De Castro survives controversies that hit GMA government in 2006
January 8, 2007 | 12:00am
The past year found Vice President Noli de Castro in the midst of controversies that hit the Arroyo administration one after the other.
As Malacañang campaigned for Charter change in order to effect a shift to a unicameral parliamentary system, De Castro — in keeping with his stand on Charter change since he was a senator — supported the amendment of the Constitution, but only through a constitutional convention.
He urged the people pushing for Charter change to respect and abide by the rule of law after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition for people’s initiative.
Last January, De Castro said he recognized the political experience and views of former President Fidel Ramos, but added that he neither fully trusts nor agrees with Ramos’ political proposals and pronouncements.
De Castro said Ramos, who urged President Arroyo to cut short her term, did not try to convince him to sacrifice his term of office but he discussed with him the need to amend the Constitution.
The former broadcast journalist said he has yet to decide if he will join the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party, which was founded by Ramos in 1992.
As for the state of national emergency Mrs. Arroyo declared in late February by issuing Proclamation 1017, De Castro supported the President’s declaration but said the government must ensure the best interest of the greater number of Filipinos.
Proclamation 1017, which was issued by Mrs. Arroyo on the eve of the 20th anniversary of EDSA 1, was intended to defend and preserve "the democratic institutions and the state" amidst an alleged conspiracy between elements of the political opposition, military personnel and communist rebels to bring down the President.
De Castro urged Mrs. Arroyo on Feb. 26 to define and prescribe reasonable terms to guide government agencies and ensure that Proclamation 1017 was not open to abuse.
De Castro, a broadcast journalist prior to tossing his hat in the political arena, stressed that the government should respect human rights and protect civil liberties, especially the freedom of the press.
He said the role of media is to serve as a watchdog, exposing social injustice and abuse of power.
De Castro’s television show, "Magandang Gabi, Bayan," or MGB was axed last year after 18 years on air with the apparent "blessing" of ABS-CBN’s owners, a source close to De Castro said.
This source said the falling out between the Lopez family and De Castro happened as a result of the owners’ decision to allow one of the executives in the network’s news and current affairs division to "lord" it over its reporters, producers and other personnel.
The source told The STAR that De Castro and the Lopezes have not spoken for quite some time after the ABS-CBN management decided to axe the show, which was then hosted by De Castro’s daughter Katherine and Erwin Tulfo, in December 2005.
There was also no immediate attempt from either the Lopezes or De Castro to "iron things out" following the airing of MGB’s last episode.
De Castro, the source said, was hurt by the pullout of his long-running show and told people close to him that News and Current Affairs group head Maria Ressa was behind the decision to end the show.
The Vice President also found it "insulting" when Ressa went on air to say that his show was axed because the network wanted to prevent a "conflict of interest," apparently referring to De Castro’s holding of public office, the source said.
The source said the Lopezes are the ones who have a conflict of interest because they own three public utility firms — Manila Electric Co., Maynilad, and North Expressway — at the same time that they own the ABS-CBN television network and radio station dzMM.
De Castro, according to the source, could not hide his disapproval of Ressa, who was allegedly behind the axing of programs and retrenchment of many reporters and personnel who have proven their loyalty to the company, dedication to work and professionalism.
He decided to continue hosting his radio program "Para Sa Iyo Bayan" instead of quitting as a result of the pullout of his television show.
De Castro also told close friends that the retrenched ABS-CBN personnel have been with the network since they re-opened after the 1986 EDSA revolution.
De Castro’s camp has lashed out at former senator and fellow broadcast journalist Loren Legarda for allegedly "conditioning" the minds of Filipino voters that the administration will cheat again in the 2007 elections to ensure the victory of its candidates.
Following her defeat in the 2004 vice presidential race, Legarda filed an electoral protest, claiming that there had been cheating in certain key areas in the country.
De Castro’s lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said last November that Legarda’s statement that Filipinos should have the mindset that the administration will cheat again in next year’s elections undermines the electorate’s capability to guard the polls.
De Castro is confident that Legarda’s electoral protest against him will be finally resolved since the Presidential Electoral Tribunal is a venue through which he can vindicate his name.
He asked the tribunal to dismiss the electoral protest in order not to waste valuable time and resources since Legarda will run in the 2007 elections.
De Castro’s camp said the alleged pieces of evidence presented by Legarda during a press conference were not even used in the 2004 elections and could not in any way affect his 850,000 vote-lead over Legarda.
The alleged fake returns from two Lanao del Sur municipalities —the result of an alleged "substitution" of Congress’ copies of election returns, which Legarda presented before the tribunal —were not the ones used to proclaim De Castro.
Macalintal also pointed out that Legarda’s allegation that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos’ testimony proved her allegation of cheating is clearly misleading and unfounded.
He said Legarda’s alleged evidence before the PET boomeranged when all the returns she claimed to be fake or manufactured are genuine, as testified by Abalos, her own witness.
The Vice President met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing last June and reiterated the Philippine government’s commitment to strengthen relations between the two countries.
De Castro was on a six-day official visit to China to invite Chinese investors to pour in more investments in the Philippines during his separate meetings with Wen and Vice President Zeng Qinghong.
He told Chinese officials that there have been advances in trade between the two countries but Chinese investments in the Philippines still need to be improved.
In the first three quarters of 2005, Chinese investments in the country amounted to only P82.3 million, accounting for only 0.14 percent of total foreign investments for the period.
De Castro told both Chinese leaders that the Philippine government welcomes Chinese investments in housing "to help us cope with the country’s massive housing need."
The Vice President, who chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), also assured Chinese officials and businessmen of the Philippine government’s commitment to complete the North Rail project.
The HUDCC is in charge of relocating informal settler families affected by the Rail Linkage Project (North Rail and South Rail).
As Malacañang campaigned for Charter change in order to effect a shift to a unicameral parliamentary system, De Castro — in keeping with his stand on Charter change since he was a senator — supported the amendment of the Constitution, but only through a constitutional convention.
He urged the people pushing for Charter change to respect and abide by the rule of law after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition for people’s initiative.
Last January, De Castro said he recognized the political experience and views of former President Fidel Ramos, but added that he neither fully trusts nor agrees with Ramos’ political proposals and pronouncements.
De Castro said Ramos, who urged President Arroyo to cut short her term, did not try to convince him to sacrifice his term of office but he discussed with him the need to amend the Constitution.
The former broadcast journalist said he has yet to decide if he will join the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party, which was founded by Ramos in 1992.
As for the state of national emergency Mrs. Arroyo declared in late February by issuing Proclamation 1017, De Castro supported the President’s declaration but said the government must ensure the best interest of the greater number of Filipinos.
Proclamation 1017, which was issued by Mrs. Arroyo on the eve of the 20th anniversary of EDSA 1, was intended to defend and preserve "the democratic institutions and the state" amidst an alleged conspiracy between elements of the political opposition, military personnel and communist rebels to bring down the President.
De Castro urged Mrs. Arroyo on Feb. 26 to define and prescribe reasonable terms to guide government agencies and ensure that Proclamation 1017 was not open to abuse.
De Castro, a broadcast journalist prior to tossing his hat in the political arena, stressed that the government should respect human rights and protect civil liberties, especially the freedom of the press.
He said the role of media is to serve as a watchdog, exposing social injustice and abuse of power.
This source said the falling out between the Lopez family and De Castro happened as a result of the owners’ decision to allow one of the executives in the network’s news and current affairs division to "lord" it over its reporters, producers and other personnel.
The source told The STAR that De Castro and the Lopezes have not spoken for quite some time after the ABS-CBN management decided to axe the show, which was then hosted by De Castro’s daughter Katherine and Erwin Tulfo, in December 2005.
There was also no immediate attempt from either the Lopezes or De Castro to "iron things out" following the airing of MGB’s last episode.
De Castro, the source said, was hurt by the pullout of his long-running show and told people close to him that News and Current Affairs group head Maria Ressa was behind the decision to end the show.
The Vice President also found it "insulting" when Ressa went on air to say that his show was axed because the network wanted to prevent a "conflict of interest," apparently referring to De Castro’s holding of public office, the source said.
The source said the Lopezes are the ones who have a conflict of interest because they own three public utility firms — Manila Electric Co., Maynilad, and North Expressway — at the same time that they own the ABS-CBN television network and radio station dzMM.
De Castro, according to the source, could not hide his disapproval of Ressa, who was allegedly behind the axing of programs and retrenchment of many reporters and personnel who have proven their loyalty to the company, dedication to work and professionalism.
He decided to continue hosting his radio program "Para Sa Iyo Bayan" instead of quitting as a result of the pullout of his television show.
De Castro also told close friends that the retrenched ABS-CBN personnel have been with the network since they re-opened after the 1986 EDSA revolution.
Following her defeat in the 2004 vice presidential race, Legarda filed an electoral protest, claiming that there had been cheating in certain key areas in the country.
De Castro’s lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said last November that Legarda’s statement that Filipinos should have the mindset that the administration will cheat again in next year’s elections undermines the electorate’s capability to guard the polls.
De Castro is confident that Legarda’s electoral protest against him will be finally resolved since the Presidential Electoral Tribunal is a venue through which he can vindicate his name.
He asked the tribunal to dismiss the electoral protest in order not to waste valuable time and resources since Legarda will run in the 2007 elections.
De Castro’s camp said the alleged pieces of evidence presented by Legarda during a press conference were not even used in the 2004 elections and could not in any way affect his 850,000 vote-lead over Legarda.
The alleged fake returns from two Lanao del Sur municipalities —the result of an alleged "substitution" of Congress’ copies of election returns, which Legarda presented before the tribunal —were not the ones used to proclaim De Castro.
Macalintal also pointed out that Legarda’s allegation that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos’ testimony proved her allegation of cheating is clearly misleading and unfounded.
He said Legarda’s alleged evidence before the PET boomeranged when all the returns she claimed to be fake or manufactured are genuine, as testified by Abalos, her own witness.
De Castro was on a six-day official visit to China to invite Chinese investors to pour in more investments in the Philippines during his separate meetings with Wen and Vice President Zeng Qinghong.
He told Chinese officials that there have been advances in trade between the two countries but Chinese investments in the Philippines still need to be improved.
In the first three quarters of 2005, Chinese investments in the country amounted to only P82.3 million, accounting for only 0.14 percent of total foreign investments for the period.
De Castro told both Chinese leaders that the Philippine government welcomes Chinese investments in housing "to help us cope with the country’s massive housing need."
The Vice President, who chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), also assured Chinese officials and businessmen of the Philippine government’s commitment to complete the North Rail project.
The HUDCC is in charge of relocating informal settler families affected by the Rail Linkage Project (North Rail and South Rail).
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