Month: December 2011
Aquino to strengthen legal team
Aquino in ANC interview
With a stronger legal team, he need not resort to making us believe it is good governance to bend the law to make Gloria Arroyo accountable for the crimes she committed against the Filipino people.
In an interview with ANC’s Lynda Jumilla, Aquino said his legal team is “being improved.”
No names were mentioned but it’s being talked about for some time that many of the lawyers in Aquino’s official family including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is not happy with Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz.
Those reportedly being considered for the SolGen position include Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Teresita Herbosa; Professor Raul Pangalangan, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law; and Chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Marvic Leonen, also former dean of the UP College of Law.
I’m told Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa has also a candidate for the position.
Aquino’s lightweight legal team has long been a subject of criticism. Many of those who supported his presidential campaign that promised reforms have been dismayed by acts of incompetence in the first one and a half years of his administration.
A major campaign promise by Aquino that made people vote for him was to make Arroyo accountable for her lying, cheating and stealing.
First, he formed the Truth Commission, which was declared unsconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
This is one of the issues that Aquino took against Chief Justice Renato Corona but even we have talked with a number of lawyers who support Aquino who also believe that the Truth Commission, aside from its being toothless, was really legally infirmed. And he even got a beneficiary of Arroyo’s violation of the law, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, to head that unlamented body.
The Truth Commission was formed to run after Arroyo because at that time the Ombudsman, who should be doing that task was Merceditas Gutierrez, an Arroyo sympathizer.
Last April, Gutierrez resigned after being impeached by the House of Representatives.
The Truth Commission and Gutierrez are long past but Aquino’s legal team was caught unprepared by the attempt of Arroyo to leave the country last month, most probably to avoid what Aquino had announced, which was the filing of criminal charges against her.
What Aquino’s legal team lacked in competence was more than made up for by their “creativity” with De Lima using a Watch Order List in barring Arroyo from leaving the country, something that only a court can do.
Malacañang has cured the legal deficiency of their earlier moves with the filing of the unbailable crime of electoral sabotage.Whether that charge will lead to the conviction of Arroyo is another matter. But what is important is Arroyo is in detention.
Arroyo has proven her brilliance in distorting the law to suit her interest. Aquino needs a brilliant team, not to out-distort the law, but to do what is right competently. That’s what, I understand, is the essence of “tuwid na daan.”
How to cook lechon in an oven: recipe from Mama Sita
I already narrated before our Divisoria press trip with the people from Mama Sita.The culmination of our tour was our lunch at the cozy Ristorante Delle Mitre in front of the historic San Agustin Church. I was surprised that this resto is being ran by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Anyway, we were served food using Mama Sita ingredients and I wouldn’t object since we also use this brand at home. What caught my attention was the oven-roasted pork belly (lechon) resplendent in its brown skin. I guess lechon is one food we leave to the experts and thus prefer to buy it outside. But what if you’re just itching to make your own for special occasions or just to impress? Here’s the recipe you can do at home, in your oven…. perfect for welcoming the New Year when lechon is the family’s majestic celebration dish 
Roast Pork Belly using Sampalok paste
Makes 10-12 servings
1 pc(13”x10”x2) whole pork belly w/ skin and less fat 3.1 kg
6 stalks lemongrass, pounded and cut into 13 in. long (78 g)
39 pcs Spring onions, whole, cut into 13 in. long (39 g)
½ cup Murang dahon ng sampalok (10 g)
9 pcs (12” long) Food string for tying pork, cut into 12” in. long.
Brining solution:
3 ½ cups Water (875 ml)
9 cloves Garlic ,crushed (38 g)
1 pc Onion ,chopped (45 g)
1 pc Bay leaf
1 ½ pouch Mama Sita Sinigang sa Sampalok paste (225 g)
2 tbsp Salt (24 g)
3 ½ tbsp Patis (52.5 ml)
1/8 tsp Ground black pepper
Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven @250°F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a casserole. Mix well. Boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside and cool. Remove crushed garlic for the filling later.
3. Marinate pork belly in the brining solution for at least 1 day or more. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
Arrange lemongrass, spring onions, garlic (from brining solution) in the center of the belly.
4. Roll pork and tie securely with food grade string. Place in a roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 2 hours.
5. Increase heat to 400°F.Remove foil. Bake for 2 hours and 36 minutes (turning meat from time to time) or until the skin becomes dark red in color and crispy.
6. Brush skin with cold water in the last 10 minutes of baking to crack the skin.
7. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string and cut into serving pieces.