Wrap up: The first joint session of Congress to tackle the President’s report on the proclamation of Martial Law

That was a great front act on the first joint session of Congress to deliberate on the President’s report on PD 1959, the proclamation of Martial Law.
When Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen asked where the President was, the simple reply of House Speaker Prospero Nograles was that she had substantially complied with the requirements of the [...]

PNP operations director Andres Caro reports on the Ampatuan massacre

Police Director for Operations Andres Caro reports before the joint session on the Ampatuan massacre that happened on November 23, 2009.
He said: All in all there were 57 victims in said incident of which 22 were found unburied, 24, six and five were exhumed from grave site one, two, three. There were 36 males, [...]

Does it look like martial law was the topic in this joint session?

Session was temporarily suspended and both senators and House representatives hobnobbed with each other. If there was tension on the floor, it was not something that could be felt from the gallery.

Locsin, accusing Dilangalen of forum shopping, tells him to go to SM instead

Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. accuses Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen of forum shopping, saying he has filed a case at the Supreme Court and at the same time wanted to question Arroyo over the martial law proclamation. Incensed, Dilangalen says the statement was “preposterous” and asks that Locsin be declared out of order.
House Speaker [...]

Why is the president not here? Dilangalen asks.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, and Interior and Local Secretary Ronaldo Puno are present. Armed Forces chief Victor Ibrado and Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales are missing: Nograles explains that Ibrado was due to arrive from China at 4 p.m. while Nograles is in Singapore and will be available for tomorrow’s joint [...]

Joint Session of Congress

At 4:12 p.m., the joint session of congress opened to deliberate on president gloria macapagal arroyo’s proclamation 1959, placing maguindanao province over martial rule. 18 senators were present. 192 members of the House of Representatives were present.
The senators will occupy the first two rows in the session hall. A part of the gallery was also [...]

Cory Aquino: 1933-2009

I met Cory Aquino only once, before she found out she had cancer. The Foreign Correspondents of the Philippines (FOCAP) was trying to invite her as a speaker, ad the board of directors met with her. It was just a cordial meeting, not an on the record presser, and so no one wrote about what [...]

US plans on how to distribute swine flu vaccine

The New York Times has a story on how government is planning to distribute vaccine for the Influenza AH1N1.
Buti pa sa Amerika, nagpa-plano na sila kung paano, kanino at kailan ibibigay ang vaccine laban sa swine flu, kahit wala pang dumarating. Sa atin, wala nang balita mula sa Department of Health (DOH) tungkol sa swine [...]

The MRT on a rainy day

When it rains, the best way to travel in Metro Manila is via the light rail train system: the MRT or the two LRTs. But, as this picture shows, “best way to travel” only means you’ll get there on time, but not necessarily dry.
If you look closely, you’ll see a woman holding a brown umbrella [...]

A call to Pinoy bloggers to link blogs on HR1109

There is a call to Filipino bloggers — and other bloggers as well – to link blogs and help inform the public on House Resolution 1109, which convenes Congress into a constituent assembly that will change the Constitution.
We are issuing this call to all pinoy blogs and bloggers to link to other blogs discussing [...]