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Enrile confident that a new president will be proclaimed by June 15

Roy — Sun, 30 May 2010 13:22:09 +0000

A new president and vice president will be proclaimed by June 15. This is the promise of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile despite the questions constantly being raised by some their colleagues. The Joint Canvassing Committee of Congress (JCCC) was said to be working double time to answer the questions raised by lawmakers on alleged fraud in the May 10 elections. Enrile said they are on still on schedule at this point.

The joint committee has started canvassing the votes certificates of canvass (COS) of overseas absentee votes, which so far has shown Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III with a substantial lead. The senate president said they should be able to finish canvassing the manually transmitted COCs by Monday, or Tuesday the latest. After which, they will immediately start with the electronically transmitted COCs.

Enrile also said that the canvassing of the electronically transmitted COCs may only be stopped if the complainants are able to present evidence that the COCs were tampered with. “I am willing to entertain them but we will require them to state under oath the evidence. We will not just accept anybody who comes here who says ‘I was approached by this, I was approached by that, so and so told me about it’ I am a lawyer. I have been trained in the courtroom,” he said.

Co-chairman on the Joint Congressional Committee on Poll Automation, Senator Francis Escudero, said that they hope to finish the canvassing of the votes by latter part of coming week. Enrile and Speaker Prospero Nograles were lauded by Senator Edgardo Angara for their patience in listening to all the issues being raised regarding the alleged poll fraud. He believes that all issues should be threshed out to erase any cloud of doubt on the integrity of the elections.

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Comelec proclaimed 9 winning senators

Roy — Sun, 16 May 2010 02:50:58 +0000

The Commission of Elections (Comelec) proclaimed yesterday, May 15, 2010, the top nine senators in the ongoing canvassing of votes. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they decided to proclaim the nine senators because a continuation of the canvass would no longer affect their standing. “Even if we canvass the uncanvassed Certificate of Canvass (COCs), it will not materially affect the votes obtained by these senators,” Jimenez said.

Those who were declared official winners in the senatorial race were Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), Senator Jinggoy Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Senator Juan Ponce Enrile (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Senator Pia Cayetano (Nacionalista Party), Senator Ralph Recto (Liberal Party), and Senator Vicente Sotto III (Nationalist People’s Coalition), Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago (People’s Reform Party), Senator Franklin Drilon (Liberal Party), and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Nacionalista Party).

Santiago, Drilon and Marcos were not present during the proclamation which was held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City where the canvassing of the votes for senators and party-list groups was made. Santiago, according to her staff, was out of town, Marcos had already gone back to Ilocos Norte, and Drilon was in a meeting during the proclamation because he had been notified only at 1 p.m.

In his opening speech, Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said, “After the Comelec’s long struggle to automate the country’s electoral system, and after the candidates’ equally difficult campaign to secure the mandate of the people, we are here today to celebrate the rewards of all our hard work and dedication.”

It took the Comelec almost a month in previous elections before they can proclaim winning senators.

“This proclamation ceremony is the cornerstone upon which we shall begin to rebuild public trust and confidence in the Commission,” Melo added. Addressing the winners, he said, “For the senators-elect, this proclamation ceremony represents the clear vox populi, speaking with the transcendent authority of the vox dei: You are our representatives. You are our champions. Do not let us down.”

Meanwhile, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said it would continue with its count despite the partial proclamation.

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Presidential hopefuls throw towels, support to Aquino presidency

Roy — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:20:03 +0000

As Senator “Noynoy” Aquino III posted a surprisingly strong lead in the early counting of the first automated election returns, many of his rivals for the position of president have conceded defeat.

Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, who expressed his support for the new presidency said, “I have a supportive family, the best one.” A statement in Teodoro’s facebook page reads, “This vibrant & newly empowered constituency will work with the new president to help rebuild & unite our country. This is in keeping with G1bo’s positive politics of hope, healing & unity.” In his twitter, he wrote, “I did not run for myself but for an idea,” and then called on Aquino to help the poor and reform the charter of the new government.

Bagumbayan Party presidential bet Richard Gordon also conceded and wrote in his website:

I would like to congratulate Sen. Aquino for his spectacular victory. I call upon this nation to unite and support him. I would like to thank everyone who supported me especially my volunteers and those who gave up their limited resources as a manifestation of trust in my brand of leadership and track record. I ran a very truthful, straightforward and candid campaign and thought we could run on the basis of our platform, track record and volunteerism. I would like to congratulate all the winners and pray that they serve our country well. We accept the will of the people. Today, we have a victory for democracy with the successful exercise of our first nationwide automated election despite naysayers and doubters. The fight for this country goes beyond this day. Let us forge on in building a Bagumbayan foe our people.

JC delos Reyes of Ang Kapatiran Party who also quit the race said, “I have conceded as to the electoral count but not to the platform I was tasked to push which is finally to enact the anti-dynasty law and abolish pork barrel.” He added that while Aquino “is not one with us in these radical reforms we need for our country, but I will support his government in the other reform efforts we have in common. We will continue the good fight.”

Nacionalist Party bet Manuel “Manny” Villar, who was the first among the presidential candidates to concede defeat, gets applauded for being a true gentleman. “It was a fight well fought. The people have spoken. It was clear that despite our efforts, we were not blessed with victory during last Monday’s elections. I come to you now to accept the people’s verdict,” said Villar in a press conference at the NP headquarters at Starmall in Mandaluyong City yesterday.

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First day of overseas Filipino absentee voting went smoothly

Roy — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:34:13 +0000

Saturday, April 10, 2010 marks the first day of voting for Filipino overseas, which according to the Department of Foreign Affairs, proceeded smoothly.

Voters in Hong Kong said the automated process was “fun and simple” and most of them took less than 3 minutes to cast their voted, feed their ballots in the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and get indelible ink on their finger.

According to the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong, there were more than 1,000 overseas voters who already cast their ballots. This figure however was considered low, compared to the 95,355 registered Filipino voters in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, it was reported that only 200 of the 31,851 registered voters went to the Philippine Embassy there to cast their votes on the first day. And like the Filipinos voters on Hong Kong, Filipinos in Singapore found the new mode of voting easier.

The first voter in Singapore was Lydia Deligente who said that the automated mode voting was easier compared to the manual mode she used when she voted last 2004. In Hong Kong, it was domestic helper Rowena dela Cruz who cast the first vote at the Bayanihan Kennedy Town Center when the polling precincts there opened.

Over 589,830 overseas Filipinos are registered for the overseas absentee voting. They will cast their votes at 93 Philippine Embassies and Consulates General around the world starting Saturday, April 10 and ending on May 10, 2010.

In spite of the low turnout on the first day of voting, DFA Undersecretary and Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat Chairperson Rafael E. Seguis is optimistic that on the second, which is a Sunday, there will be more Filipinos who will cast their votes. Many Filipino overseas have their day-off on Sundays, and thus they will take the opportunity to vote for president, vice president, 12 senators and one party-list representative.

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Gibo quits party chairmanship to protest Arroyo’s lack of support

Roy — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:38:51 +0000

Recent news on presidential aspirant Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro’s resignation as chairman of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD came as a shock to everyone. It was clarified though, that despite his resignation of party chairman, Gibo remains to be the presidential bet of the ruling party.

Developments on his resignation from the chairmanship reports that Gibo’s action was a sign of protest against the lack of support from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Allegedly, the Teodoro camp is not receiving the support it needs from the president ever since the official campaign period started last February 9.

Sources said that this (lack of support) is most evident in his low level of spending on political advertisements, as compared with those of the other presidential candidate. His total spending from February 9 to March 2 was said P60 million, which is even lower than that of Bagumbayan bet Senator Richard Gordon, who was said to spend P67 million.

Based on the study by Libertas, using data of media research firm, AGB Nielsen, Teodoro was only fifth in TV ad spending, where he spent only half of what Senator Manny Villar spent on the first month of the presidential campaign. Tallies where as follow:

TV ads from February 9 to March 2, 2010
1.    Manny Villar (NP) P120 million
2.    Joseph Estrada (PMP) P88 million
3.    3. Noynoy Aquino (LP) P87 million
4.    Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan) P67 million
5.    Gibo Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) P60 million.

Reports said that the former defense chief was not able to spend as much as he would like on TV ads because President Arroyo, who is the titular head of the party, has not been giving funds to the party. There were also rumors that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo was supporting Nationalista Party bet Villar.

This was also said to be one of the reasons why Teodoro quits his post as chairman of Lakas.

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Comelec extends voting by 3 hours

Roy — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:36:00 +0000

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to extend the voting hours in the coming election on May 10. The Comelec said it will extend voting by three hours in order to accommodate a large numbers of voters in the clustered precincts.

The poll body released its General Instructions recently saying that voting precincts will be open from 7 a.m. on May 10, and will close at 6 p.m., 3 hours longer from the 3 p.m. deadline they used to have. Voting period is stretched by the order up to 11 hours.

The commission also said that should there be a long queue at 6 p.m., election workers should extend the voting hours even longer. “If at six o’clock there are still voters within thirty meters in front of the polling place who have not yet cast their votes, voting shall continue but only to allow said voters to cast their votes without interruption,” the Comelec said.

The Comelec said poll clerks will make a list of the names of those voters, who will be then called three times. “Any voter in the list who is not present when called shall not be allowed to vote at a later time,” the poll body warned.

There used to be over 340,000 voting precincts nationwide, however, these will be reduced to 80,000 this year. Clustering three to five precincts into just one voting cell, depending on the size of the municipality. Each clustered precinct is expected to have 1,000 voters, said the Comelec. There used to be about 200 voters per precinct, when voting and counting were done manually in the past elections.

The clustering of precincts was done by the Comelec to save on costs of leasing the ballots scanning and vote counting machine.

As in the past, the Comelec will allow watchers from political parties, candidates, and election watchdogs to observe and record the proceedings inside the voting centers.

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PGMA to run for Congress next year

Roy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:41:17 +0000

And so ends months of speculations as the president of the country finally made known to the public her political plan for 2010. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made the official announcement in an interview aired over government radio.

“I will file my candidacy for Congress in order to serve the hardworking people of my home province,” she said.

“While I’m very much looking forward to stepping down at the end of my term, I have been mulling different ways to stay involved. I was looking at going back to teaching and examined working with non-profit organization on issues ranging from the environment to women’s issues. After much contemplation, I realized I am not ready to step down completely from public service.”

The president’s decision, an unprecedented one as far as the nation’s political history is concerned, was said to have been brought about by the clamor from her constituents from Pampanga for her to run.

She is said to file her certificate of candidacy (COC) tomorrow, December 1 – the last day of filing at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in San Fernando, Pampanga. Although she won’t do it personally, a representative will file the COC on her behalf.

On the questions about the legality of her decision, election lawyer Romulo B. Macalintal said that there are no provisions in the law that prohibits a president to seek another elective post after his or her term as president, except the presidency itself.

“There is no legal question on that. There are no legal impediments that would disallow the president to run in the 2010 elections,” Macalintal said.

Juan Miguel M. Arroyo, the president’s son and currently the congressman of the second district of Pampanga, will not run and seek reelection to give way to her mother as she vie for the said elective post.

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Noynoy, Mar and the senatoriables of LP, filed their candidacy

Roy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:27:54 +0000

The Liberal Party (LP), led by its presidential and vice-presidential bet, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Senator Manuel Roxas III, together with their senatoriables, was the first to file their certificate of candidacy as a group.

The senatorial line up of the LP include Anakbayan Partylist Representative Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, former National Economic Development Authority head Ralph Recto, lawyer Nereus Acosta, Congressman Ruffy Biazon, Teofisto Guingona III, and the wife of the late senator Raul Roco, Sonia Roco.

Meanwhile, former senator Franklin Drilon, who is also part of LP’s senatorial slate, will file his CoC separately. A slot in the LP line up was supposed to be reserved for former senator Sergio Osmeña III. He recently bolted the LP to protest the inclusion of Recto in the party’s slate.

Osmeña filed his candidacy last Thursday as an independent senatorial candidate. He said he does not approve of how the LP keeps recruiting “traditional politicians.” But he said that he will still support the candidacy of Aquino for the presidency.

Aquino however hopes that he (Osmeña) would return to the LP.

The party was originally to submit their CoCs on Friday, November 27, which is the birthday of the late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., Noynoy’s father, but later opted to file them on Saturday, November 28, instead. The reason being, Aquino had other activities lined up for the commemoration of his father’s birthday.

“There were so many activities lined up yesterday for his dad’s commemoration such as the inauguration of the volunteers’ headquarters in the afternoon. Senators Noy and Mar decided to file their CoCs today, which will be the only activity, and to give importance as well to the filing of CoCs of the senate slate,” said LP spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

Before heading to the Comelec, the party marched from Roxas Boulevard to Intramuros, where they attended mass at Manila Cathedral and staged a mini-campaign rally.

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Chiz Escudero not running for president

Roy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:48:10 +0000

It’s final! Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero will not be throwing his hat into the presidential ring, saying that “now is not the time to run for the presidency,” as he announced on Tuesday that he will not be participating in the May 2010 elections except to vote. He made the announcement to his supporters and members of the media at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, saying “I’m not running for any position.”

To the question about which presidential and vice presidential candidate, he replied “I have not yet decided whom to support yet.” He eluded questions on whether he plans to join other parties anytime soon.

The 40-year old senator earlier had another press briefing wherein he announced his resignation from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), raising speculations that he might run for president as independent.

The opposition circles, although caught by surprise, welcomed Escudero’s announcement. United Opposition (UNO) president and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said he admires Escudero for being someone who stands by his principles.

“No one can question his principles. Chiz was with us in the opposition when most of the political personalities who now claim to be with the opposition were either with the present administration or were conveniently silent on major issues,” Binay said.

“He stands by what he believes is right, even if it means breaking away from his political party, or abandoning the pursuit of a higher calling. Chiz Escudero points the way to the new brand of politics needed by the country,” he added.

For her part, Nationalist Party (NP) vice presidential bet Senator Loren Legarda said she also welcome Escudero’s decision, “I respect and welcome the decision of Sen. Escudero and hope that he can also help me in fighting poverty, hunger and climate change.”

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Comelec ready for the filing of certificate of candidacy

Roy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:45:29 +0000

All systems go! The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is all set and ready to receive poll candidates who will be filing their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) starting tomorrow, Friday, November 20 until midnight of December 1, 2009.

Yes, the preparations for the May 10, 2010 elections get into high gear as the Comelec awaits the CoCs for 17,888 elective positions and manifestation of intent to participate in the party-list system of representation.

The Law Department where the CoCs for the position of President, Vice President and Senators are to be filed, is open daily from November 20 to 30, at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., this include Saturdays, Sunday s and holidays. On the last day of filing, December 1, the office will be open until midnight to accommodate all filers.

Comelec Chairman Jose A.R. Melo said, for members of the House of Representatives in the National Capital Region (NCR), CoCs are to be filed with NCR Regional Director Michael D. Dioneda. Members of the House of Representatives of legislative districts in provinces and for provincial officials, they should be filed with their respective Provincial Election Supervisors.

The CoCs should be in the prescribed, said the Comelec – in five legible copies and filed by the candidates personally or by their dully authorized representatives. CoCs not filed with the correct offices will not be accepted, said the commission.

For the manifestation of intent to participate in the party-list poll, the Comelec chairman said it should be filed with the Clerk of the Commission in 12 legible copies.

Their offices are ready, and their people are already prepared, according to Comelec officials. Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said their people have long been instructed to prepare for this day.

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Villar chooses Legarda as running mate

Roy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:35:27 +0000

Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential bet, Senator Manny Villar, now also has a running mate. Teaming up with Villar to run as vice president is no other than Senator Loren Legarda of the Nacionalist People’s Coalition (NPC). The team-up of the two senators was officially announced last Monday at the historic Laurel House in Mandaluyong City.

“Today, I can face the Filipino people and say that my choice for vice president was not motivated by political accommodation but by a common vision for the country,” Villar said, as he formally introduced Legarda as a candidate who will work for the poor and the environment.

The announcement of finally ended months of speculations over Villar’s running mate.

But there will be no merger between the NP and NPC, Legarda said. Her teaming up with Villar doesn’t mean that would be abandoning the NPC either. Theirs is nothing more than a shared platform for the election. Legarda said she would still remain in the NPC but would support Villar and the NP since they share the same platform of governance.

She added that she received the blessing of NPC leaders to choose a presidential candidate after their leading candidate, Senator Francis Escudero, abandoned the party. NPC founder Eduardo ‘Danding” Cojuangco Jr. also was said to allow Legarda to find a good and credible presidential candidate to support.

“We share the same vision of a nation where there is lasting peaces and sustained Manny Villar and the Nacionalista Party because I believe our partnership will ensure a new beginning a better future for all Filipinos,” Legarda said.

Villar calls their tandem a “convergence of platforms,” and said his decision to choose Legarda was brought by a common vision to eradicate poverty in the country. He added that Legarda practices a new kind of politics and leadership. He also praised the lady senator for being a staunch defender of the environment.

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Manny Villar on Wowowee

Roy — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:17:27 +0000

“Kung tutulong kayo, ngayon na!”

These were the words of presidential aspirant, Senator Manny Villar, during his visit at the Wowowee last July 25, together with his daughter. Picking up from the senator’s cue, the show’s host Willie Revillame put him on the spot by saying, “Kaya nyo bang bigyan itong anim na ito nang house and lot ngayon?”

Revillame was referring to the show’s six contestants who were OFW and had to leave their families and work in other countries to provide for families.

To this, the senator replied “Yes” and tears from the contestants, as well as the audience began to fall.

I am not sure about the sincerity of gesture, knowing that sometimes the show loves to play on human emotions and do scripted spiels. Nor are we sure that the six contestants really received their house and lot as Villar said. Although, we all know that he is very much capable of doing that, being in the real property development business himself.

I would love to hear any news or follow-up on the contestants if they are indeed, at present, comfortably living in their very own houses.

But I do like Senator Villar’s statement, “Kung tutulong kayo, ngayon na!” (If you’re going to help, help now!) Which is what should really be done.

Instead of delivering promises on how they would help improve the lives of Filipinos once they get elected, presidential aspirants should do what they can do now to help alleviate the condition of some of our countrymen.

That instead of shaking the hands of voters, they should just instead deliver assistance to those who need it. That instead of spending lots of money on printing of posters and other election paraphernalia, used the money instead to help other people.

Help now, and let the people decide based on actions, instead of words.

Here’s the video of Villar’s appearance on Wowowee.

I am not sure if this is how the rumors that Willie Revillame is Villar’s running mate in the coming elections started, but I sure am glad it isn’t true.

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BIR issued guidelines on campaign tax

Roy — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:38:30 +0000

Despite of a lot of oppositions from candidates and political parties, the 5% withholding tax on campaign expenditures will soon be imposed. In fact, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has already issued last Friday the guidelines on the said campaign tax.

Revenue Memorandum Order 35-2009 was issued by BIR officer-in-charge Joel Tan Torres which lays down the policies and procedures of “Project: Iboto Mo” under Revenue Regulation 8-2009.

In the issued guidelines, political parties, candidates for local and national posts, as well as campaign contributors, should register with the BIR as withholding agents in compliance withholding tax laws. Tan-Torres said they issued orders to revenue district offices (RDO) to ensure that the above concerned parties are registered within their respective jurisdictions.

The district offices will also coordinate with the offices of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and make sure that the BIR would be able to issue Applications of Registrations to all candidates when they apply for their certificate of candidacy (COC) from November 20 to December 1.

Likewise, the BIR would get the list of the names and addresses of the candidates that filed their COCs and their accredited political parties from Comelec. The lists would then be matched with the BIR registration system to see if they are registered with the bureau.

They would also get the Statement of Campaign Expenditures and Contributes which the candidates and political parties submitted to Comelec and conduct a pre-audit to determine if they complied with the withholding tax obligations.

They would be sending letters or notices to all concerned parties who failed to, or were late, or were deficient in the filing and remittance of withholding taxes. Withholding agents are also required to submit the monthly report on “Project: Iboto Mo” to BIR regional directors starting next month up to August 10 of next year.

The revenue agency hopes to collect at least P1.4 billion from the planned imposition of the 5% withholding tax on campaign contributions despite strong opposition from the candidates and political parties.

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Teodoro-Manzano in the 2010 elections

Roy — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:49:40 +0000

It’s final. After going through a lot of choices, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD has announced the running mate for its standard bearer, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. The party has chosen former Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano, whose candidacy as vice president bet of the administration party will be officially proclaimed next week during the party’s national convention.

The Teodoro-Manzano tandem was announced on Friday by Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice chairman Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, in a press conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati.

Manzano accepted the offer to be Teodoro’s running mate because he believes in his capability to lead the country as the next president. “I would like to hitch my wagon with that of the good secretary and be part of this team that would push the Filipino’s future,” Manzano said.

But Manzano didn’t deny it Puno played a big role in his decision to accept the vice-presidency offer. It was Puno who asked Teodoro’s permission to open talks with Manzano, whom he had known for a long time and helped in his political and personal careers. He suggested Manzano to Teodoro, based on the TV host’s capability as a public servant.

Manzano and Teodoro were schoolmates at the De La Salle University in Manila.

“Many of you may not be of the knowledge that Secretary Puno has been like a mentor to me,” Manzano said, “He told me to talk to Gibo. I believe he possesses the qualities needed to move this country forward. I want to be part of his team.”

For his part, Teodoro believes that Manzano would help push the party’s platform of governance to bring the country back on its feet. He said Manzano is very close to the people and he believes in his principles of good governance. “He is honorable, forward-looking with vision. He earns his keeps the honorable way,” Teodoro said.

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Panlilio joins LP as he vows to help push Noynoy’s candidacy

Roy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:13:42 +0000

On Thursday, Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio will be officially sworn as a Liberal Party (LP) member. The party is making preparations for the preparations of Among Ed, said LP director general Chito Gascon.

Among Ed is joining the LP as he helps push the candidacies of Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Roxas II as president and vice president, respectively, in the 2010 elections. Panlilio withdrew his plan to run for president and opted to support Aquino’s bid. His LP membership however, Panlilio said, does not mean that he is seeking reelection as governor of Pampanga.

He said, as LP coordinator in Pampanga, he would be organizing the slate in the home province of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that is dominated by the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD. “We will strengthen the LP and the candidacies of Noynoy and Mar by bringing good and ethical leaders to the party. The LP will also help us, Kapampangans, sustain the crusade for good governance,” said Panlilio.

Meanwhile, Pampanga Vice Governor Joseller “Yeng” Guiao, who has also expressed support the candidacy of Noynoy as president, denied allegations that he have applied to the LP nor courted the support of the party for his bid as governor. “My support for Noynoy is not preconditioned by anything. The party is secondary. The closeness of our families is, to me, most important,” Guiao said.

Yeng’s father, former governor Bren Guiao, was an ally of the late President Corazon Aquino, the senator’s mother who died last August 1. Guiao said, in reference to Panlilio’s membership in the LP, “I don’t think it’s going to change anything in terms of my personal decision and plan.”

The vice governor’s statement was confirmed by Gascon who said that Guiao has not given a hint or statement that he wanted to move to the LP.

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Arroyo to step down as party president

Roy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:30:10 +0000

Talks has it that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be stepping down as president of the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD party in order to boost the presidential bid of administration candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. The news was confirmed by Pampanga first district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, who said Arroyo disclosed her plan during a closed-door meeting at the Fontana Convention Center.

“She said she felt she was not contributing positively to the candidacy of Teodoro so it would be better for her to resign and give way to younger leaders,” Lazatin said.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour, was also attended to by Malacañang External Affairs Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan and Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales. It was held after the opening of the 3-day 2nd National Information and Communication Technology Confederation of the Philippines at Fontana, where President Arroyo was the guest speaker.

According to Lazatin, Morales and Pamintuan tried to discourage Arroyo from resigning as party president but it seems they have failed. For his part, he said, “I am prepared to respect and support whatever the decision of the President is.”

The president however did not mention who she wanted to take over her post as party president, but Lazatin believed that it would be former Rep. Prospero Pichay who now heads the Local Water Utilities Administration, who’ll be most likely to take the post. Pichay was said to frequently accompany Arroyo lately in her numerous sorties in Pampanga.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD executive committee was initially scheduled to meet on November 19. However, there were reports that the committee would meet on November 11 instead, where the President would be announcing her decision to resign her position as party president. She would then remain with the merged party as an ordinary member, said Lazatin.

Arroyo’s political plans however were not discussed during the meeting, although Lazatin said that some months ago, some of his colleagues in Congress were mapping out plans for her to run for Congress.

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Comelec tells late registrants to return on Tuesday

Roy — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:48:44 +0000

Because typhoon Santi has caused power interruption in some parts of Metro Manila and Southern Luzon, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is making some leeway on its strict adherence to a ‘no extension’ of voters’ registration.

The Comelec yesterday said it will allow registrants in its offices who were affected by the power outage brought by the typhoon to come back on Tuesday for their biometrics to be taken. Comelec Chairman Jose Melo stressed, however, that this is strictly for registrants who were able to submit their registration forms to election personnel yesterday, the deadline for the registration.

To complete their registration, after filling out and submitting the forms, the registrants must undergo a system where their photograph, signatures and fingerprints are to be taken by the Comelec’s data capturing machines. Unfortunately, because of the power interruption yesterday, many prospective voters were not able to finish their registration.

There have clamors for the poll body to extend the registration of voters. These requests were coming from lawmakers and the general public, citing the long queues in Comelec offices as the reason. However, the agency repeatedly turned down all requests for extension.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento clarified that the activity on Tuesday should not be seen an extension of the registration which ended on Saturday midnight, October 31. “We are doing this in consideration of those affected by the power interruption. We understand the situation but this is not considered an extension of registration,” he said.

In reference to the Comelec’s decision not to extend the deadline for registration, Sarmiento said, “We have given them enough time to register. I think this should be a lesson to people to who prefer to do things at the last minute or when it’s near deadline.” The poll body believes that voters were given enough time to register since registration period on December 28, 2008.

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Comelec delisted 25 party-list groups

Roy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:49:31 +0000

In the coming 2010 local and national elections, the party-list groups will be missing 25 organizations from the previous elections, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) delisted these 25 from the official list of registered sectoral party-list groups because they failed to get sufficient votes in the 2007 elections.

The Comelec said in its six-page resolution that the party-list groups either failed to participate in the last two elections or did not obtain two percent of the votes cast.

Delisted party-list groups include Abanse Pinay, Migrante, PCDO-ACTO, Anak Mahirap, Aba, AKO, Aging Pinoy, PGBI, Ahon Bayan, Aksa, Asap, A Smile, Akapin, Assalam, BTM, Cocofed, Bahandi, Grecon, PMAP, Nelffi, SPI, Suara, SM and Sanlakas.

The poll body said when an interested party filed a verified complaint or even motu propio, they could cancel the registration of a party-list group. However, the Comelec said that the two percent vote requirement does not cover the organizations that won a congressional seat based on a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The groups BANAT, Bayan Muna, A Teacher, and Abono could still participate in the coming elections, said the Comelec. The delisted groups can still file their verified opposition to the resolution on October 26, during office hours, according to the Comelec.

The commission explained that they need to purge the list of registered party-list groups to ensure orderly elections in 2010. They said that there are moribund parties that are already not functioning and should be removed from the list.

According to Comelec chairman Jose Melo, participants in the party-list elections have â€œgotten out of handâ€ because there were so many small groups claiming to be marginalized and seeking accreditation to participate in the polls. He said they are currently deliberating on the petitions of more than 200 party-list groups who are seeking their approval to participate in the coming elections.

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Comelec suspends printing of voter’s ID

Roy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:36:59 +0000

The Commissions on Elections (Comelec) suspended the printing of votersâ€™ identification cards to give way to the computerized system of registration. This was upon the advice of acting director Jeannie Flororita.

The Comelec said, that upon the resolution of the poll body, printing of the voterâ€™s ID would only resume once the number of voters who have gone through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) have reached 50 million.
The resolution reads, â€œIn effect, only credible voters can enjoy hassle-free identification to vote.â€

Flororita said, she had recommended the suspension of printing because there has been no supply of paper for printing since October 2008.

The Comelec uses data capturing machines (DCMs), under the AFIS project, to get photographs, fingerprints and signatures of voters. The biometrics will then be cross-matched to eliminate double and multiple registrants.

Attorney Teopisto Elnas, Comelec elections and barangay affairs director, said in an earlier interview that the issuing of ID to voters is no longer practical because it does not really eliminate double and multiple registrants from the list. He added that it would be better to wait for the cleared list of voters before resuming the printing of IDs.

The using of DCMs to get the biometrics of registrants was already in used in the Comelec since 2004, however they do not have the machines then to cross match them. In the 2007 elections, only around half of the 45 million voters had their biometrics taken.

A P1.5-billion contract to supply the AFIS machine has been awarded by the poll body last month to the joint venture of Unison Computer System Inc., Lamco Paper Products Co., Inc. and NEC Philippines Inc. The ComelecÂ said that benefits of AFIS will be reaped in the midterm polls in 2013.

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Comelec will stop deactivation of voters

Roy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:08:53 +0000

Upon the recommendation of the Election and Barangay Affairs Division (EBAD), the Commission on Election decided to stop the disenfranchisement of registrants. This will make the Comelec stop the deactivation of voters who failed to take part in the midterm and Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in 2007.

EBAD director Teopisto Elnas said in his letter to the commission dated September 8, 2009, the deactivated voters would not be able to reactivate their registration in time for the October 31 deadline of votersâ€™ registration for the May 2010 local and national elections.

Elnas based his recommendation on the Elections Officersâ€™ Quarterly Progress Reports which show that there still field offices that have backlogs in reactivating proceedings up to July 2009.

As of date, the Comelec has already deactivated 5,606,964 voters. From this figure, the 5,603,154 were those who were not able to participate in the 2007 election; the 1,665 were because of their renouncement of their Filipino citizenship; the 1,071 were because of court exclusion; 947 were due to incarceration for no less than one year; 115 for commission of crime of disloyalty to the Philippine government; and 12 for insanity or incompetence.

The Comelec also reported that the highest number of registrants so far is from the region of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) which has 6,059,168. Metro Manila comes at second with 5,347,646, while Central Luzon comes in at third with 5,098,495 registrants. The lowest number of registrants comes from the Cordillera Autonomous Region which as only 809,979 registrants.

The Comelec record shows that there are now 45.4 million registered voters in the country. From this number, 2.6 million are new voters. The commission is expecting the number of voter registration to reach 48 million before the October 31 deadline.