eyeing men looking like a transsexual Doña BITUin (star).

The nerve of this plunderers’ son or was it daughter complaining that the ankle bracelet is limiting his fashion choice, lamenting he can’t wear his knee high croc boots by Sergio Rossi for the fall is the height of shallow insensitivity. True, he may have earned his designer clothes and accessories legitimately but flaunting it when your family is accused of plundering the government is just numbingly ridiculous. The Doña BITUin plans to write a memoir, and who may I ask will bother reading such trash coming from an obscure now in the center of notoriety not for being rich and famous due to royal family lineage or accomplished long line of family of achievers acknowledged contributors, innovators and trend setters of a better society, but a family that plunders together is truly delusional? Do readers even care to read or know the lives of corrupt family of plunderers?

A call for boycott of Marc Jacon’s will probably not make a dent when most Filipinos can not afford it anyway or have a clue what Marc Jacobs sells. While Tim Garcia is not yet convicted, still enjoying the benefit of the doubt, we can always appeal to the consumers’ sensibilities or sense of propriety in not patronizing their product for their callous disregard on the plight of the poor that are the ultimate victim of the plunderers. While the poor people of the Philippines are reduced to playing Russian roulette with their health and lives scavenging for discarded food products in the garbage dump they choose to employ Tim Garcia. Once the plunder case is proven in court Tim Garcia will become a ‘30's Ma Barker version of the millennium enjoying the fruits of the family’s pillaging and plunder and what will Marc Jacobs do should that eventuality unfolds?

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It's Confirmed - The kleptocrat is coming to Washington DC!

I got it straight from the Philippine Embassy - La Gloria has managed to swing an invitation by the Obama administration for a visit to the US before the end of the month.

Of course the officialdom is already painting the red, blue and white colors of her visit under the shibolleth of "stronger alliance and cooperation" but i think it is also about time we welcome her in Washington DC to answer frank questions about her own administration's dark records in corruption or for that matter in human rights. I will however defer the matter of human rights especially the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines to my Senator from Virginia - Jim Webb.

As we speak, the United States Department of Justice has since November 14, 2007 been in receipt of information submitted to it by a private think tank based in California concerning corruption and related crimes involving mail and wire fraud, money laundering and violation of RICO and U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Acts (FCPA), including New York's anti-enterprise corruption law, that directly affect the President and the First Gentleman.

Barry Sabin, then deputy assistant attorney-general, expressed his appreciation for the group's interest in protecting U.S. and international financial systems against financial crimes. "The Deparments of Justice, the Treasury and State," Sabin wrote "actively assist countries seeking to recover official assets misappropriated by kleptocrats."

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the investigative arm of the Department of Justice and we rely on the FBI to do the initial fact finding for federal criminal issues...The FBI will review the materials (submitted) and determine whether a federal investigation may be warranted."

The rap sheet indicted "President Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo a.k.a. Jose Pidal, and co-conspirators, among others, his former secretary, Victoria Toh, reportedly a resident of Canada; GSIS president Winston Garcia; Pagcor chair Efraim Genuino; former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante and DBP president Reynaldo David for diverting and illegally investing public funds in Wall Street whose profits were allegedly skimmed off during bull market."

The think tank said that "when the funds were dissipated by losses caused by the U.S. financial markets meltdown, they washed their hands off while their own illicit gains were not touched and invested in real estate and other holdings including foreign deposit accounts in U.S. and international banks."

According to the information, "The Arroyos’ private co-conspirators include San Miguel Corporation (SMC) CEO Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. ex-Marcos trade and industry minister Roberto Ongpin, ex-trade and industry undersecretary Tomas Alcantara, ex-Arroyo’s publicist Dante Ang, Henry Sy, Lucio Tan (see below); ICTSI president Enrique Razon Jr. and many others to be named later as evidence against them is gathered."

"They received enormous favors from the Arroyos’ of sweetheart contracts for public works and enterprises or to take over government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs). These private businessmen obviously paid off the Arroyos for the favors and they are likely to testify against the Arroyos to save their skins if and when they are indicted especially in the U.S. for their crimes," the group added.

America has an obligation to ferret out the involvement of these persons in the light of what an international treaty dictates as obligations of countries in curbing their culpability in financial crimes. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption is explicit in its intents, while the Philippines and the United States are committed signatories.

The treaty says “Countries agreed to cooperate with one another in every aspect of the fight against corruption, including prevention, investigation, and the prosecution of offenders. Countries are bound by the Convention to render specific forms of mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence for use in court, to extradite offenders. Countries are also required to undertake measures which will support the tracing, freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of corruption.”

To enforce the UNCAC President George W. Bush promulgated in August 2006 the “U.S. Strategy to Internationalize Efforts Against Kleptocracy” mandating the U.S. Government and its laws enforce the convention under this salient provision which reads, as follows: “A critical element in our fight against grand corruption is our effort to deny kleptocrats access to fruits of their corruption. The United States has a wide range of mechanisms to prevent, detect, and prosecute grand corruption, and trace and recover the proceeds of such corruption. We employ the full range of our authorities and tools in a comprehensive, strategic way to target assets misappropriated by current and former senior foreign government or political officials, their close associates and immediate family members, or other politically exposed persons (PEPs).”

What remains to be an perplexing question is why President Barack Obama seems to be playing footsies with the most notorious kleptocrat in the world today. Many are therefore asking - has Obama reversed the Bush doctrine on kleptocracy? This is what its invitation to Gloria appears to indicate. And malicious thinkers opine that the Arroyo billions have contaminated the White House, after all Barack himself is also running for reelection in 2012 and can use the money.

This is particularly suspicious, as President Arroyo herself has been making unexplained detours in recent trips, notably when she made an unscheduled trip to Cartagena, Colombia between her visits to Japan and Brazil. No less than Makati mayor Jejomar Binay said that the Filipino people deserved an explanation for this breach of protocol because she is travelling on Philippine taxpayers' expense.

Almost perfect cover was the alleged hosting by businessman Jaime Augusto Zobel and wife Lizzie, a Colombian. But Cartagena is not even the capital of Colombia. Cartagena is Colombia’s second largest port, second only to Buenaventura where a known Arroyo crony, businessman Ricky Razon of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) has invested $180 Million.

Speculation is rife that the Cartagena trip was really to make a quick connection to Panama. If you goggle "Panama offshore banking", this is one of the items you would most likely capture:

"Expedited Panama Bank Account Service. You can have a Panama Bank Account in 1-3 days. When you order our expedited service you can have your bank account open in just 3 days. It is also now possible to get a bank account and corporation in 24 hours using our rush service. This option does not require you to come to Panama. Select clients can now be interviewed without travelling to Panama." This of course could be made possible with the ICTSI connection.

Border crossings seems to be a pattern for the Arroyos.

Mike Arroyo stayed behind after his wife’s European visit in July 2006. Gloria Arroyo announced that her husband was staying behind in Spain to trace his ancestral links to St. Theresa de Avila. A source said that with a female travelling companion, Mike Arroyo went to Lugano which is "third behind only Zurich and Geneva as a Swiss banking center".

These are interesting leads for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

But it will hold water only if President Obama has not turned his back on the American people and is not yet in the kleptocrat's tank.

***************************************************************

Ado Paglinawan is a former press officer of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC who occasionally contributes to the Philippines Daily Inquirer. He writes for various email groups and blogs under the pseudonym "mymaestro888". Ado has best served overseas Filipinos as a resource person providing inside information and backgrounders about the celebrated fertilizer scam that rocked the Philippine Agriculture Department and the Presidency since 2004.

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