Behind the Stories

Joe Torres, Journalist

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

These are interesting times. From a group calling itself Unity for Truth comes this press release:

Filipino psychic predicts Arroyo’s downfall

A noted Filipino psychic said on Wednesday that President Arroyo would be forced to leave the presidency in the next two months to usher in a transitional government composed mainly of military generals. The transitional government will briefly rule preparatory to the holding of presidential elections.

Danilo Atienza, who mainly does corporate psychic readings claims a batting average of 99 percent in his predictions, said he was seeing Arroyo’s downfall within the next 50 days as the country would be plunged into more troubles including massive shooting in the streets, adding that four generals would withdraw support from the president, three from the military and one from the police.

“GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) will be booted out; I already said so in 1993. Thousands of people would die in the streets. It will be bloody. There will be massive shootings and stores would be ransacked,” he said, adding that such chaotic state could occur within the critical period of July 13 up to August 13.

Atienza saw among others the outbreak of the Gulf War, the fall of one of NASA’s space shuttles and the deaths of Asia’s most influential bishop, Jaime Cardinal Sin, former Senators Renato Cayetano and Blas Ople, the fall of the peso to the dollar with the exchange rate of 55, the rise into power of Former President Ferdinand Marcos, the coup attempts against former President Corazon Aquino and the elections into office of former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, whom he accurately said would not finish his term. The NASA even wrote the psychic for his accurate prediction.

Atienza said that Arroyo would be replaced by a brief military junta that will be spawned by street rioting and the massive breakdown in the law and order. The junta, would be headed by a woman, whom he refused to name but said a very popular choice of the Filipinos, especially the poor.

The transitional government will rule up to the elections, which he saw would be taking place possibly within this year.

As for Arroyo and members of her family, the psychic said they might suffer the same fate of Estrada who is now being tried on charges of plunder. He sees an acquittal for Estrada.

Atienza, an avowed supporter of Senator Panfilo Lacson, but whom he noted would never become president, said there would be a calm following the elections. He added that the most likely winner would be Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. “Pimentel, has the lucky letters “EL” which have already sent politicians to the seat of power.”

In 2003, Atienza reiterated his prediction against Arroyo that she would fall if she fails to control the situation, and on March 10, 2004, he predicted that Poe will win the elections.

“If against the odds, Poe loses his bid for the presidency… the worst case scenario is that the country will go into a state of anarchy,” he said then.

Newspapers carried reports of Atienza’s predictions at the time. He said, “there would never be another woman president after Estrada.”

Concerning Vice President Noli de Castro, Atienza categorically stated that “he has no right to become president, Noli de Castro, never, never to be a president, never.”

Atienza said that those who will and who have already occupied Malacanang are those with letters “OS” and “EL” in their names like former Presidents Sergio Osmena, Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada.

He said Emilio Aguinaldo and Ramon Magsaysay were presidents who do not have one of the two letter combinations in their names, and both did not finish their terms.#

Monday, July 04, 2005

Killing of Mindanao journalist a step backward for press freedom

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called the killing of broadcaster Rolando Morales "another step backwards in the fight for press freedom."

Morales, anchorman of Tingog sa Barangay (Voice of the Village) program of Radio Mindanao Network, was shot by eight still unidentified motorcycle-riders around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday in Polomolok town, South Cotabato (not General Santos City as earlier reported).

The IFJ, an organization that represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries, said Morales' murder "only added to the culture of violence toward journalists that has formed in the Philippines."

"The pattern of violence emerging in the Philippines is not acceptable. The pursuit of truth should not come with a death sentence," said IFJ President Christopher Warren in a statement issued on Monday.

Morales is the sixth journalist to be killed in the Philippines this year, and the 69th since 1986 when democracy was restored in the country.

"The (Philippine) government needs to take a stand for press freedom and they need to do it now before another life is lost," Warren said.

Morales, who had finished broadcasting his radio show minutes earlier, suffered 15 gunshot wounds and died before he was brought to hospital.

Just a week before the ambush Morales reportedly accused several barangay (village) officials of involvement in summary executions and illegal drugs.

The killing of Morales followed the increasing attacks and threats against Filipino journalists, including the murder of Philip Agustin, publisher and editor of the Starline Times Recorder in May.

"The IFJ strongly condemned the murder as an unacceptable attack on freedom of expression and called on authorities to immediately investigate the incident," the IFJ statement said.

The group echoed the call of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippine for all Filipino journalists to fight attempts to silence the media.

"Filipino journalists are still at a great risk despite government claims of upholding press freedom. They have to take a stand and stop the killing," Warren said.

The Philippines has been declared second only to Iraq, a war-torn nation, as the most deadly place for journalists to work, coming second on the IFJ's 2004 journalists and media workers killed list.