[krove]

Thanks for posting that, Spadia. Kung meron ka pang gustong i-contribute na inquirer articles na may bias or factual errors, please feel free to post it here.

Now, about that news on the Blanquita Pelaez Handcuffs deal, you are right spadia, there's a HUGE difference between the abs-cbn article and the Inquirer article. It's almost like reading 2 VERY different versions of the same story. It is, of course, for the readers to decide which one is the MISLEADING article.

The Aug. 22, 2003 article of the Inquirer:

US court junks Lacson petition in handcuffs deal
Posted:0:41 AM (Manila Time) | Aug. 22, 2003
Inquirer News Service with INQ7.net and GMA 7

A CALIFORNIA court has reaffirmed its earlier decision to award a three-million-dollar default judgment to a businesswoman who sued Senator Panfilo Lacson over a failed handcuffs deal, GMA Network reported Thursday.

And this is the Aug 22, 2003 article of ABS-CBNNEWS:

California judge saves Ping from paying $3M

The Superior Court of California has vacated its default judgment ordering Sen. Panfilo Lacson to pay $3 million as damages to Filipino-American trader Blanquita Pelaez of California, but the court retained its entry for default against the senator because he did not answer the complaint on time.

The superior court said, in response to Lacson’s motion to vacate the order for him to pay $3 million in damages, that plaintiff Pelaez never proved with any evidence her alleged “humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress” alleged caused by Lacson, except for her unsubstantiated claims.

That certainly was not the impression the Inquirer gave.

But wait, there's more. The ABS-CBN article adds:

The court found that the plaintiff supported her claim for damages only with newspaper clippings from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a Philippine newspaper. “That statement was itself supported only by an unauthenticated, unsubstantiated and highly speculative newspaper article -- an article, not incidentally, that says only that defendant [Lacson] is alleged to have stashed some $500 million in US banks.”

Hmm. Maybe the court is referring to the information and articles found here?

The superior court ruled that the lower court, “despite the complete lack of concrete, admissible evidence [the Inquirer clippings did not qualify as such] as to defendant’s net worth, it nevertheless appears that the [lower] court may have accepted as true the statements set forth in the newspaper article.”

That's what you get for relying too much on the Inquirer.

The Philippine Supreme Court also used clippings of Inquirer articles (on Angara's diary) to "legitimize" Gloria's admin, and look what is happening now. More and more people are questioning the legitimacy of Arroyo's administration.

Btw, hindi ba itong handcuffs scam ni Blanquita Pelaez at former DILF sec. Ronaldo Puno ang i-expose ni Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago nung 1999?

MIRIAM SAYS “PRETTY WOMAN” BEHIND HANDCUFFS DEAL?
10 June 1999

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said the allegedly illegal P15 million supplemental contract for handcuffs with Pelaez Enterprises signed by DILG Sec. Ronaldo Puno reportedly involved what she called a “pretty woman.”

“The supplemental contract, which is grossly disadvantageous to the government, was reportedly pushed by the mother of a pretty woman. Both women are in show business,” she said.

Santiago yesterday (10 June) also questioned the contract, on the additional ground that on 6 May 1997, PNP chief superintendent Jose Andaya blacklisted Pelaez, and revoked its certificate of accreditation.

PNP allegedly blacklisted Pelaez for failing to deliver 150,368 pieces of ammunition, even after withdrawing the payment of US $41,266.33 from the letter of credit.

But although PNP had already blacklisted Pelaez, still Puno went ahead and signed a supplemental contract with Pelaez for the delivery of 31,262 pairs of handcuffs, “exclusive of customs duties, taxes and VAT.”

The supplemental contract amended the original contract, which provided for delivery “inclusive of customs duties, taxes, and VAT.” (BUKING!)

Santiago said the supplemental contract raised the price of the handcuffs, and thus became grossly disadvantageous to the government.

Under the supplemental contract signed by Puno, the PNP advanced the sum of $513,000 for the letter of credit.

Subsequently, the Bureau of Customs seized and confiscated the handcuffs, because Pelaez failed to pay customs duties.

Santiago said DILG and PNP officials should be held responsible for the sum of $513,000 which the PNP lost.

The senator added that the shipment was also illegal, on the added ground that while the PNP called for stainless steel handcuffs, Pelaez imported nickel-plated handcuffs, which are 65 percent cheaper.

Santiago refused to give the names of the two women who allegedly lobbied for the contract, but urged reporters to investigate the tip reportedly given to her by a phone caller.

“My charges are based on official documents. The story of the pretty woman is only a tip that I cannot verify,” she said

Pinuri pa nga si Miriam ni Amando Doronila sa column niya eh...

“Miriam has revived the glory days of the Senate as the watchdog of administration venalities.”
“Miriam has also shown in the Puno exposes that she is not a Estrada stooge...In exposing Puno, Miriam has rediscovered the power of inquiry of the Senate and has become the symbol of this rediscovery at a time when the legislature is so intimidated by the President’s popularity that it does not stand up to him.”
“Miriam has found her mark---as catalyst of the reassertion by the Senate of its function as a chamber of inquiry into administration venalities.”
---Amando Doronila, Inquirer
“Miriam finds her mark”

But that was all in the past. Ang dating hinahangaan na si Miriam ay kinaiinisan na ngayon ng mga inquirer columnists at "civil society". At ang dating scam-artist na si Blanquita Pelaez ay naging isang ISAFP informer na under the Arroyo administration.

Pelaez was also paid P9 million by Victor Corpuz (using Presidential funds) as "agent's fee" for giving "tips" on Lacson's "billion" dollar bank accounts.

Aside from the two recommendations, the report also called for an inquiry by the Senate blue ribbon committee on the alleged payment of P9 million in "agent's fee" to Blanquita Pelaez for the "trip" on the supposed Lacson overseas accounts.

Pelaez, a PNP supply contractor blacklisted by Lacson, allegedly acted as informer of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines team in its month-long probe in the United States. She reportedly accompanied the ISAFP team to the US.

A post-operation report submitted by Chan to Corpus was paid P9 million for giving the ISAFP team the "tip" that Lacson maintains 18 accounts in various banks abroad.

Nung sumabog ang paputok ni Corpuz nung Aug. 5, 2001, the Inquirer at that time claimed that she was part of the Intelligence team to "beat Lacson" raw.

Ito yung sabi ni Pelaez nung narinig nya yung pekeng report ng inquirer na nanalo raw siya:

"Kalkalin ko na ngayon ang mga bank statement niya (I will now look for all his bank statements). All these statements will come out now," Pelaez told GMA 7.

LMAO!!!