Handog ng Pilipino Sa Mundo: EDSA People Power

Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo

Words and Music: Jim Paredes

Original Video: Mike de Leon

Recorded March 1986

Performed by:

Apo Hiking Society

Celeste Legaspi

Coritha and Eric

Edru Abraham

Gretchen Barretto

Inang Lahi

Ivy Violan

Joseph Olfindo

Kuh Ledesma

Leah Navarro

Lester Demetillo

Noel Trinidad

Subas Herrero

Ilabas ang Katotohanan

The discrepancies of the Chief Justice

For Immediate Release

The Black & White Movement

Contact: blacknwhitemovement@gmail.com

9 February 2012

Yesterday and today, the glaring discrepancies between what the Chief Justice declared under oath in his SALN, and what bank records subpoenaed by the Senate says, was revealed.

BPI account testimony for 2007 reported 5,069,711.18 as the balance. For 2007, in Renato Corona’s SALN, the cash position reported under oath was 2.5 million pesos.

For 2010, testimony on a BPI checking account showed a balance of 12,024,067.70. Yesterday, testimony on the PSBank account of Corona showed a balance of 19.7 million. And yet, the 2010 SALN of Corona said, under oath, his cash balance was 3.5 million pesos.

PSBank President Garcia in his testimony today already revealed the existence of dollar deposit accounts. The enormous discrepancies already revealed in peso accounts of Renato Corona, indicates all the more, the need to inquire into the dollar-denominated deposits of the Chief Justice.

The defense is veering towards the Jose Pidal spin: that there is money, but it is not the Chief Justice’s money. And where the documents would tend to disprove that bald-faced lie, the defense has set out to suppress the evidence.

Mr. Corona, prove that you have nothing to hide

For Immediate Release

Contact: blacknwhitemovement@gmail.com
6 February 2012

Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 5.08 - A judge shall make full financial disclosure as required by law.

“Malaking kasinungalingan itong ginawa nilang ito. Ang sa atin ay lima po lamang. Lima.” – CJ Corona referring to properties he owns.

Chief Justice Renato Corona is being accused of not truthfully disclosing his assets in his SALN. The prosecution has successfully pointed out that he actually owns 24 properties. How does a Chief Justice amass so many properties if he has no other means save for his and his wife’s government salaries?

The tedium has not been caused by the prosecution. Mr. Corona’s defense lawyers have been delaying the trial through circuitous objections and motions, the latest being strenuous protest against the prosecution’s motion to subpoena their client’s bank records.

The Black and White Movement challenges Mr. Corona to authorize the impeachment court to give the prosecution access to his bank records to avoid being accused of willful non-disclosure. Doing this would not only speed up the pace, it will allow Mr. Corona to live up to his word.

BnW Executive Director Leah Navarro said, “Kung wala siyang tinatago, pabayaan niya ang mga bangko na ilabas ang accounts niya kung meron man. Mr. Corona has claimed that he has nothing to hide. This would be a good time to put his money where his mouth is.” -- END

BnW Decries Calls for Drilon to Inhibit

The Black and White Movement decries the near daily whining of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s defense team. The prosecution claims that it may take a couple of months for it to lay out all the evidence against CJ Corona – at the rate the defense keeps objecting, desperately trying to obfuscate the truth, it may take much, much longer.

The Corona defense team’s tack seems to deny, derail and delay, and it’s latest target is Senator Franklin Drilon. It claims that he is biased towards the prosecution because of the tenor of his questions and should therefore recuse himself. Really? Is getting to the truth on behalf of the people so distasteful?

Contrary to the defense’s opinion, the Black and White Movement believes that Senator Drilon, along with his fellow Senator Judges are just doing what they should be doing – making sure that everything hidden is brought to light. We believe that our Senator Judges are working on the people’s behalf. It is within their purview to ask probing questions, to clarify what is unclear, to make sure they, as judges, understand what both sides bring to the table.

We are against the inhibition of Senator Drilon, and any other Senator Judge, from this impeachment trial. For any of them to recuse themsleves would be a disservice to their office and a failure to keep the public’s interests above all others.

Happy Holidays!

PUFFED UP

We thank Sen. Miriam Santiago for having such high regard for the Black and White Movement. She claims we have a direct line to God. Yes, we do speak to God through our prayers. But so far, He has not appeared to us as He did to Moses to give us specific instructions or special powers of attorney as the good senator insinuated.

We have never claimed to represent the people. As Sen. Santiago has rightfully pointed out, we have not been elected – unlike her, of course.  Neither have we projected ourselves as scholars of the law or philosophy. Many of us have not taken the Bar – unlike her, of course.

What we do have is our conscience, just as every person has, to guide us in discerning good from evil, right from wrong. We have never imposed our sense of right or wrong upon others. We do fight for what we think is right, and we expose wrongdoing whenever we see it.

It seems that the good senator mistakes our passion and zeal for arrogance. Of course, we consider her an expert on the subject. She gives new meaning to the words “puffed up”.  Clearly, she deems the unelected and the unlettered in the law to be lesser mortals.

We are proud that some of our erstwhile conveners are now members of the Aquino administration. They continue to fight for what we believe in – honesty, good governance, and positive change.  We believe in President Aquino’s vision of "daang matuwid", and we support him in his fight for accountability and closure.

There will be those that may not agree with our positions. We respect their right to express their opinions, just as we expect them to respect ours. Such are the ways of democracy. Let the marketplace of political ideas be the ground on which to win the hearts and minds of the people.

We celebrate with the rest of the nation the acceptance of Sen. Santiago to the International Criminal Court. Of course, we have different reasons for celebrating. We think the ICC will be a new arena where the good senator can showcase her mastery of the law and her eloquence – peculiarities, affectations and all. It can only be good for the country.

The Black and White Movement wishes her Godspeed and goodbye!