P-NOY IS A WALKING ENCYCLOPAEDIA

            That was how Grace Lee, the apple of the eye now of President Benigno “Noynoy” Simeon Aquino III, stated when asked about her relationship with the president by her New York-based co-anchor Mo Twister in her show “Good Times in the Morning” recently.

When asked how long will it last, the Korean-born radio and TV personality replied, “The full length and our dates would lead to the altar which I’m praying for.”

Coincidentally, President Aquino was celebrating his 52^nd birthday (February 8, 2012) when Grace Lee said they were destined for each other and soon, for the altar.

However, during the said program, Mo Twister has a prediction that the relationship of the two may last until August. When the phone was opened to the listening public, various answers of duration were received.

There were scepticism by those who have used to know the President’s short-lived relationships with different women since he assumed the presidency. The alleged romance between the 29-year-old Lee and the 52-year-old Aquino started during the inauguration of the Korea Electric Power Corp. in Brgy. Colon in Naga, Cebu last June 27, 2011 through Lee’s talent manager Arnold Vegafria who heard that the President remarked in the vernacular, “siya ay guapa” (pretty)! Their next meeting took place during the state visit of Korean president Lee Myung bak last November 2011 where Lee was in the palace as an interpreter and host of the occasion.

President Aquino admitted that he has been dating with Lee however, he requested the media to grant him the privacy he is entitled to. Lee has been very vocal during media interviews who disclosed that she and the President were dating and talking for three to five hours.

“He is brilliant, he is the most intelligent man I’ve ever met in my life. The President is a…..”walking encyclopaedia!” Lee said with enthusiasm.

If we could remember, the president has been linked with Valenzuela councillor Shalani Soledad, who recently married Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, stylists Liz Uy and stockbroker Len Lopez. # ANT

BISHOPS DIFFER STAND ON CORONA’S TRIAL

      Bishops have different stand on the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona when the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) told the senator-judges to respect the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court recently.

            “There is a law of secrecy for dollar accounts. It is more academic for the Senate to respect the TRO,” said CBCP president Jose Palma during an interview over the radio.

            Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa City in Batangas said also that the impeachment trial should be stopped, “to save the country from institutional disaster.” According to him, officials accused of wrongdoing should be tried in court.

            “The charges of corruption must be done in another forum and when proven guilty, the Chief Justice should be convicted and barred from any government position. The country, would then be saved from unscrupulous politicians,” added Bishop Arguelles.

            However, other bishops contradicted those stand like Bishop Deogracias Iniguez of Caloocan who said, “The impeachment court is the right venue for searching out the truth on Corona’s possible offenses. The impeachment must be finished to get the truth,” he said.

            The palace can’t believe  that the Catholic bishops have sided with the defense team in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Corona on the issue of his dollar accounts.

            “Unfortunately, we did not hear from Archbishop Jose Palma to ferret out the truth, which is normally the call of the CBCP,” lamented Undersecretary Abigail Valte in the vernacular during a radio interview. She further explained that just like everybody else, they only wanted the truth to come out with regard to Corona’s statement of assets, liabilities and network. She nonetheless acknowledged that it is up to the senator-judges to decide whether to abide by the freeze order.

            “The senators sitting as judges in the impeachment court do not exercise legislative functions because that is where the principle of co-equal and separate branches of government comes in,” Valte further expounded.

            However, Valte agreed with former justice undersecretary and now defense counsel Ramon Esguerra, that Corona has not yet been convicted of any crime so he should be presumed innocent.

            At this point, she argued that Corona holds a high and very sensitive position in the judiciary and therefore, he should allow the impeachment court to open his dollar account if he really has nothing to hide

            “Their defense is that, there is nothing wrong in having a dollar account.           That is correct and there’s nothing wrong. But what makes it wrong is that he did not include it in his SALN,” Valte concluded.# ANT