As the waters have subsided in the hardest hit areas in Metro Manila and other nearby provinces, people are now literally picking up pieces of their homes, rebuilding what is left of it.

But while most people are trying their best to move on, some are still looking for missing family members, friends and relatives lost during flood caused by Ondoy, which killed more than 200 people.

As part of Yahoo! Southeast Asia’s effort to help in providing information and news about Ondoy and Pepeng’s aftermath, we’re launching this initiative to allow anyone to post photos of missing persons on Flickr, Yahoo!’s online photo sharing service. There are two ways to do this.

1. E-mail us a photo of the missing person at yseanewsroom@yahoo-inc.com

In the subject field, put “Typhoon Ondoy Missing Persons” and in the body text write the following information:

• Name:
• Age:
• Description of missing person: (e.g. Any unique features or clothing worn when last seen)
• Location of missing person where last seen:
• Who to contact and contact information:

2.Upload the photo in Flickr (http://flickr.com).

- If you don’t have a Flickr account yet, you can easily sign up using your Yahoo! email account.
- After uploading, make sure to put “Typhoon Ondoy Missing Persons” as the title of the image and in the description area, put the requested information about the missing person as mentioned in the first point.
- Tag all photos with the name of the missing person and “Typhoon Ondoy,” “missing person”.

NBA Legends (left to right): Dominique Wilkins, Tim Hardaway, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rory White, Robert Horry, Vlade Divac

By Charley Bautista-Braga
Yahoo! Philippines
Five of the greatest  players in NBA history are in Manila for an exhibition game against the PBA All-Stars, for the NBA Asia Challenge 2009 on Friday, September 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.  These NBA Legends include Kareem  Abdul Jabbar, Tim Hardaway, Vlade Divac, Dominique Wilkins and Robert Horry, who are pitting themselves up in an event, dubbed as the most ambitious and largest ever basketball event in the country.

The NBA Asia Challenge features the NBA Generations team, made up of the NBA Legends and the NBA Development League players in an exhibition game against the PBA All-Stars which include Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras, and Kenneth Duremdes, to name a few.  Also accompanying the NBA Legends are The Dunking Divas, the dance troupe of the New Jersey Nets who’ll be on hand to provide on-ground entertainment, and Sly the Silver Fox, the team’s mascot.

NBA greats Robert "Big Shot Rob" Horry and Vlade Divac

Yahoo! Philippines chatted with NBA greats Robert “Big Shot Rob” Horry, and Vlade Divac, and this is what they had to share to basketball fans:

On the Philippines:

Divac:  I’m very excited to be here. I heard that the Philippines is definitely a basketball country, and people really love the game here. This country has had an impact on my career. When I was 10 years old, my national team won the World Championship title in Manila in 1978, so that’s when I started playing basketball. I started when I was 10, and was drafted by the NBA when I was 21, 11 years later.

Horry: I unfortunately haven’t been able to watch any PBA, but I’m thrilled at how popular the game is here. We were just in Korea, and the thing about Asian basketball players is that they’re great guys, very skilled. I would say the one thing they have against them is size, and unfortunately you can’t teach size. They’re very skilled players though.

On basketball, and being a clutch player

Horry: It’s been fun playing with those guys, because those guys are the megastars of the team. Sometimes you’re not considered in the same breath, but you know those guys, they also value what you could do on the floor with them.  These are the guys who are going to get talked about when the game ends, and they trust you to get those shots nailed down.

On the U.S. and playing pro basketball

Divac: I played four years professionally in my country, and the Lakers drafted me for the NBA. It was tough for a couple of years, playing with a different style of game. I also didn’t speak any English, but on the other hand I was lucky to end up with an organization like the Lakers, so they helped me to make the transition much easier. My advice to other imports is to spread the feeling of really loving the game. When you do that, everything else is easy.  Also, do the mental work because everyone can shoot hoops, everyone can jump around, but it’s those little things that are difficult which can help distinguish you from the rest.

On luck, and career

Horry: I don’t think my career was about luck. It was about joining a team at the right time, like any kind of match or relationship, it was about finding the right match. So when you find the right kind of match, anything can happen. When I first joined the league, I thought Houston was the best match for my skills and from then on it just went on to better things. When I look at every team I’ve played, it was a great match for my talent and it was a great match for the team. Of course, there’s always going to be superstars in the team, but they’re not going to be superstars without adding that one “link,” and I always felt that I was that missing link that would make the team stronger.

Divac: I always believe in doing better, always moving forward. Everyday is a new day.

Words for people wishing to enter professional basketball

Divac: Maybe in your dream you can’t be the best basketball player, you can’t play in the NBA but you can find a way to be attached to the game in some different way where you can make a difference.

Horry: You know, you have to learn how to play the game the correct way. You have to go out and do everything, whatever it takes–walk, crawl or run – just practice the skills, the game know-how.  Practice a great amount of time, and maybe you’ll get better.  Also, you need to pit yourself against a team or other people who’ll help you stretch your talent.  When you stretch your talent, you’ll have that experience to make yourself better.

***

About Robert Horry:  Robert “Big Shot Rob” Horry’s career highlights include playing with the Houston Rockets and winning  back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995, and again with the LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002.  Horry is only one of nine players to win seven or more NBA championships, and only one of three players to win NBA Championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons.

About Vlade Divac:  A Serbian national, Divac played for the Yugoslavian National Team and led his team to win an Olympic Silver Medal in Seoul, Korea, until he was pirated by the LA Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and the Sacramento Kings.  He ranks fourth in Lakers history with 830 blocked shots, and joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to amass 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocked shots.

Tickets for the first-ever NBA Asia Challenge are now on sale at Ticketnet outlets at SM Malls, or online at www.ticketnet.com.ph.  Ticket prices are at P2,640 (Patron), P2112 (Lower Box), P1320 (Upper Box A), P792 (Upper Box B) and P264 (General Admission).  For more information, please log onto www.nba.com/asiachallenge2009.

Noynoy Aquino

Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party announced his decision to join the presidential race in a press conference at the Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila.

What follows is a liveblog of the morning event that was televised.

+++

7:35 a.m. Supporters gather at the Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila.

7:39 a.m. It’s a sea of yellow at the Club Filipino with supporters wearing yellow. Among those attending the press conference are Liberal Party members and Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

7:42 a.m. Members of the Black and White movement  and the Hyatt 10, or former Cabinet officials who bolted out of the administration, join the press conference to also throw their support to Noynoy Aquino.

7:46 a.m. People are asked to take their seats as the press conference is about to start.

7:50 a.m. The Aquino family arrives. Kris Aquino and husband James with their son baby James join the press conference. They are all wearing black with yellow ribbons.

7:52 a.m. Prayer is led.

7:54 a.m. Noynoy Aquino arrives and greets fellow members of the Liberal Party. People chant “Noynoy, Noynoy.”

7:56 a.m. Noynoy Aquino is introduced and is set to address supporters. Chants continue. “Mabuhay si Noynoy Aquino,” one shouts. He starts to thank his family.

7:59 a.m. Noynoy asks himself if he wants to continue on the fight, as he addressed supporters in Filipino. He recalls how the country has witnessed the outpouring of support for his family during the death and burial of her mother.

8:04 a.m. He admits that he didn’t want to get out of his retreat. But he realized that serving the people comes first. He praises Mar for his decision to give way. He also recalls his conversations with three people: One with a grade five student. One of the questions that struck him was a question about his sister, Kris Aquino. This remark elicits a laugh among the crowd.

8:09 a.m. Noynoy says the biggest sin among public servants is for people to lose hope.

8:10 a.m. I am accepting the plea of the citizens. I’m accepting the legacy of my parents. I also accept the responsibility to continue the fight for our people. I am accepting to lead the fight. My countrymen, I will run for president this coming elections. I will continue the fight. Thank you very much.

8:12 a.m. Answering questions, Noynoy says he’s expecting Manuel “Mar” Roxas II to be his running mate. But he will wait for his decision.

8:15 a.m. Sister Ballsy Aquino-Cruz addresses the supporters, acknowledging that they are supporting their brother in his bid for the president.

8:19 a.m. Noynoy Aquino answers various questions from supporters and the media.

8:23 a.m. My political career is very clear. I want to make democracy work not just for the rich but for everybody.

8:29 a.m. Everybody joins in the singing of “Bayan Ko.” Supporters also raise their fist while others flash the “Laban” sign.

8:31 a.m. Press conference ends. Noynoy is mobbed by the media.

8:33 a.m. In a brief interview with media, Noynoy reiterates that his decision to run for president is he’s response to a legitimate call from the people. He stressed that he’s also responding to the will of his parents. He welcomed all help for his fight for democracy.

Editor’s note: This story has been published on Vera Files and permission has been given to re-publish on this blog.

Copy of documents from Vera Files

Mikey said on national television Tuesday that campaign contributions and wedding gifts were partly the reason his declared net worth ballooned from P5.7 million in 2001 to P74.4 million in 2004 and then to P99.2 million last year. Mikey wed his second cousin Angela Arroyo Montenegro in 2002.

The numbers say Mikey’s net worth grew by more than 1,600 percent in the seven years that he has been a public official. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s eldest son, a one-time movie actor, became vice governor of Pampanga in 2001, and was elected congressman of the province’s second district in 2004 and 2007.

“Siyempre unang una, kinasal tayo. Medyo nagkaroon tayo ng maraming regalo. Tapos pag kampanya, siyempre kahit paano maraming tumutulong sa atin (Of course, first I got married. We received a lot of gifts. Then during campaigns, somehow we get contributions),” Mikey told Solita Monsod and Arnold Clavio, hosts of the morning show “Unang Hirit.”

But his statements of contributions and expenses for the last two congressional elections show zero donations to his campaign, which he reported as having been funded from his own pocket.
Mikey declared campaign expenses of P483,000 in 2004 and P552,876.15 in 2007. His 2007 spending included posters and leaflets, P246,740.10; gas and diesel, P88,332.80; meals, P148,560; rental of building, P40,000; and miscellaneous expenses, specifically financial assistance to indigents, P29,243.25.

The Omnibus Election Code requires candidates to file a “full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election” within 30 days after the election. This means the candidate is supposed to declare contributions in all forms and amounts made by all donors.

Election law expert Sixto Brillantes said Mikey could have committed perjury for failing to report the campaign contributions he received.

He added, “If he used that (campaign contributions) for personal purposes, then he should report that as an income, as a donation. If he did not report that, then he violated the Income Tax Law.” The Internal Revenue Code imposes a donor’s tax on donations.

Mikey’s appearance on Unang Hirit stemmed from a VERA Files report that said he failed to declare in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Network (SALN) for 2007 and 2008 a million-dollar beachfront house in Foster City, California, currently registered in his wife’s name.

VERA Files also reported that Mikey and his brother, Camarines Rep. Diosdado Ignacio “Dato” Arroyo, started buying houses in California and acquiring local business interests soon after they became congressmen.

Mikey said he and his family could well afford to buy houses in California, including the $1.32 million (P63.7 million) property at 1655 Beach Park Blvd in Foster City he bought and transferred to his wife’s name in August 2006.

He also insisted, “(The Foster City house) belongs to a company named Beach Way LLC. I’m not the sole owner. I’m part of the owners. I own about 20 to 30 percent, 40 something, like that…She (my wife) doesn’t own anything.”

The interspousal deed transfer recorded in August 2006 as Document No. 2006-126985 in the San Mateo County Assessor’s Office, however, shows “Juan Miguel Arroyo” granting the house in Foster City to his wife “Angela Arroyo Montenegro.”

Although Mikey listed Beach Way Park LLC in his 2007 and 2008 SALN, the San Mateo County Assessor’s Office has no record of Beach Way Park LLC (Limited Liability Company) owning the Foster City property. There is also no listing of a business entity named Beach Way Park in the county assessor’s office, California Secretary of State and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is also not registered with the Philippine SEC.

Instead, the most recent entry on the Arroyo’s Beach Way Park on the county assessor’s database is Document No. 2008-041550 recorded in April 2008 in which Indy Mac Bank (now OneWest Bank) “reconveyed” or returned the Foster City property to Angela “by reason of the payment of the indebtedness.” She had mortgaged the house for $858,000.

SALN filing guidelines require public officials to declare property owned by their spouses.

Mikey also told Unang Hirit that the Foster City house is not for sale.

VERA Files reported that the property was being sold after confirming that it was—and still is—advertised as for sale on the real estate Websites www.zillow.com and www.ewalk.com. The ewalk Website names the asking price: $1.38 million.

The San Mateo Tax Collector/Treasurer’s Office assessed the value of the Foster City property at $1.35 million in 2008 and $1.37 million this year. Data from this office also show the $14,511.48 property tax was paid last Jan. 16 and payment of the $14,869.62 property tax for 2009 falls due on April 10, 2010.

Mikey said on TV that the “residential house” in the U.S. he declared in his 2005 and 2006 SALNs are two different houses. “We sold the (2005) house after five or six months,” he said, and then bought another house.

Of the U.S. house declared in the 2006 SALN, Mikey said, “Nabenta rin ito (We also sold this). It’s not the Foster City residence.” This means he bought three houses from 2005 to 2006, but did not identify the other property.

Asked by Clavio about reports he had bought another property in the U.S., Mikey said, “Meron, pero hindi sa kin yun (There is, but it’s not mine).” He and Clavio then laughed.

Aside from the house in Foster City, the San Mateo County Assessor’s Office records the Arroyos’ purchase in September 2005 of their three-bedroom unit at the Manors Condominiums at 805 Mendocino Way in Redwood City for $900,000.

Like the Foster City house, Mikey had transferred the property to his wife. Angela sold the property in December 2006 for $880,000, four months after they bought the Foster City property.

Former Civil Service Commission Chair Karina David told another television program last week that the transfer of ownership to wives or husbands of properties that may have been acquired illegally has been a practice by government officials who cannot explain their wealth acquisition.

On the sudden increase in his assets, Mikey said, “(It’s not) ill-gotten, hindi naman kalakihan ’yan (It’s not too big).”

Under Republic Act 6758, a vice governor receives a monthly compensation equivalent to salary grade 28, with a pay ranging from P15,180 to P16,275. A congressman receives a basic salary of P35,000 a month or P420,000 a year, according to the Commission on Audit.

In the three years he served as vice governor, Mikey should have earned a gross income of P634,725, including 13th month pay. Despite having declared no real property or business interests while still vice governor, even after his marriage to Angela, save for P2.1 million of unspecified shares of stock in 2001 and 2002 and about P3 million in bank deposits, he managed to acquire by 2004 a house in Lubao, Pampanga, worth P4 million and a house in La Vista in Quezon City for P8 million. He did not report having borrowed money or incurred other liabilities before he was elected congressman.

In his first term as congressman, Mikey’s gross salary should have totaled P1.26 million.

Mikey declared acquisition of businesses in 2006: Mikey’s Horseman Bar and Grill Inc., Visualtoon Creations Inc. and LPG Auto Gas. Shortly after he got elected in 2007, he again declared new business interests: Los Manos Verdes Inc. and Beach Way Park but stopped declaring Visualtoon. In 2008, he declared his investment in U18 Properties Inc. and La Vista Investments and Holdings Inc.

Mikey also first declared in 2005 a “personal loan from relatives” of P27.1 million, an amount he continued to list among his liabilities until July 2007, indicating that the loan went unpaid. In December 2007, his “advances from relatives” climbed to P33.8 million. The same entry and amount appear in his December 2008 declarations.

He lists cash in bank and on bank (P51 million in 2008 and P46 million in 2007), and stock portfolios (P44 million in both years) as his most substantial assets.

Although Mikey said his wealth was not that big, the Foster City house and the Redwood City condo that he and his wife still owned in 2006 had a combined value of $2.22 million or about P108 million, an amount that could have bought 2.16 million textbooks for public school children.

Unable to explain the gaps in his SALN, Mikey said his lawyers “made a mistake” in filing the SALN and the law allows him to correct the errors in his annual declarations. “Hindi pa tayo sanay mag-file ng SAL (We were not yet used to filing SALs),” he said.

David said while the law allows corrections to the SALN, the mistake should not have been repeatedly committed.

“Pero kung taun-taon at mali at kinorek mo, ang question diyan ay hindi iyong ikaw ba ay nagsinungaling lamang kundi pati kung kaya mo bang panindigan na kumita ka ng ganun kalaking halaga para makakuha ng ganyang klase ng kayamanan (If the mistake was committed every year and you corrected it, the question here is not only whether you are lying but also whether you can explain how you were able to acquire that kind of wealth),” she said.

On Unang Hirit, Mikey challenged his detractors, “Why don’t you just sue me in court? Get it over with?”

The SALN Manual says, “The SALN is made under oath. Falsification of information or failure to file or report information required to be reported may subject you to disciplinary/criminal action. Knowing and willful falsification of information required to be reported may also subject you to criminal prosecution.”

Under Republic Act 6713 entitled “Establishing a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” the penalties for willful falsification of information ranges from imprisonment of five years or less, a fine of P5,000 or less, and dismissal from the service.

David said a government official caught lying in his SALN can be charged with perjury. Lying in the SALN can also be interpreted as having unexplained wealth, which can be a basis for a graft case, she said.—Ellen Tordesillas, Avigail Olarte, Yvonne Chua and Luz Rimban

*(VERA Files is the work of senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for “true.”)

Mar Roxas and Korina Sanchez

Presidential aspirant Senator Manuel Roxas II gives way to Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Saying he believed in “country above self,” Roxas stressed he would be supporting Aquino in the 2010 elections although it was not immediately clear whether Aquino would seek the presidency.

“Today, I’m announcing my support for the candidacy of Noynoy Aquino for president for 2010,” Roxas said in a televised press conference at the Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila.

“Sa madaling salita, Noynoy has made it clear to me he wants to carry the torch of leadership,” he added.

However, Aquino, who was also at the press conference, did not deliver a speech.

Roxas said that after several talks with Aquino, they came up with a decision that would help them pursue their “common dream” for change.

“Ito na ang pinakamabigat na desisyon sa buhay ko [This is the biggest decision I've made in my life],” said Roxas who already released several political advertisements ahead of the 2010 polls. He is also set to marry broadcaster Korina Sanchez in October.

“I do this for unity in support for change…if that means somebody has to make a sacrifice, ako na,” he said.

The senator’s late father, former Senator Gerry Roxas, was a close friend and political ally of Aquino’s assassinated father, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. The older Roxas and Aquino almost went against each other for the 1972 presidential elections, which did not push through when then president Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law.

By Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Philippines

Only a “miracle” would stop pardoned President Joseph Estrada from pursuing the presidency in the 2010 elections.

By “miracle,” Estrada meant having only one presidential candidate for the opposition, a wish he would unlikely achieve after Senators Manuel Villar, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Ma. Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, have expressed their intent to seek the highest office in the country in the 2010 polls.

Other visible hopefuls are Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Loren Legarda, religious leaders Mike Velarde, Eddie Villanueva and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio.

“I’m still expecting a miracle of having a single presidential candidate [for the opposition],” Estrada said in a recent interview with the Yahoo! Philippines.

Estrada has admitted reaching out to some of the 2010 hopefuls to convince them to back out, but most insisted that they have already decided.

The only time he would withdraw from the race is “If they all back out and we will agree on one candidate to ensure the victory of the opposition,” Estrada added.

He also believed that he has kept the “Erap magic.”

“I don’t think I will run again if I don’t see any Erap power back,” he said, noting that he has his own choices for a running mate but the formal announcement would be made in September.

The former president said he was also not worried about funds when election campaign starts. This is despite the pending forfeiture of his assets, which he claimed were gained while he was still a movie actor.

“I know I have enough money,” he said.

The Sandiganbayan on September 2007 convicted Estrada of plunder and ordered the forfeiture to the government of cash representing Estrada’s “jueteng” (illegal numbers game) payoffs amounting to P545.29 million with interest, including the P200 million deposited in the name of the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation; the P189-million commission from the purchase of Belle Corp. shares that ended up in the so-called Jose Velarde account, and the 5, 192.88 square-meter “Boracay Mansion” in New Manila, Quezon City.

After six years of detention in his Tanay rest house, and a month after his conviction, Estrada was freed following an executive clemency from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Debates on Estrada’s eligibility to run have once again emerged.

*(Photo courtesy of Stitch).

Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, left, and her assassinated husband Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. look on during his rebellion trial before a military commission. (AP Photo/File)

Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Philippines

Today, we commemorate the martyrdom of Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

Just 26 years ago, he chose to leave his peaceful life in the U.S. to return to his homeland, despite threats to his life. He was supposed to deliver a speech upon his return but was unable to do so when he was killed on the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport.

His death sparked the Philippines’ shining moment in history, as millions of Filipinos joined his funeral march amid fear during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. Three years later, Aquino’s widow, Corazon, was catapulted to power through the world’s first bloodless, people-led revolt now known as the People Power/EDSA Revolution.

Several members of the military were convicted and have served years in prison for killing Ninoy Aquino. But the question remains: who was the mastermind?

What follows is dubbed ‘The most famous undelivered speech in Philippine history’ — the speech Ninoy was supposed to read before his supporters.

————————————————————————————————————————-

(This is the entire statement as it appears (all-caps, italicized quote, and all) in “A Testimony by Ninoy,” a pamphlet published on September 1, 1983 by the Human Development Research and Documentation office of the La Ignaciana Apostolic Center as Human Society No. 21)

I have returned on my free will to join the ranks of those struggling to restore our rights and freedoms through nonviolence.

I seek no confrontation. I only pray and will strive for a genuine national reconciliation founded on justice.

I am prepared for the worst, and have decided against the advice of my mother, my spiritual adviser, many of my tested friends and a few of my most valued political mentors.

A death sentence awaits me. Two more subversion charges, both calling for death penalties, have been filed since I left three years ago and are now pending with the courts.

I could have opted to seek political asylum in America, but I feel it is my duty, as it is the duty of every Filipino, to suffer with his people especially in time of crisis.

I never sought nor have I been given assurances or promise of leniency by the regime. I return voluntarily armed only with a clear conscience and fortified in the faith that in the end justice will emerge triumphant.

According to Gandhi, the willing sacrifice of the innocent is the most powerful answer to insolent tyranny that has yet been conceived by God and man.

Three years ago when I left for an emergency heart bypass operation, I hoped and prayed that the rights and freedoms of our people would soon be restored, that living conditions would improve and that blood-letting would stop.

Rather than move forward, we have moved backward. The killings have increased, the economy has taken a turn for the worse and the human rights situation has deteriorated.

During the martial law period, the Supreme Court heard petitions for Habeas Corpus. It is most ironic, after martial law has allegedly been lifted, that the Supreme Court last April ruled it can no longer entertain petitions for Habeas Corpus for persons detained under a Presidential Commitment Order, which covers all so-called national security cases and which under present circumstances can cover almost anything.

The country is far advanced in her times of trouble. Economic, social and political problems bedevil the Filipino. These problems may be surmounted if we are united. But we can be united only if all the rights and freedoms enjoyed before September 21, 1972 are fully restored.

The Filipino asks for nothing more, but will surely accept nothing less, than all the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the 1935 Constitution — the most sacred legacies from the Founding Fathers.

Yes, the Filipino is patient, but there is a limit to his patience. Must we wait until that patience snaps?

The nation-wide rebellion is escalating and threatens to explode into a bloody revolution. There is a growing cadre of young Filipinos who have finally come to realize that freedom is never granted, it is taken. Must we relive the agonies and the blood-letting of the past that brought forth our Republic or can we sit down as brothers and sisters and discuss our differences with reason and goodwill?

I have often wondered how many disputes could have been settled easily had the disputants only dared to define their terms.

So as to leave no room for misunderstanding, I shall define my terms:

1. Six years ago, I was sentenced to die before a firing squad by a Military Tribunal whose jurisdiction I steadfastly refused to recognize. It is now time for the regime to decide. Order my immediate execution or set me free. I was sentenced to die for allegedly being the leading communist leader. I am not a communist, never was and never will be.

2. National reconciliation and unity can be achieved but only with justice, including justice for our Muslim and Ifugao brothers. There can be no deal with a Dictator. No compromise with Dictatorship.

3. In a revolution there can really be no victors, only victims. We do not have to destroy in order to build.

4. Subversion stems from economic, social and political causes and will not be solved by purely military solutions; it can be curbed not with ever increasing repression but with a more equitable distribution of wealth, more democracy and more freedom, and

5. For the economy to get going once again, the workingman must be given his just and rightful share of his labor, and to the owners and managers must be restored the hope where there is so much uncertainty if not despair.

On one of the long corridors of Harvard University are carved in granite the words of Archibald Macleish:

“How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms; by truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always, and in the final act, by determination and faith.”

I return from exile and to an uncertain future with only determination and faith to offer — faith in our people and faith in God.

Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Philippines

Former Corazon Aquino’s condition is now being closely monitored, her family said Tuesday afternoon.

“We are closely monitoring her blood pressure which has been fluctuating,” the Aquino’s family said, noting that her condition changed from stable to “guarded.”

“Our mother’s condition has been stable for several weeks now and has turned guarded yesterday (Monday) afternoon,” according to the family’s statement that is now being circulated.

The family, however, stressed that the former leader is asleep and “not in pain.”

Aquino was diagnosed with colon cancer last 2008 and has been confined at the Makati Medical Center for over a month for loss of appetite.

Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Philippines

“At the end of this speech I shall step down from this stage…but not from the Presidency. There is much to do as head of state–to the very last day,” said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as she delivered her last State of the Nation Address during a joint session at the House of Representatives.

Wearing a purple terno, Arroyo said a silent prayer for cancer-stricken former president Corazon Aquino before her speech.

“I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President,” she said, as she cited her accomplishments since 2001.

She started off with the country’s economic state, slightly hitting critics, boasting of creating more than 1 million jobs a year, improving infrastructure and social services, including health and education.

She also enumerated bills she signed into law, including the cheaper medicines bill, which was pushed by her critic Senator Manuel Roxas II.

Arroyo lashed back at her critics, but she stressed that her term does not end until next year.

“Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes first,” she said.

Getting a total of 126 rounds of applause, Arroyo’s speech lasted over 70 minutes.

+++

The following is Yahoo! Philippines’ live blog on the State of the Nation Address.

5:05 p.m. Nograles ends session. Arroyo goes down to greet supporters.

5:03 p.m. Arroyo finishes her speech after more than an hour. All in all, she got a total of 126 applauses, according to state-owned television station.

5:00 p.m. Arroyo: “I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my office for personal profit. ”

4:57 p.m. Arroyo says she has not expressed any desire to extend beyond her term.

4:55 p.m. Arroyo lashes back at critics, saying she won’t flinch, nor falter.

4:53 p.m. Arroyo cites Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao as an example of a hardworking and disciplined Filipino who has defied odds. Mabuhay ka Manny!

4:50 p.m. Arroyo thanks Congress for passing the law on automated elections. “At  the end of this speech, I will step down from this stage, but not from the presidency. My turn does not end until next year. I will fight for the ordinary people until the last day of my stay. A year is a long time.”

4:47 p.m.  Arroyo says peace process should continue, as she introduced rebel returnee Leah de la Cruz. “There is nothing more that I wish but peace in Mindanao.”

4:44 p.m. Arroyo says the country is using technology to prepare for any more calamities and disasters. Early warning and forecasting facilities are being improved, as well as flood control systems.

4:42 p.m. Arroyo: We have created more than a million jobs a yea since 2001 to 2009.

4:41 p.m. Arroyo says the economy has posted an uninterrupted growth since 2001 to 2009.

4:39 p.m. Arroyo says she’s been traveling abroad to learn more about the problems of overseas Filipino workers. She says she’s helping work out better migrant policies.

4:36 p.m. Arroyo says overseas work should a career choice rather than the only option for Filipinos. “Let’s make more sacrifices,” admonishing stronger consumer protection for overseas Filipino workers.

4:34 p.m. Arroyo introduces Mylene Amerol-Macumbal,scholarship beneficiary who placed 2nd in the last bar exams–the first Muslim woman bar topnotcher.

4:31 p.m. Arroyo says there are now 95,000 classrooms, 60,000 teachers, with an additional P1.5B for training for 100,000 English teachers.

4:29 p.m. Arroyo: We will work to increase the tax effort through improved collections and new sin taxes to further our capacity to reduce poverty and pursue growth.

4:26 p.m. Arroyo says government has improved the local banking system. “BSP has been very prudent,” she says. BSP will be even more effective if Congress amends its charter, she adds.

4:25 p.m. Arroyo says under her watch, government has been able to cut debts.

4: 23 p.m. Arroyo says EPIRA dismantled monopoly in the electricity and distribution industry. By next year, she expects people to benefit from low energy cost due to the EPIRA law.

4: 21 p.m. Arroyo: I supported the tough version of the House on Cheaper medicine law. I also supported the weak versions of my critics. The result: prices of medicine have dropped and thanks to members of Congress. If you want something done, just do it. Don’t ponder, and don’t say bad words in publilc.

4:19 p.m. She says government has helped fisherfolks go into fish farming.

4:18 p.m. She says government has been able to build 16,000 kilometers of road.

4:14 p.m. She thanks Congress for extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

4:10 p.m. She says that under her leadership, the country has seen better roads, more infrastructure projects finished, upgraded airports and seaports, among others.

4:09 p.m. Arroyo says she paid the political price for doing the right thing. She thanks Congress for supporting her.

4:07 p.m.  Arroyo says Moody’s has upgraded its ratings. Bad news for critics. She adds, ”I did not become president to become popular.”

4:05 p.m. Arroyo says the global recession has impacted the Philippines.

4:03 p.m. Nograles addresses the joint session and introduces Arroyo. Arroyo gets standing ovation.

4:02 p.m. Religious leaders say a prayer.

4:oo p.m. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker formally open the joint session. The singing of the national anthem follows.

3:55 p.m. 270 members of the House of Representatives are present, according to TV reports.

3:54 p.m. Arroyo is flanked by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, one of her staunchest supporter.

3:52 p.m. Arroyo walks towards the Plenary Hall along with Cabinet members.

3:45 p.m. Tourism Secretary Ace Durano says Arroyo will likely discuss the local tourism industry.

3:43 p.m. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles walk towards the Plenary hall.

3:40 p.m. First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo arrives.

3:37 p.m. Television shows former President Fidel Ramos already seated and ready to listen to Arroyo.

3:36 p.m. Arroyo proceed to the holding room. She is scheduled to deliver her 9th and last State of the Nation Address at 4 p.m.

3:35 p.m. Arroyo meets with Cabinet members.

3:33 p.m. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrives at the House of Representatives, wearing a purple terno.

3:32 p.m. House Speaker Nograles says in a television interview there’s an overflowing crowd at the House of Representatives.

3:31 p.m. Vice president Noli de Castro arrives.

3: 28 p.m. Here’s the latest from our Yahoo! Southeast Asia Twitter feed: DPWH Sec Hermogenes Ebdane says Filipinos must learn to thank Arroyo for executing numerous road projects #Sona. Follow our Twitter feed at @yseanewsroom or click: http://twitter.com/yseanewsroom.

3:25 p.m. Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila says in a television interview that the electronics industry has been picking up in the recent months amid the global economic crisis hitting all sectors. He says government is now focusing trade on China, Middle East and China.

3:18 p.m. House Speaker Prospero Nograles says they don’t have the numbers to push for a constituent assembly today, the Philippine Star reports. The constituent assembly is one modes of amending the 1987 Constitution.

3:14 p.m. Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza claims  in a television interview that the government has accomplished so much during Arroyo’s term. He cites the “roll-on, roll-off” project under the current administration, which has helped transportation and trade within the archipelago.

3:11 p.m. Members of Congress, government officials and guests are starting to come into the House of Representatives.

3:08 p.m. Arroyo is set to defend her spotty achievements during her State of the Nation Address, a report from the Associated Press says.

2:55 p.m. Also do check the Yahoo! Southeast Asia Twitter feeds at @yseanewsroom for updates.

2:49 p.m. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to deliver her 9th State of the Nation Address before Congress.

Thea Alberto
Yahoo! Philippines

The spokesperson of former President Corazon Aquino has denied reports the former leader has succumbed to colon cancer. “It’s not true,” said Deedee Siytangco, former President Corazon Aquino’s spokesperson in a telephone interview with Yahoo! Philippines when asked about the report. “If there’s anything to be announced, it would be them who will do so,” she said.

“The family appreciates the concern for the mother but if it does not come from any of the five kids and the grandsons or her nephew, she’s not yet (gone),” said Siytangco. However, the spokesman admitted Aquino’s condition has not improved with her continued loss of appetite.

She also said family’s mood has been quite gloomy. “They’ve been not very well,” she added. Siytangco reiterated that visitors were still not allowed at the Makati Medical Center, where Aquino has been confined. She has been battling with colon cancer since 2008 and has been confined since last month.

In a separate interview, Jiggy Cruz, Aquino’s grandson said that Aquino was getting pain relievers. “She’s stable yesterday. She’s getting pain relievers and she’s asleep now,” he said. Cruz, who was at the hospital at the time of interview, also clarified the former president was not on a life support system. However, he said the former leader could not talk well.

“She’s having a hard time to talk so it’s either a yes or a no for her,” said Cruz. “We’re all here. We’ve been praying the rosary together,” he added.

A text message claiming Aquino has succumbed to colon cancer circulated late Friday, prompting the British Embassy to send its condolences to the family. A staff member of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, however, declared that she was still alive but in “critical condition.”

Aquino’s supporters had been tying yellow ribbons in Makati City and Manila to show their continued support for the ailing leader.

The British Embassy has issued an apology after it sent its condolences to the Aquino family.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton wished a speedy recovery for the former president.

Aquino, who has been diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer, was hospitalized for loss of appetite. She is the widow of assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino. The assassination sparked a “people power” revolt in 1986 that led to ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Have you tied a yellow ribbon to support Aquino?