Philippines Election 2010 Noynoy Villar Gibo JC delos Reyes Bro Eddie Jamby Erap Kandidato

Kandidato: Jamby Madrigal

2010-05-04T23:55:00.001-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Joseph 'Erap' Estrada

Kandidato: Nicanor Perlas

2010-05-04T23:53:00.001-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Nicanor Perlas

Kandidato: Richard Gordon

2010-05-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Richard Gordon

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Kandidato: Manny Villar

2010-05-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Manny Villar

Kandidato: Bro. Eddie Villanueva

2010-05-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Bro. Eddie Villanueva

Kandidato: Joseph 'Erap' Estrada

2010-05-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Joseph 'Erap' Estrada

Kandidato: Gilberto 'Gibo' Teodoro Jr

2010-05-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Gilberto 'Gibo' Teodoro Jr

Kandidato: Noynoy Aquino

2010-05-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ang Pinaka Matinding Job Interview kay Noynoy Aquino

Printing of 50 million ballots finished — Smartmatic

2010-04-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

With just a little over two weeks before the May 10 elections, poll machine supplier Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) on Friday announced that it has finished printing the more than 50 million ballots needed for the automated elections.

Smartmatic-Asia president Cesar Flores said they have finished printing 50,850,940 ballots before their self-imposed deadline on April 25, Sunday. "We finished printing two days before the deadline," he said.

In a text message to GMANews.TV, Smartmatic spokesman Gene Gregorio said they finished printing Thursday midnight. Printing of the official ballots began on February 8 at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City.

Gregorio said the delivery of the ballots to different areas nationwide will begin on Sunday. Smartmatic has been awarded the contract to deliver the ballots.

There are 50,723,734 registered voters for the May 10 elections. The total number of printed ballots include those being used in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Earlier, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will deliver the ballots directly to the municipal treasurer, instead of having them delivered to the provincial treasurer first to hasten the delivery.

"We have been discussing that long before... in order to save time at saka efforts," said Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.

The ballots are 8 inches wide and 25 inches long and are printed on 160 GSM papers imported from Canada. But ballots for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are 27 inches long because it has Arabic translations.

Smartmatic had earlier brought in a fifth Kodak printer to the NPO to ease and fasten the printing of the ballots.

The ballots supposedly have security features which include the UV (ultraviolet) markings, unique ballot paper, a bar code, Comelec markings, and the unique precinct-based numbers on the ballot.

Earlier, Smartmatic-TIM was accused of failing to supply the correct ink for the UV marks, making the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines unable to read them.

The Comelec will instead use handheld UV lamps to determine whether there are UV markings on the ballots and verify its authenticity.

Half of the printed ballots have been transferred to the Foreign Service Mail Distribution Center (FSMDC) in Manila because of the lack of space at the NPO.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to conduct a ceremonial printing of the last ballot late Friday

Villar camp: ‘Illegal stock deal’ is black prop, or else sue us

2010-04-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental—Nacionalista Party standard bearer Senator Manuel Villar Jr. on Thursday dismissed as black propaganda the accusations that he used his influence to manipulate the stock market and get favors for his companies.

"Alam mo, lahat na yan ay kasama sa programa na inaasahan natin hanggang dumating ang araw ng halalan... Maliwanag na wala akong ginagawang masama at pulitika lamang (You know, all of that comes with the program we expect until election day… It’s clear I did nothing wrong but just practice politics)," Villar told reporters in a press conference here.

He said it was not the first time that he heard of such allegation, adding that it was just being revived and dragged to divert the people's attention.

"Gusto nila alisin ang issue sa tanong kung sino ba talaga ang may kakayahan na mamuno ng ating pamahalaan, sino ba ang may track record maging pangulo ng bayan (They want to divert the issue from the question of who is truly capable of leading the government, who has the track record to serve as the country’s president)," he said.

'Discuss at proper forum'

He said it would be better for the issue to be discussed at the proper forum.

In a press statement, lawyer Nalen Rosero-Galang, Villar's chief legal officer, challenged former President Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to present documents and file charges in court against the NP presidential bet.

“We challenge them to file appropriate charges in courts and agencies against the senator and his companies, if indeed violations of laws were committed. Until that time, the public should know that this is clearly nothing but political mudslinging," she said.

Rosero-Galang explained that the public offering of the shares of stock of Vista Land & Lifescapes was done in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Regulation Code and the rules of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Estrada and Enrile earlier said Villar pressured the PSE board to approve the public offering of the stocks of the company, the proceeds of which they claim he used to fund his campaign to the detriment of the company’s Filipino stockholders.

“For the enlightenment of Mr. Estrada and his Honorable Enrile, the bulk of Vista Land shares, or 85 percent thereof, were taken up by foreign investors. So, how can they claim that Filipino investors were duped by Sen. Villar?" Rosero-Galang said.

'Deal was cleared by SEC and PSE'

She explained that the said public offering was duly passed upon and cleared by both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the PSE.

“There was full disclosure of all material information as required by law. There was an Offering Circular, which not only complied with Philippine legal requirements but also conformed to the international standards and practices," said Rosero-Galang.

She added that UBS Investment Bank acted as global coordinator and bookrunner of the international offering of the Vista Land shares, while BDO Capital & Investment Corporation acted as Issue Manager and Domestic Lead Underwriter.

She also said two reputable Philippine law firms – Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & Delos Angeles and Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos – and two reputable international law firms – Allen & Overy and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom – passed upon the legality of the share offer.

Rosero-Galang said the pricing of the shares for purposes of the public offer was arrived at through an international bookbuilding exercise that was coordinated by UBS.

“While it is true that Sen. Villar appeared before the PSE Board, there is nothing irregular with the said appearance. PSE listing applicants do that, when deemed necessary to secure the approval of their listing application," she said.

The lawyer said PSE is a private corporation, not a government agency and Senator Villar appeared in his private capacity, as a controlling shareholder of an applicant, not as a government official.

"The lock-up requirement which Vista Land requested the PSE to waive is a requirement under the rules of the PSE, not under any law or regulation. It is well within the power of the PSE to waive any of its rules on just and meritorious grounds. Senator Villar’s appearance was to explain the circumstances which make the request for waiver just and meritorious," she said.

“Most importantly, in the end, the PSE Board did NOT grant the requested waiver despite the appearance of Senator Villar," Rosero-Galang said.

This shows, she said, that the PSE Board was not influenced, much less pressured, by Senator Villar’s appearance before them.

"The PSE Board allowed the release from escrow of the shares of one corporation because the Board concluded that those shares were not subject to the lock-up requirement. To reiterate, contrary to the allegations of Mr. Estrada, no waiver was granted by the PSE Board," Rosero-Galang said.

She added, “Anent the accusations of Mr. Enrile, we have repeatedly stated that, to date, none of the Villar companies have undelivered undertakings or unpaid obligations to the Pag-IBIG or the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation."

“If they are insisting otherwise, they should present documents to the public, cite figures of any unpaid loan. If they cannot, they should stop rehashing issues, which have long been answered and settled."

Rosero-Galang also denied that Manuela Corporation ever obtained a loan or any credit accommodation from the GSIS or the SSS, and if Enrile insists otherwise, he should present documents to support his claims.

As to Capitol Bank, she said the Villar camp has stated several times that it has no unpaid deposits to its depositors and it has no unpaid obligations to the BSP.

Gordon sues SWS, Pulse Asia over election-related surveys

2010-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

Presidential candidate Richard Gordon has sued Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations (SWS) for damages over the pollsters’ alleged bias in conducting pre-election surveys.

Gordon filed his suit before a Quezon City regional trial court through lawyer Chito Diaz on Thursday morning. The senator also asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction.

If granted, the restraining order will mean survey results will not be released for the meantime. A hearing for a longer preliminary injunction will then be held. If the injunction is issued, SWS and Pulse Asia won’t be able to release survey results until the case is resolved.

"It is about time that these survey companies be held accountable for their false and misleading surveys. It is a fact that surveys tend to create a bandwagon effect on the voters and effectively strips off voters of their right to select their candidates based on their platform and credentials," Gordon said in a statement.

Pre-election surveys have shown that Gordon had been getting only 2–3 percent voters’ preference.

But in his 26-page complaint, the senator claimed the "enthusiasm and approval of the huge crowds" in his campaign sorties disprove his low ratings.

He also questioned the pollsters’ research methods, which he said were flawed, outdated and unreliable.

Gordon acused the SWS and Pulse Asia of giving their respondents only two choices for president, namely Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Villar Jr. — the frontrunners in the surveys.

"[The SWS and Pulse Asia] have created undue and improper bias in favor of [some] candidates and distracted the voters from making an informed choice on all the candidates based on personal qualifications and platforms and not on mere winnability," he said in his complaint.

Gordon sought P600,000 in damages, which he said he would donate to the Philippine National Red Cross, which he heads.

He also asked for the SWS and Pulse Asia to pay him P50,000 in attorney’s fees.

No bias

Pulse Asia defended the integrity of its pre-election surveys, saying it does not favor any candidate, and that it only exercises its "fundamental freedom to obtain and disseminate information."

"We’re nonpartisan. We are an academic organization and our surveys are noncommissioned," said Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes.

Holmes said Pulse Asia would address Gordon’s accusations once he gets a copy of the senator’s suit.

"We don’t have a copy yet so we don’t know the basis [of the suit]. We will review it first and make the response after. We are unaware of what the case is all about," Holmes added.

Villar earned billions from illegal stock deal in ‘07 — Erap camp

2010-04-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Senator Manuel Villar Jr. allegedly pressured corporate regulators into allowing him to sell stocks of his listed holding company — in violation of stock market rules — in 2007 so he could fund his presidential campaign.
The camp of former President Joseph Estrada bared this allegation in a press briefing on Thursday, accusing the Nacionalista Party presidential bet of making P5 billion from the allegedly irregular transaction, a charge that Villar’s camp quickly dismissed.

Estrada, who was booted out of office by a popular street uprising before his impeachment trial could finish in 2001, was himself tagged as having profited from selling BW Resources shares in 1999, in what was dubbed then as the Philippines’ biggest share price manipulation scandal.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile claimed Villar met with the Philippine Stock Exchange board three years ago to pressure its members into bending the so-called lock-up rule so he could sell his stake in Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. after it got listed on the bourse.

Under the rules, a shareholder who owns at least a tenth of a company being listed on the exchange cannot sell his shares until after six months.

One of Villar’s real estate companies that had a stake in Vista land was supposedly exempted from the 180-day lock-up period.

This, Enrile alleged, had allowed Villar, who was Senate president at that time, to make almost P5 billion from the stock sale.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Senator Manuel Villar himself lobbied and exerted pressure to railroad the approval of his family-owned company’s request for exemption to enable him and his family to sell their shares, which were otherwise subject to a lock-up at a hefty premium," Enrile said.

The reelectionist senator added that Villar might have "blackmailed" the PSE board members into allowing him to sell the stocks.

"Did Senator Manny Villar, as has been the talk in business circles, really threaten the PSE with a Senate investigation of the shenanigans of its own members?... If such is a fact, I call on the PSE board to say so," he said.

Enrile said Villar’s use of his position for personal gain betrays the presidential bet’s "real character." "Sinira ni Manny Villar at ng mga kasabwat niya sa PSE Board ang integridad ng Philippine Stock Exchange. Ito ba ang uri ng tao na dapat iluklok ng sambayanan bilang susunod na Pangulo ng Pilipinas? (Manny Villar and his cohorts on the PSE board destroyed the integrity of the Philippine Stock Exchange. Is this the kind of person who should become the next Philippine President?)"

But the Philippine Stock Exchange said Vista Land had complied with its listing rules.

"The PSE board had earlier approved the public offering of Vista Land and in a subsequent meeting in 2007 clarified that the lock-up rule would not apply to the sale by existing shareholders owning less than 10 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the company at the time of the offering," PSE Chairman Hans B. Sicat said in a statement.

Earlier reports put Villar’s stake in the holding firm through Polar Property at 8.5 percent — less than the 10-percent floor — or 722.61 million shares.

“The PSE is committed to the development of the capital markets of our country and implements its rules to protect the interest of its stakeholders and the investing public," the exchange said.

‘Black propaganda’
Nacionalista Party senatorial bet Adel Tamano dismissed the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s accusations as black propaganda.

“We are committed to running a positive campaign. Let’s forget the personal attacks and mudslinging and focus on our platforms and qualifications so the voters can choose wisely," Tamano said in a text message to GMANews.TV.

Tamano used to be the spokesman of the Estrada-led Genuine Opposition, before the senatorial candidate moved to Villar’s party in 2009.

He added that Villar’s legal team had already addressed the issue before.

Estrada, however, said in a separate interview the "exposé" was not meant to derail Villar’s candidacy.

"I don’t want to mudsling (sic) any of the presidential candidates. I want a high-level campaign, but I was forced to reveal this because these are well-documented and the public has the right to know," he said.

The former President, convicted of plunder in 2007 before he was pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said he found out about Villar’s meeting with the PSE board four months ago, but had to make sure the allegations were true.

"We had to gather documents. I might be accused of mudslinging, unless we have the documents to prove this," he added.

Despite his camp’s accusations, Estrada said he would not start another disqualification case against his "friend" Villar.

"I will not initiate that. Maybe other people might do that. In fairness to my friend, Senator Villar, I won’t initiate that," he said.

Erap Estrada Update 4/20/2010

2010-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Estrada gets surprise greetings from Teodoro, Aquino

TAYTAY, RIZAL—On his 73rd birthday Monday, former President Joseph Estrada got surprise birthday greetings from Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro and Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, but not a word from Sen. Manuel Villar, the man Estrada considers his bitter rival.
On the eve of his birthday, he was gifted with a brand new Toyota Sequoia SUV (Platinum model retails between $56,180 and $59,405 in the US) by his wife, former Sen. Luisa “Loi” Ejercito and their children. In turn, he promised to lessen his smoking even as he claimed that his lungs remained “clear.”
Having heard of Estrada’s lavish praises on him since last week, administration candidate Teodoro phoned the former president Monday morning for a customary “Happy Birthday” greeting, and more.
Estrada considers Teodoro the most qualified, besides himself, among the present crop of presidential wannabes.

“Good luck to us,” Teodoro told the ousted president, apparently referring to their respective chances of winning in the May 10 elections.
Quite ironically, Estrada and Teodoro have struck an alliance of sorts, one that was apparently forged in the face of defections plaguing the latter’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.
Never mind if Estrada describes himself as the only “true opposition” while Teodoro is—at least on paper—the official candidate of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the administration party.
Estrada is in a solid third place in all major surveys, followed by Teodoro whose 6 to 8 percent ratings have kept him at fourth.
Happy birthday via text
Estrada said he also got a birthday greeting by text message from Aquino of the Liberal Party, but none from Villar of the Nacionalista Party.
The ex-president and his camp have been criticizing the billionaire Villar for allegedly copying his campaign strategies—from political color to the pro-poor theme.
“They only lack the moustache and the wristband,” reelectionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, his son, told the crowd in one campaign rally in Bohol province.
Boodle fight
As had been his ritual, Estrada celebrated his birthday in Barangay San Lorenzo Ruiz here, the home of hundreds of former squatters he had relocated from San Juan years ago.
Estrada arrived at the community shortly before 12 noon for a “boodle fight” with select residents, mostly children and the elderly. He was welcomed by some 200 well-wishers, some of whom planted kisses on his cheeks.
As if on cue, he began feeding 90-year-old Elena Felix with lechon (roasted pig) and pork adobo (stew) using his bare hands. He did the same with 6-year-old Genevieve Pedroso in front of TV cameras and photographers.
To see the president
Pedroso’s mother said she and her daughter had come all the way from Merville subdivision in Parañaque City to see the ex-president on his birthday.
“I wish we would have a genuine president after the elections,” he told reporters. “I hope the elections will be peaceful and clean, unlike in 2004, which was chaotic.”
About 30 minutes later, Estrada hopped into his black Ford Navigator and proceeded to the Payatas district in Quezon City.
Been there, done the test
In a related development, Estrada has jumped the gun on the two survey front-runners over the issue of taking psychiatric examinations by presidential contenders to help ascertain their fitness for the job.
In a radio interview, he said he had gone through such a test before the start of the campaign period last February, or way before Senators Villar and Aquino began taunting each other.
“There’s no need [for a psychiatric test] because I’ve had mine already,” he said in Filipino.
“Besides, my wife is a psychiatrist so if ever I had a mental problem, she should have left me long ago,” he said in jest, referring to Dr. Loi Ejercito, who is also a former senator.
The issue of a presidential candidate’s mental fitness surfaced after the release of a fake psychiatric test supposedly done on Aquino at the Ateneo de Manila University. Villar’s camp denied that it was the source of the bogus report.

Manny Villar Update 4/20/2010

2010-04-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Villar's disqualification sought over ‘prohibited’ campaign funds

A lawyer of one of the presidential contenders in the May 10 elections on Monday formally asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify Nacionalista Party standard bearer Sen. Manuel Villar for allegedly receiving "prohibited" campaign contributions.

In a 14-page complaint, Ernesto Francisco, lawyer of independent candidate Sen. Jamby Madrigal, said that there is “probable cause" to charge Villar with an election offense for receiving "prohibited" political contributions.

Francisco was referring to his earlier petition asking the poll body to look into the source of the senator's campaign funds.

“Routine"

Villar, for his part, shrugged off the disqualification case, saying filing such cases against them has been the “routine" of some people who want to gain media mileage.

“Andami nang nag-file ng disqualification sa amin at lahat ay pawang mga part ng black propaganda. Palagay ko napakarami naman sigurong may disqualification cases ngayon at nagiging routine na yan. Iyan ay para lang mapag-usapan," he told reporters at a press conference in the NP headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

(So many disqualification cases had been filed against us and these are all part of black propaganda. I think filing such cases has become the routine of people who want media attention.)

Extravagant spending

In his complaint, Francisco asked how Villar can spend billions in his campaign despite having only P29,212,803 "cash in bank" based on his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) in 2008.

He added that even if Villar were to liquidate all of his other declared assets, the proceeds would still be "insufficient and inadequate" to fund the said expenses.

The lawyer said Villar cannot claim that his funds came from his real estate businesses, specifically Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc., which has Polar Property Holdings, Corp., Calveston Investments Limited, Althorp Holdings, Inc., Cameron Global Limited Golden Haven Memorial Park, Inc. and Cambridge Inc. as its shareholders.

He said that local corporations and foreign companies are all prohibited by law from giving contributions to Villar or to any other candidate in the elections.

OEC

Under Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), corporations "which have been granted franchises, incentives, exemptions and similar allocations or concessions by the government or any of its divisions, subdivisions or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations" are prohibited from giving financial contributions for any partisan political activity.

Violation of the OEC is an election offense, which is punishable by disenfranchisement, one to six years imprisonment, and disqualificationf from holding public office.

Villar, a self-made billionaire, ranked ninth in Forbes Magazine’s list of wealthiest Filipinos in 2009.

Meanwhile, Francisco had already earlier clarified that he was not acting on behalf of Madrigal, who has accused Villar of exerting his influence to benefit financially in the government’s C-5 road extension project.

Earlier, Liberal Party senatorial bets Nereus Acosta and Martin Bautista also filed a disqualification case against the senator for supposed vote-buying

Noynoy Aquino Update 4/20/2010

2010-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Andal Jr. backs Noynoy-Mar but LP bet says ‘No thanks’

(Update 2 - 7:22 p.m.) Andal Ampatuan Jr., a member of the powerful Ampatuan clan and the prime suspect in the murder of 57 people in Maguindanao, claimed that his family will support Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino and his running mate Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas for the May 10 polls, even as the LP presidential bet said, "No thanks."

Clad in a yellow shirt and baller at a press conference at Camp Bagong Diwa on Tuesday, detained Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Jr. said his father, former Maguindanao Governor Andal Sr., believes that their family can only attain real justice under an Aquino administration.

"Basta't ito po ang aming desisyon, susuportahan namin si Sen. Noynoy dahil siya ang nakikita namin na makakapagpabago sa gobyerno at makakakuha kami ng hustisya (we will support Sen. Noynoy because we believe he can reform the government and give us justice), he said."

Then he brought out a yellow paper from his pocket where the names of candidates that he said his family will support for the elections were written, and chanted "Noynoy-Mar" for several times while flashing an "L" sign, the symbol of the Aquino family.

In a statement faxed by their legal counsel Sigfrid Fortun, Andal Sr. however said the clan "won't support anyone." He said several candidates have sought their support in the upcoming polls but refused to name them. Andal Jr. for his part claimed that the Aquino camp sent an emissary to talk to their family.

“Madami ang nakikiusap sa amin at humihingi ng suporta para sa boto sa ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) at Maguindanao. Hindi ko na babanggitin pa kung sino sila ngunit sila ay mula sa lahat ng partido. Wala kaming ibibigay na suporta kanino man (Numerous candidates have requested us and asked for support for the vote in ARMM and Maguindanao. I won't mention who they are, but they come from all parties. We won't give support to anyone)," the Ampatuan patriarch said.

'What a joke'

But Aquino said the Ampatuans' endorsement are not welcome, adding that his camp never sought the clan's endorsement.

"No, thank you," Aquino said in a press conference in Cagayan de Oro City when asked what his message to the Ampatuans were.

"Siguro joke po yon. Di ko po nakakausap, hindi po namin hinahabol yung kanilang endorsement (That must be a joke. I did not talk to them, and we are not seeking their endorsement)," he said.

Aquino noted that Andal Jr. was not wearing a yellow baller ID band—yellow is Aquino's political color—when he was transferred from the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig. Andal Jr.'s baller was orange—the political color of Nacionalista Party bet Sen. Manuel Villar.

Likewise, LP campaign manager Butch Abad called the supposed endorsement "a sick joke."

"If this was a way for the Ampatuans to instantly repay the Arroyo regime for the legally questionable and suspect and undue haste by which two of their kin had been set free, it was a crude and reprehensible stunt," Abad said in a text message to reporters.

DOJ Secretary Alberto Agra recently ordered the dropping of murder charges against ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan and Maguindanao vice governor Akmad Ampatuan.

Abad suggested that it was impossible for Andal Jr. to be allowed to hold a press conference inside a high-security prison "without the Arroyo regime being complicit to it."

"Who is expected to be the prime beneficiary of this stunt other than the candidate originally endorsed by Andal Jr.?" Abad said, apparently referring to Villar.

‘Hurt’

Andal Jr., who was once spotted wearing an orange Villar baller, said he originally planned to back Aquino's strongest rival but consultations with his father and siblings changed his decision.

Andal Sr. admitted getting offended when Villar questioned the decision to drop murder charges against Zaldy and Akmad.

“Masakit ang salita ni (Nacionalista Party standard bearer) Sen. Manny Villar at ng ibang mga pulitiko laban sa aming pamilya. Inosente kami sa lahat ng bintang laban sa amin. Inabswelto na kami ng Department of Justice at hindi dapat kami magamit sa pulitika," he said.

(The words of Manny Villar and other politicians against our families have been hurtful. We are innocent of all the charges against us. We have been cleared by the Department of Justice and we shouldn't be used for politics.)

He also warned Aquino against poll fraud and urged him to be vigilant. The Ampatuan clan, erstwhile allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was rumored to have helped her win a landslide victory in ARMM in 2004.

Senatorial bets

Andal Jr. said his family will likewise support four LP senatorial candidates, namely: Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Serge Osmeña III, and Ralph Recto.

Other senatorial bets supported by the Ampatuans, Andal Jr. claimed, include: Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago (PMP), Ramon Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid, lawyer Adel Tamano, Vicente Sotto III, and Silvestre Bello.

He said his clan will also back partylist groups Anakpawis, Gabriela, and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines

Willie Nep sends audience laughing in 'Presidentiables Got Talent'

2010-04-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Bro. Eddie Villanueva Update 4/19/2010

2010-04-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

Bro. Eddie, Noynoy lead in HK polls: report

MANILA, Philippines - Bangon Pilipinas Party standard-bearer Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Liberal Party presidential bet Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III are leading the vote in the early results of the 2010 overseas absentee voting in Hong Kong, a newspaper for overseas Filipinos said. An exit poll conducted by the Sun on the first Sunday of voting held last April 11 showed Villanueva ahead with 396 votes, or 36.1% of the total 2901 votes cast. Aquino has 392 votes or 35.7%. Running a distant 3rd is Manny Villar with 204 votes or 18.6%.
Other presidential candidates received only marginal support: Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masa ng Pilipinas (PMP) had 34 votes; Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro of Lakas-Kampi-CMD (Lakas) with 26; Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan-VNP (B. Bayan) with 22; and Jamby Madrigal (Independent) with 2. Two other candidates, JC de los Reyes of Ang Kasangga Party (AKP) and Jesus Perlas (Independent), did not get a single vote.
In the vice presidential race, Aquino's running-mate, Mar Roxas, slightly edged out Bangon Pilipinas vice-presidential bet Perfecto Yasay Jr. Roxas received 326 votes, or 30.2%, while Yasay was just 1 vote down at 325, or 29.6%.

Third in the race was Villar's running mate, Loren Legarda, with 198 votes, or 18%.

Bangon Pilipinas candidates also dominated the race for the 12 Senate seats with six candidates. The six are Katherine “Kata” Inocencio (215 votes), Israel Virgines (180 votes), Zafrullah Alonto (179), Reynaldo Princesa (178), Alex Tinsay (177), and Adz Nikabulin (167).
Two Nacionalista Party guest candidates - Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna and Liza Maza of Gabriela - had the most number of votes from absentee voters in Hong Kong. Ocampo received 248 or 22.6% of the votes while Maza had 221 votes or 20.5%.
Another Nacionalista guest candidate, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., was ranked eighth with 173 votes. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino was tied at ninth place with Adz Nikabulin, with 167 votes.
Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. of Lakas ranked 10th on the list with 163 votes while former Senate President Franklin Drilon of the Liberal Party was last on the list with 159 votes.
Villanueva expressed elation over the exit polls. “Despite the financial advantage of our opponents, the war is far from over. And despite what surveys have said, Filipinos are rethinking their political choices. Surveys do not decide elections,” he said in a statement.
He said the Hong Kong vote is “an emphatic statement that OFWs know which candidate really cares for the ordinary Filipinos. May the rest of the electorate reflect on the choices of our OFWs, who keep this country alive by their remittances, and why they want us to lead this country and no other.”
The absentee voting in Hong Kong will run for three more Sundays.

Erap Estrada Update 4/19/2010

2010-04-19T04:41:00.000-07:00

Erap to legalize ‘jueteng’ if he wins

Erap to legalize ‘jueteng’ if he wins
By Charlie Lagasca (The Philippine Star)
April 19, 2010

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) presidential bet former President Joseph Estrada admitted here last Saturday that his campaign has experienced funding problems, unlike his successful bid in the 1998 elections.
He said he is one of the cash-strapped presidential candidates and his campaign is practically running on donations from numerous supporters “who continue to believe in our mission.”
Estrada also reiterated that he would work for the legalization of the numbers game jueteng if elected president.
“I don’t see the logic of wealthy individuals entering into casinos and poor ones betting in jueteng. Don’t tell me those gambling inside casinos will go to heaven if they die and those betting on jueteng will go to hell,” said Estrada.

Estrada’s group had a series of campaign sorties in Bayombong and Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.
“Our campaign is practically surviving through the help of some friends and supporters,” he said.
He said the warm reception and continued adulation of the people for their team have encouraged him and his party mates to continue the campaign.

“We are conducting a good campaign. The reception of the people in every place where we visited has been very warm. Why should we talk about funding when we should talk about my eventual victory,” Estrada said.
He said that compared to other presidential candidates, his expenses for political advertisements have not yet exceeded the maximum allowable expenses required by the Commission on Elections.
“My rivals have already spent millions of pesos on campaign advertising while we have not spent as much. In fact, I am sixth among all the presidentiables in terms of television campaign expenses,” he said. Estrada said he is not bothered by the recent surveys, where he had been consistently coming out in third place, since what is more important was to find the real reaction of people on the campaign trail.
Based on recent surveys, he said, the campaigns of both senators Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party and Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party were beginning to lose steam, while his campaign was gaining momentum.
Estrada, whose six-year presidency was cut short by so-called People Power II following allegations of receiving jueteng payoffs, said legalizing the numbers game would be an additional source of funds for the government to finance projects, especially programs for the poor.
“I am a former local executive so I should know. Jueteng proceeds are only being enjoyed by mayors, governors and other local government officials, as well as the police. So why not legalize (jueteng) so there would be proper accounting of its proceeds for the government,” he said.
He said legalizing jueteng would extend some dignity for bet collectors and the cabos (chief collectors) who would be working for a government-sanctioned numbers game.
“We have to look after their welfare not only through monetary considerations but extending them dignity to earn a living through legal means without fear of being harassed, apprehended and incarcerated,” he said.
He also criticized the Catholic Church and other so-called moralists for their fierce opposition to the legalization of jueteng when they are silent on other gambling operations like the online lottery.
Erap’s birthday wish
Estrada, who is celebrating his 73rd birthday today, said his birthday wish is to have a clean and honest election this coming May 10 and for him to win the presidency again.
His birthday celebration will start at in Taytay, Rizal where former San Juan residents were relocated in the community that is now called “Erap City.”
Estrada will have lunch with the poor residents of Payatas in Quezon City.
“The coming elections are so important not only for me as a candidate but for the country as well. The last presidential elections, where my best friend Fernando Poe, Jr. was cheated, really put our democratic systems in question. So this coming elections, we must show that our democracy is not a joke, that we have the capacity to respect the sovereign will of the people expressed through the ballot,” Estrada said.
Estrada urged the Commission on Elections to consider applying poll automation only in select areas.
“It is difficult when you make the entire country your guinea pig. They should only select certain areas because the very presidency is at stake,” Estrada said.
Estrada thanked the Lord for all his blessings in life.
“I have nothing more to ask. I have already been given everything that I asked for, including my renewed freedom. But my freedom is empty if I cannot use it for the greater good of the Filipino people. That is why I am running and I hope to be able to serve the people as president again,” Estrada said.
Estrada’s running mate Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said his wish for Estrada on his birthday is for him to win the presidency. – With Jose Rodel Clapano

Gibo Teodoro Update 4/19/2010

2010-04-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

STOP MIGRATION TO METRO MANILA BY DEVELOPING PROVINCES-GIBO

SILANG, Cavite—Pushing for development in the countryside and tapping their economic potential is the key to plugging the movement of people from the provinces to Metro Manila and greater Manila areas like Cavite, said Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gibo Teodoro in an evening political rally here over the weekend.

“Nagiging problema ang pagdagsa ng tao sa Kamaynilaan at sa Cavite dahil sa nakakakita sila ng mga oportunidad dito [The migration of people to Manila and Cavite to look for opportunities is starting to become a problem],” said the former defense secretary. “Paano solusyonan ito? Hindi dito sa Maynila o Cavite, kungdi kung saan sila nanggagaling. [Where do we find the solution for this? Not in Manila or Cavite, but in the provinces from where they came from].”

The Harvard-trained lawyer and bar topnotcher said the migration of people from the provinces to Metro Manila and greater Manila areas like Cavite, has been a major challenge when it comes to urbanization and development.

“Pag di natin sila binigyan ng oportunidad sa kanilang probinsya, dadagsa sila dito at masasakal tayo sa dami ng tao. [If we don’t give them opportunities in provinces, throngs of them will come here, and Cavite and Metro Manila will be congested with too much people],” he said. “Pag ganu’n, ang pondo na dapat gamitin ng mayor para sa pag-seserbisyo sa tao mahahati lalo para sa mga taong galing sa ibang lugar [If that happens, the funds allocated for services will be divided further for the people coming from other provinces].”

Gibo urged the build-up of home-grown opportunities in the provinces, from eco-tourism to agriculture. By tapping the economic potential of the provinces, opportunities will be created, and country folk will no longer find the need to try their luck in the cities, said the ruling party presidential bet.

Gibo spoke on a makeshift stage, before a throng of people who crammed the “lucky” compound of Silang Mayor Areng Poblete. The queue of Caviteños waiting to get a glimpse of Gibo, and hoping to meet him, overflowed from the compound into the streets.

Earlier in the day, tens of thousands of Caviteños poured into the streets from all over Cavite, and later converged at a giant proclamation rally held under a fierce noonday sun at the General Trias Convention Center. Unmindful of the wilting heat, the crowd showed their overwhelming support for Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gibo Teodoro.

Mirroring Friday’s astonishing Mandaluyong salvo, which drew over 30,000 people, the massive assembly of people at the General Trias Center raised their arms, waved green flags, and screamed their support for the former defense secretary.

The night before, some 30,000 people jammed the streets of Mandaluyong City in support for Gibo’s candidacy.

The huge throng of humanity snaked though this metropolitan city, tagged by international investors as a “Tiger City” for its vibrant infrastructure and pro-investment climate, most of them coming from the city’s teeming tenement areas and posh villages that have existed side-by-side with each other for decades.

“This is why I don’t believe surveys”, thundered the former defense secretary, as he basked in the glow of support of supporters who took to major routes like Nuebe de Pebrero, Shaw Boulevard and Martinez Highway, to surround the wooden stage built for the night’s rally.

Unfazed by the surging, green-clad crowd, residents from 26 out of 27 barangays of this city with over 200,000 voters repeatedly chanted “Dapat Gibo!” while holding out Gibo banners and waving green flags.

Gibo’s reception in Cavite the following day was just just as overwhelming. “Kahit na alam kong madaming pupunta para makita at madinig si Gibo, pinili ko pa ding dito maganap ang rally at hindi sa plaza kasi swerte ang lugar na ito [Even though I know people will come here in throngs just for Gibo, I still chose this place to hold the rally instead of the plaza, because I believe there’s luck here],” said Mayor Poblete.

“Iba-ibang presidente na ang pumunta para mag-rally dito at nananalo sila. Tulad ni FVR na dati’y pang-apat lang sa surveys, pumunta siya dito ilang linggo bago ang eleksyon at siya ay nanalo. [Different presidents already came here and won, like FVR who was just fourth in surveys. He came here just a few weeks before the elections, and he won],” Poblete revealed

“Tulad ng pagkakapanalo namin kay FVR dito sa Silang, papapanalunin din namin si Gibo dito sa Silang (Just like when we helped FVR win here in Silang, we will help Gibo win),” Poblete declared. He said Silang has more than 100,000 registered voters, and 58 out of 64 barangays support Gibo.

“Pati na din ang dalawa pa sa malalaking bayan ng Cavite, tulad ng Dasmarinas at Bacoor, sumusuporta kay Gibo kaya confident na talaga kami sa pagka-panalo niya,” (The two towns of Dasmarinas and Bacoor are also for Gibo, which is why we are confident of his victory),” said Poblete. “Lahat kami naniniwala na nasa kanya ang pag-asa ng Pilipinas( We all believe that the country’s hope rests on Gibo).”

General Trias Mayor Jon-jon Ferrer had agreed with this assessment of Gibo’s character and qualifications. “[The people here] are pro-Gibo because he has the best qualities of the other presidentiables: he is incorruptible and he’s hardworking, yet he keeps a low profile,” he told reporters during the General Trias rally.

“Most of all, the people believe that he can unite the country, and the clashing politicians,” Ferrer said. “Gibo represents the new face of politics, the politics of performance; politics which focuses on important issues concerning the country.”

Ferrer expressed confidence that the Harvard graduate and 1989 bar topnotcher will win in his 110,000 vote-rich municipality, saying that the huge turn out of people from all 33 barangays in General Trias is already an indication of Gibo’s victory here.

The outpouring of support during the rally in General Trias equalled the warm reception given to Gibo by Caviteños when the former defense secretary combed the streets of reclamation areas in Silang and Dasmariñas, pressing the flesh and waving to green-clad supporters that lined the streets..

Thousands of locals took to the streets, most were running after the vehicle carrying the presidential bet to get a glimpse of him, and to scream their support for him. The astonishing response from the Caviteños prompted Gibo to get off his vehicle to personally meet as as many residents as he could.

“Karangalan para sa akin ang makilala ang mga tao ng Cavite [It’s an honor to meet the people of Cavite],” he said. “Susuklian ko ito ng magagandang proyekto at tapat na serbisyo.”

Noynoy Aquino Update 4/19/2010

2010-04-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

LP ASKS SC TO NULLIFY COMELEC RULING ON NP-NPC MERGER

SEEKS TRO ON COMELEC’S DOMINANT MINORITY PARTY DEBATES

The Liberal Party today asked the Supreme Court to nullify and reverse the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decision to recognize and formally accredit the bogus alliance between the Nacionalista Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NP-NPC).

At the same time, the LP urged the High Court to stop the Comelec from implementing its decision in its deliberation on who should be the dominant minority party in the May 10 national and local elections.
LP lawyers filed a 53-page Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition with Urgent Application for Temporary Restraining Order status quo ante and/or writ of preliminary injunction before the Supreme Court in Baguio City.

The LP reiterated the NP-NPC alliance was a bogus coalition formed solely to rob from the Liberal Party the recognition as the Dominant Minority Party, which it held during the 2007 senatorial elections.
Quoting from the dissenting opinion of Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, the LP insisted that the NP-NPC merger was a “sham, highly dubious and shameless.”

It pointed out anew that even NPC chairman Faustino Dy Jr., who signed the resolution for the NP-NPC alliance on behalf of the NPC, had admitted under oath before the Comelec that, despite being required under the Constitution and By-Laws of the NPC, the resolution on the coalition with NP was neither approved nor ratified by the NPC National Convention, the party’s highest policy-making body.
It noted that Dy had also admitted before the poll body that he did not consult NPC members whom he knew or believed would not agree to the merger. Also, it argued that the NP and the NPC have candidates running against each other for national and local positions in various areas during the May elections.
It also added that, “the absurdity of the purported coalition is epitomized by the supposed NP-NPC Coalition resolution, which allegedly adopted, as the Coalition’s senatorial candidate, the entire senatorial slate of the NP, to the exclusion of NPC senatorial candidates Tito Sotto and Ompong Plaza.”
“The NP-NPC was never formally, and much less, genuinely organized by the NPC. It was but a mere piece of paper purposely designed to emasculate the chances of other registered political parties who rely on their own truthful qualifications in their application for the dominant minority party status,” it argued.
LP lawyers lamented that despite glaring evidence that the coalition was unauthorized, “the Comelec, nonetheless, in grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess in jurisdiction, granted the petition for registration of the NP-NPC Coalition ratiocinating that since no written opposition was filed by any NPC member to the supposed coalition, the NPC membership has purportedly accepted the same.”
On top of this, they alleged the Comelec, in grave and capricious exercise of discretion, took cognizance of the illegal NP-NPC merger “even if its Rules of Procedure and the explicit ruling of (the SC) require that the petition should have first been heard by a division of the Commission.”
“The Comelec disregarded its own rules and established jurisprudence in taking cognizance of the petition for registration at the first instance,” they said, adding: “To top it all, and in grave abuse of its discretion, the Comelec en banc acted on the petition for registration even if it was filed way beyond the deadline it had already set for the registration of political parties and even if there was no compelling reason for the Comelec to suspend its rules and/or adopt a liberal construction of its rules.”
“The fatal deficiencies and/or infirmities accompanying the filing of the petition for registration of the purported NP-NPC Coalition would have warranted its outright dismissal by the Comelec. Yet, instead of relegating the petition to the dustbin of history for being an outright mockery of our election laws, the majority of the Comelec Commissioner had even given life to it by granting the petition and causing the registration of the purported NP-NPC Coalition,” the LP argued.
The LP insisted it was necessary for the SC to step into the case, noting the proximity of the May 10 elections and a scheduled deliberation by the Comelec en banc on the applications for recognition as the Dominant Minority Party. “Unless a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary prohibitory injunction is issued, (Comelec) will proceed, which clearly constitute a violation of (the LP’s) right to party representation in the Commission on Appointments, perpetrate and perpetuate a brazen constitutional breach and will result in irreparable damage and injury to petitioners.”
It stressed: “A coalition of political parties must not be just a piece of paper that can be registered whimsically, most especially when such purported coalition is not only dubious in its existence but is also severely tainted with bad faith and is intended to have undue advantage against those who are faithfully complying with the law.”

Nicanor Perlas Update 4/18/2010

2010-04-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

'Poll automation a black hole'

Nick Perlas answers question from STAR editors at the Philippine STAR office yesterday. JONJON VICENCIO

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidate Nick Perlas expressed serious concern over the seeming “last minute” changes being done by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on paraphernalia for next month’s polls, saying the automated system is proving to be the “black hole” of the elections.

Perlas told The STAR editors and reporters during a roundtable discussion yesterday that the Comelec slip-ups tended to show that “we are moving towards a failure of elections.”

Perlas stressed that the changes being made by the Comelec were not assuring the electorate of clean and orderly polls.

The Comelec, for its part, said yesterday that preparations for the automated polls are on track.

“We are on track. There may be some delays but I am very confident that everything will be in place in time for the election,” Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said yesterday.

Perlas said that he and his followers were already considering a failure of elections scenario.

“The system is so complex, apparently, there are many mistakes made already,” Perlas said.

“There are so many changes. The things coming out in the papers, it doesn’t give you the kind of confidence that automated elections will give us clean and honest elections,” Perlas noted.

“There are obviously loopholes. I’m not sure if they will be ready for the elections,” Perlas said.

He said they were already discussing possible actions to take if there will be failure of elections, and as election day draws nearer he will be more actively discussing possible actions with his supporters.

“Such a scenario could lead us to be plunged into chaos that is potentially violent,” Perlas said.

He said that while his team was now focused on his campaign, they were scheduling nationwide consultations to discuss a failure of elections scenario.

“Shortly before the elections, we’ll also start to hold nationwide consultations on how they want us to respond in case there will be failure of elections,” Perlas said.

36 million ballots printed – Comelec

Melo said some 36 million ballots have already been printed and they are confident that all 50.7 million ballots will be printed by April 25 so that the Comelec could start delivering them to the hub and sub-hub warehouses across the country.

The government-run National Printing Office is able to print some 900,000 ballots every day since the fifth printer began running last April 5.

“The ballots will be kept there but four to five days before election day, they should have already been delivered to the (city and municipal) Treasurer’s Office,” he said.

Melo also maintained the agency is expecting lesser poll-related violence this year, especially since the Comelec had imposed a total gun ban. “Compared to the previous election, the incidence of violence is lesser. I hope this will be the situation until the election.”

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento noted the training of some 300,000 teachers serving as Board of Election Inspectors had been completed while the training for the Board of Canvassers (BOC) and the voter’s education is still ongoing.

BOC is composed of an election officer who acts as chair, city or municipal treasurer and district school supervisor.

Records showed that of the 77,000 ballot boxes ordered by the Comelec from Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM), 33,432 units are already in the country. Another 12,000 ballot boxes are expected to arrive on April 12.

All of the 82,200 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines have already been delivered by the joint venture and 43,247 of them have already been configured as of April 1.

Everyday, some 2,000 PCOS machines are being configured at the Smartmatic-TIM warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.

So far, 51,799 and 6,548 PCOS technicians and supervisors, respectively, have already been trained.

Asked about the pronouncements of various electoral reform groups that the Comelec is ill-prepared for the election, Melo had reiterated that it’s about time for the country to automate its polls.

“Let us put our shoulders behind this. The Comelec is doing its best,” Melo added.

PPCRV seeks review contract for indelible ink

Meanwhile, a Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) member sought yesterday a review of the Comelec contract for the indelible ink that will be used by voters on election day.

In an interview, PPCRV member Arwin Serrano said that Comelec’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) had started the bidding process for the contract amounting to some P77 million.

“There were two bidders. One was disqualified while the other, which is ‘Texas’, passed (the eligibility and financial screenings). Last March 16 or 17, BAC had tested the indelible ink of ‘Texas’ but it failed,” he noted.

Serrano claimed that he was eventually informed that BAC had given “Texas” another chance to increase the silver nitrate content of its product so a “re-testing” was conducted.

“I was told that during the second test, the indelible ink passed. But for me, there should be no second chance. If you fail once, that’s it. We should be strict on this because this ink is very important for our election,” he added.

Serrano maintained that BAC should have instead conducted a re-bidding of the contract.

Asked about this, Comelec Commissioner Sarmiento admitted that it was the full commission who gave the “marching order” to the BAC to re-test after Texas had adjusted its indelible ink.

Sarmiento could not immediately ascertain at what level the bidding is now but he advised Serrano to formalize his proposal so that the Comelec could address it properly.

Indelible ink is applied usually on the index fingers of voters after casting their votes to prevent them from voting again.

OTC files motion for reconsideration with Comelec

Meanwhile, OTC Paper Supply yesterday asked the Comelec to reconsider its decision to cancel the company’s contract to supply some P700-million worth of ballot secrecy folders.

In a motion for reconsideration filed with the Comelec, OTC Paper Supply proprietor Willy Young said that Comelec Resolution 8814 must be reviewed since “it effectively terminated an existing contract of the Commission without the observance of the process, both procedural and substantive, required by law.”

Young noted that a “valid contract exists” between the OTC and the Comelec for the supply of 1.8 million secrecy folders.

The motion showed that OTC received the notice of award from the Comelec last March 16 and it submitted a performance bond to the poll body nine days later.

Under Section 37 of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Act, OTC has 10 days from receipt of notice within which to formally enter into contract with the Comelec.

“And if no action on the contract is taken by the head of the commission within the aforesaid period, the contract shall be deemed approved,” he added.

Young said that “none of the grounds for termination of a procurement contract enumerated in the law… are present in the instant case.”

“Neither is there a ground to terminate the subject contract for convenience. No condition exists that makes the project implementation economically, financially or technically impractical and/or unnecessary such as fortuitous events or change in the law and national government policies,” he added.

Last April 5, the Comelec issued Resolution 8814 scrapping the contract after finding out that the price of the OTC folder was exorbitant at P380 per piece.

The Comelec just decided to let voters use ordinary folders.

Comelec-Law Department director Ferdinand Rafanan said that he was instructed by Melo “to leave no stone unturned” in investigating the irregular contract.

Rafanan said BAC chair Maria Lea Alarkon, vice chairman Allen Francis Abaya and members Maria Norina Tangaro-Casingal, Martin Niedo and Antonio Santella would still be held liable even if they reportedly were planning to resign. With Sheila Crisostomo

Bayani Fernando Update 4/18/2010

2010-04-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

He wants to be the ‘bastonero’

IF (OR WHEN?) HE WINS THE VICE PRESIDENcy, says Bayani Fernando, he will not ask the new president for any Cabinet portfolio, at least not any post with a formal name or function. Instead, he wishes to be appointed “the President’s bastonero (whip),” someone who will go around making sure department heads are meeting their targets, government employees are not slacking off, or thieves in barong or blazers are not raiding the government coffers.
In short, Bayani Fernando wishes to become the most unpopular man in the next administration.
When our group of media women asked him if there was anything he ever regretted in the course of his campaign, Fernando said it was “listening to my advisers.” And what piece of advice did he regret most? “That I smile constantly.”
When we asked who gave him such advice, he pointed to his wife, outgoing Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando, who simply smiles back.

“I’ve had my old posters printed and will be hanging them up soon,” he tells us, referring to the posters that came out while he was still chair of the Metro Manila Development Authority, showing him sternly looking down from the posts of overhead rails, admonishing motorists and pedestrians. “My new slogan is,” he declared, “Hindi ako nagbibiro. Titino tayo. (I’m not kidding. We’ll shape up.)”
It’s clear Fernando is not just running to snag the No. 2 post of the land (with presidential candidate Sen. Richard Gordon of the Bagumbayan Party). On his agenda are not just the usual platitudes about good governance, fighting corruption or eradicating poverty. Instead, he wants to create a new Filipino society, one motivated by different values, especially a new work ethic and a commitment to excellence.

IF critics say Fernando wishes to bite off more than he can chew, he can always point to the transformation wrought in Marikina where he served as mayor for three terms and then was succeeded by Marides.
In the 18 years of “Fernando rule,” Marikina, once a small riverside city ruled by the single industry of shoe-making, has grown into a city with a diversified line-up of industries, clean streets even along the market, brightly lit parks and promenades, and an impressive network of social support systems.
But beyond the new infrastructure, the cleanliness, and the renovation of what used to be eyesores, including the once-polluted Marikina River, the transformation of Marikina is most impressive for what experts have dubbed the “social engineering and cultural change” led by the local government leaders.
In a book on the many governance innovations established in the city, Fernando (“BF” to his constituents) is quoted as saying that he “would like to be remembered as a builder of character and not just a builder of infrastructure.” And in the city, he began where it mattered most: in the mayor’s own milieu of City Hall. The bureaucracy was motivated (by carrot and stick) to respond quickly and efficiently to the citizens’ demands, and to deliver basic services as efficiently and completely as possible.
During a visit to Marikina City Hall a few years ago, Mayor Marides pointed to the various glass-walled offices. When asked about the glass walls, she quipped: “For more transparency!”
With office transactions open to public view, with no room for secret hanky-panky, city hall workers couldn’t but do their jobs in the best and fastest way possible.
* * *
BF had a chance to expand the vision he and Marides first made palpable in Marikina when he was appointed chair of the MMDA.
In this post he has been less than a total success, given that Metro Manila’s 13 cities are much larger and more complex than Marikina. But given the many obstacles he faced, including the refusal of some mayors to cooperate or even heed MMDA regulations, BF can be said to have made quite an impact still.
He is quite proud that the numbers—including the savings accrued in fuel and time saved—have borne out the wisdom of his policy of replacing intersections with U-turns, cutting down the time vehicles used to spend idling before traffic lights.
He was most controversial for his policy of “disciplining” sidewalk vendors and informal settlements (which he persists in calling squatter colonies). BF went on walking tours with a demolition team, driving away vendors on sidewalks and even destroying small stalls that intruded into public property.
There was much TV footage of outraged vendors, haranguing authorities for destroying their property, including their wares. BF would later explain that they destroyed the vegetables and fruits on sale because they didn’t want it said that the MMDA was profiting from the produce they confiscated.
* * *
BUT even now, while he is courting the nationwide vote, Fernando refuses to pander to populist sentiment. In fact, he does quite the opposite.
If the Philippines is poor, he declares, it is because we Filipinos wanted it that way. “We have become so poor because we designed a society for the poor,” he says. “Let’s stop designing the country for the poor, let’s work instead to reach the optimum level, pull up the poor and make them work for their sustenance, or else all of us will end up suffering.”
Productivity, he says, is the top problem confronting the country and its people.
In his campaign, BF presents himself as the “engineer of change,” wearing a yellow hard hat which he says is the “symbol of construction workers,” although he has other hats in different colors.
If he does make it as vice president, we can expect BF to wear many hats as well: engineer of social change, advisor to the president, disciplinarian and national scold.
By Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:45:00 04/13/2010
Taken from: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20100413-264098/He-wants-to-be-the-bastonero

Manny Villar Update 4/18/2010

2010-04-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Villar leads in new independent survey

Aquino widens lead, Villar slips further in new survey

SENATOR BENIGNO SIMEON "Noynoy" C. Aquino III of the Liberal Party (LP) continues to dominate the presidential race, widening his lead over rival Senator Manual "Manny" B. Villar, Jr. of the Nacionalista Party (NP) barely six weeks before the general elections, the latest survey of independent pollster Pulse Asia, Inc. showed.

Pulse Asia’s "Ulat ng Bayan," conducted last March 21-28 and released yesterday, showed that of 3,000 respondents who were asked to indicate their candidate if elections were held today, 37% said they would vote for the only son of the late former president Corazon C. Aquino.

Mr. Aquino’s score is up by a point from a similar survey done last February. His lead over Mr. Villar widened to 12 points, with the NP bet’s score declining by four points to 25% from 29%.

Pulse Asia noted that Mr. Aquino "enjoys a slight to significant lead over the second running contender in almost all areas and socioeconomic classes.

In Metro Manila, Mr. Aquino has 25-point lead over Mr. Villar with a score of 42%. The LP bet is also higher by seven points in Balance of Luzon with a score of 33%; 11 points in the Visayas, 41%, and 14 points in Mindanao, 37%.

In terms of social class, Mr. Aquino has a 32-point lead over Mr. Villar in the ABC bracket with a rating of 49%, 12 points in class D, 37%; and six points in class E, 34%.

Pulse Asia said Mr. Aquino’s scores in economic class E and Mindanao "are statistically close" to those of Mr. Villar (28%) and former president Joseph "Erap" E. Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (29% for Mindanao).

It also said voter preference for all candidates are statistically unchanged compared to the results of the February survey given the ±2% margin of error.

Meanwhile, Mr. Estrada was third with a flat score of 18%, while that of Gilberto "Gibo" C. Teodoro, Jr. of administration party Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) was also unchanged at 7%.

Switching places were Bagumbayan’s Senator Richard "Dick" J. Gordon and Bangon Pilipinas’ Eduardo "Bro. Eddie" C. Villanueva at 2% apiece, with the former Olongapo City mayor gaining a point from the previous survey.

Following them were independent candidate Jesus Nicanor "Nick" P. Perlas, 0.30%; John Carlos "JC" G. delos Reyes of Ang Kapatiran, 0.20%; and Senator Ana Consuelo "Jamby" A. S. Madrigal, another independent candidate, 0.10%.

Vetellano "Dodong" S. Acosta of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), who was disqualified by the Commission on Elections for not running a proper campaign, still obtained 0.08%.

The number of undecided as well as those who refused to answer the survey rose to 9% from 6%.

Vice-presidential race

At the vice-presidential race, Senator Manuel "Mar" A. Roxas II of the LP also widened his lead over Senator Loren B. Legarda of the Nacionalista Party and NP guest candidate, to 20 points from 16 points with scores of 43% and 23%, respectively, from 43% and 27% in February.

Voter preference for Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay, Mr. Estrada’s running mate, went up by four points to 19%.

Scores of other vice-presidential candidates barely moved, with former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani "BF" F. Fernando of Bagumbayan scoring 3% from 4%; Eduardo "Edu" B. Manzano of Lakas-Kampi-CMD unchanged at 2%; Perfecto "Kidlat" R. Yasay of Bangon Pilipinas also unchanged at 1%; Jose "Jay" Y. Sonza of KBL dropping to 0.5% from 1%; and Dominador "Jun" F. Chipeco, Jr. of Ang Kapatiran also unchanged at 0.1%.

Sought for comment, Edwin Lacierda, Mr. Aquino’s spokesman, said Mr. Villar’s rating decline could be attributed to rumors that he is the secret candidate of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"The ‘Villaroyo’ tag is clearly not [good for Mr. Villar’s candidacy]. Maybe people are starting to believe that he is the secret candidate of the administration," he said by phone.

"People are really beginning to realize that Senator Aquino has the character to lead the country, that he can deliver a good government."

For his part, NP senatorial bet Gilbert C. Remulla, who speaks on behalf of Mr. Villar, said: "We recognize that we have a lot of work to do. The black propaganda has affected the ratings. We have come back from the Holy Week break and we have recalibrated [our campaign strategies]. We will claim victor on May 10."

A total of 50.7 million registered voters will troop to polling precincts on May 10 to choose the country’s next set of national and local leaders.

JC De los Reyes Update 4/18/2010

2010-04-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

De los Reyes boycotts Quiboloy forum

By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:52:00 03/10/2010

Filed Under: Inquirer Politics, Eleksyon 2010, Cults & sects, Belief (Faith)

MANILA, Philippines—Ang Kapatiran Party presidential candidate JC de los Reyes yesterday said he decided to boycott the forum organized by The Kingdom of Jesus Christ group because of his party’s strict adherence to “principled politics.”
“Some presidential candidates went there not because they want Pastor Quiboloy to support their causes or vice versa, but only to get personal endorsements from him,” De los Reyes said in a phone interview from Davao City.

“If it’s an event where presidential candidates would be soliciting votes, then I do not want to go.”
De los Reyes and several Kapatiran candidates flew to Davao to begin a weeklong campaign sortie in Mindanao, which would take them to the cities of Davao, Panabo, Valencia, Marawi, Iligan, Gingoog and Cagayan de Oro, as well as various towns in Davao del Norte, Bukidnon and the Lanao and Misamis provinces.

‘I know my shepherd’
The group hopes to solicit endorsements from local Roman Catholic bishops.
De los Reyes, together with party founder Reynaldo Pacheco and president Eric Manalang, paid a courtesy call on Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla shortly after arrival in Davao.
De los Reyes said Capalla asked him if he would attend the Kingdom of Jesus Christ forum.
“I replied, ‘I know my Shepherd and His shepherds know me.’ I’m a Catholic and I’m guided by my faith. I adhere to the Church’s call for principled party politics,” he said.

Erap Estrada Update 4/18/2010

2010-04-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

No Basilan type siege under Erap presidency

The recent siege carried out by the Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan that resulted in the death of at least 15 persons would not have happened under an Estrada-led government.

“It would never have happened under my administration,” Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer Joseph Estrada said, stressing that during his short-lived presidency he did not tolerate the existence of private armies.

“I never tolerated any private armies, I dismantled them immediately, I ordered the military and the police to dismantle all private armies since they are illegal,” he said in an interview with reporters covering the PMP campaign trail.

Estrada declared that he had almost eradicated the Abu Sayyaf and the rogue

elements in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front during his two years in the presidency.

“In the case of the Abu Sayyaf, it was almost eradicated during my time. They (rebels) ran and even the chairman of the MILF, Hashim Salamat, fled to Malaysia,” Estrada said.

Estrada claimed that he is not a “war freak president” whose only solution to the Mindanao problem was the military solution. He said that the use of the military was the last thing that a president should do to solve peace and order problems.

“I’m not a war freak president or a war freak person but when you have exhausted all remedies for peace talks, it’s time you see to it that the law of the land is imposed,” he said, lamenting the huge loss of life and limb in Mindanao as a result of the conflict.

He said his government does not claim to have a franchise on the solutions to the peace and order problem in Mindanao but he had greatly diminished the activities of the ASG and the MILF.

He blamed the Arroyo government for indirectly fuelling the violent groups in Mindanao by being soft-handed with them.

“This shows how weak the Arroyo government is,” he said.

He added that if he wins the presidency he will pursue the peace talks with the Muslim secessionist groups in Mindanao but would put a 90-day time frame to conclude the talks and sign a final agreement that does not provide for any form of dismemberment.

“There’s no such thing as dismemberment of even one province, no way. It’s my duty as president, as commander-in-chief to protect the territorial integrity of our country at all cost,”he said.

In Zambaonga City, during the PMP sortie two weeks ago Estrada had met with the town mayors in Basilan province on how they could address the peace and order problem in the province in case he wins the presidential race.

“They are with me and they want peace. They are tired of all these bombings and kidnappings. They have lost their livelihood and want to begin a new life,” Estrada said of the meeting.

He added that he has accepted an invitation from the mayors for him to campaign in Basilan during the last week of the campaign period.

“Yes, I’ll go there,” he said adding that he is not afraid of the bombings.

Meanwhile Arroyo’s virtual monopoly on intelligence funds may have contributed to the failure of authorities to detect the Abu Sayyaf’ bloody rampage in Basilan on Tuesday, United Opposition (UNO) vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay said today.

Binay noted that such monopoly of confidential and intelligence funds deprived security agencies of the means to uncover terror plots.

Of the P1.35 billion allocated in this year’s national budget for confidential and intelligence expenses almost half or P651 million had been earmarked for the Office of the President (OP), Binay said.

Binay said the OP’s spy funds are five and half times bigger than the P124 million budgeted for the intelligence operations of the whole armed forces.

“When the presidential office gets almost six times in “intel” funds than what the Army, Navy, Air Force , and the AFP general headquarters combined, then there is something grossly wrong in the allocation of defense resources,” Binay said.

He added that the centralization of intelligence funds in the hands of Arroyo reduces the efficiency of the professional intelligence operatives to “smoke out dangerous persons out to do harm to the country.”

“When the Palace appropriates for itself bulk of intelligence funds which should have been given to the field, then it cripples the capacity of the government to detect and foil terrorist attacks,”Binay said.

He suspects that confidential and intelligence funds have been converted to other uses by the OP, a power that is granted to it by the General Appropriations Act .

“The problem here I think is that intelligence funds have been applied elsewhere to the detriment of men and women who are risking their lives to trip whatever sinister plots terrorist groups are always cooking up,”he said .

He added that OP’s P651 million surveillance kitty s also 20 times bigger than other offices in the Department of Defense will get this year.

Outside of the AFP, the DND has an additional allocation of P33 million for intelligence-gathering activities, most of which are cleared through the Office of the Defense Secretary .

Even the 120,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) is no match to the OP when it comes to the financial resources available for intelligence operations, Binay pointed out.

The Department of Interior and Local Government , to which the PNP belongs , has an intelligence budget of P270 million for 2010, or what Binay has computed as equivalent to what the Palace will spend in four months in the same area.

In a related development, birthday wishes are starting to pour in days before the former President, often referred to as the “Ama ng Masa”(father of the poor) celebrates his birthday on Monday, April 19, with officials and volunteers from his party, PMP, taking the lead in wishing their leader well.

Estrada and his PMP partymates will be celebrating his birthday in Montalban, with the residents.