Friday, September 28, 2007

TWO DESCENDANTS OF EVE

The first case of bribery in this world happened when
the devil in the form of a serpent enticed Eve, the
first woman created by God, at the Garden of Eden,
with the offer of gaining knowledge of good and evil
like that of God by eating a delicious but forbidden
fruit. She took the devil's bribe that changed her
body from an incorruptible immortal to a corruptible
mortal. So God handed to humankind His first penalty
for breaking His law.

Because of its element of moral turpitude in the
highest degree, bribery is a ground to remove the
highest government official in a democratic country as
well as other constitutional officials. In this
despicable act, both the giver and the taker are
equally punished.

Very recent press reports revealed that Hillary
Clinton, leading American Democratic presidential
candidate, received campaign donations amounting to
some $800,000 from Norman Hsu, a fugitive from
justice, who swindled innocent investors of millions
of dollars in a fake investment scheme. Upon
investigation, Clinton feigned ignorance of the source
of the dirty money and avoided for the time being any
criminal suit. She just promised to return the money
or give it to charity which is not an appropriate
action. Return the money to the fugitive who is now in
jail and which charity is willing to receive Hillary's
dirty money?

Most recent televised report from the Philippines
showed a Senate investigative hearing where Romulo
Neri, one of the closest aides of Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo, de facto president of the Philippines, told
the committee that Benjamin Abalos, chairman of the
Philippine Commission on Elections, offered him a
bribe of 200 million pesos( around $4 million)
presumably to approve a business transaction between
China and the Philippines costing the Filipino people
more than $300 million. In the same Senate hearing,
Joey De Venecia, son of the Philippine Speaker of the
House of Representatives who is a very close political
ally of Arroyo, also divulged that Abalos offered him
a bribe of $10 million to withdraw any plan to get the
government contract.

When asked by the inquiring Filipino senators how he
reacted to Abalos' bribe offer, Romulo Neri who was
then appointed by Arroyo to be in charge of the
Philippines' economic development, said he appeared
not to hear it. But then, he said, he later reported
the bribe offer to his boss, President Arroyo who told
him not to accept it. He finally refused to tell his
further conversations about the bribe offer with
Arroyo and claimed “Executive Privilege.” At this
point, one senator remarked why Neri did not tell
Abalos that the bribe offer was wrong or he was
strongly against it.

One possible reason why Neri did not quickly reject
Abalos' bribe offer was the need to consult with
President Arroyo, perhaps the most interested party in
all government deals with the Chinese. For the
record, Arroyo has made too many trips to China in
the past.

Here's a another possible scenario of what happened
next after Romulo Neri's report to Arroyo of the 200
million peso bribe offer from Abalos:

Neri: M'am, Abalos is only offering 200.

Arroyo: Don't accept it. It's too cheap compared to
other deals. I'll handle it.
Neri: Ok, M'am. Remember, the overprice is about
$130 million in the ZTE deal.

Back to our story at the Garden of Eden during the
Bible days, it's indeed hard to be like Jesus Christ.
He was the only One to resist the Devil's temptations.
Isn't He the Son of God? It could be an easy cop-out
for Hillary Clinton, an American president wannabe,
and Gloria, the daughter of Macapagal the
“Incorruptible,” who also became president of the
Philippines somehow.

End
junpolicarpio@yahoo.com
junpolicarpio@gmail.com



____________________________________________________________________________________
Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect

Friday, September 21, 2007

A FIGHT FOR DIRTY CHINESE MONEY

When a businessman-son of the powerful Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives,
a businessman- husband of the more powerful President of the Philippines whose presidency is presumed to be illegitimate, and the “most powerful official in the Philippines” who is none other than the Chairman of the Commission on Elections who orchestrated the 2004 Philippine presidential elections, all got into a publicized quarrel over millions and millions of dollars in kickback from an anomalous government deal, the Special Division of a Philippine court created to prosecute and convict plunder and graft and corruption cases reminds me of Robespierre's Guillotine during the French Revolution. Off with more heads of corrupt men and women to roll into the basket!

The Philippine Senate is conducting a series of hearings to look into the case of a signed Philippine government deal with a Chinese communications firm called ZTE after Joey de Venecia, the Speaker's son revealed to the press that it will cost the Filipino people an overprice of approximately $130 million when compared to the other lower bids including that of his own communications firm called Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. And the obvious implication for such an irregularity is the glitter of a gargantuan kickback which, according to the younger de Venecia, a big portion must have already been passed to the hands of Benjamin Abalos, the Election Commission chairman who brokered the deal.

In a recent televised Senate hearing where he appeared as a witness, the Filipino House Speaker's son recounted two melodramatic episodes after he insisted to follow-up his no-cost proposal with the Philippine Department of Trade and Communications headed by Leandro Mendoza, a former chief of the Philippine National Police. According to his testimony, he demonstrated a la Mafia style, how Mike Arroyo, the Philippine president's spouse, pointed his finger about two inches to his nose and shouted the words, “Back Off.” He also described another incident in China where Benjamin Abalos, the Election Commission Chairman, pounded his hands on the table in a business meeting with ZTE officials and demanded the rest of the kickback.

Keeping up with a gangster-style fight over mega millions in dirty money, Jarius Bondoc, the newspaper columnist who exposed the ZTE deal also testified in the Senate hearing that Abalos told the House Speaker a threat that he'll get him killed together with the Speaker's son.

If all the foregoing testimonies of the parties concerned now being heard by the Philippine Senate are backed up by affidavits and other documentary evidence, it's enough to file the following criminal suits among others in a court of law against the accused: bribery, graft and corruption, and grave threats against Abalos, graft and corruption and grave intimidation against Mike Arroyo, and graft and corruption against the Speaker's son unless he would be given immunity to tell all. If there are other government officials involved, the law should also line them up one by one.

I think this expose is the first best thing that came out of the Joseph Estrada Plunder Conviction.
To paraphrase a popular saying, GRAFT AND CORRUPTION DO NOT PAY.

End
junpolicarpio@yahoo.com
junpolicarpio@gmail.com

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio


TWO HISTORY MAKING EVENTS UNFOLDED

Two political events that happened these past few days, one in the Philippines and the other in the United States, will shape the history of both countries.

On September 10th, Gen. David Petraeus, the Commanding General in Iraq, testified before the U.S. Congress on the effectiveness of President Bush's new military strategy against the Islamic insurgency in Iraq thereby shattering the Democratic vision of American soldiers hoisting the white flag on the streets of Baghdad instead of the Stars and the Stripes. This event technically guarantees four more years of a Republican president at the White House.

On September 12th, a panel of three Filipino judges convicted former Philippine president Joseph Estrada and sentenced him 30 to 40 years behind bars for the crime of plunder which is worse than graft and corruption. This event technically guarantees a series of pending plunder and graft and corruption cases to be completed and a series of new plunder and graft and corruption cases to be filed against Filipino elected and appointed officials, regardless of rank and stature, that is indeed good for Philippine democracy.

A vision of two Filipino presidents behind bars will finally be a reality after 2010.


ENTER FRED THOMPSON

Fred Thompson, a former Senator from Tennessee who also played the role of a New York City District Attorney in the television series, Law and Order, recently made it official that he is running for the 2008 presidential elections as a Republican. Political observers paint him as a Ronald Reagan wannabe in words and in deeds.

Well, Thompson's looks and demeanor as the big and kind man next door would remind you more of Ben Cartwright of “Bonanza” than of Reagan's role as the Gipper. His entry into the presidential race therefore could be an answered prayer of most American voters who put love of God, family, and country as the backbone of true American culture.

End
junpolicarpio@yahoo.com
junpolicarpio@gmail.com

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

FROM THE BARREL OF MY PEN
By Gonzalo “Jun” Policarpio

IS CATSIMATIDIS ANOTHER BLOOMBERG IN 2009?
Some time ago, in April this year, a big-time Hillary Clinton fund raiser and a New York City lifelong Democrat named John Catsimatidis rode into Queens to pick up a Noted Philanthropist Award from Phil Ragusa, chairman of the Queens County Republican Party. Mr. Ragusa is the same person identified by Peter Boudouvas, a former Republican candidate for State Assembly and City Council, as a thousand-dollar political supporter of Charles Rangel, a hardcore liberal democratic congressman from Harlem.

Mr. Catsimatidis has expressed his intention run for Mayor of New York City in 2009 by using his own money which may run up to approximately $40 million. Definitely he would be another Michael Bloomberg, a democrat turned Republican, who succeeded in buying City Hall twice. That would explain his dramatic appearance at a Queens Republican event to rub elbows with prominent Republican elected candidates and local leaders who seemed to welcome him with open palms.

Mayor Bloomberg has already left the Republican Party after manipulating it for his selfish political ambitions. Peter Boudouvas, a lifelong Republican from Queens who is running against Phil Ragusa for the Republican Assembly District leadership elections this coming September 18th, when asked if he would support John Catsimatidis if ever his fellow Greek American decides to run in 2009, made this remark: “I do not want another Bloomberg at City Hall.”

Party membership is a serious political commitment. When a candidate joins a political party, he or she virtually signs a pledge of loyalty to the party's agenda and ideals. True Republicans should never support any candidate, like Bloomberg or possibly Catsimatidis if he decides to run as a Republican, who exploit the party's name and resources without adhering to the party's policies and principles.

Party leadership is even a more serious commitment to the party's ideals. When a party leader is found to have supported leaders belonging to another party, it's time to look into it instead of remaining silent of what appears to be political treachery that would harm prospective party candidates.

The Queens County Republican Party for the record has helped and maintained only three elected candidates, one in the New York City Council and two in the New York State Assembly out of several council and assembly districts in Queens. Why? The answer seems to lie in the character of the current republican county leadership that lacks the necessary enthusiasm and drive to help willing and eager Republican candidates win elections in their districts.

It's time for a change in leadership of the Queens County Republican Party and let the loyal and true Republicans take over the organization.

End
junpolicarpio@yahoo.com
junpolicarpio@gmail.com