Philippine Political Digest

‘Fastest election’ held in 1914 in Benguet town

2010-04-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

By Maurice Malanes
Inquirer Northern Luzon
First Posted 05:23:00 04/21/2010

Filed Under: Elections, history, Inquirer Politics

KIBUNGAN, BENGUET— Almost a century before the advent of poll automation, this upland town had its “fastest election” on record, back when many of the native Kankanaey folk could not read and write.

Kibungan (pop: 16,000) had its first taste of electoral politics as introduced by American colonial officials in 1914.

This was after the Philippine Commission of the first Philippine civil government enacted Commission Act No. 48 on Nov. 22, 1900, which organized local civil governments into townships, each to be headed by a directly elected leader called presidente (the equivalent of a mayor).

During an election in 1914, the local elders were ushered into the precedencia or town hall to elect the presidente. The instructions were quite simple: Pick among the candidates—who were made to stand before the public at the town hall grounds—by forming a line behind them.

“The candidate with the longest line was immediately declared the winner,” according to a historic municipal document.

The first elected presidente was a certain Bolnotan who hailed from Palina, the community that served as the seat of the municipal government until 1920.

The presidente could then appoint an escrebiente (the equivalent of today’s secretary) to take down minutes of meetings and draft resolutions.

Voting system

The process got more sophisticated a few decades later. By the early 1950s, the voting system in Kibungan used colored strips of paper about six inches long and half an inch wide.

Again, standing before the people at the town hall grounds, each candidate was assigned a color. Voters would then select among colored strips representing their chosen candidate.

The candidate who got the most number of strips was immediately declared the winner.

The two election methods were considered not only the fastest but the cheapest at the time. (The candidates, after all, didn’t have to spend a fortune for their campaigns.)

The system was again upgraded in 1953, when secret balloting was introduced. The first mayor elected using this method was Alban Molitas, who served from 1953 to 1955.

Despite the introduction of electoral politics, the local nankakay (male elders) had adhered to one unwritten rule: No one should have a monopoly of political power.

The consensus was that, as much as possible, the mayoral position would be rotated among qualified leaders from each of the seven barrios. Hence, no mayor had held more than one term from 1914 to 1963.

The rotation, however, was discontinued in 1964. Mayor Bruno Siadto was able to govern from 1964 to 1986, the longest in the town’s history, largely due to the suspension of local elections for long periods during the Marcos dictatorship.

Changing political landscape

But times have changed in Kibungan. Gone was the nankakay’s unwritten agreement of power-sharing.

After electoral democracy was restored under the Aquino administration, the political landscape in Kibungan has since become like those of other towns.

Any elected official could vie for reelection and serve for up to three consecutive terms. Losers can always make a comeback.

But until the 1970s, few citizens developed an appetite for politics because of the paltry per diems received by elected officials. Many considered politics sangaw or a waste of time.

In the late 1980s, when elected officials began receiving monthly salaries, many well-meaning folks who wish to have a say in municipal affairs saw a more attractive incentive to seek public office.

Although the women of Kibungan had been active as seers, healers and priestesses, they shied away from mainstream politics. This went on for decades until Corazon Aquino came to power as the country’s first female president

Blazing the path was Rosalinda Ab-ab, who won as barangay chair of Poblacion in 1989 and served up to 1994. She was later elected town councilor, serving from 1996 to 1998.

In 1998, Susan Atayoc also aspired to become a town councilor and won, serving until 2007 after she was reelected in 2004. She won as vice mayor in 2007, the first woman in Kibungan to hold the position.

Another woman, Aureana Sacpa, won a seat in the council in 2001. She holds the position to this day.

Both Sacpa and Atayoc have joined the vice mayoral race this May, forging a three-cornered fight with Councilor Bobby Wayan.

Original article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100421-265534/Fastest-election-held-in-1914-in-Benguet-town

Ramos compares automated polls to his hi-tech toilet

2010-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:21:00 04/21/2010

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Technology (general)

MANILA, Philippines—Former President Fidel Ramos Tuesday compared the country’s first automated election system (AES) to the sophisticated toilet in his Makati City office.

In a news conference before his departure for a business trip to Nanjing, China, Ramos showed reporters pictures of the toilet at the Export Bank Plaza with auto-flush, auto-faucet and auto-light features.

“For any modern technology, there’s always a manual override,” said Ramos, just like the precinct count optical scan machines to be used in the May 10 electronic balloting.

“Though modern, you can always manually override, that’s why there’s a manual override command option,” he added, saying that this is like his office toilet that can be changed to manual mode if, for example, the power supply is cut off.

Asked if he thought the AES can also be manually overriden, he replied, “That’s correct. In this case, who has the control of the system?”

Ramos then turned his head toward the wall where a picture of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hung, to gales of laughter from the reporters and the crowd at the airport lounge.

Original article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100421-265533/Ramos-compares-automated-polls-to-his-hi-tech-toilet

11 accused in Maguindanao massacre plead not guilty

2010-04-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

By Marlon Ramos, Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:07:00 04/21/2010

Filed Under: Crime and Law and Justice, Maguindanao Massacre

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) Eleven of the accused in the Maguindanao massacre pleaded not guilty to 56 counts of murder during the arraignment held at the BJMP building in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City Wednesday morning.

They were: Inspectors Rex Diongon and Michael Macaraig; Police Officers 2 Saudlar Alo Ulah, Saudi Pasutan, Hernanie Saulong Decipulo Jr.; Police Officers 1 Pia Kamidon, Rainer Ebus, Herich Manisi Amaba, and Esprielito Giano Lejarso; and civilian volunteers Takpan Dilon and Esmael Canapia.

On the other hand, the arraignment of Police Officer 3 Abiduin Abdulgani; Police Officer 2 Hamand Hana; and Police Officers 1 Esmael Guialal and Michael Juanitas Madsig was deferred until April 30.

Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes presided over the arraignment.

Original article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100421-265607/11-accused-in-Maguindanao-massacre-plead-not-guilty

JBC told: Final decision on chief justice row rests with SC

2010-04-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Palace twitted the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Saturday for assailing the Supreme Court’s controversial March 17 ruling allowing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to appoint the next Chief Justice, stressing that the high court has the final say on the matter.

Deputy presidential spokeswoman Charito Planas reminded the JBC that only the SC could decide on the issue, and that it has yet to rule on motions questioning the ruling.

“Hintayin natin ang decision ng Korte Suprema sa motion for reconsideration, kung itutuloy nila ang decision o babaguhin. Habang hindi pa final and executory yan, (Let us wait for the Supreme Court to rule on the motions for reconsideration, whether it will sustain or reject it.
But while the high court’s decision is not yet final and executory, let us wait instead of making so many speculations)," she said on government-run dzRB radio.

She also reiterated President Arroyo will “be guided" by whatever decision the high court will make.

For now, she said there is nothing to do but to wait for the high court’s decision.

The JBC, asserting its independence, had assailed the high court’s March 17 ruling through a comment submitted last April 12.

In its comment, the JBC chaired by Chief Justice Reynato Puno told the high court that it should have dismissed the petitions that would have Mrs. Arroyo, whose term ends on June 30, appoint Puno’s successor after the May 10 elections.

It said the petitions seeking to allow Arroyo to appoint the chief justice were “patently premature" because it had not yet decided whether it would submit to Mrs. Arroyo a short list of nominees for the successor of Puno, who retires May 17.

Also, the JBC told the SC it overstepped constitutional bounds when it declared in its 9-1 ruling written by Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin that Mrs. Arroyo could appoint Puno’s successor even without a short list from the JBC “in an extreme case."

Of the eight JBC members, only acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra did not join the comment signed by Clerk of Court Luisa Villarama as ex-officio JBC secretary.

As concurrent Solicitor General, Agra had filed a separate comment asking the high court to state that the President could fill all vacancies in the judiciary, and not just in the high court, during her final three months in office despite the ban on midnight appointments.

The ex-officio JBC members are Puno, Agra, and Sen. Francis Escudero and Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, the chairs of the Senate and House committees on justice, respectively. — LBG, GMANews.TV

Original article: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/188686/jbc-told-final-decision-on-chief-justice-row-rests-with-sc

Arroyo's manicurist named Pag-IBIG board member, Palace confirms

2010-04-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV
04/21/2010 | 10:46 PM

Malacañang on Wednesday confirmed reports that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's manicurist has been appointed as board member of the Pag-IBIG Housing Fund.

Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said Anita "Nitz" Carpon has been appointed to the housing agency to represent government employees, even as he defended her from criticisms against her "lowly" status.

"Ang kanya pong kakatawanin is precisely yung maliliit na empleyado na siyang nangangailangan ng serbisyo ng Pag-IBIG (What she will represent are precisely those small employees who need the services of Pag-IBIG). Let us not hold her lowly status against her," Olivar said in the report aired over GMA News’ early evening news program “24 Oras."

Carpon's appointment first appeared on broadsheet Philippine Star when Jarius Bondoc reported in his April 19 column that the manicurist had secured a post at Pag-IBIG and would likely receive a monthly salary of P130,000.

Bondoc also said "no one at the Pag-IBIG Fund cares to answer quiet inquiries" about the issue.

On April 21, Bondoc wrote another column, saying that aside from Carpon, Mrs. Arroyo also appointed her gardener, Armando Macapagal, as deputy of the Luneta Park Administration.

"Professionals among Malacañang’s housekeeping staff are outraged. Not only did Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appoint her personal manicurist to the board of trustees of Pag-IBIG Housing Fund. She also earlier named her gardener as deputy of the Luneta Park Administration. Both postings are improper sinecures, Palace aides murmur," Bondoc's column read.

"A third insider doubts the two appointees’ credentials. Macapagal supposedly landscapes Malacañang lawns but does not manage people. Carpon is not known for financial expertise to oversee the multibillion-peso housing mutual fund of all employees. Nicknamed Nitz, she is often scolded by Arroyo for mismatching presidential handbags and shoes," it added.

In 2002, President Arroyo also appointed her dentist Leonor Tripon-Rosero as board examiner for dentistry. In 2003, Rosero was promoted as commissioner of the Philippine Regulation Commission. Two years after, in January 2005, she was named as PRC chair.—JV, GMANews.TV

Original article: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/189037/arroyos-manicurist-named-pag-ibig-board-member-palace-confirms?utm_source=GMANews.TV&utm_medium=facebook