Have you ever seen anyone win second place as triumphantly and with as much grace as Jessica Sanchez? In a world which seems to believe, “second is first loser,” Jessica demonstrated to us that there are times when there is no such thing as losing. One can win just as much or even more than the winner even by coming in second.
After all, American Idol is a voting contest. There is no guarantee the voters will vote correctly and for the right reasons. In the case of Jessica, there was no question at all who was the better singer. She presented one big performance after another finishing finally with a screaming jazz and soul duet number with Jennifer Holliday that left no doubt at all what she was capable of, no doubt at all we were looking at another great Filipina singer following after a very long tradition of great Filipina singers. This tradition follows after big names like Pilita, Kuh Ledesma, Lea Salonga and so many others. Their image resonates in the minds of most Filipino viewers. It was this role Jessica played so well. Is it any surprise the Americans missed it entirely? Phillip Phillips looked exactly like the all-American-male, guitar strumming, country-folk singer, an image which dominated the American Idol competitions for the last five years. He was bound to win.
And yet it was the manner by which Jessica took in all these that should make all of us proud. Her statements after the contest, how she loved Phillip’s music, the way she never complained about losing gives us a good example of sportspersonship at a time when competitions often grow desperate and bloody. It is an example which should not be lost on those who have viewed or have been directly involved in the impeachment trial of CJ Renato Corona.
Read more here and American Idol news here
Monday, May 28, 2012
Corona is best witness for prosecution, says Palace
Malacañang is not shaken by Chief Justice Renato Corona’s dramatic second turn at the witness stand, and thinks the top magistrate is “the best witness for the prosecution.”“Mr. Corona has finally admitted what the impeachment court [wants] to find out: [Did he withhold] information from his [statements of assets, liabilities and net worth]? He did,” said Edwin Lacierda, President Aquino’s spokesperson, after the impeachment hearing in the Senate on Friday.
Lacierda said Corona declared only P3.5 million in cash in his 2010 SALN, but testified on Friday that he had P80 million and $2.4 million in the bank.
“The issues have been joined,” Lacierda said. “Mr. Corona has become the best witness for the prosecution. He has proven, by his demeanor and his very own statements, the validity of the charges against him, and provided evidence more than sufficient to determine his fate.”
Lacierda noted that Corona, in his testimony on Friday, claimed that the Foreign Currency Deposits Act (FCDA) enacted in 1974 was superior to the requirements of the 1987 Constitution.
“[Mr. Corona] has made his legal legacy a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free-Card for all officials who are plunderers and crooks,” Lacierda said.
If Corona’s interpretation of the law is right, Lacierda said, all that thieving officials need to do is “park their ill-gotten funds in foreign currency accounts” to make themselves immune to prosecution under the antigraft laws.
For banks, not depositor
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Saturday that FCDA isn’t necessarily in conflict with the financial disclosure requirement in the Constitution.
“Let us remember that the FCDA is directed at the banks,” Valte said over state-run radio dzRB. “That’s why there are sanctions. [I]t’s not directed at the depositor.”
Valte said there were exceptions to the Bank Secrecy Law, among them impeachment, prosecution in court, and an expressed waiver
But even the FCDA provides an exception, Valte said, pointing out that the depositors may grant permission to inquiries into their accounts.
The law “does not bar the depositor from talking about his own deposits,” Valte said. “It empowers the depositor to sign a waiver to talk about his own deposits. So that law is not directed at the depositor, but at the banks who handle and take care of the deposits,” she said.
Constitution or the law?
Asked whether the law should be amended so that foreign-currency bank accounts will not serve as a safe haven for the loot of corrupt officials, Valte said, “Let’s wait for what would happen [in the impeachment trial] and that would also depend on our lawmakers because it was made to seem that there is a conflict.”
Valte said that most lawyers believed there was no conflict between laws. “It was asked, which should prevail, the Constitution or the law?” she said. “That’s rather clear [even] for first-year law students because the principle of the hierarchy of laws is also quite clear,” she said.
Corona Witness
Jessica Sanchez defends ‘American Idol,’ says protest ‘not necessary’
With those words, “American Idol” runner-up Jessica Sanchez brushed aside a protest by a Filipino-American community group. Migrant Heritage Commission, which is based here in D.C., is asking Fox TV to disclose “in the interest of transparency” how the voting was counted and how much of the 132 million votes went to the young singer.
Jessica, a close second to winner Phillip Phillips, told The FilAm: “I don’t think it’s necessary. I think Phil deserves to win, I think it was all fair. They wouldn’t ever cheat or anything like that. I think it was completely fair.”
I caught up with Jessica at a rehearsal of artists scheduled to perform at the May 27 National Memorial Day Concert to honor soldiers and veterans. With Jessica in the program are fellow Idol Chris Daughtry and Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole.
“It means the world,” the 16-year-old was gushing. “My dad is part of the military and so is my grandfather. I’m excited, I feel like I’m really part of this and it’s an honor to be singing for everybody here today.”
Jessica’s Mexican father, Gilbert, is a Navy veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mother Editha is Filipino. Her maternal grandfather is a retired U.S. Navy man.
“I’m excited because my grandfather is a big part of the military, and he’s here to celebrate this time with me,” she said of the PBS program dedicated to active duty soldiers, veterans and their families. “It’s like I’m singing not only to him but to everybody else here.”
Wearing tight black jeans and an airy gray top that bared her belly, Jessica arrived here in late morning and took her place at the stage directly across from the Capitol’s west lawn. She looked drained and a wee bit cross. I was looking for the toothy smiles that became her endearing Idol trademark, but they did not flash naturally across her face. Maybe the post-Idol schedules are now taking their toll on her disposition.
She listened to a briefing by the PBS production crew then proceeded to belt the “Star-Spangled Banner.” There were moments when her voice cracked, but she would pause and continue to sing as if in a whisper. Seemed to me she was saving her big voice for the big night.
From two songs, PBS decided that Jessica will be singing three — the national anthem, “The Prayer” and “America, the Beautiful,” which is the finale song. After rehearsal, she took a 30-minute break to rest, freshen up, retouch her makeup and settle down for her interview.
She said she was eternally grateful to her Filipino-Mexican background which formed the backbone of her overwhelming support. “I had a lot of support and it doesn’t necessarily mean voting-wise, I just had support from my people, and I appreciate it so much.”
Jessica, the oldest of three children – she has two younger brothers — said she speaks only English at home, but is looking forward to learning Tagalog in the future. “I grew up with my grandma and so is my mom who are from the Philippines, they make Filipino food and dishes for us all the time.”
Jessica said she plans to pursue her music career wherever it takes her, but will definitely go to college “as a back-up.”
“Music is pretty much my number one priority, next to family. I’m going to be working on some songs pretty soon,” she said. The latest word is that Tommy Mottola has offered to produce her first album for his Casablanca-UMG label Jessica was mum about the details.
“I’m definitely working on some things right now,” she said. “I’m at this event and we all worked it out and definitely trying to keep myself busy and I’m excited for the future. More Jessica Sanchez news here.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Navy exec says size of PH warships shouldn’t matter
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City—The American vessels that the government bought and turned into warships may not have impressed a public awed by modern Chinese ships now guarding the contested Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
But Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, Navy flag officer in command, on Saturday said the vessels’ size and age should not really matter. He said the Navy is upgrading its technology, not in response to the standoff at Scarborough, but as part of a scheduled upgrade that was started several years ago.
Yet improving the Navy’s technology also requires enough time for its personnel to familiarize themselves with modern equipment, he said, after addressing the cadets comprising the Philippine Military Academy’s “Gabay-Laya” Class of 2016.
“Even if I had all the money in the world, I myself will not be getting all the top-of-the-line equipment [immediately] … the reason being there has to be some form of transition. You are used to riding a bicycle or a tricycle and suddenly you buy a Mercedes Benz,” Pama told the Inquirer.
In his speech, Pama said: “The constant challenge we face, as with the rest of the other branches of service, is the urgent need for our capacity-enhancement and capability-building in the face of regional and transnational threats.”
Amid scarcity of resources, he said the government had found ways of securing the cutters BRP Del Pilar PF-15 and BRP Alcaraz PF-16, which would be commissioned in December.
He said the government is also buying frigates and has improved the country’s coast watch systems.
“There has to be a sort of transition for our people to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills and that’s even more important than acquiring anything else,” he said.
When asked, Pama said public impressions were correct about the Navy’s outdated equipment.
He said the shoal standoff had drawn policymakers to the demands of beefing up the country’s fleet.
“Admittedly, the military did not receive proper attention for a while, which is understandable because the government has other priorities,” he said.
The new warships were former US Coast Guard vessels, which were outfitted and sold to the Philippines without their weapon systems.
Pama said these vessels “serve our purpose, the purpose being the size of the ship [enables the Navy] to bring it to patrol areas when before, navigating these seas had been difficult for the older vessels.”
“Just because [these vessels are] X number of years, it does not mean they are useless. They are not,” he said.
“The size of the ships conforms with our operational demands. It’s not that new but then again, it’s an easier step to transition into the necessary skills [for operating modern vessels],” he said.
Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
Scarborough Shoal news
But Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, Navy flag officer in command, on Saturday said the vessels’ size and age should not really matter. He said the Navy is upgrading its technology, not in response to the standoff at Scarborough, but as part of a scheduled upgrade that was started several years ago.
Yet improving the Navy’s technology also requires enough time for its personnel to familiarize themselves with modern equipment, he said, after addressing the cadets comprising the Philippine Military Academy’s “Gabay-Laya” Class of 2016.
“Even if I had all the money in the world, I myself will not be getting all the top-of-the-line equipment [immediately] … the reason being there has to be some form of transition. You are used to riding a bicycle or a tricycle and suddenly you buy a Mercedes Benz,” Pama told the Inquirer.
In his speech, Pama said: “The constant challenge we face, as with the rest of the other branches of service, is the urgent need for our capacity-enhancement and capability-building in the face of regional and transnational threats.”
Amid scarcity of resources, he said the government had found ways of securing the cutters BRP Del Pilar PF-15 and BRP Alcaraz PF-16, which would be commissioned in December.
He said the government is also buying frigates and has improved the country’s coast watch systems.
“There has to be a sort of transition for our people to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills and that’s even more important than acquiring anything else,” he said.
When asked, Pama said public impressions were correct about the Navy’s outdated equipment.
He said the shoal standoff had drawn policymakers to the demands of beefing up the country’s fleet.
“Admittedly, the military did not receive proper attention for a while, which is understandable because the government has other priorities,” he said.
The new warships were former US Coast Guard vessels, which were outfitted and sold to the Philippines without their weapon systems.
Pama said these vessels “serve our purpose, the purpose being the size of the ship [enables the Navy] to bring it to patrol areas when before, navigating these seas had been difficult for the older vessels.”
“Just because [these vessels are] X number of years, it does not mean they are useless. They are not,” he said.
“The size of the ships conforms with our operational demands. It’s not that new but then again, it’s an easier step to transition into the necessary skills [for operating modern vessels],” he said.
Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
Scarborough Shoal news
Leftists back Chief Justice Corona
During his three-hour opening statement on Tuesday, Corona said President Benigno Aquino III was dominated by leftists.
“We dare them to speak with the same tone of self-righteousness that they used when they signed the complaint,” KMU chairman Elmer Labog said, referring to the congressmen.
Anakbayan chairman Vencer Crisostomo said: “It should not be difficult for the advocates of impeachment to sign the waivers as a gesture of sincerity and commitment to transparency and accountability in government.”
Chief Justice Corona
‘American Idol’ reality: No guaranteed big bucks for Jessica Sanchez as No. 2
LOS ANGELES—Coming in second on “American Idol” may still be a path to superstardom, but it no longer offers guaranteed paychecks worthy of the next pop idol or rock star.Wednesday night’s (Thursday morning in Manila) runner-up, 16-year-old Filipino-Mexican Jessica Sanchez, doesn’t have a definite shot at producing an album and could be paid as little as $30,000 in advances for recording singles, according to the “Idol” contract she and other season 11 contestants signed earlier this year.
The agreement appears to be the first time in “Idol’s” history that producers are not offering the show’s runner-up an album deal that in previous years came with a guaranteed advance of at least $175,000, an Associated Press review of the Fox show’s contracts reveals.
The analysis covers eight of “Idol’s” 11 seasons during which contracts filed for contestants under the age of 18 were available. The contracts were reviewed by judges in accordance with a California law that requires at least 15 percent of a minor entertainer’s earnings be set aside for their benefit once they reach adulthood.
Read more Jessica Sanchez news here.
Corona is best witness for prosecution, says Palace
Malacañang is not shaken by Chief Justice Renato Corona’s dramatic second turn at the witness stand, and thinks the top magistrate is “the best witness for the prosecution.”“Mr. Corona has finally admitted what the impeachment court [wants] to find out: [Did he withhold] information from his [statements of assets, liabilities and net worth]? He did,” said Edwin Lacierda, President Aquino’s spokesperson, after the impeachment hearing in the Senate on Friday.
Lacierda said Corona declared only P3.5 million in cash in his 2010 SALN, but testified on Friday that he had P80 million and $2.4 million in the bank.
“The issues have been joined,” Lacierda said. “Mr. Corona has become the best witness for the prosecution. He has proven, by his demeanor and his very own statements, the validity of the charges against him, and provided evidence more than sufficient to determine his fate.”
Lacierda noted that Corona, in his testimony on Friday, claimed that the Foreign Currency Deposits Act (FCDA) enacted in 1974 was superior to the requirements of the 1987 Constitution.
“[Mr. Corona] has made his legal legacy a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free-Card for all officials who are plunderers and crooks,” Lacierda said.
If Corona’s interpretation of the law is right, Lacierda said, all that thieving officials need to do is “park their ill-gotten funds in foreign currency accounts” to make themselves immune to prosecution under the antigraft laws.
For banks, not depositor
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Saturday that FCDA isn’t necessarily in conflict with the financial disclosure requirement in the Constitution.
“Let us remember that the FCDA is directed at the banks,” Valte said over state-run radio dzRB. “That’s why there are sanctions. [I]t’s not directed at the depositor.”
Valte said there were exceptions to the Bank Secrecy Law, among them impeachment, prosecution in court, and an expressed waiver.
But even the FCDA provides an exception, Valte said, pointing out that the depositors may grant permission to inquiries into their accounts.
The law “does not bar the depositor from talking about his own deposits,” Valte said. “It empowers the depositor to sign a waiver to talk about his own deposits. So that law is not directed at the depositor, but at the banks who handle and take care of the deposits,” she said.
Constitution or the law?
Asked whether the law should be amended so that foreign-currency bank accounts will not serve as a safe haven for the loot of corrupt officials, Valte said, “Let’s wait for what would happen [in the impeachment trial] and that would also depend on our lawmakers because it was made to seem that there is a conflict.”
Valte said that most lawyers believed there was no conflict between laws. “It was asked, which should prevail, the Constitution or the law?” she said. “That’s rather clear [even] for first-year law students because the principle of the hierarchy of laws is also quite clear,” she said.
Corona Witness
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