Pinoy VOTE

Lawmakers divided over ARMM polls postponement

Wednesday, 23 July 2008 04:58

Lawmakers are divided over the move to postpone the August 11 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which is also widely seen as a "dry run" for the eventual automation of the 2010 national and local elections.

Makati 1st District Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., chair of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said he does not support the move and does not see the proposal being decided upon in time.

"The request does not come from the COMELEC (Commission on Elections), the constitutional body. It comes from two insurgent groups - the MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front] and the MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front] - who want to break our republic," Locsin told ANC's Top Story newscast Tuesday.

"They [MILF and MNLF] can't give any reason except that they are not ready to participate or they wish to add more provinces," he said.

'Arroyo's support for ARMM polls postponement suspicious'

Wednesday, 23 July 2008 04:55

The timing of President Arroyo�??s hasty decision to support the postponement of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections raised suspicions that amending the Constitution, and not peace in the troubled Mindanao, is her real "agenda," a former public official said Wednesday.

Teresita Deles, former presidential adviser on the peace process, said it's not farfetched that President Arroyo is gunning for Charter change since her administration has called for constitutional amendments in the past.

Allies of President Arroyo in the House of Representatives had pushed for constitutional amendments through constituent assembly but allegations surfaced that the move was an attempt to extend their term, as well as President Arroyo's. The congressmen eventually withdrew the proposal amid heavy criticisms.

GSIS, Meralco lawyers present stands on leadership row

Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:15

LAWYERS for both the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) have submitted their respective memoranda before the Court of Appeals (CA) stating their positions on whether the leadership row may be threshed out before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The CA Special Ninth Division is hearing the petition filed by Meralco executives seeking to stop the SEC from implementing a cease and desist order (CDO) stopping the counting of proxy votes in favor of the Lopezes.

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