Richard Gomez loses BIR case in DOJ

The Department of Justice recommended the filing of tax evasion charges against actor Richard Gomez before the Court of Tax Appeals. The charge stemmed from a complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue on April 14, 2005. BIR complained that Gomez did not file his income tax return for the years 2000 up to 2003.

Read more in DocketFiles.

Update in DocketFiles

A group of lawyers today warned that an executive order issued by the President yesterday may bring about a constitutional crisis because it is an "encroachment on the authority" of Congress to investigate.

Read more in DocketFiles.

Takeover Draft Ready

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Jr. said the draft outlining the legal basis for a government takeover of public utilities is ready. Read more in DocketFiles

Salat Sa Salita

Mahirap isipin, minsan, na ang tulad naming araw-araw, tiklada ng kompyuter ang kalaro at screen ng kompyuter ang kausap, nawawalan din kami ng salita.

Hindi tulad ng mga pang-araw-araw na istorya, may ilang bagay na mahirap bigyang depinisyon o deskripsyon.

Sa araw-araw, madali ang pagpitas ng salita, ang paghahanay nito at paghahabi ng mga ito.

Pero hindi ngayon.

Hindi ngayon, dahil tungkol ito sa 'yo.

Kagabi, napaniginipan na kita. Pagkagising ko, nakaramdam ako ng pagiging kumpleto. Parang umuwi na ako. Pero sandali lang ito nanatili. Mas mabilis nanaig ang pait ng realidad na nagising ako sa isang panaginip.

Ayaw kitang makita. Dahil mapuyos ang aking pakikipaglaban sa aking tunay na kagustuhan sa aking dapat na ginagawa.

Lalayo ako pero ang gusto ko ay lapitan ka. Iiwas sa tingin, pero gusto kitang titigan. Gusto kitang kausapin pero walang lumalabas na salita.

Pinahihirapan mo ako.

Gusto kita.

Pero maraming tanong ang nagiging balakid. Mamaya, pipikit na lang ako, at tatakas sa tunay na ibig, na makasiping, makapiling ka lagi.

Docket Files

I made a new blog, Docket Files. It will contain all news items which I have covered in the justice beat. You will also find links to videos related to the news items.

Henceforth, this blog, Essays and Other Lullabies, will be purely personal.

Love, Revealed

Ode to a Secret Love
Pablo Neruda

They've guessed
our secret,
you know.
They see me,
they see us,
and nothing
has been said--
neither your eyes
nor your voice,
neither your hair
nor your love
have said a word--
but suddenly
they know,
they know without
even knowing
they know.
I wave goodbye and
set off
in another direction,
and they know
you're waiting for me.


JoyfullyI live
and sing
and dream,
sureof myself.
They are aware,
somehow,
that you are my joy.
They see
through my heavy
trousers
the keys
to your door,
the keys
to writing paper, to moonlight
among jasmines,
to the song that sings
in the waterfall.
And you without
opening your mouth
speaking,
you crystal-clear
closing your eyes
or nursing
a red dove
nestled in black leaves,
the flightof a hidden heart
and then
a syllable,
a drop
from heaven,
in one's ear
the soft
sound of shade and
pollen,
and everybody
knows it,
my love:it makes the rounds
of men
in bookstores
and women
as well,
and close bythe marketplace,
whirling,
the ring
of our
secret
secret
love.

Let it
go
rolling
through the streets,
let it take
portraits
and walls by surprise,
let it come and go
and pop up
with fresh
greens in the market.
It has
soil
and roots
and a poppy
on top,
your mouth
a poppy.
Our
entire secret,
our key,o
ur hidden
word,
our shadow or
whisper,
comments
someone
made
when we weren't around--
it's just a poppy,
a poppy.

Love
love
love--
O secret flower,
invisible
flame,
bright scar
from the burning
brand!

Martial Law, No; Gov't Take-Over, Yes

The Department of Justice denies allegations by ex-Solicitor General Frank Chavez that it has drafted a document short of proclaiming martial law. Atty. Benny Nicdao, chief of staff of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, and State Prosecutor Jaime Umpa faced justice reporters today to deny the allegation. The two were the ones who supposedly studied and drafted the document.

Read more in DocketFiles.

The Lazarus Act

Lawyers Seek SC Help in Reviving Impeach Move

Pro-impeachment lawyer Atty. Harry Roque and several others including Cebu Representative Clavel Martinez (4th District, Cebu) today sought the intervention of the Supreme Court in reviving the amended impeachment complaint.

In their petition for certiorari, the lawyers argued that the original Lozano complaint should not have been recognized by the House Committee on Justice because it was "stricken with a basic jurisdictional defect."

They argued that the complaint cannot be considered as properly verified and endorsed by a member of the House of Representatives. The petition stated that the constitution requires that a complaint be filed and endorsed at the same time. They contend that the Lozano complaint was endorsed by Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, two days after it was filed.

"This is a jurisdictional defect that effectively deprives the House of Representatives of any jurisdiction over the original Lozano complaint," the petition said.

The petitioners insisted that it was only the amended complaint which was sufficient in form and substance.

They asked the Supreme Court to nullify the act of the House of Representatives and direct the House of Representatives to remand the amended complaint to the Committee on Justice.

See post also on DocketFiles

Erased

Annie Lennox

Annie Lennox lyrics :: Erased lyrics

I'm gonna put it all behind me Like nothing ever happened between us Nothing ever took place between you and me... Yes Nothin' ever happened And if you se me walkin' down the street I won't even recognise you I'll just erase you from my memory Put it all behind me Because you are erased All erased... you'll be sittin' on someone else's couch You'll be eatin' off a stranger's plate Everything is gonna get wiped out Like a new start Like a brand new fresh clean slate Well here I go remembering again All the anger and the blame... People in glass houses shouldn't throw those stones but ... something just flew through my window pane My my my my ... (oh mama did it touch you well?) I'll be in a brand new pair of running shoes And you'll be walking on down different street in a brand new suit and a fresh clean shirt Makin' telephone calls... Keepin' in time with someone else's feet Keepin' in time with someone else's feet

Iyon na marahil ang pinakamalungkot na pag-iisang dibdib. Sa altar, solo akong humarap sa paring pagal. Nagmamadali pero hindi niya alam ang sasambitin.

"You may now kiss the bride?," sabi n'ya, palinga-linga.

"Trick question ba s'ya father?" tanong ko. Kung hawak ko lang ang bulaklak ay naihampas ko na sa kanya.

Walang bulaklak. At wala ring ibang tao sa simbahan. Dalawang kandila ang nakatirik sa magkabilang tabi ng pari. Pero para sa akin 'yon.

"So ano'ng gagawin ko sa 'yo?" naiinis na tanong ng pari.

"Hindi ko rin alam," ang nasabi ko na lang.

"Bumalik ka na lang 'pag may kasama ka nang babasbasan ko. May burol pa akong pupuntahan," pakiusap ng pari.

Tinitigan ko lang siya.

"Maghanap ka. Huwag 'yong magdadrama kang pupunta dito ng mag-isa," naiinis na niyang sabi habang sumulyap sa relo niyang ginto.

Tinitigan ko lang siya.

Tumitig lang siya pabalik.

Tiningnan ko lang siya ulit. Ang kanyang mga labi. Ang matang nagniningning at sing-itim ng aking dilim ng pangungulila. Ang kanyang makapal na pilikmata.

Dumausos ang aking titig sa leeg niyang may butlig butlig na pawis. Sa parte ng kanyang leeg kung saan nag-uugnay ang dibdib at leeg. Minsan na akong nakatulog doon.

Tumungo siya.

Muli, pilit ko siyang tiningnan.

Umatras siya. At naglakad palayo sa aking kinatatayuan. Inihatid ng aking pananaw ang paring tumalikod. Hanggang sa nagsara ang pintuan ng simbahan.

Dilim.

Paano ko sasabihin na pinakasalan ko na ang aking nakaraan. At nabiyuda na rin ako nito.

Pag-aari ako ng aking nakalipas.

Freak-y

For the past so many weeks, I've been trying to avoid contact with this former high school love interest. She's married now but she's in a marriage that is less than perfect. I had the mistake of being a sounding board, once when I went to the province, so now, she's basically, uh, been bugging me and all.

I decided that avoiding her would be best for both of us. So if she texts, I don't reply. I reject the phone calls.

But the text this morning was way over board.

"I really had a bad dream about you last night. Are you okay?" she asked.

"You're freaking me out," I texted back.

"Sorry talaga. Twice na siya nangyari, with my uncle and you. Nasa ICU 'yung uncle ko. Ingat ka na lang," she replied.

(In cue music: from the movie, 'Psycho')

Enough.

"Ok. From now on, don't text me," I told her and ignored the succeeding text messages from her.

Yorac, 64

yorac
Originally uploaded by josephthaddeus.

Former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chair and 2004 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service Haydee Yorac passed away on September 12, at 4:12 p.m. due to complications of her cancer in the uterus.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna, a law partner and a good friend announced that she passed away in St. Francis Hospital in Chicago, Illinois in the arms of her four sisters and mother.

Azcuna said he doesn't know yet if she will be cremated or her body will be brought back to the Philippines.

T.P. and JTM

Me and TP with the new pin.


The pin.

New Leaf in October

R. is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, K. is in Spratlys Islands. T.P. and I are here in our respective beats and N. is, as usual, nowhere in sight. Hopefully, all of us will be together in October.

It will be I.'s(October 7) and my birthday (October 17) in October so will My's (October 18) and Eleynnn's.

Shout outs to all of us crossing that boundary of time. Hopefully, in doing so, we leave behind the lessons of the past year and carry with us the undying hope that things will be better (as they always are).

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

(L-R) Marieton Pacheco, ABS-CBN; Arlene Farol, ABC5; Me, of course; Grace Asuncion, RPN9.
Disclaimer: We had the clearance of the chief of security when we shot this mock en banc session. Taken on the same day the SC released its decision on EVAT

Quiapo

Was bored with the rally I was covering this afternoon, so I took this photo of the Quiapo church with my XDA phone.

SC upholds legality of EVAT

SC
Originally uploaded by josephthaddeus.

The Supreme Court has upheld the legality of Republic Act 9337otherwise known as the expanded value added tax law. The SC has deemed the law constitutional in its entirety and dismissed the five petitions against it.

SC Spokesperson Ismael Khan however clarified that the decision could not be described as 'unanimous' as there were sections in the law that some of the justices wanted to declare unconstitutional. But those sections were retained because there was not enough votes to strike them down. "No one (questioned) section of the law garnered the majority of 8 votes, so they stay," Khan explained.

But the temporary restraining order issued by the Court against the law on July 1, 2005 will be lifted after fifteen days when the decision becomes final. But the TRO may be extended if motions for reconsideration are filed.

Read the decision here:SC upholds EVAT legality
Republic Act 9337