Erap gives Dolphy ‘People’s Artist Award’, says they had a common vice

Former President Joseph Estrada gave Dolphy a “People’s Artist Award” during the necrological service for the fallen comedian on Friday night at the Heritage Park chapel in Taguig.

Zsa Zsa Padilla, Dolphy’s partner for the last 23 years, received the award from Estrada, who had called for the conferment of the National Artist award on Dolphy in the weeks leading up to the latter’s death on Tuesday.

Estrada said he gave the award on behalf of the non-profit group Dakilang Lahi Foundation to compensate for the present administration’s failure to honor Dolphy with the National Artist award.

“The National Artist award for Dolphy is long overdue. Nalungkot ako nang hindi naibigay ‘yon sa kanya habang buhay siya,” he told reporters.

Estrada joined Dolphy’s colleagues from Sampaguita Pictures and the sitcom “John en Marsha” in paying tribute to the Comedy King.

Like Dolphy, Estrada began his acting career in the 1950s, although he was a contract star of Sampaguita’s rival studio, LVN Pictures.

In his eulogy, he joked that he and Dolphy shared one vice, meaning their weakness for beautiful women.

Naturally, it drew laughs from the crowd of celebrity mourners that included Susan Roces, Robert Arevalo, Barbara Perez, Eddie Gutierrez, Bella Flores, Celia Rodriguez, and German Moreno.

Moreno praised Dolphy’s portrayals of gay characters in movies like “Jack en Jill”, “Facifica Falayfay”, and “Ang Tatay Kong Nanay” and said they helped Filipinos accept homosexuality.

Kaye Torres spoke on behalf of her late mother Nida Blanca, Dolphy’s leading lady in “John en Marsha”. She said she is happy that Dolphy, whom she considered her second father, and Nida are now together in heaven.

Meanwhile, Eric Quizon has announced that his father’s burial on Sunday will be a private affair and only relatives and friends of the family will be let inside Heritage Park. He advised the public to just watch the event live on television.

Dolphy’s casket will be transported on a horse-drawn carriage to his tomb inside the memorial park, some 100 meters away from the chapel.

source: interaksyon.com

'Frustrated' Arroyo pleads 'not guilty'

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATE 4 - 9:25 a.m.) A "frustrated" former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo personally entered a plea of not guilty on charges of electoral sabotage at the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Thursday morning.

Arroyo, now second district representative of Pampanga, entered her plea before Judge Jesus Mupas at around 8:55 a.m., around 15 minutes after arriving at the court from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, where she has been detained since late last year after she was ordered arrested by Judge Jesus Mupas.

Her husband, Jose Miguel, and sons Juan Miguel, representative of the Ang Galing Pinoy party-list, and Diosdado, representative of Camarines Sur, were with her at her arraignment.

Arroyo's husband, who arrived with eldest son Mikey, ahead of the former president, told reporters his wife was "frustrated" over the "injustice" being done to her.

"There is no case against her," he said.

Diosdado accompanied his mother in the convoy from the VMMC and escorted her into the courtroom along with Arroyo's spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn.

Arroyo was in a cream coat and wore a neck brace.

After the arraignment, Arroyo lawyer Ferdinand Topacio told New5 that they had finished the "first step to clearing" her name and are "ready to go to trial."

The pretrial conference has been scheduled on April 19.

Arroyo returned to the VMMC soon after she was arraigned.

The case against Arroyo, filed by the Commission on Elections last November, has to do with alleged widespread cheating during the 2007 mid-term elections, when, among others, the senatorial slate of her administration managed a 0-12 sweep of Maguindanao province.

Her co-respondents are former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol. Arroyo's husband was excluded for lack of evidence.

Ampatuan is detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa jail in Taguig City along with others accused of the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan massacre in which 58 people, 32 of them media workers, were killed. Bedol is under the custody of the Comelec and Department of Justice.

Before the Comelec filed the charges, Arroyo had attempted to leave the country, ostensibly to seek treatment for a hormonal condition.

She managed to secure a temporary restraining order against her and her husband's inclusion in the government's travel watch list, which required them to seek clearance before leaving the country. However, she was stopped at the airport by immigration officials on orders of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

The electoral sabotage case practically rendered the TRO moot.

A group of Arroyo supporters, some from as far as Pampanga, had gathered near the Pasay City Hall as early as 6:30 a.m.

A media pool of two reporters, a photojournalist and one television cameraman has been allowed inside the courtroom to cover the arraignment.

On Wednessday, the National Capital Regional Police Office, announcing tight security measures, said media would be barred from the court and its immediate vicinity. (with a report from Clara Masinag, InterAksyon.com)

source: interaksyon.com

Intl day vs corruption marks Gloria Arroyo’s 1st day in govt detention

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was transferred to a makeshift government detention facility at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) on Friday, which coincidentally marks the United Nations (UN)-designated International Anti-Corruption Day.

It could not have happened at a better time, netizens said.

“There’s a rhyme and reason to things, synchronicity,” said Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party spokesperson Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel through her Twitter account @risahontiveros.

Other netizens expressed similar views.

source: gmanetwork.com