LOAN WELL ACCOUNTED FOR
[PHOTO - LIFE GOES
ON: Former President-turned-Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is
shown leaving the Veterans' Memorial Medical Center Chapel in Quezon City with
husband Mike Arroyo after hearing Holy Mass on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. Photographer Jacqueline Hernandez tells the story on her rare
photo opportunity with the detained former President.]
MANILA, JANUARY 16, 2012 (BULLETIN)
The assignment was straightforward enough: Take a picture of former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center
chapel in Quezon City.
Since her transfer to the hospital in December, Mrs. Arroyo has proven to be
an elusive subject to photo-graph. Authorities have taken strict measures to
shield her from prying cameras, restricting media access at Veterans and putting
up a tarpaulin blind at her quarters.
Shooting the former President was therefore a formidable challenge to
photographers.
My photo editor thought we had a good chance at an exclusive photo after a
golf caddy at Veterans tipped him that Mrs. Arroyo regularly attends mass at the
hospital's chapel.
The plan was for a Manila Bulletin photographer to slip into the chapel and
with a hidden camera take pic-tures of Mrs. Arroyo.
Last Friday, Manila Bulletin photographer KJ Rosales arrived at the chapel, a
small point-and-shoot camera hidden under his shirt.
Unfortunately for KJ, he stood out because, as he narrated later on, he was
the youngest among the churchgoers, who were mostly elderly patients of the
hospital and their nurses.
Worse, one of Arroyo's security staff sat next to him, making it impossible
for him to pull out his camera and start clicking.
The mission was aborted.
It was my turn at Veterans last Saturday. As part of the plan to make me less
conspicuous, I brought along a friend and my niece. I exchanged my camera for an
Itouch phone that had a built-in camera which I bor-rowed from another
colleague, Chari Villegas.
We were the first ones to arrive at the chapel. Other churchgoers soon began
trickling in.
A few minutes before start of the mass, the flashing lights of a police car
announced the arrival of my subject. The coaster carrying Mrs. Arroyo, her
husband Jose Miguel, and members of her staff stopped in front of chapel.
She wore a pink printed dress, white shoes and her famous neck brace. She and
her husband went into the chapel and sat in the middle pew, surrounded by
security officers.
I couldn't concentrate on the mass because I was nervous and was trying to
figure out how to steal a shot.
When it was time for the communion, Mrs. Arroyo was the first in line. I took
out my Itouch phone. In my nervousness I forgot to enter a password to activate
the phone's camera. I wasn't able to take any shot.
My last chance was to catch Mrs. Arroyo outside the chapel. After the Mass I
ran to the exit in time to see the Arroyo couple shaking hands with other
churchgoers.
And then, a stroke of good luck. Mrs. Arroyo was about to board the coaster
when she spotted my niece. She turned back and went to her. "How old are you?"
she asked. "I was looking at you when you were having communion."
Mrs. Arroyo then patted my niece on the head and walked back the coaster. I
started shooting.
I finally got my pictures.
$21.9-million World Bank loan is well accounted for and there
was no misuse of the money — SC By REY G. PANALIGAN January 15, 2012,
6:26pm MANILA DAILY BULLETIN
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) said Sunday the
$21.9-million World Bank loan for Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) of the
judiciary is well accounted for and there was no misuse of the money, SC
Spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez (photo) said
Sunday.
In an interview, Marquez said "it was unfair that an aide memoire was
released without the SC made to answer to the allegations."
He pointed out that a receiving party is required to comment on an aide
memoire before a final report is made public.
The JRSP project of the SC that was partly funded by the World Bank was
described in the aide memoire as "high risk" and "unsatisfactory."
Among other things, the aide memoire stated certain questionable procurements
and disbursements of funds in connection with the JRSP.
On the disbursement of funds, Marquez said that all transactions were audited
and "were all above board in line with the agreements in the loan contract."
He refused to comment further on the aide memoire "since it has not reached
my office."
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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